lørdag den 8. juni 2024

Words for Wednesday ~ Gylfi & Thora 6

June 5 saw me writing this. Words for Wednesday June 5:
Girth
Pummelling
Lizard
Blooms
Corridor
     And/or
 Pucker
Beady
Salubrious
Cabin
Barley

I know what to write, but my teeth still hurt and these Words do not fit, anyway writing will happen ... soon.
These words are still some bastards, but writing did indeed happen. I used:
Girth & Pummelling for this. It continues where I left off last time:


"If we want to found a school of magic," Thora said, "We'll have to find more good wizards to teach there. Do you have any idea of where to begin?"
"You said in the car, that you could feel my magic," Tähti said, looking at Gylfi. "How did you do this, I mean can we learn to do this?"
" I don't know, I thought we all could do this. Close your eyes." Gylfi placed two books on the table in front of Tähti, of roughly equal girth and weight. He placed one of her hands on each book: "Now feel those books, can you feel which one is magic?"
 "The left one is magic," Tähti said after only a slight hesitation. "That's easy."
"Exactly. That's how it is!" Gylfi said, "but we have to learn."
"Can I try as well?" Taavi asked. And he was able to feel the same difference as his sister. They then practised with their new wands, the old wands, branches, rods and timber. Very soon they were right every time.
They ate lunch, and how they ate. "We'll have to go shopping soon," Gylfi said, "We eat much more than I reckoned we would."
"We do?" Taavi asked. "I remember our grandparents complained that we ate so much at their place. Our parents always said that it was the rural air that did it. Maybe it was the magic?"
"I still remember grandma's cooking as very good," Tähti said smiling. "But then we'll need some good cooks at our school ... that'll have to wait until later. What about our books? Could we get them somehow?"
"Whoa," Gylfi said. "hold on a minute. I have a shadow of an idea. This also have to wait at least some days. We'll have to practise and grow in magic first. I'd suggest we try wandsinging next."
They went out into the park. Thora placed her hand on a tree and sang the wandsinging song. Nothing happened. Then Gylfi tried and then Taavi with the same negative results.
"You try again, Tähti," he said.
Tähti sung and still nothing happened. "It seems that we will have to work on this," she said.

 The next weeks were quiet, but busy, the four read books or went for walks in the great park and surrounding countryside in the semi-dark days and dined well and planned long into the dark hours. The quiet was now and again interrupted when someone found an exiting spell, a difficult potion or a new or easier way of doing something. The poor table in Gylfi's living room took many a pummelling from strange substances and once even from a rain of small stones.

"We really have to go home to Finland," Taavi said one morning. "There's some things I want to check in my books, Id like to bring them here - and on he more prosaic side we need more clothes, and to take care of our homes. We can't just stay here forever."
"No really, you can," Gylfi said. "But I acknowledge that you have to check up on your flats in Finland." He slanted his head and smiled at Thora who smiled back. "But for today I have planned an outing to the caves of Hella. Because today it is the spring equinox."

The caves of Hella were impressing, but for our four wizards they were also a disappointment. By now they were experts in the discernment of magic, and they found only weak traces of magic here and there, the wisps and echoes of old spells and a bit more in one of the chambers, Maybe once, long ago some wizards had cast some spells at one of the walls there, maybe an old wand was buried there. All the writings were not in the least magic. And they were not able to read anything at  all from the inscriptions on the walls and columns.

The next day Gylfi told the three other wizards that he had a big discovery to show them. He would not tell anything but that they were going to Eyafjallajökull and probably stay there for a couple of days. He bade them dress in comfy, warm clothes and sensible shoes - "And please remember your wands. Thora, can I ask you for once to pack a generous lunch. I have some last minute preparations to see to?"

