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.

100 Word Challenge -- Rain

Velvet Verbosity, whose name I just love, has issued the new challenge for this week. The word to spark the imagination this week is RAIN. My mind went a thousand places but my fingers typed the following.



Farmer: “Man, we need rain before my crops all die.”

Woman: “The ground’s so dry my flowers are withering from lack of rain.”

Child: “God, grandpa and momma say we need rain. Could you send some, please.”

God smiled and sent the rain.

Farmer: “I can’t get in the fields to farm; the rain needs to stop.”

Woman: “This rain is nice but it must stop soon, the ground is turning into a bog.”

Child: “Thank you for the rain, Dear God. Can it stop? I want to go outside and play.”

God sighed and stopped the rain. He knows children need to play.

Tea for Two --- Make That Three

Each day on the ship at about 3:30 tea time was observed. I had noticed it on the daily itinerary and wondered about it. When visiting with two women at lunch on Thursday they happened to mention that they had been to the tea previous day and what fun it was to pick a tea and be served desserts and hors d'oeurves.

Ahhh, the perfect "Tea Party" for Abigail and me to attend. So that afternoon we went to tea.

The tables were perfectly set with tea cups, dessert plates and napkins rolled to look like candles. We chose our place, twice, and settled in for the music and tea. We were joined by Amy to make this a perfect tea party for three generations.

Our server came by with a choice of teas --- I chose lemon and Amy and Abby chose an orange tea. Then a second server came by with a little kettle of hot water for each of us. All was going lovely up to this point.

I had my tea steeping and was assisting Abby with hers. The aroma that came up from the cup was wonderful and I lifted it as I continued to pour water into her cup so she could get a whiff. As I did I touched her bare shoulder with the kettle --- a shriek escaped from her and then a loud cry.

We had every one's attention. I got the cup and kettle down without spilling any and then began to rock Abby. Three waiters came to see what had happened. "I'm so sorry, I touched her with the tea kettle. She's okay, just startled, could we have a little ice please," came rushing out of my mouth.

There was barely a red mark -- thank goodness -- I felt horrible but ice was brought and in just a few moments she was back to preparing her tea, and admonishing me about being very careful when little kids are around. The sweet lady with the dessert cart showed up about then and we selected our treats. Thin sliced salmon on a baguette for me, a flavored cream filled biscuit for Miss A, and a blueberry torte for Amy. We sipped our tea and enjoyed ourselves while we listened to the beautiful music from the piano.

Several times during the tea different servers would come by and ask how things were and if we needed any thing. The gentleman who had gotten the ice for us directed his question to Abigail asking how she had enjoyed the tea. Her reply has become my favor line of the cruise. "

"Oh it was fun, except for the screaming."

Letter to My Husband

Dear Husband,

Here we are jobless, verbally you say you are wanting to get hired. So you've taken your resume in, you've talked to the right people, and now you wait. But what do you do while you wait. Well, it is different from what I would be doing that is for sure.

Oh, I don't mean I would actively do anything different from what you are doing, but I would be dressed so differently. See everywhere you go there is a potenial boss. Some one who might see you and think -- "Hey, you know that Robert might be just the guy we are needing, but why is he dressed like a bum?"

The shorts and Hawaiian print shirt with your beach sandles just doesn't scream hire me or professional anything.

Sure we were running late to the Chamber Mixer yesterday evening because you had forgotten about it, but for heaven's sake it was at the very bank you are hoping will hire you and there you are looking more like you are on your way to the beach rather than to a function of professional people. It would only have taken a minute to change -- slacks with a shirt tucked neatly in and closed toed shoes! Is that asking too much? And to boot your picture will probably be in the paper because who presents the Certificate of Appreciation to the bank's manager --- yep, mister, "I don't give a sh_t about how I look. Take me or leave me."

Every time you step out of this house you are going to an interview. Yes, dressing for success is important --- it might just make a difference. Right now I'm thinking you don't really want to get that job.

