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contreparry · 3 years ago

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Hey Ann <3 happy friday! “ is it over now? ”

Absolutely! Here's some young Enchanter!Trevelyan for @dadrunkwriting!

The storm raged overhead. The ocean roared outside of the windows, waves crashing into the cliffs below the apprentice tower. The spray splashed against the windows, and lightning streaked across the sky, followed by great booms of thunder.

"Are we going to fall into the sea?" one boy whispered after a particularly bright flash of lightning and loud crack of thunder rumbled ominously overhead. He curled his chubby fingers around his blanket and drew it closer around him, pale eyes wide with fear.

"No, of course not," Annalise assured him, but she glanced apprehensively at the rattling windows. It wasn't as if they were unfamiliar with winter storms, but tonight's storm was particularly bad. She couldn't remember the last time the wind howled like this, and she had lived at Ostwick since she was... five? She lived inside the Circle longer than in Kirkwall's Alienage, seven years of life as an apprentice within these walls. She felt more like an Ostwickian than a Kirkwallian, a Mage than an elf, an apprentice than anything else.

"They've forgotten about us," another boy muttered, and he glowered out the window, resentment etched into his young face. He was only a year older than her, but he came to the Circle late, much later than her, and he was always fighting and frightening the other apprentices with his talk. Where would they go, if they ran? Who would take them? How would they live? They were just children!

"They haven't, I promise," Annalise reassured the younger apprentices. "Frederick is only trying to scare you."

"I'm only telling the truth, Annalise," the boy, Frederick, scoffed. "They won't even notice we're missing until the morning, when they realize the tower was blown away in the storm." He brushed his black hair out of his eyes and returned his attention to the windows, to the storm. Annalise sighed and scooted to the edge of her small bed, then gestured towards the three younger apprentices in the room, none of them over the age of eight. Someone had to be the responsible one, the grown up, and since none of the older apprentices or the enchanters were here...

"Why don't you come here, and we can read a story. Doesn't that sound nice?" Annalise offered. Frederick snorted but ignored her, so she ignored him in turn.

"Can we read about dragons again?" another girl, Lily, piped up as she crawled out of her bed to curl up next to Annalise.

"Certainly," Annalise replied, and as the other apprentices in the tower dorm (save for Frederick) sat around her Annalise began to recite all the stories about dragons she could remember. As she told tales she worried about the storm, even as she tried to hide it. Ostwick Circle had held out against storms for ages, but this night, this storm... could it be the last? Would the ancient stones fall tonight? Would the apprentices, stuck in their high tower dormitory and isolated from the rest of the Circle, fall into the ocean and become yet another story whispered in the midnight hours? Would they become another handful of ghosts to haunt these halls? Was Frederick right? Were they forgotten?

Another great crash of thunder was accompanied by a loud knock, and the apprentices screamed in unison when the door swung inward, filling the dark room with warm light from a glowstone lantern.

"I'm sorry, darlings, I didn't mean to startle you," a warm, brassy voice announced as Enchanter Trevelyan, who taught them all potions and botany, shuffled into the room. Her dark hair, usually kept in a neat braid, hung loose like a cape over her shoulders. She was wrapped in a mustard yellow plaidweave blanket, and as she swung her lantern around Annalise caught sight of that familiar, friendly face- the round dark eyes, the slightly crooked nose, the wide grin, those swift, confident steps and bright voice- Enchanter Trevelyan came to check on them.

Annalise sighed in relief as Enchanter Trevelyan counted heads, from Annalise and the three young apprentices sitting around her to Tomas who was sleeping in his cot to Frederick by the window. Enchanter Trevelyan was here. Everything was going to be fine. An adult, an Enchanter, came to see them and they weren't going to fall into the sea! Annalise smiled up at her, and Enchanter Trevelyan smiled back.

"We Enchanters thought that it was a good night for sleeping in the library, as this storm is so rough," Enchanter Trevelyan announced. "We have a big fire in the fireplace, and some milk and snacks from the kitchen. Ser Ricard and I came up to fetch all of you." Annalise peered past her and looked into the doorway, where Ser Ricard waited, helmet off and sword sheathed at his side. Annalise couldn't remember if she ever spotted him looking so... relaxed. She was certain the old man was smiling, but then he shifted and his face fell into shadow.

"Is it over now?" Annalise asked Enchanter Trevelyan, who chuckled as she crossed the room and gently shook Tomas' shoulder.

"The storm isn't over, but it's passing. But you won't have to sleep here tonight," she promised. "So let's go! I have it on good authority that Enchanter Sean is planning to teach card games," Enchanter Trevelyan added brightly, and in no time at all they were all herded out of the frightening tower dormitory and down the stairs (even Tomas, who was fast asleep, and stubborn Frederick came along). As Annalise walked out, Enchanter Trevelyan touched her shoulder, her hand wide and warm and gentle.

"Thank you for taking care of them today, Annalise. That was very grown up of you," Enchanter Trevelyan whispered. "Go and have fun, you've earned it." She gently pushed her forward, away from the tower and down the stairs into the light. Annalise grinned as she ran down the stairs- grown up! Enchanter Trevelyan said she was grown up! As she hurried down the stairs, Annalise heard Enchanter Trevelyan speaking with Ser Ricard as they closed and locked the room behind them.

"A terrible storm indeed, Enchanter Trevelyan," Ser Ricard said. "We will see what the morning brings us."

"I thought it was bad enough in my chamber, but this... perhaps we should bring this to the Knight Commander and First Enchanter?" Enchanter Trevelyan replied. "The children shouldn't-"

"C'mon Annalise!" Lily interrupted, taking Annalise's hand and dragging her further down the stairs. "Maybe they'll have extra fruit tarts from dinner!"

Lured by the promise of warm milk, tarts, and card games that the older apprentices played, Annalise left the adult conversation behind her. She might be grown up, but she wasn't that grown up! She would worry about that tomorrow, with the morning, and tonight she would take Enchanter Trevelyan's advice and enjoy herself.

#my writing #da drunk writing circle #some random thoughts about life in Ostwick Circle before everything happened

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fericita-s · 4 years ago

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Epilogue

The end has arrived for the A Mansion House Murder!

Big thanks to all the writers of this quarantine round-robin: @jomiddlemarch, who had the idea to begin with and wrote so many good chapters, @broadwaybaggins and @sagiow who dragged us all across the finish line, and @mercurygray and @tortoisesshells for their wonderful chapters and effusive comments and @the-spaztic-fantastic for the faithful beta-ing. I think this story probably set a record on AO3 for the comments to kudos ratio. 300 comments and 20 kudos?! We are a chatty bunch. And I love it.

“Thank you, Belinda. For so much. Not just today,” Emma said from the doorway. Belinda hadn’t invited her in and Emma didn’t want to assume. She’d already assumed too much about Belinda’s desires, or discounted them completely. “I’m going to see Mother and explain about Jimmy. And Frank.”

Belinda looked to Emma’s arm looped through Henry’s, to the pale circle of white around her ring finger where a wedding ring had been. “Would you like me to go with you?”

“No, Belinda. I won’t ask that of you. I just wanted to tell you all of that myself before you hear it gossiped about.”

“Well,” said Belinda, a smile turning one corner of her mouth. “I think I’d like to see her take the news.”

“Even if she asks you for laudanum?” Emma asked, matching her smile. It was a sad thing to tell her mother that her brother was arrested, her husband dead, her sister currently in hysterics that Percival was trying to soothe with one arm while signing away the family hotel to Mrs. Morris with the other. It was sad. But the lightness and laughter kept rising in her chest and she couldn’t stop smiling over the freedom she felt and the relief that she would be leaving soon.

“I can tell her where to find it if she does,” said Belinda, reaching to the peg by the door for a shawl.

***

“It’s a fair price,” Anne said, though she knew it was a bargain. She also knew how desperate they were to sell and she knew what being desperate felt like, so she didn’t push further. Emma, at least, deserved the money and Anne was eager to send it to her. Anne had more money than she could spend and Charlotte’s idea for a school was the first thing to excite her about the future since Frederick’s death. They could scrub the blood out of the walls, purge the secrets from each closet. The Greens had done it once before. Anne was determined she and Leah and the Diggs would do it even better. Bridget too, if she could persuade her.

Percival nodded and might have shaken her hand, but his arms were currently around his wife who was crying. Anne couldn’t tell if Alice was genuinely grief-stricken and whether it was for the loss of property or the loss of life, and she didn’t much care to find out. She’d had her fill of mysteries.

***

They went to Boston before Williamstown and Mary took her shopping. In Boston, it was easy to find ready-to-wear, though Mary took her to a favorite tailor and dressmaker and insisted on some pieces made to Emma’s own measurements. They moved slowly through town, at Mary’s normal pace and Emma’s preferred one for seeing a new city. It wasn’t so different from Alexandria, not really, not until people spoke to her or their eyebrows shot up at her accent. The kid gloves were to guard against the cold more than the sun, and she’d never had nor needed a sealskin toque or fur muff. But the Yankees weren’t the fearsome lot her mother had promised they would be, practically drowning out the vows she and Henry made to one another in the Green family drawing room with a subdued Dr. Hale doing the honors.

After a wool cape and fur-trimmed pelisse that Emma bought with Henry’s money (our money he had said, pressing it into her hands that morning as he kissed her forehead), Mary bought her a silk Paisley shawl with fringe, calling it a wedding present.

“If I was really spoiling you it would be Kashmir. These are going out of fashion now what with everyone’s desperation to show off their bustles. But I find them the best way to keep warm at home, at least when Jed’s not there.” Mary pulled the shawl around Emma and fiddled with the fringe. “I hope you’ll be happy here. I know Henry wishes it too. But I know what it is to lose a husband.”

Emma put her hands in Mary’s and smiled at her friend. “I am happy. Or, I will be. I’m not sure what I am now, but it’s better than I was.”

***

He married her in Virginia but, all he had offered since then was a chaste kiss or an arm for hers to loop through as they navigated trains and carriages. Their overnight at the Foster’s home was a late night of reminiscences by the fire, mulled wine, and the steady interruptions of Johnny and Daniel and then even Elias coming to complain about the loud ruckus downstairs. When Mary finally shooed both the boys and the adults to bed with a meaningful “They’re newlyweds after all, Jed,” Emma and Henry had both hesitated when he shut the door behind them.

“You’re weary from the travel; I’ll let you - “

“Henry,” Emma said, her hands already reaching for the buttons of his waistcoat. “Don’t make me wait any longer. Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough?”

Henry closed his eyes and reached for her cheek, remembering his first touch there years ago. When he had wiped away a tear and wished he could kiss her.

“Is it that you don’t want me this way? That I’m - “

“No, Emma not that.” He opened his eyes and stepped back so he could see her clearly, reaching for her hands and squeezing. “I want you very much. So much I hardly know how to start.”

“Then let me show you, Henry,” Emma said, pushing on him gently until they were at the bed and he sat down heavily, off balance and out of breath. She nudged his knees open with her own and stood between them, her hands on his shoulders and his at her waist, leaning in to kiss him behind the ear and to whisper “I am my beloved’s and he is mine.”

***

Henry and Emma continued west to Williamstown, waving from the carriage that took them from the Foster home and promising to return soon for a visit and to write even sooner. One week later the Foster boys welcomed their much desired puppy, and one year later, a rather less desired sister. Jed’s apprehension turned to delight when Mary reached for her daughter with eager arms, bringing her to her breast and leaning back into the pillows with a laugh. “There’s two of us now. Three if you count the dog. We’ll be evenly matched soon, Mr. Foster.”

Jed washed his hands in the basin and looked at the brightness in her cheeks and the sweat on her brow, walking to her to check for fever. He kissed her forehead and then the baby’s. “Oh, I’m very happily outmatched already.”

***

Frank didn’t haunt her. But sometimes her own inaction did. Her complicity.

The cold of Williamstown was nothing to the bone-chilling terror of life in Franklin County, the shiver of fear she felt as she heard horses whinny in the dark and hooves pound the dirt as Frank and his most loyal congregants rode off to wreak whatever hateful havoc they could.

