Prince Nácil Blog Tour! Day Two | Meet the Author

So now that you’ve learned more than you ever wanted to know about my latest novel, and the world it’s set in … perhaps I should tell y’all little about the crazy chick who wrote it. ;-)

The Good Lord has given me an active and vivid imagination, and from a young age I enjoyed Faerie-tales and fiction of various sorts. I was the typical bookworm, devouring new stories like candy and revisiting old favorites when nothing new was available.

As a wee tot, I expressed my imagination via drawings, sometimes making up stories to go with them. At the ripe old age of eight, I put one of those stories into words to accompany the pictures I’d drawn, and thus my very first “book,” A Friend for Max, was born. Sadly, this important piece of my career history has gone “where the woodbine twines and the Wangdoodle mourns for its firstborn.”
But considering part of the plot involved my orange-haired protagonist† dropping an anvil on a kidnapper’s head … perhaps it’s for the best. :-P

† Right from the first, I had a thing for cayennes (red-haired folk), apparently, LOL.

Over the next two years, I wrote two more “Max Books” (which I do still have), followed by a considerably better-constructed longer story about a pair of identical twins and a magical dollhouse.

I took a creative writing course between the ages of ten and twelve, I think, taught by the mother of one of my mother’s Ballet students.

In high school, I took a professional course and corresponded with a published author, who reviewed my assignments. He eventually encouraged me to skip ahead to the college course.

At the age of twelve or thirteen, I wrote my first “novel” about an English girl named Anna who moves in with her wealthy relatives after her parents are killed in a fire. Being enamored of the Victorian Era at the time, and a wee bit obsessed with my own English heritage, I set the story in 1880’s London.
Please don’t ask me why I set my story during perhaps the stupidest fashion era of the 19^th century, and in a country I’d never been to. >_<

[via Pinterest]

I wrote three books about Anna’s adventures, and at the age of eighteen revised the first book in the series. My family attempted to self-publish it around that time … and by “self-publish,” I mean print it out, laminate the covers, and spiral-bind it ourselves (Kendra, if you’re reading this—sound familiar? ;-)).

Unfortunately, this endeavor proved to be more stress and hassle than I could handle (especially when people found mistakes or things that didn’t make sense after printing). I also discovered Historical Fiction was NOT my forte, as sifting through pages of irrelevant and uninteresting information in the faint hope of finding what I was really after … wasn’t (and still isn’t) my idea of fun.

In all honesty, this experience just about burned me out on writing altogether, and ultimately brought on the dreaded Ten-year Slump.
I thank God that He made my love of storytelling stronger than my stress intolerance.

It wasn’t until I stumbled onto Knitted By God’s Plan and began participating in Kendra’s delightful Character Encounters that I began to feel the old spark of inspiration again. Writing short stories, in which I as the author interacted with my various characters in Real Life, in specific situations, got my creative juices flowing. More than that, though; it made my characters more real to me. Helped me see them not as words on a page or even images in my head, but as my Imaginary Friends—people as real and dear to me as Flesh-and-Blood (and in some cases, even more so). I began to see myself as a biographer writing the life stories of my beloved family and friends, with the goal of sharing them with others.

Many of my Characters are personified facets of my complex personality matrix, with bits and traits borrowed from some of my favorite fictional characters—literary and cinematic alike—and select people I’ve known in my life. They have become the Voices In My Head, my own personal cheering section and Greek chorus,* which I’ve affectionately christened the Peanut Gallery.
If you’ve followed my blogging endeavors for a few years, you’ve probably seen a few of them interjecting their two-cents’-worth now and again—Anton Árgentos and The Pixie being the most vocal (which is interesting, because they’re the least like me in personality. Hmmm … ).

* OK, admittedly, I don’t really know what a Greek chorus is, but it sounded cool and scholarly. :-P

On a more humorous note, it’s also a bit like living in a college dormitory or boarding-house, and having one’s hundred-plus housemates all clamoring for you to write their biographies once they find out you’re a writer. XP
But I digress …

As you can probably guess, this new approach towards my writing contributed greatly to revisiting my old writing exercise about Prince Nácil, and eventually molding it into the epic novel it is today.

[via Pinterest]

Looking back, I can truly see the Hand of God at work in this area of my life, gently but firmly guiding me towards what I believe to be my calling: To write stories that will delight the imagination, touch the heart, spark some serious thought, and ultimately, point others to Christ.

