“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper.”E.B.WHITE - WRITING A GHOST STORY

WRITING A GHOST STORY 👀

I am a romantic for ghost stories. 

Spooky, mysterious, and entertaining spooks on tv always trap me for an hour or two in telling their scary tales. I believe many people believe in ghosts. I never was one to keep a bucket list, although I do have a few things on a list I would like to achieve before that time; writing a ghost story is one. I wish I could write, and I wish I could paint, I wish I could play the piano. Unfortunately, I do none of those things well. My writing is atrocious. If not for Grammarly and my daughter, I would be lost. Still, I have the desire to write a spooky story. A couple of quotes by E.B. White, one of my favorite authors, inspire me to keep writing. “I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all.” And ... “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper.” ― E.B. White. So true. M, my daughter, is my ghostwriter. We are collaborating on this ghostly tale. I recently watched Eugene Levy's, 'The Reluctant Traveler. He met up with a gondolier in Venice and talked about working with their kids. Mr.Levy mentioned how much he had enjoyed working with his son Daniel for seven years. So now, mother and daughter are working together on a ghost book. Today is my birthday; I turn 66. I was born on March 10th, 1957, a wonderful year. And the year I die, well, hopefully, be just as wonderful. No matter how difficult, I want to reach my goal; write the ghost book with my daughter. In the end, I leave behind an artistic legacy for my children. When one has a will, there is always a way. ♥️ Annabelle & M ♥️ © 2023 @batandmaggie

MAGGIE

BAT

STORMY, STORMY, STORMY WEATHER

A perfect stormy night for a good sleep, the old ghost thought. 

It poured and rained, such a sweet sleep filled with dreams of his earthly life and memories. Stormy, stormy, stormy weather was his favorite weather.

And then, the sounds of the thundering storm were interrupted by the breaking of glass. Ghost got out of bed and went downstairs to investigate who had disturbed his sleep: a baby owl; perched on the broken window pane. Maggie and Bat were wondering why he was there.







The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

But at every gust the dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.




My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

And the days are dark and dreary.




Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A mother/daughter Ghostly Adventure, writing together for the first time about their favorite subject, the supernatural. ♥️ Annabelle & M ♥️ © 2023 @batandmaggie (Daughter's instagram account)

MY HAUNTED HEART

Becoming old isn't all bad. There are perks like spending your retirement years searching the beyond and wondering about your next life. 👀Will we have a home like here on earth with a willow tree and a pond? A pet or two, maybe a cat and a dog or more? Will the afterlife be the heaven God promised us? One day will have the answers.

BAT @batandmaggie

MAGGIE @batandmaggie

When I was very young, I was unaware of death. And when I did discover the sad truth about life ending one day, that we didn't live forever, the afterlife started haunting my heart. Since then, I've fallen in love with ghosts and cats, the living ones. Of course, books about ghosts/ cats are a favorite. Why not write one of our own? So, here is the next installment of our Ghost Book illustrations. 

Bat, Maggie, and their ghost are in their Victorian cottage hidden in the secret woods no one knows.


"Maybe, we do go home, finally " - Anne Rice


"Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see."

As I mentioned before, these paintings are almost complete. If I feel something I've missed in the process, I will return to it and add in hopefully, removing nothing else from the illustration. Editing not only the writing but the illustrations as well. Some may never make it into the book.




A mother/daughter Ghostly Adventure, writing together for the first time about their favorite subject, the supernatural.

♥️ Annabelle & M ♥️ 

© 2023

🎄🐾🐾 HAPPY CHRISTMAS & A MERRY HOLIDAY 🐾🐾 🎄

 🎄🐾🐾 HAPPY CHRISTMAS & A MERRY HOLIDAY 🐾🐾 🎄

 

PORTRAIT OF CAPTAIN GREGG - THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR

CAPTAIN GREGG

Portrait of Captain Gregg - Sea Captain Oil Painting Digital Download Art Hi-Res JPEG - The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Classic Movie Art The other day I discovered this print of Captain Gregg, the ghost from the 1947 movie classic "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", one of my all time favourite ghost movie with Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney. I thought where I would hang it and my art studio is the perfect place. So I bought the digital portrait of Captain Daniel Gregg from Sylvester's Charts on Etsy. It's on sale, so a good time to buy it. Now to make a print and find the perfect frame. Constance Metzinger did an amazing job on the portrait of the Ghost Captain. Love♥️

"INFO: This is a newly painted portrait in oil of Captain Daniel Gregg, the famous sea captain featured in the classic film "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" ( 1947 ). Before the handsome Captain Gregg ( Rex Harrison ) became a ghost and haunted Gull Cottage, he had this portrait of himself painted which Lucy Muir ( Gene Tierney ) had hanging up in her bedroom. 

