Friday’s Super Short Stories!

 

Sometimes it may not be a Yellow Brick Road that you are on, but … Keep walking … you will find it! 

Laughter is one of my favorite sounds … especially when coming from my children!

Excitement mounts as the days draw closer!

Bonus “story”  for the benefit of my dear children. They are curious as to what you all think.  Yes, these are 2 so very important questions. 🙂   Is it Yanny or Laurel or have you no clue? First its the white/gold dress vs. black/blue dress and now its Yanny vs. Laurel. Some people have too much time on their hands. LOL!  But it is interesting to see how people can see and hear things so differently.

 

 

 

Behind the Scenes

I finished reading Alison Angrim’s autobiography.  Alison was the girl who played Nellie Oleson on one of the best loved TV shows of all time, Little House on the Prairie.

It was a very interesting story and brought up some points that I would like to share, without spoiling the book for anyone who may want to read it.

The first is the simple fact that just because someone is a star doesn’t mean they have a wonderful life.  I know we all know that, but I feel its still easy for us to assume that at times. We watch the person acting on TV, we know they are getting paid a lot of money and we think, “Wow, what a life! ”

We don’t just do it with actors and famous people but we can do it with others as well, if we are not careful .  We can catch ourselves making assumptions with the information we have, when we really don’t know the whole story.

When I watched Little House, I fell in love with all the characters. Even mean Nellie Oleson and her Mom Harriet.  You have to admit the Oleson’s added a lot to the show and there were times that Harriet could actually show a slight soft side.  I fell in love with them in the roles they played.  I didn’t think much about them leading other lives.

I didn’t think that Alison really was mean in real life just because she played that role on TV, but I never thought of her as being a hurting child either. I just saw her as a star who had a fun job. That’s the way it appeared to me, I didn’t really think beyond that.

The obvious fact though is that they did lead other lives. They did go home at the end of the day to their families where they were known for who they really were, not for the role they were playing. Some had wonderful families to go home too and unfortunately some didn’t.

Alison attributes “LHOP ” to saving her life because on the set she felt loved by the others. She considered them her family.  She loved playing “Nellie” because for a 12 year old troubled girl with lots of pain inside of her, it gave her an outlet.  A safe outlet to let out her pain.

For those of you who have not watched “Little House on the Prairie” much let me briefly describe “Nellie Oleson”.  She was constantly being mean to Laura, would play nasty tricks on her and they would get in fights a lot. She always wanted her way and Harriet usually made sure that she got it. When she didn’t get her way she would scream and throw a tantrum.

Now take that information and think of a child who has so much pain and confusion inside of them that they don’t know what to do with. How do you think they would do in that role?  It wouldn’t work for everyone, but for Alison, she says it was perfect.  She could scream, and throw things around, shattering dishes,etc.  She could throw herself down on the ground kicking, screaming and sobbing.  She got into fights with Laura, pulling hair, throwing mud at each other; crazy girl cat fights.  Alison says how all of that provided her a way to vent her emotions.

It really made me think of how the image I saw on TV and what I read in this book were so different. I saw a bully on TV, I saw a hurting child in the book.  Isn’t that how it is a lot in today’s world?

The “bullies” can be children that really need help, children that have so many troubled emotions and don’t know how to deal with them. Obviously not every child who is hurting inside is a bully though, as I said before the cast of “LHOP” loved Alison, she was actually best friends with Laura and still is!  She was very shy in real life, but kind.

In the same way, not every person who plays the role of a “bully” on TV is someone who is hurting in real life, it just happened to be that case with Alison.

It also wasn’t every time that Alison was throwing a fit on screen that she was feeling bad, but for the times that her emotions were getting overwhelming those scenes would come in handy.

The point that I am trying to make is that a lot of times we may not know what’s really going on. We don’t know what is going on behind the scenes of someone’s life.   I am sure Alison’s story is only one of many similar stories out there.

To sum it all up the next time you want to assume something, be careful! I am talking from experience. I have had my own share of flushed cheeks due to making big and small assumptions. Just let this be a reminder that the next time you want to jump to an assumption about something, you may want to take a step back first.  Take a step back before you fall into a deep hole!

 

 

A Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road

I had not planned on writing more about Glenda’s story from my post about 2 weeks ago but my thoughts went there today.  Here is a link to Part 1 if you missed it.  https://joyroses13.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/taking-the-leap/

While looking  outside at the rain today, I thought of how pretty it would be if it was bright like the Emerald City instead. If you are having a dreary day I hope this story can brighten your heart.  Come take a stroll down the Yellow Brick Road.

