Chapel hill funeral home kck

For me, the story wasn’t really anything special to write home about, and I didn’t really like how the game was paced and being extremely repetitive halfway through the game(especially with the missions designs), but there was a few good moments in MGSV. The two cutscenes I liked were: The funeral for the diamond dogs, and the last Paz cutscene. That Paz cutscene is genuinely one of my favourites in the entire series, just wished the whole game had that quality the whole way through.

Hi all, I am so far very happy with my Luba - especially when it comes to high grass and steep mini hills to go up/down. However: distance to my neighbor is about 8m - between my and his house - both 3 floor buildings- Luba looses Satellite contact and stops between. I placed rtk in a U shape around house in left lower corner - so there is still direct visual contact - charging station is on left upper end of U - so also direct visual contact. Surprisingly today at noon time Luba returned to charging without any problem - however starting it again lead to error ‚luba blocked - press buttons home and start or mow and start.
Happy for a good hint how I can improve situation.
Thanks N

That's what my parents told me.
It was the end of summer, the cold fall air was starting to come in, when my parents sat me down to give me a talk. My mother took a long breath,
"Lucas, your grandpa is going through a very tough time right now, he is currently fighting a ferocious dragon, and so he may seem a little off sometimes, but just know he is very tired from fighting the dragon"
​
I was a bit confused at the time. A dragon? I had no idea my grandpa was a Dragonslayer. My 6 year old brain was overjoyed.
"Grandpa fights dragons?! He's even cooler than I thought!"
​
There was a somber look in my mother's eye, but she said nothing afterwards and just rubbed my shoulder.
​
​
A couple weeks later we went over to my grandparents house for a visit. The waft of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies fills the air as we walk in, my grandma made the best cookies in the world. My grandpa sees me and his eyes light up with that same joyous love they always do.
"Heya there sport! How's my favorite second baseman doing?"
"Grandpa! I play third base, you know this!" I respond while giggling
"Oh r-right of course, I'll grab the gloves and we can go toss the ball around"
He walks towards the kitchen before catching himself, then walks upstairs to go grab our baseball gloves.
​
The autumn leaves were starting to fall as we went outside to play catch. My grandparents house was in a nice neighborhood that had a lot of trees. Ray's of sunshine were flowing through the trees as we tossed the baseball around. After we play for a bit, we go back inside and help ourselves to my grandma's favorite chocolate chip cookies.
​
"I can't believe you're really a dragon slayer grandpa!"
My grandpa's eyes widened for a half second before going back to his usual, joyous self.
"Haha, well an old man can have a few secrets can't he?"
"I want to help you fight it!" I insisted
"Haha! I'd love to have you help me, but sadly I fight the dragon after your bedtime every night"
I pouted, but that seemed like a reasonable enough explanation for my 6 year old self.
​
Shortly after we finish eating the cookies, my parents and I pack up in our car and wave bye as we pull out of the driveway.
That was the last time I saw my grandpa at his house.
That night I dreamt of a dragon. It spouted fire from it's mouths and snarled as it stared at me. I shook in fear as the dragon raised it's claw and began a massive swipe at me. I could see the razor sharp edges at the end of each finger that looked about as big as me.
But all of a sudden my grandpa was there, clad in shining silver armor. he raised a mighty shield and deflected the dragon's claw, before shouting to me
"C'mon sport! We got a dragon to fight!"
All of a sudden I realized I also had a sword and shield, perfectly fit to my size. My fear had evaporated when I saw my grandpa, and I let out a roar as I charged to follow my grandpa towards the dragon.
​
I woke up with a start immediately after. I felt frustrated I couldn't end up fighting the dragon, but I was still smiling thinking of my grandpa being a heroic dragon slayer.
The months go by as school starts and we aren't able to visit my grandparents, though I did manage to talk to them on the phone sometimes. My grandpa started to seem less like his usual self; he was still the kind old man I came to know and love, but he seemed to be talking like he was distracted by something, and lost his train of thought frequently.
​
My parents told me he was just tired from fighting the dragon.
​
6 months after I had the dream about fighting the dragon, I had another similar dream. The dragon was there, and my grandpa was too, but things were different. My grandpa was pinned under the dragon's talons, and looked to be struggling.
​
"Grandpa! GRANDPA!" I shouted
​
My grandpa looked at me, but the usual joyous glow that was always in his eyes wasn't there.
​
He looked scared, confused.
​
I wasn't about to just let the dragon win though. I drew my sword and charged towards the dragon, it stared at me with dark, soulless eyes.
​
I woke up with a jolt, panting. I was scared, not of the dragon, but of what was gonna happen to my grandpa.
2 months later, my parents tell me we are gonna meet grandpa at the hospital. When we walked in the room, my grandma was crying quietly. She quickly wiped her eyes as we walked in the room.
"Hey buddy, grandpa might be a bit confused right now, he's very tired from fighting the dragon, but just know that he loves you and that will never change.
I give my grandma a big hug. I didn't want her to cry, I wanted to be brave for her.
​
My parents and I walked up to my grandpa. He was laying on the hospital bed, he looked like he was looking at something a million miles away.
My mom was the first one to speak
"Harry… this is your grandson, Lucas. You remember him right?"
"Lucas? Hmmmmm. Oh right! How could I forget! My favorite baseball player! You play for the Detroit Tigers right? 3rd baseman?"
I giggled
"Grandpa! I'm only 6! I can't play for the Tigers yet!"
"Oh r-right, I'm sorry buddy"
​
He's never called me buddy before.
​
I was confused, but at the time I chalked it up to him being tired from fighting the dragon. Still, I couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness as we walked out of the hospital room. But right as I was about to head through the door my grandpa shouted.
"Hey sport!"
I looked back and for just a glimpse, I saw that same joyous love in my grandpa's eye.
​
"I'm gonna beat that dragon"
​
I smile at him before heading out the door. The drive home was quiet, I could tell my mom was sobbing quietly into her coat, my dad was driving, his eyes looked somber in the rearview mirror.
"Dad, is the dragon too strong for grandpa to beat?"
My dad looks at me and sighs deeply.
"I don't know Lucas, but I know he's gonna try"
​
That night, I had another dream.
​
The dragon was there, and so was my grandpa. But this time, the tides had turned. My grandpa fought furiously, all while laughing with his same, joyous laugh. I see him climb onto the back of the dragon, the dragon bucking wildly to get him off.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, I'm here!" I shout
He looks at me with those same joyous eyes.
"Heya there sport, toss me that rope! I know you got a mean throw!"
Right as he said it I realized there was a bundle of rope right next to me. I pick it up and throw it with all my strength. Miraculously, my grandpa reaches out one arm and catches it.
"Thanks sport! I can always rely on you!"
My grandpa swings the rope around the dragon, getting it right through it's mouth. The dragon bucks even more wildly, but my grandpa holds on. Eventually, the dragon submits, and stops bucking.
I stare at my grandpa on the back of the dragon. He was not only a Dragonslayer, he was a dragon rider!
​
"We did it grandpa! We beat the dragon!"
He takes a long look at me, with those same joyous eyes, and smiles. Then he guides the dragon into the air as he flies away.
​
​
My grandpa died that night.
​
​
It was a sad day, my mom was sobbing the whole time as my dad tried to comfort her, and I couldn't even bring myself to cry. I was confused, I thought we won. If we beat the dragon, why did my grandpa die?
The funeral was a few days after. A soft breeze made the trees rustle. It was a small event, he wouldn't have wanted anything else. There was a lot of crying, and a lot of speeches about the great person he was. As the ceremony came to a close, my grandma came up to me and tried to smile.
"Your grandpa wrote this for you a few months ago, as he was first starting to fight the dragon"
She handed me a letter. I thanked her and gave her a big hug, promising I'd find the dragon that did this.
​
As the sun started to set, my parents started to pack up the car. On the ride home I decided to open the letter. It read:
​
Dear sport,
​
I know how this must feel right now. I was supposed to beat the dragon! Then why am I not there still?
Well Lucas, there's something you should know about this dragon. Truth be told, I had no idea this
dragon was coming; it came out of nowhere, and was as surprising as it was scary. I was scared, sport.
I know that might seem surprising to you, your brave old grandpa being scared, but I was. Dragons
are scary, even to old-timers like me. But one thing kept me pushing on, kept me fighting. That thing
was you, sport. You were my sword and shield, my shining silver armor. I couldn't have fought the
dragon without you. I know you can't see me now, but trust me when I say I'm out there going on
adventures. I carry you and your grandma and your parents with me, you guys are my courage, my
protectors. I don't know where I'm going, but I know I'm gonna be okay because I have you with me. I
love you, sport. Hit a home run for your old grandpa huh?
​
Your favorite Dragonslayer,
​
Grandpa.

