Tuesday, March 08, 2022
Today is National Women's Day -- Celebrate !!!
HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY !!!
(Poem previously posted on my other blog on
February 26 and now with some changes here)
"Natural Woman" Digital Collage Art "Covid
Creations"(URL) by Susie Clevenger
.
Natural Woman
"I'm going to do it," she mused
Going Natural was the thing
in its beginnings, do or not
There was no recipe back then
In the attic for Grandma's dress
Old and once was bright, faded now
A ruffled blouse simulated
adorned her top--hid naturals
Plastic fowls faked natural look
cage for two with one in her hand
Their lovely songs filling the air
when batteries were new and fresh
Strut up the walks, down the alleys
People loved show of vanity
Whatever made her dress to change
Had boosted her good family name
Very proud, Natural Women was,
to herself she thought,
"History's made"
_ _ _ _
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural woman (Official Lyric Video)
- Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved
- I am linked with Carrie who is celebrating The Sunday Muse event of having made 200 posts prompting and goading us to write. For this celebration she posted ten previously used photos from which we should choose, I chose Susie's above. See them all and links to others at http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2022/02/sunday-muse-200.html
- Carrie said, "Welcome Muse Friends to the 200th Muse prompt & celebration! April 2018 was when it all began with the talented poet, Chrissa, me (Carrie), and eventually our amazing poet friend Shay. It has been a wonderful experience, and today I want to thank you all for being a part of it!"
.
Labels: Holiday Posts, Poem, Stories
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Family Memory Jog, a Rock Pile ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 009
These rocks were brought to Texas from the grove at our farm in Nebraska. Both my sister, Lois, and I, were born in the farmhouse there and lived with our parents until we left home for college. Neither of us would come back except to visit.
Dad collected the rocks out of the fields where he grew corn, oats, clover, and hay. When he would plow, every now and then one would surface. Since the farm had been tilled beginning in the 1840's or 1850's, most of the rocks had already been found and removed. But some still surfaced when Grandpa, and then Dad, begin farming there in the 1920's.
Dad and Mom shared the rock pile on the farm. Every now and then Mom would take a rock away to place where it would look comfortable. Dad moved a whole bunch of them to the coral east of the barn. 'Someday' the rest would come in handy for ... ?
Mrs. Jim and I would move as many of the rocks as would fit in our trunk without loading the car down too much at a time down to Texas when we finished a Nebraska visit. What were left sold at the farm auction in two lots, the pile and those in the coral.
Mostly when I think of them I think of Dad loading them onto his horse drawn sledge and brining them to the farmyard. Then I get to thinking of Mom. I know she liked the rocks but I'm not sure what for.
What does your rock pile look like?
_ _ _ _ _
The fine print: Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of January 13. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Jim's Life, Jim's old home place, Stories, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, January 06, 2016
Warm Heart Wednesday ~~ No. 008 ~~ A Late Find
I generally get them about the first week in November. I checked the local area NAPA Auto
Parts stores around here in the second week of December. Either these stores were all out or they had not received any for 2016.
Yesterday we went back for an appointment with Mrs. Jim's doctor. On the way, through Montgomery, I stopped at my former NAPA store and they still had some left !!! I felt so good about my 'FIND', it was like having a late Christmas present. "Heart Warming"
The pictures are of two 1955 Desota cars. My favorite is the RED ONE. You can read the specs and ownership information from the picture below.
_
_
_ _ _ _ _
I have a little story about this model car. Back when I was a University of Nebraska college dropout I worked at a watch factory in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Elgin National Watch factory. I knew Dad would not be happy about my withdrawal from school, so I waited to tell him until after I had a job. Plus, as expected, not long afterwards he wanted his Ford pickup, fairly new, to come home. It soon did.
While working at the Elgin factory I became friends with one of the parts inspectors, named Bill, who was driving a race car. The car was a modified stock class 1934 Ford three window coupe. I spent a lot of time learning auto mechanics while working with them on the race car. My first lesson was how to pull a transmission out of the car. A few times I drove that car and then next one to follow, a 1937 Chevy Coupe, also modified stock.
The point of my story is that Bill's parents purchase a 1955 Desoto 4-door like the blue one in my calendar. That was in the fall, the next spring both parents were killed in a car wreck. The 1955 was totaled.
