The Rest Of The Story: Answering My Gentle Reader’s Questions

/ Ally Bean

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ARE YOU EVER GOING TO WRITE THE DEFINITIVE PRIMER ON BLOG COMMENTING ETIQUETTE, LIKE YOU SAID YOU MIGHT LAST SUMMER?

I don’t know.  I suppose it depends on how much I want to call out other bloggers on their less-than-stellar behaviors.  I fear that my natural honesty and snark could easily sound passive-aggressive— and that would never do.  So I hesitate.

WHY WERE YOU SO EASY ON THE PAINTERS WHO PAINTED THE FAMILY ROOM THE WRONG COLOR?

I forgave the painters, two guys who are partners, because they’re good men who we’ve had paint other rooms, and their work is perfect.  Yes, perfect.  Our interior designer told one partner what color to use to in each room, but he got the colors mixed up because he was on his way to “the old country” [in Europe] where his father was seriously ill, subsequently passed away.  Mistakes happen, you know?  And they re-painted the family room the right color, so all’s well that ends well.

WHAT’S BECOME OF YOUR NEIGHBOR, CRAZY BIRD LADY?

Crazy Bird Lady has calmed down over the years.  No more banging metal pots to scare birds away.  I saw a man from the HOA in her backyard pulling down all the shiny streamers, talking with her as he did so.  She no longer shouts obscenities at the birds & the neighbors who feed them, and all her weird flower pots are gone.  Now I only hear her when she’s talking to her dog– loudly talking, but saying normal things to her puppy.

WHAT WAS MIRABELLE’S REVENGE?

Mirabelle waited. She knew her mother hated it. Feared it, even.

She heard the shriek, her name being called. Mirabelle tried not to smile but she knew this revenge was perfect.

Mommy was vain. Without her make-up, flushed down the toilet by Mirabelle, she’d have to go to work barefaced.

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Any more questions?
• • •

64 thoughts on “The Rest Of The Story: Answering My Gentle Reader’s Questions”

  3. Oh my goodness. I hadn’t actually wondered these things, but I like the conclusion of Mirabelle’s story.
    Blog commenting should be much easier for people than it apparently is. I could rant. Oh how I could rant.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, I do the same thing when it comes to commenting. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that because I’m responding to what was written. I mean, when I write something here I’m pleased [and fascinated] to see what resonates with readers. My issues with blog commenting etiquette revolve around reciprocity, more than reaction.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Donna, thanks on both points. I figure that Mirabelle deserved to get her revenge published here. About the commenting guide, I’d have to write it, then carefully edit it so that I didn’t come across as too whiny– or whatever. 😟

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I am so glad you shared Mirabelle’s revenge. I was having sleepless nights. Comment guide – good idea. I am just grateful people say anything most of the time. Let’s me know at least one person is really reading. I didn’t know about crazy bird lady. Sounds like a real interesting character.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, Mirabelle deserved her revenge, don’t you think? The blog commenting guide was a passing fancy that seemed to get people interested [which surprised me]. I think crazy bird lady was before you started reading here. She was memorable, and I fear a little bit off her rocker back then.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Hi Ally,

    Popped by because I saw your tweet. I’m glad the paintwork got fixed and that you forgave them. I too am glad that Mirabelle got her revenge, although I do wonder if her Mother got off too easy? You have a talent for this, and I for one hope to see more of your short stories in the future!

    David

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi David, thanks for stopping by to comment. I couldn’t be upset with the painters. They were forthright about their mistake, which makes me like them even more.

      Who’s to say that Mirabelle’s revenge is complete? She’s a smart little dickens so there could be more to the story… 🤔

      Like

  9. Your painters sound like really good guys. And at least they corrected their mistake.
    Crazy bird lady must be getting older and maybe can’t even remember why she banged pots together or hung shiny things in the trees😉
    Laughed out loud to Mirabell’s revenge. Looking forward to more adventures.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, the painters just goofed and it looks great now, so no big deal. You may be right about Crazy Bird Lady. I’ve no idea how old she is [or what she looks like] so who knows what’s up over there. Yes, Mirabelle knows how to make her point.

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  10. Funny. I must’ve come too late to the party to know about crazy bird lady. I wouldn’t mind knowing if there were any new developments with the post office guy. Perhaps you haven’t gone out of town in a while, so haven’t had to have our mail held. That was a fascinating story.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Betsy, Crazy Bird Lady made an impression on those who read about her. Her loud behavior was unique. We haven’t been out of town long enough to need to have the mail held, so I haven’t been to the post office. I don’t go in there often… for obvious reasons.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, I only said I’d write the comment etiquette guide as a joke among a few bloggers, but response to that idea has amazed me. Everyone has something that bugs them about how other people comment, don’t they?

      Glad you liked Mirabelle’s revenge. There just had to be a conclusion to that story.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. You’ve got the style and attitude to pull off a commenter’s guide (Has to be better than what WP was suggesting during one of their tutorial/classes/sessions.)
    “Likes” on a post are nice, but comments are pure gold ( and so much fun) (and I am so out of the blogging loops right now keeping up with small toddler. Gads. But always find a smile on your blog)

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, thanks for the encouragement. Like I said above, I can inform people about how to comment, but will I sound passive-aggressive? That’s the stumbling block for me. Plus, I’m kind of lazy and writing a guide sounds work-y to me. 😐

      I can only imagine that it takes all your energy [plus a little more] to keep up with a toddler. Oy vey. Your lack of commenting is overlooked– and understood.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. My first reaction was ‘a commenter’s guide?!’ Good grief, how many commenting *rules* am I inadvertently breaking?!! Add my voice to the others that suggest you should toss all caution to the wind and write this post. I’m sure the conversation will be very lively.

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  17. I’m too busy laughing to think of a question. Um, what’s for dinner? Would that constitute as a bad comment? (Uh oh, that’s two questions…) And now I’m off to prepare dinner and pour a glass of vino…. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • roughwighting, I wish I knew what’s for dinner. [Seems like I should, but I don’t.] I think I’ll start with a glass of wine, and see what I dream up after that.

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  18. Oh clever Mirabelle! And I love that you devoted a post to answering questions. Now mine: How do I carve out more time so I can head into your archives and catch up on all the posts I missed before I knew of your delightful existence?

    Liked by 1 person

    • evilsquirrel13, you’re right. I’ve never ever thought of doing a “snarky comment” tribute post. While I like me some snarky comments, I think that to do a post on them I’d have to write about the context in which the comment was received. And that’s way too work-y for me. But should I do one, you’ll feature prominently in it. 😉

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