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June 18: Flash Fiction Challenge

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My peonies and poppies are in perfect balance this year in the potager garden — softball-sized blooms of fuchsia framed by papery petals of burgundy and coral. I’m not as balanced but blooming nonetheless. My timing is off, driven by unscheduled chaos and income opportunities. Mostly, it’s all unfolding but less elegant than my flowers.

Mause is banned from the summer office, having romped through my hummingbird boxes. To her credit, she didn’t step on any flowers but I can’t allow her to chase bumbles and birds in a space I created for such winged critters. Anyhow, she prefers to stretch out across lawn, dandelions, and fleabane (and, yes, this native perennial lives up to its name).

She’s smart about her leash and outdoor cable. She knows the limit of each lead’s length. It’s the exact premise by which we, as writers, accept a constraint (99 words) and create within that framework. Mause can chase a witch’s hat I fly like a kite at the end of a gardening bamboo stick and never hit the end of her leash. It amazes me how she can stay laser focused and yet within her parameters.

Yes, I’m taking notes, Mause.

Sometimes, we have to reconfigure our framework. Maybe we get used to writing 99-words but we want to submit a 1,000-word story, write a novel, or practice haiku. Our first step is to develop a sense for how much space we have to shrink or expand a story. At its most basic, a story begins, meanders, and ends. Someone does something and there is a final consequence. A story take place somewhere — in Italy, on Venus, or in the mind of an ant. If we bemoan our parameters, our limitations, we miss the fantastical creativity that can happen within.

It comes down to balance. Being off-balance doesn’t mean we need immediate remedy. When situations, stories, or surprises leave us feeling lopsided we can explore the experience. So, you might say, I’m learning yoga post-MFA as a veteran spouse in a downward spiral. If ever there was a time I needed my pack, my Warrior Sisters, it is now. No one else has the insight on veteran spouse yoga.

However, the Pandemic has treated us harshly. We lost one of our strongest warriors to cancer. Another lost her husband. Three of us have had struggles with our spouses and no VA support because the system assumes our soldiers are right in the head when clearly they are not. “What the veteran wants,” is a refrain we hear when they refuse meds, treatments, or diagnoses. Three others are hanging on by their fingernails. We have not all met up together in over a year.

Today, my Warrior Sisters gathered and listened to me wail over my loss of Vet Center Services because of my husband’s ill-timed actions, lack of comprehension, and worsening aggression. The system is messed up. The system is not for the veteran families. Even though divorce is considered one of the symptoms of what soldiers experience in service (they are 60 percent more likely to separate or divorce), it’s difficult to find support as a spouse. I can’t get Mary Gauthier’s song, War After the War, out of my head.

Who’s gonna care for the ones who care for the ones who went to war?
There’s landmines in the living room and eggshells on the floor
I lost myself in the shadow of your honor and your pain
You stare out of the window as our dreams go down the drain

Invisible, the war after the war

Mary Gauthier

After all my struggles to complete a novel about a soldier’s wife, in the end, I wrote one about a soldier’s wife who found her pack. “I’m a soldier too, just like you, serving something bigger than myself.” (M. Gauthier) Having other women to share experiences with is akin to soldiers sharing with other soldiers. We might be invisible, but we witness each other. More important, we compare notes. The impact of PTSD and TBI on an aging brain is common yet commonly ignored. Getting to meet outside official doors calmed my despair. I’m still a BAB. And a writer. I told my pack today, I already had the opening line to Danni’s sequel, and we all howled with laughter.

I got this yoga move.

As for stretching myself in other directions, I’ve been updating resumes, CVs, submitting applications, following up on references, following leads on projects and clients, and tackling business tasks. I’m completely revamping my social media strategy, but don’t ask me yet what that is. I had lively debates with peers in school, which has led me to consider different platforms. We have many choices and in the long run, what will work best, how and why. I’m testing my flexibility.

Communities are excellent for networking because we know (and appreciate) one another. I’ve had offers to hand deliver my resume, explore their connections for work, and guide my attempts to branch out. Someone referred me to a family seeking an editor for their 93-year-old father and I mentored their process and quoted my rate for the project. I got the gig. Someone else told a local tribe that I’d be a good person to contact for a three-month project. They offered me the contract. My local SBA rep who has been working with me (patiently) helped me file LLC papers today so that I can clearly delineate between mission-based literary outreach at Carrot Ranch Literary Community and income-based work through Carrot Ranch, LLC.

