Committed! Recovery at a Mental Health Hospital!

A new website that I contribute to and to spread the vision of hope and regrowth despite what we have been through. Stop by and we are still looking for contributors if you are interested.

Out of the Ashes

I didn’t feel as if I had anything left to live for. My mental anguish made daily living unbearable.

Bipolar Disorder 1 with psychosis, Borderline Personality Disorder among other Personality Disorders (there are many, not just one), Severe Anxiety so bad that I was terrified of people, new places and even getting up in the morning, along with Panic Attacks that would stop me dead in my tracks were just a few of my mental issues. I also suffer from severe OCD so bad that I have trouble leaving my house because I am sure the door is unlocked and the stove still on, no matter how many times I got out of my car and check the door lock and stove. I have PTSD which started due to several rape attempts when I was a teenager and then when the twin towers fell in 2001 I was sure every…

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Friday #fotoflash September 27, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo courtesy of Morguefile

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Birthday Surprise – The Old Deuce Coupe

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

Danny was disappointed when he looked at the pile of birthday gifts. None of them were large enough to be what he desired the most, a little car like dads jeep. He had hinted to everyone he knew, but here he sits with the little pile of gifts, and holding back the tears as he didn’t want anyone see him cry, he was a big boy now.

“Danny why aren’t you opening your gifts,” mom asks although she knows the answer. She couldn’t wait to show him his surprise. She had Bob take it out and put it on the other side of his jeep so Danny wouldn’t see it too soon.

Danny struggling with the wrap on his aunt’s gift was ready to chuck the whole affair and head to his room. Why does she always wrap the entire present in tape? Finally pulling off the last of the tape he finds a small helmet. “What’s this for, I don’t need it,” he says nearly in tears again.

“You’ll see Danny, just open your gifts,” mom says.

He opens the next one and finds a small leather jacket just like his dad’s and it even has stripes. He stops and puts it on immediately. Now he starts to grin, that miniature look of his father becoming evident on his face. The next one contains gloves. After opening a few more non-essential gifts he turns to his parents expectantly. “Any more?”

“Well, Danny it’s sitting just to the other side of your dad’s jeep.” And he was off. Wearing his gloves and leather jacket and the boots his sister had given him and hoping with all his might that he would see what he wanted to see.

“A mini-coupe, jeez thanks, mom and dad. Just what I wanted.” He jumps in and takes off across the yard.

***********307 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

Friday #fotoflash September 13, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo courtesy of Morguefile

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Surprise Birthday!

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

Dana was not used to the high heels. She wore flats since she was 6 feet tall and taller than most boys as it is, without adding high heel shoes. She had a handful of Birthday balloons filled with helium, which she assumed her boyfriend Toby sent her early this morning.

Today was her 21^st Birthday, and she wanted to start it out with a bang. Suddenly she falls off the heels, and she falls with a bang on the road, and that wasn’t the type of bang she meant.

She let go of the balloons in shock. She grabbed her knees in pain. They were scraped and bloody. Tears started falling. She searched for a tissue but ended up wiping the tears and blood on her torn white dress, not caring about staining even though she was on her way to visit her boyfriend. The tear in the dress had already ruined it, so the stains didn’t matter much.

Sitting on the road crying she fell someone come up and put their arms around her. She jerked back and looked at who had grabbed her and was relieved to see Toby.

“What happened to you? And where did those balloons come from,” he asked her.

“I fell off these blasted heels and didn’t the balloons come from you?”

“Sorry you fell, hope you didn’t hurt yourself too badly, but no, the balloons aren’t from me. These are,” he said. And then she noticed the balloons in his hand.

“Oh they are so much prettier than these, but who gave them to me?”

“A mystery. Do you have a secret admirer?”

“Not that I know of. I like yours better.”

He gives her a quick kiss and then checks out her wound. It had stopped bleeding, and he gave it a quick kiss and held out his hand to help her up. Just then Rodney came racing up and shoved them both to the ground. The balloons flew away, and Rodney started kicking Toby over and over. Dana took off a heel and hit Rodney in the head knocking him out.

“Those darn heels were good for something,” they both said at the same time.

Rodney was coming to so they took Toby’s belt and belted his hands together and called the police.

