Kathleen Gabriel's Blog

Six First Sentences from my Fiction (a la Toby and Gita)

1. I had to apologize to my husband, Kevin, before I could go on to my next life--my dead body in Bill's bed made that pretty clear.

2. Kansas wasn't all that exciting.

3. "I will not have him," Frieda asserted, smoldering within as she strove to keep her voice down.

4. An untimely March snow melted in the thin morning sunshine as Margarethe hugged herself for warmth at the open castle window.

5. Sonia's arm around my waist is…

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Added by Kathleen Gabriel on May 20, 2012 at 1:53am — 5 Comments

The Honda

"...something that gets better mileage, like a Honda," she said, but that was all he caught since, as usual, he hadn't been listening to her middle-aged chatter.

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me," he said, but woke later wondering if she really meant to buy a car all on her own, without him along to oversee the process.

The next day after work, he thought she'd given up on the idea because her Lincoln was still sitting in the driveway, big as life and twice as…

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Added by Kathleen Gabriel on January 23, 2012 at 8:05pm — 13 Comments

Scarce was the light on that night so long ago. That night of fog, of endless longing and the sea between them. The sea, the fog. Little light, little warmth. And yet, the day was coming. If only she could hang on.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on January 22, 2012 at 3:14am — 4 Comments

Scissors

Scissors are a pair and they are knives, bottom line, knives that work in sync to cut things. Paper, chicken, twine, yarn. You can cut your fingers with them, too, but not as easily as you can cut your fingers with knives. Most people would say that knives are the more dangerous. But I’m not so sure. With scissors the illusion of safety might work against you.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on February 8, 2011 at 5:12pm — 5 Comments

Waiter

The waiter came to us and asked us yet again if we wouldn’t like a better table. I began to get angry, but then I noticed that he was sweating.
And so I said, “Yes, please, give us a better table. This one’s too close to the kitchen.”
He hustled us to one closer to the door.
And less than five minutes later, an explosion burst out from the kitchen.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on February 7, 2011 at 10:29pm — 6 Comments

Woo hoo! I won an editor's choice award!

I won an editor's choice award from Line Zero, a literary quarterly! Get $2 off if you pre-order with this codeby Feb. 15. The Web site is here: http://linezero.org/purchase/ The code is LZWinPreOrder

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on January 27, 2011 at 5:16pm — 11 Comments

NaNoWriMo six

November 1 approaches like a bullet train, and I have no clear plot in mind. But that's okay, because I have the characters, and for me, the characters can run the whole show. Fifty-thousand words in thirty days -- that's less than two thousand a day. Piece of cake. Join me this year? Go to http://www.nanowrimo.org for more information (and yes, that was six).

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on October 13, 2010 at 12:21am — 7 Comments

Sunlight streamed in the window in spite of the occasional snow flurry. She knew she needed the vitamin D, but it was cold. She took a deep breath and stepped out onto the deck wearing nothing but wo…

Sunlight streamed in the window in spite of the occasional snow flurry. She knew she needed the vitamin D, but it was cold. She took a deep breath and stepped out onto the deck wearing nothing but wool socks and her favorite red slippers. Yes. This wasn’t so bad. As long as she went inside while she could still feel her fingers, she’d be okay. Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on October 10, 2010 at 9:16pm — 4 Comments

Walked.

I got a nervous feeling in my gut that those people really liked me--not just my jokes, but me. Now just what the hell kind of tasteless people would actually like a jerk like me? So I walked off the job today. They’ll wonder for a day or two, but they’ll never know. I like to leave while they still think well of me. Before I have a chance to let them down.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on October 6, 2010 at 2:47am — 9 Comments

The Kansas Connection

I've published The Kansas Connection on my own. This is its third debut into the world, but I imagine you haven't read it yet. Not many have. Give it a look -- it's cheap as a download and I'll be all gratified and stuff. It's a pretty good read, if I do say so myself, though longer than 6 sentences. http://bit.ly/aW2fHv

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on June 29, 2010 at 5:09pm — No Comments

She hit him - triple six

I got this little story from doing a writing exercise.

