Their Outlander Match

June 7, 2025July 26, 2025 Amy6 Comments

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston – this is my all-time favorite book. I needed three credits in English so I took a summer course at my university and was introduced to the Harlem Renaissance. It’s not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. There was something magical about Ms. Hurston’s use of language. It envelopes and evokes. I still have the copy of the book for that class tucked away safely on my bookshelf. I do not let anyone borrow it.

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – this is my second all-time favorite book. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book and series. I sent an email to the author when I finished this book and she replied. I printed it out and tucked it into the paperback, which has been read so many times it’s earmarked with love. Yes, I have the rest of the books too. Yes, I waited for what felt like 65 years for the show to be created. Yes, I’m waiting on season eight during the usual Droughtlander. But, I should say upfront the books are nothing like the series because the books are typically 1000 pages of genius storytelling, and though the series is based on the books, it in no way comes close to the original. This book is impactful due to its ability for the reader to step through the stones, as it were. It’s a place to get lost in if you’re looking to get lost.

This isn’t my copy – mine is old and well loved and also I do not think it states on the cover that it is a New York Times best seller

3. Love Match by yours truly

Yes, it might sound a little strange to say this book impacted me a great deal, but if you’ve written a book, you know what I’m talking about. It doesn’t matter if your book was published or not, if you have written a book and it is yours, it has changed your life. If you tell other people, and they read your book, it changes you even more. When people start to have opinions about your words, that is probably the greatest impact. It takes a lot of courage to write and have other people read what you’ve written. One could even call a blog a type of book. It’s a book that keeps writing itself each day. It’s something that means something to the writer, but also it’s something that the reader takes part in. And it takes courage from the author to post their words. Words on a blog can be equally if not more impactful than an entire bound book. But that’s a different subject for a different day.

Incidentally, when I was looking for an image of my own book to post here, I found out my book is being sold on eBay for $29.08. Just a suggestion: my book isn’t that expensive brand new. I’m not sure that the seller is going to make any profit after shipping – unless of course, they found a brand new copy of my book. But another question then begs to be asked: where is my royalty check?

American painter · art · art history · blogging · conservation · fantasy · fashion · fate · French Fashion · history · Humor · Miss Pearce · Outlander · Thomas Sully · Writing

Miss Pearce (Has a Friend)

February 22, 2025June 4, 2025 Amy32 Comments

I mentioned Miss Pearce a few months ago, when she was bequeathed to me along with some other fine art. I have to be honest: I’m only keeping two of the pieces. Miss Pearce and the little girl. I donated the Raphael to Goodwill. And if anyone wants the Renoir, let me know. I’m not a fan of his work because everyone looks like a corpse. I can’t deal with the gray skin tones. I don’t think I need to tell the person who bequeathed me the items what I’m doing with them – after all, this person was my writing mentor, now won’t even read my blog (“Blogs are too personal, and I am not interested in reading self-serving drivel,” or some eye roll-worthy shit like that), and has permanently left the country. But Enough Of That.

Miss Pearce has her post in the hallway, glancing toward my room evermore. She seems quite mischievous. And her satin dress is silver, which I found out after I scrubbed it down with a gentle cloth. I also cleaned up the gold frame, which is immense and probably worth more than the print.

But who is Miss Pearce? Or – more accurately – who was Miss Pearce?

Some say she was the best friend of the wife of the painter Thomas Sully and was painted around 1840. He was an American painter who lived from 1783 through 1872. Other resources report the painting is American (unknown artist), done around 1840. It’s not difficult to discern the time period of the clothing, but it seems a bit difficult to discern who actually painted her. It seems to be the original is somewhere in Massachusetts, but even that isn’t that definitely known to me. If any of you know more about Miss Pearce and her origins, please leave a comment!

I suppose it will remain a mystery for now. Sometimes a little mystery ads a certain… je ne sais quoi. I like the expression on her face. She is animated and seems to be a tad bored. She has the hint of a smirk and wide eyes, a very light brown shade. Ascertaining her expression is subjective, of course, but we can all agree she’s looking to her left, and something over there has caught her eye. She’s been hanging in my hallway for several months, and frankly, there is nothing of interest anywhere near her, so…I rectified that.

