Tuesday, November 29, 2016

From the Top Shelf - A Governess Speaks

Today's entry is a treatise on the efficacy of corporal punishment which may strike a chord with some of our readers. It was taken from the magazine The Governess. and the author is Miss Marianne Martindale who is a practising governess in an 'adult' school. She dresses in the chic manner of the 1930's, lives in London, and who actually does employ servants who happily accept beatings as part and parcel of their terms of employment. The letters within were written by her adult pupils after visits to her establishment.

I am a traditional governess. I expect you have seen this claim before, and if you are seriously interested, as so many girls and boys are, in receiving corporal punishment in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner then doubtless you will have been disappointed. Unless of course you have already succeeded in discovering my establishment.

You may wonder how I can be so confident that you will not be disappointed if you come for a lesson with me. I am confident because I am unique. I live and rule in a world set apart from this time, this era, a time which I utterly despise. My world is a world of mistresses and maidservants, of schoolmarms and schoolgirls, of rules and regulations, order, hierarchy and harmony, and hard work and best behaviour are expected from everyone at all times. Within our world, carelessness, laziness, insubordination and slackness are offences punishable by the strap or the cane. It is a world where discipline is regularly administered and considered normal. So, if you are accepted as a pupil you enter not merely a classroom, but a whole world where decency and fairness, kind attention and strictness are the order of the day.

In the words on one girl pupil: "May I congratulate you most heartily for maintaining an institution organised on traditional Victorian values and principles. How sad it is that respect for authority, good manners, common courtesy and a sense of duty are hardly even in existence in modern times. You are greatly to be admired for maintaining strict discipline amongst your staff, servants and pupils and I am certain that you are respected by all those for whose training you are responsible."

And from another pupil: "When I first made an appointment to see the Governess I was half-expecting a poor performance, and an indifferent attitude. How wrong I was! After a short talk to break the ice I was led to a schoolroom where desk, blackboard and cane are kept. Lessons are conducted in a very professional way and could well have been really in the 1920s. My first visit resulted in one or two moderate canings, a switching and a strapping. It was a good first visit."

So what do I personally believe about discipline? First and foremost I believe that corporal punishment is good for you, that to know that you need punishment and to prefer such punishment to a complete lack of supervision is a normal, healthy reaction. A few good, hard strokes of the cane clears the mind of cloudiness, the body of tension, cleanses the soul and leaves the offender conscious of a tingling posterior and the desire to try harder next time.

Canings are properly administered. Once in the time-honoured position, bent well over the school desk, the cane is rapped several times across the bottom. This gives rise to tension and the contraction of the buttocks in anticipation of the first, stinging stroke. The cane hisses like a snake and thwacks hard against the upturned rump. Breath is forced out of the body as the first burning sensation sweeps through the body and down the legs.

Discipline, both in the general sense of rules and codes of behaviour and actual corporal punishment, provides boundaries and gives a sense of security. As one girl wrote, "The classroom was furnished in a business-like fashion and somehow gave me a feeling of confinement and sanctuary at the same time."

Many of the girls who come to me were brought up at a time when one was expected to be a good girl and conform to certain patterns of behaviour. Present-day children, and adults, have no one to say, "Don't do that" or "You must try harder. You are not doing your best", or even just a plain "No!". The result is an inner sense of drifting and emptiness, and a decreasing sense of self-respect as one continually does less well than one might because there is no-one to keep one up to the mark.

"From the time I was at school until now, I have had no real sanctions on my personal behaviour. We all need sanctions, I certainly am far less capable of controlling my temper and my speech in daily life, for lack of them! That is really what I come to you for; the imposition of sanctions that demand total control and for which the price of failure is the infliction of punishment that really hurts."

Ten minutes after you enter my classroom a sense of security returns. You soon realise; here is someone who will keep a very close eye on me, make sure I do my best and punish me if I don't. You find yourself sitting up straight, concentrating and enjoying the peacefulness that comes when someone else is absolutely in charge and all you have to do is be obedient and do your best.

The girl we have just heard from wrote: "I felt great relief caused by the brief relinquishment of authority and respite from the requirements of making decisions that is almost incessantly demanded of me; as your pupil for that brief hour, I have no decision to make, all I have to do is exactly what I am told."

She also wrote rather poetically of what it feels like to receive a punishment; "The sickness in one's stomach on the award of a punishment, the agony of anticipation at the prospect of the scorching sting of the tawse and searing bite of the cane; the knowledge that it is well deserved, totally inescapable and absolutely necessary; the ensuing battle of mind over body during the punishment itself, in forcing oneself to accept the pain, in total obedience, without complaint and, above all, the overwhelmingly cleansing effect of severe corporal punishment, that leaves you feeling that the debt is paid, the slate is wiped clean."

I should make it clear that moderation and leniency are shown when necessary. if a pupil has not received corporal punishment since schooldays long ago, or if, as often happens, she is someone who has never been punished but is drawn to the idea of punishment, then care is taken to ensure that the discipline is fair and appropriate. On the other hand, for those pupils who are able to receive the cane, and deserve and need firm handling, strict, hard punishment is freely given. Read the testament below:

"I have over the past two years experienced many punishments from this remarkable governess for many transgressions in her classroom at Oxford, not the least of which was a good spanking. This baby or small-child punishment was given with her delicate though firmly-soled rubber slipper, bent across the desk, her hand firmly pressing my back down, as her other hand brought the slipper down from high above her shoulder in a steady rhythm across my petticoat. Although categorised as a minor punishment the governess had decided it was going to be a severe one where each stroke was a Victorian stroke - great full-blooded slaps from high above her shoulder making me tingle with the sting. An impression remains with me of the accumulation of stinging, the loud slap of each blow striking home in a regular cadence over the whole area of my buttocks and thighs, the vitality and energy the governess seemed to have - where after at least forty smacks there was no diminishing of force - indeed they seemed to increase in sting almost more than I could bear. I began to sob with the thought that this spanking could go on and on. Her hand pressed ever more firmly into my back, "Be still, girl!"

