9 October 2015

Published October 7, 2015 by rochellewisoff

Another Hightway

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Genre: Hysterical Fiction

Word Count: 100

STOP THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

            “It must be fun to work in a bakery,” said a little girl, her eyes wide with amazement as she watched Elise make an icing rose.

            “It can be,” replied Elise.  

            Twenty-two years ago it had been fun but now Elise’s hands ached and the clacking of the industrial mixer combined with the dishwasher’s racket made her head throb.

            The clock ticked away her final hour of employment and she imagined herself turning cartwheels through the front door until a man with an eight-toothed grin plopped a cake down on her table and asked, “Kin I get this wrote on?”

.

.

.

(I confess. My middle name is Elise).

THE END OF AN ERA

DSCF2656

Swim cake

Butterfly tiers

BEHOLD THE CAKE DECORATOR  AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR

YEE-HAW!!!

COWABUNGA!!!

147 comments on “9 October 2015”

  • Congratulations! Let the fun now commence. A nice way to mark the end of an era, and loved the opportunity to see the other side of your artistic nature. I’m sure Elise did a sterling job for the eight-tooth grinner. Great story.

    Like

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    • Dear Sandra,

      I’m basking in the glow of “never again.” Going to bed and waking up with the realization is both peaceful and thrilling. Although I’ll admit that some parts of the job were fun. I love making the flowers and drawing on cakes. Elise won’t miss…well…you can guess what Elise won’t miss. 😉

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

  • A little reality in your fiction this week. Congratulations! Welcome to rest and relaxation. 😯 Favorite weekly phrase from the eight-toothed grinner, “I was just etching out a living.” 😳

    Like

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    • Dear Miles,

      Thank you for the well wishes. Already life is taking on a new busy. My second novel, sequel to the first will be out in couple of months. (in time for the holidays 😉 )
      I’ve an illustration job coming up and many more things filling the schedule.

      Thank you again.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

  • Which part of ‘Fiction’ do you struggle to understand!!!
    I must confess to laughing from the title right through to the strange little dude in the cap.
    From now on it’s all rock n roll, writing style.

    Liked by 1 person

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  • Looks like some intense prayer up against that mega mixer. No place for an author-illistrator. I look forward to your Wednesday morning stories every week. Love the stories, love you

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  • Woo hoo!!! No more daily grind!
    This was great, Elise, uhhh I mean, Rochelle!
    Talk about going out with a whirl (more fun than a bang, don’t you think?)

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  • Oh, I love me some cake, Rochelle. I also love the slack grammar of your customer. It describes the demise of our expectation for craftsmanship in many areas of our commercialized, industrialized, got-an-app-for-that lives. Our wedding cake was the most delicious, most beautiful cake I have ever seen. Spun sugar peach colored roses adorned the three layers of yummy, buttery, goodness. It was a masterpiece created by a woman who’d been spinning sugar roses for thirty years, a skill that was fascinating to watch. We got married on the cheap, and I can tell you that I spent more on that cake than my dress and the flowers combined. So worth it. Happy retirement!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Dear StepHonie,

      I never learned the art of sugar spinning. It seems to be one of those dying arts that have been tosses aside for all mighty fondant. As for the grammatacide that’s daily committed by our regular customers.and many coworkers..let’s just say it’s been the bane of my existence. I call them ESL because what they be speakin’ ain’t nuthin’ whut looks like English I be speakin’.

      Basking in the glow of retirement Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • Let me add my congratulations to everyone else’s! And wow, that is a seriously industrial mixer you’re wrangling with there, I can see how not-very-fun that would be. You did a beautiful job on those cakes — and now you can do a beautiful job of sleeping in whenever you like, hooray!

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    • Dear Joy,

      Some things about the job were fun but a long list of things that weren’t. Decorating the cakes was fun….well some of them. I didn’t have a great relationship with that mixer…that I will not miss.

