Friday Five: Online Time Wasters

I procrastinate with the best of them. This week's Friday Five is about wasting time. I waste most time online. Social media. Games. News. Blogs. Whatever. Here are my top 5.

• Facebook. I spend a lot less time on here since I blocked all the games, but the website stays open from when I get up until I go to bed.
• Twitter. This is another site that stays open from rise to rest. I don't post much on either, but I read everything that comes through!
• Cracked.com. This website is awful. Awfully wonderful that is! I frequently lose 2 or 3 hours thanks to the hilarious writers. I'll go to the site to read 1 article and before I can finish it, I have 12 more tabs open of other articles linked on that page. It really has become quite the problem.
• NaNoWriMo forums. I can also lose several hours here. I'll go into a forum and before I know it, I have twenty different threads open that I *need* to read.
• Last but not least, Hearts. Granted, I don't play this online, but it is on my computer so I count it anyways. Since my last reset (I do it often), I have played 48 games with a 12% winning streak. Granted, winning one means I came in 1^st place... I don't come in 4^th place very often, but finish in 1^st place even less. It's that damn Queen of Spades. I get it every single hand it seems like. The only time I don't get it is when a computer player shoots the moon.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thrift: Crack.com Article

I love Cracked.com. I spend hours there. Imagine my surprise when I found this for today's Thursday Thrift.

Cracked.com's Top 10 Horrifying Thrift Store Finds

Thrift stores are a godsend for the poor and the tragically hip. You can find nearly anything there, and for dirt cheap, too! Even horror.

Especially horror.

Wednesday Wiki: Massacre of Tranent

The random Wiki of the day is the Massacre of Tranent.

In 1797 in Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland, the Massacre took place over a disagreement of locals and the military. The locals objected to being forced to join the military. They drew up a proclamation and gave it to Major Wight, the commanding officer of the recruitment squad. When the proclamation was ignored, they confronted the troops in protest. The soldiers promptly killed several protesters. The fleeing protesters were routed across the countryside by Cinque Port Dragoons, who killed indiscriminately as they went along. 12-20 men, women, and children were killed as a result of the massacre, plus unaccounted wounded. It is said that the soldiers went on to rape and pillage the small town, no doubt adding to that number in the process.


Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Tuesday Tales: The Boy Who Drew Cats

I don't read much in the way of Japanese fairy tales but I thought The Boy Who Drew Cats would be a nice short one for Tuesday Tales.

A small and weak farm boy was not cut out for life on the farm, so instead of doing chores, he drew cats. Lots of them. His parents, tired of feeding a mouth that would not work, sent him to the temple to become a priest. The priests were pleased with how quickly he learned, but he again drew cats everywhere. Finally, they told him that he could not become a priest and sent him away. Before he left, one of the priests advised him to avoid large places at night and to stick with smaller places for safety.

As he wandered, he encountered a big temple and thought he might inquire about them taking him in. He found the temple abandoned. He didn't know the priests had been driven away by a goblin. He found a light burning within and was pleased to find large screens erected around the room. He drew many cats on the screens until he decided to rest for the night. Remembering the priest's advice, he found a small cupboard to sleep in.

In the middle of the night, he heard an awful battle happening within the temple. He stayed within the safety of the cupboard until morning. When he climbed out of the cupboard, he was amazed to find the goblin-rat dead in the center of the room and all of the cats he had drew the night before had wet, bloody mouths! The priests hailed him as a hero and he went on to become a famous artist. Of course, he still only drew cats.

So what do you think? I thought it was an incredibly cute tale, even if it was a little confusing when the goblin turned into a goblin-rat.


Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Monday Mood: Happiness

Don't worry. Be happy! Happiness is a feeling of well-being. Money, education, and the weather do not affect happiness like many believe. Such things can improve happiness for a select few, but if we believe the stories then probably not. Philosophically, being happy means living a good life, full of simple pleasures, environmental engagement, social relationships, meaning (religious, self, etc.), and accomplishments.

I suffer from manic depression but I do have a good life. I fight battles with myself every day but when it boils down to it, I'm happy more often than not. I like the idea that happiness can be improved by multiple factors. I love the simple pleasure of sitting in a hot bath until my fingers are pruned and the water becomes tepid. Some people are at their happiness when at the center of attention in a room full of people. I know countless people who are so strong in their faith that they are truly happy in their life; no trials or tribulations change their demeanor. Finally, I can attest that a happy work environment makes for a much more productive employee.

So don't worry. Be happy! If you are unhappy, find something that makes it better. I recommend a hot bath and a good book. But that's just me.


Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Hope for a Better Future

I know that time is ultimately progressive and that as a nation, the US is slowly catching up and starting to make the kind of progress other parts of the world segued into years ago. But there is still so much hatred spewed in the media and on the streets by ignorant people. Between the Westboro Baptist Church, the Teaparty, and other extreme right-wing nuts, it is no wonder that the US is lagging behind in LGBTQ civil rights. However, we as a nation have moved progressively forward over the past few years. Minds are changing, mostly in a good way. It might be a painfully slow change, but its happening.

Now, I usually avoid talking about religion in any forum. However, something was shared with me today that is just too good not to share. "What Would Jesus Do If Invited to a Gay Wedding"

This blog post was published today by John Shore on LGBTQNation. I'm not sure if it originated on LGBTQNation or if it was reblogged from another source. Anyways, John poses the famous "what would Jesus do" slogan toward invitations to a few weddings by gay friends. What follows are several verse quotes from the books Mathew and Mark, inspection of what exactly Jesus had to say about homosexuality, and some tongue-in-cheek humor. The last 5 paragraphs of the post are incredible, in my opinion.

From the article, we learn this: You have no right to judge others, and when you do, it goes directly against what Jesus preached about in the Bible. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, because that is the greatest and most fundamentally spiritual thing you can do.

Both of those are things that Christians on this side of the issue have been preaching. These are amazing progressive people that have figured it out.

The Christians on the other side continue to spew their hate and manipulate doctrine to their support their beliefs.

I am definitely on the pro side of this issue, but I am guilty of judging others just as bad as the right-wing. Because I judge the right-wing. I roll my eyes when they are on the television. I call them all sorts of names in public and private. I honestly think they are the ones that will end up in Hell, and have told a few of them as much. So yeah, I am judging them. And I shouldn't. I shouldn't bring myself down to their level. They make it so easy to do so, but what's good for the gander is good for the goose. Or as I like to say, what's right for the apple is good for the orange. I'm going to try to stop judging the crazy, homophobic, intolerant, bigoted, self-centered, egotistical, back sliding, deluded, hatemongers. Really, I'm trying.

