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willow-salix · 4 years ago

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Isolation update!

Day 74 of Isolation on Tracy Island

“What on earth are you two doing?” Gordon asked, popping up out of nowhere like a tropical jack-in-the-box, his shirt flapping in the breeze, making us both jump.

We were doing nothing more exciting than stretching out on the couch, where I had forced John to settle by laying on him and then demanded he read to me. And since that was actually a pretty normal occurrence, I was at a loss as to what he was referring to. Knowing him he'd just declared today to be "eat with your toes day" or something equally ridiculous and was annoyed we weren't playing along.

John stopped reading to glare at him. I lifted my head off his shoulder to join in with the glaring.

“We were trying to have a quiet moment without constant interruptions,” I told him. Why did he have to have so many brothers?

“I told you we should have gone up to Five for a few days,” John sighed, picking up the book again and continuing to read from where he had left off. I snuggled closer to listen.

“This supernatural soliciting

Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,

Why hath it given me earnest of success,

Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.

If good, why do I yield to that suggestion

Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

Against the use of nature? Present fears

Are less than-”

“That! That’s what I meant. What are you doing?” Gordon interrupted again.

“Trying to read Macbeth, obviously,” I grumbled.

“Why? It’s rubbish. No one reads that sort of thing any more.”

“Sure they do. Did you not read Shakespear in highschool?” I asked.

“Only when I had to, not for fun," he sneered that last word in the same tone people use when they have just trodden in something disgusting or realised there is no milk left in the house.

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” I told him.

“You two are so weird, there are billions of books out there and you are reading one so old that hardly anyone can even understand it any more.”

“We understand it, or we wouldn't be reading it,” John sighed. “It’s not our fault that it’s too intellectual for you.”

“I could understand it just fine if I wanted to!” Gordon protested. We snorted in disbelief. “Hey! I can be an intellectual too, I can be smart. Move over!”

He shoved our legs out of the way, forcing us to sit up and dropped down next to me on the couch.

“Do you have to be here?” John asked.

“Yes. I’m going to prove that I’m smart, keep reading.”

John sighed but continued where he had left off, obviously knowing that there is very little point arguing with him.

“Are less than horrible imaginings.

My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical.

Shakes so my single state of man.

That function is smothered in-”

“Nope! I can’t do it! It’s just so boring!” Gordon wailed.

“Heathen!” I smacked him with a cushion.

“Out of my sight! Thou doth infect my eyes!” John flicked his forehead.

“What was that?” Gordon asked, beginning to laugh. “Did you just insult me in your weird Shakespear language?”

"Yes, because we invented old English," I sighed.

“Thou art a dull and muddy-mettled rascal.”

“Did you just call me stupid in old english?”

“Yep,” I grinned. “He did. It isn't boring, Shakespear is a total G.”

“Yeah, right, still sounds boring to me.”

“Macbeth is a masterpiece, it's about a Scottish dude and his mate who meet these three witches and they, out of the goodness of their hearts, give him a prophecy telling him that he’ll become king of Scotland but that his mate will father a whole line of Scottish kings but won't be king himself. Feeling like this is totally his destiny he isn’t prepared to wait it out and see what happens, he wants to be king now, so, with the urging of his wife, he kills the king and his mate. He is crowned but he becomes overwhelmed with guilt and paranoia. He goes back to the witches and they tell him that he must beware of some other dude named Macduff but that Macbeth is incapable of being harmed by any man born of a woman. So Maccy B, he gets a bit cocky and thinks it's all good for a while, even though Macbeth’s wife is going a little cray cray and taking the whole handwashing thing a wee bit too seriously. But then Macduff gets in on the action and brings an army with him, they storm the castle and Macduff tells old Bethy that he was born by cesarean-”

“Untimely ripped from his mother's womb,” John added.

“And Duffy beheads Macbeth and this other dude named Malcom that I forgot to mention, becomes king. See? It’s great!”

“Love, you just butchered Shakespear so badly that even I didn’t understand half of what you just said.”

“It’s my gift to the world,” I shrugged. “My ability to sum up a plot so badly that even I’m not sure if it makes sense. But I thought I did OK with that one.”

“Yeahhh, not so much,” Gordon teased. “I tuned you out three words in.”

“John, insult your brother for me, I am no longer talking to him.”

“Thou yeasty folly-fallen bladder.”

“How dare you, sir! I have no idea what that means but it sounds bad.”

“That’s kind of the point.”

“What’s the point?” Scott chose that moment to walk in, catching the tail end of the conversation.

“John is insulting me!”

“What did you do?”

“Insulted him.”

“I was asking Gordon.”

I cracked up laughing, Scott always has our backs.

“He said that Shakespeare was boring and then was mean to me after I took the time to explain the plot to him. Now I’m not talking to him.”

“Did you explain it the same way you explained The Witches of Eastwick to Virgil? Because I’d seen it and I didn’t understand that either.”

“My talents are wasted on you all,” I nudged John and quirked an eyebrow in Scott’s direction. He rolled his eyes but dutifully dragged out a premium insult.

“Sense sure you haven else could not have motion; but sure that sense is apoplex’d. ”

“Oh my god, you can still do that?” Scott laughed in amazement.

“Do what, insult people?” Gordon asked, clearly confused.

“John was in a Shakespearean insult team in highschool, they actually took part in competitions, he was obviously the champion, won them the league and a bust of Shakespeare’s head as a trophy.”

“Obviously,” I agreed, patting his hand proudly. “Dude got mad skills.”

Gordon's eyes flicked up to the bookshelf on the balcony above our heads where a small gold bust sat.

“You are so weird.”

“So you frequently tell me. Now, will you two kindly go away and leave us in peace?”

“Oh no, no way,” Scott laughed. “I want to hear more, in fact, I’m calling the others.”

And that’s the story of how John spent more than three hours blowing their minds and damaging their egos with a never ending volley of insults as they goaded him into more and more outlandish attacks. Here are some of the best.

Thou hath not so much brain as ear wax - to Gordon because he’s not intelligent enough to appreciate old english.

Thou qualling ill-nurtured lout - to Alan who kept chanting “me next, me next”.

Most shallow man! Thou worms-meat in respect of a good piece of flesh indeed- to Virgil because he was in the middle of trying to tame his hair when he was summoned.

Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver’d boy - to Scott because he was brave enough to attempt to insult him back.

Thou fawning spur-galled harpy!- at me when I stole his coffee

You should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so- to all of them.

Your face is a book, where men may read strange matters- to me, because I’m a strange, strange lady and asked for another insult.

Thou fusty onion-eyed nut-hook! - at Virgil, no reason at all.

Draw thy tool. My naked weapon is out- after flipping a certain finger at Scott.

Thou wimpled bat-fowling puttock- at Gordon because it was his fault that John was stuck insulting people when he had just wanted a quiet afternoon.

Thou currish bade-court hedge-pig- at Alan while examining his chin growth.

What, you egg! Young fry of treachery! - at Alan when he sided with Gordon.

Assume a virtue if you have it not- at Gordon when he protested his innocence.

Thou artless tickle-brained haggard! - at Virgil when he compared John’s nose to Shakespeare’s massive hooter.

Thou villainous weather-brained barnacle!- at Gordon, just because, and now everyone is calling him a weather-brained barnacle.

Get thee to a nunnery- to me when I said his Shakespearean accent was strangely hot.

Thou puny rampallian baggage- at Gordon, for no reason other than he’s short.

Thou art some fool, I am loath to beat thee- at Scott when he attempted to start a Shakespearean rap battle (don’t ask, it didn’t last long)

Thine face is not worth sunburning- to Virgil who thinks he’s too cool for sunscreen and has a red nose because he fell asleep in the sun again.

You yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am if like a crab you could go backwards- at Jeff who wanted to know just what the heck was happening in his lounge and why we were all screaming with hysterical laughter.

I scorn you, scurvy companion. What, you poor, base, rascally, cheating, lack-linen mate! Away, you moldy rogue away!- at Alan when he tried to steal one of John’s cookies while he was distracted.

Away, you bottle-ale rascal, you filthy bung, away!- At Gordon when he also attempted cookie theft.

The insult lashes came to a halt when Grandma called us for dinner.

“Hey, John?” Gordon whispered as we bundled down the stairs to the kitchen

“Yeah?”

“I dare you to insult Grandma’s cooking.”

“No, my love, it’s not worth it, think of the children!” I gasped.

“What children?” he asked, genuinely perplexed.

I shrugged. “Our non-existent children, I just thought I'd go full movie heroine for dramatic effect. You do what you want, you’re all crazy.”

He narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, then nodded. I should have known, no Tracy can resist a dare.

Grandma plonked down plates of something that might have been chicken, but also might have been sausages in a gravy for gruel straight out of a Dickensean nightmare.

I watched John out of the corner of my eye. Would he actually do it? He took a deep breath, as if psyching himself up for it. I couldn't blame him. He pushed the plate away and opened his mouth.

“Away, you starvelling, you elf-skin, you dried neat’s-tongue, bull’s-pizzle, you stock-fish! Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.”

I think John’s grounded now, but the boys still haven't stopped laughing...

#savage john is savage #Shakespearean insults #john tracy #gordon tracy #Thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #Thunderbirds in isolation #isolation island #social isolation #john tracy appreciation society

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sunriseoverastorea · 5 years ago

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Ebonhawke is silent and still in the wee hours of the morning. Marea can see the entire city from the deck of her ship, spread out below her like a massive dollhouse, sleeping in the shadow of the mountains where the Crooked Kestrel is docked. A single figure here and there, darting through the sulfur-yellow glow of a streetlamp, likely up to no good. She shapes her right hand into a gun and points it at each of them, softly saying ‘pew, pew’ under her breath. She can barely hear herself over the idling hum of gears and steam and shifting wings, keeping her perpetually afloat, a gentle lullaby of mechanical voices. But she couldn’t fall asleep here, even if she wanted to. Nor on the bomb-splintered roof of her apartment, alongside her pets, or in the tall, whispering tree out in the Iron Marches, that has grown over Rajya’s grave.

She sits down less than gracefully on the edge of the deck, still adjusting to her bad knee. Her legs swing over the side, kicking chipperly through the air, and to her left she lays out her work for the night: a new cape, shoddily handsewn and almost completed, and a large plain sketchbook, accompanied by her box of scribing tools. She briefly runs the coarse wool of the cape through her fingers, feeling nothing, but imagining it to be soft and fluid, fuzzy and scratchy, all at once. Then she takes the hefty book and plops it on her lap, opening to the first page.

