Getting Much Love

I just had to post a huge thanks post to all my ladies on Twitter and FB who are passing my Press Release around and getting the word out about my new book.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

Gretchen Strutzenberg Writes Absolutely Positive and Inspirational Stories With A Plus Size Twist — Daily Venus Diva

Gretchen Strutzenberg Writes Absolutely Positive and Inspirational Stories With A Plus Size Twist — Daily Venus Diva

My Press Release with Daily Venus Divas

The Collection is Available online to buy!

Hi Everyone

I am so psyched! The collection has been published. It's simple and I hope everyone likes it. You can click here or in the upper right hand corner to purchase your copy. Everyone who purchases a copy I will come and sign it personally. Thanks for all the love everyone!!

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/gretchens-shorts---a-collection/12989004

BIG NEWS

Attention all readers we are in full swing for the first novel to be published by yours truly...details later

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford (Part 5)

Over the next few weeks of Mrs. Oxford's stay at the hotel she and Jimmy looked at many photos of the house and she shared many details about her life with Mr. Oxford and the time they spent in the house. He peppered her with questions about the house details and she answered them as best as she could.

Her last week at the hotel she asked Jimmy if he would take her to see the house. Jimmy called for a car and they drove to the house. Jimmy helped her out of the car and she felt the sun's warmth beam on her face just as when William first brought her home. It was a little overwhelming for her but she stood there and felt the rush of good memories. Jimmy had done the house justice; it was just as she remembered, even the exterior color was similar.

He walked her up the steps of the house and she looked at the carving of the dove on the door frame and ran her fingers over it lightly. To her it was like touching her William's cheek before he shaved in the morning; she giggled. Jimmy gave her a tour of the house and showed her his "projects."

After the tour Jimmy rode back to the hotel with Mrs. Oxford. She sat next to him and looked forward with a smile while all the way holding his hand. When they got back to the hotel Mrs. Oxford thanked Jimmy for the tour and went to her room.

On Friday the car was called and Mrs. Oxford was on her way home. She left a note for Jimmy. He had not gotten to work before she left. When he got to work the front desk clerk, Bella, handed him the note.

"Dear Jimmy,

My annual visit has come to an end. This one was the best one ever. I am so happy to know that you are now the new owner of our first home. You truly have affection for the home. Thank you for taking me on the tour and helping me recapture my good memories. I now have what I need and I would like to leave you these photos and the original drawings by my William of the house. I have left these things for you in my room. Please treasure them. I hope the pictures and drawings help you with your attempts to restore the house to its original condition.

Thank you again, it was lovely and I will always remember you.

With fondness,
Viv."

Jimmy took the stairs up to the tenth floor and opened the door of room 1015. He walked inside and immediately noticed a large box. Inside the box was a smaller box filled with photos and there were the drawings of the house. He was honored. In the box was a large object wrapped in newspaper. He took the newspaper off the top and noticed the little roof peak. He pulled the object out of the box and removed the rest of the newspaper. It was the model of the house. There was a little note taped to the roof in Mrs. Oxford's handwriting, it said "open". Jimmy opened the hidden hinged roof and read the inscription and there inside were the original keys to the house.

The following week a letter arrived, certified mail to Jimmy.

"Dear Mr. James Hartford,

We regret to inform you that Mrs. Vivian Lee Oxford passed away on Tuesday. She left us with instructions to contact you upon her death. There will be a reading of her will and last testimony on Monday the 5th. We ask that you call and confirm your attendance.

Respectfully,
Harvey Bleinhiem, Esq.

At the reading of Mrs. Oxford's will she left Jimmy a generous amount of money and requested that he keep her husbands' memory and work alive by working with the town historian and offering tours of their first home.

Jimmy pulled out the old note of folded paper Mrs. Oxford gave him the day he really got to know her and opened it up. "Thank you for sharing my memories ~ Viv"

He smiled and put it back in his pocket.

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford (Part 4)

Mrs. Oxford woke up with a terrible headache. She was not sure if it was the effects of the experimental medication she was taking or something else. Either way she hoisted herself up showered and went downstairs to the hotel restaurant for lunch. She carried a medium sized travel bag with her. She walked past Jimmy's post and waved at him. He looked up and smiled at Mrs. Oxford.

Mrs. Oxford was greeted by the restaurant hostess and shown to her seat. She put her bag in the chair next to her at the table. After placing her order she opened the bag and began looking through her box of photos again and she took out a few and placed them on the table. The waiter brought her favorite beverage boysenberry tea and her soup. She smiled graciously as to say "thank you" and the waiter smiled back at her.

Jimmy was about to take his lunch when he noticed Mrs. Oxford sitting in the restaurant alone. He noticed that she had photos on the table. He felt a little sorry for her so he went in and greeted her. Her eyes gleamed when she saw Jimmy standing there. She gestured to him to sit down. He sat. She waived to the waiter to come and bring Jimmy something. Jimmy declined. Mrs. Oxford smacked his hand and gave him a firm look as if to insist he share his noon meal with her. Then she smiled again and he gave his order to the waiter. Jimmy said to Mrs.

Oxford, "You are persistent aren't you?" She winked and smiled.

"So what pictures have you here?" Jimmy said.

Mrs. Oxford passed the three photos over to him. He looked at the first one of a young Mrs. Oxford and a handsome young man sitting at one of the dining tables here at the hotel. "This must be your husband," he said. She smiled and inhaled deeply and shook her head affectionately to say 'yes'. He looked at the next picture and there was the happy couple again but this time they were in front of a house and he was holding her as though carrying her up stairs and they were looking intently at each other. He had just set the photo down and picked up the next when something had struck him. He looked back at the photo and noticed a dove carving on the door frame of the house. He wanted to be sure he wasn't seeing things. "Mrs. Oxford is that a carving of a dove or a bird on this frame?" She looked at Jimmy a little puzzled, then he handed her the photo and she took out a pair of glassed from her bag. She looked at the photo and confirmed the carving.

"Was this your house?" Jimmy asked.

