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Events happening today
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ALL
DAY
03 July 2026 06 July 2026
This event began 07/03/2025 and repeats every year forever
Aphelion is between July 3rd and July 6th in 2020 it was on July 4th 11:04pm in 2020, the Aphelion for earth is when the earth is farthest from the sun, in its eliptical orbit. If you consider the Perihelion the beginning of a year, then the Aphelion is the trust midyear point. Every planet around the sun has an aphelion. Earth's moon like all other moons has a similar action, called an apogee to a planet, where a moon is farthest from the planet it rotates around, by having an elliptical orbit.
Story 1 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-aphelion-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&comment=923
Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-aphelion-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&comment=924
STORY 1
It is afternoon, a day on earth, a black woman sit in solace; Kalima look toward her photo of a prior penumbral eclipse, made in a roadtrip across the usa.
She continue to ignore the yells from her sanguine downstairs; they are ready to go to the July 4th Fireworks parade.
“COME ON!!!… I know you can hear me K! We are now in phase three and I want us to enjoy being outside, none of us have been out in months! PLEASE!”
Kalima lay back on her bed and put on a video online.
She can hear shuffling feet leaving the front door of the brownstone while she watch. She whisper: “see you soon” and continue to watch.
At the end of the video she sit at her writing desk and take out paper and pencil and ruler; she compose a poem using looped cursive penpersonship on clear paper using the ruler she crafted as a guidetool.
A male red winged blackbird sitting on a tree branch outside watch Kalima and see the following on the page, Kalima finished.
I know I’m free, while in an unfree place
To live in a free place… I must rally
Against Time’s steady pace, mortality
What certainty? The best finishing place
Choices I see? Bliss be the unfree place
Bliss out the unfree place, which choice is me?
History state no case… I must rally
Blind gamblin’ me, both length may eat my race
A bird yell free! I wingless… stall my race
Wait in the unfree place, one day for me
I see Time with it’s pace, safe while I see
I will rally, to live in a free place
The small uncaged passerine fly away, singing. Kalima look to the window and go to her bed, and lay thinking, and sleeping.
…
A gentle nudge and a wet kiss on the cheek, wake Kalima up, from a figure unknown of body while familiar in voice.
“Come on K, we are all back now, we want to tell you about our trip, especially little Bee”
“Oh, hey Ma”
Kalima plus her mother embrace.
“Here is some chocolate bars, colored like the flag, I know! but Mister Mohammed made them and I know you support Black business”
Kalima took a whiff of the chocolate, and smiled with yummies.
Her mother pass her a photo of the clan, taken by uncle george.
And, Kalima’s mother pass Kalima another of a firework by uncle george.
Kalima’s mother continue: “Fun…We will meet you downstairs and you can tell us about tonights eclipse ok”
“It’s late, little Bee will want to stay up, so we need to get the hammock out for him”
“ok”: Kalima’s mother leave, and Kalima look to the moon.
Kalima place her chocolate in her minifridge and open her door to the sound of laughter and joy. She smile in the night, for another day.
…
Thank you for reading, if you want to read more of my work read below
Bookbub
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49
AALBC
https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/
Poetry or More Audiobook
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetry%20or%20More&fcsearchfield=Series&seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9
Visasiki Audiobook
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Visasiki%20Series&fcsearchfield=Series&seriesId=965aea81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39
Short Story Collection
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection&fcsearchfield=Series&seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714
STORY 2
"It is really hot today": say a woman, chocolate skin sweating under an early June sun, her hand attach to another; she continue: "you need water raspberry pie"
"No mommy": say a little girl, same kind of skin, sweet or moisture, her frizzes capping her head.
The two keep walking on a simple dirt road, green trees adorning either side.
"Momma, Grandpa once said Tinkerbell was American"
"Of course, what did he say exactly": the mother giggle.
The little girl smile and imitate her grandfather's gestures: "An American Tinkerbell is like a woman, like Tinkerbell with a red white and blue bikini on, don't mind seeing that all out Raspberry... yeah, Tinkerbell on the beach"
The mother shake her head gently and say: "Your grandfather, called everything, like a woman, France, Joy, The spirit of America"
"How did he describe the spirit of America Mommy": the daughter giggle.
