#white china hutch

[levi-seijuro]

Dining Room - Transitional Dining Room Example of a mid-sized transitional light wood floor great room design with gray walls and no fireplace

[eppujensen]

LOVE the color combo in this hutch: white and greyish blue, plus little specks of pink and burgundy red and green in the china. From the summer home of Sini and Saku, found via Meidän mökki; photo by Ilona Pietiläinen. (NB. Finnish only.)

[magnusficent]

Enclosed Dining Room Mid-sized traditional enclosed dining room idea with white walls and a light wood floor.

[readrtheme]

New York Dining Room

Enclosed dining room - large traditional medium tone wood floor enclosed dining room idea with beige walls and no fireplace

[hangitupkeepitup]

Dining Room Kitchen Dining An illustration of a large country kitchen/dining room combination with blue walls and light wood floors and beige floors.

[blast-door]

Dining Room Great Room Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional dark wood floor great room remodel with white walls, a ribbon fireplace and a stone fireplace

[mysteryho]

New York Traditional Kitchen Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional kitchen remodel with a single-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, an island, and blue cabinets in a u-shaped, medium-tone wood floor enclosure.

[pixelsnpaper]

Dining Room Los Angeles Example of a large classic light wood floor enclosed dining room design with blue walls

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Oh, what a shame. This historic 1894 Victorian grey stone in Chicago, IL was the residence of Charles Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor. It's in the Bronzeville section and needs a lot of work. Someone bought the elegant 7bd, 5ba, 5,100 home and now realizes how much it will take to restore, so the owner put it on the market for $685k. We HOPE that someone doesn't buy it and do a cheap, modern, white & gray reno. You have to see how beautiful the architecture is.

In the entrance, the beautiful hall stand, wainscoting and railings with the bronze-topped newel post are all intact. There's also original tile and an old brass heat register. I also love the mural.

Gorgeous wall in the sitting room. The shelving is magnificent and look at the fireplace and mirror. Also looks like there were some lovely antique pieces that came with the house.

In this room there are pocket doors and that beautiful wood mirror.

The dining room is incredible, from the massive fireplace, to the wainscoting, and spectacular China cabinet. I wouldn't touch the wallpaper, either. Love it.

I don't know if the floors can be saved. There's water damage in this room.

The owner is in the middle of working in the kitchen. It looks like he intended to keep the outdated remodel.

The wall was tiled, but I don't know if it was original. The doors are definitely original and the staff stairs are still there.

I really wouldn't want to save those cabinets, but it would cost so much to replace them.

This looks like a bedroom. There must've been a bad roof leak and the fireplace has been blocked off. The mirror looks okay, though.

Well, there's definitely an original tub in here. Look at how long it is. I'm thinking that the mirror is also original. Maybe the sink is, too.

A round room with a beautiful built-in hutch.

There's also a built-in armoire.

The home has so many built-ins.

Looks like that door opens to a bathroom.

It looks like they started peeling linoleum off the floor and found wood underneath.

Somebody got creative in this bath. But, it has another original tub and also a vintage sink. That toilet is looking pretty old, too.

Someone paneled this bedroom.

This room has a lot of damage.

Looks like the basement ceiling is charred.

These must be functional.

Looks like a basement room.

And, in here they have laundry and a utility sink. I hope that someone buys and restores it. There's so much that's left of the original architecture.

10,000 sq ft lot.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3936-S-King-Dr-Chicago-IL-60653/2070846420_zpid/

[illusbyaf]

AUSTRIAN GP 2024

HAPPY AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX WEEKEND ✨✨ As it is the Red Bull Ring, I decided to do a piece for Max Verstappen. I HAVEN’T DRAWN HIM YET!! Max is Dutch and GUESS WHAT ME TOO. Growing up, my mom kept blue and white ceramics in a hutch with glass doors and I specifically remember little blue and white chickens that I played with once I was trusted not to break them. I now know this is called Delftware. HISTORY TIME. Delftware became popular in the Netherlands in the 17th century when trade was interrupted after the death of the Wanli emperor in China. Originally, only the rich could afford the blue and white porcelain works and their designs were coveted. When trade stopped, the Dutch took this as an opportunity to create their own, cheaper alternative to Chinese porcelain. They originally copied many of these designs, but over time religious motifs, native Dutch scenes with windmills and fishing boats, hunting scenes, landscapes and seascapes became popular.

[archivist-crow]

The Haunted Atlas

Charlton House - Greenwich, London, United Kingdom

51°28′50″N / 0°02′14″E

Former stately home in Greenwich, London, with active haunting phenomena. Now a municipal building, Charlton House has been the site of numerous investigations by paranormal researchers. Some unusual phenomena have been recorded there, including what may be the first "live" apport on film.

Charlton House was built in grand Renaissance style in the early 17th century by Adam Newton, a royal tutor. In 1680, Newton sold the house to Sir William Langhorne, who served as governor of Madras and wanted the house for his retirement. Langhorne lived there until his death in 1715 at age 85. Although he enjoyed women, he never produced an heir. His restless ghost is said to haunt the halls and turn bedroom doorknobs. Another ghost often seen walking on the grounds is that of a servant girl dressed in Jacobean clothing carrying a dead baby in her arms.

Charlton House was turned into a hospital during World War I. One room said by local lore to be the most haunted was left unoccupied until need required that it be opened. The house was severely damaged by bombs during World War II. Repairmen found the mummified body of a child walled in one of the house's chimneys.

The Greenwich Borough Council owns Charlton House, which now serves as a public library and day center. Employees and visitors have reported haunting phenomena, primarily on the third floor, and especially in two rooms known as the Grand Salon and Long Gallery. Other ghosts are an Indian civil servant who likes to pinch the bottoms of women, and phantom rabbits, perhaps due to the fact that a rabbit hutch once was kept in the Long Gallery.

