Month / July 2022

by Janet

Trouble in Paradise

Stories We Tell

A Fictional Series

It’s not necessarily a good thing when the people you love think too highly of you. Dizzy always did, but that kind of changed the night of the spin the bottle game – when I broke down and told her that I had just as many fears as she did.

Maybe my fears looked differently than hers, but they were fears nonetheless. Even after that, Dizzy still kept me up on this unstable pedestal. And if that unstable pedestal is where a person wants you to be, you have to work twice as hard than you normally would – just to keep from falling off.

Once Martin and I started seeing each other, he did the same thing. I was either the coolest chick ever, the bravest woman he knew, or the prettiest girl in the room. At first I loved it, of course. What girl doesn’t want to hear those things from the man that she loves?

Before I go on, I should tell you that Martin and I never married. We talked about it, but neither one of us was in a rush. We were so young! We wanted to be together, however, so I moved in with him – into his tiny studio near the college.

While he studied engineering, I pursued my dream and ended up with one of the coolest jobs ever – working as an assistant to a somewhat famous fashion designer. I got pregnant not long after, and Martin really wanted to get married – but I needed time to think.

Our relationship was… well… the best relationship ever, but we agreed to wait until Delilah was born before talking about the big “M” again. It wasn’t until Martin told me that I’d be ‘the best mother in the world’ that I began to feel the pressure.

“What if I’m not??”

That was the question that I faced, and that was when fears that I’d never even known existed came rushing in to threaten my sense of security – and most certainly my position on the rickety old pedestal.

It felt like one of those giant boa constrictors had wrapped itself around my entire body – and every day it would squeeze me just a little bit tighter. And as much as I love my daughter, which is beyond words, Delilah was not an easy child.

Martin and I stopped talking about tying the knot after she was born. Honestly, I think that we were just too tired. But Martin still believed I could do no wrong.

When Delilah was about three or four, Martin took her to the grocery store. He came home all sweaty and freaked out. Apparently, Delilah had gotten out of the cart when he had his back turned. Then he couldn’t find her.

Once he settled down, he told me about how he’d heard a voice over the loudspeaker saying that they needed assistance in the produce section for a child without a parent. When he rounded the corner, there was Delilah – balancing on the orange display.

“She could have fallen!” He exclaimed. “That rickety old thing was so unstable it could barely hold her up!”

“I know just what you mean.” I said.

A Note From Me

I wanted to post this tonight, especially since I was able to use the Word of the Day Challenge: Display, but I’ve really had trouble with the end.

That being said, I posted it anyway – haha! I know what Levi was getting at, but I’m not sure I found the best way for her to make her point in that last sentence of dialogue. Anyway, it’s out there now… and soon we’ll learn more about the couple and this ‘pedestal issue’.

The illustration was a blast; I really enjoyed making a child. And her quirky behavior reminds me of one of my grandsons – the one who climbed a ladder to my son’s roof when nobody was looking -who was about the same age at the time. Scary! He survived though!

Anyway, I think that’s about all for now. I’m going to do a little more with this series, but I’m also looking forward to a new set of characters in another realm. I think I veered from my ‘different perspectives’ goal a little because the story is expanding so rapidly – so I want to get back to focusing on that.

Thank you for reading… I hope you enjoyed tonight’s addition and the image of sweet Delilah.

Until later,
-Janet

by Janet

A Visual Story

Today’s Word of the Day Challenge was Timeless. Besides the fact that I wanted to take a break from the story – I thought that the best way to sum up the word was with an image.

I’ve been super tempted to get my camera out lately, but there’s just no scenery here in my town. My son and I were talking about that the other day. He reads a LOT, and he was telling me he read something recently that talked about planning and architecture, and how larger cities these days are being constructed not only to pack people in like sardines, but to create the illusion of imprisonment – so that people are more inclined to ‘comply’.

I think the word he used to describe today’s architecture (in cities where they are simply trying to house more people) was ‘barbaric’.

I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that he reads a heck of a lot more than me when it comes to ideas about what is happening to society these days. And I also know that my city gets me down sometimes because all you see is concrete.

