I've grown up in a family where negativity was a hand-me-down that came from generations of shattered hopes and failed dreams. It's hard to maintain anything resembling hope in the face of that; fortunately for me, I've had a few things that have helped me rise above the negativity that comes with being born into poverty and raised in an environment with people who see the glass as half-full, and I'll be happy to share them with you.
Faith: My dad and my mom were both faithful in their own ways, and they taught me to believe in God. While they taught me to read the Bible and pray, I felt like when they asked for things from God, they didn't really believe that they deserved them. The only thing that really seemed to be going for either of my parents were the moments that they felt like everything was going to be all right, in time. Even when they quashed that feeling with pessimism about life circumstances (and with the childhoods they had, I certainly couldn't blame them for seeing the gloomy side of life), there was always that underlying current that things could only get better. I've clung to that current for dear life, and faith in God and believing that everything will work out in its own time has helped me to fight the gloom that threatens to crush me. Even now, though, when I ask God for something, I usually don't feel like I deserve it, and I rarely get it. It's been a slow process, but I've been working on retraining my brain to ask for something, and then have faith that my request will be fulfilled and let it go.
Self-Knowledge: The best counselor I ever had, Erin, taught me to look at the truth of a situation and see how it really applied to me. This has helped immensely when I'm inadvertently involved in a conflict that has nothing to do with me. I can step outside of it and realize that the person who is yelling isn't yelling at me so much as he is yelling at his own situation. She also helped me to be better able to understand myself and others. Through her work, I've developed a better understanding of myself and others, and it has helped me considerably.
Acceptance: Another resource that helped a great deal was the philosopher Epictetus. I learned about him from a friend, and then I picked up his work and read it. Something that Epictetus said really stuck out when I read it. "Make the best of it," he said. That sunk deep into me, and I began to really change my attitude about my life and living situation. My current living situation is less than ideal, but I can and have started to make the best of it, and I've discovered immense magic and beauty (not to mention blackberries, gorgeous wildflowers, and a beautiful rustic mural I'd never noticed before) in the area around me since I adopted "Make the best of it" as a way of life.
This doesn't mean that I just stay stagnant, however--making the best of where I am now gives me the ability to enjoy what is here while striving for what I want and pushing to become what I want to me.
Monday, September 05, 2011
Saturday, September 03, 2011
C is for Clouds
I've recently developed a fascination with photographing clouds and sunlight. Fortunately, since my camera has a preview screen, I can take pictures of the sun without directly looking at it, and the results have been pretty amazing. However, my big love has been clouds. Clouds are like snowflakes--no two are ever the same. Unlike snowflakes, though, the clouds are constantly changing shape under the force of wind, heat, and humidity.
While I wasn't sure what good photographing clouds would do, I was able to use some of my work in a video for Martin Page's song, "Count on Me." Here's the video, just in case you want to see what I've done:
I've taken many more cloud photographs, but I'm not sure what I can do with them. They're beautiful, though, and I've noticed interesting things about sunlight behind clouds, and it's been fun spotting different clouds and finding imagery within them. Perhaps one day the cloud photos will be something of use for something besides a Martin Page video. We'll see.
While I wasn't sure what good photographing clouds would do, I was able to use some of my work in a video for Martin Page's song, "Count on Me." Here's the video, just in case you want to see what I've done:
I've taken many more cloud photographs, but I'm not sure what I can do with them. They're beautiful, though, and I've noticed interesting things about sunlight behind clouds, and it's been fun spotting different clouds and finding imagery within them. Perhaps one day the cloud photos will be something of use for something besides a Martin Page video. We'll see.
Friday, September 02, 2011
B is for Bibliophile
My parents told me that I started reading when I was four years old (which wasn't unique, as my brother and sisters were also reading by the time they were four). My earliest memory from a book was the line "Bill caught a big fish." A kid named Bill was fishing (with his grandfather, if I remember correctly). I can't for the life of me remember the name of the book, but I remember reading that line, and I remember seeing Bill, a young, dark-haired boy, holding up a fishing line with a big fish attached. It was illustrated in the style typical to the 60s and 70s...it was a sort of ink drawing with impressions of color here and there instead of the characters colored in fully. I remember reading it while I was being watched by my dad's parents. Grandpa Tom was watching something on TV, and Grandma Anemone was working on some sewing project, most likely doll clothes for me and my sisters and her great-granddaughter, who was born a little less than a year after I was.
