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.

Quote by gillianleeza

There are two weeks until my beach vacation. It will be nice to get away after all the stress and emotional ups and downs of planning and having a wedding in our yard. Hopefully, nothing comes up with my parents before or while I am away. Other than that, nothing exciting is going on.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Cheers.

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Good luck with the wedding! I'm sure it will be amazing – and that everyone will behave! (for a change – families, right?)

Cheers!

Quote by JamesPBear

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Good luck with the wedding! I'm sure it will be amazing – and that everyone will behave! (for a change – families, right?)

Cheers!

The wedding took place a few weeks ago. It went very well, and everyone had a good time. Fortunately, the bride's family is lovely, and they were able to come early to help with the whole process.

My garden is coming along, and I have harvested my first peppers and tomatoes. The herb garden has been overproducing. I've made several batches of pesto with all the basil and tazikl with the dill, and now the cucumbers are coming in. I'm not a fan of hot summer days, but I can't complain too much since those days bring beautiful things from my garden.

I hope Monday is kind to everyone. Cheers!

Quote by Cora

I hope the best for your vacation and your parent’s health, gillianleeza. I am happy you will be spending some time with your children. I firmly believe everything will be okay; that you will have a great time with your children and your parents will rest easy.

I live my life by a quote from St. Pio, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Never have those words failed me.

Rest easy, wonderful gillianleeza. I hope that your vacation with your children will be fun and relaxing. I hope your parents will not undergo any difficulties, rather rest easy.

Hope is beautiful. ❤️

Ah, hope. True words, Cora. Here’s a little Emily for a Monday morning.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all - - E Dickinson

Cool and rainy here, with is welcome after a hot sunny week. We are heading to summer feeling hopeful. The cats and Talia and I are all still lazing in bed, but I am about to jump up and go make more coffee. Finishing up my writing about New York this week (The Oort Cloud, on Substack, if anyone cares). Today’s installment is musing on the deaths of a couple good friends, and the monster of addiction.

So, hope is a welcome thing to talk about this morning. Thanks, Cora and Emily,

Coffee and tea and cookies are in the usual places.

How goes the Girl and Bear book James?

Off to the coffee pot!

I think I'm having a bit of an existential crisis, so to speak, over the Beatles cause I love Ringo 'n George...'n now John too.

...but one thing I will never, ever do is love Paul. Him's a bit too phony for my taste.

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

I think I'm having a bit of an existential crisis, so to speak, over the Beatles cause I love Ringo 'n George...'n now John too.

...but one thing I will never, ever do is love Paul. Him's a bit too phony for my taste.

I’ve always been a John Lennon man. Go watch Get Back on Apple - hours and hours of documentary. It’s fascinating, though it is LOOOOONG.

Hot and sunny, thunderstorms in the afternoon - my kinda day. And the Mets are finally playing again, after all the traveling to London and back. So I can actually watch some (losing) baseball.

Coffee and teas are out, cookies are in a silver platter. Enjoy the day.

It's a balmy 58 degrees F here on Mackinac Island. We've had a string of days where it barely reached 60, so I am hopeful the weather channel isn't lying about it hitting 69 this afternoon. We've been waiting for temps warm enough to enjoy a pool swim (heck, we've been waiting for weather warm enough to wear shorts and skip the sweatshirts).

I got up early to write, and the toddler was up and at 'em 5 minutes later. Fortunately, his dad woke up too and is taking him on a bike ride (thank goodness my son's foot has improved enough to ride his bike).

I've started a new story for this site, but I haven't had much time to write with the kids and grandkids being with us this week. That's okay. There will be time to write when the vacation is over.

Hope all y'all are doing well!

Quote by KatarinaTechgoddess

It's a balmy 58 degrees F here on Mackinac Island. We've had a string of days where it barely reached 60, so I am hopeful the weather channel isn't lying about it hitting 69 this afternoon. We've been waiting for temps warm enough to enjoy a pool swim (heck, we've been waiting for weather warm enough to wear shorts and skip the sweatshirts).

I got up early to write, and the toddler was up and at 'em 5 minutes later. Fortunately, his dad woke up too and is taking him on a bike ride (thank goodness my son's foot has improved enough to ride his bike).

I've started a new story for this site, but I haven't had much time to write with the kids and grandkids being with us this week. That's okay. There will be time to write when the vacation is over.

Hope all y'all are doing well!

Sounds like great fun.

Not much going on over here. Coffee and the news and a blank page.

Hope everyone is well!

crickets

Ditto from yesterday.

It's been busy here but I'm here with more cookies ... zoo animal theme

Zebras ,gorillas,seals,pandas polar bears and lions

Coffee is Cafe du Monde and tea is Red Rose and Lemon Zinger

Fresh tea and lemonade in the fridge.

cleaning the crumbs out of the empty cookie jar and filling the glass cookie jar to the tippy top

giving the adorable critters with fresh water and treats

Cream and sugars on the counter

Braves are playing meh at the moment .