Mrs. Oxford took out her notepad and wrote: "Yes, my beloved William built this for me as an engagement present. We lived there until Williams' parents got sick then we moved closer to them. We lived so long with his folks that we sold the house as times were a little difficult then. My William was an excellent craftsman and architect and that house was truly his handiwork at its best."

Jimmy just sat there staring at Mrs. Oxford is shock and delight. He started putting the pieces together as she continued to tell him about her life and the house that William built for her. He was intrigued. She was so happy to be able to share this with someone. Sadly her daughter was not interested in past history especially not of her parents. She was a very "modern and thankless" person and was only interested in running and managing the family business. William had loved the little house he built for Vivian and was sad that they had to sell it. He kept his original drawings and sketches of the house. Then during their stay with his parents he got an idea. He told Vivian that he wanted to build houses again. He contacted an old friend of his and they planned the company around his idea. The next year the building of a small tract of homes began and it was a success. His designs were loved by many and became a favorite in that area. As time went on the business grew. Williams' signature on each house was the stamp of a dove on the side of the door frame.

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford (Part 3)

Later that night Jimmy was putting away the left over paint cans and brushes. He decided to store everything in the attic since it was nice and dry up there this winter. He pulled on the attic door cord and the door came off the hinges and almost knocked Jimmy in the head. Jimmy just shook his head and said 'well there is another project for the list.' He went to the garage and grabbed the ladder and brought it back in so he could finish putting the paint and brushes away.

He bent down to pick up the door and noticed that there was a pattern of nicks on the interior of the door. He was tired and propped the door up against the wall, promising to investigate it tomorrow further since he was off work.

Jimmy's "to-do" list for the house was continuous. Just when he would finish one project another one would pop up. He really didn't mind. He really had a passion for old architecture and counted himself fortunate to have been able to buy this little jewel.

When he closed escrow on the house he tried to see if the County Assessor's office had any records of the house's original owners or possibly where he could find original records or photos. His searches turned up nothing. He watched a lot of home improvement channels and even subscribed to an "old architecture" magazine. He really wanted to do justice to the structure when he started the restoration. The house reminded him of the house he lived in with his mother.

After his father died they stayed with her parents in the house until they passed away. For him it was truly home. Being in the house was like sharing a hot lemon tea with his mother that she would make for them both every night before going to bed.

While stripping the paint layers off the exterior of the house Jimmy was able to find a faint sample of possibly the original paint color of the house. It was a very light green. He took it to the paint store for a match and he found it. Every time he would begin a project he'd "investigate" the area for original structure or materials and each time he turned up another treasure.

The last owners/renters of the house had an awful dark blue shag carpet that went throughout the house; even the bathrooms had this carpet. It smelt foul since their pets were mainly kept indoors at all times. To his surprise there was almost 4 layers of carpet, like each person before would just lay more carpet and pad over the other. After making his way to the floor beneath the carpet he found mahogany wood floors throughout the house and the bathroom had the original hexagon tiles for the floor. Jimmy was able to salvage these also and reuse them. Project after project seemed to resurrect the house to its original state. There was still more to do but so far the house seemed to smile and it made him smile.

Early Monday morning, Jimmy made his way to work. On his way he stopped as usual at the newspaper stand and the local coffee shop. It was a beautiful morning. He could barely concentrate on work after what he had discovered while working on another project at the house. While fixing the attic door he was able to make out words that were carved on the inside of the door. It looked like "Viv love Will."

Jimmy was so excited. Since he bought the house he had been looking for the original owners and he had hoped this was a clue. Unfortunately the neighbors were all fairly new to the neighborhood and like Jimmy were restoring old masterpieces. However Glenda his neighbor directly across the street had let him know that she had found a local town historian who may have been able to provide some insight on his house. She gave him the name and number and Jimmy had planned to call him after work today.

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford (Part 2)

After a light dinner Mrs. Oxford went back to her room. All of her pictures were scattered across the bed. After gathering them up she put them back in their box and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. She changed for bed and took her medication. Before its side affects took place she had a few minutes to stare out at the moon and reminisce on that summer when Mr. Oxford proposed to her. She had no idea when he was going to pop the question, but she knew in her heart that he was going to ask. Her family was becoming more anxious that she was.

When he arrived at her house they took a walk before supper and talked about everything they always talked about, each other, life and the future. This time they walked a little bit further than normal and they stopped by the lake to rest and put their feet in the cool water. William ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her ever so lightly on the cheek near her lips. "I've got something for you," he said as he got up and ran to a nearby felled tree. He stooped down and grabbed an old Mason jar box and brought it back over to Vivian. He said with a nervous smile, "open it, I hope you like it."

Vivian wasn't sure what he had got her and was a little nervous too. It was way too large to be an engagement ring. She took the top off the box and under an old newspaper was a little wooden house. "This is cute William, thank you." He helped her take it out of the box. "There is more," he said as his eyes sparkled and glistened. 'More' she thought to herself? The little wooden house was definitely one of Williams' hand crafted. He really had a knack for working with wood.

"The roof is on a hidden hinge, you can lift it open," he said trying to hide his smile.

She looked at him a little puzzled as she lifted the roof. And there it was. She gasped as she reached for it and looked at William. "Is this for real; are you serious?" she stuttered. He was smiling nervously and said, "I am, so will you?"

She grabbed the keys that were inside the house under the hinged roof and hugged William as tightly as she could while repeating over and over again, 'yes'. The inside of the roof had inscribed "Vivian, will you make my house a home with me?" The little wooden house was a replica/model of the house he had just finished building a month ago.

A month later they were married.

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford (Part 1)

Jimmy always strived to be the best at what he did. When he accomplished his goals he moved up, whether this was in his job or his personal life.

The Towers was the most prestigious hotel downtown. Jimmy had seen all sorts of "A" list and similar celebrities cruise through these doors.

Besides the popular crowd, there were regulars. Some business travelers, some vacationers and then there were the honeymooners.

It had been over 20 years since Jimmy started working here. He started as a Porter and now he was the Concierge Manager. He had accomplished his goal.