“Happy Birthday, baby!” They could hear the sirens in the distance. Rodney was trying to get loose.

***********400 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

Friday #fotoflash September 6, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo courtesy of Morguefile

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New Age Beach

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

The beach was getting grungier every year. Mike and Sally walked past the beach every day to work at the restaurant. At one point they enjoyed the walk past the beach with its happy, everyday beachgoers. The girls in their bright bikinis strutting their stuff. The males all following them with their eyes and whistling.

As the years passed, they walked slower and slower, and the beach became an undesirable place to be. If you could look out past the sand to the water near the horizon it was still pretty, but otherwise, they now turned their heads as they went past.

Today scanning the beach quickly hoping to see some miracle their gazes came to rest on a rusted shopping cart plopped in the sand. The waves were bringing in more and more junk everyday.

***********126 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

Friday #fotoflash August 23, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo from Morguefile

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Laundry List

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

The dirty old man noticed the laundry list and the fees. His clothes could use a proper washing, but he didn’t have the money for the charges.  He looked down at his guitar and wondered if anyone would appreciate his playing in the town green?

He set up his playing station and began to play. At first, no one noticed him and then suddenly murmuring started and people began to point. The man knew he was good, but no one was showing their appreciation with coins or even bills.

A man approached him and asked him if he would like a job playing at his pub. The musician was over-joyed and asked him when as he needed time to get the money to get his clothes clean.

The owner of the pub said he wanted him tonight and he would lend him enough to get the clothes he had on washed and would add $20.00 for his payment. From then on his salary would be $30.00 a show and he would play two shows a night, every night.

The old man was delighted. The pub owner took him to the laundry and set up the payment for tonight. After tonight it would be up to him. He needed a bath before putting on clean clothes, and they just happened to do bathing at the laundry. He paid the fee and was clean and fresh and ready when his clothes were.

His show was a success, and he was paid. He went to the campground and rented a small lot for his tent. From that night on he played his two shows for $60.00 a night. His appearance drew those wanting to learn and so for a small fee the man taught those who were interested and when he passed on from this life they played a song for him to help him on his way.

***********315 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

Friday #fotoflash August 16, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo from Morguefile

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Bones on Display

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

The boys gently lowered the skeleton onto the cart and wheeled it from the classroom. There was a large air vent on one of the walls, and they thought it would be a neat trick to attach it to the opening and see if anyone screamed.

No one had been in the area since they had been watching so they raised the two ladders and then quickly, lifting the top of the skeleton the two boys began climbing, and once the legs were about to come up off the cart, they had the other two boys grasp a hold of the legs.

They pulled it up and slowly wound first the one hand and then the other through the bars. Then they climbed partway down the ladder so they could set the legs in place. It looked pretty scary, so maybe one of the girls would scream. It would be even better if one of the teachers did.

The boys went home for the night, so anxious none of them slept. They couldn’t wait to see what their prank would wreak.

The boys arrived early that morning. They found the police outside. As each person arrived, they were asking them if they knew how the skeleton got there. No one knew, and the boys were quiet. Obviously, their prank went wrong. Thankfully they hadn’t been seen.

The skeleton is still talked about today, but we were all going to take it to our graves with us. I was the last one left, and I had no intention of saying a word, ever!

***********262 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

Thursday photo prompt: Journey #writephoto

Looking for a weekly prompt? This is a good one.

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

Welcome to this week’s writephoto prompt.

If you know where it was taken, please keep it to yourself to let imaginations play. 🙂

Use the image below as inspiration to create a post on your own blog… poetry, prose, humour… light or dark, whatever you choose, by noon (GMT)  Wednesday 21stAugust and link back to this post with a pingback to be included in the round-up.  There is no word limit and no style requirements, except to keep it fairly family friendly.

As I will be away from the computer for a few days, reblogs, comments and acknowledgements may be delayed.

**Please note that many people on WordPress are having problems with pingbacks not getting through. They do need to be approved manually before they show, but to be sure,  please also leave a comment on this post, linking back to your response to the prompt so that I know…

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Friday #fotoflash August 2, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

Photo courtesy of W. Neiman

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Parade Fun

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

Robin stretched out and put her feet up on the windowsill. She couldn’t get comfortable.

