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 My Boring Life

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Dick Stodghill
zadaconnaway
Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler


Number of posts : 3827
Registration date : 2008-06-07
Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptySat Jun 14, 2008 7:23 am

Below are the first chapters of my young adult book, My Boring Life.

The title came from my granddaughter, Kelly, and she and my other granddaughter, Megan, are giving me ideas for this book. The personalities of the girls in the book are theirs' but the incidents of their lives are fiction.

My Boring Life
By Carol Troestler
With help from Kelly Brickl and Megan Troestler

The Assignment

“By a week from tomorrow, write an autobiography.” There it had been on the blackboard in white chalk, the dreaded assignment, to write about one’s life. And Kelly began:

My Boring Life

Somehow all my friends have excitement in their lives! One of my friends has eight children in her family. How exciting that would be. Another friend’s father works for the FBI, and another’s father is an airline pilot. Another friend lives in an old house I am sure is haunted.

But my family is so normal, and boring. I have one brother in high school. I have a mother who teaches first grade and a father who is a supervisor at the post office. How boring is that. We live in a two story white house with a porch across the front. That’s it. I have a nice grandma who bakes cookies and a grandpa who likes to work in the yard.

So here I am. No excitement. No mystery. No haunted house. I think I was born into the wrong family. I want excitement. I want mystery. But we are so normal.

Like today, I was walking home from school. The lady at the corner said “Hello, Sweetie,” as she always does. She is a nice enough lady, but just once I’d like to hear something exciting.

So, I was walking home and almost tripped over an old metal box when I walked between two bushes when I cut through a yard. You know, when other people cut through people’s backyards they aren’t supposed to, they get yelled at. But me, never.

Anyway I was cutting through this backyard and under a bush was an old metal box. I almost tripped on it. Well, that’s about all that happened on the way home.

And then when I got home, my mother had chocolate chip cookies waiting. Of course I appreciate that.

I think I want to get to know the girl who lives in the old house that I am sure is haunted. She is a pretty nice girl. Her brother is a little annoying, but whatever. Maybe she’d invite me to sleep overnight. Sleeping in a house with ghosts might be exciting.

The bell rang signaling time to go to the next class.

Megan’s Mansion

“Mom, Kelly’s here,” fourteen year-old Megan shouted as she and Kelly came in the front door. The house was an old red brick house with a wooden porch across the front that extended around the side and to the back. The windows up the staircase by the front door were beautiful stained glass designs that filtered colors on the carpet below.

When Kelly walked in the door, she noticed there was a “parlor” to the right, another parlor behind that one Megan said was the “back parlor” where there was a baby grand piano. Straight ahead was a short hallway and then the dining room and in back of that the kitchen with large windows onto the backyard where there was an old oak tree that looked like it needed to be climbed. In fact, Kelly noticed Megan’s brother and his friend Mitchell were about halfway up in the branches.

Megan’s mother was in the kitchen cooking supper. “Hello, Kelly. I’m glad you could come visit us.” She was tall with long blond hair pulled back with a ribbon. She reminded her of someone but she couldn’t quite place it. She seemed warm and friendly.

“I’m going to show Kelly the rest of the house,” said Megan as she took Kelly by the hand up the back stairway.

Upstairs there was a long hallway with a bathroom and bedrooms on both sides. And then, upstairs above the bedrooms was the ballroom, a large expanse of a room with tall windows and walls lined with paintings. How amazing to live in a three-story house, thought Kelly.

As Kelly stood in the ballroom, she thought about how different it was from her nondescript white two-story house with the small porch out front. Besides how intriguing the house was, Kelly was sure it had to be haunted. Oh, how many families had lived here in the last hundred years at least, wondered Kelly. How many children ran down the staircase, how many beautiful girls in long flowing gowns danced with the men of their dreams, and maybe even some of the occupants had died here. What stories they could tell.

Along the walls of the ballroom were decorative mirrors as well as paintings, very old paintings, except one which Kelly thought had to be a photograph of Megan’s family with her father, mother, brother and her in old fashioned clothes. They must have gone to one of those photographers where you can dress up in old-fashioned clothes, thought Kelly. The young boy in the photo was wearing a black cowboy type hat and the girl that looked like Megan was wearing a beautiful long dress and a big hat with a large feather. The mother and father looked equally handsome, the mother in an elegant satin dress and her father in a fancy velvet suit.

“We could sleep up here if you would like, Kelly. There are some cots we can put up. It is kind of fun to think of all the ladies and men dancing as one falls asleep, like in Cinderella.” It did sound kind of nice, even though Kelly thought they were a little old for the fairy tales from childhood, but the Cinderella story had crossed her mind.

“C’mon, Kelly, let’s go downstairs and see what’s for supper,” said Megan as she headed for the stairs and then ran down them as well as the long hall past the bedrooms and the bathroom and then down the other stairs where the light from the stained glass windows reflected in colors on the carpeted staircase and then back to the kitchen where good smells were coming from pots and the oven. They could have taken the back stairs, but Megan wanted to show Kelly the rest of the house, making a quick stop in Megan’s bedroom.

“We’re having chicken cacciatore, Megan. I hope your friend likes it.,” said Megan’s mother as they arrived in the kitchen.