Another girl wrote thus: "Now the first punishment was about to begin and I bent over the desk and placed my hands on the chair as instructed. Ma'am lifted up my skirt and tucked my petticoat tight between my legs. It was at this point that something quite strange occurred which I find difficult to explain. The governess laid her free hand on my back. Now physically I am quite a strong woman. Were someone to lay a heavy load on my back for instance, I imagine I could shrug it off with very little effort. What now rested on my back was the delicate hand of the governess. However I could no more rebel against that hand than I could fly to the moon."

No one is ever punished for ignorance in my classroom, only for laziness in the matter of learning corrections or forgetting the rules. This fairness is especially necessary with those girls who were born after the end of the 1950s and who have had slack and casual schooling rather than an effective formal education. I once had to teach a girl the alphabet because she had received so little formal education!

I should mention that I am, in the main, a governess for girls of all ages, but I do take selected gentlemen if I think they are genuine. The majority of pupils attend because they experienced corporal punishment as children and miss its benefits. Among the younger pupils I see (Post-1960) children, a few come specifically because they have never received corporal punishment and yet feel it would be good for them. A lot of pupils are in positions of responsibility and authority, with no real superior to turn to in times of difficulty.

When I conduct a lesson, the pupil is relieved of all responsibility and can bask in the feeling of being looked after, both in the matter of strict supervision and helpful advice where requested. You can attend simply because know a good, hard smack is good for you, and find as well someone on whom you can rely for kindness and help.

If you will not think me immodest, I should like here to give you some of my pupils' first impressions of meeting me. All the extracts you are reading are taken from letters of appreciation or classroom essays; but all are authentic comments.

"The door was opened by a tall striking woman in her middle to late thirties. She was dressed in a neat crisp white blouse and a plain black skirt. I noticed she wore high heels and the sheerest of silk stockings. She had the most beautiful waist-length light brown hair. I discovered later that when in a particularly severe mood she wore it swept up in a knot away from her finely sculptured cheekbones.Her most outstanding feature was her wide generous mouth which, despite her seemingly severe manner, was outlined in bright red lipstick. Her clear blue eyes were skilfully outlined in mascara and were keen and sparkling. She was absolutely breathtaking and in appearance was every schoolchild's dream of the ideal governess."

"Your obvious beauty, general appearance, authoritative manner, attention to detail and your every little movement had me spellbound and reduced me mentally to the ignorant little schoolboy you must have perceived before you."

"From the first moment I saw you, I felt immediately submissive, as you were both so superior and dominant; yet you were so neatly dressed and attractive, and did not attempt to raise your voice. Your vocabulary and manners were impeccable. When you returned to the interview room, wearing your cap and gown, I felt even more under your total domination, hence my hands shook in anticipation of what lay ahead of me."

Let me summarise what happens when a pupil comes for a lesson. You arrive and are given a short interview. You are then taken to the schoolroom and the rules of the classroom are explained. These you are expected to repeat to me. The lesson begins. Work such as a spelling test and mental arithmetic are given in the first lesson. You will not be punished for initial mistakes, but you are expected to remember the rules and show respect and to learn any corrections before you are tested. The punishments are given at a level which I believe to be appropriate for the girl concerned and may vary from person to person in severity.

See thus: "The English lesson you gave was very polished,and put me on my toes. It was well thought out and the classroom discipline was strict. The corporal punishment given was administered with accuracy and sensible strength. I liked the way you announced the strokes you were awarding ans why they were to be given. The actual caning was accurate and each cut with the cane laid on with skill."

"Your lesson was most interesting, well thought out and excellently delivered. I confess I did not pay sufficient heed to your classroom rules, and too often broke them. May I again plead nervousness and the fact that this was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever encountered. I thought your punishments were fair, and although those of the corporal variety were certainly painful, they were nevertheless stimulating in the knowledge that they were deserved."

To me, being a governess is a vocation and a pleasant duty. The important thing is that I look after the pupil, look after her mental, emotional and spiritual welfare much as a mother should,and too seldom does these days, look after her child.

I certainly believe that kindness and strictness are necessary to the healthy life of each one of us, be he young or old, male or female. I look forward to the day when the world recovers its senses and reinstates a disciplined attitude along with corporal punishment in the home and in the school. In the meantime those who seek proper and decent punishment are welcome to attend my school.

I shall end with the concluding comments from one of the endorsements quoted earlier:-

"I had been told that at the end of a punishment I was to express my gratitude by saying, "Thank you, Ma'am." In fact this instruction was redundant for at the completion of this punishment I felt such genuine feeling of gratitude towards the Governess that I was anxious to thank her anyway. All too soon the lesson came to an end and I was excused. I cannot easily describe all the things that I felt but will try by saying the following; I feel that I have been travelling for a long time in many aimless directions and have now arrived at a place which is good. In spite of this I feel that I am now starting a new journey, not one that is aimless but a journey with order and discipline.
Maybe some of my readers have attended similar academies. What do you feel about the effects of corporal punishment 'cleansing ' and 'wiping the slate' clean. Does this ring any bells with you. Does this kind of 'academy' serve a useful therapeutic purpose? Or is it just a bit of fun to you with no real benefits?
From Hermione's Heart

Monday, November 28, 2016

Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for November 27

Our discussion on asking for more produced a variety of responses.

Sir Wendel: If the Misses wants a longer spanking then she will usually question the length. “That’s it?” or “I don’t think I’ve learned my lesson.” are her favorite comments.

Anon: Its mostly non-verbal . . raising her lovely ass toward me as I spank her and or making noises that tell me to really keep it up or even increase the pace. What follows is the final proof of her pleasure as well as mine.

Roz: I have on the odd occasion after a spanking said that it didn't get me where I want to be. It has sometimes resulted in a do - over but not always.

peter: When we first began my wife said she was going to spank me until.... until to her meant then
and still means today until she sees tears! She has never gone back on that.

Michael M: My Mistress decides when I have had she wants to give me. No requests permitted.

Wilma: When we first started Dd years ago, Barney (in addition to the rare punishment, as I am such an angel..lol) would give me a reset spanking about once a week. During those times he would ask me how I was, or we would talk about the effectiveness after. I suppose that 'trained' him to see what my body language was telling him. He isn't always perfect at is, as we all change depending on the circumstances, but he is pretty good about it 4 years later.

Often he will ask me questions near the end if he is unsure~ not questions about the spanking, but about me. Depending on my tone he decides if he is going to continue or not. In a way I suppose you could say I am allowed to ask because of the responses I give. There are times where he flat out tells me my body physically cannot take anymore regardless of where my mind is at however.

