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.
This week's prompts are:
1. Dredge
2. Hedgerow
3. Curmudgeonly
4. Scruffy
5. Pink
AND/ OR
1. Disgruntled
2. Hispid (covered with stiff hair or bristles)
3. Plying
4. Dolphins
5. Sea-cave
Have fun. And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others.
Disgruntled with my boring day to day life I longed to escape the rat race and swim with the dolphins, diving in and out of sea-caves, far away from the dirty, dusty city.
ReplyDeleteAll the books tell you that if you want your dreams to come true to call on your fairy godmother. I did. I know that good help is hard to find, but this is ridiculous.
MY fairy godmother has been dredged from the bottom of the barrel. She looks as if she has been dragged through the hedgerows repeatedly. She is scruffy, and worn pink slippers and a hispid nose are not good looks in her profession. I can only describe her attitude as curmudgeonly too. ‘What have you got to complain about’ she grumped when I finally got her to answer my calls. ‘ I get no overtime, I am on call night and day. I should be retired and not plying this thankless trade. I will grant your wish but remember that dolphins don’t have fingers so you won’t be able to click them and call me back when/if you decide this silly wish isn’t right for you. Come on, make up your mind I don’t have all day…’
I did think about it. And made my wish. My scruffy pink godmother is now a dolphin. I do hope that neither of us regrets this day. And no, I am not going to take on her job.
Brilliant - such a great imagination ... loved it - a great fairy story or horror tale ... and excellent use of hispid ... probably better she returned to the deep. I'm sure we could add more stories to this one of yours ... thank you - Hilary
DeleteF..A..N..T..A..S..T..I..C!
DeleteThis was a great, and your wildly delightful imagination had to perk up your day, it did mine just reading it and I must admit I (dreamt) wrote of swimming with pink dolphins too!
DeleteYou are amazing EC!!! Love this! Big Hugs!
DeleteHeeheehee! My hope is she will make a wonderful dolphin, since she wasn't that great of a fairy godmother.
DeleteThat was brilliant. I love your humour.
DeleteHugs, Julia
Genius! Really, turning her into a dolphin is probably the best thing that ever happened to her.
DeleteThis was fine! Thank you.
DeleteHi Charlotte - EC's story is just wonderful isn't it ... thanks for commenting with enjoyment - cheers Hilary
DeleteI am a scruffy pink fairy godmother who would love to be a dolphin! :-)
DeleteLOVE IT!
DeleteSadly our lake does not harbor dolphins but maybe I could have a catfish godmother. Loved your story. Mine is posted on my page.
DeleteWhat a great flight of fancy!
DeleteLisa Southard: I would love to be a dolphin. The fairy godmother bit sounds too hard to me, though I do scruffy well.
DeleteGood one!
DeleteSo many people do wish their dreams to come true, and do not think of the nightmares.
Ha! What a brilliant story! I hope the FGM enjoys her new life of leisure. ;-)
DeleteI love the way you bring humor and just a bit of snark to your stories. This one put a smile on my face. Purrfect.
DeleteLove, love love! Nothing like a surly Fairy Godmother!
DeleteI hope you all enjoy my words ... good luck one and all - I'll be around:
ReplyDeleteHere's my first one ...
"She couldn’t be disgruntled about her husband’s hispid beard and sideburns … not much they could do – but it didn’t matter now as they watched the dolphins plying the waves, and saw the jewelled colours in the sea-cave. Just beautiful … no worries – just the shoreline and peace."
Hi EC - Thanks for putting them up ... I'll keep an eye open and be back to read yours ...
All the best Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: The shoreline and peace sounds pretty damn good to me. Ironically it was during one of his many hospital stays that I saw my partner's chin for the first time when they shaved him so an oxygen mask fitted better. I loved it, he was not impressed.
DeleteYou had me at the waves and a peaceful shoreline. It's always enjoyable to see how everyone uses the same words, but travel in other directions! Very fun.
DeleteNo worries. A vacation there sounds great about now.