The old mansion had been abandoned for years, but it still stood proudly at the top of the hill overlooking the town. People would often talk about the strange occurrences that would happen there. Some claimed to have seen lights flickering in the windows at night, while others swore they heard the sound of someone playing the piano on still evenings.
It was the talk of the town for a while, but as time passed, people forgot about the old mansion and went on with their lives. However, there was one person who couldn't stop thinking about it. His name was Jack, and he had always been fascinated by the old mansion's history.
One day, Jack decided to investigate the old mansion for himself. He made his way up the winding path to the mansion's front door and pushed it open. Inside, he found a vast empty space, covered in dust and cobwebs. The mansion was even bigger than he had imagined, and he couldn't wait to explore it.
As he walked around, he noticed that some of the old furniture had been moved. It was as if someone had been living there recently. But that couldn't be possible, could it?
Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from one of the upstairs rooms. It sounded like footsteps. Jack froze in fear, wondering who or what could be upstairs with him. Slowly, he made his way up the creaking staircase and down the long hallway.
Finally, he reached the room from where the sound had been coming. He slowly pushed the door open and gasped in shock. Inside, he saw an old man sitting at the piano, playing a hauntingly beautiful melody. The old man turned to look at Jack, and Jack saw the emptiness in his eyes. It was then that Jack realized that he had just stumbled upon a ghost.
The old mansion had been home to the old man, who had been a famous pianist in his time. When he died, his spirit remained, haunting the mansion and playing the piano that he loved so much.
Jack left the mansion, shaken but fascinated by what he had seen. From that day on, he would often visit the old mansion and listen to the ghostly music playing on the old piano. The old mansion may have been abandoned, but it was never truly empty.

Hi everyone,
Please let me know if I should ask this in another subreddit. Ultimately the question is: SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT A $50K+ REPAIR? Or is this likely not a big deal, and just have the contractor level the floor and door frame during renovation (while keeping the ceiling line as is)?
We just opened escrow on a house. Yesterday, I asked about the following issues from the home inspector; 2 general contractors also came by to give quotes on interior remodeling. All 3 basically said that we need to open the wall to see if there's anything to be worried about.
Basically, it looks like there's some sagging on the LEFT side of the house (I've defined LEFT to mean LEFT SIDE when you're looking from the hallway into the bonus room). So, the hallway leading to the bonus room slightly sags to the left (i.e. towards the wall). The tilt in the floor was hard to capture in a picture so I didn't upload one; but in person, you can visually see there's a slight tilt to the LEFT(towards the wall) when you're looking at the floor of the hallway leading to the bonus room, as well as when you look at the floor inside the bonus room.
I did include pictures of the ceiling. If you look at the pictures of the ceiling, you can see that the doorway sags/drops on the LEFT side (I drew a black line to highlight the drop). Also, the bonus room is ABOVE THE GARAGE, so I included some pictures from the garage. The support beam on the LEFT has a fairly large crack, but the right side of the beam looks fine. Also, I've included pictures of the drywall on the garage's ceiling, which appears to have old water damage.
Potentially relevant facts: - Anaheim Hills, CA - There is a wet bar in the bonus room. Otherwise, no plumbing is on this side of the house. - Slab foundation - Current owner has lived there for 49 years (since home was built)
Thanks in advance!

This happened yesterday, but I'm still feeling hella salty about it so I'm going to vent.
I live near a large university, and often take an Uber home from downtown where the university is. I usually have an exchange with my Uber driver along the lines of "what are you majoring in?" "Oh, I'm not in school." "Just graduated?" "No, I'm in my mid 30s" "Oh wow! I thought you were a lot younger"
I'm used to this.
My Uber driver yesterday added "wow, you're so lucky, you must have really good genes! I'm jealous!"
Like, fuck off! My genes are shit! I have to pay $14 to take an Uber 1.5 miles down a hill because I can't walk down hill for that long without subluxing everything from my hip down every step of the way. Please, explain to me how lucky I am to be a disabled 35 year old just because I look younger while doing it.
The whole thing was just a nightmare - I had a migraine, old dude kept calling me a cutie pie, and in my haste to leave the creep I lost my earbuds. What shite.

