#Peer Counceling

[definitelynotabirthblog]

A Church Birth

Word count: 2800

Summary: a homeless young woman gives birth in a church on a cold night with the help of a vicar

TW: mention of bowels opening in the context of childbirth. Otherwise a bog standard if inconvenient birth fic.

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Reverend Thomas Callahan tipped the electric kettle and poured boiling water over his teabag. As he stirred the steaming, amber liquid, the metal teaspoon clinking on the side of ceramic mug, he gazed out of the window in the small kitchen attached to his church, St Barnabas. It was November 5th and winter had ushered itself in rather prematurely in Reverand Callahan's opinion. Just two weeks ago, the village had been enjoying the last lingering rays of an Indian summer. Yet today, though it was barely 5pm, the milky glow of the moon had crept over the village as dusk fell, casting pointed, angular shadows of gravestones over the churchyard. A cold breeze picked up dead yew leaves and made them pirouhette beneath the window pane. Grey clouds scudded across the bleak sky, warning of the imminent storm. The reverend poured milk into his tea and lifted the mug to his lips, watching the wind drive the thick flurries of snow diagonally. As he sipped, a particularly strong gust forced the back door of the church open with a bang. He sighed.

Cupping his mug in his hands for warmth, he made his way to the door. He used his entire body weight to force the door shut, twisting the lock after.

"Lord, keep us safe tonight," he murmured, clutching his tea. He stared at his alter, his thoughts swimming.

He was a young vicar and St Barnabas was his first parish, its village his first flock. More than half of local residents attended services on Sunday's - most out of obligation than devotion to the Lord, he had concluded - but few reached out to him for guidance and prayer between services. Privileged enough to be privately educated by wealthy parents, he was painfully aware of his naivety, and had hoped that being posted to a poorer, rural community would provide him with the experience needed to advise and councel. He had come to understand that he was regarded with a mixture of amusement, novelty and affection - but not respect. He had not earned those stripes yet.

Physically he supposed that he was handsome enough. He had a head of thick, mocha-coloured hair, olive eyes framed with perfectly symmetrical eyelashes and peach-coloured skin. His lips were soft and pink, his front teeth crooked, but he was blessed with a warm smile that made his eyes shine. At six foot one inch he was tall, healthy man, muscular without being ripped, with a small, stubborn podge of stomach fat. He hadn't been oblivious to the occasional attractive young women taking a second yearning glance at him when he had explored the local towns, but his cluelessness at navigating such situations prevented him from pursuing them. As he walked away, frustration simmering inside him, he would often feel the aching throb of an erection tenting in his trousers.

A rap at the front door stole his attention from his reverie. He set his mug down and strode along the pews, shoes squeaking in the otherwise silent building. The night had drawn in now. Who could possibly still need the sanctuary of his church?

Thomas opened the door and peered out. The flurries he had noticed in the kitchen were now falling at blizzard speed as an inch-thick layer blanketed the churchyard, the wall and the lane beyond. Pinpricks of orange light in houses across the snow-covered village green sparkled, but the temperature outside was now close to freezing. His breath was visible in thick white puffs as he took in the sight before him.

A young woman. Her face was so pale it looked translucent, with fearful blue eyes and teeth chattering in the icy air. Her knotted blond hair cascaded around her shoulders which were covered in a shapeless coat the exact colour of moss. She wore thin leggings on her legs and a dirty pair of boots which looked like that they had trekked through mud. Thomas recognised her - she had been loitering outside the church after the previous two Sunday services but had darted away the second he tried to approach her.

"Can I help you?" he enquired, first looking past her to check she was alone, and then looking directly into her scared eyes.

She nodded and tried to talk, but either due to the cold or nerves, she was unable to speak, her mouth forming the shape of a word but without sound.

"It's too cold to dither out here," he said, assessing the situation. "Would you like to come in? Then maybe I can help?"

She nodded. He opened the door wider and she bowed her head before scurrying past him like a frightened mouse.

When they were safely inside, Thomas turned and looked at the young lady. She was young, barely out of her teens, and very petite in stature. Her scruffy clothes had a musty smell and were torn in places as though had been living rough. The hollowness of her cheeks, her pale face and her wet hair gave her the look of a drowned person. As the warmth of the church hit her, any remaining stamina she had was lost as she staggered, fell against the wall and slipped towards the ground. Thomas caught her frail body in his arms by reflex and supported her the last few inches towards the floor. He knelt down beside her.

"What's your name?" he asked kindly.

"Willow," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Do you think you could stand up again, Willow? You can come and warm up and then maybe I can call someone for you."

Willow opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, her face contorted and she cried out in pain. Her hand instictively travelling to her abdomen which was protruding from her slender frame despite the oversized coat. Her tortured eyes locked onto his, pleading for help. Compassion flooded through him and he did not hesitate as he scooped her up, one arm supporting her skinny shoulders and the other under her knees. Breathing through his mouth as the smell of the motheaten coat wafted upwards towards his nostrils, he carried the sobbing girl down the aisle and into his office, gently lowering her on the sofa he normally reserved for comforting the bereaved. As her cries reduced to muffled whimpers, he sat down next to her and placed his left arm around her shoulders. Desperate for solace, she leant her body against him, and he found himself drawn into an awkward embrace with her, holding her close as he comforted her. Finally her breathing steadied.

"How can I help you, Willow?" His arm remained around her shoulders.

She looked up at him, frantically shaking her head, eyes begging him to understand.

"You're obviously scared and in pain... and not very well? Do you need to see a doctor?" he asked, concerned.

"I... I... maybe..." she said shakily, her head still pressed against his shoulder.

"Maybe?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Maybe if you told me what is wrong, I could help you decide if you need to see a doctor. But you just collapsed in my church. I think seeing a doctor would be a good plan." He looked at her unkempt appearance. "Where have you been staying?"

"Wherever I can."

"Wherever you can?"

She nodded.

"I'm very sorry to ask this but are you homeless?"

"Only for the last two months."

"Only? That's a very long time to be sleeping rough."

She shrugged.

"I'm in touch with a few local hostels. I could ring around and see if I can get you a bed for tonight."

"They won't take me."

"Why won't they?"

"Because... because..." She burst into fresh floods of tears. Within seconds, her cries turned into fresh bellows of pain as she rocked her hips back and forth. "Oh, please help me. It hurts, it HURTS!"

"Willow, please tell me-"

Another noise noise erupted from her, this time low and primal, not unlike a roar. Thomas watched as the pain seized her, calculating whether he should comfort her or call for help first. Her knuckles were white as she clenched the sofa, her agony clear in her eyes as she growled her way through whatever was causing her body such torment. Acknowledging that this was a medical emergency that he was unequipped to handle, he reached to his pocket for his phone. He sighed with exasperation as he saw he had no bars, the sigh turning into a panicked moan on noticing the red light on the router.

"I think I need to call for help," he decided, rubbing Willow's arm in an inadequete effort to offer reassurance. "But I have no signal and the WiFi is down. Probably because of the weather. It means I need to leave you but I'll be b-"

"NO! Please don't go!" she gasped, scrabbling for his hand. "Please, no! You can't leave me!"