* * *

She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. "Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else. Does it hurt?"

He lifted his hand to his lip, looked for blood on his fingers, shook his head. "Darling, you can't go around punching people like that."

"I know. I'm sorry. I never meant to..."

He took her hand and looked it over, kissed her bruised knuckles. "I mean, that you… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on July 6, 2009 at 4:41pm — 4 Comments

Espresso bliss (illustrated)

Illustrated in a photo taken by me, and named "Espresso Bliss" by my husband, the subject of said photo.

To me, dark-roasted coffee smells like different things on different days. After a good sleep, it’s like toast and incense and warm earth and sunshine, and it makes me want to stretch and smile. After a night of tooth grinding, twitching bad dreams, pain, insomnia or any revolting combination thereof, it’s like burning and skunk, and makes me want to snarl.

Of… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on May 25, 2009 at 10:03pm — 7 Comments

I'm back - didja miss me? a true-life six

In theory, We went on vacation to Yosemite, and to stay with his parents who live nearby. Turns out it was mostly trying to help Mom and Dad, who want to be helped and don't want to be helped in maddening alternation. How do you convince a retired teacher to accept a housekeeper and visiting nurse? How do you get a retired Air Force colonel to accept a bookkeeper and driver? They're dangerous people. We saw hawks and eagles and egrets and waterfalls and mountains and deer; we also saw our own… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on May 4, 2009 at 10:44am — 9 Comments

Kathy's two-oh-two challenge

My husband, Gregg Morris, took this photo a while back and it looks like a story to me. Maybe a lot of stories.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 12, 2009 at 1:39am — No Comments

my dream (repost)

All of the sentences in this triple six start with either "I" or "She." Just for fun. My sister is cool and doesn't act like this. Hi, Peggy!

I drive to my sister’s house and I tell her my dream. I shyly couch it as a night dream; I don’t say it is my heart. I share with her my heart.

I have revealed myself to others before. I know rejection. I know ridicule.

I know she is my sister. I know I am safe.

She clips coupons while I talk, she… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 9, 2009 at 11:27am — 1 Comment

Fred's Sci-Fi Challenge: Cold Calculation a la Ferret Familia

Yes, I know this is too late, but I read it late and it sounded like fun, so here it is, just for kicks.

The sword of despair slashed through most of the household as they learned that their beloved Ferret Bueller was going to be taking a permanent day off. Going under the knife wouldn't help him much when he had so many tumors in his tiny pancreas. Someday there might be a decent cure for insulinoma, and putting… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 7, 2009 at 11:18am — 2 Comments

The Beach Girl

All I wanted was a standard senior portrait. But no. That's out of style. You have to pose with a dog or a horse or a guitar or something. All I like is the beach. I don't care if the photographer gets sand in his camera - it's his own fault for advertising that I could have it my way.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 7, 2009 at 1:05am — 6 Comments

More places to dry

One day after my shower I found I had places to dry where there had never been places before. I still eat the same amounts of the same things, and I move as much as I ever did, but this huge person in the mirror -- damned if that's me.

The shrink says, "You must keep taking it or you could have another episode."

The naturopath says, "Your liver cannot deal with a major toxin and still process nutrition, so all of your food is stored as fat; you know your hair will fall out… Continue

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 5, 2009 at 11:52am — 7 Comments

It's not your fault (downer warning!)

I went to pay my respects to her family screaming silently, “Why?”

They showed to me the tear-stained words on half a sheet of notebook paper; “It’s not your fault,” was all it said.

Why didn’t we know? Why didn’t we see the pain and the darkness deep inside the one we thought we knew?

I wonder what I might have done if I had known.

And I wonder what was written on the half sheet of paper that she threw away.

Added by Kathleen Gabriel on April 1, 2009 at 1:45pm — 6 Comments

My dream - a triple 6