A Thanksgiving Walk

"'Ah! So nice to see you again! It's me this time, Aaron Rochester.
Let me invite you to read the second and final part of my family's Thanksgiving story.
Now close your eyes...

Ivy clears her throat from behind me and peeks around. "Aaron, how can they read with their eyes closed?"
I rub my chin thoughtfully. "I was going to describe what our Thanksgiving hike looked like. It's easier to get a mental picture when your eyes are closed. You've told me that yourself countless times."
Ivy pooches out her lips, and shrugs. "Oh yeah. Well...carry on."
"Alright," I begin, turning back to you; my lovely audience. "As I was saying...

A Winter Wren chirps gaily from overhead as you find yourself on a forest pathway covered in vibrant yellow, red, and orange leaves.
The sound of laughter and chatter falls on your ear as you spot the figures of a group of people coming your direction.

"Ivy, if you take a picture of every single pretty leaf, your camera is going to implode."
Ivy looked over at Caleb with a crinkled nose. ''If it does, I can always have Aaron fix it."
I pulled my scarf closer around my neck, and raised my eyebrows at my twin. "One of these days I'm not going to be able to figure out one of your electronics. What then?"
She snapped a picture of me, and grinned; a dimple creasing her right cheek. "Nah, that'll never happen."
Caleb grimaced, and glanced at Dad; who was batting at a cobweb that had attacked his face."Well, don't you start hollering too loud when that camera finally biffs it."
After our Thanksgiving feast, which we have around three or four in the afternoon, it is our family tradition to take a hike in the nearby forest before returning home to settle down and watch the Canadian Football game on our DVR.
As is the normal protocol, Dad took the lead. Though this particular Thanksgiving, he collected a lot more spiderwebs on his face than usual. Sputtering once again, he rubbed his hands over his face and turned to us.
"Alright, new rule; Aaron, you take the lead."
I shuddered at the thought of running into my least favorite creature, and attempted to do the opposite of pulling rank. "You'd send your youngest child out in front to battle the elements? Alone?"
Mom bit back a smile as Dad narrowed his eyes to ponder the question.
Caleb raised his hands up in the air when he noted Dad's eyes flicking towards him.
"Hey, I'm the oldest. I have obviously been through far more than my baby brother. The Bible says that Tribulation worketh Patience; and Patience, Experience. Me thinks my young brother should be given the chance to learn some great lessons."
Dad nodded slowly. "Hmm, excellent."
I cringed, not being able to argue, now that the Bible had been brought into it.
Ivy grinned, and held out a stick in my direction. "Here, a cobweb wand."
I sighed, and took the stick. But as I stepped ahead to lead my pack, I remembered the last part of the verse Caleb had quoted.
Spinning around, and held up a gloved index finger.
"Oh, one more thing--Your quote also mentions that this Experience I am gaining produces Hope. So in the trying, patience, and experience I'm going through, I'm going to hope that in all of this, my brother will kindly take the lead, and battle the raging autumn spiders."
Ivy lowered her camera from a bright leaf, and squinted at me.
"Oh for goodness sake."
She brushed past me, and yanked the stick from my hands.
"I'll lead. Ya sissy."
Dad put his arm around Mom's shoulder, and laughed. "There now, Ivy saw a need, and took the initiative."
Ivy flashed a smile at me, and began marching ahead.
"Follow me! I'm not afraid of spiders."
As I fell in behind our parents, Caleb clumped his hand on my shoulder and grinned. "Teamwork."
I pushed my beanie back, and shoved my hands into my coat pockets.
"Why lead the way and get covered in webs, when we both know Ivy's going to end up doing the hard work for us?"

Well...Perhaps that statement would have been better off unstated--
Upon realizing that Caleb's and my plan had been to get Ivy to take the webs in the first place, Dad promptly ruled that the both of us were to take the lead...
Without sticks as our defense from the spider webs.

~ Fin.

Alright, so I hope you guys enjoyed reading my short story!

~ When walking in Autumn, do you often run into spiderwebs? ~
~ What are your after Thanksgiving traditions? ~

Alright!
I have been kindly tagged for a NaNoWriMo tag, so I will be returning soon with that!
Until then,

God bless!

