Idiomatically Speaking

I have a chip on my shoulder?

You drive me up the wall.

I'm not a doubting Thomas

Actions speak louder than words.

Drastic times call for drastic measures

Cut to the Chase.

His eyes twinkled when he smiled.

We all know that the bigger the wedding in comparison to the means of the bride and groom, the more talk occurs if the marriage fails.

When I was young, I would have wanted to have a royal wedding.  I remember buying 80 dollar shoes and my salary was $440 a month.

I learned so much from my father.

1. When they were laying off where he worked, he talked them into letting him work as a custodian until things got better.  A job was better than begging.

2. My dad always said he had a "civil service" personality. He did not care how big a creep a boss or co-worker was. It could be worse.

One year, I had a boss to hassle me because he wanted me to quit so he could hire someone else. I had worked too long to get where I was and I had no guarantee it would be better elsewhere. This is not the answer for everyone but it worked for me.

3. Do a good job. They have to have so many that do the work. Suzie socialite may smooze her way through life but when dollars and cents are on the line, they will keep you.

4. Don't spend all your money.

My dad would never buy himself a soda or hamburger away from home.  Now he would stand and feed nickels to a coke machine for me and my friends on special occasions.  After a football game, he would show up at Krystal and buy a big tray of hamburgers for the kids to eat.

5. Do your best and have faith. My dad would talk about living through the depression where every meal was dried beans, fat back meat and cornbread. They survived.

My dad had the "common touch" and natural leadership. One man on his crew held on to the pocket knives they issued every year. People who did not keep up with theirs would demand he share. My dad backed the man up. No one should be penalized for taking care of their property.

My dad could take a bad situation and have everyone looking at things with hope, be it because of knowing you had to accept the bad or making a joke to break the negativity.

I moved my mom to my home. My dad’s ashes were in the entertainment center. I realized this after the movers placed it in the moving truck wrapped in blankets with the door facing the wall of the truck. I debated getting my dad. The young movers would have freaked out. My family has all laughed. I can see my dad’s blue eyes twinkling.

I miss my dad tremendously. God Rest His Soul.

Speakeasy Fiction Challenge

It was impossible to explain how one day Leeotta was working as a filing clerk and the next day she was frontpage news.

Not like the good kind, her mugshot was there for her son, mother, grandmother, dad, brother, nephew, bitch sister-in-law to see.

Her left eye barely focused on her swollen, blackened right eye in the metal of the toilet seat of the holding cell.

Her neighbor was sitting in her truck when she returned from work the day before. To all appearances, he was the model citizen, Deacon Albert.  For Leeota, he was a dirty skulking thug of poison words and dirty tricks.

It started out harmless enough, he was so, well, precise with what he wanted and then did another.

He asked to trim her rosebushes. They were growing through the fence. She said of course, let her know and she would help him. 

She came home from work and the roses were gone.

His response, "No mam, I do what I say. I said cut them down."

What do you do? Have a big ass fight or live with it.

Leeota's maiden name was Smith. Her dad had said there might be a whole lotta Smiths; but a real Smith had forged steel as character. Leeota knew someone had to take control and she would. There was no argument. She would keep her cool. After all, she would manage his true nature.

She had had three dogs, Sassy, Bean, and Guadelope.  Guadelope was Sassy and Bean's mother. She just disappeared one day. Leeota let her out as she prepared dinner for visiting family. 

Sassy and Bean were nuisances enough, just let Guadelope stay outside. At the end of dinner, no Guadelope was at the door. Guadelope was old and blind. Her brother Rick said she probably went off to die. She never found a trace of Guadelope.

Opening the front door, Sassy and Bean spilled out and began barking uncontrollably. Albert was in his yard. She saw the pistol as she walked to get the dogs.  His finger curled around the trigger as he held it sideways in his palm.

“I’ve warned you about these dogs. I will shoot them if they come in my yard.”

Leeota would have left but her 11 year old son comes out.

 “Go in”, she gently tells her son.

As he repeats himself with his spiteful smile, Leeota thought of six pound Guadelope.  

Albert would call the dogs some mornings and the dogs hate him.

The anger rushed; she takes the shovel in the flowerbed and slams it against Albert’s arm. The gun falls, He reaches for it, she slams him again with the shovel.  Running around the fence, she gets the gun. 

A sharp pain pierces her back. Leeota throws the gun as far as she can.

He is pummeling her. She picks up a brick and hits him as hard in the face with it as she can, over and over again.

He is just lying there.

As Luck would Have It.

Sara Arnett drives down Pinewood Boulevard that connects the highway to Rolling Hills Parkway. As the engine cuts off, she shifts into neutral and cranks the car.

Heading toward home, it is a quiet Sunday. Two dogs lazily cross the road. Slowing for the dogs, the engine dies. The dogs are in the left lane and a hot rod of a sports car slows beside her.

Thumping the steering wheel with his thumb, the young male driver blows a surprisingly large sounding horn.

The dogs stop to look to see if they know him.

The female passenger rolls the window down and bellows, “Get, Get out of the way”

One of the dogs starts walking back across the road.

