Category Archives: Personal

Night Wings – Arkin’s Story

Three Word Wednesday : weary, shard, pulse

Just a little bit of back story…

Night Wings – Arkin

His heart pumped and his pulse raced as he ran up and down shadowed alleys and through echoes of hallways of abandoned buildings.  The barking was distant now but he heard it.  It was too close.  Two days ago, he woke up with no idea of who or where he was.  When he stepped out onto the street, the faces terrified him.  He tried to act like he didn’t see.  Instinct told him that these people weren’t seeing what he was seeing.  They looked  calm, though mildly interested in him as he passed by.  Was his fear showing on his face?  He knew the truth about them.  He could see inside.

Thank God, it was getting dark.  He turned down another alley and heard the dogs sounding closer this time.  He ducked into a building and ran through it but when he reached the other side there was nothing but windows.  He could see that the ground was farther down on this side but still not too far to jump.  He couldn’t open the windows and there was nothing to use to break one.  The dogs in the building now so he backed up and took a running start, leaping at the window.  It was old and the frame was loose so it broke easily and he landed about six feet down.  He stood up and started running again, glass raining all around him.  An arm reached out of the shadows and jerked him into a doorway.  The face that belonged to the arm was kind and he knew he was one of the special ones. There was no anger in him – just a need to help.

The guy held his finger to his lips and opened the door, pulling him through.  He shut the door and locked it, motioning for him to follow.  They went down some stairs and then he pulled open a trap door.  A little afraid to follow but more scared of the men with dogs, he followed him down the ladder.  The trap door clicked shut and he shot a metal bar through some iron hooks.

“Come on, we’ll be safe.  Let’s just get away from this door.”

He followed him deeper inside and finally they came to another door.  He opened it  and when they stepped in, he lit a lamp.  “We’ll be safe here.  They’ll get tired of looking and leave and tomorrow we can move on.  My name is Ryall.  I have some water and some bread here.  It isn’t much, but you are welcome to share.”

He nodded his thanks and reached for the cup and winced.

“Wow, man.  You must have cut yourself when you went through the window.  That was something else, by the way!  Let me look at your arm.”

He set the cup down.

“Come closer to the light so I can see. What’s your name?”

He helped take the jacket sleeve off, and in the light, he could see a shard of glass sticking up out of his arm.

“I don’t know.”  Ryall looked up at him, startled.

“Hang on, let me get some cloth to tie this up before I pull the glass out.” He tore a piece of his shirt and after he pulled the glass out of his arm, tied the piece of cloth around it.  “We’ll need to clean that up better tomorrow, but that’s the best I can do tonight.  So, where are you from?”

I don’t know that either…and thanks.”  He flexed his arm a bit and whistled.

“Well, why were they chasing you?”

“Because I ran.”

“Why did you run?”

“Because they have no gifts and they fear that.”

“Gifts?”

“Like yours.  You can fly.”

Ryall paled. “What are you talking about?”

“I see…things in people.  Some are just empty, blank.  Like there’s nothing there and they are just moving through their days.  Some have anger and hate written all over them.  Fear too.  They hate anything different than they are. I think it comes from the fear.”

“That doesn’t explain your statement about me flying.”  Ryall wondered if helping this guy was turning out to be a huge mistake.

“Some people have special gifts.  I can see that too.  I can see your wings.” He touched the makeshift bandage on his arm.

Ryall stared at him. “Who are you, really?”

“I don’t know, I told you.  I don’t remember anything before two days ago.”

Ryall looked thoughtful.  “Well, I have to call you something. He looked around.  There was a stack of crates in one corner labeled “ Arkin Industires”  in black stenciled letters. “Arkin.  How about Arkin?”

He said the name to himself. He thought about Noah’s Ark and how Noah gathered the animals together to save them from the flood.  “Guess it’s better than nothing.”

“Well Arkin, what do we do now?  Do you have a place to stay?”

“No.”

“If I leave you on the street, the Mekaneks are going to find you, eventually. What do you want to do?” Ryall knew Arkin had a gift the Mekaneks would use if they caught him.

Arkin didn’t hesitate. “I want to go with you.”

Ryall ran his fingers through his hair.  “Look, I know this place isn’t much, but let’s try to get some rest.  We’ll check it out in the morning and if it’s clear, I’ll take you to a place.”

It had been a confusing and frightening couple of days for Arkin.  His arm hurt. He was weary and hopeful at the same time.  Maybe he would have a chance to find out who he was.  He curled up in a corner and for the first time since he woke up in that empty room, he slept.

Ryall sat down, back leaning against the wall, knees up.  This was something new.  He had never heard of anyone who could see the special ones and what they could do.  Was this a good thing?  Time would tell.

Night wings Main Page

Sunday Scribbling Springing Forward

Beautiful Sunday even with the silly clock changing mess.  Early service with a wonderful speaker, Gayle Erwin. If you ever have the opportunity to hear him it will be a joy.  After lunch a walk around the track, sun shining, families playing soccer, and trees budding out.  There was just enough of a cool breeze to keep from breaking a sweat.