Megan

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

*A cold breeze blows, a leaf swirls past*
*Two shadowy figures come walking through the early morning fogginess*
*They stop, and start waving. A light clicks on, and they are recognized as the Rochester twins.*
"Hi! Ivy here. Since Megan has apparently gone poof, my brother and I have stepped in to write up a blog post."
*I frown and cross my arms in front of my chest.*
*ahem* Guys, I'm right here. I've just been busy! I haven't had time to-
*Aaron's eyes widen* "Ivy, listen! Sometimes I can still hear her voice, off somewhere in the distance."
Okaaay, I'll just leave you two to your craziness. But if you get into any shenanigans...remember who writes your stories, eh?
Ivy; "Hmm, she has a point. Come on, bro. Let's get to the reason for our hijacking this laptop."
*The light clicks off, and you are transported to a kitchen where the savory smells of roasting turkey, pumpkin pie, and other culinary delights greet your nose*

Ivy looks up from her position in front of the oven. "Hey mom, could you toss me that hot pad? I think my sweet potatoes are finished."
The Rochester family was hard at work preparing their yearly Thanksgiving supper.
Mr. Rochester was bent over the turkey, carefully basting the bird; as was his assigned kitchen duty.
The task of overseeing, and perfecting the pumpkin pies was Mrs. Rochester's job, which she took very seriously.
The twins' brother Caleb, who was four years their elder, always took it upon himself to make sure every dish and utensil was spotless, and the kitchen as free from clutter as he could keep it.
Utilizing the hot pad her mother had chucked to her, Ivy pulled out her dish of piping hot sweet potatoes, and set them on the stove top.
"Dad, is the turkey ready yet?"
Mr. Rochester replaced the lid on the turkey roaster and wiped his hands on his borrowed apron.
"Nearly. I'd give it ten minutes."
The backdoor swung open at that moment, and in came Aaron; a steaming pot in his hands.
"Make way, hot potatoes coming through!"
He shuffled to the sink, and there he placed the steaming metal pot.
Caleb backed away, and frowned at his younger brother.
"Aaron, that pot is covered in soot and charcoal, what did you do to it?"
Aaron chewed his lip, and tilted his head to better look at the blackened bottom of the pot.
"Hmm, I guess I turned the flames up too high on the burner..."
Caleb removed his glasses indignantly; rubbing the fog that had condensed on the glass.
"Burner is a good word for it. My spotless sink is ruined."
Mrs. Rochester tisked from where she stood at the kitchen island, pressing the pumpkin pie crust.
"Oh Caleb, it's nothing a little scrubbing won't fix."
Caleb grunted in response as he replaced his glasses.
Ivy slid a bowl over to her twin, and grinned. "Here, mash the potatoes in this." She shifted her look to Caleb. "Would you like me to scrub the sink for you, Caye?"
He shook his head, and rolled up his already bunched sleeves. "I'll do it."
Aaron dumped the potatoes into the offered bowl, and returned the burnt pot to the sink.
"Sorry it's so messy."
Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about it. If the mashed potatoes weren't my favorite part of the meal, I might complain a bit more." A grin cracked through his frown, and he winked good-naturedly.
Aaron grinned as he pulled out the potato masher. "Saved by the love of food. I love Thanksgiving."

(to be continued)

Thanks for reading, we'll be back soon to share part 2. :)
Hope you enjoyed, and happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!

God bless!

Megan Ivy

1 Year of Blogging

Salutations!
Today is the one-year anniversary of starting Stories by Megs!
To celebrate, you are all invited to my party!

The Party:

Welcome, one and all!
Please make yourselves comfortable. The seats are plentiful, and the refreshments are refreshing.
What's that? Your glass has a chip? Oh I'm terribly sorry. I guess that one of my helpers must have tipped the glass while setting up the table.

Amy: "Must have been Josh. I was lighting the candle on the cake." 
Josh: "Oh sure, blame the innocent redhead!"
Amy: "Don't mind him. Here you go, reader. Have some chocolate cake."

Don't fret about the tiny chip; I'm sure it's perfectly harmless, just sip from the other side. The lemonade is delicious, our resident chief made it himself.

Josh: "That would be me."

So, in celebration, I not only hired my dear characters as helpers for this party, but they're also going to be the entertainment!

We'll have several activities for your enjoyment!
1) 12 "Fun facts" about me
2) 12 "Fun facts" about my book, Trouble in Scotland
3) A rousing game of Simon Says

Aaron. "Careful there, reader. I haven't quite finished hanging the banners. You're about to bump into that sage green-"
Ivy: "I got it! You go ahead and sit down. There, it's clipped back onto the ceiling."
Aaron: "Thanks, sis. Now then! What would you readers like to do first?"


The first 12 Fun facts? Sounds reasonable, since they're the first on the list, eh?
Right then, let's see if I can even find 12 even slightly interesting things about myself...


12 Facts about Moi:

1. I have lived in only 1 state my entire life. Washington State.

2. I have moved 3 times in my life.

4. I have been to 19 States: Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

5. I have never left the Country.

6. I have met Ken Ham in person several times.

7. I am the tallest person in my family.

8. It's really hard to come up with these answers.

8. I have owned three horses in my life.

10. I've never lived in town, or in a city.

11. My favorite school history was/and always will be, History.

12. My favorite weather is cool, cloudy, and rainy.

13. I love English and Scottish Country Dancing, and Swing Dancing.


Whew! That was tough...

