Good morning, FFFs,
It's cold here. And cloudy. But at least we got 3 days of wonderful sunshine Saturday, Sunday and Monday! And then even some sunshine on Tuesday. Now we're back to clouds and cold. Yesterday didn't get above the mid 20s. Of course no snow, but there was a freezing mist Wednesday night, so things have a fine layer of ice. We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow night and Sunday morning. But I don't think it will be much.
This week I approved the "hopefully" final audios for both "Finding Joy" and "Dylan's Story." Both have been in the works since last summer. One had a host of technical difficulties, and the other just got forgotten by my producer. Now we just wait and see if ACX (Audible) says they are fine or not. I'm really hoping they will be fine as I'm so ready for them to be done!
On Tuesday afternoon, after I taught writing classes, I went to the library. I hadn't been since December, but since there was a chance for some nasty winter weather, I decided to go and get a few books I had been wanting to read just in case church was cancelled. I ended up coming home with 5 books. We'll see if I like them all. I've read one and enjoyed it though I still have to write a review for it. (I finished it last night.)
I am almost ready to line up my beta-readers for "Hymns in the Hills." Just a few names I need to fix. That might get done today, or it might not. I do have a list of things I need to work on and get done today if possible.
Oh, I have been writing this week. Maybe not as much as I had hoped, but I'm also not disappointed by the word count. This is a different kind of story than I usually write. I'm just praying that it all comes together without being rushed, or dragged.
Anyway, this story was first published back in the summer of 2014. Since that was almost 5 years ago, I thought I could repost it. :) I hope you enjoy it!
Being Decisive
Part 1
Thirteen-year-old Melody laughed. She hadn’t been out to her uncle’s
ranch for many days, but already she loved it. She loved the early
morning breakfasts, the chores, the horses, everything. It was so
different from the life she knew back in Chicago. Here the air was fresh
and clean, the streams clear and cold. All the men she had met were
gentlemen who at the least touched their hats to her or nodded. No
longer did she have trouble getting to sleep at night, for the outdoor
life she led brought on a feeling of tiredness quite new to her, and she
dropped into slumber almost as soon as her head touched her pillow.
There were a few things which bothered her, though they weren’t much and she hoped they would soon pass. One was her oldest cousins, Donald and Catherine, or Don and Cath as they were more commonly known. They were as polite and kind to her as the others were, but somehow Melody could sense that for some reason they weren’t sure they approved of her. “Perhaps it’s because they think I’m really a city girl at heart,” she thought. “But if I was, why would I do the things I do?”
The other problem was her perpetual fault of indecisiveness. For as long as she could remember, Melody had never been able to make up her mind quickly about anything, whether it was a new dress, what to order at the ice cream shop, or even which pair of white socks to wear with her Sunday dress. So indecisive was she that her cousins had almost quit asking what she wanted to do and just told her what she was going to do. She didn’t really mind that. But just the other day her uncle had scolded her a little for not making a decision until the opportunity was past. “One day, Mel,” he had told her, “you are going to be faced with a grave decision which you will have to make at a moment’s notice. If you aren’t ready, it may be too late.” This has caused her a new concern. What would happen in a crises if she couldn’t be decisive?
Other than those things, Melody was greatly enjoying her time at the ranch and was glad fall was so far away.
“Mel, come on!” A voice called.
With another laugh, Melody ran after her cousin. That was another thing she liked, the nickname she had at once been given by her country cousins. It sounded much more interesting and daring than Melody did.
Dashing up the steps, Mel caught up with Lou and Dick. “Why are we in such a hurry?” she panted.
“Come on,” Lou, who was ten, urged impatiently. “Inside.”
Still puzzled, but willing to follow if someone was leading, Mel allowed herself to be pulled into the large ranch kitchen.
“Here she is!” Dick shouted with all the lung power of a healthy seven-year-old.
“Goodness, Dick, you don’t have to shout,” Liz scolded with a smile and a shake of her head. “We’re not deaf.”
“Eh, what was that?” sixteen-year-old Tom asked, putting his hand to his ear.
A burst of laughter filled the kitchen. Tom was always cracking a joke or doing something to make others laugh.
After the laugh had died away, Melody looked from one face to another. “Well, what are we doing?”
Every eye turned to Don. “Before Mom and Dad left, they said we could go out for a ride and,” he added quickly before Dick or Lou could speak, “Dad said that since you have improved so much in your riding, we can take you up to the promontory.”
Loud squeals of delight came from the two youngest who had known of the coming picnic, but not the location.
“Liz and I have the lunches packed,” Cath said. “So, Mel, Lou and Dick, get your boots and hats.”
“And hurry,” Jim called.
By the time the three had their hats and boots on, the boys had the horses saddled and everyone was ready. Just before they rode off, Don had a few words to say.
“You all know the rules No goofing off when you are on your horse going up the mountain. Or down either. No riding off alone and no bringing home any live creatures.” Here he looked at Dick who was known for filling his pockets with grasshoppers, snakes or any other creatures he could find.
“All right,” Dick sighed. “Then let me ride with Mel. She’ll make sure I don’t bring any home.”
Melody enjoyed every moment of that ride up the mountain with her cousins. The views were breathtaking and by the time they reached the promontory, she was hungry and even sandwiches tasted like a feast. However, once the edge of hunger had been dulled, she forgot the rest of her food and sat staring out over the valley, completely lost in her own thoughts until someone shoved part of a sandwich in her mouth. That brought her back with a start and she nearly choked.
“Tom,” Cath scolded with a smile, “be nice.”
With a wink at Melody who was glaring at him with a half grin on her face, Tom replied, “I was. I could have dumped water on her head.”
Hastily swallowing the bite thrust in her mouth, Melody said, “I’d rather eat than take a shower, thank you.”
