Friday, May 08, 2009

Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 62

This is week 62 of the Saturday Wordzzle challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. I'm looking for some word suggestions if anybody wants to send some.



The words for this week's ten word challenge were: gentle spring rain, mammoth, soap opera, worry, bubble gum, garden gate, seizure, of Biblical proportions, paralysis, wrinkles Mini Challenge: operatic, stuffed animals, anger management, biographical, paint splatters




My 10 word offering:

Following the mammoth seizure which had led to her paralysis, Myrtle Mimsy took her pleasure where she could. On sunny Spring days, her health care worker would wheel her to the garden gate where she would sit and enjoy the beauty of the flowers and a soft breeze. Occasionally, she'd take with her a large basket of bubble gum and after popping a piece into her own mouth, would pass it out to children and adults as they passed by. Sometimes she'd have bubble blowing contests with the children. This year the weather had been bad and she had been reduced (though she secretly enjoyed them) to endless hours watching endless hours of soap opearas. Although today there was a gentle Spring rain, it had been raining on and off constantly for weeks and weeks and she feared not just flooding but flooding of Biblical proportions. All this worry will give me wrinkles she mused, and it won't stop the floods if they do come. I do miss giving the kids their bubble gum. Maybe it's time to throw a party and take everyone's mind off this weather for a while. "Matilda," she sang out. "Come along. We have a party to plan."


My mini:

Although Floretta Fiandoche was often sweet as the stuffed animals she collected, when she lost her temper it was operatic and dramatic in the extreme. This had gotten her into a bit of trouble at home and at the office and now she was being forced to take this stupid anger management course. It really pissed her off and she was simmering with anger as she did the stupid paint splatter exercise that was supposed to help her express her feelings in a healthy way. The biographical information her husband had shown her on this half-witted psychiastrist had not mentioned that she was an IDIOT! Just wait until she got out of here. There was going to be more than paint splattering, she thought to herself as she tossed another wad of red ink at the thickly dripping canvas. Watching through the two way mirror, the aformentioned psychiatrist shook her head and sighed. This one was not going to be easy.



The maxi:



Looking at the paint splatters with which 3-year-old Timmy had managed to cover the walls, his stuffed animals and a number of assorted toys like a not-so-gentle Spring rain, Jennifer was really glad that she had worked on dealing with anger management. It was amazing that a child who looked as sweet and innocent as Tim could wreak a kind of havoc of Biblical proportions so seemingly effortlessly... and with such devastating regularity and such incredible speed. It wasn't as though she was careless either... she was a woman who never left the garden gate open, who kept as steady an eye as possible on her creative young son. Her husband always teased her that Worry was her middle name. He didn't have to live the soap opera that was life with this particular child. Tammy, who was now 10, had been a dream of sweetness and good behavior. She had created none of these mammoth operatic crises that Tim managed to pull of on a daily basis no matter how closely she watched over him. About the worst Tammy had ever done was to get bubble gum in her hair. In the diaries of biographical memories she was keeping for both of her children, Tammy had only three or four pages of "stories" even though she was now 10, while Timmy's misadventures had already filled up two volumes, added wrinkles to her once youthful face and left her near paralysis with terror on occasion and - in situations like today's mayhem - on the edge of a seizure with anger and frustration. One thing that conforted her, though, was that as a writer, she figured she had a pretty entertaining book in the making based on Timmy's bad behavior. Her tentative title was Surviving Timmy. If it sold, she figured it would pay for his college and her own therapy.


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







Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: Green goddess, shampoo, filibuster, please and thank you, Operation Marigold, throw pillows, up the creek without a paddle, spandex, ubiquitous, wedding ring,

Mini Challenge: Skittles, lamb chops, stingray, chagrin, clever devil




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!!!!!




18 comments:

Thom - - Dr. John said...

Very entertaining stories. Timmy sounds like a real hand full too.

SMM said...

Oh Raven, Timmy does sound like one of those monster children which you hear about and never want to have home cuz they are so destructive :P

Richard said...

I liked them all, but the first included my nickname so I like it best.

Batteson.Ind said...

