A magical castle, enter at your own risk...

I never expected my first petsitting job would end up like this...

"The No Stress Pet"

Somehow I, Kate Romaine, became the best animal-sitter ever. It all started on an unexciting, grey summer afternoon when the door bell rang. I was home babysitting my little sister. I marched to the front door and found myself face-to-face with my bizarre neighbor, Mrs.Green. 

“I have a problem?” she stated.

“Can I help?” I asked bluntly.

Mrs.Green fidgeted nervously, “I think my pet got into your house.”

“What? All the windows and doors are closed, Mrs.Green,” I assured her, feeling annoyed at her interruption. “If a pet shows up I’ll call you.”

“Well,” Mrs.Green looked embarrassed, “I saw it get in.”

How?” I demanded.

Mrs.Green sighed,“The chimney!”

I squinted at Mrs.Green,”Your crazy, right?”

“No,” she answered.

“I can reassure you there is no pet in my house!” I declared stomping my foot. “Don’t worry!”

“OK, but call me when you find her!” Mrs.Green murmured, taking a step back. “Oh and I think I should warn you...”

Suddenly, we heard a blood curdling scream. Terrified, I darted to the family room. Mrs. Green was right behind me. I froze staring at my little sister who stood a foot away from a huge tarantula.

“Kate, the spider is coming for me!” she shrieked.

I picked my sister up and dashed a safe distance away. Mrs.Green calmly picked up the scary creature and said, “Don’t worry! Penelope-Anastasia the second won’t bite. She’s soft and sweet.”

“That’s your pet?” I felt sick to my stomach.   

Mrs.Green smiled,“Do you want to hold her?”

I was not scared, I just wanted to play safe so I quickly answered,”No thanks!”

“She escapes sometimes!” Mrs.Green explained.

“I can see that!” I said feeling dizzy.

Mrs.Green laughed, “You know, if you want, you could watch her next week while I go to Texas. I would really appreciate it.”

I stared at the fuzzy spider and gulped, “I am not much of an animal person.”

“That’s fine!” Mrs. Green grinned and cried, “Penelope-Anastasia the second is so easy! All you have to do every day is feed her three times, take her on a walk, give her her vitamins, brush her hair, and play fetch with her. She’s a no stress pet! Thanks so much for offering! Tell you what, I’ll talk to you on Saturday!”

It took me a few minutes to realize Mrs.Green wasn’t joking.

“God tells us to love our neighbors,” I told my parents that night, “but He never says anything about loving their pets.”

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity!” said Dad. “By watching Anastasia-Penelope...”

“Penelope-Anastasia the second!” I reminded him. 

“...you are showing love to your neighbors,” Dad continued.

Mom smiled sadly, “Too many kids today pay attention to themselves more than serving others. You can show Christ’s love by helping Mrs.Green.”

My first day on pet-care duty was quite an adventure. First, I had to feed Penelope-Anastasia II disgusting dried insects. Then, I had to wait thirty minutes after she had finished eating to take her on her walk. Mrs.Green said it was a special precaution so she wouldn’t get cramps. With salad tongs, I lifted Penelope out of her cage. Sure, the tongs were unnecessary, but as my grandma always said, “Safety has it’s benefits!” Since it was cloudy, I decided to let Penelope take her walk inside. She raced all over the room. For half an hour, I let Penelope exercise. Then, I started chasing her around the room with salad tongs. You'd think she would be tired by then! She wasn’t. Finally, Penelope, thinking she could outsmart me, climbed on top of the bookshelf. I had to catch her so I climbed after her. After that I was cleaning up dusty books all afternoon. The shelf had toppled over and made a huge mess. When I was finally done, I realized Penelope was gone! I searched the entire room. By then, I was panicking. It’s bad enough losing your own pet, but it’s horrible losing someone else's. I searched Mrs. Green’s entire house, from the top to the bottom! I just could not accept that I had lost Penelope Anastasia II. At last, I collapsed on the sofa. I scratched my head to think. It was then that I felt something fuzzy on my ear. So much for salad tongs!

I learned that week sacrificing your time for someone else is not easy. God commands us to love one another even when it’s hard.   His Word says in Matthew 20:28 “...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   

Little Movie

Here is a little movie we made with our friends. Its our version of Princess and the Pea. I am the starring actor in it! Just Kidding! :)

Princess and the Pea - Medium.m4v - Google Drive

I have not been posting lately because I was so busy during the summer. One of the things I've been doing is working on my book. Wanna peak?

Bluesetta

      On a huge estate with her six boisterous uncles, lives a small girl, Winn Maud White. When everyone is around she appears quiet, shy, and polite, but whenever she can Winn escapes to the world of her imagination. She loves to go play down at an abandoned lane and read and write stories about her magical princess who she calls Bluesetta. But one day Winn meets someone else at her Shady Lane. Suddenly Winn has a best friend, Faith Tan. Then life changes for her. Faith disappears, an uncle gets engaged , school starts, and Winn is forced to leave her imagination behind. Can Winn find her best friend? Can she rely on the BEST friend of all? Mystery, grief, changes. Is Winn looking for something that does not exist? -Bluesetta

That's just a sneak peak. Believe  me, its way more! I'm going to try to post plenty from now on. Please submit your email so every time I post it automatically emails you. Thanks! :)

continuing (at last, sorry guys, I took off for the summer)

First Journey
Point Five

Hoe blinked up at Fin.

"You look suspicious," stated Spy Fin, studying him with an icy eye. "Why are you alone in this forest?"

Hoe wondered if he could trust Spy Fin. He cocked his head and studied the face of his rescuer. She was freckled, somber, and tall. "Hoe is looking for his friend," he whispered, reluctance weighing down his words.

"Friend?" Spy Fin squinted down at little boy.

"Yes, she left Hoe," muttered Hoe sadly.

"Well," Spy Fin shrugged, "You should come with me. You are drenched."

"Hoe is fine!" declared Hoe indignantly, stomping and sending water splattering to the ground.

"No, you are not! Do you have a family?"Spy Fin demanded.

"No,"  Hoe muttered. He did not want to remember his family.

"Well, I guess you have to come with me," declared the spy grimly.

With a another stomp, Hoe glared fiercely at her and shook it wet head. "Hoe is on a mission!"

Spy Fin snickered down at Hoe and tried to decide what to do. At last she made up her mind, "Your going to come with me! Your drenched!"

Hoe tried to stand firm and resist, but Spy Fin snatched him up, hoisted him onto her back, and raced off. With a long discouraged sigh Hoe gave up resisting. Instead he clang to Fin's back and tried to stay on. Fin came to a ginormous tree and jerked to a stop. Quickly she let Hoe slide off her back.

"We're here," Spy Fin grunted unenthusiastically.

Hoe glanced at the big but other wise plain tree, then back at Fin. Confusion was splattered across his face. "Um, this it?"

"Yeah," handing him a long vine, Fin nodded. "Hold on." 

Before Fin could explain, Hoe found himself flying up into the air. The vine was pulling him so fast he could hardly hold on. His stomach twisted into a knot. As abruptly as it had started, it stopped. He was dangling from a vine which, now that he could see, was not very long. He dangled 15feet up in 
the air feeling sick and panicky.

"Now let go!" shouted Spy Fin from below him.

"What?" Hoe sputtered.

"Let go!" Spy Fin screamed up. If Hoe could have seen her face he would have relaxed. She was 
clearly used to this procedure, but all he saw was spinning ground and green...his sweaty hands gave way.

to be continued