Merry Bleepmas

Walking into Sam's yesterday you're immediately greeted not only with the Club "id checker" or "bouncer" haha as I like to think about it, but you're also immediately reminded of the holiday with all of their great Christmas presents right there at the door.
But giving the greeter a hearty "Merry Christmas" only got us a mere "same to you" causing us to realize they're probably not allowed to say it back.

"Sam Walton would be rolling over in his grave" I said as we walked away.
After that a "Merry Christmas" was dished out to the McDonalds drive through employee who looked for a second as if he were going to say it back and instead gave a weak, "thanks."

What my husband and I found so fascinated yesterday as we drove home was the number of employees that can't say it back to us. You would think that if someone offers up a Merry Christmas they would at least be allowed to return it, but apparently they can't.

What I would like to know is if these people who have raised such a rucus about saying Christmas..do they not slip up and say it at all themselves? Do they never say Christmas presents or Christmas time? I would really like to know someone who was of the opinion that we "shouldn't be inforcing our religious beliefs by saying "Christmas"' cause if I did, I would so call them out on it every. single. time. they said the word.

It's sad that such a loud mouth minority like that has rule over what we wish each other as we get our change.

I'm not completely against saying Happy Holidays, I used to say it all the time when I was a cashier at Target. It's a phrase that does encompass all the holidays, and if that's the reason you say it, then more power to you. It's the "political correctness" that I don't like, or not returning "Merry Christmas" at all that's weak sauce.

So I double dare you, in the next week, overstate your Merry Christmas. Do it.

At the mall on Saturday my sister and I encountered a man who was standing at the door wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they walked in. As we walked out she said, "You know maybe he's trying to make a statement." I hope she's right. And if I see him again I may just stand next to him and offer my voice next to his. Because it's Christ that starts this whole thing, not "Same to you."

Raw Eggs and Great Lines

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief…I’ve found a book to latch onto.
I know I said I was going to read “The Great Gatsby” and I did start into it, but didn’t get past the first chapter. It didn’t hook me. Granted I didn’t give it time to, but I’ll not write it off I’ll just pick it up another time.

My new found love is actually by Ms. E. L. Konigsburg. I know, I know, the last book I read of hers I ended up complaining about. But I’ve picked up another one the other night at 10:30 while Dayton slept soundly next to me, and I don’t know, maybe it was the magic of reading under the covers with my book light that just made it love at first read.

What does it for me is a good first line. I’m such a first line kind of person with everything really. My favorite Norah Jones song (well, ok I’ve got 5 contending for that spot so one of my favorite) is the one that starts off,

You’ve got a famous last name, but you’re not to blame. Baby, I see you for who you are.

I am incessantly drawn in by the mystery of that line—what is the last name, why is it famous, what does she see in him? It’s something I savor every time I hear it.

Konigsburg draws the same curious picture in my current read, T-backs, T-shirts, COAT, and Suit, with an opening line that goes like this,
“Going to Peco for the summer was not Chloe’s first choice. Or her second or her third. It was her only choice.”
A line like that deserves further investigation.

The delight of her writing continues, but takes new shape as the mystery of why it wasn’t Chloe’s choice is quickly dispelled. Konigsburg keeps you there with a smattering of really great descriptions.

I used to look at writing, and singing for that matter, as something you have to do extraordinarily well with every note and every word. Pick a sentence structure that will wow them every time and use words never before combined; sing a song so well the notes sound as if you’ve just created them from your own set of vocal chords…but no pressure.

It wasn’t until, well, I don’t remember the exact moment, but I soon realized that good writing, and good singing, involves not a string of heavenly sounds or words, but rather a body of well-crafted work with a surprising glimpse of talent here and there.

I don’t have to re-invent the wheel when I write a children’s story, I just have to have a good plot and some colorful characters and make sure that I have a humorous nugget or a clever description thrown in here and there like cookie dough to vanilla ice cream. It’s those bites with the cookie dough that we love so much, but if the whole cone were a ball of cookie dough with pockets of vanilla it just wouldn’t be the same.

Plus we’d probably get a stomachache, but that has nothing to do with my writing metaphor I just ran out of ways to end this thing.

A few...ok maybe a lot of my favorite things...

Can I just say, I really love Christmas time.
Ha of course I can it's my own flippen' blog.

I do love it, I especially love telling people Merry Christmas or Happy Thanksgiving. That's probably my favorite part. That whole spreading good cheer thing. Love it.

And I really love winter. The bundling and the cozy inside-ness of it, how you get to have all these cool extra accessories like scarves and gloves and hats and what they look like all piled up near your front door.

I love fire burning dvd's and the smell of wood burning when you walk outside.
I love getting to eat soup for lunch and drinking coffee or hot tea any time of day cause you're cold.

Oo Oo and I love how the Christmas version of everything comes on tv and how there's always something good on the radio cause at least one station does Christmas music 24/7.

Boots are my favorite shoe, I've decided, and I love rushing inside and watching windy, cold weather from underneath a blanket (until you reach for something and your arms freeze up and you think..oh man if only my blanket had SLEEVES!).

Mmm Winter is my favorite, and Christmas is my favorite.
So I'm going to sit back and enjoy.

Good

I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
-Ephesians 1:15-19 (the message)

Psalm 34:1

"I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

What's something that's in your mouth for long periods of time?
Gum.

When you think about it, we chew gum and know that we're chewing gum, but the whole time we're not thinking, "I'm chewing gum, I'm chewing gum, I'm chewing gum." It's in our mind, just not the tip of it.

When I read this scripture the first thing I thought of was "His praise shall continually be in my mouth" like gum.

How gross is it though, when we're chewing gum and then decide to eat a cracker (if you can actually reference a time when you've done this don't tell anyone).
It's at least a very imaginable gross-ness.

If you compare it again to the scripture it would be like chewing on the praises of God, then sticking a complain cracker in your mouth--they don't mix well.

I chewed on this scripture all day yesterday and plan to invoke the taste of cracker-gum next time I decide to complain about something.

You should do the same, and if you have trouble imagining the cracker-gum combo, try it-I double dare you.

One day you're in and the next you're out.

Just watched the Project Runway finale (thanks to hulu NOT my delete-happy tivo) and since Dayton is deep into the examination of the back of his eyelids I will let it all out here-in my (wait for it, wait for it) space.

The girl who won this season was a meanie head the entire time, which I think is a big mistake for one huge reason (that can also be contrived into a life lesson, so shut the yawn)...She may need a favor from the other contestants some day you never know. And yet she stepped on everyone she could and was not afraid to bad mouth people in front of the judges and I think that's wrong.

The super sweet girl from Charleston who won me over with her Pillsbury giggle should have won, but she'll go on to greatness no doubt.

I am pumped to go out and contrive my winter wardrobe after this episode which I love.

It's so true about having a vision (it stems from the Bible so-duh) but I hate it when I go shopping and have no vision for the look I'm going for, no creative stimulation if you will. That's why I like to keep clothes magazines lying around, really any kind of magazine with good pictures cause honestly, I've drawn inspiration from the strangest of places.

Now my creative cup is filled and with cash in my pocket I am wishing it was 11:19 am and not pm or else I would immediately storm the mall and go wild.

Oh well, a task for tomorrow night I guess.

Confession:

I am intentionally committing a self-proclaimed sin. I'm not going to finish the book I started.

Certain I'm not the only one to do this, I do it fully aware of the breech in many things, such as the flow of the book if I choose to pick it back up, or the flow of my reading list, which for this year includes now 14 and 1/2 books, and the breech in my self inflicted contract of researching childrens books before I write my own.

I just can't finish this one. It's by someone who once was my favorite children's author, but is now teetering on the brink of #2.

