A telling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Rose Elf" (Part I)

Here's Part I of my telling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Rose Elf. You can listen and watch, or just listen. Keep in mind that these are just practices for my own peace of mind to help me smooth out the process of storytelling and my research into fairy-tales... that being said, more to come, including Part II. I'm hoping that these videos will continue to improve as I continue! 

- F

Thoughts on Upcoming Fairy-Tales Presentation (May 2020) - includes a reading of Hans Christian Andersen's The Rose-Elf"

Getting ready for my presentation this upcoming May... wanted to share my thoughts on it. This video includes a reading of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Rose-Elf" which I found at HathiTrust

Picture from the text:

- F

P.S. Here's a picture of me from earlier in the day at work (now yesterday), when I was way less tired... :)

I am the Dark Man's Sooty Brother and my King as well."

I am being given permission, by an author who knows damn well that he's right in what he's talking about in his deconstruction and analysis of a fabulous fairy-tale, to symbolically do what I've been wanting to do for ages:

"One has to be active. Boil them."

"...notice who places shame on you - that's one way of boiling."



Both passages from "More Than True: The Wisdom Of Fairy-Tales". I loved reading this book. Review to come, which will be posted on my other blog: www.feliciareviewsbooks.blogspot.com

- F

Our Honeymoon: England, May 2019

Although Dan and I will be getting married in September of this year (2018), we won't be going on our actual honeymoon until May of 2019. About a year or so ago, we chose England as our destination. Though some may not understand why we didn't choose someplace else, like somewhere more tropical to celebrate our nuptials, we find that England is the perfect "getaway". It is as much romantic, magical, and fun as it is full of culture and history. And, it is the perfect place to pay homage to our mother tongue. We've already begun planning our two week stay. We hope to find a cozy hotel in London and then rent a car. For the first week, we'll explore a different castle in the country each day. The second week we will go horseback riding, try falconry, and check out museums, bookstores, and libraries (...and bars). Some focal points: Stonehenge, The White Cliffs of Dover, Oxford, Tintagel Castle, and Arundel Castle & Gardens. So many of the things we both love have their foundations in British culture - I'm so very excited and I'm absolutely positive it will be nothing short of amazing.

I plan on writing as much as my body, physical and mentally, will let me. I plan on taking photographs with an actual camera, rather than my iPhone. I'll share edited versions here on my blog. Our tentative itinerary will look something like this:

Tentative Itinerary for F&D Honeymoon 

May 2019: ENGLAND

Day 1: 

• Arundel Castle & Gardens in the county of West Sussex, England

• Ancient Yew Forest Of Kingley Vale in West Sussex

• Ashdown Forest in East Sussex - The forest "The Hundred Acre Wood" from Winnie the Pooh is based off of. 

Day 2:

• Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland

Day 3: 

• Explore Oxford, England

Day 4: 

• Dover Castle

• White Cliffs of Dover

Day 5: 

• Windsor Castle

Day 6:

• St. Michael's Mount

Day 7:

• Tintagel Castle: place of King Arthur's birth and Merlin's Cave

Day 8: 

• Explore London. Maybe the British Museum? Abbey Road? Westminster Abbey? Big Ben? the Tower of London? Buckingham Palace? Hang out! Relax.

Day 9: 

• Stonehenge

Day 10:

• Try Falconry!

Day 11:

• Horseback riding (yes, it will be exactly like Cinderella)

Day 12:

• Devon, England

Day 13:

• Mayfield Lavender Farm

Day 14: 

• London, England ------> Chicago, Illinois

- F