Percy

I signed up for an account last night. Not sure I'll be an official participant but the idea is for me to use it to get back in the practice of writing daily. I'm going to be working on a story I started a while back and want to finish up - at least get a completed first draft. My user name there is PercyWIBL.

Either the noble black and white or the last one with the multi-colors. Hard choice!

"I am in Venice" is a beautiful story, I agree. It made the city and Italy seem like a mysterious, romantic place. Really put it on the map for me.

Oops. That should be "publicly laud my best friend." I am sure there was nothing Freudian in that typo AT ALL. :-)

This is one of RJ's finest stories. I appreciated that it included a trans character but the focus of their relationship wasn't so much around Tony's trans identity. Their relationship was multi-faceted as relationships in real life tend to be. I am not sure I know of another story with such a fine representation of queer identity. All three of the characters have fluid sexual identities and at times are willing to explore interpretations of their gender identities. Yet they are doing all this against the foil of jobs/earning a paycheck, family responsibilities and their own evolving threesome of a relationship. That said, there is a healthy amount of romance and good, satisfying sex in the story - enough to qualify as a great escapist summer read. I'm glad GA featured this story not least because it gives me a chance to publicly laid my best friend and thank him for writing such a great story with me in mind. q

This is one of RJ's finest stories. I appreciated that it included a trans character but the focus of their relationship wasn't so much around Tony's trans identity. Their relationship was multi-faceted as relationships in real life tend to be. I am not sure I know of another story with such a fine representation of queer identity. All three of the characters have fluid sexual identities and at times are willing to explore interpretations of their gender identities. Yet they are doing all this against the foil of jobs/earning a paycheck, family responsibilities and their own evolving threesome of a relationship. That said, there is a healthy amount of romance and good, satisfying sex in the story - enough to qualify as a great escapist summer read. I'm glad GA featured this story not least because it gives me a chance to publicly laid my best friend and thank him for writing such a great story with me in mind. q

This was a great song for its time. I had a high school job at a shop that sold t-shirts to tourists in Myrtle Beach. We kept the top 40 radio station blaring and this was one of those pick-me-up tunes that kept us going during a busy shift.

London and Love is a fun romantic read that's filled with humor and angst. It's the right combination of reality and fantasy. The story starts with all the warmth and anticipation of a budding romance and mutual attraction. As the story moves along, the characters become more fully developed. They work through their own identities and explore who they are in relation to one another. There's real satisfaction in watching the characters work through their dilemmas and differences, looking for the practical, workable solutions that we all need to find no matter how "in love" we are. CarringtonRJ is a wonderful storyteller. I'm looking forward to the discussion at the end of the month!

It's good you reached out. Whether the conversation went well or not, at least you won't be wondering in the future what might have been. Thanks for sharing, K.C., and so sorry for the loss of your friend at such a young age.

Here's a hug, Wayne! Hope the back continues to improve.

An exhilarating time for you. Enjoy it and enjoy the freedom of expressing yourself! Congratulations.

Here's a LOL Cat from the 18th Century- For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry. For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him. For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness. For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer. For he rolls upon prank to work it in. For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself. For this he performs in ten degrees. For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean. For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there. For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended. For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood. For fifthly he washes himself. For sixthly he rolls upon wash. For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat. For eighthly he rubs himself against a post. For ninthly he looks up for his instructions. For tenthly he goes in quest of food. For having considered God and himself he will consider his neighbor. For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness. For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance. For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying. For when his day’s work is done his business more properly begins. For he keeps the Lord’s watch in the night against the adversary. For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes. For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life. For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him. For he is of the tribe of Tiger. For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger. For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses. For he will not do destruction if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation. For he purrs in thankfulness when God tells him he’s a good Cat. For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon. For every house is incomplete without him, and a blessing is lacking in the spirit. For the Lord commanded Moses concerning the cats at the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt. For every family had one cat at least in the bag. For the English Cats are the best in Europe. For he is the cleanest in the use of his forepaws of any quadruped. For the dexterity of his defense is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly. For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature. For he is tenacious of his point. For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery. For he knows that God is his Saviour. For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest. For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion. For he is of the Lord’s poor, and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually--Poor Jeoffry! poor Jeoffry! the rat has bit thy throat. For I bless the name of the Lord Jesus that Jeoffry is better. For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it in complete cat. For his tongue is exceeding pure so that it has in purity what it wants in music. For he is docile and can learn certain things. For he can sit up with gravity, which is patience upon approbation. For he can fetch and carry, which is patience in employment. For he can jump over a stick, which is patience upon proof positive. For he can spraggle upon waggle at the word of command. For he can jump from an eminence into his master’s bosom. For he can catch the cork and toss it again. For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser. For the former is afraid of detection. For the latter refuses the charge. For he camels his back to bear the first notion of business. For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly. For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services. For he killed the Icneumon rat, very pernicious by land. For his ears are so acute that they sting again. For from this proceeds the passing quickness of his attention. For by stroking of him I have found out electricity. For I perceived God’s light about him both wax and fire. For the electrical fire is the spiritual substance which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast. For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements. For, though he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer. For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadruped. For he can tread to all the measures upon the music. For he can swim for life. For he can creep. Lines 695-768 from Jubilate Agno, Fragment B by Christopher Smart (1722 - 1771)

Welcome to GA! We're a friendly group. If you want to see what's going on socially delve into the Lounge area of the forums or click on the New Content to see the active threads across all the discussion forums. The newest stories are always on the front page but there are a lot of gems to be found in the story archive. Enjoy!

Tim, Thanks for taking the time to review this story of mine. I'm beyond flattered. I hadn't read this story in a long time myself. When I went back through it, I remembered how fond I was of these characters when I was writing. I'm glad you chose to bring them to light here. -Percy

Dolores, your poetry is always so amazing and thoughtfully considered. Thanks for sharing it with us. -P

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PROMPT GURU!

This is a very shocking thing to have witnessed. I know when I was in an accident, the doctor warned me that people process trauma in different ways. Some people need to talk about it and this repetition helps them. Others find disucssing it makes the trauma worse. There's no right way or wrong way. As Irri and Ron suggested, do seek help for contructive methods of dealing with this memory if it continues to trouble you.

"Little numbered hour" is a great phrase. Glad you posted this!

I liked it. Who hasn't lain in bed with only a cup of something warm to tempt them out?

Give the poetry some love. Carringtonrj published Solace this week and An Acrostic Inquiry. Admittedly, this comment is a little self-serving since I co-wrote the second one. Since I'm here, I'll also give a plug to the latest Poetry Prompt.

Take care, Joann.

Hope your father is improving, Wayne, and that you're doing okay.

Well said, Wayne. Hope you are doing well, too.

Heartwarming. The world needs more real life stories like this.

A good example of how we bring our past with us into any relationship, even our first serious romance. We're the sum of all the previous interactions we've had with others. Lots of fun, tender sex here too!