Never Find Me

I have seen what the darkness does
Say goodbye to who I was
I ain't never been away so long
Don't look back, them days are gone
Follow me into the endless night
I can bring your fears to life
Show me yours and I'll show you mine
Meet me in the woods tonight ~ Lord Huron

The woods can be a scary place, but also a great place to hide. I was fortunate as a child growing up in Germany I was able to play in the woods. I write often about the woods in my blog and I love the idea that I can have my own woods right here in Second Life. Whether it is a place I created like at the Retreat or someone else's magical place, it takes me back to my childhood.

As kids, we knew every corner of the surrounding forest, every fallen tree, and every path. There was an old legend in that forest about a young boy who delivered love letters from the Convent to the Monastery (Schiffenberg) on the hill. He always stopped at the tiny well of fresh water to rest before he moved on. As time passed he fell in love with the nun who gave him the love notes and one day he was found dead at the well. 

Nobody knows who murdered him, but it is thought that a monk who was lovestruck and who did not want his secret to be revealed did it. The well is called "Shepard Well" and is still a resting place for those who can find the trail that leads to it. Here hikers fill up their water bottles before hiking up the hill to the monastery. 

I am going to create the natural spring of the "Hirtenbrunnen" (Shepard Well) in my forest and bring a little history of my home to Second Life. I will incorporate this into my hunt of this year " A Tale Dark and Grimm". 

You just have to love Second Life to give you the ability to bring your memories to life. 

Guardian Spirit

Guardian spirits are supernatural beings that serve as guardians, patrons, or protectors of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The term "spirit" here is used in the broadest sense. This category is not limited to deities and includes but is not limited to: angels, daemons, jinn, and the souls of the deceased.

I know this one looks mean and fierce but he is very well behaved. 

WHY DO I LIKE CEMETERIES? Am I a Taphophile?
You know I am. 

“taphophile. Noun. (plural taphophiles) A person who is interested in cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones. Maybe you are too? Stop by the Retreat and visit the cemetery. Lucky for me I can have my own cemetery here in Second Life. 

Cherishville

Where did the time go when we were young?
Laughing dancing, soaking up the sun never thinking about what was to come.
It never crossed our minds we never thought of things to come.

Cherishville is one of those places in Second Life I can go and escape and think back to times when I was his sun.

It has that certain melancholy for me of the endless long summers and time spent creating memories. Although I am here alone, I still treasure it very much. 

Oh, it's funny how right when I let my guard down you play around
And no, not this time, we can't hash it out it's too late for me to stay.

Why did you leave me now? Just when they said you’re fine. Why did you leave me now why did you die?

It gives me comfort to be able to escape here and dance in the sun and swim in the cool waters, even if it is just a virtual reality. You know it was so real for me. I’ll never have another chance to see you again, to hold you, squeeze you, touch your hand. It seems so unfair but life’s that way. We never thought of things to come.

But, no, I could've done without lies. And although I know love is blind. To all, you people in the world listen: Life is short, enjoy the ride because you’ll never know when it will stop it doesn’t cross your mind. If you ever fall in love you better think of things to come.

A Tale Dark & Grimm Hunt and Riddles

When the darkness opens wide,
Swallowing up the sun inside.
Dappled stars, they prick the sky
Blanket on which the moon will lie...

Coming this Fall to the Retreat a new Hunt and Riddle in the haunted forest.

You may think you know the fairy tales once told by the Brother Grimm, but some may tell a more dark and mysterious ending. 

Some tales must be retold as they are meant to be heard. So go ahead and study up on some of your favorite Grimm stories and you will be ready.

The hunt will start October 1 through 31 and you will look for 6 (six) clues in the forest and try to solve a riddle. Each clue will also give you a prize you can keep. This is sponsored by the Basement Club and like every year will be lots of fun.

I love this part in Second Life where you can create a mystery for people to enjoy. I know there will be many hunts and scary sims in Second Life this Halloween and all are just wonderful. I am excited and have some work to do. Stop by any time and see what is cooking in the forest. 

Why must daylight always dim?

Creeping dusk so cold and grim.

'Tis the blackness of the night,

Teaches us how to see the light.

Endless Summer

As the economy around the world makes travel less affordable, you can still travel to some beautiful places in Second Life. That's right, these places will not cost you anything other than time. The time you spend here will be well worth it. 

I recently visited Willowwood and thought it was a very peaceful place to relax at. It reminded me of Mallorca (Majorca) one of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, without the tourists crawling all over you.

“The Majorcan countryside is not at all a place to go in search of inspiration, but admirable for people whose minds already teem with ideas that need recording in absolute quiet. …”

Mallorca was, is, and will be for sure a place loved by many artists (of all kinds) and famous people from around the world. The island has it all… the climate, sun, people, nature, inspirational landscape…

If you are seeking that quiet serene place Willowwood may be the place. Let the sun warm your body and soul and may you find inspirations for art and poetry like the great Robert Graves who absolutely fell in love with that island. 

I find it amazing that you can find places like this in Second Life and you can actually feel the romance of the person who created this place. We all need a place to escape to.

I hope you get a chance to see this lovely place.