On the flip side, there have been times, (during a reset) where I have asked him to stop. Often it is due to the fact I am in a better place, and I am afraid if he switches implements I will become frustrated/angry and he will have to spank through those phases again, and I suspect he will stop due to physical limitations before I return to the better spot.

Bogey: Asking for more, or less, is common. She will wiggle it around to let me know she wants more. I really like it when she says something like Is that all you've got? Other times, she will tell me she is having a sensitive day.

Downunder Don: After I think she has received a sound spanking I always ask..."Is that enough" and usually it is, but sometimes "just a few more" or a specific weapon request squeaks out.

KB: I'm the spankee and when I'm not ready for it to be over I'll usually make some snide comment about her not eating her wheaties that morning, or is her arm tired or about her having a noodle arm. Works like a charm!!! I have also on some occasions just come out and asked for more.

Yorkie: I am always the one who asks my wife for a spanking and I say what implements and how hard, although her normal spanks are quite hard. She's not into it at all but still does it for me (she is definitely a keeper) and I love her for it.

Ronnie: Yes I can ask for a longer spanking though I don't always get them. Sometimes I just raise and wriggle my bottom and P knows I want more.

Hermione: At one time I felt the spankings weren't long enough, but I rarely asked, because I am not the one on charge. But over time, Ron seemed to understand that he could go on as long as he wanted and I wouldn't complain. Nowadays I never have to ask for more. I get all I need and then some!

From Hermione's Heart

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Spanko Brunch 2.0 #152

The kitchen was closed last weekend because of the Love Our Lurkers celebration, but we are now open again and the coffee is hot. Help yourself to a yummy turkey sandwich and let's discuss today's topic.

Is the spankee in your relationship allowed to ask for a longer or harder spanking? If not, why not? If so, is this a verbal request? Are there non-verbal ways of indicating the need for more? Does it happen often?

Leave your response as a comment and I will publish a summary of our discussion after everyone has had a chance to join in.
From Hermione's Heart

Saturday, November 26, 2016

You Completed the Caption

What did this Thanksgiving-themed image say to you?

Leigh: Please let the turkey turn out or I'll be the one getting roasted.

Baxter: Oh John, I pray you come to me and take me in the woodshed for spanking and screwing and then take me away from this place.

Sir Wendel: I pray that one day I can wear red other than on my bottom.

ricky: Forgive me, but I'm affected by the moment. In spite of the end of the cycle of things,
There is the inspiration of a new beginning.

Michael M: Lord, please let the council give planning for that Home Depot store.

Ronnie: How many hours did Grandma say I should cook the turkey for?

Belsteph: Please Dad, don't bare my bottom when you take me to the woodshed. Look at all the layers I'm wearing --- but Dad probably will bare me for his switch!

Hermione: Please don't let him find out where I hid the switch.

From Hermione's Heart

Friday, November 25, 2016

Friday FAIL

It's Black Friday, a day for pandemonium at the malls and retail outlets, when people commit mayhem to buy something they don't really need for a few dollars off except that the prices are artificially inflated so there are few real bargains to be had but it's a post-Thanksgiving Day tradition and everybody does it so we will too!

Yup. We're going to have some fun at Walmart today.





Believe it or not, these are not boobies or extra-high bumcheeks.






And what is your bottom saying?






Meanwhile, in the changing room





Well, there's always the competition. Let's go to Target!



Happy shopping, everyone!
From Hermione's Heart

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Complete the Caption

 Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. In honor* of the occasion, here is a painting of a pilgrim girl in contemplation of...what?

Complete the caption by leaving a comment. I will publish your contributions after the feast has been consumed and the Black Friday pandemonium has subsided.

*Please note the American spelling, just this once.
From Hermione's Heart

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

We Felt the Love

Another Love Our Lurkers celebration has come and gone, and I must say it was a bigger success than I dared hope! We had some new bloggers join us for the first time, and that's always such a thrill for me. Most participants recorded a healthy number of comments from both old friends and no-longer-shy lurkers.

What do you say? Shall we do it again next year? Your comments, suggestions and concerns are always welcome.
From Hermione's Heart

Monday, November 21, 2016

Guest Post - A.J.

After reading the past two installments of The Souvenir Shop (here and here), regular reader A.J. told me of a similar experience he had with his girlfriend. He has kindly allowed me to share it with you, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is that story I mentioned. I've told others this story, so feel free to do with it what you will.

It’s about being in public with my then girlfriend, Sherry, where I went, maybe, one sentence too far when I should have kept my mouth shut.  Despite my speaking a bit too freely, it created one heck of a great memory that I have of being with her that goes back many years.

As background, I met Sherry while on a work project.  She was the person the client assigned to monitor the contractor (me) on our project, and with whom I had to meet twice a week.  And I liked her at first sight. Attractive, smart, with legs to die for, and those great stems went to a tush that can truly - truly - be described as ‘spankable’.  Smart and with a smart mouth where you never knew what she was going to come out with, saying something that would make you laugh and ask, "What did you just say?"  The more I looked at her and the more we were together, the more I fell for her. Meetings had led to lunches, to after work cocktails, to dating.  Serious dating.  Spend all our free time together dating.  Go with me on vacation to Hawaii dating.

About three months into our now-serious relationship, Sherry tricks me into spanking her (another great story).  That upped the relationship considerably (a world of trust) and we begin a whole new relationship that included the occasional fun-loving spanking (M/F).  Please note that we had a relationship that sometimes included spanking, and not the other way around. We never spanked in anger (we never got angry at each other), and never for punishment.  Every time it was strictly fun/fantasy, and it always led to more intimate moments!

About a month after that initial spanking (with a couple more in-between) I come out of the shower to see Sherry standing in the bedroom with ‘that look’ on her face.  She then announces:

“You know, you haven’t been spanked in more than 20-years. You’re way overdue!  It’s my turn.  Get over my knee!”

With that she sat on the edge of the bed and called me to her.

My mouth went instantly dry and my heart started to pound.  Oh, God.  What’s happening?  But fair’s fair; you give, you take, right?  I come to her.  She's sitting on the edge of the bed.  Back straight. Knees together.  And no expression on her face other than confidence and determination. She's all business.  This is real.  Heart starting to beat I slowly approach her right side.

