Posts tagged 20 Lines or less
May 16, 2013 · Filed under children, fiction, history, memories, nostalgia, postaday, prompts, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, antique clocks, Daily Post, memories for sale, nostalgia, Post--a-Day, surprises, yard sales vintage clocks
The Ballerina Clock
I don’t usually go in for garage sales, but something about the hand painted sign attracted me. I pulled into the long dirt drive lined with cars, and headed toward the door of the 1960′s rancher,wondering what was drawing me to this house.
At first, it was just the usual, nick-naks, old clothes, furniture, books, a few silver vases, photographs. Then I saw it! A ballerina clock, like my aunt had once had. It was beautiful. I had missed it at my aunts sale when I had to go change a diaper. I know she would have wanted me to have it-I should have just taken it at the family preview, but I didn’t.
The clock was about 15 inches high. It had a windup on the bottom and played “Fur Elise”. I had wanted it for my daughters so badly! A ballerina came out a door and danced to the song when the clock was wound up. I truly thought it was one of a kind.
Of course, I will never know if this ballerina clock was my aunts, I doubt it. But it was now mine!
I carefully placed the clock, wrapped in old newspapers into a cardboard box and sat it gently in my car’s trunk. I couldn’t wait to finally give it to my daughter!
May 14, 2013 · Filed under arachnids, children, fiction, gardening, nature studies, prompts, seasons, Uncategorized · Tagged 100WCGU, 20 Lines or less, bird reserves, black and yellow argiope spider, memories, nature studies, postaday, spiders
School was out for the summer at last. Families toured the bird reserve.
Everyone seemed happy, except poor Lillith, neatly spinning her web on a high post that she hoped would be out of the view of visitors who may not like her. She was beautiful, a young Black and Yellow Argiope (some called her a garden spider). She was useful, she dined on insects that humans did not admire.
The sun was setting, she had caught five meals, and was ready to settle down for the night.
“Goodnight, Lillith” I whispered. ” I will check on you tomorrow.”
May 13, 2013 · Filed under children, gardening, grandchildren, holidays, memories, nature studies, postaday, prompts, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, children, commercilization, fathers day, grief, holidays, hope, joy, love, Mothers Day, postaday, valentines day
Valentines Day, Mothers, Day,
Fathers Day, so many more.
What if we don’t get a Valentine or box of candy?
What if we don:t see all of our kids, or parents
or put flowers on their graves?
If we must have a special day to recognize those we love,
then our love is shallow and lacking.
If we do not recognize them on these “special days”.
We are not appreciative, thoughtless…
Think of those you love every day, tell them every day,
love them every day. All of your lives will be much richer.
Today, I did not eat with all my kids,
I put flowers on my mom’s grave and my then-15 year old sons.
Today, I stood in line to eat lunch with part of them,
my lonely father order food he didn’t want and didn’t eat.
Having a friend take a photo of my son and I with my flowers.
Or my son showing me bullfrog tadpoles, meant much more.
Remember how short time is and how much today means.
Take the little treasures and keep them, for soon they slip away.
May 9, 2013 · Filed under Uncategorized, children, prompts, postaday, gardening · Tagged gardening, 20 Lines or less, daily prompt Landscape, irisees, rootstock, conversations, plant propogation postaday
Outside my window
I smiled as I pointed the irises out to my son on our way to the bus stop.
“There must be over 100.” I told him. “My grandmother got the rootstock from grandpa’s aunt, the rootstock of those irises are over 100 years old!”
“Flowers can live that long?” he said.
I explained how the rootstock of a iris grow and multiplies, much like people or animals.
I told him their names: Portwine, Lilac Bush, Sunshine. I looked at him, how life goes on, if we are lucky. I thought of how fragile we are, how that one plant living a hundred years ago meant that 100 plants were living today.
May 4, 2013 · Filed under gardening, postaday, prompts, seasons, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, a word a week, orange, postaday, prompts, rainbows, seasons, spring, sunset
Certainly, spring had arrived in the mountains, the trees are filled with blossoms, pale green leaves, a sprinkling of leprechaun green leaves that seemed determined to be first. Yet, the most striking sign of spring seems to be the sunset, orange, upon a tapestry of blue and gray. A rainbow, accentuating the palette of springs colors, with orange again, taking the lead. Looking out over the mountains, one can almost feel the warmth outside, after all, it is May. Yet looks can be deceiving. Just as orange reminds us of autumn’s chill, green reminds us of spring’s warmth. Yet today, it is 51 degrees outside. A sunset, a rainbow, a photograph, all can be jesters in natures bounty of life.
May 1, 2013 · Filed under fiction, history, mystery, paranormal, postaday, prompts, Uncategorized · Tagged 100WCGU, 20 Lines or less, Castles, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, haunted houses, mystery, paranormal, Switzerland, wills
She sat in the chair, staring at the wizened old lawyer.
