Come on, now. I’m not cheating on this daily prompt. These patrons needed a Passport to get to PORT-ugal.
Pass the Port
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Monthly Archives: March 2017
Yep
This Fortune appeals to me today.
When your insides go kablooey
Reba stood over the cookstove and wiped a forearm across her brow. “Least the weather’s turning warmer. Time to start planting. Think it might freeze again?”
“How the hell would I know that?”
Reba shifted her stance and glared at me. “Lawd, I just asked a question. Ain’t no need to hatchet my words right when they come out.”
Hatchet. An ironic word choice. From what I’d gathered, the hatcheting Carry Nation currently sat in jail. “And when are you going to stop saying ‘ain’t’?”
Reba slapped a hot pad on the counter. “When I’s too old to fart, is when. Needs some Pape’s Diapepsin?”
“Sorry, Rebie. Things aren’t settling well right now.”
“You knows what your problem is, Fannie Porter? You worries enough to make your insides go kablooey. Now hang them worries on the hat hook and hand me that mason jar.”
“You think I shouldn’t worry? Sadie’s not herself, John knows about the Wild Bunch, the temperance women are coming, and if word gets out that Etta left with Sundance—”
“Who’s gonna tell?”
Good point. Would any of them cave in, spill our beans of Fortune?
Excerpt from The Last Bordello
That’s what men (AND WOMEN) do
Something moved on my left. “Look, Giovanni!” I pointed to the anole sitting on the rim of the Miss Reba’s flowerpot.
“You act like you’ve never seen a lizard before.”
“It’s not just a lizard. It’s an anole. Look, there!” A pink bubble grew from its throat. “The first time I saw one do that, I thought it was about to burst from the inside out. It scared me. It reminds me of Emil.”
“He looks like a lizard, does he?”
“No.” I gave him a gentle backhanded slap on the shoulder. “I was with Emil the first time I saw an anole do that. They camouflage themselves so they won’t be seen. They bob their heads and bubble their throats to show off. They also do it to protect their Territory and scare off intruders. I admire that. He stands his ground.”
Giovanni shrugged. “That’s what men do.”
“Like Miss Fannie does. And what more women need to do.”
“Guess that means you’ll be wanting to vote?”
“Let’s see.” I mocked a faraway gaze, tapped my chin, and turned to him. “Bet meine Arsch I do.”
BLOW like a hurricane
The hundred yards might feel like a thousand. It doesn’t matter. If someone needs to save Mama from the wolves, it might as well be me.
I gather courage like the Mayor gathers con-stitch-you-wants, and make my way to Scooter’s house. He sees me first and runs toward me, his arms wide. “Emmy! Emmy!” I hug him back and glance at Frank who raises his hand a few inches.
“Frank’s my tutor!”
“That’s good, Scoot,” I say, as we get closer to the porch. “Are you learning anything?”
“Tons and tons and tons. Blow the harmonica. Blow like a hurricane.”
I’ve crossed the chancy line into risky Territory.
Miss Reba’s Elixir won’t stop a bullet
“So what was in that concoction Miss Reba made for Mr. Davis?” I asked.
“She said it was honey, pepper, licorice, ginger, a couple of other ingredients I don’t remember. She made me hang an onion over his bed, too.”
The thought made me laugh. “And he allowed that?”
“Well, let’s just say it took a bit of doing. He told me he wadn’t scared of no goddamn vampire. I guess he was thinking about garlic.”
The scream pierced the evening like shattered glass.
We didn’t speak. We ran.
Sadie fell, but I couldn’t stop. Couldn’t wait. I recognized the voice behind the scream.
Excerpt from The Last Bordello
Fairy kisses
“Ready?” Daddy says, looking at me.
And then I remember something. “Brandon? You said Rachael liked Scooter’s get- well letter the best. How come?”
“He drew her a heart. It was Purple with a big smiling face and red pokey hair. Had freckles, too.”
“Kissed by fairies many times,” Scooter says. “More than you, Emma June.”
I hug Scooter. I want to bounce him up and down like he does me. I can’t. Scooter’s been growing, not like a weed, but like a beautiful wildflower.
Then the three of us, a Choppers-legged dog family, say our goodbyes and are about halfway home when Daddy says, “Doodle Snip? Think we can tell you about everything tomorrow? It’s been and long day and we’re—”
“It can wait,” I say. “Besides, it doesn’t matter now.” Then I’m sandwiched between two pieces of Wonder Bread.
Excerpt from The Moonshine Thicket
If you are a Christian
As I sit here researching human rights, including the treatment of immigrants, the poor, the oppressed, I am reminded of my spirituality and the religions that are based on LOVE. One Christian song goes like this:
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
If you are a Christian, do you believe the meaning of these words?
If you are not a Christian, what religion of love do you worship and celebrate?
I know there are many and, for that, I am grateful.
With love,
Carolyn
And that’s what I know about cheese
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Do Something!
Being offended by social injustice is Meaningless if you don’t do something about it.
Carolyn Dennis-Willingham 