Quote by verbal

Looks like a fun trip Sara. Thanks for the pics. I can travel vicariously through you!

Gill, a few weeks ago I was up til 5 a.m. because the wind was blowing so hard. It wasn't unpleasant, I just watched the trees thrash until I fell asleep.

Today my novel critique group is finishing my book. So, if you see me covered in psychic bruises, you know why. It'll be nice to get it in the rear view mirror though.

Lotsa coffee and a Vegas-shaped cookie please.

I thought you normally looked lumpy! My mistake.

I'll take a mug of Scottish Breakfast tea, and a couple of GF cookies. You'll find me (if anyone wants to) in Sara's corner, munching quietly – as is my wont.

Quote by Molly

Hello. We thought it would be fun to give you all a photo challenge to keep those creative juices flowing. You all came through beautifully with the last competition and we don't want the momentum to stop!

Here are the rules:

- I will give the photo prompt, every story should have the photo as its cover(if you need help let me know).
- From there you are free to take it where ever you'd like and in whatever category and length you choose.
- Please make sure to follow Storiespace guidelines for acceptable content.
- Please include Photo as a tag.
- This is just a challenge and all for fun, no prizes or awards will be given.
- There is no time limit for entries.

Here is your photo prompt...have fun with it!

Hey Molly!

Sounds like fun! Hmm…Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken"? The light at the end of the…driveway?? Stairway to…the mailbox?

OK, now you've got me thinking!

One question, though: How are we supposed to fit that photo in a 512 x 800-pixel rectangle?

Quote by DenimAngel

Animals at cabelas in reno nv

Hey! So THAT'S what happened to cousin Fergus! He was bragging about getting a job where all he had to do was be stuffed, stand around, and yawn! He never told us he was in a diorama!

Looks like a great trip, Sara!

Quote by gillianleeza

It's not cold here yet, but it will be more fall-like next week. In the meantime, I am enjoying daily walks in one of my favorite parks near me. It has magnificent trees. Tomorrow will be a washout with rain leftover from hurricane Nicole expected to dump heavy rains in the area.

I'm excited that my son and his new bride will be here from Germany next week. Our bathroom remodel of our guest bath will be finished in time. We need the shower glass and granite for the bench seat. I am proud to say I was promoted to tile cutter for most of this project. I usually only do the grouting. I was a little too slow but got better toward the end.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Cheers!

Do you accept borders? That looks like a fabulous washroom!

Hmm…guess I'm first to stick my muzzle in here, so…

Pots of Red Rose and Irish Breakfast teas – check!

Coffee pot rinsed, refilled, and perkin' – check

Checking into the cookie tins to make sure there's somethin' I wanna eat – Check Check!

I'll take a mug of Irish Breakfast, and some of Sara's GF cookies back to her corner, and see if she has any pictures of her trip to share!

Interesting result in the US elections. The "red wave" apparently didn't materialize, and the Democrats look like they may hold the Senate, but lose the House.

Bring on the Impeach Biden hearings!

Silly people…and five more months until baseball starts up again…

(goes off grumbling)

Sounds like you had a fabulous time, Sara! I love the Grand Canyon, but Bryce is actually my favourite in that part of the world! It's very much like a fairyland come to life.

Whereas I spent MY day producing a large batch of the World Famous Spaghetti Orsolini – from the Italian branch of the Polar Bear family, y'unnerstand. It's an old family recipe, from a family of old people!

But it tastes DE-lish in the middle of winter! I make a big batch, and then parcel it into individual day servings for two people. Makes about 8-10 meals. MMMmmmmm!

Quote by Mendalla

Good morning. My London has apparently decided to emulate its namesake and get all foggy. Not too bad in my neighborhood but apparently there's near zero visibility in some areas.

So, come on in out of whatever physical, emotional, or spiritual fog you're in and have a cuppa your favourite hot beverages.

Las Chicas Don Rey occupies the coffee pot again. English Breakfast and Black Currant is in the teapots. Kettle is on standby for hot chocolate or other fine teas.

How are things in the rest of the SS world?

