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.

It's Canada Day up Canada way on the first day of July...

So sang one of this country's great songwriters, Stompin' Tom. In honour of the day, here's pancakes with real Canadian maple syrup. Coffee is Timmy's Dark Roast (because Canada) and teas are Canadian Breakfast and Vinyl Cafe, both genuinely, authentically Canadian from my local tea shop. There's fresh lemonade and unsweet iced tea in the fridge. Sodas are stocked up, including a selection from Canadian legends, Pop Shoppe. There's actually been two runs of that brand. The first started in London, Ontario (Yay!) in 1969 and I remember them from my youth. They went bust in the eighties but the brand was revived in Burlington, Ontario in 2004. Have not actually tried them since the revival.

And some Canadian music. The Globe & Mail, one of Canada's biggest papers, did a list of "101 Canadian Albums You Need To Hear" for Canada Day this year. It's a real mix from classical greats like pianist Glenn Gould to the great Canadian singer-songwriters from the sixties and seventies (Young, Mitchell, Lightfoot, Cohen) to popular contemporary stars like Drake and The Weeknd. But one metal band made the list. Anvil started in 1978 and are cited as a major influence on thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer).

Here's a live performance of the title track from Metal On Metal by Anvil, one of the 101 Canadian albums you need to hear.

And forty plus years on, they are still at it. This is from last year's One And Only.

Happy Canada Day!

Here in the US it’s “we stopped that nation-destroying bill from being passed” day. They voted all night long but thus far, they are unable to throw 11 million people off of health care to pay for billionaire tax cuts. Stay tuned.

Hot and sunny here. Write and walk today. I haven’t done that in awhile.

Sieze the coffee cup!

EDIT: The bill passed the Senate. The billionaires are in charge now.

Quote by verbal
The bill passed the Senate. The billionaires are in charge now.

Thought that a different version passed the House and reconciliation would be needed? So it may not yet be over. Keep fighting. I was a bit po'd at the revocation of the Digital Service Tax. Giving Trump his way make ape grumpy. I am not a big fan of some of the regulatory moves Canada has made around digital services (like enforcing Can-con on services like YouTube), but using a tax to keep some of the profits in Canada was one I could handle.

Quote by Mendalla

Thought that a different version passed the House and reconciliation would be needed? So it may not yet be over. Keep fighting. I was a bit po'd at the revocation of the Digital Service Tax. Giving Trump his way make ape grumpy. I am not a big fan of some of the regulatory moves Canada has made around digital services (like enforcing Can-con on services like YouTube), but using a tax to keep some of the profits in Canada was one I could handle.

The Senate was our last, best chance. It's a sad day.

My apologies for being political. I will attempt to be chill from now on.

So now that my country's birthday is over with, we can get back to our regular fun and games. There's Deathwish Dark Roast on in the coffee pot. For teas we have Cream of Earl Grey and Kenyan Tinderet (a really nice African black tea). And there's the usual assortment of cold drinks in the fridge.

I am struggling a bit with writing. I'm producing, but it's all for another site and I'm despairing of ever being able to get a project for here to the finish line. They just all seem to languish or ramble on. I was reviewing some of my options yesterday and I am still not really sure which one to pursue. Or just toss the lot and start something new. Part of my problem is my penchant for starting to write with a scene or general idea in mind but no real sense of where it should go or how it will end. Or I have an idea of how it will end but grow to hate it as I progress and halt before I get there.

I am looking forward to the 4th of July celebrations. I have been absent from stories space for a while, but I am enjoying the new stories.

Quote by rolandlytle

I am looking forward to the 4th of July celebrations. I have been absent from stories space for a while, but I am enjoying the new stories.

Whoa, Roland is back! Hello there, stranger. Hope all is well with you. Have a great Fourth.

To rephrase a song by Stompin' Tom Connors:

It's Independence Day

Down America way

On the fourth day of July

Happy Fourth, my American neighbours!! Have a good one!!

There's Kicking Horse Happy Camper on for coffee. Bigelow's (American brand) Earl Grey and Raspberry Royale on for teas. Lots of sodas from both sides of the border along with pitchers of unsweet iced tea and lemonade for those needing a cold beverage. And in honour of both countries celebrating b-days this week, here's the cake.

Good morning. I want to thank everyone for your patience with my silence. In the last few months, I've lost several people, I've been sick, and my father has not been doing well. It is hard to stay fully focused on being responsible when your mind is pulled to its breaking point. I want to publicly thank gillianleeza and Sherzahd for everything they do. They are amazing. I don't know what either I or the site would do without y'all.

As for my announcement, I thought a fun little summer flash was in order: https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/writing-competitions-and-calls-for-submissions/summer-love-competition

I saw that on the front page. Nice banner. Will begin contemplating.

Sorry to hear you've been having a bad year. Sending good vibes and condolences on the losses. Take care.

I’m so sorry to hear of those hard times, Molly! Always take care of yourself! Let people who want to help, do so! ❤️

Thank you for posting another fun comp for us! ❤️

Quote by Molly

Good morning. I want to thank everyone for your patience with my silence. In the last few months, I've lost several people, I've been sick, and my father has not been doing well. It is hard to stay fully focused on being responsible when your mind is pulled to its breaking point. I want to publicly thank gillianleeza and Sherzahd for everything they do. They are amazing. I don't know what either I or the site would do without y'all.

As for my announcement, I thought a fun little summer flash was in order: https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/writing-competitions-and-calls-for-submissions/summer-love-competition

.

So very sorry to hear that, Molly. You don't deserve that – no one does.

And thanks for thinking of us, even so.

Sounds like it should be a light-hearted and delightful comp! I already know the story I want to tell – an adaptation of something that actually happened to me – now I just have to find the time to write it.

Quote by verbal

Here in the US it’s “we stopped that nation-destroying bill from being passed” day. They voted all night long but thus far, they are unable to throw 11 million people off of health care to pay for billionaire tax cuts. Stay tuned.

EDIT: The bill passed the Senate. The billionaires are in charge now.

.

There's more in that bill than just tax-cuts for billionaires at the expense of the poor, unfortunately. One thing that has largely escaped notice is all the money for ICE. It's just barely less than Canada spends in total on national defence!

What's that person going to do with all the money, and all those people, you ask?

He's going to set them up as his storm troopers, his SS. They've already shown a proclivity to nab people – any people, citizen or not, including "enemies" – without due process, to wear masks, and refuse to show ID. It's going to be "Nacht und Nebel" in the Land of the Free, I fear.

And I'm sure there are other rotten Easter eggs buried in the 1,000+ pages of crapola as well.