Period Piece Anyone?

If anyone hasn't seen this BBC series, I would like to recommend it to you. The setting is Victorian London circa 1895. Eleanor Bramwell, a doctor who as you can imagine, is not easily accepted by her male peers. The series follows Eleanor in her pursuit of her dream to practice medicine. A building is donated by a wealthy patron and 'the Thrift' is created as an infirmary for the poor and indigent people of London. Eleanor's character is played by Jemma Redgrave of the famous family acting dynasty. Her father, who is also a doctor, is played by David Calder, who in my opinion could be the Dr. McDreamy of the post 50 set.

Bramwell (1995)

I'm quite taken with this series. So if you are looking for something new to add to your already over stuffed Netflix queue, please give both doctors Bramwell a go.

Random Thoughts on a Sunday Afternoon

I'm off today to celebrate the birthday of my first grandchild. I remember being so excited when she was born. They lived 12 hours away from my home. My divorce had just been finalized, but my ex-husband paid for me to fly there when she was three weeks old. I was still so angry at him that I really wasn't able to fully appreciate his kindness in doing that for me at that time. But it was kind. It's a wonderful thing for a first time grandmother to hold her grandchild. So happy 9th birthday Aubrey. I love you.

Isn't this the fattest chicklet you've ever seen?

This sweet young man called and arranged a lunch date with me this week. In my humble opinion, I have the best children in the entire world. I hope you think yours are too.

Yummy, chicken roll-ups! If I could replicate their slaw with Greek dressing and
feta cheese at home I would be in heaven.

Since Artober ended I haven't been sketching as much as I would like. This book is due back at the library soon. I read and sketched some of the patterns in it this week.

I've been quite taken with drawing that rooster. My work calendar has a couple of pages devoted to more roosters and my reports have had numerous rooster bits decorating them this week.


I took part in a mock trial at a local university's law school Friday evening. I might blog more on the experience so I won't say more than I enjoyed myself. This photo is the only one I took while on campus, since I didn't want to be late. I don't know if you can tell, but the tower is filled with bells that chime out the hours. I loved that.

The view from my kitchen window gets prettier each day. The trees have arrayed themselves in their fall finery at last.

One of the things I love the most about being home during the day is seeing the play of light and shadow on my living room walls. It says "here's a brand new day of promise...see what you can make of it."

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
Psalm 72:18

How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 144:15

Blessed be the Lord from everlasting to everlasting. He alone is deserving of our praise.

Seven Appliances I Heart

Sharing Ode to My Flattening Iron with you has gotten me to thinking about my 7 favorite household appliances.

1. Number one has to be the blow dryer because without it my flattening iron would be irrelevant, since ones hair must be perfectly dry for the iron to do it's stuff.
   
2. The flat iron for aforementioned reasons.
   
3. The vacuum cleaner because it looks like you've cleaned everything after you've vacuumed, unlike dusting which only makes things look a little brighter. (I'm all about getting the biggest bang for my cleaning efforts)
   
4. My waffle iron because I love me some hot crispy waffles.
   
5. An old school hand-held can opener, because it is so much more reliable than the electric kind.
   
6. A clothes iron (yes, I am fixated on anything named iron) since I look ever so much less frumpy, slumpy, disorganized and sloppy when I actually iron my clothes.
   
7. My salad spinner, because I no longer have to chose between eating wet lettuce or foregoing washing the greens, but then having to worry about catching amoebic dysentery.

Now you might want to argue that anything manually manipulated vs run electrically should not be defined as an appliance and hence should not be included on my list. Sorry, since I made the list anything I wish can go on it.

Make your own list if you want to dispute mine. What appliances do you heart?

Ode To My Flattening Iron

Your ceramic plates,
copper objects of beauty to me.
More expansive by far
is my love for thee.
Than the simple curling iron
which languishes in your shadow.
Never used, forgotten now.
Unruly waves vanquished,
when weather permits.
Humidity, the last enemy of
straight flat hair.

Disclaimer: Don't hate me because of my poetical talent!

....I just needed to express my love for the greatest invention of my times.

Nightmares

In a recent post, Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti stated that she dreams a lot and rarely experiences a nightmare. I, on the other hand, have nightmares regularly. For the most part, I stopped having really terrifying dreams a long time ago. Now, I call them nightmares because they are terribly oppressive, although all too often, I still wake with my heart pounding.

I used to have a recurring nightmare. I would dream that dream once or twice a year. It began when I was in grammar school and it finally stopped at age 18 after a traumatic experience. Don't ask me why. As a young mother, I would dream that I had fallen walking up steps in front of my childhood church and couldn't get up. I've dreamed that I needed to warn someone and couldn't make a sound. I've dropped numerous valuables down grates and have been unable to retrieve them, etc, etc, etc.....

Near the end of my marriage, my "bad" dreams intensified. In them something bad would always happened. Something so bad that I would spend the whole dream trying to fix it. I had so many bad dreams for so many years that I finally taught myself to wake up. At some hopeless point in the dream I would say to myself..."this is a dream, wake up" and I would. Learning to do this was freeing. No longer would I have to spend the whole night trying to do the impossible, trying to redo some deed gone horribly wrong, trying to undo some misdeed. But even though I might wake myself, sometimes I still would go back to sleep to start the frustrating cycle all over again. Once I woke up from a nightmare every night for about 2 weeks in a row at 2:00 in the morning.

