a welcome respite

...feeling better....

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:38:46 GMT

...tired, but better.

Recovering from a bout of whooping cough. Took antibiotics, am no longer contagious and have returned to the work force after five days of quarantine.

When it's time for the next tetanus vaccine I'm getting the pertussis vaccine along with it. This is the second time in five years I've had whooping cough. Guess my immune system isn't very good at generating pertussis antibodies.

If it's been more than ten years since your last pertussis booster, get reimmunized.

Whooping cough is sneaky: it's most infectious during the first stage when it feels like nothing but a cold, and the paroxysms--its violent coughing spells--develop as the 'cold' abates. It's nasty business for infants, the elderly, the pregnant and people with fragile bones (thankfully, I've gotten nothing worse than a really sore, tender ribcage from coughing so hard, but people have actually broken ribs during paroxysms).

Fortunately, the cats and dog don't run away no matter how hard Mom barks. :)

Happy St. Thomas Day :)

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:41:55 GMT

November 24--the feast day of my beloved favorite composer, muse and patron saint (canonized or not!). Thomas Tallis abandoned this life for a saner, happier one 423 years and one day ago. Time to light a candle, break out ye favorite recording of Spem and bliss out.... :D

BARACK!!!!!!!!

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:13:43 GMT

SSSSHHHRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!

YES!!!

WE!!!!!!!!!

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!**

Music for Zoey

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:03:37 GMT

Zoey and I always had so much to talk about. We were both rabid Yes fans and equally rabid Ringers. Both of us loved animals and had dogs we adored, though my boxers gave her a rash if she wasn't careful to resist touching them, and her Jack Russell (the famous Tipper) could never abide the sight of me. :}

We both made jewelry, collected stuff, played instruments and sang. Each of us dealt with life-threatening chronic illnesses. Our spirualities took different paths--she was Wiccan; I'm Christian--yet, far from getting in the way, that actually enriched our relationship. Both of us have had lots of mystical experiences, and we could talk about them and about our beliefs freely because we loved, trusted and respected one another. We had lots of fun going to Yes concerts, seeing TLotR movies over and over again and eating at our favorite restaurant, Pakha's Thai House.

So many memories.

I put together the music for her viewing and funeral all the weekend after her death. It was a labor of love and I had excellent help from our friends Rhea, Roy, Jerry, Tina and Sarah. The whole time I could feel Zoey watching over my shoulder, all smiles and laughter. Can't quite describe what it's like to be stunned and shaken and lost in sorrow over the death of a dear friend, all the while feeling her presence, feeling her more alive than she ever was here.

I don't grieve for her, not really; I grieve my loss, our loss, her family's loss. There is sadness that she died so young--at the same time, she suffered terribly, and now that's all over. She's gone on into joy, peace and life vibrant beyond imagining.

Zoey, my friend--merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.

Here is the music for her wake and funeral.

XTC--Senses Working Overtime
Duran Duran--Ordinary World, The Reflex, (Reach Up For The) Sunrise
Ultravox--Vienna
Porcupine Tree--Lazarus, Rest Will Flow
Spock's Beard--Go the Way You Go
The Alan Parsons Project--To One In Paradise
Bare Naked Ladies--If I Had $1,000,000
'Weird Al' Yankovic--The Saga Begins
Yes--Starship Trooper, Fish, And You and I, Revealing Science of God, Soon, Awaken, Onward, Amazing Grace, Cinema, Hearts, I Am Waiting, In the Presence Of
Chris Squire--Hold Out Your Hand
Chris Squire and Alan White--Run With the Fox
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe--Brother of Mine, The Meeting
Jon Anderson--I'll Find My Way Home, Candle Song, State of Independence (from Change We Must)
Marillion--White Feather
King Crimson--I Talk to the Wind, Starless
The Timelords--Doctorin' the Tardis
Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings soundtrack--Concerning Hobbits, Many Meetings, The Ring Goes South, The Great River, The Breaking of the Fellowship, May It Be, Foundations of Stone, The King of the Golden Hall, Forth Eorlingas, Hope and Memory, The White Tree, The Steward of Gondor, The Ride of the Rohirrim, Anduril, The Black Gate Opens, The End of All Things, The Return of the King, The Grey Havens, Into the West

Five reasons Obama supporters shouldn't rest easy....

