IMA trip

In the IMA, (Indianapolis museum of art), GG and I entered a silent room, so silent that you could hear a fly sniffle from a mile away.  There was a big multicolor glass plaque. It was so huge, that if you were to set it flat and walk across it, you’d be a skeleton by the time you were halfway across. On it, there was a picture of an elegant angel man with robes as white as a polar bear fur coat. GG launched into a historical lecture, but I didn’t mind.  “After Benjamin Harrison died, his wife had this glass plaque put together in honor of him. It was made by the Tiffany Glass Company, and shipped from Kokomo, Indiana, to New York. They had the glass cut and smoothed and put together. Sometime we can go to Tokyo and visit the company.”

 I hope to do this someday. Lectures aren’t always boring.

Centipede Pedicure

If a centipede wanted a pedicure, how long would it take? How big of a mess would the centipede make? What color would the centipede choose? Would he take off his socks? Would he remove his shoes?


It would take four hours. The mess would reveal its messy powers. The centipede would choose a shade of the blues. Surely he'd remove his shoes.

The Problem with Hawks, Introduction

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a chicken. I built my own computer, so I am obviously a genius chicken. I live in a chicken coop with five average chickens- for a chicken, average is pudgy and naive. My life is simple. I write stories on my computer, I eat chicken feed, I drink water, I poop and pee. Oh, yeah, and I cock and I lay eggs. Seriously, you should try my eggs! Chickens are more important than you think. Imagine: cake, pancakes, omelets- all that good stuff depends on us chickens. It all has eggs in it. But, back to the story. You see, life for us chickens is perfect. Except for one problem: we have no roof. Our coop has become hawk territory.

The rest of Ginger Sailboat

  Chapter  Three      Many years later,  Thomas and I were married by a tall, pale young man with hollow cheeks. His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was said to be extremely talented, and from a boarding school called Hogwarts.  It was a beautiful, crisp winter morning,  and the snow beneath my high heels crunched like M&MS. I wished I could flop down on that snow, that snow that was as white as Cirrus clouds, that snow that fell like pixie dust from the clear, forget-me-not blue sky. The delicate dew drops rested on the rich, green pine trees.


Despite this beauty, the wedding was rather strange. I thought that I heard Tom Riddle  mutter something that sounded like, "Aguamenti", and the next thing I knew, I was hit in the face by a jet of water.   Then, Tom Riddle  said, "Sectum-sempra!" and Mrs. Sailboat was rushed to the hospital with blood squirting out of her face.  And a stick kept poking out of Tom Riddle's pocket. What was especially creepy was that I saw Tom Riddle's eyes gleam red, and I thought I glimpsed a flash of green light.

 Chapter Four       Three years later, I gave birth to a baby. I gulped and listened to my speeding pulse as the doctors tested my baby for health problems.  While I waited,  I signed the birth certificate. Here is what it looked like when I was finished.

  Hello Baby!
Female or Male?Male
Name:Squeajole Thomas Sailboat
Mother:Ginger Hannah Sailboat
Father:Thomas Grason Sailboat
Date:1950, June 12, 1:11 A.M. 


 It turned out that Squeajole, (as I had named him) was doing fine. But, as he got older, I began to notice something. Squeajole could not talk. He was fifteen years old now, and he could hum triumphantly or squeal nervously, but he was otherwise silent. However, he was content. If there was one thing he loved, it was science! He looked just how you might imagine a young scientist. He had short curly golden hair, a white lab coat with neon green stains, rectangular silver-rimmed glasses, and he always carried a book called Magnetic Nuclear Surfacing. 
Chapter Five 
I have two words for you. Vietnam War. Thomas had been asked to go fight. I had not been able to sleep since Thomas left, and the skin under my eyes had turned the color of Nimbus clouds. Every day, I rummaged the mailbox for letters from Thomas. The letters would include a long note and a check.
Chapter Six
One day, I received a letter. The cornbread was in the oven, and the ham and potatoes in the stewing pot. It was as if the delicious smell was warmly beckoning me to open the letter. My life had been a success so far. Little did I know that I was out of luck. I forced the envelope open.

Dear Ginny,

I have devastating news. I hate to destroy your heart, but somebody has to tell you. I know how much Thomas and you loved each other. There was an unbreakable bond between the two of you. It could only be broken by death. And it was. My dear, dear friend, Thomas' time is up.

Signed, Bansel Chaul
Bansel was a good friend from college. He was a soldier too. There must be some mistake! I desperately looked for a loophole out of this living nightmare. As I grieved,  I got a job as an editor, and made enough money to support Squeajole and I.
Chapter Seven
Seven Years Later
Squeajole's college graduation was today. Squeajole was now 22 years old. The phone rang.  It was Bansel Chaul, who taught at Squeajole's college. Bansel was overwhelming, and he had a voice like cake made with too much sugar.  "Hey, Gin-Gin," Bansel said. He didn't sound like himself. It was as if a piece of that too-sweet cake was missing.  "Squeajole was just rushed to the emergency room, his body all limp. They declared him out of life." I screamed.

