Channeling a Writer- Day 12

Writing Challenge word of the day:

D E C A Y

Life as she had once knew it no longer made sense.  Did Danny and Charlotte have something going on?  Why would she use his last name?  Where was Nathan?  Her supposed Husband?

"Can I take a few hours?" 

"Of course, take the day.  Are you OK?"

"Sure.  I am going to check some records out and do some research of my own, if that is OK?"

"Kat, be careful and don't start to soon.  That is all I ask.  I know you are stubborn and if it were my family, I'd be the same, but just pace yourself.  I have our best, besides yourself, working on this.  Mac has requested to assist you in your work, should you have it."

I nodded, knowing that there was more to this story than what I was being told at this point.  The "be careful" signaled that something had been found that was less than desirable. 

"I am going to run down to the Morgue, just to see if anything sticks out, since it is not fresh in my mind anymore." 

"Sure.  I will give Mac a call and send him down shortly."

~

The hallway to the Morgue was stagnate.  The smell of decay surrounded a person, smacking them in the face.  It was a smell that only one that had been accustomed to, could get used to. A mix between decay and chemical, that made a sweet and sour bitter smell fill your lungs.

"Kat, what can I do the pleasure?" 

Will was a younger guy, dark complexion, bright eyes and perfectly straight and white teeth, to match his incredible personality.  It made me wonder why he would pick this profession.  He seemed so social able, so engaging, but yet he worked with the dead, in the brightly lite, stark white room, alone. 

"Will, my favorite undertaker."  a joke we had between ourselves. 

"You seems in better spirits, any news?"

"Thanks, no, which is why you get my company today.  Everything seems so weird and I feel like I am starting to imagine things that I don't know were really fact or fiction. Mind games, of which I knew to well." 

I shared my thoughts with Will, who was more than obliged to listen,and listen intently.  

"Do you think you are imaging it all, or do you think, somewhere within yourself, you were missing the relationship Charlotte and Danny were having?"

"I feel, in my heart, I am missing it.  It would be to easy.  I mean, he traveled, often.  Charlotte was a live in the moment kind of girl.  I have no idea if maybe he took her with him?  What if he wasn't even traveling at all, what if he was jsut with her?  Do I sound crazy?"

"Not with the information, no.  How did the end happen?"

"It was amicable. It just wasn't working. We did not see each other, and when we did,  I did my thing, he did his.  We were used to our own space. We never argued, mostly because it wasn't right.  There really was not anything to argue about. We sat down to dinner one night, his phone rang, he stepped outside.  He came back in and we talked about our day. Somewhere in the conversation we started talking about living our separate lives and not really knowing each other anymore and without fighting, tears or much other emotion, we decided to break, clean, in half and move on."

"Seriously?"

"Right. Sounds crazy.  We were kids."

"Sounds like you were both more Adult than anyone I know.  My baby mama still gives me shit and we have not been together for six years."

"What, Kassidy is six already? No way."

"Lucky for you, no kids were involved and on a personal note, I might be out of line, but sounds like he already had a side piece and it might have been Charlotte."

I sat and thought about that.  Maybe I was not as crazy and I felt. 

"Do you want to look over the remains?"

"Oh, glad I got here before that." 

"Hi Mac. How are you doing today?"

"Good. how are you holding up?"  sincerity flowed from his voice.

"Talking out my thoughts with Will, who by the way is one excellent listening ear!"

I turned around, not ready to look at it...her.  Will had pulled open the cooler drawer.  I could hear the wheels of the metal tray pull out and knew she was before me. 

"Are you sure you want to look, again?"

"I need to, it's been a few days and nothing is fresh in my memory. Nothing."

I turned slowly, seeing the blacken bones before me, a bit of white lurking from where Will had taken samples and dusted for evidence. 

"Anything new here, Will?"

"I pulled two different fabrics from here.  It could belong to her, but it is something.  We also found hair, which was sent to the lab for processing.  Obviously, no prints, but we did find that she had died before the fire."

"It originated with her, though."  my question came off as a statement.

"Um, yes."

"OK, that is all I need.  Thank you Will, for taking care of her."

He nodded, probably not knowing what to say.  Being my sister made it a whole different dynamic, for everyone.

Back in the elevator, Mac by my side, I was lost in my thoughts.

"We should go back to the scene. Do some scaling of our own."