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:52:21 GMT

1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.

2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.

If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by going here:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=31260&id=14523-984384-56hqIux&t=1

Avast!

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:42:15 GMT

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, mateys! Hoist yer Jolly Rogers! Aye, but wait----

Why is the rum gone?

Arrrrrrr....

Oh, no...responsible for another innocent young life....

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:04:35 GMT

Please give the egg a gentle tap.

Seven Straight Nights...Night 1

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:37:46 GMT

On this Feast of the Holy Cross I am carrying an unexpected dimension of grief. One of my best friends, Zoey, who would have been praying with me, died suddenly last Thursday at the age of 39.

Over the years we'd taken on Yes tours, Ren Faires and TLotR conventions; we saw the LotR movies so many times we developed our own MST3K-style subtexts for them. Once we entered a local parade as Gandalf (Zoey, 5'10") and Frodo (your correspondent, 5'1")....

It's happened again. Frodo has lost Gandalf.

Zoey, my loving, compassionate, adventurous friend, you're well and happy where you are now. Knowing that doesn't alter the fact that I miss you...terribly. Listen--just so you know, dying doesn't let you off the hook--I still expect you to pray with me!

+++God--you who know and cherish ALL of us to our depths--may your GLBT children live in the love, freedom, dignity and joy which is rightfully theirs. May we all know our true value as your children.+++

Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008...

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:54:11 GMT

Co-sponsored by Atticus Circle and Soulforce, Seven Straight Nights is a time for straight allies to stand up and be counted for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equality. The website is <http://www.sevenstraightnights.org/>.

My observance of Seven Straight Nights will consist of prayer every night that week starting at 9:30 p.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. During that time I will be online both here and in Facebook so that anyone out in Cyberland who might want to pray (or just think good thoughts) for recognition of equality and for understanding can do it then if they would feel better knowing they aren't doing it alone. ("Where two or three are gathered....")

A Song Made for Singing--new entry

Sat, 31 May 2008 07:29:05 GMT

HONEY

That, among other equally sweet subjects, is what I’m contemplating while the priest drones on about Hell.

He can dwell on the Inferno all he likes, but I’m hard put to give it a moment’s thought with my beautiful Tom in sight and all manner of delicious ideas crowding my mind….

While the boring diatribe winds on I entertain a variation on my favorite churchtime fantasy…steal up behind the lad, pull him into the sacristy, lift those stately Chapel robes and go at him like a rutting beast, not caring that the whole court can hear every whimper, moan and cry of bliss. Going my own perversion one better, I daydream of fucking him senseless right there on the organ bench. During Mass. The subversive poetry of it! For once, no one would doze through the service!

A chilly pause in the homily brings me round. Friendship or no, even the mildest public display of affection could send Tom to the stake and myself to the block if Harry was in a foul enough mood. Compton’s Folly: An Object Lesson. I suppress a sigh and turn to contemplating what I had for lunch.

An innocent topic, one would think; unfortunately, that jar of honey was on the table.

Honey…sweet and sticky and golden.

I think of Tom again. Memories of last night…how I had to put a hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming…my sweet, quiet love! Not so quiet when I do that.

Yes. I want a jar of honey. For late-night feasting, as it were. Just a little jar to keep beneath the bed….

God knows how I try to keep my mind from wandering where it most wants to go. ‘Twouldn’t do, after all, to have the expression of a drowsy, blissful cat during the priest’s tirade on Luther and damnation. But I can only resist so long when in my mind’s eye I’ve got my love down on the bed and my finger in a pot of warm, golden honey. Another recipe for liturgical disaster. My mouth is watering.

The long drizzle of honey catches the last rays of sunlight as I take my finger from the jar. I watch a drop fall on his full, delectable lower lip. He licks the drop away with just the tip of his tongue and takes the honey-laden finger into his mouth. Lust spikes along every inch of my body as he curls his tongue around my finger and sucks it clean—oh, God. I fight for control. Have to last!—my plans for Tom and that jar of honey are far from over.