Investigators, including those from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP) and the Ghost Club, have held vigils there. Unexplained, explosive noises have been recorded, as well as the sudden movement of objects, which appear to be thrown. Mysterious sighs and vague voices have been heard. Cold spots are felt.

Around the end of 1995, an apport manifested during a taping for a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) television show on the paranormal. Participating in the vigil was Maurice Grosse, chairman of the Spontaneous Cases Committee of the SPR, and Les Herbert of the ASSAP. They sat in the Long Gallery with BBC assistant producer Amir Jamal. The room was searched, and the lights were turned off for the vigil. Jamal kept a flashlight in one hand and a camcorder in his other hand.

Sometime after 11 P.M., Grosse, who had closed his eyes, heard a police siren outside, which stopped suddenly. Then a tremendous explosion sounded in the room. Everyone leaped up, and the lights were turned on. In the center of the room was a blue and white teacup, broken into seven pieces that were arranged in a small, near circular fashion, as though someone had laid them out.

No one knew where the cup had come from. The Charlton House staff could not identify the china pattern—the house had only all-white teacups. More puzzling, however, was the manner in which the pieces were neatly arranged on the floor. If the cup had fallen from a height or been thrown, fragments would have been scattered about in wide disarray. Grosse and other investigators attempted to recreate the breakage by throwing teacups of similar size and thickness. They either could not break the cups or succeeded only in smashing them to bits.

The explosive sound was captured on the camcorder footage. An analysis by BBC experts determined that the sound was typical of an explosion, not just of a teacup breaking.

No evidence of hoax was found.

On July 30, 1999, during a vigil by members of the Ghost Club, a loud explosive noise was heard, and a test object, a carved wooden mushroom placed in the rooms by investigators, suddenly flew about 10 feet through the air.

Some investigators have held seances in the haunted rooms and said they made contact with various spirits present.

Text from The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Third Edition by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Checkmark Books - 2007)

[theboywithburninghands]

Part 2 of my standalone Funnybunny piece. Less angsty, more fun, still pretty heavy. I love it. Hope you will too. T/W: Mentions of drugs and alcohol, self-hatred

“You’re going to be okay, right?”

Pomni looked up at Jax. The two of them hadn’t said a word to each other since leaving his room. Thunder boomed and churned. 

“Yeah,” was Jax’s paltry reply. Pomni swallowed, from nerves and from her enduring thirst. She couldn’t chew on her gloves due to one gripping Jax’s hand and the other the lighter. She chewed on her lower lip instead. 

“You… don’t have to stay for very long. I told you I’m dogwater at social stuff, so I won’t force you to do too much. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Jax replied.

Pomni felt frustration stir in her belly. One-word answers were the bane of her existence. For the life of her, she couldn’t tell what someone was feeling if they only said “yeah” or “nah” or “fine.” Was Jax angry with her? Tired? Ashamed? Some awkward fusion of all three? …Well. That would have to be put on hold. She released Jax’s hand, the rabbit tucking his hand back into his pocket, and opened the door to Ragatha’s bedroom. 

“ Pomni! And-And Jax, you’re back! Is everything okay?”

Ragatha hurried over to Pomni, stepping carefully over her blankets and pillows. She had evidently been trying to make a blanket fort in near-total darkness, without much success. 

“Yeah. We talked.” Pomni said. 

“More like screamed.” came a dry and annoyed voice. Zooble was resting on Ragatha’s empty bed. “We could hear you from all the way down the hall. I think the only thing louder than you was the storm.”

There was a faint burble of thunder. Apparently it agreed.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you guys. I just…”

“Don’t worry, Pomni. You brought light with you.” 

Kinger ignited the wick of a long, white candle using the lighter in Pomni’s hand. He stared at the flame it created intently for a moment, before he stuck it on an old fashioned brass chamberstick, the kind with a finger loop you always saw people in silk pajamas use to look around their dark manor in old movies. He cupped the flame and brought it over to some of the candles that had fallen on the floor, setting the chamberstick down on Ragatha’s hutch so he could plate the other candles.

“You should thank Jax. He had a change of heart even before I yelled at him.” Pomni said with a nervous chuckle. 

Jax blew a raspberry through his lips and went over to help Kinger light the other candles. Pomni chewed on her glove. 

“Thank you for bringing the lighter back, Jax…” Gangle said softly. She clutched a stuffed zebra for security. “I-I don’t do so well in the dark…” 

“Whatever.” Jax replied without turning around. 

“I think that’s Jaxenese for ‘you’re welcome.’” Ragatha said with a smirk. 

“Say, why is this candle blue?” Kinger asked, holding up a squat, already lit powder-blue one in a glass jar. 

“Oh, that’s one of my scented ones. Blue citrus, it’s really nice. Leave it going for a bit.” Ragatha delicately took the candle and placed it on her table.

In time, the performers eventually had all the candles going, safely burning on sticks, sconces or small glass plates to keep any wax from dripping onto the floor. Kinger went and retrieved his camping stove, which thankfully had enough white gas left in it to get started. Ragatha filled her tea kettle with a gallon jug of drinking water she kept stowed away under her bed, setting it gingerly on the camping stove. She set about putting ginseng tea bags in her white china cups, handing them to everyone on saucers as a plume of steam began to issue from the kettle. The room smelled pleasantly of orange. 

“I know it’s a little cliché, but I love tea. Especially with my secret ingredient.” 

“Booze?” Zooble asked. Pomni couldn’t help but snort. Ragatha chuckled as well. 

“No, no. I don’t really have a name for it. At least not yet.” Ragatha went over to a small fridge that resembled a toy chest. 

“Shrooms? That’d be awesome.” Zooble sighed. Gangle stifled a giggle this time.