The prompt at Sunday Scribbling is a life changing book or collection of words.  There have been too many books over the years to choose just one.  The first book I can remember reading is The Witch on Blackbird Pond which makes the list because it made me fallin love with books. The Bible, The Stand, Alas Babylon, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values mentioned by Solitary Panda is on the list, and so many more.  Those are just a few that gave me joy, epiphany, a good cry, and just became good close friends. The Twilight Series.  Yes I know, you now have absolutely no respect for me, right?  It was my introduction to YA literature.  When I was a YA, either it was limited or I just skipped it somehow.  I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in high school.  A friend loaned it to me saying she knew I would never give it back.  I didn’t really understand what she meant but over the next three years I bought four copies, loaned each one out and never saw it again.  It was that kind of thing.  So YA lit was a revelation to me and it came at a time when I had been entirely too serious for entirely too long.  I woke up and now I’m trying to learn to write it. It has been a gift that keeps on giving because of the wonderful “online” friends I have made and the thump on the head that said if your feet will no longer dance, you can still dream and that is what being young in your heart is all about. You can check out some of these talented people by taking a stroll through my blogroll.  You will not be disappointed!

I have begun to feed my Kindle ebooks by authors that I have “met” online.  I’m planning to post about each as I read it. I just finished Paschal‘s Scarred Angels.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I was reading it on my kindle. I absolutely LOVED it – hear that Professor?  You need to publish that thang.  I grew to love the characters  and realized – REALLY realized how incredibly important character is. I knew it, I did.  I now KNOW it.  I just have to learn how to do it. I really enjoyed the book and it was only near the end that I had my ah ha moment. By then I had already gone over the edge.  This merits much more than a paragraph – it has it all going on, relationship, betrayal, redemption, sex, and a little bit of murder thrown in.  I would buy this and pay extra to have a signed copy! Most of all, the author has a deep love for humans – especially the broken and it comes through the words on every page. If you would like a romp through words that are bent and tangled and dancing to their own kind of music you can click the Paschal link above or look for Murat11 on my blogroll.

Now if I have embarrassed Professor P enough I have a couple of shout-outs to some local bloggers.  One is a lovely young woman, mother, and student who shows off her photography at LifeStylesPhoto.  Stop by and give her a little encouragement.

The next is the North Texas Food Bank blog.  The blogger is smart and tough and compassionate (and went to high school with my son).  She is presently at SXSW learning about building online communities. The following is from their about page:

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Close the Gap is the NTFB’s 3-year initiative to unite the community to narrow the food gap by providing access to 50 million meals annually.

Founded in 1982, the NTFB is a certified member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network). Last year 26 million meals were distributed. Each month agency pantries distribute food to more than 50,000 families and on-site meal programs serve 435,000 meals/snacks.

Every dollar donated to the NTFB provides four meals for the hungry. Out of every dollar donated, 97 cents goes directly to hunger relief programs.

You want life changing?  Those words could change a life if you follow up with action.  If you are in the area, donate, participate, or at least pass on the info.

Now I’m off to write another chapter for Night Wings. To end this post, I will leave you with a favorite poem.

Blessed Lord, what it is to be young;
To be of, to be for, be among
Be enchanted, enthralled
Be the caller, the called
The singer, the song, and the sung

David McCord

Namaste

Night Wings Part 10

One Word : wanted

To read the entire series click Night Wings link at the top of the page.

Kystel

I am exhausted and should be asleep but every time I close my eyes, scenes from this night play over and over.  The freedom of flying through the night.  The shock and terror when they were attacked. Pictures of Ryall lying there hurt, wings changing from the beautiful midnight blue to gray to almost transparent and back again.  Emelia with her eyes shut, white blond hair streaming.  The eschatometer glowing – and just what IS that thing supposed to do?  The moment we joined and power flowed in and through us to heal Ryall.  It was not just healing, somehow – it was about us becoming more.

Until tonight there was danger, but it was a vague thing hiding in the corner.  Now it has a face and a weapon and it perches over the door waiting to hurt us.

Us.  I am becoming a part of this group – we are an us, as opposed to them.  My family is part of them.  Mattie is part of them.  How do they feel about what the paper said?  Do they think I could be their daughter one day and a stranger that would tear up their water supply the next? This is bad.  This is chest hurting, run away, don’t want to be a grown-up bad.

Ryall went to sleep still holding my hand and I know there is a bond there between us.  Is it just that we share flying?  I don’t think so.  I’ve had friends, even a boyfriend for awhile.  It’s different with Ryall.  He knows me. I’m never nervous talking to him.  It’s everything else that confuses and scares me now.  What happened when we all joined with Emelia to heal Ryall?  I thought we just had our individual gifts.  There had been stories about what the papers were calling “reborns”, but nothing about sharing gifts.

So how am I supposed to figure all this out when the only real things are the warmth of Ryall’s hand, Emelia whimpering in her sleep, Ralph over there snoring, and a feeling of my life being out of control.  My eyes are burning and tears are right there, but I am not going sit here and cry in the dark. I will learn to be strong for Ryall, and for the rest of my new friends.

