#this is good timing because that other dru post is blowing up again

[fabba-banna]

Drusilla [Finished Version.]

[secretlyasummers]

I love the idea of Angel as the latest of Faith's proxy fathers. After Gwen Post, and Wesley/Giles, and the Mayor, Angel is the only one who cares for her just as a person. Not as a slayer. Not as a weapon. But just because she's a sad, lonely, suicidal girl, and Angel wants to help people.

Angel keeps checking on her, keeps fighting for her, and - ironically - because among Faith's greatest traits is her almost suicidal loyalty, she almost instantly is ready to die for the man who she tried to kill several times in Season 3. If in Season 4/7 of ATS/Buffy, Angel and Buffy came to blows, I genuinely do not know who she would side with! Her proxy father? Or her proxy ex?

Angel's paternal relationship with Faith, seems like a parallel with Drusilla, too. Putting aside my persistent headcanon that Dru was a Potential, Dru was a good, kind person who Angelus perverted and tortured and broke into a killer. Faith was a broken, tortured killer who Angel helped put back together. And, well, Juliet and Eliza don't look unalike. This isn't the only time that sort of parallel is made - Sam Lawson and Spike in S5 of Angel, for instance - but I think that Drusilla, whose paternal relationship with Angel is really strong, makes an extremely strong parallel with Faith.

Also, you know Dru and Faith would tear it up on the dance floor.

I don't think Angel necessarily contextualizes Faith as a way to make up for Dru, or as a daughter. Angel wants to help people, and he doesn't really spend a lot of time thinking why he seems to be drawn to little blonde women who look like Darla, and cool semi-prophetic brunettes. (And let's give credit to Angel, he saves other people too.) But Angel wants to be a father. He revels in fatherhood with Conner; Angelus reveled in his vampire mentorship/fatherhood for Dru, Spike, and Penn. (Remember Penn? That was Jeremy Renner!) And I think that - as sad as it is, as dark as it is - Angel, sitting across the prison glass from this woman who loves him like a father, this dark-haired girl with big brown eyes, is happy to have that relationship. He's happy he can help Faith. He's happy to be a father again.

There's a world, a better world, where Angel and Cordy and Faith and Baby Connor are this strange, messed up, but still weirdly fitting, little family unit. And I do love to explore that in fanfic and such.

[cloveroctobers]

GARY RENNELL —

IG info/bio | @/rennellnotreynolds | 300k followers | currently havin a midlife crisis at thee moment so cheers! 🍻🏋🏼‍♂️🤨

23 (24) years old

Born & raised in Chatham, England there’s no other place like it to him. Sure when he went on holiday to the villa, it was quite nice but nothing ever beats home. He genuinely believes that he’s meant to be in this place since it’s all he’s ever known & doesn’t think he’ll live anywhere else

Raised by his nan & is an only child. Was at risk of being placed in foster care until his paternal nan came forth to raise him

His father and nan did not have the best relationship due to the way he chose to live his life and Gary was kept away from his nan until he was about 10 years of age

Does not like to talk about his birth parents due to the trauma, which is why he feels like his nan is his everything. His savior and why she means so much to him

His nan once told him that he favors his mother, Gail. He never had the chance to really know her, but was aware that she was very unhappy with herself &, “chose to be with the stars” just before his 5th birthday

That’s one of the reasons why he finds himself always looking up at the stars, usually when he’s drunk out at the docks by himself, he’ll try to talk to his mom, to know her better

I feel like he’s either a cancer or a Libra?

Update: Cancer sun + libra moon + Taurus rising

Went to uni for a semester and thought about architecture as a profession but ultimately felt like uni was NOT for him and eventually juggled around with jobs until he landed into the crane operator field which he found himself to be great at

For as long as he and his nan can remember, he always loved playing with cars, ships, building Legos, (I’m American idk if this is a thing there too or it’s something different/similar so my apologies lol) and putting things together. He never cared for reading instructions, Gary’s a hands on type of guy/learner and it’s how he best communicates

He likes heights, so this job wasn’t an issue it was just getting through the program for 2-3 years that was a pain in his ass but he was determined + knew this was what he was good at and stuck with it.

It was tiring working 40 sometimes over 40 hrs a week but he’s passionate about his work so he’d never dare change it

Due to this job being a lot physically, he would use muscle cream to help his pain or pay to see a masseuse whenever he could or wasn’t being cheap about it + often buys epsom salt to bathe in 3 or so times a week 

Total penny pincher! I can see him being so, his dad told him all about how to hold onto what he’s got and always look for a bargain but with a gambler for a father, you can only imagine how that worked in his favor

Lives with his nan and doesn’t see an issue with it. His mates definitely tease him about it but know how much the woman means to him but still think it’s a major c*ck block for him but it’s a two for one package deal and anyone who doesn’t understand that doesn’t deserve him

Will probably still live in her house once IF she p*sses

Nan is a big fan of wallpaper and has one room in the flat that has squeaky plastic covering most of her furniture ( she loves furniture shopping) & only takes it off once her lady friends come over with consists of a huge cleaning routine which Gary secretly hates but pushes through it while she plays some old tunes on her jukebox

He finds himself singing those exact songs when he’s getting ready for work and actually enjoys them...but don’t ever tell his mates that!

