Reasons.
3. St. Valentine's Day - I'm single and hopelessly romantic and I will love this holiday forever regardless of how ruthlessly it is commercialized.
2. Leap years - HILARIOUS. I mean, really, adding a day to a month every 4 years? It tickles my funny bone. o:)
Bestest of all
1. It is the time of year when the increasing amount of daylight becomes noticeable. I find myself frequently giddy throughout the month as my subconscious celebrates what my eyes barely register. Winter is passing, spring is coming!
*Leanna basks in the light and the rain*
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
TL-3 Wonderful Rain
I love rain, I really truly do. :)
Here are a few reasons why:
1. The music of it.
I find virtually any water noise relaxing (e.g. ocean, river, showers running) but there is something especially soothing about rain regardless of how light or heavy it is coming down. Whether pitter-pattering or roaring, it is my choice as a soundtrack for writing or a lullaby for sleeping.
2. Mmmm...the smell.
Fresh. Clean. The smell of rain is the smell of old things being made new. Hurrah!
3. When it falls on your face.
This one relates closely with number 2 and is especially wonderful if you have been crying. It is like the sky is crying for you.
4. The silly WETNESS of it.
Splashing in puddles or simply spinning until you are soaked through, rain encourages play. Some games, like soccer, are at their best when played in the rain.
5. Mystery of mist.
Rain means clouds. Not fluffy shape-funny white ones high up in the sky (although those are lovely too). But soaking close-as-your-skin clouds. Horizon-obscuring clouds. Clouds that slip between tree trunks and make mountains vanish and reappear. Clouds that make this writer's mind wonder "what if?" so that new worlds flicker and appear.
Thanks be to the Creator for this precious gift of rain!
Here are a few reasons why:
1. The music of it.
I find virtually any water noise relaxing (e.g. ocean, river, showers running) but there is something especially soothing about rain regardless of how light or heavy it is coming down. Whether pitter-pattering or roaring, it is my choice as a soundtrack for writing or a lullaby for sleeping.
2. Mmmm...the smell.
Fresh. Clean. The smell of rain is the smell of old things being made new. Hurrah!
3. When it falls on your face.
This one relates closely with number 2 and is especially wonderful if you have been crying. It is like the sky is crying for you.
4. The silly WETNESS of it.
Splashing in puddles or simply spinning until you are soaked through, rain encourages play. Some games, like soccer, are at their best when played in the rain.
5. Mystery of mist.
Rain means clouds. Not fluffy shape-funny white ones high up in the sky (although those are lovely too). But soaking close-as-your-skin clouds. Horizon-obscuring clouds. Clouds that slip between tree trunks and make mountains vanish and reappear. Clouds that make this writer's mind wonder "what if?" so that new worlds flicker and appear.
Thanks be to the Creator for this precious gift of rain!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
SS - King of Pride Rock
Feast and Rememberance
(King of Pride Rock from the Lion King soundtrack)
A single note on the silver horn called the feasting crowd to silence. The Queen rose from her place and servants dimmed the lights on the rough rock walls. Three of the troupers rushed into the open ground encircled on four sides by the long tables. They laid out a shimmering length of grey fabric. A fourth trouper poured water upon the fabric. The music started, a mournful melody with the rhythm of marching feet behind it.
“Remember,” said the Queen. “Remember our lost.”
Water and fabric rippled as the troupers danced. Not a single drop escaped the entwining until they came to kneel before the Queen’s table and pour it out at her feet. A cascade of black lillies followed the small waterfall.
The troupers spun away and others came to join them, matching into pairs. Each trouper moved within a handsbreath of his partner without ever touching. It seemed impossible for them to leap and whirl and crouch so close and yet not embrace.
“Despite peace and prosperity, we built walls between ourselves and allowed hatred to flourish where there should have been fellowship.”
The music grew darker and ominous. Several of the troupers lit blue fire and danced with it, still without touching their partners.
“We tore ourselves apart in false pride with our derision, our gossip, our scorn.”
Here and there, blue light blazed as two partners met in sudden violence and one crumpled to the ground.
“There were those who dared another way.”
Red light flared as two more pairs embraced but the connection blended into their dancing and made it greater than before. One lifted the other high and then caught her when she fell. The four came together, whirling kaleidoscope of coloured fire and swift movement.
The other troupers halted their dancing to surround the four who dared to touch each other. The blue fire in their hands died, casting them as silhouettes between the watchers and the four who still danced.
