#rosemary langley

[pejite]

With the arrival of spring and the welcome return of warmer weather, Edwin set about preparing the fields for planting, with Thomas eagerly assisting him. The winter had been particularly harsh, with biting cold and heavy snow, so when the temperatures finally began to rise, it felt like a breath of fresh air for everyone.

Wilhelmina, now well along in her pregnancy, didn’t hesitate for a moment to take advantage of the milder weather. She found a comfortable spot in the garden to rest, her hands gently cradling her growing belly, while she kept Edwin company as he worked.

Meanwhile, Rosemary had grown into a responsible young girl, old enough to start helping her mother around the house, especially now that Wilhelmina was expecting. The added responsibilities had come naturally to her, and she took pride in being a useful helper. Most of the time, it was Rosemary who took on the task of keeping Winifred and Robert entertained, particularly when Wilhelmina needed to rest or tend to chores that were still beyond Rosemary’s abilities.

As she sat by the garden table, Wilhelmina watched with a contented smile as Rosemary played with the twins, their joyous laughter filling the air. The children ran around, their energy boundless, and their voices carried across the farm, reaching all the way to the other side of the river. It was a scene full of life and warmth, a testament to the simple pleasures that defined their days.

Edwin paused in his work for a moment, leaning on his spade as he took in the sight before him. His gaze rested on his wife and children, a scene that filled his heart with quiet pride and happiness.

The farm, usually so busy and demanding, seemed to be transformed by the sounds of laughter and the sight of his family together. He couldn’t help but smile, feeling a deep sense of contentment as he watched them. It was in these moments, amidst the simple routines of their daily life, that he felt most at peace, surrounded by the love and warmth of his family.

[quordleona03]

Classic Fantasy in English

250 years, 69 books, 48 writers

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - 1726

Fairy Tales Told for Children - Hans Christian Andersen - 1835-1863 tr. Mrs. H. B. Paull 1867-1872

The Water-Babies - Charles Kingsley - 1863

Alice in Wonderland/Through The Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll - 1865/1871

Mopsa The Fairy - Jean Ingelow - 1869

At the Back of the North Wind, George MacDonald - 1871

The Princess and the Goblin/The Princess and Curdie - George MacDonald - 1872/1883

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - R. L. Stevenson - 1886

The Happy Prince and Other Stories - Oscar Wilde - 1888

News from Nowhere - William Morris - 1890

The Book of Dragons - E. Nesbit - 1901

The Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling - 19021

Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie - 1902-1911

The Enchanted Castle - E. Nesbit - 1907

Puck of Pook's Hill/Rewards and Fairies - Rudyard Kipling - 1906/1910

Lud in the Mist - Hope Mirrlees - 1926

The Midnight Folk - John Masefield - 1927

Dr. Dolittle in the Moon - Hugh Lofting - 1928

Patapoufs et Filifers / Fattypuffs and Thinifers - André Maurois - 1930/tr. Rosemary Benet 1940

The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas - Erich Kästner - 1931, tr. Cyrus Brooks 1934

Jirel of Joiry - C. L. Moore - 1934-1939

The Tale of the Land of Green Ginger - Noel Langley - 1937

My Friend Mr Leakey - J. B. S. Haldane - 1937

The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien - 1937-1955

Le Petit Prince / The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 1943 tr Katherine Woods

The Wind on the Moon - Eric Linklater - 1944

Mistress Masham's Repose - T.H. White - 1946

The Little White Horse - Elizabeth Goudge - 1946

Trollkarlens Hatt / Finn Family Moomintroll - Tove Jansson - 1948 tr. Elizabeth Portch 1950

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell - 1949

Seven Days in New Crete - Robert Graves - 1949

The Borrowers / Afield / Afloat / Aloft / Avenged - Mary Norton - 1952/1955/1959/1961/1982

All You've Ever Wanted / More Than You Bargained For - Joan Aiken - 1953/1955

To the Chapel Perilous - Naomi Mitchison - 1955

Tom's Midnight Garden - Philippa Pearce - 1958

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 1950

The 13 Clocks - James Thurber - 1950

Round the Bend - Neville Shute - 1951

The Armourer's House - Rosemary Sutcliff - 1951

The Once and Future King - T. H. White - 1938-1958

Candy Floss / Impunity Jane / Miss Happiness and Miss Flower - Rumer Godden 1954 / 1960 / 1961

Sword at Sunset - Rosemary Sutcliff - 1963

Book of Heroes - William Mayne - 1966

Tree and Leaf\Smith of Wootton Major - J. R. R. Tolkien - 1945-1967

The Crystal Cave / The Hollow Hills / The Last Enchantment / The Wicked Day - Mary Stewart 1970-1983

Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey - 1968

A Wizard of Earthsea / The Tombs of Atuan / The Farthest Shore - Ursula K. Le Guin - 1968/1971/1972

Red Moon and Black Mountain - Joy Chant - 1970

Tom Ass or The Second Gift - Ann Lawrence - 1972

The Dark Is Rising/Greenwitch/The Grey King - Susan Cooper - 1973 / 1974 / 1975

[paradoxoflucidity]

𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 .

hello? has this message reached you? if you have seen this, then there is somebody in the dream world who is calling out to you ; they are wishing to meet you once again.

