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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
| 5. Sitting at the bar you have a lively conversation with Andre. But it seems as though everyone else is ignoring you. As you glass at the mirror, you realize that you have no reflection. Dear Margaret: As Halloween is closing to an end I find that it had been enlightening. I've learned a lot about monkeys, which I did not know. Recently, at the Halloween party that took place at Andre The Blog Monkey Banana Bar Andre, Erthala, and I were engaged in conversation as people do at parties. Andre told us about the Shaolin monks, monkey moves They are truly interesting. A higher learning by Warrior Monks. They studied the physical way a monkey moves as it flies through the canopy. Then, used the information to make their monks more athletic. I also learned how many varieties of new world monkeys there really are and some of the reasons some of them are endangered. Andre and I were engaged in a conversation about how different fruit drinks combined with tea or alcohol can have different affects on the body. Andre is quite knowledgeable about the outcomes of fruit and alcohol. My knowledge leans toward combining fruit with tea and the outcomes thereof. There is a long mirror behind the bar. Suddenly, Erthala exclaimed and pointed at the mirror. "Look, Apondia, your reflection is not in the mirror. " I looked up and in truth I could see Erthala, and Andre but, not myself reflected. Unfortunately I moved into one of my long winded explanations: That is because while I'm in the bar an attempt is always being made to make me conform to the way others believe or think. In truth, Erthala this happens in a lot of places in my life. A reflection of me would mean acceptance. I often have to explain to other people, that I cannot react like they do to a given situation, because I am living in my body not theirs. I believe in the individuality of each person. Never-the- less a song we use to sing in chorus tells this story, "No Man is an Island, No man stands alone." Take blogging with the Thirty Day Blogging Challenge. There are a lot of people that write about similar experiences. They all live in different countries or states, have different lifestyles, and different habits. People often have similar thoughts even though they live in different countries. If I told any of these people they had to take up residence in a home just like mine. Keep my daily schedule, like only what I like, never move or think unless they were on my schedule and my life line. They would revolt. Individuality is impossible to erase. DNA has more to do with this than we ever pay any attention too. When you get into a situation like the Blogging with the Banana Bar, people expect me to respond exactly as they think I should. When I do respond I keep my individuality. There is a way of using your mind to cause a reaction in an animal and sometimes in people. A way to control energy waves and make animals or people do what you want. Good psychology makes this wrong. You are cutting across free will. The only time it would be honest would be when fighting evil that cannot be controlled by personal physical intervention. Police help us there. I have a hard time believing in mirrors without reflections. A mirror reacts to it's reality. So, if there is a problem with a reflection it is probable that the mirror itself has left the realm of reality or the person who is standing in front of the mirror has insisted in remaining in some way, within a stable reality. Or, you are in the realm of fantasy or fiction where anything can happen. If you read or write fiction you are writing about things you think may happen or things that are happening or things that have happened, in some other realm or time. It is still out about whether fiction writers are influencing history, creating history, looking into another realm with their minds, or thinking in a prophetic way. There is a general belief because of some bible scriptures that you should never use your imagination. First the reason it is in the bible is because people have been making up imaginary stories since they became able to think. I ask you. How have those imaginary stories influenced people. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is imaginary about an imaginary world. Yet from beginning to the end the series is a compact allegory about real beliefs of people on the earth. Erthala says, don't forget Harry Potter. Harry Potter makes witches fall into categories: Good and bad witches. But, are good witches really witches? or spiritual people fighting evil who are branded as witches? Parts of the Harry Potterseries may be from another English authors writings. Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz which deals with witches. And, at least one of the spells Harry is famous for is Biblical. I replied, If you believe in God one of the first things you learn is Genesis 1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We also learn that he rested after creation. And, he set up a 7th day of the week so we could rest. God speaks to and through individuals. He puts wisdom in us so we can fight the evil we think and do. It does not say he quit creating only that he rested from it. As a spirit, God created people and look at what we can do, should do, and should not do. Erthala spoke up, "aren't we diving into philosophy and spirituality? If you are a writer that is what you are creating. You are creating entertainment and knowledge for your readers. " I replied. "Drinking alcohol or writing something down that is in your mind. It can be bad or good. It's use is up to the person using it. So Erthala. if you cannot see my reflection in your mirror perhaps we are grounded to reality in a different way. Or the mirror needs to be cleaned." Erthala laughed, Andre chattered grabbed a cloth and started cleaning the mirror. Just so you know Margaret. I'm not very superstitious about mirrors or vampires. The currant Vampire rage like all subjects has flowed across countries through written stories before and it will fade after while, when a new subject becomes popular. Or when a new generation of writers takes hold. Halloween is interesting to me it's a different kind of holiday. This year I'm having a good time creating stories with others. Perhaps I will have something to say about Thanksgiving when it comes up. See you in WDC. Bye for now Margaret. Sincerely, Apondia word count by the Journal 7 = 953 |
| 4. You order Andre's 'Drink of the Day'. As you are drinking it, you feel it slowly transform you into something/someone else. Dear Margaret: It seems the worst is yet to come regarding Halloween celebrations. When Erthala and I were at the Halloween party there was a lot of dancing and other entertainment going on. Erthala and I were just enjoying the antics of monkeys in the ceiling vines and costumed persons dancing to the vibrant monkey music going on. Then Andre came tottering over with the drink of the day in hand. It was in a pretty, frosted wine glass on a stem. It was, believe it or not some mix of Banana wine. It was a yellow color and very cold. He presented it to me. So, I said, "Why not?" I heard Erthala mutter, "I bet I could tell you why not?" I just smiled. After a couple sips I started singing another Monkey song I know. "Three Little Monkeys, swinging in a tree, teasing Mr. Crocodile, you can't catch me." I vaguely remember Erthala say, "Oh, Oh!" Did I really transform? I remember fur on my long arms. It's more like a dream then real transformation. I experienced exaltation, as I leaped into the air and went swinging across the room on the exceptional green vines. Other monkeys screeched, pointed, and then followed me as I traversed the room swinging from vine to vine. Eating a couple of the flowers, hanging upside down starring at Erthala below me, while she shouted come back down now before you fall Apondia, was quite exelerating. As a child I had a trapeze in our hay barn with heavy mounds of loose hay to break my fall. Flying across the room with the other monkeys. Playing follow the leader was more fun than the trapeze. I was not as graceful because I lacked a prehensile tail. I did not have the length of arm of a monkey, besides not having, a finger type use of the end of a prehensile tale. Still, it was a lot of fun. Toward the end, I used the coat rack pole like a Shaolin Master and made the "Monkey moves on a tree" required to win your Buddhist mastership. I'm sure a real Shaolin Master has better form. Years of practice in form and knowledge are required to acquire the grace monks, who know these moves, are capable of doing. YouTube has examples of these Shaolin Master moves. This transformation only lasted at the most thirty minutes. Then, the energy the drink produced in my system began to fail. Erthala was following me around the room and persuaded me to stop on top of the bar. Then with a huff and a puff I sat down and returned to my normal thought waves. Erthala with her quick thinking managed to film some of my antics on her iPhone. She has promised to send the filming to my computer. That means I can send you a copy some day. It is quite a sight to see. I tried to find out exactly what was in the wine Andre gave me. As usual Andre isn't communicating about the recipe. When I went to the bar, Andre pointed at me and then pantomimed swinging on the vines above his head he monkey laughed. I drew a picture of Andre standing under a coconut tree getting bonked on the head with a coconut so he quit laughing. Oh well, green tea and mashed bananas is really the best speed for me. If you ever want an interesting experience Margaret come visit me. We will spend some time blogging at Andre The Blog Monkey Banana Bar. Always an unusually worthwhile time. Sincerely, Apondia  Word count by the Journal7 = 604 |