_ _ _ _ _
The fine print:Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of January 6. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.Labels: Cars, NAPA calendars, Stories, Warm Heart Wednesday
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Drawing cards -- for Josie's Two Shoes Tuesday
Cards, luck of the draw?
"Pick a card, any card," cried the barker. Lucy wasn't very good at gambling, let alone drawing cards for any card game. So she walked rapidly on by the booth that Saturday morning. They were at the county fair, she and her cousins came for a lark. And possibly to pet some sheep when it started getting hot.
Becky tugged at her sleeve, saying, "Lucy, this could be our lucky weekend. Let's go back." So they did, walking sheepishly to the stall and then going on very slowly. Glancing shyly at the young man who had yelled before, Lucy couldn't believe who she was seeing.
- - - - - -.
.
Photo and Story Copyright, © 2014 Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved
- I am writing this for Josie Two Shoes, her October 21st writing themes to choose from were card and drawing. I used both as that worked out nicely for me.
- Josie's link:
- I may return later to post a more appropriate picture when I find one. In the meantime this one of KP eating an ice cream cone as she stood by the 'cone man' will have to do.
Labels: KP, Stories, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Two Shoes Tuesday ~~ A Poem
.
- This post was written for Two Shoes Tuesday of Josie's Two Shoes.
- Josie's Directions: Your contribution must be in the form of an original poem, essay, or short story (fiction or non-fiction), and it must be a u piece - not something drawn from your other writings or archives.
- The July 9th writing prompts to choose from or do both are Easy(4) and Wind(2).
The Fast Learner
It sounded so easy,
Flying Trapeze School.
Just get on-line and pay your fee.
Big Al Lee did that right after
he saw the sign at the park.
First day at school was a lark.
He'd never had so much fun
at the park. Push ups and pull ups
were easy for him,
a body builder from the start.
He wasn't keen on staying
with the others as he figured
he was way ahead.
All this was talk, they even
prodded him to take notes.
But Al Lee never took a note in his
life and wasn't about to do it now.
The day of Safety School
he played hooky. Easy stuff,
he just didn't come to class
as he knew all that already.
His final day of school came
early for him. He climbed
up the ladder and did a few
spins and twirls at the top.
Then along came a big wind
and blew our Al Lee down.
He broke seventeen bones
and had to leave the school.
You see, Al Lee was the only
one to go up that day. All
the others learned not to climb
in the wind at Safety School.
.
It sounded so easy,
Flying Trapeze School.
Just get on-line and pay your fee.
Big Al Lee did that right after
he saw the sign at the park.
First day at school was a lark.
He'd never had so much fun
at the park. Push ups and pull ups
were easy for him,
a body builder from the start.
He wasn't keen on staying
with the others as he figured
he was way ahead.
All this was talk, they even
prodded him to take notes.
But Al Lee never took a note in his
life and wasn't about to do it now.
The day of Safety School
he played hooky. Easy stuff,
he just didn't come to class
as he knew all that already.
His final day of school came
early for him. He climbed
up the ladder and did a few
spins and twirls at the top.
Then along came a big wind
and blew our Al Lee down.
He broke seventeen bones
and had to leave the school.
You see, Al Lee was the only
one to go up that day. All
the others learned not to climb
in the wind at Safety School.
.
- - - - - -
Poem and Photo Copyright
© 2013 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
- - - - - -
© 2013 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
- - - - - -
- This post was written for Two Shoes Tuesday of Josie's Two Shoes.
- Josie's Directions: Your contribution must be in the form of an original poem, essay, or short story (fiction or non-fiction), and it must be a u piece - not something drawn from your other writings or archives.
- The July 9th writing prompts to choose from or do both are Easy(4) and Wind(2).
Labels: Humor(?), Poem, Prose Poem, Stories, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Two Shoes Tuesday # 28 -- "Sea"
.
Each week Josie Two Shoes (link) provides a one-word writing prompt and invites us to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic. We are not required to use the actual word in the post, but it is to be used as the theme.
Our run had taken us six days and nights
without putting our feet to the ground.
I may kiss it when we land.
Water, water, waves, everywhere.
We were at sea and had been
for, it seemed twenty years.
Only six days, six long and lonely days.
Nothing new, just our ship and the sailors there.
Yes, we did pass an occasional cargo ship or tanker
a couple of miles away.
The food was the same day after day
with only seven menus for the whole run.
