Florida Poster Girls

FLORIDA POSTER GIRLS

   "Nana, what's this photo from?" Victoria loved days spent with her Nana Ruby. She had many stories to tell and amazing photos from years past.
   "Ahhh, darling, that's the day your Great Auntie and I became Florida Poster Girls! Have you heard this one before? I owe Doc Webb to my discovery." Ruby was an actress with a long and impressive career. Great Auntie Edie was a model until she retired in the 1970's. Both ladies grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, just like Victoria now. Ruby poured two glasses of sweet tea and sat down in her favorite chair. Victoria settled across from her on the bungalow porch, ready to be transported to the past...
   "Put yourself in a beautiful afternoon around May 1949. I was getting dolled up for the big night and waiting for Edie to come round......"
   Ruby smoothed her curls and pouted her lips to apply her Tan-Gee Red-Red shade of lipstick. It was her favorite and old stand-by for important events, such as today. Ruby and her best friend Edie would be heading over to Webb's City to discover if they made it as a Doc Webb famous poster girl! Only eight young ladies from the surrounding area were hand-picked per year and it had gotten so huge that they competed against thousands of applicants. Ruby and Edie dreamed of becoming poster girls since they were ten and Edie's mom had taken them for root beer floats at Webb's drug store, the largest this side of the Mississippi, or as Doc Webb boasted, the largest in the world! Not only would they be honored to become a part of such a glamorous club, but as poster girls they would travel across the USA as representatives of their beautiful "Sunshine City". Ruby and Edie knew that this was the perfect stepping stone to get into the movies. In 1946 the group competed against California's prettiest and were sent to Hollywood to rub shoulders with movie stars and their agents. 
   "Ahoy gorgeous!" Edie sang through the open screen door. "Ready to knock everyone's socks off?"
   "You betcha!" Ruby hugged and air-kissed her best gal, so as to not muss her hair and make-up of course. "Let's hit it, that wiggle dress is the bee's knees!"
   A St. Pete gem, Webb's City and the original drugstore came complete with circus acts, dancing chickens and mermaids. Everyone knew it was the place to be seen. Tonight the corner block downtown had been roped off to cars and to really make the announcement of the new girls a major attraction. Ruby and Edie walked arm and arm into Webb's precisely at the given call time, an hour before the presentation. Doc Webb stood, arms outstretched, bidding the two girls a warm welcome. He then directed them to the back room with the other 25 finalists last minute primping and shooing away any nervous feelings. Ruby and Edie sat down, heads held high, taking in all the other competitors. Finally the call came:
   "Ladies, line up please!" The lead director would usher the girls out on to the outdoor stage and then Doc Webb himself would make the announcement to the eager crowd.
   Luckily Ruby and Edie were able to stand next to each other as they were the same height. Lined-up and peering into the masses, Edie spotted her parents first and next to them, Ruby's. 
   "Here's to us." Edie whispered, squeezing her best friend's hand tight.
   "The time has come ladies and gentlemen! Tonight is the night for a new glamour group! A new bunch of beauties! Eight new lovely young ladies to grace the USA as my very own, FLORIDA POSTER GIRLS!!"
   Commence wild crowd cheers and applause. Doc Webb was a wonderful showman. He could put vigor into any audience. 
   "For the fantastic year of nineteen hundred and forty-nine, I present this years eight finalists...plucked from the lovely shores of Spa Beach, the brick roads around Coffee Pot Bayou and whilst enjoying the flora of the Sunken Gardens. I pride myself in having a great eye for female beauty. Earning a place in history and honor, these eight gals will surely represent St. Petersburg for all the fun in the sun and beautiful nights we have come to enjoy. St. Petersburg continues to grow in size and recognition, thanks to the sight of beach scenes and bathing beauties!" 
   Ruby drew in a sharp breath as the anticipation nearly killed her. Edie squeezed a bit tighter to reassure both of them that, yes we made it, don't worry.
   "Walk forward and claim the coveted spot this year, Miss Lauren Brown! Miss Meg Johnson! Miss Virginia Davis! Miss Ruby Morgan! Miss Edie O'Neal! Miss Kim Haines! Miss Darlene Blass and Miss Marjorie Rose! Congratulations ladies!"

