Dogs, service or otherwise, are always welcome in here. Well, the cat might not be too happy but a bit of catnip will deal with that.

Anyone else for sencha (Japanese green tea)?

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My first "Cheers to 10 Years" entry,

Hey, Scott. Nice to see you, Bill. There is certainly coffee left. It's fun to watch how crowded it is getting around here. Nice to see.

And a lot of new stories to enjoy, as well.

By the way, the Mizzou Tigers are beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 10 to zip at present.

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Here's my first competition entry in the 100-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-on-guard-duty-.aspx

Here's my second competition entry in the 40-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-classified-ad-.aspx

Here's my third competition entry in the 261-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/-the-legend-of-lovers-lane-.aspx

Here's my fourth competition entry in the 120-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/-bibliophilia-.aspx

As Sara has brought all the toys, I'll just give Victor a cuddle! And say hello to the cat if he/she will let me get near!

A coffee to get me going to clean the house this morning will do very nicely!

Nice to see you, Cynthia. Hi, Scott.

I'm having a cuppa java. That's what I need at this time of the day.

A storm system passed through but it looks as if it will not affect the Chiefs game in Kansas City later today.

Since I finally got a story written for the Back to School challenge I can think about the Moon challenge now. I have some strange ideas for it drifting through my head. We shall see.

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Here's my first competition entry in the 100-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-on-guard-duty-.aspx

Here's my second competition entry in the 40-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-classified-ad-.aspx

Here's my third competition entry in the 261-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/-the-legend-of-lovers-lane-.aspx

Here's my fourth competition entry in the 120-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/-bibliophilia-.aspx

Hi people
*checks the food and water dishes of the resident cat and Victor *
Does the cat have a name ?
Is the cat friendly?
*climbing up in my favorite chair with a sweet tea*
Happy Sunday people

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Good day. Now working on my second cuppa java. I had to take a short trip out to pick up some necessities from a store. I took Victor along because the temperature was only in the 50s F so not too hot to stay in the car.

However, it's still gonna get up into the 80s today. Staying inside mostly, getting some writing done.

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Here's my first competition entry in the 100-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-on-guard-duty-.aspx

Here's my second competition entry in the 40-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-classified-ad-.aspx

Here's my third competition entry in the 261-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/-the-legend-of-lovers-lane-.aspx

Here's my fourth competition entry in the 120-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/-bibliophilia-.aspx

Oh, oh, Sara's hitting the marshmallows. Time to restock. Does Costco sell them, I wonder?

Back to fall here, hopefully for good this time. Though you never know. I ended up cutting the grass in shorts on Canadian Thanksgiving (2nd Monday in October) last year, a day when I have also bundled up some years.

Rediscovered an old favorite song today.

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My first "Cheers to 10 Years" entry,

Perfect! I'll go get about six bags. (just teasin')

Blood tests today. Main purpose is to check my A1C (diabetes stuff) but there's some other numbers my doc and I monitor, too.

Writing drought continues. I have ideas. I just don't feel like writing. Every time I start, it fizzles out after a couple paragraphs no matter what the story or subject matter. Oh well. I may try to use one of the challenges, probably the moon one, as a focus to try to jumpstart things. I have been able to get some ideas documented in OneNote at least.

* pours and English Breakfast tea *

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My first "Cheers to 10 Years" entry,

Got to moving late today. After arising I fed and walked Victor. Then we both came back and laid down for an after walk rest.

I got up and made the coffee in about an hour. Sorry if anyone had to use the little packets of single servings.

I did the Back to School challenge. I am working on the Moon challenge now. A bit of sci-fi steampunk fluff. But fun for me.

Actually, I feel like writing a poem. I think I'll go ahead and do that today. I need to do some proofing for a friend but it will have to wait.

---

Here's my first competition entry in the 100-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-on-guard-duty-.aspx

Here's my second competition entry in the 40-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-classified-ad-.aspx

Here's my third competition entry in the 261-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/-the-legend-of-lovers-lane-.aspx

Here's my fourth competition entry in the 120-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/-bibliophilia-.aspx

Geez, too much existential writerly confusion as the rice and stir fry cooks for supper. Time zone slippage dears, time zone slippage.

