giraffe

Yes and I somehow lost all my Gorey books - a few rings and all my old LPs too. The books I still have are so worn, you almost have to turn the pages with tweezers. Like cheap sunglasses always hang around. Glad you liked it.

Doug

giraffe: A comment or two about "Loss". Quite depressing. I got hooked at the start because i too draw lame piks and maybe some "ok" pics, but definately not up to the "standards" of the "artistas", but that's another story. Then you got into death and loss and you kinda lost me. Cheer up! If you were going for an "effect" then you definately accomplished that.

ladyhwin: Maybe I'm just being a "mischievious pixie", but I'm not a real horse person so please forgive me if I don't comment much about your horse stories. I am glad to hear that you and Nylecoj are "familiar". Maybe the two of you could co-write a story or "series".

marius: I'm putting my "wet blanket" pixie dust away for the day. I think I'll go draw something.

ladyhwin

That's fine Doug, I normally don't comment on most stories unless they really stand out to me, so I can understand that. And awesome idea! I will have to chat with Ny on this.... hmmmm >:D

Doug

I kinda of enjoyed collaborating with giraffe on the last ThinkWrite (until he brought in the blow-up doll lol) and you too should be able to come up with something interesting since you actually know each other unlike Ron and myself. Good luck and if you need some help or even a paragragh let me know. I'm done for the day probably. Oh, the pixies are calling me to my pillow....zzzzzzzzzz.

marius

Doug, you are funny! Hope you have fun drawing. Ya know ... guess giraffe's story could be seen as depressing but didn't come across that way to me. The sentence about trees regenerating after winter? THAT sentence came near the end and what that said to me (sorry giraffe you may not have had this intention at all) ... but that sentence said, 'Yes, there are losses but are they really losses? Maybe the things we have lost come back to us, but merely in a different form." (shrugging shoulders - don't ask me cause I don't know a thing.)

And your comment about not being a horse person brought up something funny. Here's a little story. When I first got on TD, saw that quite a few people liked to draw big cat pictures: lions, tigers, etc. THEN noticed that my eyes would skim right over those pics. That seemed odd. So one day made myself look at a bunch of them and finally thought, "Okay, for whatever reason I do NOT like pics of big cats, no matter how lovely or beautifully drawn." At times I have MADE myself leave comments, vote, on said pics because they ARE beautiful, but it was hard to do.

Tee hee. Laughing at self because reading your comment about horses just now brought up an odd memory. When I was in eighth grade our school had it's first ever book fair. I bought a book about 'the man-eating tigers of India.' Yes, I did. Who knows why. Anyway, it was a gripping tale, true, and perhaps it fit the melo-drama of that hormonal age, but I found that book VERY disturbing. It bothered me for months after I'd read it. So, erm, maybe that accounts for inability to appreciate these large cats today? Don't know. Just not my thing? Don't know. That's my history, life's a mystery. The End. : )

(Sweet dreams, Doug!)

giraffe

Doug. Blame it on Marius. Like you, I throw in twists. One of your comments on my mining disaster story was that it was "too real". I know that LOSS was depressing, but spit happens. I'm mostly working on trying to be humorous. Sometimes you have to clean out the pipes. As Joni Mitchell put it "Laughing and crying - you know it's the same release." I'm just glad you felt effected. You're a star writer here. Kudos.

marius

Doug, um ... as you know, marius does not do scary. However, your comment about giraffe's 'loss story' and his 'mine story' got me to thinking.

You said those stories were too real, or something like that. Isn't it odd, but maybe that's why I liked them. Maybe marius DOES like depressing and disturbing, but only if it feels real to her? Will say, I have always found horror stories to be FAR more depressing and disturbing than stories like those two by giraffe. FAR more! (Goes off scratching the head, saying
'hmmmm' and wondering.)

Since you like horror stories, um, are they meant as humor and light fun, and I'm missing it? (Wouldn't be the first time I didn't 'get' something.) : )

Dragon

I couldn't beleive it when I realized it's been more than 2 days since I read through this thread (I normally go try to stop into TW several times a day!) and I spent my entire lunch hour reading the latest offerings. I now know why I had trouble getting to sleep last night, it was the pixies whispering "Butterneeper, BUTTERNEEPER!" in my ear in an attempt to get me going. I do have a story of two rolling around in my head but have been having trouble getting time to actually sit down and write. For the record I love this word list and I'll be very disapointed if I don't manage to get at least one story in.

marius

Well, finally! Think the pixies were slow getting to you Dragon, cause um, well ... you're a DRAGON! Sounds just like 'em - waiting for you to fall asleep to give their message! Glad you like the word list.

[And, about the close-off time for this TW, technically speaking ... in my world April 29th does not happen until I wake up that morning and get on the computer. That may not be until 11 a.m. or even noon, TD time. : )]

marius

A Good Idea
Part IV. Ideas for the Next Time

My psychologist is good at twisting things around so I can see the funny side. Today our whole session was about love and relationships and we laughed a lot. My assignment for the week was to write down everything I liked about the relationship with Donny and everything I didn’t. Boy can I be petty. But I edited the list to the bare-bones before I got to my session, i.e. left out silly irritations like ‘his taste in food was appalling.’

