Christmas Romancing the Marble

In my latest 1,000 word Flash Fiction, I’m romancing the marble, instead of the stone...

Decorating the Marble Statue

The X-Flash Story of Sabrina and D’Vallis

I
11:11:11 PM flashed on the digital clock. “Oh great.” Sabrina expelled an aggravated breath. Once again, eleven had her number as in seeing them nearly everyday, even several times a day. “Yeah, yeah, enlightenment. A new spiritual age.” She rolled her eyes. “I need a new damn life. Not some nebulous promise of a better world.” Grabbing up the box of outdoor Christmas decorations, she stared down at the contents for a moment. “If this isn’t just plain stupid. Decorating a statue,” she muttered. Still, it was her job and she’d do it to the best of her creative ability.

II
Sabrina loved her aunt. Occasionally, though, Aunt Beatrice was nuttier than a fruitcake. However, Sabrina found it easier to just go along with whatever little insanity her aunt decided on. Tromping toward the lovely french doors, she swung open the one she’d unlocked and walked out into the cold night. The wind buffeted her face briskly and she shivered as she moved down the low flowing steps into her aunt’s enormous elaborate garden. During winter the plants were festive. Small pines trees and artfully arranged bushes with red berries lined the main path. Other foliage offered the birds a feast.

III
There it was. Her aunt’s pride and joy. The marble full-sized statue of a man had been shipped over from Italy twenty-one years ago. Sabrina remembered clear as day her aunt taking her by the hand when she was ten to introduce her D’Vallis, as Bea always referred to him. Each year Sabrina had been given the impressive history of the statue as close to his arrival date as possible. He’d been found on the island of Santorini, a mystical fire-formed island that Sabrina adored visiting. No one knew his actual origin and for that reason the museums weren’t interested.

IV
Bea always claimed he came to her in a dream, telling her how to purchase him. More than once, on her walks through the garden, Sabrina had heard her aunt talking to the statue as if they were the best of friends. Halting, she heaved a frustrated sigh, then perused D’Vallis. No arguing the fact that he was impressive, a Herculean specimen of manhood, even if his manhood had been discreetly draped by the artisan. “So, you want to be decorated, do you? I guess, I’m the woman for the job.” Setting the box down, she grabbed the Santa hat.

V
“Top down.” Stretching upward and it was quite a stretch, D’Vallis had to be over six foot in height, Sabrina arranged the fur-trimmed red hat above his noble, yet rugged features. “Don’t you look just too christmasy adorable?” she sing-sang. “I’ll give you this. You’re warmer than I thought you’d be.” Stepping back and leaning over, Sabrina plucked out the elegant, deep red smoking jacket. “Not exactly Santa’s style, but it should look pretty good on you.” She arranged it over his shoulders, fiddled with the hang of the garment, then tied the sash. An odd glint rippled over his torso.

VI
“Hey, you’re not moving on me, are you?” she nervously teased. She could almost swear his head had slightly altered position. “I must have the pre-Christmas jitters,” she joked, pulling out yards and yards of tiny golden stars. “Hmmm, where to wrap, how to wrap... where do you want to be wrapped?” She gazed up and down his magnificent marble physique. “If you were a man, I ‘know’ where you’d want to be wrapped. Naw, couldn’t be,” she reassured herself as she crouched by his handsome ankle. “Your bulge is showing, D’Vallis,” she crooned and began twining the golden stars.

VII
“Round and round we go.” She spiraled the ethereal trim up his hunky muscled leg. “Plenty here. I’ll decorate your manly hips.” Sabrina leaned the side of her head on his surprisingly warm chest to balance herself and worked the delicate string of stars around him. “Or, should I say, your manly loins. Yep, definitely manly.” Had his bulge increased, even lengthened? Good God! “I must be losing my marbles pressed against your marble. Or, maybe you just like all this attention. Okay, leaving the manly area to decorate your other leg. Great, I’m turning into my aunt, talking to you.”

VIII
Sliding her cheek downward, onto his hard, hard stomach, Sabrina circled the trim down his leg. Okay, she hadn’t dated in awhile. Was this some kind of Christmas fantasy her mind spun from her unconscious desperation? “Yeah, I’d date you if you were alive. Who could say no? Unless you had the personality of a gnat and a head as large as the giant blown-up Santa on top of Toy Mart.” Sabrina wrapped his ankle and shot upwards a second later. “You’re throbbing,” she accused. “How can a statue’s cock throb? Why don’t you answer that, Mr. Marble?” She scowled.

