Prompts and a mini-update

If you are anything like me, sometimes the simple desire to be writing isn't enough.  It sounds outlandish, but there are times that no matter all my good ideas or interesting thoughts...I just can't write--It's been known to happen.

And if that is the case than you have probably scoured the interwebs looking for topics and suggestions... oh? Not so much? Huh...guess it's just me, then.  Anyway, in my desire to find journaling/blogging/thinking prompts I came across about 8,860,000 results, many of which were aimed at children.  What's up with that? Only kids need help coming up with topics?!

This is a GREAT blog that provides a prompt on Saturday, lets you respond to it on Sunday, and YOU can link from it to your post for all their followers to read :) it is fantastic blog networking!
http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/


Anyway, here, for your enjoyment are the best of the bunch, in my eyes, anyway.  Having shuffled through the different options I hope these sites will help you find some inspiration!

 http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/2009/09/11/119-journal-prompts-for-your-journal-jar/

by far my favorite, this one not only provides prompts but a myriad of other nifty, fun, and useful journaling ideas!

http://freeology.com/journal/

this, while a little more aimed for kids, has some good jumping off points

http://staff.esuhsd.org/danielle/english%20department%20lvillage/journals.html

scroll down to the "additional prompts" for some interesting ideas.  If you're feeling daunted by the number of prompts, just skim down the list--if it catches your eye, it's gotta be worth a real look.

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/journal-prompts.html

while this one is DEFINITELY aimed at young students, it has some great ideas--and remember you don't have to write from your perspective--make it more interesting and choose the viewpoint of someone who thinks completely (or partially) different from you! 

http://pyxlin-journal-prompts.wikidot.com/

with over 700 different prompts this site could be intimidating.  however, there are some serious gems in there, from "what makes you feel safe?" to "who is one of the most interesting people you've met?"

http://journalingprompts.com/

this one is a little doofy, but being able to hover over the asterisk to see the prompt is a neat way to focus on one at a time :)

http://www.squidoo.com/journal-prompts

I like this one because of the "Prompt a Day" element :) If only I could make myself make the time!

http://www.writingforward.com/category/journal_writing/journal-prompts

This one is AWESOME because, like the first one, this is, essentially, a site devoted to writing :)  Who could ever complain about that?

Do you have a favorite site to go to when you need a little help? Do you like these? Or are you doing fine without the interwebz help? =D

Oh! The update is that I have a new job :) and so my schedule is a little wonky right now!

Nightingale-was it a vision or a waking dream?

Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don't think two people could have been happier 'til this terrible disease came. I can't fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can't even write this properly. I can't read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that – everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been. V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I feel that the above is one of the most beautiful letters ever written.  It is also, sadly, a suicide note--also probably the most beautiful ever written.  It is from Virginia Woolf to her husband.  


I recently finished The Paris Wife, a historical fiction novel by Paula McLain.  Written from the perspective of Hadley Richardson, it details Ernest Hemingway's first marriage and it's downfall.  It is clear, from their respective biographies, that the relationship is doomed, almost from the very beginning.  They both grew up in homes where the women ran the show, to disastrous results for both Hadley and Ernest.  Furthermore, even though they both love the other deeply, Earnest really was too damaged.


He increased the effects of his damage, he perpetually needed validation in everything he did.  When he didn't receive that validation, or it wasn't to his satisfaction, he was cruel and manipulative.  Hadley, who never had the chance to develop herself as a person, never had the chance to be better than he believed her to be.


She was, in many ways, the perfect companion for Ernest.  She just wasn't the perfect wife.  Not because she didn't try but because Ernest would never find the perfect wife.  He couldn't find that happiness.




I understand why Ernest was the way he was, but I can never forgive him.  I would say that he was, in fact, very very ill.  He drank himself stupid, he alienated almost every friend he made, and married four times.


I wonder if The Sylvia Plath Effect is real.  James C. Kaufman posited in 2001 that all poets (although he decided to mention that women poets are more likely to be effected) are more likely to be mentally ill than other professions, such as politicians (which I think that is WAY off--have you ever met a stable politician, really?), artists, and actresses.  It is backed up by other psychological research.


