A Tea for the Tillerman

Acte 2

 

Tea Party Misadventure

 

One would never have guessed anything out of the ordinary would be occurring at Mum’s soiree that early summer afternoon as we all gathered on the back lawn, surrounded by our gardens.

 

It was a beautiful sunny day, not too warm, with a cooling breeze that hinted, but not yet threatened, rain.

 

The yard and garden look beautiful, trimmed and cleaned up by my father and my twin brother the days before. Neither one would be in attendance, having fled well before the guests' arrival to the sanctuary of our local, the Poet and Peasant Pub.

 

The “boys” were usually pressed into service to help out at Mum’s larger afternoon teas. But this time she was helping out a friend by hiring her cousin’s budding catering service.

 

The story actually began for Ginny and me at the pub when we nipped in for a quick pre-tea drink, catching up with my father and brother.

 

We wanted to show off the outfits that we were wearing to the two of them. There also was an ulterior motive. I was sweet on a lad named Bryon, who was one of the 2nd year Detective Constables under my Father’s command.

 

To my silent congratulations, I had guessed correctly that he would be there

 

Ginny was besotted over my brother, and the pair of lovebirds had already been a couple for some time, she just liked to keep him reminding him as to why.

 

Since Ginny and I were already going out to an evening wedding reception formal do the next evening, we decided on wearing the same outfits to the tea as sort of a trial run.

 

I had on a smart teal-coloured silk dress with the pleated knee-length skirt and a slick solid top with a mock turtleneck collar. The long sleeves flared out just before reaching my wrists. I was wearing my gold mesh necklace with matching semi-long earrings. Also being worn was my rhinestone cuff bracelet. The same one my brother once nicked from me at the very pub we were heading to. And that is another story I promise to tell. I also added two of my real gemstone cocktail rings to complete the glittery effect.

 

Ginny?

Well, our Ginny girl was smashing.

 

She had poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin Japanese style Qipao sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, reaching around up towards her bosom.

 

“Naughty Dragon.”

 

Ginny had green mascara above her eyes, around which she drew lines of black mascara to give them a slanted look. The whole effect looked a lot like Shirley Jackson did in the Michael Caine movie Gambit. Right up to the solid gold headpiece in Gunny’s reddish hair.

 

Ginny also had in her emerald drop earrings, along with her emerald bracelet and a fancy emerald cocktail ring.

 

But it was her necklace that stole the show.

 

The opulently handsome necklace was the estate auction-won long pendant that had neatly set her back a month's wages. We both had opened bids on it at the same time, with me immediately backing off so she would win it.

 

It was a very shimmery piece of jewellery, with its long rhinestone encrusted chain hanging past her breasts, ending with a dangling pendant which held a birds egg size synthetic oval-shaped emerald, surrounded by long rhinestone fringes that resembled the silver beard of the dragon on her dress.

 

It was a very striking effect, especially when it stopped swaying and hung straight down, appearing just out of reach from the grasping front rhinestone claw of the gem greedy dragon.

 

So dressed, the pair of us caused quite a stir as we causally entered the pub that late morning. With a lot of compliments and bugging out eyeballs sent our way.

 

After hanging out at the pub for a bit, my plan was accomplished(judging by the look on Bryon's face). I pried my brother off of Ginny(or was it the other way round?) and we took our leave and headed over to my parent’s house to help mum with any last-minute details for her tea.

 

We located my mum in the kitchen showing the head caterer the location of various items they would be using.

 

Ginny and I politely waited till she was through.

 

Mum then came over, fawning over the way we looked.

 

But my Mum was also looking exceptionally pretty that afternoon.

 

Her long red hair was up in an elegant bun, held by a deep blue rhinestone trimmed satin ribbon.

 

She wore the solid sky blue taffeta dress that shone with a tight sleekness along her still svelte figure. It was the same dress she had worn out earlier that week for my parent's anniversary” Date Night” dinner and show.

 

I loved that dress and relished in its feel as I had tried it on while we were out shopping for dresses. Mum is short and petite, like me so we are nearly the same size. I rather thought it looked good on me and was already planning on borrowing it.

 

The skirt was higher in front(below knees) than in the back where it was just above her ankles. The neckline of the dress was an open low scoop and had wavy ruffles running along its opening, the sleeves went to her elbows, ending in ruffles.

 

Missing were the 3/4 length satin gloves of deep blue she had also worn that anniversary evening.

 

Not missing, however, were the glittery diamonds she had worn out for that evening. Her really good jewels, the ones that everyone always asked for...

 

“They’re not real, right?”

 

But they were, the only real gemstones she owned, given to her by papa over several wedding anniversaries. My parent’s kept them in a safety deposit box in a city bank. Mum had cajoled Papa not to return them until after her tea, yearning to wear them to “show-off,” Just this once Honey” she had winningly purred.

  

The silver diamond set consisted of pierced earrings, set with 1 1/4 carat round stones with a full 2 carat pear-shaped larger stone dangling. The necklace was a silver chain with 5 round 1 1/4 caret diamonds in a v pattern. Hanging from the two end and middle round stones were three 3-carat pear-shaped diamonds, the same size as the ones swinging from her earrings. There was also a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond pinky ring(10 Anniversary gift) which mum was wearing on her right pinky. She also was wearing her diamond engagement and wedding bands.

  

Mum had cheerfully introduced us to the caterers. a small rag-tag crew of six, all girls. The owner, her black-dressed goth daughter, and four of the daughter’s similarly clad school chums.

 

They appeared very wet behind the ears as far as experience, but it was better than Ginny and I being pressed into helping serve, which had sometimes been the case previously.

 

When I was much younger mum actually had me wearing a black satin maids outfit with white frills to serve her guests tea and biscuits.

 

We were there in plenty of enough time to help greet the first arriving guests.

 

Soon Ginny and I were in the thicke of it, mingling in as more and more arrived. I don't think we had been there more than an hour before the tea was in full swing.

 

Now amongst the usual caste of characters, there was a lady(Sharie) from church who had her sister(Clarice) visiting up from London. She had asked if the sister could come, which of course she was more than welcome to attend.

 

Clarice had brought along her daughter, a lovely shy toddler named Claire, all 3 years old. An adorable, precocious blue-eyed imp with long gold tresses of gold hair.

 

Claire’s mum must have been told about how all the guests were dressing.

 

Clarice was wearing a short shiny floral patterned dress, an unadorned scooped neck with layered scalloped sleeves hanging just over her shoulders. Her jewels were a pair of silver chains hanging down from her neck, diamond stud earrings, and a diamond tennis bracelet, along with her pricey-looking engagement and wedding rings.

 

She had her daughter Clair dolled up in a long yellow lacy silk number with a black satin sash that held a round rhinestone pin. Along with a neat black velvet jacket. She wore what appeared to be genuine pearls, consisting of earrings along with a long dainty necklace.

 

The little darling was soon running around unheeded, tripping over herself in excitement to be on the loose.

 

I had always heard first-time mums were always ultra protective of their first born.

 

But not Clarice. She let her young daughter have the run of the place and figured others would keep an eye on the tyke.

 

And there were plenty of mothers in that group who did, at first, before it got old later on.

 

Ginny and I had been talking to Mum, Sharie, and Clarice when little Claire troll-loped back over to her mum.

 

Ginny happily picked up Claire, who was soon playing with my friend’s diamond pendant.

 

“Should ‘ave brought my nieces over to play with you..” Ginny chirped to the happy Lass, who answered by cooing out some words in an unknown toddler language.

 

The older three ladies moved off, leaving us alone, with Ginny still holding the huggy Claire.

 

It was soon after, that this grandmotherly-looking lady wearing glasses with big rose-coloured lenses, approached us.

 

Neither Ginny nor I recognized her.

 

She was wearing this long raw silk muddled brown garment, a long canvas purse over one hooded arm, with wood beads looking like miniature croquet balls, hanging from her neck, and perched on her head, a turban.

 

She seemed out of place with Mum’s crowd. I mean who wears a turban and wood beards to a dress-up tea?

 

She had come up to Ginny and admired our “just darlhing” outfits. Treating us like we were 14-year-olds instead of the twenty-something Ginny and I both were at the time.

Very annoying.

 

Stroking and caressing along my dress with clammy dime store ringed fingers, which she also used to finger my hair, as she bombarded us with questions.

 

Ginny had put down the wriggling Claire and was now politely listening.

 

As she reached up to admire Ginny’s necklace, I saw her beady fox-like eyes darting around.

 

She gushingly told us that we were the prettiest thing ever, and she would not be surprised to find the mother of ones so cute would also be pretty. She looked around.

 

“So which of these lovelies is are your mother’s, my sweethearts?”

 

She drew out her words while asking this in a silky, but still oddly demanding tone of voice.

 

Ginny shook her head, admitting her mum was out of town with her father on a re-election jaunt (Ginny’s mum is a local politician)

 

I obediently began to look around for mum, the whole while explaining she was the hostess. Finally, I saw her and pointed her out.

 

She laughed with a snort, attempting, but failing to produce, a friendly smile.

  

“I would have thought it was that fetching lady over there luv, wearing those pretty rubies...”

 

She said this while digging her fingers into my soft sleeve while pointing out a lady wearing a silvery slinking gown similar to the one I saw worn by the character Ana Steele in the movie Fifty Shades Darker.

 

“That is Mrs. Shannon,” Ginny said, correcting the lady for me, as all three of us looked over in that direction.

 

I noticed that Claire had made her way over to them, so much for us keeping an eye on the child.

 

Next to Mrs. Shannon was her 12-year-old daughter, a shy lass named Gabrielle. She was very pretty wearing a long silky cream dress that looked like a slip. A black velvet bolero jacket completed her look. She was also wearing real rubies like her mom. Though hers were a smaller version.

 

I figured that Claire had recognized a fellow child in Gabrielle and had gone over to play with her.

 

Indeed, Gabrielle had now captured Claire and was holding the toddler.

 

A girl named Estella, Gabrielle’s school chum, stood next to her, teasing Claire.

 

I shuddered.

 

If I had a daughter, Estella would be my last choice of a friend for her.

 

There was just something about that cheekily sly little imp that I just found to be unsettling.

 

But poor awkward Gabrielle had a hard time making friends. And I'm sure that Estella was only pretending to be one to take advantages of her rich classmate. Like being invited to parties like this

 

Gabrielle’s mum was totally clueless about this fact. And I’m sure encouraged the two to be friends.

 

But I do harbor a case in point.

 

Estella had a birthday party last summer. Inviting her like-minded friends, as well as Gabrielle. Gabrielle wore an expensive ring to the affair to compliment her party dress.

 

I was not surprised to hear the ring had been lost at the playground Estella had led them all off to during the party…

 

“Lost my eye.” I thought. “Probably was nicked right off her finger. Stolen during a game that had been specially chosen by the conniving Estella just to provide her with just that opportunity while playing it.

 

Anyway, With her long black hair straight Estella was wearing a black taffeta dress with verticle white stripes. She was wearing an eye-catching wide rhinestone dangling necklace and matching clip earrings. I recognized them as being borrowed from Gabrielle, who had worn them to Mum's tea party last year with her gold taffeta dress.

 

As I watched, Estella coached Claire to leave Gabrielle and come to her.

 

Gabrielle giggled nervously

 

Taking my eyes off them, I finally answered the wood bead lady

 

“Mrs. Shannon? No that’s not my mum. “

I assured her.

 

Mrs. Shannon was wearing some rather nice rubies, which wasn’t surprising seeing her husband is a snobby jeweler. But Mrs. Shannon was raven-haired, whereas I’m a natural redhead, like my mum. So I’m not sure where this wood bead-wearing lady was making a connection. “Wood Bead Lady,” I thought, giving her that name in my mind.

 

Then the lady, looking directly into my eyes, asked a most peculiar question as she massaged my side.

 

“Perhaps you could introduce me?” she asked indicating the group that was fawning over wee Claire…

 

(I will not be using the name given to us by the “Wood Bread Lady” for legal reasons)

 

Seeing we had no choice, we lead the “Wood Bead Lady” over to greet them and make the requested introductions.

 

As the “Wood Bead Lady” began fawning over Mrs. Shannon and the girls, I made an excuse for Ginny and me to leave them and greet newer guests.

 

Neither Ginny nor I gave that experience any more thought as we began to meet, greet and mingle in amongst the other gaily dressed and jewel bedecked females who were now arriving in force.

 

Next up the Acte 3

 

Tea Party Shenanigans

Made from several Fujifilm X-S10 shots with Hugin. HDR from RAW files and postprocessing colors done in Luminar AI.

 

Check out the original file (5953 x 9721 px = 58 MPx) here: pan.musicaloris.de/DSCF0385-pan-3.jpg

The Watcher in the woods

 

Pursuing the Posh

 

A Cat Burglar Saga

 

From the files of Chatwick University Criminology Department.

 

C.B. Case Study 13 , File B

 

Subset Source: Journal

 

Subject “Harley Q” -- Real name?

 

ORIGINATION STORY:

flic.kr/p/BcnW2J

 

Synopsis:

 

The young lady was approaching sweet sixteen if I estimated accurately. She was clad in a tailored dress of bronze velvet that shone richly over her lithe figure. Her long blonde hair tied in back, flickered like a horses’’ tail. She had come bounding from a ladies powder chamber, one of several located at either end of the grand ballroom that sat off the formal dining rooms.

 

I fell in step behind her, watching as her splendid jewelry bounced merrily as she pranced along like some untried colt, sorry filly. Her pearls were lovely things, a matched set, double strands all, real diamond clasps, shone gleaming with a pristine whiteness that reminded me of fresh snow.

 

The pearls were a sweet lure, of that there was no doubt; but apologies if I am prattling n a bit about them, for after all, what is a jewel thief who fails to notice a ladies jewels? A starving bugger, that’s who.

Now I have found out during my times here on the earth that I can make quite a profit from burgling the safes of wealthy ladies whilst they slept peacefully within their fancy chambres. But I had started out walking my morally tainted chosen path by picking the pockets of the unwary along the way. It was my fate to eventually discover the delightfully chilling sensation that was experienced when lifting the very jewels displayed by unsuspecting female targets. And this was still my guilty pleasure, to the point that I would still take that far riskier venture of lifting worn jewelry whenever opportunity arose, which was quite often in my travelled circles.

 

So, that is why I habitually started to follow this meandering youth, only because of her jewels, which I found to be quite vexing. Especially her earrings, a dangling set held to her ears by genuine diamond studded hinge clasps. I had seldom attempted sets of worn earrings, not for the lack of desire, and with this one’s head just reaching me chest, it was a very tempting prospect to try and pluck em both off just to see?

 

Fortunately, for her (not me), this pretty miss was a bit too young for my standards to make any attempt to lift from her any of the swinging pearls, earrings or otherwise. I do prefer my marks to be a bit older, a bit wiser, a bit more of a challenge to my abilities, thank you very much! Besides, I had already had my eye on a few other, challenging female prospects wearing some rather nice pieces in their own right. Including one sapphire laden Lass in a silky frock that had greatly provoked my attentiveness.

 

So I just followed this young one while she skirted the ballroom and entered a dining area. There she rejoined, what were quite obviously, her parents.

 

There were, it appeared, just the three of them, no older jewel laden siblings in sight. But, speaking of appearances, the Mother certainly presented a rather nice one, and so I stopped to drink it all in.

 

The mother/wife was fluidly clad in an all so elegant purple satin number, poured rather snugly along her still quite lovely figure. Said figure had been made even more eye catching (especially for me) by being emblazon with a matching set of jewels, all set with small 1 caret white diamonds, encircling her neck, wrists and fingers with energetic ripples of fiery colour.

 

She was with her husband, a distinguished looking gent in tails who may have passed as a Barrister, for which all I knew he was. Now Sandwiched in between was their charming young daughter, who was happily chatting away without a care in the world. Her pristine pearls still dangling, mocking me it would seem, to just make the one exception and attempt to take them home with me. I just smiled to wickedly to myself, maybe someday I would I promised them, once their young mistress had grown up a bit, then we would see who was mocking whom from the wickets!

