Posted on 08/26/2014 by alli woods frederick

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

*SPOILERS AND HEARTBREAK FOLLOW.  IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT WENT DOWN THEN DON’T READ, MY DEARS.*

 
 

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

OH MY, my beloved Trubies…It was with a heavy heart that I placed my final call for #FangsOut on Sunday night and now here we are.  We are at the end of a fangtastic era that was entirely too short for my liking.  My emotions are mixed about the series finale but one thing I know for sure is that my heart is broken by the end of True Blood and the loss of the fictitious friends we have come to hold so dear.

 

IT’S TIME FOR ONE LAST BLOODY KISS BEFORE WE BITE IT.

true-blood-series-finale

I confess to a certain amount of resentment regarding some of the decisions made for this final season:

 
* The almost total absence of Sam who has been a major character since day one.  His presence this season was insignificant and ineffectual at best.  Serious disappointment and not in keeping with his character, father-to-be or not.

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* Bill being given a “noble” and redeeming death (because let’s face it…he screwed up in the worst ways possible when it came to his relationship with Sookie so “releasing” her from his love was noble-ish considering he begged her to kill him…I suppose his redemption was necessary, but…meh) while Eric, equally touched and transformed by his love for and relationship with Sookie, was left to devolve back into the creature he was when we first met him that fateful night at Fangtasia…only filthy rich and with what was quite possibly the worst infomercial I’ve ever seen.  (The fact that the writers ignored the rather substantial emotional evolution he underwent and reverted him to his old ways was a weak and cheap copout that showed a lack of effort and imagination and was an insult to his character and at least one of the members of Team Eric.)

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

*The fact that we don’t get to see Sookie’s husband.  I want to see his face and know his name!  I NEED to know.  I NEED CLOSURE, DAMN IT!!!  WTF?!?!

 

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

I could go on about all the little (and not so little) things that irked me about this final season…there was too much of everything, too many people, too many stories to wrap up in too few episodes.  If they had even expanded it by just a few episodes it would have seemed less rushed, more cohesive and ultimately more fulfilling and satisfying to both characters and fans alike.

 

AM I SAYING IT WAS HORRIBLE?  A TRAVESTY NOT FIT TO BE AIRED AND AN AFFRONT TO TRUBIES THE WORLD OVER?

 

Not at all.  I merely think that it should have been handled with a bit more care and respect…that the writing and editing should have been up to par with the previous seasons.  It was just too much for such a short span of time…but it was still great because…

 

WHAT THEY DID DO RIGHT…BOY, HOWDY, DID THEY DO IT RIGHT.

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

So what parts knocked my socks off?  What was up to snuff and worthy of Trubie love and loyalty?  Where to begin, where to begin…how about:

 

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* Sookie finally embracing the fae part of her bloodline and finally finding pride in her heritage instead of shame and frustration?  Took you long enough, girl, but better late than never (even if the timing for your revelation was far from ideal…I’ll let it slide since you were about to murder your first love.)

 

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* Jason finally ditching lust, finding true love and starting a family…I would say that it took him long enough too but that would make me a hypocrite of enormous proportion so I’ll just keep my mouth shut.
 
* Bill’s heart to hearts with everyone – with Eric, with Sookie, with Hoyt, with Jessica but most of all with Andy (for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on…there was just a father to father, man to man, kin to kin sort of kindness and love to it that I found touching).

 

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* And while we’re on the subject of Andy, the fact that he called Sookie darlin’ when she brought him Sam’s letter melted my heart.  It was such a vast change from his interactions (most of which occurred as a result of her reading his mind) with her in season one.  It solidified my serious soft spot for that big, goofy, tender-hearted man.

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* Eric quietly saving Sookie (without her knowledge) from the yakuza…which actually has me reconsidering my earlier assertion that he devolved.  I think it may well be that the writers (or editors…you never know where the blame truly belongs in such matters) didn’t adequately convey the true depth of the end of the Eric-Sookie relationship/dynamic.  The fact that he eliminated the threat to her life and allowed her to remain unaware of the events that nearly unfolded indicates another possible explanation for the end of Eric’s story:  through his actions that night with the yakuza Eric demonstrated that he actually took Bill’s words to heart and was willing to give Sookie what Bill correctly stated she needed and deserved – a chance to have a real life released from the darkness that they shared with her despite their unquestionable love for her.  Eric’s choice to stay away, to intentionally live his life separated from her despite his love for her so that she may truly live was an act of ultimate love and sacrifice – the act of a hero.  I retract my previous assertion and am going to roll with this noble and heroic explanation for Eric’s behavior (and simply blame the seemingly selfish  and regressive behavior as a failing on the writers’ parts to adequately convey Eric’s decision making process due to their extreme focus on Bill (and his totally obnoxious flashbacks all season long) to the detriment of other characters story lines).  Yup.  That works for me.