I'm going to end this post with my newest blog thing, my own personal signature!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Sunday Sales: Pottermore

Did you get into Pottermore? Ugh, I didn't. Pottermore is the website by J. K. Rowling that features e-book and audiobook versions of the Harry Potter series. First announced in 2011, fans were encouraged to register with the website quickly, as only the first 1 million fans gained access to Pottermore between July 31 and August 6th, 2011. Those first million were the clever/lucky ones that found the Quill and then solved the riddle to gain entrance to the site. Everyone else will have to wait until October 1, 2011. The big draw aside from (finally) authorized e-books, was the interactive reading experience. Information about the site says that once users create a user name, they will be able to follow Harry through the chapters, visit Diagon Alley, sort into Houses, and learn spells.

I am a huge Potter-fanatic... at least the book versions. I keep saying how I am not a fan of books made into movies because they usually screw them up. Granted, the Harry Potter movies have been pretty good. I have not seen any of them in the theater though. I'll rent them after they come out on Netflix. I am seriously stoked about real e-book versions coming out. I am partial to e-books, mostly for portability, so the news of Potter e-books totally made my month when I heard about it.

So did you get into Pottermore? I wanna hear about it! Do you like it? Did it meet your expectations? Have any gripes yet?

Saturday Solicitation: The Abhorsen Series

Today's Saturday Solicitations is for my favorite author, Garth Nix, and his Abhorsen Series (a.k.a. Old Kingdom series).

Friday Five: Snacks (not Snakes, as I tried to type it 100 times)

This post has been difficult to write! I posted it as a regular post instead of scheduling it first (all Friday Fives are written ahead of time and scheduled for later in the week... Fridays suck for me! lol). Had to delete it because it wouldn't go away. Then, I realized I wrote "Snakes" instead of "Snacks" in the title and repeatedly wrote it wrong. *sigh* It's been one of those days.

So I'm going to try this one more time. Here is my Friday Five for Snacks:

I can get very wrapped up in writing and tend to forget to eat. It sucks because I love food. It also sucks because I am mildly hypoglycemic. I think that is the right word. My sugar bottoms out if I don't eat. Anyways, to combat this (passing out is not fun), I keep some snacks handy. Pretzel rods, gold fish crackers, fresh fruit (apples, oranges, and blackberries oh my!), yogurt (strawberry and keylime), and cubed cheese. These are my go-to snacks. If I hadn't absolutely forbid my better half putting a mini-fridge in the living room by the recliner, I would bring a mini-fridge into my bedroom and stash it under my desk. Besides, what would the guys use to lay their Magic: The Gathering *cough nerds cough* cards on if I took the mini-fridge? I made them get rid of the kitchen table so I had room for a deep freeze!

Thursday Thrift: Rachel Ray Video/Link

I love Rachel Ray and I found that she did a thrifty episode back in June 2009. Check here for an article where Project Runway's Kevin Christiana talks thrift and fashion. Make sure you watch the video!

A quick highlight of his tips: Don't go on Monday; Go on Thursday (when all the new stuff goes out). Tag sizing should probably be ignored... things shrink and stretch when they are second-hand. Gowns found at thrift stores were likely only worn once. Avoid rips, tears, and stains, but replace buttons and zippers!

Check the sidebar of the article for more thrift tips, clothing repairs, and repurposing tips from Kevin. Also, you'll find a link to Bang for your Buck, a story category from the show full of interesting ideas and tips for us thrifty folks!

Wednesday Wiki: Habitat

Habitat is today's Wikipedia article. Habitat was a 1997 sci-fi film written and directed by Rene Daalder. The environmental film mixed sci-fi genetic engineering and themes of angst and redemption.

The story follows Hank Symes, on the run from the government, and his obsession with saving the world. An accident in the desert turns Hank into an "ethereal life form" and he begins changing the house into an entity which threatens all who enter. Hank's son Andreas is a teenager struggling with teenager things. His dad tries to change things for his son and show him that miracles "still happen."

The movie artwork looks neat. I can't really wrap my mind around an accident turning a guy into a plant creature, but I can see how it could work. The film earned a Global Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography so it should at least be pretty right?

<------- Picture

In an effort to keep my blog, Twitter, and Facebook as uniform as possible (that whole "branding" thing), I changed the blue fairy picture that I have been using for the past 2 months to my own original picture. It isn't pretty but it'll work for now and I know I am not using someone else's work without permission. I want to thank Rosie Piter for allowing me to continue to use the blue fairy image for as long as I did.

I have made quite a few changes to the layout of the blog. The colors have changed a bit too. Let me know if it is difficult to read or just looks funky. Oh, and I finally figured out how to link my Twitter to my blog and my Facebook. Nifty.

Finding Your Writing Voice

I found this article today called 3 Steps to Finding Your True Writing Voice. I thought it was very funny, well written, and relatable. In the two months since I have launched my blog, I have heard several folks talking about the "voice" I have developed in my posts. Honestly, until I read this article, I had no idea what they were really talking about. After reading this, I am confident that I have found my voice and that feels pretty damn good.

Cori's 3 Steps are easy to understand. Speak your reader's language. Know why you are writing. Brand it. Well, maybe "brand it" could be confusing to the casual reader. But, she explains it beautifully. I've been pouring over my 101 posts since reading this article, trying to pinpoint and confirm for myself that I have indeed found my voice. You know, just to be sure. This is what I have found out so far.

This is very long. Grab a cup of coffee before you settle in.

My 101st Post

Alright you all, this is my 101st post! I planned to have this update be the 100th, but the London update was more important. Anyhow, maybe I talk to much. Maybe I don't talk enough. I'm still learning this whole blogging thing. But I am enjoying the hell out of it! I cruised passed 800 views sometime last week without realizing it. In fact, I'm beyond 900 already. I'm super excited about all of this. Thank you all for the visits, the comments, and just for being around. You all rock!

Some statistical information for you all if you are interested after the jump.

A London Update

It seems that things have calmed down this morning across the pond. Clean up crews and police are out on the street attempting to help where they can. Yahoo had an article, you can see it here, that just gave me chills. It pretty much summed up most of what I read about for hours last night.

If you use Twitter, I strongly urge you to follow @riotcleanup and check for the updates through #londonriots, #PrayforLondon, #riotcleanup, and #prayforengland. I'm sure there are many others but those are the ones that I've been watching.

If you are a London/Birmingham/Bristol/Nottingham/Liverpool area local and are able to help, please do so. It looks like the clean up crew has more than enough people right now, but that may change over the next couple days. If you are not a local, send your support (thoughts, prayers, donations, etc.) to those affected and the volunteers, but please don't go gawking at the damage. You won't be helping anyone that way.

I found a nice picture on a Tumblr that was pretty freaking cool. BTW, I have a second Twitter for celebristalking and only 3 of those celebs even mentioned the rioting. Neil Gaiman gave regular updates for a good portion of the night. David Krumholtz at least mentioned it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave regular updates as well. I follow 80 celebs and those were the only 3 that even let out a blip about it on Twitter. Sure, they could very well know about whats happening and be thinking/praying for those affected but it wouldn't kill them to show a little vocal/textual support. It takes only a couple seconds to type it. Yeah I'm being bitchy but this is kinda a big deal. /end rant

Here is a video of a woman I would love to hug big time. The video has *lots* of cussing so if you are squeemish of potty mouth or at work, you probably shouldn't watch it. I thought she was brilliant.

