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 again supplied by Delores and can be found here.


This week's words are:


1. configuration
2. blame
3. jaundiced
4. spend
5. destiny
6. blank

and/or:

1. cornflower
2. dusting
3. minced
4. tasty
5. afterwards
6. plump

Here is my story:

Marnie muttered to herself as she sprinkled a light dusting of caster sugar over the minced fruit tarts, “into the oven with you, then you tasty little morsels can be served up for high tea.”
“Don’t spend too much time doing all this,” grumbled Betty, who really didn’t want to be there. “It’s just a bunch of old fogeys, and I want to get to the skating rink.”
“I want to make it nice,” said Marnie. ‘and your jaundiced attitude isn’t helping. Besides, those old fogeys as you call them, were once young girls like us, then they survived the war and became mothers and grandmothers. You will be old yourself one day, you can’t fight destiny.”
Well, don’t blame me if you’re stuck with serving duty as well. I’m leaving as soon as I write the greeting on this blank whiteboard,” said Betty. “Is it a birthday or just a non-specific get together?”
“It’s a farewell,” said Marnie. “One of the really old ones died in her sleep and the funeral was this morning, so this is probably a wake, but they are all very old so that’s why the high tea instead of a pub celebration. And don’t worry about serving duty. Tammy and Julia will be here soon and what’s so bad about serving anyway?”
“They’re OLD,” said Betty with a frown. “You’ll probably have to wipe their chins when they dribble their tea and spoon feed the ones who can’t hold a spoon because their hands are shaky!”
Marnie just stared at Betty for a whole minute before saying, “Right then. Get that greeting written and get out of here. I’ll see you at school on Monday. And I WILL stay and help with the serving. Just because they are all around ninety, doesn’t mean they aren’t still people and sad when one of them dies.”
She removed the minced fruit tarts from the oven and spread them on a cooling rack as Betty used her artistic skills to create a lovely colourful greeting to the ‘Ladies of Dragonshead Nursing Home”, washed the chalks off her hands and left without even a wave goodbye. Marnie sighed. Betty just wasn’t the type for community service.  She added the tarts to the table, where cream cakes and small jellies were laid out in a pleasing configuration on the cornflower blue tablecloth. At their age, the ladies didn't need to be concerned about calories and waistlines, that's for sure. 
Tammy and Julia arrived just as Marnie was setting out napkins and teacups, letting her know the first of the old ladies was about to arrive, and as soon as all fifteen of them were settled, they could start bringing the tiny, crust-less sandwiches from the fridge. “Would you like to stay and help Marnie?” asked Julia.
“I’d love to,” said Marnie. “Betty couldn’t stay, she had an appointment to get to.”
“With the skating rink I bet,” said Tammy. “We’ve been hearing all week about the cute new figure skating instructor.” She looked over the spread of goodies on the table. "If they manage to get through all this, they’ll be feeling quite plump afterwards. Are we allowed to eat any of this?”
“Yes,” said Marnie. “I’ve set aside a couple of everything for us, and we can eat as soon as the ladies are settled and eating sandwiches. Then we help if they need it and we do all the washing up after, like we agreed. I know it was just going to be you two, but the washing up will go faster with three of us.”

Comments

  1. Gotta love Marnie, Tammy and Julia. Karma just might bite Betty:)

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    1. Arkansas Patti; I'm sure Karma will get Betty eventually. This was part of the community service required by all new school leavers (fictional of course) and Betty will get an F and have to do it over.

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  2. Well done - you work the words into your stories so seamlessly! I'm smiling at Patti's comment :)

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    Replies
    1. jenny_o; sometimes I have a little trouble starting, but once I get that first sentence down it just flows from there. Thank you.

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  3. Loving your story. And Betty might, just might, regret her attitude in the fullness of time.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; thank you. She most certainly will regret it when she has to do it over and possibly the cute young instructor already has a girlfriend or boyfriend.

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  4. I enjoyed that. I wanted to taste the food, too. I love a good bake and this was a fun read.

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    Replies
    1. I laughed at the feeling plumb afterwards.

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    2. The Happy Whisk; thank you. I've written about foods I'm currently not allowed to eat and remembering how plump I felt afterwards

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  5. How true...us oldies were once young and fresh and those fresh young faces will one day be wrinkled just like ours are....and the circle goes round.

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    Replies
    1. only slightly confused; thank you. The circle does indeed keep going around and I hope it never stops.

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  6. I am nearly XC11 and not old. Old is when you expire.

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    Replies
    1. Vest; some people feel old many years before they expire, at the first wrinkle or grey hair they start talking about having one foot in the grave and waste the next 40 years complaining about it.

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  7. Nice story as always.
    Was dusting where I had cornflower, I accidently knocked it over into the mince which was thawing for dinner. The rissoles I made were rather plump and tasty, afterwards I waited a couple of hours to have some raspberries.

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    Replies
    1. Margaret-whiteangel; you joined us! Thank you, I like your little tale.

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  8. I'm popping down to see you River to enjoy some of those fruit mince tarts with you. I'll call when I arrive at the airport...and will hail a cab! On my way! :)

    Well done, once again. :)

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    Replies
    1. Lee; my son is popping in too, you'll have to hurry or the tarts will be all gone. Tell you what, I'll hide a couple for you :)

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    2. Sounds like a good plan, River! :)

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    3. I have an excellent hiding place, no one has ever found it.

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  9. It's funny how some people carry on about old folks, as if they're never going to age! I couldn't decide if I wanted to identify with the young girls, or the expected guests...

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    1. Val; depends on how close to ninety you are. On the other hand you are still getting out and about and living in your own home.

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  10. Great job, as always.

    Unfortunately, there are too many people around who act like Betty. Phooey on her! One day, the pendulum with swing and she'll find herself with shaky hands and food dribbling down her chin. Let's hope karma doesn't put her on the receiving end of the same kind of attitude she had about older people when she was young.

    I'm weird. I've always loved old people. Now I are one. (sigh)

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    Replies
    1. Susan; Thank you.
      I keep saying I'm looking forward to getting old, forgetting of course that I'm already 65.

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  11. Very good! Altho I'm not sure I needed to read this with a birthday fast approaching. Hahaha. :) Double nickels but I still feel 20 inside. I wish I looked 20 on the outside!

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    1. Angel Stew & Devil's Brew; sometimes I still feel 20, but most often I feel about 35. And I wish I still weighed what I did back then. Happy soon-to-be-birthday.

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  12. While i would not make a good caretaker in a nursing facility, i do like spending time talking to my elders. Even as a child, i wanted to be with the grown-ups.

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    Replies
    1. messymimi; I don't think I'd make a good caretaker, but I'd probably do alright helping in a dining room. I don't mind talking to elderly people, but sometimes they do keep repeating just the same thing they've already told several times. The ones who have a new subject each time are easier to talk to.

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  13. We all grow old at the end I would enjoy a birthday wake party like this.
    Merle.........

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    Replies
    1. Merle; I'd like a few afternoon tea parties when I'm very old too. As long as I didn't have to first do the baking.

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  14. I know where you are hiding your jam tarts. how ingenious. Most people would not think of looking there.

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    Replies
    1. Vest; you THINK you know, but you're wrong.

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  15. Great story and resonated with me as my mother died a few months ago at the age of 96. We had some lovely cake at her wake!

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