Inspirations, the Stories Space Coffee House: If you're reading this it just might mean I'm back, sorta. If you're not reading this, well, congratulations.

Hello everyone, just popped in to say hello and goodbye for a while. I have one last story for SS and assuming it passes the mods will be posted in time for Christmas. It’s a Christmas ghost story. I just wanted to say a big thank you to all the nice people who took the time to read and vote on my stories. It has been fun and I have learned a lot. I will pop back from time to time to say hello. In the meantime, have a very happy Christmas and god bless. Kindest regards, Verity

Quote by Verity

Hello everyone, just popped in to say hello and goodbye for a while. I have one last story for SS and assuming it passes the mods will be posted in time for Christmas. It’s a Christmas ghost story. I just wanted to say a big thank you to all the nice people who took the time to read and vote on my stories. It has been fun and I have learned a lot. I will pop back from time to time to say hello. In the meantime, have a very happy Christmas and god bless. Kindest regards, Verity

Back atcha Verity. I have been lazy about reading of late, but I will definitely check it out.

Made a very cool short story sale yesterday - made my day, and put the wind back in my virus-ravaged sails. They told me not to say anything just yet, but I will eventually - it's a really good market for the horror writers on the site. I'm pretty excited.

Feeling a little better. Gonna try and write today, but I'm still pretty coughy and snorky. Thank God Talia is here today. I don't see myself as one of those guys who need to be babied when they're sick, but Talia would probsbly be the best one to answer that question.

Okay. Limited amount of energy - let's use it wisely.

A coffee and one of the Beatles cookies please.

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here enjoying the sunshine.

Got some things done today now it's time for Cookies!

I found cool thing at the store today a Virginia Tech Hokies t-shirt which is a rare find on this side of the Mississippi unless you order online

Moving the old cookies to the emergency cookie tins behind the counter and filling the cookie jars to the tippy top with fresh cookies*

Today we have zoo animal cookies : lions , tigers polar bears ,seals , giraffes, and monkeys

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Stay safe everyone

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.😋

Glances around to make sure James isn't looking, then takes a polar bear

Goooooood morning, Stories Space!!!

Coffee is hot in the pot. Tea du jour is Kenyan Tinderet. Hot water is ready for other beverages or ramen.

The story that I entered in Ghost Orchid Press' competition is up here now, having been rejected by them. Give it a read and see what you think.

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/horror/an-encounter-in-the-woods-by-night

Feeling a little better. Coughing and tired, but I'm on the mend.

Quiet day. Write and rest. I'm building a really crazy conspiracy theory involving Ring doorbells scanning people's brains surreptitiously. It's pretty fun.

I see the owners have locked out the players in American baseball. Grrr. Mets now have Sherzer, so of course they're gonna cancel the season.

I'd love a coffee and one of those cute lil monkey cookies.

Quote by verbal
I'm building a really crazy conspiracy theory involving Ring doorbells scanning people's brains surreptitiously.

You mean they don't do that now? 😲

Gotta love creativity. Best Church Decorating Award winner - European Edition.

Hi folks

Beautiful day here.

Helped a friend hang a cabinet fun experience.

A large hot chocolate with a double handful of mini marshmallows

Good thing you doubled the marshmallow order Ape

Peeking in the cookie jars we are in good shape

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Now time to relax for the evening.

Just popping in to catch up with everyone's news! I've done a bit of much-needed reading, but I must check out the Santa vs Zombies story!

Glad you're starting to feel better, Verbs!

I'll grab myself a coffee and some of Sara's delicious cookies.

Good morning henrietta and all. Thanks to those who have read my new story (see sig). And if you haven't, remember that it is a ghost story. Lights on is mandatory unless you like getting spooky little shivers.

Coffee is on and the tea du jour in the teapot is a new one. Illam is a black tea from Nepal, described as similar to Darjeeling from neighbouring India. And there is hot water ready for other teas and hot chocolate.

I would spill salad dressing on my shirt while watching Alan.

Especially when I've finally found something that fits the delicate balance between wanting to see him and wanting to listen to his voice.

Did Alan ever do any audiobooks? I suspect he would be great narrator.

Quote by Mendalla

Did Alan ever do any audiobooks? I suspect he would be great narrator.

Not officially, but he did narrate (and star in) The Song of Lunch and a few other things.

Oh, and on today's episode of "Things That Shouldn't Sound Like Poetry," his description of piss from said short film.

Dang it is quiet here today. Anyhow, I put on both coffee and Red Rose tea just in case someone saunters by. There's hot water, too, for other teas and hot beverages.