Chapter Eight
The college professors told me to come to the scene of the murder. The college graduation was postponed. When I got to the E.R., two detectives were there. They were arguing about whether to scan the body for fingerprints. "No one would be stupid enough to leave fingerprints!" one declared. He had a brown comb-over, a firm mouth, and a name tag that said Creanan Unlun. "I know, but just in case!" exclaimed the other. She had blonde pigtails, a cheesy smile with overdone lipstick, and a name tag that said Lulu Sunshine.  That's when I saw it. There was a stick in Squeajole's lap. It looked like Tom Riddle's. I had just finished the second Harry Potter book. In the book, Harry Potter finds out that Tom Riddle is actually a man called Lord Voldemort. Voldemort says a curse and points a stick at somebody to kill them. Who would have thought that a fiction story was true? Me, that's who! I told the college professors my theory.


Chapter Nine
  That day, the professors of Squeajole's college confronted Tom Riddle. But Tom Riddle escaped, pointing his stick at several people and saying the death curse. Those people included my only friend left in the world: Bansel Chaul. Bansel collapsed to the floor, dead.  I spend the rest of my days crying my eyes out, so I have to clean my glasses about every five minutes

Chapter Ten
I have no friends left in this world, and I am too busy avoiding Tom Riddle to make new ones.
I have installed security cameras in my home, though I'm not sure if it'll do any good. I often go to the costume shop so that I can buy disguises to stay under cover. Other than that and going to the grocery store, I never leave my house.  Now I'm a grumpy old lady, and don't you dare try to make me change.

Ginger Sailboat, Chapter Two

I soon figured out that the boy's name was Thomas Sailboat. We had both been accepted into the choir, and we were famous throughout the neighborhood for our slow, jazzy singing. Soon, Thomas invited me on a date. And the top caption on the neighborhood newsletter read: GINGER CLICKSHIRE AND THOMAS SAILBOAT HAVE CAUGHT THE LOVEBUG!  And before I knew it, I had my first kiss with Thomas onstage when we sang a duet,"Love is a Form of the Flu". Snobby people booed, fans cheered. Mrs. Sailboat's jaw dropped, and Mom giggled. Later that night, I caught Dad with his head bent, tears falling thick and fast onto the leopard print carpet woven by my Grandma Jane. Dad was mumbling, "My baby, my baby! Growing up so fast. Seems like tomorrow Ginny'll have kids, the next day they'll have kids." That's when I realized it. I was in deep, deep love.

Ginger Sailboat, chapter one

I am Ginger Sailboat. And I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, "I am a green kangaroo who eats purple bananas and farts rainbow glitter." Naw,  just kiddin'. It is more likely that you are thinking, "What is this old hag's life story?'' Well, I'm getting to that. So stop asking questions! I hope that by the time I finish the tenth chapter of this story, you will understand why I am so grumpy.



It all started way back when I was thirteen years old. I was at choir auditions. "Ginny, it's your turn to sing," said Ms. Martineze, the leader of the choir. After I sang, a boy tapped me on the shoulder. He had auditioned earlier. When he sang, it was like slow thunder and jasmine.  He was also very handsome. "You sounded like sweet rain," he said. To get a compliment like this from him made my stomach flutter. Little did I know he felt the same way about me.

Ginger Sailboat, Introduction

 For Halloween, I was a grumpy old lady who had dark glasses and a bonnet. Her name was  Ginger Sailboat. And this is her life story. The introduction will be told in third person, whereas  the story will be first person.

There are some things you should know about Ginger.

1. Her middle name is Hannah.

2. Her nickname is Ginny.

3.When she was forty years old, her son died.

4. She has lots of moles on her face, and she is proud of that.

5. Her favorite type of material is white lace.

6. She is blind.

7. She is eighty-nine years old.

8. Her favorite food is marshmallow cream and her favorite drink is brandy.

9. Though she is slow and wobbly nowadays, she used to be very nimble.

10. She used to be a pretty redhead with a lovely singing voice.
Now that you know Ginger, you will be prepared when the next  chapter comes out.

Isaiah the Beetle Mows the Lawn

Isaiah the Beetle

Intro

I’m Isaiah the Beetle. Remember me? Do you have a lawnmower I might be able to use? That’d be a big help, because lawnmowers are the new fad. 

Ruthie Georgia has a pink and white one. Ollie has a blue one.  Eliza has a yellow one. Ivor wishes he had a green one. Mikey Beck’s got a red one. The Teipen twins, Will and Isa, have black ones. Shall I continue? No? Okay. I tried to earn money for an orange one called the Turbo Bust by assisting Eliza at her job,(there are two adorable flies belonging to the neighbor, a lovely white beetle named Cate, and Eliza takes  the flies on walks)but Mommy got mad when I fed the flies six treats each, so that didn’t work out.  So, if you could lend me a doll-sized lawnmower, I’d be grateful.

 The Birthday Party

I lay in bed,  the afternoon of my birthday, staring at the eerie ice-blue laser beam of my clock. The smell of rotting wood drafted up through my air vent and made my mouth water.  I wiped the drool from my slimy larvae mouth.

