Untitled last post of 2014

Here's a story I unearthed that I wrote in high school. Have done a pretty good edit I think so that it's now readable. Happy New Year!

The moon was low over the fields as she sat at the open window. Why had she volunteered for this mission? She contemplated that mass of desolate rock, with dry gullies where rivers should be, huge broad plains where grasses should be growing. How often had she sat here like this in the still, black night staring at the heavens? Right then she wished she hadn't lent her telescope to the neighbor boy so soon before she left. She would like to take one last look from below.

She glanced over at the luminous dial of her clock. In less than 48 hours she would be boarding the Lunar Home 1 as the only woman of a crew of scientist to start a base on the moon. She would never see the earth again unless something failed in the mission, and then they would all come home. Hopefully everything would go smoothly and in a year the seventeen other women who were in training now would be sent up and they could really get the colony started.

Sitting in her favorite chaise lounge on the patio she laid her head back to rest and closed her eyes. She was praying in her own way, actually talking to her inner self as she called it. Mulling over the last year of training and preparation for her upcoming journey she could feel warmth on her face as the sun started up over the hills brightening the sky to a light blue. The moon vanished as she opened her eyes.

She wandered around the house gathering the things she needed. She took a shower and changed her clothes. She still had an hour before she checked into the base for last minute instructions and to take care of details done right before takeoff.

She went to the car stopping to smell her last summer rose. She walked away but then changed her mind, turned back and picked the rose shaking off its last drops of dew. She looked at the sky, took a deep breath and drove toward the base.

Never forgetting a first love

How had the last couple weeks gotten away from me? Holidays will do that to a person. Here I was promising to keep the blog going after my birthday month, wrote about my dear friend Karen and then just sort of let everything be my excuse.

I will share though in this post how a person from my past is always remembered right around Christmas time, my first love from high school. James was his name, he had beautiful blue eyes and we were both sagitarius his birthday being on the cusp in December.

He was the one my parents always disliked, no mom and dad want their little girl pining away over a boy that's in and out of juvie! But this one made beautiful drawings and sang me songs! How can you not be in love with someone like that? Well although I ran across lots of poems I wrote about him I won't torture you with the angst of a teenage girl who loves a boy who's always leaving her.

I've got a story about James in the editing stage, maybe one day I can unearth that one and put it out there for the world to read. So anyhow, want to wish James health and hopefulness on his 59th belated birthday! I think last I heard he was in pretty bad shape but may his art and memories keep him in a halfway decent state of well being.

Watch for a really compelling story coming NYE that was written by me in high school! You won't want to miss it.

In memory of Karen

A year ago a talented, amazing woman left us too soon. I always felt she was a mentor to me not just in my writing world but about life in general. In memory of her I want to post what I call my mission statement. Ok other writers out there, let's send the world some stories! I can only hope that somehow I might continue her legacy in that way.

Mona's Mission Statement

My mission is to be a mentor to upcoming writers struggling to find their way with the craft of writing. I hope to do this as a testament to the mentors who were there for me. I will do this by being an example of how crucial it is to continue in my quest for knowledge of the process of the written word and the power that is behind a great story. If this gets me to work more fiercely and with more dedication, then I know all is how it should be and the cosmos has willed it to be so.

And now the foggy day

Here's a fun one I ran across from when I was taking a JC writing class in 2003. Deciding this cold, foggy Saturday morning if I want instant oatmeal or toast for breakfast and irritated that my fire in the woodstove isn't co-operating. None of that is relevant to the poem. I guess the letter I was assigned was "R". Here's the condensed version because it sort of just runs on and I know you just want to read the juicy parts.

Rendezvous Poem

Can I runaway
From responsible life
To the rainforest
Where I rough it
At a rugged ruins
And eat licorice ropes
Or share radishes
With my rare rhino
Recreation would be
An all day right
Read, rest
Then read some more
"Oh really great!"
(Here comes the good part)
Missed my rendezvous
With Robert Redford
Rainforest life
Needs more responsibility...

"Stay warm and dry" The Fridge Magnet Chronicles

Tomorrow there's supposed to be a big storm coming. Might lose power from the 30-40 mile per hour winds and expecting the streets to be flooded. So I'll share this and hope all of you can light some candles, maybe make a nice fire and wait out the upcoming crazy weather.

Untitled Poem

At hearth side
she sits
pen at her lips
crumpled paper
beside her chair
candle flame
flickering light
rain and wind
tap the windows
"it was
a dark and stormy
night"

To be continued...

The Fridge Magnet Chronicles continues

Wow, so was that a storm that rolled over us last night? Thunder, lightening, and yes that was really rain falling from the sky! It made me realize winter is coming and there's no stopping it. Well this girl has summer always in her heart.

Forest Poem

Rutted road
At sunrise
Dust  settled
By the dew
Smell of grass
Assails me
Warmth of light
Cool shade
No leaves tremble
Morning Stillness
This summer day
I roam
Far off horizon
Now beckons

Beginning of the giving season

Thank you all for being followers of my blog post, I even got feedback that made me feel good. I'm going to continue posting prose and poems from The Fridge Magnet Chronicles until the end of the year and see how it goes. I will try to be better at catching things needing an edit, spelling, too many similar words in a paragraph, etc. But I'll just confess that a few of those post were early morning (not a morning person) or after too much too drink (can't pass up sparkling or other wine when a friend offers.) It's finally raining here making today dark and dreary and much as I would like to spend this stormy day rummage through the files finding something to share, have to make myself go to work. Watch for a posting very soon, have a wonderful Tuesday!