The Storyteller | Mary Vee

It's rare to have post day fall on my birthday. This year it did. Having a summer birthday had some interesting advantages. All my siblings, and there were several, had fall or winter birthdays. Since my parents didn't have much money, anything expensive for the family was given as a birthday present. Made sense, right? Yep. So, when summer came and the brood needed an inflatable pool out in the backyard, it appeared as my gift. Too awesome. Well, we all couldn't fit in the smaller pool at one time, but we managed to have a ton of fun. There was also a few other perks given to the birthday person in our family. The honored one could choose one place to celebrate, pick what was served for the family dinner, and they got out of chores.  I usually chose to either go miniature golfing with Dad, he always beat me, or have the whole family visit Aunt Betty. She is a funny, make you feel-good-to-be-around-her person. Her personality is one I still aspire to ...

A project started years ago. I am talking serious years. As in: at least ten. It was the dawn of my writing. A fun gift for my students. The sprouting of a precocious character who acted a lot like (confession time) I did. Yeah. I was the kid my parents wanted to return. The good news is...kids like me can turn out to be sweet, loving, kind, compassionate, considerate, really wonderful people. We rascals walk through the school of hard knocks. Gladly don our bumps and bruises, punishments, time-outs, and shunnings.  Then like a caterpillar exits a cocoon as a quasi wonderful human being, we become the people our parents prayed for. What better story to write. William is a boy full of mischief. If there isn't any trouble to participate in, he makes it. Until one day when the result of mischief happens to him. "That's not fair!"  How could this happen to him?  William Worthington Watkins III has been a story waiting for my writing skills.  Af...

Confession-This post is one day late. You may not have noticed, but I did. It's the crazy planner in me.  Confession-I only feel a tad guilty because yesterday a project leaped forward...I'm talking the distance of the Sahara Desert leap. I'll tell you about the project in a moment. First let's chat about leaps. Spring time is planting time. A time to move forward with projects. No matter what your ability is or your limitations are, this is a time to get something done then celebrate the progress or completion. I know. Sleeping in sounds good. I know, it's nice to sit back and watch a TV program. But, let me tell you about the fireworks that burst inside  when a project is moving forward. It doesn't take much. Plant a seed, pat the dirt over the opening, pour water to wake the seed from sleep. Next day, water the seed again and keep weeds from stealing nourishment from the soil.  Did you know a smile pokes on your face when yo...