Monday, September 6, 2010

It was a dark and stormy night

"It was a dark and stormy night...", began Stella. Her granddaughter groaned, "but Nana, why do all your stories being the same way?"
"Because stories always begin on dark stormy nights."
"And then something nasty happens, and after a couple of twists and turns, everything works out fine. Right, Nana?" Stella nodded, though she didn't quite like the tone her granddaughter was using.
"But, Nana, it is dark and stormy tonight. And because there is no electricity, you are telling me stories. What's nasty about tonight?"
Stella smiled. "True. Forget that one. I'll tell you a story about my childhood."
________
This is a drabble (a story in exactly 100 words), based on the prompt for Jenny Matlock's 18th Saturday Centus. No points for guessing what the prompt is.

It is inspired by the countless evenings when I would sit on the balcony with my grandmother, hearing her tell me stories from her childhood.





My grandmother was one of my dearest friends, so this is as good a time as any to pass on an Award that I got from a dear friend who also counts her grandmother as her first real friend. Hart Johnson who herself is a great hoarder of Awards passed on the Awesomous Maximus Award to me a couple of months back.
I'm going to pass the Award onto a few Awesome people I met AFTER I received the Award-
Leigh @ That's Write - not only do we share a birthday, we were born in the same year- weren't we just meant to be friends?
Mary @ Giggles and Guns - she loves her family, laughing and a good mystery. I love her.
Julie Musil - one of us is definitely channeling the other - we often end up blogging about very similar stuff on the same day. Isn't that fun?
Tina @ Life is Good - we have so much in common, it is almost uncanny, and I am not just talking about the fact that we would compete with each other to fall off a bar-stool when sober.
Barbara @ The Middle Ages - one half of Deb and Barbara, I seem to be where she was a couple of years back- which gives me hope.
Jules @ Trying to get Over the Rainbow - if you have ever loved a grandmother, you have to read about her love for her's.
Girls, I love you all.

So there you are, six new people for you to get to know better, and one less hoarded award for me!


And after visiting all those blogs, if you have some time, do drop by at Burrowers, Books & Balderdash to hear me wondering how we managed without YA in our life?

32 comments:

Jules said...

Oh, thank you so much Rayna. I will cherish the award and your kind words have brightened my day.

What a true lovely soul you are :)
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

Natasha said...

And Thank You, Jules, for making me write this in honour of my favourite Lady. I adore her, and think of her often, but rarely write about her.

jeff campbell said...

This is very good...drawing on your experiences is what makes it so fine...Peace

Mason Canyon said...

I always love a story that begins with "It was a dark and stormy night." Congratulations on the award, well deserved. Thanks for some new links to check out, as well. Have a wonderful day.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations, Rayna!

Jemi Fraser said...

Congrats on the awards! :)

Anonymous said...

Rayna - Congratulations on your well-deserved award! And I love the special relationship you portray in this story. Thanks for sharing the story behind it : ).

Deb and Barbara said...

*sniffle sniffle* Thanks so much, Rayna. This award actually made me cry.

And, yes, hope abounds! I look forward to following your journey through your beautiful words. And I admire and respect the beautiful soul that inspires them.

xo Barbara

Unknown said...

It was a dark and stormy night when I read Rayna's blog and it turned out all right in the end.

Congrats on the award.

CD

L. Diane Wolfe said...

No one every told me stories, but my mother read to me all the time when I was little and claims I began reading by age 18 months.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Congrats on the award!
Thanks so much for your kind words they made my day (The sun came out here just as I was reading them!)
You inspire me.

Mary

LTM said...

No, YOU'RE maximally awesome!!! :D Thanks, bestie!!! :o)

I LOVE that picture--the little hands! The old hands... My youngest is seven, but she still has those chubby soft baby hands. I love to kiss them. :o)

and I love your ending~

Natasha said...

@ jeff campbell - thank you so much. I almost always do just that, though I don't know where the name Stella came from

@ Mason- I love dark and stormy night stories- it is a pity there are not as many of them as could be.
And, thanks.

@ Alex- thank you.

@ Jemi- thank you.

@ Margot- my pleasure. My grandmother was probably the most special person in my life, though I write about her only seldom.

@ Barbara- why do I inspire tears? And Barbara, you are wise, and on the parenting game, you are 10 years ahead of me, so I look to you.

@ Clarissa- and it was on a dark and stormy night that I discovered Clarissa, and all was well on that count too.

@ Diane- 18 months!!! Now, that is what I call fast.

@ Mary- you are the sun, Mary.

Natasha said...

@ Leigh- don't you just adore those chubby hands. My older one is nearly seven, and he has boy hands- I miss the chubby ones :-(

Tina said...

Thanks SO much Rayna, this means a lot to me. I've so enjoyed getting to know you through your fantastic blog. Still waiting for a response on my Harry Potter comment on the other blog, though ;-) Gotta know if I guessed right...And now, I need to hear YOUR barstool story!
This was a wonderful Sat. Centus. A lot of us write goofy, humorous, tongue-in-cheek stories. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course. But I loved that you took a childhood memory and used that WITH the prompt. Really nice. My Swedish grandmother, Farmor, was the best story teller. We recorded her telling some of her stories. What a treasure those tapes are now.

Terra said...

Your Centus was very cute. I could see the little girl and her grandma in conversation.

Jenny said...

What a great link to Saturday Centus.

I loved the conversational quality of this little story. And such a clever use of the prompt.

It was really nice to see you linked here.

Thank you.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

I have many fond memories of my grandmother, too. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love being a grandmother now.

Congratulations on your award! I’m looking forward to checking out the links.

Viki said...

This was wonderful especially because it's based on the truth. Loved the twist at the ending. Good Centus.

Julie Musil said...

You are such a sweet person! Thanks so much for this "awesome" award. It is funny how our minds are on the same page!

Laura Eno said...

Great drabble and congrats on such a cute award!

Tgoette said...

That was such a cute story, Rayna! Loved the dialog between Nana and her precocious granddaughter. Too sweet!
It brought out some nice memories for me too. Thanks for sharing!

RosieC said...

Great drabble, as always. And congrats on your award! You are pretty awesome :)

Kaelin said...

loved your take on the prompt!

Natasha said...

@ Tina- you are most welcome. Like I said (or left unsaid), I have been meaning to do this for weeks.
And didn't you blog about her a couple of days back?

@ Terra- thank you so much.

@ Jenny- my pleasure, Jenny. I just wish I got down to doing more of your prompts :-(

@ Jane- and I bet you are a great grandmother.

@ Viki- thank you.

@ Julie- yes, it is sometimes uncanny to schedule a post, and then find you have done something similar.

@ Laura- thank you.

@ Tgoette- thank you.

@ RosieC- thank you.

@ Kaelin- thank you

Malisa said...

Very nice! The love between grandmother and granddaughter is amazing! Thanks for bringing those feelings to life in words!

I just posted two assignments in one post. I'm bad, but please join me anyway!

Malisa

Kat said...

I love the way you fashioned your story around the prompt. A bit of your history turned into a short (very short) story. Lovely memories in this!

Natasha said...

@ Malisa- thank you for dropping by.

@ Kat- thank you

Susan Anderson said...

Congrats! And thanks for a sweet story we can all relate to.

=)

Natasha said...

@ Sue- thank you.

~Lissa said...

Congrats! And nice SC! sorry, I'm a little late reading them all..

Natasha said...

Thank you, Lissa. It is amazing you are reading them all.

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