You really need to think more about the book cover. It is what people read first.

Sincerely,
Your loving, but exasperated wife

Life Sucks Sometimes!

For the past eight years I've had a very contented life. I got up each morning to go to work or not depending on the time of year. That has always been my joy in teaching --- that summer vacation. It has always been my time of rejuvenation -- but that is a whole different subject and not what I going to focus on and make myself write today.

Life has been good to me. I have had no complaints that are serious. Yes, we have had minor things happen -- Robert's hair all fell out, but has grown back. We burnt the well house down, but we built a new one. We sold a house, but moved into a better one. We have worried over our children and grandchildren, but they are solid strong young people whom we see surviving. We have been able to help others in times of need. We have offered up prayers for the health and well being of others.

See our life was rocking along very pleasantly, no major problems, no major worries, almost boring or mundane. Then Thursday happened! Robert came home for lunch as was becoming our custom and I cheerfully asked, "How are you?" fulling expecting the answer "Fine." which I usually got, but instead I got, "Unemployed."

Shock, disbelief, then reality hit full on. We knew that with the merger of the company he worked for and another there would be people let go, there were would be offices closed and people moved. We knew it, we had even played the game where others were given that notice --- selecting those we thought would be gone first --- we just never figured ourselves into that picture.

Now we are playing another game -- the What the Hell Are We Going to Do Now -- game.
We played this game fifteen years ago, have weathered three mergers and four name changes and aged since last played. I don't think any of the rules have changed though. The rules: send out resumes, think carefully before spending money, pray a little differently, and try to keep a cheerful outlook.

Oh, and keep in mind all the cliches
Life isn't fair
Hard work isn't always rewarded
When God closes one door, He will open another
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade

Got any other? I am fresh out at the moment.

And That's the Way the Ball Bounces

My thought went to basketball when I read the challenge. We are in the midst of the NBA playoffs, with the Houston Rockets holding their own against a more touted Lakers team. My heart is with the Rockets, but I have doubts as to their ability to match step with the Lakers for much longer -- but who would have thought the 50 to 1 Mine That Bird would have pulled off that upset at the Kentucky Derby.

Then my thought travel back to my own days as a basketball player. I played three years. Two years in junior high and one in high school. They were fun years, trying years, years that left an impression on me.

I learned about team work, about being a part of something that mattered and I learned that hard work isn't always fairly rewarded.

Here's the story and yes, I'll still sound a little bitter as I tell it.

My freshmen year we had an awesome team. Those junior and senior girls were just awesome. We all took to the court and worked out each day. The junior varsity and varsity worked together side by side. Coach would pull his jv aside each practice for a few minutes after warm-up drills and go over plays that the varsity opponents would be running. We would then work out against the varsity trying to give them the competition that would prepare them for the next game.

These were hard workouts for a bunch of girls who were also playing jv games of their own two times a week. But this was the sport, this is what you did, this is how you got better ---- That and the fact that we didn't know any different.

The varsity won, and won, and won. They won district and were going on. The school was excited, the town was excited. Our girls had made it to Regional Tournament for the first time in many years.

I can remember how proud I was to be a part of that team. Even though I had never suited up for a varsity game I felt like I was a big part in their getting where they were. I had sweated with them everyday. I had stood my ground and been laid out more than once -- I had learned to rotate the ball almost the same way Springlake did, I had learned to shoot a little jump shot almost like the girl from Kress I had done everything Coach had asked of me to the best of my ability. Granted it wasn't exactly like those other teams but I had worked hard!

Then the news came -- Only the varsity would be going to the tournament to be held in Lubbock, only the varsity would be getting any accolades for all the hard work THEY had put in. Never mind the rest of us who had worked hard, never mind the fact that we had a part in it. I couldn't believe it -- all year long Coach had gone on and on about how we were all part of the team, how each of us played a vital roll in winning. Then this. To be snubbed, to be left out because we weren't members of the varsity.