So that’s my writing career in as much of a nutshell as I can put it (now you know why my blog is called The Rambling Rose, LOL). If you have any questions or comments, please do leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Join the fun going on elsewhere on the Blogosphere today:

July 1st
Rambling Rose: Meet the Author
Reality Reflected: Interview - Jane Foster

Until next time, Gentle Readers,
God bless,

~ℛ~

Literary Herione Blog Party!

OhyesOhyes! It’s the annual LHBP over at Accordion to Kellie! Whahoo! I look forward to this every year—it just makes February a wee bit brighter. :-D Be sure to visit Kellie’s blog, read other ladies’ answers to Kellie’s questions, and enter the giveaways for some truly unique prizes.

~ The Questions ~

1.      Introduce yourself!  Divulge your life’s vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random! Hello, my name is Rebekah G., and I’m a chocoholic. :-P Seriously, though, my life’s vision is to get my inspiration back, so’s I can write the stories of all the fascinating Characters God has put in my head, and to use the wonderful miniatures He’s given me over the years to illustrate my books. It’ll be a long-term goal, to be sure, but I feel like this is what God wants me to do with my life, and with His help, I’ll do it.

2.      What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? Firstly, someone who has given her life to God. That’s the most important thing. A true heroine should be courageous, confident and stable in mind and able to stand up for her convictions—even when everyone around her has compromised and is urging her to do so. A woman who is kind and compassionate, yet unafraid to speak out firmly, but in love and by God’s aid, against injustice and wrongdoing. A woman who is unafraid to do what she believes to be right. One who is unwilling to compromise her beliefs, even though it would mean being separated from the one she loves. A true heroine should be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others and be able to meet those needs to the best of her God-given abilities...and to keep from freaking out or pouting when she can’t do a blessed thing. :-P She should be mature mentally, spiritually and emotionally, able to handle whatever life throws at her—to roll with the punches instead of right smack into them—and trust God wholly for the strength she needs to overcome any difficulty. She should be unselfish, willing to share what she has with those she loves or who are in need, but also know when to put down good boundaries and take time to do things for herself.

3.      Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to. 
#1—Molly Gibson. I recently finished reading Wives and Daughters (Christmas present from Mom!), and I just love Molly! She’s something of a “strong heroine,” yet she never compromises her femininity (well, with the exception of reading books in the cherry tree if you want to get technical :-P). She is so loving and unselfish, yet not in a sickly-sweet Elsie Dinsmore kind of way. She stands up for what she believes is right and never wavers when she knows she is in the right, despite what other people think of her. When Roger (stupidly) proposes to Cynthia, Molly is miserable because she knows Cynthia doesn’t love him as much as Roger deserves to be loved. She wants so desperately for the people she loves to be happy, and her greatest fear is of causing pain. I really can’t say enough good things about Molly—she’s become one of my favorite literary heroines ever!
And it’s been so long since I’ve read any other books (bad Tom!), I’m just going to nominate Anne Shirley, Jo March and Elizabeth Bennett by default.

4.      Five of your favorite historical novels?
#1—Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen at her very best!
#2—Wives and Daughters. Ranked #2 because poor Elizabeth Gaskell died before she could finish it! (The BBC did a pretty good job, though.)
#3— Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. It has its issues, but on the whole, faith, forgiveness and adherence to convictions shine through this somewhat Gothic novel, and near the end is the closest thing to a Gospel message as I’ve run across in secular fiction.
#4—The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire by Howard Pyle. Don’t know if this counts as “historical,” per se, but I’ve always liked Robin Hood legends and tales of Merry Olde England. :-D
#5—Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I love Marmee’s nuggets of motherly wisdom to her girls as they grow up.

5.      Out of those five books who is your favorite major character and why? Well, since I already featured Molly, I’ll pick Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. She has her faults, but once she realizes where she’s been wrong, she accepts it and moves on. She’s spunky, witty, smart and lively, yet still definitely feminine without being weak or sappy. The relationship between her and Jane is so sweet, especially since it is untainted by jealousy.

6.      Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why? Mr. Darcy, also from P&P. While at first he comes off as stand-offish, cold and even downright rude, we discover along with Elizabeth that a kind, generous heart beats under that sullen veneer, along with the determination to set right the wrongs he feels responsible for.

