Post 1502. Tuesday April 11
A-Z Challenge 2017
*Before I start, I should explain that it is usual in the UK to say ‘bless you’ to someone who sneezes!
Today I’m introducing you to Iris. She is famous for her wonderful flowers. Before you meet her, I should warn you that some days she suffers sneezing fits. Something to do with a pollen allergy, which is rather unfortunate given her passion for all things petalish. Hopefully not today though! Look, there she is in her garden. Isn't it beautiful?
Hi Iris, here we are.
Oh, bless you Iris!
She doesn’t say thank you when we bless her sneeze. Apparently, doing so kills a fairy. Doesn’t it Iris?
Oh, bless you Iris!
Iris always has the best exhibits at the annual flower show in the Village Hall, don’t you Iris?
Oh, gesundheit Iris! That’s German for ‘bless you’ you know!
As I was saying, people stopped entering the competition knowing Iris would win. So we decided to give her an annual trophy and the rest of us have our own competition. Arthur won last year. He grew the tallest sunflower we’d ever seen, didn’t he Iris?
Oh, Iris, yuck! You’ve splattered my friends with your...your...sneezey stuff. Sorry about that folks. Here you are, take a tissue.
Talking of Arthur, here he comes now. Hi Arthur, I was telling them about your prize sunflower.
Your prize sunflower Arthur!
Forget it. See you tomorrow guys, 'bye Iris
Oh, bless you Iris!
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Bless you, Iris!
ReplyDeleteShe accidentally said thank you Romi, so now she has to clap twice to bring the fairy back to life!
DeleteLove the flowers of spring, but sneezing is getting more and more a bother. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteYes, she was having one of her bad day! Thanks Yolanda.
DeletePoor Iris, her passion is also her undoing. Great idea, giving her a special trophy and letting everyone else compete against each other.
ReplyDeleteIt was the only way to go! Thank you so much.
DeleteIris is a good name for a flower-lover. Too bad about the sneezing, though.
ReplyDeleteDonna Smith
Mainely Write
IMALDNE
My thoughts entirely Donna. Cheers
DeleteVery nice. ~grin~ Happy Blogging!
ReplyDeleteThank you Darla
DeleteNice. Nothing like a little hay fever to give the flowers some extra incentive to bloom.
ReplyDeleteThe Ninja Librarian’s Favorite Characters
Sometimes her smeeze blows the petals off! Cheers Rebecca
DeleteConstantly sneezing Iris...loved the idea! A small seed of thought can be woven into a great tale, as you did it so wonderfully!!!
ReplyDelete-------------------------
Team MocktailMommies
Collage Of Life
Beautifully said, thank you.
DeleteI love that her name is Iris! Such fun reading your posts poking gentle fun at people.
ReplyDeleteIndividuality #Lexicon of Leaving
Having fun, poking fun! They don't mind. Thanks Kalpanaa
DeleteSounds like Iris needs a new hobby!
ReplyDeleteCalen~
Impromptu Promptlings
A to Z Challenge Letter H
She thinks it's worth itso she'll sneeze on! Thank you Calen~
DeleteIris would be better off with a non-petalish (love this word you have made up here!)hobby...LadyInRead@MyRandRSpace - For Day 11 of#UBC & #AtoZChallenge - My I Post
ReplyDeleteMaybe making artificial flowers? I'll suggest it. Thanks LIR
DeleteNice story! Bless you, Keith! :)
ReplyDeleteAaa-choo moon! Chees
DeleteLoved this. A story in so few words and good idea giving a separate trophy to Iris. Bless her.
ReplyDeletehttps://smitasangle.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/h-is-for-hair-a-story-on-sexual-harassment-at-workplace/
I am a man of few words! Too lazy to write more. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for visiting.
DeleteLol, poor Iris!
ReplyDeleteI know, but it doesn't seem to bother her! Thanks Annalisa
DeleteHi Keith - poor Iris ... and then of course the writer dealing with the sneezes and Arthur; still they're lucky the village looks after them both ... and pampers to their needs ... cheers lovely amble around ... Hilary
ReplyDeletehttp://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/i-is-for-ice-age-art.html
Yes Hilary, I really feel sorry for the writer! I'm glad you enjoyed your amble today.
