WELCOME TO FRIDAY FICTIONEERS.
As always, writers are encouraged to be as innovative as possible with the prompt and 100 word constraints.
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
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THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going over or under the word count. However, I respectfully ask for your consideration. Please refrain from taking the liberty of posting 200 words or more as a Friday Fictioneers story. Thank you.)
THE KEY:
Make every word count.
THE RULES:
- Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
- MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH FICTION. (Should 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).
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- Make note in your blog if you’d prefer not to have constructive criticism.
- REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
**Please exercise DISCRETION when commenting on a story! Be RESPECTFUL.**
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
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My story follows the photo and link tool. I enjoy comments and relish constructive criticism.
- Shalom,
Rochelle

Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy
Genre: Humor
Word Count: 99
My offering this week is a little lighter than my usual bill of fare and is based on fact. Although I’ve taken some liberties with this one, the conversation did happen. Some things you just can’t make up. With special thanks to my dear friend and confidante, Jeannie.
NEBULIZZIE
My sister is my best friend, confidante, and hero.
Deserted by a waste-of-skin husband, she single-handedly raised three rational children and runs a successful business.
Yet, she seems to live in a world all her own. Maybe it’s oxygen deprivation. Mom says the doctor had trouble getting Liz to breathe at birth.
I’ll never forget one particular phone call.
“Gina! I’m mad as hell!”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s my chicken salad.”
“Chicken jump out of the bowl?”
“Very funny, Smarty-pants. I opened the can and it’s tuna! The label clearly says ‘Chicken’—”
“Of the Sea?”
“How did you know?”
For my friends across the pond who aren’t familiar with Chicken of the Sea tuna:
Love that one. Never seen that product before but I can well understand being tricked by it.
Good yarn Rochelle.
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Dear Summerstommy,
You’re very kind. As I said, the story’s mostly true.
Chicken of the Sea is one of the two most popular brands of tuna in the US. The other being Starkist. I’m hoping this won’t be lost on half our Friday Fictioneers. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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No Rochelle we are an intelligence lot…well I did put a rider on my story tonight to ‘help’ you Americans…lol
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I’m thinking about doing the same on mine. There are some differences across the pond, aren’t there? Regional experience and intelligence aren’t the same thing. One of the greatest joys of FF for me is meeting people “afar off”.
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Tell your sister to look for the can that says Tyson white meat chicken. She won’t be disappointed. 🙂
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lol 😀
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😀
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AnElephantCant say he has ever heard this expression or seen this product before, but cool tale nevertheless.
Maybe he needs to get out more?
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Dear Elephant,
Glad you enjoyed the tale. Chicken of the Sea I guess is a very stateside experience.
shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s a good job you provided an explanation in the form of a photo at the end or else I’d still be clueless. It’s a funny little family tale. I have enjoyed it!
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Dear Gabriella,
I’m happy to have provided a bit of cultural exchange across the pond. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My favourite line: waste-of-a-skin husband. Good fun with this one.
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Dear Denmother,
Thanks for dropping by. That line seems to be a favorite with a few. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Not read it yet as like to write a flash first but in scrolling ‘Chicken of the Sea’ is something many people in the UK are familiar with from all the USA TV we get to view! 🙂 It wont be lost in translation with your helpful jpeg!
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Thank you, Neens. I needed to know that. I look forward to your story.
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Jessica Simpson made it quite famous by asking ‘Is it real chicken? Is it chicken? ‘ then singing ‘Chicken of the Sea’…. classic TV moments!
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And I missed that one. Not much of a TV watcher.
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It was years ago – I haven’t seen much TV this month!
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I have friends who give me wonderful moments like this. A really fun little piece.
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Dear Carol,
Truth is stranger than fiction and infinitely more fun at times. Glad you liked my story.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Reblogged this on Bastet and Sekhmet and commented:
A prompt…from Friday Fictioneers…a great inspiring photo and to me a memory recall!!!
