First Challenge!

Okay, folks, this is exciting!  We are off and running with the first writer's platform building challenge today!  The winner will receive an awesome prize, and as you well know, I  am all in favor of prizes :)

As of the writing of this post, I have deliberately not read anyone else's challenge yet, because I didn't want to be influenced (or intimidated out of even trying!) so I'm really looking forward to reading them all once I've finished mine.  The rules state that we must include one secret, one lie, one interesting quirk, one annoying habit, one of our best character traits, one of our favorite things in the whole wide world, use the words bloviate, fuliguline, (yes, those are actual words and yes, I will have to look them up before I can use them!) blade and rabbit, and accomplish it all in 300 words or less in any writing form we choose!

Ready?  Go!

Susanna was not like the other rabbits.  She liked to get up at 5 AM, not 6 or 7.  She preferred the openness of the meadow to the safety and confinement of the briar patch.  She loved how blades of spring grass tickled her feet, like fuliguline down.  And while the other rabbits were quiet and kept to themselves, Susanna liked to hop up on the back porch steps of the farmhouse where the sun was warm, and bloviate at length about the merits of vegetarianism to anyone who would listen.  She spoke especially firmly about this to the dogs, a habit the other rabbits found bizarre.  Why would anyone talk to dogs?  The other rabbits figured that the reason she enjoyed public speaking and communing with dogs was because she was adopted.  No denying she was odd, but they were willing to overlook her eccentricities because she was loyal and kind and always quick to help when called upon.  Susanna loved her home and her family, but sometimes she felt her differences and couldn't help but wonder where she had come from, and how and why she had ended up here.  Still, she was a happy rabbit - how could she not be with all the good fortune bestowed upon her by not just one but four lucky rabbit's feet :)

There you go - and only 220 words - pretty good for the queen of long-windedness :)  Those of you who have read Punxsutawney Phyllis may recognize the familiarity of the opening lines :)

Now, here is the question:  I may have revealed something about myself that isn't strictly true (actually, of course I have, because the rules required one lie!)  Can you guess what it is?  The answer will be in my next post, but I will look forward to your guesses!  If you want to, feel free to try to guess the secret, too, and/or follow the guidelines listed above and submit your own list/paragraph/story/poem in the comments for us to enjoy and guess at if you're not already in the Crusader Challenge (because I know a bunch of my followers are very creative and not crusaders!)

So, see if you can guess and/or add your own attempt!