Happy Tuesday! We had summer temps yesterday. Felt great to be outside on the patio soaking in the Vitamin D, but I am not ready for it being too hot yet. I want to enjoy Spring temps. It’s time to buy flowers and enjoy their beauty. Spring is a wonderful time of the year. The ice cream shop close to us has opened up, making it an even sweeter time of year. Enjoy your day and hope you have plenty of smiles this week.
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Because you needed a cute picture of a pig eating icecream today. Enjoy the following quotes. I always like hearing which ones resonated with you.
Nadia’s hands were full. The bouquet was finished, but her thoughts were far beyond the meadow. In fact, she almost forgot that she was in the meadow.
“I am so tired.” Valerie said.
She still hadn’t picked any flowers from off the tree that she had been standing at for a while. It was typical of Valerie, always trying to get away with doing as little as possible. She put her hand to her forehead, acting like she felt faint.
“Oh, why didn’t I bring my fan with me. I think I must sit.” Valerie plumped down on the ground unceremoniously, letting out a groan.
Giving her a withering look, Nadia shook her head.
“I can’t understand why Sir Oliver didn’t hire you as an actress for the royal theater. You have such a dramatic flair about you.”
Patience, who had been bending down picking flowers, let out a giggle at Valerie’s red face.
Rising from the ground, Valerie marched over to Nadia and grabbed her bouquet.
“Well, my last bouquet is finished. See you all later. I am going inside to relax.” Giving Nadia a snide smile, she walked away.
Patience rolled her eyes. “Sorry Nadia, she is a royal pain! I wish she would simply get fed up for working for Lady Ella and walk out. What a happy day that would be.”
“If only we could be so lucky!” Nadia replied.
Patience helped Nadia make another bouquet, and soon, they were both finished and ready to go back to the castle for some refreshment.
While walking back, Patience looked at Nadia and said, “You looked like you were a thousand miles away back there, before Valerie threw her little fit. Would you care to share what was on your mind?”
Nadia remained silent at first. Patience was a dear friend. It would be miserable being at the castle with only Valerie to work with. But was she ready to share her heart?
“I am sorry, I don’t feel like talking about it yet, but when I do, know that you will be the first person I confide in.”
Patience smiled and gave Nadia’s hand a light squeeze. “Whenever you are ready.”
They all had their own stories. Stories of what brought them to the castle and why they were working for Lady Ella.
In spite of the nickname Lady Cruella that Valerie had given her, she wasn’t cruel. She could be demanding at times, but as long as you did what was expected of you, it was fine.
Later that day, after finishing her chores inside, Nadia knew what she wanted to do. The hills were calling her. It was time.
Opening up the top small drawer in her dresser, she lifted out her precious flute and held it in her hands, remembering.
There was a sharp knock on her door. Quickly, she placed the flute back in her drawer and shut it.
“Come in!”
Lady Ella opened the door. “I need you please, in the kitchen, to finish supper preparations.”
Nadia’s heart sank a little. “I thought it was Valerie’s turn to work in the kitchen tonight.”
Lady Ella couldn’t hide the displeasure from her face. “It was her turn, but after dropping and breaking the crystal chalice and burning the bread in the oven, the cook ordered her out of the kitchen!”
“I will be right down.”
“Thank you, Nadia. I know I can depend on you.” Lady Ella closed the door.
Nadia opened the drawer, looking longingly at her flute. She was finally ready to play the song, but now it would have to wait. The song that her mom had played, when Nadia was a child and danced around her on the hill.
The song that Nadia had first played when her mom had surprised her with a flute of her own.
The song they had played together on their last night, when her mom told her that she would have to be brave.
With a lump in her throat, she closed the drawer and changed her clothes to go work in the kitchen.
The cook had onions for her to chop. A job that Nadia hated, but today, it wasn’t too bad. For no one thought it strange at seeing the tears in her eyes. Onions always made one cry. At least, that was what Nadia would let them think as she wiped at another falling tear.
It was an easy walk out of her front door to her flowerbed. Some may think of it as a mundane task to water the flowers every morning, but Clarice took delight in it.
She took a moment to breathe in the salty air from the ocean. The perfect way to greet the day. Some had told her that she would grow tired of living by the sea, but she knew better. The sea had bewitched her, and she was now under its powerful spell.
Her mom had desired for her to be under the spell of love for Phillip, but Clarice had no interest in men. She was content to simply live alone by the sea.
Phillip was never interested in her anyway. Clarice tended to intimidate people, especially men.
This bothered her mom so much. She had always believed her daughter to be practically perfect in every way. Why couldn’t others see it?
