Friday, July 22, 2016

The Cage or the Key? ~For AFanciful Twist 9th Annual Tea Party blog hop

                                                                        "Grey Hare"
                                                                        Mixed Media
                                                                               by
                                                                 Touch of the Goddess

                                                     
     The Grey Hare winked at me, then poured a cup of the Darjeeling Drama that she had just steeped.
"Madness," she posited, "can be a Room or a Realm. It is up to you to choose which will give you the greatest benefit. A Room of Madness can seem a cage, the space limiting, claustrophobic, lonely. Yet, it can be quite comforting in a dire situation. It could be perfect for a short visit, for sorting things out, but it will never give you what YOU seek."
     I shifted upon the narrow chair and pretended to be interested in the tea I had not even tasted.
     "But, should you choose to think bigger, you can search for the Key that opens the gate into the magical, medicinal Realm of Madness. There, the horizons are a distant haze, and the company at table is fabulous!" She clapped her hands in delight. "You may while away the night in drink with the Green Fairy, have a relaxing smoke with the Caterpillar, play chess with the Cheshire, and best of all, have tea with the Mad Hatter Hare clan! Our teas are superb, and just what the Doctor ordered. " Her focus dissolved into reverie. "Such a delightful Bombay Bedlam, a precocious Pekoe Panic, oh, and my very favorite, Oolong Obsession!"
     She leaned across the table, whispering, "I only indulge in THAT one occasionally! Wouldn't do to stay too wrapped up, now would it?"
     "The Realm is a place to play, be adventurous, but does come with some little troubles that you will need to heed." She cautioned.
    She paused to make sure that my attention was firmly back where it belonged.
     "It is really easy to get lost there, to never find your way back. You may lose old friends, family, but of course, there are so many creative, interesting people there that you may never miss your old cronies." She twittered a bit at that, supped her tea and signaled for the biscuits to be brought in.
     "But, where so ever shall I find such a key?" I took a small cookie, although I would rather have had a sandwich. The journey to here had been arduous, and I had been on this road a very long time.
     "Oh, my! Of course! What a silly old hare am I? We have not spoken of that, now have we? The key to the Realm of Madness is never very far away. And with people of YOUR sort, it is usually extremely close. Have you checked your pockets?"
    The intentness of my stare at her would have been the envy of every cat that had ever lived with me. "In my pocket? Really? You are serious? Why would I have not noticed a magical key in my pocket?"
     "Why, my dear, simply  because you weren't looking for it."
     She winked at me again just as a small brown bottle appeared on the table. She poured a wee bit of a pale gold liquid into her cup, never offering me any. She took a sip and seemed to lose interest in our conversation.
     I cleared my throat, then I cleared it again. I coughed. Finally,  I just started to laugh. It was all so ludicrous. Why had I thought I could find my answers here? My laughter deepened. It was all I could do to stay perched upon the tiny chair.
     She returned her gaze to me and started speaking again as if she had never stopped.
     "It really is your choice, my dear. You are already at the door to the Room. You can turn the knob and go right in. Or...you can put your hand in your pocket and pull out the Key! It truly is all up to you."

42 comments:

  1. Enjoyed this. Kind of you to share.

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    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by!

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  2. Beautiful artwork! great story,
    please visit my tea at this link:
    http://plumfieldhousegardens.blogspot.com/

    hope to see you
    Celeste

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    1. Thank you, Celeste! I have so loved all the tea parties today, including yours!

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  3. Nice write, lady. Haven't read you in a while. Good to see you tapping the keys. :-) I love the delicious, silly madness. Fun.

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    1. I got a very strong message that I am start integrating my gifts. That is why it is taking so long this month. It has been an epiphany sort of thing and I have had to step way out of my comfort zone! Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by!

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  4. This is delightful Sharon, and a fable we can all learn much from--we all need to get out of the house (Room) more!

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    1. Thank you so much for liking my piece. I really appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment!

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  5. I love your piece of art Sharon!!! Great story! Which to choose??? Excellent!

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    1. You don't have to choose! This way you get both! It means a lot for you to love my art piece. I am so glad you liked it and the story! Thank you so much!

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  6. A super cute story! Thank you for sharing it!

    In the meanwhile, My Little Victorienne and Purple Kitty are waiting for a visit from you at my blog! We hope you enjoy your time there!

    Wishing you a wonderful Mad Tea Party Weekend!

    Betty

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Betty! I love Purple Kitty! I stopped by earlier. I think I may post under Touch of the Goddess there. Love your Etsy shops, too!

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  7. Replies
    1. Thank you ever so much, Denzel! I am so pleased that you liked it!

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  8. What a brilliant Hare, she is (and what stupendous sense of style, too)! Of course the answer is always with us. All we need to do is recognize it, accept it, and wonder with it.

    This was yummy, Sharon! ♥

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    1. I am beyond happy that you thought my collaboration with myself was yummy. I value your words so much! I am trying to step away from my comfort zone. Thank you for coming by!

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  9. What a captivating story...loved it. :)

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  10. Thank you so much, Audra Marie! Thank you for visiting!

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  11. Ahhh, Sharon..such a cute cute story...love it all.

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  12. *giggle* Madness and tea - two of my very favorite things! This was so adorable, I wanted to eat it up for high tea with scones and clotted cream.

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    1. Sconce and clotted cream sound yummy to me! I am so glad you liked it! Thank you so, so much!

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  13. It is all a matter of being ready, is it not.

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    1. Indeed! And, knowing what you need! Thanks for stopping by!

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  14. Love it! Thank you for having me, Dear!
    Happy Mad Tea-ing!
    Hugs,
    Anne
    http://alittlefurinthepaint.blogspot.com/2016/07/welcome-to-mad-tea-party-2016.html

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    1. Thank you so much for dropping by for a taste!

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  15. Love it! Thank you for having me, Dear!
    Happy Mad Tea-ing!
    Hugs,
    Anne
    http://alittlefurinthepaint.blogspot.com/2016/07/welcome-to-mad-tea-party-2016.html

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  16. I've so enjoyed your tale, the imagery within is enchanting. Go for the realm Sharon, find the key.

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    1. May we all find friends there! Thank you, Jane, for stopping by and commenting so kindly!

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  17. Nice story! Did you use the key or not?

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    1. I am saving it for emergencies! Thanks for stopping by!

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  18. Love this delightful story, Sharon! The brilliance of not having to choose with both options viable is a gift for an indecisive like me😀. And the art piece, simply beautiful!

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    1. Khaya, it was great of you to stop by. Thank you for liking my story and my foray into the mixed media world!

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  19. Ha! It's the eternal dilemma isn't it. It's a great tale and I loved your artwork, too. As usual I'm all in for the Realm of Madness! Thanks, I had a great time. Cheers, Saeah

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    1. Oops! Can't type my own name! Although I have accidentally typed in "Satan" on occasion also, ha! I meant to type "Cheers, Sarah"

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    2. Thank you so much! I appreciate you very kind words, Sarah! My babe is the one finger typing I do on my phone and autocorrect! Lol

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  20. Wonderful! I love it! The art is awesome. So nice to make your acquaintance.

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    1. Nice to meet you, too! Thank you so much for the lovely words and for stopping by!

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  21. I love your art and your story. You are too, too cute! Very whimsical.

    Happy Mad Tea Party!
    xo,
    Ricki Jill

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    1. Thank you so much! I really appreciate your stopping by!

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  22. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! Never too late for a visit!

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