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.

Talia's back! Yay!

Otherwise things are pretty chill here. Cats are happy, I am happy, and Talia is happy. Sun is out. I have a story coming out next week in a cool mag. So, I'm choosing this fine day to write about all my dead friends in NYC.

I'll have a cup of that Deathwish.

Glad Talia’s back! Yay! Happy household!

My kitty Buttercup, and I are helping two Cardinals pad their nests with fur. Butters sheds in clumps of the softest balls of yellow fur. I brush her then drop balls of fur on balcony and we watch as a pair of cardinals fly off with the fur balls in their mouths. Hahaha! Their nest is in a big evergreen less than twenty feet away. 😀 Little baby birds will hatch into softest nest ever!

Wow. The boards are active enough to push this thread on to the second page of the New Posts. Actually, we have a second page now, which was not always the case.

Good morning from a rather moist Southern Ontario. Not complaining. I put some new plants down yesterday so saves me watering them.

How are you all doing?

Coffee of the day is La Chicas Yellow Catuai Dark Roast.

Teas are English Breakfast and Raspberry.

Washed the cold drink pitchers and made fresh unsweet iced tea and lemonade. Sodas are stocked up.

Hot water is ready for other teas and hot chocolate.

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!!

Quote by Mendalla

Wow. The boards are active enough to push this thread on to the second page of the New Posts. Actually, we have a second page now, which was not always the case.

I see it ranking as #3 on the first page. 🤔 Whatever the case, Inspirations is a very active thread. I'm glad I finally started posting here after merely looking at it several times.

Good morning, everyone.

It rained all last night and this morning with some claps of loud thunder last night. I used to like the night but now not so much. Darkness everywhere. However I like the darkness before dawn. Strange.

Nature is beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story about the cardinals and Buttercup, WriterGirl.

Another dreary morning, here. Not sure what the day holds for me.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Quote by WriterGirl
My kitty Buttercup, and I are helping two Cardinals pad their nests with fur. Butters sheds in clumps of the softest balls of yellow fur. I brush her then drop balls of fur on balcony and we watch as a pair of cardinals fly off with the fur balls in their mouths. Hahaha! Their nest is in a big evergreen less than twenty feet away. 😀 Little baby birds will hatch into softest nest ever!

I don't seem to have anybody building nests in the tree outside my office this year. Maybe they've noticed me now. Last year, when I set up that room as my office, there were cardinals in that tree. And I know we've had robins in it in the past, too, back when it was still my son's bedroom.

Good morning and happy Saturday, everyone!

The sun is shining, one of my dogs is curled on my lap, and hot coffee is sitting on a table in front of me. It’s another beautiful morning.

I hope you all have a beautiful day. ❤️

Aaaaaaand it is coffee and tea time!

The coffee pot has some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

Teas are Irish Breakfast and Buddha's Blend.

Water is boiled for other hot beverages.

Cold beverages are looking good.

Off to lunch with my beloved soon.

Have good one!!!!

Good morning folks

Today's cookies are flower theme : roses ,succulents, daisies, tulips and sunflowers. ( diabetic friendly, gluten-free and nut free too )

moving the old cookies to the emergency cookie tins behind the counter and giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

putting the fresh cookies in the glass cookie jar

Relaxing Saturday other than shopping for plants later

pouring a large glass of tea and adding sugar and lemon

Good afternoon, everyone!

I am having a very beautiful day thus far. The weather is sublime. I was writing this entry and as I began writing the second paragraph I realized this could be a memoir or something. I copied and pasted what I had written to a Word doc and started fresh here.

It is gorgeous outside. A true Spring day at its finest. My heart is overwhelmed with love, joy, peace and happiness. And nighttime is way far away. In addition to my family and the few friends I have, I love you all as well.

I've written and erased or written, copied/pasted then erased a plethora of things. That's my cue to end this post.

I hope you all are having a lovely day. ❤️

Hello. Had a nice day. Midday dinner (too big to call it a lunch) and a walk in the park with good company. Now get to see my son via the miracle of Skype. Hope others are doing well.

scarfs a tulip and a sunflower

Quote by Mendalla

Hello. Had a nice day. Midday dinner (too big to call it a lunch) and a walk in the park with good company. Now get to see my son via the miracle of Skype. Hope others are doing well.

scarfs a tulip and a sunflower

I'm very glad you enjoyed your day, Mendalla. I'm also very happy you got to see your son via Skype.

Bonjour, mes amies!

Per usual, I'm on the couch with my coffee in front of me. Pinky, the min pin, is on the chair next to me. She's an early riser. She sleeps with me. Rose, my pit bull, has yet to show herself. These two dogs are quite a pair. One gets jealous if I pet the other, yet their masters in crime when it comes to getting in trouble.

