Game of Thrones Episode 3 Update

Arya Stark

OMG! What an epic episode!! The battle was so intense I couldn't re-watch it as I normally do! I needed a break to think about this life versus death battle.  One thought became evident,  "everyone has a role to play".

This is my update on the death predictions I made in my last blog entry.  I was about half wrong on who would die. I didn't think any of the main characters would be taken out, so focused on the secondary or supporting characters.

Grey Worm, Brienne, Gendry and Podrick survived!!! Sadly, Lyanna Mormont, Jorah Mormont, Edd, Beric and Theon did not.  At the point of Rhaegal's fall, I held my breath!  It was hard to tell if he was verifiably dead. Happy to see in the next episode preview,  he did survive!!!!

For some reason I thought Ghost was going to be sent to the crypts to protect the people hiding down there. So naturally, thinking the crypts were magically protected, (which I was wrong about too)  I skipped over him in my death predictions. My heart sank when I saw him go into battle with Jorah and the Dothraki and didn't see him among the surviving stragglers returning to Winterfell. Thankfully, Ghost did survive, having been seen in the preview of episode 4. Whew!!

Melisandre was a surprise death...first of all, she arrived late to the party.  Don't get me wrong, I was hoping she would be there to offer support, but with a contingent of R'hollar priests and priestesses. She was the only representative of the Lord of Light? Where are all the others? Perhaps they will show up sometime in the last few episodes? She did light the swords, the trenches and triggered Arya to make her epic move.  She literally turned to dust under Davo's watchful eyes, with the arrival of the dawn.

Theon's demise was an easy prediction. Anyone protecting Bran was going to die, that was a given. Theon returned home to make his redemption arc complete with fighting and dying for his betrayal of the Starks, especially Rob and Bran.  He died with his boots on.

Jorah died fighting for the woman he loved. Protecting her to the end, his death was predicted for a long time, nearly being killed back in Season 5.  He was a favorite character and I am sad to see him gone as he would have been a great advisor in the next battle.

The Night King is dead!! Taken down in a perfect assassin move by the stealthy moving Arya Stark! She was amazing!! Throw all those "Prince that was Promised, Azor Ahai prophecies" aside, Arya saved Winterfell!!  Spurred on by Melisandre with the following reminder:  "What do we say to the God of Death? NOT TODAY!!!!"

Game of Thrones Death Predictions

Episode 3 GOT

Today is the big battle between the living and the dead on Game of Thrones.  I am going to give my predictions on who I believe is not going to survive the Night King.  There is still another battle to win the Iron Throne. As you probably all know, I love the dragons and the direwolves in this show.  My heart broke every time a  direwolf was eliminated and when Viserion was killed.  This is not the way I envisioned their ending.  Of course, this is Game of Thrones and if you haven't been paying attention, there is no happy ending.

So with unhappy endings in mind, here are my death predictions for Episode 3:  Grey Worm, Gendry, Theon, Brienne, Edd, Lyanna Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, Podrick, and (I really hate this prediction) Rhaegal (seems logical since they will have Drogon to take Kings Landing). I believe everyone in the crypts will be saved, supposedly since they are magical...but I am mixing the book with the show again.  I figure if Bran is not in the crypts, the White Walkers/wights cannot enter...but maybe they can burrow down through the Weirwood tree where Bran is...we shall see!

At the end of the episode, I will be back to see if my predictions are correct. Actually, I am hoping I am wrong. 

Enjoy the show!! 

Delish

Delish

My worst fears were realized, the UTI that not one physician wanted to touch with antibiotics, backed up into my kidney, causing a nasty infection.  Happily, the pain is gone which means I don't have to return to the UC or ER.  I am still feeling exhausted (mostly from the antibiotics) which I was told would be expected.

