New Year's Eve Eve

 I'm feeling more melancholy than usual for this time of year.  Maybe it is the beer I'm drinking tonight, but probably not.  The last 10 days have been filled with a roller coaster of emotions.

 For starters, one of my nephews [because for me, divorce does not sever family ties] has been missing for the past nine days.  I know that he would not have missed his 12~almost 13-year-old~ son's Christmas, and so when I woke this morning filled with sadness and dread it was almost confirmation of my fears even though he has yet to be found.  Honestly, if he were found alive at this moment, I would just rip his head off for scaring us for the last 9-10 days, but I'm afraid that won't be the case.  He was last known to be using meth again, so I am praying that he is just holed up in a dealer's hole, or in rehab, but with all the media attention that his absence has gotten ... well, I'm just asking for prayers.  I keep hoping he shows up at my door so I can save everyone else the hassle of killing him.

  I am a rock, in the middle of a raging river, feeling the current crashing over me.  Trying so hard to be the solid foothold for my niece, Xzana, who is dealing with a missing brother and a mother's mental illness; and also trying to support my nephew's wife and autistic son who doesn't understand why his dad isn't there for him.

  Christmas was a non-event, which was for me very ... depressing.  Yes, my plans changed (from going to VA to staying home) which added a bit to my depression, but apparently how I'm expected to celebrate also changed.  The household is once again ruled by May who decided that gifts and stockings would not be opened until New Year's Day.  I thought at first that was a cultural, Philippines, thing but according to Bing ... not the case.  

  To be totally honest and transparent ... I will be very glad when the five from the Philippines are gone from my life.  That sounds mean to say, and even think, but it is the truth.  Some of them have to be the most inconsiderate people I have ever met.  Not just because of how they interact (or don't) with me, but because of how they interact with each other. 

  For example, they had a party on Christmas Eve [here at "my" house] to which an additional eight or ten were invited (not me) and one of them was asleep because he had to be at work at 4a on Christmas Day.  They woke him up at 1230a so that he could partake in the "grace" over the food.  Then, they proceeded to party and sing karaoke (quite loudly) until 230a just outside his bedroom door after he went back to bed.

  I will be profoundly sad, however, when Bipin leaves.  He is an old soul from whom I have learned much.

  Here is all that I have to offer tonight, which truthfully isn't much.

  Life is short.  Life is precious.  Treat yourself with kindness.  Forgive. Love one another.  Be kind to each other.  Be kind to yourself.  Hold on.  Hold on.  Hold on.  It will get better.

Happy Christmas Eve ...

 The weekend's plans changed, but that is the plus side of being flexible.

 Friday a book I won in a holiday giveaway at work arrived.  "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey [<link]  So far it is a very good read and I highly recommend it.

 Yesterday, Charlie's besties from across the street (Brenda & Joey) surprised us with some gifts.  One of the chew bones is missing because we have no adult supervision and Charlie insisted we open the package right away.  Needless to say, we love all of it (they know us so well!), and I know he will appreciate the Chill Out bandana in the summer.

 His hind legs seem to be about 97% back to normal.  Or at least they've sobered up when he walks.  He moves a little slower, which is fine because I do too, and sometimes he wants more help than on other days.  If I were a Reiki practitioner, I would say that his injury was just a little below his shoulder blades because that is where I sense more heat when he is getting a massage in the evenings.

 This morning I went to a Christmas Eve church service and saw my friends Will, Erica & baby Hazel.  I'd share a photo of Erica, me, and Hazel, except Hazel was hangry and screaming, and I looked like I had a fat bottom lip because I was trying to comfort her for the camera (but it looks like I'm going to take a bite out of her instead).  So you get instead a picture of the ornament I got from them.

 In a previous life, "Cici" was going to be the nickname the step-grandkids were going to call me, but that never happened so now it is the nickname that Hazel will have for me.  I'm somewhere between an auntie and a granny in the hierarchy of things, which is a good place to be in any hierarchy.  

 Erica made the ornament and also gifted me with a scarf she had dyed with mushrooms!  I mean, for one thing, it is so beautiful and looks like tree bark.  But secondly, dyed from mushrooms?!?!?  Who knew you could even do that?  Erica, obviously, but I just love homemade gifts!  Oh, and the cookies she made?  Didn't even make it all the way home, and YUM!

