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Fidget and Mouse have their winter coats on, and they're making plenty of lanolin for
waterproofing. They're big sheepy galoots this time of year. Fidget's coat will nearly touch the ground by springtime.
We're going to be scarce for a few days, Christmas and all that.
Realpuki Soso has come to join my dolly family!
Fidget doesn't have a wig yet so I knit a temporary head covering for her. :)
These things are all the craze for kids. My little one picked one up on her recent shopping trip.
Since i was at home and all fidgety, this spinner gave me an excuse to whip out the camera!
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This is a close-up HDR photo of a spinning fidget that I placed on an image of a reclining baby who seems to be entranced with the vision of the fascinating fidget. The photo conveys the disturbing impression that the fidget spinner is a giant skill saw blade hovering over the infant.
Fidget looks on as Granger chases Mouse across the paddock.
We're getting some snow tonight. It hasn't been a snowy winter so far. No complaints.
So long time ago, when CoFo posted these robo gals (and was active in the community... Man I miss him ),= ), I actually stated that I wanted them to meet Aigara and her sisters; and since I couldn't come up with ideas for his birthday present this year, I decided to make that wish a reality in form of drawing.
As a fun fact, I realized through this drawing that Alice is around the heigth of an adult human... When in my canon Aigara is too (~1.80m). So trying to scale every character was a pain and it didn't go as well as I wanted (Mari wasn't even able to get in the picture without looking the focus on CoFo's bots). I'm not that happy with how Remi appears here, so maybe I should have just left the sisters behind...?
Anyways, I'm already delayed to post this (I had everything planed to have it for July 3rd and then my final project went downhill) and I have to come up with an idea for 0nuku's birthday soooo... Sorry for not getting this as good as I wanted CoFo, but hope you will like it <3
Fidget!
A two and a half minute exposure on Fomapan 200 film to understand why my wife says I can’t sit still 😇
Chroma Snapshot 5x4 film camera with 65mm lens at f22
I fidgeted with the menu and took some time to decide. Indecision, for me, can either be good or bad but my smile betrayed what I thought. The meñu of Pino, Cebu’s relatively new restaurant offering fine Filipino cuisine, was not thick but the choices were tempting and were tearing me apart. It was the day after Christmas and I was treating two good friends and I did not want the food to disappoint. Aside from yearning for authentic Filipino comfort food, the overriding reason why I chose Pino – this was my second visit in three months – I also wanted to entertain. Pino fits the bill. It has luxurious ambiance, attentive staff, spacious seating and grand style (their comfort rooms are fast becoming an attraction!). The prices leaned on the expensive side but then, there are far more restaurants pricier than Pino in the city and with lesser gustatorial substance...
bamboo rice at Pino Filipino Cuisine, Lahug, Cebu City, the Philippines
read on my review of Cebu’s Pino (Filipino cuisine) restaurant in colloidfarl.blogspot.com/
===GCPD===
A pale man sat in the lock-up; his dark, chestnut-coloured hair thinning; his cheeks hollow. He watched as the policemen paced outside, barking out indecipherable orders at one another. Kept in a cage, isolated, and ignored, it was the only thing he could do. Watch. With glossy, glass-like round eyes, like an owl's. His fingers fidgeted, but his gaze never left the officers. "Gotham's Finest." His jailors. His captors. He'd been caged before. In Blackgate. In Arkham.
But that suited him just fine. He liked watching.
The door to the interrogation room swung open; Batman stormed into the room, his black cape billowing behind him, and without a spoken word to his green-haired prisoner, he slammed a tray of gingerbread men onto the metal table.
Joker eyed them up, a fleeting hunger in his eyes, then he slouched back in his chair. "No, thank you, I already ate,” he smiled. “But by all means, you go ahead! They’re homemade! Well, not my home, but that Swedish couple were very gracious hosts! Oh, you’ll like this; I used melted dark chocolate to make your little boots and cowl, thought it matched your inherent bitterness! I have got to give you the recipe!” he resolved, with all the enthusiasm of a mid-western house-wife.
“Why Walker?” Batman cut him off, his white eyes narrowing, his closed fists resting on the table.
Joker’s green eyes contracted slightly. “Why, Batsy, are you jealous?” he pried. "Should I be jealous?"
“He's been through enough,” Batman warned.
“Oh, I know. Dreadful stuff. And just think, you could've stopped Ra's years ago if you weren't so busy sleeping around with his daughter. You old fox, you! Always the ones in leather catsuits, Mrrrrrw!"
Batman’s jaw clenched, an instinctive response to Joker’s taunts.
"Yes, I know- The ol' 'Broke-Bat Mountain-Man' told me all about that nasty business between you two, in graphic detail actually... and there I was, wondering where the latest brat had come from! The sword should've been the giveaway, I suppose... When's his birthday, again? He must be 14, 15 now? Maybe I'll send him a card! Ooh! Maybe I'll send him Roger! Maybe I already did!"
“Enough. My people can take care of themselves.”