"C'mon.  Get over.  Let's go."

OTK I went. Nervous as hell, but I went.  She pauses.  Left hand on my right shoulder.  Her right hand on my right butt-cheek.  Not rubbing; squeezing, testing.  Like an orchestra conductor thinking about the score in front of him, about to lift his baton; all concentration.  And then it began.

And I got my first adult spanking!  And it was a pretty good one, too! A bright pink and tingling butt that had me rapidly rubbing it as I knelt on the floor in front of her, foolishly grinning.  And Sherry got to give, not only her first spanking, but give that spanking to a man!  She was so giddily happy when it was over and peppered me with lots of questions: “How was it?  Did I do it right?  Was it too hard?  Too soft?  Tell me!  What was it like?”

“Yeah; you did a pretty good job!”  She was so happy.  Then she laughed and ‘ordered’ me to ‘thank her’ properly, and laid back on the bed.  And me being a gentleman....

And the relationship got stronger.  From then on, no one’s bottom was safe.  It was such fun.

Let me again caveat the story by saying this happened long time ago.  So while the events actually happened, don't hold me to exactly what was said.  It is just what I remember from that memorable day.

====================================

The Gold Cup is a historic horse race in Virginia that goes back more than a century.  Not your typical horse race, but a long steeplechase with hedges, water hazards, jumps, and more. It’s held in northern Virginia's ‘hunt country’.  Estate country.  And very rural.  How rural?  One favorite town nearby, back then, had a population of maybe 250 tops.

The race is held in May when it is finally nice and warm and winter is a memory.  And it’s expected you dress for the occasion, and I’m talking an elegant 'Great Gatsby' style and flair.  Women go out of their way to find that perfect summer dress; light silks or silk-like dresses that tease in the breeze. A couple weeks before the race I come into two free and very expensive tickets for the Cup.

Sherry and I leave mid-morning and drive through the beautiful country-side on small winding country roads.  We get there, gamble on the races, sip champagne, see and be seen, and basically have fun.  But around 5pm she and I are getting tired.

Sherry:  “Do you mind if skip the last races and go home?”

“No; let’s leave now before the traffic hits.”

We leave and are back on those country roads and come to an intersection where there is a gas station, a general store, and - an antiques store.  And that’s it!  All else is open land. I decide to fill up the gas tank and pull into the station.  And that’s when Sherry spots that damn antiques store and announces she going there, ‘just to look around’.  I’m to top off the tank and come get her when I’m done.

Oh, God no.  Shopping.  We’ll be here at least another half-hour or more.

The car is topped off, I pay the attendant, get in the car and pull around to the front of the antiques store.

I go in the store and Sherry is wandering around the back of the room, looking at one dusty old thing after another.  It's very close to closing time and the place is empty.  I’m about to join Sherry when the female owner comes up and says hello to me. She is at least 50 years old, maybe 55, and very nice.  And...

“Is there anything I can help you find?”

“Oh, no; thanks.  I’m just here with my girlfriend over there.  She’s the shopper, not me.”

“You’re both dressed so nice.  We’re you at the Gold Cup?”

“Yes.  First time.  Quite a party. The races were fun, and all these women so beautifully dressed. I love that summer dress Sherry is wearing. She has this great hat that goes with it that’s in the back of the car.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“I met her early August so...nine months.  I didn’t realize it had been so long.”

“You must be having fun then.  How did you meet?”

I go into my story of meeting her while working and how much I love being with her and that we spent almost all our spare time together, etc., etc.  I talked too much about Sherry and how much I loved being with her.

With that she says:  “Oh, boy, does she ever have you all wrapped up.  Just like a Christmas present.  All you need is some ribbon and a bow on top!”

I just look at her and smile. Then…

“So when are you getting married?”

I froze. What...?  She had just used the “M-word”!

“(Mumbles something)...ummm, well, I think I’m too young to be getting married.”

“Well you must have thought about it at one time or another.  What age do you think is right for you?”

“Oh...28?”

“I was married nine years by the time I turned 28.  When’s your birthday?”

“December.”

“Five months ago.  And how old are you…?”

Nervous pauss.  “27...”

A real big smile:  “So, only seven months to go!  I assume you went to college; any of your roommates married?”

“Yes.”

“Do they have children?”

“Yes.”

(Grinning.)  “Married, and with children.  And you still think you’re too young?”

And there it was. The “M-word”.  I just had not thought about it, but there it was.  Could Sherry be the one?

I go up to where Sherry is, nervous and still thinking about that "M-word" all the way.   “About ready to leave?”  Please say yes.  Please say yes.  Please say yes.

“In a couple of minutes." Yeah, right. ”Looks like you had quite the conversation with that woman.  What were you talking about?”

“Nothing much.”  Yes, I lied.

A minute later the woman joins us and she and Sherry talk about all the dusty junk.  We’re never getting out of here.

I don’t know why I did it.  They’re talking, I’m looking around.  I see something in a barrel nearby and reach into it and pull 'it' out.  Some kind of paddle used for baking.  Very old.

I shouldn’t have said it.  I shouldn’t have said it.  I shouldn’t have said it.

“Look, Sherry.  A paddle in case I have to spank you and not hurt my hand!”

I shouldn’t have said it.  I shouldn’t have said it.  From the look on Sherry’s now rapidly-reddening face I knew I shouldn’t have said it.  I used the s-word, in public, to a civilian.

And that’s when "the sisterhood" stepped in.  The woman laughs, said something about all women getting a little spank now and then, and then sides up next to Sherry, takes the paddle from me and says, “Oh, that’s a nice antique wooden utensil."  Looking at Sherry. "But the thing about something like this is that it is an inanimate object.  It doesn’t care what it is used for – or who’s using it!”  And with that she extends the handle end of that paddle to Sherry who took it.  And then Sherry’s eyes lit up!

“We’ll take it!!”  (Note:  I do not recall if she said “We’ll take it” or “I’ll take it”, but given the context, I think that’s important.)

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!  I was only jok...”

“We’ll take it!  How much?”

“No, no, no. We don’t need...”

"The sisterhood" has got me now, and lays it on thick.

Said the woman, semi-seriously and not at all to me:  “Well...it is a true antique with a history.  On the other hand it has been here for quite a while."  Pause. "How about one dollar?” A dollar?

