This is just a favorite picture of mine. Brings to mind another favorite, the Christmas carol Hark the herald angels sing.
Sea Creatures
This is part two of the story I began last week. You can find Part one here.
“See when I was a boy not much older than you I found one of these guys, he was a little bigger than the one we just saw now and he was hurt” He looked over at his grandson and smiled ”Don’t worry he got better, I named him Bob”
John giggled his hands quickly going up to cover his mouth he didn’t want to upset his Grandpa by laughing at him.
”Aww I know it’s a bit of a silly name for a sea monster” Grandpa Shook his head with a little grin of his own “He knew it was his name though, by the time he left the cove.”
Grandpa took a long draw on his pipe staring out across the water “When I first saw Bob I was 12 years old and I was mad about something so I’d stormed on down to my thinking spot, you know the one with the big flat rock sticking out over the water and the blackberry bushes all around “Johns eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. Grandpa’s smile grew even wider around the stem of his pipe.
”Oh I know you sit there when you’re mad at your mom, but don’t think you’re the first to do it, I did it and I seem to recall your mother finding that spot when she was young too. Although she tended to sit and brood because she was mad at me not at your Grandma.”
“See you and I are two of a kind my boy, we see something like these animals and all we want to do is learn all about them. Your mom though seems to think the idea of these big creatures in the same waters we swim and fish in is just a little bit scary so she just wants to pretend they aren’t here.”
“I spent a lot of time studying them after Bob, I wanted to find out what they do and why so few people see them and I really did learn a lot, you’ll see I’ve still got all my notebooks.”
Grandpa shook his head with a sigh and stopped speaking lost in thought for a moment “I think that’s really why your Mom doesn’t like them.”
John watched intently hardly able to stay quiet as he waited for Grandpa to continue. When he did it wasn’t in the direction John had been hoping for.
“I hope you never see war my boy. When I first came home after the 4 years I spent in the service I was so tired of seeing the things that people can do to one another that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with other people ever again, not even my own daughter. So when I came home I went back to work out on the water and when I wasn’t working I was still on the water trying to find more creatures like Bob and learn about them.”
Grandpa looked back towards the house where lights were flickering into life. “I barely got to know her, your mom, she was just a baby when I left for the war, a girl when I came back and a young woman before I realized she needed me more than I needed to be out there on the water trying to learn about these creatures.”
“It was a little late by then.” Grandpa cleared his throat and knocked his pipe against the sole of his shoe the remaining ash falling onto the ground “Help your Grandpa up John, we should be heading back up”
“What about Bob?” John burst out surprised by the sudden shift and abrupt end in the conversation he wanted to know everything Grandpa knew about the creatures and he hadn’t even started telling him anything yet.
“Oh I’ll tell you all about him don’t you worry, this cold ground is just seeping into my bottom and besides if we’re late for dinner your Mom’s not going to be very happy with us.”Grandpa grimaced as John helped pull him to his feet “You can come back down to my workshop for a little while after dinner and we’ll get a start on the story ok.”
John nodded not quite able to squelch the feeling of disappointment he didn’t want to wait before he could hear the story his Grandpa had to tell.
A Wandering I Went
I had a very nice weekend, besides getting a lot of things done and getting the opportunity to play with the girls in the snow I also did something I don’t recall having done in years; I spent time by myself.
A had a birthday party to attend on Saturday morning E had a soccer game and Tim had an appointment so we had all gone our separate ways. A’s party was at the Childrens museum beside the Forks and I took her to that. Since the party lasted only two hours I knew that going home wasn’t really an option as I would get home only to have to leave straight away to pick her up again.
I decided I would stick around the Forks and do some Christmas shopping. Well my plans were foiled as it turns only the market and coffee shops are actually open at 10 the rest of the shops open at 11 or later. I wasn’t food shopping so that meant I had about an hour with absolutely nothing to do. It seems I always have something to do so this was rather unique, normally if I’m not actively doing one thing or another I’m thinking about what comes next. Even if I sit down or do something relaxing it is usually interrupted or I can’t help but think of what I could be getting done.
This time I had no options but to spend an hour doing nothing and since it was a very nice morning, not too cold with freshly fallen snow covering the ground I decided to go for a walk. I grabbed myself a latte from one of the coffee shops and headed out to wander around the freshly cleared pathways enjoying the peace of a quiet morning.
