#Dessi is beyond beautiful!!!

[mamirhodessxox]

cody request: one where him and reader are in a serious relationship and Cody LOVES to spoil her. he buys her elaborate gifts all the time and constantly encourages her to run up his credit card. she never asks for things and feels bad about how much he gives her and always tells him not to get her anything. maybe she didn’t have much growing up and isn’t used to a bunch of “fancy” things. they talk and it all eventually leads to smut where he says something like “the best things in life are free anyway” in reference to the intimacy.

Millions

Cody Rhodes x Fem!Reader

Desc: Cody & Y/N recently got into a fresh relationship with each other despite the slight age gap, Y/N has noticed Cody has been bringing her gifts almost every day & she begins to feels guilty until Cody makes sure that whatever he does it stops her from feeling that way, Especially on their anniversary.

Content: Smut, Fingering, angst, mirror sex, Hair pulling, praising, Light bondage, Foul language, fluff, MDNI, use of the Red Light Green Light system.

🏷️ list: @alyyaanna @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @agent-dessis-posts @adollonyourshelf @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41 @harmshake @femdisa @kabloswrld @claymoresofinfamy23

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) likes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

Y/N and Cody were polar opposites when it came to love languages, when the two started dating almost a year ago Y/N assumed at first that their relationship would be simple but with Cody? Oh no, His love language was acts of service & physical touch, Y/N assumed he was more of a physical touch and words of affirmation type of guy but she was very wrong.

Y/N’s love language was always simple, Physical Touch, Quality time & Words of affirmation, Cody literally smothered Y/N in luxury the first WEEK they started dating, He couldn’t help it, he loves spoiling the people he lives & as you could tell, the motherfucker LOVES Y/N…He barely lets her lift a finger when it comes to some things, Y/N will go down into the laundry room with a basket full of clothes and just as she’s about to throw in the laundry Cody pops up out of nowhere as if he has spidey senses on whenever she is doing something & tells her to put the basket down.

Because of this Y/N starts to feel extremely bad, she feels bad whenever he gives her gifts, a credit card literally telling her they will not be leaving the mall until she spends at least over a thousand dollars, Y/N has literally had to beg Cody to put the credit card away anytime he notices that she looked at 1 singular thing that would peak her interest.

Y/N grew up on the lower class side of life & had to work for most things in her life that she wanted, Cody worked super hard to get where he was in life & after many years of getting the things he wanted in life by his extraordinary hard work he wanted nothing more than to have someone in his life that he can spoil, which is why even after a year of dating him she is still shocked whenever he comes home with something just for her, He takes her out on luxurious dates & buys her a beautiful outfit to wear followed with matching lingerie sets to wear underneath, Y/N doesn’t have to ask for much given the fact that every-time she blinks he has something waiting right in-front of her.

Y/N had just moved in with cody a few weeks prior & so far it was great! They spent most nights cooking together and enjoying each other’s company while learning how to make new meals each night, Today was their 1 year anniversary & Cody was beyond excited, he had something up his sleeve & she could tell the moment she was about to step foot in the kitchen to grab lunch but he had it blocked off “Cody? Why is there a curtain hanging over the kitchen??” She called out while he hummed walking downstairs buttoning up his top & gently grabbed her shoulders turning her away “Don’t worry about it.” “Cody..” “minddd your business sweetheart.” He teased “What did you need I’ll go get it.” She huffed & placed her hands ontop of her hips “Cody let me in the damn kitchen.” “Can’t. Now what do you need?” She frowned and reached out for his hand and sighed “Can I have crackers please? ‘Need a snack” he grinned and gave her a short kiss before sneaking past the curtain while making his way into the kitchen to get her a quick snack.

For most of the day Cody encouraged her to go out somewhere with her friends or something but she wouldn’t budge so he left her no choice but to drive her to the mall himself to drop her off with his credit card while she stood at the entrance awkwardly while he leaned out the window “I’ll come back in At least an hour alright? I better see movement on that card sweetheart.” Y/N huffed and just as she was about to protest he rolled up the window & drove off leaving her by herself at the mall holding his card & lightly smacking her hands against her sides “Fuck.”

For the next 30 minutes she remembered he just told her to spend money, not buy anything specific so she had the great idea of buying him some things. And she did in-fact do just that By the time he came back to pick her up he had roses waiting for her as she got in the car & smiled seeing she had many bags in her hands “You get yourself something nice baby?” He questioned while grabbing her chin “I bought YOU something nice, since it’s our anniversary and everything.” He raised an eyebrow & looked at her sternly “Baby i told yo-“ “To spend money, You didn’t say anything about me HAVING to get myself something.” Cody sighed jokingly and nodded his head in agreement “Your right. But next time your buying yourself something.”

He finally drove home & immediately guided her upstairs with her face covered since he was still surprising her at home. “Get dressed and meet me in the dining room alright?” she smiles nodding in response before he pulled her into a passionate kiss before he pulled away patting her ass and walking out of the room. Y/N stared at the short black dress that laid on the bed followed with heels on the ground & seeing a matching lingerie set. She took her time getting changed and by the time she made her way downstairs she notices that rose petals were scattered into a pathway with candles lit next to them, She walked into the dining room to see a large bouquet of Roses mixed in with money shaped into looking like roses making her frown a bit before she set it aside and sat down just as Cody came in setting the table with the dinner he just made for her which was Steak followed with mashed potatoes & a salad. “What do you think gorgeous?” she smiled meekly and then started tearing up a bit making him rush over and crouch to her level “what’s the matter hm? Talk to me baby I can’t make it better unless you tell me.” She sniffled and wiped off the now ruined mascara from her face “I— I just feel so b-bad when you do so much for me! I d-don’t wanna seem like i’m using you, Cody I d-don’t deserve any of this.”