"So I can cry for my age, my life, and my face.
And I will wash off all the dirty, dirty thoughts I had about you.
And I can cry 'cause I got so much she has not.
And I will wash off all the dirty, dirty thoughts I had about you now.
Wash off all the dirty, dirty thoughts I had about you."

“Perfect tranquillity reigns; or you can call it vacancy,” ~R. Graves

Happy Travels!!!

Ice Cream Social @ the Basement Club and more...

It was supposed to be just a little gathering with some Indie music and some refreshing ice cream but we have some amazing DJs here at the Basement who turned this into an event of fun.

If you have never been to the Basement Club, you may want to stop by. Yes, there are hundreds of Clubs and DJs in Second Life, which is great, but we are talking about the Basement Club. Always unique, always different.

The Basement Club plays a variety of music, such as Underground 80s, Indie, and an eclectic mix of music you may not hear at other clubs. That is how we like it. The more unique tunes we can expose you to, the better life can be.

Music touches us all deeply, in ways that range from the obvious to the inexplicable. It can make us feel happy, sad, reflective, anxious, thrilled, angry, excited, joyous, and/or relaxed. This much is obvious to us all. We hope it will bring more of the positive emotions out.

Lately, I have been dealing with a lot of anxiety over nothing really, it just comes like a dark cloud over me. Coming here makes me relax! 

Music also boosts your immune system and can create positive emotional experiences, it even helps relieve pain. Relaxing music can lower high blood pressure and can help people suffering from migraines and chronic headaches; listening to classical music before bedtime can even reduce sleeping problems. There is a lot of power in those musical notes. 

Are you in need of getting your mind off some things you cannot do anything about? We have DJs here M-F starting at 6PM SLT to lift your moods into something that will make your night or day better for the time being.

See you soon :)

When the Marketplace is down...

Oh dear, here we go just as I decided to use my endless summer for marketplace gacha listing and it is down. I suppose I can work on some other things, but I wanted to do this. I had some issues yesterday with the marketplace and got at least one order in and delivered and then it went blank and still remains that way.

In the meantime, I suppose I can do some other things, but there are real-life symptoms of withdrawal. 

1. Shock and Denial

~this can't be happening, no way, not marketplace

~must be my internet

2. Pain and Guilt 

~this is giving me a headache

~now I am forced to do real-life work

3. Angel and Bargaining

~now this is BS, don't they have tech support?

~ok, I will wait a few more minutes, maybe an hour or so.

4. Depression, Reflection, and Loneliness

~I feel so lost

~this is giving me anxiety, how long will this take? 

~I loved shopping

~I must be the only one

5. Upward Turn

~I should tell people about this

6. Reconstruction and Working through

~let's gather all the facts

~I can keep busy for now

7. Acceptance and Hope

~I am sure it is temporary

~it will return before you know it.

There you go! If you suffer from any of these symptoms you may have an addiction and you should try to find something else for the day and come back later. Don't blame the metaverse for this, even there you have problems. You may suffer from Internet Addiction Disorder which is an actual diagnosis for someone who needs to be online all the time. Isn't that all of us?

Internet Addiction Disorder, in addition to other dependency disorders, seems to affect the pleasure center of the brain. The addictive behavior triggers a release of dopamine to promote the pleasurable experience activating the release of this chemical. Over time, more and more of the activity is needed to induce the same pleasurable response, creating a dependency. That is, if you find online gaming or online shopping a pleasurable activity and you suffer from an addiction to the Internet, you will need to engage in more and more of the behavior to institute the same pleasurable feeling prior to your dependency.

Ok, well let's just wait a little longer. I am sure it will be BACK!!!

I want a man named "Nigel"

Nigel (plural Nigels) (Australia, derogatory, usually restricted to youths) A person, usually male, who is unpopular with their peers, unfashionable, socially awkward, and/or introverted.

"I like this name, it's one of my hamsters' names."

In my research, I found that men named Nigel is very rare, it is one of those names that has almost become extinct. People want to name their child with the most popular name there is besides maybe the name of ancestors.

For example, when I first logged in to social media my name was Anjelikka, the way it was spelled was very rare, almost unknown. Now, of course, it all changed you see this name everywhere and people want to spell it like mine, I wished I would have named my AVI Nigel because then I would be a rare gacha and have a higher value.

Did you know:
that Nigel is the name of the pelican in Finding Nemo!

"We're only making plans for Nigel
We only want what's best for him
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs that helping hand"

...not sure if we can make Nigel happy because happiness comes from within. That goes for all names.

What name were you given and what name did you give yourself in Secon Life? 

Would you consider naming yourself Nigel? I suppose it depends on where you come from unless you want to be known as the awkward Nigel from Australia. Most of the people that I saw in comments about this name were referring to it as their pets' names. 

"Nigel was my old dog's name. I'm American, but my parents are English and suggested it as a joke. I found the name suitable and somewhat funny since it doesn't really exist in the US as a "real" name. He looked like a Nigel, kinda scruffy and wiry, but dignified at the same time. Good name for a pet. Probably not for a child. ;)"

"Nigel No Friends" -
Aussie slang for someone without any friends, someone who's alone.

If you are a Nigel, then I am looking for you. Nigel is not outspoken, but he likes to speak
And loves to be spoken to.

If that is you? See me inworld.

Calling all Nigels...