Late Seven on Sunday

Here's my Seven for the week:

1. I've noticed something kind of weird: every time Sean goes to Lynchburg, the Baking Fairy shows up the night he gets home. When I got up this morning, I found this in our kitchen. Yum.

2. The Boy and The Girl M got to go flying together last weekend. Aren't they cute?

3. The Collect from the Book of Common Prayer for the first Sunday of Advent:

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

4. I think I'll put the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue on hiatus for a bit. It was fun, but time for a break. Check back later... :-D

5. Like these:

Amy Blackwell

6. "...in seeking to be filled and empowered by the Spirit we must pursue him indirectly - we must look to the wonder of Christ. If we look away from Jesus and seek the Spirit and his power directly, we will end up in the mire of our own subjective emotions. The Spirit does not reveal himself. The Spirit reveals Christ. The fullness of the Spirit is the fullness that he gives as we gaze on Christ. The power of the Spirit is the power we feel in the presence of Christ. The joy of the Spirit is the joy we feel from the promises of Christ...Devote yourselves to seeing and feeling the grandeur of the love of God in Jesus Christ and you will be so in harmony with the Holy Spirit that his power will flow mightily in your life." ~John Piper

7. Can't leave out my girlies:

CONTINUE READING...

Week #17 Words

Here's our words for this week. I'm appalled that I've missed the LAST TWO WEEKS of participating! Ack! I'll do better this week, I promise.

Mary is out of school, so in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm picking five words from Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation.

fruitful
habitually
harmony
singular
heal

Remember you can use any form of the words above you'd like! Here are the rules for those new to the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge from the original post back in August.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

We missed hearing from our California poet last week, but here's this week's entry! To read more from Ginger, check out her blog.

Missed it last week...I have been neglecting my daily and weekly writing prompts...and Lord knows I need those in order to maintain some of my sanity.

Brokenness, morally, careening, anarchy, and brazenness

The brazenness I felt that morning could have been the cause of my abruptness. Short and harsh. Blunt and piercing, I winced as the words danced off my lips. There was no turning back. I felt myself careening out of control as I succumbed to my attitude fearing that the damage was already done. So why not just go ahead and finish speaking my mind? And when I had said my peace--when I had exhausted the battery of words that I flung forth I noticed the brokenness that was left in my midst. Spouting off in some uncontrolled anarchy I wondered at what I had done. I wondered if the wounds left by my tongue...this vipers tongue... would ever heal. Morally wounded myself, I pained at the damage, kicking about the remnants at my feet. I stooped and slowly gathered up the pieces. And with tears like glue and words of healing and repentance I offered back all that had been the result of my malady.

Ginger said, "Forgiveness, though most oftentimes something that is given, sometimes needs to be a gift to self." True.

CONTINUE READING...

Week #16 Words

Here's our five words for the week! (Mary's learning the Ness-ly and the -ly rules, by the way. Remember you can use any form of the word you want.)

Brokenness
Morally
Careening
Anarchy
Brazenness

The rules are HERE. Happy writing, bloggy friends!

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's my friend dt's entry for this week! :-) Catch up with him over at Cayenne Lemonade.

Breaking up is hard to do…
(Climate, Visually, Cavalier, Suddenness, Jurisdiction)

I was told I could come by and get my “stuff” which amounted to a weight bench and some weights and I don’t remember what else.

I tried to get a friend to go with me, but either he was busy or wise enough to know the climate over there was dangerous, or potentially so. He was almost right.

I pulled the chevy (I think it was Cavalier) that I had borrowed into the driveway and walked down the grass to the house.

I gathered my things from the porch and took them to the car. I looked back, hoping she’d come outside. Her father stood in the doorway, guarding the exit and visually taunting me, it seemed.
And then, I did the wrong thing. I walked back down the yard. I knew I was out of my jurisdiction, but I went anyway.

He sneered at me and slammed the door.

I lost it. I yelled, I screamed. I stood on their front porch and said they had no right to break us up.

The house was still. I opened my mouth, but with a suddenness that silenced me, he came out the door and lunged toward me. Her little brother, right on Dad’s heels, took a swing.