Half an hour later they all piled into the old car and Thora drove them to the nearest bigger town, where they stopped for some shopping, and coffee and  cake. Gylfi took over and steered the car down a narrow, bumbling road. At the end of this, mercifully short ride they stopped at a small farm. A woman dressed in skirts and with long braids came out to greet them. "He came over after you phoned him," she said. "I have the horses ready for you!"  
"Horses?" Taavi said, "What now, Gylfi?"
"Well it's impossible to go there by car, and and I can't see us walking over there, so ... riding is the best alternative. Trust me."
They distributed the bags and bedrolls and Gylfi took the lead. They soon came to a glistening ice cap, and Gylfi followed the rim until he found an almost invisible track. "I was here years ago," he said, "but I am sure this is the right place. Come on!"  The track twisted and turned and suddenly a black hole into the ice opened in front of them. Led by Gylfi they entered and stood in a natural cave. They pulled the horses into the cave and tied them to rings set in the stone. Gylfi spoke again: "This is one of the old Portal places of Iceland. From here we can go to a big place under the mountain, or to a similar place under Drangajökull. We will have to go to the big place."
"Portals!" Taavi asked in an awed voice.
"Yes," Gylfi answered, "Portals. They worked in the middle ages, up until the great witch hunts, and then they were forgotten and fell into disrepair. I discovered this place by pure accident, and I have carefully tried and tested all the portals - one nearly killed me, it is sealed by now."
He opened a door in a far corner. "Only wizards can pass through this door. It is a mini-portal in its own right, and not a nice experience, but fear not, follow me."
..... to be continued

onsdag den 5. juni 2024

Words for Wednesday ~ Only the Words ... & IWSG June 5

The Word for Wednesday challenge started a long time ago. Now it has turned into a movable feast with Elephant's Child as our coordinator; and the Words are provided by a number of people.
The prompts for June are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher and they will be at Elephant's Child's blog.

The general idea of this challenge is to make us write. Poems, stories, subtitles, tales, jokes, haiku, crosswords, puns, ... you're the boss.
Use all Words, some Words, one Word, or even none of them if that makes your creative juices flow. Anything goes, only please nothing rude or vulgar.

 It is also a challenge, where the old saying
"The more the merrier" holds true.

So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.

 - - - - -

Words for Wednesday June 5:
Girth
Pummelling
Lizard
Blooms
Corridor
     And/or
 Pucker
Beady
Salubrious
Cabin
Barley

I know what to write, but my teeth still hurt and these Words do not fit, anyway writing will happen ... soon.


 - - - - - -

Today is also the first Wednesday of the month. Time for the monthly Question from the Insecure Writers' Support Group

June 5 question - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

My answer - I think the porpose of this group perfectly describes what I would like:
Purpose: To share and encourage.
Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

tirsdag den 4. juni 2024

Poetry Monday :: Eggs :: No Poetry

Poetry Monday is a challenge, normally hosted by Diane @ On the Border. But starting this January she's taking a break due to health issues, and Mimi @ Messymimi's Meanderings and I have conspired to keep the chair warm for her. We will each set the topics for one month, I began with January, Mimi supplied for February, and so on until Diane returns.

For Monday June 3rd the prompt was
Eggs.

But yesterday no poeming happened. I thought quite a lot about Eggs as I biked to the dentist, but after having one tooth extracted and another given a root canal treatment, poetry was not high on my priority list.

Here's a picture of today's
Eggs while waiting


 - - - - -
Next Monday's prompt is Wild

søndag den 2. juni 2024

Sunday Selection :: Søndagsbilleder

Once again from bus travels and my garden

Nok engang fra busrejser og fra min have


And featuring Colour of the Month ~ June :: Og med Månedens farve ~  juni

First the ivy that has figured here before:
Den her efeu har vi set før

But over it ... dun-dun-dun  ... ready to fall:
Men ovenover .... lige ved at falde ned.

Meanwhile in The Owlery ~ Hjemme i Ugleboet
Storkenæb ~ Cranesbill

Flotte pletter ~ Pretty spots

Verdens bedste pebermynte  ~ The very best mint

Murasaki

Japansk Indigo ~ Dyer's knotweed

Hvidløg fra topløg ~ Garlic from bulbils

Yuzu, der bare elsker at stå inde i domen ~ Yuzu loving it inside my dome

Nyplantet egetræ ~ Sapling oak, just transplanted


And the ladies enjoying all our weeds. Nothing green here - except for the weeds and some of the eggs. We do have 6 hens, but one is broody and is always staying inside the nesting box -- As we have no rooster, she will never have any luck, and I steal the eggs.