Delete@ Thanks 21 Wits
Delete@ and Messymimi - a vacation would be good ...
Cheers - Hilary
Oh you had me with: Just beautiful … no worries – just the shoreline and peace. Now I dream of vacations too. Thanks for the words.
DeleteThanks Charlotte - those lazy hazy carefree days - let's hope they return ... Hilary
DeleteYou gave us great prompts. I am having to wonder if I used them all correctly.
DeleteAnother well-woven tale!
DeleteLovely use of the words, and I would suggest beard oil!
DeleteOh gosh yes, swimming with dolphins and a peaceful shoreline too count me in! I very much enjoyed your words thanks.
DeleteBeautiful and serene, Hils.
DeleteFrom the first lot of words:
ReplyDeleteThe scruffy gardener could be so curmudgeonly … she’d only asked him to dredge the ditch and tidy the scruffy hedgerow – not too much work on a wonderful early Spring day. She was somewhat surprised to see him in a bright pink shirt – he usually wore dark colours – she must ask him about it … maybe another day.
Cheers Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: Perhaps the curmudgeonly gardener's thoughts (and apparel) were turning to spring? I do hope so.
DeleteIt is a brave man who wears pink, Hilary!
DeletePerhaps he will be more helpful with a brighter outlook and brighter clothing.
DeleteHilary, I wouldn't mind having a scruffy gardener to help me clean the hedgerow even if he wore a pink shirt. lol...
Delete@ EC - let's hope so ... and cheering up.
Delete@ David - yes some people can do it - I remember the Towner Gallery bright pink man ...
@ Messymimi - I hope so ...miserable old chap otherwise!
@ Julia - I agree a gardener of any variety is always helpful - as you say .. pink shirt or no ...
Thanks all of you ... Hilary
I'd like this gardener around to help me out, even scruffy, curmudgeonly and wearing pink ;)
DeleteAny help is always appreciated isn't it ... thanks - Hilary
DeleteGood prompts and good stories.
DeleteAs long as the work was done, pink or navy makes no difference!
DeleteAnother good one. Made me grin.
DeleteThese words play together well, lol. Good luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteCloudia: Hilary has done us proud hasn't she?
DeleteHi Cloudia and EC - I hope my word choices are 'easy' ones ... and everyone enjoys creating something interesting ... thank you ... HilRy
DeleteThe disgruntled hispid dolphins went plying through the water to hide in the sea-cave.
ReplyDeleteMike: I would be disgruntled if I was a hispid dolphin too.
DeleteAhh but was he hiding alone?
DeleteHiding from others of their kind? Interesting.
DeleteHi Mike - excellent combination of the words ... brilliantly succinct - thanks so much - Hilary
DeleteGood!
DeleteLeave it to Ezra; if he could stick his HISPID schnoz into someone else’s affairs, he was guaranteed to do it. He always looked SCRUFFY – well that’s an understatement actually – the way he looked, he might have been dragged through a HEDGEROW backwards! In private, as I knew well, he could be quite charming, but his public persona was unfailingly CURMUDGEONLY. Even when he was in the PINK he could pass it off as DISGRUNTLED.
ReplyDeleteWho could have known what the fates had in store the day he wanted to swim with DOLPHINS. Naturally, I was the one he asked to drive him to the shore. No one else would have tolerated his company for the hour and a half it took to get there. On the way he became really enervated, obviously pent up with what passed for excitement for him, about the adventure ahead. He was PLYING me with stories the whole way there, and making sure that I had my video camera to record the frolics with the cetaceans. I confess to thinking that at least he’d get cleaned up a little in the water, so the ride back home would be a tad more sanitary!
When we arrived at our destination the waves were crashing on the shore and it seemed dangerous to enter the water. But Ezra reminded me that he had been a surfer in his youth and he knew what he was doing. He plunged in with gusto, and the last my video camera recorded was his head barely above the water as a strong, swirling current dragged him towards a SEA-CAVE. I never saw him again. The coast guard DREDGED for two days, but his body was never recovered.
