#Joanna Underwood

[eggtrolls]

The glorious return of my favourite pigeon, Joanna Underwood

[literaticat]

How scary can I make a picture book? Do you have any favorites that lean more to the scary side?

Kinda scary! But hopefully not terrifying, and also it should be leavened with some humor and/or a twist that leaves the little reader with a sense of relief at the end, rather than a feeling of like, UNRELENTING DREAD or EXISTENTIAL HORROR.

There are approximately 90 bajillion scary picture books at various levels of scare, so if I were you, I'd just read a whole bunch and figure out what YOU like and think works.

I emailed my friend Noah, age 4, who is OBSESSED with scary books, and his mom replied with a list of his current favs:

Modern Picture Books: I Want To Be in A Scary Story by Sean Taylor

The Wolf's Secret by Myriam Dahman scratches the itch for longer attention spans (this is a UK title)

Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio 

There's a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers

The Rock From the Sky by Jon Klassen

(Not to mention the crop of Halloween books that gets trotted out every Fall about every kind of witch and ghost and goblin that might be dreamed of!)

Classic Picture Books:

The Amazing Bone by William Steig

Hansel & Gretel by James Marshall

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole (out of print, but truly excellent, worth ordering a used copy of IMO!)

(I also might add TAILYPO -- yikes -- and THERE'S A NIGHTMARE IN MY CLOSET -- and there are many, many more!)

Early Readers In A Dark Dark Room and Ghosts! both by Alvin Schwartz

The Skull by Jon Klassen

Once Upon a Zombie by Debora Underwood

[arickaandherfictionalothers]

In another life…

(Modern!Aricka x Bill S Preston, Esquire)

(Thanks Dori (@yeehawselfshipping) for helping me with Bill’s dialogue-!)

It had been two weeks since Bill and Ted’s most excellent time traveling adventure. Ted was able to stay in school at San Dimas with Bill, but the latter was working through a most confusing issue- he missed his princess. Joanna had come to the future with Rufus to be with Ted, but their time traveling mentor had said that Bill’s future was in the present- whatever that meant. Currently; he was at the library, looking for a book to potentially lose himself in for a while. Maybe a new hobby would take his mind off of the most beautiful princess he’d ever seen.

“Beg your pardon, shining knight.. may I interest you in this one?” He was pulled from his thoughts by a voice to his left- and that was funny; did the voice call him a shining knight? Cause that’s what his princess had called him. “It’s about a knight traveling back in time to save his beloved princess when it turns out the girl of his was in the future with him all along. It’s called Once Upon a Time Traveler.”

"Whoa cool! That almost sounds like what happened to...." he looks up at the girl, "me..." He takes in her features, realizing, "No way... Aricka?"

The girl- Aricka- tilts her head questioningly. “Yeah? We’ve been in the same classes since kindergarten. I’m surprised you know my name. You’re Bill S Preston, Esquire right? And your friend is Ted Theodore Logan, and together you’re,”’and she does the air guitar motion, “Wyld Stallyns?”

Not only did she know his name, but she knew Ted, AND she knew that he was in a band-?! "Yeah! We are Wyld Stallyns! How did you know? We aren't even famous yet."

She giggles; and the sound was like a most perfect melody. “Just a guess. That and you sometimes sit by my lunch table- I can hear you talk about it. It sounds most splendid. Do you like medieval times too?” He nods, turning to fully face her, elaborating,

"Most definitely! Ever since Ted and I went there, it's become one of my favorite time periods."

Aricka tilts her head. “Went there-?”

He waffles for a minute, “The history book was so interesting if felt like we actually went there.”

Aricka stares at him for a moment, but then she says, “Once upon a time traveler is my favorite book currently… but I also really love grimm’s fairy tales.”

"Grimm's fairy tales?" he thinks for a second, "Oh yeah. I think my english teacher's mentioned those dudes before."

Aricka nods her head, “Yeah, Cinderella. Snow White. It’s where we get so many of our Disney movies.” Aricka blushed. “A bit childish but it’s a comfort.”

Bill nods, “That's cool. Disney movies can be most comforting." He was fond of “The Goofy Movie,” himself.

“Do you have a favorite book?” Aricka asks; and he then notices the stack of books she was carrying. She was a bookworm, then. He could dig that. Smart girls were cute.

"Uh, not really. But that time traveller book you mentioned seemed pretty neat." Her eyes lit up; and she hands him her copy, saying,

“Go ahead and take it, I’ve read it twice already.”

"Thanks, babe," he takes the book, his hands brushing hers slightly, "That is most generous of you." An electric shock went through his arm at her touch, and a feeling of warmth was left behind as he pulled the book closer to him.

Aricka felt a strange feeling of dejavu when he touched her hand, and she blushed at his compliment. “Just wanting to inspire a new reader,” she says softly. “Maybe it’s something Ted would like too? Give it to him when you’re done. I’m okay loaning my personal copy.”

“Your personal copy-? Oh babe, that’s way generous, and most kind of you. I totally insist on finding a way to repay the favor.”

She giggles, and he noticed that her face had a pink tinge now. She ducks her head, and looks back up; only a bit shyer now. “Maybe when Wyld Stallyns has their first gig, I could be in attendance?” He nods.

“Most definitely. Front row seat, babe. Also, I’ll walk you to your next class, if you want.”

