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 Mendalla
Huh? An ape picture got taken down? Did they give an explanation?

Inappropriate for a family site. Yas was nice about it, but it kind of blindsided me. One time I posted a picture of a horrible looking easter bunny scarring a little boy about 9 and that was on Lush. I was reprimanded for posting an underage child. The photo was probably taken in the 1940's.

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here .

Sun is shining and flowers are starting to bloom.

Grabbing a cola out of the fridge .. too hot for hot chocolate at the moment.

I do have fresh cookies today.

In Big Bird : snickerdoodles , banana shortbread cookies, butterscotch marshmallow cookies and lemon softies

In Cookie Monster: ginger snaps, pineapple coconut shortbread cookies,banana chocolate chip cookies and apple cinnamon cookies

In Elmo : chocolate dipped brown sugar shortbread cookies,maple walnut cookies, peppermint candy cane cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats*

Taking my cola and a couple of cookies and climbing up in the nearest overstuffed chair

Not much going on today.

Quote by DenimAngel
too hot for hot chocolate at the moment.

Not here. Went for a nice long walk, but kept my coat on the whole time. Definitely chilly. Probably a few weeks yet before we're into cold pop weather unless we get an early break.

Taking a couple lemon softies with an evening herbal tea.

Good morning! Happy Sunday!

We've got Lavazza in the coffee pot, Scottish Breakfast and Red Rose in the teapots, and hot water on standby for other hot beverages.

Ape is slinging blueberry pancakes today with real Canadian maple syrup to pour on 'em. Get 'em while you can.

Hey all. Ridiculously lazy Sunday here. I just read a couple handfuls of stories here. Some excellent tales on the front couple of pages.

Mets have lost deGrom for at least 8 weeks. Sigh. The leader of the franchise, and the season begins in four days. Oh well, its a long season. Anything can happen.

We square off against Elizabeth's Nats for 4 games to begin the season. Care to make a wager, Elizabeth? A coffee and a cookie?

Off to read a little more. A decaf and an apple cinnamon cookie please.

Quote by verbal
We square off against Elizabeth's Nats for 4 games to begin the season. Care to make a wager, Elizabeth? A coffee and a cookie?

With or without deGrom, it sounds like I will personally have to take the field to have a prayer of a win.

Not me losing it over the fact that we're getting not one but two episodes of WL this week.

There's one tonight like usual but then there's going to be another one tomorrow night.

Plus, I've had three dreams about Jane today - and all three of them ended with her and I snuggling, too.

Hi folks .

It was a beautiful day here.

Grabbing a plate of blueberry pancakes and pouring some maple syrup.. yum

Taking my plate to the nearest table and settling down.

Yummy pancakes Ape !!

We are in good shape cookie wise.

Not a lot going on today plan on reading tomorrow I'm so behind.

Stay safe everyone!

So someone let slip in the celebration thread that he is eighty-eight today. So let's have a party for Redwriter's b-day. And "8" is an auspicious number for the Chinese so "88" is definitely an auspicious age. Expect good things this year.

Cake is out and ready for cutting. There's coffee and tea to go with it, and hot water for other favorite hot beverages. Made sure the marshmallows are festive colourful ones.

I am deeply grateful for your recognition, Scott. I was getting tired of being 87. The cake looks delicious, and although I've just had a meal out with my sister (Traditional fish and chips served at their finest) I must still have a slice of that superb looking cake with a large coffee. I'm glad someone else is blowing out the candles, I don't think I'd have the puff.

Happy birthday, Red, and many more. Your last story--Seeking and Finding--was excellent, btw. Really nice work. Thanks for sharing it.

Not much up here - cool and gloomy now, though that is supposed to improve.

I tire of Spring Training baseball. Ready for the real deal on Thursday. Sara's Braves are predicted to do well. Larry's Padres are missing Tatis to begin the year, but when he returns they are a serious power. As for the Mets, we've already lost our Ace, but we have some game still. We shall see.

Time to face the blank page. I'm shooting to finish this Damned Thing by the end of June.

A coffee and a cookie please.

Quote by redwriter

I am deeply grateful for your recognition, Scott. I was getting tired of being 87. The cake looks delicious, and although I've just had a meal out with my sister (Traditional fish and chips served at their finest) I must still have a slice of that superb looking cake with a large coffee. I'm glad someone else is blowing out the candles, I don't think I'd have the puff.

And am I ever glad Scott mentioned this momentous occasion. Happy, happy, happy birthday today, Jim. Was it your older sister that went out to lunch with you today?

Happy birthday RedWriter!! Hope you are having a great day Jim !!

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here!

Fresh cookies today !!