A grey-haired woman walked up to his desk slowly and tapped her nails gently to get his attention. First he looked perturbed and then he smiled once he saw the familiar face. "Ah, Mrs. Oxford! Are you here for your regular visit?" She smiled at him and nodded. He called the bellhop over and had him take her bags up to Room 1015. Every year at this time, Mrs. Oxford's room was set aside and held for her. No one really knew her background or connections, only that every September she had Room 1015 reserved. She would spend 3 or 4 weeks at the hotel. She rarely left except to go out to church on Sundays and the occasional dinner in town. She looked older this time around.

Jimmy escorted Mrs. Oxford to the elevator; she grabbed his arm so tight he thought she was frightened. He looked down at her, smiled and patted her hand. A sense of calm swept over her face.

They stood together waiting for the elevator to return. When the bell chimed and the doors opened Jimmy showed her in, but she would not let go of his arm. She smiled sweetly and he got on the elevator with Mrs. Oxford.

On the way up to the tenth floor Mrs. Oxford began humming a familiar tune. Jimmy smiled and told her that was a beautiful tune she was humming. Her eyes smiled and sparkled.

Mrs. Oxford was mute due to a stroke she had suffered almost 10 years ago. She rarely went anywhere. She had a private residence in the country that was well staffed and managed by her and her youngest daughter Beatrice. The Towers was full of memories for Mrs. Oxford. She made the trip here every September. With the advancing of age she feared memory loss. Years before she'd stay only for a week or two. Now she would emerge herself in memories for a month. She had to; she could not forget the memories that made her life so special.

Jimmy and Mrs. Oxford stepped off the elevator just as the Bellhop was exiting her room. She put her hand out to the young man and he shook her hand gently and tipped his hat and said, "Enjoy your stay Mrs. Oxford." She stopped and held his hand and touched his cheek with her other hand to express her thanks and gratitude. Jimmy walked in before Mrs. Oxford and checked that the room was in order and neat. She walked in slowly behind him. She walked immediately to her luggage and began to fiddle with the clasp on her train case. Her arthritis was flaring up and it was more difficult to open it this time.

Jimmy rushed over and helped her. She opened the train case and pulled out all of these old photos. Some were in black and white, while others were in color. He could not help but notice a black and white photo of a beautiful full-figured and barely clothed woman lying on a bed with a sly smile. It reminded him of an old time Pin-Up shot. He blushed. She noticed Jimmy looking at this picture. She pointed at the picture; specifically the woman and then she pointed her thin finger at herself and winked.

"No way. That is you Mrs. Oxford?"

She nodded "yes". Next she stood up and walked over to the bedroom and taped on the wall and pointed again to the photo. Jimmy walked over and looked at the photo and then the bed, next the wall. He could not make the connection she was trying to show him. She scratched the wall with her nails. He looked again it was the same wallpaper in the photo she was pointing out.

"Was that photo taken here at this hotel?" Jimmy asked surprised.

Mrs. Oxford shook her head "yes" and then pointed to the bed and the floor. Jimmy went over to the desk and pulled out a small notepad and pen and brought them over to her. She sat on the edge of the bed and began to write as best as she could. Jimmy towered over her watching as she put every effort into each pen stroke. Jimmy felt an immediate and strange connection to her. What could it have been that made him sit next to her and be completely engrossed in her story that she penned before his eyes?

He felt like he was falling into a trance, just then his beeper began to ring. He shook and stood up quickly. Mrs. Oxford was a little startled as well. She giggled and folded the little piece of paper and handed it to him. He thanked her and left her room. He placed the paper in his pocket and went back to his station in a hurry. He took the stairs instead of the elevator.

Mrs. Oxford sat in the same spot on her bed that Jimmy left her at. She felt warm all over. She smiled to herself, "this time it was going to be different." She could feel it.

When Jimmy's shift was over he went into the basement locker and changed into his street clothes. It was getting colder much faster this time of year. He stopped by the coffee shop on his way home and picked up a large coffee with a sourdough bagel with fresh butter. He waved to Lou at the newspaper stand.

On the walk home Jimmy thought about Mrs. Oxford and the note she was writing to him. He arrived at his 1920's bungalow home that he was so proud of, especially since he had just completed the restoration. Yet there was something familiar about the house that he could not put his finger on...

Family Stories

This is a little look into my family and why my imagination is as it is:

Ok after some thought about what I write about, I gave thought to my many nights hanging out at my mother’s house. Mom would always say that after 11pm I began to lose my mind because everything that came out of my mouth was hilarious and weird. But yesterday I noticed that it is not just the time of day but it’s the company that I keep when I get into these moods. So I’ve decided to tell the funny stories about myself, my family and growing up…

My Family

There were six of us in total; mom and dad, Stephanie, Vicqui (don’t ask about the spelling…I’ll explain later), Mark and me, Gretchen.

My mother has had a sense of humor for as long as I could remember. Despite the drama that comes with living with an abusive spouse, she kept her sanity and had us kids in stitches.

My dad was very abusive. However when he wasn’t being a tyrant, he was pretty much a big kid with tons of stories. Oh and unfortunately my sister Vicqui inherited a trait from him that still my mother and I feel pity for her about. My dad was always telling tall tales about how he was a cop and almost got shot; reality: he was a security guard with no gun and he tripped on a piece of glass. Yeah, you’ll hear a lot of those as you keep reading.

Stephanie, she is the oldest and at first looks not very funny. One thing though that she used to do that used to crack us all up was chase us around tickling everyone until somebody would fart, then it would all be over.

Now Vicqui (pronounced Vicky but its 2009 so she’s Victoria), was a ham, so she was always trying to do something to get attention. She started to reinvent herself, literally. We were a black family living in Compton, California and somehow my sister managed to become Filipino, Mexican, a gang member of each opposing side, and White/Caucasian all while living in Compton, CA. A true chameleon. Oh and as of today she is French Canadian, Irish, Black and Indian with a fake Italian last name…and the beat goes on… (Don’t be mad Vic … it’s all in good humor, you know I love you!)