"Um, hmm." I shot back.  Who was going to want to see me....the grieving sister of the dead pile of debris found where a house once stood.  Of course, I kept this to myself. 

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I feel as if I might be moving to slow, then I remember that a word challenge a day is really helping me focus on the what that is going on.

 We are trying to solve a mystery people!

Anyways, I feel that my story is taking shape, we are uncovering new clues and meeting new characters.  

Who is hoping we find something out soon?

Come back tomorrow and let's see what we uncover!

Happy Saturday!

~Kel

Channeling a Writer- Day 11

Another day... Another page to write!

Today's Challenge Word is:

STORM

The question echoed through her mind.  Nathan... Where the hell was Nathan.  It seemed like an easy question.  One that she hoped began with DEAD.  Had he done this to her sweet baby sister?  

"I am trying to remember Nathan.  It has been years, before my career, before my tuned in abilities to know someone by their characteristics.  He was always quiet, reserved, but touchy, feel-y.  He would come over to my Parents, when Char still lived there and they would eat dinner holding hands, or his hand was touching her leg, arm, hair, back.  They were always together and close, canoodling, ya know." 

"Sure.  The thing is, he is not on our radar.  Seems that some of the neighbors do not even recall seeing him, ever." 

"What? What does that even mean?"

"Seems that the house might have had his name on it, but he has been missing, I will put that term lightly, since 2008.  We are reaching out to some numbers we obtained from her cell phone bill.  That was a fun search. Try thirty carries and a girl who could possibly have two names, plus we tried Nathan as a contact as well."

"Findings?" 

"Under Charlotte Rose Greer, age 24 from Sioux City, IA." 

I felt it brewing.  A storm that was so loud, so violent, boiling inside of my being.  I did not know how to take this.  I mean, my sister, the person I had grown up with ALL my life was not even the same person anymore.  It was scary, weird and a lot to digest.  My face fell pale, I could literally feel the color draining.  The darkness of the storm clouds were taking over.  An internal fight that only I knew was going on.

"Greer, huh."  it was all I could muster.  It was sickening. 

"Does that mean something?" 

"Oh, well, only my ex-husband's last name, that is all." 

I had spat it out, like it was the worst thing ever.  Why would she use Danny's last name?  What did that have to do with her?  Why did she not use Nathan's name, her married name? Or better yet, her maiden name?  Cale was not a normal name, not a name that stood out.  What the hell was Charlotte up to?  What the hell was she into and where did Danny fit? 

"Ex-Husband?  I had no idea?" 

"Sorry. Young and dumb and I thought he loved me.  Much to my surprise, we were to young to make it work and he was more concerned with his secretary than with his wife, who was trying to get her career launched." 

He got it, I could see it in his face. 

"Ties to him that Charlotte might have still had?"

"Let's go for none.  We had been married for a blink of an eye and he had not even had time to bond with my family.  The only time Charlotte even met him was at our wedding." 

It sounded bad.  I realized that.  It brought me back to that day.  It was white lace, expensive, classy and I had paid out of my own pocket to make it happen.  Stupid, young girl.  I had arranged every piece, paid for every part and acted like I was the happiest bride ever, even though moments before the walk down the isle I had been sick, as sick as I am today at the death of my sister. 

"I don't even think they said two words to each other at the wedding.  Charlotte had been my Maid of Honor, but she had been busy flirting with the Best Man."

"Now this one warrants more information then.  We ran a check on Daniel and found that he is a Banker in Perrysburg.  Did you guys live in Iowa at any time?"

"No. I can't speak for Char, but no, we were born, bred and have lived in Ohio my whole life.  What did you pull for Danny, for the past eight years?"

"Still working on that.  What did he do when you married?"

"We were married in 2001 and he was a Financial Assistant, straight out of college for a firm in Toledo."

The storm was coming back.  I had missed something.  I was thinking about our wedding.  I had been mixing and mingling, alone.  Danny was no where to be seen.  I knew he had drank a little to much, I could tell by the way he was hugging everyone we greeted, thanking for attending.  That was earlier in the night.  Now I was alone, thanking our guests for sharing our day...by myself.  I looked over and noticed that Charlotte had disappeared too. I know I made a note of that, because she had been like a leech on the Best Man, Robby.  Robby was sitting down at the head table, alone and Charlotte was out of sight. Danny was too.  I knew my head was just playing tricks on me.  I knew that because of this new piece of info, my mind was putting pieces together that had no business, reason to go together. 

