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the-real-tc · 2 years

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Bad Business Chapter 2: For Better

Author's Note: Thanks for all likes and re-blogs so far, everyone! I appreciate the encouragement. Here's the next installment. Things are still relatively calm, as you'll see. This time we have a small side plot involving what I'd call Heartland magic, you know, that not quite true-to-life horse-healing stuff that's nevertheless entertaining (or at least I hope it is). While it may seem like nothing much is happening in this chapter, I can tell you it's laying a foundation, so pay close attention.

Special thanks to tnwalk7rach for her help with this chapter as she provided invaluable information. Any inaccuracies are solely my fault, as creative liberties were taken.

***

Chapter 2: For Better

"I'm so glad to get that announcement out of the way," Amy sighed after making sure Lyndy was tucked in safely for the night. "It was driving me crazy keeping it a secret. As it is, I think Lisa and Lou were getting a little suspicious."

"I'm relieved to get it out of the way, too," Ty said in agreement.

"You're not planning to bubble-wrap me again this time, right?" Amy said to her husband as they prepared for bed.

"Uh... No," Ty said, a grin creeping up on his lips. "I think I'm over that 'super-over-protective' phase."

"Well, good!" Amy said while sliding under the bedsheets. "Because bubble-wrap spooks the horses."

"Does it, now?"

"Mm-hmm," Amy replied with a mock-serious nod, brushing her fingertips across his chest. "Noise-sensitive equines could be set back weeks just by being exposed to the stuff. Snap-crackle-pop! Instant horse trauma."

"Now you're sounding like an old Rice Krispies cereal commercial," Ty said, snuggling in close to Amy. He rested his chin against her shoulder and brought an arm over her belly.

"Ty..." Amy began slowly.

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel about it if I decided to ride during this pregnancy?"

Ty hesitated before answering, leading Amy to believe he was not thrilled with the idea. "I think... if your Ob/Gyn says the risks are minimal, then I think you should follow her advice," he finally answered.

"You didn't really answer my question," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Be honest: would you or would you not be okay with it if I got the all-clear?"

Ty inhaled sharply. He knew Amy was not trying to bait him, but he felt cornered, nevertheless. "Amy, I will always have your safety and that of our baby as my highest concern. But I know I can't bubble-wrap you. I don't want to be that guy who dictates everything his wife does because he's too insecure. If you want to ride this time around, then go for it."

"Okay," she said. "I'll see what the doctor says when I go in for my check-up."

"All right," he said agreeably, but to Ty's ears, his wife did not sound as if she fully believed him.

***

"Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?"

After donning one of Jack's old shirts that she had claimed for sleepwear, Lisa looked at her husband over her shoulder with a quizzical expression. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Tonight," Jack said, moving to stand close behind her so he could place his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't make a peep about being the reason why Scott can take on Cassandra as full partner at the vet clinic."

"Why should I have? It was a group decision," Lisa said, trying to deflect any praise.

"Mm-hmm," Jack murmured, bringing his lips to her cheek. "And who was it that brought the clinic to the group's attention in the first place?"

"Well, I may have suggested it," Lisa conceded. "And though I voluntarily abstained from the final vote, the rest of them still had to unanimously choose to support Scott."

"That could not have been an easy task with Dan Hartfield being involved," Jack grunted, trying without success to hide his personal disdain for the man.

"Actually, Dan helped convince the others," Lisa said. "Some of them were concerned there was too much of a personal interest on my part since Ty is family, after all. I pointed out Ty has his own practice at Heartland with Amy apart from the clinic, and Dan mentioned how much Scott has done for all of us in the horse business in Hudson."

"Really," Jack said dubiously.

"Yes. And you'll never guess who seconded the motion."

"Who?"

"Val Stanton."

"I have to say I had my misgivings when Dan roped the two of you into this," Jack said with a shake of his head, "but I admit I was wrong in this case. This little investors' group has been doing a lot of good."

Lisa did not reply immediately, but simply gave a cold, abstract "Mm-hmm."

Jack instinctively interpreted her chilly response to mean she was thinking once again about Lanny and Paige. "I heard about the reward the group is offering in the Barick murder case," he said quietly, lowering his hands from Lisa's shoulders to encircle her about the waist. "Your idea again?"

"No. Tanner Gunn's idea," Lisa answered, turning now so she could wrap her own arms around his frame as she leaned into his chest. "It was an easy decision to put up the reward money. After all, Lanny was one of the original members of the investors' group... That poor family..."

"Yeah," Jack said, now rubbing a gentle circle into Lisa's back. "I sure hope someone out there can provide answers."

"Me, too," Lisa said with a soft sigh. "You should have heard Paige's family at the memorial and press conference today, Jack. It's been a year, but the pain there is still so raw."

"I tell you, if someone had done that to Marion, I wouldn't have rested until her killer was brought to justice," Jack said passionately. "As it is, losing her in that auto accident wasn't easy, either. But it was an accident. It was something I could come to terms with, even if it wasn't fair."

"That must have been a terrible time for you. For all of you," Lisa murmured. "I wish I had known you then. I wish I could have been there for you."

"I know. But you're here now, and I'm grateful."

"I wish I had been able to meet her," Lisa said wistfully as they separated and climbed into the bed. "I knew about her only vaguely, which is really a shame."

"The two of you would have got along very well," Jack declared.

"Really? You think?"

"Why, sure. You love horses. Marion loved horses. She would have liked the way you treat your animals and staff at Fairfield."

"Would she have liked me—with you?" Lisa asked. It was a question that occasionally occurred to her, but had never found an opportunity to broach the topic with Jack.

"Oh, I don't think that would have been a problem for her," Jack said dismissively, pulling the covers over them both.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Having a step-mother younger than she was wouldn't have been strange?"

"'Strange'? Naw. She would have loved you, Lis. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just thoughts about family, I guess," Lisa said, lying back while Jack switched off his bedside lamp. "Amy's announcement... Things are going to be busy around here again with a new little person. I love my life with you and everyone else at Heartland. But sometimes, I wonder..."

"You wonder what it would be like if you'd had kids of your own," Jack said knowingly, inching nearer to her. Lisa slid readily into his arms, bringing her head to rest beneath his chin.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But then I think, if I had been able to carry the ones I lost to term, I think: I would want them to be exactly like the family I have, right now."

"Well, good," Jack said happily, kissing the top of her head. "Because I think if Marion had been able to choose the kind of woman to look after her children and grandchildren, she would have chosen someone exactly like you."

"Would she?"

"You love them as if they were your own," Jack said earnestly. "You've been able to do things for them I couldn't, and I'm not just talking about money."

"No?"

"All right, it's true you have spoiled them more than I ever could, but it goes beyond that. You're generous with your time, your advice, and your business expertise," Jack stated. "For example: If it wasn't for you, I might not have been convinced to let Lou have her Dude Ranch on the family property."

"And see how beautifully that turned out," Lisa said contentedly, instantly remembering a magical winter's night at that same Dude Ranch, cabins strung with bright lights, and the exchange of rings and vows.

"Yes, for the most part, you're right about that," Jack said with a soft chuckle, his mind also drifting back to the same winter's night, and the joys that followed since.

Sleep came easily to the happy couple, secure in each other's embrace.

***

Two Weeks Later

"So?"

"Dr. Hawthorn has given me the all-clear," Amy said as Ty opened the truck door for her. "She says everything looks good and it's okay for me to ride during the first trimester."

