Tag: The Daily Prompt

In the Woods – Part Five

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments

The summer Ella turned sixteen she fell in love with Rueben Alan Stiles. He had a smile that warmed her heart, a sense of humor that made her laugh, often, and a kindness that touched her very soul. She had known Rueben since she was a child. They attended the same one-room school house although he was four years older. Ella completed her education when she was in eighth grade. That same year, Rueben left for college, for he wanted to be a journalist and travel the world. She really never gave him a second thought until he came home for a visit. Continue reading “In the Woods – Part Five” →

In the Woods – Part Four

Published on by Ann Marie BryantLeave a comment

Mariah quickly marched through the woods, racing to find solitude in her own home.  The girls had a hard time keeping up with their mother.  Although the two girls had many questions about their great-grandmother, they also knew that now wasn’t the proper time to question their mother, for they could observe their mother’s inner turmoil.  Once their home came into view, Mariah raced to her home to find the necessary seclusion of her bedroom.  Esther and Sally watched their mother as she sprinted across the field.  They never witnessed their mother in such a state, and it frightened them. Continue reading “In the Woods – Part Four” →

The Royal Gorge Bridge

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant6 Comments

Near Canon City, Colorado, the Royal Gorge Bridge sits on a 360 acre parcel of land that attracts tourists from around the world.  This bridge crosses a gorge that is over 950 feet above the Arkansas River.  Until 2001, this bridge was the highest bridge in the world.  Continue reading “The Royal Gorge Bridge” →

Singing with Mama

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant11 Comments

“I’m a lonely little petunia in an onion patch….

When I was a little girl, my room was off the kitchen, so I often heard my mom bustling around the kitchen in the early hours before she would wake us up for school.  While she was making the morning coffee and preparing for the day, she would often sing her favorite childhood songs.  Her humming and her singing were such a great start to my day.  It was like burrowing under a favorite comforter while knowing some time remained to enjoy its soothing warmth.  It was comforting and cozy. Continue reading “Singing with Mama” →

The Ghost on Lincoln Avenue

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant12 Comments

Laughter behind closed doors sent shivers, and when explored, opened doors would not always close, no matter how hard we pushed on them.

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While living on the small island nestled in the San Francisco Bay, I often overheard bizarre tales of supernatural events that took place in some of the Victorian homes around Alameda.  As a skeptical teenager, I would listen politely but believed such events only transpired in the overactive imagination of the “storyteller,” that is until strange things began happening in my own home. Continue reading “The Ghost on Lincoln Avenue” →

Spinning Yarns

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant5 Comments

Mama would often tell stories about family. One person she would often talk about was her great grandfather, William (Wilhelm) Strassburg. William was born in Prussia on January 9, 1861 to August Fredrick Strassburg and Mary Eva Mudth.

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SS Weser

According to the tales, William told his grand daughter, he came to this country when he was just a small boy. He told my mom that he snuck on board a ship and traveled alone. According to mama, he had a broken arm that did not heal correctly; he told her that he received this injury in World War I while fighting for his new country that he loved so very much. Continue reading “Spinning Yarns” →