My brother Mark (who I miss dearly) was my best friend and a true big brother. I was subject to every experiment, invention or hair brained idea he’d come up with. Because my dad did not know how to be a person and communicate with his kids he’d try to buy our affections, especially my brother. Well Stupid, he is a young boy and by nature their level of appreciation is low for most things purchased new. Once my dad bought my brother a brand new skateboard. It was nice, but Mark wanted to “improve” on it so he found an old plastic milk bottle crate and bolted it down to the new skateboard. He added a 2”x4” piece of wood to the crate, of course so I had a place to sit. Next he attached a piece of rope from the front wheels of the skateboard to the back of the frame of his new bike. As the Guinea Pig I got in the make shift “crate-board” and Mark began to pedal. As he got up momentum he decided to make a turn. I was not an avid skateboarder. Mark yelled behind to me “Lean Grettie, lean!” I yelled back, “I can’t, I’ll fall!” Mark makes the turn anyway and I fall over in the crate. Asphalt and I knew each other very well in those years. Well he stopped the bike and helped me up. He got back on after giving me a crash course in turning a skateboard and continued to pedal down the street. We lived in a trailer park with lots of speed bumps. So here we are riding along and coming home is my dad in his truck. As we crossed over the same speed bump going in opposite directions I saw my dad’s face change. His look went from. ‘Oh my kids look cute” to “What the heck did that boy do to the new skateboard I got him!” Then, in my cutest look, I smiled, waived and said, “Look Dad I can Lean!” then I fell out of the crate again and it would not be the last time.

Now there is me, Gretchen, the youngest of the four Davis kids. Being the typical baby of the family allowed me some luxuries but I was not spoiled. I definitely knew I was the apple of my mom’s eye as were the others but it was different. I was a ham. I sang whenever anyone would listen. Being the youngest though was not all Peaches and Cream. But all that I’ll say is that behind my sweet veneer was a mischievous kid.

I always talked out of turn and fiend knowledge supreme. Case in point: Kindergarten. I sat by a young boy that we’ll call Dante’ who was oh so gullible. I knew this very well. So being the Lil’ Miss Know-It-All in true fashion I’d counsel all my classmates on life. Today was no exception. In the cafeteria we had been served a hot meal with beets as a side dish. Now I was game to try them since they looked like cranberries, you know the ones from the can, yum! After tasting them I thought they were ok. Earlier that week I must have heard or seen something on TV about veggies and heart attacks. So I sat at the cafeteria table next to Mr. Gullible himself Dante’. I asked him why he had not touched his beets. His reply was reasonable and true, “because they make me throw up because I am allergic to them.” My response senseless and untrue, “boy you better eat those beets or else you’ll have a heart attack!” Freaked out and scared to death Dante’ proceeds to eat those beets. Only a few minutes later and he begins throwing up. I scooted over and here comes Mrs. Miller our teacher. “Dante’ why did you eat those beets? You know they make you sick! Why did you eat them?” Snot and crying he replied, “Mrs. Miller, Gretchen told me that I was going to have a heart attack and die if I didn’t eat them.” Of course I looked shocked and appalled. Even to this day I get a swat by my mom when I tell that story.

Fashion Forward

Now we never really had a whole lot of money but mom being her stylish self kept us in style long before Marshall’s and Ross came along. Our favorite place was the Long Beach Thrift Store. Don’t even laugh cause now preppy “A-Listers” go treasure hunting at the local 2^nd Hand stores.

But besides the thrift stores mom would take us to Newberry’s and K-Mart. Now there was a brand of jeans that should have been sold on the underground, black market. These jeans were so durable they were more reliable than the mailman. The fabric was denim or so they wanted to you to believe. I think the fabric was grown on cloned sheep on steroids. Instead of mystery meat we wore mystery fabric, we wore…ToughSkins!

These pants lived up to their name. My brother and I were especially rough on clothes. As long as I could remember my brothers’ jeans always had patches on them until mom bought us … ToughSkins! A trademark of the jeans was that they were permanently starched. They were resistant to water, dirt, rips, tears, and bike accidents. The only thing the pants did absorb was funk better known as B.O. and blood. Blood? Yeah yeah blood because your body would absorb the impact of the accident and your skin would burst open on contact but not your…ToughSkins! When it was summertime everyone would cut off their jeans from the previous school year with a regular pair of scissors. Not us! Mom would break out her machete and put on her safety goggles and hack off the legs of our pants. When the machete got dull we’d use Dad’s table saw. Just kidding. But they were some tough jeans. Definitely invented with knuckle-headed children in mind.

Dinner Time

Fried chicken, rice, gravy and corn. A perfect meal in my eyes as a kid. Mom made dinner great! She also had these rules about proper etiquette at the dinner table. No singing, dancing or anything like that at the table. Of course I had a tune in my head one day and we’ll just say that after dinner it was gone.

To this day I sit in front of the TV watching music videos and sing along while eating dinner…Love Ya Mom! J

Complete Meals

Long before pizza was apart of the major food groups and before you could have it delivered (at least in Compton) it was an exciting time when Dad would bring home two larges from Round Table. Unlike most households we would not just eat pizza and drink soda. No! Mom was determined that nutrition and decency was to be apart of every meal, junk or nutritious. We were the only family to have pizza as an entrée along with salad and a vegetable. And of course you could not forget the Kool-Aid. Red please!

Today when I order a pizza at home I can still hear mom say, “Is that a complete meal?” I hear her pretty well too since she is my downstairs neighbor. J

Cure-All

Once I was watching Chris Rock and he said that his family’s cure-all was Robitussin and when there was no more in the bottle they’d put water in the bottle and call it Tussin. Well our family had a cure-all also. Actually it was a treatment combination…tea and the bathroom.

Wishing to be coddled and given prescription medication as a child, my mother would ask what our symptoms were. “Mom my stomach hurts and my throat hurts.” She’d look at me and say, “Did you go to the bathroom?” If we’d say ‘yes’ then part 2 of the treatment was, “Did you have some tea?” And of course we’d say ‘no’. Down to this day and surprisingly true that has cured all my ailments and problems… Don’t ask! J Thanks Mom!

New Shorts for Year End

The year is almost over and I think that at this time most folks like to reflect on the past year and accomplishments. In the next few weeks I will be posting some new short stories (never been published anywhere else) for your reading entertainment. I hope you enjoy them and thank you again for following my blog.