Ivy: "Megs, you made three errors in your list."

What? Where?

Ivy: "You said you'd write 12 facts. That last one is numbered 13..."
 
Ah, but did you count the numbers? I promise there are 12 facts. Though I cannot promise there are 12 numbers...

Josh: "Ohh, I get it. One of your games, huh?"

Eh, close enough.
Oh, here dear reader, let me refill your glass of lemonade.
There! Now, did you find my list extremely tiresome? Oh, well that's good.
*snores*
Josh, I know you're not asleep. You just said something not a minute ago.

Josh: "Ever hear of sleep talking?"
 
*Ahem!*
Right...next list.
This one I've printed out on sheets of paper. I'm not gonna read it out loud...

12 Fun Facts about Trouble in Scotland

1. Josh and Amy were originally in an abandoned school room when they discovered the watch.

2. Amy's name was spelled Aimee when I wrote the first draft. Pronounced: A-May.

3. Josh Peterson was Josh Lane.

4. I almost used unicorns instead of dragons in the storyline.

5. It took me three years to write the first draft. Only about one to edit, proof, and publish.

6. Aaron and Josh are named after my two most favorite baby goats. Don't let them know this one...I'd never hear the end of it.

7. It was originally set in Ireland.

8. I titled it: In Search of the Irish Prince.

9. I changed the location to Scotland, as my family heritage is strongly Scottish.

10. If you look closely at the cover, you'll see from left to right, Josh, Amy, Ivy, then Aaron.

11. The whole royal family Conchobair is actually based off a short story idea I came up with when I was younger.

12. Book 2 is already twice the length of the 1st. I hope to have it finished before the year is over.


Alright, you may put your pages down. Now that you've read them, I will come around and collect them --thank you, and now lock them up where my characters won't find them.

Aaron: "Why can't we see the facts about our own story?"

*Laughs nervously, slamming the safe door shut*
Oh, no reason. I don't want to confuse you, ya know. It's...It's a writer thing. You wouldn't understand.

All four: *suspicious looks*

Ok readers! This is getting to be a rather long post.
Would you care to join in a game of Simon Says?

Josh: "I'll be it!"

Alright, we have a volunteer.
Now stand in a circle everyone. That's it. We're all friends here, no need to be shy!

Josh: "Alright, Simon Says...Touch your nose!"
Amy: "Wow. Sooo original."
Josh: "Ah, but you touched it."
Ivy: "Ok, now what?"
Josh: "Stop touching your nose."
Aaron: *pulls finger away, put quickly replaces it.*
Josh: "Ah ha! You moved. I didn't say Simon Says. You're out!"

Oh ho, he caught you on that one, Aaron.

Josh: "Simon says...Jump!"

*thud*

Josh: "Ah, but Simon didn't say land. You're all out!"

Clever Josh, very clever...
I hope you all enjoyed yourselves! Thank you for coming to my party!

Time Travelers: "Bye! Thanks for playing! See you soon!"

Shall we do this again next year?
I believe that would be jolly.
Thank you for coming--oh? Oh yes! You all get to keep a balloon as a party-favor. Don't forget to grab one on your way out.

~ Did you enjoy my "party"?
~ Has anybody ever pulled that Simon Says trick on you before?
~ Which "book fact" did you find the most interesting?

Thanks for reading,

God bless!


Megan

Voted Most Likely Tag

Salutations, readers!
Once again I have been MIA far too long, and for that I apologize, but alas...life happens, eh?
But with that poor excuse now put aside, we shall move along to the purpose of this post!

Miss Rakayle Hier kindly tagged me to join in on this fantastic tag! I think it will help you, as well as myself, to get to know some of my characters better!

The Rules:

1: Thank the lovely blogger who tagged you. You know you want to.
Thank youuu, Rakayle, I'm excited to do this!

2: Include this lovely link in your post.
Done! ;)
3: Use your own lovely Original Characters (OC’s); don’t use a friend’s characters or characters from your favorite fandom. They can be from any project, so long as you created them. For more fun, try to use as many different characters as possible.
Brilliant! For I have many characters...
 
4: Tag at least five lovely blogger friends to play along.
Hmm. This may prove hard...


