Birthday Gifts for Jesus

A freezing hello friends,

Well we have survived Christmas again. I know it's awful to say that about the day chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ, but with my fragile mind state (I suffer from Anxiety, Depression, and OCD) and holiday stress most often I feel like I'm held together by a thread and Christmas day turns into some emotional/mental finish line to the world of normality.

But this post is not to lament about Christmas woes, but about Christmas Traditions. I mentioned in a previous post recently about how I like to make a gift for Jesus every year and that I'd elaborate on it. It's a tradition that started accidentally when I found myself creating Christ inspired work at Christmas, over time I officially decided every year as a way to remind me why I celebrate and allow Christ to have a birthday gift especially for Him.

I think one of the first gifts I made was during a Christmas Eve when due to snows our power had been off for a day or so. I was listening to a Christian station's Christmas Music and I did this drawing:
 

 

One thing that I did on this was use this special invisible ink pen that reveals what you write with a special light. Great idea, but because it was a restaurant kids meal toy pen, think it was for the last Indiana Jones Movie when it came out.

I've written a couple poems as well. I wrote the poem He the Christmas after my cousin's youngest child was born, she inspired a line. I think the next year I created a little video with me reading it, I haven't a clue what it's saved on.

Last year I wrote In Your Honor, it was a struggle trying to create that year, but I'm pleased what I managed to create.

My most ambitious gift was a little house scene featuring a little baby Jesus as a Christmas present:

 

It was the first time I used these little bag of Wilton babies I bought, and you'll find I have used them multiple times for my gifts.

I've made many other decoration gifts there's the ornament I made to replace my favorite one that broke:

 

 

I've even created a bottled/jarred display using a craft store jar, one of the babies, a fabric white poinsettia, and a 50 cent machine king necklace charm that I felt was too bling for me (yes I will rock 50 cent machine jewelry if it suits my style).

 

This year I channeled my lacking origami skills and created another little scene:

 

 

 

Sorry for the crappy webcam shot. I made 2 origami boxes, the red on for the scene and the green one to lay the baby that I wrapped in scrap fabric. I made a origami star and stitch wrote Jesus in a golden yellow. Then using that old school cootie catching making skill I made the small red poinsettia and glutted it to some green leave shapes I cut out. The image of Marry comes from one of these fabric rose bunches we found so I cut a petal off and glued it inside.

 

I hope maybe my friends next Christmas season we can all remember Him in our celebrations and all make gifts. Or maybe if you already have a like tradition share in the comments. May all be well with you the rest of the year friends and God Bless You!

 

Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

 

 

 

Sister VS Christmas Tree

Hello My Friends,
We are still trying to get melted from our nice little 7+ Inches of snow.

Snow in the Backwoods

So yeah we've been holed up in the holler keeping warm by the fire. But cold and snow is not what this post is about. Today's post is about our Christmas tree.
In our household we prefer the stately Faux Ever Green. We have nothing against real trees, it's just not a practical choice for us. A. We don't have the dough foe a new tree every year, and B. We're the type of family that puts our tree up around Thanksgiving (American) and it doesn't come down till sometime in January, yeah living tree wouldn't last.
Now when my sister still lived here, she seemed to be in an unintentional battle with the tree. I mean she had it out for it.
I think the earliest attack was actually my fault. Our tree is set up near the doorway into the kitchen. Now one night when I was angry with my sister over something. We tried passing through the door at the same time and I brushed into her hard enough to send her into the tree, knocking it over, and causing her to land on our little cousin's gift, a tricycle. Angry, understandably, Pop sent us to our room, then a few minutes later we heard him laughing his head off.
She's nicked an ornament with a dart, did result in a new tradition where we search for the ornament she hit. She ran into it with her skateboard, I think she hit it with a tape ball.
Her most horrific attack was the morning of her birthday, which fell on the day after Thanksgiving, and apparently Thanksgiving meal did not agree with her. So she was hauling butt to get to the sick. She made it to the front of the tree... And she didn't just get it on the floor. Yes my sister has created many great memories for us to laugh over for many Christmases to come.

I hope you have a great pre Christmas week, remember not to get to burned out and remember the true meaning of the season, for me it's Christ, for you whatever it be. God Bless You my Friends!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

The Snowy Post of Christmas Past

 Hello this Snowy Night,

My friends it appears we have had a nice helping of snow dumped on us, and glitter but that's a whole other matter. At last measure, earlier in the day we had 7 inches and it's still snowing. I'm enjoying it, it makes every thing feel Christmassy. Unfortunately for grocery stores it also means bread and milk is in limited supply. So since this snow has added to getting us into a Christmas mood I figure I'd talk a little Christmas in tonight's post.

Charting Christmas Past

You may recall in a past post that I had mentioned that I'd made a list of past costumes, well I did some minor Christmas mapping. You know certain years that had special memories attached or special titles given to certain years, like the Harry Potter Christmas of 2001 or last year's Time Traveling Christmas.

The above mentioned listing exercise could prove helpful in a new tradition I want to do. I mentioned I want to start doing a Halloween Charm Bracelet, well to also do a Christmas one as well. Along with the mapping of past Christmases I've made notes on the page of memories and things that are very special to me that pertain to this time of year.

