Succinctly Yours #180: Passionate Pair of Pears

Thank you to Grandma’s Goulash for hosting Succinctly Yours! Each week, Grandma picks a fresh picture to help bring a story of 140 words or 140 characters to fruition. I giggled when I saw this picture! The bonus word this week was “labor.”

They were a smitten pair of pears. His firm, ripe flesh turned her insides to jelly. When he called her his little tart, she blushed. There was no labor to this love. 134

Picking each other was a labor of love that grew, ripened, and then mellowed sweetly. It would never spoil…until she was caught in salad with a zesty passion fruit. 136

Anjou and Bart were excited about their modeling careers. Posing for still lifes was the opposite of grueling physical labor.  106

When Anjou told Bart she was going into labor, he secretly hoped it would be a little Bartlett.  78

“….it came to me that if I wanted to, I could have a little session with this young, young man and you would never have to know about it, he would be making love to history and so would I. But when I looked at him again, well, there he was with his gigantic knees and his unlaced sneakers and his carefully ripped jeans, his ice rattling around in his Coke cup—someone for a girl, not for me….I noticed he followed me for a while in a half-hearted, non-threatening sort of way, and please understand what I mean when I tell you that I hoped my butt looked good.  I mean I just hoped my butt looked good, that’s all.”  ~ Elizabeth Berg, The Pull of the Moon

Succinctly Yours #170: In Hindsight

Succinctly Yours is a meme offered by the ever-generous Grandma’s Goulash to participants who wish to post a story of 140 characters (or 140 words) along with the picture that inspired it. Don't forget to  link back to Grandma’s lovely blog and check out the various entries. The bonus word for the week was “nibble.”

Bert Muppet, like Pinocchio, wanted to become a real boy. Once he’d had a nibble, however, he wanted to get back at everyone who’d had a hand in this. Hindsight’s 20/20. (139 characters)

Bert had always dreamed of becoming a professional stalker. He didn’t understand why his creative headshot didn’t earn him so much as a nibble from potential clients.  (140 characters)



I really do think "Bert" is a handsome young man. I believe it was just the expression—not to mention the mirror—that got me!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~Winston Churchill   

Hangin’ with Writers…and other Critters

Thank you so much to all those who came out to the Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Mom book signing today! It was wonderful to meet so many other writers from this area, and the turnout was amazing. What a beautiful day for it, too.

I got to thinking…what is it moms really want? Other than help? We want to know we’re appreciated and supported. We want to know we’re not alone. And we want to laugh, because it takes some of the pressure off. Anything from the Not Your Mother’s Book series is guaranteed to be lighthearted and fun—like a vacation for the spirit. Please consider ordering Not Your Mother's Book...On Being a Mom as a Mother's Day gift for that special mom in your life. Your review of the book here is certainly appreciated, and there is also a Facebook page to like for this and the upcoming NYMB…On Family.

And now for Succinctly Yours Week #162:

Thank you to Grandma’s Goulash for hosting this fun meme! The idea is to use the picture to tell a story in 140 words or 140 characters. The bonus word was “verify.” Mine this week have 140 and 136 characters.

When Bob’s wife sent him to the doghouse due to poor grooming habits, he was fine with it. That is, until he couldn’t verify if that was dandruff on his shoulders…or fleas. 

Finneus was pleased to verify that his wolfsbane potion did indeed work in subduing the savage beasts. Unfortunately, his fleabane potion didn’t subdue a thing. 

To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Succinctly Yours Week 161: Bizarre Backyard Buildings

Hooray for Grandma’s Goulash for hosting Succinctly Yours! The idea of this meme is to use the picture to tell a story in 140 words or 140 characters. The bonus word was “keel.” I think my cluelessness this week actually helped. Because I have no idea what the man is building, I came up with four.

When Ed said he wanted to move to a high-rise, Winnie said sure, as long as it was in their nice, wooded backyard. She keeled over when she saw how Ed planned to get his way. (139 words.)

Angry Ed thought of the perfect way to prank the phone company. They’d keel over when he called and told them their telephone poles were growing along with his bill. (136 words.)

Winnie was happy her Ed had a hobby. But she thought she’d keel over when she saw what he meant by “building a bigger backyard birdhouse.”  (130 words.)

The people of Maple Street said Ed wasn’t walking an even keel when he built that gigantic bird feeder. The people of Sesame Street begged to differ. (123 words.)

Don't stand too close to a squirrel, Billy. You'll catch its stupid.~Billy's Mom in Spongebob Squarepants

Succinctly Yours #155: Youth in Black and White

Thank you once again to Grandma of Grandma's Goulash for hosting Succinctly Yours, a meme in which we are given a photo and bonus word as inspiration for a caption of 140 words or 140 characters. The bonus word this week was proverb. Mine is 140 characters. Lucky for me it doesn't look like I'm too late this week!

Proverb for our times: Youth, though precious, should never be worshipped.  It’s not an accomplishment, is known for its disadvantages, and is guaranteed not to last. 

I tried to run up the stairs, but I discovered you can’t do it in a skirt. Also, hair itches. ~Teenaged boy wearing a poofy red pageboy with a pink sequined skirt for a Homecoming event

Succinctly Yours #152: Gotcha

Many thanks to Grandma's Goulash for hosting Succinctly Yours, a meme in which participants are offered a photo as inspiration for microfiction of 140 words or characters. Mine has 134 characters. This week's bonus word was "jabber."

Dr. Frankenstein knew people would jabber about the adorable little girl he had made. Still, he didn’t have to worry about the townspeople running away in fear.

My offering this week was a little lame, so I've included a quote I've loved since I saw it posted on a classroom door:

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous of you. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For, you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It never was between you and them, anyway. ~Version of a quote usually attributed to Mother Teresa