Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 37

This is week 37 of the Saturday Wordzzle Challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works.

Ok... got distracted by Halloween.... twice.... lots of adorable trick or treaters here. I have no idea what I wrote. Think I got all the words in. I hope so. Trick or treaters are still coming in dribs and drabs and I have company as well, so I'm a touch distracted. As always I left it until the last minute completely forgetting to factor Halloween into the equation. Yikes. I'm to blame for next week's words. Week after, I'll use up what's left from donations from Melli and Chatty. As always, I'm looking forward to reading all the creative brilliance that's out there. You are all just awesome.

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: squeaky toy, perpendicular, olives, shanty, howling at the moon, soul, bow and arrow, uniform, statistics, praying mantis Mini Challenge: glamour, rocking chair, cormorant, objective, symbolism


My ten-word offering for this week:

Rover Drover Party’s Over, dog among dogs, stood howling at the moon, his favorite squeaky toy – a huge plastic praying mantis - at his feet. Although his estate was not palatial – was in fact a mere shanty with barely perpendicular walls of decidedly un-uniform size, he had a good life. His human, Bart, was a poor but honest pizza delivery man, a kind soul with a generous heart and a peculiar gift for statistics. Among other things, he could tell you the number and percentage of olives used per pizza and the percentage of each kind of pizza he delivered. Tonight he had changed from his pizza shirt into his hunting uniform – mufti and a bow and arrow. This was the one aspect of his human’s life that Rover Dover did not approve of… Hunting was anathema to him. Luckily, Bart had no talent for actually killing anything, could barely shoot and never realized that his dog’s moon song was not a celebration of their adventure so much as an early warning to his fellow creatures to make themselves scarce.


And here's my mini challenge:

It was hard to think that the crone-like old woman sitting in the rocking chair looking as much like a hungry cormorant as anything else, had once been a symbol of glamour and beauty. Although not the most objective observer, the symbolism of this decline was not lost on Hannah Smith, who had always known her mother’s beauty to be only skin deep – or not even that – simply a mass illusion to those who chose not to see the meanness of spirit that even make-up, fancy clothing and jewels could not mask to anyone who looked carefully.


And the mega challenge:

Actress Amanda Bunting was furious. She was a star, an important person, a woman of glamour and prestige… and this place, this, this… place was virtually a shanty, not the 5-star hotel she had been promised. Who ever heard of perpendicular blinds in a 5-star hotel?? “Hideous,” she screamed, “get me the manager.” And I hate the color. Didn’t my agent tell you that I could bear nothing in olive green? And what’s with all this nature crap? I hate nature. Bad enough the painting of the wolf howling at the moon, but a cormorant and a praying mantis!!! Who picked this hell hole? Whoever they are they’re fired. Oh, and I hate rocking chairs too. Make it go away. It’s all about symbolism, she ranted on. The objective of this whole trip is to enhance my image, not make me look like some deer loving, bow and arrow toting nature girl. Get me out of here now and into some posh suite with staff in uniforms. Check the statistics and find out where the five most popular actresses stay when they’re in town. Go! Now! Or you're all fired. You're all fired anyway." And then as though another person had taken over her body she turned to the small dog which had sat quietly on her side and simpered in as baby-talky a voice as opposite the shrew who had just been ranting as possible… "Pooky pup, my little squeaky toy, come to mama… You are my heart and soul you little sweetums boy… Here’s your toy baby… fetch… ooo mama loves you”


This week's vanity wordzzle used the words: oodles of noodles, Empire State Building, turmoil, aluminum foil, naval lint, posh, pixie, termite, gander, tendonitis

“Take a gander at this,” Mavis bellowed, elbowing Lois violently in the ribs. They were standing on the observation deck of the Empire State Building and what with Lois having a fear of heights, she resented even more than usual, Mavis’ tendency toward violent expressions of her excitement. “What!” she snapped, expecting some ridiculous observation about termites or posh frocks as Mavis called anything she thought she couldn’t afford. Lois gritted her teeth remembering long tedious conversations about everything from the virtues of Oodles of Noodles as opposed to Cup O Soup, to the uses of aluminum foil. And they had once discussed - at great, great length - whether or not there really was such as thing as naval lint. Trying to control her inner turmoil Lois stood poised for another nightmare conversation and wished she was anywhere but here with Mavis, kind, irritating Mavis who would do anything for anyone, who was kind to the core, and who was beyond a doubt the most boring and infuriating person Lois had ever met. Yet Lois loved her in spite of this and that was why, despite sore feet and severe tendonitis she had agreed to an “adventure” in the big city. “Mavis, dear, I’m so tired. Can’t we go somewhere and have a cup of coffee or something?” “Lois, quick!” The elbow was there again. “What IS it, damn it?” Lois snapped, her tiredness getting the better of her. “Just LOOK, would you, before it goes away?” “Before WHAT goes away?” “The pixie!” Mavis all but shrieked. “The pixie?” Lois rolled her eyes to heaven. Even for Mavis, this was a bit much. But then she turned and there, as real as the ache in her bones, was a tiny winged being, hopping on one foot and doing what Lois imagined was the fairy version of swearing. Without thinking, Lois whispered gently, “May we help you?” “Don’t talk to it,” Mavis whispered nervously. “But it’s hurt…” “Can we help you small being?” she asked again. She had decided on small being because stare as she might she could not determine whether the wee creature was male or female. The creature stopped hopping at that and looked at her intensely. “Kind of you to ask… Not many of your kind would, you know.” “My kind?” “Humans, don’t ya know,” “Oh, yes, I see. Well, I would imagine the opportunity doesn’t come up very often, though, “ Lois felt a need to defend her species. “Well, I suppose you’re right about that,” the creature agreed. “But still it was a generous gesture.” “Well, you seemed like you were in pain.” “Indeed I was. Sprained my wing, don’t ya know.” “Not really. I don’t know much about wings. How did you wind up on the Empire State Building? “Wind tunnel,” the creature replied. “Then I lost my bearings. You are quite kind. I think I must reward you.” “Oh, no, that’s not really necessary.” Mavis was nudging her in the ribs again. She was just starting to say something when the pixie her gave a quick wink and a little smile. “Ouch!” Mavis shrieked. “She won’t do that again,” the creature laughed and was gone. “Thanks,” Lois smiled. It was the perfect gift. “Let’s have that cup of coffee, Mavis.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: France, cold weather, backhoe, light and shadow, Humane society, ambivalent, “Happy Birthday, Sarah Jane,” Martians, Thanksgiving Day Parade, green eyes

Mini Challenge: she’ll be comin' round the mountain when she comes, pumpkin pie, yellow jacket, short-changed, life after 50


Thanks for playing. For those who are new, here are some guidelines to make the process more fun.

Enjoy! See you next week.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR NAME TO MR. LINKY!!!!!