Made a big oops today. Was doing a project to move my stories to another cloud drive since my Google Drive was getting full due to us storing backups of family videos and photos on it. And while doing so, I accidentally perma-deleted the zip file that I downloaded from Google Drive that had ALL my SS stories in it including some unpublished drafts. 😢

Recovered my old stuff easily enough. I had a zip with everything up to the end of 2020 in it (the text files you could download in batch from the old Stories Space) and figured out how to get copies of the 2021 stories (printed them to PDF using the MS Print to PDF driver).

Doesn't help with my drafts, though. I had already done a hard pruning and only kept two (an idea for another story in the world of The Goddess Dances and the beginnings of a sequel to The Healer's Secret) but the parts that were written were pretty good IMHO.

Hi peeps

It's quiet in here .

Puts the tea kettle on .

Pours a cup of hot cocoa topping it with a handful of marshmallows.

Feeling kind of under the weather today so the cookies in the cookie jar will have to be okay for one more day.

Fresh cookies in the morning.

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Stay safe everyone

Good morning!

Fresh coffee is brewing, there's some Irish Breakfast in the tea pot, and the hot water urn is full to the tippy-top for other hot beverages. Updated our stock of cocoa. Marshmallows are still holding up.

Kind of gray and meh here but we seem to have mostly missed the storm they were saying would hit last night. Just some rain or maybe freezing rain in late evening.

Ho. Ho. Ho. Now I have a machine gun shaped cookie.

Sorry Elyse. I was thinking of changing my avatar to Hans Gruber, but I didn't want to freak you out.

Still trying to wake up. The cold is much better, but it's lingering. And I have to write my way out of a corner I've ended up in today. Right now it's like my characters are wandering around aimlessly, checking their watches, waiting for the plot to start up.

Anyone watching The Shrink Next Door? It's really good. And really disturbing, considering the cast is two very likable actors. I never thought Paul Rudd could act before, but he really disappears into this role. Excellent show.

Time to pretend I know what I'm doing. A coffee and a cookie please.

Time to get things rolling in here, for those just waking up. 🙃

Quote by gypsy

Time to get things rolling in here, for those just waking up. 🙃

Those're very funny. Thanks.

Cold is beginning to fade. Yay! Nothing to do today but write. Amazon is supposed to drop off a million packages today for Christmas. Talia got my daughter a better present than I did. I'll take to bullet to preserve family harmony.

Very soon, on a clear night, I am goin to set the alarm for 5 a.m., grab the telescope, drive a short ways into the country, and go find Comet Leonard. I LOVE comet hunting. I used to do it a lot, back in the day.

Okay. Time to get to work.

A coffee and a monkey cookie please.

Hi peeps

Sorry for no cookies yesterday.. spent yesterday and today helping out at the little butcher shop in town and herding cats

So now it's time for a very large hot chocolate with double handful of mini marshmallows

I do have fresh cookies today.*moving the old cookies to the emergency cookie tins behind the counter and filling the cookie jars to the tippy top *

In Big Bird : snickerdoodles,pecan divines, carrot cake cookies and triple chocolate chip cookies

In Cookie Monster: ginger snaps, pecan divines, lemon softies and triple chocolate chip cookies

In Elmo : flourless fudge cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, chewy snickerdoodles and dark chocolate chip cookies

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Stay safe

Quote by verbal

Ho. Ho. Ho. Now I have a machine gun shaped cookie.

Sorry Elyse. I was thinking of changing my avatar to Hans Gruber, but I didn't want to freak you out.

Probably for the best that you didn't, yeah, since I don't share Alan very well (read: I don't share him at all).

I hope everyone is doing well. I think I am finally over Thanksgiving (long story) and ready to plan for Christmas. I have no idea who will be coming and on what day. Hopefully, my youngest will make it in time, but if not, at least he will be home for a few weeks before heading off to Germany to start his new life with his future bride.

Thanks, Gypsy for starting my day in the right way, very funny ( I rarely giggle over breakfast) but I guess all the others are still in bed now.

BUT, I am very worried about what I can get my dear lady for Christmas. What can you get for a lady who seems to have everything, including amazing powers of understanding and patience to have to have tolerated me (and my crazed obsession with old movies) for all of sixty three years?

I'd better heat up the kettle ( if Mr Ape doesn't mind), make myself a hot chocolate with a triple chocolate crisp cookie out of cookie monster. Then I'll sit here a short while, and try to solve my Christmas problem.

Glad that video helped get your day started with giggles, Jim. I must have watched it five times yesterday, and it always makes me laugh.

what does your wife like? Special teas? Biscuits? Gift boxes with selections can be a good (safe) choice. Books?

