This
meme was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her
to bow out for a while. 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.
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, and mixing and matching is encouraged.
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 again this month but are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.
week's prompts are:
1. Wafer
3. Procession
4. Juniper
5. Drips
AND / OR
1. Disdainful
2. Stream
3. Weed
4. Chalk
5. Treasure
Joanna groaned. She didn’t need to look in the mirror to get confirmation that she looked as haggard as she felt. What had she been thinking??? Juniper might be natural but distilled into gin it was not therapeutic – and certainly not in the quantities she had imbibed.
ReplyDeleteThere would be disdainful looks when she fronted up to the office again. Lots of them, and a procession of ‘well meaning’ co-workers to remind her of all she had said and done. As the drips of memories from the night before coalesced into a stream she shuddered. Ah well. Another one to chalk up to experience. Just the same she knew that in the days to come she would treasure remembering the look on Damian’s face when she finally called him out publically for his sticky hands and smutty innuendo. The loud applause from other women helped make her point too. It was too much to hope that management would finally weed him out, but it was much more than a wafer thin consolation to know that this cat was finally, irrevocably, out of the bag...
Excellent. Bow in front of the author.
DeleteElephant Child, your storey did not lead in the direction I was expected but what a great storey.
DeleteYou always make good use of the prompts du jour.
I finally GET it. I'll join in soon, at least I hope to do so. This sounds like a fun theme now that I actually understand the rules.
DeleteI like your story and how well you used all the words in the prompts. You have a great way with words, dear. And you are a great storyteller, too.
Was Damian a politician?
DeleteI ran into a few Damian's in my very first job. I was 17 and completely clueless and they were all older and married men who should have known better.
DeleteMike: Whatever gave you that idea? Sadly there are Damians in a lot of professions - including in the political ranks.
DeleteWow, just wow! I join the others with a big bow!
DeleteHi EC – this was so appropriate … and yes – I hope Damian gets his come-uppance. Well thought out … Hilary
DeleteEww, Damians (and Damiennes of whom I've met a few too) are disgusting. I do nopt really care for this kind of parties.
DeleteExcellent Bluebeard and Elizabeth - we look forward to your entries. Cheers - Hilary
DeleteGreat job as always, Sue, and especially relevant it seems right about now.
DeleteI'm bowing also. So purrfect. I'm sure Joanna expressed herself with credible snark:)
DeleteOh my what smooth writing as you weaved each word in a delightful procession of expressing just what she was going through (I think many of us have been there too) and bravo to all once the cat is out of the bag, and results ensue!
DeleteThat's a great cat to let out, i am glad it happened.
DeleteI love how differently these words can be used and what different stories they have weaved. I'm wondering now why juniper didn't make me first think of gin. I guess it's because I've been staring at a ratty juniper bush outside my window, uncovered by the melting snow and begging to be pruned. Great story E.C.!
DeleteWell done! A hangover seems a small price to pay for satisfaction like Joanna's. You're such a good storyteller! :-)
DeleteGreat job EC!!! Big Hugs!
DeleteSuch a good, and humorous, use of the words. I always look forward to your posts.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie Junebug: Thank you. I never know where the prompts will take me - and this is very different to my first thoughts when I saw Hilary's prompts. Initially I was thinking of Donovan's song 'Jennifer Juniper' which has become a resident earworm.
DeleteI sing that Penelope all the time, but our version starts with "Penelope, Penelopie."
DeleteJanie Junebug: I would love to hear it - just as Penelope loves to hear it.
DeleteHi Everyone ... I'm around - but suffering non-connectivity - I'll be here as I can ... and I have yet to construct my own entries! See you soon ... Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: I hope your connection returns and am really looking forward to seeing where your words take you (and us).
DeleteThese words sparked a lot of creativity. Thank you for choosing them!
DeleteThanks Susan ... appreciate your comment ...
DeleteHola hijo de Elefante
ReplyDeleteAqui va mi aporte con la opcion 2.