I didn't get to go to Lubbock and watch any of the games. My parents didn't travel and follow the team like many parents did. I really don't remember if they won the first game of regionals or not. I do know they didn't advance --- and deep down a little part of me was silently happy about that. (You know, if I can't be a part of it I don't want you to win thing going on in the mind of a 14 year old.)

That was the end of my basketball career. I still love to watch the game. But when I hear names of big time players who get all the credit for a win (be they at the high school, college, or pro level) I can't help but think --- okay the rest of you guy just sit down and let them do it all by themselves. If you can't get some of the glory then just let them do it without you! You are a team, it is a team sport and it takes everyone working hard to win! So there.

And here's the to group of girls who didn't get to go to the tournament. We were an awesome bunch. (In case you're wondering I'm second from the left on the back row.)

100 Word Challenge -- Situation

Velvet Verbosity issues a weekly writing challenge. This week's word is situation. I've found myself in this situation too many times, not always for this much speed, but for speeds beyond the legal limit.


The highway, long and straight. The traffic, non existent. The speedometer climbs to 90, 100, 110, 120. I feel the governor kick on and the speed begin to drop so I back off just a little and settle for 115. I feel powerful. I feel in control as the scenery flies by the side windows. My eyes are fixed on the road ahead. There are no thoughts, just the road, just the power. Then I see him and know it’s too late. Lights flash behind me. This isn't the situation I want. Indulgence comes with a price.

I Was Accosted by a Monster Mouse

Several years ago --- I just realized that several years ago I must have had a life because most of my stories come from *several years ago* --- Anyway, as I was saying I was class sponsor for 7 seniors in a small rural school in the Texas panhandle.

One of the ways we raised money to take a big trip at the end of the year was to run the concession during basketball games. Of course at the beginning of the season we had to clean said concession stand even though it was supposedly cleaned by the previous years group.

On the day we had decided to do this cleaning we found thing in pretty good shape except for the evidence that mice had been playing around in the store room --- fortunately there had not been any food stuffs stored in there, just some equipment that could be cleaned with bleach water.

The kids were troopers and put on the rubber gloves and did a great job pitching in, working and getting things done.

But --- there is always a but isn't there --- they got to playing around and visiting and their language became a little less than appropriate with several mild curse word being tossed around. I went into lecture mode about appropriateness of language. About how the language they used was a reflection on them, their family, the school.

It was at this exact moment that one of those dear little rodents decided to make an appearance and ran across my foot. Yes, it ran right across my foot. And as it did in a blink of an eye, I jumped back as if a huge monster had just accosted me, and squealed, "OH SHIT!"

The kids all started laughing and repeating my lecture back to me about using cuss words. All I could do at then was to laugh and assure them that that was an appropriate time to use such language (even though it wasn't).

100 Word Challenge -- Pleased

Velvet Verbosity is back with a her wonderful 100 Word Challenge. Velvet, I missed this challenge, but why did you make this weeks so hard, or was it just me??? The following is what rattled around in my brain for several days. Welcome back VV. Here's my take on "Pleased."




“Pleased to meet you.” I take your hand in mine just like I’ve been taught and say, “Pleased to meet you.”

I wonder, “Am I going to remain pleased with meeting you?” We’ll have small talk that comes before a friendship can be formed. All the usual questions will be asked and answered.

Meaningful small talk, but not what I really want to know. What I’m really wanting to ask is, “Are you going to judge me or will you accept me as I am, faults and all?”

I want to be “Pleased to meet you.” I want to be your friend, no strings attached.

Dialogue of Two Idiots

We pulled up to the house after the Credit Union Stocker Holders' Meeting.

"Where's my purse?"

"You didn't, did you?"

"I never do that."

Robert begins backing out of the drive headed back the five miles to the Civic Center.

"We should have grabbed my cell phone. Then we could have called your purse."

"I'm sure they've picked it up."

As we pull up to the CC.

"Just like I thought, everyone is gone."