PARADOX OF LUCIDITY is a 18+ multifandom role-play group based on Discord. P.O.L focuses on the aspects of having fun while writing with a world built around your characters. Our rules are more laid back and emphasizes the joy of writing with others exploring your characters in a new situation. Won’t you join us?

rules | masterlist | discord invite

( ADVENTURE ZONE . ) - any characters from adventure zone

( BLEACH . ) - ichigo, urahara, shuhei, shinji, renji, rose, gin, izuru

( BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA . ) - izuku midoriya, toshinori yagi, todoroki shoto, eijiro kirishima, hanta sero, aizawa shota any characters from class 1-a

( BUNGO NO STRAY DOGS . ) - nakajima atsushi, ryūnosuke akutagawa, doppo kunikida, any characters from bungo no stray dogs

( CHAINSAW MAN . ) - power, aki hayakawa, any characters from chainsaw man

( DELICIOUS PARTY PRETTY CURE . ) - amane kasai, kokone fuwa, ran hanamichi, rosemary

( FIRE EMBLEM . ) - male!robin, lucina, any characters from fire emblem: awakening

( HAKUOUKI. ) - any characters from hakuouki

( HYPNOSIS MICROPHONE. ) - rio mason busujima, jyuto iruma, any characters from hypnosis microphone

( JUJUTSU KAISEN. ) - any characters from jujutsu kaisen

( LEAGUE OF LEGENDS . ) - any characters from league of legends

( MYSTIC MESSENGER . ) - saeran choi, any characters from mystic messenger

( NEON GENESIS EVANGELION . ) - shinji ikari, asuka langley soryu, kaworu nagisa, mari illustrious makinami

( PARADOX LIVE. ) - allen sugasano, hajun yeon, naoakira saimon, yohei kanbayashi, shiki ando

( PERSONA . ) - akihiko sanada, shinjiro aragaki, fuuka yamagishi, junpei iori

( POKEMON. ) - nemona, any characters from pokemon

( PROJECT SEKAI : COLORFUL STAGE. ) - rui kamishiro, emu ootori , ichika hoshino, virutal singers

( RWBY . ) - blake belladonna, weiss schnee, yang xiao long, any characters from RWBY

( SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI . ) - gaston, nanashi, any characters from shin megami tensei: iii, any characters from shin megami tensei: iv / apocalypse

[kaleidoscopexheartss-a]

the scooby doo/mystery inc. verse ft. blog affiliates @hawkinshightigcrs​, @svnflower-serenade​ & @hawkinsyearbook​​​

fred jones - kenneth johnson

daphne blake - vienna sinclair

velma dinkley - caitlin spencer

shaggy rogers - rosemary addison

scooby doo - chance langley

[lovestrucklosers-archive]

💡 + twst!!

THANK U OWAIS!!!!!! :DC

rose has a knack for gardening! they learned how to take care of plants the hard way, but they have a couple succulents here and there on the windowsills around the dorm! :>

[lillygaelsims]

A family gathering ft. a very old Alessandro 

[reaper-bird-san]

Kinnie List:

ー Lee Hooni (From Suicide Boy)

ー Shouto Todoroki (From Boku no Hero Academia)

ー Katsuki Bakugou (From Boku no Hero Academia)

ー Izuku Midoriya (From Boku no Hero Academia)

ー Touya Todoroki (From Boku no Hero Academia)

ー Tomura Shigaraki (From Boku no Hero Academia)

ー Rei Ayanami (From Evangelion)

ー Shinji Ikari (From Evangelion)

ー Asuka Langley Soyru (From Evangelion)

ー Shigeo Kageyama (From Mob Psycho 100)

ー Sayori (From Doki Doki Literature Club)

ー Yuri (From Doki Doki Literature Club)

ー Natsuki (From Doki Doki Literature Club)

ー Rosemary Walten (From The Walten Files)

ー Misa Amane (From Death Note)

ー Saeyoung Choi (From Mystic Messenger)

ー Napstablook (From Undertale)

ー Susie (From Deltarune)

ー Sunny (From Omori)

ー Basil (From Omori)

ー Hero (From Omori)

ー Wirt (From Over the Garden Wall)

ー Shoya Ishida (From A Silent Voice)

ー Suzu (From B E L L E)

ー Kai (From B E L L E)

ー Ai Ohto (From Wonder Egg Priority)

ー Rika Kawai (From Wonder Egg Priority)

ー Wanderer (From Genshin Impact)

[survivehqs]

listen, ROSEMARY — this is very important. there’s a town-wide curfew now, so make sure you’re back here within TWELVE HOURS or you might end up as the next victim. ( accepted ! )

( maya hawke, cisfemale, she/her ) there goes ROSEMARY 'ROSE' LAWLEY, the TWENTY year old langley resident who’s known for their COURAGEOUS yet CONFRONTATIONAL ways. i guess that’s what makes them the HOYDEN. they were heard saying that they’re feeling SHEEPISH about the copycat killings. confidential. ( kaela, 20, est, she/her )

[pejite]

The years have flown by in the blink of an eye, and Rosemary's birthday has finally arrived.

She has now reached an age where she’s expected to start taking on some of the household chores, a milestone that marks her growing up and becoming more responsible.

It feels like only yesterday she was a little girl, but now she’s ready to contribute to the daily running of the home, just as her mother did at her age.

[jeremystrele]

An Equally Functional + Lush Suburban Garden Makeover

An Equally Functional + Lush Suburban Garden Makeover

Gardens

by Amelia Barnes

The self-designed garden of Julian Bombardiere, owner of Ballast Landscape. Photo – Brigid Arnott

The garden is Kings Langley, 28 kilometres north-west of the Sydney CBD. Photo – Brigid Arnott

Photo – Brigid Arnott

A paved, recycled brick area features a fire pit and seating. Photo – Brigid Arnott

Photo – Brigid Arnott

Julian’s design has created various zones to suit different seasons, play, and entertaining.  Photo – Brigid Arnott

Sandstone ballast walling defines levels in the garden. Photo – Brigid Arnott

Photo – Brigid Arnott

The west-facing space now contains large Elaeocarpus eumundi trees, Cupaniopsis anacardioides (tuckeroo), and deciduous Betula nigra (river birch) that provide shade, with the added benefit of screening out neighbouring properties. Photo – Brigid Arnott

Recycled brick paving Photo – Brigid Arnott

Photo – Brigid Arnott

Photo – Brigid Arnott

Back in 2009 when landscape designer Julian Bombardiere, owner of Ballast Landscape, bought a house in Kings Langley (28 kilometres north-west of the Sydney CBD), its garden was non-existent. 

