Saturday Centus - Grocery Store Blues

I love Saturday mornings. I get to sleep in a bit, and when I wake up I get to play with words for Saturday Centus. This is a fun writing exercise hosted every week by our gracious and lovely hostess, Jenny Matlock from Off On My Tangent. The concept is simple. We are given a prompt, and then write a short story of 100 words or less using the prompt in it's entirety and EXACTLY as written. Jenny leaves the link up for an entire week, so you've got plenty of time to join. And since the stories are so short, it's easy to visit every link. And you will definitely want to, there are some amazing writers who participate every week. Speaking of amazing writers, this week's prompt was provided by Cheryl at Deckside Thoughts. If you haven't met Cheryl, make sure to visit. You'll be very glad you did! This week's prompt:

I listened to them from my perch on the top step and didn't know whether to laugh or to cry...

Hope you enjoy my take on it! And this was written especially for Cheryl :)

The sun beat mercilessly from the cloudless sky. Leaving the air conditioned car, I walked into a blast furnace. Burnt grass crunching under my feet like broken glass, I wanted nothing more than to collapse with a tall glass of tea and a book.

I paused, watching the girls play. Whirling dervishes, kicking up dusty grass, having a grand time. I smiled, hearing their big plans for the night. Catching fireflies, roasting wienies. Then, words that struck terror in my heart. " ... we can have a big bowl of Blue Bell Peaches and Homemade Vanilla!"
I listened to them from my perch on the top step and didn't know whether to laugh or to cry... I knew I had forgotten something!







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Rainbow Summer School - Yellow!

Time for Summer School with Mrs. Matlock at Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent. Holy cow, I almost missed class this week! 29 weeks and no absences. I will NOT mess up that streak! I've had computer issues, work issues, family issues - you get the picture. This week's color is yellow and I thought I'd find some of my photos that had yellow in them. Turns out, I really didn't have anything. So I raided DH's photo files. These are some of his shots that had some yellow that I could use. Hope you enjoy! And sorry for being tardy Mrs. Matlock, it won't happen again. Although detention with this crew could be a whole lot of fun - tee hee!

BTW, we have a new classmate today. Make sure to give a shout out to one of my dearest friends, Marty from "A Stroll Through Life". It's her birthday today!


DH took this shot on my family's farm on our recent trip to Mississippi. He's such a city boy - I was taking pictures of cows, he was taking pictures of a school bus covered with graffiti!

This is a billboard on I-35 right outside of Georgetown. Fun, isn't it?

We found this old abandoned farmhouse on one of our Sunday drives. Kind of spooky the way the yellow sun makes it appear that there is a light on - maybe it's haunted!

There are some fun yellow marbles in this still life

A really cool hot rod at the annual Lone Star Round Up car show in Austin

Ok, this one is a stretch. There really are some yellow flowers in the vines in the background. DH was shooting me as I was shooting this belfry that came off of one of the original schools in Austin. It's located in Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. A friend asked if I had posed - DH cracked up and said I would never knowingly let him take my picture dressed this way LOL

Now run to class and see what everyone else has posted for yellow this week. I'm off to visit the links. I may be slow, but I will get around to everyone!

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Saturday Centus - Looking Home

Time for Saturday Centus, the day that Jenny at Off on My Tangent gives us a prompt to use in writing a short story. A VERY short story, 100 words or less without the prompt.
This has been a great exercise for me, it really does teach discipline. And it helps to see what really makes for a good, tight story. Give it a whirl, it's not always easy, but it's always fun. The link stays live for a full week, so you've got plenty of time. And make sure to visit all the links, there are some really amazing writers participating.

This week's prompt:

Objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear...


My take on it - hope you enjoy!

Wipers on low, an alternate beat to the thumping of tires on the old bridge. Not raining, just that peculiar veil of mist that hangs over south Louisiana in the morning. Sun glinting gold through the cypress, slow moving water hiding frogs, gators, and gar. Smoke rising at the edge of my vision. Ghosts of the past? Just old man Bergeron burning cane stubble.

The demands of life called me back to the city. I cringed, thinking of the noisy crowds. The only wildlife packs of feral teenagers and the occasional rat.

A final look back. Objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear... God, I hope so.