Quote by elizabethblack

Hard to concentrate lately. So much to do and no interest in getting it accomplished. Nothing I can do. So helpless.

I get times like that, too. When I do, I select something I really want to do, and promise myself I can do it – once I've done something I need to do, like pay bills.

Or you can use Robert Benchley's technique. He would set out 5 things he needed to do, select the top one, and sit down to do it. No sooner than he started it then he would feel the need to do something else – so he would do another one of his 5 things to avoid doing #1. Then he would sit down to do the first thing again – and get distracted by one of the other tasks, and so on.

The first thing might never get finished, but he found that the others did.

It's a thought.

Quote by gillianleeza

It's been a busy week with various appointments for my Dad. He loves them because he enjoys talking with everyone and never stops. He exhausts everyone around him. But after he gets clearance from his doctors, he can have surgery.

For some reason, I am having difficulty dealing with losing my cat, Apollo. I wonder if it's because we don't have any pets now. When Hannibal died, we still had his brother. I wake up thinking he is on the bed with me. He acted more like a dog and would greet me at the door and follow me everywhere. We'd watch tv, and he'd even get up and follow me into the bathroom. I'm grateful for the extra time we had with him. He accidentally got out five years ago and was missing for five weeks. So these past five years were a bonus. He was such a sweet comfort when stress was too much.

It's going to be a quiet weekend. I see several naps in my future. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Cheers!

My brother and his wife recently lost the last of three cats – a mother and two brothers. The last of the brothers recently died, and they were bereft as well. They had a simple solution: they got two kittens, also brothers. Brother and SIL certainly miss their previous cats, but the kittens don't give them a lot of time to brood about it.

I went to bed last night with ZERO ideas for the Mardi Gras comp, and woke up with a rather unsettling one. We'll see if it settles or not.

Meanwhile, I got the coffee started, Ethiopian, where coffee first originated a thousand years ago. I don't THINK these beans are that old, but you never know!

And we have pots of Red Rose and Prince Of Peace Organic Oolong teas.

Meanwhile, I have a new story out in "The Bear & the Girl" series:

The Fall

Hope y'all like it.

My day was complete when her hand crept into mine.

Quote by Molly
Quick Facts:

You cannot submit already published work.

All Stories Space rules and guidelines apply.KqcnPwVacnT8l2Ko

The minimum word count is 1000.

Is there a maximum word count? 200,000 for instance?

The slow tempo of his breathing released his soul to soar.

(puts blanket over sleeping Gillian, tip-toes away)

OK, I'm gonna get things started, but try to be quiet about it. Let's let Gillian sleep, if she can. Poor kid.

We have pots of Red Rose and Assam black teas available, plus lots of gerbil teas in the box, as well as other fine teas.

Coffee is perkin' away, and we're gonna stick with the N'Oleans roast, in celebration of One of Our Own being there! Have some beignets for us, Mendalla!

And, of course, Sara's Scrumptious Snacks are nestled all snug in the containers, just waiting to be selected and savoured!

There you go! The day has begun.

(tip-toes off to Sara's Space to imbibe a Bear-sized mug of Assam tea)

Morning, everybody! With Mendalla still AWL (Absent WITH Leave), I've put out pots of Red Rose and Darjeeling teas, plus some N'Oleans Cajun roast coffee, in acknowledgment that he's now in New Orleans enjoying the cuisine (and the nightlife?) and we're not!

Plus Sara, the cookie fairie, has blessed us with yummy offerings, so…we've set sail on a new week! Enjoy it!

Good morning, everybody! Let's get things rolling, even if we are a bit behind.

Tea's maid…I mean, made…Red Rose and Irish Breakfast in pots on the sideboard.

Sachets of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows for the sweeter set.

And coffee is ready, too, something more exotic – Turkish coffee today, dark, thick, and sweet!

And how is everybody doing this fine Friday the 13th? Anybody afflicted with triskaidekaphobia?

If so, then take a black cat, and go hide under a ladder!

Quote by verbal

Thanks for the set-up, James.

Glad to hear from you Scott. I'm a little jelly, a cruise is on my bucket list, and I think we will probably do one soon.

No Talia Thursday. My novel critique group has THREE novels in it currently, so I've got some homework between now and Saturday. PLUS two stories to critique for Monday critique. Dang. Lotsa reading ahead

Meanwhile, I'm knee-deep in chapter 4, and wondering if chapter lengths should all be similar. Thoughts?

Roland, my team is the Mets (thanks for asking).

A coffee and a Deputy Dawg cookie!

My feeling about chapter length is – it depends. Just as a paragraph should focus on one idea (as expressed by the topic sentence), a chapter should explore, expose, and expound on one facet or aspect of your story. Unless, of course, you are William Faulkner, in which case you don't give a fig.