The only thing I am certain about tonight, is that I can’t survive without my friends.   I lost my family.  I wonder if my mom cried when Mattie told her why I was gone.  Does my dad miss me, or does he just go on to work like he always did?  Come home to the paper and dinner and his pipe?  Who watches over Mattie now?

Ryall says it is too dangerous to go back and check on them.  Mekaneks will watch the house for awhile.  Others have been caught that way, and so I will wait and learn to take care of my new family.  Ryall is kind of their unofficial leader.  Where do I fit in with that? He doesn’t give orders or try to take over.  There is just something about him that makes you respect and trust him.  I don’t think he likes it.  He just wanted to help people like him.  Like us. Sometimes when the others look to him for a decision or advice, there is a frightened look in his eyes just for a second.  I don’t think anyone else even notices. If we were all normal, he would be the quiet guy that sits in the back of the class and never participates but gets decent grades and just kind of flies under the radar.  Ha ha, flies under the radar.  I guess I am beyond tired if that seems funny to me.

Ryall squeezes my hand in his sleep, as though he knows what I am thinking somehow.  That thought makes me shiver.  After tonight, I believe anything is possible, except sleep.

Night Wings Main Page

Harry Makes His Own Happiness

Fiction in 58, and Three Word Wednesday CLXXX Modify, Obedient and Veil

Harry tinkered, making the last few modifications.  She was perfect. He fell in love halfway through the build.  Plans for the wedding were made, down to the dress and veil.  He thought she would be an obedient wife.  Ever since her clockwork heart started beating on it’s own, Alice had her own idea about who was in charge.

TCEA 2010 Jing

TCEA

Creating Video Tutorials with Jing
fort sam houston school district
Dr. Rios
what is jing
upgrades
image capture
video capture
screencast.com
other freebies
free techsmith program
storage for videos is free

presi.com used to make their presentation – free web based
http://todaysmeet.com/UsingJing online chat during presentation
up to five minutes swf video
save to screencast.com (free account)
for mac and windows
www.jingproject.com
snag pic of screen
record vid of onscreen action
share instantly on web
free 2 gb storage
2 gb monthly bandwidth
click and drag
or select a window
capture image
manip preview
add text
add arrows
boxes, and highlighting
save or copy to clipboard or send to screencast

records audio too
3 sec countdown
record up to five minutes

(follow fshisd on twitter)
pro upgrade lets you go to youtube and itunes own camera and 14.95 a year

screencast pro account 25 gb storage
snagit and camtasia
200 gb or bandwidth – $10 per month or 100 a year

jing sun icon resides on your desktop
options features capture hotkey settings
free format is swf but pro does mpeg4
establish free screencast account
you can use other video there besides jing
sun icon can be hidden and reside in your programs toolbar

click capture button on sun
highlight what you want to capture or video
options on left toolbar -arrows, text, draw box around things, highlight sections,
keeps history on hard drive in jing

video tutorial how to
3 sec countdown then mic turns on
talk and do whatever then click stop
video is created

once on screencast you can grab the html code and embed it on blog or webpage

jing does not resize so set size to smallest
camtasia will resize and fit the window

vid tuts hints
anything where teachers will see desktop – make sure your desktop is clean
www.fshisd.net/blogs/irrios
screencast page (They have a bunch of comic life tuts)

embedded on blog – hits count on your bandwidth
jing pro or camtasia lets you use with a webcam
you can also save to hard drive as flash video
free jing is only five minutes
break information into chunks
online lectures camtasia relay
voice recording will pick up internal mic or you can use headset
tell jing which mic you are going to use

celtx.com  screenwriting
livestream procaster
format factory
dimdim web meetings
edmodo free private social networks for teachers
xtranormal.com – if you can type you can create 3d movies
freeplaymusic.com
presi.com

TCEA Session 2 Using Mobile Technology To Differentiate Instruction

cross posted at PHS Technology

TCEA Session 2
Using Mobile Technology To Differentiate Instruction
Karen Fasimpaur
www.k12handhelds.com
http://mobiletech.wikispaces.com/
students in high school bored – not relevant, too easy, too difficult,
below grade level performance
high absenteeism
high drop out rates
text book not the best too for differentiating instruction
potential solution
mobile devices facilitate tutorials, practice activities, mini-lessons, projects
motivating
research says
student choice
for product and process
information chunks
language support
linked glossaries
different levels of text
visuals
graphic organizers
multiple practice opportunities
multimedia = engagement
tech options
laptops
netbooks
ebook readers
handhelds
mp3 players
mobile video players
cell phones
easier to integrate
brings equity for students who don’t have access to tech at home
gives privacy for students to learn at their own pace
One to one
-coverage
-activity oriented design
backward design approach
Understanding by design

1. identify desired results
2. determine acceptable evidence
3. plan learning experiences and instruction

software, content and lessons
ebooks
audio
video
virtual field trips

to read ebook – software to read an ebook and the content

mobipocket
microsoft reader

change color of text and size

interact with the text

add text, annotate, highlight
text to speech
dyslexic
some have synced actual speech
service for special needs students

grammar and sentence diagramming
ebook they have developed
scaffolding and remediation built in
kids will navigate independently

free some are available in public library
more and more are being made available
netlibrary
usually mobipocket
austin library has tumblebooks?
menybooks.net free ebooks  middle school level mostly

java used for interactive ebooks

kindle annotations – use with kindle app for pc and you can import into word – she didn’t talk about that – it is fairly new.