It was good but we'd had the same the day before.
"Wash your socks" was the order of the day.
I wish I had of packed more,
I'd chunk them overboard every night.
For excitement we would feed the whales,
sharks, and the seals. That is if they would eat
the grub our 'chef' had cooked.
Three card draw and dominoes we could always play
but we did that for only the first few days.
I wonder if the fish would wear my socks?
What a happy early morning sight,
the Sydney Harbor in the dawn's dim light.
We will rub elbows with the tourists
at the Sydney Opera House and
walk the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Do the Botanical Garden and explore the first
First Lady's green pleasures.
Do the Botanical Garden and explore the first
First Lady's green pleasures.
We'll have some fish and chips
at the Sydney Harbor Fish Market.
at the Sydney Harbor Fish Market.
Monday morning we'll be reloaded
and then it's back to sea again. I hope
there will be grub and time for more fish and chips.
Each week Josie Two Shoes (link) provides a one-word writing prompt and invites us to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic. We are not required to use the actual word in the post, but it is to be used as the theme.
The writing prompt for Tuesday, January 29th
Notes:
1. Mrs. Jim and I were NOT on the ship in the story. The story is fiction. On our cruise we were never at sea more than two days in a row.
2. The pictures are from our recent holiday, a 14-Day Princess Cruise of New Zealand and Australia. They are of our arrival to Sydney where we stayed on our own three extra days. The things we did there matched the events of my seaman tale. Mrs. Jim and I shared an order of fish and chips at the Fish Market. Her plate looked like mine pictured above as we shared one order.
3. Oh yes, the food on our cruise was wonderful. Most items on the menus were different each day.
.
1. Mrs. Jim and I were NOT on the ship in the story. The story is fiction. On our cruise we were never at sea more than two days in a row.
2. The pictures are from our recent holiday, a 14-Day Princess Cruise of New Zealand and Australia. They are of our arrival to Sydney where we stayed on our own three extra days. The things we did there matched the events of my seaman tale. Mrs. Jim and I shared an order of fish and chips at the Fish Market. Her plate looked like mine pictured above as we shared one order.
3. Oh yes, the food on our cruise was wonderful. Most items on the menus were different each day.
.
Labels: Aus-NZ, Poem, Stories, Travel, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Two Shoes Tuesday # 7 -- "Hope" / MidWeek Blues
.
There is Hope
Bad things list:
car problems
roof leak
worn and torn clothing
achy back
ingrown toenail
need groceries
behind in church pledge (and the rent)
- - - - - -
If you want to post a MidWeek Blues
picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on
the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I
did.
Or
do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE or BLUE THOUGHT,
you don't have to write..
.
Rest in Peace, dear Adi
There is HopeBad things list:
car problems
roof leak
worn and torn clothing
achy back
ingrown toenail
need groceries
behind in church pledge (and the rent)
- - - - - -
Josie said: "Get ready for the next round of Two Shoes Tuesday... a place to share what we enjoy doing most... writing! Each week I'll provide a one-word writing prompt and ask you to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic."
The writing prompt for Tuesday, October 16th, is "Hope"
There is Hope
The elderly couple rocked on their front porch,
lamenting the problems they were having with their car. "If only the repairs weren't so
high," said Sidney, "you'd think those guys that run the garage would
have a heart."
"Well, Sid, did you ask for a senior
discount?" his wife Louise asked.
"Yes, I did, and those lousy bums, they
acted like the little bit they will allow would come from their own
pocket." Sid had a propensity for
seeing the dark side of things.
"One thing going for us, we always have
Hope." Louise liked to keep cheery.
"That is one dang good thing, Louie,
having Hope."
"It looks like it is going to rain, we'd
better move our rockers in a bit," warned Sidney.
"Yes, let's do that, Sid. Would you help me move mine, please?"
"Sure thing, Louie," he replied,
"and would you help me with the buckets if it does rain?"
"Oh you silly old man, you know I will."
"Good, let us bring them in, for sure it is
going to rain."
"Oh Sid, aren't you glad that we have
Hope?" Louise piped up.
"I am.
And while we are being thankful, we need having Hope with all the
trouble we've been having with the fuses blowing at supper time."
"And for the help when my achy back gets me
down." Louise was adding to the list.
"While we are thinking of Hope, thank the
Goodness we can bear to wear these torn clothes until the time comes."
