#go watch ''Fit to be Tied'' from the Orange Islands season

[wurm-food]

wurmmmm i saw that you're looking for requests and i've been craving some sabo fluff lately. i was looking at your prompts tag and the gentle love ones were so cute :^ they got me thinking maybe number 40? like sabo's been away on missions for a long time and comes back to base with a bunch of little gifts he collected that reminded him of his partner while he was gone? but also i trust your judgement with whatever you want to write lolol. just a thought if you want <3

ronannnnn, I absolutely loved writing this :) I’ve also had a particular song stuck my head that fit this so I used that as some added inspo. I’m always up for some feel good Sabo fics (he deserves it!) so I hope you enjoy! 💕

Time Moves Slow (Sabo x G/N!Reader)

Sabo collects gifts that remind him of you after being away on mission for months

Word count: 0.7k One Piece Master List

CW: SFW, fluff, longing

Notes: for @theogonies :) inspired by #40 on this prompt list and the song Time Moves Slow by BADBADNOTGOOD Read this work on AO3!

Sabo was exhausted. As each of his heavy, weary steps carried him forward to the entrance of the Revolutionary Army’s base, he realized he had been for as long as he could remember. The ceaseless grind of missions and responsibilities never used to bother him. He always managed to push through the mental and physical anguish of being on the road, the dull ache of loneliness could be cast aside and crammed into the furthest corner of his mind. 

That was, until you came into his life. Both of you knew what you were signing up for when you started your relationship, but that didn’t make it any easier. Weeks or longer would go by without a word of communication. Sabo was a wanted man so it was simply safer that way in his line of work. Until you saw him again with your own eyes, you had to assume no news was good news. But despite the physical distance that kept the two of you apart, the love and trust the two of you had for each other never waivered. With every welcoming embrace, you and Sabo picked up right where you left off as if no time had passed at all. He was grateful for you and missed you dearly. 

This particular string of missions took Sabo away from you for months. He watched green leaves turn to fiery oranges and yellows as they fell to the ground. Time seemed to move even slower than usual as he watched the island change with the seasons, thoughts of missing you accented by the crunch of leaves under his footfall. His heart ached, mind wandering through every memory of you he held dear, the way your face crinkled when you laughed, the way your eyes lit up with wonder when something piqued your interest…

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, a particularly red leaf hit the brim of his hat and fell into his hands. He picked it up by the stem, twirling it between his gloved fingers in the sunlight. It was a perfect, broad leaf without blemish, vibrantly glowing scarlet amongst a sea of earthy decay. 

A new memory took shape in his mind. He was standing beside you beneath a maple tree, snuggly wrapped in a sweater. The tip of your nose and cheeks were flushed pink from the brisk autumn air, a red leaf stuck in your hair that you had failed to notice. Without thinking, Sabo plucked it from your locks. You looked back at him doe-eyed and beautiful, an expression he etched into his mind from that day forward… As Sabo’s thoughts returned to the present, he warmly smiled and tucked the leaf into his notebook.

Since then, he collected trinkets and objects that reminded him of you. Anything from shiny baubles, scraps of poetry, or humble shells was added to his sentimental treasure horde. Rather than fixating on the perpetual longing in his chest, he looked forward to the day he’d see you again and share these pieces of his heart with the one he loved most. 

And now, as Sabo trudged through the dark hallway to your shared quarters at the base, the thousands of miles between you dwindled to mere steps away. His grip squeezed tightly on the wooden box he meant to present you as he turned the door handle. Finally, his pilgrimage was over.

Sabo slowly opened the door, the familiar creak of the door filled the dark room. His eyes scanned the room until he saw you, fast asleep in the bed you two shared. Your hair framed your face around you on the pillow like a halo, the all-too-familiar purr of your breathing filled Sabo’s ears like a lullaby. Even with how heavy his boots and his hat felt on his body, he felt weightless as he stood before you, heart no longer burdened by separation. He softly placed your box on the nightstand next to you as he peeled off his layers from his journey. The two of you could comb through those treasures tomorrow. He’d hold you in his arms, reminiscing on your stupid inside jokes and the little details of your life together you thought he’d forgotten. As Sabo laid down next to you, weary eyes growing heavy with sleep, all that mattered tonight was that you were with him again. 

Tag list: @nekomacheercaptain @jordyn-degas Join tag list!

#theogonies #wurm.txt #wurm.fic #ask #sabo x reader #sabo x y/n #sabo x you #sabo #sabo the revolutionary #one piece fanfic #one piece reader insert #one piece #op fic #op fanfic

[sage-nebula]

Now that I’ve got a moment at home, I want to elaborate a bit on my thoughts on the newest PokéAni episode, and why Pikachu’s behavior wasn’t OoC at all, but rather a demonstration of how he’s finally being treated like a character again, after just about two decades of being reduced to a prop to sit on Ash’s shoulder, look cute, and occasionally win battles. Disclaimer up front, I think this is easily the best episode Pikachu has had since the original series.

Let’s take his behavior piece by piece, shall we?

Jealousy:

Before the episode even aired, I saw people claiming that it was “out of character” for Pikachu to feel jealous over Ash training pokémon other than him, and for the most part I can kind of understand where people are coming from with this one. The fact is, since Pikachu has basically just been a series mascot rather than a character for most of the past twenty years, we haven’t really seen much from him with regards to Ash favoring other pokémon on his team (most notably in cases where the bond between Ash and the other ‘mon was super hyped up, as with Greninja). However, that’s not because it’s not in Pikachu’s character to be jealous, but rather because the writers didn’t want to spend enough time on Pikachu to show him being jealous. It’s a subtle, but key difference. Because Pikachu wasn’t “important” to the story in previous sagas, his thoughts and feelings on the given situation were pretty much ignored. But even then, we still saw flashes of it here and there, the most recent example of which I can think occurred in XY(Z). During the second battle with Alan, Pikachu really wanted to battle Alan’s Metang, only for Ash to call upon Noivern instead. (At least, I believe it was Noivern.) Pikachu got huffy over this, and Ash sheepishly said he’d let Pikachu battle next time. Pikachu’s response was to cross his arms and mutter to himself, pouting about it. It wasn’t followed up on after that (though notably, Pikachu got to battle Alan’s Metagross in the League finals), but nonetheless, we still did see Pikachu get jealous over Ash using another pokémon to battle when he wanted to, even in a saga that ignored his character for the most part.

So to say that it’s out of character for Pikachu to get jealous is just incorrect. I understand why some might think that, but it’s incorrect nonetheless. This isn’t to say that it wouldn’t be nice to see it build and build over multiple episodes, but I think it’s worth it to acknowledge the fact that it’s implied this has been building in the beginning of the episode. When Pikachu asks Ash if he can battle next, Ash tells Pikachu that Riolu’s on a winning streak:

For Riolu to be on a roll, this means that this is not the first battle Pikachu has sat out. It means that he’s sat out multiple battles, perhaps over the span of multiple days, and he’s still been a good sport about it up until this moment—the moment when Ash acknowledges that Pikachu is super pumped up to battle, and yet still tells him that, nah, he has to sit on the sidelines and continue to watch. It’s no wonder Pikachu gets pissed; it’s been days and he still hasn’t had his turn on the Xbox.

So while it would be nice to see an actual arc spanning multiple episodes, we’re still given enough information to know that Pikachu has been stewing for a bit and is finally hitting a breaking point, particularly when Ash continues to brush him off (and even scold him for falling asleep on the bench and not, I guess, being ~excited enough~ that Riolu is training instead, and even saying that Pikachu won’t get to battle at all if he naps, like, Ash, tf is your problem??) as the episode progresses. It’s been shown in previous sagas that Pikachu can get pouty if he isn’t chosen, and being looked over again, and again, and again, and then being scolded for not being excited about being looked over, is bound to wear on his nerves.

But that said, Pikachu has some other issues that should be addressed, too.

Abandonment:

In the OS, there were numerous episodes that implied that Pikachu had a fear of abandonment, which led many (myself included, and I’m still not convinced this didn’t happen between Pikachu leaving Mamaskhan and Oak finding him) to believe that Pikachu had a trainer prior to Ash who both mistreated (hence his hatred of pokéballs) and ultimately abandoned him. The most noticeable episode is “Sparks Fly for Magnemite,” in which Pikachu is so terrified of Ash abandoning him that he leaves the Pokémon Center in a severely weakened, ill state to chase after him. Ash is exasperated, but he agrees that Pikachu can come along so long as he rests and doesn’t push himself. (Ash, Misty, and Brock were actually going to the power plant to restore power to the Pokémon Center, so they really weren’t going to be gone long, but Pikachu’s illness made his insecurities come to the forefront and so he chased after anyway.)

Now, much like all other aspects of Pikachu’s personality, his fear of abandonment really hasn’t been brought up since the OS, at least not in any major way to my recollection. But JN started off with an episode detailing Pikachu’s early childhood, and his feelings surrounding no longer belonging with his family. In that instance, he chose to leave despite how much he still loved them, rather than force Mamaskhan to bid him farewell (which she would never do), or have something else terrible happen. Even though it was Pikachu’s own choice to leave, the fact that he felt he had to leave behind the only family he ever knew no doubt still left a scar on his heart, one that was possibly exacerbated by an awful previous trainer, one that might have been unwittingly reinforced in episodes like “Pikachu’s Goodbye” (where Ash legitimately tried to release him) and “Sparks Fly for Magnemite” (where Pikachu thought he was being abandoned) . . .

. . . and one that came up again in this episode.

Because in this episode, we see that Ash has been neglecting Pikachu for a little while, constantly overlooking him, brushing him off, scolding him for not being happy that he’s being brushed off, et cetera. Pikachu, obviously hurt and dejected, spends the night in Delia’s room . . . only for Delia to leave before Pikachu even wakes up, and almost leave without saying goodbye to him at all. Then he turns back to Ash again, but this time he barely has time to get two words in before Ash tells him “I’ll train with you later,” brushing him off yet again in favor of Riolu. 

And that’s when Pikachu breaks, and decides to run away.

Pikachu running away in this instance speaks volumes to me, as someone who also has abandonment issues. Because if you think about it, Pikachu going to Pallet Town was his way of benching himself. After all, provided he hasn’t released them, where do all of the pokémon that Ash isn’t actively training live? Either in Pallet Town with Oak (or in this case Delia), or in Alola. (Or in the Charicific Valley / with the Squirtle Squad etc, but those are special cases.) Pikachu decided, “Okay, I’m not going to wait around for you to bench me. I’m going to do it first so you don’t get the chance.” And that’s something that’s so familiar to me, because I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve decided to stop reaching out to / being around people because I felt like they didn’t want me around / didn’t like me / were silently rejecting me and so I said, you know what, I won’t make you reject me outright, I will just remove myself from your presence so it doesn’t come to that (which, yes, is always the wrong move to make and I try not to make it, but mental illness is a real bitch sometimes). It’s called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and I think that Pikachu displayed big signs of it in this episode. Ash wasn’t “rejecting” Pikachu from his perspective, but Pikachu felt that he was being rejected and reacted accordingly. Issues from his past flared up to make this a much bigger deal than it might’ve been for other pokémon, and as a result Pikachu turned tail and ran.

So what we saw in this episode was not only Pikachu being jealous / irritated that he was passed over for battle (though he was, and that’s not out of character for him either), but also Pikachu exhibiting Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria that was likely borne from abandonment / displacement / rejection issues that have been building in him since he was a Pichu. Neither Ash nor Delia meant to stoke this in Pikachu, but they still did nonetheless, and so his behavior makes total sense (so long as, again, you consider his history and the implication at the beginning of the episode that he’s been passed over for multiple battles before this).

And finally, one more thing . . .

The attitude:

Man, I was so happy to see his attitude come back!

Here’s the thing about how Pikachu behaved back when he was focused on more as a character: he was a brat. Later sagas often give the implication that Pikachu was only bratty in the first episode, before he came to like Ash, but that is far and away not true. Pikachu got a little skull and crossbones reaction emoji when Delia called him “weird” and shocked the whole crowd. Pikachu got irritated when Ash told him to hush and not blow his cover in Celadon Gym and shocked the disguise right off him. Pikachu would pull out a sleeping bag and pretend to sleep if he didn’t want to do something (such as battle or go into a haunted tower). Pikachu showed open disappointment when Team Rocket, and Meowth especially, didn’t drown to death after a shipwreck:

So the Pikatude that we saw in this episode? 100% IC characterization from start to finish for the first time in what feels like a very long time. Pikachu sulking after getting passed over? IC. Pikachu stubbornly trying to get Mimey to leave him alone because he is leaving Arceus-damn-it and you can’t stop him? IC. Pikachu getting tired and refusing to walk and angrily shoving Mimey off when Mimey tries to drag him because he wants to take a rest? All Pikachu had to do was pull out a literal sleeping bag and it could have been a scene right out of the OS. And that glorious bit at the end when Pikachu shocks the daylights out of Ash (as Ash wonders “why . . . ?”) and then pulls this face?

THE MOST IC THING I HAVE SEEN FROM THIS ANIME IN YEARS. That’s the Pikatude that Pikachu had when the series first started out and he got to be an actual character! That’s the Bratachu I know and love! While Ash has never really had a return to his Sass Ketchum days (and oh, how I miss those), to see Pikachu treated like an actual character again, separate from Ash, allowed to have his own thoughts, feelings, reactions, and arc . . . it’s wonderful. Masterful. Chef’s kiss. The whole episode was amazing, but seeing Pikachu actually be himself again really sold out.

So, TL;DR:

Pikachu has been jealous before, albeit in much smaller instances because the narrative hasn’t wanted to really treat him as his own character in a very long time.

Pikachu had abandonment issues established in OS, reaffirmed that he has issues with not feeling like he belongs / leaving before he can be openly rejected in the first episode of this series, and brought all of that up again in this episode after multiple on-screen “rejections” and implied ones before the episode.

Pikachu always had an attitude until it was smoothed away so he could be a cute mascot and other pokémon could get narrative focus; having it come back in this series/episode is wonderful and no one should begrudge that. Let Pikachu Be Interesting Again 2020

And that’s that on that.

#pokemon #pokeani #pikachu #meta #long post for ts #but seriously that bit at the end was like . . . a little mini love note for OS fans #bc that's SO MUCH of how they acted in OS like #there was a lot of love as well #in fact I've seen some people wish we had Ash's thoughts on this episode & if you feel that way #go watch ''Fit to be Tied'' from the Orange Islands season #in that episode Ash and Pikachu are separated & it flips between both of them #and Ash is running himself ragged trying to find Pikachu again - refuses to rest until he does #Ash cries when Pikachu refuses to be released in ''Pikachu's Goodbye'' too #but even so there was a lot of Pikatude and when you consider that Ash was still Sass Ketchum back then #we got scenes like the above quite a bit #and it was SO GOOD #i loved it so much #anyway this is one of the best episodes we've had in 20 years so #you're free to dislike it ig but if you do you have bad taste and are also wrong #sorry not sorry that's just the law according to the rules

[cloveroctobers]

BLAKE JOLLEY —

IG info/bio: @/jollyblke | 8.4k followers | Activist | I’m here to save the world, it’s my right. & You should care about your environment too, get active. If not? Leave. Visit: theindigenousmovement.com

22 (23) years old

From Kensington, England

Choctaw nation & proud

Visits Oklahoma every other summer...sometimes it’s every few years

Majority of her family lives there on a reservation

She’s made a name for herself in the town for speaking up for the missing and m*rdered women of her community & how they continue to sweep that shit under the rug

Call it what it is, genocide

Has been arrested & charged a few times

Has a sense of dread when she goes back but also a form of happiness since her mom, some of her sibs, and other family members are there

Has 7 siblings

4 boys, 3 girls

Chelsea found that so facisinating!

