Sunday, May 27, 2018

Day 111: I need your help deciding


My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 111: I need your help deciding

Every writer knows it’s of the utmost importance to capture the reader’s attention from the first paragraph. I have an idea for a new story, but I can’t come up with a good start.
Which of these three do you like best? Or do neither of them appeal to you? Please take a moment and give me your response. It can be as limited as 1, 2 or 3 or something more in detail.

Option 1
Holly Edwards watched the smile die on her husband’s face and drain of all color when he opened the door to their condo and switched on the light.
“Jason, what is it?” she asked in alarm. “What’s wrong? Did someone break in?”
Not waiting for an answer, she pushed passed him and froze on the spot, her mouth opening, her breath caught in her throat. All the doors of the kitchen cabinets were open and the content lay in smithereens on the countertop and floor. “What the hell … who would do something like this?

Option 2
The building looked like an ordinary building, sixteen floors of concrete with spacious balconies where some residents kept red geraniums or some other type of flowers. The condo where Holly and Jason moved in was like any other condo, an L-shaped living room, a kitchen with white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances, an equally modern bathroom, two bedrooms, a walking closet and a small space meant for a washer and dryer.
They must have visited over twenty condos before they come across this one and none of them were right. Some were too small, others too expensive, others still were in a location that would require a long commute to work. When they came across 301 Prudential Drive, they loved it on sight. It was bigger than any condo they’d seen, the location was perfect and judging by the brand-new kitchen and bathroom, gleaming hardwood floor and spotless soft grey walls it was clear that the place was recently renovated. When the real estate agent mentioned the price, they jumped at it.
In hindsight, they should have asked the agent how long the unit had been on the market and the low price should have set off alarm bells. But they were first time home buyers, they didn’t care about how long condo had been for sale and the price was a steal.
It didn’t take long though for them to notice that this was no ordinary building. During the day everything was fine, there was nothing unusual about the place, but at night, that was a different story. The first time Holly took out the trash to the garbage chute, the corridor felt all wrong, like something sinister and she had a distinct feeling that someone was watching her. Not to mention the corridors in the basement where the swimming pool was, the party room, where every unit had an assigned locker, and which gave access to the underground parking. You couldn’t pay her to do down there alone, day or night.
As for their condo, strange things were happening there too.

Option 3
“You’re not going to believe what happened to me today,” I said when Jason, my husband, came home from work. “Go and change, I’ll make coffee and then sit down because this is going to knock you sideways.”
When Jason came back into the living room, having swapped his suit and tie for jeans and a T-shirt, he flopped on the couch and looked at me expectantly.
“Remember the story I told you a few days ago about the Indian woman in a blue sari I saw in the front garden of this building?”
“Of course,” Jason said. “The woman was standing in the garden with a small dog by her feet. When you got outside the woman was gone, you looked for her but she was nowhere to be seen. I suggested that she might have lived on the ground floor and climbed over her balcony, but you said that dressed in a sari that was unlikely.”
“Right. So today I went to the management office to pay our maintenance fees and that where I heard it … the woman and her dog are dead. They were on their way to the vet and there was an accident.”
“So, what are you saying?” Jason frowned, the beginning of a smile tugging at his lips. “That you saw a ghost? Two ghosts if you count the dog.”
“What other explanation is there?”
“It could have been any woman. There’s more than one Indian woman living in this building.”
I was slowly but surely losing my patience. “I asked the woman of the management office, Jason. I asked her what kind of dog the woman had and she said a Maltese poodle. The dog I saw by the woman’s feet was a Maltese poodle.”
Jason scratched his head, curved his index finger over his chin and looked at me. “That is indeed strange.”
“There’s more,” I said. “Let me get the coffee and I’ll tell you.”
“Another mystery story?”
“There are ghosts in this building,” I said ignoring his quip. “Not just one ghost, but three. Some ten years ago a man living on the 7th floor was found dead in his unit, stabbed. A few years later a boy drowned in the swimming pool, and around the same time a man jumped to his death from his 15th-floor balcony.”
“That’s terrible,” Jason said, “How do you know all this?”
“Our neighbor from across told me.”
“You met our neighbor?”
“Yes, he seems like a nice man.”
“And what do these three dead people have to do with ghosts in this building?”
“Apparently they never left.



Monday, May 21, 2018

Day 110: A Visit to Home Depot


My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 110: A Visit to Home Depot

Now that spring has finally sprung in Toronto, Dieter and I took a trip to Home Depot to buy flowers for the balcony. It’s a trip that I love, although it’s also a bit frustrating. There are so many flowers to choose from, but that I can’t have because many them are toxic to cats. Since I put safety before beauty I stick to petunias.