 

This place was so bright, she was awestruck by its beauty! How amazing it was that she had the opportunity to be here.  It had been 2 weeks since she had entered the Emerald City and she still felt speechless. Her face though did a good job of expressing her thoughts. Everyone could see how happy she was.

She felt a tug on her pants and looked down into the eyes of  Molly the Munchkin who was smiling up at her.

“Hello Miss. Glenda! How are you doing today?”

“I am fine, how are you?  Is your ankle feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you so much for taking care of it. I just wanted to wish you a happy day!”  With those words Molly was soon off and running down the yellow brick road. She was meeting her friend Millie. They were going to go out into the field of Poppies and have a picnic.

Glenda smiled as she watched Mollie run. With a bounce in her step Glenda continued on her way.  She was headed to Timothy’s house for tea.

Timothy was standing outside waiting for her on his porch. He put out his arm and helped her up the steps.

“Thank you Timothy, you are such a gentleman.  How are you today? Are you still feeling achy at all in your joints?”

“No, I feel great! How would you like to have tea on the porch today since it is so lovely out?”

“Sounds good to me.”  Glenda replied as she took a seat on the porch.

The whippoorwill was singing in the trees as a gentle breeze blew.

They had been having a very nice time as they listened to the birds and chatted.

“You make the best tea, Timothy”, said Glenda as she finished her 2nd cup.

“Its a secret recipe that my Mom had passed down to me.”

“Well thank you so much for making the tea for me and for the nice chat. Now I must go though to see Louie. Have a wonderful day!”

“Same to you Glenda, stop by whenever you can. Oh can you wait a few minutes, I would like to give you a pot of tea to take over to Louie. I know he is getting over a really bad sore throat. Hopefully my special tea can help ease his pain.  I gave some to Lily the other day for she could barely speak, poor lady felt so bad. I finished painting her front door for her while she sat on the porch swing drinking the tea. ”

Glenda said she would be glad to wait, and she watched Timothy go back inside his house.  He was only gone for a few minutes before he came back out the door with a pot full of tea.

“Thank you Timothy, I am sure Louie will be so glad to have some of your wonderful tea.”

“You are welcome, I’ll walk down the road with you  for a little. I am going to go check on Lilly, make sure she’s doing okay. ”

They walked a little ways together, chatting some more,  before they came to the fork in the road and turned different ways.  They said their goodbyes and continued on.

Glenda smiled as she watched Timothy walk away. He was a great friend,  he had such a big heart.

It was a little walk to get to Louie’s place but she made it there. He was lying in his hammock stretched between two Oak trees.

“Hi Louie, how are you doing? Is your throat still hurting?”

“Not as bad as it was, but still not totally better.”

” Timothy sent some of his special tea with me to give to you, hopefully that will help. ”

Louie’s eyes brightened when he saw the teapot.

“Oh yes, I love his tea! Please tell him Thank you!”

They talked for a little while, but soon Louie’s eyes were closed, he had drifted off to sleep.

Glenda smiled. It was so nice to see how Louie had come out of his shell. She had heard that he used to be very shy and afraid of everything, but not anymore. It wasn’t that long ago that he had saved Mollie from a perilous situation that she had got herself into. Louie was the only one around that could save her so he gathered up his courage and did it!  Glenda was so proud of him.  He had a heart full of courage.

As she was walking back to her house she heard someone calling her.

“Glenda, Glenda, I have something for you. ”

She turned around and saw Sammy coming her way. He was holding a bouquet of poppies that he had picked for her.

“Oh Sammy they are beautiful! Thank you so much. ”

Sammy’s face blushed some as he smiled.

“I never get tired of seeing the flowers when I am out in the fields. Seeing them dance in the breeze, so I wanted to share them with you.”

Glenda knew that Sammy loved being in the fields, the birds were some of his best friends. They would sit on his shoulders and have a chat.  Ladybugs would sometimes crawl on him and even the Honeybees were his friends. Bunnies would nibble on clover as they sat as his feet.

Sammy was a friend to all! He could be very wise too. Glenda knew that when she needed advice she could come to Sammy. He had some clever thoughts in that brain of his.

As Glenda made her way down the yellow brick road leading to her house her heart was full.  She had made such wonderful friends. She was so glad that she had taken the leap and moved here, who knew what else was in store for her. This was the Emerald City after all, anything could happen!

