#but both of them also take to clara too and fully support their getting married - seamus also constantly asks doc if he's decided

[doctorbrown]

MCFLY JULY ‘24 ⸺ 「 16 / 31 * SYNCHRONICITY 」

September 12, 1885

Maggie always cautioned him his bleeding heart would get him into trouble.

He couldn’t help that, though. There was already enough suffering in the world—what harm did it do to be kind? To look after others as if they were your own?

Mr. Eastwood was a good soul. Oh, like his brother, poor Martin, may God rest his soul, he had his troubles, that all-consuming need to try and prove himself—he’d wager the farm he was somebody’s little brother too, so certain was he of that—to win the fleeting gossip of a group of people whose affections only lingered on whatever was most exciting in this dust bowl of a town.

The only people a man had to prove himself to was himself and to God.

But, like Martin, Mr. Eastwood had a heart as big as the country, caring just as much about others as he did for himself. That much was obvious that very first night he blew into their lives like a whirlwind, taking the fence with it, only to slot into their little home—their lives—almost like he belonged there.

It's funny how just a few short days can really make a man feel like he knows somebody...

And little Will had taken to him almost immediately, reinforcing his opinion that, whether this be an act of Providence or sheer luck, Clint Eastwood had entered their lives for a reason and had a place amongst them, if he so wanted.

He’d never felt quite a connection to anyone like that before, not since the day his younger brother was ripped away from him, taken somewhere he couldn’t follow. Not yet.

Just like Martin, Clint Eastwood, too, was gone, and Seamus wasn’t planning on that news to tear a hole clean through him.

Supposing it was a man’s time, there was just nothing that could be done, but like he did what feels like an eternity ago now, Seamus lifts his head heavenward and stares long and hard at the perfect blue. Squinting against the afternoon sun’s harsh light, Seamus searches for something, though he isn’t quite sure what. A glimmer in the sky, perhaps. A flash of something, a revelation, a gust of wind rolling through the countryside carrying a message for his ears only, anything.

The heat lashes across his pale cheeks as he waits. Nothing changes, not so much as an errant cloud in the sky for his troubles or to signify that someone was listening, but Seamus keeps his eyes trained on the sky.

Why, God? I did everything I could. I thought You were trying to tell me this was my second chance—isn’t that why You put Clint Eastwood in front of me, gave him Martin’s face, and gave him the same troubles?

He did it—he didn’t fight that brute, he made it out okay—and this is what he’s given for overcoming that? A freak accident sending him to the bottom of the ravine?

“Seamus!” Maggie’s voice cuts across the silence like the crack of a whip. “When you’re done, hurry up inside—we’ve got guests. Mister Brown has come to pay us a visit. He says he has something he wants to share with us. And don't you forget to wash up first!”

[sugarywishes]

Um...I accidentally deleted an anonymous ask post (I posted it too early lmao)

So anon, if you're reading this, this is for you!! And also thanks for going through my page lmao

So, why does William favor Evan over his siblings?

1. They both look extremely similar:

Nowadays, it's common to see people hc Mike as the Will lookalike, and I really like that too!

But back then, the only one who could've immediately be guessed as William's child was Evan. Both had the PALEST skin of the family (this is saying a lot considering they're British!!)

Both had kind of nerving eye colors (Will's is an icy blue that was basically almost white, and Evan somehow developed fully bright green eyes) dark eye bags, scruffy hair that always just kind of looks...like that no matter how much they try to fix it, and of course, skinny as hell!

2. Similar upbringing (aka, trauma!):

Considering they both look kind of like corpses, and they act really...um....abnormal by society standards of their time, it's no wonder they're considered outcasts! William's dealt with bullying and abuse throughout his life (it also doesn't help that he didn't have anyone on his side since I headcanon him as an orphan lol) and Evan is literally going through it right now! (He just sees himself in him) So William latches onto his youngest son more and serves as Evan's 'guide' and 'mentor' (notice the quotation marks?)

3. He can't really attach himself to anyone else in the Afton Family lmao:

Okay, him and Michael are literally polar opposites, and if they weren't related and were the same age Mike would totally bully him and Will would want him dead 😭 (Mikey is a popular, mean kid and Will...was just mean!)

And unfortunately, William kind of sees Michael as an inconvenience (since he is a college mistake...Wear condoms guys, and also if you have the option for child support and you're not interested in raising a kid, please take the opportunity and don't be abusive like Will turnt out!!)

