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Saturday 30 May 2009

Saturday Wordzzle # 65




The idea is, every week Raven (Views From Raven's Nest) gives you between 8 and 10 words/phrases and you have to create a small but coherent paragraph using every one of them and the same with the mini challenge. You can do either, both or a megawordzzle using all the words, or even all three, it's up to you, you can post them on your blog or email them to Raven. If you join in go to Raven's and put your name on the Mr. Linky so other participants can come visit you.


Here's my efforts, complete with my doodles.



This week's ten word challenge is: parasite, meals on wheels, crows, it's my fault, everything but the kitchen sink, on sale, patriotism, the love of my life, library card, common sense




Patricia enjoyed working for the meals on wheels service, she got to meet some lovely old people, full of patriotism and common sense. Patricia’s dedication didn’t stop at delivering meals, she was entrusted with their library cards and chose their books, she also did shopping for them and more often than not they wanted everything but the kitchen sink, but “It’s my fault” she told her friends, “I’m too accommodating.” She was very careful with their money getting items which were on sale or special offer and they said they appreciated it.



When Jack moved into the sheltered accommodation where she delivered meals, she couldn’t believe he was 70, he looked so much younger. Patricia was sixty but the ten years age difference meant nothing, she and Jack got along like a house on fire. Patricia never thought she would ever meet anyone she would be remotely interested in romantically after John her husband, the man she called ‘the love of my life’, had died. Now here she was with feelings for Jack that were definitely more than just friendly, it wasn’t long before romance blossomed.


Patricia was over the moon when Jack asked her to marry him and said ‘Yes’ without hesitation. Of course the other residents had their opinions on the romance calling her things like ‘parasite’ and accused her of ‘taking advantage of an old man’. Patricia was upset at first but Jack told her to ignore them.


“You’re right Jack, they’re nosey old crows” she said “sod ‘em!”

Jack moved into Patricia’s house and she gave up the job she’d adored, until the people she’d dedicated her time to had turned against her for daring to find love again.


And for the mini: blackmail, California, stethoscope, postage, crank



The letter arrived without a postage stamp to Liam’s house in California Avenue. He didn’t recognise the handwriting and was a little wary since he won the lottery, as he’d had lots of crank letters. Picking up a stethoscope he’d bought specifically for the purpose, he placed the round part onto the envelope to listen for ticking. No ticking, no bomb, he thought. Opening the envelope he was surprised by it’s content.


gIvE uS £1,000,000 oR wE tElL tHe pApErS
aBoUt yOuR wIfeS pOrN mOvIe



A blackmail letter! What the hell?

“Idiot, I don’t have a wife!” said Liam and promptly threw the letter onto the fire.


Megawordzzle




Babs and Tom had met when they were both taking a gap year from university and were backpacking round California. They had returned to England and completed their respective degrees and were now in their fourth year of marriage, living in a rented semi-detached in Manchester.


Tom had just been made redundant and was desperately trying to get Babs to agree to emigrate. He painted a wonderful picture of using his redundancy payoff to buy a little bar in Spain for them to run, living the high life in a country where the sun shone almost every day.

“How much better would that be rather than this incessant rain?” he pleaded.


Tom put forward a great argument - neither of them had any feelings of patriotism and they had no close family here now, so there was nothing to stop them. They didn’t want to grow old and end up relying on meals on wheels without having taken any chancesn in life. Everything was so much more relaxed in Spain, their friend Tina and Mike were making a packet with their bar, Tom went on and on about all the reasons for them emigrating, how old people here were almost considered parasites unless they were rich and it was unlikely they would ever be, unless they won the lottery. By the time he’d finished it was almost tantamount to blackmail, so Babs , feeling she would be letting Tom down if she didn’t agree ripped up her library card and throwing common sense to the wind said


“Tom, you’re the love of my life, blow in my ear and I’ll follow you anywhere!”

Decision made, they were selling up and moving to Spain. They bought two cheap return air tickets and went to stay with Tina and Mike while they looked at suitable businesses. It wasn’t long before they found just what they were looking for.
“OK the bar might only be the size of a postage stamp but it will get us started” Tom assured Babs.

Everything signed and sealed they returned to England and decided to have a yard sale to get rid of all their belongings, to make some more money to take with them. They splashed out and put an advert in the local paper and on the appointed day (which thankfully wasn’t a rainy one) they piled everything they owned on the front lawn. Tom stood on a box shouting

“Everything is on sale, well everything but the kitchen sink that is.”

