Maybe…

How I’m feeling this morning can be summed up in the video below. The song is called Maybe It’s Ok, by We Are Messengers:

I shall be quite transparent for this next bit…

Currently, this child’s body is somewhat broken inside both medically and emotionally. Never fear though, as my spirit is stronger than ever… well, it’s His spirit that brings this girl so much strength. I did say that I was going to be very honest about things.

Our time in the wilderness, so to speak, has taken a bit more out of me than I’d first thought. What I’d assumed was just my IBS trying to readjust to things, has become something else. Now, it’s possibly just my ability to handle my health on my own any longer, which is where the emotional turmoil is coming from. I went down this route before and it didn’t end well… hence, the last 4 years of self-care. It hasn’t helped that nobody seems that concerned about my survival aside from God and my husband.

That is until this new doctor!

Not only did she surprise me with prayer during our first visit, but I think she actually listened to the words I spoke… I mean really heard me! And, she took the time to follow all of my test results, adjusting and selecting my meds and treatment. The downside to this new kind of medical care is that I can’t get away with anything. This means taking medications that are no longer an option… they are required! The first is a medication for my Cholesterol, which is off the charts, and has been for years. It doesn’t even matter if I eat like a bird… oh yeah, I already do! No change! The other is for my blood pressure, as it has gone off the reservation and it won’t come back down. That too has been something I was withholding from the doctor… that is, until recently.

In the last month my health has been systematically shutting down, in areas that I really kind of need. Well, I’ll need em if I’m to bring these stories to the little ones they’re meant for, ya know?! Little ones aside, I’m not done baking cookies… not in the slightest!

I’ve been writing on this blog steadily for nearly three years of this journey through the wilderness, and I’m not about to get to the gates of the Cities of Men, just to drop dead of exhaustion… and I don’t believe it’s God’s plan for me, either! I still believe that God led me to WordPress so that I could find you… each and every one of you!

Why?

Honestly, the answer will be different for each of you, as we’ve all grown closer together in different ways, and for different reasons. I know some of you better than others, but care for each and every soul that enters this lobby! I love you with the love of my God, my Savior, and the Holy Spirit that dwells in this vessel. Why else do you think I share so much with you, try to make you laugh, seek to make you think, and challenge you to eat my cookies? It’s love…

I know that most of my subscribers are adults, though I often write of adventures requiring you to find your inner child… so why do I do it?

Why don’t I write deep and passionate poetry?

Why not great theological teachings that might impress?

Why on earth do I always make you leave reality and push the boundaries of truth and/or fiction?

What’s in those cookies I feed you guys, anyways?

Some of you may think that I’m just a Jesus Freak that’s trying to shove God flavored cookies down your throats… well, ok, you got me there!

Some of you may think that I’m an oversharer lookin for sympathy andl/or attention. In truth… if that’s all you’ve seen then you should start reading between all those lines, friends. There’s so much more there…

Face it guys and gals, WordPress has become my family! With that being said and understood clearly, here, right now, it’s time we all start acting like it! I’ve been asking myself, of late, why I haven’t wanted to write for my family? Honestly, sometimes it feels like if I don’t give you something juicy and exciting (usually my journey junk)… I get nothin!

Now, before you start thinking that this is going to be another one of those articles complaining about a lack of likes, shares, and follows… stop it!

You come to this table as a family member… not a subscriber or follower, savvy?!

As a family, we are having a discussion about family dynamics, if that’s alright with everyone at the table. Do family members take the time to call or write each other, or do they just mail each other a gold star? As I’m just as guilty as you are, in this respect, let’s start making some healthy changes, here in the lobby. If you are busy, or not in the mood, don’t feel pressured to visit or leave me that gold star. It’s not like I get any money for it… it simply lets me know that you stopped by. If you do stop in and read, possibly grabbing a cookie, try leaving me a message, as well. Here’s the crazy part… your comment doesn’t have to have ANYTHING to do with what I wrote. Instead, try things like, “Hey, how are you?” or “I saw something the other day that made me think of you”. One of you actually wrote this to me, not too long ago… thank you, love.

There is nothing in the WordPress bylaws that states we cannot simply use the comment button to simply communicate with each other… you know, like friends and family should. Notice how I said should? Sadly, I realize that there are families that don’t do this… but honestly, it’s so very important! How else do you give love to those nearest your heart?