And also, he isn't at all attached to Elizabeth or his wife. Clara because well, he doesn't love her. Sure she's pretty and all but he prefers to be by himself. Being married to her was basically kind of an obligation in his mind? (Henry talked him into getting a relationship with her and his yet-to-be born son 😬) and for Elizabeth, again he just doesn't really care for her. (Her looking the most like Clara did not help in going his favor, no matter how hard she tried to please him :( )

4. He was easy to control (man, who would've thought he sucked as a father for all his children?)

His other kids were not as easily manipulated (Michael had the logic and experience to know not to trust him, and Elizabeth had Charlie and Mike to keep her on the right path no matter how much she tried to steer)

Even Clara would put her foot down if he did or said something off. But Evan on the other hand? He's the perfect son, always obedient, always trusting, he's a sweet little doll! (Which is precisely what William thought of him 😞)

And plus, no one else was on Evan's side at all, and according to William, people like themselves must stick together to achieve greatness no matter what (and the only person he knew he could trust/relate to was his father.)

So yeah, Evan's weak-willed self was a prime target for William's abuse. How charming! (Kind of like a Quasimodo and Frollo relationship?)

Anyways, that's it! (Probably, I'm very certain I missed one or two reasons, curse me and my lack of notes!!) If you have questions, fire them away!

[hopevalley]

Season 8, Episode 11: Changing Times

Well, as it turns out, my second Covid vaccine kicked me down hard. After sleeping for quite a long time, though, I’m tired of sleeping and ready to try and get this write-up done.

Surprisingly, or...perhaps not so surprisingly, I don’t think I have that much to say about last night’s episode. I think we’re just too close to the finale for me to feel “safe” in guessing/hoping for anything in particular.

Let’s hit up the plot points like before:

The Triangle

Carson & Faith

Rosemary’s Purpose

School District Problems

Jesse’s Disappearance 

The Triangle

I’m probably one of the few people who liked Nathan who felt like the whole beginning scene was super weird and uncomfortable. Homegirl held his hand for one second in the last episode and now she’s going to warm his serge by the fire (while he just stands there awkwardly??? He could have done that himself while she got him some tea or something idk) and then dress him???

I think we’re meant to see that as her going back to...I don’t know...old habits die hard or something? But she was barely married for any time at all and it’s been three years since Jack died. No way would she be so far into those old habits that she’d fall back into them with Nathan lmao.

Like, it’d be a REALLY GOOD PLOT for a character who had been married for years and lost a spouse (cough Abigail cough) but considering the circumstances it felt like a cheesy fanfiction! I wanted to like it, but I just felt weird about it. Tonal whiplash out the wazoo.

Especially when we had to watch Lucas drive by and see Nathan’s horse at Elizabeth’s house. 

Lucas sadly watching Elizabeth talk to Nathan was also awkward, but at least it gave him the courage he needed to break things off with her.

You’d think I’d have a lot to say about the triangle, but I’m saving all of that for some kind of...post-season discussion. Who is she going to pick? Nathan seems like the most logical writing choice, but it could yet be Lucas. I genuinely don’t care who she chooses so long as she picks someone.

--

Carson & Faith

I like to hate on these two a lot, so you might be surprised to know that I’m enjoying their storyline. I’ve criticized this series over and over for never bothering to portray realistic relationships and one thing I can say about Faith and Carson this season is that things actually feel...plausible.

I also appreciate how they try to tie Carson into the town a bit more: he talks to Henry and Minnie and even Lucas trying to figure things out! It makes perfect sense to me; how do you choose between someone you care about/the potential life you could make with them, and a career that you’re really and truly passionate about?

This is the most interesting Carson has been since Season 5.

Anyway, the pudding scene was genuinely funny, and a great way to break up the stress that I’m sure we were all feeling about his impending proposal. Faith’s reaction to thinking he might propose was...pretty telling. I really wish they hadn’t saved so many dangling plotlines to solve in the final episode, though. I was hoping Faith and Carson’s storyline would be fully figured out in the penultimate episode so that we could let him go (or whatever) in the season finale. It just seems to me like it would be a good, smooth ending for them.

Also, for what it’s worth, they tried doing this kind of plot with Frank in Season 5, but it was rushed and pulled out of thin air; he’d never shown an inclination toward pastoring toward dying children in the past and it was clear that they just needed to write him off the show. With Carson, this sort of plotline works VERY well; he was a surgeon, and he was passionate about it, but that passion took a hit when his wife needed surgery and she died on the table under his hands. He’s had some time to move on from that and process his feelings, so it makes sense that he’d find that passion again. I just wanted to point this out because it’s interesting how well it works for Carson and how...well, not-well it worked with Frank. I really felt like with Frank, it was just a storyline that could have been given to anyone with the same success rate, whereas with Carson they took a look at the character and what we already know of him, and built the storyline specifically for him. That’s good writing, babes!