“Zooble, stop it.” Ragatha tisked with a hand on her hip. “You would not wanna do magic mushrooms in the middle of a blackout, trust me.”

“She’s right…” Gangle agreed. Zooble shot her a suspicious look just as Ragatha retrieved a small thermos from the fridge, shutting the door quickly to not let the cold out.

“Alright, everyone bring me your cups.” Ragatha said, taking the kettle off of Kinger’s stove with a pink and white checkered potholder. Thunder rumbled. 

Everyone gathered around Ragatha’s table as she poured hot water into their cups, the water turning deep amber as it mixed with the hot tea leaves. She bobbed the string in everyone’s cups to let out some additional flavor before discarding the hot wet bags and opening her thermos. She retrieved an elegantly patterned silver spoon from her tea set and stirred the contents of the thermos. After a moment she scooped out a heaping spoonful of what looked like purple clotted cream, dolloping it into her own cup and stirring until the tea was a pleasant, dull lavender color. She put a significantly smaller amount into every other cup, humming tunelessly. She smiled and held up her own cup after finishing. 

“Hope you enjoy! Drink it slow to savor the taste.” Ragatha gently blew away the steam drifting from her own cup and took a sip, sighing in contentment. 

Pomni blew on hers as well and sampled the tea. Whatever Ragatha’s secret ingredient was, it contained a lot of sugar and cream. It was almost like drinking a slice of birthday cake, but with a flutter of herbs she didn’t recognize. Not bad at all, but a little too rich to have more than one cup. 

“Mmm!~ This is so good!” Gangle cried. Zooble, on the other hand, spluttered.

 “Oh jeez…” they said in between coughs.

“Aw, you don’t like it?” Ragatha asked, smiling politely yet with a twinge of disappointment. 

“No it’s- it’s good it’s-” Zooble hacked and coughed. “I just wasn’t expecting like… A blast in the face from the sugar cannon. I- ahem, usually take my coffee black or my tea plain…”

“Oh man, that’s hardcore, Zooble.” Pomni said. “I at least need a little sugar in mine…”

“I’m with Pompom. It’s almost like plain coffee tastes bad.” Jax said. He sipped from his cup and looked down at it with a slightly crinkled face. “Yeah, this is like, crazy sweet though.” 

“Well you aren’t spraying it across the room, so I’ll take that as a win.” Ragatha replied, smiling proudly. 

Kinger finished his entire cup in a few gulps, holding it out to Ragatha. “More please.”

“Woah! Easy there, Kinger!” Ragatha held out a hand to slow him down. “I’m glad you like it but you’re gonna burn your throat. Plus this is ginseng, so it’ll give you energy.”  

“Oh, that actually makes a lot of sense. You stay peppy by consuming truckloads of caffeine.” Jax tapped his cup for reference. 

Ragatha giggled. “Caffeine does help. But counting your blessings and staying positive every day helps even more.” 

“Yyyyyyyeah, I’ll stick with the caffeine thanks.” Jax took a sip of his tea, squinting his eyes a bit at the sweetness. 

Pomni smiled. He was getting back to his old self. If he kept his humor to light-hearted ribbing, he was pleasant. Charming, even. She sipped her tea.

After everyone had finished, Gangle, Kinger and Ragatha going back for a second cup, Ragatha taught them the basics of making a blanket fort. While Pomni normally wouldn’t have been interested, not having any sort of caffeine or similar stimulant in months had caught up to her; her head was humming and she needed something to do. She listened to all of Ragatha’s instructions carefully, and went to get her blanket from her room along with the others. Kinger accompanied Gangle to her bedroom, the ribbon girl still paranoid about the dark even with a candle to light her way.

Jax proved himself useful at tying the blankets together. It seemed that in addition to making him a skilled lockpicker, his nimble fingers allowed him to make pretty complicated knots on his first or second try. He hardly required any instruction on how to tie them either. Maybe it was the ginseng helping him focus, Pomni wondered to herself. 

Soon, their fort was complete. It was a little on the cramped side, especially when it was filled up with pillows,  but all six of them could fit if they packed together like sardines. Pomni, cautious of having to squeeze up alongside people, opted for a seat at the end, Jax on her left and the fort’s exit on her right. She didn’t mind being close to Jax… 

“Well, this is great! I feel snug as a bug in here!” Ragatha declared. 

“It’s nice enough.” Zooble admitted. “Beats whatever stupid-@$$ thing Caine had planned.”

“When do you guys think he’s coming back? He’s not gonna be mad is he?” Pomni asked. 

“He doesn’t really get mad very much. He tries to keep the kid-friendly persona up all the time, so he can’t be too threatening, y’know?” Jax said. From how close they were sitting, Pomni could feel the vibrations of his voice on her left arm. 

“Besides, I think he’ll be proud we managed to have a little adventure together even with the electricity not working properly.” Ragatha added. 

“I just wish there was a way to bring light into our fort…” Gangle sighed. “I know it’s not safe to bring candles in here, but it’s so dark…”

Thunder sounded out from beyond the blankets, still quite loud but not nearly as frequent and quaking as before. 

“Hey, you know it’s funny you say that?” Jax said. He took a moment to reach into the pocket of his overalls and retrieve a small, tube-shaped item. There was a click and a cone of light shone from one end of the tube, causing everyone to squint.

“Jax, is that a flashlight..?” Ragatha asked, shielding her eye with one hand.

“You had a flashlight on you this whole time and didn’t tell us?!” Zooble groused. 

“Hey, I forgot I had it until I got back into my room. Why do you think I was so willing to give Jingles my lighter?” Jax tousled Pomni’s coxcomb hat, shaking the bells in it. “Besides, I was waiting for a moment like this-”

Jax held the lit end of the flashlight under his chin, turning his face into an eerie black and white silhouette with shaded eyes. 

