Christmas myths.

A friend of mine, posted on facebook a link to several myths about christmas.  most of which i laughed at.  so i thought i would share some of them here and comment.

1. the Wise men were not at the birth of Christ.
okay there is a pastor out there who has not mentioned this in one of his sermons?  really? okay this might have been shocking at first but then it just makes sense.  why else would Herod kill all the babies who are two years old or younger according to what the wise men told him about the star? 

2. the christmas carol Away in a manger is wrong.
the writer of the artical pointed out that when the carol says.."but little lord jesus no crying he makes..." it are actually saying that jesus was a child that never cried.  come on really?  this is poetry! not historical naritive!

3. Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of december.
Um Duh? does anyone actually say that?  it is the day we celebrate his birth, and the feast of the nativity, where does that really imply that it is the actually historical day that Jesus was born.  we don't know when he was born.

4 people who say Xmas are taking Christ out of Christmas. 
alright this one I get, mostly because in English we see a big X.  big X means to cross-out.  but really in Greek the big X is the first letter of Christ.  so it is magnifying Christ.  however most people don't know Greek and use X mas for two reason I think, first because they don't have enough room, and second because they think they are avoiding the Christ part of Christmas.  the irony?  they aren't.

The Simple women's Daybook 5

FOR TODAY: December 11, 2010

You can find the more daybooks at Simple Woman's Daybook.

Outside my window...My Neighbor's Christmas lights.

I am thinking...how much I like slow Saturdays

I am thankful for...Surprise run ins with friends

From the kitchen...Left overs, we have lots this week.

I am wearing... jeans, periwinkle blue button up shirt, my new rosary, and a neck less that a friend got me.

I am creating...Christmas gifts.

I am going...to a Christmas party tonight.

I am reading...The Never Ending Story.

I am hoping...to finish my Christmas story soon so I can share it on line.

I am hearing...Straight No Chasers sing O Holy Night.

Around the house...Landry and dirty dishes.

One of my favorite things...Decorating for Christmas

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... I have lost my camera so no picture this time.

Final NaNoWriMo update For 2010

So two days after the fact and I have to say this year i was incredibly satisfied with my participation.  Grant it I only wrote 8,660 words but i have most of the story mapped out.  I have a synopsis, a first encounter scene, a Climax, and a mid point.  I am very happy with how it has fallen together and excited to see how this story continues to grow.  as for now it will go on the back burner while i work on other pressing stories.  hopefully very soon the one that i was wanting to write for advent will be ready very soon.  we shall see.

Thankful Thursday

(yes i stole today's title from Liz,)
today, being thanksgiving, i would like to take a minuet and list the things i am thankful for.

1. my Fiance Greg,
2. my family
3. my Church family at St. Adian's
4. my Room mate Lisa (who keeps me saine)
5. that my wedding is only 50 sleeps away!

NaNoWriMo update two

well we are past the mid point of the month, and I am only at 6,187 words.  if i actually thought it was possible for me to write 50,000 words this month.

I had already decided that i was going to do this year differently.  i am using a book called the weekend novelist as a guide.  and i am really enjoying this years nano.  it is almost relaxing.  so really wail i don't care if i make the right number of words, i will be happy if i have made it though the majority of the exercises in this book.

NaNoWriMo update one

it is november 9th and i am only now writing up my first nano update.  I am just over 1700 words.  yeah i am not sure that i will complete the goal.  but that is okay, I am in a play that is performing the first weekend in december, (Lord of the Rings in 15min, I play the part of Samwise and of Soruman.)I'm working almost fulltime, and i am trying to plan a wedding (67 more days!!!). 

However i did go to the writer's conference again this year. this year was a mixture of encouragement and discouragement.  lets face it i graduated from seminary this past spring and this seems as good a time as any to start trying to be serious about my writing. (don't worry i don't plan to quit my day job any time soon).  the advice i was given was to take something I have finished and polish it.  So now i am trying to think up a plan, for everything to fit together in a neat little package without having my life go spinning off in adicea. 

I have three peices i want to work on that are fiction (one Scify, one Fanticy, and one horror).  and i also want to try my hand at some freelance articles.  So i am not sure what to do or how to do it.  I have a story that i am trying to get ready to post on my blog for christmas special.  (I've been working on it all summer and i want it to be a lot better then the last story i published) the next is a piece i have finished and want to start polishing, then last but not least there is nano.  Even though i know if i get to 25000 words it is going to be a miricle i still want to be a part of it, it is fun and one of the highlights of my year. 

So on with the craziness!

Stories I have Written

Because I like to write stories I will be publishing some of them on my blog this page is so I can have a navigation to my stories if any one is looking for something.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick:  these are actually only exersizes so they are not generally very good but they are fun.

Archie Smith Boy Wonder
Strange Day in July

Achie Smith Boy Wonder Part IX

For Part I

     Early the next morning Ria pulled her truck up to the Smith's house.  "Well Archie, you ready to go home."
    Archie nodded and undid his seat belt.
    "Before you go, here." she handed him a glass vile, "You should have this." inside the vile was shiney metalic dust, "It's the dey, so you remember that you saved the world even if you can't talk about it."
     Archie took it, "cause people won't believe me and think i am crazy, Right?"
     "Right."
     The door to the house opened and Archie's parents stepped out, "Can I tell my mom?"
     Ria nodded Thoughtfully with a smile, "I think she'll believe you." she patted him on the shoulder, "Go on."
     Archie Got out of the car and ran to his parents.  Ria smiled as she watched Archie's father take his son in his arms and Archie's mother weep as she kissed him. "Congratulations Archie, Boy wonder." Ria put the truck in drive and left.

