Saturday, June 30, 2012

Supplementing Your Summer: Sit Down!

This should be a rather brief as the concept is really quite simple.  Let's see if I can keep it that way.  (song at the bottom)


Skip ahead in the above video to about 5:00 and watch the scene with Mr. Collins.  Do you see how the ladies simply sink down into their chairs?  And yet, sink isn't the right word.  It's more like they are floating down like a feather.

One of my etiquette books has once said that you should lower yourself, still erect, into a chair.

I couldn't say it better than this: (click anywhere in the following to be redirected)

Friday Charm School - How to Sit Like a Lady Part 1

Welcome to Friday Charm School! Today's lesson is part 1 of how to sit like a lady. We'll look at how to sit down and get up from a chair like a lady with feminine grace and ease.1. Approach the chair holding your best posture. Turn so your back leg brushes against the chair seat.
2. Slide one foot back 2-3 inches under the chair seat.
3. Lower yourself into the seat keeping your head erect and your back straight. Most of your weight should be carried by the thigh of your back leg.
4. Ease down into the seat gracefully...don't flop.
5. For deeper seats or upholstered chairs where you can't slip your foot under, sit as above but on the edge of the seat. When seated, lift your weight slightly and slide back.

To rise from a sitting position, simply reverse the above steps. Lift yourself gracefully in one easy motion letting your back leg muscle do the work. Don't push up using the chair arms.
Practice makes perfect with this method of sitting down. Make your practice fun by lining up three chairs of varying heights. Put on some music and practice sitting in each chair in succession. Then do the same reversing the foot you slide back. Repeat until the motion becomes second nature.Today, notice how you sit down and get up. Try the above rules. This method will probably feel alien and strange at first. Now move a chair in front of a mirror and compare how you look when sitting down normally and how you look sitting with the rules. Is there a difference? Which do you prefer?


I think that says it perfectly, don't you?





If you have any further tips or need me to clarify something, just comment!

The Four Temperaments Explained

In the past, I have mentioned "the four temperaments" and I have even provided a link for you.  However, I understand a need to be cautious when clicking on links, so instead, I have copied and pasted it here for you.  I have identified myself and most of the members of my family.  Can you?

Today, when the idea of temperamental differences has been explored in depth in relation to work and to social relationships, the classical understanding of the topic is seldom a consideration. (In fact, many would say that modern psychology has discounted the concept that was prevalent in the Middle Ages.) The four temperaments will be considered here in their classical sense, which is markedly different from the popular version, and, also in accord with the medieval approach, generally in relation to spirituality.

Though many treatments of temperament by the great scholars were based on the relation between temperament and the religious (that is, monastic) life, the concept also infiltrated the understanding of those not of a scholarly bent. Chaucer's pilgrims, for example, make reference to the idea in their tales. No one would discount that temperament, which greatly influences one's perceptions and reactions, can vary extensively amongst individuals. However, contrary to some popular thought, recognition of this (again in a religious sense) is in no way a justification for faults or a sign of predisposition to virtue - therefore an excuse for those who have the first or have little inclination towards the latter!

It is only within the past few centuries that religious thought, sadly, has often declined into a combined sense of a Creator (who more or less set the universe in motion then left it on its own), and of a sense of morality based on social needs alone. Until then, this life was seen as a preparation for unity with God in eternity, and moral concepts based on pleasing God through following the precepts He had revealed. We must understand this idea to grasp that the practise of virtue and avoidance of sin had deeper dimensions than many would realise today. One's temperament, rather than being reduced to an indicator of one's potential for success in business or the likelihood of being popular, was to be considered in the light of predisposition to a certain approach. This knowledge would allow one to not only understand others (which has never been an easy task!), but to use one's natural strengths and weaknesses in order to grow in virtue and avoid pitfalls to union with God.

The concept of temperament, incidentally, has nothing to do with divination. It merely recognises basic differences that influence one's approach to life and spirituality. Our medieval friends believed that one's temperament was determined by the "humours" in one's system (bile, blood, and so forth), but, if this notion can be discounted, the basic premise of temperament and spirituality remains valid.

A dear friend of mine had an excellent way of expressing the differences between the temperaments that I shall quote here. The basic difference between each is the amount of time it takes one to react and the duration of the resultant reaction. The sanguine reaction will be quick but brief, the phlegmatic's long and brief, the choleric's quick and enduring, and the melancholic's lengthy and permanent. This simple definition has more relevance than appears at first glance.

The idea of the four temperaments existed for over a millennium before the Middle Ages. Though I do not know exactly how the ideas became a part of popular medieval thought, the scholars had reached a point, long in coming, where seeing the merit in the philosophy of pre-Christian Rome and Greece was no longer seen as at odds with Christianity. (In the earlier Christian period, the pagan writers were viewed as knowing no truth, since Truth was the One God, and their works were seen as intrinsically dangerous.)

It actually was Hippocrates who divided humanity into four basic temperaments, around the year 450 BC. Hippocrates saw the root of one's temperament as being derived from the humours dominant in the body: blood (sanguine), bile from the liver (choleric), phlegm (phlegmatic), and bile from the kidneys (melancholic). A corresponding view, popular amongst the ancient astrologers and philosophers, would class individuals according to the elements of the natural order: respectively, air, fire, water, and earth.

It was for the medieval period, when Christianity was predominant in the West rather than the infant faith of a persecuted minority, to connect Christian spirituality with the idea of temperament. This undoubtedly was not the reason that it was a part of popular thought - since most of our medieval friends were hardly of a philosophical bent, if indeed they knew how to read - but does, once again, illustrate how homely and simple adaptations of the theological and philosophical speculation of the day infiltrated the common man's perception.