Saludos a todos y gran semana
Emma y Ryan salieron a divertirse
Llevaban sus mochilas preparadas para internarse en el bosque
Caminando a prisa iniciaron el recorrido utilizando una tiza para marcar algunos árboles y emprender el retorno por el mismo sendero
Luego de dos horas de caminata y exhaustos se recostaron en la hierba. Sorpresivamente descubren un cofre apenas tapado con unas ramas secas bajo un árbol y al abrirlo era un tesoro repleto de joyas y monedas antiguas.
Emma tomo el tesoro y comenzó a correr. Cuando su amigo Ryan la llamaba ella lo miraba desdeñosa y corria mas velozmente hasta que se arrojo al rio siendo empujada por la corriente.
Ryan permaneció allí observando como había perdido a “su amiga” y al tesoro, no pudiendo hacer nada ya que no sabia nadar.
eli mendez: Thank you for joining us. I loved your story - but what a sad ending. 'Gold fever' so rarely ends well.
DeleteFor those of us who, like me, have no Spanish, Eli's story reads:
Emma and Ryan went out to have fun
They had their backpacks ready to go into the forest
Walking quickly they began the route using a chalk to mark some trees and start the return by the same path
After two hours of walking and exhausted, they lay down on the grass. Surprisingly they discover a chest barely covered with dry branches under a tree and when they open it it was a treasure full of jewels and old coins.
Emma took the treasure and started running. When her friend Ryan called her she looked at him disdainfully and ran faster until she jumped into the river being pushed by the current.
Ryan remained there watching how he had lost "his friend" and the treasure, not being able to do anything since he could not swim.
Esa historia me parece apasionante, uno se sumerge en ella. ¡Gracias!
DeleteEC - thanks for translating for us ... tomorrow I'll be back - all the best - Hilary
Deleteeli mendez, A good storey but with a tragic ending end for both of them.
DeleteGreed is a sorrowful thing.
DeleteNice but sad tale.
DeleteHi Eli - well done and very sad tale ... being left in the lurch because he couldn't swim ... very sad - great to see you - Hilary
DeleteThank you for this sad story of greed and lacking skills. I actually studied Spanish in my youth. I still know enough to read, but not enough to write any coherent sentences without great labour. I still want to read the original, but am happy for EC supplying a translation.
DeleteWell written but as others have noted, it is sad that it had to end that way.
DeleteI love the quote marks around "his friend" which emphasis that he lost more than just the treasure in the chest... being betrayed by a childhood friend leads to a loss of innocent trust as well. And the last line, "he could not swim" delivers quite a punch. Well done!
DeleteHi EC - still struggling ... will give it another go tomorrow - it cuts in and out all the time ... but here's the 2nd set:
ReplyDeleteHonestly what a week … my beloved stream, so clean, pure and running clear … if only that disdainful chap could appreciate the ways of the countryside – the chalk waters made our stream …
… the delicious weed that he saw floating in the river, but he was contemptuous that it withheld the treasure from floating free …
… ignorant man – he shouldn’t have bought up the farm if he wasn’t interested or didn’t know what he was doing …
… that weed – the treasure of the river – is the Victorian speciality of the watercress enhancing the egg sandwich … so loved during the 20th century …
If only we can get across to our new master the delights and benefits of this new vegetable encouraging him to appreciate it – that weed ‘pfff' – the treasure of the chalky stream… we will all win – otherwise this week is all downhill … and the river with its wealth could be lost to our nation.
I'll be back early tomorrow a.m. - cheers to you all - Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: Love it. I can remember picking watercress beside the river on a friend's farm and how delicious it was. Sadly it is not something we see in the shops here. I do hope that your newcomer learns to appreciate what he has...
DeleteThis was wonderful. To be honest, I've never seen watercress, but I sure enjoyed the story of the man who tried to be a farmer, but did a miserable job doing it.
DeleteI've read about watercress in children's books set in England, with their cress sandwiches and boarding school antics. I still have no idea what watercress actually is though, so I shall go googling and find out.
DeleteThanks EC ... I hadn't thought about sitting by a river - but it'd be delightful and so pleased you remember that time. We've had watercress bags in recent years and as a mixed leaf ... with rocket and spinach often. Long may watercress live on ... !! Cheers for now - as things seem to be working -Hilary
DeleteI like watercress, but it is becoming harder and harder to find. Sad isn't it.