“Then hurry or we’ll have to leave you behind,” Jim told her. Jim was two years older than Mel and Liz and never said much.
“The rest of us are finished,” Liz added.
Instantly Melody was filled with remorse and ate the rest of her lunch as quickly as she could while Don explained that the boys had chores they had to get back to and Cath needed to start supper.
At that a cry of dismay arose from Dick and Lou. “We don’t want to go back yet!
There were a few things which bothered her, though they weren’t much and she hoped they would soon pass. One was her oldest cousins, Donald and Catherine, or Don and Cath as they were more commonly known. They were as polite and kind to her as the others were, but somehow Melody could sense that for some reason they weren’t sure they approved of her. “Perhaps it’s because they think I’m really a city girl at heart,” she thought. “But if I was, why would I do the things I do?”
The other problem was her perpetual fault of indecisiveness. For as long as she could remember, Melody had never been able to make up her mind quickly about anything, whether it was a new dress, what to order at the ice cream shop, or even which pair of white socks to wear with her Sunday dress. So indecisive was she that her cousins had almost quit asking what she wanted to do and just told her what she was going to do. She didn’t really mind that. But just the other day her uncle had scolded her a little for not making a decision until the opportunity was past. “One day, Mel,” he had told her, “you are going to be faced with a grave decision which you will have to make at a moment’s notice. If you aren’t ready, it may be too late.” This has caused her a new concern. What would happen in a crises if she couldn’t be decisive?
Other than those things, Melody was greatly enjoying her time at the ranch and was glad fall was so far away.
“Mel, come on!” A voice called.
With another laugh, Melody ran after her cousin. That was another thing she liked, the nickname she had at once been given by her country cousins. It sounded much more interesting and daring than Melody did.
Dashing up the steps, Mel caught up with Lou and Dick. “Why are we in such a hurry?” she panted.
“Come on,” Lou, who was ten, urged impatiently. “Inside.”
Still puzzled, but willing to follow if someone was leading, Mel allowed herself to be pulled into the large ranch kitchen.
“Here she is!” Dick shouted with all the lung power of a healthy seven-year-old.
“Goodness, Dick, you don’t have to shout,” Liz scolded with a smile and a shake of her head. “We’re not deaf.”
“Eh, what was that?” sixteen-year-old Tom asked, putting his hand to his ear.
A burst of laughter filled the kitchen. Tom was always cracking a joke or doing something to make others laugh.
After the laugh had died away, Melody looked from one face to another. “Well, what are we doing?”
Every eye turned to Don. “Before Mom and Dad left, they said we could go out for a ride and,” he added quickly before Dick or Lou could speak, “Dad said that since you have improved so much in your riding, we can take you up to the promontory.”
Loud squeals of delight came from the two youngest who had known of the coming picnic, but not the location.
“Liz and I have the lunches packed,” Cath said. “So, Mel, Lou and Dick, get your boots and hats.”
“And hurry,” Jim called.
By the time the three had their hats and boots on, the boys had the horses saddled and everyone was ready. Just before they rode off, Don had a few words to say.
“You all know the rules No goofing off when you are on your horse going up the mountain. Or down either. No riding off alone and no bringing home any live creatures.” Here he looked at Dick who was known for filling his pockets with grasshoppers, snakes or any other creatures he could find.
“All right,” Dick sighed. “Then let me ride with Mel. She’ll make sure I don’t bring any home.”
Melody enjoyed every moment of that ride up the mountain with her cousins. The views were breathtaking and by the time they reached the promontory, she was hungry and even sandwiches tasted like a feast. However, once the edge of hunger had been dulled, she forgot the rest of her food and sat staring out over the valley, completely lost in her own thoughts until someone shoved part of a sandwich in her mouth. That brought her back with a start and she nearly choked.
“Tom,” Cath scolded with a smile, “be nice.”
With a wink at Melody who was glaring at him with a half grin on her face, Tom replied, “I was. I could have dumped water on her head.”
Hastily swallowing the bite thrust in her mouth, Melody said, “I’d rather eat than take a shower, thank you.”
“Then hurry or we’ll have to leave you behind,” Jim told her. Jim was two years older than Mel and Liz and never said much.
“The rest of us are finished,” Liz added.
Instantly Melody was filled with remorse and ate the rest of her lunch as quickly as she could while Don explained that the boys had chores they had to get back to and Cath needed to start supper.
At that a cry of dismay arose from Dick and Lou. “We don’t want to go back yet!
How has your weather been?
Are you decisive or not?
How many books did you get the last time you went to the library?
4 comments:
I’m super curious as to what’s going to happen—it’s set the stage for a lot of possibilities! ;) I got 10 library books last time, haha! That’s what took me so long to get back to the reading challenge! I’m definitely decisive, sometimes to a fault, but I try to keep that side from showing too much!
Yes, a lot of things could happen in this story. ;)
10 is a lot of books! :) Do you go to the library with a list or just decide when you get there? I have a list, but this time I pulled one I'd never heard of and didn't know anything about except what the back said, so we'll see if I like it.
I'm both. Sometimes I'm very decisive. Other times, well, I could be, but then again . . . ;)
Haha! I had a friend who always used to say that. XD No, not really. I have a mental list of books I’d like to find at a library, but I never can. Last time I just searched “Holocaust” in the catalog and looked through all the books that pulled up and then tracked down the ones that sounded interesting. We had several hours to spend there that day, though!
I’m looking forwards to the next part!! I’m pretty indecisive ;) which also annoys my sister who’s closest in age to me—because I’m always asking her for advice!! ;P I got at least 15 books last time I went to the library... library trips are the best! ;)
(sorry this comment is so late)
~Katja L.
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