His nan taught him basic household care & he finds himself scolding his mates for not knowing how to wash their underwear & always taking it to their mum’s or having their girlfriends do it for them

Loves washing clothes on a Sunday in the backyard + hanging them on the clothes line. His nan doesn’t believe in washer machines & makes her own detergent

He’s always down for a rooftop hangout, whether drunk or not. To be up almost as high as the stars is such a feeling or hang out with his mates laughing it up

Occasionally smokes cigarettes when he’s really stressed, he’s not proud of the nasty habit and tries his hardest to hide it from his nan & Lottie but they both know

Is in a on and off again relationship with Lottie. She’s met his nan, they both like each other. And that makes Gary extremely happy

Gary is the laid back one out of the two and Lottie is firey and needs constant reminding from Gary that he wants to be with her whereas Gary feels like that’s something she should already know and he’s told her a couple of times before, he’s sure of it. He doesn’t get why she doesn’t get that

Which results in arguments. Lottie chose to live in England for half of the year and goes back to Australia for the other half. Nan encouraged Lottie to live with the two of them until she decided to get her own place in England, or rather the two of them together. Nan doesn’t believe Gary will leave in fear of her being lonely, which she’s not! By all means, nan keeps busy! But Lottie desperately wants to have her own space with Gary away from nan, even tho she adores the spunky lady.

When they don’t see eye to eye she does what she does best and leaves, which is exhausting to Gary

They’ll go days without speaking until the other cracks. At first it would be Gary but since it’s been a year into their relationship, he’s gotten used to it and let’s her come back to him when she’s ready

He cares for Lottie, he really does. And wants this to work but he just wishes they could be more secure in their relationship.

Was a f*ckboy way back when from 18-20 and rarely there’s his old flings who show up just to cause drama knowing that Gary’s got a new girl in his life that LIVES with him, which Gary dreads that this small town knows his business. He hates confrontation but there’s one thing about Lottie, she’s never going to bite her tongue. So whenever those girls do try it with not only her but Gary she goes off.

Gary is protective too so when those messy girls start shit at the pub, he’s instantly trying to get Lottie away from the issue. Then there’s drinks flying and slap fights happening + hair pulling & they’re getting kicked out of the club/pub or even cops called on them.

“This blows. I thought you said you were trying to be better than this, Lottie.” “Me? What about those slags?! They attack not only me but your character too!” Which adds to a list of the reasons they fight.

Nonetheless they do have their fun moments together, getting drunk by the docks, getting random tattoos, hanging with his friends & their significant others, + going to the theatre

Lottie still thinks this town is very slow-pace, sleepy, cloudy and hardly has sun— which is okay to her some days but other day’s it can be dreadful and much different from her fast-pace life but she finds the little things like spending time with Gary to encourage her to stay

Gary likes playing games when he has his free time, like fortnite, red dead redemption, Final fantasy, & SUPER SMASH BROS & almost always plays with Ibrahim who informs him about new games which makes Lottie want to slam her head against the wall since that can take hours

Keeps in touch with all of the boys in villa and makes sure they have zoom meetings as much as they can because he cares about those boys. Noah tries to schedule them but usually it’s happens at random which annoys him but he gets over it. Gary spent month(s) with them. They’re basically his extended family & that’s saying a lot since he views his home to a high standard and has friends here but they’re nothing like his villa brother’s

Also into woodwork. He didn’t think he’d enjoy it but he likes to do it more when the weather gets crisp and he battles with that over cigarettes to ease his worries in life, then goes and have his daily dose of tea

Finally stopped dying his hair that awful yellow and stuck with it. Marisol was the first to see it, after an accidental FaceTime call which was supposed to be just a regular phone call but whatever? They’d all eventually see it if he EVER decided to post to his IG stories!

