A flash fiction story unfolding over lukewarm coffee and sharp words. Set in a busy coffee shop, a writer overhears drama over coffee
One childhood memory still echoes louder than the rest—a single phone call that changed everything. In that moment, time slowed, voices blurred, and nothing felt the same again. This is the story of what I heard, what I felt, and how one quiet call carved itself into the center of my growing up.
Based on a real sixth-grade classroom disaster, this story follows one girl’s very public battle with a clipboard, a book report, and one very literal maintenance man.
I may not be a cook (ask my husband), but this easy homemade vegetable soup is my no-fail favorite. No dumplings, no stress—just simple, hearty veggies in a cozy, comforting broth that actually tastes good. Yes, even I pulled this off.
Agnes Elizabeth Franks Powell Peebles (1902-1979). She stood on the far right at my parents’ wedding–Grandma Peebles. In reality, she was my great-grandmother. Each year I would spend time at Grandma Peebles’ house. It wasn’t a very big house. It was a rectangular house with a large front room and kitchen, a small hall with two bedrooms and a bath between them. The kitchen...
Before my first 5K run, I used to notice how runners in the Olympics and at track meets looked so lean and perfectly in sync. Their arms and legs pumped rhythmically. Torsos slightly bent. Nostrils flaring on the inhale, mouths parted on the exhale. You could even see their abs expand and contract as they breathed. It was amazing. Everything on me jiggles when I run.My arms, my thighs, even parts...
A raw free verse poem written during one of the most difficult seasons of my life—when I was emotionally drained and spiritually weary. This piece echoes the quiet truth of what it feels like to keep pushing when you’re past empty.
What started as a harmless joke about yardwork turned into years of suburban drama involving flowerbeds, vicious dog accusations, and even a tiny dog mystery. Sometimes, good fences don’t help.
I’ve owned the original Titan Peeler since 2010—and just re-bought it in its new form: the Pro Peeler. Here’s my honest take on whether this $19.99 kitchen tool still holds up in 2025.
I was the target of a family prank at a solemn memorial stop on a road trip — and I didn’t see it coming. A short story about unexpected laughs, growing up, and never living it down.
The night before our son was born, my husband gave himself a DIY haircut—right in the middle of my contractions. This funny birth story is proof that sometimes chaos makes the best memories.
Editor’s Note (Updated 2025): This post originally ran in 2008, but the lessons (and the laugh) are still on point. I’ve dusted it off, added a cartoon, and updated the format so it’s ready for a new generation of ostriches. . Revised and edited May, 2025. There’s an old myth that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when danger comes. Some call it the ostrich mentality, when life hits too...
Vicky Edwards is a writer, storyteller, and lifelong observer of life’s everyday messes. She blogs about memories, grandkids, life, and all the weird little moments in between—some of it’s true(ish), some of it’s not, but it’s all accompanied by a tear or a smile. She’s written for The DeQueen Dispatch, contributed to national history projects, and served as an editorial assistant for The Lindenwood Review.