Zion Press

  Zion Press -- Every year, the Haarjel family looked forward to the family reunions, and this year was no different. Invitations had been emailed, games and activities had been assigned for the younger crowd, salons had been booked for the necessary mani/ pedi groups, plus this year, they had managed a coup and would have a hairdresser on hand.                 Family reunions had been around for generations and Chaz knew that running the planning over to his event staff had been a genius idea. Staff got paid, strings got pulled and he only had to worry about getting his family at the chosen location. This year, they headed to the vineyard owned by Chaz’s aunt in law, Carol and her husband. Switching between Skinnyjohn’s Winery and the vineyard helped keep the boredom at bay for the teenagers.                 Between his staff and...

  Getting personal here. A few years ago, I had a falling out with a sister. The details don’t particularly matter; the fact that we are estranged is relevant. When I found out what her allegation was against me, I was in shock. Utter disbelief. I cried. I sobbed. I prayed. I knew this not to be true, yet I could do nothing against these words that came at me from all directions. Knowing that if she had been willing to talk to me, maybe we could have figured out where the breakdown in communication had come from. Instead, my sister chose the nuclear option, demanding that our sisters stop talking to me, that extended family believe her, that our parents cut me off. If anyone spoke to me, she would in turn not speak to them. I feel differently, knowing I can’t put others in that kind of situation where I chose who they can spend time with. I had no recourse. Clearing my name over something that I didn’t say would certainly indicate guilt, and as I was, and am, innocent in what she c...

  Zion Press -- Issac Montclair expressed shock when he accidentally discovered a neighbor wearing the same mask he had. "I was told by the maker that all masks would be unique and different based on what people had in their closet," he ranted in his social media post. He posted a selfie with the mask copy cat surreptitiously behind him. "Imagine my embarrassment when I went to the only place I could go, and someone was wearing the same mask. A girl would be humiliated to see another girl in the same prom dress, and since I can't go anywhere but the store, this is like my one nice outing." The volunteer mask maker sorrowfully apologized for the mishap. "I will do my best to avoid this in the future. I have so many prints, I'm not sure how it happened that the mask and the tie were the same as another." She went on to say she had suffered sleep deprivation in her dedication to make masks for her community and was deeply sorry for any offense caused...

  Zion Press, the lesser known cousin of the Babylon Bee… Not everyone hates quarantine. Local mom Allison Smyth gushed about how much she loves it in her social media post. “It’s been wonderful! I have everything I need right here!” She went on to say that her baking skills have improved, as have those of the cherubs she is now homeschooling. “We have so much yeast and flour – we bought out Trader Joe’s right before this lockdown happened, so we have enough that if we make a mistake (here she added the laughing emoji to the post) we can just toss it and start over!” Her children, Kaytlin and Reagyn, commented in the post that homeschooling has just been such a blessing! “Our mom is amazing! She hasn’t lost her temper with us once and we are able to get the personal attention we need, for six hours every day! Since Mom has her MRS. Degree, she knows how to do everything perfectly, including Common Core math. Mrs. Smyth went on to post “If anyone has a problem with their children or...

  Zion Press -- Alexa picked up her book, one that had been with her from move to move, state to state, had seen her though enough bad boyfriends to last a lifetime. With the day looming in front of her, Alexa settled in, got comfy and opened her old friend. Well, maybe not really an old friend. Alexa knew the outside of this book like the back of her hand, and certainly knew the plot from living on this planet, but who the characters really were eluded her. But now. Now was the time. A global pandemic, everyone under quarantine. Now she had the time to delve into the story. Pillow fluffed, tea at the ready on the end table, blanket unfolded, all in preparation for the marathon reading session Alexa had been promising herself once things slowed down. Since it couldn’t get much slower than this, she looked forward to getting to know the characters through her eyes, not just what the directors of the oft made renditions wanted her to believed. Alexa carefully reached for the tea, whe...

  Zion Press -- Dan checked his phone, but just long enough to pull it out of his pocket and see if his mom had texted back. She usually texted back within minutes, and it had already been a half hour. Not only did she text back pretty quickly, she also worked from home so she could bring whatever he forgot to school. She had saved his bacon more than once bringing homework or a book, so he couldn’t understand why she hadn’t texted back. It was fine, he told himself. She wouldn’t let him down. He had told too many of his new friends that his mom would come through. Dan checked the phone again, then the barrier. He needed his ID to get in and out, and today, of all days, he left it at home. His dying battery – how had he let it get to 15 percent? – let out a sad chirp, letting him know he had a text message. Finally. He glanced at the text he sent his mom, asking for a few things he didn’t know he needed. Napkins. Gatorade. Hot food. Camping supplies. Sleeping bags. Coffee. Hairbrus...

