Tuesday, October 31, 2006

haiku


I raise my hand to

the sky. Sunlight pools in my

veins like warm syrup.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Monday, October 30, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [wade]

[Osquer 42]

"There's nothing for it but to roll up my pantlegs and wade on in," he thought, taking off his shoes and putting thought to action. She was already calf deep in the chuckling fountain water her hair, eyes and smile flashing in the slowly fading sunlight.

October 30, 2006 02:27 PM

haiku


Autumn shadows trace

last year’s patterns again, but

my view’s different.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sunday, October 29, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [anti]

[Osquer 42]

"Well, are you going to anti up?" I sneered at him. He looked very uncomfortable. When he had demanded to join my weekly poker game, he hadn't known it was all women. Worse still, we'd just told him that it was a strip poker game, and we'd all dressed for snow. That and the fact that I'd marked the cards was going to make for a very interesting night.

October 29, 2006 01:15 PM

haiku


A cloud shakes its fist

but the weather seems to have

regained its temper.

* * * * * * *

We had rain, snow, hail, thunder and lightning today! Then it all cleared up and we had sunshine. Go figure.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [auntie]

[Osquer 42]

The best thing about helping auntie bake pies is the extra pie dough. She lets me roll it out and spread it with butter. Then I sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Then I roll it up and auntie slices it into little pinwheels and then bakes them for me. They make tiny crispy cinnamon rolls. Mmmmmm.

October 28, 2006 04:42 PM
* * * * * * *
This is actually something I used to do with my mom when she would bake pies and let me "help."

Saturday, October 28, 2006

haiku (for Pendragon the Parrot)


Apple? What apple?

You mean that bit that didn't

make it to the pie?


Photos and Pie by: Osquer
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [sinner]

[Osquer 42]

"From one sinner to another," he remarked, handing me a cracked mug with something vile but very warming in it. I thanked him in a choked but grateful voice. "Don't mention it," he smiled, or rather it would have been a smile if he'd had any teeth. "I remember my first autumn on the streets..."

October 27, 2006 07:18 PM

Friday, October 27, 2006

55 Fiction Friday


The birth certificate slid from Lady Jessica’s nerveless fingers. The initials J.L.B. had been her own. All this time she’d never guessed. Jessica Lenore Barton, daughter of the Duke of Grafton, straightened her shoulders, picked up her birth certificate and the key bearing her initials and finally turned her back on the name of Iris.

[FIRST] [PREVIOUS] (to be continued...)


* * * * * *

I must beg the pardons in advance of my U.K. readers. I am about to take all sorts of liberties with the Dukedom of Grafton. This is an ongoing work of fiction and all of characters are things of my own invention. They have nothing whatever to do with the real gentry of Grafton nor anywhere else for that matter. ;-p

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Seventeen

Appetizer
Create a new candle scent.

hot buttered toast...

better yet baking bread! Mmmm sourdough!


Soup
Name one way you show affection to others.

Smooches! ;-*

Salad
What is your favorite writing instrument?

A fountain pen – though I haven’t had one in a while. I think I need to go pen shopping.

Main Course
If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online, from which site would you buy?

There’s a new CD I want when Amazon.com gets it.


Dessert
Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be?

I’m going to be Tinkerbell!

haiku pair (for Jay)

How many petals

in a rosebush’s life? How

many days for us?


Photo by: Osquer

When I get to day

forty-seven eighty-four


I will stop counting.

* * * * * *


Thank you, my dear Jay, for a lovely 2 month anniversary yesterday!

Photo by: Osquer – October 25, 2006
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [saint]

[Osquer 42]

"I never claimed to be a saint!" she spat at him.

"I know," he sighed, "but it's what the people want. Please, T. They still need you."

"I thought maybe when I died I'd get a little rest." The diminutive former nun grumbled. "Alright. How many posthumous miracles do I have to do now?"

October 26, 2006 02:00 PM

haiku (October 25, 2006)


Mandarin orange

fish slice
through gelatinous

sun glazed pond water.

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [differ]

[Osquer 42]
"I hate to differ with you," the demon cautioned, "but if you give that dragon two heads you're only asking for grief. There's nothing a dragon likes so much as fresh dragon. If you give it more than one head, one is sure to eat the other sooner or later." October 25, 2006 02:27 PM

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

haiku


It may take a bit

longer, but there are reasons

that I drive this road.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [catastrophe]

[Osquer 42]
To say that the day had been a catastrophe was a gross understatement. Gross being the operative word. I had never seen so much chaos in one place in my entire life! First the artificial life forms decided to reinvent themselves. Taking themselves to bits was the easy part. Then someone frightened the giant squid just as he decided to surface. Who knew there was that much ink? I'll never get the albino dust bunnies clean! When Igor the giant guinea pig got loose well, you can imagine! I love working at Mad Scientists R Us. *sigh* October 24, 2006 02:55 PM

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

tanka (for Mom)


Mom said the snow came

because I blogged about it.

