#I was reminded that Joann’s is going out of business which is where this train of thought came from lol

[averagemrfox]

Everyday I miss Rag Shop

#it was a mostly nj based craft store #much smaller than Michael’s or Joann’s (part of the reason it went out of business) #but the year it went out of business I was kinda at the age where I wasn’t old enough to get a job yet #but started thinking about what kind of job I wanted to work at for my first job #and i thought rag shop would be a good fit #same thing happened to another store I wanted to work at a music store called FYE #I was reminded that Joann’s is going out of business which is where this train of thought came from lol

[wiypt-writes]

Riding On

Ch21: Her Hooves Set The Beat, My Heart Sang The Song

Summary: There’s a feel good factor at the Gallagher-Adler’s as Alex hits another milestone, but their happy little bubble his shattered with some bad news at the stables, and Fliss is forced to say a heart-breaking goodbye…

Warnings: Bad language, 18+, animal death.

Pairing: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: So, for those of you who don’t know, Heidi was actually real. She was my beloved horse of a lifetime who I lost in July 2018 to complications associated with old age. At 28 I she had a good life, and for the 20 years I had her she gave me everything. Writing this brought back a lot of memories and was quite therapeutic in a way, but if anyone wants to skip over it for fear of being triggered, I won’t be offended.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding On Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 20

 April 2020

“Go away!” Mary laughed, pushing Fliss’ arm as she tried to peek over at what she was writing on the piece of card upon which she’d been designing the Wedding Invitations.  “You can see when I’m done!”

Fliss chuckled and backed away, hands raised, palms up.

“Okay, okay.” She walked backwards a few steps before she turned and her eyes fell on Alex who was in his pack and play loudly banging some coloured blocks together. He looked up at her and gave a huge smile before he shuffled a little to the edge of his pen and reached up, curling his hands onto the sides. As Fliss watched, he tried to pull himself up into a standing position but only got so far before he landed on his butt, and waved his arms and legs shouting something in, what Frank called Bean-Babble. Fliss grinned and moved to pick him up.

“Not quite mastered that yet have you, baby?” She smiled, kissing his cheek.

Alex let out another loud squeal of contentment as he perched on her hip and she made her way over to the kitchen area. There, she settled him in his high chair and headed into the fridge to grab him an apple. Since he had started eating solids it had fast become apparent that he was particularly partial to the fruit, something Frank directly attributed to the fact that Fliss had eaten so many of them when she was pregnant thanks to her craving. Fliss carefully chopped the fruit into large pieces before she placed them down on the tray of his chair, kissing his soft hair again as Alex grabbed a slice in his hand and promptly jabbed it in his mouth, making appreciative noises.

Happy that he was content, Fliss then turned her attention to their dinner. She soon had the base of the cream and garlic sauce for the seafood linguini simmering nicely in the pan so she then turned her attention to shelling and de-veining the fresh, king prawns Frank had brought home the night before, along with chopping up the squid and cleaning the mussels before she turned her head and looked over to the table across the large family room.

“Mary, do you want mussels in yours?”

 “No, they taste like snot.” Came the simple response.

“You know what snot tastes like?” Fliss pulled a face. “Gross.”

Mary didn’t reply, her hand was busy scribbling on the paper. Fliss shrugged and placed some of the sauce into a separate pan before she dropped some of the seafood through to cook, before pulling a cod and mash potato puree out for Alex for his dinner. Whilst that was in the microwave, she tossed Mary’s sauce through some of the pasta, before sprinkling over a little bit of parmesan and setting it down on the breakfast bar.

“Mary, dinner.”

Mary hopped down from the table and made her way over to the counter. With a thanks to Fliss she tucked in as Fliss smiled and sat next to her, feeding Alex.

“What time is Dad home?” Mary asked.

“I’m actually expecting him any time now.” Fliss glanced at the clock. “He has no meetings tonight so he shouldn’t be too long. Did you want him for something? I can call him.”

“No, I was just curious.” Mary swallowed her mouthful of food. “Do you mind if I don’t ride tonight?”

 “No, of course not.” Fliss gave Alex another spoonful of his dinner before she turned to Mary. “Is everything ok, Stack? It’s not like you to pass up an opportunity to ride.”

“Well, I thought I could spend some time with Frank.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen him properly this week.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate that.” Fliss smiled, giving Alex more food.

 “Just figured if you’re at the stables and Alex is in bed, it’ll just be the two of us. No offense.��

“None taken.” Fliss chuckled, as Mary grinned and continued to eat. And she meant it. Over the past two weeks or so, Frank and Alan’s son had decided to expand a little and as such had been meeting with potential new suppliers, often working until later in the night, something Fliss knew was hard on him because it meant his time with the kids had really been limited to a quick hour over breakfast, the morning school and crèche drop offs and weekends. Fliss had assured him that the kids were fine, she was fine, and reminded him that he was doing this for the family, for their future but it didn’t stop him feeling guilty.

It was kind of ironic, when she thought about it. As she’d been expecting to feel the same guilt after going back to work full time but as she was self-employed, she’d been able to work her time-table quite well around the kids. She’d taken on another stable hand to help with the day to day chores leaving her free to teach more freelance in the area and school horses when they came to her for training. Joanne was now taking the group lessons completely, having passed her final teaching exams earlier that year, and Alex had settled really well into his day care, going two days a week to the centre round the corner from Mary’s school which had come recommended by Bonnie’s sister. The other two days a week Verity (and nine times outta ten Bill) came look after him or take him out, meaning on those days Fliss worked later- scheduling in evening lessons for clients as Verity would sort the kids dinner before Frank got home, and then on Friday, Fliss did her paperwork so Alex stayed with her . It was busy, and often required military planning as to who was picking which child up and when, but they worked it well, and Fliss had been very surprised at how easily they had picked it all up.

They continued chatting, and just as Mary had polished off her desert, Thor gave a little woof and padded to the back door as it opened and they heard Frank giving his usual jokey greeting.

“The boss is home.”

“Yeah I know, she made dinner.” Mary shot back and Fliss laughed, giving her a hi-five.

Frank walked into the main room and smiled at them both, giving Fliss a quick kiss before he ruffled Mary’s hair as she shoved him away, rolling her eyes, jumping off the stool to escape him.

“Good day?” He asked, and Fliss nodded.

“Yeah, not bad. You?”

“Busy, but productive. We got the final Price Lists negotiated so…” he trailed off, nodding to Alex who was smiling at him. “Looks like he enjoyed dinner.”

“So did Mary.” Fliss mused, nodding to the empty place on the side. “She ate a full dish of linguini and a massive piece of Mum’s chocolate cake. Think she’s going through another growth spurt.”

“Great, more clothes to buy.”

Fliss chuckled as she fed Alex the last of his peach and apple puree before she reached for a baby wipe and scrubbed his face and hands clean, much to the baby’s annoyance. She stood up to clear away his dish, leaving the spoon in Alex’s hand as he was busy banging it against the tray of his chair. Frank sat down on the stool she’d vacated, kissing Alex’s head. .

“Hey, Pal. Meet any hot girls today at crèche?” He asked. Alex shrieked in response, banging the spoon harder and Frank nodded. “Oh really? Well, you play it cool and she’ll be putty in your hands.”

“Like I was in yours?” Fliss asked, turning to face him and Frank grinned as he settled on the stool.

“Think we both know it was the other way round.”

“Don’t you forget it.” She smirked a little.

“Like I’d have a chance.” Frank winked at her and Fliss smiled.

“Do you want your dinner now or-“

“Oh, can I show you the invitation first?” Mary suddenly piped up from across the room and Fliss nodded.

“Sure.”

She jumped off the table at the chair and approached them, placing the card on the breakfast bar in front of Frank. Fliss stood behind Frank, her hands sliding round his shoulders as she kissed his cheek, both of them glancing down at the design Mary had come up with. 

The front was a simple square piece of card. Across the top Mary had cut letters out of a magazine to spell out the words “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED” and underneath it she’d stuck a copy of a photo of the four of them which had clearly been taken at Bill and Verity’s a few weeks ago. Mary and Alex were both looking at the camera, whereas Frank and Fliss were both laughing as they looked at each other as Frank held Alex, the baby’s back to his chest, supporting under his butt with one arm, the other held across his front.

“Where did you get that?” Frank asked, grinning as he looked at it.

“Poppa Bill.” Mary looked at him. “He said it was like the five thousandth attempt at trying to get us all to look at the camera.”

“That was Frank’s fault.” Fliss laughed, “He kept nipping my ass.”

Frank shrugged, before Fliss spotted one of his arms snaking backwards, blatantly intending on doing the same and she slapped his hand, making him give a dirty chuckle as he pulled it away.

“Turn it over!” Mary urged. Frank obliged and they both smiled instantly at the back. It was written in Mary’s untidy writing, in bright multi-coloured felt tip.

“Oh Mary, this is just what I wanted!” Fliss grinned. “For it to look bright and unique.”

“You haven’t read it yet.” She looked up at Fliss rolling her eyes, but before she could comment Frank started to laugh as he had and his chuckles continued as Fliss read the words out-loud.

“Mary and Alex Adler would like to invite you to their Mom and Dad’s wedding.” Fliss took a deep breath at the word, looking at Mary who gave her a small smile. Whilst Mary had referred to Fliss when talking to other people as her mom, she’d never actually used the word directly to Fliss yet. But, now wasn’t the time to dig into that. Fliss cleared her throat and read on “Frank and Fliss met at the stables. Frank was smitten, Fliss was too. But they were too dumb to admit it straight away. And then Frank took her sailing (not driving) on a speedboat. They kissed, made a baby and now it’s time for a party. (And a wedding too).”

Fliss burst out laughing, as Frank tried to gain enough control to read the final bit at the bottom, which was situated underneath the details of time and venues, before it went on to state their address.

“RSVP to Mary (not Alex, because he can’t read!)” He managed to wheeze out, wiping at his eyes. “Oh, Stack, you’re killing me.”

“You like it?” She grinned and Frank nodded.

“Mary.” Fliss’ laughter died down as she took a deep breath. “It’s absolutely perfect!”

Once they had finished laughing at Mary’s Invitation Prototype, Fliss and Frank ate dinner together, Mary chatting away to the pair of them as she sat at the end of the breakfast bar, sipping a milkshake, informing them both about her day, before Frank took Alex to get him bathed and changed into his pyjamas.

“This bath is supposed to be for you.” Frank grumbled as Alex enthusiastically splashed at the water with his little hands, those little babbling noises emitting from his mouth as he glanced up at Frank with his big blue eyes, making another sound that could almost have been interpreted as a question. Which, maybe it was. “You heard me.” Frank looked at him. Alex studied his dad for a second before continuing with his splashing, laughing loudly as he tossed a plastic boat to the end of the tub before he stretched towards it, then realising he couldn’t reach the toy, promptly burst into tears.

“Seriously, Pal?” Frank rolled his eyes, stretching his right hand over to retrieve the precious item. As soon as he passed it back, the over the top tears stopped and Frank raised an eyebrow. “If you wanted it so badly why did you throw it away in the first place?”

Alex responded with another noise, this one a gurgle and Frank nodded.

“Okay, understood.”

At that Alex looked at him, cocking his head to one side, making another puzzled noise and tossed the boat this time over the side of the bath, a grin spreading across his face as he studied his dad.  Frank arched an eyebrow. “You know, just because I love you doesn’t mean I sign up for this whole throw and fetch shit you got going on.” He picked up the toy and tossed it back into the water. “That’s Thor’s job.”

“You know, if his first word comes out a swear, you’re in deep trouble.” Fliss arched an eyebrow as Frank turned his head over his shoulder to look at her as she stood in the bathroom doorway. At the sight of his Mumma, Alex gave a huge grin and let out another gabble of noises.

“There are worst things it could be.” Frank shrugged, looking back at him.

“Like what?”

“Trump.” Frank deadpanned and Fliss let out a chuckle as once more the plastic boat came out of the tub onto the floor.

“Right, I think play-time is done pal.” Frank looked at Alex, who glanced up at him as he made sure to keep one hand behind his son’s back whilst reaching for his little hooded towel, which was patterned with tiny little ducks. “Come on.” No sooner had he lifted Alex out of the tub, the eight month old started to protest, dramatically, screams once more hitting Frank’s ears. “Oh, hush…” Frank chuckled as he lay him down on the towel before wrapping him in it and picking him up, rising to a stand and gently jiggling the now hysterical baby up and down.

“Anyone would think we’re tryin’a kill him, not simply dry him off after he’s spent fifteen minutes in the bath.” Frank rolled his eyes, an amused expression on his face at Alex’s dramatics.

“Well, he’s a right little water baby, aint you Bean?” Fliss leaned over to kiss Alex’s head as his cries suddenly died down as he had become instantly distracted with the buttons on Frank’s shirt. He made a little “oooh” of approval, his tiny fingers reaching to the ones near the collar. “Ha, look at that, he’s easily distracted, just like his daddy.”

“Yeah, well, I won’t deny, I quite like undoing your buttons.” Frank teased, dropping a kiss to her mouth. “Shall I dress him or do you wanna do it?”

Fliss took a deep breath, of course she wanted to dress him, she wanted to do everything for her baby, but she also knew that Frank had been out of the house early every morning and this was the first evening since Monday he’d made it home before bath time. With a smile she shook her head. “It's okay, you can do it. I’ll clean up in here.”

“Leave it, I’ll do it later.”

“It won’t take me five minutes. Then once I’m done and he’s settled, I’ll head over to the yard so I can ride and finish off. I won’t be too long, just an hour or so.”

“Then we got some us time?” Frank asked, almost pleaded and she smiled.

“Then we got some us time.”

“Perfect.” Frank gave her a soft smile before he kissed her again and carried Alex into the nursery. Before long he’d managed to wrestle a very wriggly baby into a clean diaper, a fresh romper suit and headed downstairs. Mary was now sat on the couch, her eyes glued to something on the TV as Fliss was warming Alex’s bottle up.

“You going with Fliss, Stack?”

No answer. With a raised brow he turned to look at Fliss who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh as he switched his attention back to Mary.

“Earth to Mary.”

With a groan she looked at him. “What?”

“Less of the attitude.” Frank looked at her. “I asked if you were going to ride?”

“Oh, erm…” She hesitated and Fliss chuckled.

“She wants to stay here and spend some time with you.” She smiled as Frank looked at her, then to Mary.

“Wow, me over Monty, I’m flattered.” He smirked. Mary rolled her eyes.

“Don’t get used to it, it’s only because I’ve not seen you properly this week to hang out.”

Frank snorted before he sighed. “I know, I’m sorry. It won’t be forever.”

“It’s fine.” Mary shrugged, her eyes back on the TV. “Not like I’m neglected, is it?”

“Good to know you feel that way.” Frank nodded seriously, before he caught Fliss’ eye and she gave him a wink.

He placed Alex down on the play mat in front of the TV and within seconds the baby had flipped himself over and pushed up onto his hands, rocking back a little onto his knees, emitting more excited noises.

“Mary, I’m just gonna grab a drink.” Frank looked at the Alex, before he turned to Mary. “Keep your eye on your brother will you?”

“Sure.” She shrugged, her attention now completely on the baby as she dropped onto the floor and shuffled over to him, talking to him as she did so.

Frank watched for a moment, giving a silent groan as Alex flopped gently down face first onto the mat.

“Oopsie!”  Mary grinned, and Frank braced himself for the dramatic screams, but they never came as this time, Alex managed to right himself and roll back over onto his back, giving Mary an excited grin and a loud shriek as Mary waggled one of the toys from the baby gym over the top of him.

Satisfied they were okay, Frank headed into the kitchen where Fliss was busy finishing off the lunches for the next morning, dropping a kiss to her cheek as he reached into the fridge, grabbing a beer.

 “You wanna do bedtime as you’ve not had chance this week?” Fliss asked, nodding to Alex’s bottle where it stood in the jug of boiling water.

“He’s my son, course I wanna.” Frank frowned as he looked at her, flipping the top off his beer. “You know, it’s not like I’ve been working late on purpose, Fliss.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Fliss narrowed her eyes at him as he took a long pull of his drink. “And you know it. So less of the shitty tone, thank you!”

“Sorry, Honey.” Frank sighed, dropping a kiss to her lips. “Just, well, I didn’t think Mary would have bothered as much as she had.”

“She’s fine.” Fliss shook her head. “And she isn’t bothered as such, she just wants to get you to herself for a little while. I mean, let’s face it, how often does she get chance to do that now?”

“True.” Frank nodded. “Maybe I should take her out on Saturday somewhere, just the two of us. Would you mind?”

“No, course not.” She shook her head. “I can take Alex down to the beach with Bonnie. You can always join us later on.”

