What do you see # 237

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Marianna Smiley @ Unsplash “Thrive” by Danial Pooper a sculpture in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a giant female figure who is opening her chest to show the greenery inside. There are cracks on the visage and torso of this sculpture.

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The Masterpiece

By Tessa Dean May 2024

Larry spent weeks working on a clay sculpture for his front yard. He didn’t have the materials for a real sculpture like the one he saw at the museum, but he figured out a way to create a figure using squares of dirt and grass, carving out the figure, and covering it with clay. He thought it turned out well.

He added the finishing details to the figure, carving out the face, hair, and hands. It took forever to dry so he could place it in the yard. He had no idea if this would even hold up to the weather. 

He put it in the yard and put it proudly on display. He noticed a few cracks, which he smoothed out before he went to bed.

The next morning, he rushed to the window to check out the sculpture and see how it had survived the night. He was disappointed to find it had multiple larger cracks, and the grass and dirt inside were now out for display. The clay hadn’t been strong enough to keep his masterpiece safe from what was most likely the wandering night creatures. Now, everyone knew it wasn’t a real sculpture, and he was mortified.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

What do you see # 236

Sadje’s rules:

Finally, a piece of fiction. I am slowly coming out of a long downtime and this is probably the first fiction piece I have done in a while.

Image credit; Kenrick Mills @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a full moon in a cloudy sky. It’s night time and the clouds behind the moon are illuminated by the moonlight in an eerie fashion.

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FiFi

By Tessa Dean May 2024

FiFi must have headed into the woods following a scent only she could smell. I stood on the road and felt her tugging on the extended leash. The moon peeked out of the clouds, and I wondered if we would soon be in for a storm. My small poodle, FiFi, tugged on her leash, trying to get something in the woods. 

As the moon went behind the clouds again, I became uncomfortable with how dark it was getting. I tugged harder on FiFi’s leash, and she resisted me, intent on getting closer to whatever she sought. I didn’t want to have to follow her into the woods to get her back on the road we were walking on, but it looked like that was my only option.

I walked a few feet towards her and reeled in her retractable leash. I kept doing this until I finally was within a few feet from where she was busy sniffing and digging. I didn’t know what she found, and I didn’t want to find out what was there. The area we were in was used at times for the burial of murder victims. I don’t know what possessed me to come this way and at this time of the night. I should have visited here during the day.

FiFi continued digging. Eventually, she pulled up a bone. She wagged her tail and looked at me triumphantly. I shuddered. What had she found, a human or an animal? I hoped she found an animal bone, not a human one. I checked my pocket for my phone, just in case I had to call the police. 

FiFi continued digging, and she found more bones. I didn’t think the bones were big enough to be a human, although it could have been a child or a large dog for all I knew. 

I used the flashlight on my phone to see what she was doing. I saw something glinting in the dirt. I picked it up and saw a dog tag. Relief flooded through me as I realized someone had buried their pet out there and not a human being.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

What do you see # 164

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Whoisbenjamin@Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a rock formation extending into water in the shape of a portal/ doorway.

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Doorway on the Beach

By Tessa Dean December 2022

Ben and Josie were walking hand in hand along the beach. They had their swimsuits on and were looking for a place to swim. They talked about their upcoming wedding as they walked. Ben was interested in helping plan the wedding, so he was invested in this conversation and listened intently as she talked about where they were in their plans and what might need planning. Even though they lived near the beach, they didn’t visit it much, so today was a day for exploring. 

Suddenly Josie stopped and pointed towards the water. She noticed a large rock with what appeared to be a doorway to the other side. “Let’s stop here and see if we can walk out the opening and walk through it. I don’t know how deep it is, though.”

Ben was up for it, and they took off their shorts and t-shirts and started to wade out to the opening. Suddenly the beach floor dropped from under them, sinking them up to their necks. Floundering in the water, they finally got their feet under them. 

“I guess that wasn’t such a great idea,” Josie said, struggling to keep her head above the water. Being the shorter of the two, it was harder on her. “Let’s forget it. It’s too deep. I don’t want to swim out there.”

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

What do you see # 163

Sadje’s rules:

Image Credit; Mohamed Almari @ Pexels

For the visually challenged reader, the image shows a shot of Golden gate bridge taken from the shore. There is a dramatic sky in the background.

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Sunset

By Tessa Dean December 2022

We sat on the beach as the sun slowly set over the Golden Gate Bridge. We sat in our chairs talking as the sun was slowly setting across from us. It was a beautiful site. I am amazed every time I see the sun setting over in the west. Whenever the weather is good we come down and watch from the shore, on bad nights we watch the sky from our huge windows in the condo that overlook the bridge.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

What do you see # 162

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; UNKNOWN

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a sign saying; “You have been warned “ it’s lit up in yellow color light over a reddish background.

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21 or Over

By Tessa Dean November 2022

My friends and I spend every Friday night at a local bar. We just started going though since our last member finally turned 21, the legal drinking age. This bar has a sign that says you must be 21 years or older to drink and they emphasized it with a neon sign that says “You have been warned.”

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

What do you see # 160

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Pavel Danilyuk@ Pexels

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a young man in a pose of supplication, hands together and head bowed in prayer.

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At Peace

By Tessa Dean November 2022

As we waited to board our plane, I noticed a young man bowing his head in prayer. He had a cross dangling from his earring and wore something on a chain around his neck, which could have been a rosary, but I wasn’t sure as I couldn’t get a glimpse of what it was. 