Anyway, Carson trying to propose in the vague hope that Faith will come with him, even knowing she doesn’t want to leave Hope Valley, is pretty manipulative and awful, but it really goes a long way toward making his character feel like an actual person. Like yeah, he does actually want the best of both worlds. Do you blame him?

--

Rosemary’s Purpose

I know a lot of people are really into this storyline but I found it boring. The only good part was when Lee called the other desk in his office “hers.” Everything else just felt like a bit too much to come to the conclusion that she should run a paper. We already had her “advice” column in the paper and it was...amusing while it lasted, but eh. I just don’t see good storylines coming for her from this angle, especially when they went the route of her finding out she wants to start the paper back up to share information with the town. Are we really going to trust Rosemary’s integrity when it comes to writing news stories, especially when MOST of the time the things she’ll be allowed to write about are, you know, who grew the biggest cabbage? It makes me dread the potential for Round Two of Nosy Rosie.

I dunno. I used to really like Rosemary but this season’s been pretty rough on her character. Good for you for wanting to find your passion career, but most of us work so that we can eat, not for a fun way to pass the time and stay busy. :/

--

School District Problems

Mr. Landis is right and Elizabeth is an idiot. Sure the school board is being assholes for no reason (as if they’d care if one blind child was sitting in a classroom in one western town lol), but Elizabeth’s really going to dismiss his concerns about how she can juggle the added work necessary to teach Angela while also keeping up with everyone else?

It sucks that Angela will get left out, but Elizabeth should be working with Mr. Landis to come up with a plan to teach Angela without sacrificing the education of her other students. Better yet, she could rely on her friends for advice. Like Rosemary.

Still no apology there...

Anyway, a projected 100 new kids? That’s outlandish. The only way that will happen is if they open a factory in Hope Valley, and even then it could take years. I MEAN, WHERE IS THE HOUSING GOING TO BE FOR ALL THE ADULTS THAT WOULD GIVE YOU A HUNDRED NEW STUDENTS LOL. I think we have to assume the plotlines are connected.

I also find it hard to believe the board would care about Elizabeth being certified to teach Angela. Where else is she going to get an education? It’s 1918 in the middle of almost nowhere???

This show drives me nuts with its attempt to be a “Frontier Show” while also shying away from the characters actually being stranded/cut off from society at large. You still had unlicensed teachers teaching in western towns in this time period because nobody cared!!!

ANYWAY, if Union City was like 3 miles away I could see them trying to combine schools. But it isn’t. So.

I dunno. I hate this plotline. I feel like they stole it from a better show (Road to Avonlea, where the bigger school was just a few miles away and it made sense to consider combining the schools for a better education system for the students as one-room schoolhouse teaching was proven to be less effective) but didn’t bother to consider any of the logistics of the storyline.

Maybe it’s my passion for education and history that makes me hate it, though. I know too much to find this storyline believable. I should also mention that I haven’t enjoyed Elizabeth’s role as teacher for a very long time. (I think they suck at writing Elizabeth as a teacher.)

I’m just not interested in wherever this is going to go because I can’t imagine it’ll have a lasting impact.

The only good thing I can say about the whole plotline is that I REALLY LIKED HOW BILL CAME OUT OF IT. I think he’s the only person who knows how to speak to Elizabeth. She struggles with blunt honesty at first, but ultimately tends to appreciate it, and that’s pretty much what she always gets with Bill. Also, the scene where he shuts her down didn’t make her look stupid, either (just worried/anxious), so I could appreciate it.

--

Jesse’s Disappearance

I couldn’t care less about this plotline if I tried. Jesse’s gone missing in the mountains before (was it last season? I don’t even remember because I didn’t give a damn about it then either) so this felt like a multi-reused plotline...for the same character, no less.

It’s also poorly implemented. Why doesn’t anyone else care about Jesse? Why is Clara pouring her heart out to Lee while her friends are failing to support her in the slightest? Why should any of us care when we know he’ll be fine?

It just feels so forced for the sake of drama, and it’s made 10x worse because there’s too much else going on at the same time.

Also, how convenient that they have to tell us how hard-working and dedicated Jesse is to his work to force this plot to even make sense... C’mon, he has never been a particularly dedicated to work. They just needed to explain why he would have left the car so that he could be “missing.”

Boring. I also don’t care that much about their “stolen” money.

The only good thing in all of this is seeing how soothing of a voice Lee actually has. 

--

The best parts of the episode:

Henry calling Florence “Flo” GOT ME. It was so surprisingly cute???

I love Bill, and he really came out of this episode looking great! Finally, it seems they’re done writing him as a grouchy old man who hates everyone! In this season (and particularly in this episode), he is allowed to be capable, smart, helpful, loyal, and in possession of a great deal of integrity. I couldn’t believe that guy tried to bribe the judge in town right off the bat lmao...but the way Bill handled it felt very in character—very reminiscent of him from S3 or 4. He never shuts things down immediately, preferring instead to get more information to use against his, erm...opponent. Should he need it, of course. I was really happy to see him written well in this episode.