As the pain ripped through her body, there was a audible pop, immediately followed by a squelch, as though someone had sat in a puddle of water. Willow immediately pulled her hand to her crotch, relief evident in her face as the pain began to ease once more. Thomas was very confused now. What was wrong with this lady, this scrawny, malnourished young thing sat in his office, who had collapsed in his church, was intermittently wracked with such intense pain it rendered her barely able to speak, seemingly had no one on this earth to help her and was allegedly homeless but not immediately requesting medical help?  He looked at her as she shut her eyes, taking whatever brief respite had come her way, the awkward curve of her abdomen distending under her coat. Suddenly he understood just what that audible pop and squelch of liquid was.

"Willow, are you pregnant?"

She gazed at him. "I know it's a sin vicar."

"Let's leave sin at the door for the moment. Is the baby coming?"

"I've been having bad pains all day and... and... I think something has just come out of me."

"I think it is just the fluid that cushions that baby. Do you understand why I'm going to have to leave you do get help?"

Another contraction reared itself before she could reply. Willow threw her head back, her face twisted as the spasms of her womb coasted across her body. The animalistic noises that erupted from her sounded more bovine than human. Thomas knew he needed to establish just how far away from delivering this child she was. As the contraction eased again, he took Willow's trembling hand in his.

"Willow, is the baby coming right now?" he asked, his eyes finding hers.

"It feels like something is coming out of me."

He sighed.

"Do you mind if I have a quick look at you... er, down below?" He blushed. "If the baby is coming now, I will have to catch it."

She hesitated and then nodded.

He knelt down on the floor and positioned himself so he was directly in front of her.

"Do you want to take you bottoms off for me?

Willow kicked off her dirty boots and then, in one slow awkward movement, slipped her leggings and drenched knickers over her skinny hips and past her knees. Thomas helped her pull them over her ankles and threw them on the sofa beside her. Instinctively, she opened her legs for him, showing her unshaved mons. She was positioned with her hips too far back to see anything more than the top half inch of her slit.

"Do you think you could shuffle forwards for me so you're perched towards the edge of the sofa?" he asked anxiously, gesturing for her to shuffle forwards.

She awkwardly scooted her bottom towards him and then reclined as best as she could.

"And maybe you could just lift your legs up for me?"

As she gripped the back of her thighs and pulled them towards her chest, finally exposing her pussy to him. Staring at the site displayed before him, his eyes took in her jewel-like clitoris nestled between her stubbled labia. Between them was her vaginal opening and peeking at him from underneath, her puckered rosebud. Unable to see anything that looked like a baby emerging, Thomas breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew. Thankfully I can't see anything. So-"

Willow roared as a contraction hit, her breaths coming in shallow and ragged gasps. Her tender asshole bulged and her rectum emptied right there onto the edge of sofa. Her vulva bulged outwards as her labia started to separate. A dark, wet mass appeared just inside her vagina, fluid dribbling out from around it in rivulets onto Thomas's knees. Adrenalin surged through him as he realised there could be no leaving Willow to get help, as she was about to birth her baby right there into his arms. He looked around frantically for something clean to deliver the baby onto and quickly grabbed a couple of spare sweaters he had on top of his desk. As he eased one under Willow's buttocks, her breathing started to ease and the pain lessened once more.

"What do I do?" she trembled, panic welling over in her voice.

"I'm a vicar, Willow, not a midwife," he laughed nervously, looking up at her over her spasming belly.  "I think you need to keep doing what your body is telling you to do and I'll catch the baby when it comes."

"I need to push. I can't stop it."

"Then push, if that's what your body is telling you to do."

As though on cue, Willow started grunting her way through another contraction. Her pussy stretched more with each torturous push, until a dark, two inch portion of head was visible as the contraction peaked. When it eased off, the head slipped back inside, her inflamed lips closing over it. Willow threw her head back exhausted, but seconds later she was bellowing again as her baby appeared once more at her opening. Thomas wondered just how much stretching it could take as the now lemon-sized portion of head continued to be driven outwards. A memory of a film he saw came to him, where the birth attendant used gauze to support the woman as she pushed out the biggest part of her baby. He pressed the sweater he put under Willow against her perenium. She writhed and shrieked on the sofa as she neared a full crown, her legs flailing around Thomas's head.

"Oh, help me! Oh God in heaven!" she screamed, her panicked, frantic hand reaching between her legs for Thomas.

"Please, just breathe Willow," he said, pressing on her taint with one hand and taking her hand with his other. "The head's coming out now. I think this is the worst bit."

Willow panted, her swollen vulva circling her baby as she drove it out of her body. As the contraction peaked, the head teetered on the raw lips of her pussy before the pain eased again and her body pulled it back inside her canal. There it sat, just visible between her stinging labia.

"You were so close then," Thomas said, squeezing her hand. "One more push like that and I think the head will be out."

Gathering her strength again, Willow bore and pushed the infant out of her fatigued body once again. It popped out with a gushy splash, amniotic fluid and blood splattering the floor and pebbledashing her inner thighs. Thomas balanced the damp, slimy head in his hands, watching as the child's brow furrowed, its mouth opening in a silent cry. Gradually, it turned to Willow's thigh.

"The head's out. Push again."

With one last effort, a dribble of fluid and a groan, the wriggling baby tumbled into the world. Thomas caught its slippery body in his shaking hands and carefully lowered it onto his knee. A baby boy. He cried lustily, feeling the chilly air on his skin for the first time. Thomas wrapped the little boy in his sweater and looked up at Willow. Her entire body was shaking, her face shining with sweat.

"Willow... Willow, you've done it!" he gasped, gazing down at the newborn.

She gazed down at the vicar, whose eyes were meeting hers from between her legs and reached her arms out. As if he was handling the crown jewels, he carefully settled Willow's firstborn son on her breasts. Tears of relief and exhaustion leaked down her pretty pale face, her chest shaking with sobs as the baby was comforted by the warmth of her trembling body.

"Thank you," she whispered to Thomas, her lips brushing her baby's head.

"You did it all yourself, you wonderful girl," he replied, the emotion crackling in his voice. He gazed over at his desk and looked at the router, the green light shining. "And would you believe it, I can finally ring for help!"

[veikkoalen]

just assigned myself at least two side quests that are fully about my brain's mapping and it's so relieving. starting to perceive myself a little bit like a person who has depth to their thought process.

also makes me think that that's where all my energy goes so that's why i'm so unproductive but idrc? i'm glad i'm doing little things, having some energy to pursue hobbies. yeah i am aware i am a total failure compared to my peers and even people younger than me. counterpoint: they don't know the word councelling. kinda happy for you but also fuck you for having the nerve to oppose me on governmental fuckery while being born with silver spoon up your ass :)

[lovekenni]

Peer Mentor - Advice

I am starting a new job on monday. I will be a peer support specialist at my county's mental health department. I am pretty nervous but beyond excited to help people, share my story and hopefully make a difference in someone's life!

I am wondering there is anyone who can give me any kind of advice how to exceed in the career. How to ensure our patients are getting what they need out of me. Any advice, stories or recommendations would be help! Thank you

[amazingsphelon]

09/14/2020

Hello again guys! For todays episode I’ll be posting multiple follow up

individual OC art characters from my Gijinka Pokemon series. It’s just

down to two btw.

