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Tales from the Tub

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Vegetables

TBM 1708.23 – DDOP-23: Adventures in CSA

23 August 2017 by Melissa

Vegetables

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-23-AdventuresInCSA.mp3

Description:

This episode is SUPER RAMBLY! In a departure from her usual offering of stories, the Bathtub Mermaid discusses her first adventure with CSA.

Excerpt:

CSA – Community Sustained Agriculture. I received my first farmbox today. I was going to do a live unboxing, but it was too noisy – dogs were barking, a squall was forming. So I’m talking about it instead. Well, rambling, really.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage
  • Visit FarmBoxDelivery for more info

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-23-AdventuresInCSA.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:55 — 14.2MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingFarmbox
I am scared

TBM 1708.22 DDOP-22: I Am Scared

22 August 2017 by Melissa

I am scared

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-22-IAMScared.mp3

Description:

A little girl faces her fears… in jet blank ink.

Excerpt:

Mandy stopped using pencils when she was six, except for math. She moved beyond wide-ruled paper when she was seven, and they sent her to Special Education to learn cursive because the Advanced Reading workbook had bits of cursive in it. She likes writing in cursive, but some things have to be printed.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Source: Facebook Flash-Prompt Group.
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-22-IAMScared.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:33 — 5.3MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingFlash Fiction
Under Glass

TBM 1708.21 DDOP-21: Her Name Was Edith

22 August 2017 by Melissa

Under Glass

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-21-Her-Name-Was-Edith.mp3

Description:

Inspiration comes from odd places… and sometimes things get creepy.

Excerpt:

As I was looking for art to help me write the story, I stumbled across an article from a few months earlier about a homeowner in the Lone Mountain neighborhood of San Francisco  – that’s the neighborhood around University of San Francisco, where I went to school – finding a sealed coffin under the garage floor during a remodel.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage
  • Under Glass – full text at MissMeliss.com
  • Under Glass (in audio), part of Spooky Short Stories, Vol. II
  • Under Glass was read by Mark, the Encaffeinated One. Find out more about him at encaffeinated.ca or visit theweirdshow.com

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Source: Facebook Flash-Prompt Group.
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-21-Her-Name-Was-Edith.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:39 — 6.9MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingEdithMark the Encaffeinated OneUnder Glass
Flash Prompt - Eagle Cane

TBM 1708.20 DDOP-20: Checking the Locks

20 August 2017 by Melissa

Flash Prompt - Eagle Cane

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-20-CheckingLocks.mp3

Description:

Some house noises are different than others.

Excerpt:

These doors don’t have the kind of locks that rattle, but if we’re sitting in the living room, just reading by the fire or maybe watching television (I admit, we watch far too much television) we sometimes feel a faint breeze, as if the seal between the two doors has been tested and found to be slightly lacking.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Source: Facebook Flash-Prompt Group.
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-20-CheckingLocks.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:40 — 5.6MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingFlash Fiction
Teddy Bear

TBM 1708.19 DDOP-19: It’s About Power

20 August 2017 by Melissa

Teddy Bear

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-19-AboutPower.mp3

Description:

It’s about power…

Excerpt:

They stare up at me, waiting, their luminous eyes large, and tracking my every move. Every flash of my knife makes their heads twitch a little bit. Every time they hear the blade contact the wooden block they flinch slightly, moving one foot just a little bit, then easing it back into its starting position.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage
  • It’s About Power at MissMeliss.com

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Copyright: Personal collection.
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-19-AboutPower.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:01 — 3.6MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingLife With Dogs
Sneakerz - Source: Facebook

TBM 1708.18 DDOP-18: Puddle Jumper

18 August 2017 by Melissa

Sneakerz - Source: Facebook

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-18-PuddleJumping.mp3

Description:

Puddle-jumping isn’t just for children any more.

Excerpt:

Once I’d managed to walk between raindrops, I decided it was time to dive into puddles. That took a bit longer to master. I mean, flying may be as simple as – how did Douglas Adams put it? – throwing yourself at the ground and missing, but puddle diving requires a bit more… nuance.