The 1970s property had previously been in the hands of the original owners prior, and was sporting nothing but an overgrown lawn with a self-seeded jacaranda, schefflera and privet in the backyard. Naturally, a makeover was required.

Following a major renovation of the accompanying brick house, Julian set about transforming the garden with a complementary, mid-century feel. His vision focused on usability first and foremost, resulting in various zones for different seasons and entertaining.

The west-facing space now contains large Elaeocarpus eumundi trees, Cupaniopsis anacardioides (tuckeroo), and deciduous Betula nigra (river birch) that provide shade, with the added benefit of screening out neighbouring properties. 

‘Privacy is very high in priority,’ says Julian. ‘We wanted the feeling of our own space [that] really set the property apart from the neighbouring residences.’

Other species planted include topiary plants Buxus microphylla (Japanese box), Westringia fruticosa (coastal rosemary), Rhaphiolepis Oriental Pearl (Indian Hawthorn), and Thymus serpyllum (creeping thyme), which is used as a ground cover between decomposed granite steppers.

The side of the house features raised vegetable garden beds, leading through to a recycled brick area with a fire pit and seating. A large level lawn for the kids has also been created, using hand-shaped sandstone to facilitate levels. 

Julian describes the garden today as peaceful, interesting and lush, while managing to be seamlessly functional – the perfect balance!

Loving this garden? Check out Ballast Landscape on Instagram for more garden design from Julian Bombardiere!

[paradoxoflucidity]

𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 .

hello? has this message reached you? if you have seen this, then there is somebody in the dream world who is calling out to you ; they are wishing to meet you once again.

PARADOX OF LUCIDITY is a 18+ multifandom role-play group based on Discord. P.O.L focuses on the aspects of having fun while writing with a world built around your characters. Our rules are more laid back and emphasizes the joy of writing with others exploring your characters in a new situation. Won’t you join us?

rules | masterlist | discord invite

( ADVENTURE ZONE . ) - any characters from adventure zone

( BALDUR'S GATE . ) - any characters from baldur's gate 3

( BLEACH . ) - ichigo, urahara, shuhei, shinji, renji, rose, gin, izuru

( BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA . ) - izuku midoriya, toshinori yagi, todoroki shoto, eijiro kirishima, hanta sero, aizawa shota any characters from class 1-a

( BUNGO NO STRAY DOGS . ) - nakajima atsushi, ryūnosuke akutagawa, doppo kunikida, any characters from bungo no stray dogs

( CHAINSAW MAN . ) - power, aki hayakawa, any characters from chainsaw man

( CLAMP . ) - any characters from any 'clamp' media

( DELICIOUS PARTY PRETTY CURE . ) - amane kasai, kokone fuwa, ran hanamichi, rosemary

( FIRE EMBLEM . ) - male!robin, male!morgan, lucina, owain, cynthia, inigo, severa, any characters from fire emblem: awakening

( HORIMIYA . ) - any characters from horimiya

( HYPNOSIS MICROPHONE. ) - rei amayado, samatoki aohitsugi, rio mason busujima, jyuto iruma, any characters from hypnosis microphone

( JUJUTSU KAISEN. ) - any characters from jujutsu kaisen

( LEAGUE OF LEGENDS . ) - k'sante, yone, kai'sa, evelynn, seraphine, samira, any characters from league of legends

( MYSTIC MESSENGER . ) - saeran choi, any characters from mystic messenger

( NEON GENESIS EVANGELION . ) - shinji ikari, asuka langley soryu, kaworu nagisa, mari illustrious makinami

( PARADOX LIVE. ) - allen sugasano, hajun yeon, naoakira saimon, yohei kanbayashi, shiki ando

( PERSONA . ) - akihiko sanada, shinjiro aragaki, fuuka yamagishi, junpei iori

( POKEMON. ) - nemona, any characters from pokemon

( PROJECT SEKAI : COLORFUL STAGE. ) - rui kamishiro, haruka kiritani , ichika hoshino, virutal singers

( RWBY . ) - blake belladonna, weiss schnee, yang xiao long, any characters from RWBY

( SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI . ) - gaston, nanashi, any characters from shin megami tensei: iii, any characters from shin megami tensei: iv / apocalypse

( TEARS OF THEMIS . ) - any characters from tears of themis

( XENOBLADE CHRONICILES . ) - rex

( XXXHOLIC. ) - kohane tsuyuri, any characters from xxxholic

[lightraker]

Albada: Pigeons on pink

Albada: Pigeons on pink

To understand this poem I think you need to know two things.

Firstly Don Jose Ruiz y Blasco was the father of Pablo Picasso. He was himself an artist and taught art. He painted lots of pictures of pigeons. So much that he was known as “El palomero” (the pigeon fancier). Legend has it that he saw young Picasso drawing some pigeons and they were so much better than anything he ever did that he gave Pablo all his painting materials and never painted again.

Eric’s dad, the poet R F Langley, (I was going to say famous, but maybe admired is the better word), wrote a poem called Jack’s Pigeon. In that poem, a coffee bowl breaks and a pigeon “thuds to the gutter in convulsions”. Jack, who is, I’m bit nervous of defining what Jack is, I think he might be a kind of alter ego for R F, and maybe like a Jack the Lad or man of mischief. Jack sees the probably dead pigeon and checks his “scratchcard”. There are lots of Hamlet references in the poem. I’m thinking there’s a link to the line about “there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow”. Is God keeping an eye on even the smallest things?

Eric must have been pretty pleased with himself when he made this connection. He’s starting out as a poet, under his father’s shadow. His father wrote a poem about a pigeon. Picasso’s father painted pigeons until Picasso made a better version. Will Eric be Pablo to his father’s Don Jose? I think also, Don Jose’s pigeons look rather lovely. Eric seems to have specifically in mind the one that google throws up which is five pigeons on a pink background. You won’t be surprised that in the end, Eric/Pablo sees that his father’s stuff was better than his.