“Don’t fuck up, Marea,” she murmurs, hunching deeply, getting her face as close to the page as she can. Her braids slip over her shoulders and hone in on her peripheral vision as she takes a black pen from the box and carefully pricks the end of it on the paper, licking her lips. “You don’t wanna tear pages out of this. It’s a record of your progress. If it’s shitty, it’s shitty forever.”

She begins to sketch along the top margin of the page, a smooth, elegant array of curving vines studded with leaves and blossoms alike, mimicking the flowers of Grothmar Valley. Her trip there seems like a world away, now--everything from before the Dominion came into existence does. In some cases, literally, in her year of barding in foreign taverns where odd variants of humanity with thick, musical accents listened to her tales of Ascalon, a fabled land with fabled cat people and legendary sorrow and beauty. But even since she came back--Raigar gone, then finding him a changed man from the one she left behind. Finding herself changed, a stranger in places she once romped about without a care, an alien in a world where everything is loud and angry, and she was loud and angry, and sometimes she still is, but other times she’s forgotten how she’s supposed to feel, supposed to react.

Everything is different. She can never go back to a time when Tyria was her whole horizon. The closest she can get is her memories with Rajya, when she was child. Days moved slowly, and the world was a story, a tapestry of love and suffering that she could read before bed. It was easier that way.

But even back then, she knew it was a sham. That real life was visceral and painful, and would beat her down at every opportunity. And now is no different--she has new friends, a lover, an airship, and a new place that she calls home, at least by name. And in the midst of all this, the concept that she’s built her heart around, like the vines climbing up the trellis on the page of her sketchbook, is crumbling into shards and splinters.

She leans forward, letting her forehead rest against the cold, rusty metal of the deck’s railing. She grits her teeth, eyes narrowing, metal hand gripping the pen in a fist so tight that the plastic casing cracks nearly in half. And then the pen is flying off the airship, out over soot-darkened rooftops, and shreds of torn sketchbook paper are hurled after it, though they only sail a foot through the air before they begin to drift downward, spinning and lilting on the breeze like feathers. She bangs her head against the railing, again and again, and even in her anger, she doesn’t feel like shouting. She doesn’t want to be loud.

What’s the point? she thinks, Why should I keep trying? Why did I return? Why do I still care?

She takes a long, shuddering breath, wiping hard at her eyes with the back of her hand. It’s a poison. A disease. Tyria is in her blood, and it will always call her back.

--------------------------------------

Over the snow-capped mountains and across the fields and forests of Kryta, Cara returns to Shaemoor. Her tiny room at the top of the farmer’s mill is just as she left it, if covered in a significant layer of dust. Even her favorite cat is snoozing on the bed, though it does nothing more than open one eye in greeting. She’s not staying the night here. It will take a couple hours to meet up with Jack and the others in the swamp, so it’s best that she gather what she needs, and leave. No fanfare, no sentimentality. It shouldn’t be difficult; this is a place where she despised herself, spent years trapped in a pit of despair and self-loathing. There is nothing of worth here, except her gear, which she came for.

She rounds up her weapons first. With her greatsword and rifle already strung across her pack, she adds a large hammer, an axe, a sword, a small shield, and a spiked mace to the array. Some of them go in the pack, others are tied with straps to hang from the sides of it. She flips through her stack of unopened letters, which she suspects has grown in the last year, nosy farmers delivering her backlog of family correspondence straight to her desk. Then she takes them all and shoves them under the mattress, out of sight, out of mind. Like they never existed.

Despite a fine peppering of dust, her armor still gleams, silver surface reflecting halos of gold in the candlelight. She stares down at her hard face, reflected in the chestplate, on the emblem of the Vigil so exquisitely molded into the metal, and she feels ill, as if her stomach is forcing its way up her throat. There’s no time to let petty, irrational weakness distract her--she grits her teeth and, piece by piece, removes her armor from the stand, and goes through the familiar motions of putting it on. Even after five years, the preparations that she has rehearsed since she was a child come naturally, easily, her second skin that she had planned to live the rest of her life in. Fight in battle, die in battle. With strength, honor, and justice.

It’s heavier than she remembers. She untethers her greatsword from her pack, and experimentally swings it through the air, a simple upper-cut slash. Her breath quickens, her stance wavers, she feels stunted and instantly yearns for her arms to move freely. But is it really the smooth range of motion that she craves, or the panting from her chest that she fears?

She’s lost muscle mass. It happens. She sits on the edge of the bed, untying the binding on her chestplate, and carefully lowering it to the floor. She didn’t want that, anyway. Baring that lie on her chest. She’s isn’t Vigil, and she never will be again. There’s nothing to be done about the rest of her armor, most of it in uniform, but at least it doesn’t scream from the highest hilltop in the same way the chestplate does: I’m a traitor! I’m a failure! I am disgraced, and I deserve my isolation.

Isolated no more, she has Jack. And the rest of the gang, though she’d hardly call them close companions. Still, in the moments when she is away from her lover, left to what few meaningful thoughts she has, she remembers what it’s like to be completely alone. There’s a part of her that believes she should’ve stayed that way, as penance. And another that’s learned not to care. She is no longer a soldier, no longer honorable. And she’s never lived her life half-heartedly.

She pulls a storage bin out from under the bed, and unveils a thick norn-style shirt, made from a mix of hides and fur, a gift from Kylan many years ago. It will do in place of her chestplate, unrecognizable to any familiar faces she may encounter at the war front, further enforcing the idea that she is not Cara, not even human. Even in her shame, she isn’t ready to be associated with the charr-killing mongrels she’ll soon be fighting alongside. Especially if the sack-hoods come out.

She stands in the doorway, saddled with armor and weapons on her back. She looks at the cat, who at some point circled the bed and settled down with its tail to Cara, face tucked away out of view.

“Goodbye,” she says in her flat, commanding tone, startling herself a little. The room had been dead silent, her footsteps dampened by the dust. She waits for the cat to reply--and it doesn’t, so she moves on.

----------------------------------------------

Dido sits at her desk in her apartment in the Western Commons, busily scrawling away with a pencil. Trisha, take care of Kennedy; Sara, finish the dress for Elizabeth--she scrolls through the mental list of clients in her head, and when the letters are all written and addressed, she puts them on the table by the door, to be dropped in the mail on her way out. No noble lady will be left unattended, futzing and complaints should be minimal. She opens her little pantry, peeking in the back corners of each shelf in search of perishable food, when a tinny, subtle crackling in her ears grabs her attention.

Abruptly, she straightens up, and goes to the window, leaning her head out just enough to appear as if she’s enjoying the cool evening air. She gently taps her finger on the tiny comm, tucked safely in her ear. “Yes?” she answers crisply, voice even and smooth and pleasantly indifferent, an automaton of grace and sinuous charm. She falls silent, listening to the reply, and tilts her head out just a bit farther, trying to abate poor reception.

“I know, I know. Look, it’s not a vacation,” she says, keeping soft and low so that she doesn’t disturb her neighbors. “I--yes, I’m going to be with my sister, I never denied that. But we’re also going to an active war zone, so I’ll be working at the same time… Yes, of course I will keep you updated on everything I see. Every last fallen pine needle--who? Right, I’ll keep an eye out for them.”

The tinny voice in her ear drones on, a cloud passes by overhead, revealing the moon, and she dips back inside her apartment, a little more clarity coming through the device. She half-listens as she boxes up her sewing machine, shoving it under the bed and out of view from snooping eyes, and rolls up and folds her patchwork of fabrics spread across the sewing table.

“I understand,” she says gently, but firmly. “You know I take this seriously. And that I can multitask. Or I wouldn’t have the right to call myself tailor by day, agent by night. Sometimes the reverse. I like being kept on my toes.”

Goodbyes are exchanged, and the comm crackles and closes the connection. For a moment, she considers removing it from her ear; just a little peace and quiet, without her mentor butting in on her thoughts all night and all day, would be a sweet relief. But she leaves it in, just in case. Duty calls.

Tomorrow--in the morning, duty calls. She lies down on her bed, swallowed in her plush comforter. She will have plenty of time to catch up with Cara and Jack when the sun sits high in the sky, warm and bright, and a fascinating, unprecedented adventure awaits them. A charr civil war, Jormag looming on horizon. She’s living through history, and her keen eyes are drinking in every minute of it.

#rp post #marea the silent #cara graves #dido graves #first piece in a century and I like it

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sssoto · 7 years ago

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Creator’s update #2

Hey guys! I’m back with another update to keep y’all posted on what I’ve been up to (= I’m getting this up a week later than I wanted to, but hey, what can ya do. It’s still very much up to date, I just didn’t have the time to get this typed up last week, buuuut making up for that now!

Mood: Juuuuuust chillin’~

Music I’ve been digging recently:

This is basically just gonna be a looooong list of Selena Gomez, because dammit I’m into her music right now. The girl is gorgeous and I’ve always liked her music, but I used to be more into her old stuff, and now I’m just living for all the songs I didn’t listen to as much from the time she released her Stars Dance album and onwards. These are just a select few of the songs I’ve been listening to on repeat for the past week or so lol.

Selena Gomez - Fetish (ft Gucci Mane)

Selena Gomez - The Heart Wants What It Wants

Selena Gomez - Do It

Selena Gomez - Me & the Rhythm

Selena Gomez - Me & My Girls

Selena Gomez - Nobody

Selena Gomez - Save the Day

Selena Gomez - Like a Champion

Writing

So I DID ACTUALLY DO SOME WRITING THESE PAST FEW WEEKS OMG.

I finished editing an entire scene I’d been struggling with for the looooongest time (and now I’m having trouble with the next scene, sigh you just can’t win). For that scene, I had to rearrange three different scenes and combine them into one in a way which made sense, and geez it wasn’t fun. The real struggle is finding out what to keep and what to cut, right? I dunno ‘bout you guys, but I’m very reluctant to cut anything until I’m sure I don’t wanna use any of the prose somewhere else.

The light came to me late one night (as it usually does) when this random line popped in my head as I was mulling over what to name my second chapter. Okay, backtrack, I title my chapters, and ever since I started revisions and essentially condensed the first four chapters down to three, I couldn’t figure out what to name the second chapter. The other two chapters could easily just take on the titles they had previously, but the structure and overall focal point of the second chapter had changed so much that I needed to rethink the title (at least if I wanted it to be a good title lol). So chapter 2 was untitled until just recently, when this line came to me and finally made me decide on a name: The Find. A find in this sense refers to an archaeological discovery (my main characters study and work in the archaeological field), and you might see how it plays into the chapter in my excerpt later this post. But yeah, this line came to me, and along with that came the realisation that I could move a whole paragraph from the scene I was revising in chapter 3 to chapter 2, since that paragraph was oriented in a pretty similar fashion to what I was going for with that new line. Does any of this make sense? My thought process is a little strange lmao.

