From my past…

In the “Death of Jake Mitchell”, I write of a haunted house. This is the house. I had dreams of ghosts floating at the ceiling. My daughter identified a ghost who came to her when she was scared in the family photo album. It was Uncle Joey who she identified from a locket he had bought me saying his picture was in it but it never was. He had died 15 years before her birth and I never spoke of him. There is another realm out there - both good and evil.

Liminal

A very subtle grave which is barely noticeable. Hand gathered rocks mark its boundary (love) and leaves cover the grave (ashes to ashes, dust to dust). A hand painted rock (love) which is barely noticeable reads “By Rapture or Death with the LORD”.  There is no marker with a name or dates. I think this grave captures the idea of a memory. Just like a memory, it’s almost there but not.  This grave mirrors that felling of a person who has died…they are in our hearts but physically no longer with us.

Biblical Origin:

The exact phrase “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” is derived from the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer and is commonly used during burial services.

However, the concept of returning to dust and covering oneself with ashes appears multiple times in the Bible.

In the book of Genesis, after Adam and Eve sin, God tells Adam, “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).

Thus, within Judeo-Christian thought, dust symbolizes both our origin (creation from the earth) and our eventual mortality (returning to the same dust).

Symbolism and Meaning:

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” serves as a powerful reminder of our human condition.

It signifies that our bodies are composed of elements from the earth, and after death, they will decompose and return to the basic elements of dust and ashes.

The phrase emphasizes humility, mortality, and the impermanence of life.

Covering oneself with ashes or dust was a way of expressing penance and humbling oneself before God.

Cultural Usage:

Beyond religious contexts, this saying has become a part of cultural consciousness.

When spoken at funerals, it underscores the reality of death and the cycle of life.

It prompts reflection on our existence, purpose, and the transient nature of our physical bodies.

In summary, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” encapsulates the lifecycle: from dust we rise, and to dust we shall return. It serves as a somber yet profound acknowledgment of our mortality and the interconnectedness of all living things.

Liminal:  A word that encapsulates the essence of a subtle, unmarked resting place—a site that exists in a state of in-between, where memories linger but formal markers are absent—is “liminal.” It evokes a sense of transition, a threshold between life and the beyond, where the presence of those who have passed remains felt, even if not explicitly acknowledged

Wishing…

Dear wanderer amidst the dandelion fluff where fairies dance and witches seek hidden truths while weaving incantations through delicate stems, I ask what do you seek?

Do you seek hope amongst the fragile yet unyielding blooms of that little yellow flower? Little dandelion which thrives in tenacious, challenging conditions as it stretches toward the sun, do you wish to be like the dandelion where hope blooms?

 Do you wish to challenge the silent symphony of your life by picking a seed and releasing a desire? Can you dig deep within your soul and release that wish upon your breath? To have your breath whisked away by the wind up to the heavens, is it just a dream?  I dare you to make a wish and watch as the universe conjures to your favor.

Returning….

I returned to my Spiritual home where I find inspiration and rejuvenation for my writing. The location is Virginia City NV. This time I stayed at Silverland Hotel.

Codex Gigas

Portrait of the Devil from a medieval manuscript called Codex Gigas. A monk called Herman the Recluse wrote it - also known as the Devils Bible. I bought the greeting card from an artist at Red Bubble but I havent figured out who I'll send the card to?

from Jake Mitchell download

This is the actual figurine that I was holding in the PDF download of “The Death of Jake Mitchell” when demon Jake Mitchell comes to stand next to me. The figurine is in my favorite graveyard.

Heartless

       She gave me her heart which I didn’t want. It was a special gesture. She loved me. She thought it was contagious. She was determined to show me.  Witnin a box, she sent her heart through the mail.

     I opened the box. I didn’t know what to do. The heart wasn’t warm. The heart didn’t move. It was soft. I wondered what I could do with this heart. 

     I took it out of the box. I took her heart outside and kicked it around. The dog stole it and ran around with it. By the trees, I retrieved her abandoned heart.

     I took her heart back in the house. I used her heart to clean up the kitchen counters. It really absorbed like a sponge.

     I was feeling numb about the situation. I decided to take a shower. I used her heart as a washcloth.  I rubbed her heart all over my body.

     By the end of the day, I couldn’t find a use for her heart. I called her up and told her the way it was. She started to cry. Her heart was useless. I then hung up.