Robin was 40 years old and 9 months pregnant. She worked hard today and had no breaks. The restaurant had been busy today, and even though she is only the hostess in her current condition, she is exhausted.

She started to doze off, but the baby was very active right now, and she was afraid she was going to go into labor soon. She stared out the window, trying to pinpoint the hospital among the other buildings.

She had no family, so she will have to call an ambulance when the time comes. Her only friend was working late at the restaurant tonight, and the baby’s father took off as soon as he heard the news of his impending fatherhood.

She felt the first sharp pain. This might be it. She glanced at the clock and checked the time. Another contraction. They are getting closer and even more intense. Now that they are coming every few minutes, she pulled out her phone and called the ambulance quickly explaining her position.

This was her first child, but she was 40 years old, and this wouldn’t be easy. She advised them of her age and that she had been on her feet for the last 12 hours working. They promised to send someone out immediately and for her to make sure that her door was unlocked.

The ambulance didn’t come, and the pains increased. Robin knew the baby was coming, and she was all alone. There was nothing she could do. Her body knew what it needed to do to deliver the baby. She wrapped it in a blanket and was curled around the baby when the ambulance finally got there apologizing for the emergency that held them up. They rapidly went into action and got her, and the baby transferred to the hospital.

She woke up to see her friend and boss waiting to see her. News had gotten to the restaurant.

She looked down at the baby and checked to see if it was a boy or girl. Happily, she had given birth to a girl her very first choice.

***********365 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

 

I want to thank Mws R Writings and Paula Light from Light Motifs II

You both came to my rescue and although you both gave me suggestions for a civilian life title I have chosen Paula’s “From Pancakes to Prozac – A Memoir of a Disturbed Housewife.” This is perfect Paula. And I did start out my psychiatric journey with Prozac, which was a disaster.

Now the next part is figuring out how to represent my childhood. It was fraught with psychiatric episodes from birth and they didn’t talk about it in the 1950s so that was left for me to stumble through although my mother had some kind of anxiety meds that went in my bottles so I could keep the milk down and then she was always on hand watching and had that little white pill waiting if I needed it which I did quite often. My whole life was traumatic and chaotic.

Some suggestions that I came up with for my childhood blog that doesn’t necessarily make sense are:

Afraid of my own Shadow

My Two Cents

Stumbling into adulthood

Rock the Cradle

Beyond the Cradle

The Cradle and Beyond

Manic Mondays (probably being used in some ways since it is a song title)

It’s all in my Head

Thanks again and if anyone else has an idea don’t be afraid to step up. I am open to other ideas.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.

Friday #fotoflash July 26, 2019

DB McNicol’s #fotoflash

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Parade Fun

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

I was costumed in a long beautiful gown made by my mom, and I was wearing a sash that said “Miss Missouri.” My perch was on a long truck bed filled with other girls also wearing different sashes from other states. My hair was long and flowing and dark chestnut. Even though the other girls all had their hair up, I kept mine down. I didn’t like those styles where your hair is all on the top of your head.

The truck went down Main street, and the buildings were filled with those workers who only had a little time to catch a quick view during their lunch. Being a holiday, you would think more people would be off, but they changed the date this year to give the workers a long weekend, so some people had to work still.

“With that long dark hair braided and those high cheekbones you would make a wonderful Native American Indian girl,” my troop leader said beside me while we waited to go on. Maybe we will plan our next float to be about the Native American Indian, and you will be our single head of the float, and all dressed up as an Indian. The other girls can portray other parts of the Indian lifestyle.

Sadly that never came about as it wouldn’t fit the theme of the next year’s parade and I then moved on to another troop.

***********237 words**********

DB McNicol’s Rules:

Welcome to my Friday Foto Flash Fiction challenge! Each Friday I will post a new picture to be used as inspiration for your flash fiction written in 500 words or less. Be sure to include the photo, the source credit, and a link to this post with your story. Entries will close on Thursday at midnight Eastern Time.

Once your post is live, add your link to the list below. I hope you will visit the other entries (and check back often for new stories). Remember to leave them a comment in appreciation. Thank you and enjoy! Here’s your photo prompt.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.