Yesterday turned out to be a very special and interesting day. This was the day I had set aside to take Tootsie to the Park so she could climb trees, and when I woke up, early, early on this fine morning to feed a very insistent Mr. Squee, what did I find but little Tootsie dressed and completely ready to go, waiting for me on the couch with the Whimsie Traveling Bag so close to her side.

Well! How could I possibly resist that eager expression of anticipation? After all, this was the event Tootsie has been training for, for months and months on end. If ever a Whimsie was ready to climb trees, it was this Whimsie on this day. So, as soon as Mr. Squee’s bowl of Morning Meat was served, I told Tootsie to hold on for just a moment while I put on some proper clothes. She smiled heartily, waited patiently, and in no time at all, we were off.

But speaking of proper clothing, before I really get started on describing our Adventure, let’s take a moment to admire how smartly little Tootsie has dressed herself. As you can see, she’s wearing her old favorite: “dungarees.” (That silly Whimsie! She’s so old-fashioned, I doubt we’ll ever persuade her to call them blue jeans!) And these “dungarees” certainly are huge, allowing Tootsie plenty of room for movement and flexibility as she scurries up and down the branches of trees. But because these pants are so huge, there’s a real possibility they could slip off, and then where would she be? But Tootsie has thought of that, and wisely added a belt. Even though her belt is nothing more than a red and white striped shoelace, she pulls it tightly around her waist, and it gets the job done.

Now, there is actually not much more to talk about regarding her outfit, because the only other item of note is a gray striped tee shirt, which quietly complements her dungarees. Tootsie, it seems, is the kind of tree-climber who does not believe in shoes. She’s been practicing barefoot all this time, so I don’t even have the opportunity to tell you what kind of shoes she finds best for climbing, because the answer is…none!

Of course there is one more item I should mention. Even though we set out for the Tree Climbing Park quite early in the morning, when the sun was just beginning to peek up from beneath the horizon, I felt certain we would still be out there in full daylight, so I persuaded Tootsie to take a hat to protect her delicate complexion. (These redheads do freckle so!) Tootsie agreed to comply, and what kind of hat do you think she chose from the vast collection of Whimsie hats? Why, denim, of course! And doesn’t it just complete her outfit so beautifully?

Some of the time that Tootsie spent in the Park she’s wearing the hat, but a lot of the time she simply isn’t, because to tell you the truth, it was just too difficult for me to keep up with her. At first I stuck very close to her, a bit concerned about her climbing so high up into trees that were many, many times taller than she; I even started out lending her a hand, ready to catch her should she fall. But she exhibited such expertise in her tree-climbing skills that I quickly discovered no assistance was needed. After that, she ran from place to place and from tree to tree, climbing up and down, and then up and down again and again. There was no stopping her!

But after a while, when I finally did manage to get her to stop and take a breath, she took a good look around and had to admit that there was a lot more to the Park than just trees. It was only then that she finally noticed the river, the stone steps, the benches, the bushes, and the flowers.

Not only did Tootsie see the river and the flowers, but she also noticed something else wonderful about trees that she had quite forgotten, since all of her recent training has taken place climbing through low-lying bushes, and not actual trees. With bushes, you don’t get a whole of lot of roots, but with these well-established trees, Tootsie was able to see lots and lots of intricate and interesting root formations, and they totally fascinated her. The roots spoke to her of how very long some of these majestic trees have been alive in this world, and how very permanent a place they have in the Great Outdoors.

As we sat on the bench together for a little while, contemplating the wonders of nature, Tootsie surprised me with the depth of her thoughts and her philosophical observations about the natural world. Of all the Whimsies in Whimsieville, Tootsie is the youngest, and I often think she is like a little sister to the others, and that is in fact how they often treat her. And she doesn’t mind. But who would have ever thought that Little Sister had such a big mind, and such a big heart when it comes to all things Natural and Beautiful?