I don’t think anyone ever had the slightest inkling that Ezra had amassed a fortune by shrewd dealing on the stock market, and I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be the beneficiary. My life has been one of comfort since, and once a year I make a pilgrimage to the shore to watch the dolphins, Maybe Ezra is out there with them, curmudgeonly as ever no doubt, but wishing me well. I am always sure to toast him with the fine Champagne he paid for.
David M. Gascoigne: Kind acts which have brought bountiful rewards. I love it - and hope that Ezra is with the dolphins.
DeleteThank you what a pleasant read and I do believe Ezra is out there watching over all.
DeleteWell done!
DeleteAt least, your good deed was greatly rewarded and Ezra has never been so clean. lol...
Delete@ David – what a delightful concoction of a story – loved it and what an amazing gift Ezra gave him. Equally I’m so pleased he went down to the shore line annually to toast Ezra and send thanks to him … wonderful – thank you - Hilary
DeleteOne fine tale. I too hope Ezra is there swimming with the dolphins.
DeleteCheers!
Hi Charlotte - I hope 'David' is enjoying Ezra's generous donation in his will. Thanks - it is a fine tale - Hilary
DeleteJust waiting for you to come on over and enjoy a glass, Hilary!
DeleteIt seems a bit shady that you took him to swim and then inherited all his wealth. Just sayin' LOL great story.
DeleteSometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!
DeleteI absolutely love the way you used the prompt. This tale is in complete contradiction to the phrase " no good deed goes unpunished"
DeleteHm, Granny Annie and I seem to have had the same tiny suspicion.
DeleteAnd some very British words there - nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing my words last month. That was a lot of fun.
Alex J. Cavanaugh: THANK YOU. We had a lot of fun with your prompts and I do hope you will help out next year as well.
DeleteThanks Alex - change of tone, certainly ... yours were fun words. Cheers Hilary
DeleteThese words are perfect to explain my feelings this morning and I'm using all the words. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteCall me horribly disgruntled after reading the controversy (pure) rubbish about Dr. Seuss writings (on his birthday mind you) are harmful to children? Seriously? I know it came from some scruffy hispid of a heartless soul conjuring and dredging whatever baseless untruths he could spin while lurking behind a hedgerow growing within his windowless soul. Before I posted an ugly rebuttal I'll be plying across a strait to swim with pink river dolphins in a sea-cave, to calm myself! The End.
21 Wits: I saw that story - and cringed. It will take more than a swim with pink dolphins to calm me down.
DeleteMany share your anger about this foolishness. Let's hope it dies off quickly.
Delete21 Wits, what a sad time we live in. I love Dr Seuss and my kids, grandkids and now great grandkids all love Dr Seuss's books. What foolishness.
DeleteA great use of the prompts by the way.
Hi 21 Wits - well done on bringing that article on the Dr Seuss stories ... clever you ... into the tale you wrote about it for us to read with the words I'd suggested.
DeleteBrilliant reminding us of 'silly ideas' of today ... thank you - Hilary
I have not read that exact piece bit I can imagine the contents. Argggh! I'd need a flock of pink dolphins to calm me down after reading the twiddle and piffle from such a bunch orf hispid curmudgeons!
DeleteHi Charlotte - I heard a reference ... so many thoughts on the subject - take care - Hilary
DeleteIt does seem that we taking political correctness to ridiculous extremes in an effort to remedy past insensitivity.
DeleteGood use of the words and it also hurts my heart to see the censorship that is upon us these days.
DeleteI would not put my disgust as prosaic as 21 wits, and not as politely as Mr Gascoigne did. Not to risk a 99 years sentence, I do just add that it does not only seem so.
DeleteAt what point are we too politically correct? My sons rather enjoyed me reading them green eggs and ham before a breakfast of green eggs and ham.
DeleteThanks for all the wonderful comments and those in agreement on one of my all time favorites! Excuse me while I go have some green eggs and ham for dinner tonight!