| Prompt 3: A bad-tempered customer is driving home after a few drinks at the bar. He thinks he sees him kids trick-or treating and stops to offer them some coins--but those aren’t costumes. Dear Margaret: I read this article in the news this morning. I thought you might be interested. }Man Accosted by Alien Ape Joe Smolder was rescued by fire men from an Eagle’s nest on Plantain Street earlier today. This is Smolder’s story as related to our news staff just before we went to press: I was driving down the street when I saw some trick-or treaters walking in the middle of the street. There were kids and some adults all in costume. I had an ash tray full of coins in the car and thought I would distribute them for treats, since I thought my kids were part of the group. I was upset to see them all in the street. I pulled over to the curb and yelled angrily at them. Get out of the street and walk on the sidewalk. After all that’s why sidewalks are made. One of the larger persons in the group, who I assumed was an adult waved me off. Then the group continued on down the street. I jumped from my car and ran down the street after them. I reached out to grab the shoulder of the adult who waved me off. Wow, he had a really solid feel to him. He shuffled around to look at me. He had very, very long hairy arms and a really ugly face. That’s when I realized he was an ape. I quickly stumbled back away from him. He grabbed me and slung me over one shoulder. Then leaped up a tree. It was momentous movement. No time to think or react. He climbed up the tree likity split. Deposited me in the eagle’s nest and left. NO, there were not any eagles in the nest. Just me. I could hear the group screeching and monkeys laughing below. The limbs where the nest was were skinny. The wind was blowing. Every time I moved it felt like the nest would collapse or blow down in the wind. Mentally I was breaking up, I kept thinking of that song, “Rock a bye baby, in the tree top." You know it has a bad ending. Then I remembered I had my phone in a pocket. I called 911. They thought it was a Halloween stunt. I had to call them back 3 times before they would believe I needed help. Then the 911 operator asked me if I had been drinking alcohol. I told her honestly I had 5 or 6 banana daiquiri at the bar. Yes mam. There was a party going on with a bunch of midgets dressed in monkey costumes. Really, really, mam I’m telling you the truth. I could hear her laughing, but she said the fire department was on it’s way. When they arrived the street and area were empty. No trick-or treaters or animals any where. They brought the big ladder truck and got me down safely, but I had to write them a check as a donation. Some cops showed up as well. They said they would be on the look out for aliens. I said it was really, really some apes and monkeys. I don’t think they believed me. They insisted on driving me home. One of them followed me home with my car. When I got out they said they would really, really appreciate a donation for their help. So, I wrote out another check. They were laughing when they drove away. When I got home I was going to take the kids candy away from them as punishment for walking in the street. My wife wouldn’t let me because she said they were dressed like pirates and home earlier than my incident took place. And, anyway my kids wouldn’t walk in the street. This is the end of the Smolder story as related to us in the news room. In the interest of news and public safety we are asking anyone else who may have had a incident concerning a group of monkeys on Halloween to please give us your stories. Lots of activity around here this Halloween Margaret. How are things where you are? Sincerely, Apondia Word count from the Journal 7 = 710 |
| Prompt 2: You put that stuffed monkey in the cabinet. In the closet, in the attic, but no matter where you tuck it, it always show back up at the bar. On Halloween night, you came in to find it watching you. Dear Margaret: I had a stuffed toy monkey in my house. It came from “ Andre The Blog Monkeys Banana Bar.” If you pull it’s tail it screeches loud monkey language. I posted a picture of it on the lost and found board with my phone number. No one ever claimed it.. I put it in a kitchen cupboard so the dog would not get it. When I walked into the kitchen it was sitting on the cabinet beside a bunch of bananas starring at me. So, I locked it in the glass curio cabinet. It starred at me all the time it was in there. Erthala called. She was down at the Banana Bar sipping a banana daiquiri. So, I went down to the bar for awhile. While we were chatting about little things, I noticed a stuffed monkey sitting on the bar by a bunch of bananas It was starring at me. It looked just like the one I took home earlier