I lean over to retrieve the jar, which forces me to stretch out over him. Truly unfortunate. I may as well leave a kiss on his breastbone while I’m here…or maybe two, or three…. His breath catches and his smooth, talented fingers skim up my back to grip me. Damn! everything about this lad is distracting! I have to remind myself what I’m about, force my left hand away from his hip and direct it over the side of the bed to catch hold of the jar. The jar’s cool solidity helps me focus.

Somehow I manage to propel myself upright without spilling the honey—very difficult, indeed, as I wind up straddling Tom’s hips. I had thought myself distracted before! He hisses, groans something about cruelty. I have every intention of…easing him. In good time. I give him a devilish grin. He watches, wide-eyed, as I carefully tip the jar. A fine thread of honey flames in the slanting light of the sun to fall in a delicate pattern on his chest.

“Dessert,” I whisper.

He swallows hard.

I stroke one finger down his breastbone, down to his navel, smearing honey as I go. “Mmmm. And what a choice treat you are, love.” More honey falls from the jar—lower, on tight, hot, marvelously sensitive skin.

“William!” he hisses, arching beneath me. “Dear God!—”

Oh, I am done with words. I set my mouth where I most want it and let my tongue tease him instead. The tastes of honey and Tom are maddening. I lose all ability to think. All that matters now….

The choir fills the chapel with ethereal threads of sound, a net drawing me back from dreams.

I watch Tom as he conducts. His hair is light honey brown; sun through stained glass tangles in it, giving him a suffused gilt halo.

With utter sincerity I congratulate God on matching the music’s dreamy loveliness so perfectly to its maker. Then I thank Him that we at least have the nights to ourselves. A scandalous cause for gratitude, perhaps, but I think God is not much surprised, nor even concerned. He has heard more heartfelt gratitude from me recently than He has ever heard before.

Yes. Thank you, God…for my Tom, for honey…for long, sweet nights.

________________________
To read the whole story:

http://mistress-tallis.livejournal.com/2427.html#cutid1

Yoda, our newest furbaby

Sun, 25 May 2008 01:10:42 GMT

petition--knighthood for Thomas Tallis

Fri, 23 May 2008 21:35:29 GMT

Reposting the link, since care2.com was going green last weekend, revamping the site, and the petition wasn't available for awhile:

http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/view?pid=738940729

A fitting tribute

Fri, 16 May 2008 06:20:28 GMT

I have started a petition which asks Her Majesty to knight Thomas Tallis. If you want to sign, go to http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/view?pid=738940729

Seems to me that if Tom Jones and Elton John have been so honored, the Father of English Cathedral Music ought to be a no-brainer.

NOTE: Care2.com went offline over the weekend to upgrade and green their system, which is a good thing, except that the Petitions were one of the sites affected. I just tried my petition again and got an error message. **grumble** Will let you know when the petition is up and running again.

And why is the code showing up?
**fume**

A Song Made For Singing: Bliss

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:43:09 GMT

Just a new little entry a few pages down..."Bliss".

http://mistress-tallis.livejournal.com/2427.html

I'd like to be able to direct you straight to the entry in its place in the story, but haven't figured out how to do that yet. :P Probably being more awake would help!

...a Tallis sighting...

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:00:18 GMT

...not mine, since I forgot (!) to watch The Tudors tonight, but I'll be sure to watch a repeat on Monday, because someone over at the Showtime boards say they saw the dear boy in Ep 2, in a scene (probably in the Chapel) with the bishop or a priest. They said you have to look closely, so I shall. If this is true, I am one happy camperooni! :D

Christ is risen!

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:37:41 GMT

Yee hawww!!!

.......I mean.....alleluia!

After the most stressful two weeks I've had for a long time--totalling the car, injured leg, pet death, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum with its multiple services--I am pretty much toast. Had a good cry and a therapy session today. Feel much better. Tallis, hot tea, chocolate, computing and writing ought to help even more.

Like Thomas, I'm a Catholic church musician; also like him, I've spent much of my career employed by Protestants. For 11 years I've worked in a small Lutheran congregation, and that's where I was for the Easter Vigil and the Sunday morning service. They haven't been holding Easter Vigils very long and most of the congregants still aren't used to the idea, but this year two babies and a teenager were baptized at the Vigil, swelling the attendance accordingly. Progress!

