I am moving blog addresses!  It's been a great ride here on Blogger - it gave me an opportunity to try things and to develop an understanding of what blogging could actually be.   But a new day has dawned.  It's time to take on a more sophisticated pose ...so I'm moving to Wordpress. 

In a day or so, a redirection notice will appear when you type in this address.  So this is my final post on this address.  Thanks Blogger...for everything. :))))

My new blog address:    www.goingforcoffee.net

daBlack` by Denis Allbertovich

Visual Dare: Boy with books

it's a world of laughter, a world of tears

there were  only tears in my childhood home but eventually they stopped too

its a world of hopes, its a world of fear     

the dark nights brought the fear of tomorrows that would always be the same as my yesterdays

there’s so much that we share       

alone in my house, I was allowed no friends

that it's time we're aware       

I  was different -  I could see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices

it's a small world after all

my hopes, my dreams, rested inside worlds shared with me by strangers 

 

 

Every week the graceful, dear, Angela Goff, puts a photo up on her lovely blog as a 'Visual Dare'. The photo, and it is always a stunning photo, can be used in one of two ways:

• incorporate it into your current Work In Progress - literally, or figuratively

• use it as a 100 word flash fiction to get the brain going in a different creative direction.

Five Sentence Fiction: Lost (now found)

Gideon’s morning shower took longer than usually allowed but no one seemed to mind; he even scrubbed behind his ears – something he hadn’t done since childhood.  He took time shaving too, paying particular attention to the dimple in his chin which sometimes got missed when he was taking his turn in the morning rush.

His grandma had sent him a new white linen shirt, surprisingly purchased in the correct size; it had been a wild guess on her part since Gideon hadn’t been able to visit her in over five years.  He straightened his shoulders as he was buttoning the front, thinking of the smile that would appear on his grandma’s face when she saw him standing on her porch.

As he walked down the hall to leave, his friends shouted good luck wishes mixed liberally with curses, but Gideon didn't hear them; he heard only the sparrows chirping in the Arizona autumn breeze as the warden buzzed the exit door open and Gideon stepped out into the sunlight.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week the lovely and dear Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration on her blog, then anyone wishing to participate writes a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, it is just used for direction.  Please visit her website and read the other great entries.

Lucky encounter

Lucy pulled on the oversized blue cardigan, her small frame making it necessary to roll the sleeves up so her hands could peek out.  Another moth hole was opening on the front but Lucy decided she’d mend it later.  She wanted to be one of the first people in the lunch lineup. 

Living three blocks from the Centre meant she got a full meal on weekdays. Her single room took all of the monthly housing allowance and most of her assistance.  There was no way she could afford food too.  But this room was worth the hunger. No more roaches or bed bugs. Her open sores were beginning to heal, and she’d been sleeping through the night too. Maybe my luck is changing.

Charlie was already on line when she arrived. Last Thursday, he hadn’t seen her. He’d been too busy combing his hair.  But Lucy recognized Charlie. The evening he’d chosen her, months ago now, he’d combed his hair the same way, checking in the rearview mirror to make sure the part was right.  He’d waited for Lucy to tuck the twenty bucks away in her handbag before unzipping his fly. She’d thought of Charlie’s kind gesture and his neat silver blonde hair many times since that night.

Lucy moved into the lineup and at the soup kettle found herself standing right beside him.  Their arms touched as they both reached for a Portuguese roll from the counter. Charlie turned to apologize, but when he saw Lucy his voice couldn’t escape his throat.  Lucy smiled generously and asked if he’d like to sit with her in the chairs over by the window.  Charlie nodded his positive response and picking up his food tray, he followed Lucy and his lost-now-found blue sweater over to the vacant table.

297 words
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This story is my entry for the "Forbidden Love" Blog Hop being ably sponsored by Ruth Long @bullishink , Lillie McFerrin  @LillieMcFerrin and by Janelle (Me and Mia blog).   Details can be found on Ruth's blog at : http://goo.gl/sG4eX 

Visual Dare: Stuck

The cool lake water soothed Dave’s throbbing headache and, as a bonus, blocked out the nonstop arguing coming from the cabin.  He couldn’t figure out how his parents, far from home, could still find so many things on which to disagree. 

He assumed this argument was his fault. Dave suspected he had asked one too many times about using the cellphone to call his friend Jeremy. When Jeremy called him back on his dad’s phone, all hell broke loose in the cabin.

Dave dunked his head again as the words “My son is not a fag” flew out the cabin door.  

Photo by: Raegan Bird

Every week the graceful, dear, Angela Goff, puts a photo up on her lovely blog as a 'Visual Dare'. The photo, and it is always a stunning photo, can be used in one of two ways:

• incorporate it into your current Work In Progress - literally, or figuratively

• use it as a 100 word flash fiction to get the brain going in a different creative direction.

Five Sentence Fiction: Orange (a slice of life)

Two forty seven in the afternoon, the restaurant’s waiting to fill with the after-school rush, so Jeremy takes advantage of the lull to call his buddy Dave and puff an illegal smoke in the back of the kitchen.    Illegal smokes man, they’re the best kind.

“Granddad lives in Ithaca – he said I could stay with him for a while if things got too bad here, and I’d say wearing a paper hat all day, asking surly teens if they want extra packets of ketchup, certainly qualifies as bad…oh hey dude, gotta go.”

The bell on the door rings non-stop as the already greasy, young customers stream in for burgers and rite of passage mischief-making; Jeremy saunters up to the front counter, walking through the doorway’s long strings of plastic like entering a Vegas showroom.