One charm memory I'm going to attempt to create myself is with a button. Why a button you may ask. When I went to the Art Room during Pumpkinfest, I found myself reliving a minor yes permanently seared moment from the fragments of Christmastide memories. They had a decorative storage box that was filled with buttons. I couldn't help myself I had my hand sifting through the buttons, travel on a past Christmas road. When I was younger when my Dad and Uncle would go hunting Mom and I, maybe even my sister if she hadn't gone with the hunters, would go out Christmas shopping. I recall one time we'd stopped in a fabric shop right near where my Grandmother use to work. It was filled with fabric rolls, lace samples on the wall, and buckets or barrels of buttons. I remember sifting through them looing for pretty ones to purchase, actually the Art Room box contained I believe similar buttons. But I that little speck of memory opens the door to the feelings and other pieces of memories I have from those trips, hence why a button shall be gracing this bracelet I hope.

A Gift For Jesus
I shall be continuing my newer tradition of creating a gift for my savior Jesus. Every year for the last few years as a way to focus on what this season is about for me and to ensure my Savior gets a gift on His birthday, I make Him a gift. I've written poems, done drawings, and made various other gifts for my Lord's enjoyment. As with the old blog I'll post what I've done, or a step by step of the building. I may take a post to show some past gifts for you all.

Well friends that about does it for this snowy night rambling. I hope your weekend is good and the holiday season is good to you. God Bless You!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

Austen and Austin

Happy Monday My Friends,

Well I'm happy to say this cold seems to be loosing it's grips from me even further. I unfortunantly till have some conjestion, I think I'll use a term a girl I knew said once, lung butter, but on the positive end I can pop my ears again! I never thought I'd be so happy to be able to pop my ears. Ok enough of this episode of my strange body let's get to more literary topics.

Musings of a Budding Janeite
If had told me in High School or college I would enjoy Jane Austen I'd proabably would have fallen off my unicorn. But I think it was only a matter of time. I enjoyed movies like Clueless, which is based off Emma, and The Jane Austen Book Club, I really enjoyed the mini series Lost in Austen. The closest I came to reading Jane's words was what was used in Sense and Sensibility, and Sea Monsters. I had a failed start one night, but I did attempt later with flying success, and thouroughly enjoyed it, I was kinda suprised to be honest... Should I ever marry I fear I'll hear my husband speak of my nerves as Mr. Bennet does his wife's. Last year at Books Unlimited I found a used copy of Emma with notes made by a student. Some probably don't like having books written in, but I love it, even if I don't understand sometimes what they've written.

The whole reson I bring up Austen is because of a web series inspired by her work Pride and Prejudice called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I discovered this while watching old episdes of Felicia Day's Flog. Actually it was more than a web series, websites, twitter accounts, and such were set up as though the characters had made them and they would post stuff to go along with the episodes. How often can one get a chance to tweet with Mr. Darcy. This year mark's the 5 year anniversary of the show so they are releasing the episodes, tweets, and all as they were released 5 years ago posting them through their Facebook Page. I was a little late when they started showing them again, but a quick binge and now I'm enjoying as it appears on my FB, I find it better this way as opposed to the huge binges sessions I did when I first watched it through. I really recommend you check it out, and when you're through with this series and are itching for more from Pemberly Digital's Austen interpretations check out Emma Approved and Welcome to Sandition, I think it's easy to guess what Austen work each is based from. The writers actually ended up combine all these Austen works into one universe, and they use the same multi media story telling format, Welcome to Sandition, if I understand correctly went as far as having their fans get involved in a roleplaying sort of thing, that was awesome. I'm kinda hoping these other two shows get the 5 year anniversary treatment next year.

When I started rewatching LBD I found this video in my Youtube recommendations. For the 5 year anniversary the cast came together to play a game called Marrying Mr. Darcy. Basically you assume the role of one of the single ladies of the book and try to end up with a suitor, or be an old maid. You know part of me wishes I had more Janeites around who would have fun with this, but at the same time makes me wander what my regular peeps would do with this.

If you've yet to tire of Jane Austen the Marrying Mr. Darcy blog shared a link to a Hellogiggles.com Article on How to Host a Jane Austen Girls' Night In. It's not an extensive list of ideas, but it does offer up some things I didn't know about.

The Austin in Austin
　A few months ago I was diving in a Goodwill Outlet bin trying to find the rest of these Fairy and Mermaid Oracle Cards for Fangirl when I found Austin Kleon's Steal Like An Artist Journal. I was excited to find this. I've been following Austin Kleon for a bit, I don't know how I originally found him, maybe through the writer Keri Smith, though I'm pretty sure it was through his black out poetry. He's a writer and artist living in Austin Texas who sends out great e newsletters each week, and keeps cool notebooks. That's actual one of the purposes of the book I found is to be a notebook to collect your inspirations.

The book also has activities for you to do to get those creative juices flowing. My favorite thus far is where we were asked to climb up our creative family tree. You pick who your most influenced by then find 3 of that person's influences, and then those three's three. It's interesting an interesting tree I must say.

Of course I'm not the first to write in it, as I said it's used, but it's fun seeing what this person, a lover of Van's Chocolates apparently, came up with for some of these prompts. That's what I love about getting second hand books, you never know what treasures you'll find within, and I love connecting with a past reader of a used book I own.

With that I hope your week is good to you friends, may good books come your way, and God bless you!




Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

Crazy Idea Time: The Laundromat Musings - A Book

Hello my friends,
I hope this week has treated you well. I am recovering from battling a cold that hit me out of no where, I'm not completely 100 percent, but I think I'm pretty close minus the hacking coughs. But enough about my health let's turn our attention to a place that probably is crawling with as much germs as I am, the Laundromat.
Actually this post was first started in February or March of last year or the year before. Actually was suppose to be for the old blog, yup it's been sitting here waiting on ye olde computer a bit. It started when I was updating my journal, my actual handwritten one, and I was writing about the trip we'd made to the Laundromat to do the massive load of laundry that'd piled up the last time I got massively sick, we'd all been sick that time. Mainly it was just observations of things that night and the people we ran into, but it got me to thinking that would make an interesting book. A book centered around the Laundromat. I'm sure some it's been done, but each person and Laundromat has a tale. I mean seriously interesting thoughts photos, and stories can come from these places.

I have a many memories from my ventures to these places, some that are sick enough to gross out your therapist and those good enough that me feel warm when I think about them. There's the night a couple had this large dog running around the place and it goes sniffing at our Burger King we'd bought to munch on while the clothes were washing. Then after they had finished their clothes you saw them throwing layers of their dryer warmed clothes on them before assumingly walking home into winter's darkness.

Actually at that same Laundromat many, many winters before and my Dad needed to use the restroom, so he parks at the Laundromat, it's a 24 hour place, and he opens the door to their tiny men's restroom only to bean the head of a poor homeless man who'd made it's floor his bed for the night.




These yellow ones had been there since I was little, they were in the process of replacing them.



Dog or Human?

It's a place where the writings of bygone visitors can leave us with so many questions like: "What's the deal with Princess Sparkles?"



Are these crazy kids are still together after almost 4 years?

Who's Jessie and why is he always here?

Besides a place that keeps clean clothes upon your person, it's a place were you profess your love.

So what are some of your crazy Laundromat stories? Or any clothes washing related tale? Well friends behave yourselves, may your clothes always come clean, and may God Bless You!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

 

The Halloween Season Chronicles

Hello friends! Seems our calendar has come around to the final couple months of another year. Soon we'll be running around throwing up the Christmas lights, we have to start putting them up before Thanksgiving to get done. Mom's already begun the great light check to make sure they are in good shape. But before we begin the journey to the Holiday Season, let's take a look at the recent Halloween season.

Where the Sky is Filled With Balloons

Almost every October Fangirl and I have made a trek to Franklin for their Pumpkinfest. It's the main time of the year, excluding conventions, we can rock the costumes. Fangirl went with her tried and true Fortuneteller get up, this makes the third or forth time since we've been friends that she's dressed as one.

Forgive the scowl, the sun was in her face.



I went as a Fall Fairy this year. My decision for this was based on that leaf crown. It was suppose to be used for my costume last year, but in the rush to leave I forgot it, so I decided to come up with a costume I where I could utilize it.

I've come to sprinkle Fall magic about, or at least some orange glitter.

We got to enter main street the same way we did I think the year before last and found a new tagging, the rat. Some of his toxic waste seems to have spewed on the street. The Crying Guy tag on the doorway in the background was there last time. I wonder what was their mindset. Was it just bored taggings or messages behind these pieces.

Now when we pass through the archway you see in the background some part of me always feels like your stepping into a new magical world. Which when you think about it it kinda is. It's a world of mermaids and pirates, princesses and book characters, superheroes and characters of the screen. It's where you'll see a flame shooting mini bike and a bookstore with cats. So yeah there's a bit of magic it if you look at it with the right set of eyes.
Thankfully it was a beautiful day, though more like a cool Summer day than Fall, which mean still pretty warm.

Lovely sky to receive the 22 balloon we saw lost into it's vastness

When I come into town I have two shops I love to visit. The first is one of my favorite book stores Books Unlimited. I mean it has books first off, but it has so many things I love about it. There's the wood floor, this grandfather clock you pass going into the used section of the store, they have a ship hanging from the ceiling, and of course the cats that are usually found around the shop. I didn't really pay attention this year to see if I saw the cats, I was in a fog of lack of sleep.

The second shop I visit is the Art Room. I love their selection of charms. Last year I think I purchased a charm for my charm bracelet that said beads of life which really I think reflects what a charm bracelet is. This year I decided to start a Halloween charm bracelet. I got a tea cup and saucer charm to represent my Hatter costume and a golden leaf for my fall fairy costume. I want to find charms that represent costumes of the past at some point and just other things that represent my Halloween memories.

You never know the friends you'll meet on a bench

The Thimblerig Circus was back and the lady of the trio was in her gorgeous costume again from last year, we later watched as she allowed her fellow performer to slice the banana in half she was holding in her teeth with his whip.

I LOVE THIS DRESS!

One thing Fangirl and I always do at this festival is the costume contest. This year was brutal and not the contest. It was hot and we're in layers standing in a looong line. We're in the last age group and my mouth was powder by the time we got to be judged. Neither one of us places 3rd when to a Green Arrow, 2nd to the Beast and his little Belle, and 1st was a homemade Edward Scissorhands costume, but they all deserved their wins.

Our day ended with we dining on pizza and visiting my sister awhile, where we were treated to bearded dragon antics.

Evie Pumpkin the Vampire Librarian

Our pumpkin carving was stalled when a call came in from my Granny saying my Grandpa was being sent into emergency surgery to have his appendix removed, it was 82. *Never fear he's alright he got to come home after five days in the hospital* But after the surgery we came home and got the pumpkins done. Thanks to the Daedalus Books catalogue I had books on the brain so I decided to put spooky and books together. With those themes in mind I created: Evie the Vampire Librarian!

