Monday, May 2, 2011

Fun Monday - Let's Get Personal

Remember when I said that I'd share a more personal post soon? Well, Roger from A Screed in Time left me without an excuse to continue procrastinating. Our task this week is to write about our summer plans. Hey, that's what I wanted to write about anyway!

Winning!

No, no, no...not the kind of winning that gets doused in tiger blood and infused with Adonis DNA. I mean the killing two birds with one stone kind of winning. Not that I actually want to kill two birds at all. Unless, of course, I was residing in a post-apocalyptic cave and my family was hungry (cause the rationing might be kinda harsh) and a couple of birds wandered in...and there happened to be a stone in my hand. Note that I didn't say that I WOULD kill them, only that I'd want to. Luckily for the birds, I throw like a girl. A girl who can't throw. I have to make that distinction because I know that there are lots of girls who CAN throw. I just don't happen to be one.

Where was I? Oh yeah, summer. A quick glance at the calendar tells me that we only have 18 school days left. WHOOHOOO!!! I love giving my alarm clock a vacation. As for a vacation for the rest of us, I'm really glad that we were able to go to Disney over the Mardi Gras break because with gas prices the way they are now, I don't expect us to be taking any kind of trip this summer. We were hoping to have an above ground pool installed, but it looks like that is being put on hold again for yet another year. Right now the wonderful therapists at Physical Therapy are getting our pool money. That's okay. Having a hubby who can walk is worth it!

So...since we won't be taking any trips and we won't be getting a pool, what WILL I be doing this summer? Oh, I have plans. Big plans. My life is about to change and I have to make preparations for that change. I'm going to have do some serious organization to fit this change into our lives. I'm even going to have to dedicate a special spot in my house for this change.

No.

This has nothing to do with a baby carriage. It's okay if your mind went there.

When I first announced to my friends that I had big news about a life change, most of them assumed that I was pregnant again. To be honest, that reaction surprised me. After all, when it comes to my reproduction system, I think, at 43, that I'm closer to that OTHER change then I am to expecting another bundle of joy. I think that I'm even looking forward to it.

The preparations that I am going to be making this summer will actually be for the upcoming school year. The space that I'm going to be setting aside will be filled with school books and supplies. My big change is that, beginning next school year, I'm going to be homeschooling my son!

Let's hope that the summer is long enough for me to prepare!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Tea Time Tales - Be Careful What You Wish For

In Good Company gave us an interesting task this week! My quest was to discover what would happen if the fated shoe fit one of Cinderella's stepsisters.


The King is mad decided Drusilla. First he summons us to a last minute, poorly planned ball so that he can parade us like cattle before is spoilt son. Now he declares that the dufus must marry whichever maiden fits a found slipper! Simply mad! And if the King is mad, can the prince be much better? Drusilla knew better than to voice her thoughts aloud. To whom would she entrust them? Mother didn't care about the mental status of the royal family. That they were royal was all that mattered.

Marguerite followed her mother's opinion in all matters. Sometimes Drusilla wondered if her sister was capable of having an independent thought at all. She supposed that such mindlessness must be a desired trait for a crowned princess. Let the slipper fit her, prayed Drusilla. Her heart fell as the Duke lifted the velvet lined chest to reveal it's content. Even from the distance she peered, it was plain that the slipper was sized better for her own foot than that of her sister. Such a tiny footwear would never stretch enough to fit Marguerite. Of course that did not stop the girl from clapping her hands and gleefully squealing "That's MY lost slipper! It's been found!"

The Duke stood unconvinced. "Please be so kind as to remain seated whilst a fitting is attempted," he stiffly requested. As the Page tried in vain to force the slight slipper on Marguerite's foot, an idea flew swept over Drusilla. Cindy! The worthless ward had been caught often enough play acting in Drusilla's shoe keep. Their sizes were near enough. How just would it be for the King to find that his decree would force a union of monarchy successor to the orphaned servant girl!

"M'Lord must surely be parched. Mother, should I see to refreshments?" she offered.

The Countess looked positively stricken, but there was no acceptable way to object.

"A most excellent idea" exclaimed the Duke, reaching to steady the ornate medallion that had begun to swing as he leaned forward to inspect the fitting progress, or lack thereof. Not shoe, but bondage thought Drusilla as she quickly exited. After seeking out Cinderella and explaining the situation, she was surprised to hear the ungrateful brat exclaim "But I don't want to marry the Prince either!!! His palms were sticky and his breath, putrid!"

"Think of the elevation..." began Drusilla before the implication of the protest hit her. "Hold on. You've met the Prince?"

