It is time for Trent’s Weekly smile and with all the sad occurrences in the world these days sitting under this tree made me smile as I read the leaves that people had written. The different colours were different prompts and they included prompts such as: orange with a world vision- In a completely inclusive world, name one thing that would be completely different to now down to the personal with purple – write a piece of advice to your younger self.
Seeing this from a distance it made me smile. I just had to sit underneath it and slowly consume the thoughts of unknown people. By the time I’d read just a few I was grinning from ear to ear. If only every town could have a tree and use it as a meeting place and let those hopes for the future, the world and for the self wash over you, perhaps write one of your own these smiles would soon spread amongst many.
January 6, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a rebellion. Is it one a character fights for or is it one another suppresses? Explore what makes a rebellion, pros or cons. Use past or current rebellions as inspiration or make up one of your own.
Respond by January 12, 2016 to be included in the weekly compilation. Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
Hi. Come on in and have whatever beverage you want. At the moment we have most apart from alcoholic spirits so if you need a stiff drink I probably won’t be able to help you.
If we “were having coffee” I’d tell you that my sister-in-law and her husband arrived from Germany on Wednesday. It is three years since we have seen them and we are all getting older so we cherish this time that we have. Our brother-in-law (BILL) is in his eighties and sister-in-law (SILS) has been battling illness and injury so will enjoy the two months they will be staying with us. What it does mean that due to my studies my already slow/late/nonexistent return visits may be even slower although I still will try. If I don’t make I hope you’ll forgive me.
If we “were having coffee” I’d tell you that Bill and Sils are a little frightened at everything Australia may throw at them. The spider on the bedroom wall was first, the frightening noise was next. Most likely a possum and not a cause for concern I persuaded. Last night Roger heard it and said “Cane toad in the pond.” I immediately donned protective gear and with two plastic bags and a torch in hand went in search of the poisonous critter. They are ugly creatures and can kill dogs. The tadpoles put the fish in the pond at risk. It had to be exterminated. It’s a big pond but I found it. Its rear feet were on the pond floor and he was standing upright with his nose out of the water. I knew if I missed him on the first swoop he’d be off and difficult to find again. I called for reinforcements. Roger came armed with a bucket and the swimming pool net. We missed on the first attempt but managed to keep it confined in the first third of the pool. Again we tried with success. It was in the bucket which I was holding when it made a leap for freedom and I jumped with fright throwing the bucket up in the air, the water sloshing all over me and the toad flying and coming down on the pavement outside the pond. It would have gone except luckily the bucket landed pinning its leg and finally we got him in the plastic bags and into the freezer. We are told that freezing doesn’t kill them only puts them into a state of hibernation and when thawed are again as large as life. I don’t care as if they do come to they are a long way from me, my dogs and my pond. My cane toad was twice the size and definitely more ugly than any of these. I assure you you wouldn’t be kissing it.
If we “were having coffee” I’d tell you that I have been really thrilled to read the responses to “Times Past”. It seems that even into Gen X, dining out of an evening, in a restaurant, was not a common occurrence. Certainly for my alpha generation nephews this is not the case and I wonder when the change happened. I’m hoping by the end of the month, with more responses, I may be able to answer that question. Feel free to join in anytime in the month.
If we “were having coffee” I’d tell you I am starting to panic about finishing on time. I was fine until I opened the email telling me my end date was looming (Sept 30th) and if I needed extra time then I should apply for student fee assistance now. Now that the panic has set in the work ethic has improved. I am spending 8 hours minimum a day on the thesis and each day starting to panic just that little bit more. Soon I will bump up the time to ten hours a day as I am determined I WILL finish on time.
If we “were having coffee” I’d tell you Muffin is an absolute darling of a dog. She isn’t 100% toilet trained because our concentration on walking her to her toilet area has lapsed a bit with Bill and Sils visit and the accidents have happened again. Apart from that everything she does has started to be endearing. She stares into my eyes with what looks like an adoring look (in reality she is staring to ensure she gets a treat) and my heart melts.
What else would I tell you if ‘we were having coffee?” The weather has been simply perfect. Not too hot with little humidity. Ideal for swimming, or fishing. Temperatures are probably sitting around 32 degrees celsius during the day and 22 degrees of a night.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing a cuppa. Its been a nice break but I’d best put my head down again. SILS is starting the first puzzle tomorrow. She is going to start on one from the “If you had eyes in the back of your head” series. The puzzle makes what these people are looking at. I’ll take a photo when it is finished.
I have had fellow blogger, Noelle Granger, book, Death in a Red Canvas Chair, on my kindle for about a year. What with books I had to read for my research and book club I just couldn’t get the time to read it until the few days I took off over Christmas and it was worth the wait.
Although this is not Noelle’s first published book it is the first in her mystery series of Rhe Brewster, a woman just like you or I. Well that is if you are a woman and perhaps not quite like me as she gets embroiled in solving the mystery of the body she finds at the end of her son’s soccer game at one end of the field.
Rhe is a nurse, a mother, a wife and lover (to the same man) and girlfriend. She is a normal woman with a larger than life curiosity and luckily a brother who is head of police who likes Rhe’s advice, and being a nurse she can also wheedle her way in with the medical examiner. She’s also at home on the university campus where her husband teaches.
Reading Death in a Red Canvas Chair I was reminded of my enjoyment for Janet Evanovitch’s number series with Stephanie Plum who was a bail bond agent who always got into scrapes. The similarity lay in the ordinariness of the protagonist (Rhe/Stephanie) which as a reader you can relate to your own life such as coffee drinking, juggling family and job, confidences with girlfriends, food, (I loved Rhe she was a cook like me), the easy coversational tone of the narrative which as a reader you can’t help but be drawn into and a storyline that moves with action from one scene to the next.
They often advise when writing, to write what you know and I think Noelle has done this well drawing on her knowledge of medicine, sailing and observer of human life.
I would classify this book as a light, easy and enjoyable read particularly if you enjoy a mystery. I’m wondering if it will take me another year before I can get to read Noelle’s sequel Death in Dacron Sail as I look forward to more adventures with Rhe.
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 