I feel like there’s two sides to Blake? Either she’s rooting for you or she’s shitting you, there’s no in between

Willing to communicate & have intellectual conversations

Has to be in the mood to socialize, sometimes she just prefers NOT to talk since that requires energy

Always tired, doesn’t sleep much, probably has insomnia a little bit

Was on the debate team in secondary

Either you like her or you hate her, either way that’s a you problem

Kinda a loner, keeps to herself—always feeling like people should be doing more with their time on this earth

But she also understands that there are moments where you need to chill/relax/ have fun or take some time out for yourself

Donates to woman’s shelters often

Attends & organizes protests

Minimal makeup: mascara, nude blush, moisturizer mixed with sunscreen, a lip tint & she’s on her way

Knows how to ride a bull but will only do so if she’s back in Oklahoma

Knows how to work a g*n & is licensed to carry but prefers not to

Enjoys cliff diving & swimming as a form of exercise (not counting the hr long protests she travels to & attends)

Will do leg exercises more than anything at home, does not have a gym membership & will never get one

Favorite color is in the tropical blue shades: turquoise & aqua

Her home is her personal sanctuary, where she feels the most safe & allowed to be herself. Doesn’t invite anyone over to mess with the energy she has there, afraid that they’ll ruin that. She’ll meet you somewhere but one thing you’re not going to do is come into her space

Always has kale & quinoa in her flat

Has a chronic stomach condition

She’s a very blunt person & many don’t take that lightly, she doesn’t sugarcoat anything

Doesn’t have much experience in the love department

A few have tried but she either ignores them or tells them straight up that she’s not interested, always was focused on her school work & other things

That’s why she’s single

Now that she’s in her early twenties she feels like that she needs to experience love

She feels like she wants it? However a part of her isn’t sure if it’s something that she truly needs?

Possibly aromantic?

so when she met henrik, she immediately felt platonic energy with him & didn’t mind exploring it but also found noah quite aesthetically attractive?

Henrik fit into her lifestyle nicely outside of the villa, it was nice having someone else to talk to & spend time with. She wasn’t sure how she was meant to feel when he asked her to be his gf inside & outside the villa but she agreed so why not?

Her mother felt like she shouldn’t analyze the boy as if he was some sort of experiment, Blake did like watching experimental movies/documentaries based on true events or reading about them but she truly did not feel like that’s what she was doing with henrik

They had their differences ofc, henrik was more easy going/chill when it came to things whereas Blake observed before she attacked. If It don’t sit right with her, she’s gonna say some shit

She was the one to call it quits with henrik after almost two years passed

She was not heartbroken over it but she did realize how things changed now that he was no longer in her life

Loves clothing that have slits in them or v-necks

Loves going to flower shops since they remind her of her mom

I feel like she smells like cherries & cashmere musk

Adores sunsets, that’s the time of day where she feels most at ease

Interested in photography & is currently exploring what is her best subject to shoot...her activism helps

she hopes to have her own biography made about her one day

learning to gradually let her walls down but it’s extremely hard to do with the negative energy the world brings

Is cordial with mc...after some years have passed and they and their significant other always feel the need to have meet ups once a year where they invite EVERYONE somewhere else

Blake feels like they still have ties with the production company of love island but that’s not her business

Unless her services are truly required and the $ is right or if Elisa decides to drag her then she’s not going

Being on reality tv was not her main purpose

She hated the superficial and trying hard, things should just be natural

She’s above love island now & she doesn’t need to see henrik or Lucas OR single Noah every year

Her profile is filled with activism and how people can get involved

Along with a good dump of her face, she knew she was pretty but she didn’t need to use that to her advantage there was, “more to life than shallowness”

She barely remembers the other girls she entered the villa with. she thinks one or two tried to reach out to her in her dms but she ignored them

Is indifferent towards Shannon & jo

she gets jo confused with lily from season 3 when they both pop up on her explore feed. Again she doesn’t know why insta feels the need to show her other people’s lives if she’s not following them in the first place?

Doesn’t follow people back unless she’s got a strong platonic connection with you

Has lunch & dinner dates with her dad since he resides in England as well

She believes her parents marriage is a reflection on her non-existent/small percentage of relationships

They live in two different countries and they’ve been married for 15 years & still seem to be in love...hey whatever works! It works for Dolly Parton & her husband although they live in the same house? I think

On the outside it seems like she has a cold heart and many around her have told her mainly her sibs but she doesn’t believe that’s completely true

She has feelings!

If she was truly cold hearted, she wouldn’t have any remorse for the bad she’s done or wouldn’t be fighting for those who deserve it right?

Cap sun + Scorpio moon + sag rising

Thinks Mena Massoud, Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Rahul Kohli, Kurt Cobain, Manish Dayal, Janel Parrish, Charles Melton, Manny Jacinto, Miguel Gomez, & Clayton Cardenas are all nice to look at

Listens to: Yuna, Aly & AJ, Pip Millett, Jaz Kris, Sinhead Harnett, Iyamah, James Vickery, Maluma, Kanye West, emotional oranges, & Jimmie allen

Anthem? Hope Tala — All My girls like to fight

#litg #litg2 #litg s2 #litg Blake #litg mc #litg moodboard #litg headcanon #litg headcanons #litg oc #basically lol #now I’m finally down with s2 #litg noah #litg henrik #litg Lucas

[wildefiction]

Of Course...Mr. Collins

TWENTY-THREE

The rest of the week passed quickly as you finalized plans for the southern California convention taking place the first weekend of December. When you'd asked what would happen once the convention circuit finished for the year, Misha had reminded you that he was in the middle of filming season thirteen, and that it was likely the two of you would be spending a substantial part of the next several months in Vancouver. Although since he lived so close he often came home on the weekends, so he assured you would have some down time. Not that you minded, spending a bunch of time with your prohibitively sexy boss who you also happened to be sleeping with? It was a no-brainer.

Thursday morning dawned chilly, a cold wind and drizzling rain pelted the worn shingles of your roof. Drawing the Venetian blinds open filled the living room with a grey light and you smiled as your cats appointed themselves door guardians, keeping a wary eye on the crows who enjoyed taunting them from the deck.

Padding into the kitchen you set to work gathering the materials to make cheesecake. It was your favorite dessert, and you saved the lengthy process for the holidays. Reaching up to the top shelf of your cupboards required a step stool, as even on tiptoes the mixing bowls eluded you. Whoever had designed the kitchen failed to realize that putting cupboards above the dishwasher made them out of reach for all but the tallest people.

Straining for the stack of glass bowls occupied your attention. Just as you got a good grip on the lip of one your phone rang. Looking around you in search of the source quickly revealed that you'd left the device on the couch. By the sounds of the muffled tone, it had slid between the cushions. Setting the bowls on the counter you ran into the adjacent room, just catching the call before it went to voicemail.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Collins.” Groaning, Misha sighed on the other end of the call. “You're lucky I need you Ms. [Y/L/N], otherwise you'd be in serious need of an attitude adjustment.” 

The gravelly admonishment made you flush, a crimson heat pooling through your belly. Clearing his throat, your boss quickly changed the subject. 

“So, ahh, I hate to do this but..do you think you could come help us in the kitchen? I may have bitten off more than I could chew with this menu.” 

You were about to tell him you'd be happy to, but he continued, hastily adding that you could bring your sister if you wanted to and that he'd give you a bonus if you'd save his ass. Laughing through the line, you agreed - on the condition that you could bring dessert. “Thanks [Y/F/N], you really are a lifesaver.”

You weren't about to turn down more time with Misha, the salary boost was just an added bonus. He need never know that you had planned on spending the day stuffing your face with cheesecake; deciding to forego the big spread when you realized you'd be spending the holiday alone had saved you a lot of time and money.

Gathering all of the ingredients into a grocery tote along with several mixing bowls, your biggest springform pan and the fresh fruit used for garnish, you moved into your room to change. The bright blue fleece pajama pants littered with sheep that you currently wore didn't exactly feel right.

Not wanting to overdo things, you decided on a pair of soft, plum colored leggings and a form-fitting black tunic top, the hem falling just a few inches past the curve of your thighs. Pulling knee-high, oatmeal colored wool socks on before lacing up your pair of soft leather boots completed the outfit. Spreading a thick layer of dark eyeliner on to accompany the purple and black smokey-eye was just enough to tie everything together, your [Y/E/C] irises framed by the heavier makeup.

Pulling a brush through your long [Y/H/C] hair was enough, you knew if you were cooking that a fancier hairstyle wouldn't last long anyhow.

The highway held few cars, making the drive pass quickly. Pulling into Misha’s neighborhood, you were surprised by the number of cars parked both in his driveway and lining the street. Knocking on the heavy front door left you standing on the porch for a few minutes. After several tries,  you squeezed the handle, and finding it unlocked, let yourself in.

The maelstrom that greeted you was intense. West chased Tom and Shep through the house while JJ sat on the plush rug of the living room and stacked blocks with Maison. Gen and Daneel reclined together on the overstuffed sofa, glasses of red wine clutched in their hands, chatting as they kept a watchful eye on the girls. Rather than being overwhelmed, you felt like part of the family, a smile passing over your face as you took in your surroundings and made your way to the kitchen.

Vicki stood behind the cool marble covered island that dominated the center of the room. The sharp knife in her hand sliced through vegetables with ease. Seeing you walk in, she lowered the blade, and, wiping her hands on the half apron tied around her waist; enveloped you in a bone crushing hug. 

“[Y/F/N]! Thank you so much for coming to help with dinner...you know how Misha can be.” Thinking back to the first night you’d met the Collins’, you rolled your eyes and laughed. “So, what scheme has he thought of this time?” 

Lifting your bags up onto the counter, your [Y/E/C] eyes widened in shock at the thick piece of cardstock Vicki handed across her work station. 

“He..he actually made a menu?” “Where is our host anyhow?” Vicki snorted under her breath in mild amusement, motioning vaguely over her shoulder with the knife she’d taken up to finish her task.

Turning your attention to the set of double french doors behind her, you wandered across the cool wooden floor and looked through the glass. Misha, Jared and Jensen were all huddled around a large grill, where two twenty-pound turkeys were trussed and stuffed with herbs; slowly turning over the open flame. Jared noticed you first as you leaned against the oak door frame, impressed at their dedication. 

“Why am I not surprised that you are actually roasting turkeys over an open fire?” Jensen held up his hands and backed away from the heat, shaking his head while he tilted an amber bottle to his lips.

“Not me, Jared and I are giving him shit. There’s no way Misha can do this and have them finish before next year. We’re taking bets on how long it’ll take until we get to eat.” 

“Supervising, you might say..” Jared quipped as he moved to wrap his arms around you in greeting.

Misha’s attention finally rose from the spit and his eyes met [Y/F/N], a slow smile twisting over his face at the woman standing in his doorway. She looked amazing; a glass of wine in her hand as she smiled back at him, an amused expression on her face. 

“Well boys, have fun out here in the cold. I’m going back inside to surround myself with beautiful women...and cheesecake.” A torrent of wind off of the bay swirled around you as you stepped back into the warmth of the house.

There was a great deal of work to be done for the two desserts you had promised. Melting white chocolate over a double boiler while simultaneously reducing fresh raspberries into a puree forced you to abandon the glass of merlot Vicki had poured you. With those tasks complete you began assembling the base recipe for the cheesecakes themselves, the onyx monster of a stand mixer working overtime to whip the ingredients together. Crossing the kitchen to pour freshly ground coffee beans into the espresso machine for the tiramisu cheesecake took only a moment, the compelling smell warming you from the inside out.

Two hours later, you pulled the hot desserts from the double ovens set into the wall. Lowering the cakes to cooling racks well out of reach of small hands, you sighed; content. The smell of roasting turkey wafted through the open door when you poked your head outside to check how things were going. Rosemary, thyme and orange married together beautifully, a hint of sage rounding out the bouquet. The smug look on Misha’s face at his success caught your eye, his piercing blue eyes lit with satisfaction, that damning smile of his adding to the heat that burned through you.

Setting the expansive table distracted you well enough. A smaller, square oak table had been set aside just for the kids and you found your mind wandering to how it would feel to have your own child joining the others as they clambered up into their chairs. Shaking your head, you huffed at the thought. You didn’t like children. Mentally berating the biological clock that occasionally screamed at you to procreate, you shoved the idea away from your conscience. You could barely take care of yourself, adding a two-legged little gremlin to the mix wasn’t even a somewhat good idea. Pouring yourself a second glass of wine, you settled into one of the twelve heavy chairs that flocked the stretch of dark wood quickly filling with a myriad of dishes.

Dinner played out as if it were the scene in a hallmark movie. The  food was delicious, Misha spending twenty minutes carving up both turkeys before setting large, oval platters of meat at each end of the table. Tureens filled with mashed potatoes, both sweet and gold sat nestled amongst casseroles of stuffing, whole cranberries lending their beautiful color to the tablescape. Massive biscuits rested in napkin lined baskets; an old recipe handed down to Gen from her grandparents. Misha’s homemade wine flowing freely while the kids enjoyed fresh squeezed lemonade, West excitedly telling anyone who would listen that he’d help make it.

“[Y/F/N], where’s your sister? Did she not want to join us?” Jared’s hazel eyes were warm as they turned to you, his fingers laced with Gen’s. 

“She’s decided to stay in Hawaii for another week, actually.” Vicki’s eyes widened as she realized that you’d planned to be home alone today and she grimaced.

“If Misha hadn’t called you to help, what exactly would you be doing right now?” Shrugging, you swallowed another drink of the fruity liquid in your glass before answering. 

“Probably stuffing myself full of cheesecake and watching movies in my pajamas.” 

“What?! There are at least three food groups in cheesecake, it’s a nice, balanced meal.” 

“I’m not complaining though, this turkey is a-maaaazing Misha.”

After hours spent shopping, prepping and cooking the veritable feast laid out before you, everyone was overfull within thirty minutes. Jared and Jensen herded the children upstairs to change into pajamas and get cleaned up while Daneel, Gen and Vicki cleared the table. Back in the kitchen you pulled the fresh raspberry puree and heavy whipping cream from the refrigerator, spreading the fruit topping evenly across the surface of one of the cheesecakes. White chocolate curls and whole berries decorated the outer ring and sides of the confection. 

Adding the heavy cream to a stainless steel charger produced beautifully fresh cream for the tiramisu cake and, carrying them out to the table gleaned the interest of everyone in the house. A concerned look fell over Jensen’s face as he warred with the idea of whether or not he could fit additional food in his stomach. Laughing, you assured him there was plenty and that he could eat it later. With a curt nod of his head, he and Jared followed Misha back outside and you turned questioning glances to the women sitting around you. 

“It’s become a bit of a tradition when we’re all together to light up the fire pit and disconnect for awhile. C’mon [Y/F/N], you’ll see what we mean.” Vicki’s fingers stretched out to envelope your own as she moved to lift several large blankets from a basket by the door. Tilting her head in invitation, you followed her and the others outside where the boys already sat, the small children clambering up into their father’s laps. As you moved to sit in one of the adirondack chairs huddled near the iron pit of dancing flames, Vicki glared at you. 

“Don’t even think about running off by yourself, you come sit with us. You’re family now, whether you like it or not.”

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

TAGS: @jamielea81 @wings-of-a-raven

#WildeFiction #Misha x Reader #Supernatural Fanfiction #SPN x RPF

[danieledorazi]

Sustainable Fashion Practices / The Uniform

‘Colacello, who worked at Interview for years and was among Warhol’s inner circle, says his 60s look of “silvery white wig, dark wraparound sunglasses, black turtleneck under black leather jacket, black boots and, yes, blue jeans – was calculated to create a cool, hip, rebellious, even a bit sinister image. And it succeeded.” By the time Colacello met him in 1970, only the jeans remained. The rest had been replaced with Oxford shirts, conservative ties, clear-framed glasses and cord jackets. “The suit-jacket-and-jeans look became the Factory look, preppy and businesslike but more edgy than corporate,” he says. “We all found this combination comfortable because we could go from an uptown dinner party to a downtown loft party and fit in, while also being a bit different.”’