Fin

Archie Boy Wonder Part VIII

For Part I

     "Can I go home yet?" said Archie.
     "not till after we destroy the key." said Jessie, "If we don't destroy the key they will just come after you again."
     They heard the door open.  "Aunt Ria!" Casey bolted to the door and hugged his aunt. "Did you die?"
     Ria picked him up and held him tightly, "not permanently." She said as she kissed his cheek, "I'll tell you all about it after we destroy the key."
      "You got it then?" said Jessie.
      Ria Showed him the large black key.
      They all went into the kitchen and sat around the table. "okay Archie this is why the took you." she laid the key on the table. "only you can destroy it."
      Archie didn't understand, "How?"
     "with laughter," said Jessie.
     Archie shifted in his chair, "I don't feel like laughing."
     Jessie looked at Ria, "well,"
     Casey looked at the two adults.  Suddenly his aunt crossed her eyes and stuck her finger up her nose.  Casey giggled but Archie didn't. Casey understood what his aunt was doing, so he made a face by Sticking out his tongue and making a strange mask with his hands.  Archie pushed Casey who fell off his chair.  Casey and Rria laughed. Archie tried to hid his smile.
      Jesse thought of something and snicked to the fridge. what he was looking for was hidden behind the milk.  if this didn't work he didn't know what would.  He walked quietly behind Ria and said, "Hey Ria."
     She Turned and he shoved the coconut cream pie in her face. Archie and Casey laughed.
     Ria wiped the cream out of her eyes, She shook her head, then Threw a hand full of cream at her nephew.  the laughter continued. Casey smashed some of the cream form his face into Archie's.  and with that all that had been the coconut cream pie was flying through the air.  Casey ran for a can of Ready whip and shot it at Jesse.  Laughter shook the house and on the table the key quivered and disintegrated.

For Part IX

Archie Boy Wonder Part VII

For Part I

     Jessie ran through the park, put Archie in his car, and sped off to Ria's house. Once there Casey berated him with questions about everything.  Jesse told him to be quiet as he paid Megan and sent her home.
     "But where's Aunt Ria?" Casey asked.
     "She'll be here soon." Jesse had Archie rapped in a blanket and made the boys hot Chocolate.
     They waited, and waited... the clock on the mantel struck 1:00 am.  both boys were getting sleepy.  Archie yawned.
     "You don't think something happened do you?" asked Casey.
     "Oh come on." said Jessie attempting to cover his own wary, "what could happen to your Aunt Ria?"
    
     Down in the cave beneath the old boxcar Kazum pulled his sword out of the lifeless body of Maria Sunctus, none by most as simply Ria. "what a waist of time."
     His priest nodded.
     "And now the boy is missing."
     His priest turned back tot he pit, "I will complete the ritual, you go get the boy."
     Kazum agreed but as he passed Ria's body he tripped.  before he got up a sword came down into his back and he screamed in agony as he died.
     The priest whorled around dumbfounded at the women who had killed his master.  "but you were....how did you?"
    with a swift movement Ria pulled her sword out of the demon's body, "Got tangled up with some druad's 1400 years ago. you know they are really good at their curses." She faced the priest, "now about completing that ritual." She glared at him.

For Part VIII

Achie Smith Boy Wonder Part VI

          A board creaked under Ria's foot.  Looking down she saw that under her feet was an old and beat up rug.  She glanced at Jesse who crouched next to her.  They lifted the rug and there was a trap door. Opening it they found that under the box car was a cavern with flickering lights and running water.  They made their way down the slippery path.  They kept as silent as possible and around a corner it got brighter.  They hid behind a rock formation.
          "You have a plan right?" Jesse asked.
           Ria nodded looking carefully over the cave.  the light sprites were everywhere, which was why the cavern was so bright.  close by was a cage, inside of which a boy in a nightshirt.  Near the center of the room was a pool over which stood a hooded figure, and behind him was a grotesque monster.  Ria pointed to the demon, "Is that?"
          Jesse nodded.
          "So who is..."
           But Kazum started to speak. "I don't understand why we can't just kill him. The way you act I think you believe in reincarnation or something."
          "I've told you," Said the hooded figure, "killing the child is not enough.  We must kill it in such a way so that it will be a suitable sacrifice to the ancients. Other wise the key will not open the way." the figures voice sounded raspy and coughed as it spoke.
           Ria and Jesse sank behind the rocks, "Well?"
           "How much of that dust do you have."
      
          Casey sat at home pretending to work on a puzzle.  he had already done this one, ten times.  so it wasn't really fun any more.  he could hear Megen, the babysitter, washing dishes in the kitchen. He bet what ever Jesse and Aunt Ria were doing was way more fun then this.

          Jesse climbed up to a place where he was over most of the sprites.  he carefully sprinkled the dust over them and in minuets they were immobile.  He went to the cage were Archie was held.  The sprites that noticed soon found themselves also immobile.  Jesse took Archie in his arms telling him to be quiet. he took the boy out of the boxcar and run though the park to his car.  once they were both in the car they sped off to Ria's house.

          As soon as Ria saw Jesse get clear of the caverns she took out her crossbow and fired and arrow at the priest.