IX
“Okay, you asked for it, D’Vallis.” Sabrina reached for the only thing left in the box, a huge red velvet bow with jingle bells adorning the knot. After ripping off the tape covering the sticky strip, she stared at the splendidly carved bulge that simply couldn’t be missed. In a flash, her hand pressed the bow to the center of his marble-hard manhood. Was it the wind moaning or... it sounded suspiciously like a male groan. Sabrina ran her gaze up his torso, studying every contour of his... flesh! No, it couldn’t be. She slipped her fingertip up his six-pack stomach.

X
Marble, yes, marble. Damn hot marble. “Let’s see what happens... yeah, I’ll play ‘kiss the statue’. Why not? That’s the magic, isn’t it? If your lips are as hot as...” Sabrina smoothed her palm beneath the jacket and up his ‘too real’ chest. Standing on tiptoe, she puckered, fastening her mouth onto his. ‘Omygawd’ sizzled through her. He kissed her, his lips so possessive she couldn’t speak. A large male arm clamped around her waist, lifting her, then crushing her against a real male body. Too stunned to do anything else, Sabrina flung her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely.
~~~~~~

Have a Splendid Holiday Season...
May your most romantic dreams come true...

Savanna

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

A Bold and Beautiful Confession

I have a confession to make. It’s a little embarrassing, although it shouldn’t be, because clearly I’m not the only one on the planet to look forward to my daily dose of cheese. No, I’m not talking edible fromage; heaven knows I’m not impartial to a nice nibble of French Morbier, or a chunk of English Cheddar after dinner. I’m talking about cheesy entertainment. You see, I’m addicted to “Top Models”, better known throughout the world as ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’.

There, I’ve said it. It’s out. And I’m grinning, even though many of you are probably rolling their eyes and thinking “you poor, sad person.” But I don’t care because I’m equally sure there are plenty of you sighing with relief, having been afraid I was about to confess to something way more icky. In fact, some of you might be grinning along with me, thrilled to have found a cheesy kindred spirit. Hello, “Top Models” fans! Gimme five!

I’ve been watching “Top Models” since it first aired here in Switzerland back in 1987. In my twenties at the time, I came across this never-ending show somewhere in between rushing back from work, getting changed, and rushing out again to paint the town red with my friends. Maybe I was tired, maybe I’d just had my heart broken by some imbecile, or maybe I was coming down with some mind-numbing bug, but for whatever reason, on that fateful autumnal evening, I switched on the television instead of the turntable and my daily schedule changed forever. Because there they were, the Forrester family, having their first problematic evening reunion, being served by a pretty blonde girl from the wrong side of the valley called Brooke Logan (played by Katherine Kelly-Lang). Back then, who’d have thought that the lovely Miss Logan (and the rest of her messed-up family) would wreck such long-term havoc upon those unsuspecting neurotic Forrester souls? Who’d have guessed that, twenty-two years later, they’d all still be nursing variations of the same problems and insecurities, still bitching, conniving, swapping partners, and generally pulling rugs out from beneath one another’s expensively clad feet?

On an even crazier note, who’d have thought that, after all this time, I’d still be tuning in, night after night? I mean, I know I’ve got it bad because whenever I can’t make that 6.15 TV appointment, I make sure it’s taped so I can watch it later. There have even been times when I’ve come back from holiday looking forward to two or three weeks worth of “Forrester Problems”, as my son Gregory calls the show. I also get pretty miffed when, for reasons beyond my control, I’m prevented from watching “Top Models”. Take last night for example. There I was, sitting comfortably, enjoying the first few minutes of my daily fix when the bloody Cablecom box conked out mid-B&B introductory theme song and the screen went blank. I was not amused.

Basically, I just love plopping down in front of the television at the end of the day with a nice cup of tea and being whisked away to Forresterland for twenty minutes of mindless entertainment. People know not to phone me at this time of the day; experience has shown that if they do they know I’ll be a) annoyed, and b) too distracted to listen to what they have to say. When my children were younger, they’d both been fed by the time the show aired. Well trained, they’d sit quietly on my knee or in their bouncy chairs, jiggling in time to the familiar theme tune. Nowadays, even the dogs recognize the “Top Models” music; I know this because when the daily episode comes to its cliffhanging end and the music soars, they automatically jump out of their baskets, knowing I’m going to get up and move onto more important things, such as checking my emails for the trillionth time, or getting started with the dinner. Pavlov definitely knew his doggy stuff.

