Good morning, FFFs,
Has life changed drastically for you with the coronavirus? The biggest change for me is no church. I miss the fellowship.
My niece, Kinsley, was born last Friday evening. She has a round face and dark hair. So cute. The other kids are in love with her.
I'm doing Camp NaNo and so far I'm making good progress on my Secret Project. I have ideas for it, I just don't know how they all fit together. ;) But so far, when I get stuck I lie on the floor, stare at the ceiling and think about the story until the next scene pops into my head. I know it sounds odd, but it's worked so far. :)
I'm also working on getting some of my longer kindle stories formatted for 4x6 paperback. I can't wait to get the proof copies! So far I have three non-Christmas books formatted that size, and am working on another. I'm wanting to publish "Choices for Max" and "Mystery at Random" as small books.
Oh, if you haven't already, head over to Read Another Page and try your hand at the games I created just for you! By doing so you can enter a giveaway.
The weather has been warmer. Still lots of clouds and rain, but mixed in with that is sunshine, so it hasn't been too bad. I got our yard mowed yesterday. Well, all except where the flowers were blooming. The grape hyacinths and wild sweet Williams are in bloom, so I mowed around them. Last Saturday my nephews and I went down to the creek and picked up 3 bags of trash. It still needs more clean up.
Here's your next part of this story. I hope you enjoy it!
Florida
“Sure.” The door opened, and Chris appeared buttoning his everyday shirt. It always amazed Ria how quickly her brothers could change. “When word gets out that you have a pet alligator, the gang will be over, the kids from school will come see it, why you might even get your name in the paper if it gets mentioned to the right people.”
“I’d still be lonely.”
Chris looked surprised. “You would?”
“Yep. All those people would come to see Florida, not me. I could hide in the closet, and they wouldn’t notice as long as the strange and exotic creature from down south was around to gawk at.”
Laughing, Chris pulled her braid lightly. “You read too many books. Come on, I’ll help you figure out where to put him. Or is it a her?”
Ria shrugged.
After supper Mr. Mitchell stopped in the kitchen where Ria was drying dishes. “You know, Ria, you could probably ask the science teacher at school how to take care of an alligator.”
Ria turned quickly. “I was going to do that today, Daddy, but with all the kids pestering to come see it, I didn’t get a chance to. I’ll do that tomorrow. You don’t think Florida will die before then, do you?”
“No,” Mr. Mitchelll chuckled, “I don’t think Florida will die before then.”
Mr. Beemer, the science teacher, told Ria things she could feed her new pet and asked it he might stop by and see him on Saturday. To this Ria agreed happily.
Word of Ria’s alligator spread more rapidly than a brush fire in July. All day, schoolmates stopped her to ask if it was true. Did she really have an alligator at her home? Had one of the gang really sent it? Could they come see it?
To everyone Ria had one answer. “Yes.”
By the time school was out Ria wanted to hide. It felt like the entire school was following her to her house. Suddenly she stopped short and turned around, looking for someone.
“Who are you looking for?” Chris asked. Somehow he’d managed to find his way to his sister’s side.
“Ray. Well, I was looking for Al first, but then I remembered he graduated.”
For a moment Chris scanned the crowd and then motioned to someone. A moment later Ray shouldered his way through the chattering crowd of schoolmates. “Ria wantes you.”
Ria thought she heard a note of sadness in her brother’s voice. “I want you both,” she quickly said. “Tom said I wasn’t to let the gang torment Florida, but what about all these kids?” And she glanced at the crowd who were beginning to urge them to keep going and to ask what was taking so long.
“Let them in a few at a time and tell them they can’t touch him.” Ray suggested.
“And only let them stay a short time,” added Chris quickly.
“I don’t know if Mom’s going to like this many people crowding into the house and then out again.”
“She’s right.” Chris nodded, looking at their older cousin. Ray was only a year older than Chris, but he was also a higher rank in ROTC. “It’ll be a logistical nightmare.”
After a little more talk, Ray climbed up onto a bench, whistled, and called for attention. “We know you all want to see the alligator, but so many of you at once might not be good for his temper. Besides, we have to figure out how to get you all in and then out of the house without Aunt Emma having a fit.” Ray smiled. “So, come over tomorrow sometime.”
“And,” Ria scrambled up onto the bench beside her cousin, “if you want to see him eat, bring a small piece of meat.”
There were some groans, and some unkind remarks about making them wait, but most of the kids didn’t mind a slight delay, and the crowd soon dispersed, except for the rest of the gang and all the younger siblings and cousins. Together they were enough to almost fill the Mitchell home.
“Ria,” Dave asked, edging up to her as she accepted Ray’s hand to step down from the bench, “do you really have an alligator? A live one? Or is this some big joke?”
“Come see.” Ria set off for home, flanked on one side by her brother and on the other by Ray.
