Odds and Ends

Up, down, right, left. The motion was making his hands numb but he was determined beat the game once and for all. The idea that he could not make it to the end of the level by the time they called him to dinner was unacceptable. “Is that all he does all day, at 40?” “Yes.” “What caused him to regress?” “He knows he’s dying.” What is he dying from would cause him to regress? Is he actually regressing or simply in denial? The word is regress, this piece comes in at 65 of the 75 word limit. For the official rules visit the M3 blog and join in the fun. Thank you for sharing this post with the hashtags #flashinthepan #flashfiction and #findingthepath

The week was filled with headaches and reworking the schedule that didn’t work out quite right. I began rewriting two books, by hand. Actually I scrapped the originals that were disasters , er, um in need of editing and organization to start over at the beginning. The goal is to finish up two at once, and get them to hit the shelves the same day. I have a series in mind, and knowing me writing the entire series would be easier than publishing one then writing the other. Oh that makes no sense. I will be getting a new appointment book for next year, and a desk calendar. Maybe, the kid is likely to markup a calendar on my desk but I have to have one in my purse to write appointments for her down on while I make them. I had to put when to clean the filters in the AC on my calendar to keep from forgetting. That means that though I have not as much (work) to do, I still cannot focus. Well, I forgot what I was saying, so have a good night.

Tables lined with fine crystal and champagne bottles greeted the guests. Balloons wrapped around the silverware gave a festive appearance. The dust had been swept away... Away from what? Writing this manuscript was the hardest thing she’d ever tried to do. How would she get around the inconsistencies that were present throughout? Maybe she’d just kill them all off, on page one. No, no.. That wouldn’t do, she could get around the hurdle, she must. Why is she having so much trouble with the manuscript? How do you get around gaps in your story lines? Should she scrap it and start over or merely opt to kill them all off early? The word is around and this post comes in on the nose using all 75 words of the 75 word limit. Go to M3 for the official rules. Share this post with the  hastags #flashfiction #flashinthepan

My calendar if full, and I am not sure that I will be able to complete everything on it. I managed to lose some of the things that I needed to complete the tasks that are on the list attached to the calendar. I am finding there are not enough hours in the day and the need for sleep has increased during the last year. School starts back next month and I can only hope that I’ll be getting adequate sleep during the week so I don’t spend the weekends sleeping all day. I am attempting to see if I can maximize the amount of time I spend working. That is going to be a challenge since working from home I find myself distracted with household issues more than ever now that the baby is in school. Well, more accurately now that she goes to school all day long instead of just a half day. I still do not like the full school day, maybe it’s because if she were home schooled they only require four hours a day. Granted they have to be during the hours that regular school is in session but still...

Pictures, just pictures.

The statue was becoming discolored from the rain, green and blue blotches were everywhere. Frustration was taking its toll on the artist as he tried to match the original color with only an ounce left in the can. The feedback on the original concept had been mixed at best and now the rains had left him with a disaster threatening his career. What is the statue of? Why is the discoloration causing the creator so much concern? The word is Left, and this flash comes in at 62 of 75 word limit. Go over to M3 for the official rules and this quarters words for Finding the Path. The first three books in the series are on sale this month and as usual the first ebook in the series is free in the Redmund Productions bookstore.

It’s something that I’ve not been doing well lately. I have multiple things to do and every one of them is falling behind because of exhaustion and frustration. I have an idea of what I need to do to get back on track but so far it is not working at all. It feels as if the list of things that I have to do is growing. The amount of work I have to do has decreased but that does not change the fact that I still have an enormous amount of things to do and bills to pay. So how am I going to deal with this? I’ve already started using the Google Calendar which puts the lists of what has to be done at the top of each day. Some days I actually manage to do one of the things that is on my list. I’m not sure how I get any of them done, and I have developed this habit of moving the things that I did not get done one day to the next day so I can do them. Well, I’m off to see what else I can do to keep up with it all. Hope you’re having a less frantic day than I am. 

