Leaves

"How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow." 

-   Elsie N. Brady

The Big bang Theory 9.2

In a hilarious second episode, we are greeted with an astonishing scene of Sheldon and Penny kissing passionately to punish Leonard. This turns out to be a nightmare Leonard is having. Spurred on by the horrifying mental picture, Leonard looks into marriage counseling which turns out to be much more expensive than he thought.

Meanwhile, the little group of friends is still tip-toeing around the news of Leonard and Penny's latest issue. It turns out that Howard and Bernadette have known for two years, infuriating Raj. Sheldon is still wrapped up in his own imploding drama and uses Fun With Flags to express his new emotions, giving him unrealistic hope when Amy blows up and demands he take down the video. This episode was even funnier than the first one and breaking up Sheldon and Amy was probably the best thing for this show, as long as they don't do the back and forth thing like Leonard and Penny.

Doctor Who 9.2

Clara awakens to find herself tied upside, hanging from her feet in a tree, while Missy is nearby ominously sharpening a stick and telling a story about the Doctor and how he once escaped a horde of androids. This story has a point and explains how Clara and Missy survived the Daleks' weapons and how Missy is still alive. When Missy is convinced that Clara won't be sandwiches, she unties her and they survey Skaro, sizing up the challenge before them. On one side is the might of the Dalek empire, on the other is two women with a pointy stick and trust issues. "Can I have a stick too" Clara asks. "Make your own stick." Missy barks and they set off.

While they're climbing around the Dalek sewers trying to sneak inside, the Doctor is being all clever and attempting to escape. While this proves hilarious, he fails and Davros continues to interrogate him, hiding his true motives till the last possible second. When Missy tries to manipulate the Doctor into unknowingly killing Clara, she earns his wrath and she flees, threatening to get up to more mischief. We also learn that on the Time Lords' home world, Missy/the Master had a daughter.

While the first episode had one high point and several unanswered questions, this one had lots of laughs, a few answers and an interesting twist that could spell doom for the Doctor further down the road. I still hate the Daleks though. Why can't we have new fresh enemies for once?

Summer Shower

A drop fell on the apple tree,

Another on the roof;

A half a dozen kissed the eaves,

And made the gables laugh.

A few went out to help the brook,

That went to help the sea.

Myself conjectured, Were they pearls,

What necklaces could be!

The dust replaced in hoisted roads,

The birds jocoser sung;

The sunshine threw his hat away,

The orchards spangles hung.

The breezes brought dejected lutes,

And bathed them in the glee;

The East put out a single flag,

And signed the fete away.

~ Emily Dickinson

The Big Bang Theory 9.1

In the new 9th season of The Big Bang Theory that aired last night, we pick up the thread of drama where we left it last Spring and step right into the story. Sheldon, completely knocked off balance by Amy breaking up with him, calls Leonard to tell him not to get married. Still working through the news she learned about Leonard, Penny tries to enjoy their simple little wedding ceremony, not knowing that their little group of friends watching the live stream is caught in a tug-of-war between Sheldon and Amy.

More drama than comedy in this opening episode, the rest of the season is set up to be a blast. Can't wait for more! *huge grin*

Doctor Who 9.1

Doctor Who came back in its 9th season with a twisty new episode that promised much and gave little. Finding himself on a distant planet, the Doctor throws his sonic screwdriver to a boy stranded in a mine field and encourages him to stay calm and save himself. He asks, "What is the name of the boy who won't die today?" The answer leaves him stunned, faced with an impossible decision that goes against his rules, his past, his morals and his conscience.

Fast-forward to our times and Clara leaves school early to meet up with UNIT when all the planes freeze in the air. Without explanation, Missy is back and crazily taunts Clara, saying she's the Doctor's best friend and archenemy. With his last will and testimony mysteriously in her hands, Missy drags Clara off to find the Doctor who's throwing himself a big three week party complete with an electric guitar, a tank and the word "dude" in what appears to be Medieval times. A snake-like messenger has been combing the universe searching for the Doctor and when he finally catches up, the Doctor comes face to face with his old archenemy Davros, and must make his impossible decision.

This episode really frustrated me. As my husband and I discussed, the Doctor is now criss-crossing over his own timeline and messing up all his own fixed points, creating paradoxes and no longer following any of the rules he's previously laid out in past episodes and regenerations. I think we can safely blame Moffat for that. Darn script writer. If he goes back in time and kills Davros as a boy, the Daleks will never be created but then the Time Lords will still be alive and the Doctor won't have had to destroy them. Everything he's done and become will have been for nothing. On the other hand, he could go back and positively influence Davros, possibly changing the future without killing him. But then Clara will still die in the future. I don't particularly mind that; I'm really tired of her. And they didn't explain how Missy is still alive! I hate that!