Music Blog

A Walk On The Wild Side

My only excuse for what youโ€™re about to read is that I have a lousy head cold, a cough and a sore throat which have thrown me off my game. I know the Mixed Music Bag prompt letters for December are X, Y and Z. However, in my Delsym Cough Syrup-induced stupor, I thought the letters were U, V and W. I spent too much time working on this post and I donโ€™t have the energy or desire to start over. I could have ditched it and skipped this week all together but I think itโ€™s a pretty good write so I decided to keep it as is. Todayโ€™s post is brought to you by the letter V.

Continue reading “A Walk On The Wild Side”
Haibun, Poem

With Love From Us: A Haibun

Written for dVerse Poetics where the theme is
โ€œDespite and Stillโ€. My inspiration is the poem seen below

written by John N. Morris. Here is my haibun.

Continue reading “With Love From Us: A Haibun”
Music Blog

Holiday Sounds

Continue reading “Holiday Sounds”
Short Story

A Dangerous Profession: Part 1

Written for OLWG #395 where this week the three
prompts are 1) carving out a niche; 2) I suppose;
3) no doubt about it, as well as
Melissa’s Fandango
Flash Fiction Challenge #298
, FOWC โ€˜sunriseโ€™, FOWC โ€˜botherโ€™,
FOWC โ€˜auntโ€™, FOWC โ€˜fascinatingโ€™, FOWC โ€˜folksโ€™, FOWC
โ€˜decisionโ€™ and FOWC โ€˜infiniteโ€™. This is my story.

Continue reading “A Dangerous Profession: Part 1”
Flash

Yo Ho

Written for Sammiโ€™s Weekend Writing Prompt #393
incorporating the word โ€œoccidentโ€ in exactly 23 words.
Also for Sue & Gerryโ€™s Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge
(red) and FOWC (vague). In exactly 23 words, this is my flash.

Continue reading “Yo Ho”
Movie

Want To Watch A Movie?

Here’s a flick we hadn’t seen in a while. We watched it again last night and remembered why we enjoy it so much. If you’re looking for something that’s very funny with just a touch of sentimentality, then this one is a good choice for you. It’s a no-brainer; sit back and be entertained by Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White in “The Proposal”.
This is the premise: When up tight New York editor Margaret faces deportation, she convinces her assistant Andrew to marry her in return for a promotion. However, when she visits his hometown, it changes her in many ways. Here’s a clip:

Iโ€™ll save you a seat. Enjoy the movie! ๐ŸŽฅ ๐Ÿฟ ๐Ÿฅค

NARยฉ2024

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantโ€™s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NARยฉ2017-present.

Flash

Just Our Luck!

Shweta is our host for the Saturday Six Word Challenge – #115.
This weekโ€™s prompt word is โ€œfortuneโ€. Here is my 6 word story.

Continue reading “Just Our Luck!”
Short Story

The Eighth Of December

A tribute to John Lennon who was taken from us on this date in 1980. Many of you have read this; many of you who are new to my site have not. Please indulge me one more time. Roughly four years ago I had the great pleasure and honor of narrating a few of my stories on the BBC Radio program called  โ€œUploadโ€. I also submitted my story, โ€œThe Eighth of Decemberโ€, never expecting to receive an email from the program manager of the radio station asking me if Iโ€™d like to read my story and do a live interview. To us here in The States, The BBC is a pretty big deal so I was rather blown away and, despite my nerves, I agreed to the interview. The format of the radio station has since changed and โ€œUploadโ€ was replaced by another show; itโ€™s now impossible to find my interview. All I have is my story; every word is true. This is โ€œThe Eighth of Decemberโ€.

Continue reading “The Eighth Of December”
Miscellaneous

Amazing Light Show

December Illuminations at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park posted by our friend Gary. Check out these gorgeous holiday displays. It’s a no-brainer; just sit back and enjoy the show! Thanks for the excellent pix, Gary!

This is “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” by Bing Crosby

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantโ€™s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NARยฉ2017-present.

Music Blog

Keeping It Casual

This week Jim Adams has asked his readers in his post,
“Recognizing and Celebrating the Most Outstanding Albumโ€, to write
about a song that won the Brit Award for Album of the Year.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.

Continue reading “Keeping It Casual”
Short Story

Who Could Ask For More

This week at Writing Prompts, Esther has teased us
with the word โ€˜giftsโ€™. Meanwhile, Gerry and Sue
at Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge have
offered up the word โ€˜decorationsโ€™. This is my story.

Continue reading “Who Could Ask For More”
Short Story

Shapeshifter

Written for The Unicorn Challenge where we are
asked to get creative in 250 words or less using
the photo below as inspiration. This is my story.

Continue reading “Shapeshifter”
Etheree, Poem

Christmas Tree Soliloquy

Written for dVerse Poets where we are encouraged to compose an
Etheree based on trees โ€ฆ. Christmas or fir-themed … consisting

of 10 lines. In an Etheree, the first line has one syllable;
the second line has two syllables, and so on, until there are
ten syllables in the tenth line. We are asked to create our Etheree
in the shape of a tree, with two extra lines of 2 syllables
each forming the trunk of our tree. This is my Etheree.