She frowned as he shook his head and pressed a kiss against her temple “No ma’am absolute not, none of that, Baby you deserve the goddamn world, I choose to spend my money on you because I want to, You deserve everything on this fucking planet sweetheart.” She shook her head in disagreement & he furrowed his brows a bit before gently pulling her out of the chair “C’mon sweet girl.” She hiccuped and followed him out of the dining room and upstairs to their shared bedroom where he placed her on the bed and lifted her leg as he got on his knees against the floor before pointing at the mirror that laid agains the wall on the right side of the room facing the bed. “See how beautiful you are honey? You look so fucking gorgeous how could you not deserve anything luxurious?” He asked before pressing a kiss against her ankle as he made her watch through the mirror, “Cody-“ he kissed up her thighs and sat up for a minute pointing at the mirror. “I want you to keep your eyes on that mirror understood?”

She nodded meekly and gasped as he suddenly tore off her dress “Cody!!” “What? It’s not like I can’t go buy another one.” He teased before getting on top of her and running his hand down her stomach & soon sunk it into her panties making her breath hitch as she felt his fingers start to toy with her clit, she turned her head but he grabbed her face and made her stare at her own reflection “Eyes on the mirror gorgeous, ‘want you to see how much your worth.” Y/N whined and pawed at his arm & let out a sudden moan when she felt him push two of his fingers inside of her cunt before slowly pumping them in & out of her making her bite down on her lip to the point where she swore skin was broken to the point where she was nearly bleeding.

Cody smirked devilishly before pushing her panties to the side & placing in a position where he sat behind her & both of them faced the mirror. Y/N watched through the reflection of them both as he thrusted his fingers in & out of her sopping cunt while he pressed his lips against her ear with a grin spread across her face “Look at you taking my fingers so fucking good for me baby, ‘m so proud of you sweetheart your doing so good f’me” he pulled his fingers away from her pussy & smacked her clit harshly as he watched her eyes roll back & hips buck upwards as she finally hit her climax making him smear her cum around her pussy before his free hands moving away from the thighs he held open up to her face holding it still so she couldn’t look away from the reflection of cody having his fun with her.

“Your worth millions Y/N, I want you to know that by time I’m done with you understand?” She nods quickly and lets out a strained whine as she watched Cody move himself off of the bed & took off his clothes before hovering above her & taking off her panties for good along with her bra “Color?” She smiled faintly “Green.” He grinned at her approval & pressed most of his body weight against her after rolling her over onto her stomach & lifting up her ass giving it a quick smack making Y/N lean her head down in the sheets. Before Cody started anything off he wanted to make sure she was all pampered and comfortable still proving her point from beforehand that he wouldn’t let her lift a finger or do any work. He wanted Y/N to be a pillow princess and just sit back and look pretty while he got off on pleasuring her.

He planted a pillow under her head & stomach & moved her hair out of her face before pressing his chest down against her back & kissing her cheek “Tell me what your worth again baby?” She whimpered at his command like question before mumbling under her breath “millions.” But that wasn’t good enough for him. He gave her a light smack against the ass “Say it properly sweetheart you know I can’t hear words over whining.” She frowned and tried stuffing her face in the pillow to avoid answering him but he grabbed her by the hair and tugged her head back up while smacking her ass again earning a loud yelp escape her lips “Millions!!” He smiled in approval before leaning back as he slowly seethed his cock inside of her as he smirked to himself when she let out a soft moan against the pillows while staring deep into the mirror, he waited for her permission to start making any sort of movement and the moment he felt her hand grab on his wrist as a signal to keep going he began to slowly thrust inside of her while his upper body leaned down against hers.

He stared her down through the mirror and lifted her face just enough for him to press his lips against hers and shove his tongue into her mouth the most he started thrusting his cock deep inside of her. “Doing so good for me sweetheart, taking me so fucking good.” He mumbled against her mouth before pulling away to speed up the pace as he started to feel her clench around his dick & beg for him to go faster. He admired her now disheveled look through the mirror, her eyes glazed over as her hair became messy from the way his hand kept tangling itself into her hair, the more he slammed himself inside of her the more she looked fucked out, her hand clutched itself into their sheets but felt a sudden stop, she came right back to reality when she felt him pull out & heard shuffling around the room trying to see what he was up too through the mirror but her eyes were fighting to stay opened. “Color sweetheart?” She heard him call out to her and she sighed out into the pillow trying to gather herself “g—green..” all of a sudden she felt Cody grab her arms and press them against her back soon feeling what seemed to feel like a belt bind her wrists together & him giving it a snug tug before pushing himself back inside of her cunt.

Y/N gasped and felt him hold onto her wrists snd the belt as his thrusts became sloppier and groaning each time his balls smacked against her clit that was all sticky & still wet from her first orgasm. Cody let exhaled raggedly before looking back up into the mirror seeing the woman he loved so dearly roll her eyes back even more over each thrust he took. “Feeling good baby?” He murmured as his cock buried into her cunt making her feel as if he was filling her up to the brim before he continued pounding into her sopping tight pussy until he let out a loud groan at the way she tightened up around him.

Y/N noticed Cody was about to cum just as she was about to, Cody leaned down once more admiring her blissed out stay “cum with me baby, c’mon sweetheart cum for me.” He chanted into her ear as she nodded while he pressed his fingers into her mouth groaning in her ear as he spilled his cum inside of her just as she felt her orgasm finally hit making her body spasm under his. He took heavy breaths before pulling himself out & lying next to her and running his hand through her hair giving himself and her a moment to wind down before he cleaned up the mess he caused. “What are you worth again sweetheart?” He mumbled while she smiled softly and trickled her fingers around his shoulder “Millions.” He smiled back at her and pressed a kiss against her cheek

“Damn right you are.”

xtripleiiix’s Masterlist

[witcher-not-quitter]

Dessi of Gelibol by @ghilenart

My lovely cat witcher here stars in my fic “Let Your Claws Be Gentle”. If you are a reader of my fic, you may spot something in her looks that was weaved into her art *hint hint*.

[spineandprose]

East of Eden | June 2018

You guys.

Thanks for your patience.

