#gp: hick

[ghostwoohoo]

round 3: hick

[thmadethis]

@inktober 5_MAP

•

1) Had no idea that MapQuest was still around... 2) Their logo made me sad so I recreated it. 3) Google maps is the best. TRUE DAT. DOUBLE TRUE!

[alexmeeksmartin]

chosen family - pt i

pairing(s): wes hicks x male reader, slight chad meeks-martin x male reader

synopsis: the one where y/n roberts, survivor of the 2011 woodsboro massacre and brother of ghostface killer, jill roberts, is roped into another string of murders when his friend, tara carpenter, is attacked by someone taking on the moniker

a/n: new series! not sure if i’ll end up finishing this, but i would like to at least do a couple parts! hope u enjoy <3

wc: 1.9k

it was more than enough to struggle with the fact that your sister, jill roberts, had decided to stab you alongside your mother when you were only eight years old. ironically enough, your fame-hungry sister’s sickening plot to become a sole survivor is what thrust you into the limelight. for years, the media hounded you about the ghostface killings of 2011. it took you forever to get a group of friends who wouldn’t try abuse your connections. you were finally in a stable position…

…but now some fucker had decided to put on that damned mask and go stabbing again.

“that was sam.” your boyfriend, wes, let everyone know. you were all together, minus tara, obviously. you, wes, chad, mindy, amber, and liv. and nobody was taking this seriously, not even you at this stage. none of you had really processed it all properly yet.

you watched as amber’s interest was immediately piqued. “she’s coming?”

“yeah.”

“watch everything get worse.” amber says with a sigh, clearly unhappy about sam’s upcoming return to woodsboro.

“listen, all i’m saying is, with everything going on right now, i think it’s time we take our relationship to the next, most intimate level!” chad pleads with liv, doing his best to convince her.

“yuck.” you add across from the happy couple.

“it’s fine, y/n. he only wants me to accept his ‘find my fam’ request.” liv explains to you, removing the expression of disgust from of your face.

“it’s the smartest option with a would-be killer on the loose. you know exactly where i am and i know exactly where you are.” chad continues, building up his case.

“aw, you can stalk me like a jealous boyfriend.” liv giggles.

“and you can stalk me like a jealous boyfriend.” chad jokes as you and mindy make eye contact, signalling to each other your repulsion towards chad and liv at that moment in time with just one look of your eyes. it’s funny how much two best friends can say in just a glance.

“is this because you two aren’t having sex yet?” amber bluntly asks, looking between the two of them.

“you actually bring up a very good point! not that i want to sound like a stereotypical jock, trying to get into his girlfriend’s pants-“

“great!” liv says, stopping chad.

“come on, wes, you get what i mean?” chad asks, trying unsuccessfully to get some back up, but you shoot wes a death stare, making him think carefully about his next words.

“absolutely not. i wouldn’t dare.” wes begins, clarifying that he doesn’t agree with chad to you before moving onto liv, “don’t do it, liv, there’s some pyscho out there. you make yourself harder to find. delete social media, tape over your phone camera, disable gps-“

“yes, thank you very much, edward snowden.” chad says, cutting wes off. “actually, your mother just interrogated me about tara’s attempted murder.”

“i’m sure she’s asking everybody, i mean, ghostface is back.” wes responds. a chill goes down your spine at the very mention of the masked murderer.

“she hasn’t asked me.” you chuck into conversation, noticing how the sheriff hadn’t even seemed to have looked your way yet.

“yeah, because you’re like sheriff riley’s adoptive son. plus, you and her went through the same thing.” liv says.

“ex sheriff riley.” mindy adds, “also, the press still isn’t saying ghostface.” and another chill.

“my mom doesn’t want to cause a panic.” wes explains.

“it’ll get out by the second or third killing.” mindy says, nonchalantly.

“mindy, come on.” you say. you loved her, but her insensitivity could be an issue on occasion.

“jesus, mindy, there wasn’t a first killing. tara’s still alive.” amber says, slightly angry.

“that means she could still die.”

“what the fuck?” amber is progressively getting more and more agitated at this conversation, you note.

“or the killer could come back for her.”

“fuck, mindy!” chad says as you screw your face up, “come on.”

“i’m just telling you, arm up, okay? pepper spray, check, taser, check-“ wes lists off his weapons.

“y/n in the bedroom repellent, check.” amber cuts in, laughing at him.

“again, ew.” you say, turning away from amber to wes, “i’m glad you’re keeping yourself safe.” you smile at your boyfriend.

“keeping us safe.” he says, pulling you into his arms.

“oh, shit, is that… vince?” liv asks.

“wait. that creep you hooked up with last summer?” chad asks liv, concern immediately showing on his face.

“yeah, he worked with me and tara.”

“he worked with tara?” amber asks inquisitively.

“he’s been stalking my instagram the last couple weeks, posting the creepiest shit.” liv adds.

“probably time to introduce him to hobbs and shaw.” chad says, flexing his biceps.

liv puts his arm down to his side. “maybe not the best idea to incite violence right in front of the sheriff. looks like he’s leaving.”