2:20… 2:21…2:22…2:23! I was seven! I thought about how today, with luck, I would receive a shiny new Turbo Bust. I was so lost in my reverie that I nearly had a heart attack to see a yellow female larvae, slightly larger than myself,  with a few growing beetle legs, peering down at me. It was Eliza. “What was that all about?” I shouted. “Shh!” said Eliza. “Dad’s taking a nap!” “Shh yourself!” I replied. “ You nearly gave me a heart attack!” “But the guests are here!” said Eliza. 

We slithered downstairs, forgetting to be quiet, and greeted the first guests. Ruthie Georgia carried an oversized wrapped box, and I was hopeful.  By the time everyone had arrived, we were gobbling down the decomposing bark. Then we played Freeze-Squirm, No-Legged Race, and several other games for young larvae. Soon, it was time to open presents. The Teipens gave me Beetle Man figurines. Mikey gave me Super Beetle figurines.   Ollie bought me a Bob the Termite costume. It was time to open the present from Ruthie Georgia and Ivor. It was a…green lawnmower called The Larvae Love. I tried not to hide my disappointment. But I didn’t get the Turbo Bust.

The Two Letters-Good and Evil

Mom made me write a thank- you note anyway.  But first, I wrote down a rather rude thank- you note.  I knew I would not be able to send it. But it made me feel better to put my feelings down on paper. Dear Ruthie Georgia, I thought you were smart enough to know what your best friend would want for his birthday. Guess you’re not my best friend after all. Hope I don’t see you soon, Isaiah. Next,  (my thirst for revenge quenched) I set to work on a real note.

Dear Ruthie Georgia, Thank you for the Larvae Love. I have been yearning for a lawnmower ever since they came out as the new fad. Hope to see you soon! Your BFF always,

 Isaiah.

More Disappointing News And A Lightbulb

The next morning, I slithered downstairs.  “How old am I?”

I asked Mommy.  “Stop.” Mom thought my question was irrational.  “Six?” I asked.  Eliza guffawed. My face fell. Yesterday was real. Then, I brightened. “Aren’t you excited to go to Grandma Hollyberry”s house?” “Actually, that got canceled,” was Eliza’s somber reply. “It’s not fair!” I whined. “Life is not fair,” quoted Dad. I squirmed upstairs. I knew what Eliza would say if she were here: “Stop trailing slime like that! When will you turn twelve and get some legs like me?” All of a sudden, I had an idea! I could use the Larvae Love to make money for the Turbo Bust. My business would be titled The Slime Trailer. I would mow spider webs out of beetles’ lawns!

The Hero

The next day I put on my Bob the Termite costume, which consisted of fake teeth, a brown vest, and a builder’s hat.  Then, I colored my Wood-Burger King crown green with leaf juice, and completed my costume by writing Slime Trailer on a leaf and sticking it on my vest with tree sap.

I walked down the street with my lawnmower, when I spotted Cate’s fly, Junebug, caught in a spider web. Slime Trailer to the rescue!

I woke up in the hospital with a severe spider bite.  Apparently, the spider attacked, and Daddy saved Junebug and me.  At least no one died, but I was not the hero. Daddy was.

 The O.K. Day

The next day was not so bad.  In fact, it was the most average day in all my life. Nothing wonderful happened, and nothing rotten happened (except that Junebug brought me a puked- up rotting carcass that I pretended to appreciate).   Ruthie Georgia informed me that the reason she didn’t buy me the Turbo Bust was because there was not enough money in her Beety Bank ( a  hollow pink ceramic beetle the size of an ant’s abdomen).  Mom brought me a bark sandwich with holly berry jam, and Eliza brought me a poppy- petal scarf.

  

Succeeding

It was scorching out. My larvae back was slimier than ever. I was mowing the lawn outside of our house, which was under a pine tree.  Mom and Dad had promised me an allowance. All I wanted was to lay on my flower petal bed and count money sheep, and drift off to sleep to dream about cleansing my slimy self in a pool of money… “Ow!” I realized that I had been so lost in my reverie that I had mowed right into the toothpick fence. I had mowed for so long, that our yard was bare.

Mom and Dad just laughed and gave me a pine needle anyway.   Eliza said she was already planning to do what I did and plant some dandelions.

  

Healing And an Equation

 I was at the doctor’s office.  Dr. Smith, the larvaetrician was smearing aloe all over me. I was planning an Ageflobh (A   Great  Expedition For Lawnmowers Of  Beetlecottage  Home). Everyone of the neighborhood was invited. The only problem was that  Ivor didn’t have a lawnmower. I waited for a lightbulb, but none came.

  I went home and wrote down an equation. Turbo Bust costs twenty-one pine needles, and I  have one pine needle.  I get paid two pine needles for each square inch I mow. The average beetle lawn is ten square inches. So I only needed to mow one more lawn!

 

 The Idea

All of a sudden, I realized something. Ivor wanted a green lawnmower.

