Sorry I haven't been here in so long! Life got busy with a visit from my kids and grandson, and taking on a new volunteer position, only to have it be put on hold again.

I've brought cookies to make up for my absence!

Hope everyone is well!

https://upload.storiesspace.com/1075248666-snowman cookies.jpg

Tonight we are having stuffed peppers, one of my favorites! Dessert will be strawberries with fat-free Reddi-wip.

While browsing on Netflix last night, we stumbled upon a 2016 film called The Take with Idris Elba. It was entertaining, although parts were implausible and sometimes predictable. Still, if you like action flicks, this was a decent film.

I personally enjoyed seeing scenes from Paris and Saint-Denis (where my ancestors are from) and especially liked the scene in the Basilica of Saint-Denis. I was able to visit there in 2009 and it's always fun to see places you've been in a movie.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has been so intense. Hurricane season is typically considered to be June 1-November 30. This year the first storm came early on May 17th. Now, the list of names has been exhausted and they are being labeled with Greek letters, with Beta currently causing trouble for Texas and Louisiana. Beta is one month (34 days actually) earlier than in 2005, which is the only other year on record with so many named storms.

Just another crazy example of why 2020 is a bizarre year.

Hurricane Sally dumped a ton of water on my daughter's yard in Alabama. Mostly heavy rains where she is at, but she is safe.

Congratulations to the winners and the rest of the top ten! I'm so honored to be in that list!

There were so many amazing stories in this competition. I am thrilled to be among such talent.

Any other Batman fans around here?

I have been hooked since I came across the Adam West TV series (1966-68 with a movie spinoff in 1966 that was basically a feature-length episode) as a child. And basically never looked back.

Favorite media Batman?

Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995 with a feature film spinoff, Mask of the Phantasm, in 1993), which introduced Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne, a role he still plays at times today in animated series and computer games. It hit a nice medium, not quite as dark and obsessive as some of the recent movies, but also without the silliness of the West series (though it did have humour, avoiding the grim seriousness of the Nolan-Bale trilogy). It's a mature Batman who has largely overcome his lust for vengeance to focus on fighting crime and corruption. There is one brilliant episode where Batman tries to convince a mobster to turn state's witness after discovering that the man's son is addicted to the very drugs the mobster has been smuggling into Gotham City. It is largely a character piece, with the action limited to Batman making sure the mobster lives long enough to actually turn. Very much not what you would expect from an animated superhero series, but the writers of Batman:TAS were a clever bunch.

There's a new Batman movie looming but the trailer makes me think it will be going the grim route again. Too bad. A lighter Batman, more akin to the animated series, would be more welcome to this bat-fan.

https://io9.gizmodo.com/matt-reeves-says-the-batman-will-find-the-caped-crusade-1844820159?rev=1598203610077&utm_campaign=io9&utm_content=&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=twitter


Did you ever see the television series, Gotham? I missed watching most of the last season, but it was a pretty interesting take on how Batman and other characters came into being. I've been fascinated with Batman from the campy Adam West to the darker Christian Bale (although I understand Robert Pattinson's Batman is supposed to be "darker and broodier" still). Looking forward to that movie when it comes out. I look forward to the return of movies in the theater in general!

A quick hello before I start making dinner (and brownies for dessert). I hope Victor's tummy is better! My kitty, Chessie, has been glued to my side today. Her tummy was making some strange noises as well. Keeping an eye on her lately. She's an old girl and I try to pay attention every little oddity.

I drove a 1972 Chevy Malibu Classic Wagon. It was red with woodgrain panels. It was a boat, but it got me to and from.

Stopping in for tea and a quick hello. Trying to take care of a bunch of stuff this week so I can focus on my youngest daughter next week. We leave a week from tomorrow to make the 8 hour trek to help her and her bf move into their brand new house. When I hug her 8 days from now it will be the first time in 238 days. (But who's counting...lol).

I hope Monday is treating everyone well!

Little things see me through the times when I’m alone. I slip on your t-shirt and inhale the faint scent of your cologne. Silly, I suppose, but it helps. I hug my pillow and hold on to the thought that you won’t be gone forever. The grandfather clock chimes half-past eleven. That cursed time difference always messes with my head! Should you have already called? Or am I fretting over nothing? ...

Added 10 Dec 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 11 | Avg Score 5 | Views 247 | 10 Comments

In celebration of our camaraderie, I’d like to thank you for always been so friendly and supportive. You congratulate me on every achievement, and read my stories, offering free advice. I enjoy sharing this cozy space with you, my friend....

Added 16 Oct 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 12 | Avg Score 4.83 | Views 301 | 12 Comments

They say you’re like your father, just as I was like mine. But I see a part of me inside you, strong and stubborn. You lift that chin as if daring me to hold you back, but I won’t. How could I, when all I ever wanted was to be free? I chose my king and my life, and our coupling brought you to me. But it’s time for you to build your own kingdom, and to make your own life. I am so proud...

Added 11 Oct 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 7 | Avg Score 5 | Views 250 | 7 Comments

Last night at sunset, I waited for you. My love illuminated the sky, painting a vibrant mural with which to end your day. You stood on the shore, looking lost and alone. I wish I could touch you and let you know how much you are loved. But time was cruel and swept me away. Now all I can do is flood the sky with color and hope that you know it’s me, loving you, needing you, wanting...

Added 24 Sep 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 3 | Avg Score 5 | Views 282 | 3 Comments

She sat by the water’s edge, watching the dolphins play. She wished he were still here, reminding her to be careful or telling her the same joke he’d told time after time. She could feel his presence so strongly by the water. It brought her comfort to know that he’d been proud of her, that his last breath had been to tell her he loved her. It was the kind of closure many people never get....

Added 16 Sep 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 8 | Avg Score 5 | Views 310 | 8 Comments

He loved her enough to let her go, and she loved him enough to come back. Each year, true to her word, she returned to the sea. Although she was grown, he still cautioned against the forces of evil. When she found true love, he accepted him. And when she gave him grandchildren, he delighted in them. Time passed, and the king was near death. “You’ll be queen soon,” he said softly. “I...

Added 15 Aug 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 10 | Avg Score 5 | Views 298 | 10 Comments

“I hate you!” she cried; her temper as fiery as her hair. “I don’t wish to punish you, but to keep you safe!” he said sadly. “I lost your Mother to the land; I cannot bear to lose you, too!” Her misery broke his heart, but his duty was to protect her. Eventually, contempt grew heavy in her heart. Accepting fate, she reached for her father’s hand. “I love you!” she cried as their hands...

Added 12 Aug 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 14 | Avg Score 5 | Views 344 | 14 Comments

“Stay below the waterline,” her father always said. But she was a redhead; she was stubborn and didn’t listen. She often defied him and would sneak out of their watery kingdom and head to the cove. Once there, she would not only poke her nose above the waterline, she would also lift herself up out of the sea and onto the rocks near the dry land. She craved the sunshine of the human world...

Added 08 Aug 2020 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 17 | Avg Score 5 | Views 378 | 16 Comments

As they sat watching the sun dipping into the blue-green water of the gulf, they sighed. It wasn’t the vacation they had planned, that was for sure. They’d spent the past two years planning an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa. Their chosen destination was Kenya, where they would have spent eight days on a safari, two nights at the Giraffe Manor, and one final night at a luxury hotel...

Added 02 Aug 2020 | Category Flash Fiction | Votes 23 | Avg Score 5 | Views 504 | 22 Comments