In Big Bird : gingerbread cookies , blueberry shortbread cookies, pecan divines and brownie cookies

In Cookie Monster: ginger snaps,cherry shortbread cookies, maple walnut cookies and banana pineapple cookies

In Elmo : maple pecan cookies, dark chocolate chunk cookies, blueberry coconut shortbread and oatmeal raisin cookies

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Not much going on here LIBRARY DAY and a mini grocery run.

Stay safe and enjoy your day

Settling in to counting the next 364 days but still want to celebrate so I'll have one of Sara's blueberry shortbread cookies with a large latte. Thanks for the wishes Sara. I know I shouldn't be counting.

Quote by redwriter
I know I shouldn't be counting.

At 88? You're entitled. I'll probably be counting the minutes at 88 given my crappy genes (At 56, I've outlived half my mother's family).

Anyhow, enough depressing talk about aging and lifespans. If the transhumanists get their way, we'll all just upload our brains into our computers and live forever as neural networks (yeah, right).

Coffee is brewed and there's Russian Caravan and English Breakfast in the teapots. All consumable supplies are refreshed.

Have a good one, all!

Going to the doc for a regular check-up today. I don't expect it to be very exciting - I feel pretty healthy. I'll read in th waiting room, now that I'm halfway through the monster that is Cryptonomicon.

I'll write on my return, but I won't get my 1000. I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and plot is driving most of my decisions. That's a good thing - I generally don't rely on plot as much as I should.

2 days til baseball season! Elizabeth, how about no wager, but we sit and sip coffee and watch the Opening Day game. The winner gets a cupcake! I'll even bring the cupcake!

A coffee before the doc, please.

Quote by verbal
Going to the doc for a regular check-up today.

Hope all goes well. I need to get to the lab but the timing has just been lousy this week. Then I'll see my doctor after that.

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here

Grabbing a glass of sweet tea out of the fridge

Got my stitches moved

Pretty gruesome.lol it's gonna be a nice scar .

He says I'm healing nice and quick. 2 more weeks in the boot other than the original 4 weeks. So I'm excited .

Peeking in the cookie jars. Yay we are in good shape!

Fresh cookies tomorrow.

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Hope everyone is having a great day

Taking my drink and cookies and settling down in the nearest overstuffed chair

Stay safe

Quote by DenimAngel
He says I'm healing nice and quick. 2 more weeks in the boot other than the original 4 weeks.

So he ... 😎 ... gave you the boot.🤣

Hello Everyone

Life and work has been kicking my butt lately. And I don’t see the work load easing up until mid May. Testing and testing and more dang testing. I swear the government loves giving big tests to kids these days. I’ll never understand how schools went from actually teaching literature and history to just helping kids make easy A’s while concentrating on the ACT ASPIRE for funding. We need to help them focus on more than just on Math and English. Every single thing revolves around making higher test scores for more money for the football team and field. It’s so sad how classrooms are looking run down while the field and basketball stadium looks brand new.

On top of that my doctor says my recent health issues is the dreaded IBS which is a result of my horrible acid reflux that was set off by … get this… my anxiety and stress. So he has me on new meds to help with anxiety and my ADHD. Bc fixing those will ease the acid and help the reflux and eventually help me with less stomach flare ups in my intestines…. Soooo ummm ok lol 😂

So far so good on my new meds. I swear they like adding more pills to take every day for the rest of my life.

Though I have noticed I’m not so anal about my house or my daughters grades lately. She made an 88 on an assignment and I didn’t stress lol I mean it’s a B and B’s aren’t that horrible.

Oh and she made All State in Band :) I’m proud of my baby :)

Hope everyone is having a great day/night/week/month

Quote by Amelia
. It’s so sad how classrooms are looking run down while the field and basketball stadium looks brand new.

How true, Amelia. It is exactly the same over here. And, sadly, it was ever thus. Luxurious stadia --even in the lower leagues, while window frames in schools rot, rain drips through rough classroom ceilings. Successive governments claim what they have done for education when in fact, they're doing our kids down. Pity football doesn't fund education.

God, I'm going all political. I'd better have a large latte and a Sara special before I go and lie down.

Hey Red, hey Amelia, hey Sara, hey Ape.

Red, your last story here was really powerful.

Glad you are getting some help, Amelia, and hope it points you in the right direction. Congrats on All State for the kid!

Sara - 24 hours til baseball season! Though it is already looking like the first Mets game may be a rainout. I'll still watch baseball all damn day tomorrow. How's the ankle?

And where the frick is Ping!?

Quiet pleasant day. Time to face the page.

A coffee and a cookie please.

Quote by verbal
Elizabeth, how about no wager, but we sit and sip coffee and watch the Opening Day game. The winner gets a cupcake! I'll even bring the cupcake!

Now that is exactly what I want. It's going to be hard to keep my spirits up. Thank goodness they overlooked Juan Soto, so I will have someone familiar to root for. Losing my all-time favorite, Trea Turner about did me in. And Max Scherzer, who's he, right? You better get a good report from the doctor. I hope nice people, btw, bought your house. And any kind of cupcake will be fine. I will probably be wearing gloves so I don't bite my nails off. 'Course I'm paying no attention to pre-season games so far. Weeping.