I really enjoyed the maxi! Nice set of characters, and could imagine the little fella perfectly!, I love reading your wordzzleing..cheers!

DawnTreader said...

Seems to be something wrong with MrLinky right now, I find no way to add my link?

http://islandofvoices.blogspot.com/2009/05/ravens-wordzzle-challenge-62.html

Akelamalu said...

Three great stories Raven. I liked the last one best but I think Timmy should have been named DAMIEN and they should have checked his scalp for 666! :)

Akelamalu said...

PS I can't get Mr. Linky to open up it's saying fatal error! :0

Dr.John said...

You proved again you are the Master. Those were hard words to put together but you did it with such ease.
I really loved the first and last stories. I can see both the ladies, the mother and the one in the wheelchair.

bettygram said...

I liked The solution of having a party. I also liked the solution to publish a book on Timmy.

Dianne said...

we both invented a Matilda! I love that name

Fandango said...

It's too bad they won't let us eat bad little boys any more. It was a real deterrent to bad behavior in the middle ages.
We dragons liked your last story.
You write so well. But your words are so painful. Next week we need to do a flash 55 with those words. HELP!

Ms. Kathy said...

Oh, I love word puzzles and these are fun! Can I play?

Ms. Kathy said...

Princess Spandex was, said to be the fairest wearer of the fabric in the land. One would not dare say otherwise as she was, after all a princess. About the kingdom, it was said that she had closets of spandex wardrobes for each season, if you can imagine that.
The problem with this is the "indisposability" once it has outlived its use. The Princess was want to toss an unwanted garment out of her window at the slightest tear, stain or stretch. Her window faced the Green Goddess Lake which was so named for the Green Goddess that supposedly protected the lake. Of course GG quickly tired of the ubiquitous wardrobe draping her domain and decided to "handle up on home girl" as only a green goddess can. GG sent green messengers up to the castle with a very polite plea to the king. These guys are very polite never forgetting to say please and thank you. But the King Spandex (the princess's dad--what did ya think?)knew they could be tough if GG ordered. The king had a talk with his head strong yet trailer-park/ghetto fab fashionable daughter. She promised to take it easy but within a few weeks she returned to her old ways.
Soon the Green Messengers returned and she couldn't filibuster her way out of trouble. They took her the the Green Goddess's stronghold which was located up the creek without a paddle...and believe you me, the princess knew exactly where she was!
The King heard the commotion and ran to the princess's room but he was too late. Princess Spandex was gone. The only evidence of a struggle was a few throw pillows tossed about the room.And so he sent knights to rescue her but it was no use.

In her plans Green Goddess had devised Operation Marigold. The plan was to marry the Princess off to a wealthy prince--in other words she would "marry gold." The king was actually okay with that and had the most beautiful yet tasteful wedding ring created by the royal jeweler. The Goddess placed a spell on the ring which made it attract stylish and tasteful young princes from far away lands. The final suitor was Prince Satin, son of King Cotton and Queen Silk. Queen Silk gave the princess a magical make-over and they all lived happily ever after! I mean it!

Nessa said...

I think Timmy should get the therapy and Tammy should go to college. Very interesting stories.

Finding Pam said...

Raven all three of your stories were wonderful, but I really enjoyed Mirtle Mimsey. Sounds like someone I know.

Stephen said...

I liked your stories. In the 10 word challenge, it's good that the woman, in spite of her circumstances, is looking on the bright side of things. In the mini, I thought the paint splatter painting was an interesting exercise. Looks like Floretta might be doing them for a while, too. In the maxi story, I think the idea of writing a book about Timmy's adventures was a good one. People have made a lot of money on such things before.

I have my own stories up now.

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

gabrielle said...

Love the character of Myrtle Mimsy.

And how anger management just inflamed Floreta's ahem phlegm.

The last story rang so true. I remember a weekend with Emma that left me with tics that would make full fledged Tourettes look polite.

Great writing, as usual. I am amazed at the scenarios you imagine. And always touched by how human they are.

Lana said...

hi, i just found your blog and i really liked this challenge. i gave it a little try and now i'm hooked. i'll be back for more :)