      A new career looms as there’s more i want to write and paint. The third novel in a trilogy is begging to be written.

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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    • Dear Sandra,

      I’m glad you asked. I suppose you could say that man with the eight-toothed grin is a product of my imagination. However he’s pretty close to my now former daily experience. The area I worked in had a high percentage of meth heads and low income families. Dentally and grammatically challenged are the norm.

      I might miss some of the decorating but I won’t miss the job in general.

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • What a novel way to make an announcement… but then, I would expect no less from an accomplished author and tasty rose maker.

    That ride does look somewhat like a decorated cake… somewhere up there is my granddaughter Ula.

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    • Dear Ted,

      Actually I hadn’t thought much about the ride looking like a decorated cake. It’s the title…I finally got to get off the merry-go-round. 😉

      Thank you for such nice comments and for being so generous with your photos. I love this one.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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    • Dear Patrick,

      If someone wants me to decorate a cake, they’ll have to provide me with the equipment. Everything I used is back in the bakery.
      As for proper job, I worked in the grocery for just shy of 23 years, mostly as a sign maker, but started and ended as a cake decorator.
      As for the eight-toothed customer…he’s pretty normal for that part of town. 😉

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • I just came across this quote this morning and offer it to you as a retirement gift:

    “Remember today, for it is the beginning.
    Today marks the start of a brave new future.”
    —unknown

    Congratulations on crossing the finish line and Good luck in your next phase of living,
    Ω

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    • Dear Lily,

      So far rest really hasn’t happened. 😉 although I’m certainly more relaxed knowing I don’t have to go back to the bakery. I’ve spent the past week reorganizing my office since it’s now my place of employment.

      Glad you liked my story. Not exactly fiction, is it?

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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    • Dear Indira,

      While I enjoyed making flowers and drawing on cakes, I can’t say that there’s much about the job I’m going to miss–some of the people, perhaps. But them I can stay in touch with.

      Thank you for the congrats and sweet compliments.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Dear Janet,

      It hasn’t been easy for sure. There were days I almost had to nail my feet to the floor. Thank you for the listening ear and the prayers I know you sent out on my behalf. 😉 ❤

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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  • And now I know a little more about your personal history. Loved to see that, and it’s a wonderful story Rochelle. The artistry of your cakes is awesome. I really enjoyed this one.

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    • Dear Alicia,

      I can’t tell you how many times I heard just that. It made me cringe each time and left me wanting to say, “Is there an English translation for that?”

      I’m really happy to be out of there with theoretically more time to write. 😉 Today there’s the retirement party to ‘contend’ with.

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      PS I can do a cartwheel.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

    • Dear Francesca,

      I was hoping the title would say it all. Our friend Doug is fond of saying that a good title adds a hundred words to a story. And it doesn’t count as part of the word count. 😉

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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  • Congratulations, Rochelle!! Hee hee. I enjoyed this. Exit the cake maker, enter the author/illustrator! Those cakes look lovey and delicious. I bet you made a lot of people happy with those cakes. Now they will feast on your words. Look at that machine. Wow, it’s bigger than you. 🙂

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    • Dear Amy,

      That machine is a mother bear. The lever to raise and lower the bowl would make my whole arm vibrate. I did get quite a hug from the bride for the three tiered butterfly and daisy cake. Fond memories of that one.

      Thank you for such a wonderful words. I hope that my readers will consider my words something to feast on.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • Dear Rochelle,

    Love the Cowabunga picture. That’s kind of a seriously baddass look. The story is great because it’s true and it’s you.

    Tracey was right…Retirement’s not for sissies, but then, you ain’t one, so kick ass and take names and write it all down. Congratulations.

    Yours,

    Doug

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  • What a fun story, and congrats! More time for writing and the fun things in life. I have eight more years… But your cakes are works of art, stunning.

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  • Holy macarolee (or macaroon!), Rochelle. I didn’t realize that you worked the machines, too. Loved the pic of you. I thought you just iced or helped out selling. Very impressive – hard work. Sorry about your hands.

