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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday and Sandee at Comedy Plus.
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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.
This month, i am providing the prompts. You can write your story on your blog and leave a link here, or write your story in the comments, your choice.
Pick words from one list, or both, use them all, or use none. The whole point is to get us writing, so please have fun with it!
This week the prompts are:
thanks
incapable
suffering
memorial
aunt
front
and/or
effect
admission
past
jaw
room
enhance
“THANKS again, kiddos, for letting me stay a few days and get your dentist to tend to this tooth. I’ve had pain off and on in the JAW around it for a few weeks now, and the thought of SUFFERING with tooth pain over MEMORIAL Day weekend is not appealing at all.”
AUNT Marigold was again ensconced in the FRONT ROOM, and after dropping her bags had come out to see if she could help with dinner.
“We’re glad to have you,” June said, answering for herself and Alan, who was busy tasting the butter beans.
After finally swallowing, Alan said, “Our new dentist is great, she has a very subtle touch.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ve always tried to take care of my teeth, no matter what part of the world I was in. After all, if I lose them, well let’s just say the EFFECT on my appearance would not ENHANCE my good looks.”
June muttered something about how there was no way Aunt Marigold could ever not look good while Alan busied himself serving up plates of food for all of them.
Once at the table, Aunt Marigold regaled them with stories of some of her PAST adventures, then told of some of her future plants. “Next winter I want to go back to Japan.” She lowered her voice like she was going to make an ADMISSION to something shameful and said, “Can you believe I’ve been to Japan several times and never gotten to Sapporo to see the snow festival?”
“I’ve read about it,” Alan said, “it does sound like something you will enjoy.”
“I do enjoy my trips, kiddos, and I enjoying dropping in on relatives, too, but only for a few days. Fish and visitors stink after three days, you know, and I’m INCAPABLE of staying in one place too long. Right now, though, I’m going to get some beauty sleep so I can be ready to face the dentist in the morning. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight!” June and Alan echoed, and June smiled. “The more often she visits, the more I like her,” she said.
“Told you that you’d get used to her,” Alan said. “Let’s get the dishes done and get ourselves to bed, too. Knowing Aunt Marigold, even a dental visit will be an adventure of some kind, and I want to be well rested.”
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Today is:
Araw ng Maynila -- Philippines (Manila Day)
Bannockburn Day -- Scotland (decisive battle of the first Scottish War of Independence, led by Robert Bruce)
Burning of the Lamps in Egypt at Sais -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar, a celebration of Isis and Neith (date approximate)
Calcio Fiorentino -- Florence, Italy (reviving 16th century style football in period costumes, through the 28th)
Carabobo Day -- Venezuela (battle commemoration)
Celebration of the Senses -- Wellcat Holidays urges you to enjoy all five (six?) of your senses today
Countryman's Day -- Peru (one of Peru's three Fiestas Patrias Peruanas)
Day of the Caboclo -- Amazonas State, Brazil
Feast of Rahmat (Mercy) -- Baha'i
Flying Saucer Day -- anniversary of Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting, while flying near Mt. Rainier, of 9 metallic, circular objects he could not identify
Fors Fortuna -- Ancient Roman Calendar (rites and festival for the goddess of good luck and fortune)
International Fairy Day/Faerie Day -- day for collectors, believers, and artists to share their love for the little folk
Lost Handkerchief Day -- Fairy Calendar
Museum Comes to Life Day -- another fun and funny day someone came up with
National Creamy Pralines Day
St. John the Baptist's Nativity Day and related Midsummer celebrations (Patron of baptism, bird dealers, converts, children with convulsions, epileptics, farriers, French Canadians, lambs, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors; against convulsions, epilepsy, hail and hailstorms, and spasms; Patron of over 60 cities and countries around the globe)
Inti Raymi -- Peru (Incan Sun Festival)
Jaanipaev -- Estonia
Jani -- Latvia
Jónsmessa -- Iceland (feast of St. John the Baptist, considered a magical night when cows can speak, seals take on human form, finding magical stones and herbs is propitious, and rolling naked in the dew is healing.)
