Hello and welcome back.
My name's Francesca and I'm really glad to have you with me today.
How are you?
How are you doing?
I've recently discovered and become very quickly obsessed with solo journal RPG games.
Now,
If you don't know what that is,
It's a game you play by yourself and it's a fun way to turn journaling into like an adventure game.
And there's so many different kinds of games out there.
Normally you use just a pen and paper,
So a journal,
You use a pack of cards and a dice or a few dice.
This particular one that I'm going to share with you today is story but i've written it by following these game prompts and it's the game is called one day at a time you live as a cottage witch and every journal is every journal entry is a day in the life but i've written three full days as a cottage witch living in a cottage that's beneath a hill and you'll see all kinds of things that can happen with these prompts.
I absolutely love it.
I think it's so cozy and I just really wanted to share it with you.
If you just want to listen because you're struggling to sleep or you just want to relax and listen to something that's not stressful,
Please do so.
Get yourself a nice drink,
Get cozy,
Make sure you're at a comfortable temperature if you can.
And sit back as I read.
My three days in one day at a time.
Day one.
Up bright and early this morning.
To gather as many herbs as I could bundle.
So I can make a head start in drying them.
Ready for the fair in a couple of months.
It was a lovely fresh morning.
Thankfully,
The rain held off until I could cut the rosemary,
Sage,
Lavender and thyme because it'd have been too wet otherwise.
The oddest thing happened.
When I was in the garden.
There were really bright,
Pulsing lights in the sky over near the horizon.
Several of them.
Just flickering,
All pastel colours,
But I didn't feel scared or anything.
I watched them for a solid minute or so.
And they faded away.
But you want to know the weirdest thing?
I'd made a little flower crown while outside.
Just using some of the blooms next to the back door.
Daisies,
Valerian,
Some muskmallow and dandelions.
Didn't think much of it until I came in the house and caught sight of myself in the mirror.
All flowers have turned strange colours.
The daisies.
Purple.
The red valerian is now yellow.
Dandelions are neon green.
And the mallows are all different colours.
Beautiful,
But I've never seen anything like it before.
I've kept it and hung it up in the kitchen for now.
To see if they change back.
I swear.
It had something to do with those lights.
I felt a sort of reassuring tingle when I saw them.
That everything was going to be okay.
But I have this feeling that the lights were something to do with the colour changing flowers.
Then,
Later in the day when I'd separated out the herbs,
Measured out some lengths of twine and started tying them together,
Something quick and small.
Moved in my peripheral vision.
Sometimes my glasses frame catches a glint of light and makes me think I've seen something when I haven't.
But this wasn't that.
I know it sounds strange.
But it sort of looked like a little mouse or something.
Maybe with something in its paw?
I didn't try to chase it or anything but.
.
.
I just stayed still so I didn't frighten it.
Saw it run a few times back and forth in the shadowy bit near the dresser in the hallway.
And I swear it was holding a teeny tiny sword.
I know I'm a witch and I live in a pretty magical lane but.
.
.
That just tops off such a strange day.
I asked Violet,
The living portrait I have displayed in my living area,
What she makes of it.
She agreed there's been some very peculiar goings-on.
It made me feel quite lucky that I get to witness such magical events on the daily.
I'll keep you updated if I see or hear anything else.
Day 2 Today was the county fair.
This year I decided to skip doing a stall and save my wares for the Samhain festival instead.
So I get to enjoy it purely as a visitor.
The weather was a bit blustery but the stalls had awnings and gazebos to keep things safe and dry.
It sprinkled with rain for about five minutes and that was it.
So many new faces this year.
Merchants I've never met selling all kinds of goodies.
Magical jams,
Self-playing instruments.
I got to have a go of a special one that looked like a hurdy-gurdy,
Except I whispered the name of a song and it played it.
There were trinkets,
Food and drinks.
A stall that caused quite a stir.
A,
Well,
What I thought at the time was a raccoon man was selling very strange items.
I got close but there was a big crowd around his stall.
And the items,
From where I could see,
Looked like shimmering little windows,
With a scene behind it.
But then someone picked one up and disappeared.
A few seconds later they came back with a pop.
And looked so overjoyed.
The little windows actually showed another dimension behind them.
And they said they visited a gorgeous meadow in summer.
That looked like our little village,
But it was different.
And they met wonderful people who were so kind.
And I believe it.
These are called pocket dimensions,
Apparently.
And take you to the equivalent place in a new,
Cozier dimension of where you are in our current world.
By the way,
The raccoon man was actually three raccoons in a trench coat.
Can you believe that?
Someone made them jump and they scattered.
I won't forget this day in a hurry.
Day three.
I decided to use some of the rosemary growing in the tubs to bake a round loaf of bread to have with my fresh butter.
I should have waited until it fully cooled down,
But I wanted to taste the butter all melted into each slice.
After it came out of the oven.
I decided to do some weeding.
Because the flower beds have been bothering me.
And it's cool enough today.
To spend some time outside.
It's so weird.
Buried about four inches down.
I found an antique skeleton key.
No idea what it was doing there.
But I remember my dear folk neighbour mentioning he lost a key a while ago.
I wonder if it was this one?
I walked up the road after sampling some of my bread.
And took a few slices as a gift for him to try too.
I thought I probably should have taken a loaf,
But I didn't make another.
The little country lane I live in is so beautiful this time of year.
Wendy,
Another local witch,
Waved from her kitchen window as I passed.
And gestured to some honey jars on a little stand.
I hadn't brought my purse,
Otherwise I'd have got a few jars.
It's gorgeous stuff.
Magical honey from her sentient beehive.
That gives you sweet dreams when you eat it.
Turns out it was the deer folks key,
By the way.
He was so thankful as it was a family heirloom.
But neither of us have any idea how it got in my flower bed.
One idea was that it had somehow rolled down the hill behind my cottage.
He loved the bread.
And told me not to worry that it wasn't a whole loaf.
Then this evening.
You wouldn't believe it.
He knocked on my door with a jar of Wendy's Magical Honey.
As a thanks.