The Hamlet allusions also work brilliantly with this theme because of course Hamlet is all about a son and the ghost of his father.

Albada means a morning love song in Spanish. I didn’t know the word. But I do recognise Aubade, the French version. Eric says he’s riffing on a number of aubades / albadas in this poem but I can’t help you there. The only Aubade I know in any detail is the Philip Larkin poem. I wonder if there may be an allusion in the description of the blurry outlines in section 2, that become sharply defined in the last section, which remind me a bit of Larkin seeing the blurry outlines in his bedroom becoming sharper at the end. If so, there’s a hint about mortality and fears of death which would fit. Wikipedia tells me that Albada Finder is something in optics, which seems a nice link to themes of the collection.

Orpiment, masticot, Oker de Luce, lac of carmine are all painting materials. Don Jose in the morning is planning some painting.

“Rayleigh… Mei” this is something to do with scientific theories of how light scatters. Like me, you’ll presumably be cringing at the obvious error that the scientist Eric meant is Mie.

“Scumbles" - give a soft effect

“Envious” foreshadows how he’s going to feel about his son.

“civil” - this word sticks out to me. Does it mean polite, ordinary, from the city?

“Dimly” - keeping to the light.

“tender… extension” - Eric is obsessed with words with this root. It’s all to do with reaching out, connecting with another, making yourself vulnerable.

I think we can see that the dawn of the new day is mirroring the coming talent of his son.

“Maria” - is the name of Jose’s wife and Picasso’s mum.

“Jill” - this is the first inkling, I think, that the poem is alluding to Jack’s pigeon. Jill is Jack’s lady (of course).

“Croodling” isn’t this a great word! It means cooing.

“El Palomero” - the pigeon fancier. Apparently Spanish doesn’t have a different word for pigeon or dove. But Jose paints pigeons. However, Picasso as well as drawing pigeons has a famous painting much later in life of a dove of peace. And he called his daughter La Paloma which people seem to translate as “The Dove”. You can imagine she might have preferred it that way. I feel like there’s a lot going on with the idea that the workaday pigeon of the father becomes transformed into the symbolic, beautiful dove of the son.

“Spink” - brilliantly this word means “the cry of a finch”. I wonder how many other birds have a word just for their cry. Did Eric have a moment of serendipitous excitement when he found out it rhymed (hell, contained!) pink? Or did he know this all along?

Senna bush - my botany and the internet lets me down on the connotations of a senna bush, but there is one in “Jack’s Pigeon” by Langley senior, so we’re starting to get more references to that.

“Booby” - idiot, breasts, type of bird. (Also, tit!)

“Jug jug” is the noise a nightingale makes. Also, means breasts! Even I recognise this as a line in the Wasteland. But I’m not sure if it helps specifically to think of that poem, or just that both Eric and Eliot are referring to an earlier tradition of writing about nightingales going jug jug. Apparently it was big in the renaissance.

“full-throated.. god! o god!… shoot.. plum” Something something sex. Perhaps also a little Keats nod. In “Ode to a Nightingale” the bird sings with “full-throated ease”.

“Pomegranate tree” - this introduces, I think, a reference to the Song of Solomon. There’s something about Solomon and pomegranates. “My love, my dove, my fair…” is a quote from that.

“Ignition spark… apples’ pips”. Sex… babies.

“Piz piz” Apparently Picasso’s first words - short for “lapiz” - calling for a pencil. I hope you’re ready for some Freudian penis stuff. Father and son are going to be engaging in some willy waving.

“Pipion” - pigeon. 
“Master at the Bellas Artes” - Jose’s job teaching art.

“Kids” childish / jokes.

“Plucks his nib” - masturbation / makes art. Who can tell the difference?

“Squab” - a young pigeon. The word is used in “Jack’s Pigeon”.

“real these really real pigeons” - it seems like we’re back to Zeuxis here. Picasso rivals Zeuxis’ achievement.

I’m not sure at what point we shift from Dad to Son. As of Section 5 we get first person not third. But this seems to be from the dad’s point of view. While I think by Section 7 we’re from the son’s. But I could be wrong.

“the shock that shook” - so this is the dad seeing his son is a better artist.

“Mummed me” - acted as me (mummer) / became my mum / shut me up.

“Barbels” - little beard hairs (on fish? - I got a bit confused by wikipedia here, do fish have beards? and I thought we were talking about pigeons). Anyway, appropriate for the developing youth.

“Crappers” - not sure about this. Is this just because pigeons do a lot of pooing?

“Jacobines” - Jacobins of course are the ruthless revolutionaries - is that the role the son takes? I’m not sure if there’s a reason it’s feminine plural. Obviously links us to Jack.

“gall-free” - I wondered if this removal of gall from the pigeons, suggested the transformation of pigeon to dove (symbolising peace)?

“cheaply” - what sound do birds make?

“blackjacked” - knocked out / gambled away / Jack is now Black.

“here come have them then” - this is when the dad gives away all his painting materials to his son.

“throbbing vanes” - “vane” is the flat part of a feather. It’s nice how the paint brush becomes like a wing - so that the young boy can take flight like the pigeons. This feels like an Icarus allusion. I’m not sure if it’s a direct quote from Ovid, but it sounds like the kind of thing you’d get in translations of Ovid. That’s another model for Father / Son relationships we’re presented with. Let’s hope Eric doesn’t get too carried away with his wings of poetry unlike his wise and crafty dad Daedalus. Also, masturbating.

“Big head” - the arrogance of Eric comparing himself to Picasso. And also, penis.

“Rachis” - stem of grass.

“Filoplume” - hair like feathers.

“Barbs” - suggesting insults / stings. Poor old dad.

“Erleben” - experience (German for having lived).

“Avitrol” a bird deterrent.

Section 6 describes favourably the early pigeon sketch by Picasso.

