choosing between wants and needs...

  [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Vondran continued speaking to Thalion in his dreams, showing him bits and pieces of his life.

  "It was difficult for me at times having an absent father.  I envied my friends who had both parents and several siblings.  But I never gave any of them the satisfaction of seeing me grieve for what I didn't have.  I learned early on that it wasn't the combination of mothers and fathers, or siblings that made a happy or fun childhood.  It was what I chose to make it, what I chose to focus on.  When I wasted my day or night bemoaning what I lacked and wanted, it made it hard for what I needed to find me.

  "It is like shouting "Hello" on a mountain top and waiting for the echo to come back to you.  When you shout things that you regret, things you hate ... those are the things that come back to you tenfold.  But when you shout with joy and celebration all the good things that you do have, then those are the things will come back to you like that "Hello" echo and surround you one hundred times more than you can imagine.

  "Choosing to be happy doesn't make you exempt from things that can go wrong in life.  But when you find yourself between a rock and a hard place it can help you to knuckle down and overcome any sadness or regret.

  "As an only child of a single mother, I spent a lot of time with her and watched how she made choices between what she wanted and what we needed.  I was not long in the tooth before I realized that she had sacrificed a great deal to ensure that I would be safe and have a happy childhood.  

  "She was a beautiful woman, with straw yellow hair, and I'm sure she could have married again so that she would not have had to struggle so hard.  But she knew in her heart that one day I could be the true heir, and she did everything she could to ensure that when that time came, I would know what the people needed."

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

last week ...

Some of my procrastination projects from last week...

 My own interpretation of ghost painting...

Bookend projects, one down, still contemplating the second one.

Sweet Autumn Clematis ~ another invasive plant, but one that I will let stay.

This beautiful butterfly posed for the camera.

Newly found neighbor in my backyard.

Sibling snuggles.

Hope your weekend was a relaxing one ... Ci💚

dreaming ...

 [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  "Don't let how easy the walk has been thus far give you a false sense of security, Thalion.  There are challenges ahead that you need to be prepared for.  Consider yourself my student as I prepare you for what is ahead, and the invasions that put you on this path.  While I never knew my father, or my siblings, I would encourage you to take heed of what I show you in your dreams.  The life I had with my mother was at times difficult, and we struggled frequently to find safe housing, I have no regrets for not growing up in the splendor that my siblings knew.  If anything, it gave me a much broader spectrum of knowledge for what the people and the land truly need in a leader.

  If it were not for the coming of The Grimma again, and the evil of a particular man-kind who views life as some kind of gaud to be possessed and destroyed, I would not have presumed to send you on this quest.  But throughout the moil and centuries since my own passing, there have been none more worthy than yourself to bring peace and union to the land.  

  Pore on what I will share with you as you journey towards your goal, for I gladly share my experiences and knowledge with you.

  But first, let me introduce myself so that you may call me something more than 'the voice' or 'the heir' for you, young Master Thalion, are the true heir.

  My name is Vondran, and when I was a young man, I had straw yellow hair, the same as yours."

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

busy-ness

 Oliver's comfortable nap was met with a jealous stare by Lucy.

It eventually woke him, and he left for a moment, which allowed her to move in.

Not to be bullied, Oliver soon crashed her party.

I found two antique beveled mirrors at an estate sale store.

The original frames had splits and chips in the wood and had been (rudely and excessively) glittered.

I was able to find new frames that only needed a tiny bit of tweaking to fit.

The bear is back again this year.

And a new visitor of slight concern, a coyote.

While I wouldn't want to fence the wildlife out (it is their mountain and forest after all), I may consider putting a fence up around part of the yard so that I can let Charlie (or any future puppy) out at night without worry.   Last year, I priced a larger fenced area to completely enclose the property, but it was not in my budget.  This year, I'm dreaming of plans for next year...  Herb garden.  Greenhouse.  Smaller fenced area.  Catio.  Carport.  Waterproofing the basement.  Reinforcing the foundation.

