It’s 4 o’clock of an early spring afternoon and the mood in the kitchen is blue. As Manda and I both stare out the window to the paddock and survey the damage wrought by a spring ice storm we are rendered numb; speechless. Mother Nature was reckless with her pruning shears. By the light of a … More In the Pink
Daily Prompt: Leap ~*~ “Leap’s a funny word, isn’t it, Aunt Sal?” “Why do you say that?” I ask while brushing the mud off my boots before entering the house. We’ve been out at the barn feeding the horses. Such a mucky day as the seasons transition. “Well,” Manda pulls off her boots and shoves … More Tea Time
Daily Prompt: The Road Less Traveled ~*~ I shudder to think about that alternate road while Manda, my 12-year-old inquisitor, continues to draw in her journal awaiting an answer. Indeed, where would my life have taken me had I stayed with her uncle Ted? We were ships that passed in the night, by the end, caught in each others’ wake … More Perish the Thought
Daily Prompt: Life After Blogs “Honey, I remember life before computers, so imagining my life without one isn’t much of a stretch,” I wink at my 12-year-old niece, Manda, who simply stares at me in disbelief. Of course, her generation has practically been raised by computer, so imagining a world without one would be a … More Another Writer
Daily Prompt: If I Could Turn Back Time ~*~ “I have no regrets, sweetie.” “Yeah, but if you were given a chance to live another part of your life again … you know, a do over, would you?” Twelve-year-old Manda’s digging for a story. “Hmmm … let me think about that.” I pour another cup … More Do Over
Daily Prompt: Childhood Revisited What is your earliest memory? Describe it in detail, and tell us why you think that experience was the one to stick with you. ~*~ “Aunt Sally, what’s your earliest childhood memory?” asked Manda while thumbing through the pages of an already treasured new horse book. Christmas had been good to her. “Why do … More Blank
Daily Prompt: The Outsiders Tell us about the experience of being outside, looking in — however you’d like to interpret that. ~*~ Well, this hits close to home, Sally mused as she listened to her niece, Manda, tearfully explain how she’d not been invited to a sleepover with her supposed friends … again. “I don’t understand … More The Outsiders
“… we must really know ourselves to find our real dreams. And we must have support around us to help them come to life …” … More Where The Path Leads
Daily Prompt: From You to You Write a letter to your 14-year-old self. ~*~ Sally gazed thoughtfully through the kitchen window toward the hammock strung between maples where her 12-year-old niece, Manda, was once again happily swinging. The sweet tones of the young girl’s voice reverberated into the summer stillness, singing the tune to Reminiscing even though … More Reminiscing Revisited
Daily Prompt: Always Something There to Remind Me A song comes on the radio and instantly, you’re transported to a different time and place. Which song(s) bring back memories for you and why? Be sure to mention the song, and describe the memory it evokes. ~*~ “It’s impossible to pick just one song, Manda. My … More Reminiscing
Shedding Light on the Family Tree 