It wasn’t Clarice’s fault that magical things happened when she was around. It mystified her at first, too. She really was a charming young lady with a caring heart, but people were wary of her.
That’s why she moved to the sea, taking her parrot with her. The sea had a magic all of its own, and Clarice felt at peace there.
Time passed by, and Clarice was content. Her mom gradually came to an acceptance of her moving away and did enjoy visiting her and their walks by the sea.
Clarice would shake her head and smile at her mom, still reminding her to wear a jacket, to not catch cold, and to always carry her black umbrella with her. Things she had told her all through her childhood.
It didn’t look like Clarice would ever leave her simple home by the aquamarine sea. But one day, everything began to change.
She had come back from her bi-monthly trip into town to get groceries. After putting the groceries away and her mail on the table, she made herself a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of creamy tomato soup.
When her food was ready, she poured herself a cup of tea and added a teaspoon of sugar to it. The tea would often help her morning medicine go down easier.
Looking through her mail, a rose colored envelope stood out to her.
“I wonder what this could be?” She said to no one in particular, being that she lived by herself, except for her parrot. He could be annoying as he often liked to speak his mind, but he did keep her company.
Picking up the rose colored envelope, she opened it and pulled out the letter within.
This was most odd. It wasn’t a personal letter. It was a child’s handwriting, but it read like an advertisement for a newspaper.
It intrigued Clarice, and once again, she started talking to herself. Her parrot kept interjecting his thoughts, but she ignored him.
Clarice walked by the ocean late at night, unable to sleep. Why did the strange letter intrigue her so much? She felt drawn to it in a way that she couldn’t explain. As if this marked a time of change for her. That the decision she made about the letter would define her life.
Finally, she made her decision. Perhaps this was her calling. Children did like magic, so maybe they wouldn’t think her strange.
With excitement building, she packed up and said goodbye to the sea. Looking out over the sea, she had a moment of doubt creep into her heart. Holding her umbrella in one hand and her purse in the other, she spoke out loud.
“How can I leave the magical sea, maybe I should stay?”
“Oh, stop that nonsense talk. The children need you.” Her parrot told her.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself that was true and Mary Clarice Poppins opened her umbrella as she rose up high into the air.
So pretty … but their time is so short … Eastern Redbuds announce the beginning of Spring and then start to fade … Every year I smile at ours … for when we first got it, we didn’t think it would survive … To people who would drive by it looked like I was watering a dead tree … but it has lasted many years now … This isn’t ours but looks the same, except ours has started turning green already.
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Pawprints are forever left on the heart! A month ago we said goodbye to our Lassie girl, at the age of 17. She lived a good, long life, but when a dog becomes a member of the family, their time is always too short. Forever grateful for the special pets I have had in my life. Each one touching my heart in a special way. Thank you Lassie, you will be forever loved!
My son’s girlfriend made the special collage of pictures of Lassie below for us. He had Lassie since he was six years old. She grew up with our children.
Run free now over the bridge and enjoy seeing clearly once again!
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France
Share picture of your loved pet in the comments. What a sad world this would be if there were no animals.
Days had passed, and Charlie could still not get the image of Clementine, the cow, in the bathtub, out of his mind. Miss Dorinda had acted like it was perfectly normal to have a cow in the bathtub. He had half expected there to be a pig in the kitchen to join them for pancakes. But no pig had shown up. Fortunately, no mice showed up asking for a cookie, either.
The school librarian would be proud that Charlie remembered the book, “When you give a mouse a cookie..”
Miss Dorinda had led Clementine back outside to her stable and then joined Holly and Charlie for a breakfast of banana chocolate chip pancakes. Neither Holly nor Charlie had questioned Miss Dorinda about giving a cow a bath, but they did talk about it on the way home.
In the end, they had decided that even if she was a little crazy, she was one of the most fun adults that they knew. They didn’t know if the wishes thing was true but were anxious for next Saturday to come.
Both Holly and Charlie arrived at Miss Dorinda’s house early on Saturday morning.
Holly was beaming. “Did you decide what your wish would be?”
“Yes, I am finally going to be the owner of a new longboard. I can use it all summer long at the park.
“What about you?” Charlie asked.
Holly squealed in excitement. “I am going to wish for my own adorable puppy!”
Puppies were really cute. Charlie thought. If he had one, he could take fishing with him, and the puppy could sleep in his room with him. He would be his best friend. Maybe he should wish for a puppy as well!
They burst through the door. “Good morning, Miss Dorinda! We are here here!”
Once again, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Looking at each other, they both called out a greeting again and waited.
