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Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:28 pm
by Carol Townsend
David,
I read "Honeymoon in Tobago." There are no suggestions there, except "romance", whatever that is.
Very Old Lady of Surrey
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:05 pm
by Carol Townsend
Sandra,
I must take issue with you. He is your "other" half, not your "better" half. What would the Sisterhood say?
I'm a bit confused about him retiring, but going back to work?
Anyway, have a good "do". I'm sure the ice cream will be fine. Don't worry about the weather; we've had barbies in the rain more than once!
May I recommend Devils Claw for your back. It's not a painkiller, but .an anti -inflammatory and keeps the back supple. It takes a while to work, but I swear by it. Whenever I have a sore back I take it for a few days and I lose that "burning" feeling. You can get it in health food shops and of course you can research it on the net.
Noe
xxx
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 3:54 pm
by SandraK
Noe
Many thanks for advice, will definitely buy some next time in town. Felt a tad woozy yesterday as took enough chemicals to put out a buffalo, or could that of been the Mai Tais other half kept feeding me in the hope we would all get fed. He seems to have a theory the more alcohol he plies me with the more laissez faire I become and it " all seems to come together in the end ". We' ll forget about the days beforehand making Gordon Ramsey look like an amateur.
As you appeared curious OH works in the oil industry the company he works for, correction, worked for, retires personnel at 55. Has a new post lined up with new company, can't have him home 24/7. Still many irons in the fire but it's all rather exciting, hopefully off to Singapore, I love the place. We shall see it's a new chapter in our lives .
Sandra
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:25 am
by Carol Townsend
Hmm,
QUIET ROUND HERE INNIT???
Sandra,
Thanks for clearing up my confusion. So you may be off to Singapore? Hope you can still waffle from there!
Now, what (I hope) you've all been waiting for- the first chapter of my romantic novellete. It may not be quite what you expected; I don't normally do fiction, and I've tried to rein in my normal exuberance and waffle-itis, so it's rather short
Not happy with the title, but we can work on that later. I'd be most grateful for your opinions and advice. And that includes you men too, who I'm sure will deny ever reading romance.
Here goes then:
Re: My Caribbean Dream
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:29 am
by Carol Townsend
They met on the beach at Castara, on a sultry moonlit night, with the sounds of the breeze gently rippling the palm fronds, the waves lapping rhythmically against the soft golden sands, the distant rhythm of steel pan drums drifting from across the bay, and gales of laughter from the rum-soaked tourists "tubing" (a strange American pastime involving inner tubes from tyres) in the surf.
She was a young, shy English girl, far away from her homeland, and overwhelmed by the wild beauty of this tiny Caribbean island.
He was also young and shy; a Castarian, working as a fisherman and lifeguard.
*********************************************************************************************************************
Cherry Hinton lived in the sedate English village of Wafflingham-in-the-Marsh, where life was always predictable, and very little happened. She worked in the library, where even less happened, and no new books had arrived for thirty years.
Life for Cherry was much the same every day; up at seven, breakfast consisting of a soft-boiled egg, of which some invariably dribbled onto her dressing gown; two slices of wholemeal bread with a little cholesterol-beating sunflower spread, and a bowl of cornflakes with milk (no sugar) washed down with Earl Grey tea from a china pot with Winnie the Pooh figures delicately painted on it.
She would eat her breakfast whilst listening to the BBC shipping forecast, and dreaming of one day sailing away to somewhere a little more exotic than German Bight.
After breakfast she would wipe the egg off her dressing gown, shower, get dressed and walk the mile to the library, passing the local restaurant where she would hear the same old screams and tantrums emanating from the chef in the kitchen.
She would unlock the library door, pick up the post and then take up her position at the desk, where she would watch the clock until it was time to go home again. Evenings were spent walking her dog in the park, then watching television with her parents; a soap opera perhaps, or a programme about gardens or cars. Weekends were much the same except that the library closed early on Saturdays and all day Sundays, so there was more time for dog-walking and television-watching.
This went on for three years from when she left school at sixteen until the day that Something Happened in Wafflingham-in-the-Marsh.
It was June the twenty-first; the Summer Solstice. As the sun rose there came the sound of a vehicle making its way up the lane. It was an old van, pink with yellow sunflowers painted on the sides, and inside it were six hippies. They had failed to notice that the days of Woodstock and the Summer of Love were long gone, and had been replaced by the Consumer Society where happiness was found not in peace and love, but in the latest plasma television or mobile phone.
What were they doing in sleepy Wafflingham-in-the-Marsh? It was quite simple; they were lost. They should have been going to Stonehenge to witness the sunrise along with the Druids and television journalists, but they could not afford a satellite navigation system and the only map they had was twenty-five years out of date. So they witnessed the sunrise in the lane leading to Wafflingham-in-the-Marsh, which was a reasonably good substitute for Stonehenge. They parked outside the library and set up camp in the opposite field, where they set about preparing their breakfast.
This was Cherry’s first encounter with hippies. As she passed the restaurant the chef’s curses were drowned out by the sound of singing: “If You’re Going To San Francisco”. They were undoubtedly locked in a time-warp.
Cherry rounded the corner and there they were; the most extraordinary and interesting group of people she had ever seen. The men wore faded denim jeans with enormous “A” flairs which had extra triangles of fabric of a different colour sewn into the bottoms, and multi coloured tie-dye tee shirts, topped with long beaded necklaces with bells on the end. All had long flowing grey hair and beards. The women also had long grey hair and necklaces, and wore ankle –length dresses in the same tie-dye patterns as the men’s.
