Thursday Thoughts…

With the warmer weather comes the freedom to make way the sails, as they say. Whether you desire to come along is entirely your choice, though, you’ll be missing out on some grand adventures if you don’t make it to the dock on time.

Since we’ve only one available day of the week for such tales, I opted to settle our nautical explorations and high seas adventures, on Thursdays, just for the summer months.

Living a homebound lifestyle requires that my brain be actively engaged in some form of challenging pursuit. To be honest, Thursdays were falling a bit flat, in regards to being very interesting, or even challenging, for that matter.

So, what is one to do when the brain calls for stimulation? We mix things up, seek out new paths of adventure, and dip into the the well of creativity. From there, all manner of new and exciting places begin to appear upon the surface of your computer screens.

So join me on Thursdays for some high seas sailing, as we set sail for distant waters. Some waters may be familiar, while other parts will be places you’ve never before imagined.

Our first voyage will be embarking on a search for Squagon’s lost kin. We search for Pinion Valley, which was lost to us some time ago. Our young squirrel prince misses his family desperately, so it’s imperative that we locate them. It’s unclear, as to the valley’s location, as none of the paths that once led to it remain.

As you remember, last year we had some form of strange storm that magically erased all of The Barnyard, Acorn Valley, the magical home of our dragon, Brutus, as well as all the rest of our forest homes. They simply vanished without a trace! Somehow we were able to seek out all of the missing babes, including Squagon, whom we found sitting alone in a tree.

Sadly though, we lost one of the puppies, and all the dreamers vanished, as well.

Since those dark days, we were able to locate Peanut and scoop him up from where my grandson had misplaced the little fellow. We also relocated the small church where young Henry’s family lived, for Miss Tilly.

If you recall, we had been set to search out the two missing squirrel valleys when we were not only caught up in a storm that took us way off course, but then we were set upon by several pirate ships, forcing Brutus to hold them at bay, while we fled into foreign seas. Though we escaped the pirate attack, we became hopelessly lost for a good portion of last fall. It was worth it though, as we discovered Osrig on one of the strange islands we encountered.

Unfortunately, by the time that we found our bearings and made it back to familiar waters, it was already far too late in the year for us to safely sail, out on the rough open waters.

Now that Maisie is settling into our routine around The Barnyard, it’s time to show her the sea that calls to us, and get her used to living aboard a ship. She doesn’t sail with us all the time, but on the days that she visits, Brutus flies back to the Barnyard and gets her for us. Brutus assures me that she loves flying, as the dragon can hear her squeals of delight, and happy baby babble all the way to the ship.

All the babes are safely tucked aboard, settling into their cabins. Creed and Eustace outdid themselves with all the accommodations, upgrades, and expansions aboard The Torrent, so there’s a place for everyone. Osrig still refuses to sleep anywhere other than the foot of my bed with Bailey, which suits me just fine. It can get chilly at night, out on the water, so it helps having furry heaters on the bed, while sleeping.

Everyone else seems to be settling into their rooms, and getting back into the swing of things around the ship. Each crewmate has their own duties, and we only have a week til we set sail.

Your bunks have already been prepared for when you board, so I would suggest you arrive early if you want first pick of which spot you want. They’re all comfortable, don’t get me wrong, but some folks are outside edge sleepers, while others might be middle, or inside edge sleepers. You know what I mean, don’t you?!

I look forward to seeing any and all who choose to join us.

Is this a trick question?

Daily writing prompt
How do you plan the perfect road trip?

It’s a bit of a challenge to answer a question that has the answer in it!

Why, you plan the perfect road trip, of course! And, I’m not so sure that there are that many variations of planning that I could expound upon.

Don’t we all pack bags? Don’t we all make plans, reservations, and employ step-by-step maps, for all those hard to reach places?

It goes without saying that we take food, or at least the money to buy edibles along the way…

And, last but not least, none of us would plan a road trip without bringing toys for the journey…

Honestly, any good trip is more about the food, than anything else! Good munchies for the trip, plenty of stops for fuel, water, and a somewhat hot meal. What more to this planning thing might we be forgetting?

Cookies! I knew there was something important that I was forgetting. We need lots of cookies…

Kickin it!

Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment that made you realize you were stronger than you thought?