“plus, i don’t think ‘hobbs and shaw’ are scaring anyone with names like that.” you say, laughing at chad.

“oh, please. you’d love to take hobbs and shaw for a spin.” chad retorts, smiling back at you.

“tara says she fought back hard. you’ve got bruises.” amber states, observing chad’s somewhat battered and blue arms.

“from football practice.” he says, defending himself.

“oh, sure-“

“tara’s awake! she just texted.” wes says, his face lighting up. “i’m going to the hospital, you guys coming?”

mutters of ‘yes’ and ‘sure’ are said by your friends, but what stands out is liv saying: “i can’t, but i’ll meet you guys later.” another thing to take mental note of.

“alright, i’ll see you later.” chad says, kissing liv on the cheek goodbye. you wait up for chad as wes, mindy, and amber walk on ahead and descend into playful conversation him.

you were all gathered in tara’s room at the hospital, with wes’ arm draped around your neck as you sit on the chair right beside tara’s bed. amber stands over you with a very concerned look on her face as the twins make small talk on the other side of the room.

the door opens, and everyone looks to it. sam. sam and- who?

“you came.” tara says with a small smile.

“of course i came.” sam says, giving her sister a very gentle and light hug. “this is my boyfriend, richie.”

that explains who the random guy is.

“it’s so nice to meet you, i’m so sorry if i’m intruding.” richie says to tara.

“nice to meet you too.”

“hi. thank you for calling.” sam says, giving wes a hug.

“of course.”

“look at your hair! i like it.” sam compliments, ruffling your boyfriend’s hair like she’s his mother.

you get up and embrace sam. god, you’d missed her. even though she had her own shit going on, she never failed to be the big sister you wish you had - a loving, protective figure. not jill.

“these are chad and mindy, the twins, wes, and y/n. i used to babysit them all.”

“which is always how i like to be introduced.” wes says, to which you let out a slight laugh.

“and amber.” sam finishes her introductions, locking eyes with the dark haired girl. “hey.”

“hi.” you can feel the tension radiating between them. they do not like each other at all. “nice to see you.”

“hi, um, i’m richie.” richie says, amber looking him up and down. you weren’t too sure if you liked the guy either, seemed a bit fidgety. maybe just nerves, with ghostface going around and all.

“hi.” amber says.

“where’s mom?” sam asks tara, a worried expression crossing her face.

“she’s stuck in a conference in london. she called me earlier.”

“yeah, for all of ten minutes.” amber adds with a judgemental tone to her words.

you look over at tara, who looks tired out of her mind, probably from the painkillers. as someone who had been in a similar position, you knew that it’d be best to make an exit right about now. not only that, the reality of the situation was starting to kick in now. how were you all going to navigate this and stay safe?

“guys, maybe we should give tara a little space. getting a bit crowded in here.” you say, concerned for tara.

your friends respond with a chorus of ‘yeah’s, and you all begin to head for the door.

“not you, sam. i want you to stay.”

“okay.” sam says, sweetly smiling at her sister before sitting herself back down.

“but the rest-“ chad says, looking back to you, mindy, and wes affirming that you guys should go.

you all walk outside of the hospital, and it’s really starting to hit you now. this couldn’t be happening again. you couldn’t lose anyone else to some stupid fucking legacy. to ghostface. you lost your mother, your aunt, and even your sister - all because a pair of stupid, deranged, psychopathic men picked up some halloween mask in 1996. it wasn’t fair.

you start to walk slightly ahead of the group, with none of their conversation registering in your mind. tears start to form in your eyes as you hear them calling out your name. this isn’t fair. you don’t deserve this. tara doesn’t deserve this. nobody deserves this.

you’re brought out of your trance when you feel mindy’s hand touch your shoulder as she walks in front of you.

“hey, you good?” she asks, but sees the tears in your eyes. you shake your head, and she turns to the boys and amber. “we’ll just see you guys at the bar later, okay?”

“you sure? i can stay.” wes says, but you turn around to speak to them.

“no, it’s fine. i’m fine. i’ll see you guys later.” you say, putting on your bravest face and best smile for them. you can tell they’re not quite buying it, but they know mindy’s got you so they keep walking. you see chad turn back multiple times to check on you again, and can tell amber and wes are already bickering again by the time they get in the car.

when they’re gone, it’s just you and mindy sitting against a tree.

“mindy, i don’t think i can do this again.” you say, sighing.

“it’s fine. we’ve got you. me, wes, chad, amber, and i guess liv have got your’s and tara’s backs. we’re here for whatever you need. especially me. you’re my best friend, y/n. nothing is more important to me than your well-being. got it?”

“i love you, minds. you’re the best.”

“i love you too, y/n. and remember, we understand if you need space, support, anything right now. sam’s got tara, and we’ve got you. okay?”

“thanks.” you say, a real smile making its way onto your face.

“anyways, i need to go show chad that i still am the king of eight ball. you coming?” mindy says, getting up and sticking her hand out to you.

