25 October 2019

Published October 23, 2019 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit. 

PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays

Kermit

Hi-ho! Give us a little click. 

Genre: Hysterical Fiction

Word Count: 100

PIN MONEY

“Drat. This is my favorite skirt.” Dale noted her unraveled hem. “I left my sewing kit at home.”

Rochelle dug through her purse. “Here you go.” She handed a safety pin to her friend. “Temporary fix.”

“Thanks.”

“Ever wonder who invented the safety pin?”

“No. Do you?”

“Glad you asked.” Rochelle grinned. “William Hunt, a little-known inventor from Martinsburg, New York, created it from 20 centimeters of wire in 1849 so he could pay off a $15 debt. He later sold the patent for a mere $400.”

“Oy!” Dale rolled her eyes.  “I just had to ask Encyclopedia  Britannica Wisoff-Fields.”

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  • Note…Where did 7 years go? 7 years ago I was working on my first novel, employed as a cake decorator in a local grocery store and had just begun to write for Friday Fictioneers. I loved the feedback and meeting other writers around the world. Sandra Crook, Russell Gayer and Ted Strutz were among the first to welcome me. I had only been an FF’r for 6 months when Friday Fictioneers creator, Madison Woods decided it was time to move onto other things. I was devastated. Coerced by my husband and two other friends, I begged Madison to let me take the helm. Click Here to check out my first story as facilitator. Thank you to those who participate, reciprocate and have become great friends! ❤

95 comments on “25 October 2019”

  • That Rochelle is a know-it-all in the greatest possible way 😀. Loved the story! The two of you together would be a blast.

    Thanks for your efforts. I think many of us look forward to Wednesday. It pushes me into writing about things I wouldn’t normally.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Dear Susan,

      A few weeks ago I did pick up a safety pin and asked my husband if he ever wondered who invented it. Of course that led to research. 😉 Glad you enjoyed and took the time to say so. Thank you.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • I could see that conversation between the two of you.

    You’ve really made FF your own in those 7 years, and helped us make it ours – the one weekly blog challenge nobody wants to miss 🙂 Cool that some people here during the original run still participate.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Trent,

      I ‘found’ Friday Fictioneers at a very dark time in my life. I was hooked from the beginning. And the exercise in word conservation has had an amazing impact on my longer writings. Participants such as yourself make it all the more worthwhile. Reciprocation is such an important part IMHO. I’ve made some very good friends over the years. Dale’s among them. Although we’ve never met in the flesh, we’ve had some good conversations and laughs on Skype. I love technology. 😉 Thank you so much for being part of Friday Fictoneers.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • I don’t know where the last 7 years have gone, but they went far too quickly. I remember your despair when Madison decided to move on. She birthed a beautiful work in process and I knew you were an immediate fit to become the foster mom of Friday Fictioneers. Your research for the trivia is awesome. You have educated us in so many areas and broadened our knowledge. The safety pin….who else would have made an uninteresting item interesting? You of course. Good job.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Jan,

      Wow! What a comment from the one who’s watched it all unfold. I remember how you read those first few flashes and claimed they were my best writing. Thank you for noodging me to take on the roll of fairy blog mom. Madison has said more than once she’d never have taken the challenge this far. I might never have taken it on had you not been so supportive. 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  • I will pin this interesting bit of trivia to my mind in case a question about safety pins ever comes up on one of my pub quiz nights!

    Friday Fictioneers is the highlight of my week. It has been for years and will continue to be so as long as I write. Thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

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  • Somewhere in the foggy recesses of my brain I’d heard the safety pin story before, but certainly didn’t remember the details. What a wonderful thing a safety pin is! To think the poor man made only $400 on it is roughly akin to the Indians selling Manhattan for a handful of beads!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Penny,

      I can see Dale rolling her eyes, much as my husband did when I first voiced my wondering who invented the safety pin. 😉 I love sussing out these little nuggets of history. 😀

      Thank you for your kind words re Friday Fictioneers. At times it’s akin to herding cats. But at times those kitties cuddle up in our laps and purr, don’t they?

