A Q-QUINDESSENTIAL MOMENT IN TIME ....

Happy HUMP day all. I knew that would get your attention. Thank you all for stopping by yesterday and leaving your friendly and most welcome comments.


I am sure there will be lots of Q's for queries today, but not mine. I decided to choose a quintessential moment in time. I tried something different with today's post.  As always I never reveal the word, so it isn't quintessential. I hope you enjoy it.

Shimmers of white lace fall from the heavens as we approach the sleepy village. Covered with the sparkliest of frozen icing, curls of smoke waft into the overcast sky from rustic brick chimney flus.  

Under a quilted blanket, my honey and I cuddle to keep warm. The snow muffles the sound of the slow clop of the horses' stride on the narrow cobblestone street. A moment later, we pull up to the Snowy Owl Inn.

I hop out of the coach and extend my gloved hand to my lady love. A misty sigh escapes my lips as she places her delicate fingers into mine. She steps down, catching her sapphire blue satin dress on the carriage and plunges into my waiting arms. She places a subtle kiss on my cheek which burns red hot. 

Her arm slips through mine the moment I set her afoot. Fog on the windows and door hides the interior as we step up to the entry. A bell ching-er-rings the moment I pull open the door. 

A gasp of sure delight exhales from my love's rosy lips. As my eyes dart about, understanding her delight. A roaring fire emitting from a ancient stone fireplace dances with bright gold and orange flames. Delft blue and white china along with shiny pewter water pitchers sit on the rough-honed wood mantel. Facing the fireplace, several puffy down sofas dressed in chintz fabric certainly welcomes the weary traveler to rest.

“Oh, darling, thank you. What a lovely quaint place for our honeymoon.”

A heat scorches my face and runs through my body as I escort my bride to the front desk.

P FOR PANDAEMONIUM ...

Today we are more than halfway through the challenge and it is still an exciting time meeting new friends and enjoying each others themes. I still have many more blogs I'd like to visit and hopefully by the end of the month I will have made even more new friends. I'd like to thank everyone who's visited and my steady blog friends who visit often. Than you ALL. Today is a bit of a mischievous  tale and I hope you enjoy it.

Sunlight streams through the trees, dappling hues of gold and persimmon  on unsuspecting leaves. Nymphs scurry in the forest glens of Arcadia as two clopping hooves approach with great speed.

Horns pierce the low-lying boughs with intensity. Keen of eye, he sees his prey and slows to a halt and sits on a nearby rock. Smiling, delicate fingers draw a collection of hollow reeds, strung together in decreasing lengths, from a woven silk pouch drawn by a sparkling silver laniard.

With a sensual glance from his black molten eyes, muscular arms raise as he presses the reeds to his lips, and pipes a rustic tune.

The nymphs seduced by the melody begin to dance. In a trance they spin, twirl and prance. Pleased, he continues to play and slowly climbs down the rock, bridging the gap between them. 

Captivated by the nymphs, he yearns to join them, but lust overpowers him and snatches a sparkling nymph close to him. 

The others flit away as the ritual of spring mating takes place. Pleased with his conquest, the god of the shepherds and flocks, turns into a black kid and chases after the fleeing nymphs. 

Splashing in a pool of liquid blue, the nymphs sing and frolic unaware of the four-legged visitor. How will Pan handle his next conquest? He is clever in the art of seduction. One never knows.

O IS NOT FOR OPRAH!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Sunshine and summer breezes continued throughout the weekend in Florida. Thank you all for stopping by and commenting. Welcome new friends from the A-Z challenge. I appreciate you dropping by. I hope you enjoy today's post. More of a riddle today, but still full of my original touches.

With chestnut tresses flowing, and eyes as blue as the Caribbean Sea, she is a woman of no ordinary means, Sensual yet pure. Sexual yet innocent. She is the love interest of the future King of Denmark.

Her love is frail and genuine. Alas, he is crass and is uncaring, wrestling with internal demons.

He bares all to her, leaving her with misconceptions of his love. But he does love her, although there is much contempt in his heart.

Her father’s manipulation ends in his death by the prince’s own hand. She in turn looses her mind with grief and speaks in riddles and rhymes, singing of death and loss of virginity. Her obsession over wild flowers carries her to a nearby brook.

A tragic accident and she dies at the hand of a snapping willow branch, drowning in a river of tears.

Who could this anguished maiden be? A look into England’s most famous literary treasure has the answer you seek.

One in a collection of honored plays ... W.S. was his name in Elizabethan days. With the playwright revealed, the narrowing is simple. Do you know .... Why it’s Hamlet’s Ophelia, low and behold.

"N"-EVER IGNORE A NYMPH OR FAIRY .... IT MAY BE THE LAST THING YOU DO!

