Today it was either another heavy topic (Boston Marathon) or something more lighthearted. I think the last two post have been more serious, so I'm going to go with the more frivolous of the two options: Embarrassing Moments.
Enjoy!
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My response:
I peered over my roommate's shoulder as she buttered the top of her sandwich. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Making a grilled cheese sandwich." She didn't even look up as she licked butter from her fingers.
My brain didn't comprehend it. I'd made grilled cheese sandwiches in my day, and I'd never used butter. "With butter?"
Responding to my tone, she looked up at me and replied with the same amount of snark. "Yes, with butter. What else would I use?"
"Well, Miracle Whip." I said, completely, one hundred percent confident of my answer. Every grilled cheese sandwich I'd ever made in my life, I'd made with Miracle Whip.
It earned me a pair of raised eyebrows and wide eyes. "WHAT?! Ew. Why would you use Miracle Whip?! I've always used butter."
I turned to the rest of our roommates, lounging in the kitchen and living room, to find backup. "You make grilled cheese sandwiches with Miracle Whip, not butter, right guys?"
The rest of my roommates stared at me, eyes wide as their heads shook.
"No."
"Never."
"I've always used butter."
And then it dawned on me that I was the odd one. "Really?"
Only then did it occur to me that, having a dad who was allergic to dairy products, maybe I'd grown up with a non-dairy substitute. And yes, I was the crazy one.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Siblings
I'm sure everyone with a Facebook account is aware that we had National Siblings Day this last week. (Thank you, random holiday schedulers ... Really?) While I am kind of a Grinch about the whole sibling holiday thing, I do think it's a great prompt. When you look at literature, there are great sibling relationships that enrich and enhance the stories we love. What would Harry Potter be without the Weasley family? Or Pride and Prejudice without Jane? ... or Lydia? The Chronicles of Narnia just wouldn't work without all four of the Pevensies. Especially when you consider YA and MG writing, the relationships of siblings play a big role in writing.
The prompt for this week, then, is to write a scene with siblings.
Enjoy!
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My response:
Emmaleen sat in the patch of dust behind the house, where the grass couldn't grow for being stomped on, and the dirt was red and fine. Her short fingers grasped a stick, and she traced out patterns in the clay.
Jed sauntered into the yard. He'd stayed away long enough to avoid morning chores, but there was nothing in the cave by the creek to eat, so he'd worked his way back home. His eyes took in Emmaleen, her thin, patched dress and chubby bare legs, and one eyebrow raised. As soon as he made up his mind, he swooped in, snatching the stick from the girl's hand.
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeey!" Emmaleen's tiny brow wrinkled, and she scowled up at Jed.
"Emmy? What's wrong?" A voice called from inside the chicken coop, and Jed rolled his eyes. He hadn't thought to check for Ryen. A stupid mistake. He frowned at the stick in his hands, snapping it in half once, and then again. He tossed it against the side of the house just as Ryen appeared.
Emmy pushed herself onto her feet as Ryen approached. She hadn't cried, though she might have, if Ryen hadn't been there.
"Emmy? You okay?" Ryen's eyes moved from Emmaleen to Jed, and his gaze narrowed. "You were supposed to gather the eggs this morning, Jed. And milk Nessa. You been down by the creek again?"
"No." Jed frowned.
Ryen pursed his lips and shifted the basket of eggs from one arm to the other. "Well then, take these in to Mama." Ryen shoved the basket into Jed's arms, then turned and headed towards the big barn. Jed sneered after him. Then he turned to head inside.
Emmaleen was so short, he didn't even notice her as he swept past. At least, he didn't notice until her foot swung out.
The basket of eggs took flight as Jed fell, arms flying out to catch himself. He landed with his face in the basket of cracked eggs.
"Jed, is that you?" Mama's voice floated through the backdoor, crisp and angry.
Jed turned a desperate face to Emmaleen. "Help me, Emmy?"
The little girl plucked another stick off the bush and sat down again. Jed's eyes flashed back and forth between the door and his sister. Now he could hear Mama's footsteps.
"Come on, Emmy! Please?!"
Emmy looked up, her plump cheeks and round forehead twisted into an oddly mature, chastising look. "Okay, Jed. But don't be mean again."
Jed sighed with relief.
Emmy did little more than glance at the fallen basket, but when Jed scooped them it up again, all the eggs were whole.
The prompt for this week, then, is to write a scene with siblings.
Enjoy!
********************************************************************************
My response:
Emmaleen sat in the patch of dust behind the house, where the grass couldn't grow for being stomped on, and the dirt was red and fine. Her short fingers grasped a stick, and she traced out patterns in the clay.
Jed sauntered into the yard. He'd stayed away long enough to avoid morning chores, but there was nothing in the cave by the creek to eat, so he'd worked his way back home. His eyes took in Emmaleen, her thin, patched dress and chubby bare legs, and one eyebrow raised. As soon as he made up his mind, he swooped in, snatching the stick from the girl's hand.
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeey!" Emmaleen's tiny brow wrinkled, and she scowled up at Jed.
"Emmy? What's wrong?" A voice called from inside the chicken coop, and Jed rolled his eyes. He hadn't thought to check for Ryen. A stupid mistake. He frowned at the stick in his hands, snapping it in half once, and then again. He tossed it against the side of the house just as Ryen appeared.
Emmy pushed herself onto her feet as Ryen approached. She hadn't cried, though she might have, if Ryen hadn't been there.
"Emmy? You okay?" Ryen's eyes moved from Emmaleen to Jed, and his gaze narrowed. "You were supposed to gather the eggs this morning, Jed. And milk Nessa. You been down by the creek again?"
"No." Jed frowned.
Ryen pursed his lips and shifted the basket of eggs from one arm to the other. "Well then, take these in to Mama." Ryen shoved the basket into Jed's arms, then turned and headed towards the big barn. Jed sneered after him. Then he turned to head inside.
Emmaleen was so short, he didn't even notice her as he swept past. At least, he didn't notice until her foot swung out.
The basket of eggs took flight as Jed fell, arms flying out to catch himself. He landed with his face in the basket of cracked eggs.
"Jed, is that you?" Mama's voice floated through the backdoor, crisp and angry.
Jed turned a desperate face to Emmaleen. "Help me, Emmy?"
The little girl plucked another stick off the bush and sat down again. Jed's eyes flashed back and forth between the door and his sister. Now he could hear Mama's footsteps.
"Come on, Emmy! Please?!"
Emmy looked up, her plump cheeks and round forehead twisted into an oddly mature, chastising look. "Okay, Jed. But don't be mean again."
Jed sighed with relief.
Emmy did little more than glance at the fallen basket, but when Jed scooped them it up again, all the eggs were whole.
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