So, in the spirit of positivity, I am going to begin sending you messages in your comment box that may or may not have anything to do with what you wrote… ok?

No, I’m not going to try passing phone numbers or hookin up, if you get my meaning, here! I think that so often, we simply want to know that we’ve been seen, that someone noticed our passing.

If we all began seeking to give love to another, rather than seeking to receive for ourselves, wouldn’t we all become filled with needed love simply by proxy? Kind of like a happy accident or positive side effect?

Well, it can’t hurt to try, right?!

Treasure!

We found something!

I’m learning that sometimes getting lost isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe that’s the secret to finding your way… who knows?!

All I know is that I’m glad we did lose our bearings during that storm, or else we might never have traveled in the direction we did, nor would we have discovered the tiny, lone island, out in the middle of nowhere…

But, is it really nowhere? If you get to a place and find something already there that was left by another… wouldn’t that mean it has to be somewhere, not nowhere?

Well, we did find something that someone else left behind. I don’t think it’s considered stealing if the item was simply abandoned, and left in the sand. I mean, it’s not like the island belongs to anyone specifically, as there’s nobody living there, nor has anyone been on that island for some time. Aside from the treasure itself, there wasn’t anything else on the island, other than some palm trees and sandy beaches. I don’t think it was much bigger than a city park and not a very big one, at that! The only reason we anchored there was to repair some of the damage done from the storm.

After the repairs were completed, I thought it was would be fun to do a little exploring on the island. There wasn’t much there, but it still felt good to get off the ship and walk in the warm sand for a bit. The babes played and played and played, chasing each other from one end of the island to the other, laughing and squealing with delight! Finally, when they’d completely worn themselves out, everyone simply collapsed in the sand to rest… all except for one, Dinky!

In all the activity, I’d not noticed her absence. It wasn’t like she could go very far since the island was so tiny. All I had to do was look around, right? She should have been there, but she wasn’t! I ran back to the ship to see if she’d stayed onboard when we went to play on the beach. She wasn’t there, either. In a panic, I began calling out her name, but I still got no response… Dinky wasn’t anywhere to be found!

All the babes came running when they heard me calling Dinky’s name. Boomer was a wreck! Immediately, everyone began walking from one end of the island to the other, calling out her name. I knew that we should have been able to see her without having to go anywhere, but it occurred to me that she may have fallen in a hole, possibly. Maybe that’s why we couldn’t see or hear her, beings that she was so very tiny.

And, yes! The little dragon did fall into a hole… a rather large one, actually. There she was, just sitting there smiling up at us. There, beside Dinky, was something that I can only describe as a priceless treasure!

Now, you may be thinking that we found a chest of gold, silver, and rare jewels. Isn’t that generally what pirate’s like to bury in the sand on remote desert islands, hidden in the heart of the sea? That would have been my first guess, anyway. Well, before you start thinking that it was money, I’ll stop you. It wasn’t money at all, but if you were to ask me its worth… I wouldn’t be able to give you an exact number. Why? Because, a things worth has to do with the value one places on it! I think that it mostly depends on the things one considers to be worth holding onto. While I saw priceless, someone else left this treasure behind… abandoned it, really!

Why on earth was this treasure left behind? Yes, it was rather unusual looking, but I like things that are different. I suppose that some might find it of no good use, but I love to find purpose in things. I think that this treasure was left behind out of fear… fear of something different, something one doesn’t understand. Fear can make us do things we never thought we might do, say things we never thought we might say, and sometimes, cause others pain, neglect, and/or abandonment. In the case of this treasure… I think that’s exactly what happened!

Part of me wants to show you what we found, right this very moment, but I’m not sure how you might react. Will you think me a fool? Will you deny it’s value, once you see what it is? What if it fills you with fear or revulsion, instead of awe and wonder? That’s a possibility, you know. What I think about a thing’s value may be far different than what you imagine it should. I’m still not even sure what it is, exactly, but I’m still taking it onboard with us… that’s how valuable I think it is!

Ok! Don’t freak out or anything…

Now, I may not know the whys of this treasure being left behind, nor do I know the whats or whos or whens, yet… but I will! That’s the beauty of this whole voyage… we can take as long as we wish to get where we need to go, right?!