You can’t see it here,

but I took this self portrait

in the season’s first snowfall.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Monday, October 23, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [melt]

[Osquer 42]
I shivered all the more as the snow caked around my ankles began to melt and seep into my shoes. I had not been prepared for the sudden onset of winter. I stuck out my lip and pouted. It paid off. He couldn't help me out of my coat and into a chair by the fire fast enough. If I played my cards right, there might be some cocoa involved! October 23, 2006 08:29 AM

haiku (for Jay)

I smile thinking of

how you kissed me for pouting

over Scrabble tiles.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

haiku


What was a patch of

dirt
and then a garden is

now a patch of dirt.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [lava]

[Osquer 42]
Lava is one of the most fascinating substances in the Hollywood universe. Even though it is actually molten rock, which means it must be pretty hot, if you run fast enough over its surface, you can apparently carry someone to safety just as your shoes melt. It can also be turned aside by the strategic placement of construction medians which are made of concrete which apparently has a higher melting point than mere rock. Lava is just considerate that way. Whenever there's lava in a movie, I immediately know that my suspension of disbelief is going to get a work out. October 22, 2006 09:19 AM

Odd Things I Spot From My Car - Thing 5

Photo by: Osquer

Sometimes I'm so thankful that I don't work in retail anymore!

More Odd Things: 1, 2, 3
, 4

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

haiku (for Jay)

Photo by: Osquer

Sometimes when you are

photographing me, I am

photographing you!

Photo: by Jay

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Look in the gazebo!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [erupt]

[osquer42]
As I came down the stairs, the rooms below began to erupt in a cacophony of noise the like of which I hadn't heard since my elementary school field trip to the circus. Someone had opened the door to the parakeet coup and as none of their wings had been clipped they had spread around like spilled, winged marbles and were playing, fighting, and making love all over the entire first floor of the house. October 21, 2006 10:11 AM

Friday, October 20, 2006

haiku


The fall leaves unveil

a former nursery. Who

lived there, I wonder?

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

haiku

"Window on Rain" Photo by: Osquer
Pittsburgh, PA - July 24, 2006

I wept in my car

in the rain over things that

may never happen.

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [grasp]

[Osquer 42]
At first I had trouble grasping the situation. After all, it's not every day I have to deal with an entire section of highway that's been coated with spilled olive oil. I took a moment to get a grip...on a nearby guardrail and then assessed the disaster. The 18 wheeler lay on its side and we were up to our ankles in extra virgin...what a mess! October 20, 2006 08:22 AM

55 Fiction Friday


Iris shook herself out of her self induced reverie, slid the key into the lock and turned it with great effort. The tumblers resisted with an ancient groan. Finally with an audible clack the lock released. Iris lifted the lid and looked into the box. Nothing lay inside but a single sheet of discolored paper.

[FIRST] [PREVIOUS] (to be continued...)

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Sixteen

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

Tea…Earl Grey…hot.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

A dragon, a glass cactus and a seashell
(walk into a bar…)


Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

9…okay, to be completely honest 8…wait that bumps me back up to 9…I think...


Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

“Otisburgh? Otisburgh!?!”


Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

Dealing with stupidity stresses me.

Jay’s voice calms me down.

haiku


Bright bottles pour forth

bright ideas bound to be

forgotten by dawn.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Thursday, October 19, 2006

www.oneword.com - one word, so little time [french]

[Osquer 42]
I absolutely LOVE French fries and ranch dressing! I don't care if they're crinkle cuts, skinny little shoe strings or big fat steak fries (although those are my favorites!) as long as they're made out of potatoes and fried until they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Oh and that creamy, tangy ranch dressing! Yum yum! October 19, 2006 10:55 AM

* * * * * * *

Wow! I can't believe it! OneWord is updating again! Cool!

haiku (for LeftUnsaid27)

Don't be reticent

to be part of the world. Find

your voice and be heard.

OneWord - so little time [reticent]

I noticed that the revenant had been reticent of late. I wondered if the cat had got his tongue, but when I checked, it turned out to be just a bit of leftover liver she had found on the table. I thought perhaps he was a bit depressed, it being Halloween season and all and him unable to enjoy candy any more. Turns out he had actually lost his larynx at a recent zombie strip poker game and was disappointed that he would not be able to do karaoke until his luck changed.

* * * * * * *

Yeah, I always wanted to be a mad scientist. Thanks for a word that worked well in a Halloween themed OneWord, LeftUnsaid27. Glad to hear from you again!

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

Odd Things I Spot From My Car - Thing 4


Photos by: Osquer
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

More Odd Things: 1, 2, 3

haiku (for Steeler Chick)

Routines may become

rituals. Let rituals

not become routine.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

OneWord - so little time [ritual]

She suddenly realized that this was not packing to move. This was a ritual cleansing. All of the detritus from an existance that she could not and indeed did not want to return to must be pruned from her life so that she could grow in new directions. She set aside the tiny overflowing wastepaper basket and went to the garage for the 44 gallon garbage can.