Scott seriously I thought you were going to say you'd dealt with the hair ball from said cat.

Ours was the unexcelled master at projectile hair ball action just as the door bell rang announcing guests.

Darren, take heed. For both stories and fiction and cats.

More later... if you're unlucky

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The subject who is truly loyal to the Chief Magistrate will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures. Junius

Hi Everyone. Well, here I am at last and finally managed to get the next chapter of Long Road Home submitted. It's been a hell of a week since I got back from Germany. My mum, is in hospital and is tomorrow going into a nursing home for what I fear will be her final days. She is 95, suffers from dementia and heart failure. She won't eat or drink now. Travelling back and forth to take care of the problems with the medical and welfare people, along with attending meetings the other side of the country has worn me to a stump.
Today, I decided to 'take a day off' and spent the afternoon working on the chapter. I got the last 1500 words done. Phew!

So now, I will sit here and enjoy an enormous cup of strong, black Arabica if I may please.

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The third part of this epic journey starts here... https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/the-long-road-home-chapter-1.aspx

If anyone wishes to find the beginning of this epic saga, here it is:

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/-the-nurses-.aspx

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

It was my fate to have my father pass before he was seventy. He had smoked his entire life and had numerous strokes and heart attacks. Then my mother had to go through cancer with bungling doctors ending her life much too short in her seventy-sixth year. I've been so much luckier and I know it.

We'll all share a hug for the heartaches we have gone through.

The coffee I make is always Arabica, Anna.

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Here's my first competition entry in the 100-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-on-guard-duty-.aspx

Here's my second competition entry in the 40-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/-classified-ad-.aspx

Here's my third competition entry in the 261-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/-the-legend-of-lovers-lane-.aspx

Here's my fourth competition entry in the 120-word category: https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/-bibliophilia-.aspx

Dealing with aging parents is quite stressful especially when you don't have the help and support of other family members.

I hope you can relax at least for a time.

I am lucky that my parents are doing well considering their ages and my father's dementia. Also that they can afford the retirement community they are in now.

I really really need to catch up on my reading but I have been finding it hard to do much of anything. After my parent's house sale and their move, I had surgery.

The recovery has been a bit problematic and I will need further treatment. It should all be fine eventually but some days I struggle.

I hope everyone is doing well.

I'll have ginger ale and sit in the corner and try to read until I get sleepy enough to go to bed.

Cheers!

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Some of my stuff.
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/memoirs/learning-to-fly.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/memoirs/misery-loves-company.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/we-always-go-on.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/heart-flutters.aspx

Thanks for the donuts and muffins. Reminds me I need to make banana bread since no one ate the bananas I bought.

I love a good old fashioned ghost story. Can't wait to read it. Since I had time I went through all the bookshelves in my house and pulled out several collections of short stories. I'm going to tackle them next. Do you have a favorite short story or short story author?

The first two collections I pulled off my bookcase were by Joe Hill and Henry James.

Mother nature must have been listening to me because today it is beautiful and cooler with less humidity. The 90s return for the weekend but I will enjoy having the windows open for the next couple of days.

I'll take a muffin to go. Need to start going through my attic. After cleaning out my parents house it made me realize I need to start purging some things in my own.

Cheers.

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Some of my stuff.
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/memoirs/learning-to-fly.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/memoirs/misery-loves-company.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/we-always-go-on.aspx
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/heart-flutters.aspx

Hard to pick a favorite short story, but some of my favorite short story authors are M. R. James, H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Ramsey Campbell, and Shirley Jackson. Robert Bloch, best known for the novel behind Psycho, wrote some really good ones over his long career (in fact, he and H. P. Lovecraft "killed" each other off in an informal trilogy of short stories that came out of their correspondence). Haven't read Joe Hill much yet, but I was a big fan of his father (Stephen King, for any who don't know) through the eighties and he wrote some damn fine short stories. Sometimes prefer them to his novels.

Tea-time.

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My first "Cheers to 10 Years" entry,