#ThursdayDoors: #TDWC — Upside Down

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Welcome, all.  Like many others in the WordPress community, I’ve been looking forward to Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.  This is my first offering for 2025.  I hope to do several during the challenge time-frame.  

Video: Upside Down, Curious George

Today’s door was submitted by Bruce.   It was taken at Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa.  I also had some “song-spiration,” as you see above.

When I looked at the photo, my mind went topsy-turvy — so did the photo.  So I took the liberty of making a collage with Bruce’s original photo.  My story today is more of a vignette, a slice of life, than a real story.  It brings back some old friends that I hope some of you will remember.

Upside Down:
or It Has a Face!

Upside down house girl magpie by Teagan
Image collage by Teagan

The ceiling fan in the Post Office grunted a lazy rhythm.  It was a hot, humid morning in Parliament, Mississippi.  I held my brown curls up off my neck for a minute, wishing that I had put my hair into a ponytail.  I heard the ring of a phone in the back of the office, and hoped I wouldn’t be kept waiting long.

“Whoever that was couldn’t be bothered to say anything,” the clerk muttered.  “Ma’am?” she asked simply looking up at me.

With that reminder of the mysteriously ringing phones that lately seemed to follow me wherever I went, I felt a change in everything.  In the stifling room I suddenly felt a chill.  Clearing my throat, I asked for my mail.

“Sometimes when you get a substitute driver, I don’t get my mail.  Could you please check for me?  Alberta Devovo?” I asked diplomatically, knowing full well that some of the drivers got the heebie-jeebies about coming to my house.

“Alberta…  Oh, Birdie.  You’re the house out at the crossroads.  I thought I knew those curls.  Hang on a sec, Miss Birdie.  Leme check.”

A moment later, mail in my purse, I stepped out onto Vine Street.  I let myself do some window shopping while I was in town.  That’s when I was startled by a shrill voice.  I relaxed when it was followed by equally high-pitched laughter — the sound of a child at play.  I recalled an overgrown, closed-down playground between those storefronts and the neighborhood that backed up to it.

I turned toward my old Nash Rambler when distantly I heard the ringing phone again.  I looked suspiciously at the phone booth on the corner.  It gave a single loud ring, as if to draw my attention.  Then the other ringing started again.  It came from the same direction as the child’s laughter.  There’s no stopping curiosity.  I went to investigate.

Reiman Gardens, door round windows by Bruce Antion, 2024
Reiman Gardens photo by Bruce, 2024

“I wanna turn the whole thing upside down!” the young voice piped as I made my way through the remains of the playground and then on into the shady backyard of a small house.  “Look, Jinx!  It’s got a face!  Upside down, it’s got a face!”

“Tammy?” I cried, recognizing the voice.

Then I heard giggling almost directly over my head.  To my astonishment the child had wrapped her legs around the branch of one of the trees.  She hung upside down, suffused with all of the delight of a child experiencing a new sensation.

“Tammy, what are you doing out here alone?”

“I’m not alone, Birdie — Jinx is with me!” she defended herself.

As if on cue, Jinx swooped down.  In a quick maneuver he was on the limb and hanging upside down beside the girl.

“Jinx?  Why am I surprised?” I remarked, knowing my clever magpie could easily let himself out of his cage any time he wanted, plus he was very fond of the little girl.

“Look at it!” Tammy insisted.  “Look, it’s got a face.  I thought it was a funny looking house.  I didn’t like those weird windows.  But now it’s got a long nose, big round eyes, and a grin.  It’s a different house now.  Now I like it.  But in some ways, it’s the same.”

When she pointed, for the first time I took a good look at the odd little house.  Tammy was right, it did have a face.

“I wanna turn the whole thing upside down!” Tammy cried.

“Things aren’t always just what they seem,” I murmured as the sound of a ringing phone again came to my ears.

The ring was immediately followed by a loud sharp crack.  I turned, just as the limb split and broke away from the tree.  I knew Tammy was too big for me to simply put out my arms and catch her.  Reflexively, I tried anyway.  She fell hard against me.  We both tumbled, unharmed.

From my new vantage point, when I tilted my head, I could see the house.

“You’re right, Tammy.  It does have a face.  Like a lot of things, it’s all in how you look at it.”

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The end.

