6 Summer Goals and a bit of awesomeness

Now that summer is here, I have a decently challenging to-do list:

1) laugh at people more (see #2) [will explain in more detail at a later time]
2) Read Anne of Green Gables
3) read C. S. Lewis' The Four Loves
4) finish reading The Iliad of Homer, The Aeneid, The Divine Comedy, and Anna Karenina (bonus: Augustine's Confessions)
5) plan a book club
6) finish writing (or editing) at least one novel

I'd like to give a shoutout to the gal over at Heavenly Aspirations, since she also wrote about her summer plans and I think they are kinda inspiring. :)  [UPDATE: Sarah over at A Free Mind also told us about her summer plans :) ]

I don't know about you but Pirates of the Caribbean always motivates me.

And then there's young Sungha Jung's version, which is also really awesome:

(Also, Enya Radio on Pandora is usually really great to listen to for inspiring and motivating music that won't distract you!)

The following is from a new idea I have.  Please let me know what you think!  I've had a lot of trouble writing for some time now, but I'm determined to break bad habits and put the passion back into my talent.  If you have something encouraging to say, it would do a lot for my confidence.  If you have critiques, I'll accept that, too, because I want to figure out where my problems are.

Here goes.  I think I might call this book Welcome to the Wood, but I'm not sure.

"Welcome to the wood," she said.

†

Hearing a voice melodiously mingled with the murmuring of the leaves in the wind, merely a whisper at first, he stepped off the road and forged into the wood.  The singing, a woman's voice, was deeply enchanting; the tune haunting.  He pursued it deep into the wood, marking his way as he went and noting landmarks, such as a great oak growing on a rock in a clearing as wide around as its branches.  But the voice was not in the direction of the clearing.  He veered away from it in the brush and weaved on.

At last he found her, harshly rubbing a cloth against itself in the deep brook.  Her black hair rested on her shoulders and tickled the ground as her slender body crouched there.  Her sleeves were rolled up to her ivory-white, sculpted elbows; her strong arms, fine wrists worked back and forth in the water.  She couldn't be more than 25 years old.  And at last he distinguished the words she sang: 

If the water is too cold…

Go right in and catch a toad…

But if the water, the water is too hot…

Throw him… throw him in, throw him in a boiling pot…. 

She stopped when he had come near and looked at him: long, hollow cheeks and nose; closely trimmed beard; clear, round eyes; long hair; young; sword nearly concealed by his cloak.  "Welcome to the wood," she said.  "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" 

"It is, madam," he said.  "May I ask why you've come so far into the wood to wash a cloth?" 

"I live in the wood," she said, wringing out her cloth.  "What have you come for?" 

"I heard your voice while taking a morning stroll, as I like to do.  It's an odd song.  I've never heard it before."

"The words are not original to the melody," she said, her eyes locking with his unabashedly.  "The melody, ages old, belongs to a song about a lost loved one.  It was taught to me many years ago."

His imagination was captivated by her elegant beauty.  "Would you care to walk with me?"

"I must take this back to the house," she said.

"I'd be honored to walk with you," he pressed.

Smiling, "I think perhaps not this time.  But if you walk in the wood often, I will see you again.  Fare thee well."

As she noiselessly moved through the brush, he moved to follow her.  But she was out of sight and he, an honorable man, would not track her like a stag.  Rather, after a few minutes, he found the road again and continued his walk, musing.  The leaves of the mountain laurel resembled the color of her pinafore.  The soft brown of a bracket mushrom was similar to her mysteriously wise eyes.

But slowly, a bitterness settled in his face; and turning, he retraced the road back into town and to his room at Greeneback Tavern.

I'm sorry to have been neglectful for so long – Thank you very much for coming back and reading :)
~Meggy

(Also, if you'd like, check out my other blog for a recent update (and writing experiment): Our Hearts Unhindered)

Summer Designs

This summer, as I've already discussed, I have a lot of plans.  Of course, there's all the garden work, which you can read about by clicking here.  But I have so many other hopes and dreams for this summer.  Looking over the list at Heavenly Aspirations inspired me to put it all down and solidify what I really want to do.  So here I'm working on a list and I can't wait to get home and get started!