For Part VII

Archie Smith Boy Wonder Part V

For part one
Mrs. Smith rushed to the door when she heard someone there. She hoped it was the cops with some information for her, maybe they had found Archie. Instead she found a young women standing on the other side, “Can I help you?” She asked.
“Mrs. Smith, I Ria Sunctus.” said Ria, “I'm here to ask you some questions about your son's disappearance.”
“Are you with the polices?” Mrs. Smith opened the door wider.
“Not really, I work on cases that sometimes are a little too strange for the police to handle.”
Mrs. Smith shifted uneasily.
“Was there something strange about your son's disappearance?”
“Please come in.” she led Ria inside and offered her tea.
Ria thanked her and when they were both seated she asked, “Mrs. Smith, what happened last night.
Mrs. Smith could not bring herself to look up from her tea cup, “It seemed so unreal. It was like this is some kind of nightmare I can't wake up from.”
“What ever happened I'll believe you.” Ria said in a soft reassuring voice.
“I woke up hearing Archie screaming, my husband and I rushed to his room and he was being carried by some kind of light. As we tried to reach him to pull him down...” she paused to wipe her nose with a tissue, “He floated out the window.” she blew her nose and wiped her eyes as rebellious tears escaped,”
“Mrs. Smith,” said Ria, “I think we know who has your son, and we are going to do everything we can to get him back to you.”
Mrs Smith Sniffled.
“Once we have a location we will...” her phone rang, “Just a minuet, Hello?” it was Jessie.
“Ria, I've found him, he is hiding at boxcar park.”
“I'll meet you there.” she closed her phone.
“Did you find him?” asked Mrs. Smith.
“We think so.” said Ria, “Mrs Smith I need you to stay calm, we are going to go after him, hopefully we will have him home tonight.” She showed herself out.


Box car park was so named because of the old box car that was near the lake in the park.
Ria and Jesse made their way through the marsh over to it. “I don't remember it being this marsh last time I brought Casey here.” said Ria.
“I know,” said Jesse, “about the same time these disturbances started there was a water-main that broke here making the lake over fill.”
“So you think it is more then just coincidence?” Ria pulled her foot out of ankle deep mud, silently thankful that she had worn her knee high boots.
“I don't believe in coincidences.” said Jesse nearly falling as his foot got caught.
Ria caught him, “I do.” the mud squished as she walked, “but any way, do you know how to kill this beasty?”
“I figured your sword should do the trick, it didn't say he was immune to any particular weapon, nor that only a particular weapon would kill him.”
“And the Spites?”
He held up a jar of dust, “A mixture of dried Angel tears, ground heather and eye of newt.” he slid it back into his coat. “It will immobilize them”
“And how do we get the key?”
Jesse paused, “I hadn't thought about that I guess if we kill Kazum we should be able to get the key just fine.”
Ria smiled as they reached the door, she pulled out her sword, Jesse took the handle of the box car door, she nodded. The door slide open and she charged in, to an empty Box car. She sighed, “Jesse."
Jesse followed into the dark empty box car, “but I was sure...”

more to come

Archie Boy Wonder Part IV

For Part I
“But why can't I help?” asked Casey in the truck the next morning as his aunt drove him to school.
“I told you, you're not old enough.”
“But I've been practicing with the quarter mast, and...”
“Casey.” Interrupted his aunt, “I told you when you are 12 you can start helping.”
Casey folded his arms across his chest and pouted.
Ria sighed, “I know it seems like a long ways off, and I know you want to go out and face the forces of darkness, and you will, I promise.”
Casey looked out the window not listening.
Ria pulled into the parking lot in front of the play ground. “Look,” she said, “how about you talk to your friends, find out who has already been visited by that strange dream.”
“Why?”
“You said you wanted to help right?” Casey nodded, “Well right now we have to find this wonder boy before the sprites do. If you can find out who has already been attacked then we can narrow down who it might still be. How does that sound?”
“Alright.” He said getting out of the car.
“I'll be here to pick you up.” She called after him.


Casey hurried out onto the play ground jumping into the line for four square as his aunt drove off. He talked to his friends and classmates when the bell rang and he was seated in his class room he went through the people he had talked to and made a list of those who had had the dream and who hadn't. He didn't need to write them down but it did help him to see where the fairs might have already visited.
Mrs. Fitch called roll like she did every morning. Casey answered when his name was called, but then she called a name and no one answered, so she asked the class, “Has anyone seen Archie?”
Casey sat up and looked around, he hadn't seen Archie, and Archie was one of those kids who wasn't allowed to stay home, he was always at school but he did have a practice of showing up a few minuets after the bell. And it didn't look like anyone else had seen Archie either. He shot his hand up in the air, “Mrs. Fitch, Mrs. Fitch.”
“Yes Casey?”
“I need to call my aunt, it's an emergency!”
Mrs. Fitch looked at him with disbelief.
“It really really is.”
Mrs. Fitch sighed, when she had met Ria on the first day of school one thing that she had been most adamant was that if Casey said he needed to call her then Mrs. Fitch better let him call her. “I suppose.”
Casey jumped out of his seat and grabbed the hall pass then ran down the hall. Someone yelled, “Walk Mr. Michelson!” but he ignored it. The walk was going to be destroyed if they didn't get there first.