Winning the lottery.

I was to have a full knee replacement done tomorrow, however, that has been postponed until I try physical therapy to "strengthen the muscle."  I'm not sure what muscle strength has to do with a bone-on-bone joint situation, but I suppose jumping through hoops can be considered physical therapy.

Stay flexible ... Ci💚

a long walk

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Little had been said the night before when they had stopped since Thal had fallen asleep mid-sentence, unaware that the others had already fallen asleep.  All of them had been exhausted by the day's events and journey.

  That afternoon, the four of them set off into the next forest district that Elder Elowin had marked off on her makeshift map.  As they walked, Thal told them of his sleepwalking, the sigils he'd been marking around the village and what Elder Elowin had told him about them.  He told them about the first time he had heard the voice, whose name he had not yet learned, and about The Grimma.

  The three had listened in silence, becoming more aware with each step of the danger that they may face.  Finally, Thal had also stopped talking, spent with the emotion of it all, and worried that the others would desert him.

*~*~*

  Almost three forests behind the four young wood elves and their quest to find Queen Legodia's throne, Alexander was on his own quest to find Kael.  However, his pursuit was both driven and hampered by his slippery descent into madness after being made a fool of by Kael's escape.

 

  As each night passed, with the gnolls returning to feast at his expense without producing the elf he blamed for his fall from grace, Alexander became more and more obsessed with finding Kael.  Finally, he put his foot down to put a stop to it all.  He told the chief gnoll that there would be no more feasting until the elf was found.  As expected, this did not sit well with the gnoll chief, and there began an almost comical argument between the two.  Scribbling cartoonish images of elves and gnolls on loose paper, Alexander demanded that the chief was to recruit better and smarter gnolls to search for the elf villages and leave no survivors until Kael had been found.

  It was no longer about finding any elf to sell to the highest bidder; it was about revenge for an imagined slight.  Alexander had never learned how to concede defeat when he was a boy under his father's tutelage.  When he went off to boarding school at the young age of six, he became aggressively competitive.  For him, there was no losing.  Whenever he was even threatened with a loss, he sought to completely annihilate his opponent.

  Expulsion from the school would soon follow, and a transfer to a new school until finally their screening processes improved, and he could no longer gain entrance.  His father then paid someone to complete his final exams and admission tests for university, and Alexander found himself in an enhanced business program learning about foreign trade and other topics he really didn't care for.  His professors learned quickly that it was better to give him passing grades than try to discuss his failings with him or his father.

  This challenge of finding Kael was no different.  Failure was not an option, and the gnoll chief began to realize that he had finally met an opponent who could actually destroy them once and for all.

~*~*~

  The four elves had stopped in the early hour before daylight, having put most of another forest between them and Alexander, although they were still unaware of his pursuit.  They hadn't spoken much after Thal's description of The Grimma, but each of them recalled hearing stories of it when they were very young.  Stories that they had grown up believing were just fairy tales to frighten children into behaving but now realized that such tales were often based on truths.

  Lyri had prepared another meal of the fruit Eldrin had provided and suggested that they begin to look for other food along the way the next day to supplement their dwindling supply.  As they built the lean-to that would protect them from the sun and spying eyes, they also gathered some yellow straw found in a small open area to sleep on a little more comfortably than the hard ground.

  As the four lay down to sleep, Kael looked up and gasped.  Two large bears had stepped between the trees and placed themselves at opposite ends of the lean-to, head to toe as the four laid, so that they could guard the front and rear while the elves slept.  The largest of the two looked directly into Thal's eyes and slowly nodded at him before taking his place on the ground.

  "Apparently, the forest animals also have a vested interest in our success," Thal said as he watched the sky brighten with the rising sun before he found himself dreaming and once again hearing the voice of the heir.

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

august ...

 We have achieved peace and tolerance in the house finally.

Gracie always looks so regal.