“i wouldn’t dare to miss chad getting his ass handed to him.” you laugh, letting mindy pull you up as you head to the car.

maybe it wasn’t so bad. it was cheesy, but maybe with your friends by your side you’d get through this again. maybe.

a/n: hope you all enjoyed! have a couple parts already in the drafts for this so shouldn’t be too long till the next is posted !! thanks for reading 🫶

[witchthewriter]

𝑴𝒂𝒄𝑮𝒚𝒗𝒆𝒓 & 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒚: 𝑨 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄.

Paid story for @alohomorasomnium. Word Count: 1k Warnings: swears, mentions of previous domestic violence

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ          

The vet’s office had said to dress casual for the interview, but in this town, you had no idea what that meant. Driving into Charming felt like going back five…maybe even ten years. It wasn’t an old hick town, but it had a feeling of slowness. Like trends and updates took their time to reach Charming, even though it was a Californian town.

   You had chosen a white button up top, with short sleeves and a black pin skirt with a matching jacket. Your hair was in a French braid and you had nearly dropped your thin black framed glasses locking your front door that morning. Your aim was to impress; seem professional. But god it was hot. You weren’t expecting such a warm day – neither was the weatherman you’d been listening to on the tv last night.

   It was still an adjustment – moving into a new home, into a new street, new town… new state.

   “Change is good,” is what you had told yourself while you drove all of your belongings from your hometown to Charming. You said it over and over again.

 This morning hadn’t gone too badly, well, not until you got onto the main road and Charlie, your truck, conked out twenty minutes from your interview destination. You had considered walking, but it would take you at least an hour on foot. Especially since your GPS didn’t work without a power outlet.

 Bottling up your scream, you stood on the side of the road and popped open the hood of your truck. Steam blasted you in the face, fogging up your glasses and dirtying your white shirt.

    “The fuck is wrong with you Charlie! Why now?” You groaned, leaning your head against your arm. You counted to ten and pulled yourself together. Now wasn’t the time for a breakdown.

 Hooking the rod into place, you wiped your glasses on your shirt and looked for any damages. The oil was fine, water in the windshield wipers were full, hell everything looked perfect.

   Just as you unhooked the rod, you felt a presence behind you. Jumping, you turned around in a flash and dropped the hood. Bang! The sound seemed to ring out in the early hours of the morning.

     “Sorry ma’am, didn’t mean to startle you.” Having to look up to see his face, you saw a bearded man with a leather kutte covered in patches.

 “No need to apologise, just … having a rough morning,” you said, locating your keys and doing your best not to seem frightened. Your fear didn’t spawn because he was a biker, no. It was because he was a man.

   Moving to Charming wasn’t a choice out of freedom, but necessity. To put it simply, the man you had loved turned out to be a narcissistic, obsessive control freak. Breaking loose of him gave you your life, but parts of you would never be the same.

  “Looks like it,” Opie said in a humorous tone, “I work for Teller Morrow mechanics, I can take a look if that’s okay with you.”

 Polite.

        You weren’t used to big, booted men with being polite.

So, you were unsure, but time was ticking away, and you were in desperate need for this job.

     “Okay, you can take a look,” stepping back, you watched as he trudged over to Charlie and did exactly as you had done. After ten minutes he slowly lowered the hood and wiped his hands on his jeans.

  He shook his head, “Not an easy fix, looks like a part is missing.” Opie’s sunglasses perched high on his head as he looked at you. You noticed the tattoos on his neck and arms, and wondered how many more he had.

 After processing the words, your stomach sank.

      “God,” you shut your eyes, and held it in. Coincidence, you thought. This was all coincidence.

  “I can call the tow truck,” he said, moving toward you. Taking an instinctual step back, you noticed that the big biker stopped in his tracks.

“Sorry, it’s not you. I’m just –“

        “- not only having a rough morning?”

You crossed your arms and nodded.

  “Look, I’ll call a tow truck and take you to wherever it is you need to go, sound okay?”

  You looked from the ground to see what his transportation was. A Harley. How would it look showing up to the Vets on the back of a bike?

 Fuck. I’m fucked. This is fucked. How has my day come to this? You thought roughly, rubbing your temple. You looked at your watch, five minutes. Five minutes until the interview. Shit.

 Letting out a laugh (because if you didn’t laugh you’d cry), you nodded to the brown-haired biker.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked him, throwing a leg over the seat, trying not to let your skirt hike up too high.

    “What comes around goes around,” he replied, handing you the helmet and securing your handbag in his satchel.

  “Huh, Karma,” you muttered, and tried to fasten the helmet tighter.

“Here, let me,” large hands came towards your face but you didn’t flinch. There was something about this man. Being up close meant you could sense it better. Maybe you had been around animals for too long, but as they were able to sense a good person…somehow so did you.

  “I didn’t get your name,” you said as he was face to face with you. His large fingers gently tugged on the cords of the helmet, clicking it in place, his eyes flickered to yours and you noticed the faded freckles over the bridge of his nose.