7.      If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there? I’d travel to England to see the Yorkshire countryside and perhaps find out a bit more about my Dad’s side of the family. I’d explore the little villages and towns and see how Englanders live apart from the bustle and noise of the cities. I might do some “bashing around London” and do the touristy things like visiting the Victoria and Albert museum and the Tower of London (picking up some jolly good souvenirs if they’re not too pricy)…but on the whole, I’d rather see the quieter, more old-timey and down-to-earth parts of Egland. Then I’d pop on over to Scotland and Ireland to see the old castles, explore some more quaint little villages, pick up some more souvenirs…and maybe even find out once and for all if the McSpaddens really have a clan tartan or no. :-P (And if they do, I might just have to pick up a bit o’ cloth to make meself a kilt with…providing it’s reasonably priced.)

8.      What is your favorite time period and culture to read about?  Regency England, mainly because women’s fashions were so much less restrictive (or ridiculous!) as in previous and later eras, but also because life hadn’t yet become as mechanized and fast-paced. People had more time to visit one another, to sit down and sew, do needlework and/or write letters, attend balls and dinner parties, and generally spend time together. I also like a bit of American Frontier now and then. Life was still fairly simple, things were new and exciting, and there was an undisputed allure of “going West.” We’ll ignore the downsides of not being overtaken by “progress” (such as no indoor plumbing!!!) for the sake of nicety. :-P
I’ve also been interested in Japanese and Indian cultures since girlhood…though truth be told, I never applied much time to actually studying them…mainly their national costumes. *Whistle*

9.      You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of? A medley of instrumental arrangements—a mix of old hymns, folk songs, English ballads and Irish jigs and reels—performed by myself, my mother and brother, on cellos, recorders, violin, viola and Irish whistle.

10. If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent? This is always a tough one for me, since most of my favorite heroines are brunettes! What’s up with that? Anyhoo….Methinks I’d go as Éowyn, especially since I can wear white now! :-D

11. What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? Mmmmmmm….Dark, Milk, White—it’s all good in my book. Really, the only chocolate I (gasp!) don’t like is bittersweet—chocolate with more than 72% cocoa content. Ech!
Chocolate, when made with natural sweeteners and NOT processed with alkali (what hair-brained genius thought putting battery acid in food was a good idea?!), eaten in moderation and savored for the velvety delight it is…well, it can be a little slice of Heaven, if I may be so bold.
Chocolate can be therapeutic—the ultimate comfort food when you’re feeling blue and make-the-world-go-away-ish.
And they say dark chocolate is good for your thyroid! :-D

12. Favorite author(s)? L.M. Montgomery, A.A. Milne, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Lloyd Alexander, Jane Austen. Mind you, I haven’t read ALL of these authors’ books, and there are a few I have read that I didn’t like (or even finish), but on the whole, their styles are enjoyable, their stories interesting and entertaining.

13. Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land? (Note: I consider my Bible, camera and extra batteries/memory cards as essentials)
~Booffy Bear! (My faithful mascot on any Adventure)
~Lots of money for meals, hotels and souvenirs
~A needlework project for the plane trip (if I don’t have too bad a headache, that is)
~My memo voice recorder, in case Inspiration strikes, and as an easier way of documenting the day’s adventures than trying to write it all out right then.

14. In which century were most of the books you read written? Probably mostly the 19^th, with a smattering of earlier centuries and 20^th- and 21^st century works thrown in for good measure.

15. In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is… While I loved Roger Hamely from Wives and Daughters (baring that fit of stupidity as regards Cynthia), I still think Frodo and Sam top him in the “ultimate” category.