"Let me just check."

"We should have grabbed my phone."

On the way back to the house, we drive by the Credit Union.

"Looks like they brought stuff back up here."

"Yes, maybe we should stop."

"No, let's just get home and you can call them."

Back at the house there is a message on the answering machine.

"Mrs. Bain this is Irma from the Credit Union. We have your purse here and will wait for you to come pick it up."

"I told you we should have stopped."

I drive to the Credit Union.

"I'm sorry to make you late getting home. Thank you very much."

"Don't worry about it. I happens to all of us at some time."

I still feel like an idiot for leaving my purse behind. I think that is the first time I have ever done that. I've left my credit card in a couple of restaurants before but never the whole purse. Hummm I must be getting old.

A Useful Tidbit and Unconscious Mutterings

Every once in a while I get something in an email besides a joke that has been around a dozen times or a picture of something foolish someone has done or something that is politically incorrect, racist, sexist, or improper, or something that will bring me good luck or rich blessings if I pass it along. Those are not things that I usually send along. However, today I received the following from a dear friend. It is something I hadn't seen before and gave me pause to wonder -- *Well, why hadn't I thought of that?* The answer doesn't need to be stated aloud, and you really don't have to write back with why. Just read them and pass along or use or ignore.

Coffee filters ..who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China. Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
Oh, and they are great for using in your coffee maker, too.

And moving right along it is time for Unconscious Mutterings. The *I say :: You think* meme I enjoy each Sunday.

Check it out, click on the icon

1. Take :: it on the chin


2. 350 :: an incomplete circle


3. Stand :: amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazerene and wonder how He could love me a sinner condemned unclean (corrected after my smarter than me sister commented, thanks Jo)


4. Raspberry :: blowing on a baby's belly


5. Turnstile :: counts you going in or coming out


6. Infomercial :: too loud, too long


7. Dejected :: depressed, rejected


8. What’s the word? :: Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!(http://www.rockabilly.nl/lyrics4/s0130.htm)
   
9. Awestruck :: totally blown away by the magnitude of the event


10. Smashed :: inebriated

A Time to Shine

... the topic this week is Shine and it's heads, freedom to be creative.



When I saw the word for this week's HOT I instantly thought of a song I learned in Sunday School many years ago, one that I try to live by now. The words are simple and repetative, but the message is strong:

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No, I'm going to let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? NO, I'm going to let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No, I'm going to let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

The song goes on with "Won't let satan blow it out" and ends with "Let it shine 'til Jesus comes."

What a wonderful thought. To be able to live so that others can see the light of Jesus in us shining through in all situations. To know that satan doesn't stand a chance against Him. I know I fall short many times, but the light is always there. I just have to trust Him to help me make ti brighter.

As we enter the Christmas season, I hope you can pause for just a moment when you feel your light is not shining and refocus on Christ and the light that he brought into the world at his birth;
the hope He gives us in troubled times.

Merry Christmas.

Day 15 -- Photo Hunt Ruined

The theme for this week is ruined. This is our ruined well house at the place we had outside of Danevang. The details of the fire that destroyed this structure and all it contents follow the pictures.

The fire happened in May 2005. It was a dry spring that year. The grass under the fence was tall and brittle. We had cut down an old pecan tree and Robert wanted to burn the stump out.

On a still Saturday, he set the stump on fire, but then remembered he had told a friend he would come out and help him on his place. He popped into the house and told me he had lit the stump and to check on it occasionally. This was about 10:00. About 11:00 I thought I would attend a Pampered Chef party a friend was having. As I got to the car to leave I thought about that stump. I poked my head around the edge of the well house and saw one thin line of smoke lazily make it way up. I thought to myself, "That fire is going out. I'm late, I'm leaving."

About an hour into the party my cell phone rings. It is Robert's former boss. He wants to know where Robert and I are. Wondering why he needed him, I told Todd, Robert was helping a friends and I was at a party. At that point he tells me he has just driven by our place and two fire trucks were there and black smoke was boiling up.