 Speaking of cookies ... I have to give a huge shout-out to my friend, Maureen, who sent me a box from Texas of ... homemade gingersnaps and sugar cookies!!!  I don't have any pictures to share of those because ... ahem, NO adult supervision!  If she doesn't open a post-retirement, gluten-free, Harry Potter-themed bakery, I would gladly pay to have cookies shipped for the holidays!

 For a parting shot this evening, I leave you last night's Waxing Moon in Aries as seen through the tree limbs in the front yard.

 I wish you the very best of the holidays, no matter where you are or which holiday you celebrate this month.  I think we are all grateful that 2023 is coming to an end, and we are all hopeful that 2024 will be better for each and every one of us.

  Hugs ................ Ci

t'was the week before Christmas ...

   I've been having issues with insomnia lately which is very frustrating.  I've had to reschedule Charlie's last laser treatment twice now because I've not been able to sleep until after 330a or later ~ Saturday I didn't get to sleep until after 6a.

  When I finally did wake up Saturday, Bipin and I drove to Roanoke to bargain shop for some warmer winter coats for him.  At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I know nothing about the three pairs of boots/shoes that somehow made their way into my car.  

  To be honest though, one is a pair of knee-high "mud" boots.  Something I can wear when gardening, or when slogging through a creek as I sometimes want to do.  Another pair is Sperry "duck boots," a style of wet weather shoes [Like these ~ link> only for $16, not $100!].  But the last pair ... really didn't "need."  They are sage green short boots that will be super cute with leggings and a sweater I have of the same color.  What can I say, they were close to the register ... by a few aisles, and they were on clearance so I got them for $8.

  I also picked up three lined winter beanie-style hats that I actually did need.  Well.  I needed one, but couldn't decide on a color so I just got all three.  The price was right.

  We then went to another store, Gabe's, where I mostly shopped for Charlie.  It's kind of like Ross where they offer huge discounts on fashion and home goods.  Plato's Closet, where we shopped first, is a store that buys gently worn name brands and then resells them at up to 70% off.  I could have spent days in there looking at the clothing because there really wasn't any organized chaos.  It was straight-up chaos times 100.  There might have been some kind of dividing line between his/hers/kids, but it would have been really hard to find.  

  When the sun is out Charlie likes to spend some time people-watching on the front porch where he can get warmed up by the sun.  So I got him a little bed with a waterproof bottom to sit in and keep his toes warm.

  There is a winter storm currently blowing outside that brought several inches of snow this afternoon.  More is expected tonight through midnight, but it is unlikely to be a white Christmas for us here.  Daytime temperatures will reach the mid-50s on Sunday, and even with a few nights below freezing, anything that will get some sun during the day will melt.

Art class and a craft show ...

 Mondays are usually very hectic for me.  I'm catching up on computer stuff I should have done over the weekend but didn't because I'm trying to spend more time "hands-on" and away from the screen.  So I have receipts to enter, and emails to answer.  Photos to upload and edit.  Oh, and then there is that thing called work that actually pays for the things I have receipts on.

 Saturday was a rainy day with low clouds and mist over the Greenbrier River.  A cold front ... actually, a freezing front ... was moving in.  It snowed last night about two inches, which thrilled my roommates but because the ground was so wet it really didn't stick long.  They were up late taking pictures and getting out in it.  Fortunately for them, I had purchased some puffball snowballs for them to have snowball fights in the house because today hadn't gotten above freezing, something none of them were thrilled about.

 I took Charlie to another laser treatment that morning, and he continues to improve.

  After his appointment, I took another alcohol ink ornaments class to refresh my memory since I'd purchased materials to make some at home.

 These > were gifts for Charlie's BFFs (Brenda & Joey) across the street whom he just adores spending time with.  When I think back to how he was when I first got him, seven years ago last Tuesday, and how much he has changed it makes my heart happy to see how much more he enjoys making (human) friends and how he is living his best life.  We're still working on the dog friends part.

 Sunday I went to a craft show/fundraiser for the local domestic violence shelter.  One of the vendors was selling amazing dog treats, so of course, I had to get a 12-day Advent calendar for Charlie who gave it two paws up.