Jesse was bent over a map of the city marking off places where their had been reports of strange occurrences over the past few days. Ria was looking up all the information on Kazum Draug and Sloagdor to see if she could find out where the monster was hiding when the phone when off. “hello?” there was a pause then he handed the phone over to Ria, “It's Casey.”
Ria took the phone, “yes?”
“It's Archie Smith!” he said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, he didn't come to school today.”
“Okay we'll check it out.”
“He lives at 322 walnut st.”
“You did good Case, I'll see you after school.” She hung up the phone “I think Casey might have found our boy wonder, is there anything in the police reports for 322 walnut street last night?”
“Um.” Jesse scrolled through the pages on his computer, “yes here it is, looks like a missing person's report.”
“That's gotta be our boy,” Ria grabbed her keys and headed to the door, “I'll go check it out, find out where Kazum had set up shop.”

Part V

Archie Boy wonder Part III

For Part I
          “Really?” Casey was once again mesmerized by the little creature who was still trying to find its way out. “but it's so little.” he remarked.
          “Ria,” said Jesse, “maybe we should do some quick cross referencing, try and figure out why it's here.” the both of them searched through Jesse's many volumes for several hours, Casey stood guard over the jar, but after a while he fell asleep. Ria motioned for Jesse to check to make sure Casey was a sleep. He nodded.
          “Oh thank God.” she said leaning her head back.
          “Do you think it is wise to tell him when we are trying to avert an apocalypses?” asked Jesse.
          Ria shook her head, “I don't know, he has already lived through a couple and you know the prophecy surrounding his birth. He always seems to take it well, as if it is something that just happens on a regular bases. Besides, he has figured out how to tell if I am lying.”
          “Oh,”he sat, “but, still, wouldn't it be better if you let him live in a world with out always being involved in the supernatural?”
          Ria Shrugged, “Probably but every time in the past I thought about that well there would be an apocalypses or some daemon gang would try to break into our house, and then there are people like Zachary that I could never separate him from.”
          “True,” He said nodding his head, “he does seem to be chosen to have a very unique life.” he watched the boy sleeping for a while then turned back to the book in his hand, “Found anything?”
          “Just some information about what these things are guardians and sentries for. The Resting place of Kazum Draug, who has the power to unleash the forces of darkness, blah blah blah, oh here we go by unlocking the door to Sloagdor where the ancient evil waits to usher in a new era in which the old ones will return.'” she ran her fingers through her hair, “I just don't know what it has to do with little boys getting their ears bitten.
          “I might have an answer to that,” Jesse leaned down to let Ria look at his book, “it says here that there is only one who can stop Kazum Draug, he will be a young boy that will have the ability to destroy the key by the power of his laughter.”
          “Really,” said Ria, “laughter?”
          At that moment the single window to the office was shattered and in flew a swarm of little lights. They flew every where knocking over anything and everything in their path. Several came to the table and threw the books while several picked up the jar that held their captive brother and threw it against a wall, Jesse ducked and Ria raced for Casey taking him tightly in her arms and diving under the table. In a flourish of light and crashing book cases they were gone.
          “Wow,” said Casey, “what happened?”
          “You should take him home.” said Jesse.
          “Awe!” said the little boy disappointed, “But the fun was just starting. Please Aunt Ria can't we say?”
         “No Jesse is right,” Said his aunt, “besides you have to go to school tomorrow.”
         “But But there's going to be an apocalypses,” Casey wined.
         “No there won't be,” said Ria, “we are going to stop it.” she lead the little boy out of the room at the door she turned to face Jesse, “I'll be back by after I drop Casey off at school.”

Part IV

Archie Boy Wonder Part II

For Part I
          It was late when Ria got home, she was finishing up a phone call. Jesse had called her just as she was pulling into her drive way. “Well keep looking there has to be something in the annuls,” She said as she was unlocking the door and headed inside, “something that can tell us what would need to bite little kid's ears...I know... okay I am home now so I will talk to you tomorrow after I drop Casey at school... Bye.” she went into the living room where the babysitter was waiting reading a magazine, “Hey, how was he?”
           “Oh he was fine.” said the girl, “He ate his dinner and after a story or two he went to bed no problem.”
            “Good. good.” Ria paid the girl and then went to the kitchen to get something to eat. There was a sudden thud upstairs from Casey room. “Casey?” Ria called up stairs. There was no answer but a moment latter there was a crash. “Casey!” she yelled heading over to the stairs.
           “Aunt Ria Aunt Ria!” Casey came running out of his room holding his pillow case, “I got one I got one!”
           “One what?”
           “One of the lights!” He exclaimed holding the bag up for his aunt to take.
           Ria took it and opened the bag.
          “Don't let it go!” Casey exclaimed.
          “I won't.” she glanced into the bag then quickly closed it, she said something in a different language.
          “What is it?” her nephew asked.
          Ria ignored the question and grabbed her phone, “Jesse, Casey caught one...okay we'll be right there.” she closed the phone, “Casey get your jacket.”
          “Are we going to the office?”
          “Yep.”