Sanguine
I personally believe that the sanguine temperament is the most common. Today, they would be prized for their extroverted and seemingly "happy go lucky" approach, but their lack of depth can be a weakness in spirituality.

Interestingly, these apparent free spirits often are most obedient in practise, because fitting in as part of a group is most important to them. They need the approval and attention of others (in fact, a spotlight often will suit them just fine), and not only enjoy the company (and security) of a group setting but seem to derive their energy from such interaction. Their general amiability makes theirs perhaps the most attractive of temperaments, but, in serious situation, it can be enigmatic.
Those of sanguine temperament, obedient and adaptable though they will seem in, for example, religious life, do not base their behaviour (or their apparent conformity to rules) on deep concepts or high ideals. They will go along with the popular ideas, and can appear, to those of a more philosophical bent, as lacking integrity. Indeed, if what is presented as true or desirable in January is totally changed by March, the sanguine not only will parrot the latter views without regard for the apparent contradiction, but will be unlikely to realise such discrepancies exist.

The sanguine is not seeking truth - he is looking for acceptance, and that he is likely to find, because, even if he becomes involved with a cause or a controversial matter, he will bend with the group's tendencies. Spiritual growth, for the sanguine, will depend on strong support from sources other than himself. The sanguine saints invariably will have had supportive and wise direction, and often will have been involved with a group of some sort that sought high ideals.

At first glance, the sanguine appear to be the most friendly of people, and, indeed, they are the most at ease in social situations. Nonetheless, they remain blind to the effect their actions or decisions may have on others. Being peripheral in their relationships, they seldom are the ones who can offer strength and support to others - they are unreliable, not through callousness, but because of their lack of depth. It would be a sanguine sort who would be puzzled by how others could revolt at injustice - and their response well may be something like "but the rest of the village had to do it, too."

On the positive side, those of sanguine temperament can have a simple, childlike faith that will appeal to those they serve, where the profound approach of some others can cause uneasiness. They will have gratitude to God for whatever blessings they know. With guidance from others with deeper roots, they can develop greatly, keeping in mind that they, when left alone, can be "like the wind." If their desire for obedience sometimes is a cloak for an unwillingness to accept responsibility, it remains that such responsibility may not be best in the hands of those who cannot see the impact their decisions could have on those in their charge.

They are likely to be faithful to any state of life they embrace, and, whether in married life or the monastery, are likely to have a pleasant home atmosphere, and a delight in the simple things of life that can be very positive for others. If they lack the depth and drive that some other temperaments possess, they are nonetheless spared the tumult and pain that is its invariable companion.

Phlegmatic
The phlegmatic lack the sparkle of the sanguine, but are also quite adaptable - and will not be likely to "rock the boat", neither through the zeal of the choleric and melancholic, nor unwittingly as with the sanguine. Frequently (as in the case of the great theologian Aquinas, who is often thought to have been of this temperament), they can be extraordinary scholars. Those intellectually gifted have the unique ability to be something approaching purely cognitive. Neither passion nor the need for attention will cloud their judgement and speculation.

To refer, for a moment, to Thomas Aquinas, anyone who has read his Summa will know that he methodically examined many disputed points of theology, presenting theoretical objections, then arguing the opposite. The phlegmatic will have this direct and rather scientific approach, as did the Thomas who believed that the pursuit of any academic discipline would ultimately lead to contemplation. The very lack of passion inherent in the phlegmatic, which can appear to be indifference in relationships with others, will keep their intellectual vision from becoming clouded.

The phlegmatic have a degree of detachment that makes for great minds, but does not foster warm relationships. They will be unlikely to offend others, and equally unlikely to fall into the trap of judging, but will leave the others with a sense of indifference. Where the sanguine role is largely pastoral, with active involvement with others (even if in the confines of a monastery), the phlegmatic is the translator, writer, scientist - and, quite possibly, creator of illuminated manuscripts.

Those of phlegmatic temperament are likely to be stabilizing forces in any group situation. They will have a sense of duty and responsibility that will be a strong influence on their actions and decisions. Different though they are from the sanguine, they, too, need positive influences from the authority figures or groups with which they associate themselves. Where the sanguine is a conformist for the sake of acceptance, the equally obedient phlegmatic will be so from a sense of obligation and respect for tradition and the status quo. This can be a problem if the idea of custom, tradition, and so on is false, because they will not question those in authority (true or usurped).

If you will excuse a brief foray into the present, I wish to refer to a situation with which many will be able to identify. It is an apt illustration of how differences in temperament can cause problems in understanding. During the 1960s and beyond, many within the Catholic churches felt confused, abandoned, even betrayed when the clergy and religious with whom they were acquainted drastically changed their "lifestyles", and often promoted ways of approaching religious practise that seemed to totally contradict what they themselves had encouraged but a short time before. Without touching upon far more serious considerations, unrelated to this topic, we can see how much of the sense of betrayal came from temperamental differences.

Not only in the Middle Ages but for centuries beyond, it is a fair assumption that those encouraged to enter the priesthood or religious life would most often be of sanguine or phlegmatic temperament. (And not only because the sanguine temperament is probably most prevalent in the population.) With obedience generally seen as the essential core of religious life, it follows that those who are likely to conform, and not to threaten the stability of the group thinking, would have been the most likely candidates for such a life. If the group thinking changed, the sanguine would conform without seeing any contradiction (their own practise, in any case, was never based on deep convictions), and the phlegmatic, with the unemotional and detached approach, would be unlikely to be stirred to any conflict.