This time, they heard Miss Dorinda’s cheery voice. She walked into the room, smiling from ear to ear.
“Good morning, children! I am so happy that you are here.” She clapped her hands together. Are you ready?”
Her tone got quieter, and they had to lean in closer to hear. Her voice was solemn. “Are you ready to meet the Whangdoodles?”
Did they hear right?
“A what?” Holly, the ever curious child, asked.
“A whangdoodle! Are you telling me you never heard of one before? They are the most fabulous creatures.”
Holly gave Charlie a look that spoke volumes. Miss Dorinda was certainly a tad fruity.
Charlie didn’t believe in whangdoodles but what was the harm in playing along.
“Do tell. What is it? What are they like?”
Holly interjected as well. “Are they cute like bunnies?” She missed not seeing Daisy Mae and Lilly Belle. Hopefully, they would come back sometime.
“They are the most adorable thing you have ever seen, or they could be the scariest thing.”
Holly cringed, making a face. But Charlie perked up at that news. “Do they have fangs?”
“Oh yes, 3 or 4 or more! They are bright orange, I believe. “
“Awesome! When can we see them?”
“There’s no time like the present. Come, follow me. “
They winded their way through the winding hallways. It was so strange how the hallways seemed to never end. But at last, they reached a large room, which appeared to be a sun room. It was bright and warm with plants sitting around the room.
“They are a kind of shy at first, but if you are patient, they will appear and show themselves.”
Everyone was quiet as they stared at the plants. The children shivered with goosebumps. They were going to meet some Whangdoodles.
“Here comes one. Do you see it? Right by the fern.” Miss Dorinda said.
Holly looked, “Yes, oh, isn’t it the cutest thing. It’s red, my favorite color, and has blue eyes, like me, with yellow curly hair.”
She looked at Miss Dorinda. “Can I touch it?”
“Sure! They are friendly whangdoodles.”
Charlie narrowed his eyes, trying to see better as Holly walked towards it.
“Their hair is so soft!” She exclaimed.
Poor Charlie couldn’t see. To him, it looked like she was touching the fern. Why couldn’t he see it!
Miss Dorinda saw the frustration in Charlie’s eyes. “Oh, look over there Charlie, is that another whangdoodle? I can’t see real well.”
Charlie looked at the cactus in the corner of the room. Yes, he thought he saw a hairy arm, and it did have vivid orange fangs, like Miss Dorinda had said. Oh, it hid its face behind the cactus again.
“You don’t have to be shy.” Charlie walked over to it and reassured it, as it gave him a toothy grin.
Miss Dorinda smiled while watching the children. She was glad to see that they knew the secret of whangdoodles and were able to see them. Their imagination was alive and well. They had followed the whangdoodles out the back door and were playing tag with them.
Looking down at Misty by her side, she petted her. “They are having so much fun. They haven’t even remembered their wishes. But we will be ready for them when they do. Right Misty?” Misty shook her head as her reddish gold charm sparkled in the sunlight.
It was then that Miss Dorinda heard a loud MOO! She smacked her head. She had forgotten all about poor Clementine in the tub again.
*Whangdoodle- A fanciful or humorous creature whose undefined appearance and nature is left to individual imagination.* Wikipedia
Happy Tuesday! I hope you find some joy in your day today and thanks for taking the time to stop by and read when there is always so many things fighting for our time. I appreciate it. Enjoy the quotes and the best photo bomb.
Charlie was waiting in front of the teapot house. He was early. Couldn’t deny that he was excited about seeing Miss Dorinda again. She was fun to talk to, and she seemed to really enjoy Charlie and Holly’s company.
She wasn’t like some grownups who didn’t want to be bothered by children, and thankfully, she didn’t wear any strong, smelly perfume!
“Hi Charlie!”
Holly was running down the street towards him.
“I have been looking forward to this day all week. I bope she has some more …”
“Cake!” Charlie said, and Holly replied with an emphatic yes.
Holly ran for the front door and stopped.
“Why did you stop? Isn’t it unlocked?”
Miss Dorinda had said that she would leave it unlocked for them.
“It feels funny to simply walk in.”
Charlie shook his head, “Says the girl who crawled in an open window last week!”
Holly made a face and turned the knob. They both yelled, “Hello!” as they walked inside.
There wasn’t anyone downstairs, so they sat down on the cozy purple polka dotted couch.
“Hi children! I am upstairs. You can come on up.” Miss Dorinda’s called down to them.
They didn’t waste time heading for the stairs, wanting to see more of the house. Now, if only they could find the stairs!
