Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

#SoCS Shortcut Cut Short — November 4, 2017

#SoCS Shortcut Cut Short

This week Linda has given us a choice for our Stream of Consciousness posts, we can either use shortcut or cut short.

I like a shortcut when I am working at my job in the community. The problem is that, as I do not have a very good sense of direction, I end up getting lost and taking longer to get there. One village road looks similar to the next for me, and even when given very precise directions, I still manage to mess up and end up in the wrong place. Having said that, I do make sure that the patients’ visits are not cut short if it has taken me a while to get there.

There are some occasions when a shortcut can be an advantage though. I remember our Home Economics lessons at school, when making a cake, creaming the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon, then adding the egg, making sure not to curdle the mixture, and finally, folding in the flour,with a metal spoon, carefully, and then producing a cake that was more like a biscuit than a light and fluffy sponge! Years later, I was introduced to the ‘all-in-one method’, bung everything in together (which seemed like sacrilege), mix it all up and something that resembles a sponge appears. Sometimes it feels good to use a shortcut!

I am going to have to cut short this post now as I have yet another essay to write for one of my Uni assignments. I wish there was a shortcut I could use for that!

SoCS Shortcut Cut Short

 

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. — November 3, 2017

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

I might have mentioned before that I am pretty awkward at the best of times, but particularly in social situations, I get myself worked up over the ‘greeting’ stage of the evening, so that certainly doesn’t bode well for the rest of the night.

Although I am a very affectionate person, I am not overly tactile, so I may come across as aloof or stand-offish which couldn’t be further from the truth! (Funnily enough, I am different with kids and with my elderly patients, as I don’t find it hard at all to behave more naturally with them, probably because they are so non-judgemental)!

When being introduced to someone for the first time, I am inevitably nervous and, particularly at a job interview, my hands will be all clammy, and I dread it when they go in for the handshake. Now I was taught that a limp handshake is a sign of a weak person, so of course, I clasp their hand firmly and then dread it in case they recoil and surreptitiously wipe their hand on their clothes when they think I’m not looking!

We Brits tend to just go for the one kiss if we are greeting someone; even that can be an ordeal! Do you actually kiss the person on the cheek? Should you air kiss them? What if you bump heads if you both go the same way?! Should you hold their hand or hug them as well? The opportunity for getting it wrong and making a fool of yourself is endless!

Then you have the Europeans; some kiss both cheeks; some go for three kisses, oh there are just too many choices! What’s wrong with a friendly “Hello” and a little wave?! Mind you; I have even got that wrong on occasion as well!

The ordeal is not over though, of course not; you have got the whole saying goodbye thing to go through as well….

Have you ever done that kind of circling each other thing at the end of the evening? You know, when friends that you know quite well have been to visit and are now about to leave. You go to say goodbye but are not sure whether to give them a kiss, hug or a wave, so you dance about for a bit, waiting for your cue from them. It doesn’t come, so you decide to go in for the kiss as they give you a wave as they turn around, leaving your peck on the cheek in mid-air!!!

No wonder I’m a hermit!

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge Porch — November 2, 2017

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge Porch

As you may have been aware, over at the Carrot Ranch, there has been a mega load of Flash Fiction Challenges over the last month in particular.  I have long been an admirer of Flash Fiction, but apart from writing them in the form of verse, rarely venture into that territory as it is completely out of my comfort zone.   Just lately though, I have entered 7 out of the 8 Carrot Ranch Rodeo Flash Fiction competitions, and thought that I would have a go at this one too!

This is the image that we were given to use, and these are the rules:

 

November 2, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story a chair on a porch. Why is it there, and what might it mean? Think about using it as a prop or the main thrust of your story.

Respond by November 7, 2017 to be included in the compilation (published November 8). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!

 

Amelia sank into the overstuffed chair which enveloped her body with warmth.

“The, ahem, Doctor will be with you shortly, Miss.”

Nervously, twisting her rings, Amelia’s stomach lurched contemplating what she was about to do.

Distracting herself from the pounding in her head, she glanced around the porch. Comfortable and homely, like any other house in a pleasant neighbourhood. Only it wasn’t.  The odorous smell of bleach pervaded the room; Amelia shuddered.

“How many desperate women had sat on this chair awaiting their fate?”

“Good morning Ms Johnson.”

“It’s Sergeant actually. I am arresting you on suspicion of murder…”

Goggle-Eyed Watching The Goggle Box! —

Goggle-Eyed Watching The Goggle Box!

Isn’t it strange how much TV can influence our lives? It can educate, shock, entertain; bring us to tears even; and you could get all of that in just one episode of your favourite soap!

Who remembers, Anne Kirkbride or Deirdre Barlow as she was known to many? She burst onto our screens 46 years ago as a fresh-faced 17-year-old. She had the nation gripped with her numerous marriages, and relationships, before finally ending up with dear old Ken (again). Even our Prime Minister at the time, became involved when one storyline sent her off to the clink for a bit  by demanding that she be freed!