‘'Hip, rebellious, even a bit sinister': how Andy Warhol made pop art fashion’ - The Guardian

Black & White

Want to be sustainable & fashionable? Dress in black (or navy, or even white, or olive green, orange, too, why not?). Easy. Although we say “green fashion”, colours are related to season and the moment. Today is all about salmon and mustard, tomorrow it will be flaming hot whatever, and you’ll dump that mustard jersey. Stick to black, it will be forever cool and en vogue, it’s easier to keep it clean than other colours (think about white!), it makes you look good, serious, smart (and thinner).

The uniform is the game

Many great creative forces of the fashion universe dress always the same - check this article on Fashionista: ‘15 DESIGNERS WHO ALWAYS WEAR THE SAME THING’, featuring:

Carolina Herrera

Yohji

Prabal Gurung

Vera Wang

Alber Elbaz

Olivier Rousteing

Riccardo Tisci

Michael Kors

Karl Lagerfeld

Giorgione Armani

Jason Wu

Thom Browne

Raf Simons

Tom Ford

Alexander Wang

A uniform is travel-friendly

An interesting read on the topic: Jason’s ‘Travel Essentials: The Uniform’.

‘Packing light

Choosing to wear a uniform eliminates options, which reduces the number of items needed to put outfits together.

One less decision

Additionally, the simplicity removes a decision from my morning. And while I’m not making hundreds of critical decisions every day, I do want to cut down on decision fatigue as much as possible to leave that mental space available for the decisions I actually care about.

Keep it simple

The entire goal of a uniform is to simplify your wardrobe, not add a bunch of extra work to it. I should be looking at what I already wear most of the time, and putting my uniform together from there.

Keep It Flexible

Since I won’t be traveling with a full closet, my uniform needs to be appropriate for any situation I find myself in. Can I wear it to a fancy steak dinner at an upscale restaurant? A dive bar? A business meeting?

When you start putting together your uniform, consider three factors:

What do I actually feel comfortable wearing?

What type(s) of weather should I be expecting?

What kind(s) of events, venues, and situations will I find myself in?’

It’s also a branding exercise

From Forbes: ‘Steve Jobs Always Dressed Exactly the Same. Here's Who Else Does’.

‘William Arruda, a personal branding guru and author of Ditch. Dare. Do!, says this practice can be part of personal branding. “They wear what they wear because that's what they feel comfortable wearing,” he says. “When you wear something that just feels right, you are confident. And it is also great to have a trademark look. It makes you memorable and distinctive.”

“Famous business people and politicians are known to be consistent with their wardrobe because it's their brand identity,” says Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding and author of Me 2.0. “It's who they are, how they want to represent themselves and make a statement. It's not about what you wear, but what you accomplish. [Mark] Zuckerberg, for instance, wears casual clothing because he represents the entire generation of young people who don't want to wear suits to work.”

This week, the Facebook CEO told NBC's TODAY host Matt Lauer that he owns "maybe about 20" identical grey T-shirts. Zuckerberg said, "I mean, I wear the same thing every day, right? I mean, it's literally, if you could see my closet at home."

We also found a number of notable people who wear all black, all white—or a combo of the two—all the time.

Author and journalist Tom Wolfe began wearing his trademark white suits in 1962, while Johnny Cash’s all-black dress earned him the nickname “The Man In Black,” around the same time.

“Consistency of all kinds is what builds brands,” Schawbel says. “People who wear the same thing, have a catch phrase or two, and associate with the same people are more memorable than those who don't. It says this is who I am and this is what I enjoy. I think it's a rather positive thing that helps people identify with them and allows them to just be themselves.”’

Uniform vs Conspicuous consumption

We now live in sober times, where bragging is for the uncool and the nouveau riche - get a uniform, and you won’t be victim of conspicuous consumption, i.e. ‘the spending of money on and the acquiring of luxury goods and services to publicly display economic power—of the income or of the accumulated wealth of the buyer. To the conspicuous consumer, such a public display of discretionary economic power is a means of either attaining or maintaining a given social status.

The development of Thorstein Veblen's sociology of conspicuous consumption produced the term invidious consumption, the ostentatious consumption of goods that is meant to provoke the envy of other people; and the term conspicuous compassion, the deliberate use of charitable donations of money in order to enhance the social prestige of the donor, with a display of superior socio-economic status.’

Read more here.

Dystopian Fashion is lit

According to Hollywood, TV series and Netflix, zombies are coming for us - wearing stiletto shoes won’t save you, techwear will.

From Stone Island to Y-3, via Rick Owens, many brands offer a stylish yet sporty-esque approach to fashion. Some of them are blatantly into uniforms, ant the related concepts.

Kiko Kostadinov

“I want to do things that help me live in the city. You go to meetings and you need a bag that can hold a charger for your phone, headphones, a notebook et cetera. I’m not saying you need to have a hundred pockets as that’s fictional function, but it needs to be really comfortable and interesting.”

“It’s all about the cut and finishing — I hate decoration,” says Kostadinov, whose own uniform consists of Yohji Yamamoto workwear. “There’s nothing worse than finding a pair of trousers that are cut great but covered in straps and buttons that don’t do anything.”

Craig Green

“I remember at school when you had a non-uniform day, the poorer kids would feel really self-conscious because they’d have to wear normal clothes all of a sudden, compared to the rich kids who had flashy Nike trainers. I remember my mom saying it gets rid of that idea of what you have or how much money you have and it makes you as one. It can be seen as a negative thing because it’s anti-expression, maybe, but then it can be seen as a protective thing emotionally, as well.”

From Grailed: ‘Given his upbringing and personal attraction to the idea of a “uniform,” it’s no surprise that workwear and uniforms have become another recurring theme in his collections. This includes a literal take on the idea of “uniforms,” like Fall/Winter 2016’s references to hazmat suits, and Fall/Winter 2017’s riffs on uniforms of various seafaring folk. Working outside of the typical fashion cycle, Green even designed many of the military uniforms used in the filming of Alien: Covenant. If you look closely enough while watching, you can even see his now-signature vertical quilting.

There’s another, albeit more abstract sense of “uniforms” that flows throughout his collections. It’s a uniformity of humanistic bent—one that’s concerned with the democratic ideas associated with work and a shared human experience. The specifics often shift from collection to collection, while retaining a running theme. According to Green, Spring/Summer 2017 was “initially based around the Scout scarf...That symbolism of ‘belonging’ to something”.

Think back to Spring/Summer 2015 too, with its barefoot models and pure, effortless designs, takes on not-so-subtle religious undertones. Pause on that for a moment: religious officials wear codified uniforms too. It may be difficult to tackle appropriately, but season after season, Craig Green takes them on in effortless fashion, producing collections that always seem to go beyond “just clothes.”’

The uniform: a life changer?

According to this article on StyleCaster, it is - ‘6 Ways Uniform Dressing Changed My Life’.

‘Here are the six biggest ways uniform dressing has changed my life for the better.

Never Being Late

Extra Closet Space

More Free Mental Space

No Longer a Slave to Trends

Becoming a Smarter Shopper

Packing is a Breeze

Last but not least - David Lynch.

MODS MODS MODS!

Great article on mods and fashion: ‘The Mod Suit: How a Uniform Defined a Subculture’.

“In his essay “Noonday Underground,” Tom Wolfe noted, “these kids have found a way to drop out almost totally from class-job system into a world they control.”“

#uniform #sustainable #sustainability #sustainable practices #sustainable fashion #critical consumption #david lynch #sustainable fashion practices #mods #the jam #subculture

[rodrigohyde]

Everything You Need to Know About Dressing for St. Patrick’s Day

How to Wear Green for St. Patricks Day

Sure and begorra, it’s time to cue up “Danny Boy” on the old bagpipes; take a wee shot of Jameson and head out the door for the parade dressed in your St. Patricks Day Suit, plastic bowler, and a lot of swagger. And if you don’t get brawl on your pub crawl, we’ll just assume you have the luck of the Irish … ’cause you sure don’t have their style. Don’t confuse tired old St. Patrick’s Day tropes with the modern way most Irish today celebrate their proud heritage. We tell you all you need to know about what to wear on St. Patrick's Day. 

RELATED: St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Irish Green Really Is a Thing

Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? “The color green is a symbol of our patriotism, a color found in our tricolor flag, while also linking to our country’s reputation for having plenty of green-drenched landscape,” explains Andy Collins of Dublin-based store Indigo & Cloth.

The green, white, and orange flag was originally developed to represent peace (using white) between Irish Catholics (green) and Protestants (orange), which, admittedly, has had a somewhat rocky history. If you want to wear that bright green, look for spring or Irish green. Emerald green and kelly are also both completely acceptable hues, but don’t get too hung up on specifics. As Collins said, grass, lime, cypress, and other hues from nature are also right. (Just don’t wear every green thing in your wardrobe, all at the same time.)

Compliments the Color Wheel

Focus on one or two shades, and then contrast with spring’s other bright colors, such as yellow, blue, or purple, grounded in neutrals. Keep things peaceful, though, and refrain from wearing green’s complementary color, orange. While it’s not exactly the insult it once was, it is considered to be the color of the “Unionists,” those Northern Irish who remained part of the United Kingdom; and, as mentioned, Protestants, who after all, don’t venerate saints at all.

From a fashion standpoint, green is also a key color for Spring 2019. Shop carefully and you’ll be on-trend for seasons to come, no matter your religious affiliation or country of origin.

“With wellness on everyone’s minds, green and green-cast neutrals are prominently featured throughout 2019,” says Brian M. Trunzo, senior trend consultant with fashion consultancy WGSN. “We’ve declared ‘Neo Mint’ the color to watch in 2020, and as a precursor to that, expect to see some dusty and washed out greens — think reimagined pastels — throughout the market.”

Using the Emerald Isle’s favorite tint as a foundation, the perfect holiday get-up might also include some Irish heritage in terms of those classic tweeds and cable sweaters, but don’t stand on tradition.

“The modern Irishman is now a well-traveled, globalized consumer,” says Collins. “Dublin nowadays is regarded as a very multicultural city, showcasing a wealth of international taste in terms of fashion. There’s a much greater sense of freedom with style, too. [My store] Indigo & Cloth is a testament to that, stocking a variety of international, sought after brands that locals and visitors can equally enjoy.”

RELATED: How to Dress in Your 20s

For suggestions on what to invest in for the St. Patrick’s Day parades and parties you’ll be attending, we gathered a few ideas to serve as inspiration.

Don’t Rain on the Style Parade

When it’s time to hit the streets for St. Patrick’s Day, do a quick check on the weather forecast and be prepared for anything. It’s spring so temperatures can yo-yo, and rain can come up unexpectedly. Rely on smart layering to get you through the day looking bleedin’ massive. Collins recommends a packable rain jacket as well as a lightweight knit and a T-shirt. Try this green K-Way Le Vrai Windbreaker that comes in it’s own handy fanny pack pouch. Toss that on with a pair of dark jeans for a look that’s sporty and functional. If it’s a little cooler, be prepared with a cheerful yellow Todd Snyder + Champion hoodie, or a J. Crew cotton sweater.

K-WAY Le Vrai Windbreaker, $100 at Nordstrom.com

J.Crew Cotton Crewneck Sweater, $49.50 at JCrew.com

Todd Snyder + Champion Terry Popover Hoodie Sweatshirt, $138 at ToddSnyder.com

Aran Sweater Style

The Aran sweaters Collin refers to have a tale attached, that Irish fishermen's wives knitted recognizable patterns into the pullovers so the drowned bodies of sailors could be more easily identified. That’s been certified as bunk, so we can give that old trope a rest, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a great addition to your wardrobe. Inis Meáin (pronounced innish man) is one of the Aran Islands for which the sweaters are named. The Inis Meáin Knitting Company has been making sweaters there since 1976, infusing the heritage of the island with cutting edge technology and the very finest yarns. Grab one of its bright lime linen shirts or simply a classic Fisherman style sweater to make a modern Irish style statement that will look just as great on St. Patrick’s Day as it will come cool evenings this summer. Pair either with camel 5-pocket pants or classic navy dress trousers.

Inis Meain Linen Shirt, $390 from InisMeain.com

Kerry Woollen Mills Aran Wool Sweater, from $96 at Amazon.com

Abercrombie Cable Knit Sweater, $39 at Abercrombie.com

Irish Style, Woven In

Margaret Molloy, of WearingIrish, a marketing initiative to introduce Irish fashion to the U.S. market, says “Irish fashion is all about sustainability and provenance, important trends in fashion right now that work well with the artisanal nature of Irish product. I recommend that guys focusing on wearing creations by Irish designers and be less literal about the color. To my mind, wearing Irish is a sophisticated way to wear green! That said, though, green is a very flattering color on all complexions.” Case in point, Ireland’s Donegal tweeds. The handwoven woolen fabric has been produced for centuries in County Donegal, and is renown for its softness and warmth.

RELATED: 5 Basic Color Coordination Rules

Molloy recommends checking out Magee 1866. (The company’s owners are so cool they sit on the Facebook’s small business council.) Check out the brand’s khaki washed linen Grandfather shirts and green country check Donegal tweed trim-fit blazers. Pair those with a technical chino, like these olive Nomad Proof trousers for a sophisticated look that will carry you throughout the day.

Magee Country Check Donegal Tweed Jacket, $440.25 at Magee.com

King & Priory Luxury Hunter Green Donegal Tweed Bow Tie, $19.99 at Amazon.com

Magee Herringbone Donegal Tweed Flat Cap, $50.56 at Magee.com

Accessories in the Bag

If you find yourself wanting a slighter showing of green, there are plenty of options that are much more subtle and can be incorporated into your wardrobe everyday without reminding you of any specific Irish celebration, good or bad.

Ties, socks, and bags are an easy way to infuse a little of the grassy hue when you are looking to go a little more festive, but maybe not a lot. Be careful to add one green accessory, not many, so that you don’t run the risk of looking like you went overboard with the color. One pair of stylish casual socks such as these from Arvin Goods, or this cargo stripe tie from The Tie Bar add just a hint of green to an otherwise neutral outfit. If you are really looking to invest in a green piece that will last for many St. Patty’s Days to come, this olive Bleecker backpack from Coach should do the job nicely.

If green just isn’t your color, but you do want to do your part to celebrate the day, try De Bruir, an Irish leather company offering some quite inventive leather bags and accessories. We particularly like the Parachuter bag and the quilted folio. They may not be olive (or chartreuse, or forest, or moss), but they will have everyone around you turning green with envy of your charmed taste.

Arvin Goods Casual Socks, $14 at ArvinGoods.com

The Tie Bar Cargo Stripe Tie, $19 at TheTieBar.com

Coach Bleecker Backpack, $750 at Coach.com

Irish or not, Catholic or not, St. Patrick’s Day is always one of the most fun holidays on the calendar. It reminds us that spring is just around the corner, and that coming together as a community for a parade, a party, and some music—and maybe a wee drink or two—are some of the luckiest things we can share with each other. Dressing in the many shades of green, the color of new growth and life, is all just part of the fun. Erin go Bragh!

You Might Also Dig:

Outerwear Essentials for Men Style Essentials to Help You Feel More Confident Men's Fashion Must-Haves from AskMen Style https://www.askmen.com/style/fashion_advice/how-to-wear-green-for-st-patrick-s-day.html

#AskMen Style

[written-s0ul]

Closure & Carnations

SUMMARY: Post-Civil War. One-shot. Tony thinks it may be time to visit the old folks at the graveyard.

