Oh, computer geeks, how I envy thee....

*sigh*

I'm a little frustrated with my computer illiteracy.  In actuality, I'm not all that computer illiterate – I'm just not as "up-to-date" as many others are.  I haven't a clue when it comes to different kinds of phones or makes of laptops.  I've got stinkin' 10.6 on my plain ole MacBook, and I haven't altered the RAM or bought an extra hard drive.  I mean, heaven knows, I could stand to, the way I use my computer (although, the way I use my computer, I could stand to put it in a three-inch thick protective life vest), but I've only got this beat-up MacBook with the plain essentials.  And when I try updating stuff and changing settings and so on and so forth... I get easily befuddled and overly cautious.  I'm quite good with electronics, really, but my self-esteem is low in regards to them – especially because my resources are limited, and if I screw up big time, someone is going to have to help me fix it – at possibly great inconvenience to them.

Other than that, well, it's late and I'm tired and cold, and I want attention.  ...That's new.  Well, not really.  I've often wanted attention – that's what triggered my depression usually.  But before, I didn't have anyone to turn to.  Now I know lots of people.  But it's not possible, practical, or else not comfortable texting them and saying, "I need to do something.  Want to get together?"  The people I'm close enough to are studious.  Everyone else I don't know well enough to 1) ask; 2) ask at 10:30 at night.  Even if I just went to the JC and studied there, alone, I'd feel better than shut up in my room.  But I just took a shower and I'm not really presentable.  And it's late.  And I have to study and I recently realized there's a party in the JC tonight.  Wish I'd remembered that before I showered.

So those are my thoughts tonight as I sit alone here in my room.  Rather depressing thoughts.  But I'm not all that depressed – at least, not depressed as I know it.  Just... tired.  Worn.  Lonely.  Hungry; ravenous for more love.  And another box of Nerds isn't gonna do it....

I don't know if I've shown this before – but tough.  It's a pick-me-up song!

~Meggy

Una Mariah - what a lovely name

I've been awarded again – the "Artsy Award," which is funny, I think.  Am I really that artsy?  I suppose some would say so, but I had no idea it came through on my blog.

Anyway, I was awarded by the lovely Rose M. from The Golden Road.  You know the usual rules: if you're awarded, link back to your judge, answer the questions and then make some up for the next person, and award more people.  Because I know you're probably about to just scroll down to the bottom and find out if I awarded you (if you haven't already), when you get back, let me assure you that I do not obligate you with the responsibilities of said rules.  Although that defeats the object and takes all the fun out of it, I swear this award has come through me three times now – it's had its day and it may be time to move on.  As wonderful as it is to receive awards, when you begin to get the same reward more than once, it rather loses its charm.

So the five questions that Rose left for me are:

1. Ice cream or cookies?
2. Would you rather be sitting inside by a crackling fire, reading a good book, and sipping hot chocolate or outside in the dark, surrounded by friends, and playing a a night game of capture the flag?
3. Who is your favorite author?
4. Are you a Science/Math kind of person or English/History?
5. What is the most common phrase, quote, or saying that you use in everyday life?

Well, the first is surprisingly tough.  My first instinct is to say ice cream, because even when I've eaten way too much at dinner or if I'm feeling sick, ice cream is just the thing.  It really is.  My mother might declare it improbable, but I think all ice cream comes from a magic fairy's factory and is charmed to have healing qualities.  On the other hand, sometimes I want one of my famous peanut butter cookies, or a sugary tea cookie to dip in my tea or cocoa.  (By the way, I've been using cocoa instead of hot chocolate for some time now, but here at college, I feel like I get a funny look every time I use it.  I know that the last time I was in a diner in Virginia and I ordered cocoa, I got a Coke.  Maybe the word cocoa is even less popular here than back home?)

Anyway, I love crackling fires, books, and "hot chocolate".  All together, they make a great team.  And I think I'll have to choose that one; because as much as I like the dark, and friends, and games, they tend to stress me out after a good length of time.  I love sitting by a fire with a friend and just talking, especially when I get the sense that this friend is totally excepting of anything I have to say.

Ah!  The burning question!  Whenever someone finds out that I like to read, they ask, quite naturally, "Who's your favorite author?"  At that point, I blush and say shyly, "I know it sounds pathetic but I don't have one."  I used to be a big fan of Diana Wynne Jones, but her style began to rub me the wrong way.  It lacked eloquence, especially when read aloud.  I love C.S. Lewis, but I don't run out and try to read everything he's ever written.  I love Tolkien, but I haven't finished any of his works.  I haven't read G.K. Chesterton, but I've got an overwhelming sense that I should.
Edit: the true mark of a reader is not whether she has a favorite author but whether she smells the pages of her books  <3

Now, Science/Math or English/History.  I'm afraid I never was much interested in History.  Names and dates tend to get lost.  It's like reading a play without understanding how it would look when staged, confusing the characters and not understanding the time period.  But I almost majored in English.  Science has, for a long time, baffled me, but I've always been fascinated by how the world works.  For example, if you're on a skateboard and you jump, you'll land a foot or two ahead of where you took off.  But if you're standing and someone's skateboard comes rolling down the hill toward you, you land in the same spot, as the skateboard rolls on under you.  Or if you're sitting in a car, you seem to be essentially motionless, but you're actually moving 30mph.  And if the car screeches to a halt, you keep going until your seat belt catches you.  Isn't that incredible?  Physics.  As for Math, well, I wish I could understand numbers but I'm afraid it's a lot like learning Chinese.  ....And I have a feeling I'd be a lot better a learning Chinese than I am at learning Math.