It would be for the melancholic and choleric temperaments to perceive a lack of integrity or betrayal. Their depth makes their religious ideals based on multi-dimensional, often lofty concepts - and it is for them to be constantly puzzled at the seeming lack of strength on the part of those of another sort.

Choleric
Many of those venerated as the greatest saints were of either choleric or melancholic disposition. Not, of course, because those of any particular temperament are pre-disposed towards sanctity (such is not the human condition!), but because their depth and intensity made them more likely to have the militant (in the best sense) approach that makes for the founders, heroes, and zealots. Naturally, this proverbial two-edged sword also gives those with these temperaments the potential for a lengthy drop if they should fall!

The choleric's strength is zeal, his weakness anger. How he channels his great personal conviction and power will be key to his spiritual life. The choleric approach is never in half measure, and what he embraces as most important in his life can make him the greatest of saints or the most picturesque of sinners. (By contrast, if the sanguine and phlegmatic lack passion, their "falls" are likely to be small.)

The choleric well may be the leader of an army (religious Order, diocese, pontificate), and the ideals he champions will be based on a recognition of higher goals than some others can understand. Indeed, such excesses in religious practise as the Middle Ages had to offer, such as the burning of heretics, often showed choleric zeal. Those who championed such approaches would have seen heresy as what condemned a man to eternal fire - a crime greater, therefore, than depriving a man of any earthly good (even life in this world.) Without denying that others involved in such affairs had political goals at heart (this, again, characteristic of the powerful choleric), and certainly without condoning their actions, one can admit that the sincere inquisitor, whose mind was focused on eternity and who saw the threat of persecution as likely to prompt the sinner to repentance and to eliminate the teaching of falsehood that would lead many other than the preacher to the error that was a path to hell, would have seen his actions as just and charitable.

Then as now, the choleric are likely to be what we today would term "achievers." However, this does not apply only in the limited sense of "success" that is common in this century, because those in the Middle Ages had an awareness of God and their own eternal destinies that seldom enters the modern mind. The choleric whose focus is religious will base his actions on supporting divine revelation, virtue, the power of the Church, and the like, not merely on personal gain. (It is unfortunate that his prudence may not equal his dedication.) Those involved in the political or military arenas (and recall that, during the medieval period, these were equally Church concerns) will have concepts of "God and country" that are enduring and profound. 
Many a choleric has earned glory, but personal acclaim is never his sole concern.

Nor is the influence of the choleric confined to the battlefield and senate! I believe that Francis of Assisi, gentleman and pacifist, was clearly a choleric. No one sought glory less, in fact, he thought himself a worm. But his dedication was total, and, once he realised what the divine call was for his life and that of his friars, nothing could cause him to deviate from that goal. Thus, we must not view the choleric merely as the "general." The same saint who was capable of enormous tenderness, and who'd bathe the wounds of the poor leper, was inclined towards tart reproaches to anyone who compromised the friars' form of life or the truths of the faith.

If a choleric "goes astray", it will be from bitterness and anger, though his principles generally remain unshaken. He is apt to lose patience with those who lack his depth, and to judge as "lukewarm" the adaptable (and often peripheral) possessors of other temperamental inclinations. Whatever he is and believes is totally genuine, however it may be distorted by misplaced zeal at times. His bitterness would be born of seeing manoeuvring and manipulation that, as it were, answers to no higher authority.
Trust in divine providence is critical for the choleric - and, as with the melancholic, difficult to develop. He also can find that he is as likely to intimidate others as he is to inspire them. The choleric's puzzlement at others' lack of depth can grow to disgust, and, too often, he who is most likely to champion the causes from which others will benefit can find himself quite alone.

Melancholic
I once heard the melancholic described as the temperament that longs for heaven so that life on this earth always will be a disappointment, and I believe that tag is apt. The depth and dedication of the melancholic will meet or exceed that of the choleric, but his natural caution and slowness to embrace new courses of action can leave him with a sense of having no way to channel his profound ideals.

The melancholic will base his action on concepts often so lofty that those of other temperaments will be beyond comprehending the motivation. His relationship with God will have the intensity and devotion of a love affair, but his reactions themselves, not only his ideals, will be of such duration that he will lack resilience when his extremely deep feelings meet with great resistance. The idealism of the melancholic, so centred in an awareness of divine power, makes him the likely target for the devious. However great his intelligence, the melancholic can be prey because if, for example, he encounters deceit when he himself is focused on truth and honesty, it will not occur to him that others do not have similar ideals.

Our melancholic friends who walk the spiritual path will have a recognition of love for God and neighbour that will be equally enlightening and frustrating. It is likely to be based on a strong idea of divine perfection - and a difficulty in accepting that no human efforts (however assisted by divine grace) can match that standard.
The melancholic who is devout will be inclined to seek a high degree of virtue, because union with God will be an overwhelming focus, and it will indeed be God alone that he seeks to please. Even his frequent devotion to the service of others will be focused on ultimately pleasing the God towards whom his devotion is passionate. But those he serves will have an ability to hurt him to a degree perhaps surpassing those other temperamental types will experience.

