Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Weekly Scribblings #79: On My Way

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! I am back after a relaxing vacation. Well, mostly relaxing. Dealing with the traffic, especially around Connecticut, this year was a mighty pain. Also the days of being able to drive for hours and hours with no ill effects on my or my husband’s back are behind us. So we decided to break up the trip with a stop at a really cute inn in upstate NY. It got me thinking about the idea of a way station. Merriam-Webster defines a way station as 1: a station set between principal stations on a line of travel (such as a railroad) 2: an intermediate stopping place.

Your challenge this week is to use the idea of a way station as your inspiration for writing. You don’t have to use the word in your word art, but the idea of it must be made clear. I’m taking poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, new or heavily re-worked pieces. Just be sure to keep your prose pieces to 369 words or fewer and one entry per person. Thanks!



20 comments:

  1. I liked the prompt, Rommy. And I'm glad you were able to travel and have a holiday in these, um, interesting times.

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    1. We all are vaccinated, and staying in an isolated cabin in Maine cut down on crowds :D But yes, I feel like this was a very big indulgence, especially when I came back to see the news that the delta variant was spreading fast in some areas. I have a bit of peace knowing it isn't (yet) as prevalent in any of the places I visited (even in the rural Maine town we stayed in, the Pride and BLM flags far outnumbered the two signs I saw for Dolt 45). But yeah, I think I'll stay closer to home for a bit yet, as well as keep wearing my mask.

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    2. Well, I had to look up Dolt 45 – I know your Presidents by name, not number – but I gather you mean his lingering supporters don't believe in the virus, or in taking protective measures? (Pride and BLM I do understand.)

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    3. LOL, I have multiple names for the occupant on the white house prior to President Biden. But yes, here in the US the pandemic has become highly politicized, with supporters of the ex-occupant thinking a.) COVID isn't a threat b.) mask wearing is unnecessary and c.) the vaccine contains something sinister. The U.S. is experiencing an uptick in new cases, most of them coming from areas where there is a lot of support for the ex-occupant (and those areas are also being hit very, very hard).

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    4. The new Delta variant is spreading fast here now, and at last has come close to the town where I live, which had previously seemed relatively safe – but at least this seems to have convinced many more people to get vaccinated. Th problem is that the vaccine is nowhere near so readily available as we'd like.

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    5. It transpires that we have plenty of crazies here too — thousands of protestors in Sydney today, screaming against the latest lockdown, and smaller crowds in other cities. Unbelievable folly!

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    6. I am sorry that your country is suffering from a similar plague of fools (as well as an actual plague).

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  2. One of my favorite books by a favorite author in the sci-fi genre is Way Station by Clifford D. Simak.

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    1. I did not know that! I'll have to see if my library has a copy.

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    2. Ooh, I'll be looking for that one, too.

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    3. If you like sci-fi you'll like it I think. Happy reading.

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  3. The words "way station" took my thoughts directly to Brigadoon, one of my favorite musicals. (By the way, I had to look up DOLT45 myself, Rosemary. I preferred to call him the Trumpet, since he was always sounding off).

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    1. Ha ha, you're always the wit, Bev.

      Those words always take me straight to Leonard Cohen's song, 'Winter Lady'.

      Btw Bev, I had trouble yesterday leaving comments, just getting a mysterious message about the content not being secure – but when I switched browsers from Firefox to Chrome, no problem. I wonder if that would be the case for you too, if you have difficulty again.

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    2. Not sure. The message I get is an icon OOPS! Unable to post or some such. Yet After a period of time, I have gone back and commented with no problem. Switching browsers is a solution as well. Very frustrating!

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    3. I keep meaning to see that musical. It seems right up my alley.

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  4. I call him trump but never capitalize his name or add titles for him.
    Okay, I like this prompt. I visited a family this week which had a beautiful garden that reminded me again that I had not planted milky weed for the Monarch Butterflies to lay eggs on their stopover. Then they finish migrating from Mexico to northern parts of the U.S. Hence my write about the Monarch Butterfly's Waystation events.
    ..

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    1. I keep intending to plant milkweeds too, at least out back where the HOA won't give me dirty looks for unapproved plants.

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  5. More on the prompt, just this afternoon after posting earlier, my sister in Iowa sent me this, about a "stopover" in their town of Center Point, Iowa (just north of Cedar Rapids).
    From her;
    ". . . Next week RAGBRAI Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa comes thru here Thursday. 15,500 registered riders plus accompanying people plus day riders. Overnight in Anamosa east of here but Center Point is a reststop for drinks and snacks like Fontanelle was a couple of times when we lived there. . ."
    Center Point is less than 2000 in population.
    ..
    ..

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    1. Oh that bike ride sounds cool! LOL, I have never learned how to properly ride a bike. 49 isn't too late is it?

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