Tuesday Tales: The Black Thief and the Knight of the Glen

I enjoyed last week's tale so much that I revisited the thievery this week for Tuesday Tales with an Irish tale called The Black Thief and the Knight of the Glen. In this tale, we have princelings, evil stepmothers, and quests. Sounds familiar.

London

My heart and thoughts are with London tonight. Today is the 3rd day of rioting, looting, and incredibly vile actions of some thugs. Be it motivated by the shooting of the father a few days ago, or just an excuse to cause chaos and disorder, shameful. I can't put into words how I feel about this as I'm seeing more and more pictures and videos popping up around the web. Innocent people are hurting because of this stupid shit!

Stay safe out there folks. Keep your elderly neighbors and children in mind if you must evacuate. Stay strong.

Monday Mood: Shyness

After a recent visit with some friends, I found myself wondering more about the featured Monday Mood for today. For most folks, you are either a people person or you are not. Most people enjoy the company of others. Some people would love to enjoy the company of others but they are hopelessly awkward and feel more comfortable in one-on-one or small group atmospheres (that is me... hopelessly awkward lol). However, social awkwardness should not be confused with shyness. Shyness is "the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people." It can be a result of genetics, or a result of rearing.

When kids are shy, hiding their faces in their mother's neck or their father's pant leg, we chuckle and smile at how "cute" they are. Yeah, I get it. Some kids take a while to warm up to strangers. In itself, that isn't a terrible thing. Don't talk to strangers rule holds up well in such a situation. However, children should grow out of this behavior! Humans are social creatures. We rely on others in a give and take world that requires social interaction outside of giggling behind Daddy's knee. At a very minimum, kids need to feel comfortable addressing groups of people in a scripted, controlled environment (like a speech class). Children exhibiting extreme shyness as they progress through adolescence are at a huge disadvantage compared to their peers. If they can't speak in front of classmates they have known for 12 years, how on Earth are they going to manage sitting through an interview? Heaven forbid they walk into a panel interview!

In 1980, shyness was classified by the DSM-III as a rare social phobia. In 1994, the DSM-IV reworked it into commonly occurring social anxiety disorder (SAD). The prevalence of social anxiety disorder was in part due to doctoring by prescription-pushers looking for the next big drug wave. The actual numbers of those affected by SAD is unknown as those that truly suffer from the disorder are unlikely to visit a doctor's office for help in the first place!

Parents, pay attention to your child's behavior. What is cute now may develop into a very real problem later in life. Help them to develop social skills that allow for them to interact with society without feeling like the ugly duckling. Some kids really can't do it alone. If, despite your efforts, you find your kid entering grade school and still taking every opportunity to hide from your friends, your mother-in-law, and the neighbors, you might want to consult a doctor or therapist. You are your child's first champion and advocate.

Sunday Sales: Take A Walk

Today's Sunday Sales is a bit different than usual. This Sale requires you to spend no money. None what so ever. Today's Sunday Sales: Take a walk. Heads up, this blog post is kinda long so go get a cup of coffee before you click the jump.

Happy 100th Birthday Lucy!

Lucille Ball's daughter has a request for all of the fans marking today's 100th birthday of her mom. She wants everyone to be joyous! Read this article from Yahoo for sweet words for a very one of a kind woman.

Saturday Solicitation: Good Omens

This month's Saturday Solicitations are going to be for some older books that I have loved for a long time. Today's is for Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was published in 1990 in a collaborative effort between two of the (in my opinion) biggest names in the Fantasy Genre. Pratchett is most famously known as the author of the Discworld series, while Gaiman wrote The Sandman comics, American Gods, and Anansi Boys. Good Omens was Gaiman's first novel.

Friday Five: Languages I Want to Learn

Today's Friday Five is about Language. I have an average to above average understanding of the English language, even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes. I took two years of French in high school. That resulted in me being able to say "My name is Dee" and that is pretty much it. I took 2 years of American Sign Language in college. I have done a lot better retaining ASL. I am decent with finger spelling and can remember some vocabulary.  This list is the top 5 languages I'd like to learn (or relearn).

Irish/Gaelic: I have always loved Ireland. I want to go there for a summer. First on my list is Irish. Yeah, I know only a small number of people speak this language but I think it is really pretty. Plus, any dog in my future would be better off trained in Irish, considering there is less than a million native speakers world-wide (per Wikipedia, which may be sketchy).

Spanish: Here in the States, we have a growing Hispanic population. Spanish is a very diverse language and I would genuinely like to learn it for my own personal benefit. Also, I like to eaves drop on people and it is difficult to do when I have no idea what they are saying.

French: Another diverse language, French varies from France, Creole Louisiana, to parts of Canada. I really enjoyed taking French in high school, even though I retained almost nil. It is very pretty and with practice, I think I could pick it up again. Conversationally, it shouldn't be hard given I am alright with ASL (which is based on the French language).

Portuguese: This is a recent interest given that my favorite contender in The Glee Project is from Brazil and half his communications to/from fans is in Portuguese. I have abused Google translate so much being nosy. The "hear" function has made it so I really want to learn the language. It is very melodic.

German: German has been on my to-do list for a long time. My heritage is incredibly mixed and I ask very little about my family, but I am almost positive my great-great grandfather came here from Germany. Or maybe I mistook it for German when it was Polish. I don't know. I just know that I was really young when I told my mom that I wanted to learn German one day. It is still on the list twenty years later. One of these days.

Thursday Thrift: Thrift Blogs

Just a quick Thursday Thrift today. Have you checked out all the neat blogs about thrifting available online? I found a few with a simple Google search here on Blogger and I think they are pretty great.

• 1^st up we have The Thrift Shop Romantic. This blog has archived posts from way back in 2006 up through this month. It has seen less action this year but the whole blog looks fantastic. The blogger, Jenn, hails from close by my neck of the woods in the Pittsburgh/Pennsylvania/Eastern Ohio area. She features a Treasure Box Wednesday that started back in January '08. Many/most of her posts have some beautiful pictures to go along with some incredible thrift finds.

• 2^nd we have Thrift Store Whore. This blog kind of hurts my reader sensibilities. There are an ass load of links to look through. I can't guarantee that all of them are legit so click around in there at your own risk. Also, I can't find a list of the blog posts or dates for that matter. I have no idea how many posts there are or when the last update was. I'm not internet/Blogger savvy enough to figure it out either. Suffice to say, there are many blog posts with a lot of useful information on living frugal. There are how-to videos, thrift shopper bios, and some great article links.