“Gutter” - this word crops up a couple of times. And strikingly near the end of the poem. A candle gutters meaning it goes out or is about to go out. Is Pablo a “gutter” because his dad is now “gutted”? And remember the pigeon in “Jack’s Pigeon” “thuds to the gutter”.

“This one’s for remembrance”. We’re now entering Hamlet rich territory. This line is from Ophelia. I feel like this marks the moment when the son/Eric/Pablo speaks. He’s remembering his dad. Who, like him, knew his Hamlet! (Ophelia’s the name of the pigeon who dies in “Jack’s Pigeon”).

“Old mole” is what Hamlet calls his father’s ghost.

“Sweet Lady” - “Sweet Lady Street” is where the pigeon dies in Jack’s Pigeon.

“Pau Gargallo” - sculpture friend of Picasso, art school in Barcelona.

“Wash Lane” - not sure of the relevance of this - it is a street in Birmingham sort of in the same part of Britain as where Eric grew up. But I’m probably missing something.

“Penfold” - I really really hope this is an allusion to Dangermouse’s helper. A keeper of pens, the tool the poet needs.

“where the two thousand sad souls go” - this is from Hamlet as he sees the army heading off for war - and Jack’s Pigeon has the bowl breaking like “twenty thousand souls”.

“Over-rounds” - this is something to do with gambling - and so I think is linking to Jack going to the betting shop.

“Polish day trip” - Hamlet reference - “Polack”. And in Jack’s Pigeon the coffee bowl called “Part of Poland”.

“eggshells” - Hamlet: “all that fortune, death and danger dare, Even for an eggshell”.

“Rosemary” - Ophelia gives this “for remembrance”.

“pyggion” - If you google this word, you get Eric’s poem and an academic book called “Bare Ruined Choirs” talking about the moat at Crowle. This seems like a cool coincidence. Shakespeare Sonnet talking about growing old. I think there’s something to do with language changing and in the next couplet we get squib instead of squab.

“An old man of Daulis”. Daulis is where Oedipus didn’t go to when he ended up killing Laius. So I think this is a reference to a key father / son rivalry. (Daulis is also where Tereus lived as in the Philomela, cutting out tongue, eating his own child, turning into a bird, Tereus, so maybe there’s a bird link too). But I think Eric is saying: I’m not killing my dad “this time”. It feels like we’ve got a long way into a poem about father/son rivalry without an Oedipus reference.

Pichon - Spanish for little pigeon

Pijon - French for pigeon.

Paloma - spanish dove / pigeon. I think again there’s something here about language changes, transitions between language like the transitions between generations.

“Haunts” - ghosts.

“How pale they glare” - Hamlet says of his dad’s ghost: “How pale he glares”.

“between the lines” - Looking for his father in his writings.

“street lamps, gas lamps” - again thinking of time passing.

“Clayton’s spirits” - I’ve come up a bit of a blank on what this means. Wikipedia has something about Clayton’s being Australian for fake.

Madeleine - think of Proust having his memory brought back.

“Reverbere” - French for streetlight. But also the idea of the memory reverberating.

“How strong is stillness?” - this quotes from RF Langley’s journal entry of April 1977. He talks about going to a church and the children playing, naming Ruth, Eric’s older sister. The line before is “Gestures of children must stay.”

“Conning” deceive or study carefully.

“Hundred good hellos” - this is a phrase from RF Langley’s poem “Il Redentore” which is a church Venice. I got excited by the thought that it sounds like the returner / reviens. But actually it’s Italian for Redeemer. But something about giving back, right? Giving back the paint brushes?

“Frame that”. Guilt. Painting. Setting.

“Attention… tentif” more of the ten…

“Complex feet” - is this a reference to Oedipus whose name means swollen foot? And has his own complex.

Towlines - a nautical rope.

“Pigeon-toed, dove-tailed”. This is clever, isn’t it!

“Da!” - dad, ta da! and maybe also Russian for Yes!

“Fetch” - bring back, grasp, trick, jerk off, resurrect.

“Mirrors… rage” - I can’t help but think of the rage of Caliban seeing himself in the mirror but that doesn’t seem very relevant here. Hamlet holds up a mirror. Eric reflects his dad. As a “compound compliment”.

“Bearded” - old men have beard, but also means “confronted”.

“Bound about” - jumping / tied up.

“Charged” - attacked, energised, accused.

“screwed in your bedclothes” - are we thinking of sex and Gertrude (Hamlet’s mum)?

“swipe” - rushing stroke / steal.

Here is where Eric / Pablo acknowledges the greater ability of his dad. “It’s all still yours, still yours to say”.

“Passing” - going by or pretending.

“Cyclist” - Eric rides a bike / he recycles poetry.

“Pillar” - a symbol of tradition? (Also penis).

“Well outlined” compare the blurred figure of the dad in the early dawn.

“plastic guttering” - see above. Dad becomes different parts of a building: chantlate- piece of wood holding rafters, in other words a protector. But also chant = sing and late = dead. “Flash line” - part of building or a fancy poem. “eavestrough” gutter.

“Bowl” now the broken bowl of Jack’s pigeon seems to be mended.

“Rings” - sounds out and comes round again.  