Describe your ideal dwelling place. (WARNING! Long answer!)
A white two-story Victorian farmhouse with dark green roof and trim, a covered porch all the way around it (with a porch swing, of course!), with a deck built onto the veranda in back that leads to a patio and swimming pool area. The house would have big bay windows for hanging ferns and/or prisms in, or with window-seats, and a balcony or two. The attached garage would be architecturally similar to the house and have direct access to the kitchen so’s we wouldn’t have to haul groceries through the rain and mud in bad weather. The kitchen would be spacious and efficient, with counters all round (except where there were doors and appliances, of course), and an island in the middle with a butcher-block top, an extra set of burners and a small sink. There would be a rack hanging above the island for pots and pans, lots of storage for lids, cookie sheets, casserole dishes and what-not under all the countertops, and of course an efficient stove/oven, dishwasher, sink and refrigerator. It would also have a hutch for the everyday dishes and silverware, and a walk-in pantry. The back door would have a weather tight cat-flap in it so’s my seven precious kitties (I decided forty-leven was a bit much) and the Cocker Spaniel could come and go as they pleased. The Irish wolfhound would just have to bark at the door to be let in or out.
All the rooms would be elegant yet not extravagant, warm and inviting (or cool, depending on the season and thanks to an efficient heat pump and wood stove), and have enough space between the furniture and what-not to keep the place from feeling claustrophobic, but not so much that it feels practically bare. There would be lots of cupboards, closets, shelves and other means of storage all throughout the house—a place for everything, and everything in its place—including a coat-closet in the entry and a linen closet in the hallway on the main floor. There would be a spacious living room with plenty of seating for guests, a modest-yet-comfortable formal dining room with a built-in china hutch to display the “family heirloom” dishes, a good-sized laundry room with (surprise, surprise) cupboards/storage for cleaning supplies, mops and brooms, the vacuum cleaner, etc., and a table for folding clothes as they come out of the dryer. A separate room would house the movies, games, books and entertainment what-nots in general, so as not to detract from visiting-space in the living room. Another, very large, room would be set up on the main floor as a music room/dance studio, which would double as a ballroom for hosting Jane Austen balls and masquerades and stuff of that ilk. It would have double French doors on one wall that open onto the spacious deck (or terrace, to coin a more elegant term). All the bedrooms would good-sized, with built-in or walk-in closets and plenty of room to get around the furniture without walking like a penguin. :-P There would be a bonus room above the garage where I’d work on my jewelry and miniatures and display my room-boxes, dollhouses and “mini movie sets” made for my Book Illustrations project. The house would have a generous attic for storing Christmas decorations in the off-season and whatever else we didn’t need all the time, and a finished root cellar (the walls painted liberally with KILZ to prevent mold and mildew) for storing all our canned goods from the garden…and home-brewed root beer and ginger ale! :-D
The area around the house proper would be nicely landscaped in front with a grassy lawn, and a few flowerbeds with shrubs and ornamental trees mixed in with the flowers. In back, I’d have an English garden for flowers and a kitchen garden near the patio/pool area mentioned above, and it would all be inside a solid board fence about eight feet tall, with one of those “Houdini” fence-toppers that keep cats from climbing over the fence (‘cos I’d love my kitties too much to let the coyotes eat them). There would be seven ancient weeping willow trees around the house, and one of them would have a swing-seat in its branches.
This blissful dwelling would be set in the middle of a ten- or twenty-acre meadow bordered by deep woods, dotted with rolling hillocks, more trees and wildflowers, and a creek running through it into a duck pond with a pier with a rowboat moored to it (no noisy motors for me, thank you), with another one on the island in the middle of the pond. This would be large enough to hold a little Summer teahouse or gazebo, with a flagstone path leading to it. There would also be lots of reeds and cattails and what-not for the wild ducks and geese to nest in, safe from predators. There would be a big treehouse somewhere in the woods, either built around the bole (trunk) of the largest tree, or between four or five that are close together, in a ring of sorts, with cargo nets connecting the treehouse to other trees that are good for climbing.
 The creek would wind around the property, bordered on both sides by trees of the willow and poplar families, with a deep swimming-hole near the house. The driveway would cross over the creek at one point, and at this spot, there would be a pretty stone bridge with lanterns at the corners. The driveway would then form a circle in front of the house, with a round flowerbed in the center sporting a graceful fountain, and wind its way back behind the house to the garage and extra parking area.

*Siiiiiiigh....*

16. Sum up your fashion style in a short sentence. I’m actually still trying to “find myself,” as it were—see if there’s any way to balance what I like to look at and what I’m actually comfortable wearing.

17. Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? I’m still mad at Jane Austen for calling that air-headed floozy in Northanger Abbey “Isabella.” WhyWhyWHY couldn’t she have given that character a name like Maude or Agnes?!

