But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 220

05 May 2019 37 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Aunty, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Finndians, love, Nephew, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“If nephews and nieces were jewels, I would have the most beautiful gems ever. ” – Unknown

Thank you, Spidey. So apt for this weekend!

Of course if you have been reading my recent posts you would know that I have been impatiently waiting for this weekend, where I get to see my Finndian family again and finally need my Finndian nephew #2.

It has, so far been a wonderful weekend, and we have bonded so well. It’s been a pleasure to see them both interacting and getting to know their bigger cousins, and the pairing up of Lil Princess with nephew #1 is just so precious! Lil Man has been spending time with both of them, and using his uncle to do lots of cricket practice too (my brother plays for the Finnish national side!)

I have just been enjoying the giggles, smiles and cuddles of #2 and the hilarious comments of #1, who is a natural joker!

My heart feels so full of emotion right now, I am not sure how I will be feeling on Monday, when we have to drive back home.

Bittersweet, as I won’t want to say goodbye, not knowing when we will be able to see each other again, but coming home, and bringing with me so many new and wonderful memories. ❤

So… tell me, how do you feel, when meeting new little members of the family?

#SoCS 5/4 – Falling From The Sky

04 May 2019 36 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Falling from the sky, Linda G Hill, poem, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s #SoCS Prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “fall from the sky.” Write about anything that falls from the sky–real, imagined, or idiomatic. Have fun!

What do I wish would fall from the sky?

Chocolate? Pink gin? A big slice of pie?

Or maybe some money, that’d be good

An armful to gather wherever I stood

Books, yes please! I’ve never enough

But the problem is reading them, time is tough

So actually what I would really need

Is a few extra hours just so I can read

A few more minutes to finish that book

And not get disturbed just as I reach the hook!

https://lindaghill.com/2019/05/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-4-19/

May 2: Flash Fiction Challenge – Sisu

03 May 2019 25 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Flash Fiction, Sisu

Charlie’s prompt.

May 2, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about sisu. It’s a Finnish concept of enduring strength, the ability to consistently overcome. Think long-term. Go where the prompt leads!

Sisu Book-su

Finally, time to sit down and read.

“Mum! I’m hungry!”

Don’t worry book, I’ll be back.

“Okay dear.”

Child fed. Back to my book.

“Honey, do you know where my tie is?”

Tie found. Where was I?

Raised voices and screaming.

Book down.

“What is the matter with the two of you? Okay, Tom, you sit here with that Lego. Amelia, draw me a picture over here. No, not near your brother!”

Ah, chapter two I think-

Ring ring.

“Hello? Hi mum…”

Twenty minutes later.

“Okay, bye mum. Speak to you tomorrow.”

That book. I will get it read.

https://carrotranch.com/2019/05/02/may-2-flash-fiction-challenge/

#WritePhoto – Monochrome

02 May 2019 32 Comments

by Ritu in #WritePhoto Tags: #WritePhoto, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Flash Fiction, Monochrome, Photo Prompt, Sue Vincent

Sue’s #WritePhoto prompt:

Old Spa Haunts

“It’s a bit, erm, old, isn’t it? Gonna cost a few bob to sort that one out.” Douglas surveyed his son’s new investment with a little apprehension.

“Yeah, but Dad, I got it dirt cheap. Saved so much on the actual property purchase, I’ve managed to set aside a pretty sizeable lump sum for the renovations.” Duncan rubbed his hands together, and his eyes lit up. “Just think of the potential!”
“What are you actually going to do with it?”
“I was thinking, spruce it up, maybe create a boutique spa hotel experience. We’ve not got anything like that around here, and I reckon we could rake the cash in. Women nowadays love splurging on these pampering weekends away, with a little bubbly thrown in. Could even add another dimension and pretend we have some old ghost lurking around. People love a little haunting too.” Oh, the plans Duncan had. “Come on, let me show you inside.”
The front door creaked as Duncan unlocked and pushed it open, allowing a wave of musty air to drift out.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for a while.” Douglas ran his finger over the surface of a side table by the side of the door, leaving a long clear mark across it, and a large pile of dust on his finger.
“Nah, it’s been in the market for ages, apparently. Whenever anyone’s offer was accepted, something would happen and they’d have to bow out before closing the deal. Even though I offered just half the asking price in cash, they snapped it up and got me to sign the papers pretty much as soon as they’d accepted.”
Douglas glanced at his son, a little concerned, “Isn’t that a little bit of a worry? I mean you haven’t even had a survey done. There could be all sorts wrong. I mean, have you seen the roof from the outside? It looks like it would take just one more of those awful storms we’ve been experiencing recently for the whole thing to collapse! All those lovely wooden beams on the outside? I bet they’re riddled with wood rot, and even they are bowed. It looks like someone is pressing on it from above!”
“I told you, Dad, I’ve got it all covered. The money is there for the work, and I’ll bet, if I get my team started asap, we could be up and running in six months! Now look here, I thought we could make this a bar area.” Duncan pointed towards a door, walking towards it.
Douglas’s mind was elsewhere. He swore he’d seen a shadow moving across the staircase.
“Duncan, I think someone is here.”
“What? Don’t be silly Dad. No one’s here but us.”
“I just saw a shadow moving upstairs.”
“Look, the wind is picking up outside, you probably saw the shadow of a tree from outside waving around. Come on Dad, I want to show you the back, where I might put the spa area. Might need a little extension.”
Douglas looked back towards the staircase. “There!” He started towards it. “I saw someone. It was definitely a person’s silhouette!”
He ran up the stairs with Duncan hot on his heels. They combed the empty rooms, flinging open doors, and only disturbing the dust that had gathered, nothing else.
“See?” Duncan guffawed. “You’re saying someone’s here? Nothing.”
“No, Duncan, I definitely saw someone.”
“What, like a ghost? Oh, leave off Dad! Like we even believe in ghosts!” He made his way downstairs. “Come on, let’s go. I’ll show you another time. Ghosts, ha! Well, if there was one, that would definitely be a selling point for the hotel, eh!”
***
They closed the door behind them, dislodging a piece of paper that had been lodged in the letterbox. It floated onto the hallway floor.
“No such thing as ghosts, huh? We’ll show them…” Had they looked back then, they would have noticed two figures peering out of the upstairs window.
And that paper? An old letter.
Mother, we’ll never let your plans go ahead. This is our home. You cannot sell it. You can keep us locked up as long as you like. We’ll find ways to make sure you can’t do this. And we promise… Even beyond our mortal days, we will be here, making sure our home is just that. Ours.
Peter And Jane
Ritu 2019