DeleteIndeed, people undertaking new ventures should be willing to learn, not thinking they already know it all.
DeleteSurprisingly, I can find watercress sometimes in our stores in Montana. It has a unique taste, but sometimes baby greens can be substituted. Great story, I love the way you wove in the bit about watercress being a Victorian specialty.
DeleteThanks Susan - I enjoy adding in bits of history to my posts and to most things I write up. How interesting you can find watercress in Montana ... I wonder if it's grown in your streams. It's peppery in taste isn't it ... I use it for lots of things. Thanks for joining in - Hilary
DeleteDid you see the snacks offered after the procession? I'd haggard the juniper nips are good. Wafer thin!
ReplyDeleteReally unique take on the prompts.
DeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: They sound like very posh snacks to me.
DeleteHi Alex - I suspect no more juniper nips for a day or two ... but some good wafer thin watercress sandwiches - just the perfect antidote. Cheers - H
DeleteWell done!
DeleteMy goal as a writer is to be less wordy. How you wove so many prompts into such a short paragraph impresses me!
DeleteExcellent Alex!
DeleteApart from that they are as different as chalk and cheese: one ought not to think disdainful of weed. Same goes for wafer ash, juniper and procession flower, 'cause one person's trash is another person's treasure.
ReplyDelete"And drips constantly dripping fill the stream", H. Rider Haggard would add.
Sean Jeating: This is great though I am wondering how long it will take the stream to fill. It is years since I have read any of H Rider Haggard's books. Thanks for the reminder.
DeleteHi Sean - well done ... that was clever and succinct - loved reading it - all the best Hilary
DeleteVery clever use of the prompts!
DeleteWell done!
DeleteThe disdainful stream didn't like the weed but the chalk thought it was a treasure.
ReplyDeleteMike: You really do excel at the succinct approach don't you?
DeleteI found out long ago the less I say the less trouble I get in.
DeleteHi Mike - you've found your metier ... that's for sure - brilliant - you are the master of succinct approach and as you say the less trouble you can get in! Thoroughly enjoyed it ... thank you - Hilary
DeleteQuite to the point.
DeleteAs I said above, I wish I could learn to be succinct! Well done.
DeleteWorking on it.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: I am really looking forward to your take.
DeleteGot it, over here.
DeleteInteresting selection, I'll get the brain kickstarted first thing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteRiver: Like messymimi's contribution I am looking forward to reading yours with a great deal of pleasure.
DeleteThe treasure hunter walked by the stream bank, chalk in her hand to mark her map. As she walked she pulled a long weed and stuck it between her teeth.After all a good treasure hunter always needed something to chew on while she studied the trail. She was oblivious to the drips falling from the tree leaves following the recent rain. No matter how damp or muddy it was the little procession kept going. She noticed one of her peers and ignored the disdainful look aimed at her. She had walked this route many times before and knew what waited, hidden beneath one of the junipers pictured on the map. Her companion was new to the hunt and did not have her hair in braids plus she wore a tutu. While walking , the wind and the moisture in the air had destroyed her hairdo and leaves stuck in the tulle tutu. It left her looking a little haggard. All she wanted was to be through walking and be inside where it was dry and there was no mud.
ReplyDeleteAbout that time they saw the three junipers and began looking through the undergrowth. And just as expected they found the treasure chest AKA cooler Mother had packed for them with a sandwich, a bottle of water and a huge chocolate wafer. The hunter hugged her sister and said,
"I told you Mother makes the best games!"
Anne in the kitchen: This is wonderful. I can just picture the bedraggled tutu wearer and hope that the picnic makes it all better.
DeleteInspiration was seeing my little neighbor outside after the rain today with his magnifying glass and little boots tromping all over his yard
DeleteHi Anne - that was delightful ... and your little neighbour certainly inspired you - the intrepid explorer ... fun and thank you - Hilary
DeleteThis was a wonderful use of the prompt. I enjoyed it!
