A Penny: reviewed

Hello Tessa

An interesting and inspiring story from start to end. Ben's ability to understand his mother's concern about the penny is admirable. That somehow makes him a considerate and thoughtful man and an affectionate son as well.

The penny story-
Teri's friend has advised her well. There is charity in her thought when she suggested the tails up penny must be turned down for the next person. Very few think of the rest of humanity's good. Few realize what is bad for us is bad for others. In my daily life I see bags full of selfishness and indifference to others.
There is a great lesson in this story. Kindness to others is more important than concern for self.

The last line contains a question which provides food for thought. Many would leave the penny unflipped. But Teri is different. She couldn't leave it the way she found it. Ben's part is no less. He equals the situation by providing an intelligent alternative. It must have given his mother some relief.

The story is told in an engaging style with apt dialog and setting.
Made me go behind the obvious.
Thanks for sharing.
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I wasn't expecting a review this late in the game from the writing site I posted my A Penny piece.  It was totally unexpected to wake up this morning, and find this in my in-box within the site.  But, what a pleasant surprise!  I couldn't have asked for anything better, and the fact that it came with a 5 out of 5 rating topped it off.
I was (finally) right about revising, and reworking the piece in third person, instead of leaving it in the first person point of view.  It helped that I cleaned up all the passive voice, and grammar mistakes.  It was worth the time spent to watch for flow, and separate myself enough to cut the words that were excessive, and dragged the piece down. It was great to get the prior reviews that helped make me aware of some of the problems I could fix. 
The work paid off.  And the best part of the review is that it only talks about the story.  There isn't a single suggestion to tweak.  I managed to grab them up into the story.  
Talk about some excellent motivation!
TT 

A Penny: revisited

Ben didn’t have to work that weekend, so he accompanied his Mom, Terri, for an out-of-town trip.  He liked the idea of showing his support, even if he never fully understood his mother’s desire to run the distance races she kept entering.  He knew this particular race caused her some anxiety.  It was the longest distance she trained for and attempted; it wasn’t a local race, and then the weather had taken a turn for the worse.  Ben wasn't sure how she would fair.

Ben was the younger of her two sons, just turned twenty-three, and was far from the small boy he was growing up.  His height had him taller than his older brother, and he towered over his mother.

Once the activity was underway, Terri, somehow, not only managed to complete the race, but also scored a third place medal for her age category.  It was a challenge, but once finished, there was some well-deserved celebrating after the race. 

Just as they were about to leave the next morning, Terri mentioned that she was thinking about a penny she saw on the ground during the run.

“A penny?” Ben asked.

“Yes,” she said. “You’ve heard about picking up a penny?”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to give you good luck.”

“Yes.  If it’s heads up,” Terri said.  “But, what if it’s tails up?”

“I don’t know.  Do you get bad luck?”

Terri went on to explain what a dear friend told her.  If you see a penny heads-up, it’s good luck, so pick it up, but if you see a penny tails-up, turn it over to heads and leave it for the next person.

Terri didn’t really put too much into believing luck comes from finding pennies, but the thought of passing it on to someone else by merely turning it over intrigued her.  She found herself turning over tails-up pennies ever since her good friend told her about it.  What was the harm?

The problem arose when she saw a tails-up penny while running the race. She struggled with the decision to go back in order to turn it over, but by the time she realized what she saw, it was too far to go back.  It had come up on her too quickly. 

As they were making their way to leave, Terri explained her dilemma to Ben and her thoughts about it.  Ben turned to her and said, “Sounds like we need to go flip a penny.” 

They would be passing the run route on their way out of town.  They drove to the area closest to where Terri saw the penny and parked.  Terri shivered slightly as a breeze blew out over the bay along the pavement where they walked.  She hunched her shoulders and wrapped her arms around her as they followed the curve along the water.   Side by side they walked, making their way down the race route, scanning the ground.  After a while, Terri knew they went farther than where the penny should have been.  She finally stopped and shook her head.  She reluctantly admitted it wasn’t there, so they turned around to head back to the car.  “Ah, well,” said Terri, “at least we got a chance to walk along the water.” 

