Category Archives: RemembeRED

Write on Edge Feature!

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I think that I’ve posted more this week than I have in months! But today is a special day because I am the featured writer on Write on Edge where I’m sharing one of the posts I wrote in response to a Red Writing Hood prompt.

Write on Edge quickly became one of my favorite sites not only because of the great prompts, but also because of the supportive community that has grown with the site. It’s a place where I can go to learn & grow as a writer, a place where I can find useful feedback, where I can always find support, as well as find some incredible stories to read.

I love reading and have always enjoyed writing even though it hasn’t been my strong suit. Write on Edge allows me to write without worry or concern and with their continued support I will keep writing and growing.

So to all of you at Write on Edge I say thank you! Thank you for all that you do. Without you I wouldn’t be where I am in my writing and most of all I would have never taken the chance to take part in NaNoWriMo this year.

Crash

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Write on Edge: RemembeRED

Today we’re trying a little something different. Are you ready? Your word is below. Take the next ten minutes to write about the first single memory that word calls up. Focus on the emotions and the experience, spend ten minutes really exploring that memory. Then wrap it up, publish, and come back to link up.

Write on Edge - Crash

Winter…. January 31st to be exact. Just after 6pm and it was dark outside.

I took a back road for some reason… must have thought that it would have been quicker or something.

It had been snowing like it always does at that time of year in Michigan. Most of the roads were clear except for a few random drifts that happened to fill the roads where the fields were open.

The drifts never worried me much because I drove a four wheel drive Expedition. It plowed through drifts easily… like a knife through butter. Smooth and easy.

I was confident and sure that I was safe from the travesties that others experienced with their little cars.

Excitement was building as I drove on to meet up with some high school girl friends for a night out. I hadn’t seen them in a long time and was really looking forward to it. I never made it.

I came up over the hill and on the downside were drifts. Nothing special… until I drove through it. The drift caught my tire just right and I felt it pull my truck off to the right while I tried to get control of the truck. Fear raced through my body like nothing I had ever felt before. Before I knew it I was in the ditch and the truck tipped.

I was rolling…. I let go of the steering wheel and covered my head, it was an instinct. It wasn’t going to save me though. I kept rolling from side to side. Metal crunching, glass shattering, and my body being banged around the truck even though I had my seat belt on.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime it stopped. Windows were gone… the windshield was smashed but in tact, the roof was caved in. I did a mental check of myself…. I was fine. I survived.

Adrenaline was running high as I sat there trying to stop shaking. I fumbled around looking for my cell phone to call 911.

Fear still had it’s grip on me as I dialed several times… my hands were shaking so bad that I could barely dial. Finally I got it.  Help was in it’s way.

I missed my night out with friends and had to walk through almost knee deep snow in my brand new purple heels.

I am much more conscious about how I drive, the weather, and road conditions. I worry more than is necessary and I’m driving another truck.

Note: I followed the rules and wrote for 10 minutes and hit publish… this is not edited at all. So please be kind… the grammar and punctuation probably sucks.

A new life

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This week Galit asked you to conjure something. An object, a person, a feeling, a color, a season- whatever you like.

But don’t tell us what it is, conjure it. In 100 words.

Time passes. Days… weeks… months.

The anticipation is almost over & excitement takes over . But other feelings sneak in… fear, happiness, anxiety, & pain.

It starts with a twinge, a trickle, a gush, or an appointment.

Pain. Pain like I’ve never known.

It’s excruciating & I feel like I’m being tore apart.

I want nothing more than to be done. I’m tired.

But the end is close as the pain increases.

Push, count, push, count.

Finally I hear a little cry.

Tear fall from my eyes as I cradle my baby close to me.

Amazed

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Your assignment this week is based on rhythm, which you can use to help entertain and engage your readers.

Let’s make it more literal.

Write about a time that rhythm, or a lack thereof, played a role in your life. And don’t use the word “rhythm.”

Maybe it’s a time that you danced to a special song. Maybe it’s a period of your life during which the days were marked by a distinct pattern. Or maybe it’s a time that you couldn’t catch your breath because life just kept coming at your randomly.

It’s up to you

It was May 2007 on a sunny Saturday afternoon when we said I do. I walked down the aisle with my dress swishing back and forth with each step I took. Slow and steady to the sound of classical music drifting through the sanctuary.

Smiles on our faces as we looked at one another. Swish, step, swish, step until we were arm in arm.

Every time our eyes meet
This feeling inside me
Is almost more than I can take

Words were spoken to one another.