 Ruby and Edie heard their names and then only noise. Cheers and claps and whistles. Their bodies moved forward but their brains were thrown for a loop. Edie looked over, smiling wide at Ruby, still holding hands as Ruby simply said, "I knew it!" and then dissolved into laughter while a sash was placed over each girls' head and shoulders.
   The fanfare of the event was one of the best nights Ruby and Edie had together. The next week they were both featured in Life magazine's advert for Webb's City. Ruby framed it years later and placed it on the mantel next to photos of trips taken for film shoots and vacations to exciting locales taken with Edie and their husbands. Despite such a glamorous life, both women settled back home in St. Petersburg to raise families and live out their golden years.
   "Nana that was wonderful!" Victoria exclaimed breathlessly. "Auntie Edie and you are the prettiest of the bunch!"
   "Thank you my darling love. It was a grand time in our lives, the beginning of everything, I always say. St. Petersburg has a rich history and I am very grateful to have been such a wonderful part in it."
THE END 

This is an original short story I wrote for Keep St Pete Lit in their collab with Green Bench Brewing. Enjoy!!

Keep on, keepin on,

M.

DAY TWO

Happy Friday!

I have been at work all day and am finally getting to sit a spell and write in here to you, the internet.

Middle of last year I began listening to a podcast called Welcome To Nightvale. If you haven't heard it, go find it, cause it's pretty much amazing. Now this has spawned into a great love of many other podcasts, of all different types. Interviews, history, comedy and the supernatural. While I type this, I am listening to a particular cast called Everything Is Stories. Each one is about an hour and instead of interviewing, they have the subject recollect on various points of their lives or one large chapter of interest.

IT IS FASCINATING!

I'm not even sure why I am so enthralled by it, but I really am. Everyone has a narrative within them and thank goodness this podcast brings it out of these people, who may or may not have broadcast this otherwise.

What is your story?

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

I'm the worst

Yea IDK y'all. I have the attention span of a gnat some days and on top of that this week has been crazypants.

I work and I have my party coming on Saturday. Last Saturday's hike was so much fun and wouldn't you know, didn't take a damn picture! TOO much fun I suppose.

Trust me though, there will be a couple albums dedicated to the party.

In other news, I feel that my writer's block is an extension of all this stress and whatnot. I want to write a short story and start a novel but my mind is bent on all the party things I still have left to do! So for now you fair readers get a diary. I hope it's exciting :)

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

I started really writing again....

Ok, so I had tried writing a short story for an anthology, and bummed myself out by not finishing it.
Now I still only have Part 1, but I will put it out on here for your reading pleasure!
Hopefully this one won't turn out like Inga.......unfinished :/

Lena opened her eyes to see the sun streaming through her curtains. Looking at the clock on the wall she saw it was 7:40AM. "Ugh, so early. Brain why are you waking me up on a Saturday?"

She rolled over to her snoozing skunk shielding her tiny eyes from the morning glare. Covering Isis with her blanket, she eased out of bed to go make a cup of coffee. Everything was quiet in her lovely bungalow. Setting the kettle on, she peered into the living the living room and saw that in fact, her husband was not sleeping on the sofa.

"He must be outside." she thought to herself. A blue jay caught her fancy suddenly and had it not been for the piercing whistle filling her kitchen, she would have stayed transfixed on the bird's activity.

"Wake up, will you. Might as well go get a bit of fresh air and find Magnus." Her thoughts prodded at her.

"Oh well, ok. I'll find my shoes and robe. Also, is it off to be answering your own self? Hahaha, please don't answer that..."

