"There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky;
there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul."
~~Victor Hugo
Hi all,

Where I live, we'll be experiencing something like 98% totality with tomorrow's solar eclipse.  So I thought it would be fun to look at ways the Dyelanders could celebrate if they came to good ol' Nebraska as many scientists and such are.  And, okay, maybe this is just a chance to brag about my home state and the surrounding area.  In any case, I hope you enjoy!

God bless,
Jenni
Top Ten Ways the Dyelanders/Friends Can Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

10.  After admiring the celestial event, the Dyelanders/Friends could head to the Durham Museum and pepper any of the more senior angels about how they were involved with the various historical events on showcase there.

9.  If they want to probe any further back than the last few centuries, the gang can head to Morrill Hall on the UNL campus and discuss dinos and the like... perhaps even pin down Andrew's age!  Or they could go relive scenes from "Bringer of Light" with Andrew in the planetarium.

8.  No trip would be complete with out a visit to the Henry Doorly Zoo which, beyond offering some eclipse-themed activities, has a splash park that all the lil Friends would love.  Bonus: Daisy could meet a giraffe who shares her name!  Double bonus: There are seriously so many adorable baby animals there right now that cuteness overload is guaranteed.

7.  They could also let the little ones scamper around the awesome Omaha Children's Museum.  Really, what could be more adorable than watching Andrew patiently get his face painted by the pre-school set?

6.  After dropping the kids off when any of their many grandparents, the adults could head to the Old Market where Monica and the rest of the caffeine-obsessed Friends could do a coffee crawl through the neighborhood's many, many cafes and restaurants.

5. Those Friends who may want to opt for a quiet day in could watch TBAA's lunar eclipse themed classic: "The Journalist."  They'd just have to take care to not let Monica or JenniAnn know.  I don't think Joshua really wants to arrange another intervention at Panera.

4.  Speaking of Joshua, if the Friends want a little bit of a road trip after viewing the eclipse, they could head to the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa.  The statues may not look much like the Joshua, Maryam, Yosef, and Michael that they know but it's very beautiful and peaceful. 

3.  They could visit any of our lovely state parks and admire nature.  And how the trees bring out Andrew's eyes...  And how the sun filtering through the leaves makes the gold in his hair stand out...  And how adorable it is when he stops to help a cricket cross the path and avoid getting stomped...  And how manly he looks hiking with a little one on his shoulders...  And how...  I better stop there.

2.  Whatever they do, the Friends are bound to end up with an appetite so they could gather at the Brazen Head and get their Irish on.  They could see if the boxty measures up to Fr. Mike's.  Arthur will ensure that Monica doesn't go too crazy with the yummy Irish Coffees.

1.  It doesn't matter where they go or what they do.  Simply being together, human and angel, will make the eclipse a wonderful experience!
Dyeland: True or False

With kids heading back to school, at least around here, I thought having our own pop quiz would be fun.  Those who have been around here for a while can see how well they do.  For newbies, this might be a good way to learn a bit about Dyeland.  Good luck!

1.  Dyeland exists in the same universe as Touched by an Angel.

2.  Adopted by Andrew and JenniAnn, Belle doesn't know any of her birth family.

3.  Like Andrew and Adam, Henry has a home in Dyeland.

4.  Monica was initially thrilled when it turned out Arthur had a son.

5.  Tess still has her dog in the Dyeland stories.

6.  Vincent now knows the truth about why he was "abandoned" as a baby. 

7.  Andrew currently has five children.

8.  A few years ago, Andrew was taken captive in Iraq and met and befriended fellow POW, Peter, there.

9.  Adam went on a honeymoon.

10.  God loves everyone in the Dyeland-universe.

And now a fabulous photos break before the answers...





Answers

1.  Dyeland exists in the same universe as Touched by an Angel.

False.  Because the characters sometimes watch and discuss TBAA, we know Dyeland exists outside of TBAA.  The angels in Dyeland, at least some of them, had stories which inspired the TV show.

 2.  Adopted by Andrew and JenniAnn, Belle doesn't know any of her birth family.

 False.  The Chandler-Darcy clan is very close to the Al-Mitra family.  Behnam, Aiyla, Omar, and Aurora are all blood-related to their niece and cousin.

3.  Like Andrew and Adam, Henry has a home in Dyeland.

True!  Henry lives at Angel's Reststop. 

4.  Monica was initially thrilled when it turned out Arthur had a son.

False.  While Monica adores Liam and is raising him as her own, she was initially devastated to learn Arthur had a love affair with another woman.  You can read more about that in "A Stor Mo Chroi." 

 5.  Tess still has her dog in the Dyeland stories.

 True.  Even though we may not read a lot about Widget (as the pup was later named), since he seemed to have heavenly origins, he's still a part of the Dyelanders/Friends community.

6.  Vincent now knows the truth about why he was "abandoned" as a baby. 

True.  He learned about his parents' romance and his mother's heartbreaking choice in "Origins." 

7.  Andrew currently has five children.

False.  While he will eventually have five children, Avi isn't yet born.  For now it's just: Max, Violeta, Shelby, and Belle.

8.  A few years ago, Andrew was taken captive in Iraq and met and befriended fellow POW, Peter, there.

False.  It was Afghanistan and it was Max that Andrew met there, not Peter.

9.  Adam went on a honeymoon.

That he did!  He accompanied Clay and Kylie on their honeymoon around the Sibling Cities and beyond.  Naturally, he had his own hotel rooms. 

10.  God loves everyone in the Dyeland-universe.

Of course!


This newsletter is dedicated to John Dye for making Andrew so gosh darn attractive in "The Journalist."  Between that and "The Violin Lesson," I was hooked!

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(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from Touched by an Angel and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions.  They are not being used to seek profit.)