* * * * * * *

Thanks for another good word, Steeler Chick! Sorry for all the trash talk. (Where's Chowderhead with my rim shot?) ;-p

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

haiku


A single crow stands

sentry over the stem of

a once vital tree.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

haiku (for Paperback Writer)

Release anger, for

when it's caged it becomes all

the more ferocious!

This made me laugh!

Hee hee hee! Go read this haiku!

OneWord - so little time [anger]

My anger at his comments took me quite by surprise, ambushing my tranquility and mangling my muscles into knots of tension. His remarks weren't even directed at me, but the rage that I had to refrain from expressing was so intense that the frustration of caging it brought tears to my eyes.

* * * * * * *

Gee, Paperback Writer, I hope you're not having a bad day.

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

haiku (for Jay)

morning water sprites

performing Riverdance on

my lover's rooftop

Fibonacci Poem (for cousin Lisa)

Your

name,

and I

remember

writing a sequel

to Ghostbusters when we were kids.

Our version was not at all like the one they released.

haiku


not much left after

the frost, just these spicy and

sweet little greenies

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge)

haiku (for EDW)

Sometimes it takes a

single word to recognize

a kindred spirit.

Monday, October 16, 2006

OneWord - so little time [kindred]

In my winding journey through life I have encountered a number of kindred spirits. Some hovered in and out of my life like flame attracted moths and finally disappeared into the shadows of distance and time. Some are still with me like a comforting stone in my shoe. Their thoughts ride along with me on my journey and subtly remind me at times that they have never left me. Those friends might not see their stony status as a compliment, but with enough colorful pebbles, one can create a beautiful mosaic. My friends form the mural of my life.

* * * * * * *

Excellent word, EDW! Writing this brought so many faces to mind, some of which I may never see again but will always remain etched in my memory.

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

haiku (for Jay)


You drive, my head on

your shoulder, sunlight flashing

on my closed eyelids.

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

haiku


"What do you mean you

didn't come to feed geese? Why

else would you come here?"

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

haiku (for George)

Icky-sticky and

oohy-gooey are two of

my favorite textures.

OneWord - so little time [sticky]

“This is a very sticky situation,” he grumbled, trying to pry his hand free from the gallons of honey in which we'd become trapped.

“Very funny,” I rasped. I was too scared, too tired, and too covered in goo to joke at that point. Besides, the giant space bees would be back at any moment.

"Hey," he grinned, "'Sometimes the only way to deal with something deadly serious is to treat it a little lightly.'"

* * * * * * *

Thanks for coming out to play, George! The quote in this piece is from "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

Fibonacci Poem (for Jay)

Take

my

hand. I’ll

go with you

no matter how steep

things get. It will be worth the view.


Photo by: Osquer

Photo by: Jay

Photo by: Jay

Photo by: Osquer
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Saturday, October 14, 2006

haiku (for Law Girl and Mr. Stonecold)


When fires of sunset

finally cease and night comes,

in darkness, stars shine.

Photo by: Osquer - March 7, 2004
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

haiku (for Polona)

Autumn repaves the

road with fallen acorns crushed

by the passing cars.

OneWord - so little time [finally]

When I finally set foot on the deck of the ship again, all had grown quiet. The guns were still, the throats of the sailors were silent. Smoke clouded the riggings, but I could see that the sails were tattered, fluttering fitfully in the breeze which would have so aided us in our escape had it come only an hour earlier.

* * * * * * *

Finally a simple, mainstream word! (Not that all the challanging vocabulary words aren't fun...) Thank you, Law Girl! Some things are worth waiting for, eh?

The Pick Osquer's OneWord Contest...

It's time for the daily OneWord contest to pick a word for me to write about. The first person to post a word in the comments wins. The prize is that I will use your word for my OneWord post. I will also write a haiku especially for you! I've got my sixty second timer set to go. Someone give me the word!

One of the best things about
www.oneword.com for me was the fascination of being able to read other people's perspectives on the same word. So, if anyone out there would like to play along at home, I'd love it if you posted your own OneWord entry in the comments. Just set a sixty second timer (or guesstimate about a minute) and write whatever comes to your mind about the winning word for today. As they say on www.oneword.com (when it works) "Don't think. Just write." Then share your thoughts in the comments to my OneWord post. I'd love to see what you have to say!

fun with camera timers







Photos by: Jay's Camera - October 6, 2006
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

55 Fiction Friday


Iris drew the key from her bodice where it had ridden from France. She ran her fingers over the initials engraved on its tarnished surface, JLB. They meant nothing to her. She knew only that the box before her bore the secret to her identity…of the life that she’d been removed from as an infant.

[FIRST] [PREVIOUS] (to be continued...)

haiku


Atmospheric quill

jots my imagination’s

plot on blue parchment.