Happy “It’s Almost the Weekend” day.

For those in the United States, this is is a holiday-weekend.  Monday is Memorial Day–a day for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  It is also typically the unofficial kick-off of summer, although this year there will be nothing typical about it.

While the grocery stores are sporting plenty of meat for grilling and a variety of red, white, and blue items for that patriotic feel, a pandemic is hardly the time for big holiday gatherings.   My state is pretty much still in time-out, although we are moving into the curb-side phase of things.

My neighbors apparently got a head start on the “meat grilling” portion of the holiday program this evening–either that or their house was on fire.  Judging from the smell of lighter fluid wafting across the street, I’m going with the grilling answer.  I won’t be doing any grilling of my own, and not just because I don’t own a grill.  I have stocked up on spinach salad fixings, fresh fruit, and some refreshing adult beverages, all in an attempt to slow the impact of being stuck at home and away from the gym for more than two months now (online workouts can only help so much).

Growing up, holidays always seemed to require jello salad–often with some kind of unidentifiable fruit suspended in the jiggly mess and covered in cool-whip or some other nutritionally vacant substance–but there will be no jello salad for me.   I’m thinking that’s probably a “life-extending” decision.  I can’t guarantee that there won’t be donuts though.  Someone has to help keep the local bakery in business.  It’s my civic duty. 🙂

Before I succumb to a sugar high or imbibe a refreshing adult beverage, I think I’ll give today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

Care to join me?

For those of you working away on a story (whether a first draft or a polished version on its way to publication), if you’re not feeling random, we’d love to hear a bit – whether it’s a scene, a paragraph, or even a phrase that you are especially pleased with and would like to share.

If you don’t have a story in progress, or just want to work on something new, I hope either today’s random words or writing prompt will catch your creative fancy.

Ready?

What: “Your is character celebrating?

Feel free to interpret the “What” any way you choose (or ignore it completely) and include any (or all) of the following random words:

generation        lights            chicken            fashionable

barn                   sparrow        bottomless      beeswax

disaster              club               belt                  game

battalion            shock            classic               ordeal

I look forward to seeing your stories in the comments.  If you’re not feeling in the writing mood today, or don’t have time, feel free to post suggestions you might have for future “what-if” prompts.  Ideas are always welcome.

Happy writing to all!