Tootsie and I hung out in the Park till the sun was fully up, and the Summer day began to feel a bit too hot for comfort. Well, it was too hot for me, but not for Tootsie, who is in such excellent shape from so much training in the bushes back at Whimsieville. But it was, after all, Saturday, always a very busy day in Whimsieville, and with so many more things to do this day, soon it was time to go. As we packed up, Tootsie was disappointed, yet at the same time incredibly happy to have finally had her opportunity to climb the trees, maneuver the tall steps, and contemplate the stillness of the early morning river.

As we drove home in the car, I promised Tootsie that since the weather is now finally begins to cool off with the approach of Autumn, I would be sure to find a way to make time to take her out once again to her beloved Park, so she can climb her beloved trees. And what do you think that silly little Whimsie had to say to that? Well…not too much, actually. She was so tired out, and so contented, that all she could do for the moment was…smile.

It’s me here, Tillie, and if there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I LOVE books, and I LOVE to read! So it only makes sense that when it came time for my Summer Adventure, I would want to go to the Library. I’ve never been to a Library before, but I’ve seen lots of Libraries in movies and TV, so I had a pretty good idea what it would be like. Now, with my Adventure complete, I have to report that it was everything I’d always hoped it would be! Of all the great big places in the great big world that one could go, when it comes right down to it, nothing is greater or bigger than the Library, with all its many stories and pictures and wild adventures stuffed inside so many books.

But I don’t have time to tell you about all those adventures, only about my own. It begins early this Saturday morning, as I chose the perfect outfit to wear for a visit to the Library. Hmmmmm now…let’s see…a simple shirt with tiny pink flowers, and matching sneakers. (Isn’t it simply wonderful when things work out that way? So serendipitous!) Soft beige pants, because there’s no need to look fancy. This trip is not about looking fancy or making an impression, it’s all about taking in so many impressions! The point here is to be comfortable. But to top it all off, I’ve twisted two of my headbands together in pink and white, to match my shirt and my shoes. Well…okay…I admit. I do care what I look like. And if you ask me, in this outfit, it looks like I’m more than ready for a Saturday Morning Adventure!

So off we go to the Library, Miss Chrissy and me. Mr. Russ doesn’t join us on this trip, because it’s pretty early in the morning, and since it’s the weekend, he’s still sleeping! But I’m glad to be out in the sunshine, and I’m feeling so happy and so brave about going out into the big world that I tell Miss Chrissy I don’t even want to travel in the Whimsie Traveling Bag. No thank you! I’d like to sit in the front seat of the car, and strap in and buckle up, just like a Big Person. Since I’m so tiny, I can’t actually make the entire seatbelt work in my favor, but I do the best I can. If there’s one thing about us Whimsies, we are resourceful, and always manage to do the best we can with what we’ve got.

On the drive to the Library, Miss Chrissy starts singing this song, which begins, “Oh, the place for you, and the place for me, is the Local Public Library!” and it made me giggle, so she told me the name of the song is called (most appropriately) “The Library Song,” and it’s something she remembers from years and years ago when she was a small girl, and there used to be a commercial on Public Television urging everyone to visit their Local Public Library. I would love to hear and see this commercial the way it originally appeared on television so many years ago, but as soon as we got back, I set down to doing some Serious Research on the Internet, and guess what? This commercial is not to be found. Huh! So! I guess the Internet doesn’t know everything, does it?

As I mentioned, it’s not too long of a ride (because a car can go very fast) and now at last we are at the Library, walking through the front doors, and I am totally overwhelmed by the number of books and books and books! There is way too much to look at! Of course I’m not stopping to read every book—oh no! That would be impossible in one visit, or even in one lifetime—but I just want to get a general feel for the place, so Miss Chrissy takes me all around, showing me all the different sections, all the different kinds of things that are available at the Library. Of course there are books, but did you know there are also movies? And music? And comic books? And newspapers and magazines? There’s even a section for Video Games, but it appears that most of those items have already been checked out.

