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Title: Gullah Ghosts, Stories and Folktales

Author: Lynn Michelsohn

Published by: Cleanan Press, Inc.

My thoughts about Gullah Ghosts

Filled with colorful characters, vivid descriptions, and rich in the history of South Carolina, Gullah Ghosts was a pleasure to read.

You will be haunted by drolls, the spirits of children that died unnatural deaths. You will be entertained by a tale of thievery, touched and uplifted by the telling of overcoming adversity and learn about the first recording device and the trials of gathering the folk songs and stories to be recorded.

Lynn Michelsohn’s writing is rich in detail, giving you the sense of having been there as she takes you into the 19th Century during the times of the civil war and the depression.

I could tell you so much more, but that would spoil it for you.

I plan to purchase her longer work, Tales From Brookgreen, and delve deeper into the culture and history of South Carolina.

I give this book 5 stars and my highest recommendation.

Mid-afternoon on March 10, 2012. Well, it happened again. No internet service. So, while looking through my DVDs I discovered one that I bought many months ago. It was in a bin marked $3.00 – $5.oo eacg. You had to dig in because they were all just piled in this big bin. I reached down deep and pulled one out. it was a set of four vampire films that I had never heard of before. I wanted to jump up and down with glee. I took it home and promptly forgot about it. Upon rediscovery, I thought this would be the perfect time to view it. So, here are my thoughts about these films.

Vampire Wars: Battle For The Universe

This movie takes place in the year 2210. During travels in space, we discover that there is life out there, or rather un-life. Outer space is filled with all kinds of vampires! A crew answers an SOS call, humans are being attacked by vampires. it is the crews job to rescue them.

Though the special effects are B-movie standard fare, the story is engaging and the acting is quite good.

Starring: Michael Ironside, Joe landa and Natissia Malthe

99 mins/Rated R/ Grisly Violence and Gore

Nadja

This one was a hidden gem with a dark noir presentation, filmed in black and white.

It takes place in present-day Manhattan. A husband and wife get caught up in the struggles between twin brother and sister vampires.

An erotic thriller, very well written scaenes and great acting.

Starring: Peter Fonda, Martin Donovan and Elina Lowensohn

92 min/Rated R/ Some scenes of bizarre vampire sexuality and gore

The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire

Monks are being found dead, puncture wounds in their necks. Set in Whitechapel, London, you feel a hint of Jack the Ripper in the staging of scenes.

What was most intriguing about the story was that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were called in to solve the bizarre murders.

Starring: Matt Frewer and Kenneth Welsh

88 min/ Not rated – violence

Shadow Zone: The Undead Express

Welcome to the Shadow Zone – The only requirement to enter is a touch of evil.

14 year old Zach Kincaid just can’t stop himself from lying. Nothing major, harmless little ones and much embellishing of the truth. When he tells his friends he got lost on the subway and wound up on a train full of vampires, they naturally didn’t believe him. Kind of like :The Boy Who Cried Wolf”.

Valentine, the leader of the vampires, befriends Zach.  He says that Zach can trust him. But should he? After all, hadn’t Valentine also told him to never trust anyone?

Starring: Chauncey Leopardi, Wes Craven and Ron Silver as Valentine

97 min/ Rated PG-13/ Some horror and violence.

A great afternoon and evening with my B-movie Vamps. So glad I found this and I spent many happy hours  being thrilled and scared.

This article was sent to me by a good friend and fellow dog lover. I wanted to share it with you.

Dogs Don’t Have Souls, Do They?

Written by: Charles B. Wells,Jr. from an Ann Landers Column.

I remember bringing you home. You were so small and cuddly with your tiny paws and soft fur. You bounced around the room with eyes flashing and ears flapping. Once in a while, you’d let out a little yelp just to let me know this was your territory.

Making a mess of the house and chewing on everything in sight became a passion and when I scolded you, you just put your head down and looked up at me with those innocent eyes as if to say,”I’m sorry, but I’ll do it again as soon as you’re not watching.”

As you got older, you protected me by looking out the window and barking at everyone who walked by. When I had a tough day at work, you would be waiting for me with your tail wagging just to say,  “Welcome home. I missed you.” You never had a bad day and I could always count on you to be there for me.