I renewed East of Eden three times and then stayed up late the night before my final, honest, no-more-renewals, due date to finish the last 75 pages. It felt college-worthy in that sleepy eye kind of way. But my life is not at all of the college variety—instead, the newborn and two-year-old type of life. And that means it takes me twelve weeks to read 600 pages. Oh well. :) 

This book has so much to discuss, so let’s dive in!

Character Development I really liked reading this book. Steinbeck’s writing is beautiful—simple and captivating—and his character development is remarkably good. The characters remained with me a spell each time I finished a reading section and always came leaping back right as I settled in to a new page, beating my mind to the story and reminding me of who they were and keeping me guessing on what their next move would be.

My favorite character had to be Lee. How could it not be? He was wise, kind, loyal, truthful and truth-seeking, hilarious, and others-focused. I so appreciated his honest words spoken firmly at just the right moments. But I got the most joy out of his goofiness:

When learning how to operate the Ford, page 366 Lee said quietly, “So young to be so erudite.” The boy swung around toward him, scowling. “What did you say?” he demanded, and he asked Adam, “What did the Chink say?” Lee spread his hands and smiled blandly. “Say belly smart fella,” he observed quietly. “Mebbe go college. Velly wise.”

Just one of the many scenes with Lee and Abra in the kitchen, page ? She moved toward the table. “Lee, I wish—” “Don’t spill flour on my floor,” he said. “What do you wish?”

When prepared to fight Aron, page ? Lee said softly, “Aron, did you ever have to fight a little man, a man half your size?” “What do you mean?” “It’s one of the most embarrassing things in the world. He won’t stop and pretty soon you have to hit him and that’s worse. Then you’re really in trouble all around.” “What are you talking about?” “If you don’t do as I tell you, Aron, I’m going to fight you. Isn’t that ridiculous?” Aron tried to pass. Lee stood up in front of him, his tiny fists doubled ineffectually, his stand and position so silly that he began to laugh. “I don’t know how to do it, but I’m going to try,” he said. Aron nervously backed away from him. And when finally he sat down on the steps Lee sighed deeply. “Thank heaven that’s over,” he said. “It would have been awful. ...”

Lee said many wonderful things at the moments most needed for truth, but I especially liked this thought:

After Aron lost the bet to Cal and they were asked to go to bed, page 376 Then he said, “Mr. Trask, do you think the thoughts of people suddenly become important at a given age? Do you have sharper feelings or clearer thoughts now than when you were ten? Do you see as well, hear as well, taste as vitally?”

As a mom, it is so good to remember that my children are full-on humans and their joys, fears, triumphs, struggles, insecurities, pursuits, passions, frustrations, and ambitions are full-on worthy of respect and support.

Another Giggle This scene gave me such a giggle—did you enjoy reading it?

Page 209 Julius asked, “What are you going to do?” “Well, I think it’s beyond me. I told you I wouldn’t put you on the payroll, but hold up your right hand.” “I don’t want to get sworn in, Horace. I want to go to Salinas.” “You don’t have any choice, Julius. I’ll have to arrest you if you don’t get your goddam hand up.” Julius reluctantly put up his hand and disgustedly repeated the oath. “And that’s what I get for keeping you company,” he said. “My father will skin me alive. All right, what do we do now?”

Writing Styles I loved his different writing styles throughout. I found four types:

the intense, descriptive, less plot-focused character development of the first section—most notably focusing on the character descriptions of Cyrus, Adam, Charles, and Cathy

the plot-focused later half where we learn of Samuel, the Hamiltons, Lee, Aron, Cal, Abra, and even Adam and Kate again in later life

the small snippets of personal history where he recounted his mother, Olive, flying almost to her hilarious death in a plane and later his uncle Tom coming to visit

and finally the bursts of world history—especially recounting the American Indian war and World War I—but also elaborating on the mindset of the times and how society was changing. Along with these, he also had bursts of beautiful landscape descriptions of the Salinas Valley, making the changing landscape a character of its own right.

The snippets of personal history gave me several double-takes: were we to believe the stories of Samuel and his family as Steinbeck sharing about family history—Olive’s plane ride, Una’s death, Tom and Dessie’s deaths, Will’s automobile success, Samuel and Liza’s vacation and retirement—even the story of John and his sister Mary speaking to Mr. Fenchel in such a cruel way? Are these all a recording of personal family history? I assumed they were, but what did you think? Either way, the story on Mr. Fenchel was so incredibly heart-breaking to read and I could see why Steinbeck would look back on it in shame.

Biblical Themes As the jacket flap of the novel describes, this is a muddy mirror of the story of the fall:

Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

As such, I found these biblical themes:

Mistrust of Fathers In Genesis 3 we see the serpent tell Eve in verse 1, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” And the thought of a lying father was presented to mankind. The idea sprouted; Eve believed the servant and mistrusted her Father. While we know God is not a liar and is the perfect Father, fully truthful, Steinbeck wanted to introduce the character of a lying father. We see Steinbeck create this role in Cyrus; while his son Adam always believed him, Charles rightly saw him as a liar—and an exceptionally, unbelievably skilled one at that. We also see this in Adam in his role as father to Aron and Cal, which, when they find out Adam is a liar, it causes Aron to flee and surprisingly causes Cal to become loyal. I thought this quote represented this theme well. It’s the scene where Adam and Lee are about to discuss Charles’ will:

page 375 Adam said, “That wasn’t quite the truth I told you. I want to talk privately to Lee.”

A lying father coming clean.

Sin Represented As Darkness Eve takes the first bite of sin; in Steinbeck’s novel, we see Cathy as Eve. Biblically, we know that sin is both innate in our human nature—we are born sinners—and sin is also select thoughts, actions, etc. that we choose to partake in. For Cathy, we see from the get-go that she is off; evil as a young child. This innate predisposition in her character only grows stronger as she selects evil deeds to conduct, and as she does so, she can only continually select the evil choice always and forever. Cathy’s evil nature is overwhelmed to insanity when, instead of bringing death—as her nature and choices wish—she is bearing life to twins. She even takes a horrifyingly awful bite of Samuel’s hand in the process, trying to bring death to the man who is ensuring she is bearing life. The Bible often refers to sin as darkness, to our rejection of God as loneliness, and I found this line to be a fitting description of how Cathy represents sin:

page 197 Cathy’s voice came strong and edged from the bed. “Shut the door. I do not want the light. Adam, go out! I want to be in the dark—alone.”