So, a chapter may be long or short, but I wouldn't artificially tailor them towards a specific length. If you do, some will be too hurried (to cram in all the necessary stuff), and some too wordy, as you stretch the content to fit the word count.

That's the way it seems to me, at least.

I remember John Brunner (a science fiction author) once tried to sell a book (I don't remember which one) based on the title, but the publisher wanted the first chapter before he bought it. Brunner grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote a one-word chapter: "I–"

Special circumstance, of course, and the second chapter began, "–solationism," then carried on from there. But it's a pretty good example of why chapter length can vary enormously.

Well! A surprise visit by the vacationing Mendalla! Hope he's enjoying the warm weather. It's fashionably cool up here in Ontario – as he'll find out when he returns.

Hmmm…

He didn't do any of the setup, so let's get it started.

The kettle is steaming away, ready for hot chocolate or infusion drinks. The teas on the sideboard are Red Rose and Darjeeling, and we're using Teaberry Arabica from Tanzania for coffee today.

Plus, of course, we have Sara's Scrumptious Sweets for Suitable Scoffers.

Help yourselves, and keep us posted on any new stories!

Quote by KatarinaTechgoddess

Doc says I have to wait until Friday to start round 2 of treatment since I’m still not 100% from the stomach bug that derailed me for nearly a week. But it’s supposed to be chilly this weekend so I won’t be missing much. It will be a good weekend to catch up on some reading

If there are any stories here you wish had gotten more attention along the way, feel free to drop me a message or, better yet, post the link for me here!

Good luck with the treatments, Kat! You'll get there.

If you're interested in a talking Bear (ridiculous premise, right?) discussing philosophy, cosmology, and the existence of God, then try Of God and Bear. If not, then don't!

I'm hoping to extend the "Bear and Girl" series. I have several stories finished, but need to punch them into shape.

Thanks for taking care of that, Sara! With Mendalla away, and me being tied up with our 2-year-old granddaughter, I didn't get in until late!

Chilly here, but that's kinda what we expect in January (not you, Annie, but us Northern Hemisphere types), but it's been GREY for days and days. Lady Jay is solar powered, and gets run down and grumpy when it's like this, so I'm praying for sunshine – and soon!

Trust me – Jay is an amazing woman, but you DON'T want to be in the vicinity when she gets grumpy!

With Mendalla on vacation, SOMEBODY's gotta get things running!

The kettle is ready to serve, there are pots of Red Rose and Lemon Zinger teas available on the side.

Coffee is hot and ready, with a special blend from a friend of mine – Lousiana Creole dark roast, with water straight from the Bayou.

And, of course, treats are available courtesy of the Cookie Angel – Sara!

Take care out there, folks. We got some freezing rain overnight, and I almost wiped out when I stepped out on the porch to pick up the newspaper!

Quote by Brad_Naylor

Thank you, Bear. As I'm now retired, everyday is the weekend. I'll have a coffee but must give the cookies a miss. I put on a few pounds over Christmas.

You should be a Polar Bear! We Bears LIVE on fat, and a few kilos extra are just BEAR-ly enough!

Applications at the Front Office. Ask for the Big Guy…

Good morning, everybody!

The kettle is on, there are pots of Red Rose and Earl Grey on the side.

Coffee is hot and ready to go.

And, as always, there are Sara's Sensational Snacks to be had in the cookie jars!

Enjoy the day – even if it is Monday!

❤️☕️😉

I know that Mendalla is away on a well-deserved vacation (or at least away…), so let me fire up the kettle, make a couple of pots of Red Rose and Earl Grey tea, plus some coffee for those so inclined.

There are Sara's delicious cookies in the tins (including GF cookies in Quick-Draw McGraw!), so help yourselves!

Other than football, anything going on around town? The Lady wife and I went out early to do some errands, getting the stores in question early before the crowds. We've never gone very far from our 2020 caution, and now with the new, more infectious variant of COVID, we are pretty much back to where we were in late 2021.

But that includes writing, fortunately. I have a bunch of Bear and Girl stories that I've written, but never published, and will try to post some in the next few days.

Take care, everyone! It's still dangerous out there.

Well done, you three – Verbal, Ping, and Kat! And well done all top ten! It was a fun comp, and the winners certainly deserve it!

YEA! Congratulations! 🍷

I had a YouTube video in the last post, but it swallowed the rest of the post, so I'm publishing it here.

Quote by Mendalla

🤣Yeah, the 21st century seemed so far off at one time, eh. The original Bladerunner was set in 2019 (made in 1982). Last I checked, we didn't have androids and flying cars in 2019, though maybe I missed something. 😋The sequel came out in 2017 and is dated 2049. So maybe some of us will get to see how it compares to the real "future".

