Trick or Treat? Since I am kind I will give you treats. I hope you enjoy the treat of quotes and that they bring a smile and some inspiration. Enjoy!
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Tuesday’s Thoughts!
Month: October 2023
Second Chances
The tunnel of trees. Shelly hadn’t been back to this spot for a while. Now, while walking through the crisp leaves, under the colorful canopy of trees, she wondered why she had ever left her cozy country home here.
It had been five years since she had been gone. Five years of chasing fame and realizing it’s not all its cracked up to be. Being back in this beauty brought back warm, happy memories of simple times.
Shelly had managed to push the happy memories down deep inside of her for the past five years. Trying to tell herself that this little town had nothing to offer. That the big city had it all.
Instead, all the city did was bring her heartbreak, from losing her job to losing her love. Knowing that he had never really loved her had hurt, but she was over him now.
She didn’t know what kind of job she would get as a fashion designer in her small town, but she wanted to try.
For now, she let the happy memories play back in her mind. Hay rides in the dark and bonfires on the cool autumn nights. Corn mazes and … a shiver went through her body. A tingling shiver of memories that still made her heart do funny things. Even though it had been five years since she had seen him.
Who said that getting lost in a corn maze couldn’t be fun. Especially when with Garrett. A guy who knew all the right moves in the game of chess and had known all the right moves to capture Shelly’s heart.
Garrett had been a true gentleman. They had a fun time dating but had both gone in opposite directions. It was a painful breakup but had been mutual.
Shelly wondered, had he found his fame and fortune? She wished him all the best, but part of her wished he would be here. Walking through this tunnel of trees with her.
Aww! Up ahead, there was a black cat. Shelly had a special place in her heart for black cats.
She bent down to talk to it. At first, it backed away, but then came to her as Shelly waited. It let her stroke its ears and purred. When Shelly started walking again, it followed her. Perhaps she had a new pet.
She walked a little farther and stopped to turn around. The cat was still there. Turning around, she bumped into someone. “I am so sorry, wasn’t .. Garrett?”
The man smiled at her in surprise, “Shelly?”
They both stared, not sure what to say. Then, the black cat wound itself around Shelly’s legs, causing her to fall forward as Garret caught her.
Their eyes met …..
“Do you believe in second chances?” Garret asked witb a twinkle in bis eyes.
Shelly’s lips cutved into a smile as her heart started to flutter. She always knew black cats were good luck.
Math made fun … A deadly tree … “Magical headphones… And other rare facts!
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Sunshine in the Heart
Another day, another few dollars. What did he expect when he only knew two songs. Javier knew he should have kept taking lessons when he had been younger.
But to be fair, he never had expected to need to resort to playing the guitar to earn money! Javier longed for a full course meal and a cozy, soft bed.
He closed his eyes, dreaming of a steak dinner, and then … the guitar slipped from his hands. Picking it up, he sighed. Back to reality, and he started playing, “You are my Sunshine.” for the 50th time.
His mind wandered as he played. It’s not like he had to concentrate after playing it so often.
Javier had never before seen his mom so furious as the day that she had kicked him out of the.castle.
All he was doing was having some fun, but his mom hadn’t seen it that way. He pictured her again when all went awry. She was stumbling over her words when she had confronted him.
“Wha-what letter, have you seen this letter?” She was waving around a letter in her hand.
“Well, if you would keep it still…”
His mom shot him a glare. Javier guessed that he should be thankful that looks didn’t kill.
“This-this letter is from my friend, Christy. Her daughter, Tina, came riding up this way to find our castle, BUT it seems that she received a rather rude welcome.”
Javier’s mind was racing. Who was Tina? Had she been the dragon girl? He did feel a tad guilty for running away from the girl and dragon, He hoped the dragon had spared her. No, now he remembered. Tina was the brunette. She had come before the dragon girl.
Javier was a good guy. A little mischievous was all. He thought it would be fun to mess with the woman coming to find a fairytale land. He never had guessed that one of the young women would have been someone his mom knew!
“The not-so-wonderful place”? His mom had sputtered.
“I will show you something not-so-wonderful!” She spat out as she walked away.
Javier hadn’t been too worried. He figured she would calm down, and he would promise that he wouldn’t do it again and all would be well.
Instead, the next morning, he found himself standing outside the castle gate. In his possession was a sleeping bag, pillow, and a little money. Not enough money for lodging if he wanted to eat. He had been evicted from his home for a week!
His mom had given him a hug and kiss and closed the door. Javier stood outside in shock, like a deer in headlights.