Here’s the list.

What I didn’t like:
1. when I’d tell him I was one way and he’d say, “You’re not like that.”
2. his work friends. They were nice, but I couldn’t relate to them.
3. his inexperience. No wonder he’s a bachelor at fifty! I don’t think he’s ever dated much at all.
4. who I became with him. I was constantly giving in, doing what he wanted to do, seeing who he wanted to see, eating what he wanted to eat.
5. his family. They were nice, welcomed me, but I dreaded the times I had to see them.
6. he was good with money, but he was too tight, stingy
7. petty things like – I hated it when just the two of us were out in public and he’d talk so loud other people could hear our conversation. He never did that at any other time. It was weird.
8. we didn’t have many shared interests
9. finding out, at the end, that he had dated who HE wanted me to be, not who I really am, and then worse ...finding out that *I* had done the same with him.


What I did like:
1. he could be kind and caring at times
2. he had a steady job and didn’t live beyond his means
3. he didn’t have problems with addictions, except for the hoarding problem
4. we were both lonely, I think, so we filled a need for the other, for a while
5. when I realized I could break up with him without having to make him the enemy

My psychologist, Barbara, said she was impressed I’d figured out that BOTH Donny and I had dated our “ideas” of the other person, not the real person. We talked about why I might have wanted Donny to be someone other than who he really was. I feel kind of bad about that because it’s true; I didn’t see who he was. That’s awful to not see someone. It’s a cruelty I think.

Anyway, I about died when Katherine said she wanted to know what kind of man I’d want when I went looking for love again. I told her LOVE was the last thing on my mind but she pushed it. I’m glad she did because I learned some things.

She said I have had a complicated life so I should find a man who’s had a complicated life too. I thought that was the worst idea I’d ever heard until she started explaining. Suddenly a lot of the problems Donny and I had had made sense. He really couldn’t understand where I was coming from. Pretty much everything about MY upbringing was beyond his frame of reference, and pretty much everything about HIS upbringing was beyond my frame of reference.

Barbara also made me tell her, in one word, what I’d want in a new relationship. Of course, I can never say anything in one word, so it surprised me to hear myself say it. I said, “Adoration.” That sounds like a little kid wish, but I meant I want a man I adore and a man who adores me. That seems a step beyond just normal love, not that I’d know what normal love is.

Barbara said she didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t have tons of adoration in a relationship.

She said, “Adoration is a very good idea!”

giraffe

Marius. That knocked my socks off. Especially the list of "don'ts" at the beginning. Those are things people don't usually talk about or acknowlege. Excellent.

butterneeper . That whole thing was very riviting. Cool.

giraffe

I wonder where Morshy is.

marius

Well, he does live in "pixie-land." No telling how the little buggers might be entertaining themselves with one living so close to their natural haunts. : )

marius

Thanks too for your nice comments giraffe. Because of you, the first three parts have changed and am liking the improvements ... but was worried if the last part would seem to fit now. Guess it does. : )

Dragon

Ok, the pixies have done their work and so have I. I did restrain myself from frying those pixies to a crisp with my fiery breath (a dragon cannot be held responsible for her morning breath!) and managed to turn idea into words. So here's one for your perusal, hope you enjoy it marius. 432 words not including title.

All Along The Watchtower

Alera stood atop the watchtower and looked out into the night. It had an eerie kind of stillness about it that she had rarely ever felt, so still, in fact, that she could even hear the butterneepers peeping softly among the reeds that grew in the moat far below her. The misty clouds made the moonlight appear pixilated above her. Alera suppressed a chill as she heard a wild cats cry from out in the foothills, its voice a rising howl that sounded like a woman’s scream of terror.

She was alone, but not lonely. Other women had been coming and going, watching her worriedly, rushing to get anything they thought their princess might need but she had sent them away hours ago seeking only her own company on this long night.

As Alera stood she thought of the lovely carved trunk that was her dower chest and of the pieces of wedding shirt in it that her fiancé would wear on their wedding day. She should be working on it now, the green eagles of House Endari would not embroider themselves on the lapels but she could not even think of that right now. What a mess her life had become. If only there had not been the incident.

She didn’t even know what made her say it. No, she did know, it was her pride. Pride and the anger she’d felt upon hearing Corvin bragging to his men about bedding a royal as if he already had. And so in her anger she’d spoken the words that she would now take back if she could. “Any real man would bring his bride to be the head of a hydra before their wedding day, are you a real man Lord Corvin Endari?”

The fact that there was a hydra menacing the land didn’t escape her, it was likely what made her speak that ridiculous challenge at all. No proud nobleman could allow his courage to be so questioned.

So Alera found herself standing atop the watchtower looking out into the night with an odd mix of hope and foreboding swirling through her. A flurry of movement drew her eyes down to the treeline where she saw two riders approaching in full gallop. Two, where fifteen had ridden out this morning.