Oh, and the aforementioned new Ping story:

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/realistic-fiction/trigger-happy

I'll have a cuppa English Breakfast tea, please, and a GF cookie. I'll be off in the corner, snoozing, but pretending to be reading, 'K?

Quote by Mendalla

He'd better. It's as good as you'd expect from him. And I got to be the first commenter. Yay?

I'll second that emotion…and comment!

Worth reading, folks! Find it here:

Trigger Happy

And no, it's NOT about Roy Rogers' horse!

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for the set-up. I'll take some tea and a couple of Sara's GF cookies!

I remember once, as a kid, we got PAMPHLETS from one household for Hallowe'en. Turns out they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

They had a son a grade ahead of me. I used to feel sorry for him at all the holidays.

But I like the idea of books AND candy! Neat!

Quote by Mendalla

It's morning! Well, here it is. It's probably afternoon somewhere else. And evening elsewhere. And night somewhere again. So good whatever it is where you are right now.

There's coffee to wake you up or keep you awake. And pots of Irish Breakfast and Cream of Earl Grey teas if you're more into that source of caffeine. Kettle is ready if you need something else, like a camomile tea to put you to sleep or hot chocolate to warm up.

I'm stalling on my latest story. Questioning the scene I am on. Questioning the general direction of it. This is what killed this particular story idea last time I tried to write it. Conceptually, it's a great "Beauty and the Beast" story but getting it to gel on the page? Good luck.

Hey Mendalla,

The method I use, when I'm up against a brick wall, is to back off and CHARGE! My slogan is "Write fast, edit slow" (and yes, I know it should be "slowly"). In other words, I go ahead and just write whatever my pen (or keyboard) wants to let happen, and then circle back and start changing stuff

Of course, I've usually worked out the basic plot in my head before I start, so that helps.

Anyway, different strokes and all that.

I'd like some Irish Breakfast in a mug, with a couple of Sara's GF cookies!

And I hope she has a wizard time on her hols!

Okey-dokey. Big market day here. My lady wife and I went to the local farmer's market first thing (when it opens), then came home, had breakfast and some tea, then went off to a semi-annual craft market, where we spent more money than I thought we would.

No surprise there, really. My wife loves craft fairs, and we always wind up with – what's the word? Tchotchkes, I think. Anyway, we've got some more now than we did this morning!

Quote by DenimAngel

Bear the gluten-free cookies are in the ELMO COOKIE JAR on counter

Oops! I can't find things in my own home, either. My wife despairs of me sometimes. No, make that "most times", and it's especially dismaying (to me) when the thing I was looking for appears, as by magic, on the counter right in front of me! Not fair!

But then, I'm sure I'm the only husband in the world that has that problem!

Quote by Mendalla

Good evening! Is anyone else having problems with embedded videos like the one verbs posted above me? Basically I just see a grey box and if I try to play it, I get an error. Videos that I post are okay, though. I've put in a ticket but wondering if it is just me, in which case I might try doing some troubleshooting on my end.

It might be, Medalla, that it's because we're not from the U S of A, but rather the True North…A copyright thing, perhaps.

I've started up tea – we've got Red Rose and Mango Pear White Tea in the pots. And I've started up the coffee, so it should be ready to go!

Lemme check the cookies to see if Sara left any gluten-free goodies…hmmm…don't see any. Oh well, I could stand to lose a little weight. I'll be in the back, trying to catch up on my reading…

Quote by DenimAngel

Hi peeps

…

The world series should be interesting..don't have a dog in the fight so not sure who I'll cheer for. It starts tomorrow

I'll root against the Astros, so I guess that means I'll root for the Phillies. Besides, Bryce Harper surely deserves a ring, and this is his chance to get it.

The odds, though, say the Astros will walk all over the Phillies. Let's see if David can slay Goliath once again.

At least the Phillies have a great mascot. The Phanatic is the best in the business!

(wanders in, switches on the lights)

I guess I'm first in. Okay, well…

There. Tea's maid…I mean "made"…Red Rose and Assam teas in pots on the sideboard, coffee's hot and ready.

I think I'll grab a cuppa Red Rose, and mosey on back to snuggle up in a booth. It's chilly out there today! Temps just above freezing, but humid so it really bites!