18. In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... Click here and scroll down.

19. Three favorite Non-fiction books?
#1—Making and Dressing Dolls’ House Dolls in 1/12^th Scale by Sue Atkinson. Pretty much everything you need to know to make miniature dolls and dress them in costumes from the 18^th century to the present day.
#2—The Miniature Costumiere by Catriona Hall. Tips and techniques for making changeable clothing for miniature dolls.
#3—How to Make Your Dolls’ House Special by Beryl Armstrong. Ingenious tips for realistic-looking dollhouse details!
(What do you mean, I have miniatures on the brain??)

20. Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon? Ideally, curled up on the swing-seat in the shade of the porch-roof or a spreading tree (whichever it ends up being); either reading a new book (or re-reading an old favorite), embroidering pretty flowers on a new tunic or vest; or else sitting indoors with the windows open, doing something creative.

21. Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. As always, I have one design for Summer and one for Winter.
Summer: A wide-brimmed straw hat covered in white “muslin” (thin, finely-woven fabric), with colorful “silk” flowers round the crown, and a modest ribbon-pouf and an elegant ostrich feather on one side. To be worn for Very Special Occasions.
Winter: A knitted “Pixie Bonnet” made from multicolored yarns in a tweedy texture (two standard-sized yarns twisted together and knitted as one), lined with cozy flannel or fleece against the cold wind, with blanket-stitching worked in black yarn round the edges (too keep the lining from rolling outwards), black I-cord ties with small tassels, and a white tassel at the top point.
Another design that appeals is either a floppy beret, with a tassel in the center and embroidery on the band, brim and top.

22.  Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year. There have been two, actually—one that just affected myself, and one that affected the whole family.
The “minor” event (which I’ve hinted at before now) was the discovery that my complexion has been changing gradually over the past few years, and that the pretty pastel colors I’ve been wearing most of my life (especially after I discovered color analysis when I was sixteen), the colors that brought my fair skin to life and harmonized with the coloring God gave me…now made me look pale, tired, washed out and even like I was getting a bad sinus infection! Yes, Gentle Readers, I shed a few bitter tears about that—I’ve never been able to handle change well, and something like this…well, I felt like I’d lost a big chunk of my identity. On the upside, though, we found that deep, vibrant jeweltones—and even black and white!—are what bring me to life now, so I’ve tried to see it all as a new adventure…and an excuse to update my wardrobe. :-P And for the record, by God’s grace I’ve been reclaiming some of my beloved pastels, too. The fact that white is good on me now opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities in the form of collars and yokes, as well as pastel-colored vests worn with a white blouse. :-D Happy, happy, happy.
The other significant event in my family’s life is our upcoming move—to Oregon!—this Summer (Lord willing). But I’ll explain that one in my next post….

23. Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently. I can’t recall anything exactly jumping off the page this past year, but God has reminded me of some old favorites that have comforted me in the past. The one that comes to mind now is Jeremiah 29: 11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future….” (NIV)

And as I was copying that out, I realized just how appropriate that verse is, in light of what God is doing in our family! Awesome!

This has been fun to write—as always—and I hope it was fun for you-all to read, despite its epic length. :-P

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

Change in the Wind

You may have noticed, Gentle Readers, that this old blog seems to have transmogrified into a Writing Blog overnight. Part of that was my eagerness to try out Kendra’s brilliant Character Encounters for myself (and thereby get back in practice developing characters and what-not), and helping her celebrate her latest published work.

I’ve debated several times about blogging since starting up The Rambling Rose, and after some hard praying, deep soul-searching and discussions with the family, I’ve come to some conclusions….

I tried to make this a sewing and fashion blog, like some that I admire and enjoy reading. However, I didn’t realize how much time and effort goes into those fabulous posts, with all their in-progress pix and galleries of the finished product and all. Or even just shooting a ready-made outfit, for that matter. The fact is, I don’t have an entourage of willing minions siblings (or even just one) who like nothing better than to take pictures of Big Sister swanning about in her pretty frocks. Peter will snap a few shots if I ask him to, but fashion photography just isn’t his bag, and I respect that.

I also don’t seem able to find the time to upload said photos and edit them to my satisfaction, without it taking all afternoon. I’m really amazed at people like Kellie and Olivia, who have many responsibilities to tend to and family stuff going on all around them, yet always have time to post something meaningful and coherent at least once a week. Guess some of us have it, and some of us don’t. I certainly don’t. (Although Bro recently gave me his spare tripod, and my camera does have a self-timer, so it’s not like I’d never do any sewing/fashion posts…just not all the time.)