“Oh uh, it’s – Opie,” he stammered lightly, moving in front of you and hoisting a leg over the bike. “Yours?” He asked over his shoulder.

   “Kaelie.”

“Well Kaelie, where we going?”

    “The Veterinary Clinic,” you called over the rumble of the bike.

He smiled and nodded. Flicking up the kickstand, instantly the two of you were off.

                                                            - 🛠 –

What should have taken you twenty minutes, Opie did in ten. You chalked it up to knowing the right streets, but a few times you looked over his shoulder to see how fast he was going. (It was fast).

   After parking you had handed the helmet back to the biker and smiled at him.

“Thank you.”

  With a half smile, he shook his head. You were about to turn around and head off but he pulled something out of his pocket.

  “Here’s the details for our mechanics. Your car should be done by the end of the day.”

You nodded, once again thanking him for his generosity.

    “Do you need a ride after your done here?”

Cocking your head to the side, you blinked a few times before nodding.

    “Hey, just helping a new neighbour.”

[theoriginalmarke]

TUESDAY TONGUE TWISTERS

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

So far this is a better day. No pug poo, no baptised phones to deal with. I even got morning kisses from the neighbor's puppy.

For some reason Abby is afraid to go out if the newish neighbor's three dogs are out. She never was before, maybe one of them said something mean and hurt her feelings. The pug doesn't care.

RIP, Charlie Hustle.

Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.

I've finished the back room and started on Mom's jewelry. There is a shitload of jewelry.

At some point she took up crafts, including painting and jewelry making. I never heard her talk about watch repair, but apparently she tried that, too. I found a box of old watches and tools. There are a couple of nice Gruens.

There were no memorable dreams to report. Sorry. Maybe I'll have something for you tomorrow.

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. A tongue twister and the longest word in the English dictionary. It was invented to describe a lung disease caused by breathing fine ash and/or dust.

Now if you'll excuse me it's time to get back to squinting at tiny stamps (925, GP, STER, 10K, et. al. FML) on the jewelry.

I love you, baby. You're priceless. MWAH!

Y'all have a great day.

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 0558 4 May 2024

17675Khz 0450 4 MAY 2024 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 45434. English, "Music 101" in progress, music DJ'd by female announcer until pips and news @0500z anchored by Louise Pagonis. More than a third of adult New Zealanders are not getting the healthcare they need, a new study by the senior doctors union finds. Patients who needed specialist care were being left "in limbo" with their GPs while the number of people turning up to emergency departments in life-threatening situations was growing. New Zealand said on Saturday that its Antarctic agency signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute to foster cooperation between the two polar science bodies, amid China's growing presence in Antarctica. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also shared New Zealand's views on international security threats, including efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A female youth has been taken into custody after an assault this afternoon at the Bayfair Shopping Centre in Mt Maunganui that left shoppers terrified. A second person has died from their injuries after a stolen ute crashed in the Kāpiti Coast District last week, police say. The truck was driving the wrong way up State Highway 1 on Friday last week, when it was involved in a fatal head-on collision. An advocate for survivors of sexual abuse says the true extent of Brad Shipton's crimes may never come to light. The former policeman and convicted rapist died this week aged 65 after suffering early onset dementia. Brad Shipton was convicted for his part in the 1989 pack rape of a woman in Mt Maunganui. Hope Hicks, a former top aide to Donald Trump, testified on Friday that he told her in the final days of the 2016 presidential election to deny that he had a sexual relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels. Earlier in the day, the judge overseeing the trial told Trump that a gag order that bars him from commenting about witnesses and jurors would not prevent him from testifying, as Trump had told reporters on Thursday. "I want to stress to Mr Trump: you have an absolute right to testify at trial," Justice Juan Merchan said. Renters and realtors are upset with a government decision to scrap a bill meant to regulate property managers over concerns about unethical and unlawful behaviours. They say the current state of the property management sector lacked any minimum standards or basic checks and balances to protect tenants and landlords. @0509z trailer for RNZ "The Mixtape". @0510z Weather Forecast: mostly fine with isolated showers. @0512z "Focus on Politics" anchored by male announcer. 250ft unterminated BoG antenna pointed E/W w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), JRC NRD-535D. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 2350.

[spacenutspod]

Washington DC (SPX) Jan 12, 2024 Russia and China are deploying capabilities that can target GPS and other vital space-based systems in an effort to degrade the military space advantage of the U.S. and its allies, said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Hicks made the remarks in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as Army Gen. James H. Dickinson relinquished command of U.S. Space Command to Space Force Gen. Stephen N. Whiti

[georgemcginn]

Hicks: U.S. Aims to Prevent Conflict in Space, Other Domains Through Deterrence

View Online Hicks: U.S. Aims to Prevent Conflict in Space, Other Domains Through Deterrence Jan. 10, 2024 | By David Vergun Russia and China are deploying capabilities that can target GPS and other vital space-based systems in an effort to degrade the military space advantage of the U.S. and its allies, said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Hicks made the remarks today in Colorado…

[linneatanner]