When I sat down to read the paper or watch TV, you would hop on my lap looking for attention. You never asked for anything more than to have me pat your haed so you could sleep  with your head over my leg.

As you got older, you moved around more slowly. Then one day, old age finally took its toll, and you couldn’t stand on those wobbly legs anymore. I knelt down and  patted you lying there, trying to make you young again. You just looked up at me as if to say you were old and tired and that after all these years of not asking for anything, you had to ask me to do one last favor.

With tears in my eyes, I drove you one last time to the vet. One last time you were lying next to me. For some strange reason you were able to stand up in the animal hospital – perhaps it was your sense of pride.

As the vet led you away, you stopped for an instant, turned your head and looked at me as if to say, “Thank you for taking care of me.”

I thought, “No – Thank YOU for taking care of ME.”

While posting this my eyes filled with tears, but I was also smiling. Look into your dog’s eyes and you can clearly see his soul. It is right there for you to see and it is wondrous.

I was given this book by my Read It & Reap for review on Goodreads.

Sometimes I like to start a new book without knowing what it is about. After I finished the last page there is one thing I do know, I will be looking for future books by Shewanda Pugh.

This story has a great plot line, with sub-plots that support the main one. Each character had their own place and were important in the progression of the story. i felt a genuine connection with the main characters and each of the secondary ones played a crucial role.

With well written descriptive scenes, the authors words painted powerful pictures. The dialogue was good and flowed nicely.

Deena, being half black and half white, is trying to find out where her place is in her family while juggling a new relationship and a huge project at work. Takumi, a Japanese American, grapples with the knowledge that his love for Deena is forbidden by his father and if discovered could destroy them both.

Having read this book in one sitting, I was captivated by all of the characters. Shewanda Pugh is a talented writer and I strongly recommend that you read this book. I will be on the lookout for more.

Title: Crimson Footsteps

Author: Shewanda Pugh

Received by: Goodreads group Read It & Reap

I’ll lend to you for a while a child of mine, “He said.

For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he’s dead.

It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three,

But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?

He’ll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief,

You’ll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.

I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,

But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.

I’ve looked the wode world over in my search for teachers true

and from the throngs that crowd life’s lanes I have chosen you.

Now will you give him all your love, not think the labor vain,

nor hate me when I come to call to take him back again?

I fancied that I heard them say, “Dear Lord, Thy will be done!

For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we run.

We’ll shelter him with tenderness, we’ll love him while we may,

and for the happiness we’ve known, forever grateful stay.

But should the angels call for him much sooner than we’ve planned,

We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.

This poem is titled  To All Parents and was written by Edgar Guest

    This is the story of my two best friends. They are different from you and me, being four-legged and furry. Meet Lassie and Quigley, my two dogs.

     Lassie is a white greyhound/retriever mix and Quigley is a black pitbull/hound mix. Hence the title the Ghost and the Darkness. At night you can see Lassie far out in the yard, but you can’t see Quigley until he suddenly appears in front of you.

     You would think being the female that Lassie would be a lady, but not so. She eats like it is her last meal and when she drinks, she leaves a trail of water behind her. Quigley, on the other hand, is a dainty eater, eating every crumb and gently laps his water.

     They are the best of friends but very different. Lassie is super hyper and the boss, while Quigley is very gentle and follows her lead.  Quigley waits patiently while she eats, accepting the mouthfuls she brings to him. He only goes to his bowl after she lays down.

     Unfortunately Lassie became ill with a fungus that hunting breeds get. The vet informed me that it was incurable and I made the decision to end her suffering. The sorrow hit me so hard I could not catch my breath. Poor Quigley would not eat after she was gone. I finally got him to eat by bringing him handfuls of food like Lassie used to do. He has gradually adjusted to her absence as have I.  But some days I think I hear her sneaking up on the sofa or getting  one of her toys out of her basket.

     Some people can not understand the loss of a pet, that they are more than an animal.  Lassie’s death was difficult not only for me and Quigley, but for my son also.  She was a part of our family and her absence  is still noticable.

     Sometimes I think I feel her presence and I smile,  remembering fondly  The Ghost and the Darkness.

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Thanks Ya’ll!