“I want,” she agreed. “And maybe if you like, we could get together after school and we could read the book together?” Bill nods and holds the door to the library open as he says,

“Oh, babe. That sounds like a most excellent idea.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*time skip: two weeks after their first meeting*

“What did you think about the knight revealing his secret? I never see it coming.” It had been a few weeks since Aricka had first loaned Bill her copy of Once Upon a Time Traveler. Bill had been hooked from the first page, and he had only put it down to eat; sleep; or attempt to pay attention in class.

Paying attention was easier if Aricka and Ted and Dori were in the same classes with him; he discovered. They helped him focus better.

"It was a most excellent twist. I was hoping the dude was gonna tell the princess eventually." Aricka smiles; a wistful sigh escaping her.

“Brigham and Annalise are the cutest couple I’ve ever read about…” she sighs, her smile fading to a frown. He noticed, however, and nudged her arm.

"What is it?" She shrugs.

“Guess I always dreamed about finding my own Brigham. Someone who traveled through time itself to find me. Who risked returning to his own time to be with me.”

Bill thinks for a moment, making a decision to tell Aricka the truth, "Well... you're in luck, babe. Cause I'VE traveled through time!"

Aricka’s eyes snap up to him. “Wha- really?! What was it like? Did you- did you actually meet a princess? Was that the REAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN at your presentation-?!”

Her questions were expected, and he was ready to answer all of them, "It totally was the real Abe Lincoln, babe! And it just so happens that me and Ted did get a chance to meet some beautiful princesses. We tried to save them from getting married to these two royal ugly dudes, but we ended up almost getting beheaded. It was a most terrible turn in our adventure. But, luckily, our two historical friends rescued us and we were able to go and get more historical figures and finish our report."

“Wow… I bet they were the most beautiful girls..” Aricka said. Knowing she could never compare to a real princess. It also explained the sudden appearance of Joanna; the new girl in school. “Did they talk all romantic and pretty?”

"Oh, their speech was most regal. But, y'know...” he taps his knuckles against the table they were sitting at, “you remind me of one of the princesses I met. You look a lot like her, and you kind of act like her too. Maybe she's your ancestor or something!"

Aricka’s face went scarlet at those words, covering her mouth and looking at the book in front of her.

Bill wished he could erase her insecurities from her mind, she was too beautiful to doubt herself.

“I- there’s no way I’m related to a genuine princess. That would make me in some way royal. I’m just a book nerd who hides in the back of the class. I’m not- a time traveling knight like you, Bill.” Aricka’s words slow as she says the last phrase, dots beginning to connect in her mind-

A girl in the future

A time traveling boy

A princess who tells the knight to open his heart to another

“Wait a minute….” She gently wiggled the book away from Bill, flipping to the pages of pictures.

“Annalise and her beloved knight Brigham… Annalise has short brown and and eyes as blue as sapphires. Brigham with his sunshine curls and piercing eyes, looking like a golden cherub.” Aricka looks at Bill. “What did your princess look like?”

"Uh, she had short brown...hair. And..." Bill looks at Aricka, "And blue eyes...." a smiles creeps up on his face, "There's no way!"

“… And the girl who waits for Brigham in the “future…” Aricka flips a few pages. “Aurora. Short, brown hair, bright blue eyes. Quiet, hides in the back of the class so she doesn’t gain the attention of bullies… but has a deep love of reading.” She sits back, her whole world rocked on its axis. “No way….” Aricka stares at the book, the book that had given her so much solace as a lone high schooler. “… it’s me,” she whispered. “I’m Aurora. Aren’t I.”

"You most definitely are. So that makes me Brigham."

“Most certainly…” she whispered. Still staring a hole through the book. Bill itched to reach out and hold her hand, an urge he’d been trying to hide for a while. He’d been developing a bit of a crush on Aricka for a while now, but he’d also been putting together what Rufus had been implying-

Aricka- his future- was in the present with him right now. He was supposed to find her here. Not in the past.

“Well, my princess,” he says with a teasing grin. “This is a most triumphant discovery.”

“It is…” Aricka says, smiling shyly at him, and then they both notice that their hands are brushing each other’s. They look up, and Bill notices that once again, the pink tinge is back on Aricka’s cheeks-

And he slides his hand under hers, flipping it over to intertwine their fingers, squeezing gently.

He leans forward…. So does she… Bill closes his eyes… she does too-

And then Ted and Dori burst into the library. “DUDES-!” Ted exclaimed. “I just was reading the book Aricka was talking about- dude she’s your PRINCESS-!”

Both Aricka and Bill jolt back at the interruption, and now Aricka’s face wasn’t just pink, but full on scarlet again. Bill sighs and scrubs his face. “Shut UP, Ted,” he says.

“Um…”’Dori pulls her brother back toward the door. “I think we barged in at a most uncomfortable moment, Ted. Apologies Bill.”

No offense to Dori, but Bill didn’t even hear them, he was already kneeling in front of Aricka, making sure she wasn’t too embarrassed. “You okay, princess?” He asks. She nods.

“I- I’m sorry if- if that felt so rushed-,” she whispered.

“What- you mean this-?” And he leans forward to kiss her cheek. She tilts her head at him. “What?”

“You missed, my knight.” The nickname felt right, to both of them.