"That's good, Amy," Ty said, hoping he sounded genuine.

"It is," Amy said. "Now, are we ready to take on our latest client?"

"I think so," Ty said, as he started the truck.

"Great," Amy said with a smile while she buckled her seatbelt. "Because he's supposed to be arriving with his horses just after lunch."

Earlier that morning, Amy had received a call from a potential new client named Marvin Clancy about a case of foal rejection.

"Bring them to Heartland as soon as you can," Amy had advised. "My husband is a vet, so if there's something medically wrong with the mare, he can determine the issue. If it's something behavioural, I'll get to the bottom of it."

Now as the couple drove back home, they compared notes.

"Did you find out if it's a maiden mare?" Ty asked.

"No, but we can ask when Marvin arrives," said Amy.

"Okay," Ty said. "Is the mare showing any signs of aggression?"

"Fortunately, no," Amy answered. "Marvin told me she just won't let the little one suckle and seems to be fearful of it."

"Hmm," Ty murmured. "Could be a few things going on in this situation."

"Right," Amy said. "I can't wait for us to figure it out. We make a great team, Ty."

"I know," Ty said with a grin. "I love working with you at Heartland."

"I'm thinking it's probably still way too early for this foal to be weaned," said Amy, picking up their topic at hand.

"Yeah," Ty said. "I'm a little worried because it could be really difficult to find a surrogate on such short notice. If push comes to shove, we'll start a bottle-feeding regimen, obviously."

"You up for some late-night feedings, 'Dad'?" Amy teased.

"Practice for when Number Two arrives," Ty replied smartly, reaching over to rub Amy's belly.

"Good answer," Amy said, giggling at the ticklish sensation resulting from her husband's touch. "On a related note, I'm looking forward to having you as my birth partner this time around, Ty."

"What, your dad isn't your first choice? Didn't he do a good enough job last time?"

"Umm, let's not go there," Amy replied, rolling her eyes and laughing.

***

Due to the unusual circumstances of the mare's rejection of her foal, Marvin Clancy was obliged to trailer them separately.

"Sassy was not too pleased when I tried to transport little Windy with her," he explained. "I know it's best for the foal's first trailering to be with its mama, but mama wasn't having it."

"Well, you managed to get them both here," Ty said, "that's the important part. How old is Windy?"

"Six days old," Marvin answered.

"And have you started bottle-feeding him?" Amy asked.

"As soon as we noticed Sass wasn't feeding him," Marvin replied. "My wife and I have been in the stable pretty much since he was born, keeping an eye on things, getting him used to being around people. It's the first foal born on our farm, so it was a pretty big deal."

"So this is Sassy's first foal?" Amy asked of the Quarter Horse.

"No, it's her third," Marvin answered, "but the first she's had on my farm. I bought her two years ago from a friend. He said she'd had two before."

"Hm," Ty said reflectively. "And no indication she rejected the foals in those instances?"

"None at all," Marvin said, "which is why it's so concerning. I'd like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, obviously."

"Did Windy at least get some of the colostrum?" asked Ty, wanting to ensure the newborn had benefitted from the early nutrients and antibodies that first milk provided.

"Yeah, he suckled just fine the first two days," Marvin said. "But by day three, Sassy-girl started avoiding him and wouldn't let him feed."

"Okay, I'll do an examination of Sassy and run some tests to rule out a few things like mastitis or something more serious," Ty said.

"And if it's not something medical?" Marvin asked, sending a knowing glance in Amy's direction.

"Then I'll take over," Amy said. "For now, we'll keep up with the bottle-feeding routine. In the meantime, we should both try putting out some feelers into the community to see if there's a mare nearby that can come in as a nursemaid—as a last resort."

"All right," Marvin said with a hint of reluctance. "I'll try."

"Good," Amy said. "We all want what's best for these two, right?"

"For sure," Marvin said with a smile. "I'll call tomorrow to check in."

"Sounds good, Marvin," Ty said, shaking the man's hand. "We'll be in touch."

***

Next Day

"We can definitively rule out mastitis or any other problem affecting Sassy's mammary glands and milk production," Ty informed Marvin over the phone. "No indication of inflammation, swelling, ulcers, or tumors."

"Well, that's good, right?" Marvin asked.

"It's a good start," Ty acknowledged. "It means Sassy isn't rejecting Windy because she's experiencing pain or discomfort due to nursing."

"Okay, so what do we do next?"

"Well, we're continuing with bottle feeding, but Amy is going to turn them out into the paddock today and observe how they interact," Ty said. "Sometimes, horses don't like being cooped up in a stable. It could be Sassy just wants some space."

"But y'all are still handling Windy and getting him used to people, right?"

"Right, when we feed him," Ty replied.

"But nothing more?"

"What do you mean 'nothing more'?" Ty asked.

"I mean, I had hoped you and your animal-behaviour specialist wife would be more pro-active with the, y'know, the imprinting process," Marvin said, an edge of irritation creeping into his tone.

The concept of imprinting was not foreign to Ty, but it was one both he and Amy discouraged their clients from attempting too early on in a foal's development.

I don't even think I need Amy to diagnose what's up with Sassy and Windy, Ty thought ruefully. Marvin and his wife have probably been too hands-on with this poor foal, and his mama doesn't like it.

"Marvin, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Ty said as calmly as possible. "It's been our experience that over-handling a newborn foal can be detrimental to the bonds it's supposed to develop with its mother in those critical early days."

"Yeah, but this horse expert guy we follow on YouTube makes the point that the earlier you imprint on your horse, the easier he'll be to train up," Marvin argued. "He's a published author. Says de-sensitizing them early makes 'em more docile and more likely to trust humans."

Ty, not wanting to sound combative, said, "Mr. Clancy, I know there are plenty of people out there on the Internet with plenty of opinions, and I'm glad you're interested in doing what's best for Sassy and Windy, otherwise you wouldn't have brought them here, right?"

"That's right," Marvin said in agreement.

"So I'm asking you to trust me and my wife," Ty said. "There's still plenty of time to get Windy to 'trust humans', and my wife can even help you with that process. She's gentled wild horses; she knows what she's doing."

Marvin huffed, and grudgingly accepted Ty's request of trust. "Fine. But if Windy doesn't train up right, you know who I'm blaming."

***

"Well, I think we can draw a very strong conclusion about what the problem is with Sassy and Windy," Ty said, as Amy came down from the loft after putting Lyndy down for a nap.

"Oh?" she asked, fully curious.

"Yep," Ty said with a curt nod. "I spoke with Marvin just now, you know, to tell him there's nothing physically wrong with Sassy, and he mentioned he and his wife bought into the whole early imprinting thing with foals. They were apparently in there handling Windy as soon as he was born."

"Oh," Amy said. "That actually could explain a lot about why Sassy is rejecting Windy."

"Exactly," Ty said. "I mean, I don't blame him for doing what he thinks is best for his horses, but in this case, it's doing more harm than good."

"Well, the good news is we can probably fix the problem because we've caught it early. Windy is due for another feeding right about now, but when that's over, it will be time to turn them out."

"That's what I told Marvin you'd be doing," Ty said.

"And it needs to be done now more than ever," Amy added. "In fact, I think I'll turn Sassy out right away. It will give her space, and maybe it will give her time to miss her baby. Her mothering instincts don't just disappear overnight; we just need to help her remember them."