“We’ll take it!”

“But you’ll also have to take one of those leather straps over there.  No one really ever buys them and I need to get rid of them.”

Two for a dollar!  Fifty cents each?

“We’ll take it!”  Turns to me. “Pay her!”

"No, no, no, no; we don't need it and I was only jok..."

“Pay her!”

The sisterhood doesn’t say a word.  Standing together they both just look at me with ‘that look’ on their faces; huge grins mightily trying to stifle back the laughter.  They both knew how this was going to end.

“C'mon.  Pay her.”

I pull out my wallet and put a dollar into her hand.  What have I done?

But 'the sisterhood' is not yet done fucking with me.

The woman, smiling so sweetly and dragging the moment out, asks:  “Would you like a receipt?”  Said not to me who had just paid her – to Sherry!

“No.  We have to get home.  We need to talk.”

I am so fucked.

'The sisterhood' then takes a minute to pick out a leather strap as I watch.  Sherry then takes my arm, “Let’s go home and have that talk.” Sherry leads me to the door.  The woman is almost bursting.  She watches us almost make it to the door and then shouts out to Sherry the then-equivalent of, “You go girl!”

We get into the car.  “C’mon.  Start the car.  Let’s go.”

“Are you OK?”

“Yes. C’mon.  Start the car.”

We drive.  Not a word is spoken.

“Want to talk?”

“We’re going to talk, later.”

We drive.  In awful silence.

We get to her condo.   She has me drop her off at her door.  I'm to park the car and join her.

I come into her condo and she calls out for me to come into the bedroom.  Dry in the mouth I come into the room and find Sherry standing there, summer dress now off, paddle and strap in her hand, and a pile of pillows ominously stacked in the middle of the bed.  No.  No.  No, not looking good.

And then, and ever so sweetly to me: “We should have had a discussion before getting something like this.  We could have had more fun by together looking for something we have never, ever, used before.  But here it is.  And since I’ve never used something like this before, I need to get some practice.  You do want me to be the best at everything I do, don’t you?”

How do you answer that question with anything but, “Yes”?

A pause.  “Uh-huh.”  I am so fucked.

Matter-of-factly:  “Good.  Get those clothes off and get over those pillows.”  (Note:  We had never spanked each other this way, only OTK, so this was an ominous first.)

Down to my shorts and over the pillows.

“Ummmm...no.  This doesn’t look right.  I’ll be right back.”  She leaves the room and returns with another pillow, a big bolster that she puts on top of the others and has me get over them.  I’m now, basically, in an inverted, butt-high, full-arm-swing-swat-level, 'V' position.

Sherry pulls my shorts down to my knees.  Then she picks up that oven paddle and closely looks at it.  Pretending to study it.  Turning it in her hand.  Just mind-fucking me.   “Oh boy.  I’ll bet if you’re not careful with something like this, it could really hurt.  (To my face)  You know I would never want to do that, don't you?  Hurt you?  So I’ll have to practice, to learn how to use it safely.  Right?”

Barely breathing:  “Uh-huh.”

She positions, taps my bottom a few times with that paddle.  I grip the bed sheets.  Then,

Smack!  Right cheek.

Hey!  Not too bad.  It was just as hard as if she had used her hand.

“OK?”

“Uh-huh.”

Smack!  Left cheek.

Smack!  Right cheek.  A bit harder.

Smack!  Left cheek. A bit harder.

“OK?”

“Uh-huh.”

WHAAAAACK!!!!   A ferociously hard whack to my right cheek!

“Ahhhhh!  Oh, sweet mother of God!!!”  My entire body arcs up, legs out, head up and I can barely breathe.  My right cheek is on fire!  If the neighbors were on the other side of that wall they would surely have heard me yell.

So empathetic.  So compassionate. So not either of those:  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.  Did that hurt?”

“Did it(sputtering) #$%^*&% hurt?????   Yeah it hurt!  Jesus...”

Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.  I’m just trying to learn how to use this thing.  Here, hold on a second...”

WHAAAAACK!!!!    (Same thing; left cheek!)

“Owwwwwwwww!  Oh sweet Jesus, what the #$%^*% did you do that for???”  (Now I'm a little angry.)

Wait for it. Wait...

“I told you I was trying to learn how to use this, because I want to be the best for you.  You do remember you said you wanted me to be the best at all I do for you, right?  So it’s important that your left cheek match your right cheek - for balance.”

Now, my ass is on fire but even I had to admit – that’s one hell of a line.  Yeah. For balance. Sure. That makes sense.  Who wouldn't understand that?  Say, why don’t you take another shot?  I almost laughed.  Almost.  And then...

“But, you know what? You were right!  My hand doesn’t hurt a bit!”  (Big shit-eating grin.)

Oh, shit!  I almost laughed at that one, too.  She and her smart-mouth are enjoying this, savoring every moment.

I got several more like that; a series of firm but not-to-hard swats followed by a couple of real stem-winders that took my breath away.  In all, maybe 35-40 smacks.  Sherry finally puts the paddle down on the bed and announces it is over.  Finally; it’s over.  I start to get up.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.  Where are you going?”

“You said it’s over!”

“Yeah.  With the paddle!  (Picks up the strap and with an evil grin)  I still have to learn how to use this!” (Another big shit-eating grin.)

“Ohhhh.”

I give up.  I can’t win.  She’s got me and got me good.  I go back over the pillows, hang on, and hold my breath as she approaches with that strap.

"Slap."  A pathetic little slap, and only one.  She has spanked me with her hand harder than that.  Then it was over.

Sherry drops the strap next to the paddle, comes close to me and says, “Maybe these are not for us.  Whadayasay we put these away - and never use them?”

Damn.  I wanted to get my turn using them on her but, no; enough is enough.   Lesson learned.  I agreed.  Not for us.  We put them away for good.

Later that night we are in bed, holding each other.

“How’s your butt?”

“I can still feel it.  I’ll have bruises down there tomorrow.”

“Sorry.  I only wanted to give you a couple real stingers, not to bruise you.  But you deserved something for pulling that stunt.”

“I know. I know.  I went too far.  Won’t happen again.”

(She gets the giggles.)  Me:  “What’s so funny?”