1.  Paint my room yellow and decorate it will the bright magenta paint my sister wanted.
2.  Figure out the furniture arrangement for better space management.
3.  Finish the rest of the Jane Austen novels.
4.  Go to the beach at the lake in New Hampshire at least twice a month and memorize the drive so I'll never get lost again.  Find the beach with all the snails.
5.  Find a way to remember the little things of the summer (e.g. collecting little souvenirs or taking candid photos).
6.  Go to the Adoration chapel at least once a week.
7.  Drive the backroads (in my dad's sports car convertible) with country music turned up (extra: with my boyfriend).
8.  Grow the most successful garden yet!
9.  Ride a bike a couple times a week, just enjoying it.
10.  Take my dog for a walk and for hikes and brush her plenty often (extra credit: see if you can keep the brushing up so well that she doesn't really need a bath all summer).
11.  Use an old sheet or something to make a first experiment at a wedding dress pattern.  Decide if I really want to sew my own or not!
12.  Finish knitting the scarf and tuck it away for winter.  Learn to crochet.
13.  Really push myself on the piano and learn at least one hard but beautiful song.  (extra credit: memorize every note!)
14.  Make more progress with voice and guitar.  (extra credit: be ready to play and sing great when my boyfriend visits!  have music ready so we can sing together)
15.  Read a good novel by campfires until it's too dark to see.  Then just sit and listen to nature.  (extra credit: roast potatoes and pop corn kernels in the fire!)
16.  Get really good at Latin so I can help my sister and be ready when I take my final semester in the spring.
17.  Read more philosophy and really get it.
18.  Find a new author (or rediscover an author) to help you get through the fall semester.


~Meggy

Normal, Funny, Unique, and Loving ways to end your letters, notes, e-mails, conversations, tweets, posts....

http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/07/normal-funny-unique-and-loving-ways-to.html

~Meggy

Ginger Ale – Ale for Gingers

I've been tagged!  I have never been so glad in my life to be tagged.  I wanted to write something on my blog but had nothing to say and then – WHAM!  I was going through my blog list and found this!

I was tagged by Rose at The Golden Road and I must confess I'm not sure what the "SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGERS AWARD" is... but maybe it has something to do with the sisterhood of the traveling pants???  I don't know; I'm afraid I'm ignorant of such things.  But I'm happy to receive it in any case.

Rules

*Acknowledge the person who passed the award to you and provide their link.
*Include the award logo on your blog.
*Answer the ten questions posted below.
*Make up your own ten questions for the next people.
*Nominate blogs and link those you have especially enjoyed reading. The number you can select is up to you.
*Notify each individual that you have nominated them.

(Thank you, somebody, for allowing me to chose the number of blogs....)

So now I have to answer the following questions, and I am so honored!  She is so good at asking questions:

1.  What is your favourite accent? (British, Irish, Scottish, etc.)

That is an incredibly hard question to answer, but I think I have to go with Scottish.  I actually have ancestry from all three, so I'm entitled to pick any which one of them that I chose.  ...I figure.
2.  Your house is on fire; you have 60 seconds.  What is the one thing that you grab? (Yes, I stole this question from the movie Leap Year.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  It is marvelous.)

My computer?  Or maybe my flash drive.  Nothing against the Bible, Rosary, pictures, pillows, or stuffed animals or anything sentimental – but life would suck if I didn't have either one of those two things – my homework is there.
3.  You are taking a ramble through the woods heedless of time or place.   Suddenly, you find yourself miserably lost.  What do you do?  (Hysteria is a acceptable option.)

I would begin to panic – not gonna lie, because this has happened to me before only I wasn't miserably lost, only slightly.  But then I would calm my panic because I'm more prone to panic attacks lately and that wouldn't be a good idea in the middle of the woods.  Then I would pick a direction, based on the sun, and walk that way.
4.  What is your worst fear?