"Kat, are you recalling something?"

"No.  I was just thinking back to our wedding, Danny and my wedding and I remember greeting our guests, alone.  I couldn't find Danny.  For some reason I remember seeking out Charlotte and remember that she has disappeared as well, but her pursuant was still in the room. I can't remember when either of them returned."

"How was your wedding night?"

"Non-existent.  He passed out before we even got to the hotel and his best man had to carry him to bed."

It was going to play in my mind.  Had I missed the connection between Charlotte and Danny?  Had there been something going on behind my back and that is why the distance that had already been between Charlotte and me, had grown to be so much more?  What was Nathan in all this?  So many questions swarming in my head. 

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Well, I am SUPER excited to say that we MADE it to FRIDAY!  This week has been one for the books!  It has been a L O N G week and my family is going through round 3 of the sickness. Me and my youngest are on Antibiotics, but my Hubby and my ifve year old, who just got over Pneumonia, are getting the sneezes and running noses. 

I am so over this!

Needless to say, we are READY for the weekend! 

We are going to see how we are feeling, but going to try to head over to the Imagination Station for the girls.  We always have such a great time there!

Other than that- a quiet, carefree weekend.  Hopefully we can even catch up on some sleep! Oh, and some baking! (Everyone wants some cookies and monkey bread!)

~Kel

Because I can't wait for the Walking Dead to come back...

This is the worst time of the year...shows are on a break. I get it, I mean, its the holidays and all- but seriously, isn't that when this stuff should be airing?  I hate breaks.  It is so hard, Sundays, those are the ONLY days I get with my Hubby. It is like, quality time- we rush the kids to bed before 9 p to sit down and turn on AMC for The Walking Dead- and it is two hours (we watch Talking Dead too!) of two people being completely engrossed in the TV.  Thoughts get moving in our heads, which leads to conversation about the What IF, this actually happened, like for-realz?

So, that is why I CAN'T WAIT for February 8th to GET HERE already!



See the TRAILER here:

The Walking Dead Trailer, Season 5- SURVIVING TOGETHER

I ask you to think about it. I mean, an entire civilization transformed into Zombies, only a handful surviving. I totally want an underground storm shelter - yea, I am that kind of fool!  Survival packs and PUDDING!

I found it so amazing when I saw the map of where the group had gone. They started in/around Atlanta and they really have not traveled far.  It seems like they have been on the move for years now, but yet, they really have not moved from the general vicinity that is Georgia.  (not that Georgia is not a BIG state)

COUNTDOWN to Season 5 is going on in 

THIS HOUSE!!

~Kel

Channeling a Writer- Day 10

Can you believe we are already into Day #10 of our writing challenge? It has been a blast so far and really pushing my limits, helping me to feel very much in the creative process.

Let's get to it!

Our Writing Word of the Day is: 

She awoke early, with a start. Before her five thirty alarm even sounded.  She looked around, unsure where she was, knowing full well that she had fallen asleep in the comforts of her room, surrounded by her fluffy white comforter.  She had felt safe before drifting off to sleep, stable even.  Lord knew she was not either of those things. 

Her dreams haunted her. She saw her beautiful sister.  She said her golden hair flowing behind her in the breeze, Char was running in a field, the sun setting behind her.  It looked like a picture and stuck in her mind's eye, even in this moment.  The world was muffled, blurry beyond Charlotte.  She looked back at her, her blue eyes shimmering in the setting sunlight, her smile bright, her voice, so light and airy, brilliant even.  It was not today's time.  It was of a sister she had once known, one that was long gone. Not dead, just a different person at this time.  

Sweat had formed on Kat's forehead, she knew from the reality of her dreams interfering with the truth of today's date.  Char was not here.  Charlotte was dead, her stiff body lying in the morgue, on a cold, steel table in a white lighted room. 

Vomit rose in her throat.  She rushed to her feet, her bare feet running along the soft carpet to meet the cold tile of the bathroom floor.  Anything that had been left in her already empty stomach projected into the clean, stark white porcelain bowl. 


Life was a whirl of events.  Faces peek out from behind the bright blue cubicles to peer at me, offer condolences where words once were spoken.  Death was funny that way.  People did not know what to say when someone died, especially when someone dies in such a brutal fashion. 

Mac picked me up, knowing what I needed, knowing work needed to focus my idle mind.  What I was going to do, how I was going to process, move forward, was yet to be seen. 