  Zion Press -- Cooking dinner has always been a joy to Sarah Winchester. The mom of five rambunctious children thrives on putting healthy and fun meals together for her brood, and having to do it seven nights a week, 31 days a month, for two and a half months hasn’t dimmed her enthusiasm. In the past, one of the children would help each night, rotating through, so all could learn to cook, but between home schooling and working from home, Sarah decided she would catch them all up during summer and just do it all herself. Her husband, Jeff, lights up the grill a few times a week, but as he is also working from home, has managed to misplace every clock and alarm he ever owned and works through dinner. Tuesday, she pulled out individual meatloaves, flattened per the children’s request, complete with tomato glaze, presented beautifully on a serving dish rimmed with parsley, alongside shells au gratin, and haricot verts , perfectly trimmed and even. Wednesday, her family “awwwwe...

       Zion Press - Margo carefully combed through her closet, looking for just the right outfit. Today was special, and she couldn’t wear just anything! Sea foam skirt with matching blazer, over the ivory shell? Maybe. But with which shoes? Flowery sundress that got her compliments whenever she wore it? Perhaps the light pink sheath dress, with the necklace that hung just right?      Or maybe she could go a little more casual. Jeans and the blazer with a pair of mules? No. Too casual. Hair up or down? So many decisions! Finally, Margo reached for the dark blue dress she had worn to a winter wedding, placed her diamond earrings in her ears, gathered her heels, put just a touch of makeup on and checked out her image as she passed the hall mirror. She was ready. She floated through the kitchen to gather her keys and swept out the door, looking fabulous as she went to get the mail.

  Zion Press -- Unlike many students, Matt Logan can’t wait for school to start again. In addition to seeing all his friends and getting to know new teachers, he had learned so much over the break and wanted to share. Once his school work had been completed, the day was his to spend as he’d like. And then going right into summer? Heaven. He could spend as much time as he wanted learning exactly what he wanted; none of this grammar nonsense. And take advantage of that he had. Matt’s teachers had always noted he was “a joy to have in class” and “one who values learning”. His favorite accolade was “Matt keeps us entertained and informed about so many things”. While those comments mainly described his middle and high school years, now was the perfect time to revisit old hobbies. His reputation at stake, Matt took all that to heart over the break, and vowed not to waste this learning opportunity. While most people spent their time online looking at cat videos, Matt went to more structur...

  Zion Press-- Saturday night, game night. Maddy lived for game nights! The social aspect, the snacks, the competition. All of it, and this night she expected to beat all. This was it. Maddy was down to the wire. This last move would make or break her game. She looked at her game piece, set right where she needed it, glared at her opponent’s piece, so close to hers and drew in her breath. Now. The time was now to draw a card. Yes! It was a red! Maddy moved her marker, threw the rests of the cards in the air in jubilation, and began her victory dance. It had been a hard game, one in which her opponent had played well, but Maddy persisted. Skill, luck, practice. It had all come down to this. Maddy is the undisputed champion of Candyland. Like Comment Share

  Zion Press -- While school may be out for the summer, Eric Anderson is taking the time to brush up on his spelling words. He was the reigning spelling bee champion at his school for two years and a little thing like a worldwide pandemic won’t stop him from preparing to beat all next year. His mother, Delia, spends countless hours a day quizzing him. She tosses words over her shoulder while she does dishes, while she cleans up the living room and while they go on walks. “Propaganda” Eric thinks about it for a moment, then comes back with the right spelling immediately. Delia has studied the list as extensively as her son, making this a family project. “Buffoonery.” She throws the next word at him. Eric rolls his eyes in her general direction. “Come on, mom,” he implores. “Give me something hard!” Delia thinks for a moment, wanting to challenge him. “Incendiary.” This one flummoxes Eric for a moment, but he comes back with the right spelling, well within the time allotted, two min...

