⚜ Mardi Gras, 2000 "I see a man in your future." A smile crossed the young woman’s face. Skeptical at first, her apprehension easily dissolved as soon as she heard her desires would be met. Madam Francessa was accomplished at asking the right questions, reading expressions, and predicting what the tourists wanted to hear. This eager lover had been an easy read. “Really? When? What does he look like?” Her rapid-fire questi...
As the dark clouds swirled, the forest gnomes busied themselves. For since time recorded, they have been tasked with waking Father Winter. Jimmy's task was to bring the sugary treats this year. At first light, the ten gnomes gathered their belonging and waited for Jimmy. Jimmy, with a smile as large as the valley below, arrived. He was out of breath due to his running back from the humans' bakery in the valley. With p...
The ice tinkled against the glass as I raised it to my lips, enjoying the warmth of the late evening sun on my face. The view from the hotel veranda was sublime, out across the Pacific vastness to meet the vivid blue sky at the horizon. It was plain to see why many considered these islands a paradise, and why they were such a popular destination among holidaymakers. There was a secluded beach below where, during the day,...
The Native American tradition is one of preservation. We are many tribes and many clans, but our stories carry on our history. Some have been nearly lost and forgotten, as the young look to the future and forget the past. But these remembrances of the teachings of my Native American grandmother carry on some of the tales given to us from earlier times. This is our heritage. It is, in fact, the only thing we have left of a...