DeleteNice twist to the plot. Well done
DeleteWhat a lovely story! Thank you very much, Anne.
DeleteWhat a delightful story and absolutely a picnic will makes everything perfect!
DeleteThat is a good game, i wish i'd thought of it when mine were younger.
DeleteI do love this. I can picture those little girls so well, and what a wonderful mommy they have! Like messymimi, I wish I'd thought to do that for my own kids when they were small!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have, as EC already found out - thanks - published next chapter of my never ending story over here.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte (MotherOwl): And, as usual I loved it. I am soooo impressed at people who can continue a tale.
DeleteGood stories...enjoyed reading them with the words provided.
ReplyDeleteMargaret D: There are some beauties aren't there? Thank you for coming by.
DeleteHi EC - 2nd set ...
ReplyDeleteHe was wafer thin, haggard looking, but there was hope in his face as the procession very slowly moved towards the food bank.
In the line he stood next to the desiccated Juniper tree – nearly as twisted and drawn as he felt … he needed to find that dripping tap, so he could quench his thirst after he’d collected his food …
On St Patrick's Day I hope we can all keep ourselves reasonably (please) hydrated! Cheers - Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: This is sad, but hopeful too. I hope that he and his tree do get that much needed drink. St Pat's day passed by quietly here. Cheers to you too.
DeleteReminds me of some photos I once took on Pope's Quay in Cork, vis-à-vis St Mary's Priory.
DeleteGood on you.
Those lines get long, and the food goes fast.
DeleteStaying hydrated in summer around here is not so easy.
A moving story. Hopefully everyone was well-hydrated and well-fed yesterday :)
DeleteI was haggard, due to the time change, yet despite it went for a walk along a small stream that runs by my house. I took a bag of wafers with me to munch, anticipating that I might get a wee bit peckish. Walking along the stream, with it's chalk banks and clear running water, I was disheartened to find some trash among the weeds left by a person disdainful of the natural beauty. In an effort to be a good steward of the land, I decided to gather up the trash, which I had to put in the bag that carried the wafers. What to do, eat all the wafers? Leave some out for the wildlife? I did a bit a both until the bag was empty, then picked up the the two empty beer cans, the McDonald's wrappers, the plastic cup, and a few other bits of nasty.
ReplyDelete"Disgusting humans," I mumbled under my breath as I stuffed the items into the bag. "Do they throw their trash on their living room floors? Do they throw it out on their front yards?"
It was as I bent to pick up the last piece of ick, that I saw them marching beneath a juniper whose branches dripped with dew, a regal procession of tiny fairies led by an equally tiny leprechaun. I swear the leprechaun winked at me and smiled. Before I could react, they were gone. POOF! I shook my head and convinced myself that it must have been the play of light on water and that it was just my imagination.
I turned to leave the quiet place, now clean and tidy. That's when I found it laying on a stone where I had placed a wafer, a shiny gold coin. I believe it was give by the leprechaun and fairies. I treasure it to this day.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wonderful Bish ... I've just read about pixies in Cornwall ... just lovely story ... so 21st century, yet reminding us of our history ... very clever. Brilliant - and yes a very Happy St Patrick's Day ... thanks for joining us - Hilary
DeleteWonderful story. Well done!
DeleteOhhh. Me like ... very much. That's how it should be!
DeleteWonderful story. I enjoyed this so much!
DeleteBish Denham: This is brilliant. A very, very happy and creative St Patrick's day to you.
DeleteI like this story.
DeleteWonderful! Yes, that would be a treasure, although the reward of a cleaner environment is also a treasure.
DeleteLovely tale!
DeleteThe time change does leave us feeling haggard, and people who litter are disgusting, I agree. But your leprechaun ending left me smiling. Very creative writing!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI knew that he was a big shot in his community, but I guess I didn’t realize how big. It was quite a PROCESSION heading to the church, black Cadillacs at the head of the line, gleaming black hearse bedecked with flowers. I did catch a glimpse of a few JUNIPER sprigs, so there was at least a nod to his interest in nature, aside from the ostentation of the other floral tributes, where bigger was certainly deemed better. Maybe you have to CHALK it up to custom in that community where a funeral seems to be an event on the social calendar. Knowing the kind of person he was he would have got a real kick out of someone sending WEEDS, but I am sure that no one else would have appreciated it. Least of all his widow who looked pretty HAGGARD – understandably, of course.