Cindy's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh no. I promised the old woman that I wouldn't speak of it."

"What old woman?"

"The one who sent me to the ball."

Drusilla appraised the figure before her. Yes. How could she not have seen it the night before? But then again, who would have? What clue would have allowed anyone to imagine that it was the
cinder girl in a ball gown! This is my avoidance - if only I can convince her to come forward.

"Oh Ella dear, what a compliment it is that his hands grew moist with anxiety as he drew close! Do not fear his palms will remain so always. Once he feels secure in your good opinion, his nerves will calm. As for the halitosis, one must blame the abundance of garlic in the menu. As princess you can command that the item be banished from the castle. Princess Ella! What a miracle is before you! Seize the chance."

Confusion clouded the girl's face as Drusilla's hopes faded. "I don't know." she whispered. "It seems too much."

"Then remain in our service if you haven't the courage to grasp opportunity when it throws itself at you. Bring out the wine and hurry about it. The Duke is waiting." Drusilla turned to storm out of the room when one final thought occurred to her. "Have you the remaining slipper?"

"In my pocket."

"Keep it hidden and when I am Crowned I shall rescue you from this servitude," she sneered. "I feel perhaps that you would fair better on a pig farm." Leaving the girl to mull the threat, she returned to the receiving room to find Marguerite in tears, her mother distraught and the Duke impatient.

"Forgive my delay your grace. The beverages should be just a moment more."

"That is all well enough, but let us get to the business at hand - or foot, I should say. If you would - " he gestured toward the seat. Obediently, Drusilla sat and extended her foot for the Page. A moment later, the slipper was in place. A whoop of elation that escaped the Page went unrebuked. The Duke rubbed his eyes and bent closer to confirm the fit. Just then, Cinderella brought in the service tray and, glaring at Drusilla, set it down loudly.

"I will not tend swine!" she declared, sticking out her foot to display the slipper's match.

"You stole that!" exclaimed the Countess. "How often must I punish you for
looting through my daughters belongings?"

The Duke sank into a chair, overcome. Drusilla almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"Mother, it is true that our sweet Ella has a penchant for dressing up in the finery you have graciously afforded me, so your mistake is understandable. Nonetheless, I cannot pretend to claim that the slippers as my own. I fear that I would burn in hell eternally if I did not reveal that they do indeed belong to the late Count's daughter. Surely you would not wish such a fate for me?"

The coldness that shots out from her mother's eyes pierced deeply into Drusilla's core. "No, my child. I would not wish that fate for you."

To the Duke the Countess requested "Take this charge from me. She is gladly given over to the court."

Then leveling her gaze at her daughter once more she proclaimed. "It took great character to make such a choice, however, such character is wasted here. I feel perhaps that you would fair better in a nunnery."


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Teaser Tuesday - Jane Eyre

First let me promise that I'll hopefully get a more personal blog entry up soon. Now on to Teaser Tuesday.

MizB of Should Be Reading is our host. Anyone can play.
Simply:

-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my entry for this week:

"Besides, since happiness is irrevocably denied me, I have a right to get pleasure out of life: and I will get it, cost what it may."

"Then you will degenerate still more, sir."

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Monday, April 25, 2011

Fun Monday - holed up

Yay, it's still Monday! I didn't miss it after all! My internet (and phone service) were down for a while, but hopefully that's all been fixed now.

As per A Screed in Time: This week's challenge is going to be about a post-apocalyptic world. Doesn't that sound like fun? Anyway, here is the deal... You knew that the end was coming and prepared yourself for it. In one scenario, you have fashioned a cave into a home for yourself, safe from all the bad stuff on the outside, and you have stocked enough supplies to last for a minimum of twenty years figuring that would be as long as it would take for the bad stuff to clear. In scenario number two, you have acquired a fifty foot boat, yacht if you'd like, and have prepared it in the same manner. The cave has a natural stream flowing through it, and the boat has a desalination device on board, so water will not be a problem. Your challenge is to pick one of the scenarios and explain why you chose one over the other. See how easy that is? By the way - you cannot bring the boat ashore and you are not able to come out of your cave.