DeleteAS I sit here with my runny nose and itchy eyes waiting for my morning dose of allergy meds to kick in.... Us gardeners all seem to have allergies to flowers, don't you know. I realize now that I should have posted an iris picture to go along with my ice cream.
ReplyDeletePoor you! Tell you what, I'll swap you Iris for your gorgeous ice cream!
DeleteShe's named after a flower and is allergic to pollen. Perfect. Great image of people being covered by 'sneezey stuff'. I fancied Arthur might be a proud gardener.
ReplyDeleteI hope you weren't too close to your screen when sneezed!
DeleteA-choo! I'm a gardener who sneezes around certain flowers. My favorites (stargazer lilies and lilacs) cause the most nose tickles. Nice to connect here. My Virtual Vineyard
ReplyDeleteOh dear, another sneezer! Bless you!
DeleteWe say "Bless you" too when someone sneezes
ReplyDeleteWhat I was told by Grandmammy was when someone sneezes their heart stops for a second and if everyone says bless you then the person gets a lot of blessings and doesnt die :D
A Peice Of My Life
I prefer that to our version where we murder faries! Bless you DeeDee
DeleteI think she's got used to the sneezing. It's probably more a bother for other people, especially with the sneezy stuff!
ReplyDeleteSneezing is a way of life to her! Cheers Nick
DeleteBless you, Iris. I sympathise. Flowers are kept out of my house for similar reasons. Thankfully I don't run a flower shop!
ReplyDelete...and I sympathise with you Iain! A adore flowers and my flat resembles a flower shop!
DeleteAllergies and flowers aren't a good mix! poor Iris
ReplyDeleteDebbie
They are certainly not! Thanks Debbie
DeleteLovely irony. ;) Poor Iris, sounds exhausting with all that sneezing.
ReplyDeleteA to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs
I'm sure you have remedy for it Sara!
Delete"An annual trophy for Iris and the rest of us have our own competition'... hahaha that's so funny. Loved meeting Iris, even though she is a sneezing machine.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's only fair on the rest of us! Thanks Shilpa
DeleteIt made me think of the Downton Abbey gardening contest with the Dowager Countess...fun! Only of course she cheated.
ReplyDeleteI really like your narrative voice. It's a great way to connect these letters and has a gentle, humorous tone.
Happy A to Zing!
That hadn't occurred to me, but you are spot on! I wasn't sure if the conversational style would work, but it seems to be going down ok. Thanks for your comment Andrea
DeleteI wonder how the conversation will go between Arthur and Iris? :) I really like the thread of humour that runs all through your A-Z posts.
ReplyDeleteNilanjana
Madly-in-Verse
Now the competitive element has been removed they get on fine! Thanks Nilanjana
DeleteI thought it was common around the world to say "bless you" when someone sneezes. There's a story behind it ... maybe so your heart will start back up or something. Oh great, now I gotta go look it up!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure if it was. I prefer the fairy version! Thanks John
DeleteLoved the way you narrated the story...Poor Iris ! Don't we say "Bless You" when someone sneezes ?
ReplyDeleteLaunching SIM Organics This April
*Menaka Bharathi *
*SimpleIndianMom*
Always rember to clap twice if the sneezer says thank you and then the fairy will come back to life!
DeleteJust wiping myself down here... my husband is allergic pollen and his sneezes are deafening!
ReplyDelete@Raesquiggles from
The Quiet Writer
Bless you, Iris! Glad to meet you. No, don't say thank you. I don't want a fairy's blood on my hands! Amble Bay is amazing. Keep writing, Keith. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how humbled I feel by your kind words. Thanks Shweta
DeleteDelightfully funny! You truly are a witty writer, Keith! Reading your stories is so enjoyable!
ReplyDeletePraise indeed coming from such an excellent writer. Thanks so much.
DeleteI didn't know about the poor fairies. I am sure I must have killed hundreds in my time. I love that The village has found a terrific compromise for the other gardeners as well as acknowledging Iris's talents. Visiting from A to Z
ReplyDeleteI is for Ipswich: Hintlesham Hall and the Crespigny family
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Anne Young
Anne's family history
Me too Anne. Next time remember to clap twice to revive them!
DeleteOh Mutterin' magpies - to think of how many fairies I may have killed! Iris is a lovely name for a flower lover ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove your expression! Cheers diedre
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