Guyday Friday! Ladywriter talks–Politics??–with Sir Guy.

“I hate politics.”

Sir Guy stretched out his long, long denim-clad legs (he was slumming it. Casual Friday, you know.) and lazily crossed one boot-clad ankle over the other. Folding his arms across his snug-fitting black cashmere sweater (its V-neck giving a tantalizing glimpse of that sculpted chest), Ladywriter’s favorite dark knight threw a smirk her way as he tossed back that lustrous inky black mane of his.

 

“Did you decide this suddenly, my dear LW, or has your loathing been long standing?” Guy drawled.
She sighed and raked her fingers through her already disheveled hair.

“Oh, it’s been growing. My disillusionment really kicked in when I was working for the newspaper full-time and saw a lot of local and state politicians up close. Reporting tends to breed a certain–cynicism–methinks.”

Guy nodded in commiseration as LW continued.

“And I am already thoroughly sick of all the yadayadayada going on between Democrats and Republicans in social media, the canned political endorsements being dialed to my phone, the ridiculous knee-jerk reactionary posts on Facebook and—”

LW shot Guy her own lop-sided smile, a rather wicked gleam in her eyes behind the spectacles. “If I never saw or heard from Donald Trump again, it would be too soon, my dear Guy!”

He raised a quizzical black brow as he tilted his head.

“You are not an ardent fan of The Donald?” His lips twitched as he spoke.

(Having surfed the net to keep up with current events, Sir Guy was already well aware of Mr. Trump and LadyWriter’s likely opinion of the presidential hopeful. Still, it was great fun to tease her . . .)

LW gave a large and distinctly unladylike snort.

“I’d rather have the sheriff teach me the poetry of pain before I voted that man—-dogcatcher, much less president. As far as I am concerned, he’s a narcissistic blowhard jerkwad who, in the end, is only interested in blatant self-promotion, not what is best for our country.”

“So . . . if he gets this nomination, you will vote for Hilary?”

Ladywriter gave a weary shrug of her shoulders. “I confess I have certain reservations about Hilary, none of which having to do with her being a woman, by the way, but–it may be a case of the lesser of the two evils.” She pressed her hands to her head and shook it. “To think we have months and months of this to go.”

Guy’s kohl-rimmed eyes narrowed in thought. “Perhaps . . . the Ultimate RA Force should reassemble, my lady. And stage an–intervention of sorts with Mr. Trump?”

LW’s eyes widened as she leaned forward. “Oh, could you? WOULD you?”

Guy dipped his head. “For you, my lady, our band of ChaRActer brothers will happily reunite to take on this cursed blight.” As he raised his head, a calculating smile formed on his lips. The gleam in HIS eyes was downright wicked now.

“I think I would rather enjoy, as you would say nowadays, kicking this fellow’s arse from here to next year,” he said in those dark chocolate tones she so loved.

YESSSS!

(To Be Continued)

A great black cat crossed her path today . . . Happy Guyday Friday the 13th!

“Some people think days like today are most unlucky …” He purred.

She smiled, tilting her head. “But I’ve never been superstitious.”

A flash of white teeth. Clear blue eyes tinged with grey gleamed as he leaned in close. Dangerously close.

“So you have no fear of black cats crossing your path, my lady?” A dark whisper, murmured in her ear.

Her heart thumped hard in her chest. Could he hear it?

“No . . . not at all. They are such–beautiful, elegant creatures. Who simply need to be–appreciated.”
She caught her breath as she felt his strong, nimble fingers wrap around one wrist, gently caressing it. He spoke again, his voice husky and deep.

“And you have the right touch to tame the beast, my lady?”

She sighed. “Just let me show you . . .”

A dark laugh. “With pleasure . . .”

Happy Halloween from The Dark Side . . .

“You are still such a temptation . . .”

A single saturnine brow is raised.

“Oh–am I?” A husky purr from deep in his throat.

“Ummmm-hmmmmm.” Her lips curved into a teasing smile.

“So many of us ready to fall at your feet . . .”