"Kat, my office."  He said it gentle, kind.  I think that this the worst thing of all, the babying that everyone was doing. I was not made of glass, I might seem broken, but under the pain was determination to FIND WHO DID THIS.

I entered the office, a smug look covering my washed out features. 

"Sit." "I am glad you made it in today.  I can not image how hard this is for you, but I am glad that you are finding your inner strength.  We are going to need it." 

"Thank you for finally understanding.  I was afraid you were going to tell me to go home." 

He laughed and just that sound alone warmed my whole body.

"Look.  This is ugly.  I know you and Charlotte did not have much of a relationship in the past few years, but anything you know, can find out even, would be something." 

I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.  This was not going to be an open and shut.  
"Do we have anything?  Tips from the tip line?  Boyfriends? Friends? Witnesses around the house?" 

"We are working on it.  We have Daniels and Gus surveying the neighborhood, looking for anything that can tell us something.  You know how this looks, right?" 

I knew.  I did not want to admit it, but I knew.  Charlotte was not a bad person.  She was termed a "Free Spirit" when we were younger.  I was driven. Always knew what i wanted, how I was going to get it.  Char, she lived the now, from moment to moment.  She had a steady job, once, working for a law firm as the front desk person.  She was there last I knew, but we are talking seven years ago.  Charlotte made her own family.  It was not like she disliked the family she had, she just liked to canoodle with those who were around her where-ever the wind blew her, which was not usually in our families direction.  I stayed close to home, Mom and Dad, Aunts and Uncles, while Char had a different address every other month. 

"Schmidt and Schilling is where she worked, um, seven years ago, when we were last in touch.  She was the front desk person and was there for, at least ten years prior to that.  They paid her well and with all the moving she used to do, they were always twenty minutes in any directions.  She also was in a long relationship with Nathan Jeffry.  Again, seven years ago."  I felt the tears well in my eyes, I knew how this sounded. 

"A law firm?" 

"Sure.  My Dad got her the job when she was seventeen and honestly, it is the only stable thing about my Sister." 

"Front desk.  I am going to check this out. This is good, Kat.  I mean, this could hold weight." 

I knew where he was going.  Criminal. A grudge.  But, did it sound realistic?  Someone brutally burned my sister, alive.  They burned her and let her burn until her whole damn house burned to the ground.

"Whose house was that?" 

He looked stressed by my question.  "Kat."  was all he said and I knew it must be something bad. I continued to hold my ground. 

"Kat, brace yourself.  It belonged to Nathan and Charlotte Jeffy's." 

I know that this is the point where everything went black, again.  I could not believe it. That was seven years ago..and what...

"Wait, married?  Where the hell is he?"

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Today has been an uneventful day!  (unlike yesterday!)  We are on the MEND, antibiotics are pumping through our veins and unfortunately, knocking us down a little more! Truth be told, we are SO ready to be OVER this! Being sick is miserable. 

OHIO is cold, so we are trying to stay warm- we actually got up to 25 today! WHOO HOO.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the writing challenge.  Please send in feedback, I would love to hear/see how you are doing!  Ideas/tips are also always appreciated!

Waiting for the WEEKEND!!

~Kel

Channeling a Writer- Day 9

Writing Challenge WORD OF THE DAY: 

FINGERS

Time was not as it should be.  I had left Mac. I left him right there at the dimly lit, hole in the wall place we call a bar.  I left in a hurry, his face an array of mixed emotions as he watched me walk away, in his drunken, slow stupor.  

I knew better than to endanger others with my state of mind, the warm alcohol swimming through my warm belly.  I walked.  Nine blocks, in the cold.  Something about the cold, surrounding my still heart, filling my body with the frigid air where the void now was from the loss of my sibling.   I had lost a person that I grew up with, a person I had known since she was born.  I had lost someone who was a part of me, at one time knew everything there was about me and even wanted to be me.  What kind of person am I?  I took that for granted and now....it is to late. 

This new emotion held me by my shoulders, the weight pushing down on me, until my legs crumbled and I ended up among the concrete of the cold sidewalk.  It was dark.  Still.  It felt as if I were no longer in the world, but within my own thoughts, my mind just as dark as my surroundings.