DeleteOkay, i'm off to see what happens.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: I look forward to seeing where Hilary's prompts take you.
DeleteMy story will be over here.
DeleteHi Messymimi - lovely storyline you've written - thank you ... delightful - cheers Hilary
DeleteHe'd been gold panning using his dredge in the stream near the hedgerow for weeks with no results. His scruffy face was already turning pink due to the long hot hours spent in the sun. Just when he spied a large gold nugget, he heard the supper bell clanging loudly. He knew if he didn't stop to heed the cook's call he'd do without sustenance for the remainder of the day. He grabbed the large gold nugget and curmudgeonly left his gold claim, planning to scurry back as soon as he could. He'd have to be sly, though, so none of the other gold miners would suspect his newly found golden treasure.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be early and first to get the treasures of your claim.
DeleteLinda Starr: I think he made the right decision and hope that he does find his claim untouched. Not certain I would describe him as a curmudgeon though. Hungry and cautious perhaps.
DeleteHi Linda - clever turn of words into gold-panning - thank you ... and missing supper and food for the day would be too much - but big decision ... and keeping his actions as normal as usual - not easy ... I can't believe the other gold miners wouldn't be over to have a look - just hope they don't spot any more specks sparkling! Thanks Linda - fun to read - Hilary
DeleteDo you have the saying that a hero's nothing worth without food and drink in English! At least this tale illustrates it perfectly.
DeleteHi Charlotte - you ask an interesting question - to which I did not know the answer ... but after consulting my excellent 'Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable' (centenary edition of 1970) I find the following:
DeleteNo man is a hero to his valet. An old saying. The idea is found in Plutarch and Montaigne, but Bacon in his essay 'Of Honour and Reputation' says "Discreet followers and servants help much to reputation."
i.e.' All fame comes from one's own household ...'
I guess that covers it?! You've taught me something - not sure when I'll have a valet, or a servant ... but who knows - my reputation could go up!!
Interesting - thank you - Hilary
Hope he gets to keep his golden treasure and it doesn't fall out of his pocket while he is eating.
DeleteHola, Linda. Muy bien tramada la historia y muy bien narrada.
DeleteFelicidades, y me ha gustado mucho tu relato.
Saludos.
Well done everyone!! I'll be back to read more! Hope you're well EC! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteMagic Love Crow. Thank you for cheering us on.
DeletePink and Scruffy Hisbid
ReplyDeleteaussie aNNie: For some reason pink bristles are even yuckier.
DeleteI think I'll be thinking about the word Hispid for a while now ... love that phrase: Pink and scruffy Hispid.
DeleteThanks Aussie ANNie - cheers Hilary
Well done Laurie. He should have never fooled with Mother Nature.
ReplyDeleteSuerte con el meme . Te mando un beso
ReplyDeleteJ.P Alexander: Thank you.
DeleteGood to see you JP - all the best - Hilary
DeleteLaurie: I am so glad that his plans failed. So very glad. And this is a wonderful use of the prompts.
ReplyDeleteHispid? That's new to me, thanks for including the meaning.
ReplyDeletePlenty of good stories up above me here :)
ReplyDeleteRiver: There are, and I am confident that yours will be too.
DeleteHi River - so many hispid faced men around now! ... so felt I needed to use it - am happy you enjoyed the word. All the best - Hilary
DeleteHilary Melton-Buthcer sure took over where Alex J. Cavanaugh left off. My story is over here and I'll be back later to read all of your stories!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte (MotherOwl): As you know I love your Unicorn Farm series - and this excerpt is no exception. Thank you.
DeleteHi Laurie - absolutely never fool with Mother Nature - she's too precious. But loved your disgruntled curmudgeonly old hermit, with his pink slippers over his hispid feet ... fun ... thank you - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlotte - good to read your tale about Unicorn Farm. All the best - Hilary
ReplyDeleteNo, no foolery allowed. I just hope all fooliong around with nature was in that cave.