       Zion Press -- Elisa King took her fiction manuscript to her agent, pleased with what she had written. She started this project five years ago, and her Christmas present to herself December 2019 was that she had finished it and had found an agent. They met in February and Elisa handed over the script. Melanie looked it over, reading a few passages here and there. She knew it to be fiction with a little bit of horror, but as she read, she found herself disbelieving more and more. “Elisa, you have the death of a prominent and well loved sports figure right up top. Please tell me this doesn’t set the stage for the whole book.” “Of course not,” replied Elisa. “That sets up just one part.” Melanie kept reading. Good thing she was a quick reader, with nearly perfect comprehension. “There’s a virus that’s worse than the flu. What made you think to add that?” “Older books influenced that pandemic; I’ve seen it in some other books I’ve read, books that are long ou...

       Zion Press -- Shopping had never been Josh’s favorite thing to do. He regarded it as a necessary evil and would let things get ratty and holey long before he absolutely needed to replace something. Even his electronic devices could outlive their usefulness a couple months before he would go shopping for a new one. He took a look around his apartment before heading out, because once he did go get new things, he preferred it to all be in one trip. Better spend the time once getting everything he needed rather than make more than one day of it. “Shoes, yeah, I need new shoes. TV. Phone for sure. Oh, and Kayla has been hinting at a new purse for a while. Laptop.” He was going to make the most of this trip. Josh got in his car and went downtown where all the stores were. He hoped he hadn’t missed the Black Friday type sales. As soon as he could, he rushed in and grabbed all that he needed, leaving only when he saw the flashing lights pull up to the store. others Li...

  Zion Press -- While tugging her mask to make it fit better, Becky headed down to the mailbox, getting there just a few minutes after the mail truck had left. (Mail truck. How sexist was that?) She was concerned that her no good neighbors had stolen it. It hadn’t happened before, but you never could tell with those All American folk. For Pete’s sake, they listened to country music and put out the flag on every appropriate day. At least, she thought it may be appropriate, she wasn’t sure. Usually, it seemed kind of random, like June 14 and December 7. Becky was documenting everything about the neighbors; that’s why she remembered those days in particular. Document, document, document her friends had told her, when she mentioned the barbecues and get togethers they had with their friends. Why, they even hung a Nascar flag, and everyone knew what a Nascar flag meant! Unemployment when this whole pandemic hit hadn’t treated Becky well. She was used to working at least part time, and ...

  Zion Press -- In a past life, Craig was a scientist, but the calling to be a teacher had been too strong to ignore. Knowing his experience would benefit those in his high school science classes, Craig had taken the road less traveled and gone into academia. High school, but still, reaching young minds, showing how science works? It didn’t get better than this. Right now, he busied himself trying to bring his two loves together. How, he mused, can science help the world when so many people were blind to it? How could what he learned and use as a teacher help the country he so loves? What works in his class? Most kids at high school were past the table points method of rewarding one group, especially because there was always that one kid who wrecked it for the whole table and had to get moved to other groups so the rest would eventually get that reward, however small it may be. Individual rewards earned the ones who got it a reward, yes, but they also got the attention of the teach...

  Zion Press -- Unlike most teachers, Kari liked field trips. She liked the getting out of the building for a bit, seeing her kids in a different light, listening to the kids on the bus chatter She had no idea Aiden liked Addison! He kept that one pretty quiet! She’d have to remember to put them together next time they switched seats. Oh, and Madison couldn’t stand Joey. He bugged her for some reason. Kari wondered what would happen if she put them together. Ah, young love. Or young indifference. Could go either way. Over the last few months, she had missed field trips. Hands on learning, and even if was a trip she’d taken with her team every year, she always found she learned a bit. She liked having someone else talk to the students and get them involved, especially the ones she couldn’t reach in her class. After weeks of being unable to go on a field trip, she had one planned for today, and she was excited. It wouldn’t be the same as when it happened in the “before times” but she...

  Zion Press -- Chaz straightened his tie, checked the mirror again, and went out for the press conference. This time, his mask matched his pocket square, and he was pleased to see the masks on everyone who had come to hear the pearls of wisdom drop from his unBotoxed lips. (He didn’t use Botox or go to a plastic surgeon. He didn’t!) This whole lockdown had been so beneficial to him. Although he didn’t plan it – that would have been plain evil, and he wasn’t bad, he was just drawn that way – it worked in his favor. Parties were fighting, the mask had become a political football and he looked like a hero to most for wearing it and clamping down on those ingrates he called constituents. He gave the bad news, shutting down the state again. Why couldn’t they just listen to him? He obviously knew best! Now he had to ground them all. No salons, no gyms, no hair dressers, no bars, no restaurants. It would hurt, he thought. People had told him, so he had at least heard the words. Good th...

