Imagination - 28

What will the volcanic ash cloud look like when it spreads its dark fingers over the sky? I have visions of the darkness leaking out of Mordor before the great assault on Minas Tirith begins.

Imagination - 27

I wish I could read the minds of agents and publishers to find out what they're really looking for!

Imagination - 26

A broad bean seed that got confused and tried to grow downwards. I've heard that truth is stranger than fiction...

Imagination - 25

Black-grey rainclouds hang over the landscape. What if the clouds parted and out of the billowing tatters came a dragon... Well, then, I could slay it, of course!

Chocolate Stains from Fiona Robyn

Ages ago, back in March, Fiona sent through this story as part of an email. I had intended to link to it sooner but life got in the way. Here is it however, although I can't find the original link (sorry Fiona!) Both my partner and I loved this tale as we saw ourselves reflected in it. 

A couple of weeks ago, Kaspa dripped some chocolate from his bowl of profiteroles onto the rug. 

He cleaned it up, but it left a faint chocolatey shadow on the rug. 

As I walked past it, I'd think, "he hasn't cleaned it up properly."

I pointed it out to him. "You haven't cleaned that up properly." "I know", he said, "I'll do it sometime soon."

He didn't do it. I looked at it whenever I walked past it. "He hasn't done it yet," I thought. Some days I let this thought lead to others. "I have to do everything around here." (not true) "If I don't do it, nobody will do it." (not true) "I can't believe he hasn't cleaned it up yet!". "Yet another example of (insert belief)". "I can't believe he hasn't cleared it up yet!" Occasionally I'd say to him, "That chocolate's still there."

Yesterday, I had a revelation.

I could do it myself. 

I took a wet sponge from the bathroom. I squirted on a bit of detergent. I gave it a little scrub. The entire process took, what, two minutes from beginning to end? Maximum?

The chocolate stain isn't there any more. 

I just told Kaspa what I was going to write about this week. "Yes, I  was watching you get worked up about it," he said. "If you hadn't made such a fuss, I probably would have cleared it up myself weeks ago."

Things you might be curious about

When do you create a story around a small event that is more about your story than it is about the small event? What hooks you in? How might you step back and extricate yourself from the story, however juicy and addictive it is? 

Quotes

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. 

~Albert Einstein

Imagination - 24

Imagine things as they should be; Heaven. Imagine things at their worst; Hell. Imagine things as they are; Life.

Imagination - 23

Imagine if everything went smoothly all the time; how we would never grow or develop into better human beings. Adversity creates strong character.

Imagination - 22

Imagaine the rain falling and instead of drinking the welcome water with their roots, the trees reached out and drank through their leaves. OK, I have a weird imagination!

Imagination - 21

Letters are conversations in slow motion. Suppose you could slow everything down like that; take time to think, before you reply...

Imagination - 20

Imagine if all one's stress could be utilised positively; plug me into the mains and power the heating or the washing machine. Stress is such a waste of energy.

Imagination - 19

Watching The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; childhood memories rekindled, making me want to reread the book with the islands in the right order!

Small Stones for a Wedding

Kaspa & Fiona have taken over my blog for today, because they
need our help.

They are both on a mission to help the world connect with the world
through writing. They are also getting married on Saturday the 18th of
June.



For their fantasy wedding present, they are asking people across the
world to write them a ‘small stone’ and post it on their blogs or on
Facebook or Twitter.



A small stone is a short piece of observational writing – simply pay
attention to something properly and then write it down. Find out more
about small stones here.




If you’re willing to help, we’d love you to do things:




1) Re-post this blog on your own blog any time before June the 18th and
give your readers a chance to hear about what we’re doing. You can
simply copy and paste the text, or you can find the html
here.




2) Write us a small stone on our wedding day whilst we’re saying our
vows and eating cake, post it on your blog, and send
it to us.



You can find out more about our project at our website, Wedding Small
Stones, and you can also read our blog at A River of Stones.




We also have a July challenge coming soon, when we’ll be challenging
you to notice one thing every day during July and write it down.




Thank you for listening, and we hope we’ll be returning from our
honeymoon to an inbox crammed with small stones, including yours.




Kaspa & Fiona

Imagination - 18

Drinking ginger beer from dark brown bottles; pretending to be pirates swigging rum.

Imagination - 17

Just imagine what you could do if you thought of a colour and it gave you a particular power or emtion such as happiness, peace, a steady income, enough food, free drinks... (My bosses would like that one!)

Imagination - 16

Pink jacket in charity shop fits me to perfection. As if it was waiting for me. Suppose it was waiting for me... When I try it on at home, what will it do? Whisk me away to a far-off land or world? Why? What for? Will I be able to get back home again?