 

But I did not dwell too long on such thought’s , or on the pretty family either, for, like I have revealed, I had other fish frying, and only am mentioning this particular incident because of what would occur in two days hence. So after a bit I turned and began wandering off.

 

But then, speaking of starving jewel thieves, I observed at the precise moment I turned away, a most stunning red head wearing a long black gown that fluttered about, here and there, in a most alluring fashion. She was making a beeline towards the very same powder chamber I had just passed. She was obviously in a rush to reach it, and once I laid my eyes on the pearls she was wearing, I moved towards her in an equally purposeful stride. I intercepted her, letting her bump against me, as I stepped on the hem of her long gown. She stopped abruptly, and I momentarily placed an arm around her smooth waist, steadying her as I apologized and begged the ladies pardon for my clumsiness.

 

She begrudgingly accepted my apologies, and I watched as she scurried off, having already pocketed the pearled bracelet I had slipped from her red satin gloved wrist, and made my own path. I smirked to myself that the bracelet was some consolation for not having an unscrupulous go for the pearls that had hung around the young daughter’s throat, hung from her ears, and encircled one petite wrist, as I stole one last look back towards the pretty families’ table.

 

I walked away, turning my attentions back to relocating a certain lady elegantly wearing a silky frock, displaying those magnificent sapphires. I was watching, waiting for her to leave, in order to follow to her next stop, eventually hoping to be led to her last, having decided to acquire the fair damsel’s collection of jewels enmasse!

 

***** Two productive evenings later ****************

 

It was at a wedding reception the 2 evenings later that I again, quite un-expectantly, spied the Barrister and his entourage.

 

I had been having a delightful chat with the newly minted wife of the titled Scion of a rather old family. I had won the sweepstakes of receiving a dance with the charming Miss. But alas my chat was cut short as she was whisked away to dance with yet another admirer. I watched as she swept off, my hand reaching into me breast pocket, fingering a still warm diamond brooch. That jewel had been merrily dangling down from her satin gowns’ cleavage, over shadowed by her ample bosom. As we had danced, I had managed to work open its silvery clasp, and lift the brooch cleanly away. My hidden vest pocket also contained at the time a rather pretty ring with a blue carbuncle surrounded by sparkly diamonds. Said ring had been wrapped around the finger of a rather vexing long raven haired lass. I had admired the silken dress she was wearing, and as she had happily swirled and twirled to give me a better look, I had taken the opportunity to relieve her finger of its burden. Since I was only allowing meself a couple of prospects with an affair this small, I now made my way, leisurely, contentedly, towards an exit (stage right as they say in the trades).

 

But, no sooner had I put me back to the dance floor, than whom do I spy across the room? That rather delightful miss with a long blonde ponytail, who was now dressed elegantly in cream lace, that I had spied at dinner a few evenings back. It was the very same young lady, wearing the same set of mocking white pearls, and as I discreetly draw near, I soon spied her parents.

 

The “Barrister” was dapper in crisp white shirt and tux, with a fancy gold pocket watch and fob at his waist. The daughter’s look alike mother was now smartly encased in a fitted red gown that shimmered delightfully as it swished about. She was also wearing a nice display of brite emeralds to boot.

 

This time I took closer notice of the Mothers Jeweles. Between the emeralds today and the diamonds the night before, this lady in red could be a nice meal ticket if the stars were aligned properly. And so it turned out they very happily (for me) did.

 

With a few discreet questions from some acquaintances quickly garnered for just such information, I found out where my “Barrister” and his family were spending their late evenings asleep. It so happened that they were staying in a penthouse suite 3 floors above my own modest single. So instead of leaving the reception to scout out a way to gain easy access to their rooms, I could stay and enjoy myself, already being all too familiar with the place. Which I did, later acquiring a gold jeweled bracelet from a charming maiden attired delightfully in teal satin, who had kept flaunting her jewels in me face as she told me all about her perfect self. Another jewel added for my growing collection of the evening.

 

Now, don’t ask me why I was so familiar with my hotels’ penthouse suites, being a cat burglar, the reasons should be quite clear! So when the pretty family left the reception early, around 9 pm returning to their rooms, I was able to follow them with less discretion then I usually do, but still with growing eager anticipation. Also, even more remarkably, they were in bed and asleep by 10:30 pm, which allowed me a much earlier window of opportunity than I had grown accustomed to having.

 

And so it was, that soon after the stroke of midnight, with the happy family deep in their slumbers that I, wearing my black burgling attire, climbed onto the balcony of their rooms. After jimmying open the double glass doors with my Fairborn dagger, I found myself in a small sitting room. Carefully allowing my torch to search around I spied a door on the far end. Opening it cautiously, the first thing I see are the daughters pricey pearls piled loosely on a vanity by the bed where she lay sleeping, dressed in white, looking ever so like the angel she is. I picked up the necklace of pearls, eyeing them as I watch the slumbering figure on the bed. But I passed the pretty things up, for even though I am a thief by nature, I do possess some scruples, albeit maybe a little warped! Besides, those taunting pearls had led me to the small treasure trove that was awaiting me in her Mothers’ chambers. So with a silent thanks, I replaced them upon the vanity, and move off…

 

The parents were found in the next room, soundly sleeping off their alcohol induced haze. The mother was draped over her husband, fetchingly clad in a long satin nightdress that looked almost like an evening gown. Her vulgarly large wedding diamonds flickered pleasantly from her finger as I let my torch sneak up along her shimmering figure. On the bed stand laid the “Barristers” gold watch and a rather pleasing selection of his wife’s gold “day” jewelry, but I passed the lot up, my eyes looking for the good stuff that would be snuggled inside the small room safe that I knew would be behind a false door in one side of the oak dresser ( having already discovered that fact a year previously in a different room of the same hotel)!

 

I went directly to it, and opening the cabinet door, began to use my finely attuned skills to crack it. It was a simple American lock and only took me a minute to have open. I than emptied the small collection of jewel cases ( lovely things) placing them into my small sack. I also find inside the mothers small clutch purse made expensively of red silk and rhinestones, that had been at her side all evening. Out of curiosity (why in the safe?) I placed it inside my bag with the jewels. After checking that the parents were still out cold, I closed the safe, flickering my torch around one last time, it settles upon her red gown, and its emerald rhinestone clips coming blazing into lively flame. I passed on them, and headed back out towards the door. I had almost regained it, and my freedom, when the husband let out a loud snort, and I heard rustling going on in the bed behind me. I froze and carefully looked back. Neither had woken, but the wife had turned onto her side, and her left hand was now hanging limply over the side of the bed. I watched as the diamonds set in the gold ring encircling her slender finger blazed into life (the ring was somewhat loose I keenly noticed)! Blimey, there was enough dosh in the value of that ring that would have paid for all the expenses of the Cardiff C.C. for an entire season, perhaps 2! But, Bird in the Hand, I am always telling meself, so I left the pretty thing dangling there, and finished my careful retreat. I made it out without further incident.

 

Passing the daughters room ( and her pearls again), I checked in. The young filly was still was sound asleep in her own pleasant dreams, her taunting pile of pearls still on the vanity, where they would remain. I regained the balcony and slipping over, made my way down to the window of my own room.

 

Back in my room I empty my sack, the pile of jewels flickering in a frenzy of colours. I admire the little darlings briefly before stashing them. I than pick up the purse and open it. Inside amongst the usual feminy items, I found a letter. Looking at it my heart, already beating quickly from the exhilaration of being on the prowl, skipped one beat, for it was addressed to the lady whose jewels I now possessed, and it was an address of an area I knew quite well. I thought about her address, the house she presumably shared with husband and daughter, the house which should be empty seeing its owners were sleeping just three floors above me. A house that was little over an hour away, only about ¾ of that hour by driving my Lotus. It was a house that I figuratively knew; being in the same neighborhood (relatively speaking) of a house I had reconnoitered and quite lucratively burgled the previous spring.

 

It was perfect. While the family was asleep snug in their beds here, I could reach their abode, with its jewel laden safe ( they all had jewel laden safes in that area), ½ hour to creep the place, an hour to do the job proper and I would be back in time to catch a two hour kip and be checked out and on my way before the pretty family have had breakfast. It, bears repeating, was perfect.

 

I looked at the envelope, was its contents that valuable that she felt the need to lock it up. More than mildly curious, I pulled it out and read it. It was from someone named Samuel. In no uncertain terms, he was informing the lady that for only ₤5000 sterling he would leave for the States and never bother her Daughter Claire again. I thought of the young girl asleep in the suite I had just left. What kind of Scoundrel would lure a young girl like that into his clutches with the intent of extorting her parents! For a moment I pondered this bit of information, before deciding that the opportunity was too ripe to pass up just because I felt a small twinge of compassion. Besides, if the parents could afford to cough up a cool 5 thousand, they weren’t hurting in the financial department.

 

I changed, and quickly gathered my things and headed out quietly via a back entrance. Placing my burgle kit (containing the ladies jewels) into the boot of me two seater, I fired up the lotus’s engine and was off on my little undertaking!

 

A half hour away I turned down a little used rutty road/path. Pulling over I grabbed my burgle kit and headed down to some ancient stone ruins. Checking to make sure none of my warning snares had been tripped, I entered a small stone building. Going down into one of its old, crumbling basements, I uncovered a small cubby and added the jewels to the growing collection of my recent takings.

 

Included in the collection were sets of pearls burgled from a coach stop overnight room occupied by a pair of fairly insufferable spinster sisters. Other burgled items were a rather pretty , if not vulgarly large, diamond set obtained from a naive damsel who thought hiding them under the pillow she slept on was safer than a safe, (always happy to enlighten someone upon the error of their ways that’s me), and of course the sapphires that the lass in the silky frock had been wearing 2 nights previous ( along with some rather nice sets of rubies and diamond adorned amethysts that had lain in the same safe, located above her soundly sleeping figure! ) The rest of the lot consisted of items I had “picked up” while on the prowl: a nice collection of brooches, rings, bracelets, and an eye-catching sapphire pendent hanging from a diamonded chain.

I than closed everything up, rechecked my warning snares, and headed back to my Lotus.

 

Another 30 minutes and I had reached my destination.

 

The house itself was pretty secluded, located by an intersection of two lanes. I drove its perimeter than doubling back found a pull off. I backed up and turned down and off the road hiding the small sports car in a grove of pines.

 

Already wearing some of my burglar attire, (black military trousers and sweater), I placed a hood over my head, pulled out my small kit, fastening a torch and military knife to my belt, I was off. The house appeared to be deserted, I found the servants quarters located at the back of the house over a small barn, the only cars were a small sports car in a shed, and a roadster sitting out front. A large garden surrounded by hedges lay to the west of the house, a larger Tudor, with several porches and balconies. Using the hedges as cover, I shimmed up an old tree located by a balcony, and slipping onto the balcony proper, I made my way to the door. Shimmed the latch with my Fairborn commando knife, and then entered into a side bedroom. I was looking for the master suite, and this was not it, the daughter’s by all appearances. I spied a small ornate silver box on a table, but passed it up , on the search for bigger game!

 

Turning on my torch I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. At the end was a set of double mahogany doors and this is where I set my sights. Along the hallway wall were several rather nice paintings (not copies) and I let the pool of my light flicker along them. Included in the lot was a small painting of a young fox, half asleep, eyeing something in the distance? I stood for precious seconds admiring it, and then turned my attention to the mahogany doors. They were not locked, and I cautiously, very slowly, opened one. Pay dirt! A large empty canopied bed stood in the middle of the room, a love seat to one side, a settee on the other, and directly across from the bed a large ornate sideboard with mirror. Along one side of the wall was a series of chains with different rooms labelled underneath, presumably connected to bells in those rooms. It definitely belonged to the mistress of the house, and, hopefully, her jewels.

 

I let my light flow over the room, avoiding the window and glass door that led out onto another balcony. I soon spotted the location of the safe; it was behind an old painting of a Harlequin. Said Harlequin was standing on a black and white checked tile floor, as he looked inquisitively into his own reflection from an ornate wall mirror. The painting was located on the wall between the corner and the intricately carved oak sideboard. I slid back the painting on its hinges, exposing the small safe.

 

It was exactly the same safe as their neighbors, the ones I had burgled clean in the spring. Quickly getting to work I spin the tumblers, listening intently for the correct paths of clicks. Bingo! , it opened up like a dream. Inside I found a bonanza of about a dozen small jewel cases handedly printed with the jewelers names (Cartier and Tiffany’s amongst them! ) I quickly open and empty their contents into my kit, pouring out a delightfully pricey array of colorful gems of all types and styles. Replacing the empty cartons, I rummage around, finding a small stack of gold and silver coins and a couple of bundles of notes, currency of the realm. I favorably pocket the lot.

 

Suddenly I freeze, hearing the unmistakable sounds of muffled giggling from down the corridor. Closing the safe and picture I back off and hide inside a closet, wishing I had had the foresight to have opened the balcony door to see if that had offered escape, but I had been so sure I would be alone that evening that I had let me guard slacken a bit. I hoped that whoever it was they were heading off to bed.

 

They were off to bed, problem was it was the bed in the room I was in for which they were heading. I heard the door open, and from the crack in the closet door, I saw a young couple come in, tipsy and fondling the heck out of one another. The female was obviously an older daughter of the house, a mini version of the mother and her sister. She was resplendent in a long flowing cream satin evening gown; her paramour was a beady eyed, weasely faced chap in loose fitting tux and tails. It must have been his roadster outside; the couple must have been snogging in the garden, and drinking wine, judging from the smell and the way they were acting. Again I kicked myself for not checking the grounds more thoroughly. But why hadn’t the bloody twit of a daughter been at the wedding with her family where she belonged? But a bit later I was to reason that if she had, I would have been tempted to lift a diamond bracelet, and me path may have ended there. Missing out entirely, the opportunity to burgle the contents of 2 bedroom safes, master and penthouse!

 

They headed right to the bed, (doing it on the parents bed, and old cracker that was) the lady not even taking off her long satin gloves, just falling onto the bed with her doe wide eyes gleaming, while her beady eyed lover was falling all over her. Oh god! Samuel, I heard her mummer in passion. My eyes were opened, this must be the daughter Claire, and the beady eyed bloke was the infamous Samuel. Now it made a little more sense, but not any less wicked. I watched them in a new light, my mind going a full mile a minute trying to see a way out of the situation. . “Si vous voulez faire rire Dieu , faire des plans” I muttered an old saying in French, chastising myself inwardly for taking on such a gamble rushed for time.

 

Now, I am certainly no voyeur, and my belief that some things private, are, well private! But actually, in this instance, there was no choice. I tried not to watch, but the couple’s raw, animal like lovemaking and all its trimmings were happening just feet away. I began to amuse myself by watching the flashy show put on by the daughter’s sparkling jewels and the fluidly movement of her shiny, slinking gown as they were caught in the moonlight that streamed thru the glass of the balcony door. It was the type of show that engrosses any jewel thief worth his salt (hell, any bloke worth his salt for that matter). My mind also kept going back to the letter that I had found in the red silk purse and I hoped that a way would open to cause “Mr.” Samuel some sort of grief.

 

Beady eyes comes onto her, driving her mind off everything but what he is doing, as her eyes are closed tight, his are open, looking about. I slink in a little more into the shadows, keeping his face in my view. Occasionally a white satin gloved hand appears, rings and bracelets sparkling in a frenzied flickering as her fingers grip his face. Suddenly his eyes open wide as he looks towards the painting of the Harlequin. Cripes I mutter as I look there also, for on the floor lies a diamond bracelet, the fancy bugger must have slipped out as I scurried to my hole. I prepare to bolt like a fox hiding close to where the hounds are heading (my mind went to the painting of the watchful fox in the hallway outside the bedroom).