My worst fear is getting left behind, being forgotten.  When all is said and done, I'm not afraid of snakes, bees, or even spiders (although spiders come close...) – I'm afraid of being forgotten and left out by everyone or anyone that I love.
5.  If you could instantaneously be fluent in one language, which would it be?

A tough one.  I really want to speak Latin fluently for the heck of it.  But Italian would be nice.  But then, my grandmother speaks German and would be really impressed... plus it could come in handy when I go to Europe.
6.  Would you rather have plain vanilla/chocolate ice cream or a sundae with all the toppings?

Another tough one!  But I think I'm going to say a sundae, but I won't finish it!
7.  Would you rather watch a scary movie while at home alone or ride the largest roller coaster in the world?

Ride the largest roller coaster in the world.  Duh.
8.  You're stranded on an island for a year.  Choose one fictional character to have on the island with you.

Peter Pan.
9.  What is one of the most thrilling things you have ever done?

Driving comes pretty darn close.  Scary roller coasters is another.  Hanging with friends trumps all.  ...I guess I've lived a pretty boring life, what can I say?
10.  You are swimming with a group of friends when a splashing fight breaks out, describe your methods of warfare and survival.

Splash like crazy, laugh like no one's gonna get hurt, and then tackle the archenemy.

I'm gonna tag:

Kathleen at The Messy Desk of Me

Maggie at A Window on the West

Una Mariah at Petticoats and Muckboots

The Mad Elvish Poet (if, indeed, that's all I can call you) at The Thoughts of the Mad Elvish Poet

So now my own ten questions for these lovely ladies:

I. Quick, name a movie.

II. You get married and have a girl – what kind of world are you living in and what will you call her?  Why and what does it mean?

III.  You also have a boy – what will you call him?  Why and what does it mean?

IV.  What mythical creature do you think most represents you?

V.  Quick, name one to three random facts about yourself. (For example, I get weird cravings for ginger ale.)

VI.  When you hear "British," you think ________.

VII.  What is the title of the book nearest you right now?

VIII.  What is one brilliant thing that happened to you in the last twenty-four hours?

IX.  Have you ever been licked by a cat?

X.  What is the state of your sock drawer?

And by the way, I remember one time when I did this, and obviously you people (not necessarily the four people above – I don't actually remember who) had no fun with this at all.  Please, be creative.  Have fun with it.  I'm asking you these questions because I know you have imaginations that can have a stark-raving-mad time with this.  (So don't you dare say, "Where we'll live and what we name our children, if God wills we have any, will be up to the both of us...."  Nobody wants theology, we want fantasy.)

Oh yeah, and fun fact: ginger ale was invented expressly for gingers.  ...True story.

Okay, not really,

~Meggy

Red Month

Since this is February – the "month of red" – and we are a ginger, precious, let's celebrate the color red!

I am actually fond of the color red, as it is closely related to the lovely color of purple (a distant cousin trice removed or something like that), and let's face it, red is a lovely, eye-catching color in its own right.

It catches your eye a lot better than most other colors.  Why?  I don't know, but that's a question for another day.

Red is definitely easier to pick out in a room full of other colors, as my family can attest to.  Look for gingers all in a row and you've found us.  You can't say the same for blond, black, or brown, can you?  Usually no.

And as you may imagine, there have been studies done on redheads.  Yup.  We're your lab rats.  Okay, not really, but there have been studies conducted for various reasons.

For example, take a look at this article from a site with unconfirmed credibility:

The first study revealed that redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain (i.e. perception of pain brought on by excessive cold and heat), and that they're also more resistant to the pain-numbing effects of certain anesthetics. The second study found that redheads required, on average, 19% more anesthetic than dark-haired (black or brown-haired) women. (Interestingly, neither study recruited blonde test participants.)

But the life of a redhead isn't all pain and suffering; a study led last year by researcher Lars Arendt-Nielson revealed that redheaded women are actually less sensitive to stinging sensations (like that of a pinprick) than either blondes or brunettes.  [This would explain why I can thrust needles through my fingers and not even notice.] So what's going on here? Researchers aren't entirely sure, but one hypothesis ties back — perhaps unsurprisingly — to redheads' mutant melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R).