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Dear Bastet,
Compliments don’t get much higher than this. Thank you very much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s awesome. My parents-in-law used to try that dodge on my tuna-hating wife when she was young (“It’s chicken…of the sea”)
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Dear David,
That’s funny. Personally I’d have preferred the tuna when I was a kid. However the canned variety can’t hold a candle to the fresh seared Ahi version. Glad you liked my story.
The truth of the tale made it fun to write.
shalom,
Rochelle
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hehe yes Jessica Simpson was on a TV reality show years ago saying how she didn’t understand that Chicken of the Sea was tuna. 🙂
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Dear Christina,
I never saw the Jessica Simpson clip, but the conversation in my story happened long before it. 😉 Glad it made you laugh.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I just added my entry in the linkz.. I don’t see yours there !
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I’m #2. The mermaid.
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oops ! my bad 😀
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😉
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Good job you added the illustration. Nice one Rochelle, different from your usual style but very entertaining.
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Dear Sandra,
I was actually a little hesitant to post this because it is a change for me. I’m happy you’re entertained by it. It’s even funnier to me knowing the real Lizzie.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh boy! I got a good giggle out of this one. Why DO they call it “chicken of the sea”? Honestly, I used to get confused about that when I was a child!
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Dear RCK,
I’m so pleased that it made you giggle. I’m not sure why they call it Chicken of the Sea either. Does that mean that eggs are Caviar of the Barnyard?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hysterical!
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🙂 😀
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“What’s the best tuna? Chicken of the Sea?” I do remember that and the accompanying music. 🙂 I like waste-of-skin, too, as well as the light-hearted humor (and yes, I know you do that sometimes.) 🙂
As to why “Chicken-of-the-Sea”, I found this online:
“Back in 1914, when the company was known by another name, we were the first to can ‘light’ tuna,” Chicken of the Sea senior vice president of marketing Don George told Simpson. “So consumers would know to expect a mild-flavored white fish — that tasted similar to chicken — the company marketed it under the name Chicken of the Sea. It was such a success that the company eventually adopted the product name.”
And though I squirm to even have inadvertently gotten any information from Jessica Simpson, here’s where I got that: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479860/simpson-solves-tuna-mystery.jhtml.
janet
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Dear Janet,
Thank you for the back history. Love it. Only wish I’d found it first. )
Glad you liked my story.
shalom,
Rochelle
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PS. Everything tastes like chicken, doesn’t it?
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LOL made me smile 🙂 and I remember that product, i thought it was a pretty weird name for tuna and i was like, why couldn’t they just call it, well… tuna. 🙂
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Dear KZ,
I guess Tuna of the Sea didn’t have the same ring to them. So that makes eggs, “Caviar of the Barnyard” right? Happy to give you a smile.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve never seen the product so I’m glad of the explanation, but a great laugh nonetheless. Poor Lizzie, although I’m not sure chicken out of a can is ever going to enhance a salad!
As ever, Rochelle, you are an inspiration – you take that picture out of the box, stamp on the box and chuck it in the garbage, then go with whatever’s left where the box started!
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Dear Jen,
You mean Chicken of the Sea isn’t universal?
I’ll cherish your comment. It means I succeeded. 😉 As did you this week.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I confess, I couldn’t help but think of my sister in your story. She’s very intelligent, but sometimes little things will slip her up like that. Especially with food. … it helped that her name happens to be Gina 😉
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There are those people who walk among us, put here for the entertainment of others. 😉 Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle,
Your avatar prompted me to think that you’d be a really cute mermaid. Your story sounds like a genuine sibling exchange. My advice, when life gives you tuna, make tuna salad! Ron
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Dear Ron,
Now that you mention it, I’ve been accused of being a mermaid or at least part fish. The story is a genuine sibling exchange, just not my sibling. ;). I’ll keep your advice in mind. Personally I prefer seared tuna or tuna sashimi to the canned variety.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Priceless! Thanks for the laugh!
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You’re more than welcome, Patricia. 😉
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Haha..sounds like a blonde joke..or a sister one!
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A little of both. My friend’s blonde sister. 😉
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Oh…;)
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Flat out funny, Rochelle. Made me laugh on what I thought was an unlaughable day. THANKS!