For over 40 years I battled with smoking tobacco. I started when I was merely 11 years old. Throughout the years, I threw them away time and again, only to reach out and start back up whenever stress arrived in my life.

Finally, after all the years of self-propelled willpower failures, I quite trying to quite! Can I say that in a sentence? Oh well, I already did it, so you’ll just have to go with it. Any moment, a baby may wake and I’ll have to put off my prompt answer til later on.

Needless to say, I threw in the towel of hope that I would ever give up the nasty habit. Then, about 3 and 1/2 years ago, I literally heard God’s voice saying, “Child, it’s time to let go of the past. Give me this one thing, and I will take it from you forever.” Well, when the God of creation makes you such an offer, one simply cannot say no. Could you? I couldn’t.

It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do, and it was utterly miserable. But, for the first time in my entire life, I didn’t feel as if I were carrying such a burden alone. I really did feel God walk with me through the whole process.

I quite cold turkey, as they say. Headaches, nausea, crawling skin, and all, God carried me to the end of that lifelong curse, and to this day, I have had zero… I mean ZERO desire to ever pick up another cigarette.

Did I do it on my own? Physically, yes.

Was it difficult? Oh, absolutely!

Did I think I had the strength to quit for the last time? No!

Whether you believe that I quit under my own strength, or that born of my heavenly father, the important thing to see is that God will always fill in the strength blanks with his own power. It was one of the most important pivotal moments in my spiritual walk.

Trust in God, follow his direction, and he will always ensure we have all the strength we’ll need, even when we don’t think it’s possible.

With God, anything is possible!

Cookies?

Wooden cart filled with various types of fresh baked cookies in bowls and trays
A wide variety of freshly baked cookies arranged on a wooden display cart in a bakery

Wednesday Words…

Eustace wanted to help with naptime, so I let him. I really do think I’ve got the best camel in the world, for my very own assistant babysitter.

He’s a natural! Well, actually, he’s a camel. But, for a camel, he’s got this whole baby thing down, perfectly.

Happy Hump Day!

Tiny Tuesday Tinkering…

With Monday being as busy as it was, what with baby Maisie here, I wasn’t able to do my normal writing, like I’d planned. Things should be a bit more settled by next week, and then I’ll start my new Exploring Babies series.

For now, Wiwohka said that I could help her with the Tuesday Tinkering segment she normally does. I guess she felt bad for leaving me out, yesterday. I totally understood though, just by watching her carry a huge baby around all day. How can something so little, be so heavy? But that’s for my Monday writings, so no spoilers.

Any how, I know Wiwohka’s been really hard a work, writing the story about the baby orc, and all. I thought I would surprise her with a new character creation for the baby’s mom. I know there isn’t one made, as of yet. But if I don’t make it quick, Wiwohka will make one before I get the chance to do it for her.

Let’s see if I can do this. I’ve been watching how it’s done, so I think it might be possible to do, even if I am only a tiny ant. Here we go…

Now, we already have the first image Wiwohka used for last weeks episode, so we’ll start by using her for our template,

There was also one other image that was made, but not utilized yet,

I think her face seems too pinched, or to snooty, if you will. Baby Brugo is adorable, and I can’t imagine his mamma to be so gruff looking, even for an orc.

I used the program feature that allows me to make some images that are either slightly varied, or greatly varied, from the original image. When I tried the slightly varied, I got this,

When I opted for the greatly varied button, I got this one,

I like this second one, much better than the first. She looks softer, and more like what Ollie would be drawn toward. Well, that’s what I want to think, anyway.

So, now comes the hard part. We take the three images, along with a few different poses of each, so that the computer has enough to work with, and we head to the creation board. Wish me luck!

…………………………………… intermission ………………………………………….

Wow! That was much harder than I thought it would be. Wiwohka made it look rather easy to do, but I found it nearly impossible, at first. In the end, I think I did alright. She will either fix it the way she wants it, or simply make one of her own characters, though I hope she’ll be pleasantly surprised, just as I hope you will be…

I like her! She is a warrior, of course, but still a mamma. I know that orc’s are known for their prowess in war, as well as, their fierce angry nature, but she’s still a mother, right?! Mamma’s love their babies, don’t they? I hope Wiwohka will see that in this character, but that’s for her to decide, not me.