The Characters:

The Time Travers - Trouble in Scotland: Science Fiction/Adventure - Joshua, Amy, Aaron, & Ivy

The Strange Case of Willoughby Spalding: Mystery/Romance - Willoughby & Elizabeth

The Murder of Mr. E.J. Hampton: Murder Mystery/Victorian Era - Captain James Windsor & Mr. Henry Cobbs

In Times of Trial: Drama/Romance  - Malcolm, Hubert, Rory, & Bridget

Bonus! The Time Travelers Book 2: Science Fiction/Historical Fiction - Taivert Merel (Tie-VAIR Mer-EL)

Onward, dear reader! Let us dive into this tag, and learn some things about my characters!


The Questions:


1.) Most Likely to Be a Poet

Mr. Cobbs. He is a quiet sort who couldn't be happier to sit down with a large volume of Longfellow, Keets, or Browning. If he had the time, there is no doubt he would write some verse of his own.
 
2.) Most Likely to Dance in the Rain

Bridget, most definitely. She dearly loves the rain, and doesn't hesitate to dance in it no matter the season. With the abundant rains on the Emerald Island she calls home, she has learned to not begrudge the rains. She loves dancing as a general rule, so never lets rain stop her when the urge to break out in a Scottish Jig comes on.
 
3.) Most Likely to Look Good in a Kilt

Colm, without a doubt. He is an Irishman through and through, and when the occasion calls for it he doesn't shy away from donning a traditional kilt.
 
4.) Most Likely to Get Punched in the Face

Rory O'Conner. And if you do punch him, beware; for he can and will hit back. Roy isn't one you want to cross. With a constant scowl on his face, it's likely you're going to avoid getting on his bad side anyway. But that in and of itself is hard. If he doesn't like you, (and believe me, he needs no reason to dislike someone.) you'll know it. I can count on one hand the people Rory O'Conner truly likes. If he likes you, you should either be extremely grateful, or terrified. You can choose.
 
5.) Most Likely to Drop Everything and Become a Sheep Herder

 Colm again to take the prize for this one, as this is literally what he did. When his father became unable to work, Colm was forced to leave his over-too-soon childhood to become a sheep herder at the O'Conner Farm, to provide for his family.
 
6.) Most Likely to Be Found in the Library

It was tough deciding which of the folks from this list I would choose, but the decision fell upon young Willoughby Spalding. When he isn't busily working on the police force, or spending time with his family, he would probably be found at the small town library, busily going through archived newspapers, and articles on missing persons cases. His goal is to solve as many cases as he can; reuniting lost families. 

 

This one gets a double answer, as I don't want Ivy to feel left out! Ivy Rochester loves reading. And you can find her at her local library quite often. She may be reading something by Dickens or Shakepeare, perusing a how-to-book on designing, studying a biographical book on some historical figure she admires, or perhaps flipping through a Dictionary to study up on some words she can use to stump her big brother in a sophisticated-word-battle-off...(Long story, that.)

7.) Most Likely to Sleep Through an Earthquake

His friends would all agree; Joshua Peterson could sleep through almost anything. It takes all they can do to wake him up in the morning. Once a large tree fell just outside his bedroom window. It shook the house so hard, it caused some plaster to crumble from the ceiling, but he remained blissfully unaware. Only when he was literally dragged out of bed did he awaken and find out what had happened.
 
8.) Most Likely to Steal Food from Other Peoples’ Plates

Aaron Rochester. Ivy would quickly point an accusing finger at her twin. Especially when eating at a Fast Food joint, Aaron without fail steals French Fries from both his older brother, and his sister. They always catch him, as stealth isn't his strong suit. But he always at least attempts to sneak an extra fry out of their baskets.
 
9.) Most Likely to Cheat on a Test

She would never admit it, naturally, but I'm afraid that Amy Hyde would peek over her neighbor's shoulder to see the answer for a tough Math question, but only when all other attempts to figure it out herself, fail. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." She would quip.
 
10.) Most Likely to Say “Oops” After Setting Something on Fire
 
Far from being a sarcastic "opps", Elizabeth Archer would gasp in alarm and stare in horror before whispering "opps!" when she accidentally sets a tablecloth ablaze from clumsily tipping a candlestick.

11.) Most Likely to Open an Orphanage

Having a heart for the lost and lonely, Bridget MacDonald would jump at the chance to open up an Orphanage.
 
12.) Most Likely to Run off with the Circus

Sometimes bored with the hum-drum, monotonous daily life, Hugh McTavish would doubtless dash off to join the circus, if the opportunity arose. But it wouldn't be long before he had a change of heart and returned home, like the prodigal he is inclined to be.
 
13.) Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

Well now, since these are fictional characters, fictional occurrences are never out of the question, so I believe that the most likely to survive such a circumstance would be Captain Windsor. With his sharp wit and skills acquired from his time in war, he would rise to the occasion and defeat the evil, rising from the ashes; victorious.
 