Rebecca Rosenberg Champagne Widows / Madame Pommery #ChampagneHistory #FrenchHistory #ChampagneWidows #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub #CPBC @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: REBECCA ROSENBERG I’m delighted to welcome Rebecca Rosenberg as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour held between September 25th — November 27th, 2023. She is the author of the Historical Fictionm Champagne Widows / Madame Pommery (Champagne Widows Series), published by Lion Heart Publishing on March 2022 / April 2023 (368 pages). Below are highlights of Champagne Widows / Madame Pommery, Rebecca Rosenberg's author bio, and an excerpt from Madame Pommery. Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/08/blog-tour-champagne-widows-series.html EXCERPT: MADAME POMMERY Madame Pommery Creator of Brut Champagne By Rebecca Rosenberg Blurb EDITORS CHOICE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY “A-Tour-de-Force” Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize MADAME POMMERY, Creator of Brut Champagne "A tour-de-force of historical fiction, Madame Pommery is a deeply fascinating work that blends true-to-life details with artfully crafted elements." --Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Madame Pommery is a story of a woman's indomitable spirit in the face of insurmountable odds. Set in Champagne, France in 1860, Madame Pommery is a forty-year-old widow and etiquette teacher whose husband has passed away. Now she must find a way to support her family. With no experience, she decides to make champagne, but no champagne makers will teach her their craft. Undeterred, Madame Pommery begins to secretly excavate champagne caves under the Reims city dump and faces numerous obstacles to achieve her dream. From the Franco-Prussian war that conscripts her son and crew to the Prussian General Frederick Franz occupying her home, Madame Pommery perseveres. She even must choose between her champagne dreams and a marriage proposal from her former lover, a Scottish Baron. Inspired by a true story, Madame Pommery is a heroic tale of a woman's strength and determination to create a champagne legacy. If you enjoyed books like 'The Widow of the South' by Robert Hicks or 'The Paris Seamstress' by Natasha Lester, you'll love 'Veuve Clicquot'. HIGHLIGHTS: CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS   Champagne Widows The First Woman of Champagne By Rebecca Rosenberg Blurb: EDITORS CHOICE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY This engrossing historical novel by Rebecca Rosenberg follows Veuve Clicquot, a strong-minded woman determined to defy the Napoleon Code and become a master champagne maker. In 1800 France, twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole inherits her great-grandfather's uncanny sense of smell and uses it to make great champagne, despite the Code prohibiting women from owning a business. When tragedy strikes and she becomes a Veuve (widow), she must grapple with a domineering partner, the complexities of making champagne, and the aftermath of six Napoleon wars. When she falls in love with her sales manager, Louis Bohne, she must choose between losing her winery to her husband to obey the Napoleon Code, or losing Louis. In the ultimate showdown, Veuve Clicquot defies Napoleon himself, risking prison and even death. If you enjoyed books like The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks or The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester, you'll love Veuve Clicquot. Buy Links:These titles are available to read on #KindleUnlimited. Universal Links: Madame Pommery: https://books2read.com/u/bW6GL1 Champagne Widows: https://books2read.com/u/3kBekW Champagne Widows Series Links: Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BSTJPZX3 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BSTJPZX3 Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0BSTJPZX3 Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0BSTJPZX3 AUTHOR BIO: REBECCA ROSENBERG Rebecca Rosenberg is an award-winning novelist, champagne geek, and lavender farmer. Rebecca first fell in love with methode champenoise in Sonoma Valley, California. Over decades of delicious research, she has explored the wine cellars of France, Spain, Italy, and California in search of fine champagne. When Rebecca discovered the real-life stories of the Champagne Widows of France, she knew she’d dedicate years to telling the stories of these remarkable women who made champagne the worldwide phenomenon it is today. Rebecca is a champagne historian, tour guide, and champagne cocktail expert for Breathless Wines. Other award-winning novels include The Secret Life of Mrs. London and Gold Digger, the Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor. Author Links: Website: https://www.rebecca-rosenberg.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.rosenberg.novelist/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-rosenberg-novelist-a4906885/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccarosenbergnovelist Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rebecca-rosenberg Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rebecca-Rosenberg/author/B075WGKJ3Y Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7652050.Rebecca_Rosenberg EXCERPT: MADAME POMMERY   PART I 1858-1862 “Never imitate anyone, including yourself.” ~Jeanne Alexandrine Pommery 1 En avoir gros sur lE cœur To have a big one on the heart Reims, Champagne, France, 1858. If it wasn’t for the vital volume of Etiquette for Ladies weighing down my lap, I would float away with my dear Louis, who I pray is knocking at heaven’s gates by now. The waxy body before me is not my Louis, no longer smelling of lanolin from working the wool. His