“Yeah.” Frank nodded. “Sounds good.”

“And tonight, why don’t you spend a bit of time in the pool before she showers?” Fliss suggested, as she slid her hands up round his neck. “Then maybe when I get back, me and you could-“

But whatever filthy water-based shenanigans she was about to suggest, Frank never found out, as at that moment Mary let out a yell.

“Oh my God! Alex is crawling, quick!”

In a flash the parents rushed over to where Mary was sat at one side of the play-mat, waving Alex’s huge stuffed elephant at him, as he unsteadily made his way over to her, one hand and knee moving at a time.

“Frank, quick!” Fliss nudged him as she dropped to her knees behind Alex, her hands settling either side of his little body, getting ready to catch him if she needed to.  

“I got it…” Frank muttered, as he crouched next to Mary, his phone out. “Alex, buddy, you reckon you can make it all this way to Daddy, huh?”

Another few little movements later, Fliss’ sharp eyes saw the baby’s arms beginning to wobble and, just as they gave way she grabbed him and pulled him backwards, swinging him up and pressing her to his chest, smothering his face in kisses.

“My clever little man!” She beamed as Alex laughed, grabbing at her hair as she kissed him. “Oh my baby, you’re getting so big!”

Alex clearly decided that his crawling efforts were done for the day as he made no attempt try again as Fliss held him in position on the mat. With a shrug, she gently placed him on his back where he began to grab once more at the toys hanging over him.

“Obviously had enough excitement for one night.” Frank chuckled as he reached over and tickled the baby’s belly, drawing a gaggle of laughter from him.

“I’m so glad we all got to see it.” Fliss beamed round at them both and Mary nodded enthusiastically. “Right…” She rose to her feet. “I’m going to go ride and finish off. I’ll be back in an hour, hour and a half.”

Once she was gone, Frank turned to Mary. “Fancy playing in the pool for a bit before bed?”

“Errr, yeah!”

“Okay, well give me half an hour or so to get him down and then we’ll head out. I wanna see if you can master a back flip this time instead of a front one.”

***** Alex went down, as usual, with minimum fuss and once Frank was happy he was settled he changed into his swim shorts and headed downstairs. Grabbing the baby monitor screen from the side in the kitchen, he and Mary headed out to the pool, Mary wasting no time in cannon-balling straight in. Not one to shy down from a challenge, when Mary told him to beat her splash, he did just that. The two of them enjoyed a fun filled forty minutes or so, racing one another (Frank let Mary win a few, but not all) play fighting, diving and generally larking around as the sun dipped behind the eye-line of the fence and the lights in the pool kicked in, reflecting against the bright blue tiles which lined it.

Frank climbed out of the pool to check the time on his phone, and realising it was now almost eight, he told Mary it was time to get out. She protested, but he shot her a no-nonsense stare and with a loud groan about how unfair life was, she climbed out and Frank wrapped her in a towel before giving her a drink of water and then packing her off upstairs for a shower, promising her she could read in bed before lights off at nine.

He showered himself, pulling on a pair of sweats and a well-worn light blue T-Shirt, and by the time he had finished and headed across the landing to tuck Mary in, she was already out for the count. With a smile, he placed her book down on her night stand, gently kissed her head and then flicked off the lamp before he moved to the next room to check on Alex. He was also fast asleep.

He headed back downstairs, grabbed another beer and settled in front of the TV, giving a snort as he glanced at the time. It was now ten past nine. So much for Fliss being just an hour. No doubt she’d ended up chatting to one of the clients about something, as usual, which had delayed her locking up. Firing her a good humoured, sarcastic text about how he should grow a mane, tail and two extra legs so he could get a look in, he tossed the phone down onto the coffee table, frowning as it instantly began to light up. It was Fliss.

 “Hey, Honey, I was only joking, take as-“

“Frank, there’s something wrong with Heidi.” She cut him off, her voice cracking. “She’s got colic and it’s bad. I called the Vet and he’s on his way but she won’t get up. I can’t get her on her feet to try and walk her round she’s just…”

Frank took a deep breath, his stomach falling as he digested her words. He wasn’t clued up on a lot of horse lingo or issues, but he knew colic was fatal to some horses, depending on the severity. And even without the fact that Fliss was clearly concerned, he knew that with Heidi being as old as she was this wasn’t good.

“How long is the Vet going to be?” he asked.

“They said about half an hour, he’s on his way but as it’s night it’s an emergency call so he’s coming from home.” She took a deep breath. “Frank, I’m gonna lose her.”

“Look, you don’t know that for sure.” He placated her gently as he stood up from the sofa. “Listen, let me grab the kids and we’ll come over.”

“Frank, they’re sleeping.” She began to protest, “And Mary will be so upset to see Heidi like this, and if the vet has to put her to sleep then…”

“Then she’ll be mad as hell she didn’t get to say goodbye.” Frank reasoned as he made his way into the hallway. “I don’t want you over there on your own, sweetheart. Not if…”

There was a pause. “I don’t want to do it on my own either.” She whispered and he took a deep breath as he headed up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

“And you don’t hafta.” He replied. “Give me five minutes. Do you need anything else?”

“No, I got everything here.”

“Okay.” He nodded, pausing outside Mary’s bedroom. “We’ll be with you in five.”

She sniffed. “Thank you.”

Frank stuck his phone in the pocket of his sweats before he opened Mary’s door and headed over to her bed. Standing on the bottom rung of the ladder of the cabin he gently leaned over. She was led, facing away from him, face snuggled into her pillow as Fred lay by her side. He raised his head questioningly at Frank as he softly brushed Mary’s hair off her cheek, pressing a kiss to her face.

“Stack, hey…come on, wake up.” Mary gave a groan as she pulled her covers up further, her eyes still closed. Frank spoke a little louder, his hand softly shaking her shoulder. “Mary, sweetheart, I need you to wake up, come on.”

She stirred a little, before she rolled onto her back, blinking sleepily at him before she frowned.

“Frank, it’s still dark!” She glared at him and he bit back the smirk at the fact she’d reverted to Frank, not Dad. Something she always did when she felt he was being a jerk.

“I know you haven’t been asleep long, but Fliss is at the yard and we need to go be with her. Heidi isn’t well, the vet is on his way.”

At that she sat up, all tiredness evaporating from her system. “What’s wrong with her?”

“It’s colic, Sweetie.” Frank answered gently. “But Fliss is on her own, so I need you to get dressed whilst I grab Alex, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded, and Frank smiled softly before he turned and headed over to the nursery which was quiet bar the soft sounds of Alex’s little baby snores. In the stream of light that illuminated the room from the landing, he could see his son sleeping, halfway down the crib, head tilted to the side, the pair of them meticulous in the way they set him down at night. He crossed the room and gently picked Alex up out of the crib, the baby giving a little sigh as he did so but other-wise remaining asleep. He grabbed a little fleece blanket and as he made his way back out into the hallway, Mary appeared in her jeans and a red t-shirt.  

“Why don’t you bring your laptop or something, just in case we’re there for a while and you get bored?” Frank asked. “You can sit in the office with Alex.”

“It’s downstairs.” She answered. “I’ll go grab it.”

They headed down stairs and Frank settled Alex in his stroller which was by the kitchen door as Mary grabbed her stuff. Frank slipped his feet into his sneakers as Mary stuffed on her boots and he wandered into the laundry room and found a warm top for them each.

“Frank it’s like almost summer outside.” Mary looked at him, “It’s hot!”

“I’m well aware of the climate, thanks.” He looked at her, stashing the hooded tops and cardigan on the underneath space of the stroller, before he made sure that Alex’s little blanket was set around his legs. “But it might get a little breezy if we’re there later.”

Truth be told he had no idea why he was taking them, other than the fact it felt like something he should do even though it was still in the low 70s at night. He was a little lost, this was something he’d never dealt with before, and there was a sick feeling in his stomach that it wasn’t going to end well. But, there was no point worrying about it until they knew what they were dealing with. He had to be strong, be calm. Taking a deep breath he looked at Mary and nodded. “Get the door, Stack.”

By the time they had reached the Yard, Fliss had managed to coax Heidi to her feet. As Frank and Mary walked round the side of the barn Fliss was heading to the paddock, Heidi trudging behind her.

“Hey.” Frank looked at her, and she gave him a tight smile, not stopping.

“I’m sorry, but if I stop she’ll…” She began to explain but Frank waved her away.

“Do what you gotta do.” He watched as she cast a look over her shoulder. “I’ll settle these two in the office and then I’ll be out.”

After doing just that, instructing Mary to keep an eye on Alex and promising her he would come get her once they knew what was going on, he wandered back to the paddock and without a word simply took Fliss' hand in his as she continued walking Heidi. Frank could hear the horse was making grunting noises and every so often tried to stop and kick at her stomach, but Fliss kept walking, her face set. She didn’t say much, making a little small talk, but Frank simply stayed by her side as every so often they changed direction.

“Where the hell is this vet?” Fliss gave an exasperated sigh and looked around, almost as if she expected to see him.

“It’s not been that long yet, Sweetheart.” Frank soothed her.

“Well it feels like forever.”

Frank kissed her head as they continued walking and about five minutes later a dark blue Hyundai pulled up the drive and Fliss let out a sigh of relief as she saw it was Scott, their usual vet and not some random on-call one. She led Heidi onto the main area of the yard, the horse rapidly becoming even more agitated. Fliss gently ran her hand down her neck, as she turned to Scott and gave him a quick low down and he nodded, patting Heidi.

“Okay old girl, let’s see what’s going on…” Scott hooked the stethoscope into his ears and moved to listen to her belly, taking a deep breath as he looked at Fliss. “Yeah, there’s absolutely no gut noise at all. It’s definitely colic, but you know that already…” he unhooked the ear pieces, leaving the item hanging around his neck before he moved to her head and examined her nose to get a look at the mucas membrane colour, then did a quick check on her gums which Frank noticed were pale instead of the usual pink.

“She’s in shock.” Fliss sniffed a little, noticing the change in colour and Scott wrinkled his nose.

“Not uncommon if she’s in a bit of pain.” He stood back. “Okay, I’m going to give her an anti-spasmodic and some pain relief which should help, and a mild sedative so I can do an internal examination.”

 “Yeah, whatever you need to do.” Fliss nodded as Scott turned to head back to his car to prep what he needed.

“Internal examination?” Frank looked at Fliss, “Like, is he…” He mimed fisting something and despite herself, Fliss let out a snort of laughter.

“That’s exactly what he’s gonna do.” She shook her head as she gently stroked Heidi’s face, the mare giving another grunt and huff as she butted Fliss out of the way a little. “Still a sassbag, eh girl?”

“Like her mom.” Frank looked at Fliss and she shrugged, turning over her shoulder as the vet approached, two large syringes in his hand.

“Look, can you call my mum and dad?” Fliss looked at Frank. “I don’t think…well, Dad especially is going to want to be here if…”

“Sure.” Frank nodded and turned away, obligingly.

He wandered back into the office, Bill who answered the phone instantly asked him what was going on and when he explained he simply stated they would be there as soon as they could be and hung up.

“Is she going to be okay?” Mary asked, as Frank checked on Alex where he was still sleeping in his stroller.

“I honestly don’t know Stack, but as soon as I do I’ll tell you okay?”

“Okay.”

“You’re doing a good job in here, watching him.”

“Don’t patronise me, Dad.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s asleep, and I’m reading. Not like it’s hard.”

Frank blinked, before he gave a little scoff and turned to head back onto the yard.

The Vet was just finishing giving Heidi the first jab and he gently rubbed the horse’s neck and then nodded to Fliss.

“Okay so that’s the pain relief and anti-spasmodic administered. Take her back in the paddock and give her another couple of minutes’ walk round whilst it kicks in.”

Fliss nodded and led the horse away, waving off Frank’s offer to come with her, Thor trotting behind.

“What’s the chances, Scott?” Frank turned to the man and he pulled a face.

“It’s hard to say.” He sighed. “If she was younger I’d be optimistic but with horses that age, well everything like this can be a risk. If this doesn’t work then I’ll know more after I’ve done an internal.”

To their despair it didn’t work, and if anything after another minute of walking around Heidi had gotten even worse and her bright, chestnut coat was now damp with sweat, her chest area and parts of her chest covered in a thin sheen of white foam.

“Scott, she’s in agony.” Fliss sniffed as Frank curled an arm round her.

“The sedative will help more with the pain.” Scott assured Fliss, pulling out the second needle which he administered into the horses neck. “Atta girl. We’ll give that a minute to work.”

As Scott snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, Frank and Fliss both turned to look as they heard another car heading up the gravel driveway onto the yard. Verity and Bill appeared shortly after, exchanging a look before Bill headed straight to Heidi, giving her a soft stroke on the nose before Verity did the same.

“You okay, Titch?” Bill asked, dropping a kiss to her head and she swallowed.

“Not really.” Her eyes flicked to Scott as he moved behind Heidi whose head was now slumped down, resting on Fliss’ shoulder as the sedative had kicked in. No one spoke for a moment, before they all heard a heavy sigh from Scott as he pulled his arm back and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Fliss.” He sighed, and immediately her face crumpled and she took a deep breath.

“Don’t say it, please.” She begged, her chest tightening painfully as her voice cracked.

“Her gut’s twisted. The only option is surgery, but given her age and the stress that would put on her heart…”

He trailed off as Fliss shook her head, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve. “I’m not putting her through that.” She whispered, “It’s not fair. She’s too old.”

“In that case then, well, you know what I’m gonna say.” Scott dropped his head as Frank softly placed his hands between Fliss shoulder blades as she nodded and took a deep breath “I really am so sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Fliss shook her head, sniffing loudly. “I don’t want her in pain longer than she needs to be. Can we…can we get on with it, please?”

The Vet nodded. “I won’t be able to arrange for her body to be collected until the morning.” He looked at Fliss who took a shuddering breath, more tears rolling down her face. “So errr, where do you want to….”

“Why don’t you use the barn at the back?” Bill cut in gently. “I can move the tractor out for the night. There’s enough room for her to go down peacefully and she can stay in there until someone can collect her.”

“Yeah, it’s clean in there and a soft landing for when…” Fliss took a deep breath before she began to cry as she pressed her face into her beloved horse’s neck, her shoulders shaking as Frank gently rubbed at her back.

“The kids are in the office.” He turned to Bill and Verity, “Mary’s gonna…”

“We’ll sort it.” Verity assured him. “I’ll take Alex back to the house.” She turned to Fliss and gave her arm a gently squeeze before she gently scratched at Heidi’s wither, her head bowing as she walked away.

The next five minutes passed in a blur for Fliss, and somehow she found herself in the barn at the back, as she led Heidi in, the mare following her faithfully.

“Do you want another couple of minutes?” Scott asked kindly.

“Just one, for us all to say goodbye.” Fliss nodded, as she stroked down Heidi’s nose, the tears pouring down her face. She turned to Mary who was stood with Frank, her eyes wet and Frank picked her up, carrying her over as the family crowded round.

“Goodbye, Heidi.” Mary sniffed, pressing a kiss to her nose as Frank gently gave the horse a scratch on the neck. “Frank says we all end up in the same place eventually, so we’ll see you again.”

At that Fliss let out a loud sob and clamped her hand over her face as she broke down. Bill wiped at his eyes as he dropped his arm round his daughter.

“Do you remember when we went to see her before we bought her?” He asked and Fliss let out a choked laugh. “She was in that field, and she came straight over, but so did that big black horse…”

“And she kicked it.” Fliss laughed. “Then she bit Steve. That’s why I picked her.”

At that Frank let out a soft chuckle.

“Yeah, he held a grudge about that, still does.” Bill smiled softly. “God, you had some moments with her. Falls, disagreements, battles of wills, but you got there in the end.”

“She’s been amazing.” Fliss smiled, pressing her nose to Heidi’s. “Turned herself inside out to please me. The best horse I could ever have had.”

Bill smiled, before he reached up and stroked Heidi’s face. “Night, old girl.”

At that he stepped back a little, the three of them plus the vet giving Fliss a moment alone with her old faithful.

“Dad’s right.” She smiled, her hand stoking Heidi’s nose, “You were an asshole for the first four months but, I knew you’d be special, I just had to get your trust. You gave me everything, baby girl, and I’ll never forget you. I’m gonna miss you so much. Your stupid temper tantrums if I don’t pay you enough attention, the fact you rule the pastures…” the tears poured freely down Fliss’ face as she took a shuddering breath, pressing her head to Heidi’s, taking a deep breath. “Sleep well.”

At that she turned to Scott and nodded, and he stepped forward.

“Okay, you’ve seen this before, right?”