They smiled at her and invited her to share in their breakfast of muesli with soya milk, and organic Ying Yang goji berry juice. Cherry was rather taken aback at this spontaneous generosity from strangers, but she was feeling inclined to do something out of her usual routine, so sat down on the grass beside them, taking care to avoid a cow pat.
They began to talk about their travels and adventures, and Cherry realised that she was having difficulty joining in the conversation as she had not had any adventures, and had only travelled as far as Great- Perishing- by- the- Sea for holidays; so she just listened in fascination.
The morning passed, and it was midday before Cherry realised that she had not opened the library and there was a muttering crowd gathered outside, who were glaring at these strange long-haired beings. She sighed, bade the hippies goodbye and went to face the wrath of the library users. That week the headline in the local newspaper: “The Wafflingham Weekly” screamed “SCANDAL AT THE LIBRARY AS HIPPIES ARRIVE IN OUR VILLAGE.” It was the talk of the village newsagents for weeks.
The hippies stayed for two months. During that time Cherry became accustomed to visiting them for breakfast, and every evening after the library had closed. The more she got to know about their adventures the more she felt a restlessness growing in her bosom. She began to change her style of dress, and took to wearing long flowered dresses or frilly blouses with long skirts, with long beaded necklaces, which did not pass unnoticed by the library users, who were becoming concerned that the hippies were a bad influence.
The day came when the hippies decided it was time for them to move on as they needed to find work to pay for their Ying Yang goji berry juice, and there was no work in Wafflingham-in-the-Marsh; not since the turnip fields had been closed down by a past Government and Britain had to import turnips while the native crops remained in the ground.
Cherry knew what she had to do. She could not bear the thought of returning to her old routine after the hippies had disappeared, singing, into the sunset. She packed a bag with a few possessions, some money, her birth certificate and an application form for a passport, which had caused the elderly lady at the Post office great consternation as she had not given one out for twenty years, said goodbye to her horrified parents, told the Chief Librarian she was going on holiday for a year or two, and leapt into the old pink van with a light heart.
The characters in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to any actual persons, whether living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:45 pm
by David Watkins
I shall be speaking to my lawyer for guidance.........or is this tail autobiographical?????
The Quiet Chef
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:25 pm
by Jack Hargreaves
It reads very well. I was hoping for something along the lines of " the moon was full, as was the septic tank "
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:00 pm
by Bill B
Noe,
You obviously have way too much time on your hands
Anxiously awaiting the next chapter - might I suggest that you skip all the mushy filler stuff and get right to the "Bodice Ripping"
Sandra,
If you move to Singapore would you have to give up your home and gardens or would it just be for a short term?
Leaving early tomorrow for a long weekend to celebrate Independence Day. (No nasty comments now)
Bill
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:33 pm
by Jack Hargreaves
Bill, what's idependence day? have I missed something?
Confused Jack
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:41 am
by Carol Townsend
QC,
Why are you talking lawyers? I have not given my chef a name, nor have I mentioned any goings -on in the dry store. Now
there's an idea
Confused Jack,
Not sure about the septic tank-might kill the mood, and I'm quite proud of myself for not going too far off the wall and into the surreal....
Independant Bill,
You're right, I'm afraid; I was never like this before I stopped working five days a week, and discovered this site.
Be patient, you have to build up the anticipation to the bodice-ripping; has more impact that way.
Hope I'm in time to wish you a happy Independence Day.
CJ- wasn't it a silly sci-fi film where Will Smith saves the planet?
No time for further rudeness about July 4th; I'll leave that to others. Got to go to work.
Byeeeee!
Cherry Hinton
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:56 am
by Tony G
Sis,
Most enjoyable, but I like the realms of the surreal (life is surreal) and am hoping you will take us there eventually.
Bill,
How things change.
Over here in the new US colonies some of us wonder when we will get our independence? (and fireworks display).
Tony
xxx
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:14 pm
by Bill B
Tony,
I thought that happened when you got rid of Bush's puppy dog Blair
(is this too political?)
Noe,
I agree with Tony, some how you have to work "other worldly beings" into your tale.
Yankee Doodle Bill
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:44 pm
by Carol Townsend
OK chaps,
You've given me the green light. I've started chapter two, and have got a bit stuck. Our heroine is at present on the Isle of Wight
and I've got to find a way to get her to Tobago....Maybe I should introduce a rich Yankee businessman...
I insisted on comments from the men, and now find that so far the ladies have been rather quiet.
Interesting....
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:55 pm
by Lisa Keith
Hi Noe,
How about having her win the trip on MyTobago!!!
Patiently waiting Ch 2....
Lisa.
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:10 pm
by Bill B
Lisa,
Tony wanted something surreal and that idea is about as surreal as you can get.
Bill
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:15 pm
by Jack Hargreaves
Noe,
clearly the men are into instant bodice ripping, the women prefer the time wasting slush leading to the important bits.
Still confused Jack.
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:51 pm
by Carol Townsend
Jack Hargreaves wrote:Noe,
clearly the men are into instant bodice ripping, the women prefer the time wasting slush leading to the important bits.
Still confused Jack.
CJ,
I will refrain from expressing my thoughts about that remark, having no wish to lower the tone
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:10 pm
by Jack Hargreaves
What tone?
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:12 pm
by Linda P
Noe, I have obviously read too many bodice rippers, I would have our heroine taking a job as a nanny to the children of a wealthy widower, which would involve her accompanying them on a long holiday to Tobago, she would ofcourse develop a crush on him, before realising he is an evil drug baron and falling for our tobagoan hero (who could be an undercover detective, posing as a beach bum).
Linda
Re: Have a waffle with Carol
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:18 pm
by Linda P
Have just spent the evening playing baseball and eating popcorn in the park, Happy 4th July to Bill and our American buddies.
Linda