Audio books
research shows effective for improved reading
appropriate for special needs students
linked to gutenberg mostly

mini movies
3-5 minute clips
information chunks
video is very passive needs a way to engage
showed video where a word is shown, pronounces then a hand pointing and the student is to say the word
math – algebra 2 step equation
talking whiteboard movie
shows the math problem worked out step by step
record audio later and put it together
camstudio
can use graphics tablet for writing
have students create the movies
teachertube
schooltube
nextvista
watchknow (started by one of the guys who started wikipedia)
make your own
have students make their own

writing project – grammar instruction
load powerpoints on a website where students can put them on their mobile devices

podcasts
multimedia files posted online
students can subscribe
lots of free content available
wide variety of content
can be played on many platforms
allows time shifting
great tool for student project creation
links to great podcasting examples on the website

graphic organizers
webspiration
inspiration (commercial) can go back and forth between graphic and outline
bubbl.us
can be used individually or collaboratively
challenge to web 2.0 – system to use usernames and passwords

google docs
or school version – google apps
grant writing
collaborative lesson planning
group projects

cell phones

quick ideas – text, photo, voice

smart phones vs. not smart phones

educational applications

photo blogging

take picture with your phone and text it to your blog

wordpress

wordpress.com – they host

wordpress.org – hosted by you

google sms text define mobile 466453

instant response system poll everywhere

voice thread

Night Wings part 3

Three Word Wednesday CLXXV Prompts: Frantic, Lurch, and Odor

Continuing from Sunday Scribblings

Kystel looked around.  “This is it?”  She laughed bitterly.  “This isn’t any better than the dump you found me in!”

Ryall pulled her along. “Just wait!”

It was dark and dirty, nothing but old chunks of metal and discarded engine parts.  There was the odor of motor oil and garbage though underneath it Kystel got a whiff of something good that was making her mouth water.  Ryall guided her around a corner and then told her to follow him as he crawled under some pipes.  He stood on the other side and reached down and grabbed the handle on an overhead door and pushed it up.  Inside all was light and warm and there was definitely food cooking. She heard a thump and a string of curse words and some kind of metal tool dropped from somewhere above and landed near her feet.  She looked up and a pair of feet climbed down a metal ladder and a head leaned down.  A high-pitched nasal voice asked “Can you toss me that wrench?”  Startled, Kystel lurched to the side, nearly stumbling.  Ryall put out a hand to steady her and picked up the wrench. He tossed it up to a skinny guy in an aviator hat and goggles.

“Thanks mate!” There was a smile as he caught it and scrambled back up the ladder.  She looked at Ryall with one eyebrow raised.

“Ralph.  He is amazing with machinery.  I think he is part machine himself.”  Kystel just nodded.  She was staring around her and chewed on a strand of brown hair, a nervous habit. A couple in the corner was playing a frantic game of chess.  They moved so fast, the game was over as soon as it started.  Ryall said “Come on.”  She followed him over to the chess players.  “These are the twins, Lolly and Sloan. They can read each others’ minds.  Doesn’t matter how close they are or how far away. “Guys, this is Kystel. She’s a flyer like me.”

Lolly hugged Kystel.  “I’m so glad Ryall found you and glad you came with him.”

“Thanks.” Kystel turned as Sloan grabbed her hand.

“Ryall didn’t tell us you were hot!  Do you play chess?”

“Um, a little?”  Lolly slapped his arm. “Oh no you don’t!  Kystel don’t let him con you – he cheats!  Come on, lets get you something to eat.”

Kystel followed her gratefully.  She was starving and whatever was cooking in that pot on the stove smelled delicious.

“The rest of us will be here in about an hour.  Ralph sent them out looking for parts for the eschatometer.”

“The what?”

Night Wings Main Page

Night Wings part 2

Sunday Scribbling #200 prompt Milestone
Ryall twitched his wings and wheeled west grinning over his shoulder at Kystel. She tried the same maneuver and found it was easy. She darted after him watching his silhouette against the moon. Suddenly he was beside her pointing to a ledge. They both landed on it and he pulled her against the wall in the shadows. She heard an engine noise and he put his finger to his lips and pressed up against the stones. She had seen the dirigibles from the ground, but never so close. She could actually see the faces of pilots inside and the blinking lights on the sides would have been pretty if it hadn’t been for the terrifying sound of the steam engines that slowly pushed the huge balloon through the paths between the buildings. She and Ryall were still and silent as it passed by them.

“It’s gone. It won’t make this route again for hours.”

When Ryall found her she was living in an abandoned building, half starved. She still had so many questions but she was starting to see that maybe life wasn’t going to be completely horrible. She had hid the changes from everyone, including her family including her family until one day she and her younger brother had climbed out on the roof to sit and talk. They had been joking around and she tickled him and he started to slide. She grabbed for his hand but he kept going. She didn’t even think. She just jumped. She caught him and they floated to the ground. He stared at her, not with gratitude, but horror. She needed the wings and they were just there. She put him down and ran into the house. He followed her slowly. She was in her room, shoving things into a bag. He stood in the doorway, crying.