All of this makes me wonder...at what point do we control our illness and at what point does the illness control us?

VIRGINS! *cue thunder!*

October is my favorite month. Halloween is my favorite time of year.  If I could I would live in a Halloween world :)

However, in honor of my favorite month and holiday, I will be linking to tons of fun and funky videos that are Halloween themed! =)

SO, starting off this awesome post iiiiiiis!

And then followed by THIS

and...

With a special guest appearance by...

And Finally:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (probably another Halloween themed post to come soon)

Special thanks to

Nostalgia Chick

Nostalgia Critic

Michael Jackson and

Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers! 

autumnal poem

regal trees diaphanous untold

and watch the dying light

hills irascible

horizons where forevers flow

and fading in the ending back

the lifetime slips away

I sometimes wish I could be a hermit.  It would be nice, I think, to live somewhere where I could do that.  Or to live in a Thoreauvian manner, with three chairs to determine my level of socialism.  Three chairs for company, two for a friend to come in, and one to have solitude.

There would be some nice elements to this.  Especially the part where, if I were truly Thoreauvian I would be not too far from town, so I could still engage in my many social habits while cultivating my personal solitude.

Is it any wonder I love the fall?

Super Sonic Rock Stars!

It's officially here. The End Of Summer and The Beginning Of School.  There are few days as exciting and worrisome as the first days of school, but now that I am not in the school going crowd, I know I am going to miss it.  And, ok, yes I will mostly miss the new school supplies, and I will miss seeing my friends, but even the new classes, making new friends, and the feeling that something great is in store for me are all missing.

Oddly, last year I could hardly wait for school to end, and in a lot of ways I am glad I'm not going back yet.  However, there are truths about me that don't care if I am in or out of school.  I will always love to learn, to write, to read.  I like making new friends (something that can be difficult in your hometown), and I like making plans, like having Sanity-Gelato, with those friends.

So, to all my dear friends who are starting new school years, I have only a little advice for you.  Enjoy it to the fullest.  Make un-fun things fun! And... keep in touch, because I miss you!

XOXO Happy new School year!

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-A Review

Dear Reader,

As with the GLaPPPS, this post is brought to you in the form of a letter.  Giving glimpses into the lives of our protagonist and her growing circle of friends, GLaPPPS lands the audience in the ravaged remnants of WWII era England, as well as the English Channel.

I cheered, I cried, I laughed. I grew very fond of the characters, so well described in their letters as to become real to me.  The mark of a truly great book, in my view, is one that captivates the reader to such an extent that they feel they are a secret, silent part of the story.  The level of intimacy brought through letters is hard to find, even when reading a persons deepest secrets, as there is a level of suspense that is required in many books. The GLaPPPS provides the suspense by not revealing the immediate responses given from one party to another.  However the interest in the characters and their stories is not dampened or hindered by the omission.  Rather, the longing to understand the inner workings and the sweet friendships that exists between these people propels the reader forward, hinting only at the depths of their intimacies.

Another exceptional element to the letter is the admission of faults.  No where else does a reader find so much self-deprecating honesty as in a letter from one dear friend to another.  The ability to own up to a fault comes much easier when you do not have to see the receptacle to this honesty as they digest such unpleasant information.  In no other form is it so inviting to admit to your own weaknesses as in a letter.

Finally, the reason I suggest reading the GLaPPPS is because the beauty of the story is something no person should let themselves miss out on.  Bringing together the truth of the era, the accuracy of human nature, and the tenderness of real love, the GLaPPPS is a literary treasure I wont soon forget!

All my love,

Kayla

P.S. There is something so splendid about reading good books, loving good things, and cultivating a mind and body as faithfully as one can that makes every day exceptionally beautiful! XOXO

Back from my World Travels!