Hugs

Gretchen

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation - by Gretchen Davis-Strutzenberg

Tami was a new associate at one of the largest marketing firms in North America. All of her professors and even the director she had interned for said the same thing, “Tami you have creative talent and vision out of this world.”

Still after each sentence would be a ‘but’. Tami always tried to look her best and she did. However being an African American woman was her first strike; being overweight was her second.

Tami usually over compensated in the personality department to offset her weight and the stereo-types that followed with being a black woman.

After working for two years as an associate Tami watched her peers and colleagues move up, get promotions and larger accounts. One thing that she noticed is that all of these were either men or women who were fit and trim. Staying positive was the only thing that helped her keep sane.

Thursday afternoon, Mr. Kelly brought her into his office. What did the CEO want to talk to Tami directly about? As she walked in she noticed a pair of Stacy Adams shoes, wingtips, attached to the most handsome African American man she’d ever seen.

“Tami, I’d like you to meet Franklin, he one of our new Marketing Executives. Since you have demonstrated the ability to handle very important and lucrative projects such as the most recent and successful German Auto Manufacturer campaign ad, I want to pair you with Franklin for another more important account.”

Why am I being assigned to work with an executive, she thought. Maybe he’ll be watching me so that I can get that promotion. Always positive.

Tami walked out in front of Franklin and it was a good thing she could not see his face behind her.

Franklin knew he was a hot commodity. He had a ‘general’ grasp of the marketing field but his climb to executive status was based on his ability to charm and his looks didn’t hinder the situations. And once again they would not fail him now.

He saw the way she looked at him. He’d also heard about Tami’s skills on the down low. She was a real pushover and he wanted to make partner. Maybe he’d be ‘nice’ and make her his assistant once they got this deal. He chuckled to himself. “Look at how she wobbles! Good grief! If she were two more inches wider she would be rubbing the walls as she walked down the isle.”

Tami was animated and spoke about the project, her ideas and everything they would need to do to make the project successful. This campaign would be the largest won in the history of their firm; a cool $100 million dollars.

One week into the project Tami had done a little bit of research and found the key to making the deal done. Franklin was thrilled. He did not have to lift a finger, as usual.

Tami prepared the notes, dealt with the graphics designer and put all the finishing touches on the project. She was tired and it was late. She’d have to call a cab. She started putting her notes into her bag and cleaning off her desk. Just then Franklin walked into her office with two glasses and a bottle of champagne.

“Let’s celebrate!” Tami could not help but feel a little bit excited and hopeful that during the last few weeks Franklin was beginning to feel something for her.

He raised his glass to toast and said “To a great project and an awesome team.” Tami drank, Franklin watched her. There was something about her that was physically attractive but not enough for him to give into it. He paused and looked at her and said, “Now Tami you do realize that when we present to the customer it is not only the work on the campaign that they will see but also those presenting what the company promotes.”

“Oh yes and I am ready. I purchased a new suit and ….”

“You know that is good and fine but, well Tami, our firm needs to demonstrate to our clients that we can represent well and also look the part.”

“What are you saying Franklin?”

“Look Tami I don’t want to be mean but honestly our clients do not want to see a fat, black girl directing such a lucrative and costly campaign. If you cannot control your own eating habits, how well will you control the budget and ads, you know”

“Are you implying that my size and race, which you are also a member of, unfortunately, has something to do with the success of this project?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re still an associate after 2 years. It hasn’t hit you yet? Presentation, Presentation, Presentation. Look, why don’t you go on home and we’ll go over the notes in the morning and I’ll conduct the presentation. You’ll get full credit for your contributions to the project and it will all be fine.”

“Yeah we’ll well see. Good Night”

Tami walked out to the lobby and waited for the doorman to hail her cab. She could not believe his audacity. She needed to get in early to speak to Mr. Kelly about it. This was practically her project. He did nothing to contribute. She would not let him take credit for her hard work.

The next morning Tami got in early and came in “stop-traffic” sharp. Everyone was oohing and ahhing. Tami was dressed to the nines in her red skirt suit. The skirt was trimmed in a cute short pleats and she had on her killer 4 inch matching heels.

Sofia, Mr. Kelly’s secretary had not made her way into the office yet. Tami knocked on the door and Mr. Kelly said, “Come in.” To Tami’s surprise there was Franklin sitting on the suede couch.

“Good Morning to you also Tami.” Franklin loved the surprise look he saw in Tami’s eyes. She did look good but dang, girl was thick! That was beside the point. He had already had a ride to the office with Mr. Kelly and it was decided. He’d do the presentation and that was all. Tami would have the opportunity to be in the room and answer any additional questions the clients may have.

“Mr. Kelly, I wanted to speak with you this morning before the presentation, privately.”

“Yes Tami, about the presentation…I am sorry but I spoke with Franklin this morning and his points make sense. You know this is a very delicate project. We will all benefit from this presentation being successful. I want you in the room during the presentation and available afterwards to answer any questions the clients may have.”

Tami just stood there in shock. She turned to walk out the door when Franklin stood up to get the door for her and said, “Great suit.”

She wanted to slug him, but she kept her composure and walked into her office. She put her bag down and made a few changes to her notes. Franklin knocked and then popped his head in the door. “Can I get those notes from you? I want to review them so that I am ready.”

Tami had a sweet yet sly grin on he face as she passed the index cards to Franklin.

“No hard feelings, Tami?”

“No, none at all Franklin, knock’em dead.” She smiled. Franklin walked out of her office shuffling the note cards. When the door shut, Tami opened her drawer and pulled out another set of note cards. She smiled a little devilish grin, reviewed the cards and grabbed her pad folio. After stopping in the kitchen for a small coffee, Tami ran into the restroom to freshen up.

Fluffing her curls and reapplying lipstick to her natural, yet perfectly shaped lips, Tami heard another woman in the stall throwing up. She sounded like she was having difficulty. A few seconds later a small woman in her mid 30’s appeared out of the stall. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had a little stain on her blouse.

“Are you ok?”

“No, but I’ll be ok. I think I am pregnant.”