Exit me from the party. I was about ten miles from the house and I made that ten miles in record time all the time calling Robert's cell phone and leaving him messages.

When I pulled up the fire department from El Campo was pulling out and the Danevang fire department was rolling up hoses in preparation to leave.

I couldn't believe my eyes. About all I could say was, "Oh, my goodness. Dear God."

I got to visit with the fire chief and a deputy sheriff. I kept thinking he was going to give me a ticket of some sort. Mostly for being so stupid as to leave a burning stump (even if there was only a little tiny thin puff of smoke). He didn't; part of me wishes he had.

A breeze had fanned the fire which blew into the grass where it followed the fence line to the well house that was insulated with Styrofoam. Now Styrofoam is a wonderful insulator, but it burns easily and it burns hot. Hot enough that all the lawn equipment inside the well house had their tires totally melted and burned up. We lost several thousand dollars worth of stuff --- lots of it junk, some of it good. Had to have a new well pump put in along with a new water filtration system. As bad as it was it could have been worse. The garage, storage barn and house were all spared from our mistake.

We felt/feel stupid that we did this. We have been teased by all of our children over it. We have been reminded endlessly about all the Smokey Bear safety rules concerning fire. Robert has been banned for life from playing with fire and I have no idea where any matches are.

100 Word Challenge --- Moral

Each week Velvet Verbosity issues a word and a challenge to write 100 words. She sets no boundries except 100 words (and even then she is lenient). Some have continuing stories that intertwine the new word into them, and some have stand alone narratives. Others write poetry or prose with deep meaning. All are interesting and worth reading. Below is my humble attempt at this weeks word -- Moral.

“Just get something and stick it in your bag. Shit, Ms. SmartyAss over there is watching like she thinks we’re up to somethin’. You’ve gotta distract her.”

“I gotta to do what? Why?”

“Shhhhh. We’ll get caught if you act chicken. Now go ask were the toothpaste or somethin’ is.”

“Can I help you girls find something?”

“No ma’am. We’re fine.”

“Why’d you say that? Man I can’t believe you ain’t never done this. Everyone does it. ‘Sides they expect us too.”

“Yea, well my granny don’t expect it. I’m not stealing anything and you’d better just put that stuff back. She says we’ve got to have morals.”

Photo Hunter -- Road

When looking through my pictures to find the perfect picture of a road, I came across these two picture I took while aboard the cruise ship, Ecstasy. The first was taken from the bow of the ship, the second from the stern.
From the bow there doesn't seem to be a road -- just endless choices much like we have in life. The captain of the ship decides the course we will sail to reach our destination. In life we must decide what *road* to take to reach our goals.

But from the stern of the ship it is easy to see the course that was sailed, the road the ship followed. A wake is left. In our life if we look back, we too, can clearly see where we have been. The path is marked by our treading on it and other can follow.

100 Word Challenge -- Twist

Join the fun and challenge presented each week by Velvet Verbosity (I love that word --verbosity). She gives us a word and we write our story, poem, essay. Below her wonderful logo/icon (again which I love because I actually own an old typewriter much like it) is my writing for this week. My inspiration was part of a post by Lou. "I think I've made a discovery - a rather melancholy discovery, but a discovery nonetheless. And it has to do with possibilities. And it has to do with how men age. Mentally. You see, we don't feel much different than we did when we were kids. If it wasn't for the changing face in the mirror, ..." Now for my twist.

She crumpled the papers in her hands. This wasn’t right. There had to be a twist. She stood waiting for an O. Henry ending to all of it. She wanted to call to him, to shout at him, to beg, to let the tears come, to let him see the tears and for him to kiss them away. He just kept walking – never turning back. Her mind searched through their life together but could find nothing that would cause him to stop loving her -- to leave what she had thought was a lasting love. Her mind screamed, “WHY?” Slowly she turned catching her reflection in the glass. Oh, cruel twist.

