It’s May, and I went to a garden party. Wait…that sounds like a song…
This classic by Ricky Nelson buzzes like pollinators in my head. It’s a gentle, pondering buzz.
“You can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself…”
As selfish as it sounds, there’s wisdom to to these words. Something positive in the refrain, about how to live. And how to live with vibrancy was a lesson from that garden party.
My neighbor, Horse Wrangler, is good at getting me out of the house. I mean, I do get out of the house. I garden, build bombs, collect rocks, spy on mating birds, go on solo day-cruises, and occasionally have a sour peach ale at the brew-pub.
But Horse Wrangler is social and likes to do people-oriented activities that I often don’t think to do. You might say, she’s a friend out to socialize me. So, she took me to a garden party in Sandpoint.
These are ladies who don’t care to please everybody. Don’t take that amiss. They care about people and causes; they care about flowers and art. I admire that they are a vibrant group of women who have led active and interesting lives without concerning themselves too much with what is expected. Having survived 14 years in the suburbs, it’s refreshing to be around independent and creative thinkers.
Horse wrangler and I are among the few “youngsters” in the group. Some of the ladies are looking at 90 years of not pleasing everybody. They make the average 60-somethings seem like youngsters! Let me tell you a secret to youth — live each day fully and get outside and garden.
We met up at a Sandpoint house I’ve noticed before because of its intricate and decorative shingle-work. Yet what was inside was even more stunning — a full atrium. I don’t know anybody who actually has an atrium in their home. It was so stunning that all I could think of was, “I wonder if she’d invite writers here for day retreats.”
Many of the ladies at the garden party have contractors, architects and yard boys. I have the Hub. He is none of those things, always wriggling out of such duties, although when roped into mowing or tilling he does work shirtless. I’m not sure he’d attract the attention of these experienced garden directors. They have an eye for younger, sleeker male physiques.
We shared lunch, a memorable spread. Our hostess cured her own thin-sliced fresh salmon and served it with limes, capers and fresh garden dill. Dill is something I grow well but hardly use. Another guest brought smoked salmon deviled eggs decorated with tiny edible flowers on a plate of nasturtiums. My daughter shared nasturtium seeds with me and I have them incubating in soil at the moment.
Other dishes included curried spring-pea salad, grape salad in butter-lettuce leaves, smoked Gouda served with homemade mustard seed sauce and prosciutto-wrapped steamed (but served cold) asparagus. Garden party ladies understand the seasons, what is fresh and how to make it special enough for lace-lined white linens and the good silverware. They also like wine.
After lunch in the open atrium and patio, we struck out on a garden tour, walking the neighborhood. While admiring a deep purple clematis that climbed up a wooden fence, I noted an interesting piece of yard art. A large metal fish, about six feet long and three feet high was filled with cobalt used vodka bottles. Clever. One of the vintage garden ladies stood next to me and commented, “I’d need a larger fish to hold all my empty wine bottles.”
Ah, I’m understanding better the path to longevity.
More art ensued on our walk. One woman we met collected metal sculpture from a diminutive beaver at a birch log to a gamboling iron coyote to a herd or curly metal sheep. Lavender (which I’m having the darnedest time to grow) and lupines filled the spaces in between. I fell in love with columbine which the visiting Horticulturist said would be good for my pollinator bombs.
The Horticulturist was even younger than the Horse Wrangler and me. She was accepting of my favorite rock game (altered for trees and plans) and I walked beside her asking, “What’s this?” I learned as much from her as I did from playing that game with my Geologists. Now I’m thinking columbines with orange metasediments would look lovely in my yard, or perhaps lupines among granites.
We concluded our tour with a second garden party — this one for dessert. The yard was a beautiful bouquet of perennials, shrubs and yellow roses with patio chairs set about for guests. Our hostess is delightfully short of 100 by maybe a decade, and spry and witty as any youngster. She pointed out her cottage under construction because her kids think she’s “getting old.” She rolled her eyes, hands on her lean hips and said, “Guess who take care of whom?”