Heya! Finally made it back to the US from Ireland!  I could never choose one part of my trip that was the "best" because so much of it was fun, silly, and interesting.  However, just for the heck of it, here is a top 10 list of my trip to Ireland (no particular order!):
1. Driving on the wrong side of the road! I can't tell you how many times I told Kerry "Stay to the Left, you'll be alright." Lucky for both of us, she remembered most of the time!
2. Castles. They are everywhere! On hillsides, at the top of the Cliffs of Moher, even in the middle of a golf course!  It became almost laughable how often we saw them!
3. The Cliffs of Moher.  These cliffs are the largest in Ireland and are completely surprising.  When looking at them rising out of the ocean, all I could think was "Why would anyone ever see that and decide to live there!?"
4. Inisheer Island.  This is the smallest of the Aran Islands and it is an adorable fishing village.  The tour around the island was rushed for us, but was still interesting.  They have the fields all sectioned off with rock walls because the rock needs to be removed to make room for the cattle anyway.  It creates an interesting patchwork of rocks, grass, and cows.
5. Crowley Castle.  After stopping outside of Bantry at the Crowley dairy, Johnny and Dympna sent us toward the castle.  We struggled for a while, but eventually, with the help of a very cute farmer whose land the castle is on, we found it.  As it turns out, it's more like the Crowley Wall.
6. Johnny & Dympna.  We stayed at their B&B, Drumcloc house, and enjoyed talking with them about family.  Plus, I got to take a walk down to the ocean with their two silly dogs. It doesn't get better than that!
7. The Kilarney House B&B.  The reason that this one is included is because it is called the Kilarney House, is located in the middle of Cork City, County Cork, and is run by an Indian gentleman. It was all very silly!
8. Cornetto. This ice cream, featured in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, is DELICIOUS! I highly recommend a trip to the UK with the express purpose of having this ice cream!
9. Northern Ireland.  I have gained a great amount of knowledge, some understanding, and a whole bushel of curiousity about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Possible topic for an upcoming blog.
10. Coming home again! I know, it seems silly, but when you have had a burger that tasted so weird it seemed like the Devil must have made it (as some kids at the airport gracefully described it), it is a pleasure to come home, even if you have to give up mid-afternoon Guinness.

I hope this little summary helps out and I cannot wait to get back to posting!
XOXO
World Traveller!

Tonight

I have been running around a lot lately, and feeling as though I haven't actually gotten anything done.  Mostly my last few days have been a flurry of researching different packing methods, hastily cuddling my dog, and saying "goodbye" to one of my best friends.  Nevertheless, there is such beauty that I cannot miss it.

Nearly everything has melted and the runoff and flooding has subsided (kinda).  The world is green!!! The mountains shimmered in the setting sun, as if breathing in the warmth and light.  And more than that, the clouds and the sky! Oh, the sky has been bluer than I remembered. It is more cerulean than a cerulean blue, more live than an electric blue, more illustrious than a royal blue, and the only color coming close to it is, perhaps, azure.  The clouds are enormous, dignified galleons and puffy, squat tugboats sailing along in shades of poppy, cerise, violet, and pink.  The closer they sail towards the looming horizon the more the setting sun lights them on fire, turning them orange and flame and crimson.

And as the sun leaves our little circle, and the moon takes to the skies, the azure of the sky melts in to iris, then indigo, finally resting into a deep, sultry regalia.  The clouds, in turn, become silver and periwinkle, with bruised shadows of iceberg and ceil.  The stars glimmer through, winking at our world as if they hold secrets they cannot wait to share, if only we had the language.  The breeze twists itself around the aspen trees, making the leaves sing a night-song meant for the stars and the moon, not for me.  And the fact that I hear this night-song makes it contraband.

"A still more glorious dawn awaits, not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise--a morning filled with 400 billion suns!"-Carl Sagan
XOXO

Do the Jingle!

Tonight I am sitting in the office, watching Iron Man 2 on Netflix.  I know that movies, in general terms, are brain gum, especially action flicks.  But I cannot help myself, the real world part of me (I know, you didn't think it even existed!), has to ask the silly questions.

For instance, and this one always plagues me, WHAT do insurance companies do when Iron Man, Wolverine, or Michael Bay -ahem, I mean Alien Robots in Disguise- stike?  Or what about all these SuperVillains? What would State Farm or All State say if you got on the phone to explain that Gru's huge Villain-mobile blew a hole in the front of your house? Somehow I don't think singing the jingle would help you.

Or, for that matter, would Geiko or Farmers insure your Batmobile or Invisible Plane?

