Prompt: Beautiful but Destructive

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Wine-bottle-rocket CGI by Teagan via Playground
CGI by Teagan via Playground

IN COMING!  WHINE ALLERT!

It’s a new week, and I’m trying to find a note of positivity.  Horsefeathers… I’m really trying. LOL.  It was a rough week, and I’m still dealing with the emotional and physical aftereffects. My therapist of five years retired. I feel like somebody died.  Although I’m happy for her that she’s out there living life to the fullest. 

Teagan's avatar with teacup, distressed

Then I had another altercation with the trash dumpster. (Yes, you’ve heard that story before.) The dumpsters in my neighborhood aren’t quite as tall as the one in the picture my computer generated, and fortunately it was empty, but the fire can represent the pain in my back after having to set the blasted thing back up. The garbage truck/arm left it laying on its side on the ground, and none of my neighbors would do anything.  (Please don’t give me advice on this dumpster problem. Do you really think I don’t know?  I’m in full whine here, and yes, cheese will be gladly accepted.)

CGI image by Teagan. Fat redhead trying to fix burning dumpster

Then because my back was already hurt, and I was being careful not to make it worse, I stretched too far on one side and overextended the tendon in my foot while doing the laundry.  Contrary to what you might expect, the foot pain does not take my mind off my back.

So, I was trying to distract myself, when I saw Marian Allen‘s Sunday writing prompt:  Beautiful but Destructive. Suddenly, I sincerely thought I might up and write something… Well, I thought that for about three minutes.  I considered the power of Mother Nature. Then the mighty sea, or hurricanes.  No, couldn’t write.  Then the fierce winds we get here in the high desert.

I thought about how cats can be destructive with shredding furniture and whatever.  Although, the Scoobies have been really good in that regard. Even better when you consider that they’re in “the terrible twos.”  Except for Daphne’s issue with those padded storage cubes. She bites big chunks out of them. I don’t know why she does that…

2024-01-04 Daphne in a box in a box
Daphne biting storage box

Still, I couldn’t write…  Unfortunately, I felt committed to the challenge.  So, I went to “Playground.” (Which isn’t nearly as fun as it once was. They’ve made the time to generate an image last so long that their app times out after several minutes of waiting, and then tries to sell me a paid version.) 

I typed in the prompt, “Beautiful but destructive.” Coincidental to my feline thought, I got this cat goddess creature image that I like a lot.  (And then the app refused to cooperate at all after that… Just “Peak activity time. Try the paid version.” Which it tells me no matter the time of day.)

CGI by Teagan via Playground

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So my response to the prompt is an image rather than a story. Friendly comments (and cheeses) are encouraged. Wishing you a wonderful new week.  Hugs!

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Now the obligatory shameless self-promotion.

The Delta Pearl

The duology includes The Delta Pearl: A Steampunk Riverboat, and the conclusion of the story, The Geostrophic Pearl: The Delta Pearl Book 2.

The Delta Pearl: A Steampunk Riverboat, Book 1

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The Geostrophic Pearl:  The Delta Pearl Book 2

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64 thoughts on “Prompt: Beautiful but Destructive”

  3. Teagan, this never popped up on WP. Thank goodness Dan posted it on FB. I feel your pain, literally. Second week of school and my back is out. I am sending you mega hugs! I really love the image you created!!

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  5. Sending you truckloads of love, affection, positivity, healing and hugs to crush all the pain, negativity, and sorrow all the way from India. I’m typing it and the truck has left the screen…and……it is coming your way speedily…….reached Dubai…..now its in Western Sahara…now deploying underwater systems….now crossing the North Atlantic Ocean…passing through Cuba….arriving in Texas and now that you’ve stayed just a minute….three….two….one….BAM (signature sound of my last name)…..ITS HERE on your SCREEN. Packaged Delivered. 🙂 Hugs.

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  6. Teagan, your post perfectly captures the beauty and destructiveness of life. Your ability to face challenges head-on continues to inspire me. The resilience you show is truly amazing and motivates me to embrace my own challenges with the same strength. Keep shining! Sending hugs on the wing!

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  7. Sending you lots of love, healing and well wishes Teagan.. Ouch… Back problems I know can be so soul destroying as you cannot get comfortable ..
    My cat also chews on the cardboard box’s he has for a bed in the greenhouse he likes to hunker down in if it rains and we are not about as we don’t have a cat flap because he is a great mice catcher… So who knows why??

    Sending love Teagan… and hope you soon heal and feel better xx ❤

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      1. Sometimes our bodies are our barometers to tell us we need to do less or slow down.
        And if we don’t listen we can get whammed with something that stops us I’m our tracks.
        So its good to listen to our bodies sometimes.
        Lots of love ❤️ 😍 your way. Xx ❤️

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  8. Oh man, you’ve been hit on different levels. I hope your back and foot pain goes away. And I hope you connect with a good therapist soon. I know the benefit of a good therapist — I had one for several years. I’m sending sunshine and hugs your way! 🌞

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind encouragement, Dave. I’ve dealt with back pain for decades. I’m certainly not immune to it, and I don’t feel it any less, but it’s familiar. This tendon in my foot is driving me nuts. I did the same thing to the other foot just a couple of months ago… So I’m very aggravated with myself for that happening again. 😖

      Hugs to you and yours.

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  9. I agree with Dan. That image is, beautiful and fearful.
    Hope the pain goes away. I can understand how you feel with losing your doctor. My primary and cardiologist are both leaving the area this month.

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  10. I think that cat goddess could solve all your problems, Teagan. I’m sure she wouldn’t take out the trash, but she might scare the truck driver into getting out and picking up the bin. On really windy days, we have to tie our bins (trash & recycle) to the fence to keep them home.