Another lady asked after her contractor — and yes, gazes lingered. When the name rolled out, the guest choked on her fresh lemonade. She said, “I know him! I know every inch of him!” The story that followed involved nudity, desert hiking and leather chaps.
After partying in the gardens with these ladies, I do not fear to grow old! I will remain a gardener until the day I know longer smile at thought of a young male contractor in chaps.
I’m not fully going to take you where my mind has wandered. But I do want to encourage you each to live fully. What is age but a number? We all dream, we all live and the more vibrantly we can do so the more vibrant life will remain. Write with the vibrancy of a garden party in such a way that your writing pleases you. Your stories will never please everyone, so ya gotta please yourself.
Among many of my birthday adventures, I also cruised Lake Pend Oreille on the Shawnodese. We slipped past the beautiful summer home of a German real estate mogul. The property is full of commissioned art by world-renown sculptors and has impressive views of both lake and mountains. I snapped a shot of steps going up to a patio and it has my imagination peeked — what would a garden party be like, there!
May 27 Flash Fiction Challenge
May 27, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story, using the above photo as a prompt. You can make it a garden party or an international spy thriller. Who is there and why? Does the backdrop scenery make an impact or is it ignored? The place is on an island, if you wish to make use of that. Go where the photograph leads you this week.
Respond by June 2, 2015 to be included in the weekly compilation. Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
***
His Calling by Charli Mills
His face, craggy as the distant peaks, softened in wonder. How long has it been since I’ve seen him smile, she thought. Sipping her mojito, she quietly watched him.
The setting sun pinkened the sky to the hue of roses her host grew at this majestic summer home. Cotton candy, he called them. Even the lake water reflected pink. That’s when she saw what held her husband’s attention – baby geese bobbing on waves.
A tinkle of ice, and he turned around, face once again hardened stone. The President walked past his wife to the garden party. Campaign funds called.
###
Ahhh, the image made me immediately think for some reason of a Mary Stewart novel, a mainstay of my early teen years, romance, mystery, gorgeous locales. Love the prompt! Must go back now and read your lead essay at leisure!
It’s an image that one can settle into for a long gaze! 🙂
Yes I can see Mary Queen of Scots here also. Must have read the same books when we were younger.
“I know every inch of him!” Yoweeeee…I’ll never be able to look at a pair of leather chaps the same way again after reading that *she says holding small, battery operated fan to face as a gift from her mother for hot flashes*
Ha! Oh Charli, your garden party is the stuff of fabulous stories and I love your prompt this week. I’m looking at your photo and oh, the delicious thoughts that come to mind…what wonderful characters and such a stunning setting!
Speaking of delicious, devilled eggs especially remind of so many pot-lucks and July 4th’s when living in California. I still have my years old and handy-dandy devilled-egg holder (Tupperware, of course) which I use whenever I have the family over for a bbq. They are a hit and disappear in seconds. My little bit of America kept alive here in Somerset 😉
Love this: “Live each day fully and get outside and garden.” I think of my lovely Mum, 80 next February, who has the most beautiful garden and works in it every second she can. Gardening is the key to a healthy, long life, I’m sure of it!
Your flash is beautifully written, you have such a wonderful gift of taking us straight there into the setting and the flow of the story. I wondered if her husband would turn around and smile, at last relaxing as he takes in the sweet sight of those baby geese. Alas, it was not to be. Didn’t expect the President. Love it.
See you soon 😀
Ha, ha! I know! I was snort-laughing and thinking I could just hang out all day and collect saucy stories! 😉 I love deviled eggs and we save them for special occasions. I didn’t think about them being American. A better contribution to the world than McDonalds. Thank you, Sherri. I wondered at the powerful people who pass through that place and how they might think of the pause for a view. But I suppose one doesn’t become powerful gazing after baby geese. 😀
Haha…I bet!!! Oh but baby geese are so cute! Funny isn’t it the things we associate with our ‘old’ lives, even down to the food. Devilled eggs over McDonalds any day 🙂
Am I allowed to say that I prefer a big mac to a devilled egg any day? Sorry. Does that mean I’ve lost a stirrup or something or I have to have my bit tightened?