In Williamstown, Henry knew how to stoke the fire just so, and soon afterwards the Rumford fireplace in the house was replaced by a coal furnace, the intricate ironwork and decorative finials as fancy as any etched crystal her mother had been proud to show.

She did not long for her life in Virginia and it took a while before Henry’s encouragement to write letters to her mother and sister and Belinda yielded missives sent south. She hardly wrote to Mary because they visited so often - heading east for Boston meetings of the American Woman Suffrage Association with Mary and her friend Josephine Bhaer and then later to meet baby Penelope Foster.

Emma taught Sunday School and led sewing circles and an auxiliary chapter of the AWSA. She waved to Henry’s students as they walked by their house and he brought her flowers that Alice might have called weeds but Emma would not.

When Henry’s hands were on her, she never thought of Frank. The way he loosened her corset and spread his hands over her stomach and chest, pulling her to him before it was dark and he could see her best, it was uniquely Henry. He had started hesitant and unsure, but she showed him with her sighs and fingers spread across his shoulders and legs wrapped around his middle that she wanted this too, so much.

In the end, all of her new fitted dresses and smartly tailored coats that Mary helped her buy were useless by her second winter as it became clear the Reverend and Mrs. Hopkins would welcome a baby with the spring.

***

The first students at The Lou Morris School knew there were ghosts, and they knew Ms. Leah Gordon took care of them. They knew there had been a war and they knew about loss. In their beds, under clean cotton sheets, they whispered about the cries they heard in the night, the thuds and thumps and rhythmic banging. Laughter too, though only when patrons Doctor and Mrs. Hale came on their weekly tours and Mrs. Diggs walked them to an upstairs room. The children decided the ghosts liked ornate bustles and lacy flounces like Mrs. Hale wore and drew elaborate flourishes on the pictures they drew of the spirits they imagined.

But after a few years, no one spoke of ghosts, even though Ms. Gordon still sang at night to calm them and Jack and Harriet had been there the whole time and remembered. The children knew people came in different colors; the grown-ups said black and white, but to them, they were all brown and beige, with a few pink, with freckles all over their faces, like Miss Brannan. They also knew people had different skills; some spoke with words, others with their hands, and some, not at all. Some could run and jump over the fence they weren’t supposed to jump over, earning a scowl from Old Mrs. Green who seemed to always walk by when they were at play in the yard. Some could walk with some help, and others had special chairs with wheels that needed to be pushed - slowly! the teachers always said, Mrs. Morris most of all, her eyes all seeing, her tone sharp but never mean.

When the cries in the night and the thumps and thuds sounded, it wasn’t with fear that the children strained to listen. They stilled in their beds to listen for Ms. Gordon’s voice floating down the halls.

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

Nobody knows but Jesus

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

Glory, Hallelujah

#mercy street #Emmry #mansion house murder mystery #epilogue #finally!!!!#we did it! yay us!#Emma #Henry #Mary #Jed #assorted others get mentions

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valeptraglia · 4 years ago

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Battle of Calormen

Chapter 10: "More questions than answers"

I hurriedly walked through the dark halls of the castle. Lately the weather made Cair Paravel seem like a gloomy place. The sun was setting, or so I supposed as there was no sign of it in the sky, not even patches of light coming through the clouds. Just dark mantles of condensed water glided over the narnian sky. It looked like spring had turn into a storm season.

The humidity was unbearable. The floor was sticky, the walls were sticky, I was sticky. Barely livable and because of the breeze coming from the windows of the castle.

I kept walking down the halls, occasionally tripping over my long cape, I have clumsy feet. Allyri was meant to pick me up on the kitchen's back door I was invited to participate on full moon spring harvest. It was actually an herbs harvest, we were picking up herbs on the night of the first moon of the season, and I'd heard that the herbs harvested on this particular night are magical.

I think it's supposed to mean that the herbs that we collect tonight have a more concentrated essence, they will be great to use as a base in medicinal concoctions. I believe it's because we will be collecting the ones that survived the winter, therefore the strongest ones. Allyri laughed when I voiced this conclusion.

Allyri, the centaur. Who lives near a castle in a land inhabited by talking animals, humans and what I used to believe that were only mythical creatures, like Allyri, the centaur, or Bavra, the faun, or the minotaurs, or the giants, or the dwarves, dancing trees, and the list can go on and on. Did I mention that I stumbled on this land when I crossed the street going for groceries with my brother in London? A year ago?

Maybe they were magical herbs after all.

I heard hushed voices coming down the corridor and as I turned the corner I saw the emitters of the voices. Susan and Edmund. Susan was talking heatedly, I couldn´t see her face, her back was turned on me, but I could see her moving her hand frantically and I could see Edmund's astonished face.

I didn't want to interrupt what seemed a very important conversation, so I hide in the darkness of the corridor, just behind a tapestry. I hide to be found like I was eavesdropping the conversation between two monarchs. Great idea. Yep.

But although my mind kept telling me it was a very silly thing what I was doing, that I just had to keep on walking down the hall, do a little courtesy and continue on walking to the kitchen where I was being expected, my body decided otherwise. And it was often that my body decided for me let me tell you. And it didn't have extraordinary ideas as its clumsiness had attempted against my life on several occasions.

"We are not supposed to be here Edmund. We weren't coming back. This was over" Susan's anxious voice came to my ears.

Don't. Anne, don't eavesdrop, this conversation was not meant for your ears. Don't.

"But aren't you happy to be back? We are in Narnia" asked Edmund with incredulity.

I contained my breath, afraid that it would be heard in the silent corridor.

"Ask yourself this same question once this is over and you are back in your Cambridge room preparing for exams, pretending everything is normal when two days before you were a king" Susan sounded very distress . "Edmund, can't you see? This won't last, soon this will all disappear as if nothing ever happened. And at what cost? This is a war Ed, anything could go wrong, a poor shooting and someone could die".

This last sentence rumbled in my brain. A shiver went down my spine. She had just voiced what I had tried to bury in the depths of my mind a while ago.

"How can you go back from an experience so splendid as it is Narnia to England and being no one?" she questioned intently.

I poked my head, just a little from behind the tapestry. Susan's back now looked so small to me. So vulnerable and I guess Edmund saw her that way too as he held his sister in his arms in a tight embrace. I watched his face. A dim light illuminated it. His gestures were severe, but for a moment his shut his eyes tightly and the show sorrow. Just for a split second.

I hide behind the tapestry again. I was right. This moment wasn't meant for me to see or hear. I kept my eyes closed and my back glued to cold but pleasant stone wall. The rustle of their robes signaled me when they passed my tapestry in a silent walk and as I stepped on the corridor they turned the corner arm in arm, unaware of my presence.

A thunder outside made me jump, I was still standing in the dark corridor. I decided to reflect on what I have just heard when I came back. Now I had to get to Allyri.

Soon I arrived to the busy kitchen where a not very pleased centaur greets me.

"You are late" she states.

"I'm sorry Allyri" I apologized smiling hesitantly up at her.

Allyri was a beautiful female centaur. She stand tall in her brown horse legs, long upper human torso, she had a swarthy, earthy complexion and green piercing eyes which were now looking down at me, burning a hole in my face.

"You live here, how can you be late?" she asked me.

"Well-" but before I could answer, probably with a very bad lie, unless I wanted to confess that I was too busy eavesdropping a conversation between the king and queen of old, Hazel, the badger, my dear and savior friend interrupted what would be a dreadful stammer.

"Anne! Do you have your cape? Yes yes, you do" she was asking and answering herself checking me up and down with a motherly eye if I may presume. She was such a nice badger, she worked at the kitchens of the castle.

Allyri watched the exchange with a disapproval face, slight shaking her head while rolling her eyes. It always amused me to see her or the other creatures make such trivial expressions.

"Alright, let's go" she said pushing me out the door before Hazel could stuffed some food on my pouch.

Warm breeze hit my face as we walked through the garden.

"We have quite a long walk ahead of us Anne" Allyri said when we reached the long dry grasses that surrounded Cair Paravel, the trees that gave way to the forest just a few meters away.

Her long legs made it easy to walk for on the grass but I struggled hard to follow her long strides. My skirt and cape tangled in my legs, the effort was making me sweat a lot under my clothes. It reminded me of two days ago, this same situation, except for the wind and that a young king had to grab me by the waist when I fell face to the ground. I had the feeling that Allyri would only laugh if I fell.

"Where are we going?" I asked trying not to sound too agitated.

"Dancing Lawn" she simply answered.

I tried to put together what I recalled a map of Narnia looked like. It was far. I looked up at the sky. Lightnings were dancing on it.

"Yeah, we might not make it there before it starts to rain" Allyri commented looking at the sky too. "Here, grab my hand and mount on my back" she offered me her hand.

I looked at her in surprise. I have done that. A horse, yes, but mounting a centaur seemed like such a disrespectful thing to do.

"It's proper if I asked you to" she reassured me sensing my discomfort.

Hesitantly I reached for her hand and she pulled me into her back. I embraced her hips and she galloped out. She quickly reached the tree line and I hold on tight as she galloped rapidly in the woods.

She was such a beautiful and noble creature and everything that surrounded her and her people was just magical. I had already grown to love Narnia. Its kind inhabitants, majestic landscapes, culture, everything.

I sometimes thought of home, back in England, but the memories were fuzzy now, I could not remember very well. I was forgetting the meaning of things back at home, some names, the sounds of a busy street, smells, and family too. But I don't exactly feel sad. Narnia fulfilled all my needs. I felt complete here.

But then again, Susan's words made my fears resurface. We are at war here. Anything could happen and I couldn't nor wouldn't afford that. My mind went to Bill, my not so little brother who, since we arrived in Narnia, had developed such a strong character, but his gentle nature was what had me worried.

I was afraid that in a desperate attempt to help he would grab onto something that's bigger than him and that he will go down with it. He is my brother and it's hard for me to see him as a soldier. We suffered war back at home, we lost uncles, friends, and our dad lost part of him in that hell. I am not willing to lose my brother here. We are going back home together. I would make sure of it.

And this leads me to another big question, when are we going back home?

From what I've learnt in my time here the Pevensies spent fifteen years the first time they got here. Fifteen years, and that was over a thousand years ago, and they went back home to their own ages and then they came back, and then back to England, and then Lucy and Edmund came in a third time and got back to England, and now they are all here again. Back and forth through thousands of years, yet the oldest of them is twenty four.

How crazy is this? Funny thing time.

I understand that our arrival here has a purpose. But a year later I still don't know what that is, I was hoping to meet Aslan, The Great Lion, I hoped he would tell us what are we supposed to do here, because fighting a war and dying in it does not sound like a logical purpose to get us out from home. There has to be something else.

So, since we arrived I pushed myself to learn everything I could, maybe it will help me find an answer. I was lucky enough that the centaurs took me in and taught me their beliefs, it's an honor for me. And this made me welcome to the community of creatures that live here in Narnia. Beautiful souls they are.

And if we are here to fulfill a purpose, why did the Pevensies came too? Apparently they don't know either.

In my search for answers I find myself with more questions than responses.

"We are almost there" called back Allyri interrupting my unstoppable train of thought.

I looked around it was very dark now, night time, only trees surrounded us.

Soon we started hearing noises, voices talking actually. And as I dismounted Allyri in the Dancing Lawn where the other centaurs were gathering a deafening thunder rumbled across the night sky.

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rosesforshego · 4 years ago

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𝓘𝓯 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓜𝔂 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓭, 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2: ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴜɴᴏ

“August 24th, 2002 4:45 pm.

Drew hummed a familiar tune. The enticing rhythm from a song he didn’t know the lyrics to had wiggled its way into his head, implanting itself in his conscious. It penetrated his thoughts just as he had found sweet relief from the hurricane of obnoxious ideas and theories that often swam in his head. And as the repetitive melody made its departure, it had slipped past his lips in a whistle that was carried away by the wind. He hoped that he could finally say goodbye to the absurdity that was having a song stuck in his head—a song that he didn’t particularly know all too well; one that nearly infuriated him with its irritating, repetitive chorus that he could not decipher.

