Rules – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #45

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Another Thursday, another CCC prompt!

I admit to being a very bad employee. This is the third day in a row that I find myself writing a post on none other than my phone!

I have set up my bar, I have polished every surface as well as my glasses; I have even polished cutlery to busy myself. I have chatted with a member who sat at my bar to eat his lunch.

So, now, bored to tears, I found myself looking at Crispina’s lovely photo and suddenly hearing my father’s voice saying “Red right returning” and a haiku was born. So NOT the way I was gonna go but hey…why not?

Rules

Red right returning

When coming in from the sea

Must be respected

Contemplation – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday, my peeps. Let me begin by apologising for not getting to all the fictioneers’ stories last week. I shall still try to catch up, if I can.

Our leader Rochelle has chosen J.Hardy Carroll’s interesting pic this week. Care to see what you can come up with? Click on the frog below and add your 100-words worth!

Click me!

Contemplation

Whatcha doin’ lyin’ on the floor like that?

Contemplating.

Contemplating your potential death should that contraption fall on ya?

Hah! No, but yes.

What? Yes or no?

No, not worried about the contraption but thinking of death in general.

Why on earth would you?

 

Gasp!

 

Is there something you need to tell me?

Oh no! I’m not dying. Not yet, anyway.

Jeez. Then why would you?

I went to see this cool show called ‘A Night of Grief and Mystery’.

Optimistic title. I can see the attraction. Not.

It was fascinating.

Death?

More about the journey we will all take.

Ugh.

*************

My go-to buddy, Julie and I went to see this show last night.  It was so fascinating, combining Stephen Jenkinson’s story-telling with Gregory Hoskins Band. Could not help but make one think and want to discuss it afterwards!

And honestly, we did NOT know we were gonna be the dynamic purple duo!

At Last – Once More

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I worked a wedding on Saturday at the golf club – and have been tired ever since!

It’s not easy to work from 3pm till 1am (I was lucky enough to leave at that time) and then be back at work for 11 the next morning (later?). I dunno about you, but when I work so late, I can’t just hit the hay and sleep. A couple of beers and a chat with my buddy, B, who was still up, and I finally closed my eyes at 3-something.

Been trying to catch up ever since. My inner clock is a tad wacked.

Anyhoo, I digress (surprise, surprise). The wedding was between a beautiful Egyptian and her handsome Irishman. The bridesmaids wore gorgeous emerald green dresses of varying styles – because this bride knows that not all women can wear the same style! The groomsmen were all tall and dashing in their matching tuxes (coz guys don’t have the same issues 😉).

150 multi-cultural guests including the rather imposing orthodox priest, mingled about, glasses of bubbles to toast the new couple.

A lovely trio of singer, stand-up bass and piano kept things smooth and jazzy during the meal which looked amazing: mozzaella and heirloom tomato salad, followed by a cream of squash soup, then choice of braised beef, filet mignon or halibut. Dessert was a chocolate and peanut butter bomb.

There was a wedding cake but it got forgotten – taken out solely for “the picture”.

The DJ went to work playing those songs that get played at all weddings, including a few Egyptian pieces that hd me dancing while pouring drinks and shooters.

And then the first dance started. And I stopped, stunned.

Suddenly I realised the date and that exactly 17 years ago, Mick and I were dancing to the same tune.

Weekend Writing Prompt #123 – Delicate

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A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.

Thank you, Sammi, for making me work hard this week!  Who knew there were so many definitions to “Delicate”?

 

She wanted to be delicate

She wanted it desperately

She had been taught that meant you were a lady

Feminine

 

To walk with a bounce in her step

Was not elegant

To be strong was mannish

She always felt less than,

Then

 

Fast foward forty years

Her definition of delicate

Has changed drastically

She no longer wished to be dainty,

—well, maybe sometimes

She knew she was far from fragile

Would never be muted or subdued

 

When required, she could be graceful and elegant

Though she still loved her more coarse moments

 

Life had taught her to be considerate and gentle

And adept

Delicate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie Over Book – Friday Fictioneers

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Lawsy I’m late!  I am just shy of midnight on this Wednesday evening. I admit I was a tad stumped on this one. Started and rejected more than a few.  Gave up and went to work. Didn’t have time to scribble any ideas before I left regular work to go help out a caterer for his first big shindig.  Came home, forced myself to walk around the block with Zeke despite my already 20K+ steps taken today.  Plopped myself down on the sofa and here is the result!

This week our leader Rochelle, chose a picture from c.e. ayr. Thanks to both! Click on the frog below to read other submissions or go crazy, and add your own!

Click me! Click me!

Movie Over Book

“Hey!”

“Hey.”

“Whatcha reading?”

“Life of Pi.”

“Life of Pie? What kind? Blueberry, strawberry—”

“No, silly! Not pie with an ‘e’ but just P-I. The story is about a boy named Pi Patel.”