It was the same with Dallas. I can still remember the ‘who shot JR?’ saga. People even had t-shirts emblazoned with ‘I shot JR.’   Staying with Dallas, what about the uproar when Bobby died, and then came back a few years later, clean and sparkly from a nice shower.(He didn’t even have that wrinkled skin you get after a while, let alone a few years)

Many people have grown up with some of these characters, and they almost feel like they are part of the family.We laugh with them, cry with them, and can’t wait to tune in to the next episode to see what they will get up to. Some fans even find it difficult to separate fact from fiction and expect the actors to behave like their characters in real life!

It has long been a tradition in the UK for our soaps to have spectacular Christmas episodes, we can’t wait! You know there’s going to be a MEGA disaster of EPIC proportions! What will it be?? Will it be a tragic accident that wipes out half of the cast? Will it be a shocking revelation? Or will there be an almighty punch-up? Whatever it is , you can guarantee there will be legions of fans, glued to their TVs in order to find out!

How many of us have also been guilty of using TV to ‘babysit’ our kids? I have to own up to this one. When my daughter was very young, I have plonked her down in front of the TV, watching one of the kids’ channels, enthralled by Mr Tumble or Dora the Explorer, whilst I have got on with a bit of housework or something. She has never had a long attention span, so I used to make the most of however long I got.

Reality TV has really taken off now too. Oh how we love to see poor unfortunate people (mainly celebrities) making utter fools of themselves, either being locked up in a house with a load of other people who they have nothing in common with, for a few weeks, or being sent to a jungle , again with others who they don’t know and have very little in common with. Deprive them of a few home comforts, make them compete with each other for ‘treats’ , then sit back and watch it all kick off!

I am also rather partial to the crime channels. I don’t know why, but they fascinate me. It is amazing how they uncover the whole story from start to finish of a crime that has been committed, sometimes with just the smallest amount of evidence. I am surprised though at the amount of spouses that get ‘bumped off’ for the insurance money, and the sly and devious methods used to try to fool everyone that the death is genuine! Hmmmm, STILL haven’t got Mr Grump insured…..

Happy viewing, I’m off to sort out some paperwork!

Sugar and Spice, Being a Woman is Nice! — November 1, 2017

Sugar and Spice, Being a Woman is Nice!

There seems to be an expectation that a woman should look nice all the time. Yes, that is all well and good, but for me, even if I start off looking nice it doesn’t last long. My hair will get knotty and become more and more kinked as the day goes on; if I am wearing makeup, I will inevitably forget and rub my eye or something, thereby smudging mascara halfway down my face, and end up looking like something out of a horror show.

If I wear heels, it is a disaster waiting to happen. However, it does not stop me as they are so elegant – only not when you go over on the side of the shoe, or get the heel caught in a grate, carry on walking to find you a bit lop-sided and minus a shoe. Worse still, there never seems to be any grip on a pair of heels, and if there is a slippery surface, God help me! The very least I will do is skate and skid for a bit, but more often than not,  end up in a heap on the floor, dazed, legs akimbo, and knickers on show to all and sundry!

All that is when I do make an effort. There are many times when I do not wear make-up. I must frighten people (especially the patients when I am at work) with my pale, pasty skin, and dark circles under my eyes. I also have a ‘determined’ kind of a walk. I can’t help it, but I have shoulders like an American Football player, and someone once referred to me as ‘stocky’! How bloody rude, stocky! Anyway, although I  am short, I probably look a dreadful fright if I were approaching someone from the opposite direction, barging my way forward, ghostly pale, with my Medusa-style hair flying about!

At least we can wear high heels though if we want to, They can make us look taller, our legs look longer and slimmer, and give us a sexy ‘wiggle’ in our walk (well for some women they can). Poor old men dip out a bit here. Especially as some men still feel a bit uncomfortable if they are shorter than their female partner. Now, unless they have got the flair to pull off a high-heeled boot like Prince used to, or Simon Cowell still does, or wear ‘lifts’ in their shoes like Tom Cruise, then they are just going to have to lump it, or stand on a box when being photographed!

Likewise corsets body shapers, Spanx etc.  A woman can try to hide a few inches or look a bit slimmer by cramming our flesh into instruments of torture, or rather, specially made underwear that is designed to flatter the figure, (even if cutting off the circulation).We also have the uplift bras, and chicken fillet things that ‘enhance’ our boobs, while men don’t have that luxury; the best a man can hope to do is shove a shock down his underpants or something. A word of warning here though, there is no point is wearing all this stuff if you are out on the pull because there is going to be a lot of disappointment later on when you unleash the flab and reveal the fried eggs and – well, you get the picture!