Ape sneaks in and takes a polar bear and a lion

Currently hanging out in Copenhagen. Less than a week until homecoming, though.

Hope you're all keeping well.

Okay, I'm definitely havin' an existential crisis over the Beatles. Paul's doe eyes won me over 'n now...whoops.

Hey guys. Just dropping by to say, 'hey.'

Katarina, I am glad to read that you started a new story. That is always exciting.

Mendalla, nice to hear from you. I hope you are enjoying your vacation.

verbal, thank you for sharing the Emily Dickinson poem about "hope." That was a sweet post to read. It made me smile.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Hey everyone!

Coolish day today. Talia and I are meeting an old high school friend for dinner. Haven't seen him for decades! Should be fun. Also, I expect to be feted on Sunday.

Coffee and a cookie please!

It's a pretty day here. It's sunny, and the heat and humidity aren't too bad. That will change next week when temperatures will be well into the nineties. This is typical weather for Virginia. Next weekend, I leave for the beach, and that weather will continue. I am okay with it as long as I have a beach umbrella, books, and sunscreen. A dip in the ocean and or the pool is a bonus. I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Cheers.

Hello from Norway. One more day in Europe and then we are off home. Hope all are well.

Later, alligators!

Hey there Ape, hey, Gill.

I hope the fathers and the single moms playing Dad and the cool uncles and anyone else celebrating enjoyed Fathers Day. I did. And the Mets won! Whe do you see the Braves, Sara?

Nothing big shaking today. I have a MRI on my brain this week. That should be fun. I am planning on writing a horror story about a demon in the MRI machine, so I will be sucking up the details.

Coffee and a cookie!

Quote by verbal
I am planning on writing a horror story about a demon in the MRI machine, so I will be sucking up the details.

Dang, that sounds great on paper. Hope you get this out. And hope all turns well with your brain.😊

Quote by verbal

Hey there Ape, hey, Gill.

I hope the fathers and the single moms playing Dad and the cool uncles and anyone else celebrating enjoyed Fathers Day. I did. And the Mets won! Whe do you see the Braves, Sara?

Nothing big shaking today. I have a MRI on my brain this week. That should be fun. I am planning on writing a horror story about a demon in the MRI machine, so I will be sucking up the details.

Coffee and a cookie!

I get to see the Braves July 7th when they play the Dbacks and then again August 9th when they play the Rockies .

Quote by DenimAngel

I get to see the Braves July 7th when they play the Dbacks and then again August 9th when they play the Rockies .

That rocks! I've seen SO MANY Mets/Braves games, I am actually writing about the 1999 playoffs, and the best baseball game I ever saw!

Back from acupuncture. Should be a chill day.

Hope everyone is well. I'd love a coffee!

In Canada that is. Was a bit of a long trip but saw some interesting stuff along the way. Favourite might be Gdansk, Poland, which kind of surprised me. We even visited the shipyard in Gdansk where Lech Walesa worked and Solidarity started. There's a big "European Solidarity Centre" there that traces the history and has some artifacts and recreations from the era. Gdansk also has a lovely medieval-Renaissance Old Town. And it is all in walking distance.

Talinn, Estonia and Lubeck, Germany (our shore trip when we docked in Kiel) are also nice, historic cities.

Anyhow, I am back. Putting on some Deathwish Dark Roast coffee. Teas are English Breakast and Twining Four Red Fruits (which I discovered at our hotel in Oslo after the cruise). Hot water is available for whatever other hot drinks you might wish. Washed the pitchers and made fresh iced tea and lemonade. Sodas are stocked up.

So how goes it?

Quote by Mendalla

In Canada that is. Was a bit of a long trip but saw some interesting stuff along the way. Favourite might be Gdansk, Poland, which kind of surprised me. We even visited the shipyard in Gdansk where Lech Walesa worked and Solidarity started. There's a big "European Solidarity Centre" there that traces the history and has some artifacts and recreations from the era. Gdansk also has a lovely medieval-Renaissance Old Town. And it is all in walking distance.

Talinn, Estonia and Lubeck, Germany (our shore trip when we docked in Kiel) are also nice, historic cities.

Anyhow, I am back. Putting on some Deathwish Dark Roast coffee. Teas are English Breakast and Twining Four Red Fruits (which I discovered at our hotel in Oslo after the cruise). Hot water is available for whatever other hot drinks you might wish. Washed the pitchers and made fresh iced tea and lemonade. Sodas are stocked up.

So how goes it?

Glad to have you back. That is quite a trip! I love Polish history.

Off to the brain scan today! To avoid vague-posting here, I am having some sort of weird progressive numbness, fro my feet all the way up to the top of my head. It’s not 100% numb, more like it’s been dialed back. It’s kind of disconcerting. Anyway, neuropathy is partly to blame, but that doesn’t explain everything. Thus, the brain scan.

