March 21st Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Somehow I have managed to anger the Facebook gods again, because my “people who have seen this post” has dropped from the high two-hundred / low three-hundred range to the under one hundred range. I know it’s just a ploy to try to get me to pay to boost my page, and I will not get into how unscrupulous I believe that practice to be because you’ve heard me rant before, but it still fries my cookies! It just seems a little too coincidental they always manage to do this to me when I have something I really want my readers to see – the release of a new book, an event, a sale, a raffle, whatever. Okay, I’m done.

I’m happy to report, yesterday was very productive, even with a mid-day distraction. If the next several days can be as productive, I just might be able to clear my plate by the 30^th as planned. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Okay, since I want to stay on track, I’m going to get right into things today. I hope y’all have a fantastic Friday, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Cloud watching…

I’ve cloud watched for as long as I can remember, even if I cannot remember who got me started. It’s enjoyable. It’s relaxing. It’s free entertainment. Most importantly though, it is a spark to the imagination.

I have no idea how many bunnies or fish or dogs in the sky I have seen over my lifetime. All were fun, I’m sure, at the time, but they hardly kept a prominent place in my memory. There have, however, been a few cloud images which I think I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

When I was ten years old, I was lying on the grass trying to teach my four year old cousin the art of cloud watching, when a giant shark cloud ate a ship cloud. The coolest part was my cousin saw it happen as well. Then, when I was fifteen or sixteen, one mild fall evening, some friends of mine and I were lying on a hill looking up at the moon and chatting. Slowly the clouds started rolling in, and one of those moisture rings began to form a glowing circle around the moon. Within minutes the clouds started to form shapes. It still makes me shiver remembering the moon completely encircled with skulls.

The best cloud story to date happened just the other night. I brought the dog out one last time before I was headed to bed. The moon was full and the clouds were wispy. Then the most amazing thing happened. One cloud took on the form of a child’s face, and another took on the form of his arms and hands – fingers and all. There was an actual look of wonder on the child’s face, and the arms were outstretched the hands cupped. (Picture hands accepting Communion.) Between the child’s face and his cupped hands was the full moon.

This actually happened the other night. I was so mesmerized; I stood outside until the clouds had completely dissipated. Then I rushed in to tell my husband what I saw. At one point, the details were so crisp, it looked like a painting. As I said, you could see the wonder in the child’s face. His hands, you could see each finger distinctly, and then they cupped and his arms stretched out as if he was trying to capture the moon in his hands. It was so unexpected and so beautiful, it really moved me. I doubt I will ever forget the image.

Your Next Challenge is:

The tunnel stretched on and on…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.