It was quite lovely with no wind cooling the air and big fluffy flakes still drifting down. It was such a novel experience to simply walk with no destination in mind and no purpose. There were very few people wandering about and everything seemed to be calm and drawn out.
I didn’t worry about the other things I could be doing or what else needed to be done that weekend and just walked. I stopped on the bridge to watch the water flow along the river and found quiet in my own mind and heart.
Eventually the shops did open and I finished my latte and headed back indoors my cheeks a little rosy but my heart also a little bit lighter. I found some nice Christmas gifts and slowly worked my way back over to the museum where A waited for me with a smile and a bit of icing on her face.
A Toothsome Diatribe
I had someone tell me recently that I use too many big words, in my speech and in my writing. I do concede to having occasionally confounded a few members of the populace using vocabulary which is infrequently employed however it is commonplace enough not to bewilder those with an intermediate level of intelligence.
Phew gave the old thesaurus a work out there. See that sentence, the somewhat run-on one there does perhaps contain a few “big” words yet I still feel it conveys the point. I understand each and everyone of those words and can't help but feel that most everyone should be able to do so as well.
English is a vast and colorful language finding the perfect word, the one that conveys a thought with precision makes more sense to me than leaving a sentence with an unclear, or dare I say ambiguous message. I would rather use the word that fits.
At what point does a word become too “big” anyways? Is it determined entirely by how abstract a word is or does it partly rely also on the number of syllables or letters it contains?
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is technically a big word but everyone, ok everyone over the age of say about 25, knows that it means something special, spectacular or out of this world. It is long; by my count 34 characters, 14 syllables and rarely used yet I doubt many would allude to it is as a “big” word.
In fact allude at only 2 syllables and 28 fewer characters than, you know which word and I’m not typing it again, is much more likely to be considered a “big” word. I suppose the whole idea of “big” words are ones which we don’t know the meaning of or have difficulty spelling.
If that’s the case and if a word such as allude is difficult to understand than perhaps the fault does not lie with me. Perhaps if there is that many words in what is purported to be your first language that you don’t understand (e.g. ambiguous, allude or purported) then perhaps you need to do something about it.
Seriously read a damn book, preferably one which isn’t illustrated, AKA no pictures.
p.s. I really need to learn how to take criticism better J
100 word picture prompt
Fog follows along with each step growing a little thicker every day. It seems the world is closing in. Time slips and falls away, it no longer has any meaning minute’s hours and days blend together no end and no beginning. The light grows dimmer fading in the fog to a dim and constant twilight. The only sounds are muffled, heard as if from great distance. It is a world where all is adrift with nothing solid to hold onto. The light will come and the fog will lift in time but for today I cannot find the sun.
Picture day- snowman
Just a little guy, the snow we have is rather powdery and doesn't want to stick however the snow which was on the car was melty enough to shape so a one foot tall snowman it is.
This is something I made with the girls a few years back, it was quite dark by the time we finished and stood about ten feet tall at the peak.
Creatures in The lake
Prompt-A mythical creature appears.
“I saw it, Grandpa Come quick I saw it” John yelled racing through the open doorway.
“Saw what? Not just anything gets these old bones up anymore you know”
“The lake monster, I did, but it wasn’t a big one today. He was little like me, maybe the big one is his grandpa, but he had flippers on his feet and a big fat body and he was kind of grey looking but he was more purple than the big one. Maybe he’s a baby like Jake. ” John was pulling insistently on his grandpa’s shirt sleeve”you have to come see”
“All right I’ll come down with you, don’t get your diapers in a bunch”
“Grandpa I don’t wear diaper just Jake does” John retorted a look of disgust on his face”and he makes them smelly”
Grandpa pulled his old wool coat on with a chuckle and picked a battered and well used pipe from a pocket as John danced around clearly impatient. John knew he would come, Grandpa always did but sometimes it seemed to take forever waiting for him to fill and light his pipe.
Normally John waited patiently but today he couldn’t help but sigh as he watched the first match flare to life and sputter out.”My we are in a hurry today, but not to worry we’ll get going in our own time” The second match did its job and Grandpa finally led the way out of the woodshop and started down the stony path to the lakes edge.