“Apologies, princess. That was most rude of me. How can I ever be forgiven?” She giggles, flooding his ears with music, and she says,

“Like this,” and leans down to kiss him, properly.

He smiles, right against her lips, and puts his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She ends up falling into his lap, both of them giggling in surprise.

When she leans back, he brushes her hair from her face. “A most happy ending, wouldn’t you agree?” Aricka brushed her hand through his curls.

“No Bill. It’s not an ending.” He tilts his head this time. “It’s just the beginning.”

~~~~~~~~~~

@yeehawselfshipping @letsgofoletsgo @rosieshipper @hyperionshipping @callsign-revenge

[historyhermann]

“Hamster & Gretel”: A Series With Promise

Hamster & Gretel tells the story of 16-year-old boy, Kevin, who helps his sister, Gretel, when she and her pet hamster get superpowers. It is an animated action, comedy, and superhero series created by Dan Povenmire. He is well-known for being a co-creator of Phineas and Ferb, and Milo Murphy's Law, with his Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, often his writing partner. The series debuted on August 12.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs, my History Hermann WordPress blog on Feb. 19, 2023, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirteenth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on September 1, 2022. This article was originally written for The Geekiary, but due to their guidelines I submitted to Pop Culture Maniacs instead.

Hamster & Gretel has a pretty simple storyline. An elementary school kid named Gretel (Meli Povenmire) is granted the power to fly and superstrength. She fights alongside her hamster (Beck Bennett). Her older teenage brother, Kevin (Michael Camino), tries to guide Gretel and Hamster. He helps them recognize what it means to defeat evil and remain superheroes.

The series is set in the same universe as Milo Murphy's Law and Phineas and Ferb. Although it has been stated that no official crossover will happen, it is not known which characters will reappear in Hamster & Gretel.

Diversity is a big part of Hamster & Gretel. Gretel and Kevin are Venezuelan lead characters. Their mother, Carolina Grant-Gomez (Carolina Ravessa) is Venezuelan. The fact that the head writer, Joanna Hausmann, is Venezuelan, as is Povenmire's wife, according to a podcast, inspired these characters.

Additionally, the series is based on a dynamic between Povenmire and his younger sister. It is also inspired by Povenmire's family. The series will focus on Kevin and Gretel's sibling relationship, according to show director Amber Tornquist Hollinger.

Hamster & Gretel includes many former cast and crew who worked on Povenmire's previous projects. Hiromi "Romi" Dames, who voices Hiromi, a geeky comic book ship employee that Kevin has a crush on, voiced Charlene & Sharon Burlee in Milo Murphy's Law. Phil LaMarr voiced Marcus Underwood in the same show, while Alyson Stoner voiced Lydia.

Danny Jacob, a composer, performer, and songwriter for Phineas and Ferb, is the series composer and song producer. Like Milo Murphy's Law, Povenmire is involved with the show's music. However, he is more involved in the songwriting for this series.

As for Stoner, her voice acting as Isabella Garcia-Shapiro in Phineas and Ferb is well-known. In this series, LaMarr voices a supervillain, Professor Exclamation. Stoner voices Lauren/The Destructress. The latter is part of an fraternal evil duo with Lyle/FistPuncher (Brock Powell).

Hamster & Gretel has promise as a new series due to its animation and voice acting. Even the simple storylines have the potential to lead to something more. It is easily digestible and doesn't take itself seriously. This quality is not only present in Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law, but Kim Possible, a classic 2000s Disney series.

Reportedly, Hamster & Gretel has action sequences with better quality than the two aforementioned series co-created by Povenmire. The series garnered voice actors like Joey King, who voices Fred, a tech-savvy cousin of Kevin. Also, actor and comedian Matt Jones voices Dave, the father of Kevin and Gretel.

Povenmire voices an unseen extraterrestrial entity. Internet personality Liza Koshy voices Veronica Hill, a no-nonsense news reporter. Priah Ferguson (best known from Stranger Things) has a breakout animation voice role as Bailey, a school friend of Gretel. Also, Povenmire’s daughter, Meli, has her first big-time voice role as Gretel.

The show's voice actors are experienced. They voiced characters in The Simpsons, American Dad!, Adventure Time, Amphibia, and Onyx Equinox. Series such as Victor and Valentino, The Ghost and Molly McGee, The Legend of Korra, We Bare Bears, DC Super Hero Girls, Harley Quinn, Final Space, Craig of the Creek, and Disenchantment also featured some of the show's voice talent.

Diverse representation of characters of Venezuelan descent and Black characters, like Bailey, is a key part of the series. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be LGBTQ+ characters or not.

Specifically, Camino described himself as straight but said he doesn't want his sexuality "in a box". Stoner, as I noted in my review of Phineas and Ferb, stated her attraction to men, women, and "people who identify in other ways". She also said she wanted to remain fluid in how she identified her sexual orientation. Hopefully, these qualities are portrayed in the characters they voice.

