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Weekend Writing Prompt #126 – Haven

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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.

 

 

They make you cry

They make you laugh

They drive you crazy

 

No longer babies

Soon, they’ll fly away

 

Still, you hope they know

 

With you,

They’ll always find

A safe haven

 

 

Energy Pull – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday morning, my peeps!  I just managed to get my brain to function and my fingers to typing to write out this little silly before heading out to work.  Rochelle, our fabulous leader, has chosen one of my pictures… How cool is that?  Very.

G’head, play along. Write your own little 100-word story based on this weird statue that is all over the Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal. Just click on the blue frog below, add your link and Bob’s your uncle!

C’mon, click me to play! You know you wanna…

Energy Pull

Aim for a balanced life, they say.  Yeah, sure. No problemo. I’ll just sit here and be zen and ignore the things that suck the energy out of me. You know, things like work and kids and the house that seems to be falling down around me.  Balanced. Pfft!  How does one distribute the energy required to get it all done?

Prioritize. Yeah, that’s how you do it.

Put your bathing suit on, get a glass of wine and a book and sit by the pool.

And don’t notice that the grass is too long and the pool need vacuuming.

A Timely Encounter – What Pegman Saw

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It’s Labour Day here Canada and in the States. If you’re not familiar with it, Labour Day is a national holiday in which rich people go out of town for a three-day weekend and have poor people wait on them. 😉  I would be one of those poor people who is working tomorrow…

Appropriately, Pegman takes us to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Grand Hotel has been a favorite vacation destination of Americans since 1877. If you’d rather skip the hotel, you have the whole of Mackinac Island to wander.

Your mission is to write up to 150 words inspired by the prompt. Once your piece is polished, you can share it with others using the linkup below. Reading and commenting on others’ work is part of the fun!

Thanks to Karen and Josh for hosting this weekly prompt.  This week I looked up just enough info to be able to use it but didn’t want to go the whole historical route.

 

 

A Timely Encounter

We agree to meet at the base of the stairs leading to Fort Mackinac at 3:00.  I arrive early and pace nervously, looking up the stairs into the blue abyss, wishing it would swallow me whole, wondering if I have completely lost my mind in agreeing to come.

I finally force myself to sit on the bench and relax, taking deep breaths of sea air, closing my eyes, feeling my heart slow to a steady beat.

Restored, I open my eyes and watch a man slowly make his way towards me.  He looks as nervous as I.  Still tremulous, I slowly stand when he is within handshaking distance…

BOOM! 

We both jump out of our skins in fright, our hands going to our chests in the same manner. Helluva time for the cannonball fire.

“Jesus Christ!” we yell in unison.  Looking at each other, we burst into laughter.

“Elisa.”

“Dad.”

 

 

 

 

Tell Me a Story, Mémère – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday-Friday Fictioneers Day, my Peeps!  This lovely photo by Fatima Fakir Deria brought to mind my beloved late grandmother, Noëlla, who also happened to be my godmother.  She was definitely my hero and how she managed to do what she did always amazed me.  So many stories told, and quite matter-of-factly.  She just did what she had to do.  I am very proud to say I inherited that from her.

How about you join in this week in telling a 100-word story based on this photo?  Rochelle will be more than happy to accept any newcomer!  She’s welcoming like that.  Click on the blue frog and add your link!

Click here to get the link for your blog

Tell Me a Story, Mémère

It was a perfect day to accompany her grandmother outside  for a stroll.

“How about we sit here in the shade, Mémère?”

“Looks like the perfect spot, Suzie.”

“Please, tell me some of your stories of how you managed to survive with six kids, living in the woods, with barely nothing.”

“Aren’t you tired of hearing them?”

“Not even close.  I want to record you so I can write them into a book.  Would you like that?”

“Silly girl, I’m just ordinary.”

“Au contraire, Mémère.  You are my hero.  You were way ahead of your time.”

“Hmmm… Where to start….”

***

Sadly, I never got around to recording her stories.  She died in 2009, at age 92, three months’ shy of her 93rd birthday

Not So High Fidelity

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I love how Gusto TV – a channel reserved for cooking and lifestyle shows reserves Sunday nights for movie night.  It used to be reserved for a “foodie” movie – anything that had major scenes with food (like Big Night or No Reservations) which I love, by the way.   However, last night it was “High Fidelity”, starring John Cusack, Jack Black, Joan Cusack, etc. – no meal preps or grand dining scenes to be found here.  At all.  No matter, I set the PVR because for some strange reason, despite my love for both John and Joan Cusack, I had never seen this 2000 film.  I watched it tonight.