John jumped along from stone to stone circling back whenever he got too far ahead. The scent of Grandpas pipe on the wind gave John a nice warm feeling inside. Grandpa would never tell him to stop being silly he always believed John that the lake monster was nearby even though it was always gone by the time they made it back down to the lakes edge.
“By the dock Grandpa down here” John called excitedly pointing at something along the shore “see look he waited for us”
Grandpa had stopped a few steps further up staring at the creature sitting half in and half out of the water his pipe forgotten grasped in the crook between thumb and forefinger “My word, just like I remember”
“You remember?”John asked watching as his Grandpa bent down and held his hand towards the animal sitting in the water. The creature stretched its long neck towards Grandpas hand and gave it a tentative sniff before a high pitched noise echoed across the lake and it turned and splashed away.
In the distance they watched as two more, much larger creatures appeared. They floated in the water waiting for the little one to join them. When the little one reached them it and one of the bigger ones disappeared back under the water while the third floated looking at the old man on the water’s edge. The high pitched sound echoed over the water once again before it too sank out of sight.
“Your Mom never wanted me to tell you, she was very mad when you started seeing them, thought I’d gone against her you see.”Grandpa slowly sat down in the long grass pulling a book of matches from his coat.”Wasn’t sure if you had really seen ’em till now so I kept my mouth shut” He puffed on the pipe until it was once again burning to his satisfaction.”Guess I could tell you now, you really do know about them anyway, just don’t tell your mother I did” John settled down next to Grandpa on the grass nodding solemnly.
“See when I was a boy not much older than you I found one of these guys, he was a little bigger than the little guy we just saw now and he was hurt…….”
Dancing to Rubber Duckie
The girls have recently been requesting a CD be played so that they can show off their dance moves. And show off, they do!
Here they are dancing to Rubber Duckie as performed on a Fisher Price Little People bathtime cd:
Here they are dancing to Rubber Duckie as performed on a Fisher Price Little People bathtime cd:
Big Top, Big Fun
As members of the Manitoba Museum my family tends to visit fairly often. It’s always a nice way to spend a cold or rainy afternoon and in recent years there have been quite a few improvements so there is often something new to see.
One of the best improvements in my opinion is that Alloway Hall is now being used. It used to sit empty the majority of the time but is now always filled with an interesting traveling exhibit many of which seem to focus on learning through play, for both children and adults alike.
The one currently running is called Science under the big top and is of course about the circus. It includes a lot of fun things to try out including aerial acrobatics and tight rope walking. Despite signs and volunteers encouraging adults to join in the fun and try these things out very few did.
I noticed a lot of adults who would look up at others enjoying the experience with an expression of longing yet be unable to bring themselves to try. It seemed embarrassment and a worry about what others might think watching them is what stopped most of these people.
I think it’s sad to see how many people let concerns about what others might (and probably wouldn’t) think that they deny themselves something fun. Something I’m sure they will very rarely have the opportunity to do.
I did give both exhibits a try and had lots of fun doing them both. I may even have elicited a few outright laughs with my attempts but it was all in good fun there was nothing malicious about it. Just because there were others watching didn't mean it was any less fun or that it wasn't worth the risk of a bit of embarrassment.
The tightrope was actually fairly easy to do even though I really wasn’t wearing the best of shoes for it. It seems you walk more on the ball of your foot when on a tightrope so my heels didn't catch that badly but still they set me off balance a couple of times. It isn’t the first time I’ve tried tightrope walking though so that may have also made a difference.
The aerial acrobatics on the other hand were much harder than I expected. It takes quite a lot more effort to manage a mid-air flip than I thought it would. I think the hardest part is getting past the mental hurdle that being upside down ten feet in the air brings. It is really hard to fight your instinct to grab onto something and trust that the harness will in fact hold you up. I took me about a half dozen tries to actually get all the way over but it was a lot of fun to do.
Friday Repeat
Every single Friday I can’t seem to get a post out at a decent time. The biggest issue with Friday is that my brain simply won’t turn on. By Friday any energy reserves I managed to build up the weekend prior are gone and I can’t help but really struggle to get going. I’m always tired but Friday reaches a whole other level of exhaustion.
It is something that has been on my mind for quite some time, this tiredness and it was in fact one of the many reasons I initially decided to start blogging. I had at that time begun to worry that being tired all the time was a predecessor of depression. I thought that having something to do that was just for me would help if it was.
