Peter Pan, a Crock?

I had to share this...

Who says things in the Neverland are complete figmentation?

Andrea Jones, author of Hook & Jill, posted this on Facebook.  I love her comment.  (In fact, I'm the one who hit "Like" as seen on the screen capture!)

It's a photo in an album by someone named Bobby Flaherty...



Click for Larger Photo



Certainly brings Barrie to mind... and who else would make sure to note it than Andrea?

Lil' Neverland

Back in January, I posted about a new friend I met online who lives in Kirriemuir, Barrie's birthplace.

As I am "friends" on Facebook with her, I saw these pictures she posted this past week.  She gave me permission to re-post them here.  It's a playground right beside the cemetery where you'll find the final resting place of Barrie (pictures of which are here, as granted by someone else.) 

It's nice to think there's a place for the kids (and kids at heart) to run around in with a theme of the Neverland to help spark their imaginations.  I bet Barrie would have approved.

Enjoy!  You can click on them to make them larger!

Thanks very much, "Mrs. Kirriemuir"!
*P.S. - Is Hook's iron claw on the wrong hand or am I just not viewing it correctly?  'Tis a pity if 'tis.

The Candy Pan

Imagine if Peter Pan 'discovered' candy.

We don't know, of course, if he already has or not... since Barrie makes no mention of it.  But it's fun to think about.  Me?  I can just imagine Peter shoveling it in once found it.

We do know that it's likely that he knows of sugar itself, as per the large rich cake of a jolly thickness with green sugar on it - but also recall that Wendy wouldn't let the boys eat it!

What made me think of this?

The touring show of Peter Pan from Kensington Gadens (the one with the amazing 360° projection system that began in London right in the park which I travelled all the way to England to see) posted on Facebook regarding their Candy Shop, boasting over 75 different treats and sweets.  Yummy!

The proverbial "kid in a candy story" as applies to Pan is a delicious thought indeed.  Especially if there's no 'mother' around to advise him not to partake too much lest he get a tummy ache!

Also, it brings to mind a fun crossover.   Let's say Pan loves candy so much... that he seeks out the BEST in the world... none other than Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.  Now THAT pairing I'd like to see.  Just for fun, mind you.  I haven't thought it entirely through, but the logistics of it being actually feasible are probably way off... maybe not.  But imagine Wonka interacting with Peter Pan.  Would they get along?  A sweet treat of pretending for the moment, though, eh?  Brings new meaning to Yes, I'm sweet, oh, I am sweet!  

And that's your "silly but fun thing" for today.

Other 'pairings'
The New Novel (note the date of the post)
Get "Cross" with Me...
Pan vs. Poppins?
Pan vs. Pippi!

Crocodile Rock---er RING!

I know I said I'd be away, but the truth is I'm scheduling this in advance.  I didn't want to forget to re-post this one!  A friend of mine put this up on Facebook.  And there's NO way I couldn't post it, too.

Here's ONE way to bring Peter Pan into the 21st Century!   (Goodness, even I haven't done that!)

It seems a crocodile swallowed a cell phone and it can be heard rining inside of it!

Here's the article.

Olden Days Fan Art

Ever get lost in the mysterious masterwork of da Vinci? Beguiled by the smile of Mona Lisa? Pondered the fact that there’s slightly non-contiguous barren-like landscapes on either side of her?

It seems you need not ponder any longer. Besides the previous realization some years back that da Vinci likely used himself as a model for creating the alluring woman, another aspect of the strange (and wonderful) painting has come to light - the rationale of the landscapes paired with a beautiful lady.

One might call the Mona Lisa a bit of Fan Art, actually! Dr. Ross Kilpatrick (Queen's University Classics professor emeritus) has figured out that this painting is a kind of homage to the poems of both Roman poet Horace and Florentine poet Petrarch. da Vinci is believed to have read each... and both deal with a lovely smiling lady and a devotion to follow her across the world - including the barren places.

Thus, it’s a kind of “interpretation” or transference of medium of the poetry.

Pretty neat!

You can read the full article here.

This came to my attention via a friend I’ve made via the connections of Facebook. So, thank you, Gloria Beanblossom! Gloria is the author of The Tamarisk Tree, Byron's Corner and the upcoming The Wishing Stone. Give her site a visit to find out more about her or her works.  Thanks again, Gloria!