That’s what I had. What would I do with the Larvae Love once I had the  Turbo Bust? That’s when it came to me.  The only problem was that Ivor was at his grandparents’ house. He would be back tomorrow.  So I waited all through that long afternoon, basking in the sun and avoiding humans. I waited through that long night. I dreamt a horrible dream that Ivor moved to Hawaii, and was squashed by a beach ball.

The next morning I spotted Ivor at his house about twelve feet away. Then, I realized that he was getting into an acorn cap, and they were driving away. I had forgotten their weeklong trip to Rotting-Woodrift

Place.

The Surprise

The next day, Ruthie Georgia and I were mowing the lawn.  I had the Turbo Bust!  Ivor was sitting under the shade of a dandelion watching with envy. I decided it was time to tell him. So I went to the corn husk garage and brought out the Larvae Love. When I broke the news to Ivor, he screamed with delight. He joined in the festivity. Soon, the grass was cut clean, and we sat down to bark pie.

Personal Narrative Assignment

I am reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare.  My assignment is to write a personal narrative about a time when I felt excited and nervous about something I was about to do.  (Note:  My other blog posts are not school assignments.)

Recently, I took a class called Y. A. T., (Young Actors Theatre) and I had an adventure. I made new friends, and played new games. We performed Alice in Wonderland, where Alice went to Wonderland at different ages in her life. Six girls got to play Alice, including me. We dressed in extravagant, home made blue- and- white outfits, with blue eyeshadow. When it was time to perform, I felt as nervous as a president doing a speech in front of the whole country of America. I swallowed vomit and gasped for air.  The people trying to talk to me, or even making the slightest  bit of noise, overwhelmed and bothered me.  Once I was up on stage and saw that nobody was failing their parts,  a feeling of excitement aroused the atmosphere.   I had an amazing time, and was awarded True Actress Award. 

My Dream of the Dirty Slog

One night I had a dream. In my dream, I was with the children of Narnia. We were crawling through the wardrobe, which was actually the small white bookshelf outside the door of my room! We appeared in this new room. It was a giant indoor jungle gym for babies and toddlers, only the babysitters somehow seemed very cruel, as if they were going to poison the innocent little children. The jungle gym was covered in lots of nasty dirt and crumbs. 

I was seated at the end of a long table. Opposite me, at the other end of the table was a cruel, creepy looking old lady. Fortunately, I was able to get up. But all of a sudden another creepy old lady attempted to get a kite tangled in my hair! All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I looked down. It turned out that the lady was sewing me with a needle and thread! 

It was all over. I woke up.

My Dream of The Flying Raccoon

One night I had a dream. In my dream, I had to spend the night at my friend Ollie's house, because my parents were making a trip to the grocery store! The next day, I went back home. My parents were not back yet! So I invited my friend Lucy over to play. We were outside, when something extravagantly extraordinary caught our eyes.  It was a small, fat, gray creature with a black-and-gray striped tail and a black marking that gave me the impression that it was wearing a robber's mask on its triangular face. Why, it was a raccoon! And it was flying! It landed in a bush.  

Later that afternoon, my parents got home. I was about halfway down the stairs when my parents ran up to greet me. Then, my mom said spookily, "What flies and has claws?" I realized the answer. Of course raccoons had claws, and I had seen proof that very day that they could fly. "R-r-raccoon?" I stammered. "Raccoon!" my mom hissed, and she turned into a raccoon and pounced on me. 

It was all over. I woke up.

My Dream of the Cheek-Chewing Gopher

One night I had a dream. In my dream, I was sent to a public school.  The kids did not appear to have  specific faces, they just hung out in blurred groups in the background. Actually, I'm not even sure if there were any kids in the classroom. My classroom was small and dark, like a cellar, and it was unusually empty, no desks, no blackboard, no anything.  Well, since I was only dreaming, this didn't seem the slightest bit unusual, quite on the contrary, it seemed perfectly ordinary. Perhaps this is because peculiar things do occur often in dreams. Well, anyway, we were having a perfectly ordinary school day, and then the teacher walked over to me. Well, I do remember one desk, located in a corner of the classroom. I strongly suspect that the reason I remember it is because he led me over to it. It must have been his. On it sat a mirror. I looked in it. I could see the teacher standing behind me in the mirror. Then... slowly... no, it couldn't be... but it was... slowly, the teachers face began to warp. He soon turned into a...GOPHER! And he began to chow down on my cheek, saying, "Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw!" in a crazy sort of way that gave me the impression of a maniac firing his bullets madly at his unfortunate victim.



It was all over. I woke up.

The Last Chapter of the The Three Sisters

Laura was pacing back and forth in Beth's cottage when there was a knock at the door. Laura opened it. The mailman was already getting into his car. Laura picked up the newspaper, took it inside, and began to read.  A headline caught her eye.  It said, "LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? WORK FOR THE OLIVER DEER AND THE HEAVY METALS BAND.  DIAL 317-127-6345."  She dialed the number right away.  

A few months later, Laura was able to buy a new house! She was now working for a rather famous band called Oliver Deer. Laura was very happy. But she would always take time to think about Beth and visit her in the hospital.   

