#crown jewels easter special

[joao-gomes-blog]

The Rock Crystal Egg or Revolving Miniatures Egg is an Imperial Fabergé egg, one in a series of fifty-two jeweled eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family. It was created in 1896 for Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. The egg currently resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.The egg was created by Faberge's workmaster, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (Russian, 1860–1903) with miniatures by Johannes Zehngraf (Danish, 1857–1908)[2] It stands about 248 mm (9 3/4 in) tall on its stand, with a diameter of 98 mm (3 7/8 in.)[3] The outer shell is rock crystal banded with emerald-green enameled gold studded with diamonds. On the apex of the egg is a 27-carat (5.4 g) Siberian emerald supported by an emerald-green enameled gold mount. This cabochon-style emerald is one of the largest gemstones Fabergé used in any of the Imperial eggs.[4] The egg's base sits on a plinth of rock crystal. The base consists of a colorfully enameled gold double spheroid which is circled twice with rose-cut diamonds. It has the monograms of the Tsarina, as the Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt before her marriage, and later as Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress of Russia. Each monogram is surmounted with a diamond crown of the respective royal house.[4] These monograms form a continuous pattern around the base of the egg.Inside the rock crystal egg is a gold support holding twelve miniature paintings. The paintings are of the various palaces and residences that were significant to the Empress. Each location holds a special memory for Nicholas and Alexandra in the early days of their courtship, as they had just been married two years prior, in 1894.

When the large cabochon emerald on the apex is depressed it engages a mechanism that rotates the miniatures inside the egg. A hook moves down and folds the framed pictures back, like the pages of a book, so two paintings can be fully seen at one time.[1] Each miniature is framed in gold with an emerald on the apex. The frames are attached to a central fluted gold shaft which passes vertically through the egg.[4]

The locations include:

The Neues Palais, Darmstadt, Germany: Palace where the Empress was born.

Kranichstein, Hesse: A favorite summer residence of the Empress' youth.

Balmoral Castle, Scotland: Childhood holiday destination of Alexandra's grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Old Grand Ducal Palace (Altes Palais), Darmstadt: Official seat of Alexandra's father, Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse.

Wolfsgarten, Hesse: Hunting lodge Alexandra's family visited as a child.

Windsor Castle, near London, England: A residence of Queen Victoria where Alexandra visited as a child.

Palace Church, Coburg: Site where Alexandra first consented to marry Nicholas.

Schloss Rosenau, Coburg: A site Nicholas and Alexandra visited the day after their engagement.

Osborne House, Isle of Wight: Site of Nicholas' visit to see Alexandra while they were engaged.

The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg: The site of Nicholas and Alexandra's wedding.

Anichkov Palace, St. Petersburg: Residence of Maria Feodorovna, where Alexandra spent her first year in Russia.

The Alexander Palace, Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg: the Imperial family's favorite winter residence.The egg was presented by Nicholas II to Alexandra Fedorovna on March 24, 1896. She received it at Eastertide in the same year that the young couple had suddenly ascended the throne.[1]

In 1909 the egg was housed in the Empress' study in the Winter Palace. The egg was seized by the Kerensky Provisional Government and moved to the Armory Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow along with approximately 40 other eggs. In 1930, the Rock Crystal Egg was one of the ten Eggs sold by the Antikvariat (Trade Department) to the Hammer Galleries in New York for 8000 rubles, or approximately $4000 U.S. In 1945 the egg became the last of five Imperial Easter Eggs bought by Lillian Thomas Pratt, the wife of a General Motors executive John Lee Pratt. Upon Lillian Thomas Pratt's death in 1947, the egg was willed to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia. It remains on view as part of the Virginia Museum of Fine Art's European Decorative Art collection

[papermoonloveslucy]

HATS! ~ Part 4

Miscellaneous Millinery

Outside of her four television series, Lucille Ball had a career as a model and a movie star - in both worlds hats were an integral part of the overall look.  She also did numerous TV specials where her head was adorned. 

Lucille Ball’s modeling career started at Hattie Carnegie, a salon where she worked as a hat model.

A few of Ball’s iconic hats are displayed at the Lucy-Desi Museum in Jamestown, New York. 

In a 1950 print ad for Carling’s Red Cap Ale, Lucy wore two hats: a red satin jockey’s cap (the sponsor’s symbol), and a mortar board. 

“Lucille Ball, too, has graduated to Carling’s - the light-hearted ale!”

In 1938, Lucy modeled ladies' hats based on characters from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Needless to say, she looked “charming”. 

Lucy’s got it in the bag!  

In 1937 Lucille Ball was seen modeling a Coronation Hat. The coronation of King George VI would take place at Westminster Abbey, London, on May 12, 1937. Ball did not attend, but as a young model, was widely seen in this Associated Press photo. As an interesting sidenote, more people watched the birth of Little Ricky on “I Love Lucy” than the televised Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, where Elizabeth receive the ultimate in hats - the jeweled St. Edward’s Crown.

On March 26, 1961, Lucille Ball appeared on the cover of Family Weekly, a Sunday supplement to newspapers to model Easter hats.  

The inside article by Margaret Bell was titled “Lucy Loves Easter Hats” and featured Lucy and her daughter, Lucie Arnaz, trying on various bonnets.

On Lucy Day at the 1964 World’s Fair, Lucy was accompanied by the world’s most famous hat-wearing gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper. Not to be undone, Lucy wore a blue straw hat to tour the grounds. 

In the International area, the People’s Republic of China adorned Lucy with a traditional pearl headdress.  At the Hawaiian Pavilion, another hat for Lucy - this one woven from palm leaves. 

LUCY ~ A HEAD FOR FASHION

LUCY ~ A HEAD FOR MOVIES

LUCY ~ TV’S HEAD OF DISTINCTION

[ileftherbackhome]

Okay I'm ready to talk about it a little but the fact that she chose to write eyes open for the hunger games when it is so very clearly about her own experience with fame makes me think a lot of thoughts but mostly how she's painted 2016 as a war, a battle, a fight, etc etc in her work in particular with long story short. I fully believe long story short is a sequel to eyes open because it's honestly kind of scary how perfectly the themes of everlark as a relationship line up with the themes of swiftwyn as a relationship.

Okay, if you consider fame as a type of hunger games (a capitalistic system meant to exploit the labor and lives of literal children, taylor a literal child star need I say more) then it honestly makes perfect sense why she would decide to place special attention on these two songs because she could have easily switched babe/better man with eyes open/safe & sound (or any of the red vault tracks) but she chose these two hunger games songs to highlight and place in an obvious Easter Egg. She wants us to draw parallels between the hunger games and her life because she wants us to talk about how exploitative the entertainment industry is to children, but I think it's very interesting the order in which she released them (eyes open, safe and sound, then if this was a movie, then all of the girls you loved before) and I think that's a statement on how much better it got for her once she left the industry, because she loved reputation era so much and it's very evident.

She learned how to put up boundaries but most importantly, she learned how to believe in her own reality again. The most important theme in mockingjay is awareness, being aware of your own reality, being aware of what is real or not real, and being able to live in peace with someone you trust wholeheartedly to be able to help you make that very important distinction because it is the very fundamental basis of our sanity, the ability to prove to ourselves that we exist and not only do we exist, but our happiness and our emotions matter. They deserve to take up actual space in reality, and we deserve to make a space in our reality where we can live in peace and solitude- no matter what we've done or who we had to become in order to survive. No matter what lies we told or who we hurt in our quest for peace, we deserve to get that peace at the end of the day because we exist and we are real and we matter.

Children matter, our lives, our trauma, the things we experience matter and Taylor probably really enjoyed the hunger games because it made her feelings of depersonalization feel validated, because she probably really relates to katniss, the girl on fire, and how she's seen as the crown jewel but she doesn't feel like a jewel. She feels like a pawn, she feels used and dirty all the time and she doesn't know why (you don't feel pretty, you just feel used... fuck) and so that's probably why she decided to write those songs for the soundtrack to begin with, and the fact that they're so haunting and heartbreaking to listen to really showcases how not okay she was during red era but how good she was at hiding it.

And then the best part of the hunger games was always everlark, peeta was a man who loved katniss beyond all else and who spent his entire life making sure she stayed grounded to reality, making sure she had someone besides her to work through her trauma of being in the hunger games and who tried every day to make her existence as peaceful as possible. They were different in just the right amounts, the way joe comes off quiet, private and reserved and taylor is the social butterfly fits perfectly with how she probably feels like Joe is her peeta, like he's the only person in the world who is able to truly see the real taylor- who knows who she really is, even when the trauma of the fame/the lies of the industry are telling her otherwise, he's there to make her feel safe and loved and protected from the fire outside her window.

And long story short is literally the mockingjay epilogue, where Taylor says hey look bad shit happened, I was traumatized but I was able to find a rare comet in the sky while I was being exploited by the media so it worked out in the end but the trauma is real and it will never go away, I have to live with this forever so do you think it was worth putting me through all of that which is exactly what Suzanne Collins wants us to ask about the capitalistic society we live in today... okay, we have our phones and our electricity and our clothes but is it worth the lifelong trauma we inflict on real children every fucking day?

[parksaversnews]

A First Look at Disneyland's Pixar Pier Hotel: Walkthrough Video!

The Disneyland Resort is buzzing with excitement as the highly anticipated Pixar Pier Hotel is set to open on January 30th, 2024. This marks the completion of the extensive refurbishment and reimagining of the former Paradise Pier Hotel into the first ever fully Pixar-themed hotel in the United States. In this article, we will provide an overview (and video) of the Pixar Pier Hotel and details on all the major refurbishments and upgrades. From the whimsical new lobby to the imaginative guest rooms, dining options and amenities, the Pixar Pier Hotel promises to be a delight for guests of all ages. https://youtu.be/Tn_RGekZhq8?si=7dMF--yyGZVKD3BW New Pixar-Inspired Lobby The crown jewel of the refurbished hotel is surely the dazzling new lobby, which celebrates Pixar animation and the artistic process. As soon as guests step inside, their eyes will be drawn upwards to a vibrant mobile depicting beloved Pixar characters floating above a bright skylight. This represents the beginning stages of Pixar filmmaking, with the characters rendered in their most basic shapes and colors. The lobby décor features early character sketches evolving into final production designs. This "concept art to screen" approach highlights Pixar's creative spirit, often revealing never-before-seen artwork. Keen-eyed guests may even spot some hidden Pixar Easter eggs and inside jokes dotting the lobby!

Reimagined Guest Rooms All 481 guest rooms and suites have been completely reimagined with playful Pixar details. The rooms take inspiration from Pixar stories both classic and new, with subtle references to films like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and more. Some of the whimsical touches include: - Luxo Jr. lamp sculptures on the desks - Headboards decorated with character concept art - Bedding and pillows featuring favorite Pixar characters - Artwork created exclusively for the hotel by Pixar's talented animators Guests staying in suites may have the special treat of seeing unique art or characters from more obscure Pixar shorts and features.

Dining The Pixar Pier Hotel offers a variety of tantalizing dining options, with dishes to satisfy every palate. The flagship restaurant, Great Maple, opens in November 2023. This modern California eatery serves elevated comfort food made from scratch for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guest favorites are sure to include the maple bacon doughnuts, buttermilk fried chicken, and soda pop baby back ribs. Great Maple also operates two additional quick service outlets in the hotel - the Sketch Pad Café coffee shop in the lobby and the poolside Small Bytes.

Amenities Beyond the rooms and restaurants, hotel amenities have also been enhanced with playful Pixar twists. The rooftop pool area now features a Finding Nemo theme with the Pixel Pool, Crush's Surfin' Slide, splash pads, cabanas and more. Table service and cocktails will be available from the pool bar. Inside, guests can break a sweat at the expanded fitness center with a Monsters Inc inspired treadmill mural. The new lobby gift shop is aptly named "STOR-E" as a nod to WALL-E. And staying on property means guests can take advantage of early theme park entry and reserve access to select Disneyland attractions.