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • Dear Rochelle,

    First of all, there is no way in hell I would say “drat” 😉 But this is a PG-rated playing field so, I’ll accept the gentrifying of what I would really say 😉

    This was so much fun to read and so glad you gave me a role in your story about safety pins. Coz, yes, I do think about stuff like that too and do end up looking them up. However, you are the queen of bringing these to life!

    I cannot imagine willfully not participating in FF. Ever.

    Shalom and lotsa love without stabbing you with a pin,

    Dale

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Dear Dale,

      I pretty much know what you’d say. 😉 Tee hee. We want to keep things family friendly, don’t we? And…it’s good to be the queen.
      I know there was a weekly Friday Fictioneers challenge before you came aboard the bus, but I can’t imagine it now.

      Shalom and lotsa hugs even though I’m wincing from the pin pokes. Ouch!

      Rochelle

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  • This was so much fun, Rochelle! 🙂
    I’m one of the later-comers to the FF Family but I’m very glad to have found you (I believe I’d stalked Dale here one day, and decided I liked the atmosphere, and been squatting with yas since!). This is such a great writing community, and I’m very grateful to you for hosting and keeping it going. As for the trivia-mistress – I love these things! 🙂
    Left my spin on the pin in Kermitage.
    🙂
    Na’ama

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Na’ama Y’karah,

      You know there’s a town in Missouri called Hermitage? So I laughed aloud at Kermitage.
      I’m glad you stalked your way over to this corner of the blogosphere. You’re one of the ones I’ve come to look forward to seeing each week. 😀 As always, I’m pursuit of trivia. 😉

      Todah rabbah and shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Ha! I’m so satisfied you ‘got’ my Kermitage joke!! 🙂
        Yep, t’was deliberatage. 🙂
        And … I am truly delighted to have found you. It is not just a writing community, but a community. And those are lovely things. Let alone when they have such nice, funny, creative, kind, generous people in them — like you and many others I’ve come to know. Tis a gift, it is! 🙂

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  • I love the little facts you teach us in your stories… and this is really a cool little invention.

    So I remember how I joined Friday Fictioneers just two weeks before you took over… I had only been blogging for a few months, and came upon Friday Fictioneers through twitter friends… then I stumbled on dVerse, a site I now run… I have learned so much during my years of writing… the only things remaining is to follow in the footsteps of others who publish their very own books (I have participated in three anthologies though)…

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Björn,

      I do remember we weren’t too far apart in our time of participation. Truly. What would we do without the simple safety pin? In fact, I wonder what they did before William Hunt invented it. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? Thank you for sticking with FF all this time.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • Let me see… I’ve made the ones in fig 2 & 4. In fact, somewhere in one of these boxes I should have a couple of Fig. 4’s still from my Gr. Gram. Hmmm, let me see, as I recall I started with Fri Fic back around 1999-2000 while I was still in college, just learning how to write again. At first, the 100 words was an extreme challenge just to write. As you can see, I’ve gotten better. When I started, I was on Blogger, then you convinced me to go with WordPress and I’ve been hooked since. I am so very thankful to have met you all and to have had these years as friends-over-the-cyber-air. I wish I still had a copy of my first stories…I’m sure they were nightmarish. Thank you, Rochelle, for being such a wonderful hostess and good friend. It means the world and more! 🙂 ❤ ~Shalom, Bear

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Bear,

      I remember your early days of FF. However I don’t think it goes back quite that far. Nonetheless I’m glad you joined. You’ve certainly someone I consider a friend. Thank you for being so supportive in so many ways. (BTW -What the Heart Wants is being looked at by an agent. We’re hoping.) Miigwetch and Todah rabbah.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Hard to remember… seems like forever to me… a good forever, that is! 🙂 So glad to hear about the book. I hope they pick it up and publish it for you!

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  • I’m always interested in things like that, too. My problem is my attention span. “What was I going to look up?” Or I look it up, satiate my curiosity then forget all about it. Now, I know Wiliam Hunt invented the safety pin. Next week, it’ll be William Hurt invented acting, which can’t be right. I still enjoy your educational stories, and I’m a little jealous of the facts you retain.