It's cold. But when it's winter it must be cold. And that's the problem. You either have to pay for heat or get tired with getting coal or wood, starting the fire and checking it doesn't spread. Going out is a torture. You have to put in a dozen layers of clothes. Underwear, pants, short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, boots, neck warmer, hat, gloves. To go out to a shop that is on the ground level or just around the corner, you need all this wearing and getting tired. Winter clothes are heavy, limit motions, sometimes even visibility, and are hard to put on and put off. So buying those is hard and even if you do, then they're hard to walk in. Summer and spring don't have those problems, because you can put on clothes for outdoors and indoors, just change boots and you're alright.
And winter is such a great time to get sick. And the worst thing is having a stuffed nose and have to breathe with your mouth, with this cold air. Throat damage guaranteed, plus this pain in the face from the cold air blowing in your direction. Summer and spring don't have such problems. And winter has the highest amount of deaths of all the seasons. I literally got a frostbite because I touched snow with my bare hands because I didn't have gloves on them. And if you're healthy and put on the clothes, there's another problem.
Getting around. Most of us are rich and have a car and can drive wherever they want. But if you can't, you have to use public transit. I don't have anything about just using it or the fact of the existence of public transit, but the quality of those in Poland, where I live, leaves much to be desired. You have to wait, in cold. In a city this isn't a problem as big as in the rural areas where buses function. These are often coming only in early mornings and in early afternoon, but even if they come more often, they often are late. And no matter the location, you often have to stand, and even if you find a seat, you can sometimes smell people who don't shower very often. Trams, trains, metros and buses are often heated, like most indoor places, we'll get to that later, and people coming there in winter are usually in jackets and sweat in those vehicles, especially considering how crowded they often get and how warm those crowded people are. You'll sweat like a construction worker after 8 hours of work during a heatwave. And driving doesn't save you from the effects of winter. You have to scrape snow from your car, the engine can not start or the visibility is low and roads are blocked or icy, you can skid easily and crash into another car, a pedestrian, a pole or a tree. Walking does neither. If snow falls, it's crushed by people walking, melts and freezes again, and or forms ice on the sidewalk. And you can slip on it and either break something or die. Each time I walk on it, I think I'm gonna die. Either i slip on it and land on a spiked fence, I land on the sidewalk and break something, or I land on the street and get run over by a semi truck or a car. If you manage to get to your destination, there's another problem.
All the buildings are heated, so if you're in winter clothes, you're going to sweat like a construction worker after 8 hours of work during a heatwave.
It's dark half the day. You go to work or school, dark, you go back, dark. And the other half it's cloudy and grey. And the whole world dies. No leaves, no grass, no flowers, some animals hibernate, just grey, cloudy skies and white brown combination of snow, soil, water and mud. No sun. Sure, there are Christmas lights but let's face it, they are only to hide the grey and dark.
It's a hard time for students. The semester ends. You have to pass everything. They throw a lot of tests and quizzes at you. You will tire yourself to death.
Winter sports and games. Snowballs. I hate snowballs. Even if the person who throws one is someone I like. Usually, I take it easy, but in my mind, I hate it. Ice skating. I can't do that because the nearest lake or skating rink is too far away to walk. I could afford that, but I would need to wear all those clothes, get on the bus, ask my parents for approval, get back. No way. Skiing. I live in a city surrounded by forests and farm fields. No way. Sledding. Those are easier because I have some hills in my neighborhood, but going out, taking the sled, going back. Nope. Snowman. Going out. No.
And there are, CHRISTMAS IN WINTER. I'm fed up with them. Literally a few days after Halloween and All Saints Day, all the shops and malls are decorated, and Christmas songs are playing on the radio and Christmas commercials on TV. "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart...":“Christmas promotion! Bone carp, only 21.37 per package or a withered Christmas tree, 69.69 each plus delivery for 3.21. Holidays for Christmas, Old Zealand, 666.66 both ways. Christmas loans, only in Pierogi Bank Polski." Don't take Christmas loans, that's the stupidest thing you can do in that time of the year. They're still up everywhere, wherever I go, whatever I look at. Until the day finally arrives, December 24, when you are completely fed up with it. And it's not like I hate Christmas. Christmas in their current shape and theme are asking for dislike. You want to get up, leave, and come back when all this madness is over. But it's nice that we have time off and we get presents and meet our family. In the summer we have more free time, and on birthdays and name days we also get gifts and meet our family. But always something. And then there's another holiday.
New Year's Eve and New Year, when humans celebrate Earth going around the Sun once again, while nothing besides it happens in nature and humanity on those two days. You can do whatever you want on that day, and in my case, it'll be sitting on the couch in pajamas, watching TV and eating some unhealthy snacks like chips. Most people will spend it partying with friends and family and doing stuff together. And then, they will count from 10 to 1 like if a rocket was starting, and then fireworks explore, and dogs are scared. Afterwards, people will start to go home. And then you can't sleep the whole night because some idiots have too much fireworks and firecrackers, which is also a problem the whole winter.

BRAVO

• Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney comfort sobbing former Vanderpump Rules co-star Dayna Kathan after the tragic death of her beloved cat Leo (Daily Mail)
• Scandoval Timeline “Evolves” in Final Reunion Episode, ‘Vanderpump Rules’ EP Says (Jackie Strause for The Hollywood Reporter)
• Following Scandoval, ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Ariana Madix Is Turning Her Relationship Distress Into Dollars (Mesfin Fekadu for The Hollywood Reporter)
• Lala Kent Addresses Vanderpump Rules Reunion Theories—Including Raquel Leviss Pregnancy Rumors (Amazon Live/E!)
• Lala Kent’s staples include this $31 bustier: ‘Won’t let Raquel ruin my corset vibe’ (Amazon Live/Page Six Style)
• Lala Kent Reacts to The View’s Sunny Hostin’s Take on ‘Sociopathic’ Friends Amid Raquel Leviss Drama (US Weekly)
• Brittany Cartwright 'Cannot Believe' How Big 'Vanderpump Rules' Has Become Since Scandoval: 'It's Been Crazy for Everybody' (OK! Magazine exclusive)
• Vanderpump Rules vet Brittany Cartwright poses in a bikini as she says she was 'shocked' by Tom's cheating and thinks Ariana will be 'amazing' (Daily Mail exclusive)
• Stassi Schroeder Questions Tom Schwartz for ‘Riding So Hard’ for Tom Sandoval Amid Raquel Leviss Cheating Scandal: ‘You Are Wrong’ (Straight Up With Stassi podcast/US Weekly)
• 'Bucks are done, "Vanderpump" is in.' Without playoff run, bars draw customers with reality TV watch parties (Jordyn Noennig for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal)
• ‘Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard’ star Jordan addresses ‘sweet’ Tom Schwartz romance rumors (Page Six exclusive)

ORANGE COUNTY

• Heather Dubrow Shares Secrets of Her 24-Year Marriage to Husband Terry Dubrow: ‘Date Your Spouse’ (Heather Dubrow Instagram/People)
• Photo: Heather Dubrow filming a confessional for season 17 of The Real Housewives of Orange County (realhousewivesfranchise Instagram)

NEW JERSEY

• Teresa Giudice Has a Major Update on Milania's College Plans (Teresa Giudice Instagram/Bravo)
• Jon Gosselin & RHONJ’s Margaret Josephs help real estate mogul Patrick Carroll donate sneakers to kids in need (The Sun U.S. exclusive)
• RHONJ Alum Kim DePaola Thinks Andy Cohen ‘Is Not Happy’ With Luis Ruelas’ Actions (Behind the Velvet Rope podcast/Heavy)

NEW YORK

• Jenna Lyons attends NJ/NY Gotham FC's Pride game at the Red Bull Arena (Page Six Star Snaps)
• Press release: Jill Zarin, Star of The Real Housewives of NY, Launches Jill Zarin Beauty - A Luxurious Skincare Line Featuring Essential Products for Radiant Skin (PR Newswire)
• Bethenny Frankel gives tour of her luxurious $2.3 million Hamptons home (Bethenny Frankel TikTok/Page Six)

BEVERLY HILLS

• Erika Jayne’s Las Vegas ‘date,’ lawyer Jim Wilkes, clears up his relationship status (Page Six exclusive)

POTOMAC

• Gizelle Bryant’s Daughter Grace Graduates from High School (Gizelle Bryant Instagram/Bravo)

TORONTO

• Real Housewife Kara Alloway on her debut novel and life in Toronto (Ron Johnson for Streets of Toronto)

WYNLANDE

• ‘RHOWL’: Director opens up out about backlash, negative comment (The South African)

Links to this week's episode discussion posts:

• RHONJ S13E18 🍝
• RHOA S15E5 🍑
• VPR S10E17 🍸
• VPR S10E17 - "Pumped Up Edition" 🍸