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Dear Honie,
Sorry to hear your day was unlaughable, but happy my story gave you something to laugh about. I hope today’s a better day for you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Your story was great. I got a laugh out of it. I remember that commercial!
Thank you again, Rochelle, for making this FF available. I enjoyed the “stretch” on this one.
~Christopher
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Dear Chris,
I’m glad you liked my story. This one was a stretch for me. I don’t usually write humor so it was a bit out of my comfort zone.
FF is one of my passions. At the expense of sounding melodramatic, it’s been a life changing experience for me.
As for stretch…you certainly were up for it. Electrifying story!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I know the feeling of getting out there and doing FF stories. I’m doing a ton of them now. Just needed a break. I know you have a million entries or so, but there are a lot of FF challenges out there. I think I did three today. I’m not sure. bit fuzzy right now.
Well, until next time…
Shalom,
~Christopher
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What a cute story. I’m sure the smell gave it away immediately upon opening.
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Dear Patti,
Thank you for commenting. The true fun in this one for me is that it’s based on facts and I’ve met the real “Lizzie”. In fact she’s “met” me for the first time at least three times. No lie. Truth is funnier than fiction in this case.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah haha! Oh you got me there. That’s just brilliant. Thanks for the good laugh.
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Dear E. A.
Happy to know this made you laugh. Now if I’d written a tragedy and you laughed that would be another story, wouldn’t it? 😉
Thanks for commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ha. that was great. I loved it. Was your sister blonde?
I always told my sister that I was only child. She would always ask how could that be?
Randy
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Dear Randy,
I thought this one was right up your alley. Glad you liked it. Your sister sounds…um…entertaining. I don’t have a sister so I borrowed the story from my friend Jeannie whose sister is blonde.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“mmmmm tastes just like… Wait a minute why does it taste like fish!?? Hehehe”
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Dear Valerie,
I’m so pleased that you came by. They say laughter is the best medicine and you never know when you’ll be called upon with a can of Chicken of the Sea tuna. The most amusing part of this story is the truth of it. My friend really had this conversation with her sister.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Tony,
Yup…you got it. Glad it made you laugh.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well, you live and learn… I now have another wonderful nugget of useless information stored away! Hilarious Rochelle !
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Dear Valerie,
I’m so pleased that you came by. They say laughter is the best medicine and you never know when you’ll be called upon with a can of Chicken of the Sea tuna. The most amusing part of this story is the truth of it. My friend really had this conversation with her sister.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A funny one! This tagline is one of those that’s struck me as missing the mark… and then there’s the confusion it creates! And, man, what a descriptive comment with “waste-of-skin.” Says so much with a small amount of words.
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Dear Dave,
In sorting out your comment…you mean the Chicken of the Sea tagline? As for the rest…happy you liked my story. A little departure for me and was hoping I’d pulled it off.
Will swing by to read yours soon.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Sorry for not being clear about that: yes, I did mean the “Chicken of the Sea” tagline. It’s one that I’ve never really liked. Thankfully, Tyson Chicken hasn’t come up with something like “Tuna of the Farm.” Back to your writing: you certainly pulled off a fun story!
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😀
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The takeaway could easily be you should always read ALL the words. We all have friends or family like this.
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Dear Joe,
Even though this particular sister isn’t mine I have a couple of cousins who could’ve easily been the MC of this one. It does pay to read. Thanks for dropping by.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Ha! Comments like that happen to the best of us…. lol. Great story, Rochelle, and thanks for the chicken-of-the-sea image just to reassure me I was on the right wavelength. 😉
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Dear Joanna,
Glad you liked the story. A picture is worth a thousand words and in this case a good thing since we’re not all Americans here. When you grow up with a product that has a household name, you don’t realize that it’s not so in the rest of the world.
shalom,
Rochelle
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LOL! That’s a hilarious one! And just as I’m preparing a Vacation Bible School lesson on Jonah and the Whale….what a hoot! Will try to get back with a story after VBS this afternoon. Teaching crafts to ages 3-11 in a one room school…Man, I LOVE it! 🙂
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Glad to make you laugh, Buffy. 😉
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LOL! Jessica Simpson would be glad to know she’s not the only one to make that mistake 🙂
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Dear Jan,
I’m not sure but I think Liz’s mistake came before Jessica Simpson. In any case, bird-brains of a feather…
Happy to know it made you laugh.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Lol – well it tastes like chicken…
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Doesn’t everything?
