The Cunning Sister

She was sitting on her cozy couch doing some sewing by hand. Her brother needed some holes patched up in his dress shirts. She was a speedy when it came to sewing so didn’t mind helping him out.

She was listening to Christmas music as she sewed and watching the first snow of the season fall outside. The beauty of the first snowfall was so lovely to watch. As she watched she let her mind wander back and reflect. Being that she was sewing her brother’s shirts thoughts turned to him. He was a great guy , but he could be so sly and such a tease. She was on the receiving end more times than not of his sly, manipulative ways.

He had mastered the art of knowing how to often confuse her and how to raise her curiosity, plus get answers that he wanted. There were times that she could get 1 up on him, but it didn’t happen nearly enough.

At that moment a thought struck her and she laughed and thought No, she couldn’t. As quickly as that thought came though she decided that actually the answer wasn’t No to her idea. It was more of a ,Yes indeed, she could type  answer!  She laughed again and sewed away as the snow continued to fall.

Around 6 that evening her brother knocked on the door wanting his shirts. He was getting ready to go out that night with some friends. Thanking her quickly he grabbed the shirts and walked out the door. He did stick his head back in the door to make a smart comment. That was usually his routine whenever leaving her house. This time though she wasn’t left speechless and flushed. She only smiled at his wit and thought to herself, “If he only knew!” She knew very well that her  pleasure would be short lived, but she would savor it while she could.

She was all prepared for the knock on her door. Her brother only lived down the street so it didn’t take long for him to get back to her house. She opened the door to find him sputtering with a flushed face. She calmly said, “How may I help you?”  Oh his eyes were NOT smiling. More like a “warning” look in them, but it didn’t matter to her. Let the hole be dug, it was worth it this time.  Her eyes were smiling enough for the both of them; not to mention her whole face.

He held up the shirts that she had sewed. ” I see the holes are nicely sewed up, what seems to be the problem?”  He gave her a look that made it so hard for her to keep her composure. He spoke not a word as he held up one of the shirt sleeves. “Oh my Gosh, it seems that your arm hole got sewed up! I do wonder how that could have possibly happened!” With another look at his face she couldn’t hold her composure any longer and she doubled over in laughter. Oh YES pure pleasure, as she told him what payment she expected for being so NICE  as to help him out. Being so nice to open up his shirt sleeves for him.

When he promised to the deal she wanted, she went to work fast on his shirts. The house was quiet except for the sound of her laughter. It would come out every time she looked at her brother so patiently waiting for her to be done. He really didn’t have much choice. Ahh! the feeling of satisfaction, she was 1 up on him now for sure!

Tuesday’s Thoughts

Good Morning Friends! Back home again. We did have a wonderful time, but it is always nice to come home. Especially to sleep in your own bed. Had some trouble getting out of it this morning. I knew I had to get moving though, for I had special quotes to post 🙂 Not to mention laundry to do, unpacking, etc. Posting quotes is definitely the more fun choice of out of those options. 🙂

Can’t believe that December is just around the corner! December is an extra-special month, for it is a month of celebrations. Birthday in the beginning, Anniversary in the middle and Christmas at the end. A magical month all around! Have a magical day. 🙂

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3. Had to see if  you are awake this morning! You can comment below if you found the mistake right away or not. 🙂

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8. I couldn’t resist! 🙂

Predictable

When we come out to Indiana each Thanksgiving, there are certain things that are very predictable.

1. Plenty of good food always available.
2. Plenty of laughter and love abound!
3. I will always lose in the card games, your sympathy is appreciated 🙂
4. Black Friday late late night shopping, which is more for the free entertainment then the bargains. Explanation perhaps will come later.
5. Being cozy by the sister-in-law’s fireplace and watching Hallmark movies.
6. Having my nieces and nephew grow taller each time and just towering more over me!

Yes, certain things you can predict, and then there is this thing called life that …. If I have learned anything as I have gone through life, it is that it is very UNPREDICTABLE!! You just never know what may be coming around the bend.

There is one thing you can control though and that is your reaction. You can decide to roll with what life throws at you and make the best of it that you can. For even if presently things look really bad, you never know when that big ball of sunshine could be just around the bend! You don’t want to bury your head in your troubles and miss it. Keep rolling, keep watching and as my good friend says, Keep cherishing the GOOD moments that are out there!

Friday’s 6+ word stories and more….