           The office was down town tucked between a clothing store and a renovated building that now served as a coffee shop. The sign on the door was just a simple glyph with only the name Jesse Malory underneath. It was the kind of place people walked by every without seeing it. Unless ofcourse they were looking for it. Ria parked the truck then she and her nephew hurried inside. Casey clenching the pillow case closed.
            Inside was Jesse. He was a lean man bent over a table covered with books. He looked up at them when they came in. “Do you still have it?” he asked.
           “Yep.” Casey proudly smiled.
          “Good,” he pointed to the huge pickling jar on one of the tables, “put it in there.”
Casey shoved the entire pillow case into the jar and Jesse slammed the lid on. It was several minuets before the little light found its way out of the pillow case and started banging its head against the glass.
           “What is it?” asked Casey, almost pressing his face against the glass.
           “Looks like a...” Jesse adjusted his glasses and flipped though one of his books, “yes here it is a Nova Sprite.”
          “What is that?” he asked.
          “Well...” Jesse looked at his book, “Well it is a sprite that is native to creeks and such, they hide among fire flies mostly and...” he flipped a few pages, “it seems that they...oh...” he looked at Ria.
          She looked at the book, “oh.” she repeated.
          “Is it bad?” Casey looked up at the two adults, wondering if they would lie to him. They sometimes did that, because they didn't want to worry him. He didn't like it when they lied, he was eight and a half, over the course of his life he had learned that some where something was always trying to end the world and ever time Aunt Ria and her friends always stopped it from happening. His childlike optimism had never faltered, there was still nothing Aunt Ria couldn't do.
          “Well, it seems that this little guy and his friends might be trying to cause an apocalypses.” said Ria hesitantly.

Part III

Archie Smith Boy Wonder

A tiny voice asked, "is he the one?"

It was 10:00 and the Mrs. Milrose put out the last of the lights, she and her husband were the early to bed early to rise types. Their young son was already tucked into bed and fast asleep, tomorrow after all was a school day and he had to be awake very early. By 10:30 the house was dark and everyone was sound asleep. There were some lights still on in the other houses in the neighborhood but it was a quiet neighborhood lots of families with children, many of them around the age of the Milrose boy. So by 12:00 the whole area had gone to bed. It was the kind of place where no one really worried about things, nothing ever happened there. But that night was the beginning of something no one would ever understand, at least no one who lived in that tiny little Neighborhood in that small suburb of Denver Colorado.

At a lamp post on the corner of Cherry and Oak Streets to little lights broke off from the lamp and floated about. "Are you sure he is here?" Asked one of the lights, in an inhuman voice.

"Yes" replied the other, "The oracle was very Specific."

"But not specific enough to tell us which one of the 57 children it is." replied the first.

"We will just have to look around until we find it then wont we?" said the second.

After a moment the first said, "Well where should we start?"

The second light drifted towards the Milrose home, "This way."

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Milrose slept peacefully in his bed int he second floor bedroom. The window slid open by some supernatural force, and a cool breeze rustled the curtain. The two lights glided in. "Do you think he is the one?" one of the lights asked the other.

"There is only one way to find out." The lights moved closer and were soon hoovering over the young boys head.

Suddenly Mr. and Mrs Milrose were jilted out of their sleep by a pricing scream. They jumped out of bed and ran to their son's room. The curtains fluttered in the empty room. An in a moment of sere panic Mrs. Milrose called out her son's name, he wasn't in his bed. Minutes which felt like hours, latter they found him cowering under his bed very unwilling to come out.

The two lights floated down tot he next house, "It wasn't him." said one.

"No, maybe the next one will be more promising." said the second.

Ria pulled her truck into a parking space to pick up her nephew from school, a few minuets latter her nephew, Casey opened the door and climbed in. “So how was school?”

Casey looked at his aunt, “Aunt Ria, have you ever heard of lights that attack people?”

Ria was putting the truck in reverse, “What?”

“Some of the kids at school said they had a horrible dream that these two lights came into their room and bit them on the ear.” Casey explained, “Sense they each actually had a sore on their ears I figure its not a dream and there are these lights in the neighborhood that are attacking people when they sleep.”

“Well.” Ria was focused on the road, “I don't think I have heard of such a thing before, but I'll ask Jesse if he knows of anything like that.”

"Can I come with you?" Casey asked.

Ria shook her head, "not tonight, its a school night."

“Okay," he said not trying to hide his disappointment.

Part II

Why God?

why is it so much easier
to lock myself in a shell when things go wrong.
to run from my mistakes
instead of bringing them to you?

I know you want to help-
I know you can help
If I give all my worries and doubts
and frustrations to you
I know you love me
I know you care-

So why is it so much easier to run?
dsk

From Susie Magazine

Thankful Thursday

I am copying my dear friend Liz again.  For different reason my life has been rather stressful.  I graduated from grad-school which is great but has created a void in my life because I no longer have school waiting for me in the fall.  for the first time in 21 years I will not have school to go to and that is a little scary.  With graduation came the lose of my job.  I am now on the job hunt and that is stressful and a little depressing because in a few months my money goes away and I will not have any income, that is of course only if i do not get a new job.  I am also engaged and getting married in 190 days.  That is a bright shiny place in my life, but also very stressful because every time I try to look at all the things I have to do I all but break out in hives over everything that has to be done.

So I am going to try and combat this stress that makes me feel like my life is a pressure cooker waiting to explode (or maybe make something tasty, I don't know what people make in a pressure cooker but i am sure it is good.) by thinking about things I am thankful for.

First I am thankful for my apartment, at least i did not lose my house when I graduated like i would have if i had still been living in a dorm room.

Second I am thankful for my fiancé he is really good had helping come back when I'm drowning under all thing things that need to be done.

Third My Mom.  I am so grateful that she is here and is so wanting to help, I am sure she has no idea of how grateful I am, and I haven't shown it enough.

Four my room mate, she could not be a better friend if she tried.

Five St. Adian's Anglican Church, good friends and good community are hard to come by you guys are both.

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High.

-Psalm 50:14

Simple Women's Daybook 4

FOR TODAY: July 1 2010

You can find the more daybooks at Simple Woman's Daybook.

Outside my window...well pasted sun down, sadly you can't really see anything out my window, even in day light.