Did I mention Comic Books? Well, they are not actually “Comic Books,” in the traditional sense, but they are called “Graphic Novels,” and have an actual spine rather than just staples, but they tell stories the same way that Comic Books do, panel by panel. I found a bunch of Graphic Novels about Trixie’s beloved Marvel characters, and Miss Chrissy let me use her Library Card to check out this one about the Avengers to take home and share with Trixie. (I also took out a book of Pastry Recipes for Tessie, since she’s been thinking about dabbling in baking, and an Encyclopedia of Trees for Tootsie to peruse at her leisure.)

And what did I get? Well, besides getting to actually go to the Library, I sat down for a short time and read through a very interesting article about Birds, from the Audubon magazine. You can’t take magazines home, but there are plenty of comfortable chairs where you can sit down and have a quick and quiet read from a wide selection of magazines and newspapers. (Oh, and I guess I should also mention that I managed to track down the latest novel in the Bloody Jack series, which is not actually on our library shelves at home. So I added that one to the pile of books heading back to Whimsieville as well. When I read this one, I’ll know more of what happens than Miss Chrissy does! Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she “borrows” my borrowed book and also reads it!)

So it’s been a successful trip so far, seeing everything there is to see, picking up a good number of books to take back with us, and even stopping for a brief reprise with the latest from the Audubon Society. In a place this large and varied and packed with so much good stuff and information, who can sit still for very long? Once again I felt compelled to jump up and run all around, scurrying up and down the aisles and aisles of books, taking in as much Library Atmosphere as I possibly could. In fact, I ran around so much that eventually I simply wore myself out and had to sit down and catch my breath.

At this point, Miss Chrissy could tell that I was overwhelming myself, so finally she said it was time to check out our books and head home. At first, I resisted, and started running up and down the aisles again, and even went so far as to try to hide from Miss Chrissy in the stacks of books, but I soon realized that wasn’t actually accomplishing anything productive, and if Miss Chrissy got annoyed with me, she probably wouldn’t want to bring me back to the Library again, so I decided to come out and cooperate and reluctantly agree that it was time to go back home. Turns out Miss Chrissy was not actually annoyed with me at all, since she totally understood how exciting this outing was for me. It’s just that she was carrying so many books that her arms were getting tired! (Tootsie’s Encyclopedia of Trees is an enormous book! And I lost track of how many books Miss Chrissy took out for herself.)

We went up to the front desk to check out, and the Libarian had read about Whimsies, but had never met one before, and likewise, I had never met a Librarian before, so it turns out we had a lot to talk about. Miss Chrissy didn’t mind our spirited conversation, but some of the other people in line started to get a bit antsy, wanting to check out their huge stacks of books as well, so finally we had to go, but I promised the Librarian I would be back some day. Then I looked at Miss Chrissy hopefully, and she smiled and nodded.

Yea!! 🙂

So that’s my Saturday Morning Library Adventure. Miss Chrissy and I returned to the car and there were so many books in the Traveling Bag that we had to put it in the back seat, it simply wouldn’t fit in the front! And besides, the front seat was not available. It was being used by one very brave and happy Whimsie, heading back home, exhausted but delighted, and ready to share all her checked-out her books and wonderful experiences with her friends.

Sunday was my turn for an outing, and I’ll give you three clues where I most wanted to go. I love movies, and I love anything Marvel, and —well, heck with it, two clues are enough! I asked Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ to take me to the new Ant-Man movie at an actual movie theater!

Now, I’ve seen lots of lots of movies, watching them on the TV screen in Whimsieville, but I have never in my life been to an actual movie theater, so I was extremely curious to see what it would be like. The first thing I knew was that there would be no need whatsoever to “dress up.” Going to the movie theater is all about enjoying yourself, and being comfortable, and what could be more comfortable than this soft tee shirt and oversized pair of pants? I also added a light jacket, because Miss Chrissy told me that sometimes they’ve got the air conditioner running FULL BLAST in the theater, and you can actually feel ice cold, even though it might be the hottest day of the year.

