"Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter for the way was barred to me. Then, like all dreamers, I was possessed of a sudden with supernatural powers and passed like a spirit through the barrier before me. The drive wound away in front of me, twisting and turning as it had always done. But as I advanced, I was aware that a change had come upon it. Nature had come into her own again, and little by little had encroached upon the drive with long tenacious fingers, on and on while the poor thread that had once been our drive. And finally, there was Manderley - Manderley - secretive and silent. Time could not mar the perfect symmetry of those walls. Moonlight can play odd tricks upon the fancy, and suddenly it seemed to me that light came from the windows. And then a cloud came upon the moon and hovered an instant like a dark hand before a face. The illusion went with it. I looked upon a desolate shell, with no whisper of a past about its staring walls. We can never go back to Manderley again. That much is certain."
~ "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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Oh no. The passage above means I've added to my endlessly growing book collection.
I certainly wasn't feeling very festive this 4th of July, and it was one SCORCHER of a day I tell ya! (And not b/c of a heat wave. These temps are the norm around here). Still, we headed over to the antique mall for a "Spectacular" sale which turned out to be a dud. I only bought two books, and those I originally put back on the shelf. ("Rebecca" I've read before, but never owned a copy, and the anthology I bought only because it included Diana Gabaldon). I do wish I had bought this one other book, but at the time I couldn't remember the author and it was getting really hot inside that mall since they have no air conditioning.
After that, we ate at Long John Silvers and then stopped by a few shops in Old Town Spring. Most of our favorite shops were closed for the holiday, and it was VERY hot so we headed back home.
This neighborhood has been popping fireworks for days before the 4th, and even last night they were still at it. I didn't bother watching them, but before bed I finally managed to make myself try out our new HD video camera. (My brother gave it to us recently). Unfortunately, I didn't get to film a thing. The camera was never in focus.
The good thing about the fireworks was that the dogs were used to it. Maddie no longer fears them, Abby quickly accepted them, and Izzy just fussed at them from time to time.
Just a few photos I snapped the other day. The camera kept fogging up, due to the humidity that was a killer that day, so they aren't that great.
And here's video of Wendy enjoying the outdoors a few weeks ago:
And that terrible hail storm with really high winds that almost got us, but didn't do much here thank goodness:
I used our new HD video camera, but for some reason it's uploading the videos very choppy. It shouldn't be doing that, but... I haven't even read the online users guide yet. This is a very high quality camera, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong and my brother will clue me in on it.
By the way, I almost forgot to mention that our baby bluebirds have flown the nest! On the morning of the 4th of July, we discovered that they were gone.
We now have yet another new baby cardinal though. It's just now learning how to fly, so we're having to really watch the dogs when it's in our backyard. They've been really good about leaving it alone when we tell them to.
Here are some videos I found of the 4th of July at Disney World!
Magic Kingdom
Nice Rainshower!
Hollywood Studios
EPCOT
Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Chip and Dale
Lovin' the Grand Finale! I've never seen the fireworks at EPCOT in person before, but they do go all out on their finales for the 4th and NYE.
I FINALLY decided to do something with my other blog.
I know... like I need ANOTHER one which hardly anyone will look at. (Which is fine by me. Less pressure ). That doesn't matter much though, since I really am just doing it for myself. I have it listed in the sidebar now, but you can also just click on the link below.
The background wallpaper that I wanted to use soooo baaad wasn't available as a 2- column, so what's up there right now is my second choice. I also keep going back and forth on the headers that I made, but... whatever. I really am just going to post interesting articles that I find about the paranormal, spirituality, archaeology, astronomy, physics, personal experiences, etc.
And FYI, the name of that blog was inspired by a Hallmark movie called "The Love Letter." (Not to be confused with the other movie with the same title). It was a little hokey in parts, but I've always loved it. It's based on the short story by Jack Finney.
After my aunt and her family returned home from vacation earlier than planned, they then decided to drive down to Mackinac Island. Here's one of her photos:
I've always wanted to visit Mackinac, ever since I saw "Somewhere in Time." My sister and her family went about a year ago; either in the summer or spring. They loved it, but said it was freezing.
Well, I guess I'll get back to cleaning the house now. (Poor Abby wants so badly to play outside, but no way! It's 98 degrees out there and I'm worried about mosquitoes). My brother is spending the night this weekend. I really hope Abby will be okay after he goes back home on Sunday.
He and my parents are going to the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum. I'm just not really sure that I want to go. If I did, it'd be to buy some pretty crystals/stones at the gift shop and to see one section of their new dinosaur display. It's fossilized dinosaur skin that you can touch! It was found in someone's backyard in North Dakota.
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In the last video, look at the skin at around 1:33 mark. AMAZING!
And right now the "smallest things" are air conditioning and ice cream.