Beth was lying in her hospital bed. This was the worst, and according to the doctor (who was going to call Laura and inform her of the dreadful news), possibly the last day of her life. 

Half an hour later, Laura was screaming at the doctor that he couldn't let it happen, and the doctor was on the phone with Rikky. 

Slowly, a grin spread across the doctor's face. Slowly, Laura stopped screaming. Slowly, a tiny jolt of hope grew inside of Beth. When the doctor got off of the phone,  he exclaimed, "Beth! There's hope! Your sister Rikky said she would pay for Tromedlov, and if I can keep you alive for a few more days, then there will be time for the medicine to arrive from Pakistan!" 

A week later, the three sisters gathered at Beth's cottage. Rikky had forgiven her sisters because she realized that lobsters could be important but they were nothing compared to Beth.  Beth was cured, and Laura didn't even have a dot of sadness.  

The End

The Three Sisters Chapter Six

Months passed by. Beth managed to buy a small log cabin. Laura would stay with her.  In one room there were two beds with maple headrests with a small oak table beside each, in another room there was a stove, an oven, a sink, a large cupboard, and an oak table and two chairs. There was a bathroom.  Finally, there was a living room with a warm fireplace and a patchwork quilt as a carpet next to it and two cushiony armchairs.    

For a while, it seemed as though things would turn out alright. But soon, Beth began to get sicker and weaker every day, and the doctor said that terrible fate would be awaiting Beth if the special medicine was not purchased, and fast. The special medicine cost five thousand dollars. It was very rare, and found only in Pakistan. It was called the Tromedlov (Trom-idd-lahv) plant and you could make the special purple gel medicine if you mixed the Tromedlov juice with cane sugar crystals and boiled the concoction.

Meanwhile, the next few weeks went terribly for the three sisters. Rikky spent half her time crying her eyes out.  Beth had to stay at the hospital.  And lonely Laura paced back and forth through Beth's cabin with only Beth's dog, Firebolt, for company.

Three Sisters Chapter Five

Rikky  was reading the newspaper, but only with vague concentration. There were other things to think about, like mortgage and bills and problems like that. But the biggest thing on her mind right now was the situation she was in with Beth.  After some thinking, Rikky had decided that she was angrier than she had ever been in her life, and even though she was pretty sure she still loved Beth, she was too angry to be certain of that.  Also, she was furious with Laura for being kind to Beth, and she didn't know if she loved Laura either.

All of a sudden, she was awoken from her daydreaming by a slight vibration. She pulled her magenta, diamond-studded cell phone from underneath her. She answered it. It was Beth. "Rikky! Laura is losing her house and we'll have nowhere to stay! Please, can we stay with you?" she said.  "No!" yelled Rikky. It made her even angrier to talk to Beth, so she didn't bother. She hung up. She heard Beth shriek, but only for a split second.

Beth was shocked. She ran downstairs. "She said no!" she screamed.  "It's okay, calm down," said Laura."I just thought of something. You have a little insurance, don't you?" This made Beth feel a little better, but there was still a lot to worry about.

Last Chapter of Little Grandpas

Soon Dnumde had a little baby named Yllek. Fourteen months later,  another baby was born. Her name was Nerak.  Years passed by.  Boy, did Dnumde wish that they would grow up quick.  Twenty- nine years later, Dnumde and Ylloh were at the bar playing pool and talking.  Dnumde couldn't believe he was already ninety-one years old. Ylloh was seventy-one. Dnumde was glad that his first daughter, Yllek, was at the hospital and expecting a baby, but he was afraid that he wouldn't live to see the baby turn into a child.



Five years later, Dnumde went to the town hall and gathered with the grandpas, none of whom had ever had granchildren. So Dnumde had brought his five-year-old granddaughter Azile (Uh-zee-lay). Azile was a little nervous to be around a bunch of old men, but she was happy to make them happy.

The End

Little Grandpas Chapter Seven

"Are you kidding me? Of course!" said Ylloh.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Ylloh's wedding dress looked beautiful.  It was all white and lacy. Her hair was pulled back into a long wavy braid and tied with a white ribbon.  She had not put on any makeup, though, because she thought that weddings should be pure.  Too bad the grandpas could not be here now. All of them had made excuses so that they would not have to come.  One of them had said that he was going to a symphony.  Another said that it was his first night on a new job. Then, it hit Dnumde! The grandpas were jealous! And Dnumde didn't blame them. He would hate watching one of them get married.   Well, he would if he hadn't found Ylloh. Dnumde was awoken from his dream by the minister. "Do you, Dnumde, take
Ylloh to be your wife?" Suddenly, Dnumde was not so sure about the wedding after all. He had jumped right ahead to wanting grandchildren, and not realized what had lay ahead of him first. But he knew that  he needed to overcome his fears. So he took a deep breath and replied, "Yes." And the party went on till midnight.

Little Grandpas Chapter 6

So Dnumde continued to get to know Ylloh. A year passed by. Two years. Three years. Still, none of the other grandpas had found love.

