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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Realistic Fiction

There will likely be MANY versions to this story....but a beginning is here...because I am really trying to model the REAL writing process - and this is it!

I was noting last week (I think) that our students do not always PLAN when we give them planning time or GOs.  For me, the REAL planning of this story was as I rode in the car on Saturday afternoon after noticing all the people's shoes in COSTCO! 

ANYWAY....this is the beginning....for now....

                                            Those Shoes Are Fit for Lady Gaga

Natalie, the youngest of three girls, grew up LOVING shoes. When her oldest sister was around, Natalie coveted her sister’s Army issued heels. She was known to sneak upstairs and quietly parade around in her sister’s heels in the days before Etta left for Japan. Natalie also snuck into her sister Lucille’s bedroom to try on the pearly white shoes that were stashed in the back of the closet after Charley died in the war. Whenever she went to the post office or to the grocer, Natalie always meandered past Lustig’s Department Store window where pointy heels and delicate flats sat patiently awaiting customers. Once a year, Natalie went into Lustig’s with her mother and came out with serviceable flats that would support her feet for many months.



After she married and started her own family, Natalie still adored shoes. She proudly took her daughters into the best shoe store in town for new saddle shoes about once a year. Natalie polished those shoes every day and they shined as brightly in June as they did in September. The rest of the year, Natalie lingered at the shoe store window no matter what her shopping mission in town. She mended socks and saved pennies to make sure her daughters had well made and serviceable shoes. She saved even more money by stuffing the holes in her own shoes with newspapers. Every night, Natalie dreamed of the tall, pointy red heels and the delicate white patent leather pumps that graced the shoe store windows. “Someday,” she said to herself, “Someday you will have incredible shoes.”


Over the years, Natalie’s dreams and savings led her to many magical pairs of heels; heels that went to the office, heels that looked great with short skirts, heels that turned heads and heels that danced the night away! Natalie rarely got rid of shoes and kept them carefully in the original boxes neatly in her closet. Like trophies, they sat in retirement celebrating her daily adventures and commemorating special moments.


The years of wearing heels to work, shop and party took their toll and shortly after her 80th birthday, Natalie found it difficult to even walk around in her serviceable sneakers. .......................

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