“All evidence to the contrary… Or are we side-stepping that little playdate in Ethiopia? Heh. Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A robin walks into a bar… A- heh. A crowbar- Ahahahaha-"
POW. A sudden blow to the face knocked Joker off his seat and he landed on the cold concrete floor face first. Before he had a chance to turn around, the door was already closing. Joker rolled onto his back, clutching his bloody nose and cackled: "When you change your mind, come find me! I'm not exactly going anywhere! Heh. Heheh. Ahahahaha!”
~-~
Just a few doors down from the interrogation room, a supply closet had been converted into a makeshift war room; Drury was sat behind a folding table, his butt planted on a plastic chair, reading through the GCPD records on the Outcasts Case; Batman now stood in the corner, his arms folded, his black cape draped over his shoulders; Gordon was chewing on a stick of nicotine gum and Chase was pacing back and forth around the room, a task made difficult by the room's narrow footprint; a fact that clearly added to his irritation.
"So, it was all a set-up?" he asked, running his hand through his dark hair.
"Appears so," Batman said stiffly, hiding his bloodied fist inside his cape.
"So, what do we do now?" Gordon pondered.
"Nothing," Chase answered. "He has no bargaining power, not without his bomb. We keep him in a secure wing, then we wait until we get the all-clear to send him to Slabside."
"And the hostages?" Batman disapproved.
"If we're lucky, we can negotiate with his partners. The Scarecrow's a smart man with a broken body, he'll surrender. He doesn't have a choice," Chase replied, an implied forcefulness behind his suggestion.
"Nuh-uh. We follow through."
The trio looked at Drury; he had finished reading and had now pushed a neatly stacked pile of police records to one side.
"He kept his end. Let's keep ours."
"Drury, with all due respect-" Chase attempted to dissuade his client.
"Look, the bomb was a fake. But we don't know if the next one'll be. Or the one after that. Or the one after- He's not going to stop until he gets what he wants: Me. And Zoom, Pirate, the rest... They'll tear Gotham apart. You know they will," he added, locking eyes with Batman. "Unless we comply."
“So I'm doing this. Not for me, but for the people he'll harm if I don't hand myself over. You of all people should understand that.”
A thin, involuntary smile broke across the Batman’s lip. It could have almost been mistaken for pride.
The Interrogation Room
Drury sat at the end of the table. He was shaking slightly, and against his wishes, his foot kept tapping the ground. He thought of the Misfits, his kids, Gaige… And though he was certain they could take care of themselves… He remembered that he had thought the same thing about Len.
Len.
He had been imprisoned in Arkham for over a month now, and Drury hadn’t even realised. ‘Stupid. You unperceptive, stupid ass!’ Yet through all his anxiety and stress, through his self-doubt and self-loathing, one thought repeated itself over and over; a stupid, frankly immature thought he seemed unable to get rid of:
‘This is one rotten Christmas.’
Behind the glass, in a utilitarian observation room, the Lawyer, the Cop and the Bat watched with bated breath, as the clown was escorted in on a metal gurney; the blood had been washed off his face now, but his nose jutted to the right at an unnatural angle. “This is a bad idea," Chase chastised Gordon, his arms folded in disapproval. Gordon smiled grimly and Batman immediately understood why; it had been a while since they had a DA in their ranks.
Joker took his place at the opposite end of the table, his pupils dilating as they locked with Drury’s.
And then he started talking.
“So! How's the wife?”
Silence. All remaining colour drained from Drury’s face, and he stared back blankly.
“Funny. That killed at the country club! No, sorry, I killed at the country club,” Joker explained. He scanned Drury’s face for the slightest hint of a smile, of amusement, of anger at the very least, and sighed disappointedly at his complete lack of engagement.
"Oh, come on,” he protested. “Don’t go all pouty on me now, we moved past pouty! Character development! Completed arcs! Doesn't any of that matter? I gave you time to eat away your sad, teary-eyed problems, even laid back while you sought out Fu Manchu! Where is Ming by the way, he stole my favourite tea pot!"
Drury exhaled sharply. "I'm just a game to you, aren't I?"
"No! No, not at all!” Joker promised with false sincerity. “Well, yes, I mean, I suppose you are. The truth is, you're one of my favourite hobbies. Putting on my slippers, falling into my armchair, pressing play on the DVD player, a plate of Kit-Kats by my side.
Love Arkham's new filing system, I have to say! All digital! I bought myself a new laptop as an early Christmas prezzie, and I've been having a lot of fun burning as many interviews as I can find. I call them my Moth Stories!"
"Don’t. You sent Julian and King of Cats and Zoom. You kidnapped Len, threatened my friends, and- And I know you bought Krill. You pay him to bring back Carson too?" Drury demanded answers.
Joker smirked at the accusation. "Actually no, that was pure happenstance. I really thought he was gone for good. But, when life gives you lemons, you have to squeeze the juice into your enemies' eyes... That’s the funny thing about all this, our dear little Arkham-Lite really did just want her daddy back. Of course, I poked the hornet’s nest a little, you set him up with the Calendar Man, and well, sparks are gonna fly!”
Again, nothing from his scene partner. This was not quite the reunion Joker had hoped for. "Oh, come on, give me something to work with, I get enough angst from that one, give me something fun!" The clown hissed.
