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Velvet Verbosity # 371 — The Call

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

 

MABRY MILL - VA - BRENDA'S - creditsTHE CALL


I’m sitting here, watching water splash from paddle to paddle on the old wheel. Granddad built this mill 100 years ago. With its massive grindstones, he and Gramma ground almost every kind of grain a man could grow.

“Ain’t nothin’ more satisfyin’ than seein’ that grain turn into flour to feed the families in these hills,” Granddad said – almost every day.

When Uncle Henry inherited it, he swore he’d keep it going as long as he lived.

We buried him this afternoon, and the old grindstones came to a halt.

They’ve earned their rest.  But their silence beckons me inside ….

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This week’s Velvet Verbosity challenge is to write a 100-word story based on the word “Mill.” Visit the site to meet the creator and host of the challenge and learn the rules.

 

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Bananas About Bananas

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

APE WITH BANANA - WP CLIPARTI just finished off one of the most delectable bananas I have eaten in ages! The skin was golden yellow, but not too deeply golden. There was still a hint of green on the stem. The meat of the banana was firm and without blemish. And the flavor literally exploded in my mouth. MmmmMmmm!!!

BUNCH OF BANANAS -- by PrashanthI do love bananas, but I’m also extremely particular about my bananas. I can’t stand them if they are soft enough to feel the least bit mushy, or if they are starting to turn brown. Now, my hubby was just the opposite. He’s with the Lord now, enjoying the fruit of Heaven, which I’m sure is far superior in every way to what we have here, but when he was earthbound, he was also particular about his bananas. He wanted them brown – almost to the point of being disgusting. And if they were almost mush, that was even better. Ewwwww!

I never changed his opinion, but then he never changed mine either – which didn’t cause a problem because when we bought a bunch of bananas, I ate mine during the first few days, and then after they were ready to pitch as far as I was concerned, he dived into his half of the bunch. (Would that all differences in marriages could be so easily resolved, huh?)

Now, I am a great lover of banana bread as well, and I realize that when we make banana bread or muffins, those bananas are supposed to be especially ripe and very soft. That’s supposed to make them at peak flavor. And I don’t mind the thought of them being ripe and mushy once they are hidden in the bread, but I’d rather someone else make the bread so that I don’t have to see them as they go in. Ridiculous, I know, but, hey, we all have to have some kind of little idiosyncrasies, or we wouldn’t be individuals, right?

BANANA SPLIT BY MALIZ ONG, PUB DOM PICTURESAnother of my favorite treats is banana splits. But, alas, I am also particular about those. I want the old fashioned kind – which can be found almost nowhere these days – with three different flavors of ice cream, covered in three different kinds of topping. I’m sorry, but unless I have vanilla ice cream on one end covered with pineapple topping, strawberry ice cream in the middle covered with strawberry topping, and chocolate ice cream on the other end covered in chocolate syrup — and BOTH halves of a whole banana (not just a smidgeon stuck on each side) I have NOT had a banana split. Needless to say, it’s been a while since I’ve had that satisfaction.

But on to my next favorite: banana pudding. And, of course, I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I’m also very particular about that as well. I do not want my bananas to turn dark while in the pudding! But that problem is pretty easy to avoid, because when I start eating banana pudding, I usually don’t stop until it’s gone anyway. Or if it’s a very large portion, I might have some left for a second day, and that’s it.

The last item on my banana list that I consider a delicacy is banana ice cream. And I don’t want any of this artificial flavoring stuff. I want real bananas flavoring my ice cream. I can still remember, as an elementary-age child, making trips on hot summer nights to the local ice cream stand in our neighborhood. My family and I looked forward to those trips several times a week during those summer months, and I always ordered the same flavor: you guessed it – banana. Oh, wow – happy memories are made of banana ice cream!

Ooops, I almost forgot one more of my favorite banana recipes: banana and peanut butter sandwiches. And, of course, there are rules. The bananas should be slightly firm and very evenly sliced. The bread is best toasted. I spread a thick, even layer of peanut butter on the toast; then line up those banana slices. Depending on the size of the banana and the bread, I might get three rows of slices, but I can sometimes get 4. That’s good — and healthy — eating.
YELLOW QUESTION MARK

Now, what about you, readers? I’m looking forward to some feedback on this subject. How do you folks out there like your bananas?

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Photo of ape
http://www.wpclipart.com/animals/primates/ape_banana_branch.png.html

Photo of bananas, by Prashanth
http://www.clker.com/clipart-83002.html

Photo of banana split, by Maliz Ong
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=42616&picture=banana-split

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Another Blogger Joins the Family

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

ON LINE
Just want to put in a plug for a friend of mine – who is also currently one of my creative writing students. A few months ago, she took up the challenge to stretch her creative muscles and start a blog. So I’m posting the link to it here, in the hope that some of my readers will hop over and visit her, and comment on anything they like. She has a little prose, a little poetry, a little humor, and a lot of pictures.

You’ll find her at Lyra’s Place here on WordPress.

