Author: AnnaA

People wonder how I perfected this brisket. They wonder when I came up with this magnificent recipe that put my restaurant on the map. It wasn’t a family recipe, it wasn’t inspired by Bobby Flay, and I didn’t wake up from a life changing dream with an idea. It was the night I was watching Braveheart for the five-hundredth time. As William Wallace rode upon his horse, leading his people into battle, it came to me. the blue on his face was bold, different, extraordinary. My sauce needed some ingredients that possesses those characteristics. This would be a victorious sauce. This would make my barbecue breathtakingly delicious.

I just wanted to say thank you, I miss you, and I love you. Even though you are no longer here, I forever will remember you.While I am still so sad, lonely, and empty because of my loss, I know you are in a better place. These words are the most difficult that I’ve ever had to write. Finding sleep has been difficult and I when I can sleep, my dreams dreams are of you – only to find that when I wake, you’re still gone. The only comfort I can find right now is knowing you are at peace and that one day I will see you again. In so many ways these times should be a celebration. You really are in a better place. A place where love abounds and there is no pain; but celebration is challenging when a huge part of my heart is now missing. I love you more than words can express and i long for when the day comes that I can see you again and hear that infectious laughter.

Darling, why do you fret so much about what the future holds? Why do you listen to those outsider voices and your own burdening voice? I have loved you since I held your little baby body in my arms and felt your soft tiny hand wrapped around my single finger. I have raised you in love, and words cannot describe the love I feel for you. I hope my words would matter more to you than most. You just the way you are is extravagant. People should want to see and know more of you, because the real you that I know is extraordinary. You shouldn’t shy away because of your imperfections or differences. Trying to fit into another person’s mold is just another weight placed on your shoulders. Through my life, I have discovered that opening your arms to who you are with all of your strengths and weaknesses can be freeing. Just be you. The you that only you were made to be.

A reminder to who I will become:
Keep your faith when you are at the lowest.
Refuse to allow your love to be numb,
and don’t ever think you go unnoticed.

You are significant and kind and pure.
You are capable and strong and devign-
You are worth more than rubies, that’s for sure,
so don’t ever let anything dull your shine.

Enjoy the smiles, the laughter, the fun;
sing in the shower, dance in the rain.
Take in the beauty of the sky and the sun;
these memories will not ever be plain.

Shake off your mistakes, no one is perfect!
Aim for your goals, aspire to be more.
Your time is a thing you can’t select,
so take a chance when there’s an open door.

The journey feels long, but life is so short.
So let your regret be your last resort.

Why do you want to see me cry? You know I’m crying, you can hear me, and yet you keep insisting for me to look at you. Why? Do you want to see my swollen tear-ridden eyes, and runny nose? Was my refusal to look at you and my soft voice, not enough. What makes you so curious to see me sad? “Look at me. Now,” you demand in that authoritative, Mom voice of yours. I cave.

Seeing my daughter’s face wet with tears takes me aback, and all sternness from my voice melts away. What did I expect? Did I think seeing her like this make satisfied? It doesn’t. As soon as she lifted her face from her tear soaked pillow I wanted her to put it back. We say nothing and just stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. I open my mouth to say something, to apologize, but before a breath can escape my lips I am pulled into a hug.

We hold each other and it is good.

She ran through the dark forest. A place once of familiarity suddenly now strange and frightening. She spinned around but everywhere she looked there was just darkness, none of the familiar trees in sight. The strangeness and vastness frightened her and she started to run to a place only her feet seemed to know. In a blink of an eye she was in the middle of the desert, as a beautiful man came out from nowhere whispering her name. “ Scarlet.. Scarlet…” in front of her a tall, tan boy came forward. “ Scarlet, give me the apple!” the beautiful man stepped towards her beckoning and the tan boy shuddered. His clothes ripped off as a wolf with thick, glossy, white-silver fur stood before her. The beautiful man whispered her name again and the wolf attacked.
Scarlet bolted straight in her bed. Her brown hair stuck to her face as the sweat poured down her face and the bustling wind howled outside. In front of her laid the book she had been reading, Twilight, and a large red apple , and she concluded to never late night snack and read Twilight at three am again. It was just a dream.

A man walks down the street, steps on his shoe lace and falls on his knee. He gets back up and ties his shoes only to realize he needs to pee. He heads towards his apartment and on his way there, he is handed an apple by a stranger for free. He looks at the apple and discovers a worm so he throws the apple into the sea. However, this man missed and instead hit a car so he gets startled and accidentally runs into a tree. He falls on the ground and while he is there, he picks up a flower and is stung by a bee. He gets back up and despite his pain, keeps the flower to give to his girlfriend, Marie. He gets to his apartment and feels his pockets but he is missing his key. Now you might say this man is very unlucky now, but just wait, you’ll see. He looks at his watch and realizes he’s late for his doctor’s appointment at three. The man wakes up, realizes it was all a dream, goes to the bathroom and makes a cup of tea.

The prince darts at the dragon with his sword for he is destined to save his princess. The dragon hits the sword out of the prince’s hand and he fights back and breathes his burning, ferocious fire on the prince, however, the fire was gone. The dragon huffed and puffed but all that came out of the dragons mouth were tiny, yellow banana peels. The dragon paused confused by what was happening. The prince used this distraction to lunge forward and uppercut the dragon. The dragon, who had lost his balance, takes a step forward onto the banana peels and slips. The ginormous beast falls and hits the ground with a SMASH followed by a huge gust of wind. The dragon lands covered in banana peels and he watches the stars dance across the sky. Once he came to, the prince was gone and the princess was never seen again.

We, the youth, are marching.

We, the youth, are voting.

We, the youth, hold power.

The apples came down with such force that it left the world with eternal quivering. Poseidon’s malus had awoken. Every so often, Poseidon would arise from the treacherous sea, creating such havoc onto Corcyra. Poseidon was feared by many and wished to rule the territory. Poseidon’s malus was everlasting; the citizens were not prepared.