"Fun? Fun?! My- My wife's dead," Drury said, aghast.
"Oho, and don't I know it," The clown whistled, turning to an imaginary camera, and adding under his breath, "Tch, doesn't everyone."
"You know, so is mine," he continued, "But I've never let it interfere with my social life. Mind, that may be less to do with the grief counselling, more to do with the very real possibility she was a figment of my imagination.... You'd be surprised how often that happens! Well, maybe not that surprised," he said, clicking his tongue loudly. "Bonkers."
~-~
“This isn’t working,” Chase murmured into Gordon’s ear. “We’re getting nowhere.”
“Batman?” Gordon waited for the Caped Crusader’s viewpoint.
Batman didn’t turn around, his eyes still fixed on Joker. “He’s stalling…” he murmured.
~-~
“Why me?” Drury asked bluntly, his fists clenching and unclenching in quick succession.
“Why not?” Joker shrugged. “You’re what he’s not.”
“And what the hell does that mean?”
Joker scoffed. The World’s Greatest Detective, he was not. Oh, well, he always knew Drury was a bit of a ‘fixer upper.’ “It means it’s time to up the ‘anti,’ my little profiterole.” Joker bared his teeth, casting his eyes upwards at the clock. “What do you think? Four seconds?”
"What?"
Joker leaned forwards, and winked, mouthing a countdown. And then it struck Drury.
"WE NEED TO EVACUATE RIGHT NOW-"
Batman, Chase and Gordon spun around: Standing behind them, Hunter Zolomon raised a hand in the air, and with a single snap of his fingers, it was all over.
The resulting shockwave reverberated across the precinct: Gordon and Chase were thrown backwards; Gordon struck the side of the wall and was knocked unconscious; Chase rolled over the table and smacked the floor. Batman got it the worst though; he went flying through the glass screen; if not for his armour, he’d have been torn to shreds. Before losing consciousness, he tapped a dial on the side of his gauntlet, then collapsed to the ground. Drury was thrown off his seat, as his ears started ringing, he scanned the room for any sign of movement. Nothing. Then he looked over at the other end of the table and his heart stopped: the gurney had fallen over, and it was empty.
~-~
“Krill. Krill, what’s going on?”
Abner Krill rose from his bed, nursing a heavy headache, and walked over to the right side of his cell, peering through the bars; between the klaxons and the screaming of soon-to-be dead police officers, he figured it was futile to try going back to sleep. Next door, Carson was whispering at him frantically, demanding an explanation. Krill elected to ignore him, instead casting his eyes to the man standing before him, dressed in a yellow suit adorned with red highlights. The cell door whirred open, and Zoom dropped a parcel at Krill's feet. The man smirked as he strapped the red belt around his waist, once again imbued with inter-dimensional power. "Fuckin' took you long enough,” he muttered, swallowing once he realised Zoom cared alarmingly little for his commentary.
"Which is not to say I'm not grateful."
~-~
Drury looked up; Joker was digging out a shard of glass that was two inches deep in his knee. He had an expression that seemed more inconvenienced than pained.
"And they say shiv-arly is dead!" he chuckled to no one in particular, waving the shard around like a knife. “Quickest DoorDash I’ve ever had! Impeccable service! Five stars!” he clapped patronisingly. A sudden flash of lightning signified Zoom’s return, and Drury instinctively ducked behind the table, an admittedly futile effort.
Zoom, cocked his head to one side. "Druryyyyyyyy. Isee you Druryyyyyyyy."
"You don't... You don't scare me," Drury lied, crawling over broken glass and splattered blood. “Either of you.”
Zoom shook his head, taking slow but purposeful steps forward. "Iamnot heeeeeeeeere to scaaaaaaare you Druryyyyyyyy. Iam hereto teaaaaaaaaach yooooooou,” he pledged, placing an assertive hand around the shoulder of Drury’s tattered orange jumpsuit. With all eyes on Drury, no one noticed Adrian Chase slip away.
~-~
Now fully suited up, Krill punched through a vending machine, and started helping himself to the contents. Then, a gunshot rang out.
A man in black, with white boots, red goggles and a blue "v" on his chest, was pointing a pistol at him. Krill frowned. ‘The fuckin’ audacity.’
"Can't get a moment's rest, can I? Which one are you, then?" he yawned with complete indifference.
"Vigilante,” the man warned. The gun stayed aimed at Krill’s polka-dotted forehead.
"Fuck off," Krill chortled. "You lot run out of names?"
The gun went off; but Krill was quick; a portal came between him and the bullet, and a second one redirected it into the Vigilante’s side. Krill smirked, hopped over the incapacitated vigilante, and continued on his way.
~-~
Zoom sped on ahead while Joker pushed Drury along in his own gurney, stopping to point at the occasional dead body or to sing a limerick. As they approached the cell block, Joker propped Drury up against the wall, picked up a flashlight, and ran it across the bars of Carson’s cell. Carson, leapt to his feet, snarling.
"Kill you! I'll fucking kill you!" he swore, sticking his hands through the bars and swiping at the clown.