I’m discovering new tools, too. When I arrived to the Keweenaw, I joined a business for creatives group called Rising Tide. I’m now using their HoneyBook tool to set up my contracts and projects. I’m exploring platforms like Trello to find one I can use for group coaching. And, I’m going through all the resources I gained from school to pull out what’s useful. I’m even practicing with sound recording to develop podcasts to interview Carrot Ranchers and experts to offer advice to the community.

I’m grateful for the supportive environment here. Be patient with me as I stretch, breathe, and seek a new life balance. If anyone were to ask me what I thought my purpose in life was, I’d say that I’m here to lift up others to find their purpose. I know I’m a storycatcher, a writer, a word/bird/rock/garden nerd, and I aspire to publish and teach. But really, it’s all about encouraging others to discover, grow and heal through literary art. That’s my purpose. I’m not timely right now, but bringing you this space at Carrot Ranch is a priority.

What better time, though, to seek balance than at the solstice. In the northern hemisphere, Summer Solstice is June 20; in the southern hemisphere, Winter Solstice is June 21. Around the world, day and night balance perfectly. May that mean something to you, magical or practical.

June 18, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and setting? Use the solstice as a celebration, metaphor, or talking point. Go where the prompt leads!

Respond by June 22, 2021. Use the comment section below to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form.  Rules & Guidelines.

Submissions now closed. Find our latest challenge to enter.

To Dance by Charli Mills

Maia met the girls at the Biting Fly for vodka shots. They toasted her ancestors, the ones who came from Finland with nothing but their knowledge of the old ways and hope for a new Finlandia in this place called America. They worked as mules in the copper mines and stayed after the boom busted. Maia, at 80-something, remembered her grandmother sharing childhood memories of the kokko, the massive community bonfire at Juhannus. Her girlfriends weren’t Finnish but they relished the hippie vibe of a solstice celebration on the beach. They swayed with men, and Maia danced with ghosts.

Author’s Note: The Toivola midsummer bonfires have been held at Agate Beach since the 1890s. This author is going on solstice to catch ghost stories.

 

🥕🥕🥕

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156 Comments

  1. Liz H says:
    June 19, 2021 at 12:50 am

    Breathing with you, Charli.
    Just keep paddling; Lady Lake will get you through, even through her moods and storms!

    Liked by 5 people

  2. restlessjo says:
    June 19, 2021 at 1:53 am

    Awed by your industry and inventiveness, Charli. Not least with words. I languish in my indolence as ideas drift by.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    June 19, 2021 at 2:56 am

    In Good Company

    “Wholly shift, Kid! Reckon Shorty’s been puttin’ in some long days.”
    “The longest. It’s summer solstice.”
    “Shorty’s stretchin’ hersef an’ growin’ the CRLC.”
    “CRLC?”
    “Carrot Ranch Literary Community. An’ now she’s got hersef a LLC.”
    “What the /L/ Pal? CRLLC? That extra /L/ stands fer… lite; no Shorty’d never have lit lite. Lift! Carrot Ranch Literary Liftin’ Community.”
    “A LLC is separate from this here literary community, Kid. Has ta do with business.”
    “Leveragin’ Loads a Cash?”
    “Limited Liability Company. But thet’s none a yer business.”
    “Oh. Well this company’s liable ta write with limits.”
    “Yep. Jist 99 words.

    Liked by 10 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 23, 2021 at 2:22 am

      What fun with LLC! I chuckled over Leveragin’ Loads a Cash, but I hear Shorty’s as committed to clients as much as community. It’s all in the HoneyBook, the new Ranch Record-Keeping software. Sweet.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. June 18, 2021 Flash Fiction Challenge – Read and Write Here says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:03 am

    […] This week’s flash fiction prompt is from Carrot Ranch. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Leanne says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:04 am

    It’s been a while. Hope I still have what it takes.
    https://readandwritehere.wordpress.com/2021/06/19/june-18-2021-flash-fiction-challenge/