The mother smile and imitate her father's gestures: "The Spirit of America is like a woman, like a woman with a luscious afro with decorative hairpins like stars floating around her hair, she sits on a bed of fifty stars connected to the cosmos, and has a cape, like superman, but grander with the red and white stripes, feet bare and dangling like godiva chocolate statues waiting to be eaten...yeah, stylin spirit of America"
The mother continue: "I know he was referring to your great gran, she had the best afros"
"I love GG": say a stoic little girl.
"I love her too baby": equal in solemnity, say her mother.
The two walk and finally reach the house. Suddenly a man appear from behind a bush.
"You too need a glass of lemonade, try this homemade blend"
The little girl look toward her mother who release her arm, and she lunge for the lemonade and start to drink. The man patiently wait while he get a kiss on the cheek from the mother who take her glass of lemonade.
The little girl finish and the man inquire: "well..."
"It's a little tangy, not perfect Uncle": and the little girl smile. Her uncle throw down his hat in disgust and she continue: "You will get there uncle, we believe in you, you will make the perfect lemonade one day"
"Ahh... thanks Raspy, come on and help me with the cooking for the party later"
And the uncle and niece go to the back of the house, while the mother head to the far side. She soon notice her father's old car sitting in shiny glory, being taken care of by her brother Nicodemus.
The mother sit in the car and remember when she showed her parents, her first paid commission, the spirt of america. They made a cake for her and celebrated. She remember her father said: "I knew I was right, I may have not gotten the description incorrect, it seems the spirit of america is like lady liberty in her teenage years, no crown or lamp, hair flying, wearing wonder woman's clothes, wonder woman wouldn't mind and she needs the vibranium, can't imagine the skin getting cracked and she being chosen to stand before new york city, but, she is still, like a woman... yeah, the badass spirit of america"
The mother hyper ventilate and start to cry. She think to the day after when her father no longer said anything was like a woman. Between the heat side her sadness she fall asleep.
...
"Mommy!... mommy... MOMMY!": speak a little girl to her mother.
"hey my sweet Raspberry": the mother gently waken.
"Daddy say you need to eat... and here": the little girl kiss her mother.
"Ohh... thank you, give him this for me... and I want you to have fun with the firecrackers, with all your cousins and everybody, ok": the mother after taken the plate, hug her daughter tightly.
"Ok mommy, I love you"
"I love you"
"Don't be sad mommy": the little girl say walking away.
"I am not my little light in the sky, just remembering... go on now"
The mother eat a little food and place the plate on the dashboard, and lay back in the seat, back to sleep.
"Nzinga...why aren't you eating Nzinga": a gentle voice speak to the mother. Nzinga open her eyes and is in amazement.
"Pa..."
"Hey , surprised huh, do you know some people where I now live visit loving ones during the aphelion"
Nzinga is still in shock looking at her father.
He continue: "... you know, when the earth is farthest from the sun, but it seems to only work when one is missed a lot... and I am not even like a woman"
Nzinga lunge and embrace her father in the driver's seat.
"I miss you papa"
The spirit embrace his daughter and say: “ I know Nzinga, but no need, I am here just for a short while for a chance to get you not to miss me so much"
"How long?!": energetically state the daughter.
"Maybe only an hour"
"What will we do?"
"Drive around of course": Nzinga's father clip the seatbelt, and she smile, and he continue: "this is my car, that is a pretty special moon there". Nzinga look to the moon as her father stare at it.
Nzinga's father say while she look to the moon: "It will be nice having the penumbral eclipse escort us for our short time"
Nzinga become stoic: "why won't you come back..."
"I am having too much fun with your mother"
Nzinga burst a laugh.
Nzinga's father continue: "oh and she told me to give Raspy a message, she loves telling her stories in her dreams"
Nzinga's father start the car, and Nzinga look back.
He say: "Don't worry, let the magic happen"
"Death has not seemed to stop your sense of wit papa"
"Well, my little light, let me tell you something, ok, Death, is like a woman..."
...
Hope you enjoyed reading
If you like more of my stories check out my Short story collection series
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection&fcsearchfield=Series&seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714
And I am on Bookbub
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49
My blog
https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/
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