Conclusion January 30th, 2024 marks an exciting new chapter for the Disneyland Resort as the imaginative Pixar Pier Hotel opens its doors. With whimsical theming everywhere you look, delightful dining options and convenient park perks, this reimagined hotel extends the magic of Disney storytelling beyond the parks and into your vacation stay. Pixar fans of all ages are sure to be delighted during their next visit to the Happiest Place on Earth! Read the full article

[gembleu]

5 FANTASTICALLY FAMOUS JEWELRY PIECES

Embedded in every imaginable piece of jewelry, gemstones of all kinds, colors and value have made their mark. But there are those special designs and creations, over time, that have captured the world’s attention simply because of the statement they made, and their thoroughly unique qualities. Here are 5 such jewelry pieces that are as gorgeous as they are valuable: - The Famous Faberge eggs The imperial Faberge Eggs came into existence through the Romanov family. The last Tsar, Alexander III started the tradition which was continued by his son. He rested the responsibility of creating faultless Easter eggs, studded with jewels, on then-famous jeweler Faberge. Each egg, unique, and although not jewelry per se, is a masterpiece in design, decorated with precious gemstones, metals and more.  

The Crown Jewels The priceless ‘Crown Jewels’ have rested at the London Tower since the 1600s. They project incalculable cultural, historical, and symbolic values. The Coronation Regalia is the heart of the set’s collection that includes sacred objects like the Imperial State Crown with the Kohinoor diamond (105.6 carats), the Sovereign’s Scepter holding the South African Cullinan Diamond (3106 carat)s, and the Sovereign’s orb, in gold. This breathtaking set collects a total of 23,000 precious gems.

The Napoleon Diamond Necklace Napoleon gifted this extravagant gold and silver necklace, studded with 234 diamonds to his second wife, Marie-Louise on the day their son was born. Completed in 1811 by jeweler Etienne Nitôt and Sons of Paris, this magnificent necklace has an estimated total weight of 263 carats.

The Taylor-Burton Diamond Elizabeth Taylor is known for her beauty and possession of legendary jewels. One of the most famous is the Taylor-Burton diamond. The 69.42-carat, pear-shaped diamond is one of the most magnificent examples of diamond necklaces for women of our times. Even though the actress owned the gemstone for less than a decade, it is referred to as the Taylor-Burton Diamond, since Richard Burton chased it down for his beloved wife, making it a lasting symbol of romance.

The Hope Diamond The Hope diamond sits next to the Napoleon Necklace and Marie Louise’s Diadem in the National Museum of Natural History. The Pierre Cartier-designed blue diamond centerpiece weighs 42.52 carats and is surrounded by 16 pear and cushion-shaped white diamonds. Legend has it that it was stolen from an idol in India. It is said to carry a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only to the owner but to anyone who touched it, making the name a bit of an irony.

Being in the industry for over 10 years, at GemBleu, we have an unmatched collection of stunning gemstone pieces for anyone who wishes to buy jewelry online. Our jewelry is designed with finesse and passion by some of the world’s best artisans, so go ahead, find a piece, make it your own and make it famous.

Visit our website for some of our exquisite jewelry for sale, and follow us on social media for some updates and offers.

Source Url:- https://www.gembleu.com/blogs/news/5-fantastically-famous-jewelry-pieces

[weshallc]

Easter Bernie.

(Call the Midwife AU/ Crown Jewels Easter Special/ Also available on A03 & FF)

Bit longer chapter today. Village meeting, Mount Busby, The Crown, Patrixie tension and flirty Bernie! What more could you want on an Easter Saturday! I know that stereotypical Easter animal... an Alpaca 🦙

Thanks for reading. I had forgotten so much of this even I am enjoying it.

CHAPTER THREE: EASTER SATURDAY.

I hear footsteps creeping up behind me. Saying "You don't have to be alone, you know." (Come Home, Cattle & Cane)

Paddy stood with his back against a familiar barn door. He swished his Bottle It Ale. His eyes were fixed on the thirty-something in smart dark jeans and a long white shirt with butterflies and light reflecting sequins embroidered into it. Her hair was loose, catching the spring sunshine. She was laughing with her friends. Damn, he thought, no wonder he was feeling so insecure.

A hand touched his arm, the long pale fingers with the scarlet nail varnish, signalled to him it wasn’t Inspector Chummy. Trixie stood beside him, nursing a mug of tea,

“I think the crisis is over, she seems to be enjoying herself today,” she brightly attempted to reassure him.

Paddy turned towards Trixie, he was surprised at the edge in his own voice, “Why didn’t you tell me about those sods at the Mission, instead of waffling on about the cookie monster.”

Trixie held on tighter to Paddy’s arm. “I tried too, you were the one fixated on pink bleedin’ wafers.”

Paddy went to bite back, but suddenly saw a glint in his opponent's eye and started to laugh.

“She seemed OK about it when I told her Paddy, it wasn’t until much later I realized it had eaten away at her,” Trixie wasn’t great at apologies, but she knew she had handled the situation badly, “I should have known, you are right.”

“Well, as you say she seems OK today, probably because she knows she can have a biscuit tomorrow,” he joked weakly.

“Don’t find me rude, but I do have my own problems today.”

Paddy looked at her with surprise and maybe a hint of disdain, “What, modelling a few scarfs and mittens?”

“Paddy have you any idea why I am here?” She shook her head.

“Mmm, nope can’t say I have, but then I am not sure what any of these people are doing here, who are they all?”

Paddy looked at the sea of faces milling about the Mount Busby lawn. Bernie was in the middle of them now, brandishing a silver tray of partially full champagne flutes. Paddy would rather she was stood next to him drinking champagne, but she did seem to be enjoying herself. What made him more vexed was another young woman, also dressed in smart jeans and attractive white blouse, holding a similar tray.

“More to the point Trixie, what am I doing here? And more importantly, why also are my bar staff here on a Bank Holiday weekend?” If Trixie thought she had been forgiven, Paddy’s tone made her doubt.

“Paddy I have no idea what you are doing here, I didn't invite you. I did invite everyone else, these are my contacts.” she retorted back, giving no quarter. Paddy looked at her, confused.

She continued with a smattering of arrogance, “And Bernie and Val are working for me this afternoon.”

Paddy scoffed, “You can’t afford them.”

Straight back, “Patsy can, anyway they are doing it as a favour.”

“So why are the great and good of Tweavenside gathered here today,” he huffed.

“I told you, I invited them,” she gave back.

“You only got here two days ago, how did you manage that?” Paddy was suddenly interested.

“Oh, you philistine! I sent carrier pigeons to them all from London,” the laugh was hard.

“Is that Lucille? You have got Lucille handing out drinks. Do you have no shame?”

“Val says she is a natural, you should think about hiring her, isn’t that where you usually find your bar staff, at the church.” She was gone before he could reply.

xxxxx

“Can I interest you in a glass of bubbly, Inspector Chummy?”

“Well, it would be rude not to, as I am off duty and just Chummy. Thank you, Bernie.”

“Can I be so bold to ask who is running the Crown?”

“Oh shush! Paddy is not happy. Evie, Violet and Jack are holding the fort and Tim helps more when his dad isn’t there.”

“Well, the match was yesterday, so at least you don’t have to worry about the football crowd. Barring them, the whole of Tweavenside appear to be here. So they might not be too stretched.”

Bernie looked around at the invited guests. Trixie had done very well. She recognized a few well known faces. For someone based in London and only putting a foot in Poplar once, her friend had done a good job of seeking out the local money. She glanced at Trixie who was looking rather pale, her house guest had ran through the planned afternoon's events and read her pitch to Bernie several times. Bernie had always been good with numbers, and checked out all Trixie’s estimated figures. Val, Lucille and herself had come over early to help her set up. They had spent Good Friday putting together Mount Busby Alpaca Bags full of freebees, Trixie had somehow managed to beg, borrow or steal.

“Can I go now?” the vibration of his breath on her neck made her almost drop her tray.

“Evie will phone if she needs you. Trixie is doing her spiel next and then it’s going to get busy when people start spending and discussing possible future contracts.”

“What has any of this got to do with me? I am not going to order alpaca wool beer mats, am I?”

“Paddy this is important Trixie is on trial here, a lot depends on how well she does today.” Bernie frowned.

“But it’s Patsy and Delia, not Dragons Den.” Paddy really didn’t get it.

“You know you are always going on about us doing stuff together, does that just mean things you want to do? This is my friend, and this is a big deal for her. We are here to support her.”

Paddy thought better of bringing up his recent church visit and the elaborate plans they were making for Easter Sunday.

Bernie flounced off with her tray. He looked at Trixie talking to Patsy and Delia, maybe he had fallen for her bravado too easily and missed something. Yes, the Two Loves may have been drawing their pension for a few years now, but they still ran a good business from the farm. They had for many years, always adapting with age and the times. Now they were setting out on this new venture, an extension of the alpaca walks. Patsy was still producing art, maybe not at the rate she once did, but her name still sold well. He looked at Delia Busby’s face in deep conversation with a nervous looking Trixie. Patsy had a big heart and may want to help Trixie, but the former Welsh Nursing Sister, was now a shrewd businesswoman and she wasn’t about to dispense any handouts.

“Afternoon Doc.”

Paddy was dragged out of his reverie, “Pete what are you doing here, alpaca socks is it?”

“Security.”

Paddy grinned, “Don’t tell me, favour to Trixie. The woman has been in Poplar for five minutes and seems to have everyone wrapped around her little finger.”

“Well Camilla asked, we have a soft spot for the farm, our first date and all that.” Peter explained. Paddy looked confused.

“Don’t you remember Doc, last time Ms Franklin was here, the alpaca walk.”

Paddy smiled at Pete’s professionalism towards his employer, even though she probably wasn’t paying him. “But you had been seeing each other for years.”

“Yes, but it was the first time we had attended a social occasion on our own doorstep, together. It felt like a proper date, Camilla said as much. She looked at the Two Loves, the vicar and his missus and you and Berns and I could tell she wanted that and so did I.”

Paddy glanced over at the barn remembering the bust up he and Bernie had that night, choosing to dwell on the making up.

“So that was when I decided to jack it all in and hand in my badge. So Camilla could progress in the Force, but also so we could stop messing about and make a commitment.”

“You decided that looking at me and Bernie?” laughed Paddy ironically.

xxxxx

Paddy moved aimlessly to the outdoor seating area and took a chair at the back. Peter's words were playing through his mind. Bernie, minus tray, made him shuffle in one place and took his chair. Her eyes were on Trixie, who was stood on a small platform holding a microphone. Bernie gave her a thumbs up and then to his surprise grabbed his hand and squeezed it without looking at him. She looked as nervous as the speaker. Her face reminded Paddy of Marianne, the day of Tim’s first nativity play. He used his other hand to encase Bernie’s and settled them on his lap.

“She will be great,” he whispered.

Bernie turned to him for the first time since she sat down, “I said a wee prayer.”

“Well there you go, the job’s a good'un.”

Bernie smiled and leaned into his shoulder as Trixie advised everyone that all the details from the talk were contained in the documentation in the freebee bags.

Paddy had no idea what Trixie talked about, she lost him at “Alpaca”. He gathered from the frequent laughter and Bernie’s release in the tension on his hand, that it had gone well. The applause at the end sealed this thought, the smile on Delia’s face and the amount of air kissing going on confirmed this. Bernie was soon up and to the front, in the midst of all things woolen.

Val handed Paddy another bottle of Buckle’s Brewery beer,

“Don’t think this gets you out of working tonight, we have a meeting remember.”

Val pulled a face and added, “She did well.” Paddy nodded.

Val went on, “Although the alpacas and the lambs went a long way, I think they won everyone over.”

Paddy nodded and took a sip of his beer and then stopped, “Lambs? Mount Busby doesn't have any sheep.”

Val looked up and pursed her lips, “Farm next door does.”

“That’s quite a walk, Val.”

“Trixie brought the lambs here, well Reggie and Fred did technically.”

“That’s illegal, that's sheep rustling and highly irresponsible, didn’t you tell her?”

“Paddy calm down the ewes came too.” Paddy shook his head. Val continued, “They were a big hit. Plus the couple of orphans that needed feeding, they sealed the deal.”

Paddy shook his head in disbelief again.

xxxx

Val, Lucille, Bernie and Paddy walked into the Crown. Evie behind the bar asked how it all had gone? They replied in the order they entered,

“Alright.” “Lovely.” “She was fabulous.” “How’s everything been here?”

Evie smiled, “It’s been fairly quiet, but that’s Bank Holidays for you, can go either way.”

“You managed though?” Paddy needed more.

“Mr Turner, I have been pulling pints, before you pulled your first girlfriend.”