The original painting used in the film was painted over for use in the 1968 television series "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". This oil painting was painted by Constance Metzinger in 2022 and replicates the one seen in the film. "

REMEMBER ME ♥️

REMEMBER ME ♥️

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🧡🖤🎃🎃🐾🐾🐾🐾🎃🎃🧡🖤

When Witches Go Riding and Black Cats Are Seen: The Moon Laughs and Whispers Tis Halloween 🧡🖤🎃🎃🐾🐾🐾🐾🎃🎃🧡

BAT AND MAGGIE ON INSTAGRAM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🧡🖤🎃🎃🐾🐾🐾🐾🎃🎃🧡🖤

The Road So Far iWIP

The Road So Far ... WIP oil painting ... still some details to add.

Remember I did say it takes me forever to do a painting but In the end I have to be happy with it. 

This painting has been a long time coming. My aunt who lives in Little Rock loves wolves and asked me to paint her one like 2 years ago ; the wolf happens to be her spirit animal. Anyway, I finally tackled the project. Never painted a wolf but so far I like him. I didn’t like the witch in the cloak so I removed it and gave her a dress. Still need to work on her hands ( a first again for painting hands) and shade her dress , face and shading the baby wolf and papa wolf. Hope you like the painting so far, Pat. Oh, and yes , Supernatural has inspired me in many ways as well as my daughter’s stories she is writing for Supernatural Fan Fiction. So proud of her. My writer in residence🎃♥️@BATANDMAGGIE

Watching the last season with my daughter and husband. Amazing show🧡🎃🧡🎃

ART, CATS, GHOSTS, WITCHES AND WOLVES WIP OIL ON CANVAS

I believe in God and so for me what the lyrics in this song mean is that God loves everyone and has no favourites. My daughter is a Supernatural fan and she saved the last season until now. My husband and I are watching it with her and with every episode I find myself looking up songs they played on the show. This one,hubby beat me to it. Someone behind the scenes has excellent taste in music, lol. Love SUPERNATURAL and will be watching reruns for some time and of course the new spinoff. 

MAGGIE THOUGHT I WAS DOING A CAT PHOTOSHOOT, LOL

GOD WAS NEVER ON YOUR SIDE ~ MOTORHEAD

If the stars fall down on me
And the sun refused to shine
Then may the shackles be undone
May all the old words cease to rhyme
If the sky turned into stone
It will matter not at all
For there is no heaven in the sky
Hell does not wait for our downfall
Let the voice of reason shine
Let the pious vanish for all time
God's face is hidden, all unseen
You can't ask Him what it all means
He was never on your side
God was never on your side
Let right or wrong alone decide
God was never on your side
See ten thousand ministries
See the holy, righteous dogs
They claim to heal, but all they do is steal
Abuse your faith, cheat, and rob
If God is wise, why is He still
When these false prophets call Him friend?
Why is He silent? Is He blind?
Are we abandoned in the end?
Let the sword of reason shine
Let us be free of prayer and shrine
God's face is hidden, turned away
He never has a word to say
He was never on your side
God was never on your side
Let right or wrong alone decide
God was never on your side
No, no, no!
He was never on your side
God was never on your side
Never, never, never, never
Never on your side
Never on your side
God was never on your side
Never on your side

Songwriters: Philip Campbell / Micael Delaoglou / Ian Kilmister

WORKING ON A WITCH AND THEN WILL BE ADDING THE WOLF

 Motörhead- God was Never On Your Side Supernatural -  Road So Far) p.s. The music video is amazing. Love it

GOD WAS NEVER ON YOUR SIDE - MOTORHEAD (SUPERNATURAL-THE ROAD SO FAR )

MOONSTRUCK ON CAT ISLAND AND HAPPY CATURDAY 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐈‍⬛

I HAVE LOVED AND ADMIRED SIDNEY POITIER ALL MY LIFE. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM ON FILM WAS "TO, SIR WITH LOVE" AND FROM THAT IST PERFORMANCE I KNEW HIS KIND SOUL. I COULD FEEL IT RADIATE THROUGH THE TELEVISION SCREEN.