I’m not depressed and yes I’m sure of that now but I know that at the time it was an idea floating around. Well regardless of why I started blogging (which I’m very glad I did) posting late goes against every one of my sensibilities. If I am one thing it is organized.
As for the fact that I’m so tired and have been for so long I have finally decided to do something about it and have talked to my doctor and gotten the ball rolling on figuring it out. He thinks he had a good idea of what is wrong and I should find out for sure in a couple of weeks.
Until then I’m going to admit that blogging is not my priority but whether I disapear for awhile or post late I’ll be around.
100 word mystery
In 100 words write something that is creepy and mysterious. I do believe I managed to meet this challenge as I've kinda creeped myself out.
I had just walked in the door when I heard a beep, at first I thought I was imagining it then I heard it again. Following the noise has led me into my bedroom where a watch sits in the middle of the floor beeping away.
I had just walked in the door when I heard a beep, at first I thought I was imagining it then I heard it again. Following the noise has led me into my bedroom where a watch sits in the middle of the floor beeping away.
“That’s odd” I think as I lean over to pick it up I don’t recognize it how in the world did it come to be sitting on my bedroom floor? Standing up I hear a rustle and freeze suddenly very aware that I live alone and just found a man's watch on my floor.
Picture day
Really cat? My husband and I have the habit of watching a bit of tv before going to sleep at night. After wall mounting the tv in what seems to be the perfect spot to watch a show in comfort this is often my view. Add in now not one but two dogs, one on each side of me and our bed no longer seems to be such a comfy place to watch a show at the end of the day.
Quiet Heart.
Do you ever have a moment of inner peace in your day? A moment, sandwiched between the cluttered hurriedness of everyday life when you are able to listen to your soul? One of those times where you say to yourself: This is peace. And you ask yourself where have these moments gone?
As one of thirteen children, I am grateful to my parents for making the necessary sacrifices so that I could attend a catholic high school. The alternative to attending a private high school close to home was attending one of the Boston public high schools. And, although Boston has some very good public high schools (Boston Latin, for example), my parents did not want to take the chance of me being bused to another section of Boston. Unfortunately, during the late 70’s and early 80’s concern for student safety was high.
Although I have driven by my alma mater numerous times since graduating, I have only stepped inside the school a handful of times (to watch the Knights basketball team play and to attend a mass they hold every year). I had not attended the Liturgy to remember family and friends who have passed away since 2006 so I decided to make an effort to get there this year. And I was able to attend the service, which was held last weekend.
What was sort of cool about walking through those doors this year was the fact that each of my hands was holding one of my daughters’ hands. Emily was able to have a few hours of one on one time with Sarah after we convinced Allie and Anna that it would be “fun” for them to go to Daddy’s old school to see Grandma G. (my mom attends the mass every year) and have some donuts. We, of course, did not say much about the mass part!
Overall, it was simply a very nice couple of hours with my girls. Allie and Anna were very well behaved during the mass, which was not unsual - they generally are well behaved in new environments. I don't think they said a word the entire time, actually!
Cards from alumuni are placed on the altar with the names of family and friends of the school to be remembered. I had written the names of my dad, my niece Julie, and our daughter Abigail on my card. This would be some time to take a breath and meditate on my dad, my niece and Abigail. And amazingly enough, I did find some moments of meditation while the mass was being said.
In addition to Father P., there was one altar server (they used to be called altar boys!) and a choral group made up of high school students. Unlike other times when I attend a service and there is music, this time I absorbed the sounds of the voices rather than let them bounce of off me. The sound was pleasant.
The communion hymn was On Eagle's Wings which will always be an emotional hymn. The next hymn was one which I do not remember hearing previously - Borrowed Angels. The vocalists, particularly one student, sang his verses perfectly - it was almost as if he had written the words himself, his voice was so true.
The refrain touched me:
There must be Borrowed Angels, here in this life
They come along, into this world, and make this world bright
But they can't stay forever
Cause they're heaven sent
And sometimes, heaven needs them back again
Abigail Ruth - Dad - Julie
As one of thirteen children, I am grateful to my parents for making the necessary sacrifices so that I could attend a catholic high school. The alternative to attending a private high school close to home was attending one of the Boston public high schools. And, although Boston has some very good public high schools (Boston Latin, for example), my parents did not want to take the chance of me being bused to another section of Boston. Unfortunately, during the late 70’s and early 80’s concern for student safety was high.