[sweetgrassnaturals]

White thyme and ginger are two powerful restorative oils for the winter months ❄️⠀ ⠀ White thyme has a fresh-green scent, blending well with bergamot, lemon and rosemary.⠀ The stimulating and fortifying oil is a beneficial remedy for colds and chills.⠀ Ginger is a warming oil with a ⠀ spicy-woody scent, which blends well with vetivert, patchouli and ravensara. Another excellent cold and flu buster, it’s also a traditional aphrodisiac,⠀ soothes aching joints and aids poor circulation.⠀ #SweetgrassNaturals #Langley #FortLangley #AquaOleum #aromatherapy #JuliaLawless #essentialoils (at Sweetgrass Naturals)

[gunboatbaylodge]

Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend: May 18, 2017

Happy long weekend, for which we can thank the birth of Queen Victoria, who was once quoted saying “give my people plenty of beer, good beer, and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them.” So if you’re looking to avoid a revolution, and re-live the age of Queen Victoria at the same time, Fort Langley is the place to go this weekend for their Beer + Food festival. There’s also a comic festival, Twin Peaks cabaret, comedy, and symphony that is dedicated to altered states of mind.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday May 19

The Vienna Model: Housing for the 21st Century City Where: Museum of Vancouver What: Explore housing in Vienna, Austria, through its portrait of the city’s pathbreaking approach to architecture, urban life, neighborhood revitalization, and the creation of new communities. Runs until: Sunday July 16, 2017

Children of God

Children of God Where: The Cultch What: In this powerful musical, the children of an Oji-Cree family are sent to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This is a story of redemption: for a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, who never knew she came. Runs until: Sunday June 3, 2107

Bianca Del Rio: Not Today, Satan

Bianca Del Rio: Not Today, Satan Where: The Vogue Theatre What: Bianca Del Rio, the season 6 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is a self-professed “clown in a gown.” This hilariously hateful comic is known for her foul mouth and unapologetic humour, but her victims hardly have time to feel the sting before she zips on to the next topic. The NY Times calls her “The Joan Rivers of the Drag World,” and Joan herself called Bianca’s humour “So funny! So sharp!”

Pictures From Here

Pictures From Here Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Featuring photographs and video works from the early 1960s to the present that capture the urban environment of the Greater Vancouver region, its citizens and the vast “natural” landscape of the province. Runs until: September 4, 2017

Too Many Zooz

Too Many Zooz Where: The Biltmore What: They gained fame when a video of one of their subway performances, recorded by a passer-by at Union Station, went viral on YouTube in March 2014. The band is acclaimed for their originality, the members’ playing abilities and Leo Pellegrino’s characteristic dance moves while playing the sax.

Outside Mullingar Where: Pacific Theatre What: A pair of introverted misfits, Rosemary and Anthony’s families have lived on neighbouring farms as far back as anyone can remember, where they battle over property lines and childhood stories but never what matters most. A quirky story of flawed love and some kind of happiness told with effortless wit and poetic Irish lyricism. Runs until: Saturday June 10, 2017

Twin Peaks Cabaret Where: The Fox Cabaret What: Live music, costumes, performance, coffee, and pie. An evening of tribute to David Lynch’s iconic TV series.

Expressions Theatre Festival Where: Granville Island What: Five diverse and distinctive productions by gifted young artists. Runs until: Saturday May 27, 2017

Jonathan Biss plays Mozart Where: The Chan Centre What: Alexandre Bloch makes his return to the VSO, conducting a program that includes fascinating pianist Jonathan Biss performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, with its famous and beloved “Elvira Madigan” second movement, and Symphony No. 92 by the “father of the symphony,” Franz Joseph Haydn.

Deconstructing Diaspora: Institute of Asian Art Inaugural Symposium: Speaker Presentations

Deconstructing Diaspora: Institute of Asian Art Inaugural Symposium: Speaker Presentations Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: In the early 1990s, it was finally being understood that artists from the non-western world had a special place in the east-west exchange of ideas and values, because of the unique capacity of art to be both a place and to be timeless. Now, more than twenty-five years later, a sense of retrenchment—the building of walls and barriers, physically and virtually—is pervasive on many shores. In these contested times, how can artists (and art institutions) continue to push boundaries and flourish in societies that may want to push them aside?

East Side Flea Where: 1024 Main St. What: Over 50 local vendors, food trucks, a live deejay, artisan showrooms, seasonal drink specials, pinball and more. Runs until: Sunday May 21, 2017

Whistler Go Fest

Whistler Go Fest Where: Whistler, BC What: Music, clinics, and outdoor adventure. Runs until: Monday May 22, 2017

    Saturday May 20

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Britannia Mine Family Fun Day

Britannia Mine Family Fun Day Where: Britannia Mine What: A family-friendly event focused on fun, hands-on and educational activities recognizing the contributions of modern mining to British Columbians.

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival Where: Roundhouse Community Centre What: A two-day celebration of comics and graphic novels and their creators, including an exhibition and vendor fair featuring hundreds of creators from around the world. Runs until: Sunday May 21,2017

Fred Armisen Where: Commodore Ballroom What: From Portlandia, spend an evening listening to Fred Armisen.

Comedy on Wheels: Celebrating Canada’s Birthday with Belly Laughs Where: Performance Works What: In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, Comedy on Wheels will showcase members of the disability community in performances that capitalize on one of their greatest assets – the ability to use humour and storytelling to cope with life’s challenges. Audio Description provided by VocalEye. All performances are accessible through ASL (American Sign Language).

Fort Langley Beer and Food Festival Where: Fort Langley What: The first-annual festival is bringing together 18 of the best craft breweries from the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, as well as local food and wine vendors and entertainment.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Kansas City

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Kansas City Where: BC Place Stadium What: Watch some soccer, yell, cheer, and wave things in the air maybe.

Sweet Air Where: The Annex What: Named for David Lang’s mesmerizing Sweet Air, which refers to the peculiar yet pleasant effects of laughing gas, this concert brings together music that mimics, was created in, or perhaps even causes an altered state of mind. Lang’s music creates a hypnotically pleasurable, yet ever-so-slightly uneasy environment.

  Sunday May 21

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Love Shack: Live Band and Burlesque Tribute to the B52s Where: The Biltmore What: Beehives, miniskirts and shagadelic, swingin’ fun abound as our Hot & Heavy Band kicks out your favorite B-52’s hits live onstage at The Biltmore accompanying the wild antics of a bevvy of fun-lovin’ burlesque beauties.

East Side Live!

East Side Live! Where: The Cultch What: The Cultch presents Louise Burns, Old Man Canyon, Leisure Club and David Vertesi in the debut of East Side Live!