Shopping until 3am = sore legs…..tired brain!

Conversations and laughter shared while shopping – Priceless!

Yes, it is that time of year again! If you have followed my blog for at least a year, then you may remember me talking about this before. The yearly tradition of going late night, Black Friday shopping with my dear Sister-in-law! We never know what may be in store, besides the fact that we do get good deals.

The highlights from this year may be that Someone was trying on shoes and at 1:30 in the morning was trying to put shoe on the wrong foot! Someone was complaining that shoe felt too tight and well it just may have been that someone forgot to take out ALL the paper and cardboard from the shoe. Someone may have been searching for the other person in the wrong area and last of all someone may have been waiting by the wrong register  for someone.

As Amy , my sister-in-law was waiting in LONG line at one store I bore her pain and went to coffee shop in the mall and waited in line for a Egg Nog latte. It was good, except for being too hot and burning my tongue.

Yes, fun times shared once again and it is worth feeling like a zombie today 🙂 Plus my hubby will be happy to know that I didn’t buy large things this time like last year. No having to try to make room in our already full van for a vacuum cleaner, like before 🙂

Hope everyone is having a good week and now it is off to meet some friends for ice cream! That may help me wake up!

On the Road Again!

Early Morning Greetings!! Up at the break of Dawn to hit the road to visit the cornfields of Indiana.  Just wanted to let all my readers know that my posts may be erratic, but don’t worry It won’t be that long until I am back to regular posting again, so don’t leave! 🙂

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving I wish you a wonderful  Thanksgiving and if not I still wish you a wonderful week!!

Winter has finally arrived, it is COLD, but at least we have heat in the van 😉 I will say though that my hubby and I have different opinions on the temp in the van. I am usually sitting bundled up as the heat pours out and he is sitting in the driver’s seat in a t-shirt sweating. It is NOT always that bad, I do let him turn the heat down some as I pull my blanket closer. I can’t help that his body temp just isn’t right. LOL!

Well I better go, before I get left behind and am running after the van. That won’t work too well! Adios for now. Have a great day!

Tuesday’s Thoughts!

Good Morning my friends! It is only Tuesday, but today is my last day of the week as far as work goes 🙂 Heading out to Indiana tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and please know that I am thankful for all of you! Today’s thoughts are hopefully encouraging and ones that bring a smile. My heart is full of care today for dear friends.

I stood up with this couple as they said their wedding vows, “in sickness and health”, and now those words are being felt. Pat was diagnosed with cancer just recently and today he will be admitted to the hospital to start treatment. He begins the hardest battle of his life and I ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers please! We visited with them this week-end and his courage inspires me along with his humor. Pat and I have traded much wit over the years that I have known him and that is exactly what I was greeted with ,when we entered their house. As always, I can’t say enough at how humor can be so helpful through the hard times! So with that let’s get to the quotes!

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7.(or a sign that you really are CRAZY!)

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Packages

Packages….big ones, small ones, ones wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow.  Ones just in plain boxes with your address clearly written on them, surprising you at your front door.

Why is my mind on packages right now? A couple of  reasons. Christmas is coming of course and I already bought 1 gift. Yes, I know there are crazy people out there already done with their Christmas shopping, NO not me! I am usually finished with mine by  December 23rd 🙂 My birthday is coming, and my husband had just asked me this morning about a gift that I was wanting.  The 3rd reason is due to a blog post that came to my mind.

This week we are preparing to head back out to the cornfields of Indiana. My husband’s family is out there and we will celebrate Thanksgiving with them. When thinking about that I was reminded of my From the Mountains to the Cornfields post from this past summer when we were headed out  to Indiana. It was a short,  innocent post about us heading out there for vacation. Due to the very last line though about me mailing some special packages, the post turned into a very long comment thread! SOMEONE made sure to make the comments very entertaining. 🙂 Sorry to disappoint, but no I am not headed to the Post Office with packages this time!

What is a favorite package that you have received or that you have given? This year if I could I would wrap up Jaxon the Jackalope since he is magical, and send him around to all my dear ones who are struggling with painful issues. He could wiggle his nose and do his chant and “Voila!” their problems would be solved. The only problem is that he wouldn’t like being shipped in a tight, dark box with not much room to move and no popcorn to eat. I couldn’t be mean to him like that!