lips and cheeks are painted with embalmer’s rouge in a grotesque likeness of the trollops at Le Palais Alhambra brothel. My husband was a simple man who would have preferred his untouched body encased in a plain pine box. Why did I let Reynard Wolfe convince me to embalm and inter Louis in an extravagant casket of walnut burl inlaid with brass and pewter? Wolfe, Louis’s banker and executor, appealed to my sense of societal duty. “Madame Pommery, as the very pillar of Reims society, you would certainly be expected to maintain Louis Pommery’s dignity as a respected businessman.” Dignity my eye. Louis puffed up and painted like a suckling pig? May as well have an apple stuffed in his mouth. I’ve kept our two-year-old daughter in the nursery with her nanny, Lucille. No one should remember their parent in a box, Madame Pommery, looking so unnatural. I shudder at the thought, and Madame DuBois wraps a shawl over my shoulders against the chill. “Merci.” I pat her hand. She’s been with me every moment since I started the Saint Remi Auxiliary for the orphanage. The other aux- iliary ladies babble on about Louis—how steadfast, gentle, and loyal he was, never once mentioning his failing wool and wine business. I’ve given them all Etiquette for Ladies. Their words drift to the ceiling with the candle smoke, as my fingers examine the gift Louis gave me last year for my thirty-ninth birthday. I’d hoped for canvas and paints, but he gave me a chate- laine. “Everything you ever need hanging from your belt.” He’d demonstrated each item with such pride, I hid my disappointment. “Thimble, watch, scissors, and measuring tape for your needlework, a funnel for your oils, a pencil, a pantry key, a wax letter seal, and a vial of smelling salts. Uncorking the vial, I breathe in the stinging vapors of camphor, which smell like embalming fluid. “It’s time, Madame Pommery.” Reynard Wolfe dons a Bavarian hat from his homeland. My son, Louis’s namesake, squeezes my hand. A flesh-and- blood image of his father with his brooding brow and broad shoul- ders. So grown up in his military school uniform, yet sweat beads his upper lip. Still a boy at seventeen. As Father Pieter closes the coffin lid, I steal a last look at the man who is not really here. “Wait.” I pluck a rose from the vase and lay it on his folded hands that feel so cold. My son helps Narcisse Greno with his coat. My husband’s partner has aged overnight. His head quivers. Thick lenses enlarge his cloudy eyes. An ear trumpet sticks out from his breast pocket. The rest of the pallbearers pull on fur-lined gloves and black overcoats over blacker mourning suits. Henry Vasnier, my husband’s young apprentice, wears the same suit he wears every Sunday for church. He has a fresh cut under his long sideburns and a bit of lather behind his ear. No wife yet to help him catch those things. Reynard Wolfe positions the esteemed Mayor Werle and Doctor DuBois at the head of the coffin. I imagine it’s so the crowd outside will see these important men first in the procession. As the widow, I am forbidden to join the procession. That bitter pill sticks in my throat. The men lift the coffin, and I jump up from my chair. The weighty Etiquette for Ladies falls on my foot with a sharp blow. Catching myself on the casket, the pallbearers buckle under my added weight. “I want to go to the cemetery,” I say, my foot aching. “Madame Pommery, you of all people know only men walk behind the hearse wagon,” Wolfe scolds. “I will make sure Monsieur Pommery is buried properly. Your friends will keep you company.” The Saint Remi Auxiliary ladies gape at me, shocked at my outburst. They do not expect such misbehavior from me. I turn my head to the banker. “Please, Monsieur Wolfe, I must accompany my husband to his grave.” “You must set a good example, Madame, or all your etiquette lessons are for naught.” I grit my teeth. If I do not live by the rules I teach, my integrity is lost. “Get on with it then.” The men carry the coffin outside, and Old Greno grunts under the weight. Louis takes a wider grip, trying to help. Limping after them on my sore foot, I watch them load my husband into the shadowy hearse wagon. A forlorn moan escapes my throat, and I bite down on my thumbnail. The auxiliary ladies surround me, simpering and sniveling. The wagon lurches off, and black-shrouded horses slip on cobblestones. Despite the snow, townspeople line the street on both sides. Women wave black lace handkerchiefs as the hearse passes. A procession of fine carriages and gigs slog through the slippery street, wheels squealing. My nanny, Lucille, brings out my daughter, who is flushed and tearful. “Papa? Papa? Where Papa?” Little Louise totters to me. “I am sorry, Madame. She will not stop asking for him.” Lucille tucks dark curls into her kerchief. Even with her hair covered, the Jewess provokes the auxiliary’s glares. Her cavernous eyes, perfect oval face and aquiline nose cannot go unnoticed, yet she never flaunts her beauty. Louise presses her red rumpled face into my breast and wails. The auxiliary ladies’ eyes bulge like moor fish, and they cover their disapproval with black silk fans. Something snaps inside me. “Thank you for your kindness, ladies. You have been a great comfort to me.” Hugging Louise close, I wind my way through them and out to the carriage house. “Etiquette can be tricky, Louise.” I strap her in the gig. “Inevitably, one finds oneself in a predicament where rules do not apply, or worse, they contradict each other. When that happens, one must listen to one’s heart for direction.” Snapping Beau’s reins, I turn him toward Saint Remi. I will not allow my husband to be buried without me. © Rebecca Rosenberg   Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub     Read the full article