She started to cry. Tami wet a paper towel and handed it to the woman. She buried her face into the towel.

“I’m Tami Green. Can I get you something?”

“Thank you Tami. I’m Brenda Daly. I am here for a presentation for our company’s new marketing campaign.”

“We’ll then I will be seeing you in the conference room.”

“Are you the executive presenting?”

“No but I will be there if you have any questions. Can I get you anything, something to settle your stomach?”

“Thank you so much. I’d appreciate that. I’d better get cleaned up. I’ll see you inside.”

Tami brought Brenda some Papaya tablets and a glass of water and walked into the conference room. Franklin was already in the room but keeping up with his regular M.O., doing nothing.

Tami sat at the back of the table and crossed her legs. Traci the Admin Assistant came in and dropped off bottles of water. Franklin winked and flirted with her. She giggled and left.

Mr. Kelly walked in with Brenda Daly from Premium Markets & Produce. Franklin rushed over to shake Brenda’s hand and schmooze her. Brenda was not impressed. She saw Tami sitting at the end of the table. She smiled and waved at her.

“Glad to see you in this meeting Tami”

Franklin looked shocked and then began the meeting. The lights were dimmed. Franklin didn’t do too badly of a job presenting the project to Brenda. Tami smiled since she had the full notes.

Brenda asked all the questions that Tami knew would come up. Since it was her job to answer questions she did it and she did it well. Brenda left the meeting thanking Mr. Kelly for his time. She shook Franklin’s hand briefly, then blushed and turned to Mr. Kelly. Brenda called Tami off to the side and thanked her again for helping her in the restroom. Then she invited her to lunch.

Mr. Kelly walked with Tami into her office and told her to make a great impression. She smiled and grabbed her purse and walked out.

Deep down Mr. Kelly felt sorry for Tami. Over the years he had seen her success get passed on to others who were less than deserving. He like her was the underdog at one point in his career and he was determined this time around to make sure that she was not on the butt end of the stick.

When Tami returned from lunch with Brenda, Franklin was running behind Tami as though she had the last steak and he was a big ol’ dog. “So did Ms. Daly mention anything to you about the presentation; is she going to go with our firm for the marketing campaign?” Tami stopped at her office door, and just before opening the door and walking in she turned to look Franklin in the eye. She gave him a stare that made him back up. Next she stepped in closer to him and said, “Yes she mentioned your ‘presentation’ and said that she was still deliberating about her final decision and that she’d get back to us later today. Oh and she mentioned one other thing….”

“What was that?!”

“Your fly was open for the entire presentation.”

If Franklin where white he’d have turned completely red.

“Next time Franklin you might want to check your attire before starting a meeting. Remember it’s all about ‘presentation, presentation, (and pointing to his fly) Presentation!’”

And with that said she walked into her office, closed the door, and laughed on the other side. Franklin composed himself and walked down the gossiping corridor to his office, on the other side of the building.

Mr. Kelly called Tami at 3:45 pm. He had great news. Tami walked down to his office, and expecting to either see or hear Franklin in tow. Sophia showed Tami in. Surprise! Franklin was not sitting on the couch. Mr. Kelly was sitting behind his desk with the video conference on. Brenda Daly and her Management Team were sitting in a conference room at their headquarters.

“Hello Ms. Daly, gentlemen.”

“Tami you can call me Brenda.”

Tami smiled a little and then turned to Mr. Kelly. He could see the question-mark in her face.

“Brenda please tell Tami what you just told me.”

“I’d be delighted to Mr. Kelly. Tami, we have reviewed your notes and proposal graphics for our new campaign and I am delighted to let you know that we have accepted. But I personally wanted to be the one to tell you that we want you on board or else we go with another firm.”

Whispering under her breath while still smiling, “but Mr. Kelly what about Franklin?”

“Oh forget him! You have done a great job again as usual and now it is your time to shine.”

“Now Mr. Kelly we would like to begin working on the campaign as soon as our management team returns from hiatus. That will be in two months. Tami we will be ready to go at that time. Thank you again for all your hard work.”

The conference ended and Mr. Kelly stood up and walked around his desk to Tami. He shook her hand and told her how proud he was of her and how thankful he was she held her ground over the last two years and especially during this project.

Since Tami’s “big deal” would not begin for another 2 months, Mr. Kelly gave Tami vacation and hiatus and a huge bonus.

It was all about Presentation, Presentation, Presentation and Tami definitely had it.

It's Not the Dress ... - By Gretchen L. Davis-Strutzenberg

“It’s not the dress; it’s the woman who wears it.”

This was the new “Phat & Sassy” fashion line’s motto. I remember my mentor thought that I was foolish to get involved with Plus Size fashion design. “You’ve never weighed more than 150 lbs. What do you know about “curves”? Plenty apparently.

My line is in its 7^th year and after successful walks in Milan, Los Angeles, and New York. , I guess the only size that mattered was my clothing and if it fit my customers and gave them that confidence to be sexy, sassy and more importantly themselves, I did my duty.

------------

Three months ago…

“In all my time as a doctor, I’ve never seen this before. I am truly at a loss,” were my doctors last words to me before he told me that I only had 2 months approximately to live. The cancer, according to all the tests performed, had migrated from my throat to my internal organs. According to the specialists I should have been in extreme pain or worse dead. The odd thing was that I never felt any pain at all. If anything I was more determined to live what little life I had left to the fullest.

Gloria Reyna was the best assistant, confidant and she has a great eye for fashion. Also she was the only one who knew my future designs. “And here is the transfer of ownership and our attorney will have more documents for you to sign after…after I am gone.”

Gloria did all she could to hold back her emotions but she could not hold it in anymore, “I refuse to sign!” and with that she fell on my covered legs in my hospice care bed and sobbed profusely.

“I want you to have it, have it all. I know you are ready.” I told Gloria.

“If I sign, it’s like you are already….already….dead. I can’t imagine life or the business without you.” Gloria winced and tears welled up as she said this.

“I don’t want to go either, but this is the hand that I’ve been dealt. Gloria, we all walk paths that were started by others before us. Please walk mine, make it better, and make it your own.”