 

But beady eyes says nothing..

 

He finished the job, with her squealing like a piglet, before she slumps back exhaustedly onto the bed. Her eyes were closed, her breathing became heavier as she lost all drink induced conscious. I watched as her lover’s half closed eye stayed focused on the bracelet, as he listened to her breathing become heavier. When he was sure she was asleep he slipped off and heading to the vanity scooped up the bracelet and placed it inside a pocket of his tux’s vest. He then crawls back next to her, gently fingering her diamond rings before (finally) joining her into heavy, wine induced sleep alongside.

 

It seemed like hours, but the whole episode, by me watch, lasted only a ¾ of hour, but it was a precious time I could ill afford to have lost atoll.

 

I was running late, but knew what I had to do next. Walking over to the pair I watched them for a few seconds, plotting my next course of action. Her jewels were flickering nicely in the moon’s light.

 

I reached down an lifting ever so gently one still gloved lifeless feminine hand, I slipped off a couple of sparkly rings from satin clad fingers, and unfastened a tight cuff bracelet emblazon with diamonds from around her wrist. Then I lifted the other hand, easily gliding off another brace of glistening rings from her fingers, and a second diamonded bracelet from her limp wrist. Than lifting her necklace of diamonds, I pulled it gently around admiring the way they rippled fire along her throat, till its jeweled clasp was exposed. Then I slowly pry open the jeweled clasp, and slipped the necklace away, watching it sway in the moonlight like a glistening snake. They were both still out cold, It wasn’t really very much of a challenge, not that I was complaining mind you.

 

I happily pocketed the lot, except for a cheaper ring. I swapped that ring for the diamond bracelet in Samuel’s vest pocket, hoping that the outcome would prove interesting. In the process of placing the ring in the Sammy boy’s vest, I came across his fat pocketbook, which I gladly lifted and added to the collection in my own now bulging pocket.

 

I then left the room, leaving quietly by stepping upon the soles of my feet. As I pass the small painting of the watching fox, I pull it off and stick it into my kit, a bonus for me extra worries. I than slip back through the daughter’s bedroom, its door now slightly ajar.

 

In a corner of the room lay the small silvery jewelry case I had passed up earlier thinking it was the younger daughters. But, I hesitated, wondering to which daughter the room belonged, for someone had slightly opened the door for a reason? I shook my head, no chances. But, wait a minute, I grinned as my thoughts grew ever more pleasing. I walked over to the small table that held the ornate silver jewel case (casket was what my Gram had called hers), above it was a small picture of the family daughters in full riding regalia, the older daughter, Claire, had a small pin of a fox in her shiny white satin caveat.

 

I bent down and opening the small case. There on top was the fox pin, glittering with brownish Sardonyx gemstones and bright red ruby eyes. I plucked it up and added it to my sparkling collection. Then I admired the shimmery collection of gold and pearled jewelry (no lowly silver for this lass). Selecting the better ones I placed them with the fox pin and the Mothers jewels in my kit, then scooping out the rest, I placed them in unceremoniously in a side pocket.

 

I then went back out the balcony and down the tree. I headed over to the roadster out front and taking out a few of the lesser jewels I had scooped into me pocket, and I began placing them in and underneath the passenger seat of the vehicle.

 

Finished I admired my handiwork, then looking leisurely around, let out a deep sigh of absolute relief, mixed with exquisite feelings of pleasure of an adventuer winningly pulled off, before melting off into the shadows of the woods. I soon reached my lotus, gunned the engine to life, and then proceeded to slowly drive off without headlights until I reach the main road.

 

I once again stopped at my hidden cubby and deposited my burglar’s kit and purloined jewels with the rest of my stash, reset my snares, and headed quickly back to the hotel.

 

I reached my destination just at cock crow, went upstairs and finished packing. It was later than I had anticipated, so no kip for the sinners. I just loaded my luggage into the boot of the two seater, checked my key in at the desk, settled my bill, and headed for a quick breakfast.

 

But I wasn’t quick enough, for about halfway through my breakfast The “Barrister” and his family came down to have the same. They appeared to be calm, so I knew that my activities earlier that morning had not been exposed yet.

 

I pushed aside my almost finished plate and standing, walked past them, allowing the daughter, who was clad in a silky skirt and matching satiny top, and wearing those taunting white pearls of hers, to bump into me as she pranced to their table. Steady girl I says, catching her as I eye for the last time her dangling jewelry. So sorry sir, she replied apologetically. I complimented her parents on their charming daughter. The father, in a formal suit and tie, grunts his thanks. The mother, in a scintillatingly swishing long red skirt, and heavy cream silk blouse, blushes prettily. I look over her plentiful “everyday” jewelry as I take their leave. What she was wearing for a normal day of activates was expensive enough to catch any thief’s desire to acquire.

 

As I walked away, a vision of her walking the streets, dressed as she was, back in Dickens London formed in my thoughts. She attracted the notice of a small street urchin, his devious heart pounding as he left huis vigil from the wall he had been leaning against too closely follow her as she swished by. Catching up to her in the hopes of brushing against her and with a sorry ma’am, walk away with some of it.

 

This was actually from a memory of mine ( long after Dickens time though) about an incident I had witnessed while working at my old uncles “eel and mash” shop.

 

A finely decked out young couple (the long haired lady wearing pearls as it so happened) had been inside the shop and finishing their meal, had walked out across the street. A street youth had been hanging out by the shop and had followed them across the street close on their heels. They all turned a corner, so I never knew what had happened, if anything ( which I sincerely doubted)! But that image had plagued many an unsettling adolescent dream with images of finely dressed ladies bending down to a begging young grimy faced lad, well ringed fingers and bracelets jangling as a coin was offered, gold lockets or pearls swaying out from tightly satin clad breasts to just within the reach of his grubby fingers….

 

I have come to believes that it was the seeds planted in my mind by those dreams that may have very well guided and nudged me onto the course I have continued following to this day.

 

So, naturally I guess, as I walked away my train of thoughts took a similar course as those dreams/nightmares. I imagined the mother I had just left, walking along a street alone, dressed as she was last evening, the jewels that were now in a cold small cubby, once again upon her figure, glittering their fiery beacon. Then suddenly her daughter, dressed as she was now, was strolling alongside her. The street urchin I had seen that morning so long ago was here also, following close, eyeing the ladies reflected jewels in a storefront window as they walked past……

 

But at that point in my daydream I realized that I had reached and was standing beside my two seater, and shaking my head clear of such thoughts (once again, sadly not seeing the outcome) I happily hopped over the door and into the driver’s seat, firing up the engine, and quite eagerly pulled away from the hotel and roared down the road.

  

I stopped by my secret cubby, and without haste, fully on the alert, made my way down to the basement. I collected my stash and made it back to the Lotus without incident. Lighting me pipe, I smiled to meself, promising a nice stiff one once I got back to the abode. I pulled away, slowly, cheerfully, driving down the warm sunlit road. I was now on to new quests, filled with promises of many lucrative acquisitions.

 

One of those quests was wrapped around a young lady in Soho, who recently had inherited a jewellery collection worth ₤25,000 which she loved wearing out in public, flaunting the richly jeweled pieces all about whenever she could. The quite, almost vulgarly rich, young lass had so many Beaus seeking her affections that she was being invited out almost weekly out to some special dress up affair. This all made her overly ripe for the plucking by some jewelry procurement minded thief. And being one meself, a jewel thief that is, I intended to be the first in line.

 

Once I returned home, I first visited my London banks strongbox to deposit my newly acquired ” glittering with fire” trophies to let them “cool” down a bit. Then I made sure the Yard received an anonymous post. Said post containing a red silk evening clutch, inside which was beady eyes’ pocketbook( sans money) along with the letter incriminating one certain rogish gent by the name of Samuel for attempting extortion of 5000 pounds sterling from the fair Claire’s Mother. I know how the chaps in the inspector’s squad so love a mystery!

 

And so, for now dear journal, I bid farewell, adieu.

************************************

 

Si vous voulez faire rire Dieu , faire des plans

 

Roughly translated:

If you want to make God laugh, Make plans

 

Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

  

softly lithed on Fomatone 131

Easy Lith 1+15 3 mins followed by Lith B 1+70 1 min

 

Holga 120N - RPX400 rated at 800 ASA in eco film developer

Story by my Twin Sister

Pict by me

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

2023 A New Year's Eve Soliloquy

 

I was asked recently by a friend if I would ever be likely to teach someone what

he/she felt were my skills at pickpocketing.

 

Extremely flattering as the question was, I had never thought of what we do as a skill. Rather than just role play, or taking advantage of a friend’s condition ( like Pissed drunk, or compellingly overwhelmed emotionally) that makes them vulnerable.

 

We had a discussion over this with my brother and our group of friends, concluding that since non of us would ever try to do a lift on a stranger for keeps, the topic of this being an actual skill is pretty much mute.

 

That all being said, if there are professional pickpockets that are adept enough to actively lift jewelry from a victim, then either they are incredibly skilled, or just know how to spot an advantage brewing that would cook up into a victim’s concocting condition as described above.

 

For a clearer example of a concocting condition, let me relate my own experience this past New Year’s Eve.

 

As is our habit, my friends and I celebrated New Year's Eve at our local “The Poet & Peasant Pub”.

 

I was on the decorations committee, so I was there to observe most of the guests coming in.

 

I was at the top of the stairs leading to the upper rooms, placing a party hat on Erik, the skull of the medieval poet who is the pub’s namesake. The macabrely grinning thing sits high on a ledge of the stairs overlooking the pub and its guests (peasants).

 

So I had a great vantage point to take an early drink and watch.

 

A friend(and he knows of whom I speak) had sorta challenged me to make a lift this evening. So it was with a thief’s eye that I tried to look innocent as I watched the partiers coming in.

 

The pub proper is not large, but it has two larger first-floor rooms, one for dance, the other for dart competitions. Since we usually can expect a crowd of two hundred, all three areas come into play.

 

The upstairs rooms are old bedrooms used for various pub-related antics.

 

Now, It’s not supposed to be a dressy affair at this party, but the guests, regulars, and visitors make it one.

 

The gents in suits, and tuxes, the lady’s getting a second chance to show off by wearing an old gown or dress they’ve only worn once.

 

Rhinestones and pearls are the majority of jewels worn with splashy brilliance.

 

This year was no exception.

 

Once it was in full swing one would have thought it was an after-party at a actors' awards show.

 

Use that thought to picture in your mind a quick visual without me going into boring paragraphs of detail.

 

But for a brief idea, I’ll describe what my clique was wearing…

 

Which, since it was one(or more)of us girls that became a victim that evening, it appears appropriate to do so.

 

So, In my role-play thief's mind I observed:

 

First off, myself.

 

I had on a smart ocean blue coloured satin dress with a below-knee length skirt and a slick solid top with a mock turtleneck collar. The sleeves flared out just below my elbows. I was wearing my gold necklace set with diamond Sapphire rhinestones with matching long earrings. Also being worn was my rhinestone cuff bracelet. The same one my brother once nicked from me at the very pub we were now partying at.

I also added two of my real cocktail rings to complete the glittery effect.

 

As far as the type of mark I’d be for a thief? Well if being a twit came in degrees, and I was in my monthly period, I would be certified as a solid brown belt. If I was wearing real jewels, thieves would be able to have a field day lifting the bloody things, as did actually happen to me in a very similar situation as this evening. But it was not done by a real thief, just by an opportunist who took advantage of a victim who had been having herself a pisser.

 

But then, this is not that story.

 

My friend Byrne was wearing an old-fashioned black tux, black vest, black shirt, and blue bow tie, topped off by a black bowler. He had to work late at the Dyfed station that day and said he was wearing the suit he had on. So it was a pleasant surprise to see him dressed up, and I let him know it in no uncertain terms.

 

My brother was dapper in his tawny-colored herringbone vest suit, brown silk shirt, and gold satin necktie. A gold satin handkerchief stuck jauntily out from a vest pocket.

 

Ginny had again poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin Japanese-style Qipao sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, reaching around up towards her bosom.

Ginny was wearing a bib-style necklace of rhinestone emeralds with matching earrings.

 

The necklace she usually wore was still in a police evidence locker at Dyfed ( see my tea party story).

 

Her hair was held up on one side by a glittery clip. She wore no gloves, so her diamond rhinestone cuff bracelet lay on bare skin, as were the 3 cocktail rings she was wearing.

 

Ginny would be a tougher nut for thieves to crack. For she is logical to a fault and witty. She is also a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

 

But one really after her jewels, would just have to follow her around to see she is on the wee bit clumsy side. I immediately thought how useful a satin handkerchief could be if employed along the high, partially exposed neckline of her gown to acquire her necklace. And I happened to now know where to obtain one ….

 

Two other two close friends (members of our role-playing troupe) also eventually showed up.

 

Merrick was dashing in a James Bond-styled black tux. The vest he wore had a gold and black calico silk pattern.

 

His Heather enticingly was wearing a very shiny black satin, slightly off shoulders gown with long white lace frills hanging down from the neckline and the gown’s puffy elbow-length sleeves.

 

Her jewellery was a ruby rhinestone necklace with matching earrings. Like Ginny, one side of her hair was pulled back and held by one of her real diamond chip hair clips. She wore black satin gloves, and around one wrist was the wide tennis bracelet Merrick had given her last Valentine’s Day. It was a beauty, two rows of diamonds and a centre row of round rock rubies. She also wore twin ruby cocktail rings.

 

Heather is a timid meek little thing who blushed easily and turn her head away whenever complimented(think of Actress Alison Pill ). Also, those black satin gloves of hers would hinder feelings of lifting from her skin.

  

Mum and Auntie were also in attendance.

 

Mum was wearing a shimmering dress of silvery metallic material. She was wearing a necklace of round diamond rhinestones, with matching earrings and bracelets. They were ones I first “borrowed “, sneaking them out of mum’s day jewel case and started wearing as my twin and I began first exploring our games of thievery.

 

Her personality and looks matched the actress Haley Mills. Her eyes getting delightfully large as she was surprised by something. It would be worth trying for her necklace just to witness that reaction.

 

Father was working the Dyfed station this evening, so my bodyguard-built uncle was the escort of both ladies.

 

Uncle(or the man from U.N.C.L.E . As I thought of him) was a rugby player in his youth and still had the physic for it. The tight tux he wore looked like it was bursting from the seams over his muscular build. But for all his looks he was a pussycat. Though a fierce darts competitor.

 

Auntie was very elegant in a long white silk dress with a red and green flowery print. She was wearing her gleaming set of pearls.

Our Aunt reminded me of the actress Janine Duvitski, in looks, and the way she was insecure, like Janine’s character in the Telly series” Waiting for God.” She was a foil to far too many things in her life and would offer no challenge to a proper thief, which may be her saving grace.

 

Then there was our cousin Michelle(Micke)

 

She has come there with a group of her coworkers but divided her time with us.

 

Micke was enticingly wearing a very sleek, slick brown satin fully off-shoulder number that nicely outlined her petite figure as it poured along it down to her silver high heels.

 

Her Jewels were a sparkling collection that consisted of a wide V-shaped necklace that looked like a falling river of rhinestones, amazingly sparkling chandelier earnings, her favorite diamond-appearing bracelet, and several enticing rings.

 

But the real showpiece was the eye-grabbing broach she had pinned to the gown just at her waistband. It had a sparrow egg-sized diamond at its centre.

 

Now blonde Micke just wears her heart upon her sleeve. Just as gullible as her mum, she has fallen victim to many of our pranks. Micke was easy prey to a compliment or falling into a tight, searching hug.

 

And by now most of the rest of the crowd had entered.

 

I tapped Erick’s boney jaw open so the poor sod of a poet was grinning, then came down from my perch to begin mugging, er, mingling.

 

^^^^^^^^

 

And so the party rambled on, properly behaving like most pub-held New Year’s Eve affairs.