Verses were read by the pastor.

Vows were made in front of our family and friends.

Rings were exchanged. A special ring…. one my grandmother wore.

Baby, when you touch me
I can feel how much you love me
And it just blows me away

A kiss and a smile between us.

Applause and smile from family.

I’ve never been this close to anyone or anything
I can hear your thoughts, I can see your dreams

Our lives changed and all for the better.

More smiles, hugs, and kisses but from everyone.

Two families merged into one.

I don’t know how you do what you do
I’m so in love with you
It just keeps getting better

Pictures! Lots and lots of pictures.

The poses, the smiles, the click of the camera over and over.

Finally, the perfect pictures were taken.

I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever

We breathed a sigh of relief as we stepped away from the crowd.

A brief moment alone.

Every little thing that you do
Baby, I’m amazed by you

Again my dress swished back and forth as I walked down the hallway to the office.

Documents signed as the pen moved across the paper again and again.

It was official.

The smell of your skin
The taste of your kiss
The way you whisper in the dark

A final moment before we left the building.

Your hair all around me
Baby, you surround me
You touch every place in my heart

More smiles and laughter.

Balloons floating in the air as we released them together.

Oh, it feels like the first time every time
I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes

The camera clicking as it captured the moment in time.

I don’t know how you do what you do
I’m so in love with you
It just keeps getting better

Finally, a moment alone. In the car.

We reflect on day thus far…

Moment by moment with hands entwined.

I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever

Lined up.

Two by two.

Waiting for our cue to enter.

Every little thing that you do
Baby, I’m amazed by you

Glasses clink.

A kiss.

People cheer.

Every little thing that you do
I’m so in love with you
It just keeps getting better

It’s our song. The one we chose or was chosen for us by fate.

The song he played for me time and again.

I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever

Together as husband and wife we floated across the floor.

My dress swishing back and forth again with each dance step.

Every little thing that you do
Oh, every little thing that you do
Baby, I’m amazed by you

Life as a family begins.

Wedding Pic... on the bridge

A Class Trip: Greenfield Village

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School trips. We all go on them. What trip do you remember the most? Where did you go? Who was with you? How did you get there? Have you ever been back?
Write a memoir post about a memorable school trip. Word limit is 600.

I think it was 4th or 5th grade, I really don’t remember the grade for sure but I don’t think it matters. What matters is the trip. My class was planning an overnight trip to Greenfield Village. Overnight? Yes, they have dorms that you can stay in (or they used to).

We had a fundraiser to help with the cost of the trip. Since at the time we lived in a pretty rural area and our neighbors weren’t all that close to us so there was a lot of walking and bike riding so I could sell all those packages of M&M’s.

For a week or more I would trek down the dirt roads asking everybody who was home if they would want to buy my candy after I explained the trip. It didn’t take long before I had sold my entire box of candy and I had enough to go on the trip. I was so excited to be going away for the night with all of my friends.

Soon the day of our trip came and we all met at the school with our bags, pillows, and sleeping bags. You could almost taste the excitement in the air! All those kids gathering to go away overnight to a place many of us had never been to.

After what seemed like an endless bus ride we arrived we were taken to the dorms, girls in theirs and the boys in theirs. The rooms were large and lines with bunk beds that we quickly moved towards so we could claim the ones we wanted with our best friends. We rolled out our sleeping bags, put our pillows in place, and were ready for the next adventure.

The series of events next are in no particular order because the order isn’t what I remember…. it’s the fun things we did.

Swimming! What kid doesn’t love to go swimming? Especially when they don’t have a pool or live near a lake. And an indoor pool… even better! I believe it was after a quick tour of the dorm that we went back and got into our swimsuits so we could go to the pool. Mine was a one piece purple suit and I remember this because I loved that suit and with purple being one of my favorite colors it’s stuck with me.

The pool was a huge indoor pool, or to me at a young age it was huge. We swam for a while before heading back to change and get ready for dinner in the cafeteria.

It was a great few days for me and my classmates. The village, the pool, dorms, and staying away from our families overnight.

I haven’t stayed overnight there since that one time and I don’t even know if that option is still available for schools, but I’ve been back to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum many times. Class trips with my two oldest girls and a couple of times just with my family.

Regardless of how you visit it’s worth the trip. Fun and education all rolled into one place.

Alone

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Som e of us show it easily, hugging relatives each time we meet. Wrapping our arms around friends.

Some of us are more reserved, rarely touching other people.

And then a few of us hang out somewhere in the middle. Hugging our children, but limiting our affection to handshakes with others.