Anyway, so knowing what I needed to do with chapter 2 gave me the push I needed to move on with that scene I struggled with in chapter 3, and I finally managed to restructure all the bits and pieces of those scenes I had to combine. It became much easier because I’d moved an entire paragraph that didn’t really fit in that scene anyway to a place where it was much better suited lol. Since the new dialogue was already written out, it was pretty straightforward to draft new narrative to go with it after I had reassembled the pieces (though I’m sure it’s all veeeeery rough cuz I’ve not given it a proper read through yet).

It all worked out in the end, and I’m so happy I made that progress wee! And I think I know what to do with the next scene, so it’s just about kicking my ass into gear lol (special thanks to @coffeeandcalligraphy who helped me brainstorm for this scene, ugh bless my friends). I already knew the next scene needed to be edited a lot, because basically the entire thing was just filler. The first half was a way too long narrative summary with a bunch of unnecessary detail which could be condensed significantly, and the next half was a scene also way too long for the purpose it served, and to make matters worse, it also introduced a bunch of pointless characters that never show up again, so the scene just feels kinda forced. I’ve done some trimming on the narrative summary, and I’ve cut out the scene that follows, so what I need to do next is add some details that pertain to the timeline and illness change (if you read my last post, you might recall me mentioning that I was doing these revisions in the first place because I aged my characters up and changed the illness of my MC’s sister), and then I’m gonna draft a new much shorter scene that’ll serve the same purpose the previous scene did, but without so much pointless, contrived detail, and without friggin’ introducing new characters that’ll never appear again, my god Soto what were you thinking.

But you know what, I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I’ve made an important discovery during these edits, which I discussed with @shaelinwrites, who herself was recently stuck in revision hell with her manuscript I’m Fine, and we both agreed; it’s honestly much easier to draft new, better prose than trying to elevate very old less mature prose. As I’m revising these chapters, I sometimes get the feeling that my prose isn’t very complex or sophisticated, but then when I get to draft completely new lines or even paragraphs, I wonder how the new words seem so much better than the old ones. Then I look back at the date and remember that these chapters I’m revising were written in friggin’ 2014. It’s no wonder the prose ain’t that sophisticated lmao. It’s hard work improving something which at its core is less refined!

With that said, I think it’s time for some excerpts. I didn’t show any last time since I hadn’t been working much on my writing recently, but this time I have stuff to show!

Excerpt:

He seemed a hidden gem waiting to be uncovered, layered deep in the crusts of his own humility and class, a rare find with all the potential it entailed – academical and monetary.

This was the line I talked about which basically solved all my problems for me lol bless this line. And bless @shaelinwrites who convinced me to get rid of an unnecessary word, THANK YOU GIRL, I WAS DUMB, YOU WERE RIGHT, THE WEASEL WORD HAD TO GO.

Excerpt:

They arrived in Naples, grandest seaport of the Mediterranean, without incident. The capital of the Sicilies was a majestic sight when approached from the sea, rather alien with its numerous colourful structures raised on slanting green hillsides amongst sprouting palms, so very different from the grey, uniform London back across the English Channel.

Just some description; looking at pictures of Naples helped a lot for this lmao. I’m still not entirely happy with it, it needs a good clean up and stuff. Buuuuuut you know what, it’s progress, and that’s all that matters right now!

Chapters edited: 2/16

Current total word count: Around 123k (I’ll give a more precise number when I’ve gathered all my chapters in one document)

Current total chapter count: 16

Look at the lovely progress on chapter 3 since last update <3

Art

So honestly I don’t have a lot of WIPs to show in the art department this time around, because a) I’ve mostly been finishing up the sketches I showed last time, and b) the new stuff I’ve started are secret projects I’d rather not reveal yet. So don’t blame it on inproductivity! d:

Like I said, I’ve finished some of the WIPs I talked about last time, and even better, I’ve posted them as well, so you can go and take a look at the final product: the Disney portraits, and my portraits of the Armstrong siblings.

And with that said, can we just marvel at this improvement?

Sometimes it can feel like you’re never getting anywhere, and that’s when it’s important to gaze back at your journey and see how far you’ve come. I’m certainly pretty happy with how my skills have developed in the past two years! I want to do more “draw it again” pieces in the future so I can track my own development n.n

The only thing I feel I can show a WIP of (that I’ve not already shown, anyway) is this character portrait I’m working on for Serena. Used my girl Selena Gomez as reference cuz she’s the best face claim for Serena I’ve come across <3 It’s actually this portrait’s fault that I got into this entire Selena Gomez groove, and oh how grateful I am for it because Selena Gomez slaaaaaays.

I’m not entirely sure I’m gonna keep the portrait like this for her official character portrait though, because I feel it’s a little risqué~ for a Victorian portrait LOL. I mean, slay that hair, Serena, you know ya sexy af, but gotta stay in character with your setting, yanno? Lmao I dunno, I need to rethink it a bit, but regardless I’m digging the sketch thus far!

I think the next thing I’m working on will be lining and colouring Owen’s portrait, and then I also have all these secret things in the works that I wanna make progress on so I can reveal them. Aside from this, I’ve been hard at work on setting up commissions, and I’ll soon make an announcement, so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested in getting a portrait done by me!

Youtube

It’s been a month since last update, and I upload new videos every Friday, which means I’ve got new videos to announce to y’all! So if any of you like kpop, vocal covers, or speedpaints, here’s where you should look :D

I’ve actually gotten pretty good at this Youtube thing (thanks to the scheduling feature, it saves lives), so my uploads are fairly consistent. I upload every Friday; every other week it’s a vocal cover (usually kpop, but not exclusively), and the other week it’s a speedpaint, so *hint hint* you should subscribe if you haven’t already *hint hint*. I’ll soon run out of covers to upload though, so I should record some more... Ahem.

Anyway, here’s the most recent one I uploaded. The song is a bit obscure if you’re not a dedicated 4minute fan, but it’s one of my favourites!

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And my second cover can’t be embedded due to copyright, but I’ll leave a link for it here so you can check it out! It’s for the song So Good by Kara. The acapella for this one was super fun to record what with all the harmonies and background vocals and stuff.

And of course, I uploaded a few speedpaints as well! There are actually four up on my channel now because one of the speedpaints was split into two parts to prevent a 45 min video lol. So if any of you are interested in seeing my process, check them out! The first one was a birthday gift I made for the amazing @juliajm15 back in March <3

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And the second, split into two parts (lineart and colour), is one I find particularly interesting since it’s more elaborate. I really do like how the colouring came out for this piece!

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So yaaassss, remember to subscribe if you’re into this sort of stuff!

Bonus: Fanart feature!

So you guys, I have some really amazing friends who make some really amazing fanart for me, and I must share.

Where to even begin? I seriously get all teary-eyed when someone takes the time to make something because they enjoyed my story and characters so much *cries*. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably seen me gush about all the amazing artwork @juliajm15 has done for me over the past couple years, but I wanna shine some light on two of my other good friends and loyal supporters who made some incredible and thoughtful tributes to my little labour of love!

First up are some amazing edits as well as a drawing done by Rachel over at @coffeeandcalligraphy.

This pretty thing is a fan book cover Rachel made for my first book, Memoirs! I love the aesthetic of the title so much, and there’s some actual symbolism in there with how she chose to colour coordinate the elements; green for Daniel, red for Serena. Just knowing how much thought and care she put into it makes my sentimental little heart swell <3

These two edits are just GORGEOUS. Once again done by Rachel, she made this for my birthday last year <3

For the first one, she used lyrics from Elton John’s Daniel because I’d mentioned that this song was the perfect message for Hazel to give Daniel, and the little doll reading the book is sooooo adorable because Daniel and Hazel have this thing with reading fairytales together *cries* and then it’s wearing a white nightgown too, which is basically what Hazel always wears since she’s confined to her bed!

For the edit beneath, she picked an actual quote said by Serena to Daniel, and the summer aesthetic with the greeneries and the flower in the background to symbolise the summers they spent together, bah it’s too much! The care and thought put into this makes me emotional all over again, and these edits are just so lovely!!

And last one: my darling, Daniel! Rachel actually made this for our friendship anniversary a short while ago, and I still feel bad that I didn’t think to make anything for her lmao. She used the ref I found for Daniel, and his face honestly is just so friggin’ adorable, and then she used a quote from Renaissance to go along with it! I seriously have the best and most thoughtful friends in the entire world, like wow.

Another one of my friends who’s been giving me a bunch of cute fanart lately is @sarahkelsiwrites! Just take a look at this adorable drawing she did of Hazel:

Hazel is a very beloved character, but she doesn’t get nearly as much love in terms of artwork as my other characters, so it’s always so nice when someone remembers her <3

And okay, but this one kills me:

I literally screamed when she sent me this. LOOK AT HIS TATS HAHAHAHAH. So for some context, basically @coffeeandcalligraphy has a weird fetish for angst, and we started talking about how our characters have different kinds of angst. I started calling her characters angsters, because they angst like it’s cool to angst, aka gangster, aka angster. Rachel then said that Daniel’s angst is elegant, which turned into a really lame pun, and the rest is history...

Long story short, don’t mess with E. Angst’s tea, yo. Much British, very angst.

And the last one and I DIE CUZ MY BBY LOOKS SO HANDSOME <3 <3 <3 So Sarah brooded that somehow, everytime she tries to draw a girl, it turns into Daniel, but yanno... Can’t complain.

LOOK AT THE SMOOTH LINEART THO. I couldn’t draw smooth lineart for the life of me until I’d had my graphic tablet for like two years. Ugh I love how Danny looks here, his expression is so perfect! Thank you so much @sarahkelsiwrites and @coffeeandcalligraphy for the amazing gifts, I feel so blessed to have such generous, thoughtful and talented friends! <3

So that was all for this time around; I hope you enjoyed seeing what I’ve been working on! I’ll be back soon to summarize my progress on all my projects again, so until next time, folks!