The melancholic will not understand an approach to human interaction that is either peripheral or expedient. He will naturally assume that all human behaviour is based on his own consideration of lofty concepts. It may take years for a melancholic to develop any sort of closeness with those he meets, but, that done, he will be your most devoted friend or your worst enemy, and either will be "forever." Once harmed personally, exposed to grave injustice, or even seeing that, for example, those in authority have personal gain rather than the welfare of those they rule as their goals, his disillusionment will be strong and usually unshaken.

Contrary to what may appear at first glance, the melancholic actually has little use for rules, because he will see, soon enough, that they have little basis in concern for others in many cases. The structure he may have in his own life is as a means to a greater end that he perceives. The melancholic who founded a religious Order, for example, may well have composed a lengthy and detailed Rule of Life, that those whose focus is "pure and simple" obedience may fail to grasp is based on his concern that certain practises will be essential for the higher goal of spiritual growth.

Our profound choleric and melancholic friends, much as their temperaments may be respectively fire and ice, are likely to "leave their mark" to quite an extraordinary extent when presented with the opportunity. But if the choleric can find his downfall in anger, the melancholic's Achilles heel is despair.

The melancholic is hardly out of touch with reality, to borrow an all too commonly used term today. Rather, he is "so with it that he's beyond it." His reality is a blend of that of the world and, if you will, that of heaven. He knows that the union for which he longs cannot be fully attained in this life. Thus, this temperament can both inflame the mystic and, if trust and prudence are not developed with God's help, reduce the idealist to ash.

The greatest error, today, is to believe that those of one temperament should seek to develop the characteristics of another. The true challenge is to accept the beauty of one's own nature, and rely on divine providence to assist one in emphasizing one's unique inclinations towards virtue and keep one from the dangers towards which one's weaknesses would make one inclined. Divine power (and generosity) is boundless - and our free will (Skinner aside!) can respond if we have but the humility (truth) to ask for His assistance.



...And, of course, if the awareness of temperament keeps those of one temperament from total irritation with those of another, that, too, has its uses!




Now, I personally think that many people, on reading this, take it too much to heart, treating it like the Bible and thus make it some kind of religion.  If you want to take notes while reading it, fine, for jotting down the basics helps me remember which is which, but don't be constantly referring to them and placing people in their categories.  Let it suffice to know that they are what they are and that's that.  It has helped me comprehend what I like and don't like about other people, and understanding that has actually helped me set that aside.  What do you think?  Did you like the article?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Learning to be Like Your Favorite Characters* series explained

 *Note: The name of this series has been changed to 'Supplementing Your Summer'  The following still applies in so far as we will be examining our favorite characters (7/5/12)

First, if you haven't already read it, you should reference http://magicinkanddreams.blogspot.com/2012/06/scots-elves-rangers-oh-my.html.

What is it that I am trying to accomplish exactly?  I am not sure, and I do realize that sounds illogical (my new favorite word).  My mind is saying that I am trying to further develop virtues and good habits in my personality.  My heart, however, is telling me that I am actually trying to be those characters.  This is partially true, and when I am so suddenly fascinated and captivated by them, is it all that surprising?

The truth is, this began when I realized that I haven't been all that I should be lately.  Part of the reason for that is evident by my urgent desire to simply put my head down and close my eyes only a few hours after getting up this morning.  I am tired beyond a reasonable capacity at this point.  Everything I think is fuzzy, everything I do is slurred, and I can't even see clearly across my bedroom anymore (I knew I was nearsighted, but not that much!).  But this is all irrelevant.

I have had past experience emulating people I admire, and I find that, over time, I have been quite successful in ways that I did not expect.  In trying to be more like someone else, I have found myself more deeply.  Mainly, that is because I seem to be incapable of literally being someone else for long periods of time, thank the Lord, and only capable of applying their perspective of life to the incidents in my own life.

This way of approaching life has encouraged my view of my life as a fairytale, but I have come to the conclusion that life does not come that way.  You are a heroine (or hero) only if you want to be.  In many of the pieces of literature I was assigned in high school (was! how weird a feeling), there was a focus on the difference between the protagonist, the antagonist, and the "common man" (for a prime example, read 'A Man for All Seasons').  You can be Saint Thomas, you can be someone like Cromwell or the King, or you can be any one of the numerous people who stood by and watched as life's opportunities passed them by (by opportunities, I mean chances to change history forever and be a hero, not chances to make lots of money and be famous).

You may imagine how excited I get when I begin to pretend to be a fantasy character.  Yes, I see that is what I am doing, pretending.  Perhaps you do not think that is healthy, but it has made me who I am.  It has fueled my interests, made me a stronger person, helped me be more determined in achieving my goals, and I now value many unconventional things because of my wish to be like people I look up to.

I think that is normal.  Do children not imitate their parents?  The fact that I have a melancholic temperament and I connect on a deeper level with characters that are quieter and more reserved, and want to be like them, is just part of a natural process.  My personality sees a deeper, fuller manifestation of itself in others and, in quite a natural and blameless way, wants to be like that.

Do you understand?

Because I am melancholic (and I use the term not, as some do, like a religion but rather to explain my personality to you), I admire characters like Samwise and Frodo, Captain Kirk, and women who plow the way for future generations of women, but I don't have any desire to mature to their level.  I connect with characters like Aragorn, Spock, and the little nun who does things in the background.  I understand where they are coming from.  I could be a leader, and often am because of my place in life, but I prefer to support the leader.  I've got your back.  (A very logical feminine trait, don't you think?)

