Friday Fictioneers–Elezegeraffe

As someone once said…oh, wait!  I said this.

Take heart, all ye brave Fictioneers
For Wednesday is finally here.
Look at the prompt.
Create what you want.
Work through the blood, sweat and tears.

One week I’m sure that I heard,
“One hundred words? That’s absurd!
I can’t tell my story
In all of its glory
With that few,” some authors averred.

Now that the deadline is near
Even tho’ that story’s so dear
If you wield the scalpel
Relief will be palpable
And your writing all that much more clear.

EL, this picture is so you! 

copyright el appleby

 Elezegeraffe
(Ella-zee’-grr-af)

What do you give someone who might shortly need nothing?

Poking around a dusty antique store, we serendipitously unearthed the perfect cancer-fighting gift, a gift that was us.

First came Jessica, always nosy, Christmas-present-ferreter-outer extraordinaire,
Nigel, giraffe-tall and gangly,
Mom, “a real tigress” as Dad fondly called her, and
me, an adopted polyglot of colors.

We smuggled the Elezegeraffe into Dad’s hospital room, aided and abetted by willing nurses.  Today “E” resides in our side yard, reminder of a time of joy and laughter.

To this day, we remain convinced that the ensuing hilarity was the beginning of Dad’s healing.

*********************

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
Mark Twain

A day without laughter is a day wasted.
Charlie Chaplin

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers.  And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.
Bill Cosby

According to some studies, laughter therapy may provide physical benefits, such as helping to:

• Boost the immune system and circulatory system
• Enhance oxygen intake
• Stimulate the heart and lungs
• Relax muscles throughout the body
• Trigger the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers)
• Ease digestion/soothes stomach aches
• Relieve pain
• Balance blood pressure
• Improve mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory, creativity)

Laughter therapy may also help to:

• Improve overall attitude
• Reduce stress/tension
• Promote relaxation
• Improve sleep
• Enhance quality of life
• Strengthen social bonds and relationships
• Produce a general sense of well-being

Cancer Treatment Centers of America

http://www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine/laughter-therapy.cfm

Fur coat–haiku with photo

Fur-coated bunny
Crouches beneath stacked firewood
Resting watchfully

(Couldn’t get the shot of the rabbit under the woodpile. He or she was a bit too watchful.)

Daily prompt–Imperfection

The WordPress prompt of the day is….

Imperfections — in things, in people, in places — add character to life. Tell us about an imperfection that you cherish.

I have plenty imperfections of my own, but this post is about the imperfection of my horse, Sunday.  You see her every time you see my gravatar.  She’s a Missouri Foxtrotter, which means she has a gait that, instead of the usual bumpy trot, is so smooth that you could ride forever.  It’s the epitome of that rocking chair feeling.

How it all began

I may have inherited my love of horses from my dad because I don’t remember a time when I haven’t loved horses. I knew where all the horse books in our library were and I read them all. I think I learned to ride through reading those books, because I didn’t take any lessons, but I seemed to know how to ride instinctively.

I wanted nothing more than a horse. I wanted one enough to put up with, and enjoy, the occasional rides to no- much-of -on bored horses at a nearby stable, rides where the horse couldn’t be forced into a trot without massive amounts of kicking. I didn’t get a horse until much later but one day someone came by our house with a pony and my parents paid for my brother and me to have our pictures taken on it.  That is definitely a look of pure happiness!

Art of the Himalayas

After we disembarked from our train Saturday afternoon in New York’s Penn Station, my sister-in-law and our daughter took off to participate in a Haitian dance class, not something for Bill and me.  Instead, we started our afternoon walking through the Rubin Museum of Art, where Himalayan art is the focus.  As my sister-in-law pointed out, the museum is a small jewel at 150 W. 17th Street.  Take a few minutes and enjoy a few of the art objects that caught my eye and camera.  If you live in the New York area, stop by soon for a visit.  You won’t be disappointed.

Facing Friday

Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.  Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend.
For those of you observing Easter or Passover, may your celebration be filled with joy.

Spotted not long ago in downtown Naperville. Shopping, anyone?

Friday Fictioneers–Going for the Gold

Why write a 100-word story? 

Consider the impact of three small words–”I hate you.”  Or “I love you.”  Then imagine 33 1/3 times more words and you can create a plethora of experiences and emotions.  Select those words carefully and you have more than enough to draw the unsuspecting reader into your story web.

Wield the scalpel with precision.  Cut to the chase.  Dazzle us.

Going For the Gold

Life had always been horses and jumping.  Those arduous, endless hours not doing “what the cool kids do” were her soul food.  The recognition earned as a major contender for an Olympic medal parlayed into an investment in her future.  Being the human half of a jumping team?  That was pure love.

The gold vanished, snatched by a massive oxer not quite cleared.  In the months following the Games, she dealt with the aftermath, gradually re-dreaming her dreams.

Class time.  Smiling at the sign, Olympic School of Therapeutic Riding, she propelled her wheelchair toward the ring, greeting students and instructors.

Yeti?

The Dr. Seuss yeti, perhaps, and certainly not Bigfoot or, as Odo Proudfoot said in “Lord of the Rings” (sort of), “Big FEET.” 

Have a laugh-filled Friday.

Something old, something new

I’ve driven the Chicago-Cleveland (or Cleveland-Chicago) route many times in the last years but still, once I get in the van and on the road, I settle down and enjoy the ride.  There’s always something new to see and plenty old favorites.  Join me for a very compressed, selective six hours.

Doo (doo) happens!

There are all sorts of jobs and I certainly applaud the initiative behind this personal pooper-scooper business.