"Mm. Who are you again? Kidding! Kidding, it begins with a B, doesn't it?" Joker smirked.
At this, Carson let out an animalistic, guttural roar. “YOU’RE ALL FUCKING DEAD!”
Joker stuck out his bottom lip in a show of false despondency. "Oh, dear Theodosia, what to say to you... You know what it's like, it's like missing out a season or two of your favourite TV show. You say "Oh, it's dragging on a bit, I'll just skip forward until it picks up again," Then suddenly, bam! The wife's dead, there's a dozen new characters, the city has a crater in it- and they didn't invite you to the musical- even though you killed Hamilton. And also killed Hamilton. Hill, that is. It was one of my campaign promises; I ran for president. You remember that don't you, Drury. Course you do; you endorsed me.”
"I didn't endorse you,” Drury said emotionlessly.
"But you didn't not endorse me either!" Joker giggled, squeezing his cheek playfully
A green portal opened, and Krill stepped through, his arms full of various oddities. “Believe these are yours,” he stated, handing Joker a large crate of confiscated goods.
“Wonderful!” he chirped, as he began filling his pockets with knives, playing cards and chewing gum. As he did so, Carson yelled out once more.
“Dead! You’re a fucking dead man! You and Krill and Walker, and-"
“Halibut you keep your hands to yourself, kiddo!” Joker warned, waving his fish around like a pistol. “Your father and I are talking!”
Carson flinched for a second, then stepped back from the door.
“Whaaaat about hiiiiiiiiiim?” Zoom asked, gesturing to the final occupied cell on this block. A bald man was stood by the bars, peering over at them.
“I don’t think he wants to play with us anymore, dear. Ah, kids today...” Joker sighed regretfully. “But don’t you worry, I’ve already found the perfect understudy!”
~-~
A pale man sat in the lock-up; his dark, chestnut-coloured hair thinning; his cheeks hollow. He watched as an orange portal opened, and four men emerged from the amber light; as the Joker stepped forward and sprayed acid across the lock of his cell door.
Joker held up a boxy, black mask, a circular lens affixed to the front, and smiled broadly. "I spy with my little eye..."
As Drury lay in the gurney, surrounded by monsters and madmen, one thought came to the surface:
'This is one rotten Christmas.'
Granger is a really sweet dog. He's seen here lying in a pool of window light in our living room. Fidget's front legs and mane are in the foreground
Granger is pretty well integrated into the family, though he still cringes if you approach him too quickly with something in your hand. He'll be three years old in February. He had a really horrible time before his rescue, but he seems to feel safe and happy here.
This was the boy who couldn't be touched at all. He wouldn't even come in the house the first month he was with us. We quickly built him a lean-to shelter near the front door. Then we worked with him several times a day outside until he trusted us enough to come indoors.
He's found his place here. I stay up later than everyone else, and Granger spends a couple of hours lying in my spot next to Molly in bed. He's tall, handsome and long-legged, the largest dog here at about 50 kg (110 lb). The girls still push him around any time they feel like it. :)
Mouse and Fidget have worked the greater part of his healing. He and Mouse romp like crazy for an hour every evening, and Fidget is simply the stable point around which the whole farm revolves, Granger no less that the rest of us.
My nephew got a fidget spinner today which has led lights on each arm. Thing spins super well and gave some great pics in a darkened room on our kitchen table. For we’re here visiting creative table top photography
In the snow with Mouse and Fidget this afternoon.
The storm total is 16 inches of fairly dense stuff.
They had just eaten hamburger, vegetables and rice, and I got them a quarter bale of fresh hay for their beds.
[NEW] @charlescreaturecabinet [SOFi, LILA & FIDGET Fuzzbug]💙🌸💜 Botanical Blossom Faerie & Micro Firefly Faerie 💜🌸💙 ~Exclusive Limited Edition~ 💙🌸💜 #nextgeneration ✨🌟✨
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CCC SOFi (so myosotis) | 4cm Micro BJD | botanical blossom faerie | rose quartz pink & blue glowinthedark
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CCC LILA (so sering syringa) | 4cm Micro BJD | botanical blossom faerie | rose quartz pink & lilac glowinthedark
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CCC FIDGET Fuzzbug | 5cm Micro BJD | firefly faerie | Ball-Jointed Doll ~Fair GID glowinthedark white ~Goggles/Wings soft pink
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Handmicro knits dresses ArgenTTo (Etsy) | US
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BJD design/sculpt TM & Copyright © 2008 | Charles Grimberg-Stephan | Charles' Creature Cabinet | All Rights Reserved.
Fidget suspects that I have fresh-baked marrow bones in my pocket.
She and her sister Mouse guard pastured poultry at our farm.
Happy Furry Friday!
(photo unedited: Crystal star on burgundy
-- A small boy at a garage sale found a treasure, unopened, in the box.
Now I pass it on to you. May your day be full of beautiful light!)
Espanol abajo..
The Gift of King Harmen: a fable about happiness Draft 9 Feb 14, 2008, all rights reserved.
