The View From Here

A bright and sparkling light faded from our view this month.
 

 I'm sure most of the blogging world knew of Moannie's passing long before I discovered it, but in case you hadn't heard, the world has lost a great writer.

Funny place, this blogging world. I have grown closer to more of you in this realm than I ever have to some family members or IRL friends.

Maybe it's because there are no facades (or limits in personal sharing in my case) to hide behind like we do in real life.  Maybe it's because we have this vast number of gems in which to connect with and the ones we don't? They wander away. It's the real jewels who are left behind to glitter and shine.

I don't know what makes us tick as a community because in reality, the anonymous factor in most chat/discussion areas usually leads to nastiness and bully-like behaviour. We do have those here, but in ratio to the greatness? Just a blip.

I hope I have told you this before, this deep fondness I hold for friendships I've made here.
I hope I told Moannie (and that she knew that even when I stopped reading blogs with any kind of regularity). But what I hope for most of all, is that you will stop by and get to know her through the incredible stories she told, through her wit and love for her family. 

We might all benefit from a little introspection in her honor, and perhaps, dust the cobwebs off of our keyboards and renew this fantastic opportunity we have to come together in friendship.

The View From This End


RIP Moannie, you will be missed.

UK Peeps, This One's For You!

When I was a young and incredibly impressionable young child, my poor mother was a worn out, unappreciated 35 year-old mother who would try to sneak an afternoon nap in when she could. To do so with what I suspect now was an ADHD child a busy child, she had to find a television show that could ensnare me for the the hour.
Together, we would curl up on the sofa and as her breathing slowed to a restful state, I would watch Dark Shadows.

Yes, my mother had me watching a vampire soap opera.
I loved it.
She's also the one that got me hooked on The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Night Gallery, but that's for another post.

You can probably deduce that when Johnny Depp recently signed on as the charismatic Barnabas Collins,  I could hardly contain my excitement. I was eager to see how my beloved Dark Shadows would be interpreted by the fantastically creative Tim Burton.

The result is a giant bat leap from the original, but we all expected that from Burton, right?

Did anyone see it in the theaters/cinema?  Can you believe, I missed it! I was going to have to wait until it was available to rent online or for the dvd to be released. I hate waiting. Am I alone in this?

Luckily, the wait is over...

AND...

Warner Bros. and PartnersHub generously want to give away a Blue-ray of Dark Shadows to one lucky UK RESIDENT (sorry everyone else, my lovely UK readers usually miss out on the giveaways).

"From the incredible mind of Tim Burton comes the hit film Dark Shadows, based on the classic US television series!  Barnabas Collins has been trapped for two centuries by an evil witch (Eva Green) who just happens to be an ex lover.  Barnabas now has to struggle with the ever changing 1970s and save his family’s business!  With an all star cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller and more, Dark Shadows will be sure to whet your appetite for fun."


Here's the catch....

Take the Are You Creepy Enough quiz and then post your results in the comments section.

Everyone can play, but since I will be picking randomly on October 25th, please indicate in your comment if you are a UK resident. That's all it takes.

Will you be cuddling up with a family member to watch this?

What great things did your Mom (Dad) introduce you to?

Back to Where We Began

Like the menstrual cycle that comes bearing mood swings and disjointed thoughts, how appropos that this blog has become a once-monthly gift of sorts...

I've been a little busy. Oh yes, traveling, entertaining, traveling (yes, more), but mostly...

ugh. See the previous post if you really want to know what I've been up to. To encourage more frequent posting, I could rename this blog to:

"We'll be Back if We Ever Get Containment On The Flipping Lice"

or

"How to Wash Everything You Own Every Other Week"

or

"Don't Try Leaving Town, The Lice Will Only Wait For You"

I know, amazing. I have actually hit bottom with these blood suckers. I don't understand how people around us say, "Oh, yeah, we had them last month, but haven't seen anything since". And they are the ones who don't turn their households inside out.
I've gotten grumpy at the husband and demanded that my children never hug anyone again for the rest of their lives. We get clear heads- no bugs, no eggs, but then some child brings home a little gift (or a thousand) and we start all over again. Another cycle I won't mind seeing the back side of.

Nevermind. I'll look back and laugh one day.

I'm not laughing today though, in fact, I'm a bit meloncholy. After posting this photo on Facecrack,

I found myself stumbling down that slippery memory lane. Six years ago, I moved to England with a very round belly and we began very new lives. Where did the time go? I can't believe how quickly those six years have gone. My squishy, bouncy cherub is an independent (translation: stubborn), dynamic, sometimes silly little girl now. What a character she has become! She is the darling of the family, the ruler of the house. How she has enriched our lives.... sniff.


I started blogging six years ago as well and that too feels like only yesterday.  I wish I could say the blog has grown and developed in content, but I think I'm quite happy for it to have become a public journal rather than a testament to my creativity.

And speaking of creativity....

Nah, let's not, unless you want to compare notes on everything creative to be found on Pinterest but now have no time to do because of being on Pinterest....


What really great thing did you start in 2006?