ReplyDeleteI'm always fascinated by the words here and what awesome takes people create with them.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you Mason - glad you enjoy visiting ... come and join us ... all the best - Hilary
DeleteMason Canyon: It blows me away week after week. And fills me with awe and delight.
DeleteCharlotte - me too ...
ReplyDeleteGood job, Laurie.
ReplyDeleteSo I was snorkeling around a sea-cave when I saw a small pod of dolphins swim by. At first I thought I must be dreaming (or hallucinating) because they were all wearing pink tutus. Seeing the pink tutus dredged up this old memory (or nightmare) about this scruffy, curmudgeonly old man with a hispid nose. Every day he stood out by the hedgerows across the street from my home plying his wares. And what were the wares he was trying to sell. Pink tutus. Needless to say, he never sold one. No wonder he was so disgruntled!
ReplyDeleteBack at the sea-cave, the dolphins moved on, pink tutus waving in the watery breeze.
Bish Denham: I love this. And find myself wondering whether your scruffy man did make sales (and who to) or whether he donated those tutus to the dolphins himself...
DeleteBrilliant! Love those dolphins.
DeleteDolphins are fun. But dolphins in pink tutus sound just a bit nightmarish to me. Well told.
DeleteDentro de las dificultades de este reto; Bish Denham, has conseguido hilvanar muy bien tu narrativa, hasta tener una historia ingeniosa y con sentido.
Delete¡Enhorabuena!.
Saludos.
I do love the idea of dolphins in Pink tutus. I wonder if they could choreograph a dance to Handel's Water Music?
DeleteWhat a sneaky fellow. I hate to think of his hispid feet!!
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at the dolphins in pink tutus. Great use of the words.
ReplyDelete@ Bish - well he found some consumers ... wonder how he did it - or for that matter - how the dolphin whisperer managed to get the dolphins into their pink tutus. Brilliant - well done - loved it .. thanks for joining in - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the stories this time around.
ReplyDeleteSo here goes!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder the man's disgruntled. It might have been an accident--radiation perhaps--or bad genes that had rendered him thickly hispid from chin to knees. Yet the dolphins, plying their way from the sea-cave seemed to embrace and even soothe this agitated swimmer. Since I admire dolphins greatly, I'll follow their ways and swim nearer, smile even. I've heard friendship and acceptance has the power to change bad dispositions. Oh, and see that? His agitation's gone. He's smiling back. Maybe too much. I hadn't noticed the fangs until now.
Poor man, fangs and hair all over. I hope the dpolphins do him good.
DeleteHe needs a bit of my anti-werewolf elixir ;)
cleemckenzie: Ooooh. Poor hungry hispid man. Who I really, really hope leaves the dolphins alone.
DeleteWhat fun! Or is the smile a wicked smile?
Delete@ Lee - thanks ... this is lovely a complete change of tone - love it ... transitioning to be dracula-type dolphin - I hope he does them good. Great read - thank you ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHave to play once in a while, don't we?
DeleteYes ... it's important isn't ... another 4 weeks to amuse you ... cheers H
DeleteMi musa de la inspiración parece que de momento me ha abandonado, y aunque son palabras muy dispares, tomo nota de ellas, a ver si se me ocurre algo.
ReplyDeleteDe momento voy a leer y a disfrutar de las de los demás participantes.
Un cordial saludo.
Manuel: Sometimes the muse does desert us - I hope yours returns to you, and thank you so much for reading. Have a great day.
DeleteThe muse will return. Hope these unique tales will encourage his/her return.
Delete💟
ReplyDeleteR's Rue: Thank you.
DeleteThe corners of my mouth had not yet returned from an expedition to my ear-lobes, while thinking of that curmudgeonly and disgruntled make another hilarious redundancy when in front of my eyes two pink elephants appeared, asking if I were interested in accompanying them to a sea-cave "just round the corner" and watch dolphins playing chess.
ReplyDeleteFor a moment I intended to pretend first I'd have to think of a proper sentence including the words scruffy and plying, but then – not sure if they would go berserk – I heard myself promising that I'd follow them if they could tell the difference between atheris hispida and pink elephants.
