Summer Blog Posts #15

The last post for this batch: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

elefante by Patricia Tewel

Something WRITTEN

I tried to incorporate all 30 of your two-word suggestions from the last post into a cohesive story. 😀

Thank you, everyone!

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“It’s not a big deal,” he said.

“Yes, it is.”

At 54 she had had her share of baking disasters, but she couldn’t remember ever having made such an icky sticky mess before. Her thoughts had been elsewhere… on tomorrow’s long flight.

The full moon hadn’t helped either.

He came over and stuck his finger in the sugary ant trap (with a lemon twist, no less!), tasted her disaster, then gave her a sticky kiss. “I’m turning on the talking fish*,” he said and left the kitchen. She tried to smile.

He shuffled into the den and settled into the couch next to their softly snoring dog. He loved their dog, but he missed kitty purrs too — they had had to euthanize their 12-year-old cat last Spring, and she had been so sweet, so funny…! Bone, the dog, sighed loudly, the betrayal not lost on this sensitive soul. “Don’t worry, I like you too,” he said, scratching Bone’s ear and turning his attention to the home fire on the screen.

She was scraping the dessert into the trash when suddenly she was furious. At what? Or who? Her lost friends? Her husband? The fact that it was almost fall and it was nearly time to make the house blanket ready (one of her least-favorite tasks)?

She made her decision.

“When are we going to replace these ugly tiles?” she nearly yelled. “And what’s with these stains on the counter?”

He stood calmly at the doorway. “It’s time to get packed so we will be on time in the morning,” he said, hoping this minor smoke screen would do its job. (Why his water spills keep turning brown, he didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that an effort to defend himself right now would be futile.)

It had been so long since she had gotten so upset; still, if he were given three wishes he would use them all to eradicate these unhappy time wasters.

As fast as the irritation arose, it disappeared. She was grateful for her husband and his tolerance of these irrational flareups… menopause really did suck … and she decided to accept his invitation and fall forward into his outstretched arms.

The next morning he waved goodbye as he pulled away from the curb. “Travel safe!” he called out, and she was gone. “Airplane runs are always too early,” he grumbled as he turned onto the freeway and headed for home.

But then he felt a stab of excitement… he would get an early start to his day… get some breakfast, read the paper, work….

All was well, wonderful things were happening.

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*”Talking fish” is their private joke — a nickname for television newscasters.

 

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Something MADE

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Have a wonderful rest of summer! Thank you again for reading these posts and I’ll be back with another batch soon enough. 😀

Summer Blog Posts #14

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

Miranda Skoczek (via The Art Room Plant)

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Something WRITTEN

clear head suggested by lynnholland

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The last time I felt clearheaded I was in my 20s.

In recent decades I have felt more cottonheaded.

I am a Cottonhead.

Many people can’t remember their dreams, and I can’t either, mostly. But it occurred to me the other day that I can’t remember what I was thinking 15 seconds ago, so not remembering my dreams really makes perfect sense.

Writing things down helps me remember what I was thinking during that last paragraph, so there are tools Cottonheads can use to cope.

It’s not so bad, really!

I’m sure I’ve thought of some benefits before, but I certainly can’t remember them and, if I wrote them down, I don’t remember where.

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Something MADE

Color Wheel

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about for the last post, #15! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “rose bud,” “likable fleas,” “pow wow,” “Smith Tower” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #13

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

http://mirocomachiko.com

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Something WRITTEN

time flies suggested by kat

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When I was in my early 20s I named my publishing company “Time Flies Publishing.”

My catalog consisted of a mini “Fun Book” meant for children, photocopied and folded into a “book” from a single sheet of paper.

I’m embarrassed for my younger self… if I were 12 and had named a publishing company like that, it would have been cute. But 24?

Every time I hear or read that phrase, I remember this association from 30 years ago.

Time flies!

 

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Something MADE

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “good karma,” “down town,” “um, no,” “well fare” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #12

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

Marian Bijlenga

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Something WRITTEN

watching seagulls suggested by paulette

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We live near Elliott Bay in Seattle and so seagulls are a big part our our daily soundtrack.

Sometimes I wake up early enough to hear them squawking in unison… or, more likely, they wake me up.

Most of the time during the day, though, there is the consistent, pleasant sound of a seagull talking to us.

Sometimes the sky is quiet for a time, but it’s never long before one of them needs to squawk.

I can hear one right now… and I see two, no three flying across the sky… from where I sit.

If I need cheering up I can walk down to Ivar’s Fish Bar and watch scores of seagulls doing cartwheels in the air for french fries… and I know not to worry, because “seagulls are dainty eaters” (as the sign at the restaurant says).

Recently we needed the sound of seagulls calling for one of our 365 class videos. Steve put the recorder out on our windowsill for nearly an hour, but not a single seagull!

Instead we had to pay $20 for a digital recording to get the video out on time.

I’m not sure how they knew.

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Something MADE

Seattle skyline.

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “it’s okay” “fun stuff,” “wow factor,” “Jake boyfriend” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #11

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

Nice bear by Ashley Percival Illustration

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Something WRITTEN

missing person suggested by Lendon

 

 

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A part of me got lost today,

So perhaps
I am
the missing someone.

I know I will be found.