She compliments him in Spanish yanking her glasses off leaving him highly confused, “is that good?” “If Lottie doesn’t sit on your— which leaves Gary very wide eyed opposed to his raised brows but Marisol is cut off by Graham clearing his throat

Lottie does indeed like it & shows him how much and later asks his option on what color she should dye her hair next. 3 out of the 13 look the exact same to Gary. But he helps her dye her hair which comes out patchy but there’s no way in hell she’s letting anyone else touch her hair. She’s been doing this all on her own for some time now. Gary’s lucky she even allowed him to help her! So she dyes it back to blonde, all of it, and waits a few weeks to dye it all blue

Gary’s definitely into old boy bands especially LFO & serenades, “girl on tv” to Lottie all the time, likes 98 degrees, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Boys II men, & Dru Hill

As for modern day music, he LOVES to work out to tame impala which never makes sense to his mates but he usually works out the next day after getting shit-faced, he’s also in love with lizzo’s music, laundry day, brockhampton, & rina sawayama

Anthem = mac demarco, “Salad Days”

Celeb crush? Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek, Anne-Marie, Leona Lewis, & Noah Cyrus

[dru-and-ash]

Hey so my friends don't ship Druash and I want to hack them into a little bits of flesh and bone so much but before they die I need to shove into their faces a list of reasons why they should ship Druash help (they ship Druaime like WHO DOES THAT HUH)

Admittedly I ship everyone with everyone (think about Ash and Jaime together) So everyone can ship anyone with anyone….

But Morgenthorn(lets not call them anyting that sounds like drash that reminds me trash) is the only ship I write pages and pages about Can you show these to your friends…

From a past ask: Why do people ship Dru with Ash:

That is one valid question since they haven’t even met yet. Its because Cassie has implied there is a possibility of a love triangle between Dru, Ash and Jaime. And she said several times both Jaime and Ash will have important roles to play in TWPSince Ty&Kit is a ship set to sailOnly other three people left are them. You know…Also small note on Dru’s first introduction said something like “she’ll have an interesting love story in the future.” before CoHF was released just before we learn Sebastian’s affair with the Queen. (she was eight and a thin girl in first drafts) But for me shipping Dru and Ash is purely based on characters.Here are my reasons why 1)They both grew up lonelyDru had her loving family but Julian always saw Emma as his other half and Ty Livvy. We know Livvy was the sibling who spent most time with Dru but Ty being dependent on Livvy and their undying love always made Dru feel left out. Like in Los during those beautiful funny twin moments Kit felt lucky to be involved he also observed how much Dru was left out. So Dru hold on to Tavvy more tightly and read books watched movies more. Because you can do those things alone too.How happy she was when Kit and Ty wanted to let her be involved in their schemes in Qoaad Ash was always alone as far as we were shown because first his mother kept him away to hide his existence. Then unseelie king locked him on that tower, put Raiders of the Mannan as his guardians. Ash never had friends of his own age and any other noble child of court wouldn’t go near him because of the spell(and they probably weren’t allowed).2)They’re both good actors. If you saw my asks about how all twp characters were morally gray then you know what I meanDru unwaveringly lied to Barnabas Hale’s face and then kept it cool when he made that disgusting kinky comment about “her curves”. I wanted to strange the guy but our 13 years old Drusilla was all bussiness. She also hid Jaime in London institute for days with Noone noticing. Ash openly turned a blind eye to Emma and Julian not being endarkened in that nightclub scene. During his unseelie scenes Emma pointed out how cold and calculating he was even at age 12-13. But that was about his survival King kept him as a prisoner. 3) They grew up over protected with not much of choices of their own. Dru due to Julian’s inability to let other people in the Blackthorns life’s because of Arthurs illness. Ash spent his first 13 years locked up in Seelie court first and unseelie court second. Wearing a crown  holding a title, being heir to the both thrones was nothing compared to not being able to decide what he wanted to do. Ash was expandable if he wasn’t to do what King wants like any prisoner. He never had a chance to decide for himself even in Thule where Annabel dragged him to another cage keys held by Sebastian this time. Again prince, recpected, feared but not free. 4)They’re both have strong emphaty Dru always helped Julian with Tavvy even though she herself was 8(yes Julian was 12 but there wasn’t someone older than him). She understood Ty was different but the good kind and she gave Ty&Livvy the space they needed and she was not jealous.Ash described Dru’s mental state so accurately I felt liked someone just hit me. Even Julian or Livvy would never do such an observation (if they did they’d know she needed more people in her life)

Dru turned out to be an outgoing person an entrepreneur like Jia said and she’s free to move away to make friends, rise and shine amongst her peers. And Ash broke his cage in a way when he choose to help Emma so he’ll be able to do more choosing in his life Thule Jace abd Seelie Queen will play effective roles but he’s not a child anymore and surely can defy tyrants.

From what we know from drawing scene he’ll see Dru as a symbol of hope and a friend coz she’s probably closest to a friend he ever had.

Lastly when they met in Los Dru’s open defying made Ash smile because that doesn’t happen muchI see a paralel here with Auraline-Roland Herondale she fell in love with him because he made her laugh.All these powers Ash has makes life harder for him(like it did to Auraline) and he already had enough suffering but as long as the powers will threat him and others it isn’t very likely he’ll smile much.