It's cold. But when it's winter it must be cold. And that's the problem. You either have to pay for heat or get tired with getting coal or wood, starting the fire and checking it doesn't spread. Going out is a torture. You have to put in a dozen layers of clothes. Underwear, pants, short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, boots, neck warmer, hat, gloves. To go out to a shop that is on the ground level or just around the corner, you need all this wearing and getting tired. Winter clothes are heavy, limit motions, sometimes even visibility, and are hard to put on and put off. So buying those is hard and even if you do, then they're hard to walk in. Summer and spring don't have those problems, because you can put on clothes for outdoors and indoors, just change boots and you're alright.
And winter is such a great time to get sick. And the worst thing is having a stuffed nose and have to breathe with your mouth, with this cold air. Throat damage guaranteed, plus this pain in the face from the cold air blowing in your direction. Summer and spring don't have such problems. And winter has the highest amount of deaths of all the seasons. I literally got a frostbite because I touched snow with my bare hands because I didn't have gloves on them. And if you're healthy and put on the clothes, there's another problem.
Getting around. Most of us are rich and have a car and can drive wherever they want. But if you can't, you have to use public transit. I don't have anything about just using it or the fact of the existence of public transit, but the quality of those in Poland, where I live, leaves much to be desired. You have to wait, in cold. In a city this isn't a problem as big as in the rural areas where buses function. These are often coming only in early mornings and in early afternoon, but even if they come more often, they often are late. And no matter the location, you often have to stand, and even if you find a seat, you can sometimes smell people who don't shower very often. Trams, trains, metros and buses are often heated, like most indoor places, we'll get to that later, and people coming there in winter are usually in jackets and sweat in those vehicles, especially considering how crowded they often get and how warm those crowded people are. You'll sweat like a construction worker after 8 hours of work during a heatwave. And driving doesn't save you from the effects of winter. You have to scrape snow from your car, the engine can not start or the visibility is low and roads are blocked or icy, you can skid easily and crash into another car, a pedestrian, a pole or a tree. Walking does neither. If snow falls, it's crushed by people walking, melts and freezes again, and or forms ice on the sidewalk. And you can slip on it and either break something or die. Each time I walk on it, I think I'm gonna die. Either i slip on it and land on a spiked fence, I land on the sidewalk and break something, or I land on the street and get run over by a semi truck or a car. If you manage to get to your destination, there's another problem.
All the buildings are heated, so if you're in winter clothes, you're going to sweat like a construction worker after 8 hours of work during a heatwave.
It's dark half the day. You go to work or school, dark, you go back, dark. And the other half it's cloudy and grey. And the whole world dies. No leaves, no grass, no flowers, some animals hibernate, just grey, cloudy skies and white brown combination of snow, soil, water and mud. No sun. Sure, there are Christmas lights but let's face it, they are only to hide the grey and dark.
It's a hard time for students. The semester ends. You have to pass everything. They throw a lot of tests and quizzes at you. You will tire yourself to death.
Winter sports and games. Snowballs. I hate snowballs. Even if the person who throws one is someone I like. Usually, I take it easy, but in my mind, I hate it. Ice skating. I can't do that because the nearest lake or skating rink is too far away to walk. I could afford that, but I would need to wear all those clothes, get on the bus, ask my parents for approval, get back. No way. Skiing. I live in a city surrounded by forests and farm fields. No way. Sledding. Those are easier because I have some hills in my neighborhood, but going out, taking the sled, going back. Nope. Snowman. Going out. No.
And there are, CHRISTMAS IN WINTER. I'm fed up with them. Literally a few days after Halloween and All Saints Day, all the shops and malls are decorated, and Christmas songs are playing on the radio and Christmas commercials on TV. "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart...":“Christmas promotion! Bone carp, only 21.37 per package or a withered Christmas tree, 69.69 each plus delivery for 3.21. Holidays for Christmas, Old Zealand, 666.66 both ways. Christmas loans, only in Pierogi Bank Polski." Don't take Christmas loans, that's the stupidest thing you can do in that time of the year. They're still up everywhere, wherever I go, whatever I look at. Until the day finally arrives, December 24, when you are completely fed up with it. And it's not like I hate Christmas. Christmas in their current shape and theme are asking for dislike. You want to get up, leave, and come back when all this madness is over. But it's nice that we have time off and we get presents and meet our family. In the summer we have more free time, and on birthdays and name days we also get gifts and meet our family. But always something. And then there's another holiday.
New Year's Eve and New Year, when humans celebrate Earth going around the Sun once again, while nothing besides it happens in nature and humanity on those two days. You can do whatever you want on that day, and in my case, it'll be sitting on the couch in pajamas, watching TV and eating some unhealthy snacks like chips. Most people will spend it partying with friends and family and doing stuff together. And then, they will count from 10 to 1 like if a rocket was starting, and then fireworks explore, and dogs are scared. Afterwards, people will start to go home. And then you can't sleep the whole night because some idiots have too much fireworks and firecrackers, which is also a problem the whole winter.

Maisie was brilliant, Maisie was kind, but unfortunately Maisie was not and never would be my girlfriend. She had been dating Craig since 8th grade.
I knew Maisie from the Debate Team, and I always had the biggest crush on her.
After a Debate Tournament, Maisie and I were waiting for our parents to pick us up when she asked what my plans were after graduation.
“No fucking clue.”
“I don’t know much,” she said, “but I know I’d like to get married.”
I was sad to hear that because I knew she’d probably marry Craig. “You’d make a great wife.”
“Let’s make a deal.” She leaned in and grabbed my hand. “If neither of us are married by the time we turn 40, we’ll marry each other.”
I laughed, “It’s a deal!”
High school finished; college came and went. I got a job that paid well, but I hated every second of it. Birthdays became something I dreaded, and forty-one was just around the corner.
Then I got an unexpected message on Facebook.
It was Maisie. She asked if I wanted to grab dinner!
When we met she was just as beautiful as I remembered—no, even more beautiful. I asked if she “ever got married?”
“Nope,” she said, “but… I still could.” She pulled out a small, black box, with a ring inside. She knew how crazy it sounded, but she “wasn’t getting any younger.”
She wasn’t going to get an argument from me, “Yes—a thousand times, yes.”
That night we got married in a 24-Hour Wedding Chapel called “The Cathedral,” and went right home to consummate the marriage. It was the happiest I’d ever been in my entire life.
Immediately after, Maisie said she was going to get some champagne to celebrate. “Or maybe some beer, something fruit flavored—hey, what kind of booze do you like?”
“Champagne sounds great,” I said.
She said she’d be back before I knew it.
An hour went by and she hadn’t returned. After two hours, she came home without any champagne. She said she went to four different stores and they were all sold out.
“Let’s just go to bed,” I said, “we’ll get champagne tomorrow.”
We went to bed, and consummated the marriage a couple more times for good measure.
In the morning I awoke to a pounding on my front door. I went downstairs and saw SWAT had decided to occupy my front lawn!
I opened the door, they came in guns drawn! They brought Maisie downstairs in handcuffs.
She managed to give me a kiss and she whispered in my ear, “I was with you all night,” before she was taken away
The commanding officer told me how a man named Craig had been murdered. He and Maisie had been dating for years. She couldn’t leave him because he was “very abusive.” Eventually she “snapped” and decided to “eliminate him from the picture.”
“So,” the commanding officer asked me, “did Maisie leave the house at any point last night?”