  Zion Press -- Mika looked at the produce box, given out by the school. Grateful didn’t even begin to cover how she felt looking at the bounty. A cantaloupe, head of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and a bag of potatoes were what she saw at first glance, but the box had been heavier than that, so a bit of investigation was in order. Oh, two bags of potatoes! Wait, was that a third? Oh, dear. Amber came in the kitchen to see her mom looking at the box, a confused expression on her face. “What’s u---“ she started, as she looked in the box. “What are we going to do with that many potatoes?” Amber finally stammered out. The family likes potatoes, sure, but one bag could usually last them a couple of weeks. Looking at her daughter, Mika started laughing. “We could serve them baked, fried, mashed, smashed..” Amber left the room, rolling her eyes. A few minutes later, she came back in the kitchen to get a drink. “…hot German potato salad, country potato salad, twice baked, crinkle cut fries…”...

  Zion Press -- With a full fridge and a heavy heart, Riley sat down heavily on the couch. He appreciated the slight heads up he had gotten when he found the state would be shutting down again, and had headed to the store to stock back up. Bored, tired of being bored, sick of all the books in the house, beyond tired of all the streaming, and currently unemployed (furloughed, but really, what was the difference at this point?) and even done with the 14 puzzles and art projects, he just sat, devoid of anything but ennui. He had even rebuilt his motorcycle and had taken it out, but now, he was Over It. Summoning the energy to get up and find food was even too much, but he realized he was a little hungry. Or bored. He truly couldn’t tell anymore. Riley opened the freezer and took out the first thing in front of him. Because not only was he bored, or hungry, he was hot. At least the A/C worked. Currently. He bumbled his way back to the couch and finally looked at what he held in his ha...

  Zion Press -- For as long as she could remember, Marissa had loved the number 45. Everyone had a favorite number and she was no exception. Most people picked 7, or 13, but Marissa loved 45. They were next to each other in order, it sounded smooth rolling off the tongue, she often won when someone told her to pick a number between one and one hundred, it was a multiple of nine, really, all in all, a good number. She played competitive soccer and it had been her number for nine years. See, there it was again! Part of 45. Now, ever since November 9, 2016, Marissa couldn’t even say it. Her favorite number, ruined. She couldn’t say what it stood for, and she couldn’t even say the number. Soccer jerseys saved for a blanket or a other memory, gone. Her personalized tumbler, with her number? Destroyed. She barely held onto the pictures of her various teams because she wanted some time to the great friendships. But her own jersey? How could she ever like this number again?

  Zion Press -- Home school mom Erika thrived on discussions, especially those based on current events. They gave such depth to her debate club, such panache to her speech club. For every meme that she could sneak a peek at during lesson planning or actual school time, she added to her arsenal of research and citations. Every meme, every comment that came up on her friends’ social media concerning the frustration of home schooling this fall gave her a little thrill. She had a few favorites, but particularly loved any with quippy sayings, like “Home school mom here. Been there, done that.” She even smirked a bit when teachers reminded parents that spring was “survival school” not “home school”. It’s not like it was hard. She’d been the sole teacher of 3 students for their whole lives! Home schooling was difficult, but it was *so* enriching and so fulfilling. She adored everything there was to like about teaching, planning lessons, going on field trips, and even parent teacher confe...

  Zion Press -- Mark loved his job. He tended to be an introvert, and he loved English, so when Merriam Webster called, looking for precise, and concise, people to add to their dictionary writing staff, he whispered in excitement. Mark also wasn’t known to be particularly gregarious or loquacious, so hiding out in his cubicle, finding the most accurate words to describe something else fit him like the proverbial glove. One part that bothered him about his job was the new words that the dictionary added. Ginormous? Not a word. Phrases that defined the time but were really lame, like “safe space” also irritated him, but he generally enjoyed the ability to be persnickety and get paid for it. He scowled as he read today’s news. “In these unprecedented times” These times weren’t unprecedented, though. Did no one pay attention to history? 100 years ago, give or take a few, people were asked to isolate, quarantine, stay home, wear masks. For the love of all good words and phrases, a cl...