998 vs. 915, You're the Winner!

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Halloween was over, the chocolate candy consumed, and empty wrappers told the tale.

Only the good stuff was eaten, leaving mini-Tootsie pops, generic copies and Jolly Rogers in candy collecting containers. The order had been given to toss the losers away.

The challenge began when ten-year old Lily handed me a Cherry Mini-Lollipop, and kept the grape for herself.  “How many licks will it take to get to the chocolate center?”

We both looked at the candy on a stick, judged how small the round candy was, and made predictions.  Me: 75, Lily: 50.  How long would this competition take?  Me: 30 minutes, Lily (bravado of a 10 year old): 20 minutes, for sure.

Ready, steady, GO!

20 minutes in, I had done 120 (cherry). And Lily was up to 100.

25 minutes in, I was up to 200, and Lily was leading with 220.

30 minutes in, I had moved to 308, and Lily was all purple smiles at 315.

As the minutes piled up, my jaws cramped, the type of cramp one gets after eating a bag of Sweet Tarts.

We struggled with sore tongues.  “You’re going down, Grandma…”

600 to 582---653 to 690…would it ever end?

The end slipped in at 45 rough minutes.  Me: 915 and Lily: 998.

Lily danced around the kitchen, hands in the air, singing “Eye of the Tiger”.  Me?  I went to look into a mirror.  Sticking out my cherry red tongue, sweet and sour zones in the tongues had worked themselves raw.

Rule of tongue: eat all the chocolate stuff and dump the rest.  The Tootsie Pops are not a single lick.

The parameters of this game were vague.  I gathered that the more licks it took to get to the chocolate center was the winner.  It shows self control.  Whatever.  It is in poor taste to beat a grandchild who sings "Eye of the Tiger" and knows the words.

Bate da Bag outta Ye

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Liam gingerly placed an ice pack on a swollen throbbing jaw, given to him by his brother Jimmy.  That Jimmy—he sure busted me dial (punched my face).

What had started out as fun horseplay at O'Burne's Pub had escalated into a full-on brawl.  Disgraceful!  You boys have embarrassed us! AGAIN! Their mother had shouted a frequently delivered statement into their faces.

The sequence of the battle had had them rolling onto the pool table, smashing bar stools, and delivering heavy punches (knock yer pan).

  

When blood and broken beer bottles were splattered throughout the bar, the owner Frank McGuire threw them out to dark dank Knackers Avenue. “Get on yer bike and take yerself dah feck this minute if not sooner!” (Get out.)

Once the anger drained away, they staggered along the dim street, holding each other up.  

“A fine donnybrook (brawl), Jimmy .  I sure bate the bag outta ye (beat you up).”

“I’ll gi’ ye that, Liam.  You marmaladed me (punched) but good.”

“Ah, weel, I’ll knack yer ballix in (I'll beat you up) again next time…let’s git on home so Ma can gob smack us. (tell us off and perhaps slap us).”

The Irish males are often a rowdy group who may congregate in pubs. They have very colorful language. After a soccer or hurling game, there is often great animosity.

Next week starts December, and River will be providing some exciting Wednesday Words for ye.

  

Wednesday Words

Just Wednesday

This is the fourth week of November, which means it is Thanksgiving week.  It would seem fruitless to put up a group of Wednesday Words, yet it feels wrong to not.  So I’ll provide 12 words and perhaps, in a food-gluttony haze, you will rest in the recliner and write…

Here they are:

Choose, thick, reinforce, insurance, queen, interface

Statement, stool, disgrace, jaw, avenue, fun

AND/OR

Most vivid amongst the memories of his home town….

It has been so much fun playing with words this month of November!  Eat heartily but wisely, my friends!

You may post your creation in the comment section below or write that you will posting at your own site on whatever day.  Help us find you! 

Now, have at it! (I will be posting here on Friday.)

The creator of Wednesday Words is Delores at Under the Porchlight. She passed the baton to other bloggers, wonderful bloggers.  My turn is the month of November. 

In December, River at driftingthroughlife.blogspot.com will provide prompts on her blog (will be good stuff).

In January, Jacqueline at randomosity.blogspot.com. will challenge bloggers (and she will, too).

In February, Elephant's Child will delight bloggers (she is delightful herself) with choice words.

In March, Margaret Adamson, with her friend Sue Fulton will work out our writing brains (I'd love to meet this lady).

