New Year.....

Are We Late for the Party....?

I Hope you will not be Disappointed, Dear Readers, if I have no Christmas Card to show you in today's post. I was Truly hoping I would have the drawing completed by the New Year.... but this year it just is taking longer. Here we are, already at New Year's Eve, and some places on the Globe have already seen their "Ball-drop", but over here in the Western Hemisphere, there are yet a few hours of that Old Tired Year still to play out. And Lady Athena has decided to take advantage of the moment to Host a New Year's Eve Party at the Castle! Everybody is Invited! it is sure to be a fantastic crush! The Christmas decorations are still up, so there is not much she needs to do.

 There is an enormous Tree in the Guard Room at the entrance...

She hung an enormous Glittering Silver Ball 

from the ceiling of the Great Hall......

She filled the Antique Tarnished Silver Punch Bowl 

with a steaming Mystical brew.....

And she hired a Local All-Star band to play music....

Meet the "Fearless Flashbacks".......

(Yes they sometimes double as the "Deadly Nightshades"....)

They are Heating up the Hall with their Heady mix of "Old Goldies" and 

Traditional Tunes with a Modern Twist!

(You should hear their Auld Lang Syne...!)

Victor and Joanna have arrived early 

because they didn't want to miss any of the fun....

Followed quickly by Helen and Charles...

Because Helen wanted to be sure they were not late!

Pollyanna and Arthur are here too... 

Pollyanna loves to come to parties at the Castle. 

She says it always reminds her of her Wedding.... 

one of the Happiest Days she can remember!

Chip and Sally May and Annabelle have stopped to admire the huge Tree.... 

Although Annabelle seems more fascinated by Guard Ian in the corner!

Will has arrived too. And because he is single now, 

he is trying to meet anyone new in town....

"Haven't we met somewhere...?" he asks the Gypsy.

The Aileens arrive with their children in tow. 

Jasper and Amber have been here before and 

are looking forward to an evening in the Castle. 

You never know what might happen here!

Fleur and her husband Daniel and their daughter Juliet are here too!

Juliet can't wait to play with her friends!

Oh, and look... it's Gabrielle too!

 She is now Juliet's "Au Pair" and has been

 included in the Evenings Festivities!

She is still new in the area, 

and has not met very many people. 

But she hopes to have fun tonight 

getting to know some of her new neighbors.

Oh my goodness... even Harold and Celeste have come tonight!

(They are Arthur's parents and were estranged for years,

 but have been spending time together 

ever since Arthur and Pollyanna got married!)

Sally May and Fleur can talk for hours about 

the challenges of raising a daughter these days....

And the children are still talking about what they "got" for Christmas....

(Yes, Amber might be a little jealous that

 Juliet got a Pink "Little Hostess" kitchen center, 

complete with Working oven!)

(Juliet didn't tell her she is already a little bored with it...)

 

And is that Mischievous Fairy here too....? 

Yes..... he could not resist such an Open Invitation......!

It is anybody's guess what he Might have put in the Punch Bowl...

Ken is trying to keep an eye on things.... 

Will is trying to interest the Gypsy.....

But she might have her eye on Ken....

And Gabrielle just wants some Punch!

Will turns and spots Gabrielle. 

She looks a little familiar.....

"Haven't we met somewhere....?" he asks.

Gabrielle recognizes him at once!

"Oh! Bonjour, Monsieur..." she says.... 

forgetting for a moment to speak in English.

"I mean Hello! We met in France last summer....." she said.

 "At the Park " she added when he still looked confused.

"Ah! The Park!" exclaims Will. 

And then he blushed a little as all the memories rushed back.

"You're the Nanny!" he adds."Renee's Nanny!" 

"I was." says Gabrielle. 

"I am now Juliet's Nanny..." she added quickly. 

She didn't really want to explain that she was fired 

because she had talked to him in the Park!

There was a moment of awkward silence 

while Will thought about Daphne....

 and then decided he really didn't want to talk about Daphne at all!

"So what are you doing here....?" 

they both said at the same moment... 

then they laughed together....

Will bowed and said "I will let the Lady go first.... 

what would you like to know...?"

Everything! thought Gabrielle....

"Is your business in this town...?" 

was what she asked instead....

Well, Dear Readers, how the Time has Flown!

Is it Time for the Ball to Drop?

Has the New Year already been Rung In in Your Land?

Have you Danced the Night away 

and Kissed your Loved Ones on the New Year?

There are still a few Hours to pass in my Land.... 

and I have a Christmas Card that still needs to be finished....

So I will leave you here for now...

While the Party is going strong....

Why even in the Castle Kitchens 

Henry and Belle are celebrating the New Year.....

"Come on Belle.... just a New Year's Kiss...." wheedles Henry...

"Just don't you be mistaking it for anything else..!" retorts Belle....

 

Dear Readers, I wish you All a 

Wonderful and Joyous New Year!

 May You all Kiss your Loved ones... 

Smile with your neighbors....

Dance the Night Through....

And maybe even tell a Tale or two!

I am so glad you could make it to the Party!

The Best Laid Plans.....

Winging It Still.....

Where had the Little Dreamers gone, I hear you ask, Dear Readers, on that lovely Autumn afternoon? Well, they rode like the wind from one end of the Distant Briar Moors to the other, just for the joy of feeling the wind in their hair. Or so they thought! But little did they know that the ponies had been sent to fetch them, because All was Not as it seemed this All Hallows Eve! Brother Beorn the Fairy Beary had been gathering Moon Flower and Poppy seeds on the Moors when he saw them racing past. He wondered where they were going in such a hurry, and thought he would follow along just to keep an eye on them!