Link of the original previous post:

Gijinka Pokemon 1st 4 Update

Gijinka WIP Update:

Gijinka Sketches (1st Post)

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Next on the list I have here is Sigmund, The Wandering Salamence Knight.

**The Sketch above is one of my 1st Gijinka sketches I made in 2015. in fact you can find his old sketch I uploaded here on my DA Page:

https://www.deviantart.com/sphelon8565/art/Sphelon-Original-Characters-

II-673921905

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Sigmund- The Salamence** Prince Sigmund later on

Age: 21

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Attacks:

Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Dragon Rage

Human Fighting Style:

Medieval Knight + Zweihander

Origin Similarities: Europe

Likes: Melody whom he nourishes love a lot and her very compassionate

side. Blare and Hanzo, whom he likes to relate with a lot of things.

Dislikes: Being defeated by Melody on certain circumstances (even

Battles), being flirted, his old past life and some of his bitter

colleagues, whom he also face resistance with.

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

and I was redesigning this guy, I kinda had to went on the thick route by redisgning his hair first. and the quite difference I did was to remove

a bit of his cloth armor on his shoulders and redesign his greaves as

well. I just basically based him on medieval knights.

**Old drawing left n Newer on the right

**Old sketch including another design of Aedris before the official redesign.

Here are some of his redesign sketches, His personality is that like of a

submissive Guts from Berserk and a bit of Siegfried from Soul Calibur.

He's only aggressive when facing fiercely on battles and appears to be

emotionless when facing opponents not stronger than him.

While he is more of the lonewolf of the group besides Hanzo (who is a

ninja), he has a brave and  gentle personality upon the groups learning

when they first met him, nearly defeating Aedris in a duel, he was facing

the 4 in a gauntlet match defeating the three girls.

He has a sad past being unfavored by his own colleagues during his youth

despite being able to show great potential and being favored by his

mentors, which also creates another layer of tensions among his peers. and because of this he strives himself to be the best despite his many

misfortunes and being ostracize by his rivals.

His story is more of a redemption story, finding meaningful purpose on all

his lifeand in search for his old family and kingdom remains much like

Aeshi and finding counceling to correct his own broken morals. and due to

his bravery and will-power qualities, Melody was able to find compassion

on him despite being misunderstood by alot of people in his surroundings

and even sympathizes with him and much to his surprise, it was Melody who

confesses first about her affection for him when he was about to confess

his feelings for her in later stories cause she wanted to help him redeem

himself though she might have stated that she felt in love with him even

more for stooding up for her in dire times, showing bravery and stooding

up for what's right and even at one point, treated her injured barefeet which

made her increase her affection towards him to fall in love

and like the rest of the group, he also has a "Mythical Birth Mark"

fragment located on his neck. Which boosts up his body strength, dragon

powers and performing outside non-Salamence movesets.

If there's anything I'd like to say more about this guy he soons grew very

happy with Melody and later on, his personality developed even better as a

confident warrior with a caring and sympathetic personality (and would go dramatic if Melody is in danger), even

befriending those old rivals in the past and gaining new friends like

Hanzo, Aeshi, Blare and Aedris, though he would still show up his stoic

and shy personality in his surroundings.

If there's anything particularly he hates about it's him sometimes losing

directly to his lover Melody (such as losing in a poker game, or being

mingled in front of his friends during bath time and being treated like a

baby, by of course, Melody and she has a crush on his hands though.)

later I’ll post the last Gijinka Hanzo.

[marvelthalia]

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall: Homeric Hero

Information from an amateur classicist (me).

Ancient Greek heroes (heros) were quite different from what we would call a hero today. Heroes of legend like Achilles, Patroclus and Odysseus, what we would call ‘Homeric Heroes’ all followed a code that would be hard to reconcile with our makers definition of hero, especially the superheroes that we’ve all come to know and love.

Promachoi

Ancient Greeks, like us, valued bravery and courage in their heroes, men (and women) who fought on the frontlines known as promachoi in Greek.

Artemis of course never shied away from a battle, shown in Wonder Woman V5 #54-55 when she leads the Bana army against the Quaraci military. Even against tanks and machine guns she shows no fear.

She enjoys fighting and whilst she puts justice above anything, she loves a righteous war, this is constant across every version of Artemis. She’s always a leading warrior or a general, she leads the Amazon army with skill and she’s not afraid to get into the thick of a battle.

Kleos

Homeric heroes are motivated by the promise of glory (kleos), whether just the acclaim that comes from being a great warrior or from possessing weapons and armours of other great warriors (timê - reward and tropaion - trophy). Now Artemis may not tear valuable armour off the dead bodies of fallen soldiers, nor is kleos her sole motivation but she does fight for her honour and for the respect of her peers. In Rebirth (Red Hood and the Outlaws #8) as a young girl she trained hard in order to become their Champion. She may have been just trying to protect their crumbling city state but she aimed for the position of Bana’s best warrior just as Achilles wanted to be immortalised as The Greatest Hero. In Artemis’ first ever appearance (Wonder Woman V2 #90) she and the Banas are tired of being disrespected by the Themyscirans and decide to compete in a contest in order to earn respect and notoriety on the island. She wins he contest and earns herself the title of Wonder Woman (for 7 short issues).

Xenia

The concept of guest friendship, of being kind to the stranger, welcoming to the foreigner was very important to the Greeks. Violating the pact of Xenia could earn someone a punishment from the King of gods himself, Zeus; like when Trojan Prince Paris stole (in some versions) Helen from her home after being invited to her husband’s house for a meal and the whole of Troy was destroyed as a result.

Artemis tried to be cold but at heart she’s extremely kind. In Rebirth alone there are countless examples like when she taught Bizarro to speak while they were ‘trapped’ by Black Mask (Red Hood and the Outlaws #13); when she let Solitary go instead of killing him like she was ordered to because he had a son he wanted to see (Red Hood and the Outlaws #22 & Red Hood: Outlaw #31); when she helped the resistance in a strange elseworld (Red Hood: Outlaw Annual #3) dimension that she really has no stake in and when she joined the Outlaws in the first place despite claiming to be a loner and really having no reason to stay with a faulty Superman clone and a reserected Robin.

Eusebeia

Respecting the gods which is what Asabia means was extremely important for Greeks, piety and respecting the gods was good morally but it also just meant you wouldn’t incite a god’s wrath and die bringing your whole city down with you. She has been shown to pray and even converse with her gods as heroes often do and especially in times of death or great illness like when Bizarro is on deaths door. She’s also shown to respect gods who others have given up on due to them being abandoned long ago.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws #8)

Artemis also respects her elders and her superiors. In Wonder Woman V2 #54-55 Queen Faruka II orders Artemis into a war despite shooting her hero Atalanta and working with a Quaraci who has in the past been a villain. Artemis fights the war until she realises it’s not a righteous one. She is a soldier but she is only loyal to a fault, she doesn’t follow blindly.