 

I highly recommend going to one if you have never been.

 

Plenty to drink, and eat, games to play dancing to music( ours was live this year) camaraderie, storytelling and jokes, attempts to lite the cigar someone had stuck in Erik’s mouth, etc

 

Oh, And did I mention games?

 

Especially the one I was playing on my own, pretending to be a thief on the prowl.

 

I did miss one early opportunity on me mum’s necklace when I stood behind her in the snack line. She had literally backed into me and was reaching down to snag a small pork pie, exposing her throat and necklaces' clasp. But uncle was in front of her and turned to look as she asked him if he had one for himself.

 

Victims 1 Thief 0

 

But then as the night went by quickly and since I’m not a real thief, I found myself having so much fun I almost forgot I was looking for a further lifting opportunity.

 

Almost…

 

End Acte 1

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^*

Acte 2

 

Almost forgot I had been dared to do a lift, that is until I had l came out of the loo around 11:00 and realized I was on my own.

 

For the first time that evening.

 

Everyone I had been with was split up into small groups now doing their own thing

 

I could either join in, watch, or….

 

And now I thought licking my freshly touched-up lips, time to do something on my own.

 

So like my pretend thief, I decided to have a walk around and seek an opportunity amongst my chosen potential victims.

 

Byrne, Merrick, Uncle, and my brother Craig were we’re still playing darts with another group of men. I had been watching before slipping away to freshen up.

 

Micke and one of her co-workers ( in green taffeta) were amongst a group dancing. I thought of cutting in as a possibility to make a score, for that glittering broach of hers was an enticing calling card.

 

I watched for a minute or so when suddenly an opening appeared that paved my way in. A man had cut in and was dancing with Micke’s girlfriend. His back to Micke. I curled my fingers while licking my lips ready to plunge in and make a lift of a glittery broach.

 

I got no more than two steps in when the music stopped and the dancers headed off the floor in the opposite direction, including my Cousin.

 

I walked away, my heart pounding.

 

Victims 2 Thief 0

 

Our Mum and Auntie were sitting at a side table of the long mahogany bar, chatting away. Mum has an almost empty glass, so I surmised she may need to be making a trip to the ladies' room. I stored away that tidbit.

 

But there, in an opposite corner, underneath Erik’s perch, a makeshift stage was set up. With guests coming up to tell jokes and stories.

 

It was at one of the tables, chairs backed against the stairway, Ginny and Heather sat listening to an Irishman telling one of his drinking stories.

 

Both, in my thief’s eye, were a royal treat to be observed. Two enticingly dressed and deliciously jeweled prospects, very distracted, sitting in a rather vulnerable location.

 

It was all far too tempting, and I felt an overwhelming urge to acquire a piece of jewellery and strted to excitedly tingle from deep within.

 

Ginny’s necklace was beckoning with a flashy invitation. Heather's elegantly gloved hands with the inviting jewelry she wore, also called out to my inner thief with a fiery blazing hot lure.

 

^^^^^

 

The Irishman telling the joke was holding a long cigar as he started, his accent and mannerisms adding much embellishment to the story.

 

(Look up on Utube Mike Dunafon. An Irish drinking joke)

 

“Irishman Paddy O'Brien has moved to a small city in Wales. And as men are won’t to do, looks for a new local. He walks into the first pub he finds, and tells the bartender, "Give me three pints of Guinness."

 

The bartender obediently brings him three pints…..

 

As the story started I had circled over to the empty staircase and snuck up it till I was level with Heather and Ginny’s chairs. Then I sat down.

I earlier decided that my game would be to lift a piece and make it outside to the victim’s car and write gotcha on it, for my thief to win, if I was caught or stopped by anyone, then I lost.

 

The Irishman took a long puff of his cigar and carried on.

 

Paddy proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third until they're gone. Then he rose, threw coins on the table, winked at the bar mistress, and left.

 

Meanwhile, I was leaning against the rails, my hands reaching out to the back of Ginny’s throat, aiming for the clasp of her emerald-laden necklace. Figuring once the punchline was given, the laughing (if it was as funny as I hoped) would provide the perfect opportunity.

 

The Irishman continues…

 

The next Saturday evening Paddy walks in, hanging his cap, taking a seat, he walks again and orders three more pints.

 

The bartender brings them over, and says, "Sir, you don't have to order three pints at a time. I can keep an eye on one and when you get low, I'll bring you a fresh pint."

 

Paddy responds, "You don't understand. I just moved to wales and I have two brothers, one in Australia and one Canada. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night we'd still drink together. So right now, me brothers are having three Guinness Stouts and we're drinking together.

 

The bartender thought that it was a wonderful tradition and said as much.

 

Both Ginny and Heather were now leaning back in their chairs. My fingers had been slowly working on pulling Ginny’s necklace down lower on her back so it would dangle. Just then Heather put her arms behind her chair. Her bracelet danced with rippling sparks that just cried out to the thief in me to be taken.

 

So, as the Irishman took a sip of his drink, I moved my hands from Ginny, and moving down a stair reached for Heather’s ruby bracelet. As the next part of the joke was told, I delicately worked at removing it.

  

Now, every week for several years Paddy came in and ordered three pints at a time.

 

Then one Saturday week he came in and ordered only two pints.

 

He solemnly drank them, rose. Put on his cap and went over to pay his tab.

 

The bartender, who had worriedly been watching, said to Paddy, "I know your tradition, and I'd just like to say that I'm sorry that one of your brothers died."

 

Paddy responded, “oh no, both my brothers are just fine Dontchay knows now.”

 

The Bartender, puzzled asked, “then why only two beers now? laddie?”

 

But I never heard the answer, for as Paddy was still drinking his two beers, I had fiendishly slipped off Heather’s glittering ruby bracelet from around her sleekly gloved wrist and had snuck off the staircase and was heading towards the back door.

 

Victims 3 Thief 1

 

I managed to slip past the table where my Aunt sat( mum was gone).

 

Behind me, I hear vigorous laughter and applause at the ending of the Irishman’s joke.

 

I would have to ask later what it was.

 

Then, by the entrance to the dart room, I waited until everyone was watching a dart being thrown before walking past the room.

 

The dance floor was again packed. But I couldn’t spy Micke, so I took a chance and scurried past.

 

I made it to the door, excitedly letting out my breath as I pulled it open and slipped through into the chilly night.

 

A couple was walking in the parking lot, so I ducked into a shadowy side alley and skirted around a fence. Kneeling, I peeked through the pickets.

 

I did not know the couple, but they obviously had been having a great time, though I wondered why they were leaving so soon. The lady was dressed in a blue taffeta gown with prickling rhinestone adornments. Her jewelry also prickled fire in the moonlit evening.

 

In my thief’s eyes, I saw them being approached and held up. The lady is forced to hand over her jewels to a masked female thief. Not me though, the thief I was picturing had bigger boobs.

 

Of course, that would be something only I would find to be that amusing, and let out a giggle.

 

They both heard it and looked around as I slinked back into the shadows.

 

They shrugged it off and got inside the car.

 

I took my eyes off them and soon spotted Merrill and Heather’s black sports car.

 

I rose.

 

Suddenly a male voice snarled sinisterly from behind me...

 

“Who let you out all dressed up looking like a mugger's dream?”

 

I let out a shriek as I jumped up and turned around.

 

Byrne stood there grinning.

 

I playfully pounded his shoulder, my heart thumping as I scolded him between breaths that gave off wisps of vapor into the cold night.

 

“Byrne you rotter. Scared the Jesus out of me you did, and almost peed my undies. And how would that have looked I ask you?!”

 

Byrne held onto my shoulders and laughed.

“Sorry, you looked so mischievous as I saw in the corner of my eye you sneaking out. I followed, then lost you until I heard the giggle. So tell me what you are up to now?”

 

I explained to him my game, that upon the thief’s success, I had come out to write “gotcha” on the car door.

 

“Then what were you gonna after that Ms. Cadence?”

 

“Follow Heather out when she left and give it back …?”

 

Byrne looked thoughtfully at Merrick’s car.

“I have got a better idea. She won’t know who did it.”

  

He led me over to his auto. Goes to the back and pulls a long slender bar from what I call his cop box, in the trunk.

 

We go over to Merrick’s black sports car and Byrne, looking around first, uses the tool to lift the latch on the passenger side.

 

“Now lay her bracelet out on the seat.

 

I did so letting it curl up on the black leather, where it lay sparkling. Then I locked and shut the door.

 

With a smirk, Byrne reminded me not to forget what else I was going to do

 

I nodded and in the dirty side of the door, I traced the word “Gotcha” as Byrne went over to put back his tool.

  

Arm in arm, with a co-conspirator's air, we walked onto the sidewalk, making our way to the front of the pub and went back inside. Innocent as a sparrow…

 

Another gent was getting up on the stage telling a story so we went and joined Ginny and Heather with an air of innocence as we began laughing along with them.

 

An old Irishman, Paddy, is about to go to his eternal reward. He looks at his grieving friend, Mike, and says, "Michael, I have one last request."

 

Ginny’s necklace was still lifted and the backside hanging down. She hadn’t noticed that fact. Nor had giggling Heather noticed her flashy bracelet was now missing.

 

"Anything, Paddy," Mike says. "What is it?"

 

"In me kitchen pantry lad, you'll find a bottle of whiskey from the year I was born. When they put me in the ground will you pour it over me grave as a final salute?"

 

"I will, Paddy," Mike says.

 

“Thank you Michael, you have been a true and thoughtful lad.”

 

I nudged Byrne and pointed to my wrist. He looked over and saw that Heather had her hand on the table, with her other gloves hand over it. I was tingling with excitement over how my game had played out.

 

Byrne nudged me back and I shook my head in agreement. He was loving the fact that we had pulled it off. So like a man to take the whole credit now that he had contributed a wee bit to my game.

 

We both turned back to listen to the stories finish.

 

"But Paddy?”

Mike asks earnestly ….

 

“Would you be minding if I be passing it through me kidneys first?"

  

The whole room erupted into laughter as the gent merrily raised his glass.

 

It was then announced that we were only ten minutes away from midnight and everyone should take their places.

 

I gasped inwardly. Blimey had not been keeping track of the time.

 

Byrne helped us out of our chairs, and we followed Ginny and Heather to where my brother was standing next to Merrick.

 

Lights soon dim as the countdown begins

10,9,8,

 

Everyone behind us is prancing around

 

7,6,5

 

We go around hugging. I lift my brother's satin handkerchief from his pocket as I hug him.

 

4,3,2

 

I hug Ginny

Wrapping the handkerchief around Ginny’s throat as we hug. Feeling the clasp of her necklace. Oh so tempting.

 

Victims 4 Thief 1

 

Then 1 was called out at the stroke of midnight.

 

“Happy new years everybody!!!”

 

Lights flicker horns are honked, crackers exploded, and drinks were toasted.

 

As Ginny turns to hug my brother, I grab and hug Heather, seeing Merrick and Byrne hugging.

 

I then pull Bryne from his man crush on Merrick and hug him.

 

Then we spilt up to wish others a Happy New Years.

 

^^^^^^^^^

 

We party for another hour before Merrick and Heather say they must leave.

 

We say our goodbyes and as Byrne and I watch Heather being helped on with her wrap we smirk at each other knowing what she will be finding on her car seat. Love to be a fly on the wall for that.

 

The music was still playing. A series of slow dances now that the party was winding down.

 

As we dance, Byrne, looking over at Ginny, commented:

 

“Damn if Ginny’s necklace isn’t a corker. If I’d been playing your game, I would have had a go for it, though I may have needed a bit of good luck to pull it off.”

 

I smirked and explained I had originally been attempting to lift it but had gone for the bracelet instead…and that in his case luck may have been needed, but it would not have been good.”

  

Then, as we both were watching Ginny, with that lovely necklace just sparking away around her throat, I purred into his ear…

“Say the word, and I’ll get for you, my love.”

 

He shook his head no…

“The scary part is if I said yes you would do it.”

 

I giggled:

“And wear it until she noticed.”

 

Byrne smiled:

“You will play nice here the rest of the party won’t you now?”

 

I nodded as a delighted thought crept into my head.

 

“So if Ginny had been skulking outside would you have snuck up on her luv, maybe had her hand it over?”

 

“And have my arse thrown over the fence. No, think I’ll stick to the easily distracted ones who meltdown in my arms.”

 

“Dream on mister.” I chide him happily.

  

^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Early the next morning as the last of us were kicked out long after the party was officially over, Byrne bundled me into his car, knowing I was too wasted to drive my own self home. I sat there in a mute stupor, hornily replaying the evening's fun.

 

Suddenly Byrne spoke into the windshield.

“Let’s go to the playground.”

 

I perked up, for ideas like that usually came from me.

 

“Your drunk.” I teases

 

“Well, So are you Lass.”

 

“But it’s too cold. Let’s go to your flat and play at burglars…”

 

Byrne, sensing my hot flashy feelings, nudged me…

 

“I knew you would like to role-play since you were playing your games this evening.”

 

I poked him

“You were the one to mention muggers. Steal my jewelry and strip me naked, is that what’s in your head me lad?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

“Do you have your cuffs?”

That perked him up royally.

 

“Do you want me to use them?”

 

I giggled with a burgeoned horny appetite.

“Yes, laddie. On yourself. So you can do the thieving and stripping of my easily distracted person without using your hands.”

 

I do so enjoy it when one can score by making my Byrne speechless.

  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

So I would like to think that in real life, once upon a time, there may have been an actual pickpocket attending an actors' award show after a party, with real jewellery being worn, that may have seen what I saw, made observations as I did. and lurked, and waited to take advantage of the situation once it developed.

As I did.

 

Food for thought

 

Fini

  

Mike Dunafon. An Irish drinking joke

 

youtu.be/olQI8rak8c0

 

This album is another in my "Alaska - the Clueless Years" collection. This was the period from late 2003-04 when I was starting to take photography seriously and also started working with models. This was such a fun time and I shot with a bunch of gorgeous women.

 

The model in this album is Kim. I'm not sure how I met her - either Model Mayhem or through friends. I remember Kim was a sweet young lady, very tall, lithe, gorgeous brown eyes and a beautiful smile. This was my first shoot with her and we did some more later that summer.

 

I took these photos in South Anchorage and Lake Hood, near Anchorage, Alaska. We did this shoot on a beautiful summer evening in August 2004.

This is a WIP skin for Catwa bento head (photo shown using Catwa Catya).

 

Skin tones to be released: M_02, M_03, M_04, M_05, M_06 and M_08.

 

Comes with one generic shape for Catwa bento head model. Optional compatible shapes will be available for purchase.

 

========================

Photo Style Card & Info:

========================

Head : [Catwa] Catya

Body : [Maitreya] Lara (preset tone #4; with neckfix)

Skin : DrLifeGen3 Fang-M_04-3005 (catwa-maitreya) (WIP)

Shape : by DreamShape (WIP)

Hair : DrLifeGen3Hair Yan2 # 4 (WIP2)

Eyes: Catwa Eyes Rig Catya

Eyelashes：okkbye - Lithe Eyelashes

Ears: [Le Gene] Little Delight

Lipstick: [Mudskin] Mori Lip # 5

Cleavage : DreamShape myCleavage 1.2 Beta 3

----------------------------------------

Apparel: [L'Emporio] Liliem

----------------------------------------

LM : China Town

WL: Nam's Optimal Skin and Prim

Graphics: Ultra; ALM; Ambient Occlusion OFF; Shadows OFF

From the back cover:

 

"We BELONG to each other, Clee!"

 

Clee Soames shuddered at Sheriff Will Rowden's gloating voice. His loathsome arms embraced her, but she steeled herself. In the shadow of the ranch she glimpsed the lithe form of Grady Scott worming his way out of the sheriff's trap. Rowden's lips sought hers . . . The sheriff was in a cold fury when he found out he had been duped. At Apache he had used his badge to cover up his rustling forays. And now his setup was endangered by a girl, and Grady, the one man who could stop him, was at large. In desperation Rowden stirred up a bloody war between ranchers and nesters while he lashed out in his biggest cattle raid. But Grady was ready, and when the raiders appeared he launched an attack on them that smashed a crooked lawman's savage reign!