Being a fanatic about something, especially someone, can be very dangerous, as we have seen, and trying to be just like them is often a problem.  But do you see why it isn't in my case?  First of all, I can, albeit sadly, distinguish the character from the celebrity.  There was one case, only a couple years ago, when I suddenly became attracted to Adam Lambert because of one of his songs.  My actions were suddenly fueled on passion and, well, everything that screams Adam Lambert (or rather, everything that Adam Lambert screams).  Although I was on the brink of making some poor decisions based on my fascination with him, it was not long before I came out of it, and I have learned to be a little more outgoing and confident because of it, but as you can see, I am not an identity-confused punk.  I came out alive, praise be to God.  Because I have a good home and upbringing, my idols, up until that point, were safe and moral people.  As long as you pick virtuous characters and are aware that everyone has their flaws, I think that developing like characteristics is a good thing.

Can you imagine any bad effects of trying to be more like Aragorn in your own life?  Yes.  You could try to carry around knives and swords, dress in strange clothing, abandon everyone who holds you dear, and go for weeks without a proper bath.  (Did anyone besides me think of the era of the hippies?  No offense to hippies meant.)  Obviously, applying "Aragorn" to your life does not mean apply your life to Aragorn.  You are not trying to bring him to life again so he can live in your world.  You are trying to bring his values to your life.  It is the same as a role model such as a Confirmation sponsor, parent, friend, or saint.  Do you think novels are purely for entertainment purposes?  For moral lessons?  I think they speak deeper than that, should teach us something about ourselves, and if they don't, they are rarely worth the time.

I have a few more boring posts in this series to publish which mostly continue the subject of posture so that you and I can acquire a more formidable appearance.  (After all, does your favorite character slouch?!)  After that, I intend to focus mainly on dissecting characters and doing fun things with the insights we discover.  Being who I am, I will probably focus on aforesaid characters but I will try to keep the topics broad.  I might cover anything from picking one main characteristic to work on to skills like archery or herbology.  There will be a general fantasy theme, however.

Whether you are an Aragorn or a Sam, a Luke or a Han, Blanche or a Rose, I think this will be an interesting experience.

~Meggy

(none of the photos are mine)

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Life

I realized earlier today that I have, without much sentiment, moved on to the college phase.  When I began to considerate my position logically, it was strange that I wasn't facing another year of high school, or even another year of "regular" school.  Next year, I am going to college, and it is ten hours away from home and I have chosen to go on studying.

It was an odd sensation.  Suddenly, it dawned on me that I did not have to go to college.  I had never fully considered the possibility, and in recent years, I have been a firm advocate of the value of education.  Certainly, until recently, I thought I wanted to be a teacher, and although I looked into options outside of a college degree, it only made sense to go to college.  And the most logical thing to do in order for my current interests is to go to college, so far as I can see.  Yet, for the first time in a long time, learning... is completely an option.

And what is four years of college?  It only took four years to get through high school, and I have lived four cycles of four years.  I don't know what to do with my life, but hopefully, at the end of four years, with career counseling, I will have a career option before me.  And then....

But it is so strange not to be picking courses with my parents, planning how early I'm going to start this year, and looking forward to getting the boxes in the mail full of crisp and heavenly-smelling tomes of knowledge.  All the power has been stripped from me, and now, not only will I be interacting with a race called humans, I will be sleeping with members of their race that I don't know.  And I am such a home-bound person that my home and family are my life.  Yet I am willing - nay, compelled to travel a day's journey across my continent.  Why didn't I chose the local college, the community college, or even the private college only a few hours hours away?  Strange, is it not?

It is not so strange when one considers that my top criteria for my college included a strong and safe Catholic community.  Anyway, God provides.  One of my most recent concerns, stemming from my experience at University Day, was rooming with someone who, no pride present, was below me in maturity.  However, I was placed together with a transferring sophomore, and it seems, though it is really too early to say definitely, like we could get along well in one room together.  But I am very quiet in the morning - slow, sluggish.  Although I am very much awake most mornings and even at my most productive, my capacity to interact with other people before nine, at the earliest, leaves much to be desired.

So why, in the name of all things red ripe tomato, am I moving to a place ten hours from home to study something when I do not even want a career but a family of my own?!?!

Well, one good thing - I have shared a room for several years now, more than it feels like.  A bigger room, granted, but I've seen the rooms in the dormitories, and I have been assigned to one that is newer.

My sister is now contemplating not going to college.  If I know my sister - and I know my sister - she will probably come to the same conclusion I have and go to college to learn something at levels that no one around here can teach her.  But if I know my sister - and I know my sister - she may also go the totally unconventional routes and skip college.  She, like me, does not have much interest in a career, but rather is interested in having a family I think, and she is already totally devoted to her love of writing novels.

So, this is a rather long post just to put down in writing that I felt a strange feeling as I realized that school as I knew it is officially over.  That graduation ceremony in Virginia was not enough to signify this change of events, not by a long shot.  Granted, it was a long ride, expensive, my father did not make us bring the camper as he threatened, I got a diploma and there was even a prom, and I came back with a lingering and recurring pinch in my shoulder, but it was all too easy and done.  It was such a little thing for the end and beginning of my life.

Every time I see someone, they ask me if I have begun packing yet.  Heh, I'm like no - buzz off.  They act like I should be ready to go, on call, waiting for a pager to call me at any time to go off to college.  SWEET BABY CARROTS, IT'S ONLY JUNE!!!  Gimme a break.  I've got tons of money in my pockets and very little that needs actual buying.  Mostly, I just need to collect stuff together, and I'm very efficient in that regard - I see no urgent need to start now.

Uh.......  Again, a "rather long post just to put down in writing that I felt a strange feeling as I realized that school as I knew it is officially over."