“Kystel, what are you going to do? What about Mom and Dad?”

Kystel kept packing. “You tell them I love them. If I stay you know what will happen, Matty. The Mekaneks will punish them because of me. ” After the wars some babies were born with special abilities and they were viewed as dangerous mutations and taken away. No one ever saw them again. The families were often treated as though they were contagious and they were shunned. Her dad could lose his job. She was not going to be taken away as though she had done something wrong.

“But where will you go?”

“I’ll find a place and when I can, I’ll let you know where I am. Now stop sniffing and wipe your nose.” She handed him a handkerchief and hugged him. “I love you Matty. I’m sorry.” She grabbed her bag and ran out the door. That had been months ago.

“Okay, ready?” Ryall’s voice jerked her back into the present and she nodded. He was taking her to others like them. She wasn’t sure she trusted him completely but she didn’t have a choice. She nodded and he leapt from the ledge with her following. It was darker now and the only light came from the streets below. She followed Ryall between buildings and over a part of town she didn’t recognize. Ryall pointed down at some kind of warehouse and headed down toward it. Kystel followed. They came to ground in a alley and Kystel was suddenly reluctant.

“Come on. You’re going to love them.” Ryall had his hand on the door handle.

“Wait. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t want me to stay?” Kystel knew this was going to be some kind of milestone. Once she met the others and knew where they lived she was committed. Until now she could pretend that this was only temporary. That she would wake up and go home one day and everything would be the way it was.

“Kystel, everyone is afraid at first. You are one of us and we take care of each other.” Ryall pulled the handle and entered, holding it open for her. Kystel stepped inside.

Night Wings Main Page

Concrete Thinking

Three Word Wednesday CLXXIV beacon grieve kindred

Cynthia had always been a beacon for losers.  She should have been carrying a sign that read “give me your foolish, your cheaters, your unemployed”. She was going to grieve for this one though.  He seemed like a kindred spirit.  Don liked her cooking.  She liked his lovin. He really shouldn’t have lied to her. She found out.  She always did.  She turned on the portable cement mixer and sighed.  At least she could finish the back patio now.

Night Wings

Three Word Wednesday CLXXIII prompts : ideal, measure, and teeter Sunday Scribblings #199 Prompt: Yes

He turned back to look at her, smiling, his silhouette dark against the evening sky.  Even though she couldn’t see it, she could hear the smile in his voice.  “Come on.  You can do it.  I promise!”

She took a step onto the parapet, teetering a little.  She held her hands out for balance. She trusted him.  It was herself she doubted.

“Come on!  This is the ideal place.  No one can see us up here.  They can’t hear us either!”  He yelled the last as if to prove it to her.

Kystel took a step, measuring her stride by the bricks that made up the wall.

“Hold out your hand now.” Ryall said.

She stretched out her hand and met his fingers.  He guided her a few more steps until she was standing next to him.  He held her fingers and they looked out over the city skyline.

“Are you ready?”

Kystel grinned.  “As ready as I am ever going to be.  How do we do this?”

“You just let go and trust what you feel.”

“Ryall?”

“It will be okay.  I’ll be with you.”

He leaned out and left the edge as though he were diving into a pool.  Kystel hesitated a moment longer and then followed him.  There was no weight, no feeling of sinking.  The air currents took her and held her as though she was part of the sky.  There was no noise except the wind rushing by her ears.  She was close to Ryall now and could see his dark wings unfolded.  He glanced back and hovered as she caught up.

For the first time in her life, she felt at home.

Night Wings Main Page

These Are The Good Old Days

Sunday Scribbling Prompt# 198: Good Old Days

LeeAnn washed the rest of the dishes.  George didn’t like it when the kitchen was a mess. It had been a bad day.  The car had a flat.  There was no way they would have enough gas to make it to payday.  There had been enough money for booze, though.  He’d been drinking and she could hear him slamming things in the bedroom.  He took some pills, too. She dried the last dish and hung the dishtowel on the rack to dry.  She wiped the already clean counter one more time, nudging a canister back in line. George was coming up the hall now.  He stopped and punched a hole in the cheap paneling.  She came around the counter just in time for him to look up and the expression on his face made her run out the door.

LeeAnn had never run before but something in his eyes made her feet start moving before she had time to think about it.  She took off into the woods behind the trailer.  She had only made it a couple of feet when his hand yanked the back of her shirt and their momentum caused them both to hit the ground, him on top of her.  He yelled and got up, jerking her with him.  “You running away, LeeAnn?  Huh?  Where you gonna go?”

His arm went back and she saw the hand coming at her. Things went black and then sparkly.  It felt like her eye had exploded.  He drug her back to the trailer and up the steps, slinging her at the living room.  She crawled to a chair and pulled herself up into it, folding her legs up under her and wrapping her arms around herself.  She didn’t move, didn’t make a sound.  She watched him as he sat on the couch, staring out the window.  She waited.

