This meme was started by Delores a long time ago. When she left us briefly we realised that the meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. I am very, very sad (and angry) to write that a troll has led Delores to leave us again. She will be missed and I hope her meme continues.
Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image. What we do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the prompts.
Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog. I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants. If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.
The prompts will be here this month (Margaret Adamson and her friends were to provide them, but she is travelling so we have swopped).
This week's prompts are:
- mild
- uncertainty
- haircut
- consultation
- mystery
- movie
And/or
- joy
- surface
- agreement
- freckle
- fixture
- solo
Have fun.
The prompts will be here again next month, but will be provided by Margaret Adamson and her friends.
We have someone to provide prompts for December (thanks Cindi) but after that we are promptless. If you are happy to provide them please let me know (in comments or by email) letting me know which month(s) would suit you.
Thank you for providing the words. I really have enjoyed participating and look forward to November's words...after I get my hair cut. You know which word I'm choosin'. :)
ReplyDeletenothoughtnoprayersnonothing: Let me guess? I know you have chosen mystery as your featured word. Or perhaps uncertainty.
DeleteLooking forward to seeing what you do with the prompt.
Sorry to hear someone was trolled/bullied into leaving. How sad. I keep saying I'm gonna do one of these. I'm making myself a note cause I really never remember. Thanks for the visit.
ReplyDeleteSandy: I hope you will join us some week. And yes, I am still sad and angry that Delores was forced to leave.
DeleteWith mild uncertainty I studied my new haircut and, after a heartfelt consultation with Christoph the Salon Artiste, came to accept that the mystery side-swept bangs added to my visage would turn me into a movie star.
ReplyDeleteJoy bubbled to the surface and, in agreement with the adoring fans I imagined had gathered outside, burst into song-- a solo of triumph and beauty and blonde roots. I am now a fixture on the scene with just one small blemish, a freckle if you will, as a reminder of how I had been before the magical tranformation I had encountered in Christoph's Salon.
(Bows.)
We need pictures of that hairdo. Or at least the address of Christoph's Salon.
DeleteSandi: I love this - and agree (wholeheartedly) with nothoughtsnoprayersnonothing's comment.
DeleteWonderful! There's nothing like a new 'do to make you feel like a million bucks.
DeleteAs a bald man with a bald eagle (not really) I can always appreciate a professional hair-do done well :)
DeleteVery well done!
DeleteThe first Tuesday of every month had become a fixture, and a red letter day in her calendar. She planned for it every month, and made sure that she had just had a haircut and was looking her best (freckles or no freckles).
ReplyDeleteOn the surface it was such a minor thing, just a night out with a friend. Sarah knew better. She had travelled solo for most of her life and just thinking about the night to come filled her with joy.
This month she and Leonie were going to have a movie night. The newest murder mystery featuring their favourite star. Critics had panned it as being too mild. Weak and wishy washy even. It didn't matter. They were in complete agreement that it would suit them best and there was no uncertainty about their decision. They knew each other well enough now that extensive consultation wasn't needed.
A snippy co-worker had told her she was more excited than a teenager on her first date. Sarah just smiled. Her friendship with Leonie was much more important than romance. More important and longer lasting.
Loved this, Sue. Totally had me in the 50's and a small American (or Aussie!) town:)
DeletePS: I can do the prompts for January and March, if you still need help.. just let me know.
Mark Koopmans: Thank you. I am totally going to take you up on that. I remember with a lot of pleasure the stellar prompts you gave us a couple of years ago. January and March are yours.
DeleteHi EC - this is great ... loved it - those two definitely have lots going on in life ... with a future ahead of them. Fun to read ... cheers Hilary
DeleteReally enjoyed this!
Deletelaurie: So do we.
ReplyDeleteSomething more important than romance??
ReplyDeletenothoughtsnoprayersnonothing: Sarah certainly thinks so.
DeleteFriendship can be deeper still. There's nothing quite like a friend who knows you so well, and can be trusted.
DeleteLove this, EC. Very intriguing. I want to know more.
DeleteHi EC - this is for the first lot:
ReplyDeleteLook she’s watching her favourite tv programme – that mystery movie – we shouldn’t be disturbing her – you know she hates being interrupted …
… typical! Why do these Care Managers think they can ask questions without setting up a meeting … consultations can be fixed … and then we all know where we stand, and which will enable us to help her make a decision.