Geez, of all the things I hate about this crappy job, those god-awful orange-crush countertops are what I hate most.

Fairytale-ish Pinterest Contest: Sylvia

Girl with umbrella - painting by Esao Andrews

“I’m so glad you found the old Christmas decorations. I knew she’d like the glitter” said Grandma Ethel as she switched off the hall light.  Grandpa Ralph sighed: “At least we were able to buy her something.”  

Ethel took her husband’s hand gently in hers, “It’s not your fault, Ralph. Sylvia doesn’t know. She’s happy with the things we found.”

Down the hall in her room, Sylvia sat on the bed, surrounded by her birthday treasures. Taking each gift in her hands separately, she cooed, gazing at the shiny, the delicate and the brightly coloured. Then using remnants of an old bedsheet, she wrapped each dented trinket and scratched piece of glass, tucking them into a cardboard box labeled “Nine Years Old”.

The voice came to her, as it always did, over her left shoulder. “Your gifts are beautiful, just like you Sylvia”.

“Grandma and Grandpa gave me this umbrella! It’s new - from a store and everything!  Can you see it?” Sylvia opened the pale blue umbrella and swirled it above her head.

“Yes I can. I’ve told you before - I can see everything you do.”  

“I kinda forgot.” Sylvia said. “Will Grandma and Grandpa be okay without me”

“You'll see them again, I promise”.

Still clutching the umbrella, Sylvia tilted her head, looking towards the voice, “You promise?”

“Yes my dear. Now, do you remember what to do?”

Sylvia nodded.  She moved the box to the foot of the bed, then wriggled under her patchwork quilt and laid her head on the pillow.

“Close your eyes, little one. Think pleasant thoughts.”

“What’s pleasant mean?” asked Sylvia, keeping one eye open.

“Pleasant means nice. Something happy. Something that you’ll miss.”

“Oh, that’s easy then.” Sylvia said matter-of-factly.  

“I’ll pleasant Grandma and Grandpa, birthdays and pretty things.”

One Lovely Blog Award

 

Until I started blogging, I had 'won' exactly three awards in my many decades of life:  Elementary School Citizenship Award: Grade 3 ; Elementary School Citizenship Award: Grade 7;  High School Bursary Award ($500): Grade 12.   I have now lapped those in the course of 1 year online.  Perhaps I do still have time for an Oscar?

The One Lovely Blog Award was a nomination from the even lovelier KD Rush (thanks Chris - that's a handy phrase!) who has one of the busiest and best blogs in our writing community.  I've gone on about his site previously so just go there already and check it out! www.kdrush.net
 
The rules of acceptance for this award nomination are as follows:

• Thank the person/people who nominated you and link back to them in your post 
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire ** you'll see I've nominated only one blogger officially but have named several very honourable mentions too***
• Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know

 So thank you again KD! 

Seven things about myself (sorry if this is getting old - I'm trying to be as fascinating as I can be!)

1. My favourite colour is yellow though I usually say it's green. I don't know why.
2. When I'm waiting for a bus, I usually hum "Yellow Submarine" or "What'll I do" or "Ain't no sunshine". Not a large repertoire but it seems to make the bus get to the stop more quickly.
3. I also hum loudly on the bus if someone starts to do something rude in my line of vision; in other words, I hum a lot on the bus. Sometimes it makes the person stop, but alas, not every time.
4. I have to look up the word 'repertoire' in the dictionary every time I want to use it in a sentence
5. My favourite flowers, in order: Gerber daisies, pink roses, irises, freesia, daffodils, peonies.
6. At work, whenever there is a baby in the office, the rule is that the child must be brought to me first.  Everyone knows the rule. I heart babies. Nothing more affirming, nothing more important, nothing I'd rather do than hold a baby. It's the circle of life!
7. This music makes me extraordinarily happy as do the movies in which it played. :)))

Now because I'm a rebel (this started only after the age of 40),  I am going to do the same thing I did with the Kreativ Blogger award and pass the One Lovely Blog Award on to only 1 person; however, I am going to name more blogs as honourable mentions.

So first, I pass this award to: Mathew Lyons !! Mathew is a historian and author, whose most recent book "The Favourite" is a must read for anyone interested in the various aspects of Elizabeth I's reign.  When you visit Mathew's blog, and you must, you'll be won over by fascinating articles about the Tudors.  Mathew is a scholar, but he also is a very nice fellow with a good sense of humour.  If you follow him on Twitter, you'll find he's a bit obsessed with witty word/hashtag challenges.  Sorry Mathew, I had to mention that!  If you are a writer who sets stories in historical times, then do visit his blog.

Now, other lovely blogs and bloggers who I visit on a regular basis, some of whom will have already received this award from other admirers. Extremely honourable mentions go to:

Chris James - does chatty, update vlogs as only a witty, erudite, handsome & tall English author can do (P.S. he will also be contributing articles at Indies Unlimited, as well as finishing two new books soon, so he's someone to watch & read)

Louise Hastings - a poet who shares much of her luscious poetry on line. Her first anthology is being published late summer

Daniel Swensen - irascible Surly Muse, thought provoking blog posts

K.M. Weiland - every writer should be following her, excellent tips & so very nice

Veronica Sicoe - every writer should be following her, excellent tips & so very nice

Angie Richmond - one of my very first writing tweeps, just updated her blog to WordPress, creative beyond measure with a heart to match

 Broke many of the rules for this award, but I know KD won't mind:))  Onward!!