in the day, a Golden Tarsier replica. Andre was staggering around behind the bar drinking a banana daiquiri. Andre where is Lilli? He pulled up his tail and used it as a pointer to the floor behind the bar. Sure enough Lilli was sitting on the floor cleaning shelves behind the bar. Lilli where did this stuffed monkey come from? You mean Andre? No. No. I don’t mean Andre. The stuffed toy sitting on the bar. I never saw it before. Lilli stood up and yelled out, Anyone here own this stuffed monkey? No. No. I don’t mean Andre. A lot of shaking heads but no one claimed the toy. Take it home if you want people are always leaving things lay around. Lilli disappeared behind the bar. When I returned home the curio cabinet was unlocked, standing open. The only toy monkey in the house was the one I was holding. I took a marker and marked one ear with a black mark. Then I tossed it into the closet under the stairs and closed the door firmly. When I walked into the kitchen it was sitting on the counter by the bunch of bananas starring at me. Margaret I won’t write what I was thinking at that point. My poor brain was strained. Next day was Halloween, I had some shopping to do, so I threw the monkey in the trunk of the car and locked the trunk. When I finished shopping I stopped at the bar to see if anyone had claimed the monkey. When I walked inside the bar, a toy monkey was sitting on the bar beside a bunch of bananas. It had a black mark on one ear. I checked the trunk of the car there was no monkey in the trunk. I looked around. What the?? I went back in. Lilli was putting up decorations for the Halloween party. Lilli where is the monkey? You mean Andre? He’s sleeping off the banana daiquiri he drank. No. No I mean the stuffed toy Golden Tarsier monkey. It returned to the bar by itself! By itself Apondia? How many Banana daiquiri have you had today? None. But, I might need one if this keeps happening. When I returned home it was sitting on the kitchen counter by the bananas starring at me. The phone was ringing. I went to answer it. Hi. Lilli. You left that toy monkey here. It is sitting on the bar by the bananas right now. I looked in the kitchen it was gone. I’ll pick it up at the party. I did not tell her it was just in my kitchen, she wouldn’t believe it anyway. OK. See you later. After I was settled in my chair at the Halloween party the lights and music stopped. When they came back on a real Golden Tarsier monkey was sitting in a high chair at my table. It spent the whole night starring at me with it’s creepy bulging golden eyes. It starred at me from the high chair it sat in. It sat on Erthala's head and starred at me, It hung from a vine and starred at me. Guess what? It had a black mark on one ear. I pulled it’s tail and it tried to bite my hand. Later it was sitting on Andre’s shoulder as the monkey’s trouped out to the basement. It was starring at me as it went through the door. I waved. More about Halloween later.. Sincerely Apondia Word Count from the Journal 7 = 786 |
| Prompt: 1. It’s late at night, and you hear footsteps in the bar—but you’re definitely alone . . . or so you thought. Dear Margaret: The last time we talked, you were adamant, that I should notify you, if I had any new strange experiences to report. Recently, I attended a Halloween party being held at an upbeat place called “Andre the Blog Monkey’s Banana Bar.” Well I haven’t been out for just ages and a day, so I dragged out a few pieces of material and built me a costume. Like the one worn by the spook in Joseph Delaney’s series “The Last Apprentice.” Halloween night I arrived at the bar; arriving just a few minutes after the time listed on the invitation. The bar is located in a cozy spot. The entire property around the bar is covered with mature growing banana trees. heavily laden with bananas. Kind of unusual for this area of the world. They seemed to be rustling in the wind. But, there isn’t any wind. When I walked through the door, the whole place was dark. Not just dark, black out dark. I backed out of the door. The sign in large letters on the door said, “Welcome to Andre the Blog Monkey’s Banana Bar, Halloween Party in Progress Please Enter.” So, I took a deep breathe and walked in again. Nope, still totally dark. The door behind me made a startling click as it closed behind me. I stood quietly listening. I thought I heard another click and the squeaky hinges of a second door somewhere in the dense dark, the padding footsteps of someone or something. A glaring splash of light hit the room accompanied by riotous music. There was a Long solid polished Maple wood bar to my left. To the right tables, with chairs formed a spiral spread out across the room. A dance floor was formed around the circle of seating. Most amazing was the tropical ceiling. Heavily coated in thick hanging vines and other deep green leafy foliage and flowers that caused a heavy