Opal Reflections
Perspectives through Prose, Poetry and Photography
Lights Out!
The porch light blinked on and off, yet again.
“I’ve never been so humiliated in all my life. “
She rushed to her room, wishing she could just die!
Mom smiled and locked up!
This was written in response to Trifextra Challenge week 55; demonstrate hyperbole in thirty three words.
I remember well, the outrage: My parents would stand guard, flicking the porch light on and off, as I kissed my childhood sweetheart goodnight. Eleven o’clock…lights out! My cheeks still sting in embarrassment.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Home
D-Man (Grandson # 2), welcoming our puppy, Bandit, to his new home by becoming his ‘crate-mate.’ A little boy’s love and a special ‘blankie’ proving the wisdom of the expression: “Home is where the heart is!”
Sonnet #3, by William Shakespeare
This excerpted piece touched me in a very special way; perhaps because it is the sixth anniversary of my Mother’s passing, or perhaps simply because the older I get the more I recognize the eternal truth and wisdom found in these words, penned centuries ago.
**********************************************************************************
…Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime;
So thou through windows of thine age shalt see,
Despite of wrinkles, this thy golden time…
Trifextra Week 54
The challenge: This weekend we are venturing into uncharted territories once again. This Trifextra isn’t so much a writing challenge; it’s more of a reading challenge. We want you to scour through your favorite pieces of literature and give us the best 33 words you can find.
Haiku Friday: Sticks and String
Nature’s fibers spun
Sticks and string worked in tandem;
Snugly toddler toy.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Uninvited Guest
This unique juxtaposition of linen tablecloth, wine served in sculpted plastic glass, and our uninvited guest, was captured at the Fall, 2012 SteepleChase in Far Hills NJ. Texture, reflection, contrast and color, all captured in a single, unanticipated moment.
this was posted in response to weekly Photo Challenge : to select a photo that personifies UNIQUE
Many Are Called
Father John, her favorite parish priest and regular confessor, was an obvious choice from whom to request a college recommendation.
Church and school were the heart and soul of her world, augmenting perfectly the love and support she received, unquestioningly, from her family. Her dependence on and trust in her spiritual teachers, had made a deep impression, turning her thoughts towards a religious vocation.
There was no higher calling. But had she been called, or was she feeling an emotional response because she so admired the Sisters who’d guided her since Kindergarten? These were noble and perfect women, who had chosen to devote themselves to God; to be the Brides of Christ. How wonderful that seemed, presenting an idyllic life of prayerful purpose in the fulfillment of God’s plan for her.
Then one day, her life-view changed! She attended an Engineering Career Day, and though previously, she hadn’t even been aware of engineering as a career choice, she now saw it as a perfect way to apply her ability in the sciences for the benefit of humankind. Suddenly, her thoughts of becoming a ‘sister-nurse’ were supplanted with exciting visions of applying her talents in a very different way.
After much soul-searching, and with the encouragement of her family, she gradually turned away from thoughts of a religious vocation to what some may have considered to be a less noble path. She found a local engineering school that accepted women (unusual in the early sixties), where she could use her state scholarship to major in Chemical Engineering.
That day, as she sat waiting for Father in the rectory, she was excited and proud. Though there was a tinge of guilt hiding in the back of her conscience, she was comfortable with her chosen path, one that would lead her to her marriage and motherhood – her new vocational goal.
Later, walking home alone, she pondered his words: “Are you doing this for God or for yourself?”
***************************************************************************************************************
Footnote, January 21, 2014: After having written this piece in response to Trifecta challenge*, I launched a series called “The Engineer’s Journal”, intended as a retrospective collection, reflecting my experiences associated with having become a Chemical Engineer and subsequently a business executive, in a traditionally male profession. I now add this post to that collection.
*(www.Trifectawritingchallenge.com)-This week’s word is: PATH
Shared Secrets
“D-man, what’s your best, all-time favorite movie?”
“Les Miserables…I know every song by heart!”
“But you’ve never even seen that movie – it’s rated PG13!
“So what! It’s still my favorite.”
This was written in response to Trifextra Challenge Week 53, in which we were asked for 33 words of dialogue.
Back to Basics
In response to the “… next best thing since sliced bread …” challenge, I researched the “sliced bread” phenomenon, the inventor of the sliced bread machine, [Otto Frederick Rohwedder, from Davenport, Iowa, invented the Rohwedder Bread Slicer, in 1912] and the inevitable (but necessary) wrapper enhancement. it must have truly been a great thing in its time and marked not only a revolution in consumer products distribution and sales, but also heralded the burgeoning growth of the automatic machinery era.
