55Flash Fiction Friday

Go on, you know you wanna read this out loud in your best Italian accent. Go ahead! It's more fun that way!


Signora del Gioconda, you are looking lovely today!
Stop, Leonardo!
Lisa, you make me crazy when you look at me that way!
I said stop!
I cannot, Lisa, te amo, run away with me!
You tell that to all your models, Leo!
No, bellissima, I do not!
DO TOO!
I must have you!
Paint, Leo....


Hee hee......Ok lets have it! Your 55 and noone gets hurt! Write a fictional story with a main character and a plot...post it here or on your own blog! Let me know if you played so we can be sure to come over and check it out!
I know you're up for the challenge!

Apple Harvest HNT

I love this time of year!
I almost love apples as much as I love pumpkins!


click for the big picture, and no, you don't get to see my butt......

Guess what I am going to do with all these apples?
Apple pies, of course. Now, start peeling!
Say you don't like to bake? Well then, there are 80 acres of apples to pick!
What are you waitin' for?

Happy HNT, y'all!


Mr Ratburn has apples too!

OOPS! and stuff.......

OMG I am so busyyyyyy, just look at these pictures until HNT, ok? :D



















Have a lovely day!

My Heart is Thrown to the Pebbles and the Boatmen....

L'amour Looks Something Like You

You came out of the night,
Wearing a mask in white colour
My eyes were shining
On the wine, and your aura.
All in order, we move into the boudoir,
But too soon the morning has resumed.

I’m hanging on the old goose moon.
You look like an angel,
Sleeping it off at a station.
Were you only passing through?

I’m dying for you just to touch me,
And feel all the energy rushing right up-a-me.
L’amour looks something like you.

The thought of you sends me shivery.
I’m dressed in lace, sailing down a black reverie
My heart is thrown
To the pebbles and the boatmen.
All the time I find
I’m living in that evening,
With that feeling of sticky love inside.

I’m hanging on the old goose moon.
You look like an angel,
Sleeping it off at a station.
Were you only passing through?

I’m dying for you just to touch me,
And feel all the energy rushing right up-a-me.
L’amour looks something like you.


Oh god, Kate...you slay me.......

Listen people, from here on out the rules are just thrown out the window. It's Sunday Saturday night whenever I feel like it, and I wanna post about Kate so I am gonna, ok? I totally have this song stuck in my head, and that's ok, because it's an awesome song!
No more schedules EXCEPT for HNT on TH and 55Flash Fiction Friday of course, my two faves!
And, the lovely Ms. Logo and I are cooking up some other little games....stay tuned! Have a lovely week!

55Flash Fiction Friday

Moving magnetic particles around all day with the
little red wand, not an easy task for a fella with no
arms. He dabbled with the mohawk, the afro, then
settled on a mod bearded look.
He heard the latch on the door. She was home! Y
His heart lept.
"I hope she likes my coiffure today!"






Oh god, LOL, I must be desperate!
Actually, I have always loved Y Wooly Willy! He's so cute! And yes, I did like his mod bearded look!

So, if you are looking for HNT its down there, but before you rush off, where's your 55? It's not difficult, just write a fictional story in 55 words with at least one character and a plot. If you write it on your blog, let me know, and I will send the posse over to check it out!

Have a fabulous weekend, everybody!

She's Got Short Legs HNT

I've never done an HNT with my legs because frankly, they are not my best feature. This week I thought I would have a go at it.
I can say that in all my life, I've never been called "stretch", "legs" or "leggy." I have never been asked, "how's the weather up there in the clouds, stringbean?" I never have that problem of my pants being too short, in fact, I can buy capris and wear them as regular pants! I am 5' 1", my legs are short, that's all there is to it.

They both work swell though, and I am grateful for both of them! Besides, I'd look pretty funny with long legs and a short torso!
Anyway, I had some more fun with my fabric stash, and here we have the little short legs all dolled up in some silk! LOL
Don't even ask me how I got these "special effects", because you know what? I have no idea! Sometimes art just happens!

"..'scuze me, maam, but you sure are a tall drink o water!"





Darling, the legs aren't so beautiful, I just know what to do with them.
Marlene Dietrich





I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box.
Bette Davis





How long should a man's legs be? Long enough to touch the ground.
J. D. Salinger





Oh my God those legs! Homina! Homina! Homina!
Robert Crumb



Happy HNT Everybody!

..the prettiest red ribbons.....

not the red baron
not charlie brown
think i got the message figured
another pilot down
and are their devils with halos
in beautiful capes
taking them into the flames
taking them to the flames

not judy g
not jean jean with a hallowed
heart
i see that screen go
down in the flames
with every step
with every beautiful heel
pointed

not the red baron i'm sure
not charlie's wonderful dog
not anyone i really know
just another pilot down
maybe i'll just sing him a last
little sound many there know some girls
with red ribbons
the prettiest
red
ribbons

I have posted about this Tori song before, but I have it really stuck in my head.

