How fabulous! Thrilled for you!!

The beginning of Lent. Was so pleased to discover that Methodists celebrate Lent. Hubby and I are making the switch from the Catholic Church to the Methodist Church. We needed a place of worship that felt more inclusive.

Never got around to having a doughnut or a paczki, but I had a Stella with my blackened grouper sandwich for lunch and dipped my kettle chips in Mayo. So, that counts right? Bon Mardi Gras!

Loved Annie's story! Honestly, I enjoyed all of the entries. This was a cool comp!

Cora wrote a lovely piece to honor him. Requiem | Stories Space

It's very sad to lose someone who was so kind and supportive.

Quote by Ceebees

I've managed to read all the entries in so far and like you, I'm really impressed by the variety of stories and interpretations on the theme.

I got my entry in. I've never been to Mardi Gras so I'm afraid you're stuck with fecking pancakes.

I've read all the entries as well. Fabulous stories. LOVED your fecking pancakes!!

Quote by verbal

Sorry to hear about the ear (there's a pun in there somewhere), Red. I've had nothing cut away yet, but a bit of colon (unnecessarily as it turned out). Now I have a semi-colon. Tip your waitresses.

Red, you should get antennas, like My Favorite Martian. That's dating myself!

No Talia Thursday. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, but will do my best to push through. Hope it's not a sign of actually getting sick.

Coffee and a cookie please.

Sorry you are feeling under the weather. Perhaps a ladder would help you climb over it? (Sorry. Puns are contagious). hope it’s nothing serious. Feel better!

Thanks to you I now have the theme song from My Favorite Martian in my head. Ray Walston had a lot of credits under his acting belt, but “Uncle Martin” was one of my favorite roles for him. That and “Mr Hand” in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Think I’m gonna need some tea while I travel down this rabbit hole…

Quote by Mendalla

Wow, Kat, Bear and I must have all been typing our posts at the same time. Psychic connection? Or coincidence? You decide.👻

Definitely a psycho, I mean psychic connection. 😎Or great minds thinking alike. 😉

Quote by redwriter

Have to have yet another carcinoma cut off my ear on Monday. I'll have no ear left at this rate. I wouldn't care, the sun is being blamed but it doesn't shine that much here on the NE coast. Does anyone have a spare? I've been to the ear shop but they only had Doctor Spock or Mickey Mouse ears--and they would clash with the one I have. I could get a matching pair but they would clash with the shape of my head!

It's 13 hours since Sara was here so I hope the coffee is still hot--yes, a latte and--oh, only Valentines cookies (that's past) --still, they are made with Sara's flawless skill, so why not? Mmmm, scrumptuous!

I’ve had carcinomas removed. My most recent diagnosis has me doing a few rounds of a topical chemo to avoid having part of my lips removed. Interestingly enough, docs are convinced that my issues stem from sunburns I got as a child years ago. Seems unfair. Back in the day, we ran around outside all summer long. We didn’t know about sunscreen.

Good luck with that ear. Sending positive vibes.

Good morning from the beach. It's chilly this morning, but it should warm up enough for a swim in the pool this afternoon. It will be a few months before the gulf is warm enough for this girl!

Sorry to hear COVID hit you again, Gillian. Hardly the kind of Valentine you hope for. Hopefully, y'all have a milder case. I understand the asthma concern, as that made my bout with Covid rather scary.

Hubby and I had it in January of 2020 when no one really knew what it was, and it left my doctor quite baffled as to why she couldn't get me well. I was on breathing treatments every four hours for three weeks. My cough lasted forever, and my sinuses became so blocked that my left eardrum burst. It was a nightmare. So I have had as many shots as have been available and will get as many shots as recommended in the future. I never want to be that sick again. Hubby's case was intense but very short-lived. Still, it put him in bed for two days which NEVER happens.

Thanks for recommending my poem, Bear. Your story was fabulous, and I very much enjoyed Jeff's Dentistry!

I have a few more recent pieces here that I need to read, plus a plethora of comp stories on the other site. I'd hoped to see more comp stories here, but the ones entered are all very entertaining.