“Yeah.” Fliss nodded, “But Mary hasn’t so…”

“Right, so, Mary, I’m gonna give her the first shot and that’s gonna knock her out pretty much, she’s likely to rock back and sit down like a dog before she flops sideways so, be prepared okay.”

“Kay…” Mary spoke in a quiet voice from where she stood in front of Frank. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and bent down.

“You sure you wanna watch this?”

Mary nodded. “Yeah. Heidi doesn’t know what’s going on. She should have her family here.”

Frank smiled, pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stood up, his hands remaining where they were as Bill gently strode forward and grabbed Thor’s collar, removing him from the barn and out of the way.

Within seconds of Scott administering the first injection, Heidi did just as Scott said. Fliss gently pushed back with the lead rope, guiding Heidi back and the horse fell onto her haunches before flopping sideways, her head landing heavily on the straw bales that Bill had positioned to cushion her blow.

With a loud sob Fliss dropped to her knees and cradled the horse’s head in her lap as Scott then bent over to give her the last injection.

“So now she’s just basically gonna fall asleep and never wake up.” He looked at Mary who nodded, giving a loud sniff as she reached up to grab Franks hand.

“You okay?” He asked and she nodded, wiping at her face with her other hand. Bill moved, dropping a large hand to the back of the small girl’s head as Fliss gently stroked Heidi’s face as the animal’s eyes closed.

With a final, laboured breath, the animal’s chest grew still and Scott bent over.

“She’s gone.” He looked at Fliss, who gave another loud sob, bending over to press her face into the side of Heidi’s cheek.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t fix you.” She cried, her voice broken. “I’m so sorry.”

Frank was surprised to find his own eyes misting up, and as Mary turned to him, pressing her face into his T’shirt just above the waistband of his sweats, he glanced up at Bill who had tears trickling down his cheeks. He nodded to Frank who gently looked down at Mary, who stepped back and moved towards Bill as he opened his arms, allowing Frank to move into the barn.

“Hey, Lissy…come here.” He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms round his girl who turned and pressed into him, her body wracked as she almost screamed out her sobs.

*****

It was pushing midnight before they made their way back to the house. Fliss had broken down once more as Frank and Bill had pulled the huge barn doors shut where Heidi’s body lay, covered by a tarp, ready for collection in the morning. The Vet had been nothing short of fantastic, as sympathetic and understanding as he could and for that Frank had thanked him profoundly as he’d been packing his kit up.  Without a word said between any of them, they walked down the little pathway and through the gate that connected into the gardens of the house and walked slowly across the gravel driveway. Fliss was walking a little ahead of them, every so often Frank would notice her hand falling to Thor’s head, almost as if she was checking her faithful dog was still with them as well.

She opened the back door which led into the mudroom and walked in, kicking off her boots and then headed into the family room where Verity was sat watching TV. She stood up immediately, took one look at Fliss and then she held her arms out.

“Mum…” Fliss choked and Verity swallowed, her own face creasing into sadness as Fliss stepped into the comfort of her mum’s arms, sniffing slightly.

“Oh, Sweetheart.” Verity pressed a kiss to her daughters head. “I know this is no consolation but she had the best life ever with you, she was so loved and looked after.”

Tearing his eyes away from Fliss, who continued to sniff softly as her mum held her, Frank gently turned to Mary who had tugged on his sleeve.

“You okay?” He asked, his hand gently cupping under her cheek and she shook her head.

“I’m just sad.”

“I know.” He agreed. “You will be for a while, and there’s nothing anyone can say or do that’s gonna make it better, but if you wanna talk about it…”

“No, I think I just wanna go to bed.” She shrugged slightly. “And give Fred a hug.”

“Alright.” He nodded. “You go up, I’ll come tuck you in, in a second.”

She nodded and then walked towards Fliss, hesitating a little, before she continued and gently reached up to lay her hand on Fliss’s elbow. Fliss broke away from her mum and turned to look at Mary, wiping her eyes. Mary blinked and Fliss gave her a soft smile, crouching down to give her a hug, kissing her head.

“I love you, Mom.” Mary’s voice cracked and Fliss pressed her face harder into her hair, pulling her even closer, before she pulled back a little bit and smiled.

“I love you too. And I’m proud of you. You were so brave then.”

Fliss straightened up as Mary walked from the room after bidding everyone a goodnight, before she turned to Frank who was watching her carefully, knowing from the way her face was crumpling that her emotions were about to boil over completely. “Frankie…she…” Fliss stuttered, her chest heaving as Frank stepped forward quickly. “She just…”

“I know…” He wrapped his arms round her and pulled her close as she began to sob, her face pressed into his t-shirt. He stood, his large arms holding her against him, one hand gently resting on the back of her neck, his thumb gently arching over the skin at the back of her ear as he slowly rocked her to-and-fro on the spot, pressing a kiss to her head.

“I’ll make us some tea.” Verity swallowed, and Frank looked at her gratefully as she passed, Bill following, the man gently squeezing Fliss’ shoulder. The room was silent apart from the clinking of mugs as Verity gathered the items she needed to make them all a drink, and Thor’s soft little whines of concern, the dog eventually sticking his head in between Frank and Fliss, nudging Fliss’s thigh with his nose, his noises of distress becoming more and more high pitched. Fliss looked down, Frank’s arm curling over her shoulder as she reached down and scratched behind his ear, before the dog stood on his hind legs, his large paws reaching Fliss’ shoulders as she stooped towards him as he gently licked the tears from her face, his noises dying down a little. Frank watched the animal, a warm feeling in his chest. He’d never seen him react in this way before. He knew from tales Fliss had told him that he’d often comforted her before once her shit bag ex had given her a battering, and he’d seen the dog seek her out when she was upset or worried, but never in such an overt way like this.

“I know you’re not keen on the idea.” Fliss sniffed, looking at Frank and he turned his eyes from the dog to her. “But, can he sleep on the end of the bed, just for tonight?”

Frank looked at her, then back to the dog. Having never had pets as a kid, the bond between a human and an animal was never something he’d really given a second thought to, that is until Mary had found Fred. But since meeting Fliss, seeing the way she was with Thor and her horses, seeing how Mary was with Monty, he’d started to really comprehend that the ties went beyond a simple love. They were bonds, bonds that transcended species, bonds that snaked their way around your heart and latched on with barbs and having one of those bonds wrenched away was not only excruciating but it was devastating.

In simple terms, it was like losing a member of your family, and that Frank could relate to. It was a physical pain, a searing knife which twisted in your heart every time you thought about the person you’d lost.

The lump in Frank’s throat grew even larger as he reached out and scratched Thor behind the ear, the dog turning to him and licking the underside of his forearm, his bushy tail wagging against Frank’s leg.

“I think we can make an exception for one night.” He smiled, looking at Fliss before he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

*****

Frank was glad their bed was a kingsize. Whilst he never minded particularly that Thor would lounge on the bed with them before they were going to sleep, or in the mornings when they got up, having the big animal on there all night could have been a problem, but as it stood, the dog was perfectly happy to curl up round the peak in the covers which Fliss’ feet made, and she pointed out to Frank that he’d probably hop off and get on his basket at some point during the night.

“He used to do that, anyway.” She shrugged. “When I was in the annex that is. Asshole never let him on the bed. If he was ever away for a few days and I let him or Loki up, I used to have to change the bedding so he wouldn’t find out. One day I forgot and…well, you can figure the rest.”

“Shhhh.” Frank kissed her neck softly as he pulled her closer, her back pressing into his chest wrapping his arms around her. “Try and get some sleep, Sweetheart. It’s late.”

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“What for?”

“Just being you.” She let out a deep breath and turned her head so she could look at him.

“Well, that is one thing I’m pretty good at.” He quipped and Fliss gave a soft chuckle before she took a deep breath.

“I know you’re busy at the shop, but is there any chance you could start late tomorrow?” She asked him softly. “I don’t wanna be on my own when they come to take her.”

“I’m not going in tomorrow.” Frank shook his head. “And Mary’s not going to school. We’ve had a late and upsetting night so I think we should all take it easy, spend some family time together. I thought maybe we could go for a drive, head down to Bay Vista Park.” He suggested. “There’s plenty of shade to sit in. We can take a picnic, climb some trees, me and Mary can have a game of Ultimate Frisbee, perhaps a swim. Hey, we might even spot some manatees.”

“Sounds great.” Fliss agreed, turning her head back round and laying down on the pillow. It was silent for a while, and Frank thought she’d drifted off to sleep until he felt her take a shuddering breath and her shoulders began to shake.

“Hey, come on.” Frank pulled her closer, pressing another kiss to her neck and she turned in his arms, pressing her face into his chest.

“I can’t believe she’s gone.” Fliss sniffed, as Frank’s hand ran up and down her back.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I wish there was something I could do to make this better.”

“This is helping, a little.” She spluttered and Frank gave a soft chuckle, kissing her head again.

“Then you can stay like this all night.” He replied, closing his eyes as he simply held her close.

Eventually, Frank felt Fliss’ breathing grow even, and even though he couldn’t see in the dark of their room he knew she was asleep.

“Night, Baby.” He whispered, kissing her forehead and at that he heard Thor give out a little huff as the dog hopped down off the bed, his basket creaking before there was a soft thud indicating he’d bedded down there.

And, as Frank drifted off, he couldn’t help smile at just how the faithful dog had waited until he knew his precious human was asleep before he left her side. 

***** Chapter 22

Dedicated to  my gorgeous, wonderful, bad tempered but oh-so-loyal and loving chestnut mare, Sandybrook Hideaway. Keep waiting on that rainbow bridge until I find you again.

#riding on #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #frank adler x original female character #frank adler x oc #gifted #gifted fan fic #chris evans #chris evans characters

[stormkrigeren]

Whumptober Day 4!

Link to the Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34210837/chapters/85303615

Title: Hostage - Clark

Prompt: No. 4 ‘Trust Fall’ - “Do you trust me?”, taken hostage, pushed

Trigger Warnings: threats

Word Count: 1763

Dinner-dates with Lois were always nice - good food, stimulating conversation, and excellent company were all a man could ask for, and she certainly made it interesting. Tonight they had picked out a local Italian restaurant in the university district and talked about… well, everything. How his mom was doing, what books the other was currently reading, the subway construction, Clark’s latest article, Lois’ most recent investigation - drug smugglers bringing in goods from Gotham, of all things - and whether lasagna was better with red sauce or alfredo. The discussion moved towards housing prices after Black Zero over a shared dessert of cannolis, and developed into a playful debate over whether the high taxi fare was worth it considering that it was twice as fast as the subway when they finally walked out of the restaurant.

Lois’ apartment wasn’t too far away and the weather was good, so they opted to walk hand-in-hand, simply enjoying each other’s company while they explained whatever articles they were currently working on. Clark was just beginning a short series assigned to him by Perry on recent changes made to libraries in the district and what sort of effects the changes might have on schools and poorer neighborhoods - a bit fluffy, not necessarily investigative but enough to get his wheels turning as he fit all the pieces together. Some of the Metropolis city council members were recommending closing the libraries a bit earlier in the afternoon, which Clark - bookish nerd that he was - was strongly against, and he proceeded to rattle off a list of statistics and arguments that pointed out the issue with shortening library hours while Lois bounced the ideas right back at him with a bit of journalistic review. She herself was currently in the thick of a story revolving around a smuggling ring that was gradually importing narcotics and other illegal items into Metropolis - from what she could tell, the drugs were coming from all over but a majority were ferried over from Gotham. Lois explained in a low voice as they walked that a tentative lead had pointed her towards Mal Sharpe, the owner of a few small businesses in the downtown of both cities, who seemed to have his hands in many pies… including drug trafficking. There was a low-priority warrant out for Mal’s arrest, but that warrant would soon be at the top of everyone’s list if Lois had anything to say about it.

Clark grinned at that, knowing full well that with his girlfriend on the case, it was sure to be resolved within the week. Gently steering the topic towards where they should go for dinner next week, he looped an arm around her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her cheek just as Lois turned to do the same. But instead of her arms slipping beneath his open coat to pull him close, Clark instead felt a sharp tug on his shirt collar, abruptly ending the kiss as it was followed by a kick to the back of his knees.

He hardly felt the blow, but it still caught him by surprise and Clark inwardly cursed when he realized that he had been so focused on Lois, he hadn’t noticed the two men sneaking up behind them - and when one of them pulled out a gun to press it against his head, Clark reconsidered fighting back and silently complied when he was once again shoved to his knees.

Lois’ eyes widened at the sight of the two criminals shoving her boyfriend to the ground, then narrowed dangerously when she spotted the gun in one’s hand and the knife in the other’s.

“What do you want?” she asked slowly, gaze flitting between the knife now pointed at her - a sure threat of what would happen if she screamed for help - and Clark calmly putting his hands on his head in surrender as they waited to be told to hand over their wallets. They both knew that a gun against Clark’s head wouldn’t do him a bit of harm, but their captors didn’t know that and if this was just your common-or-garden hold-up, they would simply comply and Superman or the police could get back whatever was stolen as soon as they were let go. But therein lay the issue: Lois was getting the feeling that this wasn’t just a robbery. It, unfortunately, looked an awful lot like a goddamned hostage situation, and her suspicions were only confirmed when the man holding the knife spoke up.

“Boss heard that you were sticking your nose where it isn’t wanted, writing a story about some stuff he brought over from Gotham,” he answered, “So Boss has decided to send you a very clear message: drop the story, or your boyfriend here is gonna go to bed tonight in a body bag.”

Clark winced as the gun was shoved against his skull, emphasizing his captors’ point, but Lois, instead of looking downright terrified, happened to look downright pissed.

“Alright, you’re Mal’s boys, aren’t you? I imagine that he’ll be pretty pissed when he hears that your hostage plan fell through.”

One look at her face, and Clark’s already-a-bit-dismayed spirits dropped - she was going to try something, and he wasn’t sure if it would end well. He knew for a fact that the gun currently pressed against his temple wouldn’t do him much harm, but it was still a little nerve-wracking to keep up the act of being scared while actually, genuinely scared and making sure said gun wasn’t pointed at Lois.

Clark was… well, Clark was a farmboy. He had grown up in the middle of Kansas where just about everyone’s pa owned a rifle of some sort, so it wasn’t as if he had never seen a gun before, it was just that he wasn’t used to having one pointed at him. Duck season had made him plenty familiar with what guns could do, and even though he knew it couldn’t hurt him, that did not mean that he was completely comfortable with it and to be perfectly honest, it made him just a little bit sick to his stomach.

“It ain’t gonna fall through,” one of Clark’s captors glowered suspiciously, breaking his train of thought, and Lois almost snorted in derision at the claim, hands on her hips as she snarled.

“Look, dumbass, anyone who's read the Daily Planet knows the sort of people I go after, and they also know that said people almost always end up behind bars. I’m not your cocky, everyday journalist who happened to dig up some dirt on your operation - nah, I’m ‘Mad Dog’ Lane, Pulitzer Prize investigator, queen of the front page - and if you think pointing a gun at my boyfriend’s head will get me to drop a story once I’ve got it in my teeth, than you’d better fucking think again!”

Clark felt both men stiffen behind him, clearly rethinking having messed with someone as well-known as Lois, but their fear of Boss Mal’s wrath was just the littlest bit stronger than that of a tall red-headed journalist cussing them out.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Lane,” the man with the knife said decidedly, working up the courage to take a threatening step towards her, “But if you don’t want to do this here, we could easily take both of you along and get this whole thing cleared up in front of the Bo-”

Clark should have expected her to know at least some basic self-defense moves, considering her history of going into dangerous warzones and offices only to walk right back out with the info she wanted and a few bruises on her otherwise flawless figure, but seeing her in action was admittedly a little surprising. Lois Joanne Lane was an army brat through and through, so it was honestly no trouble to knock the knife out his grip with a simple wrist chop and the same ferocious elegance she used to mix her coffee. A moment later, she had kicked the weapon out of the man’s reach, sending it skittering across the asphalt, and promptly disabled her would-be attacker with a sharp knee to the crotch.

While his friend was groaning on the ground, the man holding Clark hostage fumbled with his gun, suddenly caught off-guard and having to decide between threatening his captive and pointing the weapon at Lois before Clark made the decision for him. Remembering the few moves Darcie had managed to drill into his head during one of her failed attempts to teach him the proper way to hit someone, he shoved his elbow back to make contact with the man’s nose, careful to limit the amount of force he used so that the bone was only broken and not the entire face. It worked better than he had expected, and before he knew it, both of the attackers were lying on the ground, one squirming uncomfortably and the other trying to stem the flow of blood suddenly rushing from his nose.

