100 Words -- Give

From Velvet Verbosity comes the 100 Word Challenge. The challenge is to produce 100 words on the given one word prompt. This week's word is "give". What would you give?



Slowly he circled the old pick-up truck. “Whacha want for ‘er?”

“Whacha give me for ‘er?” came the slow reply.

“Looks like she’s in pretty good shape.”

“Yep, runs alright, got nearly new tires too.”

“Want ‘er for my son to drive.”

“Yep, kids these days need somethin’ to drive.”

“Boy ain’t got a lick of sense.”

“Most of ‘em don’t. Least that’s what I hear. Never raised one of my own.”

The two men stood staring at the truck for several minutes each with his own thoughts.

“What’d ya say ya want for ‘er?”

“Whach give me for ‘er?”

100 Word Challenge -- Material

The challenge this week from Velet Verbosity is 100 words on "material".



It had been a long time since he had been in this room, but there before him was all the materials he needed. He savored the aroma of the oils as he squeezed dabs of paint onto the pallet and tested the weight of each brush in his hand as he studied the form of the bristles. He turned to the blank canvas and paused. Swiftly he made the first stroke of paint on canvas and time stood still and raced pass at the same time. Joy filled his soul and he wondered why he had been away so long.

100 Word Challenge -- Examine

From Velvet Verbosity come the challenge to write 100 words on examine. The following is what came to mind.






Each year I stand clothed in a hospital gown opened down the front in a room so cold I'm shivering reading posters on self examinations while trying to ignore “the machine.” The always cheerful lab tech asks if I am ready.

I have stood in an examining room like that every year for the past 20 years. Each year I have endured the torture of having each breast placed on a cold plate of glass, squeezed flat twice and x-rayed while standing on my tiptoes holding my breath.

Each year I have passed the exam cancer free. I am ready.

God Smile

I have received this picture several different times via email. I always love getting it, because it is an amazing shot. Because of this photo I have begun to look for other places that God is smiling as us and remembering if God can smile for us even with the mess we have made of things then maybe I should smile a little more often.

Not long ago when drying after a shower I noticed that grass from a pair of socks had gotten shaken into the bathtub. I was having grumbly thoughts about having to clean up that "mess" then I saw it --- a smile. The pieces of grass were laying there in a smile. Well, I could no longer be gumbly about that grass, it was smiling at me. I didn't clean it up right then. I left it a day or two just to remind me to smile.

So my challenge to you is to look around --- God might have a smile just for you hidden somewhere in a cloud, a flower arrangement, or even the dirt on the garage floor.

100 Word Challenge -- Writ large

The challenge this week from Velvet Verbosity is writ large. The idea was slow coming; the following is my effort.





The teacher’s words had rung in her ears as she worked, “If you put your best effort into you paper, your effort will pay off.”

She hadn’t been sure what that meant exactly, but she had a feeling it meant if she worked hard she wanted to get an A. That’s what she wanted more than anything because her sister said that she was dumb and that she could never get an A.

The teacher walked up and down the aisle passing back papers. There it was writ large at the top of the page for all to see.

Warning: Tampering Will Cause Garment to Be Ruined

On October 24, Robert and I attended the wedding of a friend's son. The wedding was held in the hometown of the bride 350 miles from our home.

I had purchased a new dress for this occasion a week before the wedding. The dress fit nicely and the sales clerk who checked me out was kind enough to place the dress in a garment bag where I left it until we were getting dressed to go the ceremony.

As I pulled the dress on over my head, I felt it. There on the seam of the sleeve was the security tag. You know that heavy white device with a warning about ink squirting on the dress (and you) if you tamper with it. The device that is supposed to sound an alarm if you shop lift the article.

What to do, what to do? The motel was next to strip shopping mall with several chain department stores in it. We decided to leave a little early for the wedding to see if maybe someone could remove the tag for me.

I made Robert go in the store with me. I figured I looked less guilty of shop lifting if he is standing embarrassed by me than if I just went in by myself. I know a kazillion words were coming out of my mouth as I stammered and stuttered to get my story told. The young sales girl chuckled, but was unable to help. They used a different kind of system for their security, but suggested a store they were pretty sure used the same type device as on my dress.

Here I went in alone with my rambling story about buying the dress some 350 miles away and blah, blah, blah. The sales clerks didn't seem interested in my tale at all, but just said for me to come around the counter so she could see if it would work. I had to do a little contortionist act because the removal system was mounded in the center of the counter.

The security tag was successfully removed so I didn't have to walk around all evening with my elbow glued to my side, then ramble on endlessly about how this had happened.