Since this crosses the world in many time zones, this meme may be published on Tuesday or Thursday in your own time zone.  Keep checking!

Advertising Across the Decades

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What commercials do you remember from over the years?

Cigarettes?  Marlboro Man?

Hard liquor?  Handsome/gorgeous celebrities?

Cleaning products? Detergents?  Car oil?  Texaco Man (You can trust the man who wears a star.)

Ovaltine?

An amazing amount of commercials have passed our way, on TV, Radio, or in printed form.

Look at these. Click the link below the picture. You will be amazed at the products advertised and how.

And/or, view this video...just a few or all.  Black and white!  AND, it's good for you!!

 Don't you miss the "good ole days"?  

Wednesday Words: Great Aunt Tilly

Rest in Peace

The coffin of Great Aunt Tilly lay in state in the funeral home, surrounded by family, who mourned her passing.  Whispering between themselves, their depth of sorrow was on display.  

She was quite the grand personality…Well, she was one stingy b…When Tilly entered the room, who could ignore her?…she was evil, downright ev…she was the best mother…

No one could say with certainty when the door creaked open and a slow dense fog rolled in along the floor.  No one could describe how the temperature fluctuated between cold and colder.

Screaming, all stampeded from the funeral home to their cars and roared away.

Andrew Jones, the undertaker, and his son Richard were speechless at first. Then Richard cleared his throat, “Well, you don’t see that every day.”

The creator of Wednesday Words is Delores at Under the Porchlight. She passed the baton to other bloggers, wonderful bloggers. Elephant's Child also shares the words at her site, and comments can be found there. My turn is the month of November.  Who will be in December or January?  Wait and see.

No Worries Wednesday

Outback Steakhouse

There are so many great writers participating!  These bloggers take the words, creating unexpected stories, poems….

This is the third week of November, already...42 more days until Christmas....  Here are two sets of words and a sentence prompt.  Use all or part.

Door, roll, fluctuation, ignore, personality, mother

And/or

Hilarious, north, dividend, particular, use, temple

Sentence:

He looked at his phone, turned pale, then quickly left the room. She watched him, smiling.

  Now, isn’t that provocative?

You may post your creation in the comment section below or write that you will posting at your own site on whatever day.  Help us find you! 

Now, have at it! (I will be posting here on Friday.)

The creator of Wednesday Words is Delores at Under the Porchlight. She passed the baton to other bloggers, wonderful bloggers.  My turn is the month of November.  Who will be in December or January?  Wait and see.

Where did Doris go?

No words

A newspaper article on “Homeless in San Diego” wrote an article that included her. Named her Delores or Doris, something like that.  Saw her every day, going and coming to work or home.  Driving by, seeing her, wondering day after day, who she was.

Ragged woman…in dirty army fatigues, worn out fatigues.  Long ratty gray hair, wrinkled hands, couldn’t see her face but once when she shook the dirty mass back to tie up with a red bandanna.  

Her face, well, her face. Must have been beautiful sometime, beauty was still there, hidden with wrinkles, dirt, frown, lines…fine bones. Fine hands, long legs.  

Sometime maybe thirty, forty years ago, now ragged worn out. 

Doris pushed her shopping cart up Washington over to Broadway, back again. 

Watched Doris for two years maybe. Each day she stretched out skinny arms, pushed heavy cart, had sleeping bag, pieces of junk, where she slept was a mystery Sometimes could see her curled up in a corner of empty supermarket, sometimes behind garbage bin. 

Didn’t know what she ate Tried to give her money a few times she swore at me, walked away, pride maybe. 

Winter and rain, saw less and less, just glimpses of here, there under overhangs or trees.  Then, one day, the next next next, Doris wasn’t there.  Never saw her again.

Wonder what, where, when.  Doris went somewhere. 

W.Words: Twelve Steps

AA Grapevine

Steve blinked once, twice, realizing that he lay on cold floor in his own vomit.  As he staggered to his feet, a message hit his brain along with a pounding headache. I’ve had enough of this.  It has to stop.

After vomiting again, his brain took a poll of body part members. Stomach?  Liver?  Kidneys? Eyes... with all saying, “Get sober, you SOB! We’re in trouble down here…If you don’t stop, we will all break down, one by one…”

Next day, Steve forced his feet to climb the stairs to the most non-exclusive organization worldwide, Alcoholics Anonymous.  Forced his hand to open the door.  Forced himself to say, “Hi, my name is Steve, and…forced his mouth to say the words…I’m an alcoholic.”