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival Where: Roundhouse Community Centre What: A two-day celebration of comics and graphic novels and their creators, including an exhibition and vendor fair featuring hundreds of creators from around the world. Runs until: Sunday May 21,2017

  Ongoing

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  Circle Game: Re-imagining the Music of Joni Mitchell

Circle Game: Re-imagining the Music of Joni Mitchell Where:  Firehall Arts Centre What:  The heartbreak of a failed love affair in “River”, the fear of imminent ecological disaster in “Big Yellow Taxi”, and the promise of a generation gathering to ‘get back to the garden’ in “Woodstock” are topics that resound as heavily today as they did fifty years ago. The enduring music of Canadian icon and renowned singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is reimagined in this energetic musical experience. Runs until: Saturday May 20, 2017

End of the Rainbow

End of the Rainbow Where: Staircase Theatre What: This gritty play with music is based on the true events of Judy Garland’s last comeback attempt in England in 1968. Runs until: Sunday May 20, 2017

The Show at Emily Car University of Art and Design Where:  Emily Car University What:  Featuring more than 300 works from this year’s Design, Media and Visual Arts graduates. Runs until: Sunday May 21, 2017

Whistler Go Fest

Whistler Go Fest Where: Whistler, BC What: Music, clinics, and outdoor adventure. Runs until: Monday May 22, 2017

Family Lines in Landscape Where:  Kimoto Gallery What:  Veronica Plewman examines how time and memory are rooted in a location, from childhood. She reconstructs and paints her journey and portrait of BC, from the place she grew up to the old family photos of her parents early lives, and the stories she can recall. This series is about migration, how a family gets there and the unknown mysteries of our family history. Runs until: Saturday May 27, 2017

Expressions Theatre Festival Where: Granville Island What: Five diverse and distinctive productions by gifted young artists. Runs until: Saturday May 27, 2017

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Since the early 1980s, Susan Point has received wide acclaim for her remarkably accomplished oeuvre that forcefully asserts the vitality of Coast Salish culture, both past and present. She has produced an extensive body of prints and an expansive corpus of sculptural work in a wide variety of materials that includes glass, resin, concrete, steel, wood and paper. Runs until: Sunday May 28, 2017

Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong Artists in Vancouver | Sunset, Carrie Koo

Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong Artists in Vancouver Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: June 2017 marks the 20-year anniversary of the transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty from the United Kingdom to mainland China. In the lead up to the handover, tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents immigrated to Canada, many choosing to settle in Vancouver, and among them were a significant number of artists. Pacific Crossings presents works from well-known Hong Kong artists created after their relocation to Vancouver throughout the 1960-90s. Runs until: May 28, 2017

Retainers of Anarchy

Retainers of Anarchy Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: A solo exhibition featuring new work from Howie Tsui that considers wuxia, a traditional form of martial arts literature, as a narrative tool for dissidence and resistance. Runs until: May 28, 2017

Children of God

Children of God Where: The Cultch What: In this powerful musical, the children of an Oji-Cree family are sent to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This is a story of redemption: for a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, who never knew she came. Runs until: Sunday June 3, 2107

Caroline Mesquita The Ballad

Caroline Mesquita The Ballad Where: Centre 221A What: A sculptural practice that intertwines the materiality of altered, oxidized, and painted copper and brass sheets with theatrical playfulness. Runs until: Saturday June 3, 2017

Outside Mullingar Where: Pacific Theatre What: A pair of introverted misfits, Rosemary and Anthony’s families have lived on neighbouring farms as far back as anyone can remember, where they battle over property lines and childhood stories but never what matters most. A quirky story of flawed love and some kind of happiness told with effortless wit and poetic Irish lyricism. Runs until: Saturday June 10, 2017

Song of the Open Road

Song of the Open Road Where: Contemporary Art Gallery What: Bringing together artists from Canada, Eritrea, Ireland, Sweden, and the US, the exhibition includes works that combine thematically to interrogate ideas rooted in photographic histories, engaging ideas such as veracity, recollection, remembrance, belonging, staging, and how the image documents and records these or is evidence of differing realities. Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Up Close

Up Close Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: All the artists represented in this group exhibition find their inspiration while painting on location at VanDusen Garden. The Vancouver en plein air group, initiated in April 2011, zooms-in to the lush vegetation that provides a new dimension of foreground details. The subjects are varied, and so is the medium. Runs until: Tuesday June 27, 2017

Million Dollar Quartet Where: Arts Club Theatre What: Inspired by true events, this rocking jukebox musical takes you into Sun Records Studio on December 4, 1956, to witness the famed recording session that brought together rock and roll legends Presley, Cash, Lewis, and Perkins—for the first and only time. Runs until: Sunday July 9, 2017

The Vienna Model: Housing for the 21st Century City Where: Museum of Vancouver What: Explore housing in Vienna, Austria, through its portrait of the city’s pathbreaking approach to architecture, urban life, neighborhood revitalization, and the creation of new communities. Runs until: Sunday July 16, 2017

Xi Xanya Dzam – Those Who Are Amazing At Making Things Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Xi Xanya Dzam (pronounced hee hun ya zam) is the Kwak’wala word describing incredibly talented and gifted people who create works of art. The exhibition is both a showcase and a critical exploration of ‘achievement’ and ‘excellence’ in traditional and contemporary First Nations art. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Pictures From Here

Pictures From Here Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Featuring photographs and video works from the early 1960s to the present that capture the urban environment of the Greater Vancouver region, its citizens and the vast “natural” landscape of the province. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Panda International Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: A diverse market in Richmond, with shopping, food, beverages, and a game zone. Runs until: Monday September 11, 2017

Shipyards Night Marlet

Shipyards Night Market Where: Lonsdale, North Vancouver What: Food, art, music, entertainment, shopping, a beer garden, and you can bring your dog! Runs until: September 29, 2017