Just a Little Spooked

On Monday a little before noon I had a very disturbing phone call --- two calls actually. If it had only been one I would have probably ignored the whole thing. Here's what transpired.

When I answered the phone a male voice asked, "Is Robert home?"

The voice was friendly and since Robert does have friends I don't know well and was out of town traveling to a family reunion and the recent passing of his mother etc. I replied, "No, he's not back yet."

"When will he be back?" asked the voice.

Now this is where I'm really stupid, I know, but I'm also a trusting person. I answered, "I expect him back about two."

Ready for creepy? The male voice said, "Good, that'll give us time for phone sex."

My mind went instantly to *someone is just playing a joke*, no one really does that, and out of my mouth came, "Who is this?" really thinking it was just one of Robert's friends just playing around.

The voice answered, "You don't need to know that. Will you have phone sex?"

Again I asked, "Who is this?" Like he would really tell me.

His reply was that request again. I just hung up the phone. I didn't scream NO or slam the phone down or anything like that, I just simply hung up the phone and stood there staring at it trying to process what had just happened. It was just a few seconds later, I hadn't even walked away when the phone rang again.

The voice said, "I guess that means no, you won't have phone sex. "

I asked again, "Who is this?" Can anyone explain why that is all that would come out of my mouth?

The voice replied, "If I tell you, can we have phone sex?" Again I just hung up the phone. This time I locked the doors, grabbed my cell phone and called D. I had to tell someone, I had to let someone know.

She suggested I call the police, not because they would be able to do anything, but so there would be a record of this happening. That was the reassurance I needed to make the call to Bay City's finest. The dispatcher was very nice and a little taken back by my tale of being propositioned via the phone. A police officer came over later and we talked a few minutes. He basically told me what I already knew. There really wasn't anything they could do but for me to call them back if anything like this happened again.

Since Monday, I've been much more careful about keeping the doors locked. This pervert has my phone number and address. I checked the phone book. We are listed as Bain, Robert and Patsy and our house address is right there. Yikes. I'm not really scared, but I know I need to be a little more careful, a little more vigilant. So as they used to said on Hill Street Blues, * be careful out there.*

Tough Lessons

As the girls grew up I always tried to tell them that life is hard. When disappointments came their way I tried to make them feel better with kind words, but to also teach them that disappointments come to us all --- that they would live and they could make the best of any situation by being positive. I think all three girls will tell you that they heard the phrase *circumstances change* more than once, especially in their later adolescence. To teach them that I had to be willing to learn it myself and to realize that circumstances change and disappointments come.

I can pretty well handle the *circumstances change* part of life --- heaven knows I've had enough changes in my life to last some people several life times, but that's okay. I'm still a very blessed person. But sometimes I just have to admit that life sucks and the disappointments in life are hard to accept and just plain old everyday hurt.


I did fine with the disappointment of having to take Amy, Abigail and Benjamin home last Thursday until I got home today. It was so sad and disappointing to put away the swing set again when they only played on it one morning, to put their new little camp chairs away when they only sat in them for a little while on Wednesday, and fold the swimming pool up and put it back in the box to be stored in the attic for who knows how long. I wanted this week with them very badly --- I wanted to get to be with them and to laugh with them and to play ---- and Amy and I had projects planned ---- and now I have boxes of photos to store back in the closet because our project will just have to wait.


Life goes on. I have a wedding to help put together for Saturday. The flower beds still need attention. A smile will be back in my heart in a few days, but in the mean time I'm going to feel sad and have a little pity party for myself. And yes, I'm crying.

Abby, Ben and I in the back seat on our way to play at the beach late Wednesday afternoon. We had a good time even if it was a hurried trip.

Here Ben and Abby squeeze me out of the picture at the airport while we wait in line to board our plane to Amarillo. They are great travelers amusing everyone as we trooped through the airport --- them with their backpacks and rolling luggage had everyone smiling.