I’ve known for some time now that I could very easily live in either a library or a bookstore. But, after thinking on the prompt this morning, the idea of living above my own bookshop/bakery… now that does has a whimsical feel to it, if I do say so myself!
There would be numerous rooms for reading…
All with different styles to choose from, thereby allowing the reader to find their favorite chair, as well as finding just the right amount of light…
or maybe just the right amount of pillows…
Here’s where things get rather interesting. You see, my ideal home would be somewhat magical. There’d be a desert trolley, effortlessly rolling from room to room, all by itself. My magic trolley would offer up the best kinds of cookies and pastries one could imagine…
Why?
Because, all of my reading rooms will come with a complimentary tea/coffee service, obviously! Nobody likes having to put a good book down, just to eat or drink, sheesh! Most avid readers would just choose to starve, I’m guessing. But I say, “Not on my watch, they won’t!”
Now, let’s talk about ambiance, or atmosphere, if you will. What’s a good reading session, without the accompanying sounds and smells of a delicious bakery, just up the stairs…
That’s where I’d spend half my day, baking my heart out! Oh, and I’d have one of those air blowers on my kitchen vents, pumping the smell of sugar cookies out into the streets.
The front of my bookstore would offer both an indoor and outdoor seating area…
And, just behind my bookstore would be a beautiful city park, filled with lush green trees, fragrant flowers, and numerous kinds of birds and other small wildlife…
So, there you have it, folks! My ideal home, all rolled up into a dreamy oasis of cookies, characters, and creature comforts!
From the time I was very small, I loved to write. I was reading Louis Lamour books when I was roughly eight years old. No, my childhood wasn’t an easy one, so reading and writing were my sustenance! I could lose myself in worlds far better than the one I was enduring. I was reading adult books before I’d ever learned the meaning of all the words. The funny thing is that the books made sense, somehow.
Here I sit, nearly fifty years later, still learning. When I began this blog some eight years ago, the memories slowly began to resurface, giving rise to many wonderful, and some not-so-wonderful stories, poems, anecdotes, journal entries… and eventually, stories began arriving. Big ones, small ones, funny ones, sad ones… and some that made readers say, Huh?
When I really began writing heavily, it was in early 2023. Back in those initial days, weeks, and months, my writing was more a therapy session than anything more. I looked toward WordPress subscribers as a silent audience, or a studio sounding board, if you will.
But then, over time, something began to change. My subscribers, or readers if you will, began to comment, share and respond. Not like fans, though, but rather my friends. I might even be so bold as to say that many have become like family to me… like a village, really! You have all watched me suffer, struggle, cry, rage, and lament my journey. But, you have also been with me through blessings, joys, and countless literary adventures!
You have encouraged me to keep going, supported and loved me through some of the worst of times, some of the hardest life lessons, and some of the deepest joys of my journey! For this reason, I want to share something with you that while being rather small, brings me a great amount of joy in sharing with you, my most treasured family.
I know it’s only an e-book, but it’s got to start somewhere, right?
God Bless my husband’s abilities, for without his hard work and skills, it would have been impossible for me to navigate all this publishing stuff. I’ve a mountain of manuscripts just sitting, collecting dust, which is the opposite of what I wish for them. This is certainly worthy of at least a peek, if not a full read. Oh, and since it’s published on Amazon Kindle, members can read it for free! Don’t worry though, I still receive royalties, even if you don’t purchase it.
For now, I’ve simply included a link to the book, which is below, but you can also just look it up on Amazon.
Faith without action is rather empty, so here is an action…
I don’t think I could have done any of this without you, my WordPress family. So, I offer my most sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all of your love, support, and encouragement… Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”. Matthew 17:20
To this day, everytime I remember back on this show, I can remember the lyrics to the insurance add that ran during the commercials… Mutual of Omaha… people… you can count on when the goings tough…
I would spend every Sunday evening watching this show, as it played right before the Wonderful World of Disney. My parents would finish watching their line up of the Lawrence Welk show, and Hee Haw… finally relinquishing the entertainment box to the small humans. Back in the day, most families only had one television in the house.