"Not the Red Baron is the moment of compassion for all the men on the record. It's where I could see their planes crashing, I could see that they have a side too. And if their planes would crash I stared to gain compassion for their side of it."-- Tori; B Side, 05/96

But of course, no video was ever made of this song, and I wanted to share a video with you today...so, it will be Tori, but not Not The Red Baron!

Takes awhile to load up, but this is a live performance of Tori's cover of Joe Jacksons Real Men. I hope you like it!

Enjoy!


BTW, Kate asked me to say hi, and WOW! :P

Schmooze Kitty......

I wanna be a kitty!

......excellent pics, Little Rita!

Recycled 55Flash Fiction Friday

This photo has been placed here randomly and has absolutely nothing to do with this post.

Keeping in mind the rebellious nature of my fellow bloggettes, I woke this morning to find that one of the bloggettes, the GNW one, the red headed one, ok but I'm not going to tell you who that is ......had the nerve to not only recycle her dirty old used second hand 55's for this mornings post, but also had this to say about 55....

"...and in the manner of energy efficient bloggers the wide world over I am falling back on a tried and true formula. That's right folks, its time for 55 Flash Fiction. And since I am from Washington, I am especially good at conservation, so I am not even going to write any new ones."

There you have it, the confession!

Hmpfffhhh! Matters not that she has a brain that can produce 55's more rapidly than the entire staff over at Sepia Mutiny combined. She has to pull out the cheap recycling moves, and then
insult my 55 by calling it a tried and true formula for bloggers to fall back on?
Matters not, I shall not be made the fool, for I shall recycle today too!

Here are two of my favorite 55's. Because a certain redhead trouble maker recycled, you also may too!



They had both gone to Waller Street Elementary for 5 years, but Jeff had never offered her a ride home before. She said ok because her books were heavy.

Jeff rode faster, aiming toward a bump in the sidewalk. He sped away, that icky feeling that began when she got on his bike, now gone.




Nearly dusk, Mangalore station. Squeezing from the bus, backpack stubbornly wedging between each row of seats, curious eyes search, and find her soul.
Stepping off into a wall of steam, adjusting her pack, her shirt already soaked with sweat. Fear, confusion.
Finding a phone, she inserts 5 rupees as drops of sweat roll off her nose.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY




Y



MY FAVORITE COLOR YYYYYYYYYYYYYY



YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY RED



happy hnt everybody! YYYYYYYYYYYYYY


Lets go see who Mr Ratburn is hanging out with this week!

Oh, let me have it, let me grab your soul away.....

"Well Susie, I knew you were rebellious, but I'm not sure I know what to make of this behaviour! However, I am open to expanding Tori Tuesday to include other artists, but only if they are musical geniuses, such as myself!"

Don't worry Tori, you will always be my best girl! But I have to tell you, after much resistance, I have finally erm, accepted Kate Bush into my musical life! Tori purists will scoff, Kate fans will taunt, "I told you so."
The one thing I really hate, and I sure am not going to do it, is when Tori and Kate are compared. They are both chick singers..so what?
Matters not, here is this little gem, The Kick Inside, Kate Bush's first release, which came out the year I graduated high school! (Get the LP, do the math...LP? Eek, forget the math....)



Speaking of LP's, ah, remember when you tore the shrink wrap off your new $5.00 album from the Wherehouse at the mall? You couldn't wait to get home and smell the ink, check out all the artwork, and perhaps, extra bonus lyrics sheets and whatnots!
I used to work at the mall when I was in high school (it's true!), and I sent half my salary on record albums. I still have a couple hundred of them too! And then there was the mighty musical influence of my high school boyfriend......(yeah yeah we know, Sideways Again, now married to the lovely Miss Lisa Pizza......) I just had to have alot of the stuff he had!
Ok then, I even had some LPs up on my wall! Wanna guess which ones? Nah, you'll never get it! One was Yes Fragile, The other one was from a band called Charlie, because I liked the hairstyle of the woman on the LP cover artwork! (Oh god, please! )

Ok but back to Kate...
Ya know, I know nothing about this woman....I just know, I am into her now, and this album, The Kick Inside is absolutely, in my opinion, timeless! You oughta check it out! I hope you like it as much as I do!
Heres what Wiki has to say about Kate Bush:

Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush on 30 July 1958 in Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London) is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive four-octave voice.* She is known for her eccentric, idiosyncratic literary lyrics, and eclectic and meticulous musical and production style. She debuted in 1978 with the surprise hit "Wuthering Heights", which was number one in the British music charts for four weeks. While this was the height of her UK singles chart success, she has retained considerable popularity.
*I don't know much about music, but a four octave voice sounds pretty impressive to me!



Moving

Moving stranger, does it really matter?
As long as you're not afraid to feel
Touch me, hold me, how my open arms ache
Try to fall for me

How I'm moved, how you move me
With your beauty's potency
You give me life, please don't let me go
You crush the lily in my soul

Moving liquid, yes you are just as water
You flow around all that comes in your way
Don't think it over, it always takes you over
And sets your spirit dancing


How I'm moved, how you move me
With your beauty's potency
You give me life, please don't let me go
You crush the lily in my soul

Ok, but again, if you could just hear this line, when she sings:

How I'm moved
How you moooooooooooooo ooooove me eee ee
With your beauty's po tennnn ceeee eeee eeee eee eeee.....