Ever since that early memory, I have been reading voraciously. I remembered trips into the Hannibal Public Library (also known as the Garth Memorial Library) as a special treat. It was always so hard to decide which books to check out, since the library had a limit. Nancy Drew books, fairy tales, mythology, and nonfiction were among my favorite things to check out. My parents were big on reading, and my siblings and I were constantly wearing out our library cards, and we lived in fear of the dreaded fines for overdue books.
Thanks to my parents' nurturing and teachers and librarians who encouraged my habit, I started reading Shakespeare when I was seven years old. Unfortunately, because I lived in Hannibal and every single little thing was suffused with Mark Twain, I eschewed his work until I was older and HAD to read it, which I hated...up until I attended college and realized that he was a good writer (and a snark pioneer), and he most likely would have something snarky to say about Hannibal's obsessive adoration of him, especially when so many other phenomenal people came from Hannibal, too.
My passion for books grew and grew, and every time there was a book sale and I had extra money (or there was a consignment shop or bookstore within walking distance), my collection would expand. When I lived in a town where the library was far too far away to visit on a regular basis, I would instead visit local bookstores, thrift stores, and consignment shops and buy TONS of books. By the time I met my daughter's father, I probably had well over 1000 volumes. Donating a large chunk of them when I moved was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
Now that I live in Columbia (and unfortunately don't have a ton of free money to spare), I am a frequent visitor to the Daniel Boone Regional Library (which is, but some strange coincidence, on Garth Street). They don't have a limit on books one can check out, so it's not uncommon for me to have 40+ books in my possession at one time.
It has taken a lot of time and soul-searching, but I believe that the library is my true calling, and I will be moving forward with my plans to obtain my MLIS and become a professional librarian. Perhaps I'll be able to inspire future bibliophiles who will come to love and cherish books as much as I do!
Ever since that early memory, I have been reading voraciously. I remembered trips into the Hannibal Public Library (also known as the Garth Memorial Library) as a special treat. It was always so hard to decide which books to check out, since the library had a limit. Nancy Drew books, fairy tales, mythology, and nonfiction were among my favorite things to check out. My parents were big on reading, and my siblings and I were constantly wearing out our library cards, and we lived in fear of the dreaded fines for overdue books.
Thanks to my parents' nurturing and teachers and librarians who encouraged my habit, I started reading Shakespeare when I was seven years old. Unfortunately, because I lived in Hannibal and every single little thing was suffused with Mark Twain, I eschewed his work until I was older and HAD to read it, which I hated...up until I attended college and realized that he was a good writer (and a snark pioneer), and he most likely would have something snarky to say about Hannibal's obsessive adoration of him, especially when so many other phenomenal people came from Hannibal, too.
My passion for books grew and grew, and every time there was a book sale and I had extra money (or there was a consignment shop or bookstore within walking distance), my collection would expand. When I lived in a town where the library was far too far away to visit on a regular basis, I would instead visit local bookstores, thrift stores, and consignment shops and buy TONS of books. By the time I met my daughter's father, I probably had well over 1000 volumes. Donating a large chunk of them when I moved was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
Now that I live in Columbia (and unfortunately don't have a ton of free money to spare), I am a frequent visitor to the Daniel Boone Regional Library (which is, but some strange coincidence, on Garth Street). They don't have a limit on books one can check out, so it's not uncommon for me to have 40+ books in my possession at one time.
It has taken a lot of time and soul-searching, but I believe that the library is my true calling, and I will be moving forward with my plans to obtain my MLIS and become a professional librarian. Perhaps I'll be able to inspire future bibliophiles who will come to love and cherish books as much as I do!
Thursday, September 01, 2011
A is for Anxiety
I've always been something of an anxious person. Even when I was a little girl hiding behind my mother's skirt (which is something I can't do now, both because my mother rarely wears skirts and I'm much larger than my mother), I was worried about...well, everything.
I'm still anxious these days because I want everything to turn out well. I'm somehow managing to take care of myself and my daughter, even though we have very little money, and, as I've said previously, I'm looking for steady work.