#Amnesia the dark descent #disney #atlantis the lost empire #the hunchback of notre dame #4minute #kpop #digital art #update #personal #memoirs #renaissance #art wip #writing wip #daniel james wilkinson #serena da silva #original character #friends

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gotham-ruaidh · 8 years ago

Note

That new Shifted update gave me all the Da Jamie feels. I would love to see how Jamie acts during wee William's birth since Bree's was so hard. :)

anonymous asked: Hello Gotham! I’m not sure if you’re still taking prompts for Shifted but here is mine just in case!!! I would love to read anything to do with Fergus, I think he’s such a vital part of Jamie and Claire family in s2 and I wonder what’s his “role” in your amazing story. Thank you!

For the next few weeks I’ll be writing one-shots in the Shifted universe, filling in the blanks that we don’t see in the main story, before we resume the main action with Part 7 - The Visitor.

If there is a particular scene you’d like to see, send me an ask and I’ll see what I can do!

In Shifted, the premise is simple - what if Claire had gotten pregnant with Brianna a month or two earlier in the story, and she and Jamie had re-evaluated their priorities and decided that the cause was lost, and they were able to slip away from the army and quietly return to Lallybroch?

Previous installments…

Interlude - The Surprise

Lallybroch, Spring 1753

Jamie wiped his sweaty brow on his damp shirtsleeve,frowning at the furrows neatly dug along about half of the field.

“Hold up!” he yelled to Murtagh, who was industriouslyhacking at the earth with his spade. His godfather paused, squinting in therare spring sunshine, chest heaving with exertion.

“Ian!” Jamie called to his brother-in-law, who couldn’tparticipate in the digging but supervised from the edge of the field. “Ye’resure we can space the potatos so closely together? We didna do that the lasttime – ”

“Yes, we can.” Ian shifted a bit as the peg of his woodenleg caught in a patch of softer soil. “I was reading Sir Walter’s book againlast night, and it didna say anything about whether three inches instead offour wouldna be good for the plants.”

“One of the MacNabs was telling me the other day thatthey’d tried the three inches up at their croft,” Murtagh interjected, nudgingJamie with the handle of his spade. “And it didna seem to have an ill effect onthe harvest.”

Ian hobbled closer to Jamie and Murtagh.

“Aye, but the soil is a bit boggier over at those crofts,”Jamie reasoned. “It can hold more moisture than ours can. I just want to makesure if we’re going through all the effort, we’ll still get as much as we can.”

“But if we dig three inches apart, we can add an extrarow for the whole field. That’s worth the effort, no?”

Jamie pursed his lips, remembering how he and Ian hadstayed up late the night before drawing out a map of the field and calculatingexactly how to dig the furrows. The winter barley crop had been poor – so theyneeded to grow more food. And potatos were the easiest solution.

He’d finally slipped into bed close to midnight – Claire hadgone upstairs long before, the weight of the bairn in her belly making her muchmore tired these days. She knew her time was coming, but had assured him justthis morning that it would be a few weeks yet.

And that was why Jamie was being so conservative aboutthe potatos. Claire had to eat. Brianna had to eat. Jenny and her army ofbairns had to eat. And Murtagh, and Fergus, and the tenants.

So much responsibility – and times were still lean, sevenyears after Culloden. Things had been worse, to be sure – but they were a longway from being better.

He’d risen early – Claire had slept restlessly, it was sodifficult for her to find a position that would remain comfortable. She dozedoff right after dawn, so he had quietly untangled her from his arms, kissed thereassuring roundness of her belly, whispered “I love you,” and prepared for theday.

Ian pursed his lips. “How about we try it half wi’ thethree inches and half wi’ the four? That way we can still have the extra row – ”

“Papa!!”

Jamie whirled to see seventeen-year-old Fergus crestingthe hill.

“Papa! Quick! You must come!”

“Soldiers?” Murtagh raised his spade, ready.

Fergus stopped in his tracks – right at the edge of thefield – and bent over, panting.

“No – no. Not that. It’s – Maman. La petite bairn – it iscoming.”

Jamie dropped his rake and shot off, racing back to thehouse.

“Truly?” Ian hobbled across an untilled section of thefield. “Is the bairn on its way?”

Fergus straightened up, still winded. “Yes – yes. Themidwife just arrived. It is very, very quick this time. Tante Jenny thought she’dhave to deliver it on her own. I told her I could help – but no, she sent me tofetch you.”

Murtagh clapped a solid hand on Fergus’ shoulder – the ladhad grown to be taller than him, but he was still very slight of build. “That’sverra brave of ye, lad. Now let’s get back – the tatties can wait, aye?”

---

Fergus had left the front door open – and Jamie almostcrashed into Mrs. Crook in the entryway.

“Upstairs,” was all she said.

Jamie bolted through the sitting room, taking the stairstwo at a time.

Six-year-old Brianna Fraser – banished from the upstairs toa quiet corner of the sitting room – turned to her cousin Maggie.

“Why do ye think he’s so worrit? Everything will be fine.”

“Ye ken that Grannie Ellen died having a bairn?” Maggie focusedon changing her rag doll’s dress. “He’s probably worrit because of that.”

“I didna ken that,” Brianna replied softly. Then – “Do yethink my Mam is going to die? I dinna think Da would let that happen.”

Maggie shrugged.

Brianna frowned, lay her doll down, and folded herfingers in her lap. Trying not to think about what was happening upstairs.

---

Ten stairs – then the turn. Then another ten – then thelanding. Then six strides to their bedroom –

Claire screamed.

And Jamie almost ripped the door off its hinges.

His heart tore in two at the sight on the bed. Claire –naked, legs bent at the knees, stomach heaving along with her shallow breaths, facecontorted in pain. Jenny and the midwife – the same sour-faced woman who haddelivered Brianna and all the Murray bairns – standing on either side of thebed, alternately soothing and encouraging Claire.

Jenny looked over her shoulder – and he immediately sawher relax.

“Jamie’s here, Claire.” Her voice was a bit loud, almostas if she were speaking to a child.

But Jamie was already at Claire’s side, enfolding her asbest as he could into his arms.

“Jamie?” Claire’s voice was weak – far away. Lost.

“Aye, Claire. I’m here.” He kicked off his boots andsettled against the headboard, cradling her back to his front. Just as he hadwhen she was delivering Brianna.

“When did it start?”

“Just about an hour ago.” Jenny gently kneaded the archof Claire’s foot. “Claire wasn’t feeling too well after breakfast – ”

“Those – bloody – fucking – onions did it,” Clairepanted. “Never should – have them with – breakfast…”

Then she curled against Jamie, body going rigid asanother pain rippled through her middle –

“Oh, God. I have to push,” she groaned.

The midwife pulled back Claire’s leg and reached down. “Aye– ye’re open and ready, Claire. Push.”

She did.

It was awful – and there was a lot of blood – and Claire’sblunt nails drew stinging pain where she clutched Jamie’s arms. But he didn’tfeel a thing – encouraging her, whispering to her, holding her as she drew fromsomewhere deep inside herself to push and push and push.

All was forgotten when Claire’s body released the finaltension – and the midwife held up their blood-smeared, screaming, absolutelygorgeous son.

---

“Born in the middle of the day – he’ll always have lunchon his mind, poor lad.”

Claire held the baby’s head tighter in the crook of herelbow. Jamie darted one hand to wrap the blanket tighter around the baby’simpossibly tiny shoulders, gently touching the bitty chin and nose with the padof one finger.

“Born early, too – means he’ll always be waiting on otherpeople. Puir lad.”

“I can’t believe how easy that was, compared to the lasttime.” Claire settled back a bit against Jamie, oblivious to Jenny and themidwife sorting the soiled linens and tossing bloody water out the window.

“It didna look easy from *my* perspective,” he smiled, absolutelyhypnotized by his son’s sleeping face.

“And I was so worried, too. But Jamie, when my waterbroke and you weren’t there – ”

“Hush. It doesna matter. Though Fergus told me hevolunteered to stay behind and help ye?”

“He told me he’d helped with a birth before – at thebrothel. I don’t even want to begin to imagine what that must have been like.”

“He’s a braw lad.” Jamie bent to kiss Claire’s shoulder. “We’relucky that our wee boy will have such a good brother to look up to.”

The baby stirred, but then settled.

“Is he our William, then?” Claire asked softly. They haddecided on the name as a tribute to Jamie’s beloved elder brother – but nowthat the baby was actually here…

“Aye. No’ Willie – that was my brother. No’ Will – that’stoo English. William. A good, strong name.”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

Claire turned over her shoulder to face Jamie. “I do loveyou, Jamie. Thank you.”

He smiled – heart full to bursting with love and joy andpride.

“For what? I didna do any of the work.”

“For giving him to me. For being here with me. For – for thislife.”

He bridged the gap between them in a long, long kiss.

“I love you.”

He butted his nose with hers.

“Can you get Brianna?”

He smiled even wider, kissed her forehead, and sprang offthe bed and down the hall.

Not even a minute later, Brianna shyly poked her redcurls around the doorframe.

“Come here, love,” Claire gently encouraged. “Come meetyour brother.”

Then Jamie was there, guiding her around Jenny and themidwife and toward the bed.

Brianna gingerly stepped to Claire’s side and peered downat the swaddled bundle. The baby dreamed, quiet.

She furrowed her red brows and didn’t say anything for along time.

Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but at a firm look fromClaire thought twice about it.

So they waited. And waited –

“Hallo, wee William,” Brianna finally said, voiceimpossibly soft. “I’m your big sister. I’ll take care of ye.”

Then she bent to kiss his brow.

Jamie gripped Claire’s shoulder a little tighter.

So thankful for this life.

#outlander #outlander fanfic #shifted #jamie and claire

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imaginemycroftholmes · 8 years ago

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Mycroft Submission Form

I saw the new updated form and had to try it out.

Name: Melissa

Nationality: American

Age: 22

Personality Type: INFP/ENFP (I switch back and forth depending on the day/weather)

Level of Education: 4 years of College, still working on my Bachelors for Animal Health Science

Best Subject: Art, History, Psychology/Social Studies, English

Worst Subject: Chemistry (Any science class really) and Math (was my best subject, until they added the alphabet to the numbers)

Favorite Subject: Art, Karate, Textiles and Home Economics

5 Hobbies (if applicable): Drawing, playing video games, cooking (lots of steak and lamb), baking (cookies are a specialty), sewing and watching TV

Favorite Genre of Music/Movies/Books: Movies: Anything but horror/suspense, Music: Mostly Country but pretty eclectic (no jazz/screamo/or other heavy metal), and Books: I dare say that I don’t read. Like at all, but I love the original Grimm Fairytales.

Last song you listened to on repeat: “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors

Last phrase you said to another living person: “I got burned by Holy Water once while at the Vatican.”