14.) Most Likely to Fake Their Own Death

As he actually did this, Taivert Merel is the candidate for this one. He not only faked his death, he returned to society with a changed name, and nobody knows his true identity. Not yet, that is.
 
15.) Most Likely to Die and Haunt Their Friends

Just for kicks, Joshua Peterson would happily come back to haunt his friends if he ever died. And by haunt, I mean pull pranks. An eternity of joke-playing would be his life...death...??...goal.

"Didn't I just close that window? Weird. It's open again. I must be losing my mind..."

"Stop tapping my shoulder!"
"I never touched you."
"I must have fleas or something..."


Re-Tagging:

Well! I've done my research...and it seems all the lovely folks I would have tagged seem to have been tagged already...
If I have erroneously missed you, and you have not yet been tagged, please, consider yourself tagged! If you do the post, link it in a comment! I'd love to read what your characters would do in such situations. :)

The Questions:

1.) Most Likely to Be a Poet
2.) Most Likely to Dance in the Rain
3.) Most Likely to Look Good in a Kilt
4.) Most Likely to Get Punched in the Face
5.) Most Likely to Drop Everything and Become a Sheep Herder
6.) Most Likely to Be Found in the Library
7.) Most Likely to Sleep Through an Earthquake
8.) Most Likely to Steal Food from Other Peoples’ Plates
9.) Most Likely to Cheat on a Test
10.) Most Likely to Say “Oops” After Setting Something on Fire
11.) Most Likely to Open an Orphanage
12.) Most Likely to Run off with the Circus
13.) Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
14.) Most Likely to Fake Their Own Death
15.) Most Likely to Die and Haunt Their Friends 


Well! That was quite fun. Thank you again, Rakayle, for tagging me!
I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

And now I must bid you adieu, as work beckons, and I mustn't ignore it any longer.

Which of the answers did you like best?
Judging by these questions, which character do you like best?

Thanks for reading,

God bless!


Megan 


Pictures are not mine: found on the internet. 

On the 11th Day of Christmas...

(Aaron, Amy, Ivy & Josh) "Hello!"
(Ivy) "Hi guys, the four of us have decided to team up--"
(Josh) "And share our short time travel adventure with you!"
(Ivy) "...It wasn't short, Josh."
(Josh) "Well, it sure wasn't long enough."
(Amy) "Guys, don't argue...Don't mind them, readers."
(Aaron) "Yeah. Ok readers, so as they mentioned, we have a short story to share."
(Ivy) "It's short, but I will let you know right now, it's not the full thing. Only a teaser, if you will, of what will be a much longer story. The share is short, the story won't be...once it's finished being written."
(Josh) "Leave comments! We love comments. If you leave a comment before two hours are up, I'll..."
(Amy) "How did you make this sound like a lame commercial?"
(Aaron) "Ha! Don't mind Josh. I think he had coffee this morning."
(Josh) "...how did you know?"

Ok guys, let me handle this...
Here is a snippet of the beginning of a special holiday Time Travelers story.
I hope you enjoy!

It was Epiphany Eve...
In the city of New York, New York, a certain wristwatch was slowly pulsing a florescent green.
In excitement, the red headed 16-year-old Joshua Peterson excitedly ran to his Great Aunt's telephone and dialed his friend Amy Hyde's number.
When the phone was picked up, Josh spat out, "Amy! The watch is doing it again!"
A gasp sounded from the telephone speaker, and the young teen's voice whispered, "I'll be right over. Don't press any button without me."

In Canada, a similar exchange was going on...
"Ivy, Ivy!"
The 18 year old's fingers paused above the typewriter's keys, looking at her telecommunicating digital wristwatch. Intrigued by the urgency, she pressed the callback button. "What's up, Aaron? Over."
"I'm in the library. The watch. It's flashing. Over."
Ivy felt her heartbeat quicken at the prospect of another time traveling adventure, and leapt up from her desk chair, leaving it swiveling in place as she exited the bedroom in haste.

Old town New York:
"Amy! Just in time."
The blonde teen pulled her scarf closer around her face. 
"Why did we have to meet in the alley? It's freezing out here!"
Josh pulled his wool coat collar up higher around his cheeks. "We can't just go zapping through time in the middle of the house. We were in the attic last time, remember?"
Amy hugged herself. "But...Couldn't we have gone to your attic?"
He shook his head matter-of-factly. "Nope. Wayyyy too many spiders."
"Okay...Press the button already before I freeze to death."
Josh lifted his index finger above the button, but didn't press it.
Amy scowled at his hesitation. "What's wrong?"
"Do you think the Rochesters will come too?"
"...I hope so."
"What if they don't?"
Amy pulled her knitted cap further down. "Let's just hope they do."
Josh bit his lip, and looked down at the watch. "Is there a time limit to when you can press the button?"
"There might be. Better press it now, Josh."
He nodded slowly. "Ok. Here, hold my arm, Aim. Even if the others don't, I want to make sure you come!"