“ How much farther?” “Only about a mile or two.” “Which is it a mile or two miles?” “Ten.” “What? It’s two miles to the turnoff, and another eight miles to the house.” “Fine. I’m going to sleep.” “Suit yourself.” “You act as if you don’t care.” “Should I?” “I suppose not.” “You would suppose right.” _________________________________________________________ Who are they? Where are they going? Is it a man and a woman, two men or two women? Does the one that does not care simply want silence? The word is right , click the link to be taken to M3 and the official rules. This post comes in at 55 of the 100 word limit.

There are a lot of things that can be done in theory. The problem is getting them done in reality. Saving money is one of those things. In theory I should be able to save all the loose change I have from shopping with only cash at the end of the week. 0.30 a trip, four weeks a month is $1.20 a month. Six month later that would add up to $7.20. Now that should be realistic for about anyone but it’s not. A total of $14.40 per year in savings is actually a small amount. What do you do if you need a larger amount? Say $3,000 or so in a short time? How much do you need to save a month to have $3,000 at the end of the year (12 months)? $250 a month. This amount does not include interest earned on savings accounts. What can you do to get to that $250 a month savings, especially when you have a low income or keep facing unexpected expenses? Over the next few weeks, OK over the next year I’ll be examining savings goals, theories and the reality of it all. Until next time hope you’r...

The week ahead is scheduled to the last minute, it even includes WTF just happened time. I have decided to rearrange my summer work schedule one last time seeing that there is a great deal of yard work left to do. I will be cutting grass, a little each day provided it is not raining all day long. The last grass that I cut is already in need of cutting again. I realized this as I was pushing the lawnmower where I was going to cut yesterday and watched it getting shorter. The top has been lost from the gas can so it will require several trips to the gas station to cut the grass. I’ll be finding the top as soon as I can, there are several gas cans around here one of them should have a top I can clean up. I know one is under the porch where it blew off the can. OK back to the schedule for the day.

The chair was stiff and my neck was beginning to hurt. We’d been there for what seemed like forever. It was getting tiresome to watch the monitor, it was always the same. She didn’t do anything, no sound, only refusals. She was staring into space. The therapist pulled out a new toy. It had cards and letters that went with it. She placed a card in the slot and pushed a button. “Cat” then a light went on in her eyes, and she repeated “cat.” Progress, finally. Where are they? Who is she and why is she being watched on a monitor? What kind of therapy is it? Why is a single word considered progress? The word is progress. This post comes in at 87 words of the 100 word limit. Go over to M3 for the official rules.

The rain was relentless as it pounded the roof, and the buckets were filling faster than she could empty them. It wouldn’t be long before the need for sleep overtook her and she was fearful for her life. The fear overtook her as she fought sleep. Exhaustion won and she fell forward into a bucket full of water. Why is she taking shelter in a place with such a leaky roof? Does she live there? Would she have drown if she had simply laid down? Did falling into the bucket wake her or were the effects devastating? _________________________________________________________________ The word is forward, this post comes in at 58 of the 75 word limit. Go over to M3 for the official rules and word list for the current Flash in the Pan challenge. The next book is Finding the Path. As usual the first ebook in the series is free in the Redmund Productions bookstore. While you’re there check out the comics and take a look in the paperback book store for a special on the first three ...

I am having fun with the  Flash Fiction Challenge  from the M3 blog. It gives me a break from the daily grind while getting my work in more books. (That's a bonus) I enjoy having new readers. My next book is completely different from the first two that I wrote. I adore the book writing process, well the creative part anyway. My next book (provided all goes well) will hopefully be out before the end of the year. I just have to finish it, get it through beta reads, edits and rewrites.  Well, I have more flashes to write for the 5th book. So I best get going. It is rather fun to have the freedom to leave the audience wondering and let their imaginations run wild. 

The dusty road made breathing difficult. It was so hot even the mule was protesting the walk. The wagon was full of “essentials” as she had called them. Who in the world would consider a few hundred pairs of shoes an essential? Why would he agree to come here if he hadn’t lost his mind? That’s it, that’s why he was traveling this dusty road. He had lost his mind. Who is he? Why is the wagon full of nothing but shoes? Where did he agree to go? The word is come the limit for this post was 100 words, this post comes in at 70. Click the link to go to M3 and the official rules.