Arete

Greek heroes were obsessed with physical perfection and the idea of a Kalos Thanatos (a beautiful death) which of course meant they had to fight beautifully too. Before a battle warriors would oil their skin, brush their hair and arm themselves with the best armour they could afford (or steal as a trophy). Artemis is known for her iconic long red flowing pony tail which has been present for decades in Wonder Woman comics since her first appearance to her most recent one (even if it is a bit more... shaved now a-days). Achilles’ son Neoptolemus was nick named Pyrrhic which meant ‘red’ in Greek for his red hair. As a point of contrast to the legendary hero’s son, Neoptolemus killed a son in front of his father and then killed the father at a temple altar which was seen as overly brutal and angry (menis) (The Aeniad) whereas Artemis let Willis Todd go so he could have the chance to see his son again (RHATO #31).

Artemis may be a bit more fictional than the Classic Greek myths and also a product of Greek and Egyptian mythology (than again so was Cleopatra) but she still had a lot of similarities to what came before, the Homeric Heroes of Old.

Bonus: Penthesilea

In the Homeric Tradition, Penthesilea ea was an Amazon who with 12 other Amazons, fought for the Trojans against the Greeks. She distinguished herself in battle before being slain by Achilles, the greatest warrior at Troy on either side, upon removing her helmet he fell in love with her and was beside himself that he had killed her. In DC canon she is a Bana-Mighdall Amazon who after she left Themyscira, fought in the Trojan War and was killed by Achilles but it was her (and Antiope’s) sect of renegade Amazons that came to form Bana Mighdall.

(Wonder Woman v2 #33)

Bonus +:

Gay Lovers

Achilles and Patroclus are often seen as lovers due to practices of the time and the fact that Patroclus is the only person other than himself that Achilles cares about in The Iliad. ‘Hetaîros’ /‘Hetaîra’ meaning companion or lover. Achilles refuses to fight after he’s disrespected by they King and as a direct result of his inaction Patroclus dies.

Artemis and Diana had to kill her love Akila after she went crazy and tried to destroy Bana Mighdall and then had to kill her again a year later with Jason and Bizarro for the going to war with Quarac and trying to kill refugees.

Symposium

A Symposia is ritualised eating and drinking that involves discussion, debate and Agon (councel).

Philos

Brotherhood (sisterhood because Amazons), love and friendship.

[holly-devilfalcon-blog]

Erstaunen über vermeintliche unabhängige Beratung

Erstaunen über vermeintliche unabhängige Beratung

Erstaunen über vermeintliche unabhängige Beratung Veröffentlicht am Donnerstag, 27. April 2017 von Ottmar Miles-Paul Britta Schade    Bild: ZsL Stuttgart Stuttgart (kobinet) Derzeit überbieten sich traditionelle Träger, die bisher wenig mit der Selbstbestimmung behinderter Menschen, einer ernsthaften Umsetzung der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention und noch weniger mit einer unabhängigen Beratung von…

[mysticvampyre]

Give me an O

Ok i had this little gem on my phone for a while n finally decided I'm ready to post it. If your a fan of Gotham you may like it. Unless u don't like Jerome... but who are we kidding how can you not like Jerome?!

You know , if someone would have told me a week ago I'd be standing next to an escaped convict , watching him and his loonies try to blow up a bus full of my classmates I would have told them they were out of there minds.

Guess I was wrong.

Maybe I should start at the beginning... befor the bus incident. Let's go back a bit shall we.

I was the unwanted product of some strung out whore and an equally as terrible father. Neither cared for nor wanted me.( A fact that I was constantly reminded of my entire life at the orphanage.)

I was unceremoniously wrapped in a ratty blanket and left outside, next to a dumpster in a back alley in the Narrows not too long after I was born. It was later I was told someone found me not too long after and brought me to the rundown shit hole of an orphanage I was currently part of, but not for much longer.

I was one of those kids, you know the ones. The ones that never get chosen. The ones who especially in a facility like I live in sit and rot till we turn 18 and they aren't responsible for us anymore. Well we need to get educated too. So they send us to school. Dress us up and make is look presentable like we're actually productive members of society. Honestly though horrible hand me downs and sub par living conditions does not make one many friends in school. It was because of just that reason that I wound up on that God forsaken bus in the first place. The reason I was on my way to some dumb, happy, peppy cheer leading rally. The reason I met HIM!

I had been suffering for a while between the living conditions at the orphanage and the people at school. I wasn't the model student. I was smart I'll give you that but as far as participation goes. It was non existent on my part and I rather liked it that way. I was the kid always on their own in the corner, quiet, standoffish, bullied.

It was for this reason the genius ( and I use that term very loosely) of a guidance counceler decided that "Perhaps if she were to join in an activity with her peers she would be a more productive member of society."

So with a lot of cajoling by the counselor the faculty and orphanage agreed to let me join the cheerleading squad. JOY! ( Can you hear the sarcasm dripping in my voice because trust me it is)

The orphanage was happy to let me go. More time I was someone else's problem the less time I was theirs. I mean I wasn't going to be their problem much longer anyway. A few weeks and I'd be 18 and no longer their problem. Hell, they probably had my bed already ready for the next poor sap that would become one of Gotham's finest dregs of society.

So that leads me to where I was currently. On a small bus full of superficial people I hated. Waiting to go to an activity I hated even more. So as always I sat in the back of the bus, up against the window waiting to get this ridiculous farce over with.

We were just getting ready to pull away for the trip when we suddenly heard horns blaring like crazy. I payed it no mind however. I mean come on it's Gotham, if this town was ever quiet it would be a small miracle.

It wasn't till I heard the crowd of panic go up from my class mates that I even bothered to glace up from my book there were men on the bus chaining up my classmates. Not that I cared but when my book was ripped out of my hand and tossed aside I started to pay attention.

I was unceremoniously handcuffed to the seat in front of me, needless to say I was a bit annoyed while listening to the cries and whimpers of my fellow classmates. To be honest it was really doing my head in.

That was when HE stepped on the bus. The Ginger lunatic with the Cheshire cat grin. I have to say the straitjacket suited him nicely.

He was down the center of the aisle gun waving about loosely in his hand. "I want you all to know this was a very difficult decision for us. It was between you and a senior citizen bingo party."

He put the barrel of the gun up to Shannons head as she whimpered and tugged on her chains. Eventually he began making his way further to the back of the bus towards me.

"In the end we decided to scew a little younger." He continued, the grin never leaving his face. He was almost right near me now. A few seats ahead we heard someone let out a strained sob of "why?" He turned to look over his shoulder at where it came from

I rolled my eyes and turned to the ginger. "Hey, do me a favor red."

Suddenly he was staring straight at me. I felt a small chill run down my spine. "If your gunna kill us either start with her..." I said trying to motion ahead of me with the chains on

"Now where would be the fun in that when dragging it out would be so much more fun!"

" You know that saying about all it takes is one bad day... Well this is my one bad day so if you don't intend on killing that bubble headed bleach blind Barbie then please just shoot me n just put me outta my misery so I don't have to hear their endless whining."

He smile that unsettling smile and gave a chuckle. " I like this one Greenwood ... she's got spunk!" He said shaking the gun nonchalantly in my direction.

He leaned on the seat in front of me hands crossed under his chin. "What's your name doll face?"