 I picked up a few small items and an idea for a future project (naturally).  I've always loved the look and feel of the "hand crochet" big chunky blankets, and now apparently a yarn maker has come out with an easy-peasy way of making them. 

  They market pre-looped yarn so that all you have to do is run the loops from the new row through the previous row without looking like you are wearing wings on your arms.

 But it's not like I'm lacking things to do.  I still have the Scottish soldiers I started in January to finish ~ just have to find all the supplies I bought before the move because there was help at the last minute with throwing things into bags, baskets, and tubs and I have no idea where anything is.

 I've also been working on this mosaic piece and might have waited too long to clean off the grout I used on some of the sections.  Plus, using grout on the mirrors may have also been a mistake.  It has been one of those projects that gets picked up on a slow night at work.  So when I get a ping to assist someone, it gets put to the side, sometimes indefinitely.

 Oh, and a circular weaving I've been doing off and on ... watercolor painting in a tiny sketchbook ... a Yule Blessings Ball I really must get done before the 21st of this month.  The list goes on...

 I hope your weekend was much more relaxing than mine .... Hugs, Ci

St Nick's Eve ...

Gripper socks arrived for Charlie.

He absolutely hates them.

Refuses to walk, even to get a treat of leftover turkey.

But on the good side of things, he is improving.

My December tree.  Filled with memories of trips.

I follow a woman on Instagram who teaches simple art.  Mostly from blobs of watercolor paint.

Or triangles.

The spider web tree wasn't planned.  I added the spider as an after thought when the design I was going for didn't look as I imagined it.  Then I heard a story of the spider in the tree being the origins of why people put tinsel on their trees and decided it was just what it was supposed to be.

Reindeer blobs.

It's kind of relaxing for me, which is a good thing.

Updates for Thursday ...

  It has been four days of the Gabapentin and steroid combo for Charlie.  He also had his 2nd light laser treatment this morning [Summus Veterinary Laser <link].  It seems like it is all working and he is feeling better.  Being confined to the office with me while I work bores him, so I took him across the street to hang with his BFF Brenda for a few hours.

  Three more days of the meds every 12 hours, then he gets tapered off the steroids for another seven days.  I got the laser package because I wanted to be sure he was well healed, and we have four more visits for that.

  I may have to sneak in and have them give me a session on my right sciatica.  Toting 20# up and down the stairs multiple times a day so he can go to the bathroom and the vet visits are coming at the price of my already compromised lower back.  That may be something that won't change since he is at a higher risk of reinjury now, and the weakness in his hind legs is likely our new normal.  The need for a single-story forever home just went to the top of the priority list.

  We are now a house of seven.  I'm not sure if I mentioned Carl, the unexpected roommate who joined us in October, but he invited a classmate to come here when she arrived.  Chrishiel, (also unexpectedly) joined us in November.  ¡¡No más!!

  I realized what I want the last third of my life to include, and will be going back to school after the first of the year to learn ... wildlife rehabilitation!  Since there are no laws in WV permitting it wildlife rehabilitation,  I would have to move to another state to do it "legally." That single-story forever home and part-time wildlife rehabilitator life may have to be in VA or another nearby state that does allow it injured or orphaned wildlife to be rehabilitated and released.  Or... add to my list to fight for there to be laws on the books in WV that allow it wildlife rehabilitation!  [edited for clarity]

This Weekend ...

 ... has been and still is a roller coaster of emotions.

On the upside of it was seeing my sister and her husband, and this:

Spending time with my nephew and his girlfriend.

and my great-niece (which is more than just an extra confusing explanation of the family tree, she really is great, and I don't feel nearly as old saying that she is a GREAT niece as I do saying she is my great-niece).

Unfortunately, the downside of it was this little man, and why he is being carried in the last two pictures.  Something happened Saturday morning as we were driving, and there will be another vet visit in the morning to determine just how serious it was.