Paddy took no notice. Lucille made an embarrassed squeak as Val chuckled at Paddy being put in his place, she did enjoy Evie’s retorts.

“Get yourself away Evie,” she said taking her place behind the bar.

“I thought we were having this meeting, see if we all know what we are doing tomorrow.”

Val made a face, “Forgot about that.”

xxxx

Most of Poplar-on-Tweaven were assembled in the Crown snug, Val had offered to tend the bar. Phyllis, Evie and Vi were deep in conversation in a corner seat. Fred balanced on a stumpy stool. Lucille sat next to Paddy, who was on a chair at the end. Bernie was perched on his knee unable to settle waiting for Trixie’s return, she had stayed behind to be debriefed by Delia.

“They do know the time,” said Evie in a loud whisper looking at her watch.

At that Reverend Julia entered the snug, apologising profusely for being late.Tom and Bobby Hereward following behind. Bernie jumped off Paddy’s knee and everyone eventually got seated.

Val followed in the God Squad as Jack called them, mainly to annoy Bernie and Lucille. She made sure everyone had drinks and pushed a few bags of crisps and nuts on the table. Fred asked if she had any pork scratchings and was hushed by Vi.

“Shall we make a start,” Phyllis cleared her throat.

“Do I need to take minutes?” asked a nervous Bobby. Paddy and Julia both shook their heads.

“It’s just an informal meeting lass, to see if everyone knows what they are doing tomorrow.”

“Still wouldn't be a miss,” cut in Tom, he gestured at his wife's bag. Bobby quickly took out a pen and notebook and started scribbling. Phyllis and Evie shared a look.

Bernie was now stood behind Paddy’s chair and in her nervous tension, waiting for news of Trixie, was scratching his neck every time she found something funny. Which he was finding very distracting.

“So this is the first Poplar-on-Tweaven, Crown and Church, Easter Festival,” Phyllis began again.

“Didn't we agree it was Church and Crown,” interrupted Tom.

Everyone looked at each other, Bernie dug her nails into the back of Paddy's neck.

“What do the posters say,” enquired Vi.

“They just say Poplar Easter Festival and then times and venues,” responded Julia.

“OK, but I think with it being a religious festival, Church should come first.” Tom continued. “Paddy is that all right with you?” in a tone that didn’t sound like a question.

Paddy just shrugged his shoulders, trying to shake Bernie off at the same time.

“Right,” said Phyllis, “The first Poplar-on-Tweaven, Church and Crown, Easter Festival.”

Bernie grabbed the back of Paddy’s neck just as Bobby asked, “Sorry, are they any apologies for absence.”

Bernie dug in her fingers, and Paddy hid a yelp in a cough.

“I was absent, but I am here now,” Trixie stood at the snug door.

“Sorry,” said Tom, “this is a private meeting for those who reside or work in Poplar.”

Bernie was now pulling on Paddy’s ear.

“Well, that is me then, I am now a Poplar resident and employee. I qualify on both accounts.”

Everyone stared at the newcomer, “That is if Mount Busby is classed as Poplar.”

“It certainly is,” cleared up Phyllis.

To Paddy’s relief, Bernie moved from behind him and hugged Trixie’s neck instead.

“I've signed a years contract and here is the best bit, I will be based in Poplar and commute to London when necessary.”

Val had joined them. “Oh Trixie, that is wonderful.”

“Well Done kid!” smiled Phyllis, then everyone started talking at once.

“Where will you live?” asked Paddy.

Berne suddenly stopped hugging Trixie, who said, “That’s the best bit.”

“Is it?” Bernie asked.

“I have been given a room at Mount Busby, I was shown it today. Its adorable and the views are to die for.”

“Oh, Trixie!” Bernie was back around her friend’s neck.

“This calls for champagne, Paddy! Or at least a bottle of Prosecco.” Evie realized as soon as she had said it, she had made a mistake; this was her first meeting with the engaging stranger.

Trixie was the one to rescue the situation, “Please do, I have been surrounded by champagne all day, one more bottle won't make a difference.”

“That is a good point chick, me, Berns and Luce would probably be sick if we had to pour another glass of bubbles.” Val chipped in.

“I know what we do have,” Vi piped up, “too many cakes for tomorrow.”

“How can you have too many cakes?” asked Fred.

“I am sure we can cut into one now,” Vi continued.

“Brilliant idea I am on it,” Val was off, but called back by Vi.

“Valerie, while you're in there, can you check I have done enough hard-boiled eggs? I have another dozen in the larder, if you're not sure.”

Evie interrupted, “It was like a sauna in there earlier, you must have boiled six dozen.”

Vi folded her arms and shuffled her ample bosom, “What with decorating, rolling, hunting and jarping, you mark my words, you will be glad I did.”

Val laughed at Vi’s indignation and commitment, “Look if we have over catered they are eggs, I am sure they won’t go to waste.”

“Couldn’t you pickle any surplus and sell them behind the bar?” Everyone’s attention was now on Reverend Julia, “My father always brought pickled eggs home from the pub on a Friday night, one each for me and my brothers and sisters and a bottle of ginger beer.”

“That is an Egg-cellent idea, Vicar,” agreed Fred.

The collective groan ended the great boiled egg debate. Phyllis was watching Mrs Hereward still writing and just hoped she hadn’t recorded the last ten minutes of conversation.

Paddy thought that Bernie must be genuinely pleased at Trixies news, because she seemed to forget where she was, and plonked herself down on his knee again. While everyone was discussing the many uses for a hard-boiled egg, Paddy wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him.

“Happy?” he whispered.

Bernie paused for a moment, tilted her head and gave a little smile meant just for him and nodded.

Phyllis cleared his throat, “So if we ever get this meeting started, the first Poplar-on-Tweaven, Church and Crown, Easter Festival, takes place tomorrow.”

[harvestheart]

THE MIRACLE OF THE T-BONES AND THE UN-NAMED STRANGER

Life sure is interesting. And, at times, it is downright odd. But not always a bad odd. At times the kindness of strangers is totally unexpected and downright remarkable.

I had to run up to Fry's because I needed a bag of pet food. As is my custom, I travel through the produce section first in search for what I can spot on special that will work into a fine meal. I snagged a bag of russet potatoes in the red mesh bags for a buck, a package of mushrooms for $1.49, a bag of Asian stir-fry mix for $1.99. They all had those yellow stickers on them showing they are reduced. So long as you cook that day or the next, you can save money while eating very well.

My next move was to run over to the meat section to pick up the chicken. I thought that should make a quick dinner for when I was done weed-eating in the backyard for the day. (I have to tackle these manual jobs a little at a time these days. The backyard is truly overgrown from our rains. I did manage a pretty good start on the weeds and overrun bermuda grass today.)

Anyway, back to this story. I have such interesting grocery trips.

So as I was headed to check out the price on chicken, I saw T-bones were on sale. I picked up a package and it was marked $35.00 but on sale, reduced to $15.27. Even on sale, I just don't want to pay that much. But the disappointment must have shown on my face. Maybe I looked sad or sighed, or both because this very nicely-dressed elderly man -- older than me if you can imagine -- said "You should get it."

I told him even on sale, I can only look at them.

He asked me if I wanted to split a package?

I told him, no, that was okay, I would really be okay with chicken, but thank you all the same.

So then he says, "Let me get it for you."

My immediate response was shock. I said, really, that was okay, I am okay, This is too much. (I meant your offer is too much, not that the cost was too much.)

He says, "I want to get it for you."

"No, no, really, it's fine. Just that you offered is so kind."

I have to say I was taken aback because I am not used to strange men offering to be so generous without a reason. Sure, when I was 20 or 30, men offered plenty. But they definitely had a reason. My alert system was now kicking in. But I figured we are in a public place and other people are around, so everything really is fine. I told him that was such a kind gesture, but I will just make up this stir-fry for dinner, gesturing to my bag of clearance stir-fry. It will be just fine.

Then it hit me, I had three clearance items in the cart and half a pudding cake. Maybe he thinks I am destitute. Maybe he thinks I can only afford half a cake.

So I told him, "It's fine, I have money."

At this point, I did a quick mental check on myself. Yes, I was dressed decently and appropriately, had jewelry on, was clean, hair was combed. I was carrying an expensive purse and wearing good shoes. Okay, I didn't look like a homeless person.

Then I thought maybe I remind him of someone from his past that he needed to make amends to. Or maybe he hit the lottery and is just sharing his good luck. Maybe he's just lonely. Maybe he wanted to feel good about himself for whatever reason. Maybe he had dementia and thought I was someone else. Maybe.Maybe.Maybe. My mind was racing.

So I got my package of chicken and started talking to another woman to sort of diffuse the situation. She had scoped out a great deal on pork loin but she wasn't sure it could be that cheap. What was normally a $10 pork loin roll was on sale for $2. She said, "Can this be right?" I looked at it and it was marked as she said, and I did tell her pork does go on sale about this time of year, before Easter. I offered that maybe they overbought and sometimes they do Manager's Specials, and had to move it or lose it. Maybe they were just trying to re-coop their costs.

She pulled six of the loins and she said, "I have a freezer. These will be great on the grill." She looked like she had stolen the crown jewels. She was so happy. I ended up getting two myself and put them in my basket. (Pork loin this week, folks.)

I parked my buggy and went down the pet food isle and got my bag of Kit-n-Kaboodles. When I got back to the cart, there was the man again holding the package of T-bones.

I thought, "What do I do now?"

The man said, "Please, let me do this." He handed me the package and underneath the package were three five-dollar bills, to cover the cost. Before I could say any more, he was walking away,

I only managed to get out a, "Thank you," and he was gone.

So that's how I ended up having T-bones tonight rather than my chicken stir-fry, which will be on the menu for tomorrow night.

Aren't people just amazing? Who am I to deprive him of his paying it forward, keeping him from exercising his act of kindness? I actually was deeply touched. It is the oddest times that your faith in humanity is revived.

I must say, I enjoyed a good steak, baked potato with mushroom and shallot gravy from the un-named stranger all the while thinking what a wonderful act of kindness he bestowed upon me this day.

I vow to do this for someone else one day when I am particularly flush.

Thank you wherever you are. Thank you whoever you are.

SHARE KINDNESS - PEACE AND GRACE

[goodqueenaly]

So who wants to hear a crazy story about how one of the most precious objets d’art of imperial Russia narrowly escaped being lost forever thanks to a Google search?

In 1885, Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, wanted to give his wife, Marie Feodorovna (previously Princess Dagmar of Denmark), a special present for Easter. He had given the empress bejeweled Easter eggs in past years, but for this year he wanted to do something a little different; it had, after all, been 20 years since they had first been brought together (when Alexander's older brother, Nicholas, who had previously been engaged to Dagmar died, allegedly asking as his last wish that Alexander marry Dagmar instead). The tsar commissioned Peter Carl Fabergé, a jeweler whose work Marie Feodorovna had previously admired, to create an Easter egg for her that would contain a special surprise. The result was the so-called “Hen egg”, a gold egg covered in white enamel which contained inside it a golden “yolk” and, inside that, a golden hen with ruby eyes (which itself contained a tiny replica of the imperial crown and a small ruby pendant, both now lost). The Empress was delighted, and a new tradition was born; every year, the Emperor would commission Faberge to create a sumptuous Easter egg as a surprise for his wife. There were only three requirements: the gifts had to retain some egg shape; they had to contain a surprise; and no design could be repeated. 

The variety and intricacy of the Faberge eggs commissioned by Alexander and his successor, Nicholas II (who began ordering two each year, one for his mother and one for his own wife) are too detailed to go into here. Instead, I want to touch on the third egg produced by Faberge for Marie Feodorova - most widely known, appropriately, as the Third Imperial Egg.

The Third Imperial Egg is designed in Louis XVI style. The “egg” portion, made of 18-karat yellow gold, rests on a gold ring, which sits on a gold tripod pedestal whose legs end in lion’s paws. Between each of the legs is a garland made from varicolored gold, each of which is joined and “held up” by a cabochon blue sapphire; each sapphire in turn has a tiny gold bow above it, set with small rose diamonds. A larger white diamond on the front sits on an old mine cut diamond, which acts the clasp for the egg. Inside sits the surprise: a lady's watch made by the very prestigious Swiss firm Vacheron Constantin, with a white enamel dial and diamond-set hands.

