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.

We gave up our treadmill for more prosaic but still somewhat painful reasons: bad knees. Use a stationary bike now when exercising indoors. Easier on the joints.

Quote by WriterGirl

Omg, I have a treadmill story for you! And a warning! I had a treadmill and it backed up to the edge of an old piano with pointed decorative wood on sides. I decided it was okay to text and jog. 🙄 Lost footing and flew backwards and pointed edge of piano rammed into my butt crack. 😳😳😳 I immediately fell off and couldn’t move my legs. I started screaming, “My Butt! My Butt!” Within a few minutes I felt my legs again but was in soooo much pain. My son rushed me to the Dr. I didn’t break my tailbone but badly bruised it. Like a knot the size of a peach formed and a two doctors were all up in my crack checking the damage. I had to sit on a donut for weeks. Haven’t been on a treadmill since!

Sounds, um … painful…That's really, uh, too bad, WG!

(covers mouth, trying very hard to stifle another expression of emotion)

Hi everybody! I'm back!!

Did you miss me?

Did anyone notice I was gone?

Hello?

(shoulders slump) Oh well…

Anyway, we're back from the Land of the Free(?!). Probably our last trip there until there is a positive Regime Change.

It was … interesting, and mostly quite enjoyable.

Quote by JamesPBear

Sounds, um … painful…That's really, uh, too bad, WG!

(covers mouth, trying very hard to stifle another expression of emotion)

My sister laughed too when I told her and then downplayed the seriousness of my injury, so you know what I did? I dropped drawers and sent her a picture of the gigantic peach growing out of my butt crack! 😳 She immediately called apologizing for not recognizing how serious the injury was… and then she showed her hubby the picture. 🙄 Don’t make me send you the picture, Bear! I bet I still have it on my phone somewhere!

You know I would have offered tea, sympathy, and a (cautious) ride to the doctor's office had I been there, right, WG?

I see there's no one around, so …

We're featuring Farmer's Blend from Balzac's Coffee Roastery today, with Orange Pekoe and Irish Breakfast teas.

There's hot water in the kettle for those wishing to make hot chocolate, and we always keep a supply of mini-marshmallows.

Cold drinks in the fridge – I don't see any lemonade, but there's probably some lemons if someone has the talent – and the squeeze.

And top of the morning – and the new month! – to y'all!

I know you would have helped, Bear. 😘 My son was very helpful—after he stopped laughing. 🙄

And top of the morning to you, too! I gotta get moving… helping sis sort through Dad’s stuff we didn’t move with him. First stop is a coin shop. Dad was a coin collector. He sold most years ago, but we found another box hidden in the bottom of an old trunk.

Good morning! In case anyone is feeling a mite peckish, I was flipping out the morning.😳

Sorry, I meant flipping pancakes this morning. 😊

Emotional day sorting through stuff. Found an old album of young pics of my parents. They started dating in the 9th grade. Mom saved Valentines cards from him in the album, too. They had just celebrated their 60th anniversary before Mom passed away.

I believe Mendalla has gone into the office. I'd love to see a photo of him in a suit and tie!

Anyway, there are Sumatran dark roast beans in the coffee pot, Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast teas on the sideboard, and hot water for hot chocolate and other hot beverages.

Take care out there, 'K?

Quote by JamesPBear

I believe Mendalla has gone into the office. I'd love to see a photo of him in a suit and tie!

Anyway, there are Sumatran dark roast beans in the coffee pot, Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast teas on the sideboard, and hot water for hot chocolate and other hot beverages.

Take care out there, 'K?

Wonder if they wear suits and ties at his office? Most here are business casual now.

Quote by WriterGirl

Emotional day sorting through stuff. Found an old album of young pics of my parents. They started dating in the 9th grade. Mom saved Valentines cards from him in the album, too. They had just celebrated their 60th anniversary before Mom passed away.

Sweet memories. Glad you were able to keep those Valentine cards. Worth their weight in gold.

Thongs are fine here. Weather was AWESOME this weekend - false summer. Sadly, it starts snowing again tonight. Still, I got several walks in.

Off to write. Carpe pencil! Coffee please!

Quote by WriterGirl

Wonder if they wear suits and ties at his office? Most here are business casual now.

I haven't worn a suit to work other than for interviews in forever. Even at the library, we were business casual and that was 30 years ago. I've done presentations to the board in business casual (and they were all dressed that way, too, even the executive chair). Which suits me fine. I hate suits and ties, especially the latter. It's like garroting yourself. At least if an assassin garrots you, you die quickly and painlessly instead of suffering a choking feeling for hours on end.🙄😒

Quote by verbal
Weather was AWESOME this weekend - false summer. Sadly, it starts snowing again tonight. Still, I got several walks in.

