Anyway, my best friend, Rin, is taking some online classes and recently, for her history class, she had to write a paper on the role of women in the 1500's.
She sent me a text (we communicate mostly through texts and sometimes all day long) and said "Help me!"
She explained the paper and how she had an idea to begin the paper with a short bit of fiction. Sort of like a day in the life of a woman in the 1500's.
I wasn't sure how I would be able to help until she said fiction. Fiction! I can do fiction! I love doing fiction!
I did a quick google search and soaked up as much information as I could in a few minutes. I had already done a LOT of research regarding a Mr. William Shakespeare (another project that I really hope to finish one day) all of which was in the 1500's. So, I had a bit of background already.
While Rin worked on the research and technical writing I sat down and pounded out a page of fiction for her. I had fun. It was done very quickly due to Rin midnight deadline and I'm sure I could have fine tuned it a bit but I'm overall happy with the result. And, Rin loved it and it was for her paper anyway.
Now, I'm waiting on a grade right along with her! Haha
Below is the short story I wrote. You can read or not, it's up to you. :)
p.s.I hope she's not graded on my bad grammer/punctuation!
* * * * * * *
Lucy laid her journal on the small stand next to her bed. She picked up the dripping candle and tiptoed to the small cradle. Peaking over the side, she checked on her sleeping baby. Smiling, she crawled back into her own bed. It had been four nights now since her 6 month old Rose had slept through an entire night. She prayed, silently so as not to take any chances, that the streak ended tonight.
Lucy blew out the candle, she had prayed that Rose would stay asleep but that didn't mean she was going to, she wanted to get as much sleep in as she could.
Her mind had other plans. Instead of sleeping she was going over tomorrow's to be done list. She sighed heavily and gave in to her organizational side.
Milicent, Mili for short, had become a great help in her daily routine. Whether she was aiding in the cooking or helping to look after Philipa and Jane, her four year old twin sisters, Mili was a willing worker.
Lucy was thankful for Mili's help. Tomorrow she would set Mili to baking bread and cooking oatmeal, she needed the practice. Lucy smiled to herself thinking of how her Husband's nose wrinkled when he tasted Mili's oatmeal. Yes, she definitely needed practice.
After breakfast and after her Husband was gone to work and Nathaniel, her 13 hear old son, was off to school, it would be time to clean. Philipa and Jane were old enough to help a bit with the floor scrubbing. It was easier on her back as well and they loved sloshing in the water.
So many things to be done. She listed them on a mental sheet in her mind.
- More baking, bread for lunch and dinner. Also an extra two loves for the elderly couple that lived down the lane. They were very advanced in years and her soft-hearted Mili had suggested taking them some food. Lucy loved that girl.
- Taking time with Philip and Jane, teaching them to read. She was taught to read and she would not have her children ignorant, male or female.
- Helping Mili with the matching dresses she was sewing for all four of the girls and mending her Husbands work clothes.
- Tending the garden, Lucy was hoping for some perfect carrots this year.
- Cleaning. The open hearth in the kitchen made the entire house an inch thick with dust.
- Scrubbing clothes. Nathaniel was hard on his clothes lately but they did have some delicious fish to show for it.
- Dinner. Stew, a staple and luckily a favorite among her family.
- When Nathaniel came home she would send him to chop wood for the kitchen.
- All of these things worked around Rose's very demanding schedule. Lucy would swear that baby thought she was a princess or something.
- After dinner, more cleanup and then her favorite time of the day. Her little (was her family still little) gathered around as her Husband read from journals written by his Grandparents. Their stories were wonderful and kept the children (and herself) entertained. She kept her own journals now.
- Bedtime for the Children. After 1,100 trips to the out house and the water barrel and 1,500 hugs from Mother and Father and prayers that lasted an eternity, she would finally have some alone time with her Husband before it was time for sleep.
Lucy smiled again thinking of her family's evening routine. Sometimes her children wore her out but she delighted in them.
A small whine from the cradle next to her bed caused Lucy to hold her breath. Soon the room was quiet again and she exhaled softly before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, worn out just thinking about tomorrow's list.