Alexander III presented this gift to his wife for Easter 1887, and paid 2160 rubles for the gift - roughly $25,000 in today's money, which while far, far more than I've ever paid for a gift is pretty cheap compared to the modern value of the egg. The Russian Imperial Cabinet list of treasures owned by the imperial family reflected this payment in an 1889 cataloguing: “Easter egg with clock, decorated with diamonds, sapphires and rose-cut diamonds - 2160 r[ubles]” (I understand the Russian language uses the same word for “clock” and “watch). 

This is where the story starts to get interesting - or, at least, the groundwork is laid for interesting developments later. Although this egg (along with every other Faberge egg commissioned for her) was the personal property of the Empress, that did not mean it was kept under lock and key for the duration of its existence in imperial Russia. In 1902, the Von Dervis Mansion hosted the “Charity Exhibition of Fabergé Artistic Objects, Old Miniatures, and Snuff Boxes”, and while that certainly doesn't sound like the catchiest of titles, it was at least intended for a good cause. A number of jeweled treasures, many of which were donated by the imperial family for the duration of the exhibition, were to be shown off in the Gold Drawing Room of fabulous and newly remodeled mansion of the very wealth widowed Baroness Vera Von Dervis; the proceeds from ticket sales were to benefit schools under the patronage of Nicholas II's wife, Empress Alexandra. For Russians, this would be the only opportunity they would ever have to see these treasures, including several Faberge eggs, on Russian soil during the Russian Empire.

Thankfully for historians, the exhibition was photographed as well as documented in records. 1902 photography was not always the best, but one picture stands out as particularly intriguing for this story:

That's a photograph of a portion of the exhibit, specifically the cabinet containing the famed Fabergé eggs. There are a number of interesting facets about the particular eggs in this picture I could talk about some other time, but for the purposes of this post you'll want to focus on the second row down, on the lefthand side:

There it is! The Third Imperial Egg in all its lion-footed glory. Keep this exhibition and this picture in mind, it will come in handy a little later.

Other than the Von Dervis Exhibition in 1902, the Third Imperial Egg stayed securely with the imperial family - until, that is, 1917, when the Romanovs were finally swept from the throne in the February Revolution. (Incidentally, Fabergé was working on 1917 Easter eggs when the revolution came, but again, that's a story for another post). The Provisional Government seized various treasures, including the Third Imperial Egg, and stored them in the Moscow Kremlin Armory. A record was made of the egg when it was transferred in September 1917: “Art. 1548. 'A lady’s gold watch, opened and set into a gold egg with one diamond. The latter on a gold tripod pedestal with three sapphires.” In February 1922, after the Soviets assumed power, the Council of People's Commissars performed an inventory on the imperial treasures in their possession, and the following note was made about the Third Imperial Egg: “One gold egg with watch, diamond push-piece and pedestal with 3 sapphires and rose cut diamonds.” Between 1930 and 1933, 14 of the imperial Faberge eggs were sold abroad, as part of the Soviet "treasures into tractors" initiative.

And that, so everyone believed for decades, was where the story ended. The Third Imperial Egg had been lost to history, sold off by the Soviets and melted down for its contents sometime in the mid-twentieth century ...

... except that it hadn't. 

No, you see on March 7, 1964 there had been an auction at Parke Bernet, then America's largest auction house, in New York. And what was in this auction?

“259. Gold Watch in Egg-Form Case on Wrought Three-Tone Gold Stand Set with Jewels/ Fourteen-karat gold watch in reeded egg-shaped case with seventy-five-point-old-mine diamond clasp by Vacheron & Constantin; on eighteen-karat three-tone gold stand exquisitely wrought with an annulus [ring], bordered with wave scrollings and pairs of corbel-like legs ciselé [chiseled] with a capping of roses, pendants of tiny leaves depending to animalistic feet with ring stretcher; the annulus bears three medallions of cabochon sapphires surmounted by tiny bowknotted ribbons set with minute diamonds, which support very finely ciselé three-tone gold swags of roses and leaves which continue downward and over the pairs of legs. (Clark) Height 3¼ inches”

What had happened to the Third Imperial Egg between 1922 and 1964 was, and still is, mostly unknown. Somehow, it had ended up in the collection of a New York resident known as Rena Clark; when she died in that year, her estate had gone to auction at Parke Bernet, and the Third Imperial Egg along with it (which had, remarkably, managed to stay intact and retain its surprise - not a feat all the Fabergé eggs achieved - but had somewhere along the way lost its provenance). The buyer of the egg was not listed at that 1964 auction, but the individual did pay $2,450 for it - roughly around $20,000 today.

And then, once again, the egg disappeared for a few decades. Around 2004, it reemerged - still with no one guessing its true identity - at, I kid you not, an antiques flea market in the midwest United States. The buyer - an unidentified American man - was trying to supplement his income by buying gold cheaply and then reselling it to be melted down, and he figured the egg he had found would earn him a cool grand or so. He paid around $14,000 for it - but, to his disappointment, everyone he contacted figured he had overpaid and was unwilling to offer him the $15,000 he was looking to sell it for. Refusing to take a loss on the item, the buyer held onto it for years, sitting this unimaginably valuable object in his kitchen without the least suspicion of its real worth. 

Now, remember that photograph from the 1902 Von Dervis Exhibition? Well, that came to the fore again around November 2007. At that time, Anna and Vincent Palmade, two Fabergé enthusiasts, discovered an enlarged version of the photo of the eggs at the exhibition. The egg that we now know was the Third Imperial Egg caught their attention, primarily because its appearance did not match the appearance of any known Faberge egg. The two identified it as the (currently still missing) Nécessaire Egg of 1889, though by April 2008 a rare photograph of the Nécessaire Egg at a 1949 exhibition in London showed that the egg in the 1902 photograph could not be the Nécessaire Egg. Instead, by November 2008 it was speculated by Annemiek Wintraecken, another Fabergé enthusiast, that the egg on the second shelf was the 1887 Third Imperial Egg; she noted that previously mentioned descriptions of the then-missing egg lined up well with the image of the egg in the photograph.

The big breakthrough, though, came in 2011. In July of that year, the aforementioned Anna and Vincent Palmade rediscovered the image and description of the (then-unidentified) Third Imperial Egg at the 1964 New York auction. The egg in the picture from the auction catalog matched the egg in the 1902 exhibition photograph perfectly, and with that having already been speculated to have been the Third Imperial Egg, it was a short leap to guess that one of Faberge's Ester gifts had been sold at this auction. The Telegraph ran a story on the discovery in August 2011, and quoted the excitement of Kieran McCarthy, a Fabergé expert from the jeweler Wartski. hoping that the egg could be recovered. 

Which brings us back to our friend in the midwest. By 2012, he was very fed up with his inability to sell his lump of apparently worthless gold, and decided to do an internet search of what he had. There was very little to go on, except the fact that it was obviously an egg and the name on the watch - Vacheron Constantin. So, simply put, he typed “egg” and “Vacheron Constantin” into Google and hit enter. Thanks to the magic of Google algorithms, he stumbled upon the Telegraph article from the year prior - and, to his utter amazement, saw what looked to be a somewhat blurry black and white photograph of the very thing sitting on his kitchen counter. 

Almost immediately, our friend bought airline tickets to London and made an appointment with Kieran McCarthy at Wartski. McCarthy was shocked when he saw the photographs the buyer had brought - he compared the experience to “being Indiana Jones and finding the Lost Ark”. Wartski returned with the buyer to his home, about as far from a place you'd expect to find an imperial Faberge egg as possible - “a very modest home in the Mid West, next to a highway and a Dunkin’ Donuts”, as McCarthy described it. Inside that “very modest home”, sitting next to a cupcake, was Alexander III's gift to his bride in 1887, the Third Imperial Egg. I’m not kidding, this was how McCarthy found it:

There was no doubt about its authenticity, and despite a few scratches it had sustained over the years (the result of testing the quality of its gold, prior to the melting down which never happened), the egg was in amazingly good shape. In 2014, McCarthy bought the egg from our friend on behalf of an undisclosed private collector; there was no firm number on its price, but given that in 2011 its value was estimated around $33 million, it's probable the egg sold for a very high price (which, incidentally, is why our friend has chosen to remain anonymous). After nearly a century of various owners and near-destruction, the egg is now finally correctly identified and stored away safely, and one of Fabergé’s great imperial works has been reclaimed for history. 

[pwdgroup-blog]

Plymouth Window Dressings Group

Bistrot Pierre, Restaurant If you look forward to an evening out at a restaurant that showcases a bit of sophistication with a relaxed atmosphere, then you will not be disappointed by Plymouth’s Bistrot Pierre restaurant. Its interior and hospitality will leave you feeling rather continental in a very British city. This bistro has landed its success all over the United Kingdom, from everywhere including Yorkshire to Wales, and of course Plymouth. If you fancy visiting one of their many beautiful bistros that are dotted around the country, you can even join their membership which entitles you to points. The ‘Mon Pierre Rewards’ is also a great way of treating yourself on your birthday to sparkling wine.This restaurant creates menus full of eye-catching and mouth-watering food for any time of the day. You can either enjoy the crème brulee or the honey-glazed pork on their lunch menu or the crab remoulade or the classic moules-frites on their evening menu. Bistrot Pierre is also the ideal place to go for an indulgent, six-course meal, their Soirée Gastronomique. On every second and fourth Tuesday of each month you’ll get to sample not only their best dishes but also some exciting and seasonal new additions. On top of their one-day gastronomic experiences, they also host enticing deals and special menus for special holidays and days of the week. Whether you’re looking for a specially prepared Easter meal or their steak and crème brulee deal, you won’t be disappointed. As well as curating fine cuisine, Bistrot Pierre also owns a number of hotel properties around Great Britain, and one of its crown jewels is in Plymouth, which is known as Residence One and is a restored Grade 2 listed building. Their Plymouth hotel is composed of elegant Georgian features, and it overlooks the stunning courtyard where you can find Bistrot Pierre, where you can treat yourself to one of their many daily menus.        Plymouth Window Dressings Group - Are a small business initiative supporting local window shutter and blind companies in the Plymouth and Devon area giving support and promoting a small team of businesses in and around Devon. This explains the ongoing cooperation between the association and a prominent:  https://www.shuttercraft-devon.co.uk/

                                            Get Map Directions:-

                            https://goo.gl/maps/cwA8QnvGhU41au4p6

[thecartoonarchivist]

Weekly Spotlight #6

Welcome, Welcome, one and all~!

To the Weekly Spotlight

In honor of this sppppooooooppppyyy season, this week’s spotlight is....

*drumroll* *very pathetic trumpet*

Over The Garden Wall

So, this series isn’t very old. The pilot aired in 2013 and the full mini-series aired in 2014; thus it’s very easy to say that this show is very fresh in my mind.

When this show was first airing, I remember watching part of an episode of it and becoming very intrigued. Initially, I felt no desire to watch it as when they were advertising the special, this originally gave me the vibe of The Misadventures of Flapjack, Chowder, and other rather strange and, at times, grotesque cartoons that never really tickled my fancy. So, I was more than willing to let this series slide off my radar and into some obscure corner of my knowledge never to be heard of or talked about ever again.

But one day, a episode happened to be playing and, for whatever reason, I found myself watching. I knew I was about to leave the house soon so watching some TV show I never really cared all that much about didn’t seem like a bad option at the time. The episode I was watching, I’ve come to learn, was Mad Love. I didn’t actually start from the beginning of the episode, if I remember correctly, but I started near the beginning. Here they were talking about how Quincy Endicott had somehow managed to fall in love with a painting in his labyrinth of a mansion and I ended the episode with the revelation about Beatrice and the heart-to-heart that Wirt and Beatrice had.

It was then that I knew I had to sit down and watch this show from the beginning. I could feel it in my bones that this show had potential and that it would continue on for a long time.

It ended four days later and I felt like I had missed out on something very special. I never realized it was only a mini-series and as a result, I felt that I saw something very beautiful be snuffed out very quickly. I’d have this curiosity and regret linger in the back spaces of my mind for several years. During this time, I’d see videos pop up on YouTube now and again, talking about Over The Garden Wall: analyses on the writing and why the series was so good, cosplay, various musicians playing music from its soundtrack. Over all, I got the impression that the series was something to celebrate and so I added it to my list of series that one day I’d sit down and watch. 