I’ll let you have your Big Mac, Geoff. Really? Better than deviled eggs?
And with a deep message, in less than 100 words. It could have been the president, a CEO, or any overworking self absorbed fool. Well done.
A self absorbed fool, yes. Thanks for reading!
Ahh, now I’ve had a chance to slow the pace, it’s not exactly Mary Stewart after all. (That would require a much younger female protagonist.) Loved this piece. Almost every paragraph has something to which I could happily write at least one full paragraph. Really beautiful reflection on that (some might think) invisible segment of our population (to which I am barreling at breakneck speed) the old(er) woman. And on gardens (wonderful descriptions). And the food! (Just gave my little crop of dill to my neighbor, the “chef” as I was just to lazy to cook up a piece of salmon or find some other way to use it.) I agree that gardening is one key to a healthy and happy life. I envy the gardens you describe here, but even watering cactus and and aloe vera, oleander and bougainvillea, brings true connection to a deeper reality around us, a connection that is a salve on the wound inflicted by our hectic, scattered, fragmented world. No wonder the President can’t smile at those goslings.
It could be Mary Stewart the later years. I mean, what ever becomes of all those passionate young women anyhow? They must grow old passionately! And I understand being in that…um…transitional age bracket. There’s a great cowboy song about that age with the line, “I’m too old for horses, too old for the show, too young for heaven now where shall I go?” As for dill, try brushing ahi tuna steakls with mayo (or olive oil) and sprinkle with dill and grill on the BBQ. Dill pickles? Other than that I don’t know much about dill but it grows and I collect the seeds! Yes, gardening, even watering and pruning and pinching deadheads is connecting.
The male version, courtesy of Fred Wedlock from back in 1981 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kALGhbTxdg
The Oldest Swinger in town! May he still look good in chaps! 😀
OMG, Tangental! “…your lips closed tight, because your dentures glow in ultraviolet light…”
[…] photo by Charli Mills […]
Fabulous flash! Welcome to Carrot Ranch!
What a wonderful story and reflection about your adventures and outing! Having been a professional gardener for 20 years – what a way to make a living – playing in the dirt, with plants and getting paid! Whoo! – makes me smile all the more.
So many perks – of all kinds 😉 – but the beauty lies in connecting – to be out there – however small or big the plot – to simply get one’s hands dirty from time to time – to observe and wonder at how much can change and evolve – even without our intervention. Awesome!
Great 99 word story! Fool of a man!
Here’s my contribution for this challenge:
http://rebelleangel.com/2015/05/28/carrotranch-anchor/
Isn’t it incredible to dig in the dirt? What a wonderful, connecting profession! I garden barefoot and start with dirt. It’s like watching a miracle unfold over time. My vegetable garden is shaping up with pea tee-pees here, squash mounds there. I bet you’ve collected many stories from on the job! Thanks! Now I’m off to read your flash!
Gardening is soul food 😉
I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself and your garden so much – sounds wonderful. 🙂
LOL – job-related stories? Oh, yup, plenty of interesting and strange ones too 😉
You’ll need to share! 😀
Held hostage, and in such natural beauty all around and with such natural impulses to dive in! How strong are those inner chains that shackle us to unseen barriers. Thought-provoking post.
[…] This week’s Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge is to write a 99-word story inspired by the following photo: […]
Hello, my entry for this week is called “What She Was Giving.”
http://sarrahjwoods.com/2015/05/28/what-she-was-giving-a-flash-fiction-story/
Wonderful, Sarah! Each of them may have that same AHA! moment as Erin’s.
Thanks! Yes, nature has a way of giving us moments like that. At least it does for me, anyway!
