Of wanting a Gothic Summer (not), Pennydreadful, Timothy Dalton and Halloween~~~

Hello Darklings,

Oh we were having another heat wave, with most of August being overcast and chilly for the summer why is it before Labor Day, we get a real blast of Summer??  

I can only take the dogs out early in the morning and early evening, when it gets like this,  and even then just around the block, I do not trust drivers driving at twilight, but then isn’t twilight when Vampires come out to play, and early dawn when they go to sleep? 

Well I have been busy, my doctor has been having me do all kinds of tests, blood, urine, and just recently a bone density test, well considering that I’ve worked indoors most of my life and avoid sunlight, I have to take vitamin D to compensate, but ever since Coralline broke her ankle, even I have been cautious.  

And to add insult to my body, the doctor wants me to have a G.I. exam which means having a camera go up the nether regions where no one wants to go, again!   It seems they didn’t complete it the last time because I showed discomfort while under a light anesthesia ---- DISCOMFORT!!???   When I was told that I said “YOU give me that camera and I’ll show YOU DISCOMFORT!!”  

But they said once done it doesn’t have to be done for 10 years, (maybe)  sometimes I think my doctor is a sadist, and I’m no masochist. 

I like a little bondage but only with black furry mink handcuffs.  (at least in my younger days) and I prefer to do the tying up,  now that I’m thinking about it I did do that some years ago with one of my college boyfriends, I tied him up with his silk ties, and you know what they say “You can’t break old school ties.”   Sorry very bad pun.

Even with the heat wave I’ve been feeling a bit Gothic of late, I haven’t had a chance to purchase the latest installment of American Horror Story “Roanoke”.   But Doyle happily fulfilled my Gothic morbid craving by purchasing the three seasons of Pennydreadful,   Oh I had forgotten how wonderful Timothy Dalton’s voice could be, he could recite a grocery list and seduce me.

“Pennydreadful” is a most unusual series not PG13 more R rated, it deals with evil, and re-discovering redemption after giving in to one’s darkest desires,  focusing on the female lead, but some don’t quite make it, and some do, and bringing in a number of the classic “monsters”,  Frankenstein’s’ creature,(which was sensitively played), Dr. Frankenstein himself, Dorian Grey, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll, a werewolf, a monster hunter, in a way you sort of wanted it to continue after the end but then it would have gone in a different direction, which was not the authors or producers idea or concept.  In the end a very dark and Gothic morality play----at least in my opinion.

During my “Pennydreadful” fest, a local church was having its annual 3 day rummage sale, and I love rummage.  I managed to snare 4 Victorian  plant stands, and then had fun looking through the china and glass ware finding a few Victorian style pieces, including soup bowls although modern, were in the “Rose Chinze” pattern, perfect for soup on a cold winter’s night.  

 As I purchased, Doyle dutifully took them to the car, then I went book hunting there.   It’s amazing what people no longer want that are treasures for others,  there were a few Earl Stanly Gardner “Perry Mason” mysteries, and a couple of books in the ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ series that I think “True Blood” is based on, plus a few others of interest.

But then I began to feel a little haunted, because I had wandered over to the children’s toy area, sometimes I get lucky and find complete board games for children and adults to play and there it was! In a metal frame that was falling apart, a coming attractions movie poster of the James Bond movie “License to Kill” with Timothy Dalton (much younger of course) looking dark, dangerous and deadly.  Well for $2.00 I HAD to buy it.  

 Doyle gave me a ‘raised eyebrow’ but carried it good-naturedly to the car, the poster was in fine condition so I’ll re-frame it, and hang it, in the down stairs bedroom, that I use for guests or when one is too ill to climb stairs.

I had fun with my newly found treasures, the plant stands just need a little clean-up and a fresh coat of paint, the soup bowls washed and ready to be put to use, the books put into their proper spaces in my reading library, and when I’m done with them they will go to the Library book sale, perfect to re-purpose.