WARNINGS: Some Stark family feels, especially Tony and Maria’s relationship, a bit of angst. CA: CW spoilers, if you haven’t watched, lol.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Not a reader-insert or the next part of Finding Home (I’m sorry huhuhu), but this has been in my mind for the past week. It was inspired by the anniversay of the death of my mom’s dad, when I went along with her and her sisters to visit him. Enjoy guys, and as always, let me know what you think. (:

Standing in front of a glass wall, Tony saw death. Specks of crystal swayed against the wind, spinning in the ever shifting air, before landing, soft and soundless, on the snow-padded ground. He can’t help it. This season will always remind him of death.

“Mr. Stark?”

He turned around. Vision placed a pot of water onto the stove, turning it on and setting it to a medium flame. “Will you be joining me for lunch?” he asked, grabbing a blue and orange box from the kitchen island. He turned it around in his hand, eyes narrowing at the list of instructions.

Tony sauntered over to him, glancing at the box. “Mac and cheese?”

He looked up, somewhat sheepish. “I’ve been advised to begin with – simple recipes.” With his fingers, he tore the box open, its contents shaking like coins in a piggy bank at the rapid movement.

Tony arched a brow, but said nothing. Walking over to the couch, he grabbed the jacket hanging on its back, and slipped it on, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms until the fit was comfortable. “FRIDAY, can you get my car out front?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Vision poured the contents of the box onto the boiling water, watching as the miniscule, half-moon noodles softened in the heat. “Going out, sir?” he said, glancing at Tony. “This isn’t exactly the best weather conditions for an afternoon stroll.”

“Got some unfinished business,” Tony said, shrugging a shoulder. He threw him a half-smile, only one corner of his lips perked up. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Your ride is ready,” FRIDAY said.

With one last glance at Vision, he made his way down the hall, his heavy footsteps resounding in the empty compound. “Make sure you leave me a bowl!” he said over his shoulder, before reaching the front door, and stepping outside, a chilly breeze whipping his hair to the side. For once, he didn’t mind.

The stoplight glared red. Tony drew the car to a halt, the one hand on the wheel tightening, knuckles stretching the skin on his hand until it paled. He threw his head back against his seat, just as his eyes drew to the sidewalk.

A woman, wrapped in a few layers of coats, trudged down the pavement, pushing a wooden cart of pots and flowers. Most of the blossoms weren’t even blooming yet, but against the depressing gray of the world, their colors popped out like a full moon at midnight, some kind of vibrant beacon of hope. But then, his eyes caught a familiar color: a pale pink, soft and kind and – homey. He stared at this flower, lips set in a line. Might as well.

Once the stoplight blinked green, the car zoomed forward. He switched lanes, slowing down to the woman’s pace, until he was right beside her. She doesn’t seem to notice.

Bringing the passenger window down, he leaned forward and called out. “‘Scuse me? Hey, excuse me?”

Now, the woman perked up, stopping in her tracks and swiveling to the sound of his voice. Her eyes found his, and she narrowed them at him, drawing out lines all over her features. Probably in her mid-fifties, Tony thought, noting the silver threads sneaking into her strawberry blonde curls, flecks of snow caught in between strands. “Yeah?” she asked, voice croaky.

“You happen to be selling those?” he said, nodding at the flowers. He pulled his car to a stop, putting the hazard lights on.

She glanced at the flowers, frowning. “They ain’t blooming yet.”

“That’s fine. I’ll give you twenty bucks for the carnations.”

Her eyes squinted even further. “Fifty.”

They stared at each other for a moment, stubborn and unrelenting. Finally, Tony blew out a sigh from his nose, leaning back in his seat. At this, the woman grinned, crooked and toothless but triumphant. Pulling out his wallet from his pocket, he picked out a bill, and waved it over to her. Her eyes brightened. She reached out to take it, but he pulled back his hand.

“The carnations,” he said.

She grunted, before shuffling towards the pink buds. “You sure about this?” she asked, pulling them out of their pot. “The tulips are a lot better this time of year.” A newspaper slapped against her legs, startling her. She bent down, laid it across on the pavement and placed the flowers at the center, rolling it over them.

“I’m good, thanks,” he said. She returned to him, and shoved the flowers through the window. “Just – put them there.” He gestured to the passenger seat. “I don’t like people handing me things.”

She dropped it, the flowers bobbing upon landing. Tony gave her the bill, and snatching it from him, she raised it to the light, one eye squinting. She frowned. She lowered herself back down by the window, brows knitted, just as Tony was switching gears. “This is a hundred dollars,” she said.

He looked over to the side mirror, making sure there weren’t any vehicles coming up behind him. “Keep the change,” he said, before rolling back the window and pulling out of the sidewalk, the car surging forward in rapid but noiseless speed.

With the window now closed, the smells and sounds of the streets were sucked out of the car, leaving only the beat of his heart and the misty, sweet scent of the carnations.

His heartbeat only grew louder as he neared his destination. Metal fences, its sharp edges pointing up to the sky, came into view, and soon, it was rushing beside him, along with the hundreds and hundreds of acres of trimmed grassland it encased, blanketed by a thick layer of snow and stone tablets rising from the ground in equal intervals. It seemed to be empty. Tony turned his head back to the road, fingers stretching, then rewrapping themselves on the wheel.

Once the car was parked, the soft hum of the engine fading away, he leaned back on his seat. His heart was thunderous. It slammed against his chest, ready to leap out and run. Should he? Should he just turn the car back on and leave? Was this a bad idea?

He looked down at the flowers beside him. Reaching out a hand, his fingers grazed the tips of their petals, light and cautious, as though afraid they would wilt beneath his touch. They were moist.

Its sweet scent drifted to his nose, somehow stronger than before, and it was like standing there in the garden again, a young boy watching as his mother bent down and caressed the pot of white tulips. “This, you give when you’re sorry,” she said. Then, she moved to the next one, with the blooming carnations, and picked out a few. She raised them to her nose, eyes closed and a hint of a smile on her lips.

“But these ones,” she said, opening her eyes. She twirled them in her hand, their dusty pink petals glittering beneath the gaze of the sun. “You give to the person you’ll never forget, and the one closest to your heart.”

She stepped forward, and handed him two of the flowers. “Here.”

He looked at her, brows knitted. “Why two?”

“One for you, and the other one’s for your special someone,” she said, corners of her lips quirking up. Straightening, she looked around, eyes narrowed, one more flower in her hand. “Have you seen your father?”

Now, something inside him shifted, and suddenly, his chest was lighter, the knots in his stomach loosening. No, he thought, rushing back to reality. He had to do this. After everything that’s happened, it was the least he could do.

He released a shaky breath. Then, after gingerly taking the flowers into his arms, he stepped of the car.

HOWARD ANTHONY WALTER STARK

August 15, 1917 – December 16, 1991

“No man is indispensable, but some are irreplaceable.”

Tony stared at the small bouquet in front of the gravestone, a crease appearing in between his knitted brows. Several white tulips, tied together by a blue bow, jutted out of the snow. It looked like it’s been there for a while. Who could have left that?

He turned to the next tombstone: Maria Collins Carbonell Stark. Only several years younger than his father, but passing on the same day. “Always loving; always loved.” He doesn’t remember if he chose those words. It sounded so generic. She deserved better.

“Brought you your favorite, Mom,” he said, lifting the flowers, as though for her to see. Lowering himself to one knee, he eased the bouquet onto the snowy grass in front of the stone, slow and gentle. It was beautiful against the ashen gray of the grave and the brilliant white of the snow – against the black and white of the world.

He leaned back with a huff, then pushed himself upright, dusting off the layer of wet snow on his pants. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, a breeze blew by, tender as it played with the strands of his hair, its breath cold on his face. For a few moments, he let the world spin, the wind whisper, the sun rise. His heart beat. Slowing down, shoulders slumping, the tension in his muscles ebbing away.

“Can you believe it took me more than two decades to find out you were actually killed?” he said, glancing between the two gravestones. “Apparently, he was being mind-controlled the entire time. Plus, he’s your–” He threw a hand over to his father’s stone. “–Captain’s best bud. Makes the whole revenge thing a bit tricky,” he said. “Not that I was considering.”

He looked down at his shoes, scrunching on the mushy snow as he adjusted his balance. “But that – that doesn’t change anything. You’re still dead, and I still–” He huffed out a sigh. A puffy cloud of breath materialized from his parted lips, then vanished into the air. “I still wish I said something better that day.”

Around him, crystal flakes descended, swaying in the air with the grace of a thousand ballerinas. One landed on his cheek, light and soft like a peck, and his eyes fluttered, surprised. He looked up at the sky, the flakes catching on the curls of his hair and the folds of his clothes. He wondered if his mother was watching him right now. Doubt it, he thought. But warmth rushed into his chest, and the corners of his lips perked up, as he shook his head, specks of snow falling and the warmth curling out of his lips and into a breathy chuckle.

He stepped forward and reached out a hand, fingers brushing against the rough edges of the stone, hesitant and unsure, its surface frosty to the touch. Then, confidence surging, his touch firmed, as he gave the gravestone a pat, and nodded, as though affirming something. He pulled his hand back, pocketing it. “Bye, Mom.”

His eyes drew toward his father’s. He never really looked at it before, and for a few beats, he waited. For the waves of judgement, resentment, disappointment crashing over him – from his father or him, he was never sure. But nothing came. His heart pulsed, slow and languid, and he’s never felt more peaceful.

Reaching out, his fingers grazed the top of the stone, smoothing out the movement to look as though he was just brushing off the thin coating of snow. “Bye, Dad,” he said. “Next time, I’ll bring you flowers too.” He gave him a firm pat too, then stepped back and onto the trail leading out of the graveyard.

Back in the car, Tony paused for a moment, taking in the faint scent of carnations left inside, and the sight of falling snowflakes around him, catching on the corners and edges of his vehicle. The breeze twirled them about, like a dancer spinning their partner, and this time, he didn’t see death. He saw beauty.

A/N: I imagine Steve left those tulips on Howard’s grave. Sigh. Tony Stark has such a special place in my heart. Thank you guys! Let me know your thoughts!

Permanent tags: (Let me know if you want to be added!) @courtneychicken

#marvel #avengers #ca:cw #tony stark #marvel headcanon #avengers headcanon #tony stark imagine #marvel imagine #avengers imagine #avengers fic #marvel fic #avengers fanfic #marvel fanfic #vision #vision imagine #tony stark headcanon #howard stark #maria stark #howard stark x maria stark #my writing

[wineanddinosaur]

A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from ‘Sex and the City’

In the final moments of the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, the HBO hit show’s four lead characters — Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbs, Samantha Jones, and Charlotte York — enjoy a nostalgic reunion with an old friend, Cosmo.

“This is delicious!” Charlotte exclaims, as she sips a shimmering pink Cosmopolitan cocktail from an oversized Martini glass. “Why did we ever stop drinking these?” Miranda wonders. In turn, Carrie quips, “Because everyone else started!”

Their conversation is loaded with intentional irony. Many people did, in fact, start drinking Cosmopolitans (or Cosmos) during the late ‘90s, arguably because of the drink’s association with the show and its sex-column-writing protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw. Whether or not the Cosmo is, as Charlotte says, a “delicious” drink, is historically and hotly debated.

Before “Sex and the City” (SATC) first hit the small screen in 1998, the bright pink cocktail had already amassed an impressive following among New York socialites and celebrities in the late 1980s. Bartender Toby Cecchini is widely credited with introducing the drink to high-profile regulars at TriBeCa brasserie The Odeon, where he worked at the time.

Cecchini, who now owns Long Island Bar in Brooklyn, has often recounted how he “adapted” the recipe from another pink cocktail called the Cosmopolitan, which was doing the rounds in San Francisco gay bars. Cecchini learned of that drink from a colleague, who was introduced to it by friends visiting from the West Coast.

“It was gross, but it looked pretty,” Cecchini told Punch in a 2017 interview. “I went about reconstructing it.” He upgraded the drink’s ingredients, swapping out rail vodka and store-bought lime juice with new-on-the-market Absolut Citron, a lemon-flavored vodka, and freshly squeezed citrus. In place of grenadine, Cecchini used cranberry juice to give the drink its signature hue, and added triple sec (Cointreau, by many accounts) for sweet balance.

Ironically, the ingredients hardly mattered. What shot the drink into popularity was its instantly recognizable pink hue. “It was always made wrong, and you could tell, because it looked like a Negroni,” Cecchini said. “Nobody was doing the proper amount of lime juice. … There was too much cranberry. And still, to this day, people never get it right.”

The Cosmopolitan’s hit-or-miss ubiquity, and the countless overly sweet, artificial-looking recreations, sadly led to its downfall. But at its core, the Cosmo belongs to the “sour” family of cocktails, and is a sibling of other hugely popular drinks such as the Margarita and Daiquiri. In capable hands, and by avoiding gimmicky tools and ingredients, both can be crafted into stunning drinks. So is the Cosmo, too, worthy of a second chance?

VinePair decided to find out. To do so, we thought it would only be fitting to give the drink another go at the major New York bars and restaurants that featured in “Sex and the City.” After all, this was the show that helped make the drink famous.

Helping this writer on the Cosmo-fueled bar crawl was VinePair’s director of marketing, Jeff Licciardello, a late-to-the-game “Sex and the City” fan who regularly watches reruns of the show. VinePair columnist and cocktail enthusiast Aaron Goldfarb was also on hand to share his knowledge and palate (Goldfarb has been a regular fixture on previous VinePair bar crawls).

And making a special-guest appearance was Melissa Stokoski, an actor and comedian who leads guided “Sex and the City” tours two to three times a week for On Tour Locations.

To set the stage, our tasting began at the Cosmo’s original NYC home, The Odeon.

Our judging process was simple: If the establishment featured a Cosmo on its menu, we’d order that. If it didn’t, we would ask for one to be prepared according to the house specifications. Each taster scored each drink on preparation, presentation, ingredients, balance of flavors, and value for money. Scores were then averaged to determine our final ranking.

Setting the Standard: The Odeon

The NYC home of the Cosmo never featured in SATC, but it feels like the type of restaurant where the bougie leading characters would start the night. The TriBeCa institution captures a traditional French brasserie’s comfort and sophistication, while a long, incredibly well-lit art deco bar dazzles. (It also reportedly cost close to 10 percent of the restaurant’s opening budget when it debuted in 1980.)

The tasting team told our bartender about the Cosmo crawl, and he reacted excitedly, recounting the drink’s ties to the restaurant and detailing its popularity — he prepares 20 to 30 per shift, on average.

The perfectly pink Cosmos he served arrived in sturdy Martini glasses. In other, more modern establishments, the thickness of the glass would have felt tacky; but in this nostalgic setting, they were perfect. While our bartender free-poured the ingredients, the drinks were remarkably well balanced: tart, fruity, and acidic, with just the right amount of sweetness. Average score: 21.75/25

6. Cipriani

In SATC Season 3, Episode 3, “Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman,” the girls brunch in SoHo’s Italian eatery, Cipriani. Flicking through The New York Times wedding section, they learn that Carrie’s ex, John James “Mr. Big” Preston, has married his girlfriend of five months, Natasha Naginsky.

Credit: Cipriani / Facebook.com

Drinking a Cosmo at Cipriani in 2020 proves to be a similar assault. The service is elitist, and the experience resembles an awkward first date you really want to end and will pay any price to get out of. In this case, that was $22. In return, we received a tiny, foamy Cosmo, served in the type of thick, stemmed water glasses designed for large-volume catered events and not expensive New York restaurants.

Cipriani’s bartender opted not to shake our drinks, but instead mixed them using a milkshake frother. The result was undeniably attractive, but not a classic Cosmo preparation by any parameters. It contained (unflavored) Stolichnaya vodka, tasted like pink lemonade seasoned with sour mix, and arrived with a clumsy lime-wedge garnish. While the Cosmopolitan has come to embody free-spirited fun, drinking this frothy concoction at Cipriani feels anything but. Average score: 8/25

5. Cafeteria

Chelsea’s Cafeteria restaurant, known for its 24/7 service, is also the location for numerous brunch scenes throughout the SATC series. Nearly two decades since the show finished, Cafeteria’s ambience evokes that late-30s friend who, rather than settling down like many of their contemporaries, is trying to keep the party going for as long as possible. The music, a compilation of Ibiza dance hits from the early 2000s, blares multiple decibels too loud, and the after-dark lighting is inappropriately low for any restaurant — even one that never closes.