sweet scent to hang in the air. A monkey wearing an apron leaped out from behind the bar. It kind of herded me toward the table in the center of the spiral. Pushing me steering, and chattering as he toddled along in a monkey gait. It screeched and pointed at a chair. As I was sitting down it slapped a sheet of crumbled paper down in front of me It turned out to be a menu. Lets see--hum mm- 1. Banana Daiquiri 2. Banana Daiquiri 3. Banana Daiquiri 4. And so on and on until # 20 said Green Tea with mashed Bananas. I pointed at the #20. Andre: turned snatched the menu, leaped up caught a vine, and swung away to the bar. As I was settling down into my seat I looked around and wondered where the rest of the people were. Then the lights went out again. The music stopped. The silence was really dense. I wondered how they achieved that kind of total silence in the dark, then more stealthy footsteps. I heard the whistle of a tea kettle explode into the silence. Someone pulled out a chair at my table. I jerked my hand back from the table when I felt hair slide across it. The brilliant lights flashed on, the music started up. The song playing was “My Momo eats banananaa, My Popo eats Banananaa, My sister eats Banananaa” and on and on about teachers and relatives and friends who all eat banananaa with a Bossa Nova beat. Most Astonishing, a Golden Tarsier Monkey now sat in a high chair at my table. Only 6 inches long with long fingers and toes for grasping vines, it stared at me with owl like golden eyes. Just stared and stared at me. Next to it sat a ghostly arrayed person. And next to the ghost sat a red handed Tamarin monkey in a high chair. Andre and another monkey suddenly appeared above swinging from the vines. My tea had arrived, also bowls of fruity water, nuts, fruit, and a banana daiquiri for the ghost. The bowls were plunked down without ceremony and I caught one blue bowl of peanuts that was falling precariously off the tray of munchies. A startling system emerged. All sound and light vanished just before a new variety of monkeys and new costumed humans (I presume they were all human) appeared and filled another table. I mean dead silence when the lights were extinguished. The silence and darkness was actually astonishing for the time lapse endured. As the tables filled the noise of monkey screeches and howls grew louder. I put in my ear plugs at one point. And so it went, The lights and music would go out. Shuffling noises and creaky doors would sound. When the lights came back with music, another table would be full of new costumed humans seated with different varieties of monkeys mostly new world monkeys but, I identified a few old world monkeys as well. The monkeys screeched and howled. The din rose louder and louder. Nuts and fruit were eaten and tossed around. Of course the monkeys did not remain seated. Monkeys sailed through the air on vines. I looked up in astonishment to see squirrel monkeys, pygmy marmosets, proboscis, rhesus, spider, golden snub-nosed from China, howler, wooly spider, and other varieties sailing around the room or sitting on tables munching snacks. Monkeys walked by, leaped from table to table, and hung from vines to just stare at the costumed people. The Tarsier would return to the table now and then sometimes sitting in it’s chair sometimes on my shoulder always staring at me with its huge golden eyes. It would rotate its head to look around, very owl like. We had entertainment of songs about monkeys and pictures of monkeys in their natural habitat being broadcast across a big screen flat TV that hung above the bar. “Hey, hey we’re the Monkeys, People say we Monkey around. We’re to busy singing to put any body down.” It’s astonishing how many varieties of monkeys live on the earth. Some are quite beautiful. The ghost turned out to be a neighbor from my street, named Erthala. She pointed out Dracula simia and Dracula gigas orchids living in the tropical plant display above us. These are flowers that have monkey faces on them and were totally out of some other element of nature. How they happened to be thriving in this environment I could not begin to explain. I identified the three monkeys helping Andre behind the bar, to supply drinks to the party, mostly banana daiquiri; as the three monkeys rescued from a cemetery some time ago. Suddenly, Andre stood on the bar and began to chatter and wave at a door behind the bar. Led by Andre the monkeys began to troupe out the door. It had certainly been a lively evening. Those costumed people not visiting the basement moved out the front door. We were handed trick or treat bags on the way out filled with banana candy, banana daiquiri mix, and nuts. I will write more Margaret but, there is someone knocking at the door. Best wishes for your day. Sincerely, Apondia word count from the journal 7 = 1398 |
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