“We could not bear their freedom, their joy, their abandonment of what we most prized.”
The shadowed troupers tore the dancers from each other. Fire flashed in brief spurts. One of the women was flung between several of the shadowed ones until she fell limp and motionless. One of the shadows flung up a hand of brightest blue fire and all the others froze. He knelt beside the fallen woman. Red fire licked up from her body to alight in his hand and merge with the blue.
“Only after blood had flowed like water through our land and every family had lost a sister or a brother, did we see truly what we had done. Too late. All life rebelled against our tyranny.”
One by one the frozen troupers dropped to their knees and covered their heads.
“The sun did not shine. The clouds held to their rain. Mines collapsed. Forest burned. Fields only grew thorns.”
The trouper with the hand of red and blue flames stood. He brought the fire to his lips and drank it. The hall grew brighter even as the fire vanished. Golden light ran across the tables more like water than fire. One by one, the gathered rose from their own seats. Each spoke a single name. The music had crescendoed but every name still rang clearly through the hall no matter how hushed the speaker’s voice.
“Annalise.” Said the last man as he stood at the Queen’s right hand.
“Avron.” Said the Queen. “We remember.”
“We remember.” The words echoed back not only from those at the tables but from the servants who stood behind them and from the troupers where they knelt or lay.
“We forgive,” said the Queen.
“We forgive!” Every hand in the Hall raised a cup with the cry. They drank a sip of the wine and then passed the cups, sharing with whomever was in reach. The troupers rolled to their feet and passed among the tables with their cups. Every light was relit. The feasting resumed.
(King of Pride Rock from the Lion King soundtrack)
A single note on the silver horn called the feasting crowd to silence. The Queen rose from her place and servants dimmed the lights on the rough rock walls. Three of the troupers rushed into the open ground encircled on four sides by the long tables. They laid out a shimmering length of grey fabric. A fourth trouper poured water upon the fabric. The music started, a mournful melody with the rhythm of marching feet behind it.
“Remember,” said the Queen. “Remember our lost.”
Water and fabric rippled as the troupers danced. Not a single drop escaped the entwining until they came to kneel before the Queen’s table and pour it out at her feet. A cascade of black lillies followed the small waterfall.
The troupers spun away and others came to join them, matching into pairs. Each trouper moved within a handsbreath of his partner without ever touching. It seemed impossible for them to leap and whirl and crouch so close and yet not embrace.
“Despite peace and prosperity, we built walls between ourselves and allowed hatred to flourish where there should have been fellowship.”
The music grew darker and ominous. Several of the troupers lit blue fire and danced with it, still without touching their partners.
“We tore ourselves apart in false pride with our derision, our gossip, our scorn.”
Here and there, blue light blazed as two partners met in sudden violence and one crumpled to the ground.
“There were those who dared another way.”
Red light flared as two more pairs embraced but the connection blended into their dancing and made it greater than before. One lifted the other high and then caught her when she fell. The four came together, whirling kaleidoscope of coloured fire and swift movement.
The other troupers halted their dancing to surround the four who dared to touch each other. The blue fire in their hands died, casting them as silhouettes between the watchers and the four who still danced.
“We could not bear their freedom, their joy, their abandonment of what we most prized.”
The shadowed troupers tore the dancers from each other. Fire flashed in brief spurts. One of the women was flung between several of the shadowed ones until she fell limp and motionless. One of the shadows flung up a hand of brightest blue fire and all the others froze. He knelt beside the fallen woman. Red fire licked up from her body to alight in his hand and merge with the blue.
“Only after blood had flowed like water through our land and every family had lost a sister or a brother, did we see truly what we had done. Too late. All life rebelled against our tyranny.”
One by one the frozen troupers dropped to their knees and covered their heads.
“The sun did not shine. The clouds held to their rain. Mines collapsed. Forest burned. Fields only grew thorns.”
The trouper with the hand of red and blue flames stood. He brought the fire to his lips and drank it. The hall grew brighter even as the fire vanished. Golden light ran across the tables more like water than fire. One by one, the gathered rose from their own seats. Each spoke a single name. The music had crescendoed but every name still rang clearly through the hall no matter how hushed the speaker’s voice.
“Annalise.” Said the last man as he stood at the Queen’s right hand.
“Avron.” Said the Queen. “We remember.”
“We remember.” The words echoed back not only from those at the tables but from the servants who stood behind them and from the troupers where they knelt or lay.
