Weekend Writings

Do you wanna join me for some fiction writing?  I'm going to start posting fiction every weekend ... and thought I'd throw it out there if you wanted to join too.  I'm going to get the prompts from Creative Writing Prompts, and I'm having friends pick random numbers of each one.

This weekend is #235:
"Beverly Cooper and Kenneth Salvador meet when she discovers someone has broken into her house.  One of them is a biologist."

No rules ... it can be short, long, a poem, a drama, a comedy, a romance ... whatever you want it to be.

I'll have a linky up Saturday morning and keep it up all weekend.  Join if you wanna!

Parking Lot Fair

Last Friday we went to go eat at Cici's ... it's cheap, gets you out of the house, and Leah can eat all the pizza she wants while Andrew and I try to limit the amount we eat.  In the parking lot outside the restaurant there was a 'parking lot fair' going on ... 'parking lot fair' is my term for it, but I think it fits!

I thought ... hey we can just go and walk around and that will be fun!  We don't have to spend money ... just walk around and have fun.  Well, that lasted until Leah saw the 'fishy ride' and just had to ride it.  Well, at $2 a ride ... Leah and Daddy talked me into it.

I mean ... come on ... they use a rope as a seat belt and the ride starts off with the carnival man giving it a running start (although he knew I was concerned so Leah's running start wasn't that fast).

and ... she loved it!  LOVED IT!  and I'm glad I let her go on it!  The kids in front were waving their hands, so at one point Leah decided to be daring (that picture is in the collage below).

and then .... Leah cried as we left.  I am so ready for the day that we can have fun and not have the fun time ruined by a crying child because she doesn't want to leave... sigh ...

Self Reflections Tuesday -- Your Room

Welcome to the weekly Self Reflections Tuesday






Christy from Just Thinkin' and Lisa from The Sarcastic Lab Rat came up with a new idea to help boost brain power and decrease blogger's block.  The 'Self Reflection' title comes from the fact that this is a meme to focus on YOU!  We all love reading about our kids, our dogs, our cats, our bunnies, our spouses, etc ... but here is a place for you to reflect on YOU and your thoughts.  Every week we will all meet together here and expand our brain and our friendships though a writing prompt.


Last week we were talking about seeing yourself as a character in a television show or a movie? Share what (if anything) you have learned from watching it.



Christy -- So, since there were only 2 people (other than Lisa and I) who responded last week ... I'm going to highlight both, lol.  I really enjoyed Kate's last week especially how she detailed the personality traits she has in common with the character on Grey's Anatomy.  I loved how Beth focused on stories going on in our minds.  It's comforting because now I know I'm not the only one who thinks in that fashion!


Lisa -- My favorite from last week was Christy's.  I can totally see how her character is a lot like her.  I watched the silly video and was like "yep ... throw an Auburn shirt on that girl and it's Christy"


This week the theme is: You have unlimited money, unlimited time, and unlimited space to build your dream house. What is the one room you would put in it just for you?


Next week: Describe a typical day of your life as an animal. You pick the species!


  

Oh yeah ... and grab a button too!

<center><a href="http://christy-newblog.blogspot.com" target="_blank" title="Just Thinkin'"><img src="http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b469/ckillion/SRa.jpg" /></a>" <center></center></center>

Rules:
-Please only link-up posts that pertain to the given theme
-Either include the Self Reflections button or hyper link back to either blog in your post
-Only link up the url of your actual post not of your entire blog
       --to do this; click on your post title and copy that url into the link
-Try your best to visit the other people around you
-Always have fun!  Feel free to email me with any questions: c.killion@yahoo.com

A Room for Me

It's time for Self Reflections Tuesday!  Today's question is -- You have unlimited money, unlimited time, and unlimited space to build your dream house. What is the one room you would put in it just for you?

I have always loved the Victorian style houses with the circle towers on the side.  I also got sad every time I didn't get the Victorian Mansion card in The Game of Life.

If I could build any house as my dream house, it would look something like the one below ... except probably not yellow.

source

and that room at the top ... you know the circle one with cone on the top ... that would be my room!  A room all to myself ... that would have this sign on the door:

Under the window there would be a super wide window bench with lots of pillows for reading and looking out the window.  

source 

There would be a whole curve with a built in bookshelf that would never be full, so it's always ready for new books to be added to it.

source

I would have a computer with a very large monitor.  That computer would have all the latest photo editing software, and my favorite shots would be hanging on the wall above.

