Tony W.
Amaryllis in red and white a special treat for me
Bananas not quite ripe
Coffee, the Texas Pecan from H.E.B
Dental floss in mint
Eggs, even though there almost five dollars a dozen
Fries, Ore Ida Golden Crinkle Cut
Grapes, red seedless, 2lb
Holiday socks discounted and found at the end of the aisle.
Ibuprofen for the headache I’m sure to get after spending time with you tonight.
Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter
Kraft Mac and Cheese – the original – two boxes
Listerine the original brown kind to kill everything left over in my mouth from you.
Milk for cereal and to make the mac and cheese creamier.
Napkins to clean the mess you are sure to make.
Orange Juice with pulp because you hate it.
Pot Stickers made fresh today, great with a salad for my dinner.
Quacker Oats – don’t judge.
Ritz Crackers – the only cracker
Salted sunflower seeds to go with the bananas.
Turkey Cranberry Salad made fresh today to go with the Ritz.
Ube – 4 – to try that cookie recipe I won’t be sharing.
Vanilla for the cookies
Watermelon Juice because you like kid’s drinks
X – not on the list
Yogurt – Noosa – strawberry rhubarb
Zoodles
Month / January 2023
Pendulum
By: IO
The metal rowboat begins to swing like a pendulum, gaining velocity as the ends reach their zeniths. It’s a never-ending carnival ride, pushing the torsos of its occupants back into their seats and then forward into the steal bar across their waists.
From the front to the back, riders watch the sky and ground advance and retreat. They let out primal sounds from deep in their guts and throw their arms up as they fall. Sitting in the middle seat of the middle row, a young woman keeps her eyes and mouth closed, fingers clasped around the restraint bar. She feels the wind pick up, push the curls from her face, listens to the screams of fear and excitement emitting from those around her. The shifting gravity disturbs her stomach, an unsubtle lifting and falling of her organs behind her ribs.
The serenity of sensation, of deep breaths, of fast air, persist past any perception of time. She does not count the inhales, nor the exhales. Just focuses on the air passing through her until she notices the screams have stopped. The boat continues to swing, almost flipping over itself as it extends its terminal points. She opens her eyes and knows it’s a mistake. There are no people, not in the boat and not on the ground. There is no ground. No sky either. Just her, alone on a carnival ride boat, swinging through the void.
The plant is reborn.
by K. Osorio-Teamer
I see miles of grass and trees. There are hills in the distance, too. Upon closer inspection, yellow and red flowers sprinkle the lawn before me. I don’t know this place and yet I feel at home here. Like I’ve sat in this paradise before. It’s quiet, except for the occasional chirp above me. Blue and yellow birds pass from tree to tree in an endless exchange. My feet feel… nothing. Where are my feet? I look down to find more earth. No body to attach to my thoughts. But I can see and hear. And sort of feel. This isn’t me. I usually have more limbs than this, I think. I try to walk for the first time since realizing I’m here. No, I can’t move. How can I feel, see, hear, think, and not move. This meadow seems so familiar, but I don’t know why I’m here or how I even got here. I close what I think are my eyes and try to focus what I assume is my mind on a time before this place. Before I could see miles of grass, flowers, and trees. All I find is darkness. Before being here, I was somewhere dark and cramped. This is all I know. And even though I can’t move and all I know if what I can see and hear, I’m at peace. This is a wondrous place to be.
Rose
by S.L. Jordan
Snuggled in her nook, obscured by the curtains she pulled her notebook out. She took note of yesterday’s observations before grabbing her binoculars.
6:05 a.m. – Mr. Hadderson stepped out for his usual morning smoke. He smokes for approximately three minutes, before stubbing the cigarette out on his slippers.
6:11 a.m. – Mr. and Mrs. Morley step out of their front door in matching running shorts. Today’s color is a bright green. Mrs. Morley has a pair of black tights with matching green strips running up the sides under her shorts.
She takes a minute to check the weather. A balmy 58. Wise choice Mrs. Morley, if they stuck to their Wednesday route they would run by the river which gets pretty chilly this time of year.
Slowly the sun began to rise, and the rest of the neighborhood began to awaken.
She scribbled the comings and goings, taking time to make note of the new observations. For example, the Hurley’s left late today and not the typical 5-10 minutes late. They were still inside when the Morley’s returned from their run. A 43 minute 22 second 5 mile through the subdivision.
Mr. Hurley ran the winter hockey league, and the whole family left the house no later than 6:30 a.m every Saturday. Today, they left at 7:45 a.m. and Mrs. Hurley didn’t go with them. She was the League Mother and ran everything in the front office.
That was an oddity she would take note of. And did.
Around 8 a.m., 8:07 to be precise, she unwound from the nook and walked over to feed her dog.
“Good Morning Ramses, did you have a pleasant night?” she asked while filling his water bowl. Ramses responded with a yawn and stretch.
“Yes, that’s a good idea. I will get down there with you in a downward dog while my coffee is brewing” she said. Ramses just cocked his head to the side in anticipation of his breakfast.
After participating in her usual morning routine, she got dressed for the day. Saturday was flea market day, and she had a list of new ones she wanted to check out in the neighboring town.
With her observation journal in hand, she grabbed Ramses leash and her car keys.
They spent the day wander through aisles of antiques, tasting homemade treats, and making new observations. The day was filled with so many new sights she had forgotten about her observations from that morning until she turned into her Cul de Sac. The silent flashing red lights from the ambulance jarred her sense of awareness.
Dazed she checked to make sure she had indeed turned onto her street.
Collingham St.
Yes, she was on her street.
From the passenger seat Ramses started to whine as if he,too, could sense something was afoot. She leaned over to soothe him, while slowly creeping down the street.
There was an ambulance and three police cars parked across the street from her house, but she couldn’t tell which house they were actually for.
The last time there was an ambulance in River Village was almost four years ago when the Hadderson boy fell out of their cherry tree. The community was ridiculously safe and predictable.
Just as she pulled her into her driveway, she could see the door from the Hurley house open in her rear view. She watched in utter shock as the officers led Mrs. Morley out of the house followed by an obviously distraught Mr. Hurley.
The Hurley children huddle around Mr. Morley as they watched their father being led away in handcuffs. The older children were stoic, while the younger children were crying and calling for their father.
The sound of her car hitting her garage door turned everyone’s attention to her. Sheepishly she stepped from the car and hurried inside practically dragged Ramses behind her.
Inside, she hurried to her nook with her journal. This was the most exciting thing to happen ever!
Author’s Note: I loved Harriet the Spy as a child. For a summer, I did try to be the spy of my neighborhood. It didn’t work out.
We’ve been gone the last two weeks – and it’s MY fault. I have been lagging on getting this post up, but it’s the first Monday of the year and I promise to do better.
biSKITs & gravy 