Shush or she'll suck your blood.

I doubt you can see them in this picture, but she comes complete a scar and warts, warts were already a part of her lovely aesthetic

Halloween Night Antics

Halloween Night was kind laid back, we made our scarey themed supper, watched our usual movie and I finally caught Hocus Pocus on the tube.
　

Our Ham monster got black olive ears this year.

Well my friends I guess it's time to bid adieu to the Halloween Season. Although Fangirl and I are hoping to do one last bit of Halloween fun by going to see Maedea's second Halloween movie. I hope your week is good friends and may God bless you all.
.

Favorite Halloween Episodes

Hello my friends hope your well this fall day. Whelp we have the pumpkin lights and hay bales upon the porch, defiantly feels like the Halloween season is here. We find ourselves watching spooky Halloween themed episodes of our favorite TV shows. So in that spirit I'm going to share some of my favorite Halloween TV Episodes over the years

The Addams Family (1990's Cartoon): The Poltergeist
You know between Saturday morning helpings of this cartoon along with the cartoon versions of Beetle Juice and Tales from the Crypt Keeper no wonder I'm such a strange character, I learned from the best. Given the Pleasantville atmosphere of the town the Addams live in why am I not surprised the local haunt, excluding the Addams' is something that is a country clubbers horror story. *Giggles as she pictures Bill Murray's character in Caddyshack trying to take on this golf ball headed menace (someone do a drawing of this please)* I cringe thinking of their neighbors scooping out potato salad to Trick or Treaters I mean that is gonna get messy and gross before the night is over, plus I'm not overly fond of Potato salad. I mean just scoop it right in their bags. *Bleh*

I learned when I looked up this episode's info on IMBD that actually it first aired on Halloween. I more than likely watched it so I imagined this helped put me in good spirits for candy begging that night.

So Weird: Boo
I LOVED THIS SHOW! Still do, they need to release it on DVD! I was especially excited for this episode cause to only was it their Halloween episode, but the show's executive producer Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz, was gonna be guest starring. It's also the first time I think I heard of the celebration know as Samhain, which the main character Fi Phillips preferred to celebrate instead of Halloween. The show used what I've learned is the Irish way of saying it Sow-en. I think the writer(s) might have chosen that pronunciation given the main characters ancestry and the town.

Even Stevens: A Very Scary Story
This is probably one of my favorite episodes in general of this show. Louis Stevens and his Penguin Jockey costume really sticks out in my memory. I just wonder if when this aired this made young kids fear drinking milk and eye exams?

Pepper Ann: Tween Halloween
Ah that stage in life when we are torn between wanting to Trick or Treat and wondering if we're too old to do so. I love the fact the show's main character, Pepper Ann, goes to a thrift store for her unique Halloween costume creation the Hot Rod Beauty Shop Patron, or whatever it was. For some reason it reminds me of the time I went as a rocking Grandma for Halloween.

The Weekenders: Nevermore
This is another scenario deciding one's to old to T and T, and what happens when your friend is not pleased with the decision. I find it humorous that at one point one of the characters is singing the show's theme song to himself. I love how the character Tino keeps displays of his past Halloween costumes in the attic. I actually out of curiosity decided to revisit s of Halloween past trying to remember what I've been over all the years of my life.

Hey Arnold!: Arnold's Halloween
It's Halloween time at the boarding house and Arnold and Gerald have decided to frighten the adults with some H.G Wells and Orson Welles style frights, only to accidentally cause city wide chaos. It's strange hearing Brain's voice from Pinky and the Brain being used for the alien "expert" Douglas Cain, which when I was looking up the voice actor name for Brain, Maurice LaMarche, I learned he also does Big Bob Pataki's voice so I guess it's not all that weird. I actually purchased a Nicktoons Halloween DVD mainly for this episode.

Charmed: All Halliwell's Eve

This episode is one of my top favorite Charmed episodes. On this Halloween day these magical sisters get sent back in time when being a witch was a high casualty risk. I'm left wondering if the writers actually researched Wiccan beliefs for this episode, cause I seem to recall coming across similar things mentioned in this episode before.

Castle : Vampire Weekend
It's every cops favorite day of the year, and I mean that very sarcastically. This is one, if not my ultimate, favorite Castle episodes, I know I've said that about almost all the shows on this list. Anyway this episode's got vampires, a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reference, and a blatant nod to Firefly.

That's where I'll end this list tonight. I'm sure there's many more shows I could list, but I think this will do for now. Have a happy and magically Halloween friends! God Bless!

 

Daily Treasures- Autumn Cometh

Fall has arrived again my friends. God has begun painting the leaves in brilliant colors and the pumpkin flavored noms are infiltrating the store shelves, well they've been doing that for a while now haven't they? I love this time of year, there's a magic to the air that no other time of the year holds. Other perks include the fact my favorite constellation, Orion, returns to our skies this time of year. It's like welcoming back an old friend after his long journey each year.

 

The other day I was working outside when I get under my favorite poplar tree. The breezes started blowing causing leaves from the poplar and surrounding trees to rain down in golden splendor. I stopped long enough to take in this miraculous moment and catch some leaves as I do each year.

Nature is quite the magician if I do say so myself. I was walking down the drive to the mail box and before me seemingly suspended of it's own accord was a little yellow leaf swinging and dancing in the air. I just stood mesmerized by this act of simple, yet astounding magic.