They walked on silently until her attention was turned to Ben when he pulled his hand out of his pocket.  He held out his palm showing a handful of loose change.  They stopped, and Terri looked at him.

“Take it, Mom.”

“What?”

“The penny.”

She didn’t move or answer him, but looked up at him.

“Take the penny and put it down heads-up,” he said.

She was confused and didn’t move.

“What’s the worst that can happen?  That there are two pennies out here?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. 

Terri took the penny from his hand, put it on the ground heads-up, and smiled.

“Now, you’ll know one of them is heads-up, Mom.”

Isn't it funny, how a penny can have so much value?

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Nobody calls me Terri, my younger son isn't named Ben, and his older brother would argue that he is actually taller than his younger brother.  All of that is fiction.  The rest of the events in this story are true, if we go back to March of 2009.  It was my first 10K, at my personal paradise, and when Jay bailed on going with me, Dante was happy to take his place.  We really did what I described in the story about the penny.

  

I originally wrote this up in first person back then and posted here.  I recently thought I needed to update it, so I did.  It's almost exactly the same, except for the POV, and now, of course, I think it's better.

Here is a link from this site of the Original version from 3/16/09. 

TT 

Logo

I have a new logo!
Yes.  After much trial and error, after many rejected graphics, and colors, and backgrounds.  After considering this, and removing that to substitute the other, we finally got to the point of this is it!  And it is - it's finally official.
I am talking, of course, about the new logo for my cookies.  My younger son, Dante, took on this task and we have been going back and forth with the company preparing it for us for months.  Yesterday, we finally got the finished product, and WOW!  It's a great feeling, and it looks terrific!  Dante even did a mock-up of a portion of the website, and sent it to me.  It's amazing!
I will have a lot of work now.  I will need to re-design the labels for my packaging to incorporate the new 'branding'.  I'll need to re-work my website, even if it means to pull it from it's present provider in order to make it operate the way I would like.  It means I will need to get my stuff together, so all the things I have learned so far from operating this tiny cottage business, can be boosted just a little.  Maybe when I say the business can be boosted, I really mean I can be boosted.  I mean...it was never supposed to sell like it does and has.  It was just a crazy venture.  And then people called me for cookies.  And now I have a professional logo!
TT

As expected

Yesterday was as expected.  The time at work passed rather quickly.  I was able to work myself through the over 350 emails that were waiting for me after taking my week of vacation.  I have some things I need to tackle first when I arrive at my desk this morning, but it will all take care of itself.  It's all good.
We got some miraculous rain in the middle of the day.  We've been waiting, and I was able to watch it for a while.  I'm not sure why that always entrances me but it does.  I was hoping it would start up again in the evening, so I could watch out of my bedroom window but it didn't happen.  Maybe, it will return today and once again give me that tranquil reprieve from the busy day.
TT  

Back at it

It's off to work I go.
It's a whole other mind set, isn't it?  I was able to enjoy every ounce of the time I had off.  I didn't even start to get mopey yesterday afternoon, as the time was crunching down to where I would normally realize I wouldn't be spending another day without responsibilities.  That has always been a crucial time when I would begin to feel myself sink.  It didn't happen.
I know I will be busy at work today just in catching up, so I expect the time to scoot by rather quickly.  That will be good.  Busy is good.  Then when the day is over, I can re-consider my outlook, and how I will decide my future routines.  But that is for later.  For now, I'm off to work.
TT    

