Five Minute Writer - January 4th

Forgot to post this yesterday! However, the prompt was to think of 1010 uses for an object. There was a list to choose from and I selected an old ironing board. Here's what I came up with in five minutes.

101 uses for ... an old ironing board

Ripping the torn cover from the rusted frame of the ironing board he tipped it over and stood back, hands on hips, brows knitted.
'I think it'll stay up. We could use some rope to tie it to the trees. Then chuck the canvas over it.'
Timmy stomped over to the bushes, knelt down and pulled the orange rope from its hising place. It was tangle and took ages to unknot. The nylon fibres bit into Jemma's jands and bought tears to her eyes. She wanted to stop but didn't want to look weak in Timmy's eyes. He rarely played with her these days, preferring cricket or canoeing with his school friends.
They tied the ironing board securl between the trees and struggled to drape the old tent canvas across the framework. Finally, they stood in silence, admiring their hard work. A sturdy tented structure, a shelter from the weather, a den for the summer. Timmy nodded, put and arm around Jemma and pulled his kid sister into his side.
'Not bad for a girl,' he grinned.

Five Minute Writer - January 3rd

Today was about looking at the relationships we can create between concrete and abstract nouns. Most of what I wrote was trivial and not very interesting but I thought I'd share a couple that I liked.

Life is like a bead. Tiny, perfect, colourful yet with a hole running through. Best when threaded with others.

Life is like a book. A beginning and an ending, adventures and characters within, sometimes happy, sometimes sad. Do not judge by the cover though.

Five Minute Writer - January 2nd

Today's task was to write a list about something. I chose one from the suggested ideas and here is today's contribution - it's not very interesting!

List of pet hates /irritations
Rudeness - it takes no time at all to be polite and it can really make someone's day.
People not saying please or thank you - I was brought up to say these and I am appallled when people don't say them. Maybe I'm of an older generation but I think it's important to acknowledge when someone has done a service for you.
Unkindness - why must folk be unkind to others? Does it make them feel big or clever? It's a mystery to me. A little kindness goes a long way.
Thoughtlessness - again I don't understand this one. A moment to consider the other person and everyone feels happy and valued.
Litter - so much mess, such lack of consideration for the environment. Again, I was brought up to take my litter home or find a bin. I couldn't drop anything on the floor.
Bigotry - this one has surfaced big time recently. I wish everyone could listen to the other point of view, acknowledge it and move on. We don't have to agree but we can all respect the other viewpoint.

Five Minute Writer - January 1st

I wanted something to kick start my writing habit and Nicola Young suggested I take a look at The Five Minute Writer by Margaret Geraghty. It's filled with ideas and exercises to do which give you something to write about when you feel blocked or stuck. Maybe just when you're not sure what to write to kick the habit off on any given day. So I'm using these exercises to get into a good, regular writing habit. And to keep myself accountable I'm planning to post what I write here so everyone can see when I fall behind or lose the habit.

The first exercise asks about rituals and ritualistic behaviour. Here is what I came up with in my allotted five minutes.

The Power of Ritual
Filling the kettle is a time to contemplate. Only a few seconds until there is enough water to boil but it is a time to stare out of the window and wonder at the world. Someone is passing, where are they going? Early morning bus to catch maybe, dog to walk usually. The water fills the kettle and I place and plug, a blue light glows to signal electric current passing. The wonders of modern convenient living. No need to draw water from a well or pump, no need to build and light a fire. All modern living happens with the click of a switch. The national grid connects me to every other soul who is making tea at 7am. Steam rises and I pull the kettle from its cradle, pour the water onto leaves and wait, staring through the window again. I seem to spend many minutes watching through windows. Kitchen, lounge, bus, coffee shop. All panes I have watched the world through. I must have seen many thousand souls passing by the windows, wondered at their lives, guessed who they were and where they were heading.