Kas’SaDe knelt down in the thick spongy moss of the forest floor. No discernable path lay before or behind her but she knew the way to go. ToByan was home. She knew the life and routine of the forest as surely as she knew herself even if she had never ventured this far before now. She knew dozens of safe plants and insects to eat, the restorative uses of tera seeds and how to overcome jaglars. She knew all the frog songs and what they foretold. She knew the smell of imminent rain. But she had never, even when deep in the haunts of jaglars, known the experience of being hunted.
The uncomfortable sensation of vulnerability had clung to her for more than an hour now, growing progressively in strength. Goosebumps rose across her arms, the muscles in the back of her neck contracted tightly and every sense tingled with heightened awareness.
As she had done repeatedly throughout the past two days of her journey, she waited, crouched in the tricky shadows of ToByan. One hand rested on the woven pouch belted to her side. She listened. Tiny flies buzzed over her lips and nose but she kept still. Only her eyes moved, scanning slowly through the dappled patterns of light in moss, brush and tree. Vy toads wooed each other in the canopy above and vy irises saturated the air with pungent spice. A bramble snake slithered across the ground within arm’s reach. She made a note of its movement to her left as it circled a large boulder and vanished into the thorny entanglement of bramble tress behind. Nothing else moved over the ground. All was as it should be, indeed as it had been for the past two days, but Kas could not shake her unease.
The hand over the woven pouch tightened subconsciously.
So much trouble for a simple letter!
Kas didn’t need to pull it out of the carrier pouch to picture it clearly before her. The gravity with which the letter was entrusted to her had sealed its image in her mind. A small white square sealed with dark red wax on the front and addressed with a single name in black flowing calligraphy on the back. Besides brief initial direction, that name was all Kas had to guide her. It was unfamiliar to her and her tongue stumbled over the strange pronunciation:
Ùghdair.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Forward Motion
"'cuz I struggle with forward motion, we all struggle with forward motion..." (Relient K)
Thus far,
5. I have read three more Newbery medal books. :) (Waterless Mountain, Sounder & The Door in the Wall)
20. Four more verses done :)
21. Two days in a row! :P
33. Last night. 'Twas fun!
61. CHECK! I have bought my cell phone and the texting madness has ensued! :D :D :D
78. Loving this. Thank You, Abba.
Onward!
Thus far,
5. I have read three more Newbery medal books. :) (Waterless Mountain, Sounder & The Door in the Wall)
20. Four more verses done :)
21. Two days in a row! :P
33. Last night. 'Twas fun!
61. CHECK! I have bought my cell phone and the texting madness has ensued! :D :D :D
78. Loving this. Thank You, Abba.
Onward!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
92 Wishes
1. Move to B.C.
2. Graduate as an RN
3. Do 100+ newborn baths
4. Buy a guitar
5. Read more Newbery Medal books
6. Write a letter every week
7. Participate/Encourage/Witness the accomplishment of BIG goals for Teh Project
8. Complete 2nd draft of my wip by April 1st
9. Get professional feedback for my novel
10. Submit my novel for publishing
11. Help backstage @ ___
12. Take a roadtrip with S.T.
13. Go to the Gathering in Nashville
14. Kiss Elijah
15. Worship dance with Joy
16. Teach Katie and Nikki to play Dutch Blitz
17. Spend another sunrise at C___ Point
18. Hang glide
19. Jump off a cliff with my sister, Janessa (or something else adventurous that she would like to do)
20. Finally finish memorizing Psalm 119
21. Make flossing a regular habit
22. Learn to sing "Jesus Loves Me" in Mandarin Chinese (and other languages)
23. Read books out loud with my sister, Hannah
24. Create a really cool Age of Empires campaign with my brother, Andrew
25. Watch the 6th Harry Potter with Christa & Julianna and treat them to a fancy dessert
26. Find something weird/new to cook with every month
27. Eat more avocado
28. Take yoga and belly dancing classes
29. Go fishing (and learn to clean fish)
30. Visit Lass and cook a fantabulous meal with her
31. Spin hug with Phoenix, my cyber-sis
32. Cross the Alberta/Saskatchewan border
33. Swing dance
34. Teach Deanna more Rhumba steps (teach ballroom dancing to anyone who wants to learn)
35. Worship with Lannette and dance in the streets
36. Walk in the land of Israel
34. Worship at IHOP in Jerusalem
35. Write a letter to a politician regarding an issue that is important to me
36. Learn and memorize a new song on the piano
37. Take guitar lessons (learn to play at least 3 more songs)
38. Wear fuzzy socks more often
39. Learn & sing a duet with my sister, Micayla
40. Breakdance with my brother, Peter
41. Volunteer at a Pregnancy Counselling Centre
42. Volunteer at the CAUSE run in Canmore
43. Pray more frequently for leaders in government
44. Scheme something EPIC with my brother, Josh
45. Paint toenails with Vilma and laugh lots! (link also with #28)
46. Finish my crazy story project for my co-workers from the summer
47. Write the true stories of other people
48. Write another 50k+ novel in the month of November
49. Hike Mt. Baker with the Ragans
50. Go to the USANA celebration in Calgary
51. Help host a Health & Freedom or Sense event every month
52. Swim frequently
53. Spend lots of time outside
54. Finish a project in my craft box
55. Buy "my Baby" from Mom & Dad, register in my name
56. Have at least one tea party with fancy mailed invitations
57. Have an organized clean room before I pack it all up and move away
58. Snowboard more than once or twice
59. Get rid of clutter, give it away
60. Build a sand bear (or try valiantly)
61. Buy a cell phone and get in on this texting action
(EDIT: Officially CHECKED off January 10th, 2009)
62. Read Boneman's Daughters, Kiss, Lunatic and Elyon
63. Swim to the island at T____ Lake
64. Perform a skit with my siblings
65. Pay off at least 1/4 of my debt to the bank of Mom & Dad (stay out of all other debt)
66. Attend Top Hat & Tails
67. Remember to check the oil in the car
68. Dance in B_____ park
69. Spend more time interacting on the Circle than lurking
70. Walk from ___ Avenue to _____
71. Visit Alyssa in Jasper
72. Encourage my co-workers
73. Complete an intrapartum care course
74. Write my nursing mission statement
75. Watch the 2nd season of Alias
76. Dunk in the Jordan river (if possible)
77. Volunteer at Beit Immanuel
78. Listen more for God's silence
79. Skip rope
80. Colour with sidewalk chalk (create pictograph bible stories and play lots of hopskotch)
81. Blow bubbles on the breakwall
82. Teach Caspian to play fetch
83. Watch the 1st Indiana Jones movie
84. Play lots of soccer (and buy more soccerballs for children in other places)
85. Do the RESET cleanse
(EDIT: Officially checked off the week of February 5-9th)
