🐘 Nancy is a storyteller, music blogger, humorist, poet, curveballer, noir dreamer 🐘
⌘ Rest in Peace, Trent McDonald, Friday Fictioneers ⌘
Written for Friday Fictioneers, where our host Rochelle
encourages us to be creative by writing a story in
100 words or less using the photo prompt below.
Also for Esther’s Word Prompt which is ‘edge’.
Here’s where the photo prompt took me.
Today at RDP, we are asked to share a
story, poem, photo, painting, essay, etc.,
centered on the words ‘stand in’. Here’s my take.
Written for Kymber Hawke’s Get To Know You #48
Here are her three question and my three answers.
Written for Stream of Consciousness Saturday where
we are asked to feature the word “move”. Here’s my stream.
Here it is …. the so-called unofficial start of summer …. and we’re celebrating Memorial Day once again in my neck of the woods – Southern Westchester County in New York. In case you’re not familiar with the area, Manhattan is about a 45-minute drive south – far enough away for us to be in the suburbs but close enough to get into NYC for a show or dinner if we want to. We’re approximately an hour from Jones Beach heading east out to Long Island and 2 hours from the Catskill Mountains up north.
We’re in a nice spot and we’ve loved living here for 45+ years but we often bring up the topic of making a move. And why would we do that if it’s so nice here? Two big reasons: stupid-high property taxes and ever-increasing congestion.
Our little village was exactly that when we moved here; now the population has exploded and every family member old enough to drive has a car. We live on a very quiet cul de sac and never think about the congestion in town until we actually have to go to town. What used to be a 5 minute drive to the supermarket or post office is now triple that (or more) because of the number of cars, trucks and school buses on the move .… and let’s not even start talking about road work! There’s construction everywhere we look and some of it takes years to accomplish. By then, it’s time to start repairs again! Move it!
So, if we did decide to leave New York, the big question is …. where would we move to? I have no idea! It seems like everyone complains about the same problems of high taxes and too much congestion no matter where they live. Besides, the physical act of clearing out the house, packing up, moving and relocating at this stage of our lives is daunting; I can barely manage packing for vacation!
Things to think about, for sure. For now, I think I’ll move out onto the deck, sit in my lounge chair, drink my iced tea and listen to the birds. Bill will light the grill around 2PM; now that you know where I live, c’mon over!
It’s time to roll out some Nat King Cole and “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer”!
NAR©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.
I was thinking about that night back in March when Max and I went out walking. We were both feeling a little restless and unsettled; walks always took the edge off. It was really quiet on that road; even the usual noisy critters in the woods were not chattering. A brightness broke through the clouds and fog, lighting the way as we went moon walking. That’s when I started softly reminiscing about my life with Max.
“You know, Max, it’s hard to believe we’ve been together four years already – just you and me, constant companions. I still think about the first time we found each other. We both really needed someone in our lives at that time, somebody to fill a void. It didn’t take long before we were best friends.
Working from home during Covid took a little getting used to; being in each other’s space 24/7 could have been disastrous but it turned out to be a blessing. We kept each other from going crazy while holed up inside. I imagined a lot of staring out the window, whining. Thank goodness for that park across the street and our quick jogs for groceries.
Yeah, Max. You’re my main man and I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ve been tossing some stuff around in my head and I have something very important I need to run by you, buddy: you see, I’ve found someone.
Now, don’t start getting weird on me, Max. This is new territory for me, bringing someone into my life – into your life, too. She’s become very important to me and I hope you’ll like her as much as I do. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and I’d like her to move in with me … with us. I know this is all very sudden and it’s asking a lot, which is why I want you to meet her and get to know her.
She makes me happy, Max, and I can see all of us spending our lives together. She’s sweet, beautiful and loving. Well, you’ll see for yourself; she’s going to meet us here tonight. I call her Sasha.”
Max and I gave each other a look and I wondered if my eyes said “I know this is a lot to take in”. As we approached a large tree along the side of the road, there was Sasha, waiting for us, and I quickened my step to greet her. We nuzzled and sniffed each other, totally forgetting Max was standing a few feet away, patiently waiting. I looked back and forth between my two loves – one canine and one human – and I hoped Sasha and Max would become best friends, just like me and Max.
Finally Max came over to us and squatted down for a better look. I had no idea what he was going to say and I was a bit nervous. For the first time since we started our walk, Max spoke:
“Well, look at you, Miss Sasha! Aren’t you a pretty girl? You’ve got a lovely lady friend here, Jake, a petite chocolate lab. Let’s see; do you have a collar? Nope, nothing. Well, you’re either a stray, a run-away or someone let you go. I can’t imagine that, not a pretty girl like you.”
Just then Sasha darted over to the tree and emerged with a puppy dangling from her mouth; my heart did a flip. Our little guy couldn’t have been more than a couple of days old. Sasha walked right up to Max.
“Well, would you look at that!” Max laughed. “A little guy and he looks just like you, Jake! I guess congratulations are in order. Well, Jake, Sasha. What do you say we all head home? Sasha, may l carry your pup for you?”
Sasha looked up at Max with trusting eyes and gently placed our pup in his hands. We all headed home, walking in the moonlight; Max hummed a happy tune while Sasha and I trotted close beside.
“Sasha, we really need to find a nice woman for Max, don’t you think?” and my love gave a little woof of agreement.
NAR © 2023
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. ☕️
(Hardly seems worth it.)
If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. 💣
(Now that’s more like it!)
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet. 🫀
(O.M.G.!)
A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes. 🐷
(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)
A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. Creepy. 🪳
(I’m still not over the pig.)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. 😖
(Don’t try this at home; maybe at work.)
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male’s head off. 🦗
(Honey, I’m home. What the ….?)
The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping the length of a football field. 🏈
(30 minutes. Lucky pig! Can you imagine?)
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. 🐟
(What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)
Some lions mate over 50 times a day. 🦁
(I still want to be a pig in my next life – quality over quantity.)
Butterflies taste with their feet. 🦋
(Something I always wanted to know.)
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue. 👅
(Hmm…….)
Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people. 🤚🏼
(If you’re ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)
Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. 🐘
(Okay, so that would be a good thing.)
A cat’s urine glows under a black light. 🐈⬛
(I wonder how much the government spent to figure that out. Why doesn’t the government spend as much $$ figuring out how to cross a pig and a lion?? Then in my next life, I could come back as a lion pig!! Not a lying pig; we already have them. They are called politicians!!)
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain. 👁️
(I know some people like that.)
Starfish have no brains. 🧠
(I know some people like that, too.)
Polar bears are left-handed. ✋🏼
(If they switch, they’ll live a lot longer.)
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. 👫 🐬
(What about that pig? Do the dolphins know about the pig?)
Aren’t you glad I’m here to provide you with all this vital information? Hey, you never know when it might come in handy.
NAR © 2023
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