(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)
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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.
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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts that encourages us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.
This month, the prompts are being provided by Lee at Kitchen Connection.
This week’s “Words for Wednesday” are listed below:
Comedy
Shadows
Loss
Rainbow
Emotional
Heart
OR
Contradictions
Sensitive
Legendary
Engage
Forever
Never-ending
They had been together long enough to know that life wasn’t all RAINBOWs and sunshine. That’s why, though it broke his HEART, he had to have the discussions with her now, while she still could. Now, while her LOSS wasn’t imminent, and she could still ENGAGE in a lucid discussion of anything.
For her part, she kept seeing the COMEDY in the situation. They’d always assumed she would outlive him, just like happens to most couples. This part of their lives had become what she called “a bundle of CONTRADICTIONS,” nothing going the way they’d thought. She the intellectual, facing the loss of her faculties, he the mechanic/handyman/jack of every trade you can imagine, having to learn how to do the bookkeeping and what he always called brain-work.
She didn’t allow the discussions they undertook to get too EMOTIONAL. Most people think of the wife as being more SENSITIVE, but that would be to assume these two were typical. Had she outlived him, she would have been saddened by the loss and yet have continued to make a life for herself. He was totally unnerved by the idea of being without her for any length of time, much less FOREVER.
“It’s not forever!” she reminded him sternly one day. His maudlin attitude that morning had brought out something he hadn’t seen in a while, her LEGENDARY mama bear side. In fact, since the kids had grown and gone, he’d never seen it. She called it up now, knowing he needed it.
“You know that it’s the next life that is NEVER-ENDING!” she scolded. “Here is just the SHADOWS of the life to come. You have grandchildren who need you to teach them to build a tree-house and work on a car. There are the widows at church who will still need your handyman skills. You can miss me all you want when the time comes, but you better promise me you are going to live and love and laugh and enjoy our family and friends and church just as much as you can while you still draw a breath!”
He had promised, and in years to come, keeping that promise is what gave him both the happiest and saddest and richest years of his life.
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Please note that i am still having trouble commenting on Wordpress blogs, even using my Wordpress account. Sometimes it won’t publish them at all, but please know, i’m still reading and trying to comment.
Curious as a Cathy, my computer is now saying your site certificate expired and that a copycat site may be trying to steal my personal information. Also, yours is one of the main ones i cannot comment on, not sure what’s up with all that, but i thought you might want to know.
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Today is:
Bonza Bottler Day™
Children's Day -- North Korea
Clean Air Day -- Canada
D-Day -- 74th Anniversary
Drive-In Movie Day*
Helicopter Day -- the first one was tested in Berlin on this day in 1936
Hyun Choong Il -- South Korea (Memorial Day)
Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Petal Hats)
June Bug Days -- Baldwin, WI, US (music, tractor pull, free outdoor movie night, and more; through Saturday)
National Applesauce Cake Day
Nationaldagen -- Sweden (National Day)
National Gardening Exercise Day -- because gardening is good for the body and soul
National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day -- US
National Yo-Yo Day -- Donald F. Duncan, Sr.'s, birth anniversary; go get out your old Duncan and see if you still remember how to go around the world (but not near Great Aunt Mabel's antique lamp she left you, please)
Russian Language Day -- UN
St. Norbert of Xanten's Day (Patron of peace; Bohemia; Madgeburg, Germany; against birth complications)
Tailor's Day -- the first Wednesday of June is noted on many sites as the day to thank your tailor
Teachers' Day -- Bolivia
The National Tournament -- Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB, Canada (features the Spruce Meadows Show Jumping Championship and the Nexen Cup, with live entertainment and activities daily; through Sunday)
Turtle Races -- Nisswa, MN, US (Wednesdays through August 22nd, go race a turtle, it's only $5 to adopt a turtle for the race and get a participation racing button!)
Birthdays Today:
Staci Keanan, 1975
Max Casella, 1967
Paul Giamatti, 1967
Ena, 1966
Amanda Pays, 1959
Bjorn Borg, 1956
Kenny G, 1956
Sandra Bernhard, 1955
Harvey Fierstein, 1954
Harvey Fierstein, 1952
Robert Englund, 1947
Gary U.S. Bonds, 1939
Marian Wright Edelman, 1939
Billy Whitelaw, 1932
Thomas Mann, 1875
Robert Falcon Scott, 1868
Alexander Pushkin, 1799
Nathan Hale, 1755
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"20/20"(TV), 1978
"Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust"(Album release), 1972
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"(Song release), 1965
Today in History:
Twenty-four wagonloads of Talmudic books are burned in Paris, 1242
The Qing Dynasty Manchu forces led by the Shunzhi Emperor capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty; the Manchus would rule China until 1912 when the Republic of China is established, 1644
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum, 1683
A devastating fire destroys one-third of Moscow, including 18,000 homes, 1752
Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is crowned King of Spain, 1808
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London, 1844
More than 100,000 inhabitants of Bombay are killed as a cyclone in the Arabian Sea pushes huge waves into the harbour, 1882
The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, 1912
The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler, 1925
*The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey, United States, 1933
A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy, 1974
Mongolia holds its first direct presidential elections, 1993
A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 meters diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya with an estimated force slightly greater than the Nagasaki nuclear bomb, 2002
Tamil is established as a Classical Language in India, 2004
In east London, archeologists find remains of the Curtain Theatre, which opened in 1577 and was where some of Shakespeare's plays were performed, 2012
A solar plane, called The Solar Impulse, lands in Morocco after completing the world's first intercontinental flight powered by the Sun, 2012
LOUD APPLAUSE.
ReplyDeleteI wish these sites wouldn't make it so hard for people to comment on. There are a few where I try to leave comments, but can't. Good job with the story :-)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant use of the words! Thanks so much for managing to comment so regularly on my Wordpress site, I really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteClick to visit Keith's Ramblings!
Mimi,
ReplyDeleteI'm working on the problem (I hope) to fix the issue you're experiencing. We'll see how that goes. I'm getting a SSL Certificate through my host site. Once I do, then I'm very anxious to hear if you have any more troubles with my site. *cross fingers*
I enjoyed your story but it was awfully sad. :( Thanks for sharing. Have a good day!
I love the “Words for Wednesday”. I love that large red chair. On our last cruise on the Celebrity Reflection, on the 15th deck there were two gigantic chairs. I took a photo of Mary Lou trying to get on the chair but was difficult. I'll show it on my blog so that you could see it. See ya Mimi.
ReplyDeleteCruisin Paul
I'm sorry you're having issues with commenting on WordPress. Doesn't make sense since you are on WordPress.
ReplyDeleteThat's one huge chair. Very nice.
I always enjoy your stories. You write so very well.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ♥
I like your story; you weave the prompt words in so well. Sorry you are having trouble commenting on blogs. I have been having a problem lately getting the linky to show up. Not sure what that's all about.
ReplyDeleteVery sad, but well done.
ReplyDeleteVery moving, indeed. Well written...emotion-filled.
ReplyDeleteYour use of the words was skillful, messymimi
I just clicked on your link at Girlie on the Edge and it went to a blank page. And I can't find a Six Sentence post on your blog either.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful use of the words and she is right of course, the grandchildren will need him.
ReplyDelete