(I’m not saying all this to be whiny; I’m just sharing my thought process with you, so you’ll understand what led to my decision.)

And while I’m at it, allow me to ask forgiveness for the many times I’ve promised to post pictures and not followed through. Most of the time, the pix in question were from Grandma and Grandpa’s annual visits, and to be honest, I’d really rather keep my family life off the page. However, there’s nothing to say I couldn’t post a few choice photos from our amazing California trip (once I track down that last memory card…), if anyone’s interested. The sermon today was on keeping our vows, and God convicted me that I’d made y’all a promise, and I need to keep it…unless you think it’d be too boring for words to look at someone else’s vacation photos. :-P

My main goal for starting this blog was—and still is—to share my interests and hobbies with like-minded people, and hopefully honor and glorify God in doing so. That doesn’t have to change, but I think the focus of this blog does in order to keep it from becoming a burden, rather than a fun activity. I really enjoy the Character Encounters, and Kendra’s recent Memorable Worlds posts and Ankulen Blog Party made me realize how much I miss my writing. It’s been one of my strongest passions since I was eight or nine years old, when I penned (or rather, penciled) my very first books, and I really want to get back into the groove, develop my characters and the fascinating world(s) they live in.

So y’all can expect more writing stuff on The Rambling Rose—probably not anything like regularly, but (Lord willing) at least when I have something to share and a bit of free time.

Virtual cookies to those who actually read all that! ;-)

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

Liebster Blog Award!

Haha—I think this is about the third time I’ve been awarded this particular…um…award. This time, it comes from Rebecca Moore, AKA Whimsey Keith. Thank you!

The rules:

When a blogger receives this award, he/she gets to answer 11 questions posed by the person who gave the award, pick five blogs to give the award to (which have fewer than 200 followers), and make up 11 new questions for the bloggers to answer.

~Whimsey’s Questions~

1. What, to you, is the definition of joy? What comes to mind is the image of a glass of sparkling cider—bubbling up until it overflows. It’s hard to describe joy in terms of emotion, especially since we tend to think of it as extreme happiness. Perhaps true joy is more of an inner peace and calm in times of trouble, or a sense of satisfaction in a job well done, especially for someone else.

2. If you were like Helen Keller, both blind and deaf, and I offered you three days to see and hear, what would you do? Employ your imaginations! Hard to say. If I’d been blind and deaf all my life, I’d want to see and hear everything there was to see and hear! But I think I’d go into the country and see the wildflowers in the meadows, listen to the birds singing in the woods and hear the wind whispering in the trees. Then I’d go to the ocean and see the mighty waves pounding the beach and collect shells and sea-glass.

3. If I offered you coffee, hot chocolate, or tea, which would you take? Hot chocolate, definitely! Tea is fine, but hot chocolate is the queen of hot beverages!

4. Would you rather take a three day vacation to Disneyland or a three week vacation touring the vast majority of America's historical sights? I think I’d prefer the three-week deal, as Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park and New England in the Fall are things I’d like to see someday.

5. If you were offered a cabin in the woods, a cottage on the beach, or an apartment in the city, which would you choose? I’d choose the cabin in the woods—the redwoods, that is. Then I’d be near the beach, too! ;-)
6. If you had the opportunity to go parasailing, would you go? Yes! They have parasailing on Lake Coeur d’Alene, and it looks like fun!
7. You have suddenly become a millionaire. What are you going to do with your money? Ten percent of it goes to the Church—the congregation we meet with plus other Believers we know who live elsewhere—and then the rest would be evenly divided between Mom, Peter and me. $300,000 is still a LOT of money to play with!
8. Guess what! You have happened upon a time machine!!! Which historical figure are you going to spend the day with? I’d visit Jane Austen while she was writing Northanger Abbey and try to convince her to name Catherine Mooreland’s floozy friend something besides Isabella. Something ugly—Maude, for example—or something kinda pompous, like Augusta.
9. Out of all the heroines in historical fiction, who do you admire the most? Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. She’s spunky, witty and loyal to those she loves. Yes, she’s a bit cynical and quick to judge, but once the true facts are before her, she quickly admits her mistakes and learns from the experience.
  10. Out of all the heroes in historical fiction, who do you most admire? Arthur Clennham from Little Dorritt. Wow—what a guy. He treats everyone he meets with respect, and when he hears of an injustice his family has done to the Dorritts, he does everything in his power to try and make it right. (At least, that’s how he was in the miniseries. I’ve yet to find a complete copy of the book….)
11. And lastly, if you were offered a pet baby mule or a pet baby goat, which would you adopt? The goat-kid, especially if it was a milk-goat. Free raw milk!