For some reason, his hind legs are not working properly, and I don't know if it is related to his fall down the stairs, or if it is something new.  He is now walking like he is drunk from the waist down.  Sometimes when his legs go all bullfrog on him and want to go in different directions, he just sits down and waits to be picked up and carried.  Since they only took x-rays of his lumbar spine and hip joints, I don't know if there was a cervical spinal injury that was missed or a small skull fracture that might have bled a little and created a mini-stroke.  So we will find out tomorrow, or this week if this is going to be our new normal.  I've recruited a Thirty-One tote bag (a home party shopping brand of purses, bags, and totes <link) to carry him up and down the stairs more easily, and after the first trip downstairs, he seems to like it because when I put the bag down and asked him to climb in for the trip upstairs, he quickly obliged.  I've also ordered gripper socks for his hind feet on the wood floors, and a hip lift assist leash combo for walking with him to potty or for therapy if that is what the vet suggests tomorrow.

It was good to see family.

But my 💔.

Thanks~living ...

  I've been following a woman on YouTube, Victoria Jazwic, The Soul Nurturer, [< link to the video I mention below] in my journey to heal my past relationship traumas.  Among many things, she is a (my term:) life coach and speaks of astrological things happening in the sky and how they relate to life.  She posted a video the other day about how Thanksgiving should actually become a thanks~living.  Changing our focus to express gratitude every day.  She has also been talking about "shadow work" and I've seen a lot on Instagram about that but didn't know what it was until her video clip the other night.  I've now ordered a Shadow Work workbook, and another one based on the book The Body Keeps Score that a counselor also suggested.  

  On this journey, I've been reading similar thoughts on gratitude, one of them a book [link>] by Kawaljit Singh called Thoughts to Heal ~ the Shri Guru Granth Sahib Way.  Which often prompts me to have thought-provoking conversations with Bipin.  Something I read that so far has had the most impact on me was this:

The spiritual ones treat everyone with equality, because they know that it is one soul of the universe that is running through everyone.  The ones who are out there to divide people in the name of religion are not spiritual at all in the true sense. Nature may manifest itself in diverse forms by giving everyone and every specie a different appearance.  But taken collectively, we are one big family.  The difference between human beings is because of the manmade parameters on which everyone is judged. [underlines, bold and highlight added by me for emphasis]

 I also purchased [link >] The Buddha and His Dhamma which was written by the Indian Statesman Bhimrao R. Ambedkar and is the faith that Bipin most closely relates to.  Much of what I've read, and many of our conversations, have confirmed something that Bipin once said, which was that it was essentially all the same, just worded a little differently from what the Christian Bible does.

  Tuesday afternoon, Charlie took a fall down the stairs that I didn't witness, but his body language told me later that it scared him a great deal.  To be safe, we went to the veterinarian's office early Wednesday morning for X-rays.  Nothing was broken, thanks given, but she thought he probably had a great deal of muscle soreness.  Anti-inflammatories were prescribed, and he is taking advantage of the extra attention and being carried up and down the stairs for now.  Weightlifting for strength was on my list of things to start in 2024, but carrying a 20# dog up and down the stairs was not what I had in mind.

  We shared turkey sandwiches today, and this weekend we will be going to see my nephews and sister.  But for the most part, it is going to be four days (well now three) of taking things slow and easy.  I want to be sure that he is not pushing himself too much with jumping down after I've lifted him up, or charging down the stairs.  I've ordered fabric treads to make it easier on him since it looks like we will be in this house at least until the end of July next year.

  I hope your weekend is restful and filled with gratitude.  ~ Ci

Unexpected surprises ...

 Several weeks ago, Chewy.com posted on several social media sites about how our pets can write letters to "Chewy Claus" and they would donate food to animal shelters.

Of course, my three insisted on writing letters.

Today a box arrived addressed to Lucy.

It contained catnip toys, a little hat, and an ornament for the tree.

And since I'm 1000% certain that Lucy would scratch my eyes out before letting me put the hat on her head, Charlie graciously (although a little unwillingly and confused) consented to model the hat.

Hawk Knob Cidery

 This morning I went to see some friends, and hear some awesome music at the [link>] Hawk Knob Cidery.

The weather was a crisp 50ish, and it was just beautiful there.

I'm sure that it was beautiful when the trees were still in color, but will now have to go back again to see it in all the seasons!

My brunch was amazing! Fried red potatoes with an egg and chorizo sandwich with (real!) cheddar cheese on a (fresh!) homemade biscuit!

Of course, I had to get me some baby time with Hazel, who in the picture below looks like she's auditioning for a remake of A Christmas Story movie!