“We forgive,” said the Queen.
“We forgive!” Every hand in the Hall raised a cup with the cry. They drank a sip of the wine and then passed the cups, sharing with whomever was in reach. The troupers rolled to their feet and passed among the tables with their cups. Every light was relit. The feasting resumed.
Friday, January 20, 2012
FLA2 - Mark Reads
I know it is terribly geeky but I really do enjoy reading other people's thoughts when reading books. o:) It is like experiencing the book all over again.
Thus, this Friday's Link to Awesomeness is the site: Mark Reads. (caution: foul language)
For his website, Mark reads books a single chapter at a time, posting his reaction to each chapter usually on a daily basis. Reading his reactions is an immersive experience into the book he is reading, his emotions go right along with the characters and he speculates wildly about what might happen next with, more often than not, hilarious results.
At the moment of this blog's publishing, he is reading through the Lord of the Rings for the first time and it is just AWESOME. I love people who love the books I love. <3 o:)
Thus, this Friday's Link to Awesomeness is the site: Mark Reads. (caution: foul language)
For his website, Mark reads books a single chapter at a time, posting his reaction to each chapter usually on a daily basis. Reading his reactions is an immersive experience into the book he is reading, his emotions go right along with the characters and he speculates wildly about what might happen next with, more often than not, hilarious results.
At the moment of this blog's publishing, he is reading through the Lord of the Rings for the first time and it is just AWESOME. I love people who love the books I love. <3 o:)
Friday, January 13, 2012
FLA1 - Fabo Collabo
The very first Friday's Link to Awesomeness is an article on a collaborative dance concert in Rochester, NY.
Fabo Collabo!
A good friend of mine is a member of one of the participating dance companies. B-) I just wish I could be there to see it!
Fabo Collabo!
A good friend of mine is a member of one of the participating dance companies. B-) I just wish I could be there to see it!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
TL-2 Wips for 2012
Wips = Works in progress :)
1. Sparrow Falls - inspired by a dream I had last year, I wrote a few paragraphs of it back in September and have odd notes in different places but I hope to get at least the first 10k or so of it done this year
(I know that is a pretty piddly goal but I'm coming off night shift right now and have zip ambition for anything but sleeping)
2. Mesiebed - My Nano from 2009 was abandoned just before the climax of the novel. I would really like to write this one's ending.
3. Errant Adventure (or another GEH related book) - I would like to tinker around with more scenes for this middle grade series. I don't think the story is rooted deep enough in me yet but it does still interest me. Plus, it was birthed as a collaboration between my youngest sister and I.
4. Wolf's Lullaby - I originally conceived this idea as a novella or short story but now it is spinning off in my head into more of a web serial. ...which is a tantalizing thought. We'll see what happens when I actually put words to paper/screen.
5. Awake Now - one of the opening novellas for... I'm really not sure how to describe this project. But it makes me happy.
6. (no working title) - some sort of group write - I don't know that snippets of this would ever appear on my blog but I am very much hoping to do more group writing this year.
7. 2012 NaNo - I don't have a working title for this novel yet but I have a friend who wants me to ghost write an idea she has been imagining for quite some time. And there always has to be some sort of new/bizarre challenge for my NaNos so writing someone else's book would definitely fit.
Hooray!
1. Sparrow Falls - inspired by a dream I had last year, I wrote a few paragraphs of it back in September and have odd notes in different places but I hope to get at least the first 10k or so of it done this year
(I know that is a pretty piddly goal but I'm coming off night shift right now and have zip ambition for anything but sleeping)
2. Mesiebed - My Nano from 2009 was abandoned just before the climax of the novel. I would really like to write this one's ending.
3. Errant Adventure (or another GEH related book) - I would like to tinker around with more scenes for this middle grade series. I don't think the story is rooted deep enough in me yet but it does still interest me. Plus, it was birthed as a collaboration between my youngest sister and I.
4. Wolf's Lullaby - I originally conceived this idea as a novella or short story but now it is spinning off in my head into more of a web serial. ...which is a tantalizing thought. We'll see what happens when I actually put words to paper/screen.
5. Awake Now - one of the opening novellas for... I'm really not sure how to describe this project. But it makes me happy.
6. (no working title) - some sort of group write - I don't know that snippets of this would ever appear on my blog but I am very much hoping to do more group writing this year.
