Monthly Archives: November 2012

#FWF Free Write Friday; Work Bank

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Tulip shaped cognac glass

Tulip shaped cognac glass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the spirit of Winter… Use one or more of the words to inspire your pen…

Winter berries, candles, ice crystals, snow flakes, seasonal, winter, holidays, Christmas, family, eating, religion, Santa Claus, reindeer, blizzard, snowstorm, peppermint, hot chocolate, gloves, scarf, boots, fireplace.

The two met at the local ice-skating rink. Karen, a new skater, hanging on to the post in order not to fall too many more times. Dave was an excellent skater and came here often to enjoy his Saturdays.

The snow flakes were falling gently, adding a soft silhouette to the skaters. With it being winter, and Karen being from warmer states, she was cold. She skated cautiously to the exit sign and went over to the tables and sat down. A waitress came to take her order, and Karen said,” I will take a hot chocolate please, and could you add a peppermint stick”? The waitress left to go get her order ready.

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas, and Karen had come home to New York to spend the holiday with her family. Karen had moved to Florida for job related reasons, and had not visited her home state for some time.

She admired the beauty of the rink. The owners had taken great stride to decorate it for the Christmas season. The rope that encircled the rink was filled with strings of Winter berries. On each table a soft glow was reflecting from the single candle. When you looked towards the parking lot, reindeer were lined up, welcoming you to the rink.

She noted her watch and thought, My order should be arriving any moment. I am so cold. The hot chocolate will warm me back up. She looked up and saw a man walking towards her. He was holding a cup of something and was gazing at her. He walked up to her and asked,” Did you order a hot chocolate with an added twist of peppermint”? Karen said,” Well, yes I did, but who are you? You are not the same person who took my order”?

Dave replied,” I went over to the waitress and asked her if she would mind me delivering your order. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to meet you. Hi, my name is Dave, and your name is”?

Karen stammered for a moment. She then said,”Karen, yes, Karen is my name. Nice to meet you. Would you care to sit down”? Dave smiled, showing a beautiful set of teeth, and she could not help but notice the deep dimples at each edge of his handsome lips.

They both sat for a few moments not saying anything. Karen then broke the ice and told him she admired his skating abilities. Once the sentence was spoken, the conversation took off. Before long both were laughing and getting to know each other. It was as if the love bug had flown in and gently nibbled at their hearts.

The snow started to fall faster and each flake seemed to grow bigger. Karen said,” I think I best get going. I don’t want to drive in bad snow. I have heard that maybe tomorrow there will be a snowstorm, or worse yet, maybe a blizzard”! Dave laughed and stood up and helped her with her gloves and scarf. He reached down and softly rubbed against her leg as he helped her get her skates off and back into her boots.

He asked, ” Where are your parents home? Would you like me to drive you there, since you are not used to the winters here”? Karen replied, ” Oh, well they only live about five miles down the main road. I should be alright, but thank-you for offering David. You are very kind”.

He reached over without asking, and gave Karen a big hug, taking in the perfume of her hair. He stood back then and said,” Would it be alright if I called you again? I would like to see you once more before you leave”. Karen told him the phone number and told him she would like that. With the conversation being over, the two parted ways, but taking a sliver of each others hearts with them.

The snow was becoming heavy, and at times it was hard to see. Karen took her time driving, and many drivers honked and went around her. She was a couple of miles away from her destination, when a deer ran out in front of her. She slammed on her brakes, causing the car to swerve one way and then the other way. In no time at all, she found herself in a ditch.

She began to weep, and then a soft knock came on her window. She looked out her window and saw the beautiful blue eyes of David. She lowered the window and said,” A deer ran out in front of me! It scared me, and I didn’t know what to do! I slammed on the brakes, but the car started swerving”!

Dave asked her if she was hurt, and she shook her head no. Looking through the rolled down window he  said,” I can see that you are pretty shook up Karen. Why don’t you allow me to drive you to my home?” He stood up and pointed in the direction of his home. He said,” If you look through those trees you can see the roof of my home. We can call a tow truck and have them deliver the car to your parents home, and then I can take you there myself”.

Karen thought this was a very good idea. He was right, she was shaken up, and she did not want to drive in this awful snow. She let him know she liked his idea, and he opened her car door rolled the window back up  and then helped her out. He placed his arm around her, and held on to her hand as he guided her to his car.