“-to tell you guys a little story.”

Gangle let out the same sustained whine she did when the power first went out. 

“Jax, come on, no ghost stories.” Ragatha held out her hand in a “halt” motion. 

“Aw, whaaat?” Jax took the light off of his face. “You’re kidding, it’s an essential slumber party activity. Unless we were gonna sit around and talk about boys.”

“I’d rather we do that…” Gangle admitted, holding her stuffed zebra a little closer. 

“Real boys, Gangle. Not anime boys.” Jax drawled. “Come on, just one story. I promise I’ll go easy on you.” 

“I wouldn’t mind hearing it.” Kinger said.

“Sure, whatever.” Zooble grunted.

“Noooooo…” Gangle mewled, squeezing her zebra with all her strength.

Pomni smiled a bit. “Gangle, I think he really means it this time. You promise you won’t scare us too bad, Jax?” 

“Well I can’t promise-”

He paused for a second.

“Yeah, I promise.” 

“...Okay.” Gangle sighed. Ragatha reached a hand over to hold one of her ribbons, which she gladly accepted.

“Eeexcellent…” Jax held the light under his chin, giving a huge, jack-o-lantern grin. “Then let’s get started.”

The rabbit cleared his throat. 

“There once was a 10-year-old boy, we’ll call him Paul, that lived near a pretty big set of woods. It was meant to be cleared for more houses, but there was some sort of issue with zoning or maybe the HOA, you know how these things go. Paul’s house was right next to it, and since the city wasn’t doin’ anything with it, he decided to explore it. “Now Paul loved it out there. Even though it was only a wedge of land a little less than a mile long, he had the whole place mapped out. He knew where every fallen tree to balance on was, he knew where every gully was so he never fell into ‘em, he knew where all his favorite hidden clearings and funny looking bushes were. 

“But, like any 10-year-old, he would forget stuff out there sometimes. Nothin’ too bad at first, he’d forget a comic book out there, then find it again a few days later with spots of mold on it, or maybe he’d bring his lunchbox out there with some snacks and forget it, so his mom would have to wash it when he finally found it on a stump or something. “Now there was one Saturday, in April, where he went out in the morning to play. He had his jacket on since the mornings could still be a little bit chilly in the early spring. But, as the sun got higher in the sky, the day got warmer. So, he took his jacket off and hung it on a branch. 

“Not long after he did that though, his mom called him inside to do his weekend chores before he went over to a friend’s house, and he went running back home, leaving his jacket, forgotten, on the branch.”

There was a rumble of thunder, Jax’s smile only growing wider with a dark chuckle.

“So, he goes to his friend’s house, comes home, does his homework, plays some video games, and goes to bed. He’s got church tomorrow morning after all, he can’t stay up too late, and he’s tired. He had a busy day. So, he lays down in bed and falls asleep within minutes. 

“One o’clock in the morning. Paul wakes up and has to go to the bathroom. On his way back though, he hears a noise. He looks down the stairs to see that the front door is creaking open. No one locked their doors around here, it was a safe neighborhood. He figures it might be his parents back from some kind of get-together with their friends. But what comes inside…

“Oh, it isn’t his parents.” Jax let out another grim chuckle, Ragatha squeezing Gangle’s ribbon a little bit tighter.

“What shuffles into the house is a good eight feet tall with long, scarecrow-like limbs, covered in mud and leaves from the woods, piercing bright yellow eyes peering out from filthy, bug ridden hair. It tracks mud on the hardwood floor with every step it takes, leaving behind three toed footprints. It looks up the stairs, and it sees Paul! 

“Paul runs for his bedroom, but he can hear the creature snarl through a clotted throat and fall onto all fours, loping up the stairs far, FAR faster than Paul could run. Paul skids to a stop in front of his door, seeing the creature’s horrible eyes leering at him from the top of the stairs. He runs inside his room and tries to slam the door shut, but a hand tipped with three dirty talons catches the edge of the door before he can shut it. “It’s so much bigger and stronger than he is, and it throws the door open, slamming it hard against his bedroom wall. It has to stoop to fit into his bedroom, never once taking those awful, piercing eyes off of him. Paul falls onto the floor and covers his eyes, waiting for the teeth to clamp down on his head or those horrible claws to tear him limb from limb! “The creature reaches onto its back, pulling something off of its body. A weapon to stab him with or- “A jacket. The creature dropped Paul’s filthy jacket onto the bedroom floor with a wet flop.  

“‘Quit leavin’ your stuff on my property, stupid.’ it grunts, before turning and bowing out the door, down the steps and into the night.”

Everyone was quiet for a second before Ragatha started laughing. Gangle joined in, then Pomni did as well. Jax handed the flashlight over to Gangle and relaxed, putting his hands behind his head. 

“That was a good story, Jax! I liked it a lot better than the one about the babysitter.” Ragatha said. 

“Or the one about the dog…” Gangle said. She seemed to have surprised herself with how hard she had laughed, as she hiccuped soon after. 

“Hey now, this story has a moral,” Jax said from his reclining position. “What, respect nature? Don’t leave important stuff behind?” Zooble asked, barely interested. 

“Nah. Don’t be a ten-year-old.”  Again, there was a ripple of somewhat awkward laughter amongst the performers. They weren’t used to Jax making jokes that weren’t… cruel. Snarky as hell, sure, but these were… actually pretty funny. It was… nice to have him around. 