Bizarre?  Here's the explanation:

People with fair skin and rosy locks get their distinctive looks from mutations in the gene that codes for melanocortin 1 receptor, a protein that aids in the synthesis of the pigment melanin.
...
Like most cell surface receptors, MC1R's activity is regulated by the binding of a specific set of complementary proteins. When it comes to pigment production, those proteins are called melanocyte stimulating hormones (MSH). In 98% of the population, MSH cause MC1R to production dark eumelanin, but in redheads, their mutant MC1R lead to the production of a red-tinged pheomelanin, instead. But here's the catch: melanocortin 1 receptors also interact with molecules that are structurally similar to melanocyte stimulating hormones, including hormones called endorphins. Endorphins have a whole bunch of physiological functions, but one of their primary roles is one of pain relief. Just remember: "endorphin" stands for "endogenous morphine," and morphine is a powerful painkiller.

Okay, a lot of technical terms here, and if you're as bad at absorbing science as I am, you probably only got the gist of what they were saying.  But that's fine, there won't be a quiz on this (can I get a sigh of relief?).

Anyway, interesting, isn't it?

There is also a rumor that redheads don't go grey.  But it's not youthful color for us forever – we go WHITE.  Which I'd prefer anyway.

And apparently, Aristotle is known for believing that redheads are emotionally unhousebroken.  I can't help but wonder if maybe he's prejudiced.

And that's the first entry for "Red Month"
~Meggy

Hey low

Having seen "The Hobbit" for the second time now, I better noticed all of its defects and the things that didn't sit right with me the first time were much more prominent (thanks in part to all the complaining people have been doing – thanks a lot, guys).  I don't dare say for fear of ruining it for you by pointing out things that heresofar haven't bothered you, but they stood out to me and will probably always bother me.

But I don't care!  There are things about the LOTR trilogy which drive me crazy if I let them – so of course, I'm careful not to let them drive me crazy.  It was FUN – and that's the important thing, right?  It seems to stick pretty close to the feel of the book (plus the appendices) and there are things about it which are brilliant – so LOVE IT ALREADY!  I'm making a conscious decision to avoid criticizing it in future.

Okay, so I'm not sure why exactly I decided to say that, except that there are certain conditions that make me want to write and several of those conditions are present so there you are.  Yes, I did just make up the word heresofar and hey, I like it!  If I separated it into three words, it would still be somewhat made up but not nearly as cool so....  I think it's a combination of hereto or hitherto and so far.

And that's my mind today – a little weird; but I'm so tired that even my dreams are about me being so tired that I can't stay awake.  So my mind is a little... strange right now.  And it's not helped by the fact that I have been trying to drive and just see in general without my glasses – and I think I may need a stronger prescription again... much to my disappointment.  Contacts might be coming soon – much to my dad's disappointment 'cause he'll be paying for them.

And with that, I have to change so I can go accept some scholarship money so I can buy a new computer.  Yay.

(If you understand the title of this entry, you're as creepy as I am – just sayin'.)

~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

Dr.... who?

Why didn't I watch this earlier?!  A shout-out to Maggie for her advice on approaching the show.  I'm glad you started me off with Matt Smith because that gave me a chance to fall in love with him before I met David Tennant.  I introduced my friend to "Dr. Who" and we're both hooked!  We just might spend our entire four-day on that!  It was interesting, however, that you introduced me to David Tennant through the "Blink" episode – not that I regret it – great episode.  But he hardly has a part in that episode.  Love him in it, all the same.  I just wondered if you had any particular reason for that.