I guess what I’m getting at is that when you look at nature – the ocean, the mountains, the desert, and so on – you get a view of something that’s timeless. Nature never really ages or gets old. It may disappear, like it has (somewhat) in my city, but without human interference – I think that nature would only improve. It never needs refurbishing, or a new coat of paint – it stays beautiful all on it’s own.

I don’t know. Just something I thought of when I saw the word timeless. That being said, I found a photograph that I loved on the internet- and this is my rendition. I think it looks pretty timeless. One of the definitions I found was “having no beginning or end : eternal,” and I think that nature is about as eternal as we’ll ever get here on earth.

Anyway, if I remember correctly, I believe the actual photograph was taken in Wales – so if anyone actually recognizes it let me know. I’d be curious if you did. I need to work on my highlighting and shadows – which is why the sand, the grass, and the rocks are so basic, but I think it does the trick. It was an all day effort – and I’ve had enough.

I guess my visual story turned out to be pretty wordy here, haha! But I think I’m done. So, that’s about all for now.

Thanks for stopping by… I hope you enjoyed the illustration!

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.”

Frank Gehry

by Janet

Richer Stories

Stories We Tell

A Fictional Series

Having two brothers who were not much younger than many of my friend’s parents, it stands to reason that I had a niece and nephew before I graduated from junior high.

It was pretty cool to call myself an aunt, because it was like some weird rite of passage. With a delayed puberty, and no real love life in sight, I figured that it was as good as I could get.

When Delilah was born, on the other hand, it was mind blowing. I wasn’t just the aunt of my brother’s child, I was the aunt of my best friend’s daughter. 

If you add in the fact that Levi was my ‘first crush’, it almost sounds like we were members of one of those incestous clans from the south – or wherever they lived. But it wasn’t like that at all.

For a time, I decided that being remotely related to my best friend – via her daughter’s genes, was enough for me. I didn’t need to have a child of my own – or a love life for that matter – I could just be there to help Levi and Martin raise Delilah. 

Of course, all of that changed when I met my soulmate, who is now my husband. David wanted a two-story house in the burbs with a white picket fence, and he wanted to fill that house with a large family. Sadly, after two years of trying, we learned that I was unable to conceive. 

In all honesty, I wasn’t too surprised. Before we were married, I never had the kinds of visions that David had. Maybe it was some sort of premonition – not like something that I saw, but something that I didn’t see. 

Looking back on all of this, I see how similar David and Levi are, and why it is that I love them so much. They both have a knack for what I call ‘making do’. Like the time that Levi came to my Senior dance, even though she had nothing formal to wear. Did she complain? Not at all. And now, her story is so much richer because of it.

Likewise, if it rains on David’s parade, he sees it as an opportunity to try out his new umbrella, or to test his new galoshes in the puddle in our backyard – the same puddle that threatens to flood our lower level den whenever it rains more than a couple of days.

“We’ll turn it into a fishpond!” He said one year as the water began to seep in – nearly reaching our ankles.

With the same level of enthusiasm, David handled my infertility like a champ. He came up with a few ideas, and we oscillated between them for over a year. Once the decision was made, we were all in, and David couldn’t wait to share the news.

“Dizzy and I are going to foster a child – or two – or three!” He said with joy. “And if all goes as planned, we will adopt. One day our house will be ringing with the sound of children!”

That was quite a few years ago. And now, all I can say is that our story is not only richer… it’s more precious than gold.

A Note From Me

I don’t have much to say. Imagine that! I’ve been dog sitting part-time for the past three days and I’m worn out! Not just one or two dogs, but… like ten or eleven. Only for a couple of hours, but it’s still been stressful. I think it’s more of an emotional tired, because I worry about them when I leave (like did I accidentally lock one of them out of the house when I left?!?) Yikes!

Anyway, I hope you liked tonight’s addition to the story. I wrote the bulk of it while I was on the couch with one of the dogs. That being said, I had no time for an illustration, so I decided to use typography instead. So much quicker.

That’s about all for tonight.

Until later,
Peace & Love!

Word of the Day Challenge: Oscillating

Daily Spur Word Prompt: Foster