Thanks to Sue Vincent of The Daily Echo for her Thursday #writephoto prompt.
Going Hungry
“Eat your dinner.” Mogreth’s father wagged a half-eaten leg bone at the meat sizzling on the flames.
“I’m not hungry.” Mogreth slumped on the log bench.
“Your mother’s testing a new marinade. The least you can do is try it.”
Mogreth watched his mother gnaw on a thigh bone. Last night, she cooked a rump roast that his father gobbled without taking a breath. Tomorrow, she would probably grill ribs slathered in fat. Maybe stir up a meaty stew with grisly leftovers and giblets. Mogreth wrinkled his nose at the thought. “Why can’t we steam some broccoli or cauliflower?”
“Vegetables are horrible for your health,” his mother said. “Have you ever considered the havoc they wreak on your digestion?”
“Disgusting,” his father muttered and tossed the bone over his shoulder into the growing pile.
“I could grow my own,” Mogreth pleaded. “I found the perfect spot for a garden.”
His parents sighed with weariness, exhausted by his perpetual nagging. But he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t like other teenagers with their bristly hair and yellow, stumpy teeth. His room was immaculate, clothes pressed, shoes polished to a spiffy nut-brown. He studied books on horticulture and nutrition, his thick fingers gliding over the glossy pictures. If he had his druthers, he’d spend his days digging in the soil, pockets bulging with seed packets and dreams brimming with the perfect zucchini.
He stared into the fire. No one understood his longing, his peers least of all. They preferred exploring caves, stomping on small animals, and clubbing villagers, a divergence in tastes that made him a prime target for teasing.
“You really should try this.” His father beckoned to his mother for another crispy morsel. “The sauce adds just the right amount of zing. Clears the sinuses. Nothing like food roasted over an open flame.”
Mogreth’s mother giggled at the compliment. “Don’t wait too long or your father’s going to suck the meat off that last bone.”
“Help yourself.” Mogreth waved a gloomy hand at the charred meat. He might be a troll, but the whole idea of munching on villagers disgusted him. He’d rather go hungry.
A bit of silliness since I’m in an editing fog.
Thanks for reading!
Myths of the Mirror 
I was wondering why they would only eat meat. Trolls, it makes total sense…love it! I hope he gets what he wants 🙂
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Ha ha. Glad you liked my little story, Antonia. I hope Mogreth gets his garden too. 🙂
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[…] D. Wallace Peach at Myths of the Mirror […]
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I loved this, Diana! I wish i wrote silliness like this! 🙂
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Oh, you do just fine with silly, Judy. It is really fun, isn’t it? Thanks for reading. Have a great day. 🙂
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It is great fun, and what’s more it brings a smile to the faces of the reader – and the writer! I hope you have a lovely day too :-
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Well editing fog or not I loved the story!!
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Thanks for the visit! My head went straight to trolls and the rest just happened. Happy Valentine’s Day. 😀
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Loved it !
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This is a great story – reminds me of the song The reluctant cannibal by Flanders & Swann.
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I haven’t heard of that song. Sounds like a hoot. Thanks for reading. Sue’s prompts are a great reason to write 🙂
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[…] Continue reading here: Going Hungry […]
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Thanks for sharing, Sue 🙂
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Fun read, Diana–the small details are what make this story live and breathe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Thanks for taking a peek, Cathleen. A bit of silliness, but I needed the break from editing. Happy Valentine’s Day. ❤
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And a happy Valentine’s Day to you as well. 🙂
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Wow 😳 great 👍 now even I am feeling hungry with all those ribs, chops etc. A great piece of writing and funny too.
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Ha ha. Thanks. I don’t recommend eating villagers, though. Thanks for checking out my troll story. 🙂
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Ya of course they will not eat cause they r veggies, but u wrote so well. Great 👍
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Delightful. I didn’t see that ending coming.
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Oh good. I’m glad I didn’t let the punchline out too soon. A quick silly one, Jacqui, but fun. Thanks for reading. 🙂
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“Clears the sinuses.” 😂 This made me never want to eat meat again. It truly was disgusting (the meat descriptions, not your writing). Loved this!
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Me too. Ugh. Even if it was cows or pigs, it makes the eating of flesh pretty gross. I’m glad you got a laugh, though. It was fun to write. 🙂
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Even if… Still gross. Sucking flesh off the bone kind disgusts you in a way that transcends species, no?
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Yes. Ha ha. It was meant to be gross 🙂
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I know you said you’re in an editing fog, but I loved this, I could totally see an illustrated version in a kids book – this one has legs. Love it when a piece of flash is like that.
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Thanks Sacha. The clubbed and dismembered villagers might be kind of intense for a kid’s book! Ha ha. But a vegetarian troll may be fun 🙂 Thanks for the visit. Have a great week!
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Well that was more what I was getting at, but kids don’t realise the consequences of these things! There’s some horrific stuff in kids books 😂😂
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I figured. I was just teasing. You had me laughing out loud 😀
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Haha love this one!!!!!
