Sunday, June 29, 2025

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.


Wednesday, June 25, 2025

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."

Sunday, June 22, 2025

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💚

Thursday, June 19, 2025

A Hidden Ancestry ...

[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.]

  After supper, Elder Elowin and Thal sat outside by the fire as she smoked a pipe.  Occasionally, the smoke from the pipe formed rabbits, mice and birds that chased each other before dissipating into the air.  Thal watched, fascinated.

  "Many centuries ago, there was a tract of land ruled by Queen Legodia.  She was a kind and wise queen but had no known heirs.  When she died, her kingdom was assumed by a cousin, Oom, who became a king with a very cruel and satirical way of ruling.  The people hated him, and many of them moved away to other kingdoms.
  When word spread that even his army refused to follow his orders, a great war broke out for control of the kingdom."

  "What happened, Elder Elowin?"

  "The war spread and covered mountains and valleys.  There was nowhere safe to hide from the death and destruction.  In the breakup of Queen Legodia's kingdom after the assignation of King Oom, there was a curse put on her land and people by the king's advisor, a wizard of great power and evil."

  "A curse?  What sort of a curse?"

  "We called it The Grimma.  It was a death curse that killed without mercy nearly everything in the woods.  Elves, animals, and even the trees themselves."

  The sound of a violin being played and laughter wafted through the trees to where Elowin and Thal were sitting by the now smoldering fire.  Thal reached for a log to stoke the fire again, and Elowin stayed his hand.

  "Let it die, there are things we must talk about that are best said in the shadows.  I don't want anyone to see the flame and decide to join us just yet.  The Wheel of the Year is turning, and they deserve to be happy and celebrating.  There is too much of a risk right now of a nosey informer spying on our conversation and causing a panic among the forest."

  "Do you mean Kael?"

  "No, Thalion.  Others who act like busy bees to benefit the hive, but it is not our hive or mountains whose interest they have at heart."

  "Is it the voice I heard?"

  Elowin let out a puff of smoke that turned into an angry swarm of bees, buzzing around Thal's head before disappearing into the darkness.

  "No.  The voice belongs to the true heir of Queen Legodia's kingdom... your ancestor."

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

hollandaise ...

[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 here to be taken back to 1 January 2025, and then look for chapters to appear weekly between Tu-W-Th]

  "What do you know about tennis, Thal?"

  "Tennis?  I've never heard of it, Elder Elowin.  What is it?"

  "It was a word on a scrap of paper I found wrapped around a small bit of Turkish Delight.  Melon flavored I believe, down by the brook at the edge of the forest."

  "Turkish Delight?"

  "I think a type of sweets.  I was curious about something and thought I would see what was outside the forest.  Have you noticed a change in Kael since he returned?"

  "Yes.  He seems ... changed."

  "Indeed.  But that isn't why you came to see me, is it, Thal?"

  "No.  I heard something last night at the bonfire."

  "Mmm.  Yes.  I know."

  "You know?"

  "There isn't much that I don't know, Thal.  But it was something I suspected would happen sooner or later when you told me about the sigils.  
   Many generations ago, when I was still a young girl, the world was a much different place.  There were men, powerful men, who weren't satisfied with what they had and always wanted more.  They created wars and divided the countries.  Some even divided their own people into rights and wrongs.  They gave limited power to officers to act on their behalf, but they were just puppets, dancing on the steps of the government, pulled every which way by invisible strings.
   Eventually, the people realized that they were fools for believing in the lies of these men and came to the conclusion that the old ways were better and there was a great upheaval in the world."

  "What happened, Elder Elowin?  Is that what is going to happen again?"

  "It's too early to tell, but I suspect that we may be in the middle of a great change.  Now, can you reach that pan for me on the top shelf there?  I want to make some Hollandaise sauce to go with this fresh asparagus for supper."

Saturday, June 7, 2025

it's been a minute ...

 ... since I posted photos.

My front porch has become an extension of the house.
It's where I have my morning coffee, listening to the birds.

I hung these curtains recently for some privacy from the house next door.

Adding to my porch gallery wall.

The groundhogs had a little one!

A new planter for my succulents!
I ordered it on Etsy. [<link]

Found this at Goodwill!  I'm debating on repainting it.

Caught and released this moth. 
I wanted an up-close look at it for possible art projects later.

Wishing you a week of fun discoveries and adventures!  Hugs, Ci💚

Thursday, June 5, 2025

an egg for supper...

[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 here to be taken back to 1 January 2025, and then look for chapters to appear weekly between Tu-W-Th]

  After hearing the voice in his head at the bonfire, Thal had gone to see Elowin the next day.  He found her sitting in her garden, writing notes in a worn almanac and sorting piles of seeds for various vegetables.  Every few moments, she would mumble to herself and wave smoke from an incense candle over the seeds as if she was blessing them.

  Worried that he would frighten her if he tapped her shoulder or spoke loudly, Thal sat on a rocky outcrop where he would watch for her to notice him.  He was not eager to start a conversation about hearing voices since he'd heard that elders who began that pursuit were often sent away into the forest and never heard from again.

  His mind strayed to what Kael had told them about being held prisoner at the end of the Earth, where the ocean tides rose up to the edge of the forest, and how a human, Alexander, had been planning on selling him to others.  

  He'd been unable to give them any data about the location of where he had been held, only that he had arrived there after the attack of the gnolls when he had been running for his life and then escaped the same way without any sense of direction or plans.

  But there had been something different about Kael when he returned, something that Thal couldn't quite put his finger on.  He seemed smaller, but without having changed in height.  As if he had shrunk into himself.  Lyri had even been surprised when Kael complimented her on her pearly opalescent dress that she had worn to the bonfire, but she'd only raised her eyebrows and looked at Kael.  He had shrugged but said nothing, his mind still wondering where the voice had come from.

  Elowin raised her head and waved at Thal, and he went over to where she was standing on a block of stone, reaching deep into a hedge.

  "Help me here, boy.  Can you reach that nest that is deep in the hedge?  I need one of those eggs for my supper."