How many blankets do you sleep with: Just 1, my “Clown” blanket (but really it’s a crying opera singer holding a rose, that’s been in the family for 30+ years. I do sleep with like 6-7 pillows though)

7 note worthy skills: Loyal, Altruistic, Kind, Compassionate, quiet (yes I consider this a good trait), very open-minded, and strong (physically I mean, mentally is up for debate)

7 noticeable sins: I’ll admit I’m lazy, somewhat immature (I swear a lot and my favorite is the F word), I do procrastinate, I am food aggressive, a wee bit selfish and show no mercy to backstabbers, bullies or people who just annoy me (a kick to the groin, a harsh, tear-inducing insult, a dark secret exposed or get them in trouble with a teacher.)

Allergies/impairments/illnesses: I have what I’d like to call illness-induced asthma, and I am near sighted and have to wear glasses, but no allergies at all.

Level of Intelligence on a scale of 1 to 5: 4 (Just above average, but I’m no Einstein)

Level of Fitness on a scale of 1 to 5: 1-2 (currently dieting and exercising, but I love food too much)

Level of Attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 5: I think 2, but everyone else says 4 (liars).

Feline, canine or both: Canine (loyal) and Feline (keep to myself)

Confidence Level on a scale from 1 to 5: 2-3 (1 on bad days, but hardly ever higher than a 3)

Position in the Family (oldest, youngest, middle): Only child, so oldest (I never had to share my toys!)

Eye Color: Brown (Always wanted blue eyes or green)

Hair Color and Length: Long, brown, wavy hair (I hate it. Get’s frizzy in dry/humid weather and gets burning how in the summer, but I can’t cut cause I don’t look good with short hair)

Height: 5’ 2” (Short. So very short, but have so many tall friends)

Combat level on a scale 1 to 5: 2 (currently in Karate)

Your normal dress: A pair of worn blue jeans, a loose fitting T-shirt, a Zip-up Hoodie, a good pair of socks and an old pair of running shoes (with insoles cause I have no arch)

How well you take rejection on a scale of 1 to 5: 5 (I’ve been rejected numerous times)

Languages known: English, currently learning Esperanto and Spanish

Cleanliness of your bathroom on a scale of 1 to 5: 4, would be a 5 but I have a roommate who’s messy

How big is your circle of friends on a scale of 1 to 5: 2, not fond of big groups.

How would you rate your mental health on a scale of 1 to 5: 3-4 (I can get depressed easily on bad days)

Opinions on the current Holmes family members (Siger Holmes, Violet Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and Eurus Holmes): Sherlock is cool and I like his intelligence, his violin sills, and he’s pretty good looking, despite him being a bit, well rude or too honest. As for Siger and Violet, I haven’t met them or got to know them but I’m sure they’re lovely (if they’re your parents, I’m sorry for not realizing that, I’d just like to say that they are what I would want for grandparents, they are so sweet, I love them.) Eurus, I feel that she had so much potential, but I really don’t know how to feel about her. On one hand I am just as impressed with her intelligence and skills as I am with Sherlock, but I’m also pretty terrified of her.

Please bold the following below that applies toward your submission:

Friendship (You will be smothered with gifts but will ask for nothing in return)

Mentorship (Need time to learn, but can I will get the idea)

Relationship (If you’re up for it, then I’ll give it a try)

Partnership (So like be the John to your Sherlock?)

The Question portion:

Please note that you do not have to submit the pictures within your submission (save the puzzle) but you must answer them honestly and do so without cheating.

The angle of C looks to be 45 degrees, while A and B ~15 and ~30 degrees. There’s no attempt at math on this one, just looking at the pictures, I can assume the angles A and B add up to C.

2) Solve the puzzle:

First off I love Sudoku, I play it whenever I get the chance. Couldn’t figure out how to write on the pic so: (This one was a good one, had to really sit and work on it for a like an hour)

812 753 649

943 682 175

675 491 283

154 237 896

369 845 721

287 169 534

521 974 368

438 526 917

796 318 452

Don’t know, and Cheryl is being really “extra” as the kids say now, by not saying what her birthday is, I would have not given her a gift.

Shoot Mr. White. I don’t know but he hits his shots all the time I’d at least try and hit him.

Change the first plus sign into a 4 (545 + 5 + 5 = 555)

He can’t reach the button for the 10th floor in the elevator so he has wait till there are more people to press the button for him.

Seen this one too. You pick two switches to turn on, one stays off, after waiting a bit, pick one of the switches that is on and then go into the room. If the light is on then it’s the switch still on, if off, touch the bulb, cold=the switch that was always off, warm=the one that was on then turned off.

Don’t care. These gods sound like dicks.

Why can’t he just go to Mary’s house and give her the ring? John is lazy and illogical, that is my deduction. I don’t know.

10)

Flip it upside down and it’s 87. Seen this one before too.

11)

I don’t know! This is the kind of riddle that makes me want to hit the creator in the face. Hints would be nice too.

12)

Alex is screwed. He jumps, he dead. He somehow survives, he’s burned or he starves, he dead.

13)

A. Anne could be married or not. If she is married and looking at George then yes, a married person is looking at an unmarried person, but if she’s not married the its still yes, cause Jack is married.

14)

Nope. Math was not my best subject.

15)

1? No clue.

16)

This type of math I can do, n=10. (10^2 - 10 - 90 = 0)

17)

Vince did it but I’d say “you’re all paying for the new window, I don’t care who broke it.”

18) Where does the English horn (Cor Anglais) come from? I’m assuming not England. Cor Anglais is French, but I doubt it’s from France. I don’t know.

19) What is brass composed of? Copper and Zinc

20) Who was the FIRST great artist that contributed to the Italian Renaissance? Masaccio. Thanks Art History!

21)

No.

22)

Don’t know but I known that I wouldn’t be at that party.

23)

How about nope

24) Is the dress blue and black or white and gold?

Blue and Black and I never want to here about this dress again. I hate dresses and I hated this meme when it came out on the news.

25)

I had to read this damn thing like 6 times, but I figured it out! There is no letter “e” in the entire thing. Kind of cool given that “e” is the most common letter used in the English language.

(I liked this submission form. It’s defiantly more challenging and has to do with a lot more problem solving than the last one. I like puzzles and some of these really made me think.)

Mycroft’s answer:

Melissa, I must say that I have heard many odd phrases in my lifetime both directly and in passing but never something akin to ‘I got burned with Holy Water once while at the Vatican' even with faulty translations at best. I would assume their would be a good story in correlation with that statement? I find it refreshing that you can take rejection so well despite stating that this is a regular occurrence for you. It takes a lot of time and practice for something like that not to effect you anymore and in the few times that I have been on the brunt end it does still carry a sting for me. But in private mind you as I cannot have my competitors or coworkers see me in a state of disarray. While I cannot say with any true glee that I have always been for the sciences ( my heart has always been on external things that tend to change more rapidly and could be controlled at a faster rate) than what concerns the inner workings of the human body much less than that of an animal however, I do have some know how about avian species and reptiles as Sherlock was wont to play with them. I am quite pleased that you attempted the puzzle and even more so that it is correct. My only issue is that if I took you up on a partnership is that you cannot be vindictive toward clients in a direct way. As a partnership with me would include dealing with some rather self-centered diplomats or government officials I'm afraid that in any instance of 'wrong doing' we would simply grin and bear it until the proper time comes to exploit it for personal gain. You can't exactly run the world if you burn too many bridges and make far too many enemies and you can see that with Mr. Moriarty's circles as well. You may not be too fond of the partnership considering on how big these meetings tend to run but rest assured we do need more Esperanto speakers. Just remember that in public everything must be clean and pristine which includes talk, work and the like but in private I will find no complaints from me.

Friendship: 8.6/10

Mentorship: 8.1/10

Relationship: 6.79/10

Partnership: 7.56/10

#Mycroft form 2.0 #submission #mycroft holmes

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tamboradventure · 6 years ago

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The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica

Updated: 12/20/2018 | December 20th, 2018

Costa Rica is one of the most visited countries in Central America. American tourists have been flocking to the country for years, and it’s become a hot spot for retirees and expats due to its cheap living, great weather, amazing beaches, and friendly locals.

I love Costa Rica. It was the first place that inspired me to travel.

It holds a special place in my heart.

I’ve been back to visit Costa Rica many times since then, falling in love with it over and over again.

But, because it’s not as cheap to visit as its neighbors, many budget travelers skip over Costa Rica.

And, while that’s true (but there are many ways to save money in Costa Rica), in my opinion, the beauty of the destinations below is worth the extra price.

Here are some of my favorite destinations in Costa Rica:

1. Puerto Viejo

Located on the Caribbean coast near Panama, Puerto Viejo is popular with young people and backpackers because of its great beaches, surfing, and party atmosphere. The town is very lively and you’ll find something going on every night. It’s probably the most popular destination on the Caribbean coast. There are also many quiet beach hotels around for those who are looking for some peace and quiet. There is also a jaguar rescue center nearby that rehabilitates all sorts of local wildlife and releases them back into the wild.

READ MORE: How to explore Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean coast

2. Cahuita

Cahuita, a tiny town situated right next to a stunning national park with the same name, is about an hour north of Puerto Viejo. Cahuita is a place to relax. There’s one bar in town that gets lively (sometimes it’s half full!), but for the most part, after a day of hiking, animal spotting, swimming, or surfing, most people just sit around and read. The region is known for its Afro-Caribbean influences, which you might notice in the food and local culture as you chill out with some dessert crepes or grilled chicken.

3. Tortuguero

Tortuguero (which means ‘Land of Turtles’) is the Costa Rican version of the Amazon rainforest. It dominates the northern coast, with Tortuguero National Park spanning over 77,000 acres. This massive area is a series of rivers and canals that crisscross the jungle. The biggest draws to this area are the large numbers of turtles (hence the name) that come to nest along the shoreline. The best time to see them nesting is in April and May, but if you’re visiting during the off-season, you’ll still be able to go hiking and participate in canal cruises. However, there’s lots of wildlife to see year-round.

4. Corcovado

Corcovado National Park is on the remote Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica. Established in 1975, the park covers an area of 424 square kilometers, making it the largest park in the country. Though more popular than it used to be, it’s still a very rugged, quiet, and off-the-beaten-path destination in a country where almost everything is on the beaten path. The peninsula is not easy to get to (which helps keep tourists away), but your efforts will be greatly rewarded with deserted beaches, tons of wildlife, great hiking, camping, and lots of marine life. It’s one of the best places in the country. To me, this is probably one of the best places in the entire country. Try not to miss it!

