Once Upon a Time......fairy tales at my mother's knee

My mother always believed in bible and fairy stories. She brought me up to believe the same and, for many years, I never questioned it. After all, every fairy / bible story has a happy or meaningful ending - what's the harm in that?

Problem was that I took them all to heart and stopped living in the real world. These stories fuelled my passion for fantasy but there was a hidden danger.

An apple a day means the prince is on his way!

As a result of having a powerful imagination I became a storybook character stuck in the real world. I sat and dreamt that my prince would come on a great, white steed. I slaved in a kitchen for two, ugly sisters until a fairy godmother gave me a magical make-over. I've spun hay into gold whilst trying to remember the name of a funny, little man. 

"No matter how many kisses I get, I'm not turning into a prince!"

I've been locked in towers, eaten poisoned apples, slept on a pea, lost more than a few slippers and even kissed one or two frogs along the way. Instead of them materialising into Prince Charming I ended up with Prince Charmless!
I thought I'd be checking out castle decor with a happy brood in tow. 

My humble castle

Well, I do have a brood (happily hormonal at the present time) and I live in a castle of sorts with a moat ....sorry..... mortgage around it! But it's my castle and I reign as Queen here. "The King" was royally banished  and is seeking fame and fortune in a far off land. Hope he doesn't meet anyone selling him a handful of beans..."Fee, Fi, Fo Fum...I smell the blood of an Englishman...." oh dear ...and that he doesn't climb any beanstalks and meet that giant. I'm living proof that life does imitate art!

What I didn't learn at my mother's knee was that, firstly, I had to save myself instead of just waiting.

Secondly, I had to find something charming within myself before I could see it in the world. 

Thirdly and most importantly, I had to have grand ambitions and courage to slay the dragons that would come to terrorise me. I had to be David who took on the Goliath of life challenges. 

I'm not giving you my shampoo...why?....because I'm worth it!

I thank my mother for telling me those stories but it's taken me awhile (as I've been lost in the woods) to find my way out of.."once upon a time..."and maybe....just maybe...now that I'm on my own....it'll be happily ever after!