Although I have driven by my alma mater numerous times since graduating, I have only stepped inside the school a handful of times (to watch the Knights basketball team play and to attend a mass they hold every year). I had not attended the Liturgy to remember family and friends who have passed away since 2006 so I decided to make an effort to get there this year. And I was able to attend the service, which was held last weekend.
What was sort of cool about walking through those doors this year was the fact that each of my hands was holding one of my daughters’ hands. Emily was able to have a few hours of one on one time with Sarah after we convinced Allie and Anna that it would be “fun” for them to go to Daddy’s old school to see Grandma G. (my mom attends the mass every year) and have some donuts. We, of course, did not say much about the mass part!
Overall, it was simply a very nice couple of hours with my girls. Allie and Anna were very well behaved during the mass, which was not unsual - they generally are well behaved in new environments. I don't think they said a word the entire time, actually!
Cards from alumuni are placed on the altar with the names of family and friends of the school to be remembered. I had written the names of my dad, my niece Julie, and our daughter Abigail on my card. This would be some time to take a breath and meditate on my dad, my niece and Abigail. And amazingly enough, I did find some moments of meditation while the mass was being said.
In addition to Father P., there was one altar server (they used to be called altar boys!) and a choral group made up of high school students. Unlike other times when I attend a service and there is music, this time I absorbed the sounds of the voices rather than let them bounce of off me. The sound was pleasant.
The communion hymn was On Eagle's Wings which will always be an emotional hymn. The next hymn was one which I do not remember hearing previously - Borrowed Angels. The vocalists, particularly one student, sang his verses perfectly - it was almost as if he had written the words himself, his voice was so true.
The refrain touched me:
There must be Borrowed Angels, here in this life
They come along, into this world, and make this world bright
But they can't stay forever
Cause they're heaven sent
And sometimes, heaven needs them back again
Abigail Ruth - Dad - Julie
Construction
My prompt today was simply one word - Construction
A thought occurred to me while driving through yet another construction area in the city yesterday. The thought I had is that this city doesn’t seem to have a single clue when it comes to road planning. Some, in fact many decisions make me question the sanity or at the least the basic commonsense of a few of our city officials.
Now the south-west area of the city has developed a staggering amount over the past decade so it has to be expected that some things would have to be upgraded and changed however it seems some areas never seem to get done despite constant construction.One particular area is the 6 year old Sterling Lion Parkway. Since its completion it has been constantly changing never without barricades and construction crews somewhere along its length. New driving and merging lanes, boulevards and shoulders have been added and it is now once again (still?) under construction to add access roads and another intersection.
Now to ask the city why it’s under constant construction they would likely attribute it to the IKEA and shopping centre which is being built. The plans for these new constructs was around when the original roadway was built so why then was the roadway not built to accommodate these in the first place?
It just seems to make sense to prepare for future issues before they happen. Take the new Waverly west subdivision which has been in the works on and off for many years. The city had to have known that this would cause a significant congestion problem yet they waited until it actually happened to start doing something about it.
The city “updated” Waverly St. by taking a straight line from point a to point b adding in some curves, a hairpin turn and no less than 4 speed limit changes in a section only a few kilometers long. How someone at some point thought that this of all things would help traffic flow is beyond me.
Admittedly Waverly doesn’t really have traffic problems as it is now so painful to navigate no one wants to use the street but it has caused increased problems in adjacent areas that were already congested to begin with. So now an entirely new road is in the plans for construction mimicking what Waverly once was, just a few kilometers further west.
I could go on, and on projects that take decades to implement instead of years, the sorry state of most residential streets, teeth jarring bone rattling potholes, rapid transit (projected completion in 2031, seriously) and countless other follies many of which could have been avoided with a little more thought put into plans.
I’m sure every city has roadway and traffic issues and that Winnipeg is not alone in this but sometimes you need to stop and shake your head at the sheer idiocy of it all.
Giving Thanks
Thank you, two of the simplest words in the English language that simply aren’t heard often enough. Everyone appreciates being thanked in any shape or form my favorite however remains the thank you card.
I think what makes me love handwritten thank you cards is that they are worth so much more than the paper they are printed on. Weather it is a long or short note knowing that someone has taken the time to send a card means more than any other type of thanks.
