My isabella_giz Secret Santa entry/pressie.

Title: Something Must Break
Author: mai_shiranui
Secret Santa for: hulamoth
Request: You asked for three things...you're getting young Isabella
Notes: I apologize for any possible crapness! I was working on an Isabella/Marian fic for you first before deciding that it was horrible and I started working on this not too long ago. Any spelling mistakes and bad sentencing are all mine. I'd have liked to have had someone beta this, but hell, maybe you can beta it yourself ^_^

( You're a Gisborne. Make me proud. Make our parents proud )

Big shoes to fill



Her hair, worn in short, soft curls, was a premature snowy white and had been for the decade I'd known her. She had sparkling blue eyes always carefully accented with liner and black mascara, and her lips were often cherry red or jungle pink.

She was not a shy and retiring soul, my friend Mary; her southern drawl carried through a crowd and she always made the events she attended just a little more fun for everyone.

She was the president of the Hank Williams International Fan Club and as the mayor told me, “Mary lived and breathed Hank Williams.”

And Mary was a live wire.
“Shoot, I figure if I'm going somewhere, I decide I'm gonna have a good time in advance. Life is what you make of it,” she once told me.

I'd planned to see her Wednesday when she was holding an open house at the Senior Nutrition Center she managed down in Georgiana. “We want to get more folks involved, Angie, so we're gonna offer them some holiday cheer.”

I'd worked with Mary covering the annual Hank Festival, their open houses at the club house, special concerts at her senior center; just a couple of weeks ago I took photos of her dressed as Mrs. Claus, laughing and tossing stuffed animals out to the kids along two parade routes.

She called me “an angel;” I called her a community pillar much like the Energizer Bunny – she just kept going, and going and going.

This morning, Mary Wallace's exuberance was stilled. It was so tragic; a loaded gun in or behind a dresser, furniture being moved to do some pre-Christmas cleaning, a little too much pressure applied. The gun fired. Mary died.

I still can't quite believe it. Only a few months ago her beloved grandson died in a car accident. Less than two years ago, she lost her husband.

She had been through some very difficult times.
I'd seen the tears fill those lovely blue eyes as we talked together. But she never gave up.

She was more than just a story contact. Mary was my friend, my encourager, the one who dared me to sing a live, a capella duet on the radio one Christmas, who got me on stage to sing with a country legend. Hang around with Mary and things just happened that way.

She loved her community and its most famous native son.
I'm hoping right about now Mary is giving a tall, lanky lad in a cowboy hat a great big ol' Mary Wallace-style hug.

And I can hear her say, “Keep on Hankin', y'all.”

Those shoes of hers are going to be mighty hard to fill.

Samples:


( click for more... )

Hubby & I decided NOT to exchange gifts because we were going to get a set of French-style doors to replace the utterly craptastic sliding glass door that leads out onto the patio. We were going to take advantage of the energy efficiency tax credit to get some of our money back. We've been trying to get an estimate for the job from some contractors since late September/early October. So much for our energy-efficient Christmas present. (Not gonna happen now.) I guess I'll get him the box set of Star Trek DVDs he wants instead. I wish I had seen THIS before I made some of the changes to our house, especially summer before last when we added insulation to the attic. Hee hee.

Alright. So, I took my time to fiddle around with the special features and navigation on the Glee: Season 1, Volume 1 DVD and I'm going to do a quick review here!

( Review and Pictures Under Here )


If you have any specific questions or would like screenshots/pictures of anything else, let me know!

peace.

Dear Santa... Dear Santa, This year I've been busy! In September I pulled samrainbow's hair (-5 points). Last Thursday I gave joes_lashes a life-saving blood transfusion (50 points). In July I helped precious_rosie across the street (6 points). In November I bought porn for multred_a (10 points). Last month I set wastingyourgum's puppy on fire (-66 points). Overall, I've been naughty (-5 points). For Christmas I deserve a lump of coal! Sincerely, omteddy2006

Write your letter to Santa! Enter your LJ username:

It's absolutely frightening how "spot on" this is for my f'list...Apologies to WYG. I was unduly influenced by Michael Vick. And I'm sure it was an accident.

I know you've been very busy with teaching and family, Becks, but just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday and a wonderful Christmas season, too, midear.

We love ya! (and may you have the chance to make more wonderful RA videos in the not-too-distant future).

Angie/fedoralady/Ladywriter