The book is called, The mysterious edge of the heroic world and it's the characters (flat) and the scenery (dilapidated) that have failed to meet my imagination's standards. I may push through, but really is it so wrong to shut the door on that world in the middle of a scene?
Is it so rude to excuse oneself without giving the characters a fore-warning?

I think not. At least half of me does, the other half will embark on a condemning diatribe every time I pass the thing and I will think to myself, "I should pick that up again" which is invariably followed by, "but really I should start from the beginning" and then I will blink and the notion will pass.

Hopefully, my new book (The Great Gatsby) will give my imagination enough of a workout to be in shape again.

Family

There are a good many writers/comedians out there who make a decent living by telling us about their family.
In fact I think it's quite near comedic genius to be able to take one idiosyncratic element about your own family and tell it in such a way that people can relate and laugh along with you.

(Example: "If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty.'" -jeff foxworthy)

Without that group of people that we all both strongly love and sometimes strongly hate we wouldn't be who we are today and would probably take out our frustrations on strangers more often then need be.

I love getting together with extended family. Not just because it's fun to catch up with these people who will always be in your life, no matter the frequency, but because it's fun to learn that you share more than a nose, you share personalities, senses of humor and it just makes you feel a little less unique (in a good way).

My brother got married this past weekend which gave us all a good excuse to get together. And while it was undoubtedly relaxing to not be the bride, it was also great fun seeing old faces together with the fresh additions.

The greatest thing about my family is there needn't be a comedian around to make them funny, they do it pretty well on their own. In the hours we were together more jokes were cracked then eggs in a bakery (hey that's a good one). And laughter was shared like an infectious disease (hmm).

I love that though. And I love seeing where I came from and being able to blame my sometimes all too silly nature on my aunts and uncles :)

Free Range Thoughts

Today is what I'm calling Free Range Thought Day.
Hopefully by calling it this my thoughts will come organically (whatever the flip that means) and I'll have a wildly creative day.
I'm not even going to edit this blog. I'm going to write it, run it up the flag pole and see if it flies.

I'm giddy with possibilities cause today is a day when I have little to no writing responsibilities imposed upon me by the outside world, and I get to work on whatever I want to.
So I thought I'd start on this blog and go from there.

I was in conversation recently with someone about what I do.
I love it when people ask me that now, by the way, because I love saying it but I think sometimes I get too giddy about it and it doesn't eek out with as much smoothness as I'd prefer.

Instead of a silky nonchalant, "I'm a writer" it most often, at least in my head, sounds like, "I'm a writer..HuHu..yeah..*giggles"

In the course of our conversation I was presented with the need to explain why I love what I do and I answered it with this...Back in July someone (who I consider to be a notch above an acquaintance of mine) started spouting out deeply person problems to me.
In the moment that this was going on I was confused and could think of more to say to a block of cheese then I could to them about their problem.
It was then that the thought was born, "this is exactly why I want to be writer, that way I can work for hours at a time and not have to talk to anyone."

I think it's truly amazing how we're all built different ways and how our personalities match up with what it is we're supposed to do.
I also think it's perfectly satisfying to be content with your own personality. When you can settle down with a hot cup of coffee and relax in your own skin, that's a good day.

*holds up coffee* Here's to a warm blanket of skin....wow, that sounds horrible, but since I'm not editing, it's what I will end on.

Post One Hundred and Fifty

Ooo a post milestone! How exciting.

I have lots and lots of writing to do today so I've set up my office perfectly:

Clean chalkboard (giving me eight feet of free range thought).
Autumn wreath candle (because fall inspires writing like nobodies business).
Cup of "Awake" tea (which does the caffeine trick *see twitter).
Window open (I love LOVE outside sounds almost as much as I love jazz).
Blinds completely open (cause that's HOW I LIKE THEM).
Banana (in case of a wandering urge to go to the kitchen and break concentration spell).
Cloudy day (set up by God-appreciated by me).
And
Dog bed-Why? Oh I don't know, right now the picture would have been perfect if my new puppy (now 3 weeks new to me) were sleeping peacefully in the large zebra bed I've carefully placed next to the desk and on top of his cage insuring the perfect height he apparently craves. But no puppy. He's been lured by the sliding glass door and the constant entertainment there. So I'm one Jax short of having the perfect office set up.

But he'll come around.

He likes to sleep on top of the couch (not on, but on top of where the pillows reach the highest height) but this poses a problem. Last time I was writing in the office I heard the jingle of his collar..jingle jingle...BAM! He had shifted positions and then fallen off the back of the couch. Silly boy.
That's how I know he'll come around.
*sips tea*
It's going to be a good day.

With the promise of other blogs...here's something entirely different.

I just finished an email to a dear friend of mine who lives in another city but who provides me with the release of writing emails that Jane Austin herself would appreciate.

It's a curious thing, and I am using this blog to wonder aloud (and by aloud I mean in black and white to the internet community) why is it that certain people evoke certain abilities from us?

For example, when I try to write well worded emails to other people I feel as if I come out tripping over my words and blubbering pedestrian things like "hey whats up" but when I write to a particular group of people the Austin-esq words and phrases just flow out of me, "with you, what is up?" (that was a joke).

The same is true for joke-making. There are certain people who when I am around them the funny comes spilling out the way God intended it, but around others (particularly those who I would like to consider me as the go to for comedy)...eh...not so much, "knock-knock?"

I guess the key word is "try" maybe it is that when we try to hard it doesn't work. Which would make sense like that "cool" blog I wrote, the harder you try to be cool the less it actually works out for you (duh, elizabeth).

Ok well, I don't know how to remedy that cause there'll always be people you want to impress, maybe we (assuming you have the same sort of issue) maybe we need to approach it like a lie detector test. They say the way to beat those things is to trick yourself into thinking that when you're answering simple things like "What is your name" you are actually telling a lie that way when you tell a lie the stress that registers is the same as when you said your name.

So maybe I need to think that when I'm writing to my dear friend I need to amp up the stress level making my other, more professional emails come off beautiful.

There. Problem solved.
Thanks for listening internet community :)

Coming soon to a blog very near to you:

Here are some subjects that I am now committing to write and have been twirling 'round my brain as of late:

1. My new puppy!!! (this one not so much twirling 'round my brain, as it has been twirling 'round my living room floor :)

2. Worship. I have been reading, and experiencing and loving this avenue of God so much more than ever lately and have decided to write a few blogs about it. SO get ready cause it's a subject I'm quite passionate about. :)

My Brush with the Shoulder of Fame

The night I got to touch Keith Urban was, quite simply, magical.

In fact, the whole way we got there was an act of God. The guy I bought my phone from at Verizon wanted to know if I liked country music to which I replied "Mmm...Eeeeh" but then when he said Keith Urban my reply was more like "Oh..Well YEAH" haha

Urban is currantly on tour with Sugarland, which (pardon the pun) sweetened the deal because I have recently become a HUGE fan of watching Jennifer, the girl from Sugarland, perform. She's got such stage presence and she really translates how much fun it is to be doing what she's doing on stage (a job I would pay to have, and by pay I mean bleed out blood if I had to).

The concert was well worth the hundreds of dollars others paid to be there complete with fantastical lighting and screens that, if laid flat, I'm sure half the auditorium could fit in. But that wasn't even the best part.

To be able to fully appreciate the best part, you must understand that my husband has a special love tucked away in his heart for the chicken sandwiches sold by the Coliseum. There were jokes made when I graduated in the Coliseum that he was going to stock up on sandwiches, but had they been actually selling these sandwiches, they wouldn't have been jokes...
While Keith was about 1/3 of the way through his set Dayton wanted to go get said chicken sandwich and I, wanting to walk about agreed to go with. As we were walking to the stairs (because our seats were on the floor *she says as she stretches with a nonchalant pride*)
Anyway as we were walking we saw a commotion to our left.