My hostas are blooming and making me want to plant more in the front side yard.

Volunteered again Saturday at the art gallery.

There are about 282 different artists whose work is displayed and for sale there.

Some surgery coming up in the next few weeks if all goes well.

More to come on that ...

Stay frosty out there ... Ci💚

sleep talking ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Thal looked at the others and sighed deeply, "To be honest, I think I've been hearing the voice my entire life, I just thought it was part of my dreams.  It wasn't until I heard it when I knew I was awake that I realized it was something else.  Elder Elowin seemed to even know about it before I did because she didn't inquire if I was hearing voices.  She simply stated that she knew I was."

  "This may constitute as a stupid question, but what exactly does your voice sound like?  I mean, does it sound like you?  Or someone different?"

  Lyri threw a look at Eldrin that made him shrug in self-defense, "I just mean, when I'm thinking out problems, I sometimes talk them out loud to myself, and I know what I sound like.  I sound like me.  So, it wouldn't occur to me that I was hearing someone else's voice unless it sounded really different from me.  Which would kinda freak me out."

  Thal smiled.  "Yeah, it definitely didn't sound like me, and it did freak me out.  I think I was in some kind of a trance most of the times lately when it happened because I would 'wake up' in weird places.  Like when I had been writing sigils around the village.  Other times a stray memory would cross my mind, like déjà vu, and I knew for a fact that I had never been there or done that before.  At least that I was 'aware' of.  I was even going to talk to you about it one night, but then it swayed me from doing that until I talked more to Elowin about it."

  Kael looked at him closely, "You know, for an elf who is descended from a royal you are the least pretentious elf I know.  No offense, but as much shite as I put all of you through since we've been littles it would be easier to believe that I was the one with royal blood."

  They all laughed at that in agreement before settling into an awkward silence.

  "It's not something I would have thought either, but it is what it is.  Elowin did warn me that royalty sometimes comes at a high price.  In this case, I have the existence of every wood elf riding on my shoulders if I fail at breaking this curse.  But, no pressure, right?"

  Thal's smile was a weak one, and the other three just looked into the fire rather than at him.  He knew that even though they had all volunteered for this adventure, he was the one who had to sit on the throne to save them all.  A part of him wanted to send them all back to familiar forests, but he doubted he would be able to succeed without them.  In any case, the window of opportunity for him to change his mind had come and gone hours ago.

  It was Kael who spoke next, rising to his feet to put out the fire, "We should probably douse this now, so the smoke doesn't draw any unwanted attention and get a few hours of rest before we start again."

  As they lay in the shade of the moss lean-to they had built, Lyri waited until she heard the slow rhythmic breathing of Eldrin and Kael sleeping before she whispered, "Thal?"

  "Yes?"

  "Is there any way you could just undo all of this?"

  "What do you mean?  Like wave a wand and magically make it all disappear?"

  "You needn't be sarcastic, I just meant, is there any other way to break the curse?"

  "I'm sorry, Lyri.  You're right, that was sarcastic of me.  I've been wishing the same thing myself.  There is nothing I wish for more than to just snap my fingers and fix it.  Unfortunately, I'm a descended from a king and not a wizard."

  "I'm sorry too, Thal.  I know that this is just as overwhelming for you as it is for us.  We just seem like a bit of a rag-tag group to have been chosen to save the world.  I'm trying to keep a cheerful outlook for the sake of all of us, but I'm just a little frightened.  I didn't even get to leave a note for my parents, and I know they will be worried sick."

  Thal reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly.  There wasn't anything he could say for he felt the same fear of the unknown.  Before long he heard her breathing slow down and tried to match his own to hers to calm his mind.

*~*~*

  "Watch out for the black ones."

  Thal's voice woke the three of them, and Lyri was the first to sit up and look at him.  His eyes were closed tightly, and as Eldrin reached to wake him, Lyri stayed his hand and shook her head.

  

  "Watch out for the black ones, I say.  You need to avoid them."

