Succinctly Yours Week 214: Modern Marvel

I’m time again for Succinctly Yours, a delightful meme offered thanks to the hard work of Grandma’s Goulash. Each week, Grandma thoughtfully produces a photo for us so that we can work out a story of 140 words or 140 characters or fewer to go with it. The bonus word this week was “churn.”

The World’s Worst Businessman award goes to Almias Hobbs, who, in the 1970s, built a large, modern office building and factory designed to churn out…butter churns.   137

The only factory in the depressed area was also considered its most modern building. Folks there felt pretty fancy churning out a living like peasants under glass.   137

It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty. ~Jeanette Wells, The Glass Castle

Succinctly Yours Week 213: Mmm mmm Good…Heavens It’s WHAT?

I’m back again with Succinctly Yours, a delightful meme offered thanks to the hospitality of Grandma’s Goulash. Each week, Grandma thoughtfully prepares a photo for us so that we might cook up a story of 140 words or 140 characters or fewer. The bonus word this week was “vulture.”

Life was a fairytale until Hansel and Gretel’s sensational, tell-all memoire, The Witch Who Cooked With Children came out. Folks ate up those lies like vultures.  136

I always thought Mama called it Vulture Soup because of the way we circled around her when she made it. Many years later I realized Mama was more literal than that. 134

I hope you will consider going over to www.laughuntilyoupee.com, the blog that features stories from the “Not Your Mother’s Book” (NYMB) humor anthology created by Dahlynn and Ken McKowen. To date, there are ten books available in the series, and I’m proud to say I’ve contributed to five of them. This week, my story “Worse Than Zombie Warts” from Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Woman is here. 

Thank you so much for visiting!

“…laughter is carbonated holiness.” ~ Anne Lamott, Plan B Further Thoughts on Faith

When It Really Is Unlucky to Have a Black Cat

It’s been a while since I’ve been on blogs. Part of the reason is that I’ve been even more overwhelmed than usual lately. The other reason is that I’ve had a horrible bout of writer’s block ever since our beloved little Catsby passed after an unexpected diagnosis of congestive heart failure a couple of weeks ago. It’s amazing to me how empty my lap feels now when I write.

I really didn’t want a cat at the time we found him living under a concrete bench in the yard a couple of years ago. Not only was I just not a cat person, I thought I was too busy. My social life is fuller than it’s been since I met my former husband over thirty years ago, and I won’t apologize for that. I’ve earned it. 

And Catsby had some abandonment issues. At first I complained about how needy he was, but it turns out his constant presence is what I miss most. It was endearing that he adored being with loved ones so much.

Once when I went in the closet and saw his tail protruding slightly from under the clothing, I impulsively said (in a peekaboo voice), “I wonder where our dear little kitty could be?!”

When he popped out and exclaimed, “MeOW!” it sounded for all the world like, “Here I am!”

That was our Catsby. That goofy critter converted a family of dog people into dog AND cat people. 

That's what made him The Great Catsby.

I can’t tell you how much your kind words meant to me during that time and still mean to me. Also—a block-shattering bit of good news—my NYMB…On Being a Woman story, “Worse Than Zombie Warts” will be featured on www.laughuntilyoupee.com this coming Friday. I’d appreciate it if you’d consider coming back and leaving a comment over there, and as always, thank you so much!

 Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with. ~Mark Twain