Neat; I think Erin will be a grand camp advisor
“Colossal glory” indeed! Love that line and the reflection here. Erin may not realize it, but she will be a part of those campers’ rich recollections of the beauty around her in years to come.
Thanks! Yes, when I look back on being a camper myself when I was young, I’m so grateful for the whole experience, especially being out in nature. It was really powerful for me.
Anchors aweigh!
http://edandednastories.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-drop-off.html
Much love in that post! Ed’s for Edna, to venture among the haut monde, and Edna’s for the sensible reality of her world.
Edna is a classy lady who doesn’t require material items to portray her style. She has a big heart for Ed and can walk (er, boat) among the sleeker models without a hitch.
As ever we are fed the love from the most enduring flash couple in print.
Ahh wonderful. Edna is a person I would value in my life; Ed too. They know who they are and are all the richer for it. Like that you took a lake approach to this prompt.
I used your post, Charli, to inform the introduction to my flash: First Things First ( http://goo.gl/Sjf3No ) — so in a sense, you gave me a double prompt this week!
Double prompts can be good! There’s something of a new legacy that is summed up in the image of a kayak pulling up to that place. Much for the character to overcome, but hopeful that he can learn from his uncle’s errors. We can’t be “a rock, an island” and feel no pain.
Loved the way you combined your own reflections and the flash that emerged from the prompt. Beautiful insight on the true value of a place like the one pictured.
[…] This week Charli has asked: […]
what a wonderful garden party and a good lesson learnt from it. Age is no barrier to having a full, happy life. As for gardening I have left it behind and don’t miss it (other than the exercise) at all. I can enjoy others gardens without the hard work. The secret I think is to find what you enjoy doing and keep your mind and body active. Roger’s father at 99 would have said porridge.
I loved your flash. You took me totally by surprise when her husband turned out to be the President. How much people in the limelight must hide their real self. A pity for us, their family and for themselves.
The photo shows a lovely location. I don’t know that I did it justice.
http://irenewaters19.com/2015/05/30/99-word-flash-fiction-fear-on-the-island/
Those ladies made me feel fearless about embracing any age! Yes, I think activity is key, both mental and physical. My husband is like you — he’s gardened and farmed enough for one lifetime. I like to sit in the dirt and get my toes and fingers into it. 🙂 Porridge! I once knew a man that age and he swore by carrots! And as for celebrity, I often wonder if those with its ambition are ever able to seek normal activities once achieved. r, as in your flash, if we miss the surrounding beauty in search of greater “reality drama.”
It is odd that those that are long lived always have an explanation for the feat but when it all boils down it is probably nothing but the genes you were dealt.
That is the sad part of being a celebrity fitting into normal life afterwards is a difficult thing to do and many don’t manage it.
Staying grounded in whatever way you do it and embracing life to the full certainly will make the challenges of aging fun and nothing to fear.
Yes, yes and yes! 🙂
Your posts are always beautiful, Charli, but I was especially enchanted by this one. Gardening, those wonderful older women, the music, the lakeside scenery … not to mention the “chaps”. And your flash is excellent: such an exquisite description of a special moment starkly interrupted by the husband’s ambition. Yes indeed, we do have to please ourselves, as long as we don’t actively harm others in doing so.
The goslings at the local reservoir I walked around this morning are getting bigger, but still at that baby fluffy stage. Now I’ve come in from the garden (yikes – you reminded me I haven’t sown any dill this year – I like it with cottage cheese) to finish off my post. You’ll find it here
http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal/-ostriches-elephants-and-amazon-reviews
along with confessions of my reluctant conversion to Amazon reviews (there is a connection, honestly).
Glad to be in the company of others enchanted by gardening. 🙂 I like that qualification, “long as we don’t actively harm others in doing so.” I’ve been resting in the evening at the pond’s edge after big digs in the garden looking for goslings. I got to see a baby merganser getting a ride on mother’s back. This time of year I’m so enchanted by outdoors, I keep thinking of ways to office under the apple tree.