  "Is it you?  The heir?  Is it you talking now through Thal?" Lyri asked.

  Thal's face relaxed a little, and Kael and Eldrin looked at her, bewildered.

  "Yes." he whispered.

  "Can you tell us any more than that?  Black what?"

  "Spotted black." he whispered again.

  Before she could ask spotted black what, Thal awoke and looked at the three of them, staring at him with wide eyes.  

  "What are you looking at me like that for?"

  

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

catching up again ...

 

We are getting closer to everyone being friends.
There is the occasional hiss by one of the girls to a little,
but it is almost as an afterthought.
"Oh, right, I'm not supposed to like you."

I was surprised that Lucy was participating in some play with the littles.

Here, Oliver had been sleeping on Gracie until the flash woke him.

I volunteered again this past week at the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center.
They had a new exhibit remembering an artist, Kathy Mason Nicely, who has passed.
This was an oil on canvas replica of an album cover that reminded me of good times at Fort Hood, Texas when I worked with the Army Contracting Command.

Don't let their innocent faces trick you.
The two littles are like drunk, heavy-metal band members in a hotel room sometimes.

This was a delightful find at a thrift shop.
Made in China, date unknown.

The wide-eyed shocked look is after I squirted him with water for getting into my beads.
That was the 2nd of 4 cabinet doors I've been working on for my neighbor.

I finally finished this book I started months ago, and I loved it.  
It goes on my "keepers" shelf to read again.
It was an excellent trip through history from the late 1400s through 2002,
based on the true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah.

  

setting off ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Elder Elowin handed her the purple satchel with the books and jellies to Lyri.  "You will need to carry this, my dear, because I sense in you a spirit for healing.  I have also included some additional salves and herbs that you will need.  You will know when and how to use them.  Trust your instincts.  I've also included a blank journal for your writing pleasure so that you can record your journey."  Lyri took the satchel gratefully, wondering if there would be a time when someone would find the journal if they didn't succeed.

  Kael licked his lips nervously and sauntered over to where Elowin stood as the others continued to gather their items.  Elowin took his hand and looked into his eyes.  "You need not be afraid, child.  You have a strength within you that has not yet been fully seen.  The trials you recently faced in your journey from the stone house were only the first of many, but you will be successful in all that you do."

  He nodded, unsure of whether to believe her or not, but trusting that the others would have his back when the time came.

  Eldrin returned to the group again, this time without his loud armor, but carrying a satchel full of berries and apples.  "I thought it might be a good idea to gather some things to eat along the way since we haven't supped yet.  It would save us some time when we stop for a rest."

  The four of them now turned to look at Elder Elowin, realizing that there was nothing more to do except to start their long journey.  She looked at them and nodded, and the four bowed slightly out of respect before disappearing into the darkness of the forest.  There was nothing more to be said, and any further delay would let doubt enter their minds and hearts.  

  They silently walked through the woods for several hours, thinking only of what they might face in their journey.  The path was lighted only by fireflies they had caught in jars.  Finally, Eldrin caught up with Thal and elbowed him.  "I think this might be a good time to stop and rest.  The sun should be up soon, and we have passed the edge of our own forest.  I'm ready to put a fork into some berries as well."  Thal nodded, and the four gathered some wood and moss to build lean-tos that would shelter them from the sun during the heat of the day, and from eyes that might have been sent to spy on them.

  Lyri dispensed equal measures of the food Eldrin had brought with him, and using a small knife sliced one of the apples so that each could have a piece.  She saved the other apples for later, knowing that they were less likely to find an apple tree on their journey, but that berries could be plentiful.

  Looking over at Thal, she said softly in the silence before the birds began to announce the rising sun, "Perhaps this would be a good time for you to tell us of your dreams?"

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

disappearing into the forest ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Elder Elowin looked at the four young wood elves and nodded.  "You will need to leave tonight, carrying as little as possible with you.  There should be no revealing of your journey, or your quest, to anyone else in the village for it will cause a panic that we need to avoid."

