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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, the prompts are being provided by Charlotte/Mother Owl.
This week's words:
centuries
clock
circle
toasting
murmurs
field
and/or
ashtray
sunshine
thunder
corner
animal
savoring
She sat in the formerly pristine white wicker chair, now showing many signs of age beyond just the discoloration of wind and rain and yes, the smoke. Her ASHTRAY was on the matching wicker table next to her, and as she sat SAVORING her cigarette, she also soaked up the SUNSHINE. The smoke made a CIRCLE around her, and you could see that for this moment at least, the CLOCK had stopped.
Her eyes were half closed, and i wonder if she was reliving the past, hearing the MURMURS of former conversations with friends, or TOASTING the other dancers at the ball. When you are daydreaming, minutes can become CENTURIES, of course, and i wondered if she was just having a FIELD day in her mind.
It was a joy for her, but it was torture for me. Feeling like an ANIMAL in a CORNER, i retreated indoors and had to shut the door on the lovely breeze as it would have blown the smoke in. My lungs just can't take it, even a whiff of her tobacco and i pay for it with a wheezing in my lungs and a tickle in my throat for the rest of the day.
Times like this, i wish for THUNDER and rain to drive her back in, maybe save her for a few minutes from lighting up one more of those awful things.
Once she was done, she used her cane to hobble painfully back in and grab for her oxygen tubing and walker so i could lead her back to bed. Now that she was done with the ritual, she had to lie down for a few hours and try to catch her breath.
It took almost 10 minutes just to get her the few steps to the bedroom and then into the bed. She kept apologizing for being so slow, and i told her it was not a problem but to take her time, that i hoped others would be understanding of me when i get to where i am frail and slow.
Then, after getting her settled, it was time for me to head home, wishing with all my might that the doggone cancer sticks had never been invented.
(Yes, it's true. Ms. S, COPD, emphysema, asthma, in remission from cancer, several operations to clear arteries, and etc. ad nauseam, and she still goes out and smokes several times a day, making me want to scream.)
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Today is:
Armed Forces Day -- Iraq
Befana -- Italy (Befana is the fairy who resides in chimneys, flies on a broom, and leaves toys and candy in stockings on Epiphany, their traditional day to exchange gifts.)
Bean Day (Bake a bean or penny into a cake, whoever gets the slice with the bean is king for a day. A tradition continued in New Orleans and vicinity, especially, all the way through Mardi Gras Day, only now a plastic baby toy, representative of Jesus, is put in the traditional cakes.)
Blessing of the Waters -- Piraeus, Greece; Turkey; among Greek Orthodox worshippers worldwide (on the traditional date of the Baptism of Jesus)
Carnival Season begins -- Christian, through Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday
Children's Day -- Uruguay
Cuddle Up Day -- internet generated, an excuse to get close to your special someone
Deer Dance Ceremonies -- Taos Pueblo, NM, US (Native American celebration of the deer spirit, dates approximate as most ceremonies are closed to outsiders)
Dezome-shiki -- Tokyo, Japan (fire fighters pray for a safe year, have a parade, help raise awareness of fire prevention, and men dressed as firefighters from the Edo period perform acrobatic feats from the tops of ladders to show agility)
Dia de los Reys -- Hispanic Christians(Three Kings Day)
Epiphany / Three Kings Day -- Western Christian
Epiphany of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) -- Ancient Greek Calendar and Ancient Roman Calendar (a goddess of fertility and germination of seeds)
Feast of Ptah and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Feast of the Theophany -- Orthodox Christian
Four Freedoms Day -- US (commemorates the FDR speech about the four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.)
Greek Cross Day -- Tarpon Springs, Florida (as part of the Greek Orthodox Church celebration of Epiphany/Little Christmas)
Little Christmas -- Ireland
Maroon Festival -- Jamaica (celebration of descendents of former fugitive slaves)
National Shortbread Day
Orthodox Christmas Eve -- Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar
Prettandinn -- Iceland (the last Day of Christmas, Epiphany, with bonfires and Elven Dances)
Smith Day -- the Smiths and Smythes and Smithes of the world want a day to be recognized; if your name is Smith or one of the variants of it, have a celebration of your very common name today!
Sts. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir's Day (Patrons of travelers)
Surb Tsnund -- Armenia (Armenian Christmas Day)
Take a Poet to Lunch Day -- listed on a few sites, and who doesn't want an excuse to go out to eat? (this year, order lunch delivered to you and your favorite poet, and have a zoom meeting while you eat)
Turisi -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (holiday of the bull, Jar-tur; a fertility rite)
Wassailing the Apple Trees -- various parts of the UK (from the Old English "waes hael," meaning "be well," a ritual to bless apple trees to ensure a good harvest)
Anniversaries Today:
George H. W. Bush marries Barbara Pierce, 1945
New Mexico becomes the 47th US State, 1912
Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, 1540 (his 4th wife)
Birthdays Today:
Joey Lauren Adams, 1971
Susan Perabo, 1969
Nancy Lopez, 1957
Rowan Atkinson, 1955
Bonnie Franklin, 1944
Lou Holtz, 1937
E.L. Doctorow, 1931
Vic Tayback, 1929
Earl Scruggs, 1924
Sun Myung Moon, 1920
Eugene T. Maleska, 1916
Loretta Young, 1913
Danny Thomas, 1912
Kahlil Gibran, 1883
Tom Mix, 1880
Carl Sandburg, 1878
Sherlock Holmes, 1854 (As celebrated by the Baker Street Irregulars.)