 

 

 

Tuesday’s Thoughts!

Good Morning to those starting a new day and to those whose day may be winding down, I hope you had a good one!  In my post yesterday I talked about trying to decide what books to buy with a gift card that my dear child got for me. I finally made my decision last night while “walking” through the Amazon library. I got 2 biographies, plus while looking at a Leo Buscaglia  book that was recommended to me by a friend, I found another one by Leo that caught my eye.  If you haven’t read any of his books or seen his videos, you really need to!

Then when I thought I was done, I “walked” through another section and  another book called out to me. After that my gift card said goodbye to me. I “walked” out of the library and curled up on the couch to start one of the books that I had just purchased. I had downloaded some to my Kindle and had ordered some others through the mail.

I started reading one of the biographies. It is about Alison Arngrim, the girl who played Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie.  My thoughts went to that show last night when I was thinking about books after  writing yesterday’s post. The Little House Books collection is another classic collection. Alison’s story is a dramatic one. Quite interesting to learn her story. She was a Canadian who had moved to America when she was 6 years old and she started playing the role of Nellie when she was 12 years old.  I will warn you there are some very sad things in her story,  but  her strength and wit comes through in her writing.  You keep smiling as you wonder how she survived so much. She will tell you that being on “Little House” saved her life and from the little I read so far I would agree.  Are you intrigued?  Perhaps you need to take a “walk” through Amazon.

Enjoy the quotes and Keep Smiling!!

 

 

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4.   A friend had shared this quote yesterday and I wanted to share it on here. There are days I wonder about the universe too. 🙂
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What is your Title?

I can be in and out of a clothing store in not much time.  I am not like a lot of women who just love to shop.  At least not for clothes.

Take me into a bookstore and you can expect to be in there for awhile.  I love browsing through books and deciding what ones stand out out to me.  Though it can be a hard decision.  I have been browsing through Amazon’s library today, for I got a special gift card to use on books yesterday. I also have been asking some friends for books they would recommend. I enjoy hearing what others like to read and what books have stood out to them.

Unlike clothing, the problem is not finding something I like. The problem is narrowing it down to what am I wanting to read right now.  What books speak the loudest to me right now from my list?

I enjoy a variety of books. I enjoy the light, easy reading books that can still have  way of teaching you something.  I like the books that make you think and perhaps ponder some big questions. The books that bring out important lessons about life.  I like reading true, inspiring stories about people’s lives.

I also enjoy books at times that have suspense in them. Yes, I do not read the ending first! That may come as a surprise to those who know how curious I am, but I do not want to ruin the suspense  of trying to guess what may happen at the end.

With that said, I tend to read suspense filled chapters or books pretty quickly.  I can’t wait too long to find out what happens!

Most of all I appreciate the books where I finish the final chapter and feel like I have been on an amazing, unique journey. My heart has smiled, perhaps shed some tears, maybe has skipped a couple beats but it is full. Full of warmth and appreciation for the author who took the time to write a book that touched my heart.

I have been trying to think of some of my favorite books and it is hard, for I have read so very many over the years. There are some though that do continue to stand out to me no matter how long ago I read them. What are some of your favorites?  If you were to write a book about your life, what would the title be?

                                             

Wanted to throw in some Children’s books too:           You know that there was no way I could leave out Winnie The Pooh! 🙂

 

Celebrating You and Mom!

YOU are SPECIAL!!

Yes, I feel very special and blessed to be a Mom. It’s a gift that is priceless!

Being a Mom though doesn’t make me more special than you! I know so many that long to be Mom’s and due to reasons beyond their control they can’t be.

I know many that long to find a love of their own and they haven’t yet. Still waiting on their Knight or their Princess. I know some that have decided their happy being single and they aren’t waiting for that “someone special” to come along.

This world is made up of so many different people. People in different phrases of life at different times. People who will experience some things that some never get to experience.

The one thing though that connects all these people in different walks of life is that they are all special!

You aren’t special for what you have. You are special for being you!!

All the mannerisms and idioscrancies is what makes you unique and special and what makes you YOU!

Celebrate YOU and if you are still blessed to have your Mom alive, don’t forget to thank her. Thank her for her role in helping to make you who you are. I love my Mom and am so very thankful for her. There’s not enough time in the world to thank her for all she’s done for me.