  Eldrin sighed dramatically, "What?  No going away party for us?"

  "No.  There is a chance that there are those among us who would take note of the direction you go, and we cannot risk that information being passed along to those who do not want Thalion to succeed in sitting upon the throne of Queen Legodia."

  Thal looked at her quizzically, "Do we even know if the throne still exists?"

  "It does, and the heir will guide you to it."

  El now looked at Thal with a questioning rise of his eyebrows, "I'm sorry, but I thought you were the heir?"

  Thal sighed and looked at Elowin, who nodded.  "I am now, however, the heir who should have taken the throne when the Queen died speaks to me and has been guiding me for the past several weeks."

  El, Lyri, and Kael now looked at him with wide eyes.  Thal continued, "I hear his voice in my head at times, and he was also guiding me in sort of a trance state to write the protective sigils around the village.  I can't control when I hear from him, it's not like I'm able to turn it on and off like a water faucet.  But it was him who has been reaching out to both Elder Elowin and me about the coming danger and the black Grimma."

  Turning to look at Elowin, Lyri asked, "So, this idea of yours to go on this quest is not just random fairy magic, but it is based on the history of our ancestors, Thal's ancestor, and the forest?"

  "Yes, child, it is.  We have no more time to waste because you must get started before daylight.  You must be to the edge of these woods by dawn.  Quickly gather some things and be started.  You can rest during the early morning hours after dawn, but each day will need to travel in the afternoons and evening hours.  Follow the direction of the setting sun.  Go now and pack some food and clothing."

  The four scattered in the direction of each one's home after agreeing to meet back at Elder Elowin's cottage in a few minutes.  Elowin in the meantime, gathered some healing jelly she had made into a small leather satchel.  She added one of her books on plant roots that can be eaten for strength and nourishment.

  When the four began to gather again at her house, she gave the satchel to Lyri.  "This will help you along the way.  The jelly will heal any wounds, and the book will tell you what will be safe to eat along the way."

  Much to everyone's amusement, Eldrin arrived wearing battle armor which clanged loudly announcing his arrival.

  Elowin shook her head, "Child, the point of leaving at night is to go under the cover of darkness so that no one will be able to follow you.  You cannot wear that outfit.  Not to mention, it will become heavy and painful to walk in for the distance you must travel."

  "Begging your pardon, Elder Elowin, but if we must go to battle against gnolls and other forest evil, I'd like to be prepared."

  "Being prepared is one thing, young Eldrin, however, announcing your arrival is another.  You cannot wear it, and I can assure you that there will be those in the forest who will help you on your quest for they have a vested interest in your success."

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

perspective ...

I took these during the David decade when I felt like less.

Less of a person.

Less worthy of happiness.

Less worthy of everything... including life.

It's amazing how much a person can change in five years.

a map of the past ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent.  To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date.  You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Elder Elowin told the four to wait by the fire while she went into her cottage to find something which would help them on their quest.

  It was Kael who spoke first after she had gone.  "I owe each of you an apology for my past behavior.  I never knew what I must have looked and acted like until I was confronted with it at the stone house.  I'm sorry for how I've treated each of you.  Very sorry.  Since I've been back, you've been nothing but kind to me, and I know I did nothing to deserve that from you."  He blushed deeply, and a tear fell from his eye.

  Lyri reached over and put a hand on his arm.  "Apology accepted.  By me at least," she looked at Thal and Eldrin, "and I'm certain they also accept it."  Both boys nodded in agreement, and she continued speaking. "We've sort of come to see you in a different light the last several days, without all the pollution of what was clouding our vision before.  And we all have occasionally followed a crooked path once in a while and have learned the hard way how to get back onto a straight and narrow."