Can I embarrass myself any more, you wonder? Well, actually, yes I can. You see, many years ago, in the days when Thorne was played by Jeff Trachta (we’ve been through quite a few different Thornes…), and when the long-suffering Macy, played by Bobbie Eakes, was still alive, there was a whole musical sidekick to “Top Models”. Back then, Thorne and Macy were pursuing scripted singing careers, and if I remember rightly, Eric (John McCook) and Sally Spectra (Darlene Conley) also duetted episodically on the show. So, sometime during the mid-1990s, the producers decided it would be nice for all of them to go on a real “Top Models” worldwide concert tour. Which is how it came to pass that, on December 20, 1997, (albeit without Eric and Sally Spectra), Thorne and Macy performed at Geneva’s Arena. And guess what? I bought three tickets, one for my friend Asa, one for my sister Victoria (who is never going to forgive me for revealing this mortifying moment of her life), and one for me. Yes, I went to a “Top Models” concert!

Hey, don’t think I can’t see you, sitting there in front of your screen, with that little smirk on your face! I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t care, because it was a once in a lifetime experience. You see, the Arena, which has hosted massive stars such as Ricky Martin (would you believe I actually missed him when he performed there? Still kicking myself over that…), Brian Adams and Sting, was PACKED. People (mostly elderly ladies…) came from far and wide to see Thorne and Macy croon their soppy duets, supported by the authentic “Top Models” orchestra. In fact, the concert actually opened with the “Top Models” theme song, and everyone in the venue went wild, la-la-ing along. As for when Thorne and Macy sauntered onto the stage, well the crowd simply went beserk! I must confess that, at that point, I was a little embarrassed by the lack of “retenue” demonstrated by my fellow “B&B” aficionados; it was somewhat disconcerting to see all these little old Swiss ladies leaping out of their seats, wiggling their botties and squealing with delight. But at the same time, there was something refreshing – moving even - about this heartfelt show of enthusiasm. This wasn’t a “cool” concert; there were no special effects, no big screens, no sophisticated graphics to blow our minds or rev our pulse rates. This was just a little orchestra and two soap-opera stars belting out the likes of "Everlasting Love", "Especially for You", and "What’s Forever For", but it was wonderfully entertaining in the cheesiest kind of way.

There was even an intermission during which many of the little old Swiss ladies rushed down to the front of the stage to get Thorne and Macy’s autographs, something Asa and I didn’t partake in so as to avoid my increasingly-mortified sister from committing hara-kiri on the spot. I did, however, buy a Thorne and Macy CD on my way out. And although they’ll never admit it now for fear of committing social suicide, both my kids were thrilled and wanted to listen to it all the time. That CD is still sitting around here somewhere, squashed in among hundreds of other old albums deemed far more... -how should I put it? - socially acceptable, maybe?

I experienced another unforgettable “B&B” moment recently when my daughter Olivia came back from a trip to the local shopping centre with a sparkle of wicked glee in her eyes. “Guess what they’re selling in Manor?” she chuckled, one eyebrow cocked, baiting me.

I was stumped. They’re always selling loads of stuff in Manor; it happens to be one of Switzerland’s biggest department stores.

“A box-set of the first few years of ‘Top Models’!”, she exclaimed, wide-eyed. Then she threw back her head and gave in to a fully-fledged fit of the giggles.

I guess I know what Father Christmas will be bringing me this year. In fact, I hope he does, because I’ve quite thoroughly enjoyed trawling through YouTube today, searching for snippets of Bold and Beautiful memorabilia to share with you. I hope you’ve enjoyed them too, or at the very least, I hope they’ve made you smile.

But I’ve got to leave you now. Because, you see, it’s almost 6.15.

It’s “Top Models” time.


xx Francesca Prescott

"MUCHO CALIENTE! - Wish upon a Latino Superstar"
An effervescent romantic comedy
LASR: Best Long Book of the Year 2008 : "Laugh out loud hilarious!"
NOR: Reviewer Top Pick : "A seriously fun book with more twists and turns than expected"
CRR: “Hard to put down”
http://www.francescaprescott.com/

87 and so Thankful

I was honored to spend Thanksgiving with a very energetic just turned 87 year old woman. She was so full of life and energy, so thankful it made me feel ashamed at how blase I had been feeling about the holiday. What right do I have to not be thankful for all the wonderful things I have in my life? Here is this woman who is 87-legally blind, widowed twice, child of the Holocaust, she moved to Seattle from Berlin in 1933 when she was 16 years old-she was more upbeat than me, more in tune with what this holiday is supposed to represent.