My big conundrum is whether or not I should take it home to my family.  My youngest sister is twelve years old.  Being the youngest, she's been introduced to some strange things at perhaps an unprecedented age.  "Emergency!", "Adam 12", "Star Trek", "Star Wars", "Lord of the Rings", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", and on goes the list.  These shows and movies aren't that bad, really, but she got to watch them much younger than I did.  It's not jealousy I'm feeling – it's anxiety.  When I called home, I told my family that I had a new obsession that I wanted to surprise them with when I got home, but now I can't help but wonder if I should bring it home with me at all.  Most of the episodes don't contain a lick of anything "inappropriate" (btw, I've come to hate that word), but they're action packed and someone dies in every episode.  Sometimes the people who die are insignificant, but that's not the point.  The very word "insignificant" is terrible, and that's what I'm worried about.  I'm not worried that my sister will be bothered by what she sees, I'm worried that she won't be.  I'm concerned that she might be rather desensitized to some things that she shouldn't be.

The Doctor is generally a very moral character, for those of you who don't know him.  He values life beyond all else, often even risking his own life and convenience to give the villain a second chance.  Death is rarely something used disgustingly.  There's a lot of "Theology of the Body", as some I know would say.  Lots of people sacrifice themselves for others – sometimes to the death, sometimes not.  That's kind of the whole premise of the show, bravery in the face of treachery.

So I'm not concerned on moral grounds about sharing it with people.  I don't care if death bothers my sister.  It should.  It bothers me.  My friend and I both cringed through the first whole episode we watched together (which had an unusual number of deaths).  If the show bothers my sister, she probably just won't watch it, and that's perfectly fine.  The way I understand my sister, she's at a point where she won't watch stuff that bothers her – which is a perfectly good state of mind, and hopefully we all go through it at some point.  So what scares me about the possibility of bringing my new interest home with me is that she will watch it with me, and that death won't bother her; or if it does, it won't for long.

There's also the need for my family to like it, of course.  Whenever you introduce people you like to something you like, you hope and pray they get along; and it's a little sad when the people you like don't get as enthusiastic as you.  So far, all our recent "family obsessions" have been stuff that my parents were already familiar with.  Look over the list above – all stuff that came around during their youth (or before) and early adult years (for the most part).  But this is something new, something modern, something of my generation that I have to convince my parents to like.

Consider "The Princess Bride".  We would never, ever, ever, ever watch that movie if it came out today (not to mention that it'd probably be a whole lot more immoral, but forgetting that for the moment...).  But because the movie came out when my parents were kids, and it's funny, and it's somewhat infamous among a certain crowd of their generation, my siblings and I were allowed to watch it.  Find a comparable "modern" movie and no one in my family would even think to watch it.  We probably wouldn't even think to watch the "this generation" equivalent of "Back to the Future".  Things gain a certain amount of forgiveness with age.  It's immoral consequences are somewhat irrelevant because it's damage was done and now it's just there, as sort of a museum piece.

But that's just a long rampage.  I'm sure most of my family will like "Dr. Who".  There's just the uncertainty of human unpredictability which always exists.  ...Not sure that's an English sentence.  Is it possible to get across my meaning without the double negative?  Is it a double negative?  ...Well, you know what I mean.

~Meggy

For those who do know the Doctor, here's just a fun video that, if you haven't already seen, you have to see!

 

(Must watch in full screen!)

Who Wants to be a Nerd!

Ahhhhh.  I am filled with sighs today.

Lately I've really aspired to the lofty title of "nerd".  As "Supplementing Your Summer" should have revealed to you, I tend to admire certain people, become fascinated by them, and then want to be like them.  Well....  Anyway, the evidence is not conclusive.  I like studying and so on.  What's to say that The Big Bang Theory has anything to do with it?

You know, it was the same thing when I was a kid.  Unpopular and impressed by boys, I wanted so bad to be a tomboy.  I told myself I was.  I was heartbroken when my mother told me I wasn't.

Well, so what if I'm a nerd?  I'm unsociable and like to read, learn, and work hard.  I like knowing tidbits of information about which no one else cares and which would almost certainly rarely come in handy.  I could very well be a nerd.  A person doesn't have to be a genius to be a nerd, nor unattractive, nor unstylish.  I suppose one could say that a nerd is someone who isn't "up to date" on the culture.  Certainly, I don't really dress like many of the other freshman, but there are many styles here, so I don't really stand out.  I used to be really out of style, but I've learned.  Maybe I'm like Sam Sparks.

