Today was a good day for ducks! A dreary, rainy day, but you can always find smiles if you look for them, and these pics made me smile. I hope they do for the same for you, sometimes you just need to take a SMILE BREAK! Share something that makes you smile in the comments below. You can feel free to share captions for these pictures as well. All pictures are thanks to Pinterest, the site that has just about anything!
It was a calm night, the air was still. The only sounds that she so far had heard, was the annoying chirping of the crickets. Clarissa stood there and waited as time seemed to stand still. She was waiting for the sign, she knew it would come, but what was taking so long?
Everything was too still. Where was the giant flash in the sky? She had hoped that she would see a shooting star. Not one shooting star though did she see amidst so many of the other stars in the night sky.
A shooting star surely would be a sign that she was doing the right thing, making the right decision. Perhaps she would get serenaded by the call of the nightingale. It would also be such a delight to hear a hermit thrush sing, that could be her sign.
With anticipation she strained her ears to hear. She heard a sound, but it was far from melodic. Where was it coming from? Clarissa turned and saw the swamp in the distance and the shadow of the heron, it had one of the most raspiest calls she had ever heard. It hurt her ears.
Sighing, she hung her head, this wasn’t working. She had come out into nature to find an answer but it appeared futile. No shooting star, no rolling thunder, no beautiful birds singing, just a raspy heron and bull frogs croaking.
“Whooo-whooo- ” Clarissa looked up and saw a barn owl perched up high in a tree.
She shook her head in despair. . Not “who-who” she thought to herself, her heart was asking where-where? Where was the clear sign to the answer she sought? Clarissa turned around, frustrated, she headed home wondering why she had come out tonight.
The stars were out in the bright night sky and the air was still as Pamela stared at the glorious sight. Millions of stars twinkling above her, and the crickets symphony she heard. She took in a deep breath of the fresh air and felt peace surround her.
No nightingale’s did she hear, but what was making that sound. It was unique, she hadn’t heard it before. She took a little walk over towards the swamp where the sound was coming from and then she saw it. It was a Black-crowned night heron. How cool to see one of them!
She sat down on a log to watch it call out to its mate with a raspy voice. The bullfrogs joined him in a croaky chorus and she couldn’t help but smile. The heron and bullfrogs were calling out as loudly as they could. They may not sound as sweet as the hermit thrush, but they didn’t care. Slowly Pamela started singing a song of her own. One that she usually sang in the privacy of her room, wanting no one else to hear.
After singing she sat there for awhile lost in her thoughts. She was so glad had come out tonight to clear her head. She felt refreshed from the decision that had been weighing her down, she just had to be alone with her thoughts for awhile.
As she started to head back home, she heard “Whooo-Whoooo..” Oh, how her heart jumped at the sight of the beautiful Barn Owl perched high in the tree. Her eyes watched it as it spread out its wings. She gasped at its beauty taking flight into the night.
Pamela’s heart was full. A clear answer she may not have, but she felt more confident and trusted that in time her answer would come.
She sighed with contentment, continuing her walk and listening to her heart speak.
Happy Tuesday! What is on your mind today? The fact that in a week’s time I will have a 20 year old child has been on my mind. How does time keep flying and how do my children keep getting older, when I am staying young? 🙂 I am very blessed to be a Mother and I just try to keep cherishing the moments.
May you cherish the moments as well that happen in life, even the ones that you think are small.
artist Roz Young
Cock a Doodle Doo! Morning was here. Loralei snuggled down deeper into the covers. She wasn’t ready to get up yet, but she knew that she had no choice. She felt exhausted and the day hadn’t even started. It had taken her so long to fall asleep last night, but finally in the wee hours of the morning sleep overtook her. Now she felt groggy and her eyes were puffy because of the tears that she had cried during the night.
The auction for the farmhouse was to start at 10am. How she was going to miss this house, it held so many precious memories. She really wasn’t sure what was in store for her now. All she knew is that thankfully she did have a room at the boarding house for as long as she would need it. She had a deep faith and believed things would work out, though that didn’t stop her from being nervous about what was to come.