The petunias were on special actually with a sign that said ‘2 for $11’. I couldn’t believe my luck, two whole trays for $11! As it turned out, the sign was a bit misleading. It wasn’t two trays for $11, it was two baskets for $11 and each tray contained three baskets.

In addition, we also bought two hanging baskets with petunias, a basil plant (because I love, love, love basil), two tomato plants and potting soil.

Total cost: $135.

Before leaving Home Depot we also looked at a new chandelier for the dining room. The chandelier we have in the dining room now is beautiful, but a big pain in the you know where. It’s one of those crystal chandeliers with lots and lots of bells and cleaning them takes hours and hours.

First, the chandelier has to be disassembled, then I wash the bells in hot water with detergent, then to give the bells their shine I rub each individual one with lemon juice, and then the chandelier has to be assembled again. Like I said, it’s a pain, so we decided to look for something else.

While Home Depot had a number of nice chandeliers on display, none of them actually stood out. A few of them were very nice but were made up of crystal bells, and I’m not falling for those again.

Next, we wanted to look at ceramic tiles for the kitchen and balcony. Dieter found some very nice tiles for a reasonable price, but before buying, he would have to measure both areas to know how many square meters we need to cover.

While in the tile section, we also looked at backsplash tiles for the kitchen and that’s where I got into a spot of trouble. I saw some beautiful white and blue glass subway style tiles and got all excited because the price was a mere $5,99. I was all ready to put the tiles in the trolley when Dieter took a closer look. The price of the tiles was not $5,99 per box, but $5,99 per tile. Oh, well that changed things a bit.

It got better though, before leaving Home Depot, I went to look at the kitchen displays. With the first one I saw it was love at first sight: beautiful white cabinets, a generous granite sink, drawers that smoothly opened and closed, it was a dream. I looked at the price tag and saw $2,000. Hm, a bit expensive for six cabinets and a sink.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I turned to Dieter.
“It is,” he nodded, “but way out of our price range.
“$2,000 isn’t that bad,” I said. “It looks like really good quality.”
“$2,000? Mom put your glasses on,” he said. “This kitchen isn’t $2,000, it’s $20,000!”
Since I couldn’t believe that this kitchen could cost that much I dug into my bag for my glasses and had another look … Dieter was right, these six cabinets and sink were indeed $20,000. OMG!


A cab took us home, we lugged the flowers and soil upstairs and placed everything on the balcony. The soil on the ground, the trays with petunias on the ledge and the baskets on hooks in the ceiling.

And would you believe it, Halley was scared of the baskets. More than just scared, she was petrified. She was fine with the soil and immediately rolled around on the bag. She didn’t mind the trays with petunias, whom she sniffed. But the baskets … oh no, she wanted nothing to do with those.
Dieter picked her up to let her get acquainted with the flowers and … oh no, she struggled to get out of his grip. 

Fortunately, her fear didn’t last long. After only a few days she realized that those flowers meant her no harm and now she quite okay again to go out on the balcony and enjoy the sun. She loves to roll around on the floor and would you believe it, her white coat stays spotless. You try doing that in a white outfit …

















Saturday, May 19, 2018

Day 109: The Royal Wedding



My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 109: The Royal Wedding

Whether it’s a royal wedding, a celebrity union, or the girl next door about to say “I do”, on the big day it’s all about the bride and her outfit. Whether the wedding dress is designer made or off the rack, it is the best-kept secret.

I found the royal wedding today between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be a huge letdown. I’ve seen off the rack wedding dresses who were far more beautiful than Meghan Markle’s so-called designer dress. When compared to other royal weddings it fell hopelessly flat. It would seem that with each royal wedding, there's less and less glamour.

Let’s have a look …

Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding



Princess Margaret’s Wedding


Princess Diana’s Wedding



Sarah Ferguson’s Wedding



Kate Middleton’s Wedding



Meghan Markle’s Wedding



Is this really the best Meghan Markle's wedding dress designer could come up with ... 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Day 108: Best Paws Forward


My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 108: Best Paws Forward

Whether it’s for a long weekend or a few weeks, if people need to be away from home, on business, for pleasure or out of necessity, arrangements need to be made to look after pets.

Some people have family, friends or a neighbor they trust with this responsibility, but what about those who have nobody? Who will look after their cat, dog, or other type of pet?

Many veterinary clinics have boarding facilities, but this is not an ideal solution. This strange environment is stressful for the pet and is often very expensive.
The alternative is a pet sitter, a trained professional who comes to your home and looks after your cats, dogs, or other furry friends.