Furthermore, the series has emphasized the importance of being your true self and acceptance. Having LGBTQ+ characters would not be a stretch. It would easily fall within the series.

Dave cries as Carolina introduces Dave's "lost" dad as a present

Even so, the series has some downsides. For one, it is not a young adult series like The Owl House, which will is ending possibly this year with its final season, or the recently ended Amphibia. Instead, kids and families are the target audience.

This is not unique. Currently airing Disney series like Big City Greens, The Ghost and Molly McGee, Chibiverse, Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life, and Monsters at Work appeal to this demographic. In addition, upcoming series such as Cars on the Road, Firebuds, Cookies & Milk, Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Tiana, Iwaju, Moana: The Series, Hailey's On It!, Primos, and Kiff are geared toward the same audience.

This contrasts with Star Wars: The Bad Batch and What...If?, which have more mature themes. Even The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder falls into this category. Such series are not, for the most part, the focus Disney executives. Instead, they want to remain family-friendly despite the growth of the young adult animation genre with series like Dead End: Paranormal Park, The Owl House, and Infinity Train.

In addition, the series has an issue with implied self-inserts. For one, Povenmire appears to loosely base Kevin on himself. Secondly, the father of Kevin and Gretel has a similar name to Povenmire. This complicates the series in various ways.

It is an open question as to how effective the series can be without Swampy, who is reportedly voicing characters later in the series, as a co-creator, and co-writer. Milo Murphy’s Law and Phineas and Ferb were strong due to their combined talents.

In addition, I have concerns about the series’ staying power considering the first episode is not strong. The theme song is not very good.

Furthermore, since Povenmire wrote and performed the song, it makes me worried that the series will be middling, rather than superb. Generally, I have a high tolerance for theme songs. But, I dislike this one more than Arcane‘s theme, sung by Imagine Dragons.

Kevin and Gretel singing about family togetherness

Despite this, the pop music of Hamster & Gretel is like Milo Murphy’s Law and Phineas and Ferb. I was glad to see a rap battle at the end of “Neigh, It Ain’t So!” It reminded me of the much smoother rap battle between Rinku and Muni in D4DJ, voicing their grievances about each other in song. Hamster & Gretel may do something similar.

It is a distinct possibility that this series will do something akin to the sick battle dance in now non-canon 2005 The Proud Family Movie. It has a bizarre plot almost pulled from Kim Possible or Totally Spies! episode. Currently, such music battles generally only occur in anime series, but Hamster & Gretel could change that.

I liked the reference to the anime series within the show’s universe about cheerleaders who masquerade as students in the daytime but have superpowers otherwise. It had a feel of Totally Spies! and was a clear parody of absurd anime out there.

Situational comedy is an important part of the series, similar to Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy’s Law. It is coupled performances said to be “inspired“, featuring actors like Thomas Sanders, who voiced a character in the TV film, Candace Against the Universe.

With other Disney series like Elena of Avalor, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, and Mira Royal Detective having elaborate musical numbers, it is likely that Hamster & Gretel will follow suit. There is also a distinct possibility that Disney will revive Phineas and Ferb as well.

Since ten episodes of Hamster & Gretel are on Disney+, the series appears to be one-third through the 30 episodes ordered for its first season. This means that there is a possibility that the series will become even better as the season continues.

Despite my criticisms, I tentatively recommend the series, and hope it improves in the future.

Hamster & Gretel can be watched on Disney+ or the Disney Channel.

[plussizeinspo]

who are some fcs you'd love to see gif packs for?

Thank you so much for asking, anon!

Here are people who have acting roles:

Joanna Scanlan (1961)

Taylor Wily (1968) Samoan.

Jack Black (1969) Ashkenazi Jewish / German, as well as Northern Irish, Scottish, English, remote French and Welsh (converted to Judaism).

Keala Settle (1975) Māori.

Itziar Castro (1977) - is a lesbian.

Ha Jae Sook (1979) Korean.

Ser Anzoategui (1979) Argentinian and Paraguayan - non-binary (they/them).

Fortune Feimster (1980) - is a lesbian.

Beth Ditto (1981) - is queer.

Uchiyama Shinji (1981) Japanese.

Denisse Ojeda (1982) Chilean.

Jordan Raskopoulos (1982) - is a trans woman.

Gabourey Sidibe (1983) Senegalese / African-American.

Ella Smith (1983)

Jolene Purdy (1983) Japanese / English, Scottish, Irish, German, at least 1/8 Ashkenazi Jewish.

Dulcé Sloan (1983) African-American.

Charley Koontz (1987)

Atkins Estimond (1987) Afro-Haitian.

Melanie Field (1988)

B.K. Cannon (1990)

Samson Kayo (1991) Nigerian.

Bronwyn James (1994) - is queer.

Kadeem Ramsay (1996) Black British.

Samantha Aucoin (2001)

Larry Owens (?) African-American - is queer.

Stephen Peck (?) Black - is non-binary femme (they/them).

Angela Marie Rigsby (?) Black.

Courtney Arlett (?) Black.

Wondrea Gilmore (?) Black.

Not actors but have content that's giffable either on youtube or tiktok!