A flash of white teeth in the semi-darkness.

“Including–you, my lady?”

A soft sigh slowly exhaled. “Always . . .”

A velvet chuckle. “Well, then—I shall see you on the dark side, my angel.”

Happy Halloween!

Happy Guyday Friday! It’s Fur-Tastic!

“You’ve added to the family, I see. More orphans in need of–what do you call it?–a FUR-ever home, Ladywriter?” Sir Guy raised a single brow as he gave her a lopsided smile.

LW glanced over at the three kittens cuddled up next to her. “Benny saw them on his way to work the other day and asked me to go on a kitten rescue mission after work.” She shrugged and added sheepishly, “You know I’m a sucker for furry little baby animals.” Ladywriter’s mouth curved into a besotted smile as she looked at the threesome playing together. “And these babies are so—SWEET.”

 

 

 

 

 

The dark knight gave a chuckle. “Apparently that’s not what Scarlett thinks. I believe she said in Katteese they were ‘The Spawn of Satan.'”

LW sighed. “Yeah . . . jealousy and the whole territorial thing’s been rearing its ugly head since we brought off the deck and into the house yesterday.” She grinned up at Sir Guy, a mischievous gleam in her bespectacled eyes. “You big cats can be very territorial at times, you know.”

Sir Guy sniffed and shot her one of *those* sideways glances.  “If your heart wasn’t so divided amongst my CReAtor’s ChaRActers, both living and So Not Dead, perhaps we would have no need to have those feelings, my lady.”

“Sir Guy—you know perfectly well that you are THE number one ChaRActer for me, I just happen to have a big heart with lots of room for compelling  ChaRActers and cute little furry creatures, ” she replied in a chiding tone.  Ladywriter spun her laptop around so that her raven-haired visitor could see the screen and tapped its edge with her finger.

“Look–I even worked on some new edits of you last night!”

The flash of white teeth was dazzling as he gave a deep, rumbling laugh of approval.

“Well–wait until Soldier Boy and Chewy Man hear this!”

Chewy Man?! Oh, riiiight.

Happy Guyday Friday!

 

So, what kind of ‘tipsy’ is tipsy Armitage? I admit I’d like to know, wouldn’t you?

I found this little chart on Pinterest and saved it. For what it’s worth, I’m glad to see I am a happy drunk rather than a sad one.

Earlier I was filling out some of the gazillion forms required for my neurologist appointment Wednesday. Among the many other health-related questions, I was asked how much alcohol I consume on average–how many drinks and how many days a week.  I asked Benny, “Uhm–do you think drinking something alcoholic roughly once or twice every couple of years would be the equivalent of ‘never,’ kiddo?”  He agreed.

Now, I haven’t always been such a Sober Sallie. In my long-ago college days, when the legal drinking age was 19 instead of 21, I did imbibe (albeit in the safety of our on-campus apartment and not out roaming the streets). And purportedly, I was very entertaining when I got tipsy. Silly and giggly and quite a lot of fun.

I think my widow was definitely a sad drunk. Probably a Pisces, since she drank like a fish.

A couple of years ago, I played a rich widow in a mystery dinner theater production. This lady liked her liquor a little too much and started making a lot of accusatory remarks about certain acquaintances before she ended up dead in the library. Afterwards, I was told I made a very believable drunk and I suspect from the sly glances they gave me that some people thought I did indulge . . . but as I told them, “Really, it’s all a matter of observation–and distant memory.”                                                            

So all of this got me to thinking, “What’s Richard Armitage like when he’s had a little too much to drink?” Is he giggly, jokey, playful? Somehow I can’t see him as the mean and moody type . . .

He’s told us a couple of drinks at a club turn him into “an animal on the dance floor.” Mmmmm, I’d like to see that. Richard taking off his jacket, loosening his tie, and with a slightly wicked grin, stepping onto the dance floor . . . and extending a hand to you to join him.

 

Remember these moves from his 2003 promo shoot for “Cold Feet?” Somehow I suspect that genial dorkiness just might show itself in a tipsy Armitage tripping the light fantastic.  Or how about some sexy snake hips tango, purportedly his favorite? Mmmmmmmmmm . . .