But every fall season, Over The Garden Wall would pop up on my radar now and again and I knew that this time I had to sit down and watch it. Luckily, Over The Garden Wall was on Hulu so I snuggled up in my pajamas and fuzzy blanket and spent a little over 2 hours watching this series.

So, why don’t we take a look at its history?

This mini-series was a created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network in 2014. Originally, the series was pitched under the title, Tome of the Unknown, in 2006, however the series was much different than the one that was aired. It was originally designed to follow two brothers, Walter and Gregory, as they travel the Land of the In-Between to track down pages from a book of forgotten stories after signing themselves into a contract with a devil named, Old Scratch. However, McHale had difficulties creating a larger story arc for the series and as a result, it was placed on hold for a number of years.

McHale would go on to storyboard for The Misadventures of Flapjack (makes sense why I got that vibe) and co-develop the famous Adventure Time where he would serve as Creative Director and eventually, as a writer. After having more experience underneath his belt, Cartoon Network returned to McHale and asked if he would like to pilot another series. McHale, then, returned to Tome of the Unknown; polished it up; pitched it to the network again; and it would pilot on Cartoon Network in 2013. After having piloted the episode, McHale sat down with the network again where they would decide that instead of an entire, full-blown series, they would simply trim it to a mini-series that would air over 5 days. It was initially envisioned as an 18 chapter (or 18 episode) series but due to budget and time constraints, it was trimmed down to 10 episodes

The interesting thing about this series is that I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity to experience another cartoon as dark yet oddly whimsical as this series. In some regards, I would almost like to call it a darker version of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle but even then, I don’t think that it would actually do this series justice with that sort of comparison. As I was watching this series, I couldn’t help but feel a similar feeling as when I played those one-sentence stories games as a kid. You know which one I’m talking about! Everyone is gathered in a circle, or a campfire in my case, and each person had to say a sentence that would add to the story. You couldn’t change what the previous person said, but you could change the context of how it would affect the story. 

For example, if someone said a sentence along the lines of, “Trapped inside the closet, Susie began to cry loudly and alerted the monster of her hiding place.” that doesn’t exactly leave you with a whole lot to work with. Your immediate conclusion is that the monster will find Susie and that she will be eat/maimed/destroyed/etc. However, with a little bit of creativity, you can change the situation to something like this, “Susie, frantically searching for some sort of weapon to defend herself, finds a panel on the back wall of the closet that leads to some place that was not part of the house.” This can lead you to a crazy situation where Susie might find Narnia, or another dimension that is almost exactly like this one, or that there’s a curse on the house because a body in this secret, unmapped room of the house. The situation that you start with won’t be the situation you end with and the only rules are that you can’t undo what was already said and you can only add one sentence. And this is what I felt was going on.

Rampaging gorillas became long-lost loves in animal suits. Graves dug for the main characters ended up being skeletons for pumpkin people. Ferry rides for frog people turned out being a migration for hibernation. The things that you expected would turn on their heads very suddenly and what seemed terrible and fraught with dangers, would end rather cheerfully and full of hope. I felt like it was such an important lesson for young and old alike and I’m very happy this ended up being such a staple theme of the series.

As a sibling myself, I thought that the brother interactions were pretty accurate enough. Wirt likes to blame his brother for all his woes and get rather annoyed with his upbeat attitude; it was funny how much of my younger self I saw in Wirt and there were so many times I had to laugh and cringe at the true renditions of being a Freshman in high school. Greg never dumb, or naive which is something many, many cartoons like to paint younger siblings. I will easy admit that my brother is a whole lot smarter than I was at his age. (Doesn’t make him less of a brat but still!) So having Greg be that rock for Wirt and to help stabilize him when he starts overthinking things and panicking underneath the responsibility of taking care of him was such a refreshing thing to see in cartoons. It felt oddly real.

Some of the shining jewels in this series’s crown is how heartwarming and touching some of the more serious moments of the series is. In the last episode, I found myself fighting back tears despite the fact that I already knew what type of end was coming. (Of course, things were turned on their head as they always were but regardless.) These heart-to-heart discussions and these moments of #realtalk really tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel about ten years younger. But even the whimsical moments were always fun and weird. Did some of the humor fall flat? Yeah, but that’s also because it wasn’t meant for me. Other instances of humor however had me snickering at the realism of such an absurd situation. It was simply a pleasure to watch. 

It’s darker tones and moments of horror is such an interesting thing to see in a children’s medium that it almost becomes a rare thing to pull off well. For those of you who grew up with Courage the Cowardly Dog, I’m sure you remember at least a portion of the fear you used to have watching a couple of these episodes. But one of the interesting things about Courage is that there was never any threat of death in the series. Courage’s family might be turned into battle robots, or turned into grotesque creatures, or some unknown horrific happenstance occur, but never really any threat of death. In this series however, that’s the main threat that prevails throughout the course of events. By the end of the series, we know why this is the case, but that still doesn’t make it any less of a gutsy move by its creators. On top of this, it’s so cool and interesting to see all of the little Easter eggs that plant in each episode that point to the twist at the end of the series. Although the series may be a bit too scary for younger kids, you can easily see that this series was intended for as many audiences as they could fit into such a short run.

I think the little things in this series is what shines through the most. The soundtrack was stellar, oh my word!! The voice acting, although at first seemed pretty generic, really fit the tone of the series and breathed life into these quirky characters. Even though the animation itself is pretty cheap (Flash animation isn’t the greatest ya’ll), the backgrounds are stunning to look at and the character designs were very creative and interesting to watch. Each part of this animation played well into the other to the point that the entire piece felt like a wonderful, cohesive whole. Not many cartoons can say that. Not many pieces of art can say that. For that, I salute the entire team of Over The Garden Wall for creating something so wonderful to indulge in. Although part of me wishes that this could have been a full series, I realize that to do so would ruin the good of what I have, so I am content to leave things as they are. However, if anyone has a suggestion for any similar series, send them to my inbox because I will definitely check it out. 

For many people, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween/Christmas tradition. For others, many like to watch Soul Eater for its spooky themes. Still others will watch classic scary movies like Psycho, or The Shining, or Nightmare on Elmstreet for their scares. 

For me, this’ll be my new Halloween tradition. The harvest-time aesthetic. The Halloween-like themes. All of it screams everything Halloween was for me growing up and man, did I love enjoy this piece of media.

Overall, this series easily rates a 9 out of 10 on my scale. 

It has very few flaws in it (even now I’m having a hard time picking them out) but they’re still there. Perfection is such a hard thing to achieve so I doubt there will ever be a series that reaches a 10/10 on my scale but the fact that it got a 9? It speaks volumes to this series.

I’ll gladly watch this every Halloween. I wouldn’t even mind watching this even more than once a year. I heartily recommend this series to everyone who hasn’t watch it before, even if you don’t like the more bizarre series of Flapjack and Adventure Time. I do adore this series. And it will forever hang in my Hall of Fame for being such a beautiful and fantastic series. 

If there are any corrections you’d like to make in regards to this post, please feel free to send me a message with your corrections and I’ll get back to it as soon as I can!

Do you remember a cartoon your friends have never heard of? Got a scene from an animated film that you’re dying to know the name to? Send your questions to The Cartoon Archivist and I’ll see what I’ve got in the vault!

[crowned-ladybug]

So about that weird Easter tradition you were talking about yesterday...? 80c -Asri

It’s actually not an Easter tradition!

It takes place on 20th August, Hungary’s official “birthday” and unrelatedly the “Day of the New Bread” or whatever when ppl would celebrate the first bread they could bake from that summer’s harvest

Anyway. Country’s birthday. Technically the “Anniversary of the Foundation of the Government” or whatever bullshit. There was this dude who in English should be called Saint Stephen or something I guess, who made the v clever decision to convert to Christianity and turn the pillaging tribes and bad news incarnate that were known as Those Fucking Hungarians into an actual country, and himself into a king (most ppl back then didn’t like him a lot for it and there’s a rock opera about that but that’s a different story). Either way so in the year of their Lord 1000, bc they knew how to make countries in style, they made a country that’s now this shitshow but I digress

And today everyone loves Stephen. Maybe a little too much.

You see, on 20th Aug a lot of Nationally Organised shit happens in the capital (+ another Historically Important City) - something v special having to do with officers that I can’t remember, fancy flag waving i guess, some culinary goodness, fireworks over the Danube in the evening, a holy mass (yknow. the stuff they usually do during like Easter and Christmas and shit) and after said mass a thing called “Szent Jobb Körmenet” (”Holy Right Procession”)

Because, you see, alongside stuff like the crown and a cool cape, one of the country’s most cherished artefacts is a fucking mummified right hand that is strongly believed to have once been attached to the rest of Saint Stephen himself

That’s right my dude. It’s a fucking hand. It has some gold jewellery on it and sits in its nice lil gold and jewel-encrusted box on public display for all to see in a v pretty place called Saint Stephen’s Basilica. Except for when, yknow, to celebrate the country’s birthday, they pick it up and carry it around a bit in the city with a bunch of ppl following bc it must get bored sitting in the same spot all year i guess. They may or may not pray to it too for all I fucking know

[fairytalesbot]

The Easter Bunny the Gloomy

A annoying individual known as Jasmine came into the region of Vyshny Volochyok. Jasmine the Hard attempted to deceive victim. A certain man was very gloomy. The Easter Bunny the Gloomy his name was. The Easter Bunny unwittingly helped Jasmine the Hard. Jasmine the Hard caused a sudden disappearance. The Easter Bunny left small house to retrieve the Crown Jewels. The Easter Bunny was challenged to prove heroic qualities. The Easter Bunny responded to this test. The Easter Bunny met Elliott. "Salutations! Elliott the Steady" exclaimed the Easter Bunny. "God be with you the Easter Bunny" responded Elliott the Steady. "Well, you certainly are powerful," muttered the Easter Bunny. "Yes, I am," conceded Elliott the Steady. "But it's been said that I'm also steady!" "Here," said Elliott, "you'll need this," and gave the Easter Bunny the Gloomy the Sub-light-Organic-Electron Rift. "What's this?" asked the Easter Bunny. "What does it look like?" replied Elliott the Steady. "It's a special, magical Sub-light-Organic-Electron Rift. Perhaps you can use it in your struggle with Jasmine the Hard." "Thanks!" said a grateful the Easter Bunny the Gloomy. The Easter Bunny the Gloomy set out for his small house. So the Easter Bunny went away, and walked and walked, till he came to the place. Seeing that Jasmine the Hard was perfectly enfeebled, the Easter Bunny snatched up him Sub-light-Organic-Electron Rift, and with a single blow struck off the Easter Bunny the Unsure's head. Behind him voices began to cry: "Strike again! Strike again! Or he will come to life!" "No," replied the Easter Bunny the Gloomy, "a hero's hand does not strike twice, but finishes its work with a single blow." But the Easter Bunny the Gloomy said, "Into the bottomless pit with you! Out of sight, accursed one!" the Easter Bunny vanished, and was never seen again.

[bongaboi]

Beneath the bling: Lakers championship rings feature many special surprises

Beneath the bling: Lakers championship rings feature many special surprises

By DAVID WHARTON STAFF WRITER JAN. 15, 20215 AM

Coiled snakes and small etchings, like hieroglyphics. Jewels whose exact carat weight holds a secret meaning. You can spot all the clues, if you look closely enough.

The ring that each Lakers player received for winning the 2020 NBA championship is mostly gold and diamonds, glitz and audacity, but there is something subtle lurking beneath the gleam.

The jeweler responsible for the design wanted to document a basketball season unlike any other, a year marked by more than wins and losses. In the space of one — albeit very large — ring, Jason Arasheben has concealed visual references to the death of Kobe Bryant, a global pandemic and social unrest. He calls them his “Easter eggs.”

“We had a lot going on last year,” says Arasheben, who owns the tony Jason of Beverly Hills. “It’s not just how many diamonds you use, it’s how you tell a story.”

Professional sports bling has been a tradition since the early 1920s, when the New York Giants baseball team handed out rings as an alternative to the pocket watch chains, cuff links and engraved tie clips that previously had been given to players.

Simple and stylish was the rule for many years until the New York Yankees went big and brash in the 1970s, igniting an arms race that now has teams in various sports trying to outdo each other — more gold, more gemstones — season after season.