Kristkindlmarkt

Saturday, Bipin and I went to the Kristkindlmarkt put on by the [link>] Clifton Forge School of the Arts which looks like an amazing place that I will need to look into further for classes!

This happy St. Nicholas greeted us as we came in, and Bipin was thrilled to meet the Santa that he had seen on television.  😄

I did get some homemade Stollen bites to nibble on before Bipin had vegetarian goulash, and I had a lunch of bratwurst, potato salad (German style) and sauerkraut.  Which was a good thing because I'd also gotten a cup of gluhwein and was not aware that it was spiked with brandy!  Getting giggly at 10:30a was not in my day's plan!

I picked up the one above for my friend Erica because she and her family (below) dress up like this for Halloween.  I love that family so much!

This is the one I got for me, and it is standing watch over my November tree.  They were made by a woman who grew up in Stuttgart and came to the US with her military husband.  Had the gluhwein not gotten me so giggly, I probably could have spoken more German to her than I did.

The RealWV

 

[link to article>] White Sulphur Woman Opens Her Home to International Students

Diwali celebrated ...

Sunday, Bipin and I celebrated Diwali.

Gifts were exchanged.

And the food was prepared and enjoyed!

This was Pakoda, and [link>] here is a recipe for it.

Diwali & Kukar Tihar

The more I learn, the more I grow.

"Diwali is a major Hindu festival that lasts for five days during the lunar months of Ashvina and Karttika (October–November). The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning ‘row of lights,’ which are lit on the new moon night. The festival is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. It is a significant celebration of light, love, and joy. The festival is marked by four days of celebration, each of which has its own tale to tell. The first day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. The second day of Diwali, Amavasya, marks the worship of Lakshmi when she is in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. The third day of Diwali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, marks the victory of Lord Vishnu over the demon-king Bali. The fourth day of Diwali, Yama Dvitiya, is dedicated to the bond between brothers and sisters. The fifth day of Diwali, Bhai Dooj, is dedicated to the bond between siblings. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal across India and other parts of the world."

"Kukur Tihar or Kukur Puja literally means the worship of dogs. This is a mini-festival within a larger Hindu celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. According to Nepalese tradition, one of the festive days is dedicated solely to the human's most devoted friend and guardian. In Hindu religion, a dog is a sacred animal, intended to have a special bond with a human, so as to accompany us on our way to heaven. 

During Kukur Tihar, the dogs are treated with special love and admiration. Each one gets a flower garland or "malla" placed around its neck. The forehead is painted with a paste named "talik" or "tikka" made from red-colored powder, rice, and yogurt. This marking symbolizes their sacredness. Dogs' favorite part of the celebration is to feast on various goodies ranging from fruit and cookies to eggs, milk, cheese, meat, and high-quality dog food. 

 Always 2nd day of Diwali."

As I'm sure you can imagine, Charlie is pretty thrilled about the treats part of it, but not so much the garland part of it.  Wait till he finds out about the yogurt on his forehead.

My first Diwali tree is a little bare, but I hope in future years it will fill up.

The mat under it is my improvised Rangoli because ... loose sand on the floor + cats = nothing pretty.

Under the lamp, you can see the Diya I made with clay.  In India, they would be filled with ghee (oil) and cotton wicks, but this is West Virginia, and setting the house on fire isn't on my holiday agenda.  I'm using just small tealights in them, and battery-operated candles in the holders under the tree.

WfW ~ a bird in the hand ...

This writing challenge was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her to bow out and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image. What we do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching are encouraged.

Some of us put our creations in comments on the host's post, and others post on their own blog. It would be wonderful if as many people as possible joined in the fun, which includes cheering on the other participants. The prompts were [here] and were provided by Sean Jeating in October.

I'm wrapping up October a week late, then will be taking a step back from blogging for the rest of this year as I put my focus on getting some help for what I now realize has been severe chronic depression for over a decade now.  As much as I love writing the darker stories, they are very often a reflection of where I am mentally.  Those who might remember the David decade and my previous blog [before I deleted it after the divorce] might remember how dark it was ALL the time, not just for WfW.  So I want to redirect my thoughts to happy things and find my joy again.  I may pop in occasionally with just a photo or two, but if I can't write without it being from a dark place, then I don't want to put it out into the universe.

