I've been working on a sequel to "Demonstration Model" and I'm getting frustrated with myself.

I've developed a reputation for flash fiction, and while that's not bad, sometimes, I'd like to actually let a story breathe a bit.

But that's not happening with this story. I'm 370 words in, and I'm going to be lucky to end up with over 500 words.

sighs . . .

Okay last night I had a very unusual dream.

it started with me in school, and discovering I was failing in a class, and feeling very upset about that.

Then I went out of that classroom and realized that the building was some kind of construct, and I could walk through the walls.

So that's exactly what I did.

I had one scary moment when someone grabbed my arm as I was walking through a wall, but I told them to let me go or something messy would happen, and they let me go.

I have been chatting to Patricia on here for a day or two. She kindly offered to help me with images for my stories.

She sent me a link to her story on the site, Silence is Golden. I was not surprised how much her story reflected my own to some extent.
There were a few things she asks that I asked myself or was asked by my wife.

Here are some of my thoughts. Excerts from her story are in bold.

Why do I want to wear the clothes?

Well, "dodging bullets" seems to be a theme around here today.

My brother dodged a bullet when we found out he hadn't dislocated his knee or torn tendons as we had feared, but had just inflamed everything. Bit of rest, and then light exercise, and he will be on the road to recovery.

Mom and I dodged a bullet dealing with COVID, as while we couldn't get a test to confirm, it seems likely we had a mild version of the disease, meaning the fact we were both vaccinated probably prevented us from needing to be hospitalized.

leeanna19 has been kind enough to noodle on my story for me, and given me enough ideas to not only finish this story, but to write a sequel as well.

Thanks so much, dear!

I've been writing a scary story for the last while, but I think I've written myself into a corner.

if anybody thinks they could help, I'll share what I got.

thanks in advance.

My brother Mike has had a bad couple of days.

It started with him finding out yesterday that a good friend is in the hospital after their vehicle was struck by a train.

And then today he tried to help me shovel the walk and made his knee worse, to the point he couldn't hardly walk.

so if you're the praying type, some prayers for my family would be appreciated.

and the Sun is even making an appearance!

is at least less messy than the medical condition!

It's been a couple of weeks/months since I've felt like human enough to update you all on my "adventure" in sickville.

a health update: most of my flu symptoms have ended except I have a runny nose, and its hard to complain about that when I have felt so bad the last couple of days.

I have also started working on a new story, which has started out being something more appropriate to Halloween than now, which has me thinking once more that I am not the creator of my stories, they just arrive, and my only job is to be a good delivery girl and pass them on.

Anyway, that's my update for now..

I am suffering from déjà vu today. I feel like I'm stuck in a loop doing the same things over and over.

you add in the fact I threw up last night, my joints are killing me, and I had a head cold, today is not looking like a stellar day.

unfortunately, I have hurt my wrist rather badly and typing is painful, so I may be off line a day or two

well, yesterday was a scary day. I was helping Sharon do some running around, and suddenly I had no idea which direction we were facing or what avenue was closest.

Sharon helped get me reoriented, so all safe, but its one more sign my brain has serious issues

Well, my good mood has gone pop. after I posted on Facebook about the gift I got this year, I got this reply from my sister in law: "It's a shame that after the love and grace received thought your brother deserved no card, nor gift but a black lump of coal. It's even more a shame he expected no better treatment."

I'm facing a moral dilemma and I need everybody's help.

See, I had something very good happen to me yesterday, and originally I planned to come here and share it at full volume, but then I started thinking.

I'm already much better off than a lot of the people here, at least in terms of how accepting their loved ones are of the gender stuff, and I started to wonder if me sharing would make those people feel worse about their own situations.

And since I don't want to hurt anybody, should maybe I just . . . not share?

Advice please?

or any other seasonal salutation that you prefer!

Okay so last night I dreamed I was one of a group of teens at a day camp studying to become cadets so they could enter the military after high school.

We studied military history, specifically Julius Caesar, and at the end of the camp all the cadets were in dress uniforms for the trip home.

But their uniforms included what I can only describe as a skirt. Not a kilt, but a plain red skirt with white stripes on the sides. Yes, boys and girls were in this outfit.

Wish fulfillment, maybe?

Look i told you not to plug that last Santa in, now we can't watch Chitty or even listen to the Queens Speech!

I had a really crazy dream last night.

It started with me being at a university, and one of the students, a young black man, gave me his coat. I put it on, turned a corner, and suddenly I was the only white person I saw in the halls. I went back and found the young man and gave him the coat back, and then I "jumped" into a new situation.

I'm sure you've seen enough TV to know what I mean if I say a show is a "doctor show" or a "lawyer show".

But what about a show that's both?

That was the dream I had last night. In the first half of the dream, I was a lawyer fighting to get a client a fair trial.

And then without warning I was suddenly in a hospital listening to a lecture on a new surgical procedure.

Don't ask me folks, I just do the dreaming.

Probably due to all the inactivity of the last two years from Covid and all, I am very ill with Cellulitis that has gotten quite serious. I'm not hospitalized yet but am on very strong Antibiotics and other strange potions. Not feeling well at all.

Just in case, I wanted to thank so many of you for being so kind and loving to me in the last many years. Thank you.

Merry Christmas and blessings to you all.

Gwen Brown

guess i'm showing my age eh?

Jingle all the way!