Wednesday 26 February 2020

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Roofs of Any Kind

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: 

Roofs of Any Kind



The topic for this week is Roofs of Any Kind.

Here is my entry: 

Fire damaged roof



Thatched barn roof

Thatched roof at Brockenhurst Church




Four domed roof

Seagull on roof

Former village school

Friday 21 February 2020

THE DECISION - DL


WEP FEBRUARY CHALLENGE - CAFE TERRACE 



https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/02/wep-february-challenge-cafe-terrace.html


Here is my story for the above prompt. 


THE DECISION

Liza had rehearsed what she wanted to say to Darren but didn’t know if she could go through with it all these hours later.  He was her rock, her love, her second chance but then 18 months wasn't really very long to know each other. On the other hand, 23 years should have been enough to know someone and look how that finished.  She thought her parents were ‘solid’.  She thought nothing could faze them but her dad broke his marriage vows and it was over, just like that.



Liza hated all the hype for Valentine’s Day but she wanted to mark the occasion somehow.  It fell on a Friday this year, so it could be a good start to a romantic weekend.  The trouble was she was quite strapped for cash and couldn’t justify spending money she didn’t have and had no means of paying back.  She’d seen too many of her friends fight a losing battle with credit cards and she wasn't going there. 


Darren knew Liza was worried about something.  He thought he knew her quite well after dating her for more than a year.    She liked romantic things and he’d have to work hard to think of something - as romance he was quite lacking in.  He could buy her roses.  He could buy her chocolate.  Jewellery would mean something more significant and he wasn't sure he was ready for that, yet.  She didn’t like those huge teddy bears in the shops with red hearts and all that palaver.  He put his thinking cap on.  As he drove down the High Street he noticed an elderly couple, or should he say a ‘more mature’ couple, sitting outside on the patio of the pub just having a drink and absorbing the atmosphere.  He had a beer and she had a glass of red wine.  They clinked their glasses together and smiled at each other.  They really smiled at each other.  That’s what he wanted with Liza.


The traffic lights turned green and he drove down the long High Street still thinking and musing how he could become more romantic.  He kept thinking about that couple.  How long had they been together?  They still looked in love.  They still looked as if they enjoyed each other’s company. 


Liza packed up her desk, said cheerio to her colleagues and headed out of the office to the bus stop.  Standing in line under the shelter, peering through the glass that covered three sides of the structure leaving one area totally open, she listened to the conversations around her. 

She boarded her bus, the No.666, (now there’s a number for a bus route), she smiled at the other seated passengers as she stumbled down the aisle looking for a seat.  The driver obviously needed to get going quickly, considering his brusque manner when she’d embarked.

Twenty minutes later Liza descended from the bus and began to walk home.  The full moon helped light her way along with the lamp post shining an ethereal glow on the pavement.  As she rounded the corner Darren started to run towards her.  He picked her up and twirled her round in his arms. 

Squealing, Liza embraced him back, her arms tight around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist.  He carried her along for a few steps, as though she was a feather, until he began to gasp. He placed her on the ground, grabbed her hand and started walking in the opposite direction of her home.

As he opened the door of the pub, the lingering smells of a wood fire hit Liza’s nostrils bringing a sense of the comforts of home.  She seated herself by the inglenook as Darren brought over their drinks.  He seemed nervous to her.  A few swallows of the liquid to quench his thirst or really more to give himself some Dutch courage, he began to speak.



Liza mouth was hung open, her eyes wide with astonishment.  She was trying to take it all in, he’d been offered a great opportunity, moving overseas and ….  he’d asked her to go with him.  Pack in her job (which was pretty mundane and boring) she’d been thinking about looking for something else anyway but to move away from her family, friends and everything she knew and held dear, that was such a big step to take.

Darren let out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in while he waited for some sort of response.  Perhaps he’d gone about this the wrong way.  Then Liza gave him the most dazzling smile he’d ever seen.   She pulled a piece of paper from her handbag.