Dear Mom! You say you are proud of the woman I become but you are the reason why I am half the person that I am. Thank you Mom, I love you!

What Comes Next?

Using our imagination is always good, so I am going to give you a chance to exercise your imagination skills.

Use your imagination to fill in the blanks and tell the end of this short story.  You can either put yourself into the story or me. Your choice!

Its the night before the day that you  have been dreaming about for a long time! Anticipation has been mounting!   Tomorrow morning you would wake up and find out what Super Power was granted to you overnight.  You can barely sleep, but finally you drift off.

Waking up the next morning your body is tingling with excitement. There is a special decorated box on your bed waiting for you to open. Inside will be the paper telling you what your Super Power is.  Your heart is thumping as you open the box and pull out the slip of paper. You unfold it as your heart beats faster for your curiosity will soon have an answer!

You read it and your smile quickly fades as you scream “Nooooo…!”

You read the words again …” So sorry but  when trying to give you the Super Power of  ….. something went terribly wrong and now we regret to inform you that …….!”

Put your imagination to work dear readers, what would the blanks say? 

Friday’s Super Short Stories!

The trees and flowers bloomed beautifully and were allergy free … then the apple was bit … and the pollen forever flew!

Some are content to  patiently wait … no questions do they ask …  and then there are the inquisitive minds where questions reside!

Stories and poems can bring joy when reading for the first time as well as for the 10th!

 

The Sweetest Gift

What is a successful parent?  Is it being able to cook a gourmet dinner?  Having the ability to build an amazing tree house for your child?  Perhaps its about keeping the house spotless and organized.  Having a green thumb, making your landscaping look like it came out of a  Home and Garden magazine.

Is it about having a large bank account, so that your children always have plenty?  Maybe its about always taking your children to fun, exciting new places to visit.  Having your brain be like an encyclopedia so that you can always have the right answers to their questions.

Is it about always being able to fix their boo-boo’s?  To heal their heartaches with your magic touch.  Waving your magic wand like Cinderella’s fairy godmother and instantly having your child’s dreams come true?

Thankfully all those things are not what makes a successful parent, at least not in my mind.  If they were, I would be failing big time!

You don’t have to cook a gourmet dinner in order to enjoy wonderful conversation around the table. No tree house is required for backyard fun.  Playing “monster” where Daddy chases you,  playing tag,  hide and seek, laying on the grass and making animals out of the clouds requires no skilled construction.

Its not the beauty of your house inside and out that is the most important. Its the beauty of the warmth that people feel when entering your home.

It’s not about traveling the world with your children.  A walk in the woods , a visit to the lake nearby can create precious memories. Traveling the world with them by introducing them to books can be one of the best gifts that you can give.  With a love of reading they have a passport to going anywhere anytime.  Seeing your child lost in a book instead of on a computer is a wonderful feeling.

Enjoying conversations about the book with your child provides another opportunity for great interaction.  Conversations about topics that interest your child shows them that you care about their thoughts, that you care about them.

There is no magic formula to being the perfect parent.  It is impossible, and that’s not what it is all about!

There are times when there are no band-aids large enough for the hurts that our children experience.  There is no cream to put on to take away the stinging pain. At least no cream that comes in a tube.

Love is what your child needs.  Love can’t take away the heartache but it can help soothe the pain. The loving embrace, where all that is needed sometimes are tight hugs and no words. Or just the simple phrase, “I’m so sorry!”

The times when your child doesn’t need to hear words of advice, but just needs your gentle touch.  The touch that lets them know you would move mountains for them if that would take away their pain.  Your love can be a healing balm.

It may not be able to fix things but it can give them the strength to go on.  Give them the strength to climb the mountains that they have to climb.  For they have the knowledge that you are behind them cheering them on.

I really can’t think of a greater gift that my husband and I can give our children than for them to know that they are loved.

I can’t think of any sweeter gifts from my kids, than the words of love that they have spoken over the years.  From the first “wuv wu”  with sticky kisses to the “I love you Mommy!”  as they  would come in carrying dandelions that they picked for me.  To hearing from my  teen, ”  I love you Mom, thanks so much for loving me!”

 

 

The Wings of Love… Part 2

If you missed reading Part 1 on Monday, here is the link to it.  The Wings of Love

“Should we “fly” over to the Ice Cream shop?”

The Ice Cream shop was just a little walk away from the grocery store. 

“Yes, yes, I  may see more butterflies Daddy!”