As always the greatest gifts are the ones that can’t be packaged. The gifts of love, friendship, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, peace and the list goes on. Make sure to not forget these “packages” this year as you make your list of gifts for your family and friends. These “packages” are ones that will never grow old,  and you don’t need to rush to the stores fighting the crowds to find them! All you need to do is open your heart and let these gifts flow!

The Silent Heartache

This post follows my other 2 “REAL” posts. The REAL Story! and The Misplaced Shame!. They both had to do with my family’s journey through some very painful trials these past 2 years. These posts have been a step out of my comfort zone, but at the same time it has felt freeing to share them with all of you. I keep hearing reminders of how everyone has a  story and that sharing it can help someone else. This post was perhaps the hardest one to do yet, due to the subject. I feel though that it is a subject that needs to be talked about and that parents need to be aware! I honestly didn’t know how I was going to approach it when I sat down to start, but then the words flowed. I hope I handled it the right way.

I started this blog to help spread joy and happiness around, to give people something to smile about. I wanted to help uplift  people through life and their struggles, but part of helping others through their struggles is being honest about yours. That is what I have tried to do with these series of posts and I hope it encourages you to share your story. Know you are not alone in the struggles that you may face, you don’t have to be silent!

The Silent Heartache

At night the silent tears would stream down her face. She was hurting, but she felt so confused. She was scared, she didn’t know what to do. She was young, she didn’t understand why his hands touched her that way. How could she tell?  Her parents would be filled with such dismay, how could she betray him? He was their close friend, he wasn’t the enemy. He wasn’t the creepy guy she had always been warned about. He had been a family friend from the beginning of her life. He was a friend, he wouldn’t hurt her, she must have misunderstood. The silent tears laid wet upon her face as sleep would overcome her and the questions get pushed down into the deep chasms of her heart.

The days would pass, the weeks the months. OH look at the cool stuff he bought her, and he was so goofy and fun at times. Other times he would talk, talk about things that she didn’t quite understand. Talk about things that made her feel sad for him. Didn’t she want to help please him, help brighten his day. Her Mom had always said to help make people happy. When he touched her he would smile big. Even though it hurt her, she was doing the right thing, right? She was making him happy. Yet she didn’t understand the whys. Why if he was happy did she feel sad? Why was there something that felt empty inside of her every time he touched? Yet she must be doing something right and maybe this is what she was good for. Maybe this is why she had a nice body.Maybe it was meant to be shared.

The dam burst, the secret could be held no longer. With tears streaming down her face, it had to be shared. In the van, on the DARK night that I won’t forget, the truth came out. Tears came down as we embraced, wishing that somehow the tightness of the hug could magically  erase all the pain.  She had grown older and she knew it wasn’t right. The pain inside her wracked her to her inner core, she couldn’t keep pretending. Keeping the secret hidden was causing so much damage inside her, it was coming out in other bad ways, it had to be shared.

Her parents hung their heads in despair. How could this have happened right under their eyes! How could a trusted friend betray them so, they didn’t understand. The pain brought them to their knees. The Mother Bear rose up within as the fight for justice began.

The journey still continues. The path to justice is not a fast one. The healing is continuing, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The tears still fall, but they are healing ones, for the burden of the painful secret has been set free.

The journey continues, as does the love, for a Parent’s love is always there! Step by step, sometimes millimeter by millimeter we will get there. Joy will come in the morning. This may have shattered our spirit, but our spirit is strong. It rises again, it won’t be beat!

Life is a journey of twists and turns, a journey of sometimes feeling like you are walking through hell. The thing to remember is that the view from the  mountain top is beautiful! It may feel like the ground is crumbling beneath your feet as you climb BUT step by step you get higher. With each step you take you are saying you won’t be beat! Each time you breathe in the joy of life you are fighting back against the evil that life also brings.

There are too many wonderful experiences still waiting to be had!  The mountain climb will continue, and HOPE will be shared, as we carry on!

The Secret… Part 3

The end of the story is here 🙂 If you missed the other 2 parts, here are the links. The Secret…(Part 2) and The Secret. I do believe that you will see that it was worth the wait!