  Elowin returned to the four young elves with a rolled-up parchment under her arm, and a basket filled with jars and herbs.  She motioned to them to gather near her by the fire as she unrolled the parchment onto the ground.  "You'll be wanting to memorize this map, as it will be too risky to take with you.  If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be the end of all of us."

  Pointing to an area of the map with the end of her pipe, "This is where we are now.  And around here are all of the woods and sigils that you marked, Thal.  They will hold for a while, but once you leave these woods they will begin to weaken until you return.  So, it is imperative that you not dilly dally when you go."

  Lyri, Eldrin, and Kael looked at Thal questioningly, and he shook his head slightly and mouthed "later."  They could talk about the voices in his head when they were away from all of this, right now he needed to focus on what Elder Elowin was telling them.

  Pointing to a purple section of the map, Elowin continued, "This is where I think Kael was being held.  It is all human industry now, but at one time it was King Oom's land.  You won't want to go in that direction."  Kael nodded enthusiastically at that.

  "This is where you need to be," Elowin indicated the farthest point away from where they were on the map.

  Eldrin sighed.  "Of course, it had to be there."

  "Do you know that area?" Elowin asked.

  "Unfortunately, yes.  I've had the pleasure.  I got quite the education there once.  Wood nymphs, and hermits, witches, and trolls, tree-beards of every size and color.  It was enlightening, but not dangerous.  There are just so many courtesies one must abide by to avoid offending one or the other.  I suppose it is too late for me to withdraw from this adventure?"

  Lyri slugged him in the arm.  "You cannot back out now!  Since you know so much about those woods, you will have to coach us on how to behave around each of them!"

  Rubbing his arm where Lyri hit him, Eldrin laughed, "I was just kidding!  The only thing we really have to watch out for is going to be BellowCat who runs the ferry across the river to enter those woods.  We will need to be prepared to answer his questions in writing, and they can be very difficult."

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

the weekend ...

 ... in no particular order.

Volunteered this past weekend at one of the local art galleries.
Successfully (barely) resisted the temptation to buy one of everything.

I finally finished (at 230a) the first cabinet door for my neighbor.
Four more to go, and this was the smallest.

Found Orange Jewelweed growing in the backyard.
It is a member of the Impatiens family.

Calliope and ... (drumroll...) Oliver!

  

Slightly out of focus because he does NOT slow down when he is awake!
They broke themselves out of quarantine after a week by climbing the fence.
Gracie and Lucy still hiss but are getting used to them.
The babies just ignore them and now ignore Charlie also.
He is curious but no longer growls.
Oliver loves cuddles and kisses.
Calliope is starting to like the idea of cuddles.

sunday morning ...

cicadas buzzing

solar fountain in the bird bath bubbling

siren in the distance

somewhere around the alley bend, geese are honking

a car engine revs and a man yells

blue jays

cardinals

bees buzzing

yesterday's reheated coffee has gone lukewarm

a slight breeze blows the porch curtains

the groundhog perches on his rock silently watching charlie

there are chores to do, but for now i sit

away from news and social media, and the anxiety it propagates

my stomach growls reminding me i need to eat

and move back into the coolness of the house

i give in to its need reluctantly and begin the day

a quest for peace begins ...

 [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts.]

  Thal sat quietly, considering all that Elder Elowin had told him.  "If sitting on the throne will stop The Grimma, will it also stop the gnolls and the human that Kael told us about?"

  "If the kingdom of Queen Legodia rises again, it will unite all of the kingdoms together, and that will defeat the gnolls, and protect us from the human."

  "Then what must I do?  Where must I go?"

  "You must take a ferry across the great river to ...." A rustling noise in the underbrush behind Thal and Elowin stopped her from finishing her sentence.  "Who is there?" she called.

  El, Lyri, and Kael slowly revealed themselves and came forward.  Lyri spoke determinedly for all of them, "Forgive us for eavesdropping, Elder Elowin, but Thal is our friend, and this involves all of us.  Wherever he goes, we go with him."

