Snapshots

Bubblegum

2013-06-03T21:11:00.001-06:00

"Thanks for waiting, Sweetie." A glum face stares up at me. "You don't have to stop whatever you're playing. I just wanted to let you know that I'm ready when you are." Her pout transforms into a toothless grin and she turns back to her passel of girls, all sitting criss-cross-applesauce in a cramped circle. Giggles erupt as I walk away. Later on the drive home, I ask, "What were you

Stay Put

2013-05-31T15:58:00.001-06:00

"How long has it been?" "Twenty minutes." "I can't believe we got left behind." "You're the one who had to go potty." "So what do we do?" "We stay put." "Right here?" "Yep." image _________________________ Linking up with Trifextra. Thirty-three words inspired by the above photo.

Legacy Letters

2013-05-29T14:49:00.001-06:00

"This will be the last move. I promise." Bella hung up the phone, her throat tight. Blinking back hot tears, she pulled aside the blue check curtains over the kitchen sink and watched her twin girls playing. We were just getting settled, she sighed. Two months and ninety-six boxes later, Bella climbed off the kitchen counter and looked up at the blue checked curtains she had just hung. She

Relentless Sand

2013-04-08T15:15:00.000-06:00

"Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Tseya who lived in a little hut, perched on the edge of the desert. Actually, his home sat nestled on the border between a vast stretch of ocher sand and an emerald oasis. Out one window, Tseya could watch a dune lark tease a barking gecko at the water's edge, marveling as the little lizard licked his eyes clean of the Namib's pervasive sand. Or

The Burden

2013-04-02T14:24:00.001-06:00

Agnes heaved the dusty bag up the rickety steps, one hand gripping the drawstring, the other grasping the railing. Each step was laborious, but the memory of Uncle Earl's deceit kept her moving, step by grueling step toward the cellar door above. His swindling hands...step. His cruel lies...step. His heartless indifference...step. As Agnes panted, wiping the sweat from her eyes, she could

Fog

2013-03-15T09:35:00.004-06:00

Andy hears water splashing and a shout from within the fog. Goosebumps cover his skinny arms as he slips on the wet concrete. Leaping into the cloud, the hot springs envelope him. Cannonball! Photo credit:Bérenger ZYLA / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND ____________________________ Linking up with Trifexcta: 33 words to tell a story inspired by the picture

Elusive Enigma

2013-03-12T11:02:00.001-06:00

I take the stairs two at at time, pushing past the other travelers on the steep path. My breathing isn't labored, nor do my legs ache. My mission thrusts me along in a desperate search. The trail turns sharply and as I scan the trees, I see it. A few yards ahead, the orb floats near an outcropping of rock. Sprinting the last few feet, I dodge a fellow traveler and reach for it. My fingers

First Time

2013-03-01T20:51:00.002-07:00

I listen as Brett reads; the kids cringe, cackle and cower. I've read "The Order of the Phoenix" multiple times, but tonight it's fresh. So is the anxiety, even if I know better. _____________________________________________ Linking up with Trifecta: 33 words to share a first person narrative.

Centered

2013-02-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

After several minutes of wedging, the clay was ready. He had worked out the bubbles, repeatedly cutting and pounding the mass. Now the clay was kneaded and soft. With a thunk! he dropped the lump onto the center of the wheel and sat down. Setting the wheel in motion, he dunked his hands in a bucket of water before sliding his palms over the spinning clay. His teacher's words echoed in his

Scavenger Hunt

2013-02-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Snow glitters in the blinding azure sky, flurrying and fluttering. Curiously, there is not a cloud to be seen. Four year old Lizzy clumps to the backyard. Her mudruckers are on the wrong feet. She stomps through bronze grass, searching. Lizzy peers under silver leaves. What's hiding under there? Crocus peek out. "Look, Mommy! Spring!" image source _________________________________

Hide and Seek

2013-02-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Standing in the back of the kitchen cupboards, quietly hidden. A sensation pricked him like needles, urgent and all but discovered. No noise, carefully still. A child peering in shouted, "Found him!" Relief. ____________________________ Linking up with Trifexcta: 33 words to tell a story only using words from the page below. The 33rd page of Elizabeth

En Pointe

2013-02-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

"Okay, sorry about that. What were you saying?" "You know...never mind. I know you're busy. I can talk to you later." "Hey, it's not a problem. I got him a snack and I've locked myself in the bathroom. What's up?" "I was, uh, just calling to see how your day was going." "Liar. It's the middle of the day and that means you had to sneak out to make this call and you wouldn't do that just

Valentine's Day Haul

2013-02-16T08:06:00.002-07:00

My girls sit amidst a mother lode of Nerds and Atomic Airheads. Their sugar highs plummet to new-found lows . The meanest mother in the entire universe pulls out the trash can. ____________________________ Linking up with Trifexcta: 33 words with an hyperbole.