Why were humans cursed with the gift to recognize rhythms? Sometimes he believed that the skill was more trouble than it was worth.”

A plate of peanut butter stickies laid atop his flat palm; its warmth embraced his hand. Drew was instructed to bring himself, and only himself, but Ann should’ve known that he just couldn’t resist the enticing call from his small oven. Plus, it would have been rude of him to arrive without an offering to the Possibles—they had invited him to dinner, so he provided dessert. After seventeen years of nothing but gracious hospitality and devoted friendship, it was the least Drew could do to show his gratitude. Though, as he slid his free arm back into his car, he could only imagine the look of playful disapproval spread across Ann’s beautifully withering features. I told you to bring yourself, and only yourself, she would say. With a faded “tch”, Drew shook his head. At least he knew the boys would appreciate his gift.

The thickened skin of his fingertips struggled to grasp the slick cellphone that remained perched within the sticky cup holder. The device lit at his presence as if to offer a welcomed greeting—a greeting that took on the form of three missed calls from Kim. Grasping the electronic in his hand, he flipped the cover to find the name “KAN POSSIBLE” littered throughout his missed calls. To vex Drew’s good-nature, Ron deliberately changed Kim’s contact I.D. to “Kan”, a mixture of “Kimberly” and “Ann”. When asked about the interesting choice in letters, Ron responded with “because she Kan do anything!” Drew laughed, Kim punched her uncle’s arm, Ron flashed a toothy grin—one that he often used to express pride. Unbeknownst to either teen, Drew kept the name as a keepsake of the time they spent together.

What Drew wouldn’t give to get that time back.

His slender body emerged from the low vehicle for a second time; his rear pressed against the frame of the car as he hoisted his feet back onto the concrete below him. Uncomfortably, a damaged box of UNO cards shifted within his back pocket. So, that’s where they went. Drew nearly forgot he had shoved them into the restricting denim, a little panicked at the thought that he may have left the game on his kitchen counter. A sigh of relief was soon replaced with the sound of a pounding heart, full of eagerness. He couldn’t wait to see James’ reaction to the well-loved deck of cards—cards that, in some ways, symbolized the depths of their friendship.

A soft slam of a car door rang through the driveway, alerting the Possibles of his presence. It was the signature sound of his beat-up Sedan. Ol’ Faithful, James liked to call her. He was right. As the interior lights dimmed, Drew caught himself admiring the rusty vehicle, in all of her glory. What a short fifteen years it had been with Ol’ Faithful. From frat parties, to hospital visits, to crashing into trees during the icy months of winter, this car had seen it all.

Drew will never forget the first incident, or, what he liked to call, Ol’ Faithful’s first traumatizing experience. Drew and James, under pressure from their peers, had attended a frat party, though neither undergrad had ever committed to a fraternity, nor had they ever consumed alcohol. So, when James found himself drowning in copious amounts of beer to prove his worth to the fraternity members, Drew grabbed his friend by the collar and split before James subjected himself to alcohol poisoning. Unfortunately, for Ol’ Faithful, this didn’t stop James from vomiting into his own lap. Disgusted, Drew felt relieved knowing that he would have to clean the bile off of the car and not himself, though he guessed that Ol’ Faithful felt otherwise.

As Drew slowly crept up the driveway, he rolled his eyes at no one in particular. That was the first, and last, frat party they had ever attended.

His scrunched face, one that resembled his reaction to James’ upchuck party, softened into a delighted, tight-lipped smile as another significant memory wiggled its way back into Drew’s conscious mind; one that involved little Kan Possible.

It was an unrelenting workday. Swamped with paperwork, Drew felt chained to his desk as he suffocated under the sheer amount of single-spaced, scatter-brained, research notes that took on the form of doctorate-styled theses on intricate subject matters that Drew could not comprehend at the age of twenty-four. But, when James’ death-trap of a Hummer broke down on the side of the highway that day, a shrill call from a panicked about-to-be new father was just the excuse Drew needed to leave his pile of relentless nonsense onto the next intern in line.

Drew recalled all the times James had used Ol’ Faithful as his personal taxi service—primarily when his own car had desperately wanted to reunite with the local repairman. Although James had only ever paid Drew in the form of Chinese takeout, the rocket scientist was Drew’s favorite customer. And this day, in particular, was his favorite service to James—not because his friend had saved him from his job, but because it played an essential role in the birth of his beautiful niece.

As distracting as Ann’s ear-splitting screams were, Ol’ Faithful remained focused on ushering the loving couple to the Middleton Medical Center. And as the screams grew louder, Drew started to doubt that they were going to make it in time. Kimberly Ann was not a patient girl. She was to be born on her own accord, and if that meant in the back of an old Sedan, then so be it. Though, neither Drew nor James knew how to deliver a baby and, while Ann tried her best to coach her husband, the torment that was her contractions morphed her voice into a banshee’s shriek.

Nevertheless, that all came to an end with the soft cry of a newborn child.

Ann sighed, James wept, and Drew threw his fist up in victory, which collided with the roof of the car, cracking each of his knuckles. Ol’ Faithful may not have made it to the destination in time, but she had a new label to add to her repertoire: the birthplace of Kimberly Ann Possible. Sadly, Kim’s birth certificate simply states “Middleton Medical Center”.

Drew never thought that he would feel consolation at the sight of a hoard of nurses in scrubs whisking Ann away, but, knowing that she and his newborn niece were in good hands felt satisfying. He may not have helped James pull Kim, but Drew was content that he was able to do his part in turning this happy couple into a loving family. Though, as he turned to survey this back-seat-turned-crime-scene, he was not too thrilled at the thought of cleaning up the mess. Stains that have been long since removed from the carpet will forever be ingrained in Drew’s memory.

As Drew placed a firm foot on the porch step, he thought for a moment. All of his wildest memories with his car involved bodily fluids. The grimace returned. Gross, but not important.

The car laid silent on the asphalt. Ol’ Faithful. What an apt name.

“UNCLE!”

Synced voices startled Drew out of his daydream. A twinkle returned to his eye.

“Boys!”

His free arm extended towards the boisterous twins, but their cunning minds were a tad too quick for Drew. They evaded his capture with a wail as green fabric brushed against Drew’s fingertips. So close. Before Drew could turn and try again, Jim had planted his palms on the man’s aching back while Tim used his shoulder to thrust Drew across the threshold and into the sweet scent of lasagna that oozed from the kitchen.

Two could play at this game.

His feet firmly rooted his stature to the concrete slab beneath him, steadfast in their position as he leaned into the twins—an opposing force that was much stronger than the combined strength of Jim and Tim. With a grunt and an exasperated sigh, Tim continued to press his shoulder against his uncle to propel the man forward, but his efforts were futile—Drew was a stubborn man. With a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his lips, his playful demeanor teased the boys as they realized that their plan of attack was useless against their ruthless uncle’s immobile stance.

Drew took great pleasure in observing the twins as they attempted to solve the apparent predicament. With just one look, the boys could conduct an entire, elaborate scheme that would certainly take down the behemoth that was their Uncle Drew. This never ceased to fascinate the scientist. Their abundance of intuitive knowledge about each other often allowed for the twins to cause a copious amount of trouble, most of which went completely unnoticed by James and Ann. Unknown to himself, Drew’s smirk had steadily grown into an admirable smile. And he thought Kim was the troublemaker, but James and Ann just had to be blessed with these two boys, hadn’t they?

And what blessings they were.

Sometimes.

With an abrupt change in tactic, the two boys slammed their small bodies into Drew’s back, propelling him forward with a stumble as his toe tripped on the doorstep. The plate that once balanced upon his hand followed his body, falling forward, eager to land on the pristine wooden floor. Eyes wide, before Drew regained his composure, his opposing hand swooped in like a caped superhero and saved the stickies from their impending doom.

“Come on, Uncle Drew, we got somethin’ we wanna show you!” Jim exclaimed, a blur of red and green rushing past the man. His spine cracked as he straightened his stature.

“Yeah, you’re gonna love it!”

The last time Drew was told that he was going to love one of their experiments, the little devils burned off his eyebrows. And, while he was grateful for Kim’s offer to aid him during his time of eyebrow-less need, Drew had to settle for a crudely painted monobrow while he patiently waited for the hair to grow back. Instead of returning his features to a bit of normalcy, Kim’s masterpiece has only contributed to his “mad scientist” physique.

A chuckle. He missed the innocence that came with childhood, but he was pleased to know that the Possibles never surrendered their youthful spirit.

“I’m sure I will.”

His shoes, per routine, slipped from his feet and found themselves comfortable in the cubby with the stained label that read “Drew”.

He smiled. He was home.

With a new-found spring in his step, he followed the delectable aroma to the kitchen. Lasagna—quick, easy, fed a large family. Maybe it wasn’t the five-course meal that was to be expected from the Possibles, but as another whiff of the trailing scent left Drew longing for more, he could care less. Truthfully, Drew wasn’t sure how she made the pasta so rich and flavorful—he had the same recipe, but his attempts at Ann’s signature dish could never compete with the original. He pondered for a moment, his body following the signs of life that lead to the kitchen, and concluded that what made Ann’s lasagna so special was because Ann made it. Ann’s recipe called for tender care and compassion—the ingredients that only she possessed.

He grabbed the plate of peanut butter stickies with this other hand, firmly clutching the surface in his iron grip. Ann had her lasagna, but Drew had his stickies. No one could take that away from him.

“Hey, you!”

A quick rustle of a newspaper gave way to James, who appeared to be cozy, nestled in the corner of the breakfast nook. Behind the print sat a beaming smile of a grey-haired man. Well, greying. An argument would always ensue whenever Drew commented otherwise. James, in all of his youthful optimism, remained ignorant of his aging body.

Drew returned the gesture with an equally enthusiastic “Hey!” as he approached the kitchen counter with his plate of goodies. The scent of the stickies mingled with the savory lasagna and, as James’ eager eyes followed the plate, Drew knew that he made the right decision to put down the stack of his students’ lab reports to spend some quality time with his oven.

“I see you brought a peace offering.”

Drew pushed the plate away from his frame to where the counter and the wall connected, a place that would be out-of-reach for the devious boys.

A simper, soft as it settled into his features, expressed a sort of pleasure at James’ frivolous statement.

“I thought you might like it.”

Ann, who stood opposed to the two men, lifted her pruned fingertips from the mountain of suds that laid in the kitchen sink.

“Drew, you better not have—”

“Ann, you knew I couldn’t resist.”

A small sigh. He never listened.

“I told you to bring yourself—”

“And only myself,” he finished. Drew tilted his head in her direction, but his crystal eyes remained transfixed on James. The rocket scientist raised a brow at the biochemist, a little baffled at Drew’s abrupt demeanor, but he quickly settled back into his corner as a lively glint in his wife’s eye told him what he needed to know. Drew and Ann had the same conversation every game night, which ended with the same result—Drew doing the exact opposite of what Ann had instructed. Ann may have held a stronghold over her house, but she could never tame Drew Lipsky—the defiant, son-of-a-bitch who liked to confront Ann’s authority. His attitude challenged her morals, yet brought a sense of comfort into her loving home. A mark of a good friendship.

“And you brought your stickies.”

“Are you complaining?”

A light chuckle, “The kids won’t be, that’s for sure.”

“Then, you’re welcome.”

Drew, who relished in his victory, took a slight bow. She glared at him for a moment, her irises nearly penetrating his thick skin, but instead of berating him as she would her children, she simply shook her head, returning her attention to the dishes that piled before her. The grin that slipped past her demeanor mirrored that of her husband’s who hid his face behind the newspaper, not wanting to feed into Drew’s new sense of ego. Drew knew, though, that the print that stood as a wall between him and his best friend was a front. He couldn’t help but crack a grin as well at the foolishness of the conversation.

These two geniuses—the rocket scientist and the brain surgeon—were the first to accept the lonesome biochemist’s offer of friendship. A friendship that Drew had never taken for granted.