Anna O'Brien (1984)

Sarah Rae Vargas (1988) Mexican.

Brittany Howard (1988) African American / English and Irish - is a lesbian.

Chanel Ambrose (1988) Black British.

Tabria Majors (1990) African-American.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache / Reginald Nadjae Steele (1990) African-American - is gay.

Zach Holmes (1991)

Ashley Nell Tipton (1991) Mexican.

Gabriella Lascano (1991) Puerto Rican and Dominican.

Nabela Noor (1991) Bangladeshi.

Thais Carla (1991) Brazilian.

Shygirl / Blane Muise (1993) Afro-Grenadian and White.

Megan Jayne Crabbe (1994) Afro-Jamaican and White.

Stella Williams (1995) African-American / Mexican.

Remi Cruz (1995) Chamorro and Korean.

Riley Hemson (1996)

Sierra Schultzzie (1996)

ALMA / Alma Miettinen (1996) - is queer.

Lewis Capaldi (1996)

Belle / bambifairy (1998) - is a trans woman.

Joanna Pincerato (1998) Mexican, Syrian. Swedish, and Italian.

Dexter Mayfield (?) African-American - queer.

Jordan Underwood (?) - non-binary transmasc transexual (they/he).

Please let me know if you need more and feel free to comment below if you have more suggestions for resources makers!

[o-the-mts]

50 Years, 50 Albums (2006): Ys by Joanna Newsom

I will turn 50 in November of this year, so my project for 2023 will be to listen to and review one album from each year of my life, 1973 to 2022.  The only qualification is that it has to be an album I’ve not reviewed previously.  2006 Top Grossing Albums of 2006: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood High School Musical – Soundtrack All the Right Reasons – Nickelback Me and My Gang – Rascal…

[rp-oc-bs]

A thing

Emma Molloy’s related people

Milly Shapiro

Miranda Lambert

Lucy Molloy

Abigail Shapiro

Carrie Underwood

Violet Wakeman

Emma Howard

Cassie Levy/Joanna Christie (Katie); daughter named Oona Nora with boyfriend Jeff Summers (Kai)

Cait Fairbanks (Christy)

Logan & Nora Wakeman - Christy & Kai

Gabriel Egbert & Jill Paice

Seth Monroe

Jack Broderick (Christy)

Santino Fontana (Kai)

Kendra Monroe - Kai

Analise Scarpaci

Annabelle Madden - Christy

Ava DeMary

Laura Osnes

Shiane Parkington / Ramsey - Katie

Beatrice Tulchin

Phillipa Soo

Charlotte Daaé

Oona Laurence

Samantha Hill (Katie)

Christine Dwyer (Kai)

Anjuli Kaur - Katie

Frenie Acoba

Aurora Hamilton / de Chagny - ???

Anna Kendrick

Melissa Frost - Christy

Bailey Ryon

Amelia St Clair

Sophia Gunnusa

Leonardo Ethernington - Kai

???

Natasha Alkaev/Ethernington - Katie

Jeanna de Waal

Hailey Leo - Kai

???

Hamlet Madden - Christy

???

Nathan Johnson

Kat Schwartz (m) - Kai

Marcus D’Angelo (child)

?? (adult)

Hayden Whittaker’s related people

John Lloyd Young

Charlotte Daaé - Katie

Oona Laurence

Samantha Hill

Allegra McKenna - Katie

Erin Mackey

Devonnny Hamilton - Katie

Hayley Westenra

Dimitri Saylor

Jarrod Spector

Andy Jay Matthews

Shonn Wiley

Zachary Davison

Erich Bergen

Carson Spencer’s related people

Corey Cott

Ellie McDaniel - Katie

Kara Lindsay

Jeremy Wakeman - Christy?

Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Irena Klein - Katie

Laura Osnes

Katherine Erwin - Katie

Hannah Elless

Amanda Wells’ related people

Lisa O’Hare

Ariana Wakeman - Kai

Lauren Worsham

Dustin Wind - Christy

Bryce Pinkham

Autumn Wadsworth - Christy

Catherine Walker

Emily Webster

Kristen Beth Williams

Misc people, different full name

Joshua Abram Hoff

Matthew Hydzik

Alix Heisburg - Katie

Autumn Hurlbert

Timothy Andersen

Wesley Taylor

Athena Gomez - Avery

Krysta Rodriguez

Ellie Wilson - Avery

Sandra Mae Frank

Elijah Marlow

Kevin Massey

Samantha Underwood

Alex Caldwell

Megan Kaufman

Veronica J Kuehn

Adrian Gardiner

Reeve Carney

Lillian Bishop-Levitt - ???

Annika Larsen

Charissa Hogeland

Adrian Blakeney - Katie

Carrie Hope Fletcher

Penelope Bernardi - Avery

Jennifer Damiano

Emi Hashimoto

Yuga Yamato

Sylvia Morris

Ruby Lewis

Ariana Wakeman - Kai

Gabriella Pizzolo

Lauren Worsham

Josiane Richard - ???

Kara Lindsay

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

Mr. Wagener and his apple trees

By Jonathan Monfiletto

If you have walked through the front door of the L. Caroline Underwood Museum any time in the past year, then you might have noticed a sapling in front of the museum that has been steadily growing ever since it was planted in spring 2022. If you haven’t walked through the front door of the Underwood Museum recently, well, there is a sapling in front of the museum that has been steadily growing.

That sapling is indeed a Wagener apple tree. And for those of you in the know about local Yates County history who are wondering, yes, it is named for that Wagener. Abraham Wagener, the man considered to be the founding father of Penn Yan. Wagener once lived at what is now the corner of Main and Water streets, and his farm – including his orchard of apple trees – extended to Elm Street. That means his property also encompassed modern-day Wagener Street, named in his honor.

Actually, it is said the Wagener family – Abraham’s parents, David and Rebecca, came to the New Jerusalem from their home in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1790, as followers of the Public Universal Friend; 18-year-old Abraham arrived here two years later – once owned all of the land that now comprises the village of Penn Yan. As the settlement of dirt paths and a few homes turned into a bustling and vibrant community, the Wageners sold off and even gave away portions of their land in the name of the village’s development.