I find that I'm frequently inspired to write about this season. Something about the views, smells, and feel of it is creative juice of a special blend. Last year I decided to bottle Fall's scent even if it was just in word:

Parfum d’automne*

If Autumn could be perfumed

What would be it's olfactory?

It'd be the scent of chopped wood

That clings to Daddy's shirt after working on winter wood

The aroma of sun dried leaves that crackle beneath your feet

The fragrance of Marigolds that scent a Fall night

The unique smell of an Autumn breeze

That blows cool over the hills

Ratting the trees

Demanding leaves to play with

To finish it off healthy sprinkles of pumpkin spice and cinnamon

That engulfs our nose and taste

That is what a bottle of Autumn should smell like

I also enjoy the store finds this time of year. I generally have two wish lists during the season. One for the items that would be my décor for Halloween/Fall, and the items that I want to add to my regular year round décor. What can I say I love some creepy mixed with the many other things I throw up in my space. I got things up like a Dollar Tree Gargoyle I bought ages ago when we were still attending the Halloween Festival in Brevard, NC, and this Dracula Rubber Ducky the folks gave me. Heck I have one of those changing haunted portraits from last years Dollar General Halloween line I keep up. You can find her in the second picture of The Spooky Vegan's post, the lady on the top row. I don't know what it was about this portrait, but it was destined for my wall. When I first saw it I though it was cool cause it was A. a changing haunted portrait , which I've always wanted, B. She transforms into a vampire my favorite horror monster, C. Her normal state was just such a lovely portrait that I'd have hung even if it didn't change. I didn't buy her that first day, I didn't want to make a knee jerk splurge purchase. But after I left the store I couldn't get the piece out of my head, I even had christened her Lucillia, either that first time in the store or the days following. So I of course returned, and after a pulse quickening search through the male portrait stack I found Lucilla, and since then she's hung above my computer watching me work, procrastinate, and stuff my face. My general rule with shopping for not essentials is if you can wait on purchasing it wait, and if it's still something that stirs in your heart and mind days or even a year later get it, but in the cases of thrift stores and day sales best to just act, but have self control.

Ok my friends have a good weekend, enjoy God's beauty around you, and may He always Bless You!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer
And from his slumber on my bed the Vampire >vv< Kitty

 

*I used a language translator to attempt to get the French for perfume of Autumn or Autumn's perfume, if you speak French let me know if that's right. I just thought the title needed to be in French.*

Time and Other Fleeting Things

They say "The best things in life are free", but I think it would be more true if it was said "The best things in life are free and fleeting." This is the mindset I'd planned to write with when I first was going to write this last month. Time has been fleeting, so much that like The Art of Doing Stuff did a few weeks ago and Running in a Skirt does this will have to be a massive dump of the last couple months. I have been a flake on many things this season, this blog being one of them. So with "free and fleeting things" in mind I'll try to stay on theme as I do an account of some of the things that have happened the last couple months.

Max Patch

 

Well in the latter part of July we took a trip to Max Patch, North Carolina. We hadn't been since 2015 maybe. For those who've never been, Max Patch and the surrounding area is a beautiful rural land. There's places to fish, hike, horseback ride camp, even some letterboxes and geocaches. We packed a lunch and took a nice ride there, despite having the daylights jarred out of me once we hit the gravel. For those that don't know I enjoy car rides sometimes I think it's the best part of an outing.

We usually stop by Max Patch Pond were certain times of the year you can see the tadpoles in various fleeting stages on their way to adulthood.

I also love seeing the butterflies gathering by the water, such beautiful and short lived creatures...

...and flora.

It was nice hanging with the folks in a laid back setting ,looking at nature, checking out the local music stations, visiting where my Grandpa lived. Enjoying the little moments.


Asheville Anime Regional Convention

I really don't know how to add this to the theme it wasn't free and it happens every year, but the memories made are fleeting and can't be repeated? It was a fun time and a beautiful day.

 

I ran into this self published author I'd met at the final GeeKOut last year, Amanda Churi. She came in tow with her fiancé this year. Who dazzled me with so sleight of hand, even though I've studied up on the subject. I ended up purchasing her first book, which she publish as her senior English project. It was after reading the book that I realized she'd probably given some of her fiancés' attributes and name to one of the main characters. So for that moment I met him, it was like when one meets an actor who portrays a character you like, it's the closet you'll come to meeting that fictional character. Despite being a large book a finished it rather quick, as I'm prone to do to good stories. I may have to buy the second one.

Welcome to the Wild
One of the things I enjoy about living where I do is the abundant wildlife that can be found in our yard. We have deer that roam and munch on our fruits, we have one that we have been watching for the last couple years who we call flip tail cause of it's over fondness to tail flipping. We also have turkeys that come around every year. This year a turkey has been roaming with her chicks. You can't help put smile seeing the little things following Momma around. We also had a turkey decide to roost in one of the trees behind the barn each even. It was enjoyable to see it up there when I'd go to the feeding:

 

Sadly this joy was short lived for it decided to stop roosting right before the eclipse, actual a lot of the animals vamoosed right around the eclipse for a time. But the deer and Momma Turkey returned. Actually in that same tree a few weeks ago the Momma flew up into it, then growing chicks followed suit each seemed to be trying to out do it's sibling till the tree was full. I couldn't help to think of that Peanuts Thanksgiving Special and Sally trying to get a Turkey Tree. I guess I found it. The little family it still around, but I haven't seen them much if at all since that tree display.