It’s a chilly day today (by my standards) so a hot chocolate sounds good.

Congrats to the Chiefs!

Hope all y’all are having a great start to your week.

Quote by Mendalla

Good morning! There is no truth to the rumour that the object shot down over Canada yesterday was a massive coffee urn.😀 Or beer keg.

But here, the coffee is a'perking. And there's pots of Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea, too. Plus hot water if you want other teas or hot chocolate.

Up to seven in the comp, now, so I guess things are picking up. Read one so far and it was terrific (Kat's).

Thanks! I appreciate the nod! Popping in to say hi, grab a cuppa tea, and snag a handful of Laffy Taffy candies. YUM! Back to the table for some cards. Entertaining friends on a cool, windy day means finding things to do besides beaching it. To all y'all who are super interested in the Super Bowl, hope your team wins. I just want my numbers to win! LOL!

Memories of Mardi Gras (One Last Time)

This is a story that weaves bits of truth with speculative fiction. I stayed at that hotel, went on that tour, walked on those streets, but I never experienced what Giselle did. I hope you will read and enjoy my story. Be sure to LIKE it if you do! Many thanks!

Had friends arrive yesterday and it feels good to know that any amount of time can pass between visits and we are still so close.

“Tennis” elbow rearing its ugly head again. I got a steroid shot in early January that helped a lot. But it didn’t last. Aging sucks.

As we have no horse in the race, we will probably turn on the Super Bowl as background noise until halftime. I like Rihanna and am interested in seeing her perform. After that? Maybe sneak in another episode of Better Call Saul before bed. We started season 6 on Thursday.

Great Mardi Gras stories so far! I’ve read them all and I’m glad I don’t have to be a judge.

Have a great Saturday everyone.

Grans a handful of Scooby snacks and a cuppa tea.

Been busy getting ready for a visit this weekend from our best friends from Michigan. They are always so much fun! I’m putting off dusting until tomorrow though. Cuz otherwise it’ll look like I didn’t dust! Lol!

I was saddened by the heckling during the State of the Union address. When did being so outwardly disrespectful become acceptable? Just a rhetorical question, obviously. I don’t suppose there is actually an answer anyway.

Hubby went to the office today so I’m making my Turkey vegetable soup for dinner. I don’t often get to cook because he likes to do so. Making a double batch and freezing some for another day when it’s my turn lol.

Have a great day all y’all!

Memories of Mardi Gras (One Last Time) | Stories Space

Here it is, my comp story. 😊

I submitted my story this morning. With that finished, I am now free to read the other comp stories as they come in. The two that are published are wonderful.

Grabbing a sparkling water before I take my brother to the pool.

Quote by Mendalla

Mine turns 24 next month but he's apparently the most senior person on his team at work aside from the manager (Mendalla Jr. has worked for them on and off since the beginning of 2020, at first as a co-op student) so you'd swear he was older.

That’s awesome! What is it with our smart kids these days? At 26 this past fall, Kat Jr. was promoted to Senior Engineer. Two years ago she took over for a guy who had been there for MANY years. She was gonna be a dancer and decided she wanted a job where she could put down roots and make a steady paycheck. I still miss seeing her on stage, but I’m so proud of her accomplishments in her field.

As far as Disney, we are annual pass holders and went to Epcot yesterday to finish off the weekend of celebrating hubby’s birthday. Got our cute passholder Dumbo magnets!

My favorite Disney movie? Hard to choose really. The first one I remember loving was The Jungle Book.

Sara, I’m so sorry about your friend. Hugs for you. 😘

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Yes I was the same, surprised and delighted on 1 January to get a Top Story badge added to my profile here and to my competition story, as the most liked story in December.

I was I confess then totally embarrassed when the results came out as my story was last (or second last) in the competition, lol, so in reality far from being a top story.

Like that you can sort 'top stories' by genre too, interesting to see on both sites what my highest rated genre stories are.

Not sure about this current competition, have done 700 words, but hit pause to write competition elsewhere, which is taking a while to get done. Toddlers are not writer-friendly, but himself is so adorable and I'd have it no other way.

