Thursday Trauma: Miz Winifred

Very poisonous

When mysterious plants invaded Miz Winifred’s weed-infested garden, she was overjoyed and relieved. “Finally!  What took you so long?!”  Soon tall stems were loaded with round deep purple berries. Winifred hurried to pick them, a basket over her arm.

As she plucked the berries, the townspeople clustered at her corroded gate, clamped tightly with a rusted lock.

Grape jelly, maybe

They were brimming with unease, baffled by the plants with the inviting berries and Old Miz Winifred.  A premonition of graven events coming soon shivered through them, and all scurried to the safety of home and hearth.

On a cast iron oven, a black cauldron bubbled with toxic herbs, spider pieces, rats’ tails, and black wine, to which Miz Winifred added the dark purple belladonna berries.  

Soon the mixture was cooling in the glass jelly jars, tightly sealed.

“Splendid!” She cackled, packing jars in her basket and climbed onto her broom, launching off into midnight sky.  Almost missed our Annual Witch and Wizard Meeting! They so love my jelly!

Many thanks to Delores at "Under the Porch Light" for providing two lists of 6 each in Thursday Trauma.  Delores is a delightful blogger who has quite an imagination!  Please pop over to her site, and if you wish, leave your own take in her comment section OR at your own site. 

Enjoy your own "Hallowed Eve"!

Wednesday Words: Xander and Termite Tents

This is what I found in my closet. I screamed.

Xander viewed the striped termite tent with pride, acknowledging to his crew that this job was awesome.  Their work and skill more than matched company standards and high expectations.

Before starting the poisonous agent, Xander used a microlight drone over the roof, checking for any possible gaps.  “All clear, guys.  We got ‘er done.” 

Termidor© gas seeped slowly into the empty house.

But the house was not quite empty.  From beneath old wardrobe crept three rats, nasty rats.  They perched on a chair and sniffed the air. “Well, now.  That’s something we don’t smell everyday…

Then silence reined, except for a gaseous hiss.

Welcome to Wednesday Words!  This meme was created by Delores at Under the Porch Light to encourage writers to "break out of a slump" or to experience a different genre.  Bloggers can use these words in poetry, prose, flash fiction, song---whatever suits. Post the words in your blog any day that week or even the next.

When Delores' computer went wacky, Elephant's Child provided bloggers with all sorts of interesting words (that crazy lady).  River,  followed by Jacqueline, Susan, and Margaret Adamson with friend Sue volunteered to provide word lists, photo prompts, or completing a sentence prompt.

If you would like to participate, check Elephant's Child for words.  You may place your creation in the comment section, or if you wish, at your own site (linking it back to E.C).

If you would like to volunteer to supply words, let Elephant's Child know.  

Phew.

Time to Walk Away

Yes

Time comes in all lives when a person says “That’s enough…I’m done…”  Turning off the tractor, closing the grade book, handing over the keys and walking away.

Teacher friends of mine taught for forty years, forty years!  I think of their names and see them in my mind.  Some took that long desired cruise, some moved away from the desert climate, and some, oh those teachers, got sick.

One of my friends retired on a Friday and developed shingles on Monday.  If you do not know what shingles are, look it up.  You have no idea how AWFUL this is.

Another precious friend was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Since her breast cancer was genetic, she had a double mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and then developed uterine cancer.  A wonderful teacher, dear friend, and school board member, she died.

Enough.  There are many stories, good and bad.

Point of this post:

 

Recognize it is time to stop, to walk away.

You know when it is time, you can feel it.  Do not deny the hip, knee, or shoulder.  Do not ignore pain or sense of exhaustion.

A number of issues forced me to retire, a good ten years early.  And then the same issues that drove me during some mighty fine teaching years had followed me home.  An severe elbow injury and serious migraine inheritance---I try to ignore them when creating a project.

But, paying attention to the signs and pain taught me to stop, leave what I was doing, and walk away.

Let go

How about you?