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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Cup and Saucer (08/28/14)
My prized antique teacup slipped through my fingers before I could catch it.

I dove to the floor in a desperate attempt to save the treasured item from my childhood. Miraculously, it dropped onto the edge of the rug beneath my dining room table and rolled over on its side with a slight clink as it came to a stop with only the handle touching the hardwood floor.

I released my breath, not even realizing that I had been holding it, as I picked up my grandmother's tea cup and examined it more closely. The familiar pattern of pink flowers and green vines made me smile as I always did when I thought about the woman who taught me more about love and laughter than anyone else in the world.

She had been gone now for almost six years and my heart still ached almost every day with missing her. Memories of times spent with her remained vivid and I welcomed them whenever they came.

…………….

It was a cold and snowy winter afternoon. I was thankful for the warmth of the wood stove as I sat at Grandma's old farmhouse table listening to her stories as we cut quilt blocks and drank steaming cups of hot cocoa.

"Gracie, this china has been in our family for years. My Mama would kill me if she saw us drinking anything other than tea from them," chuckled Grandma as she turned up her cup to take another drink. I took a drink too and we laughed at the brown mustaches beneath our noses.

I sat my cup back on the saucer and looked up at Grandma. "Why does a cup have a saucer," I asked. "Well that's an easy question," she said. "The saucer protects the surface beneath a cup when it is holding something hot and it also catches any spills".

"Then… why does a saucer have a cup?" "That's an easy one too silly. You can't drink out of a saucer!" she exclaimed, laughing as she tapped the end of my nose with her index finger.

"You know sweetheart," Grandma said, looking serious as she peered over her glasses at me. "Some things in life just go together. One complements the other. Together, the two become stronger than one alone. This is precisely the reason that I thank the good Lord every day for your Grandpa."

I glanced over my shoulder and into the den where Grandpa was kicked back in his large black recliner, snoring rather loudly.

"Yep, he's a keeper even with all the snoring," said Grandma. "He is the one that God designed with me in mind. God knew that my temper would light up like a stick of dynamite so He gave me a good calm man who helps me reason things out. God also knew that I would see things in black or white… either right or wrong. Your Grandpa sees in all shades of gray and he gives me perspective that I would not otherwise have."

"On the other hand, I am extremely observant. I notice things that your Grandpa overlooks. I also tend to be better with numbers, so I take care of the finances. We are better together than we would be apart…not to mention that he's still kind of cute, don’t ya think?" asked Grandma waggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, laughing.

The snoring grew louder…

Grandma pushed back from the table and strolled into the other room. She stood at the side of Grandpa's recliner and I watched in anticipation expecting him to wake up at any moment.

The snoring grew louder still!

I giggled.

Grandma put a finger to her lips and mouthed, "Gracie, bring me your saucer".

Giggling more because I envisioned what was coming, I took my saucer from the table and tiptoed into the den.

Handing Grandma the saucer, I watched eagerly as she clamped it over Grandpa's mouth.

Grandpa's eyes flew open and in one swift movement he swept both Grandma and me into his lap. I lay my head against his chest, happy and content, feeling a love surrounding me that only comes through God's design of a perfect pair.
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This article has been read 566 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
09/04/14
Great job with the topic. Well done in content, delivery and purpose. I thought this a fine piece of writing.

God bless~
Virgil Youngblood 
09/06/14
I like the characters you have created and the warm tone of this story. Well done.
Larry Whittington
09/10/14
I liked the added information about how people are matched together with different personalities and abilities. God's ways are so good but we don't always recognize them or understand why.
Rachel Barrett
09/11/14
That was excellent! I loved the way you wrote about the "cup and saucer" (Grandma and Grandpa) complementing each other.

I might suggest a couple of little red inks. For example, the paragraph that goes "I sat my cup back on the saucer and looked up at Grandma. "Why does a cup have a saucer," I asked. "Well that's an easy question," she said. "The saucer protects the surface beneath a cup when it is holding something hot and it also catches any spills"." It might work better with the characters' dialogue divided, such as:

"I sat my cup back on the saucer and looked up at Grandma. "Why does a cup have a saucer," I asked.

"Well that's an easy question," she said. "The saucer protects the surface beneath a cup when it is holding something hot and it also catches any spills"."

But that is just a little point. Your descriptions made me chuckle throughout! "We laughed at the brown mustaches beneath our noses", "Grandpa was kicked back in his large black recliner, snoring rather loudly"...the imagery just came alive for me!

Great job!
Brenda Rice
09/11/14
Congrats on your HR. Well done.