Turns out Urban left the stage the exact time we left our seats and arrived at the back near the sound booth at the exact same time we did causing us to be unwittingly in the way of where he was walking...I stuck out my hand, touched his sweaty shoulder and squealed like a 12 year old girl at a Miley Cyrus concert. I had touched the shoulder of fame.

At that point I thought the dream was over but no, there was a small stage set up right behind where I was standing so a 180 later I was directly in front of the man as he sang about three ballads then hoped back on the real stage. Magical.

I tell you, my shock and awe of how the whole thing fell into place that we would be there to touch him and everything just causes me to be that more amazed at the awesomeness of God. And it assured me in my little head that I am on the right track. I know that might sound out of left field to you, but there was nothing coincidental about that night, nothing. It was a prize package sent directly from heaven.

My renewed opinion of my now, you know, best buddy Keith is that he's a great singer, even better performer, sweats a-whole-lot, and is a tiny, tiny man. I know for a fact his right shoulder is super bony :)

Waaa....Waaa....

I am truly fascinated by the negative mind.
There are times after conversations with people that I just want to open a window to their brain and briefly peak inside at how they find the most disparaging spin on any situation.

Our neighbor could rule as Mayor over all negative people. It doesn't matter what you talk to him about, the cracks in his walls are going to grow and send his ceiling crashing down on his head the same day his truck explodes and his boss decides they are better off without him.

Yesterday, in fact, I ran into him as I was leaving Sam's. I was leaving the store with a succulent Rotisserie Chicken that smelled DELISH and was making my craving mouth water with ever whiff. As I was walking out of the store I handed him my receipt to verify my purchases and his response to my succulent chicken was, "Make sure that top is on tight or juice will spill out all over your car and leave a bad smell"
My response, "haha yeah and then I'd get hungry every time I drove"
My should-have-been-response, "Mmmm YE-YEAH Mama LIKE!"
Haha I was desperately hungry at the time.

It was that little transaction that caused me to wonder once again at the negative mind. I realize it's not difficult to acquire that train of thought because negative thoughts are about as cheap and as easy to get as candy bars; no, it's the decision to maintain that thought process that boggles my mind. Why you would want to go through life thinking the sky is going to fall and good riddin's cause it's a dull shade of blue anyway is beyond my being.

Here's something I guarantee will pop in your head next time you experience a strong dose of negativity...
(Ps. My favorite thing about these Debbie Downers is how everyone looses it towards the end :)

looking for the key to the ignition

The blog world is, well, daunting.
I've had the idea for a new blog for over a year now and getting it off the ground has proven to be a bit of a challenge.
While the "template" choices range from scrapbook style to the cheesy-ness of a twelve year olds myspace there even more complicated then simply "cut and paste"-ing you're way to personalization. You've got to consider your "adwords" and other such things that make it very, very confusing.
I'd like to literally cut and paste pictures of what I want and hand that compilation over to someone who will then reach further into my brain and pull out a masterpeice. Ideally.
Not only that but for some reason using wordpress isn't as easy as I thought it would be-it's taking me some time to learn how to navigate around there.
Ah well I should get back to all of that. I just thought a simple blog on old faithful would maybe ignite some leftover blogging passion.

Give me 6 minutes and 30 seconds

There are few days where I go without a worship song burned in my brain.
Today it's been this one, "Soon" sung by Brooke Fraser on the new United cd. I included the words because they're more rich then most worship songs ("with unveiled face I'll see Him") I love that line.
Pretty much all day I've been basking in this song and I encourage you to do the same.

Soon" Lyrics	[edit]
by Hillsong United | from the album Across the Earth: Tear Down The Walls

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness and crowned with love
When I see Him
I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I’ll be going
To the place He has prepared for me
There my sin erased
My shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders 'round the throne
At His feet I’ll lay my crowns My worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb
The Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon

The Onion Sandwich

If Elizabeth is what you crave, today you're going to be disappointed as we're fresh out of her thoughts and instead offering you a delightful little treat known as The Onion.
I have recently been turned on to this website and thought a slice of it would do my customers some good. ("the onion" while being a multi-layered, potent vegetable is also a multi-layered humorous take on the news. You may reference it at www.theonion.com).
Here's an article you will find delicious...

Criss Angel's Nephew Forced To Sit Through Another Lame Mindfreak

EAST MEADOW, NY—Sixteen-year-old Jake Howell groaned and rolled his eyes Monday evening as he was subjected to another embarrassing performance by his uncle, famed illusionist Criss Angel. "When I was younger, it was cool when he'd crank up some thrash metal, cut open his forearm, and remove a penny he'd just swallowed inscribed with my initials, but now I'm just like, come on, leave me alone and eat your dinner like a normal person," said Howell, who has requested he not be seated next to Angel during Thanksgiving this year. "I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending like he's freaking my mind." Debbie Howell, Criss' sister, added that while she too finds her brother's antics tiresome, she's just grateful he finally has a job with health insurance.


This next article is seasoned with more truth then funny. After reading it instead of laughing I went...Huh, you know, he really did die at 12....Read on...

King Of Pop Dead At 12

LOS ANGELES—Michael Jackson, a talented child performer known for his love of amusement park rides and his hobby of collecting exotic animals for his Neverland Ranch, died from sudden cardiac arrest Thursday at the age of 12. The prepubescent singer, who enjoyed playing dress-up and often referred to himself as "the King of Pop," was celebrated for his naïve exuberance and his generosity toward other children. "This is a terrible loss for music and for all of us," brother Jermaine Jackson said. "He had so much potential to blossom into a gracious and mature human being. As it is, the world will never know the genius Michael Jackson might have become had he grown up." The singer leaves behind a large body of hits, 25,000 unopened toys, and nearly $400 million of debt.

Why others morn the loss of him, I will never understand.

The Darndest Things

Taking the world in through a child's perspective is a useful thing.
Lewis writes, "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

"Childlike" is something to be guarded.
The faith of a child, the unbounded love, the belief without logic those are precious commodities.
One of the reasons I decided to write to children is because their mind can more easily relax into situations of fiction. Where an adult might think, "Now how did he get that bunny to come out of that hat?" a child would think, "Woah! A bunny!"

I got a phone call today saying that a little boy I recently went on vacation with is spreading the rumor at his daycare that I played a large role in drowning him. After my threatening phone call to the kids he told, I couldn't help but laugh ;)

Devon is four and embarked on his virgin voyage to the beach last week. I took him out into the ocean to give him a ride on the boogie board with careful instructions to keep his mouth closed as there are few tastes as bitter as a big gulp of salt water. Being four he must have forgotten because he got a big gulp of it the second time we tried and after I helped him cough it out he stated simply, "I drownded." Myself and others tried to reassure him otherwise, but he was bent on painting me as a killer to other boys and girls.

Lewis points out in an essay of his that a tree doesn't shed rings as it grows, it maintains the old ones while it aquires the new. The same is true with people. We shouldn't shed as we get older but rather build, expand, grow.

He writes, "to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development." This is said because what people tend to do is to label arrested developement as anyone who has a taste for childlike things, when really it's their own fear of childishness that inhibits.

Honestly I'm at a loss on how to end this blog because I could go on.
All I am saying is give kids a chance.

Throw a sippy cup in the air and sing THAT outloud.

V-A-C-A-TION

Good news-I made it through my week of vacation with my mothers voice singing in my head "V-A-C-A-TION" only about three times. That's a record.

Along with about 300,000 other Americans we went to Myrtle Beach and got our relaxation on this past week, and it was an experience. Traveling with 11 other people can't be anything but.
I learned that the best thing when traveling with that large of a group is to slow your brain down to twenty miles under the normal speed. That way you don't expect things to happen quickly and your expectations are met.

It's funny how the trip going and coming yields two completely different feelings.