Later that evening as Chris and Ria sat in the living room playing Chinese Checkers, Chris said, “You know, Ria, that was a great idea about asking the kids to bring meat. I got to thinking, it’s going to take some of our food stamps to get meat for him. Maybe we should require a little bit of meat from everyone who wants to see him. Not much, just a small piece.”
Ria moved a marble thoughtfully. “But won’t it make him sick if he eats too much at once?”
It was Chris’s turn to look thoughtful. “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe we should wait and see who comes with meat tomorrow.”
“I’d still be lonely.”
Chris looked surprised. “You would?”
“Yep. All those people would come to see Florida, not me. I could hide in the closet, and they wouldn’t notice as long as the strange and exotic creature from down south was around to gawk at.”
Laughing, Chris pulled her braid lightly. “You read too many books. Come on, I’ll help you figure out where to put him. Or is it a her?”
Ria shrugged.
After supper Mr. Mitchell stopped in the kitchen where Ria was drying dishes. “You know, Ria, you could probably ask the science teacher at school how to take care of an alligator.”
Ria turned quickly. “I was going to do that today, Daddy, but with all the kids pestering to come see it, I didn’t get a chance to. I’ll do that tomorrow. You don’t think Florida will die before then, do you?”
“No,” Mr. Mitchelll chuckled, “I don’t think Florida will die before then.”
*
Mr. Beemer, the science teacher, told Ria things she could feed her new pet and asked it he might stop by and see him on Saturday. To this Ria agreed happily.
Word of Ria’s alligator spread more rapidly than a brush fire in July. All day, schoolmates stopped her to ask if it was true. Did she really have an alligator at her home? Had one of the gang really sent it? Could they come see it?
To everyone Ria had one answer. “Yes.”
By the time school was out Ria wanted to hide. It felt like the entire school was following her to her house. Suddenly she stopped short and turned around, looking for someone.
“Who are you looking for?” Chris asked. Somehow he’d managed to find his way to his sister’s side.
“Ray. Well, I was looking for Al first, but then I remembered he graduated.”
For a moment Chris scanned the crowd and then motioned to someone. A moment later Ray shouldered his way through the chattering crowd of schoolmates. “Ria wantes you.”
Ria thought she heard a note of sadness in her brother’s voice. “I want you both,” she quickly said. “Tom said I wasn’t to let the gang torment Florida, but what about all these kids?” And she glanced at the crowd who were beginning to urge them to keep going and to ask what was taking so long.
“Let them in a few at a time and tell them they can’t touch him.” Ray suggested.
“And only let them stay a short time,” added Chris quickly.
“I don’t know if Mom’s going to like this many people crowding into the house and then out again.”
“She’s right.” Chris nodded, looking at their older cousin. Ray was only a year older than Chris, but he was also a higher rank in ROTC. “It’ll be a logistical nightmare.”
After a little more talk, Ray climbed up onto a bench, whistled, and called for attention. “We know you all want to see the alligator, but so many of you at once might not be good for his temper. Besides, we have to figure out how to get you all in and then out of the house without Aunt Emma having a fit.” Ray smiled. “So, come over tomorrow sometime.”
“And,” Ria scrambled up onto the bench beside her cousin, “if you want to see him eat, bring a small piece of meat.”
There were some groans, and some unkind remarks about making them wait, but most of the kids didn’t mind a slight delay, and the crowd soon dispersed, except for the rest of the gang and all the younger siblings and cousins. Together they were enough to almost fill the Mitchell home.
“Ria,” Dave asked, edging up to her as she accepted Ray’s hand to step down from the bench, “do you really have an alligator? A live one? Or is this some big joke?”
“Come see.” Ria set off for home, flanked on one side by her brother and on the other by Ray.
Later that evening as Chris and Ria sat in the living room playing Chinese Checkers, Chris said, “You know, Ria, that was a great idea about asking the kids to bring meat. I got to thinking, it’s going to take some of our food stamps to get meat for him. Maybe we should require a little bit of meat from everyone who wants to see him. Not much, just a small piece.”
Ria moved a marble thoughtfully. “But won’t it make him sick if he eats too much at once?”
It was Chris’s turn to look thoughtful. “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe we should wait and see who comes with meat tomorrow.”
Do you think Chris was right about why Jack sent Florida?
Are you doing Camp NaNo?
What has your week been like?
Yes, life has been very different, primarily because we haven't had normal church. :/ But God is still in control and He has a plan! I think I've adjusted by now, for the most part. ;)
ReplyDeleteAww! Kinsley sounds so cute!
Your way to conquer writer's block does sound very interesting, but if it works, great! :D
Chris is probably right about why Jack sent Florida. :)
Yep, I'm doing Camp Nano! I haven't written today yet, but hopefully I'll get some in. (Thanks for the reminder, lol!) It's been nice to get some words in on a project that I haven't worked on for a while.
My week has been great! Lots of exciting things having to do with publishing have happened! :D It's been fun. ;)
Happy to remind a fellow writer to write. ;) Yes, exciting things with publishing! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are adjusting to things.