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This would make a lovely blonde joke.
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Thanks Elton. Incidentally the real sister in question is a blonde.
Shalom,
Rowdy
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Sounds like ‘I’ could be your sister. I’ve been known to be a silly one from time to time. I think your sis and I would get along famously.
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Dear Renee,
To tell the truth, I don’t have a sister. Just one brother. My friend has the sister in question and has been telling this story on her for years. I just finally got around to working it into a flash fiction. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Sometimes Soul Sisters are better than kin anyway. 😉
Love, Renee
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Dear Renee,
You are so right. In fact, my friend Jeannie, who provided me with this story, is that kind of soul sister to me. And I’ve been blessed with many others.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Jessica Simpson has NOTHING on Nebulizzie. Hilarious commercial, too. Arrr, matey!
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I’ve seen those before on store shelves. It was funny.
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Dear Sonia,
Personally I prefer fresh seared tuna. 😉 I’m pleased that you liked my story.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Loved the humour and descriptions – by a waste-of-skin husband – great description!
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Thank you, Neens. Never waste a good description 😉 This one seems to have been a hit with the ladies this week.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Great for an early morning LOL! Loved the “waste-of-skin” line! 😉
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/free-flight/
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Dear Maggie,
Happy to provide a laugh. Glad you liked the line. It just seems to apply to some, doesn’t it?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hehehehe – I absolutely adore your sister! Thanks for sharing this tale, Rochelle =)
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Dear Troy,
The true Lizzie is an experience. Her sister is my best friend and soul sister. Hope that made sense. In any case I’m happy to make you laugh.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Nice one! Funny. You should step out of your comfort zone more often. You did great! 🙂
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Glad you liked it Jackie. I was a bit nervous about posting this one since it’s a bit of a depart from what I usually write. Happily it seems to have hit the target. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Haha! 😀
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😀
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Hahaha! A family joke worthy of many tellings! 😀
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Dear Linda,
My friend Jeannie has told this one many times. I just had to commit it to screen and paper. Happy to make you laugh. Mission accomplished.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Never expected that take on this prompt. Very nicely done.
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Dear Shirley,
Nothing’s more fun than doing the unexpected. Thank you for dropping by with a kind word.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Heh heh heh- I have friends like that. Too fuuny by half, without ever meaning to be….
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Dear Erin,
I know what you mean. The real Lizzie is like that. Happy to give a laugh. Thanks for dropping by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A great little tender snapshot of someone gently muddle-headed.
(I had to google chicken of the sea. Not familiar with that expression/brand. Ah, we never stop larnin.)
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Dear Patrick,
It seems there’s been a bit of a cultural divide on this one. Happy to educate, even if it is in a small, useless way. 😉 Glad you took the time to swing by and comment.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle,
That’s funny! I can see why one might be confused by the “Chicken of the Sea.” Commercial is a kick, too, and I bet wouldn’t be aired today. I’m guessing it’s from awhile back. Great story!
Amy
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Dear Bumble B,
I think You Tube said the commercial was from the 80’s. If you knew Lizzie you’d see that she’s confused most of the time. Therein lies her charm. Thanks for dropping by. It’s good to see you again.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, I’m amazed by how much you always pack into those 100 words or less. Nice job.
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Dear Ben,
I love the 100 word challenge. I’ve learned a lot about making every word count. When going back to writing longer pieces it makes a huge difference. I’m including a link to one of my favorite articles on the subject. http://ironwoodwind.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/every-single-word-ykwim/#comments
Thank you for your kind words. You made me smile.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ha! I would be pretty disappointed, too… if I didn’t love tuna ;P Great story, Rochelle!
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Dear Hum-V,
I’m a tuna lover, too. I prefer it fresh and seared though. Glad you liked the story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Great story Rochelle, lol. Thanks for the information, didn’t know that.
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