Blogging is an “eggcellent” way to make so many wonderful new friends from all over the world! I’m glad I’m in this cyberspace family!
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Author: Sandra Pavloff Conner
Wordless Wednesday
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HAPPY ‘MAY DAY,’ EVERYONE!
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Friday Fictioneers – 4/30/13 — ‘Entrusted’
Time for Friday Fictioneers again, and this week’s prompt comes from a photo by Claire Fuller. My story is below the picture. When I do a word count, my computer counts my ellipses marks as words, but the actual word count is exactly 100. I’m going with that.
ENTRUSTED
“Oh, Donovan! Am I dreaming?”
“No, they are very real.” He caressed book after book, counting each stack again.
“How … ?”
“Right before his arrest, Father called me to his library. His face awash with tears, he told me the new government police were confiscating and burning every book they could find. He begged me to help him bury his 1000 books.
“We worked all night, and when they came, they found all the shelves bare. He wouldn’t tell them where … so they executed him.”
“But you — ”
“I couldn’t betray his trust …. ”
~~~
To join the fun, visit here: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/
NaPoWriMo – 2013 – Day 30 — ‘Adieu, Dear April’
For the final day of the National Poetry Writing Month challenge, I have departed from my pattern. Every other day that I wrote, I have followed the prompt faithfully. But today — especially since Maureen has made it clear that the prompts are merely optional suggestions — I have decided to ignore the prompt and write what I feel. It seems a fitting close to this challenging and inspiring week.
More than 2000 poets from around the world have taken part in this adventure, and I thank Maureen Thorson for working so hard and so faithfully to provide us this opportunity. I look forward eagerly to April of 2014.
ADIEU, DEAR APRIL
Dear April, I bid you adieu.
It has been great fun.
To play so with meter and rhyme,
Though no prize I’ve won.
Still, you’re the most challenging month;
You’ve stirred up my muse.
And most of the poems I’ve composed
I can put to use.
I’ve gone to great lengths to match prompts,
Called up gifts by command;
Stretched self to plumb depths still unreached
To create on demand.
So, April and NaPoWriMo,
I appreciate you.
And fondly, till next poets’ month,
I bid you adieu!
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NaPoWriMo – 2013 – Day 29 – ‘To Love’
A poem using at least five foreign words: That was the prompt for day 29 of the National Poetry Writing challenge. (I’m running a day behind again, and will have to do day 30 today as well, since May is staring us in the face.)
Now, since the first foreign language I actually studied was Latin, I felt it was only right to start with that. Then in my college years, I switched to French, so I felt obligated to throw in a little of that as well. And … since I am an English teacher, it seemed quite appropriate that I use a verb conjugation as my format. Hope it gives you a smile today:
TO LOVE
Amo: I love;
Amas: You love;
Amat: He loves;
And love, it makes the world go round, n’ecst-ce pas?
Amamus: We love;
Amatis: You love;
Amant: They love;
Mai oui, there’s love enough to bless us all!
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There’s still time to join the fun for the last day of April: http://www.napowrimo.net/
NaPoWriMo – 2013 – Day 28 – ‘Yellow’
Day 28, and our prompt is to write a poem based on a color. I’ve actually done that, since I wrote two poems the day we were supposed to write one that began and ended with the same word. I wrote about the color green that day. However, I didn’t think it was fair to use it again for this prompt, so I have written about a different color today. Here’s my totally light-hearted look at
YELLOW
Yellow sun, yellow moon,
Yellow ribbon on yellow balloon;
Yellow crayons for coloring,
Yellow bird that chirps and sings.
Yellow duckies, yellow chicks,
Yellow grapefruit freshly picked;
Yellow squash ripe on the vine,
Yellow daffodils — all mine.
Yellow hair, with cheeks so pink,
Yellow lemonade to drink;
Yellow butter drips and drops
From tender yellow corn-on-cob;
Yellow cheese – aroma strong,
Yellow beer to go along.