I’d move to the moon to be with you

Travel to the ends of the earth with you

Go to the bottom of the sea to be with you

Go to Mars to be with you

Leave my family to be with you

Make new friends just to be with you

My life is nothing without you

My heart belongs to you

My soul is blended to you






Three months later, Liza and Darren sat on the aeroplane, nervous and excited as they started the first leg of their journey to another life.  Darren thought back to the couple he saw all those weeks ago wondering what they were doing tonight.  He looked out of the window as the rain cleared and the sun broke through the clouds.


I fancy a steak dinner tonight, said Bill

Let’s pop out to the Old Mill.

He still had the ability to surprise her

She smiled and nodded her answer.

That would be lovely, no supper to cook

‘A table for two’ she heard him book

His voice was still deep and sexy at sixty-two

The attraction didn’t stop, there was always something new

The vows she made all those years ago were still strong and true

She raised her tea cup, gave her husband a saucy wink

He nodded as his bright blue eyes gave a subtle blink.



Word count: 1002 with title

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads





Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads


ROADS:

My entry for this week:

busy road junction in a small village

This road was closed for road race
Margate
Take care on this junction 
So many parked cars

Wednesday 19 February 2020

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Needs to have the Letter “K” anywhere in the word



Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Needs to have the Letter “K” anywhere in the word



Here is my entry for this week:

Full English BreaKfast


TurKish restaurant



SherlocK Holmes and Dr. Watson

TicKet Office


Friday 14 February 2020

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Bicycles, Tricycles, Motorcycles, Unicycles

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Bicycles, Tricycles, Motorcycles, Unicycles




This week the topic is Bicycles, Tricycles, Motorcycles and Unicycles.  

For more information on this challenge, please visit the Black & White Challenge page.

Here is my entry for this week: 

Lizard on a bike

Penny Farthing (in a pub)
sunshine catching bike

Engraved motorbike on a wooden box

Thursday 13 February 2020

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Vanishing or Leading Lines

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: 

Vanishing or Leading Lines




The topic for this week is Vanishing or Leading Lines.
Feel free to use your photo archives and see what photos you have that fits the current week’s challenge, or even better yet grab you camera and take a new photo!  ENJOY and have FUN.
Here is my entry for this week:
Country path
staircase leading to the top of a lighthouse




Roof at St Pancras International Station 

Saturday 1 February 2020

CEE'S BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO CHALLENGE - ALL SORTS OF SIGNS

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: All Sorts of Signs

This week the topic is All Sorts of Signs.  
Here are my signs: 
Hoarding advertising new homes for sale
And maybe you will need some garden furniture as well
All that house hunting and shopping might make you thirsty, so a quick stop in the local pub. 

LOOKING GLASS

I'm joining in with the Weekend Writing Prompt #142
from Sammi Cox

https://sammiscribbles.wordpress.com/2020/02/01/weekend-writing-prompt-142-looking-glass/

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend.  How you use the prompt is up to you.  Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like.  Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise.  If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.
The challenge is simple: each week you will be given an exact number of words you can use to write a poem or piece of prose.  You can use any format or style you like; go wherever your inspiration takes you.  The only rules are these:
  • your poem / prose must contain this week’s word.  The word does not have to count towards the exact word count total – it can be in the title, or the first letters of the lines of a poem can spell it out – you can be as creative as you want as long as it’s there somewhere.
  • the length of your poem / prose must match the number of words stated in this week’s challenge.  No more.  No less.
Word Prompt:                   Looking-glass
Challenge

 HERE IS MY ENTRY:
LOOKING GLASS

In the mirror she looked at her blonde hair
And was pleased with what she saw there
Falling gracefully from her shoulders in rings
Curling round her shoulders like wings.

Although still young and naive
She knew how to grieve
For the life that she wanted
Not feel haunted
With the acute lacuna of emotion
That presages her day and night with such commotion