Continue reading “Christmas Tree Soliloquy”
Flash

Obsolete

Written for Friday Fictioneers where our host
Rochelle asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.

Continue reading “Obsolete”
Music Blog

Eric, Jimmy & Jeff, Oh My!

This is Glyn’s Mixed Music Bag โ€“ Week 49 and we are
asked to choose a song by a group or solo artist whose
name begins with the letters X, Y or Z. This is my choice.

Continue reading “Eric, Jimmy & Jeff, Oh My!”
Cinquain, Poem

A Show About Nothing: A Cinquain

Written for dVerse Poets where the
challenge is to write a poem based on
Favorite TV Shows. This is my Cinquain.

Continue reading “A Show About Nothing: A Cinquain”
Short Story

The Downstairs Maid

Written for OLWG #393 where our prompt words are
1) broken yellow teeth; 2) Austin Pendleton – as Fred; 3) prodigal.

This is my story.

Continue reading “The Downstairs Maid”
Flash

Finally Sixteen

Shweta is our host for the Saturday Six Word Challenge – #114.
This weekโ€™s prompt word is โ€œfreedomโ€. Here is my 6 word story.

Continue reading “Finally Sixteen”
Ovi Poem

To Soothe The Savage Breast: An Ovi

Written for Ovi Poetry Challenge #76.
This weekโ€™s inspiration word is โ€œcalmโ€.
Take a nice deep breath. This is my Ovi.

Continue reading “To Soothe The Savage Breast: An Ovi”
Short Story

So This Is Christmas

This week at Writing Prompts, Esther has teased us
with the word โ€˜Christmasโ€™. Here are some happy
childhood memories from a piece I wrote in 2018.
This is my 2024 version of โ€œSo This Is Christmasโ€.

Continue reading “So This Is Christmas”
Flash

Devastation

Written for Sammiโ€™s Weekend Writing Prompt #392
incorporating the word โ€œswarmโ€ in a composition of 10 words.
Also for Sue & Gerryโ€™s Weekly Prompts – The One Day
Prompt (8)
. In exactly 10 words, this is my flash.

Continue reading “Devastation”
Flash

Late Night News

Esther asks: โ€œCan you tell a story in 28 words?โ€,
using these four words: dynamic, mold,
spoon and video.
Yes, I think I can! Hereโ€™s my 28 word story.

Continue reading “Late Night News”
Music Blog

A Secret Chord

This is Week 48 of Glyn’s Mixed Music Bag and we are
being asked to choose a song by a group or solo artist whose
name begins with the letters U, V or W. This is my choice.

Continue reading “A Secret Chord”
Music Blog

Too-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-rye-ay

This week Jim Adams has asked his readers
in his post, โ€œAn Annual Celebrationโ€, to write about
a song that won the Brit Award for Best Song of the Year.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.

Continue reading “Too-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-rye-ay”
Uncategorized

Want To Watch A Movie?

This is what we watched last night …. “Quartet” from 2012, a comedy with Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, and more, directed by Dustin Hoffman. At a home for retired musicians, the annual concert to celebrate composer Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean, an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents. You don’t need to be an opera lover to enjoy this one! Here’s a trailer for you:

I’ll save you a seat. Enjoy the movie! ๐ŸŽฅ ๐Ÿฟ ๐Ÿฅค

NARยฉ2024

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantโ€™s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NARยฉ2017-present.

Short Story

On The Rocks – Part 4: A Table In The Corner

Written for The Unicorn Challenge where we are
asked to get creative in 250 words or less using
the photo below as inspiration. This is my story.

Continue reading “On The Rocks – Part 4: A Table In The Corner”
Short Story

Snow Job: Sharing My World

Written for Share Your World 25th November
where Di has asked some questions about snow.

Continue reading “Snow Job: Sharing My World”
Flash

Tis The Season

Written for Friday Fictioneers where our host Rochelle
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration

to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. Also in response to Gerry & Sue’s

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge where the prompt word
this week is ‘frenzied’. This is my 100 word flash.

Continue reading “Tis The Season”
Quadrille

Forever You ~ A Quadrille

Written for dโ€™Verse Poets Q213 – With A Little Help – where Lisa has
offered as inspiration the prompt word โ€œwithโ€. Here is my quadrille.

Continue reading “Forever You ~ A Quadrille”
Miscellaneous

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the US. Bill and I will celebrate this beautiful holiday by spending the day with our family, sharing our love and a delicious meal. We are fortunate to have so many blessings for which we are eternally grateful.

Among my many blessings I count you, my dear WordPress friends. I wish you all the best life has to offer and endless reasons to be thankful in the coming years.

Blessings on you and yours today and every day.

With warmest wishes and many thanks ~
Nancy ๐Ÿงก

NARยฉ2024

This is โ€œThanksgiving Songโ€ by Mary Chapin Carpenter

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantโ€™s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NARยฉ2017-present.