Not Mine…

Daily writing prompt
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

Being a light in the darkest of places requires a powerful source… and it ain’t mine!

Walking in shadows to find the lost calls for strength and courage that only comes from my creator!

My own light is quite weak when I try to fuel it without the proper oil… Holy oil, that is!

I, myself, have gotten lost repeatedly when trying to traverse the shadows by my own strength… and my courage always failed me when I sought to do things on my own.

The only legacy that should remain in my absence? It was never mine to begin with, as I am merely His vessel!

When I was given grace, it blossomed into something much more than I shall ever be… true forgiveness, purpose, mercy, love, and a desire to further His kingdom!

You want a legacy? Here’s one that should last into eternity…

“With what shall I come before the lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:6-8

Cookies?

What’s a baby?

One of my favorite songs about babies has to be from Lady and the Tramp, when Lady first meets the new baby. Put an adorable dog together with a baby and a tender song and what do you get? I get all emotional and start crying!

So it seems that it is fitting and right that I start your Monday off with the sniffles… but in a good way, of course!

Guess what?

It’s a girl!

Well, she’s here but not ready to come out of hiding just yet. That’ll be on or near November 25th. It makes me smile whenever I think on that date since my daughter’s birthday is the 18th. Wouldn’t it be the funniest thing if she is born on my daughter’s actual birthday day?!

They’ve still not quite settled on her name, at the moment, and neither have I. NO, I don’t get to name her! But, what I do get to do that nobody else can is to give her a special Meemaw name, just like I’ve done for all my other grandbabies.

Let’s see, there’s my first grandson “Peanut”, then my little Peach, my pinecone, and Little Man. Following them is my Chipmunk and our little Firefly, too. That makes five in all, so far. I’m also a Godmother to a very special Peapod.

Why the namesakes? Simple terms of endearment left with each of them for their memories… and, let’s be honest here… my memories, too!

It’s funny that I started doing this all the way back when my girls were born. My girls would never forgive me if I stopped referring to them by their personal nicknames, no joke!

I guess it never occurred to me how important it was for them, til a few weeks ago. I was sitting with my oldest grandson and talking about when he was smaller. I thought to apologize to him for always calling him Peanut when he was little, as he always made a fuss at me for doing it.

When I said that I was sorry, my grandson stopped what he was playing on the computer, looked at me funny for a moment, and then said, “why are you sorry?” I told him that I thought it bothered him, but he just smiled and shook his head in disagreement.

Apparently, he would like me to continue calling him Peanut… I’ve been given the all clear!

Ever since that conversation I’ve not stopped thinking about the importance of those little things, those tiny details. Often we find ourselves getting so caught up in doing the big things, we lose sight of what’s possible in a tiny, tiny thing…

All big things begin small, right?!

So, now that you’ve been given way more information than you probably needed for this next part… it’s time we think on a very special name for our newest family member. Yes, I said we! Don’t you want to help me think up an adorable new nickname for my soon-to-arrive granddaughter? Give it some thought if you would and then let me know in the comments. If we all put our heads together I know we can come up with something really adorable.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday … hugs

Scales…

Daily writing prompt
How do you balance work and home life?

The answer is in the question, silly WordPress! Balance is the answer, in and of itself. What’s in the baskets will depend on the one doing the balancing. The key to the balancing is to choose the correct set of scales!

Look for quality, longevity, and any and all perks available with your purchase. Watch out for companies that cut corners with cheap product and shoddy manufacturing. They will look pretty, but will break after the first couple of uses.

Remember, if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!

Go with a reputable company, preferably one that’s been around for a good long while. And do your research! Ask around for testimonials from those who previously purchased quality scales. This way, you are sure to find the set of scales that were meant just for you.

I found mine, and I promise that you will too. And I’ll stand on their quality til my last breath! I’ve had mine for as long as I can remember. At times, I’ve abused them, misplaced them, or downright put them away so I could try to do things my way. But I’ve still got them… and they look as good as they did when I first received them. If you’d like to, you can use my testimony and referral to where I got mine if you’re in the market to buy a quality set of scales. I’d be happy to tell you where I got them from… you know, who the manufacturer is, and all.

Until such time, we shall bake cookies…

I’ve got a secret, yes I do…

It seems like just yesterday she was playing dress-up…

and now she’s having a baby!