I was sobbing again.  Thinking, whirling my mind around the facts, the scene, the knowledge that the remains...the dust...was once MY baby sister.  It was as if I were alone in the world.  I felt abandoned.  It felt wrong to feel this way since I had essentially abandoned her, I had left, I had been selfish and went about my life forgetting everyone else, including Charlotte. 

I felt the fingers on my back first.  Then I felt them around my waist, pulling me to my feet.  

"Baby, it's OK. It's OK. It will be OK."

"It won't.  I need to get it together.  I need to find out who..what did this to Char. I need to get out of my head, put my emotions on the burner and get to work."

"You need rest.  We all do."

"Oh, Mom." it was all I could say.  Her mascara had run clear down her cheeks.  I looked up to realize that I had made it home, all the way home to my front door when I crashed to the ground of my stoop.  Her embrace was warm and loving and I felt like a child who had fallen off her banana seat bike and scrapped her knee.  Mom to the rescue.  Only this time, I knew, I had to be there for Mom, she was grieving the hardest...this was her BABY. 

I took her hand, I kissed it, held it and told her I loved her.  I had to .  I could never know what the loss of a child felt like, but I knew it had to be like death itself.  No Parent should ever had to bury their baby, that I knew!

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Well, these words are really pulling out a mystery for me. I hope they are inspiring you as well!

What day is it..C'Mon...What day is it? 

Ahh... Thank Goodness- it is FINALLY Hump Day!  I am so ready...beyond ready...to get this week checked off.  We have been busy with school and getting back to the schedule that is life ...around here. Morning are hectic because my five year old realized how great it is NOT to have school (Thank you 3 snow days!) and she is not liking the whole It's Time to Get UP for School - business!

Plus, we are still TRYING to get over this cold.  It feels as if I just keep getting sick..My Dad is getting sick again as well and my Mom is starting to get better...I feel better but still sound rough and my three year old is battling...she is putting up a heck of a fight but we are 

3 weeks in and she is not showing signs of getting better YET.  I think I will be calling the Doctor tomorrow is I see no sign of improvement for her. BOO

We had some fun this morning- check out our Breakfast in a CUP!  It was a blast and the girls got to do this individually and really enjoyed themselves- plus it was GOOD.

Anyways, let me know how we are doing!  Tips, tricks, suggestions are ALWAYS welcomed too!

~Kel

Recipe of the Day- Breakfast Cake in a CUP!

So, I might be a bit hungry this morning.  I love to try new recipes, especially with my kids.  



Kids love MUGS.  I mean, think about it... I have my five year old, she is super picky...I mean it too!  Who does not like chicken noodle soup...you guessed it..her!  But, I put that dang soup in a mug and guess what..instantly, it's super cool and she will take it, drink it and eat some noodles (on a good day!).  



It's like some Mom code- 

"give the kids a mug and they will eat..."

So, we tried our version of the Breakfast Cake in a cup- who does not like cake?  

Yea, no hands raised here - sweets are liked!!! 

We had some browning bananas that we added in and wah...lah!  We had a treat in our mug this morning!

---------------------------------

Try this:

Recipe of the Day:

(Banana) Breakfast Cake in a CUP!

(Serves 1)

o   3 tablespoons white flour

o   ¼ teaspoon baking powder

o   1/16 teaspoon salt

o   2 teaspoon sugar

o   1 tablespoon  PLUS 2 teaspoons water

o   1 tablespoon overripe, mashed banana  (can take this out as well)

o   ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Streusel Top:

o   ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

o   2 teaspoons brown sugar

o   2 teaspoons overripe, mashed bananas  (can take this out as well)

o   tiny pinch of salt

o   1 teaspoon butter

Directions:

For Streusel Topping:

A.     Combine cinnamon, brown sugar, bananas, salt and butter together in a small dish and stir.

1.        Grease a small mug or a 1-cup dish and set aside.

2.       In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Stir.  Then add, water, mashed bananas and vanilla extract to dry ingredients and stir.

3.       Transfer cake batter to prepared mug or dish.

4.      Spoon the streusel topping evening on top of cake batter.

5.       Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

a.       Can also cook in the microwave- times vary, but about a minute or until toothpick comes out clean!

You can eat in your Mug or Dish, or let it cool completely and run a knife around sides and it should pop right out! 

Compliments of Life at Gray Gables.

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Enjoy everyone! 

Let me know what you think?  



You can make with the Banana or skip it and have a coffee cake in a CUP!  



It's excellent, easy and fun- as I let my little's add the ingredients!

~Kel