Just some other bits of brain gum to chew on =) Sorry for the short post, I'm getting ready to go to Ireland and have been filling out lots of job applications.  I promise interesting news as soon as I have it!

XOXO Do the jingle!

The Witching Hour, a la Paris

A few nights ago I dreamt that I was in Paris.  I went swimming in the Siene (which in my odd dream world was simple a creek flowing between buildings, something I know to be false), and had to stuff millions of folded-up napkins under one of the legs of the Eiffel Tower to keep it from wobbling like a bad table in a cheap restaurant. 

Tonight, I watched the new Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris.  From the very beginning, I was enamored with the Paris that Allen presents.  30 second shots of Paris from streets so narrow a car shouldn't be able to fit to the Eiffel tower to people walking in the rain, with the Arc de Triomphe in the background.  Cafes and scarves, women on bicycles, men in fashionable suits.  Before the plot even began, I knew that if Allen could create this film with the same love he created those simple shots, this would be a triumph.

And it was.  Blending fantasy, time travel, science fiction, and historical persona's with a modern, callused, blase attitude toward the antiquated, the film honors the past while showing the important joys of the present, and looking eagerly toward the future.  Hemingway, Stein, Fitzgeralds (both F. Scott and Zelda), Dali, Man Ray, T. S. Eliot, and so many others make their characters known, balancing the truths of the people with the love that any good Liberal Arts Major has for them.  The strikingly harsh difference between the Artistes and the modern characters forces the audience to realize that all the technology and modernity that is at our fingertips (literally, as I type this is at my very fingertips), is not always a necessity.  It helps the viewer to ask what love is, who deserves it, and how is it obtained.

Love is a beautiful treasure, that only the City of Love could ever convey.  The French understand something that we Americans are perpetually trying to ignore.  There are hundreds of different kinds of love and hundreds of ways it can apply to us.  As people we can love our husband or our wife, we can love our lovers, we can love our mortal enemies.  The film captures this beautiful, enigmatic idea, challenging the audience to believe that not only is love possible, but it can approach, capture, and ensnare our every fiber at any time, and in any place. 

Time is not as linear as we would like to believe, so if you have not yet seen this film, for whatever reason, Turn off the Computer And GO!
XOXO, love on!

Vroom Vroom!

For some, it is the gateway to the mountains, skiing, biking, rafting, fun, and something "more."  For others, it is the link to museums, shopping, food, theatre, and something "more."

The drive from Denver to Steamboat Springs is unparalleled.  Driving up I-70, the road scales, dips, curves in ways that seem to defy the laws of physics.  The mountains rise up around you, but not in the imposing way of sky scrapers, but as though they are holding up the sky, opening up and inviting you.  The trees, even as they are dying (darn beetles!!!), create an interesting and stark backdrop to the intensity of the roads.  The aspens and wildflowers provide relief to both the living and dying evergreens. 
Towns speckle the mountains, popping up where the slopes can create choice skiing, snowboarding, biking, and the rivers provide exceptional kayaking, tubing, and rafting.

Visually, the drive from Steamboat to Denver is the same. With one glaring difference.  Instead of going to an outdoor fun, there is a different type of fun that is being sought after.  Cultural elements, theatre, dancing, museums, art shows, music, and shopping are the order of the day. 

A completely different vibe radiates from the city than Ski Town USA.  Both are important and both are exciting.  However the truly important part is the drive.  Most drivers keep their windows up and their A/C on high.  I like the windows down and the tunes cranked.  The smell of the mountain air, whether you are coming or going, is invigorating.  Sing along to the radio! It doesn't matter if you have the voice of an angel or if your singing makes the cats yowl in reply.  You are on the open road, the music is playing, the wind is running through your hair, the sun is beaming in through the windows. 

My favorite part about driving in the mountains is that there are turn-offs everywhere.  Picturesque landscapes are no longer confined to rectangular frames on walls; rather they surround you, encouraging, even begging you to experience them. So get out of the car! Pick some of the wild flowers growing along the edges. Take pictures. 

XOXO The drive is the important part.