Dru would find him interesting when she gets over his all over copy of Sebastian looks. Dru was the only one who saw Sebastian besides Emma and Tmi gang and survived. Ash’s smile brought back that memory for Dru but she didn’t remembered it was Sebastian’s.

Also there is that weird travel to Unseelie which is not normally how Eternidad can be used (it was as if the stone wanted Dru to go to Ash maybe to bring him hope in the future). I can tag you to the post if you like to read

But these are all theories off course.

Still them being together and Dru being able to stop Ash if powers blow up is important (I mean she litterally did the same for Jemma in Qoaad). Because Noone can take all that responsibility alone he needs to be loved to be saved and Thule Jace’s love may not be enough to save him….

Now I am putting here some fics and fluff to show what a huge cinnamon roll my son will be:Ash Morgenstern will be greatest cinnamon roll ever and thats a canon :)

https://dru-and-ash.tumblr.com/post/183754216442/its-on-its-way-but-you-need-to-be-patient-i

https://dru-and-ash.tumblr.com/post/184602936937/morgenthorn-first-date

https://dru-and-ash.tumblr.com/post/183194705212/hello-my-favorite-bloggerhow-are-you-i

https://dru-and-ash.tumblr.com/post/183126493882/ash-baby-carstairs

https://dru-and-ash.tumblr.com/post/183547498677/in-city-of-lost-souls-sebastians-room-is-all

I hope you and your friends like them :) :)

[alextravelstojapan]

Saturday, November 17th, 2018

A continuation of my last post~~

Dru and I decided to go to another cafe so that we could use their free WiFi and plan our end of the year trip to Tokyo. We had just gotten the free WiFi when we got a FB message that Meda, Carson, and Caleb were also in the city. Then we happened to look out the window and notice that they were walking past the cafe we were in, so I ran after them and got them to come inside. We all got drinks and then Meda, Kevin, and Carson left shortly after we finished our coffees to shop around or something. Dru and I stayed for a little while trying to be productive but it didn’t last long before we got hungry again, so we packed up our things and got some egg sandwiches from the 7/11 next door. I don’t usually like egg salad, but the egg salad in Japan can’t be beat. I think it’s literally just mayo and eggs mixed together but it’s really good, and I think that may be because the mayo in Japan is also way better than American mayo. Anyways, after getting our sandwiches we stopped into Loft to look around for a while, then met up with Meda, Carson, and Kevin at the station again before getting on the train back to AIU. 

***************

I also wanted to add a small comment here about my dinner with Shiho and Minja (another girl in the Nihongo house that is from Singapore). 

Shiho bought all of the ingredients for this really delicious Korean dish. I helped Shiho chop some onions, pumpkin, cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots while she prepared and marinated the chicken. Shiho and I try to talk to each other in Japanese but sometimes she can see that I am confused or unsure so she will kindly clarify for me in English. I also often don't know how to say some things in Japanese so I have to switch back and forth between English and Japanese.  Minja came over about halfway through the cooking prep and she’s really good at Japanese so Shiho and her were able to talk and understand each other with no problem. When people speak fluent Japanese, I think I usually am able to understand the general topic of what people are talking about because I can identify certain words and grammars being used. But I am also painfully aware that I often don't actually know what people are saying. Like I know what people are talking about and based on tone and body language can infer some things, but I also don't know if my assumptions based on these inferences are correct at all. So I have gotten very good at listening and observing and I think that Shiho and Minja are aware of my elementary Japanese skills so from time to time they would ask me questions and patiently listen as I struggled to answer them in Japanese. I really like Shiho. She’s so nice and even though she used to intimidate me (just because I’m a self-conscious person), I now sometimes find myself feeling really uplifted by her kindness. There have definitely been a couple turning points in our relationship that have steadily turned my intimidation to an appreciation for her. Wow the addition to this post has gotten quite long but I want to mention these turning points here now that I’ve started, since I haven't mentioned them in my other posts. 

Okay so to start off, I think Shiho’s very first impression of me was probably not very good... I had gotten home when she was in the shower so I just put down my things and sat in the chair at my desk after closing the sliding door that divided the front room and the bedroom. I was anxious because I didn’t know if she expected me to speak in Japanese or if she would be disappointed or surprised that I wasn't very good at speaking in Japanese. I had my back towards the shoji and my legs propped up against the frame of my bed when she opened the shoji after her shower, and since I didn't turn around right away I heard her timidly say, “Hello” from behind me. After that was fine, but now I feel like my body language must have been unwelcoming and sometimes wonder what kind of person she thought I was. I made another mistake though and had filled out our roommate contract when she wasn't there, because I thought she’d have been given her own copy for some reason and then we’d fill them both in together but turn them in separately. It really wasn't a huge deal, I just feel like it pressured her to agree to terms she may not have wanted since I had already filled it out in pen... yikes. Anyways that was just about our first encounter.