    Anyways, congratulations on your retirement. A relief, eh? Happy, happy.

    Randy

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    • Dear Randy,

      There’s been a great improvement where my hands are concerned. I’m loving not going to work. It was a physically demanding job. More so than people realize, I think. Some of it was fun…but definitely not all. Now I have time to devote to my real vocation.

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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  • Dear Nell,
    So, you’ve actually manuscripts on cake? I guess that’s the best (and tastiest) way to eat your own words. I loved the comment, “Are you really that small?” Where’s Kent? He’d get a kick out of that.

    Congrats on becoming a fulltime author and artist!
    Dudley Never-do-Right

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    • Dear Dudley,

      I can’t say I’ve written a manuscript on a cake, although what some people want us to write come close. I once had to print twenty-four names on a quarter sheet (9×13) cake. Oy. Hand buster.
      And much congrats to you, Mr. OCW Award Winner.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • Wow! In addition to being a wonderful writer and artist, you worked in a bakery and made “a hundred pounds of icing at a time?”
    I doff my nonexistent hat to you, dear Rochelle!
    A very good account of that former life, and congratulations!

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  • Querida Rochelle,
    SO many sides of all of us … thank you for showing us this one both in your story and in your photos. The cakes are beautiful. The flowers are surely your favorite as each one is perfection. This has been a post that left a BIG SMILE on my face.
    Con carino,
    Isadora

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    • Dear Phyllis,

      I’m already loving “retirement” and am busier than ever. That is definitely not a posed shot. I was making icing when my friend came back through the bakeryx and said, “Oh I have to get a picture of this.”

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • Nicely done, Rochelle! And the cake photos are beautiful. I used to do a lot of cake decorating when my kids were little…every occasion called for a cake. Now, not so much unless my daughter lets me do one for the boys’ birthday.

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  • Congratulations!! Loved the story, too. I worked in retail for entirely too long, and remember many customers like Mr. 8 Tooth Grin.

    And that cake artistry is impressive. The flowers and butterflies on that last one are so creative!

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    • Dear Emilie,

      The part of town I worked in is known as one of the Meth capitols of the world. Mr. Eight-Teeth was not out of the ordinary.

      Thank you for your comments re my story and my cakes.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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  • We both took an non-fiction approach this week. Mazel tov, my friend! I know you… err, Elise, will enjoy the freedom to explore other creative outlets! LOVE the photo of you with the mixer. The end of one era, and the start of another. All the best as you move forward! xoxo

    Like

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    • Dear Dawn,

      You may have noticed by now that when my character’s name is Elise it has much to do with something going on in my own life. This time, however, I didn’t bother to veil anything. 😉

      Thank you, my friend. Retirement is sweet and not nearly as messy as the grease and sugar that we call icing.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • Rochelle,
    I’m late as usual but I’m glad I got a chance to read this. As soon as I read the first line, I thought this might be some hysterical non-fiction and I guess I was right to some degree. Great ending. 🙂 I love the pictures of the cakes and you with the mixer.
    -David

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    • Dear Emily,

      As the Lord High Executioner sang, “To make the punishment fit the crime…” 😉 I’ll admit to having a lot of fun with this story, probably more fun than is legal.

      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

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  • I love it. I’m just 8 weeks away from it myself, and I can relate to the relief. Enjoy your cartwheels – I expect you’ll be doing them for some time to come. Congratulations. By the way – those cakes are amazing.

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  • Love this – hysterical fiction indeed! Have a great next phase of your career. This is not, as you will discover, retirement. It will be the busiest time in your life as you try to schedule all the things you want to do with all the things you promised yourself you would do. Good luck!

    Like

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    • Dear Hilary,

      As I write I’m into the third week of ‘retirement.’ As my agent has already said, I’m switching gears. The one thing that’s missing from my days now is the stress. 😉
      Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Like

      Reply ↓

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