“Tom you’ll have to crank up the volume, they will need a stethoscope to hear your sales patter at this rate, here use this megaphone” said Babs.

The crowds descended on the garden like crows round a carcass and within two hours they’d sold everything, pocketing quite a tidy sum for their Spanish fund.

The next day, after spending the night in a cheap hotel, Tom and Babs arrived at the airport to start their new life abroad. At the check in desk Tom handed over their tickets and passports and was mortified when the clerk said

“I’m sorry sir but your passport has expired!”

“Oh, shit, it’s my fault” cried Babs “I forgot to check them!”

24 comments:

lettuce said...

hi akelamalu

have a good weekend

Reston Friends! said...

I love the meals on wheels lady finds love story! A friend of mine (in his 60's) visits with "old" veterans just because he likes to listen to their stories. This reminds me of that.

Dr.John said...

Three great stories. I love the first one with its romance at 70 and a sort of happy ending.
I chucled at the second one.
The ending on the last one surprised me and I like to be surprised.

Maude Lynn said...

These are marvelous!

bettygram said...

Oh dear some of the nest egg to use in Spain will have to used to live until they get their passports.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

'The crowds descended on the garden like crows round a carcass' - good one! And I love the late-in-life romance, too. Great ending line:

'until the people she’d dedicated her time to had turned against her for daring to find love again.'

Fandango said...

Three wonderful stories and not too long. We dragons don't like too long. You humans and your rules. We dragons don't need passports.
Do they give free food in that bar?

Raven said...

Wonderful as always. We both had inept blackmailers this week. I enjoyed the romance of the first though I was sad that her friends turned against her. And the last was just fun with your surpise ending. Well done.

Dianne said...

I love the first one!! what a happy thing to happen for 2 older folks - wonderful!!

A Lady's Life said...

Very good Keep it up :)

Richard said...

Great stories. I loved the ending on the the last one. Bravo. You always do it for me girl.

Anonymous said...

As always, these are wonderful. It is so nice that the elderly can find love and enjoy themselves regardless of what others say. The second one was my favorite...how stupid people can be LOL. Well done my friend. :)

Flowerpot said...

these are great Ak - as ever! Enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

Akelamalu said...

Thanks Lettuc you too.

Old people have some great stories to tell Reston Friends so I can understand why your friend wants to visit them. Thanks for dropping by. :)

One is never too old for Romance Dr. John ;)

Thankyou Mama Zen :)

Yes they'll have to live very frugally for a while BettygramYou're very kind Julia thankyou. I'm pleased you enjoyed them. :)

Glad you enjoyed the stories Fandango, it must be nice to live without rules! ;)

I noticed we both had inept blackmailers Raven, I think Blackmailers should never succeed. ;)

I'm so pleased you liked them Dianne x

Glad you enjoyed them Lady's LifeAh thankyou Rich you're very kind in your praise. x


Thanks Thom I'm happy you liked my stories. x

Cheers Flowerpot I hope you enjoy the sunshine too - isn't it glorious? :)

San said...

I love the way you wove a love story out of such unlikely words!

Your wordzzles are great.

Nessa said...

Very sweet love story. I'm glad she didn't turn out to be a gold digger.

The blackmail one ending very funny.

I have nightmares where things expire because I don't check them

maryt/theteach said...

Akelamalu, thanks for visiting my blog and complimenting my new header! Your Wordzzles are a lot of work. I admire you! :)

gabrielle said...

I’m happy for Patricia. The house is on fire! Wow, you gotta pay attention.
The mega so full of promise. Great build up. Regrettably, the devil’s in the details.
Great stories. Cheers!

Akelamalu said...

Aw thanks San xx

I'm a checker Nessa, I check everything umpteen times over!

My pleasure Teach, glad you like my wordzzles. :)

Cheers Gabrielle, I'm so pleased you enjoyed them. :)

ForestJane said...

Nice job, all three stories! I think I liked the first one best. :)

Akelamalu said...

Hi and thanks ForestJane :)

Cloudia said...

your usual GREAT!

Stephen said...

I liked your stories. In the first one, it was nice that the woman got married, but sad that her friends turned against her. In the second story, it was funny that the man was using a stethoscope to check the letters. The stupidity of the blackmailer was also amusing. In the third story, it was funny at the end to have them stopped because of expired passports, after all their preparations.

Stephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/

Akelamalu said...

Cheers Cloudia x


Welcome Stephen, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my stories. :)