Going, you're glad to have your life in a to go package, you're excited about what's to come so you over look little things like toddlers screaming behind you. Nothing matters, you have miles of the beach to enjoy in a couple hours. The unknown is fueling your senses, at this point your daily routine is ment to be forgotten.

Coming back, you find yourself envious of every person you see walking down the street in any town. You think how they've got everything settled, all that they own is exactly where it's supposed to be in a pre-determined place, while you're stuff is somewhere around this fifteen passenger van probably under the empty bag of cheetos. You think, if only that toddler would quit crying we're in an enclosed space for cripes sake, and thank God we're about to get back to our routine. Our routine that includes a MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. Good GOD I've had enough of the unknown.

At least that's all in theory of course.

If vacation is good for one thing its the break from your everyday. A new thought pattern may occur to you, a cross breeze in the corners of your mind.

Really, it's all very refreshing regardless, for sitting alone with my laptop is now a luxury I'm more than happy to enjoy alone.

the secret to being cool

I don't claim to be the gatekeeper of Cool. Really, Coolness can't be fenced in, and neither could Bugs Bunny who is arguably the Coolest cartoon character of all times.

I am claiming to have insight, so consider me your Coolness Liaison (maybe you consider that the same as being the gatekeeper, if so, disregard the first sentence).

Lets not go overboard and think of the Cool that I'm referring to as sauntering into every room, hair slicked back, ciggy bobbing from your lips James Dean style. What I think of when I use Cool is the "comfortable in your own skin-takes a lot to be embarrassed or have an awkward moment about yourself" kind of Cool. The easy, breezy kind of smooth that no one notices at the time, yet later as they think of you in passing stop for a second, nod their head to some silent beat and smirk that you are one Cool cat.

If you just moved closer to the computer screen then I'm assuming that's the kind of Cool you are looking for. The way you get it is by being you. Simple enough. Actually to cut it into smaller bites, really just--be, period.

Track with me for a second: the opposite of Cool is awkward and awkwardness comes when there is large amounts of undo pressure on a situation, pressure usually arises when someone is trying too hard therefore if you try too hard to be cool you will fail.
That's the mistake most kids make. They calculate what to say and how to say it in order to come off sounding cool but their mistake is made before the awkwardness comes barreling out of their mouth--their first mistake was to calculate. If you are simply yourself you don't have to "come up" with things that try and make you sound cool, you just are.

I actually have a scripture to back me up on this. Luke 14:11, "But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

Coolness can ooze from your pores if you allow yourself to relax in who you are.
And the benefit to that is, once you've got that down you become an even better person just like that verse says.

Just be. It's even simplier then Nike thought.

"what good is being cool if you can't wear a sombrero?"
-calvin and hobbes

Thank you Sloane Crosley

Today, as made evident by my twitter, I visited the bookstore.

I had two books in mind that I wanted to catch up with, the first was "I was told there'd be cake" by Sloane Crosley which is a collection of essays told by a girl who could sneeze and it would be witty, and the second was the Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart which is a children's book I've now decided to read as it is on the New York Times best seller list along with it's sequel.

Why I have just told you those things, I'm not sure. My purpose has been distracted. What bothers me even more is the fact that I just did a question and answer thing at the first of this paragraph. Do people who pose a question simply to make a point by answering it themselves make me want to scratch their eyes out? Yes. (voice rising in pitch with each word).

Ah yes. My intentions. I was going to include some quotes I lifted from the Cake book. Well, actually I was and then I wasn't, the thought of rewording them and stamping my own name at the bottom DID cross my mind, but hey we can keep this between ourselves, yeah? If you hear me say any of this at a party turn to the person next to you and say, "How inspiring she is!"

From Sloane Crosley's "I was told there'd be cake":

"I started crying the kind of hysterical tears made justifiable only by turning off one's cell phone, putting it to the ear and pretending to be told of a death in the family."

"She gave me looks so stern I believe she burned calories creating them."

"It's a trip down memory lane, which, if you don't turn off at the right exit, merges straight into the Masochistic Nostalgia Highway."

Worth My Salt

It just thundered, how perfect. I love rain.
----no segue-----
In the back of my cumulative version of the Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis has an essay entitled "On Three Ways of Writing for Children."
The first time I read it (as I have owned the book for years I would not allow myself the pleasure of reading the essay till I re-read the chronicles in this form) I felt as if I was given the high honor of sitting down with my authorial hero and chatting about children's books.

It has become my national treasure.

So I am re-typing the essay for two reasons-one, because my desire is to mimic his recipe and what better way to do that then to pick apart his ingredients, and two, because this way I can mark all over the page.

I'm catching all sorts of things I didn't the first time. One such example I just typed out was something he said that makes me very proud of my history as a reader.
He says,
"Those of us who are blamed when old for reading childish books were blamed when children for reading books too old for us. No reader worth his salt trots along in obedience to a time-table" (773).

If I were in an actual conversation with him I would quickly slip in that by the time I was 16 I had read almost every John Grisham novel out there and now that I am 25 have books such as "Ramona Forever" (from the Ramona Quimby series) on my reading list.
I would probably follow that fact with a smug smile and a coy sip of my tea and wait for him to praise me but instead be met with his return to the conversation on writing fantasy for children.

"Silly Clive," I would say, "do go on."

blank

If the portion of my brain that comes up with things to blog/twitter about were a store front right now it would read "out to lunch".

At least that's my explanation for why I can't think of anything to say.

When I go through these spells I know it's a good time to read. Of course I like to think any time is a good time to read, but most especially now.

See you when my mental break is over.

Post-Posts

This may come across self absorbed and prideful, but I enjoy taking time to read my old blogs.
I don't do it often, but when I do, I laugh (and I'm always ready for a good laugh).
Sometimes I laugh at my old way of thinking/writing, other times I laugh cause I'm a genius when it comes to being funny ;)

Here's a quote I found that I wrote about blogging in my second blog that I still agree with and thought it was worth re-posting...

"Although blogs may not always give us facts or definitions, they do give us insight into other peoples lives allowing us to momentarily escape our own. They're like 30 second books, or a two minute pass to look through someone's window without being considered a creep.
I love blogging because it's an open venue to say and write whatever I please. No deadlines, no restraints, no grammar rules just me, the cursor, and you (the non-creep peering through my window)."

Anyway I appreciate your taking the time to read this. I know that since I've started this blog probably millions more have popped up all with varying interests in mind, but if you're still a frequent customer at MusEings know that you're a valued one.

Happy Wednesday everybody!

I gave "it" up

Our youth group is doing a sort of fast for the next thirty days, which means we've got to pick something and give it up.

The campaign is called "I gave it up" (I think that if some kid was really hard core they would give the word "it" up bahahaha!)

I gave up facebook and I'm a better person for it. This is only my second day not logging on and while I wasn't necessarily a "junkie" before, I've already noticed all the time I've saved not aimlessly clicking around.

Facebook generates brain power that is much better used elsewhere. For example, I found myself thinking too much about myself after being on there (can I get a--what! what! cause I know you do the same)
If we were all honest with ourselves facebook is more about savingface then it is anything else. That's why we post pictures that only WE approve of, or write meaningless sentences that talk about OUR life or post quizzes that WE make up about OURSELVES and lists that include only things that will make US look good.
I could be wrong but I think I'm not.
And don't get me wrong. I'm not jumping off the band wagon, I've just moved myself closer to the back where my feet can dangle and I can jump off if I need to :)
I think about myself enough, I don't need to get on a website daily to remind me to do it.
And that is all.
If you can handle it, good for you. In the mean-time I'm going to go and have some non me-time (haha!! see it's wit like that, that makes ME so great) ;) jk

Half Caff Laugh

I have always had a strange fascination with being addicted to coffee.
Really I am charmed by all things related to coffee, the mugs, the smell, the word, the roasts.