Well, I hope I did alright for this mornings tinkering session. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. In the future, however, I think I’ll leave all this technical stuff to the professionals. I’m gonna stick to the writing bits from now on. That’s where this ant excels, don’t you think?

See you next week for my normal Monday Messages… hugs from all of us, here in the barnyard.

Love Lilly

Survival of the most joyful…

Daily writing prompt
What’s a simple pleasure in life that brings you joy?

Honestly, my list of simple pleasures is extraordinarily long, so I’m unable to pick just one to describe. Since that makes for a very poor response to the daily prompt, I want to make the effort of giving you something worth reading.

If I can’t answer straight up, then the next best thing is to seek somebody else’s answer, right?! So, I asked Mr. McGoogle the prompt question. The response was much better than I expected. Instead of giving just a basic answer, the ai overview actually helped me understand why it was so hard to pick a simple answer.

Why is it so hard to pick one? Because we’ve been asked to give a simple pleasure that brings joy, not some huge undertaking, or major life-altering activity.

Anyway, here is the response from the web’s ai overview:

Life’s simple pleasures are the easily accessible, everyday moments that ground us. They bypass the need for grand milestones or large budgets, offering immediate calm, happiness, and a restored sense of well-being. [1]

I liked how the ai summed up a little breakdown of what exactly life’s simple pleasures might look like. From there, it broke it down into categories, so you can see how many directions one might go, in selecting their favorite simple pleasure:

Discovering these little pockets of joy helps shift the nervous system into a state of rest and relaxation. Explore some of the most universal everyday joys organized by category: [1]

☕ Sensory & Comfort

  • Taste: The first sip of morning coffee, biting into fresh, juicy fruit, or the rich taste of dark chocolate.
  • Touch: Crawling into bed with fresh, clean sheets, or feeling the warmth of sunshine on your face.
  • Smell: The aroma of fresh rain on hot pavement (petrichor) or the scent of a favorite candle. [1]

🌳 Nature & Outdoors

  • The Elements: Stepping on crunchy leaves in the fall or feeling a cool breeze on a warm afternoon.
  • Observation: Listening to early morning birdsong or looking up at the moon and stars.
  • Sensation: Walking barefoot through plush green grass or breathing fresh, salty air at the beach. [1, 2, 3, 4]

🧘‍♀️ Mind & Body

  • Routine: Waking up naturally without an alarm or taking a cozy afternoon nap.
  • Release: A deep, satisfying stretch after waking up.
  • Peace: The clean, uncluttered calm of a tidy room. [1, 2, 3]

🤝 Connection & Hobbies

  • Communication: Receiving a handwritten letter, or exchanging an effortless laugh with a loved one.
  • Leisure: Sinking into a really good book or listening to an old, nostalgic song.
  • Company: Having a cat choose to rest on your lap, or simply people-watching at a local coffee shop.

If I could choose a simple pleasure from the Sensory and Comfort section, it might be a really rich scented candle, leaving it’s aroma throughout the room. My favorite kinds of candles are the deep, earthy kind, with differing notes of oriental spices, and such.

Choosing a simple pleasure from the Nature and Outdoors section, I’d pick walking barefoot on the beach, and stepping into the surf, just enough to feel the waters pulling me toward it.

From mind and body, I’d probably be the stretching girl. I wonder if yoga would be my jam?

Last but not least comes the Connection and Hobbies section. For this I’m choosing the entire Leisure section, and not just one answer. Why? Because I can, that’s why. Music, books, and old movies are definitely some of my favorite simple pleasures to indulge in, just so you know. But only some, which is why I had to give this incredibly longwinded answer.

Why I didn’t just pick baking cookies, I don’t know. Hey, it’s early and I was a bit slow on the take!

Try one, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me that a good cookie can be a very joyful simple pleasure, or maybe a guilty one. I’m sure you’ll figure it out…

Maisie Days have begun…

Thought I would do a brief post, while the little angel sleeps. She’s such a good baby, honestly!

I was so nervous and excited about today that I started waking up around 1:30 in the morning, subsequently waking every hour on the hour, til around 5 am. By then it was time to wake and prepare for her arrival, so I guarantee my bedtime will be early this evening, lol.