HENRY’S LETTER FROM HIS SON. STARTS OFF WITH “DAD,” AND SAYS PS. I LOVE YOU AT THE BOTTOM. Good for Henry.

Fiona’s backstory! Finally, we get some FIONA LORE. Neat.

PUDDING HANDS CARSON. 

[annaalexiswrites]

Chasing Your Chances Prologue

On Bluebell Row in Ashwick Wharf, there are fifteen houses. On the outside, all the houses are exactly the same.

Two stories with a basement and a garage, made out of brick, with four windows on each floor, a brown driveway and a black mailbox.

Every single one of them.

But inside, with all the different people, no two houses are alike.

Number one belongs to Marianne Russel and Marianne Russel alone, at least for now.

She has one spare bedroom and one room that's supposed to be a spare bedroom but ended up becoming a shoe room, filled bottom to top with shoes and boots of all kinds and colors, straps and strapless, buttons and laces, anything and everything anyone could possibly imagine. And yet she manages to buy at least one new pair a month. Although her shoe room is her happy place, her kitchen is her home. She owns Bluehill Diner, her pride and joy, birthplace to the best baked goods in town, only serving the very best of her creations that have been through several dozen test runs and taste tests, both by her alone and with Addie Thomas, her best friend and designated guinea pig.

Number two is owned by Addie Thomas and Addie Thomas alone, but it's inhabited by not only Addie, but Winn Brooks and Clara Brown-Murphy. They each have their own room, Addie with her dance shoes hanging off her Tae Kwon Do belt holder that's surrounded by flowers and the centerpiece of a pristine room, Winn has a very neat, clean room, except for one corner that's covered in paper and pencils and paint and brushes and charcoal and any art tools he, or his parents, could get his, or their, hands on and Clara has a messily clean room, everything with a place and in its place, including her extensive collection of books sprawled across her floor and furniture, it just so happens that no one besides her can find anything.

Number three is owned by Lucy Carter's grandmother, but Lucy and her cousin, Adria, are staying in it during their gap year, with all the plans in the world to move out and either travel or go to college next year, but life has a funny way of changing plans. Like the rest of the Row Houses, there's three bedrooms on the second floor and one in the basement, but Adria and Lucy ended up sharing the master bedroom, anyways. It had the necessities, but the main decorations, the main spirit of the home, was in the kitchen. They weren't good at cooking, far from it actually. If Marianne and her culinary school, bakery-owning eyes ever saw one of their concoctions, she might just cry. Some of their concoctions made them cry. But some didn't. And those some were enough to keep trying, keep experimenting, keep staying up past midnight dancing in their underwear as they cook and bake and try to not burn the house down.

Number four is inhabited by Hetty, the police chief, her husband, Adam, the local doctor. Adam has a daughter and a son, Helaine and Elijah, from his first wife and Hetty has a daughter, Natalie, from her first husband. They lived in Ashwich their whole lives, but only moved to Bluebell Row when Hetty and Adam got married four years earlier. Elijah, the oldest at 22, has transformed the basement apartment to an attempt at a bachelor pad, but it ultimately failed and now he uses it to hide from Helaine and Natalie when they fight with each other or when they're actually getting along and decide to gang up on him. Hetty has her wooden sculptures decorating all the mantles, Adam has his decorative pillows covering every possible sitting surface, Elijah has his video games strewn across every floor, Helaine has her skateboard at the precisely worst spot at almost all times and Natalie has her collection of hair pins and scrunchies throughout the house, in every cushion and cabinet.

Number five is home to Elody Thomas, her boyfriend Jonas O'Sullivan, their five month and two week old baby Francesca and their beloved Spot the dog. Elody runs the local tea parlor so tea cups and pots and bags are in all the cabinets for practical reasons and around the living and family room as decoration. Jonas has one spot for his favorite DVD's, but besides that left everything else for Elody to decide and Francesca and Spot to destroy. By the time Francesca was three months old, and Spot almost three years, they had given up trying to tell the difference between dog and baby toys and just settled on not letting any of them go in the baby's mouth.

Number six is constantly occupied by Georgie Hermann and Fluffy the Bunny and occasionally occupied by Georgie's boyfriend, Conrad, who's often on the road due to his job at Purple Prime Trucking. Growing up in foster care with no constant home, Georgie finally found a home with Conrad, but quickly learned that you should never find a home in someone who can't have one. After many fights and accusations of Georgie cheating with her boss at Ashwick Wharf Law, Conrad surprised Georgie with not only a down payment on one of the Row Houses, but a promise to be there at least once a week and a bunny that will be there 24/7 for her. He was not, however, anticipating just how much of a mess a bunny can make when he made that particular purchase. Georgie's smile and knowing that she feels happy and content is enough for Conrad to part with his favorite pair of shoes and losing all hope of ever having any paper last more than five seconds in the house.