George came over to LeeAnn and pulled her up and hugged her.  The usual apology plus explanation about how she shouldn’t have run.  How he wouldn’t have gotten so mad if she just hadn’t run.  How it was really her fault after all.  She hugged him back.  It didn’t mean anything. She closed down and went somewhere else.

They went to bed and he held her up against him.  She was still until she heard his breathing change.  She eased his arm off of her.  He mumbled something in his sleep and just in case, she told him she had to pee and would be right back.

LeeAnn slipped quietly from the bed and went into the bathroom and turned on the light.  She touched her face. Her eye was swollen shut.  She opened the cabinet and reached behind the cleaning supplies for the bandaid can where she had stashed a little money.  She pulled on the jeans and tee shirt that were folded on top of the dirty clothes basket.  She stopped in the hall and listened. She slipped up to the kitchen and got the can of charcoal starter out from under the sink.  She sprinkled it down the hall on the carpet and took their marriage certificate and rolled it up.  She struck a match and lit the paper on fire and set it on the carpet and threw the rest of the starter on it.

She closed the door behind her and stood for a moment in the front yard until she saw the flames.  The old trailer would burn quickly.  The cool night air made her swollen eye water and it stung.  She started walking and singing quietly.

“Anticipation…Anticipation is makin me late, is keepin me waiting.”

Days Of Our Lives

Three Word Wednesday: Jolt, ribbon, and Zeal and One Word: Powder

“Like sands through the hour glass…so are the days of our lives”  The mellow voice on the television promised glamour and drama while Mama did the ironing.  The powder never seemed to fill the bottom of that glass.    Mama was a stickler. Even hair ribbons and sheets had to be ironed with a zeal Katie just couldn’t understand.

“Boy that Julie is a pistol!  She’s gonna break her poor mother’s heart if she keeps chasing after that man.  I don’t care if he does wear a suit.  That Doug is no gentleman!”

Katie slipped into the kitchen and eased the lid off the cookie jar, silent, or so she thought.

“Katie?  You stay out of those cookies!  You will spoil your supper.”

How did she do that?  “Yes Ma’am!” Katie called as she wrapped two of the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in a napkin.  She ran out the back door and walked up the street to the corner, slowly savored the warm cookie and the gooey chocolate being careful not to get it on her shirt.  Mama would have torn her up if she got chocolate all over her clothes.  She turned the corner and walked to Robinson’s Drug store.  It was still a couple hours until supper time.  She liked to look at the make-up and the magazines. Mama wouldn’t let her wear make-up yet and she sure wasn’t going to let her buy one of those glamour magazines though Katie couldn’t figure out how a magazine was worse than Mama’s stories.

She wandered the aisles picking up packages of eye shadow.  She loved the names of the colors. Bronze Shimmer and Desert Sunset.  The fancy names sounded a lot better than tan and pink.  She thumbed through a magazine, looking at the hairstyles.  Katie felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, dropping the magazine.  Mr. Robinson was standing there.  He bent to pick up the magazine.  “Are you planning to buy this, young lady?”

Katie shook her head and frowned.  “No sir.”  She went to school with his son. Katie always thought Jack was kind of a jerk but she tried to be pleasant.  She knew his mom was sick a lot.  She felt funny about the way Mr. Robinson was standing kind of close.  She wished he would back up a little.  There was no way for her to move without seeming rude and she knew her Mama would not be happy if Mr. Robinson told her Katie was looking at magazines in his store and not buying them.

“I guess we can just forget this little magazine incident.  I better never catch you stealing from my store again, though.”

“I wasn’t stealing!”  Just then he bent and kissed Katie right on the mouth!  She backed up with a jolt, almost knocking the magazine rack over. She turned and ran to the door, swiping her hand across her mouth.  She heard him laughing as she stumbled outside.  She started running and didn’t slow down until she was nearly home.  She was half afraid he was following. She was out of breath and glanced behind her but there was no one there. She kept walking toward her home.

Now what should she do?  Should she tell her Mama?  What if he said Katie was lying because he caught her stealing?  Would her Mama believe her?  He was a grown-up and grown-ups  never believed kids.  He was on the P.T.A. for crying out loud!  She rubbed her mouth with her shirt-tail.  Gross!  How was she going to face Jack at school?  If she told then everyone would know.  Now she really felt sorry for Jack.  His mom was sick and his dad was a perv.  Jeez how lucky can you get?  She kicked a stone on the sidewalk.

What could she say if Mama wanted her to go to the drugstore to buy something.  She never wanted to go back to that place!  She closed the screen door without slamming it for once.  Her Mama turned from the stove and smiled.  “You’re just in time.  Go get washed up and set the table.”  Katie went to the sink and scrubbed her hands.  She set the table.  Mama brought the food to the table and they both sat down and Mama said the blessing.

Mama put a chunk of meat loaf on her plate and passed her the mashed potatoes.  Katie took some and didn’t even fuss when Mama placed a big spoonful of green beans next to the meatloaf.  Katie ate a little piece of the meatloaf and then made patterns in her mashed potatoes with her fork.  Her mother watched her as she ate her own dinner. Finally, she put her fork down and crossed her arms in front of her. “What’s wrong?  You love my meatloaf and you haven’t even asked for the catsup. You haven’t said three words since you got home.”  Katie knew she wasn’t going to let this go.

