The Beach Cottage

Photo courtesy of  Magpie Tales

"Francine, do you realize we've been coming to this same cottage for 20 years", cackled Edith as her sister turned into the sandy driveway and past the mermaid mailbox?

"Has it been that long," Francine pondered?  "Um, now that I think about it, I guess it has.  We started coming here right after Chester passed away.  He would have liked it here - you know he always loved the beach.  I don't think it's changed much over the years, do you?" 

"No, I guess just they patch the shingles and slap on a new coat of paint every couple of years.  I wonder how they get the color matched so perfectly after all these years."

Edith yawned, stretched and pulled her suitcase out of the trunk.  "I don't know, I guess it's all that new technology.  As the kids are always saying, 'there's an app for that'.  So, do we cook or go out?  I say we go out.  It was a long ride, and I'm tuckered. There wil be plenty of time to shop for groceries tomorrow."

Francine, agreeing that they should let someone else do the cooking tonight, said "OK, I think I'll go for a swim before dinner just to relax a bit.  Want to join me?"  

"Sure" Edith answered from the hall, "but I'd like to get a few things put away first.  Edith began to put her stuff into the drawers on the left side of the dresser.  Francine always used the right side.  It's funny how little things become habit after so many years.  The dresser's faded finish showed its age just like the old faucet out back where guests have been rinsing the sand from their feet for decades.  The storms and salt water are hard on the pipes.  They are rusted and showing some patina, but like the sister's reminiscence upon arrival, not much had changed over 20 years, including the old rusty water pipe.


This was written for Magpie Tales #27

Jelly Jar Mojo

Have you ever pulled the jelly jar from the fridge and grunted and strained to get the lid off?  Only to find out that the lid is stuck worse than an elephant in quicksand.  That's when you know that Mongo has been there.  Mongo is what we call the mysteriously powerful critter that sneaks in and super-tightens your jar lids.  You never know when he'll strike.

Jelly jar and my tools.

There wasn't much to choose from for lunch the other day, so I decided on a PB&J.  Bread-check, peanut butter-check, and then I reach for the jelly.  It's just ordinary grape jelly in an ordinary jar.  That is it used to be ordinary.  Now it it's been Mongo-tized.

After some grunting and straining it's still not budging, so I pull out my strap wrench.  This handy-dandy gadget didn't come from any fancy kitchen store.  Nope, hubby got it from the plumber who was working on the toilets at work.  He asked the guy where he could buy one.  Plumber said it's part of the kit and they're disposable.  Well, it got disposed of into hubby's hands, and then into mine.  It usually works like a charm but not this time, all because Mongo snuck in and put his mojo on my jelly jar.  So I went old school and whacked it with the kitchen scissors (Mom's method for loosening stubborn jar lids).  Strange, but it works.  Then I popped the strap wrench back on and... success.  For a moment there I thought I was going to need the jaws of life just to open the jelly.  

Does Mongo ever wreak havoc on your jars?

Quote of the Week

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whenever we feel down or overwhelmed perhaps we should look inside ourselves to see if we are casting a shadow over our own happiness.

The Rose Garden

This magpie is building on last week's poem "Through the Door" and is a work of fiction.

As my cousin Gerald and I were reminiscing about the past, Aunt Abigail came to mind.  Gerald spoke lovingly of his mother, but with much sadness as he related his recent visit to his childhood home.  I had known her well when I was younger, but like most of us, I grew up and drifted away.  She was tall and thin with wispy white hair, and always wore an apron.  For all her apparent frailty, she had the vim and vigor of someone nearly half her age.  She worked in her garden every morning before the heat of the day, weeding her precious roses.  Some of them were descendants of roses from the Royal Garden of Queen Elizabeth, which had been sent to her over 30 years ago. She had tenderly cared for them all those years.  Her most prized bush was the yellow rose, called the Spirit of Freedom, that was presented to her by her husband (known to everyone as "the Duke"), the year before he died. 

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

Gerald had moved up north after graduation some years ago.  Now with both his parents gone, he was the sole heir to the house and grounds, and had returned to dispose of the property.  Her garden is hidden behind a high wall, and the gate has been locked since her death last year.

He took the rusty key and slowly opened the lock, stiff from exposure to the elements. 