    I am glad you took over FF. I can’t imagine it without you. Madison left before I was born. Well, before Nobbinmaug or NobbinBlog were conceived. I enjoyed your story from seven years ago. It was the perfect metaphor for this undertaking. When my grandfather died earlier this year and I stopped blogging for a few months while I was dealing with cleaning out his house and rearranging mine with the furniture I inherited, it was FF that got me back into it and back into writing. Thank you for keeping it alive and Sascha Darlington for talking me into trying it. I’m happy to be on this bus.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Nobbin,

      Until you clarified I was going to say you’re a very gifted 6 year-old. 😉 I’m very glad you’re back to blogging and chose to share it with Friday Fictioneers. Your story this week is truly wonderful. Kudos to Sascha for convincing you to join.

      Honestly, my “vast knowledge” is made up of bits of trivia that I researched for a story. Many of these bits I retain long enough to write a story. Don’t ask me for dates, either…I’m terrible with those. But this story did come out of my musing one day while using a safety pin. Two years ago I did a similar story about paper clips. https://rochellewisoff.com/2017/07/05/7-july-2017/

      In any event, now that I’ve revealed my deep dark secrets, thank you. 😀

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • Have you ever considered going on a quiz show? You might do well!

    Thanks very much for hosting this – I’ve lived in many different places and it’s hit and miss as to whether there are local writing groups – so having an online community has kept me writing when I might not otherwise do it at all.

    Lauren

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Lauren,

      I do enjoy an occasional episode of Jeopardy and enjoy playing Trivial Pursuit. However, TBH, my not-so-vast knowledge is limited to what I research for stories. Great conversation at parties. 😉

      I’m happy you’re part of this group. This exercise in word conservation has helped my own writing so it pleases me to know it does the same for others. Not to mention, I’ve made some friends I’d never have met otherwise. 😀 Thank you so much for being part of it.

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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  • Always something to learn, always a delight to visit. Well done, as ever, Rochelle. And congrats on your anniversary. The thing I remember about those days is how inspiration never seemed to be in short supply. Happy days indeed. And thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

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  • Love your safety pin anecdote – can just imagine you and Dale chatting away! It’s a shame that so many inventors have sold their patents for so little over the years, too poor or too lacking in vision to see what the enterprising buyer sees, that their invention will become ubiquitous. Congrats for seven great and glorious years, Rochelle. Can’t imagine FF – or WordPress! – without you x

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Lynn,

      The safety pin is such a humble, everyday thing that we never think about. It occurred to me one day that it had to have come from somewhere. 😉 Dale and I have enjoyed many Skype sessions…can’t wait to one day make it a physical reality.
      Thank you for your wonderful comments and being such an important part of Friday Fictioneers. I can’t imagine WordPress without you either. 😀

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Aw, that will be so lovely, the day you finally meet! I’ve come close to meeting a handful of UK based bloggers but something has always come up. Such a warm place to be, with like minded souls. Thank you for your kind words – I really do enjoy out interactions. Very best wishes

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    • Dear Sascha,

      Frankly, although I’ve toyed with quitting a few times, I can’t imagine Friday Fictioneers without me either. 😉 Thank you so much for your sweet comments and compliments and for being a part of it. 😀

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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  • This definitely sounds like a conversation between you two! Proves the point that behind everything, there is a story.

    Though I’ve only had the good fortune to be part of FF for a year and a half, i know a good thing when I see one. And we are very lucky indeed to have you at the helm. Thanks for all you do,Rochelle!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Dear Andrea,

      Actually Dale and I have had some great face to face chats thanks to the internet. None in person…yet.

      I’m so glad you’ve become part of Friday Fictioneers. Thank you for such a lovely comment. You’ve filled my morning with smiles

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Dear Nan,

      These things sort of pop into my head. I was unpinning my tablecloths at a recent art fair when I turned to my husband and said, “Ever wonder who invented the safety pin?” To which he replied, “No, but I’m sure you’re going to find out.” 😉 How well he knows me. Glad you enjoyed the story and the history. Thank you. 😀

      Shalom,

      Rochelle

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