"Hold on, I hear the phone
ringing." Louise always did have
good ears.
"Well, who is it Ma?" hollered Sidney.
"Sid, Sid! It is Hope. Our little girl is coming for Thanksgiving."
_ _ _ _ _ _
.
.
If you want to post a MidWeek Blues
picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on
the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I
did.
Or
do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE or BLUE THOUGHT,
you don't have to write...
Rest in Peace, dear Adi
Labels: Midweek-Blues, Stories, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Two Shoes Tuesday #4-- "Secret" / MidWeek Blues
.
Once there was a little plant with small flowers. This plant was of medium size, about two feet high, and well placed in a location receiving the morning sun. It was watered every several days.
But the little plant was not happy. It did not mind having small flowers even considering how the lowly violets were loved by all. Nor did it mind having a thin stem. Seems though that the finest daisies had thin stems and much shorter leaves.
The little plant felt unappreciated and of a low class. Even though it had a prime location at the edge of a family yard no one really stopped to admire it. The owner gave it a nice old pot to be placed in and kept the weeds around it cut. But still something was not right in its social life.
Only the owner and the little plant knew the real problem. The little plant's secret was hard.
"It isn't easy being a weed."
Then one day the owner of the garden stopped and took several pictures of the little plant. One other day he had stopped and taken pictures of the large long eared plant beside him. Now this story with its own picturue.
In a few days the little plant discovered the owner had posted its picture on his blog.
Suddenly now it mattered not that it was a weed. The little plant had been recognized. It had become published.
Josie said: "Get ready for the next round of Two Shoes Tuesday... a place to share what we enjoy doing most... writing! Each week I'll provide a one-word writing prompt and ask you to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic.
The writing prompt for Tuesday, Sept. 25th will be "secret"!"
http://www.josie2shoes.com/2012/09/two-shoes-tuesday-4-secret.html
_ _ _ _ _ _
If
you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by
clicking on the logo picture on the right.
She has a Mr. Linky and
good directions . Just do what I did.
Or
do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE or BLUE THOUGHT, you don't
have to write.
Rest in Peace, dear Adi
The Little Plant with a Secret
Once there was a little plant with small flowers. This plant was of medium size, about two feet high, and well placed in a location receiving the morning sun. It was watered every several days.
But the little plant was not happy. It did not mind having small flowers even considering how the lowly violets were loved by all. Nor did it mind having a thin stem. Seems though that the finest daisies had thin stems and much shorter leaves.
The little plant felt unappreciated and of a low class. Even though it had a prime location at the edge of a family yard no one really stopped to admire it. The owner gave it a nice old pot to be placed in and kept the weeds around it cut. But still something was not right in its social life.
Only the owner and the little plant knew the real problem. The little plant's secret was hard.
"It isn't easy being a weed."
- - - - - -
(highlight the area below to see a happy ending)
Then one day the owner of the garden stopped and took several pictures of the little plant. One other day he had stopped and taken pictures of the large long eared plant beside him. Now this story with its own picturue.
In a few days the little plant discovered the owner had posted its picture on his blog.
Suddenly now it mattered not that it was a weed. The little plant had been recognized. It had become published.
Josie said: "Get ready for the next round of Two Shoes Tuesday... a place to share what we enjoy doing most... writing! Each week I'll provide a one-word writing prompt and ask you to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic.
The writing prompt for Tuesday, Sept. 25th will be "secret"!"
http://www.josie2shoes.com/2012/09/two-shoes-tuesday-4-secret.html
_ _ _ _ _ _
If
you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by
clicking on the logo picture on the right.
She has a Mr. Linky and
good directions . Just do what I did.
Or
do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE or BLUE THOUGHT, you don't
have to write.Rest in Peace, dear Adi
Labels: Midweek-Blues, Stories, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Two Shoes Tuesday #1 / the June Bug Era
.
Knowns, truths, and untruths:
Six worker June bugs
they died on the job, making a tunnel through the rock wall
why do five out of six June bugs die laying (lying) on their backs with their fat stomachs straight up?
Research on this matter might find a cure for cancer or aids. Who knows? Perhaps the cool-aid drinkers (Bill O'Reilly term) will pick up the cause.
All insects have three pairs of legs.
That means each June bug must wear three pairs of shoes.
These workers were not wearing shoes.