At one time I was really struggling at how to deal with her coming home super late and then proceeding to do things like take a shower, and brushing her teeth, blowing her nose, and eating a midnight snack right next to our bunkbeds where I was trying to sleep. I was convinced that she was being loud on purpose because she didn't like me. I spent a couple nights of trying to show my sleeplessness by tossing and turning, sighing loudly, and picking up my phone and aggressively typing in my Notes to vent about how I didn't understand how she possibly thought I could sleep when she was being so loud. After talking to my dad about it though, he suggested I just asked her to be a little quieter. And so, the next night when she came home really late and proceeded to be super loud, I rolled over in bed and asked her to be a little quieter, and she seemed confused and truly sorry. And ever since that night, I was able to sleep peacefully! But not because she is super quiet now, but I guess because my mind is able to be at ease knowing that she isn't being loud on purpose. What a simple solution. Thanks Daddy O :) 

So another thing that happened was really quite embarrassing for me. Basically, I went to the bathroom and then after using the toilet decided I’d just keep my jeans off so I could put my sweats on. But right as I was exiting the bathroom, Shiho opens the front door and I let out a little yell and so she yells too. I start laughing because I am really embarrassed and she starts laughing too I think because we just scared each other. I then proceeded to run into the bedroom so I could quickly put on my sweatpants, and she’s still standing in the front room saying, “bikkurishita” (sounds like bikkurishita) which means “You startled me”. I start apologizing but I’m still laughing because I was embarrassed and the situation was to funny for me not to laugh. A couple minutes later and I am sitting at my desk reanalyzing the scenario and realized that she may not have saw that I didn't have my pants on until I ran into the other room with just my underwear on. So she may have been more startled when she saw my butt running away than when I yelled after she opened the front door. And after realizing that, I started laughing all over again and said sorry again even though a few minutes had passed and she seemed over it. I still laugh when I think about it and I felt that since we had laughed together, we had gotten closer somehow, even though it was at the price of my embarrassment. This may not seem like a big deal for her to see me in just my underwear, especially since we’re roommates and we’re in a country with public baths, but I have gotten in the habit of changing in the bathroom.

Shiho also brought me an apple as an omiyage (souvenir) from Aomori, which is a city in Aomori prefecture pretty far north of Akita city and is a place that is famous for apples. Needless to say the apple was delicious. The apples that I’ve had in Japan have actually been the best apples that I've had in all my life so I always buy some from the grocery store every week.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: That was our weather today, freezing fog.  Everything was gray and still and the fog froze and clung to the branches of the trees in back of the house.  I didn't have to go anywhere today (when do I ever these days?) but the street looked wet and...