If you’ll dance with me, Mr. A, I’m there with you!

 

He’d apparently been indulging a bit at the Saturn Awards before receiving his trophy for his performance as Thorin and it certainly looked like he was having fun that night.  One could fantasize about having a right old Bacchanalia with this chap  . . .

Or a little dirty dancing, maybe? *wibble*

 

And just look at RA and his cast mates on the final day of Hobbit filming (July 23, 2013). Oh yes, there’s been some partying. An RA looks as if he’s full of mischief! Mischievous Armitage, I like.

 

 

Tipsy Armitage. It is such an appealing idea to me . . .

Cheeky, Silly Armitage is good for what ails you.

I love cheeky, silly Richard. Whether he’s telling one of his jokes, reacting with mirth to someone else’s comment, making sly double entendres and naughty sideways glances, tossing fish into a cast mate’s barrel–it all makes me smile.  I want to hug him, have those long, strong arms wrapped around me and actually feel one of those huge belly laughs of his reverberate through me.  I think that would be absolutely marvelous.

 

 

 

 

 

Edit courtesy of Fernanda Matias

Yep, I am always ready for some Mirthful Armitage. For all the sturm and drang exhibited by many of his characters, in real life he does seem to be a man who loves to laugh and refuses to take himself too seriously.

Looking at and listening to him is a very nice distraction, indeed, and I am in need of distractions right now.

I have had two bad falls in less than the space of a week, yielding some magnificent bruises and a pretty fair amount of pain. Vertigo hit me after the first fall and my balance (which is never good) has been off more than usual. I’ve been plagued by worsening headaches. My doctor prescribed some medication for the headaches a few weeks ago. The headaches lessened, but the meds also led to morbid thoughts and horrible anxiety spells. I also cried every time I turned around, it seemed.

I decided the headaches were easier to tolerate and I’d be easier to live with so I stopped taking those meds.

I now have an appointment with a neurologist next week and I hope he can provide some insight (too bad he’s not Dr. Track, but I hear he’s quite a good doctor).

In the meantime, I will close my eyes and imagine a sweet smile and big bear hug from Mr. A, along with a  “Feel better soon, Angie.”

 

Why, yes, doctor–I do believe I am!

 

The Visitor

“You’re writing about me again.”

There was such underlying warmth mixed with surprise and–was that the faintest hint of reproof?–in that deep rumble of his.

He was sitting there at the foot of her bed, that glossy raven head tilted to one side quizzically,  hands clasped around one bent knee folded casually across his leg. A dark knight from a different age decked out in his version of fancy-dress: well-worn, boot-cut jeans encased those never-ending pipes of his, a black V-neck t-shirt and a black leather jacket.  His trademark stubble was heavy enough to be called a beard and there was just a hint of kohl encircling those bottomless blue eyes.

She wanted to fling her arms around him, bury her face in that broad chest and breathe in his scent. Leather,  sandalwood soap and–chocolate.  Instead of embracing him, she leaned forward and ever so gently brushed his chin with her fingertips.

“You’ve been into the chocolate animal crackers again, haven’t you, Sir Guy? If you’re going to keep that rather fetching beard, I shall have to buy you a brush and comb for it, I suppose.”

Sir Guy caught up her fingers in his hand. So warm. He radiates warmth.

Turning her hand over, he raised it palm upwards to his mouth. His eyes closed, he pressed kisses, light as gossamer, to the surface of her palm.

Oh my.

“You’re crying.”

“So are you.”

He smiled.

A beautiful bearded angel in black leather.

“Perhaps–we’ve missed each other, Ladywriter?”

Perhaps we have.

 

 

 

 

Catching up on things and choosing one’s soul. Fedoralady’s back! (with RA, too)

After this long period of silence from me here at the blog (largely due to constant outage issues with our internet which seem to be resolved for now, *fervently crossing fingers* not to mention a serious case of the winter blaahs), here I am!

