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| M. Bednar photo, Middleton Plantation, SC |
Faced with a prompt that barely made it into my muddled mind today, I thought I'd give it a pass but first I'd look into it just a little further. I usually enjoy the challenges at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.
Margaret's photos of stately homes caught my eye, but didn't filter into my brain. Then she mentioned archived challenges. Well, you know what archives are, dim, dark and dusty boxes of old papers. Aaaachoo!
Or, said same old papers scanned in the days before scanners became trustworthy. Illegible!
Margaret gave us a choice of three archived challenges to use with our choice of her photos. Ah well, can't hurt to look at one of the archived challenges.
#1 — A word list. Oh, how I love word lists! I love using all the words and patting myself on the back until I look like a pretzel. This was a very long word list, however, but I thought I'd just scan it...
and there...
at the bottom of the list...
and just before the bonus word (chthonic, which also sounds like a sneeze)
I saw one of my mother's favourite exclamations:
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| M. Bednar, iPhone Middleton Plantation, SC |
Mom used it a lot when we were young. It usually meant "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes with that feeble excuse," and we knew it.
And then...oh, then! On the list, just above "horsefeathers" I saw another of her favourite words: "snicklefritz"!
She seldom used the two words together, however, as "horsefeathers" meant BS in somewhat more ladylike language, and "snicklefritz" was a word of endearment.
So, I had to try the prompt, for Mom, or for memories of Mom.
"horsefeathers!" an old lady exclaimed
as she toured the plantation garden.
the peahen's head came up
and she stopped
right in the middle of her pecking path.
"horsefeathers?" she wondered,
"do horses have feathers?
my mate says my feathers
are singularly unattractive
but I beg to differ with him,
even I am feathered more attractively
than a horse!"
Kay Davies, February, 2014
15 comments:
Horsefeathers - what a great word.. And such a creative use of the word...
Two lovely ladies in a stately home both bedazzled by words!
Horsey she may be, but I bet she has a great personality! ;-)
Ha..ha.. I love it Kay ~
Happy Sunday to you ~
I find myself sounding like my mother. Do you?!
This is clever I've been sketching, but not writing poems lately. I'm glad you've been inspired! You are clever with words!
luv,
JJ
The male peacock certainly is quite prideful and thinks he is grand, but the peahen has just as much grace and pride to my way of thinking. They both saunter about like royalty. I'm glad this triggered a memory and I love both the words as well - I will have to use them as they are both fun to say.
Oh yes! Both words firmly fixed in my memory bank. 😃
HA! what fun piece of poetry.
This is just pure fun, Kay!
Such an enjoyable read Kay....
Kay, your playful nature always makes me smile! ;D
smiles- I'm betting teatime would be pretty entertaining ~
Super charming, Kay! Just delightful. Thanks . And thanks for your kind offers of support. I will write you separately re those. Take care, k. This is Karin of manicddaily.
She is indeed feathered more attractively, and sounds like her mate needs to spend the night in the stable for that comment. Very cute!
I just found your blog while reading through old comments on some of my very old Magpie Tale postings. I just had to write. Snicklefritz! When I was very young, my dad used to say that; sometimes he'd use it as a silly endearment, or when he couldn't remember someone's name when referring to them, and sometimes he'd call me Debby Snicklefritz because our last name was Nichols. Honestly, I don't know that I ever would have remembered this if I hadn't happened upon your lovely blog. Thank you! Now it is tucked neatly and towards the front of my very tightlyu packed memory bank =-)
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