Your story was amazing, so I’m not surprised it was the most liked story. I have had stories on the other site do well with likes and comments and not place at all. Sometimes judges see things differently than the average reader.

Enjoy himself being a toddler. I barely blinked and my baby will be 27 in a month’s time. Not sure how that happened. Lol!

Quote by Mendalla

Good morning. Putting on some Jamaican Blue Mountain for the coffee set. Teas are Irish Breakfast and Cream of Earl Grey. Hot water is on, as always, for hot chocolate or other teas.

Things are all set up for my new car. Just need to confirm how much the insurance is going to cost and when my broker can get it added to the policy and then I can finalize my pickup time. Yay, no more juggling my schedule around my wife's.

Story is happening but slowly. I've got a glitch in it that I need to sort out before I get too much further.

My boss is having nasty side effects from his second shingles shot. And guess who else is due for that? 😲

Have a nice one, gang!

i had both shingles shots last year and had no issue.i thought it was because I had shingles twice in my life! But hubby had no reaction to the Shingrix and neither did my brother. So I guess expect the worst just in case and be grateful if/when it doesn’t happen.

Good luck with the new car!

Ba dum tiss

Went right over my head.

I visited Pearl Harbor a few years ago for the first time and then again this past November. It should have clicked in my mind but I’ve been operating on about 2-3 hours of sleep each night for the past week. So my brain is a bit dull.

Quote by verbal

Congrats! Where do top authors/stories get posted? I don't see anything on the front page.

Thanks for the set-up James.

Boring day, though I guess that's a good thing. Snow is melting, temps are WAY up. We got vaccine shots yesterday, I am fine, but Talia's arm is kinda achy.

I ground out 1000 words yesterday, but I am mired in a hard section of writing right now. No distractions today, I just have to write my way out of it.

Sigh. Time for a bagel and then time to write.

A coffee and a goalpost cookie please.

if you scroll down to the bottom of the page (any page it seems) there is a section called leaderboard. I discovered this on the red site when I was #2 for December at got a badge added to my profile there. You can check out the all time top authors and stories as well. It’s kinda cool. 😎

Glad your shots went well. Achy arms are pretty common. And well worth it.

Quote by JamesPBear

Sounds like a good day for our TechGoddess! Well-deserved congratulations on both counts!

After checking, I've made pots of Red Rose and Lemon Zinger teas, and a dark roast Kenyan coffee from Cooper's Coffee Company.

I'll grab some Lemon Zinger and mosey on back to try to catch up on my backlog of reading!

You forgot to mention you snagged #2 and a top author badge as well. Congratulations to the prolific polar bear!

Quote by AnnaMayZing

But wasn't Pearl Harbour made into a proper state in 1941?

No. It’s part of Oahu, Hawaii.

Coffee, tea, or whatever your beverage of choice might be…

All drinks are on me today! ☕️🫖🧋

January was apparently a successful writing month for me here on SS. I managed to snag a top author and a top story badge overnight. My back is feeling well patted and I appreciate my friends here who have read and liked my stories. Thanks!! 😎

Hubby comes home today, YAY! I’ve slept so poorly this past week. I predict I will sleep like the dead tonight. 😴💤

Hope all y’all have a great day. I’m off soon to take my brother to the eye doc.

It finally feels like Florida again outside. Managed to take my brother to the pool in the morning. This afternoon I did some laundry and other housework and managed to squeeze in some writing in. Hope y’all had a good day.

Quote by KatarinaTechgoddess

39/50 including both Hawaii and Alaska. Plus I’ve been to the US Virgin Islands.

Forgot to mention that I’ve lived in Michigan and Florida. (Hubby lived in Arizona for work for a few years but I only went to visit him, so I can’t count that one).

39/50 including both Hawaii and Alaska. Plus I’ve been to the US Virgin Islands.

I belong to a cozy book club with ten friends.

We’ve been watching The Peripheral. It’s a little intense so we have been watching one episode at a time. You have to pay attention closely. We tend to follow it up with episodes of Anthony Anderson’s To Tell the Truth which is lighthearted fluff and just my speed before bed.