This week we would like you to write about how the show of affection has played a part in your memory.

Choose a time when either the abundance or lack of affection (either by you or someone else) stands out, and show us. Bring us to that time. Help us feel what you felt.

It was a cold day in early December and the snow wasn’t slowing down at all and where we lived that meant that if the plow trucks couldn’t keep up that they would just stop until the snow quit falling.

With this in mind the decision to stay was made. It was to risky to drive home and then have to turn around within 45 minutes at the earliest and go back.

Babies are unpredictable and you never know when they will make their grand entrance into this great, wide world.

My midwife assured me that everything would be fine and we decided to induce labor since I was already in the early stages and the baby was ready to be welcomed into the world.

I made all the phone calls to my family to let them know that their first grandchild would soon be born. But my words were heard by nobody. The answering machine took my message and would relay it to them.

The evening was passing and the my labor was progressing quickly…. to quickly for me and it hurt like hell.

I was alone. Well mostly alone. My boyfriend was there (not much help) and his mother (more helpful) was there too and my labor was hard & I hadn’t gotten that breathing thing down very well since I never finished my childbirth classes. I think that if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t have done very well.

I wanted to sleep so badly. Rest. That is what I wanted most of all next to seeing my beautiful baby.

Just after 1am I welcomed my first child into this world on a chilly December morning. She was the most beautiful & healthy baby I had ever seen.

Sleep came and all too soon the new day was upon us and I was snuggling with my baby in bed. Holding her close to me was the most wonderful feeling and one that can never be replaced. Even by another child as each child is special and unique in their own way.

Holding your baby is the most amazing feeling. Warm. Comforting. Safe. Love. Pure love. There are so many words to explain the feeling and at the same time it’s indescribable.

But I was still alone. Yes, my boyfriend and his family was still there with me to share in my joy and to marvel at the new life we all took turns holding in our arms. But my mom, my dad, my step mom, brother, sister… not there.

My family wasn’t there to hold & cuddle that pretty baby girl. They weren’t there to hug me. They weren’t there to congratulate me on a job well done and tell me how proud they were.

This left an empty feeling in me…. a hole in my heart. I wanted my family to be there with me for that special moment. A moment in our lives that can never be relived.

 

The Ball

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We want to know what, from your childhood, do you still know by heart?

Is it a story? A jump-roping song? The number of rungs on the ladder to your treehouse? How much money you had to save to buy something you really wanted?

There are times in my life where I look back at my childhood and try to remember things. Games, specific events, holidays, and that sort of things but I usually end up drawing a blank.

I have a block on most of my memories and I’m not sure why. I think that it stems from my parents divorce… there was a lot of fighting and arguing when I was younger. But that is not what this post is about.

A memory. One that a I hold near and dear to my heart. A memory that I do remember vividly. One that I randomly play over and over in my head.

Three. I was almost three years old and we were living in town in a house that my parents were renting and to me it was huge. The house had large rooms with big windows that let in the light from outside. It was an old house too, where the living room was in the front, dining in the middle, and then the kitchen towards the back of the house.

It was sunny out, but it must have been cold since we were playing inside that day. My dad was at work and it was just my mom and I at home. I was still an only child and never had to share my toys or my time with my mom. Little did I know that would change.

The Ball

 

The ball was blue I think. We sat on the hardwood floor facing one another with our legs spread out as we rolled the ball back and forth to one another. Occasionally it would bounce outside of the wall that our legs made.

 

Giggles. Smiles. Pure fun. That is what I remember.

Special time spent with my mom.

Time where I had her undivided attention.

A moment in time that has always stuck with me.

A memory of love.

Yahtzee!!

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This week, we want you to recall the games you played when you were young.
Did you love Monopoly, Yahtzee, or Uno? Or did you prefer backgammon, Trouble, or Scrabble?
Write a piece that explores one of your memories.

I’ve been missing for a while from TRDC prompts and really have no reason why, but I’m jumping back in today.

Many years ago when I was just a little girl my family and I used to take long weekends and go up north to St. Helen, Michigan to visit my grandparents on my moms side. I loved going up there for so many reasons, but most of all I got to spend some time with my grandparents and usually got away with a lot more than if I were at home.

Every evening after dinner (often polenta, sausage, and a marinara sauce) I would take a bath and use the Irish Spring soap, the traditional green and white marbled bar. Even today the smell brings back all sorts of fond memories of my grandparents house and the times that I spent with them. After my bath my grandma would french braid my hair into two long and really tight braids on either side of my head. I’m amazed at how tight she was able to get them! Seriously… sometimes it hurt. But I endured it because I loved the way they looked so much and my mom couldn’t braid.