Lately, "Tough" has been creeping back into my vocabulary – after a long hiatus.  I predict, however, that I may start using it in some rather inappropriate moments so it's got to go back to wherever it crept from.  "Like" has most annoyingly penetrated my vocab.  I'm not sure why, because I don't think anyone I hang out with uses it much, but suddenly I do.  I, like, have always found it, like, annoying when people, like, use it, like, pretty much every other, like, word.  It distracts from the point of the sentence and nullifies the legitimacy.  As for an actual saying: "You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I would more willingly part withal."

I think that should sufficiently answer those questions, although I'm sure you would have been content with three-word answers.  But where's the fun in that for me?

Mad Elvish Poet

Kathleen

Victoria

Rosamund Gregory

Una Mariah

I dub thee'all "Artsy".  Now go – out into the world to be so.  And while you're on your most holy quest, answer these five questions:

1. If you were offered a place in the quest to find the Holy Grail, would you go?
2. If you were offered a ride by a man in a blue box, would you accept?
3. If you found yourself on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, would you fly willingly through the cosmos?
4. If you saw Brego galloping in haste, would you follow him?
5. If you overheard someone say, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," would you run to the castle to save the prince?

And with that, I leave you one final warning, passed down through the ages, found on the last bit of scroll from the time of the wars:

Fritos × breakfast = not as good as it sounds

Good luck.

~Meggy

 

 

Intro...Extro

I am on Facebook these days, and I find myself checking it all the time.  I can't even access it on my phone and I still look at it all the time.  It's worse than email.  It's become a kind of addiction.  It's become exactly the thing I feared it would, which is why I avoided it so long.  Social networks are great, I don't dispute, and they prove useful; but they can be a real problem.

What I really feared – because it's the argument against social networking sites – is posting my "status" a lot.  I think that it can get really stupid sometimes.  Perhaps not for all people.  But if the general human population is like me, they share stuff online because they like to share.  We all like to share experiences with friends.  I guess that's why storytelling is such an ancient tradition.  But you hear all the time about men changing their status during the wedding ceremony and women sharing their blueberry yogurt.  That seems to reflect a pathetic experience of existence.

Not everybody is that bad, but what's to stop you from getting there?  Manners, I guess; a sense of time and place.  But when I'm sitting at my desk – theoretically studying – and I get bored, what's to stop me from just posting about that?  A sense of ridiculous?  ...Hopefully I still have that sense at 1 o'clock in the morning.

But the urge to do that stems from a need to feel less alone.  I want people, even if those people are really far away and I can only connect with them through colored pixels on my computer screen.  Not too long ago, impending human company weighted my heart with the tremendous pressure from many sides to be social and loveable by all.  Being ignored, although it was a half existence, left me in security and relief.  I didn't have to worry about what other people thought.  Now being left alone is the last thing I want.  I used to have strength in approaching difficulties alone – I was a rock, I was an island – now, I'd rather have a sympathetic friend along to back me up.

We've talked about this concept in one of my classes and how not loving saves us from pain.  I've tasted both cups, and it's true.  Isolation means a lot less speculation and tiptoeing.  But it also lacks happiness.  It means never jumping up and down, never knowing that there are people out there who would like to like you.  It means rarely getting compliments, taking those you get as a king would the praises from a peasant.  It sounds ugly, doesn't it?

I swear I'm not all that bad.  I try to be nice to everybody, and talkative.  I just can't be talkative.  So when my uncle's mother-in-law turns her nose at my quiet presence, I cringe, because I know there's nothing I could do that could make her like me.  I'm quiet.  I have very little to say about her bit of gossip.  And I don't enjoy bantering with someone who has no give-and-take.  In fact, I was raised not to argue with my elders; so sorry, I was raised to be respectful.

A lot of people have respected me for my silence, but that didn't mean they liked me.  Some people get to know me, and I can only guess that they like me.  But do you see the silent man's dilemma?  He can either be taken to be unfeeling, insensitive, proud, selfish, uninterested; or some see him as very wise and as a deep thinker.  In reality, he may be neither of these things.  In reality, he's probably just not as inclined as others to lay himself out on the table until a certain point has been reached.

Now, the other side makes no sense to me whatsoever.  I just got off of Skype with my family, and most of that time, my mother was staring at another computer screen.  But when I asked her if she was even listening to me, she repeated my last paragraph nearly word for word.  I just don't get that.  How on earth do people do that?  Seems like a useful skill.  Whereas my dad turns off the TV and looks right at me while he's talking.  Now that I get.  He's obviously paying attention.  But so is my mom.  I just don't know it.