What makes me anxious? The answer to that lays in my thought processes. I am someone who considers every possible outcome, and I have a very vivid imagination. While being able to see multiple outcomes is sometimes an asset, it does make it more difficult for me to make decisions or to get through my day without biting my nails.
What I need is to slow my thoughts down and process them. Emmy Rossum's "Slow Me Down" seems to suit my feelings perfectly. If you've never heard it, here it is:
I think the biggest thing that would help me calm my anxiety would be to slow down my thoughts through meditation. It's hard for me to tell myself to slow down when I have so much to get done; however, I've spent so much time panicking in the past that what I need to get accomplished doesn't get accomplished as quickly as I'd like anyway. As I progress in learning to meditate, I'm sure my anxiety will ebb and I'll accomplish more than ever.
If you're reading this and struggle with anxiety, please know that you're not alone. There are plenty of us out there, and we're all seeking ways to ease our anxious thoughts. I'm going to overcome my anxiety, and you can, too!
I'm still anxious these days because I want everything to turn out well. I'm somehow managing to take care of myself and my daughter, even though we have very little money, and, as I've said previously, I'm looking for steady work.
What makes me anxious? The answer to that lays in my thought processes. I am someone who considers every possible outcome, and I have a very vivid imagination. While being able to see multiple outcomes is sometimes an asset, it does make it more difficult for me to make decisions or to get through my day without biting my nails.
What I need is to slow my thoughts down and process them. Emmy Rossum's "Slow Me Down" seems to suit my feelings perfectly. If you've never heard it, here it is:
I think the biggest thing that would help me calm my anxiety would be to slow down my thoughts through meditation. It's hard for me to tell myself to slow down when I have so much to get done; however, I've spent so much time panicking in the past that what I need to get accomplished doesn't get accomplished as quickly as I'd like anyway. As I progress in learning to meditate, I'm sure my anxiety will ebb and I'll accomplish more than ever.
If you're reading this and struggle with anxiety, please know that you're not alone. There are plenty of us out there, and we're all seeking ways to ease our anxious thoughts. I'm going to overcome my anxiety, and you can, too!
September Challenge: A Post a Day
Since I'm job hunting and I want to challenge myself in the meantime, I've decided that today will mark the beginning of a challenge: I will post at least once a day on this blog for the the month of September. Perhaps by the end of this exercise, I will be back to being able to write regularly, with or without a writing prompt.
That being said, I am going to make things semi-easy on myself by doing the alphabet meme. For those who don't know what that is, I'll be going through the alphabet, one letter at a time, and the letter of the day will dictate the word I use as a writing prompt. If that's not clear enough, you'll see what I mean with my next blog entry.
Wish me luck!
That being said, I am going to make things semi-easy on myself by doing the alphabet meme. For those who don't know what that is, I'll be going through the alphabet, one letter at a time, and the letter of the day will dictate the word I use as a writing prompt. If that's not clear enough, you'll see what I mean with my next blog entry.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Ideas, they are a-comin'
"Here's where clam fishin' gets serious!" ~ Mr. Krabs
Starting in September, I hope to do more with this blog than I have thus far. I have a BA in English, a brain full of ideas, and a blog that is just begging for me to do more doodling than I have thus far.
Why haven't I done more?
One word: procrastination.
As I've sad before, "Of all of the things I could go "pro" in, why did I choose this?" I've yet to understand the roots of why I keep on putting off seriously writing (I did a 24 articles in 24 hours thing last year for my Helium account, and while it was semi-painful, it was fun to challenge myself). I also have to deal with the ideas disappearing as soon as I sit down to commit them to text.
Maybe, deep down, there's a part of me that still thinks I don't deserve to be successful and prosperous doing something I love.
And maybe there's a part of me that is afraid of what will happen when I do become successful and prosperous doing something I love. Maybe there's something in me that is scare that I'll sell one great story, and that will be it. Maybe I'm worried that my work will become formulaic and boring, just as it has for one of my favorite science-fiction/fantasy writers and his most popular and longest-running series to date. Maybe I feel like everything I've written or thought about has already been done. "Why bother reinventing the light bulb?" I ask myself.
