Another Audio Story! Independent Bookstore Day! Racehorses!
- vickyearle
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
This is Audi's World patiently waiting to go out on the track for a run. He's a handsome guy and a happy camper!
He is doing much better this year. Keep your fingers crossed for him!
There is a very short video clip of him at the end of this post, along with a pic of his BFF Rizzmo and a brief update.
I'm thrilled to be invited to the celebration at Blue Heron Books, Uxbridge, Ontario, on Saturday, April 25. It's Independent Bookstore Day! About 30 authors will be present, and it will be a fun-packed day.
I will be there from 10 am until noon.
Blue Heron Books is a wonderful supporter of local authors. I am immensely grateful for their assistance in selling my books. It means a lot to me.
I hope you can visit. I'd love to see you, and you'll have a great time!
This is my latest story.
I have recorded it. I've also pasted the text below.
As usual, it is a word challenge story that I read to members of the Uxbridge Writers' Circle (what a great group!).
The words I had to use are shown in italics.
They are: plebiscite, port, dandelion, oxidation, fool, metaphysics, phoenix, gallivant, gallery.
I hope you enjoy it.
Link to recording:
Rebirth
“He’s quite mad, you know, dear,” says Mildred as she pushes cool green beans around her plate with her fork.
“What makes you say that?” asks Esther as she eyes Mildred’s beans. She would have enjoyed those. They’re wasted on Mildred.
“He keeps blurting out ridiculous things. He’s a fool.” She puts her fork down and glares at a young man, obviously fresh out of kindergarten, who hasn’t quite made it to their table yet to refill their coffee cups.
“You should keep your voice down, Mildred.”
“Nonsense. Nobody knows who I’m talking about.”
The young man hovers by their table.
“Yes, yes, we want more coffee,” Mildred snaps. “And a cookie.”
The young man nods. “You were talking about Professor Mason,” he says as he slops coffee into their saucers as well as their cups. Mildred gasps.
“Professor Mason?” asks Esther. “Is his first name Peregrine?”
“How ridiculous to be named after a falcon,” Mildred says as she mops the saucer with her napkin.
“How do you know him?” asks Esther.
“I was in his metaphysics class at U of T. He challenged us with questions like, ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’ and ‘What is the relationship between the mind and the body?’ I found it fascinating.”
“So, if it was so fascinating, why are you here serving us coffee?” Mildred crumples up her wet napkin and puts it on the table with a thump.
“Good question. I’m starting my Ph. D. in the fall, but I need money for tuition and living expenses. I might be able to earn a bit doing some teaching, but I have to see how that works out.”
“What will your dissertation be on? Something to do with metaphysics?” asks Esther.
“Oh no. I’m a scientist. I took that course just for fun. I’m studying oxidation and how it affects things like wine and fruit, and whether it can be reversed.”
“Doubt it,’ says Mildred. “The port I brought home from Portugal spoiled only two months after I opened it. I couldn’t drink it, end of story.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Will you be going on the bus this afternoon to the art gallery?”
“No, I’m not doing any gallivanting about,” Mildred says. “I’ve had enough adventure in my life. I’m staying here and I’ll listen to CBC radio.”
“I’ll see you at dinner then.”
“That’ll be nice,” Esther says. “Mildred, are you sure you don’t want to see the Van Gogh exhibition. It’ll be stunning.”
“No. It’ll just be pictures of dandelions. I can see plenty of them from here. See, they’re all over the place.” She waves her arm towards the large window overlooking the green and yellow carpet outside.
“Sunflowers, not dandelions, Mildred. Van Gogh’s second series of sunflower paintings is his best work, I think. Why don’t you come?”
“No.”
“There’s a private exhibition too, of phoenix art. I’ve already seen it, and I’ve arranged for a group of us to view it this afternoon.”
“There’s no such thing as a phoenix.”
“I know, but the paintings are beautiful and inspiring, I think. They make me feel optimistic: that one can start over, be reborn. While the phoenix is not real, it is a symbol of renewal and of new beginnings.”
“I don’t believe in any of that nonsense. In any case, why would I want to be reborn? I’m perfectly fine as I am.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Esther is exhausted. She uses her cane to maneuver to the table in the dining room, wondering how black the cloud will be that constantly follows Mildred around, and how she’ll cope with her table companion when drained of energy.
The young man brings over a fresh carafe of steaming coffee as soon as Esther is seated.
“Did you enjoy the art gallery, Mrs. Cummings?”
“It was truly amazing.”
“How were the radio programs, Mrs. Willow?”
“Dreadful. It was a gardening program and then a cooking thing. Totally uninteresting.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Perhaps you should have gone on the art gallery trip.”
“No. I noticed less than half of us went. There should have been a plebiscite. If we got to choose whether or not we go on such ridiculous outings, things would be different.”
“Actually, there was a vote of sorts,” the young man says as he holds the coffee pot too close to Esther’s face for her liking, but she doesn’t have the energy to do anything about it. “There are so many of you who want to go that there’s another trip to the gallery planned for tomorrow afternoon.”
“Oh,” Mildred says.
“And Mrs. Cummings, they’d like you to go. The ones who went today so enjoyed the information and stories you shared that they told the others, and they want to hear them too.”
“My goodness,” Esther says. “I’ll need a lot more of that brown stuff if I’m going to manage all this gallivanting about.” She eyes Mildred, but her words are lost on her table companion.
“I’ll make sure your cup’s filled up.”
“Thank you.”
“You know a lot about art, then?” Mildred asks. “I don’t care for it myself.”
“I’ve been a patron of the art gallery for many years. Why don’t you let me give you a private tour one day? I’ll order a taxi and we can have cake and tea in the restaurant there. It’s very good.”
“A private tour with cake is tempting.” Esther suspects that the promise of cake is the drawing card. Mildred tells anyone who’ll listen that she has a sweet tooth.
And so, Mildred Willow, thanks to the fantastical paintings of the phoenix, has been reborn as a lover of art and is now a patron of the art gallery, which she and Esther visit often.
And they make sure never to leave without having a piece of cake, or two.
Vicky Earle Copyright 2026
Brief Horse Update
This is SO brief!! I made an even worse mess than usual with my videography the last time I was at the track.
Audi is on the left of the screen. He's finished a fast workout and is easing off. Even from this short clip, I think you'll notice he's relaxed. He did well.
You should be able to hear a siren. That tells riders that a horse has lost its rider and is running around the track. It's the outriders' job to catch the horse and keep everyone safe. The horse and rider were unhurt.
This is Rizzmo waiting to be exercised. We visited the track on Sunday (April 19). He was ridden at a walk around the shedrow because he was a little sore. He probably made a misstep. He is doing much better now. He is three years old, and Audi's World is four.
Note there's a ball hanging in his stall for him to play with.
Meg Sheppard Mystery Series
A huge 'thank you' to all of you who buy my books.
You're the reason I keep on writing.
Book 7 has reached about 80,000 words in the first draft, but it's not finished yet. And there will be lots of editing to do (which I enjoy).
Thank you for reading my post.
Please share.
Vicky
Very much hope the phoenix is a real creature during my lifetime!!!!! Great story ❤️
Wow. look at the muscles on Audi's World. Handsome boy for sure!! And thank you for keeping me on your email list. I enjoy reading any stories sent my way!