Eclipsed

 

One fleeting cosmic event we enjoyed in August here in the States was the total solar eclipse. It was something I'd been looking forward to for months. Thankfully my sister was able to hook us up with proper eye wear amidst all that eye wear drama. I even was inspired to do a bit of art after hearing our local country station Kiss Country talk about the Cherokee having an eclipse event. They also mentioned who they believed a frog was eating the sun... Being descended of Cherokee, at least that's what those who studied my family tree have told me, I found this fascinating. I mean I look at all these other cultures who had ideas of ferocious beasts devouring the sun, and my ancestors thought it was a frog... I'm just wondering how this belief began. Anyway not long after hearing this, maybe even the same morning, this image came to mind of a frog with the sun in his belly. I'm not the best drawer, but who else is gonna do your vision, so I gave it a try. I entitled it Nvdo Walosi Ugisgo. It's one of the Cherokee phrases for eclipse I learned from Your Grandmother's Cherokee. I'm kinda pleased with it.

On the day of the event itself we watched all the coverage and toasted as we watched the moon eat the sun, mostly. I think my Dad figured we were in the 99.6 range if not more. It was enough to transform the world into some strange realm where you couldn't help but think about those lizard men you saw on Facebook. My sister and family got the epic eclipse pics. I did manage some cool shots, you can tell strange things is going on.

Watching all the big eclipse parties on the tube you kinda wish you went to one, but at the same time it was nice to share in this special moment just with some of the special people in your life, plus not far to collapse in my bed, my sleep was so screwed up around that time. I'm also inspired to do more creative work surrounding the eclipse something comparing how my ancestors handled it to how we do now.

Still Together All These Years

Earlier this month my Mom and Pop celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. I'm sure as it probably does for most time as flow by, but I'm glad their marriage withstood it's test. We went for a family celebration at a local restaurant. I'd actually been there the night before with Fangirl, so double the burger pleasure.

This is me abandoning adulthood to play Tetris with the Tetris Tot they've apparently decided to start serving.
Well that is the chronicles of time that has soared passed me. My prayers go to those of you effected by the hurricane, wildfires, and earthquakes. I pray the Lord keeps your all safe. God bless you friends!

Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

A Summer Gathering and Momma's Cooking

Hello friends if your in the summer climate as I am right now, I hope you're keeping cool. Earlier this month in the States we had the Fourth of July (Independence Day), yes way overdue writing this. We celebrated with a cookout, an event that usually is just involved Fangirl coming up, the Folk, and me, but this year my sister and I'll call her June Bug decided to bring their brood, making it a total of 8 people.

This caused my Mother to have to conjure up an alternative dessert plan. She off the bat created a new cake recipe that I call: Mom's Improv 4th of July Cake. Though don't let the title fool you it'd be great at any time. I don't have any pictures, it's a pretty simple cake, but I will share the recipe I originally posted on Gilded Wings:


Mom's Improv 4th of July Cake

Ingredients:

Berry Mix:
1 Cup Sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cup of Blueberries
1 to 1 1/2 cup of Strawberries (crushed)

Cake Mix:
2 Cups of flour
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
2 Eggs
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1/2 cup of evaporated milk (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)

Also:
Whip Cream
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 350

Instructions:

Preparing Your Berry Mix

Add your blue berries and strawberries to a bowl. Pour in the sugar and stir it all up. Let it set for an hour to two hours, stirring every 30 minutes till it forms a juice.

Preparing Your Cake Mix

First add the dry ingredients (the flour and sugar), then add the wet ingredients (everything else). Then stir till you get a smooth, well mixed batter.

Let's Mix These Two Mixes

Once your juice has formed strain out the berries into the cake batter. SAVE THE JUICE!
Mix the berries into your batter.

Bake Creation Bake!

Spray a 9 X 13 cake pan, and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick.

After Baking
Once the cake is out of the oven, and still hot take spoonfuls of the berry juice you saved and spoon it all over the cake. MAKE SURE YOU SAVE AT LEAST HALF OF THE JUICE! Now let it cool down.

Nom Nom

Cut up the cake however you wish. Serve your cake piece topped with whipped cream. Finish by drizzling some of your remaining juice over it.

Enjoy!


After our feasting, we all went outside to enjoy the fireworks. My sister's brood had brought some glow sticks and a balls. June Bug made her a crown out of glowing periwinkle ring. She was like queen of the rave! Ok not really, but maybe the glow queen of the cookout.

There was one point I was sitting on the porch edge in the dying day watching my sister play catch with the boys as lighting bug, or you may call them fire flies (I think both names are beautiful), an I was like this was definantly almost like the quenticenal american Summer/Fourth of July. If it wasn't already cliche enough we later roasted marshmellows for s'mores over the grill's charcoal that was still burning.

I'm also going to remember it as the Forth we had watermelon out our ears. See as part of our usual Fourth menu we have watermelon, so my parents bought one. Well her comes my sister with one, which we used for out cookout, then my Grandparents up the road called saying they was gonna have to send the rest of their melon to us cause some rencent dental work was making it hard for them to eat it. So my sister and me had to get it. There was a half plus about 3/4's of another half we carried back along with bags of onions, yes there was qoting of Dirty Dancing after this. Needless to say our guests went home with Melon, cause our was untouched in the fridge. Actually I was eating that melon, when I wrote this back on the 11thm we still had half of it at that time.