 

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Friday Fictioneers – 3/14/14 – Bridge To Insanity

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Friday Fictioneers hostess, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields will welcome you into the Friday Fictioneers group if you’d like to take your best shot at creating a 100-word story prompted by this picture. The photo is courtesy of Adam Ickes.

My story is below the photo.

LONG WOODEN BRIDGE - ADAM ICKES

BRIDGE TO INSANITY

“So, Mr. President, you’re having a recurring dream?” the doctor asked.

“Yes.  At least a dozen times this past year. I’m walking down a long, narrow, wooden bridge. Ahead I see the pavilion where a peace treaty signing is scheduled. I know they’re all there, waiting for me.  But I can’t get there!”

“Why not?”

“Because the damn bridge keeps growing longer with every step I take!”

“And you think the dream means something particular?”

“Of course.  And that’s what’s driving me insane.”

“What?”

“It means there’s never going to be an end to war.”

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Now My Heart Must Sing

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I’ve been going through some troubling situations lately and found myself feeling pretty low as a result. But in a time of prayer this morning, the Lord graciously reminded me of a poem He had given me almost two years ago. That poem was the record of another time in my life – many, many years ago – when things seemed very hard and very dark. But at that time, through means of a dream, the Lord showed me that I had nothing to worry about, and that He had worked everything out for me. So this morning, after being reminded of that poem, I sat down and read it again. It encouraged and cheered me so much that I decided perhaps I should share it on here again in case a few of my readers could use that same kind of encouragement today.

WILLOW TREE - credits

NOW MY HEART MUST SING

 

I woke to face another day,
No glad expectancy,
For heavy disappointments were all
Weighing down on me.

The day before had been so filled
With unsupportive words,
With problems piled four levels high
and everywhere closed doors.

The friends I’d counted on were not:
They came and went like rain:
All so enwrapped in their own lives
They couldn’t feel my pain.

It was just like so many days,
All running wearily,
So sad, with disappointments too,
All weighing down on me.

And though I knew I would survive,
That didn’t soothe my heart,
For sorrow deep and troubles too
Brought a longing to depart.

But then to Jesus I did run;
I saw it in a dream:
I stood below a gentle hill,
All carpeted in green.

When I looked up and saw Him there,
He stood beneath a tree,
And waited, smiling patiently;
He’d been expecting me.

I ran but didn’t feel the strain;
He grabbed me in His arms;
He wrapped them hard around me; held me
Strongly, safe and warm.

I’d never felt so light and free;
Engulfed with joy and rest;
No problem lingered to be weighed;
All I could feel was blessed.

And all the disappointments, though
So heavy they had been,
Took flight, and sadness too was gone,
Ev’ry conflict, ev’ry pain.

All threats and fears and torments sore,
All guilt, defeat, and shame –
In love so glowing and so strong,
All were dissolved away.

Then suddenly I saw a truth –
It caught me by surprise –
That Jesus’ joy exceeded mine;
I saw it in His eyes.

I’d known He would accept me, that
He’d made a place for me,
But never had I even guessed
How happy He would be.

He was so thrilled to have me there;
He laughed so loud and strong,
That all things not of joy and life
Just vanished in joy’s song.

And when I woke to this new day,
His laughter still did ring;
His arms still held me close and warm,
And now my heart must sing!

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Jake Sprinters Sunday Challenge: Moon Shine

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

This week’s challenge from Jake is “Moon Shine.” Here’s my entry:

Exif JPEG

Visit Jake’s site to get the rules and take part: 
http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/moon-shine/

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Friday Fictioneers — February 28 — Leap of Love

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

HAY BALES - SANDRA CROOK

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LEAP OF LOVE

“You’ve GOT to be kidding!”

“Shhhh, you’ll wake your parents.”

“Good. Then they’ll be awake to plan the funeral.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Annette. You knew we’d have to do something unconventional to sneak you out without their knowing. What’d you expect?”

“Fool that I am, I expected a ladder, of course!”

“Shhh!  All right!  Forget it. I should have eloped with Bernadette when she begged me.”

He climbed back over the balcony rail and jumped onto the hay-filled tractor bed.

He looked at her, his heart aflame in his eyes.

Her own heart leaped over the balcony, and she had no choice but to follow.

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Photo by Sandra Crook

Friday Fictioneers Hostess: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Visit her site to find out how to take part in this 100-word story challenge.

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Cee’s Fun-Foto Challenge: Orange

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I didn’t have a good photo with orange that I hadn’t used at Thanksgiving time, but I had just put together a graphic design this week to use on a set of greeting cards I was making for a friend. So I thought I’d just share that rather than a traditional photo. It’s sort of cheating, but Cee did say the challenge was to have some fun with. I had a lot of fun creating these cards and even more sharing the design with you.  (There’s definitely some orange in here!)

FIREWORKS HEART FROM MONKEY

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Hop over and visit Cee for the details.
http://ceenphotography.com/2014/02/18/cees-fun-foto-challenge-the-color-orange/

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