[ghostwoohoo]

round 2: hick

why are we still here. just to suffer

[reincarnation2327]

My autumn 31 fell in love with GP[autumn 31].

One consciousness experiencing itself subjectively - Bill Hicks!

Decentralised and unique everywhere!

Some of that subjectivity is beyond important!

Summer 31! 🇬🇧 - 🌎 - 🍟 - 🙏 - 👾 - 📺 - Xx.

[cinader]

We are Born with GPS

One of the teachings of Esther Hicks, with the group of nonphysical entities known as Abraham, is that we feel good when we are aligned with Source energy, aka God, and we feel crappy when we are out of alignment with Source energy. In my experience and observations, this has proven to be true without fail. The reason for this is that our core energy – the energy at the core of our being – is…

[mybook313]

The pen is mightier than the sword. I will not be forced to suicide! I hope. I am just writing what I feel at 31. Luke Deering is from Star Wars. The worst human being in human history; except with some research, he really wasn’t a bad person. Luke Deering is Luke from The Bible. I have little to say, but if I just write for a few years, everything will be solved. 

I am a good person. I chose to be good at 26. I was evil before that, but I write as a human being. My Grandmother would think I was evil to my sister. I wasn’t. 

I have seen aliens. I have to call them space aliens on the insistence of my surveillance operators, which you will not believe in!

I am The New Hare; and the tortoise. I work in bursts of doing a huge amount of work in a short space of time and also being a long run attitude. 

I will stick to the pen being mightier and just write from now on. The work that starts A Brief History of The Universe was the usual, gibberish; as is this.

The pen is mightier. My name is Elliott Buckley. I am 31. Definitely Jesus Christ. I will only be understood as Jim Morrison. The question has to be asked: would Star Wars, be in purgatory? Yes! Reincarnation is the most intelligent theory! I am actually evil! I’ve told people enough to persecute unintelligently! For example, did you ever know psychological projection?

The Matrix is my inspiration. It’s all Neo! New Hare, lol.

I must free myself by staying distracted. I am Jesus Christ! I cannot get in contact with the Church of England. I imagine Gwyneth Paltrow, is in denial about having Lkex (Luke Deering) over and sleeping with him, steeling my miracle. I did have a surveillance miracle whereby I impregnated Gwyneth Paltrow and she slept with Lkex. 

I’m not sure where to begin. I have had a good life. I believe cannabis should be decriminalised in the UK and magic mushrooms should be allowed in specific retreats that should not cost a huge amount!

Magic mushrooms alchemise evil!

I loved Radiohead, then Wolf Alice. I love The Beatles (Across The Universe) and Bill Hicks and Jim Carey and Rant (the book). The Pixies, are a great band!

Chloe came over. I really do like Chloe! She’s a liberal person! She’s gone with my sister and Joe, I think to London.

With a lot of things, I always think: why can’t you? This will be a book, when it is just my subconscious!

I would like to become a doctor really! That would be the tortoise in me! I also would be quite interested in Real Estate; and doing that as a job in London.

I need to keep writing to avoid crucifixion by Gwyneth Paltrow (GP) but also have to make sure the British and The British Government are kept busy and happy! I don’t want to be forced to suicide.

Which could unfortunately happen because of celebrities.

I love Pepsi Max with Lime and Green Tea with honey. I buy or a kg of honey from amazon and also buy sleep tea bags for the evening and at night.

This civilisation is just a repeat of 2k years ago. Probably very little real progress. Or a lot, no symbolic progress. Though I could just timshel; there has and hasn’t been much human progress. Timshel means thou mayest, though it is also true thou mayest not. Do and don’t, should and should not is how I have interpreted it!

It was a Hebrew word, Moses used it, Genesis!

Whatsapp is my only solution. Final solution, lmfao!

I would love to write My Surrender, in honour of Mein Kampf. Human beings are born prophets! This writing will set me free!

My parents are Mary and Joseph. Andrew Joseph Buckley and Maria Buckley. Mary and Joseph in a Matrix 4 way.

The Matrix films are incredibly important films and do show us both the past, present and future. I love Voldemort in Harry Potter: Voldemort is my past, present and future.

I wish JK Rowling would write Harry Voldemort. Then eventually Harry Voldemort Dumbledoor!

In Lord of the Rings Frodo should have never destroyed the ring. It was too powerful!

Space aliens could easily make this planet better than Heaven!

Utopic Nirvana!

I think we are having Fish and Chips tonight. That means I’ll have a kebab!

I am writing under the impression the pen is mightier. I am stopping my favourite fake suicide and crucifixion and will one day live in immortal peace!

Immortality means a return! Or Godly perfection. Impossible to die in that creation!

I am about out of things to write now. I will keep going!

The catholic church should never have thought Jesus Christ would just return! He would merely reset and start again as Jesus. I may be here to bring about the apocalypse. Maybe my writing will reveal that! I am immortal at times! I’ve had two comas! The first a 13hr coma from 100g of Nembutal, when the lethal dose is 2-10g, at 27. The second a car accident I do not remember having at 28; 7–8-week coma!