The Bride and the Whore When Kate first enters the prostitution business, I just thought it was Steinbeck showing how twisted she was. But then when she flees her marriage to Adam in order to embrace the title of whore—and apparently, a harsh version of whoredom—it hit me: she is representing sin and the rejection of being the bride of Christ. God refers to his church as his bride, and the book of Hosea is all about a married whore running away from her husband. I think Steinbeck is tying in this theme by Kate’s chosen profession.

Timshel. Thou mayest. First, can you believe there is a whole website—one simple page—devoted to this passage? As a reminder, here’s a snippet of Lee’s explanation of his discovery:

“Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.” 

Free will and predestination—we could get into a deep conversation about that for hours. But, the word timshel is so important to the book that I had to include it in my review; Steinbeck has it as the final word of the novel! (Which, I was so relieved Adam didn’t say “Aron!” Ah! I was fearing he would.) Simply put, Adam, is choosing to forgive Cal, choosing to love and bless him, choosing to value him as an equal son and not one less than Aron.

Disappointments in Character Development I was disappointed that Lee didn’t create the bookstore he had dreamed of, but what great fortune for the Trask family that he remained with them! I was also disappointed that Adam’s character seemed to stall so much. The trajectory was in the right direction (embracing his role as father and loving his sons, sending Lee off and honoring his wishes, choosing to love Cal), but golly it took so long for him to mature.

A Sweet Marriage Moment I really loved this and thought it was such a tender exchange:

Page 289-290 Samuel said, “Liza, do you know the meaning of the English word ‘vacation’?”... “In fifty years, did you ever have a vacation, you little, silly, half-pint, smidgin of a wife?”... “You can just turn them in and send her back the money.” “No, I can't. Why, Liza—Mother—now don’t. Here—here’s a handkerchief.” “That’s a dishtowel,” said Liza. “Sit here, Mother. There! I guess the shock of taking a rest kind of threw you. Here! I know it’s a dish tool. They say that Billy Sunday drives the Devil all over the stage.” “That’s a blasphemy,” said Liza. “But I’d like to see it, wouldn’t you? What did you say? Hold up your head. I didn’t her you. What did you say?” “I said yes,” said Liza.

Review in Summary Overall I enjoyed the read, thought the writing was wonderful and the characters captivating. I enjoyed feeling the weight of a well-worded novel. To witness the excellence of a trademan’s craft was a treat. While it’s not a favorite of mine and I won’t reread it, I would recommend it!

Even after all that I still haven’t touched on much. Abra! Glad she turned around. I thought she was a mini Cathy for a while. But if Lee approves of her, then she must be alright. Ok, that’s it! Share your thoughts below. :)

[gilliandwoodbury]

Celebrity Babies of 2018 - Hollywood Celebrity Babies A new bundle of joy! Scroll through to see all the cute babies who were born to famous parents in 2018, so far! Cardi B and Offset (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The “Bodak Yellow” rapper gave birth to a daughter named Kulture Kiari on July 10. She announced the news via Instagram the next day with a nude photo of herself cradling her baby bump. The little girl’s arrival came weeks after Cardi confirmed that she secretly married the Migos member in September 2017. Steph and Ayesha Curry (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The couple confirmed on the Fourth of July that they welcomed their third child together, a baby boy. “On this journey, on this quest… protect me... I'm blessed! Canon W. Jack Curry,” the NBA star captioned an Instagram pic of the newborn. Ayesha added in her own post: “My heart is FULL. God has been too good to us. Our beautiful baby boy Canon W. Jack Curry 7/2/2018. He joined us earlier than we thought and we couldn’t be more excited and grateful. The family of 5!” The pair is already parents of daughters Riley and Ryan. Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The Olympic diver and his screenwriter husband welcomed their first child, a boy named Robert Ray, on June 27. "Welcome to the world our precious little Robbie Ray Black-Daley," Daley captioned an Instagram photo of the newborn's feet. "The most magical moment of my life. The amount of love and joy you have brought into our lives is immeasurable. Our precious son." Black also shared a photo of the new family and thanked "those who helped make our dream of having a family into this wonderful reality." Stacy Keibler and Jared Pobre (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The couple welcomed their second child together in June. “Born at home, on 6.18.18 our sweet little man Bodhi Brooks Pobre entered our world,” she captioned an Instagram pic of the newborn’s hand. “His spirit melts our hearts. We feel beyond blessed! #Familyof4 #Secondhomebirth #Welcometotheworld.” The pair is also parents of daughter Ava Grace. Michael and Emily Stagliano (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The Bachelor Pad alum announced the birth of his second child, a baby boy named Hunter James, on June 27. “Where there were three Stagliano’s, now there are four! Whahooo! Welcome to the world Hunter James,” the reality star captioned an Instagram collage of the new arrival with his parents and big brother, Bowen. “Oh, also @emilystag is a powerhouse of a Mom! So proud of her and SO in love with her.” Brigitte Nielsen and Mattia Dessi (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The Beverly Hills Cop II star gave birth to her fifth child at the age of 54 on June 22. The baby girl, named Frida, is Nielsen's first child with husband Mattia Dessi, 39. The Surreal Life alum announced her pregnancy in May, sharing a photo of her baby bump and captioning it "Family getting larger." She has four sons from previous relationships: Julian, 34, Killian, 28, Douglas, 25 and Raoul, 23. Chip and Joanna Gaines (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The Fixer Upper stars announced the arrival of their fifth child, a baby boy, on June 23. "And then there were 5... The Gaines crew is now 1 stronger!" Chip tweeted. "10 beautiful toes and 10 beautiful fingers all accounted for, and big momma is doing great! #blessedBeyondBelief." Cat Deeley (Celebrity Babies of 2018) A source confirmed to Us Weekly on June 22 that So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley and her husband, Patrick Kielty, welcomed their second child together. Eva Longoria and Jose Baston (Celebrity Babies of 2018) The Desperate Housewives alum welcomed her first child — a baby boy named Santiago Enrique — in L.A. on June 19. “We are so grateful for this beautiful blessing,” the couple said in a statement to Hola! The USA.