- - - - - -
Bug Picture and Story Copyright © 2012 Jimmiehov - All Rights Reserved
Two Shoes Tuesday #1
Two Shoes Tuesday information:
Josie is the boss and so please read her introduction and first set of instructions:
"Here it is... our first official round of Two Shoes Tuesday... a place to share what we enjoy doing most... writing! Each week I'll provide a one-word writing prompt and ask you to share a short story, poem, essay, thought, or photo relating to that topic. (I'll post the writing prompt for the coming week on Saturdays to give you time to work on your post.)
Today's writing prompt is "SHOES"
When you've finished your post, share it with us by adding a link in [her] Mr. Linkey ..."
Please go here for her blog with the Mr. Linky listing others' 'SHOES' posts.
- - - - -
So my writing starts:
Six worker June bugs
they died on the job, making a tunnel through the rock wall
why do five out of six June bugs die laying (lying) on their backs with their fat stomachs straight up?
Research on this matter might find a cure for cancer or aids. Who knows? Perhaps the cool-aid drinkers (Bill O'Reilly term) will pick up the cause.
All insects have three pairs of legs.
That means each June bug must wear three pairs of shoes.
These workers were not wearing shoes.
- - - - - -
Once upon a time the land was invaded by hordes of June bugs. These bugs quickly overtook the human race and most of the animals. A few animals they trained for manual labor tasks. But when the animals died of an epidemic, the June bugs had to fend on their own.
They had always been jealous of the human's ability to travel. Very quickly they developed automobile transportation. Their vehicles were modeled after the Tootsie Toy fleet vehicles. Most every boy and many of the girls had scads of these little toy cars, all of which were converted to become the first iteration of electric motor transportation.
These electric vehicles called the Bugs' Bug had become popular almost overnight. They had discovered that the German built Volkswagen Bug was called the People's Car and now they had their own which they dearly loved.
But with the onslaught of the newly built Bugs' Bugs models a problem surfaced, one that seemed insurmountable. There were no Tootsie Toy Bug's Bug sized roads. They could not tear down the people's houses and buildings and it would take too long to go around them all. And of course they could not go over.
Tunneling must be done so the Bugs could go under and through these monster-like existing structures. They had not yet developed jack hammers and hydraulics so manual labor was the order.
The Bugs had not heard the old saying, "this is killing us!" But with their vegetarian diet they lacked the ability to work hard all day chiseling away at the rocks and stones and other structural materials. They died by the millions, generally a work crew of six at a time.
They lacked the ability to bury their dead or to cremate. Soon the plague took over the land and they all died off. No longer did they die six at a time but now by the kazilions. Most all laying on their backs, naked with no shoes; according to statistics, five out of six always die that way.
Time will tell, who if anyone will gain control of the earth.
Will God see fit to recreate man? If so, will he be the new improved model?
Author's note: The real answer to that last question is NO. By God's definition, man is made in the image of God. [Genesis 1:27 -- "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female."]
Will God see fit to recreate man? If so, will he be the new improved model?
Author's note: The real answer to that last question is NO. By God's definition, man is made in the image of God. [Genesis 1:27 -- "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female."]
Bug Picture and Story Copyright © 2012 Jimmiehov - All Rights Reserved
Labels: June Bug, Stories, Two-Shoes-Tuesday
Sunday, May 27, 2012
.
Divided class, separators, style = clear. Align text with both and center.
Clearly Croc has done blogged too long! HTML! Which door is out?
- - - - - - -
Rank has its privileges they had told him. What they did not tell is that he has NO rank.
Why are all these people saluting me?
Look!
- - - - - - -
140 Characters in each as counted by Design 215
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected not to use it in the first story. It is used in the second.
Divided class, separators, style = clear. Align text with both and center.Clearly Croc has done blogged too long! HTML! Which door is out?
- - - - - - -
Rank has its privileges they had told him. What they did not tell is that he has NO rank.
Why are all these people saluting me?
Look!
- - - - - - -
140 Characters in each as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction Stories Copyright
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
- - - - - - - -
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
- - - - - - - -
°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 62
°The word of the week, 'privilege', and the picture (donated by Pat and Jerry) were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.°The word of the week, 'privilege', and the picture (donated by Pat and Jerry) were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected not to use it in the first story. It is used in the second.
Labels: Stories, Succinctly-Yours
Monday, May 16, 2011
Walking in the Sunlight ~~ a Quil Dancing writing assignment
.