Yellow curtains, crisp and bright,
Yellow anti-bug porch light;
But yellow has its ugly side:
Yellow fever; could have died;
Yellow-bellied, yellow streak,
Yellow-livered, backbone weak.
And sometimes yellow can’t be seen:
It hides in blue and turns to green.
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Join the fun for the last three days of the month: http://www.napowrimo.net/
My Own Personal Cardinal
This picture isn’t super clear, but this little guy just never holds still. Often he’s on my front porch, sitting on the banister, but if I even try to slip out the door to get a picture, he’s gone before I get the door open. However, the other day, I was sitting on my porch with my camera ready, and he stopped a while in the yard. Even then, he did not hold completely still. This is the bird that inspired my poem “A Cardinal Sits With Me,” which I posted in February.
I wanted his picture, not only because he’s one of the most beautiful cardinals I’ve seen (my photo doesn’t do him justice), but also because I think he and his wife have built a nest in my huge blue spruce tree. The tree is so thick I can’t see for sure if the nest is there, but they go in and out of the branches and act like they are living there, so I’m pretty sure they are. A few years ago I had a mockingbird build a nest in that tree, and she returned a couple more years as well. But I haven’t seen any mockingbirds this spring yet.
This cardinal also reminds me of the novel A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg. I enjoy that book so much that I read it once a year — although not always at Christmas time. It is a lovely story and a happy read — just in case a few of you are interested.
More of My Favorite Things
Okay, here’s my next list of favorite blogs to visit. Last week I gave you 12, and this week I’m offering 12 more. Each of these places has something unique to offer. Some are built around a primary theme or purpose, and some are more like a pot luck dinner, with a little of this, a little of that, and several varieties of everything else. Hope you find some new friends on these sites –as I have.
Rochelle, Wisoff-Fields – Addicted to Purple: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/
Julia’s Place: http://jfb57.wordpress.com/
Colline’s Blog: http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/
The Remissionary: http://remissionary.wordpress.com/
This Man’s Journey: http://thismansjourney.net/
Jake Sprinters’ Sunday Post: http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/
Faith1stMinistry: http://faith1stministries.com/
For His Glory: http://stevensawyer.wordpress.com/
Pure Glory: http://pureglory.net/
A Walk in the Word: http://awalkintheword.wordpress.com/
Jon Lilly: http://jonlilley.com/
The View From Granny’s Porch: http://theviewfromgrannysporch.wordpress.com/
NaPoWriMo – Day 25 – A Ballad
I’m fudging just a little on today’s prompt – a ballad – because I did not write this poem today. I actually wrote it some time ago. However, taking the definition of ‘ballad’ in its simplest form — a rhymed poem that tells a story — this piece fits the criteria perfectly. And since it’s a poem I enjoy very much myself, I decided I’d take advantage of today’s prompt to share it with you.
I should probably add that the poem is based on a true event that I read about a couple of years ago. There really was a couple that had this experience during World War II, and there actually was an operator whose kind heart helped save their romance.
LOVE ON THE LINE
I read about a Navy guy;
‘Twas during World War II;
He felt that he was so in love
But one thing he could do.
He was on leave, New England way,
And running out of time;
Snowed in, he could not meet his love.
His only hope – a dime.
So in the pay-phone booth, he dialed
The zero. Faith was high.
He told his soulful story to
The operator, Vi.
He gave the number for his love,
St. Louis her address,
And Vi said, “There’s no promises,
But I will try my best.”
So, hanging on the line out east,
The sailor heaved a sigh
And waited with a pounding heart
Till he heard back from Vi.
“I have your party, sir,” she said,
Three minutes’ worth of time.”
“Three minutes!” cried the sailor.
“That isn’t enough time!”
His darling’s voice broke through the wire,
Her voice so light and thrilled,
“What great surprise, your calling now!
I heard you’re snowed in, Bill.”
