#char: holly robinson

[tempetejovienne]

2, 3, 13 & 17 😘📚

thanks!

2: Did you reread anything? What?

im not sure actually! hmmm i've read the french translation of kingdom of copper by s.a. Chakrarborty for the first time, but i read the original version some years ago. Also i'm in the process of rereading RAVE by Hiro Mashima, because it's getting a reprint

3: What were your top five books of the year?

In no particular order! (actually, in reverse chronological order in which i've read them) novel edition:

The library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins, a very weird book involving very weird characters. i read a french translation which i actually wasn't a fan of, so i think i'll read the original version one day!

The square of sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, this might acutally be my favourite read of the year. Historical mystery about a fortune teller looking for her birth family.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, ex lovers on a European road trip, will make you crave brunch like you life depends on it

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley, she's my fav author i can't not put it in the list. identity politics on mars, linguistics, and mammoths.

The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges, a classic short stories collection about... immortality and infinity and language and knowledge? i read a French translation which was really good. Loved the themes loved the words.

maybe i'll do a comics version later

13: What were your least favorite books of the year?

this is where i'm grateful for my journal because i completely forget the things i don't like. Again, just novels:

The folk of the air trilogy by Holly Black (no more YA in 2025), All our hidden gifts by Caroline O'DOnoghue (no! more! YA! in 2025!!), Ariah by BR Sanders (very boring), Total creative control by Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm (so forgettable i don't even remember what it's about) aaand that's it.

17: Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Maybe the Square of Sevens! i picked it kinda at random at the library, had a really tough time getting through it because i read it when i was very sick, and also it's long and a lot of things happen, but the last 70 pages are so good. sooo so good. plot twist after plot twist. delicious.

Also A study in drowning by Ava Reid, the only YA book i've read this year i've actually enjoyed.

send more! or maybe i'll respond to all of them anyway just for fun

[pyroreadscomics]

All that Matters

Summary: The fight is over. The villains are dead. Now all that remains is for Selina to finish rescuing her friends and escape the burning penthouse. A missing scene from Catwoman: Volume 3 Issue 16. However can be read on it's own if you just want some angsty Selina vibes. Fandom: Catwoman (comics) Pairing: Gen, Selina Kyle & Maggie Kyle, Selina Kyle & Holly Robinson Theme: Angst Word Count: 1.1k Warning(s): Takes place in the immediate aftermath of: Torture, Violence, and multiple minor character deaths. Note: For Batober Day 1: Alive

"...Better get out of here..." Holly said softly, slowly collapsing onto the floor. The gun slipping out of her fingers. "Cops'll be here soon..."

She was right. The response might be slow, too many cops in Black Mask's pockets giving their boss time to clean up, but the explosion Selina had caused couldn't be ignored. Selina nodded and pulled Holly up so that Holly was using her as a crutch. Selina paused for a second before picking up the gun and tucking it away. Holly had already been through so much; she didn't need to be hunted for murder as well.

Around them Black Mask’s penthouse was blazing. The lounge, which must have been his main meeting room, was little more than ash and ash to-be. The hallway beyond, previously covered in dozens of antique masks, was now barren of all but soot. And beyond that...

"Come on Holly," Selina said, taking one step forward, "We have to get Maggie." Selina felt Holly nod and take her own step forward.

Selina manoeuvred the pair of them through the still burning penthouse. Picking their way through the few unburnt areas at a pace that felt like an eternity, even though it could have only been a minute or two. Selina wanted to run, wanted to flee, wanted to leap off the balcony and land on a roof below and get the fuck out of here. Instead, she trudged slowly with Holly leaning on her shoulder, stepping into the fire with every other step so that her boots and her costume would take the damage rather than Holly. She wouldn't leave Holly behind, and she couldn't leave Maggie.

It was a bitter piece of luck that Black Mask's torture chamber was fireproof. The door was charred, but the brick walls and floors were undamaged though uncomfortably warm in places. Maggie was still huddled in the corner where she'd been where the bomb went off. For a second that pulled at Selina's gut she thought the haggard woman was dead, but Maggie was trembling and shaking in a way that Simon, still strapped to that... thing, had long since stopped doing. She was still alive.

