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Searching For My Inner Artist – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday afternoon! It’s a gorgeous, not too hot and sticky day here in the Montreal area. So sorry for those of you in the stinkin’ hot States right now. Sending out good vibes that this heat abates soon. Till then, how about a little silly Friday Fictioneer story, hosted by our illustrious leader, who also supplied her own photo, Rochelle. Better yet, how’s about you add your own little 100-word story to go with? Yeah? Click on the frog below and add your link. Easy-peasy!

©Rochelle Wisoff(no-e)-Fields

Come paint with us!

Searching For My Inner Artist

What’s all this?

Searching for my inner artist. Figuring my father must have given me a smidgeon of his artistic genes.

You can’t even draw stickmen, why would you think you can paint?

Dunno. I feel this might be a medium I could play with. More abstract, yanno? Doesn’t have to be so precise and detailed.

That’s the case with all types of paints, by the way. And it’s not as easy as it looks.

I know I am no Rochelle, Monika or Louise, but can’t hurt to try?

Why not stick to photography? It IS an art form, too…

Some Assembly Required – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #88

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Good afternoon.  It’s Friday!  And for most people, that means the end of the workweek… for me? It means it’s Sunday.  Does it matter?  No, because come Monday, it’s my Saturday… confused?  So am I.  So let’s just skip this nonsense and get to Crispina’s lovely challenge number 88, shall we?

 

Some Assembly Required

Got all the pieces?

Yep. Here they are all lined up.

 

They don’t seem to make much sense.  Where’s the instruction sheet?

I don’t have it.

What do you mean you don’t have it? Didn’t it come inside the box?

Ummm. Yeah.

So?

I chucked it.

What the hell would you do that for?

Instructions are for pussies!  Plus, it was in Chinese!

You’re telling me they didn’t have an English version? C’mon man…

Well, they did, but the translation was so bad, I figured it would be best if we just tried to figure it out ourselves.

Oh, for heaven’s sake.  Lemme see the box cover, so we can have an idea.

I can’t for the life of me see how those pieces will make this.

I can’t either. I think we got screwed.

Big time.

 

Weekend Writing Prompt #165 – Cavalier

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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.

Always a thank you to Sammi for hosting this weekly shindig!

 

 

How DO you pronounce this word?

It depends on your level of cultural know-how.

Pffft.

Okay, and your mother tongue.

An anglophone, such as you, will pronounce it KA-VA-LEER.  I can’t help but think of a cad, someone disdainful.

However, if you are a francophone, comme moi, you pronounce it KA-VA-LI-YAY. Way more debonair, n’est-ce pas? Brings to mind a gallant knight, a gentleman.

 

OK. Random photo. Only thing I had remotely knight-like was this one made of butter!

 

Fountain of Youth? – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #87

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I was going to go a whole ‘nother route. Even had a kinda/sorta matchy-matchy but then this popped into my head so I felt it best to just run with it.  Thanks to Crispina for hosting this fun party weekly.

Fountain of Youth?

I think we found it!

Found what?

The Fountain of Youth!

Seriously?  Looks more like a wishing well to me.

Ye, of little faith.

Don’t you find it a tad small to be anything of that sort?

Maybe that’s why it’s been so hard to find. People must have been looking for something way more grandiose.

Maybe it’s been hard to find because it only exists in myths! Besides, it’s not even deep enough to go to your knees!

Who says we have to go IN it?  Maybe all we have to do is drink from it.

You may have a point.

Hah! You willing to agree this might be it?

Ummmm… sure.  So, go ahead. Give it a taste.

You go first.

Your Fountain, YOU go first!

Fine. The water looks clear enough.

Yeah, you can see all the coins people have thrown in, thinking it’s a wishing well.

 

 

Just For You – Friday Fictioneers

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Wednesday and it’s Friday Fictioneers time.  Why does a scene like this look way too familiar?  Oh right. I live with two adult kids… Should you feel inspired to play along, click on the frog below and add your 100-words worth!  Till then, a thank you always goes to Rochelle for keeping us neat and tidy and this week A. Noni Mouse’s photo was rather inspiring, wasn’t it?

©A. Noni Mouse

Click me to play!

Just For You

I’m making you a feast!  All you have to do is sit back, relax, and here, take this glass of wine.  Go sit on the patio with your book and I’ll call you when it’s ready.  No wait, It’s beautiful, We’ll eat outside.  You don’t have to do a thing.  Well, maybe set the table?  I’ll do the rest.  Consider this a thank you for all you do for us.  We don’t take you for granted, Mom.  Oh, and later, I’m going out with my friends, okay? But don’t worry, I’ll do the dishes when I get back. I Promise.

Country Mouse Goes City – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Wednesday!  Yes, just to confuse you, that means Friday Fictioneers… I’ve decided to do a reverse of last week’s thanks to Na’ama Yehuda‘s wonderful photo.  Thank you for allowing us to use it this week.  And always, thanks to Rochelle for hosting this weekly party. I just can’t resist it (besides, she’d have my head if I did – don’t be fooled by her size…)

And to my fellow Canadians…

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

 

©Na’ama Yehuda

 

Country Mouse Goes City

Rachael pinched herself. She was here. New York City! Great-Aunt Penelope invited her to stay for the summer in her brownstone on the Upper West Side. No cows, no chickens, no manure. No chores.

She was so excited when she saw a yellow cab she waved at the driver in excitement. With a squeal of his tires, he swerved and pulled up beside her, causing the guy behind to honk in anger. “Where do you wanna go?”