😢😢😢

Take me out to the ballgame

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some cupcakes and Crackjack ...

Doesn't quite have the same ring. But sweeter, I guess.

My big sports thing this year is going to be the FIFA Men's World Cup in the Fall. Canada made it for the first time in over 30 years so I'll have to watch. Not that I am really expecting us to get out of the Group Stage, but stranger things have happened.

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here.

Grabbing a cold ginger ale out of the fridge and moseying over to my favorite overstuffed chair

I was able to get out and about today I went and untangled some family trees!

Yay baseball season !

Elizabeth I can understand that .the Braves didn't resign Freddie Freeman and it about broke my heart.

Ape I think cupcakes should be part of the treats at baseball games.

I volunteered to help with a dinner and auction tonight so cookies tomorrow and they will be BASEBALL THEME !!

Peeking in the cookie jars yay good shape

Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Stay safe everyone!

Oh Sara, you worry me about overdoing on your ankle. Please use all caution.

Yes, you do understand how you can get so emotionally behind a player (or two or three) that it feels like they don't care about the people that care. Deep sigh. Baseball themed cookies will work perfectly tomorrow. Provided you still use that stool to put your foot on when baking.

Quote by elizabethblack

Quote by verbal
Elizabeth, how about no wager, but we sit and sip coffee and watch the Opening Day game. The winner gets a cupcake! I'll even bring the cupcake!

Now that is exactly what I want. It's going to be hard to keep my spirits up. Thank goodness they overlooked Juan Soto, so I will have someone familiar to root for. Losing my all-time favorite, Trea Turner about did me in. And Max Scherzer, who's he, right? You better get a good report from the doctor. I hope nice people, btw, bought your house. And any kind of cupcake will be fine. I will probably be wearing gloves so I don't bite my nails off. 'Course I'm paying no attention to pre-season games so far. Weeping.

😢😢😢

Looks like the game is pushed back to 5 my time due to weather, but at least they aren't canceling it. We have a rookie on the mound, so you may have the advantage tomorrow. I wonder how the Nats fans will react to Scherzer taking the mound Friday? A standing ovation, I expect - a lot of lingering respect there.

Good luck to your Bravos too, Sara.

Nice people DID buy our house! We got offers from several leasing companies, but sold to a real human family.

Regardless, I will try to add a few baseball cupcakes to Sara's baseball cookies tomorrow.

Quote by verbal
Red, your last story here was really powerful.

Thanks for that appraisal. Verbal, It's so rare to see work mentioned on this page . BTW Call me Jim, 'Red' sounds pretentious . My son bought me TWO bottles of Jack Daniels, for my birthday as he knows along with Single malts that is one of my favourites. I see that bourbon figures in your delights. I shall have a little toast to your generosity tonight. Pity I can't slip you a small sip!

Quote by redwriter
My son bought me TWO bottles of Jack Daniels, for my birthday as he knows along with Single malts that is one of my favourites. I see that bourbon figures in your delights.

Never really had Kentucky bourbon. I've had Canadian rye whiskey and a few single malts. Much prefer the Scotch.

Good morning! Kind of grey here and got a ton of rain last evening. Oh well, that's April for you.

Coffee pot is full and hot, tea is Red Rose, hot water is on for other hot bevvies, and I've made sure the fridge is still well-stocked with cold ones. Happy Thor's Day to all you Norse and Germanic pagans and Happy Thursday to the rest.

Quote by redwriter

Quote by verbal
Red, your last story here was really powerful.

Thanks for that appraisal. Verbal, It's so rare to see work mentioned on this page . BTW Call me Jim, 'Red' sounds pretentious . My son bought me TWO bottles of Jack Daniels, for my birthday as he knows along with Single malts that is one of my favourites. I see that bourbon figures in your delights. I shall have a little toast to your generosity tonight. Pity I can't slip you a small sip!

It's nice to meet you Jim. I had an uncle everyone called Red, so I am fond of the name. The story stuck with me. Have you seen Fury? It's a really gripping WWII tank battle movie, with a really good Brad Pitt. I'd recommend it - seems like you'd like that sort of thing.

It's Opening Day! I love Opening Day. Sorry to keep droning on and on about it (pity Talia, who has to live with it).

Taking the day off writing to watch baseball, though I will probably do some editing. And I'll be here at 5 to settle in with coffee and a cupcake and watch the game. Elizabeth, will you join me? Sara, the Braves are playing tonight, come rest you rankle on the table and root for your boys. Larry, the Padres are playing. Ape and Bear and Pingu, you Canadians can root for the Bluejays. Let's have a party!

A coffee, a cookie, and a cupcake please. Lets Go Mets!