Showing posts with label Calhoun Women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calhoun Women. Show all posts

Nov 6, 2020

Halo

 


A man didn't forget that face. God knows, he hadn't. Timeless. In one of his

youthful fantasies, he'd imagined her as a princess, lost and lovely in flowing silks.

And himself as the knight who would have slain a hundred dragons to have her.


Suzanna's Surrender



___________________






Baby, I can see your halo

You know you're my saving grace








 

Sep 30, 2019

Embrace the sweet art of 'doing nothing'






Lilah wasn't ashamed of the fact that she would rather sit than stand, 
would certainly rather walk than run and saw the value of long naps 
as opposed to exercise for
keeping the body and mind in tune.
Not that she wasn't ambitious. It was simply that 
her ambitions ran to the notion that
physical comfort had priority over 
physical accomplishments.




For The Love of Lilah







__________________






By Geraint Owen from Llundain/London via Bangor a Caerdydd/Kierdiff - Paradwys, CC BY 2.0,
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6898818






"Maybe you sit and read a book. Maybe you stare out the window or balcony and listen to your favorite musician. Maybe you learn how to whistle … What can you do today to begin doing nothing?"

Those are big, important questions worth pondering. If only you were in a pondering mood. But let's embrace la dolce far niente — and take a nap instead.








Mar 12, 2019

Could your child survive alone in the woods?






The kid had been out for a minimum of two hours, she thought. A lifetime for worried parents.
But toddlers didn’t have any real sense of time. Children of his age were very mobile, she mused, and didn’t always understand the concept of being lost. They wandered, distracted by sights and sounds, and had considerable endurance, so it might be hours of that wandering before Hugh tired out and realized he wanted his mother.
She watched a rabbit skitter away into the brush. Peck had too much dignity to do more than spare it a passing glance.
But a little boy? Fiona thought. One who loved his “Wubby,” who enjoyed animals? One his mother said was fascinated by the forest? Wouldn’t he want to try to catch it, probably hoping to play with it?
He’d try, wouldn’t he, to follow it? City boy, she thought, enchanted with the woods, the wildlife, the other of it all.
How could he resist?





The Search 





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There's a hierarchy of survival skills that are appropriate for children.


For any parent, the idea of your children wondering lost and alone in the wilderness is a terrifying one. A family in California had their worst fears come true on March 1, 2019.


Two sisters, ages 8 and 5, miraculously survived 44 hours alone in the woods in freezing temperatures. But it wasn't just luck that kept them safe.






_______________





“Where'd you find him?” Trent asked Nathaniel quietly.
“Up on the cliffs, holed up in a crevice in the rocks.”
“Good God.” C.C. shuddered. “Did he spend the night up there?”
“Looked that way. I had this feeling, I can't explain it. And there he was.”

Megan's Mate




Jan 2, 2019

Want to live longer? Have a blazing row






“And I'll remind you of the night you asked me to marry you, when you gave me
flowers and candlelight, then shouted at me and raged up and down the room,
making me love you even more.”
“If that's all it takes, you'll be delirious about me by the time I'm sixty.”


Suzanna's Surrender






_________________





Brocken Inaglory [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) 
or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]






Couples who argue have a lower risk of ill health and dying prematurely, study finds




It might not seem like it at the time, but having a blazing row with your partner could be good for you.

Those who argue with one another have a lower risk of ill health and dying prematurely, scientists have found.




DailyMail




_________________




She glanced around. "God! There must be something to throw."
"Don’t think about it," he advised. "Just grab the first thing and let it fly."
She snatched up her hairbrush, heaved it. It cracked solidly against the jewel-toned
shade of her bedside lamp. "Damn it! Damn it, that was Tiffany. Can’t I even have a
successful temper tantrum?"
"You should have thrown it at me." He grabbed her arms before she could go clean
up the mess she’d made.
"Just let me go."
"I’m not going to do that."
"I’m stupid." The fight went out of her. "All I’ve done is embarrass myself and break
a beautiful lamp shade. I should’ve taken a Xanax."
"Well, you didn’t, and I prefer fighting with a woman who’s not hazy on some
tranquilizer. These are real feelings, Tia, and you’ll have to deal with them. Whether
you want mine or not, you’ll have to deal with them."