Smart thermostat goes in tomorrow, and yes, I also like it cool when I sleep, but hate waking up to a cold house! I'm also learning the vagaries of a water softener, never having had one before.

It's all good! And the sun is shining, so there's that.

Evening, all! Busy day – we had a skylight replaced, which is…fun. This is a new (to us) house, and we're trying to make sure everything is up to scratch before the winter.

Almost there. Going to replace the thermostat with a smart one, and then re-engineer some of the eavestroughing. After that, whatever's left will have to wait for Spring.

Meanwhile, I'd like a mug of Red Rose and a couple of GF cookies, if there are any. I'll sneak back into the corner, and maybe try to get some reading done. I'm having trouble concentrating today. I may be coming down with something.

We'll see.

Quote by Mendalla

Good evening. I am returned from my two day meeting. It was not a total snore as I feared but, yeah, a two day work meeting.

So hopefully I can get back into a more normal life cycle

"Normal"? Wat is dis "normal" you is talking about???

Quote by elizabethblack

Oh, a nice tea would do just fine right now. I just finished my Halloween costume for my ladies luncheon tomorrow. We should have about 20. I have to tell you about one of the most wonderful costumes someone wore a few years ago. She was dressed in white clothes with empty tins and boxes and papers all over it. She was.....ready?.....White Trash.

I wore an authentic looking costume my mother made years ago of an Arab. With the headgear and a mustache, no one could guess who it was. That was a huge laugh.

My favourite costume was one where I made people guess who I was.

Plain blue suit, white shirt, striped tie, fedora, and horn-rimmed glasses.

After they gave up, I pulled my shirt apart to show the Superman "S" underneath…

Everyone had a laugh at that.

Love the White Trash idea, though. Maybe try to steal that one day, if I'm ever invited to a fancy dress party!

Don't see hide nor hair of Mendalla, so …

I've put the tea kettle on, and have pots of Red Rose and Earl Grey on the side.

The coffee machine has been rinsed, given a light scrub, refilled, reloaded with fresh grounds.

(checks cookie containers) Yup, still some cookies left. Hoping Sara will come in with some fresh ones today – I've eaten most of the gluten-free ones!

Verbal, I've never really understood the tentacle thing. Maybe if you use little words, I'll understand the attraction?

Gooooooooooood morning Vietnam! to quote Robin Williams.

Hmm…nobody around. Well, I'll get the tea kettle going and make some coffee, then mosey on over to a window seat and watch the world go by with one of Sara's GF cookies.

Looks like another cool, overcast day here, but they're promising warmer weather over the weekend.

Try saying THAT five times fast with a mouthful of marbles!

Morning all. A raw, wet day here. Feels more like November than October. The weather folk say that there's warm weather coming again next week, but given their recent track records, I'll believe that when we get it!

Some Red Rose in a mug, please. Sweets for the sweet, after all!

And a couple of Sara's GF cookies, perhaps, while I retreat to the back and relax.

Quote by DenimAngel

Hi folks

Elmo = gluten free friendly cookies

In Elmo: pumpkin spice cookies, chocolate strawberry shortbread cookies, pineapple coconut shortbread cookies and hot cocoa and marshmallow cookies

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday. Not much going on here.

Y'know, I didn't used to like pumpkin spice anything, but I've gradually come around to it for cookies and cuppycakes, so thanks, Sara, for the GF cookies! A rare treat!

(walks in, grumpy, slumps onto the floor)

My team, the Jays, didn't just lose – they embarrassed themselves.

And the blame belongs in the front office. Other teams stocked up on arms for the post-season. And one of the pitchers that they should have gone after beat them in Game 1…so someone should fire their asses!

(GRUMPS)

Hmmm…Mendala must be at the market or something.

So, lights on, tea kettle hot and steamy, pots of Red Rose and Nilgiri teas on the side.

Coffee's made, and hot in the urn, so come on down!

Meanwhile, the Jays lost yesterday behind their ace. Backs against the wall, they'd better get their bats out today or they will view the season as lost.

To lose to the Astros would be forgivable. To Seattle – not so much.