You’d think that it would be second nature to care for an infant, being that I birthed and raised three, myself. Somehow, it feels different with Maisie. I think it’s the nervousness of caring for one that belongs to another. I love her so much, but she’s not my baby… she’s my daughters child. I want so much for her not to worry about the baby while they are apart, during work hours.

I will say that I was happy to get smiles from her this morning, when we first got her out of the car. I was worried that she would be frightened, possibly, what with all the changes happening. Nope! It helps that she simply adores her papa, and he came downstairs to get her with me.

You know, I don’t think we’ve gotten more than a few grumpy whines, and that was just before I gave her a bottle so I know she was just hungry.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ok, so maybe it won’t be that easy to write while she naps. I barely got started and then had to take a break to feed and change her, as her morning naps are merely 30 minute breathers.

All in all, it was a great success, today! By the time I handed her back to mamma, she’d been thoroughly loved, fed, tickled, and spoiled. What else could I do? This Meemaw has no other choice, does she? To hear the sound of a baby’s giggles, coo’s, and the strange dialect of baby babble, is to have truly lived….

The Hills are alive… again…

Daily writing prompt
If you could erase one movie from your memory and watch it again for the first time, which one would it be?

Hands down, if I were to pick one movie that I could erase from my memory, only to watch all over again for the first time, it would be The Sound of Music, with Julie Andrews!

I’ve nearly memorized all the songs from the movie, so it would be incredible to begin again, and enjoy the excitement once more.

The romance, the adventure, and all the music had me entranced. I wanted to be Maria so badly, lol.

Aside from all the amazing acting, musical voices, and talent displayed during the film, the cinematography was outstanding.

All in all, it would be worth the forgetting, just for the chance to experience the first discovery of it, one more time.

It’s too bad that I can’t make you forget about all the cookies you’ve had, thus far. Then you could enjoy that first one, all over again.

Oh well. At least their fresh each day, right?!

Live Novel Friday…

The Wharf

Episode VI

Days and nights all blended together for the young barmaid, as she sought to carry on with her regular duties, while simultaneously caring for a baby. It wasn’t that Brugo was any more difficult that most his age, but Maiyah had never been a mother, so it was all quite a new experience.

For the most part, Brugo chose to sleep the day away, while she tended to her duties. When Maiyah returned to her room at the end of her shift, he would wake for his dinner. From that point, the baby orc spent the entire night climbing about the room, sitting upon her chest, and babbling incessantly. She wasn’t sure how long she could continue with the way things were going.

Ollie had begun to notice the look of exhaustion on Maiyah’s face. Going about her chores, she made every effort to avoid the orc, feeling his eyes on her back, as she went. It wouldn’t be long before he would demand to know why she was so tired, lately. In all the time she’d known Ollie, she’d never lied to the orc… not once!

Maiyah was certain that even if she tried to lie, the orc would know, simply by looking into her eyes. Somehow, it seemed that Ollie had always been able to read her thoughts. She learned from early on that it was simply easier to just tell the truth, rather than seeking to hide what would eventually be found out by the nosy orc.

As far as hiding a baby orc in her room, well, she was fairly certain that it wouldn’t be long before the truth would be discovered. She wanted to talk to the orc, but he was always in such a foul mood. He was already being rather unkind toward her, because she was falling behind in her work. That actually made her angry, because if he knew why she was going to all the trouble of hiding things, he would be ashamed of himself.

Finally, after nearly two weeks of hiding, sneaking, and the constant nocturnal activities of Brugo, Maiyah broke under all the pressure, and lack of sleep. It happened just as she was washing the morning dishes, and Ollie stomped into the kitchen and threw a pile of dirty washrags at her back.

“You forgot the wash from behind the bar… again!”

Turning to face the angry orc, Maiyah simply lost her temper, throwing an entire cup of sudsy water in Ollie’s face! The orc was so shocked at her outburst, and the look in her eyes that he took several steps backward.

Pointing an accusatory finger in his direction, Maiyah shouted, “You know, for someone who is supposed to be so smart and observant about everyone around them, you are rather blind to the truth that lay before your very eyes!”

Feeling ashamed of himself, as well as being quite confused by Maiyah’s reaction, the orc tried to apologize. It was too late, however, because all the lack of sleep had claimed what was left of her self-control.