They pretended they were airplanes as they stretched out their arms pretending to fly. Before they knew it they were at the Ice Cream shop!  Conner always got his favorite, mint chocolate chip. They were having a good time eating and chatting, but Drew noticed that Conner was starting to get  sleepy. Ice cream was dripping from his cone, as well as dripping down his chin.

“Hey buddy, why don’t we head back to the car. You can finish your cone on the way.” Drew reached over and tousled  his hair.  Conner agreed as he rubbed his eyes with one hand.

They soon made it to the car and Conner had finished his cone.  Now he was using both hands to rub his eyes. Drew buckled him into his car seat and then spotted a cart that someone had left in the parking space beside them.

“I’ll be right back,  I’m going to put this cart away.”  Conner nodded sleepily. Drew smiled, he probably would be asleep before they got out of the parking lot. He grabbed the cart and pushed it back to where the other carts were. Went to his car and got in, looking in the back seat at Conner. Drew was right, he was sound asleep. 

Drew was sitting at the light waiting for it to turn green, thinking that perhaps he would surprise Madeline. Take her and Conner out to dinner tonight at the new  Italian restaurant that she has been wanting to try. 

The light turned green and he went. He only saw the speeding car for a split second before it crashed into Conner’s side of the car. The car spun and Drew heard the sound of crunching metal as his heart was wildly beating. “Conner! Conner! Do you hear me? Conner!”  There was no response to his cries.

As soon as they got to the hospital they whisked Conner away.  Drew had to stay to be checked out, but he was fine except for minor injuries. His bruises didn’t hurt at all compared to what his heart was feeling right now.   His heart was on the floor as he watched the stretcher carrying his precious son roll down the hall.

It wasn’t too long until Madeline burst into his room. Her face was full of worry and fear. They embraced and he assured her that he was fine. Her bottom lip trembled as she asked about Conner. They embraced again, not being able to speak a word. 

It seemed like forever until the Doctor came to them. He was wearing a very grim expression. “I’m sorry, we tried everything. He had massive internal bleeding. He took the full impact of the crash. I am so sorry! I can take you both to see him now.” The words were like arrows piercing their hearts!

Bile started rising in Drew’s  throat. Madeline felt faint and started to sway.  He quickly grabbed hold of her and held her tight as they numbly followed the Doctor down the hall.

Madeline was crying as she softly spoke when they entered the room. 

“Oh Connor, is that you? Is that really you underneath all those tubes and laying there all black and blue. Your beautiful black curls are matted with bright red blood. The beeps of the machine are going to drive me out of my mind. I want to take you home! I’ll place you on the couch and Jasmine can snuggle up to you.”

The lump in her throat was hard to swallow, she was squeezing Conner’s hand with one hand and Drew’s with the other. Drew felt like his hand may break as she was squeezing so hard. His heart was being squeezed  at the same time. His hand may not be breaking, but his heart sure was!

“We can watch your favorite movies and cuddle on the couch until you are well again. When you get tired of movies I will read your favorite book to you over and over again. Please don’t leave me sweetheart,  please! Wake up my son!”

She turned and collapsed into Drew’s arms. He was standing there, his face was pale staring at his little boy. 

How could this be? How could they be here right now? He wanted to go back to this morning when everything seemed so perfect. How could things have taken such a sudden and drastic turn.

“Conner, my boy, wake up please! I’ll push you on the swing as high as you want to go. I’ll make you feel like you are flying. “

The words came back to Drew so suddenly, they felt like a punch in the gut.

“Daddy push me high, as high as my purple butterfly!”

Beep … Beep … Beep went the machines and all Drew could do was to bury his head in Madeline’s shoulder and cry. They clung to each other feeling like they were drowning in an ocean of sorrow.

The  days passed by in a blur.  At the graveside service everyone had butterflies to release. Madeline caught her breath as they watched the beauty of hundreds of butterflies flying into the wind.

Drew made sure to get two special purple butterflies for him and Madeline. She was touched by his thoughtfulness. Purple had now become their  favorite color as well. 

They softly spoke to the butterflies as they released them, “Fly butterflies fly, carry messages of love on your wings to our  precious boy  up in the sky.” 

They were wrapped in each others arms as they watched the butterflies.

I know I probably just got a lot of you upset with me. I know several of you talked about how you wanted a Happy Ending!  Part 2 though had already been written. My eyes teared up as well while writing.  I am sorry.