In his youth, Drew prided himself on what he believed to be his true calling—the bright future he held in the field of biochemistry. However, while his mother often boasted about his accomplishments throughout his undergraduate years, Drew did not feel complete. There was a piece to his life’s puzzle that remained missing and Drew was unsure of where it could be hiding. He searched tirelessly for the piece—in his academics, within his familial relationships, he even ventured into the local community, volunteering his free time, to find the satisfaction he desperately craved, but to no avail. The piece was gone.

As his pride was replaced with sorrow, Drew found himself drawn to cable T.V. as his once source of temporary entertainment. With a pillow pressed against his chest for comfort, Drew quickly found himself falling down the rabbit hole that came from his sudden-onset obsession with the television cartoon, Captain Constellation. As a means of maintaining his sanity, Drew found his mind immersed in the liberating world that the show had provided, and, as his right-brained, creative tendencies rejoiced at his reunion with his sensitive mind, Drew dove head-first into the promise that fanfiction had given him—to whisk him away from the dissatisfying life he had fallen victim to.

Despite his mother’s scorn disapproval for Drew’s new hobby, the niche fandom he had called his new home had led him to James Timothy Possible—a student in the aeronautics program who resided on campus a few dorms down from his own. The two boys spent long nights discussing theories, writing fanfiction, and contributing to the Captain Constellation fandom in their own respects. The emptiness that laid within Drew slowly lifted its burden as James filled the void with his friendship. The two men, practically inseparable, suffered through the rollercoaster of experiences—the ups, the down, the successes, and the failures—of college, together.

James’, and eventually Ann’s, friendship was the greatest gift that any omniscient being could have given Drew Lipsky and he was going to cherish it for the rest of his life.

The corner of his lip twitched into a half-smile, accentuating his singular dimple. If Drew had never sought solace in Captain Constellation, he would have missed out on all of this; the happiness that made life worth living.

He turned on his heel and leaned his waist against the edge of the granite counter, pressing the deck of cards further into his rear. With a soft gasp, Drew had nearly forgotten about his surprise. His calloused fingers quickly fished the box out of his tight back pocket, then let the cardboard slip through his digits as it transported through the air and landed on the nook’s table with a thump.

“Here.”

Startled, James carefully peered over his newspaper, only to be greeted by an old friend that he had long-since forgotten. Shoving The Examiner to the side, he carefully wrapped his fingers around the box, a few of the tears increased as the cardboard fell apart within his hands.

“And here I thought that these would never see the light of day again.”

Drew chuckled, “Neither did I.”

James fumbled with the broken box—the cardboard flap that barely secured the bent cards in place held its position for dear life. With a grunt and applied pressure, he nearly tore the box to shreds as the flap released its contents onto the table below. The rocket scientist was nearly bested by a deck of UNO cards. How embarrassing.

He shifted through the multicolored cards, his fingertips grazing the faded markings, “I thought you lost these in the move.”

“I thought so, too,” Drew mused as he crossed his arms over his chest, “I found them in a box I forgot to unpack. Figures, right?”

“You still remember how to play?”

A huff. How could he not?

“Of course, I do. I will never forget those ‘jump-in’ rules you decided to implement.”

A small chuckle resounded in the room, its origin from the sink, “Did you ever figure out how to jump-in, Drew?”

He lowered his eyes, the crystals within them gazed at the scientist who offered a knowing smirk in response, “Yeah, eventually, after your husband made the game needlessly complicated.”

“More fun that way,” James admitted, “UNO doesn’t exactly challenge our intellect.”

The crease between Drew’s eyebrows deepened briefly, “It’s not supposed to.”

A soft, lighthearted laugh escaped Ann’s honeyed lips, “You’re just mad because you always ended up with half the deck in your hand.”

James’ chuckle echoed Ann’s laughter. The two, similar to the twins, expressed synced enjoyment at Drew’s expense. He unfolded his arms and peered at his hands. How could anyone expect Drew Lipsky to hold 54 UNO cards with these tiny digits? He could barely hold the damn box. Regardless, after years of gaining more cards than he could hold, he devised a system of order that would make his involvement in the childish game a tad more efficient. Though, this often required his own corner of the room.

Drew crossed his arms once more and pressed his back further into the granite, comfortably standing his ground. Laugh all they want; tonight was going to be different.

“I promise you, that won’t happen again.”

“Oh?” James asked, his stance firm as he remained unconvinced, “I highly doubt that.”

Drew’s piercing gaze concentrated on James as his eyes squinted. Throughout college, both in undergrad and graduate school, James had been deemed the “King of UNO”—a title that Drew despised as he sat in his corner, fumbling with the obscene number of cards that continuously fell out of his hands.

That was years ago, this is now. Times have changed and there was only one way to find out if James Timothy Possible still lived up to his name.

“I’m coming for your crown, James.”

“We’ll see about that,” he responded, rather nonchalantly, obviously unperturbed by Drew’s attack. Carefully scooping the damaged cards into his hands, he shoved them back into their rightful home and threw the pack back at Drew. A slight “oof” escaped Drew’s throat as the box collided with his stomach, but, for all intents and purposes, he caught it.

James was never destined for any sport, let alone one that required throwing objects. The man had terrible aim. Then again, neither did Drew for his horrible depth perception made it nearly impossible for him to catch anything.

Their gazes immediately locked onto each other. As the deck of cards fell into the palms of Drew’s hands, the two men cracked a smile. A little victory.

But, before they could celebrate, the whirlwind of red and green made a resurgence with a device that looked vaguely rocket-ish. While the red-clad twin held the device, the green snatched the cards right out of Drew’s hands.

“UNO?” Jim asked as he held the pack towards the kitchen light and turned the box to discover new angles as if his observation could unlock the answer to the question he was about to ask, “Aren’t you a little too smart for this?”

The grimy texture of the water-damaged box was lost as Drew plucked it from Jim's fingers.

“It’s nostalgic.”

“Your uncle and I used to play UNO for hours when we were in college.”

Classic James; never surrendered the opportunity to reminisce on insignificant memories.

“Why?” Tim asked, placing the device on the breakfast table, “Isn’t that, I dunno, boring.”

“Not when your father starts to implement stupid rules,” Drew teased, his thumb snaking out from under his armpit to jab at the man who sat across from him.

“Now, didn’t we just have this conversation?” James quipped, folding his newspaper to make room for his sons’ invention.

A small snort came from the sink, one that was nearly lost within the calamity of Drew and James’ petty argument. Ann sure loved her boys.

“So,” Drew redirected his undivided attention to the strange, new device, “what’s this?”

“This—”

“Is what we wanted to show you!”

“Oh!” Drew shifted his position against the counter, alleviating tension from his lower back, “This is the thing I’m gonna love?”

Jim and Tim exchanged an incomprehensible look; a twin thing that Drew failed to understand.

“Hoo-sha!”

Unison talking. Another twin trait that fascinated the scientist.

James, a little too proud of his sons, raised his newspaper once again to conceal his smug grin. A single brow rose as Drew studied his friend’s behavior. He must have already received the twins’ spiel and James’ little smirk confirmed that this experiment had his stamp of approval.

But, did it have their mother’s?

The boys, now brimming with the excitement that they could no longer contain, opened their mouths to speak, but not a word was uttered as an intense scowl from Ann silenced the twins. This particular scowl was one that Drew knew all-too-well; the kind that Ann would pull when she worried that the structure of the house would suffer a fatality from the Jiminator. . .or was it the Timinator? Did they ever decide on a name?

“Boys, what did I say about rockets in the house?”

“Uh. . .” their shoulders rose to their ears, simultaneously, as they sheepishly responded, “Don’t have them?”

Ann raised an eyebrow as if to say keep going.

“. . . in the house.”

Satisfied, Ann returned to her dutiful work—her nimble fingers scraped food particles from old dishes that Kim had neglected to clean.

“You can show Uncle Drew your rocket after dinner.”

“But mom—”

Plate in hand, Ann swiftly twisted her torso towards the twins. She had already suffered through a long day; she was not going to put up with their needless whining. With a sharp glare and a steady frown that curled her lips into a displeased look, the twins quickly seized the rocket from the table and Tim, who often believed in “out of sight, out of mind”, hid the outspread device behind his slender back.

The twins, like Kim, came into this world with a fearsome kick—demanding to know all of the promises that the world had to offer. And, from the moment Drew caught the first glimpse of awe within their eyes, he knew that they were going to be trouble, but he also recognized that his new nephews possessed the opportunity to change the world with their need for answers to life’s questions. Most of those answers came in the form of holes in the ceiling of the Possible’s family home—answers that only sparked more questions, which led to permanent structural damage to the roof. Ann—bless her heart—knew when to control her little demons, but that didn’t stop James from placing the repairman on speed dial.

Oh, what was his name? Sander-something. Drew had met the man once many moons ago, but frequent updates from James had informed Drew that rockets in the house were not a one-time occasion and Drew, in some ways, wondered if it would be easier for everyone involved if the repairman just made himself at home in their furnished basement. The Possibles were his most frequented customer, after all.

It was a wonder that this house was still standing.

Arms unfolded as he relaxed against the counter—the tension within him withering away as his gaze remained on the boys. He remembered being their age—full of life and wonder. Instant gratification was the name of the game; nothing could wait.

A small puff of air escaped his nose and dissipated into the room. Someday they will learn the value of patience.

With a grunt, Drew pushed his body off of the counter and methodically approached the two boys, arms open wide, ready to capture them in the embrace that they had evaded earlier. The twins, who contemplated on if they should hastily dart into the next room, found themselves immobile. All their life, Jim and Tim had shown open disdain towards physical affection, which often distressed Ann who wanted to hold her babies just as she had with Kim and, as much as the Possibles had hoped that their boys would grow out of their discomfort, the two devoted parents had to come to terms with the twins’ contactless way of expressing their own, strange form of unconditional love. Drew, a highly observant man, understood this but found himself with his arms wrapped tight around the nephews that he loved with all of his heart. Their uncle was always the affectionate type, primarily expressing his endearment in the form of, what Ron would describe as, a bear hug. His bear hugs were the one form of affection the twins would accept, which delighted Drew, but irritated Ann all the same.

The boys reluctantly allowed their bodies to be encased by Drew’s lanky arms.

“I’ll take a look after we eat, I promise.”

The twins’ shared scowl quickly morphed into a satisfied, half-smile as the lingering group hug provided a new sense of comfort. They relaxed into Drew’s arms, cradled by his fond embrace as a brief moment of peace calmed the chaotic atmosphere that consumed the kitchen. Surely, the moment, which was all-too-brief for Drew’s liking, was disturbed by a twitch of Tim’s shoulders. Realization hit and the twins exchanged a look that Drew could read—one of frustration. They had fallen victim to their uncle’s charm, yet again.

Drew pulled his nephews closer to his chest, which resulted in an unfavorable response from Jim. Believing that his window for escape was closing, he and Tim furiously wriggled, dislodging themselves from their uncle’s trap with a grunt and an exasperated sigh. As Drew released his hold, he watched the twins fade into the depths of the house to put their new rocket in the garage for safe-keeping. Or, at least that’s what he hoped they were going to do. If a resounding boom were to erupt within the next few minutes, Drew would know why.

He was glad to see that things hadn’t changed.

#drakken #dr drakken #drew lipsky #drakgo #kim possible #kp fanfiction #drakgo fanfiction #if you could read my mind love #iycrmml #iycrmml update

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madmandex-blog · 5 years ago

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Dexter Family Newsletter 2019

As I reflect back on our year, I can’t help but think of Charles Dickens and his classic line…..It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…...and how appropriate it might be to summarize our 2019.