There were three different hallways, but none led to a stairway. This was strange. How can a staircase be hidden?
“Are you coming up?” Dorinda called down.
Charlie and Holly looked at each other, and Holly spoke up. “Where are the stairs?”
They heard laughter echoing down to them. “Opps, forgot to mention that there aren’t any stairs.”
The children looked at each other in confusion.
“You have to take the elevator. It’s right by the kitchen. Behind an emerald green door.”
An elevator! Looking at each other with their mouths agape, they ran to the kitchen and spotted the emerald green door. Opening it up, they stepped into the elevator. They had to squint their eyes at the sudden brightness. It was glowing! This was wild.
They pushed the Up arrow and stepped off the elevator when it opened. Miss Dorinda was standing in the hallway to greet them.
“I am so glad you came back again to visit. I have a surprise for you.”
“The elevator ride was a super surprise. I wish we had an elevator in my house.” Charlie remarked.
Miss Dorinda smiled, and her eyes crinkled. “The surprise I am going to show you both is even better.”
Charlie and Holly smiled with anticipation.
They followed her down the spiral hallway and entered a room with a king-size bed and a fluffy Sheltie lying in the middle of the bed.
“Welcome to Misty’s room.”
“Misty has her own bedroom?” Holly asked in disbelief.
“Yes, for Misty is a really special dog. Go ahead, have a seat on the bed, and pet her.”
She was a pretty dog with a white streak running down the middle of her face and brown on both sides. Her friendly, brown eyes shined out at them.
“Oooh, look! Her heart charm is glowing!”
“Yes, it is, and when it’s glowing, you can make a wish. Any wish at all.”
Charlie jumped up. “I know, I know what I want to wish!”
Holly interjected that she wanted to make a wish, too. They babbled on until Miss Dorinda put her hand up and said, “Silence!”
“You will each get one wish, and then you will get a joint wish. One you have to agree on. You can’t make them today. You have to take time to think about it and when you come back next Saturday you can make your wishes.”
Their enthusiasm dampened. This was going to be the longest week ever!
“MOO!!” The children’s eyes bulged!
“Oh dear! I completely forgot about poor Clementine in the bathtub.”
Miss Dorinda covered her face with her hands and ran from the room. Holly and Charlie were right behind her, at her heels. When they followed her into the bathroom, they almost fell over in disbelief! There was a cow sitting in the bathtub looking none too happy!
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It was then that Charlie began to wonder if Miss Dorinda was losing her marbles and if Misty’s charm really could grant wishes.
Not me! Though if I would use them I would probably lose some.
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So many things that we continually learn about animals!
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As a child I remember the teacher always telling us to not be a tattletale, but I guess there are times it really pays off!
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There simply are things I will never understand about people!
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And one of the most important facts about cute animal pictures is that they make you smile! That is why I put animals like Daisy-Mae and LIlly-Belle and many others in my stories. Keep Smiling and have a great day! ❤
The twins Daisy-Mae and Lilly-Belle were super excited for tonight was the big event. Tonight was the annual Bunny Ball, and they had dates for it.
They had their photo session in the morning before everything got crazy. After the photo session was over, they changed their clothes and relaxed in the park for a little while.
Swinging was one of their favorite things to do. They would try to swing high enough to touch the sky, letting their cares fly.
“Hey, Daisy-Mae, let’s go on a walk now.”
Lilly-Belle would have been content to swing some more, but she also didn’t mind going on a walk. She was easy-going and usually went along with whatever her sister suggested.
Though there was one day when Daisy-Mae wanted to trade her black jelly beans for Lilly-Belle’s red ones. That was where Lilly-Belle drew the line. No one would take her red jelly beans.
They were walking the normal path they took when Daisy-Mae said, “Let’s go a different direction today. Why don’t we turn here?”
Lilly-Belle was a little uncertain. They had always walked the same path.
“C’mon, we are older now. We are going on our first date tonight to our first ball. It’s a day for new things.”
Nodding her head, Lilly-Belle agreed, and they turned at the blackberry bush. Lilly-Belle made a mental note of that so that they wouldn’t get lost on their way back. Daisy-Mae had grand ideas at times, but her navigation skills were often quite mixed up.
“Wow! Look at that!” Daisy-Mae exclaimed.
Lilly-Belle was making note of the strawberry patch to her right and of the street sign, Cherry Tree Lane.
Maybe they could have a snack of some sweet strawberries on their way back. Or maybe some now…
“Hey Daisy, look at these berries. Do you want … ” She stopped mid-sentence, for she was speechless. What was she looking at? A kind of house that she had never seen before!