To Amy and Ty's disappointment, however, Sassy showed little interest in Windy by the afternoon. The foal's full stomach meant he was not inclined to want to suckle due to hunger, but he knew his mother's scent anyway, and craved her maternal closeness. Sassy wanted nothing of it. Every time the foal neared, she distanced herself from him. The window to get Windy nursing again naturally would be closing swiftly, and the pair of horse healers fretted this might be a rare case when they would have to accept defeat.

***

By the next morning, Amy wanted to persist in turning Windy out with the rest of the horses after each of his bottle feedings. She decided to hold off introducing any sort of dry feed for the time being, just to give the foal more time to observe the adults foraging so he would get the idea. Sassy persisted in her avoidance tactics.

When Georgie arrived home from school that afternoon, she went immediately to saddle Phoenix for a round of jumping practice. She noticed Amy watching the latest arrivals on her way from the stables.

"How are they doing?" the teen asked her aunt.

"No breakthroughs yet," Amy replied. "But at least we think we know what the trouble is."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The owners were trying to do something with the foal called 'imprinting'," Amy explained. "In theory, it's supposed to help the foal become used to humans so it's easier to train later on, but instead it can really interfere with the natural bonds the baby is supposed to have with its mother if it's done too early or too aggressively. Since there's no medical reason for Sassy to be rejecting Windy, we think it's the over-handling by humans that's turned Sassy off from her own foal."

"Gee, that's too bad," Georgie said in sympathy. "Poor baby. I hope you guys can work it out."

"Me, too," Amy said with a sigh. "Anyway, I'll let you get to your practice."

"Thanks," Georgie said, snapping her helmet chinstrap and pulling it snug. Remi, upon seeing Georgie mount up, scampered from her spot on the porch to be closer to the action.

"Here comes your shadow," Amy said with a chuckle, giving the dog a quick rub around her furry jowls.

"Hi, girl," Georgie cooed. "Did you come to watch me practice? Good girl!"

Remi snuffled and gave her tail a few vigorous wags before settling down on the sidelines to take in Georgie's practice rounds. But before long, the dog wandered off towards the paddock, drawn to the pair of new horses. She yawned once with an extravagant stretch, and sat herself down next to Amy.

The dog and the human looked out upon a few of the permanent equine residents standing lazily in the paddock, grazing about. Windy the foal, having discovered other large animals not his own mother the previous day, would take a few tentative steps towards a strange horse, then suddenly prance off, as if playing a game of keep-away. The elder horses generally paid the foal no attention. His mother, though, avoided him at each playful approach, trotting off in a different direction each time he chanced to get near.

"Come on, Sassy," Amy said under her breath after observing this behaviour for close to an hour. "Take care of your baby. We stinky people aren't going to get in your way anymore."

Remi huffed and whined once, as if picking up on Amy's exasperation. She got to her feet, gave her tail a few gentle wags, then padded over in Sassy's general vicinity.

Amy watched in awe as Sassy sniffed curiously at this canine invading her space. Remi tolerated this attention with perfect calm and acceptance. Next, Sassy's large tongue came out, giving Remi's snout a long lick.

"Pals for life now," Amy said, a grin spreading across her face.

Ten minutes later, Remi was lying down at Sassy's feet, and the horse was nibbling calmly at some grass. Windy, however, was wary of the dog, its earlier curiosity around new creatures evidently forgotten.

***

"I think we've had a breakthrough," Amy said to Ty that evening after another round of bottle-feeding Windy was complete.

"Oh? What happened?" Ty asked.

"The canine companion factor," Amy answered triumphantly. "You know as well as I do that some nervous and stressed-out horses respond well to a companion animal. I mean, remember that goat Lisa had with Fairfield Flyer's clone a couple years ago?"

"Right," Ty said, thinking of how the high-strung thoroughbred had benefitted from the smaller animal's presence in its stall.

"Well, this afternoon, it was like Remi knew Sassy needed a friend. She went right over to her, and that seemed to break the ice. Sassy let Remi get right up to her and even licked her."

"You're kidding," Ty said.

"Nope. Remi just lay right down next to her out there in the paddock for the whole afternoon," Amy said. "It's the most relaxed I've seen that horse yet. I'll let her stay out tonight with the other horses, but I'd like to try turning Windy out again tomorrow and see what happens."

"That's excellent," Ty said. "Fingers crossed that Sassy will let Windy nurse tomorrow."

"I have a feeling she will," Amy said. "Gut instinct."

"Well, sure hope your gut's right, 'cause I actually forgot how tiring these round-the-clock feeding schedules can be."

"Oh, having second thoughts, 'Dad'?" teased Amy.

"Never," Ty said, stretching over to kiss her.

***

True to Amy's "gut instinct", Sassy was not on the alert when Windy's spindly legs carried him towards her early the next morning. Amy and Ty had purposely not fed the foal at the appointed time in the schedule so as to encourage it to seek out "breakfast" from its mother.

"Ty, look," Amy said in an excited whisper. "She's not running away from him."

"I see it," Ty said, his own excitement building.

The couple watched as the foal, ears flicking, crept closer, drawn by the promise of his mother's warm milk. He stretched his tongue out to the teat, latched on, and started suckling. Sassy remained in place, completely unperturbed by this activity.

"He's nursing!" Amy cried happily.

"Yes!" Ty exulted. "Marvin is going to be a very happy man when we tell him."

"He sure is," Amy said. "But make sure he knows he needs to get himself a Shepherd now, because I have a feeling Georgie isn't about to give up Remi."

Indeed, the canine was still out in the paddock, snoozing peacefully near the nursing mother and foal in the dewy morning grass.

***

Two Days Later...

"I know I said it earlier, but thanks for deciding to come to this one with me," Lisa said to Jack as they climbed into the Fairfield truck in preparation for departure to the vast Westfield estate.

"I have to admit this whole faux fox hunt deal really isn't so bad, despite the presence of certain individuals," Jack chuckled, a wry smile partially hidden beneath his generous moustache.

Both knew exactly which individuals Jack was referring to. Upon arriving at their destination, they walked with their horses on leads towards an open area before Paula Westfield summoned Jack.

"Hold him?" asked Jack, handing Lisa the line tethered to his jumper for the day, a Fairfield horse named Striker.

"Sure," Lisa said, taking the line from him. They were early still, as only a handful of participants had arrived, mostly those directly involved in a more official capacity. Moments later, she heard a voice she instantly recognized calling out a greeting, so she turned in response to it.

"Hello, Lisa! I see you managed to drag that fine husband of yours to another one of these things," Val said with a dry laugh and a half-grin.

"Hi, Val. Yes, I certainly did," Lisa replied warily. She was never entirely comfortable when Val referred to Jack in such familiar terms. But I really need to remember Jack has known Val longer than he's known me, she thought, they're just friends.

Jack was oblivious to Val's scrutiny while he stood talking with Paula about his role in today's proceedings.

"I guess he had such a great time at the last one, he couldn't stay away this time, eh?" Val laughed again, this time a little too harshly for Lisa's liking. "My, he sure does look handsome in those breeches and that jacket, I'll say!"

"Mm-hmm," Lisa agreed with a tight-lipped smile.

"Let's hope the weather cooperates," Val chatted on. "No more freak snowfalls, please and thank you!"

Lisa was about to add "And no more drinking so much you can't stay on your horse, Val," but charitably stopped herself before making such a pointed dig at her former rival for Jack's attention and affection.

"That is a very fine animal," Val stated, nodding towards Lisa's steed.

