“The answer is 21. 7 times 3. The answer is 21.”

The voice came from near her computer monitor, but Mina steadfastly ignored it.

“Why are you working on math homework? You know I will give you the right answers. You should really work on your history assignment.”

This time, the voice came from her left side, near her ear, but still Mina didn’t react except to grit her teeth.

“You know what the dentist told you. If you keep gritting and grinding your teeth, you are going to have to wear a mouth guard for at least two more years.” This time, the voice was distinctly coming from the top of her head.

Finally, Mina couldn’t stand it anymore. “Gaaaa! Don’t you get it? I’m gritting my teeth because of you. Why don’t you go away???”

At that, her father, or rather the three-inch tall image of him, just grinned and sat down next to her keyboard. “Because, Mina, you don’t want me to go away.”

“But you’re not real. No one else sees you. I told my teacher, and she said I was having visions and seeing things that aren’t real again. I told Mom, and she just started crying and went into her room and didn’t come out. You’re not real.”

“I’m real to you, aren’t I? That makes me real. I promise I am not a vision.”

“But then why I am the only one who can see you?? I know how crazy it looks when I am having a conversation with someone no one else can see. People just look at me, and then look away, and then look at me out of the corner of their eye, like they want to see what I do, but they don’t want to be caught watching. And now I’m doing it again, I’m talking to you! And no one but me can see you!”

………

For more Sunday Scribblings, Click here

I have a confession. I am a work drone. I very, very rarely take a lunch. I bring my lunch almost every day, eat at my desk, usually working. The rare times I leave it is to go to the bank, or maybe pick up lunch and then go right back to my desk. And then I wonder why it feels like I don’t have time for me, time for my photography, time for writing.

So the other day, when I was heading out the door, I grabbed my camera, grabbed my journal and planned to *gasp* leave the office building and go enjoy some time doing things I love.

I work at Duke University and on the far side of campus is Duke Gardens.

I found this to be so calming

I loved this little girl. I am always a little uncomfortable taking pictures of children, because I worry that their parents will think I am some kind of camera freak who takes pictures of strangers’ children.

If you look closely, there is a bird behind the boat.

When the world wearies and ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden.

I returned to work calm and energized and feeling like I had had a mini vacation during the work day. I’m going to try to do something like this once a week.

Mama, don’t you want my toy??

She gets very obsessed about her toys. And also kind of looks like a gremlin.

I think they both want the toy!

What?? I got sumfin in my teef or sumfin?

Live long in blog land and prosper!

Now you are famous

Dear reader,

You found my blog by searching on the phrase, “can you eat mermaid”

I will give you the definitive answer now and say NO, you cannot eat mermaid.

We are magical creatures, and sometimes hard to find (and harder to catch), but if you ever did catch a mermaid, you may NOT eat her.

Don’t underestimate the powers of mermaid, just because we tend to be lovely and love to play in the waves. We can be fierce fighters and are much, much stronger than we look. And you can rest assured that if you tried to eat one of us, the phrase “hell hath no fury” would take on a new level of meaning as we raised the seas to defend our sister.

And I’m sorry dear reader, but this comes across as an attack on me, and my fellow mermaid sisters. Don’t be surprised if a rip tide pulls you out to sea the next time you go in the ocean. Just saying. And I certainly wouldn’t count on any mermaids or dolphins saving you if you start to drown. Unless, we feel like having a snack.

That you are being stared at, and then you turn around to find….DEMONS on the other side of the door???

Or at least Demon Dogs, possibly marked by The Beast?

It happens, my friends. It might go unreported in the news, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

You have been warned.

Like Belly dancing! Go on, I dare you.

I am starting belly dancing lessons tonight!

I will be taking lessons once a week with some ladies and friends from work (there might be other people there, but I think we are the majority of the class).

It is something I have always wanted to try, I think it will be fun and great exercise, and if there are side benefits…well, let’s just say that is ok too

My friends E, G and I had been talking about belly dancing, and then when we found a program nearby that was offering lessons starting this week, we begin talking to other women at work, to get them interested. We got some people I didn’t expect, and I LOVE that…when people have this inner, fun side that you don’t expect, and it comes out in neat ways. I try to encourage that out of people as much as possible, actually.

So wish me luck as I shake my hips and laugh with friends and try not to fall over and kill myself in the process

Urban butterfly

So far from the delicate and safe path

so many others choose to follow

you forge your own path

yours is filled with more danger and thrills

and some might say, more grit, less beauty

But still you flutter on

and bring beauty to those who are open to small miracles

I was tagged a long time ago by Random Myriad to play this and am just now doing it (Sorry it took me so long to play!)

Here are seven random facts/stories about me:

1) I can say the alphabet backwards, very quickly, without thinking about which letter comes next. But even better, I can SING the alphabet song backwards, complete with the end of the song, “Me with sing you won’t time next, CBAs my know I now.” I figure if I am ever pulled over for drunk driving (note: I almost never drink and have never been more than very lightly buzzed, so this isn’t a huge concern), this would be a good skill to have, as I would fail the walk the straight line test even completely sober — not a girl with a great deal of balance!

2) I used to be so terrified of fire that I had to sleep with my bedroom door open a crack so that I could see the light of the smoke detector in the hallway. I would wake up several times throughout the night and look for the smoke detector light, to make sure it was still on.

3) I have been known to sleepwalk (and also talk in my sleep). I once almost walked out of my parents’ house. I locked myself out of my dorm room in college once, and my RA was gone, and my roommate was gone, and the  housing director in my building didn’t hear me knocking, so I had to call campus security to come and let me in. They thought I was drunk and were not impressed lol. I also used to wake up in the middle of my floor in my bedroom at my parents’ house, and my room would be so dark that I would have to crawl around on the floor until I found something that would orientate me, so I could find my bed again. When I am sleepwalking and sleeptalking, I can hear myself saying things, but I have no control over what I say.

4) I moved to 7-and-a-half different houses within a three-year span of time, but it looks like I am going to be a little more settled for a bit. I will be in this house for another year, approximately, at which time I will be moving into my own house with B. I am very excited for that!

5) I traveled briefly with this nice Scotsman while I was in Ireland. Well, technically, we didn’t travel together, but we ended up at the same hostels a few times, so one night we went out to dinner together. Only problem was that I really couldn’t understand anything he said, and after a while, I felt bad asking him to repeat what he said again, so I just started agreeing with him. It’s very possible he could have proposed to me and I said yes, not knowing what I said yes to! Lol

6) I used to believe that lightning bugs weren’t real, because I had never seen them. But I have seen them now and I think they are really neat!

7) I first fell in love with B when we were kids in college, and he was my first boyfriend. I still continued to love him after we broke up, and continued to hope that he would come back to me, but at the time we weren’t ready for each other. Ten years later, after both of us were always thinking about the other, we are back together, and in August, he will moving down to North Carolina to be with me, and this time, it’s forever.

If you feel like playing, link back here if you like, but I don’t want to tag anyone

Happy Monday!