"That's easy", they trumpeted: "Hairy bush vipers are ovoviviparous, we are brain-born."
"That's the point", a voice chirped, the hedgerow in the shadow of which I had once again been reading in Flann O'Brien's Third Policeman vanished, a most beautiful fairy dredged some salt on their trunks and instead of pink elephants white mice for a moment trumpeted "Malarkey!", then puled "Piffles" and - Huzzah! – skedaddled without any lollygagging.
"How did you do that?" I asked the enchanting beauty after I had thanked her.
"It's all about language", she said. Pink elephants in German are weiße Mäuse, white mice."
"Uff! Had you not come this might have ended in a fiasco."
"A fool's wisdom brings much trouble, my poet." Smilingly she took my left hand and seconds later in a gazebo a unicorned waitress served us ninja shrimps in guacamole.
My brows must have formed a questionmark, or had she noticed my sceptical gaze? After a few seconds she said: "Bon appetit! Thistime there is no earwig, my sweet nitwit."
Now you'd like to learn what most lovely thingamajigs afterwards happened, but unfortunately, dear reader, in that moment my telephone rang.
Sean Jeating: Hooting with mirth - tinged with more than a little awe. Combining Alex's words with those Hilary gave us this week gives us a magnificent series of images. Answering the phone is often a mistake is it not?
DeleteSorry struggling with connectivity - I'll be back once sorted out ... looks a great read ... cheers H
DeleteSorry struggling with connectivity - I'll be back once sorted out ... looks a great read ... cheers H
DeleteHi Sean - great ending ... thank you! Loved your creativity with many words ... what fun - cheers Hilary
DeleteGreat fun! And one upping everyone by including last weeks words! Love it!
Delete@ Sue: Ach, where has all my taciturnity vanished to? It's all Alex J. Cavanaugh's and Lady Hilary's fault.
DeleteAnd please don't remind me of this very moment when the telephone rang.
@ Hilary: I wish the phone had not rung.
@ Anne: Glad you enjoyed. It helps me a lot to make peace with the loquaciousness that came upon me, out of the blue.
I was disgruntled as I strolled along the hedgerow between my house and the canal, where a dredge was plying its way toward the oyster beds offshore. In the distance, near the sea-cave, a pod of dolphins romped, not a curmudgeonly one amongst them. It was probably the sun and the way the light hit the water, but I would swear the one in the pink dress was making a play for the scruffy, hispid one. Whatever it was, their antics cheered me right up.
ReplyDeleteCarol Kilgore: And the pictures your words have painted cheer me right up too.
DeleteYes I am in need of a light and happy read! Bravo.
DeleteHi Carol - I'd be really cheered too ... if I saw a pink dressed dolphin making a play for the hispid one ... well done - thank you ... Hilary
DeleteThis is a very happy use of the words!
DeleteWhat an inspired collection of words and responses to those words on wednesday. The stories are so playful and such fun.
ReplyDeleteKalpana: Hilary's words HAVE inspired some great takes haven't they? Perhaps some week you will join us.
DeleteThanks Kalpana ... lovely to see you ... cheers Hilary
DeleteGood ones, Hils.
ReplyDeleteEC, hope your day is filled with energy, health and flowers.
Hugs
Sandra Cox: Thank you. There will be a vet run, but your wishes are perfect - I hope they bounce back to you as well.
DeleteThanks Sandra ...
DeleteNice prompts ❤
ReplyDeleteKinga K.: They are aren't they?
DeleteThanks Klinga ... I'm happy you enjoyed them.
DeleteEvery morning I saw Ms. Johnson from across the street in her pink housecoat and scruffy slippers walking up and down, inspecting her hedgerow. She removed every single bit and piece of errant stems and leaves that had blown into the shrubbery overnight. It seemed that anything out of place left her a little disgruntled and she made it her mission to check for imperfections day after day. Once she completed her routine, she would return to her house, then come back outside and sit in the sunshine on her garden bench and sip on a cup of coffee.