However, being a woman does have some advantages… I have, on more than one occasion (more so when younger) acted ‘The Dumb Blonde’ in order to get some help. My friend used to have this really old banger of a car, which broke down more often than it actually went. Many is the time I have had to get out and try to bump start it, or we would open the bonnet and look helplessly inside (none of us knew what we were looking for). I have not refused help if some kindly gentleman has seen us and offered to help push or see if he could work out what the problem is, Thinking about it, I didn’t have to act the dumb blonde, I was one! (As far as cars are concerned at least).

I do love being a woman!

The Last Two Halloween Limericks, A Skeleton and The Grim Reaper — October 31, 2017

The Last Two Halloween Limericks, A Skeleton and The Grim Reaper

I know I said I wouldn’t write any more but these have gone down so well, I just had to write another two, especially as it is Halloween today! These are about a skeleton and the Grim Reaper. You can check out the others, here, here and here if you missed them!

 

Kelly the Skelly was depressed

She’d lost some of the ribs in her chest

She moaned and she groaned

a stray dog stole her bones

And now she wasn’t looking her best.

 

The Grim Reaper’s scythe once so trusty

Had suddenly become very rusty

He couldn’t reap many souls

With a blade full of holes

And the edges all jagged and crusty!

I Can’t Stop With the #Halloween Limericks, a Zombie and a Mummy — October 30, 2017

I Can’t Stop With the #Halloween Limericks, a Zombie and a Mummy

I have been having so much fun in writing these little Halloween Limericks that I have a couple more here!

There was a young zombie called Zed

Who was sick of the life that he led

It  was no longer a treat

To feast on raw meat

So now he’s turned veggie instead!

 

A mummy as clumsy as could be

Kept hurting herself endlessly

Then she discovered

If her eyes were uncovered

She was actually able to see!

 

That is it with the limericks for now! You can check out the others here and here

 

#FundayMonday Oh, How I Wish I Was Graceful —

#FundayMonday Oh, How I Wish I Was Graceful

Today’s video poem is all about my clumsiness and ineptitude. I wish I were one of those women that always appears elegant and smart. No chance!

 

If you enjoyed those poems, and have time for a cuppa then you might like to check out my book Rhymes of the Times. It has many more poems like this and is perfect for dipping in and out of when you fancy a little pick-me-up.

 

 

Rhymes of the Times

 

Click here to be taken to my author page where you can purchase the book.

 

#SoCS Hot and Cold — October 29, 2017

#SoCS Hot and Cold

This week Linda has given us hot and cold to use as prompt words for our Stream of Consciousness posts. We get bonus points if we start and finish with one or the other of them.

Hot and cold. That’s how I have been feeling today. This morning it was a little chilly and I had the first appointment at the gym for an assessment. I put on my ‘workout gear’ with a hoodie over the top to keep off the chill. It has been a long time since I have set foot in a gym and I wasn’t sure what I should take, so I packed a bag with the essentials I thought I would need. It ended up being quite heavy but Mr Grump was going to drop me off whilst he did a few bits.

Our sports centre had rather a long and twisty ramp that goes up to it and I was pretty puffed out when I got to the top, plus the weather seemed to have warmed up considerably. Hmmm, that is half a workout just getting into the building!

I met with the very pleasant lady who asked me a few questions about my lifestyle and then weighed me on the special scales that tell you your percentage of body fat, as well as how hydrated you are. I was out on both counts, fat too high water too low, no surprise there, I was bloody thirsty.

Anyway, after my blood pressure was taken (a bit on the high side), my next appointment was booked. I did not even set foot in the gym! The instructor had admired my trainers which she thought were new. I sheepishly admitted that they were in fact over a year old but had not been worn much.

I felt such a clown turning up with my brand new gym clothes (I rushed out yesterday in a panic to buy them as I had nothing suitable to wear), pristine looking trainers and rather large (new and unused) gym bag that Mr Grump had dragged out of the loft for me.

I trotted off with my heavy bag and phoned Grump to pick me up. Meanwhile, I waited for him in the sunshine. I felt a bit conspicuous hanging around, and the sun was boiling, beating down on my head. I didn’t take the hoodie off though as I do not look my best in tight-fitting lycra and it covered me up a bit. So I stood there and sweated, and sweated.

As soon as I got home, I got changed into something cool and comfy as I planned to get down to some studying. Within half an hour the sun had gone down at the back of the house and I felt chilly. On goes the fleece and even the slippers. Then I get all hot and het up trying to cram too much information in my brain. Off goes the fleece and slippers.

And so it went on, hot and cold, hot and cold!

SoCS Hot and Cold

Some More Halloween Limericks, A Vampire and a Ghost —

Some More Halloween Limericks, A Vampire and a Ghost

Another bit of silliness for you,

 

There was an old vampire named Vlad

Who’s blood sucking fangs had gone bad

He used to be ruthless

But now he is toothless

And that makes him feel rather sad!

 

A ghost was stricken with fright

Whenever day turned to night

He found it quite daunting

When it was time to go haunting

He’d much rather stay out of sight!

If you enjoyed these then check out some more from yesterday, here

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