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.
This month I am providing the prompts
This week's prompts are:
- glass
- equally
- paying
- join
- forage
And/or
- palace
- silent
- bullet
- stars
- extraordinary
Good words today. I'm thinking.....;)
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Sandra Cox: I look forward to seeing where your thoughts take you (and us).
DeleteFor a change I am going to be topical. The newly minted Danish Queen Mary is, I think. paying dearly for her extraordinary transformation from a real estate agent in Australia to a fully fledged member of a royal family in Denmark, half a world away. In my eyes her glass is more than half empty.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the very low key coronation. I also applaud that she can, and apparently does, cycle round her adopted city and country and that her children go to public schools.
No, she will never have to forage for food or struggle to pay bills. Equally, she will never again know any privacy. Her joys and her sorrows will be on public display until the end of her days.
I have never, ever longed to live in a palace, or indeed to join the Royal Family. Any Royal Family. I will never be famous and I have dodged a silent bullet that was never aimed at me. The stars are most definitely on my side on this front. A clay brown life suits me much, much better than glitz and glamour. Which is just as well.
I agree. A very few famous people have been able to keep themselves to themselves, but it's very difficult.
DeleteI have never yearned for glitz and glamour either. Great job, Sue - but would we expect less?
DeleteI like your story, but am not sure Mary is paying dearly. She is with the man she loves, has children she loves and knew what she was getting into. Being able to cycle around her city and send her children to public schools is also a bonus, far different from the British Royal families I think.
DeleteI like your take on current news, EC very well done.
DeleteXO
WWW
Well done with the words, EC! I've always shuddered when I consider the life of any public figure. Fame is something I've never craved. (Fortune, on the other hand... well, I'd take that.) ;-)
DeleteAs always you have done a great story.
DeleteA great job using the prompts for this story.
DeleteI can't imagine what it's like being in the public eye every time one walks out the door, day after day and years after years. It would be a nightmare yet, people seems to crave the lime lite.
I always say the best things in life are free and freedom is priceless.
Stay well, hugs.
Julia
How true. Loved this, EC. Well done.
DeleteThough, you will always be royalty to those of us who are your friends;)
Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Will let them cook a while and come back to link up.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: Happy cooking.
DeleteHi EC - I too am happy with a clay brown suite ... haven't got one now - but would hate to be in the limelight all the time - I'm very happy at the back! Excellent thoughts on the new Danish queen - love can win through - let's hope so. Cheers Hilary
DeleteMy story will be over here.
Deletemessymimi: I look forward to reading your always positive contribution.
DeleteMy two entries:
ReplyDeleteFirst set: What an extraordinary sight met her eyes as she rounded the corner towards the Palace … this was where her mother had been born, and she'd been wanting to visit; Stars within the ruins bounded around … it was only then she realised that bullets were ricocheting – she hadn't realised that the war had spread to the family estate: time to hide and disappear.
2nd set:
Out for the day they were collecting sea-glass … some people call it beach lust. A day out with the girls is always fun – we go 'dutch' paying equally – so there's never an argument at coffee or lunchtimes. However, we are concerned about our pensions … so we do stop on the way home to forage for the odd mushroom – mushroom omelettes taste so good – some friends need to get back, others always join in the hunt.
Cheers EC - thanks for these ... interesting selections ... I'll be around - Hilary
A war anywhere is a tragedy and reason to flee if you can.
DeleteSpending time with friends this way sounds fun and reasonably cost effective.
Great job, Hilary. I can think of other meanings for beach lust!
DeleteHi David - I wasn't thinking of chocolate?! So could I - but I kept it clean - except the brain can wander ... like yours I gather?! Cheers H
DeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: I love both your contributions, and hope it isn't too late for your first protagonist to take to her heels. Beach combing is a heap of fun, and sea glass is always a noteworthy find.
DeleteI love beachcombing and the "lust" attributed to sea glass made me laugh. I do lust those precious pieces!
DeleteXO
WWW
Thanks EC and WWW ... cheers - making me smile happily as the day starts ... Hxo
DeleteGood job Hilary with this chilling first story plus in you second story you and I both were foraging for mushrooms. LOL
DeleteMushrooms be good and tasty! Thanks Granny Annie - cheers Hilary
DeleteLa escasez de tiempo, hace que no escriba ningún relato . Me conformo, con ver la inspiración de los que participan.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
VENTANA DE FOTO: I am sorry that time is not on your side - and thank you for coming here to read other people's contributions.
