Just finished up another Christmas holiday. With my family that means three days of dinners, present exchanges, and LOTS of relatives. With lots of relatives come some unavoidable tension. This year I decided instead of getting frustrated, I'd pick up a pen. I collected some interesting character sketches and scenes that I tucked away for future stories. Here are a few:
• My aunt brought her two large dogs into a crowded house, even though she's been asked to leave them home. Tension built as the dogs jumped on people, tried to eat off the table, growled at the family dog, and left my brother, who has dog allergies, wheezing and barely able to talk. The aunt seemed to think this was all as it should be. The rest of us will forever call this The Christmas of the Dogs.
• Took a walk on my folks farm to feed a calf. It was dusk and the fog had rolled in, so I didn't realize my parents had gotten a new bull until I was face to face with it. Luckily, the bull was seriously interested in one of the cows, and hardly noticed a woman running across the field, screaming like a banshee.
• Got a very interesting gift — a huge bat house. It will house over 300 bats. It's not the house that has me thinking of future scenes, but the idea of 300 bats come to roost. (Do bats roost?)
These are just a few of the story ideas/scenes I collected over the holiday. How about you? Any good ones you want to share?
di
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5 comments:
Lets see....I think the best story I have was when the family was gathered around opening presents. We tend to give very *odd* gifts(last year I got a fondue pot. I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do with it).
So I was sitting opening my one gift, and get the paper off enough that I can see the box. I see this yellow *thing* that at first glance looks like a cordless drill. Naturally I'm all "WOO! I got a cordless drill!" (thinking of course "what in the WORLD am I going to do with a cordless DRILL?") My uncle's head snaps up and he starts to freak out that he gave me the wrong box. Turns out he'd gotten my dad a drill and thought he'd labeled the boxes wrong. (My box was *actually* a heat gun box with a WSU long sleeve t-shirt inside). Dad took it pretty well just kind of looked at me and went "Gee thanks for ruining MY gift!"
Or there was the game of Apples to Apples we played after grandma left. My cousin(who is 16, and in that awkward teenage stage) laid down the word "hopeless", suggestions ranged from the inane to the hilarious but the hands down winner was "my future". (This shall henceforth be known as the game of thinly veiled insults around here).
This is great! I'm trying to imagine you trying to get excited for a cordless drill. :-)
Our friends just told us about Apples to Apples. We're going to play it on New Years. Will have to see if it turns into "thinly veiled insults."
It's difficult to get excited over a cordless drill but compared to the confusion over the fondue pot, it was easy. (imagine you open a very large present and find a fondue pot box in it, was kind of a let down.)
You'll have to share your experience with Apples to Apples after you play it. I'm not quite sure if the "thinly veiled insults" thing is just our family or not...
How could someone be disappointed over a fondue pot? I love fondue. Try this, lightly butter the inside, rub a cut garlic clove around the pan and throw in shredded gruyere cheese with a splash of white wine. Stir until well melted, dip chunks of crusty French bread. Yum.
@still dancing- I will have to try that. I think I was more overwhelmed than disappointed. The fondue pot came just in a box no instructions nothing. As stubborn as I may be making fondue by instinct is not something I want to try :)
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