The Lakers will not disclose how much they spent on this latest salvo. With 180 grams of yellow gold and 804 jewels in each, the rings could be worth more than $20,000, setting a new benchmark in extravagance.

If this raises some eyebrows at a time of hardship, team executives believe the players deserve a special gift for persevering through the season. Arasheben wanted to give them a sort of time capsule, an effort not lost on star forward LeBron James.

“It was just a culmination of what we’ve been through,” James told reporters after getting his ring. “So many ups and downs, a lot of adversity.”

And a lot of story to tell.

The helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others on Jan. 26, 2020 had the team reeling, struggling to comprehend the loss of an icon who had retired only a few seasons earlier. Before the shock wore off, the coronavirus shutdown brought the NBA to a lurching halt.

By the time games resumed and the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat to win it all in mid-October, there wasn’t much time to make rings for the start of a new season. Team executives called Arasheben. Though best known for such celebrity clients as Drake, Jennifer Lopez and the late Michael Jackson, the 44-year-old jeweler had worked with the Lakers before.

“It made sense because he gets the pulse of this team,” says Linda Rambis, executive director of special projects and confidante to co-owner Jeanie Buss.

A flurry of discussions ensued, ideas flying back and forth.

Some design elements were entirely conventional, starting with a purple-and-gold logo on the face, framed by block letters spelling “World Champions.” The right side, or shank, featured each player’s name and jersey number. The left shank listed the Lakers’ playoff opponents and results of each series. This boilerplate information out of the way, Arasheben set to work on smaller touches with larger meanings.

The purple “L” in the logo was fashioned from 17 amethysts, one for each of the 17 championships in franchise history. They weighed .95 carats, a nod to the 95 days that players had spent inside the “bubble,” a Florida complex where all NBA teams lived and competed when the season resumed. Yellow diamonds in the basketball-shaped background totaled .52 carats, equaling the number of regular-season victories.

“It was like a puzzle,” Arasheben says. “We had to be creative in how we built things in.”

There was room to coil two snakes — an homage to Bryant and his “Black Mamba” nickname — behind the jersey numbers. The shanks, shaped vaguely like basketball hoops, got a mesh background. With each addition, it seemed Arasheben or the team would think of something else.

“How do you recognize all of the challenges we went through last year, and then all the bright spots?” Rambis asks. “It was just us wanting to have all of those elements in the ring.”

The work suited Arasheben, a man with a backstory of his own.

The boy loved to draw, doodling portraits, copying the blueprints his architect father brought home. His parents had a different sort of future in mind, telling him: You’re a good talker. You should be a lawyer.

Pre-law classes at UCLA failed to satisfy Arasheben’s artistic bent; they also put him in debt. A friend told him about wholesale stores in the fashion district, so he pooled his money and drove downtown to buy silver trinkets and brightly colored, plastic butterfly hair clips, cheap stuff he could get for $8 a dozen. Back on campus, fellow students stopped by his table and paid well over cost.

“The very first day,” he recalls, “I did $100 in sales.”

These profits paid off tuition with enough left over to hang out at nightclubs where, as an avid NBA fan, Arasheben recognized players among the regulars. They all seemed to be wearing what he recalls as “over-the-top, monstrous” jewelry, which gave him another idea.

Despite an utter lack of experience in the business, he began sketching ornate chains and bracelets, incorporating names and personal details of certain players. Slipping into the club’s VIP section, he approached them, straining to speak over the pounding music: “I’d love to design jewelry for you. In fact, I happen to have a drawing right here.”

They almost always shooed him off, waving away the paper he held in their face. But in 2002, the late New York Knicks star Anthony Mason took a look and liked what he saw. It was both a defining moment and a problem because Arasheben had no idea what to do next.

Stalking the jewelry district, walking from shop to shop, asking questions, he found someone to make the monogrammed bracelet for $50,000. Not only was the profit margin healthy — he says Mason paid $60,000 — the work was creative. Arasheben networked at the NBA draft and All-Star game, meeting other players.

Forget law school, he thought. I want to get into jewelry.

Most teams rely on such established jewelers as Tiffany or Jostens for their rings, so there was no reason to think Arasheben could break into the business. But while selling custom pieces, he made friends with the Buss family that owned the Lakers. Wrangling a meeting with the late Jerry Buss, he told of starting from nothing, a story that seemed to click with Buss, who had built a fortune in real estate.

“I really had no business making their rings,” Arasheben says. “He gave me a chance.”

Things went smoothly at first; the team liked his design of 14 diamonds and white gold in 2009, evoking the white uniforms that players wore on Sundays to honor broadcaster Chick Hearn. Arasheben satisfied Bryant and guard Derek Fisher, who asked to have each player’s face etched on the shank.

But after years of making a few pieces at a time, it was tough producing a batch of 200 or so for players, staff and others. With sleeping bags strewn across the factory floor, Arasheben and his crew worked around the clock.

“We were taking shifts,” he says. “I think we delivered the last ring 30 minutes before the ceremony.”

The team rehired him in 2010, which led to orders from European soccer teams and the Dodgers when they won the 2017 National League pennant. Arasheben made rings for the Golden State Warriors as they captured three NBA titles in four seasons.

“We knew what we did like and we knew what we didn’t like,” Warriors forward Andre Iguodala says in a team video. “From there, we said ‘Use your imagination.’ ”

After the 2018 championship, some Warriors players wanted a blue face, some preferred white. Arasheben engineered a reversible face with diamonds on one side and sapphires on the other. At the team’s ring ceremony, video shows Iguodala demonstrating the switch to others on the bench, telling them to give the face a twist.

“You’re supposed to?” teammate David West asks.

Coach Steve Kerr tries it and blurts: “Oh my god.”

The 2020 Lakers ring posed a different problem as Arasheben kept adding features. Around the rim, he put tiny etchings of the Larry O’Brien Trophy and jersey numbers for every player on the roster that season, even those waived or assigned to the G League before the playoffs.

The left shank had room for a small NBA logo, featuring the silhouette of former Lakers great Jerry West. On the right, Arasheben fit the team’s mantra that season, “Leave A Legacy,” along with the player name and number and snakes.

Still, he needed more space.

The first championship rings, the ones handed out by the New York Giants in 1922, were relatively simple. Brushed gold, a single diamond, nothing to set the world on fire but the timing was right.

“Pocket watches were going out of fashion,” says John Odell, a curator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. There was no need for jeweled fobs or watch chains because “no longer was it stylish to show off a little bling across your belly.”

The new trend began with relatively tame signet rings, then graduated to something in the neighborhood of a high school class ring. More size translated into more detail; legendary football coach Vince Lombardi took charge of the design for his Green Bay Packers in the late 1960s and made sure to include a crown from his family crest.

There have been a few small quirks in recent years. After a squirrel bounded across home plate during the 2011 playoffs, the champion St. Louis Cardinals included a tiny image of the rodent. Two years later, the Boston Red Sox — known for their unshaven appearance — stamped a beard on the inside of their rings.

But glitz and bulk have dominated since New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner splashed “NY” in diamonds across the face of a large ring in 1977 and an even bigger one in 1996. The Lakers noted the trend in 2000, engraving “Bling Bling” on their shank. Three years later, the Florida Marlins spent a reported $20,000 each for a design encrusted with hundreds of diamonds.

“Overtly ostentatious,” Odell calls it.

Team owners were spending far more than the modest allowances the NFL and Major League Baseball afforded its winning teams. As weights topped three ounces, the rings had become so large that Jostens suggested wearing them “on your middle finger may be more comfortable in terms of balance.”

Arasheben acknowledges the trend is “getting a little ridiculous. It’s getting to the point where you’re just going to give the players a diamond plate.” But that didn’t slow him down with the Lakers this winter.

“Other manufacturers have tried to outdo us,” he says. “This year, we tried to outdo them one more time.”

::

There were 71 days between the title-winning game against the Heat and the ceremony the Lakers wanted to hold at their season opener in December. Most of that time was spent on design.

When Arasheben finally ran out of space, he reached back to an old trick with the detachable face. Same solution for a different problem.

“This time,” he says, “we needed to create more real estate.”

A 45-degree twist reveals a secondary face underneath, bearing images of the 12 retired jerseys that hang in Staples Center, including the one with a microphone instead of a number for Hearn. Bryant’s two jerseys — he wore No. 8 and No. 24 during his career — are accentuated in a darker color. As further tribute, a snakeskin texture serves as the background.

This gimmick also left space to reference last spring, when Americans took to the streets, protesting the death of George Floyd.

Pro athletes in basketball, baseball and other sports staged walkouts. James helped form More Than a Vote, an organization that has fought voter suppression and drew more than 42,000 volunteers to work at polling stations for the November election. Arasheben used the underside of the face to etch the word “Unity.”

“We wanted something the players could show their grandchildren,” he says. “Something to remember.”

The rings were handed out at an unusual ceremony last month, the stands empty because of coronavirus restrictions. Players stepped up, one by one, to podiums at midcourt while family members spoke from the videoboard above. “I know this has been a very difficult year for everyone here,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Still, James called it a “pretty cool feeling” to celebrate with teammates, a chance to look back on all they had been through. “So many story lines,” he said.

And only one ring to tell them.

===

David Wharton is a feature sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Virgin, Benedictine Religious, Mystic, Theologian, Writer.  Born – on 6 January 1256 at Eisleben, Thuringia (part of modern Germany) – she died on a Wednesday of Easter season, 17 November 1302 at the convent of Saint Mary’s of Helfta, Saxony (part of modern Germany) of natural causes.   Her relics reside in the old monastery of Helfta.   Patronages – • nuns • Magdeburg, Germany, diocese of • Naples, Italy • West Indies.   Attributes – • crown • lily • taper, candle.   St Gertrude received equipotent canonisation and a universal feast day was declared in 1677 by Pope Clement XII.

St Gertrude the Great, of whom I would like to talk to you today, brings us once again this week to the Monastery of Helfta, where several of the Latin-German masterpieces of religious literature were written by women.   Gertrude belonged to this world.  She is one of the most famous mystics, the only German woman to be called “Great”, because of her cultural and evangelical stature:  her life and her thought had a unique impact on Christian spirituality.   She was an exceptional woman, endowed with special natural talents and extraordinary gifts of grace, the most profound humility and ardent zeal for her neighbour’s salvation.  She was in close communion with God both in contemplation and in her readiness to go to the help of those in need.

At Helfta, she measured herself systematically, so to speak, with her teacher, Matilda of Hackeborn, of whom I spoke at last Wednesday’s Audience.   Gertrude came into contact with Matilda of Magdeburg, another medieval mystic and grew up under the wing of Abbess Gertrude, motherly, gentle and demanding.   From these three sisters she drew precious experience and wisdom;  she worked them into a synthesis of her own, continuing on her religious journey with boundless trust in the Lord.   Gertrude expressed the riches of her spirituality not only in her monastic world but also and above all in the biblical, liturgical, Patristic and Benedictine contexts, with a highly personal hallmark and great skill in communicating.

Gertrude was born on 6 January 1256, on the Feast of the Epiphany but nothing is known of her parents nor of the place of her birth.   Gertrude wrote that the Lord himself revealed to her the meaning of this first uprooting:  “I have chosen you for my abode because I am pleased that all that is lovable in you is my work…. For this very reason I have distanced you from all your relatives, so that no one may love you for reasons of kinship and that I may be the sole cause of the affection you receive”  (The Revelations, I, 16, Siena 1994, pp. 76-77).

When she was five years old, in 1261, she entered the monastery for formation and education, a common practice in that period.   Here she spent her whole life, the most important stages of which she herself points out.   In her memoirs she recalls that the Lord equipped her in advance with forbearing patience and infinite mercy, forgetting the years of her childhood, adolescence and youth, which she spent, she wrote, “in such mental blindness that I would have been capable… of thinking, saying or doing without remorse everything I liked and wherever I could, had you not armed me in advance, with an inherent horror of evil and a natural inclination for good and with the external vigilance of others.   “I would have behaved like a pagan… in spite of desiring you since childhood, that is since my fifth year of age, when I went to live in the Benedictine shrine of religion to be educated among your most devout friends”(ibid., II, 23, p. 140f.).

