A Few of My Favorite Things - GBE2

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into Springs
These are a few of my favorite things

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/rodgers_and_hammerstein/#share

Few of us don’t recognize these lyrics. Some of us even know them by heart. We all have a list of favorite things we could recite, although perhaps not as lyrically as Rodgers and Hammerstein. There may even be a thing or two on their list that matches our own. But, do we put them to use like Maria did?

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.

When life’s hardships are really pulling us down, do we remember all the good things we already have, both tangible and intangible? It’s hard at times, I know. I've been there. Sometimes it’s nearly impossible (or it seems to be) to think of anything good in our lives. But, they do exist, however simplistic they may be.

I love cats. I have always loved cats. If not for cats, I think I might have completely lost my mind at certain times in my life. I know I would have been even more damaged than I was. But, as a child and a young adult, cats were my refuge. It sounds odd, I know. I read it and think that myself. Yet, if not for the unconditional love my cats gave me, if not for my knowing they needed my care, I might not have been able to get past some of my lowest points. They loved me when I felt unloved and unlovable.

Wounded Knee, 1891

I've also always loved books. From the time I began reading, I have escaped into books. They took me places I couldn't go, gave me families I couldn't have, siblings I didn't have. I had adventures beyond imagination, seeing life through other people’s eyes, learning about people in history through biographies such as Stephen Foster, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale; later learning about inequality and bigotry through books such as Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Black Like Me, The Barred Door. Flights of fancy took me to the world of Hobbits and the Dragons of Pern. Now, I tend to embrace mysteries. (It may be no real surprise that I have read the Cat Who… mysteries completely!)

I wish we'd had these uniforms!

There were several years where music was an integral part of my being. I grew up listening to my parents’ music – mostly that of the 40s, big band and crooners. When my personal tastes took over, I would tune out the world and bury myself in whatever music I had discovered touched me in some way. When I was old enough, I began playing clarinet and immersed myself in the band starting in 5^th grade through graduation. I even learned to play the saxophone so I could participate in the dance band.

If not for “a few of my favorite things”, I don’t think I’d have survived even partly intact. They allowed me the opportunity to escape my painful surroundings and maintain something of a sense of self. Admittedly, I missed a lot of what was going on around me. I sometimes jokingly refer to the bubble I grew up in, but I honestly believe I’m better off for having had these things to turn to than I would have been if they’d been denied to me.

TGIBBF, July 29 - Through the Peephole

Every week, Lisa Ricard Claro provides us with a photo that represents a book jacket of an imaginary book. We are to write the cover blurb for this book that will prove so interesting to potential buyers that they will clamber to buy the book.

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #22, provided by Lisa's daughter, Christina.

The first time Rob saw her, it was through the peephole of his front door. What struck him was her electric blue eyes and blonde hair. He had answered a knock and, out of habit, looked out before opening it. She appeared to be looking in to see who was coming. He had no idea who she was. He still didn’t because he forgot to ask her before she left. But, he did know she was staying in Apt. 5E. She had used his phone to call the super in order to be let in.

The next day, another knock at his door, Rob looked through the peephole, hoping it was the mystery woman. Instead of blue eyes, he now saw blue uniforms. The police! They asked if he knew who lived in 5E. The male tenant had been found dead and the woman was now missing.

Succinctly Yours for July 25 - Master Carpenter

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. 

I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 25th.
 

Word Of The Week: arbitrary 

To his wife, the array of tools seemed so arbitrary. But to Jonas, they represented the fulfillment of a dream that honored his grandfather’s legacy.

TGIBBF Book Blurb Friday, July 22 - Stone Angel

As always, Lisa Ricard Claro hosts Book Blurb Friday in which we are to do the following:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

This week our "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #21 has been provided by Sioux Roslawski. 

If you want to join us, please feel free to share your creativity. What story do you see in this potential book cover?

Andy Stone laid the flower by her grave. He missed her so much these days. She was always able to see him through the difficult times, to help him see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. She knew how to comfort him. But, ever since that fateful day in March, he felt so alone and helpless. How would he go on? No one knew him like she did. “Why did you leave me, Terri? What am I going to do?”

The voice came softly, gently, almost whispering: “You’ll be fine, Cuddlebug. Remember my words always. They were true then, they’re true now.”

No one called him Cuddlebug but Terri. He had to be imagining it. “Remember, Cuds. The strength is within you.” Andy looked all around him. All could see was a stone statue of a woman. A woman who looked amazingly likeTerri. Like Terri Stone.

Midnight - Because I'm a Mom

It’s after midnight and I’m waiting for my daughter to come home. It’s not that she has a curfew because she doesn’t. She’s 25 and can rightfully stay out as long as she wants. But, because I’m her mom and because we share a house, I worry about her when she doesn’t come home as expected.

It’s a point of contention between us as it was with my mother and me, but it doesn’t change the fact that I get concerned about her.