You were able to follow my ramblings?  Interesting.

~Meggy

Supplementing Your Summer: Walking and Running



In this field, as in any field, I am not an expert.  In fact, of all the topics I've covered, I probably know less about this one than to I do about any of the others.

Some tips for walking from my own experience:

Start by just standing - and remember to stand tall.  Now, if you're like a great deal of the population, you stand on your heels.  But maybe you don't if you're a dancer or you've practiced "walking on the balls of your feet."  Feel where your weight is while you're standing.  Put your hand on something to make sure you don't lose your balance (although that's something you should work on), and lift the balls of your feet.  If you can do that without rocking the rest of your body backwards, then you probably stand on your heels.

Go stand in front of a mirror and stand tall (as always) with your feet straight and slightly apart.  Look at your full profile.  You look straight, right?  From head to toe.  But now lean forward (right from the ankle, don't bend at the waist) until you're about to fall over (notice that the weight has left your heels).  Now lean back - but not all the way!  Just until your heels are resting on the floor and are supporting you, but you aren't leaning on them.  All the weight should still be in the balls of your feet.  If you were to go from "heel standing" right to "ball standing", the difference would be about an inch really - but it feels like a lot more.  If you look back in the mirror, you're still straight!


From what I can tell, this takes the brunt of your weight out of your lower back, knees, and calves, and into your thighs.

Now start walking with this stance in mind.  It gives you a kind of forward propulsion.  By now, you should be walking with amazing grace - so to speak.

Actually, if you read the following article on About.com about running, it gives you great tips even for walking!

I should mention that when articles such as this say not to tuck your pelvis or to "keep it neutral", they don't mean to ignore it.  Quite the contrary.  It's one thing to jam your hips by tucking it under or to let it stick out in back, and quite another to hold it under you (mainly with your abdomen).


Keep Arms at Your Side

Avoid side-to-side arm swinging. If your arms cross over your chest, you're more likely to slouch, which means you're not breathing efficiently. Imagine a vertical line splitting your body in half -- your hands should not cross it. Video - Proper Running Form: Watch this video to see what your running form should look like.

(Click on any part of the above article to be redirected to it)

So there you go - some great tips, eh?

If you have any further tips or need my to clarify something, just comment!

Next we'll discuss sitting down....
~Meggy


What's this?

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Famous Women of Films Week

Famous Women of Films Week is going on at The Golden Road and I have been tagged to answer some questions.  This will be really difficult since I am not really a "favorites" person.



1. What was the first "old movie" that you can remember watching?
Well, I'm sure I had watched others first, but the first one I can remember is 'Singing in the Rain' (excepting Christmas movies).

2. Out of the Famous Women mentioned this week, who is your favorite singer?
This is a tough one since there are a few singers I like but I haven't heard much of their work.  Besides that, each singer is a little different.  If you asked me if Jane Powell or Kathryn Grayson, it would be a little easier.  But I think I have to say Jane Powell is my favorite singer.

3. Out of the Famous Women mentioned this week, who is your favorite dancer?
No second guesses - Vera Ellen

4. Out of the Famous Women mentioned this week, who is your favorite actress?
Of the ones I know well, I have to say Jane Powell again.

5. What is your favorite "old movie"?  Why?
 It could be 'Hit the Deck', because it has Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, and Jane Powell, as well as three great actors, and lots of fun music.  But then, I really like 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game', which doesn't star any of these women.

6. Who is your utmost favorite Famous Woman of Films Week?  Why?
I'm going to say Jane Powell.  Out of all of them, I have seen the most of her and I think she is very good.  Although I have also seen much of Ann Miller and Vera Ellen, am not as impressed with their overall performance as with Jane Powell's.

7.  Do you watch a lot of "old movies" starring many of these Famous Women or do you have different tastes?  If so, please share your interests!
Yes, I do.  I have watched a lot of Jane Powell's earlier films, many of Donald O'Connor's early work, and have finally figured out what Frank Sinatra was such a heartthrob.  Gene Kelly is also very talented, but they comes a point where you feel like he should be in a ballet on the stage instead of in the movies.  And there is so much more....  Go to my movie review page.  I don't have a whole lot up yet, but you can get the general feel for what I like there.  Also, look at the videos I put in my posts!

8. Were you introduced to any new actresses by Famous Women of Films Week?  If so, which one(s)?
 Yes, I don't believe I've heard of Ann Reinking and I'm afraid I haven't seen 'Annie'.  So if I've seen her in something else, I missed it!




Alright, so here are the rules:


1. Answer the questions provided in a blog post.
2. Mention the person who tagged you with a link to their blog.
3. Tag three other people and let them know you have tagged them!



Trying to be insightful as to who would be interested in this, I tag:
Rosamund Gregory - A Wanderer In the Shadowed Land/Shoes of Paper Stockings of Buttermilk 
Emily - Meaningful Words 
WinterRose - Soaring Sigh 

I apologize if this is a terrible inconvenience to you all, but! that's how it is when you have a blog
~Meggy


 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Supplementing Your Summer: Just breathe

 


Okay, so breathing is definitely important.  Not only is it part of what is keeping you alive, it can also consume a lot of the energy that it helps create.  Here's an exercise.  Lie down and feel yourself breathe for awhile.  Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.  You feel that?  Now stand up again, and voila!  Your breathing is back in your chest.