 

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Copyright: Unknown – Taken from a group on Facebook
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-18-PuddleJumping.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:00 — 6.0MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingFlash Fiction 1 Comment
White Dragon

TBM 1708.17 DDOP-17: Blood of Bathory

17 August 2017 by Melissa

White Dragon

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-17-BloodOfBathory.mp3

Description:

When there’s an itch that really needs to be scratched.

Excerpt:

She’d roast him first, of course. Dragon fire killed the pain and added a crispy outer shell that was just so… She was distracted from her search for the perfect word by another infernal itch. This time it was right above her left ear-slit.

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Copyright: Unknown – Taken from a group on Facebook
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-17-BloodOfBathory.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:42 — 3.2MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingFlash Fiction 1 Comment
Hector & Inez of Karuna Tea

TBM 1708.16 – DDOP-16: The Way of Tea

16 August 2017 by Melissa

Hector & Inez of Karuna Tea

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-16-WayOfTea.mp3

Description:

Tea is so much more than dried leaves and boiling water.

Excerpt:

I’m struck by the way the wet green tea leaves look as though they’re the result of a fortune-teller’s reading, and I wonder what their message might be. We are all surprised when Hector tells us that the brew time for this tea is less than a minute, and even more so when he tells us that white, yellow, and green tea leaves can be re-used two or three times, if treated gently!

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage
  • The Way of Tea at Modern Creative Life
  • Jay Langejans at Nimlas Studios

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Copyright: Melissa A Bartell
  • Quotations read by Jay Langejans
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-16-WayOfTea.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:15 — 13.8MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingJay LangejansThe Way of Tea

TBM 1708.15 DDOP-15: Grocery Store Flowers: Jack

15 August 2017 by Melissa

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-15-GSFJack.mp3

Description:

A lot of people buy grocery store flowers. Sometimes they need a little help. Like Jack.

Excerpt:

The boy was still hovering as she returned to her station. She tucked her cup behind a roll of ribbon on the work-desk below counter-height and smoothed her apron. Then she went to check on the kid. “Hi,” she said gently. “I’m Daisy. Are you looking for something special?”

The boy’s gray eyes betrayed the kind of hurt that was usually only evident in older faces, but he managed a faint smile. “I’m Jack,” he said. “I need to get flowers for my mom,” he said, with a hint of a quiver in his voice. “But I only have eight dollars.”

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage
  • Grocery Store Flowers: Jack at Modern Creative Life

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image Copyright: neirfy / 123RF Stock Photo
     
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-15-GSFJack.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:56 — 10.8MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingGrocery Store Flowers
Alisa Anton

TBM 1708.14 DDOP-14: Grocery Store Flowers – Crosswords and Sunflowers

14 August 2017 by Melissa

<a style="background-color:black;color:white;text-decoration:none;padding:4px 6px;font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.2;display:inline-block;border-radius:3px;" href="https://unsplash.com/@alisaanton?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=photographer-credit&utm_content=creditBadge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Download free do whatever you want high-resolution photos from Alisa Anton"><span style="display:inline-block;padding:2px 3px;"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="height:12px;width:auto;position:relative;vertical-align:middle;top:-1px;fill:white;" viewBox="0 0 32 32"><title></title><path d="M20.8 18.1c0 2.7-2.2 4.8-4.8 4.8s-4.8-2.1-4.8-4.8c0-2.7 2.2-4.8 4.8-4.8 2.7.1 4.8 2.2 4.8 4.8zm11.2-7.4v14.9c0 2.3-1.9 4.3-4.3 4.3h-23.4c-2.4 0-4.3-1.9-4.3-4.3v-15c0-2.3 1.9-4.3 4.3-4.3h3.7l.8-2.3c.4-1.1 1.7-2 2.9-2h8.6c1.2 0 2.5.9 2.9 2l.8 2.4h3.7c2.4 0 4.3 1.9 4.3 4.3zm-8.6 7.5c0-4.1-3.3-7.5-7.5-7.5-4.1 0-7.5 3.4-7.5 7.5s3.3 7.5 7.5 7.5c4.2-.1 7.5-3.4 7.5-7.5z"></path></svg></span><span style="display:inline-block;padding:2px 3px;">Alisa Anton</span></a>

http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-14-GSFCrosswordsSunflowers.mp3

Description:

A lot of people buy grocery store flowers. Frank is one of them.