[shortstorieswhenever-blog]

Loss of Direction

BEFORE READING: “I wrote this a while back, not sure if there is any major mistakes but at the time I thought this was a pretty cool little story.”

As the murky liquid drips in rivulets from my limbs, the terrain shreds my drenched snow boots from my dampened achy feet. My beard catches the snow from the windy air leaving my face frostbitten. My nose remains a clogged space of ice. My eye sight fades in and out as I trudge through the wasteland. My lip quivers as my body temperature depletes rapidly. I had strayed off the hiking trail and am lost within the thick snowy forest. I had lost my bag a few hours back, before the storm struck.

~ THREE HOURS BEFORE ~

I swing my back pack over my shoulder; the immense weight tugs my body with it. I regain balance and slam the trunk of my so called “Hippie-Van.”  My friend Charlie slowly creeps around the side of the van.

               “Couldn’t of picked a better day Leo, I gotta’ say.” Charlie said with little enthusiasm.

               “Yeah, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been out in the mountains so, well you know.” I say while grinning. The sun beams through the trees, the light filters through the pine needles and wood. It casts small shadows upon the fluffy cold radiating snow. My other friend Desdemona slides her feet through the snow. Her ice picks dangling from her sides leaving delicate meagre lines deep in the snow.

               “How y’all doin’?” She says with her thick southern accent.

               “A-1 Dessy and you?”  Replied Charlie.

               “Me? I’m doin’ just fine. Can’t wait to get up in tha’ mountains, ya’ know.” She replies quickly.

               “Well let’s stop the chit chat and get to hiking.” I say with excitement.

~

As I heave myself towards the cave my stomach dragging along the jagged shards of ice that polluted what seemed to be hell.  I haul myself one last time; I enter the not so deep cave escaping the frigid hostile wasteland.

~ TWO HOURS BEFORE ~

As my lungs fill with freezing air I slam my ice pick into the ground. Lifting my feet one by one the snow shoes that I had equipped begin to become not so forgiving.

               “C’mon Leo, catch up.” Barked Charlie.

One hour in and I already wanted to turn back. The air was getting colder and snow fall was beginning. Were not supposed to be up in these mountains in the winter anyway. I push through the pain that riddled my feet and catch up with the group. We had no destination. All we wanted was to summit the damn thing.

 ~

I remove my slush soaked gloves and raise my hands to my cracked lips. I exhale hard attempting to warm them up. But my breath was just as cold as the snow that lined my clothes. A tear drops from my eye warming my face as it courses down a small path on my left cheek.

 ~ ONE HOUR BEFORE ~

Snow fall had really begun. I lost one of my snow shoes a couple dozen yards back. I already considered it gone. No use of even attempting to look for it. The group was stuck together like glue, side by side we push to the summit.

               “We can’t turn back now!” Yelped Charlie as Desdemona grunts from the needle like snow.

He was right we couldn’t. I should have told them when I had the chance...

 I slump to a rock in the back corner of the cave. Although the cave was roughly five or six feet deep it proved to be pretty useful in my time of need. My clothes were no longer soaked. Still damp but not unbearably wet and cold. I stroke my beard, ridding it from stray snowflakes that have yet to melt. My lips chapped beyond belief. The insurmountable pain remained on my lips and would remain for a while.

 ~ NOW ~

The snow restricted my sense of direction. The wind itself was enough to lose a group. But with the snow, it was inevitable. I lost my group about twenty minutes back. I tried yelling their names but the only response I get is the taunting sounds of the wind and the snow drifting across the top of the icy terrain.

 I equip my dampened apparel and remove myself from the cave. I could wait out the storm but who knows how long it would go on for. Hours, days perhaps weeks. The mind wrenching thought of death pestered in my mind for a while until I refused my fate. I refuse to die in this god forsaken cave in the middle of bloody nowhere! I clip on my remaining snow shoe and head out into the storm. The snow batters me; my mind sinks deeper and deeper into a state of psychotic nature. I begin talking to myself hallucinations slowly creep into my mind.

               “What a wonderful day!” I scream as the gruelling pain of freezing water consumes my body.

I snap back into reality as a massive clump of icy snow slams the top of my head. The pain lingers for a brief moment then flees as I continue my journey through the storm. Once again I had no destination; all I wanted was to see my beautiful “Hippie Van” once again...  The traumatizing sound of wind rustling through the trees played in the back of my mind like a broken record until... The wind stopped along with the insane amount of snow. I tilt my head back to take in the sun but all I could feel was the familiar pain of sharp flakes of snow laying on my face. I was hallucinating, of course. Reality and my minds fake version of reality mesh together. Nothing is real anymore only the steady pain of my body being enveloped by snow and ice. My brain pulling me into the void, trying to kill me. I crumble to my knees from the shear amount of snow that had made its way into my shoes. I voraciously rip my shoe from my foot. It flies off my foot and sinks into the wall of snow that layered my vision.

               “Well that’s just great!” I say furiously as my foot loses all feelings. Even pain. That’s something I haven’t felt in a while. I make my way through the woods in shambling speed. Death was now certain. I was dancing on the horizon of death itself. My muscles slowly lock up as I barbarically move closer and closer down the mountain. I plop my hand in and out of the snow my eyes stream tears as I grow aware of what was to come. My cries were worth just as much as the snow that was trapped in the clothes, worthless! I shut my eyes for a moment not knowing if I should open them again.  And if it was even worth it what did I have to come home to anyway? No wife, no kids, no family... My friends are probably already at the gates of heaven waiting for my arrival. So I guess I’ll leave them closed just for a moment...

