A Princess at the School & Manor House School

As you may of gathered I do rather like reading and these are two books I've had since childhood.

These are editions from1970 although they were reprinted by Armada across that decade as I read them at boarding school during that era.
The Manor House School is about a Eleven and Twelve year old girls Cicely and Lindsay who arrive in the Summer Term who find a secret room, hear some voices which leads to a mystery involving a missing fortune which leads them to discover the mystery of Winterburn Manor.
The Princess at the School (originally of the school), written in 1920, is a story of Ingleton children who having been orphaned and their home, Cheverley Chase, has been left to a young cousin who nobody seems to have been met.
Upon meeting cousin Carmel, the children make it plain she isn't welcome but her friendly nature eventually wins them over so while  they lost their original home it seems they've found a new friend.
Stories like that always were a part of my life I enjoyed and while having kept them, I do enjoy revisiting them from time to time.

Conway

Conway is one of my favourite places to spend time relaxing. It is situated on the North Wales coast, United Kingdom and has a Castle which was built on the orders of King Edward I of England during one of his periodic attempts to take control of the entire British Isles.

The picture is taken from Conway harbour from which short coastal excursions are operated during the summer months and also you can observe locals repairing their own boats before sailing.

Nearby is the smallest house in Wales which a lady in traditional Welsh dress will explain the history of and maybe let you take a picture of her and the house to show your friends and family.

Also to be found in Conway town centre is Aberconway House which is owned by The National Trust.

I find the calm helps me to remember what I love about going to visit places and the seaside activities I loved as a child.

The sissy side of Jo.

Whenever I've talked before about fashion  and me mainly it's been around the whole kind of image of myself with some variation of an 'A' line skirt coming from the waistline down as I'm more a girly gurl in that regard more inclined to stomp my feet at the mere suggestion of anything when it comes to over wear with legs screaming "I'm not a boy" at the top of my voice (or what's left of it!).

The bigger amount of what I have talked about has been more school uniform based as much because a large part of me harks back to those days and would sooner go back to them.

I was reminded of this while looking at what needed to go as part of general taking stock I have and keeping only things that are great shape but really there's been another side that can go in with a love of cute stuffies.

Frilly,  a cross between sides of "little girl" and sissy gurl something like this is really up my alley even if I may need help getting dressed

Princess Mononoke

Anime is a thing I'm interested in especially when it tells stories vividly and recently I got this one.
Made in 1997, it depicts the clash between the natural world and its old gods and the rise of humans with the beginning of of modern civilization, showing three elements of the Japanese  psyche warring for supremacy in the form of an ecological fable

Young warrior Ashitaka sustains a wound that refuses to heel from battling with a cursed beast.

Anxious to secure a remedy for this supernatural injury, he leaves the remote village he lives for the forbidding forests of the west where he discovers an enclave of humans under siege from divine powers. They are the deities of the past, the wolf gods and a wild girl of the forest called San.

Updated 2017 for blu ray image and tag

Alternative endings

I've often wondered what would of happened had I of lived in South East Asia, particularly in Japan as some Westerners whose folks go on employment  assignments do.
I'd almost certainly would have to learn some Japanese to get by as Japan is a country that very much expects you to integrate into its way of life and isn't bi-lingual although many do speak some English and other principal languages.
I might well had spent time in a school so I suspect I'd of worn a sailor suit uniform a bit like that one not that I'd of minded as actually I quite like it so being put into one wouldn't be an issue, wearing it with pride and the very structured school system would of probably suited me right to the ground. 
We'd of played Baseball that's a certainty and maybe soccer.
It sure would of been an adventure for me!

The Cat Returns

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, This anime recently bought, is a fantasy adventure ideal for feline fans and younger audiences.
The story revolves around Haru, who is a free spirited young girl, who along the way home from school spots a cat trying to cross and busy street, rushes out to save it using her racquet just as it was about to be crushed by a large truck.
She discovers the cat she rescued is the Cat Kings son, Prince Lune and soon she receives an invitation to visit the Kingdom of Cats from the King himself as thanks.
It is not before long that she realizes there is a catch in accepting the offer, namely the King wishes her to marry Lune and so she has to decide if it is she wishes to stay within the Kingdom of Cats, being a Nekimimi (catgirl) or return to her own world.
She is helped by the Baron, first seen in Whisper of the heart, and his friends in making the decisions she wishes.
The animation is first class holding your attention as you are dragged into the story while delivering an important message about being true to yourself.

Pix and tag edit 2017 for blu ray edition

Seaside arts and crafts

One of my favourite activities as a child was collecting Seashells, you could either find them yourself  or buy ready made collections of which I had a number at the time.
They also when you hold them to your ear have the most calming sound.