But I talked to a friend who takes my mother's view of life, and it really helped me to appreciate their point of view.  All I can say is they seem to have a very hyper interest in the world around them.  I'm deeply fascinated by the world, but my sight is narrow and focused.  I've come to love extroverted people because they will come over and say hi; whereas an introverted person might pretend not to have seen you if it's not easy to attract your attention.  But then the extroverted person might run away with the breeze at any time, leaving me confused: "He stopped by, but then he didn't even say goodbye – or wait for me to finish my sentence."  I'm not thinking poorly of him – I'm just confused.  It seems... unfinished.  An introverted person, on the other hand, might seem to be ignoring you at times but will make you the focus of his attention once you're in it (and give a conclusion to your conversation).  That can be uncomfortable if you don't have much to say, and you might not get the "high" off him that you got off the extrovert.

 

But sometimes extroverted people think the introverted person is depressed, and sometimes the introverted people think the extroverted person is far too hyper to possibly notice an introverted person.  Can the two be friends?  Well, I think so, if each side is willing to do whatever it takes to stay friends.  Sometimes it might seem like the introvert is upset (or "tight-lipped") and sometimes it might seem like the extroverted person has lost interest; but if the parties keep trying, I think they could make very good friendships.  At least I hope so, because some of the people I like best are extroverted.  (In fact, I love how many of them are perfectly willing to do much of the talking for me.  And often times, they are just so happy that I end up being a little, well, bouncy.)

Which are you?  And do you have any additional insights that might help?

~Meggy

Grey Matter

I can't wait to get home for break, but I'm also going to miss my friends!  That's new.  Haha, it's been a while since I've known someone I liked well enough to miss.  That's kind of discouraging, isn't it?  But I suppose I just didn't find the right circles.  I guess if I'd gone to St. Bernard's or Trivium instead of staying home for high school I might have met some nice kids.  As it was, the kids at the local high schools were rather mean and, I felt, vicious.  Whenever I was with them, I relived painful memories of my old school days when I tried to fit in but only got scorn.  They were the people I had run from, and now they were the people I was again seeking love from.

Have you ever wondered about why we need our friends so much, and why separation bothers us?  The answer seems simple enough, but if you keep asking why, it gets more complicated:

Why do you need your friends?  Why does that make you need them?  Why does it make you feel that way?  But why?  You could trace it back to selfish reason if you wanted to, but you could also trace it back to selfless reasons.  I mean, you could say that friendship makes you feel good and loss of same makes you feel bad, so you need your friends.  On the other hand, you could say that you want to make them happy and so you want to be friends with them.  But then, are you acting because you feel bad and you want to make yourself feel better?  But even if so, is the fact that, in the first place, you feel bad when they feel bad a sign that it's a selfless motive?  Do you follow me???

That's just a sampling of the stuff my brain comes up with when I'm alone.  Fascinating, isn't it?  My dad says he loves to hear the sound of the inside of his own head; sometimes I'm inclined to agree with him.  Sometimes I'm not.  Sometimes the inside of my own head is scary.

Speaking of my dad, I was reflecting on my personality the other day, especially after talking with my family via Skype.  I determined that my introversion comes from my dad (without a doubt, actually), but my tendency to dive into an interest head first comes from my mom.  Interesting to note, however, I outdo them in both categories.

Oooookay.  Yeah.  Kind of ran out of steam, I guess.  And I have a fairly strict "no posting after nine o'clock" policy so you won't see this until morning.

But if there's one thought I could leave with you, read That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis.  It's quite good.

And I also have a desperate need for attention lately – feel free to leave a comment or two!

~Meggy

I am extremely fond of him

Let's for the moment propose that time isn't necessarily exactly linear.  What is in the future could come back and touch the past; what's in the present could be in the future; what's in the past could have not happened yet.  You may already be married.  Your husband (or wife) might have married you by now.  You may not know it, but you might already be well spoken for.

Something to think about.

Uncle Rat and the Doctor (but not related to each other)

Don't forget to check out "Time And Relative Demension In Space"

Oh my gosh – I almost forgot that there were people out there who were nerdy!  I don't know how it happened, but I was reading through all the latest entries on the blogs I follow, and suddenly I was reading quotes from "Dr. Who" and "The Big Bang Theory" and I read about loving to be artsy and academic, and obsessions over books!  Of course, I know you can like any or all of these things and not consider yourself nerdy, but I'm not talking about you then!

It's not that I haven't found any friends here – I have, and I am so fond of them all.  But none of them are into SciFi like I am, and none of them are as obsessed about anything as I tend to be – and as people I follow tend to be.  Now, I understand that we all tend to be a little more passionate online than we act in person, but even so, we do have our passions.  The fact that I can't totally freak out about Dr. Who with someone tends to blur that side of life after awhile.  Which is actually a very health quality in life!

Even so!  Do you realize how long it is since I've seen a Dr. Who episode?!?!  Probably two weeks!  And it doesn't even bother me that I'm not watching the new season.  I decided, somewhere along the line, that I wasn't going to go to great lengths to try to see it – I just didn't have many options.  And for quite some time now, I haven't even thought about it!  Now, as I go through posts about the show, I want to watch it!!!  Yes, I can wait until it's available on Netflix, but what fun is that?  That means I have to be sensible and patient, and so not obsessive beyond control.  And what kind of fan wants to have self-control?

Well, anyway, I do have a topic for today's post.  Actually, I have several.  But let's take them one at a time because they are long.