He had to admit that this hadn’t been all bad. There had been some kind people who reached out to him. He felt guilty. They didn’t know him but shared what they had. A woman had shared her last apple with him. A man had given him his worn book to read.
Javier kept playing, and an old man came and sat down beside him. In a cracking voice, the man began to sing, “You are my Sunshine.”
There were tears in the old man’s brown eyes as he sang. When Javier saw him pull a faded picture out of his pocket, he knew it was someone special.
The man’s face got a dreamy look, as if he was going back un time.
“This was my sweetheart.” There was a twinkle in his eye, and he started singing again.
Javier smiled and knew then that the richest memories would never be of your things. But of the ones who put a song in your heart.
Friday’s Super Short Stories!
When sweetness is added to your day, by finding some Blackberry cobbler candy corn! For all of you that don’t like candy corn, my husband doesn’t either, but he liked this … well, he said it was tolerable. LOL!
When your friend sends you a photo that melts your heart … Longer story coming about it in one of my posts next week … Stay tuned …
With the world going crazy, I figured we could all use a short, inspirational video clip. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/d1kaSvw0WWg?si=krTCzqzK6QRBqDMW
Not Hallmark!
Lily stopped in her tracks and took in the breathtaking site before her. Never had she seen such a beautiful peahen!
She stood in place watching, unable to move. Only moments before she had been longing to go home and warm herself by a fire. But now? Now, she didn’t even feel the biting cold.
The majestic peahen sat perfectly still. Looking so regal, as if it was perfectly normal for it to be there.
Had she finally reached the place that she had been searching for? Could it really be? Was this her fairytale coming true?
Before she could think of an answer , she got another surprise. Someone on horseback galloped up to her. Their eyes met, and no, she didn’t get lost in his deep blue eyes. His handsome looks did not set her heart aflame. She didn’t even feel a pitter patter. What was wrong? This didn’t feel like a fairy tale.
He stopped the horse when he got to her side. He handed her a package. “Hi! You have reached the not-so-perfect kingdom of Snow.” He said in a monotone voice.
The phrase “Not-so-perfect” didn’t sound real promising. She had been looking for her Prince and a magical kingdom for so long. But a “not-so-perfect” kingdom didn’t sound magical.
“Excuse me sir”, but shouldn’t the name be “The perfect Kingdom of Snow?” I mean, look at the amazing peahen, looking like a Queen.
He laughed in derision. “This isn’t a Hallmark story, lady, and that peahen ain’t real. it’s stuffed. I shot it myself.”
He shot the beautiful peahen? How cruel of him. This cruel guy with a mocking grin could not be her prince! Also, had she seen something stuck in his teeth?
“Open the letter.”
She opened the letter he had given her. “To a plain, common girl. Welcome to the land of your not-so-wonderful dreams. “
Lily felt like smacking her head and turning around. Why would she want to stay in a place like this? This was a nightmare, not a fairytale.
She continued reading. “If you are looking for love …. think again ….this isn’t a Hallmark storyland”
All those years of dreaming of a magical kingdom and of meeting her prince seemed like a waste now. She hung her head in despair.
The guy riding on the horse looked at her and said, “So, are you going to stay? Don’t make me wait forever for a response. Having patience like a saint is reserved for the Hallmark stories and this …”
“Isn’t a Hallmark story, I know!!”
Life wasn’t fair for poor Lily. What should she do? Give up on her dream?
While she was debating about turning back or staying a horrid screeech filled the air! When she looked up at the guy was not-so-handsome anymore, Lily saw him gasp in horror. She did the same. A fire-breathing dragon was headed straight for her!.
In desperation, Lily cried out, “This is when you save the damsel in distress!”
Mr Non-Romantic yelled back, “I can’t. This isn’t a Hallmark story.” In a flash, he started galloping away!
Lily screamed, fearing the worst. To her relief, the dragon stopped breathing fire and landed beside her.
Much to Lily’s surprise the dragon spoke. “Now that we got him out of the way, kiss me!”
Her eyes grew wide. Kiss a dragon! Not anything that she had ever dreamed of doing, hut dare one say “No” to a dragon?
Closing her eyes and mustering up courage, she kissed the scaly faced dragon. POOF!
WOW! There was the most handsome guy ever, standing where the dragon had been. His wavy hair was the color of gold, and in an instant, she was enraptured. Drawn in by his hazel eyes. His smile was as bright as a thousand suns. All it took was one passionate kiss, from his luscious lips, and her heart surrendered to his.
Radiance shone from her face. The guy she had met earlier was right. This wasn’t a Hallmark story. This was much better!
Tuesday’s Thoughts!