Sampson and Simba when they were both about 2 months. Sampson was so fat that he could barely scrape himself up the side to sit on the ledge. Simba was more lithe and therefore had no trouble. I love this shot of the two of them together...they are both with new families but I think of them often and each time I kiss or cuddle or Princess Kitty Moo-Moo, their sister

 

This is their sis Tabitha- www.flickr.com/photos/kma_images/631560414/in/set-7215760...

 

And here is Sampson at his new Home- www.flickr.com/photos/94283635@N00/516596775/in/set-72157...

 

And of course their Sis Moo Moo Kitty- www.flickr.com/photos/kma_images/630696669/in/set-7215760...

Page personnage [French] : skyset-multiverse.jimdo.com/wiki/personnages/quant/

Scanned lith print.

 

Mamiya 645 Pro TL w/ M-S 120 mm/f4 macro.

Nov 18, 2023.

 

Rollei RPX 25 in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.

 

Lith printed on Kentmere Kentona gr 2 FB and developed in Moersch Easy Lith (25A+25B+H2Oqs700) @ 30-35 °C.

 

Untoned.

 

PS borders.

 

"New" Kentona without Cadmium, not so colourful. But still a quality lithable paper. BTW, tried Omega as second bath and will not do it again. In my hands just a dull grey/beige veil over the whole print, incl. the frame. Really only a contrast destroyer...

Scanned lith print.

 

The fourth of five consecutive lith prints on different lithable papers treated exactly in the same way except for order in the lith developer and snatch point.

 

Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 45 mm/f2.8.

Feb 2013.

 

Adox CMS 20 in Adotech II (from the good old days when this extremely high resolution MF film still existed).

 

Lith printed on Oriental Seagull G-2 Blue Box.

 

Exposure time 80 sec. Developed as print #4 in Moersch Easy Lith (20A+20B+760H2O, 25-30°C), snatched after 9,5 min. Fixed in Moersch ATS alkaline fixer 1+9, 2,5 min.

 

Untoned.

 

The Mansion building under big trees.

Trying to make this lithe cat come right out of your screen,

to recreate the wonderful experience of being very close

to it on the Mara savannah.

Designed for speed and style, this supercar defines the phrase “poetry in motion.” With lithe styling, vibrant livery, dual-bore exhaust, and a sweeping glass canopy over driver and engine, it dispenses with pleasantries to offer a lively driving experience.

 

More photos available in the build album.

 

©2021 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.

 

Find me also on:

chriselliott.art | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit

Every Wednesday at noon during the summer months, (not-so-)lithe and (not-so-)limber Ottawans make their way to the front lawn of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill to partake in some collective yoga.

 

Today's session could rightly have been called "hot yoga": The air temps were around 32°C with 70% humidity. To say it was steamy was an understatement.

The ambush depicted with verve and eloquence is one of the crucial episodes of the Trojan War. Troilos and Polyxena were children of Priam, the king of Troy. Achilles' stature is indicated by his height in relation to the fountain house and by the scale of his weapons. The raven foretells Troilos's imminent death. The youth appears lithe and lanky. His two noble horses will not save him from his fate.

 

Attributed to the Painter of London B 76,

Terracotta hydria (water jar), ca. 560-550 B.C.,

Terracotta, Overall: 15 13/16 x 13 7/8in. (40.1 x 35.2cm)

diameter 11 3/8in. (28.9cm).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Rogers Fund, 1945 (AN 45.11.2)

Page personnage [French] : skyset-multiverse.jimdo.com/wiki/personnages/quant/

Lifting light vague

 

-This tale is a fairly reasonably accurate description of a true event that occurred during a Welsh wedding reception some time ago...

 

-Mention must be made that the expensive looking attire worn by this particular young lady may have helped falsely enhance her jewelry’s appeal as a tempting target.

 

-Regardless of whether the nicking had been done to tease, or for a hoped for profit !

 

-Which leads us to the story below: the tone of which is deliberately ambiguous.

 

It is a retelling: either from the viewpoint of one sibling playing a trick upon another sibling, or the viewpoint of a scoundrel who seeks out profitable opportunities at fancy dress- up affairs.

 

It is for you, the reader, to guess out....

  

Title :

 

Perils of a Living Doll

  

She was certainly that, a living doll, scurrying about in her fluidly flowing,shiny in the lights, fancy party attire:

 

An eye catching ensemble made up of a rather glistening emerald green button up back thicke satin blouse with a high ruffled neckline with long sleeves ending in matching ruffles. A long flowing pleated black satin skirt quite nicely completed the darling ensemble.

 

But very few dolls ever wore jewelry like her’s:

 

A surprisingly full complement of gleaming white pearls dangle deliciously along her lithe, youthfully curved figure, with her long flowing hair, and a wide eyed doe like curiosity of living life glowing from her pretty face.

 

Though I had other more pressing business to attend, I kept an eye out on her, relishing each time I caught her in view.

 

Those baiting pearls kept popping up in my mind when she was out of my sight, making it hard to concentrate fully on anything else!

 

It was quite in the realm of possibility that those smooth pearls of Her’s were as valuable as they were pretty!

 

Also knowing the fact that the female in possession of them was quite youthfully gullible, added up to make for an all to tempting target to easily be subtracted from her lustrous possessions !

 

Being a tad bit assured that somebody else may do the math, and might actually happen to make that subtraction was the reason I waited,with baited breath, to again catch a lingering look to see that she still was in possession of all of them !

 

Then at the end of another successful work day, as I slipped away, I caught an unexpected final sighting of the girl.

 

The poor thing had exhausted herself from the busy agendas of her long day looking like a princess,and all that doing so will entail!

 

Dead Asleep now, peacefully snuggled in on a couch corner, quite isolate, however, not quite alone!

 

For a girl whom I knew to be her cousin, sat dozing next her.

 

A girl her age incredibly pretty in a long sleek peach gown, enchantingly wearing what looked like rhinestones, earrings and bracelet, (surprisingly no necklace)! She had now opened her eyes and was looking around incredibly bored.

 

As I watched she rubbed her eyes, then tugged at the sleeping Lass who did not budge. She rose with a visible sigh and skipping off , her pretty peach colored gown winningly fluttering along her eye catching figure!

 

Failing to notice me standing nearby in the shadows as she swished past still rubbing her eyes!

 

Silently I thanked her for being so quite accommodating in leaving her sleeping cousin , and her delectably appealing pearls, quite behind !

 

It was prime time for that mathematical subtracting I had mentioned earlier!

 

But then subtracting had always been my best subject, something I was rather keen at doing!

  

Again on the hunt, I stalked up behind my prey!

I crouched down looked her over from behind.

 

Her reflection showing up Clearly enough in the polished glass vase on the coffee table in front of her as I silently had treaded in from behind!

  

Amazingly it appeared, she had made it though the gauntlets of the day with all her pearls in place.

 

Even when she and her cousin , the girl in peach satin, had startlingly snuck outside to swing on a nearbye schools playground, they had fortunately come back in unscathed!

 

Untouched by the rather dark lurking elements that sometimes will creep in from societies shadowy outer fringe to feed upon the richly dressed unwary!

 

Since I won’t deny my desires probably made me a loosely connected part of that rather unconventional brotherhood at times, I still took a personal interest in making sure she came to no distress .

 

And so I had taken the time to lecture them for taking on such perils , whilst secretly harboring a desire to lift away the very pearls I was scolding her for taking a risk on losing by playing outside!

  

I now, of course gently sat down on the opposite end of the couch, watching her and the surroundings, planning my strategy.

 

For this type of subtracting, the distraction for the victim was her sleep.

 

I only had to make sure my moves along her figure were as nimble as can be and used the lest amount of pressure to work off what I was after!

 

Also a rule was to keep an eye on any subtle changes in her breathing or movement as I worked!

 

This would tip me off that it was time to leave with what jewels of hers I had in hand , regrettably leaving the rest perched in place as she was waking!

 

I saw her cousin quite aways off, she did not appear to be concerned or coming back anytime soon, leaving me a window opened for opportunity!

 

So I gently, with growing anticipation, slowly inched closer, my earlier desires now sharply reawakening!

 

Finally Reaching her sleep warmed figure, I ventured in to gently caress her arm, tingling encased in her emerald satin sleeve with its daintily ruffled end.

 

The young darling did not stir at my cool fingers touch as I eyeballed her wrists bracelet and ringed fingers!

 

Normally I would have gone for her necklace first, followed by her earrings, since in that order they are usually the most valuable of the jewels a lady would wear!

 

A procedure I had observed a thief carry out on two different ladies at the same venue! It was watching his moves that had effectively whetted my appetite for this game!

 

But , in this one’s case, I had an inkling that her bracelets and rings(especially the diamond one on her left pinky) that as a whole, may be the more advantageous route to proceed in case I had to face an early retreat !

  

I moved my fingers tingling down the sleeve of her right arm that lay upon her lap, carefully peeling back the ruffles to reach the pearled bracelet.

 

I then moved that bracelet up over her sleeve before lifting it, than delicately slipping it around until the diamond studded clasp was exposed.

 

Licking my lips I snapped it open, leaving the ends dangle as I moved my hand away and sat looking at her from the corner of my eye!

 

She kept on breathing heavily with no tell tale signs of waking up soon!

 

No one was paying our little corner any heed!

 

I reached over and taking up the bracelets end used the smoothness of her sleeve and her satin skirt between which it was sandwiched, and easily peeled it away !

 

I Let it lay on her lap, drooling over the pretty thing !

 

Then I reached down in again, curling my fingers around hers. Ever so delicately, one by one, slowly slipped off her shimmering rings from along each nuckle, feeling my heart beating with exhlileration, until they each were worked free ,laying them one by one on her black pleated satin clad lap till they all lay in a glittery group together!

 

Her left arm was at her side, and I gingerly grasped it and lifted it limply onto her lap to join her other.

 

I sat back for a minute, she wasn’t stirring, the cousin was still a distance away.

 

I went back to work.

 

Carefully I slipped off her other bracelet, laying it over my growing take. Then I lifted her pinky, where a glittery ring set with 3 dainty diamonds had been sparkling merrily as she had scurried about!

 

I easily worked it off , having it join in with the collection I had already neatly slipped off from her.

 

I took a deep exhale of breath of the air I had been holding, then reaching in, scooped them all up from her downy soft lap inside my cupped hand in one fluid motion.

 

As I pocketed them I watched her necklace do it’s dangly dance.

  

A fine double strand of glistening perfection laying their ever so elegantly up against the sheer front of her lush emerald green satin blouse.

 

Both strands dripping down from beneath her blouses’ elegantly ruffled neckline !

 

The matched strands dangled together just below her heaving chest. Held together by a round diamond set pin about halfway up on the right side.

 

The rich material of her form fitted blouse pleasurably outlined her petite young curves, with the enticingly baiting pearls adding a very nice accent to the overall picture.

 

It almost was a shame to relive her neck of the richly gleaming burden.

 

Almost....

 

Before making my move I delicately reached over and slipping my fingers underneath the strands, feeling her chest rise up and down in its gently moving heaves, lifted them up for the second time that day , I again drooled over them a bit before making my move...

 

I slid in daringly closer, placing my arm so it lay on the couch around behind her back.

 

As I watched around us from the front my fingers worked hidden from behind, locating the jeweled clasp , then prying it open, looking down at her I let the loose ends slither down along her shoulders. The pearls slipped away with an almost silent swish down the front of her slick blouse where they curled up in a dainty nestling pile upon her sleepy shiny lap.

 

I froze, ready to exit, but she did not stir from her dreams!

 

Far too exhausted to be awakened by my practiced subtle extraction of her jewelry !

 

I studied the piled up pearls for a few satisfying seconds,congratulating me on a job well done, well half done actually!

 

Then I reached in and neatly plucked the gleaming double strand free from where they lay nestled in to finish it!

 

As I was doing so I now felt something sharply hard inside her skirt against the back of my hand.

 

I looked it over as I pocketed her pearls and spied a pocket of her own in the side of her skirt, hidden in the pleats .

 

Wondering what it held, I eagerly pried it open and reached inside and surprisingly came away with a glittery rhinestone necklace !

 

“Whats this then luv?” I thought silently questioning her as I admire the pretty sparklers.

 

A necklace as pretty as this belonged around the throat of a girl dressed up fancy, like the one wearing the luxurious peach gown who had been sitting next to her !

 

Looking up at her angelic face I wondered what games of her own this pretty miss had been up to as I pondered vexingly whether to keep or return her sparkling trophy?

 

As I made my decision I saw her earrings peeping out .

 

That was all that was left to take, her pearled earrings with the diamond clasp ! Fortunately her delicate ears were not pierced, which may have been more of a sticky wicket encumbering their removal!

 

But still this might be tricky enough, her long silky soft hair held them for the most part safely inside.

 

I looked around then got up and went behind her and put the mirrored vase to use.

 

Picking up a strand of her hair I watched as I tickled her nose with it. She stirred, and without really waking, pulled her hair back away from her ears Nicely exposing her beautiful twin pearled earrings for an easy lift.

 

With a touch as delicate as any surgeon’s I reached around and gently pulled as I slipped off each one in turn.

 

Amazed at how easily they freely slipped off each slightly sweat glistened earlobe!

  

I cheerfully pocketed them.

 

Then spent some time watching her figure in my safe haven behind her, making good use of the mirror to assure myself nothing of value had been missed or overlooked !

  

Her tightly fitting attire still was glistening shiny, but starkly bear naked now that her gleaming jewels had been all been nicked clean away.

 

This had been almost too easy, not that I was complaining, for it had been a most enjoyably scintillating , guiltily pleasurable, game of it!

 

I looked around, planning my exit.

 

Then I spied something glittering in a far corner!

 

I recognized it as the diamond bracelet being regally worn by her errant cousin! I decided on following in to capture a better last look at the satin peach clad vixen!

 

Perhaps I may have to ‘bump’ into her and take the ‘opportunity’ to, with feeling, compliment her on her fetchingly pretty attire!

  

Toodles I endearingly said in silence to the sleeping doll’s shimmery figure still snuggled into the couch,biding her a fond adieu as I walked away, feeling my pockets nicely weighted down with her still warm purloined pearls!

 

Still finding amazement over the quantity and apparent quality of the jewelry that my victim had been allowed to wear out daringly alone this particular evening !

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Not much later the girl did stir, stretching and yawning. Then laid her hands back onto her Lap, covered as it was in her midnight black pleated satin skirt.

 

She flexed her fingers along its luxurious length, relishing in the skirts satiny feel.

 

She looked around. Something was not quite right. Where was her cousin?

 

As she thought this she reached up to rub her eyes, than gasped...

 

She was looking at her hands, shocked , her bracelets were gone, and her rings, including her small one set with diamonds!

 

In her bewilderment she still was feeling cobwebbed from sleep as she, with a puzzled frown, reached up and ran her fingers through her long hair...

 

Hold on, where are my bloody earrings. Then she felt at her throat! Her necklace of pearls were no longer there, she felt down the front of her shiny blouse to confirm that the strands we’re no longer dangling down!

 

With a sinking feeling she realized that her pearls, all of them were gone!

 

And she had a pretty good idea of who had the Gaul to have spirited them away like this

  

The wanker she hissed under her breath as she mentally pictured her twin brother who liked to play lifting games and picking off items from her, like her jewelry.

 

He has been up to no good again, even though he had promised he would be in best behaviors after she caught him earlier!

 

For he had already lifted the rhinestone necklace of thier similarly aged girl cousin wearing a pretty gown of peach satin.

 

Taking it as he had danced with her!

  

She had seen him, and demanded he had hand it back to her!

