Practice!

PHOTO PROMPT © Amanda Forestwood

“Oh look!” sighed Melinda. “The beautiful music I could play!”

The violin’s owner approached. “I overheard your comments.” He adjusted his instrument and drew his bow across the strings. Exquisite notes sang out.

“There, see, Mama? I KNEW it would be wonderful!”

The violinist handed the instrument to Melinda. “Try it.”

Melinda adjusted the violin. Expecting to hear beauty, she drew the bow across the strings and heard dull, squeaking, off-pitch sounds instead. Tears welled up.

“The instrument needs an experienced musician to draw out its music. Someday, if you practice faithfully, the violin will sing for you, too.”

Code Cards!

PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young

“Zing, what do you suppose all those cards are for? Unique designs! Are they for fortune-telling?”

“No, I don’t think so,” replied Zang. “Fortune-telling cards are called Tarot Cards. They look different from these.”

“Hmm. They all seem to have different, rather silly-looking characters on them. We should see if we can find anyone actually using them.”

“Where would we look? “

“Wait–maybe they’re special code cards, for secret messages!”

“Let’s just send images home to Zerkon. The code-breakers will figure it out quickly.”

“Well, I hope they don’t think we’re just joking around!”

The Artist

PHOTO PROMPT © Rowena Curtin

Jacey watched from her upstairs window as people walked the narrow street. They went into some of the stores, eating or purchasing souvenirs, and coming back out smiling and laughing.

Jacey love the colors of the buildings. The brilliant sun spoke to each color as it rose into the blue, blue sky. The only thing Jacey couldn’t tolerate was the dingy, colorless pavement. She’d gathered enough tips to get another can of paint, Her brushes were clean and ready. By sunrise tomorrow, there would be more rows of intricate swirls and loops.

And she would clean up the messes, too.

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(I see that my last post was two weeks ago, a rather lengthy absence for me. This winter has taken its toll on my health. First, six or so weeks of mono; and now I have a severe case of bronchitis. I am SO done with winter! It’s actually been quite mild for us, and I think that’s part of the problem. It hasn’t been cold enough long enough to kill the nasty viruses that seem to be taking people down this winter. I think I have a serious case of the doldrums. I need a fresh breeze to push me out of this funk. Hoping there will be some fun stories to bring a laugh this week!)

Laundry Day

PHOTO PROMPT © Miles Rost

Going to the laundromat was a dreaded weekly chore. Aimee lugged her tablet and a thermos of coffee, planning to use the time for her research project.

Loading the two washers, she thought about her project: A study of housework in America from pre-colonial days to the present.

“Things sure have changed,” she mused. She browsed the photos she had gathered depicting washdays of old, from rivers or pools to tubs, paddles, and scrub boards; the first wringer washers to today’s “automagic” machines.

Aimee sipped her coffee. “I guess it could be a lot worse!” she decided.