I tried to give the most unimpressed look I could but I have to admit as unsettling as this nut in the straightjacket was, there was a certain charm to him.

"It's Raven. What's yours funny man?" He put the gun down on the seat in front of me.

"Well since you asked so nicely pretty bird.." he pinched my cheeks "It's Jerome, doll."

Stupidly as we were having our little exchange the girl in front of me tried to reach for the gun. BIG mistake on her part. Quicker than a flash Jerome snatched up the gun, cocked it and had it pointing at her temple.

"Now why would you go and do something like that? I'm just trying to have a nice conversation with my little bird and honestly I'm feeling so attacked right now."

"Of course the psycho would talk to the psycho that's trying to kill us all."

"Oh shut it Chad" I snapped.

"Yah. . . Shut it Chad." Jerome mocked be for turning the gun upside down and whipping Chad across the face with it. I whispered out an almost inaudible thanks as Jerome started walking back up the aisle.

"Youth won the day...Sorry." Jerome said as he walked up to the door of the bus and took a hose from one of the escaped loonies.

Before he turned it on he made a motion to me and said something I couldn't quite make out. Next thing I knew one of the loonies were coming in my general direction and unlocked the chains from around my wrists.

I was then hauled up and shoved up the aisle toward a smiling Jerome. "Now you be a good little bird and stay here, maybe daddy will let you fly free when this is all over."

"Daddy?" I said arching an eyebrow. He shivered and smiled. "Oh I like that...say it again doll."

I looked at him like he's lost his mind. Grabbing me around the waist he pulles me close to him hips pressed tight against his. My hands automatically grabbed at his straitjacket he used one hand to brush some of my hair behind my ear before leaning in closer his lips just inches from my ear. "I said ... say it again."

"Daddy." The reply came out shaker than I expected it. Just as quick as his hands were on me they were gone.

"Give me an O!" Jerome shouted. Yet no one answered thet just kept on whining and crying. Jerome raised the pistol and let off a single shot causing me to duck and hold my ears and nearly stumble down the step.

"I said give me an O." Jerome repeated before the others weakly echoed him back with terror trembling in their voices.

"Give me an N." Again the letter was repeated back.

"Give me another O!" Again everyone responded.

"What does that spell???" He reached between me and one of the lunatics taking a hose handed to him.

"Oh no." Was the response I heard but couldn't tell if it had been Jerome or the loony next to me. The next thing I knew I was watching Jerome open the hose valve and douse the bus load of classmates with gas as the bus exploded into a chorus of sheer screams of terror. Next thing I know I was dragged rather roughly down the steps of the bus to the street outside.

When he had his fill of dousing the brats on the bus he walked out of the bus, hose slung over his shoulder before tossing it aside and reaching into his back pocket for a lighter.

"Ready...ok." Jerome shouted as he bent down next to the stairs and flick

The lighter a few times. It wouldn't light. He turned around looking to where the maniacs and I stood shook his head and shrugged a bit. "This is so embarassing."

"I guess it's true what they say. SOME people just want to watch the world burn." I said and let out a small chuckle. Jerome chuckled as well. "Oh, I really like you birdy." He said before hopping back onto the bus.

Anyone got a light?" At that I broke into a fit of laughter. As the screams on the bus only grew louder.

"I do." One of the maniacs near me said as he walked to Jerome flicking the lighter a few times. The piercing sound of sirens suddenly filled the air as we all turned to look at the cars arriving on scene. I stood beside Jerome gripping a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at me before standing directly in front of me.

"Stand your ground boys. They won't shoot at a bus." I guess he was wrong because a shoot our commensed. Again I was holding my ears as shots rang out around me.

"Eric, Greenwood, get the truck started we're gonna blow this barbeque."

He spun around taking a few shots at a cop in a suit before the gun clicked indicating he was out of ammo. He spun the gun in his hand before letting it fall to the floor making a motioned with his hand he shouted out.

"Light em up!" He grabbed my hand and helped me onto the step of the truck. Once I was up he grabbed the hose and started spraying more fuel all around. He soon jumped up next to me and almost slipped. I reached out grabbing his jacket to stead him. Hose still in hand Jerome let out a whoop as the truck started to drive off.

I almost slipped at that point and wrapped my arms around Jeromes waist. He began laughing maniacally as we drove away from the scene. That's when I heard the boom and squeezed onto Jerome tighter. "If you wanted to touch me doll face all you had to do was ask."

He wanted to tease did he... Two can play this game. I don't know what was going on in my head but the next thing I knew I was nuzzling his neck putting my lips close to his ear. "If I wanted to touch you it wouldn't be to hold your waist."

I slid one hand down his waist to the strap between his legs and gave it a tug. He chuckled a bit as I fiddled with the buckle ( hey I was doing this with one hand after all) Once it was finally opened i let it drop from my hand. "It would be much more fun to touch you here. Wouldn't it ... Daddy?" I whispered against his ear as I let my hand absentmindedly ghost up and down over his pants before giving his earlobe a playful nip to emphasize my point.

Jerome let out a small growl and a chuckle. "Oh we are going to have so much fun together dollface."

[acemyprep]

Rising Demand of Overseas Education Consultants

An enormous number of Indian students these days favor getting their schooling in abroad due to new open doors opening up there. It has become simpler for them to bear high charge design and significant expense of living because of simple availability of advances. This expanded number of understudies keen on causing worldwide profession to have contributed extraordinarily in the interest of training consultants huge amounts at a time.

With the increment in number of courses accessible and subjects presented in different streams, the prerequisite of schooling specialists has massively felt by the understudies lately. The maxim of instructive advisors is to give particular data on the nation where the understudies would need to study, the college they would need to join and course they would need to pick. Guides are there to councel understudies who can't conclude what course would it be advisable for them they pick and how gigantic is the extent of a specific course. The limitless choices accessible in the courses proposed to the understudies today has made them very wary and fussy about their scholastics. Additionally, peer pressure is firmly connected with the degree of progress in scholastics and their is a lot of companion pressure that understudies are looking all through their vocation assembling these days from family, companions or society. The circumstance emerges the need to visit the instructive advisors to look for data, ideas and thought from those guides which are important in building a right vocation way. Abroad instructive advisors assist these understudies with getting their fantasy satisfied who need to look for schooling from far off nations by getting them conceded in an eminent college arranged across without any problem. They additionally help them in finishing the important customs while getting affirmation in an establishment outside. Instruction advisors in India have set up their branches in each edge of the country, emcompassing significant urban areas and towns, with their prominence expanding and request ascending among the understudies in India. Notwithstanding, somewhat, with the progression in the innovation and simple availability of Internet office, there are a great deal of data accessible on the net from where the understudies can get quick data without a need to visit those consultants.

Many Education consultant organizations have begun offering different administrations these days as well as giving direction and data. One of the administrations incorporates instructing for placement tests like GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS and others. They additionally lead character advancement programs that assists understudies with managing bunch conversations, grounds meetings and individual meetings. Education Consultants offering expected help to the understudies are favors for them in the time of extreme data and overflow of choices accessible.

Overseas education consultants in delhi is a main consultancy firm which you can get data about Overseas Education Consultants.