"He's something, isn't he? His name is Herring," Lisa responded, glad for the change in subject. "You remember Ben, my nephew?"

"Of course I remember Ben. I seem to recall my Ashley had an eye for him while he was staying at Briar Ridge."

"Well, Ben's horse—Red—is the sire," Lisa said.

Val sent a dubious look at Lisa. "Red's the sire of Herring? Seriously?"

Lisa tried to conceal a laugh. "Seriously. I know, it's not a very creative name. It wasn't my idea."

"I might be interested in him, if you're looking for a buyer," Val said, stroking the horse's neck.

"Well, I did have another client interested in him earlier," Lisa replied. "But why don't I have Herring trailered over to Briar Ridge next week or so? You can try him out; see if he's what you really want, and we'll see if we can hammer out a deal."

"All right, sure," said Val. At that moment Paula dismissed Jack and called for Val's attention to deal with some other matter. "We'll talk soon, Lisa."

"Okay."

"Hello, Jack," Val said huskily, a bright smile flashing across her face as they passed each other.

"Val," Jack responded cordially, about to tip a non-existent hat before remembering his head was bare. He continued on to where Lisa was waiting with their mounts.

"What was that about?" he asked as he reached his wife's side, having seen the tail end of their conversation.

"Val might be interested in buying Herring," Lisa answered while staring after the other woman's retreating figure, somewhat surprised she had not found some excuse to linger in order to chat with Jack.

"No kidding," Jack uttered.

"Jack," Lisa began tentatively, "I know these kinds of events are out of your comfort zone, but I'll say it once more: I really appreciate everything you do to make it out here with me."

"Well, I seem to recall a fly fishing date that was out of your comfort zone some years ago," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye. "Not too many ladies would have agreed to that. But you went the extra mile and even bought all the gear, just so you wouldn't disappoint me."

"I knew I wanted to spend time with you and to get to know you better," Lisa said, gazing up at him with affection. "I wasn't about to let that opportunity pass me by."

"And I'm forever grateful you came," he commented, remembering how she allowed him to hold her close and guide her hands and arms while holding the fishing rod. It meant so much to him that she trusted him implicitly, even at that early stage in their relationship.

I caught a real beauty, he recalled saying to the kids when he returned from that date; his meaning slowly dawning on them as he shuffled inside with a very contented smile on his face.

"We should do that again sometime," Lisa said, reaching for his hand and taking it in hers.

"Sounds like a plan!" Jack answered heartily.

*** Chapter 3: Or Worse

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heartlandtfln · 1 year

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“Lou: Gotta keep it profesh, you know? Paula: Yes, because that's what professional people do: they call it "profesh."“

#heartland #lou fleming #Lou Fleming Morris #michelle morgan #paula westfield #kate drummond #lou/paula #source: unknown

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ambermarshalldaily · 6 years

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Heartland - 11.08 - Truth Be Told

#heartland #season 11 #11x08 #truth be told #amber marshall selfies #kate drummond #amy fleming #paula westfield

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jordm · 6 years

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Heartland 11x09 - Challenges review

“Mongolia… why not?” - Amy

Well… I could list a few reasons why but anyways. I digress. Not the point? Or is it? Long story short, this episode brought challenges to all characters; some I welcomed (Georgie, Mitch, Amy and Georgie), some which were kinda cringe but also kinda good (Amy and Mongolia, Ty) and some I appreciated/understood but didn’t really like the outcome (Tim).

I’m going to try to keep this short. Try, being the key word.

Also please appreciate this photo of Mitch looking at Lyndy. Because I do.

[EDIT: I tots failed at this short thing, courtesy of my popular dislike for this new somewhat re-used Mongolia storyline]

AMY

Amy still hasn’t told her father about her trip to Mongolia, even though she leaves in a few days. Literally. Luckily, or unluckily, Georgie let it slip in a conversation to her grandfather. Let’s pause here to appreciate Tim preaching wisdom onto his family.

“World’s oldest babysitter” - Tim about Jack babysitting Lyndy

“Is the well being of a horse in Mongolia mean more to you than your daughter?” - Tim

Amy seems to finally realize that maybe, just maybe Jack isn’t the best choice of a babysitter especially considering he has to look after his other grandchildren, so she wisely asks Lou to come home and help babysit. Lou agrees (after all, she does miss Katie and Georgie and y’know should do her motherly duties)… and thank god, because Jack already fell asleep with the baby monitor in his hand in the beginning of the episode.

Later on, Amy insists on going even though it’s revealed later that Ty won’t be there to pick her up, despite Tim and Jack insist it won’t be safe. “It’ll be fine” says Amy, which means everything won’t be, because TV law. Jack says he’ll go with Amy since they don’t want her going on her own, but Tim wants to go because he wants (needs) to spend time with Amy. This i get. They’re protective but also want her to ‘grow her wings’ so the compromise is to let someone accompany her since Ty is apparently too busy to pick her up. And it’s totally fair, if Amy is so dead set on going- which she is.

SIDENOTE: I kind of hoped to see a Tamy reunion Mongolia airport scene and a car ride with the two of them going to the site and Ty showing Amy the sites. But oh well.

So who is the best to accompany her? To be fair, neither of them going with Amy is great. Jack is objectively old, and Tim is dealing with his tumour issue; perhaps Mitch is honestly the best option or, you know, none of them at all going. And I’m not honestly sure who the best to go with Amy on this trip is… (The answer is neither) BUT all I know is that I don’t really like this Mongolia trip either way. I mean, let’s face it- no one does. Not even the casuals. But the way they’re approaching this, with Tim accompanying her… I don’t hate (but I also don’t love because of this situation is coming up). I’m meh and seeing where it goes.

The one part I did enjoy about her storyline was Amy coaching Georgie on the Devil’s Lake jump. She suggests building the duplicate Devils Lake jump where Ty built her the practise ring all those seasons ago. And then, the memories flood back to Amy, and we see flashbacks from many seasons ago when Ty first build it. And it made me feel was miss those good old days when the storyline was about the simple things/everyday life and everyone was close to home. (But bonus points for incorporating those flashbacks!)

Lastly, let’s also appreciate Tim’s wit about Mongolia, where he wasn’t completely wrong.

“It’s like three inches from Afghanistan” - Tim about Mongolia on a map

First, we see that Ty is in Mongolia and safe… so far. We all know better than to expect a happy Mongolia storyline no? Ty finally sees Attila and Attila really is sick, but once he gets some fluid in him, he seems to be improving. i enjoyed seeing Ty work as a vet, even if it’s not in Hudson, which hey, can he please do more of. Apparently, Attila has been pretty depressed and sad since he arrived, which in itself is kind of depressed and sad.

One more thing; the Mongolian people really did under-estimate Attila’s condition. It wasn’t just a respiratory illness and if they had an inkling that it was perhaps more serious… maybe they could have arranged treatment faster.

Look, after seeing Attila’s condition, i’m not against Ty going to Mongolia. But..

Can someone tell me why is this a good idea to rush off to help Bata when he knows it’s going to be dangerous? I get their friends, and it showed off his good personality traits of helping and being there for his friends, but he didn’t even think about the resulting consequences or you know, the danger. He was hired for a job to TREAT ATTILA, he was flown over to TREAT ATTILA, not to help his old friend out of a situation. I get that he wants to help his friend but Attila’s health is going to continue to be at risk if something happens to him. Plus he knows his wife is coming, so why put himself in danger? Although this showed off his do-good traits, I just think he should have though this out a little more, especially when him and Bata ran off to help a neighbouring village.