And it got me to thinking.  Why is it I have no particular memories per se (save for a very few) that I can go back to in great detail, bringing forth the feelings and emotions and music and weather and atmosphere of that particular moment and put them to paper, so to speak, as so many fabulous writers do?  I follow quite a few bloggers who have this talent.

Is it because I lack depth?  Do I flit and fly over everything, barely paying attention to the moments, not registering the happenings because I am above it all? Am I going to end up in therapy one day to find out that I have locked it all away until one day I burst?

Why is it my sister Lisa can remember when our sister Tracy started walking?  Lisa would have been close to 4 years old (I assume Tracy started walking around age one) and I would have been seven-and-a-half.  Was I too busy to pay attention?  Did I not care about such things?  This really bugs me.  I know I was probably too busy hanging upside down on the monkey bars at the park with my friends to bother with little sisters and their milestones.  Still.

Am I Charlie?

 

 

#Weekend Coffee Share – Overdue and Yet Timely

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weekendcoffeesharelogo

It has been eons since my last coffee share (I’m even afraid to look, it’s been so long…) but let us not let that stop us, righty?  After all, it is the last day of 2016 and a brand-new, unblemished New Year starts at Midnight tonight!  Click on the image above to be taken to Diana’s blog “Part-Time Monster” for more weekend shares, and maybe add your own.  Thank you for accepting my contribution, Diana!

If we were having coffee, I’d suggest we splurge and add a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to it… Bailey’s? Grand Marnier?  Name it, I’ll add it.  Allow it to warm our tummies so we can feel all cozy and warm on the inside as well as the outside.  Don’t worry, I’ve lit the fire to keep us toasty warm.

If we were having coffee, I’d first say happy birthday to my friend Leslie Gadoury.  What a thing to have a birthday on the last day of the year!  It’s always a celebration in double!  I just wish we could see each other face-to-face sometime soon.  It’s been way too long, hasn’t it?  Thank goodness for Facebook (cuss it all you like, folks.  For me, it is one way of keeping in touch!)

If we were having coffee… oh, did you prefer tea?  Skip the caffeine and move right to wine or a cocktail?  Please, no worries!  I might even have a bit of eggnog left over!

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Anyway, I would tell you that Zeke got a good walk yesterday.  Also a first in a long time.  Somehow I was letting my lethargy take over and not going on our long jaunts of yore.  A situation to be remedied, I assure you!  Zeke and I were both very happy and the weather was perfect.  Almost too warm (or is it that my jacket and boots are just too efficient?).  We went to our favourite park des Brouages where “my” river flows…

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It felt so good to get out there and enjoy the fresh air.  Made me wonder why the heck I hadn’t been finding the time… oh yeah, between ice storms, rain, holidays… I may have been a tad busy!

If we were having coffee with a hint of spirits, I would say that I am ever so glad that I signed up at the gym at the same time as I did my son.  It was his Christmas gift but at two for one… why the heck not?  I have gotten my program from the very helpful Mathieu so will have no excuses on what to do and how (not that I really did, but you know, it had been a long time since my last subscription…whatever it takes to give me the oomph to go!)

We had a lovely Christmas between the sisters’ houses.  Always fun to end up at Tracy and Sébastien’s on Christmas Eve and play our silly game of steal the present.  There is always that one present that everyone covets… Plus Tracy introduced us to a fun Chinese gambling game that made us all run and laugh… Darn Stéphanie who one three out of four games!  Lucky her!  Everyone brought food, me my eggnog and a marzipan cake inspired by Sarah Potter – I’m positive hers was not dangerous to the teeth!  Next time I follow the recipe and use cherries and NOT dried fruit… sigh…)

Kiakas Clan
Pick on!
Scratching for the Win
Stéphanie, lucky winner
Food!
Sarah’s Marzipan Cake

The next morning, after opening our presents and me picking up my mother-in-law, it was brunch at my house where Iain, for the second year, has taken up his father’s position as head chef and omelette maker!  Basically the same crowd (save Sébastien’s sister and brother and family) and, normally I invite friends but somehow this year, that didn’t happen… Christmas, though arrives at every time, every year, somehow crept up on me…) Still, we stuffed ourselves big time on sausages, bacon, omelettes, croissants, chocolate-buttermilk pancakes, pâtés, etc.  Lisa brought her famous kourabiedes cookies (Greek butter, powder sugar cookies) – sooo delicious!