She held back a sob as she watched them race to the gates before she flew from the tower. Would her Corvin be one of those two? Would she have a chance to whisper apologies to him? Would he actually wear his wedding shirt? She wished now that she’d finished it.

marius

First, love 'the butterneepers peeping softly.' It is such fun to see how people use these odd words! Tee hee.

Second: Hands clapping! This has the right flow, suspense, atmosphere, timing, feeling, ... a delightful wonderment from this view! W.O.W.! (Oh, and the pixies are doing a little dance. They think they pulled off a victory with the Dragon.) : )

ladyhwin

Loved the story, Dragon! Awesome job!

Okay marius, here's your cat 'tail.'


She came nearer, as silent as an elf, yet he could tell she was coming closer. The mockingbird couple in the trees were living up to their name, laughing and jeering – the pixilated things...
Sebastian carefully smoothed a few ruffles in his gray coat and shuffled his white feet in the dry leaves. Since coming to this part of the forest two days ago, he had heard nothing but tales of her from the elves, pixies, ButterNeepers and squirrels.
Now he sauntered carefully about, staying close to the trunk of the tree where he had found a nice nest. Well, maybe it had been a mess when he found it, but so what. Buttons!
“Will you scat?” Sebastian was muttering to the mockingbirds when she appeared from behind a clump of brush.
She was tall and beautiful with dark hair and sparkling eyes. She looked up into the green canopy, shaking her head as the mockingbirds mixed up their song and flew away screeching.
Sebastian’s jaw dropped in astonishment. He could figure out now why all the forest life enjoyed her company so much.
She turned and caught sight of him, standing in the leaves, and a smile spread across her face. Sebastian looked away, unable to meet her gaze or look into her dark brown eyes.
She laughed merrily and walked on.
The cat smiled shyly after her. What an incident!

ladyhwin

And this is about the current horses that live in my pasture... no, I did not get around to answering your questions in a story, but I will give you answers tomorrow morning yet. Thank you for a wonderful ThinkWrite!!!


Peaceful Beauty
As I drove the winding road through the lush greenery, my eyes roved the landscape, searching for something to distract me from my problems.
A field caught my attention. A relaxing scene of grazing animals. A company of four cows and a little calf flanked by a group of three horses who were resting under the shade of a huge tree. From where I was, I couldn’t tell quite what they looked like for the trunk hid them well.
I can’t recall quite why I stayed, but the incident of seeing such a pretty portrait caused me to pull over and watch.
Just then, one of the horses stepped into the sunlight, appearing suddenly as a dazzling paint pony mare, stocky and tossing her head with mischief. She caught sight of the prancing calf and hurried after it, shaking her tangled mane.
As she ran, the other two burst out of their shadowy cover, eight black legs trampling the beautiful yellow flowers, mixing them with the soft earth.
Her mess of a tail streaming out behind her, her quick reaching strides handing her the lead, a glistening black mare swiftly caught her herd-mate and turned their victim in another direction.
A pixilated look in her eye, the last horse dashed after them. She was big, in height and weight and made quite an imposing sight, charging through the grass and flowers, causing even the obnoxious Butter Neepers to scatter. Her glossy mahogany coat rippling as she ran, her short black man flickering like little flames, her white blaze flashing when she turned.
The three of them galloped across the pasture, tormenting the cows, racing each other for the sheer delight and excitement it offered.
I let out a small chuckle as the black one nipped the paint’s neck and the two kicked out at each other in play. The big mare, obviously the leader, pushed between them, ears flat on her head, teeth bared. They veered away and fell behind.
Suddenly wheeling as though in alarm, the tall dappled bay stopped, tail raised in excitement, head up, ears pricked.
My eyes followed her gaze to a gate where a girl stood, bucket in hand, halter hanging over her shoulder.
The other two also stopped to look. With a toss of her head, the black one stepped towards the gate, paused and looked back to her leader.
I looked at my watch and noted with alarm that I would be late. With a last glance, I drove away with a cheered heart.

ladyhwin

That makes two late nights in a row.... *yawn....* But it's been worth it!!!!

giraffe

234 w/o title, all words used. Craziness as usual.

LOSS (Level 2)

So I had to remind myself again. Maya is an illusion. The physical things we own - even our senses and visions are fleeting dreams. A drop in the ocean. Buddhist philosophy says if you crave something, go for it. Only by exhausting your desires will you be able to lose them. I'm definitely not to that stage yet.

I still want too much, but I keep reminding myself that it's all temporary. "Things" come and go. So do people, urges and butterneepers. Every incidental contact with a stranger is soon forgotten. Cats know this.

Try as I do to rub shoulders with the rich (with whom I have nothing in common) it's cats I adore. I think it was that bitch Greenie that made me start meditating. "Meow." she would say. I heard 'Maya' because that's what she meant. She gave me the message and then departed.

It appears that when in Lotus, your trunk expands and you've lost your senses. Well, doh, that's the goal. No company can sell it. You can't lose it. Now my new cat Oz has a different message for me. I can't understand it yet. I laugh at him a lot. Maybe that's the clue. Let them call me a witch! Don't they have their own losses to deal with?

Their lives turn into a mixed up, pixelated mess. I'm fine and poverty suits me. Call me a witch.