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Thanks, Lynn. Pretty silly and I’m glad you got a laugh out of it. Hope you’re having a great Sunday ❤
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Thanks
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A cute fun read 🙂
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Thank you. A quick silly one. Thanks for reading 🙂
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A (human) mother-of-a-teenager fantasy. 😝
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Ha ha ha. Picky eaters, huh? My daughter was a picky eater and now she has one. What goes around comes around!
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Karma personified in a fantastical way. 🙂
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Well done, such a fun story. ❤ the surprise-ending!
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Thanks, Marcia. I tend to write such dark stuff, this was fun for a change. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Diana, if you wrote that in a fog… Well, I’m always impressed, but even more so. I enjoyed the heck out of that. Have a sensational Saturday. Mega hugs!
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Thanks, Teagan. It took a couple hours or so includng a few edits. Pure silliness. I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀 Mega hugs and have a great weekend!
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Mogreth! I should have known from the beginning 🙂 Brilliant twist, great story 🙂
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The name was the first clue, Inese. Glad you enjoyed my goofy story and got a chuckle out of the twist. Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend 🙂
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Thank you Diana! Have a great weekend! 🙂
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Never had a clue about that ending, Diana. Led me completely up the garden path. I hope they never eat any of us bloggers. 😱
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Thanks for reading, Hugh. A couple people suspected the punchline up front, but I fooled a few. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my silly story!
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lol… I love it!
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Thanks, Steven. Getting a little nutty with the endless editing (4 books at once!) So it was fun to do something light and silly. Glad you got a chuckle. Have a great weekend 🙂
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Yikes! You have a busy schedule. Best of luck and have a great weekend. 🙂
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I have to say, knowing you — and given the name Mogreth — I assumed they were cannibals. And, essentially … I was right. You crack me up. At least you avoided the obvious line of Mogreth’s mother adding, “We’ll be having a few people for dinner tomorrow night.”
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Ha ha ha. I wish I’d added that line! Hee hee. A few readers guessed it right up front, some were surprised at the end. So fun. Just getting a little loopy here, Erik, as I’m focusing on slow editing and trying to see each word. My eyes and brain are drying out 🙂
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Loopy is a good thing in my world.
Fun old post of mine, if you’re in the mood, about my own loopy space, which I call “Kermit’s Closet”: The Best Advice So Far: kermit”. Actually, I revised this into the book chapter on laughter, so you’re already familiar with it!
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Always a joy to reread. Thanks!
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Loved it! 🙂
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Thanks for the comment, Linda! Hope you are doing well, my friend. Have a wonderfull weekend 🙂
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Loved it D! thank you very much for sharing!!!
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Oh goodness, Hector. This was just a silly one from a foggy head. It was fun to go light and try for a punchline. Thanks for reading!
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Sometimes foggy heads are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!!!!
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A garden is good for the soul, but that meat sounded pretty good! I don’t know about munching on the villagers, ha ha…made me chuckle, Diana. Great descriptive writing, as always. Have a super weekend my friend 😀
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Thanks, Lana. Once Trolls popped into the head, the silliness began. Glad you got a chuckle! Enjoy your weekend!
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Definitely silly but also weirdly relatable.
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Definitely not an epic piece of fiction. Ha ha. I did try to make it familiar on some level, Jay, but hopefully not too relateable. 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.
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Well, now, this really threw me. Good one, Diana! 🙂
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Ha ha ha. I had to add a fantasy element to it, Mary. Trolls just came to my head and why not a barbeque? Thanks for reading 🙂
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Works for me! 🙂
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Aaaaaahhh!!!! I was actually salivating a little at the description of that meat (I am hungry today hahah) but then that ending! Also I did chortle at the ‘good for your sinuses’ bit 😀 Wonderfully executed, Diana. Love it!
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I’m glad you didn’t figure it out. Ha ha. Thanks for reading my silly troll story and have a great weekend 🙂
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I’m so glad I didn’t too! I hope you have a great weekend also 🙂
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I was getting hungry until I read the ending….. lol…. 😉
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Ha ha. Thanks for reading my silly story, Michelle, and I’m glad you didn’t guess it too soon 🙂 Have a great weekend.
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You’re welcome D. and you too! 😉
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Your editing fog is quite scary!! It dragged me to stone age! My best wishes Diana. 🙂
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Ha ha. Just silliness, Balroop. I needed a break from the drudgery of scouring for typos and boring words. Thanks for reading 🙂
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I loved all the culinary references in this! Marinade with just the right zing to it, lol! It’s a perfectly good silly story for a Friday morning. 🙂
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Thanks, Kathryn. I tried to make the villager-cooking experience as ordinary as possible without going overboard. Very silly, but I enjoyed putting it together. Happy Cooking, my friend 🙂
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“The sauce adds just the right amount of zing. Clears the sinuses.” Oh, that made me laugh. I bought a horseradish sauce the other day, and when I tried I couldn’t breathe for a minute or two.