Quilly is the boss of this writing assignment. She said, "Since (traditionally) May is the month of flowers and gardens, your story should include a garden, some kind of critter or creature, and this wonderful log. (Photo courtesy of SouthLakes Mom.)"
Her requirement was to stay under 500 words. So I will try doing this [made it with 488 words]:
Walking in the Sunlight
When I walk in my garden I love to do it towards evening when things are cooling down a bit. But today I wanted to see how the tree surgeon had fared with my large old tree. So my dog Bruce and I went during the heat of the afternoon to ‘inspect the premises.’
When we were approaching the tree I could tell there were troubles. The tree was gone, entirely except for the stump. The stump wasn’t much to see. Tree worms had hollowed out the entire trunk of the tree. No wonder it had looked bad.
But now it looked even worse with its large gaping wormhole. Too bad we didn’t choose to come in the evening and we wouldn’t have been greeted with this ugliness. Well, we are here.
“Bruce, what in the world are you doing messing around in that hole?”
I didn’t expect an answer from Bruce, asking a question of a dog is strictly rhetorical. But just then he did answer with a wild and vicious series of low growling sounds.
Peering down into the hole I could see what the trouble was. A mother kitten had moved her brood right down into that hole. People and animals know that I am a softy for baby kittens. But what kind of a home would this old hollow stump make for them?
About that time I saw a buzzing overhead and something flitting back and forth over the stump and us. Bruce growled even fiercer. I sent him back to the house.
Then I knew; it was the garden fairy who would visit from time to time to help make my garden a little softer in nature. This time she commanded me to bring out some ancient baby blankets that I had been saving since the children outgrew them.
I brought them back and under her direction placed them neatly in a protected area down in the stump. Then I moved the kittens onto the blanket gingerly. They still had their eyes closed and looked rather ugly laying there. Now they were out of the sun much better than their mother had left them.
My fairy had one last request. On her last visit she had brought me a garden fairy statuette. Would I please get this sculpted fairy and place her on guard over the kittens’ new home?
So I did. The garden looked a little better with the fairy there. Her name was Arwin, the friend of all the gentle creatures of the wood and field (link).Soon I planted some new summer flowers around the stump. The mother kitten had returned and seemed to love this new home.
I surely am glad that Bruce and I elected to come out in the hot and do our walking in the sunlight.And the kittens, the mother cat, Bruce and I, and Arwin lived there happily ever after.
Labels: Quill-Dancing, Stories
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Snowdrops ~ A Saint Patrick's Day story
.
Quilldancing Assignment #3
Quilly had this posted on her blog on March 6, 2011:
Your Writing Assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a complete story in 500 words or less using the scenario below to kick-start your thinking. Publish your story on your blog March 15th, then come back here (to her blog) and link it to my March 15th story.
The photo below reveals the main character of your story. Your tale must also include a 4 leaf clover and a golden key.
Snowdrops
Betsy was up to her ears in white snowdrops. These little flowers were early this year and were getting in Betsy’s way. Betsy had been looking this day for four-leaf clovers. But now these darned snowdrops, well, they were confounding the issue. You see Betsy had stayed home ‘sick’ from kindergarten today.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like school, just that the other kids would tease her especially hard on St. Patrick’s Day for not being Irish. Irish was in, definitely. Didn’t they declare an Irish holiday for the old gentleman? After all he did scare all the snakes away.
So they say, thought Betsy. Grandmum would agree with her had she lived to hear it. Poor Grandmum. Somebody whacked her good whilst she was bringing in peat for the cook stove. Whacked her good and stabbed her with a paper knife.
It was barely six weeks since Grandmum had gotten killed and Mum was worried silly whenever Betsy went out to play. “Always tell us when you go,” she would say, “and don’t go out of the yard.” Fiddlesticks! There wasn’t any fun in the yard.
Now who in the world is this coming out here? Mum always said don’t talk to strangers. I hope they don’t want to talk. I’ll hunker down a bit and hide over behind this stump.
“Hey you. Kid,” hollered the one with the hairy eyebrows and ear lobes, “come over here.”
“Mum says for me not to talk with strangers,” Betsy replied meekly in her shaky little voice, “and you look strange to me.”