I guess before I go I'll post this one summery type craft thing I fell in love with. I mean this post is summer related. It's a tutorial for Solar Color Changing Ombre Converse Sneakers from the Dream A Little Bigger Blog, props to Epbot's post for me finding it. I think that would be cool, or heck even getting regular paint and coloring up some shoes ombre style would be awesome. Though I don't know about this particular brand of flats, I know certain flat bottom tennis shoes are not the best protect on our gravel/rock drive way, and if you step on a single piece of sharp gravel in them, it's about as bad as if you did it barefooted.

Well I hope you have a good weekend friends and enjoy the summertime. God Bless You Guys!

Writing, Words, Women

*Warning this post is long and full of blatherings and wild tangents ;p*

This post was originally suppose to be a post relating to the 4th of July, but it turned into a post themed around women writer's. I also think it has shadows of a post I'd planned to write about words but discarded everything but a couple links. So at the creative juices urging let's get going.

Happy 20th Harry Potter

20 years... I almost can't believe it's been that long since the first Harry Potter Book, also crazy it'll be 10 years the 31st of July since the 7th book came out. I guess time flies like the snitch.

This world is very special to me, because of it I have great memories. Memories involving my friends, the books, movies, various thing other fans have done, and even my 11th grade research paper, yes I geek like that. :P Read my post over at Gilded Wings where I recall two big memories including the first time I read Harry Potter.

Rowling's work also has been known to be a bit of calm in the rough parts of life. In the darkness of anxiety/depression that followed 9/11 her word magic gave my frazzled mind a brief respite.*

Not only do I find Rowling's world amazing, but after watching J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and Me many years ago I was inspired by her creative way of working. She just had piles of papers and scraps with writings, drawings, and information. I think of her as one of those authors that just really knows her world inside out. I think my creative juices just envied that view of scattered piles of creative energy.

I guess the only other thing I can say is thank you Rowling for giving us this amazing world. Keep up the magic!


While I Was Seeking

When I was doing the search for literary magazines to send poems off to on the Poets & Writers website I went found The Columbia Review. There I discovered Nikki Shaner-Bradford's On Hanging Poetry In Your Dorm Room; which really made you think about the relationships between fans and the objects of their fandoms. I also fell (or maybe refell) in love with the idea of putting poems and maybe other words somewhere on your wall. I can't help but think of this Keri Smith blog post when I read about putting stuff on your wall.


Getting a Room

I also suggest you read you Shaner-Bradford's other published piece in The Columbia Review : Finding a Room of One's Own in the Modern Day, which is an interesting read involving a book I like A Room of One's Own by yes another lady writer Virginia Woolf, where actually she discusses women writing in the book. Yes lots of women and words.

Continuing on the A Room of One's Own train, I found myself dying to reread a very short story, by another woman, I've actually just did so right before/during working on this, though I feel I may have to give it another read through when I'm with the post, I feel I was too distracted earlier to have had a good read. It's called 5:00 A.M: Writing as a Ritual by Judith Ortiz Cofer from her book The Latin Deli, though my copy of the story was found on page 529 in the book we used for expository writing class in college called Odyssey- A Guide to Better Writing: Third Edition. I think I found it thumbing through the book, cause what else could you do with a book you couldn't sell during the book buy back, this isn't necessarily bad especially with English books cause you may find you own a treasure of literature now. I actually loved this piece so much I took advantage of the rip outable pages and tore it out, and I guess tossed the book, sadly this left it subject to the perils my void of a room , but as luck had it I think it was Fangirl, who took the same class two semesters later, had her a copy that I think was destined for the garbage, so I got it.

Getting back to the story itself It's about Cofer's writing ritual she established, she even briefly gives a nod the title of Woolf's work. I mean it's a very short, simple work, I don't see it being life altering to most people, but to me I think what make's me revisit it often is the image she gives about her mornings and her writing ritual. I just love that image in my head. I wonder sometimes what would happen if I took myself somewhere with less distractions, I imagine I'd probably focus better on trying to write poems now that I seem to have found my creative urge again.

Scent of the Book

Not long ago I finished a book, that I got as free gift in an Amazon purchase, don't you love when that happens. The book was called Elsie's Tender Mercies- Book Seven of the Elsie Dinsmore®: A Life of Faith® Series based on books by Martha Finley. According to the copyright section of this book it came out, or at least was copyrighted, in 2001, but Finley's books first came out in 1868. So yes been around in some form a while. I read it unsure the age group it was meant for, I'm still not sure though it might be for a younger audience, but I still enjoyed the reading. I learned, or more likely relearned , about life and events in the south during the reconstruction era after the US civil war. Plus it also has lessons of faith, which is why I knew I could read it with no fear of any explicit content. The strange and cool thing about this book is when I opened it up an stuck my nose in to take a good whiff, yes I am a book sniffer guilty as charged, I found instead of the usual booky smells you'd get, it's something I guess homey and feminine. I think maybe akin to going to your Grandparents or getting something from them that's been in their home, and it's a nice little scent of comfort, but that's my Grandparents, you may have a whole different experience. Anyway back on track this lovely scent I don't know if it's the book's natural scent or something that it acquired over the course of it's life, but I feel it's the perfect scent for it and it's main character Elsie®. I feel if I were to run into her, or go to her home, this would be the scent she'd and it would be perfumed in.

