tutto e niente – Page 65 – Tina Stewart Brakebill

secrets

October 24, 2019January 28, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

hidden in the flames

our secrets sizzle and snap

reduced to ashes

balefire

Thanks to Sue and her #writephoto challenge.

History, Random Rants, Travel, tutto e niente

Lightner Museum in St. Augustine: Through the Looking Glass and into a Wonderland?

October 22, 2019January 28, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

Looking to escape the worst of a summer that will not end, we decided to head north; hoping that four hours of drive time would translate into at least twice that much in degree difference. Spoiler alert: It didn’t! Hit with a short-span heat wave that coincided directly with our trip, it was sweltering. Ugh.

It also was a holiday Monday and I had mixed feelings about being in St. Augustine on that day. What holiday, you ask? The one that Florida denotes as “Columbus Day” but that I (and many like-minded souls) honor as Indigenous People Day.

The day wasn’t chosen deliberately. Our hotel was unavailable on the day we wanted so we had to push the trip back a day. (Or should that be “push the trip up a day”? I always confuse those two.)

fullsizeoutput_794 — NOT our hotel but oh to have danced back in the day!

Anyway, we left a day later than planned and there we were—landing in St. Augustine on “Columbus Day” surrounded by families with lots of kids “celebrating” the triumph of Columbus’ legacy. For those who may not know, St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement within the borders of the continental United States. (Which is a really benign way to say that the Spanish came, killed, enslaved, and stole from the indigenous peoples with a passion that Columbus, no doubt, would have found inspiring.)

tumblr_oxkls8ikcw1qj4315o1_500

Plus, apparently autumn is NEVER coming to Florida. Did I mention it was HOT!

So long story short(ish), as non-kid-having trying-to-be-culturally-woke folk, we felt a bit out of our element. BUT, we do love museums and (ironically) the ostentatiousness of the Gilded Age, so the Lightner Museum saved the day!

Housed in the former Alcazar Hotel (built in 1888 by super rich guy named Henry Flagler), the museum is home of one of the premier collections of fine and decorative art in the country. Seriously, Lightner collected everything! Between the hotel itself and the collections on display, it really was like stepping through the Looking Glass into a different world.

fullsizeoutput_79e — Through the Looking Glass …

fullsizeoutput_797 — “I don’t think — ” “Then you shouldn’t talk.”

fullsizeoutput_7ab — “Off with their heads!”

fullsizeoutput_7a6 — In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die: Ever drifting down the stream — Lingering in the golden gleam — Life, what is it but a dream?

fullsizeoutput_799 — How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower!

fullsizeoutput_798 — “Curiouser and curiouser!”

fullsizeoutput_79b — “We’re all mad here.”

fullsizeoutput_793 — “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”

fullsizeoutput_7ad — **“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” (Yes. I was hungry and yes I was thinking about EGGS!)**

fullsizeoutput_795 — “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

fullsizeoutput_792 — Thus grew the tale of Wonderland: Thus slowly, one by one, Its quaint events were hammered out — And now our tale is done And home we steer, a merry crew, Beneath the setting sun.

Thanks and credit to Lewis Carroll for taking us to a Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. And thanks to Wander Essence for the inspiration and the reminder that I like to write about my travels!

Looking at our photos (all made by myself or my husband) and thinking about Cathy’s travel writing suggestions led me to Alice. Thus the Carroll quotes as captions. Hope y’all enjoy!

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

when dreams were purple

October 21, 2019January 28, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

smoke on the water

riffing on a new guitar

teenage fantasy

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This prompt immediately brought me back to middle school when every aspiring teenage rock band played this song. Aaah the memories of being at dances in my seventh grade gym listening to a group of eight-grade boys rock this tune.

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Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

Thanks for the memories Ronovan Writes!

Travel, tutto e niente

Ljubljana Street Love

October 21, 2019January 28, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

Several years ago, I visited Slovenia and fell in love. Not with a person. (I was with my husband and we were—and still are—in love.) No. I fell in love with the place. Everything about Slovenia is beautiful and magical, from the Skocjanske caves and the many lakes to Ljubljana’s Dragon Bridge, beautiful buildings, and the wonderful street art. The decision to embrace the energy of accessible creative expression means that no matter where you are in Ljubljana, there is something fabulous just up ahead. Plus, you can always find a cold Lasko when you need a break.

EXCEPT FOR THE CAVES, ALL PHOTOS WERE MADE BY MYSELF OR MY HUSBAND.

11351221_961394727225178_642662828636650734_n — THE CAVES WERE MAGNIFICENT. NO PHOTO CAN DO THEM JUSTICE. (STOCK PHOTO)

18601_971883679509178_5903935001152992040_n — DRAGON BRIDGE MEANS WE’RE HERE!

11150717_960950433936274_7737441146596905443_n — BEAUTIFUL OLD TOWN LJUBLJANA

11220485_960950453936272_5811215209900368854_n — PINK!

11067504_960949893936328_6510482680448053321_n — MY HEART CAPTURED

11012360_960950473936270_2279300098020515093_n — OLD TOWN FISH HEADS

11329969_962116570486327_760018419011601922_n — FAVORITES IN THE RAIN

11351322_963234480374536_2646678247982307171_n — DOOR TO ADD TO MY DOOR OBSESSION

11350501_963234553707862_6644162949064023502_n — ANOTHER DOOR BUT HIS ONE HAS A SPECIAL PURPOSE

11265133_961394837225167_7199343899302822834_n — HAPPY?

11233770_963234727041178_219012408870906324_n — ME REACTING TO TRUMP’S LATEST

22129_963235473707770_4092373019678732552_n — BIG HEAD OR AT LEAST BIG FACE 😉

11165247_971883752842504_5617363909090753922_n — LOVE THIS!!!

11224686_963235443707773_989042566396175511_n — CAMERA STORE

11143647_963234780374506_153872721914029655_n — EVEN THE BIKES ARE COOL

11351250_973472419350304_5054961214247935525_n — CHOCOLATE AND PIVO

11260715_971883699509176_4556000883513584107_n — MMMMMM

1508213_963234530374531_1635803574949267876_n — ME AFTER A LATE NIGHT OF LASKO?

Thanks to What Pegman Saw and Wander Essence for their Photo Challenges. I love a reason to reminisce about one of my favorite places.

Plus a shout out to Fandango’s FOWC for reminding me to keep looking ahead!

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

in the stillness

October 11, 2019January 28, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

in the stillness, light

pushing against the darkness

a promise laid bare

sunrise under cloudy sky illustration

Thanks to Sue and her #writephoto challenge and photo.

I’ve been struggling with … a lot these past few weeks. And as I try to dig myself out of my funk, writing this reminded me that I’ll be OK. The light will return if I let it in. (I hope.)