Pomni touched his leg. He opened one eye and glanced down at her glove, then back up at the jester. Even in the dim light, her blush was noticeable. “So what do we do now? Anyone got anything they want to talk about..?” Ragatha asked. “I dunno. I’d say we could nap, but I’m still a little wired from your tea. What else do you do at a slumber party?” Pomni scratched her cheek. “I could teach you guys how to make paper stars! Or maybe we could-”

There was a great swoosh of movement as the top blanket was yanked off of their fort. “HELLO EVERYONE! GLAD TO SEE YOU’RE DOING WELL!” Caine held the blanket in one hand and his cane in the other, hovering above the group and giving off his own light. Everyone jolted, Pomni pressing herself against Jax. Jax instinctively put a hand around her. “Well, we were …” Jax drawled. “What do you want, Caine?”

“The lights are still off… no luck fixing whatever needs fixing..?” Zooble asked. “Also, that’s my blanket.” 

“APOLOGIES, ZOOBLE! HERE YOU GO!” Caine hurled the blanket at Zooble like a cannonball, knocking them into their pillows with a shocked and incensed “OW.” 

“Caine, what’s-” Pomni noticed she was in Jax’s arms. “Uh… I um…” 

Jax looked down and smirked proudly. 

“EXCELLENT QUESTION POMNI! BUBBLE AND I HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK TRYING TO FIX OUR LITTLE POWER ISSUE! ISN’T THAT RIGHT, BUBBLE?!”

Bubble emerged from within Caine’s hat, wearing a construction helmet and glowing. 

“We haven’t been able to fix anything!” he declared proudly.

Caine just about fell out of the air in shock, quickly righting himself. “Bubble! They’re not supposed to know that!” he whispered harshly. 

“Oh. I guess they do now huh?” Bubble replied. Caine swiftly popped him, his helmet falling out of the air and into Kinger’s lap.

“Ooh! A gift from the gods!” he declared, immediately putting it on. 

“You guys haven’t found the issue yet..? Is there anything we can do to help?” Ragatha asked.

“We? I ain’t helping.” Zooble declared. 

“I’m with Zoob. I’m pretty comfortable in this little tent. With my stuffed animal.” Jax said, patting Pomni on the arm. Pomni felt like she might explode.

“I APPRECIATE THE OFFER RAGATHA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE ISSUE IS FOR RINGMASTER AND RINGMASTER ASSOCIATED ASSOCIATES ONLY!” 

“Well… what is the issue then?” Gangle asked. 

“WELL YOU SEE-”

Caine then regurgitated an enormous dump of information, enough to fill up three pages front and back. But his voice was sped up so quickly that it all flew by in a matter of about 30 seconds. 

“-BUT THAT’S THE SHORT VERSION!” 

“So… it’s gonna take a while to fix, then.” Pomni said. She was admittedly a bit happy they wouldn’t be thrown into another adventure right then and there. She was comfortable right where she was… right there next to Jax, sharing his warmth. His fur was fine yet plush, incredibly soft like that of a microfiber blanket.

“How did it happen anyway? Were you messing with the weather again?” Zooble asked.

“I PLEAD THE FIFTH!”

“Caine, don’t take this the wrong way, but… you look… tired?” Ragatha asked. 

“HA! DON’T BE RIDICULOUS! I’M THE RINGMASTER! IT’S MY JOB TO KEEP YOU ALL ENTERTAINED FOR-”

There was a deafening clap of thunder that stopped Caine’s spiel in its tracks. He looked up at the ceiling and then hung his head.

“I’m very tired.”

Ragatha smiled and got to her feet, stepping out of the now roofless blanket fort and over to the camping stove sitting on her table. She got the stove started after a few attempts, refilling her tea-kettle. The others watched her, exchanging looks. 

“Whatcha doing there, Rags?” Jax inquired uneasily.

“Caine said he was tired, didn’t he? He could use a cup of tea.” Ragatha replied, putting the kettle onto the burner. 

“Can Caine even eat or drink..? I don’t know if-ACK!”

Pomni was bonked on the head by an object that  fell from above. As it rigidly fell to the mass of cushions with a polite plop, its form became clear in the beam of the flashlight. 

“Caine dropped his… uh, cane!” Gangle whispered, putting a ribbon to her mouth in surprise.

The six performers looked up at the ringmaster. He hovered in the same spot, head still bowed. A sound emitted from his teeth, a mixture of a Dial-up computer’s startup sound and faint snoring. 

“Oh my God, he’s out cold!” Zooble said incredulously. They stood and tapped one of Caine’s feet experimentally. Not even a twitch. A huge grin spread across Jax’s face. “Let’s put his hand in warm water!” He scrambled to his feet, only for Pomni to grab one of his ankles on his way out of the fort, causing him to fall onto the floor, one leg still stuck in the fort. “Let’s not.” she retorted flatly. “Man, you suck.” Jax said, putting his chin on his knuckles in petulant disappointment. 

“Guys, we should let him sleep,” Ragatha said, dropping a tea bag into one of her China cups. “I think if he gets the rest he needs, he’ll be able to fix all this. At least give him until his tea is ready.” The other performers obliged, some more reluctant than others. Jax climbed back into the tent beside Pomni. They chatted quietly for a few minutes, occasionally glancing up to check on Caine, who remained suspended in the air like an unused marionette. Ragatha soon approached with a cup of her purple tea on a saucer. 

“Anyone want to do the honors?” she asked, looking up at Caine with an amused smile. 

“I’m on it.” Jax said, picking up a pillow. He squinted one eye to help his aim and lobbed it at Caine. The cushion bounced off Caine’s teeth, landing back on the floor anticlimactically. 

A few seconds of silence and then Caine slowly raised his head as a start-up jingle played. He blinked rapidly and looked around. “GADZOOKS! HOW LONG WAS I OUT?!” he cried.

“Couple hours.” Jax replied. This earned him a whap with a pillow from Pomni. 