“Zats vat it says” he uttered in his very European accent, for the third time. “I leave my great neice Victoria, who bears my name, my hotel in Winterthur, Svitzerlund.”
“I didn’t even know I had an Aunt Victoria!” Vicki exclaimed. “And where the heck is Winterthur, and what hotel?”
He handed her the photo, his hand shaking. It was the hotel she had seen on Modern Murder Mysteries on her favorite TV show last week.
April 29, 2013 · Filed under hope, humor, memories, postaday, prompts, struggles, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, a word a week, Big Blog Collection, blogs, dreams, Great Fellow Bloggers, healing, postaday, relaxationprompts, releif, resting, sleep
Often sleep is my only relief. I relish the moments when I dream of my child-alive, myself-young, my world-hopeful. Although I find it discouraging to look at sleep as the best part of my day, it sometimes is. No pain, no real bad news, I don’t have to be afraid, things are the way I wish they had been, should have been, I wake with a smile.
Sleep, even in happy times, refreshes me, gives me energy and determination. In difficult times, it gives me a moment of relief, a moment where pain is not a constant, a moment with a friend or loved one who has been taken.
We sleep about 1/3 of our life. It gives us the energy and courage to live the other 2/3. Being able to relax enough to go to sleep is a blessing in its self. And no, my friends, goodnight.
April 28, 2013 · Filed under awards and prompts, children, grandchildren, hope, integrity, poetry and quotes, postaday, prompts, struggles, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, children, concern, Daily Post, friendship, grandchildren, hope, inspirational, kindness, philanthropy, prompts, saturday NaPoWro
Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.
Richard L. Evans
Although I missed the” Saturday” prompt, my last effort to write was deleted by my computer after much work. I felt discouragement was a good topic to think on.
I thought of all the hard times I have been through, some my own doing, some unthinkably cruel and it made me realize that despite the difficulties that life had thrown at me, I am still, still fighting, even smiling once in a while.
I think of all that would not have been accomplished if I had given up the first time life knocked me down and realized that even having survived the loss of my child, my health, losing so many friends and family members, I still have things to rejoice. I have six beautiful grandchildren, a teen who is my heart and soul, a dad who has struggled, like me through the worst of times and is still her. a family who has always been there for each other.
Life is short, we do not always reach all of our goals, but each life we touch, each tear we dry, each person that decided to give it one more try, is a small victory. We often overestimate what we are capable of doing and underestimate the true effect we have on the lives of others.
Today, I will celebrate the meal I cooked, the baby I fed, the kid I took home in the pouring rain. Today, I will be glad my dad looked up and smiled at me at the exact time I did, took my daughter and her family breakfast, hugged my teen.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I accomplished more today than I imagined that i would. I didn’t let the hurt of all the yesterdays stop me from making someone smile today.
April 8, 2013 · Filed under fiction, hope, integrity, memories, prompts, Uncategorized, youth · Tagged 100WCGU, 20 Lines or less, abuse. spousal abuse, anger, arguements, courage, fear, hope, strength
He stood at the end of the trailer’s living room, yelling, cussing, throwing things, like he always did when he was angry.
She, of course, was in the hall by the washer, crying, her face speckled. red streaks, tears dripping onto her shirt.
“I’m so sick of your bitchin, woman!” he shouted from the doorway, ready to run out, after he had yelled his final insult, stomped and delivered his final accusation.
“Just step over the line and see what happens.” he yelled as he went for the door. As the line was crossed, he stared in silence.
March 31, 2013 · Filed under awards and prompts, children, gardening, grandchildren, history, hope, nature studies, nostalgia, seasons, struggles, Uncategorized · Tagged 20 Lines or less, Big Blog Collection, forests, Great Fellow Bloggers, memories, nostalgia, Poplar trees, postaday, sadness, Sycamore Trees, the daily post, trees
Fifteen years ago, my dad had to cut down a Sycamore, giant and majestic, that he had planted when he built the house in the 1950′s. He left a very high stump, which soon sprouted and the new branches, themselves became a problem. They got in the way of power lines, blocked the view of ‘ and the mountains. Everyone fussed at dad, but he continued to just “trim” back the limbs.
Now my son has built a house next to my father and has become concerned that a tall poplar that dad also planted nearly 60 years ago could fall onto the house or damage property if we don’t cut it down. Not only is dad’s heart broken, I find myself grieving it too. I now understand dad’s feelings. It isn’t just a tree, even a majestic tree, it is a collection of memories, a diary of sorts. They are two trees, one ruined, one soon to be that deserved to be giants in some preserved forest. I see both myself and my children gathering sycamore balls, poplar blossoms, the trees were part of what “home” meant”
I have no answer, I have thought of ways to donate the wood and such but have found no affordable options. When I see a tall tree, still safe in the forest, I smile. And, as with the Sycamore tree, I can’t help but hope that sprouts will appear from that immense root system and at least be a reminder of what was and what should be.