After remaining invincible and impregnable for centuries, the mighty Pir Panchal is witnessing enormous developmental activity for a new expressway, a challenging railway line and most of the dam-fed hydropower projects involving an investment of tens of thousands of crores. At places, this is triggering the fragile range to cave in at the cost of homes and livelihoods of age-old villages, a situation that experts believe could have been avoided with better pre-feasibility studies and sophisticated project implementation, reports Masood Hussain
Anticipated for years, finally, the increased incidence of land subsidence and sinking in the Pir Panchal Mountains is Jammu and Kashmir’s new normal. The young fragile and unstable mountain range separating Kashmir from the rest of the world is in news frequently as the slopes housing small habitations for centuries are caving in.
On February 19, 2023, around 16 structures of Duksar Dalwa (Duksar Dal), a hamlet almost 45 km uphill from Ramban, suffered serious damage as the land caved in. It crippled road connectivity between Gool and Ramban where almost 500 meters developed cracks, tripped the electric supply and snapped the water supply. Three homes developed cracks forcing authorities to shift the impacted population to safer areas.
Officials said while they are working overtime to resume power and water supplies, they are also improving the Dharam-Salballa road to make it an alternative supply route to the “literally disconnected” area. In the sinking village, the official encouraged the residents to move swiftly to safer spots. For residents, however, the gradual 3-day sinking was a painful watch of their life earnings slowly cracking up and becoming black holes over hills.
It started with a crater that widened to almost 500 meters during two nights, making almost everything around unsafe, unstable and life-threatening. A mosque, Darsgah, the village seminary and the village graveyard were destroyed. Residents quickly exhumed a recently buried body and laid it to rest at a “safe” place.
Officials who visited the spot said the village’s agriculture fields were rendered useless, pushing residents into poverty. They lost homes and their livelihoods too.
The Duksar erasing came less than a fortnight after Doda lost a cluster of houses to a similar instance on February 3, 2023. Located on the foothills on the road to Kishtwar near Thathri, nearly 35 km from Doda, the volunteers, residents and government officials had to quickly shift 117 members of 19 families as the patch of slope housing the Nai Basti cluster gave in within three days. A total of 21 structures cracked and became unsafe.
Horrific Tunnel Collapse
The last horrific tragedy took place on May 19, 2022, when the workers were digging into an adit (minor access to the T3 tunnel) near Khooni Nalla at Ramsu’s Makerkot area. It collapsed over them killing ten workers including two local residents and eight Nepalese labourers. The tragedy struck during the day amid incessant rain but still, only two persons could be rescued alive.
The workers were on the challenging stretch of the national highway between Digdole and Khooni Nallah, which is otherwise notorious for frequent landslides and shooting stones due to fragile geology. It was part of the twin-tube tunnel that would connect Digdole to Panthyal and was implemented by Ceigall India Limited in a JV with Patel Engineering Limited. (The contractor has been imposed a heavy fine.)
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) that has taken over the Jammu Srinagar national highway from Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a few years back, is constructing at least five tunnels to bypass the highway’s 3-km “killer’’ stretch from Panthyal to Makerkote. Tunnel T3 is part of this intervention.
Unlike the rest of the highway, the 36-km Banihal Ramban stretch has been the most challenging one and that is why it is still under implementation. On this stretch are six “killer spots” located on a 14-km road stretch and NHAI intends to spend Rs 2000 crore to manage this. Implementation of this would offer some safety from frequent halts owing to shooting stones at Marog, Panthial, Digdol and Battery Chashma.
Triggering Instability
Implementation of these projects is triggering crises for the localities living around them. As many as 13 houses in Sujmatana village near Ramsu were literally devastated. The round-the-clock blasting for the tunnel projects and cutting work made these houses inhospitable after they developed cracks. Most of them have left their unsafe homes and migrated elsewhere. Though officials are looking into the crisis since 2017, it is yet to be settled.
On August 4, 2022, 36 families had a providential escape when their Bassan village in Reasi became the casualty of sinking and erosion at the same time. Without any notice, landslides carried down boulders and muck that crashed the houses and put the agriculture fields out of sight. It was so abrupt, villages said, that they had no time to take their belongings along.
Officials admitted that almost 60 kanals of land sank as another 400 kanals patch was rendered useless. Almost all the fruit trees, mostly walnut and apricot, were engulfed in mud. Almost 200 meters of a PMGSY road was also downthrown by around 25 meters from its actual alignment.
The earlier worst case was reported from Dalwas when on March 28, 2020, the residents fled when their homes and fields were literally buried by landslides. Almost 40 households were impacted.
The village has been there for ages and never experienced any such threat. Then one day it literally disappeared. Residents alleged that being away from Srinagar and Jammu, deep into the mountains they hardly were reported. At one point in time when they wanted to protest, authorities invoked Covid19 concerns to prevent it.
Response Protocol
Over the years, the government response has remained unchanged. Once the reports land that spots are sinking, they as the first quick reaction, send cops, paramilitary, SDRF and revenue officials to oversee and, in most cases, extend help in quick evacuations. In stage two, the respective Deputy Commissioner writes to geologists and the Department of Geology and Mining and, off late, to the Geological Survey of India, who rush their experts to these spots. In the subsequent few days, they study the local rock formations and submit reports, part of which goes to newspapers and by and large the files get closed.
At the same time, files start rolling about relief and rehabilitation. It takes its own time. In many cases, people who lose their homes and livelihoods are yet to be properly rehabilitated.
Invariably, the policymakers and the administrators avoid two vital ingredients of the story – the assessments that the local populations make about the crisis they land in and the wider angle that remains unchanged across the Pir Panchal range.
Resident Assessments
Affected populations are unwilling to accept that these crises are natural. They see them as man-made disasters. Raqeeb Wani, a former Sarpanch of Daskar Dalwa told The Telegraph that his village’s erasing is directly linked to the construction of two railway tunnels downhill, that would link a 3km rail track between Sangaldan and Chaddi. He attributed it to the “continuous blasting” that loosens the soil and adds to the instability of the mountain.
“A few years ago, we had a similar disaster in Sangaldan a few years ago when an entire market caved in,” Wani was quoted as saying. “That also was owing to the railway project.”
In the case of Dalwas, for instance, a former lawmaker from Ramban Ashok Kumar Dogra said the “unscientific planning” of the widening of the national highway is responsible. “The highway authorities started excavation of the road from beneath the village without raising any wall on the side of the village. As no concrete measures were taken by the NHAI to protect the village and debris was also disposed of at the same place, the tragedy was bound to happen and the houses collapsed and the village sank,” Dogra told Outlook. “I will not call it a natural disaster. It was the unplanned construction that destabilised the soil of the whole area, leading to its sinking.”
Right to A Road
Pir Panchal mountain range has remained literally invincible and technically impregnable for centuries. It took decades of thought process and a lot of resources to lay a foot track between Jammu and Srinagar, to have an alternative to Mughal Road. Known to history as the Banihal Cart Road, it was difficult and always retained by Dogra despots as a private route. It remained inaccessible to people till 1922. Till the Jawahar Tunnel was inaugurated, the road would pass over the Banihal pass, the abandoned remnants of which still exist.
This made Kashmir rely on the Jhelum Valley Road (JVR) as the main highway.
Almost 225 residents from 48 households who somehow survived the tragedy moved to another village and are still struggling to pick the threads of their lives. Though life has returned to the village, they are still fighting for an electric supply line and the rebuilding of the school building.
An Upcoming Railway
The road is just not the only thing that is happening deep inside the Pir Panchal mountain range. While the road is being upgraded, there is a railway project in an advanced stage of implementation.
Unlike the road that is being laid over the foothills not far away from the old alignment that also followed a foot track of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the railway track is passing through a virgin area, part of which has not seen even a bus. For making rail reach Baramulla from Udhampur, the 272-km project is going to cost a whopping Rs 37012 crore of which more than ninety per cent has already been spent.
Work on JVR started in 1880 and was formally thrown open in September 1890, when Maharaja Partap Singh was driven through from Baramulla to Kohala. The construction of this gigantic road project was implemented by a major British Indian contractor M/S Spedding, Mitchell & Co and was overseen by different British engineers at different stretches. While General de Bourbel oversaw everything as the Chief Engineer Kashmir, it was Alexander Atkinsonmanagedmost of the road up to Chakoti (on the other side of LoC now) and a few parts on the Kashmir side; Farrant was in charge of construction between Chakotiand Baramulla; as EG Hebbert supervised its completion in November 1889. Resources apart, it cost too many lives. Between Chakoti and Baramulla, 54 Pathans were killed in four years. Besides, 20 lives were lost to snake bites.
Post-partition, the Banihal Road became arterial and pressure built with a surge in population and demand in Kashmir. For seven decades, this road bore the brunt of all the pressures of travel, demand and consumerism and gave in. The rise of the Kashmir apple added another pressure factor so did the security requirements.
Finally, a stage reached that the health of the national highway was directly linked to the economic well-being of Kashmir. This paved the way for the decision by the Government of India that distances need to be reduced and the highway must be improved so that commuters do not end up spending a day on a 300-km highway.
More than a decade after the first spadework, it is emerging as one of the best roads. There are three major tunnels that have skipped dangerous patches while reducing distance and uphill driving: a set of four small tunnels near Nandni with a combined length of 1.4 km; 9.2 km Chenani-Nashri tunnel has bypassed a gruelling uphill drive and 8.5 km Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is going to tame dangerous Banihal Pass forever.
Distance has dropped from 300 to 270 km and the travel time from 12 to around 5 hours. But the Banihal-Ramban stretch remains a challenge. Earlier, it was merely a technological crisis, now it is a serious ecological issue.
These villagers were fortunate in comparison to the Sadal hamlet of Udhampur which was buried under a massive mudslide at noon on September 6, 2014. Following incessant rains for many days, it triggered massive floods in Kashmir and the rest of the erstwhile state. As many as 41 residents from 65 households were killed by the wee hour mountain collapse that brought an almost 30-foot-thick blanket of rafted rock fragments mud, sludge and rubble.
The rail is already chugging between Udhampur and Katra (25 km) since July 2014, Baramulla to Qazigund (118 km) since October 2009; and Qazigund to Baramulla (18 km) since June 2013. This leaves the most challenging stretch of 111 km between Banihal and Katra to be implemented.
However, the cost of the track does not define the project. It is the work that details the challenge. Nearly 119 km of the entire track will pass through 38 tunnels, the longest of which is 12.77 km long.
What is interesting is that in the 111-km Banihal – Katra track, 97.42 km are tunnels and most of the rest are bridges. Railway officials have to do 163.82 km of tunnelling in total – 66.4 km are escape tunnels – to make the track possible. For making these tunnel spots accessible to men and machines, there is a network of 205 km of roads, which remain busy round the clock.
This track will have 37 bridges – totalling 7 km in length, including the iconic Chenab Bridge, which is tipped to be the highest railway bridge on earth. While this bridge is ready, the current focus is on the first cable-stayed railway bridge on Anji Khad.
With thousands of people working deep inside the mountains with basic cutting and blasting machinery a lot of activity is generated.
There were dozens of instances in which the portions of various tunnels collapsed resulting in either changing the alignment or repairing the damage and restoring the tunnel. In July 2006, an almost 3 km long tunnel on the Udhampur-Katra track gradually started sinking after massive soil swelling on the two ends making it unusable and thus delaying the project. Northern Railways later hired an Austrian consultant, Geo Consult International (GCI), to salvage the project after many years of delay. The causes of the damage were visible to even the then Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who said he saw “a river flowing under the tunnel”.
A number of tunnels between Katra and Sangaldan witnessed “abnormal” water discharge making construction a challenging task. In Sangladan, the managers were shocked when they saw a 500-meter track between two tunnels actually missing one fine morning. Reported in 2006, it destroyed a vast stretch of land on a slope housing as many as 100 structures besides over 400 meters of the road connecting Mahore and Gulabgarh.
In 2016 summer of 2016, authorities shifted 124 families – almost the entire village of Dharam, after the vast patch of land that housed the hamlet caved in within three months. Though the officials attributed it to natural reasons, the residents linked the unprecedented situation to the ongoing work on the railway line passing close to the village.
Oceans In Gorges
Piercing the Pir Panchal mountains for smooth, faster and better communication is just not the only thing happening in the region. Owing to the mighty Chenab, the region is Jammu and Kashmir’s powerhouse. More than 90 per cent of the hydropower potential is restricted to the region owing to the availability of water and enough space to construct dams within the mountain gorges. This has led to a situation where the region holds a massive amount of water in its dams.
The region’s tryst with power generation started late last century with the implementation of the 900-MW Salal power project in Reasi in 1978. The project’s 1.45 million cubic meter dam has created the Salal lake which has the capacity to retain more than 28 million cubic meters of water.
Then came the 390-MW Dul-Hasti Power Project near Kishtwar. It was followed by the 900-MW Baglihar power with 1.8 cubic meters of the dam and an additional reservoir capacity of 39.5 cubic meters – a facility that has created a huge water body in the mountain gorges between Chanderkote belt and Thathri to the extent that certain localities and infrastructures had to be relocated. Quite a few people still live in the highway town of Pul Doda.
The region has many other power projects at different stages of implementation. These include 850-MW Rattle, 100-MW Pakal Dul, 624-MW Kiru, 540-MW Kwar, 800-MW Bursar, and 930-MW Kirthai-II. This is an investment of tens of thousands of crore in mountain gorges on a single river within a river length of fewer than 100 km.
Baglihar is the only project that Jammu and Kashmir’s fully-owned JKSPDC owns. Chenab Valley Power Projects Ltd, a joint venture between JKSPDC and NHPC, India’s hydropower giant, is implementing four power projects – Pakal Dul, Kiru, Kwar and Karthia-II. Salal and Dul Hasti owned fully by NHPC and Ratle is being executed under a fresh JV with JKSPDC in which the latter holds 49 per cent stakes.
Stakes apart, hydropower stations are gigantic projects. These need huge spaces for water storage – even in the case of run-of-the-river schemes, and a lot of tunnelling. All projects have main tunnels, both head race and tail race, and then there are a lot of additional adits and small tunnels for servicing. Even though most of the tunnels and the dams are concrete structures, having such critical infrastructure usually triggers soil erosion and soil swellings too often. The 110-km Batote Kishtwar road has been ailing for all these years. Never in a year could it operate for all 365 days.
Cause versus Consequence?
Science has fundamentally opposed the idea of correlating causes with consequences especially when there is no plausible explanation. In the case of the Pir Panchal region, however, there are striking correlations. For most of recent history, land sliding has been happening around the national highway only. However, in the last decade, land subsidence is a routine and it is happening at all places where developmental activities are going on.
Bhaderwah town and its surroundings are witnessing “region-exclusive” tremors almost every year. In August 2022, there were 21 tremors, reaching up to 3.9 on the Richter scale. Such summer tremors have been there in 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In fact, 2013 was harrowing as the earthquakes touched 5.8 on the Richter scale.
Land patches are caving in at spots closer to some kind of major developmental activity. This is as true with railway projects as it is in road widening projects. Certain spots caved in because works were implemented without a detailed study.
In Sangaldan, for instance, when the railway track collapsed, it was pointed out by geologist Prof GM Bhat that it had been built “on a fossil slide”, which failed to withstand the weight and crumbled down. “We knew it for decades but we were never consulted,” Bhat said. “In this part of the Himalayas, rock types change after every half a kilometre.”
A respected geologist, Bhat insists that developmental activities can take place in any space that is as fragile as Pir Panchal but it needs adequate pre-implementation study and proper implementation mechanism.
“In the four-laning of the highway, the crisis would have been manageable had there been least vertical cuts,” Bhat said. “Impounding so much of water (in power projects dams) within a small patch has the potential of inducing earthquakes.” He insists that the managers of the water projects must ensure better maintenance of the tunnels or these could become a serious crisis in future.
Bhat, however, sees society also going unruly. “In Banihal near the Mahu Mangat side, a hillock is a completely populated town now,” he said. “Has anybody tried to verify where the waste goes? Are we expecting a major crisis in the coming days when the hill will cave in because of seepage?”
The region is a risky belt given its fragile geology. The upcoming railway line is built over three major active geological fault lines: the Main Boundary Thrust (between Udhampur and Katra), the Muree Thrust (between Baglihar and Sangaldan) and the Panjal Thrust (between Digdol and Mahu Mangat). “I never say railway tracks cannot cross fault lines but I believe that had local expertise been involved, extensive fieldwork would have reduced the costs and perfected the alignment”. Entire Jammu and Kashmir is classified as seismic zone-V, the highest earthquake-prone area. CAG has already done a thick report on the resources that were wasted because of the geological surprises that erupted after various rail projects were implemented. Parts of the alignment were changed and completed works were abandoned.
A fault line actually passes through the centre of the Baghlihar dam and most other reservoirs are very close to the fault lines underneath. “A dam burst will be worse than the earthquake itself,” Bhat, who retired recently after heading the University of Jammu’s Geology Department for a long time, said. Interestingly, the area is reporting an increased incidence of cloudbursts, seen as an indicator of climate change. “One major cloudburst near a dam can trigger unprecedented devastation.”
One such cloudburst on July 28, 2021, almost decimated Honzer, a hamlet concealed within inaccessible mountains of remote Dacchan, killing 26 residents. The bodies of almost 18 of the victims were never found.
Many geologists who studied Dalwa fall attributed the land subsidence to water seepage, and extensive cutting of steep slopes. They have suggested a robust urban land use plan, a prerequisite for any activity, especially in hilly areas.
https://kashmirlife.net/o-pir-panchal-vol-14-issue-49-311779/