In a heartbeat I remembered that he once shot someone who just wanted to drink beer on his land…I remember that he got away with it…and as I remembered it, I ran.

I don’t remember much after that.


she called dt today. just wanted to chat. after 25 years.

CONTINUE READING...

Week #15 Words

Ack! A whole day late - Sorry! But here they are: Week #15's words for the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge. Remember you can use any form of the word you want.

Climate
Visually
Cavalier
Suddenness
Jurisdiction

Check here for the rules for the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's another poetic form from Ginger using our Five Words:

Southern Grits
(Craving, Nonchalant, Daub, Admit, Indignant)


Indignant, you attempt to walk past
A nonchalant banter across the room
The craving in your heart to make me last
Indignant, you attempt to walk past
You'd admit your loathing by moving fast
Daub of red cheeks signals impending doom
Indignant, you attempt to walk past
A nonchalant banter across the room


Ginger used a Triolet poetic form and said, "Whew! Okay, that form isn't hard, but doing it with the five words is. That was fun... "

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's our Tennessean blogger over at Cayenne Lemonade with an entry for this week's five:

Looking for a sponsor
(Craving, Nonchalant, Daub, Admit, Indignant)

About two months ago I did something stupid…to be specific (as I readily admit I’ve done stupid things since then, but I am speaking of one particular thing)…agreed to quit eating beef jerky.

(I would have agreed to quit “cold turkey” but I don’t really know what that means…why is it “cold turkey” people talk about quitting and it being so hard? Were there no Twinkies when this phrase was coined?)

Anyway (the screaming in my head makes it hard to focus hence all the parenthesis) the craving for a Slim Jim has now reached critical mass.

This became apparent when earlier today, when I saw a lesser man (or at least a smarter man who didn’t agree to stop eating them) tear open the plastic at the top and bite off a huge chunk. I nonchalantly wandered over and asked him if that was the spicy Tabasco or the regular.

He must have noticed the daub of drool on my lips because he indignantly told me, “GET YOUR OWN.”


dt recommends a Pepsi to wash it down

CONTINUE READING...

Week #14 Words

Oh! Forgot to post this last night! I know you've been waiting all night with baited breath...

Craving
Nonchalant
Daub
Admit
Indignant

Here are the rules for the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge:

1. You must use each of the five words, but you can use different forms than the ones listed. (For example, if the word is looked you can use look, looking, or looks.)

2. Titled entries can be emailed to upsidedownbee [at] hotmail [dot] com. Include the name you would like to have as your signature (real name, pen name, anonymous, etc.), website address if you have one, and a short one sentence bio.

3. Entries should be monologue form (a story or poem written by a single character giving view of his or her innermost thoughts) and have a maximum length of 600 words.

4. Once the next week's five words are posted, no more entries will be accepted for the previous week's. :-)

5. I reserve the right to not post entries that wouldn't be appropriate for the intent of my blog. (Kinda doubt that would happen.... but just in case!)


Later, bloggy friends -

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's my Five for this week with a continuation of Lydia's story from a couple of weeks ago:

(Historian, Writhe, Preyed, Employable, Conveyor)

I turn and rest my forehead on the coolness of the window and reach to feel the slim silver disc of my Health Historian hanging around my neck. It’s been there all my life, the one singular constant, feeding the docs my daily data, reminding me of appointments, and signaling me when I am mistreating my body – not taking in enough water, pulse racing because of stress, eating unhealthy food. The small dot at its center stays red as long as I am employable, as long as I am healthy enough to go to work, but turns black if I become sick. I remember very few days when I couldn’t go to the Artisan’s Guild.

I look down now and see that not only is the center dot black, but the whole silver disc has changed color. Something deep down inside me writhes and I feel suddenly preyed upon, fighting the urge to fling the door open and jump from the car. I take several deep breathes and try to focus on the scenery outside.