And guess what?

I know the gender of my grandbaby, but it’s a secret… for now. My daughter asked that I take a peek at her test results and not tell her the gender, yet. This way, I can bake the gender reveal cake for her and my son-in-law. They want to experience the surprise together, as a couple. Isn’t that incredibly romantic?

So, guess what today is?

Baking day!

I need to get the cakes baked and cooled, but I won’t be doing the frosting and decorating til tomorrow. I want the frosting to be as fresh as possible, so I’ll hold off doing it til just before we deliver it.

For now, I can show you the cake baking part as long as it’s only the cakes. I’ll be sure to show you the whole thing after the reveal, I promise!

I’m making a 4 layer white cake with the surprise candy hidden on the inside. The recipe I found is crazy! It calls to bake them for 50 minutes at 325. Even though my oven runs a bit warm, they baked for 43 minutes before I pulled them… absolutely perfect!

I’ve cooled, wrapped, and refrigerated them til tomorrow morning. When I get up in the morning, I’ll make a huge batch of Vanilla Buttercream frosting. My youngest daughter bought a very lovely cake topper, as well as the candy that goes on the inside.

For now, the scary part is finished… that is, perfect cakes for the decorating. I’m a flavor girl, so I don’t care how pretty the cake looks on the outside. If it doesn’t taste delicious then what’s the point, right?!

Oh, and I even cleaned up my mess! Well, to be honest, it wasn’t that difficult. Ever since I began my baking adventures with that tiny Easy-Bake-Oven, my workspace needed to be clean. I suppose that every baker worth their salt, or more appropriately, their sugar, keeps things clean as they go along. It helps keep a clean and organized work space! Willy Wonka’s factory was always clean and organized… it had to be!

That way he could focus on the magic in the candy. Well, at least that’s what I think…

My Peepers…

Daily writing prompt
What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

Peepers… eyeballs… the windows to your soul… whatever you wish to call them, is entirely up to you.

Everyone has them, everyone takes them for granted, and everyone hopes they keep working right.

You can use them, abuse them, or hide them from others… but they go wherever you go…

I know that right this moment, they’ve picked out a glaringly obvious grammatical error in this ridiculous prompt!

If you wish to know more than one, prompt writer, shouldn’t you be using What’re rather than What’s?

Just sayin!

How bout them cookies…

Thursday Thoughts…

Have you ever wanted something so much that you can’t stop thinking about it? It consumes your thoughts, your dreams, and gives you a motivation that you didn’t know you had. You scrimp and save, make numerous sacrifices to afford the time, money, and anything else required to prepare for said thing. It might be anything from a vacation, a new car, or even a baby!

Unless you are very wealthy and/or were born with a big ENTITLED badge sewn on the left cheek your bum… there’s usually a vast distance from start to finish! I think sometimes we watch too much television, where they make it look like a walk in the park to become ALL THAT!

The last time I checked, there weren’t any badges on my bum nor do I carry a purse full of cash, so I’m looking across a vast canyon that’s deep and wide. In our particular situation, it’s somewhat like looking up from a very deep well. There’s a sensation of being slowly pulled upward, while sitting in a bucket that’s still half full of murky water.

Discovering such a great distance between that first rescue bucket and the really solid dry land needed has been a bit of a shock. Truly, it was ignorant of me to assume that we could get from homeless to successful overnight, just because we have keys to an apartment. When they hand you that so-called GOLDEN TICKET… you’re on your own!

When we were circling the drain, all I could think about was getting my books published and quickly leaving all the bad memories behind. Pipe dreams, I know, but it helped. Not only is it NOT so easy, but now that I’m here in this moment, I’m not even sure if it’s in God’s purpose… at least, not right now!

The program we are in does NOT allow for my husband or I to make any money while he is going to school. If any money is made, we stand to lose much or all of our housing money. No one tells you what to do for any actual dollars needed for things, outside of food stamps that only cover food. It makes me wonder how many people fail to ever recover, due to this little flaw in the system. We’ve actually found just about every flaw, crack, or hole in the system to fall into, which is why it took us nearly two years to get housing (the last six months was the homeless, homeless part.