And now that I think about that question, I think I have an answer: reinventing the light bulb has given us light bulbs of various types and strengths. Some light bulbs are meant to work with floodlights; others work best in chandeliers. Some bulbs cast a bright light; others are incredibly energy-efficient. Thanks to people reinventing the light bulb, we have incandescent, fluorescent, LED, and Heaven knows how many other varieties of light bulbs, each one suited to meet various, different needs. A fluorescent bulb wouldn't work nearly as well in an old-school easy bake oven as an incandescent bulb did, and a floodlight bulb would look horribly out of place on a chandelier.
And that is why I need to keep on writing: while the ideas I may have may have been covered by other, better authors, my thoughts and plans for my characters and worlds are going to take them in directions that other authors may not have thought of or used. My life and experience, my hopes and dreams, everything about me becomes part of my narrative. While my work may just become a footnote on a forgotten tv tropes page, it will still be unique because it is mine.
That being said, keep an eye on this space. Ideas, they are a-comin'.
Starting in September, I hope to do more with this blog than I have thus far. I have a BA in English, a brain full of ideas, and a blog that is just begging for me to do more doodling than I have thus far.
Why haven't I done more?
One word: procrastination.
As I've sad before, "Of all of the things I could go "pro" in, why did I choose this?" I've yet to understand the roots of why I keep on putting off seriously writing (I did a 24 articles in 24 hours thing last year for my Helium account, and while it was semi-painful, it was fun to challenge myself). I also have to deal with the ideas disappearing as soon as I sit down to commit them to text.
Maybe, deep down, there's a part of me that still thinks I don't deserve to be successful and prosperous doing something I love.
And maybe there's a part of me that is afraid of what will happen when I do become successful and prosperous doing something I love. Maybe there's something in me that is scare that I'll sell one great story, and that will be it. Maybe I'm worried that my work will become formulaic and boring, just as it has for one of my favorite science-fiction/fantasy writers and his most popular and longest-running series to date. Maybe I feel like everything I've written or thought about has already been done. "Why bother reinventing the light bulb?" I ask myself.
And now that I think about that question, I think I have an answer: reinventing the light bulb has given us light bulbs of various types and strengths. Some light bulbs are meant to work with floodlights; others work best in chandeliers. Some bulbs cast a bright light; others are incredibly energy-efficient. Thanks to people reinventing the light bulb, we have incandescent, fluorescent, LED, and Heaven knows how many other varieties of light bulbs, each one suited to meet various, different needs. A fluorescent bulb wouldn't work nearly as well in an old-school easy bake oven as an incandescent bulb did, and a floodlight bulb would look horribly out of place on a chandelier.
And that is why I need to keep on writing: while the ideas I may have may have been covered by other, better authors, my thoughts and plans for my characters and worlds are going to take them in directions that other authors may not have thought of or used. My life and experience, my hopes and dreams, everything about me becomes part of my narrative. While my work may just become a footnote on a forgotten tv tropes page, it will still be unique because it is mine.
That being said, keep an eye on this space. Ideas, they are a-comin'.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Soul Mates, Twin Flames, and Me
Destiny
Somewhere there waiteth in this world of ours
For one lone soul another lonely soul,
Each choosing each through all the weary hours
And meeting strangely at one sudden goal.
Then blend they, like green leaves with golden flowers
Into one beautiful and perfect whole;
And life's long night is ended, and the way
Lies open onward into eternal day.
Edwin Arnold
"When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful." ~ Barbara Bloom
"Your mate may be the perfect complement who makes you feel whole, but only you can make yourself whole. The lack of wholeness isn't the problem, so much as expecting the other person to fill in which only you can do." ~ Elizabeth Prophet
As much as I try to get away from it, there's just something in my soul that makes me think that there is someone out there who is meant to be with me. The reason that we are not together is because we need to heal from our brokenness before we can be who we need to be for each other.
Will it happen in this lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure about whether there is reincarnation (Christians believe in reincarnation after Judgment Day, though they don't often call it such), which is, as I've said before, why it's called "faith" and not "fact."
I do know this, though: healing from the things that have broken me in the past will give my daughter and I the best possible future, regardless of whether or not there is a good, whole man who will be sharing the rest of his life with me, helping me show my daughter what a good, supportive, loving relationship looks like so that she can (I hope) avoid the same relationship mistakes I made.