 

Sulking over being caught and scolded out, he had given it to his twin and tasked her to be the one to somehow sneak it back to their cousin!

 

Which she had forgotten to do and her hand darted inside her silky skirts pocket to feel for the rhinestone necklace.

 

Nope it was still there, so she still had that job to do also!!!

 

She actually did not mind his games , rather the opposite actually! Just had felt a bit jealous he had danced with their cousin over her first !

 

And now she believed he had lifted her pearls in retaliation for her scolding him!

 

Of all the bloody Cheek!

  

That her brother had his eyes her pearls, and the downy softness of her sleekly pretty party outfit was no mystery!

 

She knew this because he had kept teasingly prodding her, touching at her pearls, on the long drive here as both had been sitting wedged in the back seat of papa’s small sports car.

 

Though she had also been an antagonist herself, intentionally giving him reasons to grasp her As she squirmed away, knowing full well it was triggering the desires to lift her jewelry that he was trying so hard to suppress with their parents seated up front!

 

Mum had only to tell them once to settle down, turning around to scold them, the diamonds in her earrings glittering as madly as she was only pretending to be at her children!

 

Those earrings were very pretty, too pretty to be kept at home. Papa had to go to a bank to get them, along with my pearls!

 

Thinking the word “bank” made her jump to her feet, as suddenly a cold realization swept over her!

 

The razor thin feelings that divided between the delicious chills of guilty pleasure that her pearls had been nicked and the cold stark reality of the punishment she would get for losing them if the parents saw her first before she got them back!

 

No matter how they had been lost!

 

Now fully wide awake, with a straightening of her glittering long shiny midnight black pleated skirt, she hurried off to call him out !

 

Or at least that is what she down deep hoped that was all she had to do to get them from him!

 

For an unsettling inkling was now forming queasily in her gut that it just conceivably may not have been her brother who had lifted her pearls.

  

For her mum had not really been happy with her insisting to wear them out this evening.

 

Thinking she may be a bit too young to be wearing them without her parents presence!

 

For mum and papa were a part of the bridal party and would not be able to keep close eyes themselves on her and her brother!

 

And it was only with her brothers suspiciously eager promise to keep an eye on her, that she was given permission!

 

Her mum also had not known about the small diamond ring she had smuggled out of the house to put her on finger once when her parents were finally not around!

  

She had been lectured to take great care of her fine jewelry, which of course she hadn’t , playing around like she was back at home and not attending a posh reception!

 

Then she had snuck off to the playground with their cousin, without her brothers knowledge !

 

And her brother had lectured her when she had admitted to him where she had disappeared off too. Probably mad because he would have like to have been included in!

 

And then....

 

Speaking of being scolded...!

 

She suddenly remember the icy stern lady in a red silk dress , whom she had not recognized, but apparently had seen the girls sneaking off outside to play!

 

Chillingly she recalled the penetrating look she her and her girl cousin had receive from that strange lady with severe hair and eyes who had caught them sneaking back in after being outside at the playground!

 

She had admonished them for going off alone dressed like they were!

 

As she scolded she pawed at the slick fabrics of the girls fancy dress attire caressing them over with clammy fingers, then had lifted my pearl necklace up like she was going to take it for safe keeping.

 

She doesn’t of course, but it had been a very unsettling experience for both of the startled doe eyed young girls !

 

But that lady had so unnervingly acted like my pearls belonged with her, she remembered with unsettling clarity!

 

But of course she was being silly, only men would have a desire to take a girl’s jewels, right!?

 

That’s the way it appeared on the telle show they had watched once!

 

But there had been plenty of men there, strangers who had stopped what they were doing and look them over as she and her cousin darted in and out amongst them

In the crowded ballroom.

 

Most had commented how pretty the pair looked, others just turned away with thoughtful looks on their smug mugs.

 

Now with a fast growing bit of nagging anxiety , pensively still feeling her still naked ears and the chillingly bare neckline of her ultra-soft satin blouse for still peskily non existent pearls , she urgently sought out her twin brother.

 

Needing to be assured that he had been indeed up to his tricks and would reunite her with them.

 

And in doing so, to be relived of her new concerns over the worrisome idea someone else may actually have been responsible for her missing bank vault worthy pearls!

 

Some unknown individual whose intentional reasons for nimbly lifting them off as she had slept would probably not involve giving them back to her!!

 

With these uncomfortable swirling thoughts she looked with suspicion through the crowd of handsomely attired guests!

 

Spotting the peach satin gown her cousin was wearing, she quickly swished to catch up and enlist her help!

 

“””””””””””””””””

 

As she did so, the one who had a small cache of guests jewels hidden away in a deep pocket, was watching , with a secret grin, this recent victim’s shiny green and black attired figure’s worried progress from her couch, while standing a reassuringly safe distance away!

 

Watching with a wicked smirk as she was reaching the equally prettily attired young girl clad so elegantly in peach satin .

 

The one who had deserted her cousin from the couch leaving her unguarded as she slept.

 

The one who had turned away blushing,so winningly as the person had so eloquently complimented her while holding her arm to give added meaning to a false sincerity !

 

The one who in a matter of minutes was probably about to realize that her cousin was not the only one to have had several of her jewels mysteriously taken from her elegantly clad person!

 

Smirking at these thoughts, with a rather proud cockiness over this evenings accomplishments, shown in a happily haughty demeanor!

 

The person standing in the shadows slowly moved in , mulling over that in addition to subtracting, there was nothin like a good old fashion game of cat and mouse!

 

Fini

 

Now, not everyone likes an open ending to a story...

 

So If anyone would like to know what the real life solution was to the mystery of who took her jewelry, and whether she got it back , please ask in the comments section and I will privately email the answer

 

The Ed’s...

 

A digital artwork of the Ibizan Hound. Ibizan Hound is listed #182 on the AKC list of most popular dog breeds

Only a selection of images from each photo-shoot are posted here. If you'd like to see additional images from certain models you'll need to subscribe to my Patreon account where I will be publishing content I don't post here. You'll also have the option to make fan requests for more photos, or new photo-shoots, with your favourite models. My subscription rates are very low , staring from only $1/month, so check it out as I could really do with your support. - www.patreon.com/realitydysfunction

 

Instagram: @realitydysfunction www.instagram.com/realitydysfunction

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Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCEzETLWNdE5NqOMXG63uicQ

it was pretty overwhelming to see this so close

 

" I saw before me a man who looked quite young, not over thirty years old, five feet eight inched height, lithe and sinewy, with a scar in the face. The expression of his countenance was one of quiet dignity, but morose, dogged, tenacious, and melencholy. He behaved with stolidity, like a man who realized that he had to give in to fate, but would not do so as sullenly as possible..."

 

exerpt from a quote by

Captain John G. Bourke.

............................................................

the links below are excellent references to the story of the monument..the sculpter, his family, how he came to be commisioned for the work and so on.

the "chronology" link is an excellent summarization:

www.crazyhorse.org/story/chrono.shtml

 

www.crazyhorse.org/story/crazy.shtml

www.crazyhorse.org/story/korczak.shtml

www.crazyhorse.org/story/zfamily.shtml

To do:

 

* Live in the moment!

  

**Wearing Belleza Freya**

  

Outfit

  

HairBase: SIIX Russian Hairbase [OMEGA - CATWA - SYSTEM AVATARS]

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/SIIX-Russian-Hairbase-OMEGA-...

 

// One of my main hairbases and i use it for just about everything. The SIIX Hairbases are some of the best ive seen so far and they are set up at a fair price, not too expensive.

  

Hairstyle: DOUX Ariana Hairstyle

 

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Secrets/158/163/23

 

// I love it! Its super cute and high quality, one of my favorites now and i just got it! lol If youre into Ariana or even just love stylish pony tails i definitely recommend this hairstyle. There are two parts to buy to it if you want the bow that comes with it (Shown in picture) and all together its not expensive at all!

  

Lashes: [Okkbye] Lithe Eyelashes (CATWA)

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/okkbye-Lithe-Eyelashes-CATWA...

 

// They are some of the cutest lashes i have ever come across, super easy to use and change. You can save to your head hud and even mix and match top and bottom lashes if you want to.

  

Necklace: Nov- Carolina Choker (G)

 

Instagram: November.sl

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Nov-Carolina-Choker-G/16418819

 

// Its adorable and i love the shine it gives, its gorgeous for almost any outfit i've tried so far and it comes in silver as well. If you're looking for a high quality gorgeous choker i recommend this item in both colors!

  

Top: Blueberry - Laced Tops - Free Gift <3

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Blueberry-Laced-Tops-Free-Gi...

 

// It comes with a hud of alot of different color choices for both the shirt and the ties at the bottom. Its a great shirt for being a gift and the texture does look to be high quality.

  

Bottoms: Blueberry - Rie - Torn Jeans - Fatpack

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Blueberry-Rie-Torn-Jeans-Fat...

 

// When using it with Maitreya or Freya it makes the butt look normal and good but i didnt like it when i used with my Hourglass body, The jeans however are adorable and i love the way they look. The rips looks real and great texture throughout the jeans completly.

  

Shoes: CURELESS [+] Snow Bunny Slippers / MINT

 

marketplace.secondlife.com/p/CURELESS-Snow-Bunny-Slippers...

 

// They are gorgeous as hell and come with two different choices, Fluffy or Plastic, and both look cute and amazing inworld. I wish they had them in a fatpack so i could gt them all at once lol but they are definitely worth it buying seperate and they don't cost too much.

  

Pose by Yours Truly

Scanned lith print.

 

Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 120 mm/f4 macro. Nov 2021.

 

Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.

 

Lith printed on Fomatone MG 133 and developed in 2 baths:

 

1. Moersch Easy Lith (15A+20B+100OB+ H2Oqs800).

 

2. Moersch Lith Omega 1+100, 2 min.

 

Toned in Se 1+9, 2 min.

 

July 2024.

 

PS borders.

 

R.I.P. my last lithable Fomatone MG 133's...

A lith print ode to my Oregon friend Travis Doane.

 

Dear Travis,

 

It's now been 4 years since you sent me this treasure of old lithable papers from big USA to small Sweden. This kind act of yours sends a message to all the world - we belong together and should not fight. And for me it's a treasure of old lithable papers I would never get hold of otherwise. This day I have gone through the remaining papers and - as to my ability - have made prints that are supposed to be as streamlined as possible from a given negative. But of course there's always the influence of "human variability" when it comes to snatch point and so forth...

Anyways, I hope you understand my gratitude for this possibility. Have a great rest of the year 2023, Travis and may we have lith contact for many years to come.

Best/Johan

 

Scanned lith print.

 

Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 45 mm/f2,8. Early morning of April 22, 2023.

 

Fomapan 200 @ iso 100, dev in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.

 

Lith printed and developed in Moersch SE5 (25A+25B+some OB+700H2O).

Untoned.

  

TriX in SLD

Lith on the new old Oriental (white-blue) Paper G3, I prefer the older light blue one, but it's ok and better with Lith 'E' otherwise it's too smooth ...

(SE5: 35:35:1000:10:15:10)

9.4.09

The flight arrived on time; and the twelve hours while on board passed quickly and without incident. To be sure, the quality of the Cathay Pacific service was exemplary once again.

 

Heathrow reminds me of Newark International. The décor comes straight out of the sterile 80's and is less an eyesore than an insipid background to the rhythm of human activity, such hustle and bustle, at the fore. There certainly are faces from all races present, creating a rich mosaic of humanity which is refreshing if not completely revitalizing after swimming for so long in a sea of Chinese faces in Hong Kong.

 

Internet access is sealed in England, it seems. Nothing is free; everything is egregiously monetized from the wireless hotspots down to the desktop terminals. I guess Hong Kong has spoiled me with its abundant, free access to the information superhighway.

  

11.4.09

Despite staying in a room with five other backpackers, I have been sleeping well. The mattress and pillow are firm; my earplugs keep the noise out; and the sleeping quarters are as dark as a cave when the lights are out, and only as bright as, perhaps, a dreary rainy day when on. All in all, St. Paul's is a excellent place to stay for the gregarious, adventurous, and penurious city explorer - couchsurfing may be a tenable alternative; I'll test for next time.

 

Yesterday Connie and I gorged ourselves at the borough market where there were all sorts of delectable, savory victuals. There was definitely a European flavor to the food fair: simmering sausages were to be found everywhere; and much as the meat was plentiful, and genuine, so were the dairy delicacies, in the form of myriad rounds of cheese, stacked high behind checkered tabletops. Of course, we washed these tasty morsels down with copious amounts of alcohol that flowed from cups as though amber waterfalls. For the first time I tried mulled wine, which tasted like warm, rancid fruit punch - the ideal tonic for a drizzling London day, I suppose. We later killed the afternoon at the pub, shooting the breeze while imbibing several diminutive half-pints in the process. Getting smashed at four in the afternoon doesn't seem like such a bad thing anymore, especially when you are having fun in the company of friends; I can more appreciate why the English do it so much!

 

Earlier in the day, we visited the Tate Modern. Its turbine room lived up to its prominent billing what with a giant spider, complete with bulbous egg sac, anchoring the retrospective exhibit. The permanent galleries, too, were a delight upon which to feast one's eyes. Picasso, Warhol and Pollock ruled the chambers of the upper floors with the products of their lithe wrists; and I ended up becoming a huge fan of cubism, while developing a disdain for abstract art and its vacuous images, which, I feel, are devoid of both motivation and emotion.

 

My first trip yesterday morning was to Emirates Stadium, home of the Arsenal Gunners. It towers imperiously over the surrounding neighborhood; yet for all its majesty, the place sure was quiet! Business did pick up later, however, once the armory shop opened, and dozens of fans descended on it like bees to a hive. I, too, swooped in on a gift-buying mission, and wound up purchasing a book for Godfrey, a scarf for a student, and a jersey - on sale, of course - for good measure.

 

I'm sitting in the Westminster Abbey Museum now, resting my weary legs and burdened back. So far, I've been verily impressed with what I've seen, such a confluence of splendor and history before me that it would require days to absorb it all, when regretfully I can spare only a few hours. My favorite part of the abbey is the poets corner where no less a literary luminary than Samuel Johnson rests in peace - his bust confirms his homely presence, which was so vividly captured in his biography.

 

For lunch I had a steak and ale pie, served with mash, taken alongside a Guinness, extra cold - 2 degrees centigrade colder, the bartender explained. It went down well, like all the other delicious meals I've had in England; and no doubt by now I have grown accustomed to inebriation at half past two. Besides, Liverpool were playing inspired football against Blackburn; and my lunch was complete.

 

Having had my fill of football, I decided to skip my ticket scalping endeavor at Stamford Bridge and instead wandered over to the British Museum to inspect their extensive collections. Along the way, my eye caught a theater, its doors wide open and admitting customers. With much rapidity, I subsequently checked the show times, saw that a performance was set to begin, and at last rushed to the box office to purchase a discounted ticket - if you call a 40 pound ticket a deal, that is. That's how I grabbed a seat to watch Hairspray in the West End.

 

The show was worth forty pounds. The music was addictive; and the stage design and effects were not so much kitschy as delightfully stimulating - the pulsating background lights were at once scintillating and penetrating. The actors as well were vivacious, oozing charisma while they danced and delivered lines dripping in humor. Hairspray is a quality production and most definitely recommended.

  

12.4.09

At breakfast I sat across from a man who asked me to which country Hong Kong had been returned - China or Japan. That was pretty funny. Then he started spitting on my food as he spoke, completely oblivious to my breakfast becoming the receptacle in which the fruit of his inner churl was being placed. I guess I understand the convention nowadays of covering one's mouth whilst speaking and masticating at the same time!

