Jungle [flash 99]

She painted her house all the joy she’d been denied. Fresh dripping sugar mango walls. Bright glittering turquoise waves across the floor. The ceiling turned into pink puffs of cotton candy for she’d never been to a fair. Why shouldn’t her bed be covered in soft flowers? Tulips were her favorite, purple velvety tulips. There needed to be green! The bathroom was green, like a jungle, twisting vines and lush leaves everywhere.

“Wonderful, Jillian!” the Director exclaimed. “It’s time to put our paints away now and have dinner. Tomorrow we can paint again.”

But Jillian was finished with painting.

~*~

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction

The Analyst [flash 150]

“A boa constrictor wrapped around your boss’s head?” She made a note on the chart. “And what else do you see?”

He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. Swirls of color rushed through his mind forming brief images and breaking apart again. Then he gazed at the poster once more. “A bonfire. A bonfire of charge cards.”

She bent her head and wrote something. “Very interesting. Anything else?”

“The neighbor’s cat. It’s always digging in our flower garden. Annoying little critter.”

There was a rap tap tap on the office door. “Must be an emergency,” she said.

He shrugged. “They always are.”

The door opened. “Excuse me, but it’s time for Analyst Britney’s ballet lesson.”

Britney jumped out of her chair. “Oh hi, Mommy. We were just about to have a breakthrough!”

He waved them off. “My brain should still be here when you get back. Hopefully.”

~*~

50-Word Thursday

3-2-1 Quote Me: Expression

1. Rory tagged me to post two quotes about expression. Thanks Rory!

2A. Cat expresses self:

2B (or not). Regarding art/writing:

3. Now I tag:

A. J-Dubs

B. Salted Caramel

C. Kristian

Mosaic

Digging for fossils

In the desert ditch…

After bagging bits of bone,

They unearthed a tile.

A glazing on slate,

This was an intricate design;

The scientists gazed in silence

At the elaborate pattern.

What could it mean?

Arguing commenced:

People of that time

Didn’t possess the tools

To create such a plate.

Then someone noticed

Inside each circle

Of this delicate treasure

Was a shark’s tooth.

Robert Peake’s Poetry Prompt

Weekly Prompts: Yellow

~*~

Sue’s Weekly Prompts

I Get Around

Here are a few photos for this week’s round theme…

Weekly Prompts: Orange

Wow, I didn’t think I had so many orange photos! This is a small selection of what came up in the search. 😀

Terms and Conditions [fiction]

Rory wants to know the story behind this interesting picture and I don’t blame him. It all began long ago and far away…

“I do love this house,” Giles told the agent. “Such a large yard and private too. But I’m afraid it’s out of my budget. I’m on a fixed income, you know.”

Samantha nodded. “Yes. They want a retiree. Someone to appreciate the books and art. And to agree not to change anything in the library. They’ll slash the price in half for you.”

“In half!” Giles grabbed the contract from her hand. “Do you have a pen?”

*

A month after moving into his new home, Giles felt restless. Insomnia had never plagued him before, but now he found himself wide awake several times a night, unable to sleep properly. He prowled the rooms, abiding by his promise not to touch anything. Except for the kitchen and master suite, which he’d been allowed to fix up to his own tastes, this was becoming a burden.

Faces in old photos on the walls stared at him, some quite hauntingly familiar. He dared not turn them over to check for info, for he had signed in writing he wouldn’t. But surely he could read a book from the study and put it right back in the same spot afterwards? Giles opened the door.

It was so musty in here, due to the lack of cleaning no doubt. He really shouldn’t have agreed to such ridiculous terms. The place needed a thorough mopping and airing out. Giles spied a frayed book on the history of witchcraft sitting on top of a shelf, not even tucked away. He picked it up.

*

Samantha let the widow peek inside the library. “The seller is willing to reduce the price substantially if you will agree in writing not to touch any of the books and art. He fancies that he lives on in them.”

“Oh, I understand,” Carol smiled. “Artists are so quirky.”

“They certainly are,” Samantha said.

~*~

In Honor of Rewatching GOT…

This weekend I’ve begun rewatching Game of Thrones in preparation for Season 8, the end of the game, coming in April. I figured I’d be reasonable and watch an episode a day, but of course I can’t do that and am already on E6 tonight. It’s just so damn good even on the third go-round.

Art schmart [SOSC]

Art reminds me of an OKCupid question that went “How important is Art in your life?” You had to choose very or somewhat or not at all and then rate your answer as highly important, moderately important, or not important so they could match you with your soul mate. All my soul mates would have to put Garfunkel? in the comments to snark at OKC’s capitalization of the word Art. I suppose if my potential dream man really wanted to be clever he could come up with a more obscure Art like that game show host wozzname… not gonna google cuz it’s against Linda’s rules.

I know we’re supposed to talk about the art that’s on our walls, or in a museum, which could be same same if we live in a museum but probably no one does (sad), but the first thing that sprang to mind was the OKC thing and this is stream of consciousness Saturday. I have a very eclectic mix of art on my walls, and some people might balk at even calling it art. I’m not putting quotes around words when I meta them because that irritates me, just so you know. I am aware of the rules; I simply prefer not to follow them.

Okay walls, here we go. Scattered around my apartment are needlepoint pictures created by yours truly and framed beautifully and expensively back when I had a husband paying my bills. They are of various motifs, southwestern, floral, etc. These were all from kits, except one, the first few Hebrew words of the Shema, which I designed myself. But that’s not all.

I also have a picture of a dragon and a kitty, which are outline-etched in rainbow colors on black and very striking. A print from the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art titled “Far Eastern Cat.” This cool picture of jaguar eyes over my bed. This ultra awesome piece of art my daughter bought for me in Costa Rica that’s a jaguar painted on leaves under glass.

Over my sofa I have a cheap large painting/print of three abstract flowers I grabbed at Bed&Bath when I was married because it has all my fave colors but later decided it symbolized the girls and me against the world.

In the bathroom I have a couple fantasy fairy mermaids, one tending to a dragon baby newly hatching from an egg. And another needlepoint, this one of little seabirds and pretty shells in the sand and surf.

The jaguar from Costa Rica is in the kitchen slash dining area along with another floral needlepoint and a silly poster of a candy bar, but also there are two actual very small paintings from Paris that my ex MIL (RIP) gave us and I took just because.

I used to have a couple Van Gogh posters in my old apartment, but they got messed up when I moved. I love his work. I love art, painting, sculpture, glasswork, all of it. I love to be around the energy of people who create things. That reminds me: I need to put up the little wave painting I did at my daughter’s house.

Yes, if you’re wondering, I am running out of wall space. 😂

There were a couple men who put Garfunkel? in the comments to the Art question on OKC, but I never found my soul mate.