Thanks for being patient. I would like to say I  patiently waited  as Colin sent the stories to me and welllll I did …. perhaps 🙂  You have to understand the difference in posting the stories this time. I only was able to see Part 2 after I posted Part 1, which means I only got to read Part 3 after I posted Part 2.So basically I was posting stories on my blog when I didn’t have a clue as to how the story, or when the story would end!! I was told that Dewey may be sent up in a rocket ship or down in a submarine and that the submarine may spring a leak! So that made patience a tad hard!  Don’t worry,  I told Colin that my readers would not like to see that happen to Dewey. 🙂 Anyway the suspense is now over, so sit back, read and enjoy .  Your thoughts are always appreciated,  let Colin know what you thought about his story  in the comments below.

The Secret – Part 3

The following morning, directly after breakfast, the man-servant and Dewey walked over to the barn. When they reached the straw pile, they were rather surprised because both Jaxon and Odessa were sitting there.

“Okay” said the man-servant “What have you two been doing?” Odessa took a step forward “I think that you had better come down to my end of the barn” she said. Odessa flew down to her part of the barn while the others walked. When Jaxon, Dewey and the man-servant reached Odessa’s area, they all looked up to see Odessa sitting on her beam with one wing outstretched. They once again heard the same squeaky sound that they had noticed on earlier visits.

Odessa looked down at them. “Man-servant and Dewey” she hesitated and looked under her outstretched wing “allow me to introduce you to Hermione!” Odessa lifted her wing and folded it back against her body, and there sitting next to her was a baby owl! The man-servant’s mouth dropped open and he was lost for words. Dewey just looked at the two owls over his head and sat down on the barn floor.

“Odessa” said the man-servant “I have to ask an obvious question. Where did Hermione come from?” Odessa looked at him in total disbelief “I don’t believe you asked that question man-servant. Hermione came from her mother!” “No” said the man-servant “I didn’t mean that.” Odessa looked at him “You never cease to amaze me man-servant. What did you mean?” The man-servant thought for a moment. “I meant to ask how she got here in this barn” he said “Well” said Odessa “I brought her here.” “But where did she come from?” asked the man-servant. Odessa looked down her beak at him “Man-servant” she said “You’ve already asked that question!” “Oh yes I’m sorry” he said to Odessa “I wasn’t thinking. Where did you find Hermione?” Odessa hopped off her beam and landed in front of the man-servant “I found her alone on a branch of a tree. She was shivering and hungry so I brought her back here and have been looking after her until we can find her mother.”

The man servant looked up at little Hermione and smiled. “How are you planning on finding Hermione’s mother?” he asked Odessa. “Well I’m not … but Jaxon is!” The man-servant turned to Jaxon “Well?” “I have been using my magical powers to try and find her mother” said Jaxon. The man-servant was just about to ask whether he had any success, when there was a whoosh whoosh sound and a large owl flew into the barn and landed facing Jaxon. “To answer your next question man-servant. Yes. I was successful! Meet Florence” and he pointed to the new arrival.

The man-servant looked at the new visitor. “Hi Florence” he said “How are you?” Florence did not answer, but Odessa stepped between her and the man-servant “Man-servant, Florence cannot not speak to you because she does not understand your language!” “Why not?” said the man-servant. “You do!” “Oh man-servant” said Odessa “You just don’t understand do you! It is simply a miracle that I can talk to you. Owls are not usually capable of communicating with humans. I thought you would have known that!” Just then, Florence flew up to the beam and perched next to Hermione. A few moments later, they both flew out of the barn and disappeared into the night.

The man-servant looked at his three friends “C’mon” he said “Let’s all go the farmhouse and talk by the fire.” Then he turned to Jaxon and Odessa “Nice work guys. I’m proud of you both!”

When they were settled in front of the fire the man-servant said “Odessa, why didn’t you tell us?” Odessa looked straight at him “You couldn’t have done anything!” “Well we could have helped somehow I‘m sure” said the man-servant. Odessa looked at him “Man-servant” she said “Why are you so delusional? You presence would have frightened Hermione. You couldn’t have given her food, and you would have no way of trying to find Florence. I thought that the whole incident should be kept within the four walls of the barn.” The man-servant looked at her for a moment “Yes Odessa, you are probably right.” Odessa turned her head “Probably?” she said. “Okay Odessa, you were right” said the man-servant, and then turning towards Dewey “I guess Dewey that we………………..” but he never finished what he was going to say. Dewey was sound asleep!

Friday’s 6 or 8 word stories!

“Thank You!”…politeness can go far. 

“Can I help you?” Disguised innocence.

Waiting for delivery….may see pigs fly first.

Proven…can’t talk when laughing, eh?