Proof of Desirability
She longed for a boyfriend, or at least a kiss. All the boys said, “When it comes to you, I can only be serious.” or “I’m not sure I’m ready to commit.” She thought they didn’t want her. Twenty years later, she remembered, and understood. She wasn’t the other kind of girl.
The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story in exactly 55 words. Click on the badge to go to the hub.
13 Pieces of Fabric
I’m signed up for Blogmania, which is this big blog festival thingy that’s happening in September. For more info on it, click on the big, pink button on the sidebar to the right. Scroll down a little. A little more. There you go.
You’re supposed to give valuable prizes. For my big one, I picked a quilt. Thing is, it isn’t made yet. That means I have until the beginning of September to get it done. The race is on!
I thought I’d show you the process as I went. Here are 13 pieces from the heap of scraps I intend to use on the back. Some of it has been stitched together already and some has not.
Wish me luck, because I’m working on two other quilts and some other sewing projects at the same time.
Ah Maria, She’s Such a Sweet Mother
For the last several weeks, Mr. Al has been recounting the political difficulties that beset Maria Theresa of Austria when, starting as a young woman, the task of saving the country fell to her shoulders. To see more, click on the History by Mr. Al tab.
It is worth a moment to pause here and look at Maria’s home life. She was the Mother of her country. She was also the mother of twelve children by the time the Seven Years War started. Ultimately, she had sixteen, four of whom died.
In 1760, her eldest, Marianne, was twenty-two. Her youngest, Maximilian, was three. Prince Joseph, heir to the throne and royal pain in the Royal Patootie, was nineteen. While she obviously had a rather full plate at the time, she took a strong interest in the daily activities of her children. Their tutors were given explicit instructions.
Unfortunately for the girls, what mom recommended for them was little different from what mom herself grew up with. “She, who complained in later years about her own narrow and useless education, inflicted much the same sort of upbringing on her own daughters.”
296/365 Sidecar
There aren’t too many of these around, so I quick grabbed my phone and took a picture. There aren’t too many of what I drive either. If you look close, you’ll see she’s eying me in her rear view mirror.
Win a copy of Divided in Death
I love J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series. I like the way the characters and their issues flow from one book to the next, the strong, earthy language, the wry sense of humor, the mystery and suspense elements, the way the main character’s mind works, and the near-future setting. I’ve read quite a few of them, mostly out of order. I do not, however, keep them. So when I got my hands on a hardbound edition of Divided in Death, which I had already read, I couldn’t simply turn it away, but I don’t really have room on my shelf for it either. Oh what to do? Such a dilemma! But I have a solution. I will share the Robb goodness with you. No, this isn’t the first in the series, but I don’t think it matters. You will still fall in love with Eve and Roarke.
Leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, midnight Mountain Standard Time (2am on the East Coast) and I’ll include you in the drawing. Winner announced in my sidebar on Friday.
In case you can’t remember if you’ve read this one or not, it’s the one in which Eve investigates the murder of the husband of one of Roarke’s employees, a hoity toity artist who was up to no good.
For more free books check out Win a Book.
Random.org picked Margie this time. Congrats Margie. Look for an email from me soon.
160 for Mother’s Day
Sh@KiR@ and Monkey Man got me. I’m doing the 160 character meme.
Hey, Mom, you know what day it is. The day you always duck and hide, claiming “Hallmark” materialism doesn’t apply. Too bad. Happy Mother’s Day anyway.
294/365 Me, the last
Since the book came out I’ve been feeling a little pressure to come up with a picture people can post. So far I’ve got nothing I like. This was one of my better attempts at coming up with something, but even it needed a little Photshop. And. Um. Things got out of hand. teehee.
Visitor
Jill: Here. I found your black socks. You look great, but what are you getting all dressed up for?
Jack: We have a special visitor coming.
Jill: Who?
Jack: You’re mother.
Today’s theme is mother
Previously in Jack and Jill: Where Socks Go
The rules for Photohunt can be found here.
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Suzie’s House 163 : Friends, Plus a Little
As heartbreaking as her problems with Gene might be, her problems with Ben frightened her more. She hurried down the hall to Ben’s room. Sure enough, his door was closed. If she’d heard the tinkle of laughter, she would have felt better. But no. Not a sound.
Suzie raised a hand to knock, then let it fall, then raised again, then let it drop again. She’d always respected Ben’s privacy. Even when he was quit young, she’d shown the courtesy of at least knocking before walking in.
That was before Lisa came along.
