Monday, April 10, 2017

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Post 1502. Tuesday April 11

A-Z Challenge 2017



*Before I start, I should explain that it is usual in the UK to say ‘bless you’ to someone who sneezes!


Today I’m introducing you to Iris. She is famous for her wonderful flowers. Before you meet her, I should warn you that some days she suffers sneezing fits. Something to do with a pollen allergy, which is rather unfortunate given her passion for all things petalish. Hopefully not today though! Look, there she is in her garden. Isn't it beautiful?

Hi Iris, here we are.

Oh, bless you Iris!

She doesn’t say thank you when we bless her sneeze. Apparently, doing so kills a fairy. Doesn’t it Iris?

Oh, bless you Iris!

Iris always has the best exhibits at the annual flower show in the Village Hall, don’t you Iris?

Oh, gesundheit Iris! That’s German for ‘bless you’ you know!

As I was saying, people stopped entering the competition knowing Iris would win. So we decided to give her an annual trophy and the rest of us have our own competition. Arthur won last year. He grew the tallest sunflower we’d ever seen, didn’t he Iris?

Oh, Iris, yuck! You’ve splattered my friends with your...your...sneezey stuff. Sorry about that folks. Here you are, take a tissue. 

Talking of Arthur, here he comes now.  Hi Arthur, I was telling them about your prize sunflower.

Your prize sunflower Arthur!

Forget it. See you tomorrow guys, 'bye Iris

Oh, bless you Iris!


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To read a brief description of Amble Bay and see a scribbled map just click HERE

Tomorrow we are taking a Journey!

Previous episodes – A B C D E G H I JK L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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63 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. She accidentally said thank you Romi, so now she has to clap twice to bring the fairy back to life!

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  2. Love the flowers of spring, but sneezing is getting more and more a bother. Hmmm...

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    Replies
    1. Yes, she was having one of her bad day! Thanks Yolanda.

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  3. Poor Iris, her passion is also her undoing. Great idea, giving her a special trophy and letting everyone else compete against each other.

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  4. Iris is a good name for a flower-lover. Too bad about the sneezing, though.
    Donna Smith
    Mainely Write
    IMALDNE

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  5. Very nice. ~grin~ Happy Blogging!

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  6. Nice. Nothing like a little hay fever to give the flowers some extra incentive to bloom.
    The Ninja Librarian’s Favorite Characters

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    1. Sometimes her smeeze blows the petals off! Cheers Rebecca

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  7. Constantly sneezing Iris...loved the idea! A small seed of thought can be woven into a great tale, as you did it so wonderfully!!!
    -------------------------
    Team MocktailMommies
    Collage Of Life

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  8. I love that her name is Iris! Such fun reading your posts poking gentle fun at people.
    Individuality #Lexicon of Leaving

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    Replies
    1. Having fun, poking fun! They don't mind. Thanks Kalpanaa

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  9. Sounds like Iris needs a new hobby!
    Calen~
    Impromptu Promptlings
    A to Z Challenge Letter H

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    Replies
    1. She thinks it's worth itso she'll sneeze on! Thank you Calen~

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  10. Iris would be better off with a non-petalish (love this word you have made up here!)hobby...LadyInRead@MyRandRSpace - For Day 11 of#UBC & #AtoZChallenge - My I Post

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    Replies
    1. Maybe making artificial flowers? I'll suggest it. Thanks LIR

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  11. Nice story! Bless you, Keith! :)

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  12. Loved this. A story in so few words and good idea giving a separate trophy to Iris. Bless her.

    https://smitasangle.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/h-is-for-hair-a-story-on-sexual-harassment-at-workplace/

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    Replies
    1. I am a man of few words! Too lazy to write more. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for visiting.

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  13. Replies
    1. I know, but it doesn't seem to bother her! Thanks Annalisa

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  14. Hi Keith - poor Iris ... and then of course the writer dealing with the sneezes and Arthur; still they're lucky the village looks after them both ... and pampers to their needs ... cheers lovely amble around ... Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/i-is-for-ice-age-art.html

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    Replies
    1. Yes Hilary, I really feel sorry for the writer! I'm glad you enjoyed your amble today.