ALSO how did Ty not know that Mongolia was a dangerous place considering he’d been there already?! Helloooooooo.

We learn that Poachers (yay for continuation!) have been going village to village burning villages down since they reported them to authorities. When Ty hears this he texts and calls Amy not to come- a little too late, but she leaves her phone at home and she doesn’t get the call.

Frankly, I can’t say i didn’t see that coming.

NEXT EPISODE: We see that Amy and Tim arrive and hear that Ty is ‘missing’ . They then are forced to go onto a ‘search and rescue’ mission. Sigh. Ty can’t catch a break.

GEORGIE

Amy gets word that the Summer games will feature a Devil’s Lake jump, and gets permission from Paula to use her cross country course. They seem to be two peas in a pod now. Kidding.

Anyways, we also learn that Wyatt is in Calgary with his family and him and Georgie aren’t talking, but Amy wisely uses this to take this as an opportunity to focus on training/the Summer Games. Which she maybe should have done before, because you know… career >> guys.

On the first time she tries, she gets thrown off the horse and into the water. Luckily, Dylan is there to chime in with this line:

“It’s easier when the horse jumps with you” - Dylan

Georgie rightfully panics because she’s afraid won’t get the jump down before Amy leaves, which is apparently in a few days. I mean, your coach wants you to learn a new jump in a few days even though she’s leaving in a few days, won’t be at your competition for the first time and she doesn’t want to run into Dylan; AND is dealing with the whole Wyatt situation? Yikes.

BREIF PAUSE TO POINT OUT A SAD POINT: Can I also point out that when Georgie said, “i’ve never not had Amy at a competition before” or something like that, it’s kind of a hit to the stomach for Lou? Her AUNT is always there but her mother has barely attended half of her competitions. Wake up Lou, Amy is more of a guardian/mother to Georgie than you are.

Anyways, Mitch says that he can build the Devils Lake jump, which leads to a funny line when Mitch realizes that Dylan is the reason why he’s “up to his knees in dirt and why she won’t train at Westfield.” End result is, she ends up acing the jump on the course, and get’s a promise from Dylan that he’ll see her at the summer games.

ABOUT DYLAN: I still don’t ship Dylan and Georgie (although it is much easier to think of shipp-er names for them than Wyatt and Georgie), because I did love G/W together. Right now, i actually think i’m on the “Georgie needs to focus on training” boat and that she also should be really good friends with Dylan because the two of them could push each other (like Ashley and Amy) to be better riders.

TIM

We learn that he had a second scan, and the shadow is unchanged; Tim is also having the same symptoms. Then there’s that ominous sign as he drives away…

DEAD END.

Anyone else catch that?

Tim this episode is the voice of reason and the only one bringing up what happened last time in Mongolia, which proves to be all too true. We see Tim’s fears in the future after the last scan as he is not helping Jade with her rodeo plans, wants her to enroll in a rodeo school program thing and is talking to his contacts to get her there. He wants to ensure Jade’s future is set up, even if/incase he’s not there and that’s heartbreaking.

“You don’t know where you’ll be in the fall” - Tim projecting his fears for the future onto Jade

ABOUT CASEY

Casey and Tim in the care is awkward. Casey is the only one talking and when Tim finally realizes casey isn’t okay, she confesses with Jen gone, it’s the first time she’s had a chance to think about an things/her brother. Casey talks about how hard it was when Hank was sick and says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Tim. This is awkward, and Tim’s face shows it.

He doesn’t want to burden her with his illness and make her go through it all again and relive the whole Hank saga, especially given her relating her struggles she is going through… so he breaks up with her. He needs space. “It’s not you, its me” And this one time, it’s actually true.

My opinion is that, well, Tim has good intentions but it honestly isn’t the best decision. He should tell Casey and let her decide if she wants out; once she finds out, she might understand, but she might also resent him even more for not even giving him that option. I do get why he went that route- he really was thinking of Casey and her well being so she doesn’t have to go through it all again, however, this could have been approached in a different way. In fact, him telling her could have led to a stronger relationship and y’know, more support and more love for him. Which he needs.

I mentioned this before, but he wants to go to Mongolia because he wants/needs to spend more time with Amy. In short, I don’t get reasoning but this overall doesn’t sound like a great idea considering his state and Mongolia being dangerous. I mean… at least he told Jack? Jack of whom…. why did he even let him go? I mean, at least let Amy in on the half truth who is travelling with him incase something happen so she has the full story… but hey i’m all for daughter-father bonding.

JACK

Short appreciation segment for Jack, who is already tired and has agreed to also take care of Lyndy (and Katie, even if Lou agreed to come back)

“it’s my wife” - about Lisa, who is in France. Shout out to Jack for letting us all know where Lisa is even though she was really missed in this fall finale.

Lastly, a nice acknowledgement to him and Tim’s relationship and how it has come so far. Guys. Jack is the only one who knows about his illness. This wouldn’t have happened a decade ago. Jack promises not to tell anyone against his own wishes, which i feel may bite him in the back.

OVERALL

… I liked this episode. Not my favourite by far due to Mongolia, but also not my least favourite. An average episode with a predictable cliffhanger. I enjoyed the Georgie storyline, seeing Mitch (not as a romantic interest) and Amy’s role in all of this, including the flashbacks. While I do think Ty should have thought before running to help Bata and off to the neighbouring village and i wish he wasn’t even there… it wasn’t unexpected given the circumstances and i enjoyed seeing him work as a vet. Plus despite Tim’s questionable choice to accompany Amy and break up with Casey, he had good intentions. So.. can’t fault him for that (okay I can but whatever).

So I guess i’m one foot on the Mongolia storyline train… i won’t ever be completely on it, but as long as this train is moving, I’m moving along with it and hoping they make the best of it given they must do this storyline (just hanging on though).

SONGS IN THIS EPISODE ( @heartlandians)

Nation’s Son - Evan Olson

Stronger than Longing - Kat + James

Shadow in the Road - Sam Weber

#challenges #heartland #review #11x09

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opticien2-0 · 4 years

Text

As John Lewis’ managing director leaves the business, what does that mean for experience-led retail strategies?

The John Lewis Partnership today announced the departure of John Lewis managing director Paula Nickolds as it reported falling sales at the department store over Christmas.

Nickolds, who was to have taken the role of executive director, brand, when the Waitrose and John Lewis businesses start to be managed as one business, will instead leave when that future partnership model comes into place in February.

Her departure comes after a Christmas in which both John Lewis Partnership businesses, Waitrose and John Lewis, reported a decline in total sales. But while Waitrose reported like-for-like and online growth, John Lewis’ usually buoyant online sales grew only weakly. Overall, gross sales at the partnership came in at £2.2bn in the seven weeks to January 4.

John Lewis sales of £1.1bn over that period were down by a total of 2.3% compared to last year, and by 2% on a like-for-like basis, which strips out the effect of store openings and closures. Online sales grew by 1.4%.

Waitrose, meanwhile, reported sales of £1bn over the same period. That’s down by 1.3% in total, but up by 0.4% LFL. Online sales were up by 16.7% - and in the week to Christmas, online grocery orders were 23.4% ahead.

Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, who is set to retire this year, said both brands had performed strongly at an operational level. But while Waitrose had seen “encouraging progress against our milestones,” John Lewis had seen falling sales in home and electricals and over peak trading. Black Friday sales – a period in which John Lewis discounted for longer than usual – were up by 10% on the same time last year, but demand fell in subsequent weeks.

Profits at Waitrose, he said, were likely to be broadly in line with the previous year, but while John Lewis’ first-half losses would be reversed in the second half, full-year profits would be “substantially down on last year”.

Today Mayfield said: “Paula has been with the Partnership for 25 years and has been an outstanding Partner and leader throughout her time. She has played a central role in the development of John Lewis & Partners over the last 10 years in a variety of senior positions. After some reflection on the responsibilities of her proposed new role, we have decided together that the implementation of the Future Partnership structure in February is the right time for her to move on and she will leave the Partnership with our gratitude and best wishes for the future.”

The implications for experience-led retail

Paula Nickolds has led John Lewis’ strategy of focusing on experiences within retail since she took on the role of managing director in 2016. Under her leadership, the retailer’s new store openings, most notably in Oxford and Westfield London, featured concierge desks to help customers get the most out of a visit to the store and brought in experts from style and fashion colleges and theatres to train staff in experience-led selling, from personal stylists to workshops on home technology and lighting rooms. Technology from augmented reality – to show how lipsticks look on – to virtual reality – so customers can see how sofas might appear in their living rooms – have been employed to improve the customer experience. The retailer also invested in services, buying home improvement services business Opun, and has been repeatedly named an Elite retailer in IRUK Top500 research for the strength of its multichannel performance.

But while beauty sales were up by 4.7% over Christmas, fashion was only 0.1% ahead and home (-3.4%) and electricals and home technology (-4%) sales were both down. It will be interesting to see the details in the partnership’s full-year results of just what has worked and what hasn’t.

Experiences have been at the heart of John Lewis’ quest to find a new role for department stores at a time when sales in the sector are moving online fast. It is also a direction taken by fellow-department store retailers, also suffering from the move to buy online, from Debenhams – which has built its strategy on mobile and social shopping – to House of Fraser – which has opened a cinema in its Oxford Street store. But will John Lewis now change its direction as well as its managing director?

And for department stores

When John Lewis went through a major strategy reset in 2018, it suggested it was willing to sacrifice profits in the short-term in order to invest in selling across sales channels to give customers the experience they want in the long-term. It aimed to be different from its competitors, and to innovate in order to respond to what it termed “a period of generational change”.

In doing so it was developing a tradition of investment in multichannel that has helped to make John Lewis a leading retailer and to buck the woes felt by some other department store chains, most notably Debenhams and House of Fraser, both of which have gone in and out of administration in the last two years at a time when department store and fashion sales have moved online faster than other sectors. Up to now the John Lewis strategy has worked, and sales and profits have generally improved – until 2019, a year marked by widespread economic and political uncertainty. John Lewis reported a first half loss in September 2019 but nonetheless said it would continue to speed up its transformation. That could be set to change now, as falling Christmas sales continue that decline.

But this is a problem that goes well beyond John Lewis – and beyond department stores. BRC figures also out today suggest that while online sales have grown, the last year has more generally been the toughest for retail on record, while the Centre for Retail Research says retail is going through a crisis. Despite this, some retailers have fared better than others. Mountain Warehouse, earlier this week, said its strong results meant showed how wrong the doom-mongers who predicted the death of the high street were wrong, while discounter Aldi saw its sales rise strongly. Perhaps we can draw some early lessons by saying that those that have done well seem to have either invested in giving customers the products they really want to buy, delivered with good service across channels, at a low cost relative to others.

But ultimately, it may be that shoppers are buying less than they did because they still aren’t confident they have the money to spend in an economy where Brexit uncertainty is currently on course to persist until the end of this year. Perhaps, too, they are buying online because they don’t have the time or inclination to venture into department stores, no matter how good the experience. Perhaps, too, they are buying less for environmental reasons. Minimalism is gaining traction, while green campaigners are urging shoppers to think before they buy. The scenario that retailers may need to respond to could well be evolving into one in which shoppers spend less but buy the best quality they can when they do so.

Image courtesy of John Lewis

from InternetRetailing https://ift.tt/35DZEVI via IFTTT

#Retail 2.0

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lav2capturephotography · 5 years

Text

Professional Practice And Promotion (Work Experience )

Yesterday Paula said what she should have said from week 1;

She explained to us what we are suppose to do after christmas

Basically , it goes like this;

We find a job ( step1 )

We ask them if any position available ( step 2)

They reply positive or negative ( step 3 )

We complete 10 days of work and get permanent or not ( step 4 )

The session lasted ablout 45′ with 60′.

She explained every part with every detail; Once I got home, I sent the first e mail in one pay off job through the UAL site;

Portas Agency

Portas is a creative communications agency based in central London specialising in fashion and retail. “We make brands fashionable and culturally relevant.”

Among the brands Portas has a co- operation with are

Puma

Lois Voiton

Mercedes Benz

Bershka

Westfield

Gant

French conection

Basically they are selling Public Realtions.

The job they have uploaded on the UAL site is about photographing something ( no details given, only that it is in situ - in location that means ) and the amount of 100 £ pounds to payed off if the work goes well. I have applied with Paula as Cc and now I am waiting fortheir response.

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westernmanews · 5 years

Link

Two-hundred and fifty Massachusetts residents will officially become American citizens Wednesday during a naturalization ceremony at American International College.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Spokesperson Paula Grenier the new U.S. citizens are from the following 67 countries: Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Burma, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The candidates live in various parts of Massachusetts, including many cities and towns in western Massachusetts like Longmeadow, Springfield, Chicopee, Amherst, Northampton, Agawam, Ludlow, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Westfield, and more.

#Western MA news #westernmanews

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heartlandians · 2 years

Photo

A little BTS from the set of Heartland ❤️ So happy to be back for this upcoming season... bringing a little sassy Paula Westfield into the mix, directed by Ken Filewych 🙏 (Thank you for the fun, Ken!) This show, this set, the Heartland family is just magical and I love every second that I get to be part of it. Amber Marshall and Eliana Jones. You make my heart happy. Photo by: Kate Drummond

#heartland #on set #behind the scenes #season 16 #block 161 #kate drummond #amber marshall #eliana jones #dog #ken filewych

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confessions-heartland · 2 years

Photo

“Welcome back to Paula Westfield AKA Val Stanton“

#heartland #paula westfield #kate drummond #val stanton #val grant #wanda cannon #heartland confessions #confessions

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the-real-tc · 2 years

Text

Review: Heartland Ep. 1503 Bad Moon Rising

(A truncated version of this was posted on Facebook.) I feel like I'm still holding my breath after watching Ep. 1503 on Sunday. Episode writer Ken Craw left us with a bit of a cliffhanger when the credits started rolling on "Bad Moon Rising". It's not often that we get a touch of fear and dread on Heartland, but it's been building ever since the season began with the serial break-ins happening in Hudson. And now, our beloved family has fallen victim to the thieves, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The break-ins are still going on in Hudson, and everyone is on edge. Lisa convinces Jack to install a security system. He manages to do it with Parker’s help, but not without a few hiccups involving a destructive raccoon and a thirsty Lyndy who only wanted a night-time glass of milk. (If you didn’t immediately want to hug that poor kid when she accidentally tripped the motion sensors... way to go, Jack. You’ve probably traumatised your great-granddaughter for life.)