He opened the gate and stared into the garden. It was overgrown with vines, and small trees sprouting from nuts buried by squirrels.  There upon the stone wall leading to the gardener's shed sat his mother's old watering can.  It was half full of water just as if she were tending her precious roses, her solitary companions these last years.  Gerald glanced around the garden and spotted his mother's yellow rose bush among the weeds.  It had one beautiful yellow blossom that shone with beads of water, creating a miniature rainbow in each drop.  As he turned, he saw a fleeting figure with wispy white hair and an apron freshly smudged with dirt.  

"Mother?"

A Stinging Situation

How about those yellow jackets?  Those nasty, mean,  ground-dwelling attack bees? (which aren't really bees at all but rather members of the wasp family). Well, I tangled with some a few weeks ago.  After a long dry spell, we got rain, and the grass began to grow again.  You know how it is in the summer, either feast or famine in the weather department.  In spite of the sweltering heat and humidity, I gassed up the mower and started pushing.  I made one pass down along the fence, turned and started back up the yard.  Ouch...a sharp pain in my leg.  Mower must have picked up a rock or something.  Ow, smack on the other leg - what the heck?  Uh oh...now my ear, I'm in trouble.  I had just mowed over a yellow jacket nest.  

Image Source:  Wikimedia

At that point, I left the mower in its tracks and made a mad dash to the house where I was dancing around, swatting, and hollering like a crazy person.  I'm sure it was a hilarious sight, but there was no one there to witness it.  There was some momentary concern since I'd just been stung three times, and  I'm somewhat allergic to honeybees.  What would yellow jackets do to me?  Hubby was working so the only person to look after me was me.  Isn't that when most stuff happens?  A bee flew past my head, I shrieked and flailed some more.  Afraid there might be more on me, I yanked off my T-shirt and threw it on the floor, charged through the house and back, picked up the shirt - no bees, put shirt back on.  

I tried to e-mail hubby, but I didn't have my glasses and my fingers weren't working too well, all that shaking going on I guess.  I grabbed the cell phone instead, and pushed the quick dial number...it's ringing.  I looked down and saw that there still bees on my pants.  Freaking!  Phone off, pants off inside out, left lying on the kitchen floor with one dead bee still attached.  I charged back through the house for more pants.

Sometime in the midst of all that commotion, I had the good sense to swallow a Benadryl.  With all this racing around, I was out of breath, huffing and puffing like a freight train, so when I got hubby on the phone, it took a couple of minutes for him to get the whole story.  Hubby: "I'm leaving now."  Me: "I didn't call you for you to come home, I just wanted you to know what happened."  Hubby:  "I know, but I want to be there".   

Now for the first aid - I made a paste of meat tenderizer and water to neutralize the pain and swelling (which, when compared to honeybee stings, was relatively minor).  Hubby asked me to call him every 10 minutes as he drove home to make sure I was all right.  Needless to say, I didn't finish the mowing.

Have you tangled with these little nasties, and how did you fare?

Quote of the Week

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home.

- Author Unknown


Just as you aren't likely approach a dark house, you are less likely to approach a frown than a smile.  So what are you saying to people?  Is your light on?

Through the Door

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

An old door with
Weathered wood and
Peeling paint
Aged and pitted
The lock
Cranky and stiff
Accepts the key and
Slowly opens
Beyond the walls
Lay hidden a garden
Long neglected and
Overgrown
But for a single
Yellow rose

Written for Magpie Tales #25

Monster in the Morning

Doesn't look like a monster, does he?

I have created a monster!  Not the slimy green, two-headed kind out of some sci-fi flick.  No, mine has four legs and long gray hair.  He is my little buddy, Rosie.  
Why is he suddenly a monster?  A little thing called canned cat food (and this is how it all began).  He started out asking for breakfast at 7 a.m.  Every morning, I  make not one, but three trips to the kitchen to feed him.  He must have his food in small portions, otherwise he just licks at it and pushes it around the dish until it's all mooshed up and gross.  

It gets worse.  His "breakfast time" keeps getting earlier and earlier, and his growing addiction to the stuff is driving us both crazy.  He will sit on my pillow, beg and whine into my ear, and then paw at me until I get up.  What began as a 7 a.m. breakfast, has moved to 6:00, then 5:30 and then 5:00.  This morning the clock said 4:50 when the call came.  When he is serious about eating, there is no putting him off and still sleep.  So mama drags her weary butt out of the bed and trudges to the kitchen, pulls out the food and starts the feeding process.  After the third serving, I close the bedroom door and hope he is sated for a couple hours while I catch a few more zzzz's.

How about now?

Rosie has a look that will turn you into Swiss cheese!  In other words, he'll stare holes in you until his needs are met.

