meanwhile-at-the-bookshop

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel was feeling extra happy and cheerful, and celebrated with a mug of sparkling cider.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel walked along the river, enjoying the early spring sunshine and the gentle breeze, and wondered vaguely where they were.

@meanwhile-at-crowleys-flat

@meanwhile-in-heaven

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel found a cake shaped like a heart on the doorstep, and they carefully carried it inside. They suspected that the Supreme Archangel might unexpectedly stop by the bookshop today as well.

@meanwhile-at-crowleys-flat

@meanwhile-in-heaven

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel was visiting the coffee shop when the Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Street Traders Association announced everyone needed to encouraging people to visit the street during Valentine's Day (Muriel didn't remember talking about doing this, but was excited, they always wanted to know more about love).

Nina grumbled about having to offer a special drink, and several regulars chimed in - something red, something sweet, something with whipped cream on top, maybe something chocolate? The suggestions became wilder - ice cream? milkshake? parfait? trifle? Nina laughed and said absolutely not, if they were lucky they'd get a heart on top of their latte. Then she glanced at Maggie, and said that maybe she'd close early that day anyway.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel got a delivery of yarn for a new project, but when they looked at it they weren't sure what color it really was. They took it over to the coffee shop to see what Nina and Maggie thought - was it red? Ginger? Brown and just looked red because of the light? Everyone had a different opinion, but they were all excited to see what it looked like when it was finished.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel looked out at the world, and wished there was some comfort they could offer to anyone hurting.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Whickber Street seemed oddly quiet, with just a few people lingering in the coffee shop, someone aimlessly looking through Maggie's records, a couple dawdling outside the pub. Maggie said she felt a little listless, and Nina agreed that it was a weird day. It was almost as if everyone was just... waiting.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel visited St. James's Park, and walked around the pond. There were a few ducks that happily ate the offered frozen peas, and only one swan - until they walked all the way to the other end of the pond, and saw a second swan, all by itself.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel was feeling a little out of sorts and lonely. But then they went to the coffeeshop, and Maggie was there too, and Nina gave them both a lavender coffee she had been working on (Maggie said it was good but she still prefered tea, and Muriel thought it did smell interesting and looked quite nice), and Muriel was feeling better by the end of the day.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel decided to pretend to be a bookshop that sold books, and left the doors unlocked all day. They had a few customers, but were successful at not selling any books, and they thought the Supreme Archangel would be pleased.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel reorganized the fiction books by whether or not it was a love story, and hid all the ones that didn't have a happy ending on the bottom shelves. They weren’t sure about a few trilogies that hadn't been finished yet, but decided to remain hopeful and put them with the ones in front.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel took down the last of the holiday decorations, and restored the bookshop back to normal. It was grey and rainy so they left a few (battery operated) candles flickering in the windows, and they looked at the mistletoe and wondered if they could leave it up just a little bit longer.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel crossed Whickber Street to get to the coffee shop, and glanced at the Bentley, parked down the road and patiently waiting for Crowley to wake up - but they had to stop and take another look. For an instant, they had thought— but it must have been a trick of the light; for a second the Bentley had looked yellow.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel discovered several books about lemurs that had fallen off a shelf. Muriel hadn’t known the bookshop had any books on lemurs, and they spent some time looking through them, learning a few new interesting things, before putting them back.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel carefully moved Crowley-the-snake’s vivarium in case nine bovines (and their caretakers) did show up, but he woke up enough to glare and ask what they were doing. When Muriel told him what had been going on for the last week he grumbled and said it wouldn’t happen again but declined to explain further.

@meanwhile-at-crowleys-flat

@meanwhile-in-heaven

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel came back from a walk to find a plastic paddling pool filled with water and seven somewhat bewildered swans. There was a waterproof tarpaulin beneath the pool, and the swans had politely declined to explore and track water throughout the bookshop, but Muriel was starting to be quite worried about what would show up tomorrow.

[meanwhile-at-the-bookshop]

Today Muriel opened the door to the back room to find six big cross ducks, honking grumpily. Muriel stared at them, and one started to lay an egg; thinking quickly and using the largest miracle they had since being on earth, they sent them to the closest farm.