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* Pam’s success rocked my socks.  Given her background as a member of the world’s oldest profession while she was human, it thrills me to no end to see her rockin’ her new business like the badass boss that she is, and with her bff, literal partner in crime and maker, no less.  Hell to the yes.  Like Dorothy and the Scarecrow, if the Scarecrow were a seriously pissed off vampire with a love for latex  and Louboutins, I think I’m going to miss her most of all.  Her barbs and verbal bitch slaps were, fangs down, the best of the series…even better than Eric’s and I don’t make that statement lightly.

 
ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

* And finally, quite possibly the best moment of all (apart from finding that megalomaniacal, uber-bitch Sarah Newlin chained up, being fed on and going mad whilst finally getting a very small but still highly satisfying portion of what her genocidal, sociopathic, terminally narcissistic skanky ass deserves) was the marriage of Hoyt and Jessica – a moment most of us had hoped for since the day they met.  Am I the only one who was cheering?  (And Arlene’s little aside about breastfeeding a baby vamp being hell?  Hilarious!)

Despite its shortcomings, there really was so much to love about this final season.  If I wrote an exhaustive list and waxed poetic about all my theories and observations you would be here for weeks…and in all honesty you and I both know you’d be 100% sick to your back teeth of me going on and on by then (if you aren’t already. Ha ha? *smiling cautiously*).

Since I missed last week’s True Blood Tuesday due to Mischa’s health (he’s doing a bit better by the way – updates to come), this week I leave you with the last, the final two True Blood Tuesday quotes ever (and yes, I am teary eyed as I write this.  I develop strong attachments to fictional characters in books and movies…always have since I can remember…is that weird?).  So fangs out one last time, my beloved Trubies…here we go…

 
 

JESSICA AND HOYT’S REUNION (FINALLY!)

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

(Ummmm…heart skipped a beat. *sigh*  What.  I’m allowed to be sappy from time to time.  Cut me some slack. *wink*)

 
 

GRAN, THE WISE AND UPLIFTING MATRIARCH

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

I think that is possibly the best quote we could ever hope to wrap True Blood Tuesdays with.  Thanks, Gran.  You always knew just what to say.

 
 

THANK YOU…

ONE LAST BLOODY KISS

 

Thank you to the cast and crew of True Blood for an amazing seven seasons.  You will all be so very missed.  And thank you, fellow Trubies, for sharing your love and appreciation for the series and for every single one of you helping to not only create and share its success but for creating an amazing community, a family, around it…and a bloody good one at that.  I will miss every juicy drop of it.  Thank you so much.

 

What were your favorite moments of the season?  What were your biggest disappointments?  Share your thoughts, feelings and RIPs…let’s mourn and celebrate together in the comments.

 
 

Pointy Painful Kisses & Crazy Supernatural Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick

 
 

IMAGES  ::  TBT LOGO © 2014 ALLI WOODS FREDERICK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  ::  ALL OTHER IMAGES © HBO/TRUE BLOOD  ::

 
 

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Posted on 08/18/2014 by alli woods frederick

 
This is not a test
 
 

THIS IS NOT A TEST

 

THIS is a quick note to let you know I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth.  I, along with Kisses & Chaos, will be on a brief hiatus.

 

WHY?

 

Those of you who are part of this, our Chaos Collective™, and come here regularly know about my Mischa and know just how much I love that little furball.  He has been there for me through countless moves, breakups, breakdowns, deaths, my fun little romp with cancer, the time someone tried to kill me, my divorce…you get the idea.  He has always been the bright shining star in my life.  He has always brought me light, love and hope.  On my darkest days he is what kept me going.  And now it’s my turn to return the favor.

 
 

 
 

Mischa was acting out of sorts – listless and just…different.  The knowing and curious twinkle in his eyes which I have seen every single day for the past fifteen years simply wasn’t there.  His luxurious coat seemed dull and he seemed to have lost weight.

I took him to the vet assuming that his thyroid (he has hyperthyroidism) was acting up and that his medicine needed to be tweaked.  I asked them to run a blood panel to check his kidneys too…which turned out to be a wise and unfortunate request.  Unfortunate because the news was not good…wise because it told us what was really wrong.

 
 

 
 

Mischa’s thyroid is fine.  His medication is working at his current dosage.  Unfortunately his kidneys aren’t doing so well.  If you don’t have a feline companion then you are likely unaware that kidney issues are very common in cats and once they develop they don’t get better.  It is the beginning of the end and, as you can imagine, this is devastating in the truest sense of the word to me.