Once upon a time in a land encircled by snowcapped mountains, the great King Harmen wanted all the people in his kingdom to be happy. For many days he sat quietly in his royal purple robes and thought, “How can I help my people? What can I give them for them to be happy?” Finally he decided to call the wisest counselors of the land to help him, sending word to the edges of the kingdom. After many days the counselors began to arrive.
The moon was full and casting moonshadows when Counselor Pensa rode in quietly, gently from the North. The tiny crystals on her deep green gown sparkled like frost in the moonlight. The mane of her lean white mare, and her own long white hair flowed around her expressionless face in silent smoky circles. The sun was at its highest when Counselor Dramo thundered in from the South the following afternoon. He looked very much in charge in his sunny yellow cloak over short dark hair, smiling atop his golden stallion, with almost no shadow at all.
Early the next morning, Counselor Nansi calmly arrived from the East, walking in long, slow, steady strides through the mist. His pale blue robes fluttered behind him and brushed gently against his walking stick and the dark skin of his friendly face and weathered hands. Finally, that evening Counselor Delta's carriage was seen at a distance arriving from the West, so the other counselors and the king came out to the courtyard to meet her. Stepping from the carriage, she cast a long shadow across the smooth paving stones. She stood with her hands on her hips taking it all in, looking around at those gathered. The last rays of the setting sun flashed off the buttons on the sides of her boots, glinted off the buckle of her red tunic, and shone off her jet black hair. The king spoke to them all.
“Welcome, dear travelers. I am very pleased you have all arrived safely,” began the king, “I wish for my people to be happy. I have asked you here because I hope you, wise counselors, will help me to learn what I can give to them so that they will be happy.” So the counselors from the four directions all went in with the king to his inner rooms, and the five of them, this Council, discussed the matter long into the night. By the orange light of the fire, they drank tea and ate oranges, and considered all types of things that might make the people happy. They talked about giving the people gold, or games, or jewels. They talked of giving them food, or livestock, or musical instruments. They talked of magic and machines, the moon and the stars, but they were not decided what would make the people happy. Finally they slept.
Next morning the Council awoke to a crowd of people outside in the courtyard who had heard that the wisest of the land were inside. They wished to get help with their problems, so the king and the counselors agreed to hear them. A circle of nine cushions was set up in the shade of a large maple tree; five seats for the Council and four for those who wished to speak to them. So when the Council was seated, the people came up four at a time to speak. By the end of the day, sixteen people had spoken to the Council, and they became known as the Speakers. This is who they were and what they said:
In the first group a young man named Hutri, a keeper of pigs (who held in his lap a small piglet who kept trying to eat the maple leaves), complained, “People look down on us because our business is hard, dirty work. Is this right?” Then next from a blacksmith family there was a sturdy young boy named Peglo with a chain for a belt. He spoke in a strained voice, “My family and the family across the lake are always fighting and feuding. What in the world should I do?” Cona, a young girl in a big floppy hat that protected her from the sun as she tended her orchard, said, “Why do the people on the other side of the village get to live closer to the water, and I have to carry it twice as far?” For a young lady named Deba the problem was, “My older sister always wants to win, and get the best of everything. How can I keep from being angry and blowing up at her all the time?”
These questions were not easy to answer, so King Harmen asked the people to take a mid-morning rest and had cookies and milk brought out to them as the Council talked among themselves and thought about what the people had said. After some time, Counselor Pensa, who was a great thinker with a powerful mind, spoke for the Council. “It seems to me, “ she began in a very even voice, brushing her white hair (and a bit of a cookie crumb) away from her pale face, “that all of these problems can be worked out quite well if we work on how we think.”
“Hutri: Each of you has given me a lesson about how we need to look at things to be happier. You are doing useful work, and others who look down on you would do well to develop Humility, and not to act as if they are better in some way. We all have to do humble work sometimes, just like each leaf on this tree has a job to do. If we do our part as if it is noble and great, then we are noble, and it will matter less to us what others say.
Peglo: For those who have a history of fighting we need to develop Patience for the point of view of others. This can stop the chain of hurtfulness, and in time it can bring the season of fighting to an end, as the waves calm down to still water. Help everyone see that each person is a brother, a sister, each life is precious.
Cona: Those who always want more than they have will never be happy until they develop Contentment and realize how much they have already. You have what you need if you don't feed your greed.
And finally, Deba: There is happiness in daily pleasures and in our own successes, but also joy in celebrating the victory of others. If we can feel both types of Delight, we will have twice the happiness.” Counselor Pensa finished by saying, “This is what we have learned by studying the world around us and within us,” and she closed her eyes and was silent once again.
The king invited those who had been heard to stay on and rest in comfort, and he called the next group of four to come sit with the Council. A sad-looking woman named Kaipo spoke first, wringing her hands, and nervously adjusting her scarf. “I want to find a way to set up a hospital, but I have failed several times, how can I go on? I just don't know...” she could not finish, and her crying sent diamonds into the dust until she hid her face with her hands. Next to her, a tall man with fancy clothes and golden chains around his neck had been fidgeting with the coins in his pocket. Now he impatiently spoke up, “I am Hodi, and I have been robbed at the market.” It seemed he had borrowed money and thought he was overcharged. Two small children waited to speak, holding hands as they sat together trying to be brave: a little girl with freckles and curls the color of cornsilk called Genca, and a small boy with red hair and a comic book in his pocket, called Spibu. When the king asked why they had come, they spoke for each other. Genca shared, “Spibu's afraid to go to school because his classmates call him names.” Spibu thought for a minute then spoke for her, saying, “Genca is sad because the other children won't share their toys with her.” Happy to help each other explain, they both felt a little better. “Thank you for coming,” encouraged the king.
