AND NOW I AM 33

 Every birthday is a day to celebrate.

Today on the 31st of January 2025 I have turned 33, the age when Jesus Christ was crucified. I am a mature adult, but still fond of fairytales, anime and the like. My life so far, with its ups and downs, has been a great life, though there are things I wish to that I could never have.

I have received congratulations from friends and family, lots of lovely presents, and a delicious tiramisu cake. It has been my best birthday in my life so far.

We cannot see the future, no matter if we read our tarot cards, but only confront it with lots of optimism, as I do. I hope 2025 will be a good year with lots of lovely experiences.

Let's have a great year and enjoy whatever fate brings!

OVER 2000 POSTS... STILL GROWING STRONG!

This blog is growing strong as only the Tyrells can!

That's right, it's the way you happen right to hear it! 
This post, to be more exact, makes 2010!!
Still, this is merely the tip of the iceberg...

500 POSTS - DELAYED

I beg my pardon if I have forgotten to signal the 500th post (half a thousand!) in the usual way.
Thus, here comes the milestone for 500 (at the 507th post, actually!!)

400

Another milestone post!
You know every hundredth post is signalled in this blog, don't you?

IT'S BEEN A YEAR

On Valentine's Day last year, I started writing a blog on literature.

Back then, I didn't imagine that it'd be such an experience.
So far, we've had our highlights. Highlights to feature in such an anniversary...

Valdis: love at first peep!

In this kingdom where we now are, there lives a princess of unusual cleverness. They sayshe owns as many books as crows have feathers, and studies philosophy and art and other such things, and speaks Latin as easily as you please. The late king made his daughter his heir, you see, because his son was the younger of the two, and the crown here always goes to the eldest, so he had her trained in statescraft instead of the usual occupations of young women.

A short time ago, after ruling for several years just as well as any prince could have done, she turned to her advisors and spoke the following words: ‘Why should I not be married? ’‘Why not indeed?’ they said, and so she determined to marry if she could find a husband who knew what to say when he was spoken to, and not one who could only look grand, for that would be tiresome. Then she assembled her entire court together in the palace gardens and told them of her intentions, to much rejoicing and acclaim.

The princess's advisors suggested putting notices in the newspapers, but she declined on the grounds that this would attract too many men of the ordinary sort. Instead, she wrote a proclamation out herself, in Latin, and had it copied out and affixed to the doors of every University in three kingdoms.

The notice stated that every young man who was handsome was free to visit the castle and speak with the princess; and those who could reply loud enough to be heard when spoken to, were to make themselves quite at home at the palace; but the one who spoke best would be chosen as a husband for the princess.

Scholars and alchemists and theologians and other learned men came in crowds, until the palace was quite crowded with men in black gowns, but not one of them was able to meet the requirements. They could all speak very well in a lecture hall, or outside on the streets, but when they stood in the great hall of the palace, surrounded by gilded plasterwork, and rose­red tapestries, and great, silver mirrors that glowed with the light of a thousand candles, and saw the counts and barons in all their finery, and the guards in blue and silver uniforms, they grew nervous, and felt themselves shabby, though they all wore their best academic robes of black silk. And when they were called up to stand before the princess herself, seated on her throne with her golden hair as bright as the candles, they could do nothing but repeat the last thing she had said. And so she soon grew bored with each man, and sent them away.

A young student arrived there on the third day. He came on foot, and did not wear a black robe like the others, and he was tall and thin, with very dark hair. When he passed through the palace gates, he saw the guards in their silver and blue uniforms, and the nobles in all their splendor, but was not the least embarrassed, though his own clothes were faded and worn.

He went boldly up to the princess herself, who was seated on a throne entirely covered in mother of pearl, and all the ladies of the court were present with their maids, and all the counts and barons and knights with their servants; and every one of them was dressed so finely that they shone as brightly as the mirrors. Even the servants wore cloth of gold, and they were all so proud that they would not even look at him, because he had come to the palace with ink on his fingers. He was quite solemn and not at all afraid, and said he had not come to woo the princess, but to hear her wisdom; and he was as pleased with her as she was with him.

The last word was missing in his epic song:
the one that crowns every achievement.
The mourners have done their duty, right or wrong:
they wrote it in blood and bereavement.

"So you've come for the candy..."

Kristoff pulling a Shakespeare

Charles Linnaeus and Lindenflower

The Linnaeus vicarage

A young lieutenant reading... who can he be?

Persephone

Lt. Kurt Kotler, played by Rupert Friend

Loulou in good company

And here's Miss Lovegood, one of the guests at my Last Supper...

Her family was even given a fanmade Game of Thrones crest!

A peep and a meow

An eternal optimist

Watch out for the Thénardiers!

Is there life on Mars?

There is, at least, water on Mars.

When Mars Attacks!

Reunited royals

We talked about the Greyjoys, including the fellow formerly known as Theon
(nowadays known as Reek)

I even made my own Game of Thrones crest!

TWENTY-TWO

This post is meant to announce the mistress's twenty-second birthday (which makes her an Aquarius) this evening!!!

May she live (and write) for many more years!

ANOTHER SPECIAL POST

BECAUSE EVERY HUNDREDTH POST HERE IS A CELEBRATION !!!

200

200 posts so far
on this blog

This! Is! SUCCESS!
Tonight... I'll think of... MORE POSTS!

THE 150TH POST

This blog has reached another milestone!

One stone more...

Another milestone on our winding way...

New posts do show up nearly every day...

The readers stay loyal and true,

and this is what I hope of you...

One stone more...

BACK WITH TROUBLE

After the short summer, it's back to university! Let's see if I can keep up with all the homework and the exams this year too!

THE HUNDREDTH POST

This post makes 100.
I can't believe there are 100 posts already!
But so it is.
This post is merely here to commemorate such a milestone.

NOT A FAREWELL YET, BUT...

Sooner or later, within a fortnight, I will submit the link to this blog.
I hope that I have reached the minimum word count.
I am currently running out of topics... but I will start a new thread on intertextuality within my works.
References to my own life and self-biography in the stories will also be covered.