    Liked by 7 people

  6. TanGental says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:27 am

    Goodness, you must be several Charlis because one cannot cover all those bases, can they?
    Good luck with you many endeavours and here’s to the success of your garden.
    The boys are debating the importance of the solstice this week

    Days of future present

    ‘It’s the summer solstice on Tuesday, Logan.’
    ‘Yes? So?’
    ‘We should celebrate.’
    ‘Why? It’s just another day.’
    ‘No, it’s not. It’s the turning point. The longest day, the start of summer.’
    ‘It’s the beginning of the end of the year. Everything gets darker and colder from here.’
    ‘There you have the difference between us.’
    ‘You’re all airy-fairy and I’m rational.’
    ‘I live in the moment; you don’t.’
    ‘You ignore what’s in front of your face.’
    ‘And you miss the joy in embracing the now.’
    ‘Have you been at the mindfulness muesli again?’
    ‘I think I’ll become a Druid…’

    Liked by 8 people

  7. Solstice – Reena Saxena says:
    June 19, 2021 at 4:19 am

    […] https://carrotranch.com/2021/06/19/june-18-flash-fiction-challenge-3/ […]

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Reena Saxena says:
    June 19, 2021 at 4:21 am

    Solstice

    Liked by 7 people

  9. Days Of Future Present #carrotranch #loganandmorgan | TanGental says:
    June 19, 2021 at 5:01 am

    […] week’s carrot ranch prompt […]

    Liked by 1 person

  10. robertawrites235681907 says:
    June 19, 2021 at 5:18 am

    Mental health issues are difficult to treat and live with, Charli. Wishing you support and strength. I am glad you are getting some work in and there are lots of opportunities. That is really good news.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    June 19, 2021 at 6:58 am

    As the World Turns

    “Kid, why’re ya changin’ up the Saloon signs? We cain’t be open 25 hours a day!”
    “It’s comin’ up on the summer solstice Pal. The days is gittin’ longer. Pal, if someone has a attitude ‘bout the longest day, d’ya call that a long-itude?”
    “Ever day has jist 24 hours Kid. But summer days has more sunlight on account a the tilt a the earth’s axis. Here in the northern hemisphere we’re leanin’ tawards the light.”
    “Reckon that’s a right attitude, Pal. Or d’ya call that lat-itude?”
    “Ya know what makes fer a long day Kid? Bein’ with you!”

    Liked by 9 people

  12. Two on a Rant says:
    June 19, 2021 at 8:03 am

    […] If you want to participate, here’s the link:  CARROT RANCH […]

    Liked by 3 people

  13. Perfect Timing – Rebecca Glaessner Author says:
    June 19, 2021 at 8:14 am

    […] June 18, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and setting? Use the solstice as a celebration, metaphor, or talking point. Go where the prompt leads! […]

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Rebecca Glaessner Author says:
    June 19, 2021 at 9:06 am

    Mause is wise in unspeakable ways.

    What a powerful piece of lyrics, I struggle to imagine the pain, the loneliness.

    Our hearts remain right here with you Charli.

    Liked by 4 people

  15. Jim Borden says:
    June 19, 2021 at 9:28 am

    Happy Summer Solstice!

    Liked by 3 people

  16. denmaniacs4 says:
    June 19, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    One Bloody Solstice on June 21, 1919

    “Many of the strikers were demobilized soldiers?”

    “Yeah. There they were, returned from that awful war, Spanish Flu sucking the breath out of the world. Put that together with the allure of the Bolshevik Revolution, the magnificent peoples charge against a dynasty, soldiers, who’d been prepared to die for their country, hungry for payback, their due as fighting men…and when they returned, it was the same old poverty, the same old crap wages, same old profiteering rich bosses.”

    “And that Saturday, the solstice, wasn’t it?”

    “Yeah, the longest day of the year and it and bullets killed the strike.”

    http://www.engleson.ca

    Liked by 9 people

  17. CRLC Challenge; Solstice | ShiftnShake says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:02 pm

    […] of our reality, but Marlie et al did step up over a year ago now and become somewhat current. The Carrot Ranch Literary Community June 18, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and […]

    Liked by 1 person

  18. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    Maybe because Norah mentioned Marlie at the Saddle Up Saloon, but she and her friend Tommy came to mind for this week’s prompt.