“Stupid name.”

“His full name is Piscine.”

“What? Like a pool?”

“Yep.”

“That’s awful. His parents were mean.”

“Maybe.”

“Tell me more?”

“He’s alone on a boat with a tiger.”

“A tiger? Woah!”

“Yep.”

“What else?”

“Why don’t you read it yourself?

“Ugh. Read a whole book? It’s too big! Did they make a movie?”

Sigh.  “Yes.”

“Cool. I’ll go see it, won’t have to read it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+.

 

 

 

 

 

Writing and Music Are But Two

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“It’s interesting how we can connect so deeply with friends so different from ourselves. In fact, perhaps it’s these differences ultimately bonding us the most. The opportunity to expand our horizons.”
― Brownell Landrum

When one is curious, doors open to worlds that would have remained unknown. This is not a bad thing for those who are content in their own little rented space and have no desire to expand their horizons. I am not one such person. As a matter of fact, I am far removed from that type of person. As a matter of more fact, I am easily bored by those contented persons. I know, this is not a nice thing to say. I choose to surround myself, either physically or virtually, with people who have something to teach me – even if they have no clue that they do.

I never considered myself a writer.  Sure, I kept a diary on and off over the years. Then a diary became a journal, also kept on and off (I can’t tell you how many “theme journals” are lined up with but a few pages scribbled upon).  Still, I would never have used that term until quite recently.  After certain new writer friends told me to stop.  I’m not fighing it any more. I am a writer.

Like my diary/journal days, I started and stopped a few times. I’ve used Blogger, https://dalesdelectables.blogspot.com/ and Tumblr (discovering to my shock as I searched for my account that I had not one but two different blogs here!) https://dalesstuff.tumblr.com/ and https://dalesdelectables.tumblr.com/.

How I ended up in the blogosphere is beyond me. I cannot say how I discovered Blogger, Tumblr or even WordPress. Yet here I am.  I think I truly became a blogger/writer here at WP on August 12, 2013, when I wrote my first post.  Preparing for this post, I got lost in the dark hole that is the internet only this time it was my own stuff!

“The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

My curiosity with writing led me to “meet” unbelievable numbers of talented writers of all genres. Writers who don’t realise how much they challenge me to do better, to try new things. Things like different styles of poetry: haiku, double etheree, cleave, etc. Heck, I didn’t know there WERE styles of poetry beyond the twelve-syllable rhyming doohickies (OK, I jest, I know this one is an Alexandrine).  Trying to find my voice in short stories, keeping my personality involved. How cool is it that in these new writer friends, I have been asked to beta read their works?

“A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

I landed on my post I’m Inspired which truly sums up what makes me tick.  I am a Life Enthusiast who is always on the quest to move forward and learn.

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Speaking of song, I am no musician but I love music.  My curiosity has led me to go see bands I’ve never heard of in all sorts of genres. I won’t lie – there is stuff I really can’t get into like Hardcore Punk or Black Metal. I just sit there in a daze wondering when my hell will end. But that’s me. If you love it, then by all means, ignore me!  Thanks to friends, I have discovered wonderful music like Manu Katché or the band we saw last Friday called Snarky Puppy. To think when my friend Dany suggested it, I thought it was something like black metal – well, wouldn’t you with a name like that?  How wrong I was. A funky, jazzy, world music, rock mélange of music that I would have missed out on, had I been the sort to not want to go outside of her box.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent”
― Victor hugo

 

I have promised myself to go to an opera. At least once in my life. I know I am being influenced by the movies but if Ronny can bring Loretta to the Metropolitain Opera House (Moonstruck) Edward can bring Vivian to the San Francisco Opera House (Pretty Woman) and both those women  be moved to tears, maybe I can, too!

 

 

Weekend Writing Prompt #122 – Museum

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A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend.  How you use the prompt is up to you.  Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like.  Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise.  If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.

Thanks to Sammi for giving me a place to air my grievances on the dating world. Lawzy!  Please excuse my foul language. It was only a snippet of what was thrown at me after I declined his advances and then had to block him.

Some guys just can’t take ‘no’ for an answer.  We met, we had coffee, we even kissed good-bye.  I felt nothing. I was disenchanted.

The guy felt we had a connection.  We didn’t.  I didn’t.

After that date, the exchange went something like this:

“I want to see you again.”

“No, I am sorry.  I’m not interested.”

“I felt a spark.”

“There was no spark. It’s in your mind. You’ve created something out of nothing.”

“Give it time. I’ll convince you.

“I don’t need convincing.”

“I’ll turn you on. You won’t be able to say no when my tongue goes exploring your c—”

“Whoa! You did not, nor will ever, earn the right to speak to me that way.”

“You think you’re too precious? You’re like some fucking museum object I can’t touch?”

“Not only can you not touch. You must stay WAY behind the velvet rope.”