Ready or not, here it comes the holiday season is upon us and I’m not at all prepared. On the upside this is my sixth week as facilitator for this wonderful group of blogging authors.
As this page goes live it’s November 28, the dawn of my 41st wedding anniversary. (No. This isn’t this week’s photo prompt 😉 )
Now that you’ve oo’d and ah’d over my vintage wedding picture here are the “rules”:
- Depending on your preference, leave your blog link in the comment section or use the linkz tool (or both ;)). My story follows for those who’d rather not read it before writing their own.
- Please make sure your link works. If you find that you’ve made an error you can delete by clicking the little red ‘x’ that should appear under your icon. Then re-enter your URL. (If there’s no red x email me at Runtshell@aol.com. I can delete the wrong link for you).
- If your blog requires multiple steps for visitors to leave comments, see if you can simplify it. Please, for the sake or our writerly nerves, disable CAPTCHA –that wavy line of unreadable letters and numbers. It’s frustrating to have to leave a DNA sample, your blood type and your shoe size just to make a comment. (So I exaggerate. But hopefully you get the picture).
- Challenge yourself to keep stories to 100 words. (There’s no penalty for going over or under).
- Make note in your blog if you’d prefer not to have constructive criticism.
- Be kind in your comments to others. Exercise discretion.
- ABOVE ALL–HAVE FUN
Many thanks for all the well wishing on our anniversary. As always, Jan sent roses to the restaurant. I have to kvell. My husband’s an incurable romantic and hasn’t missed a November 28th in all these years.
Now without further adieu, here’s my story.
LAYAWAY
“One more cheesy rendition of Jingle Bells and I’m outta here.”
After seven hours of checking out surly customers on swollen feet Carla’s holiday spirit reached its lowest ebb. As she slammed her register drawer a burst of warm fluid soaked her pants.
An associate helped her to a pallet on the dressing room floor. Another called 911.
A hard contraction sent pain-waves through her spine. The paramedic spread her legs and shoved his hand between them.
“Ten centimeters.”
Carla pushed.
“It’s a boy!”
The overhead speakers blared with Burl Ives singing.
“Jingle bells, jingle bells. Jingle all the way…”
Congratulations Rochelle! 🙂
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Happy Happy Anniversary! May you have many many more wonderful years together!
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Wonderful picture – incredible memory I am sure, and stronger each year. Happy anniversary!
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http://ravinranting.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-blue-sky-at-night/
Happy anniversary!
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Happy anniversary! May you have many more blessed years together.
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Mazel Tov…. and many happy more….. 41 is quite an accomplishment.
Try not to screw it up. 😉
Randy
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good story… mazel tov on the new member of the family.
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Happy anniversary Rochelle, for both 41 years and (can it really be that long) six weeks. Great pic, thinking cap on.
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The time really has flown, Sandra–on both counts. But in looking at the photo prompts, which I keep in a notebook, this is the sixth. Looking forward to this week’s stories and wrestling, as always, with my own.
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Dear Rochelle,
Congratulations on your anniversary. 41 years is huge!
Aloha,
Doug
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Happy anniversary!!! Here’s to many more happy healthy years
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Ooh! Aah!
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Hi Rochelle,
Congrats on 41 years of marriage. That’s a major life accomplishment. You were, and I’m sure still are, a cute couple! Ron
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Congrats Rochelle! May you and your husband have 40 more years!
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You must of been one of those child brides. Connie and I will have our 38th in January. It only seems like 60 or 70 years ago when she swept me off me feet and made me her love slave.
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Russell, I’m not sure that’s a compliment. It should feel like only yesterday!
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Ooops, I meant 6 or 7 days ago. Connie is very special. She has to be to put up with me for all those years 🙂
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are you guys still into S and M?
A curious fellow love slave
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41 — good for you both! the best of wishes for you on this day.
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I love your wedding pic! It would have made a great prompt, but oh the awful things we might have done with it, lol. Just as well you gave us another one 😉
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I too thought it was the prompt at first. It might have collected some unusual offerings
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Me too. I was going to have a field day with it. I’m glad I keep reading and realized who the happy couple were. Congratulations on 41 years. May you have many more.
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Congratulations on forty-one years and on six weeks! I’m one more who initially thought your wedding picture was the prompt. I could have made it work for a story I’ve been formulating… but your husband might not have liked the role in which I would have cast him. 😉 Enjoy your momentous day! Praying many more happy milestones in your marriage and in your role as Friday Fictioneers hostess!
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Happy Anniversary!!
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I will post my story tomorrow. Thank you for the great picture Rochelle.
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I’m using the wedding picture.
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Haha!
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I love that wedding picture! Congratulations! 41 years is fantastic!
I’m chuckling inside at Ted’s comment. I must admit to being slightly bummed when I read we weren’t using your wedding photo.
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awwww that is such a lovely wedding photo!! you guys look so much in love….congratulations!