• 3^rd blog recommendation is All Things Thrifty. This site is run by Brooke and is phenomenal. Brooke's blog has great pictures, decorating ideas, and do-it-yourself tutorials. The site is updated regularly with stunning information. This chick is very creative and seems to have a knack for this sort of thing. I'm super envious of her creativity and know-how. Scroll down to July 27^th to find a beautiful flag made from barn wood. Excellent site!

Do you know of any particular sites that would be worth checking out? Let me know in the comments!

Wednesday Wiki: Oskar Messter

Today's Random Wiki is about Oskar Messter, a German inventor and film tycoon of early cinema. Messter built and sold his first movie projector in 1886. He, along with Max Gliewe and Robert W. Paul are often credited with building the Geneva drive, a device used to create the intermittent motion of film. Gliewe and Messter joined together later to sell film projectors. Messter built the first film studio in Germany and by 1897, offered 84 films. His first sound film premiered in 1903 at the Apollo Theater in Berlin.

From 1909 to 1917, Messter saw 350 films through production before selling his company in 1918. Prior to his death in 1943, he donated his collection of historical equipment to the German Museum in 1932. IMDb lists 360 films under Messter's producer credits from 1896 and 1924.

Tuesday Tales: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves/ Arabian Nights

There is just something about fairy tales that make me smile, even if they are really gory or scary. Today's Tuesday Tale is Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (or Arabian Nights for some). There is some dispute as to if this particular story was originally part of One Thousand and One Nights or if it was added later on. Regardless of origin, this is a pretty good tale.

Monday Mood: Curiosity

Here's a light Monday Mood. The drive to learn new things is called curiosity. Natural inquisitive behaviors, like learning, investigation, and exploration are rampant among humans and other animals. This includes primates, cats, reptiles, and fish. Similar to wonder, curiosity is what drives humanity further through science and the quest for knowledge.

Curiosity stimulates both hemispheres of the brain and helps to increase long term memory. This is especially handy for those that work in the scientific field or actively enjoy trivia! Without a curious mind, where would we be today? My bet is on nowhere. For a fun read, check out any one of the "Curious George" books!

Sunday Sales: World Fantasy Convention

Just a short Sunday Sales today. The World Fantasy Convention is coming up. It is October 27^th-30^th in San Diego, California. This year's theme is Sailing the Seas of Imagination. The big guests are Jo Fletcher, Neil Gaiman, Parke Godwin, Shawna McCarthy, Ruth Sanderson, and Connie Willis.

I always love reading about the WFC, finding the pictures and the audio links from the event. I never get to go though. This year is no exception. They have already reached their registration cap of something around 900 people and were wait-listing people the last time I checked their page. I really hope they open it up to a large venue soon.

If you live out west (I'm super jealous of you already) and like fantasy, you should consider getting on the wait-list. A full weekend pass is somewhere in the neighborhood of $175 but I think that is money well spent. I would pay that just to get to hear Neil Gaiman speaking. Probably the accent, but damn, he can talk to me all day long. If you are already registered, you lucky damn dog, send me pictures/video of Neil. Please and thank you!

Saturday Solicitation: The Garden of Eve

Saturday again. I was in a thrift store somewhere in Tennessee a couple years back (maybe 2009?) and found this delightful novel: The Garden of Eve by K. L. Going. It was sitting on a shelf with costume jewelry and used makeup (ick). The book had never been opened... not even a crease on the spine. The blurb on the back piqued my interest so I bought it for .50. I took it home and set it on the shelf with the intention of reading it the next weekend after finals, and then promptly forgot about it.

I picked it up again last year and finally read it. I really wish I had read it when I originally purchased it because it was a very good read. The Garden of Eve is a middle grade (ages 8 to 12) fiction that explores life, death, grief, healing and growth. The story follows Evie and her widower father to Beaumont, New York, a cursed town filled with grey skies, dead apple trees, and broken hearts. After receiving a mysterious 11th birthday gift from the deceased orchard caretaker, Evie and the newest ghost of Beaumont, Alex, head out in search of those they hold most dear. It is a delightful story about losing and finding faith through the eyes of a child.

I enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy from Amazon and donated it to the local library. I kept the one I found in the thrift store. If you enjoy young adult literature, no matter the genre, read this book. It is full of depth, message, and imagery. I could almost smell the apple orchard as I read it. You will not be disappointed.

Friday Five: Words for Me

I'm trying to drum up ideas for Friday Five that are interesting and can provide a little bit of detail about me without being obsessive about me, me, me. That is really difficult. Friday Fives are very subjective! I was chatting with some friends a few days ago and asked them to describe me in five words. Below are the most agreed upon words and their reasoning. Some of the quotes are funny. Some are... not. The last one on this list is complements of my brother.

5 Words that describe me

1.       Manic: As someone that deals with manic depression, my friends tend to only see my manic side. When I'm on the other end of the spectrum, I avoid everyone except the cats. When I am *enjoying* my manic phases, I am hyper, clumsy, and spout random nonsense at will. "When you get into the climax of your mania, you just go haywire. I never know if you are going to go off into a Glee/Firefly tangent, start naming authors in order of writing instruments, or get sauced and hit on every gay man you see just because it is funny."

2.       Creative: I am a story teller. Anyone who knows me well understands that it is my nature to talk... and to never shut up. I can take a single detail and create an entire story within my mind that encompasses 10,000 years of history, civilization, and intrigue. Getting them out on paper is more difficult because my brain and my keyboard are not synched very well. "I love the stories you come up with. When you get into telling us a story, we really live it. Even if we don't want to, you have a way that force-feeds the story to us and it comes alive."

3.       Spazzy: I argued that manic and spazzy are the same thing really, but I was vetoed 5 to 1. Apparently, spazzy is more akin to my love of show tunes than my love of space cowboys. "Dude, you are such a spazz. Only you could simultaneously recite the dialogue from a Broadway show that you have never seen, dance to 90's boy band choreography, and make every man clutch his crotch in fear of a headbutt in 5 seconds flat." In regards to the last part of that statement, I am short so it isn't my fault that I was eye level with his zipper and he got in the way of my moves.

4.       Devoted: This I will agree with 100%. It is my go-to line to ask "Who do I need to kill?" when a dear friend is having a bad day. I am ferocious in my protection of friends and family. I'll go to bat for everyone I love, despite the fact that I am small. "When there are problems, you turn into this beast that attacks with everything you've got, I swear! You have a very sharp wit and a mean right hook. Only, it is like a Chihuahua that thinks she is a Great Dane! It is very cute." Damn straight. Woof!

5.       Argumentative: This wasn't part of the conversation with my friends but from my brother. He and I fought like cats and dogs growing up, but we are very protective of each other most of the time. We get very close and drift apart in repetitive cycles. "You argue about everything. People don't disagree with you because you are right about everything; they don't disagree because you'll argue with them until there is no room for anything but agreement!" Hmmm... I could disagree with this, but for argument's sake, I won't.

Thursday Thrift: 8 Tips for Thrifting

I found this really neat post online that I wanted to share in today's Thursday Thrift.