SIDNEY POITIER WAS BORN ON AN ISLAND TUCKED FAR AWAY IN THE BLUE WATERS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. CAT ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS WAS HIS HOME. WHAT A MAGICAL PLACE IT MUST HAVE BEEN. IT WAS HERE ON THE TINY ISLAND HE WAS TAUGHT BY HIS PARENTS THE VALUES AND MORALS TO KEEP CLOSE TO HIS HEART ON HIS LIFE'S JOURNEY.

"IN THE KIND OF PLACE I GREW UP, RECALLS POITIER, "WHAT'S COMING AT YOU IS THE SOUND OF THE SEA AND THE SMELL OF THE WIND AND MOMMA'S VOICE AND THE VOICE OF YOUR DAD AND THE CRAZINESS OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ... AND THAT'S IT"

I READ "THE MEASURE OF A MAN" BY SIDNEY POITIER, HIS SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY, AND FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM ALL OVER AGAIN. 

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK!♥️

THEN, JUST RECENTLY, I WATCHED OPRAH WINFREY'S DOCUMENTARY ON HIM, "SIDNEY". NATURALLY, I WAS LEFT THINKING OF HIM AND CAT ISLAND AND INSPIRED. 

BAT WEIGHING .8 OF A POUND THE NIGHT WE BROUGHT HIM INSIDE 

BAT ONE OF MY FAV PHOTOS OF HIM TAKEN BY MY DAUGHTER EMMA

BAT THIS MORNING LOL 

I PAINTED BAT, OUR BLACK CAT RESCUE WEIGHED A MERE .8 OF A POUND WHEN HE CAME TO US AND HAD LITTLE CHANCE OF SURVIVING, BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO LIVE. HE WILL BE 6 YEARS OLD THIS OCTOBER 27TH. I DECIDED TO PAINT HIM IN MY REVIVED PAINTING OF "GHOSTS IN THE MOONLIGHT". WHAT BETTER PLACE FOR A CAT TO LIVE THAN ON CAT ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.

MIXED MEDIA OIL PAINTING ON WOOD 

MOONSTRUCK ON CAT ISLAND 2022 ANNABELLE ...I  FORGOT TO SIGN IT, LOL

THANK YOU SIR♥️

  HAPPY CATURDAY FROM CAT ISLAND 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐈‍⬛

INSTAGRAM POST WITH SOUNDTRACK FROM PRACTICAL MAGIC  - ALAN SILVESTRI

" Moonstruck" ... THE REVIVAL OF "GHOSTS IN THE MOONLIGHT" WIP OIL ON WOOD MIXED MEDIA

 

"Anything can happen when you have all the time in the world"

The merriest month of the year, May.

The flowers of the field and of the garden scented the spring air with their sweet perfume. I closed my lap top and put my phone on silent. I spent my Spring to the end of Summer in my garden. I had all the time in the world to do what I wanted. 

I watched "Gardener's World" on Britbox, went thrifting and bought a few more vintage gardening books, and visited nurseries I had never seen before. I brought home more plants for the garden and added more to my wish list. I had read somewhere pinning a sprig of rosemary in your hair brightened your memory and in the story "The Time Garden" sniffing a little Thyme might just transport u somewhere back in time. These little silly simply pleasures one might discover in the garden amongst the birds and the bees and the dragonflies never fail to enlight my heart.

 And then, early in September as I was watering the flowers, I noticed Bat, our black cat watching me from the bench at the kitchen table he had climbed to get a better view of what I was up to. He was such a cutie standing on his hind legs with his paws over the back of the bench leaning over with his face smooshed against the window. Someday I thought, I would paint him doing exactly that but at that moment he gave me another idea, one of reviving a painting I had already done.

"Ghosts in the Moonlight" was an oil painting I loved but I always knew eventually the forest would change. The way Bat had stood on the bench made me think why not have him climb right to the top of one of the trees and gaze into the enchanted moon. Make Little Bat moonstruck. So I did. 

For the moment I shall simply call it,

" MOONSTRUCK " it may change.

 I still remember Bat on the bench, I think the rosemary has helped, lol.

Still a WIP... Mixed Media, Oil On Wood 2022

The Bogmen- Oceans Apart

Happy Anniversary

Thanks for the Anniversary Flowers, Stan♥️🌺🌸🌹🪷🌻🌼💐♥️Happy Anniversary♥️ July 3rd,1982.