I am thinking... about plot holes.  or rather dropped plot, it seems that my nano novel lost the plot somewhere, and now i have to figure out how to find it again.


I am thankful for...my roommate, my fiance, and game nights.


From the kitchen..nothing very exciting, Greg made Greek Monday night. it was very tasty.

I am wearing...Pajamas


I am creating... a new dice bag for all my dice.  and editing my novel from November. 

I am going...to bed soon.


I am reading...the Simerilian, and Dracula

I am hoping...to work on my novel, maybe get it ready for someone else to read it.  that would be good.


I am hearing...sounds of me typing, and Lisa doing dishes


Around the house...Christmas decorations frm last christmas.  the walls will just look so bare if we take them down. 

One of my favorite things...Well that isn't that much of a secrit is it.  of course it is my new shiny ; ).


Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Some Pedicure soaks i made. 

A Strange Day in July

(This story comes out of an exercise i was encouraged to do to help me to develop my writing ability)

He threw with all his might but the third stone came skipping back to him

“Do it again!” demanded Lizzy. “Do you think it is magic?” she asked as Casey bent down to pick up another stone.

He shrugged and pulled his arm back like his uncle had taught him to skip the stone across the shiny waves. That is what he had planned on doing, teaching Lizzy how to skip rocks. But then something very weird had happened. The first stone he had thrown as he was trying to show Lizzy how to skip, skipped three times and then instead of sinking to the bottom of the lake it came skipping back to him. Casey tossed the little stone in the air then he threw with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back to him, just like the first two.

“I bet it's magic.” said Lizzy, “I bet there is some kind of curse on this lake, and that's way mama, and daddy, and aunt Ria came here.”

“Don't be stupid.” said Casey, “Why would they let us play by it if the lake was cursed?”

Now Lizzie was only just barley five and as most five year old she did not like it very much when people called her stupid. She pouted for a wail as Casey picked up one more stone and hurdled it into the lake. Once again it cam back. “Well what do you think it is?” she asked arms crossed so he could see that she was mad.

“A ghost probably.” he answered picking up another stone and tossing it.

“That's dumb, ghosts can't throw stones.”

“No you're dumb, ghosts can do anything.”

now that had done it. Casey had called her stupid and dumb, it was more then the little five year old ego could take and she ran back to the small cottage where her mother, father, and Aunt Ria were sitting having their afternoon tea.

Lizzy burst into the tea room, “momma, mamma, Casey called me stupid, and dumb.”

Her mother, an exceptionally thin women, put down her tea cup, “Oh baby,” Lizzy ran over and flung her head into her mother's lap, “Why did he say that?” her mothers voice was soft and she stroked her daughters hair as she spoke.

“the rocks...” by this time Lizzie had been able to conjure up some almost convincing tears, “he was throwing them into the lake, but they kept skipping right back to him...” she sobbed, “ and I said it must be cursed and he said I was stupid.”

“Oh ho.” Her mother laughed just a little still trying to comfort her little girl. “honey, the lake isn't cursed.”

“Really?” Lizzie looked up at her mom. “is it haunted then, cause that is what Casey said.”

at this point the women across the table, aunt Ria as the children called her, spoke up, “no it is defiantly not haunted.” Ria was a strong women, she was larger then Lizzy's mother though that wasn't saying much, and though she did have a sustain amount of softness to her she was mostly

muscle. “but I should probably go see what this rock thing is all about.”

Lizzie's father then chimed in “would you like me to come with you.” Lizzie's father was a tall man, or sort of man. The truth was her father was hardly a man at all. His green skin and red eyes and horns shattered any illusion of that. His name was Zack and he was about a quarter human and three quarters Hactsen Daemon. His daughter Lizzy showed very little of her father looks, but there was a chance that when she got older her inhuman side might present itself.

“Naw.” said Ria, “if it is bad I'll scream.”

“oh please don't.” Zack mocked.

Ria shrugged as she left the room and headed down to the lake.

***

Casey was standing in the exact same place where Lizzy had left him. “Case!” she called. Casey looked her way then back at the stone in his hand. When she got to him she knelt so she could look him in the eye. “Lizzie says you told her she was stupid.”

Casey looked down at his feet, “Well...” he started, “She thinks the lake is cursed. And that is stupid.”

“Just because a thought or idea is stupid doesn't mean the person is stupid.” his aunt explained she sat on the beach. “Why do you think the stones keep coming back?” she asked him.

Casey took the stone in his hand and threw it into the waters only to have it come skipping back to him. “It's haunted.” he said confidently.

Ria smiled and rubbed the back of her neck, “What if I told you that that is more stupid then Lizzie saying the lake is cursed?”

Casey looked at his aunt shocked.

Ria rubbed her hands to get rid of the sand on them, “actually she is much closer to the truth of this lake then you are.”

“But it's not cursed.” he wasn't as sure of himself any more, he had been so convinced that it was a ghost he was playing with. Some little boy spirit that had drowned in the lake and was doomed to haunt the shores forever alone that now he felt very disappointed.

“No not the lake itself, but this is an old and mysterious lake. There are many things in here that are, cursed. Like the guest we had at dinner last night, you remember him right?”

Casey made a disgusted face, the guest they had had over for dinner that night had been by far one of the more demonic looking things he had seen, and he had seen a lot of demonic things, his uncle Zack for insistence.

“There are many mysterious things in this world, you probably will never discover all of them.” Ria went on. Casey was now sitting next to her looking out at the waves which shone with the light of the sun. “look there!” Ria exclaimed pointing a finger out over the lake.

