Under Lavender Skies

 Last week my family and I went on our annual camping trip and it was wonderful.  It rained lots and so we read but once the rain stopped it left behind an amazing foggy scene, and I got some really cool photos!  I haven't posted any photographs on here before but there's really no reason for that.   ✰✰✰

 Another Monday another post!  The seasons have changed and one of the best ways to get excited and ready for fall is to read books and listen to music and eat foods that remind you of the season in the best ways.   Rather than my favorite books about fall, I am going to be sharing the list of books that I want to read in the next month or two.  Most likely not all of these books will remind me of fall but for the most part these books are either spooky and mysterious or comforting and warm or just books I am wanting to read next.   No. 1: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyal I am already in the middle of this book and I am liking it so far.  If you are not familiar with it, this is a Sherlock Holmes story.  I believe that this book could fall under the genre of detective fiction, crime fiction, mystery, or even thriller and I think anything dark and spooky is a good book for October.   "Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson ...

Last week I wrote two poems so I decided I will share them with you today along with a couple of my favorite autumn themed poems!  Out of it we Make  We are all a part, A part of this corrupted world Filled with solitude and pain.   Yet, we are able to improve it, yes, with art And books, and beauty. My finger is curled, Tight, around what is left, as I examine the stain, The stain left by war and blood and I start to dart, I dart away then realize, yes, we may be hurled Into this ugly world with nothing worthy to gain  Yet still, out of it, we make art.  We, humans, create it Without even realizing, we create  We can not quit We understand our fate We won't still, won't sit Not until every color is laid, every syllable straight -a.f.m- (I don't have a title for this one yet, comment your suggestions below!) I can imagine how,  The world shivers and quakes From the billions of people set upon it now  But not, exactly, from their weight. ...

To continue the series of monthly historical stories today we will be talking about Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald's friendship.   Our story starts in the 1950s when artists were discriminated against and not allowed to perform in many night clubs regardless of how popular they were.  The Mocomboe was just that, a nightclub that allowed Frank Sinatra to debut but not Ella Fitzgerald because of her race and her size, they said she wasn't "glamorous" enough to perform there.  However that all changed because of Marilyn Monroe.   Before I continue, I must back up a bit.  Marilyn Monroe was instructed by her voice teacher to listen to Ella Fitzgerald record, she listened to it 100 times in a row and fell in love with her voice.  She immediately called the Mocomboe and said that if Ella Fitzgerald would sing at the nightclub she would be there in the front row every single night.   They agreed, having Monroe at the nightclub every night w...

 A week or so ago I had a conversation with a new friend who is Puerto Rican.  The conversation morphed, as they always do, and we started talking about the Spanish language.  She said: tú hablas español? and I said:  sí, un poco .  I have studied Spanish for 2 years and we began talking about languages and talking in Spanish too.  She said she has started learning several languages just by watching TV shows and listening to music in that language.   I think knowing two languages (or more) is one of the coolest things.  You are able to communicate and learn from and read books by so many more people.  One of the things my friend said is once you know more than one language you are at an advantage to most of the world who only know one.  And once you know two, it's easier to learn others.  There is so much more to learning a language than just knowing how to speak and write it.  It invites awareness of another person's cul...

Another Monday another post!  Today, however, is not just another post but another short story.  I haven't posted a short story in a while and I wrote this one earlier this summer.  I have been hesitant to post a historical fiction short story because I am nervous it won't be completely accurate.  I have decided to go for it, please enjoy the following story set in 1962.     Young Miss Donna Walker walked through the neighborhood, tears streaming down her face, as she played her parent's words over and over in her head from earlier that day.   ‘That's not how we do things here, Donna.’ her mother had said.  ‘It’s 1962 remember, you have to learn to be like other kids.  Just talk to your other friends, sweetie.  Don’t forget that the ones who don’t look like you don’t belong.’   Tears streamed down her face.  They wouldn’t stop.  Donna's black hair ended at her shoulders and was still messy sinc...

       Hello friends!  Thank you for joining me on another Monday.  If you are here the day I post this or if it is later thank you as well.  This is my 34th post in a row!  I have decided to start another once-a-month series as I think monthly series will help me to stay consistent with my posts and also help me not write each post at the last minute.  Today I will be talking about my favorite books from the historical fiction book genre.  My plan is to write about a different genre one week out of the month, if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments.  I love books and they are a common topic on my blog however I haven't read many books from every genre, for example, therefore I won't be talking about dystopian books any time soon because I haven't read many dystopian books.   Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, I love the way the author takes a time or event in history and crafts fictional char...