It was the age of wisdom…….as in Kelsi completing her first year in grad school at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. If you didn’t know Kelsi and listened to her talk about school, you might think she is barely passing. If I had a nickel for every time Kelsi told me something like….That final exam did not go well; I did terrible….Only for me to later find out that she got something like a 107 on the test, well then I might have a lot of nickels to jingle in my pocket. Kelsi is getting all A’s as usual and well on her way to graduating in 2020 with a Masters in Speech Pathology. She is enjoying her classes and her clinical training, and has a great supervisor who is guiding her to be gainfully employed later in 2020, most likely in a school setting. Nic is also excelling at Rockhurst and working on his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. What impresses me most about Nic and Kelsi is that they indeed have wisdom in their respective areas of study. In other words, they really seem to know their shit. Meanwhile, Kaylee Jo is now in her sophomore year in high school where she obsesses about getting good grades, which she always does. Ava Jae is in 8th grade and doing well. Don’t tell anyone, but, I consider her my smartest kid.

It was the age of foolishness…….as in Mike spending countless hours managing and competing in a mere 7 fantasy football leagues, or in Mike completing his 42nd Old Chicago World Beer Tour. Along the way, I earned a leather lettermen jacket which Kelly just today told me that I looked like my Dad when wearing it. I took that as a compliment and proudly wore it about town where people looked at me in awe, as they often do, but, I digress. Mike also became a more well-rounded drinker in 2019. You see, I was lucky to get to spend a lot of time with my eldest daughter this summer who not only got me addicted to the Crime Junkies Podcast, but also too good wine. Credit is also due to the great Tackes family for showing me the redeeming virtues of drinking wine and now even whiskey. So don’t be surprised to see me knocking back a Red Cab or sipping a bourbon in a cool sophisticated fashion. If only, I had known about these things years ago…..what might have been, or perhaps not been, like 42 beer tours.

It was the epoch of belief……..in love and marriage as Kelsi became Mrs. Nic Arnone on August 10th in what turned out be an awesome ceremony and beautiful day for the two of them. When they were both working on details like what are we having for having for dessert a couple of days before the big day, I was frankly a little worried, but, as it turns out the two of them are master wedding planners. Everything was great from the venue, to the decorations, to the caterer, to the photographer, and most importantly…..to the bartender, backed by yours truly stocking the bar. Yes, we had an awesome reception and we were so blessed to have so many of you travel all the way to Kansas City to celebrate with us! In case you weren’t able to be there, rumor has it that there is video available of Mike’s fantastic wedding toast speech. Sure, there are critics like Kaylee and Ava who will say, it wasn’t all that, but, most of those at the reception gave me high fives for my performance…at least the ones who were drinking that is. Kelsi is most happy that as a Speech Therapist that I finally learned how to pronounce her new last name. For those of you who don’t know, you need to emphasize the last “e” in Arnone as it is an Italian name. After meeting Nic��s family, I finally believe he is indeed Italian, after I had long presumed he was Norwegian or Swedish given his fair skin, blue eyed, blonde hair good looks.

It was the epoch of incredulity…….and speaking of family heritage, Mike took the Ancestry DNA test in 2019. Upon arrival of the test kit, I was in great disbelief as to how hard it actually is to fill up a one ounce test tube with saliva. Trust me, it was challenging. As it turns out, I am 59% English, 33% Irish, 3% Swedish, 3% German, and 2% Norwegian, which makes me 110% Awesome, which I didn’t need a DNA test to know. So far, it is incredulous that I have not found any long lost rich relatives who want to connect with me, but, I will keep the hope. Speaking of incredulous, Ava will be in high school next year, while Kaylee will have her Driver’s License in as few as 17 more days! I for one can’t believe we all survived her driver’s training, which started in local parking lots and proceeded to hairpin turns, around tight corners, at the speed of light. Only A.J. Foyt could have pulled off some of the harrowing driving miracles that I witnessed at times this summer! But, we all survived, and with no dents in our vehicles! I joke (sort of); Kaylee is actually a very good driver and was even told that she best driver in her Driver’s Ed class. So you can feel safe when you see her drive by you in her 2007 BMW, which Drew gave to her as a Christmas present to her shrieking delight. This is now the 2nd time Drew has given a car to one of his sisters. I can only hope that he has another one to hand down to Ava in a few years. The good news for Ava is that Drew has said that his next car will be a Tesla.

Even more incredulous is that a once self-proclaimed liberal, who once carved a pumpkin in the likeness of then candidate Barack Obama is morphing into a conservative right before our very eyes. Yes, people are in a state of disbelief over these developments. While he does not yet host a show on Fox News, many have looked in disbelief at Mike as he shares his theories on the likes of capital punishment. Not to mention, the poor teachers of Dunlap who look to their email boxes in fear that they might receive another long diatribe from Mike on what is wrong with our educational system. Don’t worry, Mike still has a few liberal ideas and is still proud of President Obama. But, might we see a Trump carved pumpkin on Mike’s doorstep in 2020?

As a final point on incredulity, I bet you can’t believe how long this newsletter is as I can’t believe you are still reading it. Don’t worry, more good stuff is coming.

It was the season of light……for Nic and Kelsi who enjoyed an awesome honeymoon trip to Disney and the bright beaches of Ft. Lauderdale. Kelly and Ava also traveled to sunny Florida, with stops at Disney and the beaches of Tampa-St. Pete, while attending Ava’s Starquest World Dance Finals in Orlando. Ava and her dance teammates at MLSD continued to shine on the dance floor, while bringing home lots of trophies along the way. Ava and her DMS POMS teammates also brought home a trophy from the State Finals this year in the Jr. High Division. Ava is again on the DMS POMS team and also spending lots of time at the MLSD dance studio. We can’t wait to see her compete again in 2020, which will include her first ever solo performance. And, her latest dance project involves trying to teach her Dad how to dance in Tik Tok videos with her! These will surely go viral. Meanwhile, Ava is still Ava….always energetic, always wanting to do something, always wanting Starbucks, and always, always asking me for something or to do something. She is my constant season of light. In fact, I sometimes think of Ava as Carol Anne like from the Poltergeist movie. You see she has a life force that is hard to match and keeps me smiling, cursing, smiling, yelling smiling and speaking of yelling….. Kelly might occasionally yell at Ava (as she is this very minute!) and/or Kaylee for their continued inability and/or unwillingness to do seemingly simple things like throw a wrapper in the actual garbage can, maintain a room where you can actually see the floor, etc. Kelly is still Kelly, the straw that stirs our drink, the one who tries to keep us in check, and the one we, including our dogs can all rely on. Kelly continues to work with awesome kids, who happen to have a few special needs, at Dunlap Middle School. I likely have said this before, but, they, like us, are lucky to have her.

The season of light was also in full effect for Drew in 2019. Like most people do, he took a month vacation, this time in sunny South Africa, where he did things like go on a safari, dive into the ocean in a shark cage to see a Great White, see the great water falls of Victoria Falls, hang out in the desert of Namibia, and lounge on the beaches and climb the mountains of Cape Town. He also spent a month in Manhattan for work. Drew lives in the River North area of Chicago, where we all enjoy visiting him. Thanksgiving in Chicago was a highlight. In January, Drew has plans to visit Vietnam for a few weeks and make a stop at Boracay in the Philippines. Yes, it sucks to be Drew. He will also have extended work assignments in Boston and Washington, D.C., so stay tuned to his social media pages for amazing photographs and drone videos to document his journeys.

It was the season of darkness…….for both Mike and Kaylee, who unlike the rest of the family did not feel the sand under their toes of the warm sunshine upon their faces. The longest trip these two took in 2019 was to Rochester, Minnesota, in the midst of winter, to attend Kaylee’s Speedo Sectional Championship Meet. Despite the cold and snow, we both had fun. And in the hopes of coming out of the darkness, I admit to the world (and mostly Kelly) that I received a speeding ticket on the way home, while dodging potholes and trying to stay interested while driving the monotonous roadways of the northland. This has been a secret that only Kaylee and I have shared, with Kaylee often smiling and blurting out a whoo-whoo-police siren like sound anytime she felt it necessary to seek favor with me, while in the presence of my wife. So, Kelly, my beautiful, loving, forgiving wife, now you know and Kaylee, you have nothing to hold over my head any longer, at least for the time being.

It was the spring of hope…….for Kaylee and her commitment to the sport of swimming. She continues to love the sport, and work hard, and has renewed resolve to achieve her goals. She has a group of great friends on the team and is driven by Jersey Mike, her new coach, who yours truly worked hard to recruit to Peoria, along with the rest of it was the PAWW team. Kaylee made a tough decision to forgo her high school swim season in favor of making a greater training commitment. I was proud of her resolve in making this decision and remain proud of her in all aspects of what she does, and who she is, with the great exception of her sense of what a clean room is J.

It was the winter of despair…….as Kelly and Mike look around their house and dream of home improvements in 2020, while still wondering how we can pay for things like dance classes, swimming, and college. Kelly and Mike did close out the year by replacing our 20 year old kitchen appliances. Back to those kids who can’t seem to hit the broad side of a barn with a wrapper, let alone a waste basket, we purchased a fancy new waste can in a last ditch effort to solve the problem. The new stainless steel trash can is our new pride and joy and opens automatically at the wave of the hand. While enjoying all this new technology, our dryer just went out, so back to Sherman’s we go! Speaking of technology, Kelly and Mike finished the year with a fun night in Chicago where a true life robot delivered “forgotten toothbrushes” to our room. In addition to home improvements in the New Year, more resolutions for Mike include meditation, yoga, and drinking more wine (but only the good stuff). I think all three of these can likely be done at the same time.

Yes, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times….Like all families, we had some challenges to deal with, but those were far outweighed by many blessings. I am very lucky to have an awesome wife, four awesome kids and new son-in-law, our two awesome dogs Tahyo and Isla, along with our awesome family and friends. We have had a wonderful Christmas as a family and look forward to a great 2020! Thank you and Merry New Year to you all! May God bless you in new ways in the New Year!

P.S. – I consider this a living document in that I will likely be asked to edit for omissions, inaccuracies, offenses to my beloved family members, or over the likely fact that I wrote some of the same exact words last year.

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celtfather · 2 years ago

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Top 5 Christmas Traditions, Anne Roos Christmas Story

Winter’s Eve is a wee bit away, but Anne Roos has a tune to get you in the holiday mood on the Celtic Christmas Podcast. What are your Top 5 Christmas traditions? Subscribe at CelticChristmasPodcast.com.

WELCOME TO THE CELTIC CHRISTMAS PODCAST

I am Marc Gunn. I am a musician and podcaster. We are promoting Celtic culture through Christmas cheer.

If you want to get your music on the show, email me celticpodcast.

Punching through the walls of tradition, The McDades' Celtic-rooted music fuses the spontaneity of jazz improvisation and infectious global rhythms. The Juno Award Winners' cutting edge sound is the perfect complement to their fiery performances.

0:48 - Terry McDade & The McDades "The First Noel" from Winter Rose

3:26 - INTRO - Jennifer Licko

The award-winning music of Jennifer Licko is influenced by stories, melodies, and instruments from the Carolinas and the ancient Scots who settled the cape fear region. As a vocalist, her message through song is delivered through both traditional Celtic music and original compositions that help deliver the story of who we are today because of our deep-rooted Celtic heritage.

She has several Celtic Christmas concerts scheduled in December in North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition to her Christmas album, she also has a Christmas bundle you should check out. She’s been a part of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast since 2008.

4:09 - Jennifer Licko "The Holly and The Ivy" from The Lights Of Christmas

7:48 - THANK YOU CHRISTMAS PATRONS

The Celtic Christmas Podcast is brought to you by the kindness of Celtic Christmas fans on Patreon. Your generosity funds the creation, promotion, and production of the show.

Thanks to our Christmas Song Hengers: Joe H, Hank W, robert k, Trevor T, Jan C

Thanks to our Christmas Producer: Carol Baril

Join others to spread Christmas Cheer! Sign up for as little as $1 per episode on Patreon.

A fan of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast recommended I reach out to The Chivalrous Crickets. They explore the roots, branches, and crossroads of Celtic, English, and American folk music. With equal attention to engaging performances and academic rigor, they bring to the stage boldly reimagined arrangements of standards and original songs with traditional influence. Their first full-length album was a Christmas album released last year.

