Lovestruck in Ciudad Enamorada - Flowers!

The trailer for the new The Sims 4 expansion pack "Lovestruck" is here!

Most new features relate to romancing, naturally, but my eyes rather decided to search for new flower arrangements - and there seems to be plenty of them :). One is definitely flowers gifted to a date, and I just hope they can be displaced in a vase afterwards. But there are so many new bouquets in a vase that I'm eager to find out whether sims can give various arrangements to a date? What if they all are gifted from one sim to another? Some of my sims could get very busy siimply to collect all those flowers - ditch the date, but keep the gift :)

Let's start with what looks like a kiosk to buy the flowers that you intend to gift your date. It can hopefully also be used to buy the same bouquets for yourself, or your spouse, but it might come with a too romantic flaire to gift your mother-in-law.

Jubilee Lunch

(Year 232, Fall) True to tradition, the Royal Palace Office (RPO) has released a couple pitures covering this year's Jubilee Lunch. Every year in Fall HRM King Tarriot will host a lunch where a few selected members of community are guests of honor. This is a way to acknowledge anniversaries and other community matters worthy of a royal nod.

The five guests of honor. HRM King Tarriot to the right.

This year's photo was taken on one of the two passages leading to King's Tea Salon, where the lunch usually takes place. This is actually a rare location for photos because of a rather limited floor space, but this time they probably figured out that it works well with a tele-objective shot from the other passage on the opposite side of Grand Mazaloom Hall. The picture allows us to admire two pieces of the large royal collection, seemingly from the Empire of Snorthia. Is that random, or did they place the items on display deliberately, trying to calm down the ongoing culture conflict with Snorthia? RPO informs that it is HRH Queen Venezia who organizes these minor displays at the palace, but they normally change only once a year. On the wall we get a glimpse of two old tapestries, which asfar as we know are not replaced annually, King Rupert Tapestry and King Courtis Tapestry. These kings were both monarchs of Mazaloom back in the Medieval era.

Paula Ching (86) Engaged!

(Year 232, Fall) A surprise engagement is talk of the kingdom these days! If you are one of those who never will let your age stop you, you might applaud a bit more loudly than the two respective families do. Paula Ching Mester Mugger is 86, and she just got engaged to the 8 years older Baron Floyd of Emp. They both belong to nobility's outer circles, but still their romance seems to be stirring up things - and not necessarily in a good way!

Paula Ching Mester Mugger (86) and Baron Floyd of Emp (94).

The wedding will be a small ceremony, and they won't give the normal one year ahead notice - no, more like three weeks! The couple released their engagement photo, announcing the date to be late Fall. They claim to be fully aware that they won't live forever, and therefore see no point in waiting. When Floyd Altham recently moved into Bon Voyage Retirement Home at Gloomville's Upperton hood, where also Paula Ching resides, sweet music played as they found a common interest in nectars. He as the maker, she as the consumer.

But there are already objections to an engagement like this!

Church of Similius Announcement: New Priest

(Year 232, Fall) It has been known for a while that current Priest of Tredony parish, Christoph de Buttercups (78), will retire end of this year. Church of Similius' board has now agreed on his successor, who will serve the parish from 1st day of Year 233.

Region 3's fifth Priest will is named Benjamin Rosa, of House of Rosa in Ciudad Enamorada, Region 7. He moved to Windenburg 3 decades ago to serve the Monastery.

Monk Benjamin with High Priest Ansgar (left) and Nestor Wallort (right).

Priest Benjaminus will have his investiture late Spring, but will start the year by moving into the new Vicarage located at Terra Amorosa in  Tartosa, just a short walk from Tartosa Chapel, where he will work.

Flock People - Sensational Discovery

(Year 232, Fall) It's late evening and the lab facilities at Dusty Turf in Oasis Springs are pretty quiet. Scientists left their working space - all except Mr. Alexander Goth. He welcomes a few selected journalists to share exciting news.