The splitting headache I received today after not having my usual morning cup cured me of at least the desire to be addicted. I'm still bewitched by all things coffee, now at least I have a more adult view about it.

I was thinking about this on my way home from Starbucks and had to laugh at myself for getting over another child-like enthrallment with something so adult as being addicted to caffeine. For me it was that moment of realization that doing the dishes and having homework really aren't as magical as you once thought.

For all my fellow coffee lovers: don't go to Starbucks for iced coffee. It doesn't taste that bad, but the price you pay isn't worth it. McDonalds has the market on iced coffees-hands down.

For all my fellow word lovers: chew over the title of this blog one more time. The English language and all its oddities include the fact that those three words have different endings but all the same sound.

Happy Friday!

Mrs. Word Smith

I love words, especially those that are considered a delicacy to our language, ie- "incandescently" could make a come back and I would be ok with it.
I am currently on the hunt for one particular word or phrase, but in that chase I've come across some rare finds. Here are some words to tickle your gray matter...

I can be described as ombrophilous (one who is tolerant of large amounts of rain).

Ever wonder what a Yak and a Cow would reproduce if they got jiggy with it? Wonder no more, their offspring is referred to as a Zho.

No need to deny your love of Winnie the Pooh, embrace it! Major in arctophily (the study of teddy bears-No. Joke.)

Sign me up for Pogonophile's anonymous cause I happen to like them, especially Dayton's (one who loves beards)

Tobaccophile-really? that simple? Yet loving wood has got to be this complicated!?- xylophilous

So what's the room set up like in a "Conquering Your Cathisophobia" meeting? (fear of sitting down)

hmm possible pick up line..."Hey baby, do you mind taking that off, I have linonophobia" (fear of string)

Funny sounding words:
Mumpsimus: a view stubbornly held even when shown to be wrong
Tintinnabulate: to ring as a bell; to tinkle (as in bell, not as in potty)
Widdershins: counterclockwise

I could go on, but I'll stop, thanks to http://phrontistery.info/favourite.html for providing all the fun!

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

5minutes

Heaven is a good reason to get through an 800 page book.
C.S. Lewis' words at the end of the Chronicles of Narnia are, what I believe to be, the closest taste-in-your-mouth description of heaven for both adult and child out there.
In fact it was the description of heaven that inspired me to read Chronicles in the first place.
I was at a funeral for a friend of a friend who was my age, and someone got up and read the last paragraph to what was an enraptured audience and probably the biggest collection of people that have ever been jealous of the guy in the coffin.

But I'm not here to talk about death.
With this blog I want to impart a moment of worship.
This song from the new United album is awe inspiring, comforting and beautiful and it makes me think of those last few sentences of Lewis' writing so think of this as you watch the video.
And if you're by yourself feel free to engage in extravagant worship :)

"'The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.' And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were to great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them is was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Anniversary

Marriage is highly underestimated.
At it's best I think it's the greatest relationship one human being can share with another.
It's no wonder God compares the church to a bride, there really is no better comparison. The partnership it entails, the collaboration of two people who bring differences to the table that when combined make you one. super. human. it's astounding. And awesome.
Thinking back to my ideas of marriage even a year and one week ago I had no idea how beautiful it could be. My favorite way of describing it is marriage is a sleepover with your best friend every night for the rest of your life.

One aspect of marriage/love that isn't often talked about, but I think is the most important is that love starts with you.
You cannot give someone else your love until you love yourself.
It's like food at a party. If two people are invited to a party and only one of them brings food, there won't be that much to eat. If both people bring food, then there is plenty to eat and everyone can relax, yeah?
Thus when two people enter a relationship with love for themselves it's easy to relax and spread the love all around :)

One way I realized Dayton was "the one," was that I never got tired of him. No matter how long we had been together or how often we saw each other I always wanted more, and I had never experienced that with a guy before.
Part of that reason was not because I loved who I became when I was with him but because I loved who I AM.(I am aware of the change in tense-it's intentional)
With him I didn't have to become anyone else, I could just be me I never had to change. And since I learned to love the person I am before we met, getting to be that person with him made our relationship all the more enjoyable.

This concept is so important to me-loving yourself (I know this partly because it's hard for me to decided exactly how to write about it, haha).

What greater imprisonment is there then to not love the person you were created to be?

But on the other hand, what beautiful freedom it is to love who you are and to be completely satisfied in living as the wonderful you that God created.

Think of it this way, life is one giant art show and we're all walking God exhibits.

Until next time...

UNITED

Seeing UNITED in concert was like
Plugging yourself into a power outlet for three hours straight
Consuming a feast of delicious foods after having fasted for a week

It was the feeling you get after turning in your last exam
Rolled in with the relief you feel after setting down a heavy box.

It was a spiritual spa treatment in the most expensive of spa's.

It was the closest feeling a human could have to flying without an apparatus.

It was the true sense of moving, powerful, awesome, wonderful, amazing, pleasing, and exciting. The only thing top-able is moments with God Himself (which it wasn't far from).

It was life changing.
And I will never forget it.

My most awesome simlie yet...

Scene: the other night, Dayton and I are on the couch watching our favorite show "Las Vegas"
Danny McCoy, one of the main characters has just found out that he's being summoned by the Marines to go back to active duty for a special mission.

Danny: "I'm being recalled"

Elizabeth: "Like a toy out of China"

Dayton: "ha! ha! good one"

:)

Got Racism?

Ever wonder about things as you're watching it rain or falling asleep, or watching NASCAR highlights on ESPN?
If you do and one of those things is why exactly they drink milk after winning the Indy 500 then I've got your answer right here.

Stick around for the final paragraph because that's where the funny's at.

"Milk became the drink of champions after Louis Meyer, the winner of the 1936 Indianapolis 500, was photographed gulping down a bottle of buttermilk, his favorite drink. Apparently, his mom had recommended the drink, claiming it would refresh him.

The photo found its way to the desk of an executive at the Milk Foundation who, seeing a rare promo opportunity, "made sure that from that year on the winner of the race received a bottle of milk to drink." A tradition was born. Not surprisingly, the National Dairy Council supports this ritual, calling the celebratory chugging of the milk, "a winning example for people everywhere who are looking to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle."

The victory milk is just one of may long standing traditions associated with the Indy 500, but if PETA has its way, it will soon come to an end. The organization is looking to end the drinking of the milk, claiming it to be a "beverage born out of cruelty to baby calves" and a "racist drink."

In a debat against an Atheist, my money's on the Marsh-Wiggle

Play the desert island game with me for a second:
If you were going to be stranded on an island and could take only one book, which would it be? (don't be all Suzzy Spiritual and say the Bible either)

Mine...The Chronicles of Narnia (I have a version where all the books are combined into one so I'm not cheating when I say that).

Why? Aside from the brilliant writing and plot lines of Mr. Lewis, the spiritual truths laced throughout the book would have both my mind and my spirit fed for years.

One such example is found in the second to the last book of the chronicles, "The Silver Chair" and while it isn't my favorite (no children's book can hold even the smallest of candles to "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader") it's not without Lewis' brilliant wit.

This book is all about two children and a Marsh-Wiggle (the defining of which would generate a ramble so I'll spare you, just picture a scare-crow) and their journey to restore the rightful king to the Narnian throne.
There is one particular scene when they have broken a horrid spell and are addressing the witch who is attempting to cast another spell over them by convincing them that all they know to be true was in fact a dream.
What breaks them out of this spell is a clever speech from the Marsh-Wiggle, that as I've already hinted at, would squelch even the most boisterous of atheists....
Oh and the Aslan they speak of is the figure that represents God-just keep that in mind...

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

I've often thought that when thinking about believing in God. A popular lie is that there isn't a God, but really the peace that's found believing in a supreme being as awesome and powerful as my God is totally worth it.

If there is one thing you read this summer, it should be The Chronicles of Narnia.