Number seven, much like number seven, has full-time and part-time residents. The full-time residents are Sadie Adams and her niece, Julia Adams. The part-time residents are Sadie's boyfriend, Axel, and his son, Lucas. Axel was another truck driver and Lucas lived with his mother most of the time, but recently decided to move in with his father for the school year. No one knows why, not even Lucas, but he wanted a change and this seemed like a good way to do it, even if he has to live with his father who he hates, his father's girlfriend who he hates by association, and his father's girlfriend's niece who got to be raised by his father when he didn't, which is also enough reason to hate her, at least in Lucas' opinion. Her incessant need to decorate the house with small and useless pillows didn't endear her to him in the least.

Number eight was previously unoccupied for several years, but just last week the Delgado family moved in. Mateo and Isabella are the parents who love their children more than anything. The oldest child is Maria, the oldest and only boy is Cristiano, the middle child is Astrid, the second youngest is Sofia and the very youngest is Valentina. The Delgado parents do their best to not favor any of their children and treat them all equally, but with Valentina being deaf, Maria being 27 and having no motivation or drive and Cristiano being the only boy, it's very hard to not leave Astrid and Sofia behind with less attention.

Number nine has the rest of the Thomas siblings, both Elody and Addie having moved out two and four years previously. Lucien is the oldest in the house but younger than Elody and Addie, and works as a computer programmer, making enough money to let Philippa, the next youngest, focus on college and not have to work. James, the next youngest, and the latest one to graduate college, was currently trying to find a way to tell his siblings he'll also be the latest to move out of the house and in with his boyfriend, Albert, made more difficult by Lucien being convinced that their lack of a sex life and plans to continue that absence negated their relationship being valid. Camille, the youngest and only one still in high school, was much more accepting of him and Albert, although she was far too busy being a senior and trying to find out what career she'd pursue after high school to get in the middle of his and Lucien's fights anymore. Still, they managed to add a little of themselves to their home, mainly with an abundance of posters and and wall hangings covering every wall in an effort to be the sibling with the most wall space.

Number ten, the Roberts, was the most conventionally decorated of the row houses. Jodie, the mother, is an interior decorator and refuses to have her house be anything less than the best. Jodie's husband, Nate, was a plumber who was perfectly fine with his wife taking over decorating as long as he got to keep his TV and watch games at least once a week. The children were all allowed to decorate their own rooms to their liking, which Albert, the oldest and James' boyfriend, used to his full advantage, picking decorations and furniture specifically chosen to piss off his mother, who did not take kindly to the fact that Albert not only came as asexual but also told the neighbors, seeing it as a personal insult to her and how hard she worked to build the perfect family. Molly, the middle child and ever her mother's little darling, struggled with both supporting her brother and not going against her mother. Jack, the youngest at only ten, was too young to fully understand why Albert would watch games with his dad and talk to him to no end but wouldn't say a word to his mother and was perfectly happy idolizing his brother without thinking about his mother at all.

Now number eleven was something different entirely. The rest of the row was, if not friends, friendly. But not number eleven. Number eleven was occupied by Gabrielle Smith, Edgar Martinez, Melitta Roy, Makenna Jenkins, Darlene and Noraly. No one ever asked Noraly or Darlene's last names, they were just the children of the Knockmore – the only house on the row with a name and so named because of the sign that was put up on the house long before the current residents moved in and will still be there long after they're gone. They went to a private school the next town over, rarely going into town themselves. The adults often went into town, always two or three of them at a time, never alone and never all four, and never saying more than they absolutely needed to. No one knew where they worked or what they did in the house, but it somehow seemed different than the rest of the houses, larger and more intimidating, even though it was as perfectly similar as the rest of them.

Number twelve was a much more welcoming place than number eleven, home to Emilie and Kenneth Wilson, married for 25 years and will be married for 25 more, as they're sure to tell you if you ask about how they met, at least until next year when they'll be married for 26 years and will be married for 26 more. No one knows why they always say that, except for their daughter, Andrea, a senior in high school and the only one with the knowledge that they started a bet when they were first married to always say how long they were married and say that they'll married for as many more whenever asked and whoever stops first has to dye their hair pink and, far worse, has to admit they lost. Their house is cluttered with knickknacks from different eras, Emilie being unable to resist a few trinkets every time she goes to an estate sale to get inventory for her antique store. Kenneth, a historian, and Andrea, who always feels out of place if everything is too new, both appreciate it every time something new shows up, seeing who can figure out what time period it is before the other.