¹ It is for you, then, to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine.
² Older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and perseverance.
³ Similarly, older women should behave as befits religious people, with no scandal-mongering and no addiction to wine -- they must be the teachers of right behaviour
⁴ and show younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children,
⁵ how they must be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and obey their husbands, so that the message of God is not disgraced.
⁶ Similarly, urge younger men to be moderate in everything that they do,
⁷ and you yourself set an example of good works, by sincerity and earnestness, when you are teaching, and by a message sound and irreproachable
⁸ so that any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us.
¹¹ You see, God's grace has been revealed to save the whole human race;
¹² it has taught us that we should give up everything contrary to true religion and all our worldly passions; we must be self-restrained and live upright and religious lives in this present world,
¹³ waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus.
¹⁴ He offered himself for us in order to ransom us from all our faults and to purify a people to be his very own and eager to do good. 
– Titus 2:1-8, 11-14

⁷ 'Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, "Come and have your meal at once"?
⁸ Would he not be more likely to say, "Get my supper ready; fasten your belt and wait on me while I eat and drink. You yourself can eat and drink afterwards"?
⁹ Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told?
¹⁰ So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, "We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty." '
– Luke 17:7-10
http://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/?select_date=2012-11-13 

Those are the daily readings from Tuesday.  They really hit home in my heart – more than usual, for some reason.  The first talks about the honorable behavior the mature man and woman should have in God.  Whether you, reader, are a Christian or not, it seems like a good goal to have. 

"Similarly, older women should behave as befits religious people, with no scandal-mongering and no addiction to wine -- they must be the teachers of right behavior and show younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they must be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and obey their husbands, so that the message of God is not disgraced."  "Obey their husbands" may be hard for some to hear, but is it really so hard?  You grew up listening to your parents and teachers.  Women don't have to look up to their husbands as superior, but if they make a decision, wives should not contest it.  Wives are supposed to support their husbands.  Isn't that what a woman in love wants to do, anyway?  I don't know – perhaps not.  But that's what great women in books and movies do.  Most men these days don't order women around anyway, as was their use in the first century AD.  If you marry a good man, you shouldn't feel obligated to fight your husband.  So I don't think it sounds that scary.

Beyond that, this description describes what really seems to me to be a good and honorable woman.  The kind of person that people respect and love and look up to.  Same for men, although the description isn't, perhaps, as intricate.  But all of the Bible describes how upright and righteous men should be in any case.

And I like the reading from the Gospel because it shows a different side of the coin than many usually consider.  When we do as God wills, we shouldn't expect to receive anything in return.  Indeed, you may even say that we oughtn't to expect an answer to our prayers and worship, because prayer and worship is due Him.  It's our duty, not our gift to Him (although it is, in another sense).  At the end of the day, when we've followed all of God's commandments, we deserve no praise, because it was our duty.  As a servant would receive no praise for clearing table, as an employee would not be unduly compensated for doing what he was paid to do, as a child is not rewarded with great gifts for keeping his room clean, so too are we bound in duty to do exactly as He says.  Of course, servants do receive thanks, employees often do get special relief or praise here and there, and children do raise an allowance or get a reward if it is a disciplinary tactic a parent is using, and God often uses similar methods on us, as His children.  But at the end of the day, if we did right, all we did was what we ought to have always done.

Now I don't know if that sounds really preachy – I'm sorry if it does!  But I was sort of struck by that.  Fools, we are.  Many Christians say "God is so great!  Let us praise Him!"  Well, ultimately, even if He hadn't saved your soul and even if He hadn't preformed miracles, you'd still owe Him praise because we are simply His lowly creation, aren't we?

Well, that's a really depressing way to look at things, to keep pressing that we are servants of God.  But it's the truth.  I mean, one of the great mysteries of God is that He is everything at once – He is Master, He is Father, He is Brother, He is Friend, He is Savior, He is Doctor, He is Lover.  And because He is all these things, we can be all slave/servant, son/daughter, brother/sister, friend, debtor, patient, and lover.  That's really cool, isn't it?!

Well, anyway, I really loved that.  I love how God is still and everywhere, even when I'm changing.  Thank God the world doesn't fluctuate with me!  But that's a simple reality that is helpful to realize – the laws of the universe don't ride up and down on roller-coasters with our emotional and physical troubles.  It all still follows the same rules today as it did yesterday and it will tomorrow.  Every day is another day God has given me to sort out my issues before He calls me home.  And life is so beautiful, isn't it?  Still, there is nothing "that I would more willingly part withal".  If only I could leave this drudgery for the glories of eternal communion with creation – but theologians and philosophers say that this is where we gain our strength: when we are no longer afraid to die, no longer afraid to live.

By the way, I lost my Evenstar necklace!  If you could pray to St. Anthony for me that would be great.

~Meggy

The Decoy Bride

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Katie is a lonely Scottish girl from a remote Scottish island.  After a disastrous relationship, she returns home to her terminally ill mother and to her job as a shop assistant.  The Laird of the island, anxious to keep Katie at home, gives her something constructive to do: a guidebook to Hegg.  Although the thought that anyone would want a guidebook to Hegg sounds ridiculous to Katie, she sets out to write one.  Unbeknownst to her, a "marketing group" is heading for Hegg and it'll turn out to be just the publicity her guidebook will need–

For these marketing people are actually a secret wedding party for a private wedding between the most desirable American actress and James, an author famous for his book The Onithologist's Wife.  Running from the press, this couple picked the most remote place they could think of, but the press has still found them!  The bride runs to hide, and her agent has no alternative but to go ahead with the wedding without her – with Katie as stand in.  The press can get their pictures and then the real wedding can proceed as planned.  But at the end of the day, that leaves Katie and the author married to each other!