It was on this modern-day corner, though, where Abraham Wagener planted the orchard of trees that produced what became known as the Wagener apple. However, the tree and the apple variety it produces could – at the risk of starting a historical controversy – be more appropriately known as the Wheeler. In 1791, George Wheeler – an early settler of Benton from Dover in Dutchess County – brought with him to the area a quantity of apple seeds that he planted that spring in the nursery on the farm he was carving out of the wilderness.

In turn, Lewis Birdsall purchased half of Wheeler’s nursery, and then Wagener bought Birdsall’s share of the nursery. In 1796, Wagener planted upon his own property some of the trees from the nursery, including the variety that now bears his name. Though the land bounded by Water, Main, and Elm streets today is most well known as the site of the Wagener apple trees, the site of Wagener’s first planting might be up for some debate.

In 1796, the year Wagener bought into Wheeler’s nursery, he married his first wife, Mary Castner, and they settled in the hamlet then known as Himrod’s Corners. Perhaps Wagener first planted his trees there. That same year, David Wagener bought 276 acres of land where Penn Yan is now situated, though the low and swampy ground covered with pine and underbrush was considered an unworthy investment. Indeed, the title for David Wagener’s property had passed from the original Phelps and Gorham tract to Wheeler then to Robert Chissom, Wheeler’s son-in-law, then to Birdsall and then to the Wageners.

When David died three years later, Abraham and his brother, Melchior, inherited the property but Abraham soon bought his brother’s share. While Melchior moved to Steuben County and became a prominent citizen there, Abraham built the first frame house in the settlement on the east side of Main Street. Mary Wagener died in 1809, and Wagener married Joanna Edmondson two years later – fathering 13 children between his two wives.

In 1816, the Wageners moved to the west side of Main Street – at its aforementioned intersections with Water and Elm streets – and built the palatial residence known as the Mansion House. The celebrated orchard was located here, but it is noted Wagener had two previous residences in Yates County and perhaps two other places where he planted his trees. From this property, Wagener cultivated and distributed the apples named after him, and later on this fruit became known as a standard winter apple.

1832, Wagener purchased an estate of 1,110 acres on the point of Bluff Point, and the following year he completed his self-named Wagener Mansion. The Wageners resided at their mansion for just 10 years; in 1843, they returned to Penn Yan – this time purchasing the Morrison-Wagener house on Highland Drive, where Abraham lived until his death another 10 years later.

By 1847, Ezekiel Castner owned the Wagener property at Main and Water streets. There, a large tree still stood and occupied what was then the business district of the growing community. As Castner said at the time, “The old tree still continues to produce a bountiful yield of delicious fruit.” That same year, the New York State Agricultural Society awarded the apple the society’s second premium and gave it the name it holds today. Charles Lee, of Penn Yan, presented the apple to the society.

In 1853, the year Wagener died at age 79, A.J. Downing – who praised the Wagener apple in his “The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America” – also wrote of the apple in his “Rural Essays” that no other American apple would command half the price of the Wagener apple in a London market, meaning the Wagener apple brought in double the money of other apples. The Wagener apple has been described as hardy and resistant to insects and disease, a beautiful dark red of medium size, with snow white flesh often streaked with red or yellow. The fruit was tender and juicy, with an almost citrus fruit aroma, and good for eating raw or cooking.

The tree on the Wagener-turned-Castner property apparently continued to produce fruit until about 1865. By that point, though, the variety began to be grown quite extensively and widely disseminated throughout the country. By 1892, it was said the Wagener tree could be found in nurseries throughout the country – except for the northern Mississippi valley, the Rocky Mountain region, and the plains from Nebraska to Texas. And even though the tree was generally known in New York – including its birthplace of Yates County – it was not planted extensively anywhere in the state.

Despite its value, or perhaps because of it, the Wagener tree was not productive and was considered a shy bearer. Another source calls it a small but early bearer that kept well, producing from October to February. Nevertheless, the apple traveled well for its time; large export shipments were sent to Europe as late as the 1890s. One source indicates fruit growers sent three-fourths of the 1894 American crop out of the country and received $4 to $5 per barrel. “(A)s for profit to the grower it more than pays in price when in market,” this article states about the apple.

The popularity of the Wagener apple waned as canneries began to flourish and become mechanized in the 1900s. The unusual shape of the apple did not fit as well as other apples into the peeling and coring machinery, so the apple was not as much in demand as other apples with the rise of mass production.