It's rough right now, and it can get pretty lonely for me, but I think the end result will be worth it.
Somewhere there waiteth in this world of ours
For one lone soul another lonely soul,
Each choosing each through all the weary hours
And meeting strangely at one sudden goal.
Then blend they, like green leaves with golden flowers
Into one beautiful and perfect whole;
And life's long night is ended, and the way
Lies open onward into eternal day.
Edwin Arnold
"When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful." ~ Barbara Bloom
"Your mate may be the perfect complement who makes you feel whole, but only you can make yourself whole. The lack of wholeness isn't the problem, so much as expecting the other person to fill in which only you can do." ~ Elizabeth Prophet
As much as I try to get away from it, there's just something in my soul that makes me think that there is someone out there who is meant to be with me. The reason that we are not together is because we need to heal from our brokenness before we can be who we need to be for each other.
Will it happen in this lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure about whether there is reincarnation (Christians believe in reincarnation after Judgment Day, though they don't often call it such), which is, as I've said before, why it's called "faith" and not "fact."
I do know this, though: healing from the things that have broken me in the past will give my daughter and I the best possible future, regardless of whether or not there is a good, whole man who will be sharing the rest of his life with me, helping me show my daughter what a good, supportive, loving relationship looks like so that she can (I hope) avoid the same relationship mistakes I made.
It's rough right now, and it can get pretty lonely for me, but I think the end result will be worth it.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Hmm, so what happens now?
I was going to start writing more frequently, but when I heard that Google was going to retire/revamp/rename Blogger and Picasa, I wasn't sure if I wanted to bother, because I'm still not sure what will happen to my blogs when the change happens.
I thought about it some more, though, and I realized that Google, being a company that tries to make things EASIER for their customers rather than harder (and doesn't always succeed), would most likely transfer the blogs over to whatever new blog program they're brewing up in their labs.
Or maybe not. Until I know for sure, I suspect I should go ahead and back up my blogs, just in case I have to repost them.
Meanwhile, blog on!
I thought about it some more, though, and I realized that Google, being a company that tries to make things EASIER for their customers rather than harder (and doesn't always succeed), would most likely transfer the blogs over to whatever new blog program they're brewing up in their labs.
Or maybe not. Until I know for sure, I suspect I should go ahead and back up my blogs, just in case I have to repost them.
Meanwhile, blog on!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Of Projects, Pineapples, and Poetry
As I've mentioned, my life's a bit up in a heaval these days. I'm looking for steady work while I take on small jobs and temp gigs, and with things being as they are now, it does make it tricky. There are literally THOUSANDS of other people, who are in dire straits like mine, who are competing with me for some of these jobs. I've polished my resume to a shine, I've customized it as I can, and I've applied for jobs with a gleam in my eye and a hope in my heart.
My biggest concern is making enough money to keep my daughter and I in our home, save a little, and pay for the therapies she receives. She's absolutely thriving, and aside from an upsurge in her Pica, her progress has been miraculous. No matter what challenges we face, my daughter is the biggest blessing in my life, and I will do all I can to give her the best life possible.
To that end, I'm trying to work out how to pay for graduate school (and the GRE) so that I can complete my MLS and fulfill the dream of my bibliophilic heart: becoming a professional librarian. I've often regarded libraries as temples of literacy, and the library, even in our push towards electronic books (and electronic everything else), plays a very important role in the community. It is a resource that anyone, regardless of income or social class or melanin level or anything else, can use to improve their lives.
Meanwhile, I'm improving my photo manipulation, video editing, and audio editing skills, little by little, by working on a couple of projects.
The first project is making videos set to Martin Page's music in order to get more people to listen to and appreciate his solo work. He can be found on facebook, myspace, and his personal website, www.martinpage.com (I'll let you know right now, though, that it works best on IE--firefox, chrome, and opera get XML errors, but they're working on fixing that so that his site can be enjoyed on any browser). Martin Page is the artist who wrote and performed "In the House of Stone and Light" back in the 90s (from the album of the same name), and he's a pretty prolific songwriter. His music has a quality that moves me in ways I've never felt before, and I feel as if it's something that the world needs to hear. He also put out a second album in 2008, called "In the Temple of the Muse," and it was absolutely amazing...and didn't get the attention it deserved. He's working on a third album, and I have hope that people will watch my videos, listen to his music, and be as eager to hear his third solo album as I am.