I believe that is how my subconscious has taken over. There is a human internet in how we come up with ideas. A human universe almost!

The pen is mightier. I will not die as long as I keep writing!

Fight Club 2 should be The 27 Club when made into a film!

I haven’t even written 1000 words yet! This will be new hare and tortoise work.

Choose both for salvation! Red and the blue pill. With every choice choose both if possible to avoid Bandersnatch!

I will write 1000 words then roll some cigarettes and go for them. I don’t see why cigarettes are so much more satisfying than vape! The humorous idea that comes to mind and harnesses the power of random is that the solution to it will be apple peal! lol.

I will have to keep this up!

I am nearly at 1000 words! I’ve gotten that information by highlighting the words I’ve written on my 2020 MacBook Pro 13”.

I should write why there should and should not be an apocalypse. I think there should be for it would mean salvation; and to be honest I love chaos, and that would mean destruction; the sort that Jim Morrison would be interested in. It would seriously be karma for this planet. There would be so many people who rightly do and don’t deserve to suffer. There are those who should suffer and be rewarded – both! And there are those who do and don’t deserve reward. There should not be an apocalypse as who doesn’t love the status quo! . I doubt there is a person on earth who would not say we do and don’t need a revolution.

Please just get your subconscious down. Clockwork Orange: we can destroy what we have written, but we cannot unwrite it!

I should say why GPF will and won’t be outsmarted and why she will succeed and fail!

GPF is and isn’t intelligent; why would she live in a world of unkarmic privilege. She will succeed as she always would. She will fail as she is bound to!

I could write how I am and am not Jesus Christ. I am as it is seriously very obvious to me! I am not as I could be Moses, Elijah or Jim Morrison! I am the Lord of all . . . so am even the living and the dead and am the future, if not from it!

I know and don’t know who Mark and Samuel are and have and don’t have faith in Matthew. Oliver’s are Morpheus, Neo. OJ for Morpheus and OR, The Machines!

The prophesy does and doesn’t have to do anything. The pen is and isn’t mightier!

The sword would be suicide. I mean that as a turn of phrase. I will have my body back to normal and my ability to speak back!

I can and can’t talk like Jim Morrison anymore. I am and am not past and future! Echo and Bravo. The future and the past. EB! Lmao!

Backward is ingenious! Jesus left home at 13 to study buddha. I am currently 31 years old. Jesus became Christ at 30 I believe. William Blake wrote in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: know in Christs death he became Jehovah. My name means Jehovah is God!

Elliott Buckley is an anagram for obey little luck!

Life is a waste of time; waste it productively – W.

The way prophecy works according to Noah is leave in your mistakes!

I love Worthington’s! It is my favourite ale!

I will just nip for a couple cigarettes! They are my inspiration and I want vape to develop. I will have an immortal body probably next year and an immortal voice in about 5 years!

I really need therapy! I am having some on the 20th of this month! It is currently July 2023 – 14th. The time is 17:36.

My dad is so disappointed I don’t go to the Fish and Chip shop with him! I just know it!

[prayerforjehovah]

Dear Moses and the fuzz;

Please arrest Lkex and GP!

Open up Revelations, Bill Hicks, Noah and God!!

Amen.

[ncdayhiker]

#3 - Lake Norman State Park - 4/1/2023

Iredell County / 759 State Park Road, Troutman, NC 28166 / GPS: 35.6725, -80.9325 ..... PARK MAP

Fast Facts: Formerly Duke Power State Park, its 1,942 acres are situated 40 miles north of Charlotte on northern shore of Lake Norman at the mouth of Hicks Creek. The namesake lake is the largest manmade lake within the state, and the park covers about 17 miles of its northern shoreline. It offers the area's popular mountain biking trail system, the Itusi, nearly 31 miles of single-track trail.

Trail(s): Lake Shore Trail - 6.54 miles/2:10:16 - AllTrails + No Strava (low battery on watch)

Hike Buddies: Han Solo

Hike Conditions: 77 degrees, sunny.

Comments: The morning started out with rain and significant wind, but by lunch time the sun won out. A 45 minute drive from the house, I started just after 1p. The hand-written numbers on the white-shaped diamonds (see picture below) which mark the trail make it easy to follow along and calculate how far you've walked and how much further you have to walk ... except when they disappeared from the low 130s to 104. This trail is relatively flat with a small amount of man-made steps sprinkled throughout and mostly hugs the shoreline of Lake Norman. It was a warm to hot throughout and a good reminder why hydration is important, especially in the coming summer months when the temps will be up 10-15 degrees. The last 35 min brought medium winds and a nice breeze. I finished the day at a couple of local breweries with Stan Hester, Cabarrus Brewing Company and Twenty-Six Acres watching portions of the Men's NCAA Final Four games.

[worldspotlightnews]

Woman diagnosed with incurable blood cancer reveals two warning signs

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter A blood cancer patient who had holes in her spine was initially misdiagnosed due to ‘being a busy mum’. Mum-of-three Donna Hicks, 49, went to her GP complaining of constant fatigue and back pain when her youngest…