As Yates County celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, the Yates County History Center is spearheading an effort to spread the Wagener apple tree once more. In a few years, you may indeed see the Wagener apple making its way around the area again.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

445 of 2022

Created by joybucket

Do you regularly....

paint?

draw?

drink coffee?

drink tea?

curl your hair?

straighten your hair?

pray?

read the Bible?

worship?

play online games?

watch movies?

watch television?

read books?

daydream?

Would you ever....

dye your hair a wild color?

get a tattoo?

get a piercing?

bungee jump?

skydive?

dance in public?

sing a solo?

travel to Africa?

ride an elephant?

travel to Europe? (lol)

travel to Asia?

travel solo?

travel to New York City?

ask out your crush? (too shy for that, sadly)

Can you....

sing?

dance?

play an instrument?

touch your nose to your tongue?

lick the tip of your nose?

do the splits?

do a cartwheel?

draw?

write neatly?

write in cursive?

speak another language?

whistle?

pop your fingers out of joint?

read minds?

Are you....

lovely?

beautiful?

double jointed?

artistic?

bold?

boring?

encouraging?

loving?

nice?

positive?

passive?

passionate?

ambitious?

sensitive?

honest?

romantic?

intelligent?

unique?

creative?

generous?

miserable?

optimistic?

pessimistic?

mentally ill?

sane?

weird?

different?

special?

anointed?

Do you like....

math?

tea?

coffee?

English?

writing in cursive?

creative writing?

to dance?

to sing?

to pray?

chocolate?

smoothies?

sushi?

pie?

playing Truth or Dare?

Have you ever....

tried to redo your room to make it look like a room you saw on Pinterest?

tried to give yourself a hairstyle you found online?

set up a prayer corner in your room?

had an imaginary friend?

written on the side of a bathroom stall?

fallen asleep with your clothes on?

fallen in a pool fully clothed?

gotten sick from inhaling nail polish remover?

realized that life is amazing?

thought about ending your life?

cried in public?

sat on a rooftop with a friend?

written a letter to a celebrity? (when I was 10 or so)

wished on a shooting star?

Do you remember....

Gigapets?

Pikachu?

Pokemon cards?

Furby?

pogs?

the show Taina?

the show Caitlin's Way?

when the Spice Girls performed on All That?

when the very first episode of Spongebob aired?

what you were doing on Sept. 11, 2001?

Aaron Carter?

N Sync?

choker necklaces?

"LiveStrong" wristbands?

Did you ever....

play with Barbies?

own an American Girl doll?

watch Nickelodeon?

obsess over a celebrity?

crush on a celebrity?

have imaginary friends?

play tag?

take swimming lessons?

take ballet?

take piano lessons?

have the flu?

have to go to the hospital?

dream of running away as a teenager?

get picked first in gym class?

Do you/have you listened to...

Avril Lavigne?

Carrie Underwood?

Taylor Swift?

Paramore?

Black Eyed Peas?

A-Teens?

Play?

Aaron Carter?

The Backstreet Boys?

The Spice Girls?

S Club 7?

Hillsong?

Casting Crowns?

The Jonas Brothers?

Have you ever played...

Monopoly?

Truth or Dare?

Heads Up 7 Up?

Red Rover?

Tic Tac Toe?

Four Square?

Apples to Apples?

Chutes and Ladders?

Bingo?

Uno?

Go Fish?

Never Have I Ever?

Two Truths and a Lie?

If You Really Knew Me?

Roller Coaster Tycoon?

American Girls Premiere?

Operation?

Candy Crush Saga?

Mahjong Titans?

Yahtzee?

YoVille/YoWorld?

Mario Party?

Mario Kart?

Zelda?

The Sims?

Pac Man?

Ski ball?

poker?

beer pong?

Do you like these names (for a girl)?...

Skye

Skylar

Eliana

Claire

Sierra

Madison

Peyton

Aurora

Bianca

Joanna

Siona

Felicity

Ellery

Epiphany

Do you like these names (for a boy)?....

Deklan

Dylan

Denver

Dallas

David

Adam

John

Spencer

Ryan

Storm

Scott

Justin

Meverick

Brennan

Would you ever dye your hair...

dark brown?

light brown?

blonde?

gray?

white?

purple?

pink?

green?

teal/turquoise/aqua?

burgundy?

red (the natural hair color red)?

red (as in, bright red)?

magenta?

periwinkle?

Would you ever get a tattoo of...

a cross?

a peace sign?

a quote?

someone's name?

a heart?

something insignificant?

a skull?

a flower?

a Japanese symbol?

a continent?

an elephant?

an awareness ribbon?

a fish?

stars?

What are you allergic to?

dust

pollen

mold

pet dander

mosquitoes

bees (if so, how do you react to them?) // just swelling

peanuts

tree nuts

another food

a medication

latex

grass

a type of glue or paint?

something else (if so, what?)

Have you ever been...

bullied?

excluded?

persecuted?

harassed?

molested?

abused?

raped?

assaulted?

yelled at?

shoved?

hurt?

heartbroken?

sick?

shy?

embarrassed?

loved?

complimented?

insulted?

discriminated against? (yeah xenophobia)

hugged?

attacked?

fired?

homeless?

close to being homeless?

manipulated?

lonely?

isolated for a long and unhealthy period of time? (yeah 2020 lol)

neglected?

ignored?

Do you believe in...

the supernatural?

angels?

demons?

God?

Jesus?

The Holy Spirit?

Heaven?

Hell?

yourself?

aliens?

genies?

fairies?

mermaids?

werewolves?

Do you consider yourself...

beautiful?

spiritual?

religious?

gifted?

talented?

unique?

free-spirited?

gentle?

free?

alone?

carefree?

alive?

blessed?

spoiled?

[eggtrolls]

thank you for appreciating pigeons you are a jewel in the ocean a diamond in the rough you are the reason pigeons remain on this planet as benevolent creatures.

