Who Dreamed it?

Dearest Em,

GIGI stared at the cat, who was still grinning from ear to ear.

She scooped him up from the table and stared him straight in the eyes.

"I see now, Mr Storm-Cat- all this mischief has been of your making, hasn't it?"

The cat didn't reply, and wriggled out of GiGi's clutches. Heading out of the French windows, GiGi followed him. He stopped at sat down opposite the Purgatree.

GiGi stood next to him. As they watched, the Cautionary Tale faded until it had completely disappeared. Harpy Lapette was shrieking at the Slithey Tove. "It's no use- you ca'n't go back. You've shown your true colours- you ca'n't teach an old Tove new tricks you know. You're mine! All Mine! Oh look at you all in the Tangled wood- come here so I can put out your eyes properly!"

Ethan Safertie was no-where to be seen.

The cat then got up, and headed off towards the Bay, GiGi joined him.

"You know what's happened here, GiGi?"

GiGi was frowning. The cat went on "No. You don't do you?" The cat paused, and shook his head. "Well then, just as Mrs Cameraman did, I shall simply have to spell it out for you too."

He sighed and muttered to himself as they carried on towards the Bay.

"You remember earlier on when we were outside in the garden, and you were wittering on about this being Heaven on Earth? Well sometimes, dear GiGi, you DO gettit. So, Ithought perhaps you might understand nonsense better, so then you'd be able to make sense of things for yourself.
I overestimated you- you rather let us all down- it took you a whole eight Chapters GiGi for you to know what to do!
Thankfully, you got there in the end- but goodness me- we came rather close to giving up on you!

You see the Purgatree?

It's there for those who don't see what's good for them. It's there for reflection, and contemplation, but it is not a good place to be.

However, sometimes it is a necessary place to be. When you ca'n't see Heaven on Earth. When you ca'n't make your own Sunshine. Once they've suffered there, most come out with some knowledge of the laws of the Universe. But GiGi, some don't. Hear me well GiGi, because you- you walk about thinking that everyone will see the Good eventually. But no, dear GiGi, some don't, you may as well wake up and smell the Coffee here. Some don't, or won't or ca'n't.

The Harpy's prey on these. Once the Harpy's get their eyes, well there's nothing anyone or thing can do. You ca'n't reach them, they are too busy entertaining their own Demon to care or notice anything beautiful.

But. You need to remember yourself here GiGi. You do know your place. We called you loud enough after all. Phew that was hard work! We left you quite a lot of messages. Still, you gottit in the end.

But you MUST remember your place. Sometimes it's not easy. But you'll never have to spend any time in the Purgatree if you do remember your place. You must not waiver. Ever, GiGi.

If you want Heaven on Earth, then you must have faith in it.

You had to clean Mrs Cameraman's house- change the air around a bit- because some stain had left an attraction for those who should have been in the Purgatree at the time, but they kept coming back in.

So, you've done that, and now it won't seem attractive to those who are not like-minded. Just wait, it'll play out. So thank-you for doing your little bit in the story. We may call on you again, if there's anything else to be done.

I'm off- there's someone else I need to reel back in."

All at once- Storm disappeared. GiGi suddenly felt rather tired and sat down at the Bay, gazing out over the sea.


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It was a lovely, vast night. 

That strange harmony which is not sound, which is not silence, was vibrating everywhere.

The moon was slowly winning a silver victory 

and conquering realm after realm of Sand, Down and Sea.

Anne Thackeray Ritchie at Freshwater Bay.

In the stillness, GiGi remembered later, that it was at this time when she noticed a feeling akin to waking up from a dream. A Looking Glass Dream, she dubbed it to herself. As though this was some kind of Fairy Story take on her own life? Or is that nonsense- she thought to herself- as she watched the moonlight- which wasn't a moonlight, but actually a sunrise!

"Oh, it's all topsy-turvy round here! Well at least it's day-light, and I can get on with some real things I need to do...."

As she was about to head home- she caught sight of something on the horizon, which zig-zagged about, but appeared to be heading in her direction. As it got closer- she slowly made out a boat named 'P.GREENE' and then she saw Grumpa and Storm inside! 

Her boat was coming in. Had Grumpa realised his own way back to Heaven on Earth?

Or, was that a Pig flying above her head?

She then realised that she was still wearing little Alice's Angel Wings. "Oh my", said GiGi "Am I dreaming this, or is this dreaming-me!?"

Well dear Emily and Annabel- which do you think it was?

That's all for now,

Your ever-loving Grandmother, GiGi xxxxx

A Fit of Peake.

Dearest Emily,

Whilst the rather eerily similar drama of reality here plays out alongside the writing of your little sister's book- we shall pause a while- and take a little Dodgson tangent.

As I am now doing the Winter stint at the Bookroom, it's sadly down to one day a week for me here- but ooh Emily, I do rather relish that day! As we know- something always comes up- and today was no exception. Except- that as there were very few customers about- spending most of my wages on a book I spied on the shelves, probably wasn't wise. But look!

A Mervyn Peake 'Hunting of the Snark' all in mustard boards, the same size as your little book- and ooh just so pleasing to my eye! I had to have it Emily- you'll understand. After all, once I've finished Annabel's book- it's all about Dodgson again and his flip over to the East-side of the Wight for me! I'd put those thoughts away, as I don't even start my research degree until next September. However, in between times, some fabulous bits and bobs for the topic have found their way to me (thanks to Mark, and Elisabeth notably.) I shall add this to my muse-board. My reason for this is- just look at the character that Peake has drawn Em...

We know Dodgson's ruse of cariacature- did Peake gettit and do the same some seventy years later? Here's a cariacature of Mr D that I've got- think it was by Bentley, but I'm not sure as I scanned it from a book- and five minutes later sold the book to a customer...hrrmph!

I had saved this as one of my card designs for later Emily- but look at the face- you can see where I'm heading here. The next two are Gertrude Thompson's portrait of Dodgson, and finally a photo of him. 

Scan from the top illustration Emily and we aren't a million miles away from concluding the Peake may have done a 'Tenniel' so to speak, and cariacturised Dodgson here!

Anyway food for nerdy thought! Back to GiGi's week here at Wacky-Bay...

Nice to see that an article in the County Press picks up on our Ann Thackeray 'Commonplace' quote. Talking of which- I gave Mummy the tea towel with the quote on when Annabel was born- do you think she might like this one too?

I got this design manufactured this week, I do love Anny's quotes! The sentiment is great, and she was so daintily pithy in her writing sometimes. Even reminds me a little of Moliere in feel.

Anyhow, back to the drawing board- enough dalliance Dodgson-wise again- up to my neck in setting up our on-line shop right now.

Ok, one last musing...

If our Mrs Cameraman (in Annabel's book) had a notice-board on her kitchen wall Em, with some Letterpress fridge magnets to play with- do you think that on one of his visits, whilst standing there rather bored as Mrs C chatted away to all unsundry- he might just have arranged the letters like this??

As we say here Em- 

Until next time,

Your ever-loving Grand-mother, GiGi xxx