Good Saturday all. We are now at the end of the second full week of the A-Z challenge. I must say this IS quite the challenge. I had no idea I would be putting so much effort into each post. But I always start what I finish and I refuse to let the quality of my entries falter. With that said, I hope you enjoy today's entry. As with the others I put my own individual spin on this story. And, no, Nymph is not more word, although it is heavily featured.

In a forest glenn a sun-kissed waterfall twinkles and cascades over jagged rocks into a tranquil sapphire pool. Nymphs and fairies glide along the surface, dancing to an unheard song. 

A flaxen-haired youth approaches. He smiles. A smile so captivating the nymphs come out of their reverie to stare at the stranger. With each one of his steps the fairies sigh and beckon to him.

The nymphs and fairies line up along the pond’s edge. All flirting for the young man’s attention. In a voice that can charm a spider into giving up flies, he introduces himself and asks about exquisite beauty before him. “I have never laid eyes on such a heart stopping scene.

Swooning, none of the mystical ladies could answer him. He meanders around the pond and kneels at the edge. The stillness of the clear, blue water reflected every breathtaking detail.

Mesmerized, he gazed into the liquid mirror. His breathe escapes him. “Could this image be mine?” he whispers. Revived, the nymphs and fairies zoom over to him and tug at his hair, sleeves, and back. Ignoring them, he stares into turquoise eyes framed by long, thick lashes. 

Hissing buzzes in his ears followed by assaults to his face. He swats his hand making contact with several fairies, hurting them. The others pick up the injured and dart away. 

Hungry and thirsty he reaches into his canvas bag and takes out food and drink. Nourished, he stretches out and falls asleep.

Hours later, the nymphs return. They place beside him a goblet made of etched gold filled with sweet nectar. Clasping hands, they dash into the nearest tree and wait.

The warmth of the morning sun wakes the young man. Stretching, he sits up and notices the goblet. “How thoughtful.” He raises the goblet. “To this enchanting place.” He takes a deep sip. An unnatural compulsion to look at himself takes over ....

After three days of reflection, the youth passes. Upon his last breath, the fairies and nymphs gather around him, tears flowing from their eyes. The fairies sprinkle his body with glittery fairy dust as the nymphs’ lyrical voices chant their agony. 

His body dissolves into the earth and with a burst of bright light, long spikes of emerald shoot from the ground. Between each spear a stem rises as a bud forms and blossoms into the first Narcissus. Thousands more yellow and white trumpets announce their arrival and blanket the edge of the pond. A subtle scent perfumes the air and the nymphs and fairies take flight. 

I   hope   you   all   have   a   fun   weekend!

MOODS SHIFT IN THE A-Z CHALLENGE.... HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY WENDY TYLER RYAN

Today is a double dose of excitement. One is we are in the middle of the A-Z challenge AND it is Wendy Tyler Ryan's first Blogiversary! So please head over to her blog and congratulate her on a year of informative and thoughtful posts.


My entry today must include these six words: Misty, Mambo, Moon, Musky, Mongrel, Myth. I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to hop over to the other entries. You'll find them at Wendy's blog.

From misty waters crashing to an unknown shore, a myth is born. His arrival foretold by the moon goddess, Selene, from many millennia ago.

A mongrel child with locks of ebony wales for his mother’s breast. Danae scoops up her son and nurses him.

The island so foreign to her, looks nothing like the Greek island she was banished from by the hand of father, King Acrisius. 

Sand as white as talcum sweeps the beach under her un-sandaled feet. Top heavy trees with spiky fronds sway in the musky breeze. She searches for any form of life. 

Hours pass and dark shadows play behind her. A heart thumbing music filters through the dense trees. Curious, Danae follows the pulsating beat. Her stomach lurches as she inhales the air perfumed with the scent of unfamiliar foods cooking.

Murmuring voices in a foreign tongue increase in volume with each step she takes. A wave of panic rushes through her not knowing what to expect from these people from another land.

Hiding behind a bush blanketed in bright pink flowers, Danae peeks and her jaw drops. Bare chested men and woman with copper skin dance around an open fire. Multi-colored stripes decorate the male faces and backs with only a small piece of animal skin covering their genitals. 

Females adorned in colored beads and feathers clothed by a similar animal skin, shriek, “Mambo!” in high-pitched voices. The beat speeds, and Danae watches with eyes wide.

Perseus cries out loud, startling Danae. She screams. Heads turn and the music stops. Snatching spears the males rush toward her. She screams again.

In an instant a spear is at her throat. She quiets as the largest examines her with penetrating eyes. He lowers his weapon and touches her cascading curly hair. His hand wanders to her shoulder and down the folds of her toga. He lifts the fabric exposing her alabaster legs. The other males mumble. He gently lowers it back down.

From behind him, a female approaches speaking. He turns to face her. She points to the child. He nods and backs away. Danae breathes for the first time in minutes. 

The female steps in front of her. She taps her naked breast. “Chiwoi.” She repeats the gesture and word. 