Beloved

2013-02-15T10:49:00.001-07:00

Another 5 Minute Friday ... one word, five minutes, no editing. Ready, set, go! Beloved Coming down from the sugar highs from yesterday, we encountered some bumpy landings. Boxes full of notes from friends, cautious words carving out safe Valentine wishes. "You're swell!" "I think you're amazing!" "Stay cool!" But real love isn't this tidy and neat. When we

The Spice Rack

2013-02-13T09:00:00.003-07:00

I dump a spoonful of curry into the waiting pot. As it hits the butter and onions, a savory plume fills the air causing my eyes to water. I give the mixture a few turns before setting the timer. Opening the cans of pumpkin and broth, I wait. The curry stains the spatula, a pervasive seasoning that invades my nose ... and my mind. Smiling, I remember a game my kid sister and I played. During

Bare

2013-02-08T10:23:00.003-07:00

Another 5 Minute Friday ... one word, five minutes, no editing. Ready, set, go! Bare Right now, we're wearing layers. Two shirts and a cardigan. Capri pants and tights. And from the look of Aaron's hamper, perhaps several pairs of socks. It's not that it's so very cold, right now - it's just that it's not warm. Even now as I sit here, I have a mug of coffee at hand to warm my

Weak & Weary

2013-02-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Jennifer collapsed wearily onto the bench. The sanctuary was shadowy, fragile rays of light trickled through the stained glass windows and altar candles glowed, illuminating the nave. Each flickering flame was a prayer presented to God and somehow a comfort to Jennifer's tired soul, too. Her eyes burned, the candles blurred and she buried her head in her hands. Dear God, it's me, Jennifer.

My Personal Paparazzi

2013-02-04T12:39:00.001-07:00

"Can I play wit dis?" Turning, I see Lydia, head cocked to the left and hip cocked to the right, smiling at me clutching our camera in her pudgy hands. The strap lays crookedly around her shoulders and her finger is already on the trigger. I spy an opportunity for this little one to be busy and happy while I finish up the last load of laundry. As "helpful" as she is to match socks, her

Gulp ...

2013-02-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Another 5 Minute Friday ... one word, five minutes, no editing. Ready, set, go! Afraid It sits in a green binder on the dining room table, little hot pink tongues of post-it notes peeking out here and there. I even bought a special pen with which to write in the margins, something that flows smoothly. The pen is tucked inside, waiting to be used. I've read several different posts

Be Big

2013-01-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Tip, Tap Tip, Tap Tip, Tap Tip, Tap... Sitting at our desks, we can hear Ms. Skoumal walking briskly down the hall to our classroom. A few squirrelly students scramble for their seats, sliding in just as she breezes through the door. She smiles broadly; big, bright blue eyes twinkle, happy to see us and her huge and wild head of red hair bounces with each step. "Good morning!" She turns to

Oh, My Heart

2013-01-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ella sits with her back to the window, nestled in the overstuffed cushions. Sunlight casts her shadow over the paper in her lap, she scribbles frantically, pouring out her heart. A tear drops, momentarily magnifying a word - Love - before soaking into the parchment, leaving a bleary stain. Ella sniffs loudly, looks at the ceiling and blinks back tears before returning to her literary lament.

Snowflakes

2013-01-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

I wrote this last Friday when we were still frozen and white. Now we have rain (?) and puddles with the sound of gurgling rain gutters at night. But, winter isn't over yet ... We've reached that moment of winter when we lose the magic of a snowflake. The days barely creep above 20 degrees and the street out front has only just been cleared of the snow from before Christmas. (Look! We can

Again ...

2013-01-25T15:34:00.004-07:00

Trying out a new prompt: 5 Minute Friday ... one word, five minutes, no editing. hmmmm.... Again It's her favorite shirt, the first one she puts on as soon as the laundry is finished. Sometimes, she doesn't even wait for me to fold it before it's slipped over her brunette bangs and worn proudly. The cuffs are grey, in spite of my efforts and the promises of Oxyclean. There is a

What Made Me Laugh?

2013-01-24T07:16:00.001-07:00

What made me laugh this week? In a word ... Lydia. Three snapshots of the sweet silliness of this girl who is growing up too fast and yet still has a way to go! I love you Weeda Mae! --- In the cuckoo-head moments before Brett got home on Monday evening, Ashley was practicing her reading by perusing the many magnets and spelling tests adorning the refrigerator door. She prided

Home is ...

2013-01-23T09:56:00.003-07:00

Maggie let the screen door slap shut behind her, eyes burning and throat tight with angry tears. She heard Wilson call for her, but she strode forward, raising her right hand in a silent plea for him not to follow. A tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away. Stomping down the back steps, she made her way to the overgrown patio, stepping through the voracious vines in hopes of