Lois Brand
Bio
Sometime writer looking to rekindle the smithy for the word artistry. So, I overdo. It's one of my faults. I'm accused of making much of nothing. But then, I'm so far outclassed...
I love creating no matter what the craft!
Stories (13)
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It's Hard to Say Goodbye
The lightweight aluminum screen door snapped tightly into place, and Gayla waited for her mother to enter before she could follow and close the door to the quiet fifth-wheel trailer. Shirley moved into the kitchen of the large recreational vehicle and Gayla stood just inside the door, unsure about what to do. Shirley at least was shuffling the Visitation book and other papers she’d brought home with her after the memorial service for William, but Gayla didn’t have that to occupy her.
By Lois Brand4 years ago in Families
Hooked on a Winter's Day
Sightseeing on a winter’s day when it’s well below freezing and there’s snow on the ground is best left to the back seat of a warm car driven by a professional. We cruised beautiful buildings both old and new, sculptures of “The Scout,” “The Muse of the Missouri,” and the “J.C. Nichols Fountain” among all the others that left us feeling awed. The snow seemed to add to the ethereal quality of the art. The fountain was partially covered, but the arching beauty of the horses was a call to the great Italian sculptors of another time. The large bronze image of Rodin’s “The Thinker,” even though a duplication, was impressive, and we agreed that the shuttlecocks on the lawn, also found at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, were just silly. The Korean War Memorial, was sobering, as was The Liberty Memorial. The National World War I Monument tower stood starkly over the landscape, where the 217’ tall silhouette was visible for a great distance from the city. The convention center, the opera hall, the sports stadiums, the arena, and the museums, our driver found no shortage of things to be seen.
By Lois Brand4 years ago in Fiction
Happy Just Because Day
“86 degrees and we’re supposed to be thankful it's cooler?” Morgan paused and looked in the shop window of the dark little store on the town square. She was stranded, waiting for the car repairs to be finished, and the relative darkness inside the shop seemed to beckon with coolness. “Antiques and Rarities, Consignments,” she read. That could be interesting. Browsing would definitely be worth it to cool off for a bit.
By Lois Brand4 years ago in Humans
A Locker with ... Love?
“It’s just a storage unit.” She told herself standing in front of the dingy garage door. “Just a ten by ten space rented and forgotten by Michael before he died. I’m surprised it’s still here.” She stood back and waited for the lot manager to use her drill to take out the lock. The squealing of the metal was loud and shrill and went on for longer than Jeanne was comfortable with. She had to admit that that somehow going through Michael’s things after he was gone was leaving her feeling kind of ghoulish. At the same time, there was a definite dullness about it all, and still a mercenary interest for all that he owed her after 14 years together. She just wished he had family closer than 600 miles away in another state.
By Lois Brand4 years ago in Fiction
A Special Breakfast
The diaphanous white curtains billowed in the warm breeze from the ocean through the opened patio doors. I stretched leisurely like a cat, dragging out the extensions, combined with a little creaking sound in my throat as I reached the extent of the stretch. It felt magnificent being here with you, being spoiled by you, and luxuriating in all the rich experiences you had in store for me. The scuba lessons were yet to begin, and you hadn’t brought me to the Maldives just to take in the superlative hospitality.
By Lois Brand4 years ago in Fiction
Revisiting Mary's Old Farm
Tonganoxie, Kansas, a growing community of over 6,000 people now, if you managed to count all the farms. Growing except here, on this farm. Sherry’d left for school, and nothing had been growing much but weeds ever since Frank died. The fields had gone to seed, and the animals had either been sold or wandered off. I knew I should have visited Mary, but with Sherry gone, there didn’t seem to be any urgency in getting out here. Now with Mary’s funeral, which Sherry didn’t even come home for, it put a period on the whole family story.
By Lois Brand5 years ago in Fiction
After the Quake, A Brand New Day
Daylight. Waking from a rough night on the steps of the blown-out office building, Willa found herself clutching the heart-shaped locket given to her by her mother so many years before the world ended. She stretched and took a quick headcount of her charges. Seven children, all were there, asleep in a pile in the cool air. She would let them sleep for a while yet, there was nothing to eat and she would spare their tummies the bad news for as long as possible.
By Lois Brand5 years ago in Fiction
After the Quake, Before the Dawn
“D'mon... Lizzl!” Willa cried, trying to find her younger brother and sister through the shaking house. The walls rocked and cracked as the floor was rolling and bucking. Large chunks were falling loose from the floors above onto the street outside, the ceiling was dropping sections inside making staying inside treacherous at best. Still, Willa looked for D'mon and little Liz’ knowing that her voice was being drowned out by the noise. The sound of grinding stone was inescapable and elsewhere, alarms sounded, set off by the damage of the violent quake. Somewhere was an explosion and an emergency response unit was responding to a crisis.
By Lois Brand5 years ago in Fiction
