Author: Ann Marie Bryant

As of late, I am a sixty-something grandmother who loves to write. Since I come from a long line of storytellers, I believe it's time to share those stories and preserve our family history. My hope is that my family will treasure these memories as much as I do!

12 minutes

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For today’s prompt, write a story where the title appears in the story word-for-word.

Breathe just breathe.  Walking along the corridor, voices echo, but my heart beats so loudly it drowns out the sounds.  “Twelve minutes, you stupid b**tch! ” The guard cruelly whispers.  

As we round the corner, the glow from the room illuminates the metal gurney.  Father Day silently prays; head bowed.  When he looks up our eyes meet, and he smiles and nods. A silent understanding passes between us.

A searing jolt rips, I falter and gasp, “Jokes on you.”  Dropping to my knees, I kell over, and lose consciousness, just before my heart pulses, one last time. 

Photo by Omer Salom on Unsplash

Darn it all anyway

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Daily writing prompt
What do you complain about the most?
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To quote my childhood friend, “Oh bother.” But here we go…

In my immediate world…

  1. Pain !!!
  2. Fatigue…my get up and go, got up and left!
  3. A certain someone at work…well, it’s true. But don’t get me started.

The world in general

  1. The lost art of empathy
  2. Global warming
  3. Pollution
  4. Greed

Sports

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Bloganuary writing prompt
What are your favorite sports to watch and play?
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When I was younger, I loved to play softball. Growing up, my parents would often play softball with my brothers and me, and often the neighborhood kids would also join in our games.

Together as a family, we would also go watch the Oakland A’s. We enjoyed those moments.

Nowadays, my favorite sport is lounging by the swimming pool. Now, I have not gone totally soft; I enjoy water aerobics too.

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

So Many Books, so Little Time

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant4 Comments
Bloganuary writing prompt
What books do you want to read?
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  1. Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian Life by Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham
  2. The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
  3. Unbreakable Dolls of Colorado by Julie McDonald
  4. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
  5. Every Breathe by Nicholas Sparks

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments
Bloganuary writing prompt
Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.
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When I was a child, I enjoyed our holiday traditions. My sweet mother, Dotty Allen, made sure our childhood days were the best that they could be. Each holiday we spent together held so much magic and warmth and I have missed those days.

For every holiday and a few special Sunday mornings, Mom would make us those Pillsbury Orange Rolls to go along with our breakfast. We thought they were heavenly! As a child, my bedroom was right off the kitchen, and I loved to wake up to the sounds of mom singing in the kitchen while preparing breakfast. 

The day before Easter, we would dye eggs, a family tradition my brothers and I looked forward to each year. Mom would buy the Paas Easter Egg Dye kits, grab coffee mugs from the cabinet, and make the colorful concoctions. I loved how the dye stained the inside of the cups, and I was always a little sad when the colors finally faded. 

In the evenings after the boys went to bed, Mom and I would hide eggs in the house or in the backyard. On Easter morning, it was fun to watch my little brothers find the colored eggs. We even filled plastic eggs with jelly beans or chocolates and hid those little gems too.

Mom always made a special dinner for Easter too. She always made a ham with all the fixings. I loved it when my grandparents could visit too. Now, one year, I will never forget was when my Grandpa came into our kitchen laughing with my Grandma. When we heard their laughter, my brothers and I ran to greet them. On that rare occasion, they were affectionate with one another. It was the first and last time, I ever witnessed them kissing. Grandpa leaned down and sweetly kissed my Grandma. Then he stood up, wrapped an arm around my Grandma, and asked, “Isn’t she a sweet Honey Bunny?”

I have always cherished those special moments with my family. 

Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash

Furbabies

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant4 Comments
Bloganuary writing prompt
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?
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If I could make my pets, my Max and Mitzi, understand one thing it would be for them to know how much I love them. This furry pair has brought so much joy to my life. Dogs should really live long lives….

Ann Marie

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant5 Comments
Bloganuary writing prompt
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
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“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”

Anne Shirley

My parents named me after two great-grandmothers, Anna Strassberg (Annie) and Tamer Anna Payton (Ann). My name is a shortened version of Hannah, meaning “grace” or “God’s grace.” The Latin variation means “year,” and the Celtic version means “priceless.” In Turkish, Ann means “mother.” And if my family followed our German roots, I would be called Anja, meaning “eagle.”

Ann found popularity in 1934 and again around 1987. My nickname, Annie, remained center stage during the years 1896 and 2019.

And finally, while people spell Ann/Anne differently, this old-fashioned or should I state, this timeless name dropped in popularity over the years. According to the Babycenter, in 1961, the year I was born, my name ranked in 54th place out of 100 girl names. 

Yet, this proud Grammie must admit, I have found pride in the fact that “Ann” has wiggled its way into the names of two sweet granddaughters: Jessica Ann and Kylie Ann. And Marie has found its way through several generations: Elva Marie, Dotty Marie, Ann Marie, Leslie Marie, and Sierra Marie.

So as far as names go, my parents didn’t do such a lousy job, and after all these years, well, it’s kinda grown on me.

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