Twelve steps?  He worked through them, again and again.  Now he was at #8 again—a list of all I have harmed…be willing to make amends…then do it!  Make amends! His list was so long, all the people he had hurt.

Almost a year later, half the names on the list had already been crossed off. Squeezing the one year sobriety coin, he smiled.  I’ll never graduate from this, it is not a school…I will face alcoholism…one step at a time…one day at a time...each and every day.

This is dedicated to all who are fighting this battle.  People I know and love are right there with you.

Welcome Home: Belated Honor

The Wall at the center

Sometimes cleaning out boxes of photos and snips of newspapers deliver surprises.  Articles usually about hometown news have grown brown and brittle, written about old friends now dead, long ago.

But, this one article made me sit down and read the entire article.  It was from the Quincy Herald-Whig, dated November 14, 1982.  

The headline read “150,000 cheer Viet War vets”, as they dedicated the Vietnam Veterans Memorial "The Wall", inscribed with the names of comrades who were killed or missing during this very controversial war:

"On a wintry day, over 8,000 veterans including families, disabled in wheelchairs or crutches, and those still grieving for the terrible loss, or those returned who had experienced rejection---now were honored and welcomed home.

It was a time of reunion for comrades who had survived and not seen each other since the Vietnam War ended.  

It was also a time for survivors to seek out family members to tell them “Your son saved my life…I was in Quang Tri in 1968…He was a good man…” To be able to tell loved ones about this special person now gone, left both in tears and hugging.

They walked down the Mall in D.C., joined by Ret. Gen. Westmoreland, and later by President Reagan.  He had been asked to be the keynote speaker, but declined, leaving that honor to someone else who had been in Vietnam."

What caught me was the closing paragraph in the newspaper article:

“William Peyton talked about becoming a policeman when he returned from Vietnam, but never got the chance. The helicopter crew chief was killed during the 1970 invasion of Cambodia."  His mother, Minerva Peyton was moved to tears by the new memorial. “Our boys deserve the recognition,” she said. “They did the best they could, under the circumstances.”

My cousin Billy was remembered that day by my Aunt Minerva.  On this day I remember and honor Billy Peyton as well.

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Wednesday Words were posted on Tuesday's blog.  Head over to "Older Post/Blog" to engage in the adventure of writing.

Wednesday Words for second week of November

Talent stretches across decades.

Last Wednesday brought some great writing!  It was, like, a gift.

This second week of November provides two sets of words and a sentence prompt. Choose one set, both sets, sentence prompt, just a few words--it is yours for the taking! See what you can make from them:

Wall, mail carrier, cool, flourish, wedding, creep

And/and or/Or

Poll, graduate, floor, message, break down, exclusive

The sentence prompt for this week:

Half the names on the list had already been crossed off.

Write!  Take a leap in the world of words!  Start with one word and let your fingers do the walking!

You may post on this comment space below, or post on your own site.  Please post back to this site so writers can find you!

Wednesday’s words are being posted on Tuesday, 11/10/2015, because tomorrow is Veterans’ Day. On November 11th, my own blog will be dedicated to remembering and honoring brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for their country.

The Rattlin' Can

Sometimes two worlds collide, and magic happens!

Irish songs and physics!  Good stuff.

The Irish song is actually "The Rattlin' Bog".  

Sung by "The Corries":

Wednesday Words...The Horse Came Home Alone

Wanna buy a castle?

Down a weedy avenue to lower Westonderry Woods stood an abandoned castle, tumbling down stone by stone.  But once, this castle had been filled with light, music, and laughter, along with copious amounts of alcohol.

Lord Brandon Larson,a charismatic bachelor, had inherited a massive fortune which opened many doors to him, including the world of high society.  Lord Larson swept newly debuted young ladies off their feet.  And, if his charm succeeded, he swept them onto their backs.

 Soon he was swimming in debt.  All of his creditors were folding up his mortgages and moving in on him.  Also, many outraged titled fathers of pregnant young debutantes were circling their carriages around him.

Seeing no escape and not being one to cower  before the angry men, Lord Larson hastily buried the ledger notebook under heavy Swood planks, and stormed to the stables to saddle the fastest horse there.  Off he thundered, applying a riding crop with a heavy hand.