Marlin Perkins was such a wildlife superhero to this little girl! I wanted to grow up to be a National Geographic journalist. I would spend most of my free time pretending I was out on that African safari, making friends with the baby Giraffes I saw onscreen…
Or I pretended to find wild baby Cheetah cubs, carrying my poor cat around in a blanket in the middle of summer… til he got hot and escaped my clutches…
While I’d love to spend my morning filling you in on all the goings on around here, I’ve only enough time to say that we’re all back aboard The Torrent, safe, sound, and headed home. It’s sort of funny, if you think on it, because when I say that we’re headed for the barn… we are literally headed for our barn, lol!
There’s far too much to do around the ship, at the moment, so you’ll just have to wait til we get home for more information regarding our tiny troll’s decision about where to live. At least, for now, Peanut has a desire to visit our barn. I assured him that we would assist him in finding his way, and that he could stay as long as he wished to do so.
If the weather stays fair and the winds hold, we should make it home by Friday. As a pirate would say, keep a weather eye on the horizon… or as Gandalf told Aragorn, “Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East.”
Ok, well maybe it won’t be quite as dramatic an entrance as that, but I think you’ll get the idea.
Well, we did it! It’s all a bit of a blur, if truth be told. Two days of wandering in search of our lost troll, while simultaneously wrangling a passel of wild babies behaving as if they’re on holiday, nearly drove me crazy! It’s a miracle that none of them are hanging by their shirt collars from random trees within the forest. I’m not terribly proud of having the urge to hang them from the branches, but come on! Even the best of grown-ups have their limits, am I right?!
Besides, even if I tried to hang them from the branches, they’ll simply squirrel their way out of it. Get it? Squirrel their way…
I thought it was hilarious, but I guess you’d have to be there. And, I’ve heard it said that if I have to explain it, then it wasn’t that funny. Well, at least Squagon thought it was funny!
Anyways, while I was running through the forest chasing Bailey, who was chasing Osrig, who was hunting a dragonfly… the ever faithful camel went and found our missing troll, Peanut.
Eustace is the hero of the day!
He tracked down the location of my grandson’s old house, and found Peanut’s hiding spot under the wooden bridge, nearly tripping over our missing troll. After making proper introductions, Eustace and Peanut packed up all of the trolls tiny treasures, and then returned to our camp.
While I had basically wasted a full hour, making futile attempts at regathering all of my wild ones, Eustace had used his brain. In his camelly wisdom, Eustace started cooking breakfast, which is what I should have done in the first place! And yes, I did say camelly, because it sounded cute!
Breakfast!
What a silly thing to have overlooked. How could I have forgotten that food works like magic for this crew? It was a rookie mistake, if I’m being fully honest. Well, you can’t expect me to remember everything, really. That’s quite a lot to keep up with, wouldn’t you say?
Well, it doesn’t really matter anymore, now that we’re all safely back at camp. We’ll stay a second night before heading back to the ship, in order to let everybody get to know young Peanut, as well as, calming the little guys nerves.
It must be quite an adjustment to go from isolation and solitude, to suddenly being the center of attention. It must be very confusing, and a little frightening for Peanut. Though I’m sure he remembers me, it was my grandson that first befriended the troll. Another night around the campfire will give him time to get more acquainted with everyone.
My first thought was to take him all the way to my grandson’s new home, but it wasn’t my decision. I desperately want to make things right for Peanut, but am I choosing for myself, for my grandson, or for Peanut? What might he want?
Perhaps, when my grandson moved away and left Peanut behind, the tiny troll felt it was his own fault. What if he still felt hurt, at being unwanted or merely forgotten? I can certainly understand those feelings, but what if he didn’t want to come back to the barn with us, either? What then?
What if Peanut doesn’t need me? If the troll wants to go somewhere other than the barnyard, am I willing to help him find a different home? I write all of the time, regarding the things I do, the things I desire, and the things I strive to do… but sometimes, it’s not about me, is it?
Sometimes, in order to truly love another, we must make choices for their betterment, without expecting any payment or reward, nor any recognition at all! It isn’t easy, often hurts, and seemingly makes no valuable sense… but it’s still the right thing to do!
So, today shall be a new beginning for Peanut, and hopefully for us as well, if he chooses to come back to the barnyard. We will be spending another night here, sitting around the firelight, sharing love, light, and laughter with the little guy. But we’ve still a whole day ahead of us. Questions of where he wants to go, can wait until tomorrow.