As for its Cosmo: a modern interpretation that deserves some acknowledgement for effort, but the delivery, much like the bar/restaurant in general, is off. Served in a Nick & Nora glass, this Cosmo smelled like Starburst-infused vodka and tasted like an overly sweet passionfruit-spiked Sex on the Beach. Bearing as much resemblance to a classic Cosmopolitan as an Appletini does to a Martini, this is an accomplished Sandals resort cocktail at best. Average score: 12.25/25

4. Grand Bar & Lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel

Featured in Episode 15 of Season 4 (“Change of a Dress”), this hotel bar and lounge played host to a charity event put on by (fictional) hotel magnate Richard Wright, Samantha’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. During the formal “Black and White” party, Samantha learns Richard is seeing other women, and is shocked to discover how much it bothers her. “I think I have monogamy,” she tells her friends. “I caught it from you people.”

IRL, the Soho Grand delivers an authentic, glamorous SATC experience. The decor seasons stripped-back regal fittings with sleek 21st-century details. Both the bar and lounge feel expensive without being stuffy, and the staff provides remarkably friendly service.

Credit: Soho Grand Hotel / Facebook.com

If it’s Cosmos you’re looking for, you’ll need to order off-menu and there’s no Absolut Citron on the bar. The cocktails arrived in a stiletto-thin, oversized coupe glasses, garnished with a large orange twist. The sweet citrus fruit garnish ultimately hijacked the drink, and the mixture lacked boozy punch. As this Cosmo’s beauty is only skin-deep, it’s acceptable for a one-time fling but definitely not worthy of long-term commitment. Average score: 13/25

3. Onieal’s Bar and Restaurant

The most-recognizable bar from the show (On Tour Locations finishes its tours here), Onieal’s is better known to SATC fans as Scout, the bar co-owned by Steve Brady, Miranda’s husband, and Aidan Shaw, Carrie’s two-time boyfriend and one-time fiancé.

The main appeal of this Nolita bar today is its familiarity from the show. But past that, it’s hard to pin down exactly what the space serves as. “Is it a pub, lounge, or a dive bar?” we wondered. It’s dimly lit, has TV screens behind the bar, and is furnished with a mismatch of multicolored faux-velvet booths.

Sipping a Cosmo at Onieal’s is an obvious must for SATC fans, but for cocktail enthusiasts, the experience doesn’t deliver the same appeal. Served in a robust Martini glass (read: chunky), the cocktail had a vivid red hue, leading us to question whether there was too much cranberry juice in the mixture, or perhaps even an illicit splash of Rose’s Grenadine. Either way, the drink lacked tartness and acidity, and arrived with undesirable hints of Luden’s cough drops. Average score: 13/25

2. Buddakan

Featured in the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, Carrie and fiancé Mr. Big choose Buddakan as the location for their wedding rehearsal dinner. During the course of the evening, Miranda accidentally plants seeds of doubt in Big’s mind, paving the way for numerous plot twists throughout the movie.

Situated in a nondescript (from the outside) industrial warehouse in the Meatpacking District, the cavernous bar and restaurant epitomizes everything you want from a SATC experience. There’s sushi Lounge music, courtesy of a live DJ who’s tucked away beside the bar; the kitchen serves Asian fusion dishes, like edamame dumplings, while the bar area, which overlooks the vast dining room below, seems custom-designed for bottle service.

Credit: Buddakan / Facebook.com

Of all the locations we visited, this was the only bar where we weren’t the only ones drinking Cosmos. We surely weren’t alone in enjoying them, either. A booze-forward cocktail, Buddakan’s Cosmo is rose pink, suggesting just the right proportion of cranberry juice (a notion that was backed up by its slightly astringent flavor profile). Tasters docked points for insufficient lime juice, but we doubted this would have been a major problem for Carrie and co. Average score: 16.5/25

1. Balthazar

“The most powerful woman in New York is not Tina Brown, or Diane Sawyer, or even Rosie O’Donnell,” Carrie says during the opening narration of Season 1, Episode 5 (“The Power of Female Sex”). “It’s the hostess at Balzac, which had overnight become the only restaurant that mattered.”

“Balzac,” the fictional French restaurant, proves too exclusive for even Carrie and Samantha to get a seat, so they opt to leave and eat elsewhere. The scene’s external shots are of bona fide Soho brasserie Balthazar. The restaurant also has interesting ties to the Cosmopolitan: Its owner, restaurateur Keith McNally, also founded The Odeon — he opened Balthazar in 1997 after selling his stake in The Odeon.

The brasserie shares similar DNA to The Odeon in both its decor and ambiance. But the energy is livelier and you can easily imagine the girls spending Friday night here, animatedly discussing the past week over a few rounds of Cosmos.

While the drink doesn’t feature on the menu, our bartender, Willis, informed us he had all the ingredients to whip up authentic Cosmos, including Absolut Citron. Within no time, he served a picture-perfect round of cocktails that accurately recreated The Odeon’s version, down to the bubblegum-pink hue and slightly dated, but not-out-of-place, Martini glasses. Refreshing, balanced, and sweet, without tasting cloying, these were amazing Cosmos. While The Odeon’s version was sharp around the edges, Balthazar’s slightly sweeter version was well rounded and perfectly balanced.

Sitting there with our perfect Cosmos in hand, we couldn’t help but wonder: Was this not only the best Cosmopolitan of our “Sex and the City” crawl, or does Balthazar offer the finest version of the drink in Manhattan, period? Either way, the jury was out: The Cosmopolitan is a delicious cocktail, after all. Average score: 22.5/25

The article A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from ‘Sex and the City’ appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/cosmopolitan-sex-city-ranking/

[johnboothus]

A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from Sex and the City

In the final moments of the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, the HBO hit show’s four lead characters — Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbs, Samantha Jones, and Charlotte York — enjoy a nostalgic reunion with an old friend, Cosmo.

“This is delicious!” Charlotte exclaims, as she sips a shimmering pink Cosmopolitan cocktail from an oversized Martini glass. “Why did we ever stop drinking these?” Miranda wonders. In turn, Carrie quips, “Because everyone else started!”

Their conversation is loaded with intentional irony. Many people did, in fact, start drinking Cosmopolitans (or Cosmos) during the late ‘90s, arguably because of the drink’s association with the show and its sex-column-writing protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw. Whether or not the Cosmo is, as Charlotte says, a “delicious” drink, is historically and hotly debated.

Before “Sex and the City” (SATC) first hit the small screen in 1998, the bright pink cocktail had already amassed an impressive following among New York socialites and celebrities in the late 1980s. Bartender Toby Cecchini is widely credited with introducing the drink to high-profile regulars at TriBeCa brasserie The Odeon, where he worked at the time.

Cecchini, who now owns Long Island Bar in Brooklyn, has often recounted how he “adapted” the recipe from another pink cocktail called the Cosmopolitan, which was doing the rounds in San Francisco gay bars. Cecchini learned of that drink from a colleague, who was introduced to it by friends visiting from the West Coast.

“It was gross, but it looked pretty,” Cecchini told Punch in a 2017 interview. “I went about reconstructing it.” He upgraded the drink’s ingredients, swapping out rail vodka and store-bought lime juice with new-on-the-market Absolut Citron, a lemon-flavored vodka, and freshly squeezed citrus. In place of grenadine, Cecchini used cranberry juice to give the drink its signature hue, and added triple sec (Cointreau, by many accounts) for sweet balance.

Ironically, the ingredients hardly mattered. What shot the drink into popularity was its instantly recognizable pink hue. “It was always made wrong, and you could tell, because it looked like a Negroni,” Cecchini said. “Nobody was doing the proper amount of lime juice. … There was too much cranberry. And still, to this day, people never get it right.”

The Cosmopolitan’s hit-or-miss ubiquity, and the countless overly sweet, artificial-looking recreations, sadly led to its downfall. But at its core, the Cosmo belongs to the “sour” family of cocktails, and is a sibling of other hugely popular drinks such as the Margarita and Daiquiri. In capable hands, and by avoiding gimmicky tools and ingredients, both can be crafted into stunning drinks. So is the Cosmo, too, worthy of a second chance?

VinePair decided to find out. To do so, we thought it would only be fitting to give the drink another go at the major New York bars and restaurants that featured in “Sex and the City.” After all, this was the show that helped make the drink famous.

Helping this writer on the Cosmo-fueled bar crawl was VinePair’s director of marketing, Jeff Licciardello, a late-to-the-game “Sex and the City” fan who regularly watches reruns of the show. VinePair columnist and cocktail enthusiast Aaron Goldfarb was also on hand to share his knowledge and palate (Goldfarb has been a regular fixture on previous VinePair bar crawls).

And making a special-guest appearance was Melissa Stokoski, an actor and comedian who leads guided “Sex and the City” tours two to three times a week for On Tour Locations.

To set the stage, our tasting began at the Cosmo’s original NYC home, The Odeon.

Our judging process was simple: If the establishment featured a Cosmo on its menu, we’d order that. If it didn’t, we would ask for one to be prepared according to the house specifications. Each taster scored each drink on preparation, presentation, ingredients, balance of flavors, and value for money. Scores were then averaged to determine our final ranking.

Setting the Standard: The Odeon

The NYC home of the Cosmo never featured in SATC, but it feels like the type of restaurant where the bougie leading characters would start the night. The TriBeCa institution captures a traditional French brasserie’s comfort and sophistication, while a long, incredibly well-lit art deco bar dazzles. (It also reportedly cost close to 10 percent of the restaurant’s opening budget when it debuted in 1980.)

The tasting team told our bartender about the Cosmo crawl, and he reacted excitedly, recounting the drink’s ties to the restaurant and detailing its popularity — he prepares 20 to 30 per shift, on average.

The perfectly pink Cosmos he served arrived in sturdy Martini glasses. In other, more modern establishments, the thickness of the glass would have felt tacky; but in this nostalgic setting, they were perfect. While our bartender free-poured the ingredients, the drinks were remarkably well balanced: tart, fruity, and acidic, with just the right amount of sweetness. Average score: 21.75/25

6. Cipriani

In SATC Season 3, Episode 3, “Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman,” the girls brunch in SoHo’s Italian eatery, Cipriani. Flicking through The New York Times wedding section, they learn that Carrie’s ex, John James “Mr. Big” Preston, has married his girlfriend of five months, Natasha Naginsky.

Credit: Cipriani / Facebook.com

Drinking a Cosmo at Cipriani in 2020 proves to be a similar assault. The service is elitist, and the experience resembles an awkward first date you really want to end and will pay any price to get out of. In this case, that was $22. In return, we received a tiny, foamy Cosmo, served in the type of thick, stemmed water glasses designed for large-volume catered events and not expensive New York restaurants.

Cipriani’s bartender opted not to shake our drinks, but instead mixed them using a milkshake frother. The result was undeniably attractive, but not a classic Cosmo preparation by any parameters. It contained (unflavored) Stolichnaya vodka, tasted like pink lemonade seasoned with sour mix, and arrived with a clumsy lime-wedge garnish. While the Cosmopolitan has come to embody free-spirited fun, drinking this frothy concoction at Cipriani feels anything but. Average score: 8/25

5. Cafeteria

Chelsea’s Cafeteria restaurant, known for its 24/7 service, is also the location for numerous brunch scenes throughout the SATC series. Nearly two decades since the show finished, Cafeteria’s ambience evokes that late-30s friend who, rather than settling down like many of their contemporaries, is trying to keep the party going for as long as possible. The music, a compilation of Ibiza dance hits from the early 2000s, blares multiple decibels too loud, and the after-dark lighting is inappropriately low for any restaurant — even one that never closes.

As for its Cosmo: a modern interpretation that deserves some acknowledgement for effort, but the delivery, much like the bar/restaurant in general, is off. Served in a Nick & Nora glass, this Cosmo smelled like Starburst-infused vodka and tasted like an overly sweet passionfruit-spiked Sex on the Beach. Bearing as much resemblance to a classic Cosmopolitan as an Appletini does to a Martini, this is an accomplished Sandals resort cocktail at best. Average score: 12.25/25

4. Grand Bar & Lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel

Featured in Episode 15 of Season 4 (“Change of a Dress”), this hotel bar and lounge played host to a charity event put on by (fictional) hotel magnate Richard Wright, Samantha’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. During the formal “Black and White” party, Samantha learns Richard is seeing other women, and is shocked to discover how much it bothers her. “I think I have monogamy,” she tells her friends. “I caught it from you people.”

IRL, the Soho Grand delivers an authentic, glamorous SATC experience. The decor seasons stripped-back regal fittings with sleek 21st-century details. Both the bar and lounge feel expensive without being stuffy, and the staff provides remarkably friendly service.

Credit: Soho Grand Hotel / Facebook.com

If it’s Cosmos you’re looking for, you’ll need to order off-menu and there’s no Absolut Citron on the bar. The cocktails arrived in a stiletto-thin, oversized coupe glasses, garnished with a large orange twist. The sweet citrus fruit garnish ultimately hijacked the drink, and the mixture lacked boozy punch. As this Cosmo’s beauty is only skin-deep, it’s acceptable for a one-time fling but definitely not worthy of long-term commitment. Average score: 13/25

3. Onieal’s Bar and Restaurant

The most-recognizable bar from the show (On Tour Locations finishes its tours here), Onieal’s is better known to SATC fans as Scout, the bar co-owned by Steve Brady, Miranda’s husband, and Aidan Shaw, Carrie’s two-time boyfriend and one-time fiancé.

The main appeal of this Nolita bar today is its familiarity from the show. But past that, it’s hard to pin down exactly what the space serves as. “Is it a pub, lounge, or a dive bar?” we wondered. It’s dimly lit, has TV screens behind the bar, and is furnished with a mismatch of multicolored faux-velvet booths.

Sipping a Cosmo at Onieal’s is an obvious must for SATC fans, but for cocktail enthusiasts, the experience doesn’t deliver the same appeal. Served in a robust Martini glass (read: chunky), the cocktail had a vivid red hue, leading us to question whether there was too much cranberry juice in the mixture, or perhaps even an illicit splash of Rose’s Grenadine. Either way, the drink lacked tartness and acidity, and arrived with undesirable hints of Luden’s cough drops. Average score: 13/25

2. Buddakan

Featured in the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, Carrie and fiancé Mr. Big choose Buddakan as the location for their wedding rehearsal dinner. During the course of the evening, Miranda accidentally plants seeds of doubt in Big’s mind, paving the way for numerous plot twists throughout the movie.

Situated in a nondescript (from the outside) industrial warehouse in the Meatpacking District, the cavernous bar and restaurant epitomizes everything you want from a SATC experience. There’s sushi Lounge music, courtesy of a live DJ who’s tucked away beside the bar; the kitchen serves Asian fusion dishes, like edamame dumplings, while the bar area, which overlooks the vast dining room below, seems custom-designed for bottle service.

Credit: Buddakan / Facebook.com

Of all the locations we visited, this was the only bar where we weren’t the only ones drinking Cosmos. We surely weren’t alone in enjoying them, either. A booze-forward cocktail, Buddakan’s Cosmo is rose pink, suggesting just the right proportion of cranberry juice (a notion that was backed up by its slightly astringent flavor profile). Tasters docked points for insufficient lime juice, but we doubted this would have been a major problem for Carrie and co. Average score: 16.5/25

1. Balthazar

“The most powerful woman in New York is not Tina Brown, or Diane Sawyer, or even Rosie O’Donnell,” Carrie says during the opening narration of Season 1, Episode 5 (“The Power of Female Sex”). “It’s the hostess at Balzac, which had overnight become the only restaurant that mattered.”