8:50 - The Chivalrous Crickets "Rise Up Shepherd - Bright Morning Stars" from A Chivalrous Cricketmas

13:40 - MY TOP 5 CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS?

Nuts

Kids opening Presents

Lamb dinner

Decorating the Christmas tree

Listening to Christmas music

Canadian born musician Susan Toman is a Celtic harpist, harpsichordist, and pianist who has gained widespread recognition as a performer, teacher, and recording artist. She performs as a soloist and in ensembles for concerts, weddings and special events. Susan teaches music in her home studio in Ottawa, Ontario, and is also available for online lessons. She has a Christmas concert scheduled for December 10th in Ottawa, Canada.

15:30 - Susan Toman "Silent Night" from Angels on High

18:14 - INTRO – Spoil The Dance

Spoil The Dance hail from N.E. Derbys. They play traditional and contemporary songs and tunes of a mostly Scots/Irish nature. Their Bandcamp page says all profits from gigs and album sales are donated to local charities. They have a brand new single.

18:38 - Spoil the Dance "Noel Nouvelet (Sing We Now Of Christmas)" from Noel Nouvelet (Sing We Now Of Christmas)

22:37 - CELTIC CHRISTMAS SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: Fun Christmas Songs for Kids and Families

Marc Gunn is a Rhythm & Folk songwriter who fuses Irish and Scottish folk songs with pop culture. His musical weapon of choice is the autoharp. He breathes Rock and Roll into this folk instrument and adds a bellowing taste of rhythm & blues.

23:35 - Marc Gunn "Frosty the Irish Snowman" from Celtic Christmas Greetings

26:40 - INTRO – Steel Clover

Steel Clover, (also known as Sue Borowski), is a Celtic singer, songwriter and recording artist from the historic steel town of Homestead, Pittsburgh, PA. Sue has been in the Celtic scene for almost a decade and has been playing music in some very interesting venues. She is a multi-instrumentalist and continues to study Irish and Scottish fiddling.

27:05 - Steel Clover "Winter Wonder Day" from Season Of Love

30:24 - HOLIDAY FEATURE: ANNE ROOS & DAVID BLONSKI

Harpist Anne Roos is a Grammy Award-winning harper. David Blonski in a new age Flutist of old world and folk melodies. Together you can relish the playful dancing between Anne’s Celtic harp and David’s silver flute in traditional tunes that echo the spirit of the fall, winter, and holidays. Their brand new Christmas album is called A Winter’s Dance. Joyfully enter another place and time, dance with the snowflakes, and immerse yourself in these delightful instrumentals!

Anne Roos has been a part of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast since 2008. She is a brilliant harper. She will tell you a little more about her tune.

32:55 - Anne Roos & David Blonski “Winter’s Eve Aire” from A Winter’s Dance

You can find out more about the album on Anne Roos’ website at harpistanneroos.com.

37:05 - WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CELTIC CHRISTMAS SONG?

Patrons of Celtic Christmas Podcast can Cast Your Vote for Your Favorite Track in each episode. In a moment, I’ll tell you which tune won last time.

But before I do, please add all of your favorite songs to your own holiday playlist. Or even better, support the artist by buying their music or joining their mailing list.

It’s time to announce the most-popular Celtic Christmas track in the last episode. The winner was…

Galway-based We Banjo 3 has one foot in Irish music and one foot in Americana music, seamlessly combining the virtuosity and precision in each genre’s traditional disciplines with the artful song-craft and infectious live performance of today’s musical landscape.

38:14 - We Banjo 3 "Joy to the World" from A Winter Wonderful

You have just two weeks to vote for your favorite track. Become a patron and cast your vote. While you’re there, let me know if there’s a Celtic Christmas song or tune that I should add to the next episode of the show.

41:02 - CLOSING

Celtic Christmas Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs.

Subscribe through your favorite podcatcher or on our website where you can become a Christmas Patron for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through Christmas music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. Nollaig Shona Daoibh!

#celticchristmas #celticchristmasmusic

Check out this episode!

#Celtic christmas #christmas music #celtic christmas music #irish christmas #irish christmas music #scottish christmas #irish celtic music #celtic music #irish music #scottish music

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naturecpw · 2 years ago

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🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷

The Magic of Hydrangeas Aug 7, 2022 The big, bountiful blooms known as hydrangeas are abundant on Cape Cod, and available in hundreds of varieties. Correspondent Mo Rocca tiptoes through the hydrangeas, and talks with aficionados to learn the secrets for growing these showy summer shrubs. (This story was originally broadcast August 8, 2021.) 👇 👇 https://www.youtube.com/embed/x2RPVDOiu-o

👇 👇 https://youtu.be/x2RPVDOiu-o 🌷 "CBS Sunday Morning" features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and achievements. Check local listings for CBS Sunday Morning broadcast times. 🌷 Comments 🌷 Oh my goodness! I am a Hydrangja lover. I didn't know they came in so many varieties. Beautiful. Now I have a good reason to go go visit Cape Cod. 🌷 When I lived in California they were abundant, but in Arizona they are few and far between. I never realized the PH of the soil had anything to do with the colors. 😊 🌷 My grandparents had hydrangeas in their backyard in the shade of a large oak tree. When I was little I thought they were popcorn balls. Then, I saw them on our trip to Washington State and they were so beautiful. These types of videos are great! 🌷 Sao Miguel, one of the nine Portuguese Islands of the Azorean archipelago, is the home of one of the world's largest displays of naturally grown hydrangeas. They bloom everywhere on the island, from mid-July into August, and provide the eye with one of the most spectacular sights of magic, beauty and joy I have ever seen. I am certain that the early Azorean immigrants to Cape Cod, longing for the ephemeral beauty of their island paradise, are responsible for turning the Cape and Islands into the glorious summer dream we are privileged to see today. 🌷 I love these because they make for easy beautiful gardening. Even when not in bloom the leaves are beautiful and block the light from the soil under them rendering weeding virtually unnecessary. 🌷 I love them, they smell so sweet and are so pretty. The colors are so gorgeous and vibrant they make summertime so wonderful.❤️ 🌷 I live in Asturias, Spain. If you want to see the most beautiful and biggest hydrangeas come visit. The climate is temperate and wet. There are also beautiful calla lilies here too. 🌷 If you want to add color to any area around your house Hydrangea can’t be beat. Now do a special on Hibiscus. 🌷 Que bello es la Naturaleza 🥰🥰🥰🌺🌹🌷

🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷

Wildflower season puts Colorado beauty on display in Crested Butte It's wildflower season in Colorado and there's nowhere better to see them than the area around Crested Butte. 9NEWS Anne Herbst takes us hiking. https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSGO3m2VI-o

youtube

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Going Wild over Wildflowers Jul 31, 2022 For many people Crested Butte, Colorado is a winter wonderland, but during the summers, there's another spectacular site that has people heading for the hills: wonderous wildflowers. The blooms are so celebrated here, there's even an annual festival. Mo Rocca visits this former mining town to learn why it's the "wildflower capital" of Colorado.

Comments 🌷 While it was lightly touched on in reference to the bees, this area and many others, are magical in their seasonal migrations. I could almost tell you the day without a calendar on birds, butterflies and blooms on my ranch farther south. Not as colorful but will always bring me peace. 🌷 So beautiful - Glad they have a no picking rule - Let the flowers live 💐 🌷 I now live in Argentina because my family lives here however I am so thankful I can still watch CBS Sunday Morning and many other stations. Beautiful flowers very healing for such a time as this. 🌷 I was just in Colorado last week and marveled at all the wildflowers. This segment was spectacular! I got to enjoy even more than what I saw in person. Crested Butte is on my list for next year’s travels. Thank you. 👍 🌷 Dandelions are one of the first to flower! And because of that it is is very important for bees. Dandelions fill that empty space in time where it’s warm enough for bees to fly, but there’s very few flowers. Weeds grow first in spring and bloom first, and keep blooming! Try planting a set of 3 in your garden 🌹🤗

🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷

Nurturing the Magic of Hydrangeas he big, bountiful blooms known as hydrangeas are abundant on Cape Cod, and available in hundreds of varieties. Correspondent Mo Rocca tiptoes through the hydrangeas, and talks with aficionados to learn the secrets to growing these showy summer shrubs. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ln67TY0qd0A

youtube

💙🪴💙 🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷🌺🌹🌷

youtube

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#Youtube #Hydrangeas

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our-rohny-blog · 3 years ago

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Which are the Best Winter Coats for women to wear in 2021 winter?

To make your winter season stylish and chic looking it’s time to wear some of the classy looking winter coats right now. As soon as the winter season do arrives one of the favorite options of clothing among the women is always the winter coats. It does add the women personality to be elegant and much fashionable trendy looking for others. Let's share the top and stylish winter coats 2021 for women right here right now!

Dare2b Fulfilled Best Down Parka Jacket:

This jacket or the winter coat would be helping you at the best to stay back as warm and cozy in the winter season. It is being all stitched with the premium quality of the linen and yet with the water repellant exterior.

It has been made by Dare2b all along with the quilted parka is filled with 80% duck down, 20% feathers, and made of 100% anti-rip nylon. It is light in weight to wear around all the time!

Craghoppers Eada Stylish Hooded Jacket:

These women jackets are all about the soft shell made that is all made with the frigid winter in mind. This winter coat clothing is windproof and insulated with a high-loft fleece lining. The exterior is made all through the use of an aqua dry membrane.

You will even be finding it all encountered with the Craghoppers' dual layer fused technology. It is durable and comes with the classic black color. You can get it at the reasonable cost.

White Sierra Women's St. Helen's Vest:

Next on our list, we would be bringing out the amazing option of White Sierra Women's St. Helen's Vest! This winter coat is perfect to keep you warm and cozy throughout the whole winter season. You will be finding it all paired with the sweater or thermal shirt, all along with the polyfil insulated vest. You can get it mostly in the solid colors.

Anne Klein Women's Classic Double-Breasted Coat:

Anne Klein Women's Classic Double-Breasted Coat is standing on the 4th spot of our list! This winter coat is so versatile looking that is being classic set with the coat formation work.

It is simply timeless looking with the coverage of the slant pockets and also the oversized notched lapels with a princess seaming. You would be getting it in the colors of camel, red, charcoal or black.

Taiycyxgan Women's Batwing Cape Wool Poncho Jacket Warm Cloak Coat:

Taiycyxgan Women's Batwing Cape Wool Poncho Jacket Warm Cloak Coat is one of the most top demanding winter coats for winter 2021 for women. It is stylish looking and at the same time comfortable to wear around too. It is soft and will look classy as it will be paired along with the boots. You can choose it in three classic colors including with black, grey and beige.

Noroze Women's Check Hood Coat:

This is such an awesome designed winter coat for you ladies out there! It would look flattering on all types of body shapes as it does involve the slimming belt waist. You will be finding it to be accessible in the array of classic neutral colors. It is stitched with the use of durable polyester/cotton blend. This denim jacket or hood is detachable and adds additional flare with its checkered pattern.

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grgdoorfix · 4 years ago

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7 Cape Ann Artisan Studios Host First Ever Summer Mini Tours

New Post has been published on https://grgdoorfix.com/7-cape-ann-artisan-studios-host-first-ever-summer-mini-tours/

7 Cape Ann Artisan Studios Host First Ever Summer Mini Tours

The Cape Ann Artisans sorely missed the opportunity to open up their studios in the spring, so they’ve introduced a new twist for the summer months. Instead of a full weekend tour, a sub-set of the full group will open their studios for one Saturday in July and one in August.

The participating artists include David Archibald, Cynthia Curtis, and Erin O’Sullivan & Scott Place (Twin Lights Studios) representing the ceramic arts. They are joined by painter Jillian Demeri, sea glass jeweler Jacqueline Ganim-DeFalco, glass artist Beth Williams, and Pamela Stratton Mosaics. The group has self-selected based on their ability to use outdoor spaces and welcome visitors safely.