Happy Michael Bay Day

Well, it's come and past, another year of celebrating our country-dom! Recently I began to wonder what the difference, if any, was between patriotism and nationalism. Turns out, not that much. Patriotism is being proud of being a citizen of your country for no reason other than you are a citizen of your country.  Nationalism is that except with political elements expressly included, essentially.  If you really want to know more you can wikipedia that on your own.

As you can imagine, I spent the day with my own special brand of dysfunctional family :) (is there any other kind?).  We watched the parade through downtown Steamboat Springs, CO, and since there was a gentle breeze and no humidity to speak of, it was a rather bearable temperature.  Promptly following was lunch at Sweetwater Grill (very tasty but don't go with more than 10 people otherwise they seem to get frazzled and forget peoples entrees) followed by a jaunt to Pearl Lake for a quick dip.  Then drinks and fun at a friends house, dinner at Rex's, gelato at Ciao Gelato.  The day culminated in fireworks that would make Michael Bay very very proud.

Steamboat had the biggest fireworks display in the state of Colorado this year, and dominated the scene for the surrounding states, too.  Sitting on a porch, watching the sky and my friends and family's faces light up as if they were in the daylight was nothing short of resplendent.  Even with all the drama, all the tourists, all the small and large annoyances, I will always be transfixed by a stellar fireworks display.  Fifteen minutes of pyrotechnics that felt like one enormous finale, I was captivated by this years explosions.  The sound ricocheted off the mountains, rolling around our valley like thunder.

It was perfect.

I have seen fireworks in 2 cities that should out shine ours, Boston & Chicago.  Both had such huge numbers of people that it was miserable to find a decent view.  Chicago's fireworks were, well, pathetic.  You know the fireworks that people sometimes smuggle from Wyoming into Colorado. The ones that are great compared to the dinky little ground based ones but are nothing compared to real fireworks? Well, those are the fireworks I saw in Chicago. Sorry, Windy City, but that was one "eh" display.  Boston, you had an amazing display. That I watched on TV because the number of people combined with unfortunately timed rain caused me to flee inside to "watch" the broad cast of it.  I have every faith that if it weren't raining that year I would have been so completely blown away I would have to try to make ours seem as good.

So, is there any negative about the Steamboat fireworks?  Well, yes.  The music they insist on choreographing the fireworks to.  Sure, it's a country radio station, and yes, country music artists will never be in short supply of blindly patriotic (not that there is any other kind) songs, but there is a reason Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is so freaking great!  That song is build for explosions (Michael Bay, please never use it in a movie. It would make me cry).  Or Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries! That would be an amazing piece to bring together with fireworks!

Still, in a town that has fireworks every week for no apparent reason, this year's Independence Day pyrotechnics went above and beyond what we could have expected!

Bum buh-buh bum bum, Bum buh-buh bum bum, Bum buh-buh bum bum, Bum bum bum bum!
(That is, obviously, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, hehehe)

XOXO... "Jamie Want Big Boom" (Jamie Hyneman, Mythbusters)

Genre Checklist: Fantasy...

Genre is a simple concept.  Non-fic, fiction, YAF, biography, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, graphic novels, self help, classical, westerns, romance. The list goes on and on, with a million other options in blending and combining any of them.

So, the quandry comes when readers insist upon not using common sense while reading.  I often come across review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and generally across the web that, while valuable, often forget exceedingly important details about genre.

Take YAFF, or Young Adult Fantasy Fiction. If we break this down it is part YAF and part fantasy.  If you break it down further, look at Fantasy. Fantasy is seeped in magic, paranormal, and supernatural.  So why is it that so many readers never seem to remember that fantasy is just that, fantasy?

Therefore, here is a checklist, straight up, as reminders on what fantasy combined with YAF is:
1. Magic.  If you have any problem with a plot that uses magic as a BIG HUGE plot device, then all I can tell you is: BACK AWAY FROM THE FANTASY BOOK!
2. Supernatural/paranormal. Don't like ghosts, witches, trolls, and made up alternate realities? Then step away from the fantasy section.
3. If you think that there is anything weird about alternate realities that lead to other alternate realities or iridencent rocks that hold people's souls, colors that don't exist (in our world, at least) or words that are "made up", then you should probably just go back to something more straight edged.

As for the young adult fiction part of this...well, that is another post for another time!
XOXO, Happy Reading!