5. Arenal

Sitting at an elevation of 1,670m, Arenal is one of Costa Rica’s many volcanoes. It still erupts from time to time, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see lava flowing down the volcano. (Though, it’s less likely to happen as the volcano has been dormant for the last seven years). Fun fact: I got lost in the jungle around here.

The area has tons of wonderful activities: there’s awesome waterfall (La Fortuna), the national park with great hiking, sunset views over the lake, caving, rafting options, and famous hot springs. With so much to do, it’s no wonder it’s one of the most visited places in the country.

READ MORE: How to visit and explore Arenal

6. Manuel Antonio

A popular beach destination on the Pacific coast, Manuel Antonio’s wide, white-sand beaches and warm blue waters aren’t the only attractions people come for. The nearby national park, which opened in 1972, sees over 150,000 visitors annually and is home to great hiking trails, a number of secluded beaches, and offers up the chance to view three different kinds of native monkeys. It’s become a lot more crowded and developed over the years. It’s definitely not the park I first visited in 2006. That said, you’ll still see a lot of wildlife and the beaches in the area have been kept surprisingly pristine! Admission to the park is $16 USD per person, though kids under 12 enter for free.

READ MORE: What to see and do in Manuel Antonio

7. Monteverde

The nation’s premier cloud forest is the home to the elusive quetzal birds. Most people come to Monteverde for a glimpse of this rare bird. The area is one of the largest eco-tourism hubs in the country, and over 250,000 people visit every year. Monteverde, which rests right on the continental divide, experiences high winds and unusual weather patterns. The entire area is very green and wet. Witness it all on a zip-line adventure through the tree canopy or explore some of the sky bridges in the area. Expect to pay around $50 USD per person for zip-lining.

READ MORE: What to see and do in Monteverde

8. Poas Volcano

A great day trip from San José, Poas Volcano is an active stratovolcano with twin calderas filled with sulfur lakes. The lakes are so still, you’ll look at your picture and think you painted the color on. The volcanos last erupted in 2017, and have actually erupted 40 times since 1828! There are some small trails around the area too. Arrive early in the morning to avoid the clouds closing in and ruining the view.

9. Santa Teresa

At the bottom of the Nicoya coast is the hippie backpacker town of Santa Teresa. This “town” is really nothing more than a beach with a road lined with eateries, yoga centers, surf shops, and hostels. Everyone gets up early to hit the waves, so the overall atmosphere in town is pretty relaxed. You won’t find a lot of crazy parties here. Santa Teresa is a good place to lie on the beach, hang out with people, and relax. Because of the “chill” vibe, many people end up staying in Santa Teresa for weeks, and even months, on end.

***

While everything in Costa Rica is a bit touristy and a wee bit crowded, I think the diversity of wildlife, natural beauty, white-sand beaches, amazing sunsets, and warm, clear water make it worth the price. There’s still so many unexplored and unvisted part of the country. Plus, the locals here are super nice and welcoming.

Be sure to visit Costa Rica – and use this list to start your planning!

Pura Vida!

Book Your Trip to Costa Rica: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation To find the best budget accommodation, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory. Some ofm favorite places to stay in Costa Rica:

Arenal Backpackers Resort – This is a luxurious, laid-back hsotel with a pool that’s great for hanging out and meeting people.

Rocking J’s (Puerto Viejo) – The coolest hostel in all the country. This hostel located on the beach is the prime spot to meet other backpackers.

Hostel Vista Serena (Manuel Antonio) – With great ammenities, staff, and a pime location, it’s the best place in the area.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Want More Information on Costa Rica? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Costa Rica for even more planning tips!

The post The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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travelguy4444 · 6 years ago

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The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica

Updated: 12/20/2018 | December 20th, 2018

I love Costa Rica. It was the first place that inspired me to travel.

It holds a special place in my heart.

I’ve been back to visit Costa Rica many times since then, falling in love with it over and over again.

But, because it’s not as cheap to visit as its neighbors, many budget travelers skip over Costa Rica.

And, while that’s true (but there are many ways to save money in Costa Rica), in my opinion, the beauty of the destinations below is worth the extra price.

Here are some of my favorite destinations in Costa Rica:

1. Puerto Viejo

READ MORE: How to explore Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean coast

2. Cahuita

3. Tortuguero

4. Corcovado

5. Arenal

READ MORE: How to visit and explore Arenal

6. Manuel Antonio

READ MORE: What to see and do in Manuel Antonio

7. Monteverde

READ MORE: What to see and do in Monteverde

8. Poas Volcano

9. Santa Teresa

***

Be sure to visit Costa Rica – and use this list to start your planning!

Pura Vida!

Book Your Trip to Costa Rica: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Arenal Backpackers Resort – This is a luxurious, laid-back hsotel with a pool that’s great for hanging out and meeting people.

Rocking J’s (Puerto Viejo) – The coolest hostel in all the country. This hostel located on the beach is the prime spot to meet other backpackers.

Hostel Vista Serena (Manuel Antonio) – With great ammenities, staff, and a pime location, it’s the best place in the area.

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Want More Information on Costa Rica? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Costa Rica for even more planning tips!

The post The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/my-favorite-destinations-in-costa-rica/

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gsmatthews95 · 6 years ago

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A journey to the heart of Bavaria

A DOUBLE POST. I'm so sorry I actually forgot to post the last piece I wrote last week.... I've been busy... Actually not really... More lazy I'd say, however not as lazy as many may lead me to believe as I post my ultimate and final piece of this epic five month literary masterpiece that has explained, over exaggerated and immortalized the past, and last, five months of this trip. It has been momentous. It has spanned many a country. There has been fun. There has been culture. There has been beers. It has been exceptional, however, as I write this in the departure terminal of Berlin tegel airport heading home for the first time in 13 months, I am excited to be heading home. There is trepidation, a new era of my life awaits, but, the thought of seeing people I haven't seen for over a year, seeing my family, seeing Roland and even seeing the yids been barca at Wembley is driving me on. Possibilities is the word of the day. Deep I know, I'm just writing this so you don’t judge me so much when I write the actual meaty part of this article, which will be arriving imminently. I'll post now on the back of a few weeks in ze Deutscheland, mainly in Berlin but with a few days down in deep Bavaria, doing all things German. Yes everything. This involved: beers, hiking, eating sausage, saying tchussi, looking at pretty buildings, obeying j walking rules, discussing brexit, meeting an old friend and, oh yes I remember, drinking more beers st Oktoberfest. It was very fun.

As I headed down on my flixbus, I anticipated what these 3 and a half days had in store for me, I was excited, raring to get started and seeing Manuel, who I hadn't seen for 4 and a half years. Wow long. Would we still be friends? Would we recognize each other? Would he find me as intensely irritating as the majority of the rest of the world? After all lots has changed in the last 5 years, and I mean lots. I feel like a new person post gap year, uni and second gap year. It was unbelievably comforting therefore, to realise immediately, literally within 3 seconds, how nothing had changed. Conversation was never forced, all was comfortable and he had a good plan, now I knew it would be a good trip. The first evening was uneventful. Not bad by any means, exactly what we needed in fact, a whistle stop tour of Munich, a taste of the local beer brewed next to the monastery manu went to school in, ye that local and our first maaaaaaaas (1 liter of beer, yummy) before we headed back to tegensee (is that how you spell it) but Ill get to that. First I need to briefly mention a phenomenon I've never seen before and even after explanation from manu before we got there, something I had no idea what to expect. Dont expect to understand it just reading this, apologies. So it is an artificial wave on the river in the middle of Munich. It is maybe 10 meters wide and is always going. It is a mecca for surf bums from apparently all around the world. World famous in the surfer dude world. Rad eh? Or gnarly? I dunno I don't surf. It was however, EXTREMELY impressive as they surfed from side to side rapidly, doing their little tricks and jumps for the ever growing crowd who. Completely ignoring privacy ideas, filmed the whole lot. This included yours truly as I filmed a wee vid for memories sake. That was cool. The rest of Munich is beautiful. The building are all nice, well up kept and most importantly, colourful. I like colourful and painted buildings. Oh yeah we also climbed up a church to get a nice panoramic view of the city, very nice if not a wee bit tiring and sweaty. Anyhow, in tegensee we visited the famous tegensee brewery and even saw the monastery Manuel was educated in, very cute. We also consumed another beer and half a pig together as we munched down two bangin meals, George approved. Manu, day 1 was successful.

On to day 2. With an early night under our belts it was an early (read early as: 9am) start as we prepared for a hike. Ooo exercise. The fourth of Manu's week, the second of my month maybe. Having arrived in the dark I couldn't see the surroundings of the house as such I had a rough idea of what I might expect but these expectations were far below the reality as I woke up in awe of the landscape surrounding the house. I can only describe it as living in the Alps. Which is literally where we were. The mountains towered on all sides of us with the Xmas trees adorning each summit. Sadly no snow. Although this made for a much more enjoyable, Clear and warm hike. So usually when heading on a six hour hike in the alps you may need to drive somewhere first or get a bus or train. With kreuth, this is not the case. From the back door we wandered thru the picturesque, tiny alpine hamlet towards our everest. The hike was beaut. Not too strenuous, but hard enough and long enough to make us feel like we got our exercise for the holiday and give us a carte Blanche for Oktoberfest he he he. It was the classic situation when the tourist is stopping for photos every two minutes as each view gets better than the previous. The sun was shining the mountains were infinite and there was barely anyone there, a perfect threesome some would say. Having only got lost once (and only slightly) and with me only asking "are we there yet twice?" We hit the summit. EXITO. A very nostalgia moment from the glory days of bariloche in Argentina. Off came the shirts, out came the sandwiches and the sunbathing began. It was lush. When fully whelmed we headed for a beer at a little chalet thing. And headed home in anticipation of meeting a new puppy and then oktoberfesting. So the best surprise of the trip was undoubtably the datshund (sausage dog) puppy. Oh my lord he was adorable. So small. So scared and so perfect. He was amazing. With a little brown beard and brown feet he was the epitome of perfection to me, sadly all good things have to come to an end and this good thing was cut so cruelly short as we rushed to catch the train to Munich for some beers in lederhosen. The journey continued up to the next chapter which will most probably be written in less adoring detail as the details blur slightly and tales become less "travel blog worthy"....