It is almost time for the tax free weekend just over three weeks to be exact. It is the first weekend of August. That is when I will be going to get the remainder of school supplies and school uniforms.  The school uniform part is the one I dread the most. We only need bottoms right now though, the shirts I can find easily during the year is the kid grows out of them. The change in dress code means the shirts can be any color. The pants have to be navy blue or khaki.  Last year she was still able to wear her pre-K uniforms, a growth spurt during the year means I cannot do that again. I can get her a few dresses though, and she likes the jumpers which means she has to have some shorts to wear.  I am budgeting $100 for the supplies and uniforms. Well maybe $150 to $200. She'll need new shoes for the school year too. I'm looking for sales, she has to have tennis shoes for P.E. She is in need of a new book bag.  I am hoping to drop off her school supplies at the ...

The 4th of July was a  rainy  one. The rain while the crops might have enjoyed it (the ones that did not drown at least) put a bit of a damper on my plans for going outside. It really put a damper on my ability to concentrate.  I made note after note for my next book, redoing the outline a number of times. I even began writing a little on a new book, and attempted to work out the kinks in the story for another book.  I am venturing far from the path of  Moments, Money & Memories ,  Observations Obsessions Oddities , and even the  FTP  series. While I am still in my comfort zone there are days that it feels as if I have ventured into a foreign land and do not speak the language at all. Well, I am off to attempt to find inspiration. 

This week has been rather tiring. Monday was speech and a shopping trip. A two hour trip with an autistic child, she did amazing. She helped to pick out the groceries or rather the fruit part of the groceries. She’s good at that. 

The group was alone in the woods without supplies. Nothing was going right and it was on his head if they didn’t make it back to camp. The trail had just disappeared and he couldn’t find anything that looked familiar at all. They wandered in circles hoping for a small sign of civilization. The sun began to set and they all dropped down to their knees, tears streaming down their faces. Why are they wandering in the woods? Why did they drop to their knees and cry? How long have they been in the woods? Who are they? _______________________________________ The word is reach, this post comes in at 44 out of the 100 word limit. Check out  M3  for the word list and official rules of the challenge. When you share this post please include the hashtags #flashfiction and #flashinthepan. 

I've done the grocery shopping, and paid a bill or two so far this month. There are more to pay which means that I will not be doing much other than working. Well, I'll take the time to do my Flash in the Pan post. The words for Finding the Path are out, and I'm looking forward to finishing the posts for those. OK I'll be going now. 

Where has the time gone? It seems but yesterday that I brought those babies home. Now it seems they need me a little bit less each day. While time for them might be going at a snail's pace for me it is going far too fast. There are days that I think it all must be a dream only I am not waking up at all.  In just a few short years they will venture into the world to make their own ways. Those few short years are going to be much too short and end much too quickly for me. 

My how the years have flown by, if only time would stand still for a moment. Minding our Manners Getting Ready to Put on the Show Bittersweet Moving On

“No, it’s too hot.” “You’re delusional, it’s fine.” “Not it’s too hot.” “It’s a tub of ice. It is a reach to say it is hot.” She walked away and left him sitting there to think about what he was actually trying to say. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Why is there a tub of ice there? Is something wrong with him? Who is she? ______________________________________ The word is reach . The limit was 50 words, this post comes in at 44 words. Click the link to go to M3 and the official rules.

It’s definitely Monday. I can feel it, my only consolation is that I have today and Friday off. I am taking a three day weekend this week. It is the 4th of July weekend, the chances of my nerves being shot from fireworks going off too close are good. I do not like fireworks, or more accurately I not like the shotgun type sound that emanates from them. I am sure that poor Johnny will be inside huddle in a corner as they go off. I might not mind so much is the heat and the rains would find a happy medium so I could cut my grass. I am dreading it finally drying out enough to cut it knowing that I’ll have no choice but to be up at dawn or stay out into the evening to avoid the dreaded heat that makes it difficult to breath. Surprising though with window units only in the living room and the other rooms closed during the day it is not yet too much to bear inside I still have to buy some fans and I have been looking at portable air conditioners. There is a lot more to consider, fo...