“Central Park, please.”

He shook his head. Stupid country folk. “You’re already here. Just cross the street.”

She blushed, “Silly me. Thank you!”

 

I Wanna Do It Again! – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #83

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Thought I was going to wait until tomorrow to post but got blown away by the wind outside and came in for a break.  It is time for Crispina‘s CCC number 83.  I seem to be in a reminiscing mood. Or the photo prompts are jarring old memories.  Either/or.  The horse in the background made me think of one of the horses at the ranch because he had the colourings of an Oreo cookie There was a fight between calling him Caffoon or Oreo, so they compromised and called him Cafforeo.  The things that remain in my memory banks, sheesh…

I Wanna Do It Again!

Summer of ’75, our family vacation was at Golden Acres Ranch in the Catskill Mountains of New York.  Think “Dirty Dancing” but with horses.  And I dunno if we were the only Gentiles there, but it sure felt like it.

(My youngest sister, Tracy, has been a horse fanatic since she can talk and walk. She tried to convince Dad that we could keep a horse in our backyard and she’d take care of it, promise!)

We were having a lesson in the main ring when Tracy’s horse, Cafforeo, took off like a bat outta hell, Tracy holding on tight, a smile the size of Canada across her face.

Mom and Dad and Mike, our teacher, ran like crazy to catch up with them, now safely in Cafforeo’s paddock.

“What did you do to make him take off like that?” Dad yelled.

“I dunno!  But I want to do it again!”

Didn’t have a picture of Tracy so here I am on my favourite horse named Muddy

 

Right There – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday early evening (Montreal time, anyway).  It is time for Friday Fictioneers.  I fear I have once again gone down memory lane.  It was that or bring in Tannille‘s muse for a repartee over here.  I chose the former.  Thank you, always, to Rochelle for holding the door for us and inviting us in to play week after week.  This week, thanks go to Ronda Del Boccio for the use of her photo. Should you want to play along, click on the frog below and add your link.

©Ronda Del Boccio

    Click me!

Right There

Dad loved gathering his family for barbecues in the summer, serving his “world-famous ribs” (to us), his mother’s Minute Rice salad, baked sweet potatoes and other delicious goodies.  I often brought dessert.

Every August, the International Balloon Festival of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, where Dad lived, was held.  If we were lucky, and the winds were acquiescent, they flew directly over his house.  Why pay an entrance fee, with no guarantee they would fly, when you could watch for free?

I’ll never forget the time we heard a loud “PSSSSSSSHHHHHTTT” that made us jump out of our skin.

There was one RIGHT THERE.

 

Sadly, I cannot find a picture I took of one that was right there because it must be in another hard drive.  Oh well. Trust me.. It looked as close (almost) as this one!

Picture Perfect – Friday Fictioneers

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Wednesday is here already. Is it me or is time flying? Seems like it, doesn’t it? Some days are slow as snails but somehow those days become a week gone by in a flash.  OK, enough blah, blah.  Thanks always, to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers so diligently and this week, thanks to Ted Strutz for this quirky photo.  To play along, just click on the frog below and add your link.

©Ted Strutz

Picture Perfect

Are you gonna eat that or take pictures of it all day?

My Instagram followers expect me to keep them entertained.

Pffft! Stupidest thing I ever heard.  How the hell did taking a picture of your lunch become a thing?

I dunno, now you mention it. Did you know some people make a living at it?

Seriously? Here, take a picture of mine!

There’s almost nothing left! Did you even taste it?

Yeah, I did. While it was hot. Tell your fans the proof is in the picture.

Haha.  Funny guy.

Can I have a chip?

Whatsamatter? Eat too fast?

Ponte Vecchio – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #81

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Good Thursday afternoon, my peeps!  I haven’t played in a while but when I saw this photo and knew I would this week.  Crispina is most generous in her rules and regulations and to find out just what she expects of those of us who participate, just click here. You’ll see, just about the only thing she stresses is not more than 150 words, which I, phew! did not surpass.

Ponte Vecchio

Diana and Anne sat on the wall beside the river, under the bridge, and watched the slow flow of the river.  Anne was regaling Diana with her stories filled with imagination.

“Let’s pretend we are in Florence, or, like they say in Italy, Firenze!  We are walking along the Arno River and come upon the Ponte Vecchio.  Isn’t it just the most romantic thing, Diana?”

Diana could only nod her head, unable to add a thing.

“You’d have your beau and I’d have mine—”

“Gilbert Blythe!”

“Bite your tongue, Diana! He’s vile and I’ll have nothing to do with him!” Anne’s eyes flashed.

“You doth protest too much, my friend. But please, do continue with your story.”

“Hmph! As I was saying, you have your beau and I have,” she looked at Diana with warning, “mine.  We would secure our love forever with padlocks.”

“What a silly thing to do!”

 

Word count: 150

The above picture is the central part of one of the bridges crossing the Arno, and the one that inspired my little visit with Anne of Green Gables.  (Don’t ask, it’s a mystery what goes on up in my noggin, at times.  For those unfamiliar, Diana is Anne’s best and bosom friend and kindred spirit.)  The story went in a whole ‘nother direction than planned.  As can happen, right?

Below are two pictures of the real Ponte Vecchio I took during my dream trip in 2016 and I cannot believe I have NONE with all the locks!  There were so many people in front of it, I thought I’d pass by later but guess I didn’t. Oh well. Thought you’d enjoy nevertheless.

Daytime
Twilight