  She barely saw the flutter out of the corner of her eye and for the briefest of moments thought that she was running too late and didn't have time to stop.

  But something told her she must, and so she did.

  There among the leaves that had fallen in the sudden and unexpected overnight freeze was the tiniest hummingbird she had ever seen.  

  She quickly picked it up and tucked it under her coat and sweater, against her bare skin, where she thought she might just be able to keep it warm and hopefully alive.

  Today, of all days, for this tiny bringer of light to have come into her life was simply too much of an answer to prayers to be a coincidence.

  "Please take a breath," she whispered as she walked quickly to the subway, "please, I need you to live.  I can't deal with anything else this morning."

  As if in answer to her whisper, she felt the tiny bird move closer to where her heart was beating from the exertion of walking faster in the cold.  A calm settled over her, and it seemed as if the chaos in her mind suddenly fell silent.

  Even on the subway ride out of the city, her mind stayed peaceful and the noise in the crowded car did not increase her anxiety as it sometimes did.  As the train arrived at her stop she realized she could choose to stay on it to the end of the line.  She didn't have to face her enemy today.  That would happen soon enough.  Today she felt that a walk in the woods might be a nice thing to do for both of them.

  The doors closed.  The train moved on.  She exited the subway where it ended at the airport and walked up to the first counter she saw.

  "I'd like a one-way ticket, please, to somewhere warm with beautiful flowers.  Preferably a direct flight.  I'm in a hurry."

WfW ~ taking my breath away

 This writing challenge was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her to bow out and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image. What we do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching are encouraged.

Some of us put our creations in comments on the host's post, and others post on their own blog. It would be wonderful if as many people as possible joined in the fun, which includes cheering on the other participants. The prompts will be [here] and are provided by Sean Jeating.

 

 "Such a beautiful piece of art, don't you think?"

  I turned to the voice behind me, and suddenly aware that I'd been standing and staring for far too long.

  "Yes, it is.  I'm just in awe of it and feel as if it is pulling me into the dreamscape the artist created.  I can almost feel the wind on my face that is blowing through the trees there."

  "Indeed.  The moonlit forest feels so sublime that it almost makes one breathless.  Would you like to know more about the artist?  Maybe meet him?"

  "Me?  Oh, that would be so amazing to actually meet the artist.  Is he here?  At the show?"

  "Mmmmm, yes.  He's working on another piece in the back for a private collection.  It's actually part of this entire collection titled Oxygen, but won't be shown to the public.  Come with me, I'm sure he won't mind giving a fan a small preview of it."

  "Are you certain?  I don't want to disturb him."

  "It's no problem at all.  Here, just step into this room."

  The door closes behind me, and I hear the lock click.  I'm in a small closet or cabinet of some sort.  So small I can barely turn around.  I become lightheaded as the air seems thin.

  "Excuse me, I think this must be the wrong room.  Could you please let me out?  I'm having trouble breathing.  I don't think this was the right door to the studio."

  "Oh, it was the right door.  The artist is very specific about how his canvas and paints are created.  Depriving you of oxygen may be a slow and painful process, but it makes it so much easier to stretch your skin across the wood frames.  And the colors your blood and organs will create ... just sublime."

WFW ~ 1st dates

This writing challenge was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her to bow out and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image. What we do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching are encouraged.

Some of us put our creations in comments on the host's post, and others post on their own blog. It would be wonderful if as many people as possible joined in the fun, which includes cheering on the other participants. The prompts will be [here] and are provided by Sean Jeating.

  "Would you consider taking me out on Saturday, instead of Friday?"

  "Well, the dinner theater's last night is Friday, and I've heard that the restaurant they are performing in is excellent.  The tickets were rather expensive and non-refundable I might add.  You aren't superstitious about the date are you?"

  "Not exactly.  It's just that I suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia."

  "Para ...?  I'm not sure what a fear of parakeets has to do with having dinner with me tomorrow night."

  "No.  I'm not afraid of parakeets.  That's ornithophobia.  It is a fear of [whispers] Friday the 13th."

  "The movie?  But I told you.  We aren't going to the movies.  We're going out to dinner at a very exquisite and expensive restaurant to see a theater performance.  The table I reserved is their best where we will be able to see the entire performance without anyone seated in front of us."