    CRLC Challenge; Solstice

    Liked by 5 people

  19. Doug Jacquier says:
    June 19, 2021 at 3:41 pm

    Here’s mine for this time around.

    Going north, going south.

    They met during the Transit of Venus in 2004 and married during the second Transit in 2012. What they’d forgotten was that eight Earth years are an unlucky thirteen Venus years and what they thought was their beginning was, in fact, the beginning of their end. Their lives became a series of eclipses, their different suns blotting out each other’s sky. When the divorce came through, she went North and he went South. Now, come the solstice, across the Hemispheres, their world atilt, her day’s long and filled with light and his short, darkness descending in the late afternoon.

    Liked by 9 people

  20. Jennie says:
    June 19, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    Charli, I’m riding in the car headed to WV to my brother’s funeral. This is long overdue, thanks to Covid. Your post was just the tonic I needed; reflective, life in the midst of change, always seeing the positives in life, from peonies to Warrior Sisters. Don’t ever forget the impact and difference you make on others. Really.

    Did I ever tell you about the Fisher House in Boston? There is at least one in every state, for families of Veterans and current military who are at the VA hospital. They’re like Ronald McDonald houses. My preschool class made a God Bless America quilt, which evolved over a year. It hangs at that house, a story in itself. We made our own God Bless America book, and my dream is to have one in every Fisher House for children and their families. It’s people like you that inspire me to make dreams happen. Thank you for that, Charli.

    Liked by 6 people

  21. Hugh W. Roberts says:
    June 20, 2021 at 6:58 am

    I’m sorry to hear about the continuing problems you find facing you, Charli. I’m glad you’re not alone, though, and that you seem to be surrounded by many faces that are all here to help out (should you need it). It’s good to hear that Mause is enjoying the garden. The lawn will be offering her a cool place to enjoy the warm weather and solstice.
    I’ll be back with my piece of flash tomorrow.
    Happy Solstice to both of you.

    Liked by 6 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 23, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      Hugh, I’m so fortunate to have a community who can listen to me wail, encourage the hammering on my keyboard, and gently point out different paths. With acceptance and a focus on self-care, new supports have emerged. If I had gone within or isolated myself, I would not have seen other ways to get through. It feels embarrassing sometimes to say life sucks, or make hard decisions, but really, that’s what is real. And we, as writers of fiction and memoir and poetry, write from that place of hard-earned authenticity.

      And I sprawled on the lawn with Mause today, soaking up sun in between bouts of work and writing!

      Happy Solstice to you and the Corgis, your partner, and his garden!

      Liked by 1 person

  22. nd 6.20 No Obligation Date 3p – Jules Pens Some Gems… says:
    June 20, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch June 18 June 18, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and setting? Use the solstice as a celebration, metaphor, or talking point. Go where the prompt leads!Respond by June 22, 2021. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Jules says:
    June 20, 2021 at 2:07 pm

    Charli, Hope you catch some good ghost stories! 😀

    I played with three prompts and a new syllabic form that inspired a haibun (a single line between the two) Choka verses. There’s a how to at my site.
    Enjoy:

    nd 6.20 No Obligation Date
    (Choka haibun)

    the white dog’s named Flour
    ain’t going nowhere special
    this summer solstice
    like me, just a green yard romp
    from sunup – till dusk
    we’ll chase all them lightning bugs
    catch and let ’em go
    easy gratification
    when you’ve no special place

    (No deal breaker if you pass us by)

    they say you look like
    your pets; you’ve noticed my
    hair gone pale from gold,
    copper brown to white not grey
    don’t call it silver
    neither, then I’d have to change
    the dogs name – ’cause we’re
    just too old to make changes
    since we’re both in advanced years

    © JP/dh

    Liked by 9 people

  24. Love’s solstice | Michaelsfishbowl says:
    June 20, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    […] From Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch is this week’s challenge. […]

    Liked by 3 people

  25. Michael B. Fishman says:
    June 20, 2021 at 4:40 pm

    “BAB”? Thanks for the link to the song; I’ve never heard it before. And I’m guilty of not thinking of military spouses before and the war they fight. A person can share outrage over the way our vets are treated and not stop to think of the vet’s family.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Rebecca Glaessner Author says:
      June 21, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      Right with you there Michael. I’m not familiar with military families so it’s hard to think of the full scope of emotions they all feel, not just the soldiers themselves.