When James finds out, he and Katie set out across the island to search for the missing bride, get divorced, and set things right again.  Katie almost drowns, James meets an elderly couple who are both deaf, and the bride meets someone who inspires her to make a difference.  In the end, everyone gets what they want.  The bride and groom finally find each other; Katie's mom gets to travel the world before her death; and Katie's off to write sequels to her bestselling guidebook.  James even finishes his second novel and dedicates it to his wife.  But perhaps things aren't as simple as they seem.

In the end, this movie, starring Kelly MacDonald and David Tennant, is a fabulous little film about the affairs of the heart, and shows that ordinary people don't have to be ordinary.  Although, as many have said, it's not a movie to win awards, but it is good for a rainy day.  The plot is fleshed out enough so that it is not boring, but it is not complex.  It tells a simple story in a very straightforward manner.  I will definitely watch this again in the future.

Rating: A

Points: 9/10

(I have found this movie on YouTube – you could search there if you don't have Netflix.)

~Meggy

Time And Relative Demension In Space

Pain won't dampen my spirits tonight.  I feel pain because I'm alive.  I feel pain because I'm strong enough to endure it.  I feel pain because God created the universe and declared how the laws of nature should be.  And He is in everything.  So pain doesn't quench my euphora tonight, as I walk back to the dorm.  God is EVERYWHERE.  God is in the clouds.  God is in the rain and the wind.  God is in me, in my soul, in my mind, in my eyes, in my stiff fingers.  ....God is in the hands of the person who made the jacket that I forgot to wear.




Sometimes, seemingly in spite of all God's efforts, we're just too stupid to help ourselves.



(The word TARDIS is hidden somewhere on this page (not including nine words back ;p ).  Can you find it???  Look hard!  I'll give you a hint on Wednesday.)

~Meggy

So without further ado, here's Audrey Cox!

-Age: 21

-Appearance: clean, blond, blue eyes, "well-kept"

-Occupation: witch/healer/none

-Income: measly (equivalent to five dollars/week at best, compared to four dollars minimum cost of living)

-Education: traditional education up until she turned fourteen, then her mother taught her at home: philosophy and magic

-Environment: was born in a little village, but grew up in the city among charming suitors and nobility, although her parents were not noble but her father’s business was successful

-Personal Chronology: [here omitted]

-Hobbies: gardening, drawing

-Pets: stray cat

-Religion: [Magic]

-Ethnic Background: Elvin, Wizard, Human

-Class: upper-middle

-Occupations of Parents and/or Children: father–carpenter, mother­–healer, event. daughter–healer, event. son–prince

-Talents: singing, healing

-Dislikes: dark, prying, people who are too open with details

-Eccentric habits: collects candles, carries a small book of wise sayings with her, wears the key to her mothers house around her neck and plays with it

-Phobias: being embarrassed or misused or violated

-Ability to change and grow: adaptable, but cautious about change

-Food Choices: loves bread and butter, tea, tomatoes, paprika, salt pork, pumpkin pie

-Favorite Clothing Items: her mother’s shoes, her father’s single glove, her simple white dress with brown pinafore

-Color Preferences: earthy, natural colors; vibrant, like flowers; baby blue

-Sound of Laughter: high, mixed-head

-Reaction to Touch by Strangers: startled, uncertain, on her guard

-Shopping Patterns: buys only what she absolutely needs to get by so that she has a little money left over to spend on pleasure

-Size of Vocabulary: excellent, she prides herself on it

-Aspirations: wants to live a comfy, out of the way life with a loving family

-Favorite Setting: her garden

-Number of Friends: Eva Locknob, Cedric, Mariah

-Drinking Habits: drinks a glass of wine every Sunday with dinner if she can afford it

-Feelings about Smoking: is charmed by an old man with a pipe

-Favorite Pain Killer: Feverfew

-Method of Handling Change: very carefully

-Letter Writing Habits: once in a while to Eva

-Storage of Photographs: she has one sketch each of her mother and father, and one of them together; plus a secret drawing of Mark

-Musical Preferences: loves harmonies, both classical and folk

-Integrity: strongly loyal to her personal ideals and methods of thought, stubborn in adherence to her sense of right and wrong

-Secrets: she will always love Mark, she is a witch; even deeper, she breaks out in a cold sweat after dreams of her parents’ dying; even deeper, she struggles with hatred of Mark’s family and with passion for Mark himself

-Jealousies: proud of her gardening skills, sometimes can’t help but consider the Wassy inferior

-Animal Totem: rabbit

-Representative Symbol: ? [omitted]

-Ugliest Fault: fails to understand other personalities

-Most Powerful Memories: Mother cooking and singing, Father leaning back in a chair after a hard day, Mother singing her to sleep, Mother’s knitting needles, Mother’s shoes as she danced, Father’s gloves as he conducted business, Mark as he was when she first met him, Mark when he told her he loved her, Mark’s hands, Mark’s laugh

