Just for fun, I want to post a question each Tuesday that must be answered honestly, whether it makes us squirm or not!
Now, don’t worry yourselves because I won’t be asking anything sensitive or inappropriate. I have to answer these questions, also. While I may be willing to blurt out the truth, not many others would willingly follow suit. No judgement, here.
Often times, honesty can be hard to come by. Why? Because we’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that little white lies aren’t really wrong. Trying not to be rude, attempting to alleviate fear, or protecting private information, have all been among the many excuses we make for being dishonest with others.
This is simply a fun way of bringing to light the age old habit of avoiding the truth.
I will start us off by answering today’s question first. Then, if you feel compelled to do so, just leave your answers in the comments below…
What is your ultimate guilty pleasure song?
Bang Bang, by Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj
In truth, it’s more about the musical arrangement than the lyrics of the song that draws me. I love music with a really good base sound, and any sort of drums. This song makes me want to dance like I did when I was young, which was some years ago. Silly, I know.
It would be hard to pick only one moment. While it may not be a box office smash hit, it’ll certainly make you squirm in your seat, shed some tears, really come to dislike the bad guys, and want to throw your popcorn at the screen, a time or two.
Though I highly doubt that my journey will make the reviews, it has certainly left an indelible mark on the pages of my memories. How often do we replay a scene from our own circumstances, over and over again? Sometimes the scene is warm and tender, offering moments of quiet reflection. At other times, it feels like a recurring bad movie in our dreams… one that refuses to leave us.
I guess my point is that maybe WordPress could have asked a more specific question, if they really wanted me to answer the prompt. Do any of us carry merely one or two movie worthy memories to recall? I highly doubt it!
Besides, have you seen some of the movies out there, just now? With the falling quality of on screen acting, cheap theatrics, and terrible plot lines, most would find it much more entertaining to simply share their own stories. And, the added bonus to making our own movies is that there aren’t any commercials. Just sayin!
While you may be used to my switching things out, now and again, I am about to perform a major alteration in the normal order of things about this site!
Why? What could be the reason for such sudden changes? Take a wild guess…
If you thought the answer was “A BABY”, then you win the prize!
I had a great many delusions of grandeur, in regards to this summer’s line up of stories, jokes, and anecdotes to regale you with… but, that has been thrown out with the bath water, as they say.
This ole mare ain’t what she used to be, at least when it comes to balancing a nearly 25 lb. baby on her hip for hours at a time. It never occurred to me how much energy my grandbaby would be requiring. So, after this last weeks schedule, I realized that things would have to change drastically, at least for the time being. As she grows and becomes more independent, things should normalize. For now though, we’ll be navigating these writing/baby waters more thoughtfully. Work smarter and not harder, as they say.
I realize that I’d previously told Lilly that Monday’s would be her baby question series, but I really need her help with things aboard the ship, as we search for Squagon’s lost squirrel kingdom.
I feel bad, honestly I do, but it made more sense to focus on one or two important tasks, rather than try and hold up the entire schedule of baby care, website activity, and my own personal projects that go on, after the daily posts have been completed.
I know she’s upset at the moment, but I give you my word that she’ll get her chance to write on Mondays, upon our return from this summers travels. Besides, there will be so much activity about the ship, and tasks she’ll be needed for; it’s doubtful that the ant will have a moment to think on it.
The two commitments I’ve chosen to hold myself to, are the Thursday and Friday postings. It shouldn’t be difficult to send you the updates from our journeys aboard The Torrent, as captain’s logs are a requirement while under sail… I think it’s maritime law, or something like that. The Friday posting, while supposed to be written live on that morning, will actually be worked out several days prior, after Maisie flies home to her mamma. Well, she doesn’t actually fly herself home. Brutus takes her back and forth, being that he can fly, and all.
From here on out, we shall be winging it, as they say. I know, I know… I use that sayin a lot. But, it’s not really my fault though. I can’t help it if those sayings keep popping into my head, and I’m certainly not going to take credit for what somebody else thought up!
This was a rather long winded way of saying that I’m busier than I expected to be, and the time spent with my granddaughter is far more precious than any writing I might ever accomplish. The writing will always be there, ready to go, but these fleeting days spent with Maisie are far more important, and they won’t be here for long. Before we know it, she’ll be walking, talking, and growing up. I choose not to miss any of it, not even for a moment!
And, I plan on sharing all those moments with you, my WordPress family. Isn’t that what family is all about?!
