Just Fiddling Around

I decided it was high time that I put some of my favourite website links on the sidebar. Had I known how involved it was going to be, I would have promptly knocked that decision unconscious and just gone for a nap. For the most part it was quite easy, but there were a few links that became very involved, as Blogger didn't like the URLs for some odd reason. Most sane people would have simply opted to leave them out and get on with life, but in my heat-induced delirium, I had to get all stubborn and determined to get them to work.

I did get them to work. Except for one, which I finally gave up on. In spite of the fact that it took a very long time to figure out which bits Blogger didn't like on a couple of the links, I am quite pleased that I persisted. I don't like to let machines get the best of me, so it's always a lovely feeling of accomplishment (and smugness!) when I figure the problems out.

The first set of links is a random collection of some of my favourites, in no particular order. The other links are organized into categories. The links are only a handful of the ones I have in my Favourites - I couldn't even begin to guess how many are in there. I had to categorize my Favourites folder as I had way too many links saved. I have about 30 sub-folders in there, many of which contain a large number of links. I thought that the ones I posted here might be of interest to some of you. There are a few I'd like to share my thoughts on.

I stumbled across the Essex Mountain Sanatorium website by accident one day, and I was immediately hooked. I've never figured out why, but there is something about the place that draws me. It's unfortunate that it was demolished, as I would have loved to have visited there some day. I love abandoned sites, especially sanatoriums, hospitals, and prisons. There are a few links on abandoned sites and urban exploration in my list, but Essex Mountain Sanatorium will always be my favourite.

The Asylum Eclectica is another site that I can't get enough of. It's full of all things morbid, and I will freely admit that I love looking into morbid things. The webmistress has a wicked sense of humour, so that's another plus for me. I get a huge kick out of her, and there is a lot of fascinating information on that site.

Tara Hill Designs is an awesome online store. The owner makes a variety of wonderful runes, wands, ogham staves, and a few other things. The first set of runes I bought were made by her, and to this day they are my favourites. I also bought a wand from her, and I love it. She is wonderful to deal with, and her prices are very reasonable. What's not to love?

I love post-mortem memorial photographs - they are so beautifully poignant. The sites I have listed for post-mortem photography are some of the best I've come across. They treat the subject matter with a great deal of respect. The Antique Photo Album site really tugs at my heart. She's done a beautiful job with it, and the music really gets me.

The Ossuary at Sedlec is awesome. Due to limited burial space in Europe, bones were removed from graves to make room for newer burials. The bones were stored elsewhere, and the places they are stored in are known as ossuaries. The Sedlec Ossuary is phenomenal, as far as I'm concerned. An artist was commissioned to create a chapel with the bones, rather than just leave them heaped up somewhere. He did a breathtakingly beautiful job, and the detail and craftsmanship are awesome.

Of course I love all the links I posted, but the ones I've nattered about hold a very special place in my heart. I hope that you enjoy some of these links too.

It was a bit cooler today, and is certainly cooler tonight. There's a beautiful cool breeze coming in my windows, so hopefully that will lead to a better sleep! I was going to write about a couple more things, but I'm so wiped from the heat we've had that I simply can't write anymore. So it will be nice if this coolness tonight helps me to catch up on a bit of sleep!

I do have one thing to leave you with. My coworker's daughter bought a puppy, and I had to take a picture to show you all. She is just too adorable for words - a tiny little fluff ball, with more energy than the Hoover Dam...


How Cute Is This?

On that note, I shall wish you all a good night, and pleasant dreams!