THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Tag Archives: dailyprompt-1839


by 2 Comments

Ideal 24

The daily prompt is asking me to – Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end. I did a post on this question 2 years ago called Ideal Day, that is still pretty much my fantasy ideal day. But I’ll update it with the below.

My ideal day is today. It’s just beginning and I have no idea what is in store for me. I try to make each day the ideal day. I’ve had that mindset for a little while now. I don’t go into every day like that, but I do usually come around and make part of the day ideal.

My ideal day includes seeing my children. But if I can’t I still think about them and look at pictures of them and write them. And while it’s not like seeing them it still makes the day ideal for me because we are sharing.

My ideal day starts with being able to wake up and get upright. If I got those two things, I got the day by the horns.

Sometimes there is no end to my ideal day. For instance, yesterday ran into this morning which made yesterday great.

When you can appreciate a day, you have had an ideal day.

If you’ve felt loved, it’s been an ideal day.

If your stomach didn’t ache with hunger, it’s been an ideal day.

If you were able to help someone it’s been an ideal day.

I could go on and on about all the wonderful things that make an ideal day. I remember once having the most brutal day when nothing was going right. I got out of my car after a brutal drive home from work. The sun had risen an hour earlier. My neighbor’s garden that is on the edge of our yard was loaded with butterflies. I went over and stood there just watching and actually got one to crawl on my finger. It wasn’t the ideal day at all. But the last couple minutes by that garden allowed me to get a good night’s rest.

I hope you all have an ideal day today.

Ocean City sunrise on one of my ideal days. Photo by Mike Hartley


by 3 Comments

Ideal Day

The Daily writing prompt ask us today to “Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.”

I would wake about 5am, grab a Coke and wander out the front door to the beach with a chair and camera and watch the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean, listen to the waves, and smell the salt air. Back inside to prepare a grand breakfast for my better half, my children and grandchildren.

Photo by MH

Right back outside after eating with the grandchildren to teach them how to do sand sculptures. Quick dip in the ocean and back to the home overlooking the ocean with one of those infinity pools (never been in one) that overlooks the ocean in front of the house. Swim and play with family.

Spend some quality time with my better half then hit the front porch that has one of those nice swings or a two person hammock that we just watch the family play on the beach for a few minutes. Then hop on a Harley and spend an hour or two cruising up and down the coastal highway. More beach time soaking up rays and listening to laughter of the family and children.

Lunch is a mixture of steamed crabs, Tony’s pizza and maybe some Thrashers fries. Finishing with cherry ice cream soda from Dumser’s Dairyland. Back to the beach and pool. Spend the afternoon seeing extended family and friends who have strolled by because we rented the entire area for them and their families for the day.

Out to dinner at one of the fine bayside resturants like The Hobbit or Fagers Island or Saltwater 75 with the family and watch the sunset together. Walk the beach hand in hand. Let the kids play games on the boardwalk and do some rides. Revel in their smiles.

As the family settles in, meet up with the boys and their hotrods and go for a drive in a 69 Camaro with a 427, blower and of course a 4 speed transmission. Come back and grab my better half for a moonlit walk on the beach. Sit in porch swing together listening to the waves and feeling a warm summer night breeze eating too much Fishers popcorn as she falls asleep in my lap and I sit quietly till the sun rises again.

Music would permeate the day. There would be no TV’s or smartphones or computers.


by 1 Comment

Symphony of Clouds

I miss looking up as often as I did earlier in life. Been a very long time since I laid on the hood of the car and just watched the clouds or stars roll through the sky.

Over The Bay (is there any other Bay?) Photo by Mike Hartley

I didn’t make much use of my hammock the last two years also. Now that is something that I can correct. As far as cars, you don’t want to be on any part of that molded plastic and thin metal of today’s production models.

(Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end) is the WordPress writing prompt for the day. So here we go.

Waking rested before sunrise in my better half’s arms and feeling young. A walk on the beach watching the sunrise. Back for bacon and eggs, watching my children and their children wake with joy and laughter. All out to the beach for a few hours and then the pool for a few hours. Watching the sunset during family dinner overlooking the bay eating the best crabcake in Maryland, a petite fillet, and maybe a lobster tail. A walk on the beach with the family after dinner. Late-night cruise on the warm summer night with the top down. Pull into the local ice cream/soda fountain and discover my best friends are there. We cruise and then just hang outside by a firepit raising hell and laughing till 3 or 4 am.

Above is my selfish ideal day. If I were to have an ideal day it would be the world was finally at peace, and all the defense money could be spent on curing cancer and heart disease, and many other nasty illnesses. That people weren’t hungry. That there were no killings of any type. That our intellect was put towards solving issues of sustaining this earth, food, and water supplies. That living without anger or prejudice was possible. – Hell, what am I thinking? We’ve had our chances, and we blew them.

Random Thoughts of the Day

  • When you still work and lose track of what day it is your working too hard. When you are retired and lose track of what day it is you’re not busy enough.
  • Neighbors can make or break a neighborhood.
  • If you run into limitations early in life, sometimes later in life new ones are easier to deal with.
  • Having a productive day feels good.