After Ollie’s abrupt departure, Maiyah found herself facing quite a different set of challenges than before. While she no longer had the need to hide Brugo, nor was she required to fulfill her normal list of chores, the poor barmaid was saddled with all the work Ollie normally did, which was far more than she’d ever realized.
There were the books to do each day, along with ordering fresh supplies, assigning duties, and paying wages to all those employed at the tavern.
The problem was… Brugo was in constant need of attention, often refusing to let Maiyah out of his sight. It was an unusual change in the little one’s behavior, since Ollie had gone. It was almost as if the baby were searching for him, from the moment she brought him down each morning, til they retired to her room for the evening. It seemed odd that the baby would notice Ollie’s absence, and Maiyah wasn’t entirely sure that it was all just her imagination.
What she did know with certainty, was the increase in Brugo’s crying sessions. He’d barely made a peep when she was hiding him in her bedroom, but now he seemed to cry all the time.
It made no difference whether she fed him, changed him, or even tried to play with him. No longer was it safe to leave the baby by himself, as he began to find mischief wherever he was, at the moment.
Somehow, he learned how to open doors, drawers, and any cupboard that wasn’t padlocked! Maiyah spent all her free time cleaning up his messes, which seemed to be everywhere.
Days turned into weeks, with Maiyah struggling to keep the tavern running, in Ollie’s absence. At times, she would feel so frustrated with her situation that it filled her with anger towards the aggravating Orc. She told herself that it wasn’t her problem, so this was the time to simply walk away. She could be well and clear of the place, before Ollie ever returned, and surely someone else could care for baby Brugo.
But then, at night, while she sat beside the sleeping babe, Maiyah knew that she could never abandon either the child, or Ollie. The orc was the only family she had now, just him and Brugo…
As time went on, Maiyah began to have troubling thoughts about Ollie’s version of things, as well as, how abruptly his behavior had changed when he read the letter she’d given him. How she now wished that she’d broken her own rules. She should have read the letter first, before giving it to the orc.
Why would Ollie lie about the timing of when he bought her from off that ship, so long ago? There wasn’t any way that the sleeping baby was older than she was, as Brugo couldn’t be more than a year old, possibly two. Maiyah, herself, was nearly grown into a young woman, and she hadn’t been more than seven or eight when she first set eyes on Ollie.
And, why was he so quick to hand her the tavern key? The business of running the place had always been his passion. Something wasn’t right, and Maiyah knew it. But, as to what wasn’t right, the answer was yet to reveal itself.
A great distance from the old shanty town, Ollie found himself journeying along an old familiar trail, heading toward a distant seaport, rather than toward the orc’s clan. He’d already decided that he would not seek them out, as they had turned their backs on him after he abandoned Shelor, and his son. There would be no warm welcome from any of his clan. Some wounds run deep, and stretch beyond one’s lifetime, never to be mended.
Ollie felt a pang of guilt over leaving the way that he did, vowing never to return to that world, after the way things went with Shelor’s clan. The circumstances were partly his fault, but much of the blame truly lay with the leaders of both clans. They had ruined everything for the young couple, and when Ollie left, he felt certain that he would never look back.
It wasn’t Maiyah’s fault that she wasn’t orc, by blood. How could he choose between the human child that he’d raised, and the woman he loved, not to mention his own son!
All that the orc had ever wanted was a family, his own clan. Maiyah was just as much a part of that clan, as his wife and baby. For a time, he had actually believed that it might work out…
He split his time between the tavern, and life within his wife’s clan. But, for as much as he tried, Ollie wasn’t able to convince the clans to allow his human daughter to join them. Even Shelor had accused him of loving Maiyah over herself, and their son. Things quickly fell apart, after that. Both clans threatened to turn him away, unless he abandoned the tavern life, as well as, his human pet, as they called Maiyah.
Now, the orc found himself separated from his clans, his wife and son, and his life upon the wharf. And, to make the orc feel even worse, he bitterly regretted the lies he’d offered Maiyah, shortly before they parted. He was a coward! How could he tell her the reason why things had gone the way they had? She would be devastated at such an awful truth, just as he now felt.
In shame, the orc made his way along the trail until it split, and then carried on down the path that led to the sea, instead of inland, toward his warring clans. There, he boarded the first vessel in need of an extra sailor, and sought to forget all that he was leaving behind…
Deep in the heart of orc territory, amidst a myriad of battle encampments, sat Brugo’s mother, Shelor. All orc were born to be warriors, whether male or female… it was the way of their people. Shelor had seen many battles before, though none since the birth of her son. It now felt different, somehow, though she found it difficult to understand the reason why. She should be proud to fight alongside her clan, and even more proud to die upon the battlefield. That was every orc’s pursuit, especially hers! At least it had been, at one time.