8 Tips for Scoring at Thrift Shops

It is from MSN Money. It is from 2009 but it is still applicable to our current needs. Beyond the basics of why thrift shopping is so awesome, the article lists the following:

• Keep a list of needs for you, your children, looming holidays, etc.

• Make a list of local thrift stores in your area.

• Make a routine of visiting a few shops for 10 to 15 minutes each a couple times a month.

• Learn how the stores price their items so that you are shopping for quality!

• Sales usually happen on Saturdays due to most donations happening then and can run around 50% off!

• Learn to be patient, as items that hang around longer are often cheaper the following week.

• Try everything on and be nit-picky when looking over items to avoid damaged goods.

• Don't buy it just because it is cheap.

That is great advice! Have you found anything interesting in your local thrift store? Email me and tell me about it. I'd love to feature your stellar find on my blog!

Wednesday Wiki: Briefs

Today's random Wiki cracked me up. Today's page is Briefs! Find it here (along with a couple pictures of men in their underoos!).

Briefs are a type of underwear that is short and tight. It is popular with athletes and those that like more *snicker* support than boxers provide. Okay, I swear, I'm going to stop being so immature. Maybe.

Tuesday Tales: The Water Nixie

Today's Tuesday Tales may be less familiar to you. The Water Nixie was one of the tales collected by the Brothers Grimm in Hanau.

Simple story: Two children fall in a well and are captured by a nixie. She makes them work as slaves. While she is away, the children escape. As they are running from the nixie, they throw items behind them that magically change into obstacles blocking the nixie's way. A brush becomes a mountain full of spikes. A comb becomes a mountain with thousands of teeth. A mirror becomes a mountain with a slick surface. The nixie runs home to get an ax to chop through the mountain, only to find that the children have finally escaped.

The plight of the children has always reminded me of Hansel and Gretel. The kids get lost and then have to fight to find the way home. The Water Nixie is cute though and worth the read.

Another Video

Yeah, I'm in a "sit and listen to musicals" mood today. Here is another of my favorite songs. I get chills listening to this kid sing. I swear I'm going to go see Sister Act: The Musical one day!

Annie Re-Done

One of my favorite musicals is Annie and I was in the mood for a rendition of "Tomorrow" from the movie. I found some great audio and video clips of the song from the movie and from various folks around the web singing. I found one that had me literally laughing myself out of my computer chair. This kid is super cute and makes me really miss my days in drama club. Check it out:

Monday Mood: Wonder

The last couple Monday Moods have been dreary. So, here is a uplifting one: Wonder!

Wonder is a feeling like surprise when experiencing something rare or unexpected in a nonthreatening way. It is linked with curiosity, human nature, and intellectual growth. Without wonder, could we every really develop our little baby brains into walking, talking, creative adults?

Descartes claimed that wonder is the first of all the passions. Plato wrote about wonder being integral to all philosophy. Aristotle likened wonder similarly, as in viewing beautiful and horrible paintings with the same degree of wonder.

Wonder is a great thing. It is what makes people explore uncharted territory, learn why the sky is blue, and take up passions. Without wonder, I don't know that anyone could experience any other emotion. We might as well be robots without it.

Would you look at that!

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued. Go here to read the Mashable article about the image going viral.

Niagra Falls mayor Paul Dyster finalized the (likely) first legal marriage in New York at 12:01am this morning. Look at the Falls and the building in the background. Incredible. Check the links below for a NYT about the lovely Kitty and Cheryl's big day and other articles of the celebration of love and equality!

New York Times: With a Kiss and a Vow, The Day Begins
Yahoo News/Reuters: New York State Celebrates First Same-Sex Marriages
Yahoo News/AFP: Hundreds of Gay Couples Marry In New York
Yahoo News/The Canadian Press: Gay Couples Begin Marrying Across the State...


Looking at some of the comments with these articles, equality still has an upward climb but we're getting there folks. Stay strong. Stand proud. Love is love, no matter the back story. Congratulations New York!

Sunday Sales: Chloe Moretz

I am a self-described potty mouth, overfilled with weird humor, random bits of knowledge, and sexual innuendo. That being said, I am also a big proponent of allowing children to be children and keeping salacious things away from those curious minds until they are old enough to understand it. Keeping this in mind, my Sunday Sales is about Chloe Moretz.

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued.

Chloe Moretz is a child actress most recently famous for starring as the potty mouthed heroine of Kick-Ass. The movie is ultra-controversial. Chloe was just 12 years old when she filmed that movie. A lot of people had a hard time accepting all those lines coming from the mouth of a child. However, I have read countless times that her mom read the script before she allowed her daughter to read it and gave the okay. That is enough for me. If Mom is okay with it, then who are we to decide otherwise?

Anyways, controversy aside. This kid has been busy. Check her IMDB page if you don't believe me. She has been working in the business at least since 2004. She worked with Ryan Reynolds on The Amityville Horror and Jason Lee on My Name Is Earl in 2005, did the voice of Young Penny in Bolt in 2008, and was in (500) Days of Summer from 2009. Since Kick-Ass, she has 2 other movies that have come out (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Let Me In) along with 8 other projects in the works. For 13 years old, she is incredibly busy and very talented!

600 views and counting

600 views and counting! Whew! I never thought I'd get this much traffic in such a short amount of time. I'm loving this! To all you visitors, hello! Stick around, comment, and share!

On a side note, I was up uncharacteristically early this morning and found myself looking for something to do when it hit me that NaNoWriMo is officially 100 days away according to the site. I have spent the last 8 hours writing up my own NaNo dailies for October and November. I have yet to determine if I will write the regular dailies during October and November. It is a maybe for October, and a most likely no for November at this point. That is good and bad to me. The bad thing is that I love writing the daily blogs. They make me feel creative and productive, no matter how short or weird they get. The good thing is that a break from the dailies will give me time to come up with new material. Friday Five will probably stick around. Wednesday Wiki too since there is little chance that I'll run out of random Wikipedia pages. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday are all subject to change though. If you have an idea for something I could write about on a specific day, post a comment or shoot me an email.

Are you going to participate in NaNo2011? Check out the website and come back for NaNo dailies starting October 1st! I'll post my NaNo details sometime in August or September. I'm trying to decide if I should stay with my original home group or merge into the current local home group.

Saturday Solicitation: The 10th Kingdom

The Saturday Solicitation today is for The 10^th Kingdom. This was a television mini-series that aired in seven 1 hour parts on NBC in 2000 (or in five 2 hour parts, depending on what you read). It stars Kimberly Williams, Ed O'neill, Diane Wiest, Camryn Manheim, Warwick Davis, and John Larroquette. The premise is that a young woman (Williams) and her father (Larroquette) are transported into a magical realm via magic mirrors.

Norway, You are in my Thoughts!