Yesterday was beautiful outside. After dinner, when the movie my family and I were watching had ended, we put the leashes on the dogs and went to a local famous ice cream place that also sells candy in rows of large glass bowls. They have really interesting ice cream flavors. I always get milkshakes; much less of a mess. Although chocolate is my favorite and always has been, I really like a flavor they have that resembles coffee flavor, but its more interesting yet simple.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Quote by Cora
I'm also very happy you got to see your son via Skype.

And his wife, too!! She doesn't always join our Skype calls but she did for this one (we had some news for them).

Quote by Cora
a local famous ice cream place that also sells candy in rows of large glass bowls

I don't think we have one of those in London. Some of the more touristy places have candy stores with ice cream bars but no place around here does that I know of. Sounds totally yummy and totally dangerous to my blood glucose but, hey, I had a slice of pecan pie for my dinner on Saturday and it didn't kill me. 😊

And a good morning to y'all.

Coffee is Tobermory Flowerpot Island. I've put some English Breakfast and Raspberry Royale in the teapots. Hot water is on to make other teas or hot chocolate. And the cold drink pitchers are washed and refilled with unsweet iced tea and lemonade.

Later, alligators!!

You know, even after 3 years, I still feel weird saying "son's wife" and "daughter-in-law". Due to circumstances, we weren't at the actual ceremony so that's probably part of it. And part is just realizing he's all growed up, I guess.

Quote by Mendalla

You know, even after 3 years, I still feel weird saying "son's wife" and "daughter-in-law". Due to circumstances, we weren't at the actual ceremony so that's probably part of it. And part is just realizing he's all growed up, I guess.

Thanks for sharing this tidbit about yourself, Mendalla. I could see why you feel weird saying, "son's wife," especially in light of realizing he's all grown up.

Good morning everyone!

Crazy night! 75 mph winds came blowing through, all night long. The house was shaking. I went and secured things as best I could at like 4 a.m. and almost blew away! Our front glass door was shattered and we lost 4 sections of fence! Lots of trash and debris in the yard too. Gonna be a long day, clearing the yard and calling insurance and setting up handyman calls. Arg.

Anyway. I could use a gallon or so of coffee - didn't get a lot of sleep.

Quote by verbal
Crazy night! 75 mph winds came blowing through, all night long. The house was shaking. I went and secured things as best I could at like 4 a.m. and almost blew away! Our front glass door was shattered and we lost 4 sections of fence! Lots of trash and debris in the yard too. Gonna be a long day, clearing the yard and calling insurance and setting up handyman calls. Arg.

Ouch. We had a day of heavy wind a few weeks back but I didn't see any damage of that degree. I've seen a couple fences under repair in the neighbourhood but not sure if that's from the storm or just fences that needed mending to start with. I have a tree that's going to have to come down but its location means its really only a threat to other vegetation and possibly a fence.

Hey, hey good morning, happy day!!

Throwing on some Fire Roasted Saint Drogo dark roast for the coffee crowd.

For teas, lets go with Scottish Breakfast and Raspberry.

Cold drinks are looking good.

We've got hot water boiled for other teas or hot chocolate.

Sunny here but that's supposed to change as the week wears on, with more variable weather looming.

Good morning, everyone.

Pinky, my min pin, is sleeping against my leg. Rose is most likely resting on her overstuffed chair. She's medium-sized for a pit bull but still a big dog. She's a master at curling into spall spaces. I think that's why she likes chairs so much. The mystery remains where the name Pinky came from. I tried changing it several times but Pinky wouldn't budge. The name stuck. When Rose came to the shelter for the first time they named her, Blessings. She quickly adapted to the name we had picked out for her. They are both filled with so much love. They are also oddballs.

I hope everyone is doing well and that you have a beautiful day.

Cora, yes, I've noticed that pet names have a certain sort of stickiness - after a certain point the name has chosen them!

Acupuncture today. Yay! Mostly it means relaxing for a half hour on a heated bed, but I think the needles really do help!

Other than that, writing and walking.

A coffee and a cookie would be the bee's knees!

Quote by verbal
A coffee and a cookie would be the bee's knees!

Makes it hard for the bee to walk, doesn't it? 😉

🤣

Quote by Mendalla

Makes it hard for the bee to walk, doesn't it? 😉

🤣

Thus the wings!

Good morning, everyone.

I sleep with my min pin, Pinky, and throughout the day she's almost always by my side. I left my lightweight pullover sitting on the couch yesterday when I took a nap in my room. I was later told Pinky had gotten up from her resting place on the couch to lay her head on my pullover. She also likes lying on a blanket I sometimes use. It's cute. She is now curled in a ball against my side. 😊

I started reading Jane Eyre but stopped. I very much enjoy Brontë's writing style, but I know how the book ends. When asked how the book was going I said I had stopped because I know the end. Immediately she said, "How many times have you watched 'Alias?' Three times? You always know how it ends yet you watch it." She had a good point. I think of the book everyday. I think it's one of those things where I just need to force myself to start doing and then I'll get in the swing of reading everyday like I was before. Hopefully that happens soon.

