July 5th, 2023

First, I apologize for not getting the last post out on time. No excuse; I screwed up and didn’t press the “PUBLISH” button. My bad. It’s now published.

Here’s hoping everyone had a nice Independence Day and is safe. I hope the explosions in your neighborhood didn’t keep you awake too late, nor did they traumatize your pets. Years ago, a neighbor launched a fireworks display to rival the municipal show. When the evening ended, he cleaned up the debris and put it in his garbage can. Unfortunately, the must have been some unexploded shells included in his discard. At approximately 2:30 AM, at least one of the shells ignited. Because the trash can was tightly sealed, the Fire Marshal concluded, “Several unexploded bombs were activated.” The resulting explosion blew out windows in the neighbor’s home, cracked a few in my house, and deposited the remains of his trashcan in his swimming pool after descending through the screen roof of his pool cage. The sound of the explosion was audible over a mile away. His dog hid under the bed every time he heard the trash can lid open or close until the day the poor animal died.

Seven hardy souls attended the meeting this evening. After a pre-meeting discussion of bizarre experiences involving aircraft (Several of our members are retired from careers that included flight, military, and commercial.)  Six of us presented a bit of reading for the group to assess.

Taking a break from the history of Constantine’s reign over Rome, Ernie Ovitz read the second part of his story set in a dystopian future. This is the third episode of a developing tale, The Watchtower, following Michael Adam West, a former military intelligence analyst and number one on the FBI’s most wanted list. Commander West wrote an unpublished novel about how the Chinese could take over America. Only one copy of the book was purported to exist. It was submitted to the intelligence community as required by his profession. Barred from publication, a copy somehow found its way into the hands of the Chinese government. Using it as a template, the Chinese government prevailed and conquered the United States. Now, the FBI is under the control of the Chinese as they seek Commander West, who may hold the key to driving out the conquering forces. Tension and suspense abound in every paragraph.

 

A September Spring is what Don Westerfield titled his short story about a retired author reuniting with a former love. An avalanche trapped the author’s wife under tons of snow and debris. Her ski partner died, but she was saved. Unfortunately, the accident revealed a lover’s tryst, and the wife was left brain-damaged from lack of oxygen. A young nurse was hired to attend to the needs of the disabled woman. Over time the woman regained her motor skills but not her memory. Her mentality was that of a juvenile, and her comprehension was severely limited. Over time the author and the nurse fell in love. The wife discovered them in a compromising situation, and her limited mental capacity couldn’t handle it. The author sent the nurse away. After ten years, the wife died of natural causes, and the author was alone. The nurse returns. What could possibly happen?

 

Bruce Haedrich has published his latest book, Gaia. We wish him all the best and hope it creates a bigger stir than his work, The Battery. Bruce has resumed work on an unpublished piece with the working title, The Girl With the Red Shirt. In this chapter called The Searchers, Marcie searches for her birth parents. At her university, she joins a group with the same goal. She met a young man in the group. His name was Jason. His charm and wit won her over, and they became a couple, eventually marrying. When a son was born, Marcie thought her life was complete. But was it? An obituary in the local paper caught her attention…

 

A poet, a writer of talent, and now a songwriter, Richard Cope read the lyrics of The Delta Blues. As usual, his blues are brought on by a woman. In When the New Wears Off, he tells of disappointment and abandonment. Have you ever contemplated a hole? In The Hole Story, Richard does just that. Is a hole a void, or is it filled with wonder?

 

A Chest of Drawers is almost unnoticed most of the time, but catching the eye of a poet like Scott Anderson can make a difference; a green drawer holds items of spring; an orange drawer may contain memories of summer; does the yellow drawer speak of autumn; what does the gray drawer hold; could it be the remnants of winter? How different do we see things through the eyes of a poet?

 

Do circumstances demand you to be a Lady or a Gentleman at times? In Rod Digruttolo’s story, Jessie and Sam, the virtues of a retiree living next door to a voluptuous young woman are tested. Retrieving a newspaper from the driveway, Jesse suffers a wardrobe malfunction with Sam standing beside her. Does Sam respond as a gentleman should? Use your imagination.

 

As Peter McNally was in attendance this evening, we welcome him and understand he has been busy taking care of his mother, who is ill. Our best wishes are with you, and we hope you can get back to your writing as circumstances permit. Thank you for your presence.

It’s about time to call it a day, remember, read, read, and read some more, then KEEP ON WRITING!