C is for Cotton

The Quote of the Day that inspired my A to Z Challenge theme -

A Word for the Day that takes on many meanings.


Quote of the Day: A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. John Steinbeck

Word of the Day: Cotton

The C from the Coco Moon Coffee Shop

Definitions:

noun: shrubby plant, the fibers in these plants used in making textiles, fabric

verb: to take a liking to, often used in the negative, The dog doesn't cotton to strangers.

to understand He'll soon cotton on (to what you mean).

Cotton Rock, a novel by Janet Smith Post.

Cotton rock is dolomite sediments, white and porous in appearance. It is also the name of the town in this novel. I like the sound of it, and it seems like an oxymoron. It looks soft and pliable, yet, it's solid and unbending. Some people are like that. This is a novel about the people who live in the town and along the White River. Bits and pieces of one life are picked up and moved along the river, sometimes swirling together. Other parts, like the rocks, never seem to budge. I felt like I was sitting on the porch with John, the writer, chatting with Anna, his student who is writing her life story, and watching the ever changing river flow. This story felt real, like I was reading about the intimate details of someone's family. Janet provides such lovely description of the place that I can see it as I read. I hear the voices of the characters, distinct in their journals and dialogue. I feel their pain and their search for wholeness in their lives.

For another great review of Cotton Rock go to The Texas Playwright Chick. She's the one who got me my copy!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you like reading regional stories? What body of water speaks loudest to you? Right now, for me, it's the river, always there, but never the same.

C is for Charlie, Cat, and Curtain

Letter of the Day:  C

This is Charlie and our cat Matilda.  Charlie is the older of my twin sons by 12 minutes.  He prides himself on being the different one.  When he was younger, to express his individuality, he'd do things in his own sweet time.  That could sometimes be challenging to the rest of the family.  Being one of four brothers, plus having a twin that looks much like you, causes many comparisons and a few controversies.  But, Charlie can handle it with class, if he chooses.

The cat Matilda isn't doing very well.  She's only eight, but has stopped eating.  I took her to the vet, and they did a dental including extracting two rotten teeth. She's still not eating.  I'm worried.

C is also for curtain.  In an older traditional stage, you would enter for a show and the curtain would be closed.  The audience didn't know what was behind the curtain.  When I was in a few plays in high school, I loved walking onto the stage while the audience was being seated.  I'd check my props and stare at the curtain knowing that I could do anything, and they wouldn't see me, but all that would change as soon as the curtain lifted.  Now, it is more common to walk in and see the curtain open, or no curtain at all, and the audience is immediately drawn into the mood of the play by the set.  When I direct children, we often perform in open spaces, no curtain, no hiding, unless you get creative with the set.

The English expression, "It's curtains for you," comes from the use of the curtain which dropped or closed signalling the end of a play. It can be extended to mean the end or death of something or someone.

If Matilda doesn't start eating soon, it will be curtains for her.  That makes me horribly sad.

Journaling Prompt:  Write about a pet you have or would like to have, or a time when you had to say good-bye.