      Liked by 4 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 23, 2021 at 10:46 pm

      Michael, you’ll have to read my novel to find out the meaning, wink, wink! BABs, Warrior Sisters, COWWs, Invisible Caregivers. We give each other names that don’t mean much to others but we wear like badges of honor. I know you appreciate the power of music, and if you listen to
      Mary Gauthier, she wrote those songs on her album Rifles and Rosary Beads in collaboration with veteran family songwriting retreats.

      Can you imagine spending a retreat with veterans and their families, and getting to listen to their experiences and turn them into 99-word stories? It doesn’t solve the problems but art heals, and expression breaks isolation.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. 99 Word Prompt: Solstice – Robert Kirkendall says:
    June 20, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    […] https://carrotranch.com/2021/06/19/june-18-flash-fiction-challenge-3/ […]

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Robert Kirkendall says:
    June 20, 2021 at 7:02 pm

    Hello Charli! Here’s my contribution. https://robertkirkendall.com/2021/06/20/99-word-prompt-solstice/

    Liked by 6 people

  28. Mr. Ohh's Sideways View says:
    June 20, 2021 at 11:02 pm

    Great post
    Here’s Mine

    I look to the solstice more than any other day. I will spend it outside I will absorb every drop of sunlight that the day has to offer. This is my fantasy I have seen the winter and conquered its dismal days. The solstice is mine, paid for by months of depression and hope. I shall seize this day.

    I set an early alarm so I can make the coffee and proceed to the porch and watch most glorious Sol in his rising. When it rings, I am faced with dark clouds and lightning. It’s still a great day
    ;;
    ;;
    ;;
    Laugh It hasn’t been declared an illegal drug yet

    Liked by 8 people

  29. Edge Of Summer #flashfiction – Hugh's Views & News   says:
    June 21, 2021 at 7:11 am

    […] for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join […]

    Liked by 4 people

  30. Solstice Story | Valley of the Trolls says:
    June 21, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    […] Carrot Ranch Prompt (06/18/2021): In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and setting? Use the solstice as a celebration, metaphor, or talking point. Go where the prompt leads! […]

    Liked by 2 people

  31. Liz H says:
    June 21, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    A little fairytale story of the solstice and the might wee ones who keep the seasons rolling as they ought. Version 2 is here, but a slightly longer one in on my blog page, as well:

    Solstice Story 2

    She clambers atop the cardinal’s shoulders
    Gently hooks soft knees over scarlet wings
    Grasps the longest feathers of his crest

    Her cape of midday flutters a hopeful breeze
    Knapsack packed with morning dew, wild strawberries
    Golden bee pollen

    Time is the essence.

    A sweet request, whispered in a red bird’s ear
    He lifts his wings, ruffles his crest
    Together they soar toward a land
    Far beyond East of the Sun and West of the Moon

    Finally, they reach day’s end
    With all her strength, she pulls its edge

    Time to turn the page.
    Dark-eyed Winter nods, beckons her home.

    [THIS] should bring you to it.

    Liked by 8 people

  32. d’Verse Haibun Monday & SixSentenceStory; Solstice & Season | ShiftnShake says:
    June 21, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    […] from D’Verse pub for poets. I also cut the prose down that this would fit, in 99 words, the Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge prompt, also “solstice” this […]

    Liked by 2 people

  33. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    June 21, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    This is my Carrot Ranch version of a response to a D’Verse solstice haibun prompt.
    ( https://shiftnshake.wordpress.com/2021/06/21/dverse-haibun-monday-sixsentencestory-solstice-season/ )

    We are all familiar with the tale of Red Riding Hood. Now consider it as a solstice tale.

    Grandma’s weakened and wan, but her granddaughter lingers and picks flowers… this is a summer solstice tale, with Lil’ Red representing day and Grandma representing season, the patient and confident wolf personifying night.

    I wonder if in even earlier versions the wolf was less maligned and punished for his necessary and natural role in consuming day.

