The Secrets Behind the Eyes

artwork by Sally Lannier from Pinterest

 

The glow of the wolf’s  golden eyes bore into the man. What was the wolf thinking?  It had come out of nowhere, appearing on the man’ s path, as he was trudging home in the snow.

His hat was pulled down over his ears and his coat was zipped up to the top as a thick wool scarf encircled his face. He breathed into the warm scarf, feeling frozen in his tracks.  Should he keep moving? What would the wolf do? The wolf wasn’t blinking an eye. His gaze was transfixed on the man, in this staring contest that had suddenly began.

Did the wolf smell the man’s fear?  Was the wolf afraid?  Were their cubs that it was trying to protect? These thoughts passed through the man’s mind as the golden eyed wolf continued to stare into the man’s deep chestnut ones.

If the man took a step forward would the wolf as well? Would the man see his home tonight? Even if he did make it past the wolf and make it to his home,  would the door be thrown open to welcome him or would he be cast out, back into the cold? Was he really standing frozen in fear because of a staring contest with a wolf or was he  more fearful to take the final steps home, not knowing what awaited him there.

They continued to stare and a sharp wind began to blow, as the light of the full moon shined down.  It shone down on the lone two  figures. Two figures who were caught up in a silent dance, wondering who would take the lead. Two figures who held secrets inside of them.

Gradually the wolf took a step backwards, and then another one, as his eyes still stayed focused on the man. Then in a flash he turned and the man watched the beautiful  silver wolf run away into the deep snow.

The man stood there a little while longer, still lost in thought. Gradually he took a step forward and another one, as he continued on the path toward home.

Snowflakes began to fall and glisten in the moonlight. The snow shined like tiny diamonds. Soon the paw prints of the golden eyed wolf and the footprints of the chestnut eyed man were covered up by the falling snow. No trace was left of the secret meeting that had happened on a winter’s night, under a moonlit sky.

 

 

Impossible? No!

There are movies that entertain and make us laugh. Then there are the movies that touch our hearts and may make us cry.

Recently there was a movie recommended to me by a friend and I found some time to watch it today. I am  so glad that I did! The movie was inspiring and it warmed my heart. One of those movies where after its done you just sit there being in awe of the story that you just watched. A movie that really does fill your heart with happiness .

It was an older movie, set back in the 1930’s. I probably wouldn’t have known about it if it wouldn’t have been for my friend.  So many thanks, Colin!

Thinking that there may be some other people out there like me who had never heard of it I thought I would share a little more about it.  I  highly encourage you to watch it so that your heart can be blessed like mine.

Ingrid Bergman stars in it as she plays the role of  an English lady, Gladys Aylward. “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness”, is based on her true story.  Gladys feels called to China to be a missionary but is turned down, saying she isn’t qualified. She could have given up on her belief that she felt called to China, given in to the ones who told her it was impossible and not safe to go, but she didn’t.

She was determined and because of her faith and determination she did make it to China.  She made it there with money that she saved working as a maid. It took time to save that money, but that didn’t stop her.

While in China she gained the love and respect of the people there. Even the respect of the leader of the village she lived in.  He enlisted her help to help stop the the ancient custom of foot binding in the village. Gladys had a heart of compassion and you could see that in her life.  She was enjoying life in China until trouble came due to the Japanese invading. Gladys then is faced with another challenge. She is faced with the task of embarking  on a dangerous journey to help save the lives of a large group of orphans. It looks impossible, but Gladys doesn’t know the meaning of that word.

This movie shows us to not give up just because you may be told that it is impossible! When you have faith and an irrepressible spirit, you never know what may happen!

 

 

 

Tuesday’s Thoughts!

Happy Tuesday! I was informed by a dear reader yesterday that today was National Puzzle Day, so if you enjoy doing puzzles, today is the day to do them!  We have a puzzle that needs done, so perhaps tonight we will do that. I love how puzzles look when they are completed, but I will admit that I am not the most patient person in trying to work on one.  Life is a puzzle often and I have about as much luck sometimes trying to figure it out, as I do with puzzles.  Like a puzzle though, life can paint a beautiful picture! If your puzzle piece isn’t fitting in right today and you can’t find the other piece, don’t give up, keep trying, a beautiful picture is just waiting to be formed.