Clark hardly noticed their screaming as he jumped to his feet, absently rubbing the spot where the gun had been pressed against his head as he caught Lois’ arm to ask, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” she all but laughed, her good mood not disturbed one bit by the whole situation, “Damn, this will make for an excellent follow-up piece to the article on Mal and his gang’s activities. What about you, babe - are you feeling okay?”

“Me? Yeah… I’m fine too,” he answered slowly, even though it was the farthest thing from the truth. Having a gun to his head had shaken him up more than a little, despite the fact that they both knew it couldn’t do him any harm.

It’d been frightening, knowing that both him and Lois were in danger and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it, yet her ecstatic mood - over a hostage situation, he had to remind himself - was more than a little infectious, and he was already feeling a little bit better by the time she had managed to get ahold of the police to report the incident. By the time they had given their statements to the two officers that arrived to the scene and finally reached Lois’ apartment, his anxiety was finally beginning to lose its clenching hold around his lungs and a hot cup of tea diminished it further - it was only when his hands finally stopped shaking that the hilarity of the whole situation finally dawned on him. Clark couldn’t wait to see Darcie’s face when she heard.

#whumptober2021 #no.4 #taken hostage #DCEU #Clark Kent #fic #threats tw #Red Capes #Lois Lane #Superman

[apparitionism]

Mercury 12

Because I have the affinity I have, the only Warehouse 13 revival scenario I’d ever be interested in would be one involving Joanne Kelly and Jaime Murray sharing copious amounts of screen time. However: there’s a remake scenario discussed in this part that I might indeed pay cash money to see... anyway, Tumblr’s being weird again, so please be so kind as to visit my actual tumblr if you have an interest in the other parts of this little tale. Which I would also pay cash money to see.

Mercury 12

Having to go to the museum—having to do their actual jobs—was for Myka an anticlimax, post-pie. (She was trying very hard not to think about the implications of that.) She’d expected Pete to see it as a letdown, too, after the car massacre, because while the Sable hadn’t won, it was one of the last few vehicles managing to propel itself at the others, tires askew and engine asmoke. Myka had taken his continued investment in the proceedings as her opportunity to filch the remainder of his serving of pie. Helena had already handed hers over, wordlessly and unprompted. Myka hadn’t even had to look longingly at it. Okay, maybe once, but that was all it took.

But Pete clearly had not found the derby to be the pinnacle of the day’s excitement, and in the front seat of the rental, riding shotgun next to Myka as she followed Ida to the museum, he was extra-fidgety with anticipation at being in the sled-prop’s presence. The closer they got, the more his eagerness ratcheted up, which made Myka ask, “Do you think it’s affecting you?”

That got her the “duh” head-shake. “Well yeah. It’s Rosebud.”

“In a Warehouse-y way,” she clarified.

Pete squinched his face, the relaxed it. “Pretty sure I’d feel the same about something like... Peter Weller’s Robocop suit. Or Eastwood’s gun from Fistful of Dollars. You know, real movie stuff. I bet I’d pass out if I saw E.T. in person.”

Twilight was turning to real dark as they pulled into the deserted museum parking lot, right behind Ida, and the night hid them completely as Helena picked the lock on the “staff only” door—matter-of-factly, with a mutter of “why did they bother.” Then Ida led them past exhibits that purported to tell “The Wisconsin Story”—the whole story, starting with the deep geological past, and giving pride of place to what had been unearthed from that deep geological past: two looming fossil mammoths, which Pete was fortunately too Rosebud-focused to register, for their size was giving even Myka the shivers. They were impressively tusked, but with comparatively delicate ribs, too-long legs, and strangely structured foot-bones that gave them the improbable look of walking on dainty tiptoe.

Myka had not expected mammoths. Again, an educational trip.

The Wisconsin story stopped, apparently, with Orson Welles, for the gallery was designed to culminate in that exhibit. Their approach of the sled was uneventful, aside from Pete’s actual hyperventilating; if Rosebud did this to him, there was no way he would have survived E.T., much less stayed conscious. Myka made him breathe into a static bag—she appreciated that Helena managed not to laugh too much at the sight—and when he finally calmed down, he declared, “I refuse to steal it. Because we’ve got the mic, so who cares? What’s Rosebud gonna do all by itself?”

“I don’t think Artie’s going to find that a convincing argument,” Myka said.

“Who cares about that either? Spielberg outranks Artie. And the Regents.”

Myka looked at Helena. Helena shrugged a “your call, not mine” at her. So Myka shrugged back at her a “whatever,” because what was Artie going to do about it anyway? Get in a fistfight with Steven Spielberg? Pete would be thrilled at the very idea. He’d sell tickets. Sell tickets, then probably pass out when Spielberg showed up.

He was still talking: “So I’m not messing with his stuff other than to neutralize it real quick and put it back. Then we bounce.”

“Don’t say ‘bounce,’” Myka told him. “You sound ridiculous.”

“Claudia says bounce,” he said, with a little whine in his voice.

“You’re almost twice her age.” Though the evidence for that was limited...

Helena joined in with, “I’m nearly six times her age. What am I permitted to say?”

“What I wish we’d all say—and do—is ‘depart with our dignity intact,’” Myka said.

Helena pointed out, “As Pete and also Claudia enjoy reminding us, with regard to many things: ‘that ship has sailed.’”

She was right, but Myka scowled. “I don’t like you.”

“Be that as it may,” Helena said, offering one of her most saintly smiles, “but somewhat pursuant to the dignity point, you seem to be far more invested in key lime pie than I imagined possible.”

“And demo derbies!” Pete added.

“Leave me and my dignity—”

“Or lack thereof?” Helena asked, still saintly.

“—alone,” Myka finished. With as much aggrieved resignation as she could muster.

Ida, who’d been standing back from it all, particularly Pete’s hyperventilation, now said to Myka, “You did seem to enjoy both of those. Couldn’t that be good? Given your clear devotion to duty, it all speaks to your being a very complex leading lady.”

Myka opened her mouth to say “thank you,” but Pete preempted her with, “Less complex than you’d think. Myka World’s a pretty stripped-down place. No concession stands. Seat belts and helmets for all the rides, which there aren’t even a lot of anyhow, because they cost too much to insure, plus you gotta bring carnies in to run ’em, and I don’t think Myka trusts the carnies.”

“Also,” Myka noted, “I’m not an amusement park.” One beat. Two. She thought she might actually get away with—

“I beg to differ,” Helena said, and Myka sighed, in response to which, Helena placed a hand on Myka’s back, then rollercoastered that hand up and over Myka’s shoulder. In response to that, Myka frowned at Helena, to forestall any thoughts she might have had of continuing the journey somewhere inappropriate, and Helena brought the hand-car to an obvious, abrupt stop.

And in response to that, Ida laughed at them, and that made Myka chuckle too.

As Pete prepared to neutralize the sled, Helena offered to hold the microphone for him. Myka thought she was being ostentatious about needing something to do with her thwarted hand, but as soon as she had it, she began apologizing to it for having to take away its fun. “You liked being believed,” she murmured. “I understand. But we’re conveying you to a place where our very sensitive colleagues will locate you perfectly. You’ll feel quite at home. And one day we’ll steal your sledge friend and reunite the two of you, so—”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Pete warned.

“I might do it tomorrow morning before our flight leaves. I’m not afraid of filmmakers. Those Lumière brothers were utterly unintimidating. Perhaps this Spielberg is outsize, which would account for your trepidation?”

Pete didn’t object; instead, he nodded. “Way outsize, Hollywood-power-wise. Lotsa people quaking in their boots, I bet. And as for quaking in your boots, I also bet that if I went back in time to 1896, I’d see you diving under your chair to get away from the train headed for the camera courtesy of those Lumière brothers.”

Helena said, with what Myka hoped was mock venom, “If you went back in time to 1896, you would clearly dive under your chair—what with trains being as large as they are, and seemingly emerging from an outsize screen to flatten your comparatively undersized innocent spectating self.”

“Oh yeah? Well at least I’d know what a movie was.”

“Do not condescend to me!”

You love both of these five-year-olds, Myka reminded herself. Out loud, she said, “If we could maybe stick to the business at hand?”

“At hand!” Pete enthused. “Orson Welles touched this with his hand and so did Spielberg and now I’m about to too! We’re practically related now!”

“Why are you never this interested in actual history?” Helena groused.

“Oh, you mean antiques like you?” Pete retorted as he slid the sled into an extra-large static bag.

Five-year-olds, both of whom you love, Myka reminded herself again, but it didn’t matter anymore, because at that moment, Ida and everyone else got what anybody anywhere would have called a show, as a garish display of neutralization fireworks pinwheeled and rocketed outward from the bag, Roman-candling as if the sled had brought all of its show-business knowhow to bear on the situation and planned its execution of this moment.

Then: “Oh my god,” Myka said, because—

“I agree!” Ida rhapsodized.

But Myka wasn’t appreciating the pyrotechnics. No, she was realizing, viscerally, that she’d recently eaten the greater part of an insanely oversugared pie. Which was not nutritious at all. Which was in fact more sugar than she’d eaten at one sitting in... decades. Literally. She had to instruct her digestive system—her entire nervous system—not to panic. Not to rebel. “Oh my god,” she repeated. “Why did I eat that? I feel sick.”

“Interesting,” Helena said yet again.

“Please stop saying that. I don’t want to be interesting when you say it like that.”

“No, you don’t,” Helena affirmed, and Myka could make no sense of that at all.

Ida sighed. “Oh, but the rabbits. I didn’t expect this... disappointment.”

“Thought you’d sussed that out already,” Pete said. “What with no cleanup on aisle three.”

“I knew they couldn’t have been real. But apparently I still believed in them.”

Helena exhaled, audibly, before saying, “Belief does make its home in a stubborn part of the brain.”

“That doesn’t sound very science-y,” Pete said.

“It’s far older than science,” Helena told him.

“Just like you,” he jabbed, but it was halfhearted. “Yeah, okay. But just as well you didn’t, then, with the girlfriend. Think how much worse she’d feel right this minute.”

“What are a few hours of reprieve worth?” Helena asked.

Was that rhetorical? Myka answered anyway: “Less than nothing, if you don’t know they’re a reprieve while you’re in them.”

Helena’s gaze might have been about to harden into a glare, but Ida said, “Reprieves are usually short. So is life. Or it’s long, but it’s always, always more precious than we pretend. Isn’t it, H.G. Wells?”

Helena blinked—unaccompanied by a head-tilt, so not her I’m quite surprised blink, but a cousin. “You are observant,” she said.

“I don’t need a job,” Ida said. She looked at Myka, who muttered, “Retirement someday for everybody.”

Helena blinked again; again, it was a surprise-cousin. “Then I won’t offer you one. Will you accept thanks?”

“I will. And I’ll thank you back: it’s certainly held my interest, this show. With all its charming leads.”

Pete said, “You’re still my favorite. Even though I know Bering and Wells are your favorites.”

“Let me know when you get a love interest,” Ida advised. “Then we’ll see.”

He didn’t look at Helena, not even a glance; Myka was watching. “Will do,” he said. Of course his Helena-complicated past wasn’t fixed, just like Myka and Helena’s complicated-by-everything past wasn’t. None of that would ever be fixed. But it was better—it could be better—and Myka could see the difference, the better, there in his not-glance.

She said to Ida, “Thank you. For it all. Can you tell Mr. Leland a good story about where the microphone disappeared to? Make him believe it?”

“All he’ll care about is that Ginny’s pie won. What I really need to do is figure out what to tell Agnes. She’ll be so disappointed... not to mention confused.”

“Why wasn’t she there today, anyhow, ready to get crowned queen of the pies?” Pete asked.

“The rabbits gave her such a fright.”

“Tell her they ate her pie.”

Ida frowned at him. “First, won’t she have stopped believing in them? And second, rabbits don’t like citrus.”

“Ha!” Pete crowed. “Then they probably wouldn’t like preserves or conserves, would they!”

That got him a teacherly approving nod from Ida. “Very good. You can come back next year and be my assistant.”

“Look out,” Myka said. “He’ll take you up on it.”

“That would be fine,” said Ida. “In fact if you all wanted to come and do another episode next year, it would be fine. I could look forward to it. Like one of those reunion TV-movies.”

“These days they’d just remake the show, recast all the parts,” Pete told her.

She patted his shoulder. “I doubt even Meryl Streep could do justice to your appreciation for Rosebud.”

“The One Where They Go to the Fair! Starring Meryl Streep as Pete Lattimer!” he said, clearly delighted by the idea. “I mean, it’d take a Streep to really get a handle on the fullness of me.”

“Good luck, Meryl,” said Myka.

Helena said, “The Fullness of Pete Lattimer, A Play in Three Acts: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.”

“With snack entr’actes, right?” Myka asked.

Helena nodded, adding, “Plus midnight-snack envoi. Although that doesn’t really apply to a play, does it?”

Pete waved whoa-stop hands at her. “If it’s a snack, it better be part of that play. It’s a good scene for the TV-movie, though: Meryl, chowing down on S’mores Pop-Tarts in some night kitchen in South Dakota, remembering how sad she was when she said this line coming up right now.” He gathered himself theatrically, then gazed with mournful eyes at the sled. “Bye, Rosebud. You got mojo.” To Ida, he said, “I’m pretty sure you do too. We really could put in a word about a job.”

“Happily retired,” Ida said.

“Just as well. I’ve said it before, people doing what we do, they end up crazy, evil, or dead.”

“Is that an effective recruiting slogan?”

“Only if you’re Ms. Trifecta here,” Pete said, tilting his head at Helena. “She heard that and was all, ‘Sign me up!’”

“Quit it,” Myka told him, but milder than she might have said it, even two days ago. She took Helena’s hand again, though, to make sure she knew Myka meant it, no matter how mild. Helena rewarded her with an even more bone-cutting clasp than usual.

“Sane, good, and alive, that’s what you all seem to be right now,” Ida said. “Please keep it that way.”

They all hugged her goodbye. “I’m not a hugger,” she protested before each hug—but before each one, she again wore that wide smile.

“I’m not either,” Myka told her.

“I am!” exclaimed Pete, accurately.

“But human contact,” Helena said, like an apology, though Myka heard in it the echo of deprivation. And that was accurate too.

Ida seemed to agree, for she held onto Helena a second longer than she had Myka or Pete. “I told you I’m not a science fiction fan, and that’s true. But I liked Ann Veronica very much,” she said. “Particularly the ending.”

“Nobody got the flu,” Myka agreed.

“That was...” Helena cleared her throat. “Someone else’s work. Entirely.”

Ida said, “Someone else believed in happy endings. Entirely?”

“I suppose he did. I remember that. I remember arguing about sentimentality.”

“It’s important to remember what you do remember. What you said about that radio interview... I don’t have a recording of my late husband’s voice. I’ve thought about that more than I expected to.”

Helena’s voice, Myka thought, I didn’t—still don’t—have it anywhere but in my head. It was a new thought, one that chilled her. If Pete had smashed the coin, then Emily Lake’s voice forever. It made her want to record Helena’s voice right that minute: Helena saying “good morning,” Helena reading aloud the placard in front of the Welles exhibit, Helena reciting “The Owl and the Pussycat”... anything at all. She suspected Ida would have said the same thing about her husband’s voice, given the opportunity, and as for what that suggested about how all-in she herself was with Helena? It shouldn’t have come as any surprise, and it didn’t. But the force of it did.

Helena hugged Ida once more, and this time, she was the one who clung an extra second. “Happy endings,” Myka heard Ida say: her closing argument. Helena nodded against her shoulder.

Yes, in more ways than Myka would have thought possible: a very educational trip.

TBC

Note about the real world: as far as I can determine, if there actually were, or actually had been, a Welles exhibit at the museum in question, it would probably be, or have been, on the second floor, but I wanted to get the mammoths in there, so I let everybody stay on the first floor. Mammoth fossils are honestly bonkers to look at; the tusks are unbelievably large compared to the rest of the body (I know they had a lot of flesh and particularly fur, hence “woolly,” but still). And the feet! They’re fossilized comedy routines.

Also I suppose I should apologize, or something, for stringing this thing out with shorter parts rather than ending it with a longer, solid punch of denouement, but this is how the writing has proceeded, and one pleasant aspect of this write-for-free-on-the-internet hobby is that the work can find the form it seems to prefer. Within reason.

