Your Voices Have Been Heard

Thank you for helping me choose a name for Zumi’s toy sea turtle

Zumi’s New Friend photo collage. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Many of you participated in choosing a “C” name for Zumi’s new friend, a beautiful toy sea turtle, gifted to us by one of my friends. From the previous post that brought on this one, the names were: Cricket, Charlley, and Coral.

I shared the post with at least ten of my closest friends and acquaintances. They chimed in with their selections, and we have named this little beauty.

saddled sea turtle
with most voted for “C” name
fits it perfectly

And the name that received the most votes is… *vigorous drumroll*

Charlley!

Honestly, I am incredibly happy that this is the name most people wanted for our new little addition. Charlley was riding high initially, ahead by 4 votes, but Coral picked up massive speed from many of my friends. Cricket only had three votes by Saturday night, so it never had a chance. The end results: Charlley: 7 votes, Coral: 6 votes, and Cricket: 3 votes.

Thank you to everyone who took an interest in participating in our little fun experiment! I appreciate your presence here, and I am grateful to be able to share the little things in my life that bring me a spot of joy with all of you.

Peace and blessings.

Happy Sunday, beautiful people!


Have you gotten your copy of SéduireSerial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

Life In Photos #6

Daily photographic musings

Heading out. Saturday, December 20, 2025. A little pose before going to see Caison play basketball, and then visiting Jernee’s burial site. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Second shot: Because Wakanda Forever! Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Trees and Sky #2. I love how the sky and trees look on my boss/friend, Karlie’s land. Jernee has such a beautiful resting place. Visiting Jernee Timid, Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Trees and Sky #3. A different view. I can stand out here for hours if my legs allow it. I visited with Jernee for 4o minutes before Karlie came out with her dog, two other kittens, and then all the chickens started coming toward us, too. I ended up spending an hour and fifteen minutes total out in the country (East Bend, NC), instead of just 30 minutes. And you know what? I needed every second of it! Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I never thought I’d see antique bicycles paired together like this, but here we are… Art in the hallway of my building, on my floor. Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Is this a big enough compass?! There’s something vaguely intriguing about this, and I have yet to put my finger on it. Artwork in my building, in the hallway: This is becoming a theme, yes?! Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
BIG FAT JUICY HEART is the debut book of poetry by Deanne (Dee) Dennis, a writer I follow on Substack, and it’s well worth the read. For her first book of poems, it held my attention, gave me hope, and made me smile; I imagine any future follow-ups will be five to ten times better. This writer is one to watch, seriously. Saturday, December 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
A Reindeer Christmas Card: A fellow writing acquaintance, Sherry, sent this lovely card to me for the holidays. It’s delightful, and I have it displayed on my kitchen bar. Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Another Christmas card, but this one is from my dear friend, Candice Louisa Daquin. She actually has another book out, The Cruelty, published by Flowersong Press, and you can find it at all major book retailers. She’s pretty dope. Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
My Christmas Meal: BBQ shoulder lamb chops, baked beans, and collard greens with onions & cherry tomatoes. Thursday, December 25, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Have you gotten your copy of SéduireSerial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

“Lord I Need You”, Because I Truly Do

Lady Harmony: Too Street for the Church, Too Church for the Street

Lady Harmony: Lord, I Need You

Every morning/before my feet touch the ground/
In the afternoon/when I’m up moving around/
In the evening/when I lay my head down
When I can’t see for myself/

I need you to have my back, Lord…


Have you gotten your copy of SéduireSerial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

Life in Photos #3

Daily photographic musings

I bought a smart watch/tracker for my workout routines. I walked 2.31 miles, and then right after it, I did a little over 20 minutes on the treadmill. I’ve set a goal of 10,000 steps per day, and I’ve consistently exceeded it by at least 4,000 steps every day since. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
My dish for our company Thanksgiving luncheon: seafood salad. What’s in it? Tuna, jumbo & colossal shrimp, crab meat, boiled eggs, onions, mayo, pasta shells, sweet relish, and various seasonings. Yes, it was a H I T! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I know you’ve seen this in a previous post, but it IS a photo I took over the past week. Let Me Write This Gently, My Baby by Lisa Marie Lovett. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
LEMME GET SOME WANGS. For dinner one night this past weekend, I had Buffalo wings from Brixx Wood Fired Pizza Restaurant, which is literally across the street from me. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
A segment with Yolanda Adams on The Theology of Gospel Music, courtesy of The Faith Community Virtual. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I loved the screenshot snippet I took of the video my best friend sent me last week so much that I made the photo my wallpaper on my desktop computer in my bedroom. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
The view from my living room will never get old. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Autumn in my neighborhood. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Have you gotten your copy of SéduireSerial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.

Life in Photos #2

Daily photographic musings

K.E. Garland (aka Kathy) of Inspirational Kwotes, Stories, & Images & I at 800 Degrees in Charlotte, NC. If you’re not aware, she is also the author of several books, most recently released, In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict. It was our first time meeting, and I had a great time! Photo Credit: K.E. Garland/Photo enhancement & collage by Tremaine L. Loadholt
My lunch at 800 Degrees: Meatball Parm with house fries. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Hallway art: an image in my apartment building. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
One thing about us Southerners is that we love our chicken-fried steak, cheese eggs, and biscuits & gravy. Sunday breakfast at Mama Zoe’s, from Sunday, November 09, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Lost chickens? They were just hanging out in front of the fitness building in the same shopping center as Mama Zoe’s. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Lazy eye game H E A V Y. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
A sneak peek at the fit for last Saturday, November 08, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I purchased a scalp massager from my loctician when she was done with my hair. This tool has truly become one of my favorite things to use for massaging my scalp & keeping my locs from combining or curling into one another. I have curly/wavy hair, so that can be an issue for locs. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Zumi Tye was coming out for the morning, and breakfast is what Zuse craved. LOL! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
The girls: Stacey-Lou, Bella-Rue, and Rylee-Blu, my best friend, Mook’s Boston Terriers. She sent a video of them watching TV to me, and I snapped a screenshot to capture them in a freeze-frame photo. I love these little rascals, and I was able to see them on Saturday, November 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt, c/o Mook’s video.

Have you gotten your copy of SéduireSerial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.