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  15. AS I sit here with my runny nose and itchy eyes waiting for my morning dose of allergy meds to kick in.... Us gardeners all seem to have allergies to flowers, don't you know. I realize now that I should have posted an iris picture to go along with my ice cream.

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    Replies
    1. Poor you! Tell you what, I'll swap you Iris for your gorgeous ice cream!

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  16. She's named after a flower and is allergic to pollen. Perfect. Great image of people being covered by 'sneezey stuff'. I fancied Arthur might be a proud gardener.

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    Replies
    1. I hope you weren't too close to your screen when sneezed!

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  17. A-choo! I'm a gardener who sneezes around certain flowers. My favorites (stargazer lilies and lilacs) cause the most nose tickles. Nice to connect here. My Virtual Vineyard

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  18. We say "Bless you" too when someone sneezes
    What I was told by Grandmammy was when someone sneezes their heart stops for a second and if everyone says bless you then the person gets a lot of blessings and doesnt die :D

    A Peice Of My Life

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    Replies
    1. I prefer that to our version where we murder faries! Bless you DeeDee

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  19. I think she's got used to the sneezing. It's probably more a bother for other people, especially with the sneezy stuff!

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  20. Bless you, Iris. I sympathise. Flowers are kept out of my house for similar reasons. Thankfully I don't run a flower shop!

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    Replies
    1. ...and I sympathise with you Iain! A adore flowers and my flat resembles a flower shop!

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  21. Allergies and flowers aren't a good mix! poor Iris
    Debbie

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  22. Lovely irony. ;) Poor Iris, sounds exhausting with all that sneezing.

    A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs

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  23. "An annual trophy for Iris and the rest of us have our own competition'... hahaha that's so funny. Loved meeting Iris, even though she is a sneezing machine.

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    Replies
    1. Well, that's only fair on the rest of us! Thanks Shilpa

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  24. It made me think of the Downton Abbey gardening contest with the Dowager Countess...fun! Only of course she cheated.

    I really like your narrative voice. It's a great way to connect these letters and has a gentle, humorous tone.
    Happy A to Zing!

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    1. That hadn't occurred to me, but you are spot on! I wasn't sure if the conversational style would work, but it seems to be going down ok. Thanks for your comment Andrea

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  25. I wonder how the conversation will go between Arthur and Iris? :) I really like the thread of humour that runs all through your A-Z posts.

    Nilanjana
    Madly-in-Verse

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    Replies
    1. Now the competitive element has been removed they get on fine! Thanks Nilanjana

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  26. I thought it was common around the world to say "bless you" when someone sneezes. There's a story behind it ... maybe so your heart will start back up or something. Oh great, now I gotta go look it up!

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    1. I wasn't sure if it was. I prefer the fairy version! Thanks John

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  27. Loved the way you narrated the story...Poor Iris ! Don't we say "Bless You" when someone sneezes ?

    Launching SIM Organics This April

    *Menaka Bharathi *

    *SimpleIndianMom*

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    1. Always rember to clap twice if the sneezer says thank you and then the fairy will come back to life!

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  28. Just wiping myself down here... my husband is allergic pollen and his sneezes are deafening!

    @Raesquiggles from
    The Quiet Writer

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  29. Bless you, Iris! Glad to meet you. No, don't say thank you. I don't want a fairy's blood on my hands! Amble Bay is amazing. Keep writing, Keith. :)

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    Replies
    1. I can't tell you how humbled I feel by your kind words. Thanks Shweta

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  30. Delightfully funny! You truly are a witty writer, Keith! Reading your stories is so enjoyable!

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    Replies
    1. Praise indeed coming from such an excellent writer. Thanks so much.

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  31. I didn't know about the poor fairies. I am sure I must have killed hundreds in my time. I love that The village has found a terrific compromise for the other gardeners as well as acknowledging Iris's talents. Visiting from A to Z


    I is for Ipswich: Hintlesham Hall and the Crespigny family
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    Anne Young

    Anne's family history

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    1. Me too Anne. Next time remember to clap twice to revive them!

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  32. Oh Mutterin' magpies - to think of how many fairies I may have killed! Iris is a lovely name for a flower lover ;-)

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