The horse came back alone, a wise decision on Lord Larson’s part, probably the only one he had ever made.

Wednesday Words for First Week of November

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Welcome to yet another site of Wednesday Words!  There have been some gifted writers who have provided challenging words to bloggers who would like to try something different!

First some history: Delores at Under the Porch Light started this meme ages ago but her computer rebelled.

River caught the ball and continued, 
until passing it off to Elephant’s Child.  

Some wonderful volunteers supported this excellent site:

 Jacqueline atRandomosity;   Susan at the most…of every moment; and,   Margaret Adamson and friend Sue. 

I will be tossing out some words for you to play and enjoy in the month of November.  Here they go:

depart

lick

register

free

text

shout

AND/OR

avenue

cower

charismatic

swim

fold

notebook

OR

Try this sentence prompt:

The horse came back alone.

I hope you'll think about these words and prompt.  You may even leave your written response in the comment section here.  Or, if you wish, post your writing on your blog and link it back to this site.  That's the only way we can find you!

God bless Clint Eastwood.

 

My Twilight Years at 84

If you realize each day is a gift, you may be near my age.

As I enjoy my twilight years, I am often struck by the inevitability that the party must end.  There will be a clear, cold morning when there isn’t any “more”.  No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat.

It seems to me that one of the important things to do before that morning comes, is to let every one of your family and friends know that you care for them by finding simple ways to let them know that you care for them by finding simple ways to let them know your heartfelt beliefs and the guiding principles of your life so they can always say, “He was my friend, and I know where he stood.”

So, just in case I’m gone tomorrow, please know this:

I voted against that incompetent, lying, flip-flopping, insincere, double-talking, radical socialist, terrorist excusing, bleeding heart, narcissistic, scientific and economic moron currently in the White House!  Participating in a gun buy-back program because you think that criminals have too many guns is like having yourself castrated because you think your neighbors have too many kids.

Regards, Clint

Make my day—Pass it on!

Revised from earlier post:
I got this from my brother, who found it on another FB person...where it originated, I don't know.  But if anyone could have said this, it would be Clint Eastwood.  I totally agree with this, whether or not Eastwood said it.

This was on my brother’s FaceBook site, and he had seen on another’s site… I went to the site mentioned by Bish Denham, then to the YouTube of the RNC 2011 convention where Clint Eastwood site was a guest speaker.  With snips and bits, this letter was put together.

 

Altho the letter in itself is not written in one piece, Clint Eastwood has said each individual point throughout the years.

 

And that doesn’t bother me.  I believe every word put together, whether by cut and paste or by his moral fiber.

998 vs. 915

Source

Halloween was over, the chocolate candy consumed, and empty wrappers told the tale.

Only the good stuff was eaten, leaving mini-Lollipops, generic copies and Jolly Rogers in candy collecting containers. The order had been given to toss the losers away.

The challenge began when ten-year old Lily handed me a Cherry Mini-Lollipop, and kept the grape for herself.  “How many licks will it take to get to the chocolate center?”

We both looked at the candy on a stick, judged how small the round candy was, and made predictions.  Me: 75, Lily: 50.  How long would this competition take?  Me: 30 minutes, Lily (bravado of a 10 year old): 20 minutes, for sure.

Ready, steady, GO!

20 minutes in, I had done 120 (cherry). And Lily was up to 100.

25 minutes in, I was up to 200, and Lily was leading with 220.

30 minutes in, I had moved to 308, and Lily was all purple smiles at 315.

As the minutes mounted, my jaws cramped, the type of cramp one gets after eating a bag of Sweet Tarts.

We struggled with sore tongues.  “You’re going down, Grandma…”

600 to 582---653 to 690…would it ever end?

The end slipped in at 45 rough minutes.  Me: 915 and Lily: 998.

Lily danced around the kitchen, hands in the air, singing “Eye of the Tiger”.  Me?  I went to look into a mirror.  Sticking out my cherry red tongue, sweet and sour zones in the tongues had worked themselves raw.

Rule of tongue: eat all the chocolate stuff and dump the rest.  The Lollipops are not a single lick.

The rules of this are rather vague.  But I wouldn’t dare to contest them to a 10 year old dancing around the kitchen singing “Eye of the Tiger”, and knows all the words.