I award:

~Kellie (Accordion to Kellie)

~Tasha (Day By Day)

~Michelle (Free Indeed)

…and I don’t know anyone else who has under 200 followers.

My questions for you to answer:

1.)   What was the first Bible verse you ever memorized?

2.)   Ice cream or frozen yogurt?

3.)   Describe a favorite outfit:

4.)   What would you define as Godly music?

5.)   Where is/are your favorite place(s) to go in Summertime?

6.)   Is/are there any food(s) you refuse to eat?

7.)   What would you consider to be the ideal pet?

8.)   Do you wear jewelry? If so, what style(s) do you like best?

9.)   What is your favorite genre of books (fiction, non-fiction, fantasy/sci-fi, biography, etc.)?

10.)          Which of Jane Austen’s heroines are you most like?

11.)          If you could learn any new skill, what would you choose?

Have fun!

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

P.S.

I’ll have an announcement to make next time I’m on the Blogosphere. Want a hint? OK, two words: “Chop-chop!”

~TWR~

The Wearin’ o’ the Green

Erin go braugh and a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, Gentle Readers!

While I mayn’t have much Irish blood in me, I do like to honor my heritage by the wearin’ o’ the green every Saint Pat’s…and to avoid getting pinched by unscrupulous persons (what genius started that tradition, anyway?!). :-P This year I went all-out and wore all the colors of the Irish flag—green, white and orange:

Photo by Peter

~What I’m Wearing~

Shoes: Black 3-strap Heels—thrifted

Stockings: White Sweater-tights—JC Penney (I think)

Skirt: “Emerald Spruce” Tartan Kilt—thrifted

Shirt: Dark-green Turtleneck—thrifted

Sweater: Cream Cabled Pullover—Wal*Mart

Necklace: “Wild Irish Rose” w/Rainbow Moonstone—Wild Rise Designs & Laurie Sarah Designs

Hairstyle: “Halo Braid”

(I also wore some green-glass drop earrings, but I didn’t like the way they looked on me, so I took them off as soon as we got home.)

I thought the white-tights-black-shoes look would seem “Irish” (especially since my shoes are *faintly* reminiscent of ghillies), but I wouldn’t recommend it with regular strap-shoes. That tends to look little-girlish. :-P

The sweater is the one I mentioned recently, purchased on clearance at Wal*Mart for $7.00. I hardly ever buy new clothes anymore because even Wal*Mart is too steep for my Scottish blood ($17 for one pair of jeans? Seriously?!), but when prices are this low, and it’s something I like, how can I resist? My only beef with it is that it’s 100% cotton (which tends to stretch out of shape quickly, and gets that stiff, “old-dishtowel” feeling after several washes), but its many perks outweigh that one fault. The classic style, great fit and deep V-neck that shows lots of color near my face—plus the fact that it will go with EVERYTHING—love!

(Somewhat washed-out) CU of tartan pattern

Back view

This gorgeous wool wrap-skirt is one I picked up at my old workplace— Post Falls Hospice Thrift—half-off, too! At first I wasn’t sure I could live with that persimmon-orange, but the green is so beautiful—and consequently blends beautifully with my turtleneck—that I decided to give it a go. Actually, I left it at the store when I first saw it, but the next week it was still there, so obviously God wanted me to have it, wot?

Originally I was going to pleat the front flaps to match the back of the skirt, since I wasn’t sure the flat-fronted look was that flattering on me. But the previous owner put a honking-great huge patch under a weakened area of the skirt, and it was so stiff that it wouldn’t pleat properly. So I had to content myself with moving the buttons over for more ease around the ol’ hips. :-P It’s really comfortable—warm, too, being wool. The quality is very nice; it’d probably sell for upwards of $20 on Etsy or eBay, easily (especially since it may be vintage). I need to get meself a kilt-pin, though (or throw down some Velcro), to keep the front overlap closed…especially on windy days.

I apologize for the lack of pix. Speaking of wind, we had quite a bit of it today, and it was still stinkin’ cold out, so we didn’t linger. But it was also gloriously sunny when we got home from church, so it seemed logical to do a photo-shoot outdoors, aye?