Three Fates






Jul 31, 2018

On the rocks




“What the hell do you think's going to grow in that rock?”
“You'd be surprised.” She took a moment to wipe at the sweat that was dripping in her eyes. “See those lilies on the bank there?” She gave a little grunt as she dislodged a rock. “I planted them two years ago in September.”
He glanced at the profusion of tall, colorful flowers with grudging admiration. He had to admit that they were an improvement over the rough, rocky soil, but was it worth it?


Suzanna's Surrender





_____________________





By Mabroukelm - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68864084




A Lush Garden on the Rocks


Create planting pockets between crevices that work in tandem with nature








_____________________





The plants were in place, the ground smoothed and mulched. Where there had only been rocks and thin, thirsty soil 
were bright hopeful young flowers and tender green leaves.


Suzanna's Surrender




Jul 13, 2018

“Pearls lie not on the seashore. If thou desirest one thou must dive for it.” Chinese Proverb




“And the pearls?”
“These.” He lifted a finger to trace them. 
“A symbol of family, endurance, innocence. They suit you very well.”
“They— I know I should have found a way not to accept them, but when Suzanna 
put them on me upstairs, they felt as though they were mine.” 


Megan's Mate



__________________



By Hannes Grobe/AWI - Own work, CC BY 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12457319






Use Pearl when you need a boost of happiness in your life






The Meanings and Myths of Pearls



Jul 10, 2018

Birds are wicked smart, despite their small brains





Seconds later, a shrill wolf whistle sounded from inside, followed by a muffled scream. 
He was grinning by the time Bird squawked out his invitation: “Hey, sugar, buy you a drink? Here's looking at you, kid.” When Bird began to sing a chorus of “There Is Nothing like a Dame,” the children collapsed into fits of laughter.
A few minutes later, Megan carried out a tray of drinks. Bird's voice followed her. “'Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score!'“
She arched a brow as she set the tray on the deck. “Bogart, show tunes and poetry. That's quite a bird.” 


Megan's Mate



________________






By pionetes - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3454725





Crows and ravens are really smart. Parrots and cockatoos are very intelligent. Magpies, macaws, jays and parakeets ... all brilliant birds. But how is it that these avian animals are so clever when their brains are relatively small? After all, isn't it our big brains relative to our body size that makes us humans so amazingly smart? Turns out, not necessarily.







Jun 29, 2018

Behind the Scars





His thumb brushed gently over her scar. "You had a lot of pain."
"Yes." She kept watching the butterflies, the cheerful, colorful mobile. "A lot of pain."
"You mentioned phantom pain."
"I feel it sometimes, during a nightmare or just after one. During a panic attack. I know it's not real."
"But it feels real."
"Very real." 


Angels Fall




___________________




By The original uploader was Tirin at English Wikipedia. [GFDL 
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons



Beautiful photo series documents people’s scars and the stories behind them







___________________




“You can take a nap in my bed if you want,” she invited, then pressed a curious
finger on the edge of the scar she saw beneath his hitched-up T-shirt. “You have a
hurt on your back.”
“Uh-huh.”
Alex was already scrambling to look. “Can I see?”
Holt tensed automatically, then forced himself to relax. “Sure.”
As Alex pushed up the shirt, both children's eyes widened. It wasn't like the neat
little scar they had both admired on his leg. This was long and jagged and mean,
slashing from the waist so high up on his back they couldn't push the shirt up
enough to see the end of it.
“Gee,” was all Alex could think to say. He swallowed, then gamely touched a finger
to the scar. “Did you get in a big fight?”
“Not exactly.” He remembered the pain, the incredible flash of white heat. “One of
the bad guys got me,” he said, and hoped it would satisfy. When he felt Jenny's little
mouth lower to his back, he went very still.
“Does it feel better now?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He had to let out a long breath to steady his voice. “Thanks.”


