How to Avoid Eating a Bogey Flavored Bertie Bott Bean Whilst Looking Like Jo Calderone

Okay guys, calm down, I'm not officially back yet.  I've still got some edits to work on so my attendance will be sporadic (ha, my favorite word).

Anyway, my alter ego, Abby Gabby is posting over at the Thestral Gazette today.  She's got some great advice for students of Hogwarts including how to avoid getting those nasty bogey flavored Bertie Bott's beans.

So hipppity hop on over there - I'd greatly appreciate it!

Also, I think my alter ego needs a picture/personality.

What do you think of this?

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Too Rough?

Okay, how about this one?

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Too Nymphy?

Aha!  Here it is:

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Yep, this one totally adds class with a touch of Avant-garde.  Plus it keeps my identity hidden with the big glasses and hat.  But I'm still all proper and Jackie-O stylish.  Love it!  

P.S. I miss you guys so much!  Just a little more time for edits and I'll be back!  Toodles!

New Joysee part 2

So I've decided to be totally un-original with my title because I'm tired.  Sorry for the utter lack of coolness on my part.

But, you want to know what dripped with coolness this weekend?  My trip to New Jersey! (okay, it actually dripped with sweat because it was like, 90 degrees)

We went down the shore one day

I got to see a plethora of relatives from aunts and uncles, to cousins, my Godmother and of course, Grandma.

I wanted to put a fascinator on her,
but she opted for the wide brimmed straw hat

Ahh, my Grandmother.  We had hours of enjoyment at the nursing home.  Let me just say, even though she's lost most of her short term memory, she has not lost her spunk and ability to talk dirty.

She regaled us with songs in Polish, informing us that one particular song she liked was about a tramp.  She then turned to my mom (her daughter) and asked very innocently: "Are you a tramp?"  Naturally my mom said, "No not for a while now."  And my grandmother very sweetly but very knowingly said, "Well, you've got some smears on your shirt there, Honey."

She liked to tell us about all her boyfriends, and that they were waiting at her mother's house for her.  Then she lowers her voice and says, "And you know, we weren't really able to do much lovemaking until just last year."  Not skipping a beat, she remarks on how beautiful the trees are, and how she hadn't had a chance to climb them yet this year.

These are the trees she was facing-
every other minute she'd remark on how breathtaking the trees were.
Every. Other.  Minute.

After a few more laughs, we wheel her back into the nursing home so she could hang out with the elderly priest who is apparently her boyfriend.  It's okay- he blesses everyone he sees, so we're good to go.

As I left, I just had to get a picture of her roommate.  She's 107 years old!

She kinda stared at me blankly when I asked her if I could take her picture.
  I took that as a yes.

We are so lucky that my grandmother is happy where she is, and even though she knows who Abby is, I don't look like her Abby.  She still thinks of me as a little girl.  And you know what?  That's totally fine with me.

Quick promo: I'm posting as my alter-ego Abby Gabby for the Thestral Gazette over at Laurel's Leaves today!  Head on over there and read my advice column for Hogwarts students.