Magnolia

 

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

yoga studio ~ magnolia tree ~ takeout lunch ~ perishable ~ wind chill factor ~ follow through

submitted by: https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/      

               

She swirled metallic white paint onto the petals of the magnolia tree in her current work in progress. So far she had a stormy gray background and the magnolia off to one side, proud and Southern and, in her mind, smelling like a divine goddess who deserved daily sacrifice and the kind of reverence reserved for voluptuous beings that are equally inspiring of fear and awe--a symbol of the mysteries of Spanish moss covered oaks, mosquito laden pools on canopied dirt roads, and the acidity of a "bless your heart" whispered in clouds of humidity so dense your skin sticks to the air itself. It looked bent from the wind in her painting but strong. Unbroken. Yielding, when needed, to forces unseen but felt.

Her a/c was on full blast as she worked and waited on the take out lunch she was promised by the only person she could stand for more than half an hour at a time...if he would follow through this time. Time would tell.

A migraine was brewing behind her right eye, but she knew a few doses of Excedrin and her lo mein from that hole in a wall Chinese place by the hot yoga studio in town would fix her right up so she could keep painting, layering colors to get just the right effect and pouring a little more of herself into the only thing keeping her going lately.

He better stick to his word today.

If not, any good will she still felt about him would be as perishable as the many cups of iced tea she left to simmer in the sun while she tried to hold herself together with a kaleidoscope of paint colors. There would be no escaping the wind chill factor of her Ice Queen stare next time she saw him if he waltzed in at half past 6 having completely forgotten. Again. Hangry didn't cover it. Murderous rampage might be closer.

She leaned back stretching sore muscles and rubbed her temple. The dog sleeping on her hip yawned and gave a good stretch too.

"Are you hungry, bud? Me too," she said to her canine bestie.

Pushing her painting table away from her chair, she got up and grabbed a little treat for the doggo and the other half of a gummy for herself. The painting put itself together while she worked on making a fresh cup of coffee that maybe she wouldn't forget about yet again. And maybe, just maybe, it would hold off the worst of the migraine pain for a little while.

She leaned over the counter working with pencil and paper to sketch the rest of what she wanted to paint and inhaled the coffee smells, smiling at how everything seemed to come together. She saw storm clouds, lightning, a pond in the distance reflecting the moonlight, and a raccoon doing some very serious witchcraft.

Now if she could just get that Chinese food and a little company while she worked...

Perfection. 

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:


Baking In A Tornado https://bakinginatornado.com/

On the Border https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

Wandering Web Designer https://wanderingwebdesigner.com/blog

Climaxed https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com

Part-time Working Hockey Mom https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/

What TF Sarah https://crazymamallama.blogspot.com/