Showing posts with label MacAllister Booke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MacAllister Booke. Show all posts

Feb 21, 2019

Saint Christopher Medal





Althea shifted, crossed her legs with a rustle of silk. The silver dangling over his shirt 
was a Saint Christopher medal, she noted. The patron saint of travelers. 
She wondered if Mr. Nightshade felt the need for spiritual protection.


Nightshade




_________________




By UsnGMan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18081774





The Catholic Church honors medals as a form of religious protection. These medals often represent one of our many beloved saints, one of which is of Saint Christopher. The Saint Christopher Medal is one of the most popular around the world because of his significance in the Catholic faith.

The Saint Christopher medal is believed to protect the wearer on his or her travels. For this reason, many people wear Saint Christopher pendants around their necks, on their wrists, and some even hang the medals in their cars!


Who is Saint Christopher?








_________________





There was the usual pile of loose change on the dresser, along with a
Saint Christopher’s medal. She remembered the gris-gris in his glove
compartment and wondered how many other bases he’d covered.


Heaven and Earth




Jan 16, 2019

Spring Flowers in Winter?





She'd take cuttings and root them, 
force bulbs so that she could have
spring any time of year she liked.


Born in Ice




____________________






By https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixel_addict/ - 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixel_addict/384732136, CC BY 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17076396




Bring spring indoors early for winter color and fragrance





After all the Christmas decorations are packed away the house looks drab. So instead of letting the winter blues kick in, we make our rooms warm and inviting with flowers. We force the usual amaryllis, paperwhites, and tulip bulbs, but we also force branches into bloom to add even more color and fragrance to our suddenly quiet home. It is very satisfying to sit in our breakfast room early in the morning and observe the daily progress of forsythia buds as they swell and burst open. We cannot think of a more economical way to raise our spirits.










____________________





“My mom goes for tulips.
She—what do you call it—
forces the bulbs in little glass jars 
every winter.”


Heaven and Earth





Feb 6, 2018

Valentine's Day Gifts For Someone Who Hates This Holiday With A Passion






“But you didn’t have to bring me flowers. I don’t really go  in for the whole Valentine’s gig.” 
“Yeah, crass commercialism and blah, blah. So what?” 
He made her laugh, and she stopped feeling silly.



Heaven and Earth




___________________





By Marco Verch - Heart shape foil wrapped chocolate, CC BY 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57307153





If you really want to shower this person with love, figuring out the perfect gift for any hater starts with a simple question: Why do they hate Valentine's Day? Now, you have something personal to work with. There are so many reasons to dislike the festival of love: outrageous consumerism, corny quotes, high pressure, a reminder that you're forever alone...
Get to the root of why this person hates Valentine's Day and you'll be able to pick out a gift that they can actually use, with some real sentiment to back it up.





___________________






And there were the tulips, the charming explosion of them, taking over her  dresser. The air was sweet with them. 
“Valentine’s Day’s just a racket,” she said out loud, then gave up. 
“But it  really works.”



Heaven and Earth





Feb 5, 2018

Valentine's Day Love Stories







But it was Mac who walked in,  behind what looked to be most of Holland’s supply of tulips. “What’re you doing, going into the florist business?” 
“No.” 
He crossed to her, held out the rainbow of spring flowers. 
“Happy  Valentine’s Day.” 
“Oh, well. Wow.” 
Even as her heart went soft as putty, her stomach jumped. “Um.” 
“You say thanks, and kiss me now,” Mac told her helpfully. 
“Thanks.”



Heaven and Earth





_______________________





By Public domain image released on German CD "Chip Foto-Video 09-2005
"Original image from http://www.bildtankstelle.de, 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=815645





19 True Valentine's Day Love Stories