She could feel the warmth from his as he held her close to him, so she would not fall. He smelled so good, and he was so handsome. I feel like I am falling in love, but I can’t be. I just met him a couple of hours ago.

They arrived in front of his house and he got out and walked over and helped her out. He guided her to the front door, where he unlocked it, letting her in first. He helped her take off her coat and boots, and then he hung hers along side of his in the hall closet.

As she was admiring the beautiful room she said,” What a beautiful home you have. It is so warm and cozy in here. The fireplace is so big”. Dave walked over to the fireplace and clicked the button starting the flames. She walked over to where he was and sat on a stool warming herself.

He asked,” Would you care for a drink? I have wine, or how about a brandy”? Karen said, ” Brandy please, that sounds nice”. He went to the kitchen, and she snuggled closer to the fire.

After coming back to her with her drink, he pulled out her phone number and called her parents. He explained what had happened, and would they mind if she stayed here with him, until the tow truck delivered her car, and they agreed. He then called the towing company and made the arrangements for the vehicle to be picked up.

He grabbed a bear rug and tossed it gently on the floor and sat down. He patted the side of it, calling her to his side. After she was seated, he looked into her eyes and said,” I wanted to get to know you better. I didn’t expect it to be  today, so this is a wonderful surprise”.

Karen said,” There is something about you Dave. When I am with you, I feel safe. I feel like I have known you my entire life”. Dave smiled at her, and took her glass out of her hands, and setting it on a nearby table, he looked into her eyes once again and asked,” May I”?

No words were spoken between the two. Both laid down on the soft, thick blanket and unwrapping bows, they gave their gifts to each other.

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Daily Prompt: Imitation/Flattery/ The Daily Post

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Light the fireworks: www.shotsforpassion.com -...

Write a post about anything you’d like — in the style of your favorite blogger. (Be sure to link to them!)

camsgranny.wordpress.com

jmgoyder.wordpress.com

This is awesome today, to be able to write about anything I wish. I would like to write about two bloggers. These two bloggers share something in common with me. Each blogger has a family member with Parkinson’s Disease. My brother Al, also has PD.

The style of Camsgranny, is something I admire and envy. She is upbeat, positive, and hardly ever lets anything get her down. If something is bothering her, she tries to figure it out for herself first. She sees the good in people and life.

She states it like it is. This is a wonderful gift to have. She is very loving and caring, don’t get me wrong, but she is confident in herself, and not afraid to speak her thoughts She is an awesome cook, and has a knack of involving all around her table to laugh and pass the time away without ever looking at the clock!

Julie, the other blogger, is a sweetheart of a lady. She is a dedicated wife, and mother. She works very hard at keeping her family relationships in tact. If there are issues that rise, she is right there to discuss and see how to fix them.

She has a love for animals. I have seen such beautiful photos of her lovely birds on her property. She has a good eye with her camera. One thing Julie has in her favor, is great patience. I am always amazed and jealous of her calm demeanor.

With her husband having PD, she has had to take the role of mother and father, and grounds taker completely over. I can only imagine how difficult at times this job could be, but she always pulls it off.

If I could take these two ladies and combine them and make the perfect me, I would. I would take Jo’s laughter, mix it with the combinations of straight-forward talk, her confidence, her ways of knowing the kitchen, and add to it Julie’s softness. Stir this all together, and add a touch of beauty, patience, and willingness to learn, and I would be a different person.

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loved this

weepingintodancing

Dear Reader,

As a teacher I had several students who had parents incarcerated over the holiday.  Angel Tree is a wonderful program.  I wrote this article for FaithWriters.  I will remind you that God does give us miracles today.  The definition of miracle is different for everyone.

If you are depressed during the holiday season, consider giving to this wonderful program.  It will put a smile on your face and on the face of a child in need.  Blessings!

I HAVE TWO DADS WHO HELP ME

By Cheryl Zelenka

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JAMES 1:27                            

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

My mom feels alone.  She misses dad so I try to be the man…

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Daily Post: Audience of One/The Daily Post

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Picture the one person in the world you really wish were reading your blog. Write her or him a letter.

Dear Dad,

I know you are in heaven, looking down on me, even as I write. I can only hope and dream that you are smiling at this moment, as you watch me write this to you. I know you are standing behind me, with your hands held together  behind your back, trying not to breathe too heavily, so not to interrupt my train of thought.

I know that I was not the child that you dreamed of daddy. I know first of all, you wanted a boy, and you told me years ago, that this is why you spelled my name like a male instead. I know that I made choices that you did not agree with.