We know she lives in uncertainty … anyone would in these conditions … but fair’s fair, and we really should give her a chance … and we know what happens if we don’t ‘wrap her in cotton wool first’ – she’ll become frightened, and not be the mild mannered lady we know …
… that incident about the haircut will raise its head again, and we don’t want that … there was enough trouble then …
Cheers Hilary and this time I will be around to comment ...
Sometimes there is no good time, especially for someone who lives in uncertainty.
DeleteOh she seems like a feisty one with a long, troubled story... I hope there's someone out there who can rescue and help her one day!
DeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: I totally want to know about the hair-cut incident (and loved this take).
DeleteThanks Messymimi, Mark and EC ... no idea about the hair-cut ... but an incidence in a Care Home is easy to concoct! Mark ... interestingly I was thinking of someone but seeing her as 'feeble' as she's in a Care Home. Cheers H
DeleteVery intriguing!!
DeleteI see a mystery haircut coming up!
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: Now that is a truly scary thought.
DeleteI love to host/provide the prompts again - any months is good with me though probably not April as I like to do the a-z challenge then. And I can host for 1 or 2 months.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
lissa: Thank you so much. I will have a look at who has agreed to help out and compile a list. Mark has chosen his months, and I will remember you don't want April.
DeleteMy words are on their way, and i would love to provide the words again. In fact, if you need for me to take more than one month, i will.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: Thank you. I am truly very grateful that so many people step up to provide the prompts. I think they are much more interesting coming from different sources. I look forward to your take on this week's words too.
DeleteAs a bald man with a bald eagle, there was mild uncertainty when I heard I was scheduled to have a haircut consultation with the well-known director of an upcoming mystery movie.
ReplyDeleteWhat in tarnation did he want with me?
I looked at my bald friend, who stared back while chewing lazily on his latest rodent. HE DIDN'T WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT NOW I SAW A NEW PROBLEM...SOMEONE HAD SABOTAGED MY CAPS LOCK...
An hour later, it was a joy to surface from behind the IKEA table as a small agreement skimmed over the surface. A young, freckle-faced lady, who was obviously a well-needed fixture at her computer store smiled from over there.
I signed on the dotted line and she promised help whenever I needed keyboard support. She looked over at Edmund as the rodent's tail disappeared on its final journey.
"You're on your own with the eagle, though."
"Oh, we're fine, thanks. Listen, may I ask a question?"
"Sure."
"Edmund and I, you see, we may be asked to be in a picture, but I'm not sure it's who we are, you know? What do you think?"
"Well, my dad is follicle-ly challenged, and I don’t know if that is even a real word, but he is a real handsome man, so I always advocate that bald is beautiful. Go for it, man! What do you have to lose?"
I looked at Edmund who seemed to agree in his usual, pleasant silence.
"Jolly good. Thank you, my dear. You mind yourself now, and I'll let you know how it all works out."
She waved from the bottom of the driveway and I mused about a possible life in Hollywood. It had been at least forty years. Surely, it was time for a Kojak reboot?
Mark Koopmans: I love this and would love to share my life with an eagle called Edmund. Perhaps you will be cast as a sexy villian. Kojak is so last century.
DeleteHi Mark - well your mind has wandered off into a world of fantasy ... fun to read ... cheers Hilary
DeleteThis was a fun read! Thank you!
DeleteMay his musings prove true. Fun story!
DeleteWith a generous amount of uncertainty, even after lengthy consultation with my family and close friends, I decided to take the giant step.
ReplyDeleteMy two siblings and my best friend wanted to accompany me, but I told them it would be better if I went solo. I didn’t want to give the impression I had to have someone beside like a fixture...on the surface, anyway. I knew they would always be there with me, and for me, in spirit, if not physically. We came to an agreement they would wait for me at a café around the corner from the studios.
The weather was mild. Fortunately, just a gentle breeze was blowing...not strong enough to disturb my new haircut, making me feel a fraction more at ease.
I’d read somewhere if you dabbed lemon juice on a freckle the citrus juice would fade it. Even though I felt a bit foolish, I wasn’t prepared to allow anything to impede my audition the following day for a part in the mystery movie.