“He’s kidding, you were sleeping for about twenty minutes,” Ragatha said. “But you needed it. Do you feel any better?” Caine scratched where his chin might have been. “HMM, LET ME SEE…” 

He put his hands on his hips, staring off into nothing. His eyes gradually drifted in opposite directions. “Uh…” Pomni began. “YES! I FEEL MUCH BETTER! ALL I NEEDED WAS A GOOD HARD RESET! DON’T YOU WORRY, MY LITTLE SUPERSTARS, YOU CAN REST EASY KNOWING THAT I’LL HAVE THIS STORM ISSUE FIXED WITHIN THE HOUR!”

“That’s great! But, you know? It was a fun little adventure on its own, I think.” Ragatha said. “FANTASTIC NEWS! THAT JUST MEANS I’LL HAVE TO WORK EVEN HARDER TO SURPRISE YOU ALL WITH TOMORROW’S ADVENTURE, WON’T I?!” 

Everyone winced. 

“WELL, I BETTER GET BACK TO IT! SEE YOU ALL ON A SUNNIER DAY!” Caine declared, picking up his cane from the pillows and twirling it around with theatrical flourish. 

“Oh, did you want your tea first?” Ragatha held up the steaming cup for Caine to see. “GOSH RAGATHA, I ALMOST FORGOT! THANK YOU, DEAR!” Caine hovered down and took the teacup with his free hand, pinky out.

“Be careful, Caine, it’s a little-” Ragatha’s smile melted when she saw Caine chug the entire thing in one go, tossing the teacup over his shoulder, where it shattered on the floor with a tinkly smash. 

“...hot. A-Are you okay?” 

Steam issued from Caine’s mouth, his tongue significantly more raw and red. Tears pooled in his eyes. “THE PAIN ITH ALMOTHT EUPHORIC, RAGATHA!” he lisped, pointing at the ragdoll. He then disappeared in a loud pop of confetti, a distant howl of pain audible within a rumble of thunder. 

After cleaning up the bits of broken china, Ragatha put Zooble’s blanket back over top of their fort and climbed back inside. The performers spent the next hour or so chatting about this and that. About 20 minutes was devoted to an argument over whether milk or dark chocolate was superior, Kinger rattled off an encyclopedic list of the insects he had in his collection, and Jax introduced everyone to the concept of “The Game.” It was agreed Kinger had the best chance of winning The Game given his iffy memory. 

Pomni was in the middle of reciting Pi, and was on the forty-first digit (6) when the lights weakly flashed on, turned off, then bloomed to full brightness. 

“Yaaay! We’ve got power!” Ragatha cried joyfully. 

“Aw, too bad. I was curious about the rest of Pi.” Jax drawled. Pomni blushed and nudged him on the shoulder. 

The performers took a moment to help Ragatha snuff out all of her candles and put away all the sticks and dishes they were placed on. They carefully dismantled their fort, everyone holding their respective blanket and pillows. “Thanks for stopping by, you guys. I know I said it was a slumber party, but it’s only… uh…” Ragatha checked a pocket watch she had in her dress. “1:52 PM. So I guess it doesn’t technically doesn’t qualify…”

“Hey, don’t sweat it doll,” Zooble said. “I had a nice time. Doesn’t happen very often, you know?” 

“Mmm-hmm. I would have spent the whole day hiding in bed without you.” Gangle added. She still had Ragatha’s stuffed zebra under one ribbon, the doll said she could borrow it.

“You guys, come on…” Ragatha waved a hand, her cheeks pink. “It’s no big deal, really.” 

“Give yourself some credit, Ragatha. You did the most today.” Pomni insisted with a faint smile. 

Ragatha laughed off the compliments. Even if she was being humble, it was clear just how much the praise meant to her from her luminous blush. The performers parted ways, going to their rooms to make their beds and, for some, promptly lay back down in them. Pomni rubbed her eyes as she smoothed out her comforter. That ginseng was really carrying her, and now that the last of it had passed through her brain, she was left with the combined fatigue of too little sleep and emotional overexertion. A nap would really hit the spot right now, and the dim light from the leftover storm, now not much more than a drizzle and occasional thunder, was an open invitation for her to close her heavy eyelids. Only… there was one thing she needed to take care of first.

She swallowed, feeling a spark of anxiety in her belly, but decided to bite the bullet and go for it. She crossed the hallway to Jax’s room and knocked on his door. “Jax..?” she called, too quietly to be heard. Her anxiety had a nasty habit of forcing her voice into a mumble. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth to try again, only for the door to open. Jax looked down at her and gave her a smile. “...Hey.” “Hi…” she replied with a timid little wave. “Can I come in..?” Jax moved aside to let the jester into his room. Through his window, she could see the sky was still covered in a patchy mix of white and gray clouds, puddles dotting the grounds just about everywhere. Jax closed the door and locked it. “...I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Pomni said. She put the thumb of one of her gloves in her teeth and chewed on it. “You were being an @$$, but I was out of line too.”

Jax went over to the window and looked outside. Pomni moved her teeth from her thumb to her pointer finger. “...I do still think that… You wouldn’t hate yourself as much if you weren’t-” 

“Spare me.” 

Pomni looked up. Jax was still smiling, but it wasn’t nearly as wide as before. “You’re right. You don’t have to hurt yourself coming up with a whole big speech.” Jax said, turning to look at Pomni. She averted eye contact, looking out the window instead. 

“...I won’t. But…” Pomni bit particularly hard on the tip of her glove. “You… really don’t remember?” 

Jax shook his head. “Nope. It just… exists. The feeling that I’m nothing. Worse than nothing-”

“Less than a person.” Pomni finished.  “Below zero.” 

“Yup.” Jax said. “No cure for something with no cause.” 

Jax felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso. Pomni rested her head against his side, looking out the window with him.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make it hurt a little less.” 

Jax felt an ache in his throat. He put a hand on Pomni’s back. She didn’t flinch.