Time to relax/clean up/nap/do whatever we pleased to then find out way at Lisa and Chris’ for Christmas dinner.  Chris’ bird was delicious and we almost ate my salad that I brought – totally forgot it in the fridge!  That and my cranberry sauce… What up wit dat?  Like there wasn’t already enough food to fill our bellies with… It’s always a nice relaxed end of the holidays evening and we, though we were sure we would not be able to eat after Iain’s brunch, stuffed ourselves once more.

Broccoli salad – dissed!
Crowns!
Aidan & Willow
Jen – aren’t I pretty?

A lovely holiday season for sure and it is culminating tonight with a party at Linda and Nicola’s – they have an annual New Year’s Eve party and it is my first time attending.  I was blessed to be invited to three parties this year!  Three!  And me, who spent last NYE in my tub…

Giselle and Dany’s party had to be cancelled for flu.  I think they would benefit from one of my special coffees… or maybe some home-made chicken soup.  Shall  see what I can do for them!  Get well love birds!

I wish for you all a most wonderful 2017, filled with love, laughter, good health, general happiness, friendships and smiles for no reason… oh and of course, good fortune!

Lotsa love!

Dale

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Fictioneers – Loss

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Genre:  Fiction

Word count:  99

Loss

© Roger Bultot

It has always been my biggest fear.  Rob me, flood me, I care not; but fire?

Sitting on the curb, arms wrapped around each son, ever thankful our smoke detectors were properly serviced, we watched in horror as our home burned, along with everything we owned. We watched in gratitude as the firemen did their job to stop it and prevent it from spreading to the neighbours.

I watched as everything I had to remind me of my first-born and husband disappeared. I held on to my living boys but only my memories would remain of Austin and Mick.

Friday Fictioneers:  100-word Stories 

Photo Prompt:  Copyright © Roger Bultot

Gratitude Sunday – January 11, 2015

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After a long break, I felt I could now come back to another “normal” – returning to my gratitude list series.  One would think there are not many things I could be grateful for lately but that is so false.  I am grateful for so much.  I am surrounded by people who love me and care for me; who are there when I need them; who are looking out for me and my boys so I am very blessed!

For those of you who have seen it, enjoy again or skip it; for the others, the following is an ad for TD Canada Trust my husband, Mick, was asked to participate in.  He was thrilled to the gills to be chosen as spokesperson and could not wait to see it.  Sadly it came out last week and he never got a chance to see what a great job he did.  The least I can do is shout it out for him!

Gratitude List

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  1. I was able to take my boys to the hockey game on Saturday night.  They were supposed to go with their father on his birthday but that was not possible.  There was one more set of tickets left in the pack and, though I was a “poor” replacement, (no, no… don’t take it negatively – I don’t!) the boys and I had a great time.
  2. Not a day goes by that I don’t get a phone call from my mother and/or my sisters, checking up on me.
  3. I am surrounded by people who have my best interests at heart and, though I have moments of worrying what’s in my (our) future, am assured I’ve no need to worry.
  4. Through the wonderful world of Facebook and the Blogosphere I have found friendships that are totally inexplicable to those who just don’t participate in “that” world!  You know who you are!
  5. I’ve started up my food business again so am feeling more productive!

Gratitude Sunday… on a Holiday Monday! October 13, 2014

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Here in Canada it is our Thanksgiving week-end. It always falls on the second Monday of the month of October. That means turkey time at Mom’s with the whole family (or most of it, anyway!) As a result, we got home very late last night and, well, The Walking Dead season premiere had played so there was no way we were going to wait until today to watch it!!  By the time we watched that and of course, Talking Dead well, it was past 1 a.m….

Now, I was going to put yet another fall foliage picture but really… don’t want to bore my readers!  Instead, I have a not-so-good-quality quickly-taken snapshot of mother and daughter love (hope they don’t mind my plastering their likeness on my page…)

Lisa, Jennifer & Kellie

So, without further ado, here is my list!

Gratitude List

  1. Walking Dead is back after seven – yes – SEVEN months!  So happy as this is weirdly family viewing time…

  2. Thanksgiving means going up north to my mother’s, spending time with her and my sisters and their families.

  3. The colours are still gorgeous despite it being mid-October already.  Usually by this time, they are more sparse.

  4. So grateful for the support from my Blogging Family – you are there just because and that is a wonderful thing.

  5. My camera has given me a huge appreciation for what is around me.  Ever since I got it, I have been clicking away noticing things right under my nose that I never (or not really) saw.