Author: Wanda

Daily Prompt:  Jangle

Back in 2002 my husband and I moved to North Carolina.  We had a relatively big house that had stuff stored in it from my mom’s house, my mother’s house and all the stuff my husband collected over the years.  We had been in that house for 27 years.  My husband, being a pack rat from the word go, collected every screw, nut, bolt and washer that was left over from everything he had ever put together.  He also had all of the miscellaneous pieces of metal he would bring home from work in his pocket.

We had to sort through all of the stuff in the garage.  There were boxes of little metal “things” to go through.  We would open up the boxes and I would say we can get rid of this.  Gary would say no, we need to keep it.  This went on with all of the cigar boxes he had with the varied little metal screws, nuts and bolts.  So, the day came to pack up the truck to move.

All of these little screws, nails, nuts, bolts were put into the truck.  At our new house we emptied it all into the garage there.  Every time Gary needed to fix something, he would run to one of the Home Depots in the area and pick up the hardware he needed for the task.  I would remind him we had boxes, jars, coffee cans full of that kind of hardware and we would just say it was quicker to pick up what he needed.  I just shook my head.

When my in-laws were getting ready to sell their place, there were jars, boxes, coffee cans full of little metal screws, nuts, bolts, and nails in their garage.  Every time Gary heard that familiar jangle he would smile and say that we needed to keep these.  So, we added to our collection of those little metal pieces.

Now, my husband is gone and I am going through all of the stuff he thought we couldn’t live without.  In the garage, if I pick up a box, can, jar of something that jangles I don’t even open it.  I smile to myself remembering how Gary had to keep it, then toss it in the get rid of pile.  I am confident that when I get rid of all of this stuff, there will be another man that will see the value in holding into all of the nuts, bolts, screws and washers just in case he needs one.

Wanda

Daily Prompt:  Quill

When I was in elementary school I went to a number of historical sites on school field trips.  I must have gotten quills at each of them.  I was fascinated that you could pluck a tail feather out of a large bird and use it to write with.  It made me realize that something so benign so ordinary could be used to do something so extraordinary.  Now, I know that the  quills I got as my souvenirs were probably synthetically made, but I just always had to have one to memorialize my field trips.

I have never written with any of the quills I had saved for so many years.  Finally when I had gotten married and was moving my things into my new home I got rid of them.  I can remember thinking I had no idea why I had so many.  I am sorry that I never tried to write with them though.  It would have been like the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Statements such as “The mighty quill.” make you think about writing something that is profound.  Maybe if I had used one of those quills I would have turned out to be a writer.  Who knows?

I will tell you though, that when I was in elementary school, I did write with a fountain pen.  I always liked how the pen felt in my hand.

Where I went to school we had writing practice.  We were taught the Palmer Method of handwriting.  I used to have quite beautiful handwriting.  I never do any writing by hand anymore.   It seems that since computers have taken their place in our society, I have given up handwriting.

My grandchildren aren’t even learning cursive.  I think that is a shame.  I think that when you can sign your name to something of importance, it instills pride.

Wanda