DeleteThe nine story building of the City Hall in the city adjacent to my hometown, - looks like a PALACE. Its exterior is covered in GLASS; so are the elevators.
ReplyDeleteI'm not impressed. I dislike elevators and there are too many stairs inside that EXTRAORDINARY looking building. I'm told the glass is BULLET proof. The blue color of the glass competes with the sky color during the day, and with the blue of the STARS at night.
The rather small entrance door to the building, catches attention as it is is painted in CLAY BROWN colour.
The City Hall is located close to the City Gate square that leads to the city center. The square used to be a rural spot with cows SILENTLY FORAGING the pasture.
I was once invited to JOIN a small tour, EQUALLY divided between the two areas (city hall, city gate). We were supposed to be playing a trivia game, and PAYING attention to the specifics regarding the backgrounds of both places.
Good use of the prompts. There are so many places now where animals used to graze but are now parking lots or huge subdivisions with cookie cutter houses.
DeleteWell done, Duta.
DeleteDUTA: Another masterly use of the prompts. Like you, I dislike glass elevators but sadly am forced these days to take them rather than stairs. I would much prefer to spend time with the foraging cows.
DeleteI am always fascinated by the "before" photos of cities, the lost farms and even rivers. You capture this well.
DeleteXO
WWW
Hi Duta - an interesting mix of modern city, yet the medieval era too ... well done - cheers Hilary
DeleteYou did a great job with the great prompts EC provided us.
DeleteThere are those who claim that muted clothing is essential for successful birding, and while I don’t strictly agree with this premise, I decided to wear my CLAY BROWN shirt and trousers since Jake was leading the walk and he was a bit of a fanatic about it. At least no one was likely to JOIN the group in dorky camouflage gear, an EXTRAORDINARY declaration of inappropriateness in an urban park. I would be SILENT, that’s certainly appropriate, and I would be PAYING close attention to mixed flocks FORAGING on the ground. It was early spring, the weather was calm and the water on the pond like GLASS. The air was EQUALLY still, with the merest hint of a breeze. There are divas in operas, and prima donnas in all walks of life, STARS all, and suddenly Julie appeared like a silver BULLET shot from the birding cannon. She looked like she had just left her PALACE, silver lamé décolleté top and tight bright yellow capris, set off by garish purple sneakers. She pranced right up to Jake, and latched on to him and kissed his blushing, sweaty cheek. He never said a word about her clothing. So much for CLAY BROWN.
ReplyDeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: I am grinning here - and wonder how much attention Jake will pay to the feathered birds for the rest of the day...
DeleteHe might be paying more attention to bouncing binoculars!
DeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: That he might. And no doubt offer to show how they should best be held...
DeleteWell well well, she was a bird herself in her flamboyant outfit. Well done!
DeleteXO
WWW
Hi David – 'dorky camouflage' great description! Then later ...'silver lamé décolleté top' interesting thought process; Silent – you? … no, couldn't believe that … Julie and Jake wouldn't want to be quiet would they … you'd be walking away for some peace, with better views ...
DeleteFun take on the story line … thanks for the thoughts – cheers Hilary
Nicely done, you made it impossible to keep a straight face at the end.
DeleteI was outside this extraordinary palace looking at the stars when a meteor went by like a silent bullet.
ReplyDeleteMike: And now you have me wondering what sound a meteor would make if I was close enough to hear it...
DeleteI saw a meteor once, a "shooting star." It was beautiful.
DeleteThe second set says assassin from outer space to me...
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: Perhaps you will write it and share it with us. And yes, that is a hint.
DeleteI'll get to work on these words in between other stuff I have planned.
ReplyDeleteRiver: I look forward to seeing what you make of it. A busy few days ahead?
DeleteHere's mine, all words and colour used.
ReplyDelete-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She nicknamed me Bullet. Some kind of joke no doubt, I disliked it intensely, but beggars can’t be choosers, right?
I’m slow moving, cautious, ponderous by nature. Silent. Sneaky. Taking up very little space.
When I saw the palace she had taken me to live in, I saw stars, literally, as the sky was navy and I had never seen anything like it. No streetlights outside, utter darkness. Extraordinary.
To be joined to this family that she introduced me to had not featured in my wildest dreams.
The little girls threw themselves on me like I was some long lost precious jewel, now found again. One brought over a glass bowl, full of water. I drank. I was exhausted from the journey.