  Elowin nodded approvingly and waved the three of them to come closer.  "Child, I knew you were there all along.  I was waiting to see what kind of friends you truly were."

~*~*~

  Alexander took a box filled with small gold bars from where he had hidden it behind a loose brick in the fireplace hearth.  He knew the gnolls could care less about the gold, but it would help him convey to them the seriousness of his intention to find the wood elf and others of his kind.

  His appearance had taken on a pastey purple shade as his anger and blood pressure continued to rise the longer it took the gnolls to find the elf.  His heart worked overtime trying to keep up with the demand, growing larger and thicker with each passing day.  But he hadn't noticed.  Finding the elves was all he thought about.  Finding and destroying them.  He barely ate now, and his body had begun to show bones he hadn't seen since he was a much younger and healthier man.  Sleep evaded him, and when his mind was able to rest somewhat, he dreamed of Kael and what he would do with him first when he found him.

*~*~*

  Elder Elowin continued to speak.  "What will be required of each of you, will be to accept the fact that in spite of past differences, you are all connected.  You are not simply friends.  You are, and always have been, family.  All elves are uniquely related.  Not simply by blood, but by a connection to the forest, to the animals, birds and trees.  You are an extension of the earth by birth."

  Kael raised his eyebrows in astonishment but said nothing.  His childhood, or rather lack of one, had shaped much of his adulthood.  His parents had set the example for his own bad behavior of lying and obtaining things by taking advantage of others.  He'd never felt as though he belonged to the wood elf community because of it.  Overhearing what others said about his parents, he did all that he could at first to avoid becoming like them.  But their reputation was passed onto him undeservedly, and he soon fell into their patterns of talk and actions.

  Eldrin looked at the four of them, "Excellent!  When can we start on this magnificent adventure?!?!?"

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

sunday's selections ...

 ... brief and sweet ...

It always makes me smile when my security camera says it detects a pet.
A doe and her fawn early one morning.

This sweet boy (?) is a new addition.  His name will be decided upon once I confirm with the vet that he is indeed a boy.

Miss Calliope.

Unexpected Answers ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts.]

  "I'm sorry, who?  My what?  I thought you said she had no heirs.  And how am I related to Queen Legodia?"

  "Ahhh, Thalion, I was very purposeful in my choice of words.  I said she had no 'known' heirs.  Queen Legodia inherited the kingdom from her father.  She was the eldest of ten children.  At the time of her death, when her cousin, Oom, assumed the throne, eight of her younger siblings had been silently assassinated by his henchmen in neighboring kingdoms and communities."

  "Eight?  So, there was one still alive?"

  "Queen Legodia's mother died giving birth to her ninth child, a son.  He was raised by a young milk nurse, who had recently lost a child to stillbirth.  When her husband later died in battle, she became the king's concubine in order to support herself.

  After the boy was no longer nursing, she unexpectedly found herself pregnant by the king.  Fearing that the king would be angry, and that the baby would be ostracized as a bastard, she fled the kingdom during a solar eclipse."

  "Where did she go?"

  "She traveled on foot for several weeks.  At first only moving at night in case the king was searching for her.  She sought shelter that winter in a small village called Hog's Breath where she worked with a seamstress and was able to disguise her growing body for a time.  When her mistress questioned her about the father of her pending child, she told her that he had been an abusive drunk who had raped her one night.  Which was not far from the truth.

  By the spring she had saved enough coin to purchase a small donkey, and shortly after the baby, a boy, was born she felt it was time for her to move again in case the king had sent men to find her trail.  She couldn't have known that the king had died a week after the eclipse, and his eldest daughter was now on the throne."

  "How discouraging.  All of her efforts to flee, and she really didn't have to after all."

  "Oh, but she did.  It was well known that she had been the king's concubine, and her pregnancy would have started tongues wagging.  If she had stayed, it is likely her son would have been killed with the rest of Queen Legodia's siblings after her death.  In order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, it was imperative that he survive."