“I will never forget you Maureen and I will make sure that you will never be forgotten.”

The dear friends hugged and Gloria left.

The next morning Maureen’s nurse came in and brought her the New York Times. As usual she began thumbing through the various sections and then she gasped as she looked at the cover story of the business section.

Vixen Noir, Inc., introduces Phat & Sassy - Love Basically

Maureen stared in amazement at first then read the article. Gloria was staging a pre-release party of her most beloved designs that were not due out for another year per her plan. She had hoped to see them but with her condition worsening, she only flipped through her old sketches and imagined all her beautifully curved models strutting in her jeans, signature T-shirts and lingerie. Maureen wanted to highlight the beauty in the basics.

Gloria came into her room just then. With the help of her nurse Maureen got out of bed, dressed and was ready for her final walk down the run way.

The show was emotional and phenomenal. Even some of the models had tears streaming down their smiling faces as they tore up the run way.

At the end of the show Maureen walked out to thank her guests and to say good bye to her close friends one last time. The applause was a thunderous roar. She had to wait five minutes before she could speak audibly and be heard.

“You know I had a whole speech prepared, but well to be honest, I threw it away.”

There were light giggles and laughter in amongst the crowd of teary-eyes and smiling faces.

“Really though, I want to tell all of you how much you have beautified my life and given me memories that nothing, not even death, can rob from me. To all of my beautiful curvy models, you are the outward representation of what I feel and admire – your strength, your beauty, your confidence and your grace…please don’t ever change….”

Maureen gave more thanks to all and finally invited Gloria to the stage and made the announcement of the future business changes; everyone applauded.

“Remember…It’s not the dress, it’s the woman who wears it!”

The applause was riotous.

------

Two weeks later….

“…and so today we bid a fond farewell to our beloved Maureen Lee Oxford. She put her mark on the fashion world and she proved by her designs that all women have the right to feel empowered beautiful, sexy, and more important, like a person. She will live in our hearts and memories….

Everyone in attendance, even the men, wore her new signature T-shirt at the funeral. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday.

© 2008 – Its Not the Dress…

Ready to Jump - by Gretchen Strutzenberg

“You’ve got to do something that will jumpstart your life!”

“What do you mean? I’m still doing what I was doing before, during and after my brief stint dating Gary.”

“My point exactly Maddy! You’ve got to get out of the rut you’ve carved for yourself”

Madeline & Ashley had been best friends for over 10 years; a surprise to many and each other. They were as different as night and day.

“Ashley I’ve got it together. I still take care of myself, work, exercise and I’ve even included Yoga!” Maddy said proudly.

“Yoga!? Ah yes the silent, boring way to wash away your troubles. Girl, look at this brochure.”

“Skydiving!? Are you nuts?! I could be killed!”

Fast cars, men and experiences could best describe Ashley. She lived life to the fullest and threw caution to the wind.

“Yes but it’s a very liberating experience!” Ashley was convinced of her own words and could not understand Maddy’s indifference. “Plus you could kill yourself accidentally by wrapping yourself up in a yoga-pretzel knot and suffocating yourself!”

Maddy did not even respond to the last comment.

Madeline came from a very large family and took on many maternal duties early on. She was two years younger than Ashley but to others looking in from the outside they considered her the oldest of the two.

“Ashley, honey, look, you’ve always lived life by the seat of your pants. That’s not my way. I like things safe. I like things practical. I’m not interested in potentially being separated from an appendage or worse my life!”

“Look Maddy I know you are worried but it will be safe; you’ll be safe. Remember Tristan from the VyneSyde Restaurant?”

“Not the waiter who flirted with you so long that he forgot to take our order five times?!’

“He did not forget you just did not know what you wanted to order.” Ashley winked and stuck out her tongue at Maddy.

“Yeah whatever! So what about the dumb waiter”

“Well he is the Sky diving Instructor and also a pilot.” She swooned thinking about this.

“Wait a minute, you want me to go up in a plane and leap out at the instruction of a guy who could not get a simple decaf coffee order correct? Are you nuts?

“Look he’s just working as a waiter on a temporary basis…he's saving up to pay for his Pilot’s License. He wants to have his own Charter Company for short distance plane rides and also skydiving adventures.”

“And how would you know all this Ashley Jefferson?”

“Well…we went on a couple of dates and he took me for a ride in his little Cessna.”

“But we just met him at the restaurant last Friday night; (Maddy was mouthing numbers and counting on her fingers) that’s only been six days!”

Maddy had a thing for all things pink and Ashley had a thing for attractive men. It has gotten to the point where Maddy lost track of which guy Ashley was seeing, dating or talking to, hence she implemented the number system. Maddy was up to 365 at this point, or so she teased Ashley about on a regular basis.

“Hey what can I say?” Ashley flashed her million watt smile.

“No! I’m not going to do it!” Maddy folded her arms as so to let Ashley know that she meant business.

“Well ok, but I hope you enjoy being ordinary.”

Maddy & Ashley had their ideals and hopes of what true love was and both of them were hoping to find it and they were not ones to sit on their haunches and wait.

Ashley sprinted while Maddy power walked. Maddy found a rest stop named Gary. She spent her time investigating. Ashley even thought this was the ‘one’, and she was a self-proclaimed pro at relationships. Neither one saw it coming. Maddy had her cry and moved on, or so Ashley thought.

Ever since Gary told her the reason or one of the reasons why he broke up with her was due to her lack of spontaneity. He called her ordinary. She hated that word. It made her stomach turn.

With tears beginning to well up in her eyes Maddy said, “Those were Gary’s last words to me….ordinary.” Maddy did her best to hold them back but it was no use. The blow of the break up was still more than she could take.

Ashley felt horrible. She didn’t really realize the impact the breakup had on Maddy. Maddy had always been the strong one and whenever the horse knocked her off she kicked him and got back on. Ashley figured that Gary was just another horse Maddy was going to kick.

Ashley handed Maddy a tissue and hugged her. “I am so sorry; I should have not said that. I just don’t want you to be so sad. I want you to be your old self again. I miss her.”