In addition to being talented, he's also very intelligent, funny, and cares a great deal about preventing cruelty to animals. I've also heard from fans who have met him that he is a very gracious, humble person, which is a refreshing break from the artists who need a separate jet for their egos or treat their fanbase like crap--in fact, in the past, Martin's taken the time to personally respond to messages left for him on his myspace page, usually through his assistant/webmistress (he hasn't lately, but he and his assistant *have* been pretty busy lately).
The second project is something I've been working on for my father. When he was younger, my dad was in graduate school for Mass Communication, and the university discovered that my dad's resonant bass-baritone and excellent diction gave him a perfect radio voice. Unfortunately, my dad had some rough personal times, gave up grad school, and went back to working menial jobs, first at a factory farm and then at a foundry. He eventually became a lab technician for a building company, but after he had an accident that shattered his shoulder and the economy started going south, he was laid off.
What I am trying to do for my dad is to help him go ahead and rebuild his voice profile. To that end, I'm putting together videos featuring his narration. From there, I plan to create an account for him on youtube so that we can upload the videos and give him an online profile to off...and (I hope!) help him get back to doing voiceover work. He's got an amazing voice, and he's a good actor, so I have hope that his voice will get him the recognition he's craving...if he'll do the recordings for me. He hasn't finished them yet, but when he does, I'll gladly use the materials I have to make him some videos, even if it's just text on a pretty backdrop.
~*~
In addition to those online projects, I am growing my own pineapple plant. I've potted a pineapple, and it seems to be growing nicely. My dad's dad had a pineapple plant, too. I can't remember if it grew any fruit, but I'm going to do what I can to try and help mine to grow some.
Speaking of growing things, the indoor and outdoor gardens are progressing nicely. The tomatoes have fruit ripening on them, the red malobar spinach is growing like mad, and the herbs are coming in nice and strong, especially the wintergreen. My roses aren't doing so well, but my brother's rose bush has had to graduate to larger and larger pots because it's doing so well.
~*~
Weirdly enough, I've been inspired to write new poetry. Whether it's any good is a matter of personal taste. I'll probably start posting it here as well. I typically write in free verse, but I've found myself needing to polish what I write--it's still free verse, but I hope that it's *better* free verse than what I've written on the fly. I want it to be as worthy of my Muse's regard as I hope to be.
~*~
All of that being said, I hope this makes up for my lack of regular posts.
My biggest concern is making enough money to keep my daughter and I in our home, save a little, and pay for the therapies she receives. She's absolutely thriving, and aside from an upsurge in her Pica, her progress has been miraculous. No matter what challenges we face, my daughter is the biggest blessing in my life, and I will do all I can to give her the best life possible.
To that end, I'm trying to work out how to pay for graduate school (and the GRE) so that I can complete my MLS and fulfill the dream of my bibliophilic heart: becoming a professional librarian. I've often regarded libraries as temples of literacy, and the library, even in our push towards electronic books (and electronic everything else), plays a very important role in the community. It is a resource that anyone, regardless of income or social class or melanin level or anything else, can use to improve their lives.
Meanwhile, I'm improving my photo manipulation, video editing, and audio editing skills, little by little, by working on a couple of projects.
The first project is making videos set to Martin Page's music in order to get more people to listen to and appreciate his solo work. He can be found on facebook, myspace, and his personal website, www.martinpage.com (I'll let you know right now, though, that it works best on IE--firefox, chrome, and opera get XML errors, but they're working on fixing that so that his site can be enjoyed on any browser). Martin Page is the artist who wrote and performed "In the House of Stone and Light" back in the 90s (from the album of the same name), and he's a pretty prolific songwriter. His music has a quality that moves me in ways I've never felt before, and I feel as if it's something that the world needs to hear. He also put out a second album in 2008, called "In the Temple of the Muse," and it was absolutely amazing...and didn't get the attention it deserved. He's working on a third album, and I have hope that people will watch my videos, listen to his music, and be as eager to hear his third solo album as I am.