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Ha ha. A little horseradish to spice up the roasted villager! 😀 We like horseradish too and, wow, occasionally it makes the eyes water. Glad you got a chuckle from my troll story.
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A vegetarian troll – now that’s imaginative! Great read – very funny.
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Thanks, Russell. It’s a silly one, but I was in the mood for something light (other than the poor villagers, I guess). Thanks for the visit. 🙂
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LOL! Love this! Poor Mogreth. I’ll bet he doesn’t realize how much weeding is involved in a garden. 😀 Thanks for this wonderful scene, Diana!
Have a great weekend!
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I don’t think he’s considered the weeding, Julie. He may opt for eating villagers – it’s a whole lot easier. 😀 Thanks for reading my silly story.
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Made me chuckle. What’s a poor, health conscious, troll to do…
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Exactly. Ha ha. He might have to raid the villagers’ gardens. Glad you got a chuckle, Allie.
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As a troll, he really would be different. No more clubbed villagers for him. Cute story and good writing, Diana. 😀 — Suzanne
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Thanks, Suzanne. I had to go a little lighter today to clear some of the fog. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Can’t say I expected it to be villagers – good one!
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So interesting that some readers guessed it right from the start and others were surprised. Thanks for reading my bit of silliness this morning 🙂
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Oh, no. The villagers ??? I didn’t see it coming, I was just impressed with a cave man vegetarian scenario !! That was fun.
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Ha ha. Well that’s good that it was a bit of a surprise. Glad you enjoyed it, Van. 🙂
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The only trollI knowhas a penchant for chocolate and licquorice 😉 Brilliant, Diana 🙂
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Ha ha. Thanks, Sue. I don’t know why trolls came to mind. But it was fun to go with a little light fun. Thanks for the prompt. 🙂
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They make themselves felt when they choose 😉
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My grin arrived early, was maintained throughout and developed into a chuckle by it’s fine conclusion. An aptly amusing tale for a Friday afternoon, thanks D 🙂
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Thanks, Phil. My head is really in a fog, so I had to go light and fun or it would be nothing at all. Glad I made you smile. 🙂
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I do hope he finds his garden some day. And may mom & dad stay home!! Poor Mogreth. All he wants is a carrot. 🥕
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Ha ha. Yeah, the poor guy. He probably brushes his teeth too. 🙂 Thanks for reading my silly story.
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I certainly hope so LOL
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Great fun and you’re on top form even in your editing fog! These aren’t exactly the trolls I have in mind when out for walks in the forest – hopefully, they’ll be the vegetarian thoughtful kin of Mogreth!
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I had to go a little lighter and silly to counter the drudge of word by word editing. Yes, I hope if you meet any trolls in the woods, they are vegetarians.
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I don’t know why, but from the first mention of leg bone I figured it was more likely villagers than mutton. Nice one.
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You picked up on it quick then. 🙂 Great minds think alike, Trent. Ha ha. Thanks for reading.
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OK, truthfully I didn’t think “villagers” right away, but I instantly thought “human”. I guess when someone is gnawing on a leg bone, that’s usually what it is 😉
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In my family it would be chicken 🙂 I’m going to be careful in your neck of the woods if human is the first thing that comes to mind! Ha ha.
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Love it! It kind of reminds me of “Herb the Vegetarian Dragon” which is a children’s story about a vegetarian dragon who tends a garden and is constantly nagged by the other dragons who are meat eaters. My girls loved that book!
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Hi, Lisa. That sounds like a great book. My silly story makes me want to eat salads. 😀 Thanks for the visit!
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My pleasure!
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D-rool, D-rool!
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Ha ha ha. Yummy. Just being silly this morning, Richard. I’m in the middle of switching out 2000 “was” and “had” for more interesting words. Ugh.
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I’m hearing you. I’m just finishing some extra Into Eternity editing and it’s wearing me down LOL 😳😬
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I seem to have developed an affinity for the words “only” and “just” along with a bunch of others. If I only could just write cleaner the first time around.
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I use ‘just’ too much and when I’m writing period pieces ‘really’.
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Yes, “really” is on my list too. I had 33 wimpy words that I check. It takes forever and my eyes cross.
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Yeah, but mine was because what I was writing was ‘really’ old. 😄👍
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:). Now I am hungry! ❤
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Hee hee. Enjoy some legs, thighs and ribs. 😀
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Smiling … Great punch line!!
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Thanks for the visit, Val. Just being goofy this morning. Makes me want to be a vegetarian. 🙂
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I was waiting for the punch line. Good one. I hope the troll gets out from under the bridge.. Maybe he will meet Disney and star in a movie.
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Ha ha. I don’t know why my head went immediately to trolls, Bernadette. Very silly, but I had a nice break from some dull editing. 🙂
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