Bleak House – Dickens Challenge – Almost Time!

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A few weeks ago, I let Dickens lead us into a very foggy and polluted London.  I didn’t continue with that first chapter, but if I had, I would have led you to the equally murky civil law of Dickens’ day.  There we would have first heard of the infamous law suit, Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which forms the basis of the first, outer, plot of Bleak House.

In chapter two, we go out on that same bleak day but move to a far, far more fashionable part of Town where Dickens introduces us to Lady Deadlock, a woman who couldn’t move a finger without the action being reported by the fashion journalists in the leading three papers.  The fashion world knew she had bored of Lincolnshire and was spending a few days in Town before crossing to Paris for a short visit.  After Paris?  Not even the leading fashion experts could guess.

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The Weekly Smile for the 23rd of May, 2022 #weeklysmile

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Hi All! This last week was pretty nice. In many ways it felt like summer (we had a total of four days above 90 F/30 C, which is warm for New Hampshire in May. I spent as much time as possible outside.

One thing that happened on Sunday that was odd but made me smile was someone new on my patio. I walked out of the house, and there he was, just in front of me. It looked like he had come out from under the small porch and was heading towards the woods.

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If We Were Having Coffee on the 21st of May, 2022 #weekendcoffeeshare

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Hello and Welcome! Come on in and I’ll get you a nice large mug of super strong dark roast, a cuppa tea or some other beverage. It is still on the cool side, but will get warm today. Two days ago they were saying 98 F/37 C, but they have changed it to being a high of “only” 92 F/33 C. Tomorrow will get up to that 98 F, though. Warm for May in New Hampshire! Oh, I just told you were we are without referring to the photo at the top, didn’t I?

I started with weather,so… You may remember that we had a hot weekend last week as well. It did get pretty cool during the week and was light jacket weather most days, so the heat this weekend, even though warmer than last, won’t be as bad since the house is going into it is almost 15 F (8 C) degrees cooler than it was going into last week’s heat.

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Music and (Gasp!) Records

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I want to talk about records.  I don’t mean those emails that need to be saved because they are “important records”, nor those receipts you keep in an old shoebox for your taxes.  I’m talking about those funny vinyl disks you might run into in an antique store.  You know, you place them on a spinnie-thing, place a needle in a groove and music comes out! 

Yeah, I know, old people and random memories.

Anyway, I was watching a Youtube video and some people were talking about the future of music and they brought up this important part of the past.

There once was a time when you would go to a person’s house and the first thing you would do is look through their record collection.

When those vinyl disks might cost a significant part of your super limited disposable income, you only bought music that was important to you.  What a person chose to spend those precious pennies on said a huge amount about them. Even if they had a largish collection, it said a lot. 

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Where to Next?

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PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

A chill went up my spine.  Was it the wind across the moor or just being there?  I turned to study the standing stone and inspiration came in waves. A thousand and one new ideas popped up.

There was a flick and everything changed.  The open moor was gone replaced by a cluttered room, obviously used by an artist and author.

I instantly recognized the photos on the wall and smiled.  Yes, hundreds of one-hundred-word stories were inspired by the photos posted through that computer there.

I wondered where the “Settings That Inspired My Blog” tour would take me next.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by  Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

**

For those who didn’t recognize the first stop in the story above, it was a visit to the moors Sue Vincent loved so much. Her wonderful photos for her writephoto challenges inspired so much fiction. (As have the photos posted by Rochelle :) ) Sue passed away a little over a year ago.

Oh, subtitle of this might be “Magical Mystery Tour”, even if the Beatles have already used it…

The Weekly Smile for the 16th of May, 2022 #weeklysmile

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Hi All! Let’s talk about the weather…. ;)

A lot of people around here have been complaining about how wet and cold it has been this spring. Truthfully, it has been a little cooler than normal, but not much. First, I find that most people have a very very short attention span when it comes to the seasons. There is also that we had slightly milder springs the last couple of years, though they weren’t the warmest I can remember. But, yeah, we have been trending a little cool.

Until last week.

The week started close to normal. And it warmed up from there. We had two days at around 90F/32C. And it was humid. We have also had some days closer to 80F/27C, which is still very warm for this part of the world at this time of year.

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If We Were Having Coffee on the 14th of May, 2022 #weekendcoffeeshare

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Hello and Welcome! Lets sit here at this table looking back into the woods. It is nice and shady here with a pleasant breeze. Ah. It is warm, isn’t it? OK, it is only about 80 F/27 C, but it is very humid. It will get around 90F/32C later in the day, as it did yesterday, and will most likely feel a bit steamy. I hope the breeze keeps up! Where are we? Some of you may recognize the photo at the top as being from New Hampshire.

It was a pretty warm week and it is ending hot (for spring in New Hampshire). I did a bit outside, including running a few times, including earlier this morning. I did my normal weight exercises and such. I walked the dogs a lot and did a few walks without them (they aren’t big on walking when it gets warm). I played with cats and such,as always.

I picked up a new lens for my camera and spent a little time playing with it. I hope to get out a lot over the weekend and do a lot more! Of course,the real test will be when I kayak with it on Cape Cod, but that will have to wait. Here is a Moon shot.

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Ooops. a Little Late

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Never a thought for anyone but himself.

I drove home, that self-righteous voice narrating my way.

He would mutter his “’Morning” and paid no attention to me after that.

And then yesterday he snapped when I dared walk into his office!

Seems to think he can do everything by himself?  Fine.  Let him cross the Styx by himself.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and found the single rose and the note apologizing for his behavior as he finished his super important project at work, the note that promised a special second honeymoon where ever I wanted to go.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by  Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Dale Rogerson. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

The Weekly Smile for the 9th of May, 2022 #weeklysmile

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Hi All! It was a pretty low key week. I was active and the weather was mostly pretty good, but not too much happened. Still, I do have a smile lined up.

I am the typical guy in a lot of ways. One way is that I do not like to shop. Nope. That being said, I am not huge on getting clothes on line either, I want to see and feel what I am getting, even if it is the same thing I’ve gotten a million times before! OK, I do order my turtlenecks because I have found only one brand that works for me and they don’t have a physical store, so…

Anyway, back to the story.

It has been at least three years since I have picked up jeans or shorts, and even back then it wasn’t a one-for-one replacement – most of my clothes is at least 5 years old. When I took my summer clothes out of storage I noticed that my shorts, well, fine for sitting around the house, but they were all in pretty bad shape. And then the knee blew out in my favorite pair if jeans. Over the winter I “lost” another pair. It wasn’t the knee there, but let’s say I do not want to be arrested for indecent exposure…

Only one thing to do.

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