Excerpt:

Daisy had gotten into the habit of taking her break at the same time the old man – Frank was his name – showed up. At least, she did so whenever she could. Some Wednesdays there was a rush at her kiosk, people needing flowers for birthdays or anniversaries, Secretary’s day or back-to-school. There were any number of reasons, and, she made a point of asking each customer who they were shopping for and what that person liked, doing her best to find the perfect blend of giver, receiver, and occasion.

Links & References:

  • The Dog Days of Podcasting homepage

Credits:

  • The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using the BossJock iPad app and Audacity.
  • Bathtub Mermaid album art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media
  • Music used for the opening and closing is David Popper’s “Village Song” as performed by Cello Journey. This music came from the podsafe music archive at Mevio’s Music Alley, which site is now defunct.
  • Image credit: Alisa Anton via Unsplash
http://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-TBM-DDOP-14-GSFCrosswordsSunflowers.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:45 — 9.5MB)

Dog Days of Podcasting Tales from the Tub DDOP 2017Dog Days of PodcastingGrocery Store Flowers

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  • TBM-2501.01 – Prayer for the Morning 1 January 2025
  • TBM-2412.28 – Dogfish Days of Advent – Mermaid Minute: ChristmasTide 28 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.24 – DogFish Days of Advent – Sacrificial 24 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.23 – Dogfish Days of Advent – Christmas Shards 24 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.20 – Dogfish Days of Advent – The Gift of the Mergi 21 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.19 – Dogfish Days of Advent – We Mermen of Ocean Are 19 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.17 – Dogfish Days of Advent: Flames of Winter 17 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.16 – Dogfish Days of Advent: Sandy Klaws Is Coming To Town 16 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.14-Dogfish Days of Advent: – Excerpt from A Mer-Child’s Christmas With Whales 14 December 2024
  • TBM-2412.13 – Dogfish Days of Advent: In the Deep Blue Ocean 13 December 2024

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What I’m Writing: MissMeliss.com

Sacrificial

Sacrificial

The tree stood in the living room, centered in the arch of the window, its branches unadorned – naked. Despite being both artificial and pre-lit it had been there for several days because Ellie insisted that even plastic trees had to acclimate before they could be decorated.

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We fill our homes with candles that represent nothing more than a cozy glow, and we gather ’round our gas logs or Franklin stoves even when our houses are fitted with central heating systems, because there’s something – some magical thing – about fire that seems to drive away the stress and darkness of winter in a way that electric light never can.

The Gift of the Mergi

The Gift of the Mergi

A handful of pearls. That was all Nerissa had. Oh, she’d grown up in Poseidon’s Grotto, with abalone combs and aquamarine and moonstone gems, but when she’d left the great ocean to marry a land-walker, she’d forfeit her jewels and pirate’s treasure hoards and kept only the handful of her nameday pearls.

What I’m Reading: Bibliotica

Review The Rise of the Mad March by Robert Espenscheid, Jr.

Review The Rise of the Mad March by Robert Espenscheid, Jr.

About the book, The Rise of the Mad March  Genre: New Adult / Coming of Age / Friendship Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing Pages: 374 Publication Date: May 9, 2025 This one is for all the rock bands who never headlined the big stage, who never needed protection getting to the limo, who never made any money, who […]

Review: The Calendar, by WM Gunn – with Giveaway

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Review: Houston Skyline, by Carol A. Taylor

Review: Houston Skyline, by Carol A. Taylor

About the book, Houston Skyline: Selected Poems Houston Skyline by Carol A. Taylor is a collection of poetry inspired by a life filled with change and growth. From her humble beginnings in rural Texas, where her family lived simply, to her career in the high-rises of the business world, and later to her years as […]

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