Monthly Archives: September 2021

Certain kinds of combinations like spaghetti and meatballs, movies and popcorn, and shoes and socks are famous pairs, but socks and sandals or spaghetti and tuna are definitely not.   What if people were like that? Meredith was. She was … Continue reading →

That green grass in my Florida community looked so inviting and soft. It called to me to come out barefoot, to curl my toes around each soft blade. I longed to sit down cross legged under a tree in the … Continue reading →

I used this Florida Weekly Challenge prompt. “Karma’s a bitch, my friend.” Larry assessed his situation by flexing his biceps and cracking his knuckles.  Although the former quarterback had worked both sides of that causal equation, he calculated that in … Continue reading →

It’s always interesting to travel to new places. I have a curious nature and I enjoy learning. That’s probably what intrigued me about the pop-up ad that appeared on my smartphone … “Take a Bus Tour to Hell- you know … Continue reading →

through time I travel unrestrained, unimpeded, here at my keyboard imagination carries me from here to there through tapping fingers fixed by mortal coil though I am, my mind runs free through the universe in tales tall and true, from … Continue reading →

Living in Florida with summer year-round weather, any given day or night you can sit out on your lanai, screened from bug invasions and watch the sunset with a cool drink. While the homes are close together, many people have … Continue reading →

The word boomerang has many meanings. Of course, the traditional one is the throwing stick that when thrown properly, comes back to you. I had a friend, Mary, who had adopted a young puppy. She optimistically named it Boomerang. Her … Continue reading →

ODORIFEROUS “What the devil is that awful smell? It’s bringing tears to my eyes, not to mention the dog passed out! Every night it’s like this.” “For goodness sake, you know damn-well that I cook exotic foods from around the … Continue reading →

Who would have thought that my super power would be hyper excellent hearing? After years of “What?” I now enjoy the ability to hear better than most mortals- thanks to the newly designed ReSound 3000. I can crank it up … Continue reading →

When I bought my new car, the sales agent couldn’t stop raving about the built in, super sensitive, Bluetooth feature. I was more interested in horsepower, gas mileage, and what the warranty covered. If I had known then what I … Continue reading →

Mama was always a talker.  Not a mealy-mouthed gossip, an’ never a mean-spirited harpy, no sir.  But she was always talkin’, seems like.  No sooner’n somethin’ came into her mind, jus’ that soon it came outta her mouth. Daddy was … Continue reading →

Before the lexicon “talk to the hand” became popular, I believe I used and saw the idea of that gesture many times. As a parent, you often feel that many conversations with your child, back and forth, can be illustrated … Continue reading →

James you weren’t a friend of mine but I knew you very well Planted trash in your backyard gave you a house for sale Go to work and pay your taxes feast upon the dream Waking up to find that … Continue reading →

What do you do when you arrive at an intersection where caution and adventure hold equal sway? Choose the unknown—especially if it comes with a car and a cup of coffee. Say Yes. I first learned that lesson when I … Continue reading →

When I die I want to die alone no maudlin sounds no weepy eyes bygone voice of yesteryear Funeral dirge baneful riffs eulogy to soothe I die alone The place it does not matter to me a time is not … Continue reading →

(This is a story I wrote from my latest NYC Midnight prompt. Genera-Thriller, Location-Rail Yard, and Focus Item-Glass Eye) Prologue A twelve-year-old stood as close to the train tracks as possible. The heavy vibration under foot as the train approached, … Continue reading →

The world is quite a mess now as children return to school- some for the first time in over a year. Schools clearly have not escaped the world’s problems. In the hope that humor heals, I offer the following “Back … Continue reading →

MISSING She was beside herself with grief and fear. She didn’t know what to do. Vinnie had been missing for over a month. She had gone to the police, but they did nothing. Out of desperation she contacted a private … Continue reading →

APPLYING All he wanted was a small loan, just to pay off some small overdue bills. He went to his local bank with whom he had and account for the last thirty-five years. He was given a loan application by … Continue reading →

Today is the big day, the day when I have to go back to school.  The end of summer has come and gone…the time of year when news media publish articles aimed at all those mothers whose children are getting … Continue reading →

Ali loved her Noni’s seaside house in Florida. The minute she walked off the plane, she could feel the warm sunshine on her pale cold and wind-battered northern skin. It was so inviting, it enveloped every pore in her body … Continue reading →

Rip. That’s me tearing a map of Louisiana diagonally from the northwest Texas border to Grand Isle. The jagged line that runs through the state’s best fishing and hunting haunts is Highway 1. Splash. We hooked into the color, culture, … Continue reading →

C one seventeen planes wheels up fly into sky Rapid fall now entombed Women wrapped in blue rags Future now is their yesterday Wife twelve year old girl Bagram is no more Eighty billion dollars lost We give you our … Continue reading →

It was working as planned. I cruised by his usual spot at exactly the speed limit. I made sure the new, large BLM sticker was displayed prominently on the rear window. The red-blue lights screamed to get my attention. I … Continue reading →

As my response to this week’s prompt, to write a story using the senses, I’m posting a piece I hope will allow you to see, hear, smell—perhaps even taste and feel—the events portrayed. The piece is the draft prologue to … Continue reading →

Some establishments put my internal alarm systems on active standby. Alma Latinas was just such a place. Sure, I’d visited this cantina before with several friends, but never alone. Actually, Gringos never visit this part of Nuevo Laredo alone, and … Continue reading →

“Another email about Mary’s game night? What to bring, what time, what day, you think we were Congress trying to negotiate a bill, right lol. It’s not rocket science.” Caroline quickly replied to the email and went back to work. … Continue reading →

(I chose as a prompt the Florida Weekly challenge of a young girl surrounded by two sets of twins. Since I will enter my story in the contest, I welcome constructive criticism.) Born without a double in a family of … Continue reading →

Reply to all … More destructive than the Tsar Bomba more frightening than 200 megaton Krakatoa The velocity change with a windward shift, humanity balkanizing into some protozoa The tired old man you elected king, Can’t remembers the morning song … Continue reading →