 

I used to be called the “Hat Lady “around town. I hope to be a lady worth knowing . . . hat or no hat.

Things finally seem to be looking up. I have been asked back as a regular contributor (as in once or twice a week, instead of once or twice a month, if that) at The Greenville Advocate . I will also assist with copyediting and writing for the quarterly “Camellia” Magazine. Tracy wants to see my byline more often, and judging by the response I got when I posted about it on FB, quite a few others do, too. I won’t get rich–that wasn’t happening when I worked full-time–but it will be nice to have more of a regular income to look forward to.  And so far this year, I haven’t had to go back to the doctor. Still paying off bills from last year, so this is good!

 

We did a community service video for Healthy Kids last month, tailoring it to their “Superheroes Unite” theme for the year. We don’t charge for this kind of project, but that doesn’t mean we don’t work just as hard to make it good. Lisa, the director for the group, was thrilled with the results, especially since we didn’t get a huge amount of advance notice on the project (a week and half, roughly).

 

 

A YT version should soon be up so everyone who didn’t attend the HK sponsorship luncheon can also enjoy and learn from it. Sometimes, (moving) pictures and captions, along with some brief interviews and voice-overs, are worth a thousand words! 😀 And I think it will be good advertising for our video production company. I am also proud of the fact I shot and edited ALL the footage for each segment of this 10-minute video, except for the superhero fx integrated into it by Benny *giving myself a little pat on the back.*

 

Spring is in the air here–although it can’t quite make up its mind whether to stay yet. I feel as if I need to come out of hibernation, shake off my winter malaise, and–write. Create.  Connect. Keep choosing my soul. And try not to beat up on myself quite so often. I ran across some posts on Pinterest that spoke to me . . . maybe to you, too.

 

And lest you think this will be an RA-less post, au contraire, mes amies! Scroll on, my darlings, scroll on!

New Year’s Eve: Reflections on Men I Love, BOFTA & What Matters Most *SPOILERS*

                              Richard, I truly hope you have a terrific NYE, shared with people you love.

It’s New Year’s Eve. Coincidentally, it’s also the 30th anniversary of the night my husband and I got engaged. I still remember the taste of the Cherries Jubilee, the warm tartness of the fruit meshing with the sweet chill of the vanilla bean ice cream. Benny hates cherries, but he knew I liked them and would enjoy the dish. There was the flash of the simple round solitaire sparkling against the black velvet of the case and how he carefully slid it on my finger. His celebratory punch in the air and the exultant “She said, ‘YES!'” that he shouted in the parking lot of the Montgomery restaurant as we headed to the car.  The mix of euphoria and nerves as we embarked on a new chapter in our lives.

That eatery down at the historic Union Depot is no longer in business. We are still here, older, heavier, less hair in some places and more of what’s left turning white fast; hopefully, we are also wiser and stronger (if not physically, then in spirit and soul).  We’ve had our ups and downs–in recent years, a few too many valley experiences, perhaps–but “here we stand and here we’ll stay,” to paraphrase Elsa in “Frozen.”

This is a collage I made of photos of Benny playing with our great-niece Zoe during our family celebration down at Orange Beach before Christmas. It was so wonderful to see everyone, share hugs, memories, play Dirty Santa, sing carols along with the radio, enjoy my sister’s good cooking. But these moments captured below are my favorite moments from the entire weekend: Benny playing with four-year-old great-niece Zoe.

This is a 55-year-old man with a troublesome shoulder who isn’t accustomed to roughhousing with kids (he had to break out the Ben-Gay cream when we got home Sunday night). But he’s been making generations of Killough women happy–yours truly, our nieces and now our nieces’ children.

He says he’s not sure he’ll be up to it for the next generation, but I can easily imagine my white-haired fella giving small people rides in his wheel chair if it comes to that.

He is awfully easy to love.  Which reminds me of another tall, blue-eyed, smart, talented, sweet-natured guy (who also has fetching nape curls when his hair is longish!) who is so easy to “crush on.”