Inspecting the rear view mirror, no one is there. Shifting into neutral, Sara waits until it is really clear before cranking.

The passenger leans her head against her hand with silent dismay.

The dog doesn’t recognize her and frisks to the parkway median to investigate the paper bag his cohort has found.

Casey Arnett in a serious voice says, "Wanna drag?"

Expectant looks changed to puzzlement.  Sara's older son Jake had a serious look. Six year old Casey was just plain serious. The two hot “rodders” laughed.

Sara accidentally revs the engine loudly as she cranks. The sports car steps on the gas and shoots off.

As luck would have it, a law enforcement vehicle sat in the parking lot of Sandy Valley church.  The brake lights flashed on the hot rod as they descend the hill.

At the red light at the end of Rolling Hills Parkway, Sara, Casey and Jake kept a straight face as they waved to the young couple as they turned left on Rose Hill Road to get back to the highway.  

The church pianist finished practicing the old hymn “Make Haste” that Isabelle Jenkins had requested.  The pianist hated working on Sunday but he knew to get back in his patrol car. There were always speeders on Sunday.

Remember, rain, rebellion

Remember, rain, rebellion = Trifecta challenge

Standing, stooping, wielding a hoe in the afternoon sun, you think. You could sing.  Remember the slow patter of rain in the evening sings a love song, no rebellion of rivulets tumbling across the tilled Earth.

Daisy

Yodie

Lately, all of my plans have crumbled. I have bought admission to several events and did not get to go for various reasons I bought tickets for a dinner theater a week ago. And yes, several if not all will be unused

The reason is serious. My mom's in the hospital which is actually lucky. She casually mentioned a pain in her chest. She had a doctor's appointment Friday morning. She didn't want to tell the doctor because she would have to undergo tests.

Mom has atriofibrulation which has probably been undiagnosed due to an intermittent nature. They are putting her on blood thinner to reduce the risk of stroke

I'm in a state of shock and panic deep inside. Could I lose my mother? I've known it was a possibility for quite awhile. She has older aunts alive which I thought may be true for her and still could be. The degeneration of old age is not for the faint of heart.

Two of the chi chi mixes spend the night with her. It was heartbreaking how they faithfully ran to her room each time they came in the house from a walk or bathroom break. This morning, little Daisy was so downcast, she only watched the other dogs eat.

I'm glad the condition was caught. It means more time in the world of the living for my mother. She has much pain from arthritis. Her mind is alert and active. My handicapped siblings rely on her greatly emotionally. I know I can never fill her shoes in this regard.

Tonight, say a prayer for my family. Thanks.

Entrance for meeting lodge mound at Ocmulgee National Park 

We all know that the bigger the wedding in comparison to the means of the bride and groom, the more talk occurs if the marriage fails. The gift of experience is the practical aspect of putting on such a show.

I never married. However, when I was young, I would have wanted to have a royal wedding. Age has tempered these desires. I remember buying 80 dollar shoes and my salary was $440 a month. In time, I managed my wishes with what I had to have and what I need to prepare for.

One of the biggest gifts a parent can give their child is a work ethic and the sense of responsibility. How do you teach that? Some part is luck, some part is the nature of the individual, another part is not giving a child everything they want and the last part is by example.

I learned so much from my father.

1. When they were laying off where he worked, he talked them into letting him work as a custodian until things got better. How many people do you know would never work as a custodian, maid or busboy. I learned from my dad that a job was better than begging.

2. My dad always said he had a "civil service" personality. What he meant was he did not care how big a creep a boss or co-worker was. It could be worse. Now if you make retirement anywhere, this is important to know. Working with decent individuals doesn't always happen.

One year, I had a boss to hassle me because he wanted me to quit so he could hire someone else. I didn't quit. I had worked too long to get where I was and I had no guarantee it would be better elsewhere. This is not the best thing in every situation but it worked for me.

3. Do a good job. They have to have so many that do the work. Suzie socialite may smooze her way through life but when dollars and cents are on the line, they will keep you. They may list your defects, but they will keep you.

4. Don't spend all your money. Have discipline with how you spend. A single mom working for minimum wage probably does not have this luxury.

My dad would never buy himself a soda  or hamburger away from home. He kept his purchases to a minimum. Now he would stand and feed nickels to a coke machine for me and my friends on special occasions  After a football game, show up at Krystal and buy a big tray of hamburgers for the kids to eat.

5. Just do your best and let life take care of itself. My dad would talk about living through the depression where every meal was dried beans, fat back meat and cornbread. It wasn't great but they survived. Things might not work out but people survive.

Another thing I learned about life from my dad was have a sense of humor.

My dad had the "common touch" and natural leadership. One man on his crew held on to the pocket knives they issued every year. People who did not keep up with theirs would demand he share. My dad backed the man up. No one should be penalized for taking care of their property.

My dad could take a really bad situation and have everyone looking at things with hope, be it because of knowing you had to accept the bad or making a joke to break the negativity.

I miss my dad tremendously. God Rest His Soul.