Macau Day -- China (celebrating the defeat of Dutch invasion forces in 1622 and paying homage to St. John as the port's Patron Saint)
Midsummer Day -- England
National Holiday -- Quebec, Canada (Sant Jean-Baptiste)
Saint John the Baptist Day -- Andorra
Saint Jonas Festival or Jonines -- Lithuania
San Juan -- CT and GA, Spain
Surinal -- North Korea
Zuni Buffalo, Corn, and Comanche Dances -- Zuni Native Americans (for fertility of land and people; Vespers is also observed, as San Juan is their Patron Saint)
Swim a Lap Day -- just for fun!
Swing a Kid Day -- if swimming isn't right for you
Anniversaries Today:
Eton College is founded by Henry VI, 1441
Birthdays Today:
Sherry Stringfield, 1967
Joe Penny, 1956
Nancy Allen, 1950
Phyllis George, , 1949
Peter Weller, 1947
Mick Fleetwood, 1947
Ellison Shoji Onizuka, 1946
Jeff Beck, 1944
Michele Lee, 1942
Claude Chabrol, 1930
John Anthony Ciardi. 1916
Phil Harris, 1904
Jack Dempsey, 1895
Roy O. Disney, 1893
Ambrose Bierce, 1842
Henry Ward Beecher, 1813
Debuting/Premiering Today:
Catch-22(Film), 1970
"Hopalong Cassidy"(TV), 1949
"American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press"(Radio), 1945
Today in History:
Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place, 972
A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion, 1374
John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland; the first European
exploration of the region since the Vikings, 1497
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, 1571
Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1604
The colony of New Jersey is founded, 1664
Kingston, Jamaica is founded, 1692
The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England, 1717
The first republican constitution in France is adopted, 1793
The decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain, the Battle of Carabobo takes place, 1821
First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français, 1880
The first exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work opens, 1901
Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract, 1916
The first airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto begins, 1918
Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the third prime minister, 1939
The Soviet Union makes overland travel between the West with West Berlin impossible, 1948
The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government, 1963
Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud completes his first mission, becoming the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist, 1985
John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history, 2010
The last known Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George, is found dead in the Galapagos Islands, 2012
British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns after the UK votes to leave the EU, 2016
Saudi Arabia lifts its ban on women driving, 2018
That's a nice little story. I do hope Aunt Marigold gets to see the Japanese snow festival.
ReplyDeleteLove your story - and would like to be an Aunt Marigold.
ReplyDeleteMy take is more philosophical.
In effect, a memorial (whatever form it takes) is nothing more than an expression of our thanks.
A way of putting appreciation of the person (whether they were an aunt, a mother, or a statesman) front and centre. A way to acknowledge their suffering, to celebrate their past triumphs.
The 'best' and the biggest of them are huge. Marble and/ or bronze enhanced distortions of reality. Looking at them (particularly the ones so large and grand that they charge admission fees) I wonder whether we have missed the point.
What would the subject of the memorial think? Many of them lived simple and humble lives. Lives led in one roomed homes, which still enriched the world.
What froze our jaws? What stopped us thanking the person while they were alive? Why oh why were we/are we incapable of expressing our gratitude and appreciation now. And, if we must make that appreciation public, what is wrong with endowing a foundation to continue to the work of those we admire...
Thoughtful use of the words. "Living" memorials instead of statues, now, that's an ides.
DeleteThat is what i prefer to do, make a donation in their honor for some ongoing work.
DeleteNice to meet aunt Marigold once again. She sure is a wonderful kind of person, and I hope to hear more from her.
ReplyDeleteYour prompts led to another spin off from my Unicorn Farm. Words for Wednesday
Your story is so nice. Thanks for sharing my friend and have an absolutely wonderful day! hugs
ReplyDeleteOh, my mom likes that shirt a lot! She could use one of those sometimes.
ReplyDeleteLOL I want one of those TShirts heheh!
ReplyDeleteI liked your story I used to have a cat named Marigold years ago :-)
Have a safetastic week 😷😷😷
I like that T Shirt.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I could have worn that t-shirt to more events than I care to count.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm all in for National Creamy Praline Day.
That T-shirt is me...but I am rarely late anywhere, as I hate that more than going at all.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of how I feel during this quarantine!