On Christmas Eve this year, my husband and I went to see “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” It took me a few days to formulate my thoughts and reactions to the film.

Richard as Thorin in his kingly attire in a behind-the-scenes still.

I am not going to write a formal review this time around; there are already plenty of those out there by fans and critics alike.

Suffice to say I thought Richard was brilliant. My heart ached along with Bilbo’s and the dwarves as this individual they had pledged to follow, one they so admired and loved (both because of and in spite of his personal qualities) became, as my husband put it, “well and truly the mayor of Crazy Town.” The anger, the paranoia, the vulnerability exposed as he descended into the madness caused by dragon-sickness brought back both memories of my own father suffering the ravages of vascular dementia, and of my dearest Sir Guy. Yes, my buttons were being pushed on several levels.

The moment I will never forget is Bilbo cradling a dying Thorin, unwilling to believe his friend would soon be no more, and how beautiful Thorin is in those last moments, redeemed, at peace, acknowledging what should truly matter to us in life. More parallels with Sir Guy and his “good death.”

 

Bilbo and his final moments with Thorin. From Pinterest.

It did not make it any easier. I had started getting upset when Kili and Fili perished–so young, too young!! I knew it was coming (although not how, as I had avoided being “spoiled”) but it was still painful.

Biting my lip, I was trying to fight back the tears as Bilbo cried over his slain friend. I felt Benny’s hand patting my knee and glanced over to see the kindness and concern in his sweet blue eyes. He gave me a sympathetic smile and that made me feel better even in my sadness. He didn’t tease me about my tender heart. He simply understood.

I am not sure I can express how much that simple gesture meant to me. And I thought about all the times Richard has signed autographs and posed for photos and carefully considered questions posed to him, how gracious and affable he manages to be even when he’s tired, jet-lagged and probably done one too many press junket interviews.  He cares–he cares about his family, his work, his co-workers, his fans, people out there in need.

I truly believe RA is a kind and compassionate person–my kind of fella. All the physical beauty and extraordinary talent and potent charisma aside, I believe Richard Armitage is a good man. And that is a large part of what keeps me coming back. Hey, I am a happily married, middle-aged lady who harbors no illusions that RA and I are going to be an “item”–as if!

But someone who is so gifted and blessed and still humble and grounded, a man who is trying to make his patch of the world a better place to live–I can heartily support that!

Richard posing with some cosplayers.

Meanwhile, back to BOFTA. There are things about which I could quibble. The battle sequence went on too long IMHO (as did the barrel ride scene in the last installment) and I still think someone loves CGI a little too much. Just because you have the gee-whiz-bang technology doesn’t mean you need to keep pulling it out of the hat. I do think it can get in the way of the progress of the STORY. Also, we saw this installment in 2D, as opposed to the 3D HFR in which we saw the previous films. Not having seen BOFTA in 3D HFR, I don’t have a good point of comparison for this specific film, but Benny and I discussed this and we felt we didn’t miss out on the overall cinematic experience of BOFTA by seeing it in a traditional format. In fact, I think I felt less distracted. I do think it was fashioned to be a good link to the LOTR films . . . and watching them in sequence.  What are your thoughts on the film?

And finally—

I wish you all a wonderful 2015, filled with good health, happiness, prosperity, kindness, creativity, work you love to do and people with whom you can share both your celebrations and your sorrows. And I wish the same for our Richard. ❤

I know we don’t all share the same religious beliefs, but this quote I found on Pinterest expresses a lot of what I personally feel and you can adapt to your system, I think.

So this is Christmas . . . let us be silly! RA would understand.

 

I am late in the day posting this, but I have in my own way been making merry with my dear hubby.  There was early morning snuggling, and then emptying our stockings and “oohing” and “aahing” over the contents, a mixture of the practical with the whimsical (dress socks, itty-bitty chocolate Santas, magazine subscriptions).  Breakfast was Italian sausage balls, grits and eggs; we watched Christmas-oriented movies and finally saw “Frozen” together. My voice is still dodgy, so I just waved my hands dramatically and lip-synched to the closing credits. Fun to be silly and a bit “kiddish,” and never a better time than Christmas!  And so I share some of the holiday-related fan art and photo edits I’ve done this year. May it give you a giggle. 😀 Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, Merry Everything and Happy Always.