That was our weather today, freezing fog.  Everything was gray and still and the fog froze and clung to the branches of the trees in back of the house.  I didn't have to go anywhere today (when do I ever these days?) but the street looked wet and slick.  Yuk. Today's recipe was Slow Cooker Chicken, Mushroom, and Brown Rice Casserole.  May I say that the aroma from the kitchen taunted me all 7 hours that it cooked but I stayed strong and portioned it out into eight servings when it was done and got it into the freezer.  I nibbled a tiny piece of the chicken that fell off and I licked the spoon I used to scoop out the rice casserole part.  It was tasty. I started the cuff of the second mitten this afternoon, got the cuff knitted, and the three rounds before starting the thumb gusset knitted too.  Oh dang it, I just realized that I forgot to decrease four stitches in the first round of the hand so that the mittens match.  Wait a couple minutes while I go do that so I don't forget tomorrow and then royally screw up the thumb.  Okay, I'm back.  I don't think one extra round below the thumb gusset will make a huge bit of difference.  It already seems like the first cuff is looser than the second one so my mittens will be fraternal twins.  That's okay, they're for blowing snow, not fashion. 03 January--Barbara Malcolm, The Seaview.              It was Saturday, a day we didn't usually work, but Iggy and I wandered down to the Seaview after washing our breakfast dishes, showering, and getting fully dressed.             When we got close to the hotel Iggy detoured to his truck for his tool belt.             "It's Saturday, Iggy, we have the day off."             He waved a hand over his shoulder.  "There is one thing I want to fix before I forget."             I noticed a note pinned to the door as I walked up.  I was reassured to see that the padlock was secure and I reached into my pocket for the key.  Silas must have had quite a night, I thought, or maybe he’d slept at home.  He usually waited until Iggy or I arrived before he went down to Johnno’s for a wash-up, but it was Saturday.  Except for Ian calling to Dougie as he brought the dive boat into shore the neighborhood was quiet.  I squinted at the sheet of red paper stuck to the back door of the Seaview.             “Unfit for Habitation” it said in big black letters across the top.  Unfit for Habitation; what did that mean?  I was certain we had gotten the proper permits; that was one reason I was so adamant to have a properly licensed electrician and plumber.  I wanted things done right and safely.  I got closer to the paper.  “Premises found to be unsafe for habitation.  Sanitary regulations not complied with.  Contact Anguilla Health and Safety Commission office for further details.”             “Huh, I wonder what that’s about.”  I slid my key into the padlock and turned. It didn’t turn; it must be stuck.  I set down my coffee and held the lock with my left hand while I tried to gently turn the key with my right.             “It will not work, Mrs. Rose.”  Silas had come up behind me and stood on the patchy grass near the dumpster.             “What?  Why not?  It’s worked every day so far.”              He shook his head.  “It is not the same lock.  Gerald LeMoinette, the Health Inspector, he came by because he heard that I was camped out here to keep vandals away and I have to use the restroom at Johnno’s.  He said it’s not safe or sanitary or some such.  He changed the locks and will not take them back until there’s a working bathroom.”             I couldn’t believe my ears.  “What?  How can we make a working bathroom if we can’t get into the building?  Did he think of that?”             Silas slowly nodded.  “He did think of that.  He will give a key only to Calvin so his crew can come in and make the bathrooms work.”             “All of the bathrooms?  All of them have to work before he’ll let us back in?  I can’t believe it.”  I flung my hands up and accidently knocked my coffee mug off the end of the porch.  It broke.  “Oh no,” I said, “oh no, that was Jim’s favorite mug.”  I slid down one of the porch posts, put my face in my hands, and cried.  I felt Silas kneel next to me and gather up the shards of mug.             He set them gently on the shelf next to the back door. “I can glue them, Mrs. Rose. It might not hold coffee anymore but you can still think of Mr. Jim when you see it.  Maybe it can hold pens on the desk?”             It took me a few minutes but I sat up, wiped my eyes, and said, “Thank you, Silas, that’s very considerate of you.”             Iggy walked across the sand and gravel road, buckling on his tool belt as he came.  “Why are you two sitting out here goofing off?  Did some fairy godfather come in the night and finish all the work?”  He chuckled at his own humor.             I shook my head and opened my mouth but Silas beat me to it.  “Gerald from the Health Department came and locked us out yesterday after we quit for the day.”             Iggy’s jaw dropped and his hands fell away from his belt buckle.  “What?  Why would he do that?”             “Because he heard I am sleeping in the hotel to keep the vandals away and there’s no working, uh, no working, uh…”             “Toilet,” I said, “no working toilet so it’s not fit for human habitation.  At least that’s what the sign on the door says.”             Iggy flapped his hand at that.  “I don’t care what Gerald’s sign says, unlock the door and let us go to work.”             Silas shook his head.  “We can not do that, Uncle Iggy, Gerald changed the locks.”             I never thought that a man whose skin is as dark as Iggy’s is could turn pale but it did.  I looked into his eyes and knew I never wanted him to be mad at me.             “Did you unlock the doors for him, boy?”             Silas took a step back and bumped into the edge of the porch.  I put my hand up to steady him and give his arm a little squeeze.  “I did, Uncle Iggy, I had to.  I was just locking up when he drove up and called for me to hold up a minute.  Before I knew what was happening he was inside looking around.  He took one look at the bathroom in Mrs. Rose’s apartment, well, where it will be, and he snorted.  Then he clomped up the stairs to look at the two bathrooms up there.  You know that Calvin has only had a chance to put up the sinks in the bedrooms and planned to hook up the water and start getting the bathrooms and the sinks all working proper next week.”  Silas held his hands out to his uncle.  “I tried to tell him, Uncle Iggy, I tried to tell him that we were all working as fast as we could and that I have keys to Johnno’s so I can use his restroom and shower but he did not listen.  He just snarled something about Americans not being so smart.  Then he smacked the notices on the doors, jerked the keys out of my hand, took off our locks, and put on his own once he had chivvied me out.”             Iggy had been pacing up and down while Silas told his sad story.  “And you did not think to call me or go see Mrs. Rose here when it happened?  You let all night go by without telling us?  What were you thinking?”             Silas looked like a scolded puppy.  “I was thinking that no one could do anything about it until today and there would be no good coming from you storming over to LeMoinette’s and making him even angrier.  In that case, there was no reason to ruin Mrs. Rose’s evening or yours.  That’s what I was thinking.”             Iggy stared at him for a long moment.  “That was good thinking, boy, good thinking.”             “Is there anything I can do?” I asked.             Iggy blinked at me as if he hadn’t noticed me before that instant.  “Yes, call Dru Brooks and tell her what happened.  Tell her to get Calvin and his crew over here on the double to get a toilet installed and running.  You can’t be leaving this place empty.”  Iggy and Silas exchanged meaningful glances and then they both looked at the Seaview.             “What?” I asked.  “What have I missed?  What don’t I know?”             Iggy and Silas looked at each other again.  Iggy tugged at the waist of his jeans.  “You remember Bo who we think started the fire in the lobby.”  I nodded.  “Gerald LeMoinette is his uncle.  We sicced the police on him…”             I opened my mouth but he put up a hand to stop me.             “And rightly so," he went on," but that doesn’t change the fact that Bo is in trouble because of us, because of you, so his uncle is giving us a bit of trouble back.” Writing today was a pain.  The prompt asked questions about me so I felt like I had to write a memoir piece rather than fiction and I didn't like it.  I'll try to do better tomorrow.  Tossed another trivia game.  Only three more to go. Today was LC's seventh birthday so I got to Facetime with her this morning to sing her Happy Birthday and just look at her sweet face.  OJ popped in to say hi but he was busy playing with his Christmas gifts.  I can't wait for the time when we can have a Meemaw day again.  I've got a hankering for cornbread cheddar carrot waffles. --Barbara