Danae stokes her son’s head. “Per-se-us.” Locking her sapphire eyes on the ebony ones before her. She taps herself. “Dan-ae.”

Chiwoi smiles. “Per-se-us ... Dan-ae.”

Danae smiles and nods. 

Chiwoi signals her to follow. Danae does so reluctantly. A moment later she is presented with food. Grateful Danae bows her head. She places Perseus on a woven mat next to her and sits beside him.

As the years go by, Perseus learns from the natives in this foreign land and develops into a fierce warrior. He fulfills his destiny as Champion for Jaffa defeating Medusa and the Kraken. He wins the hand of the princess Andromeda and becomes a constellation in the heavens forever.

L for LOVE THIS COMMUNITY!!!

Welcome friends to another post for the exciting A-Z challenge. It's been such fun meeting new friends and enjoying such unusual and interesting themes throughout the blogosphere.


With so much blog LOVE forever present, I have decided to do a touching scene based on my first novel Amber and the Whispering Willows. As many of you already know I'm featuring flash fiction with a riddle twist.  I do hope you all enjoy it.

Set high on a hill with a view of the fountains and lake, hundreds of white lights illuminated the circular drive as a limousine drove up to the entrance of the Helmsdale’s finest country club. 

In the trees, thousands of tiny twinkling lights welcomed guests as they entered into lobby. Two eleven-year-old girls waved their goodbyes to their beaming parents and dashed toward the dressing room; the smaller girl carrying a mysterious package.

Excited voices echoed, adding to the tension. Amber and Nina maneuvered their way through the countless others, to find a quiet spot to prepare for this evening’s event.

As Amber reached for her costume, Nina jumped in front of her. 

“I have a surprise for you, Amber. Now, please, don’t get mad, but I wanted this to be the most magical night of your life.” 

Amber faced Nina; she held a wrapped box tied with a blue satin ribbon. She handed the box to Amber. “I had it made for you — I hope you like it.” Nina blushed.

“Nina, you are by far the most wonderful friend a girl could ever have — I just don’t know what to say?”

“You’ve said way too much already. Just open it?”

Amber untied the bow and took off the lid. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Nestled inside was  a peau de sois leotard in the softest, paler-than-pale blue. The matching tutu, swept with what looked like stardust woven into the silk French tulle, reflected brilliant facets of light. 

“I couldn’t let you dance in white like the rest of us; you must always wear some shade of blue. It gives you grace,” Nina said, choking with emotion.

A tear streamed down Amber’s face. “What would I ever do without you?” she whispered.

“You’ll never know.” 

Tomorrow's entry will be part of Wendy Tyler Ryan's Blogfest for her one year Blogaversary. So be prepared for a macabre post. We must use chosen dark words to create our entry. I have no idea what I'm doing yet, but it should be interesting. So don't forget to drop by tomorrow. You won't want to miss it.

This dancer can certainly pass for Amber.

AN INVENTIVE MIND .... AERODYNAMICS WITH A "K"

Hello all. Today we are at the letter "K" in the A-Z challenge. I must admit this is quite the challenge.  Creating flash fiction with a riddle twist seems to get harder each passing day. But for today's post I felt a twang of nostalgia coming on me and I wished to portray a simpler time. I hope you enjoy today's post.

On the first day of summer, I slid down the bannister almost crashing into Mother’s hall table. She came into the foyer with her brow furrowed. She preached about my behavior and the lack of shine on my shoes. 

“Mother, I am only across to the park to play. Do I need shiny shoes for that?” 

She smiled as I pulled open the glass-paned door and raced down the front stoop. With the sounds of construction all around me, I wondered how may more homes would be built on Steiner. 

Father was one of the first to buy ours. He’s a lawyer you know. The builder, Mr. Kavanagh, lives on the corner at Grove st. He sure is busy. Are they putting fish scales on that house? Odd, but pretty though. So much activity all around Alamo square. The 1890’s are truly grand.

I should see if Kevin Kavanagh wants to play ball with me. 

I raced down Steiner to the biggest house on the block; it’s nearly twice as wide as ours. I rushed up the stairs and knocked on he heavy wooden door.

Mrs. Kavanagh greeted me and invited me into the foyer. 

“I was hoping Kevin might play some ball with me.”

“His father gave him something wonderful that Kevin is building. Perhaps he may need your help? Why not go up to his room, dear.”

I thanked her and rushed up the stairs, knocking on Kevin’s door the moment I got there.

“Come on in.”

Kevin grinned as I entered. “Look what my father gave me.”

He showed me this large thing made of bright color paper attached to wood strips. “What is that?” I asked. 

“It is called a box kite. Father’s friend, Lawrence Hargrove from Sydney Australia, invented it for aviation experiments. Father asked if he would send one to me. It arrived yesterday.” 

“That’s a real kite? It can fly?”

“Yes. Shall we go to the park and I will show you.”