 

The boys after a little too much merrymaking during the press junket.


Visions of–well, not sugarplums dance in their heads.

 

 Notice I didn’t tamper with the watermark; just having a bit o’ holiday fun.

And when he puckers those pretty lips . . . well, well, well.

 

Peace, love and kindness, y’all.

I will follow him, wherever he goes: The Chiaroscuro of Thorin

Found this on Pinterest. Would love to have one in a long-sleeved version . . .

I just saw the latest TV trailer for BOTFA. Not a lot of Thorin, but, oh! That scene where he turns his eyes–those beautiful, expressive eyes–to his company, and asks, “Will you follow me, one last time?”  And that lump comes to my throat again and I feel the sting in my own eyes.

Found on Pinterest. Not my edit, and not that scene to which I referred, but the expression captivates me.

 

Of course I will follow, my king. You may be a dwarf (but what a charismatic, majestic and beautiful one!), and I, a mere human, and completely useless with a sword or axe or bow and arrow, but I will follow. Heck, you might actually be a fictional character, but your CReAtor made me believe in you, believe in your quest, agonise over what is to come for you, the returned King Under the Mountain, and your kinsmen.

 

I know Peter Jackson has complete faith in the CReAtor’s ability to bring you to life, with all the lights and darks of this complex character, deeply flawed in some respects and yet so kingly, so admirable and so easy for us to follow both in spite of and because of it all.

 

This was one of my vocabulary words for the day delivered to my inbox this morning, and it struck me as an apt description of what RA achieves with his acting:

chiaroscuro: In painting, the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. Rembrandt was a master of chiaroscuro.

(Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day)

Richard is the master artist of the detailed character; we learn to appreciate the subtle and varied shading of emotions he delivers from his palette. From a wistful remembrance of past glories to a fellow relaxed and enjoying a hearty meal with his family and comrades . . .

The arkenstone-ck.tumblr.com

Yennifer-ice

From the proud and fierce warrior, always ready to enter the fray . . .

 

To a roaring lion, a force to be reckoned with . . .
 
One who can express a myriad of emotions with the flicker of an eyelash, a tilt of his head, the tightening of that jaw–silence speaking of an inner storm.

He’s an amazing actor and, I believe, a wonderful human being to boot. And so, dear Thorin, I will follow you into The Edge (local theater) with my Kleenex in hand in a few weeks. And Richard, although I have short breaks away from you due to work projects, health issues and money woes (we had limited/no access to internet for the past 10 days due to the la), I keep coming back. There’s just something about you . . .

And I swear, it’s not just the tush. Although it’s Grade A like the rest of you (inside and out). 😀

Thorin artwork found on Pinterest . . . where My Lady of the Purple Cast oft resides

Having only one good hand and one that is not your dominant hand somewhat restricts a blogger’s activities. So I am catching up on the documentary on the Roosevelts I’ve been DVRing and perusing Pinterest and the hundreds of boards I follow there. Here is some nice Thorin fanart I found . . . tomorrow I get the treatment at the hair salon & Friday leave with my oldest sister to go down to spend a few days with our other sister at the beach before my birthday next week.
by Aegilief (look at that smile . . .)

 

By Sceith

The two pieces above are by one of our favorites, evankart.

 

By Nadine-Thome

By Smut-Slut–a twist on Game of Thrones

 

Unknown artist

By Hecate in Nightmare

By Princess Xexhania-Prince Thorin  (yes, I think it looks very similar to evankart, but it isn’t).

RA in black & white (with a smidgen of color) & more. Collages & Photo Edits.

Just seeing that scan of the RA-as-Byronic-young-actor photo from LAMDA the school tweeted today reminded me (1) how much I love looking at images of Richard from throughout his career and (2) how much I love RA in classic black and white. So I did some editing and some plundering of my stash of old edits.