Happy Tuesday! It is October, the time of Halloween and when scary movies come out. Scary movies aren’t my thing, but I don’t usually have much of an opinon on specific ones. Other than the fact that I prefer to be able to close my eyes at night without nightmares, which is why I don’t watch. But my son told me that they have come out with a Winnie the Pooh horror movie. Now that’s just wrong! You can’t turn a willy nilly silly old bear with a head full of fluff into a scary creature. I thought he was joking when he told me, but nope, the world has officially gone crazy! So now that I put that lovely thought into your mind, here are some happy quotes to offset it. 🙂 Enjoy them and thanks for reading.
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When the Unexpected Happens!
Thanks to Jason for another inspiring photo, from his blog, https://jasonfrels.com/2023/10/16/unexpected-wildflowers/
Where was she? Sonya still felt groggy, and everything looked fuzzy. Things may be fuzzy, but it was pretty. Like everything had a special glow to it.
Gradually, her focus was improving, though the same couldn’t be said for her memory. She was in the middle of nowhere, with wildflowers and cacti. How did she get here?
As hard as she tried, the details from the day were gone. The last thing she remembered was going to bed last night in her cozy bungalow. Her house was out in the country, and her closest neighbors were a couple miles away.
Looking at her watch, she saw that it was mid-morning. This was crazy! Was she really awake or dreaming? The ground felt hard, and her back was hurting. She was wide awake. This wasn’t a dream.
Rising to her feet, she felt a little shaky but managed. Maybe she had been hiking and took a rest. But if she was hiking, where was the water bottle she always had with her? Or her little bag of snacks?
Sonya stood still, looking around her. As curious as she was to know how she got here, there was something else that she wanted to know more. What direction did she need to go in order to go home, and was she even close to home?
She walked some but was still wobbly, and oh, her head was hurting. Plop! Sonya fell back down to the ground. What was wrong with her?
A flashback from last night came to her. She had been in her bed when she had heard a loud sound.
Then…what had happened? A cold tremor went through her body. Something hadn’t been right about last night. Think Sonya, think.
Oh No! Her face blanched at the memory. There had been two large looming shadows over her bed. They were two burly men. She had been kidnapped! It all came back in a rush.
The one man had thrown her 5 ft 3 body over his shoulder easily. She had screamed but there was no one to hear her. She had felt good about running her long, sharp nails down the guy’s face, but it didn’t save her.
When he threw her into the truck, she saw the blood running down his cheek. All she remembered was the ride in the truck, to some old, run-down cabin. Is this where they had brought her to? Or had she managed to escape somehow?
Adrenalin was building up in her when she looked and saw him walking towards her. Terror coursed through her as she took off running. She had to get away!
“Hey, pretty woman, where are you running to in such a hurry?” He wore a twisted grin as he kept coming closer.
Sonya’s legs felt like lead, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to run for long.
“It’s rude to run away without even getting to know me, but go ahead and run. Chasing can be fun.” His low laugh made her stomach cburn.
She tried her hardest but fell again. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lay on the ground.
“Don’t worry, babe, I am coming. Save your energy for the fun we will have later.”
THUD! Rick landed on his stomach, but what had hit him? Shooting pain coursed through his legs like nothing he had ever felt before, and he screamed at the crushing weight on top of them.
Sonya was in complete shock at what she had witnessed. Where had the cow come from?? It was like she had appeared totally out of the blue! There was a sparkling cowbell around her neck. The cow’s face was bent down looking at Sonya, and its brown eyes oozed with compassion.
0l Ever so gently, the cow nudged Sonya. It was as if she wanted Sonya to hop climb upon her back. Never had she climbed upon a cow’s back before, but she wanted to get out of here. She climbed on, throwing her arms around its neck and hanging on.
The second guy appeared, looking at them in shock. He turned and started running.
“Go ahead, make my day!’
Sonya was speechless! Had the cow actually talked??
Whoa! The cow easily caught up to the man and threw him in the air. He landed right on top of the cactus!
Sonya started laughing. “I don’t know where you came from or who you are, but you are my hero!”
“You can call me Betsy.”
She really was a talking cow! Wow! Sonya was amazed. She had many questions for Betsy. Betsy took her back to her bungalow in the country. Sonya didn’t know what all tomorrow held, but she had to find someone to build her a barn fast! Fern may have Wilbur the Wonder pig, but she had Betsy, the Wonder Cow!
The Famous Dog … Love Letters to Juliet…The Lucky Club and other rare facts!
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The Night of Color
Thanks for your patience in waiting for the conclusion to last Saturday’s post, Stirring Up Mischief Enjoy!
The timer on the oven was going off as Lorlita was stirring her other concoction. It was hard work trying to make the perfect magical spell concoction.