Therefore prior to going to bed the previous night I spread lemon juice all over my face in the hope the few freckles across my nose and cheeks would fade into oblivion while I slept. They didn’t. Not much joy came out of that experiment!
Lee: I remember that story too. I never tried it, and wonder...
DeleteBut did you get the part?
Are you able to provide the prompts anytime next year? Please?
Apparently lemon juice needs to be applied during the daytime so the sun can work its bleaching effect, but I can't guarantee it. I don't freckle so I've never had to try.
DeleteI've never tried the lemon juice method, either.
DeleteAnd as the story is complete fiction...I never tried for the part! :)
Put me down for February, if you like, EC.
Okay...I see River has nominated February for her...so March for me if that is free.
DeleteLee: March has been claimed by Mark. How does May sound?
DeleteSure...May, it is, EC. :)
DeleteAs always, great job, Lee.
DeleteI hope she did get the part. Freckles and all!
DeleteIt takes longer than overnight for lemon juice to work, and this is a fun story, i hope she gets the part!
DeleteFrom all the posts so far, everyone is having a lot of fun with these prompts.
ReplyDeleteWell done, everyone! :)
Lee: I hope so. Fun is definitely the aim here.
DeleteOoh, the second set of prompts is calling my name...
ReplyDeleteBea: I am really looking forward to seeing what you make of them.
DeleteAn interesting set of words. I usually leave them and work up a story on Thursdays, but I have a consultation with my doctor tomorrow, so I'll see if I can think of something tonight.
ReplyDeleteRiver: I am looking forward to seeing what they inspire you to create.
DeleteI can do February and any other month that doesn't get filled.
ReplyDeleteRiver: Thank you.
DeleteI am feeling uncertainty. I can't dwell on that now cuz I need a haircut.
ReplyDeletePowdered Toast Man: And here was I thinking you were tougher than that. I do hope that Samson is not one of your alter egos.
Deletesmiling ...
DeleteEstupendo post! Es un placer pasárme por aquí! Te espero por mi blog! Buen día! 🧡🍁🍂
ReplyDeleteCarolina G. Ticala: Thank you. I will be over to visit you shortly.
DeleteI went in for the CONSULTATION and made it quite plain that I wanted one like the heroine in that MYSTERY MOVIE but the hairdresser – awful, awful man, made the HAIRCUT into a horror film! The weather is too MILD still to cover it up with a scarf - I don't know what to do. Life is all about living with UNCERTAINTY and bad hair. There's no JOY in it.
ReplyDeleteOn the SURFACE, it's such a paltry thing. But actually it's more than just appearances. Covering up hair or wearing it loose or whatever - it's never that simple, is it? Women's hair is more than just hair, d'you know what I mean? From crowning glory to political statements! Didn't Saki say that hair was like a husband, so long as one is seen to be in AGREEMENT in public, the private differences do not matter? Well, something like that. My differences with my hair have stopped being private, screaming from the rooftops, more like. And there's a new FRECKLE the size of a continent to cope with as well.
But it's not just the haircut. Or the skin. Ghastliness happens in threes. Henry's business partner decided to go SOLO suddenly, and that's another catastrophe. Well, from his point of view anyways. I personally think it's a golden opportunity to get the FIXTURES changed, they've been coming unstuck for years now, not living up to their name at all. Those two could never reach a consensus about anything lately. I would have thought it would be a relief, but no! He’s going around with an expression between a whipped mongrel and a constipated criminal. I mean, men! Hairdresser or husband - the root of all my problems.
Coming here is always such a pleasure, EC, whether it's words or images. Thank you!
Hi Nila - loved your take on this ... constipated criminal ...well I guess that's better than a diuretic delinquent.
DeleteI agree - it's fun being here ... cheers to you and EC - Hilary
Nilanjana Bose: I loved this, and the line 'whipped mongrel or constipated criminal' was incredibly evocative. I can see that.
DeleteA friend many years ago braved a hairdresser for the first time in years. She wanted a trim. The hairdresser told her 'short hair is fashionable and simply cut off more than a foot of her hair (and then spent a very expensive hour tidying up his work).
And thank you (and Hilary) for your very kind words.
Hahaha Hilary, loved diuretic delinquent! Totally 'borrowing' it for future use.
