Please credit Dark Natasha since you are using their art as a thumbnail.

That's fine but I am still asking the original artist.
Better to be safe than assume someone has permission because they're using it <3

To be fair its only sus because ZERO credit toward the CORRECT artist. Very suspect. That's all!

I appreciate your caring, but if you were to check you would see Dark and I have done books together. She is a wonderful person.

V.

Delightful story!

True story: When I was assigned to the Booking Section in 1995-1997, one of the nurses noted that I'd walk around the area, talking and occasionally laughing to myself for no discernible reason, leaving bemused and bewildered deputies, clerks and inmates in my wake.
One day she said, "You're acting crazy, doing all this talking and laughing."
I looked dead in her eyes - and let the mask drop fractionally. "Which would you life?" I asked in a tone of utter conviction. "Would you like me to be laughing, happy kind of crazy, or the dark and brooding kind of crazy that ends up on top of the water tower across the street with a high-powered rifle?"
There was a moment, and the nurse said, "Keep smiling."
"I will," I assured her.

Just a glimpse at the Inner Bastard.

Rofl... too funny and very truthful!

V.

*smiles... and thank you for reading (as always)...

V.

(happy smile) Good 'un.

thanks much Marm...

V.

larboard aft quarter

Subsequently known as port.

Bunners

yes... I believe larboard was discontinued as a term around 1890 or so...

*hugs the Buns...

V.

Such a good morning read... a delightful way to start a day my dear.

thank you so very much Fem...

V.

You are more than welcome dear heart.

A wonderful story. Been thinking of Tobar too and realized he got the -axe a long time ago. Still, the story has been that sort of stretch in my mind were we come from, where we are going, our characters not seen in a while yet there if we need it whether real friend or not.

so very true... they never really go away...

V.

I think I'm with Bering on this one. It feels a tad autobiographical to me. I'm sure most everyone has that 'push and shove' of different personal aspects vying for dominance. I know I do. But to frame it in the context of over a decade's worth of stories; that adds a little extra spice to the stew.

Nicely done.

*hugs*

btw, I bet the grandkits never see that frown. It looks really serious.

you always have such a way of putting things Wire...

a funny story about my expression, which over the years, seems to have become more ingrained - it's my normal look. One day I was having a private meeting with the fellow who ran the company, and he stops, after having explained something to me, and begins to 'almost' apologize for what he said, and he hoped he hadn't said something I took offense at. The little light bulb went on in my head and I actually started to laugh. I told him this was my normal expression, and if he said something I disagreed with I would say so. It does look a bit in the area of being upset, and I have no idea why it's set in that mode, but there you are.

As for the grandkids... yes, they know exactly how Grandpa feels about things.

*hugs back...

V.

This touched home. I’m starting to have memory problems, and my father’s side begins to go very young... while my mother’s side is just the same as the other grandma in the story. Completely with it until the end well into the 90s.
Beautiful piece! Thank you for writing it!

*smiles so very big... you are most welcome my dear...

*takes the time to place a crown of leaves on her head and pronounces her as the Pumpkin Queen...

V.

AWWWWWW *Teary eyes well up to the size of dinner plates!*

by the by... I shall be tearing out my squash plant Monday and prepping to put in - A PUMPKIN! That was Gloria's idea. We were at the dollar store today and I picked up a twenty five cent package of seeds.

V.

Wohooo!! Share some pictures!! Happy pumpkin growing to you 💚❤️

will do...

V.

Oh! A word of precaution to watch out for vine borers. They lay eggs on the stems and then the larvae eat the inside of the stem. You can spray in advance for prevent them or use row covers to make sure they won’t destroy your beautiful pumpkin plants.

*chuckles... my squash plant leaves are totally eaten, but the plant grows new leaves, and I actually saw a pair of Cardinals in there eating the bugs which I have yet to see. An old gardener's trick (I read it somewhere) is radishes. You plant them among your garden and the bugs eat those leaves instead - and it doesn't bother the radishes at all. My biggest problem is rot, which indicates low calcium (lime) in the soil.

V.

I need to try that radish trick! I have the seeds in the shed!

I got a bunch at the dollar store a few days ago... and I like radishes in any case...

V.

Haha, a great jaunt across the sea of the mind with it's vast surfaces to explore and infinite borders.
I really love the term "ghost work" and I think I might have to adopt it. There are many tasks in my day to day that would fall into that category.
I'll raise a glass and cheer that age sharpens your mind and expands your wisdom, not dull it from constant use. Thanks for sharing!

*smiles so very big...

thank you K... and yes... help yourself to 'ghost work', and I will hope to see you here holding a paint brush...

V.

A literary friend is never gone, so long as we revisit them. Although, they can get a bit cranky if you expect them to join you after a long interlude.

Sting had an album I loved called 'Soul Cages'... I just realized that the image of his father as the captain of the sailing ship has always been James Claval to me...

V.

Hey, that's one of my faves too! All his albums are awesome, honestly.

once he left 'The Police' he began his creative phase... I can see so much in Soul Cages. Did you hear his Broadway musical about his childhood? It's so very very wonderful.

V.

No, I never heard about that. The Wikipedia article on "The last ship" certainly makes it sound interesting.

It is AWESOME!

It’s on YouTube pretty much...

V.

Just watched it and I fully agree. Lots of good music and singing and even some laughter. I copied it to DVD so I can bring it to my folks when I go see them next week. Thank you for telling me about this!

*nautically musical hugs*

...

*shanty hugs???*

*and given right back to you...

V.

This one took me awhile to get to, but I think it was well worth the wait. It has a nice build up from mystery and anticipation to pure nostalgia, the bittersweet nature of mortality and finally a heartwarming ending to top it all.

Tabor is certainly a familiar face. I recall he may have shown up in a past prompt, or Wirewolf mentioned him in one of the stories in ML.

*chuckles... I did an entire novel with him, but that may have been before you found me... he's an old dear friend...

V.