Wordzzle Saturday!

Charly and Kit continue to delight us! And Dr. Hill is back. If you're wondering how to play, go here. If you don't have a blog of your own to post on, just send it to FRRL by e-mail and we'll post it for you here!

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: Florida, spit, child bride, operatic, busy, holding pattern, sunflowers, ginger jars, office, superintendent: For the mini challenge:music to my ears, plot, powerful, braggart, super model

A Mini From Kit:

Sitting quietly unperturbed, I listen,

as music from other spheres..

Flowing purity of melodious tones,

bring music to my ears..

And, the powerful feelings that arise,

when heavenly chords, I hear..

I know without a single doubt,

I have, no earthly forms to fear.

For fear itself is nothing more,

than a plot to attack us all..

A way of lessoning deeper thoughts,

so we fail to hear the call..

The call to help one another,

as we breathe and live each day..

It's a braggart's way to create,

a deception along life's way.

So, let's all become a super model,

persons, who can be admired..

Be individuals who are willing to guide,

those with dreams desired..

For all of us have been given much,

and now it's our time to share..

And by sharing love without fear,

it will prove just how much we care.

A Mini From Charly:

As I drift in thought, I'm taken back to days when we would sit on the leeve, gazing at the Atchafalaya River, pondering what life held in store for us, a group of three teenage girls. The sound of the barges as they quietly passed under the railroad trestle, was MUSIC TO MY EARS; what a peaceful time it was. On a beautiful, sunny day watching the flowing water swiftly pass us by, we would PLOT how we would become a SUPER MODEL, become famous, and makea lot of money; some saw us as a BRAGGART; dreamers were we all. But dreams have a way of becoming reality and the paths one takes can be POWERFUL..what a blessing to have such freedom to choose. My thoughts continue to wander, but I hear applause thus bringing me out of my reverie and I realize it's time for me to speak. As the applause continues, I walk to the stage and on reaching the podium, I hear, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the President of the United States. As I look among the crowd, I think, what a great country we live in....Good evening everyone, I'm so pleased to be with you tonight...

The challenge from the blogger:

Dr. Hill woke to an OPERATIC tenor voice wafting the call to prayer. Looking around he discovered he was in a pleasant room that was obviously used as an OFFICE. There was a computer and fax machine, and on the shelf next to the desk, two GINGER JARS held several bright SUNFLOWERS, giving a cheery note to the room. He pushed himself up from the sofa he was lying on and walked over to a window. Pushing the curtain aside he looked down into a courtyard. His little friend Laila was there, tending to a SPIT over a fire, upon which roasted some kind of meat. Hill’s stomach growled as he realized it had been hours since he had eaten. Just then, Laila looked up and saw him, grinned delightedly, and waved to him.

He waved back and then went back to sit on the sofa. He started thinking about what had transpired earlier in the day. Tanks in the marketplace…yes, that was right. “Well,” he thought, “if there’s a government crackdown going on I’m in a HOLDING PATTERN to try to get out of here and back to FLORIDA where I belong.” As he thought along these lines there was a soft tap at the door. In response to his assent, the door opened and a young couple stood there. “Dr. Hill, you are our honored guest,” the woman said in perfect English. “I am Yasmin, Laila’s mother.” The young woman looked to be no older than 15 herself and Hill found himself assuming she had been a CHILD BRIDE. “This is my husband Mohsin.” Mohsin didn’t look much older.

“How did I get here?” he asked. “I mean, I know I was following Laila, but then everything goes black and then I wake up here.” Mohsin answered, “yes, Laila was bringing you home for safekeeping but you got tangled up in some laundry in an alley. You fell and hit your head. She ran to us and my brother helped me bring you here to recover.”

“Why was Laila so insistent on me coming here for safekeeping?” Hill asked. Yasmin replied, “Mohsin asked her to get you. He is a SUPERINTENDENT in the Ministry of Antiquities. He knew there would be an action against your project this morning.”

“But won’t you lose your job?” Hill wondered looking at Mohsin. “Perhaps,” he replied. He smiled diffidently. “Ours is a difficult culture in which to live trouble-free. For me it is a debt of honor. My father worked at the U.S. Embassy during the revolution. An American archeologist risked his own career to get my father out of Iran to the U.S. He was suspect because he had been working for the Americans. Because of the kindness of this archeologist, my father was able to study in California and raise our family there. That man’s name was Dr. Lemuel Parker. I regret to say that he passed away last year.”

“My mentor!” Dr. Hill exclaimed. “Yes, you spoke of him often to Laila and she spoke of him to us. Once I made the connection, I knew I could not let your work end in embarrassment and expulsion.” Mohsin said. “Dr. Parker always respected our culture in his work. You have continued that observation.”

Hill couldn’t resist asking, “how did you two meet?”

Mohsin answered, “I grew up in the Bay area. Yasmin and I met at Stanford.”

Hill asked, “then why . . .?” and gestured to the area around him. “Why did we come back here?” Mohsin asked. “We wanted our child to know her heritage and other family members and the country was stable. Our English is good, so we had no trouble with employment.”

Hill marveled, “so what’s next?”

Yasmin laughed, “Dinner! Laila has been helping cook, so she insists that we eat before it all gets cold. She’s a bit strong-willed. Then we will figure out how to get you out of the country without the notice of the authorities.”

Hill brightened, “I have just the thing!” He dug in his bag and pulled out a can of clam chowder. The expression on Yasmin’s face was priceless. He chuckled, “it isn’t as bad as the label promises.” Carefully he unscrewed the top of the can and took out some padding. As he emptied the can he pulled out a small paper twist. Opening it, he showed Yasmin and Mohsin six perfect small diamonds. “Yes,” Yasmin breathed, “I think those will solve your problem and probably ours as well.”

“Your problem?” Hill inquired.

“Later. Let us eat,” answered Mohsin.

Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: sober, spoilage, knight, laugh and the world laughs with you, peak, blueberries, owl, drugstore, lampshade, keyboard

For the mini challenge: economy, Michael Jackson, ladder, clue, structure

/kw