Soon it was the night before Easter. Dnumde had planned something special at the Town Hall!  It was an Easter Egg Hunt for adults! He invited all the little grandpas, plus Ylloh.  He filled the  plastic eggs with fancy phone covers,  woolen socks,  Starbucks and iTunes gift cards, and packets of peppermint gum. He even hid a chocolate Cadbury egg with gold wrapping on the bottom side of a tabletop. As he was working, he heartily recalled  the day he woke up to find himself yearning for grandchildren. Three years ago, in this same exact spot, Dnumde Niwri had called on all the old men in town to meet here and talk about granchildren.

The next day, Dnumde made himself a cup of coffee, got in his car, and drove to the town hall. Before he knew it, the Easter Egg Hunt had started. Then Dnumde remembered something. He had prepared an egg more special than the golden egg, though it looked as normal as the plastic ones. In fact, it was a plastic egg. But what made this egg special was that Dnumde had filled it not with gum, socks, gift cards, or phone covers, but a gold ring with a tiny red ruby smack in the center along with a single half sheet of plain white drawing paper that read,   May I have your hand in marriage? 
                                                                                                 Signed, Dnumde Niwri
  Soon, Dnumde saw Ylloh walking past. He thrust the egg into her basket. Soon enough, Ylloh walked over to Dnumde.

 

Little Grandpas Chapter Five

The next day,  Dnumde got up and dressed,  and without hesitation, walked over to the phone. Since he had gotten Ylloh's number, he decided to call her. He invited her over for tea, and while he waited, he did these things- Made meatball casserole,  cinnamon toast, and green tea with mint and honey, set the table, opened the curtains, practiced a warm welcome to embrace Ylloh with, and turned on the news. Before he knew it, Ylloh had arrived. They sat down to eat. Ylloh commented on Dnumde's  cooking until he blushed. Dnumde commented on Ylloh's makeup job until Dnumde thought she had blushed, but wasn't sure because she had applied the unnatural kind of blush. They discussed the topic of the movie they would soon be going to see. Dnumde was surprised to find out that the director of the movie was Ylloh's father, and Dnumde's age. Of course Dnumde knew that Ylloh was much younger than he, but he had never fully realized that he was old enough that he could have been her father. Then, before he realized what he was doing, Dnumde said, "On a scale of one to ten, how did you like the morning?" Ylloh smiled. "Eleven," she said.

The Three Sisters Chapter Four

"You might be feeling terrible for more than three months," finished the doctor. "I order you to stay at Laura's house until you feel one hundred percent better. Now, here is some medicine. Take one tablespoon every morning after breakfast. Come see me again in precisely three weeks, same time, same day." Beth made a face. The medicine looked like diarrhea.

The minute Beth walked in the door,  Laura rushed over. "I've been fired from my job!" she wailed. "Apparently I did terrible on that last play.  I called the bank, and they said that I would lose my house  in two weeks!" "Oh, what shall we do?" said Laura and Beth in unison. They had jinxed, but they were both too panicky to say so. "I'll call Rikky," said Beth. "I'm sure she'll let us stay at her house. After all, she is home from vacation." Beth ran upstairs to the phone. Laura held her breath and waited.
About thirty seconds later, Laura heard a shriek.

LIttle Grandpas - Chapter 4

"Of course!" said Dnumde.  And they had a jolly time. They danced the polka and the waltz and the twist. They ate shortbread cookies and miniature sandwiches and strawberries dipped in chocolate. They drank beer and lemonade and wine. They talked like they were old friends. They even made plans to go to the movie theater and see The Adventures of Mr. Plumbottom  in a week.  Soon Dnumde realized that it was eight o' clock and time to go home and watch The Voice. 


Three days later, Dnumde organized another meeting to see if anyone had even started to find love. Nobody had had any luck, so Dnumde told the other men about Ylloh.  They seemed jealous, so Dnumde added, "Of course, I've only known her for one day, so she might not be my true love." But Dnumde was pretty sure she was.

Little Grandpas - Chapter Three

The next day, when Dnumde was out for a walk, he saw a poster. It was of a tall, bony lady with dangly hoop earrings, overdone makeup, and hair dyed bright pink. She looked very much like a Barbie. She was dancing with a man who had a pink mohawk. The poster said,  'Ballroom dancing at 2 p.m. tomorrow night. Sign up now at 7612-534.' "That would be a perfect chance to meet a lady!" said Dnumde to himself.

The next night Dnumde stood on the ballroom floor. There were lots of ladies there. There was a particularly pretty brunette. She was tanned and blue-eyed. But she didn't look very nice. So Dnumde kept looking. All of a sudden, someone tapped Dnumde on the shoulder. Dnumde turned around. It was a lady. She was blonde and very pretty, with skin the color of cream and eyes the color of chocolate. She looked to be in her late thirties. "My name is Ylloh. Would you like to dance?" she said.

More quotes

I would like to post some more quotes. These are from other people.