Enjoyed your thoughtful post about Amazon, as well as your flash. It was somewhat the feeling I had going alone — it can still be enjoyable, even romantic when one’s friend or partner is missing. Perhaps memories or simply carrying on fills in the missing gap.
I will come back with my flash but I do love this prompt. I’m a gardener of little skill and massive enthusiasm and have my ever patient mother to thank for that. I learnt life enhancing lessons from her in that garden of hers – the mental cleansing impact of repetitive hard work; the patience needed for a planting scheme; the joys of theft; the delight in scything a dying herbaceous border and seeing it return reinvigorated the next year. Sadly at no stage have my gardening experiences had any sexual component, no ‘chaps’ for chaps as it were, but, hey there’s still time.
But some good gardening stories in Sherry Trifle! 🙂
English gardens are among the most stunning in the world. Perhaps a bit because of climate, but I think you gain so much knowledge passed down through the generations. Even at the garden party I went to, little tips here and there make a difference. Gardening in chaps might be a new adventure! 😀
Once again, on this much discussed trip over, there are several i must take you to, but if only one it is Hidcote. Breathtakingly stunning.
Loved listening to Rick Nelson, and agree that the chorus is not a bad philosophy to follow. Sometimes when I’m singing this tune to myself I sing, “Went to the fortune teller to get my fortune read”; not quite sure why but it fits the tune! And I’ve never been to a fortune teller!
The garden parties you describe sound amazing – the stuff of movies or dreams. Your flash fiction garden party sounds that way a bit too. Sad the president hasn’t smiled for a while. Doesn’t bode well. But I do like your photo. Unfortunately it didn’t open when I tried to view it on Thursday on my iPad (have no idea why) and for the past couple of days my thoughts of a garden party have taken me elsewhere. I hadn’t considered an island and steps. May have to do a bit more thinking, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on life and aging. Ninety still sounds like a long way off, but I’m sure for these ladies, it has gone in a flash! 🙂
Ha, ha! That’s funny, Norah. It does fit the tune! I’ve noticed that our presidents age quickly in office and I suspect they never get to really relax. Maybe they need to go to a fortune teller! 🙂 I want to have the garden ladies’ vitality at 90 and not the hardness of the President.
I must admit I have noticed the Presidents aging too; have noticed it with Obama. I guess when they are in office for eight years, they should age a bit! But I wouldn’t want the job. I think we all want that vitality at 90. I wouldn’t mind a bit of it now! 🙂
The Surprise by Ruth Irwin
She would never forget this perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky, the blue reflected in her eyes as she scanned the crowd of guests enjoying refreshments in her perfectly manicured garden, her pride and joy. Her heart pounded, the anticipation was overwhelming. He had promised he would be here; where was he? It had been so long, too long. Her heart ached and she began to fear he had broken his promise. And then he appeared with a surprise bundle in his arms. “Mum, I’d like you to meet your granddaughter!” She responded “Best birthday present ever!”
Loved it!
So many emotions amidst the beauty of nature 🙂
That was a beautiful flash. You had me going all over the place imagining disasters spoiling her garden party, a lover hiding in the hedge but never a long lost son with unkown grand- daughter. Certainly a great birthday party for her and a lovely emotive flash for the reader.
A delightful surprise in her perfectly manicured life. Whatever had caused the long lapse in time, a new bundle seems to be healing the rift.
[…] What do you see when you look at this picture? That’s what we are asked by Charli Mills and her latest prompt? […]
http://geofflepard.com/2015/05/31/the-life-aquatic/ I must say the picture does look fab, whatever i might say about the water in my post and your own flash Charli is extra good..
Thanks. It is a million (or billion) dollar view. I think you have welcomed more water encounters than someone who prefers it to land!
Embrace your fears!
Charli, your words once again prove that age is a state of mind! Love your story about the garden party.
Not Invited
By Ann Edall-Robson
“Nothing says we can’t go there.”
