Monthly Archives: November 2024

Fibbing Friday for Nov 15, 2024

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For Fibbing Friday, the challenging words to lie about are:

1.  What is a decibel? Mr. Arnaz’s wife,  Lucille Ball
2.  What is an imbecile? Answer to the question, “What you be doing on April Fool’s Day?”
3.  What is meant by an ‘impasse’? An admission by someone who is obviously out of date in their clothing choice.
4.  What is a monogram? One’s one surviving mother of one’s mom or dad.
5.  What is smorf? The sound an aardvark with a cold makes.
6.  What is a precedent? The leader of our country.
7.  What is anaglypta ? A nag is usually mainly lip ta her husband.
8.  What is a skewbald? Someone as hairless as a cue ball.
9.  What are kitten heels? The backs of kitten feet, obviously!!!
10. What is a pascal? A demand made by your father.

(I found Lucille Ball’s photo on several websites without attribution.)

For Cee and Chris, FOTD Nov 14, 2024

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Thinking of you both each time I post a flower!!!

For FOTD

Precursors to the Super Moon, Nov 14, 2024

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Click on photos to enlarge.

Just in case it is overcast tomorrow, I took these photos of tonight’s moon from the swimming pool. Kinda chilly, but the hot tub was warm!  Doggies encircled me but didn’t join me!!!

Puffed Corn, for RDP Thursday: Kernel

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Puffed Corn

His ego is most copious, but alas, also fragile,
for his imagination is something less than agile.
He’s much given to adages that were coined by another:
prolific writers of the past, his preacher or his brother.
He’s not really a plagiarist. He just forgets the fact
that although he might perform it, he didn’t write the act!
His words, puffed up and pompous, are lacking in much worth.
They seem to lack a kernel, though provided with much girth.
For all that they sound pretty—refined to a high gloss,
instead of rarest metal, alas, they’re merely dross.
In short, although they’re polished ’til they sparkle, glitter, gleam,
they ramble on without restraint, sadly lacking a theme.

For RDP Thursday: Kernel

Mexican Trumpet Vine FOTD Nov 13, 2024

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For Cee’s FOTD

“Tree-hugger” for dVerse Poets, Nov 13, 2024

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            Tree-hugger.                 
Today my eyes teared over
as they bulldozed the tree
in the undeveloped lot next door.
It had to be cut. 
A house was being built there and
aside from the trash it dropped,
it blocked the view.
“I’ll tell you what,” Kazem had said,
“I’ll dig it up and plant it in your yard.”
But I didn’t want the mess of it, either.
I wanted the tree next door
where I could see it 
without  dealing 
with the fluff in my pool,
the pods falling off.
That tree was a resting place for  birds,
which I said goodbye to
along with the tree.
Then, while I was at it,
I said goodbye to my cat
who had drowned in the pool
a week before.
Goodbye to my husband
who had hoped to see that tree
and the view around it
every day of the rest of his life.
Goodbye to my mother,
who passed onto me
her love of trees.
Goodbye
to all loved creatures 
recently gone.
The tree was gone in a minute,
along with dry bushes, weeds.
The backhoe scraped the soil over
Coke cans, agua bottles,
plastic flowerpots and chips wrappers–
the detritus from houses on each side,
as well as evidence of years of workers
who sat in the shade of the lot for lunch.
For a year or two
of privacy lost, calm shattered,
peace surrendered,
I’d get new neighbors,   
perhaps a friend.
Clouds of dust billowed
over my newly painted wall.
They’d plant new trees, 
the builder promised,
as he bulldozed all.

–Judy D-B

For dVerse Poets Pub, photo by Aaron Burden
To see the prompt, go HERE. The prompt quote was:
—whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees,
it’s they shall cry hello to the spring.
–e.e. cummings

30 Decibels for The Three Things Challenge, M877

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30 Decibels

An upbeat singer has this choice
to bellow or to curb his voice.
Lower decibels are favored
so the music may be savored

The words for the Three Things Challenge are: UPBEAT LOWER BELLOW

Seasonal No-Nos for RDP, Nov 12, 2024

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Seasonal No-Nos

Coal in your stocking? There’s a reason.
(You’ve commited Yuletide treason
if you’ve been Christmas present squeezin’.)
These forms of unkind family-teasin’
aren’t allowed during this season:
You aren’t allowed to rag on sister
just because her boyfriend kissed ‘er.
Cannot short-sheet brothers’ beds
or put such mischief in the heads
of younger siblings so they do
naughty mischief, taught by you!
Can’t tease the dog or put the cat,
curled up, in your grandpa’s hat.
Cannot set the hamster free
to frolic in the Christmas tree.
Cannot conspire to spike the punch
when preacher’s asked for Sunday brunch.
All sorts of rules I could tell
to relieve the seasonal Hell
of switches in your Xmas stocking,
but I will do no further talking
of naughty things that you could do
to direct Kris Kringle’s wrath towards you.
For you require no more instruction
concerning means of the destruction
of the plans of all the others:
grandparents, sisters and brothers,
parents, uncles, aunts and those
who’ve wrapped up books and toys and clothes
to make your Xmas bright and fun
(so long as you have wrapped up none
of the gag gifts formerly plotted:
broken, ugly, fetid, rotted.)
Please wipe such plans out of your head,
or you’ll be sent,hungry, to bed
presentless, alone, unfed!!!!!

For RDP: Seasonal  Image by Shutterstock

Lost Places

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Lost Places

Some of us find the world
in the places where we are born.
Some of us can find no place there at all
except in retrospect.

We write books about these lost places
as though we knew what they were all about;
as though just by living there, we understood that place.
Actually, by writing about them we visit them again
and feel as much a stranger as we did before.

That is how we can stand to write about them.
They become the exotic other lands we’ve traveled to.
Misfortune becomes the best part of the story;
and we, at last, are grateful for it.

For the Writer’s Digest “Lost ” prompt

Technique: How Not to Walk a Crocodile for FOWC

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How Not to Walk a Crocodile

I’ll admit, it’s been a while
since I walked a crocodile,
so my technique is rather rusty
and my memory is dusty.
Still, I’ll tell you if you sit awhile
how not to walk a crocodile!

Don’t walk him through the butcher shop.
The butcher will just call a cop.
Don’t visit bakeries at all.
His roar will cause the cakes to fall.
That store where Mother bought her dress?
No place to walk your croc, I’d guess.

And though your pet may need some air,
it’s best that you don’t take him where
small dogs are left out for our viewing
just right for crocodile chewing.
Dog parks do not work for crocs
Find a new place for your walks.

Don’t walk him on your grandma’s floor.
She’ll sweep you both right out the door.
Don’t take him to your Sunday School.
He’s sure to break the Golden Rule.
And if you take him to the deli,
no saying what ends in his belly.

I’ll share a secret with you now.
It is, I really don’t know how
to take a crocodile for a walk.
All of this has just been talk.
And can I guess by your big smile,
you do not have a crocodile?

For FOWC the prompt is technique