 12/16/2016

[the-record-columns]

June 21, 2017: Columns

Green Stamps and a mother's love...

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

 Among my most treasured possessions in the eclectic collection of things here at the offices of The Record and Thursday Printing are items from the old Wilkesboro grocery store owned and operated for many years by Clegg and Dessie Culler. When I learned of their plans to close, I went by mainly to get the sign off the building which proudly read Culler's Specialties with an “Enjoy Coca-Cola” panel on each end. It still hangs proudly on the wall above my office area.

As time went on and the closing sale began to wind down, Clegg gave me a beautiful Sauer's Spice display rack, some clocks, a couple of beer signs, and a wooden boat oar that he said belonged to Daniel Boone. When I cautiously asked him how he knew the oar actually belonged to Daniel Boone, he smiled his little half-smile as only Clegg could, and said, “Why Kenny, he told me so himself.”

Well, that certainly settled that, didn't it?

But on to today's column, the sign on this page is a two-sided electric S & H Green Stamp beauty which also was a gift from Clegg and Dessie. Many of you remember S & H Green Stamps, a premium given away when you bought groceries, gas, and some other retail items. The gummed stamps were then placed in premium books and could be saved up and traded in for merchandise listed in the rewards catalog.

S & H really became big business, at one time claiming to print three times more stamps than the Postal Service, and that their rewards catalog was the largest publication in the United States. By the late 80s, the stamp redemption business was basically gone, but much memorabilia remains.

And, better than that, memories.

S & H had many competitors as the years went by and the one I remember around here was the Family Stamp program which was in the Lowe's Food Stores when the chain was being expanded by its owner, J. C. Faw. There were several Lowe's Foods locations in Wilkes and apparently that qualified us for a redemption center, which was located in the space now occupied by Teresa Allred's Carousel Cafe. In those days, there was a Lowe's Food right next door.

I looked through the premium catalog all the time and had spotted a basketball and goal set that I thought might be in reach for the number of complete stamp books we had. When I checked with my mother, Cary, I was right, and my brother, T. A., took me over to the redemption center (sounds like a tent revival, doesn't it) to get my ball and goal. Mark Goodman and I had already cut a tree and built a backboard out of scrap lumber, so, in no time, we were playing basketball. Before that summer was out there wasn't a blade of grass alive in the yard around our goal.

Some time later I was again looking through the Family Stamp catalog when I noticed a page corner turned down and an electric frying pan circled, It took two more books of stamps than my ball and goal. My heart sank as I realized that my mother was saving up for that frying pan and instead gave me the stamp books go get what I wanted. When I asked her about it, she hugged me and said she had plenty of frying pans and that I didn't have a basketball.

It is all I can do not to cry as I type this.

The year I was 15, 1964, I got a job working at the Thrift Super Market for the Ball family. A guy came around with the Thomas and Howard Wholesale Company and he had an electric frying pan in his big catalog. I saved up and ordered the best one he sold for my mother's Christmas present. An odd memory of that present is that it cost $19.16—which I never forgot because my mother was born in 1916.

I honestly cannot remember what other presents I may have given my mother throughout her life, but none touched her like that one. She remembered the story about my ball goal, and she remembered me feeling guilty about her not getting her electric frying pan. She used that frying pan as long as she lived���literally—and every time it would need repair, she would call my brother, T. A., to fix it. He once told me he had rewired the control on that old frying pan five or six times, but mother would never let him buy her a new one.

It is always something different that will take you back 40 days or 40. Today it was an old S & H Green Stamp sign given to me by two of the kindest people I have ever known--Clegg & Dessie Culler.

Thanks guys.

Endurance

By LAURA WELBORN

Romans 5:3  “We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us… “

I would like to share a story my son, Jake, told me about his trip to Nepal . 

He has a volunteer project (as a side hobby) that had worked for several years and received a grant to put solar panels and computers in a small isolated village in Nepal .  The village was a 14-mile up mountain hike that they would have to travel by foot.  So 16 Sherpa’s and volunteers headed out expecting to reach the village in five or six hours.  They took no supplies with them expecting to reach the village by nightfall.

As they say the best laid plans can go array and they did.  The altitude began to affect one of the volunteers and after climbing about seven miles straight up hill.  They were a long way out with no supplies.  So they found a small group of huts and asked to stay the night.  At first the people refused saying there was no place to put 16 people. The ailing volunteer became hysterical, so after much talking, one of the tribe’s people agreed to lend their hut. The hut had the animals downstairs and a “loft of sorts” made of slates.

The sick woman again became upset, unable to hike anymore, sick and tired she still refused to stay and was becoming even more hysterical.  Jake, who loves hardships and sleeping under the stars, tried and tried to calm her down. 

Finally he said, “Look you have been working years on this project, and you are only seven miles from achieving your goal of getting these solar panels and computers to these children.  This is only one night out of the hundreds you have spent working on this.  You can do this for one night.”

She looked up at him and calmed down. She settled down with 15 other people in the hut designed for animals and then hiked to the village the next day. 

My take away from this…The group had to stay together for them all to make it.

When we are brought back to the mission (bringing the internet to a school) the mission then drives us beyond what we think we are capable of doing.  And when there is a “shepherd” who can look out for the good of the “flock” and not leave anyone behind, the flock can survive.

As hard as we try sometimes things seem worse than they are.  Jake reported the night as magical on the side of the mountain with the stars out, sitting around a fire with the huts people.  Sometimes we think we can do it alone and fix it by ourselves, but we need to remember that it is much safer with the flock and the sun will come out tomorrow. We can do the unexpected and endure a lot more than we think we can, but most of all the hope of another day will not disappoint us.

Laura Welborn is a Mediator and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist.  Laura works with the Justis Group in North Wilkesboro doing individual/family and group therapy.  Contact her at laurawelborn1@gmail.com

  How about social justice for Israel?