Casey looked. He saw something that looked like a head on a long neck like some kind of serpent. “wave to Nessy.” instructed his aunt.

Casey waved excitedly. “is that who I have been playing with?”

Ria shrugged, “I doubt it, but who knows?” they watched as the creature rolled over to its side and waved a flipper back at them.

Casey giggled, “No one is going to believe this.”

“Nope,” agreed his aunt, “but that is our lot in life. We see things and know things that keep everyone else safe. So safe that they have forgotten how to believe in the magic that surrounds them every day.” she hugged her nephew, “Come on its time for lunch and you need to apologizes to Lizzie.” she stood.

“Awe do I have to?” asked Casey.

Ria was dusting herself off, “Yes.”

“But why?”

“Because,” answered Ria, “you hurt her, and that is wrong.” they started walking towards the house, “What you your teacher make you do?” she asked.

Casey bowed his head as they walked, “she'd make me say I was sorry and then give her my snack.”

Ria smiled, “well maybe you can just say you are sorry.

Simple women's Day book 3

FOR TODAY: June 2 2010

You can find more daybooks at The Simple Womans Daybook

Outside my window... a beautiful night sky

I am thinking...How wonderful life is...

I am thankful for...friends and family and my boyfriend...

From the kitchen...chicken taco soup and berry upside-down cake.

I'm wearing... white lacey baby doll with a purple tank and olive green gotchoes (sp). 

I am  creating... Several knitting projects and working the kinks out of my novel from November. 

I am going... no where special this week. 

I am reading... the Simarilion by Tolkien, the abolition of man by CS Lewis, and Interesting times by Terry Pratchett. 

I am hoping...to find a job soon. 

I am hearing... the air conditioning mostly. 

Around the house... my room mate just got a new set of dressers they are hanging out in the living room till we can find room for them in her room. 

A few plans for the rest of the week... find a job, find car insurance, write resume, find a way through this murky world call post graduation. 

Here is a picture I am sharing(or two)... a gift from my boyfriend....

(Ps  I said yes!!!)

fairy kingdoms

I have discovered one of the last holds of magic.  we all know that at one time magic was everywhere but as time progressed and science became more prominent the magical world and all its creatures faded into the last strong holds.  now most people will walk right by a strong hold and never even know its there, one must be rightly attuned to the world around them and specifically the feel and color of the magic color, Octoreen.  most people can not see this color, it has gone out of style  with magic receding to only a very few can sense it.  but there are other ways to spot one of the last of the magic strongholds.  generally there is something out of place there,  something that seems almost not real.  but again these things are usually explained away by those who are completely blind to magic and can only understand things according to their mass, or volume, moving parts, and viscosity.  those who can still sense the color of magic understand these things but also sense the small remnant of magic still inside those things.

any way like I said I have found one of the last strong holds of magic,  it is in a place call Natural bridge in Kentucky.  it is a most extraordinary place where the rock has been worn away so that there is a large hole in the middle of it.  when one has gone through the bridge and follows the path up to the bridge there is a gate way into the fair kingdom.  all over the hills there are signs of magical life.  brownies mostly find there home there, but there are other fair folk there, just not as obvious.  most of them can only be seen during the mystical time that is neither day nor night.  and that time is when the fairy king and queen of that hold can be seen if of course one knows how to look.  along the main path up to this extraordinary place there are several places to stop on the way, these little stations are specifically for the mountain trolley which is lead by a strange little man upon a horse which leads a long line of magic burros. this trolley is unnoticed by most people but every now and again if you listen correctly you can hear him take fey folk up to the gate of the fairy kingdom.

it is a magical place where many magical creatures have found a safe place to hide from the encroaching scientific world which threatened to destroy it.

Color of Magic is written by Terry Pratchett

Eco-friendly

Going Green has been the catch phrase of the decade and it doesn't look like it will be going away anytime soon. personally I think it has been mostly ridiculous. I also think earth-day (like most activist specialty days, weeks, and months) is kind of silly. this is not to say that i don't think curtain things should not be brought to the attention of the masses, i am just not sure that these awareness days really do anything. but that is just my opinion.

Any way this post is really about something I saw advertised recently, a car completely run on electricity. now if you have talked to me at all about global warming, climate change, greenies, you know I mock them profusely, and believe the global warming to be a hoax, and become encased in consumerism as a marketing ploy. I also think it is disgusting that environmentalist care more about a tree then their fellow man. But that is all beside the point.

The reality is I have no problem with alternative forms of energy, just make sure you take care of the millions of people who will be put out of work with the coal and oil industries are forced to close.

Any way about this car. The fact that it looks like they have built a car that will be able to actually run off electricity and be efficient is great, there is just one problem. electricity is for the most part generated through coal and oil, with some coming from water, and a very small percentage of solar, wind, Nuclear, ect. So instead of burning the oil in the car to generate it the car becomes part of your electric bill each mouth with is generated most likely by coal. this means that the person who owns this car will be causing more coal to be burned, and thus undoing the good deed they may have thought they were doing by driving an electric car.

Now if the home is powered by solar or Nuclear power then go for it buy this car because it will actually be good for the environment. But for most people in this country solar power is not an option, because it is not cost effective in all places. Where I grew up for example, solar power would be great in the summer, but in the winter when the sun goes down by 5pm and doesn't come up till 9-10 am, that is a problem.

