CHRISTMAS WITH THE FOREST FAIRIES

 "Mama, the dining room is full of snow!"

"And so is the living room!" cried Arabella.

"It's Christmas morning!" said the twins.  "And we're freezing!"

"Good grief!" said their mother, the Queen, surveying the frozen wreckage of her home.  "It must have been my poisonous cousin, Repellante, who did this as a little holiday prank.  She was a nasty little girl too.  Or, perhaps it was Hepzibah! You know how gossip travels in the forest.  Yes, she must have heard that it was you two who led Rapunzel home!  Yet it is I who must suffer!" the Queen said dramatically (as she was wont to do.)  "What your father will say I do not know."  The sisters studied their small feet in the melting snow as they could think of absolutely nothing to say in their own defense.

"It's like living in the castle of the Snow Queen," whispered Arabella.  "Now she's a piece of work!"

"I heard she has stolen a little boy named Kay and put a piece of ice in his heart!" said Annalisa.

"Are you two talking about my horrid cousin, the Snow Queen?"
demanded Mother, whose hearing was acute.  The Forest Queen had been tramping about in the slush looking for rodents so she could undo the snow spell before her husband came downstairs.  He was always so cranky in the morning.  "That poor boy Kay is imprisoned in her castle.  Let us hope he brought a heavy coat and a muffler. That place is like ice!  Well, of course, it is ice."

"Don't you have any nice relatives, Mother?" said Annalisa.

"And that isn't all I've heard.  There's a little girl called Gerda who wants to rescue Kay, but she has no idea how to find the Snow Queen.  The poor child is wandering around in the snow talking to ravens and riding a reindeer.  She must be desperate."

The sisters stared into each other's eyes.  An idea had been born. They knew where the Snow Queen lived!  This time they would not share their plan with their mother.

"Mother, you undo the snow spell and we'll make hot chocolate. And then we'll open our presents!  We will have a merry Christmas after all."  The girls hurried away to the snowy kitchen, their eyes bright with anticipation.  First, they would find Gerda!

GERDA

Look for the Forest Fairies helping Gerda find Kay in the new year.

CHRISTMAS - 2013

The family gathers for my 70th birthday.

2013 was the year I turned 70 (I know I don't look a day over 69) and we celebrated with family and friends.  Jeanne and Sharon gave me a fantastic party and I shall always cherish the memories.

        

Monty, Murphy and Molly

Molly was a feral cat who lived in the woods near our condo.  I began feeding her every day and being a very bright girl,
she soon decided there
were lots of perks to 
domestication and she moved right in, totally ignoring the hissing from Monty. 

Later in the year I took a blogging class and then created
Flying by Moonlight ( found at lindamwillson.blogspot.com) and I have loved every minute of it.  I also joined a wonderful writing group at UNF and have been inspired to write poetry.

                                                      

Flying By Moonlight

I love Christmas--the lovely carols, the decorated trees, the gaily wrapped presents, Christmas dinner with family and the late Christmas Eve service at church with candlelight and an abundance of red flowers.  I wish all of you peace and love at this joyful holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

PEEKING THROUGH DOORS

When Riverview High opened in 1958, no one knew where anything was. A small group of girls in the sixth period drama class were wandering around backstage, deciding which rooms in back of the stage would be the dressing rooms, the makeup room and the all important Green Room.  It immediately became clear that the architect knew nothing about the theatre.  This was an auditorium, not a theatre!  There weren't enough rooms for our needs and we divas were horrified.  Where were we to put on our costumes?  Were we to stand nearly naked in the hallway for all the world to see?  Clearly, we were facing an impossible situation and we began to explore the entire backstage area.  

I found a set of double doors that appeared to be locked.  Undaunted, I peeked between the massive doors and saw the naked buttocks of a teenaged boy standing on a bench about to put on his pants.  His bare bottom was conveniently at eye level.  He had apparently decided to go commando as no underwear was in sight.  I was deeply and profoundly shocked, not shocked enough to move away, but shocked nonetheless. One question loomed large in my girlish mind--would he turn around? Alas, it was not to be.  He leaned over to put his feet into his pants and in doing so, his....uh....cheeks flattened against the door a scant inch from my face.  This was too much for my fluttering heart to bear and I slowly backed away as if the door had suddenly become burning hot.  I tried to imagine a time in the distant future when I might once again be that close to a. . .

"What is wrong with you?" my friend said.  "Your face is all red."  We walked back to the stage and I quickly told the other girls what had happened.  There was an explosion of nervous giggling and I could see that the whole thing was funny, very funny.  We were all laughing.  And it was so embarrassing!  Of course it was.  But there was something else, some forbidden mystery beyond that door.  Some day I would go there. 
But not yet, not yet.