Chicken what? Kelly thought. All we have at our house are meat and potatoes and pizza and just plain fried chicken. I am sure this is going to be a good night.

“It will be ready soon, Megan. Perhaps you and Kelly can set the table.”
Megan’s mother was wearing tight black pants and a brightly flowered purple blouse with big gold hoop earrings..

“C’mon, Kelly, I’ll show you were the silverware and china are.”

Silverware and china? We have just plain cutlery and dishes at our house.

Megan got the silver and gave it to Kelly. Then she got out the china plates and put them on the table already covered with a tablecloth and a flower centerpiece. As Kelly and Megan set the table in the dining room, Megan’s father came in the front door and Megan ran to greet him and introduced him to Kelly. He was very, very tall.

Megan’s father must be way over six feet tall! I have never seen anyone that tall in my life!

Soon the dinner was ready and Megan’s brother Kevin and his friend Mitchell came in from outside. They were both twelve and equally mischievous. The meal was delicious and went well.

“Mom, we’re going to sleep in the ballroom. Is that all right?”

“As long as you two don’t mind the ghosts of the past,” replied Megan’s mother.

Ghosts of the past?! Kelly thought. Of course I don’t mind the ghosts of the past. This gets more exciting all the time! Kelly just smiled and tried to curb her enthusiasm for chicken cacciatore, china, silver, and ghosts in the ballroom.

After the meal and all helping to clear the table, Mitchell and Kevin disappeared outside.

“C’mon, Kelly, we’ll go up to the ballroom and get the cots out of the secret room.”

Secret room? Good-bye boring life.

They went up the stairs with the stained glass windows, down the hall with the bedrooms, stopped in the bathroom, and then up the stairs to the ballroom. Megan went to the wall just inside and pounded on some oak paneling. A three foot section of paneling suddenly opened on a room where there were cots and bedding. Kelly stood in awe.

“Are you sure you aren’t worried about the ghosts, Kelly? I have never seen them but others have, like my brother and my mother. Of course, my brother sometimes makes up things like that, but he said he saw an old woman up here and described her to my mother and my mother said she had also seen her. Then my father said he saw a young boy in the basement.”

“No, Megan. I’m not afraid of a couple of ghosts.” Kelly tried to keep her enthusiasm under control. Oh, she wasn’t going to sleep this night.
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zadaconnaway
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zadaconnaway


Number of posts : 4017
Registration date : 2008-01-16
Age : 76
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My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptySat Jun 14, 2008 10:58 am

That's great, Carol! My Boring Life 704672
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Dick Stodghill
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Dick Stodghill


Number of posts : 3795
Registration date : 2008-05-04
Age : 98
Location : Akron, Ohio

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptySat Jun 14, 2008 12:56 pm

sunny Neat.
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Betty Fasig
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Betty Fasig


Number of posts : 4334
Registration date : 2008-06-12
Age : 81
Location : Duette, Florida

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 5:04 am

Dear Carol,
I loved it! You have written a winner. I can see the movie right now. Start thinking about who is going to play Kelly and Megan. Like a Star @ heaven Like a Star @ heaven Like a Star @ heaven Like a Star @ heaven Like a Star @ heaven Like a Star @ heaven

Love,
Betty
www.wooffer.com
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Pam
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Number of posts : 1790
Registration date : 2008-02-01
Age : 58
Location : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 5:35 am

Great start Carol! My Boring Life 986243
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Abe F. March
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Number of posts : 10768
Registration date : 2008-01-26
Age : 85
Location : Germany

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 1:51 pm

Story telling is in your blood. Your first two books are proof of that.
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awol
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Number of posts : 86
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My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 3:31 pm

Are you sure about the title? If I saw that in a bookstore, I wouldn't be tempted to pick it up.

--Melinda
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Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler


Number of posts : 3827
Registration date : 2008-06-07
Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 4:15 pm

Thanks for the comments, Abe, Pam, Betty and Dick.

Melinda, my granddaughter Kelly came up with the title and my other grandchildren agreed, that often their lives were boring. We try to give them as much excitement as we can!!

Kelly in the story finds there was really excitement all around her and rewrites her autobiography which will be the last chapter. It is for young adults, but adult adults could read it also.

My other books are in the middle and high school libraries. They have been checked out even if they were not meant for this age group.

Carol


My Boring Life 492623 My Boring Life 573627 My Boring Life 354181
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Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler


Number of posts : 3827
Registration date : 2008-06-07
Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 4:15 pm

Zada,

Thanks to you also.

Carol
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awol
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My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 6:09 pm

ah, that's different, then:lol: Laughing
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Pam
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Pam


Number of posts : 1790
Registration date : 2008-02-01
Age : 58
Location : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life EmptyWed Jun 18, 2008 7:20 pm

I remember when the hit show called "My So Called Life" first came out, I thought that it was kind of an unusual hook, but the teenagers really ate it up! I think yours works Carol. Make sure your grandaughter's collecting names and addresses of all her friends so she can mail them an advertisement when you get it published. They think that getting real "mail" is cool too.
Kids are funny. Cool
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My Boring Life Empty
PostSubject: Re: My Boring Life   My Boring Life Empty

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