Again, the Council asked the people to rest, this time having a noontime snack of cheese and fruit brought out to them as they talked about what the people had said. Finally, when all had eaten, Counselor Dramo, who quite enjoyed the attention himself, and who knew the effect the sunshine had on his golden cloak, stood up tall in the bright light of day, and began his lively presentation. “The four who spoke to us just now have told of problems that can be changed for the better, but it will take all of us working together to do it. After talking in Council, we have decided that the key is to work on how we act. Think of the effect of each of your thoughts and each of your actions.
Kaipo: You are showing great Kindness to others by starting this hospital, but you need to also be kind to yourself. Do your best, but don't over do it. Care for others, keep trying, and you will inspire others to help you to make a little progress every day toward your goal.
Hodi: You are known in the market, and although someone there may have done wrong by you, there are some debts you owe as well. This will work for you: develop your Honesty, pay your debts back on time, and your good name will help you in the future.
Genca and Spibu: It was thoughtful and generous of you to support each other, and your comments were well spoken. Genca: it would be wonderful if all were generous and would share what they have when it could help someone else. Spibu: it is true that our words are very powerful and can help or harm. Your classmates would be wise to think more and speak less. So we as a Council ask all the older children and adults to try their best to set good examples for the children and each other by developing Generosity and Thoughtful Speech.”
Counselor Dramo finished, “We can lead by example if we listen more and speak less. If we share when we have enough.” And with that he made a deep bow, then sat down again. Kaipo acted less nervous, and Hodi acted less proud as they helped Genca and Spibu over to the others who had already spoken.
The king called up the next four to sit with the Council. The first of these was one of the elders called Resco who was brought a special chair, because he was bent over resting on a cane. He quietly pulled out a small scroll he had brought with him and read what he had prepared. “I have lived a long time and know a few things about my bookbinding business, but my family thinks I'm too old to listen to. They ignore me and tell me to go away. I want to help! What can I do?” As he put away the scroll, a girl with a very red face got ready to speak. She looked to be a potter by the mud on her elbows, and she looked like she had been crying. “I'm called Fola, and I want to know what you're going to do about the man that knocked over a pot in my shop and broke it. He said it was an accident, and I tried to fix it, but it leaks and this makes me sad. This time when he came in I tried to throw a knife at him and it cut me! Just look at it!” and she held out a bandaged hand. When she had calmed down a little, a woman called Graca spoke. She was wearing a neat white apron and helping the small child she held in her lap to blow his nose. “My mother has just come to live with me, and I don't know how I will take care of her in our house as I have my own children to tend to.” Finally, the last person to speak, a young woman known as Riche began her story. “I always wanted to go to school but had to be there to help my family. They depend on me. I'd like to check school off my list, but I'm too old to go to a regular school now. Could I start a school for people like me?”
This time as the Council asked the people who had spoken to rest, they had tea and biscuits with honey and butter brought to all those who had spoken and the four who were left to speak. The Council considered what the people had said. Finally, when they were all full of warm tea and biscuits, Counselor Nansi took his turn smiling, his blue robe gathering at his feet. He slowly reached up to a tree branch and pointed with a long, dark finger, saying, “Do you see that spider web? It is a reminder that we are all connected. We depend on each other, and we could be happier if we relate to each other better by developing Respect, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Responsibility.
Resco: you remind us that we should Respect and serve our elders and give honor to those who came before us because of their knowledge and wisdom. Very few of us would get far without our teachers and others who have taught us.
Fola: None of us is perfect, so we will make mistakes and will require Forgiveness. This is the best we can do in a human world. Holding a grudge is the blade that will cut you if you try to hold onto it. Forgive and you will feel better.
Graca: You are already giving great service to your children, but what your mother asks of you is but a small part of what she gave to you. Perhaps your children can watch the care you give her and develop their own Gratitude for all you do, by your example of thanking the one who helped you when you were small.
Riche: You have been the dependable one. Now take Responsibility to be the change you want to see for yourself and others. Go ahead and start that school, and stick with it through thick or thin, good times and bad..” With that, Counselor Nansi finished speaking and gently folded his big hands back in his lap.