Yahtzee

Image via Wikipedia

Once all of us kids were in bed the adults would all gather in the kitchen with their snacks and wine to play Yahtzee.

They would all take their seats at the table, passing out the score sheets, pencils, and gathering the cup and dice at first. And this is when the fun started. They’d shake the cup letting the dice rattle around a few times before letting them roll out of the cup and on to the table all in hopes of getting that elusive Yahtzee. Again and again the dice would be tossed into the cup, rattle around, and then fall onto the table.

So many times I would get up and tell them that I couldn’t sleep because of the dice, but really I just wanted to watch or even to play with them. Of course I was always sent back to bed where I would lay and listen to the fun.

As the night progressed they would laugh, talk, and carry on. Always having a great time and yelling out “Yahtzee!!” in a gleeful manner when someone managed to get the five dice to all have the same number showing. They would play well into the night it seemed or probably something closer to 10 or 11pm.

During the day my grandma would pull out that old Yahtzee box and play with us kids. I remember the box, it was worn very much use throughout the years and held shut by a single rubber band. We would have so much fun playing with my grandma.

As I think back of all the times that they played I can still hear the sound of the dice rattling and my mom laughing. Looking back things were much simpler then.

I remember this so well and it’s such a fond memory that even today my sister and I love to play it when we get together.

A Snack with Grandpa

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Plums with some glaucous coating visible

Image via Wikipedia

Write about your favorite fresh fruit or vegetable. Share a memory of when you first tasted it, where it came from, when you last had it, a favorite way to prepare it, and such.

I never had a plum until I stayed at my grandparents house one summer. They looked weird and I thought that they would be really gross…. of course this thought was that of a small child.

My grandpa always ate plums and was able to finally get me to try one while I was there.

He handed me the plum was heavy in my hand and a deep purple, almost black color with a sheen to it’s skin. It took me some time before I finally decided to bite into it because I was so sure that I would not like it. It sort of reminded me of olives which I hated.

I gave in. My teeth sunk into it with a small snap of the skin and then into the soft flesh of the plum. It was ripe. And to my surprise very delicious.

The juices of it burst with sweetness as they dripped down my chin with each bite. I was surprised how much I liked it and it was nothing like what I had expected.

To this day I love fresh plums especially the dark purple ones and always make it a point to get some when I find them at the store. I will leave them on the counter to fully ripen before I eat them otherwise the flavor just isn’t the same. I love the sweet, juiciness of them. There is nothing that compares to it… well maybe a ripe white flesh nectarine!

I would like to try some recipes with plums, crisps, tarts, and things like that. Or even grilled… it seems that the Food Network shows grill lots of various fruit with success!

My grandpa was right, plums are good.

Drunk Again

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Imagine you are meeting someone for the first time. You want to tell them about yourself.

It was well after midnight or later probably. I really didn’t know the time but what I did know was that they were home and had been drinking again.

They were arguing. I hated when this happened and it happened to often.

This night it was particularly bad and they weren’t stopping. They got louder and meaner sounding.

I tried to block it out by covering my head with a pillow, it didn’t work. It never did, nothing did.

All to soon my mom was waking us and loading us in the car. We left as they yelled at each other again. We were all scared and on the verge of tears but none of said anything. We were to afraid.

She had no idea where we were going as usual and we ended up sleeping in the car. I don’t remember much more of that night.

I blocked a lot of it out.

Time passed and again they were drunk. They were fighting as usual, but this time my mom saw what it was doing to her life and decided to get help.

My mom went to rehab and left us kids with our step dad. He didn’t see what the drinking was doing to him and our life and kept on doing it.

He was drunk. Angry. I don’t know how it started. But I know that it ended with him hitting my brother & sister and us running to the neighbors to get away from him.

I hated what my life turned into. We were stripped of our childhood.

We ended up in foster care for a while. I don’t remember much. I blocked it out.

The drinking and fighting continued on and off for many years and finally it got to me and I moved into with my dad.

I stopped blocking things out.

I vowed that I would never let do that to my children. I vowed that I’d always be there for them. I vowed that I’d never turn into an alcoholic.

This is only a glimpse of my life. A glimpse of a small portion of my childhood that I actually remember.

I should mention that all that I vowed is true. I am not an alcoholic and am not making the mistakes they did.

This is not the first thing I’d tell someone, but it is the first thing that came to mind.