"It isn't important to play a tune perfectly, but the willingness to try makes it beautiful."- GG.  
Meaning: It is important to try even if it isn't perfect.                            
"There might be bears in the woods, but it's the gnats and mosquitoes that keep  you up all night."- Michelle Melani.  Meaning: Let go of the little things and worry about the big things instead.
"Never step on broken glass." - Chris Benz's son.  Meaning: When you are in a fight, don't do anything to make it worse. "
"While everything is up for discussion, everything is only up for discussion."- Chris Benz.
Meaning: It is okay to talk things out, but it is not okay to use force.

Little Grandpas Chapter Two

Since Dnumde had so much time, he decided to play on his phone. Finally, a group of short, silver- haired men arrived, followed by some taller, white-haired men. There were also some occasional men with glasses, and a few with dyed hair. Dnumde got on stage and held up the microphone. That was when he realized that he hadn't prepared a speech. So he decided that he would just see what the other men thought. One said that they should simply marry. But Dnumde complained that those women will have  already passed their sexpiration date. After what seemed like hours, the answer was settled. They would try to find younger marriage partners.

Little Grandpas

Like I said, Three Sisters will come out again soon, but I decided to write this story sooner rather than later, because my Grandpa Ed, who came up with this story originally, has had a lung transplant and sadly is not doing well. I dedicate this story not only to Grandpa Ed, but also to every man who wishes to have grandchildren. I hope that you laugh at the funny parts and cry at the sad parts, and please enjoy the witty characteristics of Dnumde and his fellow "grandpas."

What Dnumde Niwri truly wanted were funny, intelligent, talented grandchildren to bring him joy. So he organized  all the old men in the town to meet at the city hall at five that night. When he got there, at five fifteen, the city hall was deserted. After three minutes of confused astonishment, Dnumde realized that he had forgotten to adjust the clock on the spring time change, so instead of fifteen minutes late, he was forty-five minutes early!

Eliza's Quotes

 I will write about the Three Sisters again soon, but I wanted to post these quotes. I made them up myself.


1: Do not worry about the cover of the book, for it is the story inside that you are reading.
2: It takes a lot of boiling to make one bottle of maple syrup.
3: The prize is not the shine of the trophy, but the honor that comes with it.  

Here are the meanings. Number one: It doesn't matter what you look like. It is what is inside that matters. Number two: You have to have patience, because it is worth it at the end. (Number three's meaning is exactly what it says.)

It would be great if you could tell me some quotes. Quotes that you have made up, that is. Please do not give me any that you have heard before.

The Three Sisters - Chapter Three

"Beth?"said Laura. "Rikky said that she wouldn't be speaking to you for quite a while." Beth's face fell. She had been crossing her fingers for a kind answer. "Well... okay," Beth replied. "Oh, and, by the way, you can stay at my house until you find a new one," said Laura.



The next day, Beth woke with a start. It took her a moment to remember the unfortunate events of the day before. She quickly dressed in the clothes that Laura had purchased for her in the shopping mall yesterday, left the guest's room, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. She walked downstairs and inhaled deeply to the smell of buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup. Shortly after breakfast, Beth said, "I don't feel so good. And I didn't eat too much, I'm sure of it. I only had one pancake and one helping of eggs." "Well, why don't you go upstairs and rest for a little while? I'll prepare a picnic for us to take to the park. You might need a little fresh air," said  Laura.      

Precisely one hour later, Beth was at the park, sitting on a blanket with Laura. It was quite a meal. Laura had packed fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, brownies fresh out of the oven, and homemade lemonade. Beth enjoyed the picnic because her symptoms did not include a stomachache, however, she still had a horrible headache, and was terribly tired.

The next day, Beth still wasn't feeling well, so she drove to the doctor's office. The doctor ran a few tests, then reported the conclusion back to Beth. "Miss Beth Jenkins, if I am not mistaken, you have the rare disease Laralactitus. I do not think it will lead to death. However..."

The Three Sisters - Chapter 2

Then Rikky did something that astonished herself. Something she hadn't done since her grandmother died twenty years ago. She began to cry. The crying turned into weeping and the weeping turned into sobbing as quickly as the fire had spread over Beth's house. Soon Rikky was practically wailing her head off.  She had not only lost her good old lobster, but probably Beth, too. She and Beth never quite got along with each other,  but the moment that Laura told Beth what Rikky had said, the little love for Rikky in Beth's heart would probably vanish completely. Rikky wondered for a moment if she should call Laura, but then she realized that Beth and Laura were probably already talking now.




Thousands of miles away, Beth was standing by the ashes of her house, the phone still in her hand. It rang. Beth pressed the talk button and held it up to her ear. It was Laura.