Our destination in Munich was Manu's friend, Georg's house. Pronounced gay-org. So we had a Georg and a George, a nice meeting of cultures... Or just two similar names from different countries. He was at Oktoberfest however, so our plan was to get to his apartment, get let in by a friend, put on the lederhosen (I was wearing Manuel's brothers), get drunk enough for a club and then find the after club. We did this all very successfully if I say so myself drinking g n t with ice, being classy while saving money and time. The night was good as we wandered to the club thru the swathes of drunk oktoberfesters and had a boogy. This led us to the next morning. The real Oktoberfest. It was an early kick off, 9:30am, heavy. We donned the lederhosen, got some beers and begun the day of fun. Georg managed to talk his way into the main tent, no mean feat, highly impressive and then also managed to worm us two in with him after a few lengthy discussions. My hat was off to him, highly impressive bullshitting ability. The tent was big, loud and there were a lot of beers. It was heavy and passed with lots of fun and a few incidents. The rest of the evening and night passed as such and I feel the contents of this period is not best suited for this blog, lol. Leave y'all hanging! Don’t worry as this is the last piece I'm sure I'll be the only reader anyway. I'm writing this post really for the first few more cultural days anyhow.

The next morning started eventfully again as we woke up in an unfamiliar bed and had to wander back to the living room where mine and Manuel's allocated beds were. This marked the beginning a quintessential hangover day. Very slow, painful and unproductive as we reconsidered our lives, contemplated our life decisions and made promises to our future selves. It was amusing as we wandered from place to place aimlessly, just looking for grass and shade by the end. As it all became a bit tiring for our brains and legs we decided the sofa was the best place for our miserable bodies and we returned to watch the full extended edition of LOTR the two towers. It was epic and it led me perfectly up till my night bus back to Berlin. All in all a smashing few days in Munich hosted immensely by Georg and Manuel. Cheers boys. Oh yeah and I slept very well on the night bus home. Literally the full 8 hours. It was a perfect night bus as it left at 11:15 and got in around 7-7:30. Short but all spent asleep. George approved greatly. This trip was a nice final outing of what can only be described as an absolute belter of a year.

Now onwards and upwards as I look to move out permanently and find a nice enjoyable job that pays the bills. Also I'm gonna try and post this from the plane because I get ten minutes free WiFi and I couldn't imagine a better use of that than updating this bad boy.

G over and out for the last time for a little while. Hopefully not too long. I look forward to our next meet.

G. XOXO

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wotbook · 7 years ago

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BOOK PROGRESS | 2

First Youtube Tutorial Transcribe

My Natural Makeup Tutorial 2017 Laure Lee 8:54 3,975,143 views

I’m trying to watch Justin Biebers like live stream on Instagram and its not loading so lets just start my video then. Hey guys welcome to my channel you are on the Lara Lees channel and I am the Lara lee, that was a weird intro but were going to roll with it. Todays video is going to be a very natural everyday makeup tutorial, it is very soft on the eyes but yet pretty and then softer face makeup but it has nice little coverage, so yeah I’m giving a little bit of best of both world. Mmmmm also I partnered with Clinique on this video, I’m gonna be using their beyond perfecting foundation plus the concealer and letting you know a little more information about this as I use it during the little little toot toot this isn’t a newer product for me, I’ve used it several times I love it you know. Another great thing about it is 27 bucks so not too bad in pricing and it comes in 28 shades. You can go to your clinic counter to get matched to your perfect shade of foundation or you can get a free sample of a weeks worth of the foundation so you can test it out so you like it before purchasing it. But it is long wearing foundation and I really enjoy it so I’m happy to use it in this tutorial and thanks to clinic for working with me. Also if you haven’t subscribe to my channel you might want to do so because im giving away two macbooks airs, macbook air yayyy all you have to do, subscribe to this channel to win one, and to the other subscribe to my vlog channel Lara Lee vlogs and that’s all you got to do it is march the 15th I have jibber jabber enough you guys have heard a lot of clack clack clack so will jump right into the video and go ahead and get started and by the way I don’t do my brows in this video im gonna have an updated brow routine coming very soon so just hang tight with me its coming I promise you okay lets get started to start this little toot toot im going go in with the pixie h20 skin drink as some moister for my skin.

Got clear little gel situation. Next im gonna go in with this tarte primer and im just going to add this to areas where my pores are little much and gna message it on in. So this is a smoothing primer and this is really great for the blur effect and like the smoothing of the enlarge pores which I deal with a little bit right here. Next im gonna go ahead and add some foundation, im gana take the Clinique beyond perfection this is a foundation plus concealer so im gana use it helloo haha so Im gna use it as a foundation plus a concealer and it has this doe foot applicator on it which helps you control the amount of product and where you’re placing it. Big oll face, you can put this part all over your face like a foundation or you can out it in specific areas and use it like a concealer whatever toots your horn. This is a full coverage foundation so I like it for everyday use because its just doesn’t feel too heavy but it still full coverage and I like that the foundation doesn’t dry to quickly that way its gets you the time to like blend it all out. I hate when foundation like stick down to my face right when I put them on. And I don’t even have time to like fully blend them out. So one thing about this foundation the foundation color may appear darker when you over applied it but once its dried, it then will melt into your shade so I like to shade a wee bit darker then my skin tone so im actually gna use a little bit more. This im going to use it kind like a concealer too because it’s a concealer plus foundation I’m going to blend all this out with my Y6 brush from Mauve. Now im gna set everything im just using this Rimmel stay matte powder, this is our seven brush morphe and im just gana kind of set this makeup, set it and forget it honey. Now that my face is set im gna go in with a little bit of my nyc bronzer right here, just the bronzer so we dont need cream contouring and doing all that mess today, were keeping it simple and just gna add a little bronzer, bronze up the skin more so than really contouring the skin now if you like contour for your everyday makeup that’s totally cool you know do you do whatever you want to do with your makeup, im just showing you like a simple way to get the job done make it look pretty good to. I was sitting on a pen the whole time. And take a morphy Y9 brush and just blend this color right on round. Now that we’re all nice and bronze up. Oh I went in girl we gat b-b-bronzed up hahaa. Ima take a little bit of my melani rose brush before we jump in into the eyes mm-hmm. Come on rosy cheeks pun intended. Girl you know I got a highlight too so im gana go in with the illuminati kit from artistic couture these are some of my favorite highlighters. Mmm I like the uh some mac fix+ just to damp in the skin and that way it doesn’t look so like powdery and dry ill even take like a beauty blender and like dab it to like press down the powder especially oh highlight kiss kiss wooo that way everything look nice and melted down and now were gna work on the eyes okay. Youre like finally, so for the eyes the morphe 35o is a great everyday eyeshadow palette its got shimmers its got mattes and they’re pretty much all in the neutral family and yeah it even has some cool mavi tone friends in here, if youre not into the warm toned family over here. So you really get the best of both worlds plus em what I normally like to do is first go in with it to just any neutral cream color like this one right here clack clack clack what this does is it sets the primer I have a mac paint pot in soft ochre down already and I use that as an eye shadow primer and a base for my lid and is worked for me for like five or six years so girl is just what I use you know what im sayin. Next ill move on over to like a transition shade such as this tan color right here and I just like to blend this into the crease by going back and forth this is an e35 brush from sigma. Mark it on like this. This is a very light transition chain. So that is a nice neutral base, nice transition shade and now well go in with just a wee bit deeper color. Im going to take this a little bit of a deeper brown color right here, ill actually go a head and mix these two and im going to focus that in the crease but im also going to kind of buff it in that outer corner. This is a Y18 brush from morphe this is part of the gilded collection ive said it in 9 million videos that I love the gilded collection so you know ill be working these brushed to death and now im gana grab even a little bit of a deeper brown shade with the same brush and im just going to work that in the outer corner right there. Next ima take these shimmery shades and you already know they’re going on the eyelid then going back in with a clean blender. Im just going to soften up the edge right there this is a Y15 brush starts singing. Now that’s a pretty neutral mille I might say myself, you can add some winged liner if you want im going to do it, I haven’t done is in a minute so im going to go in with my NYC liquid liner or whats left of it, because I know this is like being discontinues in the united states which is rude but whatever im just gana wing it out wooo. Now im going to grab a little bit of this bronzer or any of these darker brown shades or medium brown shades lets just say and just blend out my lower lash line so keeping it kinda close to the lashes. Now im going to take a little bit of the fake awake by tarte, this is their nude liner and stab myself in the eye with it im gna fill in the waterline because it makes the eyes looks so awake and open and fresh and im going to add a little bit of the bighot mascara from Maybelline. Since were doing a super neutral nelly look, im going to go in with my lip pencil and stripped down by mac which is a super netrual nelly color and im gana line my lips mmhmmm then im gana go in with a version by morhpe. Just put that right on in the center see what I did there oo doggy and yea that’s the look you know actually im gna pop a little bit of highlighter in my inner corner right there. Okay giuys this is it for this video, I hope you guys like this soft natural look, like I said yes ive done this look before my channel but this is just like an updated version with different products and different ways to use them and I hope you guys enjoy the video. Be sure to subscribe to my channel before you leave. I llorve you so much. Hope I see you in my next video. Bye guys.