I’ve only been outside of the Automated Atmosphere twice before and each time the trees have looked different. Today their leaves are yellow and orange and red. It must be the season that was once called Fall. We’ve learned about seasons, years, months, and days in our educational study times, and about the unpredictability of weather on the outside. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. I can’t imagine living with such uncertainity, but I have to admit today the trees are incredibly beautiful, more beautiful than any tree I've ever seen on the Inside. I would like to paint them if it were allowed, but it’s not. I shift in my seat and feel the brushes and paint I brought along with me through the soft fabric of my bag. In the city we have only sunny, perfectly heated days, with no humidity and scheduled gentle rains for the plants and trees.

As I look out the window again I have the strange sensation that the car is not really moving, that instead it’s the trees that are moving quickly by on some huge conveyor. It’s a trick, a mirage of movement that the Immigration Office wants me to believe. I shake my head and the feeling goes away.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

And a clever poem and new form from Ginger:

An Acrostic:
(Writhe, Historian, Preyed, Employable, Conveyor)


He began to writhe at the news
Inside his gut he could feel the acid boiling
Stirring and twisting with each word
The conveyor of bad news --
Oran Williams, Manager of Human Resources.
Realizing what it must be like to be preyed upon by wolves
It had been salt in an open wound
"Absolutely employable," yet unemployed
No longer a need for his recordkeeping services.


Ginger is a mom of two sets of twins (wow!), wife, writer, and daughter of the Most High King!

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's our weekly entertainment from dt:

Sponsors love the idea, I just hope it’s the same with their checkbooks...
(Writhe, Historian, Conveyor, Employable, Preyed)

I’m keeping a secret right now from a lot of people, but I can tell you.

I’m thinking of starting a newspaper.

The other paper here in town is a poor conveyor of news to the public and while the nation looks at the internet for news, that same internet isn’t covering Lion’s Club baseball or next weekend’s Harvest Festival, so I think we’ll have plenty of employable items of interest here.

And any historian will tell you small town newspapers have always done well.

The group backing me here have felt preyed upon by the current paper (for many reasons) for years and wish for them to writhe in misery while they go bankrupt. I don’t share their evil intent, I just want to corner another media market in this town.

dt is looking for used coin-operated newspaper boxes...and a guy to drive around and fill them


Ha! -

CONTINUE READING...

Week #13 Word List

Another interesting Five from Mrs. Martin's Fifth Grade spelling word list:

Writhe
Historian
Conveyor
Employable
Preyed

You can see the rules to play the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge here. Play, play, play!

Mary helps choose our Five out of her twenty or so words. Sometimes I veto her selections, though. If not for me, you would have punctilious this week! :-)

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

And another Five Word from Ginger just in the nick of time! Beautiful!

Tangible, Mysterious, Bodily, Atmosphere, Apologies

"Bodily fluids restored,"
I heard the echo of voices
moments after they exited the room.

The physician. Was he
the tangible solution of my recovery
from a mysterious disease
or other malady?

A victim of this world
ingesting the pestilent atmosphere.

Dr. So-N-So had just delivered
heartfelt apologies
for his inability to locate and destroy
that which had taken over my body.

Brought me the grim news of
the impending...
that I refused to accept.

I heard another voice:
"Trust in the Lord."
And I knew in total abdication
this was no mystery to He—

He who is the Master Physician—
The Healer of body and soul
He who delivered me.


Read more from Ginger at her blog, The Gingerbread House.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's my Five for the week:

Evidence
(Tangible, Mysterious, Bodily, Atmosphere, Apologies)

Lord,

Often have I asked
for tangible evidence
of Your existence -
a mysterious figure,
some bodily form
surrounded by a
great light filling
the whole atmosphere.

I believe, I have said.
But help my unbelief.

You never showed.

Or so I thought.

But now I see
You everywhere:
A marriage preserved.
A little girl saved.
My soul redeemed.
My life changed.

That is all the
evidence I need.
Everything is
holy.

My apologies.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's dt with an entry for this week! Ha!

Well, I don’t get mad when you do it…
(Tangible, Apologies, Atmosphere, Mysterious, Bodily)

My apologies need some work.

In most situations, I’m perfectly willing to admit my mistakes, whether tangible or not.