-Degree of Resilience: not very flexible

-Problem-Solving Ability: mainly in theory

-Means of Coping with Stress: gardening

-Method of Defusing Anger: crying

-Resemblance to real people: [omitted]

-Resonance with Other Characters: she is there, and in a way, she is the talk of the town; in that sense, she isn’t a person, only gossip, an object to be observed, a pet to be cared for

–      how does she feel about this: mentally frustrated and emotionally drained; unawares, she would like to be on a one-on-one basis with all of them

[My additional notes:]

-Goal for Quality of Life in Wassying: to be well looked-up to; no longer a pet; still hidden

-Level of Self-Awareness: doesn’t realize her own way of approaching people is their reason for their treatment of her; is too complex to see the simplicity

-Method of Operation: logical, methodical; reaching the goal is more of a focus than the aspect of teamwork; can’t comprehend why this usually fails to give intended results

-Dealing with Unpleasant People: civil, avoids

-Interaction with Authority: civil, respectful, even admiring

-Origin of Motivation: "should be done – will be done"

-Productivity: gets up promptly in the morning in the spring and summer; lags in autumn; sleeps in in the winter; stays up late by the fire in the winter; does something quiet at noon; coordinates outside/inside work depending on temperature; enjoys Sunday

-Least Favorite Task: dusting
-Opinion of Social Tasks: enjoys dancing, finds accompanying gossip tedious and difficult; tends to be too logical and not conversational


~Meggy 

Is She This or Is She That?

If you're a fiction writer, you will probably flip over this.  I know I would.  I know I did.  I filled it out for one of my characters and it is really helping me get a grip on some of her eccentricities.  Because she is secretive and wants to be a wallflower, she tended to do so all too well.  She needed something to give her life.  And the following helped a lot.  I'll post my character sketch in a few days, but for now, I'll just post the outline so you can have fun with this.  (Hint: try answering the questions about yourself first)

Name

Age

Appearance

Occupation

Income

Education

Environment

Personal Chronology

Hobbies

Pet(s)

Religion

Ethnic Background

Class

Occupation of Parents and/or Children

Talents

Dislikes

Eccentric Habits

Phobias

Ability to Change and Grow

Food Choices

Favorite Clothing Items

Color Preferences

Sound of Laughter

Reaction to Touch by Strangers

Shopping Patterns

Size of Vocabulary

Aspirations

Favorite Setting

Number of Friends

Drinking Habits

Feelings About Smoking

Favorite Pain Killer

Method of Handling Change

Letter Writing Habits

Storage of Photographs

Musical Preferences

Integrity

Secrets

Jealousies

Animal Totem

Representative Symbol

Ugliest Fault

Most Powerful Memories

Degree of Resilience

Problem-Solving Ability

Means of Coping with Stress

Method of Defusing Anger

Resemblance to Real People

Resonance with Other Characters

I also suggest considering certain decisions you make about daily life and discovering how your character would respond to those choices.  For example, I'm deciding if my character would sleep in in the morning and when she would be most productive.  What motivates her?  How does she deal with unpleasant people?

(Taken from Take Your Characters to Dinner by Laurel A. Yourke)

~Meggy

Dilly Dally

Sometime back, I purged my blog of unwanted posts.  Unwanted by whom?  By me of course.  So I got rid of them.  Now, guess what?  We're back up to 300 posts!  Yep, with the publication of this silly entry, we will officially have a total of 300 posts on my blog again.  Isn't that just fantabulous?  Yes, fantabulous is a word – look it up.

Right now, I'm in JPII Library – theoretically studying for a computer test that is this Thursday.  I must say, ever since the four day break, I haven't been quite ready to accept responsibility again.  Sleep-deprived, I'm having a hard time keeping my stress level down.  All this computer-staring has lowered my visibility, in a manner of speaking.  I'm feeling "vacation-lagged."  And in just a few weeks, it'll be Thanksgiving break.  Then a few weeks more and I'll be off for Christmas break.  Finals are just around the corner!!!  *insert-ultra-stressed-scream-of-your-choosing-here*

I'm not over overloaded – that's the problem.  It feels like it should be harder.  I feel like I should be stressed out, so I am.  Do you know what I mean?  I'm not complaining – I don't want to have lots of work – but that's just the way the mind works.  But everything's okay for now.  I'm just a little worried that I'll forget about something until the day before it's due.  There are a few classes that I want to do better in so I'm naturally a little worried about them.

(And I finally know what people were talking about when they complained about those people who complain about a B – jeesh.  Yes, I'd like to do better, too, of course, but stop whining to me – for heavens sake!  If you've got straight As in everything else, I don't want to hear about one B!)

Now it's almost 6 o'clock and I should get back to work soon.

I signed up on the NaNoWriMo website the other day.  Who knows why – I guess I liked the fact that it would help me to remember to write more often, give me incentive to write even when I didn't feel particularly inspired just then.  But I'm not participating strictly speaking.  I'm working on more than one novel and tallying the words for both and entering them in for the one novel that I have registered – because apparently you can only register one for any given time.  That makes sense given their mission, but it's not great for my purposes.

Well, anyway, I should go now.  Have a great night, and pray for our country!