#bering and wells #Warehouse 13 #fanfic #Mercury #part 12

[chriskarrtravelblog]

Your Letters

We love receiving your letters, and hearing your views on Britain, your travels and the magazine. Check back here for regular updates from our mailbag

Denise Bridge’s photograph of St Michael’s Mount

Making Memories

The photo on the cover of the September 2019 issue [Vol 87, Issue 4] took me back to St Michael’s Mount, which I visited for the first time last year. After seeing Mont-Saint-Michel about 20 years ago with an aunt and uncle I was delighted to journey to Cornwall last spring with the same aunt and uncle and another aunt to explore the English island and it did not disappoint. As you can see in the photo [attached] it was a glorious day! Less touristy than its French counterpart, St Michael’s Mount offers fantastic views from the castle – well worth the climb up – and the gardens were a riot of colour despite the heavy snow earlier in the year. We ended our day in St Ives for dinner – delicious pasties which we managed to eat without the gulls getting any! Although we saw many destinations in the county from our rented cottage in Looe, such as Port Isaac, The Eden Project, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Fowey and Polperro to name a few, the article on Hidden Cornwall has given me many more ideas for a future trip. Nearly every article in this issue brought to the fore many memories of other trips: Cadbury’s World which was a delicious experience; Chatsworth House in the Peak District; the Isle of Sky, Portree Harbour and the story of Flora MacDonald; Bettys tearooms of which I have visited a few in Harrogate and York; Totnes and its motte-and-bailey castle; Brighton Pier; and Portmeirion village where I started my collection of tableware in 1993. Thanks for the memories; this issue was a delight from beginning to end!

Sincerely, Denise Bridge, Ontario, Canada

BRITAIN REPLIES

This issue was obviously made with you in mind! How fortuitous that we covered so many of the places you have visited – although by the sounds of it, you are very well travelled in Britain… We hope we can continue to conjure up such happy memories for you.

A Series of Fortunate Events

I wanted to write to let you know that your article on Hidden Cornwall [Vol 87, Issue 4] reminded me again why Cornwall is such a special place for me.

Many years ago, I watched the original Poldark series. I fell very hard for Ross Poldark and the people that surrounded him. I was not quite a teenager, and it all made a very strong impression on me.

Then, in 1997, I found that there was a Poldark Appreciation Society which was holding annual lunches in London. I went and had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees (Ross and Demelza). A kind lady befriended me at that lunch, and we went to the 1998 luncheon together. She was pregnant at that time and asked if my husband and I would be the godparents. My husband did not want to fly, but just couldn’t let her down. So he flew overseas for the first time – because of Poldark.

The founder of the Society drove us all around Cornwall and to the Poldark sights in 2004. That was an incredible treat. Angharad Rees had opened a jewelry store in London, and my husband and I were pleased to visit her there. I couldn’t believe that he was meeting her. She was a lovely lady.

Thank you so much for the beautiful article. I hope to be in Cornwall again one day. Lori Padova, by email

BRITAIN REPLIES

Thank you so much for sharing your truly incredible story with us. The places a passion can take you!

“Our Mount”

I was thrilled when my copy of BRITAIN [Vol 87, Issue 4] arrived. There on the cover was a remarkable picture of St Michael’s Mount! “Our Mount” to the residents of Penwith, including some of “my people”. Prior to the Second World War five farms had unobstructed views of the Mount. These farms were cultivated by my grandfather’s brother, whose descendants still reside there.

Not long ago my wife, Carin, and I rented a Penwith cottage for a month. During our stay we experienced almost all of the locations featured in the article Hidden Cornwall, and more.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy BRITAIN. I look forward with anticipation to future copies. William D. (David) Thomas, St Albert, Alberta, Canada

BRITAIN REPLIES

We are very jealous that you had the opportunity to spend such a lovely long time in Penrith, but deservedly so as you have such local ancestors! We hope you enjoyed many uninterrupted views while you were there.

Proof We’re Not Perfect

We’ve received numerous letters and emails about our reference of speaking to the ‘ancestor’ of Richard III in Volume 83 Issue 2, which of course would not be possible. We did of course mean ‘descendant’ and we can only apologise for this heinous error and promise to keep a closer watch over things in future.

Here are some of your choice responses:

Descendant, Not Ancestor

The cover of my May/June edition states “King Richard III – We talk to one of his ancestors” . Clearly impossible ! And this mistake is repeated in the referenced article where the author Susan R Frost is described as an “author and ancestor of King Richard III” . Two unfortunate errors in an otherwise interesting genealogical study. Nick Tyler, by email

Glaring Error

On the cover of the May 2015 issue of BRITAIN, it states: ‘King Richard III, we talk to one of his ancestors’.  I think you meant to use the word ‘descendants’, since ancestors live BEFORE the person referenced, while descendants live AFTER said person.  The correct word was used in the opening to the article on page 43.

I myself am a lateral descendant of William of Wykeham [NF] (one of several early spellings of the name including Wycombe [AS] (1324-1404), Bishop of Winchester, Founder of Winchester College and New College Oxford, and Chancellor of England (1367-1372) during the reign of Edward III. I have my direct line of descent back to Edward and Joan Wickham, who were married in Chichester, Sussex, in 1539.

I am looking forward to visiting Leicester when I am in England in August. Joann Wickham Sugg, by email

How Did This Happen?

I would be very interested to know how you managed to talk to an ancestor of Richard III. I doubt Susan E Frost claims to be his ancestor as you write on page 44 under her picture, of course she is a descendant. You seriously need a proofreader.

It was a good article – I too have Plantagenet ancestors, as do many of us in the United States who are descended from families with royal lines who fled to Virginia in the 1600s. I am proudly descended from 16 of the Magna Carta barons and have researched 42 families I am directly descended from who came to Virginia in the 1600s.

Your magazine is beautiful and I have saved copies since 1997. I have arranged to pass them along to a fellow Anglophile. They have been very useful to me in my 20 trips to England over the past years. I find it difficult to see how such an error could make it onto the cover. Linda L Cummings, Addison, TX

A Land of Glory

I just wanted tell you how much I enjoyed the article ‘A Land of Glory’ in the November 2014 (Sep/Oct 2014 issue for UK readers – ed). In 2009 I visited the British Asparagus Festival and stayed in the Vale of Evesham at the Evesham Hotel.

I totally enjoyed the hotel and the area. One of the days I was there, the hotel owner asked me if I was doing anything and I said that I didn’t have anything special planned. He informed me that if I wanted, he would see if an employee had the time to drive me around the countryside.

Later that morning, he brought an employee to me who was available and we agreed on a time. She picked me up about 2.30pm and drove me around the area for two-and-a-half hours, stopping when I asked to take pictures and telling me about things as we went. I had the greatest tour of the area I could ever expect, including Stratford-upon-Avon and other areas on a beautiful May afternoon. She got paid her hourly wage and some petrol money.

On my last day, I took the train past Evesham to visit the Morgan Motor Company, which I also enjoyed. In fact, just yesterday on the TV programme Factory Made, there was a piece about the Morgan Motor Company and their cars with wooden bodies. From there I went back to London for two nights before returning home. I thought I would go back to England in a heartbeat, and I did last year. I visited a friend in Chelmsford, which was great. The bottom line is: England is a wonderful place to visit, but stay away from London.

Lee Edgerton, by email

Insufferable Know It All of the Year Award

Hello.

We have just come to the end of a busy year, with almost continuous touring right from the beginning of spring. Due in part to inclusions in Britain magazine. Thank you for your efforts.

However, in my endeavour to be awarded the prize for Insufferable Know It All of the Year I must warn you that you might be deluged with letters from every history pedant who reads your magazine. On page 71 of the November/December 2014 issue (January 2015 in the US) there is a caption that describes an engraving as Charles I after he was ‘sentenced to the guillotine by Parliament’. Please join me in my quest to be Insufferable Know It All of the Year by telling your editorial department that Charles I was not sentenced to the guillotine.

Firstly because this efficient means of despatch was never used for judicial executions in England and secondly, if he had been subjected to such a sentence, it would be a long wait for it to be carried out, as the guillotine was not introduced as a method of judicial execution by Dr Guillotin, and even then not in England, until the mid 18th century, about 100 years after his unfortunate demise.

How did I do? Did I win the prize?

Best wishes,

Paul, by email

BRITAIN REPLIES

Well done Paul – you spotted our deliberate mistake. No, honestly, this should have been picked up by the team and we will give our sub a firm (metaphorical) slap on the wrist.

Mince Pie recipe corrections

Mince pies from the recipe in our Nov/Dec UK 2014 (Jan 2015 USA) issue

To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. I just tried to make the recipe for mince pies as printed in the January 2015 (Nov/Dec 2014 in the UK) issue of your magazine.

Hello, ‘juice of one orange’? The orange from my backyard tree (navel) yielded ¾ cup of juice, which made a very sticky dough. Adding more flour made it heavy. What about providing a specific measurement of liquid needed? Remember, all oranges are not equal, in size or amount of juice.

My second problem – nowhere does the recipe tell what the oven should be preheated to. Doesn’t it matter how hot the oven is?

Anyway, I took a chance on 375°F. Poor guess. The end result was that the birds in my yard enjoyed the disaster, and I’m just happy that I didn’t wait until the day before Christmas to make your mince pies.

Merry Christmas,

June Prance, Florida, USA

  I await eagerly each edition of BRITAIN magazine and have been reading it for over 30 years since I lived in England. I enjoy the articles that remind me of my travels then and have helped me plan for the future. I was going through the January 2015 (November/December 2014 in the UK) magazine and found the recipe for mince meat tarts.

The first time I ever had them was when I was teaching there and was invited to a Christmas party. I thought I would try to make them but noticed that although castor sugar is mentioned in the ingredients, it is not in the procedure. While I assume it would be mixed with the flour and butter, I would not wish to mess the recipe up.

Could you clarify if, in fact, that line was left out?

Thanks and already looking forward to the next edition.

Sincerely,

Martha Sadler

By Email

  In reading through the recipe for mince pies in the latest issue of BRITAIN magazine (January 2015 in the US and November/December 2014 in the UK), this recipe on page 30 didn’t list an oven temperature. I couldn’t find it if it was listed.

It said ‘place into a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.’ This might be common knowledge on your side of the pond, but to me in frigid Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA that knowledge is woefully lacking.

What should that temperature be?

You have a great magazine. Someday I would like to return to your land and explore some more of the places I have read about in your publication as well as explore London again. I would really like to visit the Twinings store at 216 Strand; the tea shops fascinate me.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year. May it be a healthy and fruitful coming year for you guys.

Larry Doupnik, by email

BRITAIN REPLIES

Whoops, our apologies. We’re not sure what happened there, we must have over-complicated things but here is an equally delicious but clearer recipe so that you can make a fresh batch in time for Christmas:

225g cold butter, diced 350g plain flour 100g golden caster sugar 280g mincemeat 1 small egg Icing sugar, to dust

To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies

Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

*Sourced from BBC Good Food

The 7th Earl of Carnarvon enjoys a moment with his family, including the 8th Earl (far right)

Spitting image of Princess Diana

The picture of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, page 42 of the January 2015 issue (November/December 2014 in the UK) took my breath away. The girl in the flowered dress could be the late Princess Diana. The hair, the pose and smile….uncanny and haunting.

Mary Wilkinson, Illinois, USA

BRITAIN REPLIES

This was almost identical to the comment our writer said – they could be twins.

Requisitioned has arrived

What a superb book. Thankyou Sally for your lovely email and your efforts to ensure my prize arrived.

I have a 91-year-old uncle who will also appreciate this book.We are both lovers of all things British. My son teases me about always watching BBC TV.

All the very best for a Joyful Christmas…

Sincerely,

Evelyn Lawson, by email 

More Addresses

Firstly,  I love your magazine but must express my ongoing amazement when realising over and over the constant omission of addresses on particular ads and/or events. I think I may have written about this before…

Many of your ads declare interesting places to see and attend but lack any specific addresses.

It seems there are fewer letters from readers, which are always enjoyed, that seem to be being replaced with more ads. I’m sorry to complain so much. I am 86 and cannot remember never receiving the magazine – it is always welcome no matter but please tell us where all these fantastic things can be found.

Thank you.

Most sincerely,

Lucy M Edwards, Florida, USA

BRITAIN REPLIES

Lucy, we will have a word with our ads team and try to get them to advise our advertisers but unfortunately as they only have a certain about of space they tend to favour impact over detail. For our part we’ll endeavour to add relevant info into editorial where possible.

How to write to us

By post to: Letters, BRITAIN, Chelsea Magazines, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SE3 3TG; or to: Letters, BRITAIN, Circulation Specialists Inc, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484, USA. Or email the editor: [email protected]

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source https://coragemonik.wordpress.com/2019/09/23/your-letters/

[kellexplainsitall]

I don't know where to begin.

I guess the beginning.

Friday

I was so glad I took the afternoon off. I was able to go to Aldi and the market, finish packing, get Miles ready and get myself ready. We walked Miles over to Andrea's, Tim's coworker who dogsits him, and I tried not to cry. I just miss him so much! Fortunately, I knew we were in good hands, she has watched him before.

We hit the road around 6, and with only one bathroom stop (go me!), we got to Staten Island around 9. Joanne and Amy were out, so Tim and I made ourselves comfortable with drinks, and watched part of Stepbrothers and part of Wedding Crashers before I called it a night. I slept like the dead that night, only to be awoken by urgent bathroom trips every hour on the hour. Lovely.

Saturday

I didn't feel great in the morning, so I waited until it felt like everything was out of my body, and then we headed out for a five-mile easy run. This run was awful, my legs were heavy and my chest hurt so bad from my fall the week before. I was in a foul mood, but the scenery was gorgeous, and I didn't have any bathroom stops, so I guess we will call it a draw.

After a shower and breakfast, we drove to the ferry and took it into the city. We then took a cab to the expo, where we met my parents. The expo was a goddamn zoo, no one was happy. I got my bib, my dad bought me the very nice, very expensive jacket, and my mom surprised me with a cute singlet ($50. for a singlet). I didn't buy anything!

After that, we split up for lunch. Tim and I went to the Little Beet, which is my favorite place to eat in the city. I was happy to have something lighter for lunch, I just had soup, roasted squash and roasted sweet potatoes. That is my go-to lunch spot when I am in the city for work, and I was happy to introduce Tim to it. He approved. Post-lunch, we took an Uber to the ferry and got on one as the last two people. Score! We arrived back at the house and relaxed. I did some work, we watched football and ate g-f pizza and I fell asleep by 8:30.

Sunday

Thanks to daylight saving, I was up before my 6:30 alarm. I did my business and got ready. I had some gf toast with peanut butter and banana and got ready. I am so glad we stayed in Staten Island, as Tim just drove me to the start. After going through security, I went to find my friend Jarrod, who was with his sister. I ate a larabar while we waited.

We killed time, and then it was time to go to our corrals! I put on my ipod and just tried to zone out. And then it was time to go. I lined up on the bridge, heard the anthem, and it was SO surreal. I always run with my music, but I didn't turn mine on for the first ten miles.

However, all I could think of was how bad I had to pee. And it felt like I had to poop! That is not good. I tried to ignore it, as we descended into Brooklyn. The crowd noise was INSANE! I was keeping it easy, running low-8s and trying not to go faster. At mile 4, Jarrod caught me, and it was SO good to see him. I wished him well as he sped up. At mile 5, I saw a childhood friend I was not expecting to see, so that was awesome!

At the 10K, I saw Timmy! I WAS SO EXCITED.

I took fuel around there - I never forget to take fuel, but I was late every single time for this race. I think I was just distracted. And I stopped an peed! I couldn't help it, I had to go so badly. My stomach still didn't feel great, but at least my bladder was empty. Anyway, around mile 10, I put my headphones in, we hit a dead zone, where there were few spectators and little music. Around 15, we climbed into Queens. My watch went nuts here, telling me I was running a 9:30 pace - no one was passing me though, so I just kept trucking. It looks like I just lost signal. The bridge was almost creepy, there were no crowds allowed, so it was weirdly quiet.

However, coming off the bridge, the crowds were roaring.  And then I saw my parents! That was amazing!

I just kept trucking along, but by 19, I was tired. I told myself after mile 20, I could start walking through the aid stations, which I did. My pace had slowed to mid-8s, but I just kept reminding myself to move forward. The sun was beating down and I was just so tired.

I focused on one mile at a time. It's weird, as hard as the last few miles were, the marathon still felt like it was going way too fast.

As we hit 22, my pace slipped to the 9s, and I just embraced it. "Take this mile easy and then pick it up." And I did. I pushed so hard as we turned into the familiar hills of Central Park.

And then we were at mile 25. Ten minutes, KL.

And then we saw "800 meters to go."