It doesn’t take long to write a thank you card only a moment or two, but it requires thought and a real feeling of gratitude. Sending a note of thanks conveys that feeling better than any other form of communication.
Why e-mail or text or even face to face doesn’t mean quite as much I’m not entirely sure, perhaps it is simply that a card is a tangible thing, something you can hold in your hand. It is gratitude incarnate.
It may be old fashioned and it may be slowly going the way of the cart and buggy but it is something we should hold onto. It reminds the sender to be thankful and the recipient to be giving, something I think many of us could do with being reminded of from time to time.
There is nothing quite like finding a small brightly colored envelope mixed in with the everyday junk and bills. It is a guaranteed way to brighten some ones day, to make them smile and that in and of itself is reason enough to take a moment and say thanks.
Today I Remember
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
5x50
5x50-Use all 5 words in a 50 word paragraph
Professional nursery froth charm plaster
I used my considerable charm to convince my husband that we could fix up the soon to be needed nursery ourselves. Now I can’t help but look at the plaster patch mix and thinking this odd textured froth sitting on top means we should have called in some professional help.
Plaster ugh, it is an ongoing battle in our house, I hate plaster. It's heavy, it's dusty, it patches poorly, it cracks easily, and is an all around pain in the but to work with. I have tried many different ways of fixing and patching or covering up imperfections but I've come to realize the only way to truly fix plaster of this age is to tear it all out and start anew with drywall.
Grand Jury Report on Jerry Sandusky and Penn State Allegations.
If you have any doubt about the severity of the allegations against Jerry Sandusky (former football coach at Penn State), I encourage you to read the first few pages of the Grand Jury report. I think it is important for the public to see the severity of the charges through all the "smoke" put out there by the officials at Penn State. This is serious stuff which was basically covered up by top officials at the school. You only have to read the first few pages before your stomach will start to churn. The New York Times posted the report.
The Legislative
View of the Legislative grounds from Broadway
River View
When these bison arrived it was quickly apparent that they should have been placed before the floor was completed. Placing these statues weighing in at 2 and a 1/2 tons each would damage the new flooring and it was thought they would not be used.
They had however been delivered in the midst of a Manitoba winter and a solution to the problem quickly became apparent. Workers flooded the entry with water and allowed it to freeze, they then placed each bison on a slab of ice taken from the nearby Assiniboine River and simply slid them into place. All they had to do after that was to melt away the ice leaving the bison perfectly positioned without a single scratch to mar the newly finished marble surface of the floor.
Prompted Challenge
Prompt - I work in the Kings castle. My job is to guard a small door in the lowest level of the dungeon.
Of Kings and Queens Demise
I work in the Kings castle. My job is to guard a small door in the lowest level of the dungeon.It is in one of the very few original parts of this castle built long before memory.
History tells us this has happened many times, the last time was during the reign of Marion the Prosperous. Although seemingly unrelated the guard for this door was one night heard to scream in the middle of his shift, when others went to investigate they found nothing. The guard was never seen again.
The very next day the Queens son George was found to have gone insane shortly after the guard went missing and had then killed his mother. Now normally regicide would have prevented ole Georgey from taking the throne however he was declared to be innocent for reasons of insanity and was then promptly given his crown.
This resulted in the kingdom suffering through the most terrifying and arduous rule in recorded history. The day George the mad died caused celebrations which are still held each and every year.
When his heir Marie the Kind took her seat upon the throne she was able to repair much of the damage George had done to the kingdom. The madness which had plagued George had thankfully not been passed on.
My own King, Thomas the Just has continued on the same path as Marie the Kind and the Kingdom is now a lovely place to live once again. But it has been nearly 100 years since the reign of George the Mad, it has taken the kingdom this long to recover.
Now this history is well known and it is said Marion the Prosperous mother of George the Mad came to be queen herself within days of a palace guard disappearing from this doorway.
That guard went missing two days before Marion’s father the first king George, George the Magnificent died of a terrible illness. The body of that guard was found weeks later all appearances seemed to indicate he had suffered the same illness that killed his king. It was an illness never before seen in this kingdom nor ever seen again.
Admittedly his death was not followed by a dark period but it very easily could have. Marion was only a child of 11 when her father died and she became Queen. So even though it didn’t lead to a dark time it had the potential.