Sitting before the fire, listening to the men as they talked of the upcoming battles, all Shelor could do was think of Brugo. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, never feeling the touch of his fingers tangled in her hair, nor holding him in her arms. What if she die in battle, without knowing what happened to the child? After the way she had crushed Ollie’s spirit, over the human child he’d raised, Shelor understood why her husband would never come for her, now. The least she could hope for was that he would care for their son, in her absence. Surely, he would do that.
Shelor had watched from a distance, on the day she’d left Brugo behind the fish shed, just outside her husband’s tavern. The young barmaid that found the baby, fit the description Ollie had given of his human daughter, from what Shelor could remember. The girl looked kind, Shelor thought, and had felt sure that the baby would be kept safe. As she sat watching the flames flickering in the darkness, Brugo’s mother pray that she had made the right decision…
Back in the small shanty village, miles away from the orc battlefields, and oceans away from Ollie, Maiyah watched over the baby, as if he were her own. Night after night, she sat by his bedside as he lay sleeping, hoping with all her heart that Ollie would one day return. And, with the babe’s mother by his side!
Maiyah pray that perhaps one day, they could all become a family. The young barmaid hadn’t any memory of a mother, so the idea of a family began to wash over her like a comforting, warm blanket.
Many times, long after the streets lay empty and quiet, and when sleep refused to come, Maiyah walked along the dock, listening to the sound of the waters. Would Ollie ever return? A nagging doubt had begun to grow, as to whether the orc had simply fled, abandoning both her and the baby.
In truth, Ollie didn’t owe Maiyah anything, nor was he obligated to her, in any way. She had been nothing more than a purchase, a worker for his tavern, so perhaps he hadn’t cared for her so much, after all…
Will Ollie return from the sea? Can Maiyah keep the tavern afloat, and still manage to care for Brugo? Will Shelor survive the impending battle?
Do you realize how easily I could spend someone else’s money? No one would ever offer me such a proposal, once they realized the damage I could do. Do we actually believe that most lottery winners make wise choices with all that cash they’ve won?
If they can spend money fast, I can do it faster!
You see, I’m not talking about shopping sprees and frivolous gifts for anyone close by, no no. In the span of 24 hours, I can do substantial damage to our national debt!
The first thing I would want to do is gather up all the politicians that have any real power, but I’d do it in the middle of the night. I’m sick of tax dollars being spent on their extravagant holidays, from such hard work that they claim to be doing on behalf of the American people. I’d get them all in the office, but on their dime, not ours.
Besides, the prompt didn’t give any stipulations, as to what time my 24 hour spending should begin. If we get all the paperwork done during the night, we’ll have the whole day to spend said money. See, pretty smart, right?!
What would we be spending money on, you may be asking. Why the people, of course! My desire would be to create a nationwide trust fund, and every politician, or government worker, must fork out 10% of their annual income to fill the coffers, so to speak. No one said whose money I get to spend, right?
Said trust fund would be meant for widows, orphans, and disabled, no questions asked! If anyone of those folks come knocking, they are to be given a monthly income provided by the trust fund, equivalent to the cost of living. Why am I adding such specific rules? Haven’t you seen Pirates of the Caribbean? Balbosa was very good at taking advantage of specifics. That’s how Captain Jack got marooned on that tiny island, and more than once, I might add.
So, anyway, if there’s any money getting spent overnight, it’s got to come from somewhere. I just want to make sure we’re not spending our own money, by whomever planned on funding this party. Isn’t that how it’s done? Promise someone something special, but in the end, they have to pay the tab? I know Oprah did it, with all those ridiculous cars she gifted to her audiences.
Just sayin!
Cookies should take the sting out of that…
Fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies spilled on a sunlit kitchen counter
Books, clothes, games, tools, fishing stuff, diving stuff, and of course, exploration stuff… check, check, and triple check!!!
Oh well, we can always send Brutus to retrieve anything we’ve forgotten, right?!
Now, for everyone coming along on this venture, a tour of the ship, as well as your quarters, is in order. Otherwise, you’ll never find the bathroom, and the babe’s will take all the best bunks.