 

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Odessa’s Note

HI everyone! Odessa here. I thought you all may like to hear from a new voice, instead of hearing Carolyn ramble on like she can do at times.  I think she will be most grateful to me when she finds out that I gave her a break, by writing her post today.  I am always glad to help! Trust me,  with the crazy friends that I live with, I am very used to having to help them out! Though sometimes the “man-servant” is even beyond my expert help! He definitely needed help making snowballs that one snowy day that we had. Oh, that is quite a funny memory that I won’t forget.

Yes, my friends may be crazy, but that is OKAY!  For I will admit to all of you that I would be lost without my best friends. Even without “that cat!” , Dewey, he can be a handful, always thinking about his stomach. He was in quite a stew that one day when he couldn’t get his food and the man-servant and I were on the tractor and…. Oh I better not give too much of the story away.  Then there was the day that I tried to teach him  some manners. Have you ever tried to teach a cat manners? It can be quite the experience indeed!

Jaxon, our one and only Jackalope friend,  is pretty easy to get along with, but oh he can stir up mischief with his magic!  There was that time with the boat and the time that he thought he could make Dewey fly, and … I think I probably said enough for now. Did I peak your curiosity ?

All of those stories and more about the adventures of me and my friends are in our book.  The book has the most beautiful cover on it, in my humble opinion!  It’s  called “The Odessa Chronicles.”  Hmm… A beautiful name too.  You can click on the picture of it in the right hand margin to get more information.

Now for something important, from what I have observed of the human species, you all can use some help! So heed the advice of an Owl. We really do know what we are talking about.

(pinterest) (pinterest)

Now for just one more thing. I have a little quiz for you to take. Its simple, really, even if you haven’t read our book I bet you still can figure out the answers! Have fun!

1. Who is the best looking character?
2.  Who is the wisest character?

Told you it was simple! 🙂

I am going to take a nap now, for it was a long night that I spent out. Take Care and nice chatting! Bye for now

(pinterest)

 

 

 

The Story behind the “Mad Libs.”

Thanks for the smiles last night to the ones who played along with my own version of Mad Libs.  The smiles were great as I was stretched out in the recliner with heat on my back.  It was good to have something to laugh at. There also were other ones that made me smile as we exchanged comments on a post. They didn’t know what they were doing at the time, besides just making a comment, but that’s how it goes. We don’t always know what we are doing when we are doing it, or how our little words can cause someone to smile at just the right time.

So what exactly happened yesterday? I have to say that some of you were pretty close in your guesses and some right on with some words!  For those of you who didn’t catch my post last evening, I had written up a Mad Libs sort of thing for you to take a guess at a certain incident that happened to me. Down below is what I had posted, but with the details filled in this time.

“Earlier this afternoon I was happily Reading. Time passed and later I looked at the Clock and knew I had to go. I got ready to go and then bent down to pick up our Furry Sheltie when I suddenly felt Pain shoot through my Lower Back and Ouch followed by a Jumble of  nonsense Words came out of my mouth! ( yes, I tend to make up words when I feel pain)  Now here I sit with a Heating pad on my Back.”

That about covers it. I have picked up our Sheltie lots of times, so not sure why this time bothered me, but I must have twisted the wrong way or something, it just happened so fast! I do still hurt today, but not quite as sharp, at least not yet.  I  am now sitting with ice on my back, following my sister’s orders. 🙂 I do prefer heat, but I know she knows what she is talking about.

I do hope that the pain doesn’t last too long, but thankful for a doting family and for the smiles that I get from all of you on here! When I told my sister that I have been lifting Lassie, our Sheltie ,many times and never had this happen before, she said, “Welcome to the Aging Club.”  I don’t think I want to be in that club!   But at least I know I am in good company with many other members of the Aging/Getting Old club that I know! 🙂

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you have a great day and that “hurting yourself” don’t fall into your plans for the day!

 

Out of the Blue!

I wasn’t sure what to write today and then a certain incident happened, and now I think I have my story. Who remembers when Mad Libs were so popular?  My sister and I would keep ourselves entertained  on long car rides with them and have many laughs.

Mad Libs are where you ask someone else for nouns, verbs, adjectives, exclamations, etc.  and you fill in the blanks with their answers to make a story, which many times ended up being crazy.

Well guess what? If you never had a chance to play, today is your lucky day! We will be playing my version, which I can guarantee you won’t be finding in any stores.

