Rainy Evening, Finally!

It's raining, finally. It's was getting a bit parched out there in the Twin Tiers. My poor yard which only three week ago was shaggier than the shaggy dog, now looks like practically a desert. I just spread new grass seed on part of my lawn that are patchy looking and have a small porch garden, tomatoes and cucumbers. w00t!

Onto the weekend, it's been an impressive weekend of work and play. And while I am working on the stuff that I was supposed to have done this morning , now [at 7:30 pm], I got to be outside and hanging with the Love girls [Sara, Wendy, and Daphne]. We played on the playground and ate lunch at Friendly's, tried to watch "How to Train Your Dragon" (lost out to kitties and ponies), and have yummy home made ice-cream at Dippety Do-Dahs!

What I did this weekend (or didn't quite get to):
*Finished "Catching Fire". Will be starting "Mockingjay" this week. Was going to start another Doctor Who novella/novel "Winner Take All", but haven't. I know when I get started with "Mockingjay" I probably won't wanna stop reading it (from reliable sources). I am 3 books behind on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. Must change that! Note: I foresee some reviews of the books and the movies in the near future.

*Blogged yesterday, continuing my weekly non-ROW80 blog posting on Saturdays. I was what I was aiming for, but I also managed to complete another goal doing it this way.  Using the blog post as a launch point for a Flash Fiction that I wrote that night was a nice choice, if not the first choice. My brain wasn't focusing and I have a list of blogging ideas that is currently buried somewhere on, in, or around my desk. Sometimes I just want to share my writing. I might never do much with the story, but I still want my followers and fellow writers to be able to read what I have been up to. When I find my blog idea list expect more diverse articles and maybe an interview or two. I miss doing those.

*I wrote yesterday. I pull a writing prompt from my favourite literary journal and my first to visit, Toasted Cheese. Thanks Allison(check out her blog)! And I wrote. I just wrote and felt liberated in my writing. Such a great feeling. I have written a couple of Flash Fiction in the last week, "Mall Dreams" could possibly be a longer story, "Snow in June" is  random little thing, and "A Moment at Sea" (roughly titled) fell into this new category. It's a concept I have only recently been introduced to, but I like it. Short and simply, and really hard when you want to expand the details and go down tangents. 300 to 1000 words a good challenge for myself. I am going to continue to explore this.

*Visited 5  blogs yesterday and left comments. Striving for 10 this week.

*Today I have submitted some poetry to 1 site. Not what I was hoping for this week, but it's a start. That makes the total submission sites to 3. Would like to submit to 1 online journal each day this week. That's the plan anyway.

I think this rain is a good cleansing of my soul and starting the week off on a positive note. I always feel clearer and revitelized during and after a rain storm, especially a thunderstorm. I remember staying up late one night, late spring or early summer with my mom, talking, because it was lightening (not really raining) and really humid. It was a heat lightneing storm, I think. But there is something electric about rain and thunderstorms. Do you, Dear Readers like to sit and watch rain/thunderstorms? Favourite part of a storm? Or do you prefer to stay in and leave the rain, thunder , and/or lightening to itself? Leave me some love below!

It is a Blog Hop, go and check out the other ROW80-ers. They are good people! Check out my Twitter: draconicwitch and my Facebook Page: Here, There be a Writer.

Tonight's song, because I am in a Paul Simon mood.

A Little Gardening and Flash Fiction this Evening

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to blog about today, but everything I thought about just didn't seem quite right. I had been out and about finish my gardening (my little porch garden) by adding fresh potting soil to my sweet pepper plant, planting some bulbs, and spreading new grass seed on various patches of my lawn that is in need of grass. I then discovered a garter snake chilling under my porch. After a bit of freak out and some internet surfing, I realize it is a freakin' garter snake. It was hot today and the poor thing was panting (if snakes can pant that is); as long as it stays outside, I'm fine.

Yesterday at Soulful Cup [Coffee-shop], the gang started brainstorming David's movie sequel to his college movie "Retro Man". Looks like this summer's going to be an interesting one. David's found his first draft and has read it. Looks like he is going to revise it and we will be filming this summer.

Today, because I couldn't settle on what top blog, I settled down to write a bit of flash fiction. Flash Fiction is a new concept to me, but it's something that I think will help me to write. Flash Fiction is an short form of writing between 300 to 1000 words. It's quick, succinct, and is a nice challenge for those who get really detailed (like me). I need practice in writing succinctly. I went to Toasted Cheese Literary Journal, found a writing prompt,  and wrote this (329 words) using "Snow in June".

It was early, curled up in her blankets, the soft hum from the ceiling and the gentle clinking of the metal chain rhythmically rocking her thoughts. It was time to wake up and she knew it, didn’t have to even turn her head to the alarm clock.

She uncovered her head from the cocoon of blankets, the room felt colder than she remembered. Twisting her head towards the window, her eyes closed, yet she sensed that it was going to be a bright day. Her nose started to fell the chill that seemed to pervade the room now that her face was exposed.

Confused she blinked her eyes open to the ceiling, sharing at her skylight. It looked bright, hardly any blues bouncing back to her freshly opened eyes. Odd, she thought, there didn’t seem to be any branches from the maple tree in view of the skylight. Usually she could see the top edges, but this morning there was just white, not even any blue.

Sitting up, untangling from the blankets, she let out a breath to see a cloud of fog coalesce in front of her lips. Even odder, she shook her head, tossing the blanket casual off her shoulder; she was hit with a wave of cold. Turning her head to the window, the over curtain was draped over the window, partially obscuring her view. She could see that the world appeared to have disappeared.

Jumping out of bed, she ran around the edge of the bed, bare feet skimming over the ice cold carpet. She tugged the over curtain away and stared out at the snow storm occurring outside. The wind blew into the window cover her in a film if snow, “Oh shit!”

The first thing she said was, “Shit, my tomatoes?” There was a snowstorm assaulting the city in June and her car was buried under a couple of feet of snow, but she was worried about the tomatoes.

This was inspired because where I live snow has sometimes fallen in April and sometimes even in May. I live in Southern Central New York State [Corning, NY], and after last year when many of the apple crops were lost to frost  that occurred too early. I am also familiar with the feeling of waking up to a freezing house when my furnace quit working last year. Funny how real life intrudes/inspires writing.

Tomorrow is my AROW80 check-in, so I bid you a fond good evening, Dear Readers. I hope you enjoyed my little Flash Fiction. What sort of things from your own life often inspires your writing? Leave me a comment below!

Also, I discovered the German equivalent to My Little Pony; Filly World! Yep, this exist, I even have two, Empress Diva and Queen Leonarda (the fruit jelly is for perspective).