Category: Holidays

Summer blues

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Who else is missing summer?

With all this rain and wind and cold days and nights, has got me missing summer. And the fact that it’s my favourite time of year. Who doesn’t love lounging around in your garden in the sun?

Everyone’s happier, their mood matches the weather. You don’t have to wear 1000 layers of clothing. You get a tan. Now some say that I am addicted to sunbathing so I can get a tan… I don’t disagree. You can eat ice lollies! You also get to wear suncream – I love the smell of it as it reminds me of the time I went to America as a kid.

Summer is definitely the best time of year, it’s stress free, relaxing, everyone’s off from school/college/uni, endless barbecues, outdoor activities and more.

Sometimes when I sunbathe, I get a bit carried away… Enjoy this photograph of my siblings and I back in 2015. Take an educated guess as to who I am?

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Top 10 Disney films

Celebrating Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday for the other day, I decided to try and pick my favourite Disney films. This was probably the most difficult thing I have put myself through as I am a HUGE Disney lover. I had some help from my younger sister and we have been trying to make this list for the past two days. I have left out Disney Pixar, as I will make another list of my favourites.

(Just some old pics of some of my family and I with the famous characters.)
  1. Lilo and Stitch – all time favourite of mine.
  2. Mulan – ‘I’ll Make A Man Out Of You’ is one of the BEST songs.
  3. The Little Mermaid – I used to have a wig of hers.
  4. The Lion King – Did you know this film is inspired by Hamlet?
  5. Frozen – I had an obsession with this for 3 years…
  6. Moana – I watched this over and over and over.
  7. Oliver and Company – why does the poodle do exercises?
  8. The Black Cauldron – okay what was that dog thing in it?
  9. Pocahontas – When I was a kid I thought my hair looked like hers in the wind.
  10. Aladdin – Jasmine’s clothes were to die for.
  11. Peter Pan – who hasn’t ever wanted to fly?
  12. Beauty and the Beast – The beast is better looking than the real him.
  13. Dumbo – Elephants are my favourite animals.
  14. Hercules – I love the sass of the singers
  15. Bambi – when his mum dies 😦
  16. Treasure Planet – I love the little pink blob.
  17. Chicken Little – I had no idea this was Disney.
  18. Wreck-It Ralph – I want to see number 2 already.
  19. Brother Bear – the old woman makes me cringe when she says ‘beauty’
  20. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – one of my favourites as a kid.
  21. Fantasia – can’t remember much, but still remember that it was awesome.

Okay you’re probably wondering why I’ve listed 20 films here. Basically, I couldn’t choose a top 10…and I sort of still can’t. ALL Disney films are amazing and that’s why they should all be listed. However, that’ll be a very long list.

Each film can be your favourite at different times depending on your mood. Although Lilo and Stitch will probably always be my go-to film.

Lest we forget

What do you know about Remembrance Day?

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Here’s what I know:

This year celebrates the 100th anniversary since the war finished in 1918.

It’s always celebrated on a Sunday, closest to the 11th.

There’s a 2 minute silence to honour the soldiers, held at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, marking the end of the First World War.

The poppy symbolises a memorial to those who died in World War I.

It is also known as Armistice Day.

For the Fallen – Laurence Binyon

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

The spirit: 3/3

Steadily the sun started sinking into space. The day slipped away out from sight.

The school bus pulled up across the road from Maisie’s house; Maisie steps out with a young man four years older than she is. He had dark hair, with glasses – almost nerdy, but strong. He took a cigarette out of his jacket and lit it. Offering it to Maisie, Maisie’s mum yelled, standing in the doorway of the house.

“Don’t you dare, young lady. I’ve had it with you! Get inside this house, now!”

Maisie took a drag of the cigarette, out of spite, and kissed the young man goodbye. Aggressively, Maisie stormed up to the house with her mum giving her the ‘You’re in trouble and you know it’ look. She pushed past violently and stomped up to her room. Maisie kicked her door shut, escaping from reality. She threw herself on her bed and texts the young man: ‘Pick me up at ten tonight.’ Waiting for a reply, the window swung open and there it was. The spirit illuminated from the window drawing nearer.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’ve got a lot of explaining to do. You can’t just come home from school, after you’ve been expelled, and not expect me to discuss it with you. Maisie! Stop ignoring me! I can’t go through this again.” She wept again as if her heart might break. She walked up the stairs, stopping outside Maisie’s room. She knocked gently.

“It wasn’t a dream. You were real!”

Confused, Maisie’s mum opened the door. She saw the radiant shadow. She was stunned like an ecstasy had taken over her mind like an unexpected and poignant thought.

“Mum.”

 

I hope you enjoyed the story, now here’s a video I’m sure 98 percent of you have seen…

The spirit: 2/3

“What do you want?”

“What do you want?”

“What do you want?!”

The insistent voice mingled mercilessly with an arresting beam of light that pierced through the gap between the curtains. She bolted upright. It was 07:15am. Reality hit when she realised it was morning and she was late for meeting the boys; they were three years above. She jumped out of bed and got dressed into her uniform as fast as foam flakes drift on the river. She leapt downstairs and grabbed a cereal bar.

“Going so soon? I made you breakfast.”

“No thanks. You shouldn’t have bothered.”

“Are you alright? I thought I heard you shouting this morning?”

“Well you heard nothing.”

“Okay, I was just checking that you were alright. Remember best behaviour this week. No more trouble.”

Maisie rolled her eyes, with hand on hip and slammed the door behind her.

Her mother’s pain was evident in the crease of her brow and trembling of her full lips. As much as she tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. She sobbed and sobbed. Holding herself up as the sobs threatened to shatter her body. Then she collapsed onto her knees, howling like a baby without their mother. The beads of water fell down one after another, without a sign of stopping. Once again, the ache of seeing Maisie throw her life away tore her apart. What else could she do?

The spirit: 1/3

To go with the theme of Halloween, I wrote a short story for you…

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It was 02:13am. Maisie’s bedroom was dark; the only source of light came from the soft burn of the moon. It was like a child began to draw on it with a pencil and then erased it in a way that smudged and spread the grey. The rain streaked down, invisible, until it hit the sodden ground. Like a flower after a drought, the thirsty floor slurped the steady plunging rain.

The window was partially open inviting the taciturn breeze to caress the warmth of her cheeks. The spineless gust carried a faint familiar odour; it was gone before she could identify it. A temporary sensation entered her mind, as if a mild zephyr ruffled through her thoughts. Did she notice the change in colour of her curtains and bedding?

Out of focus, like a poorly taken photograph, a golden skinned, white eyed – with sapphire in the centre – human shaped figure approached the bed. Strands of glowing blonde hovering above her waistline, swayed rhythmically as she loomed closer.

“What are you?” Maisie whimpered as she hid beneath her duvet.

However, it got closer. Then it spoke.

“Why are you behaving like this?” The pure, soft, feminine voice whispered.

Vague thoughts streamed shapelessly through her mind like long sad vapours through the twilight sky.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“I want respect.”

“What? But I don’t know you!”

“I want you to respect Mum.”

The ghost-like figure faded into the void, as if it never even existed.

Maisie pulled her duvet down past her eyes so she could see clearly. She knew she was alone. Again. She picked up her phone and shone the torch around the room to make sure. She looked at her clock; it was 02:56am. She wanted to get some sleep before the morning, so she closed her eyes with fear and wrapped herself in her duvet. Small crystals rolled onto her pillow making wet tracks down her face.

She tossed and turned throughout the night. Restless.