Imagination - 15

Thick mist veils the landscape. When it lifts, will it reveal the undulating wooded slopes that give way to the marshes and eventually the sea? Or will it expose an alien country, washed up on the shores of my imagination?

Imagination - 14

Summer brings blessings of warmth and fruitfulness. But Winter brings blessings also, of sleep and hidden works deep beyond our reach.

Imagination - 13

Suppose you could communicate with birds and animals, either by speech or thought. What would they tell you? Secrets of their lives? Would they warn you of coming danger? Could they predict the weather for you? What could you offer them in return?

Imagination - 12

Overnight, red flowers bloomed at the end of the garden. Why? Did Romeo meet Juliet and declare his love? Did Venus smile and bend her gaze over us last night as the rain fell and watered the parched land?

Imagination - 11

Suppose the yellow luminosity at dawn wasn't the sun trying to rise through thick, grey clouds. Suppose instead it was the reflected brilliance of an angel or some other supernatural being struggling to reach us and warn us of danger...

Amusement & Encouragement

A diversion from my normal blog. I just had to tell everyone about this  blog from my friend Matt Rowe. Click here to read it - it won't take long and it will make you laugh!

Imagination - 10

Objects around the house never seem to stay where I put them. I think they get up and dance around at night and never get back to exactly the right place before I appear in the morning.

Imagination - 9

Suppose the pepper and tomato plants move. Suppose they swap pots at night. Why? What for? Would I notice if they ended up in the wrong pot in the morning?

Imagination - 8

Talking to tomato plants; it's what I do to encourage them to grow. What if they started talking back to me? What would they say? "We're doing our best dear, but please stop wittering on - it gives us a headache!"

Imagination - 7

The high cry of the buzzard above my domesticated, organic garden, transports me to rocky, earth-coloured mountains in deserts that lack greeness and water.

Imagination - 6

A brave princess in reduced circumstances who doesn't complain but gets on and makes the best of things because she comes from common stock, not blue blood...

Imagination - 5

Touch can excite or revolt. Extremes. Just suppose touch could reveal thoughts and motives!

The Versatile Blogger Award

I am over the moon! Libby has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award - see green box on the right hand side. It's such a lovely idea! I'm really happy and my confidence levels have gone up several notches!

OK, I've told you about the award and now, in keeping with the traditions of the award I have to tell you 7 things about myself: -

1 - I am 5'3.5" (the .5 is very important otherwise I feel people are looking down at me)
2 - I loath melted cheese (smells like old socks - yick!)
3 - My weakness is chocolate. I feel very strongly about it, particularly 70% bitter chocolate...
4 - My other weakness is that I'm incredibly vain.
5 - I need peace and quietness to be myself. I am not a sociable person at all. 
6 - Dracomagan is my alterego (see the link to Dragonscale Leggings to see what I mean!)
7 - I am very stubborn.

And here are the 4 blogs I am nominating for the Versatile Blogger Award: -

Libby of course because she is even more versatile than me, plus she blogs nearly every day

JulesPaige because reading her blogs and messages are like drinking cold water on a hot day

Fiona Robyn because she's the one who got us all writing small stones in the first place

Pebbleorium because Josephine is another of the many I've "met" on writingourwayhome who is inspirational and encouraging

I have to say it was really hard to choose just 4 blogs to nominate...! I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do.

Imagination - 4

Suppose that each new leaf on every tree opened the door to another world... Could you get back to this world once the leaf had fallen?

Imagination - 3

The Spring wind blows cool after days of balmy breezes. The goddess of life regards us cooly as we pollute her surge of new growth.

Imagination - 2

The cat, curled nose to tail in the gentle sun becomes a panther, sleekly muscled, a wanton killer.

Imagination - 1

The pink-tinged thunderheads of soft, cotton wool-like clouds rises as a dream, out of this world.

Resolution - 30

I will make the most of every day and not let any time be wasted or empty.

Resolution - 29

I will remain calm and positive whilst looking for a new car. I will not get stressed. The right car with turn up at the right price at the right time.

Resolution - 28

I will take time to hear the robin sing; to appreciate the beauty of his song.

Resolution - 27

I will not fear the coming storm but enjoy the beauty of the building thunderheads bringing welcome rain.

Resolution - 26

I will revel in the bright green leaves and hard blue sky of Springtime. The sorrows of Winter are forgotten.

Resolution - 25

As the sun's warmth increases I will expand and let go of the winter and all its stresses.

Resolution - 24

I will remember that where there is pain, healing can be found.

Resolution - 23

I will look forward to the sound of the cuckoo call; Spring has officially arrived!

Resolution - 22

I will not let my subconcious night fears linger and ruin the daylight hours.

Resolution - 21

I will not give up hope even though all seems lost. The magnolia tree has not flowered this year but a few leaves have unfurled.

Resolution - 20

I will not let grey skies get me down. Above them, the sun still shines.