Author: Belinda O

Today’s Bloganuary prompt: Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

As you might have deduced if you saw my post yesterday, I’m an indoors sort of gal. I don’t go much for the big outdoors, at least, hiking in it. Which is too bad in some ways, because the area around me has many beautiful hiking trails.

I don’t mind walking. When I lived in Minnesota, I used to walk around some local lakes on a regular basis. But a dirt trail where the path is uneven, perhaps narrow, and full of ticks? No way.

I confess, it’s the tick thing that really keeps me away. There a millions of them around here, and I have several friends who suffer from the consequences of a tick bite. There’s one disease (I can’t think of the name of it now) that makes you allergic to mammal meat. You can eat poultry and fish, but no beef, pork, and the like.

One of my friends also has celiac disease, which requires a gluten-free diet. And the tick disease is so strong in her she can’t have any dairy products. Which makes me grateful, very grateful, for my health and the very few dietary restrictions I have. For whatever reason, I can’t eat mushrooms or white chocolate. Both make me very ill. However, those are easy foods to work around.

By the way, possums eat ticks. Heavy volumes of them.

So I don’t want to limit myself anymore because of a tick. I’ll get my walking in. It just won’t be on the scenic trails around me.

Image Credit: Hiking trail © Gajus–stock.adobe.com, Possum © geoffkuchera–stock.adobe.come

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I’m losing steam with this Bloganuary challenge–today’s prompt is to list five things you do for fun.

Well, that’s easy. In no particular order:

–-Knit

–-Read

—Write

—Play Scrabble

—Do nothing, nothing at all! Except maybe snuggle with the cats.

Image Credit Have Fun © Josie Elias–stock.adobe.com

Today’s Bloganuary prompt: If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

Well, I’ve written before about how I’d like them to understand that I keep them inside for their own safety, and that would be the main thing I’d want to communicate. But there is one other thing I’d like them to know:

“I’m in charge here, and from this moment on, you’re going to act like it!”

Image Credit: Walter and Mimi Nonchalant © Belinda O

Today’s Bloganuary prompt: “Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.” Well, a good prompt for today as it’s my birthday!!

When I was born, my parents were quite surprised to discover I was a girl. This was before ultrasounds would give you that information in advance (yes, young ones, there was such a time, not so long ago). They’d fully anticipated a boy and hadn’t even considered names for a girl.

So it took them a week to name me. I’ve asked both of them why they chose the name Belinda, and I’ve gotten the same response from each–“we liked the name.” No favorite relative and certainly nothing to do with its meaning.

Over the years I’ve gotten different explanations of that meaning. When I was in high school, a friend brought her parent’s baby naming book to school. Why, I don’t know. We all looked up our own names and those of our siblings, crushes, and any others who struck our fancy. I was tickled to learn that, according to this book, my name meant, “wise and immortal.”

Of course one boy teased me mercilessly about this, pretending to misunderstand and believe that my name actually meant, “immoral.” Another boy said (in all seriousness), “no, no, Belinda means ‘witch.'” Where he got that, I have no idea. I think he saw a movie or read a book with a witch who shared my name.

I looked it up today and learned it derives from an old Spanish word meaning, “beautiful.” Well, that’s nice. Another entry said the first part of my name means “beautiful” but the second part means “serpent.” Well, I’ll be darned. Beautiful serpent. Is there such a thing?

Whatever the meaning, I’ve always liked the name. So thanks, Mom and Dad.

And by the way, if I’d been a boy, I would have been named Mark.

Image Credits: What’s Your Name © Coloures-Pic–stock.adobe.com; Witch © Wiktoria Matynia–stock.adobe.com.

Today’s Bloganuary prompt is, “what is your dream job?” which I’ve written about before and for which I don’t have a new spin. Since it’s Saturday, oops, make that Caturday, I’m sharing this picture of Walter taking a nap. Babies and cats are often at their cutest when they’re asleep, and Walter is proving that point. Ah, he’s always cute, but I’m glad he’s content in my box of quilts.

Image Credits: Paws in Heart © Bigstock; Cesar Cat © Belinda O