Being trapped under a mattress with dead body on top-a prompt to write

The day started in the usual fashion. I had my coffee and breakfast while looking out the window of my small motel apartment. When finished, I gathered together my cleaning supplies and started knocking on doors to see which were unoccupied and ready for cleaning.

Once a week, today being the day, I would not only change the linens but do a through cleaning in three of the rooms. The first two rooms went smoothly, usual garbage to be picked up that people leave behind and the cleaning done. In addition in rooms one and two, I took the time to flip over the mattresses on the beds. When I got to room three, all was going well until I went to flip the mattress on the first bed.

As I flipped it, I was suddenly knocked over by the mattress and trapped under it. Strange, I do this all the time without a problem and wondered why I had lost control of the mattress this time. I've dropped them at times but just had to work at evening up the edges to the box spring in the past. Never had this occurred before where I was knocked over and ended under the mattress. Well, no big deal, I thought, just pull the darn thing off yourself and start again. But wait, I couldn't push it off! Something was weighing it down. Since I had landed on my stomach, it was difficult to get leverage to push but still I've been slinging these things around for years, so it shouldn't be this hard! Well, it wasn't budging and neither was I. My hands crept up and out from the mattress and when I felt around, I could feel something very cold.

I laid there for what seemed like hours until my boss came looking for me, curious as to why I was not finished and back to the office.

It wasn't until she came in and screamed that I realized it was more than just a mattress gone crazy trapping me.

On top of the mattress was a very dead body!

Now it would be time for me to really become upset, realizing that I had been laying under a dead body for quite some time and time for the police to figure out how this person got there, who he was and of course, why someone had killed him to begin with.

After the rain-a prompt in writing class

As we watched the sky before the storm, we felt great apprehension that perhaps the weekend wasn't the best time to be camping. We had pitched our tent near the creek and out from under the trees. We wondered if the wind become worst then it was now, if the tent would remain up. Also, coming to mind, was if it continued to rain for a period of time (once the rain did start), would the firewood be too wet to start a fire? Would we be able to cook the food we had carried in our backpacks and make the coffee to go along with it or would dinner consist of granola bars and bottled water?

Who knew the creek would quickly spill over it's bank, flooding the tent and sending the firewood moving downstream like toy boats?

Did we ever imagine that we would learn to climb a tree, some of us for the very first time as the ground flooded?

A gift that goes very wrong- a writing excise

I thought I had picked the perfect gift for my sister's twelfth birthday. Since her birthday was May 13th, I bought her a cute little two piece bathing suit with an adorable skirt cover-up to match.

Although we live near the beach, the rule in our household was that we could not go to the beach without
1) permission from a parent
2) having someone with us (sort of a buddy system which was a firmly established system in our household).

Usually there wasn't a problem getting a buddy since there were 10 of us in our family, four boys and six girls. Mom had given permission for the beach outing with the usual part two- take a buddy.

My sister had asked me and I promised her that I'd be her buddy. Just as we finished putting sunscreen on and gathering up our necessities eg. beach bag with book to read, towel to sit on etc., the phone rang. I grabbed the phone and it was my best friend on the other end with some juicy news. We chattered obviously much longer than I realized and when I got off the phone, I couldn't locate my sister. I ran to the beach and found her towel and beach bag along with her flip-flops near the water's edge. No sight of her in immediate vicinity though. I called her name but got no answer. She was not a strong swimmer and although I alerted family members, we could not find her. We waited all night along with neighbors and friends. The next day her body turned up as we all stood by the shore's edge.

For the rest of my life, I would regret taking that phone call but even more, I regretted ever buying her that bathing suit.

The sound of corduroy

My brother and I walked to school together everyday. I hated the cold weather and part of it was that my brother wore corduroy knickers(pants that came just below the knee).His socks were knee high and met up with his pant bottom. the corduroy made a very annoying sound as the pants legs met as he walked along. I hated that sound. I would tell him to walk ahead of me or behind me to avoid hearing the noise it made. Since I was the older sister, I was suppose to be holding his hand when we crossed the streets but I would send him ahead.

My first baseball games

One of my first memories was of being taken to baseball games by my father. He would go to see the local team in Brooklyn sometimes, in the evening after work.

For some reason, he would often take me. I was very young, probably barely two years old since I know we moved from Brooklyn before I was three. I can vaguely remember him putting me up on his shoulder and leaving the game before it ended and walking home. I would always fall asleep during the game. In my later years, I wondered why he took me since I was so young. Perhaps he took me to give my mom a break or maybe because I carried on so when he was leaving. I'll never know but of one thing, I'm sure, it wasn't because I was a big baseball fan.

My thoughts on snow

Standing by the window watching the snowflakes drift slowly down, many thoughts run through my head.

The scene is beautiful, the trees, shrubs and ground are covered in white and the world looks so clean and pleasant.

Then the practical side of me kicks in. What does the snow mean to others? Children are watching gleefully or perhaps are already outside dancing about, making snowballs and/ or snow angels. A few of the more ambitious ones may be trudging down the street going door to door in the hopes that someone will hire them to clear sidewalks and driveways for them. Business people, who own their own plows are busy scurrying from job to job clearing parking lots. Men employed by their village or county are out working extra hours clearing the roadway for commuters and in the process on occasion plowing driveways back in, not as a deliberate act but unfortunately the way things go. Children and teachers alike are hoping for the snow to continue in the hope that schools will be closed tomorrow. Deliverymen and postal workers are struggling to complete their jobs and get home not too much later than usual.

I've just gotten done paying someone a handsome sum to clear both my sidewalk and driveway and realize if this snow continues, tomorrow I'll have to hire someone again.

In spite of this, I am enjoying the scene through my window and am thankful that for today, I can remain inside and warm myself by the fireplace.

Catching up

Boy, have I been remiss in writing, both for myself and this blog. Sorry.We've been so busy it seems with doctor appointment's and tests and in between doing some fun things.

Let talk about the fun things.

Last Saturday we went down to the village of Floral Park for the tree lighting. A friend had invited us and we in turn invited our neighbor to go along.When we got there, we went on a sleigh ride, so okay it was a carriage ride with Santa aboard.Fun! It was just starting to turn dark(early evening) so we saw some nicely decorated houses on the ride. When we got off we were treated to hot chocolate and cookies.Yummy!Shortly after the tree lighting took place which was lovely.

Sunday, the same friend called and asked us if we wanted to go to Old Westbury Manor to see it decorated for Christmas and also attend a flute concert.This old mansion was magnificant. The workmanship that had been done years ago in decorating the ceilings, walls etc was superb.

While there we meet Santa(the real deal). He showed us around and told us stories about his elves that were quite entertaining.He has to be the real deal.He just knew so much.

Later we attended the Christmas flute concert downstairs.It was so good and I found it amazing that using only one instrument could create such fine music.

This week several evenings we have either walked or gone by car to see the homes around here decorated.This is always such fun to do.I'm looking forward to more of the same sort of entertainment between now and Christmas.