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Saint Panagis Basias was son of the pious and wealthy couple Michael Typaldos-Basias and Regina Delaporta. He was born in Lixouri, Kefallonia in 1801.
Because his wealth afforded him an excellent education, Panagis received very good theological and philosophical training and learned to speak Italian, French and Latin besides his native Greek language. At the age of 20 he began his career as a grammar school teacher due to his linguistic skills. Soon he became inspired by the radical preaching of Kosmas Flamiatos and Eusebios Panas, two men of the Church who believed that the British occupying the Ionian Islands at the time were essentially tyrants attempting to undermine the population's Orthodox faith with Protestant teachings. As a result, he left his official teaching post, and continued his mission by giving lessons privately at home.
At the age of 26 Panagis, following his father's death, felt a natural inclination as well as the influence from the character of the great ascetics of Kefallonia Saints Gerasimos and his neighbor Saint Anthimos, to leave everything behind and go to the tiny island Vlahernon off the coast of Livathos. This monastery was used as a place of exile for clergymen by the British rulers. Exiled on the island at that time was the famous cleric Nikolaos Kantounis from Zakynthos. However, his widowed mother's and orphaned sister's pleas forced him to cut short his stay at Vlahernon. He returned to the world but his entire life proved to be a continuous ascetic striving and adherence to the monastic existence he had chosen. He returned to Lixouri in 1828-9 and soon thereafter was ordained a Reader.
In 1836 he was ordained as a deacon and a priest by the Archbishop of Kefallonia, Parthenios Makris. Upon his ordination he was given the name "Paisios". He then served as priest at the Monastery of Saint Spyridon in Plati Gialo near Lixouri where he originally intended to serve as a monk. There he liturgized and preached on a daily basis, spending the remaining time of his day visiting the homes of the faithful who were in need of comfort, charity, spiritual guidance, relief and compassion. He was an exceptional confessor who impressed the image of Christ upon the souls of the faithful.
Throughout his life Saint Panagis gave himself over to charity work and ministry towards the sick and suffering, even distributing his entire wealth to the needy.
God had granted him the gift of prophecy which he used to foretell future events to those around him, something that is mentioned in the proposal for his sainthood. Reflections of his many miracles, prophecies and accounts of his devout life are still with us. With his gift of clairvoyance he was able to read the hearts of the faithful and expose their private sins so as to gently lead them to repentance.
His widespread fame as a miracle worker forced him to claim mental illness ten years after his ordination in 1846 though in reality he became a "fool for Christ's sake", embracing what many saintly men before him had in order to avoid the fall into arrogance and egotism. During this time he was tortured by a nervous breakdown and was deprived of sleep walking the streets at night and shouting out loud, among other things. When he would come back to his senses it was as if he was in terrible fear and weakness. However his biographer and contemporary, Father Zisimos Typaldos, informs us that the faithful understood this to be a test and were not bothered by it. During these times the faithful would still come to him and with devotion kiss his hand. They knew this was a test many Saints of the past had endured for a life of humility, what Saint Paul called "a thorn in the flesh"(2 Cor. 12:7).
On May 21, 1864 he experienced the joy of the Union of the Ionian islands with Greece, a goal he had worked hard for by preaching and cultivating the Orthodox tradition during a period of political and social turmoil.
Father Basias had lived with his widowed sister in Lixouri until 1861 when she passed away. Before this and after he lived with his cousin Andreas Typaldos-Basias during which time he was given money by insurance to be taken care of (1864). The devastating earthquakes of Palliki in 1867 destroyed his house and forced him to live as a guest from then on, "poor but enriching others" and "having nothing and having it all", in the house of his cousin John Geroulanos (he was the father of the famous surgeon Marinos Geroulanos). This John was the son of the sister of Father Paisios' mother Regina. In return for the kind hospitality of his cousin John and his family, Father Paisios became a protector of the household and aided them with his prophetic and healing gifts (he had saved John's life when he was sick years earlier and near death and even married John to his wife). John considered the hospitality he was giving as if he was giving it to the Lord Jesus himself. Among his prophecies was that he foretold to John that his son Marinos would become "a great, great man" and often repeated this. The Geroulanos family highly honored the Saint and to this day their descendants pay special reverence to him. The son of Marino, John, was born in 1904 and became the care-taker of the Church of Saint Spyridon, where Father Paisios liturgized following his departure from the Monastery in Plati Gialo , and the tomb of the Saint. They allow the faithful to this day to visit his memorable house and the room (or what the faithful refer to as his "cell") he stayed in for the rest of his life.
Between 1882-1887 he remained prostrate and confined to his bed, during which time many visited him to receive counsel, confess their sins and seek his prayers. He endured this trial with patience and perseverance. Day and night the door to his cell was always open by his request so that anyone could come to him at any time as was needed.
He passed away peacefully on June 7, 1888 at the age of 88 years old in Lixouri. At a massively attended funeral service held over three days, the eulogy was delivered by the Metropolitan of Kefalonia Germanos Kalligas. Day and night the faithful came to pay their respects over a period of 50 hours or so without stopping, and many photos were taken of this event of which one is known to be preserved.
(from johnsanidopoulos.com)