The lady at the boarding house where she would be going until she found a place couldn’t be sweeter, so she was thankful for that. Taking a deep breath, Loralie stepped out of the bed as she gathered up courage and repeated to herself for the hundredth time that she would make it through this day!
The rooms looked so bare now as she walked through them once more. All her belongings had been packed up and put into storage. Even though the furniture wasn’t in the rooms she could see them in her head.
In the kitchen she saw the small round, cherry wood table that her husband had carved for them. He was such a wonderful wood carver. She could see him sitting at the table with the paper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. They had enjoyed sitting many mornings and watching the birds at the feeder right outside the window. On the warm mornings the window would be open and they would listen to the songs of the beautiful birds.
In the living room she remembered sitting side by side on the sofa. Sometimes she would be reading while he watched TV, and other times they would enjoy a movie together, snuggled together, or they would play some music on their stereo as they simply relaxed.
The cherry wood coffee table had been in the center of the room. It was one of the first pieces of furniture that Richard had made. It had a heart in the middle of it and Loralei thought it was so beautiful.
Over the years he had surprised her with special gifts. One of her most treasured possessions was the cedar chest he had built for her. The designs were so intricate, she had been so amazed when he had given it to her on her birthday one year. It held in it all the card and letters he had sent her and other special mementos from their life together.
Loralei looked at the clock, she better stop her daydreaming and get a move on. The auctioneer would soon be here. She took one more deep breath as she wiped a tear. It would be okay, for she would always have her treasured memories. No one could take that away from her.
Picking up Muffin she headed up the stairs to finish getting ready. Muffin had been rubbing up against her legs all morning. Loralei was so glad that the boarding house allowed pets, for she could not part with her beloved tiger striped cat.
He could definitely cause mischief but oh how she loved him. He had been a great comfort to her after Richard had died. She had rescued him from the shelter and he had rescued her from her loneliness. They were inseparable.
She used to have 2 clown fish as well, but one day she heard a crash when she was upstairs. She came running down the stairs to find their bowl shattered on the floor and a very smug looking Muffin sitting right beside it. The clown fish had met their sad fate.
Loralei watched as the crowd started bidding. It was a very small crowd that had gathered. She shed a few tears, but a peace had come over her. It was time for her to move on. Richard wasn’t in the farmhouse, he was in her heart and she would always carry him in there, no matter where she was.
Everyone was gone, Loralei sat in her car with a smile on her face. She had met the young couple who had bought the house and it warmed her heart to see the happiness in their eyes. They were just starting out and that made her feel special, that they chose her and Richard’s house to start their new life together.
She drove to the boardinghouse with memories of her and Richard going through her mind. Who knew what lied ahead for her. She was looking forward to playing the piano at the boarding house , running her fingers up and down the scales and then breaking into a rendition of one of her favorite Beethoven’s pieces.
Muffin’s purring interrupted her thoughts. He was getting hungry.
Oh No! A thought just struck her. She believes she saw a glass bowl with some fish in them sitting on top of the piano there. Muffin would definitely have to stay out of that room, or else those fish would meet the same fate of the poor clown fish!
“Muffin, we need to have a talk, okay!”
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This past Friday my heart broke as I heard the news about New Zealand and the awful tragedy that happened in a mosque there. Shots rang out bringing the lives of 49 innocent people to an abrupt end! 49 people in New Zealand sitting in a place of worship were gunned down in cold blood all because of hate. Why? Why do we hate so much?
My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims. The loss of a loved one can be one of the hardest things anyone goes through in this life. When my brother died, it left a hole in my heart that will never be filled. He died at the young age of 23, due to a massive heart attack. We lost him suddenly, a horrible shock, but there is one thing that has resonated in my mind these past couple days. One thing that stands out to me about my brother’s death. My brother didn’t die because someone hated him and didn’t think he was worthy of living! My brother didn’t die because of the actions of someone else.
Its horrible enough to lose a love one, but I just can’t imagine the pain of losing him due to the hateful actions of someone else. I know many in this world have lost a loved one due to senseless violence and its just so heartrending to think about.
According to the news, the shooter that opened fire in the mosque was from Australia and he had one mission. He wanted to show those who were in the mosque that they weren’t safe anywhere! He wanted to express his hate, and he did so in a tragic, deadly way!