“It’s not a good idea. We weren’t invited.”
The argument had been going on for days.
The private club that owned the island was hosting a garden party for members and invited guests. It was a given that kids from the local college would not be welcome.
Up the ladder, across the small wooden decks to the patio and manicured grass beyond.
Partially filled champaign flutes. Dainty china plates with bits of half eaten food on them. Chairs askew around linen covered tables.
The eerie, lifeless scene that met them said it all.
http://www.annedallrobson.com/99-words/not-invited
beautiful description!
Made me feel I was right there sitting on one of those tables and enjoying a glass of champagne 🙂
It really is! Those ladies were a joy to be with. I like how you made your flash into a mystery. The tension you create with the uninvited college students is slammed with the twist at what they encounter. Eerie!
[…] flash fiction time as I ponder another challenge from Carrot Ranch. Charli’s May 27, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story, using the above photo. You can make it a […]
Loved your photo prompt Charli. Here is my piece.
http://www.jeannelombardo.com/?p=245
Wow! what a twist you managed to find in this picture prompt, Jeanne.
Absolutely loved the heart break of this young girl. The title was bang on!!
Thanks, Jeanne! What a fascinating story leading up to your flash!
The Summer I’ll Never Forget At Lake Pend Oreille
By Dave Madden
The perfect bedrock for thinking; twenty years later, I still think,
“The step’s sturdier.”
The ladder was an afterthought, too.
This part of Lake Pend Oreille was special, learning more than any classrooms’ offererings, and always will be. Night spent sharing and laughing: Secrets. Memories. Life’s milestones.
This night’s visit was up, and I was energized and off. Soon realizing, the lumbering step-step-step was absent.
Retracing my steps…
It was too late, at least those are the adolescent injections administered by the adults in my life.
Now, I’m hugged by the water that took my best friend.
Welcome to Carrot Ranch, Dave! Good to see you here! Such a beautiful flash with a sad twist. I like the expression, “hugged by the water.”
What a sad tale. Those stolen forbidden moments of youth will never be forgotten by the one left behind. To have been one minute cavorting together and then to realise that they have drowned. That was a really powerful flash and has really packed a punch.
Today’s prompt was a little challenging since it had been a while I did a picture prompt 🙂
My take: http://abracabadra.blogspot.com/2015/05/hangover-with-nature.html
Thank you for taking on the challenge! 🙂
Here’s my flash, Charli! More perusing and commenting later!
Party of One
By Paula Moyer
Memorial Day, 1956.
Four-year-old Jean stood in her great-grandmother’s flowerbed in Shawnee, Oklahoma. A pink sea of bachelor’s buttons surrounded her. The stems were so tall, the blooms came up to her chest.
When the Oklahoma wind blew through the slender, supple stems, they bent and rippled, like the waves in the Bible stories about Jesus calming the storm.
From the kitchen window, Jean could smell the dinner: sweet, hot aromas of baked beans, ham, and rolls. Almost ready.
A plate, table and chair out here, in the garden, would be perfect. She wished for a party of one.
Lovely evocation of that magical space a child finds when alone, and of the sweet homey smells and security that lies the other side of that window. Beautiful post Paula.
Thanks, Jeanne. It wasn’t exactly the letter of the prompt, but the spirit of the garden party, anyway!
Such an enchanting scene and one where we can smell what’s cooking in the kitchen! Beautiful description of wind-rippled flowers, too.
Great flash Paula. I’m hungry!
I thought that was delightful. I could see little Jean and the garden in which she stood. I could also smell the dinner. It gave the feeling that inside was warm, safe and homely. Combining the garden with home
= heaven, which really made the reference to the bible story fit so well.
[…] week at the Carrot Ranch Charli Mills talked about attending a garden party. The hosts and guests at this party had obviously enjoyed some of the finer things that life […]
I got stuck at the garden party, Charli, couldn’t meet you at the island. I hope you don’t mind. http://wp.me/p3O5Jj-su
That’s quite all right (or is it, alright)! A garden party it is!