    Grandma, you know too

    Reflected light in dark eyes

    Cloaks shed without shame

    grown heavy, hung at dusk’s door

    Borne again at dawn; he yawns

    Liked by 8 people

  34. Silver for Sale (Part 3.5) | Elderberry Tea says:
    June 21, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    […] little side-hop in the story was inspired by this prompt from the Carrot Ranch Literary Community: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that […]

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Nicole Horlings says:
    June 21, 2021 at 9:30 pm

    My story for this week is not a standalone piece like usual, but rather, part of an ongoing story that I am writing called Silver for Sale. I started the story for one of Girlie on the Edge’s Six Sentence Story challenges, and soon realized that it couldn’t be contained in six sentences, so I’ve been continuing it in six sentence chunks ever since, with the exception of this piece that pans the camera over to a side character.

    Silver for Sale (Part 3.5)

    Liked by 6 people

  36. Sascha Darlington says:
    June 22, 2021 at 3:12 am

    Hi, Charli and all! I’ve been away for a while. Trying to get back into writing. I didn’t make it in for the entry on this one but here’s my offering for this week: https://saschadarlington.me/2021/06/22/time/#.YNGNO6hKhPY . Thanks for allowing me to contribute. 🙂

    Liked by 7 people

  37. Time Travel – Rebecca Glaessner Author says:
    June 22, 2021 at 3:12 am

    […] June 18, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features a solstice. What is the era and setting? Use the solstice as a celebration, metaphor, or talking point. Go where the prompt leads! […]

    Liked by 1 person

  38. #FlashFiction Challenge for Carrot Ranch Literary Community #Poetry | Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie says:
    June 22, 2021 at 3:51 am

    […] June 18: Flash Fiction Challenge […]

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Happy Winter Solstice! (flash fiction) – joanne the geek says:
    June 22, 2021 at 9:38 am

    […] This was written with the prompt solstice provided by the Carrot Ranch June 18 Flash Fiction Challenge. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  40. joanne the geek says:
    June 22, 2021 at 9:40 am

    Here be mine: https://jedigirlblog.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/happy-winter-solstice-flash-fiction/

    Liked by 3 people

  41. Anne Goodwin is bringing Matilda Windsor home says:
    June 22, 2021 at 10:32 am

    The crossing

    She couldn’t prove they were her triathlon medals, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes the shortest, the skinniest, proved the toughest, enduring scorching days and freezing nights. They marched, jogged, uncomplaining; they melted into the shadows at his command.

    Continues:

    https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal/forced-migrations-moth-american-dirt

    Liked by 6 people

  42. pedometergeek says:
    June 22, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    Memories of Grandma

    My grandma’s birthday was the same date as the summer solstice. I’d often stay with her for a week during summer vacation; we’d spend time at the park after window shopping at Woolworth’s. We’d rarely buy anything except for a sweet or two.
    She painted a picture of me when I was young and had a ponytail. It hung on a wall of her tiny house for years, but after she died, the painting was nowhere to be found, only her original sketch. Even now, I wonder what happened to the painting.

    summer solstice
    visits include
    one sugar cookie

    ~Nancy Brady, 2021

    Liked by 5 people

  43. H.R.R. Gorman says:
    June 22, 2021 at 9:33 pm

    Charli! I’m so glad several things are in the works for you. I’m excited to see what sort of “revamp” you’ll put forward!

    On that other note, though, it burns my dog hide that the VA is so inefficient (at best). I’m sure most individuals who work there want to do good things, but it seems there’s so much in the way of getting there. 😦 I’m glad you have a network, though.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 23, 2021 at 11:53 pm

      True, H. Most individuals at the VA want to help veterans, but it seems that two themes continue — the unhelpful individuals hold key positions, and no matter how helpful, limited resources only go so far. There’s also the veteran culture to consider. They want independence and often mistrust authority. Caregivers fight both the system and the culture. I have a new counselor outside the system now and she’s far more insightful, asking questions and posing alternative solutions. She also articulated my greatest frustration which is the lack of an action plan for me to manage worsening symptoms. Yes, thank you, I’m glad I have opportunities in the works and a good community network.

