Wordzzle
Each week Raven challenge's the blogosphere to come up with a story or a poem or some sort of prose involving a list of 10 words she gives us. She also offers a smaller 5 word challenge... and the Mega Combo! I decided to combine them for the Mega Challenge this week. This Week's Ten Word Challenge: pogo stick, ant farm, psychic, tin box, wall safe, Waterloo, surge protector, pneumonia, ravages of time, turtle
And for the Mini Challenge: Swollen ankles, opera singer, toothy grin, oil paints, potter’s wheel
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My Imaginary Visit to Belgium
by Melli
by Melli
Yea... so I was visiting my friend Gattina in Belgium last month when she asked if I had ever been to an ant farm. I can pretty much guarantee that I never have, so she suggested we go to the one in Waterloo. You know me - I'm up for ANYTHING... so I donned my Crocs (to guard against swollen ankles), grabbed my purse out of the wall safe, and my camera and off we went!
As we drove along we passed La Monnaie, and Gattina relayed funny stories about this opera singer or that. One story in particular had me laughing so hard I could hardly breath! Apparently a long time ago there was a girl - Angelina Chalmondelay - who had the most beautiful voice ever heard in all the world! She started singing when she was practically an infant, and by the time she was 6 she had her own spotlight on the local radio show! Little Angelina could sing opera as well as any adult woman performing in the finest opera houses! But! (there is always a but, is there not?) But ... She could only sing while she was hopping on a pogo stick! If she were not on the stick she was paralyzed with fear and shyness! But on the radio, who knew? No one could see her! They just listened to her beautiful voice and marveled at what such a young child could do! But as she grew older, and began receiving offers to perform on stage... well, you can imagine, THIS became quite a problem! They tried everything they could think of, but she was held tight by the ravages of time! Eventually they hit upon the idea of a hypnotist. They called in the famous Beardson Bellina, a giant of a man with a big toothy grin. Bellina was able to hypnotize Angelina, and at last she was able to sing without the pogostick! Angelina and Beardson ended up falling madly in love and married! She became Angelina Bellina! (you didn't have to be psychic to figure that one out, did ya?)
By the time we arrived at the Ant Farm, I had been laughing so hard my lungs felt like I had pneumonia! (okay... honestly... you have to hear the way Gattina tells the story!) At the entrance of the farm was a big stone statue of a turtle. I thought that perhaps being that ants aren't really all THAT fascinating that the farm had branched out... but no! It turns out that turtles don't eat ants, and so ants have adopted the turtle as their "great protector"... they give homage to the turtle, if you will. Hey! I guess every place has to have a gimmick of some sort!
We went into the visitor's center to get a map of the place and see what was on the Ant Agenda for the day. We chose a good day because throughout the farm was an art exhibit. As we strolled the grounds - trying really hard not to step on any of the residents - we enjoyed fabulous works! Of course, they were all of ants or antish things. My favorites were one artists rendition of ANThony & Cleopatra - she had used oil paints in the style of pointillism and it was really quite impressive ... and another was a statue that appeared to have been sculpted - but I couldn't even believe my own eyes as I watched the artist create these fabulous ants - on her potter's wheel!!! You would never believe it if you didn't see it! I had to have one!
On the way home we stopped at the Midi Market! I've always wanted to go there. I got some lovely jewelry and a great deal on jeans! I bought some fresh spices to bring home with me, and some fresh fruits and veggies for supper that night! I also got an adorable little hand painted tin box - perfect to keep my jewelry safe! Silly Gattina! All she bought was a new surge protector!
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Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: invincible, falling leaves, lap top, two-year-old, fusion, grizzly bear,
And for the Mini Challenge: toad stool, liquid lunch, counting sheep, manacles, Jurassic Park
Labels: Wordzzle
posted by Melli at
8:07 AM
20 comment(s):
WOW!! once again you did it!! What a story!! Sounds like you had a great time with Gattina and the ant farm..with the turtle protector..smile..Sandy
By
Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess, at
8/30/2008 10:42 AM
Good grief that was such a creative story. :) You have such a great imagination I'm sitting here reading your ant farm story and not getting my work done. :)
By
Amber Star, at
8/30/2008 11:09 AM
Amazing, Melli. Simply amazing. And in light of many of your real life adventures, it sounds absolutely plausible, too!
I joined Wordzzle this week, too, but I only wrote two short paragraphs.
By
Anonymous, at
8/30/2008 11:12 AM
You packed so much into your wordzzle! I love what you did with the words and the names were great!
By
Akelamalu, at
8/30/2008 11:35 AM
Oh myohmyohmy ! An aunt farm in Waterloo, hahahaha ! if we had that I would not miss the opportunity to push our major in one of their houses ! And where did you get La Monnaie from ? Fortunately it's not Angelina Joli who sang there !
And on the midi market your forgot to mention that I also bought a black and a red bra with white spots !!
Gosh, what a fun we had !!!
By
Ingrid, at
8/30/2008 11:46 AM
Two of my favorite ladies starring in this story! How grand!
By
Anonymous, at
8/30/2008 12:20 PM
Still laughing at ANThony and Cleo. Bwahahaha
What a fun story to read, well done.
By
Jeff B, at
8/30/2008 1:01 PM
Hi Melli just passing through quickly to say hello and thanks for your comments on my blog. I will be back!
By
Bazza, at
8/30/2008 1:17 PM
This story was such a wonderful read!
I loved that Gattina got to star in it with you and Beardson Bellina and Angelina Bellina!! what great names.
the images of ants doing all these art projects while you and Gattina try not to step on them was hilarious.
incredibly imaginative!
By
Dianne, at
8/30/2008 2:05 PM
I just love the fantasy and fancy of your trip from start to finish. Great job. Loved the turtle protector and the ANThony & Cleo and the wedding of the pogo stick jumping opera singer to the hypnotist. What fun!
By
Raven, at
8/30/2008 3:04 PM
By the way - thanks for pointing out my brain fart. No two weeks of surge protector. Sorry about ONE week of surge protector. It has been replaced with lap top. I go with the first things that pop into my head and that, alas is what came to me.
By
Raven, at
8/30/2008 3:40 PM
Brilliant! Great job!
By
Unknown, at
8/30/2008 4:07 PM
Wonderful story. You are very creative.
You can see four stories based on next week's ten word challenge in Monday's Pigeon Falls tie breaker. I wrote one, my grandson Alex wrote one, my granddaughter Bree wrote one, and Betty wrote one. But you have to wait until Monday to see them.
By
Dr.John, at
8/30/2008 7:26 PM
This story was quite the trip! LOL! I have to say you had me at the opera singer on the pogo stick! That just cracked me up! What a wonderfully funny story Melli!
Hugs,
Kimmie
By
Kimmie, at
8/30/2008 7:55 PM
Great job Melli!
Glad you joined us this week.
I loved Gattina's comment!!!
By
Carletta, at
8/30/2008 8:09 PM
Oh wow! You really kick butt at this! Great story!
By
Jay, at
8/30/2008 8:31 PM
Uh yeah this is a perfect meme for YOU! You are so creative.
:-) Susan
By
Susan, at
8/30/2008 9:26 PM
What a fantastic story - :-) I can see you had a good time writing it. Angelina Bellina - classic! :-)
By
Anonymous, at
8/30/2008 10:22 PM
Melli: great fantasy and creativity. Rich
By
Richard, at
8/30/2008 10:52 PM
Brilliant job :)
By
SMM, at
9/01/2008 2:13 AM
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