“I’m just thinking I should have gotten that receipt!  She would have had to write it out by hand and I’d love to know what she would have written.  ‘One-each, boyfriend corrector?  Red-bun turner?’ And the price – 50 cents!  I think I would have framed it!”

(She’s laughing. Turns and looks right at me.)  “Maybe I’ll have you go back there and ask her for that receipt!!  Or go with you to see the look on her face as you ask for it! (More laughter!) Oh, God wouldn’t that be something to see!  (Even more laughter.)  I wonder if she would ask you how that paddle worked out for you?”  (A lot more laughter.)  “And you had to tell her!”  (Gales of laughter. Her face is filled with laughter and smiles.)  “And if you didn’t - I would!”

Well, it was funny.

I lied and told her my first thought in that store was to ask the woman if I could try-before-buy, and used it on Sherry in a back room.

“In your dreams!  If anyone was going to try-before-buy it was going to be me!  And I’d let her watch!"  Brief pause. "Or help!!”  (Starts laughing hard all over again.)

“Oooooh.  Now you’re turning me on.”

“Oh, really?  You’re such a perv!”

She continued to laugh and tease over all of this, and me too.  Later, we would only tease when we would threaten to "get the paddle" or strap, but we never actually used them ever again - and I never attempted that kind of ‘joke’ ever again.  Other things, yes; but never that.

Boy did I love her.
Thank you, A.J. That's quite a story!
From Hermione's Heart

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Some pre-LOL fun

This week the usual schedule of posts is somewhat disrupted because of LOL days, so here are some fun pictures for you.


 It's all about proportion





 Very spankable





 See the "Small Packet" in the upper left





 This is an actual spanking machine seen in a museum





 What indeed!

From Hermione's Heart

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Just around the corner

Love Our Lurkers Days are coming up at the end of this week, and I want you to participate. It's the time when our silent readers are encouraged to come out of hiding and leave a comment. The details are in this post.

Here are some images you may use if you wish for your LOL Days post.




























Save the image of your choice to your computer, then upload it to your post. These logos are entirely optional; you are most welcome to use any other image of your choice.


November 18 and 19 - save the dates!
From Hermione's Heart

Monday, November 14, 2016

Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for November 13


How did you express your interest in spanking as a child?

Fred: I was probably about twelve years old, and my sister would have been nearly fourteen.
I was given a Meccano set as a birthday gift. I didn't think much of it as a present! It gathered dust for a while until I realised that I could make a spanking machine with it. The machine went through several incarnations before I had one that actually worked. My sister was delighted and she invented ever more complex scenarios where the dolls and teddy bears would have to be punished in the machine.
I don't recall the exact moment I was interested in spanking, but my sister was always telling her dolls off being naughty and spanking then. This was not learned behaviour, we were never spanked by our parents.

Michael M: No spanking games that I can remember, although quite a few spankings as discipline at home and at school.

PK: I tried to casually bring spanking into 'playing house' and certain scenes like that. But my friends declined with strange looks to me and that solidified my need to keep my spanking interest to myself.

Minelle: Oh boy yes! My barbies were spanked..... I drew pictures to create scenarios as well.

A.J.: A girl, a classmate, loved playing a sort of 'tag' where if you could tag one if the girls you got to spank them, and I was invited to be one of the chasers. Sometimes at recess; other times after school. I don't know if I had the spanking kink at that early an age but I had a fair number of my female classmates otk! Play stuff. Looking back on that some years later, I'm convinced the girl who devised that game - and loved to play it - was definitely a spanko. Cute too. I wonder where she is now....?

Baxter: I was not spanked as a child, but at around 11 or 12, I became aware of spanking. One girl in grade school said her bottom was still warm from a spanking a few days back and that got my interest going. And when my parents were outside or away, I would take a paddle and spank myself and of course that got me very spankofied and it led to looking at porn, this was in the 60s before anyone even thought about internet or anything else and was drawn to the spanking stories and pictures

Nena: I remember my Barbies got spanked quite often, I even colored their bottoms with a red pencil after the spanking before they were send to the corner. I did fantasize about punishments a lot, not just spanking, but also writing lines, corner time, being send to bed, being tied up.


I tried to incorporate punishments into playing house, I preferred to be the one being punished (still am ;) ), but I could be really dominant if my role asked for it, I even made a friend cry once because I was being so harsh. I stopped immediately and apologized, I was just playing after all and it was meant to be fun, but at the same time, I thought she was overreacting, as this was exactly how I would want her to treat me if the roles were reversed. Which she never did btw.

Sir Wendel: I got plenty of spankings from mom as a child so there was no desire to play games. We would peek on each other getting spanked. Mom spanked bare bottom so I enjoyed watching my sisters and I’m sure they enjoyed watching me get it. When I was 13 mom gave me a whipping in my room. She left the room slamming the door behind her when it was over. I stood up but before I could pull my pants up I noticed the girl next door through the side of the window shade. She was changing into a swim suit. Seeing her naked and the pain got me hooked on spanking. I purposely got in trouble a couple more times afterwards just to get the whipping.

Dr. Ken: No games or anything, no. I realized there was something about spanking that I liked when I was elementary school age, but even then something told me it was best kept secret...

Hermione: My dolls were all spanked regularly on their hard plastic bottoms. Teddies were easier on my hands. Whenever I played house or school with friends or cousins, the dolls were in for many spankings, but I can recall only one occasion when a child was spanked. I was playing with two cousins, and the boy, who was younger than his sister and me, said we could spank him, but not too hard. So we did!

Thank you all for those fond memories!
From Hermione's Heart

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Spanko Brunch 2.0 #151


Welcome to another weekend spanko brunch. Let's relax and enjoy ourselves after an arduous week by reflecting on a simpler time in out lives. A great many of us knew at an early age that we had a real interest in spanking. Let's look back to see how we expressed that interest.

As a child or adolescent, did you ever play spanking games or incorporate spanking into your play? If so, how? Did you have friends who shared your interest and enjoyed these games too? 

Leave your reply as a comment and I will publish your memories once everyone has had a chance to speak.
From Hermione's Heart

Friday, November 11, 2016

Thank your for our freedom






We will remember them.
From Hermione's Heart

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Complete the Caption


 Here's your chance.

Complete the caption as you see fit. I will publish your votes and announce the winner on Saturday.