I am already seeing signs of Halloween here and there, a few new magazines, which I purchased, Halloween candy on the high shelves at Safeway, but I do have to ask, why is it that the first store to carry Halloween decorations is called ‘Michaels’ ?   (if some of you don’t get the Halloween pun, it’s your own fault)

I had gone into Michaels to get a replacement jewelry fixing for a necklace that broke and something prompted me to wander around and there they were---- all kinds of ghoulish, morbid things. 

 It’s a good thing that the credit card that I use to buy Halloween items was all paid off, now I didn’t buy everything, I was picky, there were crystal balls with a skull floating in the middle, bottles of weird contents, and a wonderful large glass dispenser with a skull on it perfect for strawberry lemonade.   And Halloween tree ornaments of skulls, witches hats, pumpkins and little bats, and tiny skeletons,  and a perfect witch topper for the tree.   

 Yes Darklings I have a black (but fake) tree, to put out for Halloween,  it’s just too bad that it will be on a Tuesday this year but I can have at least 2 maybe 3 parties for the season. 

I mean is it too early to start decoration for Halloween in September?  Why Not!

Then Doyle surprised me the other evening, he had been on the “house computer” in the Library, which is my computer, but he told me that it was for personal use and didn’t want to use his in his office since that was for work.  I just rolled my eyes on that remark.   

Then he comes up to me as I’m reading one of my Perry Mason mysteries, with Belladonna and Wiener Dog curled up next to me (making it difficult to shift around) and he announced “I bought a copy of ‘Jane Eyre’.”   I looked at him and said “Why buy a copy?  I have that book in our Library.”  

He went on to say “Not the book, the BBC program from 1983, with Timothy Dalton as Mr. Rochester.”   I looked at him dumbfounded.

I had always thought that was the best ‘Jane Eyre’ and that Dalton’s impassioned and obsessive Rochester was the best of all of them.  

 Doyle looked at me and then said “You’re Welcome.”  Finally my mouth sputtered to working as I quickly got up (which the dogs were not happy) and rained kisses all over Doyles’ face.    And I love seeing that Humphrey Bogart smile on his face as he said to me (once I came up for air) “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

Yes, Darklings, Halloween treats do come early in my home.

Later Darklings 

Of Tea and Christmas~~~~

Hello Darklings,

Well we have been having some very heavy rain squalls here, the kind of weather where you just want to snuggle up on a comfortable couch, with a soft, fuzzy blanket, a good book, a cup of hot cider or tea, a fireplace burning either logs or candles, a good book, and a little dog or two to snuggle next to you.

And maybe listen to Midnight Syndicates haunting Christmas Music.  Alright Darklings I know for some of you Goth lovers maybe Midnight Syndicate is too commercial for you, but they are the only ones to come out with a Christmas Album that’s just on the chilly side, perfect if you’re reading a Jim Butcher Dresden File book.   Nothing like Harry Dresden to get your adult version of Harry Potter going.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing the Dr. Strange movie, I have to say that Sci-Fi and Fantasy has come a long way in films since the days of Ray Harryhausen and his stop motion process but I still think his Medusa was extremely terrifying or the Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee Dr. Who series.  I have not had the chance to see “Fantastic Beasts” or the “Miss Perigine School of unusal children” or what ever that title is,  I’m afraid I’ll have to get that on DVD. 

Dr. Strange in a word was FANTASTIC!!!  And Darklings I strongly, very STRONGLY recommend that you watch it all the way through the credits and a bit past the credits, why?  Because it hints of things to come.  So I cannot wait for the next one.  Cumberbatch or however he spells his name, fantastic!!  And I have to admit having the old one as a woman, some may say that is not part of the original background, but that was then, this is now and who is to say that women cannot be powerful---Remember "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world".  I'd have to say that I liked how they expanded the back story for Strange, so where does he go from there I'd ask and am looking forward to it.  

 I still have to get my copy of Krampus, a perfect Gothic Christmas movie, just enough to send shivers down your spine.    But I don’t think my nieces and nephews would think it as a Christmas movie, they love “A Muppet Christmas Carol” with Michael Cain and when you think about it Dickens “A Christmas Carol” is really a Gothic Christmas story so it is perfect. 

