Tribute to Pappy and IWSG

Tribute to Pappy

Last Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, my step-father passed away. He was born Richard (Dick) Monroe on Oct. 4, 1921. He would have been 95. His health and my mother’s had been failing for a number of years but it still came as a shock.

He was Pappy to my children and the only grandfather they knew. I can still see him with his fingers folded together and making his classic comment, “Yeah,” with a little chuckle.

My mother and Dick went to High School together in Rochester, Minnesota. I remember mother showing me a picture of a class play she was in along with several other students and Dick. Since mother never mentioned Dick other than the one time, I had no idea he was special to her.

After many years here in Colorado, mother returned to Rochester to be close to her own mother during her failing years. One day I stopped by mom’s house to learn that her High School was holding their 50^th Class Reunion. Mother had never attended before but she went that year and met up with Dick.

Theirs’s was the classic love story. A best-selling book or tear jerking movie. Right after High School mom went into nursing school and Dick went into the Air Force. Pearl Harbor soon sent America into WWII. But even though mom and Dick were separated they still wrote each other.

After the war my mom met my father and married him a little too fast. They were happy at first but my dad was an alcoholic so mom always worked. Eventually they divorced when I was thirteen.

As it turned out, Dick had intended to ask my mom to marry him, but he waited too long. However, he did marry and have two children. His wife died of M.S. So, they met again and married thirty-six years ago this November. I have never seen my mother so happy.

Here’s to you pappy. You are loved and will be missed.

IWSG

As you probably know the Insecure Writer’s Support Group was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh to encourage writers of all ages. To read other post go here.

Today’s question: When do you know your story is ready?

This is a subjective question. When writing my epic fantasies, I create a one or two sentence outline. I know where the story is going. I bring up questions throughout and I’m careful to answer them.

However, my flash fiction stories are written by the seat of my pants. So for me, either the outline helps to complete a story or as in the second case, it feels right. My critique group will let me know if it’s not.

How about you?

Nancy

The spook is on!

My Halloween Collection 1 is available for a low friendship price of 99 cents. This is a collection of 7 stories. The cover is wrong, it say’s five but it is seven flash fiction stories.

Amazon link.

Soon my Halloween Collection 2 will be available.