Mainely Write

And here's one more part  It could have been the last, the end, that's all.  But I have started part 4, and have thoughts about part 5.  I will not be posting those.  And after a few days I will be taking these parts down.  I can't have part of "The Book" up here.  It may be time to just work on it while I post "other stuff". Read these in order if you came here by chance.  Here are the links: Part 1 , Part 2 .  Let me know what you think.  Really.  Pretend you are an editor, or a reader (which shouldn't be too hard to do, given that you are reading this).  I will not be hurt so much that I can't recover, but I may be nudged just enough to become a better writer. ********************************* Ghost traps... That’s what they were now. Sitting there dead on the bottom of the ocean, cut from their lifelines.  The morning those yellow and white silent guards were freed from their watery posts above the traps, was the best morning ever

And here is my second entry, that gives a bit more of the story from yesterday's first entry .  I have one more part I was debating about entering if I got to the final round.  Maybe I'll post that, too.  Or maybe I should keep it for "The Book"! ********************************************** Biscuits were in the oven baking up golden as the evening sun.  I heard the familiar chugging as I set the supper table. “Men’ll be in any minute... Potatoes, cabbage, corned beef.  Biscuits almost ready... Butter. Salt.”   I rubbed my hands down my faded floury apron. The scrape of their boots trudging up the steps to the porch, the screen door slamming as they entered the mudroom and hung up gear - they were as comforting as any sounds I’d ever heard. Breathing came easier when I knew they were safely returned to shore. Silently, they went off to wash up; husband to the kitchen sink, grandson to the upstairs bath. “Coffee or tea, Cap?”  I asked, bending to get

I had two entries on DL Hammon's Cruising Altitude 2.0, WRiTE Club in the writing challenge over the past two months.  I made it pretty far.  Unfortunately, for me, but fortunately for others, I was out for this next round.  There are two good writings going up this week (TTh) to vote on. But now that it is done, and since it has been online already anyway....I'm posting my first 500 word story here now.  And tomorrow I'll post the next part of it (which is what I submitted for Bout 4).  Let me know what you think.  Could I expand this into a whole book?  I think I'm shaking.  Should I try to turn from teacher to writer in my retirement?  There's that shivery, shaky thing happening again. ************************************* I could see his jaws working, chewing on the toothpick. “Nerve a’ him.”  He spat in the water. Daylight was just spilling on the waves as we came into open waters.  There among the red of my grandfather’s buoys were yellow ones indi

I have been cleaning out junk and dusting spots that haven't known the unfiltered sun for their whole life in my home.  I have just a bit more to do. On Thursday, we are having the largest Thanksgiving group we've had in a long time...  19 people...maybe 20.   Children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, great grammie, friends...our two newest relatives will be there...Felix and Zeta.  Everyone ranging from 5 months to 85 years.  And we are going to have the best time ever!  A new coffee carafe arrived yesterday for our coffee maker.  Now we can make lots of coffee. I just bought extra flatwear so we have enough extra for company.  My son gets it when we are through using it.  He's buying his first house in a few weeks, so he needs more than two forks now! My daughter and her husband will be here late tomorrow, as far as I know.  They will be sleeping in the loft.  So they need a bed. The new mattress will be delivery by UPS any minute. On Friday t

Sharing the Sun Two friends, Happy friends Lying in the sun; Sharing in its warmth Till the day is done. Best friends, Warm friends Dozing in the glow Of a wood stove fire When the sun is low. Fuzzy friends, Forever friends Blanketed in fur; One gives a sigh, One returns a purr. Donna JT Smith

Gramps is a purchased puppet for our Junior Church programs.  We needed a donkey for Christmas.  And we needed two really.  One for the puppets to introduce the Christmas program and one for the program that is big enough for Mary to "wear" when traveling to Bethlehem. So here he is - Burrito, the transformer donkey.  He's really two pieces (cleverly concealing the two parts with his blanket.  The puppets can ride on him on Sunday to get the kids revved up for the next program. Then for the actual program there will be a wider blanket covering the front to back on one side and some fake "Mary legs" on the other side.  Mary will be able to stand in the middle, belly area, to walk down the church aisle with Joseph leading him.  I haven't finished the actual joining of the two parts and adding the shoulder straps to keep him up, but those are definitely the easiest parts. With no pattern and never having made one before, it was a challenge to cut and se

Speaking of voting... If you haven't been to DL Hammon's WRiTE Club yet, there's still time and plenty of good writing to read and vote on!  The first round consisted of 72 writing pieces of 500 words or less, 2 writers pitted against each other, until it was down to 36.  Then those 36 winners of the first bout were rematched down to 18.  The remaining 18 were allowed to edit their pieces if they cared to before the third bout. So this is a good place to jump in if you haven't before.  These pieces will be up until Sunday on three websites (to spread the traffic around).  After that the 9 winning writers (plus the entry that didn't make it, but got the most votes) will submit a new story for the next round. You can always go back and read the original entries if you care to. BUT - Before you vote, you must sign up on the Linky here or it won't count as a vote: Cruising Altitude 2.0 Then go on to the bouts and VOTE for the one that knocks your socks o

I hate when I wake up and need coffee.  But I need coffee.  Because I'm not really awake.  Got on the computer as soon as I physically got up.  Stared at it a while.  Realized it was Monday, so I clicked on the WRiTE Club button to vote on the next round of stories.  The cat yelled at me for not getting him food yet.  Now he's on the table right in back of my laptop screen, looking at me.  He's been rubbing on the stack of papers on the table and thinking about pushing them onto the floor.  That always gets my attention.  Sometimes I've rewarded him with food when he has done that.  Because he's persistent.  And he doesn't need coffee to be awake. I think I will stop staring at this computer, and start the coffee and feed the cat.  Or maybe feed the cat, then start the coffee.  That's probably safer, though it delays my coffee...I think I need to go with safer. I should set the coffee to come on automatically tomorrow morning, so I can vote at the poll

Welcome to Poetry Friday from Coastal Maine!  I'm so excited to be hosting my first Poetry Friday.  You may link directly below by clicking "Add Your Link".  You may comment in comments also, if you like, but I won't be putting up links from there.  Just click on the links to go to the poetry site and let them know you read their post! Did I mention that I'm excited?  Never tried this before.  This is up early, so if you need to post earlier than Friday...feel free! November October is gone and Summer's long past It's not yet December With winter's white cast It's plain old November No leaves and no snow Don't want it to stay Just want it to go. No sandals, no beach  The sun isn't bright; No snowmen, no boots The time isn't right. It's too cold for one, Too hot for the other; No wonder November Is so much a bother. I so wish November Could be more like spring And we could be happy With what it would bring.