With my mother, it went a bit further than mere worrying. She’d try to deny me permission to do this, that and the other (you’re not going there, oh no you’re not, etc.) even into my late 40s, early 50s. It annoyed the hell out of me. But, one thing I always did was make sure she knew I was ok while I was out, even when I went out against her wishes (which was pretty much always after a while). I knew she’d stay up worrying if I didn’t let her know.

My daughter, on the other hand, refuses to check in to let me know she’s OK. She makes it clear that what she does isn’t any of my business (which it technically isn’t), but I’m not asking what she’s doing. I’m asking her to let me know that all is well; that when she doesn’t come home as expected, nothing bad has happened. I don’t think that’s asking too much. She demands to know why I want to know and there is only one answer.  Because I’m a mom.

I always gave her a lot of freedom, probably more than I should have. All I asked in return was for her to check in so I knew she was OK. But, to her, that’s like me trying to prevent her from being who she is, an invasion of privacy of the highest order. I don’t understand that.

So, I’m up late fairly often, waiting to know that she’s home, that she’s safe. She may not like it, but it allows me to sleep once I know. In most ways, my daughter is an amazing person. She’s intelligent (frightfully so), bright and personable. She’s got an excellent work ethic and there isn’t an employer she’s had that wouldn’t take her back in a heartbeat if they had the chance. But, at home, we butt heads like feuding elk or bighorn sheep. It’s draining, but I won’t stop worrying as long as we share a home and I don’t hear from her. Because I’m a mom.

Kyle & Lisa - Succinctly Yours, July 18

Well, I'm late, but had a heck of a day yesterday, so wasn't able to pop this one off until just now (8:25 Tuesday morning). I hope you enjoy it.

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 18th:

Word Of The Week:

obscure 

Kyle had shared Lisa’s desire to vacation in the Catskills, but their natural beauty was being obscured by her insistence that she’d seen Sasquatch.

The Bakery - GBE2 #8

The bakery in this story is the Elite Bakery in Glassboro, NJ, where my mother worked for at least 11 years while I was growing up. I know she still worked there when I graduated high school and only quit because she learned she had glaucoma. It was also where I got my first job. If I were to do it now, I’d enjoy it, but at the time, I hated it. I had to wear a white uniform (a dress – no pants) and white “nurse” shoes, which to a teenage girl who was just discovering fashion of any sort was like being made to wear her grandmother’s clothes (which I actually did later in life, but that’s a different story).

Mom’s first bosses were Russell and Mary D’Amico. My image of employee/employer relationships through my parents was that of true friendship. Mom and Dad were invited to their home for dinner more than once and Mary knew she could count on Mom to fill in when needed.

Later, the D’Amicos sold the bakery to Charlie and June Johnson. Charlie had worked for Russell, so he was the perfect person to keep the business alive and the dream the D’Amicos had envisioned alive.

Mom would always bring donuts home from work when she was done her night shift and we would freeze the cream donuts to keep them fresh. Dad and I would eat them right out of the freezer, they were that good. The butter-crumb cake was a type of coffee cake that was about the diameter of a medium pizza and less than an inch thick. It was topped with a streusel-like topping and in the middle of the cake was a buttery, moist layer that was my favorite part. Charlie was the one we counted on to create my son’s birthday cake for his 3^rd birthday. None of the ones in the books he had on display really seemed suitable, so Charlie created one based on my explanation of an airport runway with a jet taking off at the end because Paul loved to fly so much. He loved that cake! (He’s 30 now and still loves flying.)

I think I was in Junior high school when we learned that Russell D’Amico had committed suicide. Apparently, he had invested heavily in a scheme that promised great returns and he had talked many of his friends into investing as well. When he learned that it was all a sham, he couldn’t live with the thought that he had convinced his friends to lose their money. Mom went to Mary’s side immediately.

Years later, Charlie fell from a ladder in the warehouse and had serious head damage. He tried to continue the business, but it became more and more difficult, so he eventually sold out to a larger bakery enterprise called Liscio's.

Gone were the days of the butter-cream filled donuts coated with powdered sugar, cinnamon buns heavily topped with raisins (aka sticky buns), “torpedo” rolls (I didn’t like these, but my parents LOVED them – very hard crusts and very pointy ends, the entire roll was maybe 6” in length), plenty of Italian bread with crispy crusts (you rarely find that today), the éclairs that my father loved so much and the delectable butter-crumb cake that I loved. Gone are the breads that were donated to St. Bridget's and the nuns that hadn't sold the day before.

I recently learned that the new owners sold out to a construction company who is helping the city of Glassboro completely rebuild the downtown area to tie it in to the growing Rowan University. Glassboro has long been a college town, but there was a complete disconnect between downtown and campus. It was two different worlds. Many of the old buildings and homes, including St. Bridget’s school across from the bakery, are gone to make way for an almost mall-like business center with large promenades and direct access to campus, which had not existed before, as well as extensive student housing.