She is an amazing woman. She is tiny, maybe 95 pounds and she was bouncing around with my girls having a good time. She was nowhere near what I would expect. She is small and a bit frail looking but she doesn't present herself in a frail or inhibited manner at all. She is so capable, so much more capable than many who are years younger.

I don't know what her secret is, she certainly is in excellent health aside from her eyesight which has been bad all her life, quickly deteriorating to legally blind when she was a young adult. She is active though, and perhaps that is something that helps.

She was an actress as a young woman and now as a retired woman she performs a one woman show about her experiences growing up in Berlin and coming to the United States. She performs it in schools around Seattle as a part of Holocaust education. She doesn't rely on others to do everything for her in her day to day life either. She takes the bus, walks, shops and takes care of her apartment without the assistance of another, beyond the occasional assistance of reading fine print perhaps.

She could very easily sit back with every valid excuse to not do anything other than watch television and let others do everything for her. She could get away with having others doing all the things that are, most likely, the very things that keep her living such a high quality of life.

This year she is particularly thankful, we have made her a Great-grandmother. She is the mother of my stepfather and although we have been sort of related for quite a few years now this is the first time we have actually met. She is a wonderful addition to my and my children's lives, I am thankful for her and the enlightenment she has brought to my life.

Why I Am Thankful...

When I lay my head down at night, exhausted from the stress of everyday life and wondering just how much more I can take, I play a game with myself. It's called the I'm Thankful game and it goes like this...

*Though my home may be messy, I'm Thankful for the four walls that surround me...some don't have that.
*Though I fought with my nine year old today, I'm Thankful to be looking into her beautiful green eyes to do it...I almost couldn't.
*Though we had Macaroni and Cheese with Hot Dogs and a vegetable for dinner last night, I'm Thankful I was able to put at least that in my child's stomach...some parents can't.
*Though the years have not always been kind to this middle aged body, I'm Thankful to still be in love and loved by a wonderful partner...Some aren't so lucky.

My list goes on and on, but I think these four explain it well enough. While my problems seem overwhelming at times, I've found it's important to take a step back and regroup.

Things can be worse. And right at this moment, for somebody else out there they probably are.

As I've told my daughter on many occasions, it's easy to see the bad rather than the good. The bad things tend to jump into our path and get bigger and harder to go around, but not insurmountable. In the end though, finding the good things this life has to offer proves to be much more rewarding.

*Friends-there to encourage and support your desires.
*Love-in any form that finds you, from Parents or Child, lover or spouse right on down the the big brown puppy dog eyes that follow you around the room.
*Help make the good things-A can or two dropped off at the local food shelf, will bring a meal to another's table. Winter jackets that have been outgrown, will warm another child. A toy or two will make one child's Christmas special.
*A simple smile to those you meet along the way, may make another's day.

As I sit down this afternoon with my family surrounding me to share in the feast I will turn my eyes inward, as is my own private tradition, and remember why I am lucky, I will remember what makes me happy, I will remember where I need to do more, but mostly I will remember ...Why I Am Thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Reasons To Be Thankful!

We don’t have a Thanksgiving celebration here in the UK which I always think is such a pity. It’s a good idea to take some time every now and then to think about the things we’re thankful for, the things that bring us such happiness every day. With that thought in mind, over the past couple of weeks I compiled a list of the things that make me happy - the things, big and small, that I’m thankful for on a daily basis. And with thanks to the late, great and much-missed Ian Dury, whose song ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3’ inspired me, here it is. Enjoy!

Fresh fruit smoothies.
Sinatra sings the bluesies.
Gene Kelly movies, his magic never dies.
Bees that bumble.
A rummage through the jumble.
The scent of apple crumble and hot mince pies.

Saturday brunch.
Sunday lunch!
A pretty pub garden where the sun’s always bright.
A country lane.
Sussex after rain.
Crisp autumn leaves and golden light.