Charles Sumner, 1811
Jedediah Strong Smith, 1799
Haym Salomon, 1785
Joan of Arc, 1412
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Wheel of Fortune"(TV), 1975
"Schoolhouse Rock"(TV), 1973
"Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom"(TV), 1963
"Hallmark Hall of Fame"(TV), 1952
Today in History:
The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the "New World," at La Isabela, Hispaniola, 1494
All Jews are expelled from Syria, 1497
The city of Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, 1535
The first recorded boxing match of the style now called English Boxing is held -- the Duke of Albemarle's butler versus his butcher, 1681
Massachusetts slaves petition the legislature for freedom, 1773
Samuel Morse makes his first public demonstration of the telegraph, 1838
The most damaging storm in 300 years sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin, 1839
A patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill of Pennsylvania, 1857
The Washington National Cathedral is chartered bu the US Congress and signed by President Benjamin Harrison, 1893
The first telephone call is made from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake, 1898
Maria Montessori opens her first school and day care for working class families in Rome, 1907
The Great White Fleet passes through the Suez Canal, the largest group of ships to pass through up to that time, 1909
Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work among the poor of India, 1929
The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City, 1930
Thomas Edison submits his last patent application, for a "Holder for Article to be Electroplated," 1931
Barbara Hanley becomes Canada's first woman mayor, of the city of Webbwood, Ontario, 1936
The Pacific Clipper lands at Pan American's LaGuardia Field, completing the first around the world flight, 1942
The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II, 1978
The Ady Gil, a ship owned by Sea Shepherd, is sunk during a skirmish with the Japanese Whaling Fleet's Shonan Maru, 2010
Californian Governor Jerry Brown declares state of emergency over methane gas leak on outskirts of Los Angeles, 2016
In an historic first, Malaysia's king, Sultan Muhammad V, abdicates after two years of rule, 2019
A Blessed Epiphany Day.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Poor Ms. S (addiction is a terrible thing) and poor you. And thank you for your care.
ReplyDeleteA true and oh, so sad story. I think we all know a Ms. or Mr. S. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteYour lovely story rings true for me too. My father, learning he had lung cancer and could not be cured, took to chain smoking so the end would come faster and even in hospital in his last weeks he would go out to the verandah and puff away.
ReplyDeleteI also have trouble with cigarettes, but not the smoke as they smoke, what gets me is the stale residue that permeates clothes, hair, furnishings. One lungful and I have a coughing fit for hours. it's one of the main reasons I quit working, too many customers smelled of old smoke.
Smoking is a terrible thing. Mom has been allergic to it her whole life and can't tolerate it. We are so thankful that it is banned in most places, but we see people outside on cold winter days freezing and smoking. It is a very sad addiction and one that really stinks.
ReplyDeleteMimi,
ReplyDeleteI hate cigarettes! I hate cigarette smoke! I hate cigars! I hate cigar smoke! I hate pipe smoke! I hate tobacco! Other than for smoking, what use is there for tobacco? I wish cigarettes, etc were never invented, too! Lung cancer is an awful thing. That being said, there are other ways to contracting lung cancer without drawing a single puff but generally tobacco is the biggest culprit I dare say. Good story. That's sure a lot of shoes! Have a wonderfully Wild Wednesday, my dear!
That's a pile of shoes indeed. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteI love your story. We just lost a friend to cancer and he smokes right to the end. We visited him every week until he told us not to on his last week. It was so sad. We loved him so, but hated those cigarettes.
Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. Big hug. ♥
I guess Cathy hates smoking. LOL I stopped smoking when I was in my 20's and haven't had a puff for 40 years. I'm so happy.
ReplyDeleteCruisin Paul
What a beautiful well told story, I think all of us know a Mrs. S. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteIf I had not stopped smoking November 6, 2003, that story could be about me. I feel like I need to send notes of apologies to all the people I bombarded with my nasty smoke and smelly breath for years before I quit. Great use of the words Mimi. My story is posted on my blog.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh- what a horrible addiction. That doorway filled with shoes reminds me of when we have lots of guests for dinner and everyone always takes off their shoes! Have a smoke free day! xoxox
ReplyDeleteGoodness! Look at that pile of shoes! Cinnamon would be in chewing heaven, I quit smoking 25 years ago and sometimes I STILL want one!
ReplyDeleteBarb
I agree with Cathy my mum passed with lung cancer sadly awful she had packed up two years beforehand but it was too late.
ReplyDeleteCrikey that's quite a few shoes but why aren't they social distancing LOL :-)
Have a shoetastic safe week 😷😷😷
That's a pretty sad story and a nice pile of used shoes!
ReplyDeleteAddiction is a terrible thing. I have to go to the hospital every 4 months for scans and checks. It is a smoke free zone but it never ceases to amaze me how far some of those patients manage to drag their drips just to have their cancer sticks.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad story and true for so many.
ReplyDeleteAll those shoes look the same! I share your wish about the cancer sticks and tobacco in total.
ReplyDeleteMy mom is the same with her smoking. Denial. Denial. Denial.
ReplyDeleteThat's alot of shoes ~ ! ~ Cigarettes are an addiction ~ worked with addicts and cigarette addiction has equated with heroin addictions ~ Pray for them ~ we all have something we addicted to ~ ??????
ReplyDeleteMoment by moment ....
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aka (A Creative Harbor)