One such organization is Best Paws Forward.
Ellie Dennie founded Best Paws Forward in 2003 and provided the following information about her initiative:

Best Paws Forward, bonded and insured, was founded in 2003. Services include kitty visits, group dog walks, private dog walks, doggy daycare, boarding, stay-at-home service for those who prefer someone in their home caring for their pet while they're away, and behavioral counseling for pet issues.

I also have experience with birds, lizards, and rodents.
A companion compatibility interview is required before service is agreed to. I always like to meet the animals I'm working with in advance and in their own environment to see what their behavior is like and learn any requirements they have.

Up-to-date veterinarian documentation must be provided. I have experience with animal health issues and am comfortable with administering medicines, including oral and injection. Veterinarian information is required in case of any health issues that may arise.

I also have a wonderful vet close by who takes marvelous care of my pets and, as we share many of the same clients, would be happy to see any animal I might need to bring in and have assessed. Any emergency outside of standard vet hours would be rushed to the emergency hospital on Rolark. I am happy that no circumstance requiring this has occurred.

I started Best Paws Forward because I love all living beings and spending time with them brings me much joy. I have a Basenji/Lab mix, Tess and 2 cats, Rufus and Charlie who are the loves of my life.

Contact information:

Ellie Dennie 

Best Paws Forward 
416-995-3185


Personally, I am very relieved to have found Ellie. Should I want or need to be away from home, I trust that Ellie will take good care of Gabriel, Charlotte, Holly, and Halley.






Sunday, May 13, 2018

Day 107: Holly did something bad



My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 107: Holly did something bad

I have some bad news.

You might remember that a pair of finches made a nest on our balcony. When the nest was finished five eggs were deposited and out of those eggs hatched five little chicks. For days on end mama bird brought the little fluffballs food and while she was away, papa bird sat the netting of the balcony chirping and singing his little heart out to let the little ones know that he was nearby.

Last Friday the young ones were ready to fly off and … Holly caught one. She came inside with something in her mouth and trotted straight to my bedroom. Thinking that whatever she had might be a choking hazard, I went after her. When she saw me, she jumped on my bed and … dropped a bird on the sheet.

Needless to say, I was not pleased. Thinking that the bird was faking it, I placed it in the bathroom and closed the door, hoping that – when he had recovered from his fright he might get up – but this was not to be. The bird was dead.

In a way, this was my fault.

Last year, some finches made a nest on our balcony too and we sort of saw them grow up. When the nest became too small for them, I knew they were about ready to fly out, so I kept the cats indoors until they were all gone.

This year I didn’t follow the growing up process as closely and as such, I didn’t know that the young finches were ready to go into the world. So, lesson learned for next time.

As for the other birds … while twittering up a storm, mama and papa birds showed a hole in the netting of our balcony as a way out and two of the young ones were smart enough to get it. The other two were not so smart and battled to get out. They tried over and over again, but even though the parents did their best to show their babies the hole in the netting, they didn’t put two and two together.

In the end, Dieter went outside, caught one bird and then the other and set them free.





Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Day 106: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon



My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 106: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

Some time in March, the invitation arrived to register for the Toronto Cat Rescue’s 14th annual Bowl-a-thon. I immediate replied and registered Dieter and myself with the team name ‘Alley Cats’.


The only requirement to join the Bowl-a-thon was that each participant had to raise a minimum of $100. That’s not much, you might think, but you’d be surprised how tight-fisted people are where it comes to donating.

Other than that, I hate asking people for money, especially people I don’t know. But for the good of the cats, I bit the bullet and in the end, I raised quite a considerable sum.

Then last Saturday was the big event. Over 100 cat lovers made their way to Kennedy Bowl for the Bowl-a-thon. Everyone handed over their donations, were issued a purple T-shirt, along with a tail and cat ears and made their way to the lanes. What a sight it was, purple as far as the eye could see.




The goal was to raise $30,000. In previous years we fell short of that goal by a few thousand. This year we not only met the goal, we exceeded it and raised over $37,000 for the kitties.


As for the actual Bowl-a-thon … Dieter took 1st place while I came in 2nd. We received prizes that are kitties are very pleased with. 

Gabriel, Charlotte, Holly and Halley now have two brand new cat baskets, plenty of toys scented with catnip, and a variety of cat food. For us humans, there was a bright pink tote bag, a cat book, coffee, coffee cups, and other goodies.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, let these speak for themselves:








Saturday, May 5, 2018

Day 105: Show me the Money


My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 105: Show me the Money

“Can someone give me some ideas for original and unusual interview questions?” someone the other day. “I get the feeling that job candidates give rehearsed answers to questions and I want something different.”

A man’s reply to that question was ...