Selina carried Holly into the room and helped her lean against wall away from the fire before approaching Maggie carefully

"Maggie? Sis? It's me, Selina." No reaction. Maggie remained huddled and shaking. "Sis? Do you hear me? The building's on fire. We need to go." Still nothing.

Selina came face to face with Maggie. She was gaunt. Her cheeks were hollow, and lacking in colour. Even the blood, stained around her mouth, wasn't as red as Selina thought it should be.

It had only been a day. Maggie had only been missing for a day.

"Maggie do you...."

There was nothing there. No recognition, no eyes turning to a source of movement, no spark of life. Were it not for the breathing, and the shaking, Selina could be looking at a corpse. She knew she wasn’t but still pressed her fingers against her sister's neck. Maggie was just looking blankly into the middle distance, staring at nothing.... nothing except...

Selina glanced behind her.

Maggie was staring at nothing except the mutilated body of her husband.

Selina turned Maggie's head so that she was staring directly at her. "Sis, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but we need to go." She shook her gently, and then more firmly. Maggie's head lolled form side to side, eyes becoming even more unfocused now that she wasn't looking at anything.

"Selina..." Holly groaned weakly, "The cops..."

She nodded and shook her sister one last time.

"Maggie please,” she begged. “Come back to me." Her eyes cast around for anything that could help. The knocked over brazier. The torture implements. Her mask.

Selina's hand reached out and grabbed it, shoving it on her head. She needed to see the world through yellow eyes. She needed to be strong.

"Holly, can you walk by yourself?" She said strapping the mask in place. Holly pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps forward before collapsing onto one knee with a hiss of pain.

"Kinda...?" Holly offered.

"No," said Catwoman. She turned and picked up Maggie and carried her to the corner of the room farthest away from the door. "You can't walk out of this penthouse in that state." She angled Maggie's face so that she couldn't see Simon's body even out of the corner of her eye. "Maggie's safe here." She turned and walked back to Holly and lifted her back up.

"But what if the cops..." Holly protested.

"The first people to find her won't be the cops, it'll be firefighters. Then she'll be handed off to paramedics." Catwoman started walking towards the door, Holly almost dragged along. "By the time a cop would be able to isolate her, you'll be safe, and I'll be able to watch over her." She paused in the doorway and looked back at Maggie. She hadn't moved an inch. "I can't carry two of you. This is the best option."

"I'm sorry, sis," Selina said quietly, and closed the charred door, to block out as much smoke and heat as possible.

Catwoman couldn't run, not with Holly limping and using her as a crutch, but she tried her best. Through the rest of the burning penthouse, down the stairs, and out the lobby of the hotel just as the first fire trucks rounded a corner. Catwoman turned to shield Holly from view. Catwoman could be connected to the death of Black Mask, but Holly needed the safety of anonymity.

Black Mask... his body must be on the other side of the building, flattened like pizza. He'd fallen during her attempt to rescue her sister. He'd been firing at her, and she'd protected herself, and he’d ended up falling. It'd be good enough for Batman, even if he knew that Selina would have killed him properly if given the chance.

Quickly, she pulled Holly into an alley. Karon. She needed to get to Karon. She would look after Holly while Catwoman kept an eye on Maggie. Through her shoulder she could begin to feel Holly shake too. Shock finally setting it.

Her two dearest friends, both shaking in her grasp.

Selina wanted to kill Black Mask all over again.

It didn't matter. Black Mask was dead. Sylvia was dead. His men were dead. But She was alive, Holly was alive, and her sister was alive.

They were alive, and right now, nothing else mattered.

[onecountrycom-blog]

Celebrities Respond to the Passing of Charlotte Rae (A.K.A. Mrs. Garrett)

When news spread of Charlotte Rae's passing, celebrities hit the social media outlet to share their grief and fond memories of the 92-year-old. Charlotte Rae is best known for her role as Mrs. Edna Garrett on "The Facts of Life," where she brought wisdom, kindness and generosity to a generation of kids. The role originated on "Different Strokes," where she was housekeeper for Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain) and his children Kimberly (Dana Plato), Willis (Todd Bridges) and Arnold (Gary Coleman). Cast members of "Facts of Life," Lisa Welchel (Blair), Kim Fields (Tootie), Mindy Cohn (Natalie) along with many other celebrities, including the only living cast member of "Different Strokes," Todd Bridges, spoke out about the women who shaped a generation as Mrs. Garrett.