 

Listen to me – trying to convince myself that I'm a nerd.  The truth is "nerd" isn't really defined definitively, and so I could be a nerd as far as the parameters stipulate: "an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person, esp: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits".  Now, I'm not a genius, per se – not yet....  *insertevilcackle*

Okay, well, if I'm going to be a genius, I better get back to studying!

~Meggy

P.S.  I'm sorry if I've been boring lately.  Since coming to college, things have changed.  I may be in a writer's block, or it may be that keeping up a blog for my family has been draining my creative juices.  I just don't seem to have it in me to write entries like the ones I used to.  Although, if you look back, it has been sometime since I've written like I used to.  Perhaps I've grown up.  I also have an unforeseen problem, as I try to figure out just how much of my real life I want to share.  When I was home schooled and living at home, there were precious few people I could compromise and few important events in my life that I should double think about sharing.  I was at a stand still, in a matter of speaking.  Nothing was changing very much unless it was intellectual.  Temporal changes are a little more delicate.  Furthermore, writing about my classes for my family makes it boring to write about for you guys, but I write in a different tone for my family than I do for you so I can't just cut and paste.  All the same, I am unwilling to give up on this blog, so don't go away!  I'll still be around.  Being a nerd, as we have now established, means that I have urges that must be taken care of – such as discussing Star Trek – which just can't be satisfied anywhere else!

Nímmoh'ín

....

But it was not fickleness or lack of affection or even a lack of love for him which drove him from her mind; there were many important goings on in Wassying.

First there was an epidemic, which kept Dr. Jacobi busy for some weeks, well into November, just as the first snows were falling.  Kate offered her help wherever she could and soon found herself as stretched thin as the doctor, who came down with it himself before it was all over.  Almost everyone recovered, but they lost Mrs. Mason’s Trisha, aged five, and Mrs. Alford’s baby Emma, aged not yet one year.  The ceremony, for each was put together quickly before the ground froze solid, and it was a great community affair.
 

As the children were laid together in a barrow, Trisha’s sister Margaret and Emma’s sister Lilly sang an old burial song, the origins of which no one knew anymore.  It was in a language the Wassy did not know or understand, and the exact translation was long forgotten, but it went like this:

Pelela, pelela, pelelæ jah’esones
Ŧehloh cauŧuvav, iëmen elnon heï æċo
Rúd orætín hah élo
Planeg jokæ læjonahes jenàæl heï hesanaiën
Pelela, pelela, pelelæ jah’esones
Honem shúgélo f’élo en’lebenon’emen
En’la’élo’shúgeg roshengœ ŧenges

Loosely, it meant:

Peace, peace, peaceful may you rest
Beneath the earth, so dark and cold
Time hath taken of your breath
Locked it someplace concealed and old
Peace, peace, peaceful may you rest
But leave to those left behind
A memory soft and kind

It's a language that I've invented called Nímmoh'ín.  The accented 'i' sounds like long E, and the H, because it comes at the "end", sounds something like 'ache' in the German 'ache, du leiber' or like the Scottish 'loch'.  It ends in a raspy breath.  Don't let the O get drowned out -- it's long, but it does get slightly toned down by the H.

(The excerpt comes from a novel I am writing that I have mentioned in previous posts.)

~Meggy

Supplementing Your Summer: Balance

Balance Exercises

(songs at the end)

If you find the above downright easy, or when you do, it may be time to move on to something a little more complicated, and I know nothing better than ballet exercises.

First, to get the most out of the following, I would recommend that you stand in first position and do some plies, with your glutes tight, working the rotation in your legs (do not rotate from the ankles: a.k.a, turn your leg out from the hip and do not force your foot any further than that!).