“Peanut, you come over here,” commanded the one with the crooked nose. “Who you calling strange, you Brit little silly? Just a tiddler should shut his mouth about being strange.”
Betsy knew in an instant that these blokes were up to no good. Calling her a boy made no sense. “Run, run fast,” entered her mind. That was what Father would yell she knew. Both men were chasing her now, each with a paper knife raised to strike! Betsy ran faster!
The bloke with hairy ears threw his knife. It sailed past Betsey’s shoulder. That was a close shave! Wow! Then she stumbled. Her left foot got tangled in a string. Strange! Was everything strange today?
Betsy found herself falling into a hole. Not the rabbit hole like Alice found. Just a deep hole. Out of sight in the hole, Betsy unraveled the string. Yikes! This might be her lucky day! A gold key at the end of the string. But then, …
That the key had been her grandmum’s was her fortune today. The crooked nose fellow had thrown the string. Grandmum’s key was on it! With those guys in jail now, and the chest to unlock, Betsy was on High Street!
Better yet! Inside the chest was Grandmum’s four-leaf clover. “This is my lucky day after all,” she sighed. And smiled. She would be a hero in school tomorrow. Thank you lucky snowdrops.
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Snowdrop Placard Photo and Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov -- All Rights Reserved
Quilldancing Assignment #3Quilly had this posted on her blog on March 6, 2011:
Your Writing Assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a complete story in 500 words or less using the scenario below to kick-start your thinking. Publish your story on your blog March 15th, then come back here (to her blog) and link it to my March 15th story.
The photo below reveals the main character of your story. Your tale must also include a 4 leaf clover and a golden key.
(My entry weighs in at 498 words but is posted two days late on St. Patrick's Day.)
SnowdropsBetsy was up to her ears in white snowdrops. These little flowers were early this year and were getting in Betsy’s way. Betsy had been looking this day for four-leaf clovers. But now these darned snowdrops, well, they were confounding the issue. You see Betsy had stayed home ‘sick’ from kindergarten today.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like school, just that the other kids would tease her especially hard on St. Patrick’s Day for not being Irish. Irish was in, definitely. Didn’t they declare an Irish holiday for the old gentleman? After all he did scare all the snakes away.
So they say, thought Betsy. Grandmum would agree with her had she lived to hear it. Poor Grandmum. Somebody whacked her good whilst she was bringing in peat for the cook stove. Whacked her good and stabbed her with a paper knife.
It was barely six weeks since Grandmum had gotten killed and Mum was worried silly whenever Betsy went out to play. “Always tell us when you go,” she would say, “and don’t go out of the yard.” Fiddlesticks! There wasn’t any fun in the yard.
Now who in the world is this coming out here? Mum always said don’t talk to strangers. I hope they don’t want to talk. I’ll hunker down a bit and hide over behind this stump.
“Hey you. Kid,” hollered the one with the hairy eyebrows and ear lobes, “come over here.”
“Mum says for me not to talk with strangers,” Betsy replied meekly in her shaky little voice, “and you look strange to me.”
“Peanut, you come over here,” commanded the one with the crooked nose. “Who you calling strange, you Brit little silly? Just a tiddler should shut his mouth about being strange.”
Betsy knew in an instant that these blokes were up to no good. Calling her a boy made no sense. “Run, run fast,” entered her mind. That was what Father would yell she knew. Both men were chasing her now, each with a paper knife raised to strike! Betsy ran faster!
The bloke with hairy ears threw his knife. It sailed past Betsey’s shoulder. That was a close shave! Wow! Then she stumbled. Her left foot got tangled in a string. Strange! Was everything strange today?
Betsy found herself falling into a hole. Not the rabbit hole like Alice found. Just a deep hole. Out of sight in the hole, Betsy unraveled the string. Yikes! This might be her lucky day! A gold key at the end of the string. But then, …
That the key had been her grandmum’s was her fortune today. The crooked nose fellow had thrown the string. Grandmum’s key was on it! With those guys in jail now, and the chest to unlock, Betsy was on High Street!
Better yet! Inside the chest was Grandmum’s four-leaf clover. “This is my lucky day after all,” she sighed. And smiled. She would be a hero in school tomorrow. Thank you lucky snowdrops.
- - - - - - - -
Snowdrop Placard Photo and Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov -- All Rights Reserved
Labels: Days, Holiday Posts, Quill-Dancing, St Patrick's Day, Stories