Flying cars already exist, Mendalla, and have for some time. They just rarely make any economic sense, like making a bathtub refrigerator.

You can find a YouTube video about some of the cars out there.

As for Androids – no, not yet, although I wrote a story about sex androids for another site, but they are getting close – and the sex industry is leading the way. Here's a story about some of the sex dolls currently on the market.

Seems like a lot of tech breakthroughs come from gaming, sex, or the military, which, I think, says a lot about humanity!

He squared his shoulders and prepared to die saving them.

I watched the baseball get bigger. Then it hit me…

Hey everybody! I believe today is Sara's birthday!

Happy birthday Sara!

Quote by gillianleeza

It's so good to see you. I hope you are doing well.

My houseguests leave on Wednesday. It's been a great visit, except I got sick with a cold/flu. At least it wasn't Covid. I don't need that again. I've been trying to isolate myself from everyone so I don't get them sick.

I hope everyone is staying healthy.

Cheers!

Guests make the heart glad twice – once when they arrive, and again when they leave!

Glad you enjoyed your visitors. Get well soon, Gillian!

Quote by DenimAngel

Oops I forgot a cookie jar

That one's for the Hungrier than the Average Bear, right?

Lady Jay and I watched the fireworks in Sydney Harbour online as our way to ring in the New Year…then texted our cousins who live there, and got a text back with a photo of the fireworks from their condo window!

Sometimes technology is maddening, but it can also be really cool!

Sit. Inhale…pause…exhale…pause…inhale…pause…exhale……and…mindfulness…

Happy New Year, you fabulous fabulists!

And let us hope that 2023 will be a year we want to remember – unlike the rest of the warring twenties so far!

I see we have an even dozen story entries. And that I take the prize – for the shortest title.

But only by one letter.

I would hate to be the judges – as always. But then, who ever heard of a Polar Bear judging a literary contest?

Entering, yes. Judging? NAH!

Quote by Verity

If the big fat bear is in the house, I've sorted the name cock up now. Give my best to little Ivy.

Who you callin' FAT? I'll have you know this is…insulation!

You try swimming in the Arctic Ocean, OK?

Happy New Year to all, and to all a speedy hangover recovery!

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Just 50 minutes left of this year. Happy New Year to you all, looking forward to reading and writing in 2023.💖

Happy New Year, Annie! Lady Jay and I are watching the fireworks in Sydney Harbour online now!

Quote by gillianleeza

It's been an interesting but ultimately fun holiday with family. I'm enjoying having some of my Newfoundland family visit. They are having a great time except for the luggage that did not arrive with them. One suitcase is still missing. It required a trip to the store the day before Christmas for them to purchase some clothing. We are not all the same sizes. Our kitchen sink backed up that day, but my husband successfully tackled that. Of course, it was right in the middle of meal prep. Then the dishwasher stopped working. Everyone took turns washing dishes by hand. After dinner, we heard the water running in the kitchen and realized that not only had the dishwasher stopped working, but it had sprung a leak, and water had been leaking out underneath it and under the cabinets and kitchen floor. Again my husband had to work on a holiday and disconnected the dishwasher, clamped off the leaking hose, and took the dishwasher out. Despite all that, we had a great meal with my parents, my Canadian family, my middle son, and his girlfriend. My oldest was supposed to come with his wife, but sadly they both got Covid the day before. They have recovered, but it was sad they could not join us. We had a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity after dinner, my parents had gone home by then. They would not have appreciated the inappropriateness of that game. Today we all went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. It was a fantastic show. I'm tired now, lol.

I need to catch up on my reading here. It's good to see competition entries coming in. I'll be here sporadically until after my houseguests leave next week.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy as we head into the new year.

Cheers!

Wow, Gillian, your holiday story takes the cake…and the sink, and the dishwasher, and the…

But I was delighted that you all persevered in the face of difficulties – and your husband deserves a Medal of Honour for Husbandry Above and Beyond!

Whereabouts in Newfoundland does your family come from? I presume it's on The Rock, but what part?

Lovely part of the world, but it's the people that make special! As the song goes, there are no price tags on the doors in Newfoundland, as the Airplane People found out after 9/11!

You deserve to be tired, but thanks for the cheery update!

We only had five for Christmas dinner this year. Our daughter, her husband, and our six-year-old were with the other grandparents, so relatively quiet. In the past, we have invited people who have no place to go for Christmas dinner, but as we're settling into a new house, and just learning its ways, we decided that discretion is the better part of cowardice!

I'll take a Red Rose tea and retire to Sara's Spot to see if there are any new entries in the comp!