Sense earth day was only a few days ago here is another thought I have had, recycled paper. sounds great, used paper can be turned in to brand new paper. the problem is that we think we are being earth concise by recycling it but recycled paper has a very disturbing side effect, toxic slug of some kind. okay now I must be honest and say that I don't know the specifics about this but what I know is that the waste from recycling paper is toxic.

another earth day thought, Sun chips, one of my favorite kind of chips, have new packaging that is biodegradable. I think that is neat, but I want to know a few things about. First how is it made? What is the process? Are there any hidden secrets like with recycling paper? Is it being made that is not only in the best interest of the earth but also in the best interest of our fellow man? How does this change the price for chips is it more or less, or does it make a difference?

I promise this is my last two cents on earth day. On Thursday in chapel the speaker mentioned that she was in a conference about environmental issues and human rights. Environmental issues I don't really care about, but I do care about people. And I don't think that these two go together in the way that most people would like them to. yes there are some ways in which the two are completely together but there are some other things that make me worry. for and example alternative fuel, I don't have a problem with experimentation, I don't have a problem with finding other ways to make electricity, I do have a problem with farmers deciding to grow corn to produce ethanol because they can get grants and make more money from it then growing corn for livestock and humans. Food prices are going up and part of the reason is this. another thing because of the laws being passed on the use of different fuels many developing nations are being kept from developing because they cant afford to get the fuels that are approved by these laws.

those are my Earthdayish thoughts.

Fun High-Jinks in the Library.

for most of my seminary time i have worked at the library.  it is a good job to have, great people and just generally a good place to be.  it even has it's little quirks, like an alarm system that goes off and on when ever it wants to.  the lights that sometimes come back on all by themselves after turning them off.  and the usual complaints of being a technology center.  we at the library often jock about the place being haunted.  I wrote something about this back in October.  but there is something very fun that happened today, yes more fun then the library rave we had over spring break last year.  we had a bird caught in the upstairs quiet floor.  how did it get in?  good question, i would guess it got in the same way that the bats get in...Magic.

any way this bird was tricksy and it took several people to corner it.  including the very brave former zoo employee, Jon Todd.  it flew here and there, landing on books stealing crumbs and hiding in mysterious places that only magic birds know about.  in the end after wearing the bird out by chasing it and acting like a dysfunctional pack the thing that finely caught the bird and returned it safely back outside?  well as the young man said who caught it, it was his mad Asian skills. 

Knitting project

Finally it is done! my very first bag!

This is my lunch bag.  it started by following the pattern posted at knitty.com for a brown lunch bag which i thought looked really neat. the problem was i decided to use some yarn i already had which could not be felted, so when i got to the end of the pattern it did not look right.  so I changed it up by adding a drawstring, then for some more color i experimented by putting on a pocket.  this was a very fun project!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I have been trying to think of something to blog about and I realized that it has been a wail sense i did a review on something.  So here it goes

I know this movie came out a wail ago but I just saw it over spring break.  I really like this movie it has a good message. 

Spoiler alert (the plot):  it is about Peter Bretter is a musician who hopes to one day write musicals but is currently working as the music guy for a hot TV Crime show that his girl friend of five years, Sarah Marshall. is the lead character.  the movie opens with Peter enjoying his day and then having a surprise visit from his girlfriend who informs him that she is breaking up with him.  Peter deals with it as any secular modern man would.  he goes to Hawaii where as fate would have it Sarah is also there with her new boyfriend the Aldous Snow at the same hotel.  Hilarity ensues as Peter goes back and forth between wanting to be over Sarah and wanting to have her back in his life.  finally he lets go and starts going with Rachel the hotel receptionist.  

Things I Like

First: the message of this movie is great.  the message is that some times there are consequences that you just have to live with.  at one point Sarah starts to realize that she may have made a mistake to break it off with Peter and when Aldous breaks up with her she tries to get in peter's pants, it almost works because well Peter is a guy. afterwards when he tells Sarah that he could never be wither again because she broke his heart.  he then actually does the right thing and tells Rachel everything, even though he knows it will hurt her and that she will probably leave him for it.  She does because lets face it just because you tell the truth doesn't mean that it will be all sun shine and puppies.  But also it is when Peter stops trying to have someone in his life that he is able to  move on with his life and do the one thing that he has been dreaming about.  

Second: the one couple in this movie that leaves Hawaii happy and satisfied is a Christian couple on their honey moon.  their relationship is first awkward  because they hadn't had sex before they got married, but in the end with a few tips on how to 'please' his wife the couple are happy and satisfied with each other.  

Third: Aldous Snow, to me at least int he movie he represents the free love, world peace, extremists. and he is mocked the whole time.  he goes on a whole rant about how love isn't about relationships it is about 'connections' with women.  he is also so phlegmatic about things that he doesn't understand why people would get upset,  but my favorite quote is when someone points to his tattoos and says  Let me tell you something about these tattoos, okay. That is Buddhist, that is Nordic, that is Hindu, that's just gibberish. They are completely conflicting ideologies, and that does not make you a citizen of the world, it makes you full of Crap!

Things i didn't like:

to be warned there is a fair bit of sex in this film, for the most part it is all in context of the story that is being portrayed.  a guy in this day and age gets his heart broke after coming out of a 5 year relationship, what is he going to do? there also is some non sexual male nudity.  but on the whole there is little that is gratuitous.  

That is it, i give this movie a 4 out of five stars.  if you liked Knocked up, 40 year old virgin, and the hangover you will probably enjoy this flick.