Why, oh why, do we hate?
I think we can all agree for the “someday” to come that is sung about in the following song by Celtic Women. I hope you enjoy the song. I didn’t want this to be a totally dismal post. I hope this song can bring hope to your heart and help you to keep shining and doing your part to spread love!
Caught out in the rain? You can complain or you can dance. Either way you get wet, but one way adds joy!
Using your imagination can bring never ending fun! No batteries needed!
When feeling daring, make sure you have a good escape plan!
I am sitting here with a pen in my hand trying to find the words to convey the turbulent emotions of my heart. How can I make you see what lies inside my soul? My hand trembles as I try to write, but write I must, no longer can I put it off. I swallow my fear and instead I try to focus on how you looked the last day we were together.
I remember every detail of how you looked, from the vivid sea green color of your eyes to the way your sweet smile showed off your dimples. We had such a wonderful day, you were so carefree. You had not a clue at what was to come.
You were so delightful, that you even caused me to forget for a time what was coming. I wanted to freeze each moment and just stop time. To whisk you off to some secluded island where time would stand, still oh beautiful love of mine!
That day was one I will forever hold dear. The sun shined brighter and the sky was bluer as we walked in the park hand in hand. I tried to memorize the how soft your hands felt, knowing it would be so long until I was able to feel them again, and not knowing for sure if I ever would.
My heart breaks knowing the pain that my sudden departure surely caused you. I could barely stand it knowing that because of me your eyes lost their shine.
Many a night my own eyes cried with the heartache of missing you.
If it wasn’t for the memories that I bottled up in my heart of you I don’t know how I would have ever made it through!
Now my heart is overflowing with anticipation at seeing you again, but also has me a nervous wreck, for will you even want to see me? Is your love for me still so very strong or have you fallen into the arms of another? Will you understand why I had to leave, will you even give me a chance to explain?
Oh darling, I could explain in this letter but words are failing me. I am pleading with you you will consent to seeing me at least once again. That you will give me a chance to explain the necessity of my sudden departure.
I leave it up to you my love, you have the final say, and I will respect your wishes.
I will wait with nervous anticipation for your answer and no matter what it is, the sweet memories of our wondrous love will forever live in my heart. Memories that I can pull out whenever my skies are gray.
Forever yours,
Rollo
I must be in a nostalgic mood this week. I did a post on toys and games from my childhood on Sunday and today my mind has drifted back to books that I loved when I was little. I had many favorites throughout my childhood, but 3 specifically came to my mind today.
Frog and Toad were best friends and I enjoyed reading their stories over and over again.
If there were mishaps, it usually happened to Toad. Poor Toad! Their stories brought laughter, and you could also clearly see the strong friendship they had.
I still have these books and there was one chapter from this book called “The Letter”. Toad was sad, for day after day he watched for the mail and day after day passed without him ever getting a letter. Frog got the clever idea to write him a letter. He wrote it and gave it to the snail going down the road. He asked the snail to deliver it to Toad’s mailbox and the snail said he would.
Frog then went to Toad’s house to watch out the window for the mail and Toad thought that was very strange of him. Toad told him how it was useless for he never gets any mail. Four days later the snail finally arrived and Toad got his letter, which made him so very happy.
You can’t help but feel happy for Toad, can you!
This is a fun story about a witty mouse and how he outwits a weasel, who caught him, with the intention of making Mouse Soup to eat. I of course cheered on the little mouse. I re-read this story a lot too. I may have known what was coming, but I still can remember how much I would laugh each time at the wit of the mouse.
Little Bear stories warmed my heart, for he was such a sweet little bear. He could be good at getting himself into trouble at times, but you always knew that he was very loved by his family.
It was fun thinking of the warm, happy feelings that these books brought back to me. It made me realize how memorable books really can be and how even simple stories can touch your heart and leave an impact.
I really intended this to be just a story of some favorite books of mine when I was very little. I couldn’t help but see some of the similarities though to “The Odessa Chronicles.”
I smile at how one of the earliest books that I loved to read was about friendship, the stories about Frog and Toad. That is a strong theme in “The Odessa Chronicles”. I laugh too at the wit behind “Mouse Soup” for “The Odessa Chronicles” definitely has its share of wit in it. Plus the “Little Bear” stories warmed my heart with love. and the characters from me and Colin’s book have totally filled my heart with love.
