25th March 2013

Only seven of us but eight stories to tell. Rosemary told of a story that at the end revealed it was the life of a butterfly. Sheila whistled or clapped for those pesky missing keys. Joan, a couple losing their dog on a walk. Ann continued with previous story. Pat Missing rosette, Brian blew up Wall Street. I raced around looking for things lost.

A wide variety of votes and John was the winner.
Next month at Sue's if OK with Sue and the chosen words Haven't got the time.


 DESPERATE SEARCH AUNT AGNES WAS A DEAR OLD SOUL WHO WAS LOVED BY ALL HER RELATIVES, AND SHE LOVED TO HAVE VISITORS. WELL OF COURSE THERE WERE LOTS OF NEPHEWS AND NIECES, WHO BY AND LARGE MADE AN EFFORT TO VISIT AGNES IN HER OLD AGE. SHE WAS ALWAYS WELCOMING, AND HER CAKES WERE LEGENDARY. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS A BIT OF AN EFFORT AT TIMES TO GO TO SEE HER, BUT EVERYONE KNEW HOW MUCH SHE APPRECIATED THE VISITS. AGNES HAD NEVER MARRIED, BUT SHE HAD BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOMAN WHO LIVED IN CONSIDERABLE COMFORT. IT WAS THOUGHT THAT WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY, THERE WOULD BE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL ESTATE LEFT. THE HOUSE ITSELF MUST HAVE BEEN WORTH A MILLION OR MORE. THE FAMILY WERE VERY DISCREET WHENEVER AUNTIES ASSETS WERE DISCUSSED, BUT EVERYONE FELT THAT AGNES HAD YEARS LEFT IN HER, AND THEY JUST HOPED THAT SHE WAS ENJOYING HER RETIREMENT. UNBEKNOWN TO THEM AGNES WAS WELL AWARE OF HER WEALTH, AND HAD GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT AS SHE GOT OLDER, BUT SHE WAS DETERMINED THAT WHATEVER DECISION SHE MADE ABOUT HER ASSETS THEY WOULD ONLY BE REVEALED AFTER SHE HAD GONE.SHE HAD GIVEN HINTS THAT THERE WOULD POSSIBLY BE SOME SORT OF SURPRISE, WHEN HER WILL WAS ANNOUNCED, BUT THE FAMILY DIDN'T GIVE IT MUCH THOUGHT BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT SHE HAD A LOT MORE YEARS LEFT IN HER. YES, SHE SEEMED TO BE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE, AND THE VISITS CONTINUED. IN THE SUMMER SHE LOVED TO HAVE A HUGE GARDEN PARTY. HOW SHE LOVED HER HUGE GARDEN, WITH ITS WOODS AND LOVELY BORDERS. SHE DID MOST OF THE WORK HERSELF, BUT HAD A GARDENER IN WHEN SHE GOT OLDER, TO DO THE HEAVY WORK. THE GARDEN WAS A GREAT PART OF AGNES'S LIFE AND SHE WAS SO PROUD OF THE WAY IT LOOKED. THE PARTIES WERE LEGENDARY. THE FOOD AND DRINK FLOWED WITH NO EXPENSE SPARED. THE CHILDREN LOVED THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE AND HAD A GREAT TIME IN THE WOODS. AGNES HAD A WICKED SENSE OF HUMOUR AND WAS DELIGHTFUL COMPANY, AND WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR HER TO NEED ASSISTANCE, SHE INSISTED ON STAYING IN HER OWN HOUSE, WITH PLENTY OF HELP. THE FAMILY MADE SURE THAT SHE HAD PLENTY OF VISITS, AND WERE SURPRISED TO GET A REQUEST FROM HER TO HAVE A MEETING . WELL, WHEN THEY ALL GATHERED ROUND HER BED THEY WERE GRATEFUL! THAT SHE WAS STILL IN VERY GOOD HEALTH, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, FOR HER AGE. SHE HAD BEEN WELL LOOKED AFTER BY THE NURSES. SHE SAID THAT THE REASON SHE HAD GOT THEM TOGETHER WAS TO INFORM THEM THAT AS HER CLOSEST RELATIVES, THEY WERE ALL GOING TO GET AN EQUAL SHARE, OF HER NOT INCONSIDERATE FORTUNE, FOR WHICH THEY WERE ALL VERY GRATEFUL. BUT SHE SAID,"THERE WILL BE A LITTLE SURPRISE WHEN I DO GO WHICH MY SOLICITOR WILL DIVULGE TO YOU ALL AT THE READING OF MY WILL" SHE REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON WHAT IT WAS, SO THE NEICES AND NEPHEWS HAD TO WAIT. THE WAIT WENT ON FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE POOR AGNES PASSED AWAY. WELL, COME THE DAY OF THE READING OF THE WILL, THERE WAS A TENSE FEELING AS THEY SAT IN THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE. THE SOLICITOR WENT THROUGH THE VARIOUS LEGACIES WHICH WERE THE SAME FOR EACH OF THE 10 NIECES AND NEPHEWS. AND THEN CAME THE SURPRISE. SHE HAD PUT £5000 IN WEATHERPROOF BOXES AND HAD BURIED THEM IN AN AREA OF THE GARDEN NOT TENDED BY THE GARDENER, WHICH SHE SAID WERE PART OF THEIR LEGACIES. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS FIND IT. SHE ALSO STIPULATED THAT EACH NEPHEW AND NIECE COULD ONLY HAVE ONE BOX EACH, AND THAT THE TREASURE HUNT SHOULD TAKE PLACE AT A GARDEN PARTY FOR ALL OF THEM. WELL COME THE DAY, THEY ALL MET IN HIGH EXCITEMENT. A WONDERFUL DAY WAS SPENT IN THE DESPERATE SEARCH FOR THE BOXES, AND EVENTUALLY THEY WERE ALL RECOVERED, LEAVING EVERYONE WITH SUCH WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF A VERY DEAR AUNTIE, THEY ALL MISSED VERY MUCH .

Report from Second Creative Writing Group

JUST A BRIEF OUT LINE OF OUR RECENT GROUP MEETING. AS YOU KNOW THERE IS ONLY THE TWO OF US. ON TUESDAY THE 26TH OF FEB, WE MET AT CAROLS HOUSE AT 10.15. AFTER A GREAT COFFEE AND CATCH UP WE READ ALOUD OUR STORIES. THE TITLE THIS TIME WAS, (SOMETIMES I FORGET WHAT ITS LIKE TO RELAX LIKE THIS) THE TITLES ARE PICKED AT RANDOM FROM A SELECTION OF TWO BOOKS AND AN AD HOCK PAGE AND LINE. MYSELF AND CAROL STORIES ARE ALWAYS POLES APART IN CONTENT, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO INTERESTING AND ENJOYABLE. I THINK CAROL HAS A WONDERFUL CARING VIEW OF LIFE'S STRUGGLES, WHERE AS I SEE ONLY INTRIGUE AND THE DARKNESS LIFE HAS TO OFFER. "I FRIGHTEN CAROL AND SHE WARMS MY SOUL". WE LAUGH TOGETHER AND ARE NEVER CRITICAL OF OUR ATTEMPTS AT BEING AMATEUR AUTHORS. "SO WATCH OUT CATHERINE CROOKS AND MARTINA COLE!!" WE ARE AFTER YOUR READERS. I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE U.3.A. FOR THE OPPERTUNITY TO EXPAND AND GIVE A VOICE TO MY WRITING AMBITIONS. BUT BEST OF ALL, MY FRIENDSHIP WITH CAROL LEGGETT. YOURS SINCERELY, ANN STRUTT.