Saint Panagis Basias was son of the pious and wealthy couple Michael Typaldos-Basias and Regina Delaporta. He was born in Lixouri, Kefallonia in 1801.
Because his wealth afforded him an excellent education, Panagis received very good theological and philosophical training and learned to speak Italian, French and Latin besides his native Greek language. At the age of 20 he began his career as a grammar school teacher due to his linguistic skills. Soon he became inspired by the radical preaching of Kosmas Flamiatos and Eusebios Panas, two men of the Church who believed that the British occupying the Ionian Islands at the time were essentially tyrants attempting to undermine the population's Orthodox faith with Protestant teachings. As a result, he left his official teaching post, and continued his mission by giving lessons privately at home.
At the age of 26 Panagis, following his father's death, felt a natural inclination as well as the influence from the character of the great ascetics of Kefallonia Saints Gerasimos and his neighbor Saint Anthimos, to leave everything behind and go to the tiny island Vlahernon off the coast of Livathos. This monastery was used as a place of exile for clergymen by the British rulers. Exiled on the island at that time was the famous cleric Nikolaos Kantounis from Zakynthos. However, his widowed mother's and orphaned sister's pleas forced him to cut short his stay at Vlahernon. He returned to the world but his entire life proved to be a continuous ascetic striving and adherence to the monastic existence he had chosen. He returned to Lixouri in 1828-9 and soon thereafter was ordained a Reader.
In 1836 he was ordained as a deacon and a priest by the Archbishop of Kefallonia, Parthenios Makris. Upon his ordination he was given the name "Paisios". He then served as priest at the Monastery of Saint Spyridon in Plati Gialo near Lixouri where he originally intended to serve as a monk. There he liturgized and preached on a daily basis, spending the remaining time of his day visiting the homes of the faithful who were in need of comfort, charity, spiritual guidance, relief and compassion. He was an exceptional confessor who impressed the image of Christ upon the souls of the faithful.
Throughout his life Saint Panagis gave himself over to charity work and ministry towards the sick and suffering, even distributing his entire wealth to the needy.
God had granted him the gift of prophecy which he used to foretell future events to those around him, something that is mentioned in the proposal for his sainthood. Reflections of his many miracles, prophecies and accounts of his devout life are still with us. With his gift of clairvoyance he was able to read the hearts of the faithful and expose their private sins so as to gently lead them to repentance.
His widespread fame as a miracle worker forced him to claim mental illness ten years after his ordination in 1846 though in reality he became a "fool for Christ's sake", embracing what many saintly men before him had in order to avoid the fall into arrogance and egotism. During this time he was tortured by a nervous breakdown and was deprived of sleep walking the streets at night and shouting out loud, among other things. When he would come back to his senses it was as if he was in terrible fear and weakness. However his biographer and contemporary, Father Zisimos Typaldos, informs us that the faithful understood this to be a test and were not bothered by it. During these times the faithful would still come to him and with devotion kiss his hand. They knew this was a test many Saints of the past had endured for a life of humility, what Saint Paul called "a thorn in the flesh"(2 Cor. 12:7).
On May 21, 1864 he experienced the joy of the Union of the Ionian islands with Greece, a goal he had worked hard for by preaching and cultivating the Orthodox tradition during a period of political and social turmoil.
Father Basias had lived with his widowed sister in Lixouri until 1861 when she passed away. Before this and after he lived with his cousin Andreas Typaldos-Basias during which time he was given money by insurance to be taken care of (1864). The devastating earthquakes of Palliki in 1867 destroyed his house and forced him to live as a guest from then on, "poor but enriching others" and "having nothing and having it all", in the house of his cousin John Geroulanos (he was the father of the famous surgeon Marinos Geroulanos). This John was the son of the sister of Father Paisios' mother Regina. In return for the kind hospitality of his cousin John and his family, Father Paisios became a protector of the household and aided them with his prophetic and healing gifts (he had saved John's life when he was sick years earlier and near death and even married John to his wife). John considered the hospitality he was giving as if he was giving it to the Lord Jesus himself. Among his prophecies was that he foretold to John that his son Marinos would become "a great, great man" and often repeated this. The Geroulanos family highly honored the Saint and to this day their descendants pay special reverence to him. The son of Marino, John, was born in 1904 and became the care-taker of the Church of Saint Spyridon, where Father Paisios liturgized following his departure from the Monastery in Plati Gialo , and the tomb of the Saint. They allow the faithful to this day to visit his memorable house and the room (or what the faithful refer to as his "cell") he stayed in for the rest of his life.
Between 1882-1887 he remained prostrate and confined to his bed, during which time many visited him to receive counsel, confess their sins and seek his prayers. He endured this trial with patience and perseverance. Day and night the door to his cell was always open by his request so that anyone could come to him at any time as was needed.
He passed away peacefully on June 7, 1888 at the age of 88 years old in Lixouri. At a massively attended funeral service held over three days, the eulogy was delivered by the Metropolitan of Kefalonia Germanos Kalligas. Day and night the faithful came to pay their respects over a period of 50 hours or so without stopping, and many photos were taken of this event of which one is known to be preserved.
(from johnsanidopoulos.com)