Come on, let’s get you settled…
First stop is the kitchen. This is one of the best places on the ship, and where we spend a good deal of time together. Mini Wiwohka will be our cook for this voyage, as Miss Tilly has her hands full with babies, and all.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you that Tilly had twins…
While mamma and babies are all doing well, Tilly won’t be able to accompany us this time. She is needed at home, which is totally understandable. With that being said, Mini Wiwohka has gained quite the skill in the kitchen, so we are all in for a real treat!
Moving on, let’s show you where everyone sleeps, as well as, the restrooms.
You’ll find that there’s a ladies room at the bow (that’s the front) of the ship,
And, yes, we do provide unlimited hot water. Why, we have a dragon to heat the hot water tank, of course! There’s water being piped to both bathrooms, the kitchen, and also a washroom for the cook.
Check out the boy’s bathroom at the stern (the back)…
Oh! I’m so sorry, Peanut! We didn’t know you were in here.
How embarrassing!
Anyway, you get the idea about where the bathrooms are, so let’s move on to the bunk area…
It looks as if Nugget has already claimed one of the bunks. You should probably make quick work of finding your bunks, before the rest of the babes get here. They should be arriving any moment.
Speaking of the babes arriving, I must leave you here to settle in, as I must finish my tasks before we depart. As soon as little feet start dropping on the deck, we’ll be shoving off. I want to get started as soon as possible. Hopefully, we’ll be weighing anchor shortly.
If you wish to say your goodbye’s, I suggest you stow your things and make your way above deck. I think I just heard Eustace moving about above our heads, so I better get up there. I made the mistake of telling him it was alright to bring extra things for the baby, if necessary. He’s gone a bit overboard (no pun intended, there)…
Oh, brother!
Well, at least the baby will have more than enough stuff to keep her happy. I can’t fault the camel for that. I know we’ll be thanking him later, and he knows it, too!
Luckily for you, she has her own designated bedroom, so Eustace can shove everything in her closet.
There should be more than enough room for us all, thanks to Creed’s handywork. It’s too bad that he couldn’t come, what with schoolwork, and all. We’ll have to make due without him. No worries, though. If anything needs repairing or replacing, Brutus can fetch him for us.
Ummm, I think that’s everything. If I’ve forgotten something, there will be plenty of time to figure it out, and fill you in. For now, let’s say our goodbye’s, or farewell’s, if that sounds more mysterious…
Awww, look how excited Squagon is to be leaving. It’s no wonder though, as this whole journey is to find those lost to him. And to think that you will be a part of this adventure, as well. I couldn’t be happier to have you all aboard.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the answer to this prompt. Do you realize how many shows there are, and have been, in the past? That’s a huge list, my friends. One that I’ve no time to divulge.
Cookies?
A pile of trophy-shaped winner cookies on a wooden cutting board
As you may know, tomorrow is departure day for our Barnyard crew, so everyone is busily loading the ship in preparation for the adventures ahead.
Eustace is apparently all packed, and ready to head for open waters. If you ask me, the camel is taking the whole baby preparedness thing a bit further than anyone might have anticipated.
But, if you think I’m going to burst his happy bubble, you’re crazy!
What this ship needs is a happy camel, a confident camel, and a free babysitting camel, standing at the wheel. Traveling the high seas with a baby onboard will be quite the undertaking, and I’ll need all the help I can get!
Why on earth would I want to eat dinner with a complete stranger? How uncomfortable would that be?
Busily trying to prepare and serve food to someone I don’t know, while simultaneously attempting to hold a somewhat intelligible conversation with them, seems absurd.
You know, I went out onto the internet and queried a list of all the philosophers. It’s substantially longer than I expected, and no surprise here, folks… I didn’t recognize any of them.
That’s not to say that they don’t hold any value, or useful knowledge. It just means that I don’t know them, personally. What on earth would we talk about? I fear I would bore them with ridiculous questions about how they managed to survive without modern conveniences.
There honestly isn’t any list of important questions I’ve been holding onto, for someone I’ve never met. I mean, if they hold important information, don’t they normally write it all down somewhere, anyway? If I’ve a list of burning questions, I can simply look them up on the internet. Why do I have to fork out dinner for them, first?
Now, I would go back and walk beside some of our greatest prophets, and apostles of Jesus Christ. Those would be the only people of interest to me, as I spend most of my time reading and studying scripture about them. They saw the things that Jesus did while on this earth. They heard his voice, walked with him, and were taught by him. I’ve always wondered over the impact Jesus had on those He touched, those that were changed by his teachings, and his sacrifice.
Outside of that, I don’t really have any desire to seek a dinner reservation with anyone I don’t know, personally. Don’t judge! I’m just not a social as I once was.
Journey With Me! 