The Cape Ann Artisans have been discussing all possible ways to welcome our friends, family, neighbors, and visitors safely after a long winter of making new artwork. We are thrilled to now be creative in the use of our combined indoor and outdoor spaces to make visitors feel comfortable and to enjoy the exquisite gardens and views of Cape Ann. Cynthia Curtis will open up an entire end of her gallery to the outside thanks to a newly installed garage door. Jacqueline Ganim-DeFalco will expand into her lower barn space and set up tables to sit outside and enjoy the garden. David Archibald’s luscious garden will be in full bloom.

Visitors can easily group the tour into geographic proximity by visiting the Gloucester artists and Rockport artists in sequence by neighborhood from East…

Check out more articles:

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worstjourney · 7 years ago

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Bernard Cartmell Day, Motor Engineer

Bernard Day was born in Wymondham, Leicestershire, in 1884, and as his father was a successful architect and engineer, it's little surprise that Bernard ended up working at the forefront of early automobile design at the Arrol-Johnston motor company. It was in that capacity that he first went to the Antarctic, tending the Arrol-Johnston car that Shackleton took on the Nimrod Expedition in 1907-9.

The car – built to a familiar model, four wheels and all – proved to be unsuitable for travelling anywhere but the hard level sea ice, but Scott was convinced that motorised transport was the future for Antarctic travel, and was developing some more heavy-duty vehicles in the shape of caterpillar-tread tractors. These would come to be known as the “motor sledges.”

Scott's partner in this development was the engineer from the Discovery Expedition, Reginald Skelton, but Teddy Evans connived to get Skelton excluded from the Terra Nova Expedition, citing questions of seniority. So back came Day, this time in charge of the experimental technology.

That wasn't all he did, though – he devised and installed the hut's combined heating/ventilation system, and set up the acetylene plant and piping which would provide light through the months of winter darkness. Aside from that he was a dependable resource for any bit of cunning artifice that needed making or mending, and adapting existing equipment to new purposes, such as turning one of the meteorologist's engines into a lathe. He also devised a “go-cart” out of a simple chassis with four bicycle wheels attached, which was used for carting loads over the sea ice, and bringing treats back from the Nimrod hut at Cape Royds, just north of Cape Evans.

As the first winter faded into spring, Day's attention was brought back to his main charge, and the motor sledges were dug out from their snowdrift and got, with some work, into something approaching a workable state. Day and Scott seem to have been on opposite ends of the spectrum of optimism for their success:

June 19th, 1911 To-night Day has given us a lecture on his motor sledge. He seems very hopeful of success, but I fear is rather more sanguine in temperament than his sledge is reliable in action. I wish I could have more confidence in his preparations, as he is certainly a delightful companion.

September 10th, 1911 ... my own view [as to the motors] is the most cautious one held in our party. Day is quite convinced he will go a long way and is prepared to accept much heavier weights than I have given him …

In the end, Scott turned out to be closer to the truth, and his decision not to rely on them in his plans was a wise one. The motors showed great promise, but it was hard to keep the right balance of temperature for their air-cooled engines neither to freeze nor overheat, and without a fully-equipped workshop or access to new supplies, repairs and redesigns could only go so far. Nevertheless, after a couple of false starts, the Motor Party – Day, Hooper, and Lashly, with Teddy in command – took off in advance of the main party and hauled a large amount of supplies 50 miles down the southern road. Once the motors finally died, the men dragged the remainder themselves to the appointed meeting place south of One Ton, and depoted them under an enormous cairn they named Mt Hooper. When the main party caught up with them, Scott sent Day and Hooper back to base, taking Teddy and Lashly on for the polar journey.

With the motor sledges played out, Day returned to civilisation with the ship when she visited base in early 1912. He appears not to have got much farther than Australia, as he married Anne Womersley in New South Wales in 1913, and more or less disappears from the record – he and Mrs Day turn up on a London-to-Freemantle ship in the 1930s, and at some point he donated his Antarctic photo album to the Discovery museum, but the rest of the time they appear to have been quietly ensconced in Lane Cove, Sydney. Here's a confusing thing, though: most sources say he died in 1934 – one even goes so far as to say it was, ironically, in a street accident – but no record of such event turns up then; however, there is a funeral notice for a Bernard Cartmell Day in a Brisbane paper in 1952. As it can't be that common a name I can only assume it's the same person, but how he filled all those decades is, as yet, a mystery to me …

Drawing him was a similar grapple with vagueness – he seems to have a different face for indoors and outdoors, to start with, and nothing to hang your hat on, caricature-wise. After the initial grasping at straws, I decided to try leaning the photographic record against how he's described by others: He's most explicitly referred to as “gaunt”, and Atch records he was nicknamed “The Bifurcated Rivet” as he used a lot of them and resembled them in physique. Partway through I had second thoughts and tried the old medium-switching trick; I think I ended up more or less where I started but I feel better about it, and on the last page I got one of those magic drawings that seemed to draw itself and deflect all attempts to ruin it, so it was worth the trouble, I think!

Even more thanks than usual to Expedition Genealogist Andy Airriess, whose diligent searching and record-fu has literally doubled my knowledge of Day's non-Antarctic life. Huzzah for the Internet!

#bernard day #bernard cartmell day #b.c. day #motor sledges #terra nova expedition #scott expedition #characters #character design

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brb-screaming-over-amphibia · 2 years ago

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Rules: tag 9 people you want to get to know better! this is free for anyone to do though! Tagging: @cowcowwow and @phoenyxx-embers !

Tagged by: @mell0bee !! Though it’s more of an open tag haha

Favorite time of year: Fall and Spring!! Also Winter too tho lol My favorite kinda weather is when there’s a soft cool breeze and its moderately sunny ;;; it’s just the best feeling

Comfort food: HMMMM noodles and rice i think just like,,,in general (im picky about how soft they must be cooked though, i HATE soggy noodles and rice XP )

Do you collect something: oh man i collect a lot haha (though i keep losing things F) okay HERE I GO -lps (i think i have about 400 in total, counting replicas and ones i’ve owned at some point but later lost) -magnetic bookmarks (I LOVE THEM) -art supplies and stationary -plushies (me and my sis have about 50+) -Cinnamoroll merch (HES JUST,,,SO CUTE,,,,SOB) -flower crowns -KOTLC books (since they’re hard to get a hold off from the library) -clip studio custom brushes lol -fandom merch (official books, zines, pins, stickers, etc)

Favorite drink: OOOOO I love passion fruit green tea!!! Milk teas are great too! Italian soda THO ,,,,i have many favorite drinks lol

Favorite song: oh MAN i have TOO MANY HELP I think Technicolor Beat by Oh Wonder will always be my absolute favorite though!

Current favorite song: OOO I just rediscovered a song I wasn’t able to find the name of until my friends helped me!!! There’s a cover of it which I honestly love more than the original so I’ll link it haha Lost In Japan - Shawn Mendes Acoustic Guitar Cover

Favorite fic: HAVE U GUYS READ BEE’S FICS??? BC THEY ARE AMAZING Here are my favorites from them!!! I just adore the way they write introspection and dialogue and AAAAAAA its all so good ---

all is fair in love and war (but i can't fight with you anymore)

“Anne bows and offers Sasha her hand. “Care to dance, Waybright?”

“I’ve only been waiting all night, Boonchuy.” Sasha takes her hand, and wraps the other around her waist, swiftly whisking her off to the dance floor. Ah. So this is happening. Anne puts her free arm on Sasha’s shoulder. “Surely you have better things to do than wait around.” “For you? Never.”

the truth became a tool that i held in my hand (and i wielded it but did not understand)

“He saw us. In his mind. That was him . He saw you .” He lets it all spill out onto his face: the terror, the anger. “He knows where the Owl Lady lives. He wants me dead, Luz. You saw what happened to–”

Oh. And he’s back there again, counting masks and all the times his uncle has killed him, again and again and again, and Luz is holding his arm as his eyes flicker between the portraits showing how he died , fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen – Luz pulls on his arm, and he’s sitting on the forest floor again. She wasn’t– never mind. “It’s okay,” she says, “I know.” “You know,” he repeats, and he pictures a certain human’s cape, hanging on the corner of her portrait, owl staff leaning against the painting next to hers. He takes a deep breath in. “He wants me dead. I can’t let him kill you, too.” He looks her in the eye. “I can’t stay with you.”

after (orange eyes)

The new house isn’t near a city. The new house isn’t near anything . The nearest city is two hours away. Her parents drove her to the convenience store, right by the laundromat and the recycling center. The kids come here to hang out after school, they told her. It’s just as fun as the city.

Marcy bought mint gum at the convenience store. She always loved mint. It tastes like summer, of Anne’s back garden, of staying up too late and trying to make each other laugh so hard they choked on their gum. Of sneaking down to the kitchen and stealing all the ice cream, and eating the whole pint in the dim, blue lighting of the TV. Now it just tastes like toothpaste. (She spat it out).

Rules: tag 9 people you want to get to know better (but i am lazy so this is an open tag lol)

Tagged by: thanks @zealousvalkyrie :D pls ignore the fact that im like 2 days late

Favorite time of year: spring! anywhere from 60-75 F is ideal weather for me, sadly it lasts like 2 weeks where i live before shooting up into the 80s rip

Comfort food: honestly the amount of dark chocolate i go through per week is slightly concerning. idk how i would survive without it. but as for FOOD food probably just pasta with tomato sauce lol

Do you collect something: when i was a kid/preteen i collected: food/animal shaped erasers, rocks, shells, and weirdly zelda manga for a bit. if i collect anything rn it's dice. i counted and i own 13 sets plus a lot of random d6s and d20s. which imo is very reasonable for 3 and a half years of playing. but not according to my family lol (though my brother used to collect brand sneakers which is a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE HOBBY than collecting dice i am JUST SAYING, MOM)

Favorite drink: honestly i pretty much exclusively drink water because i dehydrate extremely easily and i can SOMETIMES handle either lemonade or ice tea and i definitely prefer ice tea of the two so let's go with that

Favorite song: arrow by half•alive!!!

Current favorite song: oooooooof probablyyyyyyy wait a minute by arlie, ive been playing it on repeat

Favorite fic: uuuuuuuuh i have no idea lol but if u are into amphibia and wanna cry u should read the coming home series by xSugaritos aka my friend @brb-screaming-over-amphibia, im having trouble embedding it so ill put the link below

#ALSO THANK U BEE FOR RECCOMENDING MY FIC......BRO #QWQ #IT MEANS A LOT TO ME #also guys PLS READ BEE'S FICS they are just amazing #my stuff #tagged #fav

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emilynckh · 4 years ago

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treasure at tampines price

Gloucester is known throughout the world as one of America's oldest fishing ports. Located thirty miles north of Boston, Gloucester boasts an historic harbor and a seafaring tradition that was most recently highlighted by the film "The Perfect Storm."

No summertime visit to Gloucester would be complete without an afternoon at Good Harbor Beach. This half-mile crescent beach provides the perfect setting for swimming, surfing, or just lying on the sand and getting some sun.

Good Harbor Beach is easy to find. When driving north on Route 128, simply cross the bridge into Gloucester, and go straight through two rotaries. After the second rotary you'll descend a hill to a set of lights. Take a left, then a right on Barn Lane. You'll see the Atlantic Ocean straight ahead of you, and at the bottom of the hill take a left onto Atlantic Road. The parking lot to Good Harbor Beach is a quarter-mile on your right.

Parking will cost you $20 for the day if you're from out of town. The lot is spacious and it's just a short walk over the pathways through the dune grass to the beach. Snacks and restroom facilities are available at the city-operated concession stand. located between the beach and the parking lot. Be forewarned-Gloucester has a "carry-in, carry-out" trash policy. There are no trash receptacles on the beach. Whatever you bring onto the beach, you're expected to take with you when you leave.

The beach is broad and clean, and curves in a crescent shape between two rocky outcrops. The water remains shallow several hundred yards out, and at low tide the beach is expansive enough to provide room for Frisbee and volleyball games, and kite flying is a treasure at tampines showFlat popular pastime. In the summer the surfers take to the water after five o'clock, and in the off-season-from October through May-surfers can be seen whenever the waves are more than two or three feet high, even in winter.