You can have a chance to describe what incident you think happened to me today, with some help with clues from me. Don’t worry, I won’t let you hanging, I will give you an answer tonight after I see your responses. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Are you ready? I am sure you have nothing better to do right now, correct? 🙂  It won’t take long, I promise.

“Earlier this afternoon I was happily  …….. (verb) . Time passed and later I  looked at the ….(noun) and knew I had to go. I got ready to go and then bent down to pick up our  …..  ( adjective)  ….. (noun) when I suddenly felt  ….(describe a feeling)  shoot through my ….  (noun)  and  ( a word that you yell! ) came out of my mouth! Now here I sit with a ….(noun)  on my (noun). “

I kept it short and easy for you, so if you would like to take some guesses go ahead and give it a whirl in the comments below. 🙂

Friday’s Super Short Stories!

Sometimes it only takes some little words to make you feel 10 feet tall!

Salt and Sugar look alike, but only one makes cookies sweet. Don’t be fooled by what your eyes see. Things may look alike, but oh how so very different they can be!

Gems give out a radiant shine, but the brightest light for other to see, should come straight from the heart!

“The Lucky Eagle” Part 2

If you missed yesterday’s post which was Part 1 of Jinx and Jangle’s adventure then here is a link to it. “The Lucky Eagle”

The Lucky Eagle (Part 2)

Jinx thought surely he had lost his mind, and he actually was very close to that happening as he stared into the eyes of a dragon! It was smaller than most dragons, but it was still a dragon.

The dragon reared back its head with its mouth open and all 3 elves were sure that they were going to be vaporized within minutes, as they closed their eyes and scrunched up their faces.

They waited … nothing happened …. was the dragon still there? They were afraid to open their eyes to check. A few more minutes passed and there was only silence, the roaring of the dragon had ceased. The roaring may have ceased but Jangle could still feel his heart pounding in his ears.

“Jinx! Is the dra…dra..dragon still there?”  questioned Jangle.

“I have no idea! Why don’t you open your eyes and look?”

“I believe our fearless Captain Snowball should be the first to look, open your eyes Snowball.” said Jangle.

Snowball wasn’t so sure about that, he thought he did detect the sound of the dragon breathing.

“Let’s all open our eyes on the count of three, Okay!” said Snowball, and they all agreed.

“1 – 2 – 2 and 1/4 – 2 and 1/2 – 2 and 3/4  and 3!!!”

They all opened their eyes and gasped in fear at first as they did indeed still see the dragon, but then their faces registered confusion for the dragon was sitting down and …

“Is the dragon crying? Are those tears coming down his face?”  questioned Jinx in shock.

“What do we do?” Snowball asked?  ” I never saw dragon tears before?”

Jangle decided he would be the brave one.  He walked up to the dragon and laid a hand very timidly on his head.

“My friends and I would like to help you if we could, why are you crying?”  asked Jangle.

The dragon lifted his head and replied, “Everyone is always scared of me, when I saw you guys cower in fear and close your eyes, I was afraid that you would run off and I would be all lonely again.”

Now Jinx and Snowball came closer and they each touched the dragon’s head too.

“Well, we were very scared at first for all the dragons we ever heard of were fire breathing dragons and your roar was so loud!” said Jinx.

“I didn’t mean to scare you all, I was just so excited to see people. I have been alone on this island for quite awhile. In fact how did you get here, for this is a very remote island. I am surprised you found it!”

Jinx clapped his hand on Snowball’s shoulder and said, “Our wonderful Captain was the one to steer us here. Apparently he did know the right direction to go in!”

Snowball gave a sheepish smile at Jinx’s words as they all continued talking and getting to know each other. They had quite a wonderful time.  It was fun to realize that they didn’t need to be scared of the dragon, that yes he was different from them, but he was so very friendly. All they had to do was take the time to sit down and talk to him.

They found out that their dragon friend had a very deep laugh!  He got a big laugh out of Jinx getting soaked by a huge wave just as he was about to grab a fish from the sea.

“Well guys we better get going, we want to get back to the North Pole before it gets dark,” said Snowball.

They all agreed and were very excited.  This trip definitely had turned into a much bigger adventure than they had planned! They couldn’t wait to see how surprised everyone would be when they got back to the North Pole. Back to the North Pole with their new friend.