PETER: "You're squinting quite a bit."
ME: "That's 'cos it's bright out here." :-P

And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go make some pizza crust for dinner tonight. We’re not Irish enough round hereabouts to like corned beef and cabbage! :-P

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

February Thrifting Haul—Part One

A thousand apologies, Gentle Readers, for how long it’s taken me to post this. Like the man said, life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. I’m currently involved in a musical written by one of Mom’s piano students, a talented young lady who recently passed her tenth birthday. I’m also ploughing through the huge bundle of sewing piled on my head, as it’s become a bit of an obsession and is starting to affect my health. :-O Of course, it didn’t help that my hip (the same one I tweaked when I fell on the ice last year) decided to go on the fritz three weeks ago—and is still a long way from recovery—nor was that allergic reaction I had two weeks ago exactly conducive to blogging. (For the record: The reaction was brought on by stress and the mold spores still lurking in all our books, which we couldn’t bear to leave in California…and no doubt aided and abetted by all the refined sugar I’ve been eating since my birthday. *Innocent whistle*)

Anyhoo, I am finally able to share with y’all the wonderful wardrobe pick-me-ups God provided during my Birthday Celebration on the 1^st and 2^nd (of February, that is). We’ll begin with my “loot” brought home after my Birthday Outing with Kellie and Tasha….

I spotted this adorable western-style blouse (by Wrangler, to boot!) at the CdA St. Vincent de Paul, on our way to the back of the store (the girls like to work their way up to the front):

It’s so rare—in my experience, at least—to find women’s blouses with feminine details like gathered sleeves, I simply had to get it. The girls both agreed it was *me* (Kellie said if she’d seen it without my being present, she’d think of me), so that decided it. We poked about the dishes and tins and figurines for a while, browsed the books and videos, and perused the linens, where Kellie scored some lovely finds. As we made our way through the men’s and “Funky, Western and Vintage” clothing, we stopped to paw through their dollar bins of hats and whatnot, where this little number jumped out and declared, “I’m for Tom!”

Y’all remember Wesley the Weasel? No? Well, no matter; it was a long time ago I mentioned him. In a nutshell, I eventually decided that piece of fake coyote fur wasn’t my color, so methought white would be better. And I guess the Good Lord wants me to go ahead with the idea—why else would He have the perfect white “mink” fur waiting for me at St. Vinnie’s? For a dollar, too! *Grin* I must admit, it was a little tempting to keep it as a hat and play Russian Princess…until I tried it on and the thing went down to my eyes. :-P

 Our visit to the Goodwill turned out to be quite profitable, as each of us found some really cute things that seemed to have our names written on them, or that were on our lists. I’ll let the girls speak for themselves, but as for this little wench, I found four things that will fill out my wardrobe nicely:

This fun little number obviously needs a snap or two in the front placket to make it modest (it’s a bit too big, too), but it’s cute and Summery—and turquoise! I have practically nothing in this color, which is one of my best, so it was a real blessing to find it.

I almost left this little sky-blue gingham on the rack, but it simply begged me to take it home! And it reminded me of my aquamarine gingham shirtwaist (purchased last Summer)—which has become one of my favorite blouses—so I gave in. Good thing, too, because it fits perfectly and only needed an extra snap in the placket. My favorite kind of alteration—simple!

This sweater is obviously too big, but the color blends beautifully with a turtleneck I bought last Fall (which has been very hard to match). I suspect it of dating back to the 1980s, when tops were oversized and shoulders were wide. *Snort* I have some ideas on how to alter it more to my liking…but that’s another story. ;-)

I’ve been wanting a pair of black velvet jeans for a while now, for the really cold weather up here that goes right through my black twill trousers. And miracle of miracles, these ones fit like they were tailor-made for me (apart from the slight gap in the back waistband)—even the length of the legs (I like my trousers above the ankle) and the height of the “rise.” Being kinda “tall in the saddle,” if you follow me, it’s sometimes difficult to find even regular pants that actually come up to my natural waist…let alone above it.

And you’ve already seen the copy of Jane Eyre I picked up at Wiggett’s Antiques. So there you have it—my thrifting haul from my Birthday proper. Part Two will detail the goodies Mom and I found on the 2^nd.

Until then, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

♥