Although the city had deteriorated quite a bit over the years, there were certain staples that held things together. Elite Bakery was one of them.  It’s a piece of my childhood that no longer exists. My parents are gone, the glass plant (which is how Glassboro got its name) where Dad worked is gone and now the bakery is gone. Things maybe improving economically in that small college city, but some things are lost forever.

Amazingly, there is a bakery just over the county line built with the same design as Elite’s building design. The only thing different is the name. I think I’m going to have to check them out. 

TGIBBF July 15 - Adventure Island

If you are new to this writing challenge, please click HERE for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  The abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

This is our "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #20, provided by Lisa Ricard Claro’s daughter, Christina.

Alexis had found the perfect place for their romantic getaway. A secluded island hideaway with a picturesque wooden bridge that connected it to the mainland resort that owned it. She just knew Jared would love it. There were horse trails, a picnic area, private beach and a gate they could lock to keep the curious at bay. She’d made reservations a year ago, and that only because of a cancellation.

Jared didn’t know where they were going or how long Alexis had been planning this trip. But, he didn’t mind not knowing. She always arranged the best adventures for them and he expected that this trip would be no exception.

He was right. The location was fantastic. But, the adventure really began when they arose the first morning and found a still warm corpse outside their door. 

A colorful ride home - Succinctly Yours July 11

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 11th.

Word Of The Week:
renegade 

The renegade in Rachel didn't appear when it came time to wash off the colors she'd painted head to toe. It was going to be a long ride home if she didn’t come clean.

Belated July 8 TGIBBF (Ghost Writer)

Here is our Make-believe "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #19, provided by the lovely Lynn Obermoeller:

Our creative writing exercise is sponsored by Lisa Ricard Claro who provides us with deadlines for our "assignments", which I have completely bypassed proving that I'll never be a journalist. I hope you enjoy my take on this photo.

Ghost Writer

At first, Laura thought it was a dream. The clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity-DING! that penetrated her consciousness couldn’t be real. She didn’t own a typewriter. They were practically obsolete except for those who were diehard old-schoolers and technophobes. So, it had to be a dream….right?

Clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity-DING! OMG! She wasn’t asleep. She was wide awake. This was no dream. But, what was it? Where was it?

Investigative journalism was Laura’s profession. She was trained to get answers. And, answers were definitely what she wanted. It was time to go to work, but this time, for herself. One way or another, she’d find out the what, where, who and why of what was happening. She hadn’t lost a story yet and she wasn’t about to start now.

What's the buzz? Succinctly Yours July 4.

How does Grandma of Grandma's Goulash come up with the weekly word?
She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her seeing the picture. That makes it more interesting and challenging.

Photo for Monday, July 4th. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (if you're here in the US or Canada).

Word Of The Week: 
expedient

It would be much more expedient to just be a fly on the wall (in a house without cats, of course). I hate not knowing what’s going on.

Money Doesn't Grow On Trees - GBE2 Week #6

Money trees have been a popular celebration gift for a while now. My mother had one at her 75^th birthday and there was one at my parents’ 50^th anniversary. But, I think the origin of the money tree idea was the old saying “money doesn’t grow on trees”. I can’t swear on that, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.  

Actually, if you’re talking about our own paper money, that old saying is true. NONE of the paper in paper money comes from trees. All of those greenbacks are made of 75% cotton and 25% linen with some red and blue fiber strands added for the purpose of making counterfeiting more difficult. Now, I knew there was linen in our money, but I didn’t realize there was NO wood pulp at all in it. So, I’ve learned something as I’m writing this.

Back to money trees, though; I think they’re great ideas when you want to give a gift but aren’t really sure what would be appropriate (co-worker, boss, graduate, engagement party, etc.) Everyone can put their cash gift on the tree which can then be presented with flair to the recipient along with the appropriate party accoutrements and signed card. In fact, if you wanted to add a bit more suspense to the gift, set the tree inside a large box which will then be wrapped and decorated with a big bow. Everyone can use cash and they’d be able to apply it to exactly where it is needed.

Morning Glories - TGIBBF July 1

Our challenge: Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book. Challenge sponsor is Lisa Ricard Claro.

Below is this week's "book cover" offered for our creative blurbs by Becky Povich.  My book blurb is below:

MORNING GLORIES

Sandra loved the way the morning sun peeked through the blinds as it rose. Her move to the country cottage was the best decision she’d ever made. Country life was so serene, so relaxing, so unhurried compared to living in the city. She’d grown tired of the hustle and bustle, of the never-ending horn honking and sirens at all hours.

She’d also grown tired of being reminded of Steve. Her life collapsed when he died. Around every corner a memory lay in wait. She needed a new beginning and she’d found it in Brookville. She looked forward to starting over, meeting new people, making new friends.

One of those friends was Brian. He’d welcomed her to the neighborhood and helped her with her yard work. Now he was asking her out. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but did enjoy his company. What would she do?