“All aboard!” cried the dragon.

Jangle, Jinx and Snowball climbed up the dragon’s back and hung on tight,  for what was sure to be one amazing ride through the azure blue sky.

“The Lucky Eagle”

They stood on the island looking at their boat, or more like the remains of what was left of their boat. None of them said a word, as they just stared out into the crystal blue sea.

The 3 of them had been given a brief vacation after the busyness of the Christmas season. Jinx and Jangle had thought it would be nice to bring Snowball along. He was the newest elf to join the team.

One day when they were talking Snowball had shared about his years of sailing a boat, and that gave Jinx and Jangle the idea to go on a boat excursion. They had asked Santa and he found a boat for them to use. Then they surprised Snowball with it. He was very much surprised when they said how they were going to take a little trip with it and he could be the Captain!

He was quiet for a few moments which led Jinx and Jangle to ask if everything was okay.

“Oh yes, yes, it is umm..fine! This should be quite the exciting adventure!” he replied. Jinx and Jangle agreed, as they patted him on the back, “Aye Captain!” they joked.

The next few days they gathered supplies to cover them for about a 3 day trip. On the day that they took off, Santa and the other elves gathered round to watch them sail off.

Everyone was clapping Snowball on the shoulder and he began to feel very proud. This really may turn out to be a grand adventure he thought as he smiled back at the other elves. Confidence rose up in him, he had faith that he could do this, surely he could!

They had only been sailing for a day  when the accident happened.  The accident that left them staring at the broken remains of  their ship which they had named, “The Lucky Eagle!”  The Eagle that was supposed to have smoothly glided over the crystal blue sea.

At this time it was just Jinx and Snowball looking at the wreckage. Jangle had decided to explore the boat to see what things he may be able to rescue from it. You never knew what you may miss if you weren’t sure to look in every nook and cranny. Jangle was always one for being very detailed. Not much could escape his eye. Jinx was the same way, but at this time he just was still in shock about the boat.

Finally he broke the silence and turned to Snowball and said, “I am curious, how many years of boating experience did you say that you had?”

“5 years.”  Snowball replied.

“Well I would say that is a good amount, what kind of boat did you sail?”

At this, Snowball hung his head, looking at his feet for a little … then he replied in a soft voice, “My toy sailboat.”

“WHAT!!!!” Jinx shouted as he stared at Snowball, whose face was turning red.

“Yeah, you see there was this creek behind….” Snowball started to explain, until Jinx cut him off.

“Please don’t tell me that sailing your toy boat is the only sailing experience you ever had!!” Jinx said.

There was silence as Snowball looked at the ground.

“Well, I am waiting…”

“Waiting for what, you told me not to tell you! I am going to go see if Jangle could use another pair of eyes to help him.” stammered Snowball, as he ran towards the boat.

Meanwhile Jinx remained speechless and frozen in place, with his mouth hanging open.

Had Santa known that Snowball only ever operated a toy sailboat? Jinx highly doubted it! But it was a little late to wonder about that now.

Later that day they were cooking over a fire. They had managed to save the matches from the boat and were able to find some wood on the island. By this time Jinx had calmed down, after all, they were all  in the same boat now. All stranded on an island. It didn’t do any good to be mad.

While they were cooking their food, Jangle spoke up. “Do you think this island has wild animals on it?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. The bigger problem is how do we get off this island?”said Jinx.

Meanwhile Snowball was staring off into the distance, not finishing the food that he was holding in his hand.

“Umm…Jinx about the wild animals…”

“I told you guys not to worry about that!  Why should we worry about crazy, wild animals. You all are getting yourselves scared over nothing!”

“B…but…” cried Jangle

ROAR!!!!

Jinx JUMPED,   dropping the food that he held in his hands. He looked behind him and found himself looking into the eyes of the strangest animal that he had ever seen!

(to be continued…)

 

Tuesday’s Thoughts!

Happy Tuesday! The sun is shining down on the snow in our backyard and it looks so pretty. That is what I love about winter, the beauty of the snow. There is beauty to be found in every season and I do think that I would miss the changing of the seasons if I lived somewhere that doesn’t experience that. Life is full of things changing just like the seasons do and you usually can be happier when you embrace the change instead of trying to fight it.  Have a wonderful Tuesday and may these quotes make your heart ponder and smile!

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