I'm also having a difficult time writing. I have ideas, partial ideas or hints of an idea, but I can't seem to form anything into a solid story (in general, not solely for the comp). It's as if I have a lock on my imagination. It's been going on for quite some time and is frustrating.

Not sure what the day holds for me. As for now, I have coffee in front of me. That's a start.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Quote by Cora

I started reading Jane Eyre but stopped. I very much enjoy Brontë's writing style, but I know how the book ends. When asked how the book was going I said I had stopped because I know the end. Immediately she said, "How many times have you watched 'Alias?' Three times? You always know how it ends yet you watch it." She had a good point. I think of the book everyday. I think it's one of those things where I just need to force myself to start doing and then I'll get in the swing of reading everyday like I was before. Hopefully that happens soon.

I read The Lord of the Rings probably seven or eight times. Dracula, probably my all time favourite novel, I've lost count (not to mention having seen many of the film versions). The ending is only part of the story. How the author gets you there is sometimes a majority of the fun.

Good morning, folks!

For coffee we've got Kicking Horse 454.

In the teapots, it's English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

Hot water is ready for other beverages.

Cold drinks are good to go.

Later, alligators.

Mendalla, as I was reading your post, Frankenstein came to mind. Are you, or anyone else, a fan of that classic novel?

And thank you for your encouraging words, especially, "The ending is only part of the story. How the author gets you there is sometimes a majority of the fun." 😊

Morning folks

Day 1 of my UTAH adventure has begun

In desperate need of coffee left Arizona at 2am ...

Thank goodness it was my friend driving and not me I don't do early mornings lol

Today's cookies are dinosaur shaped ...we are going to a dinosaur museum today

So we have Brontosaurus,Tyrannosaurus Rex ,Stegosaurus and ,Triceratops

*cleaning out the empty cookie jar and filling it to the tippy top with fresh cookies then giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

pouring a large coffee and settling down in my favorite overstuffed chair

Quote by DenimAngel

Morning folks

Day 1 of my UTAH adventure has begun

In desperate need of coffee left Arizona at 2am ...

Thank goodness it was my friend driving and not me I don't do early mornings lol

I hope you and your friend have fun on your road trip and at the dinosaur museum today, Sara.

I remember when I was in high school the road trips I'd take with my family. Mom, Dad, myself, and a younger sister and brother. From Chicago we went to New York, the Hamptons, Maine, Boston and out West to Colorado and Michigan.

Again, I hope you have fun. 😊❤️

Quote by Cora

Mendalla, as I was reading your post, Frankenstein came to mind. Are you, or anyone else, a fan of that classic novel?

I have read it through maybe 3 times?? Like it and do own an old paper copy as part of a collection of gothic novels but not as fond of it as Dracula. Not sure why vampires appeal to me so much. Besides Dracula, I'm also a fan of Carmilla, the early Anne Rice novels (I found she kind of jumped the shark later on, but Interview With The Vampire and The Vampire Lestat remain favourites), and a few others.

It's a bit of a weird miracle that I don't have any vampire stories written on here. I did write one in my youth but it has vanished into the mists of time and would have needed some serious work anyhow. Much of it was the vampire telling his story to a couple after basically worming his way into their home and lives which, really, I should have put as a flashback. Show don't tell and all that.

Later on, I did toy with a plan to revive it as the prologue to a longer work dealing with the couple's child and the ramifications for her of what happens to them in the story. But that came to nought and not sure I am interested in going there again.

Quote by Cora

Mendalla, as I was reading your post, Frankenstein came to mind. Are you, or anyone else, a fan of that classic novel?

And thank you for your encouraging words, especially, "The ending is only part of the story. How the author gets you there is sometimes a majority of the fun." 😊

I wrote a paper comparing Frankenstein to Grendel (which is a modern retelling of Beowulf). It really is a good book (both books, actually).

Long day. I haven't written a darn word today. Hopefully I can get a little free time now.

Coffee and a cookie would be cool.

Thanks for sharing that, Mendalla. If you are not sure you are interested in going back to that story, maybe you will become inspired to write something different in the genre of supernatural.

You said you were not sure why vampires appeal to you so much. I believe that most, if not all people have something they are drawn to but do not know the reason why. I could be wrong. In any case, thank you for sharing your story and answering my question about Frankenstein.

Hey, verbal. I saw you posted as I was writing this post. Looking forward to reading your post.

Coffee time, coffee time, everybody loves coffee time (sing that to the old Spiderman theme)

Except tea drinkers, of course. ☕️😊

Good morning, world!! The sun is shining (where I am, your mileage may vary) and the grass is green (ditto).

So let's see here. Haven't had Deathwish for a while, so here's their Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend. It was created for rock guitarist Zakk Wylde, who has been in several bands over the years, currently in the revived Pantera.

For teas, how about some Cream of Earl Grey and Scottish Breakfast. Plus hot water if you want to brew your own.

Checkin' the fridge shows that we are good for the cold bevvies.

Later, alligators.