ReplyDeleteOn the way into the church everyone sprinkled a few DRIPS of water onto their forehead from a little bowl attached to the wall near the door, so I followed suit. Supposed to make you holy or something, I am told. After a really long service….. really, really long, they had that ceremony where you get a WAFER and a sip of wine. He would have really been laughing now because he always used to say he wished they served cheese with it! Perhaps I shouldn’t be so DISDAINFUL of the whole process, but it all seems a little contrived and ridiculous to tell you the truth, and knowing some of the people who exuded piousness at the moment, contrasted with their conduct when doing business with them, there was more than a touch of hypocrisy to it all. The STREAM of obsequiousness was enough to make you puke. The dear departed was a real TREASURE I must say, some of his associates not so much!
So well described .. weeds :) Like that touch.
DeleteWhen I have this kind of thoughts about attendees at a funeral (or other services) I always think of something Chesterton (I think; might have been E. Waugh or even someone else) said: Try to imagine how bad they would be without religion! ☺
In a word__excellent!
DeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: Echoing every one else. This is wonderful. My father always told me that a weed was a flower in the wrong place - if there is ever a wrong place for a flower.
DeleteYou do, of course, know yourself and therefore don't need my accolade. This is a fine piece of writing. I enjoyed reading.
DeleteEven a man who is honest in his business ends up with associates not so good as he, and it is sad.
DeleteThe idea of serving cheese with communion wafers made me howl. This whole story was very witty and well done! I loved it.
DeleteHi David - that was such a well drawn out picture of a man at his last ... as he had been ... with all the connotations of different thoughts from those present. Great take on the words - so different. I can see it all ... thanks I enjoyed the read and the subsequent thought processes ... all the best - Hilary
ReplyDeleteooooh, I've avoided these as being too intimidating but while my husband is cooking dinner, I've given it a try:
ReplyDeleteBrushing the weed clinging to her damp sock, young Juniper regarded the stream with disdainful disapproval. She had stumbled in the grass and dropped her treasure into the water. Her precious box of coloured chalk was useless to her now.
“Here, have a wafer,” her governess offered, sitting on a picnic blanket nearby. She had a haggard expression, having educated a succession of well-to-do young ladies and yet relegated to years of watching them parade in front of her before leaving for their ‘coming out’ procession and inevitable marriages.
Her own romantic prospects consisted of little more than trying to ignore the drips that inevitably dangled, in suspended animation for a moment before being wiped away by the young rector’s handkerchief during his all-too-regular Saturday morning visits.
Medicated Moo: I hope that you are MUCH less intimidated now and will join us again. And again (greedy aren't I?). I could just picture this including those drips - which I probably would have been forced to count (or time).
DeleteExcellent! It's fun, isn't it.
DeleteI can see it all, the governess, the child with the lost chalks, the dripping nose of the rector. I hope the governess finds a way out to a better life.
DeleteGood use of the prompts. You painted a picture for me to see.
DeleteHi Medicate Moo - that was fun ... thanks for joining in with the prompts ... loved it - poor woman - love never to be ... thank you - Hilary
DeleteYou clearly had no reason to feel intimidated. Your story reminds me of a fine tapestry, with the words woven in like golden threads. :)
DeleteThe haggard procession crossed the small stream,
ReplyDeleteDown where the juniper grows like a weed,
While onlookers disdainfully taunted and screamed,
At the wafer-thin children who were weary indeed.
No treasure had they laid up here on earth,
That small, ragged band which trudged slowly along.
Hungry and barefoot from the time of their birth,
They wandered forever, seeking a home.
The Blog Fodder: This is achingly true for far too many people (young and old). How I wish it wasn't.
DeleteI hope they arrived at the border post Trump!
DeleteAnother fine and thoughtful piece of poetry. Thank you.