As an engineer with strong roots in consumer products and pharmaceutical industries, I’m no stranger to the benefits of technology and I maintain an appreciation and fascination of such “modern marvels”. Admittedly, though, there is a little voice in the back of my mind that is straining to be heard. its clear (in retrospect) from my frequent and near-obsessive forays into artisan bread-making, that I’ve succumbed to the ‘back to basics‘ message of my inner voice.
Regardless of how often I punch away at the ‘needing-to-be-kneaded’ mound of dough, the satisfaction never wanes. Even more fulfilling is the limitless, creative variety at my fingertips: to herb or not to herb; cheese-filled or olive-filled; sesame or plain; brushed with egg white, water or nothing; salt crust or cheese; whole grain, rye or white;…or just a plain ole’ crusty baguette. All are equally enticing, and all within the grasp of my ten tiny fingers.
After mixing, kneading, rising, proofing, punching, rising (again), shaping, rising (yes, once more) and baking, the house is engulfed by an aroma and warmth that could cause even the grumpiest of curmudgeons to swoon. Hand carving the first piece of freshly baked taste or ripping off the first uneven chunk from the heel of the loaf, and hearing that inimitable crust-crunch, is an incomparable sensory delight.
It may appear that I am digressing wildly from the subject at hand, in my treatise on the next best thing since sliced bread, but I’ve reached my undeniable conclusion: unsliced bread takes the cake!
Sliced bread? Maybe not so great after all, when viewed through the lens of our oft-ignored longing to return to a simpler time, as penned beautifully many centuries ago:
…A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread-and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness…
From Omar Khayyam
~ Edward Fitzgerald
Haiku Friday: Sandcastles
Storm-cloud spires roar
Rumbling, warning: “Abandon
Sand Castles soon”
Weekly Photo Challenge: BEYOND
This handcrafted iron gate, conjures up visions of artisans of ages gone by, toiling to exact perfection; to create a rock-anchored, impenetrable edifice. Standing here, clenching the scroll work, I am moved by the intrinsic, cold strength of the grilled scrolls in the palms of my hands. Upon further reflection, my eye is inevitably drawn to the rock archway. I can almost hear a whispering voice, beckoning me to enter….“Lean on my gate. Push gently, just enough to allow entry. Come with me through my shadowed arches; beyond which you will surely find respite, in my sun-drenched secret garden.”
The Luck of the Draw
Who would she get today? Perhaps a young man with a charming smile; or a middle-aged woman with an experienced manner. She knew it wouldn’t matter, the outcome was consistently and depressingly predictable.
She fought the feeling of helplessness and as usual, strove to control her part. She prepared as prescribed, arriving on time, and registering. Then she waited, and waited and waited. After an eternity, she heard her name, and followed the unassuming young woman down the hall, into the tiny room.
In spite of her fear and dread, she dutifully spoke her lines clearly, reiterating the warnings and admonitions, relayed to her by the long line of earlier practitioners. After a third unsuccessful attempt, the “expert” joined the party. Shared dark humor about ‘rolling veins’ and ‘good veins, gone bad’, always precluded success; and a few stabs later, the mother lode was struck. She closed her eyes, daring not to breathe until it was over, lest her sigh of relief cause another uncontrollable roll or collapse.
Unsteadily, she returned to the waiting room, sensing that everyone was staring at her; at her many band-aids, and at the evident relief on her now ashen face. She didn’t care. Her ordeal was over…this time.
“Blood Work” is a bitch!
Written in response to Trifecta Week Sixty-One: Bitch (www.trifectawritingchallenge.com)
- Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
- You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
- The word itself needs to be included in your response.
- You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.
- Only one entry per writer.
- Trifecta is open to everyone!! Please join us.
BITCH (noun)
1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
2a : a lewd or immoral woman b : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse
3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitch
2012 Photo Review
I am posting this response to the Weekly Photo Challenge from a few weeks ago. Yes, it is late for the challenge. The reason it is late is because I had so many lovely images from which to choose I took an inordinate amount of time selecting the best and most representative. Once having missed the deadline, I moved on to more current challenges, but as I think about the year, I am compelled to post my photo highlights in any case. These are not necessarily the best photographs per se, but rather are representative of the year – my retirement year – in review. The Captions are self-explanatory.
Lighthouse in the Mist, Cape May, NJ
Bandit
Festive View from the Pub, Peddler’s Village – Lahaska, PA.
Home Sweet Home
Opal Reflections 