“I went to the drugstore today.  I was looking at make-up and I picked up a magazine to look at and anyway, you know Mr. Robinson?”

Her Mama nodded, frowning.

“Well, he kinda kissed me.”  Katie started crying.  Her Mama was sitting there with her mouth hanging open. Katie just knew she was in for it now. Any minute her Mama was going to yell at her and she would probably be grounded for a thousand years!

“Katie Rose!  Did he touch you?”  She had never seen her Mama look like that.  She looked mad sick at the same time.

“No, ma’am.  He just kissed me. On the mouth.  It was totally gross.  I’m sorry Mama.” Katie started to cry again.  Mama was out of her chair hugging her. “Katie, you are not in trouble.  Men like Mr. Robinson always think girls will be too scared to tell anyone.   I ought to take my iron to his head.  Why Olivia has stayed with him all these years is beyond me!”

The next day Mama was going to the drug store.  Mrs. Robinson had asked her for her Chocolate Cake recipe and she had written it down and folded it and placed it in an envelope.

“You’re not going to tell her what happened are you?”  Katie was mortified at the very thought of it.
“No.   But I will make sure Mr. Robinson sees me hand his wife this envelope.  He can draw his own conclusions.”

Maybe Mama had learned a thing or two from watching TV.  Katie had a whole new respect for Mama and her soap operas that day.

A Bit Of Fun

Simply Snickers Prompts: taste, tend, and trail

alittlebitoffun

taste a snowflake on your tongue
the bluster is better for the young
they trek with sled and skates
and throw
the frozen fluff for hours and so
they trail at last to hearth and home
to tend the nose and toes
and some
will have hot chocolate
or hearty soup
boots melt puddles on the floor
shivers by the fire abate
mittens hang to dry
the scarves unwound
from round and round
till warm and dry
pajama clad
the prayers are said
wintery angels put to bed

The Last Leaf Falls

Sunday Scribbling prompt #196: New Leaf

latente



we wait through days and nights
through the seasons
darks and lights
roaming earth by ones and twos
until the last leaf falls

seeking all and knowing nothing
wanting only
souls touching
taking paths we think we choose
until the last love calls

sifting thoughts, ideas, memories
like leaves
from autumn trees
turning over new and old
until life’s glory palls

still the end of all eludes us
seeking peace
that passeth each
one’s mortal comprehension
hoping all
is true in stories
happy endings, heroes lending
forest carpet
we all treading
til the last leaf falls

Confusing Six Word Sentences

I clicked on a link to Show My Face where they have this six word sentence thing.  There was a sentence:

Beach Boys shouldn’t sing Christmas music


Turns out it was not prompt but the example.  By the time I figured that out I had already written several.  To be fair, I am sleepy and have a blue screamer of a headache but you can still feel free to laugh.  Here are my attempts:

California girls don’t ho ho ho.
Dashing through snow ain’t sunny fun.
Rhonda can’t help deck the halls.
Little deuce coup can’t hold Santa.

Maybe this needs a little more thought…

Play Your Cards Right

Sunday Scribbling : Game

Every Friday night it was the same.  HE went and played cards with HIS friends.  It didn’t matter what she wanted.  She tried a time or two to make plans that included him but no, Friday night was sacred.  When she tried to talk to him about it he had the nerve to suggest she go shopping with his mother on those nights.  Like that was ever going to happen!

Well, enough is enough.  SHE would make her own plans for Friday nights and every night from now on.  Laurie had been giving this a lot of thought and she was sure she had every detail covered.  She might not be a poker player but she had her own game with her own rules and it was her turn.  No more full house for him.

SHE had her own deck and it told her what she needed to know.  She shuffled the cards one last time and cut the deck.  The queen of hearts.  What a laugh. She left it sitting there on the kitchen table next to her cell. She flipped her hair back, picked up her suitcase and climbed in the old chevy van.  She hated the thing.  It was like driving a tank.

Every Friday night he went to Tommys and played poker.  He was careful and he was pretty good.  He stayed sober and paid attention.  He had been winning pretty regular and socking it away.  Laurie had gotten kind of crabby about the Friday night thing lately.  He just needed a few more good nights to have the down payment on that sweet little yellow convertible she had been drooling over down at Smitty’s Auto Sales.  Just a few more. She was gonna love it and he was sure she didn’t have a clue.

Chuck passed him another brew.  He took a swig and thought about her reaction when he suggested she go shopping with his Mom. Boy, she was frosted.  He could tell by the look on her face.  He couldn’t wait to see the look when he walked her out to the driveway to see that car.

He had done pretty well tonight.  The last game he totally bluffed and Tommy folded.  He raked the money toward himself and the guys all moaned.

“I think we shoulda just gone down and bought the car for Laurie ourselves.” Chuck scratched his head and laughed. “Guess it wouldn’t have been near as much fun.  I sure hope it’s worth it.

Laurie crossed the bridge over Lake Pontchartrain as the sun was going down.  It would be a good five hours before he got home and realized she was gone.  She’d be the other side of Pensacola by then.  He would call her mama.  It didn’t matter, she was headed for Jax, beaches, and her cousin’s condo.