DeleteHeartbreaking.
DeleteThis is so sad :(
DeleteHi Blog Fodder - well done ... so sad, so true and in many places around the world. Thank you - Hilary
DeleteSo sad to think that adults could do anything but offer support to those poor children. Your story tugged my heart strings.
Delete(Using all of the words) For me it's another bowl of Egg Drop soup and a chocolate wafer for lunch at Harvey's Sidewalk Cafe perhaps you'd care to join me? Harvey, being a disdainful and haggard owner to most folks but a treasure to school children since he offered free ice cream cones to anyone willing to pull up his weeds and wash away any visible foul chalk art as they strolled past in a timely procession at the stroke of noon and today was no exception. The only difference today was a steady stream of water sliding off the awning from a hose meant to water a juniper tree and barely past noon, the water-soaked awning collapsed crashing down upon a table of now four extremely irritated and scornful guests. Bet they're getting a free lunch what do you think? Poor Harvey.
ReplyDelete21 Wits: Poor Harvey indeed. He sounds to be a sadly misunderstood man (except by the children) and yes, I suspect he will have to give the disgrunted and damp a free lunch (and possibly also pay for their cleaning costs. Great story.
Delete@ 21 Wuts - well done ... he had a plan for the kids - getting them to help for some reward ... but that awning had needed some attention too ... I suspect the guests were at fault too. Great use of the words - thanks - Hilary
DeleteWell, now I know to avoid sitting under a wet awning at a restaurant! Free ice cream would make me like Harvey no matter how haggard and disdainful he seemed! Great use of the words!
DeleteOh, dear. Poor guests and poor Harvey and the poor slob who did that (unintended, i am sure).
ReplyDeleteHope Harvey and his guests have a better day tomorrow.
I had to check back, the word is definitely wafer, which is good since I've half planned my story around that.
ReplyDeleteSorry if I missed a post, got family here and they are out shopping....so am catching up as much as I can ♥ always a fun n interesting post from you
ReplyDeleteaussie aNNie: Not a problem - you are under NO obligation to visit each of my posts. Thank you - and have a wonderful time with your family.
DeleteHi aNNie - just enjoy the family ... and thanks for letting us know - Hilary
DeleteCiao, un sereno giovedi a te.
ReplyDeleteGiancarlo: Thank you - and to you.
DeleteIt's been a very long time I've participated in this challenge. I've always enjoyed it though, and want to say a hearty thanks for continuing it. These were fun words to write with, and my story is posted on my blog. Now I'm off to read as many of these as I can :)
ReplyDeleteSusan - of every moment: I am so glad that you have joined us again. I am heading over to read your story now.
DeleteSusan - of every moment: Clicking on your image does not take us to your story. Can you post the link please.
DeleteOh sorry ... I am rusty at this! Here's the url to my story: It Started With a Glance in The Mirror Unfortunately, I had no idea how to add it as a link. Hope this works!
DeleteIt worked! I appreciate the heads up. I don't know how that linkable information got deleted from my Blogger profile, but I think I got it all added back in now. Thanks E.C.
DeleteSusan - of every moment: I have just read (and loved) your story. Thank you for adding the link - and yes, your blogger profile now lets us in.
DeleteI'm glad you liked it. I've missed these challenges. My writing/blogging comeback seems to be occuring in fits and starts, but I hope to start visiting here more regularly!
DeleteHi Susan - yes I too loved your story and have left a comment over there ... brought peace and happiness to my morning and that will continue and remain in my brain. Such a brilliant idea - thank you - Hilary
DeleteExcellent everyone! Big Hugs EC!
ReplyDeleteMagic Love Crow: Thank you - we always appreciate you cheering us on.
DeleteThanks everyone for entering, bringing your stories for us to read ... and just enjoying being here, even if only to read. Have peaceful weekends - Hilary
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy my entry using the Words for Wednesday on Friday.
ReplyDeleteIndiscriminate Mixtures
Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost: Thank you for joining us. I did enjoy it and was impressed at how smoothly Hilary's prompts fitted in.
Delete