Cup full o' Giggles

I could stand in the card isle reading only Fresh Ink cards by Halmark all-day-long.

I don't hold back when I'm standing in the card isle and their wittiness tickles me, I l.o.l. Which really they should thank me for because laughter is contagious so even if someone is looking over one of those cheesy cards that talk about a naked man and you open it up to see a baby monkey (what?) they might laugh and wait till after they've shelled out 5.75 to realize it was a stupid card.

Fresh Ink card's are not something I buy for everyone I know who has a birthday. They cater to a very distinct brand of humor. One example (and the only one because really you have to see the pictures with the captions) is one that sent me into fits of giggles standing there in Walgreens...
It's a card that is round and looks like a piece of bologna...

"My bologna has a middle name

It's Marie."

Haha can you really put a price tag on something that funny? Fresh Ink did and it's a reasonable 2.50 so please, buy on.

Here's another funny from my google homepage, daily humor thingy...

Cereal Claim

Last week, the FDA scolded General Mills for claiming that Cheerios lowers your cholesterol by 10%.

They're not stopping there - today, under pressure, Captain Crunch admitted he lied about his military record. -Jay Leno

My Fashion Statement.

If there is one thing I want people to associate with the name Elizabeth it's the message behind this Villanelle.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Enjoy.




A Flatter of Fact:

Wear a purple hat if it flatters your nose,
Caring not for the fashions of the day
Wear green socks if they flatter your toes.

Put your hair in a bun the shape of a rose
Or part it in two, to create a bouquet
Wear a purple hat if it flatters your nose.

If spring calls for hem lines that tend to expose,
And they’re sported by women regardless of weight
Wear green socks if they flatter your toes.

When in Paris they walk wearing low pantyhose
With their hair standing straight from hair spray
Wear a purple hat if it flatters your nose.

If the style is colors of blue and bog rose,
Paired with yellow, and red and ash gray
Wear green socks if they flatter your toes.

Remember to dress so that others suppose
You’d rather not to look too cliché.
Wear a purple hat if it flatters your nose
Wear green socks if they flatter your toes.

A Sonnet for your bonnet...haha!

Two rhyming poems is all we had to produce in the way of "real" poetry and this is one of mine. It's actually a sonnet and after writing this one I truly believe Shakespeare would look at it and want to put his name to it--My pride runs that deep.
Enjoy.



Him

So often do the words around me pass
Without so much as stopping to survive.
The prepositions, fragile, fall like glass
While nouns of value find a way to thrive.
Before, a pronoun was of little worth
Uncaring was the use from day to day
For “her” and “him” it was of common birth
The leader of the least of all to say.
Until he came and gave his hand to guide
Upon my back with confidence to spare,
And spoke about the beauty in my eyes
A turn of friendship into love affair.
So now with every use of him and he
The value of a pronoun grows, exponentially.

hmmm...yep, yep, yep

I realize now I should have posted this last week.

That would have been cool, but no I'm posting it now.
It's yet another installment from my poetry portfolio (two more gems are yet to be enjoyed after this one).

Anyway this poem is one I was the least satisfied with out of all that I wrote for class. I realized this when writing it (which is the worst time especially since it was literally the last thing I ever had to do as a college student).
But I also realize that in being the person that I am I impose requirements upon myself that are sometimes incapable of being fulfilled by even the savviest of writers.
SO I clicked the print button and let it go.
Enjoy.



Last College Paper

I’d like to make this poem
A perfect reflection of
Everything I learned
In school. A showcase
Of quotes by Aristotle, a math
Concept or two. But I’ve found
That when you sit down
And try to make a pile
Of everything you know, you
Realize one thing about
What you’ve learned:
It will all eek out
At just the right moment. At least,

That’s what I tell myself.

POW! BAM!

Punching Emily Post in the face is still on my list of things to do.

It's only by God's grace that I found the woman was married because had she not been I would have seriously become angry. And anger at a dead person is wildly unsatisfying.

The expectations established by Mrs. Post are what curl my toes in frustration, and I'm not the only one of this opinion. The 21st century newlywed should be given a break. But really this speech should be given to a different room of people who would raise their fists and stomp their feet along with me. You, I'm sure, have already rolled your eyes and thought "what's so hard about thank you cards?"
So I will stop.

My purpose in all of this was to preface a poem I wrote for my final portfolio in class which is meant to be more comical/apologetic then it is angry.
Enjoy.




To: Emily Post
From: A Newlywed

When I see people
I see kitchen utensils

I never thanked them for,
A white serving platter

They sent me in the mail
That has been used to carry

Biscuits and brownies.
Just the other day I passed

A woman who gave me
Two magnificent square glass

Vases and instead of saying hello
I wanted to stop her and say

Three months
Just isn’t enough.

And so it begins...but not without a look back

The creators of the books where you choose your own ending really had a good idea. Not only do they make their book uniquely fresh each read, but they allow the reader to make their own choices, then see an immediate consequence to that choice.

A "choose your own adventure" in real life would be fantastic, no?

The opportunity to take a look at where each of our choices lead would put us in an entirely different place (and of course bump out the "imperfect" world thing we've got going on).

I started thinking about this in reference to my years in college. Choosing to start off as a music major seemed like a good idea at the time, however that particular adventure lead me to realize it wasn't for me, but not after having used up whole semesters that would eventually put me back years in my goal.

Had I chosen English right off the bat I could have graduated years earlier...had I graduated years earlier I would have settled in a job more than likely and had I been established in a job I would have said a big fat NO to the move from Florida...had I said no to moving I would not have met Dayton and well, you do the math...

One choice affected my whole adventure.

While this thought is undoubtedly scary for some (fear of the unknown, fear of making the wrong decision) I find it invigorating.

Having our life spread before us in a small paper back form where the ending is found on page 98 would be seemingly uber-beneficial, but really it would end up more like fat-less bacon--limp and tasteless (haha I'm going to create a good one of those simile's day dangit!).

At the risk of sounding like a Steven Curtis Chapman song...enjoy the adventure. We've got the map maker at our disposal and if we strive to listen for His voice it He'll make the whole thing really worth while.

ONE DAY AWAY!!

haha i graduate tomorrow!!!!!
and it's such a liberating feeling.
Good. God. it's been a long time
and while i will write another post about my choices
and what has lead me to such an extended collegiate career,
i want to take this moment to say...

I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(oh and it's no where near sunken in yet)

So let it be written, So let it be done.

While this movie has absolutely nothing to do with Easter, the Ten Commandments comes on every year and I love to watch it.

I love watching it mainly because it reminds me of being a little girl. I'd watch this movie over and over again wishing I was the one who had the golden bangles dangling in my hair like Nefertiti (someone really should bring hair bangles back)

Much like anything we review as an adult it's definitely interesting on another level and the inconsistencies definitely stand out even more (pretty sure the phrase "take me in your arms" was not ACTUALLY uttered after every greeting), but watching the Egyptian cast members parade around in all their colors and jewelry has spell bound me all over again.

Have a wonderful Easter, it's undoubtedly the best celebration of all!

Today

Is Good Friday
not
Spring Recess.
And it's it's BC
not
CE. The common
Era would not
have existed if
not for Christ.
You should read
your nickles
more often.

Free.

One of my favorite things about being a girl
Is that moment when Dayton puts his hand on the small of my back and directs me through a crowd.
Sometimes it will just be a moment of direction other times when the crowd is more dense he'll put his hands on my hips and steer me through till we're free to walk side by side.

The beginning of this year I changed jobs. I work for my father-in-law now, I'm the office administrator and advertising division of the company which I'm loving. It wasn't an instant change, I kept the other job for a while until it was clear that my old boss didn't need me anymore.

The opportunity to work for my in-laws was such a God thing. There was no real reason at the time for me to switch jobs, but I did and it worked out to where there was always work available for me.