What you didn’t know dad, was that I idolized the ground you walked on. I waited anxiously for your approval of everything  that I did. I would sit and think of ways to get you to say something.

I know you loved me daddy, I really do. That one time when I was out of high school, and I thought I knew everything, I moved a way to another state. You remember this daddy, don’t you? You remember how I called you on the phone crying, and pleading for  you to come get me.

You said of course, and you and other family members made the long drive to get me. I want you to know daddy that when I saw the first tears in your eyes, when you saw me safe and unharmed, I knew from that moment on, that you loved me.

I learned through growing up that not all moms and dads show physical love, such as hugs, and squeezes, that sometimes, just knowing you were always by my side, was enough.

I remember how you invited me so many times to go down to the basement with you. You would be building something out of wood. You would ask me to hand you this or that, but I think secretly, you wanted to smoke your cigars without mom telling you it was bad for your health, and you enjoyed spending time with just me.

I saw one more time when you showed your feelings through tears. You know, the time when we came home from mom’s funeral and you and I were standing alone in her clothes closet looking at her clothes, and you let me hold your head on my shoulders, and you wept for the love you had for mom? I know you remember daddy. I felt so special that I was the one who could help you for a change.

It took me many years to come to appreciate the person that I am dad. I think you would be proud of me today. I believe you would say that I did a good job. I would hear those first words, as you  look back and see how I took  good care of your son, my brother, Al. I did my best daddy. I loved him and looked out for him and protected him from the wolves of the world.

I had to place him daddy. I had no choice. Please do not be disappointed in me. His care needed more help than I could ever do alone. You remember how I took such good care of you daddy? The illness that took you a way from me? I bathed you, and brought you treats. I gave you shots and your medications. I held your hand while  you wept from pain.

I tried to take as good of care of Al as I did with you, but your illness stopped and you went to heaven. Al’s is dragging on daddy, and I needed more help. Please say you understand. Don’t think I made another mistake by placing him. Look me in the eye and let me see that you understand.

You would be proud of me daddy. I am very close to God now, and have been ever since that morning you and I prayed together. Do you know that God gave me a job to do? It is an important job dad. He told me to write, and to let his thoughts and my heart write the words. He instructed me to be an inspiration to others. Isn’t that a wonderful job God gave me?

I have made many wonderful friends daddy. You would love them all, like I do. Oh dad, I even wrote my first book. Thanks to a wonderful friend, it is being edited right now. Maybe some day daddy, I will hold my first book up towards the sky, so that you can see it. You and mom will surely hug each other for having a daughter that wrote a book. The book is called Dahlia. I can’t wait to show you!

Lastly, daddy, I love you so much. I have never had one day where I have not sat and thought about you and our lives together. I love you so much. Don’t cry now daddy, I know you miss me too. I will be there with you and mom, sooner than you think.

Love,

Your daughter,

Terry

Did You Know Her?

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neo, betty

Grandma was a 92-year-old with a mind  age of 50. She lived in a flat  in downtown Seattle. A city full of life and lights that never dimmed. Betty lived with two other occupants, her two dogs, Frankie and Johnnie.

These two dogs watched over their master, never forgetting that at one time they each had lived in a shelter for homeless dogs.  Frankie was a golden retriever and Johnnie was a black lab. She had adopted the two at the same time, both being about the age of one year.

Each year at the holidays, you could find Betty deeply involved with the less fortunate. She could be found in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, or you may see her out on the front line, filling up plates, with fresh slices of turkey, green beans, and a nice piece of juicy ham.

Betty also spent many Sunday afternoons at the nursing homes, reading to the patients, or going room to room to pop in and say a quick hello. Hospitals got to know her visits so well, that she was known as God’s angel.

When she wasn’t involved with helping someone else, she could be found in  her apartment, feeding her dogs first and then rummaging through her cupboards to find herself something to eat.

Her cupboards were less than half-filled. If you peeked inside, you would possibly see a few cans of soup, some canned vegetables, and a can or two of meat. In her refrigerator, you would see water in a jug, maybe some milk, and always her stored glass jar of ground coffee.

Betty had been brought up by parents who were well-known. They had made their fortunes by selling and buying stocks. She remembered many parties that had been held in their home. Lots of food and drink available, smoke lingering in the air from cigars, and gambling.