~Meggy

Right Down to Tobacco (a short excerpt of my novel)

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The world has long looked upon the people of Wassying as a pretentious nuisance, one which sours the morning paper over breakfast.  Wassying is one of the loudest voices of discontent.  It is a major trading center, overflowing with crime and irate about it.  The people of Wassying – or the Wassy, as they call themselves – wrestle in the political arena with about as much qualification as a sea urchin, but they are not the least aware of their ignorance.  They have raised some of the best soldiers, but only once did any of their sons lead the way to battle, and then it was but a short road to humiliating loss.  (Their one consolation on that matter is that the General was killed, and so he is allowed to live on in their memories as a brave warrior, howsoever the truth says otherwise.)  These are the days of Wassying’s glory – this is the Wassy’s hayday.  And yet, the Wassy is one of the loudest voices of discontent anywhere; and for good reason, for Wassying was not always so disruptive.

 

It lies west of the Ronnidack Mountains, which were once called Ronir’dac from an ancient and mythical tongue and means “great divide”.  There are two main roads through the mountains, one that leads from the major city of Thornburg and one that leads from the southern town of Riffurge, which was once called River Forge because it was the safest place to ford the West River (where the Bloodwine Bridge now stands).  The southern road was always an easy one, but it is long and indirect if you come from an eastern city.  However, the northern road was not always so worn as it is now.  There was once a time when lives were lost on that trail in foul weather.  Not even the hardy people of Wassying tried their oxen on that trail in adverse conditions.  No one came or went in the winter months.  Wassying was but a little village out of the way – blocked on one side by the Ronir’dac and hemmed in by thick forest and the Brid River on the other side.

 

So it was that Wassying was left alone.  Only the men knew of anything outside of Wassying, for they went to Thornburg as everyone did then for military training, which is still a firm tradition held by the proud Wassy even today.  But the academy was rigorous and strict.  The boys rarely saw anything outside the high walls or beyond the roads they traveled from home to school.  They returned to Wassying at the end of their training with a false sense of worldly knowledge; but bless them, it did them no harm.  But in one way, you might say the Wassy were ahead of their time.  They were, perhaps, the first of the villages of Hidran to squeeze out from under the rule of nobility, for when Sir Price died, his wife moved to their townhouse in Thornburg, but their son was too young to handle the affairs of the town; the town fell under the jurisdiction of the local pastor (this was back when Wassying still had religion).  So while the rest of the Hidran cities still labored under the abuses of the increasingly fallible nobility, Wassying was already ruled by the people.

 

And what a simple people they were.  It is fair to say that they never guessed how different the world was outside their boundaries.  They never dreamed that what happened in Wassying was not happening all over the world; but then, they did not have such a wide range of thought.  Their philosophical perspective, if any perspective of theirs could be called philosophical, could not fathom a world beyond their immediate sight.  In word only did the world exist.  In thought, only Wassying mattered.

 

But the Wassy could not be properly illustrated if it was only said that it was a community of fools.  Not so!  They were wise, in their way, and many of them were very kind, selfless people.  Before Wassying became a major trade center, it was known for its hospitality.  In fact, it was once a tourist spot.  It was such a small, close-knit community that no one could help but comply with the basic rules.  There were occasional strangers in town, but they did not remain strangers for long.

 

The Wassy had their quirks, too.  The lack of Faith in Wassying is not a new development, by any means.  Many, many years ago, they left the well-worn path for a twisted one, which turned this way and that to support very odd beliefs.  The people of Wassying threw themselves into extremes and believed in power that wasn’t there.  Very superstitious, they were, and gypsies preyed on them like vultures.

 

But the Wassy weren’t demonic!  They were as kind and gentle a folk as could be.  There was never any trouble, save the occasional dispute over a lost lamb or a corner of land.  They fancied themselves much-to-do in the world, that is all; and of all faults, that may be the most deceptive, but it was not born of willful ignorance.

 

They liked their tobacco, that much could be said.  Back then, they only called it “smoking weed,” but it sure was fine.  There are not many true Wassying tobacco plants left anymore, but in its heyday, it brought in the money like rain.

 

But the story that is here related happened before the heyday of Wassying tobacco.  That is to say, the men smoked a great deal of it, but they weren’t yet in the habit of selling it....

~Meggy

Alfred Hitchcock and others....

I am continually baffled by my blog stats.  My movie review of Eragon is repeatedly my most popular post.  No one leaves any comments, but without fail, when I check my viewer count, I've been getting the most traffic through that review.  It wasn't even that great a review!  But it gets the most attention on almost a daily basis.  Bizarre.

______________________________

Well, this is the last day of my fall break – my four day, as it's called.  I didn't do anything particularly exciting.  All my friends have gone home or with friends or on a retreat.  Campus is surprisingly quiet.  I walked from my dorm to the J.C. without seeing anyone on the way.  The caf is nearly deserted.  There's been only one Mass per day since Thursday and everyone fit in the Chapel.  Usually there are three Masses a day with standing room only.  Even more surprisingly, I'm bored silly, lonely, and I wish something was going on.  By a queer turn of events, I am tired of watching movies and snuggling up in bed with cocoa and my knitting.  I've hated it almost from the first.

What's more, I thought I slept right through the morning Mass, only to just remember that we gained an hour last night!  ARGH!!!

I mean, it's good that we have an extra hour because I've been up late every night this past week, and especially last night.