Gertrude was an extraordinary student, she learned everything that can be learned of the sciences of the trivium and quadrivium, the education of that time;  she was fascinated by knowledge and threw herself into profane studies with zeal and tenacity, achieving scholastic successes beyond every expectation.   If we know nothing of her origins, she herself tells us about her youthful passions: literature, music and song and the art of miniature painting captivated her.   She had a strong, determined, ready and impulsive temperament.   She often says that she was negligent;  he recognises her shortcomings and humbly asks forgiveness for them.   She also humbly asks for advice and prayers for her conversion.   Some features of her temperament and faults were to accompany her to the end of her life, so as to amaze certain people who wondered why the Lord had favoured her with such a special love.

From being a student she moved on to dedicate herself totally to God in monastic life, and for 20 years nothing exceptional occurred: study and prayer were her main activities.   Because of her gifts she shone out among the sisters;   she was tenacious in consolidating her culture in various fields. Nevertheless during Advent of 1280 she began to feel disgusted with all this and realised the vanity of it all.   On 27 January 1281, a few days before the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, towards the hour of Compline in the evening, the Lord with his illumination dispelled her deep anxiety.   With gentle sweetness He calmed the distress that anguished her, a torment that Gertrude saw even as a gift of God, “to pull down that tower of vanity and curiosity which, although I had both the name and habit of a nun alas I had continued to build with my pride, so that at least in this manner I might find the way for you to show me your salvation” (ibid., II, p. 87).   She had a vision of a young man who, in order to guide her through the tangle of thorns that surrounded her soul, took her by the hand.   In that hand Gertrude recognised “the precious traces of the wounds that abrogated all the acts of accusation of our enemies” (ibid., II, 1, p. 89), and thus recognised the One who saved us with His Blood on the Cross:  Jesus.

From that moment her life of intimate communion with the Lord was intensified, especially in the most important liturgical seasons Advent-Christmas, Lent-Easter, the feasts of Our Lady even when illness prevented her from going to the choir.   This was the same liturgical humus as that of Matilda, her teacher;  but Gertrude describes it with simpler, more linear images, symbols and terms that are more realistic and her references to the Bible, to the Fathers and to the Benedictine world are more direct.

Her biographer points out two directions of what we might describe as her own particular “conversion”:  in study, with the radical passage from profane, humanistic studies to the study of theology, and in monastic observance, with the passage from a life that she describes as negligent, to the life of intense, mystical prayer, with exceptional missionary zeal.   The Lord who had chosen her from her mother’s womb and who since her childhood had made her partake of the banquet of monastic life, called her again with his grace “from external things to inner life and from earthly occupations to love for spiritual things”.   Gertrude understood that she was remote from him, in the region of unlikeness, as she said with Augustine;  that she had dedicated herself with excessive greed to liberal studies, to human wisdom, overlooking spiritual knowledge, depriving herself of the taste for true wisdom;  she was then led to the mountain of contemplation where she cast off her former self to be reclothed in the new.   “From a grammarian she became a theologian, with the unflagging and attentive reading of all the sacred books that she could lay her hands on or contrive to obtain. She filled her heart with the most useful and sweet sayings of Sacred Scripture. Thus she was always ready with some inspired and edifying word to satisfy those who came to consult her while having at her fingertips the most suitable scriptural texts to refute any erroneous opinion and silence her opponents” (ibid., I, 1, p. 25).

Gertrude transformed all this into an apostolate:  she devoted herself to writing and popularising the truth of faith with clarity and simplicity, with grace and persuasion, serving the Church faithfully and lovingly so as to be helpful to and appreciated by theologians and devout people.

Little of her intense activity has come down to us, partly because of the events that led to the destruction of the Monastery of Helfta.   In addition to The Herald of Divine Love and The Revelations, we still have her Spiritual Exercises, a rare jewel of mystical spiritual literature.

In religious observance our Saint was “a firm pillar… a very powerful champion of justice and truth” (ibid., I, 1, p. 26), her biographer says.   By her words and example she kindled great fervour in other people.   She added to the prayers and penances of the monastic rule others with such devotion and such trusting abandonment in God that she inspired in those who met her an awareness of being in the Lord’s presence.   In fact, God made her understand that he had called her to be an instrument of his grace.   Gertrude herself felt unworthy of this immense divine treasure, and confesses that she had not safeguarded it or made enough of it.   She exclaimed: “Alas! If You had given me to remember You, unworthy as I am, by even only a straw, I would have viewed it with greater respect and reverence that I have had for all Your gifts!”(ibid., II, 5, p. 100). Yet, in recognising her poverty and worthlessness she adhered to God’s will, “because”, she said, “I have so little profited from your graces that I cannot resolve to believe that they were lavished upon me solely for my own use, since no one can thwart your eternal wisdom.   Therefore, O Giver of every good thing who has freely lavished upon me gifts so undeserved, in order that, in reading this, the heart of at least one of Your friends may be moved at the thought that zeal for souls has induced you to leave such a priceless gem for so long in the abominable mud of my heart” (ibid., II, 5, p. 100f.).

Two favours in particular were dearer to her than any other, as Gertrude herself writes: “The stigmata of Your salvation-bearing wounds which you impressed upon me, as it were, like a valuable necklaces, in my heart and the profound and salutary wound of love with which you marked it. “You flooded me with your gifts, of such beatitude that even were I to live for 1,000 years with no consolation neither interior nor exterior the memory of them would suffice to comfort me, to enlighten me, to fill me with gratitude.   Further, You wished to introduce me into the inestimable intimacy of your friendship by opening to me in various ways that most noble sacrarium of Your Divine Being which is Your Divine Heart…. To this accumulation of benefits you added that of giving me as Advocate the Most Holy Virgin Mary, your Mother and often recommended me to her affection, just as the most faithful of bridegrooms would recommend His beloved bride to His own mother” (ibid., II, 23, p. 145).

(via AnaStpaul – Breathing Catholic)

[weshallc]

Easter Bernie.

(A Crown Jewels/Call the Midwife AU/ Also on FF and A03)

Chapter Two: Good Friday

I completely forgot what happened in this chapter. I read this morning not a clue what was going to happen🙄, it’s only been a year. Thank you for reading or re-reading and all the kind comments.😘🤗

There is a green hill far away. Without a city wall (Alexander, Brennan, Cass, Horsley)

Bernie sat calmly next to the little less calm Tim, ready to turn the pages of the worn creased sheet music. Reverend Julia was in position in the pulpit, in full regalia today, befitting the occasion. In black with a striking red scarf Lucille Anderson stood composed in front of the choir, smiling reassuringly at those assembled nervously before her, also dressed in black and red. The vicar nodded at Bernie, the signal for the service to start. Bernie took one last glance down the crowded pews, full of the shuffling and mumbling. She sighed.

As if on cue, the recently closed, dark oak inner doors opened and a tall man in his late 40’s dressed smartly in a dark suit entered. He was accompanied by a striking blonde woman in her late twenties, dressed in a fitted sage suit. The odd couple tiptoed in trying to look inconspicuous and failing badly. Bernie’s shoulders dropped and she permitted herself a tight smile. She nudged the teen next to her and whispered, “He is here.” The boy rolled his eyes and pressed the pedals below his feet.

Paddy and Trixie had found a seat next to Matron Crane, “Cutting it fine you two.”

“Barrel of Bernie’s Bitter needed changing,” as if that was explanation enough. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Phyll?”

“Could say same about you Paddy, dare say I am here for the same reasons.” Paddy lifted an eyebrow, Phyllis continued, “Supporting my family, Councillor.”

Paddy smiled and rose to his feet, as Trixie placed half a stiff hymn book, she was wrestling with, in front of him.

He looked up to see Tim looking so grown-up and self-assured in this environment that had previously been so foreign to him. It was still reassuring to see Bernie by his side. The dark blonde in the simple navy blue dress looked up, she gave the swiftest wink that only the person it was meant for caught. Trixie shook slightly as Paddy flunked the first note at the sight of Bernie’s smile.

#There is a green hill far away without a city wall #

***

“So anyone fancy a pint?” Paddy grinned.

Tim had stayed behind to talk to Lucille. Phyllis had agreed to have a night cap with Reverend Julia. Bernie had caught up with Trixie, who was puffing on a stubby and Paddy, battling with something that smelt like parma violets. The pair lent against the cool church wall, they had been chatting easily about things they had observed throughout the evening service.

“Well I certainly do,” replied Trixie instantly, “but it will have to be a pint of diet lemonade,” she sighed wistfully.

Paddy wondered whether he should apologize for his lack of thought. But the fact was, he lived in and ran a pub, there was no getting around that. To try and insulate Trixie from that was nigh on impossible and as he looked at her in that moment, she did not seem in any need of protection or over sensitivity.

Bernie on the other hand did not look as carefree, “It’s Good Friday Paddy, we have just been to church.”

“I know, thought we could all do with a bit of unwinding.” Some more than others he thought.

“I didn’t think you would open at all today, in the circumstances.” Bernie shrugged but there was disapproval in her voice.

“Oh Bernie, the laws about closing on Good Friday changed years ago,” he tried to sound nonchalant, but she could hear a hint of guilt in his defence.

Bernie wasn’t letting him off that easily, “Yes, to allow freedom of choice, you could have chosen not to open.”

Paddy was looking nervous, Trixie amused.

“We did have fish on the specials board today,” Paddy was struggling.

Trixies amusement trickled into the night air.

“Cod Parmo does not make up for Violet, Valerie and Jack not being able to attend service on a Good Friday.”

“Violet could have gone if she wanted to, we had stopped serving by then. Jack and Val didn’t request any time off or early finishes today. If they had I would have accommodated them.” Paddy had no idea why she was trying to pick a fight, he had attended the Good Friday service, wasn't that enough?

Bernie snorted and marched ahead. Trixie had stopped laughing and wasn’t finding things as funny. She linked Paddy’s arm, partly because of the vexing cobbles and partly so she could lower her voice.

“It’s just the time of the year, Paddy,” she whispered.

“April?”

“No Easter, well Lent to be specific.”

“You are not serious,” Paddy asked incredulously.

“Well she is always a bit on the grizzly side, when she has to give up biscuits every year,” Trixie bit her lip

“Every year, this happens every year?” Paddy sounded flummoxed.

“I have never seen her this upset though, it might be more to do with...” Trixie stopped.

Paddy didn’t notice, he was too busy thinking, “You said had to, there is no had to about this, it is ridiculous.”

Bernie had reached her little cottage and was fiddling in her handbag for her front door key. Cursing Trixie for insisting she locked up. Paddy was beside her and took the key straight off her once she had retrieved it. He put his arm around her and guided her firmly to the nearby Crown. Outside Val and Jack were just getting into Val’s car. They waved enthusiastically before they drove off, Paddy was relieved to see them gone. He waved back and so did Trixie from about five feet behind, still not fully competent on the cobbles.

Inside Paddy lifted Bernie from the waist and sat her down on her favourite stool and told her to wait there. She huffed but did as she had been told.

Paddy then went to the inn door, where Trixie had just arrived and gave her Bernie’s key. He asked her if she wouldn’t mind giving the couple a few minutes. Trixie went to say something, but instead kissed Paddy on the cheek, squeezed his arm and left.

Bernie swung round on her stool and watched Paddy move behind the bar. He stood opposite her and from under the bar he placed a packet onto the counter. Bernie looked down at the packet of Pink Wafer biscuits in front of her. She gulped and sniffed.

Paddy pushed the carton towards her, “Have one.”

Bernie glared at him and wailed, “You know, I can’t, why are you being so mean.”

“Because I can’t bear seeing you so miserable, it’s not worth it Bernie.”

Bernie sniffed and was unable to stem the flow of tears tumbling from her eyes. “It’s not the biscuits, it’s not Lent’s fault.”

Paddy remained quiet, too afraid to ask what the problem was, a familiar feeling of foreboding was making its way through his body. He reached behind him and placed a tumbler glass under the premium gin optic, he added some ice left in the bucket and plopped in a black straw. He put it in front of the unhappy woman sat at the bar. He deftly removed the cap off a tonic water with the bar secured bottle opener and sat it next to the glass, for Bernie to add as she wished.

“Tell me.”

He handed Bernie a serviette from the holder and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

“Trixie...” Bernie began, Paddy broke in,

“Oh no, what has she said, honestly she just doesn't think before she speaks...”

Bernie’s turn to interrupt, “It wasn’t Trixie...someone said something to her and she told me.”