Of course, being me, I also had to play with that lovely black and white image of our handsome floppy-haired Richard and tweak it a bit. I simply could not resist. Call it theRApy of sorts.

And speaking of therapy, tomorrow I see the local orthopedic surgeon and have him take a look at me, my MRI and my EMG results to see what he recommends re the wrist.  In the afternoon I am traveling with the newspaper publisher to a neighboring county to tour one of their historic old homes and surrounding property. She’s shooting the photos and I will take notes to write the copy for the upcoming edition of the Camellia Magazine. I LOVE old homes, so although I know I will be tired afterwards, I am very much looking forward to it (and getting paid to write it).

Richard Armitage: Bamboozled by a Burly Man Beard

We’ve grown so accustomed now, between the long shoot for The Hobbit films and now Richard’s summer-long run as the burly John Proctor in “The Crucible,” to seeing RA bearded or at the very least, heavily stubbled. Now I love him in any flavor: Bearded, Stubbled Light or Heavy, and Clean-Shaven. Still, there is something about a hirsute Mr. A . . .

I recall that first glimpse of him at the initial Hobbit press conference . . . in the Little Black Shirt, sporting those bodacious biceps and THE BEARD.

Remember that deep, deep voice when he responded to the female journalist who was a bit too general in her questions? And those devilish grins he flashed? Oh, wow . . .  sexy Richard indeed!

But there’s his silly side, too–which I also love.   ‘Cause I married me a sexy, silly, funny man.

Richard Armitage tweeted this slightly startling and quite amusing image of himself purportedly attempting to disguise his Proctor beard (“too #ladyGaGa?”) for an upcoming Hobbit Movie photo shoot today. Richard, you ham, you!  Really getting into this whole Twitter thing, aren’t you, old boy?!

 

Of course, once you say goodbye (for however long it proves to be) to your beardy goodness, Rich, there are many who will mourn. May I suggest you look into obtaining this T-shirt?

It could be just the ticket, right? 😉 See you on Twitter!

What and who I want Richard Armitage to be.

I want Richard Armitage to be fulfilled–in terms of his work, I want him to be cast in the kinds of roles he truly desires to play, to be able to dig into characters he finds intriguing, juicy, an exciting challenge that will flex his acting muscles.

 

I want him to keep finding satisfaction in practicing his craft. If he chooses to go into directing, writing and producing at some point, I am all for that, too–although, selfishly, I hope he never chooses to leave acting behind altogether.  He’s much too good at it.

I also want him to be happy and satisfied in his personal life. He believes in nourishment and nurturing; I want Richard to have friends, family, lovers who give him the nourishing and nurturing he so richly deserves.  People with whom he feels truly at home, no matter where his career may take him, because they are always there in his heart.

I want Richard Armitage to know he has many, many admirers who appreciate him for all he has given us, and not just through his performances.  We appreciate all the stage door appearances, no matter what the weather, all those autographs signed, photos posed for and happy moments provided when fans get to look directly into those beautiful eyes and be on the receiving end of one of those stellar smiles.  He speaks so kindly of us in interviews and never seems to take his little community for granted.  I don’t want him to ever feel he owes his fandom a thing, except, perhaps, to bring his best to his roles–and he hasn’t failed me yet.

 

Yes, I want Richard to be happy, satisfied, fulfilled in all facets of his life, to keep learning and growing and being the special human being that he is; to love and to be loved.

I want Richard to be himself. Bright, talented, funny, thoughtful, kind, generous, talented, versatile, and just a little mysterious.  To reveal what he choses to reveal, and to keep private that which he chooses to keep to himself. It’s his right and privilege as a fellow human being.

I consider myself most fortunate to have been his admirer for seven years, seven years of experiencing masculine beauty coupled with an amazing and always evolving talent, a delightful sense of humor and a gentle and humble spirit.

What he brings into my life is more than enough for me, and I regularly say, “Thank you, God, for creating such a wonder as Richard Armitage.”

 

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image.  Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. ”

~ Thomas Merton: No Man is an Island