The floor would be dark hardwoods, and the walls would be lavender purple ... because purple is my favorite color.  The furniture in the room would be antique with clawed feet and beautiful curves. 

 source

Source

There would be a large flat screen t.v. ... for watching dramas without being interrupted with "Mommy, listen to ME!" and also an awesome sound system where I could listen to jazz one minute and rock n' roll the next.

My room would reflect me ... a mixture, sometimes an odd mixture, of feminine soft antique and crazy rock n roll photo editing music.  and the best thing ... 

When Mommy is in her room, you have to knock to enter, and Mommy reserves the right to pretend that she didn't hear you.

What's your dream room?  Come here and link up!

The Big Red Chicken

My friend Lisa does "Stuff on the Road Saturdays".  I thought I'd join in today ... seemed appropriate

ummm ... do you see something wrong with this picture? 

I think there's something other than a car on the road

it's coming closer ... should I panic?

oh ... it's just a chicken going for a ride in the bed of someone's truck

bye bye, Big Red Chicken (yes this is a Dora reference) ... enjoy your truck ride!

I don't wanna screw this up

A couple of months ago ... well, probably more than a couple ... ummm a while ago, Andrew and I were talking about our relationship when he shared an observation with me.  He told me that he's noticed most of our arguments happen when we are moving.  The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with him.  All the horrible arguments I remember are within a few weeks of moving in or out of somewhere.  And we have moved alot ... we moved 3 times before our first anniversary, and once a year since then.  I don't know what it is about moving, but it somehow makes me more combative.

Now, we are moving to Birmingham.  I couldn't be happier, seriously.  It is very bittersweet leaving Nashville, but I'm excited about the opportunities for both of us in Birmingham.  But before any of this can start ... we have to move there; we have to pack boxes, and trucks and cars.

Now, I have the knowledge that moving causes strains on our relationship ... and it's like I'm watching a slow motion disaster movie.  Moving boxes are entering our house and my 'fight or flight' response has become all fight.  Fight is building up into a huge fist wound tighter than a jack stuck in a box ready to punch anyone within ten feet ... and by anyone, I mean Andrew; and by punch I mean act like a b*tch.

yup, something like this...

I want to stop.  Last night was bad.  I don't know why ... I saw myself doing it, I heard myself losing patience, I felt that fist winding backwards ... so I went to bed.  I don't want to fight.  I don't want to make my lovely husband upset.

Anyone have any advice?  How can I keep my sanity, my relationship, and gain a new house in a new city all at the same time?  Is that too much to ask for ...

I did find a rainbow in the carpet last night ... maybe that means something ...

Spinning

This is fiction inspired by Mama Kat's Writers Workshop and a bit of real life.

She stood with her hand easily resting on the railing, watching the boys spin faster than should be allowed on the carousal.  Their collective ages totaled more than the retired man peering over his glasses to control the ride, but they giggled and laughed like kids half their age.  She smiled and laughed in her easy manner; more with them than at them, and anyone watching could notice the love she felt by looking at her eyes.  She belonged to them.

No, they weren't her children or her brothers or her lovers; well mostly.  They were her friends, best friends.  The place where she felt safe enough to be herself.  She enjoyed the easy acceptance and the fun flirting that came along with guy friends.  No glances and glares to analyze as evil or benign.  No backstabbing to avoid  or fall prey to.  Just truth and sexy glances; boys who were often blunt, but always honest.

They stumbled off the ride dizzier than after a night of illegal drinking.  She fell in step with their movements and instantly at home in the warm familiarity.  They laughed as each one tried to compose themselves while each flirting with her in their own fun way.  And then, the one with the bright eyes and boyish smile, the one with the wave in his hair, the one that held her heart grabbed her hand.

And the years passed by faster than any dizzying ride on a carousal.  Friends grew up and moved away; some becoming nothing more than an internet posting.  But the bright eyed boy still held her hand, and claimed it as his own with a ring to match his smile.

Before she could stop the spinning years of life, she was surrounded by a new group; a much shorter group.  The love flowed easily, but the acceptance often came guarded with the role of discipline.  Still there was truth all around, blunt truth; sometimes delivered through soft stern words and other times through yells that could knock down a straw wall.

Now as she stood one tired hand on the handrail, one on the stroller; she felt the memories of a time seemingly long ago rush back.  And she watched the boy with the bright eyes and the small group spin faster than should be allowed on the carousel, their combined ages barely surpassing her own, she sank back into a simpler time of acceptance.  No longer was she a mom with dark circles and deep wrinkles, but a girl who could cause a blind man to flirt as he passed her way.  Anyone watching saw the love in her eyes.  She rested the camera atop the sticky stroller and took a second to pause and realize; she belonged to them.