“Balzac,”the fictional French restaurant, proves too exclusive for even Carrie and Samantha to get a seat, so they opt to leave and eat elsewhere. The scene’s external shots are of bona fide Soho brasserie Balthazar.The restaurant also has interesting ties to the Cosmopolitan: Its owner, restaurateur Keith McNally, also founded The Odeon — he opened Balthazar in 1997 after selling his stake in The Odeon.

The brasserie shares similar DNA to The Odeon in both its decor and ambiance. But the energy is livelier and you can easily imagine the girls spending Friday night here, animatedly discussing the past week over a few rounds of Cosmos.

While the drink doesn’t feature on the menu, our bartender, Willis, informed us he had all the ingredients to whip up authentic Cosmos, including Absolut Citron. Within no time, he served a picture-perfect round of cocktails that accurately recreated The Odeon’s version, down to the bubblegum-pink hue and slightly dated, but not-out-of-place, Martini glasses. Refreshing, balanced, and sweet, without tasting cloying, these were amazing Cosmos. While The Odeon’s version was sharp around the edges, Balthazar’s slightly sweeter version was well rounded and perfectly balanced.

Sitting there with our perfect Cosmos in hand, we couldn’t help but wonder: Was this not only the best Cosmopolitan of our “Sex and the City” crawl, or does Balthazar offer the finest version of the drink in Manhattan, period? Either way, the jury was out: The Cosmopolitan is a delicious cocktail, after all. Average score: 22.5/25

The article A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from ‘Sex and the City’ appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/cosmopolitan-sex-city-ranking/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/a-power-ranking-of-cosmopolitans-from-sex-and-the-city

[isaiahrippinus]

A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from ‘Sex and the City’

In the final moments of the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, the HBO hit show’s four lead characters — Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbs, Samantha Jones, and Charlotte York — enjoy a nostalgic reunion with an old friend, Cosmo.

“This is delicious!” Charlotte exclaims, as she sips a shimmering pink Cosmopolitan cocktail from an oversized Martini glass. “Why did we ever stop drinking these?” Miranda wonders. In turn, Carrie quips, “Because everyone else started!”

Their conversation is loaded with intentional irony. Many people did, in fact, start drinking Cosmopolitans (or Cosmos) during the late ‘90s, arguably because of the drink’s association with the show and its sex-column-writing protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw. Whether or not the Cosmo is, as Charlotte says, a “delicious” drink, is historically and hotly debated.

Before “Sex and the City” (SATC) first hit the small screen in 1998, the bright pink cocktail had already amassed an impressive following among New York socialites and celebrities in the late 1980s. Bartender Toby Cecchini is widely credited with introducing the drink to high-profile regulars at TriBeCa brasserie The Odeon, where he worked at the time.

Cecchini, who now owns Long Island Bar in Brooklyn, has often recounted how he “adapted” the recipe from another pink cocktail called the Cosmopolitan, which was doing the rounds in San Francisco gay bars. Cecchini learned of that drink from a colleague, who was introduced to it by friends visiting from the West Coast.

“It was gross, but it looked pretty,” Cecchini told Punch in a 2017 interview. “I went about reconstructing it.” He upgraded the drink’s ingredients, swapping out rail vodka and store-bought lime juice with new-on-the-market Absolut Citron, a lemon-flavored vodka, and freshly squeezed citrus. In place of grenadine, Cecchini used cranberry juice to give the drink its signature hue, and added triple sec (Cointreau, by many accounts) for sweet balance.

Ironically, the ingredients hardly mattered. What shot the drink into popularity was its instantly recognizable pink hue. “It was always made wrong, and you could tell, because it looked like a Negroni,” Cecchini said. “Nobody was doing the proper amount of lime juice. … There was too much cranberry. And still, to this day, people never get it right.”

The Cosmopolitan’s hit-or-miss ubiquity, and the countless overly sweet, artificial-looking recreations, sadly led to its downfall. But at its core, the Cosmo belongs to the “sour” family of cocktails, and is a sibling of other hugely popular drinks such as the Margarita and Daiquiri. In capable hands, and by avoiding gimmicky tools and ingredients, both can be crafted into stunning drinks. So is the Cosmo, too, worthy of a second chance?

VinePair decided to find out. To do so, we thought it would only be fitting to give the drink another go at the major New York bars and restaurants that featured in “Sex and the City.” After all, this was the show that helped make the drink famous.

Helping this writer on the Cosmo-fueled bar crawl was VinePair’s director of marketing, Jeff Licciardello, a late-to-the-game “Sex and the City” fan who regularly watches reruns of the show. VinePair columnist and cocktail enthusiast Aaron Goldfarb was also on hand to share his knowledge and palate (Goldfarb has been a regular fixture on previous VinePair bar crawls).

And making a special-guest appearance was Melissa Stokoski, an actor and comedian who leads guided “Sex and the City” tours two to three times a week for On Tour Locations.

To set the stage, our tasting began at the Cosmo’s original NYC home, The Odeon.

Our judging process was simple: If the establishment featured a Cosmo on its menu, we’d order that. If it didn’t, we would ask for one to be prepared according to the house specifications. Each taster scored each drink on preparation, presentation, ingredients, balance of flavors, and value for money. Scores were then averaged to determine our final ranking.

Setting the Standard: The Odeon

The NYC home of the Cosmo never featured in SATC, but it feels like the type of restaurant where the bougie leading characters would start the night. The TriBeCa institution captures a traditional French brasserie’s comfort and sophistication, while a long, incredibly well-lit art deco bar dazzles. (It also reportedly cost close to 10 percent of the restaurant’s opening budget when it debuted in 1980.)

The tasting team told our bartender about the Cosmo crawl, and he reacted excitedly, recounting the drink’s ties to the restaurant and detailing its popularity — he prepares 20 to 30 per shift, on average.

The perfectly pink Cosmos he served arrived in sturdy Martini glasses. In other, more modern establishments, the thickness of the glass would have felt tacky; but in this nostalgic setting, they were perfect. While our bartender free-poured the ingredients, the drinks were remarkably well balanced: tart, fruity, and acidic, with just the right amount of sweetness. Average score: 21.75/25

6. Cipriani

In SATC Season 3, Episode 3, “Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman,” the girls brunch in SoHo’s Italian eatery, Cipriani. Flicking through The New York Times wedding section, they learn that Carrie’s ex, John James “Mr. Big” Preston, has married his girlfriend of five months, Natasha Naginsky.

Credit: Cipriani / Facebook.com

Drinking a Cosmo at Cipriani in 2020 proves to be a similar assault. The service is elitist, and the experience resembles an awkward first date you really want to end and will pay any price to get out of. In this case, that was $22. In return, we received a tiny, foamy Cosmo, served in the type of thick, stemmed water glasses designed for large-volume catered events and not expensive New York restaurants.

Cipriani’s bartender opted not to shake our drinks, but instead mixed them using a milkshake frother. The result was undeniably attractive, but not a classic Cosmo preparation by any parameters. It contained (unflavored) Stolichnaya vodka, tasted like pink lemonade seasoned with sour mix, and arrived with a clumsy lime-wedge garnish. While the Cosmopolitan has come to embody free-spirited fun, drinking this frothy concoction at Cipriani feels anything but. Average score: 8/25

5. Cafeteria

Chelsea’s Cafeteria restaurant, known for its 24/7 service, is also the location for numerous brunch scenes throughout the SATC series. Nearly two decades since the show finished, Cafeteria’s ambience evokes that late-30s friend who, rather than settling down like many of their contemporaries, is trying to keep the party going for as long as possible. The music, a compilation of Ibiza dance hits from the early 2000s, blares multiple decibels too loud, and the after-dark lighting is inappropriately low for any restaurant — even one that never closes.

As for its Cosmo: a modern interpretation that deserves some acknowledgement for effort, but the delivery, much like the bar/restaurant in general, is off. Served in a Nick & Nora glass, this Cosmo smelled like Starburst-infused vodka and tasted like an overly sweet passionfruit-spiked Sex on the Beach. Bearing as much resemblance to a classic Cosmopolitan as an Appletini does to a Martini, this is an accomplished Sandals resort cocktail at best. Average score: 12.25/25

4. Grand Bar & Lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel

Featured in Episode 15 of Season 4 (“Change of a Dress”), this hotel bar and lounge played host to a charity event put on by (fictional) hotel magnate Richard Wright, Samantha’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. During the formal “Black and White” party, Samantha learns Richard is seeing other women, and is shocked to discover how much it bothers her. “I think I have monogamy,” she tells her friends. “I caught it from you people.”

IRL, the Soho Grand delivers an authentic, glamorous SATC experience. The decor seasons stripped-back regal fittings with sleek 21st-century details. Both the bar and lounge feel expensive without being stuffy, and the staff provides remarkably friendly service.

Credit: Soho Grand Hotel / Facebook.com

If it’s Cosmos you’re looking for, you’ll need to order off-menu and there’s no Absolut Citron on the bar. The cocktails arrived in a stiletto-thin, oversized coupe glasses, garnished with a large orange twist. The sweet citrus fruit garnish ultimately hijacked the drink, and the mixture lacked boozy punch. As this Cosmo’s beauty is only skin-deep, it’s acceptable for a one-time fling but definitely not worthy of long-term commitment. Average score: 13/25

3. Onieal’s Bar and Restaurant

The most-recognizable bar from the show (On Tour Locations finishes its tours here), Onieal’s is better known to SATC fans as Scout, the bar co-owned by Steve Brady, Miranda’s husband, and Aidan Shaw, Carrie’s two-time boyfriend and one-time fiancé.

The main appeal of this Nolita bar today is its familiarity from the show. But past that, it’s hard to pin down exactly what the space serves as. “Is it a pub, lounge, or a dive bar?” we wondered. It’s dimly lit, has TV screens behind the bar, and is furnished with a mismatch of multicolored faux-velvet booths.

Sipping a Cosmo at Onieal’s is an obvious must for SATC fans, but for cocktail enthusiasts, the experience doesn’t deliver the same appeal. Served in a robust Martini glass (read: chunky), the cocktail had a vivid red hue, leading us to question whether there was too much cranberry juice in the mixture, or perhaps even an illicit splash of Rose’s Grenadine. Either way, the drink lacked tartness and acidity, and arrived with undesirable hints of Luden’s cough drops. Average score: 13/25

2. Buddakan

Featured in the 2008 “Sex and the City” movie, Carrie and fiancé Mr. Big choose Buddakan as the location for their wedding rehearsal dinner. During the course of the evening, Miranda accidentally plants seeds of doubt in Big’s mind, paving the way for numerous plot twists throughout the movie.

Situated in a nondescript (from the outside) industrial warehouse in the Meatpacking District, the cavernous bar and restaurant epitomizes everything you want from a SATC experience. There’s sushi Lounge music, courtesy of a live DJ who’s tucked away beside the bar; the kitchen serves Asian fusion dishes, like edamame dumplings, while the bar area, which overlooks the vast dining room below, seems custom-designed for bottle service.

Credit: Buddakan / Facebook.com

Of all the locations we visited, this was the only bar where we weren’t the only ones drinking Cosmos. We surely weren’t alone in enjoying them, either. A booze-forward cocktail, Buddakan’s Cosmo is rose pink, suggesting just the right proportion of cranberry juice (a notion that was backed up by its slightly astringent flavor profile). Tasters docked points for insufficient lime juice, but we doubted this would have been a major problem for Carrie and co. Average score: 16.5/25

1. Balthazar

“The most powerful woman in New York is not Tina Brown, or Diane Sawyer, or even Rosie O’Donnell,” Carrie says during the opening narration of Season 1, Episode 5 (“The Power of Female Sex”). “It’s the hostess at Balzac, which had overnight become the only restaurant that mattered.”

“Balzac,”the fictional French restaurant, proves too exclusive for even Carrie and Samantha to get a seat, so they opt to leave and eat elsewhere. The scene’s external shots are of bona fide Soho brasserie Balthazar.The restaurant also has interesting ties to the Cosmopolitan: Its owner, restaurateur Keith McNally, also founded The Odeon — he opened Balthazar in 1997 after selling his stake in The Odeon.

The brasserie shares similar DNA to The Odeon in both its decor and ambiance. But the energy is livelier and you can easily imagine the girls spending Friday night here, animatedly discussing the past week over a few rounds of Cosmos.

While the drink doesn’t feature on the menu, our bartender, Willis, informed us he had all the ingredients to whip up authentic Cosmos, including Absolut Citron. Within no time, he served a picture-perfect round of cocktails that accurately recreated The Odeon’s version, down to the bubblegum-pink hue and slightly dated, but not-out-of-place, Martini glasses. Refreshing, balanced, and sweet, without tasting cloying, these were amazing Cosmos. While The Odeon’s version was sharp around the edges, Balthazar’s slightly sweeter version was well rounded and perfectly balanced.

Sitting there with our perfect Cosmos in hand, we couldn’t help but wonder: Was this not only the best Cosmopolitan of our “Sex and the City” crawl, or does Balthazar offer the finest version of the drink in Manhattan, period? Either way, the jury was out: The Cosmopolitan is a delicious cocktail, after all. Average score: 22.5/25

The article A Power Ranking of Cosmopolitans from ‘Sex and the City’ appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/cosmopolitan-sex-city-ranking/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/190771709709

[josephkitchen0]

Raising Goats Can Lead to Four-Legged Best Friends

Ariel “poses” with her last kid.

By Miriah Reynolds, Belgrade, Montana – Raising goats throughout your life can result in having hundreds of goats leaving hoof prints on your heart and memories that go deeper than the pages of a scrapbook. Out of all them, there is one doe in particular that changed my life, and is truly a legend that should never be forgotten.

I started writing for Dairy Goat Journal a long time ago, and since starting I’ve written many times about Ariel. It will be two years on April 1, 2013 that Ariel passed away. As with any family member’s death, it takes time to heal, sort out the memories and grasp the unfortunate. Accepting her death has been extremely hard for me to move past. Whenever I hear the country song “I Get a Little Bit Stronger,” by Sara Evans, I am immediately reminded of how much the scar of her death has not healed, flooding tears to my eyes. If I catch a picture of her standing on her favorite rock pile on the wall, I realize the empty unhealed hole she left in my heart. I am finally ready to share the story of Ariel from start to finish. Grab a blanket and a box of tissues, snuggle up on the couch and let the legend of Ariel melt your heart.

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Raising goats was nothing new for my family; my mother raised them when she was a child. When I was four years old, she took me to pick out my first goat. Mom told me that I could have whichever kid I wanted as long as it was a girl. At four years old that was a huge decision to make. I vaguely remember walking around the dusty pen and petting all the kids. Some were jumping on me, others chewing on my shirt, but one of them walked near me and seemed smarter than the rest. She had black and white markings and was rather intrigued by the stranger in her pen. When I went up to her she did not flee away, but instead stood still as I approached her. Picking her up, I practically dragged her back to my parents and said, “I want this one.” My parents handed the farmer $40 and we were on our way home.

Sitting in the backseat of my family’s tan minivan, I tried to think of a name. My mom and dad were throwing out names of Disney Princesses, but none of their recommendations fit her. I looked down at my fluorescent pink muck boots with Sebastian, Flounder, and the underwater kingdom of the Little Mermaid. Ariel: the perfect name! That was the day I began raising goats, and from there Ariel and I spent every waking moment together. Before school, after, and I even brought her into class for show and tell!

Miriah and Ariel

Ariel brought so many great memories to our family, just like her first kidding. We bred her to an Alpine goat buck named, Billy. I remember checking on her dozens of times a day throughout her pregnancy, hoping that I would get to see her give birth. One afternoon, right around her due date my dad and I left the farm to go to the feed store. When I came back there was an adorable kid all cleaned off and nursing. After all that waiting I missed the birth. I named him Sebastian.