You needn't go all the way down to grande plie

Okay, so first exercise:

 

That's a passe, and it's not too hard (don't lean over as far as the rightmost girl appears to be).  (If you wish, you could try this with your leg turned in, so that it points straight out in front of you.)  Remain tall - let go.  Hold.  As long as you can, and remember to hold control, even when putting your foot down.  Too easy?  Try it on releve:

 

Unless you're a dancer or perhaps a gymnast, you probably won't be able to get up on releve that high^, and that's okay (it comes with a lot of practice and time).  But the higher your heel and the straighter your leg, the less likely you are to strain something and the better your balance will be.  (If you want to improve your strength, put the ball of your foot on the edge of a stair and rise all the way up and down.)

Anyway, in releve, try the passe again.  Keep doing this until you're solid (30 seconds would be a good goal, but start small).  Some tips:

- remember standing up tall and lifting yourself from the crown of your head?  Vitally important here.

- And be constantly lifting the leg in passe from the thigh toward the ceiling (not with your hand).  It keeps an up momentum.  But keep your big toe lightly touching the side of your knee

- Think "up" if you have to!

- keep your upper body lifted!  If you sag, it's like holding a sleeping baby - heavy

.................................

If you make it to this point, congratulations!  Now, in releve, coupe.  I suggest doing it front of your ankle:

 

If you can stand in releve like that, "extend out" - stretch your leg out to the side without collapsing!  Remain at all times lifted to the ceiling!

*wipes brow*  Whew!  If we get threw these to the point of ease, let's move on.  ...But till then, let's just do these over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over........

You could also try doing these while standing on a pillow, brushing your teeth, stirring a pot on the stove, etc..

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

Next, we'll talk about names

~Meggy

What's this? 

 Ain = own

(Have not watched this video, I only know the song)

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?

How to Sit (wikihow)

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

~Meggy





What's this?

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).

Improving your running form can help you run faster, more efficiently, and with less stress on your body and reduced risk of injury. Follow these tips to work on perfecting your running form.

Look Ahead

Your eyes should be focused on the ground about 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. Don't stare at your feet. Not only is this proper running form, but it's also a safer way to run because you can see what's coming.

More: Tips for Running Safely

Land Midfoot

Don't be a toe runner or a heel-striker. If you land on your toes, your calves will get tight or fatigue quickly and you may develop shin pain. Landing on your heels means you have overstrided and you're braking, which wastes energy and may cause injury. Try to land on the middle of your foot, and then roll through to the front of your toes.

More: Which Part of my Foot Should I Land On?

Keep Your Feet Pointed Straight Ahead

Make sure your toes are pointed in the direction you want to go. Running with your feet pointed in or out could lead to running injuries.

Keep Hands at Your Waist

Try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle. Some beginners have a tendency to hold their hands way up by their chest, especially as they get tired. Ironically, you may actually get more tired by holding your arms that way and you'll start to feel tightness and tension in your shoulders and neck.

Relax Your Hands

As you run, keep your arms and hands as relaxed as possible. You can gently cup your hands, as if you are holding an egg and you don't want to break it. Don't clench your fists because it can lead to tightness in the arms, shoulders, and neck.
More: How to Avoid Tension While Running

Check Your Posture

Keep your posture straight and erect. Your head should be up, your back straight, and shoulders level. Keep your shoulders under your ears and maintain a neutral pelvis. Make sure you're not leaning forward or back at your waist, which some runners do as they get fatigued. Check your posture once in a while. When you're tired at the end of your run, it's common to slump over a little, which can lead to neck, shoulder, and lower-back pain. When you feel yourself slouching, poke your chest out.

Relax Your Shoulders, Too

Your shoulders should be relaxed and square or facing forward, not hunched over. Rounding the shoulders too far forward tends to tighten the chest and restrict breathing.

Rotate Arms from the Shoulder

Your arms should swing back and forth from your shoulder joint, not your elbow joint.

Don't Bounce

Try to keep your stride low to the ground and focus on quick stride turnover. Too much up-and-down movement is wasted energy and can be hard on your lower body. Take short, light steps, as if you're stepping on hot coals. The higher you lift yourself off the ground, the greater the shock you have to absorb when landing and the faster your legs will fatigue.
More: How Do I Avoid Bouncing When I Run?

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?