(I realize that this is actually a photo of the US President-elect mocking someone with a disability, and I do not mean to cause offence by posting it.)
   From Hermione's Heart

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

From the Top Shelf - The Souvenir Shop, part 2

We resume our visit to a souvenir shop where some very interesting activities are taking place. The Souvenir Shop, by Rollin Hand, is a vert special place, as we discovered last week. You might want to reread it here before continuing.

Handing me the paddle she said, "I'm dreadfully sorry Ken. Please take this paddle. I must apologize. Can you sit?"

I nodded and sat down, wincing as my inflamed rear end made contact with the seat. Joanne fumbled with a zipper on her shorts and then to my astonishment, pulled them off leaving her in sheer nylon panties and her halter top. She proceeded to undo her shirt revealing a firm pair of breasts in a skimpy bra. Clad now in just bra and panties she walked to my right side. I gripped the paddle and gazed into her eyes.

"Ken, I was awful to you. For that you must put me across your knee, pull down my panties and spank me real hard. Use that paddle and spank until my bottom is good and red."

Before I could answer, she lowered herself over my lap and gripped the rungs of the chair.

"Go ahead, take my panties down, Ken."

I transferred the paddle to my left hand, inserted my fingers of my right into the elastic of her panties, and pulled her panties down to her knees.

Her bottom was round and full, a gorgeous pair of alabaster globes  that jiggled slightly as I shifted to perch her over my right thigh. She pushed on the floor with her toes arching her buttocks in anticipation of the paddle.

I raised my arm and whipped it down. Smack! Her bottom jiggled. Smack! The paddle left a hot pink band on the skin. Smack! Right across both cheeks. Smack! Crack! Smack! I started spanking in earnest, bringing the little paddle down in a snapping motion with my wrists. Joanne began to yelp, but I kept up a steady tattoo of spanks. With each spank, her rear cheeks would flatten, then bounce back into shape with a little wobble each time.

"Ooh, Ken, that’s it-- spank me harder," she said, now arching her fanny up in time with the rhythm of my smacks. For the next few minutes the room rang with the sharp retort of the "heat-for-the-seat" paddle against her bare quivering bottom globes. Her buns were really getting red and I decided to finish with a rapid volley. As I cracked the paddle down in a fast flurry of solid spanks, she squealed and wiggled, humping up and down on my legs. Finally I slowed down and with a last few solid whacks, I stopped.

I noticed she was sobbing quietly so I put the paddle down and began to rub her bottom to ease the sting. My fingers found her slit which was wet and slippery. Joanne moaned as I began to rub her there. She slid from my lap and knelt in front of me between my legs. I stared in shocked silence as she pulled my cock out of my shorts and placed it in her warm soft mouth. The sensation imparted by her lips as she bobbed her head up and down was one of pure hot pleasure. She alternately swirled her tongue around my penis and slurped with her lips gliding over my hard shaft. When I could stand no more I pulled her to her feet. She turned her back and putting her hands flat on the low table, parted her legs and arched her rear. I entered her from behind and thrust in and out of her hot sheath, my belly smacking her well reddened cheeks. I held out as long as I could but she soon climaxed with a shudder, triggering my own orgasm.

When we recovered she explained that her husband had died two years previously, leaving her the store. The kids were at camp. She was alone.

We had quite a weekend. I never did find a motel, there was no need. I did test out a few more paddles as well as a couple of straps and a switch (an old Southern specialty). It seems she had been "on the boil" for a while, having sorely missed the attentions of her late husband and his firm hand.

I left, vowing to return. But as luck would have it, I did not get back until that fall. Imagine my disappointment when I saw the sign outside--"UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT". She had left no forwarding address, but the new owners said something about family in the Midwest.

So, Joanne, if you're out there now...I'm waiting (she'd be sixty by now but I don't care).
Whew! (fans self) That was quite an ending!
From Hermione's Heart

Monday, November 7, 2016

Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for November 6

Wow! This week's topic produced the highest number of responses ever seen in here for a spanko brunch.  So many of you have very clear opinions on canes.

Dan: Hi Hermione. We have tried canes several times, and we are either doing something wrong, or aren't using the right cane. It just doesn't seem to hurt as much as other implements, and since we use spankings for disciplinary purposes, a certain level of intensity is important. My wife also feels can is harder to control. It's too bad, because there certainly is something iconic about the cane as a disciplinary instrument.

abby: Master has 3...one that I gave Him. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I prefer not to know ahead of time that a cane will be His implement of choice...but He just can't resist telling me. On a well warmed bottom, it is a love relationship...as the first implement used...not so much. If I am going to be away a caning often sends me off, since the stripes tend to last longer than other spankings.

kdpierre: A long time ago I read a very detailed how-to on the proper delivery of a cane-stroke. The writer seemed very knowledgeable and the technique made a lot of sense in terms of how the implement can be so devastating. Since then I have NEVER seen ANYONE employ this technique and anything online shows people using the cane no differently than just "hitting someone with a stick".

Personally, I have not been formally "caned" but we do have a "switch" made by A&G that is called a "White Lightnin'" and it is absolutely cane-like and nasty. It leaves the double-track welts a cane does, but is MUCH easier to wield.

Jan: Hi Hermione, we do have a couple, I am not particularly fond of them, I reckon they can be very nasty. :(

missy: I love the cane. We have two that Sir uses - one that we bought and one that he made from himself. He uses them often with a tapping motion and builds up slowly. He has some firmer whacks in there too but I find that the steady rhythm of his cane just seems to send me off. I find it therapeutic too as it just slowly undoes me and I feel myself drifting off somewhere else. I think because he warms my skin first, I am able to take more and more as the endorphines are released so it is something that I really enjoy. He combines the hard hits with the gentler ones and that seems to work for me.

Welcome, missy!

Hislordship: Hello Hermione. We introduced the use of the cane into our D/s relationship some time ago. It has allowed us to explore greater depths of our dynamic through pain and relaxation. My sub has a high pain threshold, however, even light tapping can induce a sense of calm after a stressful day. For me, it give me an extension to my hand that allows me another aspect of control over her.
The use of the cane is not about beating the life out of the sub, it's more of a connection and communication tool. Does she get struck hard? Yes of course, however, she needs to know I'm aware of her limits, her desires and that I'm in control.