Oh man, I know that looks silly, but this song is just soooooooooo gooooood!

Happy Tori Tuesday everybody!

You did not think I was gonna say Happy Kate Bush Tuesday did you?

So what "albums did you have on your wall" in High School?

55Flash Fiction Friday

Ginghams and calicos made her feel like throwing up a little. Cute needlepointed sayings in lacey embroidery hoops were not her thing. If you said the word "crafts" around her, you might get the sneer.

Then one day she googled this photo and thought, "Thats what sewing looks like to me! How did they know?"

Ok if I don't get here before you do, write me a 55, willya?
This is about the coolest pic of a sewing machine ive ever seen.
I've been spending way too much time behind my machines, that's for sure!
See ya later...

Kitchen BoyMan HNT!

Oh man, would you look at all those dishes in the sink! It's impossible to get good help these days! You'd think with what I pay him, Kitchen boy would do a better job at keeping the kitchen clean, wouldn't you? But no, he's off galavanting in Los Angeles this week.......



Oh wait! I have a great idea! Maybe I can get Kitchen BoyMan to come home with a little bribe, what do you think? Come home, Mr Ratburn, the kitchen is a mess, I'll make it worth your while!

Happy HNT everyone!

...be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.....

Somewhere in Northern California, last Tuesday.

Ok, I am so busy in my 3 dimensional life, that I just can't do the blog thing well. I guess that is a good thing, but with Mr Ratburn out of town, Little "what are we gonna do today" Rita underfoot, and a ton of work, plus the house is half painted and stuff is everywhere, I feel soooo....like I need a vacation!

Hey waitaminit! Didn't I just get back from a vacation? Why is it that a vacation just leaves you feeling more tired instead of rested?

Hope you are all well! Peace out!

....looking for adventure and whatever comes my way!

Here are some fun pics from my trip to Seattle!



Oh yes, I did get to ride that bike, RennyBA!



Mr Ratburn and our dear friend contemplate enrolling in TRI, Bellingham campus.


Doesn't Little Rita look like she's having fun? LOL

S'mores

Graham crackers
marshmellows
chocolate bars

Toast the marshmellow, then...hey wait a minit! You don't really need me to tell you how to do this, do you? But did you know that you can also make s'mores on the stove too? (In case you came home from camping and didn't get all the campfire activities worked outa your system!)



Heavy things were brought forth and discussed.




Erm, that is one mighty big fly on top o that outhouse!



At first I thought these tiny pink mushrooms that I found growing on top of a camp shower were plastic flowers or umbrellas. They were the sweetest little mushrooms i've ever seen! (One bite'd probably kill you, too!)



Yes, yes it's true, the Idiot and I really did meet, and here's proof!



I should have known that Logo and Mr Ratburn would hit it off! Everytime I turned around, there they both were, coming out of another coffee establishment! Why, they even had the nerve to harrass a barrista in a closed restaurant at 9 PM.



Super Dooper double vente gigantor, Mr Ratburn?
(Hey, hey, waitaminit! Are Logo and Ratburn dressed the same?)



A few awesome sunsets were watched. This one: Astoria, Oregon.
I hope you are enjoying your summer as well! Please tell me what you are up to!

55Flash Fiction Friday

Ouch, cursed beast, that hurt!
A tick on my neck? slap!
Mannnnn, it's hot!
I have to crawl through where? This tree wasn't here last year!
Thorns!!!!!

That was a lot of complaining! Part of the deal, folks!
Rio and I would like to officially announce the opening of blackberry season!
Come and get em!


Dig my hip berry picking outfit....mismatched tie dyes! Ack!

It is a family tradition to smear the dog and ourselves and anyone else willing during or after the first picking. No animals were harmed in the making of this 55.




And now let's have your 55 folks!

Four Fabulous Friend Feet HNT

Last week in Seattle I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Ms Logo!
And here we have one of my favorite pictures from that event.



I love the contrast of our skin tones and the way we are both wearing toe rings and, what's this little surprise? Logo has the extra long second toe such as I! No wait! That's not enough! Do I detect the same color of passionate purple toenail polish? Truly we must be twins from another life!


Dont worry, Little Rita was having fun, just maybe not in this picture!

Happy HNT to you all!



Oh! And, BTW, look what I scored at Pike Street!
Get your head out of the gutters, it's hard to find exotic.....
curry leaves!

The Idiot and Barefoots Tropical Top Five Two

Thanks to the precision timing of The (now vacationing) Idiot and myself, I have arrived in time to post our island tunes!
This week I take the liberty of selecting the topic, but only picking two songs! This weeks topic, in honor of the great Northwest:


Songs for Mosquitos



How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?

Sometime's You're the Windshield, Sometime's You're the Bug


Ok, it's your turn! Mosquitos need love too!
I missed you all, happy to be back!

(Many more truthful tales of the great Northwest to follow....)