Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Now that it's December, tis the season! I used to hate my name being in so many but now it's fun They remind me of childhood Pretty sure my mom used one as a lullaby My favorite is "Carol of the Bells" I loved my friend's family's annual caroling party Parody carols were a tradition of this caroling party  Singing in a big group is homey I remember a disconcerting one we sang in school choir with a very unpopular teacher Pentatonix rules carols I rarely listen to them on my own My mom is very particular about them My family listens to them as we eat coffee cake and unwrap presents I hope I get to hear my nephew sing some this year When did caroling door to door stop being a thing (was it ever really a thing?)? Caroling outfits look so fun (Prompt by Eleanor Pratt) "Woolson Spice Company (Manufacturers)" posted by Miami University Libraries - Digital Collections

Here is a story I wrote in 2018. It was based on a different image than what I use, but I don't know where the original came from and thus can't source permission. Pricks and Patches Aurora watched as a tiny bead of bright red blood bloomed on her finger for a moment before she delicately put her finger to her lips, kissing the metallic drop away. She knew she should be paying more attention to her task, but her thoughts kept fading. This is not how she had pictured spending the day before her sixteenth birthday, even though it had been at her own behest. When she’d said she’d mend the shirt, her father had stared at her with tired, red eyes, and told her it didn’t matter. “Things fall apart,” he said and a long silence fell between them. The shirt she was mending had begun to fray long ago. Its cuffs were uneven and little holes and tears appeared here and there. But it had been beloved by her grandfather, all of its failings showed that. Even though the shirt would hardly be ...

Where would you like to go? The Grand Canyon Denali Redwood Everglades Crater Lake Capitol Reef Arches American Samoa Congaree Glacier Joshua Tree Kenai Fjords Virgin Islands Zion Olympic (Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy) "A Grand Canyon" by Bernard Spragg. NZ

 For the record, I won't be typing about Big Ed (you can ask me why if you're curious).  A Bollywood dance class sounds for Jenny and co. Yes, Libby, you should've told your sisters in some way other than a public Instagram post Libby...I don't think you can calm Andrei down Charlie does have a punchable face Oh I'm so sorry, Kim Even Angela's swimsuit says USA Angela has long legs Ugh, don't call yourself "Mommy" Gosh Michael and Angela do love each other, don't they? (Don't get me wrong, Angela is super toxic) Does Billy have a contract to be on this show or something? What...what did we expect from this conversation? Okay so seven years is a long time, but I fully expected it to be longer based on how Yara was talking Yike, poor Yara's friend (and all Ukrainians) Well at least sometimes, you should get a babysitter, Andrei Yay for healthy choices, Kim The lawyer wasn't confusing, Kim Wait...Usman is just taking his nephew? Beers ...

Some of these aren't super likely and some are good things! Hiking Cooking First aid kit scenarios Wildlife encounters Navigating Down time Getting dirty Being a little uncomfortable A break from technology Natural beauty Bonding time (if you're with people) Poison ivy etc. Getting lost for a bit Fire creation and maintenance Staying hydrated (Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy) "Grizzly bear" by Yellow Stone National Park

 Here is a piece I wrote in 2018. The Call of the Crow Trying to do yoga, I strain and stretch as I lie on top of my fluffy blanket. Looking up at my painted smooth ceiling and then back further, I can see a strip of sky from the two paned window above my bed, now inverted. The wisps of clouds are nearly coalescing into something beautiful and bigger than themselves. I wait for them to become some magnificent shape, like I remember clouds being when I was young, back when they formed all the images from the stories and dreams in my head. But they remain little stringy meshes moving quickly on the wind, like if flavorless cotton candy had been pulled apart and set out on a breeze.  The caw, caw, caws of the crow float into my room, serenading me and my attention. He must be sitting in one of the trees behind the concrete wall just beyond my window. I want to see what the commotion is, but the yoga video playing softly on my laptop says I’m only half way through, so I don’t more...

I'm far from an expert so I'm sure I'm missing some obvious stuff! A lot of these are from Girl Scout days. Tents Sleeping bags Means to start a fire and keep it running Map of the area Solar charger for your phone Hiking shoes Components for eggs in a bag Components for dutch oven peach cobbler Sunscreen Bug spray Camera with lots of room for photos and a fully charged battery Flashlights A good book Water bottle Any and all meds you may or might need (along with a first aid kit) (Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy) "Camping on the Nebo Loop" by Mike Goad