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The twins stared in awe until Daisy broke the silence. “Maybe the house belongs to the boy standing in front of it. But why would he be standing so still in front of his house. Why not go in?”
They continued watching, and Lilly-Belle grabbed her sister’s paw. “Did you see that? A girl climbed in through an open window!”
Moving closer to get a better view, they watched the boy shake his head. Was he mad that she climbed into his house?
With a boldness that she didn’t know she had, Lilly-Belle hopped up to the boy. “
“Excuse me, but why did that girl crawl into your house?”
The boy stepped back, giving Lilly-Belle a rather strange look. A talking bunny? This was turning out to be a most peculiar day!
“This isn’t my house. I don’t know the lady’s name who lives here, but my mom has always warned me about her.”
“Why? What is wrong with her?” Daisy asked, joining in.
“She…she is strange, odd, they say.”
Lilly and Daisy looked at each other. They thought their brother was strange at times, but they didn’t avoid him! Isn’t every bunny a little strange in some ways.
“Now Holly went in the window, and I am afraid she may be in danger.’
Lilly-Belle frowned at the boy.
“Whats your name?”
“Ch- Charlie.” The boy stammered.
“Well Charlie, I am Lilly-Belle and this is my sister Daisy-Mae and we are going after the girl. How do you expect to help her by standing out here?”
The boy looked chagrined. A bunny was braver than he was ? That couldn’t be! No bunny was going to show him up!
He threw his shoulders back, standing up straight and tall. “I am going in with you.”
To Lilly-Belle’s surprise, it was Daisy-Mae who was looking uncertain now.
Grabbing her sister’s paw, Lilly-Belle said, “After all the crazy things you drug me along on, you can’t back out now. You are the one who taught me to do new things.”
Daisy-Mae smiled. Her sister was right. She was a brave bunny, not a scary cat. She didn’t like cats. They were one thing that did scare her.
Paw in paw Daisy and Lilly hopped towards the window with Charlie leading the way.
Lilly-Belle hoped the girl was alright, but she also hoped that there would be some sweet, luscious berries inside
Charlie helped the bunnies get inside. The window was a little high for them so they needed a boost.
When the trio got inside, they were surprised to hear laughter coming from the other room. They followed the sound and walked into the kitchen.
“Welcome! Have you come for our tea party?”
An old woman with some wrinkles on her face and wearing a purple hat smiled at them. Holly was sitting at the table with her with a big piece of strawberry chocolate cake in front of her. Charlie was eager to get a taste of the thick creamy icing on top.
“Come, have a seat.” She waved them over. Not seeming surprised at all by a boy and two bunnies showing up in her kitchen. Holly giggled at the bunnies.
“They are so adorable!” Holly said. Daisy-Mae rolled her eyes.
Lilly-Belle was eyeing the bowl of plump strawberries on the table.
The purple hat lady grabbed the bowl and put in front of Daisy and Lilly. “Enjoy!”
Then she poured some strawberry lemonade out of her teapot for everyone.
“Now, shall we continue. Holly and I were sharing a funny story together. I started the story, and then she added some to it, and now why don’t we hear from Charlie.”
Charlie enjoyed telling stories. This would be fun. He would tell the story about his beagle named Anson.
The purple hat lady liked it. It reminded her of her dog Misty, who was upstairs sleeping, she told them.
Lilly-Belle and Daisy-Mae hoped Misty stayed upstairs.
They were enjoying telling stories so much that no one noticed the time. Then Lilly-Belle spotted the clock on the wall and hopped off her chair.
“So sorry, but we have to go or we will be late for our important dates!”
They hopped away in a blur. Everyone only got a glimpse of their white cottontails disappearing out of the room.
Charlie and Holly stayed a little longer but figured they better head for home before their parents started to worry. They promised the kind, old lady that they would be back and thanked her for the cake.
When they were outside, Holly and Charlie agreed that they were glad they dared to go inside the strange house.
“She isn’t a strange lady.”
“No, she isn’t at all. She was kind to us and so charming. There is nothing strange about her, besides the fact that she has the most unique house ever! I couldn’t believe how spacious it was inside. Looked like a maze almost. I would love to see more of the house next time.”
Holly agreed and they decided to meet back at the house next Saturday at the same time.
Meanwhile, Dorinda, the lady with the purple hat, was inside petting Misty, the dog with a reddish gold charm.
“What do you think, Misty? Will the children come back? It was fun to have company. Perhaps if they come back, I can show them some magic. She rubbed the charm, and a vivid bluish glow surrounded it. Oh yes, the children were in for a big surprise next time.
Nuggets of Gold 