Well, Sunday was just about the hottest day of the year so far, but after a drive in the air-conditioned car, we arrived…at the convenience store?? What??? Yes, you see, Miss Chrissy always has this idea that it’s cheaper to buy your movie candy at a store than actually at the movie theater, where it tends to be very, very expensive. (Once inside the movie theater, I scoped out the situation quickly and discovered that Miss Chrissy is absolutely right! Who in their right mind would pay $3.25 for a $1.00 Snickers bar??)

I kind of got the idea from hearing Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ talking about movie candy that he is very much of the mind that even though it might be cheaper to buy candy at a store, bringing it into the movie theater is not exactly right or proper. Mr. Russ kept telling Miss Chrissy that if she got caught with the “outside candy” and was THROWN OUT of the movie theater, he wasn’t going to stop watching the movie, she would just have to wait for him in the lobby. I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, because the whole time he was saying this, he was sort of laughing and smiling. I got the idea this was an ongoing joke between the two of them, but the whole idea of being THROWN OUT of a movie theater freaked me out so much that when we went into the convenience store to buy the candy, I didn’t want to be any part of it. So I just hid inside my traveling bag while Miss Chrissy chose the candy (Twizzlers and Kit Kats), hoping that nobody would see us and catch on to what we were doing.

Well! At last we were out of there, and finally on our way to the theater! We were going to an afternoon showing, also known as a “matinee,” which is just fine by me, though I think I would have liked to see this movie “marquee” behind me all lit up. They tell me it’s got about a dozen different colored neon lights, and is quite a spectacle against the night sky. It would have been nice to see that.

But then, I wasn’t there to see a movie marquee, I was there to see a MOVIE! As we got our tickets, Miss Chrissy asked if there would be a charge for a Whimsie, but when the cashier looked in the bag and saw me, I gave her my biggest, sweetest smile, and she smiled right back and said, “No, no, go right ahead.” That was awfully nice of her, don’t you think?

We stopped at the concession stand for sodas (again, I say: Terribly overpriced!) and a little bit of popcorn, because what’s a movie without popcorn? At least that’s what Miss Chrissy said, though personally, I’m not really a fan. Unless it’s caramel coated popcorn, like Cracker Jacks! I tried a little popcorn, just to be polite, but butter and salt really don’t interest a Whimsie much at all. (Yuck!)

So we go into the theater, and there are a thousand seats, and since we got there early, we could sit anywhere we liked. Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ always like to sit on the end of a row, about a third of the way up, and that’s exactly what we did. And sat down in the funny chairs that kept wanting to pop up. Well, not for Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ, they were absolutely fine on those silly seats, but I couldn’t seem to keep mind down! I guess I simply don’t weigh enough. Finally Miss Chrissy added her purse and the extra sweaters, and I climbed on top of that soft pile and managed to get myself situated just perfectly, ready to see my first movie theater movie!

First, we had to wait, and it seemed like a very, very long time. As we waited, more and more people kept coming in and sitting down. Pretty soon, the theater was mostly full, and to tell you the truth, it was actually a little scary for me, being so small, and so cute, because I was sort of afraid that some bad person might want to wait until all the lights were out, and in the darkness they would reach out and grab me and whisk me away! Hey! It happens sometimes. But Miss Chrissy could tell I was getting nervous, and I think she knew why, so she took my hand, and didn’t let go of it for the entire movie, and then I felt much better and much safer.

So, finally the lights go down, somewhat, and then, before the movie starts, there are commercials—can you believe it?? I had no idea. And then, there are “Coming Attractions,” of other movies they’re showing or planning to show, which are very big and sort of scary, because there is so much going on so quickly, and it’s very, very loud, and by this time the whole movie theater is very, very dark, and you’re just there, in the middle of it, feeling so small.

Finally, the screen goes black, and it’s completely dark, and completely quiet, except for one or two people who are still playing around with their cell phones even though the rules clearly state that you must turn your cell phones OFF when you’re in the theater. (The rules also state that you cannot take any pictures while in the movie theater, which is why there are no pictures of me sitting on my big pile of sweaters on that silly pop-up seat, though I surely would have loved to have a picture like that.) (The picture I used earlier, of the empty movie theater, is not actually the movie theater we went to. It’s just something I found on the internet to show how big and empty a movie theater can look when there’s nobody in it. Maybe somebody else got in trouble for taking that picture, but not us!)