Coming Attraction

I'm in the process of reading a book of poetry called A Homespun Legacy by Sarah Sabina McFall. I don't think she was like a well known poet, but I've enjoyed what I've read so far. It's a thrift store find, but one that has an interesting tale beyond the poems within, but I plan on a special post just about it once I'm done chronicling all things around this book.



Crazy Ideas Time: Internet Collage BookAs I was trying to find that blog post for the Keri Smith link. I had this crazy idea hit me. If your like me you probably have a bunch of favorite links saved in your favorites, or pinned somewhere. I started thinking what if someone started going through their texts, social pages, and favorites folder links, and picked out the cream of the crop, got all the permissions they needed and collected it into a book and called it something like My Digital Life or My Internet Life. I just wander what that would be like. I think that would be an interesting view of the collector's life. Why don't you do it yourself you may ask. Simple I'm already prone to being stressed and crazy, that would probably put me in the deep end of the crazy pool.


Ok friends I think that unexpected whirlwind of women writing their words has died down, though I think that tongue twister is there to stay. It just seize me and would let go till it got all those words out of me, some words I didn't even really know needed coming out. So do you guys have any tales of women's word's or word's written about women writing words? Write it in the comments or my socials. Till next time friends may God Bless You!


* Rowling's work joins that of other authors whose works has give my anxiety ridden brain a break since I first had problems when I was 9 or 20. This list includes Ann M. Martin's The Baby-Sitter's Club Mystery # 12: Dawn and the Surfer Ghost and Mercedes Lackey's Vows and Honor books.

A Day Long Road Trip

Good evening my friends. Well I reached another year. It was time spend with my family, extended family at the family reunion, and soul family. So I'm deeming the theme the Birthday of Family. I prefer doing like Grace in "Good Witch" and spending time with family on birthday, which aired the not long before my B-Day. Why is it around my B-day it seems my TV produces the B-Day eps?

As part of my B-Day gifts Fangirl decided to take me on a day trip to Gatlinburg, since I'd mentioned it been a bit since we'd been on a trip. Despite some anxiety problems, getting lost, rain, and pain in the legs from sitting in the car, I still enjoyed myself. I mean it's the unexpected things that makes for the great stories.

Bryson City/Cherokee

We actually ended up visiting these areas a total of 3 times each. But it gave me a chance to see parts of the area I hadn't seen, or haven't seen in a loooong time. Being smart women we stopped at Bryson City's Visitor and Heritage museum. While Fangirl took a restroom run I looked about the first floor of the museum. In a small room they'd taken pieces I guess found from various old school rooms and made a mock one room school house. In entrance room was pews and a piano from a church or two, and some other literature safe under glass. You have to wander the stories behind them. The days of learning and early Sunday mornings.

　

During one of the drive troughs we passed the Sequoyah Bear in Cherokee, It's part of these artistic bear statues in Cherokee. I don't think I'd seen this one yet. For those who don't know yet he is the man who I believe who developed the Cherokee Syllabary.

　

Nantahala Gorge

We also ended up in the Nantahala Gorge. The rain that came down formed a mist over the creek where we'd been observing rafters. I decided to tell Fangirl about the Giant Wasp/Hornet Legend I read Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett. Yes I'm evil.

　

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies™

At the aquarium Fangirl got the opposite what she hoped. See as I've mentioned I have Anxiety. In certain crowded situations I'm fine, but sometimes when there's screaming kids, people who really have no problem invading your personal space, and lots of noise all in one area I have a tough time, so her solution was go on a weekday, sadly it was a weekday during the summer... yeah. Add in my ever worsening OCD, which I don't think I had the last time I was there, it wasn't a cakewalk, but I still managed to find good times.

One great memory of this trip was the fact I got to touch a jelly fish, and not have to be peed on afterwards! I never believed I would touch one, now I can add it to my list of life experiences. So what does a jelly fish feel like? Basically as the name implies jelly like.

Fish Amongst the Trees

One of my most favorite parts of the aquarium is the underwater tunnel. It's beautiful and a bit scary. At one point I took a break from getting pictures, which I'm prone to do a lot because my parents aren't able to go to places like this, and just observed the shark swimming above me for a bit. I watched the way it moved through the water, both scary and amazing.

I found myself looking at the fish floating by and imagining I could be a mermaid, this may have me been me coping with the anxiety too.

　

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditurium™

I hadn't been here since my first trip to the town. We were greeted by I wanna say wax figures of a couple famous people in body alterations one is a Lizard Man that I've seen a few times on TV. Since my last visit there have been some great interactive things added. In one room where your moves effected the screen where there was some live club/trance music going on I was "Rave!", well in my mind.

I have two favorite areas of the odditurium the first is the cemetery. It's all spooky and got creepy pieces, and my favorite, the vampire hunter kit. VvvV

My other favorite thing is the swinging bridge tunnel they have, and I have to say this pic Fangirl got of me is creepy cool and my eyes just have the perfect effect.

　

That piece of paper in me hand is from a Zoltar Machine. It was a favorable prediction for me.

Clouds

Through out the day, wisps of fog hung low upon the mountains. Sometimes you felt you could just reach out and touch. The clouds played through the green mountains, over the blackened patches from the fires last year, and the sun could sometimes be found enter woven within it.

　

Well I hope you enjoyed my tales from a day long road trip. If you want to see a few more pictures and some other memories from the day read the blog I did for the Imaginative People's Association Blog: Gilded Wings

God bless you my friends and may your journeys be great.