God guided me through what could have been a rougher situation. Just as Dayton guides me when we're walking through a crowd, God lead me through a dense clowd of decisions so that I was able to get through to the exact place I needed to be.

I love that.
I love Him.

Poetry week concluded.

I'll finish out Poetry Week with my recent favorite.
We had to write a poem where we put ourselves in someone else's shoes and so I took a group of people that I'm probably the most fascinated with and clipped a moment from their life. So here is the resulting work...


Celebrity

I woke up this morning thirsty
For my daily cup of coffee
Desirous of its black face, its warm, bold
Body. I surrender my position in bed
For a gray cashmere sweater and sweats,
I gather my bodyguards, my assistant, phone
My driver who rushes me, covers me like a fair skinned baby
To the nearest coffee shop where in clouds of black and gray
We exit the vehicle, overtaken by sudden bursts
Of light—the lights that with every flash capture
Little reasons why I sometimes look at the want ads in my hometown paper
And think of freedom as a fluid word. Finally when the fresh, inky
Cup of the warm liquid reflects my face we shuffle back
To the car, enclosed once again behind impenetrable doors
The outside world straining to see in, while I am straining to see out.

....and it keeps on going

We were assigned a "witness piece" which meant we had to write about witnessing something in the news and our reaction to it. And since I couldn't settle on one emotion with octo-mom (anger? frustration? pity?) I went for this little ditty.

I had something in this one about sweat being on his brow, the same kind of sweat not found on the faces of his loudest foe, but the teacher didn't like it (dirty liberal ;) so I took it out. Enjoy.


Always Mr. President

I could see you pumping gas
At a station in Texas. Comfortable
In your post Presidential jeans and cowboy
Boots, happy in your cowboy hat. I could see

Your hands and imagine their lines where important
Documents once rested, where other important fingers
Gripped and shook; hands that wiped sweat
Off your important brow, a thick sweat
Born from hard working, hard thinking,
A sweat most Americans will never

Experience. I could see you there gripping the gas
Pump, standing tall in your notch on the American time line,
I could see you and if I could I would walk up to you and say,
Thank you.

Poetry week continued...

Here's a poem written about the time Dayton and I first said "i love you".
I subjected this piece to the class which is to say I stood naked in front of a group of strangers and asked them to critique me.
It went really well, all the criticism that it got I felt was very useful and so changes have been made and here is the final product.


Thursday Night I Love You

A red truck moves light down a stretch
Of road. The driver, a boy, casually
Speaks to the girl beside him
While their fingers play tag; the girl
Wrapped in sweats brushes lazy hair
Out of her bare face. Red flashes
As the truck moves down new road,
Coming to a stop under the spotlight
Of her driveway--she has picked her moment.

Love was something she spoiled in the past;
Tattered, worn, and common with use,
She resolved to pack it up tight
For a special occasion,
Preferably in the rain
Like the movies where they yell
Through wet clothing.

The red truck produces the sounds of
Goodbyes—kisses, and I’ll call yous,
But all is silent when the girl unwraps
The gift she had hidden in her mouth
Since the street with no lights.

Its Poetry Week!

Time to turn in my portfolio of poems to my poetry teacher giving me good blogging material all week long!

The first poem meant for your delight is one I wrote when we were assigned a "brag poem". We were told to brag about ourselves so I said give me something I don't do on a regular basis and sat down and wrote this (in literally less than five minutes cause I wanted to hang out with my husband but he told me I couldn't till all my homework was done...haha)


Elizabeth

Beauty
Got it
Singing
Can do it
Socializing
No problem
Writing
Love it
Fashion
Comes natural
Reading
Let me at it
Joking
I’m not,
But I can.

spring break 2009 wohoo!

No theme post today, just good clean thoughts (not that I'm swaying from my average dirty ones).
It being spring break and all I decided to take advantage of my porch. In wondering where to do my homework (don't worry I had the crazy spring break fun this past weekend ;) I thought to myself, "I wish there were some place I could go and sit outside and not have to buy anything like a drink" then I turned three inches and looked outside at my table and chairs...duh.
(the greatest advantage being bathroom breaks without awkwardly carrying my laptop into the stall with me "oh uh..the internet so much clearer in here!")

I did something to purposefully tempt myself..I started thumbing through a book I got about writing for children and almost decided to read the whole thing here and now, but took the responsible route and put it down (don't judge me and my geeky transgressions). Segue in 5..4..3..2..It did get me to thinking about how great it is that we are built with something that stirs us.

What a boring world it would be if everyone was moved by the same thing, or by nothing at all. And even if our passions are yet to be discovered it's great just knowing that there is something there, we just have to find it.
Being on stage and being a part of a formation of words/sentences are two things I couldn't live without and I love that.

I cannot put into words how ready I am to be out of school. No wait, I can. It's as if I'm at a race and standing behind the starting line in position ready to burst forward while still having to do warm up exercises (haha I have no idea what that actually feels like, but in my mind the two are one and the same).
Only seven more weeks.
Praise God.
I'm not going to lie, I'm more excited about graduation day then I was about my wedding day but only because graduation day I show up in a gown looking like everyone else-a thousand times less stressful and nothing to do with my love for marriage or my wedding day :)

Hey! Check out the twitter gadget I just added to the page, under the ads titled "legal stalking"
and
Hey! Thanks for reading.

AAM

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People are pulling this label out like it's on clearance.

Our waiter let us know the other night that we can be assured that our drinks are correct since he's...lets all say it together...OCD.

Where was this "disorder" ten years ago? Chillin' with sun-dried tomatoes in the "fad waiting to happen" room? (oh gosh that's terrible, but I'm keepin it!)

I understand that "SOCIETY" needs labels like that to fall back on (ie-ADD/ADH) but I have a notion that there wouldn't be as many cases of it if there were no label for it.

So some people have the need to have everything in order, that's doesn't call for a "disorder" I like for things to be all about me (AAM) so does that mean I should be treated?
If by treated you mean showers of praise and accolades then a resounding YES!

But that's not necessary. All I'm saying is the "disorder band wagon" is getting pretty full of people who are using labels as more of a crutch then a scientific break through.

So you like to do things in excellence, that's not OCD it's G-O-O-D.
So you can't pay attention for long periods of time...who really can? The human brain is a playground of random thoughts, you just have to learn to discipline your mind.
I'm sure there are a few cases here and there of people with real mental problems in these arena's but I'd be willing to bet my baby blanket that over 60% of people who claim it, are just fine.

It's a Google Earth-We All Just Click On It

haha oh the wit of me.
Yes so if you're wondering what google latitude is all about, don't.
Not unless you want everyone in your email address book to think, "hey, wait a minute...why does SHE need to know where I am?!"
Yes many an email has now been sent explaining away the accidental stalker-like qualities I've inflicted on myself after playing around with a new gadget. (unless I know you know me and that I don't spend my weekend outside your bedroom window)

"What had happened was"...
Oo! google latitude, I wonder what this is all about--click click hmm that's interesting. Oo pretty butterrfly....
Two days later
"so and so has accepted your request to know their location" What?!
Today
"Professor, please excuse the email you've received where I've requested to know your whereabouts every time you sign on your email. I assure you I'm not as freaky as google makes me out to be."

Lesson learned.

Now if google only had a gadget to explain away stalker qualities I'd be set.

The Value of Funny

Count me an expert in dealing with stupid people.
And by stupid people I mean people acting in ways that piss me off.

I have weathered, final exam style, test after test after test of people making me very angry from every front (making it a cumulative exam-testing on more than one area) but thanks to God, my husband, and funny I feel as if I'm pulling through with a B.

Example-my statistics class consists of a bundle of idiots. In the past I have failed to keep my cool by responding with angry stares at people who ask questions the teacher has already repeated the answer to, or blatant smirks at the boy next to me who gets something wrong after belittling minor mistakes the professor has made.