My first thought upon reading this was "I wonder if the last part of the Earth Children series was ever finished?" Lo and behold...It IS! What does that have to do with my choice? Well, even though I wasn't very impressed the last few books in the series, there was a time when I was quite enamored with Ayla's tale and that feeling renewed itself in me when I considered whether I'd prefer to spend 20 years in a cave vs a yacht. So I was all prepared to pick the cave. Then I remembered that I currently have a vitamin D deficiency. Yeah, yeah, I know - that's just the latest fad that doctors are freaking out about. Still, the blood work said I was deficient so who am I to argue? Obviously I need sunlight. And I do love water. I guess I have to pick the yacht. Except that I don't want to! Yes, I love water, but I can't get past the constant motion that I would have to endure on the boat. Motion is good...but all the time??? No. I need my moments of still.

Now it's time for me to admit that I think that I cheated. You see, I've already read what Roger wrote. Maybe that's cheating. I don't know. Maybe not. I don't usually read the other posts before I write my own, but tonight I did. And I'm glad that I did because Roger reminded me that I could use the running stream in the cave to produce electricity! With electricity, I can run sun lamps. Whew! Back into the cave I go.

Somebody let me know when I can come back out, okay?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tea Time Tales - Hayley Black

Trying my hand at "Tea Time Tales."

On Tuesday, In Good Company gives out certain prompts to use in creating a short work to be posted by Friday.


This week's gossip:

Who: Hayley Black
What: camera, discovery, snoop, letter
Where: graveyard
First Line: This isn't where she wanted to be.

So here goes:

This isn't where she wanted to be. The discovery of newly begun construction at the cemetery near her apartment had driven Hayley Black to return to her hometown graveyard for the mausolea shot she needed to complete the client's wall collection.

"Shouldn't there be a representation of death to balance the life shown here?" It was more directive than query. He didn't give specifics. He didn't have to. She would get the shot today and have it on his wall before the weekend. The detour was nothing more than a few extra dollars of fuel cost.

Or was it? This was her first visit to the site since Victoria's funeral. The memory of her childhood neighbor brought a soft smile to her face as she slipped through the line of oaks and made her way to the rows of family vault tombs. Victoria was more than just the elderly next door neighbor who kept an eye on her after school. Victoria had been her confidant and comforter. She was the person Hayley turned to when she needed advice. They'd sit for hours on the back porch swing, sipping freshly squeezed lemonade and talking about anything that popped into their heads. When Hayley was younger, Victoria would let her snoop around the spare room in the attic, searching through boxes of yesteryear's toys. As a teen, Hayley borrowed book after book from her neighbor's impressive home library. When her high school boyfriend left for an out of state university, Victoria listened patiently to the whining and then, with an air of sympathy, showed her a letter that her husband sent while he was off fighting in the war. The treasure box that held the letter was stuffed tightly with many more just like it. "Wherever I am, my heart is with you" was that line that touched Hayley the most that day. Victoria's husband had not returned from the war. After Victoria's death, Hayley comforted herself with the idea that her dear friend was finally back in her beloved's embrace.

The view she sought through her camera grew blurry, but there wasn't anything wrong with the lens. Wiping her wet eyes, she tried again. After capturing the shot, she packed away her equipment then began walking slowly back to her car, stopping to kneel briefly at the the grave of her friend.

No, this wasn't where she wanted to be, but part of her was glad that she'd returned.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Fun Monday - Bible Favorite

For this week's Fun Monday, Roger from A Screed in Time asked: "...with us going through Holy week, why not go with a little religion, makes sense, right? So this week, I am looking for one of three answers (gotta give you choices). Please share with the group one of the following; your favorite book in the Bible, your favorite character in the Bible, or your favorite biblically based movie."

Now you might think that with me being a lover of the written word, I would automatically pick the book category. Not so fast! I'm not sure that I can pick a "favorite" book in the Bible. I'll admit that I will turn to the New Testament more often than I do to the Old. In the NT, I prefer reading the Gospels. Of the Gospels...well, there I'm stuck. How do I choose between the accounts?

Favorite character? Again that's a toughie, but this time it's not because I can't make a choice. It's because my choice is more than a "character" to me. He is my Creator.

Moving on to movies. The first one that came to my mind was the one I saw most recently.

One Night with the King


Then there is the one I grew up watching year after year.

The Ten Commandments


But if I have to pick a very favorite, it's going to have to be the one that not only has an all star cast, including Patrick Stewart (Oh Captain, My Captain!), but is also chock full of amazing songs that I enjoy listening to over and over.

So, :::drum roll please::: here a clip of my favorite song in my favorite Biblically based movie.

The Prince of Egypt

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers:

"He watches milk pool in tiny droplets where the straw disappears through her puckered lips until he can't watch anymore, and he has to watch her eyes again. She watches him watch her, no expression at all, until the carton begins to gurgle."

~pg. 26, "Light Always Changes" by Levi Montgomery