The Easter Vigil is my favorite service of the year. A big plus working for this little church is that I get to chant the Exsultet, the Easter Proclamation, a long, exuberant hymn written during the 7th century which is sung by a single unaccompanied voice at the beginning of the Vigil. The pastor is thrilled that I can do it and I'm thrilled to have a chance to do it, which likely wouldn't happen if I were employed by a Catholic parish.

*sigh* Easter is a labor of love, but labor all the same.

Where are those chocolate eggs?!....

and then, there were three

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:54:00 GMT

Chrissie quietly slipped over the Rainbow Bridge at about 4:00 a.m.

Old Gabriel (pictured) is snoring. Sassy, the middle-aged Himi, is perched in her aerie on top of the china cabinet, soberly surveying the domain which has become hers. Daniel Flash, the hyperactive tabby kitten, is into mischief, as usual.

And Chrissie has met up with Boxer pals Katie, Michael and Raphael by now, I'm sure, and is reveling in her freedom from a worn-out mortal shell.

melancholy

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:02:47 GMT

Perhaps 'pensive' is a better word. Either word fits the approach to Good Friday. On top of that, my daughter and I came through an accident last Friday which destroyed my Subaru Forester but gave us only a few bruises, scrapes and sore muscles, thank God. ~SAFETY BELTS, PEOPLE.~ If you don't wear them--DO. We would have been badly injured, maybe killed, if we hadn't been belted in.

Our old tuxedo cat, Chrissie, is very sick. She has arthritis and diabetes. Her legs have been giving her trouble; apparently diabetes can damage nerves. Last Friday my husband took her to the vet because she was having so much trouble with her front legs. Tonight I came home from work and found her lying on her side in the basement, mewing loudly and unable to get up. I tried to set her on her feet but she fell over, so I carried her up the stairs and laid her down on Gabriel's bed, which is where she spends most of her time these days, curled up next to her old Boxer pal. I put the quilt over both of them since she seemed cold and Gabe wouldn't be happy if he wasn't under it as well. In the hours between then and now she has gone from lifting her head to see what the kitten was doing to lying stretched out, unresponsive, sneezing and groaning. Her breathing is shallow.

This is hard. I've never been alone with a possibly-dying pet before. Terry is in Annapolis, 2 hrs. away, and Sarah is at school. All I can think to do is pray and stay up, waiting, taking care of her in what few little ways I can.

***tremulous sigh***

The Tudors: No, in fact, Tallis is NOT Smeaton....

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:30:10 GMT

Ha! I told 'em Hirst wouldn't put my beloved Thomas on the fast track to the block!

<http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/series/title.do?bcpid=1305149607>

This should get you to a Tudors Season II preview video page. (If not, all you have to do is snoop around the Showtime sight to find it.) This particular video has words from the major players in the court (other than Henry, thank God! Apologies to his fans, but I'm sick of the jerk). It introduces us to new characters Thomas Cranmer, who becomes archbishop of the new Church of England, and Mark Smeaton, the musician who gets into trouble (understatement!) over Anne Boleyn.

Given how Michael Hirst, the scriptwriter, likes Tallis and understands him, I was certain he wouldn't be smushing my boy and Smeaton into one character ala Mary and Margaret Tudor. Thing is, I can't find out if Tallis is returning as a character or if Hirst has quietly let him go back to reality, esp. as Joe Van Moyland (aka Joe Lean the ultra-hip up-and-coming indie rock star) has gotten very busy with his band, the Jing Jang Jong, since last spring. Not that he couldn't be replaced with another actor, since Tallis is a supporting character...but would they go to the trouble?

Yes, my dears. I'm a one-note tune. I guess 29-year obsessions will do that to ya. XD

Happy holidays....

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:32:04 GMT

I've missed you all.

Advent is a difficult time of year for me, made more interesting this year because I fell and gashed my left knee on Nov. 25, had to get 20 stitches and couldn't do much of anything for awhile without using a cane. Had to keep my leg straight and propped up. The laceration got infected and my leg swelled. Took two different antibiotics to brings things under control. Much better now--stitches are out, infection's gone, cane is in the closet.