7. 2012 NaNo - I don't have a working title for this novel yet but I have a friend who wants me to ghost write an idea she has been imagining for quite some time. And there always has to be some sort of new/bizarre challenge for my NaNos so writing someone else's book would definitely fit.
Hooray!
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
TL-1 Plans for this Blog
This year I have a plan (of sorts) to make blogging more regular and reliable for my readers (each one of you!). ;)
1) Tuesday's Lists, which is what this blog post is, will take place every Tuesday (or possibly second Tuesday) and will simply be a list of seven related things. Possibly silly, possibly serious.
2) Friday's Link to Awesome will take place every Friday (I like weekly things) and will simply be a link to something I think is awesome (with or without commentary/explanation). It could be another blog or a video or a webpage or a twitter account or who knows really.
3) "Whys", which I attempted to start last year, will be posted as I write them with links on my "Whys" page. This is still something I want to explore but not something I want to try and do on a schedule.
4) Song Scenes will be posted monthly. Possibly on a consistent date. The writing exercise is entertaining for me even if it isn't for anyone else.
5) Replottings will be chance for me to vent about niddlying details in the books I read (or movies I watch). Despite the critiquing/complaining nature of these posts to come, the authors/stories referenced are more likely to be adored than detested by me. If I didn't care about the story in one fashion or another, I wouldn't care about the niddlying details.
7) And I'm skipping 6) because this is supposed to be a list of seven and I have nothing else to add right now. o:) TTFN.
1) Tuesday's Lists, which is what this blog post is, will take place every Tuesday (or possibly second Tuesday) and will simply be a list of seven related things. Possibly silly, possibly serious.
2) Friday's Link to Awesome will take place every Friday (I like weekly things) and will simply be a link to something I think is awesome (with or without commentary/explanation). It could be another blog or a video or a webpage or a twitter account or who knows really.
3) "Whys", which I attempted to start last year, will be posted as I write them with links on my "Whys" page. This is still something I want to explore but not something I want to try and do on a schedule.
4) Song Scenes will be posted monthly. Possibly on a consistent date. The writing exercise is entertaining for me even if it isn't for anyone else.
5) Replottings will be chance for me to vent about niddlying details in the books I read (or movies I watch). Despite the critiquing/complaining nature of these posts to come, the authors/stories referenced are more likely to be adored than detested by me. If I didn't care about the story in one fashion or another, I wouldn't care about the niddlying details.
7) And I'm skipping 6) because this is supposed to be a list of seven and I have nothing else to add right now. o:) TTFN.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
2012 "Wishes"
Per tradition, in no particular order and with less preplanning than previous years, here are my wishes for the new year.
1) Do the NICU clinical course
2) Finish a crossword puzzle
3) Visit Tofino
4) Join Twitter (maybe)
5) Attend the Calgary Stampede (this year is their centennial, way cool)
6) Undertake NaNoWriMo for my sixth year in a row (and ML for a third year)
7) Grow basil
8) Learn how to use Scrivener and use it for my writing projects
9) Set up group writing possibilities
10) Attend USANA's 25th annual convention in SLC
11) Attempt Script Frenzy again (and win!)
12) Organize a telemetry review day with co-workers
13) Help a friend do something especially awesome
14) Go house hunting (for kicks if not for serious)
15) Blog regularly with at least one scheduled post weekly
16) Go in the ocean at least 13 times
17) Buy a new pair of nursing shoes (for real, stop putting this off)
This list is shorter than previous year's since I am mostly making it up on the spot but I may let myself add to it as the year goes on.
1) Do the NICU clinical course
2) Finish a crossword puzzle
3) Visit Tofino
4) Join Twitter (maybe)
5) Attend the Calgary Stampede (this year is their centennial, way cool)
6) Undertake NaNoWriMo for my sixth year in a row (and ML for a third year)
7) Grow basil
8) Learn how to use Scrivener and use it for my writing projects
9) Set up group writing possibilities
10) Attend USANA's 25th annual convention in SLC
11) Attempt Script Frenzy again (and win!)
12) Organize a telemetry review day with co-workers
13) Help a friend do something especially awesome
14) Go house hunting (for kicks if not for serious)
15) Blog regularly with at least one scheduled post weekly
16) Go in the ocean at least 13 times
17) Buy a new pair of nursing shoes (for real, stop putting this off)
This list is shorter than previous year's since I am mostly making it up on the spot but I may let myself add to it as the year goes on.
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