The Three Sisters Chapter One

Rikky was sitting in her comfortable hotel room in Paris, sipping green tea with mint and munching marmalade toast when all of a sudden, the phone rang. Rikky picked it up. It was Laura. "Rikky, I have to tell you something,'' she said. "Well, make it quick,'' Rikky said. " Rikky, your lobster that Beth has been taking care of has passed. It all started when Beth's dog was farting. Beth lit a candle to cover the smell. She didn't watch where she set it down, so the wall caught fire, and Beth had to run outside with the phone  to call the fire department. Her dog got out safely, too, but the fire was spreading so fast, that it was a pile of shriveled remains by the time the firemen got there." Laura stopped to take a breath. "Beth couldn't find your lobster, so she decided that its ashes were among those of the house. She called me soon after, because she didn't want to tell you herself." By the time Laura had stopped talking, Rikky was fuming. "Well, tell Beth that I won't be speaking to her for quite a while!'' And with that, Rikky hung up.      

The Three Sisters-Intro

I came up with this story when I was playing with my friends, Erin and Lucy. We were three sisters- Erin was thirty-year-old Rikky, I was twenty-one year-old Laura, and Lucy was nineteen-year-old Beth. However, our story was much different than the one coming out soon on my blog. The story we played had normal problems, such as a small argument between Beth and Rikky.
The day after I played this story, my mom and I outlined it. This was how it got to be so much more of a different story.


All three sisters were bright and intelligent, and quite the same inside. But they all looked different. Rikky was tall and thin. She had chestnut hair that came down to her belly button and was brushed so well it looked and felt like silk. She had big, bright green eyes, and her skin was all cream-colored with the exception of her very rosy cheeks.  Laura had thick, caramel-colored hair that came down to her shoulders. She was much shorter than Rikky, although she was just as thin. She had eyes the color  of a summer sky peering over the top of square, silver-rimmed glasses. Her complexion was not dark, but it was not as light as Rikky's. It was more of an apricot color.  Beth was very pale, with long, wispy, light-blonde hair that came down to her elbows. She had eyes that were so light blue, they looked white. Beth was shyer and weaker than Rikky and Laura.
 

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Report

Loggerhead sea turtles are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea. They prefer course-grained, steep-sloped beaches to nest on, and coral reefs, rocky places, and shipwrecks to feed. Baby loggerheads are protected in sargassum, which is brown seaweed forming large, floating masses. Loggerheads like to eat mollusks, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and conch. They use their heads to dig around, and their sharp jaws to crush their food. It is hard work for each turtle to get their meals.


The infants' dangers are raccoons, birds, fish, and artificial lights on the beach.(When the babies hatch, they will head toward the brightest light on the horizon. If the city lights are brighter than the sun, the babies will head in the wrong direction and die.) Sharks and man are a danger to loggerheads of all ages. Fishing gear, boat propellers, and pollution also threaten loggerheads. A loggerhead's main defense is it's shell. The shell is tough, and hard to break through, and it also makes a great hiding place for loggerheads. Some humans hunt loggerheads for their leather, while others protect them by setting up laws for them (such as making it illegal to hunt sea turtles), and rescuing ones that are injured or in danger. Loggerheads have a dangerous life and need lots of protection to survive.

Loggerheads have a long life cycle. After they are laid, they remain eggs for fifty-five to sixty days.  Then, they are called hatchlings until they are eighteen inches, and after that, they are juveniles for five to twenty years. They finally become adults, and the females lay eggs every two to three years. Parents and their young never interact with each other, because the mother lays her eggs and leaves before they hatch. Loggerheads court each other when they are ready to mate, and males will mate with several different females. With enough luck and help, loggerheads will make it through life.

Mr. Plumbottom and the Runaway Tiger

Mr. Plumbottom was sitting in his comfortable rose and cherry blossom armchair, sipping hot coffee with extra cream and substitute sugar, and half sleeping while half reading the newspaper, when suddenly the doorbell rang and jolted him awake. He heaved himself up and trudged to the door. He opened it wide, and there stood a tall, thin, balding man, with a curly, caramel colored goatee, small, beady, dark brown eyes, and a deep tan. He was wearing a police uniform and a scowl, and he spoke in a deep, gravely, tough guy sort of way. " Did you go to the zoo yesterday at two p.m.?" he asked Mr. Plumbottom. Mr. Plumbottom replied, "Why, as a matter of fact, I did. I was at the tiger exhibit. But why do you want to know?" The man just gave Mr. Plumbottom a mean look and walked out the door.

The next day, when Mr. Plumbottom saw the headline of the newspaper, he spat out his coffee. The newspaper said: Suspicion of  Michael Plumbottom!

                According to Jordan Johnson, who questioned Plumbottom, Plumbottom obviously has let the tiger out. Plumbottom was standing by the tiger exhibit at two p.m., and the tiger was reported missing at two o' two.   

Mr. Plumbottom was confused. Then it hit him: Jordan Johnson must have been that grumpy policeman.  Just then the doorbell rang. It was Jordan Johnson. "Sorry about the newspaper," he said. "We tracked down another man using fingerprint method. His name is Isaiah E. Bradbury, and he confessed that he had let out the tiger to start his own zoo. He wanted to get rich. He's pretty dumb, though. Not to wear gloves. He's been taken to court. How he managed to get the tiger out?  After we got his fingerprints, he confessed that he snuck in soon after you left." Mr. Plumbottom didn't know what to say. Finally, he heaved a sigh of relief.