Nothing against Seattle – they've got a good pitching team. But to go out in the first round would be embarrassing, especially given that they did the same thing last time they were in the playoffs – and missed the playoffs last year by one lousy game!

I'm gonna grab a cuppa Red Rose and wander back and sit and be grumpy, okay?

Congratulations to all 10 winners & placers! I'm ecstatic that three of my favourites wound up on the podium!

I say – coffee & cookies for everyone – on WriterGirl's tab!

WoW! I can't believe that three of my favourites made the podium!

Congratulations you three, especially WriterGirl and my friend Mendalla! And InThisMoment's poem was terrific, and more than deserving of being up there!

And congratulations to all of the Top Ten! I heartily concur with the choices, and am just as heartily glad that I didn't have t try to select from among all the entries!

Huzzah! This calls for a Celebration!

(pads in quietly, looks around)

Hmm…I guess Mendalla must still be goofing off…I mean, "on vacation." Hope he's having a good time.

I've got the tea kettle on, and pots of Red Rose and Lemon Zinger teas available.

Coffee's perking, and the lights are on.

I've finished reading all the poems for the competition, and have gone back and selected a small number of favourites – which pretty much ensures that none of them will win!

I'm gonna go back into Sara's corner with a cuppa Red Rose, and see if I can't find some other great stuff to read! Wake me in a while, OK?

😴

I am always grateful that I'm not a judge, but especially so when it calls for poetry.

"I'd rather have been a judge than a miner…"

– Peter Cook & Dudley Moore

I'd like a cuppa Earl Grey please, and if there are any of Sara's gluten-free cookies left, a couple of those as well.

Quote by Mendalla

Bonjour from Trois Rivieres. Crashing here before heading home to the jungles of Southwestern Ontario. Decided to just enjoy our time in La Belle Province and leave poor NB for another trip.

Will read the three poems that I have not tonight, so just under the wire. Saw some scenery that could inspire new poems but some actually fits well with my comp entry as it is. Will post a few pics once I am home and have consolidated my camera photos with the ones on my phone.

Enjoy La Belle Province, mon ami! Jay and I have always wanted to visit the north shore of St. Lawrence, but so far haven't made it. I understand it's supposed to be quite beautiful in all seasons.

Now, let's get some caffeination happening, 'K?

Tea's hot, kettle's bubbling, there are pots of Red Rose and Jasmine teas on the side.

Coffee's perkin', and Sara was in the other day with fresh cookies, so enjoy!

After a while, crocodiles!

Yeah, I was out running errands all day for my lady wife, so didn't get a chance to come in and heat things up.

BTW, folks, Verbal is the latest entry in the comp with a lovely, luscious entry. Find it here:

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/long-game

.

Meanwhile, I'll grab a cuppa and a cookie and go sit back in Sara's Seat and see what develops!

Quote by gillianleeza

I often feel like I am in the minority since I do not drink coffee or tea. And now I have given up soda, so no caffeine, sugar, or carbonated drinks. I've been so pleasant to be around the last few weeks. I'm trying to get under control some of my long Coivd symptoms, so I am willing to try everything to get back to my old self.

The weather has finally turned fall-like. I am thrilled to have all the windows open. It is incredible how much better I feel with fresh air blowing into the house.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'd indulge in a few cookies, but that's a no-no for now. Sigh...

Cheers!

.
Reminds me of my great-uncle Herbert.

First, he gave up smoking. Both kinds, tobacco AND grass.

Then he gave up drinking. Except for water, which he hated.

Then he gave up chasing teenage, loose women.

He didn't actually live any longer, but he swears it felt like it!

Hope it works for you, Gillian!

Ah! I see Sara's been here. FRESH COOKIES! And gluten free ones as well. Amazing!

I'll freshen up the coffee urn, and get the kettle bubbling. There are pots of Red Rose and Irish Breakfast teas on the side for those who want them.

I'll mosey back to Sara's corner and try to catch up some. It's been a while.

My wife and I went to the Avatar area/rides in Animal Kingdom at DisneyWorld a while back, and it was wild! Quite immersive, as they say.

I'll be interested to see what the sequel is like!

Take care out there, y'all, especially if you're in Florida, having to put up with Ian!