WRITE TIME AND AGAIN

Name Origin

Posted on August 21, 2025 by L. M. Montes

My full name is Lisa Marlene. To understand the origin of my name, one must know that my dad, his sister, and their parents all immigrated to the United States in the 1950’s and became US Citizens. My name comes with a German background and reasoning behind it.

I asked my mom once why she and my dad named me Lisa. She said they were originally going to name me Jill. But when my German grandmother said the name Jill wasn’t German enough, they decided to name me Lisa. To be honest, I am SO glad they decided on Lisa. In regards to my middle name of Marlene, I was named after my Aunt Marlene (my dad’s sister).

All in all, I am very proud of the name I was given and the background from which it comes.

Most Important Thing to Carry at All Times

Image• Posted on August 9, 2025 by L. M. Montes

Prompts

Alternative Universe

Posted on August 7, 2025 by L. M. Montes

I would speak seven languages and work as an interpreter who had her own jet and flew around the world doing my job. But in doing so, I would need a place to lay my head wherever I went. To rectify this I would have a house in five countries and stay in fancy hotels in places I had no house.

Social

Sanctuary

Posted on July 31, 2025July 31, 2025 by L. M. Montes

What or where is your sanctuary? Is it one place or many? For me I have multiple places. One of those places is my bedroom. We have pets, so the door to this room is always closed. I can walk in there at the end of the day, it’s quiet, and the breeze from the open window is fresh and relaxing. My mind can truly unwind.

Another sanctuary for me is the coast. I live on the west coast of the United States, well an hour and a half from the coast, so when I am able to get to the beach, it’s a real treat. The sound of the waves and the ocean itself is mesmerizing. Yes, there are actually two sounds the ocean makes. One is the roar of the ocean itself, and the other is the sound of the waves crashing, splashing, or trickling into shore. The imagination is let loose in this environment to run wild.

Wide open spaces are sanctuaries for me as well, but I’m not able to experience them often unless I go on a long road trip. It’s been a very long time since I’ve done that (usually I fly), so right now I have to resort to imagining a wide open space in my mind and using them/it in my stories.

So…..what is your sanctuary?

Prompts

Traditions

Posted on July 30, 2025July 31, 2025 by L. M. Montes

When my sisters and I were kids, my parents celebrated St. Nicholas Day at the beginning of each December. We would put our shoes by the front door the night before, and in the morning there would be candy in them. My dad was German, so he bought German candy at the German import store, and he would fill our shoes with that. As an adult with four kids of my own, I never recognized that tradition. I don’t know why. It was a fun tradition.

Over the years I set out to create my own traditions for the most part. Not that I didn’t like the traditions my parents took part in. I just never thought about it before. My husband and I had fun coming up with our own traditions. Some we thought of were compilations of his family’s old traditions and mine.

The one tradition I stuck with (or tried to) is how my mom did Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. From decorations to dinner I wanted my Christmas for my family as a grown up to mirror hers. Why? Because of the feeling I received when I walked into her house as an adult going to her house for Christmas Eve dinner, opening presents in the morning, decorations, all of it. But I learned something along the way during that process of trying to mimic hers. I can’t. I am not her.