In addition to being talented, he's also very intelligent, funny, and cares a great deal about preventing cruelty to animals. I've also heard from fans who have met him that he is a very gracious, humble person, which is a refreshing break from the artists who need a separate jet for their egos or treat their fanbase like crap--in fact, in the past, Martin's taken the time to personally respond to messages left for him on his myspace page, usually through his assistant/webmistress (he hasn't lately, but he and his assistant *have* been pretty busy lately).
The second project is something I've been working on for my father. When he was younger, my dad was in graduate school for Mass Communication, and the university discovered that my dad's resonant bass-baritone and excellent diction gave him a perfect radio voice. Unfortunately, my dad had some rough personal times, gave up grad school, and went back to working menial jobs, first at a factory farm and then at a foundry. He eventually became a lab technician for a building company, but after he had an accident that shattered his shoulder and the economy started going south, he was laid off.
What I am trying to do for my dad is to help him go ahead and rebuild his voice profile. To that end, I'm putting together videos featuring his narration. From there, I plan to create an account for him on youtube so that we can upload the videos and give him an online profile to off...and (I hope!) help him get back to doing voiceover work. He's got an amazing voice, and he's a good actor, so I have hope that his voice will get him the recognition he's craving...if he'll do the recordings for me. He hasn't finished them yet, but when he does, I'll gladly use the materials I have to make him some videos, even if it's just text on a pretty backdrop.
~*~
In addition to those online projects, I am growing my own pineapple plant. I've potted a pineapple, and it seems to be growing nicely. My dad's dad had a pineapple plant, too. I can't remember if it grew any fruit, but I'm going to do what I can to try and help mine to grow some.
Speaking of growing things, the indoor and outdoor gardens are progressing nicely. The tomatoes have fruit ripening on them, the red malobar spinach is growing like mad, and the herbs are coming in nice and strong, especially the wintergreen. My roses aren't doing so well, but my brother's rose bush has had to graduate to larger and larger pots because it's doing so well.
~*~
Weirdly enough, I've been inspired to write new poetry. Whether it's any good is a matter of personal taste. I'll probably start posting it here as well. I typically write in free verse, but I've found myself needing to polish what I write--it's still free verse, but I hope that it's *better* free verse than what I've written on the fly. I want it to be as worthy of my Muse's regard as I hope to be.
~*~
All of that being said, I hope this makes up for my lack of regular posts.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The origin of the name change
I used to call this blog "Out of My Head," and I figured that it was appropriate, since the opinions and thoughts on the blog do, in fact, come out of my head. However, I didn't think that it fully addressed the brand of weirdness that makes up my mental landscape.
I tried calling it "Even My Cat Thinks that I'm Crazy," but I didn't feel like it accurately summed up who I am or what I'm trying to accomplish with my blog.
Forunately, I hit upon inspiration when I had to attempt to scrub my daughter's latest masterpiece off of the wall. Until I can think of an even better title, I'm going to call this blog "Crayoning on the Walls," since my blogs are similar to crayon doodles on the wall. With time and practice, I hope that my metaphorical crayon doodles take the shape of art worth reading...and treasuring!
I tried calling it "Even My Cat Thinks that I'm Crazy," but I didn't feel like it accurately summed up who I am or what I'm trying to accomplish with my blog.
Forunately, I hit upon inspiration when I had to attempt to scrub my daughter's latest masterpiece off of the wall. Until I can think of an even better title, I'm going to call this blog "Crayoning on the Walls," since my blogs are similar to crayon doodles on the wall. With time and practice, I hope that my metaphorical crayon doodles take the shape of art worth reading...and treasuring!
Friday, June 03, 2011
Ugh
Sorry, folks--between losing my aunt, almost losing my dad, working on projects (video and writing), and having to get things squared away with Samantha and getting a steady job, I've not been keeping up as well as I should. I am determined to change this ASAP.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Covergirl is 50? It doesn't look a day over 25!
Covergirl, one of my favorite brands, is turning 50 this year, and to celebrate, their facebook page is having great contests. More details will be coming as I learn more about the festivities!
Whoa
It's been a very busy time for me, so I apologize for the lack of updates. My daughter and I are just trying to get by right now, and I've been working on a huge project that takes up most of my time that I don't spend with my daughter. There will be details coming when the project is ready to go public.
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