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Something MADE

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “hard breath” “toe green,” “grasp lightly,” “carrot cake” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #10

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

“Southampton’s barrage balloons floated gleaming in the moonlight like the ghosts of elephants and hippos.” — Elizabeth Wein, from Code Name Verity

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Something WRITTEN

playful rhino suggested by Dia

When I saw this prompt, I somehow mixed up “rhino” and “hippo” in my mind, and thought of this children’s book effort from 2013 (created in that year’s online class “Year of the Giraffe”). I’ve never done anything with it — too shy!! — so why not publish it here for everyone in the world to see? (HA! But I feel I’m among friends here….) 

And apologies to Dia… there isn’t actually a playful rhino here!

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(a portion)…
Another time my giraffe wanted to visit the hippos.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid of hippopotamuses. They’re kind of big, and not at all gentle like giraffes.

But I was too shy to tell her that, so instead I said I that had heard that hippos were really giant grey balloons, and that if you poked them with a pin they would pop, shrivel up, and become fuzzy grey blankets.

The giraffe believed me and we went on with our day.

That night, however, she had a conversation with a giggling hyena, and the next day the giraffe was unhappy with me.

I tried to tell her that hyenas laugh at everything, but that just made her more upset.

I felt bad, but what could I do?

Hippos were indeed balloons, and if you didn’t glue them to the ground they would float in the air like big grey clouds in the rainbow-colored sky.

…

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Something MADE

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “giraffe love” “blue green,” “don’t lie,” “jay walk” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #9

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

I love Outsider Artist James Castle’s cardboard creations (via The Art Room Plant):

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Something WRITTEN

express shop suggested by Puppywings Jen

I am an express shopper.

Shopping for clothes, you would think that I’m racing for money or something. I’ll dash into a store, pluck a few things off the racks, and then wait impatiently for someone to let me into a dressing room. Clothes are then off, and on, and off, and on again so fast that no one has time to see me in whatever stupid, ill-fitting, what-in-the-world-was-I-thinking shirt or skirt that I had thought might be cute.

Salespeople barely have time to get out the “How’s it going in there?” before I’m opening the dressing room door and rushing past them, flinging the accusatory clothing into their hands and muttering “no thank you.”

When I shop at thrift stores, I often don’t even take the time to try things on at all, especially if things are very inexpensive.

For one thing, there’s always a line, and who has time for that?

And, I figure that if I purchase three XL black t-shirts at $3.00 each, and only two of them fit, then I’m still ahead price-wise, as two black t-shirts from a regular store would likely cost far more than $9.00.

😀

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Something MADE

Blob animals in clay and wax.

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “hi Jack” “let’s go,” “mighty fun,” “go now” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #8

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

I found this book at the library, but it was due before I could read it… but I did love this page I found right before I turned it in:

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Something WRITTEN

oh no suggested by PamB

Oh no!

Oh… no?

On ho.

(No ho!)

No. Oh?

Ho no!

O… know.

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Something MADE

Summer days.

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “my way,” “hi way,” “all good,” “James White” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #7

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

Květa Pacovská (via 50watts)

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Something WRITTEN

being safe suggested by Elizabeth

A few minutes ago I got punched in the arm by someone.

I know!

We live in downtown Seattle, in Pioneer Square. I feel safe here. I walk around all the time and have never felt threatened.

Today I clearly pissed off this woman, though, enough so that she saw it clear to throw a punch.

My crime was that I was trying to pass her on the sidewalk. As I was about to overtake her, she put her arms up, airplane style, and drifted to the right. So I shifted directions and tried to to pass her on the left, but she shifted to the left, too.

“Are you blocking me?” I asked as I touched her arm.

She answered by punching me.

Now, I haven’t been punched like this since middle school. What happened then is that I was walking in a mall and passed a group of tough-looking girls. For no reason (that I knew of) I was punched hard in the arm.

In middle school I just rubbed my arm and walked away.

But today I spun around, stared at the woman, and told her not to hit me again. Then I turned, walked into the convenience store and bought a large glass bottle of soda water. I opted out of a bag, carrying the bottle home in my fist, ready to use it to defend myself if I ran into her again.

So my advice for today is not to walk by people that need to punch you if you can at all help it! 😀

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Something MADE

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “ouch man,” “wow really,” “don’t hit,” “pass left” etc.

Summer Blog Posts #6

So I checked my calendar and the next time I get on an airplane is August 12th. So I plan to do three weeks of M-F posts until then: Something FOUND, Something WRITTEN, and Something MADE.

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Something FOUND

Gorgeous (gorgeous!) flower constructions by Anne Ten Donkelaar.

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Something WRITTEN

moving on suggested by Deb

Steve and I realized last night that we have lived in the same apartment almost three and a half years. This is the second longest we’ve ever lived in one place.

We tend to move a lot.

I’m not sure why this is. But in 25 years together, we’ve lived in seven places. This means that every three years or so we start looking on Craigslist for greener grass.

At the moment we live/work in a truly beautiful space, though — a dream apartment really! — and it would be kind of hard to find something better than we have now.

Hmmmm.

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Something MADE

Chihuahua!

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Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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Please help me decide what to write about tomorrow! Comment with two words — they can be anything, nouns, verbs, names — and I will pick a set for tomorrow’s post. Examples: “pow wow,” “yellow gutter,” “oh man,” “why after” etc.