Since I am lying here, sipping on an occasional glass of water, thought I would do some artwork.  Delish is another gorgeous tube by Verymany that I experimented on with filters and blends. This creation blossomed forth to literally jump off the canvas. 😎

Credits:
Tube: Delia by ©Verymany
Mask: Mask_Viv_0038 by Dragonfly

The Return of The Witch

The Return of the Witch
Paula Brackston

This book is a follow up to "The Witch's Daughter" and concludes Elizabeth and Tegan's traverses within the world of witchcraft. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and found it hard to put down. It was an easy read and I finished the book with excited anticipation of reading the sequel. So to be honest, you should read it first, before attempting to tackle the second book, to avoid being confused about what exactly is the relationship between the main characters, Elizabeth, Tegan and Gideon. It helps tremendously to set up the basis for the next chapter in their story arc. It will also highlight the difference between the two novels.

"The Return of the Witch" has too many plot conflicts on its own, which I found downright annoying.  Imagine the buildup of anticipation in resolving a conflict, only to suddenly create another, where the first conflict goes unresolved and into a deep fizzle. This made it hard to follow the storyline and reading becomes rather tedious. The kidnapping of Teagan by Gideon and movement through two time periods, seemingly to avoid confrontation with Elizabeth, gets terribly tiring. I found myself distracted and skipping pages. (If I have to skip pages, it means the author has made several repetitive passages). Unfortunately, there were no historial elements to enjoy concerning the location time period. Elizabeth and Erasmus just jump time and go back to searching for Teagan. (Yawns!) The author turned the main character of Elizabeth into a weak witch, with a sudden lack of confidence in her magical abilities...a far cry from the strong and amazing witch she was in "The Witch's Daughter".  Gideon was also changed from a forceful evil warlock, who's devilishness and cruelty stood out starkly in the first book.  Now he was downgraded to an annoying entity, who fears something (don't worry it's all explained in the last quarter of the book). I actually felt sorry for him. 😞

The story seemed to move slowly and was bogged down with additional new characters. The evil twin sisters were whiny, narcissistic and totally irrelevant. Gideon is supposed to be a powerful warlock who wouldn't need their assistance and ridiculous hair cuffs.  Erasmus, a Time Stepper, assisting with the unraveling of the kidnapping mystery, suddenly finds himself in love with Elizabeth (and I do mean suddenly). Unfortunately, this doesn't occur until the last quarter of the book, where the pace picks up speed to a thankful conclusion. On a side note, I also found the love affair very tepid and not romantic at all. Luckily, Elizabeth has more romantic encounters with the white mouse!

This really isn't a bad story and could have been more enjoyable with an editorial overview to kill the redundancy. I felt the author was hurrying the manuscript along, more to appease her fans by providing a  quick conclusion to "The Witch's Daughter".  I have always enjoyed Paula Brackston's books and will continue to pick them up to read.  She is an excellent writer...when she focuses on the storyline. One thing you will enjoy are the POV's by Teagan (an outstanding highlight which is refreshingly new; she should incorporate this idea in writing new novels).

I was just disappointed in this sequel. Sometimes a good story doesn't necessarily have to be continued with a thrown together hodgepodge of nonsensical ideas. It can stand on its own as "The Witch's Daughter" should have.  I am giving the book 3 stars, because I do like the story idea, not the way it was written. 

On the suggestion of a friend, I started reading "The Passage" by Justin Cronin.  Already the first 50 pages are extremely intriguing and I hated to put it down. However, my eyes won the battle and off to sleep I went, still holding the book in my hand. 😊

Cheers! 🍷

GOT Episode 3

I have been so wrapped up in reading/watching spoilers for the third episode of Game of Thrones that I couldn't resist posting the preview trailer.  It's short, but holds a lot of intense anticipation of the battle to come between the living and the dead.

I won't go into the spoilers, except to say that I do agree with several of the death predictions. I don't think very many of my favorite characters are going to survive. This saddens me, but I have the entire week to prepare myself emotionally for their demise.  If the spoilers are wrong, then I will cross fingers and hope they survive the second battle to come.

Come on George RR Martin, finish the books so I can compare notes!

Sweet dreams everyone! 😴

Happy Easter!

Happy  Easter!

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter! 