I guess my philosophy is that if you are mad, I’ll say I’m sorry. Even when the reason is mysterious to me.

The problem is when my performance is less than convincing. Such as when I say it too soon. Or too late. I need some kind of guide for creating an atmosphere of believability when I humble myself and admit that yes, I left the toilet seat up, I’m sorry for it and it won’t ever happen again.

I mean, how can leaving it UP cause bodily harm?


dt thinks you should look before you sit down…

CONTINUE READING...

Week #12 Word List

Mary is back in school so we're back to using her spelling list to choose our Five Words for the week. Drum roll please............

Tangible
Apologies
Atmosphere
Mysterious
Bodily

You can see the rules to play the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge here. Play, play, play!

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Here's the beginnings of a short story I have flitting around in my head:

(Burlap, tourniquet, Cyan, Wistful, Immigrate)

Today the process of my deportation begins. It was inevitable, but still it seems shocking. The notification from the World Immigration Office came early this morning on my personal communication device. I was sipping coffee and listening to the news before leaving for the Artisan’s Guild when the buzz notified me I had a message. Lydia Thomas, your Time of Days has ended and your Life Work Visa has expired. This communication serves as official notice of your pending Deportation in three months. Please begin to prepare immediately for your exit.

Even though I knew the answer I couldn't help but run across the room to check the door. Pushing down the panic rising from the pit of my stomach into my throat, I twisted the handle. It was locked. As I sank to the floor I allowed myself one small moan, a singular protest, a minuscule whimper of sorrow. But that was all, and I am proud of my control. I had heard rumors of neighbors flailing and screaming as clerks dragged them from their apartments to waiting Immigration cars. I am determined to keep my self-respect.

I knew I should have about an hour before anyone arrived so I began to pack. Wistfully, I grabbed a drawing pad, a few brushes, and a small assortment of paints – yellow ochre, cadmium red, light cyan – from my workbench. I don’t think I will be allowed to keep these, but still I want to try. I picked up a picture of Peter in an antique frame bought during an excursion to the lowland markets right after we had met. Pausing to touch his young face through the glass, I considered taking it along with me. If only he were here, I thought. But I had twisted a tourniquet tightly around my heart all those many years ago, and I wasn’t about to loosen it now. I put the frame gently back in its place.

There was no need to pack clothes. I knew I would be given a standard issue uniform to wear during my processing period: a gray tunic made out of rough burlap-like material and ugly black bulky sandals. And of course I would be provided food. There wasn’t much to pack, really.

A very young clerk arrived at my pod shortly after the morning bells rang. I wondered if the Immigration Office purposefully waited until most people had left for work just in case I fell into hysterics. I was sitting in a chair in the foyer as he unlocked the door and entered. The poor boy seemed relieved when I stood and placidly followed him to the car.

Now I sit with him as we travel into the countryside to the Age House. He has brown bovine eyes and glances sadly at me, but doesn't speak. I can’t help but feeling vaguely ashamed.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

And a Five Word from Ginger in sunny California!

Okay...here goes. And the style is Tritina.

(Burlap, tourniquet, Cyan, Wistful, Immigrate)

She finally decided that his eyes
were cyan; deep, rich and so inviting.
Transfixed, she recognized this was trouble.

Wistful glance, a wave; he was inviting
her to sit at his table. No trouble
gathering her things, averting her eyes.

Oddly, his shoes looked like burlap. "Trouble,"
she thought. A tourniquet on her neck, eyes
bulging, found the door much more inviting.

Immigrate from eyes inviting trouble.


Ginger was definitely challenged this week with these five and trying to fit it into a Tritina.

CONTINUE READING...

5th Grade Five Word Monologue

Ah - a witty Five-Word from dt in the grand state of Tennessee:

Is your trip to our country for business or pleasure?
(Burlap, tourniquet, Cyan, Wistful, Immigrate)

At the immigration counter, I wistfully looked down at the cyan-colored burlap tourniquet I had fastened to my arm to stop the blood flow.

This will be tough to explain, I thought.



dt hates missing deadlines.

CONTINUE READING...