  "Prophecy?  What prophecy?"

  "Do you believe in luck, Thalion?  Or do you believe in fate?"

  "I'm not sure.  What's the difference?"

  "Imagine that the Universe has already charted your path.  You set out in life, believing that you are making all of your own choices, but in reality, the Universe has already chosen for you.  It simply puts options before you, like sending them down a chute, and no matter which one you chose, it will still lead you to the same destination they have chosen for you.  That is fate.

  Now imagine you pick up an acorn off the ground, and you punt kick it into the air, hoping it will land in a small oval you can't even see on the other side of the forest.  That is what you call luck."

  Thalion laughs, "Well, I'm still not sure I know which one I believe in.  Most of the time I'd like to think that fate has determined my life, but there are times when it feels like I've just gotten lucky."

  Chuckling in agreement and nodding her head, Elowin continued.  "As far back as the records of elf-kind go, there has been a story of an unknown king who will rise up from humble origins to save all of the forest folk from an unknown evil.  Even long before King Oom and the division of the land, and long before Queen Legodia and her father.  Each generation has patiently waited and wondered if he would come in their lifetime."

  "And of the evil?  What of it?"

  "The Grimma.  It has risen up every few generations, which only hinders the hope of the faithful and believers in fate."

  "You said that the origin of it came from a curse that a wizard advisor of King Oom put on the land?  Why would he do that?"

  "King Oom was a jealous, little man who only surrounded himself with those he believed would be loyal to him.  But in truth, they were only loyal to themselves and cared nothing for him, or the forest.  When the wizard placed the curse on the kingdom and the forest, he believed that he would one day be able to sit on a throne over the entire world.  But that was not the fate that the Universe had set out for him, and his plan backfired.

  Half a century later, when the battle over the kingdom had been forgotten, The Grimma rose up one evening while the wizard was camping in a different part of the forest to gather herbs.  His magic that created it the first time was unable to stop it, and he became just another victim of his own selfish greed."

  His forehead wrinkled with confusion, Thalion sat quietly for several moments.  "But if the wizard couldn't stop what he created, and the true heir to the kingdom is just a voice in my head, how can The Grimma be stopped?"

  Elder Elowin looked at him gently.  "The wizard's curse can only be broken when the true heir to the throne sits rightfully upon it.  And that, my innocent young sprout, is you."

This week's Words for Wednesday can be found here.

catching up ...

In reverse chronological order, since that seems to be the only way Blogger plays ... 

The heatwave coming across the country is beginning this week.  This screenshot was taken about an hour ago (at noon), and at the time I'm typing this now we are already at 91°F with a "feels like" 99°.  A friend in Nebraska said that their heat indexes last week were over 110°.  Pretty sure today's high will be above what is forecast.  I will be forever grateful to friends that bought me a window a/c unit because my mini splits were installed wrong and haven't worked to cool the house since I moved in.  They "cool" by freezing up, spitting out ice chunks, and creating small lakes in the rooms.  I suppose I could go swimming to cool off.

I've taken on a big project of beading five chicken wire kitchen cabinet doors for a friend's remodeling project in her house.  Should keep me busy for a while.

I have wanted to paint this rock since I saw it on the side of the porch when I first moved in.  My.most.favorite.word.ever.  Now the name of my house.

Bought some peonies at the grocery store last week and just love how they exploded after I opened up the stems.  I really need to plant some of my own this fall in the front yard.

This nasturtium terra cotta teapot was really ... scary flesh looking ... so I added some green paint, and some frogs.  Now it is a beautiful flower vase!

The whateverholiday cactus I repotted in the spring is apparently happy. 

This was a broken dragon that I upcycled with a red bead and paint into a ruby dragon for the front porch.

Creative spider on my side cam.  Another art project idea for later after the chicken wire beading project.

Happy Solstice weekend!  Stay cool out there (or warm depending on your hemisphere) and stay creative....  Hugs, Ci💚