I feel that Christmas is both sacred and gothic at the same time when you think about it,  the cold weather, the rainy storms,  darkness coming earlier and earlier,  the sight of seeing lights and getting your hands and feet warm, Christmas is also a good time for ghost stories as well, and then to top it off with Hot chocolate with little marshmallows floating on top.

That’s when both Sis and I indulge in getting flavorful sweet treats for our drop in visitors to try, of course if you’re diabetic that’s not so much fun, so that’s when you have to think of savory as well as sweet,  so Colby and Jack cheese bites on toothpicks help, or tiny English tea sandwiches or we hand out tiny pickle forks and that way they can use the forks to pick out what they want without using fingers, and those small sugar tongs help as well.

About this time of the Holidays is when I have my three tier serving plates out several with sweet and several with savory, and the scent of spice cider or lemon/ginger tea floats through the air as it is offered to guests,  I have to check to see if it’s a spare the air day or not, and have candles as well as duraflame logs ready.   

Lots of times I’ll have the inexpensive tea lights ready but I’ll mix in votive candle holders with scented candles and it will be either Cinnamon/vanilla or a bit more heady Frankincense,  I get the Stella Mar candles, Nob Hill Foods offer them, they are pricey at $1.49 each but worth it.    So I’ll put a couple of them among the tea lights especially if it’s a spare the air day, or I’ll burn a pillar candle or two of the same scent if I can have a fire, the warm fragrance seems to relax folks, and that is my intention.

Of late I’ve been having acquaintances of my artist couple over who are still dealing with the loss of loved ones from the Oakland Warehouse fire, the Christmas holidays are especially hard, they come over in the evening and find that I have everything (with Betty’s help) set up for a very late tea,  Sis plans on coming over after she has seen her last client and we talk, in a comfortable relaxed setting, Sis and I listen and Sis offers advice, or we just let them talk it out.  Boxes of Kleenex strategically placed, and my CD player playing instrumental music of a soothing sort, some holiday, some Kenny G, some classical.

We’ve been doing that for the last week or so, and happily when Doyle calls me before he comes home from his office I’ll ask him to pick up a few things, and he knows what I mean, Russian tea cakes, peppermint meringues, lemon cookies, raspberry and apricot thumbprints, dried figs, dried apricots,  a selection from Harry and David’s dried fruits such as mango's, and candied Kiwi fruits and pineapple rings, cut into bit size pieces.  And in a pinch, the Peteridge Farm entertainment cookies, and shortbread rounds.

But Carr’s Crackers especially the Entertainment collection is just perfect to put savory bits on, however if you know of someone who is allergic to nuts to direct them to the plate that has the Water crackers, the only problem is those folks who are allergic to wheat or milk, then you need to have the dried fruit or bits of veggies for them,  I’ve found that if I get really large carrots and cut the thicker half into rounds they make a decent substitute for crackers just put whatever savory you want on it.   

Now why am I talking about tea?  Well during this darkest time of the year and for anyone who is going through a difficult time of it, it seems that a tea seems to help, nibbling on little things while sipping something warm without it being coffee or hot chocolate, (which I reserve for late at night) seems to help the spirit.

Or just deciding to take it with sugar, cream or lemon, makes it a ritual and forces a person to start to think outside of their misery. 

And besides what is more Gothic than having tea while reading a murder mystery, it seems to me that is the perfect solution on a cold winter’s night.

But it seems that the tea solution is working for some of them, they relax, their tears dry, they still are sad, but they realize that they need to get into a positive frame of mind in honor of their lost friends, and they leave on a better note than when they came in. 

Sights, Scents, Sounds and Smells add to that warmth and taste and you have a physical remedy to begin to lift one’s spirits,  in a way I think tea shops with at least a gas burning fire place and cozy nooks, comfortable chairs –NO WIFI !!!  Soft gentle music, perfect to chat quietly or relax after a hectic day of shopping, I think Tea Shops should come back and give Starbucks and Peet’s a run for their money.

Or plan on a relaxing tea, in the afternoon, just you and a book, or a couple of friends to unwind or share discoveries, but it should not be used to plan anything, not a thing, just to unwind and relax and let the mind flow free.