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Upside Down Lyrics

Who’s to sayWhat’s impossible? Well, they forgotThis world keeps spinning, and with each new dayI can feel a change in everythingAnd as the surface breaks, reflections fadeBut in some ways, they remain the sameAnd as my mind begins to spread its wingsThere’s no stopping curiosity
I wanna turn the whole thing upside downI’ll find the things they say just can’t be foundI’ll share this love I find with everyoneWe’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songsI don’t want this feeling to go away
Who’s to sayI can’t do everything? Well, I can tryAnd as I roll along, I begin to findThings aren’t always just what they seem
I wanna turn the whole thing upside downI’ll find the things they say just can’t be foundI’ll share this love I find with everyoneWe’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songsThis world keeps spinning
And there’s no time to wasteWell, it all keeps spinning, spinning ’round and ’roundAnd upside downWho’s to say what’s impossible and can’t be found?I don’t want this feeling to go away
Please don’t go awayPlease don’t go awayPlease don’t go awayIs this how it’s supposed to be?Is this how it’s supposed to be?
Songwriters: Jack Hody Johnson
Upside Down lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

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If you liked these characters, you can spend more time with them in Brother Love: a Crossroad.  Links to that book are below.  Friendly comments are welcome.  Thanks for opening this door.  Hugs!

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Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.

Brother Love – a Crossroad

Strange things abound in 1950s Parliament, Mississippi.  Jinx the magpie can fill you in on the details.

Jinx on rotary phone next to "Brother Love - a Crossroad" on my Kindle.
Jinx on rotary phone next to “Brother Love – a Crossroad” on my Kindle — not an AI.

Universal Purchase Links

Kindle:  relinks.me/B07V25SXFR

Paperback:  relinks.me/107952309X

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This post is part of Dan Antion 5th Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC). Click the blue link for more information about the challenge and how to showcase your stories.)  Fortunately for me, Dan’s rules for the writing challenge are wonderfully flexible and include any sort of creativity. 

 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

54 thoughts on “#ThursdayDoors: #TDWC — Upside Down”

  11. OMG! It does have a face!

    Fab response, Teagan.

    There’s a lot of terrific submissions at Dan’s. It takes me awhile to gel my ideas, so I’ll probably do only 1 response this month. LOL, I did only 1 last year.

    Lots of fun is had with this annual doors challenge!

    Door Hugs!

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    Reply

    1. LOL, thanks, Resa. I’m using the next episode of The Dance of Discord as a TDWC post, with your photo of the musical instrument door. The peonies on it looked perfect for the era, and that took me to how I could use the special rose that was one of your things.
      Question: Do you know more about that door. I dug around on your blog looking for it. Anyhow, it’s not that important, but do you happen to know if it’s a lute, or a sitar, or something else? Maybe it’s just make-believe.
      Ah! Now I know what song to use for my self-prescribed Karaoke therapy tonight. 😉 Big hugs!

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      1. I believe it is a Portuguese guitar.
        The door is in “Little Portugal” in Toronto.
        It has 1198 over it, and it’s on Dundas Street W.
        I thought it was a restaurant, but when I looked it up it said “Saudade”. https://saudadetoronto.com/
        They aren’t open, yet, but I will phone and make sure it’s their door, and that “Saudade” is still there.
        I find websites can linger linger after businesses close.
        Love the song! Song Hugs!

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        Reply

        1. Resa, please don’t go to all that trouble. I shouldn’t have asked. Since I’m “using it fictionally” it’s fine. Thank you for the extra details. I had not heard of a Portuguese guitar. Very cool. 🙂 ❤

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  14. I love seeing Birdie and Jinx again, Teagan! This is s great story, and such a keen observation about the house having a face. Our daughter loved to sit on a trapeze bar we put on her playscape and she frequently hung upside down. It’s a different view of the world, for sure.

    Thanks for helping the TDWC find its legs and get going. I hope you have a nice easy weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Dan. I look forward to this challenge every year — to both parts of it. I really appreciate you hosting it. I’ll do all I can to support and share it. Maybe the submission of door photos was slower than you hoped, but you got truly terrific doors to inspire us. Big hugs.

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      1. Thanks Teagan. I think the flow or doors is slowed by procrastination. That’s a powerful force in the universe. I will be using one of your doors this weekend, and I truly enjoyed this story.

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        Reply

    1. Haha — it’s wonderfully whimsical, Brian. There’s a big long name for the human thing about seeing faces everywhere. I’ve wondered why I don’t find them as often as other people seem to — but then, I am blind as a bat. LOL. Thanks for visiting.

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  21. It is a very inspiring picture and I love where it took you. It’s always a joy to revisit some of the characters and places from your stories. Thanks, Teagan! Big hugs and love to the Scoobies!

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