Ann Ringle
Bio
A fledgling writer using this space to stretch her skills to get better. She is a stepmother, dog lover, enthusiastic about crafts and diy, and is engaged.
Stories (6)
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Our Trip to Europe
Before the pandemic hit, I traveled through Europe with my boyfriend. We were really lucky, his company was holding a conference in Katowice, Poland. After his initial work week, I got to come up and we had two weeks of vacation. Due to the fact that we were Americans who had grown up in poorer households, this was the first time we traveled out of the country. We both had to get passports and brush up on a few common phrases in French and German. When I think back to my time abroad, my initial thoughts have to do with stereotypes and language. The second thought deals with how awful travel can be.
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in Wander
Done Listening
It was a bright fall day in the humid Midwest. Cicadas were screaming and the air smelled like hay. An 8 year old girl tugged at her black shorts, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She felt strange and fat. Her legs felt huge. Her arms felt awkward. The shorts were cutting into her skin. She felt nonathletic and embarrassed to be there. She was getting her picture taken for soccer and was happy. She felt anxious and itchy. The sad part was, she liked soccer a lot. She liked sports a lot. She was an active girl but she had started to think she was not enough and too much at the same time. She wasn't stick thin like other girls and she was tall and awkward. She didn't like how her body felt... mostly because no one had told her it was okay to be in a body like hers. All the women around her dieted and all the men commented on the women's bodies. How was she supposed to know any different?
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in Humans
Love of Pie
Summers of my youth meant week long vacations at my grandmother’s house. On her farm, we would roam with an overprotective German Shepherd. His soft fur and doggy smell were comforting and warm. We ate Italian ice for lunch and swam all afternoon until my grandfather grilled our dinner. My grandmother’s garden was full of flavors of the earth; oregano, rosemary, and dill. Her tomatoes tasted like sunshine and the sauce she made from them was fire itself. I learned to appreciate the earth and what it gave to us, from her. Not only were the flavors produced in her kitchen exceptional, but the experiences were burned into my memory. The one dish that stands out in my mind was her rhubarb pie.
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in Feast
America Needs a Facelift
The world is burning, before it was a slow burn but now it’s an inferno. We’ve reached a moment in American society where there doesn’t seem to be an organization or movement that is truly for the downtrodden. We are in a weird position where minorities and those on the fringes of society have more rights than years past, but aren’t quite prospering or equal to everyone else. Some days it feels like there will never be an inclusive functioning society. As the saying goes, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. Our laws were written to keep out others and lift up the powerful. We need to get rid of old rules that no longer serve us. We need to enact change, but we have been cornered by the laws that hold our country together.
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in The Swamp
The Old Woman
When I was little I would have terrifying dreams. I would dream I was at the edge of a cliff about to fall into thorns. Many times snakes would surround me and pull me to the ground, ready to consume me. I would get sucked into rivers and be pulled along unable to breathe. Monsters would chase me. Ships would sink. Every time I’d wake up an old woman would be standing at the foot of my bed. I would be paralyzed by fear until she’d fade away. She became the bringer of nightmares.
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in Horror
Treatment of Dogs: The great divide.
On lazy saturday mornings my fiance sleeps in while the dog and I eat eggs together. He gets one scrambled egg with a dash of cheese, while I get an omelette. He scarfs his down while I relax on the couch and drink my coffee. After breakfast we take a leisurely walk for an hour. Sometimes, if it’s chilly, he wears a sweater or jacket. Our Sundays are pretty similar. On not so relaxed weekends, he still gets his eggs and walk. Our routine is important. During the week, my fiance works from home so he feeds him wet food for lunch and they sit outside together. Our dog has three small bins of toys and constantly dumps them out so I have to pick them up. He loves fetch, stuffed animals, and squeaky balls. We have an 8 year old that is with us 50% of the time, and she is his best friend. He has gone to several dog training classes and goes to doggy daycare regularly. He’s only 15 lbs, but his intelligence is great. We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old, and two years later he has only had two accidents in the house. He learns tricks quickly, he knows the names of the people in our family, and in his own doggy way tries to communicate with us.
By Ann Ringle5 years ago in Petlife