#bookproject

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newbrunswickweb · 7 years ago

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Swim lessons won't keep your toddler from drowning — in fact, they could increase the risk

A toddler jumps onto his mother during a swimming class for babies at Lane Cove pool March 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images/Ian Waldie My son has almost drowned twice, and both times, it was my fault. He had been frolicking in the shallow end for 45 minutes in both cases. Then I got distracted for a minute, and when I glanced back, he was gone. There were multiple people in the pool with him each time, some within a couple of feet, a few of them relativesand nobody saw that he had drifted back to where the water deepened and had sunk below the surface. The only reason I noticed was because when I looked for him, he wasn't there. These two experiences are among the most traumatic of my lifeI still have nightmaresand they were pretty scary for him, too. Thankfully, he was fine, at least physically. But the incidents proved to me that drowning kids don't call for help; they don't kick or splash. They just sink and quietly disappear. More American kids die today from drowning than from car accidents, making drowning the leading cause of injury death in kids ages 1 to 4. Even when kids survive a near-drowning, as many as 10 percent suffer permanent neurological damage. My son took group swim lessons after the first incident. But after the second, I signed him up for private lessons. The absolute best way to prevent him from drowning, I surmised, was to ensure that he learned basic swim skills. I was wrong. As I discovered when I dug into the literature on childhood drowning, the idea that swim lessons prevent drowning, especially in young kids, is a dangerous one"part of the problem, not the solution," says Kevin Moran, a longtime lifeguard and drowning researcher at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Toddlers explore the water with their parents during a swimming class for babies at Lane Cove pool March 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images/Ian Waldie The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a more conservative stance, but it, too, argues that there is not enough evidence to recommend swim lessons for young kids.* A single, small US study suggests that swim lessons make drowning less likely, but they aren't even close to a panacea, and the notion that knowing how to swim keeps kids safe can paradoxically put children even more at risk. I know what I'm saying is sacrilege to many readers; research suggests that 68 percent of parents think it best to start swim lessons before a child turns 3, and more than half think swim lessons are the best way to prevent drowning in toddlers. Our local gym has waitlists for infant and toddler classes, and its website touts that the classes teach kids "water safety," which any reasonable parent would take to mean "drowning prevention." The American Red Cross states that "the best thing you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriateswim lessons," which it starts offering at the tender age of 6 months. Yet the statistics are clear: Swim skills are simply not enough. Two-thirds of kids who drown, believe it or not, are excellent swimmers. The fact is, young kids don't learn survival skills in regular swim classes, in part because they can't. "Mostly, what these lessons do is prepare the child for swimming by making them comfortable in the watergetting their face wet, going under the waterand teaching them some rudimentary skills," says Barbara Morrongiello, a professor at the University of Guelph in Canada who studies parent safety practices and drowning prevention. There's nothing wrong with this; if classes foster a love for water play and swimming, that's great. What's bad are parents' assumptions that the classes do more. "Swimming programs for youngsters under 4 shouldn't really be considered a drowning prevention strategy," Morrongiello explains. read more That's because the ability to survive a near-drowning typically requires more than just the types of water skills that keep children afloat in normal swim situations. Kids might drown because they're really tired, have gotten a muscle cramp, or have been injured during water playand they need to learn what to do in these specific situations to stay safe. Children are also especially at risk after falling into water fully clothed, because clothes make swimming more difficult. Cold water has the same effect. And then there's the need for panicked, near-drowning kids to stay calm and focused enough to swim to safety and to be able to hold their breath for more than a few seconds, which wee ones can't usually do. "Swimming competency is but one of the many physical and cognitive competencies needed to prevent drowning," Moran explains.

A toddler held by his father swims underwater in a search for toys during a swimming class for babies at Lane Cove pool March 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images/Ian Waldie In other words, knowing the crawl typically doesn't suffice. (A note to anyone wondering about those viral videos that show babies can be trained to be "drown-proof": Read this, please. Those videos and claims are dangerous.) Making matters worse, research suggests that swim lessons can cause parents to become overconfident about their kids' abilities and watch them less carefully. In a 2014 study, Morrongiello and her colleagues regularly surveyed parents over eight months as their preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) took swim lessons. As the kids acquired more lessons, parents began to believe that their kids knew how to keep themselves safe in potentially dangerous water situationsthat they were, for instance, good judges of their own swimming ability and knew to stay away from pools when unsupervised, which aren't things that swim lessons generally teach. The parents also began to assume that their kids needed less careful watching around water, which isn't necessarily true, either. (The small study I mentioned above suggesting that swim lessons reduce drowning risk has what are called wide confidence intervals, a statistical sign that it's impossible to tell just how strong the effect is and that it may vary a lot between kids.) In another study, Morrongiello and her colleagues asked parents to judge how well their kids had mastered various swim skills in their lessons and found that parents overestimated 1 in every 5 skills. (This overestimation of competence tends to be especially bad among fathers.) Some researchers also worry that when kids have had swim lessons, they, too, will lose their natural fear of water and be more likely to, say, jump into the pool without telling anyone. Yet the last thing we need is more kids frolicking in the water unsupervised. I'm an obvious teaching example, but many parents are lax observers: In a 2009 study, Moran and his colleagues observed families at the beach and found that 29 percent of parents didn't adequately supervise their kids under 5, and nearly half didn't adequately supervise their 5-to-9-year-olds. Indeed, a national 2004 survey found that 88 percent of US children who drowned were supposedly being watched at the timebut caregivers get distracted. They talk on their cellphones or to other pool-goers; they read; they eat; they sunbathe. A study of kids who drowned in Washington state found that only 12 percent of preschooler drownings were actually seen by anyone, which suggests that most kids drown with caregivers nearby who are simply not paying close enough attention.

Toddlers explore the water with their mothers during a swimming class for babies at Lane Cove pool February 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images/Ian Waldie Another thing to consider about swim lessons in young kidsinfants especiallyis that exposure to chlorine in pools may heighten the risk of respiratory problems such as wheezing, bronchiolitis, and asthma. And when swimming, kids swallow a whopping four times more water than adults do, which isn't great, because doing so can cause recreational water illnesses including infections and diarrhea (hopefully not in the pool). And if they inhale even a little bit of water into their lungs, they can also sustain lung damage. Most of these outcomes are quite rareI'm not trying to totally freak you outbut they are things to keep in mind when pondering swim lessons for very young children. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society do not recommend swim lessons for children under 4, but as of 2010, the AAP doesn't recommend against them, either, noting that "a parent's decision about starting swimming lessons or water-survival skills training at an early age must be individualized on the basis of the child's frequency of exposure to water, emotional maturity, physical limitations, and health concerns related to swimming pools."* Morrongiello points out that there are water competency classes that focus more on drowning-prevention skills, such as Canada's Swim to Survive program, but they target kids third grade and up because young kids don't have the strength and stamina to reliably use these skills. I'm not antiswim instruction, and I'll continue with my son's private lessons (he's 6 now) because I think they're wonderful for a number of reasons. It's important for parents to recognize, however, that a child who knows how to swim is not a child who cannot drown. The AAP recommends that parents remain within touching distance of their kids at all times; I sure wish I had been closer to my son when he went under. The organization also recommends four-sided pool fencing and that parents know CPR. Floaties are great, but they aren't a talisman, either, because they can get tangled in pool equipment or unstrappedmy sister's son was once saved by a lifeguard after quietly taking his flotation device off and jumping back into the pool. (And avoid the inflatable ones.) Bottom line is this: "The only way to ensure your child is not drowning," Morrongiello says, "is by watching them." *Update, June 21, 2017: This article has been revised to clarify the AAP's current recommendation on swimming lessons for children under age 4. http://www.businessinsider.com/swimming-lessons-could-put-your-child-at-a-higher-risk-of-drowning-2017-6?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=referral

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chasethehaggis-blog · 8 years ago

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See Me: A Mental Health Tale

It's been a while.

I would love to come on and say Fat has finally got Fit. Alas, that is not the case. This post is about a different kind of fitness, the fitness of the brain ie, mental health. It is a topic that I have often thought of posting on my numerous forays into blogging but have never found it to be relevant to just slot it in. Folks who followed this when it was regularly updated, will know I often touched on how the jogging definitely affected the mind for the better but apart from that I've never really spoke about it.

So what are you gibbering on about and why now? Before I go onto that, a brief history lesson. From an early age, we were exposed to the 'invisible illness'. My dad was diagnosed with mental health issues in the early 90s. There was still a stigma and you didn't have the social media awareness campaigns you have now. Mental health issues were not widely understood. I would like to think it benefited my brother and I in highlighting that people aren't always what they seem and could have underlying feelings/ailments that are not obviously visible.

In the years that followed, I learned to be there for people. When my dad was feeling down, I'd make sure I was there, do my best to make him feel wanted and try my best to encourage him. When my mum was finding it a bit hard on those days, I'd also make sure I was there for her and help her out. When my sister in law got a cancer diagnosis, and endured an onslaught of chemo, I was there as the court jester to brighten the days. Over the years, I've learned to be a bit of a sponge. If there are stresses or strains in my immediate family, I'm there to soak it up and get us all through it. Think of me as a bit like Michael Clarke Duncan from The Green Mile.

However, recently I started to wonder if my powers of absorbing were running out. What used to be fixed with a random annual leave day from work for a bit of me time seems to take a wee bit longer to shift. The last five weeks of work have been manic. Doing two jobs for a while, a bit of travelling, working through lunches, skipping tea to log on and get a few more hours of work in.

Fast forward to his weekend. I get home on the Friday with this great plan for the Saturday. Free Comic Book Day in Glasgow, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy at the cinema and then meet my friends in the pub to celebrate a friends birthday. And then it happened. I was sitting on the couch, it somehow became 11 pm. I realised that I had zoned out and whatever was on the TV wasn't being watched and suddenly I get an onslaught of fatigue. "Jon, go to bed and sleep" I said to myself knowing a good night's sleep solves a world of problems.

I wake up this morning (Saturday) and it has come to a head. My body is a dead weight and I have absolutely no intention of leaving that bed. I don't know what happened but I woke up even more burnt out than I went to sleep and I'll be honest, I have never felt like that before. Over the last year or two I have brief moments where I think this isn't the best but as I said above a wee day usually sorts that; this felt different. Suffice to say, the plans I had were not going to be happening. Knowing this was not good I did something I wouldn't usually do. I text my brother and sister-in-law. At the exact moment I hit send, I realised something. I have just admitted that maybe my mind isn't as strong as I always thought. I'm used to making sure others are feeling fine that it's easy to neglect myself. The last 5 weeks have given my brain an absolute battering. The warning signs were there. The only time in those weeks I've not had a pulsing headache was when I took my ass to London for a break for a few days. I need to just chill the hell out and make time for myself. Even if it is just chilling out watching TV, I need to evaluate the balance in my life and never be afraid to ask someone for a chat or help.

What followed was somehow getting beyond the wall and getting out of bed and going for a shower. Convincing myself, I'll still go to Glasgow for the freebies but give the cinema a miss. I'll be honest, the sun helped. If I'd hit that wall on a dreich Winter's stormy day, I honestly don't know what side of the wall I'd be on as I type.

An afternoon of sitting on the stairs in the sun reading the comics and then I got a text. It was dad asking how I'm feeling. Again, I was honest on the reply and it was role reversal. He said that he is going down to see the big cruise liner leaving. And that was that. A couple of hours later, I'm standing on the Esplanade with my best friend doing what us Inverclyders do - watching a big boat sail down the Clyde and it felt great.

It was standing there that I got the thought to finally do a post on mental health. He always taught us not to be ashamed of it and that is only one of the reasons he is my inspiration.

Did I have some kind of meltdown, did I finally run out of fuel. I don't know. All I know is that I am happy to admit, mental health is up there with physical health. Both need to work in tandem and both need maintained. I know no one reads this but I always feel writing things down helps. If at least one person stumbles upon this and reads it before they burn out, even better.

So folks, just remember, take time for yourself and sometimes it is beneficial to switch off from the mundane.

#stress #mentalhealth #calm #relax

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