Dishes #99WordStories

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This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the dishes. It can be the every-single-day activity, a precious collection, or any other interpretation of dishes as objects or activities. Who is stuck with the dishes and why? Go where the prompt leads!

I had a few ideas for this one but couldn’t seem to make any work until I went back to my two young girls Amy and Lucy and their favourite toys. I hope this one works. Enjoy!

The Garden Party

Ellie observed that the table looked delightful. Ollie said he’d never used such fine chinaware before. Teddy commented that the fairy cakes were scrumptious and iced tea was perfect for a warm day. Everyone agreed. Amy and Lucy beamed.

Afterwards, the guests offered to help with the dishes.

“No way,” said Amy. “You’re our guests.”

“We insist,” said Ellie. Swiping swiftly with her trunk, she launched the plates likes frisbees. Ollie deftly caught them and stacked them by the sink. Teddy frothed the soap suds and washed while Lucy dried.

“Many hands,” said Amy, putting cups and plates away.

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

Note: The collection of stories made in response to the previous prompt Optimism, including mine, can be read at the Carrot Ranch.

44 thoughts on “Dishes #99WordStories”

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  10. Mabel Kwong

    I enjoyed your last tea party short story and enjoyed this one equally, Norah. I wish I could write as vividly and thoughtfully as you. Your say so much in so little words, yet it’s so easy to get your message.

    The visual of ‘Swiping swiftly with her trunk, she launched the plates likes frisbees’ made me think that the plates were going to be crashing everywhere 😄 Teamwork can be a bit like that sometimes, different styles and perspectives in the process of coming together – and everyone just makes it work. It is good that the dishes got done in the end. It reminds me of dinners with my Chinese family where sometimes everyone pitches in to do the dishes in the end.

    Wonderful writing, Norah. Hope you are enjoying the last month of summer over there

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Mabel. At first the dishes were all going to be crashing everywhere. Then I decided that I didn’t like that and that Ollie (the octopus) could catch them with his eight arms. I preferred that ending. 🙂
      I hope you get some warmth down your way before summer ends. Sending some summery smiles. 🌞🌞🌞

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    1. Norah Post author

      I started out thinking breakages, but changed my mind towards the end. I was taken with the idea of Ollie (the octopus) catching all the plates with his eight ‘hands’. 😂

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  13. Kate

    Sweet story. Many hands do make doing chores so much more fun. When our boys were little they liked playing with the dish bubbles, so they were sort of helpful. There was more water in the floor than in the sink at the end, but those where the days.

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