 

We actually conversed on London life in general, and I praised London for its racial integration, the act of which is a prodigious leap of faith for any society, trying to be inclusive, accepting all sorts of people. It wasn't as though the Brits were trying in vain to be all things to all men, using Spanish with the visitors from Spain, German with the Germans and, even, Hindi with the Indians, regardless of whether or not Hindi was their native language; not even considering the absurd idea of encouraging the international adoption of their language; thereby completely keeping English in English hands and allowing its proud polyglots to "practice" their languages. Indeed, the attempt of the Londoners to avail themselves of the rich mosaic of ethnic knowledge, and to seek a common understanding with a ubiquitous English accent is an exemplar, and the bedrock for any world city.

 

I celebrated Jesus' resurrection at the St. Andrew's Street Church in Cambridge. The parishioners of this Baptist church were warm and affable, and I met several of them, including one visiting (Halliday) linguistics scholar from Zhongshan university in Guangzhou, who in fact had visited my tiny City University of Hong Kong in 2003. The service itself was more traditional and the believers fewer in number than the "progressive" services at any of the charismatic, evangelical churches in HK; yet that's what makes this part of the body of Christ unique; besides, the message was as brief as a powerpoint slide, and informative no less; the power word which spoke into my life being a question from John 21:22 - what is that to you?

 

Big trees; exquisite lawns; and old, pointy colleges; that's Cambridge in a nutshell. Sitting here, sipping on a half-pint of Woodforde's Wherry, I've had a leisurely, if not languorous, day so far; my sole duty consisting of walking around while absorbing the verdant environment as though a sponge, camera in tow.

 

I am back at the sublime beer, savoring a pint of Sharp's DoomBar before my fish and chips arrive; the drinking age is 18, but anyone whose visage even hints of youthful brilliance is likely to get carded these days, the bartender told me. The youth drinking culture here is almost as twisted as the university drinking culture in America.

 

My stay in Cambridge, relaxing and desultory as it may be, is about to end after this late lunch. I an not sure if there is anything left to see, save for the American graveyard which rests an impossible two miles away. I have had a wonderful time in this town; and am thankful for the access into its living history - the residents here must demonstrate remarkable patience and tolerance what with so many tourists ambling on the streets, peering - and photographing - into every nook and cranny.

 

13.4.09

There are no rubbish bins, yet I've seen on the streets many mixed race couples in which the men tend to be white - the women also belonging to a light colored ethnicity, usually some sort of Asian; as well saw some black dudes and Indian dudes with white chicks.

 

People here hold doors, even at the entrance to the toilet. Sometimes it appears as though they are going out on a limb, just waiting for the one who will take the responsibility for the door from them, at which point I rush out to relieve them of such a fortuitous burden.

 

I visited the British Museum this morning. The two hours I spent there did neither myself nor the exhibits any justice because there really is too much to survey, enough captivating stuff to last an entire day, I think. The bottomless well of artifacts from antiquity, drawing from sources as diverse as Korea, and Mesopotamia, is a credit to the British empire, without whose looting most of this amazing booty would be unavailable for our purview; better, I think, for these priceless treasures to be open to all in the grandest supermarket of history than away from human eyes, and worst yet, in the hands of unscrupulous collectors or in the rubbish bin, possibly.

 

Irene and I took in the ballet Giselle at The Royal Opera House in the afternoon. The building is a plush marvel, and a testament to this city's love for the arts. The ballet itself was satisfying, the first half being superior to the second, in which the nimble dancers demonstrated their phenomenal dexterity in, of all places, a graveyard covered in a cloak of smoke and darkness. I admit, their dance of the dead, in such a gloomy necropolis, did strike me as, strange.

 

Two amicable ladies from Kent convinced me to visit their hometown tomorrow, where, they told me, the authentic, "working" Leeds Castle and the mighty interesting home of Charles Darwin await.

 

I'm nursing a pint of Green King Ruddles and wondering about the profusion of British ales and lagers; the British have done a great deed for the world by creating an interminable line of low-alcohol session beers that can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner; and their disservice is this: besides this inexhaustible supply of cheap beer ensnaring my inner alcoholic, I feel myself putting on my freshman fifteen, almost ten years after the fact; I am going to have to run a bit harder back in Hong Kong if I want to burn all this malty fuel off.

 

Irene suggested I stop by the National Art Gallery since we were in the area; and it was an hour well spent. The gallery currently presents a special exhibit on Picasso, the non-ticketed section of which features several seductive renderings, including David spying on Bathsheba - repeated in clever variants - and parodies of other masters' works. Furthermore, the main gallery houses two fabulous portraits by Joshua Reynolds, who happens to be favorite of mine, he in life being a close friend of Samuel Johnson - I passed by Boswells, where its namesake first met Johnson, on my way to the opera house.

 

14.4.09

I prayed last night, and went through my list, lifting everyone on it up to the Lord. That felt good; that God is alive now, and ever present in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters.

 

Doubtless, then, I have felt quite wistful, as though a specter in the land of the living, being in a place where religious fervor, it seems, is a thing of the past, a trifling for many, to be hidden away in the opaque corners of centuries-old cathedrals that are more expensive tourist destinations than liberating homes of worship these days. Indeed, I have yet to see anyone pray, outside of the Easter service which I attended in Cambridge - for such an ecstatic moment in verily a grand church, would you believe that it was only attended by at most three dozen spirited ones. The people of England, and Europe in general, have, it is my hope, only locked away the Word, relegating it to the quiet vault of their hearts. May it be taken out in the sudden pause before mealtimes and in the still crisp mornings and cool, silent nights. There is still hope for a revival in this place, for faith to rise like that splendid sun every morning. God would love to rescue them, to deliver them in this day, it is certain.

 

I wonder what Londoners think, if anything at all, about their police state which, like a vine in the shadows, has taken root in all corners of daily life, from the terrorist notifications in the underground, which implore Londoners to report all things suspicious, to the pair of dogs which eagerly stroll through Euston. What makes this all the more incredible is the fact that even the United States, the indomitable nemesis of the fledgling, rebel order, doesn't dare bombard its citizens with such fear mongering these days, especially with Obama in office; maybe we've grown wise in these past few years to the dubious returns of surrendering civil liberties to the state, of having our bags checked everywhere - London Eye; Hairspray; and The Royal Opera House check bags in London while the museums do not; somehow, that doesn't add up for me.

 

I'm in a majestic bookshop on New Street in Birmingham, and certainly to confirm my suspicions, there are just as many books on the death of Christianity in Britain as there are books which attempt to murder Christianity everywhere. I did find, however, a nice biography on John Wesley by Roy Hattersley and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I may pick up the former.

 

Lunch with Sally was pleasant and mirthful. We dined at a French restaurant nearby New Street - yes, Birmingham is a cultural capitol! Sally and I both tried their omelette, while her boyfriend had the fish, without chips. Conversation was light, the levity was there and so was our reminiscing about those fleeting moments during our first year in Hong Kong; it is amazing how friendships can resume so suddenly with a smile. On their recommendation, I am on my way to Warwick Castle - they also suggested that I visit Cadbury World, but they cannot take on additional visitors at the moment, the tourist office staff informed me, much to my disappointment!

 

Visiting Warwick Castle really made for a great day out. The castle, parts of which were established by William the Conquerer in 1068, is as much a kitschy tourist trap as a meticulous preservation of history, at times a sillier version of Ocean Park while at others a dignified dedication to a most glorious, inexorably English past. The castle caters to all visitors; and not surprisingly, that which delighted all audiences was a giant trebuchet siege engine, which for the five p.m. performance hurled a fireball high and far into the air - fantastic! Taliban beware!

 

15.4.09

I'm leaving on a jet plane this evening; don't know when I'll be back in England again. I'll miss this quirky, yet endearing place; and that I shall miss Irene and Tom who so generously welcomed me into their home, fed me, and suffered my use of their toilet and shower goes without saying. I'm grateful for God's many blessings on this trip.

 

On the itinerary today is a trip to John Wesley's home, followed by a visit to the Imperial War Museum. Already this morning I picked up a tube of Oilatum, a week late perhaps, which Teri recommended I use to treat this obstinate, dermal weakness of mine - I'm happy to report that my skin has stopped crying.

 

John Wesley's home is alive and well. Services are still held in the chapel everyday; and its crypt, so far from being a cellar for the dead, is a bright, spacious museum in which all things Wesley are on display - I never realized how much of an iconic figure he became in England; at the height of this idol frenzy, ironic in itself, he must have been as popular as the Beatles were at their apex. The house itself is a multi-story edifice with narrow, precipitous staircases and spacious rooms decorated in an 18th century fashion.

 

I found Samuel Johnson's house within a maze of red brick hidden alongside Fleet Street. To be in the home of the man who wrote the English dictionary, and whose indefatigable love for obscure words became the inspiration for my own lexical obsession, this, by far, is the climax of my visit to England! The best certainly has been saved for last.

 

There are a multitude of portraits hanging around the house like ornaments on a tree. Every likeness has its own story, meticulously retold on the crib sheets in each room. Celebrities abound, including David Garrick and Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted several of the finer images in the house. I have developed a particular affinity for Oliver Goldsmith, of whom Boswell writes, "His person was short, his countenance coarse and vulgar, his deportment that of a scholar awkwardly affecting the easy gentleman. It appears as though I, too, could use a more flattering description of myself!

 

I regretfully couldn't stop to try the curry in England; I guess the CityU canteen's take on the dish will have to do. I did, however, have the opportune task of flirting with the cute Cathay Pacific counter staff who checked me in. She was gorgeous in red, light powder on her cheeks, with real diamond earrings, she said; and her small, delicate face, commanded by a posh British accent rendered her positively irresistible, electrifying. Not only did she grant me an aisle seat but she had the gumption to return my fawning with zest; she must be a pro at this by now.

 

I saw her again as she was pulling double-duty, collecting tickets prior to boarding. She remembered my quest for curry; and in the fog of infatuation, where nary a man has been made, I fumbled my words like the sloppy kid who has had too much punch. I am just an amateur, alas, an "Oliver Goldsmith" with the ladies - I got no game - booyah!

 

Some final, consequential bits: because of the chavs, Burberry no longer sells those fashionable baseball caps; because of the IRA, rubbish bins are no longer a commodity on the streets of London, and as a result, the streets and the Underground of the city are a soiled mess; and because of other terrorists from distant, more arid lands, going through a Western airport has taken on the tedium of perfunctory procedure that doesn't make me feel any safer from my invisible enemies.

 

At last, I saw so many Indians working at Heathrow that I could have easily mistaken the place for Mumbai. Their presence surprised me because their portion of the general population surely must be less than their portion of Heathrow staff, indicating some mysterious hiring bias. Regardless, they do a superb job with cursory airport checks, and in general are absurdly funny and witty when not tactless.

 

That's all for England!

An extremely lithe street performer at London's Piccadilly Circus.

Page personnage [French] : skyset-multiverse.jimdo.com/wiki/personnages/quant/

Ming is lithe, chatty, energetic, playful, handsome... and he found a new home 18 March 2015.

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

Definitely not "Megger-lithic" but modern creations made out of waste stone from nearby Whaley's Quarry. The slopes of Baugh Fell are to the left of the valley pastures with Great Knoutberry Hill, above the S&C Railway, seen on the far right.

Only a selection of images from each photo-shoot are posted here. If you'd like to see additional images from certain models you'll need to subscribe to my Patreon account where I will be publishing content I don't post here. You'll also have the option to make fan requests for more photos, or new photo-shoots, with your favourite models. My subscription rates are very low , staring from only $1/month, so check it out as I could really do with your support. - www.patreon.com/realitydysfunction

 

Instagram: @realitydysfunction www.instagram.com/realitydysfunction

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The National Company of State Railways (ENFE), had in the course of time "a golden age", where in its route by branches that, between the eastern and western network, covered nothing more and nothing less than three thousand five hundred kilometers of distance from population to population between cities and provinces. Thus, it was the medium most required by the population as a whole, which apart from serving as cargo transport, machinery and minerals, offered pleasant trips to its passengers, whose journeys with paradisiacal landscapes, adventure, rejoicing to enigmatic mountains rocky and lithic figures; chromatic hills, plains and valleys. It was a dream, of those who enjoyed the comfort of the dining cars, or of the luxurious cars with pullman seats, or finally of the cars with bedrooms called "cabins".

 

Photograph that accompanies 17 other images that is exhibited in the Lúmina Gallery of the city of La Paz - Bolivia until July 14, 2018

  

La Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Estado (ENFE), tuvo en el transcurso del tiempo "una época de oro", donde en su recorrido por ramales que, entre la red oriental y la occidental, abarcaba nada más y nada menos que tres mil quinientos kilómetros de distancia de población a población entre ciudades y provincias. Así, era el medio más requerido por la población en su conjunto, que al margen de servir como transporte de carga, maquinaria y minerales, ofrecía placenteros viajes a sus pasajeros, cuyos periplos con paisajes paradisiacos, de aventura, de regocijo hasta enigmáticos de montañas rocosas y figuras líticas; cromáticos cerros, llanuras y valles. Era todo un ensueño, de quienes disfrutábamos la comodidad de los coches comedor, o de los lujosos coches con asientos pullman, o finalmente de los coches con dormitorios denominados "camarotes".

 

Fotografia que acompaña a otras 17 imagenes que se expone en la Galeria Lúmina de la ciudad de La Paz - Bolivia hasta el dia 14 de julio 2018

   

Jade frog figures known as muiraquitãs, found in archeological digs in Santarém, Pará, on display at the Sacred Art Museum in Belém.

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The original stone may have been a megalithic marker. The oldest depictions show a larger stone and site it at a different place to that of the cage protected current lithic marker. The outdoor rural court at the larger Birlay Stone under the shade of the Birley Tree first found Marion Lillie who was locally called either the Rigwoodie, or the Ringwoody Witch not guilty. The Rigwoody Witch was later accused again, the Rigwoody attached to her name and label of witch is from the Scots Rigwoody meaning thin, or bony. Her second recorded trial has her sent to further courts with a guilty verdict to present to them. Some suppose that she would have been found guilty there and put to death as a witch. Before the imperfect legal process was concluded Marion died and was buried in Spott Church grounds showing she was not convicted at the time of her demise.

 

Whether the either the process of accusation and defence were contributing factors in Marion’s death, or not the records are not present to say, yet there is a record, “Many witches burnt on Spott Loan,” this follows Marion’s death and some believe that these many were 13, maybe a number not recorded, as 13 are considered by some an ideal number for a coven and 13 has several wicked and even evil connotations for some. The records and several authors comments are visible through the links below. Some record Marion and link her to a Marion Lillie and some record her as the last witch burned in Scotland. We will never have that perspective that ran throughout the times when Europeans thought Witches were to be discovered, tortured and put to death. That perspective that allowed many to dispose of often elderly women who some saw as hanging on to what they waited too long for. Through the death of the falsely accused person others could be rid of the living obstacle by convicting them and killing them as a witch.

 

Before society could allow for people differing from ‘the norm’ there were many targets to haul before what passed for justice. Those times for some are not that far away and we can at times act like such victimisation is still completely acceptable. Every culture has people at risk as we seem to realise that high ideals are for art, culture and dreams and that low acceptance is still fuelling violence and inherited intolerance is still simmering ready to burn any that happen to be seen as Witch, whatever it meant back then and for whatever it means today. Witch is a word we say, for some it is used as an insult and a slander. Witches past and present are the ones victimised and victorious in reclaiming our rights to be different and to accepted, to be in need as we all are of the harmony and the balance that comes through tolerance. Witch is just one word that people have used to label and dehumanise another person to such extreme that a Witch being murdered was seen a blessing.

 

The links below give the history better than I have above.

 

This was part of a journey to other sites. Some are listed below.