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: Words and their physical manifestations are explored in this insightful exhibition, which will honour the special significance that written forms. Varied forms of expression associated with writing throughout Asia is shown over the span of different time periods: from Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions, Qu’ranic manuscripts, Southeast Asian palm leaf manuscripts and Chinese calligraphy from MOA’s Asian collection to graffiti art from Afghanistan and contemporary artworks using Japanese calligraphy, and Tibetan and Thai scripts. Runs until: Monday October 9, 2017

Richmond Night Market

Richmond Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: There’s a dinosaur park! Anamatronic dinosaurs! Also – live performances, carnival games, over 200 retail stalls and over 500 food choices from around the world. Runs until: October 9, 2017

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah Where:  Vancouver Art Gallery What:  This large-scale composition transforms English texts to form intricate floral and animal patterns. The work draws from discriminatory language that appeared in newspapers and political campaigns in Vancouver during the 1887 anti-Chinese riots, the mid-1980s immigration influx from Hong Kong and most recently, the heated exchanges around the foreign buyers and the local housing market. Runs until: Sunday October 15, 2017

Trout Lake Farmers Market Where: Trout Lake What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season. Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)

Kitsilano Farmers Market

Kitsilano Farmers Market Where: Kitsilano Community Centre parking lot What:   A great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and beautiful, handmade craft. Kids and parents alike can enjoy entertainment by market musicians, a nearby playground and splash park, and coffee and food truck offerings each week. Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017 (Sundays)

The Lost Fleet Exhibit Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Runs until: Winter 2017

Bill Reid Creative Journeys | Image via the Canadian Museum of History

Bill Reid Creative Journeys Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Celebrating the many creative journeys of acclaimed master goldsmith and sculptor Bill Reid (1920–1998), this exhibition provides a comprehensive introduction to his life and work. Runs until: Sunday December 10, 2017

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin. Runs until: January 28, 2018

Emily Carr: Into the Forest

Emily Carr: Into the Forest Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Far from feeling that the forests of the West Coast were a difficult subject matter, Carr exulted in the symphonies of greens and browns found in the natural world. With oil on paper as her primary medium, Carr was free to work outdoors in close proximity to the landscape. She went into the forest to paint and saw nature in ways unlike her fellow British Columbians, who perceived it as either untamed wilderness or a plentiful source of lumber. Runs until: March 4, 2018

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular

Inside Vancouver Blog

[agosnesrerose]

Designer Challenge: Creating the Cutest Easter Brunch Table

We all know that Easter decorations have the tendency to be borderline tacky. Plastic eggs, creepy bunnies and butter lambs are kitschy, but we prefer to spend our cash on more timeless buys. That’s where the interior designers come in.

Tasked with the difficult feat of designing a festive Easter brunch for under $300, Jamie Clugston, and Ashley Paul provided two winning looks that celebrate the holiday in the chicest way possible. From pretty pastel glasses to centerpieces with a knack for nature, we’d keep our dining table set like these year-round! Read on to shop both of their looks here.

Designed by Jamie Clugston

The Styleboard:

The Design: 

This dining room is for true love birds. We’re smitten with the bird cage-inspired centerpiece paired with seasonal blooms. The table runner effortlessly ties the look together, while the ceramic bowls and white peonies add even more layers of texture.

Shop the look:

Shop: 1. Round Beaded Rim Cereal Bowl 15oz Porcelain, Target, $3.99

2. Artificial Rosemary Plant 9″ – Lloyd & Hannah, Target, $7.99

3. Cambridge® Esben Beachwood 16-Piece Flatware Set, Bed Bath & Beyond, $29.99

4. Libbey Juice Glass Set of 6, Target, $14.99

Designed by Ashley Paul

The Styleboard: 

The Design:

We’re loving the purple, pink, and yellow pops of color next to the natural, rattan tray and the glam candle sticks. The floral napkin rings do double duty, acting as both a decorative detail and a functional addition to the table.

Shop the look:

Shop: 1. 3-piece roundabout taper candle holder set, CB2, $39.95

2. Conservatory Dutch Tulip Bundle Drop in Plant, Wayfair, $223.98 (similar)

3. Onslow Tray, Crate & Barrel, $39.95

4. Elkhart 3 Piece Vase Set by Langley Street, Wayfair, $27.99

  The post Designer Challenge: Creating the Cutest Easter Brunch Table appeared first on Inside Laurel & Wolf – Interior Design and Style Blog.

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[pejite]

Finally, in the last days of summer, with the cool touch of autumn 1839 just around the corner, Wilhelmina went into labour.

Edwin sat anxiously in the parlour, nervously picking at the skin around his fingers as the cries of his wife echoed through the house. Upstairs, Wilhelmina was enduring the agonies of childbirth, her screams reverberating through every corner, making the reality of the moment painfully clear.

The children had been sent out to the garden, where Thomas and Rosemary did their best to keep the twins occupied, shielding them from the distressing sounds emanating from their mother’s bedroom. The air was thick with tension, each passing moment stretching into what felt like an eternity.

In the bedroom, Wilhelmina was surrounded by the comforting presence of Mary Elizabeth and a midwife they had carefully chosen for this critical moment. Despite their experience, the labour was proving to be difficult and filled with pain. Wilhelmina hadn’t given birth for several years, and though she was no stranger to the process, she hadn’t anticipated how challenging this particular birth would be. The memories of her previous labours seemed distant, overshadowed by the intense struggle she now faced.

The hours dragged on slowly as the labour progressed, with each contraction taking a toll on Wilhelmina’s strength. Mary Elizabeth and the midwife worked tirelessly, offering her encouragement and doing everything in their power to ease the process.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the cry of a newborn filled the room, breaking the tension and bringing with it a wave of relief. George Langley had arrived into the world. He was a small, slender baby, not as robust as some of his siblings had been at birth, but he was healthy and safe, and that was all that mattered. The long hours of pain and uncertainty faded away in the face of the joy that now filled the room.

The difficult labour had given way to a moment of pure joy as the family welcomed George into their lives, grateful for the blessing of his safe arrival.