While the knee thing was going on I managed to bring a little stray cat in from our back yard. Got him to the vet to be neutered and they decided he's around 6 months old. He is now living in a snug room in our basement. He's free to come upstairs if he likes but he hasn't yet gotten used to our gentle old 90-lb. boxer (see userpic), and our Himalayan chases him back downstairs if he tries to come up anyway. Just a matter of time, I keep telling everyone. Our other furbaby, an elderly tuxedo cat who schooled the boxer to respect her kind when he was just a pup, couldn't care less; her only concerns these days are eating and sleeping. We have to take her to the vet later today because she's got some kind of URI and has lost weight. **sigh** 12-28 addendum: The poor old girl has a sinus infection and diabetes. Husband, daughter and I will learn next week how to administer her insulin.

AND my 87-yr-old mom fell on the basement steps, mangled her right wrist and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. They put one wrist-bone back together with a pin. She's healing nicely, too, thank God. I wish she'd let my brother bring her washer and dryer upstairs; she doesn't need to be hauling laundry up and down those steps. Darn stubborn woman. **hugs her**

Oh, well. Enough of this. Will get back to writing.

**hugging you all, as well**

Why is there a Tudor composer in 'The Tudors'?...

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:17:10 GMT

...This is a deliberate (okay, snide) overgeneralization of what I was asked on the IMDb boards several months ago. Owing to typical RW interruptions I have not been able to tidy up my response 'til now. I thought I would post it here first in case you all wanted to add your own tuppence. The more answers, the merrier.

Question: Why was Thomas Tallis included in the cast of The Tudors?

The questioner was asking because she views him as a pointless addition to the show and wishes his character would die and get out of the way. (Yes.) Naturally I found this a bit extreme and unwarranted, which I communicated to her as gently as possible, not wanting to go around cyberspace reeking of fire and brimstone the rest of the month. She responded courteously **whew!** but again asked the question, since my geek-girl historical spouting hadn't really answered it for her. So I've been thinking, and this is what I came up with.

Why is Thomas in the show?....

Answers:

1. Why not?

2. Michael Hirst, to a CBC interviewer who asked him that very question: “I like Tallis a lot and had to find a place for him in the series.”

3. Geeky genius musicians are cool. No royal Renaissance household was complete without one.

4. Every drama ought to have at least one character who isn’t going to self-destruct, wreak havoc on the innocent or be cruelly destroyed.

5. Dropping William Byrd into Henry VIII’s court would have been even more anachronistic.

6. THOM-as TAL-lis. The characters get to pronounce that wonderfully alliterative name…...slowly, distinctly and often.

7. It’s good to have a balanced, thoughtful element, an observer, a survivor, a sharp contrast, a part of the action but apart from it, in a dramatic narrative, and nobody in Tudor England was so talented a survivor as Thomas Tallis. He was a calm eye in a hurricane, a stable, positive element in an incredibly unstable environment. Hirst could never have invented a better character than God gave him for such a role.

On the Feast of St Thomas....

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:39:46 GMT

If Mr. Tallis was canonized, this would be his feast day, as yesterday was the anniversary of his death. Still, all the faithful are saints, and he's my patron saint, anyway, so I celebrate it. Happy 24 November, everyone! :)

The King, The Queen, the Mistress...and the Musician (SPOILERS)

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:35:43 GMT

I repeat--SPOILERS. Of Season 1 of The Tudors and of the new Tudors book, The Tudors: The King, the Queen and the Mistress by Anne Gracie, based on the TV show written by Michael Hirst. All remarks below are my personal opinions based on my own peculiar biases (one in particular which you know very well :).

In an attempt to be fair, let me say that the book does entertain me...not as much as it could have, but enough to warrant my keeping it as opposed to throwing it in the wood stove. It has little tidbits here and there which weren't in the episodes, so that's interesting. In fact, the part which initially raised my hopes high is a new scene right in the first pages of the book which features...not the King, nor the Queen nor the mistress, but the musician. That's right. Thomas enters the book in the second line. The first few pages are from his point of view. Very promising! I read on, then couldn't wait any longer and scoured through the book looking for more Thomas, then Thomas and William....

