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.

Warmish around here but better than when we got back from Europe. More usual July weather rather than extreme heat.

Still, even on the hottest days, some need their coffee and tea. So I've got some Nicaraguan Dark Roast in the coffee pot. Teas are Raspberry Royale and Darjeeling. Cold drinks are mixed up. Sodas are stocked.

And I was slinging the pancakes this morning. Both table syrup and maple syrup available.

I need to stop complaining about the weather. It is going to be very hot and humid for at least the next two weeks and probably beyond.

Nothing else is happening except I have felt well enough to do some baking/cooking. I have mostly made cold desserts and fruit and vegetable salads. I made Frozen margarita mousse, blueberry, lemon, pistachio loaf, tomato corn salad, cucumber tomato salad, and tangerine sorbet, using up clementines no one was eating.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Cheers.

Ape is spinning and whirling and dancing and twirling. Happy, happy ape.

And, to be honest, I am not entirely sure why.

Anyhow, I've put some Tobermory Grotto on in the coffee pot. Teas are English Breakfast and Black Currant. Pitchers are washed and refilled with iced tea (unsweet) and lemonade. Sodas are stocked.

So a good morning and happy new week to you all!!

Coffee good !

On my mini vacation (3 days /2 nights) in Phoenix . Shopping and a VA appointment and then BRAVES BASEBALL tonight !!!!

Hotel is comfy! Hotel breakfast needs sprinkle donuts and marshmallows

Cookies tomorrow !!

Quote by DenimAngel
Hotel breakfast needs sprinkle donuts and marshmallows

Yeah, hotel breakfasts, at least in the "free breakfast buffet" types I stay in (e.g. Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express), tend to be a bit bland that way, eh. Though Holiday Inn Express at least has nice cinnamon buns.

Glad you're enjoying Phoenix. I was there for a conference once pre-pandemic (2018, I think). Had free time the day before the conference start and went to the Desert Botanical Garden.

Quote by DenimAngel

Coffee good !

On my mini vacation (3 days /2 nights) in Phoenix . Shopping and a VA appointment and then BRAVES BASEBALL tonight !!!!

Hotel is comfy! Hotel breakfast needs sprinkle donuts and marshmallows

Cookies tomorrow !!

That sounds fun! Enjoy the game tonight! I’ll be keeping an eye on the score and rooting for you.

Congratulations to the winners of the Buzzy competition! That was really fun! Thank WG for putting everything together!

We had a pregnant (I think) deer in our backyard nearly all day yesterday, chilling under a tree. It was raining softly but warm out. I was reading up about what to do if she gives birth (nothing!) and we were getting kind of excited, expecting the possibility of fawns, but then around dusk she moved on. Still, it was nice to spend ti em with her on a rainy Sunday.

Enjoy your day everyone! I would love some of Gill’s Frozen Margarita Mousse!

Yuck. I hate sweating because I walked outside. The heat is making me cranky, and I am still talking about the weather when I said I wouldn't. I've been looking at cold plunge tubs online to feel like I am cooling down. I'd get one, but they are too expensive. Stay cool, everyone.

Ugh. 103=39 in my degrees. Wayyyyyy too hot. I have only experienced absolute temps like that when in the US Southwest. We do get the humidex (how it feels once you factor in humidity) in the forties at times here, but the absolute temperature caps out around 34-35 and those are often daily records when they occur.

Good morning, good day, good week, whatever.

Putting on some Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica. Teas are Darjeeling and Oolong. Cold bevvies, which I think many of us require, are looking good.

I am back on the sequel to Night of the Wind, though I am increasingly inclined to make Night... the prequel to this one though I have not actually figured out how the plots tie together yet. This one is going to be in chapters and will be longer and more involved. I even have a "downtime" chapter on the go with two of the characters relaxing and chatting in a public bath (think Roman baths) as they recover from a run-in with the nastie beastie of the story.

It hot here, Ape, but it’s not THAT hot. My condolences. We’re in the 90s today.

Not much going on. Talia is I are getting more serious about taking a cruise/train/plane trip somewhere soon, maybe this winter. I wish we could visit Cuba. Any suggestions for a winter vacation?