It was the longest half mile of my life. I finished in 3:39:12. Fifteen minutes off of my time last year, but given this course and my training, I am happy. I was delirious after, as is the norm. The worst part of NYC is you have to walk over a mile after you finish. I somehow missed the water/food stations (how, kelly) and at one point, I stopped in a med tent and just asked for water. Then, I kept walking and sat down again because I was so thirsty and everything hurt. Some nice volunteer brought me a bottle of water and walked a few blocks with me. I FINALLY got my poncho and it was the warmest best thing. Then, I got out of the park and sat down again, but Tim couldn't get into that area, so I had to get up AGAIN and walk. Sigh. I finally found Tim and my parents, and it was so good to see them!

After that, Tim and I took an Uber to my parents' hotel (worth $20) and I showered (painfully, chafing), and then we walked to a bar and got some drinks. I felt a MILLION times better after a shower. I had some nuts and two ciders, and then we took the subway to the ferry and hopped on that. We got back to Joanne and Amy's, and ate dinner (gf pizza) and had some drinks and I did my work and then we got on the road around 8.

My dad wore my poncho around because he thinks he is hilarious.

I slept in the car for a bit, but I tried to stay up so Tim wasn't alone. Once home, we were greeted by a very happy dog and then we went right to bed. We both slept in, then Tim went to work, I walked Miles, went to the pool to stretch out and ran some errands.

I spent the afternoon cooking and cleaning and then went to bed early. Today, I wanted to run, but I think I may try a shakeout at lunch and then meet my friends tomorrow. I really feel totally fine, must have been the torture walk.

Tim and I voted this morning, it was packed! I hope that means good things for Democrats.

[365dailyaffirmations]

TGIWednesday and having more patience with your prayers

TGIWednesday News

Wow the dawg dayze of Summer.  Hot and more hot and folks are impatient to say the least.  My G-Daughter Charlie was traveling and I wanted to share that awesome Pacific Northwest picture of her in fields of flowers and lavender.  So gorgeous and refreshing and a reminder to stop and smell the flowers along the way.  Also a great reminder to be patient with our prayers.  Just like I have a lot of folks on the my daily prayer option, we don��t always get say 10 of our requests in one month, but it seems like after about 3 or 4 months things start to really kick in.  We are reminded to let go and let God. Because we also have a lot of folks dealing with extreme heat and raging fires out West, the earthquake in Indonesia, we've just gone through the full moon eclipse events AND are in the midst of Mercury Retrograde - this can be a lot for us to endure.   To help you through this, watch this brand new clearing video I recorded with my friend Marla Martenson that will help smooth things out. https://youtu.be/0Qi1FhfTf_Y

TGIWednesday Download

~ HAVING PATIENCE WITH PRAYER ~ I believe think know and feel that I can and will have patience with my prayers.  That each prayer is heard and often occurs outside of my timeline and in spirits own time.  I am ready, willing and able to sit back after prayer and like a balloon envision my prayers rising up through the ethers.  I know when, where, how and why to just let go and let God.  I believe that my prayers and those who are praying for me are in forward momentum filled with action now and so it is in all languages and throughout all time lines.

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations  

August 8th - "Today I will expand my awareness and increase my vision of what is possible. I will honor those around me with steadfast belief that my season is now and today I will create my moment, the current of my present and develop the future that I desire in the now." Buy the book and read all 365 Days

Featured Clearing of the Month

For the month of August, we are featuring the MyBeliefworks for Releasing Dark Energies, Fears and Negativity at a 20% savings. This is the one you want to clear off the yuck and bring light and higher vibrations in during this time!

THIS MONTH JUST $44

Live Shows and Replays

THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW

 Tuesdays at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT Call in LIVE [phone]  

Imagine getting FREE intuitive messages and healings LIVE!  Well, it happens every week on my radio show with some of the best psychic readers & intuitive healers on the planet!  Tune in weekly for the FREE live show or replay and YOU will receive changes & healings just by listening!  To listen online, click the date links below.  

AUGUST SHOWS ALL AT THE NEW TIME - TUESDAYS AT 9PM EDT YESTERDAY'S REPLAY - Special Guest Joanne Psychic Leo Soul readings from the heart, via intuition, numerology and Angel cards too! http://psychicjoanneleo.com   Listen Here August 14th  Special Guest Shawn Cohen Intuitive card reader living in England who brings decades of practice and service to her clients.  Readings worldwide with amazing accuracy https://tarotbyshawncohen.weebly.com/ Listen Here August 21st - Special Guest Daniel The Healer DANIEL THE HEALER is an Energy Healing Practitioner, Body Whisperer, Psychic Energy “Chiropractor,” and Spiritual Counselor who heals with Love. https://danielthehealer.com/ Listen Here August 28th - Special Guest Rev Debbie Dienstbier Our resident transmedium that communicates with your loved ones in spirit LIVE on the air.  Amazing readings in person, phone or Skype    https://www.facebook.com/Wings-of-Grace-Spiritual-Center-875388225837766 Listen hereto the replay of last week's interview on SPIRITUAL AWAKENINGS with host Drew Pillow  

Browse the interview archives here.

Live In-Person Appearances

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS I will be booking sessions on Monday August 27th from 10am to 5pm at my good friend Charla Tempone's office in Tampa.

39 A DAVIS BLVD.

TAMPA, FL 33606

http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at [phone] in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes 33$’s 30-minutes 65$’s

LIVE AT KODAWARI YOGA STUDIOS TAMPA

Tampa Bay area locals can book a live session with me EVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY from 10-2PM Call Kodawari's front desk directly to schedule [phone] and pay at the concierge desk... 15 minutes 33$ or 30 minutes 65$. UPCOMING SCHEDULE 10-2pm: Wednesday: Aug. 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th Friday:  Aug. 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st

3965 Henderson Blvd Suite C Tampa [phone] http://www.kodawariyoga.com/

From the Fish Box

"Jimmy!! Today the bank rang me to say they will accept my proposal to offer them $552k as settlement on our $1.35k debt!! That’s $800k of forgiveness by them which is a clear miracle. Every day I fish “I will prevail with the bank” which has always been a strong “yes”, and so I’ve had confidence that prevail is just what we would do. Spirit moves in mysterious ways....... had I not asked my friend for that loan....and been refused by her financial advisors......I would not have talked to my accountant who in a roundabout way suggested a specialist financial consultant who works “outside the box”. Plus we subscribed to your prayer program for the month and everything has felt smooth......   Thank you so much Jimmy...you have been there for me all along this bumpy road ....whenever I’ve asked for your help.....reached out..... you have made time for me......leveled with me......given me strength. Thank you, thank you, thank you ....and to spirit  Much love." - Rick, Australia

Receive 24/7 Daily Prayers From Jimmy

Got a job interview next week?  Going to court? Trying to get a mortgage? Surgery scheduled for you or a loved one?  These are just some of the life at the crossroads events that are ideal for My Daily Prayer program. I am doing the heavy lifting for you around 3AM while you’re asleep in order to smooth out your way. YES!  My Liquid Fish® Change made simple® works on legal issues too!  Even the nightmares of family court/child custody/divorce cases!!! I will dial into you daily in the wee hours and make certain that you are a CLEAR YES,UNCLEAR to NO and RUNNING FORWARD before you start your day. You will send me a list of the members of your immediate household, and yes even pets, and I will add them to my daily prayers. I will arise daily before you are even awake to start my prayers and also run my intelligent computer software 24/7 deleting the negative and increasing the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of outcomes for you and the family.  Each comes with a one-time email analysis print out via the intelligent healing software that I use on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes and I get emails like this one each and every week!

CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW:

                     Choose 7 days @$33              Choose 14 days @$66           Choose 30 days @$99

 Online Certification Course

Level I is open for ANYONE TO JOIN at anytime!  

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes "The Tackle Box" & "Spiritual Healing Techniques" ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! "The required topics and teaching were well organized and easy to complete." - Sharon D. "This course is so fun, Jimmy... aligning with your work in a deeper way... THANK YOU for creating this training. - Magi B.

Level II Practitioner Certification Course for those in the healing arts.

All members must first complete the Mastery Program then, if qualified, they can choose to move on to Level II where many advanced teachings & nuances are shared through the "Healing A-Z" book & includes 3 more clearing audios to help strengthen your business and finances. The exclusively written "The Practitioner's Handbook" is the cornerstone of the program & cannot be purchased individually.  It outlines some of the inner workings of how I handle my own practice including topics like; managing unrealistic expectations, having patience, pricing, time isn't always equal to outcomes or results, having limits, legal and ethical questions, advice on supplements, marketing, promotion, and sales, daily rituals for you and your clients/patients. The Level II course was designed and is dedicated to those who practice in the healing arts; Psychics, Healers, NP, AP, DOM, DO, MD, DC, Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, RNs, Nurse Practitioners, PhDs, and Physician Assistants or currently practicing another modality, technique or method that includes natural healing in your home office or office setting, phone and or Skype.

LEARN MORE HERE

My Liquid Fish® Jewelry and Art

Check out this brand new "energy art" from artist Julia Watkins featuring My Liquid Fish®! Learn more about purchasing a stunning pendant or a print of this original art piece (pictured here) which can literally be called an "energy portal".   I believe you will find these pieces to be gorgeous keepsakes and each is empowered with the energy of My Liquid Fish® Change made simple®  

Created by world renowned Energy Artist Julia Watkins Watch this short 6-min video presentation all about it! https://vimeo.com/248516531

PURCHASE HERE

TGIFunny

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Jimmy Mack 727.678.0557​ EST | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session ​ ​​Transformational Healing of Body, Mind​ & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations!​ ​ Download the My Liquid Fish® Starter Kit Audio MP3 Downloads​ and books​ to improve your life! Get Certified in ​My Liquid Fish® Change Made Simple® Watch Free Videos on YouTube Weekly Radio Show Archives Shop for ​Supplements ​ http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2018 All Rights Reserved

[jobsnhomes1]

Secret Career Advice by Top 12 Lady Bosses

History bears witness to success of women in various fields: As military commanders, rulers, entrepreneurs and industry captains. Yet their contribution in various sectors goes largely unnoticed or remains confined to women’s lib circles. Out-of-box thinking, grit, innovation and a lot more was displayed by women who made it to topmost echelons of industries. They overcame adversities to get and stay there.

Adversities faced by women continue “Still Missing,” screams headlines on CNNMoney. The analysis talks about dearth of women entrepreneurs in today’s business world. The CNNMoney analysis on gender equality worldwide grimly states: “Only 14.2 percent of the top five leadership positions at the companies in the S&P 500 are held by women”.

Out of 500 companies, there are only 24 female CEOs, it adds. A study by World Bank states: “Achieving equality in economic opportunities for women and men could spur $28 trillion in world GDP growth by 2025 – about the equivalent of the size of the Chinese and US economies combined.

Gender equality in business and corporate world remains a pipe dream, fears International Monetary Union. The International Labour Organization has encouraging news: Studies conducted worldwide indicates growth in entrepreneurship among women.

INSPIRATION FROM THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL WOMAN

It is impossible to write about successful women without mentioning Oprah Winfrey, the world’s most popular TV show host. Oprah, who ranks among wealthiest women on this planet said: “The greatest discovery of all time is, a person can change his future by merely altering his attitude.” She reminds people worldwide that failure is stepping stone for success. Oprah’s advice for people desiring to get rich: “Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.”

Lady-Boss

1) Work for your dreams “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder

Daughter of Hungarian migrants to the US, Josephine Esther Mentzer carved a business empire from business skills acquired at her family’s hardware store and by selling her cosmetics from a chemist uncle’s lab.

Fondly called Estee Lauder, she launched an eponymous company in 1947, which today holds 107 labels of topmost fragrances and 25 cosmetic brands including Clinique and Aramis.

2) Think outside the box “In order to be irreplaceable, one must be different.”- Coco Chanel

Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, this little girl was put in an orphanage by dad after her mother passed away. Nobody expected her to become a global figure. Nuns at the orphanage taught her to sew.

She worked as singer in various bars in France where she earned the nickname ‘Coco’, derived from the derogatory ‘coccote’ (mistress). With stitching skills, she opened a tailoring shop in Paris in 1910, making suits and other dresses for women.

Chanel’s success came from popularity of a dress designed from an old jersey. Further success came in 1920 when she launched her first fragrance, Chanel No-5. Today, Chanel is a global leader in haute couture and fragrances.

3) Astute decisions are important “I made every decision on what was good for the company. And that pretty much ruined my marriage and my health.”- Sandra Lerner, Cisco.

Cofounder of IT giant Cisco, Sandra Lerner was born on a farm in California. She graduated first from a state university in social sciences and later studied econometrics. Sandra later studied for Master’s degree in statistics and computer science at Stanford University.

She is credited with designing the world’s first router that connected incompatible computers at Stanford University, along with her ex-husband Len Bosack. The two founded Cisco Systems, hailed at world leader in networking.

Sandra is also reputed as philanthropist, having bought and restored Chawton House, where legendary female author Jane Austen lived. In 2014, she was honoured by United Nations with the Technology Pioneer award on Women Entrepreneurship Day.

4) An undying passion and zest for life “Our passion is and always should be to make life better.” – Martha Stewart, Living Omimedia.

Born in American middle-class family as Martha Helen Kostyra, she began taking assignments as babysitter at age of 10. She worked as model for cigarette companies and other advertisers including Chanel to fund her studies.

Her career planning as stockbroker encountered severe doldrums that ended in felony charges and conviction for insider trading. Undeterred by adversity, Martha launched Living Omnimedia, a successful TV, print media and merchandising venture, along with her husband. She is also a successful writer and TV personality.

5) Relentless pursuit of dreams “Just decide who you are going to be and pursue your dreams against all odds.”- Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC

Born in New Delhi, India, Vandana graduated from a polytechnic for women. Later, she went to acquire skills in beauty, fitness and nutrition from various institutes in Europe. Inspired to bring superior quality skincare and beauty products to India, Vandana launched VLCC in 1989.

VLCC Wellness Centres offer unique DNA-based weight loss therapies. The company now has international presence with over 175 VLCC products retailing online and at major stores in India and abroad.

She has also written two books on health and wellness. She won several international accolades including Asian Business Leaders Forum Trailblazers award in 2012 and ranks 26th on Forbes list of 50 top businesswomen in Asia-Pacific region. VLCC’s success serves as examples to those looking at health and fitness as a career plan.

6) Walk away from tradition “Every story, each poem that a person shares, each voice that speaks against menstrual taboo, inspires me.”- Aditi Gupta, Founder, Menstrupedia

The anguish of menstruation was a taboo for most girls attaining puberty and rural women in India. Inspired by her own experiences as student, Aditi set out to vanquish the age-old myths about this natural yet frowned upon period of growth in female life by founding Menstrupedia.

Today, Menstrupedia provides literature and online resources to women who were earlier reluctant to discuss menstruation and related issues. The unique project also educates pre- puberty schoolgirls about menstruation and ways to tackle mental or health problems caused by hormonal changes.

Her literature is now used by education boards of seven Indian states to educate female students. She featured on the Forbes U-30 list of innovators.

7) Intelligence over mere hard work “We think mistakenly that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time.”- Arianna Huffington, Founder, Huffington Post

Ariadne-Ana Stasinpolou, a Greek-American is better known as Arianna Huffington. She is cofounder of The Huffington Post, an online news aggregator and with liberal political views.

Arianna performed various jobs before becoming a writer. She is perhaps the most popular journalist in the world, thanks to success of The Huffington Post.

Launched in 2005, The Huffington Post ranks among top 200 websites of the world. Over a million comments from readers worldwide appear on The Huffington that has won the prestigious Pulitzer in the national reporting for senior military category.

8) Wasting time is unaffordable luxury “I always have this imagination, something I want to use. I do not understand the idea of leisure time”. Cher Wang, co-Founder, HTC

Cher Wang is answer to anyone that wrongly believes women lag in technology. Cher, a graduate in economics, is co-founder of HTC, a top-of-the-line brand of Android based smart phones.

She ranks among the most powerful women in Asia and is avid philanthropist. Currently chairwoman at HTC, the company she founded in 1997, Wang proved that women can successfully foray into technology based domains.

Today, one of every six smart phone sold worldwide is from HTC.

9) Sense of patriotism “I can live all over the world but I am Chinese.”- Jin Xing, The Jin Xing Show

The story of Jin Xing cannot fail to inspire awe among any readers. Born male in Shenyang, China, Jin Xing enrolled in People’s Liberation Army and underwent gruelling, almost subhuman treatment while training.

Jin Xing was a colonel with PLA and today ranks as China’s topmost TV talk show hostess. She breaks across boundaries when speaking about gender reassignment surgery and other traditionally sensitive issues in China.

She is sometimes called ‘Oprah Winfrey of China’ for her show which attracts over a million viewers every week. Jin Xing has lived a very colourful life, working as from ballerina and colonel, entrepreneur to TV host.