Betty also remembered many a Christmas’s, when the door knocker would sound, and her father would open the door to someone hungry and cold, and her father would shut the door in their faces, yelling harshly at the beggars to get a job free loader.

Betty remembered pretty dresses, and shoes and socks that matched. A nice warm bed at nights, stuffed dolls standing on shelves. A warm bath awaited her each morning, as her nanny came in to wake her up.  Meals were served in the large dining room. A long, rectangle table with many chairs, but the only one being seated at most meals was herself.

Betty was not schooled in the public schools. She had a private tutor that came to her home five days a week, and for four hours each visit, she was taught how to read and write.

Playing with other children was prohibited. Her father wanted no one less than his own kind  entering his door. Betty’s best friend was her nanny and her dolls. She would line up her dolls at her child size table, and with the help of Sara, the nanny, tea and cookies would be served to each of her friends.

When Betty grew up, she took with her memories of her childhood. Loneliness was her biggest shadow, and she vowed she would do her best to never see a sad face again. She worked for her parents in the office, that was in one of the tallest buildings down town.

She made a few close friends, and dated some, but never found the perfect mate, so marriage never entered her life. She saved money, but never invested. She followed the rules of her parent’s home, until one day she was sick at heart of the stuffiness, and broke a way. She found a flat, and then visited second-hand stores, filling her apartment with golden treasures.

Eventually she retired from the family business and with her tidy savings in the local bank, she went to work for a small business, where the goal was to help those in need. It was one of the stores she had went to when she was looking for furniture. Here she worked behind the counter.

She helped customers fill out paper work. She made calls to help some to retain heat during the cold winter months. She partook in putting meals together, and making sure that no one left the front door empty-handed.

Betty did this kind of work for many years. As she went home from work she would be tired, but it was a good tired. She loved her home, but walking into quietness, sometimes would make her sad. She decided to visit an animal shelter, and this is where she acquired her two best friends.

Each night she would turn the key in her door, and when it was opened, there would be Frankie and Johnnie, with tails wagging. She was always welcomed with love, and loyalty. She would go to the cupboards, and get two cans of dog food out and feed them first, before she thought about her own needs.

After the dogs finished eating, they would all sit on the couch, she would pet and talk to them, and they in turn would give her kisses and love. Betty felt that there was nothing else in her life that she could possibly need.

As years passed, Betty’s body began to tire out. Arthritis had set in and walking was  more difficult.  At the  age of 82, she retired from her job, and spent most of her time with her dogs, but something was missing. She did not feel as if she was doing enough to help others. She needed more out of her life.

This is when she bumped into the homeless shelters and soup kitchens. There was no money to be made, but she didn’t care. What she received from this job was far more valuable than any dollar. Sometimes she took scraps home to her two dogs. These treats she provided, also gave her more love than she could ever want for.

Betty lived like this for many more years, until one time as she walked in her front door, she walked into silence. Frankie had went to sleep for ever on her side of the bed on the floor, and she found Johnnie sitting quietly near by.

This saddened Betty so much, she sat on her bed and cried for the loss of her good friend. She called the maintenance man and asked for his help in taking care of the dog’s body. It was less than two weeks later, that Johnnie died of loneliness  for his friend.

Betty found herself alone. She would walk with her cane over to the living room window, and look out over the city, seeing life but no living, lights with no glow. She was growing very weak herself, and knew that her own time was coming to an end, and yet she knew that she had lived the best life and had helped so many.

She turned from the window, and walked to the kitchen, and taking two cans of dog food out of the cabinet, set them down, but never opened them. Tears slid down her face as she realized this habit could be no more, and placed the two cans back on the shelf.

She was not hungry, and she went into her bathroom, and washing her face and brushing her hair, she then went to her bedroom, and slipping into bed, she pulled her worn blankets up around her face, and thinking about Frankie and Johnnie, she went to sleep, never to wake again.

Her death was discovered by the postal man. He knocked on her door out of habit for many years. He would hand her mail to her, and she would stand and chat with him a few moments, brightening his day, but today no one answered the door.

The next days paper showed the following information. Betty, 92 years old, passed a way in her sleep peacefully. She had never married, but had adopted two dogs that were her children and the joy of her life. She dedicated her life to helping the less fortunate. Everyone knew her name and her heart. She never met a stranger. Betty’s parents had died many years earlier. There were no brothers or sisters. Betty had an estimated one million dollars, which has been left to the city to be spent on building new homeless shelters for people and animals. Betty will be missed by many. Rest in peace my friend.

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