Keep the victims of today's horrible tragedy in Oslo, Norway in your thoughts. Whatever the reason for all this destruction, nothing could have merited the lives of 80 or more people, many of which were children. Read an article here if you haven't heard about this yet. Norwegians, stay strong. You are in my thoughts.

Friday Five: Drinks

I am very picky when it comes to drinks. I don't like ice in anything unless it is a daiquiri of some sort. I can drink warm pop from a can. I frequently drink 2 pots of coffee a day... and then wonder why I can't sleep. I can out drink most men in an Irish pub (as long as they are buying!).

My Top 5 drinks are:

1. Coffee
2. Pineapple Upside Down Cake shots
3. Frozen Cherry Coke
4. Pepsi
5. Stormcloud shots

On a side note, there are some drinks that I just refuse to drink... I'd rather die of thirst. Red Cream Soda, Code Red Mountain Dew, most teas, Jägermeister, and Dr. Pepper are at the top of that list. Root beer is on this particular list as well unless it is combined with vanilla ice cream.

RIP Borders

I considered writing a statement about the looming closure of Borders, but my friend wrote a eulogy that is so sad, funny, and full of history that I'd rather share his instead. Booksteve spent years working for the chain under several names, logos, and positions. His insight into what would eventually lead to the demise of this chain is undeniable in a literary world. Check Booksteve's blog/eulogy here.

Thursday Thrift: National Thrift Store Directory

This is a very short Thursday Thrift. If you are unsure of how to find local thrift stores, check out the National Thrift Store Directory. Enter your zip code or city and state to get a listing of stores near you. They have a list of almost 10,000 thrift stores in the directory! They also have reviews of the stores, a forum for us thrift geeks, and a photo gallery for all kinds of neat thrifty finds. There are a lot of ads on this site, but so far, I've only seen ads for thrift stores. Let me know if you see anything wonky!

Wednesday Wiki: News Gothic

This Wednesday Wiki happened across News Gothic, a type of font. Check it out here.

This specific type of font was developed by Morris Fuller Benton and released in 1908. I am unfamiliar with most of the terms in this article describing how it is like other sans serif fonts. Two-story lettering, blunt terminus, weights, and tails. It took several readings and comparing News Gothic fonts to other fonts before I began to understand, while not able to define, those terms.

News Gothic was named appropriately though, as it was the font used most in newspapers and magazines in the 20^th century. It has many variants, stemming from digital usage.

What I liked reading was all the people/companies that employ News Gothic in their logos. Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, the opening text of the Star Wars movies, and Polaroid used the font. Neat huh?

Tuesday Tales: Bearskin

If you aren't familiar with the Brothers Grimm, you should make yourself acquainted. They collected fairy tales from all over and recorded them for future generations. Today's Tuesday Tales is for Bearskin. It follows the folk tale tradition of a man gaining fortune and a beautiful wife by making an agreement with the devil.

Monday Mood: Shock

Ah, what a day. Today's Monday Mood is appropriate. Let's talk about shock. Shock, a.k.a. acute stress disorder, is a psychological condition resulting from a terrifying or traumatic event.

So, someone experiences a traumatic event where they are incredibly (read: way beyond the normal every day occurrences) disturbed, frightened, stressed, or pained in an event involving (actual or threatened) serious injury or death to themselves or others. Shock is a variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

People in shock typically start out dazed, sometimes semi-conscious, with an inability to comprehend or pay attention to stimuli, and can appear disoriented. They progress to withdrawal or extreme agitation. Anxiety, impaired judgment, confusion, and depression tend to follow. For most folks, these episodes go away after a few days. Many people don't remember the events leading to and through the shock. Those unlucky enough to suffer from PTSD may deal with it for the duration of their lives.

Someone that experiences true shock really needs to get to a counselor, a doctor, a priest... somewhere that they can get treatment and work through the shock in a healthy manner. Statistics show that people that experience shock and shock-like symptoms for longer than 30 days have a much higher risk of PTSD. Medication and counseling can help prevent a lifelong disabling ordeal.

Sunday Sales: Dirty Girl

My Sunday Sale for all things random.

There is a movie coming out that I really, really want to go see. Dirty Girl will be released in August of this year, so I am trying to be patient. The blurb from IMDB is:

It's 1987 and Danielle, the high school 'Dirty Girl', is running away. With her is chubby, gay Clarke, a bag of flour called Joan and a Walkman full of glorious 80's tunes.

Okay, so that just sounds like a riot to me. To go a little more in detail... The movie is a comedy that follows Danielle, the dirty girl of Normal High School. She is sent to special education class due to misbehavior (ahh, the 80's) where she meets Clarke, described as an "innocent closet case." They head off on a road trip to discover themselves. It is supposed to be really funny. I hope I am not disappointed.

Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, Tim McGraw, and Dwight Yoakam are just a few of the cast. Please, please don't disappoint me!

Saturday Soliciation: The Princess Bride

This Saturday Solicitation is part film, part novel. If you have any sense at all, you have watched The Princess Bride. It came out in 1987 so you have had plenty of time to catch it. The film has garnered an incredible cult following. It was directed by Rob Riener, and stars Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon, Andre "The Giant" Roussimoff, Mandy Patinkin, and Wallace Shawn.

The story is told by the narrator (Falk) as he is reading a story to his sick grandson (Savage). It follows Buttercup (Wright) as she falls in love with poor farm boy Westley(Elwes), is wooed by Prince Humperdink (Sarandon), and kidnapped by Vizzini (Shawn) and his minions, Inigo Montoya and Fezzik (Patinkin and Roussimoff).

Friday Five: Cartoons

5 Best Cartoons of all time

·         Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers (I used to sing the theme song everywhere I went!)

·         Daria (She was the coolest chick ever.)

·         Darkwing Duck (Also sang this theme song all the time. It is imprinted in my brain!)

·         Doug (I liked the Nick version much better than the later Disney version.)

·         Snorks (These were my go to morning cartoons!)

Thursday Thrift: Once In A Blue Moon

Not all thrift stores are local. Once In A Blue Moon is an online thrift store. Find them here! The website is really great. You will find a newsletter, a blog, shipping information, a Wish List dedicated to helping shoppers find items they need, and Wanted section for specific items the company is seeking. Their items are separated into categories, like $1 Items, Collector Plates, and Costumes. While I hate buying items I cannot see in front of me (that goes for buying anything online, through eBay, Etsy, and Amazon type stores), sometimes you have to take a chance if you really want something bad. Shipping is flat rated based on purchase prices and a neat layaway plan. The shipping on the layaway kind of sucks, but it is a Paypal fault, not OiaBM's fault.

I check the women's clothing and Jewelry categories pretty often. So far, I haven't found something that screamed out for me, but I know I will eventually. If you are addicted to online retail therapy but your bank account hates you, check these guys out before you jump over to eBay!

Get Fuzzy, part Duex

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued.

Ah, how true this is. My cats don't come when called either. In fact, the only time they make an appearance is when they haven't been called.