The two of them looked out the window like that for a while. Jax eventually led her over to his bed, helping her climb in and pulling the covers back.

“I figured you were tired too.” he said. 

“God, am I ever. I feel so heavy…” Pomni sighed.

Jax tossed the covers over her. He scooted up beside her on the bed, and she immediately slid up beside him, resting her cheek on his chest. His denim overalls were warm. “I had a good time with you today…” Pomni said. “Can… Can I kiss you?”

Jax was quiet for a moment. He looked down at the jester. She met his eyes. He leaned down and their lips met. It wasn’t a long kiss, or even a very good one. Pomni was off-center by a few centimeters and ended up kissing his bottom lip only, and the awkward angle made it so Jax had to crane his neck to get any reach at all. And yet, the electricity between their lips easily dwarfed any thunderstorm.

[sallysgrancanwrite]

Chapter Eighty-Three

Masterlist.

Dinner was finally ready. The turkey's stupid button, as Beth called it, had popped up so it was perfectly cooked. The skin was nice and golden brown. All the dishes were prepared and pies done. Chloe had even made some dinner rolls. It was the first time and they turned out great. When she was married Martha did most of the cooking.

“Emma, would you help Momma get the china, and set the table in the dining room?” Chloe asked Emma.

“Yes, Momma.” Emma said, sliding off Grandpa’s lap. She loved sitting on his lap.

“Be very careful with Grammys good china honey.” Chloe told her daughter as she handed her some to carry. She didn’t have to walk far with them because the china hutch was in the dining room.

Chloe got out the beautiful silverware from the drawer and box. She remembered having to polish these when she was younger. She hated doing it. It took her away from her friends. Doing it now wasn’t such a big deal. When you grow up your thinking and priorities mature.

“Chloe, make sure to put out some wine goblets for the adults.” Edith told her.

“Momma, can I have a pretty glass too?” Emma asked Chloe.

“You don’t drink wine honey.” Chloe replied.

“I know, but can I drink my milk out of one? Emma said.

“You go ask Grammy.” Chloe told her. “That’s up to her.”

“Okay,” Emma said, running into the kitchen.

“Grammy, can I drink my milk from your pretty glasses? Emma asked her.

“Can you be very careful and not break it?” answered Edith.

“I will, I promise.” Emma told her.

“Okay, I guess that would be alright.” Edith said.

“Thank you, Grammy!” Emma said hugging Edith very tight.

She ran to tell Chloe. She was so excited. “Momma!” Emma hollered. “Grammy said I could!”

“Okay, but no screaming in the house please.” Chloe told her.

“Sorry, I got excited.” Emma said.

“That’s okay, honey. I’m not mad.” Chloe told her. She had to be careful correcting her daughter after all the abuse from her father. He was terribly harsh and cruel to Emma. Chloe made sure to always let her know she wasn’t mad at her. She didn’t want to damage her anymore than she was already.

They called the guys to come sit down. As promised Emma got to sit by Alan, her new best friend.

“This looks and smells amazing!” said Alan. “I admit it is much better than a turkey dinner at the cafe. Not that the food is bad there.” He commented.

“No one should spend Thanksgiving alone.” Chloe told him.

“Okay honey, will you carve the Turkey please.” asked Edith.

Bob got out his good carving knife and fork from the hutch. The knife just slid through the meat.

“Chloe, go get the gravy in the kitchen. I plum forgot it.” Edith told her.

“Hand me your plate Beth. Do you want white or dark meat?” asked Bob.

“I’ll take either one. Thank you Bob.” She told him.

Chloe and Emma both liked white meat and Edith ate dark meat.

“Alan, what would you like?” Bob asked their guest.

“I’ll take some dark meat if you have some cut up.” Alan answered.

Chloe was genuinely happy this Thanksgiving for the first time in many years.

They didn’t celebrate Holidays with Michael. He would always get drunk and soon the abuse would start.

Emma looked happy too. She really liked Alan and he was very nice to her. It was good for her to see that not all men are like her father.

They ate themselves silly. Now for the enormous cleanup.

“Well, Alan, shall we turn on the game?” Bob asked him. “What would you like to drink? I can mix you one.”

“Actually a beer would be okay. If you have one.” Alan answered.

“Coming right up.” Bob looked happy to have a guy to hang out with and watch football with.

The ladies got to cleaning the food up. Emma went and got some Barbie’s and sat by Bob’s feet and played.

“Girls, let’s use the dishwasher today. There are too many dishes to do by hand.” Edith told Chloe and Beth.

Afterwards the ladies went back to playing a card game. The afternoon just flew by.

“Does anyone feel ready for some pie?” asked Edith. “Lord knows we have enough.”

“I will, dear.” replied Bob.

“I’ll take some as well,” said Alan. “What do you have?”

“We have sweet potato pie, coconut cream, blueberry, apple, and banana cream. “ Edith answered.

“I’ll take coconut cream.” hollered Bob.

“I’ll have the sweet potato pie.” Alan replied.

Chloe took the pies into the living room for the guys. They didn’t want to miss the game.

The ladies ate in the kitchen. They were tired from all the cooking that day.

“I’m beat,” said Beth. “But how are you holding up Edith?”

“I'm doing good. You girls did most of it today. It was a great help.” Edith stated.

With the game over, Alan stood up to get ready for home.

“Do you have to leave?” asked Emma.

“I’m afraid so, honey. I have to work in the morning.” He said looking down at the little girl with a smile. “But I’m sure I’ll see again sometime.”

“I hope you had a good day,” said Bob. “It was nice to watch the game with you.” Bob said, shaking Alan’s hand. “Don’t be a stranger. You’re welcome here anytime.”

Chloe got him his jacket and walked him to the door.

“Thank you for a wonderful day.” He said looking at Chloe.