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/that-was-our-weather-today-freezing-fog-everything-was-gray-and-still-and-the-fog-froze-and-clung-to-the-branches-of-the-trees-in-back-of-the-house-i-didnt-have-to-go-anywhere-today-when-do-i-ever-these-days-but-the-street-looked-wet-and

[mrstevenbushus]

Wood Burning Stoves for Modern Homes

As I write, I’m sat next to my wood burning stove which – even though it’s still summer – I have just lit.

The whole process took two minutes, but that’s because there were newspapers to hand, plenty of kindling prepared, the ash pan had recently been emptied and there were logs in the porch ready to fill the basket.

It would have been even quicker if a broadsheet paper been around; they make better firelighters but rarely appear.

Why are stoves so popular?

They say that wood warms you three times: when you’re collecting it, cutting it, and burning it. All true, but to this I would add one more – stacking it – as firewood generally needs to be properly stacked at least once in a dry place after it has been cut and split. It’s a work-out, though, and good practice for tasks like dry stone walling.

Explore more: Heating and Ventilation Products

But does it still make sense to have a stove in a modern home which, of course, needs very little space heating? Take a Passivhaus, for instance. Given the high levels of insulation and good airtightness in these buildings, the warmth from people and appliances is almost sufficient to maintain a comfortable year-round temperature.

The HWAM 4660 is a woodburning stove with a nominal heat output of 7kW

A wood burning stove is often capable of satisfying the remaining heat demand for the whole building, though this depends on the size and layout. Distribution is likely to be uneven, but before central heating, this was not considered an issue. When radiant heat was king, if you were cold you moved closer to the fire and, if too hot, you moved away.

In many cases, people want a wood burner for the effect, and the psychological benefits of flickering flames should not be underestimated. Nothing beats the immediacy, smell and primal experience of an open fire, but they are inefficient and would contravene modern airtightness regulations in any case. So a stove is a fair compromise, and you can save the open fire for the campsite.

Bear with me, though… I need to put a log on the fire and turn down the heat. Clearly stoves have fringe benefits – a useful reminder to get up from the desk occasionally!

Types of stove

A simple wood burner is just a space heater. Multi fuel versions can also run on the likes of coal and anthracite, but I wouldn’t want to encourage anyone to use fossil fuels.

Some stoves have back boilers. Coal models of this type were once common, and the heat was piped to provide domestic hot water (DHW), distributed space heating or both. For modern homes, a back boiler is really worth considering, especially for DHW provision.

Combine with solar thermal panels and this setup can produce carbon neutral hot water all year round – often a target for the eco-minded. If the sun is out, it will warm your solar panels; if it’s not, you’ll be lighting the wood burner.

Bear in mind an immersion heater may still be needed to top up the temperature on cloudy summer days. A back boiler does reduce the heat output from the stove to the room, but in a modern home this shouldn’t be an issue.

The ivory enamelled Manchester wood burner is available from Eurostove and has a nominal output of 12.6kW

If you are only an occasional user of your wood stove, then there is little point fitting a back boiler – as space heating and hot water are needed on a daily basis. If you want constant carbon-neutral heating in this kind of scenario, then consider a small biomass boiler.

These appliances can be automated just like a gas boiler, and unlike standard stoves they are subsidised with cashback payments under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

Find out more: Biomass Boilers Explained 

As so many wood burners are fitted for their looks and effect, the last few years have seen a wide range of stylish appliances emerging onto the market. You’ll find anything from classic cast iron stoves to all-glazed versions and sharp Scandinavian designs.