Other than that things are peachy. Cool, overcast day out, which I quite like. I’m done with memoir for a bit, and sliding back into horror these days. Thus, the brain scan DEMON! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

I’d love some coffee!

Good morning!! Feeling a bit livelier today and attempting some writing. If this keeps going, my new piece (the already discussed sequel to Night Of The Wind) is headed for at least novella territory. Will probably be doing chapters, even. But we shall see.

In the meantime, here's some Private Reserve French Roast from Las Chicas. Teas are Assam and Irish Breakfast. Hot water is on for other goodies. Cold beverages are looking good.

How's things?

Slight warning about Paypal:

Apparently, my account is set to use my existing balance first. Which means that I quite unintentionally used my comp winnings to pay for my Uber home from the airport transport depot the other day. 😲🤣

Quote by Mendalla

Good morning!! Feeling a bit livelier today and attempting some writing. If this keeps going, my new piece (the already discussed sequel to Night Of The Wind) is headed for at least novella territory. Will probably be doing chapters, even. But we shall see.

In the meantime, here's some Private Reserve French Roast from Las Chicas. Teas are Assam and Irish Breakfast. Hot water is on for other goodies. Cold beverages are looking good.

How's things?

Slight warning about Paypal:

Apparently, my account is set to use my existing balance first. Which means that I quite unintentionally used my comp winnings to pay for my Uber home from the airport transport depot the other day. 😲🤣

Chapters would be cool. Good luck with the novella.

I’m still alive, so the Demon of the MRI didn’t get me. Those tubes are such weird places. I asked the guy if anyone had ever died in an MRI tube, and he reeled off three times people had died. The pacemakers are the most horrific - apparently the wires fry!

Any2ay. Coffee would be swell. Got any Grimace cookies Sara? The Mets went 7-0 after her threw out the first pitch this month,

Good morning all.

Gloomy weather has left, and perfect weather is coming in, not too hot, not too cool.

I'm editing all day. It's the Weird Western I sold, and they must have cut 50 commas of mine (along with more substantive changes). a long day looms.

Coffee please. LOTS of it.

Scott, that sounds like a great trip. Jeff I can appreciate a haunted MRI story. They are very strange and weirdly loud. I didn't think I was claustrophobic until I had an MRI. Then there was the time my 5-year-old had an MRI and threw up while he was in there. That got everybody running and created a whole bunch of problems. Gratefully, they were able to finish the MRI without too much more screaming and we got a confirmation of his diagnosis at the time. He's thankfully a healthy, thirty year old these days.

Jeff, I hope you can get some answers from your MRI. Not knowing what's wrong is so frustrating. Hopefully good answers.

I'm off to the beach later this morning. It will be great to spend a week with my two oldest sons and their spouses. I'm going to make them all play board games with me. They are very excited, not, lol. Have a great weekend everyone. Cheers.

Hey there, Gil. Nice to see you.

Still a bit jet-lagged but seem to be getting closer to normal. Then again, I thought I was doing well on Thursday and then was lagged as hell yesterday.

Never had an MRI but I'm sure that day will come given my list of health conditions and family history. Haven't even had an x-ray in a while, though. Did need an ultrasound to confirm the hernia I had fixed last Fall before the doc could refer me.

There's some Tobermorey Grotto in the coffee pot. Teas are Assam and Wakoucha (Japanese red/black). Hot water is ready. Cold drink pitchers are washed and refilled so we are stocked up with iced tea and lemonade. And sodas are stocked up.

Ape was slinging pancakes this morning. Have some if you wish.

Ringo was in my dreams yesterday.

Him 'n I were at a huge, fancy dinner party together and, even though everyone includin' me called him as such (and him's placecard said Ringo Starr in fancy galaxy themed script), him kept insistin' him's name was Marty for some reason.

Hiya everybody!

I’m sponsoring a fun writing challenge. 1st place 500 coins ($50). Second place 375 coins ($37.50).

See link below.

https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/stories-space-writing-prompts-challenges/summer-24-hint-fiction-writing-challenge-for-lots-of-coins

Quote by WriterGirl

Hiya everybody!

I’m sponsoring a fun writing challenge. 1st place 500 coins ($50). Second place 375 coins ($37.50).

See link below.

https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/stories-space-writing-prompts-challenges/summer-24-hint-fiction-writing-challenge-for-lots-of-coins

I love this. Thanks you. Bows We are not worthy.😊

And good morning y'all. Coffee is some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Fire-Roasted. Teas are Original Earl Grey (has orange as well as bergamot) and Scottish Breakfast. Hot water is on for other hot bevvies. Cold drinks are looking good.

Cooler here finally. I even got out for a walk yesterday. Have not been writing. Got a hankering for a project I had in mind since buying my new laptop last year. It is now running on the open source Linux operating system with Windows still lurking if needed (what's called dual boot where you choose which to use on start up).

Morning, all!

Another hot one in KY. I guess I won’t go outside until September if this is what summer will be like.