Number thirteen, the most eclectically decorated of the row houses, a mixture of traditional and modern Korean décor as well as the occasional comic book trinket that Peter sneaked past his mother, belongs to the Park Family, who own and work at the local book store, Downtown Books. Jin-Hee, the father, bought it when he was just 19 years old, putting all of his savings into it. It was there he met Min-Jun, then his bookkeeper, now his bookkeeper, wife and mother of his three children. The youngest is Peter, a junior in high school and forever plagued that his name is Peter Park and not Peter Parker. The middle child and only girl is Esther, already graduated from getting an Associate's in Art and working at Downtown Books. The oldest, Daniel, both followed his father's footsteps and severely deviated from them. He met his one day wife, Jordan, at Downtown Books, instantly knowing that he would marry her as soon as he saw her, just like his father. However, his father, who had never touched a drop of alcohol, was far different than Daniel, who just got out of rehab less than a year ago. Jordan, not wanting to distract him from staying sober, refused to date him. She said when he was sober a year she would date him and he was planning on holding her to that, but just being her friend and coworker was enough for now. He could do without Peter and Esther's, and sometimes his father's, constant teasing and singing of Daniel and Jordan k-i-s-s-i-n-g, though.

Number fourteen is, like the Park home, very eclectic. Rosemary Miller and her daughter, Sarah, live there. It was a mixture of things they need, like Rosemary's wheelchair, and things they want, like the giant knitted blanket on the back of the couch that the two of them knitted together. It's nice and cozy and they're both so happy it made up for all the sneers and whispers Rosemary had to go through when she was pregnant with Sarah at just 18 and with no boyfriend or plans to get one. It made up for Rosemary finding out she has MS when Sarah was two years old and it made up for Sarah constantly being afraid of losing her mother. It made up for Sarah wanting to build her life around her mom's and it made up for Rosemary trying to convince her otherwise. It made up for the looks they got when Rosemary had to use her wheelchair and it made up for when Sarah was teased in school about it. It made up for Sarah getting into fights over the teasing and it made up for Rosemary coming down to the school to get into fights with teachers and principles. It made up for the hard life that they didn't deserve and it made them think it wasn't so bad afterall.

Number fifteen is inhabited by Jayne and Peter Brown-Murphy, mother and step father to Clara Brown-Murphy, as well as Jayne and Peter's twin daughters, Delilah and Natalia, currently 13 and in their final year of middle school and about as different in personality as they are similar in appearance, and twin sons, Elijah and Aiden, both currently 5 and about as similar in personality as they are different in appearance. Despite Clara moving out four months ago, her clothes and books still clutter the house, something new being left or picked up or both almost every time she comes over, which is still at least once a day. Peter's job as a lawyer has affected his style only in the sense that he's as bad with keeping his books in one place as his step daughter, which is fine with Jayne who could never decide on just one style so decorated with all of them, Peter and the children more than happy to deal with a little clashing as long as Jayne kept smiling and cooking their meals, both of which made all of their hearts melt.

That is, currently, all of the residents of Bluebell Row. Not all of their secrets or stories or past, all of which would take much longer to go through, although no doubt would be worth the time to read it all.

What do you think? Any constructive criticism or comments are very much appreciated!

Tag list: @drowsy-quill, @cjjameswriting, @katabasiss, @essenceofsunset .

[dressbank75-blog]

From Super Bowl to World Cup, Julie and Zach Ertz stay connected

PHILADELPHIA -- Julie Ertz said she was scared to do the math.

Sitting next to her husband, Zach Ertz, on Thursday at the Philadelphia International Airport, about to head off on the next leg of their whirlwind tour, she was asked how often the couple is together during the course of a calendar year.

"Not as much as obviously I want to," she finally said, "but probably way less than half the year that I get to see him in person.

"I jokingly say I have a relationship on my phone because we probably FaceTime more than I actually see him."

It made the past month all the sweeter.

Rare are the times that Zach and Julie Ertz's schedules align, but that's exactly how it played out for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

On having husband Zach in attendance at the World Cup, Julie Ertz said: "It was a tournament that was very special in my heart for that reason." Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up minicamp on June 13. Zach, their star tight end, took a red-eye to Paris the next day and got there in time to see Julie score her first World Cup goal in a win against Chile.

After slapping hands with her teammates, Julie found Zach in the stands and blew kisses up to him. Not anything planned, she said, but something that just felt right.

"I was so pumped," Zach said. "I thought she was going to get one. I was joking with her, 'I flew all this way, I better see a goal.' And needless to say, she didn't let me down, as always."