I will not claim the image she now gazes upon is of the correct time period, but we all know Jamie Fraser is quite familiar with time traveling ladies. He broods in his French finery from Season Two. I think I’ve discussed my affinity for Season Two and its costumes, so I shall not bore you, Dear Reader. I will simply link to my previous blog about it here.

At least now she has something to look at. I pass her by every evening on my way to bed. I wish her a good evening and give her a sideways glance. I’ll have to see if she has an extra twinkle in her eye tonight, now that Monsieur Fraser is next to her. Just as I wish time travel were truly possible, I wish Night at the Museum (Er – Night in Amy’s Hallway?) was also a possibility. I can totally imagine Miss Pearce climbing out of her painting to get a closer look, can’t you? If I hear noises in the hallway, my first guess will be it is Susie playing. If Susie is nowhere in sight, it’s obvious Miss Pearce has hopped out of the painting. Don’t worry, I will check to make sure the painting isn’t blank.

Hmm. This scenario is playing in my mind, turning around, gathering steam and gathering ideas much like an avalanche as it rolls downhill. Maybe Miss Pearce is up for an adventure in a different time and place?

art · art history · blogging · daily prompt · Grief · history · Love · non-fiction · poetry · Writing

The Pictures

September 1, 2024September 9, 2024 Amy12 Comments

What brings a tear to your eye?

“Would you like to have these pictures?

I’d like to give them to you.”

Pause and reflection

“Yes, I would like to have the pictures.“

You would bring them to me

Before you went to Italy

I saw you and did not cry

“Thank you for the pictures.”

They are very beautiful

I like to look at them

And

I hate to look at them

They make me cry.

(“of joy” has been removed from the title of this prompt)

architecture · art · conservation · finding the muse · history · Old homes · Photography · prose · Writing

The Doctor’s Mansion

August 26, 2024September 9, 2024 Amy5 Comments

Recently, Facebook reminded me of a post I made in 2014. I copied that post and saved the accompanying photo I captured out of the window of my car, and planned on publishing what I wrote and the photograph as a sort of stroll down memory lane. But I realized I didn’t have much of a memory lane to scroll down, so that led me to the Internet. With what I remembered of the house, I did a search and found a Facebook account (credit to Facebook account Abandoned Steve, and photos will be credited to their owners) and a YouTube channel featuring abandoned mansions and properties in Pennsylvania (again, all credit to Abandoned Steve). I found the house which I had always called “My House,” because as a small child, barely able to see above the door and out of the window, and down the long driveway to the terra-cotta roof tiles, I always wanted to live there. And by live there, I mean I wanted to purchase the house when I was a grown-up. My mom told me stories of “The Doctor’s Mansion,” and I had all but forgotten most of the details, which weren’t very many to begin with. I found out today it was called Bella Vista by the surgeon who owned it and helped build it. Yes, a surgeon at a local hospital was also the general contractor on the project. Can you imagine how that went? More on him later. He was quite something, in a good way.

I am still going to post my original Facebook memory about this house, but I am going to post the beginnings of the house before I post the end. I sadly still don’t have too much information, but I am still doing research and if I come up empty-handed, I’ll employ my writer’s mind to add details. Do stay tuned for this post, but please be patient as I still have to do research on the house, and my new job training continues to be my number one priority. And also my number one vehicle to exhaustion.

When that Facebook memory popped up, a small spark that had temporarily been snuffed out by new work obligations, training and an exhausted mind and body, to be quite frank, was lit again. My muse this time is a small child’s long-ago memory that I can bring back to life. I am old enough, my creative mind now developed enough to put the awe I felt into words. I can now hear the parties held at the mansion: live music, clinking glasses and uproarious laughter amid extended family and friends on sixteen acres of a beautiful view.

daily prompt · history

Elizabeth I

June 20, 2024June 23, 2024 Amy14 Comments

Who is your favorite historical figure?

I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married.

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.

A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.

All my possessions for a moment of time.

Those who appear the most sanctified are the worst.

I have the heart of a man, not a woman, and I am not afraid of anything.

Do not tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested

I pray to God that I shall not live one hour after I have thought of using deception.

The end crowneth the work.