      Liked by 1 person

  44. Solstice Barbecue Invites – Eloquently Kate says:
    June 22, 2021 at 11:48 pm

    […] Mills’ June 18, 2021 flash fiction challenge was to write a story in 99 words (no more, no less) that features a solstice. When my dad was still […]

    Liked by 2 people

  45. Norah says:
    June 23, 2021 at 7:21 am

    I’m late popping by this week, though I did read over the weekend, but not comment. I was off celebrating a birthday and enjoying our beautiful Queensland winter weather. It’s funny, to me, to read all the posts about the solstice. It’s not a ‘thing’ down here, or not in my circles anyway. I asked the grandchildren if they had heard of it at school (I collected them on the solstice) and they hadn’t. We know what it is but don’t really mark it or celebrate it in any way as you seem to do ‘up there’.
    Charli, you have so much going on. It makes me tired just reading about it, but I can feel that you are energised and moving closer towards what you want to achieve. I’m so happy for you and wish you great success with all your writing goals.
    I’m not so happy about the situation with your veteran. It doesnt’ sound good and you have some hard decisions to make. I’m pleased you have the support of other Warriors like you.
    I’m disappointed I couldn’t conjure up a flash response this time. There were too many other things ‘on my plate’ and I went decidedly dark – darker than I wished to share. Maybe next prompt I’ll do better.
    I look forward to hearing your news!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 24, 2021 at 12:01 am

      Norah, thank you for reading and reflecting. Maybe you went dark because you are on the short side of the solstice this time (snicker, snicker). “Beautiful Queensland winter weather” sounds mysterious and appealing to me. I’m glad you got to enjoy it and celebrate other events. I don’t recall celebrating solstice in school or as a child. I hang out in womyn’s moon circles and that influences me, as does an interest to explore my unknown Celtic roots. The Finns up here celebrate and, woo-boy, did I hear some fun stories! Like, did you know that if you stand naked before water on the solstice you will see the reflection of your future husband? I didn’t either! I’ll share more in my post. No worries. Sometimes our magic writing needs a break!

      Like

      • Norah says:
        June 24, 2021 at 6:16 am

        Our winter days are glorious, Charli. They hover around the low 20s centigrade, the skies are usually a deep cloudless blue and the sun is warm but not hot. The bird sing and the flowers bloom. The months from March to October (especially May to July) are my favourites. The nights cool enough to have a couple of blankets on the bed. As I said, glorious.
        I look forward to hearing more stories of your solstice fun. I don’t think I’ll try standing naked before water though. For a couple of reasons. I don’t think the reflection would be too pretty and I have no desire for a future husband. The current one will do. 😂

        Liked by 1 person

      • Charli Mills says:
        June 24, 2021 at 6:24 pm

        Ha, ha! We’ll leave naked water husband gazing to the younger bodied ones! Ah, your winter sounds like the definition of glorious.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Norah says:
        June 27, 2021 at 6:53 am

        I agree to both! 🙂

        Like

  46. suespitulnik says:
    June 23, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    I’m with Norah, Late on the uptake. I too have no connection with the Solstice other than it’s the day of the year with the most sunlight. I’m enjoying reading the stories of celebration and balance.
    Charli, I’m excited about your new contracts and am sad and angry at the same time that you find yourself in such an unbalanced situation with no veteran services. I do hope for the best for all involved. Big Hugs.
    The story I share here is a bit different than the one I submitted. I rewrote it after getting some good feedback on how to improve it from my local writing group…

    Summer Dream

    Michael told Dr. John about a recurring nightmare. “The important ladies in my life are dancing around a fire like you’d see on the summer solstice, but my wheelchair’s in the fire.”
    “Are they celebrating its destruction? Perhaps suggesting you give it up?”
    “I hate the prosthetic legs.”
    “Why?”
    “When I’m in the chair, people look me in the eye and notice my upper body physic. When I wear the prosthetics, that’s all they see. I’m more than a pair of metal legs; besides, the chair has become my band’s trademark.”
    “Seems the chair’s more for recognition than comfort.”

    Liked by 2 people

    • Charli Mills says:
      June 24, 2021 at 1:34 am

      Sue, you made my heart sing with “I rewrote it after getting some good feedback on how to improve it from my local writing group…” Yes! That is productive critique. I love seeing it in action. I grabbed this version if you don’t mind. I need Dr. John. Can you send him over? 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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