With most modern products, the glass is kept clean by an airwash system – reducing maintenance. Heat distribution can be improved by adding a fan, which sits on top and is powered purely by the heat. These are usually silent and can even reduce fuel use.

Some designers have reverted to an old idea, creating modern wood burners you can cook on. This makes a huge amount of sense: why use electricity to boil water when you can simply place a (non-electric!) kettle on the stove?

More sophisticated versions include a full-blown oven; and you can even get cooker stoves with back boilers – perfect for completely off-grid homes.

Are wood burners carbon neutral?

One big advantage of using wood as a fuel is that it can be an almost carbon-neutral source of heat, depending on the source of the firewood. In the carbon cycle, trees take up CO2 as they grow and this is released when wood is burnt.

In between you have energy used for harvesting, transporting and processing. This cycle absolutely relies on timber being replanted – so the best option is to only burn waste wood (of a suitable quality) or fuel you are certain comes from sustainable sources.

Dru’s SP Varia built-in wood burner gives the effect of an open fie thanks to its large glazed area, but with the energy efficiency

Ideally, firewood will come from as close as possible to where it’s being used to minimise transport impact. Offcuts from local sawmills are good, and smaller sizes make great kindling.

If burning waste wood, avoid treated or painted timber, as domestic stoves don’t filter the gases produced and there may be a detrimental impact on flue liners.

Impact on air quality

Wood does not give off solely CO2 when it burns; there are a range of other potential pollutants, as well as a number of ways to combat these. One of the biggest arises because the smoke is comprised not only of gases but also small particulates of unburnt fuel.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been identified as having an effect on human health, especially respiratory diseases, when present in sufficient concentration for a sufficient period.

The air in our cities is much cleaner now than when we burnt coal, but there is concern that the increasing prevalence of wood burners could cause an issue once again. In practice, smoke is unlikely to be a problem in rural areas due to the limited housing density. Meanwhile, larger conurbations are covered by smoke control areas, set by the local authority (there’s a useful summary of them at UK Smoke Control Area).

If you live in a smoke control area, you can only burn wood in specified exempt appliances. If your stove isn’t on the list (see GOV.UK), then you will be limited to using authorised smokeless fuels.

Exempt appliances simply prevent slow burning, which means you can’t turn the heat down as far – but low temperatures will leave tar in the flue, so should be avoided in any case. Even stoves that meet these requirements will still contribute to PM2.5 levels in the air.

The TT21 R wood burner from TermaTech has an elliptical design and an operating range

Manufacturers are responding to this with the launch of Ecodesign-ready stoves that meet more stringent criteria for air quality(in advance of legislation coming in 2022).

The most important thing when burning wood, however, is to always make sure it’s well-seasoned. Air pollution is much worse from wet timber, as different chemicals are produced during combustion. Most wood requires atleast two summers to season properly, although some softwoods can be ready quicker. For the sake of your stove, fuel conservation and air quality, get well ahead with your supplies and buy a moisture meter.

Stoves need oxygen to function, so they’re usually designed to draw fresh air in via a vent through the wall in the same room as the heater. Other solutions are available in airtight houses. If you’re opening doors, either when first lit or later when the fire is set to burn low, do so slowly at first, as this will prevent smoke blowing back into the room.

Ultimately, tricks like this will help ensure that your indoor living environment is only improved by using a stove.

Are wood burning stoves a good idea for new build homes?

We’ve used wood to cook and to stay warm for millennia. If everyone used it now, however, there wouldn’t be enough to go around – so most of us will be reliant on other fuel sources for heat.

Installation and maintenance

These days, fitting a stove is not usually a DIY job. If you do not use an installer registered with a self-certification scheme (such as HETAS), then you have to notify building control, pay the inspection fee and carry out the work in accordance with the relevant Approved Documents.

Flues now have to be lined so that there is a direct route from your stove to the open air, and no risk of fumes entering a building, so most of us prefer to leave it to the pros.

Day to day maintenance on stoves is limited to ash removal, though wood burners actually produce very little of this. Wood ash is rich in many micronutrients – especially potash, so it can be added directly to the garden or mixed in with the compost heap, giving you an extra benefit.

Depending on frequency of use, a regular visit from the chimney sweep is a must. For lined flues especially, the job is quick and clean.

But if you have a local supply of firewood (especially if it’s waste) and the source is being replanted, I would argue it makes a lot of sense to use this rather than any other source of fuel.

Ultimately, a well operated stove burning dry firewood can be eco-friendly and cost-efficient to run, and will produce very little smoke. And the time you spend outside chopping wood and staying warm and fit, you’re not having to heat the house!

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