Tag Archives: retirement

Filter

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Struggling Writer January 28, 2017 1 Comment

s55f71058-084b-4577-bc00-59328148f3e6

Photographer: ДмитрийВладимирович

Daily Prompt

     The sunlight filters through the slots in a wooden blind and reveals what was not seen before. The five o’clock sun makes the dust and single strands of blonde hair twinkle on the dark pine floor. There are some pencil shavings and itsy -bitsy pieces of paper She grabs a sweeper from the closet. It is lightweight, less than three pounds, reminds one of a dust-buster but has a long handle and is more powerful. She vacuums intensely conscious of the fading light outlining the evidence. When the sun is gone, her shoulders relax and she sighs. Is a dirt house a crime?

Advertisement

Irksome People

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Struggling Writer, Writing Exercise November 7, 2016

Daily Prompt

d03e92ab-845b-44ae-8424-6f1d27762efd

 

     Nora sets two hot coffee containers on the reception desk then places her handbag on the swivel chair. She removes her coat walking towards the open closet door, several winter coats hang lazily on hangers inside. She buttons her Mohair wool jacket to a wooden one, to prevent it slipping to the floor, and turns to see Don, wearing a smile, wiggling out of his leather bomber.

     Nora says, “Good Morning, Don, I brought you coffee.”

     “Thanks Nora, a peace offering or you gonna start?” He reaches for a hanger and drapes his jacket on it. The heavy shoulders pull to one side and the end of the hanger pokes the forearm of the garment.

     She answers, “Peace offering, although I find it irksome and would not abuse such a beautiful article of clothing if it were mine, it’s yours and you have every right to hang it anyway you like.”

     Don’s smile broadens, “Irksome as in irk? A little word, short and to the point. Irk, produces a sharp sound with little effort if you pucker you lips together, Nora,” then his smile fads.  

. . . . Seriously Just Saying

Silent Transformation

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Writing Exercise October 25, 2016

Daily Post

th

 

     Margaret parked her white turbo Buick, grabbed her cell pressing the microphone icon and said, “Parking outside Macy’s swimsuit entrance under a skinny oak.” She was on a mission to find a dress for her upcoming 50th High School Reunion.

     Inside, she hurried passed department windows looking at the latest fashions. However, stopped suddenly to gaze at the reflections thinking, don’t I know that person?

     She did. It was her.

     This was not the first time she failed to recognize herself.

     At the age of 68, a stranger in the mirror greeted her mornings. Oh, the face was hers; just not the twenty-five year old one she expected.

     She wondered about this silent transformation taking place. How had she become an old woman?

. . . . Seriously Just Saying

A Tiny House

Daily Prompt, humor, Learning to Write October 24, 2016

cypress-home-page

Daily Prompt

I want a Tiny House

A place to rest my weary head, be quiet as a mouse

An itsy bitsy treasure chest

With walls of solitude

Miniscule and clutter less

One pot, one coat . . . .

A best dress and pair of shoes to match the rest

Perhaps a weed-less garden

Its flowers tango to the breeze

This is what tiny means to me!

. . . .Seriously Just Saying

(I welcome any comments, especially regarding how to punctuate poetry)

Shiver in Thought

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Struggling Writer September 1, 2016

 

quote-some-men-like-a-dull-life-they-like-the-routine-of-eating-breakfast-going-to-work-coming-home-hedy-lamarr-107048

    Daily Prompt

     I shiver to think about it. The way the door slammed behind me with a hollow metal sound and the echo of heels tapping down a distant hall, surrounded by quiet, a deafening quiet.

     I pulled my coat close around me against the unknown cold, and shook, questioning why I agreed to this.  I trembled at the touch of a hand on my shoulder. My knees quivered with palsy wondering how this would end.

     I turned around jittery and he inquired, “What are we having for dinner?”

. . . . seriously just saying

Learning to Write

Daily Prompt, Struggling Writer, Writing Exercise August 23, 2016

039fa28c-73cb-315d-bdec-9b8f537ce132

Daily Prompt Learning

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write.