The outskirts of Toronto:
Ivy threw the door open. "Should we press the button, Aaron?"
The tall, dirty-dishwater blond 18-year-old looked up from the couch and nodded. "Definitely!"
Ivy closed their home library's door, and hurried over to sit next to her twin.
"Do you think Josh saw his watch blinking?"
Aaron cocked his head to the side. "I hope so! It would be weird if they didn't come too..."
Ivy frowned as her eyes ran over the face of the transportation devise. "Will it work if only one watch is pressed?"
Aaron let his finger hover over the button momentarily. "That's a good question...I suppose there's only one way to find out...eh?"
Ivy nodded, and hooked her arm in her brother's. "Ok, go ahead. Let's see what our mission is this time."
With a hesitant pause, Aaron pressed his finger down on the button.
A red light blinked, instead of the bright flash.
Ivy opened her eyes, which she had squeezed shut. "Nothing happened."
Aaron looked at the screen. "Whoa, look. It says, "Error. Press in"...It's giving a five second count down."
Ivy's eyes widened. "That means both you and Josh will press at the same time!"
"Looks like it...here we go then!"

When the timer had clicked down to zero, both Time Traveler's pressed their respective buttons, and a bright flash erupted from the screens before everything went black.


Alright, so that's the intro for ya!
I hope you enjoyed it.
Now after editing, who knows how much of this original beginning will be left over, but...
Tomorrow will be the final post in this Christmas series!
I hope you have enjoyed reading the snippets and stories.

God bless!

Megan

On the 8th Day of Christmas...

Hello! Ivy Rochester here.
It is now my turn to write something for the blog!
I wasn't sure what to write, so I decided to share a snippet of what my day has looked like so far.
Our parents had left for a trip to town this morning, leaving me and my brothers home.
The following is what happened earlier this afternoon:


"In the bleak mid winter, frosty wind did moan...”
I shivered, and continued to stare out the frosty windowpane. “Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.”
“Bemoaning the cold, sister dear?”
I turned around and saw my big brother leaning in the entryway of our living room; steaming coffee mug in hand.
“Oh, hi Caleb. No, just singing to myself. The song perfectly fits the weather today.”
He straightened and wandered across the room to look over my head out the window. “Minus the snow falling upon snow part.”
I nodded slowly and sighed. “True. I wish it would snow. Everything is so much prettier when there’s snow.”
He grunted in agreement, and took a sip of his coffee. “It’s -7 degrees outside.”
I groaned. “It should be illegal for the temperature to run this low.”
“That’s 18 degrees, if we were in America.”
I furrowed my brow in thought. “It doesn’t sound so bad when it’s in Fahrenheit—”
Right then, my twin entered the room and our conversation simultaneously. “Santa called! He wants the North Pole’s weather back.”
I turned and stood up from my seat on the window seat. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he did.”
“It would me,” Caleb mumbled, sipping his coffee again. “if “Santa” called...”
I threw him a disgusted look. “It’s a joke, big bro. Of course we don’t think—”
Aaron plopped onto the couch and leaned forward to steal a cookie from the abundance of the platter on the coffee table. “Gosh, didn’t mean to start a Santa debate...”
I grinned. “Don’t worry about it. Besides—” I wandered over and grabbed my own cookie. “We don’t have snow. I doubt it would go over well at the North Pole if there wasn’t any snow.”
Caleb set his mug on the fireplace mantle, and studied the barometer that hung next to our family portrait. “Hmm...It’s forecasting a change in barometric pressure. The humidity level is rising, so we may well have snow by tomorrow evening.”
Aaron leaned back on the couch pillows and grinned. “Who needs weather men when we’ve got a magic weather guesser, and the sage announcer, Caleb Rochester?”
Caleb shook his head. A grin was not on his face, but it sparkled in his eyes nonetheless. “Magic nothing. It notes the level of pressure—”
I laughed. “I would hope he knew how it worked, Caye…” I winked at my twin. “He built it.”
Aaron shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure, but it was really easy.”
Caleb grinned. “Easy, he says!”
“Aye, easy says I.”
I laughed. “Ok you two, enough of this; who’s up for a game of Risk?”
They both perked up at the mention of one of their favorite strategic board games.
I nodded in satisfaction. “I thought so. I’ll get it. Aaron, please clear the cookies?”
He eyed the scrumptious delicacies, and slowly nodded his head. “I can do that.”
Caleb hurried over and scooped the plate up before Aaron had the chance to grab it. “Ohh no you don’t. She meant; clear the platter from the table—” He waved his index finger in front of Aaron’s nose. “Not the cookies from the platter.”