I'm a big fan of David Tennant – he enchants me every time.  This weekend, I watched a TV miniseries called "He Knew He Was Right."  It was pretty good.  Tennant played a fickle clergyman (apparently the stereotype for period pieces).  I also watched him (twice) in a cute romantic comedy called "The Decoy Bride."  That was also good, but not for children, I should warn you.  It takes place on a Scottish island – loved the accents.  Loved David Tennant.

I also wasted a couple of hours on a TV comedy called "The IT Crowd" about the nerds in the IT department.  It was awful, and I realized it wasn't going to get any better and quit.

I watched Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder," which was as good as any of his work.  So if you like Hitchcock, you'll like this movie.  If you don't, you won't.

I almost forgot but I watched David Tennant in "Hamlet," which was astounding!  I don't remember what site it was that I watched it on, but you can watch it here on the PBS website.  It is truly one of the "Great Performances."  Although the original wording remains intact, it's set in a kind of "modern" Denmark, which means jeans, cameras, and modern crude humor in a few instances.  I was disgusted once or twice (especially during the play Hamlet sets for his uncle), and it is not for young audiences, but adults will love it.  I fell in love with Hamlet (which I'm sure had nothing to do with the fact that he was played by David Tennant).  I finally understood what Shakespeare was trying to convey in his writing.  I'm planning on going back to his plays and trying to understand them.

I also began watching "Once Upon a Time," that very popular TV series.  I liked it okay, but I guess I'm a SciFi fan at heart.  Not to mention that stories that take place in "modern times" don't grab me half as much as imaginary or past times and worlds.  But I grant you, it's good.  Had me wanting to stay up all night to find out what happens.  The plot, scenes, and costumes are fantastic, but you don't need me to tell you that.

I also watched "Much Ado About Nothing."  I grew up listening to that soundtrack so I loved watching what went with the music.  There was just enough in there for me to understand why my mother didn't show it to me when I was little, but it is such a great film!  I loved it from beginning to end – with just a few momentary exceptions.  Only Shakespeare could come up with such a simple and beautiful, and funny, story.

I think there were more but I can't remember them.  I was disappointed to find that "Corpse Bride" and "Nightmare Before Christmas" were not available for instant streaming on Netflix.  I wonder if I could find them elsewhere online, but I didn't look.

I have finished watching Dr. Who up through the sixth season.  Each actor gives it a new flavor.  After watching David Tennant, I thought I could never go back to Matt Smith – but turns out I could!  They're both charming in their own way.  I liked Christopher Eccleston, but there were aspects of that first season that just didn't strike me as well as the later seasons.  I suppose, though, that's in line with the storyline, because the Doctor's values improve over time, don't they, with each new companion.  My next step is go through them again and figure out which ones to show to my siblings, if any.  There are a few that I came across and cringed because I could never bring that into the house.  But there are a few episodes that I almost have to show them – like "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe."  After I figure that out, I want to go back and watch the originals, so I can call myself a true fan.

Anyway, that's been my weekend.  My snack drawer is now empty, I've lost about five pounds, and I'm as stiff as a door.  On the plus side, I look great, and I loved all of it.  I wish I could have shared it with someone, but my roommate was either watching her own thing or, the latter half of the weekend, with her friend literally 24/7.  My best friend left for a retreat on Friday afternoon.  We had a great Thursday evening: "Rear Window," Dominoes pizza (which was so good!), popcorn, "Singing in the Rain," chocolate chip cookies, and praise and worship.  I told her she should come visit my parish sometime.  Our small group leader would love to hear how well our voices fit together.  We experimented with all kinds of harmony – she knew some, I knew some – it was so pretty.

Now I should get on with my day.  I want to practice singing, do some ballet exercises, actually go down to the caf for a meal, wash my dishes, work on my story, and watch more movies.  ;)

~Meggy

The Water Lane

 

We are so close now.

Many a lover has rowed his dear down this lane.  Many a tired old soul has cooled his feet in this water.  Many a huntsman has satisfied his thirst from this spring.

It is a sad thing that my journey down this lane must be my last.  The blue sky is so azure.  The trees are so brown and green.  They have such life within them and without them.  They stand solemnly at attention to watch their princess pass by one last time.  They hail me as I ride silently by, my chin high.  The water is perfectly still, save around our boat.  It is the great, long mirror, stretching away to the future.

My face is set.  I know to where I go.  I know from where I leave.  I know that everything I hold dear is scattered all around me, like a child's toys on the floor, just out of reach.  I am an invalid – I cannot catch any of my toys in my hand.

My escort is around me, attentive and waiting.  They wait for my command.  They are tuned in to my every movement, almost to my very thoughts.  They love me as their treasure to protect, their charge to care.  They handle me with the gentleness required for a delicate glass trinket, rare and invaluable.  Do they not see that another will come?  I am not the last.  I am not the first.  They have cared for others besides myself; yet am I a jewel among stones, needing protection from thieves.

This I feel, that I will never return to this place.  It is here, and it is gone.  No, I have gone.  It is behind me.  I am gone.  It continues on, while I am gone.  It will not cease, but I have gone.

It is the pathway to another journey, beyond the hedge and undergrowth.  We near the end.  We are so close now, but this place will remain forever in my memory.

~Meggy