The exercise:
Write about: the charm.
Farm BBQ was a definite success this evening. Hosted 24 people, though that number includes two babies and five kids ranging from less than two to just over four years old. Other than a wind that was rather excessive at times, the weather cooperated as well.
And now I am completely exhausted, as it was a long day of preparations and then a long evening of entertaining. So good night, and see you all again on the morrow.
Mine:
Two of our guests this evening got along particularly well. Gracie, who was a flower girl at our wedding two years ago at the tender age of two and a half, and Dex, a little boy who moved in just down the street from us less than a month ago.
Gracie, along with her sister and mother, were the first to arrive. When it was explained to her that there would be no girls her age at the BBQ she was not shy about voicing her disappointment. Which is not surprising, since I'm pretty sure there's not a shy bone in her body. You should have seen her steal the show at our wedding.
Anyway. Dex is also very outgoing. In fact, when Kat and I went over to invite our new neighbours to the BBQ he held out his hand while we were talking to his mom and said, "Hi, I'm Dex."
Shortly after he and his family arrived, Gracie was chasing him around the tables and I don't think they were too far apart for the rest of the evening. I was actually taking Gracie up to pick a few blackberries (her favorite of all that we grow) and suddenly Dex was joining the adventure. And when we got to the bushes Gracie insisted on picking some berries just for him.
It was all rather ridiculously charming and cute, really. I'm curious to hear if there will be any requests for another play date from either party.
I expect there will be.
4 comments:
That's a pretty good turnout for your barbecue! If it keeps growing like this you'll need to build your own barbecue pit in two years time :) I shall go and book the plane tickets now....
Gracie and Dex sound very entertaining, and it's good that you've got some children around of various ages already for when yours arrives :)
Beautiful editorial writing as always!
The charm
For her eighteenth birthday the Giant Janesse's father commissioned a charm bracelet. He instructed Valdon, the smith who'd forged the chains that held back the Tibetan Dragons, and the smith produced a silver bracelet hung with thirteen different charms. Each charm had a different essence embedded in it, and together they protected the bracelet's wearer from almost all misfortune. Janesse was delighted with it, and wore it everywhere and all the time.
When she was struck by rocks and lava flung from an erupting volcano the bracelet defended her and saved her life, but one of the charms, a platinum anchor, came loose and fell away from the bracelet. It was flung into the air by the eruptions, and came back to earth far away, crashing down on the Mayor's house in the town of Hame. The Mayor luckily escaped being crushed to death, and decided that it was easier to move house than move the charm.
Some days later the townsfolk realised what the charm's property was, as they had all become incredibly persuasive. Seductive words ran from their tongues like liquid honey, and merchants began to refuse to come into the town because they struck such poor bargains with the townsfolk.
The townsfolk quickly built a fortress around the charm, and it's there still to this day. Every attempt to steal it or take it by force has failed, because someone from the town always talks the attackers out of it!
The Charm (dwp)
The Pandora bracelet was nearly complete. Significant people in your life had contributed to it, telling the story not only of your life but of their connections to it.
There was the windmill for your parents.
The teddy bear your husband gave you for your first Christmas together.
The cat and the bird for the pets you’d had.
The roses for your wedding bouquet.
The boy and girl for the children you’d had.
You went to the shop.
There was one more charm to get to complete the story.
You chose the baby’s pram and the assistant looked at you and said, “Shall I gift wrap it for you?”
“No, it’s for me,” you answered, thereby completely confusing the shop assistant with your distinctly grey hair and wrinkles.
You couldn’t stop grinning as you paid your money and grabbed the charm, heading home to add it to the bracelet.
You didn’t bother explaining that the last charm wasn’t about your baby, it was for the long awaited for grandchild who graced your life with such happiness.
Lovely stories, each one of them. I just wish I could pull up the poem I wrote about the Charm, Gloria had the elves make for her best friend Morgan (as a birthday present since she got married on Morgan’s birthday). But that’s stashed on my netbook, so not to day. Today I shall have to come up with something else.
The Charm
Angelica wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and now sleeping Angel. Moving, she was naught but a shadow in the night. A swift flick of fingers and dogs hushed their barks.
She was running out of places to hide; running out of power. There was only one option left
Standing upon the edge of the woods, Angelica brought forth her baby.
“Beautiful Angel,” she whispered, kissing her son as he squirmed slightly in the cool night air.
Angelica entered the woods, her baby held to her breasts. This would be the last that she might see of him. Further in she crept, all senses alive. She could feel the night hunters take note of her presence.
A wolf howled
Gently setting the infant down she removed his swaddling.
“Please understand.”
Kissing him upon the forehead, she transferred the last of her charm into his little body. Turning she fled, hoping upon hop that it would work and hoping that she’d survive long enough to return to him. The wolves could only teach him so much, but without a source of her own, she couldn’t’ teach him anything.
Because Marc requested more of these two, and it seemed to fit. Influenced by “A Thousand Glass Flowers” by Prue Batten. :}
Greg - during our post BBQ analysis, I was actually complaining to Kat that if everyone we invited was actually able to make it I'd need four BBQs to cook for them all instead of the two I had this time!
Hah, that's an interesting scenario. I wonder who would win if the townsfolk tried to bargain with each other?
Writebite - that sounds like a beautiful bracelet, one to be cherished.
Cathryn - so... if I request more again does that mean you have to write more? Because I like the sound of that!
Seriously fascinating stuff. Consider me hooked :)
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