Shirley Belk
Bio
Mother, Nana, Sister, Cousin, & Aunt who recently retired. RN (Nursing Instructor) who loves to write stories to heal herself and reflect on all the silver linings she has been blessed with :)
Achievements (1)
Stories (333)
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My Mother's Spaghetti
Not many of us would turn down a good bowl of spaghetti, right? Especially our mom's. But how many of us would be crazy enough to tell the chef what to add or subtract from the ingredients or how to "plate it" once it was finished on the stove? I think probably the only one we could get by doing those antics to would be our mom? Other chefs might go Chef Ramsey on us but, in fact, some moms might dump their concoctions on top of our heads if we squawk too much, so fair warning!
By Shirley Belk10 months ago in Feast
That Which is Behind Us
I already know that this posting is not going to be popular. I already know that many find RFK, Jr. wacky and despicable. I already know that some will have a melt-down, a shut-out, or a rambling-rant because of what he is saying in this video. I also know that what he is saying, must be heard.
By Shirley Belk10 months ago in History
Familiar Faces. Runner-Up in 500 Word Shockwave Challenge. Content Warning.
Detective Xavier Perry bent over to check and re-check for the pulse on the young man that he had just shot, mistaking him for having a gun. Stunned to see only a cell phone in the right hand of a somewhat familiar face that he couldn't put a name to just yet. It was probably someone he had arrested before, he told himself. It was the shock and disbelief, the deep remorse of taking the life of an unarmed kid. A kid probably not even sixteen or seventeen. The kid with no pulse to be found.
By Shirley Belk10 months ago in Fiction
Who exactly was St. Patrick?
Every year on March 17th, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Even though I am now seventy years old, I still remember grade school years on that day. It was met with fun and anticipation, giggles as we chased each other around, and a "green" light for pinching those that had not worn anything green in color. But now, I realize that I never really knew much about the man behind all this frolicking about. Who, exactly, was this St. Patrick anyways?
By Shirley Belk11 months ago in History
Five Bullets
I've said it before, that in my opinion, we Americans have made an art out of complaining. We complain about the weather, our spouses, which genre of music is "the best," and on and on the incessant grumbling continues. But what we love to complain the very most and the loudest about is : OUR GOVERNMENT.
By Shirley Belk11 months ago in The Swamp
This is Suse Lowenstein. Top Story - February 2025.
Four years ago, I wrote of a time/circumstance that told of a very dark place of which I was going through...a transition that I had not wanted to experience. But sometimes, neither dread nor prayers can prevent that part of life.
By Shirley Belk11 months ago in Art
The Year was 1970
The year was 1970. I would be sixteen that June. I find that to fully understand the world as it today in 2025, one must go back to that particular year first. So, I hope you will indulge my urgings to watch this "flashback" to get a glimpse into what life felt like from the perspective of a teenager (who didn't have instant access to information from either a cell phone or computer and had to rely on newspapers, libraries, and only three networks of television News: ABC, CBS, & NBC.)
By Shirley Belk11 months ago in History