Kim Fields

"You all already know my heart is heavy yet.... sorry, no words at the moment just love and tears... and yeah, smiles.... #charlotterae #ripcharlotterae."

Lisa Welchel

"Thank you, Charlotte, for 40 years of friendship and love. You will be missed.

"

Mindy Cohn

"it’s with a heavy heart & lots of tears (but a smile as i think of her) that I now move through the world without this incredible force of a woman being in it. she was my champion, a teacher, a proud example of the tenacity and perseverance needed to live an actor’s life. i love you char. i will continue to make you proud. and, as I send sympathies to larry and the rest of the family, I wish you the happiest of homecomings. #ripcharlotterae 💔"

Todd Bridges

"Different Strokes would not have been the same without you #CharlotteRae. You were loved by everyone on our show and you were loved by everyone on the facts of life will miss you "My heart is full of Pain" Rest in peace my friend."

Audra McDonald

"She was so sweet, funny, wise, lovely, and brilliant. She will be so missed. Rest In Peace Sweet Charlotte Rae."

Holly Robinson Peete

"Love this recent pic of my mom and Charlotte Rae who just passed away at 92

...what a beautiful woman who lived a robust and amazing life. Tremendous talent. I am so proud to have met her. Rest In Peace."

Gilbert Godfried

"RIP former Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast guest Charlotte Rae."

Robin Strasser

"the great actress & humanitarian #CharlotteRae has passed...She made generous contributions in her professional & personal life-You could feel her appetite & enjoyment of life!"

Larry Wilmore

"Saddened to hear about Charlotte Rae's passing. My first tv gig a millennium of moons ago was on The Facts of Life. She was just the best and nicest lady. I look like I'm twelve playing a cop. RIP Ms. Rae."   Read the full article

[bethica1214-blog]

Up North - Peaceful Valley

     After several summers spent at Higgins Lake, Mother and Daddy sold that property and bought a summer home outside of Acme, Michigan, on the eastern arm of Grand Traverse Bay. The house had once been part of a summer resort called Peaceful Valley, which had a number of such buildings clustered together. The building we moved into stood by itself. It had a garage, three bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a large living room. We couldn’t really see the water from anywhere in the house, because it was set back quite a way from the cliff that overlooked the beach and bay. I don’t remember how many steps we had to climb down or up, but it was quite a few. Each spring, after the winter storms, we had to repair several steps. We also gathered massive mats of pine needles to spread on the long driveway to keep the dust down.

     I remember standing at the top of the stairs to the beach and being right at the same level as the Coast Guard helicopters that patrolled that part of the bay. Since Grand Traverse Bay was part of Lake Michigan, the Coast Guard watched for trouble and helped in emergencies. We would wave at the pilots, who always waved back.

     The people who owned the resort had a daughter who was somewhere near Doug and me in age, and when she wasn’t helping her parents run the resort, she would join us on the beach for swimming and hunting for Petoskey stones. Sometimes there would be families staying there who also had kids our age, and we would splash and scream happily – sometimes too happily, and certainly too loudly. I had a scream that could be heard across the bay (according to Mother). But we spent many happy days in that cottage, and because we were playing with children from the resort, we had a lot more beachfront to roam. The resort had paddle boards, and we loved paddling around the man-made inlets. Cinnamon would sometimes jump aboard, but he was happier swimming than riding the wobbly board.

     Anne and Holly shared a room at one end of the house, and that was also where the television was. So if there was some program Mother and Daddy wanted to watch, Anne and Holly had to stay up until the show was over. Doug had his own bedroom, which he shared with Pim or Eric, when they were living with us. My “room” was actually a hallway next to Mother and Daddy’s master bedroom. I had to share a closet and dresser, I think, with Doug. There was an outside door from my “room” to the front porch, but it was kept locked and served only as my window. But the room was scarcely private: Mother and Daddy had to go through on their way to or from their bedroom.

     The beach was a perfect place to find Petoskey stones. These stones are fossilized colony creatures, like coral, which form a rock with hexagonal markings, and after centuries of rolling around on the bottom of the lake, they end up on the shore (mainly the northeast shores of Lake Michigan). Local artisans cut and polish these stones to make jewelry and bric-a-brac. We collected them to give to out-of-state visitors, as the stone has been designated the State Stone of Michigan and so represented something unique to the area.