*Okay, I've edited this post 3 times and still can't get it to line up right on the screen. That makes me a sad panda. Go here to see the strip easier. It won't be up for more than a couple weeks though. You can probably zoom in or enlarge the screen to see it too.*

Wednesday Wiki: Detroit Grand Prix

Today's random Wikipedia page had little more information that last week's page. Today, I found the Detroit Grand Prix page.

The Detroit Grand Prix ran Formula One (fastest single seated races in the world) races from 1982 to 1988 in Detroit, Michigan. The course was on Detroit city roads, rather than a track, that covered just shy of 2.5 miles and contained 17 turns that included a tunnel and railroad tracks.

In 1989, the race was moved to Phoenix, Arizona after a plan to create a new course fell through. Check the article for a list of the winners of the yearly race from '82-'88.

Secret Aspiration and Not-So-Secret Ambition

I didn't get up until after 3pm today. Why? I went to bed at 11pm last night so I definitely got enough sleep, it would seem. Except I didn't actually fall into real sleep until after 4am, woke up at 8am, again at 9am, and so on until I finally forced myself to get up at 3 when thunder started shaking my windows. I've been abnormally stressed the last few days and I feel that old familiar feeling of depression sneaking up on me. I've lived with that for most of my life, so it is quite familiar unfortunately. I've done really well combating it all these years, but sometimes it just grabs me up and shakes the shit out of me. When I finally see what's happening and find some way to get out of that grip, it leaves me exhausted, moody, and emotional. A little while ago, I was sitting in the house and Sabriel nuzzled my elbow from the floor. I burst into tears. That was when it hit me that I was having one of those days and I needed to snap out of it.

Tuesday Tales: Alice in Wonderland

Tuesday Tales today should remind you folks of a previous post (The Top 10 List of Things Based on Alice in Wonderland). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or Alice in Wonderland for most, was written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, a.k.a. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.

The story follows a little girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into the amazing fantasy world of Wonderland. Wonderland is full of fantastic creatures like White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, the Duchess, the March Hare, Caterpillar, Queen of Hearts, and Mock Turtle. Alice encounters magic food and drink that make her shrink and grow. She plays croquet with live animals. The story is rife with plays on logic and has been considered highly influential in the fantasy genre.

Monday Mood: Anxiety

Yay for Monday Mood! So I've been stressed out the last few days so today's mood is anxiety. Anxiety is one of those emotions that has so many different causes, effects, and symptoms that it is hard to define it without a doctoral degree.

Anxiety often happens without any kind of known stimulus so it is hard to pinpoint an identifiable cause. Are you sick? Suffering an existential crisis (death, fate, guilt, spirituality)? Taking an important test or getting ready for a huge task? Freaked out by strangers or crowds? Making an important decision? Poor coping skills? Yeah, so many possible causes. Keep reading.

Some effects/symptoms of anxiety should be familiar to everyone.

• Heart palpitations, fatigue, nausea, headaches, sense of dread, panic attacks.
• Irritability, restlessness, paranoia, nightmares.
• Prolonged thoughts on suspected dangers, like death, heart attacks, brain trauma.
• Withdrawal from social situations or stimulating experiences, insomnia, nail biting, and increased motor tension (like foot tapping and pencil drumming).

Ever experienced any of this? Yeah, me too. But not everyone that has experienced these things have experienced anxiety. They could genuinely be ill. If you find yourself experiencing many of these symptoms in tandem, please see your doctor.

Sunday Sales: The Bitch is Back

So I am very excited about this Sunday Sale. Elton John is on tour!!! I love him. I grew up listening to his music (Yeah, I was born a few decades late. Whatever!).

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued.

He has some oversea dates through July, but will be coming back to the states in September. He will be hitting a couple places in New York, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan before setting in Las Vegas from September 28^th until October 23^rd. November and December take him overseas again, mostly to Australia, with one stop in Ukraine, Russia, and New Zealand each.

I got to see Elton on his Peachtree Road tour back in 2005. I still have the concert booklet and ticket stubs somewhere. The pictures were lost in the Great Hard Drive Crash of '07 though. 8^th row baby! Guess who rocked one of his really awesome hats? Yeah, not me. The crazy old lady in front of me took it away (literally snatched it out of my hands). *sniff* It was the best concert I have ever attended!

Saturday Soliciations: One For the Money

After reading Janet Evanovich's How I Write, I decided to give her novels a try. I picked up One For The Money, the first of the incredibly popular Stephanie Plum mystery series. I was highly skeptical about reading this book, as it was fairly short, featured a female heroine in a male dominant genre, and it isn't fantasy. Boy was I surprised.

At 290 pages, this book is full of fast paced, heart stopping action from the second you open the book. Stephanie Plum is a likable underdog that is just trying to make it in Jersey. She is a character that is immediately likeable. The situations she manages to get herself in are wacky and out there, but not at all unrealistic. The language and sexual descriptions are pretty colorful, so this is definitely not for kids. I would say not for teenagers either, but that's the momma bear in me that wants to allow children to retain innocence way beyond reality.

I was pleasantly surprised with the novel. I don't know that I will pick up another in the series, but if I do, there are plenty. I think the 17^th novel just came out and is sitting pretty snuggly at the top of the New York Time's Best Seller's list. There is no denying that these are very popular books, and after reading the first one, I can see why. Maybe I'll keep reading them as I get time.

Friday Five: Places to Visit

5 Places I Really Want to Visit in no order of preference

·         Ireland (I love the pictures I see of the old castles and the country side covered in mist... it is a writer's dream vacation spot!)

·         London (The weather greatly influences my mood, but not in a normal way. Rain fills me with energy and I have heard that it rains a lot. I could be wrong... maybe I've watched too many movies.)

·         The Outback (My first love was animals and the Outback is chock full of them! To see some of the wild animals that I loved seeing at the zoo as a child, that would be truly memorable. I'm throwing the Great Barrier Reef in with a trip to the Outback.)

·         New Zealand (My irrational fear of water that I cannot see through aside, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful waterfalls, lakes, and rivers I have ever seen in pictures. To be able to sit in an open glade with a waterfall at my back and a river rushing past would basically make all of my fantasy world come to life.)

·         Italy (I have a soft spot for Gothic architecture due to a random art history class in college and I absolutely love it. I want to see the Domme de Milan, Siena Cathedral, and the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. They are beautiful!)

Clipart! My first Uh-Oh!

I ran into something entirely new to me today. I have used clipart as a picture for various reasons, mostly due to a high regard for my privacy. Also, I hate having my picture taken and so there are very few of me. So I have a file full of clipart fairies, dragons, wizards, and various animals that I downloaded from clipart galleries all over the web.

I was contacted by the woman that runs www.rosiepiter.com today, letting me know that the blue fairy I have been using belongs to her. She has very generously allowed me to continue using the image provided I give credit where credit is due. Please visit her site to find all kinds of excellent clipart. She is really great! A permanent credit is in the static biography on the right.

