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!

What Time Is The Party.....?

A Fairy's Tale Continued.....

Old Meg had left her corner by the Hearth in the Castle kitchen, Dear Readers, Called forth by the urgency of this Rift in the Fabric of Time! The Dark Times were gathering strength with the waning of the Days and it was nearing the one Night of the Year when the Most Damage could be done to the fragile bonds of Time Itself.... All Hallows Eve! Old Meg had left her corner to summon her Sisters to help guard the Portals of Time and try to stem the Tides of Darkness that would rise up that Night!
They would need all the help they could get, because there was not just One moment in Time that needed watching... but Many Times which had run together and could no longer be kept separate!

She would need the help of Those who dwelt in One Era.....

And so she called Madame Artemis to gather her Sister Witches.

And she also Summoned Those who dwelt in an Older Time.....

For Lady Athena would also need to Prepare the Castle Halls 

for the Celebrations that were to come.

Because many would come to Celebrate this All Hallows Eve,

believing their World to be safe from the Darkness....

not knowing that it Was safe only because 

there were those who Watched over the Portals of Time!

And this time they had an additional task... 

because there was more mischief than usual afoot! 

"There is a Book of Forbidden Knowledge 

that has fallen into the wrong hands..." declared Old Meg.

"Whoever had the Keeping of that Book... has failed to Guard it well enough!"

"It Must be recovered or much Harm will Come of this Night!"

 

Lady Athena was Troubled to hear these Tidings.

She went straight to the Castle and confronted her "House-guest".

 

"I trust you have not been removing any Books 

from the Castle Collection... ?" she declared.

"Why, Aunt Athena, you know I would not dare do so!" replied Louis.

 

"My Dear Boy, do not be impertinent!" she declared.

"I am not your 'Aunt'! At best you are a cousin Fifteen times removed!

Although I am very fond of your Great Grandmother!" she added.

"Now, do not presume upon such small acquaintance.... but make yourself useful.

This furniture needs to be moved aside and the carpet rolled up.... 

I am told the Castle will be Hosting a Party....!"

It did not take long to prepare the Hall.....

Because, as you Might have guessed, Dear Readers, 

there was to be more than One Host at this Party....

And the Guests would Arrive at Any time!

At the Lovely Old Dollhouse they are getting their Costumes ready!

Pollyanna is going as a Witch this year, and Arthur is a Wizard.

Joanna is going to try her hand as the Gypsy Fortune Teller, 

and Victor is wearing a red cape and claiming it makes him a "Lord."

Helen and Charles are going as a Lord and Lady too....

(I think Helen is worried that they will be late....)

Will is a Knight, and Louis is a Troubadour.....

Lady Athena and Great Aunt Agatha are set to Watch at the Portals.....

And it is difficult to tell in which Age they Dwell....!

 

There are Pirates and Princesses....

Those we have met before.....

And those we have not!

And high above in the Minstrels Gallery our favorite Band.....

The "Deadly Nightshades" are striking up the music.....

With "Iron Lungs Billy" on Saxophone, the twins Jason and Justin on guitars, 

and the Manic Keyboardist Paul... ready to play all your old Favorites...

 

But Enough of all this Frivolity, I hear you say!

What, I hear you ask, had become of Beatrice?

Well, when she turned around and saw the room was empty 

she called for Tommy.

There was no answer.... 

only an eerie silence!

But she was not entirely alone... the Tiny Fairy was watching.

Because she had given him his Freedom, 

he was now Beholden to her...

He would do Everything in his Power to help her!

 

 But she was only thinking of finding Tommy...

perhaps he had left the room when she wasn't paying attention!

She hurried to the Stables to see if he was there.....

But the stables were empty.....

Even Prince was no longer waiting for them!

She didn't know what to do!

But the Little Fairy was finally able to get her attention....

"Wait here...!" he cried. "I'll go get help...!"

And then he, too, disappeared!

Well, Dear Readers, you can be Sure that the Tiny Fairy

 was not the only one seeking help this Dark Night!

The Owls had gone to Warn the Wizard that Trouble was abroad....

And they were not surprised to see he was already gathering his Cloak and Staff!

He was seeking the Little Dreamers..... 

for he would need their help to find their Brother Perry.

But the Little Dreamers had wandered Far Far off into other realms....

 

Where Dreams Beckoned.... Sweet with Promise!

Just what did they see when they gazed into the Fountain of Dreams...?

Or would that be a Tale Impossible to Tell...?

Had they Wandered too Far....? 

Or Seen Too much...?

And Would the Wizard find them in Time...?

 

I hope, Dear Readers, You will understand 

if I Leave you here, Once again at loose ends!

And I hope you can All find the Time 

to Come to The Party.....

 Because surely This Fairy's Tale will be Continued.....