A Special New Friend

The Peter Pan Statue in Kirriemuir

What a great way to start off the new year...

I received a Friend Request on Facebook from someone I don’t know (nor do any of my established friends on the site.)  I inquired about the request, explaining that I appreciate the interest but I am not in the habit of accepting unknown people at this time.  Had she been a fan... or...?

Turns out it’s a wonderful answer. She found me via her love for Barrie - which comes naturally to her since she is from (and still lives in) Kirriemuir, Scotland, the birthplace of James Matthew himself!

How could I not accept? Anyone from his hometown who wants to read my book is definitely someone whom I’d like to count among my friends. So I’m sending her an autographed copy of Peter Pan’s NeverWorld.

I do hope to be able to make the trip one day and enter his childhood home as well... you might recall I had been graced with being allowed inside his home near Kensington Gardens.

And “Ms. Kirriemuir,” - if you’re reading this... thanks so much for finding me!

Make Sure to Catch Wind of THIS...

Perhaps you recall me griping about the NEW new remake of The Amityville Horror. In that post, I do say that perhaps someone is gung-ho about getting the story "right" on the screen. But I have what I believe to be a better idea.

I watch quite a bit of the "haunting" shows on TV. It seems like there's always one playing, across two or three networks. I have stopped watching the "Ghost Hunter" type. I quickly learned they're really just a bunch of people giving themselves the willies. There had been one moment that really creeped me out. But I think it reached its peak for me then, and I have not watched one since. (From boredom, not fright.) So anyway, I find myself drawn to shows that are "documentaries" of supposedly real cases of people being traumatized by "the other side" in their homes. Sometimes they're hilarious (such as the people who had NO idea how a Shadow Demon could have entered their home - only to find out from a brother that they'd used a ouija board to summon a Shadow Demon not too long ago - but they have NO idea how it got in or tormented them!) and sometimes they're a little creepy. No, I'm not frightened by them. Intrigued and mildly weirded out on occasion. A particularily fun one is Celebrity Ghost Stories.

So, bearing in mind that I have seen a LOT of these shows, there is one that I felt had some great twists to it as well as an interesting backstory/history of the haunted house. I also, therefore, have seen a great many depictions of spirts. And I have to say the one in here gave me the undeniable creeps. Horribly so. Oh, sure, from the right "angle" it's laughable. But you know how things can be both stupid and upsetting. I have to say... if I had the particular experience of the people in that program, I wouldn't be the same for weeks, or for never after.

I'm talking about The Summerwind Mansion. How many other haunted house stories do you know where it's entirely plausible that after escaping the horrors of the house the residents have to go back inside years later? In this 'true story,' the father of the woman who lived there doesn't believe in the paranormal and buys the house himself to "fix it up." Her brother, too, is a non-believer. Sure enough, the dad soon comes to wonder (and the brother is scared out of his wits.) Obsessed with knowing "what the hell?!" they use hypnosis (though not originally for the purpose of uncovering information about the house) and wind up with a mild possession (of the ghost from Summerwind) and information about what he's looking for - thus the need to return to the inner depths of terror.

I'm probably not "selling" it right, but believe me when I say this one is truly unique. After a while these types of stories can all run together. But not this one. It stands alone as not just a cool variation on themes but also having the power to seriously have freaked me out.

So... anybody from Hollywood who is looking for the next great ghost story... look no further than Summerwind Mansion. (Now burned to the ground after being stuck by lighting despite the tall trees surrounding it!)

LO and behold... after looking for links to the TV show I watched so that you can experience it for yourself if you wish... I found out there is in fact someone writing a screenplay. They are on Facebook (along with a "fan page" of it.) Best of luck to Lee of Dark Latitude Pictures.

Unfortunately I did not find the entire Discovery Channel show, either legally or illegally posted online. It's probably being repeated, though. The show is called A Haunting and if you're into being scared by ghosts, I strongly recommend trying to catch this one. It's well above par.

By the way, besides my genuine lifelong interest in this subject matter, I am also collecting ideas and stories for a ghost story that I will one day write, which is the one I've been talking about lately.

Summerwind Mansion Official Website

Summerwind Mansion Facebook "Fan" Page

Dark Latitude Pictures Facebook Page

another FACEt of the BOOK

Just a quick note to let you know that if you're on Facebook
and a fan of Peter Pan's NeverWorld, you can find its official page here.