So what's feeding time like at your house?

Quote of the Week

 


A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.  
- Lois Wyse

At the Day Lily Farm

This picture was taken at a nearby vineyard where we were celebrating our friendship.  True friends are a beautiful part of life.

Frannie and Steve's Summer Vacation

Here are some bits of their conversation as they get ready for their long-awaited vacation.

Frannie:  I am so ready for this vacation - those lazy afternoons by the pool, cold drinks on the beach, and I can already feel the sand between my toes, so peaceful.  Have we forgotten anything?

Steve:  Let's see, two suitcases, your big bag of girly stuff, my shaving kit, a half dozen beach towels, his and hers flip flops and three kinds of sunscreen.  Um, two fishing rods, tackle, knife and cooler - check.

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

Frannie:  Laptop, camera, assorted techno gadgets - check.  Gotta have that-you never know where you'll find good blog material.  Did you pay the electric bill?
 
Steve:  You mean you'll have it for checking in with your blogging buddies, don't you?  And yeah, bills are paid.
Frannie:  Bobby's going to come every day to look after Skipper, right? 

Steve:  Uh huh, at $5 a day it's cheaper than the kennel, the kid gets some pocket money, and Skipper has some company.  Mail?  Newspaper?

Frannie:  All taken care of.  I went on-line and put a hold on the mail and the paper. The mail will be delivered the day we get back, and we'll get a paper the next morning.  Gotta love the internet.

So, what else?  Windows closed and locked, lights on timer, A/C set...oh, honey did you get beer?

Frannie:  Of course.  Like I'd forget...along with nuts, chips and dip and soda.  After all what's a vacation without a little junk food. 

Steve:  Let's load up the car.  Ewwww, is that garbage?

Frannie:  Oh, can't leave that here for a week. Can you take it out?  I think they're gonna pick up tomorrow because of the holiday.

Steve:  Done!  We're on our way, and tonight we'll be sampling shrimp and munching on mahi.

...Two hours later.

Frannie:  Uh oh, we forgot something.

Steve:  What?  Not the beer?

Frannie:  We forgot to make the bed.

Steve:  [sighs]

Check out more magpie tales here.

A Storm in the Night

Slowly into the night

Silently advancing

Unknown and undetected

Trembling now, but

Click to enlarge photo

Unrelenting

Nearly within reach

And poised to strike

It's approach is like

A zephyr

Gently caressing

Suddenly without warning

Power without measure

Gloriously unleashed

Pounds down upon the land

Her terrifying fury

Splashes the earth, then

As quickly as it came

Retreats slowly into the night

This was poem written quite some time ago, but I thought it matched the fierceness of the sky in this picture.  That light colored cloud was moving very fast.

Quote of the Week

Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.  

- David Thomas



Good deeds help us shine brightly throughout the pages of our lives.

Of Flames and Faith

Edited to include: The following is a work of fiction written for Magpie Tales.

Flames snapped and crackled, and sap sizzled from a tree too near the heat. The brilliance of the fire lit up the night sky for miles around. As the crowd gathered, people began to speculate as to what caused the old building to suddenly go up in flames. It had been abandoned for twenty years or so, ever since the mill closed. The owner had died shortly before, and when they closed the doors, many of the towns people were left with no income.  Lately, though, there were signs that someone had been living there. It was assumed to be a homeless family, and given the hard times, no one thought anything about it. Live and let live, they said.

The fire department was on the scene quickly, but the dry timbers burned out of control. “I hope there was no one in there” said the chief. “There’s no way they could have gotten out after the fire started”. Acrid smoke filled the air and stung the eyes and burned the throats of the fire fighters, and the intense heat pushed them back. All they could do now was to keep the fire from spreading.

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

After hours of raging, the fire burned itself out leaving smoldering chunks of wood and twisted metal of the machinery left behind. When it was deemed safe to investigate, officials walked through the ruins. Fortunately, they found no bodies, although no cause of ignition was determined.  What they did find startled them.  Among the ashes were the burned-out remnants of a family's makeshift home, and the only things to miraculously escape the searing flames were a well-worn Bible, a gold cross and an old fire extinguisher.

Written for Magpie Tales #23.

Nature's Ballet

Written for One Shot Wednesday

Leaves

Dry and crinkled with age

Swirling down

to dance across the lawn

like tiny ballerinas

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Wikipedia

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

If we explore our inner selves, we may find the answers, and ultimately the peace we seek.