The second plot point is Amy lending a hand at Cooper's equine therapy centre ("Higher Ground"). It seems that on top of being super busy, his horse trainer up and quit on him. Amy has agreed to step in on short notice, but only until Cooper finds a real replacement. The current "busy-ness" is a gala Cooper's been planning to raise awareness for the centre.

For now, Cooper has six kids (teens, really) from a group home outside of Hudson. We soon learn the names of two of them: “Mac”, a scowly youth with his ubiquitous backwards ballcap, and “Logan”, a tall, lanky kid with an easy smile and a mop of curly hair. We soon also learn which one to trust, and which one to avoid — especially if we’re of the equine species. Third plot point: Paula Westfield is on the warpath over the break-ins. She nastily blames Cooper’s recent batch of kids for the unsolved crimes, and wants Lou to take action and shut down Higher Ground immediately. (Side note: it’s during their conversation we learn where Georgie’s been, which is Florida, training for a chance at the Olympics. The startled look on Paula’s face—and her attempt to be gracious about it when she totally wasn’t—was priceless.)

We don’t know what to believe about Cooper’s kids, but one of them (Mac) causes Challenge the horse to spook and react violently when Amy tries to pair them up. It’s Logan to the rescue, though. He jumps into the pen and gets between Challenge and Mac just as Amy rushes in to calm the horse. Belligerent Mac acts like he did nothing wrong, leaving Amy and Cooper at a loss as to what to do, since they don’t know what triggered Challenger. Lou tries to make good on her promise to Paula to check out the centre and OH MY GOSH! Is that Clint Riley?

Hi, again, Clint. It’s good to see you... maybe? It seems Clint is there because they’ve also received calls about the possibility Cooper’s kids could be involved in the break-ins. Cooper denies they could be, but neither Lou nor Clint would be doing their due diligence if they didn’t at least take a look.

While trying to get to the bottom of Challenge’s issues, Amy learns lanky Logan has a great instinct for horse behaviour. We also learn he’s reluctant to bond with any horse because he won’t be there long. His dad is coming to get him very soon Logan says, and they’re going to be reunited. (As viewers, we obviously sense this ain’t happening exactly the way Logan hopes it will.) As it happens, just as Logan says he’ll be outta there like *that*, he snaps his fingers, causing Challenge to spook. It’s the clue Amy’s been looking for: loud, unexpected noises are the trigger. Anyway, Amy is impressed with Logan’s natural ability with horses. He’s curious about how she gentled a wild horse like Challenge, so she takes him out to see the wild herd, and the splashy paint she wants to gentle for her stepmother, Jessica Cook.

(Side note: warm welcome to Drew Davis aka Logan. He’s already charmed his way into my heart with his easy-going manner and easy smile. I hope he gets more screen time as Logan is a very likeable character already.)

Paula accosts Lou again in her office, demanding to know what’s being done about Higher Ground. Her place was nearly broken into the night before, but the perpetrators were scared off by one of the grooms. She declares if Lou won’t take action, other people in her circle will (“pillars of the community”) and that the Centre is going down, and that Lou will probably go down with it. (Side note: Kate Drummond is so great in these scenes as Paula, you love to hate her. But the best—or worst, depending on your interpretation—from her is yet to come. More on that later...)

Lou learns Cooper’s Centre is in serious financial trouble. He’s pretty much pinning all his hopes on the success of the gala. He might be a great social worker, but he’s a lousy accountant. Lou offers to help him due to her business acumen, but things aren’t looking good.

Despite Amy’s work with Challenge, the horse still reacts negatively to Mac, a sign the horse might not be safe to remain at the Centre and be around kids. Logan is distressed about this, since Amy tells him she doesn’t know where the horse would end up, since he can’t go back to his herd. It doesn’t take long before we find out why Challenge reacts to Mac, and why he’s scared of loud noises. Mac has locked him up in a stall and has unleashed the full measure of his cruelty: he’s throwing bang snaps at Challenge, the gunpowder exploding and sending off sparks everywhere, while the other kids just stand around and do nothing. Logan angrily grabs Mac’s bag of “party favours” away; Mac accuses him of being a thief just like his father. That sends Logan back at him with a fist. Mac deflects the blow and scurries off, leaving Logan seething. The other kids slowly leave, and Logan is alone with Challenge. He gently releases the horse from the stall and walks him out back to the paddock. A much calmer Challenge seems to sense he’s got a friend in Logan.

Later, the whole Heartland household is all dressed up for the gala and waiting for Jack in the kitchen. Jack comes rushing in and pulls out his bolo tie from a box also containing an antique watch engraved with the initials “J.E.B”. Lisa comments she’s never seen the watch before and Lou asks why he never wears it; Jack makes light of it, saying it’s just a piece of metal before tossing it back into the box on the kitchen table. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)

The gala turns out to be a very swanky affair, attended by what looks to be a large contingent of Hudson high society, including (pro) Fairfield clients Lisa quietly called, and (con) Paula Westfield’s “pillars of the community” who are probably there to see Cooper’s dreams are crushed.

Cooper’s kids are also guests at the gala. Logan tries to tell Amy about Mac’s actions, but they’re interrupted. Meanwhile, the security system is being a pain with a pile of motion alerts being sent to Jack’s phone (rascally raccoons), so he decides on Lisa’s suggestion to just shot off the camera alerts. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)

All seems to be going okay for Cooper as he stands up to say a few words... until Paula interrupts and says a mouthful—a damning mouthful—about the “criminal element” the centre has brought in, since some of the kids have a juvenile record. Clint finally steps in to stop her, but the damage is done. Paula leaves, and several guests follow in her destructive wake.

You’d think things could not get worse, right? They do. Logan, having heard Paula’s accusations, confronts Mac, asking if he’s had anything to do with the robberies. Mac denies it; Logan says he doesn’t trust him. Mac needles him by referring to Logan’s soft spot for locked up animals—like his father. Logan loses it and hauls off with a punch that knocks Mac to the ground. Appalled, Amy and Cooper (and everyone else, really) can’t believe what they’re seeing. Logan blurts out that Mac’s been torturing Challenge.

With that, Emma Fitzroy, one of Cooper’s early donors and supporters, tells him she’s re-thinking her support after that disturbing display. It’s like the last nail in the coffin for Higher Ground, Cooper says. Lou, Clint, and Amy try to bolster his sinking spirits, but he can’t bear to hear about it right now.

You’d think things could not get worse even after this, right? Oh, they do.

Upon arriving at Heartland... The lights are out. The screen door is off its hinges. A window is broken. Remi is barking out on the porch at the door. Lou pulls up next to the truck in the SUV and Amy’s on the phone to the police. Lisa begs for Jack’s phone so she can see when the break-in happened, except... when he tried to turn off the camera alerts, he turned off the whole system. Jack grabs a tire iron from the truck, and demands Lisa stay back. Inside the house, it’s a disaster zone. Thoroughly ransacked. And the thieves are long gone. Jack looks like he’s on the verge of tears at this violation. Cut to credits.

I have so many thoughts about this episode that I’ll probably share as the week progresses, but for now I can say I’m still really uneasy about how absolutely trashed the ranch house was, and how upset I am at Paula Westfield’s audacity. She’s ruined Cooper with her accusations.

It’s also a foregone conclusion Jack’s watch is gone. Despite his lack of sentimentality when Lisa and Lou commented on it, there’s got to be something more to it. Jack Bartlett, after all these years, you continue to surprise us.

