Happy “National Chocolate Mint Day” (if you’re reading this on the 19th). If you prefer, it’s also “National Caregiver’s Day” as well.
“National Caregivers Day on the third Friday in February honors the health care professionals across the country providing long-term and hospice care. The celebration recognizes caregivers who provide quality, compassionate care every day.”
This seems like an especially relevant celebration, considering the critical work of caregivers and other health professionals during what seems like the unending pandemic. Cheers and hats off to all of them.
Here in chilly but lovely California I’ll be celebrating “Thank God I don’t live in Texas” day. Frigid temperatures, power outages, and water outages too – what an awful, deadly combination. I can’t imagine what the clean up and death toll will be once all is said and done. Much of the rest of the county appears to be covered in a swath of cold and snow as well. I feel the urge to put on another sweater every time I see the news.
Here in the writing castle where the trees in the backyard are beginning to bloom and the grass is green and growing, I’m still plugging away on home repairs. The drywall in the living room and dining room have been repaired, and I painted the kitchen over the weekend. Next up: giving the kitchen cupboards and deep-clean and a bit of re-staining. I’d hoped that my kitchen floor replacement would be complete by now, but the flooring contractor is currently missing in action. I REALLY don’t want to have to install my own kitchen floor, so I’m hoping he reappears soon.
While I’m waiting for the reappearance, I think I’ll take a break, grab my favorite notebook, and 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?
Prompt: Baby, it’s cold outside!
Feel free to interpret the prompt any way you choose (or ignore it completely) and include any (or all) of the following random words:
zipper property battery fire
bucket nude document costume
parade arson wept cuddly
bodies dramatic massive frost
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!
Eight Ladies Writing 
Good luck with your continuing home improvement saga, Elizabeth! I admire you for hanging in there with all the improvements. I have a project I can’t even bear to think about because I don’t want to start in with the mess and disappearing contractors. I hope when it’s done, and the pandemic is behind us, you’ll invite me over to see it!
And now, an existential question. I time myself on writing the sprints. If I don’t use two of the words, is my timing accurate? Or is my timing official only if I use all the words? I’m two words short of a full complement: battery and wept. I thought of a way to use “wept,” but then…I decided against.
The Fire
When Aidy Freehold got up that frosty February morning, she had no idea that she’d be gazing at a massive fire that had all but consumed their barn and was marching through the trees toward the rest of their property.
“Call the fire department, Freddy,” she said, struggling with the zipper on her warmest puffy coat. “Set up the bucket brigade. Then grab the important documents, okay? Let’s save what we can.”
“What?” Freddy said, still half asleep.
“Could it be arson?” Aidy wrapped her best cuddly scarf around her face. “Although arson is a rather dramatic response to your city council proposal for a nude Fourth of July parade. But what else could it be? Did you hear me, Freddy? Call the fire department!”
“Old lady Blankenfest got in a snit just because she runs a costume shop,” Freddy said. “She wants to force everybody to come in Revolutionary toggery.”
“Yes, well, not everybody wants to see a lot of naked bodies in the town’s Fourth of July parade,” Aidy said. “Think if we had to look at the mayor. So get up, will you, Freddy? We’ve got a fire out there.”
Kay, your timing is accurate no matter how many words are included. It’s the sprinting that counts 🙂 Now, let’s hope Freddy gets moving and calls the fire department before the whole place turns to ash.