There was the banquet scene, with the twins trying to seduce Thomas and failing, Compton pausing to gaze down at him, Thomas looking up at him wide-eyed, unable to look away for a long time....

I plowed ahead, looking for the scene in the chapel. Looking for the seduction scene, the sweet scene of the two of them side-by-side in bed, the scene at Compton Wynates.... I went back to the banquet scene and went through again, more carefully....

Nothing.

Not a trace of Tom and Will's romance.

Angered by what seemed like blatant homophobia on the writer's part I went on scouring pages, and finally ran across Compton's death scene, which the writer dwelt upon a bit longer than seemed necessary, strange considering her tendency to hurry along in other places where more development would have been warranted.

I wondered if Tallis would inexplicably show up at the house to learn of William's fate from Anne. No. The chest which in the show went to Henry via Thomas just magically turns up at court all by itself.

Finally I caught sight of a paragraph which contained both Tallis and Compton. The memorial Mass at the end of Ep. 7. Tallis was weeping as he conducted the choir in a Requiem setting of his own composition, written in memory of his friend William Compton....

His friend.

Well.

Aside from the screen-fact that they were leaps beyond simple friendship, in the book Gracie gives them not a single word of dialog with each other--nothing at all beyond a gaze at the banquet to indicate they so much as know each other exists, let alone that they're friends. This is plain bad writing, something we would have pounced upon in Creative Writing 101 as we learned by critiquing everyone else's work and hearing our own taken apart at the seams.

Having been cheated out of the most endearing and beautiful relationship in Season 1, I turned my thoughts to the twins and began scouring pages for Thomas' interactions with them. The sweats reached London. I went on reading. No mention of the girls. None. I went on reading. No dead sister, which was fine, but no living sisters either. Nothing. No Thomas going to woo Jane and bring her back to London, no lyrical, smokin'-hot world tour down her body...nothing.

That heartless git of a so-called 'romance writer' completely ignored poor Thomas' love life as if Hirst had never bothered to write it.

Not that she did poorly by Tom anywhere else. He's still nice, sweet Thomas, more-or-less. His genius is intact, though William isn't there to call him a genius. But his dimensionality is gone. Being in relationship provides everybody the opportunity to reveal their depths, or at least unnoticed facets of themselves, and in being deprived of the people who love him most, Thomas is a lonely figure indeed. He has respect and I'm sure there are others who love him, but he doesn't have anybody to drag him out of his ivory tower. William catalyzed his growth from a withdrawn little geek-boy into a confident, if quiet, young man; the twins gave him further opportunity to reach out, love, comfort, grow up and take responsibility for someone else's life. He needs his loves just as the other characters need theirs; moreso, because he's more capable of really loving than almost all of them.

What Gracie was thinking when she chose to leave out his relationships, I can't imagine. Her website is in the back of the book. I may have to write her and ask.

And to Michael Hirst--PLEASE, for the love of Tom, follow up It's Good to be King with a book called, I don't know, But Better to be Alive, call it anything you like, just please include the final shooting scripts of Season 1, Eps. 6-10 so we can have the straight take on them. None of this novelization stuff unless you do it yourself. We don't need some so-called 'romance writer' screwing up the story line for the sweetest character in the show. (Some romance writer!) Poor Thomas needs his loves if he's going to be a fully realized character, and those of us who love him don't like to see him shortchanged.

What Do You Have To Say? - Fashion: On The Set

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:46:48 GMT

Which movies have the best costumes and scene sets?

Brought to you by HP

View 127 Answers

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Flowers to you all....

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:28:26 GMT

I was over in the IMDb Tudors boards for awhile and was dismayed by the people who don't just don't get Tom's presence in the series. Not only do they not get him, some of them actively wish he would die and get out of the way because he bores them!

You all are my refuge, you know. I feel like a knight errant wandering the dangerous wilds when I go to some of those other boards and have to defend Music Boy to the unlearned and callous. Coming back here is coming home.

Hugs to you all!