Not only do these books have similarities to the book Colin and I wrote, but they describe my life as well!
Love, Friendship and Wit are all strong threads that run through my life!
One just never knows how strongly we can be influenced by what we read, listen to, or see. What books do you remember reading when you were very young? Feel free to share below, would love to hear!
I hope your morning is off to a great start or depending where in the world you are, your day may be about done as you are ready to visit dreamland soon. If so, I wish you a restful sleep and happy dreams!
Here is a picture to start the quotes off with a smile!
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Once upon a time there was young lady on her way down a long dirt lane, for she had received the invitation of a lifetime and she was ready for adventure! She came to a bridge that crossed a brook and was shocked when a troll blocked her way.
“Where do you think you are going young lady?” said the troll who had big bushy eyebrows and huge eyes as round as saucers.
“Well to the other side of course, where else would I be going?” Rosalie boldly replied as she stared down at him with a frown.
“Now if you would kindly move aside , for I really have no time to waste. ”
Just as those words left her lips a large white rabbit came hopping down the road and onto the bridge. “I’m late, I’m late!” was his cry.
The young lady was speechless and the troll didn’t know what to think as he watched the large rabbit cross the bridge.
Seeing her chance Rosalie followed the rabbit as the troll just stood there scratching his head. What was happening? He now saw a Cheshire cat riding on the back of a turtle coming his way.
Once they all crossed the bridge and were out of sight the troll was still standing there in disbelief at all that had happened.
I really must stop drinking coffee, its causing me some strange visions, he thought to himself as he went back under the bridge to take a long nap.
After crossing the bridge the white rabbit, cat and turtle went one way and the young lady went another. No time was there for words, for they were all in a hurry and must not be late.
Rosalie saw the house just up ahead. It was so very tiny she had almost missed it. She knocked on the door and much to her surprise, it was opened by a little dormouse. “May I help you Miss?”
“I am here to see Thumbelina please, is she ready to go? ”
“I will check on her, please come in.”
Rosalie didn’t want to be rude, but she wasn’t quite sure how she would fit inside the door, for it was so very small.
“No Thank you, I will wait out here.” she replied, and the dormouse nodded his head as he shut the door.
While waiting she heard a boy yell. She looked to see what where the boy was and what was wrong, just as Thumbelina was coming out the door.
“Where is that boy who is yelling, what do you think is wrong?”asked Rosalie.
“Oh no worries, that’s just Jack, he must be practicing jumping over a candlestick again. He needs to learn not to light it. Shall we be on our way?”
Rosalie had to smile as she shook her head, she remembered reading about Jack. “Yes, lets go, for we don’t want to be late!”
They walked a little way down the road when they passed the most strange looking house that Rosalie had ever seen. It was shaped like a shoe!
Farther down the road they went and they were enjoying a nice conversation when a piercing scream ran through the air.
They both turned to see a a young girl running to a house. Thumbelina started to laugh. “All is okay, its only little Miss. Muffet. ”
Rosalie was so enjoying herself, it had already been quite the adventure, and she hadn’t even reached her destination yet.
On they continued down the road chatting again. This time about their sweet friend Mary, wondering how she made her garden grow.
Over the hill they went and almost got run down by horses! Their hearts were beating madly as six white horses raced past.
When Thumbelina caught her breath she exclaimed, “I guess that is what the town has all been abuzz about. They said she would be riding six, white horses when she comes. ”
Rosalie was still catching her breath when she saw it just ahead.
“There it is!” , she shouted. ” We made it!”
“It looks amazing!” Rosalie said in awe.
She still couldn’t believe that she had been fortunate enough to have been invited to the royal wedding. Cinderella had found her Prince! It would be a wedding to remember for sure!
“Thumbelina, isn’t this so…”
Where was Thumbelina? She had just been standing right by her. She looked around at the guests who were gathered at the gate and then Rosalie spied her and had to smile. Thumbelina had found her love, Tom Thumb.
Rosalie smiled, she had a feeling that she knew whose fairy tale wedding would be next.