“You are very welcome. I’m glad you have fun.” She stated.

He opened the door and for a moment he paused as if he wanted to say something but instead just turned to leave.

“Goodbye,” Chloe said

“Goodbye.” Alan said, walking to his car.

It was a great day, Chloe thought to herself. She enjoyed Alan’s company. For some reason she had a smile on her face.

“What are you smiling at?” Beth asked as she chuckled.

“Nothing. I’m not smiling at anything.” Chloe replied.

“Uh huh. How about at someone?” Beth asked.

“Oh, stop that Beth. We’re just good friends.” Chloe said turning red.

“Then why is your face red?” Edith teased her.

“It was cold holding the door open. It’s just from the cold.” She said defensively. “Emma, come on. It’s time for a bath and bed.” Chloe said changing the subject.

“But I don’t have school tomorrow. Can’t I stay up a little bit longer?” Emma asked.

“No, I've already let you stay up later than normal. Pick your Barbie’s up and get in the tub please.” Chloe replied.

Emma, unhappy from the answer, slowly picked up her toys and headed for the bath.

“I’ll be right there, bug.” Chloe told her.

Chloe went and got her some clean pjs and went to wash Emma’s hair.

“Are you washed up ready for your hair?” asked Chloe as she walked in the bathroom.

“Yes, Momma. Can we still read a chapter tonight?” She asked her mother.

“Yes, we’ll read a chapter. Let’s get you out of here.” Chloe said, finishing with Emma’s long blonde hair. It had been a long day and Chloe was ready for bed.

[rabbitcruiser]

Robert Goddard Day

Robert Goddard Day is celebrated on March 16 every year. It is a day to celebrate the great mind of Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard and his achievements. He is known as the father of American rocketry and the space age. Dr. Goddard discovered the technology and created the first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. The success of his test is considered a milestone in the space age. His achievement is of the same importance as the invention of the Wright brothers in testing the first flight. He conducted the test from Auburn, Massachusetts, earning him the title “the father of modern rocket propulsion.”

History of Robert Goddard Day

Flight is a dream for every human being. Birds have always made us jealous with their ability to soar through the freedom of the vast white expanse of the sky, watching the flightless beings on the ground. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers took to the sky, giving wings to the dreams of humans to touch the sky. What felt like an impossible event a few decades ago is now easy to achieve. With the sky conquered, the next dream is to reach the infinite distances of space. The problem with the airplane is that it depends on the air and air pressure. Space does not have air, and, thus flight is not possible.

Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard was born on October 5, 1882, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He had a way to work in a vacuum. He predicted that a rocket would be able to work in the emptiness of space as it does not need air to push. He was a physics teacher at Clark University in Worcester. He had already started working on his idea of space travel in 1915. When Goddard claimed that the rockets could be used to transport payloads to the moon, he was ridiculed, and his theory was considered folly. But time taught them they were wrong.

Goddard did not live long enough to see his childhood dream of space travel realized. But his work laid the foundation for propelling modern space dreams.

Robert Goddard Day timeline

1909

The Gunpowder Rockets

As a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, Goddard experiments on a gunpowder-powered rocket.

1923

The Director of Physical Laboratory

Goddard is appointed the director of the Physical Laboratory.

1926

The First Rocket Test

Goddard tests the first liquid-fueled rocket.

1959

The Goddard Space Flight Center

Nasa establishes Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Robert Goddard Day FAQs

Why was the liquid-fueled rocket important?

Liquid rockets can provide more thrust and allow engineers to specify the range of the rocket.

Why is it important to have rockets?

They help deliver satellites to space and enable global communication, weather forecasts, and other technologies like GPS, which are an integral part of our lives.

How did rockets change the world?

Rockets changed warfare. Due to intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads, wars are no longer possible between major powers due to mutually assured destruction. Rockets also opened a frontier for space exploration. It helped revolutionize the technologies that we are so dependent on.

How to Observe Robert Goddard Day

Carry out a science experiment: This day is best spent doing a science experiment. You can start small with an experiment like collecting gas from a soda bottle. Record the experiment and post it on social media.

Watch a scientific documentary: Another easy way to spend the day is by watching scientific documentaries. Fluidity, air pressure, gravity, space, chemistry, etc. You choose the topic and start watching.

Create a mini rocket: You can purchase small rockets that can be assembled and taken off. Don’t worry, if they are not as advanced as the original rockets. We do not have to be rocket scientists to work on them.

5 Interesting Facts About Rockets

Arrows and rockets: The first rockets were used to propel arrows with greater speed and impact.

The first rockets: The Song dynasty of China found ways to weaponize gunpowder-powered rockets during the tenth century.

The ‘Father of Rockets’: It took Goddard 17 years to develop the first liquid-fueled rockets.

The iron-cased rockets: Tipu Sultan of India used iron-cased rockets for military use.

The first space rocket: In 1957, Russia created Sputnik, the first rocket that reached space.

Why Robert Goddard Day is Important

Space is infinite: Space is infinite. The contributions of Dr. Goddard helped us reach the infinity of space.

Sky is no longer the limit: Something beyond the sky just opened up thanks to the rockets. Now we can dream even bigger into the vast dark space.

It promotes innovations: Innovations can change society. With the advancement in technology, advancement in human civilization follows. The rocket's innovation now allows us to launch satellites and progress into the modern world.

Source

[vintagehomecollection]

A room with heavy molding gets relief from striped wallpaper, as well as a white ceiling. Both the pattern of the paper and the expanse of white complement the room’s other patterns and abundant color - green being the one picked out for the stripe. Another form of white, the cream-toned curtains contribute to the decorative influence of the walls.

House Beautiful: Decorating Style, 1992

[inspiredlivingspaces]

IG victoriahaganinteriors