Friday, November 06, 2009

Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 88



This is week 88 of the Saturday Wordzzle Challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. I had meant to cancel this week's challenge since my niece will be visiting, but I forgot so I'm preparing it early and setting it to post at the usual time but I probably won't be around to visit until Sunday or Monday. Diana's here! (well she will be when you read this.)



The words for this week's challenge were: Cute, come with me to the Casba, bloodhound, respiration, Facebook, Canada Geese, modern, gravity, spider webs, sea shells And for the mini: curiosity killed the cat, charming Victorian, railroad tracks, tower, salt and pepper



The maxi:


Although Lucinda lived right near the railroad tracks and the most interesting part of her view was a water tower, she still loved her home. The house itself was a charming Victorian and she had decorated it with knick knacks and furniture from that period so that entering it was like stepping back in time. Her most favorite treasures were a framed embroidery that said "curiosity killed the cat" that had supposedly been made by her great great grandmother and her collection of salt and pepper shakers. She had almost lost it all to a cute (he had more charm than good looks, really) guy she had met on that modern wonder, Facebook. He had pursued her on line for months, like a bloodhound on the scent. Sometimes his words were so poetic that gravity seemed to lift and her respiration became erratic. "Come with me to the Casba," he had written, "We'll walk on the beach and collect sea shells. We'll explore the world and follow the Canada Geese on their journey." It had all seemed so romantic. Lucky for her, her cousin Charlie had caught wind of it and had checked the guy out. Turned out he was a grifter know as Arachnid because he lured lonely women into virtual spider webs spun of promises and lies and then stole not only their hearts but all of their earthly possessions as well. It all had a really happy ending too, because Charlie talked her into going to the police and the officer who helped her set up the sting turned out to be the love of her life. He was kind, gentle, truly handsome ... and best of all, he loved antiques and had his own collection of salt and pepper shakers. Arachnid went to jail and Lucinda got married and lived happily ever after
.



The mini:


You would do well to remember that
Curiosity killed the cat, Amanda Tower whispered to the small salt and pepper colored ball of fur curled up next to her on the once charming Victorian sofa which the aforementioned ball of fur had put significant effort into redecorating, leaving veritable railroad tracks of scratches across almost every inch of it. One of these days you will not come away from your escapades with just a few scratches and bruises and a $200 vet bill for me. Honestly, I don't always know why I love you. Just a soft heart, I guess, she said as the ball of fur - looking for all the world like the most innocent of beings - crawled into her lap and started purring loudly. And you do give good hugs, you little monkey.




The 10-word:



Grace Gravity loved life and tried to live it to the fullest. Her best friend - of the furry kind, at least - was a bloodhound whom she named Facebook, ("his face may not be cute but it has so much expression it reads like a book," she would laugh when people commented on the name). As bloodhounds go, Facebook wasn't much of a detective, though he had a peculiar gift for sniffing out spiders and spider webs and sea shells. His favorite sports were beach combing, swimming and chasing cats and Canada Geese. But Facebook was more than a pet, a very special modern dog because his true and most profound gift was an instinct for even the most subtle changes in Grace's respiration and other signs that portended the onset of an epileptic seizure. Last year at the Humane Society's Come with Me to the Casba Ball and Fund Raiser he had not only saved her from the humiliation of a full blown public seizure, he had introduced her to the handsome Dr. Daniel Drake. They liked to tell people that they had met her fiance through Facebook. It was was a great conversation starter and a way of honoring the dog they both loved so very much.




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Words for next week's 10-word challenge are: officer, candid, drowning, turtles, sugar-coated, prospecting, shame on you, recliner, luggage, brains


And for the mini: paragon of virtue, cats-in-the-cradle, swamp, sprinkles, garbage




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!!!!!


7 comments:

DawnTreader said...

I loved the idea of a bloodhound named Facebook!!!

I also like your middle story (in spite of being allergic to cats myself) It's sweet but realistic at the same time.

The first one I found very good too - until the "happily ever after" ending, which to my taste is a bit too much... (Yes we all want it, but we all know it's not that easy...) ;)

Argent said...

Oh, Raven, you do spin a good story. Your maxi was satisfying in the extreme and the words meshed in really well.

Your mini was charming, you can feel Amanda's love for her kitty shining all through it.

...and your 10-worder was the best! "Met through Facebook"! Classic! I loved all three this week, but the 10-worder gets it by a (bloohound's) nose.

Akelamalu said...

Oh I'm so glad Charlie saved Lucinda from the evil clutches of Arachnid, and she found the love of her life - some good did come of it after all!


Amanda obviously loves her cat very much. Clawing the furniture - I'm not sure I could! :0

Oh Facebook is a matchmaker as well as a lifesaver - wonderful!

I loved all three of your offerings this week Raven. :)

Dr.John said...

Three great stories each with a happy ending.
What a clever way to use " Facebook" in the last story.

bettygram said...

I read your stories first thing this morning, but had to wait until now to comment. I am glad that Arachnid got his, and there was a happy ending. I liked the love for the cat through the problems. That is how I feel towards Maggie. A ruined carpet and furniture,not to mention the clothes with holes.

Carletta said...

Wow Raven,you were in grand form when you wrote these. I enjoyed all three very much.
The middle one written with a cat lover's heart. At the moment my little Heidi is not liking a put a rubber backed rug on her favorite sunroom chair because she is clawing it (she only has back claws)
Like everyone else I loved the Facebook idea in the last one!
Hope you're having a wonderful time with Diana!

Stephen said...

I liked your stories. The first one showed a con man being brought to justice and then the woman finding true love with one of the police officers. The mini story showed a woman loving her cat despite the destruction it caused. We've had a few cats like that. The 10 word story showed a dog named Facebook, an unusual and amusing name, helping a woman with her medical problems and helping her meet the man she was going to marry. They were all good stories.

Stephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/