Credits:

Tube:  1-3 Pop Tart SpringPG by ©Barbara Jensen

Scrap Kit: "Fae" by Hania's Design

Mask:  RR_MaskSet_2_2 by Rachel's Designs

Changeling

Changeling

Thought I'd get a little spook going...this was fun to create! Makes me miss Halloween and its only April! We have six months to go before this holiday, which is one of my favorites, returns. 

I had my ultrasound done yesterday, which went pretty well considering I had a bladder that was ready to burst! I think my bladder is the size of a camel...sure does hold a lot of water! LMAO!  Anyway, I had pre-registered so check in went quick. I will not find out the results until I see the doctor of course, which is middle of May when she will do a cystoscopy. Ugh! 

I plan on getting my hair colored and was thinking about highlights.  I loved it when I had blonde highlights back when I was in my 40's, but not sure how that will mix with all this gray...hmmmm.  I might have to just forego the blonde...oh well! I'll go over it with my hairdresser (so nice to have another hairdresser that I enjoy visiting and can talk to easily). 

Almost time for wine! Cheers! 🍷

Credits:
Tube: Sugar_Skull_2 by ©Verymany
Scrap Kit: "Magic of ChiChi" by Gothic Inspirations
Mask: Mask_0002_DFly by Dragonfly

Paris Pink

Paris Pink

Gorgeous tube by Verymany with rich color variants of pink and mauve, with shades of purple! The scrap kit was  used in a  tutorial by Dragonfly, which I followed to assist in creating the background. The colors in this kit complimented the tube perfectly.

It's been a very busy time for me lately.  I finally managed to see a specialist, who scheduled me for an ultrasound of my kidneys and a cystoscopy. Hopefully there is nothing serious to worry about, but I want this issue resolved as soon as possible, even if it means taking low dose antibiotics for the rest of my life.

Did everyone enjoy the season premier of Game of Thrones?  I did!!! I spent most of Sunday rewatching the entire Season 7! Now I am so excited for the second episode next Sunday. This waiting for each episode to appear drives me insane! LOL! I believe GOT is enjoyed much more in a bingeing atmosphere, one episode after the other!

Anyway, I won't spoil the show for those who haven't seen it. Just know that the episode was well worth the long 2 year wait! Never fear, just like in the past, I will be doing posts about GOT soon.  Dracarys!!!

Credits:
Tube: Steampunk_21 by ©Verymany
Scrap Kit: "Caren" by Kizzed by Kelz
Mask: Mask_Viv_57 by Dragonfly
Tutorial: Be My Love in Paris by Dragonfly

Bellissima

Bellissima

"Bellissima" it's the superlative of "bella", a feminine adjective that means "beautiful". 

An absolutely gorgeous tube by Verymany! I enjoyed enhancing the tube using warmer tones and placing the whole head shot on a canvas that heightens the overall beauty of the tube.  I am very pleased with the way my creation turned out. ❤

I have been bingeing on Game of Thrones, Seasons 1-7 and of course, reading and watching all the wild and wonderful conspiracy theories on YouTube and the various forums I belong to! All of this reading/watching is getting me more excited/saddened about the last season.  All is not lost however, since I know this story will not truly end until George R.R. Martin finally finishes the book series. And, according to George, he may be changing up the story so it will differ from the show ending.  Also, the latest news from HBO is there will be prequels about this fantasy world to enjoy in the coming years! 

Credits:

Tube: Fairy_5 by ©verymany

Mask: Miz_Mask_245 by Mizteeques

Sweet as Spring

Sweet as Spring

Gorgeous sexy tube by Alex Prihodko! Just love this pose!!!  This tube happens to be one of his older creations and I couldn't resist purchasing. (Alex Prihodko is one of my favorite artists!) This particular tag looked better as a print, which I do love creating, along with my own colorful frame. One thing about prints...they are easy to download and make into a framed picture! 

