Proper Mug Utilization for the Home & Office

In case you forgot how to use a mug, the helpful people over at The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild have come up with an instructional video.



Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Blog vs. Real Life Disconnect

I talk about things that I’m passionate about to my IRL friends. And they just look at me blankly. I talk about LetterMo and how it’s modeled after NaNoWriMo. And They look at me like, “What language was that?” I never realized how odd it is that I blog. And maybe it isn’t odd. It’s just that the people I talk to on a regular basis don’t blog, don’t journal, don’t write letters, don’t DO a lot of the same things I do.

And that’s FINE! I love all my IRL friends. I just have to remember that they may not be interested, or need more clarification, explanation, whatever.

It’s just amazing to me that not everyone has this deep need to get their words out. I get this feeling, that I have to get out what’s in my head, heart, soul in order to let go and move on. It’s almost like an itch that needs to be scratched. And I think why I’m so surprised is that in today’s society it’s common for people to put out their most inner thoughts on social media. Hell, what is Twitter if not blogging in microscopic form? But to ask someone to write more than 140 characters, they can’t comprehend it. It’s weird, to me at least.

It’s funny, my Mom always told me I’d make a great writer. I never really thought about it. And I never sat down and thought out a story, or plotline, or anything like that. But then I ran across an article online or something that said something to the effect of “Blogging is essentially published writing.” And that made me pause. Am I really a writer? Is this need to get stuff out of me, what Real Writers like Neil Gaiman and Juliet Blackwell feel? Only they have entire worlds to get out, I just have a rant, rave or some other nonsense.

Do any of my blog readers have the same feeling? Do you think of yourselves as writers? What do your IRL Non-Blogging friends think of your blog?

LetterMo

I started with GUSTO. But then, halfway into the month, I haven’t received a single letter. Well, I did get an email from the soldier I adopted, (I’ll explain in another post) and it’s to be expected, hell he’s in Afghanistan, he’s got better things to do than sit down and write a letter in longhand. And though I didn't post my mail address on there, I did post asking for people to send me a note on the side. And I've gotten two or three responses from that. But it seems as though the LetterMo forum has become yet another popularity contest; a sort of free-for-all swap meet when it comes to letters. Now, I know we all have our hobbies, writing, reading, watching movies, knitting, whatever. And when we find a group of like minded people our first (and probably most natural) inclination is to jump in and try to meet as many people as possible. Again, nothing wrong with it.

It’s just not for me.

I want pen-pals so I can form a connection. A deep connection that isn’t translatable to a post card or an art piece. Granted, they are always fun to receive. But I’m not going to send them, so it’s kind of one sided for people. And I don’t want to disappoint anyone. So, I don’t respond to the massive amounts of:

“Write me!”

“I’ll send you a post card to complete your collection.”

"Navigating these boards is too boring, I just want a massive list of addresses, so I can essentially send out a form letter, just in an artsy package."

I want to find a few people that I can have an amazing correspondence with; sort of a Best-Friend-in-the-Mailbox kind of thing. Instead I’m being shunted to the side because I’m not marching along to the same cadence as everyone else.

I’m sure I’ll find someone there that is interested in the same thing; a nice, thought out letter, specific to the person and their interests, a person more interested in the substance of the letter, rather than the number of items in the mailbox.

I've found a few prospects, we'll see if things progress.

I. Am. AWESOME!!!

No, really.

I was able to overcome my fear of needles and I donated blood.


I am Wonder Woman!!!!

Woohoo!!!

I know it doesn't seem like much, but at 31 this is the first time I was willing and able to donate.

Take that puny needles. Your super powers no longer affect me. Muahhhahahahahah!!!!

Sorry, maybe I'm a still a little lightheaded. I'll go find something to munch on, just to be sure.

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Try, try again.

At giving blood. I tried to donate blood yesterday and almost passed out.

I didn't even make it to the cot, people. I was getting light headed after the little lancet prick on my fingertip to test for anemia. Granted, I've had issues with needles. I've gotten to where I can have blood drawn without an issue. But I think that's because I haven't had any experience with lancets on my fingertip.