Well, ideally, you should be breathing from your belly.  How do you do this?  If you're a singer, you can basically skip this part.  Some athletes might already know this too.  It was important to first learn good posture because, chances are, if you're standing up tall, your ribs are wide open.  Try standing up tall with your shoulders back so that your arms match the seams on your clothes.  Now put your hands on your ribs and pull your shoulders up as high as they'll go.  Do you feel how your ribs expand.  Now drop your arms and see if you can "close" your ribcage, as in try to make it as small as you can (you may find your abdominal muscles engaging).  Well, for breathing purposes, it'd be pretty hard to keep your ribs as wide as they are when your shoulders are up, but you don't want your ribcage to be closed for effective breathing.

Try to expand your ribs without using a huge gasp of air to do so.  (Remember, your back should be straight, your shoulders back, and your chest up.)  Now start breathing without moving your ribs in and out or your chest up and down.  Lie down again if you need to get the feel for breathing in your belly.

Again, this is something that is going to take time getting used to.  But say you take a long car ride - practice!  What better time?  You're not doing much else!


If you have any further tips or need me to clarify something, just comment!

Next we'll take about walking and running
~Meggy


What's this? 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Victoria (18)

    Aritka shifted the dozing child in her arms.  “What am I to do with the child when we get to the city?” she asked, as he led the way onward.  “I know you would not be able to sell me if I was seen with a child.”
    The black rider turned and looked into her eyes.  “You resent me,” he said simply.
    “Yes,” said she, “greatly.”
    “Let me ask,” he said, pausing in their journey to discuss.  “When the men of your village brought girls from elsewhere, did you resent your people?”
    “No,” she said.  He might have continued, but she added, “No, let me finish.  I did not resent my own people because my pride in my people blinded me.  I was foolish – I admit that.  I never thought on the issue before.  When I was young, I resented it when I saw my kinswomen taken by other tribes, but I thought not on the women my own people abducted.  I know that now.”
    “Then you have become wiser,” he said, striding forward.
    She followed.  “No, I have become more knowledgeable,” she said, “of my own foolishness.”
    “It is true that wisdom does not always accompany knowledge,” said the black rider, “but I believe it does knowledge of this kind.”




To Be Continued....

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Supplementing Your Summer: Scotsman

If you're interested in perfecting your Scottish accent:



How to Have a Scottish Accent (completely safe YouTube video)



Okay, but the following are just funny videos of British people trying to be American.

 

I think I heard a mild swear in this one

~Meggy

Friday, June 22, 2012

Scots, Elves, Rangers, oh my!


(There is a song at the bottom if you'd
like to listen while you read)


Okay, everyone, 'Brave' is out today!  I'm going to see it tomorrow with my family.  Everyone I know is looking forward to this great movie!

As you may know, although I don't talk about it often, I have a real respect for characters and creatures that are wise, quiet, and wise.  Oh, wait, I said wise twice.  Well, that's because they're twice as wise as they are are quiet.  My romantic sense also loves adventure because of all the fairytales and fantasies I've read.  My admiration includes elves, rangers, Vulcans, and now Scots!  Yep, and all thanks to Merida.  Oh, and it may have something to do with the fact that my mother is a descendant of the MacArthur clan.

Anyway, because I have such a passion and, if I may say so, a knack for emulating these sorts, I think that, in celebration of 'Brave', I will spend the next month or so working on the traits that characterize these folk.  Would you like to join me?

The first step is easy to single out, and even I, who have worked on it since I was a wee bairn, need to practice.  I'm not the first to point this out, and it's often top of the list when you read anything on "how to be an elf", but it is perhaps the most important thing!  We all know that elves and especially rangers, do not go around creating earthquakes.  Look at Legolas!  He was walking effortlessly on top of the snow!  Or was it effortlessly?  What are the chances that it takes effort, even for an elf, to do that?

Anyway, first step is to learn how to put your weight on your feet.  Some people will tell you to walk on the ball of your feet, and that's good advice but let me clarify.  You aren't walking on tip-toe.  Your heel hits the ground but it's like instantly transferring the weight from your heel to your toes.  But perhaps you should first learn how to hold the rest of your body.  This article on how to stand like a ballet dancer will help you get started:

One of the first things a ballerina learns is how to properly hold her body. One of the distinguishing factors of a ballet dancer is outstanding posture, while dancing or not. You can find your center of balance by imagining a straight line running through your spine. In order to achieve the proper stance, ballet dancers must practice every day. In the beginning, you may find it helpful to lightly hold a barre for balance. The following steps will help you stand like a ballerina.
Time Required: A few minutes each day

Here's How:

  1. Stand with feet in first position, heels touching and feet turned out, with knees straight.
  2. Pull in the muscles in your tummy.
  3. Tighten the muscles in your bottom and flatten your back.
  4. Pull up the muscles in your legs.
  5. Widen the shoulders, pushing them down and back.
  6. Hold the arms down in front of the body, with elbows slightly bent and hands soft.
  7. Lift the chin, lengthening the neck.
  8. Breathe deeply and relax.

Tips:

  1. Keep your shoulders down and open.
  2. Look up and out, never down at your feet.
  3. Glance in a mirror to check your posture.

(Obviously, this is how a ballet dancer should learn to stand in "first position" and so some of the tips will be unnecessary for your purposes, but it actually will give you a good idea of how controlled ballet dancers keep their bodies, and will help you get the feeling of how to hold yourself.  It will also tone your abdomen and glutes.)