Hi all! I've been working on this project off and on for five years now, and I would love to share it with you all for criticism and constructive feedback.
The project in question is the text for an operatic retelling of Arthurian legend in four parts, the first three of which I have completed. I began work on it at Christmas, 2018, and have worked in fits and starts upon it since then, at times considering using parts of it for a potential PhD in Music Composition. Whether or not the music will come to be, I am not sure; I have written sketches of my musical ideas that I then used (a la Mahler writing song cycles before some of his symphonies) to create a 20-minute setting of Preiddeu Annwn for Baritone and Piano or Orchestra. If I do not continue with creating the music, then the text in someways can stand alone as something of a work of Epic Poetry - though, of course, it will be lacking in some aspects by focusing so heavily upon poetic speech.
As a retelling designed for performance, I have had to refine down many characters, so many of my favourite knights and kings (Owain and Uriens, for example, or Ynyr and Gereint) have had to be omitted. It is of course a shame, but I hope that this results in some dynamic story-telling.
Structurally, the cycle is reminiscent of the famous Ring Cycle - this wasn't initially the plan, but I feel it became unavoidable the more I thought out the narrative and split it up into smaller, cohesive dramas. Thus, we have four seperate works, titled (tentatively) Igraine, Excalibur, Guinevere, and Camlann. (I am not sure whether I am a fan of the latter two, and would be glad of a discussion of other possible titles!)
In Igraine we have one of the very few twists of my own: I have decided to conflate Ambrosius Aurelianus with Merlin for good. The drama begins with his abdication and induction into druidic orders, and subsequently his brother Uther's coronation. From there, we witness Uther's lust for Igraine, wife of Gorlois. Merlin, tormented by prophetic dreams, is forced to aid his brother in this lustful pursuit, culminating in Igraine's r*pe and the conception of Arthur.
Excalibur begins at the funeral of Uther, some fifteen years later, as Merlin oversees the transition of power. The King-Sword, Caliburn, is put aside to wait for someone worthy: Arthur. As is the standard narrative, he takes up the sword to much consternation from other petty kings and his own surprise, but then proves himself the rightful ruler by achieving a great victory over the Saxons at Badon Hill - where he breaks the King-Sword in battle. Merlin then brings him to the Lady of the Lake, who reforges the sword into Excalibur.
Having met Guinevere briefly in the previous tale, she and Arthur are married, and usher in an age of peace. Percival and Lancelot both arrive at Camelot, and the Round Table is inaugurated. A vision of a great cup is sent to the gathered warriors, and thus begins the Grail quest. Trials and tribulations abound, and love struggles to be given time among the Royal Couple. Eventually, Percival achieves the Grail, but it remains within the Chapel.
As the natural conclusion, Camlann sees Arthur's small failings mounting against him, as Mordred comes to court, and Lancelot and Guinevere fall in love. This proceeds as usual, reaching a gutting conclusion on the field at Camlann, where all but Bedivere and Galahad, Lancelot and Guinevere perish. Galahad is sent out on his own Grail quest at the close of the tale.
There are plenty of details I've left out of this quick summary (All of Morgana's arc, and her conflation with Morgause; Gawain's pursuit of Pagan wisdom in the form of the Green Man; conflating Pellinore and Pellam/Pelles/The Fisher King - Pellinore is all of them, after he is lost and assumed dead at Badon. In typical mythic fashion, he seems to lose his wits, but his babbling may reveal more than first appears.) If you wish to know more, or make more in depth criticisms and other feedback, I would love for you all to read the whole text here.

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