Balancing act

I have another day of vacation today.  This will complete my entire week of being away from work.  I still have the weekend, of course, but that never seems to count as vacation time, since I would normally get that time off anyway.  I shouldn't cut myself short.  I'm not sure why I analyze it that way, but I do.
It's been a good week.  (There I go again, acting as if it is already over).  Let me try that again.  The time off has been very good.  Getting away, and out of town was a good starting point.  Yes, it seemed a little stressful, but I wonder if I wouldn't have been just as stressed if I had gone anywhere else, or even stayed at home.  I was just endlessly tired.  I was needing to break regular routines, and have the time to ditch everything I was normally doing.
I haven't done everything I would have liked to do during my time off.  It's lamentable that as soon as I get the extra time to do things I've been moaning about, I don't use the time for those things.  If I could figure out how to do it all, and not extend myself to the ultimate edge of exhaustion, I would certainly put that plan into action.  I guess I'll need to think of an alternate route.  I would like to say it's about finding that balance but, let's face it, I have a tendency to heap the things I want to do on one end of the see-saw.  There is no way any amount of balancing weight will lift what I've piled there. Let's just say that is the way it is.  I have to be okay with getting as much done as I can, and stop carrying the rest of it around with me.  It can weigh me down.
It doesn't mean I won't stop trying.
TT

Home; it's sweet

I'm home!
I've been here more than a couple of hours already.  I've spent the hours from the time I arrived until now getting things in order.  I am getting everything in it's place to make everything comfortable.  It isn't as if things weren't already in place, but I am now on my way to washing the clothes, and checking the fridge.  A short grocery list: coffee, bread, cake.  Why not?  I'm still on vacation.  So cake it is, for after dinner tonight, or even before, if I decide.
Now that I have things back in place, I'm able to curl up with the brand new Sue Grafton novel #23.  I'm looking forward to it, and as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, it will need time to cool.  The perfect time to start the book.
At home.
Sweet.
TT

Heading back

I'm in the middle of my vacation.  I am up, drinking coffee, and ready to turn around, and return home.  I am feeling better, and happy I took advantage of being off the entire week.  Yesterday was another low-key lay out in the sun day.  That is exactly what I did.
After breakfast, I spent another 3 hours lounging outside.  I didn't lift a finger to do one thing until Jay called my cell and told me I had a 1:30 appointment for a massage.  He had searched the internet during my lounging time, and found a place that would rub our weary bones.  The ache in the back of my left shoulder has never really gone away.  It is always knotted up due to my computer time at work.  It seems all my stress manages to work it's way into that small section.  I went to the appointment, and then lunch, and then more lounging.  It all seemed to work the frazzle right out of me.
This morning I am ready to bring it home.  I was here long enough to let the tired, weariness peak, and then flow away.  I'm now just as anxious to get home as I was to get here.  I still have these few days before going back to work, and that is what is making me so excited.
So I only have a few more things to pack up, and then it's off I go.  I'll be home this afternoon!
TT

Living dead girl

What am I doing in a darkened hotel room at eight o'clock on a Tuesday morning?  Shouldn't I be out running the seawall, which is only four lanes of traffic away from me?  I probably should.  My mind is kicking me in the ankles, and telling me to put this sitting aside for now.  This should be my time to go out, and take a look around at the morning.
I have been so thoroughly exhausted.  I didn't know it.  We arrived late Sunday afternoon, and stopped at a outdoor bar and grill to wait for our room.  I could see the ocean from where I sat, and I only wanted a beer to try to shake off the nerves from the horrible stress of traffic coming into the island.  I didn't think I would have a problem with the speeding vehicles, in multiple lanes, vying for their premium spot ahead of the pack.  I thought I was over the nervousness of driving without thinking of our two-year old accident when we found ourselves rolling completely over like a carnival ride.  But the nerves got the best of me, and I felt worse.
My beer didn't arrive before some food.  I wasn't interested in the food, but I was told to eat.  I thought it was strange that I could see the waves rolling to the shore, but couldn't hear them over the noise of the four lanes of traffic I had to look through to see the water.  We moved away from that area, and I thought we could get that drink in a quiet spot.  Unfortunately, the volume of the television bursting through tall speakers dashed any possibility of tranquility, and I was a wreck by the time we arrived at our room.  No matter.  I had already eaten, and proceeded to fall asleep.  Very early.  And slept very late the next morning.  All that with two drinks.
But I was still dragging on Monday.  Luckily, we found a place by the bay and sat quietly for two hours.  I scribbled some thoughts down, but mostly just sat still.  We came back to the hotel to get lunch and re-group.  I went to the pool and spent another two hours trying to nap.  I never fell asleep, but I've never been so inactive for such long periods of time.  So, by the time I cleaned up, we went to dinner.  It was perfect.  The restaurant was on the water, without any frenzy.  The drinks were cold, and the food appetizing.  I was finally beginning to uncoil.
I will see what we can be up to today.  I might have rested enough to feel less like a zombie, and a little more like a tourist on vacation.  A little extra time to sit might be the way to go.  I have an ocean to watch, a book to read, notes to jot down, and a brain less muddled.  And now, I realize, the hotel room isn't quite so darkened.  It's time to get out, and get busy with some more relaxing.
TT