Od de damer der spiser al vores ukrudt. Der er ikke meget grønt her -- ud over ukrudtet og nogle af æggene. Vi har altså 6 høner, men den ene er skruk og ligger hele tiden inde i redekassen - vi har ikke nogen hane, så der kommer ikke noget ud af det, og så stjæler jeg altså æggene fra hende.

lørdag den 1. juni 2024

Words for Wednesday, May 29 ~ Part 2 ~ Gylfi & Thora 5

Well even though the weeds are growing and the sun is shining, I could not pull myself off the keyboard before this was done. I hope you like it. Now I'm off to weed and enjoy the nice weather. 
The second batch of Words were:


Earned
Sense
School
Pester
Owner

And as usual I used them in the order, they were given.

That earned him much praise from Tähti, and as Thora and Gylfi heard just what this spell was, from them as well.
In a sense it was a key to magic. It was a spell to know which brand of magic a person was endowed with, or more to the point to make a utensil that could tell this.
"I thought it over this morning," Tähti said, "I think we have to open a school for magic ... shush, hear me out, she said as the other three began to talk. "After I'm done, you're welcome to pester me with questions, objections and so on. Agree?"
They nodded, and Tähti continued: "Magic was in the olden days an integral part of daily life in Finland, and I reckon in Iceland as well. But it was a rogue magic, people learned from grandparents, masters, whomever knew a bit, and often they were badly taught, and even worse in the application of magic. To the detriment of the magic society as a whole. Think of witch hunts, burning at the stakes, trials by water and so on and so forth. If we need to revive the magic - and I think we have a moral obligation to do so - we should do so in a ... let's call it scientific way. Shoot!" She stopped and sat back in her chair.

Taavi began: "I think you're right. We have to revive the magic. More and more the wizarding people are coming to realize what they are, we saw this in our travels. And the scientific approach sounds just right for our days."
"Yes," Thora said slowly, "this tally with what we have seen. But why limit our school to Iceland and Finland?`I'm sure the situation is roughly the same in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway as well as on the Faroe isles."
"But first we have to teach ourselves," Gilvi said. "only yesterday I did not know of wandsinging, and we still do not know if it can even be taught, or if it is something only you can do. So much to do, so little time!"
"Yes indeed," Tähti said, "We have books, yours here and ours in Finland, we have our wands, we have to study diligently, but time ... we need more time."
"How old are you?" Gylfi asked bluntly.
Thora said "You know how old I am, 51 at my next birthday, soon."
"We're both 62, having had our birthday this year," Taavi said.
"And how old am I?" Gylfi asked.
"You're 70-something," Thora replied. You retired only a few years ago."
 "That sounds about right," Taavi and Tähti said in unison, a twin habit they had done their best to unlearn, but it surfaced now and then when they became passionate about something.
"I am 104 years old," Gylfi said, his face immobile as a mask. "I was old already at the time of the Great War, WWI as it was later to be called. I wanted to join, but my then wife, a non-wizard, did not want me to. And as I was busy at the newly founded University in Reykjavík, I was fine with this." He looked at Thora, "Yes, I was one of the original teachers at the university, I worked there from 1911 until I retired now 14 years ago."
"How did you manage this?" Thora asked.
"Faking my dates? It was easier in the days of old, than it is now. And then ... back then, in 1911, when the university was founded, the owner of an old mansion donated his library to the university. I was, am still for that matter, able to read all the old handwriting and old Icelandic and a smattering of odd, old languages, having studied these subjects at other universities in my youth. Hence I was given the job of sorting the books and adding them to the catalogue. But I did not hand in all the books, some of the books on magic in my house ... I found them in a chest in that old library. And one of the books contained potions, recipes for potions. I only ever tried one of them. A potion of youth. The ingredients are simple, but the brewing is really complicated. It does not restore your youth, or make you even one day younger, but it makes you age slower. I have drunk sparingly of this potion ever since, and I expect to celebrate my 300th birthday if nothing kills me before then. This potion will give us all the time needed to learn, study and find a place for the school."
"Go get it," Thora said. "We have a busy time ahead!"
... to be continued.