nextgen_holiday:

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." -- Unknown

nextgen_holiday:

Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children. ~William Makepeace Thackeray

nextgen_holiday:


I arise from dreams of thee
In the first sweet sleep of night,
When the winds are breathing low,
And the stars are shining bright.
I arise from dreams of thee,
And a spirit in my feet
Hath led me -- who knows how?
To thy chamber window, Sweet!

The wandering airs they faint
On the dark, the silent stream--
And the Champak's odours
Like sweet thoughts in a dream;
The nightingale's complaint,
It dies upon her heart,
As I must on thine,
O belovèd as thou art!

O lift me from the grass!
I die! I faint! I fail!
Let thy love in kisses rain
On my lips and eyelids pale.
My cheek is cold and white, alas!
My heart beats loud and fast:
O press it to thine own again,
Where it will break at last!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

baringbones:

Mornings were annoying, to the only girl in the world who had to give herself personal daily manicures with a small bone saw. But once all the various grooming concerns were behind her, Catalina was chipper as she dropped in to visit her cousin.

i_asked_grandpa:

“Hello Beautiful,” Bobby said as he approached the Mustang shell he bought Veronica for Christmas. He ran a hand lightly over the hood. She didn't look like much now, but when they were done restoring her she would look like new. To Bobby she was beautiful now for there was a certain beauty in everything, even imperfection.

“We'll start on you soon. I promise,” he told the car. He knew Ronnie wanted to work on her car and Bobby would wait for her. If this were his he'd already have it half assembled. Patience was never his strong suit. He was a Stark and a Barton after all.

“Hello ladies,” he said and turned around. The garage was full of vintage cars all lovingly restored to showroom looks and running perfection. It was his hobby and his passion in life. It thrilled him he could share that with Ronnie. “I see you're all looking beautiful as ever.”

The two empty spots in the garage tugged at a part of him. Cars had filled those spaces until recently, but Bobby had donated them to a charity auction. Uncle Misha's community center could put them to better use than he could. Though now it just meant he had room for two new projects and he wouldn't have to ask Mom for more garage space and have to hear that he had too many. There was no such thing as too many and bigger garages were always the way to solve the space problem.

Ronnie's car first. Then he'd find two more girls. He knew she wanted to work on her car, but the holidays had been rough for her. Bobby would give her space until she was ready. When she was, they'd start on the car together.

For now he could admire the shell and what it will be in a short time.

nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
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Anonymous entries accepted.

i_asked_grandpa:

Bobby had been plotting and planning, but he had to wait until the right moment to enact those plans. November finally rolled around and he took some time to get everything ready. He just hoped that Veronica and Miranda would like this.

He was going to take just Veronica, but he didn't want to put any pressure on her or make it awkward for her so he decided to make it an outing with two of his favorite ladies in the entire world. This way it can be just the three of them out and about.

Bobby gathered the necessary items. A picnic basket filled with sandwiches, drinks and snacks. A thermos of hot chocolate and one filled with hot tea. A big thick blanket to sit on and an extra one just in case it got too chilly. When everything was ready and packed in Gwen's trunk, Bobby went looking for his two favorite ladies.

nextgen_holiday:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

nextgen_holiday:

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

i_asked_grandpa:

Bobby was bored. He was waiting for a few parts to come in to finish the work on Gwen so for now he had some free time. He was waiting on parts for Rachel as well. There was still enough time left until Father's Day before he had to think about getting Dad something. At least he didn't miss Mother's Day thanks to a last minute warning. But right now he didn't have anything to do.

A bored Bobby Barton was a bad thing.

He went roaming through the mansion to see who was around or what kind of trouble he could get into.