Conversation in the Tomato Patch

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

They're coming for us today, you know.
Who said?
I think it was the squash or maybe the cucumbers.
No, they couldn't have.  They grow so fast there's no one left.
Do you know what they do to tomatoes?
No, what?
I heard it from the corn.  They're always keeping their ears open.  You know they have to hide from the deer every night now.
They slice us up with big, sharp knives, and slather us with this thick, white gooey stuff...yuck.
No, they put us in hot water until our skin comes off, then they cut us into little pieces and call it salsa.
No, you're both wrong.  They put us on the grill until we're fire-roasted, and then we're canned.
I believe I heard it from the potatoes, they're here until fall.
Nah, not them, they can't see a thing with all that dirt in their eyes.
Uh oh, here they come.  Look, they've got baskets.  I think they're taking us to market.
C'mon guys try to look pale and pasty, they only want the really red ones.  Dang it, I warned y'all about the sun!
Ow, watch it will ya!  Hey, quit yer squeezing, I bruise easily.


This was written for Magpie Tales #22.

A Limerick Is Born!

It was late and I had called it a night shortly after midnight.  The lights were out, my DH was in the reading room and Rosie had settled down on my pillow.  As I lay there awaiting the sandman, a series of words kept going through my head.  They strung together with other words and started rhyming.  As they came together, I knew I had to get a pen and paper and write it down.  After Hubs read it, I remarked that it sounded something like a limerick.  He said "I think it is".

Now I've read limericks for years, but didn't know what made them "limericks", so I looked it up, and apparently I'd written one.

There once was a girl from Magoo

Who got stuck on a big spot of glue

She squirmed and she wiggled

'Til everyone giggled

And bid her get rid of the shoe

 

Quote of the Week

There are two types of people - those who come into a room and say, "Well, here I am!" and those who come in and say, "Ah, there you are."  

- Frederick L. Collins

Let's not be filled with our own self-importance, but acknowledge and appreciate the importance of others in our lives.

Happy Birthday!

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

Higher and higher

Riding into the night sky

Exploding with grace

Cascading colors

Celebrating a nation

Happy birthday, USA

This was written for Magpie Tales.  Click above for more stories and poems.

Blogging Blockage - More Ways to Get Inspired

List posts are an important part of the blogging culture.  Recently several excellent bloggers have put together list posts filled with tips for minimizing the effects of the seasonal decline in readership, and keeping the creative juices flowing during a drought.  So now I'm sharing my list of inspirational tactics.

1. Take a shower.  The shower is a peaceful place, and the solitude of the running water can totally block out all distractions and let you think, uninterrupted for a good 15 minutes, or right up until you accidentally slice the crap out of your leg with an errant swipe of a sharp implement.  Any coherent thought then goes right out the window, to be replaced by silent cursing of said sharp implement.
 
2. Mow the yard.  Much the same principle as #1.  To provide thinking time where all other sounds are blocked out.  Just make sure to wear a headset if you tend to think out loud so the neighbors won't think you're talking to yourself.
 
3. Pictures.  We all have tons of pictures on our computers now that cameras have gone digital and gigabytes are a dime a dozen.  Look through your pictures folder until something screams "I'm a post" to you.
 
4. Take a nap.  No not literally, just lie down and let your mind wander over anything or nothing in particular.  Random thoughts will form and sometimes a post will emerge.  You might think of places you've been, experiences from your childhood, your courtship, or something funny that happened at the market last week.
 
5. Cook.  If you like to cook, get into the kitchen and create a new dish.  Just start putting stuff together and see what you get.  Don't forget to document with pictures.  Remember, regardless of whether it's great or gross you can get a story out of it.
 
6. Day trip.  Write about your last outing to the lake, a winery (these are some I've used), a trip to the zoo, or a week at the beach.  That way those of us who don't go anywhere can live vicariously through your post.  These also make great picture posts which means you don't have to do as much actual writing.
 
7. Your pets.  Cats, dogs, birds and, of course, goats all make for good material.  This is where the video function on your camera comes in handy.  Show us Fluffy or Fido's latest antics.
 
8. Go fictional.  Just make something up.  Write short stories, poetry, fantasy, a sci-fi thriller, a mystery, or whatever from your favorite genre.  Just don't write a novel - save that for the publisher.
 
9. Document a DIY project or write a "how-to" article.  You know how to do something that others would find helpful.  Find that something, and let us know how it's done.
 
10. List post.  If none of the above jump starts your blogging engine, by all means write your own list post.