In the end, I don’t care what president holds office… the system just needs to be fixed… for the people! That’s us, the feet on the ground, the workers, the farmers, the builders, the caregivers… the human souls that keep this country afloat with our hard work, our bloody and dirty hands, and our truly beautiful hearts!

This is the very reason that I rely on GOD alone, above any and all government! The only reason we are here, in this very apartment, had God stamped all over it! No government policy or case worker made that one person change their heart and allow us in… that was GOD!

With that being said, I still find myself wondering what now? Why did God put us here, and what is the next step? What if I step out in faith and start throwing manuscripts out there, only to find that I was the only one who believed in their value, you know? Yep! This loudmouthed frog, Chatty Cathy, Wiwohka Wonka, and redeemed woman of faith has doubt, just like everybody else. My journey toward eternity is just that… a journey! It’s how I intend to get there that will count. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to see God as our father. He faithfully carries us through our entire life, teaching and loving us through good, bad, right, wrong, darkness, and light.

It doesn’t matter if my steps go off track, if my faith is weak, or if I simply feel unsure about my next choice…

GOD IS WITH US!

GOD IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, FAITHFUL!

GOD WILL ALWAYS LIGHT THE WAY FOR US!

It’s not about whether our choices are the right ones, the wrong ones, or even the refusal to decide… it’s about looking up, getting up, and continuing forward in faith, hope and love!

If I’m to be fully honest about why any of this is even being written down and shared with others, it’s to remind myself!

Thanks for listening… hugs

Tuesday Tinkering…

Do you know how hard it is to work on my computer while at sea? I’m reliant on multiple back up batteries for power. Add to that, our internet connection is spotty at best when the weather is disagreeable. But, regardless of what the clouds are doing, I’m not one to give up on a task that I think should be done… like my tinkering.

Bailey suggested that we get high speed internet that’s wireless, so we only need be near land for our connection. We won’t even have to get off the ship! I knew she was a very smart puppy, but didn’t expect that the dog would think of a solution before I did. Don’t I feel silly.

Now that we’ve ironed out all the kinks, as they say, let’s get to work!

I thought it might be a good idea to design some better pictures of our ship, so as to reveal what a wonderful vessel we sail upon! I wouldn’t want you thinking that we were gallivanting across the sea in a cardboard raft, or something of that nature.

Obviously, she’s quite a big girl!

She would have to be enormous… that is, if she’s to carry all the babes, myself, and Brutus. I realize that the dragon can take any form or size that he wishes, but sometimes he just likes to relax in his natural state… like us wearing pajamas and slippers on a Saturday morning.

Speaking of enormous, the amount of food we go through on this boat is staggering. Due to the sheer number of mouths onboard, I made sure that our galley came fully stocked with all the sundries required for this journey…

Food isn’t the only thing truly necessary for a comfortable trip across the waters, no no! If you’ve ever had to deal with a little one that’s running on little or no sleep, which then means that you’re also running on no sleep… well, you can understand why I took such great efforts to ensure these babes get plenty of rest…

Before you start thinking that I stuffed all the babes in the same cabin, I want to assure you that I am most certainly not that silly! This is just Lilly’s room. As you can see, all the girls like to have slumber parties, tea parties, or just parties for the sake of having a party.

This is Dinky and Boomer’s cabin…

Tilly shares a cabin with mini me, along with both Bailey and Auzzie, as those two need constant supervision…

There’s a another cabin that was meant for the rest of the boys, but their never in it!

Eustace actually prefers to sleep on a pillow in the Captains Quarters for some strange reason, and Squagon has taken to sleeping in the crows nest full time. He says it’s to be on the lookout for any danger, but I think it has more to do with wanting to sleep in a tree. He is a squirrel, you know.

I didn’t make a cabin for Brutus because he generally sleeps wherever suits him at the time. Sometimes the dragon sleeps on deck, fully stretched out to his full size. On the more stormy nights he likes to sleep down below, to comfort the little ones.

Myself, well, it was important that it be comfortable an spacious…

You can’t imagine how often my bed is filled with sleepers from down the hall. Oh, and did you notice the nightstand there, next to my bed? That’s for Nugget!

Anyway, my battery is dying on this ole laptop, so I’ll wrap this up. I just thought you’d want to see what our ship looks like. Before I end this message, there’s one last thing that must be settled… our vessel has no name yet!