10) Enjoy the journey to fullest “Entrepreneurship is a journey that is very exciting, adventurous and exhilarating.”- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder, Biocon India

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is Founder and Chairman of Biocon Ltd, an Indian biotech firm based in Bengaluru. She dreamt of becoming a physician but failure to get scholarship to pursue forced her to abandon the dream.

Her father, a brew master at United Breweries encouraged Kiran to follow his profession. She studied malting and brewing at a university in Australia. Chance encounter with Leslie Auchinloss, Founder. Biocon Technologies, Ireland played a pivotal role in Kiran’s life.

Upon return from a study tour in Ireland, she launched Biocon Ltd with in a rented garage with Rs. 10,000 capital. Grit and skill saw Biocon emerge from an industrial enzymes producer to a pharma giant.

11) Seeking innate but hidden talent “It is important to believe that we all have magic inside us.”- JK Rowling

Who else is more qualified to talk of magic than JK Rowling? The British writer and entrepreneur Joanne Rowling is better known by her pen name under which the legendary Harry Potter series is published.

The idea of Harry Potter and his magical world was conceived by Rowling during a 1990 train journey from Manchester to London, which was during the darkest period of her life.

Multiple, consecutive tragedies had forced Rowling to eke existence on state-run poverty and hunger alleviation schemes.

Her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone changed that. She owns rights for the Harry Potter brand that was born of paper and pen.

12) Create your own future “The future isn’t a place we are going to go. It’s a place that you get to create.”- Nancy Duarte

Nancy Duarte is CEO of the largest design firm in Silicon Valley, Duarte Design. An innovative company, Duarte Design provides a wide selection of presentations to almost every industry.

Nancy Duarte, an author who has penned three books, has developed communication skills that facilitate industry leaders to improve quality of presentations at events.

She was honored by various international organizations for her achievements.

The post Secret Career Advice by Top 12 Lady Bosses appeared first on Jobsnhomes.

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[alexydury]

London Marathon

Sunday 23rd April 2017 I was definitely ready for the morning of the 23rd April….. It had been a long time coming! I had entered the ballot for the London Marathon back in 2015 after my last London Marathon as I was still buzzing and had the post-marathon blues! Therefore, I was really surprised to be offered a place as there wasn't many people that I knew who actually got a place in the London Marathon for 2016. I still remember getting that magazine through the post - I jumped about and suddenly collapsed in my chair thinking ‘Shit! I’ve got all that hard training to do all over again!’ Unfortunately, I’ve still been struggling with repeated chest infections and coughs for a long time now. The doctors are still exploring and trying to find a diagnosis, which is a painfully slow process. Just 3 weeks before the London Marathon, I was hoping to do the White Horse half marathon for the last time before tapering down my runs. I ended up with my third chest infection for 2017 - absolutely crazy! I then had a week in Gran Canaria with my family and was disappointed not to be able to run while I was there. In the run up to the big day, I was fully focused and beginning to build up my mental strength of wanting to run constantly up to 20 miles and then to see how I got on from there. I didn't have as high expectations as I did for my first LM where I was dreaming of all the times I was going to get! Prior to the race, arrived at the Expo at the EXcel Centre to collect my running bib number and to explore the exhibitions and the different types of photo booths that were everywhere! I avoided the ones with long queues as I felt that I needed a good rest, especially the day before the LM. The last time I went there to collect my bib, I stayed there for about 4 hours with Steven and LJ and my feet were hurting with nowhere to sit! I didn't want to do that again! I bumped into 2 different deaf groups - one outside the Expo Hall and the other inside. It was lovely to chat with both groups of people. 3 of the deaf runners were so excited about the Expo, telling me what they had spent whilst in there! haha! The other group that I saw were not LM runners but had completed it in the past and just wanted to explore and enjoy the atmosphere. After a busy and tiring day at the EXcel, we were fortunate that my friend whom I was staying with overnight was in the neighbourhood, so after couple of stops on the overground train she came and drove us home passing the Isle of Dogs. This gave us a chance to see part of the LM route in preparation for the next day! My friend also helped out with volunteering to take all of the runners baggage to the lorries at the start of the LM early next morning. I didn't bother bringing any friends to the start of the race this time, knowing that they cant get across the boundary as security is much tighter now. On the day, I met up with two other deaf runners, Michele and Rebecca and we quickly queued for the last toilet stop before the start line. Unfortunately, we eventually realised that we were queuing for the urinals where you were given a “shewee” device to use for going to the toilet! However, one of the runners I was with needed a number 2! So, we dashed off to the portaloos to queue again! In the first queue for nothing! Luckily, the portaloos were mostly empty as people had already moved to the starting line. After the queue for the loo we were practically at the back of wave 9. I wasn't too worried about being at the back, but I could see that one of the other runners was nervous. She was probably just really itching to get running and start the race! I felt as cool as a cucumber and enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere. We finally ran over the starting line 20 minutes after the gunned fired. I looked over to the left after the start line and saw Prince William, Prince Harry and Kate there waving at us. I told the other runners to look over but a bunch of runners pushed us along the way. It was too hard to go back and it would be rather silly if we stopped immediately after the start! One of the runners, Michele eventually zoomed off running by herself - I was expecting that. She always was a serious runner. I ran with her before at the Bristol to Bath marathon and so knew what to expect. So i enjoyed running wth Rebecca, who wanted to take it easy and save energy for later on in the race. With my chest issue, I felt that it was wise to stay with her - a bit slower than my usual pace but I needed to save my energy for the last half! Rebecca was always behind me and I looked over my shoulder and slowed down a bit to wait. I was constantly looking out for deaf supporters around the 5-6 miles markers but couldn't find them! When I run, I am always at my worst for the first first 5 miles, so looking at the spectators helped keep me distracted. We eventually found Rebecca’s husband after passing the beautiful Cutty Sark (awesome to run round it!) I then waited for Rebecca to catch up and told her to look out for her husband and friends. Rebecca perked up at this point!. Knowing that I would be seeing Steven at the Buxton water memory lane (I won a competition beforehand) was great. Buxton Water selected 150 runners to run with a loved one in a special 80 metre lane and I was looking forward to it. I knew it was 12ish miles before Tower Bridge but it seems to take forever to get there. I was very emotional at this point and desperate to see Steven for a hug and to thank him for being there for me on the day! Before the Buxton Water memory lane I remembered a special place on the route where I spotted my daughter LilyJane holding blue balloons at that very spot 2 years ago. This brought me to tears thinking of LilyJane! I was wearing one of her hair slides - something borrowed! As well as my heavy silver necklace which is a continuous reminder of my father - He had the best seat in the house, up above watching over me…. I know he probably thinks I’m crazy but he was always proud of me whatever I did! Finally, I reached the Buxton lane for the selected 150 runners! One of the volunteers from Buxton did not realise that I was one of their runners….it was hard to talk to them to explain, especially when I was out of breath which was so annoying! Steven came out of the crowd and told the lady that we were due to run the Buxton lane together! I wasn't sure if the volunteers were prepared for me nor the speaker with microphone. Steven and myself just carried on and ran through the lane - not knowing what the speaker said or anything. I didn't see any cameraman on the day and I still haven't heard anything from them! They probably didn't film or took any photographs - rather disappointing! (Got only 4 photos 5 weeks after the LM!) At least Steven ran a bit of the London Marathon without really realising it! After a lovely hug, I joined the other runners back into the London marathon. My favourite part was running over London Bridge and then knowing that I had to run the worst part of the LM, which was through the Isle of Dogs. I managed to run 16 miles before slowing down a bit. Before reaching the 16 miles marker, I spotted Michelle’s husband, Rebecca’s husband along with Nathan and Alistair Smith all in one place! I think they were at 13-14 miles. It was really nice to see familiar faces! I remembered seeing the same place where I stopped to change plasters on my blistered toes 2 years ago! My toes were okay at that point - but my chest was hurting and I felt a little nauseous and numb so I started walking. I took some painkillers and carried on walking trying to remain cool and calm myself down to get rid of the sickness feeling. I then walked for 3 miles soaking up the atmosphere. It felt a bit like I was sightseeing at his point, watching the spectators and looking at the variety of buildings, pubs, landmarks etc. I then started to feel better after 3 miles of walking, and ran a bit here and there after this. I don't know why, but I really enjoyed running under the long flyover through the tunnel! The other runners around me started to change their running behaviour too and practically everyone around was walking, or stopping to stretch. That tunnel felt like a proper runners haven! We all picked up and ran again after the the long tunnel. The worst part of the LM was behind us and I started to feel sorry for all of the runners passing us who were yet to go through the worst part! There was also a strange part of the LM where we had to run a bit on the dual carriageway and then back again along the same route!! I remember thinking… surly they could have found a better part of London to run along??!! Then, out of the blue I spotted my friends Jane Newman and her sister Joanne so I stopped for a bit of a chat and for some much needed hugs. This little stop seemed to give me a renewed sense of energy and motivation! Thank you Jane for the lovely support on the night before and for everything! later on, I was surprised to see Steven again after another small tunnel onto the Embankment where we could see the London Eye! Wendy Scott and her boyfriend Antino were there with him. My feet were staring to hurt around this point, my chest was manageable but I had zero energy left. I didn't want to take any more gels as I was worried getting sick again! So I decided to alternate between my Lucozade sport drink and water after the nausea. Again, I started to feel more motivated to continue running for the last 4-5 miles after meeting Steven and co. I would have tried to run more but it was so hard to run with no energy! It was a case of walk and run, walk and run along the Embankment. I loved the part where I passed the HeadsTogether supporters along the way! There were so many of them at different parts of the race cheering us on…. It really helped! Every time I saw them I picked up my pace as I ran passed them! I then came closer and closer towards Big Ben, knowing I was near to the finishing line. At this point I tried to look for the NDCS supporter post opposite Big Ben to see if I knew anyone there. And at the same time, remembering a bunch of my friends were there waiting for me so I gave each of them a big hug as they urged me to carry on running. That moment is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life, such a special time. Luckily someone filmed me at that part of the race (you can find it somewhere on my blog!). From that point onwards, it took longer to finish than I thought it would! Time seemed to drag on and on for a while before I reached Buckingham Palace where I know then that the finishing line was round the corner! I was then overwhelmed with emotions, and I don't know how I managed it, but I picked up my pace towards the end and put my hands up high as I went over the finish line! I was thinking ‘Thank you….. It is all over now’ I can move on with life and do different things! After crossing the line, I picked up a lovely heavy medal to add to my medal collection! Shortly afterwards I picked up my bag and goody bag and was off to the exit to the Royal Society where Heads Together had a reception area with a free massage and some food. Steven met me on the stairs by the news stand and we hugged with a mass of relief. A man suddenly came over and started talking to us outside the Royal Society. At first we thought he was just being friendly, then we realised that we actually did know him but were not sure as to where from. He then mentioned the ThunderRun 24 and Steven and I looked at each other as it clicked into place! It was amazing to see him again after 2 years and the fact that he recognised us was amazing! His name was also Steve he was one of the runners who won a magazine competition to be part of ThunderRun 24 and he reminded us that he was one of those people who slept in the car not in a tent! Anyway, I booked in for a massage and got myself some free pasta and drinks. It wasn't much really but I need food in my tummy. I was really happy that Steven was with me - it was really special and he enjoyed it much more this time round! (You will have to ask him why!) I had a lovely leg massage as I braced myself with the thought of walking all the way to the underground and up the stairs. I just had to grin and bear it as I walked through Green park to the pub where Oliver Westbury’s private party was to celebrate his 26 marathons. We then discovered that we had just missed him by half an hour! I wasn't surprised haha. He had been there for several hours as he finished much earlier than me! It was then time to go home, so Steven took me back to Harpenden from Kings Cross using the tube. There was a bit of a walk here and there and then I plopped myself into his van. I had to tell him to slow down a bit as he drove a bit rough round the roundabouts especially at MK on the way home. We had to hurry back for LilyJane, my big baby, who had made banners and put them on the front door as a welcome home! I’d like to say a massive Thank you for all the support and fundraising that I have received. I have managed to raise £300 even though I did this fairly last minute when I had actually registered with Heads Together before Christmas. Looking at Heads Together Facebook, I realised that a lot of the other Heads Together runners had a great deal of support from the HT team. Maybe this was because they could hear the loudspeaker and knew where to go etc. Unfortunately, I missed out on some of the best bits, such as meeting some members of the Royal family. I would love to have done that…. never mind. At least it is all finished now and I can move on to other challenges. I will need some time for my toes to heal as they are all blistered up, but not as bad as they were 2 years ago as I didn't run a 20 miler one month before the marathon this time, which I think helped with my feet. I still lost one toe nail this time, but better than losing 4 like I did on the last marathon! I really need to get my health sorted out once and for all! Thank you for reading this :)

#teamheadstogether #headstogether #londonmarathon

[topsolarpanels]

Here’s Who The Obamas Invited To The State Of The Union Address

The White House on Sunday announced the guests who will be joining Michelle Obama in the first lady’s box as President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address to Congress.

Among the luck few are a businessman who helps low-income residents afford solar panel, an opioid reform advocate from West Virginia, a famed plaintiff in last year’s landmark matrimony equality lawsuit, a once-homeless veteran from Las Vegas, a Syrian refugee and the woman Obama credits with coining the “Fired up! Ready to go! ” chant popularise by both of his campaigns for the presidency.

Read the full listing below, via the White House TAGEND

A Vacant Seat for the Victims of Gun Violence

Last week, the President took a series of commonsense steps to help reduce gun violence in America and stimulate our communities safer.

We leave one seat empty in the First Lady’s State of the Union Guest Box for the victims of gun violence who no longer have a voice- because they need the rest of us to speak for them. To tell their narratives. To honor their memory. To support the Americans whose lives have been forever changed by the terrible ripple effect of gun violence- survivors who’ve had to learn to live with a disability, or without the love of their life. To remind every single one of our representatives that it’s their responsibility to do something about this.

Sue Ellen Allen( Scottsdale, AZ )

Criminal Justice Reform

Sue Ellen Allen knows the difficulties that formerly incarcerated someones face after prison- both as the co-founder of a nonprofit helping inmates reenter society and as a former inmate commence over after her release in 2009. Her organization, Gina’s Team, supports women in Arizona prisons and upon release, devotes them the resources they need and teaches them how give back to the community. Named for her cellmate in prison who died in incarceration, Sue Ellen started Gina’s Team with Gina’s mothers in an effort to provide women a track out of prison, back in local communities and out of additional trouble with the law. She wrote the President to thank him for the launch of a new pilot program that enables incarcerated Americans to receive Pell Grants and to encourage a national dialog that includes women in prison reform. Sue Ellen is proud to be accompanied to Washington by Gina’s mother, Diane, whose daughter devoted her a renewed intent in life.

Gloria Balenski( Schaumburg, IL )

Letter Writer

Like many American families during the Great Recession, Gloria and Norb Balenski faced real economic conflicts: Gloria lost her task after 34 years at a major electronics company, the money they expended for their son’s college dried up in the free-falling stock market, and Norb’s job at Chevrolet was threatened when the automobile industry cratered. But the actions the President took when he came into office to pull us away from the brink of depression and to secure quality, affordable health care for millions of Americans, helped safeguard Norb’s job and his health insurance. And just in time as he suffered a major heart attack in 2012, racking up $400,000 in medical bills. Gloria and Norb wrote the President a letter last year thanking him for the economic priorities he pursued at a time of commotion, which Gloria credits with helping her family to bounce back. Today, Gloria is retired, her husband has recovered, and her son lately wedded, has a task and bought a new home.

Jennifer Bragdon( Austin, TX )

Community College Student

Jennifer Bragdon’s story showcases how community colleges can adapt to the needs of students. Jennifer, 42, and her husband, George, work full time to pay for bills and provide childcare for their one-year-old daughter, and Jennifer’s other responsibilities limit her to one class at a time. Even though she won’t alumnu for a few more years, she plans to complete her degree and become a middle school teacher. She enrolled in a new developmental math course at Austin Community College( ACC) after being out of a traditional classroom for more than 20 years, and has now successfully completed her college algebra requirements. In March, Dr. Biden met Jennifer at ACC and learned about the campus’ high-tech learning lab that offer more than 600 computer stations for individualized learning and small group sessions, highlighting the ways community colleges are flexible and support for students to stay on track to earn their degrees. Jennifer works as a massage therapist and lives in Austin, Texas with her family.