The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli 1781

I don't have as many frustrating dreams anymore. Probably because my daytime circumstances aren't as frustrating now, but sometimes I still find myself trying desperately to work out problems in my sleep. Before you suggest it, let me assure you that I have no need of a psychoanalyst. I know why I have these kinds of dreams. I just don't like them. Why can't I have wonderful, happy, colorful, dreams of happy people who do great things?

I remember going to my parent's bedroom in the middle of the night often when I was 5 or 6 because of scary dreams. At first I was allowed to get in bed with them, but eventually my mother told me whenever I had a bad dream and couldn't go back to sleep to count my blessings...to think of all the good things in my life. Counting blessings has stood the test of time and countless bad dreams. Thinking on the good things in life has soothed me back to sleep many a sleepless night.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Good Things

"Make new friends but keep the old, some are silver and others are Gold"

Today's The Day

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America? ~Author Unknown

Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason we have elections is to find out if the polls were right? ~Robert Orben

A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected. ~Carl Sandburg

George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles. ~Author Unknown

It's A Pirates Life For Me!

"Ahoy there, Matey! After a voyage filled with pillaging and plundering, The Jaded Jewel--a pirate ship captained by Redbeard, an old but dangerous pirate--is docked in a cove near Port Royal. As the pirates head into town to celebrate their homecoming and spend their gold and goods, a night of turmoil and trouble is sure to transpire."

The late brother of Cap'n Redbeard, Toothless Willie.
Don't be frightened!

And so the party begins.

Better familiarize yourself with the Pirate's Code of ethics (isn't that an oxymoron). You will certainly need to know your rights before this night is done!

Do you recognize this scallywag standing next to Jolly Roger?

It's Cap'n Redbeard himself! He's a fierce, but fair pirate, who runs a tight ship
and won't have anyone overthrowing it!

It's time to meet some of the scurvy crew of characters that attended the party.

Governor of Port Royal-Governor Napier and his wife Juliana. The governor's job is
to keep this town safe at all costs, but his fair lady Juliana is tired of living in terror.
She is ready to take matters into her own hands if need be.

The governor's family portrait. Shiver me timbers, don't they make a fine bunch!

Here is Cutthroat McPhearson, the scourge of the Caribbean. There is a rumor out that
Cutthroat is scheming to incite a mutiny before the night is over.

Cap'n Redbeard knows evil plans are afoot and threatens
Cutthroat's life if he's part of the villainy.

One Eyed Wanda(otherwise known as my daughter) and
her henchman, Buccaneer Bradshaw (my son-in-law).

Thumbless jacky and Rovin Reynolds, fearless treasure hunter.

Mad Rose-Serving Wench and Commodore Clearing.

Sharktooth Brandy-Saucy Sea Mistress and Shoutin' Roger Dagger-Innkeeper.

The governor's daughter, Antonia Napier, threatened by two suspicious characters.

Everyone sits down to a night of feasting and revelry. But beware the innocent talk and sly smiles of your dinner partners, danger is afoot!

As The night quickly steers out of control one guest meets a tragic demise and ends up in Davy Jones' Locker leaving the rest of the party goers to bring the guilty to the gallows. But first who is the murderer. Everyone is suspect!

The lights go out and when they come back on my first mate, Merciless Morgan
is found with a knife in his back!

Is the culprit the profiteering pirate who is organizing a mutiny? Or, the saucy sea mistress who wanted more than a casual commitment? The perpetrator could be the swashbuckling swordsman desperate to win the love of the governor's daughter, or possibly the treasure seeking seaperson who's incapable of sharing. One thing is for sure, this party is filled with backstabbers and buccaneers looking to get ahead. There is little reward for honesty and a high price to pay for deceit.

Yo-ho-ho, get to work and discover who's the murderer. Someone will walk the plank before this night is out!

Take another look at these miscreants. Any one of these scoundrels and knaves is capable of this evil deed.

Is it this one?

Or maybe this salty dog?

I think this one is trying too hard to maintain his innocence. What do you think, could he be the guilty one?

Maybe the Governor did it!

Or maybe his fair lady!

Perhaps these two are in cahoots!

Don't be fooled by the look of these rascals. They are armed and dangerous.

Discuss it among yourselves and we'll take a vote. Information can be brought for a price. Get your doubloons out mates.

Mystery solved! It was Sealegs Sam, who I don't even have a picture of....we were in such a hurry to keelhaul him and then make him walk the plank. I'm afraid there isn't a bead or button left of him....since he was thrown into the shark infested waters of the harbor.

Beware if you come to Port Royal with mayhem in mind...
justice is swift and savage in these parts!

The whole motley crew!

The End....until next year!

Qu’ils Mangent de La Brioche

Hello, my name is Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen, but you might know me better as Marie Antoinette. This is my birthday....don't tell, but I turn 253 years old today.

A little birdie waked me this morning whispering the news that today will be delightful fun. I've done my hair. I've applied my rouge. I've put on my velvet wrap. I'm stepping into my carriage.

Here's your invitation to the party. It's quite a formal portrait of me, n'est-ce pas? Click on it and you will be wisked aways to dozens of dozens of celebrations today, all planned in my honor.

Like I've said before, "Let us all eat cake!"

November

"I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its tone is mellower, its colours are richer, and it is tinged with a little sorrow. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and its content."|
- Lin Yutang