     One of the most fascinating qualities of these stones, at least to me, is that they lie there on the sand looking like almost any other rock. In fact, there were always more interesting-looking rocks, which we also collected. The Petoskey stone must be placed in the water for its markings to become clear. We would shout triumphantly when we had correctly chosen a Petoskey stone and proven that it was what we had thought it was.

     We occasionally gathered driftwood and built a big fire on the beach in the evening. Neighbors would join us, bringing hot dogs and marshmallows, and we would have an informal cookout. I still like my hot dogs a little charred on the outside, though I’m just has happy when there is no sand on the outside from dropping it. The long summer twilights also made long walks along the beach a very pleasurable experience. Doug and I would skip stones into the water as we walked along, and Cinnamon would run ahead and then come trotting back to us, very pleased with the whole expedition.

One of my favorite daytime activities was walking to the Acme Post Office, about a mile away. The road from the wide-open resort area to the little village was kind of a tunnel of overarching tree branches, cool and inviting. Our mail was always General Delivery because we weren’t permanent residents, and we felt important asking for “any mail for Robinson.”

     Since we were now closer to a city which boasted a Christian Science Church, we went to church every Sunday. I remember one of my Sunday School teachers was Helen Milliken. Several years later, when I met William Milliken, who was running for Governor of Michigan at the time, I said, “Oh, yes. Your mother was my Sunday School teacher!” There was an awkward silence, and then Mother said, “I think she must mean your wife.” Well, Mrs. Milliken had lovely silver hair, and William looked very young. At my age, I think I can be forgiven for that slip.

     One of the logistical decisions when we moved to Peaceful Valley was where to put Salt and Pepper, the two cats. Mother and Daddy solved this by purchasing a cage from the friends on Higgins Lake who raised chinchillas. This cage was plenty big enough for the two cats to have room to bounce around a little, and it kept them safe on the porch at night, especially if covered by a rug. Mother just didn’t want cats roaming around the house, and there were doors only on the bedrooms (except mine) and bathrooms.

     One visitor I especially remember was a young lady who had, with her family, escaped from East Berlin just after the Berlin Wall had been built. She could speak English a little, but not much, and she could read very little English. Since I was a voracious reader, Mother suggested that I might like to teach this girl to read English. She was only with us for a short time, but I really enjoyed being “teacher” for a short time. She was a very fast learner, and she was also very appreciative of the time I spent with her. She was also the first person I had ever met who had pierced ears. It was a little weird to me to see her poke the stud of the earring through her ear; I didn’t realize there was a hole there for the purpose, and it no longer hurt.

     One summer Holly went to Interlochen Music Camp, which was not far from Traverse City. She would come to visit us on weekends, and we went to the camp several times to attend concerts and productions Holly took part in. one weekend, Mother decided to give Holly a perm, but started too late. The part of the perm that stops the chemical reaction didn’t have time to do its work fully, and Holly had to go back to camp with hair a lot curlier than intended.

     The town of Acme had a drive-in theater, and we would sometimes all pile into the station wagon and go to the movie. I remember seeing “Gone With the Wind” and “Ben Hur” at that theater. Mother would make popcorn before we left home, and pack a bag with popcorn, apples, and bottles of Vernor’s. We younger kids would put on our pajamas so we could go right to bed when we got home.

     Acme was closer to Petoskey and that wonderful Games Imported store, and we also drove on other explorations. When the nuclear power plant was opened, we went there for a tour and a series of lectures. We also crossed the Mackinac Bridge a few times to visit the Upper Peninsula. Some of our family’s friends had a summer home on Lake Superior, and we visited them. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to have a summer home on a lake that was so cold! Swimming would not be much fun there.

     Peaceful Valley was our summer home into my early teens. Doug and I were both old enough to be allowed to be on our own (and trusted to stay within certain boundaries), and the times were such that Mother and Daddy felt confident to leave us on our own with no fears for our safety. We happily played most of the day away outside either in the woods or at the beach. One thing I never thought about at the time was, what was Mother doing all that time when she was alone in that house? I’m sure she found something to occupy her time.

Petoskey Stone