It turned into a teary scene from one of those sappy best-friend-forever movies with an unfortunate ending. Both had a good cry and said farewell.

Through good and bad times they could depend on one another. Despite differences in a variety of areas Ashley and Maddy were best friends and this made their friendship stronger and more peculiar to others. Even their jobs/career paths suited their personalities.

Maddy was the Safety Director for a large food distribution plant. Maddy was tough but fair. Her peers and colleagues admired her ethics and determination and commitment. She was highly sought after and well known especially for her signature pink steel-toe work boots and matching tool belt.

Ashley on the other hand was the well known Event Coordinator. She had planned parties and corporate soirees for the most élite to the stars of Hollywood. Hobnobbing was her thing and she did it well. Coming from a corporate background, organization and attention to detail helped Ashley stand out from her peers and competitors.

Maddy got in her car and drove home. On the way there she thought about Ashley’s words; ‘maybe I do need to do something to jumpstart my life.’ She wasn’t so sure though that it required her to jump out of a plane head first into land.

She noticed that before she pulled into the drive way there were impressions on the garage floor of where she always parked her car. ‘Nah! It’s just because of the dust from the harsh winds we’ve had.’ She pulled in and closed the garage door. When she walked into her utility room and was about to hang up her keys she noticed a faint outline of her keys. She hung them up and walked away.

The message button light on her machine was blinking. She pressed the play button. “One new message. First new message from 555-0034, received today at 3:02 PM…..” She hit the stop button and held her chest. That was Gary’s phone number! It felt like her heart was going to pop out. She breathed in and released slowly.

“He is just a man girlfriend”, she remembered Ashley telling her so that she could calm down. What did he want anyways! Now her fear was turning in to frustration. She smacked the play button and listened to the message: “Umm …. Hello Madd... I mean Madeline. It’s … Gary. When you get this will you call me… please?”

Now she was just plain confused. Should I be mad that he called? She felt happy but still annoyed. Before she dialed his number she breathed in and exhaled slowly 10 times. Now she was a little calmer she could handle the situation. Still there was the lingering thought of hope that maybe he’d want to reconsider his decision to break up with her. The possibilities were endless.

She dialed his number.

The phone rang once; it rang twice….

“Hello? Maddy?”

“Yes, hello Gary, it’s me…I mean its Madeline.”

How she hated this. After dating for nine months they had forgotten what to call each other. Like there was a rule that you had to go back to proper names once you broke up. Well if there was a rule she knew Ashley would know and have a book about it. She’d be sure to ask to borrow that book next time. She laughed inside to herself before she realized that Gary had begun to talk.

“Umm yeah I want to see umm… how you were doing?

Is he serious?!

“Oh I am fine. Keeping busy. So what’s up? You called me.”

“Oh yeah, heh. (Maddy hated that stupid fake laugh of Gary’s when he was guilty of something) Umm well you remember that time we went to the …. Umm …. Botanical gardens and they had that little gift shop?”

Oh brother! Did I really date him?! Lord can he finish a sentence and get to the point!

“Yeah I remember. What about it?”

“Well do you remember I got the ‘100 Year Commemorative” T-Shirt for you?”

Zzzzzzz…..huh!

“Yep, what about it?’

“Well you got me something too while we were there…”

“Yeah I bought you the matching coffee mug. What about it?”

“Well … umm…I can’t seem to find it in my cabinet here. I think you may still have it.”

“Excuse me?! You’re calling for a stupid coffee cup??”

You moron we were getting married and funny I don’t remember getting my deposit back on the rental of the reception hall!! Ahhhhhh! How she wished she could say that to Gary.

“Well … umm…”

“Good Grief Gary! Spit it out! Funny how you did not have a hard time expressing how you felt to me when you broke things off!”

Wow I said it!

“...well it’s my cup and I want it back!”

Forceful and childish…now that is what I remember….

For a minute she thought to herself, ‘what would Ashley do in this situation?’ She smiled at herself in the hallway mirror and said to Gary, “Sure. Why don’t you come over and pick it up. I’ll have it waiting for you.”

“Thanks Madeline. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

With that she hung up the phone. Maddy went into her kitchen and pulled out a plastic zip top bag and pulled the mug out of the cabinet. She washed it; dried it and placed it in the zip top bag and sealed it. She began humming a happy tune to herself. ‘What was that silly song in Mary Poppins’?’ She could not remember but she knew who would.

The two best friends helped to balance each other out. Ashley helped bring out Maddy’s silly outgoing side and Maddy helped Ashley tone it down, as much as she possibly could.

“Hello?”

“Hi Ashley! Tell me what the name of that song is from Mary Poppins that is silly and long?”

“Umm…oh “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”?”

“YES! That’s it. Thanks!”

“What’s up?”

“I’ll call you back a little later”

They hung up and Maddy began humming and singing off key loudly “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. She opened the cabinet in her laundry room and grabbed her pink hammer. Still singing (the wrong words, loudly and off key and laughing) she walked back to the kitchen. With each beat in the song she swung the hammer onto the mug in the bag. When it was well broken and almost unrecognizable except for the words ‘100’ and ‘Commemoration’, she was satisfied with her handy work.

She grabbed an old pretty gift bag and put the bag of broken pottery inside. Still humming to the door, she opened her front door and sat the bag on the front step and closed the door behind her.

A few minutes later she heard Gary pulling up. She heard him get out of his car but the engine was still going. She tiptoed to the front door and looked through the peep hole. Gary bent over to grab the bag. She almost roared with laughter when a puzzled look swept across his face as he lifted the bag. He was still standing in front of the door as he raised the bag near to his ear. He shook it a little and heard the “chiming” of little pieces. He mouthed a bad word. Next he opened the bag and saw the pottery pieces of his coffee cup in the bag. His next expression was priceless…he stayed silent but had an adult tantrum on her front step. He kicked her door and her neighbors’ new dog barked. This scared the mess out of Gary. He almost fell down the stairs. Then he opened his car door threw the bag in the car and took off.

Maddy could let go. She had the best belly laugh she had had in a long time. After she finished she called Ashley back.

“Ashley, tell your boyfriend that I am game to jump!”