Kudzu

Keyword: Kudzu


Kudzu grows like crazy around here. It travels up wires and telephone poles and down hillsides. From what I understand, kudzu was brought to the United States by the Japanese for some Expo. I do know that farmers used it a lot during the early years as ground cover to prevent soil erosion. Most of the time I see it on land that is pretty much useless so I guess it's okay if it thrives there. I remember someone saying that during the summer you had to close your windows at night or the kudzu would get you because it grows so fast. I think it grows like 10 or 12 inches per day! That's a lot! Anyway, I like seeing groves of it because it signifies summer for me. I would like to have a kudzu cave hidden behind a kudzu wall. The sign on the front of the cave? NO BOYS ALLOWED! well, maybe one =)

Handkerchief

Keyword: Handkerchief

For some reason my mom liked to collect handkerchiefs. My mom died in 2001 and to this day I am still finding her stashes of handkerchiefs in the oddest of places. My dad still hasn't boxed up or given away all of her stuff yet and I kind of find that comforting. It's almost like she's still here when I find a hankie between the pages of a book or a few still in a box she brought home from an auction. Her favorite hankies to collect were the dainty ones that looked like they were from the 40s and 50s and I believe her very favorite ones were made in Ireland. Why Ireland? Well, it is because her grandparents, my great-grandparents came to America from Ireland way back when. I say way back when because I am clueless as to what year and I don't even know their first names. Let's just call them Paddy and Siobhan. I am so bad.

Short story hodgepodge

Place: Marathon

Beginning phrase: Winning isn't...

Story must include: Vent, bagel, naked, & Rolex

“Winning isn’t everything” my mother tells me in the car while we wait for the marathon to start. I assume her words are meant to prepare me for the worst in case I fail to finish, but I am more determined than ever. I check my fake Rolex and discover that there is less than an hour before the start of the race.

For years I had been the fat chick, chubby friend, and stocky girl with the nice personality, but over the past two years I have pushed myself to lose over 100 pounds. I am now toned and ready to jog into history books! Well, maybe not, but it’ll sure be cool to cross that finish line.

I shiver as I adjust the vent, “Mom! You’re freezing me out over here!” She informs me that I need to cool off before I start that “hot race”. I am sitting here practically naked and I doubt that I should be going from such extremes in temperature, but she tells me that mom always knows best. Sure just like she knew what was best for me earlier when she made me eat that bagel that is now sitting like a stone in my stomach. I roll my eyes at her as she looks away.

Sunset

Keyword: Sunset

I have always loved the late afternoon and watching the setting sun. For me, this is when I have the most energy. It is almost like my day is just getting started. One of my most favorite jobs was as an overnight stocker at a retail store. Sure it's not the most glamorous of jobs, but I liked the freedom and kind of being my own boss. I think the reason I am such a night person is because I was born at night, so really my life was just starting at 7:50 p.m. -the time of my birth. Oh, getting back to sunsets...the best place to see one, in my opinion, is on the beach in Florida. If you can get away from the crowds and just be alone to experience the warm breeze kissing your skin, the waves crashing rhythmically towards the shore, and the sun melting into the sea. It is truly a wonderful sight. Just the thought of it relaxes me so much that I am getting sleepy. Ahhh.....

Sunglasses

"Cool Mickey"

Keyword: Sunglasses

I cannot go anywhere without my sunglasses. My eyes are very sun-sensitive and I am practically blind without my shades. Over the years I have acquired about 30 pairs and I remember one pair in particular. I was still in my teens (years ago!) and I had the coolest pair. They were white and the lenses had palm trees on them so that out in the sun, I could see through them, but everyone else saw the trees. I took them everywhere I went, but I made the mistake of leaving them in my mom's car. One day someone borrowed her car and I never saw those glasses again. Oh, sure I asked that girl did she see my sunglasses, but she denied ever seeing them. I never trusted her with anything ever again and my mom never let her borrow the car again. See what stealing gets ya?!? Since then that girl has gone on to steal many husbands, so I guess my sunglasses were just the start of a lifetime of crime. The moral of this story: stealing sunglasses makes you a homewrecker! =P

Marshmallows

Keyword: marshmallows

I will only eat marshmallows one way and that is roasted over an open fire. I can envision a sweet-smelling summer evening beside a roaring fire, marshmallows in one hand and a stick stripped of its bark in the other. I don't like the marshmallows to be lightly toasted, I like them black and crispy on the outside and oozing with white gooey filling on the inside. This kind of treat was always my favorite as a kid. I remember running around in the yard catching lightning bugs and watching them crawl around on my hand while I waited for my black marshmallow treats my mom made for me. Eat one and then go play, eat another and back to those magical bugs, eat just one more and get all that black crusty stuff in my teeth and then I was done. Three was my limit when I was a kid. Now I think I can eat double that. Summer nights, honeysuckle, lightning bugs, and ooey-gooey marshmallows...sweet memories!