    Daphne looks pretty cute in that box. She has that “What? I’m not doing anything…” look on her face.

    Pain of any sort is never good, but back and (especially in my mind) foot pain are the worst. Also, getting hurt while trying to be the person doing the thing someone else should have done, is annoying. I hope you can relax and pamper yourself until those clear up. I might be tempted to self-medicate.

    I’m also sad about your therapist retiring. Losing contact with someone is always hard.

    Lastly, I’m not sure why I missed this yesterday. I need to do a quick check to see if I’ve missed any others. Happy Monday – hugs!

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  13. A cat goddess is a good solution to those words.
    Luckily I live in an apartment building so the super deals with the garbage and the trucks. What a pain. (literally and figuratively) Hopefully this week will be kinder to you. (K)

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  16. The image is a perfect response and wonderful to look at! Fantastic, actually!

    I hope you have a better week next week!

    Sending bubbles of hugs!

    (you can let them float around your place & burst one whenever you need a hug)

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  17. Teagan, sorry you had so much to deal with this past week. The dumpster, the foot, the back, the chewed box, the therapist retiring. All that runs havoc on the mind. However, the Playground prompt image was perfect! Hope this week treats you better. Hugs, my friend. 🧡🎶

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  19. Your comment about wheelie bins made me think of the place where I used to live in the UK. I lived up a hill, and it was awfully complicated when we had to let them out on a windy day. I had to run down the hill behind the wheelie bin more than once (because, of course,, at the bottom there was a rather large road, so it would have been quite dangerous if it had just run into it).

    Great image, especially considering the difficulties. Thanks for sticking with it. I hope your back and foot get better soon. Sending cheesy best wishes, (careful) hugs and love to Daphne and Velma.

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    1. Thanks for making this comment, Olga. Yikes! That would be dangerous. For a short part of the time I lived in DC, that neighborhood was had the wheelie bins, and my driveway had a downward slope. The bin almost got away, and I ended up tumbling with it, so I understand what you mean. Hugs winging back to you.

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  21. Tempeste likes to take chunks out of the stairs that are for their convenience in getting up on the couch. Like you asking why of your kitten, asking Tempeste why gets a stare and a head cock. Our pickup guys lay them on the side too. That is another unknown in life. Pulling one thing while trying to protect another is in my wheelhouse. I hate to say this but I’m certainly glad I’m not alone. My sympathies for your foot. I have not used Playground but I do like what you got on the prompt. I hope you have a lovely week.

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    1. I didn’t even know I hurt the foot until the next day… It’s a downside for my height and arm-length. I’m only 5’4″, but I have long arms and long fingers, so if I stretch and tiptoe, I can usually reach things. The toes have started to rebel against that strategy. It’s a habit I’m finding it hard to break/remember not to do. I know what you mean. Choosing to be single has benefits, but sometimes I could really use a “lift something heavy” service… or a “jar opening” service.
      Playground is usually pretty cool, but lately their amount of time to generate an image has been a problem. I was surprised to get such a good image with those few words. That kind of app likes lots of detail in what you type (contrary to things like search utilities that always want fewer words). A wonderful week to you too, John. Big hugs.

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  22. I love that image! Rawr! I think Daphne and Chickie might belong to the same club: Chickie is all about biting holes in the plastic tablecloths. So you threw your back out, lifting a dumpster. I wondered why my neck was stiff all of a sudden. We have got to break this psychic connection, before we get seriously hurt! lol HUGS

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    1. Ouch… stiff necks are awful. I’m sorry to hear that.
      I’ve never been able to break Daphne from giving “love bites.” The more she cuddles, the more she tries to bite. I just realized that the cubes she really “went to town on” have a faux leather, well padded top. Maybe it’s like skin! Although once she got a taste of storage box destruction, she can’t be trusted with any of them. Hugs winging back to you. 🐱

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  23. You are in a true Dumpstaphunk: https://youtu.be/zZMWUu_J2kU?si=ixVFP_Ji7DrIJo9U. That is a fantastic photo of Daphne debilitating the drawer. Your CGI is as exquisite as ever. Having whine fests seems to bring out the best of times in the worst of times. It’s a pain to rely on one pain to distract from another. Wishing you speedy relief from your pain. The kitties send healing purrs and kitty kisses times seven. I hope you find another good therapist. It’s so much trouble when healthcare professionals retire. When it comes to beautiful but destructive, Spunk wins top honors.

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    1. Thanks for the great song, Tim — and the good wishes and purrs.
      The Scoobies really are (usually) non-destructive. Daphne has that one passion though. Better to chew storage boxes than computer cables and electric wires (as one friend’s cat does). Chin-rubs to the clowder. Hugs.

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  24. I’ve brought some lovely Michigan Cheddar cheese and these lovely brown rice crackers to munch on. I also made some raspberry green tea. Now, we can chat about our silly kitty girls. (I was cleaning the vent in the bathroom, and Chloe tried to get in the vent)!! 🧡

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    1. Most neighborhoods in the US have those too — individual ones (or more) that you wheel to the curb. When I was investigating cities where I might retire, I saw a few like this, where for each street (in front) there is an alley behind. I’m sure it’s more efficient for the city to use the multi-house dumpster than the individual ones… Plus, it’s so windy in New Mexico that the wheelie bins are difficult to leave out. (That and anything else that isn’t tied down.) Even these heavy dumpsters get caught by the wind once in a while and blow halfway down the alley before they stop — yep, really windy here. Have a good new week. Hugs.

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