Only yesterday, it was so hot outside that Abby wanted back in the house after just 5 minutes of playtime. That's the first time she's done that, and seeing how it's only the end of May it certainly won't be the last.
All right, I really need to stop talking complaining about this heat because it's only going to get worse.
The theme for this week is WARMTH.
Originally, I had a different photo to submit but when uploading my old Walt Disney World pics to a flash drive I came upon yet ANOTHER boat launch/dock picture from The Wilderness Lodge. I couldn't not use it because the picture seemed perfect for this week's theme.
The above photo is a downsized version without the text, so to view the correct one in full size you’ll have to click on this link HERE. The Kim Klassen textures I used this time were HAPPY HEART and CHARMED.
To see the original photo, which I enjoy even more, click HERE.
I can't wait to see everyone's creations! In the blog world, Tuesday has become Funday for me. It's so entertaining looking at all the pretty photos. Unlike myself, all of you are artists that know what you're doing!
I just pretend to know.
“Tink was not all bad: or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change.”
~ J.M. Barrie; Peter Pan and Wendy
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I've been seeing a lot of fairy garden posts lately, which is something I wish I had done when my niece and nephew were little. That is definitely a regret of mine because we each had an appreciation for Peter Pan and pixie dust. Our back garden was really lush, with a lot of hidden spaces that would have been perfect for an entire fairy village!
I could babble forever about just how much Peter Pan/Tinkerbell was intertwined in our lives back then, but I already did that in a previous post a long time ago. The link to that past entry I'll copy/paste below:
Since I can't exactly time travel to right this terrible wrong in not having a fairy garden for the children, I figured the next best thing would be to have a fairy door sort of out of sight in either our craft room or my bedroom. (Years ago I saw that that's really popular in Ireland's shops and pubs. Those are my kind of people).
So I did some research, and here's a quick peek at what I found.
I want to do this so badly! It's a fairy door inside some booksellers shop. Is this not the most awesome, whimsical sight you've ever seen?
To view the website, click here -----> URBAN FAIRIES
Found a photo of Autumn on the podium! It's right before conducting the incoming 9th Graders last week.
Here are a few pics of Abby outside last night, once it cooled down a bit. The rest of the divas had the good sense to lounge indoors.
The temperatures around here are now in the 90's... currently, a boiling 95 degrees.... so we've been spending more time indoors than out.
No, I guess that isn't true since my brother's our dog is training me to take her outside to play in the backyard something like once every hour. (By the way, her newest outdoors discovery is tearing the bark off one of our trees). We don't stay out very long, but Abby's pathetic cries from the top of the stairs infuse me with instant guilt for NOT wanting to go out when the sun is still shining.
I mean, how can I say no to this??????
Cue the Aaaaah's.
And she isn't even purposely being cute here. I haven't yet written about it, but Abby has the most endearing quirks, habits, personality, you-name-it. I'm not even entirely convinced that she's just another cute dog.
She's gotta be part Angel.
So my niece and nephew both have posted some new videos, which are a real treat for me considering I never see them unless it's in photos.
This first video was of my niece conducting the incoming 9th Graders. (My niece was just made drum major. I've babbled about it all in previous posts, but we're very proud of her. She's the youngest drum major - 15 years old - their school has ever had. She's at the end of her Freshman year now).
The second video was a Spanish Class project my nephew and his friend did. It was really silly!
Watching those vids were bittersweet for me... (I live for denial when it comes to my niece and nephew's ages. When they moved to Austin, my niece was barely 3 years old and her big brother in Kindergarten. I've been missing them ever since. They have no idea just how much). ... but it was also pretty awesome.
I really need to start reading again. It isn't like I don't already have enough books in my TBR pile anyway, which is only growing by the minute. How does that saying go?
Yeah, well... in my case that would be 148 more books I have to read.
And here I also have books that I need to trade at the used bookstore so that I can get some new one's! (I NEVER trade books since I like to own every book I read. The one's I'm trading now are one's I was fortunate enough to replace with new one's when Borders was closing).
Not only that, but yesterday I discovered that the paperback version of Diana Gabaldon's "The Scottish Prisoner" will be released on Tuesday.
I'm pretty sure this spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e. I have something like $6 left on my gift card, so maybe I can put that towards the book. It depends on how expensive it is. I'm only interested in this book because it involves Jamie-oh-how-I-wish-you-weren't-a-fictional-character-Fraser.
By the way, I am still extremely PO-ed at Claire from the last book. (If bored, read my 'review' and little rant here). HOW COULD THEY DO THAT?!?!?!?!?!?! Initially, I forgave her - them - but then they just had to dig that knife a little deeper into my heart.
). That doesn't matter much though, since I really am just doing it for myself. I have it listed in the sidebar now, but you can also just click on the link below.