It's not exactly a complete scene, but I hope you enjoyed reading!
I think I just heard the truck pull up, so I'd better go see if I can help my parents with the groceries...
Laters!


Thanks Ivy.
Only four days to go now, until Epiphany!
That means four more posts until the 12 Days of Christmas come to an end.
I hope you are enjoying these posts so far!

God bless,

Megan


In the Bleak Mid Winter - written by Christina Rossetti - Written by memory.

On the 5th Day of Christmas...

Hello there, Aaron Rochester here.
Seems it's my turn to do a post, so here's what I've come up with. Hope you enjoy!

I looked at my twin, and grinned. “Ready?”
She nodded, and cracked her knuckles. “Oh yes.”
We both took a deep breath and started singing. Ivy took the melody, I chimed in with the harmony.
“We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
A blond head poked out the previously closed door. “What the heck are you two doing?”
We stopped singing as soon as the door opened.
I shrugged. “Why, caroling of course!”
He pushed his glasses up his nose, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Since when do carolers go around inside their own house?”
Ivy clasped her hands behind her back innocently. “Since now. Come on, Caleb. Join us?”
Our twenty-three year old brother shook his head. “I’m busy.”
I crossed my arms. “Sorry, can’t back out. We’re all going caroling in town.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes at us. “Why wasn’t I informed of this trip?”
I grinned at my sister. “We just decided a few minutes ago. Mom and Dad agreed that it would be fun. You wanna come?”
Our tall brother sighed. “Ah, why not...”
He straightened. “Are we supposed to dress up?”
Ivy nodded the same time I shook my head. When she saw my answer, she nodded again. “Of course! Get a vest and coat, and your nicest hat too. It’s common knowledge that all carolers have to look like they’re from the 1800’s!”
Right then, Dad walked up behind us. “What’s this? Who’s from the 1800’s?”
Ivy looked at him and grinned. “We are! Don’t you agree that we should dress up to go caroling?”
He feigned shock at the idea of not dressing up for the occasion. “Why, of course!” Caleb groaned. “Not only are you making me sing, now I have to dress up too?”
I scoffed. “Ha! You’re the one in the house who always dresses up the most when going places, and don’t deny it, brother.”
Caleb shrugged; a grin spreading across his face. “Ah, tis true, little brother. Unlike someone—” he poked my chest. “—I care about what I look like in public.”

An hour and a half later found us in the middle of the old section of our little town, wandering through the town square singing Christmas carols and hymns that pertained to our Savior’s birth.
Dad played his squeezebox in accompaniment while we all sang.
“God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay...”
I normally didn’t care to sing in front of people, but if I had someone to sing with, it certainly made it easier. And my family was the best group to sing with, in my opinion.
Once we had our fill of singing in the cold snowy weather, we all shuffled into the local coffee shop and jumped into line to order something to warm up our frozen insides.
We decided to go easy on the baristas, and all ordered hot chocolates.
Dad took a sip of his beverage once we gathered around a circular table.
“Ow!”
We all chuckled and giggled at the expression on his face.
“Daaad,” Ivy giggled, cradling her paper cup. “It’s hot!”
He puckered his lips and stuck his burnt tongue out. “Ya could have warned me.” Caleb smirked. “The name wasn’t a dead giveaway?”
Mom carefully sipped her own. “It’s hot cocoa for a reason, dear.”
Dad grinned and took another sip. “I knew that. I was only joking.”
I reached for the basket on the table that held complimentary candy canes, and stuck one in my mouth. After a couple minutes, I pulled the cane from my mouth; revealing a sharp pointed end.
“My favorite Christmas treat is the peppermint candy sword.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “They’re called candy canes, not—”
I waved it around in front of me. “Now once you’ve sucked on it a while!”
Dad laughed. “Who knew such a delicious treat could be so lethal...”
Caleb set his cup down, and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “Certainly wouldn’t be a choice weapon. The strength of the peppermint would be easily detected.”
I scowled. “Brilliant deduction, Caleb. Way to ruin a good plan.”
My big brother flashed a grin. “Just keeping you from being dragged off to jail, dear brother.”
I popped the top off my beverage, and stuck my peppermint stick in.
“Well, I don’t plan on bumping anyone off right now anyhow. But thanks for the warning. I’m much obliged.”
After we had fallen silent for a couple minutes, Dad lifted his cup.
“I’d like to propose a toast.”
We all turned our attention to him, and raised our own drinks.
He cleared his throat. “To Christmas, family, and hot cocoa. God bless us!”
We all echoed his toast, and took a drink.
I grinned, and raised the cup to my lips again.
“God bless us, everyone!”