Putting down her ladle, she turned off the timer. The oven was beginning to fill up with smoke. She may have had it in the oven for a little too long.
Putting the large dish up on the stove, she looked at it. The warts that she had mixed in were quite crispy now. The large nails must have melted. She probably shouldn’t have bought fake ones, but hopefully, they would work.
When Lorlita was visiting Sarah’s flower shop, she noticed what beautiful long nails Sarah had. If only she would have been able to use them,
Lorlita had nentioned needing long nails for a secret recipe, and Sarah gave her a strange look.
She quickly changed the subject. The last thing Lorlita wanted to do was arouse suspicion and have to leave town before performing the perfect spell.
So Lorlita asked for a mandrake plant, and again, Sarah gave her a confused look. What kind of flower and plant shop was this place?
She decided to leave since it was obvious that Sarah didn’t have anything useful for magic spells.
On the way home, Lorlita had been fortunate to find some dove feathers on the ground. That made her smile, as sbe picked them up.
Now, as she stirred the pot, she could see the white specks from the feathers.
The concoction was almost ready. All she had to do was add her other concoction to it, and the grand spell would be ready!
It had been tricky getting the last supplies for her other concoction, but she had accomplished it. There was a pleasant aroma coming from the pot. It was thick and smooth as she poured it into the large bowl that had been in the oven.
She let out a cackle, wondering what had happened when Mason noticed that all his hair products were gone from his office.
The poor guy had heen so helpful without even knowing it. He had left his office key on the counter near the register. Lorlita waited until the diner got so busy that Mason had to help Cara out with serving customers. She had been able to sneak into his office and grab his hair products without anyone knowing.
One more stir, and oh, she had almost forgotten. She needed to melt crayons into the pot. Then she would be finished. It didn’t take long for the crayons to melt in the hot liquid. The concoction was ready. Now, when it got dark, she would be ready to have some fun.
Lorlita really hoped this spell would work. She had changed her mind about the coffee spell.
Putting a spell into coffee hadn’t worked in the town nearby. She had contemplated sprinkling the spell on the donuts, but some guy named Dustin and a lady named Joelle had ordered the last pumpkin spice donuts. They needed to be pumpkin spice donuts for the sweet taste of the concoction would have blended perfectly with them.
Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone having to eat or drink anything. Nothing needed to be consumed. Lorlita had decided it was wrong to mess with someone’s drink or food. If she was going to be a kind witch, she had to think of something else, and she had. Something spectacular!
About a half hour before dark, she put the heavy pot, with the bubbling hot liquid into the back of her car and drove to the diner. She hoped they would be busy so that no one would notice her. She knew Tippner wasn’t due to be there yet. He was always punctual. Not a minute late or early.
Good! The parking lot was full. She walked in and walked over to Tippner’s booth. Rubbed down the table and booth, with her wet rag. Then, she rubbed down Mason’s doorknob on his office. When it turned, it shocked her. He had left it unlocked. Great! She rubbed down his office chair and desk.
Mission accomplished. Wearing a devilish grin and feeling proud, she left the diner. Drove her car into the woods and stopped beside the creek.
Whoa! She slammed on her brakes, a black cat crossed right in front of her car. Wonderful! Black cats were good luck. Surely, this spell would work.
She parked her car and got out. Lifted the heavy pot from the backseat, being careful not to burn herself.
Setting the pot down on the ground, she took off the lid, letting the smoke billow out as she held her breath.
Yes! It was working. Ahh! How beautiful. She had put a spell on the sky, and everyone in the town of Bittersweet Creek would see it. The unusual colors would stay in the sky all week long. Mason’s hair products had put a wavyness to the colors in the sky.
Once the smoke died down, she put the lid on, Oh, she was so happy, she had really done it, invented a color that hadn’t existed before. The color emerald blue.
Putting the pot back into the car, she drove to the diner to check out the other half of her spell.
People were oohing and ahhing as they gazed into the sky.
She parked at the diner, and a large crowd was gathered around Tippner and Mason. Lorlita made her way to the front of the crowd to see for herself, and she could barely contain her laughter.
Oh, was she good! Tippner and Mason’s skin was emerald blue. She may have decided to be a kind witch, but she still had to have some fun. They didn’t need to worry. It would only last at the most, a week, and then their skin would be back to normal color.
Cara saw Lorlita and ran to her. “Can you believe it?”
Amanda came to join them. “I think the poor guys may be feeling a little blue.”
All three ladies shook with mirth.
Lorlita was sure that she would win the prize this year for the best magical spell.
Nuggets of Gold 