Down the steps and across the garden path she stolled enjoying the morning dew and the hazy sunlight. As she neared the edge of the vegtables, she heard the sweet sounds of The Doors wafting from Magnus' workshop. He was up and at it. Knocking softly on the old shed door so as not to startle him, she noticed a plume of pale smoke rising from another home a couple blocks over. It was May, in Florida, not really the time for a proper fire. Magnus opened the door and broke Lena's concentration with a soft kiss hello.

"Come on in love. Do you like this one so far?" He beckoned her towards his current project, the restoration of a late 19th century armoire for a client in Buffalo. The dark wood and pearl inlay was beginning to shine up just as it had centuries ago.

"Magnus it's beautiful! You are a true craftsman my dear."

Lena handed him a mug of coffee. The weather was lovely and bright, perfect for a walk. Magnus continued upon his project, Lena went in to change from her robe to a pair of shorts. The neighborhood the couple had moved to was rich with history from the 1920's. All brick roads and porches filled with fairy lights and flowers. Lena set out past the old church and down a street she hadn't explored yet. It was the oldest part of the block, the homes had been there since 1910 and had once housed workers from the first orange groves. Time had passed and now these bungalows were lined in picket fences and young couples enjoying the paper in rocking chairs. There were always goings-on within the little neighborhood and it really strengthened the community vibe. Lena was thoroughly enjoying her stroll in this part when a waft of sweet incense reached her. She turned and realized that she was standing in front of where the smoke had been trailing this morning. Looking up at the porch she saw beautiful tapestries, all vibrantly dyed. In stark contrast were a multitude of vines and plants all with an odd theme. All there flowers were shaded in dark purples and blacks. Every single one. They were breath-taking against the white washed porch.

"Hello?" Lena called softly.

To whom she was not exactly sure. She was quite a bit shyer than her dear Magnus and tended to have rather reclusive tendencies. Something about this garden, however, made her ask again:

"Hello? Is anyone home? I just had a question about your goth garden..." Lena trailed off. She didn't see a car and figured no one was home. Setting off to further explore, she suddenly heard a velvet voice from above.

"Dear, so sorry. I am up in my attic! Be down in a moment!"

Lena stared at the small attic window where she had there had just been the smallest wisp of a woman. She went back over to the steps of the porch and the door opened softly. Lena was greeted by a very small woman of about 85 with long silver hair and massive eyes like saucers. She had an emerald green pantsuit on and a beautiful crystal around her neck on a gossamer strand of gold. How that chain held such a large stone was beyond belief.

"Darling girl, how are you?? What brings you my way?"

"I-I-I just went for a walk, and then the flowers. I don't know, I was just drawn to them I guess. I, my name is Lena. And I'm alright. Your name is....?"

"Agatha. Darling, I specialize in the darker exotics you see. I can give you a few if you'd like."

Lena loved rare plants, this was a dream come true. "Sure, that would be amazing!"

Agatha smiled and began to procure some clippings and pots for Lena to take home.

"This is a Bat Flower, very hearty. And this is a Primula, which is very close to a Primrose. Finally I shall give you a little Midnight Supreme Rose. So wonderful! They are a deep black-navy edged in a bright dark blue, you will be overjoyed at the sight of there blooms!"

"Agatha these are all too much, how can I thank you?"

"Just come round once a week and help me do a bit of outdoor sprucing, I think this could be a great friendship, darling girl."

Lena waved good bye to her new found friend and walked back home with her new plant babies. Magnus was surely wondering where she had gone off to. Arriving home and unlocking the gate, Magnus popped right out of the kitchen door.

"I was getting antsy, what are all those from?"

Lena told him all about her little adventure and gave him the run down of their new mini garden. He gave her a bit of a skeptical look, but then again he was used to Lena being over excited and jumping head first into things. This was just another crazy idea to him, but then they always make him smile.

To be continued....... :)

Keep on, Keepin' on,

M.