I know that this kind of thing is the nature of the internet but I do not pirate anything, especially not another's creative endeavours. I do apologise and will look for some other suitable picture to use for my blog, facebook, and twitter pictures. Maybe I'll use a picture of one of the cats. Anyways, until I find something suitable (provided the illustrator does not object), I will continue using the blue fairy. Again, thank you to www.rosiepiter.com for being incredibly nice and allowing me to use the image.

Thursday Thrift: The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a huge name in thrift shopping. They are a Protestant faith based Christian organization founded in 1865 by William Booth and his wife Catherine. They preached to the poor and sought donations from the wealthy, adopted their own military style uniforms and flags, and reached out to the people through the three S's: soup, soap, salvation. Catherine Booth was considered a minister, which was highly unusual for the time.

Today, you should recognize them at Christmas, ringing their bells beside the red kettles. They are also involved in musical ensembles, a large chain of thrift stores, disaster relief, family tracing service, and youth groups. Since Hurricane Katrina hit, they have donated almost $400 million dollars in relief funds, in addition to mobilizing immediately after the disaster to operate 178 food units and 11 field kitchens where they have served nearly 6 million meals. The family tracing service is devoted to assisting people in reconnecting with lost loved ones.

400 Page Views!

I posted a few days ago that I had reached 200 page views since the blog started. That was 200 views from 6-9 to 6-25 in 17 days. In the 11 days since, I have doubled that number! Most visitors are from the United States, but I also have collected visits from Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, France, Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, and United Kingdom. To all of you, hello and thank you for stopping by! I hope that you enjoy your visit to my blog. Feel free to contact me about writing and any of the myriad of posts that I have made. Happy Hump Day! Also, today is National Kissing Day in the States so *smooches* to you if you are so inclined.

Writing Tech

There are so many different programs available to writers. I use yWriter, Word, and Notebook almost exclusively. I have trialed many others. Here is a list of some of the ones that I have checked out. Check the links if one looks particularly interesting. This is somewhat long so read on after the jump.

Wednesday Wiki: A Crime in the Neighborhood

Today's random Wikipedia page disappointed me slightly. It is titled A Crime in the Neighborhood. You can view it here. All it says is that A Crime in the Neighborhood is a novel by Suzanne Berne and that it won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 1999. Since the Orange Prize had a link, I checked it out and it is a literary award for female authors published in the U.K. Slim picking today.

Say HI to me!

So Facebook isn't having anything to do with Blogger today. Figures. This might be a good time to list ways to contact me. I get that you are on Blogger right now so you probably have that addy figured out, but I may want to copy this later so I'm covering all my bases. Hehe. All your bases are belong to us. Way too much coffee today. I'm running away from the computer before I blow it up. Have a great day folks!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002522890788
Blogger: http://deedeclares.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeDeclares
Email: dee.sutter@gmail.com

Tuesday Tales: Sleeping Beauty

I'm trying to keep today's Tuesday Tales short. That is unfortunate because I could probably fill two pages talking about Sleeping Beauty, but I doubt anyone wants to read a two page blog post. It has had many different forms over several hundred years, but most people are either familiar with the Grimms version called Little Briar Rose, or Disney's 1959 animated version.

The basic story goes that a princess was blessed by fairies at her christening. One fairy was not invited and so she cursed the girl to prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and would die. The last fairy somewhat is able to reverse the curse, rescinding the death so that the child would sleep for 100 years instead.

Monday Mood: Hope

The mood for today is hope. Hope is defined as the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Not to confuse it with positive thinking (where one uses such thinking in order to avoid a pessimistic attitude), hope is a feeling of good things coming, despite a bad situation.

A huge movement of hope is hitting our nation through the It Gets Better Project created by the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a suicide prevention hotline aimed at helping gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth find alternatives to suicide. It Gets Better Project is aimed at providing hope to the downtrodden, sending out the message that no matter your situation, it can and will get better. People all over the world have uploaded messages of hope for those suffering from bullying and identity issues, urging people in need to reach out to the community for help.

President Obama has lent his voice to the movement of hope. He has taken a stance against bullying, saying:

We've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage; that it's just some inevitable part of growing up. It's not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And for every young person out there you need to know that if you're in trouble, there are caring adults who can help.

Hope is something we as a world-wide community need. Find what gives you hope and share it with the world. Make a video for the It Gets Better Project. Volunteer at your local homeless shelter or veteran's home. Give back where you can, and you can help give hope to the world.

Happy 4th of July!

Have a safe 4th!

Alright so some of you probably started celebrating on Friday (I did!) or yesterday, so this may be a bit late but I wanted to tell everyone Happy 4th of July and stay safe out there folks! Don't drink and play with fire, please. We did that as stupid teenagers and a friend of mine still doesn't have eyebrows!

The party is just getting started here at the house so people are arriving, that cats are refusing to come out of my bedroom, and I am a hot mess trying to play hostess. I am the designated (emergency) driver tonight so no drinkies for me. Once everyone gets here and I have all the keys, I'll be leaving the front of the house to them and retreating to my bedroom to console the kitties. I do believe I'll rewatch a couple awesome movies, do some editing/filing, and go to bed. Heaven help these people if they wake me up before dawn. Hehe.

So Netflix, please have A Knight's Tale, Ever After, and Happily N'ever After available for streaming. Sabriel, Sam, and I would greatly appreciate it!

Edit: 8/15/2012 Images removed. I don't want to be sued.

Sunday Sales: Imogene's Last Stand

In time for the Fourth of July, this Sunday Sale is for Imogene's Last Stand, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. ILS was published by Random House in 2009.

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued.

This children's story follows history buff Imogene. Her first words were "Four score and seven years ago." She finger painted a map of the Oregon Trail in preschool. Imogene champions to preserve the historical society building while dressed like Paul Revere, shouting "The bulldozers are coming! The bulldozers are coming!"

The story is full of famous quotes, a ton of humor, and mini-biographies of the biggest names of history. I found it to be incredibly entertaining. Your kids might as well!

Saturday Soliciation: Fablehaven, the Series

I reviewed the 1^st Fablehaven book earlier this month. My opinion of this series has not changed. I really enjoyed the fast paced adventure, the plot twists, and the characterization throughout the novel. I have been a Harry Potter fangirl for a long time and I'd say that if I had to space out my readings of Fablehaven like I did the Potter books, I would probably have become a fangirl of this series as well. Too bad I didn't find it when they first started coming out so that I would have had years to pour over them, rereading exciting scenes and waiting excitedly with the junior high schoolers for the next to come out. Don't judge me to harshly, please.

Friday Five: Favorite Food!

My 5 favorite foods:

1. Alfredo pasta from Pizza Hut
2. The Salad at Olive Garden
3. Gold Star Chili Cheese pups with mustard, no onions
4. Jalapeno cheeseburgers from White Castle
5. Meat loaf with lots of ketchup