‘Ashes to Ashes.’
Birthday bashes.
A bit of Tony Bennet and ‘Fly Me To The Moon.'
Scat sung by Ella.
A cuddle from my fella.
Dr Who with David Tennant. Bugs Bunny cartoons!

My son playing tennis.
Dennis the Menace!
Cakes from the oven and a nice cup of tea.
A good white wine.
That spaniel of mine!
Friends that I love, and who love me.

My daughter singing.
Church bells ringing.
A book at the beginning and a walk by the sea.
A sandwich with alfalfa.
Cheering on Rafa!
(He’s given us a fright, but he’s still our Number One!)

Toms and mozzarella,
Molto bella!
Italian food for ever – yum, yum, yum!
Music up loud.
Kids making me proud.
Six arms round my middle and ‘we love you, Mum!’

Much more that I’ve missed,
There’s too much to list!
So now I’m saying ‘thank you,’ cos I know that I should.
Yes, I’m confessing,
I’m counting my blessings.
All’s right with my world, and everything is good.


If you’d like to hear Ian Dury and The Blockheads singing ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful,’ there’s a wonderful You Tube video here. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Reasons I am grateful, one, two, three...

1. My husband. He is my best friend, an all-round amazing bloke and blog supremo (and took the pic on the left, in a village on the Northumberland coast).

2. My friends, especially my girl-friends, with whom I chat and share as we offer mutual fun and support.

3. My family, of whom I am so proud.

4. Roses. I love roses for their shapes, colours and scents.

5. Lime trees. A lime in early leaf is a marvellous sight.

6. Music. I'd hate to live without music!

7. Good company, cocoa, chocolate, korma curry (Not all at the same time!)

8. Running clean water. Warm houses. My garden.

9. Bluebell woods.

10. The internet - those wonders of research and shopping at the click of a button - and all those lovely ebooks!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Lindsay
http://www.lindsaytownsend.net

Turkey Tales

Here are two turkey (or turkel, as we call them) sightings around my house.

Turkey in the Snow

In December 2007, a big storm dropped a good foot and a half of snow. By late afternoon, the sky was clearing and two tom turkeys (all that chest hair) slogged to the bird feeder. We have several large pines in our yard which shelter the feeder. The snow wasn't as deep there and the turkeys pecked at the seeds.

The next time I looked, only one turkey was left. He turned toward the hill to climb up to the woods, stepping into snow that was up to his belly. He stopped. For several minutes, he struggled and strained against the snow, but couldn't make any progress. The light was fading, and I expected him to return along the path he and his friend had broken.

Instead, Mr. Turkey unfurled his wings (BIG wings) and flew up to a branch. Huge bird that he is, he made quite a sight, perched on that limb. As the night progressed, I looked out several times to check on him, but I couldn't see him in the darkness. I worried about him, even as I told myself turkeys are professional wild animals and can survive outside.

The next morning, I heard "Gobble, gobble, gobble," and sure enough, there he was, still sitting on that tree limb. He flapped his wings and flew down to the ground. A crust had formed on the snow overnight, so he was able to walk away, slipping and sliding and using his wings for balance.

A happy ending.

A Spring Turkey

Last May, as I sat in my front room, I heard clucking outside the open window. I jumped up to see the turkey (seeing a turkey is still a big deal) and sure enough, a hen stood on the front lawn.

She clucked again, and six tiny brown-and-yellow chicks (poults) ran out from under the rhododendron beside the house. From their small size, they must have hatched only a few days earlier.

Mama turkey clucked again and walked around the side of the house, her poults trailing in her wake. A resplendent tom, tail flaring in full courtship regalia, followed. The entire group climbed the hill behind my house and disappeared into the woods. I wonder where mama turkey built her nest. I hoped she used our woods, but I have no idea.

My husband took these two pictures from inside the house. Click on the images to see the poults better.

I never saw the poults again, but I do see the turkeys from time to time. They have no schedule, but they wander from yard to yard, climb the hill behind my house to the woods, and then climb down again, cross the street and head into the woods lower on the hill.

I'm glad we have turkels. And I hope they come around for a good many more years.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you all,
Linda
Linda Banche
Regency romance--most with humor, some with fantasy, and occasionally a paranormal
Lady of the Stars--4 stars from Romantic Times, 2010 EPIC EBook Competition finalist, Regency time travel available from The Wild Rose Press
Pumpkinnapper--Regency Halloween comedy available from The Wild Rose Press
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