The king called the final group of four. The first was a young man unknown to the local people. He was dressed in a strange style with baggy pants and white shoes. “My name is Prindi. I have lost my compass and lost my way. I have made mistakes. I want to make a new start here. May I stay?” A woman known as Asta had always wanted to start a bakery. With stars in her eyes, she said, “I have heard of a new way of baking in another village, but I don't know how to begin or if I can do it. Should I reach for something so difficult?” An old man known as Serzo said, “All you people give me heartburn. Complain, complain. Where I live by myself in the deep woods this is never a problem. Think I'll go back there now,” but he really went to get another biscuit and pet a dog running loose. It was clear he was more lonely than grouchy. Finally, a young man named Cofi with wild golden hair and beard, like the mane of a lion, was the only one left to speak. When he did not begin the king encouraged, “Go ahead. We have heard all the others. What would you like to say?” Cofi began timidly, “I feel I am supposed to do something important, but I don't know what it is, and I am so afraid to mess it up. Can you help me, too?” “We will do our best,” said the king.
After hearing all these problems, the Council talked together once more. The king brought out a final bit of food for the people who had been there all day. As the sun was dipping behind the rim of mountains, Counselor Delta moved in her seat a bit, shifting back and forth. Once in position she smiled then quickly began, “Life is always changing and in these changes we search for meaning. It helps us on our path to have Principles to guide us, Aspiration to something greater than our present abilities, a desire for Service to others, and the Courage to meet the challenge of finding our place in the world.
Prindi: Find your path, then walk your path. You decide the Principles you want to live by and then they will guide you. You are welcome here.
Asta: Strive to be alive, to improve, to evolve. Reach for the new better way, look for those with the knowledge and learn from them. Reach also for the old ways if they are good. That is Aspiration.
Serzo: I see you over there. The advice I give you is to love unconditionally, like that dog at your feet. You love the trees and the dog, love also all other beings, and put it into practice with your Service. You have learned a lot living out in the woods. Find a way to volunteer your time today, to use that knowledge to help in some way. Your heart is bigger than you think.
Cofi: Our greatest barrier to greatness is ourselves. Do not expect yourself to be perfect. Be willing to make some mistakes along the way. Find your Courage to be brave and take great responsibility for those things that are important to you. At the end of our lives, most of our regrets are not for things we have done but things we have left undone. So think big, be brave, now begin!”
So Delta finished. And she got up and shook the hands of each of the Speakers in the group, even Serzo, giving each a pat on the shoulder as well.
The king brought out musicians to entertain the people for the rest of the evening, and invited them all to stay the night. While the people enjoyed the music, the Council retired to the king's rooms to consider again the reason they had come. What could the king give to all his people to help them be happy?
The light of the day faded from the evening sky, and the Council knew that the sixteen Speakers were the key to improving the lives of all the people. These were the real problems that kept them from happiness. The moon rose over the mountainous landscape on the edge of the horizon and bathed the kingdom in a colorless glow. In this light, the Council saw that no material gift could help all the people be happy. As the first stars were rising the five made a discovery that all of us have the same kinds of problems as we go through our lives. By the time the stars left the sky the Council had listed the sixteen guidelines, one for each of the problems of the Speakers, to help all the people to train themselves to deal with their problems and be happier.
Before the light of dawn, King Harmen and his counselors had a brief sleep. As their minds worked on saying goodbye to the people the next morning, they dreamed of many things. Counselor Pensa dreamed of the first four people who came and thought of the power the mind has to determine how we feel inside. Counselor Dramo dreamed of the second four and considered cause and effect and how our actions impact on ourselves and others. Counselor Nansi dreamed of the third group and put together that how we relate to others connects us to our community. Counselor Delta dreamed of the last four Speakers and realized we need to find meaning in life to steady us in a changing world.
The Council felt more sure than ever that even though there was no magic gift or material thing that the king could give his people to make them all happy, he did now have something to give. It was a bit of wisdom each person could judge for themselves: a suggestion for how to live in this world to increase happiness for themselves and others, guidelines for training how we think and act, how we relate to others, and how we find meaning in life.
It was morning, and everyone gathered in the circular courtyard. King Harmen stood patiently in the center with the counselors in a small, colorful circle around him. The sixteen Speakers waited together in four small groups in a larger ring around the counselors, and all the rest of the people nearly filled the circle outside of them. The horses waited on the outside edge, the white horse eager to be back North, the golden horse straining to the South. The carriage had been made ready to pullout to the West, and Counselor Nansi's walking stick was at his side. All was ready to return the counselors to the edges of the kingdom.
The king spoke, “Thank you, all of you for coming here. First I would like to speak to the counselors. You have been good listeners, and shared your wisdom with us, and we thank you,” and he gave each a package of food for their journey, including some of the best spices grown in the central village. The four bowed in thanks to the king. Counselors Pensa and Dramo walked to where their horses waited on opposite edges of the gathering, Counselor Nansi took up his walking stick and walked to the East edge of the circle, Counselor Delta moved to her carriage. All waited to hear what else the king had to say.
King Harmen continued, “Next, I would like to see the sixteen Speakers,” and the four groups moved in a little closer to the king. “You have told us about real problems and given us a way to help all the people. One guideline was written for each of the concerns you brought to us. As a special gift to you, I give you a name to add to your own, and a seal to stamp your letters, a symbol of your own you can use so all will remember the important ideas you have brought to all the people.” He picked up a box with sixteen small wooden blocks. “These will be your names and seals.” The people came up as he called their new names.