But I know, choosing gifts can be complex after a while of being together.

I - all I have to do is think about Alan and my entire body becomes tingly and my tummy fills with butterflies, even after ten years.

Honestly, I love you has never been and will never be enough where he's concerned. In fact, it almost seems like an insult cause the words I need don't exist.

Quote by gypsy
Gift boxes with selections can be a good (safe) choice.

Thanks for your assist, Gypsy. Special teas would be fine, but I know our granddaughter always gets her those, also she is not a biscuit guzzler like me! I'm always in for a good (safe) choice so perhaps, if you have time, you could inform me what a gift box would contain and it could go on the list.

However, within the past two hours she has indicated a Van Gogh which has taken her fancy. Oh, yeah? Sounds grand, eh? His 'Almond Blossom.' Only it's a 76cm x 50cm print on wrapped canvas. I'm sure it will look great on our newly painted bedroom wall, and will certainly make up as a part gift. But I can't imagine her leaving it unwrapped until Christmas Day.

And I'm stuck for a surprise for her. Cruises and holiday specials are out these days. But thanks for your ideas, they have set the old brainbox buzzing. Glad to hear if any one else has ideas.

Oh, go on, I'll have another hot chocolate and choc cookie!

Quote by redwriter

Quote by gypsy
Gift boxes with selections can be a good (safe) choice.

Thanks for your assist, Gypsy. Special teas would be fine, but I know our granddaughter always gets her those, also she is not a biscuit guzzler like me! I'm always in for a good (safe) choice so perhaps, if you have time, you could inform me what a gift box would contain and it could go on the list.

However, within the past two hours she has indicated a Van Gogh which has taken her fancy. Oh, yeah? Sounds grand, eh? His 'Almond Blossom.' Only it's a 76cm x 50cm print on wrapped canvas. I'm sure it will look great on our newly painted bedroom wall, and will certainly make up as a part gift. But I can't imagine her leaving it unwrapped until Christmas Day.

And I'm stuck for a surprise for her. Cruises and holiday specials are out these days. But thanks for your ideas, they have set the old brainbox buzzing. Glad to hear if any one else has ideas.

Oh, go on, I'll have another hot chocolate and choc cookie!

What about fashion accessories, such as silk scarves? Does she wear those? Nice leather gloves? Small and could be a real surprise. An umbrella? Not only useful, but more than one can be handy, like a smaller folding one that can be easy to have with her in case it rains. Even better, a reverse opening umbrella.

https://reversibleumbrellas.com/reverse-opening-umbrella-why-you-need-one/

Umbrellas wear out, get borrowed or left in taxi cabs - I know!

What about a gift certificate to a shop she likes? Books?

Or make a donation in her name to a charity or cause she supports and believes in. Often those supply a card for in the recipients name.

I suspect you can keep that Van Gogh print wrapped up until the 25th!

Quote by redwriter

Quote by gypsy
Gift boxes with selections can be a good (safe) choice.

Thanks for your assist, Gypsy. Special teas would be fine, but I know our granddaughter always gets her those, also she is not a biscuit guzzler like me! I'm always in for a good (safe) choice so perhaps, if you have time, you could inform me what a gift box would contain and it could go on the list.

However, within the past two hours she has indicated a Van Gogh which has taken her fancy. Oh, yeah? Sounds grand, eh? His 'Almond Blossom.' Only it's a 76cm x 50cm print on wrapped canvas. I'm sure it will look great on our newly painted bedroom wall, and will certainly make up as a part gift. But I can't imagine her leaving it unwrapped until Christmas Day.

And I'm stuck for a surprise for her. Cruises and holiday specials are out these days. But thanks for your ideas, they have set the old brainbox buzzing. Glad to hear if any one else has ideas.

Oh, go on, I'll have another hot chocolate and choc cookie!

You could write her a story. Buy her a nice teacup and tea and a story that involves it.

What do I know? I give my wife Pez.

This cold is still malingering. Grrr. It's No Talia Wednesday, and the cats are clearly nervous. They may have noticed my internet searches involving trebuchets and low earth orbit.

Time to caffeine up and get this day started! Coffee and a Christmas-y cookie.

Quote by verbal
It's No Talia Wednesday, and the cats are clearly nervous. They may have noticed my internet searches involving trebuchets and low earth orbit.

Hey, the Soviets started by launching a dog so .... 😉 But that would have to be one helluva trebuchet.

Good day. Quiet life around here these days. Sorry I'm a bit scarce. Just dealing with life.

Putting on some more coffee and tea (Scottish Breakfast). The hot water urn is full for other hot bevvies.

Later, alligators.