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done with mine ^^ so i could rush off to my weekend trip ^^ so glad i’d still be able to participate ^^ http://theeclecticeccentricshopaholic.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/friday-fictioneers-100-words-story-challenge-iv/ thanks ^^
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Congratulatons, Rochelle. 41 years together is truly a wonderful achievement. 🙂
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Great story. Would that it were always over so quickly… 🙂
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How true, Sandra. This is pure fiction. Mine never ever went that fast.
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Another baby coming into the world on Christmas. I particularly liked this sentence: ” After seven hours of checking out surly customers on swollen feet Carla’s holiday spirit reached its lowest ebb” and the use of the jingle bells song at the end, which I took as a welcome to the new baby (or also relief that it was done that quickly!!)
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I loved that “After seven hours…” sentence, too. Totally captured the spirit of holiday shopping! I’m so glad my husband does most of our on his lunch break! 🙂
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Love the story…me i didn’t experience labor…i don’t know if that’s good or not lol
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Another fun story. Thank you Rocks!
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41 years…when do they let you out?…Just kidding! That is one heck of an accomplishment. May you have 41 more happy years.
A blunt description of a Christmas Miracle… Nice Job!
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Hi Rockstar… Love your beautiful, romantic wedding photo. Congratulations … 41 years …WOW. There must be a lifetime of stories linked to those 41 years. I’m #13 this week…my lucky #. Shalom, Lora
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This is good. I felt as if I was a spectator invited to watch his birth. Oh, how I miss the Country Club Plaza lights at Christmas. All the different stores and buildings outlined in the different colored bright colored lights. No other place can do it up for Christmas like they can and what a classy place it was to shop. No ‘Walmart’ fare there.
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Joyce… Do you live in Sacramento?
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No Ted. I live in Loveland, Co., but once lived in Kansas City, Mo. as a teenager where I met and married my husband. I am originally from Colorado. I do remember though how beautiful the Plaza (in K.C.) is decorated at Christmas.
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There is, or was, a Country Club Plaza shopping mall in Sacramento. One of the first, and went the way of the old malls. It was quite upscale.
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First happy anniversary and many more to you both. Second this is a darling story. I dread the paramedic shoving his hand up her though. 🙂
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Only way to tell how far she was dilated. At least it went quickly for Carla. He only had to do it once. Lucky girl. 😉
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That’s probably the best rendition Carla’s ever heard. A very sweet story, Rochelle.
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p.s. I’m writing two stories this week.
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I couldn’t help it.
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I’m afraid. I’m very afraid.
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I don’t think there is a best rendition of Jingle Bells, Ted.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Jingle Bells won’t sound the same way again!
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I’m just relieved she didn’t have to give birth in that empty display window in the foreground. I was worried about that! Carla has had a hard day–I hope she has maternity leave. But it’s not likely, is it? Oh well, it’s a boy! Practical, ironic, and real. Good job!
And happy anniversary!
Here’s mine: http://wrasselings.blogspot.com/2012/11/friday-fictioneers-bluer-than-blue.html
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I think Carla must surely have a maternity leave. Gee, I hadn’t thought about the display window….hmmm…maybe next time. 😉
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Baby must have heard the “I’m outta here” command 😉 Cute story.
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That was a wonderful story!
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Congrats on your anniversary. I’m wondering, is this story from the birth of your first child? Awesome job.
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Nowhere near my first son’s birth, Shirley. That little labor lasted almost two days. Glad you liked my story…pure fiction.
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oh no. i thought she peed herself. not at all! well done. but why not name her “mary”?
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I avoided that route intentionally, Rich.
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i see. don’t do what they expect you to do? good strategy.
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Hi Rochelle,
Ha, so it was the baby who said, “I’m outta here.” I think he is going to have good taste in music, and a strong will. Ron
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Dear Rochelle,
Have to say I agree with Ron, and reading over your story I think it’s what you intended. A very subtle and doubly entertaining story. (As a child I heard so many Burl Ives songs that the very mention of his name makes me cringe.)
I think it is interesting that the FF’ers as a group wanted to use you wedding picture as a prompt. I would have gotten stuck with that one. The hair styles. I remember the days.
Aloha,
Doug
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Dear Doug,
Thank you, thank you for not using my wedding picture as a prompt. Posting it seemed like the thing to do at the time…oh well.
As for Burl Ives and holiday songs, I’ve been inundated with them at work. Fortunately after two days they turned down the volume.
Thanks for your comments that mean so much,
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Enoyed your flash! Happy Anniversary!
http://everydayclimb.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/flash-fiction-based-on-a-photograph/
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Sometimes, Christmas just takes a backseat to life, I guess.
Nice post!
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/friday-fictioneers-8/
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Happy Anniversary! 41 years – I’m in awe! Gefeliciteerd from Rotterdam.
Poor Carla having to work at that stage, but at least a star was born :-).
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Lovely story, Rochelle, and the “outta here” I took as being the baby boy’s viewpoint, too!
And last but definitely not least, massive congrats on your marital bliss, and Happy Anniversary to you both. Will this ❤ show up as a heart? Maybe….!
