Write about the night you spent in a cemetery.
It was an opportunity to visit with my great-grandparents who were pleased I could stop by. Grandfather was keen to know what changes I had made to his house even though he’d been dead nearly 90 years. I outlined my efforts.
He listened and nodded his approval then said, “Times have changed.”
Written for: http://sachablack.co.uk/2017/12/20/writespiration-146-52-weeks-in-52-words-week-51/
Image: Labelled for re-use.
This week we are asked to weave a tale about an Act of Kindness
Angus McScroogerton didn’t like Christmas. It was always busy at the shops, which forced him to go earlier than he liked and that made him all the grouchier.
The shopping centre was huge and people were too busy to notice him as he went about his shopping.
As he walked through the mall he tripped and fell. He was always very sure of foot and it took him several seconds to realise he was on the ground. The shock of it all momentarily confused him.
He felt hands on him; voices speaking to him and both gestures were foreign to him for apart from the cash register girls he never spoke to anyone.
Hands lifted him up and sat him on a seat. He was dazed there was no doubt and soon the mall security informed him that an ambulance had been called. His protests came to nothing and soon he was being wheeled out into the ambulance and taken off to hospital.
There was a man beside him who introduced himself as Dutch Holland. Angus heard the name but it meant little to him.
The next day he woke up in his hospital bed, still confused but his mind was working overtime to tell him what had happened. Nurses came and went and one of them left him some breakfast, which Angus later described as a healthy amount of Hospital gruel.
Then a familiar face appeared. It was Dutch Holland from the previous day. He was dropping by to check on Angus and to say he would go via the shopping mall and retrieve Angus’ car. Angus had forgotten about his car but knew he was in no fit state to collect it himself. So he handed Dutch the keys and hoped all would be okay.
The next day with the aid of a walking stick Angus was sent home. He arrived at his house to find his car parked in its carport.
Inside was different. His house had been cleaned and there was a note on his breakfast bar.
Dear Mr McScroogerton,
My family and I took the liberty of giving your house a clean. We did some shopping and packed it into your fridge and freezer.
We hope you don’t mind our intrusion but it is Christmas and we know you’ll be doing it tough for the next week or so.
Merry Christmas Mr McScroogerton
Best wishes, Dutch Holland and Family.
Angus opened his fridge and saw it was packed with fresh foods along with a Christmas pudding and a small Christmas cake. There was also a six-pack of his favourite beer.
In the freezer he saw to his surprise multiple containers of cooked meals, all home made as far as he could tell, each container labelled and given instructions for microwaving.
Angus was left speechless, he needed to sit down and take in what had happened to him over the previous days. As he sat there he noticed a wrapped gift on the bench. Opening it he found a book: ‘Christmas Comes But Once a Year.’
Angus was moved by what had happened and he thought to himself this must be what is called the kindness of strangers.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/tale-weaver-151-21st-december-christmas-edition/
Photo by Brooke Lark
Santa liked visiting the Hewitt’s as there was a grand selection of food and he enjoyed tasting everything.
One year there was a sack missing and he wondered why. He felt a sharp tug on his pants and looking down saw a small boy. The boy looked sad and explained his mum had died during the year and they were trying to make Christmas normal.
“She’d be proud of you,” said Santa, “keeping her alive in your hearts is your greatest tribute to her.”
The boy looked at Santa blinking in agreement as Santa found his way up the chimney.
Written for: https://bikurgurl.com/2017/12/20/20448/
Write a story or poem of 5 Lines or Less using the word wrapping.
Each present was wrapped as more a work of art than a gift.
The children gathered in front of the tree looking earnestly at the tags for their names.
Their parents sipped on beer and wine catching up with their own stories of Christmas chaos.
When the time came and names were called there was a sense of meticulous unwrapping.
An hour later the tree was bare, the children outside playing and the wrapping awaiting the re-cycling bin.
Written for: https://patriciasplace.me/2017/12/20/in-other-words-wrapping/
Image: Kat Myrman
Its become a ritual each night to light the candle in the hope you find your way home.
I miss you but cling to the dream you’ll come back.
I know you are out there and we get lost from time to time.
Until I hear otherwise, I’ll keep your flame alight.
Written for: https://katmyrman.com/2017/12/19/twittering-tale-63-19-december-2017/
Bunder (my elf on a shelf) this past week has been atop the Christmas tree as well as spending the week at the home of my three small grandsons. They were amazed he found their house and more amazed he managed to move around their house when they weren’t looking. The other morning he was found in their room and had spread toilet paper around their room and over their beds.
He also took over the Santa sleigh they had and had grabbed some of Santa’s candy canes.
This week he is at my grand daughter’s place and when she spied him the other night exclaimed: “This is the best Christmas ever.” So I await news of what he gets up to there. No repeat of last year when Bunder was seen sitting on the ceiling fan, and grand daughter thought she’d make his life more exciting by turning on the fan. Poor Bunder was in need of band-aids and panadol.
So I hope your Christmas week is going well. Best wishes.
Image: Yinglan Z.
Joey and his dad were on their first visit to the museum and both were excited to see the new dinosaur exhibit. They had arrived early and waited patiently at the head of the queue for the doors to open.