“Yes, dear, and now I can’t get there
Before my leave is through,
But there is something vital that
I have to say to you.
“You know I’ve loved you for a while;
And I have to know for sure — “
But Vi broke in just then to say,
“We’ve lost connection, sir.”
“Oh, no!” he cried. “You’ve got to help!
I’m ready to propose!
I couldn’t go back overseas
Unless I’m sure she knows!”
“I’ll try again,” Vi said, but then —
Back on the line, so sad —
“I can’t get you connected, sir;
The weather is so bad.
“But I can hear your party, sir,
And it seems she can hear me.
If you’d want me to relay your words,
I’d do so happily.”
He heaved a sigh, wiped tear from eye,
And drew deep breath somehow.
“All right,” he said. “It’ll have to do;
I need her answer now.
“Please say, ‘ I’m so in love with you
That before I go to sea,
I’m asking you to be my wife;
Please say you’ll marry me.'”
So Vi relayed the message sweet;
He waited in a stew
‘Till Vi came back online and said,
“She’d love to marry you!”
Now many years have come and gone;
The couple made their home.
And in every room the pride of place
Goes to the telephone.
~~~
To join the National Poetry Month Fun, visit this link:
http://www.napowrimo.net/
Wordless Wednesday
Click on photo to get closer look at dolls.
100-Word Challenge for Grown Ups – # 86 — ‘Decisions’
This week’s 100-Word story challenge from Julia is the following phrase: ” … the queue was so long …”
We have to create a story with 100 words, plus this phrase. To join the fun visit Julia here: http://jfb57.wordpress.com/.
My story is four words over the limit, but you will find it below:
DECISIONS
The queue was so long! I was already doubting my decision.
If I stood here much longer, I might change my mind. I didn’t want to change my mind.
I knew Roger loved me, and our life was good. He’d begged me not to go. But I couldn’t stop wondering … what would have happened if I’d made different decisions? What life would I have …?
And when Dr. DeCamp taught the class on alternate lives — and explained that those lives were actually running concurrent to this one — and that there was a way to transfer into those lives — I decided.
But … now … every minute in line required a NEW decision!
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100-Word Challenge for Grown Ups #85 — ‘Wendell’s Angel’
I’m running behind (no pun intended), but I was so swamped with other work last week that I didn’t get a chance to check out the 100-Word Challenge at Julia’s Place. But when I was there yesterday and saw the photo from last week, I just could not resist writing a story for it. So I’m offering it a week late, but none-the-less happily written. Here’s the photo, and my story is below.
WENDELL’S ANGEL
Angel # 47,000,000 smiled at Wendell lumbering through the museum. # 47,000,000 had been Wendell’s guardian since birth. And what a ride it had been!
Wendell loved life! Though heavy and awkward, he liked doing everything, unaware his large frame could be dangerous when he wasn’t careful.
Even today, just visiting the museum: # 47,000,000 had already rescued a $60,000 sculpture, a $1,000,000 clock, and a case of rare jewels Wendell had bumped with his rump. The alarm had blared; the museum doors had locked down.
After things settled, Wendell wanted just one more picture, so # 47,000,000 started to relax.
Wendell bent for a close-up.
Bump.
Ming Vase going down!
Swoop!
“Whew!”
Once # 47,000,000 got Wendell home, he was asking God for a raise!
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To join this current week’s fun, hop over to Julia’s blog: http://jfb57.wordpress.com/
Bob’s Frameable Keepers – Week # 15
I don’t often enter a photo in this challenge, but this is one of mine that I would seriously think about framing and keeping, so I’ll share it this week. To join the fun — and see some of Bob’s unbelievable photography — visit at this link:
http://pacificnorthwesttravelerdotcom.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/bobs-challenge-framable-keepers-week-15/
A Sure Cure For Stress
In order to defeat stress, you have to turn it around:
‘STRESSED’ spelled backwards is ‘DESSERTS.’
Enough said.
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The Happy Wordcrafter 