“Who? Someone at church...or the Crown?” Paddy said incredulously.

“No,” Bernie continued slowly breathing each word, “The Mission.”

Paddy stopped for a moment, he hadn’t been expecting this, it was out of his territory. He wasn’t sure how to proceed, this was part of Bernie’s life that was a mystery to him, it was unknown.

“Go on,” he eventually added.

Bernie bit her lip and between sobs explained; Trixie had gone to the Mission office to tell them she had found full-time employment elsewhere and was leaving. Remarks had been made questioning; what was the attraction of this Poplar-on-Tweaven? The village that had taken two of their hardest workers and most passionate evangelists from them. Paddy did raise an eyebrow at that point, he wasn't sure if Trixie had introduced the two or Bernie was just being kind.

“So that was a compliment, that’s nothing to get upset about,” he said as cheery as he could watching Bernie obviously hurting. He was holding her hand is his, stroking her palm. Bernie shook her head. Paddy knew she saw the good in everyone, so this sense of doubt concerned him, he didn’t want to brush off her anxieties,

“Well there might be some sour grapes or even jealousy. You have both done well for yourselves. No one could dispute Trixie has fallen on her feet, being taken under Patsy’s wing. You have your own home now and two very desirable jobs,” he give a cheeky grin trying to comfort her.

Bernie gathered herself and blurted out, “They think I have turned my back on them and even worse, led Trixie astray too”

Paddy really had to hold in a snort. Bernie, on occasion could be shrouded in a mist of grumpiness, that never really had any substance or lasted any length like a fragile sea fret. But the idea of the devout Bernadette leading the worldly, streetwise Beatrix Franklin astray, was hard to comprehend.

“I am sure that’s not true, you know how dramatic Trixie is, it’s the way she told it.”

“They are disappointed in me, I have let them down,” Bernie was inconsolable, she just managed to sniff, ”They think I have betrayed them.”

Paddy didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know these people, he hardly knew Trixie. He did know Bernie and this was his worst nightmare coming into reality. His girlfriend’s obsession with service and doing the right thing, being in the right place was reasserting its hold. He thought, hoped, they had got passed this.

Inwardly he cursed Trixie for probably innocently telling Bernie about the horrible conversation. He would have to give her the benefit of the doubt, she adored Bernie and as far as he could tell approved of him. She had been thoughtless not destructive. He cursed the leaders, he had never met and hoped he never would. Again they could have meant no harm, Trixie could have misinterpreted their misplaced humour. They might be horrified to learn the distress they had caused their former golden girl.

Paddy let go of Bernie’s hand and walked round to her side of the bar and wrapped his arms around the sad looking soul perched on the bar stool. The publican held her close stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head while she sobbed into his best shirt.

****

As Good Friday turned into not so certain Saturday. Paddy sat on Peggy and Frank’s bench against the back wall of the Crown Inn. He watched the bulbous full moon form contrasting shadows across the Cleveland Hills. He puffed on his parma violet vaporizer and sneered at the mechanism and pushed it onto the table he was tapping his foot against, in an uneven rhythm.

He was focused on only one thing, how could he get Bernie Mannion to truly trust in him, Poplar and most of all herself? How could he stop her trying to always please others and be able to live a life that pleased her? He had considered, especially after the Noakes’ wedding, that a ring might allow her some sense of security, but Bernie wasn’t one for empty gestures. No, for them an engagement would mean plans and dates and he knew Bernie wasn't ready for that.

Paddy felt out of his depth, things had been so different with Marianne. In spite of their differences in life views, personalities and backgrounds, they had known pretty much straight away they would end up spending the rest of their lives together. As it turned out her life.

Bernie was completely different their relationship felt like a 3D game of snakes and ladders. He would climb the dizzy heights of Bernie’s love, one step at a time. Just to feel the snake of doubt, cynically hissing in his ear. He sipped on his Aberlour malt he had brought out with him, in need of something to take the sting out of the memory of Bernie’s tears, still ringing in his ears. But the teasing Speyside tang on his lips and the sweet, but spicy finish, only reminded him of her.

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23 Places You Have to Visit in the UK Before You Die

The UK is a stunning place to visit for a holiday, with a huge variety of tourism attractions, from cosmopolitan cities to rolling countryside, sensational coastlines to quaint country villages, so we’ve come up with our own list of top places to visit and see in the UK. The sights and experiences on offer differ wildly from region to region but there is always something for everyone, whether you’re in a big group of friends or celebrating a family occasion.

Our original blog on the 23 things to do and see in the UK before you die proved so popular that we’ve decided to update it with a few new ideas. We hope you enjoy the read and it inspires you to book a luxury holiday in one of our unique group accommodation properties around the UK.

EDINBURGH SCOTLAND

Edinburgh is Scotland’s compact, hilly capital, boasting a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. We at House Parties have several wonderful holiday properties in Edinburgh for you to rent, whether you’re looking for group accommodation or a smaller property in Edinburgh’s New Town.

The city’s beauty is both staggering and inimitable. Edinburgh Castle is home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials. But what of its hidden gems?

Foodies who are willing to be daring should visit Aizle, where there is no traditional menu. Instead diners are presented with a list of potential ingredients and asked to cross off any they don’t like – your dinner is then created from this! If you’re looking for cocktails in Edinburgh, all (well, almost all) roads lead to The Lucky Liquor Co. Look out for the bright neon sign pointing to the entrance of this Queen Street bar. Lucky Liquor isn’t afraid to push the boat out with its flavour combinations and presentation so be prepared to be wowed. For larger group gatherings who may be coming together for a special 40th or 50th birthday party, for example, why not organise a surprise dinner at The Scottish Whisky Experience? Catering for parties of between 10 and 80 for a private dinner, what better way to celebrate during your weekend at one of our holiday properties in Edinburgh?

Indulge your inner childhood

For those with a more adventurous spirit, visit The Museum of Childhood. This is the first museum in the world dedicated to the history of childhood. Get rid of the iPads and instead indulge your memories in the little tin soldiers, trains, and spinning tops. See history from the mind of a child, and appreciate the impressive collection, which dates back several hundred years.

Staying with the children’s theme, Harry Potter fans can visit Nicolson’s Café, the place where J K Rowling, as a newly divorced single mother, wrote some of her first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Please note that Nicolson’s Café has long since closed. The location was turned into a Chinese buffet restaurant but has more recently been turned into a bistro named Spoon.

The Kyoto Friendship Garden is located in the grounds of 16th century Lauriston Castle in Cramond. Opened in 2002, it was created to celebrate the twinning of Edinburgh with Kyoto in Japan. The garden has blossom trees, calming water features and zen galore for those lucky enough to find it. Scotland is all about tartan. The Tartan Weaving Mill occupies a building which used to be a reservoir. With five storeys to explore, the exhibition runs you through the entire process involved in tartan production and visitors can be fitted for full Highland dress.

YORKSHIRE

House Parties have several unique group accommodation holiday homes to rent in Yorkshire, the biggest county in England. For outdoor enthusiasts, Malham Tarn Estates is a must. This outstanding area of limestone pavements, upland hill farms and hay meadows provides a wonderful setting for outdoor pursuits such as walking, cycling or simply enjoying the great outdoors.

Then, there’s always Bolton Abbey. On the banks of the river Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales, this country estate is the Yorkshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Visitors are drawn to the breath-taking countryside and impeccably well-maintained site. The surfaced paths along the riverside and through the ancient woodlands, offer walks to suit all ages and abilities, all year round. Visitors are invited to explore the Priory Ruins which stands proudly on the banks of the Wharfe and discover how it might have been in the thriving Priory Church. This is one of our favourite places in the Dales and should definitely make your list of places to see in England before you die.

The Yorkshire Dales are one of the best places in the UK to enjoy stargazing, with four designated Dark Sky Discovery Sites where you could see as many as 2,000 stars on a clear night. You might even catch a glimpse of the Milky Way, and if the conditions are right the Northern Lights. See more about how to go stargazing in Yorkshire.

THE CITY OF YORK

If you’re on a group or family holiday in York, why not try the York Maze for an exciting adventure? Billed as Europe’s largest maze, it promises a family fun-filled day out.

If you’re staying at one of our York properties and are looking for somewhere special to host a celebration dinner, why not try The Countess of York, a restored railway carriage situated in the South Gardens between Great Hall and Station Hall at The York Railway Museum.  According to the website, the opulent vintage décor and elegant furniture promises a wonderful private dining experience for 12-24 guests and is a lovely place to host a wedding dinner or milestone birthday, or to celebrate an anniversary or retirement.

York Chocolate Story – York is the home of chocolate in the UK (you learn something new every day!). Apparently, this wonderful tradition continues to this day and there are echoes of this sweet past all over the city. Wonderful if you’re taking an Easter break in the city but, if you’re there for a special 40th or 50th birthday celebration, they also do private dining experiences.

The Golden Fleece is said to be York’s most haunted pub. Built in 1503, it is not only one of the oldest pubs in York but also has a reported 15 resident ghosts! The most talked about is Lady Alice Peckett, wife to John who used to be the Major of York and also the owner of this pub. Many guests have reported seeing Alice wandering the corridors.

Another wonderful sounding experience for foodies in York. The Grand is a well-known landmark in the city and offers speciality cooking courses where you can choose from a selection of express, half and full-day courses which will not only be fun but will help to enhance your skills in the kitchen. Let the chefs guide you to culinary heaven. Perfect for an activity on a hen party weekend.

BRIGHTON

Brighton is a quintessential English seaside resort town, also known for its nightlife, attracting many hen and stag parties, arts scene, shopping and festivals. Also known for its culture, diversity and eccentricity, there are many historical and modern attractions within Brighton and Hove, but it may not come as any surprise that there are some more unusual things to do.

Take three hours out of your holiday to enjoy Chocolate Chuckles, the ultimate endorphin combination of Laughter Gym and a Love Chocolate Making Workshop. Billed as the cross between a stress busting, energy boosting laughter yoga session and an indulgent, educational and playful journey through chocolate, what more could you ask for on a weekend away in Brighton?!

For those looking for an even more unique experience (can you get such a thing?), try out the Bewilder Box Escape Room Experience. Bewilder Box escape rooms are puzzle-based adventure games in which you and your team race against the clock to complete challenges, whilst taking part in a tantalisingly silly and immersive story. Apparently ideal for families, friends, stag/hen parties and team building..

Fancy a wood-fired sauna spa right on the beach? Beach Box Brighton comes highly recommended – this is an all year round, wood-fired public beach sauna, set up on a secluded area of Brighton beach, and including a wood-fired sauna, changing area and showers, cold showers/buckets and chill-out area. Perfect for those morning-after mornings on a hen weekend! SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles, located in Scotland. Standing at 1,345 metres (4,411 ft) above sea level, it is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William. There are a range of walks on offer, depending on experience. Fort William is known as the “Outdoor Capital of Scotland” but, if conquering the UK’s highest mountain isn’t at the top of your bucket list, there are other ways to enjoy magnificent mountain scenery.

The Fort William Treasure Trail is a fun and imaginative way to explore. Try the Fort William Treasure Trail, a two-mile walking route which takes around two hours to complete. The task is to follow the sneaky clues based on interesting and quirky permanent features – all you have to do is try and solve the puzzle.

A visit to Scotland wouldn’t be the same without a Whisky Distillery tour. With over 120 whisky active distilleries spread around Scotland, where a whisky is made can have a huge bearing on its flavour. Check out Scotland’s Whisky Map to see what tours are near your group accommodation.

Taking a train journey around Scotland is one of the best ways of seeing the magnificent vistas the country has to offer. There are overnight journeys which take you deep into the Highlands or you can do a quick round trip perfect for kids – try The Kyle Line which leads through charming Highland villages such as Achnasheen and Plockton before arriving in Kyle of Lochalsh, taking just two and a half hours.

When in Aberdeenshire, do as the locals do and think the sea. Footdee (‘Fittie’ as it is pronounced locally) is a quaint former fishing village tucked away off the main tourist route.

Today, it’s a vibrant area with an eclectic mix of cottages and other buildings and regarded as one of the most unique communities in the UK.

Fresh seafood is still a local speciality here, so why not try out the menus at Moon Fish Café? or for dining with a sea view try Silver Darling, they also have a private dining room seating up to 14 guests.