Thanks Charli. You’re all right! (Now that doesn’t look right!)
Better than being all wrong! 😉
[…] to the 99 word flash fiction challenge over at the Carrot Ranch. Charli’s prompt provided an image and the idea of a garden party, and I used both for […]
A tender story that tugs at the heart!
Here you go Charli. As usual your setup for each prompt really makes this an enjoyable, yet challenging exercise. http://wp.me/p5u9VI-eL
Thank you! I’m enjoying your responses! I think flash fiction is like a jam session for writers.
[…] submission to Charli Mills’ weekly Flash Fiction Challenge. Her prompt was the phrase “Garden Party” and a photo of an dock leading to a […]
[…] This flash fiction is in response to Charli Mill’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. […]
Mountain Man
Around the bend Dad cut the motor and we slid to a drift. Thunder boomed, even as an eagle soared through an electric blue sky. A crack tore through forest, then a heavy crash that sent ripples through the water and dust over the trees.
“Mom said to stay away.”
Dad held a finger to his lips. The mountains stood little chance against the machines, just like Mom had lost the battle against the developers. But Dad didn’t trust the courts. And seeing the large torque wrench at his feet, I knew those machines stood little chance against him.
Your opening line drew me in immediately to the action and the scene. What I love most about this piece is that it echos one of my favorite writers, Edward Abbey. When the courts fail, time for a new tool. 🙂
Great flash Pete. You hooked me from the start but I thought you were out fishing initially until the large boom. Dad doing something against Mum’s wishes (lovely normality) but taking the law into his own hands. Good luck in stopping the developers.
I’m glad I read your essay AFTER I wrote my flash. There is no way your garden party story wouldn’t have somehow crept into my story. You describe it so well, and well that comment about knowing every inch of him. Oh my. It’s the stuff of soap operas.
I love your message about age, as it’s one I truly believe in. I have always known I will be a fabulous older lady one and I intend on living for a long while, unapologetically.
People love dill here in Poland. My mother-in-law taught me that you can freeze it, so we do that and then use it year-round. I like it sprinkled over potatoes.
Anyway, here is my flash: http://wp.me/p1VeFf-q0
I like the idea of freezing it! I haven’t tried it on potatoes, or as Anne suggested, on cottage cheese. That’s right, no apologies — live long and well! Your flash is a great example of how to always live young.
Freezing works for many herbs – keeps the fragrance better than drying. I’ve also frozen mint to have for teas. Try dill on potatoes and let me know how you like it. There’s nothing better than new potatoes and dill. I sometimes add a bit of coconut oil, but I know not everyone is a fan.
Oh, I’m a fan of coconut oil! Just planted my potatoes so I will await this delight!
Participating for the first time!! Hope I followed the rules accordingly! 🙂
Here it is: http://thewordyrose.com/2015/06/02/serenity-of-silence-flash-fiction-challenge/
Welcome to Carrot Ranch! It’s an easy ride here — the 99 word constraint can become both fun and useful; let the prompt lead you where it takes you; let me know where you are so we can follow! Thanks for jumping in!
Did I do everything correctly with regards to posting the link and such? I really enjoyed this week’s prompt and look forward to writing more! 🙂
Yes! It was easy for me to find! Thank you. Did you see the compilation? Your flash is listed there and on the Carrot Ranch FB page. Hope you find another prompt you like!
[…] back at the Ranch, it’s time for another Flash Fiction and this week Charli gives us her beautiful photo along with her prompt, […]
Swimming in tonight Charli, that Lake is wider than I thought! Thanks for another great prompt, once again, had a lot of fun with this. But of course, nothing is ever straight forward, ha! http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2015/06/02/still-waters-99-word-flash-fiction/
Will be back to read the others… 🙂
It is! Brisk, too! Thanks for swimming your horse this way! 🙂
🙂