 

© PHH Sykes 2022

phhsykes@gmail.com

 

The Witches Stone. Spott Community Association

www.spottvillage.org.uk/witches-stone-2/

 

Witches' Stone, Spott

canmore.org.uk/site/57667/witches-stone-spott

 

Witches' Stone, Spott

www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/6453/witches_stone.html

 

Witches' Stone, Spott

www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8239

 

Witches' Stone, Spott

www.johngraycentre.org/collections/getrecord/ELHER_MEL1560/

 

Spott Church

spottchurch.org.uk/

 

Easter Broomhouse Standing Stone (Prehistoric)

canmore.org.uk/site/57622/easter-broomhouse

 

Also The Modern Antiquarian and The Megalithic Portal

 

Easter Broomhouse Standing Stone

www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1492/

 

Easter Broomhouse Standing Stone

www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?x=368000&y=676600

 

Pencraig Hill Standing Stone (Prehistoric)

www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1494/pencraig_hill_stan...

 

Pencraig Hill Standing Stone (Prehistoric)

www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=6703

Vintage postcard. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

 

Ann Miller (1923-2004) was an American dancer, singer and actress. She was famed for her speed in tap dancing and her style of glamour: massive black bouffant hair, heavy makeup with a splash of crimson lipstick, and fashions that emphasized her lithe figure and long dancer's legs. Miller is best remembered for her work in the classic Hollywood musicals Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949) and Kiss Me Kate (1953).

 

Ann Miller was born Johnnie Lucille Ann Collier in 1923 on her grandparents ranch in Chireno, Texas. Her father wanted a boy, so Ann was named Johnnie, and she later went by Lucille. Her father was a well-known criminal lawyer who had defended famous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde and Baby Face Nelson. Mrs. Collier enrolled her three-year-old little girl in dancing lessons to help strengthen her legs, which had become weakened from a case of rickets. When Miller was ten she met Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson at a local theatre and he gave her a quick tap-dancing lesson. She liked that style of dance very much, and decided to concentrate on it with further lessons. After her parents divorced, she went with her mother to Hollywood, determined to get into show business. The eleven-year-old brunette, pretending to be of legal age, was soon hired to dance for $25 a week at the Sunset Club, a small lounge where gambling went on upstairs. Using the stage name of Ann Miller, she practiced her machine-gun tapping for the thrilled patrons. She also danced at the seedy Black Cat Club, where she scooped up the coins customers threw into her skirt to help pay the bills. Before long, Ann was netting unbilled extra roles in the films Anne of Green Gables (1934) and The Good Fairy (1935), and she got to dance in Devil On Horseback (1936). The next year the thirteen-year-old was dancing for a four-month run in a show at the popular Bal Tabarin nightclub in San Francisco. There, she was discovered by comedian Benny Rubin and future comedian, actress Lucille Ball. Ball introduced Miller to executives at RKO Studios. Pretending she was eighteen with the help of a fake birth certificate supplied by her father, Ann landed a seven-year contract and a role in the film New Faces of 1937 (1937).

 

Ann Miller's first great part was in Stage Door (1937), in which she danced with Ginger Rogers and acted with Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn, and Eve Arden. Other films in which Ann appeared include Radio City Revels (1937), the Oscar winner You Can't Take It With You (1938) with Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and Room Service (1938) with the Marx Brothers. Miller introduced Lucille Ball to Desi Arnaz, and, some years later, the famous couple bought RKO and re-named it DesiLu. Ann's last film at the studio was Too Many Girls (1940), in which she co-starred with friends Lucy and Desi. She then appeared on Broadway in George White's Scandals in 1939 and 1940, for which she won rave reviews. In 1940 Miller moved to Republic Pictures, where she enlivened Melody Ranch (1940) with Gene Autrey in his first musical film, and Hit Parade of 1941 (1941). Other films followed, many aimed at promoting the war effort, which include True To The Army (1942), Priorities On Parade (1942), Reveille With Beverly (1943), What's Buzzin' Cousin? (1943), Hey Rookie (1944), and Jam Session (1944). In 1945, Ann briefly dated powerful MGM boss Louis B. Mayer. When the much older mogul asked Ann to marry him, she turned him down. Moaning and groaning to her on the phone, the dramatic Mayer swallowed sleeping pills, and immediately sent his chauffeur to summon Ann to his death bed. An ambulance arrived first and he recovered. Later, Ann married Reese Milner, a rich steel heir, and they lived on the biggest ranch in California where they raised prized Hereford cattle. The marriage ended quickly after Reese threw Ann down the stairs of their home. Pregnant Miller filed for divorce from her hospital bed, with her broken back in a steel harness. Her baby, Mary, died a few hours after birth. Later, painfully returning to Mayer for a job, he told her, "If you'd married me, none of this would have happened."

 

Ann Miller was still in a back brace when she danced to Shakin' The Blues Away in Easter Parade (1948), co-starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. She received fantastic reviews, and MGM gave Ann a seven-year contract. Ann then proceeded to make her most spectacular Technicolor musicals that include On The Town (1949), Small Town Girl (1952), Kiss Me Kate (1953) which was extravagantly filmed in 3-D, and Hit The Deck (1955). Her last musical was a remake of the 1939 film The Women, named The Opposite Sex (1956). The glamorous, outgoing and articulate Ann was also hired as MGM's Good Will Ambassador. She travelled the world in gorgeous designer ensembles while representing her studio with personal appearances and speaking engagements. When she flew to Morocco in July of 1957 to appear with Bob Hope on the Timex TV Hour, she entertained five thousand troops in 120 degree weather as she sang 'Too Darn Hot', and soon set a record for the world's fastest tap-dancing at 500 taps a minute. In 1958, Miller married her second millionaire, Texas oil man Bill Moss who, she quipped, "...looked exactly like my first husband. Three months later, he broke my arm." A third marriage to another oilman, Arthur Cameron, was annulled within a year, though they remained friends. From 1966-1970, Ann became a hit on Broadway in 'Mame'. In 1970 she turned to television and starred in a commercial for Heinz's Great American Soups, in which Miller tap-danced on an eight foot can of soup surrounded by dozens of high-kicking chorus girls, 20-foot fountains, and a 24- piece orchestra. Then, tapping her way back into her kitchen, her husband cried, "Why must you make such a big production out of everything?" The song she sang was written by humorist Stan Freberg and choreographed by Danny Daniels. In 1972, in St. Louis, on opening night of the musical show 'Anything Goes', Ann was knocked in the head by the steel beam of a fire curtain. Although as a consequence she was unable to walk for two years and suffered permanant vertigo, her life actually had been saved by her well-known, stiff, enormous, lacquered black wig. In 1979, she made a comeback and a fortune in 'Sugar Babies' with former teenage Hollywood acting schoolmate Mickey Rooney. The popular show ran for two years on Broadway and seven more years on the road. In 1998 she appeared in a successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's 'Follies' at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. In 1972, Miller published her autobiography, 'Miller's High Life', and more memoirs in 1981 with 'Tops In Taps'. Her last screen appearance was playing Coco in director David Lynch's critically acclaimed Mulholland Drive (2001). Ann Miller died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California in 2004. She was buried next to her miscarried daughter, which reads "Beloved Baby Daughter Mary Milner November 12, 1946". The Smithsonian Institution displays her favourite pair of tap shoes, which she playfully nicknamed "Moe and Joe".

 

Sources: Steve Starr (The Entertainment Magazine), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Un dels bunquers d'ametralladores del sector CR-59 (Roc Beneïdor), part de la Linea P entre la Cerdanya i La Seu d'Urgell.

 

Acabant'se la Segona Guerra Mundial, el regim feixista de Franco va temer (i per desgracia no fou així) una invasió aliada. Per això es fortificaren de punta a punta els Pirineus, amb una serie de fortificacions de formigó anomenades, amb "molta" imaginació, Linea P. Localment també s'ha conegut com Linea Gutierrez o Perez, potser com a broma. A Martinet de Cerdanya es pot visitar un sector de la linea, el CR 53, al Cabiscol.

 

ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%ADnia_P

 

================================================

 

This bunker lays abandoned in the Catalan Pyrenees. It was part of the CR-59 sector, blocking the Puigcerdà - La Seu d'Urgell road.

 

As the III Reich was losing World War II, their friends in the spanish fascist regime of Franco were afraid of an allied invasion (which never came, sadly). So they built a fortified line along the Pyrenees. It was much less impressive than the Maginot or Siegfried lines, but at least the mountains gave it a difficult terrain all arround. It was known as Linea P, "P-Line". In Martinet de Cerdanya, a sector of the line (the CR-53) is open to the public and restored.

 

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%ADnea_P

French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris no 427, 1952. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

 

Ann Miller (1923-2004) was an American dancer, singer and actress. She was famed for her speed in tap dancing and her style of glamour: massive black bouffant hair, heavy makeup with a splash of crimson lipstick, and fashions that emphasized her lithe figure and long dancer's legs. Miller is best remembered for her work in the classic Hollywood musicals Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949) and Kiss Me Kate (1953).

 

Ann Miller was born Johnnie Lucille Ann Collier in 1923 on her grandparents ranch in Chireno, Texas. Her father wanted a boy, so Ann was named Johnnie, and she later went by Lucille. Her father was a well-known criminal lawyer who had defended famous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde and Baby Face Nelson. Mrs. Collier enrolled her three-year-old little girl in dancing lessons to help strengthen her legs, which had become weakened from a case of rickets. When Miller was ten she met Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson at a local theatre and he gave her a quick tap-dancing lesson. She liked that style of dance very much, and decided to concentrate on it with further lessons. After her parents divorced, she went with her mother to Hollywood, determined to get into show business. The eleven-year-old brunette, pretending to be of legal age, was soon hired to dance for $25 a week at the Sunset Club, a small lounge where gambling went on upstairs. Using the stage name of Ann Miller, she practiced her machine-gun tapping for the thrilled patrons. She also danced at the seedy Black Cat Club, where she scooped up the coins customers threw into her skirt to help pay the bills. Before long, Ann was netting unbilled extra roles in the films Anne of Green Gables (1934) and The Good Fairy (1935), and she got to dance in Devil On Horseback (1936). The next year the thirteen-year-old was dancing for a four-month run in a show at the popular Bal Tabarin nightclub in San Francisco. There, she was discovered by comedian Benny Rubin and future comedian, actress Lucille Ball. Ball introduced Miller to executives at RKO Studios. Pretending she was eighteen with the help of a fake birth certificate supplied by her father, Ann landed a seven-year contract and a role in the film New Faces of 1937 (1937).

 

Ann Miller's first great part was in Stage Door (1937), in which she danced with Ginger Rogers and acted with Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn, and Eve Arden. Other films in which Ann appeared include Radio City Revels (1937), the Oscar winner You Can't Take It With You (1938) with Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and Room Service (1938) with the Marx Brothers. Miller introduced Lucille Ball to Desi Arnaz, and, some years later, the famous couple bought RKO and re-named it DesiLu. Ann's last film at the studio was Too Many Girls (1940), in which she co-starred with friends Lucy and Desi. She then appeared on Broadway in George White's Scandals in 1939 and 1940, for which she won rave reviews. In 1940 Miller moved to Republic Pictures, where she enlivened Melody Ranch (1940) with Gene Autrey in his first musical film, and Hit Parade of 1941 (1941). Other films followed, many aimed at promoting the war effort, which include True To The Army (1942), Priorities On Parade (1942), Reveille With Beverly (1943), What's Buzzin' Cousin? (1943), Hey Rookie (1944), and Jam Session (1944). In 1945, Ann briefly dated powerful MGM boss Louis B. Mayer. When the much older mogul asked Ann to marry him, she turned him down. Moaning and groaning to her on the phone, the dramatic Mayer swallowed sleeping pills, and immediately sent his chauffeur to summon Ann to his death bed. An ambulance arrived first and he recovered. Later, Ann married Reese Milner, a rich steel heir, and they lived on the biggest ranch in California where they raised prized Hereford cattle. The marriage ended quickly after Reese threw Ann down the stairs of their home. Pregnant Miller filed for divorce from her hospital bed, with her broken back in a steel harness. Her baby, Mary, died a few hours after birth. Later, painfully returning to Mayer for a job, he told her, "If you'd married me, none of this would have happened."

 

Ann Miller was still in a back brace when she danced to Shakin' The Blues Away in Easter Parade (1948), co-starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. She received fantastic reviews, and MGM gave Ann a seven-year contract. Ann then proceeded to make her most spectacular Technicolor musicals that include On The Town (1949), Small Town Girl (1952), Kiss Me Kate (1953) which was extravagantly filmed in 3-D, and Hit The Deck (1955). Her last musical was a remake of the 1939 film The Women, named The Opposite Sex (1956). The glamorous, outgoing and articulate Ann was also hired as MGM's Good Will Ambassador. She travelled the world in gorgeous designer ensembles while representing her studio with personal appearances and speaking engagements. When she flew to Morocco in July of 1957 to appear with Bob Hope on the Timex TV Hour, she entertained five thousand troops in 120 degree weather as she sang Too Darn Hot, and soon set a record for the world's fastest tap-dancing at 500 taps a minute. In 1958, Miller married her second millionaire, Texas oil man Bill Moss who, she quipped, "...looked exactly like my first husband. Three months later, he broke my arm." A third marriage to another oilman, Arthur Cameron, was annulled within a year, though they remained friends. From 1966-1970, Ann became a hit on Broadway in Mame.. In 1970 she turned to television and starred in a commercial for Heinz's Great American Soups, in which Miller tap-danced on an eight foot can of soup surrounded by dozens of high-kicking chorus girls, 20-foot fountains, and a 24- piece orchestra. Then, tapping her way back into her kitchen, her husband cried, "Why must you make such a big production out of everything?" The song she sang was written by humorist Stan Freberg and choreographed by Danny Daniels. In 1972, in St. Louis, on opening night of the musical show Anything Goes, Ann was knocked in the head by the steel beam of a fire curtain. Although as a consequence she was unable to walk for two years and suffered permanant vertigo, her life actually had been saved by her well-known, stiff, enormous, lacquered black wig. In 1979, she made a comeback and a fortune in Sugar Babies with former teenage Hollywood acting schoolmate Mickey Rooney. The popular show ran for two years on Broadway and seven more years on the road. In 1998 she appeared in a successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. In 1972, Miller published her autobiography, Miller's High Life, and more memoirs in 1981 with Tops In Taps. Her last screen appearance was playing Coco in director David Lynch's critically acclaimed Mulholland Drive (2001). Ann Miller died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California in 2004. She was buried next to her miscarried daughter, which reads "Beloved Baby Daughter Mary Milner November 12, 1946". The Smithsonian Institution displays her favorite pair of tap shoes, which she playfully nicknamed "Moe and Joe"

 

Sources: Steve Starr (The Entertainment Magazine), Wikipedia and IMDb.

Cold Day with Vvalkiri

This painting has a poem that my grand mother wrote in 1947.

it is an erotic anti war poem!

that is relevant today- here it is .

Life was a woman to him, challenging. A fickle lovely gypsy taunting men with promise of incredible rendezvous and tales of fairy gold where rainbows end.

She stirred the hidden courses of his blood to joy of conquest. and life surrendered to his mastery the unaccustomed kindness of her lips, all the lithe beauty of her nakedness; But in the crowning moment of embrace, she slipped from him, and her sister took her place-

Dark death, who hoods her face, and no man woos. She wound thin arms about

tenderly

and closed his eyes with her long kiss, He never knew with whome he kept love's ultimate rendezvous. Mary Lisle

The Baker Chickadee began life as a Motorama show car designed to showcase Baker's innovative glass canopy design. Featuring whitewall tires, lithe styling, and bright colors, the Chickadee went on to become a popular production sports coupé with strong collector value.

 

©2018 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.

 

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Jaxie is a lithe little young gal who is done being a mother and ready to be a star on her own. She likes to hang out with people, getting petted or just sitting near them. Although she is still fairly high energy, so won't simmer down in one place for long. She really digs the laser pointer, and likes playing with wand toys. She gets along fine with other cats, although there is a bit of extra 'diplomacy' when she deals with another female cat (she has plenty of confidence!) This pretty kitty found a new home 19 June 2016.

DSC_5779a

Lith Print