Nature's alarm

It's Sunday morning. The sky is beginning to fill with lighter shades that will become the day.  It's that blessedly quiet portion of time between dawn, and let's get moving.  And today is about getting moving, as I watch the strokes of dark gray magically replaced with streamers of blue and white.
There is no sound as the world pauses before coming fully awake.  A distant bark of dog and hesitant chirp of bird try to stir the slumbering scene.  They gradually fade, then return again a little brighter and stronger.  It's time to stretch, and rub the crusty sleep from our eyes.  It's time to look out of our windows, and see the day begin to unfold.  Nature's own alarm clock is ringing.  
It's Sunday morning, and it's time to get moving.
TT

About time

It's Friday!  Finally, the last day of the work week, and the last day before my week long vacation!  I shouldn't be so looking forward to this.  I shouldn't be so terribly excited about it.  I don't know where all this electricity is coming from.  I don't know, I don't care, I will take it and run!  Literally, and figuratively.

Here comes the mornings of fingers poised over a keyboard, contemplating a scene or character.  Here comes the mornings with fresh coffee, cup after cup, while thinking through the splatter of words on a document.  Here comes the free time to decide to get up, and throw on those running shoes to give my thoughts a break or break-through.

Then, there will be a few days to sweep myself off to another place.  There will be a change of scene to look around, and see old things in new ways.  I need to remember to tuck my index cards into my pockets, not that I will forget.  I want to capture a few choice words, and descriptions.  I might be able to juggle them into a sentence or two when I come back, as I once again poise my fingers lightly over my keyboard.

It's about time.
TT

2 more days

This morning, my time is in a rush.  I wish I could pause it a moment.  Every time I avert my eyes to the clock on my laptop, it has skipped more minutes that I think it should.  Hold up.  Where are you going in such a rush?  Give me a chance to get my thoughts collected.

It won't listen.  It will continue on it's merry way even as I throw my hands up in frustration.  Ah, but, in the very back of my mind I am thinking I am not far from being in exactly the spot I am wishing to be at this moment.  I only need a couple more days, and with a little more patience, I will arrive sooner than I am able to imagine at this moment.  You know, this particular moment, as my clock is poking, and teasing me.  As it prods, and tries to rush ahead of me in it's little race against me this morning.  Fine.  Run ahead.  But keep running, for a few more days.  I'll catch, no, I'll be waving as I pass you by, on my vacation.

TT

GPs

I have been doing the most ridiculous thing.  It turns out the writing.com site I joined is celebrating its 13 years in operation this past September 1st.  They are actually celebrating the entire week.  I know you're asking, "How does a site celebrate?"  I thought the same thing.  I was having trouble understanding all the different areas, and etiquette of this site to begin with, without adding celebratory activities.