I have been experiencing quite a bit of back pain, dizziness, limb tingling/tremors and nausea lately. At first I thought it was my arthritis because I have been doing quite a bit of heavy cleaning and lifting (spring cleaning and gardening). Now I am not so sure it's only my arthritis, since it feels colicky, reminiscent of passing a stone. My fear is the UTI, that went without treatment because I didn't exhibit the usual symptoms(!!), may have backed into my right kidney.  My appointment is this Thursday with the nephrologist, so I am sparingly using my vicodin to control the pain, which has eased most of the other problems. I say sparingly because my PCP is very stingy with giving out  prescriptions for painkillers because of all the current controversy about opioid addiction. I do understand her reluctance as doctors are under intense scrutiny in this state. However, she is aware that I don't ever come to see her with a painkiller request at every six month visit.  The last time I asked for a renewal was 2 years ago. I tend to use my pills only when the pain is so bad, Aleve or Tylenol don't work. Unfortunately, this past week it has been beyond the over-the-counter help. Seriously, I think people who have chronic pain conditions are getting the short end of the stick here.  I deeply resent being made to feel like a drug addict...😞

Checking the clock...it's time for a glass of wine and contemplate dinner, with a return to watching Game of Thrones. I see that HBO is going to repeat all seven seasons this week in anticipation of the final one! I will of course, be watching...again and again! 😎❤🍷

Credits:

Tube: "Sweet Dreams" by ©Alex Prihodko

Scrap Kit: "Vintage Fashion" by Kizzed by Kelz

Mask: Mask-Frame-44 by Kapona

Of Blood and Bone

I just finished reading the second book of Nora Roberts Chronicles of the One, Of Blood and Bone. I loved the first book of this series, "Year One",  let's face it, I literally devoured it. The second book was a disappointment. 😞

I just didn't enjoy this book.  I guess my expectations were too high as the story just didn't work for me at all. First of all, I had such a hard time getting back into this story.  I missed the paranormal activity, the scariness of the doom in the first book; missed the characters that I cared about. Actually, this book didn't even feel like it was part of the series. There was no action...just all that training, (260 pages devoted to training, quests that involved wandering around in forests and fairy hills, only to KNOW ALL ALONG where the prizes were). I found myself yawning and falling asleep. I just kept waiting for something...anything...to happen!! Geez, the last section of the book felt like it was written by someone else.  Fallon seemed to be a  different person from the first half of the book (what happened to her confidence???)...and the pace increased as well...we get a short battle with the evil uncanny's! (Rolls my eyes).  The last few chapters also give us a faint spark of a potential romance between Duncan and Fallon.  Unfortunately, the whole romantic scene seems very unappealing as Duncan literally grabs Fallon into a series of forced kisses, telling her "You didn't say no." and "I need this." Ummm...I have written better sensual scenes. Sighs...I really missed all the adult relationships developed in the first book. On a lighter note, this has my seal of approval for a young adult novel. 😑

Of course, this is not the end of Fallon's story. It continues with the third book, which I will pick up when it comes out later this year. Hopefully, (crosses fingers) it will be more like the first one.

I am sipping wine and going through Amazon for some new reading.  Hopefully, I will find a fantasy series that will keep me engrossed for the summer. 

Ohh, I almost forgot, silly me...I will be hanging on to my seat, chugging down wine and popcorn with the final season of Game of Thrones!! I can't wait!!! 😎

Steampunk Sassy

Steampunk Sassy

Just love this tutorial I followed by Dragonfly.  The background and small picture were a challenge and I enjoyed adding a bit of flair of my own.

I am getting all excited about the final season of Game of Thrones.  I have been an avid fan of the show and have read all the books, re-reading them again as well.  I haven't enjoyed a series as much as this one. Ok, I did love "The Soprano's" and am looking forward to it's revival. While I did enjoy "The Soprano's" I wasn't as emotionally involved with the characters as much as I am with Game of Thrones.  I will miss the beautiful Dany and I absolutely love the dragons!!  I will miss Drogon the most...ah well...life does go on after your favorite show embeds itself in television history. 🐉

Credits:
Tube: "Steampunk_2" by ©Verymany
Scrap Kit: "Audrey" by Tiny Turtle Designs
Mask:  Mask 242 by Mizteeques
Tutorial: Audrey by Dragonfly