ReplyDeleteMother would often walk over with her own cup and sit and talk to her. At the time I had no clue why she would want to waste her time talking to such an old lady. Looking back, I do understand a little better. Mother had a unique gift of gab, and through conversations could dredge interesting stories from others. (It's kind of tragic that we miss so much about our parents when we are young, isn't it?)
On rare occasions when Mother had baked muffins, but did not have time to talk to Ms. Johnson she would send me over with a couple of them to share. She always encouraged me to sit and talk with her because according to Mother she was an interesting lady, but other than a bit of polite "Good mornings" and "Mother wanted you to have these", there was never any real conversation.
I was 14 and what did I have to say to a curmudgeonly (at least she seemed that way to me) old woman with tiny coffee droplets reflected in the sunlight covering her hispid upper lip? I could not leave fast enough!
Then one morning, there was no Ms. Johnson outside and Mother was no where to be found. Later I saw Mother walking from Ms. Johnson's front door. It took little plying on my part to figure out something was wrong. All I had to do was look at Mother's face to know something as not right. She told me Ms. John son had passed away in her sleep, hugged me and then said she would surly miss talking with her. I was upset that Mother was sad, and saddened that death had come to Ms. Johnson, but I did not think I would miss her.
A few days later Mother brought the newspaper to me and wanted me to read the obituary. I read it and could not believe what I was reading. As a young woman Lucia (I did not even know she had a first name) had worked training dolphins for a Navy research program, had been an avid water skier , and held underwater free dive records in both open water and sea caves. And I rued what I had missed out on.
Now that I am in my 20's I try to emulate Mother (though I will never be as good at it as she is) and learn as much as I can about everyone's story. I want no more regrets!
Anne in the kitchen: It is early here (dawn has not yet broken) and your story has moved me to tears. Perhaps because I DO have similar regrets of my own. Thank you for this very moving piece.
DeleteI am with Sue. A moving story. And well written.
DeleteI think someone once said they're not just regrets but lessons learned! Very nicely written and deeply inspiring. Thanks so much!
DeleteHi Anne - yes ... so so true - what we miss and now what I'd love to have learnt. That knowledge is so precious ... a delightful take on the words - thank you ... Hilary
Deletetoo funny by half!
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: There are some great entries aren't they? I hope that you recover well from your surgery and can join us again soon.
DeleteHi Susan - recover well ... thanks EC for reminding me about Susan's surgery ...
DeleteBoth of you Susans have excellent weekends - cheers Hilary
I love these words! I think disgruntled isn't used nearly enough, although curmudgeonly is a fun one too!
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a good week.
Away From The Blue
Mica: Disgruntled is an excellent word isn't it? Though we never hear that people are gruntled. My week has been pretty good and I hope yours is too.
DeleteThanks Mika - it's been fun thinking up words. I suspect there are many disgruntled people at the moment ... and I'm sure some curmudgeonly ones! All the best - Hilary
DeleteBuon venerdi.
ReplyDeleteGiancarlo: Thank you - and to you.
DeleteNice Laurie!
ReplyDeleteBuon Weekend
ReplyDeleteGiancarlo: Thank you. A good weekend and a good week to follow it to you too.
DeleteDisgruntled dolphins plying the seas,
ReplyDeleteLooking for something to eat.
They dive to a sea-cave for pink fishes and squid,
But for dessert they want something sweet.
Sorry I am late with this. It is the bare minimum and not very inspired. I am glad people seem to enjoy my doggerel.
The Blog Fodder: Thank you for joining us. I do hope those dolphins find their sweet treat - and wonder just what is could be.
DeleteHi Blog Fodder - so pleased you made it - and I loved your doggerel verse - excellent - to answer EC's question re sweet - for some reason I was thinking of Turkish Delight - the jewel colours ... pink, sea-green and white ... cheers Hilary
DeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: You are so right. Of course it was Turkish Delight.
Delete