Ideally, what you should be thinking about is lifting yourself off the floor, right from the top of your head.  Yes, this is going to be hard at first, probably harder than you think.  It takes an incredible amount of energy to keep your back straight for long periods of time, but if you keep practicing, you'll get stronger.  A good goal is to stay perfectly straight all through dinner - even if you thought you were sitting up straight, you probably weren't!  This article is great but is too long for me to post here (you don't have to worry about seeing or reading anything on this site).

Kitty may actually have the best posture -what do you think?



 Okay, that'll do for now.  The main points to remember are to walk like you're floating on air, to keep your back straight and tall, and to tuck "under" your lower back (sit down and sit tall, then tuck your pelvis under and try to make your back as flat as possible- see how the pressure sifts?)


If you have any further tips or if you need me to clarify anything, just comment!

Next will be breathing, because it is quite related to posture actually
~Meggy

 

http://disney.go.com/brave/index.html#/videos/ferguselinor/

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Smart - Maxwell Smart


I will grant 'Get Smart''s critics that the show changed for the worse in the fourth season, but I will say that Max and 99 are an adorable couple, and some of the original gags and slapstick from the first season come back in the fourth season.  It also gets a little sleazier.  Now, this show is not the most brilliant or clever, I grant you, but for some reason, I just love it - except for the laugh track, which is just awful.


So, any 'Get Smart' fans besides me?



Unfortunately, this video skips the best part 
(if you have seen certain funny movies)


~Meggy

Monday, June 18, 2012

Fathers are Courageous and Brave

Happy Father's Day everyone, especially fathers.  I know my own father is pretty cool.


Cute, isn't it?  And I didn't post the one for mothers so if you haven't seen it, you've got to see it - and show it to your mom.


There's a great Christian film out about fathers, if you haven't seen it.  I guess it would have been nice to let you know about it before father's day, but it's never too late to get your father something.


Okay, so we all know that summer starts on Wednesday, right?  Excited?  You should be.  In my area, it'll be the hottest day so far.

Do we all know that Brave comes out on Friday?  YAY!  At least where I live, Pixar's new film 'Brave' comes to theaters on the 22nd.  If you're not totally excited about it, you should be.  The more of the trailers and promos I see, the more I'm absolutely sure.  I won't post all the vids here because I know you wont watch them, but I encourage you to go to YouTube with your family and watch as many of the 'Brave' videos as you can stand.  You will be reassured that this will be Pixar's best film yet!

Is it just me, or does that bird in the background remind you of
Sleeping Beauty?

~Meggy

Monday, June 11, 2012

Monthly Movie Monday

Do you know how long it has been since the last Monthly Movie Monday?  Yeah, April!  Now, I think there was only one or two that anyone participated on, but, hey, it's a Monday - let's do it, eh?

Be the first to identify the following lines and you win!
(Prize to be determined at a later date.)

 Ah, how shall I do it? Oh, I know. I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless, little flea, and then I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives...
[
laughs]
...I'll smash it with a hammer! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! Genius, I say!

..........
Or, to save on postage, I'll just poison him with this. 



Good luck!
~Meggy

My Temperament

(There are more songs at the end of this post if you are interested in listening to them while you read.)

A while ago - gosh, it's probably been longer than it feels like - the subject of temperaments came up but briefly.  In the comments I revealed that my temperament is melancholic, and perhaps my temperament is part of the reason for the past several days.  If you've been following me closely, you've probably noticed my change of attitude.

Well, I'm glad to say that today is the first day that I've felt that it's really under control.  And I don't know what it is exactly, because it's not like the usual depression that I struggle with from time to time.  It's almost like... like a... spiritual plummet.  It's nothing I can seem to control, and it's nothing that seems to have a common denominator except perhaps first an illusion of a spiritual break through.  It's something that I tend to forget about until it comes back around, and it's only happened a few times in my life that I can remember.

It has nothing to do with life.  Life has been fine.  I'm tired and worn out beyond belief at times, but I went to the opera on Saturday night and came home later than ever - and I feel better than ever since!

So it doesn't make sense.  Sometimes I wonder if I have some kind of condition, like gluten intolerance or something....  But I just felt like crap, if you'll pardon the word.  In this state, I can't stand to think about myself, I can't stand to think about anyone else without judging them, I can't bear to think of anything inconvenient that might happen without wanting to collapse.  It doesn't really seem to affect my outward behavior too much, only my inner.  But my inner behavior is what comes out on the page.

So I apologize if my behavior seemed crude and immature.  The worst part of this thing, whatever it is, is that it sets back my inner thinking in maturity - or so it feels like.  But considering, maybe it has actually been an occasion of maturity, in the end.  My mind is slow, but good.  I've been much mellower, mentally speaking than I have been in ages.  And I feel like I'm on the road to repairing certain relationships.
So maybe it's only stress - who knows?  But it's wonderful to finally be out of it.



I just heard this song and, omgosh, Bing Crosby!  I knew you could sing low, but - someone grab the smelling salts! - that last note!  *swooning*  I have been swooning over every male voice lately when they perform some feat, like Rex Smith in 'The Pirates of Penzance' with his plea to the maidens, and 'Siesta' by Frank Sinatra, 'I Wouldn't Be a Man' by Josh Turner (listen to the way he just croaks out that note like a bull frog), and this here song sung here by Bing Crosby.  Bing Crosby is amazing, naturally, but go to the end and listen to that last blessed note - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yes, that's how we do this..................


Here are the other songs I mentioned if you want to listen to them:    (~Meggy)



If you haven't seen this music video and you're concerned that
it's sleazy or something, don't worry - he's singing about the
woman being with child.
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