thank YOU beautiful and lovely anon that you are. when I eventually strongarm my girlfriend into letting me get two pigeon sisters as pets (after JellyB returns to her home planet), you'll be invited to stand near them admiringly :D

there's an all-white pigeon in my neighbourhood that I named Joanna Underwood but I think she died :/ however I have started seeing a bunch of almost entirely white pigeons that I'm convinced are her descendants so they're Joanna Overwood, Joanna Farwood, Joanna Inwood, etc.

[tiaramania]

Have any non- royalty but mega rich celebrities wore tiaras at their weddings?

There are many celebrities that have worn tiaras at their weddings and many more mega rich non-celebrities.  Usually they don’t put out information like if the tiara is real gemstones or glass crystals, if it’s a loan or personal property, etc.  Here’s a few that I know about that actually belonged to the person.

Madonna at her 2000 wedding to Guy Ritchie - diamond and platinum by Asprey circa 1910, it was later auctioned with the proceeds going to post-Katrina hurricane relief in New Orleans

Carrie Underwood at her 2010 wedding to Mike Fisher - diamond and white gold by Johnathon Arndt

Joanna Newsom at her 2013 wedding to Andy Samburg - opals, emeralds, diamonds, and gold by Irene Neuwirth 

Min Hyo Rin at her 2018 wedding to Taeyang - diamonds and white gold by Chaumet

If you have a specific person in mind let me know and I’ll try to dig something up.

[empress-s]

May and Joanna this time!!

Reference was from Swing Dance: Fashion, music, culture and key moves by Scott Cupit. Can’t find the image online but the book credits the photo to Underwood/Corbis

[gra-sonas]

‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Star Jeanine Mason Joins Blair Underwood, Sarah Silverman in ‘Viral’ (EXCLUSIVE)

“Roswell, New Mexico” star Jeanine Mason has landed a key role in Blair Underwood’s upcoming psychological thriller “Viral.”

Mason co-stars opposite Emmy winners Underwood and Sarah Silverman in the independent film, playing a woman named Jules, whose disappearance kicks off the plot. Written by Joe McClean, the story centers on a man named Andrew (Underwood) who falls into paranoia after his wife (Mason) goes missing, and finds the only way out of a years-long spiral in his new girlfriend Emilia (Silverman).

Also joining the film’s cast are Clint James, Brendan Burke, Samuel Garnett, Jo Twiss and Connor Paolo.

In addition to starring in the film, Underwood — a 2020 Tony Award nominee — will direct and produce the project. McClean, Daniel Cypress, John Kalafatis, Joanna Kalafatis and Andreas Ignatiou of York Films will also serve as producers. Production on the project, which was originally set to shoot in 2020, but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin in New York next month.

Mason currently stars as Liz Ortecho on the CW’s “Roswell, New Mexico,” which debuts its third season in July and has been renewed for a fourth. Mason burst onto the Hollywood scene when she won the fifth season of “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2009. After making her transition to acting, she is also known for her recurring role as Dr. Sam Bello on “Grey’s Anatomy” and she most recently starred opposite Dolly Parton and Christine Baranski in Debbie Allen’s “Christmas on the Square” for Netflix.

Mason is repped by Verve Talent & Literary, 3 Arts and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.

[kjscottwrites]

Cavernous WIP Character Intros pt 2

Here’s part 2 of character intros from Cavernous! Which is a bit of a misnomer because these are the three main protagonists lol ~ 

The Caving Team! 

Click here for Characters Pt 1  Click here for Characters Pt 3

Taglist: @ultimatecryptid , @kainablue​​ , @alcwrites, @saraheadriance​ @galaxy-writer​ @crazybunchwriting​​​​

(Plus @stormbrightwriter​ & @bogbodyb1tch​ thanks again!) ​​​

text under the cut!

Joanna Baxter

Caver, climber, Chicago native

Age: 27

Sign: Sagittarius

Pursuing: Petrology PhD

Favorites: A reliable pair of khakis, road trips with no destination, that post-workout high

Quote: “Not one thing these people think about you matters, not even a little”

Irina Dimakos

Bitch (Affectionate) 

Age: 32

Sign: Gemini

Occupation: Geologist

Height: 6′ 3″

Quote: “Have a little faith in my gaslighting skills”

Carmen Tau

”Just the intern”

Age: 24

Sign: Cancer

Alma mater: BYU Hawaii

Listening to: Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Kasey Musgraves

Quote: “You have to trust me, okay?”

[spurgie-cousin]

Why are fundies so obsessed with Chip and Joana Gaines? Why are Christians so obsessed with them too?

Chip and Joanna are very openly Christian and are equally as loved by secular folks as religious folks which is rare in American pop culture, so when it happens the religious community kinda takes unofficial ownership of the celebs in question.....they sort of become ambassadors for the broader American religious community. Other examples: Tim Tebow, Carrie Underwood, Kanye West (to varying degrees), etc.

Plus their overall brand is that sometimes modern sometimes rustic farm vibe and fundies eat that shit up so, they're easy for them to like.

[joanna-lannister]

if joanna could somehow get tywin in check then she was def a wildcard. i believe she was tywin’s perfect match in so many ways and his partner in crime, pretty similar to frank and claire underwood in house of cards.

I haven't watched House of Cards (oops 😬) but partners in crime, yes! That would be probably the best way to describe them, I believe. Which truly makes me wonder how and when they fell in love.