And so it goes back in history the death or disappearance of the guard who protects this doorway will result in the end of a king or queen, most likely with terrible results.
Having been given the duty to guard this door the past 5 years I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about its history and I must say it makes me rather nervous.
See it seems these mysterious deaths and disappearances which have been recorded always seem to come around when the kingdom is at its most prosperous as it is now. Always it happens at a time which has the potential to send the kingdom spiraling out of control.
So you see I can’t help but wonder what exactly it is I’m guarding and if no one truly knows why not have someone take a look? I can’t help but feel one of us who are guarding this door will disappear sometime soon.
It might even be me? I can’t help but feel I must try the handle, see what lays beyond this door perhaps I can find out what is hidden behind it and I will finally end this cycle; before it ends me.
Of Kings and Queens Demise
I work in the Kings castle. My job is to guard a small door in the lowest level of the dungeon.It is in one of the very few original parts of this castle built long before memory. There are only two things that are known about this doorway. First is that every king and queen in history has kept this door guarded at all times. Second if the guard who watches over it were to suddenly disappear, the King or Queen will either die shortly after or be overthrown and the kingdom will likely grow dark for a time.
History tells us this has happened many times, the last time was during the reign of Marion the Prosperous. Although seemingly unrelated the guard for this door was one night heard to scream in the middle of his shift, when others went to investigate they found nothing. The guard was never seen again.
The very next day the Queens son George was found to have gone insane shortly after the guard went missing and had then killed his mother. Now normally regicide would have prevented ole Georgey from taking the throne however he was declared to be innocent for reasons of insanity and was then promptly given his crown.
This resulted in the kingdom suffering through the most terrifying and arduous rule in recorded history. The day George the mad died caused celebrations which are still held each and every year.
When his heir Marie the Kind took her seat upon the throne she was able to repair much of the damage George had done to the kingdom. The madness which had plagued George had thankfully not been passed on.
My own King, Thomas the Just has continued on the same path as Marie the Kind and the Kingdom is now a lovely place to live once again. But it has been nearly 100 years since the reign of George the Mad, it has taken the kingdom this long to recover.
Now this history is well known and it is said Marion the Prosperous mother of George the Mad came to be queen herself within days of a palace guard disappearing from this doorway.
That guard went missing two days before Marion’s father the first king George, George the Magnificent died of a terrible illness. The body of that guard was found weeks later all appearances seemed to indicate he had suffered the same illness that killed his king. It was an illness never before seen in this kingdom nor ever seen again.
Admittedly his death was not followed by a dark period but it very easily could have. Marion was only a child of 11 when her father died and she became Queen. So even though it didn’t lead to a dark time it had the potential.
And so it goes back in history the death or disappearance of the guard who protects this doorway will result in the end of a king or queen, most likely with terrible results.
Having been given the duty to guard this door the past 5 years I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about its history and I must say it makes me rather nervous.
See it seems these mysterious deaths and disappearances which have been recorded always seem to come around when the kingdom is at its most prosperous as it is now. Always it happens at a time which has the potential to send the kingdom spiraling out of control.
So you see I can’t help but wonder what exactly it is I’m guarding and if no one truly knows why not have someone take a look? I can’t help but feel one of us who are guarding this door will disappear sometime soon.
It might even be me? I can’t help but feel I must try the handle, see what lays beyond this door perhaps I can find out what is hidden behind it and I will finally end this cycle; before it ends me.
All new PORTFOLIO
I've been working really hard on my portfolio over the last few days. Check it out guys http://einavderiportfolio.blogspot.com/
First snow
Well it’s now pure ice outside with the temperature just right for this first bit of snow to melt and then freeze into a nice smooth clear sheet of ice. It’s the kind of surface that teaches you very quickly that anyone can in fact do the splits. Perhaps not without a few tendons, ligaments or hey even bones snapping but it can definitely be done.
It’s turns us all into clutching toddlers, desperate to stay upright and more than willing to take out the nearest bystander if it prevents you from ending up on your own ass. I think at this point strapping on a pair of skates may be a better idea than even the most rugged of winter boots.
I’m sure by mid-morning with the daytime temperatures still hovering above zero the ice will mostly melt away and hopefully dry up so things won’t be quite as slippery come tomorrow morning.