A few years later I was old enough to participate in my first 4-H fair, a crucial moment when you are raising goats. Since my mom had shown goats before, she taught me the basics, but insisted that I do all the work. I burned out six pairs of my dad’s cheap hair trimmers while fitting her and Ariel had more clipper lines, and nicks than any fitting job I’ve ever seen! There were only four kids including myself in the show, and it was held in a small dirt circle outside of the livestock barn. It was a learning experience for sure. I learned not to wear hot pink jeans, a 4-H tie-dye shirt, and walk Ariel on a leash. Even though it was a small show, Ariel and I won our first of many championships. After sleeping in the stall with Ariel all night, morning came so fast and we were both hungry. I gave her grain and milked her, then headed up to the Pomona Grange for breakfast. I tied her to a tree, not far from the picnic table filled with hungry 4-Hers. Sitting down on the rough benches, parents and children gorged on practically everything on the menu. Not long after I sat down, Ariel jumped up on to the table — eating everyone’s breakfast. Glasses of orange juice, coffee, sausage, pancakes, and home fries were not recognizable after my so-called “herbivore” devoured and trampled them. When I finally reached her show chain collar, I had to yank bacon out of her mouth. Who would have thought a goat would enjoy bacon so much? The kitchen staff was laughing hysterically behind the counter, but felt bad and cooked us all a new breakfast.

Ariel did exceptionally well in every show since our first. As she matured, so did I. We truly had a sister bond. Wherever I was, Ariel would be somewhere near. Throughout the years raising goats because a family priority and our herd size increased. When I was seven I saved up every penny I had and purchased a purebred Saanen goat from Paul Sabin in Exeter, Rhode Island. The three of us were joined at the hip, Ariel and Angel (the Saanen) got along fantastic.

When I was about 14, I would spend a week or so in Maine at the Pirri family’s goat farm. They raised Nubian goats, so Ariel always felt a little outnumbered. Ariel and I would participate in the Maine Days 4-H event, and present showmanship and goat hoof trimming demonstrations. During one hoof trimming demonstration, I let a novice try to trim her hooves for practice. Recently sharpened hoof trimmers in hand, he was ready to make a cut. Before I could stop him, blood was everywhere, pooling up on the floor and coating the milking stand. He cut Ariel’s toe past the quick. She stood there looking at me like—help! No amount of blood-stop powder or vet-wrap could contain the profuse bleeding. Ariel, being the trooper she was, limped through a showmanship demonstration the next day despite her injury.

With a few years of showing under our belt we finally got the hang of what needed to be done. I would spend dozens of hours fitting her while she patiently waited in the milking stand for the occasional treat. Popsicles, ice tea, Hershey chocolate bars, and even a turkey sandwich were a few of the goodies my mom would bring us. Between the radio cranked way up, clippers running, and all the lights on in the barn, I’d normally blow a fuse and Ariel would wait while I figured out how to fix it. We would spend a few hours each week all year round practicing show maneuvers in the backyard. By the time show season came around, we were more than prepared. I’d sit in the barn curled up in the hay with my goats and study the scorecard, sticking Post-It notes to their fur with the amount of points it was worth.

In the show ring Ariel was a showstopper. She would set up her feet whenever we stopped, walk gracefully slow, and hold her head up high. I never even had to loin her! Before almost every show, 4-Hers would bicker about who would get Ariel if the judge asked us to switch goats. I always got a kick out of that because as soon as Ariel was put into another person’s hand, she would not cooperate. I remember leading a LaMancha through the arena, watching Ariel’s antics with the other showman. When asked to walk, Ariel would drag her feet and back up. Whenever the 4-Her would go to set up her feet, Ariel would keep moving. The funniest part was Ariel would talk to me in a low distressed voice the whole time she was with the other person. As soon as she was back in my hands, Ariel was flawless. I never taught her that; I guess she just picked it up over time. Exhibitors dreaded getting her after that!

We used to do goat milking demonstrations at fairs, schools, and farm tours. Ariel would patiently wait in the milking stand while 40 or so children would pull, twist, and dig their small fingernails into her teats. She never kicked over the bucket or complained.

Even after all my years raising goats, Ariel remains one of the most exceptional herding queens. She was generally accepting of a new herd member, and gave discipline when needed. Ariel remained in charge of the herd for her whole fifteen years. Even when she was getting weaker towards the end, she still had the respect of all the animals.

Ariel was a little hussy. Yes, everyone who knew anything about raising goats knew that Ariel knew loved her bucks. Even in the middle of summer Ariel would come into a flaming standing heat, taking everything in our power to keep her away from the buck pen. In the spring of 2002 Ariel kidded to a beautiful pair of twins. One morning I went out to milk and could not find Ariel anywhere. I searched the garden, barn, even the chicken coop (for some reason she enjoyed layer pellets). She was nowhere to be found. My brother Holden and I would argue about who should feed the buck each day, and today (according to me) was his turn. “Miriah!” I heard a blood curdling scream from Holden across the farm. “Come over here! I found your goat!” Whenever he did not approve of one of my goats, instead of using their name, he referred to them as “your” goat. Sure enough, Ariel was standing in the middle of the buck pen covered in mud and kissing the buck. This was early March, just after her twins were weaned. Come late July, we were blessed with Prancer and Coolotta. Two Saanen Alpine does who will be 12 years old this summer.

As the years went by, I taught Ariel to pull a cart, go swimming, and goat pack. There was nothing that she could not do, and these years made raising goats easy. We tried to retire her for many years, but it was difficult to do; she was often caught red-hoofed in the buck pen. One year we had her ultra-sounded to ensure that she was not bred, but less than a week later she escaped and got pregnant. The delivery of that kid was extremely taxing on Ariel’s health. She had a sciatic nerve pinch, which she survived thanks to our veterinarian Dr. Balmforth.

The months strolled on with relative ease, but Ariel was slowly getting older and weaker. After her sciatic nerve problem was healed, it appeared as though she had a stroke and lost all coordination. Even after raising goats for so long it killed my family and I to see her like this. Accepting old age was incredibly hard. Soon after her stroke, Ariel could barley chew her feed and would make hay balls with her roughage. We bought her special, fine cut hay and would soak it in warm water with molasses to help her chew it. Her face was always happy even though her body was leaving her.

In October of 2010, Ariel was too weak to live outside in the barn, so we moved her into our living room. This phase of her life made raising goats tough, but my mom and dad were so fantastic about taking her outside to go to the bathroom, change her bedding, and give her baths in our shower. Curled up in a corner of the house, Ariel would intently watch movies with us or listen to the radio during the colder days. She could stand for only short periods of time, but could hardly get up on her own. During warmer days, we would bring her outside to wander around the farm as she wanted. Occasionally she would lose her balance and tip over. My family and I always had an eye on her so that we could help her up when she fell. It broke my heart to see her like that and the memory of such an amazing creature struggling to stay alive still makes me sad.

Ariel stayed in the house for six months, enjoying the warmth of the woodstove along with treats and scratches every time someone walked by. No matter the ailment that Ariel presented each day, my amazing mother knew how to fix it or make Ariel comfortable. I remember walking into the house seeing my mom doing physical therapy with Ariel propped up on a milk crate, trying to get her legs to loosen up. Our family called it goat yoga!

Even though Ariel was getting worse as each day went by, she remained in happy spirits. Her face was perky and those beautiful amber eyes still looked the same as they did the first time I saw her in the paddock 15 years earlier.

On April 1, 2011, I was at my boyfriend’s house when my brother called and said I had to come home now. Ty and I broke every speed limit as we drove to my house. When I walked into the house my mom, dad, and brothers were all circled around Ariel crying. I went right over and held her beautiful face in my hands. I put my forehead to hers just like we always did. (I used to joke that we were exchanging thoughts.) Her brown eyes looked at me with more love than I can explain. I did not say anything out loud because I knew she could understand what I was thinking: “I love you. Thank you for everything. Your time here is done; you are incredible. I’ll miss you. It’s alright, you can go now.”

And just like that she was gone. Tears and memories flooded throughout my body. I wanted her back, I wanted to talk to her one more time. We buried Ariel underneath the crab apple tree in the backyard. She loved nothing more than ripping the bark off of it and standing on her hind legs eating the branches. It was the perfect place. Every night until I moved away, I would kiss all my goats goodnight and then walk over to her grave. With the starry night sky lighting up the freshly turned soil, I’d talk to her as if she were standing right there. I know she was, and I know that it was her time to go that night, but I still miss her so much.

I cried for weeks, and am crying right now even after so many years raising goats; the recollection of her death is still so fresh in my mind. All the memories, all the laughs and joy this remarkable goat brought to my life will never be forgotten. I want everyone to remember Ariel for the life she lived and the lives that she touched in her 15 years. From eating bacon to being a show champion, Ariel was truly a life changer and my best friend.

Originally published in the Dairy Goat Journal, May/June 2013 issue and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Raising Goats Can Lead to Four-Legged Best Friends was originally posted by All About Chickens

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

https://fashion-trendin.com/mens-necklaces-are-going-mainstream-heres-how-to-wear-them-with-style/

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

Unless you raided your dear mother’s jewellery box when you were younger or ran around South East Asia on your gap year like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach, chances are, as a man, you’ve never thought about thrusting a chain over your head.

But with an ever-increasing roll call of the coolest men in the world now opting for the men’s necklace (Gosling, Hemsworth, Rocky – need we say more?) and shifting attitudes towards a much-needed blurring of the previously gender stereotyping in fashion (men wear watches, women wear jewellery – let’s all groan in unison) now is as good a time as any to experiment with a chain over your head. Here we take a look at everything you need to get started, from picking the right pendant and length of chain to how you can fit it effortlessly into your already assembled wardrobe.

Ryan Gosling

The History Of Bling, From Henry VIII To 50 Cent

Men weren’t always so averse to a bit of bling around the scruff. The ancient Egyptians were proponents, studding their sheet gold neck wraps and strung beads with amulets and talismans to protect and bring luck to the wearer. Men of the Renaissance period were also fans with the extremely wealthy lavishing all manner of plaques, chains and pendants upon themselves as well as stupendous gem-laden creations that would stretch to their shoulders. Don’t believe us? Check out Henry VIII in his famous portrait by Hans Holbein, sporting a herculean gold chain that would put Run DMC to shame.

RUN DMC

This male love-in with the necklace died out in the 1600s, but returned in the second half of the 20th century when chains once again went from pious symbols of religion to conspicuous signifiers of wealth. Dog tags, Elvis and disco played their parts, but it was in hip-hop fashion that necklaces became the ultimate symbol of decadence with artists punching through the social hierarchy, the ice hanging around their necks offering proof of how far they’d climbed.

In the last decade men’s jewellery has evolved again, now more of a fashion accessory than anything else. Necklaces have sashayed down the men’s catwalk for the likes of Prada, Balmain and Raf Simons in recent seasons. And from high to low, even those unlikely fellas from reality TV show Love Island have been dolling up their perma-tanned torsos with online jewellery retailer Jewlr reporting a 500 per cent increase in sales of men’s necklaces while the show was on the air.

Balmain

“Men wearing jewellery is definitely having a renaissance,” says Alex Simpson, founder of men’s jewellery brand Alex Orso. “There has been a 1990s streetwear revival in recent seasons, which has seen chains, pendants, medallions and rings rise in popularity. This has been picked up on Instagram and street style blogs, which in turn has influenced the styling of characters on mainstream reality TV to create a self-perpetuating trend which I don’t believe has reached its crescendo yet.”

Picking Your Metal

The first step to making like the Pharaohs and the catwalk waifs is to pick out your necklace – starting with the material of your chain and then the pendant to add the unique styling that has made them so popular. “A necklace should feel comfortable and casual almost like a family heirloom,” says Michael Saiger, founder and creative director of US-based jewellery company Miansai.

An oxidised sterling silver chain offers a more masculine and timeless vibe with the colour shade working best in winter months underneath tailoring and next to navy blues and grey. A yellow gold chain is brighter creating a contrast that really pops against black while complimenting warmer tones like orange and brown.

If you’re looking for a casual necklace to fit with a more dressed-down style, then consider waxed cord which especially suits the summer months and days flaunting around the pool while a beaded necklace might have worrying gap year connotations but can add bulk and width to a skinny neck while drawing attention to a sharp jawline (if you’re blessed with one) and works well in combination with other chains.

David Yurman

There are also plated metals to consider but Saiger recommends sticking to the golden two if you are concerned about your skin reacting to the chain. “It’s always best to stick with only sterling silver and solid gold if you have sensitive skin. Those types of metals are extremely fine, and will not react to your skin regardless if you sleep with them or wear them just for the day.”

Aside from the material, there are also different chain designs with the interconnected oval links of a cable chain being the most common. Different chain designs will alter the feel and look of the necklace like the bulkier mesh chain (several different chains linked together for a textured look), the sturdy curb chain (interlocked links designed to lay flat) and the ever-so-fancy Figaro chain (an alternating pattern of differently sized flattened links).

Alex Orso

Make The Pendant Personal

Now, you can of course just stick with the chain, but adding a pendant brings that oh-so-important personality to your look with the ability to turn heads and get the conversation flowing at a dinner party quicker than you can say “Jam Master Jay”. Proud wearer of the men’s necklace Ryan Gosling, has the tag of his beloved dog George attached to his chain, after he sadly passed away in 2017.

However, there’s no prescription for the pendant and it’d be foolish to just follow the lead of the celebs. Just keep your eye out for something that you connect with or can regale an anecdote through, whether it’s a letter or a diamond-encrusted dollar sign. “Ultimately any purchase is personal and based on a selection process,” says Simpson. “What are you attracted to? What complements your style? And what does it say to others about your character?”

Along with a personal touch, Saiger advises looking towards vintage designs in a pendant. “Something that merges the past with the present will always be in style.” For example, one of the key styles at Miansai is the rolled penny necklace which takes its inspiration from the old penny machines found in museums and amusement parks.

David Yurman

Also, note that particular pendants have different meanings. An anchor is an age-old symbol of strength with obvious ties to the sea, while a popular motif for Los Angeles based jewellery brand Nialaya is the Hamsa hand, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck in Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Other popular pendant styles are the holy cross with its connotations to Christianity, the skull which represents mortality and the feather which is the universal symbol of peace, pacifism and spiritual unity.

“In all scenarios, it must feel natural and should never make you feel self-conscious,” says Simpson. “Some pendants are quite bold or heavy, so it’s worth thinking about where and how long you might be wearing the product.”

David Yurman

Choose Your Length

The most common length of the chain is between 18 and 22 inches, which will sit just below your collarbone while a long necklace will be around 26 to 30 inches long with the pendant hanging around your chest area. A longer chain will help elongate the neck while drawing attention to a broad chest, while a shorter chain will be more readily visible. Anything shorter than 18 inches and you’re getting into choker territory.

“We offer two lengths of chain with the longer length having a more relaxed feel for a night out,” says Simpson, “while the shorter length is to be worn with more formal pieces like a shirt.”

It’s also worth layering multiple chains and experimenting with varying lengths at any one time, with beads working particularly well in a shorter length against a longer chain.

Daniella Draper

How To Wear It

“Long pendant-style necklaces work well over either a loose crew neck or a V-neck T-shirt so the pendant follows the line of the V,” says Sarah Gilfillan, founder of personal styling consultancy Sartoria Lab. When putting together your outfit and necklace, Gilfallan also suggests matching metals for a more considered and put together look. For example, if you’re stepping out with a silver watch on your wrist and a silver buckle around your belt, go for that metal in your necklace choice too.

When it comes to the rest of your clothing choices, the offbeat addition of a necklace suits a casual look such as a white T-shirt and leather jacket according to Gilfillan. “If you do want to wear it with tailoring, I’d go for an open neck shirt with a simple chain showing at the neck of the shirt. If you want to make more of a statement and go for full-on 1980s look, then wear your shirt done up to the top with no tie but with a chain or pendant that is worn over the top of the shirt. Also, ensure your shirt collar is fairly small and neat, and avoid button downs so your necklace can be the point of focus.”