Thursday photo prompt: Monochrome #writephoto

Bookinton’s Finish The Sory Challenge 2

01 May 2019 11 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Fiction, Finish The Story

I was appproached by fellow blogger Tanmay Jain, of Bookinton Blog to ask whether I would participate in a writing challenge with a difference this month. The Finish The Story Challenge 2. 2 because he ran one similar last year and wanted to extend the challenge to a few more bloggers. It is an opportunity to streach creativity, and share others stories too!

Intrigued, as ever…. I decided to step up, and this is what we are doing.

There are 5 bloggers, myself included, who have submitted a prompt.

Each of us will answer the prompt with a 250 word flash fiction piece on set days.

Let me introduce you to the others who are taking part.

1)Tanmay Jain

Tanmay Jain is a blogger, book reviewer, writer and bibliophile from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He has been reading books since he was a child and hasn’t stopped since. He started his first blog in 2016 and since that, after many unsuccessful attempts at managing a successful blog, he landed on his current and most successful blog, Scion of Society. Tanmay dabbles mostly in fiction writing but sometimes wanders off to poetry, book reviewing and writing tips. He is an editor for his school magazine, X-rays. He’s a teenage writer, aspiring author, and a budding blogger.

Blog – Bookinton

Blog Link – www.bookinton.wordpress.com

Twitter ID – www.twitter.com/Tanmay_and_Jain

Facebook ID – www.facebook.com/TheBookintonBlog

Prompt – There was something extraordinarily ordinary about murder than people just didn’t get!

2)Nideesh Samant

A weaver or short stories, mostly dark ones…

https://thedarknetizen.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/darthnid

Prompt – A standard corporate boardroom meeting is und1erway, but the boss has hidden motives…

3)Sascha Darlington

Tech writer, creative writer and book blogger from Washington, DC

Blog – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored

Blog – https://saschadarlington.me
Twitter ID – www.twitter.com/darling_sascha

Prompt – A non-risk-taking writer has writer’s block, so they decide to do something they’ve never done before to inspire them.

4)Suchita Agarwal

A writer and content creator, Suchita Agarwal believes words are where the magic is. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and WordPress. She goes by talesofsuchita.

Blog – Tales of Suchita

Blog Link – https://talesofsuchita.wordpress.com/

Twitter ID – https://twitter.com/talesOfsuchita

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/talesofsuchita/

Prompt – The last thing I remember

And then there is me… who has a HUGE amount written in her bio, and SM Links too, but then you know me… I cannot actually stop talking/writing, and you know I waffle… but if you wanted to read/connect… here you are!

5)Ritu Bhathal

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970’s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.

From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is mostly credited to her mother.

The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her own writing, from fiction to poetry.

Winning little writing competitions at school and locally gave her the encouragement to continue writing.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.

A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing!

Ritu also writes a blog, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.

Ritu is happily married, and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the furbaby Sonu Singh.

Having published an anthology of poetry, Poetic RITUals, she is currently working on some short stories, and a novel, to be published in the near future.

Blog – But I Smile Anyway

Blog Link – www.butismileanyway.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/PhantomGiggler

Facebook ID – https://www.facebook.com/butismileanyway/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/phantom_giggler/

Told you mine was long!

And here’s my prompt for the rest of the guys!

Prompt – I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus. I did. Well, not Santa, but some fat bearded dude, who wasn’t my dad…

Soooo … there you have it… for now!

The prompts are going to be answered as of 11th May, and the works are kicking off with my take of Sascha Darlington’s prompt… no pressure!!!

Hope you enjoy reading my efforts, and if you feel the urge, feel free to use the prompts and link back so I can read yours too!