Later Darklings

Of a Quote about being Goth or Gothic~~~~

Hello Darklings

I came across this quote and of course it also includes Morticia, and I realized that in all my experiences I had to be in tune with and  explore my dark side, even researching morbid subjects and understanding the evil convolutions of the human mind.

And having gone through horrendous tragedy, I know I've come out stronger.

I even celebrate my dark side, revel in it, but also to maintain some sort of balance I will also splash the light side into my soul as well, with a touch of kitties, puppies and butterflies. 

But by knowing and understanding the dark side we then are never fooled by statements that are made to sound truthful but are lies, we are never fooled or are foolish.  

THAT is what makes a person a true Elder Goth.

We don't have to wear black all the time or do our hair or makeup in bizarre styles, we don't have to do horrendous bizarre piercings to indicate we're Goth.  That is simply outer trappings to appear outrageous, we don't even have to be into what ever music style the Goth community is into.

We can truly be independent and not feel that we have to follow the Goth Crowd,  because It is what is in our minds, our hearts,  our lives and our souls that makes us Goth.   And we can let it out to play and privately laugh.

I'm just lucky that I have a lovely "playpen" for it.

So if you can My Darklings, take this quote, make it larger, frame it, put it where you can see it every day and know that this is true Gothicness.

Later Darklings

Of the puzzlement of the Human Skulls~~~~

Hello Darklings,

I'm feeling slightly better, but I still fall asleep at the oddest times.  Well Sis did say to me, and it was echoed by Doyle, if you feel sleepy lie down, now, don't fight it.  And they are right.  And with Belladonna and Weiner Dog snuggled next to me for extra body warmth it's a good thing.

Although in one of my waking moments Doyle asked out loud "What is up with all these Human Head skulls being found here and there?"

And he's right----in the last 18 months a total of 3 human skulls have turned up.

The first was in a recycling station in or near  Oakland,  nearly 6 months later another one was discovered on the side of Skyline Road in Oakland, on a paper plate with plastic mardi gra beads and now a day or two ago a 3rd found in a Homeless encampment also in Oakland.

I've reprinted the article here from the Contra Costa Times----
  by

Natalie Neysa Alund

OAKLAND -- A homeless man at a camp cleared by officials Thursday afternoon near downtown was found with what appeared to be a human skull among his possessions of arts and crafts, two shopping carts and tarps.

The man emerged from his large brown and gray tent with the skull in hand at about 1 p.m., surprising police and Caltrans workers evicting people from the camp at Seventh and Castro streets, underneath Interstate 980, authorities said.

"I couldn't believe it. It was crazy," said Rickie Terry, a Caltrans worker, who said he didn't spot the skull when he and others visited the site two weeks ago. He also said he didn't remember seeing a freshly-dug hole in the dirt about 50 feet away from the tent.

Later, the homeless man said he found the skull while digging in the area but refused to give his name or answer any more questions. Police did not arrest the man, but an officer said he did take down his personal information in the event they need to contact him.  

Another man at the camp, Chris Craner, 43, said they often dig holes to bury their garbage in the camp, but he had never seen the skull until Thursday.

"I would know about it if there was a skull here," Craner said, standing by three women -- one who held a white-and-brown spotted puppy. "We would all know about it because we're a close-knit group."

Police interviewed the camp's residents and sent a picture of the skull to the Alameda County Coroner's Office to confirm whether it was human. About 2:45 p.m., police and a coroner's assistance bagged the partially intact cranium and took it to the coroner's office, where it will be examined.

Police earlier had issued notices for the half-dozen people who live there to leave the site, which is owned by the state.

-30-

It was later announced that this skull was indeed human but of a Native American, the question is was it found there at the homeless camp or some place else, to be determined.

However with the two previous skulls no word has emerged about their situation or any follow up.

It seems that Oakland is becoming more macabre and Gothic than we imagined, Just think Darklings, just a short distance from all those protest marches was buried a human body, how little do we know what is under our very feet.

And now I'm feeling tired again and will take a nap, thank goodness Sis will cook dinner for herself,  Doyle and Brian while I'll have Wor Won Ton Soup that Doyle is going to pick up in 30 minutes.  It is nice to be pampered when one is ill.