[scentedflowersong]

🎵 Been spendin' most their lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise 🎵

David: “Just trust me, you don’t wanna know.” Snow White: (Handing Maria to David:) “Oh don’t be ridiculous.” (Rolling up her sleeves, Snow walks over to peer inside. Upon seeing what’s happening, she emits I high pitched squeal which reverberates off the palace walls.)

Snow and Charming pass Tiana in the entrance to the Palace of Askanar when taking Maria to see her parents through the portals (unfortunately, the moment they decide to watch is not very PG-rated)

Dr 'asshole' Lydgate prepares Alice for her lobotomy

Emma and Regina don't get caught shagging on the couch by Gold by only a miracle (pun below intended)

as Lena thanks Drizella for taking over the town for her, Drizella informs her about Guin's upcoming welcome home ball, where Lena is invited with a plus one

Lily and Elsa anounce their engagement at the Queen's councel - no one's more excited than Richard, the honorary queen...

...and Elsa also informs Anna about her promotion to the position of the Queen of Arendelle

Regina, the embodiment of subtlety, comes to Emma's apartment to 'return' her clothes, then proceeds to get Emma out of the ones she's wearing...

Shaw comes to tied to a steering wheel (kinky) while Root explains herhighly ambitious plan of dealing with the Mob AND helping SQ come together (not that they needed much aid in that department...)

Killian shows up at Regina and Gold's appartment bringing Archie so he and Gold can finish him to 'send a message'

and finally, Will comes to Alice's rescue with the White Rabbit

[induroverseas]

Demand of Overseas Education Consultants in India

                                            A huge variety of Indian college students in recent times choose getting their education overseas due to new possibilities commencing up there. It has emerged as easier for them to endure excessive fee structure and excessive fee of residing because of easy availability of loans. This multiplied variety of students interested in making a worldwide career have contributed significantly in the demand for study abroad education consultants with the aid of using leaps and bounds. Upon figuring out the possible significance of Overseas Education Consultants in India, the Government of India has based the organization 'Education Consultants India Limited (Ed. CIL)' in the year 1981. The body becomes formed with a purpose to provide guidance and proper direction to potential Indian students.

With the boom in variety of courses to be had and topics presented in various streams, the requirement of education consultants has particularly felt with the aid of using the students in recent years. The motto of educational consultants is to offer specialized facts at the country where the students might need to study, the university they might need to join and the course they might need to decide. Counsellors are there to councel students who aren't capable of determining what course they have to decide and the way giant is the scope of a specific path. The limitless alternatives to be had in the guides presented to the scholars these days have made them extraordinarily careful and picky approximately their academics. Also, peer pressure is strongly related to the extent of fulfillment in academics and there is a best deal of peer-strain that scholars are going through at some point of their career building in recent times from family or society.

The scenario arises of wanting to go to the educational consultants to be searching for facts, guidelines and concepts from the ones counsellors which can be essential in constructing a proper career path. Overseas educational consultants help those students to get their dream fulfilled who need to be searching for schooling from overseas nations with the aid of getting them admitted in a renowned university located throughout easily. They also help them in finishing the essential formalities at the same time as getting admission in an institute outside. Education consultants in India have set up their branches in each nook of the nation, encompassing most important towns and cities, with their reputation growing and increasing a number of the students in India. However, to a few extents, with the development in the era and clean accessibility of Internet facility, there are a whole lot of facts to be had on the internet from where the students can get on the spot information without a want to go to the ones experts.

Many Education consultants’ agencies have commenced presenting diverse offerings in recent times further to presenting guidance and facts. One of the services consists of education for entrance examinations along with GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS and others. They additionally conduct personality development programs that help students to deal higher with group discussions, campus interviews and personal interviews. Education Consultants presenting required help to the students are benefits for them in the generation of immoderate facts and abundance of alternatives to be had.

Indur Overseas Education - A Leading Overseas education consultants in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, Offering Various Higher Education Options in Top Universities and Study Abroad Consultants for Germany, USA, New Zealand, Europe, UK & Other Countries.

[hauntedtacotreetrash]

(via COUNCELS ON HEALTH)

In the lobby of the white memorial hospital, which was founded in memory of the writer of the “Counsels” which compose this book, is a bronze tablet bearing the inscription: CH 1.1“This hospital is dedicated to the memory of Ellen Gould White, whose long life was unselfishly devoted to the alleviation of the woes and sorrows of the sick, the suffering, and the needy; and to inspiring young men and women to consecrate their lives to the work of him who said, ‘Heal the sick.’” CH 1.2To those who knew Mrs. White these words are freighted with tender memories of almost countless incidents in the life of that most kindly soul. Of the women who have lived in modern days, no other, in all probability, has exercised so deep and lasting an influence upon the lives of her fellows as Ellen G. White. In no realm were her teachings more far-reaching and thorough than in that relating to the care of the body—the temple of the Holy Spirit. CH 1.3From many and varied sources, during the last half century, a flood of light has been thrown upon this important theme. From out the mind of the renowned Pasteur came shafts of light of brilliant and penetrating power on matters relating to health and disease. From him the world received its knowledge of bacteria, the causative factors of so many diseases. From Louis Pasteur came the cure that conquered anthrax, that devastating sickness afflicting both man and beast. He it was whose unremitting toil culminated in the discovery of a cure for hydrophobia, one of the most dread diseases of all the ages. CH 1.4Lord Lister, by applying the principles of Pasteur to the operating room, made surgery safe for mankind. His genius transformed hospitals from being shambles of horror and gangrene to places of comfort and cure. He demonstrated that pus in surgical wounds is unnecessary, and reduced surgical mortality to a relatively insignificant figure. CH 1.5Then there was Semmelweiss, the obstetrician, to whom Kugelmann wrote: “with few exceptions the world has crucified and burned its benefactors. I hope you will not grow weary in the honorable fight which still remains before you.” It was this Semmelweiss who wrestled with the dread monster of puerperal fever, and through whose brain there throbbed the queries: “Why do these mothers die? What is childbirth fever?” His efforts cost his life, but he conquered the fearful malady. CH 2.1And I might continue to tell of the blessings the world has received at the hands of many others, from Koch, Ehrlich, Nicolaier, Kitasato, Von Behring, Flexner, Ronald Ross, and many another. But to Ellen G. White a different role was given. While her lifework and teaching were in harmony with truly scientific medicine, it was in the realm of the spiritual side of the healing art that she shone with a brilliance of holy luster. In the matter of appealing to men and women to regard their bodies as a sacred trust from the Highest One, and to obey the laws of nature and of nature’s God, she stands without a peer. She it was who exalted the sacredness of the body and the necessity of bringing all the appetites and passions under the control of an enlightened conscience. Others emphasized science in health; to her it was left to impress the spiritual in the treatment of the temple of the body. CH 2.2No other one of modern day has entered this field of spiritual endeavor to anything like the extent she did. Her efforts were tireless from the days of her young womanhood to the hour of her death at a very advanced age. In books, in magazine articles, in papers, in tracts and pamphlets, she constantly and unswervingly called men and women, old and young, in clarion tones, to a more rational, a higher, purer plane of spiritual living. From the platform in churches and lecture halls, at convocations and conferences, her voice was continually heard urging the need of consecrated, Christian living in things relating to the body and its care. Others brought to light scientific facts concerning disease, its cause, and its cure; Ellen G. White drove home those facts on the spiritual side to the innermost citadel of the souls of men and women. CH 2.3It is fitting, therefore, that though she sleeps in her quiet grave, her tired hands folded across the sainted breast, her works should follow her. It is meet that in this volume her “Counsels” should live, to bless, to fortify, and to direct the lives of those who seek to point their fellow beings to that blest One who alone has healing in His wings. CH 3.1It was the apostle Paul who wrote in his second letter to the youthful Timothy: CH 3.2“In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” CH 3.3Paul wrote especially concerning the members of the Lord’s church. But how wonderfully applicable also are the words to the human stones which form the structure of the great house of the healing art on earth today! In it there are doctors and nurses of gold, and doctors and nurses of silver, doctors and nurses of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor. To purify the great house of healing, to help to mold it after the similitude of the Mighty Healer, is the object of “Counsels.” CH 3.4In this sordid day, when everything that was once sacred is being commercialized, when the golden calf is being worshiped on every hand, there are and ever will be some men and women wistfully longing for the highest ideals that properly belong with a profession second in sacredness only to the ministry of the word of God. In the hope and with the simple prayer that this volume may contribute to the purest and most unselfish profession of medicine, it is now launched upon its mission. CH 4.1Percy T. Magan