DeleteEC, hairdressers always manage to take off more than you want and then try to convince you it is what you wanted all along, just didn't know it! Glad you enjoyed the flash - I had great fun writing to the prompt! And also reading the other pieces here. Thank you so much for the chuckles.
Nilanjana Bose: I am lucky. My current hairdresser understands that when I say I want a 'wash n wear' hairstyle I mean just that.
DeleteAnd I really enjoy reading the flashes each week, and am so glad you joined us.
Ha Ha Ha! I loved this!!!
DeleteMen, indeed! And usually, the difference between a good haircut and a bad one is about two weeks, let's hope that is true in her case.
DeleteMy goodness it was mild for December, although there seemed to be a bit of uncertainty about the weather as temperatures fluctuated from day to day.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to go out for a walk but my wife was adamant that I needed a haircut and that we should take care of a few errands, and that I should visit the barber.
"Visit for what?"I said, "A consultation?" I don't have enough hair left to pay a barber to cut it. Maybe it would be better to invest in a home trimming kit and do it myself.
Didn't take us long to come to an agreement on that; my wife even said she would do it for me if need be. Oh joy! She would be sure to make a few comments about my freckles, and swear that I exposed myself to too much sun, even though she knows full well that I always wear a hat. Most of the time I go out solo, so perhaps she thinks I doff my hat as soon as I am out of sight. I don't. It is a fixture on my head. It covers the entire surface of my pate, and even shades my ears.
In any event, chores completed, errands run, my wife floored me when she suggested we go to a movie. Must be thirty years since we last did that.
"Why not?" I thought, "Why not?"
We even shared popcorn, giggled together at the humour.
Maybe next time we'll get a seat at the back and see what happens then!
David M. Gascoigne: I loved this - and do hope that your characters reserve the back row next time (hopefully not thirty years away).
DeleteThis was wonderful!
DeleteHooray for rekindling a bit of romance!
DeleteHere's mine :)
ReplyDeleteTo some, this young actress seemed too shy, too mild for the life of glitz she had chosen, and her family knew her to be full of uncertainty in her teens. Now as an adult she had a smart haircut and her long gown was the latest style, a complete mystery that she could change so much. It was said she had a consultation with the best fashionista in town before going to the movie premier, and when she stepped out of her limousine the crowd roared.
DeniseinVA: This is excellent. I can see it - and hope that the young woman enjoys her time in the limelight.
DeleteExcellent! I love it.
DeleteMagic happens with a good haircut!
DeleteEven the most shy, if s/he is acting always when in public, no one can really tell.
DeleteUna buona serata a te.
ReplyDeleteGiancarlo: Thank you - and to you.
DeleteInteresting ellections ❤
ReplyDeleteKinga K.: Than you. Perhaps you will join us some week.
DeleteFinally made it to the party.
ReplyDeletehttps://nothoughtsnoprayersnonothing.blogspot.com/2019/10/words-for-wednesday-hair-cut.html
nothoughtsnoprayersnonothing: I have read your poem, and smiled in rueful recognition. Thanks for joining us.
DeleteWell done!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear that a troll caused Delores to bow out. That's terrible! I had one when I first started blogging almost ten years ago. It was awful!
ReplyDeleteElsie
Elsie Amata: I do hope that Delores returns, and am sorry that you too have experienced trolldom.
DeleteOh I so enjoyed reading these!😊😊
ReplyDeleteVery well done everyone!!
Lots of love and hugs ❤❤❤
Ygraine: There were a lot of different (and fun takes) weren't there?
DeleteAnd thank you - love and hugs received and reciprocated. How is your body treating you at the moment?
Mine is here, appropriate for the day, and anyone familiar with Shakespear: Weyward Sisters
ReplyDeleteYes, I will provide prompts for several months. Let me know what you need.
DeleteCindi Summerlin: Thank you - both for your horrific take on the prompts and for the offer of assistance. I hope to compile a list early next week.
DeleteAnother wonderful selection here, well done to all :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Thank you. Have a great weekend.
DeleteDo you have June filled? As i have said, pick a month (or two), but i do want at least one, please.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: June is yours. I am still working through the months to see whether we have yet reached lift-off and hope not to overload people.
DeleteI have fun in my head the moment i see the prompts. Good luck everyone! Can't wait to see what you all come up with
ReplyDeleteCloudia: Thank you. We really appreciate your encouragement.
Delete