Tuesday Thoughts

Today was a quite easy work day and I had about a million and one thoughts whilst there. Like my brain just kept spinning and thinking of things to do and say and mostly write.

So here I go, writing. I figured I would actually hold tight to one of my goals in this life and blog more. I even set an alarm! And it was an alarm that I couldn't snooze like the one for waking up!

I thought about the dreams I have about really writing a book. And really being published. That would be awesome. Who knows what can happen in a lifetime. I wasn't always bent on being a writer. I wanted to be a marine biologist for the longest, I even went to Eckerd College for a semester. And while there thought I would enjoy anthropology better. Then a threw a wrench in my own plans and ended up back home looking for a job. Found retail and have been in that game for 9 years now. I'm great at it, I can climb up all the ladders within my current company, and only a few years ago did I really consider writing as a career path.
I didn't do anything with my dream for a while and now that I am doing something, (this blog baby) I know that I could be doing more. Thing is I'm still not sure how to really get out and get going.

I know that not everyone knows what to do in the early adult years and so I feel ok in my confusion...but I think I'd be really happy if I stopped doubting myself and just wrote a book, a short story, something! Get that published and see where it takes me.

Until then, I'll write here in my internet diary.

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

Inga Pt. 2

A woman stood in the doorway and as Inga saw her she knew that this was the woman she had been waiting for her entire life. She had an emerald cloak and fiery auburn hair, plaited in multiple braids crowning about her head. She smiled down at Inga with such warmth and love that Inga nearly fainted. 

"Inga!" Her mother peered out of the kitchen and shouted, "Get this woman a chair, help her in! Can't you see her frailty?"

What was she talking about? This mysterious woman looked as strong as Freya!

"She can't see me like you dear Inga," the woman suddenly stated....without moving her lips.

"She sees me as an ancient, gray and hunched over my cane."

Inga obeyed her mother and widened her eyes at the woman. Her head was spinning.

(Sorry so short....maybe 2.5 will happen in a bit :))

M.

Inga

A long time past, when magic still lit the way for most people, there was a girl. She was a particularly normal girl, from a normal town carved in the side of a mountain.

Life in the mountain town was a bit tedious, mainly chores and no adventures. The young girl dreamed of more, of being a fantastic explorer and discovering new lands and new seas. Between tending to the garden and the horses the girl would daydream and lose track of chores. Her mum would always find her up in a tree, languidly swinging her leg, an expression of bliss on her face.

"Get down here, Inga! Silly child spending your life in the clouds...There are things to do!"

Inga scrambled down, picked up her basket and continued weeding the vegetable patch. She was a girl of 13, with long raven hair and alabaster skin. She had wild dreams at night of travelling across the world on a viking ship. She thought these could even be visions of her future. Despite the lore and existence of magic in this world, people still feared it. Inga could not share her visions with her family, she had to tell them to the skies and the trees and the horses in the stables.

Spring began to steal away into the harvest season and Inga helped with the canning of the fruits and vegetables. She and her mum were going about their day when a knock came at the door. They weren't expecting any visitors. Who visits the side of a mountain?

"Inga, dear, do get the door. I can't let the berries scald."

Inga went and opened the door. And there was a woman standing there. And Inga knew her life had changed forever.....





Stay tuned for part 2 :)

M.

Ok Here It Goes!

This where I tell you about myself right? Ok, well hello! My name is Meghan and I have finally gotten around to making a blog like I've wanted. Perhaps this will make me actually start vlogging properly, but let's not get ahead of ourselves!

So about me: I am 27, nearly 28 and I live in sunny Florida. I have a pet skunk named Isis and she's the furry love of my life. I am with a wonderful man who is the non-furry love of my life. I finally went on a plane when I was 26, I know I know, crazy! I haven't traveled as much as I'd like, but hopefully I can start remedying that in the next few years.

This blog will be my space for my random musings on life and short stories that come out of my brain. I hope whomever reads it will enjoy it and share it around. Have a grand day and I'll write to you soon!

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.