Giving a block of green sealing wax and their unique seal to each person as he called,
“The symbol for Hutri Humility -- a leaf.
Peglo Patience -- the globe, the earth.
Cona Contentment -- an apple.
Deba Delight -- a balloon.”
Next he took out the blocks of yellow wax, passing it to the Speakers with the seals.
“The symbol for Kaipo Kindness -- a diamond.
Hodi Honesty -- a coin.
Genca Generosity – a cornucopia/horn of plenty,
Spibu ThoughtfulSpeech -- a speech bubble.”
Blue wax was given with these seals:
“The symbol for Resco Respect -- a scroll.
Fola Forgiveness -- a teardrop.
Graca Gratitude -- a house.
Riche Responsibility - a checkmark.”
Finally, King Harmen brought out the red wax, saying,
“The symbol for Prindi Principles -- a compass.
Asta Aspiration -- a star.
Serzo Service -- a heart, and
Cofi Courage – a lion.”
The king continued, ”Thank you, Speakers, one and all. From what we have learned from you we have listed 16 guidelines we believe will help all of us to train ourselves to be happier. Each one is simply the name of a quality we can develop.” And here the king raised his voice a bit so all the people could hear.
“And now I speak to all of you. Here is my gift. The best I have to offer. The sixteen guidelines for a happy life are: Humility, Patience, Contentment, Delight, Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Thoughtful Speech, Respect, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Responsibility, Principles, Aspiration, Service, and Courage. This list I pass to all of you. May you hear it. May the counselors take it to the edges of the kingdom. May you all learn to be happy. I invite you to stay and celebrate with us as long as you can before you head home. Then may you all have safe travels.”
With that, the counselors, who had the greatest distance to travel, took off for the places from where they had come. The people celebrated together with food and music well into the afternoon. As the king bid each farewell, he asked them to remember and practice these guidelines for the benefit of themselves and everyone. Perhaps it took a while to do this because training takes time, perhaps it did not happen even in just this way, but if it did, they may have lived happily ever after.
May we do the same.
editor's note: 15may08 prico=>prindi.
[here's a link to the poster shown below in the comments, showing the 16 cartoon characters:}
www.flickr.com/photos/25434820@N00/1013056506/in/set-7215...
Editor's note 15 Dec 2009: colors for this story will soon be evolving.
Espanol
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Just a quick shot of one of those fidget spinner things that were popular a while back. This one actually came free with something else, a little while after the craze had died down - I suspect that somebody had been left with a lot of stock they suddenly couldn't shift...
I've kept it because I like the shape, basically.
Fidget when to the park today, he wanted to sit on the swing even though it was huge and he so small :p
((Explored April 6))
Yay i got my first picture in explore!!! AH so happy! Thank you every one who looked, commented or favorited my picture!!! :D :D
Highest spot was #100 on April 8
face animations fidget
check demo pose stand + gifs before buy
12 options for nose + random play
time hud: repeating every 30, 60, 90, 120 secsmix&match option: put your fav ones in rezz item
slight animations (animated & static)
different mouth options
6 main options, non looped
+ 6 more static as an excl HUD
all animations included in the pack
as anims and as finished fidget
DEMO pose stand available on the event
+ gifs:
1: gyazo.com/358cae66b3f7bc06f8b217dd7cb39bcb
2: gyazo.com/9cc502de2a9bb7ea9351de1df0acd238
3: gyazo.com/fe028027122c317c3ed0d4e62c08ad97
4: gyazo.com/67bf13f9643360a9126822da9dfb5360
I sat down to rest on the bench of dog hugs at the peak of the storm yesterday. Fidget and Mouse, who had been keeping watch over my work, came bustling out of the henhouse for hugs and roughhousing. They never interfere while you're working, but if you sit down on the bench, you're fair game.
It was snowing really hard. Fidget has about two minutes worth of snow accumulation on her back -- there was less of it than it looks like here. They shake it off vigorously every two or three minutes.
They weren't the least bit cold. They were warm and and dry as can be down next to their skin.
Rabbit and Fidget watch the sunset almost every night in good weather.
I mean, they watch it just as you or I would, and it seems to be the setting sun that they're watching, not merely doing a purposeful scan of the horizon. I have read that bears watch sunsets too, though I've never seen them do it.
Rabbit often strikes her characteristic Moon Rabbit pose, as seen above. She lofts her head like this and gazes at the sky many times a day. Darlene suggested once that she's communicating with the mother ship, and who am I to dispute that?
I've been trying to get this shot for two summers.
Llwyngwril Space Systems, ever up to the zeitgeist, hep to the groove, down with the kids and generally up-to-date with the latest trends have decided to build one of those fidget spinner flying machines that appear in the latest Blade Runner film and everybody else is building. To have done anything else would have made us look unfashionably obsolete, like some road-kill on the info-bahn. After all, our design team have seen things you people wouldn't believe (but those are mainly in the notorious Land Vehicle Design Department's special shed) and are constantly striving to make them a reality in ABS bricks.
Video of the Spinner in action.
buy a print from Imagekind deathandgravity.imagekind.com/deathandgravityphotography