86. Meet Collette Larsen
87. Find opportunities to babysit for free
88. Sponsor a child
89. Wash feet
90. Pick blackberries and bake blackberry pie
91. *secret*
92. Check off every item of this list by 2359 hours on December 31st, 2009
2. Graduate as an RN
3. Do 100+ newborn baths
4. Buy a guitar
5. Read more Newbery Medal books
6. Write a letter every week
7. Participate/Encourage/Witness the accomplishment of BIG goals for Teh Project
8. Complete 2nd draft of my wip by April 1st
9. Get professional feedback for my novel
10. Submit my novel for publishing
11. Help backstage @ ___
12. Take a roadtrip with S.T.
13. Go to the Gathering in Nashville
14. Kiss Elijah
15. Worship dance with Joy
16. Teach Katie and Nikki to play Dutch Blitz
17. Spend another sunrise at C___ Point
18. Hang glide
19. Jump off a cliff with my sister, Janessa (or something else adventurous that she would like to do)
20. Finally finish memorizing Psalm 119
21. Make flossing a regular habit
22. Learn to sing "Jesus Loves Me" in Mandarin Chinese (and other languages)
23. Read books out loud with my sister, Hannah
24. Create a really cool Age of Empires campaign with my brother, Andrew
25. Watch the 6th Harry Potter with Christa & Julianna and treat them to a fancy dessert
26. Find something weird/new to cook with every month
27. Eat more avocado
28. Take yoga and belly dancing classes
29. Go fishing (and learn to clean fish)
30. Visit Lass and cook a fantabulous meal with her
31. Spin hug with Phoenix, my cyber-sis
32. Cross the Alberta/Saskatchewan border
33. Swing dance
34. Teach Deanna more Rhumba steps (teach ballroom dancing to anyone who wants to learn)
35. Worship with Lannette and dance in the streets
36. Walk in the land of Israel
34. Worship at IHOP in Jerusalem
35. Write a letter to a politician regarding an issue that is important to me
36. Learn and memorize a new song on the piano
37. Take guitar lessons (learn to play at least 3 more songs)
38. Wear fuzzy socks more often
39. Learn & sing a duet with my sister, Micayla
40. Breakdance with my brother, Peter
41. Volunteer at a Pregnancy Counselling Centre
42. Volunteer at the CAUSE run in Canmore
43. Pray more frequently for leaders in government
44. Scheme something EPIC with my brother, Josh
45. Paint toenails with Vilma and laugh lots! (link also with #28)
46. Finish my crazy story project for my co-workers from the summer
47. Write the true stories of other people
48. Write another 50k+ novel in the month of November
49. Hike Mt. Baker with the Ragans
50. Go to the USANA celebration in Calgary
51. Help host a Health & Freedom or Sense event every month
52. Swim frequently
53. Spend lots of time outside
54. Finish a project in my craft box
55. Buy "my Baby" from Mom & Dad, register in my name
56. Have at least one tea party with fancy mailed invitations
57. Have an organized clean room before I pack it all up and move away
58. Snowboard more than once or twice
59. Get rid of clutter, give it away
60. Build a sand bear (or try valiantly)
61. Buy a cell phone and get in on this texting action
(EDIT: Officially CHECKED off January 10th, 2009)
62. Read Boneman's Daughters, Kiss, Lunatic and Elyon
63. Swim to the island at T____ Lake
64. Perform a skit with my siblings
65. Pay off at least 1/4 of my debt to the bank of Mom & Dad (stay out of all other debt)
66. Attend Top Hat & Tails
67. Remember to check the oil in the car
68. Dance in B_____ park
69. Spend more time interacting on the Circle than lurking
70. Walk from ___ Avenue to _____
71. Visit Alyssa in Jasper
72. Encourage my co-workers
73. Complete an intrapartum care course
74. Write my nursing mission statement
75. Watch the 2nd season of Alias
76. Dunk in the Jordan river (if possible)
77. Volunteer at Beit Immanuel
78. Listen more for God's silence
79. Skip rope
80. Colour with sidewalk chalk (create pictograph bible stories and play lots of hopskotch)
81. Blow bubbles on the breakwall
82. Teach Caspian to play fetch
83. Watch the 1st Indiana Jones movie
84. Play lots of soccer (and buy more soccerballs for children in other places)
85. Do the RESET cleanse
(EDIT: Officially checked off the week of February 5-9th)
86. Meet Collette Larsen
87. Find opportunities to babysit for free
88. Sponsor a child
89. Wash feet
90. Pick blackberries and bake blackberry pie
91. *secret*
92. Check off every item of this list by 2359 hours on December 31st, 2009
Snowflake method –Step 1
A teenage girl tries to cope with wounds from her past by writing a fantasy novel.
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