Today? I actually finished the demon in the MRI story, so it gets a polish today. I’ll walk, I’m getting seriously into No Man’s Sky on Nintendo Switch, so I imagine I’ll get a couple hours of play there too. Plus, baseball! Playing the Nats.

Coffee please! And a cookie!

In beautiful Mesa it's 98 degrees

The game was freaking awesome . One of the people I came with caught a home run ball ... but It was a DBack ball so I didn't bribe him for it lol

It was a freaking awesome game. We had right field front row bleachers seats .

Food was expensive as all get out.

Got a few souvenirs. But didn't get a Baxter bobcat stuffed animal wasn't paying 35 .00

Lots of Brave fans where we sat

Still had a voice when I left (barely) I cheered loudly ..

A large Pepsi would be great .

Cookies as soon as I'm functional.. brain still foggy .

Quote by DenimAngel

In beautiful Mesa it's 98 degrees

The game was freaking awesome . One of the people I came with caught a home run ball ... but It was a DBack ball so I didn't bribe him for it lol

It was a freaking awesome game. We had right field front row bleachers seats .

Food was expensive as all get out.

Got a few souvenirs. But didn't get a Baxter bobcat stuffed animal wasn't paying 35 .00

Lots of Brave fans where we sat

Still had a voice when I left (barely) I cheered loudly ..

A large Pepsi would be great .

Cookies as soon as I'm functional.. brain still foggy .

So cool! What an excellent game! 9th inning comeback and extra innings.

Food at ballparks is SO expensive. Still, a hot dog and a beer are required, at minimium.

Glad you had fun! I love live baseball games.

There is one word for my weather today: Wet. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl have arrived in Ontario and we've got a full day of rain ahead.

In other news, there's Fire-Roasted Ethiopian Yirgacheffe in the coffeepot. Teas are Assam and Mukujima Sencha (Japanese green). Cold beverages are looking good for those who need them. We've actually cooled off here due to this system.

Same old thang. Enjoy the day everyone!

Home and exhausted from the trip ..

Cookies tomorrow

A large iced tea with sugar and lemon would be great

Ape is dancing and singing.

Good morning!!!

Putting on some nice Dark Roast from Cloud Forest Coffee. Teas are English Breakfast and Raspberry. There's iced tea, lemonade, and a selection of sodas in the fridge if you're looking for something chillier. Hot water is available for other teas and hot beverages.

Have a good one, folks!!!

Hey everyone.

Sara, I am very happy you had a fantastic time at the game. Thanks for sharing your experience there with us. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your Phoenix trip.

I am glad everyone seems to be doing well. I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Good morning all. I’ll have some of that delish coffee. And I promise not to bug Sara for more cookies since she is pooped from her great time in Phoenix.

Still messing with the MRI story. The ending is…<searches for technical term>…dumb.

I grad from acupuncture. 13 sessions. I would say a 10-20% improvement. Works for me!

Hot as hades out now. I will probably skip my walk. Stay cool everyone!

Morning folks .

Finally rested from my trip it was a fun trip . Now to get back in the routine . Hopefully a quiet rest of the week

Today's cookies are Summertime theme : suns with bows,ice cream cones,ice cream bars and watermelon slices

Half of the cookies are gingerbread and half are sugar cookies

cleaning out the empty jars and filling them to the tippy top with fresh cookies

giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats shaped like beach balls *

Pouring myself a large iced tea and adding in sugar and lemon then going and settling down in my favorite overstuffed chair .

It's only 97° out today. And yes, I'm still talking about the weather. I never thought I'd be excited that there's a chance of rain all day tomorrow. I'm hoping it will save my garden. Other than that nothing much going on. Just hanging with my parents. The only drawback there is my mom's always cold so they keep their place very warm. They also have two leather couches that I end up sticking to. But they put up with my nonsense my whole life. So it's the least I can do, helping them and tolerating the heat.

On my way home I treated myself to an ice cold mountain dew slurpee. Stay cool and healthy everyone. Cheers.

I am filled with quiet joy and happiness at the present moment. I love my friends here. I think I will leave it at that. I hope you all have a beautiful day. ❤️

Ape is grumpy and sore and doesn't really know why. He's also writing a random story that he has no idea what to do with, but it seems to be obsessing him.