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun wearing that shirt to a get-together! Great story - I've always wanted a dentist with a subtle touch!
ReplyDeleteIt's always hard to get back in the groove after a week at the beach. You'll get there, you always do.
ReplyDeleteWe all have an Aunt Marigold. They are necessary. Well done as always.
Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. Big hug. ♥
I sat up front at Aunt June's memorial servce. As her only surviving family member it was a pretty lonely viewing spot. Kind of wished I could sit at the back (I always have in the past when attending this church). I was suffering from 'gum withdrawal symptoms'...no gum allowed in church...and I'm incapable of going without my gum for more than half an hour tops. The effect it was having on me made me radically uncivil. The priest kept one wary eye on me throughout his address. Father James, I believe it was. Old guy. I remember his eyebrows shooting up when I jokingly asked him what the price of admission was.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's over now, thank goodness and my jaw is back in action. I know it doesn't enhance my appearance by DANG it feels good. Auntie June was a 'chawer' too...she'd understand.
oh boy....that's 'but' DANG...sheesh.
DeleteYou know, you'd swear this was a typewriter....did you notice how faded the w's are?
This is lovely. Chewing gum was banned when I was growing up...
DeleteIf they have a service for me and make it that formal, i think i may ask if my spook can come give them a good haunting!
DeleteSo many celebrations. Italian football from 16th century? Those period costumes would be awesome.
ReplyDeletede food gurl SEW wantz thiz tee shirt ta wearz ta werk !!!!! ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺♥
ReplyDeleteThat was a good story and our Dad said he would have loved that shirt for his last year of work!
ReplyDeleteI love Aunt Marigold stories. Fun t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteI need that shirt...
ReplyDeleteI was just reading a slightly dated story about a woman in Saudi Arabia, in which she mentioned how it was illegal for females to drive... I've been meaning to follow up to see if that was still the case, but you have answered my question, miz mimi! Thank you!
A great story. I just hope the dentists soon start again here so I can get my bridge fixed.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a few trips here hahaha - but I realized years ago Jenny Matlock hosted a blog hop where people wrote stories similar to yours here. One of these days I will have to do a practice run! I Use to love writing stories and poetry. I suppose my blog posts get long because of my love of writing. I loved your story and it was nice to visit. Your list of event worldwide is always so interesting. Thank you. Have a great weekend! HUGS across the miles.
ReplyDeleteThank you sweetie for signing me in. I've been so busy today and tomorrow morning is tests so I must go to bed. BIG HUGS OUT TO YA & I PROMISE I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU! HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT/DAY & GOD BLESS!
ReplyDeleteI've been having great difficulty in responding to the various entries above - but I have enjoyed them all very much. Thank you. Here is my own effort for this week:
ReplyDeleteThanks to a fabulously eccentric aunt, Dorothy declared her fourth birthday party ‘The Best, Ever’. She and twenty friends had ringside seats at her very own circus. A small, dark marquee on the back lawn had been enhanced by judicious use of benches, wafting silk banners and sparkly lights, to great effect. Admission was gained by crossing an old gypsy’s (Nana’s) palm with silver (10p from Mummy’s purse). Dorothy sat mesmerised as a parade of circus animals - a lion, a tiger, an elephant, a bear - skipped and tripped around the tent as a very tall clown wove his magical tale.
Later, in Aunty’s front room, away from the scrum over sandwiches, jellies and cakes, the lion rubbed his tender jaw, still sore from a sudden collision with the back end of the tiger. The bear winced as he massaged his suffering tootsies, trampled on by the clumsy elephant. Despite these occupational hazards, Aunty’s AmDram friends agreed that they had pulled off a stirling performance. Many times since, Aunty had brought her extraordinary magic to special occasions, all proclaimed ‘The Best, Ever’ by family and friends alike.
Sixty years on from that fourth birthday party, Dorothy laid flowers on her aunt’s grave and carefully draped a bright banner over the small headstone. On sky blue silk the red sequins said it all - THE BEST, EVER. A fitting memorial for a much-loved aunt.
SpikesBestMate: I love this, and you have made my eyes misty.
DeleteA beautiful story. Everyone needs such an Aunty, and many of us could be one, i think, if we chose.
Delete