Thanks for the snippet, Aaron!
Have a lovely Sunday, everyone. I'm off to prepare for church!

God bless!

Megan

Meet the Characters - Aaron Rochester

Happy "Go Barefoot Week" everyone!
Sure, this is not an official holiday...But it's nearly Summer. Why not go romping around outside barefoot? Get your feet dirty! 'Tis quite fun. (as long as you don't step on a thorn or sharp stone...) 😉
So I prepose a declaration that the 3rd week of June is to be national Barefoot Week. Do I have any seconds to this motion?

Anyhow, here we are for the final installment of my "Meet the Characters" series for Trouble in Scotland! (Click the numbers to view parts 1, 2, & 3)
Yes, there are more than only four characters in the book, but the others didn't want to sit through an interview. And goodness, it is ever so hard to get folks from the 16th Century to type up a blog post... 😉
Anyway, without further ado, here is my final guest character, Aaron!

*picture not mine*

Greetings! Since everbody else has done it, I suppose I'll write out my full name too. I'm Aaron Osborne Rochester. I'm 18, like my sister has already mentioned.
Since Ivy shared a random fact about herself, I shall do the same.
Fact: I am left handed! I'm not the only one in my family though, my big brother Caleb is also a leftie.
I hope ya'll have been enjoying the posts my friends, and sister, have written. Now it's my turn. (Finally! Seems I'm always the last one to do stuff...But I am the youngest of my family, so you think I'd be used to it by now.)
Anyway, let's dive into the questions, shall we? (Figuratively speaking, of course...)

~What Can't You Live Without?~
My Bible, my faith in my Saviour, and my family.
I got saved when I was 4, and have strived to become more like my Saviour everyday. It's not easy, let me tell you...But like it says in Philippians 4:13; "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me."

~If 10 Is Completely Organized And 1 Is Completely Messy, Where Do You Fall On The Scale?~
I'd say I'm a 5. I ride a thin line between perfect organization and absolute chaos.
Usually I'm fairly organized, and my room is clean. But sometimes, well...let's just say some days I can't even find my bed...

~What Are Your Hobbies?~
Building and fixing anything that is mechanical or eletronic! I love working with transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, circuit boards...
As mentioned in Megs' novella, Trouble in Scotland, I have modified two digital wrist watches to not only tell time, but be two-way radios as well. Ivy and I wear them all the time.

~What Frustrates You About The World You Live In?~
That people don't awknowledge their Creator. God has created each and every human alive, and it seems that most of us either ignore Him, or deny His existance. It makes me sad though, I think, more than frustrated.

~How Would You Dress For A Night Out? How Would You Dress For A Night In?~
Button up shirt, maybe a knitted vest, and nice trousers. No jeans for a fancier event.
By a "night in", I assume you mean something along the lines of what I would wear for just a normal day around the house. If that's the case, I'm usually found wearing an unbuttoned button-up shirt, (generally of the plaid or checked varity), over a cream or white undershirt, with canvas or jean trousers.

~How Many Shoes Do You Own, And What Kind?~
I think I have two pairs of track shoes, a black and also a brown pair of leather Oxfords, mud boots, steel-toed work boots, and I'm pretty sure I have a pair of hiking boots somewhere...

~Do You Have Any Pets? What Pet Do You WISH You Had?~
I don't personally have a pet, though I think it would be really neat to have a Chameleon.

~What's Usually In Your Fridge Or Pantry?~
Cookies! Ivy makes the best Gingerbread cookies. My favorite is chocolate chip cookies though. Mum says I shouldn't eat so many cookies...But I run at least two miles every day, so I think it works itself out, eh?

~What Is Something You've Always Dreamed Of Doing?~
Yes, I stole this question from Ivy's list...(I don't have any resentment that comes to mind either.)
I want to join the OPP, or, The Ontario Provincial Police force! That's my dream job. I want to use my knowledge of electronics and mechanics to help fight crime, and bring criminals to justice.
That, or I want to become a missionary.
Maybe I can somehow do both...

Well now, that's it for me! Maybe I'll be asked to write another post some day, eh?
May God be with you.
Over and out!

And that's a wrap!
I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about my characters.
Any questions? Something else you'd like to know about them? Ask away!
I hope you all have a pleasent rest of the day, and a lovely week!

~ Are you going to go barefoot this week? ~
~ What do you think about my holiday declaration? ~
~ Let me know in the comments! ~

God bless!

Megan

*I would like to thank the lovely folks whose pictures I have used for my characters. I don't know you, but thank you for having such nice faces!* <3