Suzanna's Surrender




Jun 12, 2018

"The way she moves"





He squinted over at Trent. "Have you seen the way her skirt jiggles when she walks—especially when she's in a hurry, like she always is." 


A Man for Amanda







_____________________







By Biel Morro bielmb - https://unsplash.com/photos/HbcwP2Y1GFY, CC0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61827968




A sexy walk is as important to a woman's attractiveness as her body shape







_____________________







“Mnuu...” Sloan gave a satisfied sigh as he watched his wife stride off. “I do love the way that woman eats up the floor.”


Megan's Mate







Mar 8, 2018

On this day











Everything You Need to Know About International Women's Day on March 8






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






Nathaniel didn't share his former shipmate's disdain of women. 
He loved them, one and all. 
He enjoyed their looks, their smells, their voices, and was more than satisfied to settle in the family parlor with six of the best-looking women it had been his pleasure to meet.

The Calhoun women were a constant delight to him. 
Suzanna, with her soft eyes, Lilah's lazy sexuality, Amanda's brisk practicality, C.C.'s cocky grin, not to mention Coco's feminine elegance. 
They made The Towers Nathaniel's little slice of heaven.


Megan's Mate

Nov 24, 2017

American adventures





“Then you're in for a treat.”
He was absolutely right. The long, winding drive in the spectacular T-Bird was joy enough. The little villages they passed through were as scenic as any postcard. The sun dipped down toward the horizon in the west, and the breeze in the open car smelled of fish, then flowers, then sea.
The restaurant was hardly more than a diner, a square of faded gray wood set on stilts in the water, across a rickety gangplank. The interior decoration ran to torn fishnets and battered lobster buoys.
Scarred tables dotted the equally scarred floor. The booths were designed to rip the hell out of pantyhose. A dubious effort at romantic atmosphere was added by the painted tuna can and hurricane globe set in the center of each table. The candles globbed in the base of the cans were unlit. Today's menu was scrawled on a chalkboard hanging beside the open kitchen.
“We got lobster rolls, lobster salad and lobster lobster,” a waitress explained to an obviously frazzled family of four. “We got beer, we got milk, iced tea and soft drinks. There's French fries and coleslaw, and no ice cream 'cause the machine's not working. What'll you have?”


Megan's Mate




_________________________






Ansel Adams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


From reliving the Wild West to hurtling round a legendary race track to climbing up an American icon, we bring you 33 fabulous American adventures everyone should experience.






_________________________





Take a minute, look up there. That's a sight, isn't it?"
Her heart was still beating too fast for comfort, but she looked up. And there, above the ragged shadows of the mountains, hung a full, white moon.
Stars exploded around it, as it someone had loaded a shotgun with diamonds and blasted away. Their light turned the icing of snow on the peaks an eerie blue, and dashed the crevices and gullies into deep, rich shadow.
This, she thought, was what she missed when she allowed nerves to hunch her over, to force her gaze to the ground. And though she might have wished shed had this moment alone, she had to give credit to Lo for making her stop, making her look.
"It's beautiful. The guidebook I bought called the mountains majestic, and I thought no. When I saw them before. I thought not majestic but tough and rugged. But that's how they look now. Majestic."
"There are spots up there that you have to see to believe, and they change, even while you're looking. This time of year, if you go up, stand by the river, you can hear the rocks clack in the spring runoff. Take you on a ride up. Nothing better than seeing the Tetons on horseback." 


Angels Fall





Mar 4, 2016

Things Men Secretly Love About The Women In Their Lives

She laughed and pressed her cheek to his in a move that disarmed and delighted him.


Suzanna's Surrender



___________


Christopher Michel [CC BY 2.0 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


If you've been with your husband, fiancé or boyfriend for a while, you may have noticed that he is quite vocal about some things (e.g., sports), but perhaps quite muted about others (e.g., your relationship). Not that sports are not important -- believe me, they are -- but when it comes to critical relationship questions, many women ask, "What is he really thinking?" 