If you would do me this small favor, would you please offer up some possible names fitting of such a fine ship? It seems fitting that you be a part of the naming, since you’re the ones who give wind to her sails. Besides, if it’s left to everyone aboard the ship there’s no telling what name might be agreed upon.

I shall wait for your suggestions, but not for too long. We’re already far out to sea and I’ve heard that it’s quite dangerous to sail an unnamed vessel. I apologize for rushing things, but you understand the urgency, right?

I’ll just wait right here, if that’s alright?

Today we set sail… again!

Ok! Once again, we’re all loaded onto the ship and ready to set sail for distant shores. All that is, except for young Henry, the very mouse that we sailed all the way up the river to locate. Why? Well, young Henry has responsibilities to his aging parents that require him to remain at home. Before you start worrying that Tilly will be broken hearted, Brutus saved the day, once again. He’s given Tilly his word that whenever she wants to go and spend time with Henry and his family, Brutus will fly her home and stay til she’s ready to come back. See… problem solved!

Do you know that it’s taken all day to get ready for leaving port, just so that all the babes could pick out their best sailing outfits? I’m not joking! The worst of them was Eustace and Bailey, which I never expected. It’s all about the shoes, according to those two…

I advised Eustace that his choice of enormous backpack and fur lined flip flops would most assuredly cause him to loose his balance and end up over the side of the ship, so we compromised…

Much better!

Now Bailey was more about dressing like a lady, than wearing something that might give off the wrong impression at some port that we visit…

I warned her that she might be mistaken for a caravan belly dancer with these sandals.

As I am Baileys mamma, so to speak, it’s my job to protect her reputation. I like these shoes, because she looks well insulated…

She threatened to stay home, so we had to agree on something we both felt happy with…

There, she can show a little bit of toe… but no more than that and absolutely no ankle showing!

The rest of the babes chose their own outfits and I didn’t even have to say much, at all!

Since we’ve been aboard our ship, Squagon has taken to stretching his ears up into his horns. I know that he looks up to Brutus and all, but I don’t want him to grow up too fast, you know? When I asked him to tone it down a bit, he was quick to adjust them…

Awwwww…. now, there’s my sweet boy!

What is the deal with all the fancy ankle cuffs… sheesha!

Nugget’s favorite snack is honey, so you can see what the problem might be.

While I think the outfit is absolutely adorable… still not gonna work with sticky fingers.

I know it takes more work to keep the hat on, but that’s what ears are for, so it’ll do. Once we settled on the hat, it was easy to get Nugget to lose the sleeves.

Lilly didn’t want to wear anything at all, aside from the hat…

I didn’t want her to get sunburned, though..

Much better, little lady!

Oh, and Tilly?

She’s gonna be just fine… it’s as if she’s a different mouse, ya know?!

Check out Dinky and Boomer…

They chose each others hats.

Why no shoes? Well, Duh! Dragon’s don’t wear shoes, do they.

Anyway, now that everyone’s finally ready to go, let’s do this!

The first order of business is to determine our course. After that, we’re free to set sail. Where will we go first, you might be wondering? Well, without going into too much detail, what I can tell you is that we have a map. If we can successfully navigate to the correct location marked on the map, there is someone waiting… someone who was left behind, just like our young Henry.

This time, however, we shall be traveling for the sake of another… for my grandson, actually. You see, when his family had to move to a new home, they left someone behind. When we talked about his missing friend, the idea came to me that we should seek the little guy out, because it seemed like the right thing to do. No one should feel alone… no one!

His name is Peanut, and yes, he’s a troll. Please don’t judge the little guy to harshly for being a troll. He’s really sweet, honest!

I’ve actually met him, you know. I spied him one day, hiding in the ditch beside my grandson’s house. He’d been watching the children play in their yard, quietly wishing he might join them… I could see it in his adorable eyes. For a time, I actually passed notes back and forth between my grandson and the tiny troll. I believe that’s where their friendship started.

Anyway, I thought to go in search of the little guy, in hopes of inviting him to stay at the barn. We have tons of room now, what with the barn being renovated and expanded. This way, my grandchildren can come and visit him at the barn whenever they wish. Plus, the lonely little troll will have all the babes for company, as well. No more being alone.

A journey such as this seems fitting for our first voyage, wouldn’t you agree?

Wish us luck…