Welcome, Hislordship!

Wilma: We had two, but the rattan one broke. That leaves the *lovely* lexan. I am not a fan! I suppose it is fine if it has been used later on in a spanking. However, Barney only uses the cane for punishments, and with a mission in mind. I will add that palms and soles are NOT an area I enjoy experiencing the 'burn' either!

I must suggest to Barney this new idea of using it lightly and the 'tapping' business!

Yorkie: Oh Hermione! Canes! Canes! They fascinate me so. I have a Cane-iac 18" ever ready and my wife wields it to perfection. I have expressed to her how I would like a full length version for her to use on me.
Perhaps when money is not so tight...

Roz: I too have a love/hate relationship with the cane depending on how it is used. I can find it too intense, but when used more lightly, different story lol

Simon: I love the cane, I love the sibilant sound it makes when in use and the biting thwack when it hits bare flesh. The pain of a properly administered cane stroke is unlike that of any other implement, intense and biting and it leaves lovely marks on the bottom. That said it has to be used properly, to many people just swing away using too much force and this causes their aim to be out which can be extremely painful as the cane can strike thighs, bones and sometimes even more sensitive areas.My Mistress is expert in its use and we nearly always finish a punishment session with the cane leaving me with a very sore and welted behind.

Leigh: I was gifted with a cane by a friend, who received it from another friend who is a great lover of this particular instrument. It has been tried, in a fun way, and I have to admit it is not awful. I'm not sure I would be enamored of it should it ever be used for discipline and the good news is, it's not a worry, but for now it hangs in the closet gathering dust along with other weapons of 'arse' destruction.

Loki Darksong: I love Canes! I enjoy using them as well as having them used on me. There are several of various sizes within my collection. Three of them are Dragons. And I have my eyes set on two types to purchase from Cane-Iac in the near future.

Bonnie: My relationship with the cane continues to evolve. In my youth, I read about canings for punishment, but never gave it much thought because they weren't part of our culture here in the US.

At the dawn of the internet, I visited spanking-oriented Usenet groups where I discovered pictures of people being spanked. Among them were sets from Eastern Europe where unfortunate young women were savagely beaten bloody with canes. I wanted no part of that! For years, canes were a hard limit for me.

As time progressed, I softened my views somewhat as I met sensible women who seemed very much like me and who clearly benefited from their canings. Eventually, we purchased a short, thin, flexible cane that Randy applies with a rapid, flicking kind of motion. It seems mild at first, but progressively builds into a very effective spanking.

Finally, last year, I agreed to submit to the real article. Yes, we bought a long rattan punishment cane. Curiosity got the best of me, along with a passion for sensual exploration. Having felt its bite several times now, I can attest that the punishment cane's reputation is well earned. It's painful, especially on my bare skin. Had I been a British schoolgirl back in the day, I would have been a model student.

However, when I'm in the right frame of mind, a hard caning is just what I need. Randy sometimes likes to lay down stripes over fresh paddle burns. He combines sensations like an OTK paddle spanking with a bent over caning and corner time, presumably to maximize the intensity of the experience for me. When he finishes, I feel small and humble and submissive. The next morning, I still feel sore, but no longer stressed or overwhelmed.

I enjoy rubbing my fingers over the raised welts that the big cane produces. It's kind of a tactile reinforcement. I think, "Wow, I really got it good." And good it was. I have developed a healthy respect for the cane, but I fear it no longer.

Minelle: Hi, We've never tried a cane, not sure I want to experiment. However I never say never...at least to this type of thing! lol

Michael M: I had my first experience with the cane at primary school, on the hand and then on the bottom. Then there were more serious encounters at senior school and at home. I have had the cane many times in my FLR marriage. I enjoy the anticipation waiting for a caning and then the caning proper and I particularly savour the aftermath when you can look at the marks and be satisfied that you took your punishment as well as could be expected. I would love to go to a Mistress for a serious caning but that is unlikely to happen so I will just enjoy what my wife dishes out. Zip, zip.

Ronnie: I love the cane (that wasn't always the case) We have 5 canes. P cut one down for OTK and when he uses it in a tapping motion it can send me over the edge.

I have a healthy respect for the cane but has to be used properly and Simon's right, when it's administered correctly, a cane stroke is unlike that of any other implement.

KB: I used to be terrified of the cane. I had no personal experience with it, but for some reason I was terrified. Then she started threatening me with it in jest. I knew I had the final say. I had a friend tell me just to make sure I trusted the person and that they knew what they were going. Finally I told her I was willingly to try it but to just not tell me before because I was afraid I would back out and say no. Turns out the night she decided to try it she left it in her car and had to go get it. She didn't tell me what she was getting, just that she was getting someyhing. I of course knew right away what she was getting and had to really fight myself to not say no. But I held in there and averted it. It was really not so bad. I think that night she just caned me over my panties and then she didn't use it again for months. Then a couple of months ago she made up a game and one if the implements was a cane. She told me I could choose an alternative implement if I wanted but I decided to be brave. It wasn't so bad. I wouldn't say I love it yet but I was oddly disappointed when did forgot it the last time we played. So I guess it's growing on me.

Sir Wendel: Don’t have actual canes. We did try long sticks from trees once when we were hiking. We had sore bottoms for the rest of the day and the marks lasted a few days. It was ok but not something I would want often.

Hermione: We have a short Senior cane from Cane-iac meant for otk use, and as kdpierre said, it feels like being hit with a wooden dowel. Quite thuddy and rather painful, but probably nothing like a real rattan school cane. It isn't my implement of choice, as I much prefer leather.


Thanks everyone for your enthusiastic participation! And to all my American readers, please don't forget to vote!
From Hermione's Heart

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Spanko Brunch 2.0 #150

It's the weekend and time for another fun-filled spanko brunch.

Some people hate them, some people love them, and some are on the fence about them. What am I referring to? Why, canes of course. Often considered a rather severe implement, and not to everyone's taste, canes are very prominent in spanking literature.

How do you feel about canes? Have you ever caned someone or been caned yourself? Do you own a cane? If so, is it regularly in use? If not, would you consider trying one? Are there certain situations in which you think a cane is appropriate?


Leave your response as a comment, and I will publish a summary of our discussion once everyone has had their say.

From Hermione's Heart