As he was standing in the way of the line, he was jostled quite a bit, but he didn’t stop his prayer until he was done. People had walked around him to board the plane. Finally, I saw him enter, and he seemed more at peace. He seemed calmer than before he started his prayer. The sight of him prompted me to do a prayer for our safety on the trip. I too felt more at peace afterward.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

What do you see # 159

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Senjuti Kundu @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a young girl smiling up at someone, looking up. Her face, clothes and arms are covered in colorful splashes of paint.

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Painting Fun

By Tessa Dean November 2022

Melinda should have known better than to leave her three-year-old daughter, Beth, alone while she ran to the bathroom. On her way back to the backyard picnic table covered with paints, she was detained by a phone call. She may have been ok if she had just run in and back out, but she stopped to take the phone call. It was from her mom, and she got so interested in her news she forgot about Beth and the paints. 

Who tells a three-year-old not to touch the paints and leaves her alone with them? She really had no one to blame but herself when she came back outside and found Beth covered in paint from head to toe. Beth covered herself and her clothes completely in colored paints that Melinda had been using to paint the backyard. The scenery out there was beautiful, and she loved painting it from different angles.      

Now she had to figure out how to get the paint off of Beth without using a harsh paint cleaner of some sort. The clothes were trash, no doubt. The paints wouldn’t wash out. She wasn’t using watercolors as she preferred to paint with acrylic paints. She quickly Googled how to remove acrylic paint from the skin. One of the suggestions was baby oil or rubbing alcohol. Luckily she had baby oil on hand. Rubbing alcohol was another possibility, and it suggested using both baby oil and rubbing alcohol after washing the area with soap and water. 

She took Beth with her while she went to get the baby oil and alcohol. While she was in the house, she put her in the bathtub to wash her whole body with soap and water since she had covered most of her body in paint. 

It was a slow process, but she gently cleaned her daughter and resisted the urge to yell at her. The incident was her fault as she should never have left her young daughter alone with paints.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

What do you see # 158

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Mick Haupt @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a doorway in a brick wall. Beyond the doorway, you can see a garden view, extending back to the mountains.

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Lush Green Gardens

By Tessa Dean October 2022

“Come here, Leo,” Robert called to his dog.”Come this way, and let’s see what’s down this path.” The dog turned to follow him, and they headed down the wooded path. The dog had to stop and sniff almost every tree or bush continually. They eventually came to a brick wall. They followed it around until they came to an opening and looked in. A beautiful view of a garden led up to the mountains in the distance. He didn’t go all the way in this time. 

Robert and Leo rested, scoping out the area he could clearly see, and decided that he and his wife Lisa would explore the gardens the next time they walked the dog together. He decided on their next hike together that they would bring a picnic and then explore as far as Lisa could walk. She wasn’t in great shape like Robert, who took long walks with the dog and got plenty of exercise every day.

Lisa agreed to the picnic and then a hike through the gardens. The day they headed out, it was warm and sunny, and Lisa was enchanted with the garden. They found a lush green spot, spread the blanket, and set out the picnic. They spent a pleasant afternoon exploring the park and the mountains that were closest to them.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

What do you see # 157

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Valeriia @ Pexels

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a coffee cup with the image of a pumpkin on top of it in foam. Next to it is a document, declaring, “ I solemnly swear that I an up to no good”

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Up To No Good!

By Tessa Dean October 2022

Ronnie was over by the side table next to the couch, messing with the decorations her mother had just put out. Her mother had a fancy coffee sitting there, and Ronnie ran her finger through the pumpkin image. She took a fancy to the witch’s hat that was lying on the piece of material her mother had laid out under the coffee cup and swiped it.

Her mother, Candy, returned to sit down and enjoy the coffee and was dismayed to see her nicely done image ruined. She worked hard to learn how to do that. “Ronnie, why did you put your finger in my cup and ruin my pumpkin image, not to mention you could have burnt yourself? And where is my witch’s hat decoration?”

“Well, mommy, it says that ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!’ and so I am up to no good just like it says. She grinned at her mother.

Candy couldn’t put her heart into scolding her too much because she had a point, but she did ask that she not misbehave again.

“I won’t, mommy,” and ran off to play.

Candy was laughing as she told her husband about it later.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

What do you see # 156

Sadje’s rules:

Image credit; Mohamed Nohassi @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a person standing on a beach facing the rising sun. The vibrant colors of the sunrise are reflected in the water around them.

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Praise to the Sun

By Tessa Dean October 2022

Matthew parks near the beach, which is located near the Atlantic Ocean. He likes to exercise in the early morning as the sun is rising. As the colorful sky starts to lighten the area, he faces the sun and does some yoga stretching. His girlfriend, Annie, had promised to join him this morning to celebrate the sun’s rising, but she was late, and the sun quickly poked through the clouds before she had a chance to join him. 

She ran up, apologizing, but it was too late. The sun rose quickly, and you couldn’t linger over whatever excuse she had this time. He was afraid she would never join him, and he was passionate about the sun rising every day and meeting it with outstretched arms. It was how he started every day, rain or shine. 

Matthew was fed up with her unfilled promises. He finished his meditation and then turned to her and said he would no longer wait for her to join him. He was sorry, but he was through with their relationship. He wanted someone as passionate as he was about seeing the sunrise. He worshipped the sun.

Annie pleaded with him, but he was tired of her excuses, and she knew how he felt about starting his day. He would continue alone until he found the woman who was as passionate about the sun rising as he was.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Author of a book published on the blog, https://tessacandoit.wordpress.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/