• Biggest training camp storylines • Tomlin pours back into his hometown • Lamar enters summer of scrutiny • Trade for Melvin Gordon unlikely? • NFL's best young players

Zach, 28, and Julie, 27, have taken their respective sports by storm. Zach is coming off a monster season for the Eagles in which he set an NFL record for most catches by a tight end with 116. The season prior, he caught the deciding touchdown in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, helping deliver the first Lombardi trophy to Philadelphia. Still, he is playing catch-up to Julie, the standout midfielder and 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year who now has a pair of World Cup trophies on the mantle.

Climbing to the top of your profession takes sacrifice. In the Ertzes' case, part of the sacrifice is time spent with each other.

They live in different cities for most of the year: Zach in Philadelphia and Julie in Chicago to play for the Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League. Julie had been away since April. Zach squeezed in trips to Chicago in between organized team activities this spring in order to see his bride of two years.

"When her season is in, she's the one that kind of takes the priority and I travel to her a little bit more; and when I'm in season, it's kind of the opposite," Zach said. "Sometimes, I have to sacrifice kind of how my body feels and go jump on a plane and go see Julie on a weekend because that's what it takes for our marriage to be successful and for her to be OK and me be OK. The marriage is the most important thing that we have, not the sports, so whatever it takes for us to be happy and successful as a married couple takes precedence."

On having Zach in attendance at the World Cup, Julie said: "It was huge for me. Obviously, there's such a mental side to a tournament, it's a long tournament, we were there for like 45 days, so just being able to get my mind off soccer for a little bit, just that perspective and his support I feel like allowed me to refresh myself in between the games. It was a tournament that was very special in my heart for that reason."

Zach sported a patriotic jersey that read "Mr. Ertz" on the back during the games, enjoying the switch from a starring role to a supporting one.

"There's never been a [thought] in my mind where I'm like, 'Man, I should be the one that people are asking for pictures; I'm a pretty good player, too.' When people go up to Julie and go, 'Hey, can I get a picture with you?' it's the opposite, it's like, 'Hey, OK, do you need me to take the picture for you?' I have no issue doing that," Zach said. "I'm just excited to be her husband, and I think she's excited to be my wife, and we care about each other so much more than just athletes; we care about each other fully as people. And if she loves playing soccer and I truly love her, I'm going to be happy when she experiences success and just encourage her along the way."

They met at a baseball game when Zach was a junior at Stanford and Julie a sophomore at Santa Clara. When they first started talking, Zach said, they didn't even know that the other was involved in sports, and they built a foundation that wasn't dependent on their athletic pursuits. But athletics have been a central, undeniable part of their story. Both say they have benefited from having a partner who understands the commitment that it takes to play at the highest level, as well as the emotional support needed for the inevitable crashes along the way.

"When her season is in, she's the one that kind of takes the priority and I travel to her a little bit more," said Zach Ertz of his wife, Julie, the standout midfielder and 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. David Niviere/Abaca/Sipa USA/AP Photo

They've also benefited from some solid advice given to them by friends at their wedding shower prior to their nuptials in March 2017.

"They said, 'You know, a lot of people think a marriage is 50-50, but sometimes it can be 90-10,'" Julie said. "And for us, we've learned that whoever needs more time or needs more of the attention at the time, gets it. So whatever that is, wherever it is or whenever it is, we make sure our marriage comes first.

"We just make sure that we're there for each other."

The couple took off from the Philadelphia airport on Thursday bound for California for the Ertz Family Foundation golf tournament to raise money for their charity, which gives back to their communities by providing opportunities in sports and education. Zach has since returned to Philly in advance of training camp, and Julie is bound for Chicago, where she'll be busy with the ongoing NWSL season and promoting her new book, titled "Chase Your Dreams." The fact that both are doing just that helps make the lengthy time apart more bearable, they said, as do their faith and the understanding that all of this moving around will slow down before long.

"That's like Zach's go-to quote every time we are having a really, really hard time being away," Julie said. "He says: 'Short season of our lives.'"

Source: https://www.espn.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/27733/from-super-bowl-to-world-cup-julie-and-zach-ertz-stay-connected

[windweek5-blog]

From Super Bowl to World Cup, Julie and Zach Ertz stay connected

PHILADELPHIA -- Julie Ertz said she was scared to do the math.

Sitting next to her husband, Zach Ertz, on Thursday at the Philadelphia International Airport, about to head off on the next leg of their whirlwind tour, she was asked how often the couple is together during the course of a calendar year.

"Not as much as obviously I want to," she finally said, "but probably way less than half the year that I get to see him in person.

"I jokingly say I have a relationship on my phone because we probably FaceTime more than I actually see him."

It made the past month all the sweeter.