Ken Craw really left nothing on the table with this one. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. But Heartland being Heartland, I await the happy resolution to this.

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heartlandtfln · 1 year

Photo

“Lou: You spent Mother's Day without your family? Paula: It's called "Mother's Day," not "Spend Time With Your Kids Day"...”

#heartland #lou fleming #Lou Fleming Morris #michelle morgan #paula westfield #kate drummond #lou/paula #source: grace and frankie #mother's day

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ambermarshalldaily · 6 years

Photo

Heartland - 11.08 - Truth be Told

#heartland #season 11 #11x08 #truth be told #amber marshall #kate drummond #amy fleming #paula westfield

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oddstructure · 5 years

Video

vimeo

Postmodernism at the V&A from Victoria and Albert Museum on Vimeo.

Postmodernism is the notoriously slippery subject tacked by the V&A's exhibition, 'Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990'. This fast-paced film features some of the most important living Postmodern practitioners, Charles Jencks, Robert A M Stern and Sir Terry Farrell among them, and asks them how and why Postmodernism came about, and what it means to be Postmodern.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew Logan: Post modernism – yes, I still really don’t understand what post modernism is. I’ve been told many times and it’s been explained to me many times and I still am bewildered. But perhaps that’s part of the movement – bewilderment.

Malcolm Garrett: I don’t think I really know too much about what post modernism actually is. For me, it’s primarily an architectural movement.

Robert A M Stern: Post modernism was a kind of style and it was kind of outrageous style at that.

Zandra Rhodes: I think we’re originals, but it wasn’t until I got spoken to by the V&A that I thought about anything that was post modern.

The way I worked I described as retrievalism.

Charles Jencks: The Independent said do use the word ‘post modernism’ because it means absolutely nothing and everything.

Malcolm Garrett: I called myself a new futurist for a while. So that’s a term I would use rather than post modernism.

Andrew Logan: Well, I suppose I had a very post modernist occurrence – I took acid. Normal things suddenly turned into something extraordinary.

Zandra Rhodes: Well, in 1977 punk was just starting to happen and I thought why not do tears that actually look like tears and then got safety pins and beaded round them like 12 years before Versace.

Malcolm Garrett: I had access to the first photocopier and I was able to modify and change the look of the image using a photocopier.

Peter Saville: And, of course, in the 70s and into the 80s the record cover was this incredibly important, vital medium of visual information. There were the music papers and occasionally the Sunday Times colour supplement might just do something about Andy Warhol in New York and that would be about it.

Paula Scher: In the 70s when I first started designing there was a predominance of the international style where the ultimate goal was to be clean and I always felt that that was like trying to clean up your room. So I was looking for ways of designing typography that could be more expressive, that were not about creating order but were about creating spirit.

Robert A M Stern: Times Square was where we were in charge - the whole revitalisation of Times Square is a very interesting, complicated story, but it does show the difference between the modernist point of view of how to redevelop or to develop a city and what we were able to do …

Charles Jencks: Post modern architecture is really to do with pluralism. You’ll find its depth, all of the great post modernism, the philosophy and now in literature, is about pluralism, pluralism, pluralism.

Robert A M Stern: To say, no, no, it’s a mess, in fact we ought to make it more of a mess. The world comes to Times Square not for tidykins, but for mess.

Charles Jencks: It’s accepting that the modern world with Freud, Marx, Henry Ford, mass production, is positive, but it can be radically improved.

Robert A M Stern: We studied the signage in Times Square and then we set minimums, minimums for sizes of signs, minimums for brightness of signs. What we were legislating in a way the capitalist impulse. Once you tell an entrepreneur that his or her sign can only be this big, he will be satisfied, he will agree with it. But if you say it can be this big or bigger or brighter, well everybody wants to compete in a capitalist society.

Charles Jencks: So you have to be on the one hand ironic about failures, probably the beginning of a new depression, another crisis of modernism, modernisation, modernity. What’s going to get us out of this? We have to re-think the modern movements in all the arts and in society and post modernism is the umbrella term for re-thinking.

Robert A M Stern: We knew 42nd Street was an incredible success when the Consolidated Edison Company called the State of New York and said, you know our grid is zapped out.

Peter Saville: In the case of, particularly, Joy Division and then New Order, they could never exactly agree amongst themselves. There was no hierarchical structure, particularly in New Order after the end of Joy Division, after Ian Curtis had died. The responsibility for the covers came to me and so they were about what I was interested in, they were about in a way beginning to learn the canon.

Carol McNicoll: The thing that I was doing was I was using slip casting. A lot of the Leach tradition and minimalist things also had that idea of expressing the deep, inner, mystic qualities of clay. And I thought that was a load of complete rubbish. And I thought what was wonderful about clay was the fact that you could make it look like anything else.

Peter Saville: They decided to call their first album “Movement”. The sequences and the pulse beat - there was a subtle transition from Joy Division to New Order and they had to find who they could be without Ian’s writing and without Ian’s singing. The pulse beat begins to become what New Order are about. I was quite happy to show New Order futurism because I was certain that Marinetti would have loved New Order.

Deyan Sudjic: Charles Jencks wrote this extraordinarily resonant sentence in ‘Post Modernism’ in which he said that modernism died in 1972 when Pruitt-Igoe was blown up.

Charles Jencks: In fact it goes back to the 60s really, in a radical way. Feminism, black power, a whole series of issues all over the world.

Terry Farrell: I think it was a release from constraint from the design codes – design as a function of the modern era.

Peter Saville: The notion of a singular aesthetic is untenable, is entirely unrealistic in a democratised society.

Terry Farrell: As such it was a Pandora’s box, the genie was out, so it’s about colour and ornament and try anything.

Robert A M Stern: If you take the actual broader, philosophical meaning of post modernism, there are no absolutes in art whether it’s architecture, painting, music, literature or whatever.

Terry Farrell: It’s a shift that brought the internet, the web – things were never the same again.

Reinhold Martin: During the - one of the high moments of modernism, the constructive period, artists like Varvara Steppanova and her colleagues, Rodchenko – the productivists. They were designing the way that they imagined the proletariat – the newly empowered and politicised proletariat - would dress. And the interesting question might be: What’s the difference between an Issey Miyake or a Commes des Garçons iteration of modernism? Can you imagine that garment in relation to political revolution? Probably not. You can imagine it as a kind of citation and if there is a thing called post modernism, it’s the absence of that thought. Can you imagine the Comme des Garçons worker? If the answer is no, then you’re in the world of post modernity.

Peter Saville: When Ian died, a kind of - the legend was sort of forged, almost overnight. The message of this story was more profound than any broadcast or marketing could ever be.

Carol McNicoll: One of the things that’s particular about the English tradition is that it’s very impure. Yes, we had an empire, we were forever nicking ideas from other places and kind of collage-ing them together.

Iain Sinclair: You’d have a piece of London that’s pre-Fire of London, that happens to have survived, right next to something that came in as a Christopher Wren development, something that came through the railway age, a cottage that’s hung on until it’s wiped out to put up a Westfield shopping mall, and all of these things co-exist.

Sam Jacob: That combination of complete victory of the neo-liberal economy alongside the diversity of culture, diversity of interests, I think makes it a place where things happen in a post modern way.

Iain Sinclair: And it all meshes on somewhere like the Thames, the reason for London’s foundation, that we come ashore from elsewhere and we reinvent ourselves by bringing people in that keep the culture alive.

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