Anyway, I’m beginning to wonder if these few inconsiderate people who can’t seem to wean themselves off their cell phones are going to ruin the entire experience for me and everyone else there, but then…

But then…

The screen comes awake again, and it’s those flickering comic book images that let you know you’re about to see one of the most entertaining bits of entertainment you could ever think possible, because you’re about to see a MARVEL MOVIE, and once I saw that, I felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and I didn’t care anything about anyone else who was around me, except for Miss Chrissy, who was still holding my hand, and Mr. Russ, who was sitting on my other side, smiling to beat the band.

So! Soon enough the movie starts, and I get drawn into it, and almost forget who I am, I’m just living in that Marvelous World where everything is literally “bigger than life.” I’m glad I sat through the “Coming Attractions” first, because it sort of got me ready for the actual movie, made me more used to how big and bold and loud everything is so that it didn’t scare me anymore, it just fascinated me, and drew me in, more and more.

So, I guess I should say a few words about Ant-Man, the move, but since it’s so NEW, I wouldn’t want to spoil anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, and might be reading this. I will tell you this much, though: this movie is PURE ENTERTAINMENT. It’s got everything you want to see in a movie: there’s action and adventure, plenty and plenty of funny moments, and also some very sad and touching elements that just about make you want to cry. I’ve seen all the other Marvel movies, at home in Whimsieville, on our much smaller screen, so it may come off sounding a bit ironic when I tell you that even though I saw Ant-Man on the “Big Screen,” in many, many ways it’s a much smaller movie than any of the other Marvel movies. Oh! What did I just say? Ant-Man is a “smaller” movie? LOL! I wasn’t trying to be funny, but it is sort of funny, isn’t it?

What I mean is that this movie has a much smaller cast, and the people in the movies have much more real and personal problems than…oh…let’ say THOR, who is a GOD, whose wicked stepbrother wants to destroy EVERYTHING. No, instead, in Ant-Man, it’s just about one man learning to be a superhero and fighting a single super-villain (who is really just a guy in pretty cool “costume”). It’s about trying to remake your life and be better than you were before. It’s about people overcoming the things in their past that have hurt them and kept them apart from the people they love. Oh, stop! I’m going to make myself cry just thinking about it!

Well, that’s all I’m going to say about Ant-Man, except to mention that I was so absorbed in the movie, that after a while I completely forgot to look for Stan Lee to make his customary “cameo appearance,” so when he did, it caught me by surprise. That’s the sign of a good movie, isn’t it? When you forget all about who you are and where you are and what you’re afraid of and what you’re hoping to see, and then suddenly you reconnect to reality and say, “Oh yeah! Right! It’s ONLY a movie.”

After the movie there were a couple of little “post-credit” scenes (actually, one was in the middle of the credits, and the other was at the very end of the credits) and Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ kept shaking their heads at all the silly people in the theater who kept getting up and leaving before the movie was completely over. Why do they do that? It’s a mystery. You would think if they care enough about Marvel movies to come out and see one on the opening weekend, they would know enough to stay to the very end for the big surprise.

The big surprise at the end…well, no. I won’t tell you. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. I’ll just say that seeing these two extra scenes I got very excited about what might be coming next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I’m only a little Whimsie, but I feel completely comfortable using huge phrases like “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” And now that I’ve seen an actual movie in an actual movie theater, I can’t WAIT to come back and see more! What’s next? Fantastic Four? Maybe I can convince Miss Chrissy and Mr. Russ to take me out to the movies again for that one!

I certainly hope so, but if not, at the very least, I would love to come back to the theater to see something like this: an IMAX show about being in outer space! How cool would that be? Talk about BIG and SCARY.

But I promise I won’t be scared. At least not as long as I can sit between my People, and Miss Chrissy will hold my hand.