  "No.  Not the movie.  The 'day and date'."

Image Source: 
takkelsomeart <link

  "You're afraid of me?  Your date?  You know, I'm really sick and tired of you lycanthrope bigots.  You think you are so much better than us just because you don't have to follow a lunar calendar as closely as we do!  But in truth, you are no different than us.  And honestly, if you knew us better you would realize that we actually have it better because with us, women are NOT the weaker gender!  I would even dare to hyperbolize that the females of our kind are even ... why are you looking at me like that?  What is happening with your teeth?  Wait.  What are you doing?  What's wrong with your skin?  Why are your nails suddenly growing?  Wait.  I was just teasing.  I meant no offense.  I didn't realize you were a sanguisuge.  I apologize...  please no, it was just a joke.  I was only kidding.  Plea...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH."

  "Finally.  I was so tired of his voice."

WfW ~ with love, to infinity

This writing challenge was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her to bow out and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image. What we do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching are encouraged.

Some of us put our creations in comments on the host's post, and others post on their own blog. It would be wonderful if as many people as possible joined in the fun, which includes cheering on the other participants. The prompts will be [here] and are provided by Sean Jeating.

    I didn't intend for it to become a daily occurrence.  In fact, I really didn't intend to interact with him more than just one time.  I was simply trying to be friendly.  The human was grieving, and I overheard him while I was passing through the cemetery.

    His sobs were quite heartbreaking and I only wanted to comfort him.   At first, I just rested near him, nodding with empathy and sending him waves of comfort with my yellow Dahlia aura.  But it just made him cry even harder.   How was I to know that the Dahlia was his wife's favorite flower?

    He left not long after that but came back the very next day.  Judging by the dark bags under his eyes, his grieving must have continued through the night.  Such a devoted husband I'd seldom seen in other human gentlemen.  I was intrigued.  I made the decision then and there to reach out through the veil to his wife and find out more about their love.

    What she told me, however, greatly changed my opinion of him.

    The grave where he sat mourning her loss was not where her body was buried.  Oh no.  For this human was as much of a monster as I was.  He had married her for her money, you see.  Trillions of dollars.  Then after two decades of marriage, he killed her.  He dismembered her and chopped her into fine little pieces which he fed to her several colonies of feral cats.  Her "children" as she referred to them.  When all evidence of his evil deed was gone, he took steps to create an alibi for himself before he reported her missing.  He knew it would only be a matter of time before she would be declared dead and he would be the richest man on the planet.

    That was his plan at least.

    The grief he expressed was not for the loss of her but for the loss of her quadrillions.

    He patiently waited the seven years the state required before he could request that she be declared dead.  Faithfully feeding her "children."  Faithfully posting missing advertisements on television, in newspapers, and in magazines.  Ever the bereaved spouse, he cried on cue during interviews and subsisted on the quite substantial allowance he had been receiving during their marriage when she was "not missing."

    It never occurred to him to save any of that allowance.  All of his needs were met otherwise.  The houses they had lived in between were paid for, accountants handled the utility payments, and every morning he would select a menu for the day that the chef would shop for and prepare.  For seven years, he traveled extensively, under the guise of searching for her.  He spent extravagantly,  always on himself, never donating, never gifting, never giving.  All while her estate continued to grow in value behind the scenes.

    With the death certificate finally in hand, he requested her attorneys to read her will, so confident was he that he would be the sole heir of her estate.  But his late wife had not inherited her vast fortune as many speculated.  She was quite a brilliant businesswoman and investor, not to mention the fact that she hadn't fallen off the turnip truck the night before her loving husband proposed to her.

    In the absence of a body for burial, her entire estate including all houses, businesses, investments, and all personal items such as clothing, jewelry, and vehicles, purchased with funds from the businesses and investments ~ which included her devoted husband's allowance ~ were to be auctioned off in support of multiple animal charities.

    If he had invested some of his allowances over the years before and after she vanished into thin air, he might have been able to pick up some of the pieces of his shattered life after the will was released to the public.  But instead, he was left naked and homeless, hiding in an alley with some of his wife's "children."

    Children whom I now control, with her blessings, to scratch and torture him at all hours of the day and night.  No matter where he hides.  To the brink of insanity ... from the wife who will love him to infinity.