Let them think you were born that way.” 

Ernest Hemingway

I  learned to write secretly. The year was 2009. My husband and I retired to Florida. Characters, words, and sentences began to dance in my head.

One day I sat at my desk, my back to the office door when my husband asked, “What are you doing?”

Sheepishly I replied, “Writing.”

Slowly I gained the confidence to participate in writer’s groups, joined FWA and write my blog, claudiajustsaying, posting regularly, until recently.

I have gotten out of the habit of writing. My mind no longer word streams about ordinary life events. I am pretty much brain-dead. I contribute this to the vertigo or constant dizziness I have experienced for the past year and a half.

This void is an aspect of writing I am learning about.

I miss writing; taxing my mind to find just the right words, agonizing over where to place a comma. Deciding whether to say “place a comma” or “put a comma.

. . . .  Seriously Just saying

Elusive

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Writing Exercise July 26, 2016 1 Comment

9ccce2ce-7d51-4a72-9db3-dcbf127e595d

Daily Prompt

She was better at lying now. With practice, the lies came easily, were significant only to her, and never maligned others. She did not lie in a Donald Trump way. Elusive may be a better word, leaving out created the sense of deceit. No one else seemed to notice her heart wrapped in Band-Aids.

Mundane

Daily Prompt, Learning to Write, Writing Exercise January 26, 2016

Key Takeaway

Give your newer sisters and brothers-in-WordPress one piece of advice based on your experiences blogging.

quote-some-men-like-a-dull-life-they-like-the-routine-of-eating-breakfast-going-to-work-coming-home-hedy-lamarr-107048

Mundane

A good start?

Capture what is in your heart

But, keep it short
Simple, provoke a thought

Something different, and or new
A different view, revealed by you

A catchy title attracts too

Gives a clue
A hint of the perspective gnawing at you

 . . . . seriously just saying

Writing 101: Day 8 Death to Adverbs

Struggling Writer, Uncategorized, Writing September 24, 2014

Go to a public location and make a detailed report of what you see. The twist of the day? Write the post without adverbs.

th

Early Morning No Pay

A light rain mists the air, and moistens my skin as I step outside. The weatherman predicts heavy rain and flooding in southern parts of Florida. I hustle the block and a half to the beach. The cool air and overcast skies a relief from constant sunny skies. The waves are angry and slap the shore with determination leaving little space to walk.

There are other options, the hotel grounds, and lobby.

The bellman pulls the wood and glass door open and nods his head good morning. Inside the Mediterranean lobby is empty except for housekeeping.

It is early and an upright vacuum fueled by a long yellow cord sucks up the previous day’s activities. The staff member nods and shuts off the sweeper as I pass.

Someone else polishes the large floor to ceiling mirrors and tabletop glass.

The gift shop opens at 8:30 AM but on the coffee table is a generous pile of USA Newspapers for the taking.

My husband will feel lucky he does not have to pay.

 

. . . Seriously just saying

Writing 101: Day 7/Give and Take

Struggling Writer, Writing September 23, 2014 Comments: 6

Sep 23, 2014

Focus today’s post on the contrast between two things. The twist? Write the post in the form of a dialogue

th

Give and Take

Myra pulled the car seat belt across her chest, buckled the metal lock and said,
“Are you taking the Interstate or Old Kings Road?”

Her husband increased the air conditioning than said, “What difference does it make?”

“Well, if you’re going by CVS I’d like to stop and get a few things.”

“Does that mean you want me to drive by CVS?”

“No, it means that if you’re taking Old Kings, please stop at CVS, I’m not telling you which way to go, just that I would like to stop at CVS, if you are going that way.”

“So you are telling me which way to go.”

“Well if I were driving I would take Old Kings Road and stop at CVS.”

“But you are not driving, do you want to drive? Because if you want, you can, or you can tell me which way to go.”

“Forget, it just drive.”

“Forget it just drive, okay it’s forgotten I’ll just drive.”

“Great, which way are you going?”

“Old Kings Road!”

. . . Seriously just saying