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Congratulations on your anniversary!
My contribution to the prompt:-
http://talesfromatightrope.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/in-bleak-midwinter.html
Nick
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Hi Rochelle. Here’s my story. Would love your feedback. And the feedback of others too. Thanks for the great prompt.
http://rendezvouswithrenee.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-the-meeting/
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Congrats on the anniversary! My two don’t even add up to 41, so kudos for making it.
A birth in a changing room instead of a manger, eh? Very nice vignette of how you can be hating your life one moment, then everything changes for the better.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/tis-the-season/
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Well – Christmas starts with a baby born in an inconvenient place – good one, Rochelle! My version is less happy – http://newpillowbook.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-after/.
And I’m yet another Fictioneer who misread this post and spent two days coming up with a story based on your wedding photo – I came thisclose to publishing it before I realized my mistake. Happy anniversary!
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Congratulations! Nice story as well.
http://zennjennc.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-night-before-christmas/
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Just wait until you hear my version of Jingle Bells. It more the Frank Sinatra style with a lot of “heys” and “jingle chick” thrown in. It would make you appreciate Burl Ives.
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So you’re doing that for the next open mic at OWL, Russell. It’ll only be in February, you could still get away with it.
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Since it’s in February, perhaps my rendition of “Cupid,” which sound more like “Stupid” when I sing it.
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(Belated) Happy Anniversary. I think your beautiful wedding photo would have been an easier one to work with this week.
I love the way you set your story up and led us through. I just hope Carla comes up with a suitable non-seasonal name. 🙂
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Congrats on the anniversary and a great story as well. Fits so well for a Friday by the fireplace.
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Lovely picture, lovely story! Thanks for taking over the Fictioneers — I haven’t been around in a while, but I’m back!
http://thecolorlime.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/flash-fiction-is-back-victorious-100/
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Well, Merry Christmas! What a wonderful present. My sister was born on Christmas. Great story, Rochelle. I enjoyed that! Happy Anniversary to you and your husband. Wow, congratulations. What an accomplishment to be married for 41 years. Amazing.
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This is my first time doing a Friday Fictioneers so be kind with my first attempt >>> http://hnsieverding.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-the-lights/
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My Christmas Eve baby announced her impending arrival while I vacuumed! Merrry Christmas, Carla!
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Hope this was not based on a true story. I just finished mine, an hour and a half before I would have had to call it Saturday Fictioneers. (Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.) But it’s still Friday so here it is http://photovignettes.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/friday-fictioneers-no-more-santa/
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No basis on any of my labors, Paul. Would that any of them had been that short. 😉
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Babies and Christmas…good nicely together. New life balances the tediousness of living life. Nice job.
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Hi Rochelle, loved the story, and happy anniversary to you. Pete and I managed 16 years this Friday, so have a way to go to catch up with you. Many congratulations.
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A Christmas baby! You know, I might have been there for that. I used to manage the clothing department for a well-store. The hours they made us work during the holiday season were nasty. This could have easily happened at one of my register stations. LOL. Lovely, uplifting story.
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At the store where I used to work one of the assistant managers had her water break. And I’ve seen a few work right up to their labor. thanks for the compliment, Debra.
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http://tedcurtis.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/fridayfictioneers/
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First–a gem of a wedding picture! Congratulations ( a couple of days late) on 41 good years together! Second, congratulations to Carla for surviving the birth of her Christmas babe–definitely not the way she would have chosen, I’m sure.
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Thanks, VB on both. Probably Carla’s almost Christmas babe. Hopefully she’d at least have that day off. And I’m sure I wouldn’t have wanted to have a baby under those circumstances.
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First of all, lovely wedding picture!
My only question is “who are those nice young people?” I was never that young and neither was anybody else I know.
The story actually had me fooled. I thought the burst of warm fluid was a cup of McDonald’s coffee she spilled all over herself. One question: will she name the baby after Burl Ives? (the two people in the picture would never have heard of Burl Ives!)
Nice warm story from our nice warm Fictioneers Quarterback …
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Happy Anniversary! I have a question about your photo- was that taken in Kansas City? I live in the area and it looked a lot like the Country Club Plaza. 🙂
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Hi Just Me,
You caught me…born and raised in Kansas City, MO. This picture is part of JC Nichols Country Club Plaza.
Thanks for dropping by.
shalom,
Rochelle
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I thought so! 🙂 The husband and I live just outside Kansas City over where Blue Springs, Independence, and Lee’s Summit meet (470/I70ish). 🙂 I enjoyed reading the story, btw! 🙂 Happy to “meet” a fellow local blogger!
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Hi, Rochelle. I’m jumping in for the first time this week. Always enjoyed reading the Fictioneers posts by others, but felt I had too many things going at once to try to add one more. However, the Christmas picture got me. The story itself is not about the holiday, but that’s what roped me in. Thanks for the challenge. Here’s my offering:
http://sandraconner.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/friday-fictioneers-the-sidewalk/
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https://ridingthebcrollercoaster.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1173&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2
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