@Charli_Mills Flash Fiction Challenge: Spreading the Light

In response to Charil’s Carrot Range Flash Fiction Challenge: Spreading the Light

Tensions were running high as was expected at this time of year. The first weekend of December must always be murderously hot, and so the whole household must work away in baking heat to cover the property in artistically arranged Christmas lights.

From previous experience we knew we must stock the freezer with zooper doopers. It didn’t matter how old we were, that stuff was more potent than Gatorade. But even though we prepared, by late afternoon we had dissolved into sweaty, frustrated shouting matches.

Until the sun went down and the lights came on.

And everything was okay.

I was very literal with the prompt this time, wasn’t I? On that note, did we all get to see the Christmas lights in our neighbourhood? It was always a tradition in my family, not to put up Christmas lights, but to drive around on Christmas Eve and see everyone else’s lights!

While googling pictures of Christmas lights for inspiration, I came across this wonderful article from Canberra highlighting the people who decorate their homes for others to visit, raising funds and drawing attention to important charities. The stories in this article are far more important than my frivolous flash fiction, so if you want to give it a read you can find it here.

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forces of Nature

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Forces of Nature.”

This is the sunset I took when visiting family down in Hobart. Truly excellent place.

Weekly @RonovanWrites Haiku Challenge: Want & Tatter

In response to Ronovan Writes’ Weekly Haiku Prompt Challenge: Want & Tatter

Don’t play with my wants,

Stretching me, destroying me,

Don’t tatter my heart.

Photo Challenge: Early Bird

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Early Bird.”

How disappointing! Nothing but grey skies looking to greet me when I got up early this morning. Rain is meant to keep coming for the next few days, so I suppose this is the closest to a sunrise I’ll be getting for this week’s challenge. Never mind – I’m looking forward to the sleep ins anyway!

Flash Fiction: Neighbourly Garden

In response to Charli’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Prompt: Neighbourly

It was the first summer she’d noticed the little garden hadn’t been tended. The flowers were still managing, but the ground was cracked and the leaves had begun to dry. It was always a highlight on her walk, and she’d always wondered who tended to the strangely well-kept garden that sat outside the old apartment block.

So the next day, she came back with a watering can. The day after, someone had tipped fresh soil around the flowers, but it hadn’t seemed properly tilled. She smiled and came back with trowel and fork to finish what her neighbour started.

Weekly @RonovanWrties Haiku Challenge: Reach and Vie

 In response to Ronovan’s Weeklu Haiku Challenge: Reach and Vie

Vying for more time

Must buckle down & study

Reach for the good grades

Uni is hard T-T but I’ve had the first round of assignment results come back with two As and a B so I know the hard work I’m putting in pays off. At least I can understand teaching in theory – next month I’ll have to put this into practice!

‘Cept I’ve got another seven assignments to hand in before then (omigosh it really is that many!). Cabin fever, here I come!

Flash Fiction: Drop the lemons and run

In response to Charli’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge

I had a plan. It was a plan that I kept to, even when it was messing me up.

The plan was failing. I was failing.

It took a lot to admit I couldn’t handle it anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I did something brave or unique. I, essentially, gave up.

Giving up can be good.

I’m not exactly proud of it, but I don’t regret the decision; I have nothing to regret. I’m relieved, and I’m hopeful for the future. Giving up was the best thing I ever did.

I am excited about life again.

MdD

And that is the honest truth, right there. Thank you Charli, for reminding me that we can make lemonade from lemons, and sometimes dropping the lemons and bolting is a better course to take.

Photo Challenge: Blur

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Blur.”

Two photos for this one, both from my trip to Budapest years ago. I’m not sure if I liked the glaringly bright yellow in the first one or the more subdued tones of the second.

Both photos are from a nighttime river cruise down the Danube. The one above is Buda Castle (I wasn’t sure then, but I’m pretty sure now).

The glowy building on high in the middle of the picture below is Fisherman’s Bastion.

Have I mentioned before that travelling is awesome?

@RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku Challenge: Ill & Rest

In response to Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge: Ill and Rest

A sleep too restless

Tiredness leaves me open

illness in autumn

I am not sick, which is quite new for me at this time of year. I hope it’s the start of a healthy flu season for me, since last year I picked up various infections and had three separate instances of being horribly sick, along with the usual sniffles and irritants winter must include.

Having said that, I haven’t been sleeping too well lately, but I think that’s because I haven’t had the time to write so much, so my imagination is going haywire and treating me to lucid dreams at night. Seriously, so far I’ve explored cities, jungles, wastelands, spoken to hundreds of people, solved the odd murder, and gotten at least a dozen different superpowers in my sleep. I should be happy about that, but it’s making it difficult for me to wake up.

Oh, and just a fun one to finish off:

Rest today, but am

Looking forward to getting

ill from choc-o-late

See what I did there? 😉

Weekly #Photography Challenge: Ephemeral

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Ephemeral.”

ephemeral

ɪˈfɛm(ə)r(ə)l,-ˈfiːm-/

adjective

1. lasting for a very short time.

Well, I had to look that one up. Daily Post could’ve just said ‘fleeting’ and I would’ve been fine but noooo….

Turns out, the answer to this week’s challenge was on our back balcony. We have two little potted herbs there that have been just barely hanging onto life since we moved. The balcony is so sheltered and in completely the wrong place so for most of the day it’s in complete shade. It only gets direct natural light for a maximum two hours every late afternoon, and with that, our chives and parsley have been able to hang in there.

You can do it!

So yes: ephemeral.