[dangkinronpa]

headcanons for chisa who everyone in class 77-b sees as a mother

heres ur headcanons chisa! i hope u like them, and if u want me to make any changes just remember to let me know! - mod kiibo

- even before she started teaching the kids in class 77-b, chisa was pretty well known for being a motherly person. it wasnt like she was an actual mother or anything, but she was incredibly caring towards pretty much everyone around her, and it was pretty easy to see chisa in a position where shes helping and taking care of people

- as soon as she started teaching class 77-b, though, her reputation as a motherly figure to her peers and her students was cemented. chisa made it pretty obvious right from day one that she was always around for anything her students might possibly need, and she was always giving any advice that she thought her students needed to hear

- chisa was always working as a mentor for her students, and she had absolutely no problem getting involved if she thought that they needed help. this happened more often with some students than with others (for instance, she spent a lot of time helping tsumiki with bullying problems), but she only ever meant it as a way to show that she cared

- she might have been a motherly figure to everyone, but that didnt mean that chisa wasnt a cool mother. there were plenty of things that chisa would do that the people in class 77-b thought were pretty impressive, such as the time that she got ibuki to join the class just by shredding a guitar. it was always an honor for chisa to hear them say this

- although chisa would have been fine just parenting the class, though, there were still times where she had to actually teach them, but that wasnt actually too bad for her. helping class 77-b learn about things that they would need in life wasnt any problem for chisa, because she wanted them to be as prepared for the real world as they could be

- one of the downsides about being a motherly figure to everyone in class 77-b was that chisa got plenty of gossip and drama coming her way, mixed in with real problems. as much as chisa tried to avoid dragging herself into unnecessary drama, there were still times where she would try to help her students out if they came to her with gossip

- despite the fact that she would get involved in her students drama, though, chisa generally tried to avoid getting into problems that were petty and ended up making her choose between two of her students. gossip wasnt something that chisa had ever really enjoyed, so avoiding it as much as possible was something good for chisa

- whenever chisa felt like it, she would bring sweets and snacks for her class to eat while she taught lessons, and her class was always incredibly thankful for the surprises of food when they walked into class. chisa never brought the same thing twice either, unless her class really liked it, since she enjoyed trying out new foods

- considering the fact that chisa was basically the counselor for her class, most of her students didnt ever have to go to the counceler. whenever they did, though, chisa would make sure that nobody judged them, and she would try to do whatever she could to cheer them up. she wanted to make sure that her students were taking care of themselves

- chisa might not have been their real mother, but she did her best to be the best mother towards class 77-b that she possibly could be. her class loved her just as much as they would love a member of their real families, and they made sure to let chisa know just about every day. there wasnt a day that passed where chisa wasnt glad to teach class 77-b

[flare281]

For my american peeps, this is all actually petty true. Check up on your university, but both of the colleges I've attended so far have free (and I mean free, no insurance involved) counceling services.

Even if you cant live on or near campus (lord knows I cant) or if you dont want to join a club (I'm too busy for them because of work) at least try to go to 1 major function a semester. I'm a little more social, so I bumped my own goal to 3 a semester, but it helps prevent burn out as it can distract you from constantly being surrounded by academics.

And just have fun. Dont let anyone hold you back, be it new or old friends, family, or even random peers. College is a time to restart, create a new you without any of your old peers to (consciously or unconsciously) pressure you into being who you've always been.

Know your limits too. It's okay to tell someone you cant hang out and not have a specific reason. That's something I struggled with, but needing a day to recover without any social interaction is normal. One day a week I took completely to myself, no work, no classes, no company. Just me, a book or tv series, and a slow cooker of different soups. It made all the difference in the world.

University Tips:

Keep a calendar and stay on top of your schedule!

Make a timetable of your classes/seminars

Check emails often

Don’t skip lectures!

Sit in the front row. This will make you focus and help your lecturers remember you - which is actually more important than people think

Build a good relationship with your lecturers AND peers

Visit your professors’ office hours regularly and have catch ups

Go to the library to study! You’ll be more distracted trying to study at home/in your room. If you have to study in your room- turn your phone off

It’s okay to not want to party like everyone else :)

Write down your notes in lectures and type them up after

Join a society/club! This will make sure you have a great work-social life balance, and give you the opportunity to learn something new at least once a week

Colour code notes

It’s just as important not to overwork yourself as it is not to procrastinate (too much)

Keep your desk clean and organised! 

Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before lectures and have a good breakfast in the morning. You will be more focused for it

Keep a journal of your experiences and ambitions

Go to counseling services. UK Universities will have counselling services that can tackle anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Your well-being is as important as your grades

Your degree doesn’t define you. You still have time to explore your options. You don’t have to know what you want to be right now. University is about developing yourself as it is finding a career.

Don’t burn bridges with your friends/loved ones at home. They will be there for you should you need to go home

Live on or near campus. This will save money and give you a sense of belonging

Eat well!

[rossicolloquium]

In our discussion after watching “No Impact Man”, I was truly surprised how little my peers knew about Lee county and the flourishing agricultural community that thrives here. Maybe it is because I grew up in 4-H but I always have had access to a lot of fresh and local food. What stuck out to me the most is that people think that there is no access to this food beyond their local farmer’s market. Which honestly, only skims the surface as to what is available in our county.

Lee county is teaming with dairy goat farms. There are a ton of individuals who show and breed dairy goats in our county and they are always willing to share their bounty whether it be a kid from their prize goats or the super rich and nutritious milk that they often bottle and put in their freezers especially if they happened to lose kids that season. I personally have indulged in goat’s milk in my coffee and even goat’s milk ice cream (which is delicious by the way). I also have a family friend who makes goat’s milk soap and has taught me how to make it. I will never use a bar of Dial soap again. I just find it odd that people think that they can’t get milk locally. I understand it is not cow’s milk but honestly goat’s milk has so much more to offer nutritionally than cow’s milk and tastes so much better.