For now, maybe there’s something to all this running around in the forest, chasing one another. Maybe I’ll join in the chase this time… or better yet, maybe they’ll chase me…
While I have no aspirations or dreams of designing anything for the future, in the real world that is, I do have a good bit of experience in building imaginary cities, animal houses, and really good armor.
It is Friday everyone, and it’s sprinkling outside… tap tap tapping on the roof of our RV. I think my boycott of the summer heat is working! The rains have finally blessed me with a cool early morning walk.
Even though I have no idea for a city of the future, at least not one that any of you want to hear me go on about, I can still be useful to you guys and WordPress. If you are ever in need of a Gorilla Habitat, an upgraded Concession stand, or maybe a specialist in breeding Great Dragons, I got you covered!
Before I take off on my rainy walk along the river, here is Brekkers for everybody… please remember to eat the blueberries, as they are full of antioxidants …
This prompt question made me think of that scene in “The Jungle Book” where the vultures keep asking the same question, over and over again… “So, what ya wanna do?”
I have had to explain my name, and/or nickname, so many times now that I’m pretty over it… sorry, not sorry!
Here, have a cookie…
At least I’m not trying to serve you the same cookie, over and over again… or am I?
Eustace wants me to tell you that Friday is just ahead, so keep your eyes open, your chins up, and your coffee cups full!
Also, he says that you should focus on getting through the rest of the week without locking your boss in the restroom, whilst he tracks down our missing troll.
Don’t be cross… The camel said it, not me!
Let’s see who meets Friday with success first, us or you… ready, set, GO!
It took nearly three days of paddling… upstream, I might add! But, now we’ve a bit of a walk, as the river could only carry us so far. It’s sort of funny how the brain works, at times. When we were only looking at the navigational charts, I couldn’t make heads or tails of which way to go, and nothing looked familiar, at all!
But, now that we’re actually standing on the path leading toward my grandson’s old house, I recognize everything about this place. Memories, like morning dew, began settling upon my skin like a warm, familiar blanket.
Though it’s been nearly three years since they’ve moved, I can still remember the path to their old house. I remember as if I’d been there only yesterday, or the day before. I have the utmost confidence in those memories bringing us straight to our destination… Peanut!
If we’re to get there, we best get going, right? Eustace insisted on carrying all the gear needed for the camping and cooking bit. While I know where to go, it’ll still take a day of travel just to get there… which means camping gear.
No worries! A little camping never hurt anyone, at least, not our crew! If you were surrounded by a passel of wild babies, with sticky fingers and far too much energy to be good for them… would you rather do it in a tiny boat, or the open woodland, where they can run squealing til they pass out from exhaustion!?
I’m not saying that I’m hoping for a reprieve while they disappear into the woods… I’m just asking for a friend.
If we want to get to Peanut before nightfall, it’s time we get moving down the trail. I won’t be able to send you any messages til we get back here to the boat, so keep an eye on things for us while we’re gone, if you would. I’d be ever so grateful!
And, there’s cookies in it for whomever takes on such a special task…
I don’t fancy having to walk all the way back the sea!
As the old adage states, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it! Since last year’s response to this question hasn’t changed, I’ve opted to pull it up from the archives. Have a blessed day!
While I often write of my desire to do good for those around me, I feel fairly confident that I’ve also mentioned how much I desire to go home. No, this isn’t a cry for help, so relax! I’m speaking of my heavenly home, that’s all. I haven’t felt apart of this world for so long, it’s become rather easy not to dream of things of this life… only that which is to come!
If I sat here all day, thinking on all the empty hours and solitude that I exist within, I guarantee you that there would be no peace available to partake in.
This world is vicious, selfish, petty, cruel, and vindictive! If I only focus on the backbiting, slanderous and nefarious villains loitering on every corner… again, I’d have no peace!
If I wasted all my time dwelling on every mistake, failure and sin that I’ve ever committed… also, no peace!
I’m simply being wholeheartedly honest, in regards to the prompt. I really really do want to go home! I’m tired! I exhausted myself with wasted efforts at being a friend, sister, mother and all around good person, and I was far too tired to have any amount of peace! Trust me… I’ve tried all that!
Now, I’m following God wherever He leads! I know my heavenly home will be there, ready to receive me when I’ve fulfilled whatever purpose I was born to do. No, I don’t really have a clear picture what that purpose is, but as I remain in the word and dwell constantly beneath the shadow of my Father… He is what brings me peace!
Journey With Me! 