Until then I must remember to tread softly while I search out the scraper for the car. Every year I promise I will put it in the car before the first snowfall and every year I do it right after.
The moving around of snow is my least favorite winter task unless I’m doing it to build a fort with the kids. As of this morning shovels and snow blowers aren’t yet necessary but I will take this as a warning and move those things from the shed to the garage.
If there is still some snow hanging around at the end of the day perhaps I’ll take the kids out for a bit of a snowball fight. Now playing in it is something I do like about snow.
Portfolio stuff & new sketches
And here's a new sketch that I did while in class today - a 5 min sketch.
Woof
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| Chase and Pugsley |
I can't help but think they want something. I know not a regular picture day but it's all I got for today and besides they are cute. The golden is our dog and the jack russel is my parents dog.
5x50
Use all of the five following words in exactly 50 words:tax, skylight, conference, leaf, turtle
I stared at the skylight above me watching as a leaf slowly skittered its way across the glass. I was attending a conference on historical politics which was seemingly filled with obscure and useless information. I mean honestly who cares if some small nation once had a tax on turtles?
Prompted Challenge
Take a real life experience and tell it as a children’s story.
The BBQ Chick
One spring day a mama bird was looking for a place to make a nest for her babies. Because it was such a cold and blustery spring she had to find a very special and safe place.
As the chicks began to grow they began to make noises and one day those noises were heard by someone else. That someone else had come outside to BBQ some hamburgers. The chicks peeped and chirped as their nice warm and dark nest was suddenly filled with bright sunlight.
The person who owned the BBQ had heard their little peeps and opened the lid to see if something was inside. The mama bird had built such a big and strong nest that they saw the chicks right away and decided to go make pancakes instead.
Over time the chicks grew and grew and every once in awhile a bit of bright sunlight would fill their nest as the person who owned the BBQ peeked in to make sure they were still safe and sound.
Eventually first one and then another jumped from the nest and climbed out of the BBQ and learnt to fly. The last little chick to leave the nest was nervous about flying and so when he tried to jump from the warm safe nest he instead fell into a spot where the mama bird could not reach him.
Someone else had been watching as the little chicks grew though and heard the chick trapped in the little space and rescued him. They took the bird back to a nice safe place where he could finish learning to fly and he grew into a big strong bird.
So even though a BBQ may not sound like a good place to make a nest it turned out to be the very best place of all.
The BBQ Chick
One spring day a mama bird was looking for a place to make a nest for her babies. Because it was such a cold and blustery spring she had to find a very special and safe place.She searched everywhere for the perfect spot and after searching both high and low she found a very nice warm place that seemed to be very safe.
This place was dark but it was also very warm and out of the cold wind and there was a little hole that she could fly in and out that was just the right size. What the mama bird did not know was that this warm and dark place was actually inside of a BBQ. That doesn’t sound like a very safe place after all.
The mama bird didn’t know this though and so she began to build her nest. She worked very hard and built a big and strong nest of grass and sticks and when it was all done she lined it with the softest bits of paper she could find and even some of her own feathers.
She finished just in time and lay four very pretty blue speckled eggs inside. After some time the eggs began to shiver and shake and four little chicks came out of those four pretty little eggs.
As the chicks began to grow they began to make noises and one day those noises were heard by someone else. That someone else had come outside to BBQ some hamburgers. The chicks peeped and chirped as their nice warm and dark nest was suddenly filled with bright sunlight.
The person who owned the BBQ had heard their little peeps and opened the lid to see if something was inside. The mama bird had built such a big and strong nest that they saw the chicks right away and decided to go make pancakes instead.
Over time the chicks grew and grew and every once in awhile a bit of bright sunlight would fill their nest as the person who owned the BBQ peeked in to make sure they were still safe and sound.
Eventually first one and then another jumped from the nest and climbed out of the BBQ and learnt to fly. The last little chick to leave the nest was nervous about flying and so when he tried to jump from the warm safe nest he instead fell into a spot where the mama bird could not reach him.
Someone else had been watching as the little chicks grew though and heard the chick trapped in the little space and rescued him. They took the bird back to a nice safe place where he could finish learning to fly and he grew into a big strong bird.
So even though a BBQ may not sound like a good place to make a nest it turned out to be the very best place of all.
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