       I’m not an artist. I don’t paint pretty pictures. Within my words, you’ll see that I just used her. I didn’t catch her innuendo, but I don’t really care. She gave me her heart cause I didn’t have one.                      

beautiful world

I like to take a walk before I start to write. I find walking clears my mind. I noticed the trees are starting to get leaves.

Writing Jake Mitchell

In this blog, I’ll discuss the meaning of the names within my writing of “The Death of Jake Mitchell.” We’ll start with one of our main characters, Jake Mitchell. Do you see it? Look at his last name. Jake is a demon and where is he from? He is from Hell. Look at his last name - MitcHELL.

Next main character is Mia Burton. Mia is disraught, unhappy and hangs out in the graveyard. Within the graveyard, she is disappearing from her own life. Now, lets look at Mia another way…M.I.A. Mia is absent from her own life or Missing In Action.

Daughter name - Cassandra (Cassie)…In the Bible the name Cassandra means “helper of mankind.” The Greek meaning is “shining upon man.” In this story, the Devil has a hold over her because she can disrupt his intentions.

When I write, I usually have a photo or image representing the characters. The image makes them more real within my mind than just imagination. When I wrote Jake, a photo of Johhny Depp (representing Jake) was on my shelf. In Chapter 27, the chapter called Esmerelda, I describe a shelf in the fortuneteller’s business area as we wait for Esmerelda. The shelf which I described is within my own home. I included a picture of my shelf with the face blocked out because someone might own the rights on the photo. My “Day of the Dead” coffee mug was purchased in St. Augustine, Florida.

reality vs. rose colored glasses

                                                                 Reality vs. Rose Tinted Glasses 

     I debated whether or not to put up the true picture of my home on Copco Lake. Within the book “The Death of Jake Michell”  I created an illusion of a beautiful home but in reality, the house was rather dumpy. I only rented the house. I never owned it. And when all hell cut loose, I was evicted.  Today, as I look at the picture, the house looks haunted.

    Having written and debated these thoughts leading to this blog, I chose reality over rose tinted glasses. I posted the picture. This blog isn’t fiction.

    Sometimes, reality isn’t pretty.  Sometimes reality creates fear. I found that my decision to live in reality instead of wearing rose colored glasses has enabled my own personal growth by leaps and bounds.  I faced my fears. I conquered my fears. I found that I am a survivor. I discovered that I’m way stronger than I ever thought.

    I believe that God wants me to experience life. Experiencing life comes with ups and downs. At times, life can be ugly. But the ugliness enables you to appreciate beauty. Knowing the difference, is eye opening.

    Life and reality are a combo. You can’t have one without the other. If I chose to wear rose colored glasses, I would be haunted by everyday life. Being haunted is living in fear. Living in fear is being paralyzed. Being paralyzed with fear makes survival impossible.  

     When I was evicted from that house, I found a new me. By surviving, I evolved. My old life and who I used to be is connected to that house that looks haunted. I realize that my old life will never be…and sometimes that still haunts me. Within that house, I leave my memories.

Writing

It took me over 10 years to write Jake Mitchell. I wrote it the first time and threw it away. I wrote it the second time and it burned up in a fire. I guess the third time was the charm. I finally have Jake for sale on my website in PDF download.
Jake was written on Copco Lake. Here I am writing on the lake in my home over 10 yrs ago. I am not in character and I was younger.

Business cards

I ordered author business cards from Zazzle.com. They’ll arrive around April 2nd and I’m excited. I think it’ll be perfect for advertising to random people that I meet. I don’t have to get into a lengthy conversation about my writing. I just give them a card and say “check it out.”

On one side of the business card, I have my sales pitch, website and photo while the other side has the cover photo and title. Perfect!

Flash Fiction

 I wrote under the pen name of Thomas Franklin when I blogged on "‘Blogit” for a year creating 147 flash fiction stories. I share these stories here.

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                                     TEMPTING

  I had breakfast with the Devil. He cooked bacon and burnt the toast. I complained and he told me to ‘go to heaven’. I was disgusted and he was happy. I didn’t know what to do. I was bored with the Devil.

     Then, God showed up at the table. He came with light and fluffy pancakes. They were so perfect. It would have been a sin to eat them. God pushed pancakes. The Devil pushed bacon. I sat there not knowing what to do. I couldn’t make a decision and it was eating at me. This was the first meal of the first day of the rest of my life. Two super powers had come to my breakfast of champions. Both wanted me on their team.