He had a feeling they might just need some help 

when they got where they were going!

But they were not the only ones out for a ride this All Hallows Eve.

In another Time altogether, but not very Far away, 

Tommy and his sister Beatrice were riding on Tommy's pony Prince.

Tommy was still thinking about searching for Treasure at the Castle ruins.... 

even though he knew he shouldn't play there at all. 

He had to let Beatrice tag along or she would tell on him.

Every now and then when they were riding towards the Castle,

 they spotted the Castle horses as they headed home at the end of the day. 

If they hurried after them, they sometimes arrived at the Castle 

and found themselves in another Time from Long Long ago!

And so it was this afternoon as they crossed unknowingly through a Rift in Time...

 as they arrived at the Castle just after dusk.

They heard voices coming from the Kitchen....

and went to investigate.

The kitchen was full of children!

And Henry (who Tommy had met before) 

was telling them stories of his travels!

It seemed as though that Mischievous Fairy had told the children 

there was a story-teller in the Castle Kitchen,

 knowing full well what would happen! 

All the children had found their way 

through the gaps in Time and ended up 

in a Time that was Not their own!

And when Gabrielle, whose job it was to keep track of her charge Juliet,

 noticed that the children were nowhere in sight, she went searching for them.

She searched from the top to the bottom.

And everywhere she looked was empty!

She didn't want to alarm anyone, but she was starting to worry!

Where could they be?

She was about to look outside when she passed

 the Fortune Teller sitting near the door.

"Have you seen any of the children go outside..." she asked?

The Fortune Teller just shook her head.

And then right in front of Gabrielle's eyes, 

the most amazing thing happened!

 

The crystal ball suddenly swelled to more than twice it's size! 

And then the Fortune Teller spoke in a strange and distant voice...

"The children are here ... but Not!" she said.

"Do Not stir the waters.... do not sound the alarms....

Let none enter, let none leave....

Guard the doors and All will be well!"

And then she was silent.

Gabrielle didn't know what to say!

And what of Perry who sailed with the Ancient Book to the Far Forgotten Isle?

Not many hours had passed Dear Readers, when he came in sight of land.

A Tall and ghostly house stood on the small Isle....

He sailed his little boat gently up to the shore....

And pulled it up onto the beach as far as he could.

Then he picked up the Book, which felt heavier every time he lifted it.

The Wizard had said he must carry it 

to the top floor of the house....

He hadn't mentioned the dogs... 

but Perry was fond of dogs... 

so he was not afraid!

They let him pass.

He pushed the doors open....

Inside it was dimly lit... 

and a procession of Maidens carrying the Moon...

 marched up the stairs!

If they could carry the Moon... 

then he could carry this heavy Book, he thought!

He made it to the top of the first flight of stairs...

And then to the top of the second... 

and there he could see the huge old carved cabinet....

Where the Wizard had told him to leave the Book.

It looked exactly like the cabinet in the Castle, 

thought Perry as he set the book down.

He felt strangely bereft as he turned to retrace his steps.... 

as if he were leaving a friend behind. 

But the Wizard had told him clearly to Not Look Back!

 

And where were the ponies taking the Little Dreamers?

Well, if you ride far enough and Fast enough 

across the Distant Briar Moors, 

you will eventually reach the Castle!

It was just after Dusk when the Little Dreamers 

were set down outside the Caves.

And Brother Beorn was right behind them!

The Little Dreamers had been to the Caves many times before, 

so they were not at all surprised to see the Wizard waiting for them.

"Ah... you have come!" he said. "You are just in Time...." he added

and at that very moment Old Meg appeared beside him!

"We need your help..." she said.

"You must carry an Enchantment to the Castle Kitchen and 

Cast it upon the children.... 

They must forget where they have been 

and what they have seen 

and what they have heard heard ... " she added.

"This can only be done by those who are innocent, 

so their Dreams cannot bring Evil...

Those who have borne enchantment before.....

and are not Afraid to bear it again!"

"I will mix a Mesmerizing Powder..." she said...

"Ah, I see Brother Beorn has brought me my herbs!"

 

 

"Fresh picked Moon Flowers and Poppy Seeds " said Brother Beorn, 

happy to know that his hunches were not for nothing!

 

And before the Little Dreamers could blink twice, 

they were standing in the Kitchen of the Old Castle.... 

And there was Henry telling Tales of Enchantment

 and of Giants and Wizards and Unicorns... 

and the children were standing spellbound!

The Little Dreamers  together raised their arms 

and tossed the Mesmerizing Powder over the heads of the children.....

Just as Henry was saying...

"Do you know what that Wizard did to me....?"

And suddenly the Air was filled with a glittering mist...

And right before their eyes.... everything changed!

Henry began to Vanish!

And where he had stood......

Now there stood the Wizard!

 

And he was  not smiling!

The children gasped!

But they had already forgotten Henry...

"Story Time is over now" said the Wizard not unkindly. 

"You must return to the Hall and be sure to tell your parents 

what a Great Story hour it was!" he added.

And so they did!

There was a sudden rush of interest at the Fortune Teller's table....

Although Gabrielle was still not sure What she had heard... 

or Thought she had heard!

And the Little boys were happily trying to remember if 

the Best story was about a Giant.... or a Wizard...!

 

And Did Everybody find their way home again?

Well, that I cannot tell you, Dear Readers,

For the Night is still young...

and the party is still in full swing!

And if there are a few unfinished pieces to this Tale.... 

well, I will have to claim Enchantment caught me in it's spell!

And in spite of the Best laid plans...

How things will end... Only Time will tell!

'Cause we're Winging it still!

 

Happy Halloween!