Today I purposed to not let any of it get to me, but it did.

I found myself imagining how I could totally trip one kid when he left class
Or how I would word what I thought of another guys complete and total incompetence at living as we passed each other in the hall but
Then my thoughts took a funny turn-
I thought about bringing a be-be gun to class, (the one we have that's small but irritating when shot with) and I imagined popping these people with it every time they did something dumb
and it made me laugh-audibly
It totally diffused my frustration and made me laugh.
And while that's not a feasible solution (right?), it pointed out that my thinking was a little absurd.
There's nothing we can do about other people, but there is something we can do about our reactions to those people no matter how stupid they act.
So laughing was exactly what I needed to do.
Dumb butt next to me didn't know what to think, which is a beautiful fringe benefit.

Never underestimate the value of funny!

Make dinner, clean, do wash, write inspired pieces of poetry.

Every night (just about) I get to crank out a poem for my poetry class.
And while I am grateful for the tremendous effect they are having on my writing in general, I do grow weary of pumping out greatness
Every
Single
Night.
But hey, the semester is officially half way over.
Praise. God.

Left overs.

I've taken to jotting down notes in my phone every time I think of something to blog about. Looking back at the list I don't see how I could get a full blog out of each one so I'll share a sentence or two of my thoughts...

1. "Local Support."- this I do remember came to me on a day I had just visited a local book store, which I'm almost positive was preceeded with a little "you've got mail-age". But my thinking was this-we should work to support the local people who've established businesses around town. Not to say we should be uber-fanatical about it with death to corporate t-shirts or anything just consider them in your errands.

2. "Peace on earth"-It was back at Christmas time when you hear that phrase a lot and I remember thinking, "everyone wants peace on earth so bad, yet they try and throw out the one thing that brings a peace beyond human understanding-God" -One of my MANY profounds thoughts of the day.

3. "Purses on your shirt"- this came about from a womans jacket that was decorated with tiny purses and when I see clothing with any kind of object scattered throughout in pastel colors I just have to wonder, what that person was thinking when they bought it?..."tiny lipsticks and pocket books floating in outerspace is so appealing-I want it all over my jacket!"

4. "Texting has refined my editing skills"-while this is the least exciting/random of the three if you stop and think about it having to regularly confine what you are saying to 160 characters or less has to be working on our editing skills, it just has to be.

100 posts...+1!!!

I failed to celebrate my 100th post! How exciting is that...there really should be some cake...

So my One Hundred and ONE post will be this...

When I get to heaven I'm going to seek out Emily Post and sock her in the eye.

And that, is how my day has been.

"it's like batman and superman becoming one superhero"

Love is making a big appearance this weekend.
Life has been a buzz with the subject of love for about a solid week now becuase of the special day Saturday which elicits (from what I've experienced) either moans or shrugs.
In fact, come to think of it you don't come across many people excited about Valentines day. Singles and couples alike seem to dread the holdiay either because they have no one to celebrate it with or they have the obligation of celebrating it.
Hm. Kinda the whole "greener on the other side" thing.
But none of that is what this blog is supposed to be about...

I wanted to write about marriage.

If you've watched any amount of television or movies you've already been introduced (whether subconsciouly or consciously) to the fact that "Society" places many negative connotations on the institution.
Watch as every joke relating to marriage ends with a ball and chain, or no more fun/no more sex type reference. Or on the blatant side, one show I've seen opened with all the main characters in bed with their men, and while the girls with boyfriends were all having fun, the shot of the only married couple was one of them two feet away from each other snoring heavily.
*adjusts soap box*

Allow me to set the record straight. Marriage is a beautiful thing. In fact I've found myself thinking/saying that God is a genius for inventing it.
Not only do you have that one person you can be completely open and (pardon the pun..or not) naked with, but in coming together with your powers combine you form one super human. It's like Batman and Superman becoming one superhero-able to literally fly but if cryptonite makes an appearance you've still got the batmobile and the cool gadgets for back up.
And while that's blowing your brain think about this...*Billy Mays voice* Marriage is like slumber parties with your best friend every single night for the rest of your life!
And even though I've heard from numerous party poopers, er uh, women that this blissful feeling will fade within the next five years or so I'm confident that it will not. God never intended for marriage to work and be pleasant for a certain time period, it's forever and like a good wine (which I understand only in theory) will only get better with time.
That's all for now,
Happy Love Day!

*snap *snap *snap *sips coffee

Below is the first of what I'm sure will be many poems I will be posting on here thanks to my writing poetry class.
For this assignment we were to work on imagery...and if there's one image I can write pages and pages about it's snow.
My love affair with this particular element of nature began at first sight and will continue far beyond our entrance into heaven where I'm most certain there will be more snow that truly does taste like cotton candy.
So please enjoy this selec-t-i-on from my future "greatest works" haha and thanks for reading!

*p.s. the line breaks did not work out to my favor when posting this as a blog. just know the lines beginning with a lower case letter are meant to have been attached to the previous line. you may consider this a small infraction however line breaks are crucial to poem writing so I felt it was worth pointing out.

Track 12

by elizabeth b. ogle

My first snow
I clicked to a Norah Jones song
Her notes delighted my ears
Her voice whispering words like sit, and watch, and snow.
Flakes fell fast from pregnant clouds
Flakes wobbly with freedom
My form interrupting their descent to the ground.
I reached out my hand and watched as each abstract shape became part of my ingredients
I reached out my tongue anticipating a sugary sweetness, dissolving instantly like cotton candy
I took a step sinking to brown,
But clicked to pause in just enough time
to hear the most satisfying crinkle
Underneath my shoe.
I waited to hear the sound of snow falling,
Folding like bed sheets all around me
And stood in awe as no sound came
Only little white clusters pure in both color and silence
Humbly frosting the earth.

your arby's party

club houses in your back yard
rolling bouncy balls down your hallway
dressing in denim shirts and hats to put on musicals in front of your mom
pretending we're kristi yamaguchi in your garage
randomly running into each other at the water park
watching zorro/i love lucy/captain planet...whatever phase we were in at the time haha
i remember! i remember!

oh the stories i can't wait to swap...

the last of the mohicans!

oh
my
god
i just read the comments from my last post
and seeing as how i'm in the middle of class and can't utter the scream of delight that caught in my throat
i have now soiled my pants

well oiled machine

Hello Friend, it's been a while.
I like to start as if we're in the middle of a conversation...not really I just like to quote that line from one of the greatest movies ever made that was on the other night and what my sister and I call "Usted tiene correo".

I don't have to tell you that I've fallen out of the habit of blogging but the month of December served as a bit of a brain break for all things creative. I took that time to fill my mind rather then empty it. I'm now deep into the Chronicles of Narnia for like the third or fourth time..I don't remember...

I will now launch into promises simply to fill up white space and start by saying I plan on swinging my brain back into "blog mode". This only means that special/humorous moments will be interrupted with "hmm what would be a good blog title for this?"

Unfortunately my plan of writing this blog and jogging some of that "blog juice" has failed because I'm out of things to yammer about.

Apparently I can only think in movie quotes tonight so I believe it's only fitting to include some more...If your spanish is rusty and you haven't yet figured out what movie I'm referring to here are some more quotes I've thought of that may jog your memory...
"Mmm scotch tape, can't beat that."
"Enchanting, your mother was enchanting"
"I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly"
"I love Patricia, I love Patricia! Patricia makes coffee nervous."
and possibly the most quoted line by my sister and I...
"Thank yur. Thank yur ladies and gentlemen."

Merry 2009

If the holidays were any indication of what 2009 is going to be like...it's going to be an awesome year.

If my posting abilities over the holidays were any indication of how often I'm going to post...I've got to get more inspiration ;)

Merry New Year Christmas!!