     I felt so important. I wanted to do it again. I wanted both of them to show up tomorrow for breakfast. So, I split myself. I gave my soul to God and my body to the Devil. Both of them cried “foul.” God wanted total devotion. The Devil wanted my soul. I smiled. I had them both eating out of my hand. I guess…I’m in control.

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Author comments: Most of my writing has double meaning and it twists. In this story, it starts by being tempted by food but it ends by tempting superpowers. I toy with God and the Devil. By toying with these super powers, I court with my own fate. Likewise, when we eat unhealthy food we could lose our health.. By tempting superpowers and eating unhealthy we deal with our own demise.

Writing Jake Mitchell

"The Death of Jake MItchell" was written on Copco Lake. This pic is from above the house in which I lived. Its before they removed the dams creating an environmental disaster. It breaks my heart to think that the lake is now gone. I dedicated my story to the memory of Copco Lake.

Walking and Talking with God

 I decided to return to my daily walking routine. For a while, I neglected this aspect of my life with a big declaration of “I don’t care” as I bought potato chips and ice cream. I decided that being chubby was okay. My attitude changed to ‘I’ll eat what I want’ whether it was healthy or not. I liked that chemical taste. I didn’t even take my vitamins. I didn’t drink my water. And I was happy for about a month.      

While I indulged and fulfilled my appetite, I felt my mental attitude was declining. I thought that I was happy but apparently, I wasn’t.  I asked myself if I was meant to be happy. I wondered if happiness was an unreachable illusion. Maybe, I needed more discipline and structure.

     I couldn’t answer my own questions. I decided that I needed some sunshine so I went for a walk. I tried to stay off the concrete. I tried to stay off the paved road. I wanted to return to nature.  Life wasn’t made to be an easy stroll on pavement that was even. Instead,  I walked down the grass hillside making sure I didn’t fall in uneven terrain. While I walked on uneven landscape I used muscles that I had forgotten about. Squirrels ran from me and birds flew overhead. I wanted to walk on the dirt road by the creek. I wanted to be one with nature and Earth.

     In the past, I had timed my walks. I created a challenge. I kept a record of my best walking time in minutes and seconds over the same route. To lower the time, I picked up the pace to a jog/walk. I don’t know why I did this. Maybe it’s something that society installs within our minds to do our best and hurry. We shouldn’t waste time. Society places restrictions. We can only be one thing placed within a box.

     On this walk, I didn’t set the timer.  I guess, it was a new beginning. I decided that I had nowhere to go in a hurry. I didn’t need to rush. I walked at a slow pace picking up rocks and looking at bugs.  I listened to the creek babble.  In silence, I walked. 

      In comparing my silent walk with my life, I admit that my life is rather silent. Sometimes, I don’t talk to anybody for days. I live alone with 2 small dogs. I never speak loudly. I don’t have to. When its quiet, a softly spoken word is still heard. Sometimes while I walk, I think about my written words. I consider what words will be written next.  Sometimes I miss not hearing a voice. Sometimes, within my lonely world of silence, I shed a tear for the past. I cry for my family.

     On today’s walk, I decided to speak. I would hear a voice even if it was my own. I decided to talk to God. While I walked, I loudly spoke. I asked God if he was listening. I didn’t hear a response but I’m sure he was.  I continued my discussion. I told God that I wouldn’t mind having companion to actually respond with a point of view but I do not want a relationship.  Can one exist without the other. Love has no boundaries. Do I attempt to restrict love. My heart belongs to my brother and the fight. I fight for freedom, liberty and justice. I don’t want to love anybody but what I do is for love. Maybe my words are confusing. They say that God is love. Are God and love simple or complex - or is it what we make it.  Talking to God was easy.

     While I walked and talked, I asked for strength. I asked for God to help me endure. Maybe some day, my family will speak and unite.  For now, I will simply make my way. I wait for God to reveal the path. I think God told me to relax – take the timer off my life. Live in the moment. Open your heart.

     My walk was slow and thoughtful. I was babbling just like the creek. The sun had warmed me on a rather cold day. Within nature, I felt refreshed. I felt that I reconnected with God. I surrounded myself within Gods creation in this beautiful world called life.

     By the time, I completed my walk, I felt better. My voice had broken the silence. God helped me clear my head. In many ways, I was not alone on my walk. As you read my words, you accompanied me.  Through my written words, you walked with me.  I am unaware of who reads these words like I am unaware of Gods presence in my everyday life. But I feel connected. We are not alone. Within Gods creation, we are all connected.