Anyhow, there's Tobermory Flowerpot Island coffee on. Steeping in the teapots we have Raspberry Royale (black) and Buddha's Blend (green + white). Cold drinks are looking good.

It's getting into warm and muggy here again. I swear my lawn still hasn't dried out from Beryl's visit the other day (dew overnight isn't helping) and I need to cut it this weekend. Hate cutting it wet since I use a mulcher mower and the clippings clump if it is too wet.

Yeah, hot as heck here too. In the mid-90s today. I doubt I will even walk, though I am all but add to my daily walk.

Not much else going on. No plans for the weekend. MRI story still blows. I may just throw it away. Major imposter syndrome today.

Those cookies look swell, Sara. I’ll have three and a cup of coffee please.

Yay for the soaking rain today. But next week, it's back to a heat wave, which is supposed to be worse than the last few weeks. I'm not sure how that is possible.

I'm going to a local farmer's market today to stock up on white peaches and white nectarines and make a bunch of things with them. I hate summer heat but love the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables available. I also have ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil from my gardens, so fresh salsa and pesto are in the works.

Happy Friday, everyone. Cheers.

Quote by gillianleeza
white peaches

Ontario peaches are still a couple weeks out (usually come in around the Civic Holiday or shortly after). Love peaches but prefer them fresh so always happy when the domestic crop shows up.

Dancing around a couple stories.

One is the sequel to Night of the Wind that I've talked about. It's up to 3 chapters totalling maybe 4000-5000 words with lots still to go.

The other is a new story that I'm not quite sure where it is headed. A rock star basically quits her band temporarily to refresh and re-energize, moving back into her childhood home (which she now owns) and reconnecting with old friends. Might end up a romance or more of a straight slice-of-life drama or dramedy with a romance angle. Could be for here, or could be for somewhere else. The idea of a star or celebrity trying to break with fame and be normal again is a theme I've been mulling for a while.

I think I may have baked too much. I usually force things upon my neighbors, but so many of them are away, and I don't have enough room in my freezer for anything new.

It's still stupidly hot here, and it will continue until further notice. It will be in the 100s this week. Thankfully, our AC is working.

Have a great Monday, everyone. Cheers.

We are under a heat warning, too. Just had a very, very heavy storm roll through. Now has calmed a bit still pouring rain and there's some lightning and thunder about.

Good morning and welcome to Inspirations!!

For inspiration today, we've got Deathwish Dark Roast coffee, Earl Grey and Darjeeling teas. In the fridge, for those seeking to beat the hit, there's pitchers of iced tea and lemonade and a nice assortment of sodas.

Given the weather, stay cool and stay dry as appropriate!

Hot everywhere, huh! It’s in the low 90s here.

Staying away from the news today. The United States is overheated and so am I.

I still can’t get that MRI story to work. I’ve got critique today, so I will try to solve it as I read other people’s stories.

Coffee and a cookie please.

Good morning!! Threatening sky on the way to the office this morning but nothing substantial yet. Chance of shower with a risk of thunderstorms throughout the day, though.

Coffee is a Jamaican Blue Mountain medium roast.

Teas are English Breakfast and Lemon.

Iced tea and lemonade are ready in the fridge along with an assortment of sodas.

Have a good one!!

Hey everyone.

I just had a Musing published, "Slender Leaves." It was my first collaboration and I did it with Adagio, a long-time friend.

Excited about writing and publishing again, I am also excited about the upcoming SS comp in a few weeks. I am looking forward to it.

Heat, rain and thunderstorms seem to be the norm in many areas, including mine. Because I enjoy rain and thunder I do not mind that weather. Like everyone else, I do not care for the heat and humidity. Nonetheless, I am still enjoying summer.

I hope everyone has a beautiful day.

Good morning all. Did sleep well so I am dragging a bit.

Things are cooling off a bit here. Sadly, I have therapy today at 4, so I will miss my walk today. I should probably a big wind of time to write in.

I tried to watch the Home Run Derby last night but just got bored. No real baseball until Thursday!

Coffee and cookie!