___________



“Well,” he said, wanting to hear her laugh, “you are kind of cute.”
“Oh, Vance,” she moaned.
“And sweet,” he added, tilting her face up for a kiss. “And slightly odd.”
“That's no way to endear yourself to me,” she warned. “I'll wash, you dry.”
“Wash what?”
“The dishes.”
He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. “I don't see any dishes. You have wonderful eyes, just like a cocker spaniel.”
“Watch it, Vance,” she said threateningly.
“I like your freckles.” He placed a light kiss on the bridge of her nose. “I've always thought that Becky Thatcher had freckles.”
“You're heading for trouble,” she told him, narrowing her eyes.
“And your dimples,” he continued blithely. “She probably had dimples too, don't you think?”
Shane bit her lips to hold back a smile. “Shut up, Vance.”



First Impressions

Jun 19, 2014

What's in a Name?

“What's his name?”
“Dog.”
She looked up from the puppy's adoring eyes. “Dog? That's it?”
“He likes it. Hey, Dog.” At the sound of his master's voice, Dog immediately cocked
his head at Nathaniel and barked. “See?”
“Yes.” She laughed and nuzzled. “It seems a bit unimaginative.”
“On the contrary. How many dogs do you know named Dog?”

Megan's Mate


_____________________







Your pet is an important part of your family. So when you bring a new furry friend into your life, you should show the same careful consideration when choosing his or her name as you would when deciding what to call your newborn son or daughter. 

"People see their pets as companions," says Frank Nuessel, Ph.D., a linguistics professor at the University of Louisville and editor of NAMES: A Journal of Omnastics. "So it makes sense that there's a link between how we name children and how we name animals. The act of naming is such a symbolic thing," he says. 




_____________________



“A bird?”
“A parrot I picked up in the Caribbean about five years ago. That's another reason I
bring Dog along with me. Bird might eat him.”
“Bird?”

Megan's Mate

Aug 21, 2013

Lobster Rolls

“I said bring Kevin along. We'll take a drive out to this place I know. Great lobster rolls.”

He gave the word lobster a broad New England twist that made her smile. 

“I can't claim they're up to Coco's standards, but there's plenty of local color.”

Megan's Mate



_________________


The Classic Maine Lobster Roll




KITCHEN DAILY



_________________

 

“I've never had a lobster roll.”

“Then you're in for a treat.”

Megan's Mate

May 26, 2012

style advice from the world's chicest Grandmas

Dutch sniffed, gave Coco the once-over. She'd done herself up good and proper, he
noted. The fancy-shmancy dress glittered and flowed down, stopping plenty short to
show off her legs. Her cheeks were all pink, too. And he didn't think it was from
kitchen heat. His lips curled back in a sneer.
“So what's he, your boyfriend?”
The pink deepened to rose. “Certainly not. A woman of my...experience doesn't
have boyfriends.” Surreptitiously she checked her face in the stainless-steel exhaust
hood on the stove. “Beaux, perhaps.”

Megan's Mate



_____________________________



Style Advice from the World's Chicest Grandmas

Rippl Lady in White Gloves  

 

 Style is one of those things that gets better with age, right? Well if that's true, then you have no better place to look to for inspiration than your elders.

 

>SHINE<


________________________________________________




 Nathan managed to nod through these rapid-fire statements before turning to greet Jackie's mother. This was what she would look like in twenty or twenty-five years, Nathan realized with a jolt. Still lovely, with her skin clear as a bell and the grace that only years could add.

Loving Jack

May 23, 2012

inviting outdoor nap spots





She liked long naps, classical music and her aunt's elaborate desserts. When
the mood struck her, she could sit, sprawled in a chair, prodding little details of his
life from him. Or she could curl up in a sunbeam like a cat, blocking him and
everything else around her out of her thoughts while she drifted into one of her private
daydreams


For the Love of Lilah


______________________________



Create your own curl-up space on a patio, deck, or private cabana.


>SUNSET<



________________________________________________



“Are you going to take a nap?” Jenny climbed onto his back to bounce. “Lilah
sleeps in the grass sometimes.”
“Lilah sleeps anywhere,” Holt muttered. 


Suzanna's Surrender