That being said, Mischa and I are fighters.  We are tougher than we look and when it comes to odds we are fond of beating them.  Our lives are comprised almost entirely of virtually impossible and most definitely improbable strings of events.  In our lives, that which shouldn’t be almost always is.

 

 

We were told he would almost certainly not recover from his massive stroke in December of 2011.  It was really, really bad.  But for 72 hours I was by his side.  I did not sleep.  I made him stay on my bed (which he was happy to do).  I watched over him, cared for him and loved him.  I gave him hours and hours of reiki, as I kneeled by his bedside so I could work on him forehead to forehead pouring every ounce of healing and love into him as he closed his eyes and purred.

72 hours later he was 99% (he had and still has a very slight droop to one eyelid that only I notice).  His doctor was shocked.  Mischa had done the impossible.  And that’s what we’re going to try and do with this new risk to his health…we’re going to try and do the impossible.  We’re going to try and heal what is, according to veterinary medicine, incurable.

 
 

 
 

We are currently trying to manage the situation with medicine, vitamins and regular doses of subq fluids (massive injections of fluids under the skin to help flush the kidneys).  We are, in the doctors words, “trying to slow the train down.”  Mischa could have anywhere from six months to six years.  I’m trying to stay hopeful that we can beat this and have another happy, healthy fifteen years together.

So please, bear with me during this difficult period.  Right now Mischa is occupying 100% of my attention and time.  As soon as he is stable and feeling better I will be back (which will hopefully be very, very, very soon).  I will try to post updates to my facebook page to keep you all in the loop.

 
 

 
 

Prayers, positive thoughts, love, good vibes, healing rituals or whatever your belief system allows (that includes you atheists – physics is beginning to support the long held belief that thoughts can influence reality so feel free to think healing loving thoughts at him) that are sent to him are greatly, GREATLY appreciated.  Every drop of love and healing that is sent out to his precious little body helps him, so thank you for any that you can send.

 
 


 
 

I can’t imagine my life without him.  He has been my raison d’etre for almost half of my life.  This is indescribably hard for me…especially since he gets upset seeing me upset so even though I want to have a total meltdown and scream and cry, I can’t right now.  I have to be strong for him.  If I had my way he’d live another sixty years so we could be old and toothless together, sitting on our front porch drinking tea while listening to Glenn Miller, enjoying the rain and each others company.  He is my world and it’s killing me to know that our time together may be drawing to a close.  But I truly believe that with enough love, prayer and positive healing thoughts that he can overcome this.  I have to believe it.  I have to.

So thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.  I promise I will be back as quickly as possible.  I love you all.  Thank you.

 
 

Tons Of Kisses & Too Much Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick

 
 

IMAGES  ::  VIA STICK A NEEDLE IN MY EYE  ::  © 2014 ALLI WOODS FREDERICK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  ::
Posted in ANNOUNCEMENTS, MY LIFE | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Posted on 08/11/2014 by alli woods frederick

 

LITTLE CAN BE FIERCE

 

FOR all my fellow petite ladies out there and all the times we’re underestimated due to our small stature remember:

 

LITTLE CAN BE FIERCE.

LITTLE CAN BE FIERCE

 

 

Kisses & Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick

 
 

IMAGES  ::  WORDS OF WISDOM ©2014 ALLI WOODS FREDERICK  ::  SHE IS FIERCE – WANDERERBLOG  ::

 
 

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Posted on 08/10/2014 by alli woods frederick

 

MAD GIRL'S LOVE SONG

MAD GIRL’S LOVE SONG

MAD GIRL'S LOVE SONG

 

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

 

– Sylvia Plath

 
 

Bewitching Kisses & Made Up Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick

 
 

IMAGES  ::  THE RETURNING OF THE LETTING GO © 2014 ALLI WOODS FREDERICK PHOTOGRAPHY.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  ::

 
 

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Posted on 08/07/2014 by alli woods frederick

 

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

LAST week on Facebook I asked you what you wanted to see here, what you wanted to see me write about.  Why?  The reason is twofold.  I’ve been dealing with some personal crap that has been leaving me feeling less than inspired and that’s when the light bulb went off.  Why not reach out to you and let you decide what you wanted to see next?  And so a new semi-regular feature, Reader’s Choice, has been born.  You guys get to call the shots.  Every now and then I’ll ask you for suggestions and then choose one of your ideas.

 

SO HOW DID IT GO?

Well the fabulous Ava threw her hat into the ring and suggested…

 

“…Donuts and doppelgangers and damn good coffee…Go into the lodge, Alli. It’ll tell you what to write.”

 

As a fellow fan of the seriously fascinating and f’ed up David Lynch series Twin Peaks I was compelled to comply.  For those of you unfamiliar, the show is set is the fictional town of Twin Peaks where Agent Dale Cooper and company set about to solve the extremely bizarre and dark mystery of who killed Laura Palmer…and the answer is quite unexpected.  Definitely worth the watch if you want to witness what was, quite possibly, the strangest story to ever make it onto prime time television.

