saysaraelle

[saysaraelle]

reblog and put in the tags the real reason you joined tumblr no matter how horrible or embarrassing it is

[saysaraelle]

save me yoga with adriene

[saysaraelle]

Screencap study from Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968) dir. Jonathan Miller, an M. R. James adaptation which inspired the Ghost Story for Christmas series on the BBC. I love how this one turned out - I'm using a different type/weight of lokta paper and it adds a nice grainy texture to the print.

[saysaraelle]

I Hope This Letter Finds You Well

I hope this letter finds you well

I hope it finds you lingering at the edge of the sea, gazing into the endless depths, a moment before you plunge in, to join the mermaids and water nymphs and sirens and crabs and lobsters and clams.

I hope this letter finds you well

I hope it finds you at at the edge of the forest, gazing into the gathering shadows, the ribbons of moss, the will-o-wisps glittering, little motes, silent voices, promises of quiet and solitude, alone in the dark.

I hope this letter finds you well

I hope it finds you dancing gaily in the graveyard among the fog and gloom, ravens up high on branches naked in the winter, watching your cavorting and articulate -- perchance inarticulate -- movements that weave, candles aglow, ghosts aplenty, partners everywhere, soft clapping, echos of ectoplasm, at your performance.

I hope this letter finds you well

I hope it finds you at the edge of an immense sandy space where the twilight has turned off the faucet of the day's heat and you are basking in a sky of stars the likes of which I can only dream, where everything glimmers and glitters, and all before you is resplendent, you are a monarch, a dragon, on a hoard, well guarded, well loved.

I hope this letter finds you well

I hope it finds you at a desk, in a bed, on a couch, under a blanket, with a bit of warmth in a cup, and pleasant thoughts, of me or others, of yourself, of your latest book, movie, show, song.

I hope this letter finds you well

In a moment of peace

And quiet

With a heart that is full

Of the knowledge

You are loved by the many

Creatures and monsters and dark things

That awaken in twilight

Haunt at midnight

Rest at dawn.

Merrily,

I hope.

[saysaraelle]

[saysaraelle]

Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902), "Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast" (detail), 1870

[saysaraelle]

Raden Saleh (Indonesian, ca. 1811–1880), "Ships on a Stormy Sea" (details), 1840

[saysaraelle]

There's a stereotype that USAmericans tolerate very long car rides.

[saysaraelle]

tumblr

tumblr in october

[saysaraelle]

If you see this on your dashboard, reblog this, NO MATTER WHAT and all your dreams and wishes will come true.

[saysaraelle]

[saysaraelle]

Get behind me Andy!

[saysaraelle]

[saysaraelle]

Send me to Mars with party supplies before next august 5th

[saysaraelle]

Are fedoras really that bad?

YES YES THEY ARE

[saysaraelle]

I was today years old. That is disgusting.

No Child Left Behind is one of the worst things to ever be incentivized in schools. It was signed into law when I was 14. Reading Rainbow was my show as a kid. LeVar Burton played a big part in why I became an avid reader to date. The joy of it. It's an adventure around the globe and through different time periods without stepping on a plane or time machine.

Children parrot behavior. In grade school, I always wanted to read the same amount of books as my teachers (50 books) and managed to double that each year. Before No Child Left Behind, book fairs and Scholastic catalogs were a serious matter like your grandma's Fingerhut catalogs. Libraries were (and still are) a wonderland.

Reading comprehension and proficiency in schools has been declining for decades. A crisis. The joy of books isn't pushed anymore and I'm always saddened by it. It's one of the reasons why I post my book reviews and recommendations on here, as well as posts from others to encourage reading and (novel) writing. Kids will parrot your behavior while the education system sadly fails to return as that example.