Good Harbor Beach is a favorite with families. The gentle surf, clean sand and community atmosphere make a family outing easy. They come here in the morning and stay all day, and bring coolers, umbrellas, games, lawn chairs, and always lots of children. At the end of the day they leave, tired and sunburned, but happy.

At low tide you can stroll to the north end of the beach and walk one hundred yards over the exposed sand to Salt Island. Climb to the top-watch out for poison ivy-and take in a spectacular view of the beach, East Gloucester and even City Hall in the distance. Salt Island was the location of an early feature film, Bride 13. Filmed in 1919, the movie's producers built a wooden castle on the island. The castle was blown up during the film's climax, and nothing remains today of Salt Island's brush with film history but rocks and scrub.

Before leaving Gloucester, be sure to visit the Cape Ann Historical Museum on Pleasant Street in downtown Gloucester. The museum has a fine collection of Cape-Ann related art, including paintings by Fitz Henry Lane, one of America's greatest "luminist" painters in the period just before the Civil War. One of his many works on display is a view of Good Harbor Beach, and you can see how little has changed in over a century. After visiting the museum, check out the vintage photographs of Good Harbor Beach at Bodin Historic Photo and Fine Art on Main Street. The original negatives date from the turn of the century, and the prints are pieces that-unlike the priceless Fitz Henry Lane paintings-you can purchase and take home as a souvenir of your visit to Good Harbor Beach.

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forktruck65-blog · 5 years ago

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Visiting the Jersey Shore? Here’s what you should do

White-sand beaches and glittering bays are what draw people to the Jersey Shore, but there’s so much else on offer along this 127-mile stretch of scenic coastline. Each shore city has its own unique vibe, and the sites called out below tend to exemplify the towns themselves, from the pop-culture heritage of Asbury Park to the preservation-forward Cape May.

It’s easy to fall into a routine once you’re set on a shore town, so let this guide be a roadmap for exploring an unfamiliar locale for a day or two.

Sandy Hook

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Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook

The northernmost point of the Jersey Shore is also a federally protected wildlife area, where birding, boating, and beaching are at their finest. The Gateway National Recreation Area’s Sandy Hook division is a 45-minute ferry ride from midtown Manhattan, but feels like it’s an eternity away with its seven miles of paths for biking, running, and walking, plus its stretches of white sand and surf. Gateway is also a prime place to pitch a tent—on the approved campground, of course—for a night under the stars.

Asbury Park

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The Stone Pony

Called the “beating heart of Asbury Park” by the New York Times, the Stone Pony has been a pilgrimage site at the Jersey Shore for music lovers since the mid-1970s. It wasn’t uncommon to see a young Bruce Springsteen play alongside the small venue’s booked acts; in fact, the Boss is still known to make a casual appearance on stage or in the crowd. The venue, like Asbury Park itself, weathered a downturn in the last few decades, but is back with a vengeance, touting a killer summer line-up both inside the venue and on its outdoor summer stage.

Silverball Museum

Shade seekers on the Asbury Park Boardwalk will find a unique pitstop in the Silverball Museum, the museum-arcade-bar hybrid that pays homage to pinball machines from the 1960s to the present. The nostalgia-heavy destination is a walk through pop-culture history, and features a rotating collection of 600-plus machines including the 1967 Beat Time—from the height of Beatlemania—an original 1972 Atari Pong game, and the 1993 Twilight Zone game. Retro lovers, rejoice.

Ocean Grove

The Great Auditorium

The Great Auditorium, which dates to 1894, remains the cultural center of Ocean Grove, the shore town established as a spiritual getaway in the mid-1800s. Its acoustics have been compared to those of New York’s Carnegie Hall, and the auditorium has hosted memorable musicians like John Philip Sousa and preachers like Billy Sunday. The auditorium still hosts Sunday services and the spare musical act, but is worth checking out for its architecture alone. The building, a hybrid of Stick and Queen Anne styles, was constructed in just 92 working days with a stone foundation, iron bridge trusses, and a wood frame.

Ocean Township

Kane Brewing Company

A short drive inland from the beach at Allenhurst, Kane Brewing Company is an ideal place to find cover on a rainy weekend. The eight-year-old brewery has amassed a die-hard following, meaning its tasting room is lively in any weather. Brews here often take a nautical name, like Head High—the company’s signature IPA—Party Wave, or Outer Reef, but there’s nothing salty about them. Beware the brewery on release days, when lines are known to wrap around the building.

Point Pleasant

Castaway Cove Adventure Golf

Like beaches themselves, mini golf is ubiquitous at the Jersey Shore. Let Castaway Cove Adventure Golf on Point Pleasant’s Jenkinson’s Boardwalk be a jumping-off point for exploring the shore’s culture of weird and wacky putt-putt establishments.

Ocean County

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Island Beach State Park

The protected seaside of Island Beach State Park offers a genuine chance to get away from it all. Absent here are the raucous crowds of neighboring Seaside Heights—yes, the town from Jersey Shore—and the commercialism that comes with a boardwalk lining a beach. This habitat protects 10 miles of shoreline where unspoiled sand dunes, tidal marshes, and maritime forests exist in their full splendor.

Barnegat Light

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Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

This 32-acre state park is ripe for exploring, but don’t miss its namesake lighthouse. (It’s such a big deal to the area that the town renamed itself Barnegat Light in 1948.) The tower was commissioned in 1859, but deactivated as a Coast Guard lookout in 1944. It’s the second-tallest lighthouse in the country at 172 feet, and with that stature comes open views of Long Beach Island, the Atlantic Ocean, and Barnegat Bay. But be warned: Reaching the top of the lighthouse’s 217 winding stairs requires a bit of endurance.

Ship Bottom

Ron Jon Surf Shop

This surf-shop brand with a cult following started out as a meager shack at the beach in 1959. Those original oceanside digs have been upgraded to an 8,000-square-foot shrine to all things surf and sun. Don’t forget to grab a bumper sticker with the brand’s logo on it—you’ll be in good company on the Garden State Parkway.

Galloway

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Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge encompasses 47,000 acres of protected coastal habitat, and it’s a prime spot to see fish and other wildlife year-round. In the winter, bald eagles and black ducks roam the area; summer welcomes turtles and great blue herons. Birders, take note: The habitat is located under one of the Atlantic Flyway’s most active migration paths, so bring your binoculars.

Atlantic City

Steel Pier at Atlantic City.

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Steel Pier

Jutting 1,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, this 1898-built entertainment pier was home to the first Miss America pageants, and once hosted big-name acts like Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones. Today, its main attraction is a new 227-foot Ferris wheel, a symbol along the country’s oldest boardwalk that this seaside city of vice will always strive to reinvent itself to stay afloat.

James Candy Co.

When the James Candy Co. opened on the Atlantic City boardwalk some 140 years ago, a ride on the span’s newly introduced rolling chairs was all the rage. Now it’s easy to stroll past this attraction, which is sandwiched between a storefront for a psychic and tacky pseudo-museum Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

But stepping over its threshold will illuminate a world of nostalgia for what Atlantic City has, by and large, left behind. Here, at the longest continually operating business in the city, find classic sweets like saltwater taffy and creamy mint sticks packaged in throwback boxes. Though times have changed, their tastes remain the same.

The Quarter

Atlantic City’s reputation as bachelor and bachelorette party hotspot is earned at the Quarter, the Tropicana Hotel & Casino’s Old Havana-themed wing, which opened in 2004. Frozen drink emporium Wet Willie’s and nightclub Anthem are at the center of the action, while Planet Rose Karaoke Bar and ’70s-themed dance club Boogie Nights serve up some good old-fashioned entertainment.

Margate City

Lucy the Elephant, in Margate City, New Jersey.

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Lucy the Elephant

“No legend of the colorful Southern Jersey seashore history matches the sight of a 65-foot-high wooden Elephant astride the beach looking out into the mists of the sea, a spectacle that, according to historians, made many coastwise seamen of the tramp ships from the West Indies swear off their rum rations for days,” begins Lucy the Elephant’s fantastical official history.

And what a history it’s been: This 138-year-old feat of zoomorphic architecture has served as a tavern and as a residence to a British doctor and his family. Somewhere in the mix, it was also used as a lighthouse that signaled to rum runners during Prohibition if it was safe to come into town. Today, Lucy houses a museum dedicated to her history. Don’t miss the guided tour—the only way into the belly of the beast—that starts with a spiral staircase nested in one of her hind legs and culminates with the glorious ocean view from her crowning howdah.

Ocean City

The boardwalk at Ocean City, New Jersey.

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Ocean City Boardwalk

Ocean City’s beloved 2.5-mile boardwalk is lined with novelty food joints, campy mini-golf courses with themes like Medieval Fantasy and Pirate Island, and two amusement parks—Gillian’s Wonderland Pier and Playland’s Castaway Cove—that light up the sky with flashing colored bulbs on sticky summer nights. Don’t miss a stop at Johnson’s Popcorn, a boardwalk staple since 1940 that serves up hand-tossed kettle corn coated in a thin, crispy layer of caramel.

Wildwood

The Doo Wop Preservation League Museum

The Wildwoods’ whimsical trove of Doo Wop architecture (also called Googie or populuxe in other corners of the country) gets a worthy preface at this small museum, where classic neon signs and period furniture are on display. But nowhere is the memorable 1950s style better experienced than on the street, where it’s easy to take a self-guided tour past motels with names like the Aztec, Lollipop, and American Safari. Doo Wop is wonderful, it’s weird, and it’s under threat, so don’t delay.

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum

This little-known museum puts World War II-era aircrafts and engines within reach in a restored historic hangar at the shore. The hangar was used as an active dive-bomber squadron training facility during World War II and today is on the National Register of Historic Places for its role during the conflict. Parents and history buffs, take note: This is a prime rainy-day activity.

Middle Township

Cape May County Park & Zoo

The Victorian-era homes, antique stores, and golf courses that pad Route 9 in Cape May County hide one of the area’s most unique attractions. The Cape May Zoo is home to lions, bison, giraffes, zebras, foxes, snakes, and more, living in special habitats spread across 85 acres. The zoo is one of the finest in the world, at least according to TripAdvisor: It ranked as the 13th best-reviewed zoo in the world in 2015, falling behind much better-known destinations like those in San Diego and Beijing.

And the zoo isn’t just for kids. The grounds also feature a zipline and an aerial adventure area that helps raise money for zoo maintenance. Admission to the zoo is free, but donations are accepted (and encouraged.)

Cape May

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Historic Cold Spring Village

Sitting on 22 wooded acres, Cold Spring Village bills itself as an “open air living history museum that invites all visitors to find meaning, pleasure, relevance, and inspiration in the exploration of southern New Jersey’s past.” A late-1800s octagonal building on site houses historic miniatures, the Village Bakery sells period confectionaries, and hand-crafted artisan wares are sold out of a building that’s older than the United States.

While the 18th and 19th centuries appear alive and well within the town’s confines, it’s worth noting that Cold Spring Village isn’t actually a historic town but one reconstructed of period buildings from the area. But don’t let that deter you; this fascinating site is worth a visit.

Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center

One of the first eco-tourism outfits in South Jersey invites visitors to set sail onto the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay in search of whales, dolphins, and marine birds. Bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles, and humpback whales are all known to appear in the waters around the state’s southernmost point. The tours focus not only on sight-seeing, but also on conservation and cataloguing of marine life migration patterns. The company can’t guarantee a marine mammal sighting, but does offer another trip to participants in that case.

Beach Plum Farm

The 62-acre Beach Plum Farm welcomes daytime visitors to walk its grounds and grab a bite at its farm-to-table stand. The farm is home to ethically raised chickens and Berkshire hogs, and turns out flowers and vegetables throughout the season, a bounty that can be picked up at the stand on site. (The small farm has been known to churn out over 1,000 watermelons in a season.) Don’t miss one of Beach Plum’s BYOB, family-style dinners, which rival some of the best restaurants in Cape May.

Source: https://philly.curbed.com/2019/6/13/18647598/jersey-shore-things-to-do

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