So, Ava, here it is…Twin Peaks, as requested…and in three parts, nonetheless.

 

AVA’S CHOICE (part I OF III)
WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS THE TRAVEL GUIDE PART I

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 
 

LAURA PALMER’S HOUSE

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

For all you truly diehard fans out there I’ve got brilliant news.  The Palmer home (or one of them at least…there were a couple of homes used during the movie and the series), located at 708 33rd St, Everett, Washington, is up for sale as of June 30, 2014.  You can own your own piece of Twin Peaks history for the mere asking price of  $549, 950.  The home has 4,104 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 1.5 baths.  And yes, the interior was used in filming in both the series and Fire Walk With Me:  the kitchen, “Laura’s” bedroom, bathroom as well as the living and dining rooms were used though they have undergone a considerable amount of updating – good for a normal homeowner, bad for a fan.

 

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 
 

THE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

Ah, the Great Northern Hotel with its majestic falls is better known to the locals of Snoqualmie, Washington, as The Salish Lodge & Spa.  This icon is still open for business and, in what will come as no surprise to anyone ever, the Snoqualmie Falls (or “Whitetail Falls”) along with their 268 foot drop are still there too.  (See…I told you…not surprising considering giant waterfalls don’t just get up and walk away…and god knows there’s no shortage of rain in the Pacific Northwest so the odds of them drying out are virtually non-existent.)  The rooms, spa and grounds look amazing and as if the location alone weren’t enough reason to visit, the annual Twin Peaks Fest is just up the way in North Bend, Washington, (and just ended – it was August 1-3 so if you were hoping to attend you’ll have to hang in there until 2015’s festival rolls around) so if you ever plan on attending and want the full Twin Peaks experience, you can stay at The Great Northern and make the quick 7 minute trek to North Bend (I said it was just up the way).  Sounds like a perfect weekend to me!

 
 

THE DOUBLE R DINER

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

Equally iconic as The Great Northern is the much beloved Double R Diner, home to the best cherry pie in town which would be incomplete without a cup of coffee as “black as midnight on a moonless night.”

 

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

Sadly, the original diner which served as the Double R, the Mar-T Café which became Twede’s in the late 90’s, caught fire around ‘00.  Twede’s owner completely remodeled; the only recognizable remnant of the original diner as far as I can tell (apart from the exterior) are the neon lights on the ceiling.  But fear not, Twede’s (located at 137 West North Bend Way in, you guessed it, North Bend, Washington) proudly advertises itself as the “Home of Twin Peaks Cherry Pie” even if it does no longer have any of the small town diner charm of the original (which is my very nice way of saying it’s awful.  I hate to be mean, but the design snob + purist in me just can’t bite its tongue. *cringes and looks at feet* Sorry. *wince*  Not very loving, I know…but I’m sure their cherry pie more than makes up for it).

 
 

LAURA, JAMES AND DONNA’S FINAL PICNIC

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

For those of you who are seriously hardcore about your Twin Peaks travels you certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on having a visit to the location of the infamous picnic video – one of the last happy outings for Laura, James and Donna.  If you’re keen to reenact the scene you can grab your camera, pack a basket of your own and take a drive up to Snoqualmie Point Park, 37580 SE Winery Road, Snoqualmie, Washington…just don’t forget your motorcycle, cardigan and dancing shoes.

 

:: PICNIC VIDEO ::

 
 

RONETTE’S BRIDGE

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS TRAVEL GUIDE

 

Reinig Bridge, a trestle bridge in Snoqualmie and better known to Twin Peak’s fans as Ronette’s Bridge, is a popular place in the Twin Peaks pilgrimage.  Over the years the bridge has become covered with offerings, scrawled references to the series left by fans, like a Jim Morrison’s grave of train trestles.  Though an arsonist set fire to part of the bridge in May, 2014, the landmark still stands and will no doubt continue to acquire more marks of love and dedication as the years go by.

Did I miss one of your favorite locations?  There will be more to come in part II of the Twin Peaks travel guide, coming next week.  Cross my heart.  If you don’t believe me, just ask the Log Lady.  I’m sure her log will have something to say about this…

 
 

Cherry Pie Kisses & Black Coffee Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick

 
 

IMAGES  ::  READER’S CHOICE LOGO © ALLI WOODS FREDERICK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  ::  BLACK LODGE VIA FANPOP  ::  via life between frames  ::  images from real estate listing + twin peaks  ::  the great northern via limpire  ::  © LIZ G KELLEY  ::  ©ERIK ALSTON  ::  VIA WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS  ::

 
 

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