Gratitude Monday -- Why Not Vote?

So you're not voting in the May 5 provincial election. Well, aren't you a special angel?
It's your right to sit on your ass and let total strangers who go out to vote decide your government for you. And whatever happens it is not your fault, you didn't vote for the greedy bastards.

Like I said, it is your right and you have every right to exercise the right that good men and women fought and died securing for you. We can not vote here without fear. I am grateful for that.

We can fearlessly sit on our asses while others make decisions for us. I am grateful, as I said, and good on you for exercising that side of it, but don't expect me to applaud it, and don't whine to me about the government afterward.
Why not?
Because you also have the right to vote for whomever you damn well please. If you can't be bothered to do it, then shut the fuck up. Suck it up and go on, whiner. I have no time for you.
Why not vote?
Because you can.
Why not vote instead?
You can do that, too, and no matter the result you have every right to complain about the outcome.

Photo-Finish Friday -- The Old Hometown

Fort Assiniboine from the hill looking south.

A Glass of Challenge

We've all heard about the glass.
For some it is half full.
For others it is half empty.
It doesn't end there.
I've had the displeasure to know people who maintain the glass is dirty, or the glass is cracked, and some who are so resolutely negative they say,  "I've never even had a glass."

Not only are those people sad, they are a pain in the ass to be around.
Negativity serves no purpose other than being a cry for attention.
If you give it to them, then they see it works and will simply continue.

I'd tell them to go to Hell, but they are already seated uncomfortably there and complaining about the heat.

That said, I say there is no glass because I refuse to have my blessings contained, especially by anything as meagre as a glass.
They are a flowing river, infinite, bright, and refreshing.
Yours can be that way as well. It is a simple matter of announcing it is so and then looking for the good in what you perceive as bad.

I challenge you to try.

Gratitude Monday - Life As It Is

I am grateful I live a life that allows me to express my creativity in whichever way comes to mind.
I've just finished editing one of my husband's manuscripts and feel like exploring the creativity of sitting around doing nothing.
This lets my mind wander and in the wandering refreshes itself.
I am grateful for that, too.
I have two current manuscripts of my own to work on plus a third that may deserve another look.
In the last few days I  have also made my own version of chipotle-cilanto sauce, a creative work in itself.
After looking up what goes into such a thing I gathered a few ingredients that I decided would work and whirred them together. They were mixed into a mayo and homemade coconut sour cream sauce along with some lime juice.
It was exactly what I wanted. It went well with the beanizza (bean pizza) I made and is a wonderful topping on baked potatoes.
Making this is as creative as writing or drawing or anything else and I am grateful to do it.

My Erasing Hobby

I've been teaching myself to draw.
I do it for my own pleasure and harbour no fantasies about making it big in the art world. This is me expressing myself and enjoying it.
It is also a moderately compelling drive inside to express something that I have yet to target.
It started as a picture in my head last year to draw a scene from a manuscript I was writing.
Then I wanted to draw dragons,
Currently the unicorns are asserting themselves, demanding my attention.
They are welcome in my soul and I am pleased and grateful for their presence.

But back to drawing. I joke that what I am really doing is erasing.  I make mistakes, I rub them out, and I try again.
The above is one of my better attempts.

Gratitude Monday -- Cookies

I am grateful I learned to bake. Specifically, I am grateful I learned how to make peanut butter cookies.
I had a craving for them the other day. I made a batch with cacao nibs then remembered I really wanted them with oatmeal.
The next day I made another batch of peanut butter cookies this time remembering to add oatmeal.
Both batches have found good homes. Husband likes the cacao nib variety while I have used the oatmeal batch as a reward for when I take a break from editing.
Knowing they await has helped me get the work done. I am also grateful for that.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Last Evening In My Front Yard

A deer stops to take care of an annoyance before getting back to getting its dinner.