Wednesday's Words on a Friday


The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by Margaret Adamson& Sue Fulcher and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. ironically
2. trove
3. reflecting
4. visit
5. dressing gown
6. buttercup

and/or:

1. chronic
2. slippers
3. stretching
4. chuckled
5. technical
6. practice

Here is my short story:


Every time Aunt Mavis came to visit, her large carpet bag was a veritable treasure trove of gifts for us children. While she sat with Mum drinking numerous cups of tea, they'd discuss her chronic back problems while we were allowed to rummage at will through the bag and divvy up the surprises inside. an easy enough job, since the items were always definitely boy or girl themed and there were only two of us. Myself, Justin, and my twin Janet.

One year, Janet received several toys along with a dressing gown and matching slippers in a lovely buttercup yellow colour. My set was forest green. Ironically, given our individual colouring, the forest green should have been Janet’s but since I would look truly awful in buttercup yellow with matching fluffy slippers, we agreed to keep things the way Aunt Mavis had intended.

One of Janet’s toys was a kind of reflecting, magnifying lamp that somehow reflected a magnified image of a picture onto a sheet of paper so she could learn to draw the image for herself. I knew it was for her as I myself had no interest in drawing, preferring to build things, so kept the box of Meccano as I handed Janet the box of pencils. In years to come, my interest in fiddling with tiny screws and miniature parts evolved happily into the more technical use of putting together computer parts, while Janet’s drawings became illustrations for children’s books.

We both ran to thank Aunt Mavis, arriving in time to see mum explaining her new hobby, the yoga practice recently opened in town. Mum showed us all a couple of the stretching exercises and we all enjoyed an afternoon of chuckles watching stiff old Aunt Mavis trying to bend and sway.


Comments

  1. Aunt Mavis sound like the cool and interesting aunt. But I would love to see her home.
    Coffee is on

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    Replies
    1. peppylady (Dora); I'm trying to imagine it myself. I think it would be very tidy.

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  2. Aunt Mavis really knew her nieces and nephew. Well done with the gifts and word usage.

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    Replies
    1. Arkansas Patti; Aunt Mavis stays in touch with the children's parents, so knows exactly what is needed and when.

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  3. This is lovely. And, as we said at the preview of this piece, we all need an Aunt Mavis.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; I'd love an Aunt Mavis. I never knew any of my extended relatives.

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    2. Neither did I. The immediate family was all we knew.

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  4. The unfolded version is even better than promised ;) I still have a memory of having read about an aunt like this somewhere before. It's a brainworm ;)

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    Replies
    1. Uglemor; thank you. One day the brainworm will show itself when you least expect it.

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  5. Nice tale. Couldn't imagine have a buttercup yellow dressing gown :)

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    Replies
    1. Margaret-whiteangel; I saw a yellow set on the youngest of three daughters living next door to us when I was young. The older girls had rose pink and sky blue.

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  6. Mavis sounds like a fabulous aunt, the kind i would want to be if i were given a chance.

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    Replies
    1. messymimi; you may get that chance one day, or you could be a substitute aunt for a child who has none.

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  7. We all like Aunt Mavis...and would like one as fun as her in our lives. :)

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    Replies
    1. Lee; I know I would have liked one. I did have a next door neighbour who handed clothes over the fence to me once her children had outgrown them.

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  8. I hope the yoga helped Aunt Mavis's achy back! Otherwise, she might eventually have to start packing lighter surprises in her carpet bag.

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    Replies
    1. Val; I think Aunt Mavis gets pleasantly surprised and takes up yoga for herself.

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  9. I think I commented on your great story on EC's blog. Wonderful memories for me.

    XO
    WWW

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    Replies
    1. Wisewebwoman; you may have, I don't remember, but thank you.

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  10. Aunt Mavis' carpet bag gives me inspiration to make one of my own! Great story. I would love to see more of this. :)

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    Replies
    1. Magical Mystical Mimi; I thought of a carpet bag because I had recently watched Mary Poppins. How wonderful that you can make your own :)

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  11. What a sweet story! We all need an Aunt Mavis. I had an Aunt Helen.

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    1. Susan Kane; thank you. I had no aunts, mum was an only child and dad had only brothers and everyone was still in Germany. We were the only ones in Australia.

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  12. So many vivid images in this piece, River - well done. If the kids thought Aunt Mavis looked funny doing yoga, they'd fall on the floor if they ever saw me exercising :)

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    Replies
    1. jenny_o; glad you liked it. I think kids laugh at anyone older who tries things like this. I'm imagining these twins are about 6 or 7

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