As for other means of fresh food, there are so many local butchers. Lawhon’s in North Fort Myers, has the most bargain for your money and there are even places that you can have your own animals processed if you’d like to go that route (which I admit even I’m a bit weary of trying). Not only is meat readily available but so are eggs. Everyday I pass by homes in Buckingham, North Fort Myers, and even Lehigh Acres where fresh eggs are being advertised. All it takes is a phone call and you’d have fresh eggs in hand and you would be able to see that they are so much better than the old eggs we buy in stores and you can see what the people are feeding their chickens.

There are also two farms that I can think of off the top of my head that produce vegetables and fruits year round. Buckingham Farms and 31 Produce have beautiful farms and 31 Produce even allows you to go out and pick your own fruit to take home.

Also there are a few local Bee Farms such as Councell Farms that not only will remove bees for you but also sell tons of local honey. They also are awesome because they will take bees out to local farms to pollinate their crops but that is a separate tangent.

Honestly, I just find it really sad and bewildering that no one seems to know about any of this. I see these advertisements daily as well as the businesses that provide local food. Is it perhaps just that people would rather go to the grocery store than admit that they do have access to local foods? Do they perhaps struggle with the potential of building a community based on food? I myself have social anxiety to a degree but I have gotten past this. Local food has become important to me and my well-being. My only thought then is that maybe they are scared to try new things. I can understand that but saying that there isn’t anything available aside from what is provided at the farmer’s market is a tad ignorant in my opinion.

Pictures:

Alpine Dairy Goats- https://www.goatzz.com/animal.aspx?id=3895878&spid=8&title=alpine-dairy-goat-prize-herd-for-sale

Goat’s Milk Soap- Personal Picture of soap bought from my friend, Penny Beigh

[5ftgarden]

I don't know if you're still writing, but I'm prompting you anyway. I want Cullen and Solas in some sort of tense stand-off situation, involving Lily. She does NOT have to be there, but she can.

for @dadrunkwriting

“Absolutely not.”

Solas glared at the man standing in front of him. Even out of his armor, and standing in a freezing barn, Cullen Rutherford was still an imposing figure. They were standing about four feet apart from each other, glaring at each other.

“Commander–“

“Do you know what you have done to my family?” Cullen hissed, taking a step forward. “Do you know what you did to my wife?”

“I saved her life,” Solas spat, barring his teeth. Cullen frowned, inhaling, almost fluffing himself out like a cat.

“You have no idea the trauma that caused her,” he whispered, hand gripping the phylactery that hung at his chest. “Learning to live with... Solas you destroyed her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Not as sorry as you should be for what you did to my daughter, you bastard,” Cullen growled.

“I had no idea that she would–“

“Would follow you?” Cullen roared, taking a step forward. “That she wouldn’t continue to dog your heels like she did when we were at Skyhold?”

“Lily-“

“IS A CHILD.”

“I KNOW,” Solas yelled. Cullen almost looked shocked. “I know. And if I could take back everything that happened to her, I would. Don’t you think I’ve mourned for her as well?”

“You are not her father,” Cullen spat.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t care!” Solas continued to yell. “That doesn’t mean that I do not wait up, worried about her!”

Cullen sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He seemed to deliberate with himself.

“What do you have in mind?” he finally said through gritted teeth.

“Let me make peace with Grace. Then I’ll be gone. I will never bother your family again,” Solas assured. “Please. Let me see Lily.”

“No.”

“Commander–“

“That is NOT my title anymore!” Cullen sighed. “And she is not who you left behind. And Lily… Lily seems to finally have found peace.”

“I only wish to give her something to let her remember me,” Solas councelled. Cullen laughed.

“As if she could ever forget.”

“I have something for your other daughter as well,” Solas said, handing Cullen a small package. Cullen looked a it, peering at it.

“Something else to remember you by,” he scoffed, tossing it back. Solas nodded.

“Think of it as good will. Your wife did invite me after all.”

Cullen sighed. “Alright. I’m sure it will be fine. Grace has calmed down significantly since Lily came home.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude, however,” Solas said, wrapping himself tighter in his cloak.

“I don’t think you should worry about it,” Cullen replied. “Lily will be overjoyed to see you.”

“I guess I should ask. How is she?”

“She’s doing well. Quiet, a little more reserved than she used to be, but she’s doing well.”

“She’s gotten better at hiding her signature on the veil-” Solas laughed quietly before speaking up “-haven’t you Lily?”

[paperbackwritersblog]

The need to be honest with the young

Something I always struggled with when younger was getting things wrong! Especially publicly , growing up in the 80s ment mockery was brutal! However in that mockery I hardened and became very quick with a comeback. The same can be said for the mistake itself in that over time, through making mistakes I learned quickly and made less.

I often speak to my children when they make a mistake in a way that makes it ok, sometimes there is some lite banter/mockery in there too but it is talked through beforehand!

This is in stark contrast to the way I was brought up and I guess the transference of life lessons is still there, the difference is the sharp end of the spear isnt jabbed right into the situation.

What have I taken from my childhood and how is it applied is something I have been thinking about, because it seems a cultural norm nowadays to try to shield our children from making mistakes, certainly from any ridicule that might come with it and also to introduce our children to a world that tip toes around how we feel! I personally think that in doing this we are subjecting our children to a form of abuse! If I teach my children the world will be sensative to them then they are in for some very cruel and harsh truths when they go out into the world and try to carve a life out for themselves.

I work to buffer my children so to speak! I dont actively push them towards making mistakes, however there is an element of having to let them discover things for themselves. For all the dont do this and dont do that warnings I had from my peers growing up, the obvious ones like dont drink petrol are no brainers. However, theres lots I had to experience for myself in order to understand the warnings. The famous line of knowing something being knowledge but experiencing something gives you wisdom is so very true and we cannot send our children out into the world with knowledge and then not expect them to formulate that knowledge with experience to gain the wisdom required.

Telling our children they can be anything and do anything they want is not true and not right! My son will never be a king or a prince, he will also probably never be a famous basketball player as genetically there are just some people born with DNA that gives them massive advantages that he was not born with! However , being very very real and honest with him will at least set him up properly for anything he chooses to put his time and energy into. When my son said he wanted too be a writer, I asked him what he had written? When his response was he would start writing when he gets a job in writing!! I had to be brutally honest with him and tell him that if he wants something he has to put his time and energy into it and then things will flow from that. If he wanted to be a writer, he would be writing! That wasnt a deterant to stop him writing, I was just honest that if he went for a job as a writer he would be pitted against people that write about everything from the colour of the sky to the whiff of a dogs fart because that was there passion and so thats what they do, regardless. If I wanted beautiful photos taken of myself and my partner I would obviously employ someone that takes photos constantly, has invested in the right equipment as opposed to the guy that takes snaps at the weekend on his camera phone.

The education system does not help, as it works to fit you into boxes and doesnt work on teaching you genuine life skills. I personally think our children should be given free mandatory councelling after they finish school, to help them learn how to navigate themselves in the world.

E.Plaistow