Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 157

Perhaps as a measure of the fact that I'm playing pretty much alone of late, I completely forgot that today was Wordzzle day until just now (7:00 pm).  As has been turning into a habit, I guess I'll post Mr. Linky and the new words in the deluded hope that someone else may be pining to post something and do my own exercises later this evening or in the morning.

Word for this week's 10-word were: independent, cheese, digital camera, lilacs, history, bells are ringing, hand cream, muffler, hopelessly devoted to you, thunder and lightning  And for the mini: discussion, jail, flood, computer games, summer

My 10-word:

Looking at the antique hot-rod rolling (which needed a was in desperate need of a  new muffler) down the street with the song "Hopelessly Devoted to You," blaring from its radio, Megan wished she had not left the digital camera at home, as the sight drew her heart back to a sweet time in her personal history, when she was young and independent and very much in love.  It was had been a summer of lilacs and roses.  It's funny how sounds and smells can move you through time, she thought. The hand cream she used wasn't that good, but it was like bottled a memory of George and going to the movies - they had seen Bells are Ringing - and afterwards there was a big storm with thunder and lightning and he had held her shaking body close (she hated storms) and then taken her for cheese burgers and a shake and asked her to marry him. And she had said yes and never regretted it for a moment of the 40 years they had been together. Even though he was gone, she often felt his presence, still protecting her. And as if to confirm that thought, the a gentle breeze brought the sweet scent of lilacs and roses to her. "Love you too, honey," she whispered. 

My mini: 

Listening to her children's animated discussion of their computer game (the one under discussion at the moment was something called Jail break Justice or some such thing) strategy, Martha was flooded with a memory of her own youth and what she sometimes referred to as the Summer of Zelda. It was her deepest secret that in Fall and Winter - when the kids were at school - she allowed herself 2 hours each day to escape the humdrum reality of motherhood and housekeeping on one mystic adventure or another.  She viewed it as an exercise in keeping her inner child alive and well. And it was fun. Even mothers deserved some fun. Smiling at her kids, she asked, "Anyone want to go for ice cream?" 

And the mega:

"Say Cheese!"  Alice Flood called to her husband. He was standing in front of the lilac bushes and she thought he was as handsome as the day she had met him what seemed like a hundred years ago. Alice thought that the invention of the digital camera (and the computer) was one of the best things to happen in the long history of her life. They had met as teen-agers at a gas station, of all places. He had a summer job and the car her father had reluctantly given her was in need of a muffler. For his part, Hank never forgot that first moment of seeing her. It was as though time stopped and he even thought maybe there had been thunder and lightening as though a goddess had come down from the heavens. He had lost all capacity for independent thought and in his memory (though perhaps it hadn't actually been written yet in reality) he heard the song "Hopelessly devoted to you" consuming his brain. It had been love at first sight, alright... and lucky for him, it had been only gotten better. She had laughingly brought him out of it by pointing out that "bells are ringing," (a reference to three cars which had pulled in and made the little bells they had in those days ding their presence).  He had made it a point to be there when she returned the next day to pick up her car. He had combed his hair and even used hand cream to try and disguise the damage working on cars all day did. Somehow - they had gotten into a discussion of movies which led to politics which led to him asking her out and her saying yes. They married young and never looked back. He went on to become a computer geek and made a lot of money creating  computer games, the most popular of which was something called Jail Break.  In between being a mother to their three amazing children, she had written a novel and then a book of poetry. Best of all, they had been friends and companions to one another, giving support in dark times, inspiration in all good times and love in every moment.  "Say Cheese, you big ham," she repeated and as if by magic, the camera caught not only his handsome smile but a life-time of love with it. 

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge: illegal, idiot, imagination, ivory, ignorance, improper, I think we're not in Kansas any more, iridescent, iris, idol

And for the mini: dog food, diagram, dismiss, daring, diabolical

Thanks you for playing.  Newcomers can check here for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.