But before the celebration, I figured out how to start up my portfolio, and I have posted three items to this site.  I was able to figure out how to post to the site to let people know I was interested in receiving reviews.  The feedback I received from individuals who took the time to read, and send me comments on my writing, has been priceless.  The perspectives I have been able to gather, and ideas given me to improve, have been motivating.  The site also offers contests of all kinds, and newsletters of varied topics.  It was offering a challenge to write a novel in 30 days that I read about very carefully.  I was actually considering the idea of joining, maybe,since there would be some prompting and instruction to go along with the process.  But I was only thinking about it.  I thought about it until I realized they wanted 10,000 GPs to join.  I didn't have nearly that number.  Now, I hear you asking, "What are GPs?"
They are Gift Points that everyone on the site accumulates. You can earn gift points just by being on the site.  It's a mere 10 gift points a day, but there are other incentives to earn GPS.  The site will reward you with GPS if you give a review to someone.  It gives you more if it is someone you never gave a review to before.  Sometimes, people will attach GPS if they read, and enjoyed your work.  I've received GPS from people I have reviewed, and they wanted to thank me.  I gave gift points to anyone who rated my pieces as a thank you.  (And then I went out and reviewed a few other people to up my bank of GPS that was dwindling.)  It encourages people to help out other people.

This week, they will give you 1300 GPS just for logging in each day!  That alone has pumped up my bank.  I can afford to join any class they offer about now.  And then there is this ridiculous thing I've been doing.  This site gives you a space of your own.  You have an inbox, a place for your portfolio of writing, a notebook, and more.  It has forums you can go to and IMs that scroll.  I found there are game bots on the scroll this week.  A conversation might be going on (not with me, I'm only there for the bots) and a Play Now will appear.  If you play, and answer all the questions correctly, and the fastest, you get GPS for coming in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.  I've racked up more than a few GPS doing this.  Somehow, keeping that chat window open, and ignoring it until out of the corner of my eye it catches the Play Now, I become a little too invigorated.  The Play Now means hurry up!  Only a few changes to get those points!  It's ridiculous, I know.  I've got more points now that I will know what to do with for a while.  It's really silly, but I keep playing.  I've turned it off for now.

Maybe, it's time to put the celebration on hold, and get back to some real writing and reviewing.

TT  

That's the plan

A four-day work week in front of me with the three-day weekend behind.  I managed to get many things done, and spent some time making sure they were things I wanted to do.  There were a few need-to-do's on the list but they only improved the quality of the entire weekend.
I've ditched the entire idea of going to my 40 year High School Reunion.  I wanted, somehow, to combine that with some time at my personal spot to vacation.  It was turning into something that was so complicated, and would cost so much more than I wanted to spend, that I decided against going.  I proposed the idea of just taking some vacation time, and making the trip a little bigger than our normal two days in paradise.  What about adding something that we wanted to do that was different?  I let Jay think about it.  He came up with a great plan.
I am taking all of next week off work.  He found us a hotel by the beach at a different coastal city.  It might be a smidge more drive time, but not much.  The deal on the hotel allows us to stay an extra day without the cost, and there will be sights we haven't seen, and new things to discover.
It's only a four-day work week away, and I am looking forward to it.  We won't leave until next Sunday, so I will have my regular weekend.  Then we arrive back home the following Wednesday, and I then I will have Thursday, Friday, and then another weekend to enjoy.
It's an excellent plan.
TT

Getting started

It's taking me too long this morning to drink my coffee.  I feel the time clicking rapidly away with every moment I sit.  I need to go out and have a run.  I have writing I want to do.  I'm at the end of my three-day weekend.  How do I get an entire extra day from work, and not be able to get the things I want to do done?
That's when I have to pull back on my reins.  Whoa.
I like having the time to drink my coffee in the mornings.  I like being able to look out my upstairs window as the sky turns from murky to beautifully streaked pinks, and blues.  It's right to pull on my running shoes after giving myself those extra minutes, to head out into the neighborhood, and wave to the others that are doing the same as me.
It's been a great couple of days.  It is great to have the time to wake up, and spend it the way I have been.  I know there are things that I probably won't have time for, but I don't see any downside to all of this.  I have time today, no matter how long it takes me to finish my coffee.
And it looks like I'm at the bottom of my mug.  Time to get the day started.
TT