By EARL COX

Special to The Record

The attainment of social justice has been a utopian goal throughout history. While God created all equal, there is no society in the world where this actually exists in a pure form.  There have always been advocates and champions for the poor and downtrodden so the call for social justice will always be with us. It is right to want to help those less fortunate but we must not be deceived into believing a lie over the honest truth.  

On university and college campuses across America, students are particularly attracted to causes and activities which call for social justice because they are looking for something worthwhile and meaningful in which to invest their energies.  This is laudable but before signing on to support a particular cause, some investigation is in order. Sadly, too many are too quick to hang their hats on the peg labeled “social justice” without analyzing the underlying facts or motives or closely examining those people and organizations who are leading the way.  America’s students are being influenced by liberal professors and radical Islamic activists whose true agenda is not actually social justice for all. Islamic activists are working diligently on our campuses of higher learning capturing the hearts and minds of vulnerable students.  They are motivated not by a desire to achieve social justice but rather by the ultimate goal of unraveling and dismantling the principles and values upon which America was founded. By preying on the naiveté of America’s youth, they are working on changing America from within. Once accomplished (and they are making significant progress) the consequences will be negative for both America and Israel. Remember, radical Islam openly declares their intention to destroy the “Great Satan” which is the USA and the “Little Satan” which is Israel.

Misinformation and fabricated “truths” are two of the tools in the arsenal of radical Islam which is the power source fueling the engines of terror and jihad around the world. The widespread call for social justice for the so called “oppressed” Palestinians has become a hot button to stir up strife on campuses in order to create a hostile environment for Jewish students. Israel has been painted as an evil pariah and solely to blame for the unfortunate plight of the “poor, oppressed Palestinians."  In reality it is the corrupt Palestinian leadership with their misguided values which places jihad (holy war) with Israel above the need to elevate the standard of living for the Palestinian people.

Yes, despite what the Palestinians would have the world believe, Israel and the Jews are not the cause for their oppressed state of existence and Israel is not an illegal occupier. In fact, because of the historic Jewish experience, Jews feel a deep moral obligation to stand up for the downtrodden.  Because Israel bashing and Jew bashing are in vogue, it’s doubtful that any of our young has ever heard this from one of their left-leaning professors.  Today’s atmosphere of political correctness does not leave room for positive speech about the Jews and Israel. This is dangerous and it must stop.  If Israel and the Jews were removed from the earth, the Palestinians would still be poor and desperate and there would be no social justice in Palestinian society. 

If those crying out for social justice really wanted to see this become a reality, they would be on the side of Israel – the one country in the world constantly and unfairly condemned by the U.N. and others and always held to a different and higher standard than any other country in the world. Thank the good Lord the United States now has an ambassador at the U.N. who is not afraid to stand up and be counted as a friend of Israel.

Even so, the Jewish people are the subject of open hatred and hostility but who is seeking social justice for them?  There was little to no outcry for justice when Jewish cemeteries were being desecrated and synagogues spray painted with ugly words and messages reminiscent of the dark days leading up to the Holocaust. The atmosphere today is much the same as it was in the 1930s and 1940s when Hitler unleashed his program of ethnic cleansing but without knowing history this would be difficult to discern. Ignorance and indifference led to the deaths of millions of Jews and others.  Could it happen again?

Efforts to achieve social justice will produce positive results if rightly placed.  We must not accept or condone acts of terror, incitement of hatred, or genocidal or brutal acts against humanity. We must know and stand for the truth. If our schools won’t teach our children, then we must teach our schools. Israel and the Jews are here to stay. They have a long and rich history which pre-dates all of us by thousands of years and they have a very wonderful habit of making significant advancements and contributions to the betterment of the world from which we all greatly benefit.

To Brunch or Not to Brunch

By Carl White

Life in the Carolinas

I like brunch because it’s a mid-morning activity, you don’t have to get up early and you don’t have to wait too long to enjoy it. It’s often, but not always with friends or family and you can have anything you want with your eggs.  

I remember a brunch visit to Proper Restaurant in Boone NC. The drive up the mountain was relaxing, it was a good 10-15 degrees cooler and the air seemed cleaner.

I took advantage of the free meter Sunday parking on King Street. It was around noon when I arrived and a good number of people were already seated. I chose a table which provided me a front row seat for a talented guitar player who provided a nice balance of soothing music with a nostalgic feel.

My waitress was knowledgeable and colorfully charming which added even more to the experience. After hearing the specials, I ordered the quiche of the day with oven roasted potatoes. She highly recommended the collards as my second side. To which I said, “are you serious?”  With a confident smile she said without hesitation, “trust me, you will love them”.

What could I say but yes. She also told me about the Biscuit Baby of the day, which was a rolled pastry with figs, strawberries, and covered with an orange zest glaze.  I had to at least taste it, so I said, “yes please”.

The room was filled with a diversity of happy brunch people of all ages, an acoustic guitar version of Oh Happy Day was playing when my coffee and Biscuit Baby arrived. It was warm with a nice presentation and smelled wonderful. I also knew I had a full meal still on the way. I could foresee a to go box in my not too distant future. However, after the first bite, I could tell I was going to have a problem. The flavors were blended perfectly and well suited for total consumption.  

Soon after, the main event arrived and it was even more impressive. The quiche was tall with a flaky crust. A delicate well-balanced flavor where each bite prepared you for the next. The roasted potato’s we nicely seasoned with a side of homemade tomato sauce and then the much awaited perfectly prepared collards. She was right, I loved them, they were a perfect side. I lingered with the music, another cup of coffee and casual conversation with fellow brunch folks just long enough as to not need a to go box.

I drove away with a feeling of gratitude and satisfaction.

Brunch is by no means a new thing, from what I can tell it was first written about in 1895 by Guy Beringer in the  “Hunter’s Weekly” a British publication that has long been out of print. Brunch would make its way to America by the late 1920’s. Over the years brunch would evolve, after World War II Sunday morning brunch become even more popular.