What have you done in your community over the past couple of years that shows how you like to connect with the people you work with and live by?

Now that answer brushed me up the wrong way. Not to be sexist or anything, but this is typical for a man. A man comes home from work and waits for his dinner to be served. Then he goes and tinkers with something in the garage, takes the dog for a walk, goes to the gym or meets up with his friends.

I doubt a woman would have come up with that question. Most women work a 9:00 to 5:00 job and when they leave their workplace they have to go shopping, cook a meal, tidy their home, do laundry/ironing, and they want to relax with family and friends. In other words, they don’t have the time or energy to do community work.

I know I don’t. When I come home from work I drop my bag, kick off my shoes and fall into the nearest chair. More often than not, while my son brings me a cup of coffee, I sigh “What a day, what a day, what a day!” If anyone was to approach me at such a time and suggest that we do some community work I would send them to the nearest lunatic asylum.

I do a fundraiser for the Toronto Cat Rescue once a year and that’s about it, that’s my contribution to the community.

Where it comes to volunteer work, I’m not in favor of that. Think about it for a moment … hospitals take on volunteers to read to patients, run errands for them, put flowers in vases, etc.
On the other hand, there are thousands of people who desperately need a job, but who can’t get hired. If no volunteers were available, they would have to hire those unemployed people, which in turn would benefit the unemployment office and the welfare office. The more people work, the less the government has to spend on them.

My neighbor volunteers in a hospital in the hope that one day she will be hired for a full-time job. She’s been volunteering for 13 months, but there’s no talk of hiring her. Why should they, she’s been doing it for so long for free.

Me, I never work for free. I’m perfectly willing to do a favor here and there, and I’m always willing to help someone out, but where it comes to actual work I quote Tom Cruise … show me the money.





Thursday, May 3, 2018

Day 104: Let’s go Bowling


My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 104: Let’s go Bowling

Those of you who know Dieter and me know that we are dedicated bowlers. There was a time that we bowled three times a week: league on Thursdays, practice on Saturday mornings and more practice on Sunday nights. Whether it rained buckets, blew a gale force wind or froze the balls off a brass monkey, we walked to the bowling alley.

A serious illness forced me to drop out of the league and after a painful back injury, I couldn't even practice anymore. For five months I didn’t see the inside of a bowling alley.

Now I’m back though and to commemorate my return Dieter bought two T-shirts, a blue one, and a red one.


  
The blue T-shirt is typically me … bowling, cursing when I leave the 7 pin, 10 pin, or worse a split, then praying for a spare and doing the whole thing over again. My highest game ever … 257.


The red T-shirt suits Dieter as he makes a lot of strikes. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before he makes a 300. That is if he can keep his eye on the ball (so to speak). Whenever he has a good run, with five, six or even seven strikes in a row, he makes a mistake. He then comes off the lane, looking like a thundercloud, moaning ... “I forgot to lift” or “I went too wide”. When I asked him why he forgot to lift or why he went too wide, he merely shrugs.

I often wonder what Dieter thinks about when he stands on the approach. When a bowler gets ready to throw the ball, he/she is supposed to gather his/her thoughts about what he/she is about to accomplish. But what does Dieter think about … lunch, dinner, what to watch on TV, how much money he has in his account … who knows. Still, I’m confident that he will get it right someday. His highest game … 289.


It seems like yesterday when we started bowling. A new bowling center opened in Dalcrest, South Africa and since we knew the city planner, we were invited to the grand opening. I’d never bowled before and the idea of standing on the approach, being watched by everyone terrified me. So, I chickened out.

One year later I got the same invitation to attend the first anniversary of Dalcrest Bowl and this time I did go. I threw my first ball in the gutter, my second ball followed suit. The third ball rolled quite promising, but near the end, he veered to the left and once again ended up in the gutter. I adjusted my standing and throwing position, threw the ball and once again it looked good, only this time, near the end of the lane, my ball veered to the right and … you guessed it, fell in the gutter. I thought it was the most frustrating game I’d ever played.

When a lady approached me and asked if I wanted to join a league, I thought she was joking. In my first game, I hit … oh I don’t know, 25 or 30 pins, in my second I managed to knock down maybe 50, and in the third game, my score was rather similar. What would a klutz like me do playing with seasoned bowlers?

She convinced me though, I joined a league, started working with a coach, and … well, the rest is history. A few years later I was invited to represent Eastern Transvaal in the Interprovincials three years in a row.






Not only did the team do well, but together with Lorraine, I won first prize ladies doubles.


And so now on Saturday, I'm bowling in a fundraiser for the Toronto Cat Rescue. Donations are needed for medical care: spay/neuter and general health of the cats and kittens.