Two weeks later her mother forwarded the letter from him.  She opened the envelope to find a blank piece of paper wrapped around the photograph that slipped to the floor.  She bent to pick up a picture of Will standing in front of a yellow convertible in front of  Vegas casino.

He was smiling and holding the queen of hearts.  Laurie tore the picture into tiny pieces and threw them in the trash.

queenhearts

Tomorrow my short story “Ladies Night” will be posted on Every Day Fiction.  After reading some of the comments posted on the stories from the last two days I’m a little nervous.  A few friendly “faces” would be nice.

I’ll post the permalink here, in the morning when the story is up.

And here it is.

http://www.everydayfiction.com/ladies-night-by-dee-martin/

Nanowrimo and More

Nanowrimo is over. done. fini.

nanowinner

It was a good learning experience for me though there are some problems inherent to the very idea of setting a goal of fifty thousand words in thirty days.  There is little time to change your mind or to camp out in any one spot for long. If you have any kind of life you are going to have times when you simply cannot write and unless you have cranked out a huge amount of words ahead of time you will find your  palms sweating and your knees knocking, worried that you have begun the slow slide into the pit of defeat.  The motivation of being part of a group works for me for quantity and now is the time to edit.  I will give it a few days and then revisit what I wrote.

I learned several things along the way that someone might have told me or I might have read in a textbook, but I never would have really “gotten it”.  Having written nothing but short stories before this, I had no concept of the scope.  I had no concept of the depth necessary for a character to become a person known intimately by the reader.  I also had no clue how much LABOR is involved.  I still have difficulty letting bad things happen to my characters.  I grow to like them and end up with an aversion to hurting them or subjecting them to conflict which makes for a very boring book.

The encouragement from doing this as a part of a group is helpful.  I was a part of a region but not close enough to any group to actually participate in a write in.  The occasional pep talk emails from authors that are sent out to nanowrimo participants are helpful and the forums are interesting to stroll through.  All in all, it was a good experience and I will probably do it again next year.

I am excited about the idea of starting a Young Writers Program at school.  Nanowrimo supports this program and has materials and tee shirts and badges to help.  The computer lab would be ideal for holding a write in so I will be talking to the English teachers hoping to get some interest generated.

nano_09_winner_100x100

Back in the spring I sent a short story to Every Day Fiction.  They contacted me a couple of months later and said that they liked my story but had a few suggestions for revisions.  I made my revisions and re-sent the story.  I received an email this evening saying they have decided to publish my story and will contact me again with the publication date.  There were some nice comments included with the email.

According to their website:

Every Day Fiction is a magazine that specializes in bringing you fine fiction in bite-size doses. Every day, we publish a new short story of 1000 words or fewer that can be read during your lunch hour, on transit, or even over breakfast.

So I will take a little time with my Sunday Scribbling prompt this week and maybe enjoy just a few moments to bask and catch my breath.

Thanks are due.

To Tony for nudging me to write, for suggesting nanowrimo, and for the existence of this site that has become my digital home. For being the Wizard and knowing answers to some of my weird late night technical questions. Congratulations to you and Paige.

Paschal – thank you for the encouragement.  Not just for nanowrimo, but for always.

Dale, my love.  Thank you for looking over my shoulder and telling me to get off Facebook and get back to writing.  Thank you for cooking, for encouraging, for editing, and for not giving me a good smack when my answer to a question was to hold a finger up as I continued to type. (no not THAT finger!)

There are others and you know who you are.  Thank you.

P.S. I have been informed that my story will be published December the third.  I will of course, put a permalink on this blog when it is up.  Hope you will all drop by for a read 🙂

The Slippers

One Word prompt: slippers

She walked into the house and went straight back to the bedroom.  She was beyond tired.  People had been so nice.  The service was nice. Everything was so damn nice she wanted to scream or slap somebody.  The fridge was full of food.  She would be trying to decide if she wanted chicken or ham for supper for the next week.  There were pies and cakes and jello molds.  A neighbor had brought the potted plants home and set them on the driveway next to the porch door for her.  She would find somewhere to put them.  She never could stand waste.  Was that a noise? Something ticking?

Maybe…maybe she could stand it a little bit right now.  She really could care less about the stupid plants. There was a little bit of mad filling up her throat but it got tamped down again by the numbing sadness.  Did she hear something?

What was it all for?  She had scrimped and saved.  The kids were grown.  They should be traveling, enjoying life now.  She had tried to get him to watch his diet, take better care of himself.  He worried about every little thing that happened.  He worried and ate and ate and worried until his heart just exploded.  Now what would she do.  Nothing she could do except write thank you cards and pay the funeral home.  There was some business to take care of. Notifications to make.  Loose ends to tie up.  There.  She heard it again.  She was sure it was something ticking.

She sat on the edge of the bed and slipped off her shoes.  She reached for her slippers and there, under the edge of the bed, she saw them.  Right next to her pink fluffy house shoes.  They were worn out.  The leather was soft and the inside was lined with red plaid flannel.    She put her head in her hands and wept.