So, I'll be trying again tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

The Invitation - by Oriah

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

© 1995 by Oriah House, From "Dreams of Desire"

Published by Mountain Dreaming, 300 Coxwell Avenue, Box 22546, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4L 2A0

I'll be following up with a book review based on this poem by Oriah once I finish it.

Lazy Sunday Movie: Super Bowl

Ok so it's not a movie. I just love the Super Bowl! I love the atmosphere, the friends and family, the commercials, the game ( if it's close, or I've got squares) and sometimes the half-time show. Though, I'm not a big Madonna fan.

Last year's half-time show proved to me that Angel Baby needed to get into dance ASAP. She kept doing all the moves the Black-Eyed Peas were doing, just a second or two behind.

This year, we're going to my Sister-in-Law's for their Soul-per Bowl. They have "Soul" food instead of just the usual SB game fare.

So here's to a fun and relaxing afternoon for all of you. And keep an eye out for the Matthew Broderick Honda and the Dogs Barking the Vader theme for Volkswagon commercials. (I love the AT-AT at the end.) I also am hoping for a good Budwiser Clydesdale horse commercial...and the E-Trade Baby...and....

Yeah, I'm just a bit obsessed.

May whichever team you are rooting for win! And if any of you have squares, may your numbers pay off BIG!

Cursive Writing - No longer being taught?

So, as you all know, I've decided to join in on LetterMo. I said that I love my handwriting. Not to toot my own horn, but it is nice and clear to read. In fact, at work they have me write out the stuff that needs "nice handwriting". Anyway, come to find out from my co-worker, her son's school is no longer teaching cursive writing.

I get the fact that teachers are strapped for time and that learning typing skills is necessary. However, I don't think that cursive writing should be discarded so easily. What will happen in a few years when college graduates can't read a simple note written in cursive? Not to mention that fact that I have student employees right now that have horrific writing. And it's not even in cursive either!

I understand that you need to teach the basics, but didn't the saying go, "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic"? What's next? Are we going to rely on computers, nooks, iPads, whatever reading to our children?

All I know is that regardless, my children will learn to write in cursive, and will learn to write well. I'm planning on having them write in a journal every day. That way, they can not only work on their penmenship, but they can also have a large cache of their history. What were they thinking about when they were 5. How well their handwriting has gotten over the years. And granted, I'm sure there will be times when it's more of a chore than anything. But they will appreciate it one day, when they discover how rare it is to be able to write and write well.

And no, I won't read their journals. I'll give then other things to write out. Like the Declaration of Independence, their vocabulary words, or an article on a topic they like. Something. Anything to get them to practice a much needed skill!!!

And they will also, undoubtedly KNOW how to read!

So what are your thoughts about this?

New Craft Project - Cross Stitch Wheel of the Year

First things first.

Happy Imbolc everyone!

I started this project in November. I would be a lot further along if it weren't for three things.

1. Yule.
2. Christmas.

3. The crappy lighting in our living room at home. And since it's dark outside by the time I get home, I can really only work on it on the weekends during the afternoon. That is if we haven't already booked ourselves silly on those days.

But anywho, here it is.

It's difficult to tell what it is I know. but it will be a Wheel of the Year. I've got the center part finished and the other part is part of a spoke that would pointing to SE if it were a compass. Anyway, if you want to see a small pic of the completed project go here. If you "look inside" it's the pillow on the top right of the copyright page. I'm not doing a pillow. I'm making it into a framed piece. But if you're into cross-stitch and fantasy/pagan theme projects, would recommend it. I really like the book, it's got a lot of fun ideas.

Oh, and the black dotted lines are just to help me tell where all the stitches are. I prepped my fabric by finding the center. Then I decided to to lines for every 10th stitch. It's really helped me a lot in figuring out where to put the next stitch. And when I'm done, I'll pull my guide lines out. The only thing to keep in mind if you decide to do this little trick, when you are working near a guide thread, don't split the thread and put a stitch through it. Otherwise, you'll never get the guide line out.