Apparently the weather is done with freezing us. Now it wants to drown us. Heavy rain, which will then melt the foot or so of snow that we still have even after the warmer weather last week.

Quote by WriterGirl

Emotional day sorting through stuff. Found an old album of young pics of my parents. They started dating in the 9th grade. Mom saved Valentines cards from him in the album, too. They had just celebrated their 60th anniversary before Mom passed away.

HUGS you! I can relate so much! My parents were in 8th grade when they started dating. They had also been married 60 years just before Mom passed away, 17 years ago. My Dad lived 8.5 years beyond that, missing her every damn day.

My sister has all the old photo albums because she had more room to store things. I was grateful that all those pictures were safe and sound up north when Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc last fall. I plan to visit my sis in April and do a lil walk down memory lane through the photos.

Yup, I love the photo albums. Kat, how cool they were married so long, too. ❤️

Good morning/afternoon... https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/writing-competitions-and-calls-for-submissions/announcing-the-winners-of-the-writers-block-competition

In honor of Mardi Gras yesterday here are Beignets while you read.

Beignets! Yay!

And that's a great list of stories. If you haven't partaken, do.

I will grind some dark roast Nicaraguan beans for coffee. For teas, there's Yorkshire Gold and Raspberry in the pots and other selections available along with hot chocolate. Kettle is boiled.

Later, alligators.

Quote by Mendalla

Beignets! Yay!

And that's a great list of stories. If you haven't partaken, do.

I will grind some dark roast Nicaraguan beans for coffee. For teas, there's Yorkshire Gold and Raspberry in the pots and other selections available along with hot chocolate. Kettle is boiled.

Later, alligators.

Did you say alligators?

🤣

Ooh, yum, beignets (can't spell that word to save my life)!

Congrats to all the winners of the comp! I only read a handful, sorry for being lazy this go-round.

Busy morning! Flat tire, so I had to fill it up , drive it to the tire shop, and walk home in the cold. I have to walk BACK in the cold to get my car in a few hours. Wah!

Hot coffee sure would warm me up!

I enjoyed all of the competition entries.

There is nothing exciting going on here. It looks like it will be much warmer next week, which is good news. I can't wait until I can open all the windows. I'm trying to figure out my grief, which sometimes is overwhelming at times.

I am looking forward to our trip to Germany next month. Getting away is a great idea.

Have a good weekend, and don't forget to set your clocks an hour ahead. Cheers

LOL at the alligators. Always love seeing those prehistoric looking beasts when I have a chance (crocodilians evolved alongside the dinosaurs and, unlike the non-avian dinos, made it through the end-Cretaceous extinction). Didn't really spend much time in Florida on my last visit so didn't see any but when we were in Tampa in January 2024 we went hiking at a conservation area and saw one.

Good morning and happy weekend!! I'll put on some Fire Roasted Saint Drogo for anyone who happens to be around seeing roasted bean beverages. For teas, there's Assam Organic and Earl Grey. Kettle is filled for those seeing other teas or hot chocolate. Whatcha drinkin' this fine weekend?

Kind of flailing with the writing at the moment. Lots of ideas dancing around but having a hard time just grabbing onto one and pursuing it. We shall see.

Morning

Gonna be nice this afternoon, so I’m going on a long hike. The stitches in my calf have loosened so walking is comfy again. Woohoo!

Enjoy the weekend, peeps! ❤️

That sounds fun!! Hope you have/had a good hike. My knee is a bit wonky after my first walk of the season yesterday so no hiking for me.

Hello everybody!

Beautiful – cold – sunny day here. The sun should warm things up (I hope), and the sun certainly created some excitement yesterday as it melted the snow around the front of our house. Then, late in the afternoon, when our 4-year-old granddaughter was walking home from school with her parents, they called us out to find … green shoots! Flowers beginning to poke up from beneath the snow!

Lady Jay, who is a gardener down to her (dirty) fingernails, was so excited. It gave her hope that perhaps Spring isn't too far away.

And with that, I'll take an Earl Grey tea to go, and I brought some peanut butter cookies to share.

And since it's been a while since I dropped in, congratulations to all the winners, especially Markie, Kat, and WriterGirl!

It was a fun competition! Thank you Molly for the inspiration!