Edith Childs( Greenwood, SC )

Greenwood County Councilmember

When then-Senator Obama visited a June 2007 campaign stop in Greenwood, South Carolina, a small group of 38 advocates captured the enthusiasm and drive that defined the election. And Edith Childs, a Greenwood County Councilmember, summed up the passion with a simple chant: “Fired up! Ready to go! ” When she noticed Senator Obama’s surprise at a fairly small collect, she sought to energize the crowd calling out, “Fired up! ” to which they replied “Fired up! ” “Ready to go! ” she countered. This call and reaction captivated larger and larger mob, and became widely recognized as the unofficial motto of the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. In December 2009, President Obama invited Edith to the White House for the first vacation gala hosted by the Obamas in recognition of her ability to distill the enthusiasm that helped carry him to the White House. Edith lives in Greenwood with her husband, Charles. They have three children and six grandchildren.

Cynthia “Cindy” K. Dias( Las Vegas, NV )

Veteran, Veterans Homelessness Advocate

Cynthia “Cindy” K. Dias is a Navy veteran who served during the course of its Vietnam War in a hospital ship as a registered nurse. She managed care for wounded soldiers, and ran alongside the Chaplin as the designated official to provide notification and care for families of wounded and deceased officers. After her service, she worked as a registered nurse in Florida and Louisiana and eventually moved to Las Vegas, where she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and lost her task before eventually also losing her home. She found a place to live at Veterans Village, a non-profit working with the towns of Las Vegas to provide resources for homeless veterans. She now volunteers with Veterans Village, and she works to care and advocate for veterans in the city. In November 2015, Las Vegas announced it had housed every homeless veteran as part of the Administration’s Mayors Challenge to Aim Veteran Homelessness. This challenge was launched in 2014 by First lady Michelle Obama as proportion the First lady and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces initiative.

Mark Davis( Washington , D.C .)

Small Business Owner

A former basketball player in Washington , D.C ., Mark Davis was inspired by the President’s focus on climate change to do something to protect countries around the world and help his community. Mark took classes, got certified, and started a small business that trains low-income individuals to install solar panel and prepares community members for local green tech tasks. Mark’s company, WDC Solar, is growing, profitable, and dedicating back. Since 2012, WDC has installed more than 125 solar systems in D.C. at no cost to homeowners with good credit through taxation credits and private monies. One of Mark’s proudest moments is collaborating with D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility to start a low-income program that has provided funding to install panels on more than 300 homes. And once the members of the commission are installed, the extra power outcomes in a profit every month- money going back in local communities he’s working to transform. In 2016 he plans to implement similar programs in New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Cary Dixon( Huntington, WV )

Mother, Opioid Reform Advocate

In October, Cary Dixon joined the President at a community forum in Charleston, West Virginia, on the opioid epidemic and spoke candidly about the fight of having an adult infant with a substance utilize ailment. Prescription drug abuse and heroin use have taken a heartbreaking toll on too many Americans and their families, while straining law enforcement and treatment programs. The President believes that resources should be put toward avoiding substance utilize ailments from developing and getting effective treatment to those who need it. As many families have learned, substance utilize ailments do not discriminate and Cary has turned her experience into action, speaking up for those who are often too stigmatized to say anything. “For too long, we’ve been silent, ” she told the panel. “And I think that is holding us back. We need to open our voices so that people don’t feel ashamed. This is a disease. It is a sickness.”

Lydia Doza( Klamath Falls, OR // Anchorage, AK )

College Student, STEM Advocate

Originally from Anchorage, Lydia Doza’s upbringing in three Alaskan tribes- Inupiaq, Tsimshian, and Haida- as well as her grandmother Joanne’s influence taught her the value of an education and the importance of mentorship. She detected her passion for engineering early on through her high school robotics squad, and, through her involvement with the Administration’s Generation Indigenous initiative to subsistence Native American youth, she’s engaging with rural youth in disciplines across the STEM fields to apply their skills and education. Lydia, 24, is currently seeking a degree in software engineering technology at Oregon Tech, where she’s also an event organizer for Engineering Diplomats, which focuses on outreach to kids as young as three years old through high school to foster a career in engineering. After procuring her bachelor’s degree, Lydia hopes to work full period as a software engineer while continuing her involvement in the community to promote the importance of STEM and higher education. Lydia ultimately hopes to pursue a master’s degree in data science and foster more women to go into STEM. Lydia’s mother, Maria Graham, and two brothers, Dorien and Leland, live in Wasilla, Alaska.

Refaai Hamo( Troy, MI )

Syrian Refugee

Growing up in Syria, Refaai Hamo lived what seemed to be the kind of life associated with the American Dream- the son of a farmer and housewife, he worked construction at night to pay his style through college on his style to a PhD, wedded his college sweetheart and constructed a family together. This life and happiness changed eternally when a Syrian government anti-personnel missile tore through the complex Refaai designed and where his family lived; in total seven members of his family members succumbed, including his wife and one daughter. After the bombing, he fled to Turkey but couldn’t make a living without a residence permit and was diagnosed with stomach cancer in a country where he couldn’t attempt treatment without insurance or health benefits. After two years in Turkey, he received refugee status to move to Troy, Michigan. Refaai’s story was featured on the website Human of New York, where he received an outpouring of support and sympathy- including from the President. The President wrote in response to his narrative, “Welcome to your new home. You’re part of what attains America great.” Refaai arrived in Detroit with his three daughters and son on December 18, and like other families displaced from their homeland, they hope to find a new one in America.

Lisa Jaster( Houston, TX )

Major, U.S. Army Reserve, Ranger School Graduate

Major Lisa Jaster became the first female Army Reserve policeman to graduate from the Ranger School, the elite leadership course of the Army. The 37 -year-old engineer and mom of two is only the third woman to graduate from Ranger School, which began including female soldiers last year following an Administration directive to lift the ban on women in combat. Lisa graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York in 2000. She was on active obligation for seven years and deployed in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom before leaving active obligation in 2007 to work at Shell Oil Co. In 2012, Lisa returned to service, joining the U.S. Army Reserve, and took a leave of absence from Shell last April to pursue Ranger School. She is married to a Marine with whom she has two children, aged seven and three.

Mayor Mark Luttrell( Shelby County, TN )

Shelby County Mayor

Throughout his career in public service, Republican Mayor Mark Luttrell has built the partnership agreement with local, state and federal agencies, and his unique background has focused him on criminal justice reform. As mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee, he helped generate specialty tribunals for narcotic, mental health, and veterans’ suits to provide resources for effective rehabilitation instead of ineffectual incarceration. The county also put in place measures to reduce recidivism by streamlining and pooling resources to better provide formerly incarcerated someones with the tools they need to re-enter society. Afterward, he was appointed as Director of Corrections for Shelby County, Tennessee and served there until he was elected Sheriff in 2002 and subsequently as Mayor in 2010. Mayor Lutrell and his wife, Pat, have three children and six grandchildren.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy( Hartford, CT )

Connecticut Governor

Currently in his second term as Governor of Connecticut, Dannel P. Malloy has pursued many of the progressive priorities that the President laid out to stimulate America stronger. From his criminal justice reforms, including a “Second Chance Society” initiative that emphasizes successfully reintegrating someones with nonviolent offenses into society, to common-sense gun safety laws following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, Gov. Malloy has balanced important social reforms with strong economic priorities: Connecticut led America as the first state in the country to raise the minimum wages to $10.10 and pass legislation guaranteeing paid sick leave. Gov. Malloy also supervised the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act, driving down the state’s uninsured rate to historic lows and delivered the best task growth since the 1990 s. Gov. Malloy and his wife, Cathy, have three sons, Dannel, Ben and Sam.

Braeden Mannering( Bear, DE ) Let’s Move ! After attending the White House Kids’ “State Dinner” as part of Let’s Move ! and hearing the President and First Lady’s challenge for kids to make a difference in their own communities, Braeden Mannering, 12, was inspired to act. Braeden started his own nonprofit, Brae’s Brown Bags( 3B ), which provides healthy food to homeless and low-income individuals in his community. His mission is also to raise awareness about the problems of food insecurity and poverty, and to empower and inspire youth across the nation to become part of the solution. To date, Braeden has activated more than 2,600 volunteers, more than 4,500 “brown bags” of healthy food, and created more than $52,000 for starvation relief. He co-hosted the first “hunger conference” in Delaware to include youth, and he continues to spread his mission in Delaware and other nations, speaking at schools, conferences, and legislative sessions. Braeden is in sixth grade at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School and lives in Bear, Delaware with his mother Christy, stepfather Brian, brother Finnegan and sister Amelia. Braeden’s father, Michael, his fiancee Jennifer and their son Michael live in Middletown, Delaware. Satya Nadella( Bellevue, WA )

Microsoft CEO

Satya Nadella is Chief executive officer of Microsoft, a position he’s held since February 2014 at the company he joined in 1992. Microsoft has been a leader in expanding access to computer science in K-1 2 classrooms, and in Teach.org, a private public partnership to increase awareness of and support for the teaching profession. In September, the company announced a new $75 million effort to expand computer science education, including opportunities for engineers from Microsoft and other companies with teachers to team-teach computer science. In October 2015, under Satya’s leadership, Microsoft increased its paid leave benefits by eight weeks and now includes 20 weeks of paid leave for new mothers and 12 weeks for non-birth parents. Originally from Hyderabad, India, Satya received a master’s in computer science and a master’s in business administration from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and University of Chicago, respectively. Satya and his wife, Anupuma, have three children.

Jim Obergefell( Cincinnati, OH )

Activist

Jim Obergefell was the named plaintiff in the landmark matrimony equality lawsuit Obergefell v. Hodges , which ruled same-sex couples nationwide have the Constitutional right to marry. In 2013, Jim wedded his partner of 20 years, John, who was dying of ALS. Their matrimony- performed in Maryland- wasn’t recognized in their home state of Ohio, defining off a legal proceeding over whether the matrimony should be recognized under Ohio law and listed on John’s death certificate. While they won the initial legal combat, Ohio appealed, and their lawsuit eventually built its style to the Supreme court, which declared matrimony equality the law of the land. Jim considers himself an accidental activist, one who became entwined in a political statement larger than himself- a statement of equality and dignity that Americans have been fighting for since this nation’s founding- and he now remains committed to ensuring the civil rights for all Americans.

Chief Kathleen O’Toole( Seattle, WA )

Police Chief, Community Policing

Since 2014, Chief Kathleen O’Toole has led the Seattle Police Department in developing its approach to community policing, and her focus on improving policeman morale, enforcing new policies and optimizing department resources has received national attention. Under her leadership, government departments tested a six-month pilot program for body-worn police cameras focused on public transparency, and the Department of Justice awarded government departments a $600,000 grant to expand the program. Last year, the Seattle Police Department presented its policies at the White House Police Data Initiative as part of its renewed emphasis on accountability and transparency. Prior to Kathleen’s role as Chief, she served as Chief Inspector of the Gardia Siochana Inspectorate in Ireland, responsible for developing best practices of the Irish police services and rose the ranks of Massachusetts law enforcement, finishing as the first female Boston police commissioner in 2004. Chief O’Toole is married to a retired police detective, Dan O’Toole, and they have a daughter, Meghan.

Ryan Reyes( San Bernardino, CA )

Activist

Ryan Reyes’s partner Larry “Daniel” Kaufman was one of the 14 victims of the December 2 terrorist attack at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. Daniel was a task trainer for adults with developmental disabilities at the Coffee N More shop, and he was on his lunch break at the time of the two attacks. He is credited with saving the lives of four people when he alerted others, urging them to safety, before being shot and killed in the two attacks. Since Daniel’s death, Ryan, 32, has been vocal about the need for tolerance of all and rejection of the radicalized. “I speak for both Daniel and myself when I say that this attack should NOT encourage people to treat Muslims any differently than they would anyone else, ” he wrote to media in the aftermath of the attack. “The twisted actions and faiths of a few should not be used to position the majority.”

Ronna Rice( Greeley, CO )

Small Business Owner

A family-operated company since 1924 across five generations, Rice’s Lucky Clover Honey specializes in American raw and unfiltered honey for exportation globally. As CEO, Ronna Rice results the business. The company has expanded across the U.S. and around the world, most recently in Japan, South Korea and China, letting the company to grow domestically and hire more employees. Rice’s Lucky Clover Honey has exportation marketings per year of about $500,000, and the 15 jobs in the company are supported by those exportations. The company is based in Greeley, Colorado, and Ronna runs the company with her husband Jim, their three children, their son-in-law and a family friend.

Cedric Rowland( Chicago, IL )

ACA Navigator

Cedric Rowland is the result navigator for Near North Health Service Corporation in Chicago. Running with people to find the best schemes available at a price they can afford, Affordable Care Act navigators help people across the country take advantage of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, and are part of the success of the law. Since November 1, 2015, virtually 11.3 million consumers- more than 3 million of them new clients- have signed up for health care in this open enrollment alone. Our uninsured rate is at the lowest rate on record, coverage is affordable, and we’re ensure a historic slowdown in the growth of health care costs. Cedric’s role in this progress can be seen in the story of Stephanie Lucas. Stephanie has diabetes and no longer qualified for Medicaid, but with Cedric’s help she transitioned to a Marketplace plan that met her needs and let her keep her doctor at a price she could afford- $62 a month after taxation credits. Stephanie will watch the State of the Union from the White House. She thanks Cedric, and navigators like him, for helping Americans enroll in quality, affordable health care under the Affordable Care Act. Cedric is a new father of a baby girl.

Naveed Shah( Springfield, VA )

U.S. Army Veteran

Naveed Shah, originally from Saudi Arabia, grew up in the Washington , D.C. suburb of Springfield, Virginia after immigrating to the United States with his Pakistani mothers. Like many immigrants who arrive here as children, Naveed noted that his birth country felt foreign while America is home. The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 marked the ultimate twisting of Naveed’s faith- something he set out to combat, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2006. He served our country for four years and used in order to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Naveed returned to his hometown in 2010 for college and to work with veterans groups assisting in the transition between military and civilian life. When not volunteering, Naveed works as a real estate agent in Virginia and lives with his fiance, Ashley, and 7-year-old son, Yusuf.

Earl Smith( Austin, TX )

Veteran

Earl Smith first met then-Senator Barack Obama in February 2008 on the campaign trail at the Austin Hyatt Regency where he worked as the director of security. Encountering him in an elevator, Earl devoted the Senator a military patch he had worn serving with an artillery brigade in Vietnam that sustained 10,041 casualties and received 13 Medals of Honor. Smith had held onto his patch for 40 years- from Vietnam, to his 1977 forgivenes after three years in prison for a wrongful conviction, to global work in the hospitality industry- before parting with it in the elevator that day. Then-Senator Obama carried the patch in his pocket for the rest of the campaign, but Earl had no idea of potential impacts his narrative had on the President until he heard it immediately from him in the Oval Office in 2013. The patch will be archived in the Obama Library- a reminder of the ones who made up the movement that led the President to the White House. Earl and his wife of virtually 35 years, Claudia, have two children.

Spencer Stone( Sacramento, CA )

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force

While on a Paris-bound train with his childhood friends Anthony Sadler and U.S. Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone built headlines worldwide in August when the three Americans avoided a potentially catastrophic act of terrorism. Spencer, his two friends and a fourth British passenger subdued a gunman armed with a box cutter, a pistol, a can of lighter liquid, and an assault rifle with 300 rounds of ammo as he tried to open fire aboard the crowded train. While constraining the suspect who repeatedly slashed with the box cutter, Spencer incurred injury to his neck and hand, virtually losing his thumb, and upon return to the United States received a Purple Heart, the Airman’s Medal, and a promotion to Staff Sergeant. The President invited the three friends to the White House where he thanked them in person for saving so many lives and for representing the U.S. with heroism and humility. The 23 -year-old EMT hopes to continue his work in medicine and lives in Sacramento, California.

Oscar Vazquez( Fort Worth, TX )

Veteran, DREAMer, STEM leader

Like many DREAMers, Oscar came to the United States as small children in search of a better life. From age 12 where reference is moved from Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona, Oscar excelled in the classroom. He excelled as a STEM student at Carl Hayden High School and led an unlikely and inspiring narrative of a group of under-resourced Hispanic high school students who took on an MIT team in an underwater robotics competition and won. That possibility led to a college education in the STEM field, earning a B.S.E. in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University in May 2009. But without legal status, he couldn’t procure a task to provide for his new spouse and newborn infant. He returned to Mexico to apply for a visa, and with help from Sen. Dick Durbin, who spoke from the Senate Floor about Oscar’s case, he was granted a green card in August 2010. Six months later, Oscar enlisted in the Army to serve the country he loves and calls home. Oscar served one tour in Afghanistan and is now a proud U.S. citizen. He now works for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railways as a business analyst in a web app development squad, and is a passionate advocate on behalf on expanding STEM opportunities for Latino and other under-represented youth.

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