As they entered the museum Joey stood aghast at the sheer size of the skeleton before him. Up close the teeth looked so real, so big, his eyes were agape as he took in the creature before him.
As they moved to the front of the dinosaur Joey was suddenly seized with the notion that the dinosaur was looking at him. He shook his head only to hear the deafening roar of the beast as its head tilted down upon him.
Grabbing his dad’s hand tightly he found safety behind his father’s leg as the dinosaur swung its mighty head around in front of him.
It was then his dad suggested they go to the bathroom pleased he had brought along a spare pair of pants for his son.
Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2017/12/18/fffaw-challenge-week-of-december-19-2017/
Image: – Michal Trpák
She saw her life unravelling
Important bits were falling off
What she saw yesterday as whole and complete
Was today collapsing before her eyes.
It’s what happens when sadness descends upon you.
She saw so much had changed
The love she knew she felt
The affection she gave and received
Was once again replaced by pretend
Once sadness descended upon her.
Get on and live your life were words she heard
Over and over repeated you’re better off here.
The humdrum and chaos of a live not lived at all
The expectation you were present when you weren’t
Was what happened when sadness descended on you.
She gathered what was left
What hadn’t disappeared into the air
Held each thread as if to let go
Would allow her soul to wither and die.
For sadness had descended upon her.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/photo-challenge-193/
This week’s words: Gifts Oranges Cloves Glistering Biting Cinnamon Rice Porridge Family Stress Snowfall Darkness Candles Ornaments Fire
Every year was the same Angus McSroogerton thought as he packed the Christmas parcel that was to go to his distant but wealthy Aunt Agnes McSroogerton.
He believed there was a lot to be said for the humbug of Christmas. His Aunt expected something from him, and his gift was always something. This year a tin of cinnamon rice pudding, an orange all wrapped in glistening Christmas paper as he knew she liked the idea that all that glistened was gold.
It could be said that Angus didn’t care a lot for his aunt, but he knew to keep in her good books as he was the sole relative to inherit her fortune. He thought over his previous gifts to her. The clove of garlic one year, the candles and Christmas ornaments and the small fire that the candles caused has raised his spirits.
Once his gift was wrapped, he then faced the ordeal of taking the parcel to the Post Office, and that meant walking out into the biting wind, being buffered by the snow that was falling and had created drifts he hated ploughing his way through.
It was still dark, and he didn’t like the darkness much either as his eyesight was failing as he grew older and grouchier.
On the corner, he encountered the Smith Family all out in the snow erecting their Christmas Day display. Mother, Father and daughter all working together to put up as many lights and glistering baubles as they could. The joy and laughter was enough to make him feel worse as he pushed his way past their house.
In his world, family equalled stress at this time of the year, and he was glad he didn’t have to deal with any of it. It was bad enough he had to suck up to his Aunt.
Through the darkness, he spotted the Post Office and was pleased he had made it and would be rid of his only investment in Christmas. He’d soon bunker down in his little house and wait out the joy and festivity around him.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/12/18/bonus-wordle-holidays/
It was a steamy morning, and Marjorie came in from her walk all sweaty and immediately grabbed the purple hand towel I left out for her. I had discovered in the course of our morning chats that she was a purple girl and as I had a purple hand towel, I thought this was an ideal time to make use of it.
“Did you watch the cricket yesterday?” she asked and not waiting for an answer said, “that Smith fellow is amazing, isn’t he? Love watching him bat. You know cricket is a lot like baseball in that it’s a game of statistics and one stat I like is that when he reaches 25 in any innings, he averages 95 which is out of this world when you think about it.”
Marjorie was what we call a cricket tragic, and she could go on for hours about the game having read what I estimated as every cricket book ever written.
I announced that I was going out later as it was that time of the Christmas week when the elf was to be on the move again. He’d been at the house of the three boys this past week getting up to all sorts of Elf mischief, and it was time for him to move to the house of No 3 whose small daughter was looking forward to the elf’s visit…. though we were hoping for an improved visit this year as the elf whilst sitting on the ceiling fan was propelled off when daughter of No 3 turned on the fan. The result was an elf who needed band-aids to aid in its recovery.
It was around Christmas time each year that Marjorie’s ex came into discussion. Her reaction was the same each year: “If he was a woman you’d call him a real bitch,” she’d say….” the less said, the better and I hope he chokes on his Christmas pudding the great pudding that he is.”
Once that was off her chest she’d then begin telling me she was harvesting tomatoes like they were going out of style and as it was that time of year when anyone who had a tomato bush was in the same situation she had tomatoes coming out her ears. So, she’d set to making up tomato relish and following her age-old recipe concluded that this year as the tomatoes were extra juicy that she’d made more of a tomato sauce than a relish. Anyway, in her opinion, it all tasted good, and she’d include it in her next spaghetti bol she was to make later in the week. If I was lucky, I might score a jar as well.
So, with that, she put down her purple hand towel and headed off into Marjorie land where as she put it so often, ‘she’d get back to it’ and left me to get my day underway.
Morpethroad 