And to kill off two trends with one stone, Gilfillan regards the men’s necklace as the perfect accompaniment to the laissez-faire attitude of a Cuban collar shirt. “The current open neck camp collar shirt styles are perfect for showing off multiple necklaces. Wear with an extra button open to show off those necklaces, and style with slim cut turned up jeans and trainers, mixing gold and silver pendants and chains together for a contemporary look”.

The Kooples

The Best Brands For Men’s Necklaces

Miansai

Hailing from Miami, the bling bling capital of the world, Miansai offers surprisingly subtle signature pendants on chains or waxed cord. Riffing on nautical themes that include anchors, hooks and long, lost treasure in timeless, elegant designs the brand is also favoured by the celebrity crowd with Hollywood actors Zac Efron and Tom Holland both spotted wearing it.

Buy Now: £115.00

Thomas Sabo

Since its founding in 1984 German jewellery company Thomas Sabo has become one of the leading brands in both women’s and men’s jewellery as well as having their designs legally protected worldwide so no-one can steal them for themselves. Its pendants aren’t for the faint-hearted mind, with Day of the Dead skulls and daggers aplenty as well as chunky and colourful beads.

Buy Now: £139.00

Topman

If you were a British teenager in the 2000s there is every chance you raided the Topman bracelet section during your lunch hour with the high street chains necklace range similarly easy to pick up. Inexpensive, stylish and in a range of sizes and designs they make for good layering options with your more expensive pieces or as an entry point if you just want to dip your toes in the trend.

Buy Now: £10.00

Tateossian

A London jewellery maker where the emphasis is on the men rather than the women, Tateossian has become the go-to place for luxury cufflinks in its 28-year history. That’s not to say it doesn’t make a smashing necklace, with some intriguingly unique designs including a diamond pill crafted in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation and tiny pieces of meteorite sourced from South America.

Buy Now: £295.00

Alex Orso

Minimalist masculinity is the name of the game for London jewellery brand Alex Orso. With pendants in bold designs from 22-carat bottle caps and Komodo dragon claws to polished stone shark tooths, Alex Orso takes a compelling shape and simplifies it for the man who wants to enhance his look, not complicate it. Each pendant comes with a brass chain which you can choose in a short or long style.

Buy Now: £115.00

Luis Morais

Wanting to ignite your inner Keith Richards hipster pirate? Well, a Luis Morais necklace is the one for you with the Brazilian jeweller’s rock and roll vibe favouring the boho beads, colourful skulls and mystic stones the rocker has built his look on.

Buy Now: $900.00

Emanuele Bicocchi

Of course no men’s style list would be complete without a tip of the hat to the Italians. And so we have Emanuele Bicocchi sauntering in for a welcome spritz of sprezzatura. Sterling silver reigns supreme in the Florence jewellery designers collection who has seen his quite gothic creations being worn by the likes of Zayn Malik and Russell Brand.

Buy Now: €149.00

Nialaya

A Dane in America, less a well-trodden Hollywood story trope, more the perfect setting for Jannik Olander to launch spirituality inspired jewellery brand Nialaya. Handcrafted in a Los Angeles workshop, religious imagery from the East features prominently in the designs (especially from Buddhism) which are bang-on for the cosmo gent who wants it to look like he found himself in the local temple on his backpacking tour but really never left the side of the pool.

Buy Now: $219.00

Northskull

Excuse the name, Northskull is not some Danish death metal group born out of the depths of hell, rather it’s an elegant jewellery brand just for us boys. Based in London, reasonable price points and straightforward designs make it an easy choice for those guys who want the designer look to slot into their daily wardrobe without having to shell out on overpriced rosary beads.

Buy Now: £220.00

Sif Jakobs

If you’re worried that the addition of a necklace will have you come across all wannabe show-off rapper, then take a gander at the Sif Jakobs collection of pendants and tell us there is no subtlety in donning a necklace. The Scandinavian jewellery maker creates all its jewellery out of sterling silver and focuses its design on a similar rectangular design spun through various different twists.

Buy Now: €129.00

Serge DeNimes

The fashion brand of Made In Chelsea star and menswear influencer Oliver Proudlock, Serge DeNimes draws heavily on Proudlock’s taste and penchant for boho-chic necklaces. Ever the pacifist, the feather is a recurring motif in Proudlock’s collection as is the patron saint of travellers, Saint Christopher.

Buy Now: £40.00

[josephkitchen0]

Raising Goats Can Lead to Four-Legged Best Friends

Ariel “poses” with her last kid.

By Miriah Reynolds, Belgrade, Montana – Raising goats throughout your life can result in having hundreds of goats leaving hoof prints on your heart and memories that go deeper than the pages of a scrapbook. Out of all them, there is one doe in particular that changed my life, and is truly a legend that should never be forgotten.

I started writing for Dairy Goat Journal a long time ago, and since starting I’ve written many times about Ariel. It will be two years on April 1, 2013 that Ariel passed away. As with any family member’s death, it takes time to heal, sort out the memories and grasp the unfortunate. Accepting her death has been extremely hard for me to move past. Whenever I hear the country song “I Get a Little Bit Stronger,” by Sara Evans, I am immediately reminded of how much the scar of her death has not healed, flooding tears to my eyes. If I catch a picture of her standing on her favorite rock pile on the wall, I realize the empty unhealed hole she left in my heart. I am finally ready to share the story of Ariel from start to finish. Grab a blanket and a box of tissues, snuggle up on the couch and let the legend of Ariel melt your heart.

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Raising goats was nothing new for my family; my mother raised them when she was a child. When I was four years old, she took me to pick out my first goat. Mom told me that I could have whichever kid I wanted as long as it was a girl. At four years old that was a huge decision to make. I vaguely remember walking around the dusty pen and petting all the kids. Some were jumping on me, others chewing on my shirt, but one of them walked near me and seemed smarter than the rest. She had black and white markings and was rather intrigued by the stranger in her pen. When I went up to her she did not flee away, but instead stood still as I approached her. Picking her up, I practically dragged her back to my parents and said, “I want this one.” My parents handed the farmer $40 and we were on our way home.

Sitting in the backseat of my family’s tan minivan, I tried to think of a name. My mom and dad were throwing out names of Disney Princesses, but none of their recommendations fit her. I looked down at my fluorescent pink muck boots with Sebastian, Flounder, and the underwater kingdom of the Little Mermaid. Ariel: the perfect name! That was the day I began raising goats, and from there Ariel and I spent every waking moment together. Before school, after, and I even brought her into class for show and tell!

Miriah and Ariel

Ariel brought so many great memories to our family, just like her first kidding. We bred her to an Alpine goat buck named, Billy. I remember checking on her dozens of times a day throughout her pregnancy, hoping that I would get to see her give birth. One afternoon, right around her due date my dad and I left the farm to go to the feed store. When I came back there was an adorable kid all cleaned off and nursing. After all that waiting I missed the birth. I named him Sebastian.

A few years later I was old enough to participate in my first 4-H fair, a crucial moment when you are raising goats. Since my mom had shown goats before, she taught me the basics, but insisted that I do all the work. I burned out six pairs of my dad’s cheap hair trimmers while fitting her and Ariel had more clipper lines, and nicks than any fitting job I’ve ever seen! There were only four kids including myself in the show, and it was held in a small dirt circle outside of the livestock barn. It was a learning experience for sure. I learned not to wear hot pink jeans, a 4-H tie-dye shirt, and walk Ariel on a leash. Even though it was a small show, Ariel and I won our first of many championships. After sleeping in the stall with Ariel all night, morning came so fast and we were both hungry. I gave her grain and milked her, then headed up to the Pomona Grange for breakfast. I tied her to a tree, not far from the picnic table filled with hungry 4-Hers. Sitting down on the rough benches, parents and children gorged on practically everything on the menu. Not long after I sat down, Ariel jumped up on to the table — eating everyone’s breakfast. Glasses of orange juice, coffee, sausage, pancakes, and home fries were not recognizable after my so-called “herbivore” devoured and trampled them. When I finally reached her show chain collar, I had to yank bacon out of her mouth. Who would have thought a goat would enjoy bacon so much? The kitchen staff was laughing hysterically behind the counter, but felt bad and cooked us all a new breakfast.

Ariel did exceptionally well in every show since our first. As she matured, so did I. We truly had a sister bond. Wherever I was, Ariel would be somewhere near. Throughout the years raising goats because a family priority and our herd size increased. When I was seven I saved up every penny I had and purchased a purebred Saanen goat from Paul Sabin in Exeter, Rhode Island. The three of us were joined at the hip, Ariel and Angel (the Saanen) got along fantastic.

When I was about 14, I would spend a week or so in Maine at the Pirri family’s goat farm. They raised Nubian goats, so Ariel always felt a little outnumbered. Ariel and I would participate in the Maine Days 4-H event, and present showmanship and goat hoof trimming demonstrations. During one hoof trimming demonstration, I let a novice try to trim her hooves for practice. Recently sharpened hoof trimmers in hand, he was ready to make a cut. Before I could stop him, blood was everywhere, pooling up on the floor and coating the milking stand. He cut Ariel’s toe past the quick. She stood there looking at me like—help! No amount of blood-stop powder or vet-wrap could contain the profuse bleeding. Ariel, being the trooper she was, limped through a showmanship demonstration the next day despite her injury.

With a few years of showing under our belt we finally got the hang of what needed to be done. I would spend dozens of hours fitting her while she patiently waited in the milking stand for the occasional treat. Popsicles, ice tea, Hershey chocolate bars, and even a turkey sandwich were a few of the goodies my mom would bring us. Between the radio cranked way up, clippers running, and all the lights on in the barn, I’d normally blow a fuse and Ariel would wait while I figured out how to fix it. We would spend a few hours each week all year round practicing show maneuvers in the backyard. By the time show season came around, we were more than prepared. I’d sit in the barn curled up in the hay with my goats and study the scorecard, sticking Post-It notes to their fur with the amount of points it was worth.

In the show ring Ariel was a showstopper. She would set up her feet whenever we stopped, walk gracefully slow, and hold her head up high. I never even had to loin her! Before almost every show, 4-Hers would bicker about who would get Ariel if the judge asked us to switch goats. I always got a kick out of that because as soon as Ariel was put into another person’s hand, she would not cooperate. I remember leading a LaMancha through the arena, watching Ariel’s antics with the other showman. When asked to walk, Ariel would drag her feet and back up. Whenever the 4-Her would go to set up her feet, Ariel would keep moving. The funniest part was Ariel would talk to me in a low distressed voice the whole time she was with the other person. As soon as she was back in my hands, Ariel was flawless. I never taught her that; I guess she just picked it up over time. Exhibitors dreaded getting her after that!

We used to do goat milking demonstrations at fairs, schools, and farm tours. Ariel would patiently wait in the milking stand while 40 or so children would pull, twist, and dig their small fingernails into her teats. She never kicked over the bucket or complained.

Even after all my years raising goats, Ariel remains one of the most exceptional herding queens. She was generally accepting of a new herd member, and gave discipline when needed. Ariel remained in charge of the herd for her whole fifteen years. Even when she was getting weaker towards the end, she still had the respect of all the animals.

Ariel was a little hussy. Yes, everyone who knew anything about raising goats knew that Ariel knew loved her bucks. Even in the middle of summer Ariel would come into a flaming standing heat, taking everything in our power to keep her away from the buck pen. In the spring of 2002 Ariel kidded to a beautiful pair of twins. One morning I went out to milk and could not find Ariel anywhere. I searched the garden, barn, even the chicken coop (for some reason she enjoyed layer pellets). She was nowhere to be found. My brother Holden and I would argue about who should feed the buck each day, and today (according to me) was his turn. “Miriah!” I heard a blood curdling scream from Holden across the farm. “Come over here! I found your goat!” Whenever he did not approve of one of my goats, instead of using their name, he referred to them as “your” goat. Sure enough, Ariel was standing in the middle of the buck pen covered in mud and kissing the buck. This was early March, just after her twins were weaned. Come late July, we were blessed with Prancer and Coolotta. Two Saanen Alpine does who will be 12 years old this summer.

As the years went by, I taught Ariel to pull a cart, go swimming, and goat pack. There was nothing that she could not do, and these years made raising goats easy. We tried to retire her for many years, but it was difficult to do; she was often caught red-hoofed in the buck pen. One year we had her ultra-sounded to ensure that she was not bred, but less than a week later she escaped and got pregnant. The delivery of that kid was extremely taxing on Ariel’s health. She had a sciatic nerve pinch, which she survived thanks to our veterinarian Dr. Balmforth.

The months strolled on with relative ease, but Ariel was slowly getting older and weaker. After her sciatic nerve problem was healed, it appeared as though she had a stroke and lost all coordination. Even after raising goats for so long it killed my family and I to see her like this. Accepting old age was incredibly hard. Soon after her stroke, Ariel could barley chew her feed and would make hay balls with her roughage. We bought her special, fine cut hay and would soak it in warm water with molasses to help her chew it. Her face was always happy even though her body was leaving her.

In October of 2010, Ariel was too weak to live outside in the barn, so we moved her into our living room. This phase of her life made raising goats tough, but my mom and dad were so fantastic about taking her outside to go to the bathroom, change her bedding, and give her baths in our shower. Curled up in a corner of the house, Ariel would intently watch movies with us or listen to the radio during the colder days. She could stand for only short periods of time, but could hardly get up on her own. During warmer days, we would bring her outside to wander around the farm as she wanted. Occasionally she would lose her balance and tip over. My family and I always had an eye on her so that we could help her up when she fell. It broke my heart to see her like that and the memory of such an amazing creature struggling to stay alive still makes me sad.

Ariel stayed in the house for six months, enjoying the warmth of the woodstove along with treats and scratches every time someone walked by. No matter the ailment that Ariel presented each day, my amazing mother knew how to fix it or make Ariel comfortable. I remember walking into the house seeing my mom doing physical therapy with Ariel propped up on a milk crate, trying to get her legs to loosen up. Our family called it goat yoga!

Even though Ariel was getting worse as each day went by, she remained in happy spirits. Her face was perky and those beautiful amber eyes still looked the same as they did the first time I saw her in the paddock 15 years earlier.

On April 1, 2011, I was at my boyfriend’s house when my brother called and said I had to come home now. Ty and I broke every speed limit as we drove to my house. When I walked into the house my mom, dad, and brothers were all circled around Ariel crying. I went right over and held her beautiful face in my hands. I put my forehead to hers just like we always did. (I used to joke that we were exchanging thoughts.) Her brown eyes looked at me with more love than I can explain. I did not say anything out loud because I knew she could understand what I was thinking: “I love you. Thank you for everything. Your time here is done; you are incredible. I’ll miss you. It’s alright, you can go now.”

And just like that she was gone. Tears and memories flooded throughout my body. I wanted her back, I wanted to talk to her one more time. We buried Ariel underneath the crab apple tree in the backyard. She loved nothing more than ripping the bark off of it and standing on her hind legs eating the branches. It was the perfect place. Every night until I moved away, I would kiss all my goats goodnight and then walk over to her grave. With the starry night sky lighting up the freshly turned soil, I’d talk to her as if she were standing right there. I know she was, and I know that it was her time to go that night, but I still miss her so much.

I cried for weeks, and am crying right now even after so many years raising goats; the recollection of her death is still so fresh in my mind. All the memories, all the laughs and joy this remarkable goat brought to my life will never be forgotten. I want everyone to remember Ariel for the life she lived and the lives that she touched in her 15 years. From eating bacon to being a show champion, Ariel was truly a life changer and my best friend.

Originally published in the Dairy Goat Journal, May/June 2013 issue and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Raising Goats Can Lead to Four-Legged Best Friends was originally posted by All About Chickens