Many people enjoy a mimosa or two. For others it’s a Bloody Mary with all sorts of pickled garnish, such is the case with friends Bruce and Bonnie Julian in Charlotte who perfected a blend that so pleased people that it has become a commercial business. I’m not surprised.

Some say that brunch is for certain people.

Well if you ask me, and someone did. I think brunch is for anyone who likes the idea of eating sometime between the traditional breakfast and lunch times. If you like collards with your eggs, like I now do, you my friend may be a brunch person. There are many fine places for brunch in the Carolinas, all you must do is ask a friend or google.  

See you at brunch!  

Carl White is the executive producer and host of the award winning syndicated TV show Carl White’s Life In the Carolinas. The weekly show is now in its seventh year of syndication and can be seen in the Charlotte viewing market on WJZY Fox 46 Saturdays at 12:00 noon. For more on the show visit  www.lifeinthecarolinas.com, You can email Carl White at Carl@lifeinthecarolinas.com.                    

Copyright 2017 Carl White

A Midsummer Night’s….. Contradiction

By Heather Dean

 June 21 marks the summer solstice. Traditionally a day of celebration and even the fairies are at their merriest. Shakespeare wrote a little ditty about it- you may have heard of it- A Midsummer Nights Dream is a tale of enchantment that takes place on midsummer, a seasonal transition that was thought to be a time when  supernatural beings caused widespread mischief and some plants were thought to possess magical healing powers.

Fun fact: Shakespeare is also credited with the first-known citation of the phrase “midsummer madness,”  Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. In ancient cultures, the fires were to drive away dragons, evil spirits and witches that would poison the wells.

The word midsummer comes to us from Old English, Dutch and Scandinavian origins.

Across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Scandinavia, The British Isles, The Faroe Islands, and both hemispheres of the Americas, people over the world people still celebrate the ancient holiday. Midsummer’s Eve is a national holiday in Sweden and Finland.

Modern day traditions, like those held in Iran, include lighting the fire, thanking God for his blessings and crops, and praying for the peace of the souls of the dead were parts of this ancient Iranian tradition. This ceremony coincides with harvesting, and newly wed couples who have married in the past year, are given white horses to ride up to the foot of the mountain. As the brides and grooms reach the mountain foot, a yellow cow is set free, as a sign of happiness and abundance for the new couples

The science behind the celebrations, are thus: solstice occurs when a planet's rotational axis, or geographic pole on either it’s northern or its southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star that it orbits. This happens twice each year (once in each hemisphere), when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole. For instance: on the east coast (NYC) the sunrise will be around 5:24 a.m. and the sunset will occur at 8:30 with a copious15 hours and 05 minutes of daylight. In

Fairbanks Alaska, which is closer to the Arctic Circle, they will have a glorious 21 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. So much daylight, in fact, that part of their midsummer celebration includes a midnight game of basketball.

You’re all dumb:

But Heather, what's all this "midsummer talk? June 21 is the first day of summer. Right?"

Saying June 21 is the beginning of summer is, in fact, contradict

Astronomically, the summer solstice is considered to be "mid-summer", because it is technically the longest day of the year.

Meteorologically, the summer-solstice is the time of year when things are just STARTING to warm up, so it makes sense, from that cultural perspective, to refer to the solstice as "the first day of summer", rather than "mid-summer".

 Culturally, our conceptions of "summer" are the time of year when things are warm and sunny. (As if you needed something else to wrap your head around, consider that this is the WINTER Solstice for Australia, and that they celebrate Christmas in their summer season.)

 In our modern world, we tend to focus on the seasons as they apply to us or our particular region, and not on the astronomical reality which few pay attention to these days. In the processes of evolving into a more urban society versus rural, the true meaning behind the dates, as has happened with so many of our holidays, has become lost. Read: Our modern calendars and mass media have misled us. And most are not remotely interested in correcting this error.   So, here you are, going about your lives, never knowing you've been wrong this whole time, because the glossy paper calendar on the wall says "first day of summer", and why would you ever doubt them?

           Put down your cell phone and think about it....

           One has only to consider the scientific fact that the Solstices mark the MID POINT of the seasons via the course of the Sun. One of the world's oldest evidence of the Summer Solstice's importance in culture is Stonehenge in England, a megalithic structure which clearly marks the moment of the June Solstice.

 Even as children, we were taught Summer Solstice was the longest day of the year, that the sun seemed to stand still, and that the days get shorter from here on out. So how could it be the beginning of anything, if in fact it begins waning after this?

         It doesn't.

           Summer actually begins May 1. Thus the thousands year old May Day festivities celebrating the sun becoming stronger, and brighter the closer to the earth it gets. Around June 20-22, this solar strength begins to reverse course and the days grow shorter paving the way to fall. The Autumnal Equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on its journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration is mid- harvest season. Winter as a season begins on November 1, after the all hallows eve bonfires marking the coming darkness of the Earth until the rebirth of spring. December brings The Winter Solstice, or midwinter, which like midsummer comes around the 21/22 of the month, and we experience the shortest and darkest day of the year.  The Spring Equinox sees the hours of daylight and darkness   again in balance, but getting warmer.  And we soon find ourselves back at May Day, when summer actually begins.                             Not that this really matters in the grand scheme of making beach plans, but I like to think people would prefer to have the knowledge, given the chance.

           Still can’t wrap your head around it? That’s ok. Let’s take a page from Shakespeare, via theatre major and Heather style.

           “If this writing has offended, slip on your flip-flops, grab your fairy wings, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but rested here while these words did appear.

         Gentle readers, do not reprehend: If you pardon, we shall commend: And, as I am an honest Heather, if we have pretty summer weather, to 'scape the hot sun's tongue, we will swim all summer long. Else this Fae a liar call; So, good night unto you all.

         Give me your hands, if we be friends, and the goodfellow shall restore amends."

  Heather Dean is a theatre major working in journalism. She keeps pinky promises, and never turns down shenanigans. You can reach her at therecordofwilkes@gmail.com