For some time, scientists have worked hard on capturing as much history as possible involving the long gone Flock People. The green skinned forest people disappeared exactly 100 years ago when their willow forest at Willow Field of Gloomville was cut down by timber industry. This Fall there will be some presentations at the Flock Memorial Day, and Goth and his staff was optimistically gathering information to be presented, thinking their project was nearly completed. Then the totally unexpected happened!

Mr. Alexander Goth works at Landgraab Science Lab, Inc.

- Old myths suggested that the last Flock escaped to hide in a secluded area called Glade. So, we placed wild cameras there. They were known as good at hiding, so nobody knew for sure if he was still around. He would be perhaps 150 years old, which is another myth we wanted to explore - could those forest beings actually live for 200 years, like we hear in the well known children's song? Or was that just a fantasy?

«Flee, flee, from the Glee.

Home to the wood, willow hood.

Was that a Flock, behind a rock?

Was that a knee, up in a tree?

Two hundred candles on a cake,

Flee flee, for Glee's sake!» 

Olivia Clump - No more Singing

(Year 232, Fall) It's been quiet from our legend jazz singer Olivia Clump. Not only is her absent noticeable in the glossy magazines, but her voice has left her. Literally.

- I'm still dying my hair, admits Olivia Clump (79).

The popular singer has reached the age of 79, and it's been a while since her super popular jazz recordings. She had a come back few years ago, but it was mostly about the release of her last greatest hits album, with a fan greeting and a mini concert in her home district, Newcrest. Since then, her voice left her!

Unique Display: Fragments of the Achilles Set

(Year 232, Fall) Earlier this year HRM King Tarriot brought home a couple pieces of the ancient Achilles set, from a royal expedition into the Selvadoradian jungle. The items have now been cleansed and this week the Royal Palace exposed them in the Mazaloom Grand Hall, that is open to public most days of the year.

Archaeologist were ecstatic when learning that these items had been discovered by the royal expedition, as the Achilles set has been seen as a long gone treasure. Now a nectar pitch and a cup can be admired at the palace by everyone, until the items will visit at least two galleries elsewhere in the nation, organized by the National Museum. A third item was gifted to King Salomar of Sea, as a thank you for hosting the expedition.

Regional Reform Y233 Completed

(Year 232, Fall) It's been a long journey, but this week we got the final regional structure. Everyone affected can now take notice to adjust whatever is calling for adjustments. The new regional borders will have big impact on political parties because they need to mobilize candidates in each of the 8 regions. With new borders, their candidate focus might need a change. But also the regional spread of community services as well as the location of each region's community center might be affected, High Nobility will be heavily affected, too, at least a few barons dropping in rank. Most important - the long wait is finally over!

Changes are now official and will have full effect from 1st day of Spring Year 233. However, in some areas changes are already being implemented. The website (both community pages and residents registry) has already been adjusted according to changes, but there will be a few more adjustments addressed shortly.

The new map shows that most changes will regard the old Region 12 Mazaloom. Up to now the People Chamber, the Royal Palace and the High Court were all located in this huge region, but next year all of them will be switching regions. Region 12 was the largest region by far, but will now hand over land to Region 3 Tredony, Region 7 Advorton and the new Region 5 San Myshuno. That's correct, our largest city will now form its very own region!

Bowling Tournament *Winner*

(Year 232, Fall) It's been a while since the announcement of a new bowling tournament, «Mazaloom Super Bowler», and now it's time to make the list of contestants public. When Bill Loffertop founded the Mazaloom Bowling Club the plans for an annual contest was already sketched. Since then  the club did grow, and fact is that more persons than the tournament restriction of 8 did sign up for the club's very first contest.

Bill Loffertop leads Mazaloom Bowling Club. He is also a Politician with a seat at People Chamber.

So, the most of the tournament takes place during 2nd weekend of this Fall, then the bronze-final and the grand finale will be arranged the following weekend. It all takes place at the bowling venue in Gloomville's commercial area (basement of the gym). Eleven persons signed up, but only eight of those are admitted to the tournament. Because of the great interest, and the fact that there are already bowling arenas in several regions, the location might alternate in the future.