Lock and Key

Mystery. Romance. Intrigue. What are your thoughts when you look at the lock and key in this photo? Do they pique your curiosity or stimulate a particular emotion? Do you have a lock and key story to tell?

Sometimes when she's alone, the aroma of cherry tobacco infiltrates the room. There's no explanation for why it happens but she knows for certain it isn't her imagination. The aroma is very distinct, a familiar one from earlier days. The only room that this oddity occurs in is the living room. She is usually relaxing in her favorite chair or watching the television. On occasion, the aroma is that of rose-scented perfume or cologne. 

His name was Forrest and he lived in the green house with green walls and green trim. I believe it is safe to say that he had a proclivity for green. It is also natural to assume that this obsession had something to do with his name. 

The house sat empty for a good year before it was put on the market. Its owner went to a nursing home and was not able to return. He had been the soul resident for some time, ever since the passing of his wife.

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Lorene cupped her hands and carefully placed them against the window pane as she attempted to look inside the tiny house. It was a Sunday afternoon and the realtor was not available to take her in. But she assured her that it was okay to look around the vacant property. She felt an immediate connection and was especially drawn to the archway that divided the living and dining rooms. She submitted an offer the next day.

As you may have noticed, this story lacks organization... among other things. That is because it is not an actual story—yet. It is a tool of sorts, one that will hopefully help me improve my skills as a writer. (A little formal training would also be helpful. :-) I hope that you will stop back on occasion and see how the story, and my writing skills, progress.

Friend to Friend

A Native American Prayer

"I give you this one thought to keep— 

I am with you still—I do not sleep. 

I am a thousand winds that blow, 

I am the diamond glints on snow, 

I am sunlight on ripened grain, 

I am the gentle autumn rain. 

When you awake in the morning's hush 

I am the swift, uplifting rush 

Of quiet birds in circled flight. 

I am the soft stars that shine at night. 

Do not think of me as gone— 

I am with you still—in each new dawn."

This beautiful poem was posted on Facebook today by a friend of a friend who lost his mother to cancer this morning.

A Tomato's A Tomato

Without question, this photo belongs on my blog. I'm not sure why. It simply does. I like the way the sunlight adds dimension and interest to the stem. But what intrigues me most is the shape of the fruit. It's not what I expected a grape tomato to look like at this stage. I thought they would be oval and have a smooth round end. I also thought they would be red.

Anticipation has been building the past few weeks. The thought of having these lovely bite size wonders right outside my back door has been exciting. Such convenience would allow me to eat them morning, noon and night—whenever I so desired. NOT!

As I watched the fruit slowly take shape,  I began to realize that I purchased the wrong the plant. Those of you who are seasoned gardeners will likely recognize it for what it is, a roma grape tomato. This is the first time I've grown this variety so it should be interesting to watch it progress. I know that romas can be used in a variety of ways but I will still miss the convenience of having grape tomatoes within arm's reach of my deck.

"Here Kitty Kitty"

Coaxing the cat downstairs to the main level after it has been occupied by an energetic canine isn't an easy task. Since Schnopsie (the dachshund from earlier posts) made an appearance a few weeks ago, Lu has preferred to be upstairs. Schnops has been the one who has been soaking up sun every morning by the patio door and hanging out with the family in the evening—benefits that once belonged to Lu. Now that he is gone, I need to find a way to get Madame comfortable with being on the first floor again.

Concrete in Disguise

My previous post referred to the Home Design Find blog. It provided information about a variety of materials being used for countertops today. Here is another gorgeous alternative to marble and granite, which come from limited resources. It's hard to believe that this work of art is a concrete product. What an inspiring thought... to have such a beautiful work space.

"Meticulously formed and cast color inlays within a concrete countertop.

Monolithically poured, no fill. Exposed recycled red glass chunks and

chips in a modern pattern designed by J&M and inspired by the

client's taste."

Not So Marble Marvels

A blog should be focused and informative, and the writing passionate. Does Not Quite Average meet the criteria? Probably not. But, as you see, I do it anyway. Why? Because inspiration lurks around every corner.

I am inspired by nature and cuteness (see the Dog and Dog: Chapter 2 posts) but I also find inspiration in reading about alternative approaches to the status quo. In this case, I am referring to kitchen counter tops. The most recent post on the Home Design Find blog talks about materials that can be used in place of finite ones such as marble or granite. There are some great choices out there. See for yourself:

http://www.homedesignfind.com/how-to-tips-advice/design-dilemma-sustainable-kitchen-countertops/

Dog: Chapter 2

Schnopsie was not happy about the way he was portrayed in the previous post. He thinks he is much better looking than that, plus he wasn't thrilled about the double chin. How do I know this? Well...

Dog

Meet Schnopsie. He and his family have been visiting for the past few weeks. He is a Miniature Dachshund but he thinks he is just as big as other dogs. Our Black Lab, Halle, likes to pretend that he isn't around so Schnopsie tries to get her attention by running and lunging at her. It works sometimes.

Schnopsie is very smart and does many tricks. He is "sitting" in this photo. A couple other tricks he is trained to do are "high five" and "play dead." He will do tricks over and over again if he thinks it will get him a treat. But no treats were being offered here. He was begging for a stuffed toy, a lamb, that was perched on top of my head. It was in his possession a few minutes prior to this and I am convinced that he would have torn it to shreds if it had not been rescued. He was being very obedient in hopes that I would return the toy to him when this photo was taken.

As you can see, there was a bit of anxiety as he stared at the toy on my head. He wanted the lamb so badly. There is no doubt in my mind that the living room floor would be covered with polyester filling and bits of fuzzy white fabric if I had relinquished it.