Rare are the times that Zach and Julie Ertz's schedules align, but that's exactly how it played out for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

On having husband Zach in attendance at the World Cup, Julie Ertz said: "It was a tournament that was very special in my heart for that reason." Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up minicamp on June 13. Zach, their star tight end, took a red-eye to Paris the next day and got there in time to see Julie score her first World Cup goal in a win against Chile.

After slapping hands with her teammates, Julie found Zach in the stands and blew kisses up to him. Not anything planned, she said, but something that just felt right.

"I was so pumped," Zach said. "I thought she was going to get one. I was joking with her, 'I flew all this way, I better see a goal.' And needless to say, she didn't let me down, as always."

• Biggest training camp storylines • Tomlin pours back into his hometown • Lamar enters summer of scrutiny • Trade for Melvin Gordon unlikely? • NFL's best young players

Zach, 28, and Julie, 27, have taken their respective sports by storm. Zach is coming off a monster season for the Eagles in which he set an NFL record for most catches by a tight end with 116. The season prior, he caught the deciding touchdown in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, helping deliver the first Lombardi trophy to Philadelphia. Still, he is playing catch-up to Julie, the standout midfielder and 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year who now has a pair of World Cup trophies on the mantle.

Climbing to the top of your profession takes sacrifice. In the Ertzes' case, part of the sacrifice is time spent with each other.

They live in different cities for most of the year: Zach in Philadelphia and Julie in Chicago to play for the Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League. Julie had been away since April. Zach squeezed in trips to Chicago in between organized team activities this spring in order to see his bride of two years.

"When her season is in, she's the one that kind of takes the priority and I travel to her a little bit more; and when I'm in season, it's kind of the opposite," Zach said. "Sometimes, I have to sacrifice kind of how my body feels and go jump on a plane and go see Julie on a weekend because that's what it takes for our marriage to be successful and for her to be OK and me be OK. The marriage is the most important thing that we have, not the sports, so whatever it takes for us to be happy and successful as a married couple takes precedence."

On having Zach in attendance at the World Cup, Julie said: "It was huge for me. Obviously, there's such a mental side to a tournament, it's a long tournament, we were there for like 45 days, so just being able to get my mind off soccer for a little bit, just that perspective and his support I feel like allowed me to refresh myself in between the games. It was a tournament that was very special in my heart for that reason."

Zach sported a patriotic jersey that read "Mr. Ertz" on the back during the games, enjoying the switch from a starring role to a supporting one.

"There's never been a [thought] in my mind where I'm like, 'Man, I should be the one that people are asking for pictures; I'm a pretty good player, too.' When people go up to Julie and go, 'Hey, can I get a picture with you?' it's the opposite, it's like, 'Hey, OK, do you need me to take the picture for you?' I have no issue doing that," Zach said. "I'm just excited to be her husband, and I think she's excited to be my wife, and we care about each other so much more than just athletes; we care about each other fully as people. And if she loves playing soccer and I truly love her, I'm going to be happy when she experiences success and just encourage her along the way."

They met at a baseball game when Zach was a junior at Stanford and Julie a sophomore at Santa Clara. When they first started talking, Zach said, they didn't even know that the other was involved in sports, and they built a foundation that wasn't dependent on their athletic pursuits. But athletics have been a central, undeniable part of their story. Both say they have benefited from having a partner who understands the commitment that it takes to play at the highest level, as well as the emotional support needed for the inevitable crashes along the way.

"When her season is in, she's the one that kind of takes the priority and I travel to her a little bit more," said Zach Ertz of his wife, Julie, the standout midfielder and 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. David Niviere/Abaca/Sipa USA/AP Photo

They've also benefited from some solid advice given to them by friends at their wedding shower prior to their nuptials in March 2017.

"They said, 'You know, a lot of people think a marriage is 50-50, but sometimes it can be 90-10,'" Julie said. "And for us, we've learned that whoever needs more time or needs more of the attention at the time, gets it. So whatever that is, wherever it is or whenever it is, we make sure our marriage comes first.

"We just make sure that we're there for each other."

The couple took off from the Philadelphia airport on Thursday bound for California for the Ertz Family Foundation golf tournament to raise money for their charity, which gives back to their communities by providing opportunities in sports and education. Zach has since returned to Philly in advance of training camp, and Julie is bound for Chicago, where she'll be busy with the ongoing NWSL season and promoting her new book, titled "Chase Your Dreams." The fact that both are doing just that helps make the lengthy time apart more bearable, they said, as do their faith and the understanding that all of this moving around will slow down before long.

"That's like Zach's go-to quote every time we are having a really, really hard time being away," Julie said. "He says: 'Short season of our lives.'"

Source: https://www.espn.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/27733/from-super-bowl-to-world-cup-julie-and-zach-ertz-stay-connected