“For the last two weeks,” she shouted, “I’ve been working myself sick with my normal duties, while at the same time, caring for a baby orc named Brugo, that is apparently your son!” In frustration and hurt, Maiyah reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out the letter that had been pinned to the baby’s shirt, when she’d first found him.

The look on Ollie’s face stole what was left of her anger, as Maiyah stood holding the letter between them. Confusion had turned to painful and shocking recognition, for the orc. He knew who Brugo was before she’d ever revealed the letter. Tears began to fill his eyes, as the orc reached out and accepted the note. He already knew who had written the words upon the parchment he now held in his hand.

Maiyah regretted her angry words, and stepped forward to place her hand on Ollie’s arm. The orc suddenly reached out and embraced Maiyah in such an emotional outburst that at first, she was frightened. But then, she realized that the orc was in need of comfort, more than she’d ever seen before that day. For several moments, the orc just held onto her, sobbing uncontrollably.

Trying to pull himself together, Ollie released his hold of Maiyah, and began asking questions about the baby. “Where is he now? Can we go to him? What if he doesn’t recognize me?”

Gently nudging Maiyah toward the stairs leading to their rooms, Ollie accompanied her to where Brugo lay sleeping, gently buried beneath a soft blanket. Standing over the bed where the baby slept, Brugo just stood in silence, tenderly observing his son.

“The last I saw of Brugo, was when he was born.” whispered Ollie. “His mother belonged to another clan. Our union was to bridge the gap between the two warring factions. The marriage had been arranged, and neither she nor I were given a choice in the matter. While I don’t know his of mothers motives, I married for love. She and I had been friends since childhood, only parting when war broke out between our clans.”

“Why did you leave?”

“The pact failed! The warring worsened, and when Brugo was born, I was simply thrown out of the clan, and sent back to my own people.”

Maiyah could see the immense pain that the memories were causing him. “Was that why you took to the sea, for a time?”

“I wanted to leave it all behind me… the memories, the pain of loss, and the realization that I would never again see the woman I loved, nor the son she bore me. I suppose that’s the only reason I took you in, so long ago, Maiyah. I wasn’t able to escape the pain of my past, until you. You softened the edges of my hurt, and filled a place that was so very empty.”

Standing beside Ollie, as they watched the sleeping Brugo, the young barmaid chose to ask no more questions, for the time. She wanted to give the orc some time to adjust to the sudden reappearance of his son, and also read the letter from the baby’s mother.

The letter could wait a bit longer, as the orc would need to put all his focus on the baby that was stirring beneath the blanket before them. Brugo was about to meet his father… once more.

Will the baby be frightened?

Will the letter explain where Brugo’s mother had gone?

Does she still love Ollie? Is that why she sent Brugo to him?

Til next time…

Pen and Paper should do…

Daily writing prompt
How can you build a regular fitness routine?

Unless it’s expected that I physically create my own gymnasium, the easier and less expensive method of building a regular fitness routine, is to simply write it down.

While I understand the idea behind building a routine, my brain doesn’t work like that. I am a list maker, a note taker, and in truth, an exercise faker! I’ll write out a plan, or routine, if you will, but whatever the exercise ends up being… if it ain’t fun, I ain’t doing it!

Growing up in the country left it’s mark on this girl. Most of the exercise I took part in, had something to do with camping, hunting, fishing, or sitting on the back of a horse. Like I said, as far as a work out goes, it had to be fun!

I am nearly 58 years old, and my attitude from childhood hasn’t changed. I tried the whole gym routine, wasted countless dollars on memberships that I never fully committed to using. It was smelly, sweaty, and filled with strangers… no thanks.

Nowadays, my feet are really the only exercise equipment I utilize. I love to walk, but even if I can’t leave the apartment, I’m still able to walk in place, stretch and do leg lifts. Aside from that, I don’t have any plan that I’ve built, really. And, f.y.i., I don’t plan on changing the way things are, at this time.

Besides, I start watching my grandbaby full -time on Monday. She’s going to be the biggest fitness routine I’ve had since my daughters were babies. Sheesh, just thinking about it has made me tired.

I still have the energy for cookies, though…

Assortment of decorated cookies shaped like tents, horses, fish, campfires, boots, and other camping items