Their parents, the ones who had brought me here, knelt on the clay brown tiles and looked deep in my eyes.
“Your foraging in rubbish bins is over now, Bullet,” the father said, petting me, “You’ve long paid the price of a miserable life. You’re home now!”
_______________________________________________________
Now to go and read yours!
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman: Awww. I hope that Bullet lives a long and happy life with his new family - who have gained as much (if not more) as he has.
DeleteHi WWW - what a great take on the words - not what I was expecting at all - fun, thank you - cheers Hilary
DeleteGreat story. Would that it were true for many.
DeleteI am happy she was home.
DeleteWhat a lovely tale. Maybe Bullet picked up some speed once he felt safe and at home, following the girls around.
DeleteHow EXTRAORDINARY we dogged that BULLET before we entered the PALACE gates. How SILENT it was after the kerfuffle, and how wonderful to look to the STARS to thank the heavens for the safe journey home.
ReplyDeleteMargaret D: I love it. Coming home is always wonderful.
DeleteHi Margaret - as EC says ... coming home is always good - cheers Hilary
DeleteI like the theme of coming home.
DeleteXO
WWW
Getting back home safely after a kerfuffle is always a reason to give thanks.
DeleteThank you :)
Deletethecontemplativecat here. Kerfuffle! Can't beat that word.
DeleteThe Snow Queen's palace lies quietly in the far north.
ReplyDeleteAnd every now and then we receive extraordinary balls of the most beautiful snow stars... and we, who love winter, send our greetings to the north.
... Yep, now I'll take my skis and glide through the snow out into the forest... a hug for you.
Barwitzki: I could see shades of Narnia creeping in here and would LOVE to experience your winter. It seems so exotic to me - though the only time I tried to ski I discovered I was faster (and more graceful) on my face than standing upright.
DeleteNicely done. I have found I only love winter if I can stay warm enough, which I usually can't.
DeleteA very peaceful scene, falling snow and skis.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
It was right there in front of me...the extraordinary glass palace of my dreams. I had pretended in my sleep of standing in the middle of a room, swinging a flail and smashing all my anxieties. But this was only to be a brief journey to forage for morel mushrooms. Our little group was silent under the stars. I was the only one concentrating on this beautiful structure. We tried to join carefully concentrating on our journey. Suddenly the quiet was broken by the sound of an exploding bullet hitting the door of the palace. I rushed to the beautiful building and kicked the shards away. I did not think of paying attention to the danger. I simply looked around for a spiked ball on a chain to cause my life long dream to conclude. Yes, I had fired the bullet and now I wanted our group to equally share my dream of smashing everything in sight.
ReplyDeleteBuilding anxiety into a glass palace and smashing it sounds very cathartic.
DeleteHi Granny Annie - ah ha - I see you were foraging for morels - always good. A strange nightmare of a story ... I'm glad I wasn't in your dream - I think! I'm not into smashing everything in sight ... an interesting read - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGranny Annie: If only we could ALL smash our anxieties into tiny shards...
DeleteLoved reading everyone's stories, and thanks for doing the meme.
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Thank you. It is a pleasure - and I love reading everyone's stories too.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. Great words. I will give them so thought.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: I hope you do, and look forward to seeing where they take you.
DeleteWow, EC. You went from 0 to 68 comments in a day's time. Woot.Woot.
ReplyDeleteI need to comeback and get everyone's' take on the words. I'm still thinking.....
Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Sandra Cox: I am lucky aren't I? Good luck with your thinking.
DeleteThank you for hosting dear
ReplyDeleteCloudia: It is a pleasure and a privilege.
DeleteDance in the daisies, play with the cats, sing with the birds, eat cake and thoroughly enjoy your day, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Sandra Cox: Thank you. I did a lot of that - but the cake will have to wait until later today.
DeleteI'm glad to see blogging traditions alive and well! There is impressive stuff in the comments!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Seckman: It is a fun meme, and there are some seriously talented contributors.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. Glad to be back! Here is a strange offering:
ReplyDeleteThe palace in the night was silent except for clay brown mice foraging under the feast tables. Stars were silent in the dark sky. Bats were quiet as they flew silently like bullets for insects. Such silence was extraordinary for this glass palace. Glass did not last long in the real world, but here in this kingdom, anything is possible.
Susan Kane: Welcome back. I hope that means your hand is much, much better. And yes, a kingdom of imagination and dreams allows so many incongruous things to thrive.
Delete