Finally Some Work Done

This has been a very relaxing weekend. It started with going to see Bravo Broadway on Friday. Among other things (Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, “Singing in the Rain”, “Dancing Cheek to Cheek”) The evening featured lots of music and dancing from Crazy for You. Friday and Saturday I spent much of my time reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s biography. Church was good (sad how fast it drains me, though) yesterday. Saw again the first episode of Sherlock and enough of Downtown Abby for Mom and Dad to say it is too soap operaish. Also saw my first episode of Lark on Candleford, which seems to be much more episodic with fun characters. I have managed to get about half a chapter written between Christmas break and this weekend. I am also finally starting to feel better. I also got Mom to go through our VHS collection and write down some of our favorites which we don’t have on DVD yet. Need gift ideas in this direction just ask me. This afternoon some blogging, hopefully some reading, doing a puzzle. Tonight some Astro Burgers and hopefully Star Wars. And maybe I can finally squeeze in watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special from last December.

Sorry if this post is disjointed. This is the best I have felt while on my bad medication since Christmas. Last Monday on the other hand was divine. I didn’t take any bad medication Sunday or Monday last week and I took Monday off. I was still miserable with my cold, but my mind was clear and I was doing mental gymnastics I haven’t done since I was sick in July and had to be off my bad medication for a few days.  Wednesday I go see the doctor again . . .

The Tolkien Professor

I am so glad I discovered Professor Olsen. I always enjoyed fantasy but I have also always felt that fantasy isn’t taken very seriously. Little did I know I must be a latent medievalist! I have already enjoyed his lecture on The Hobbit and have started his general Tolkien survey. I am loving having someone take one of my favorite authors ever seriously and now I am starting to get some ways to defend my love of fantasy.

17 Miracles

This movie covers the Willie handcart company that got caught in early snow and had to be rescued. I am glad I saw it. I especially liked the actor who portrayed the viewpoint character Levi Savage. With all the tragedy, there were also some fun moments and many sweet moments. If you want a movie that covers this period of church history, this is a good one.

Pirates of the Caribian: On Stranger Tides

So we watched this movie during Christmas break. The good news – it is better than movies 2 & 3. The better news – some of our favorites are back (Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, Mr. Gibbs), we’ve got some good new characters (Angelica, Blackbeard, Serena, Swift), and some characters whose story is over are not back (Will & Elizabeth). The bad news is the movie isn’t quite as good as the first one. Granted, the first movie is a hard act to follow. Part of the problem is that while there are creative fight scenes and great jokes, they seem to tread some of the same ground. Still, it is a fun story. Jack arrives in London only to find someone is using his name to get recruited. He himself gets rather forcibly recruited by Angelica, Blackbeard’s daughter. They want to find the fountain of youth. Only one problem – both the Spanish and British government want the fountain of youth too. In fact, Britain has gone so far as to recruit Jack’s old nemesis Barbossa to help. Barbossa in the mean time has his own grievance with Blackbeard . . .

2012 Gets Off to an Interesting Start

Sigh. I have been suffering from a cold for almost two weeks now. Unfortunately some of the medication I take suppresses my immune system. I finally got to the doctor today and am taking it easy. Hopefully I will be able to treat tomorrow as a (mostly) normal day.

I have decided I need to treat 2012 as if I can do everything I want to. So I have put down money for two writing classes, I have a list of books to read (some even more scholarly!), and I have some travel plans as well. Not to mention some writing plans. I’ve got the new computer, I’ve got Scrivner, now I just have to find the energy to get to work! We’ll have to see if I can do any of this. I am also on target to finally move out before snow falls next fall. Whether all of this will happen, I don’t know. But I can hope, right?

Movies I want to see this year:

Brave by Pixar

The Avengers

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Final Thoughts for 2011

This past year has been an interesting one to say the least. I encountered health challenges that weren’t even on the radar a year  ago, and I am still facing them.

I have found it difficult to write. I have plans on conquering this in spite of everything else.

This past year has also been a wonderful year. I have seen lots of family. I have enjoyed a number of movies, books, anime, and TV series.

I went to two writing conferences and one library conference.

I started working full time.

I bought a car and a computer.

So while this has been a tough year, many good things have happened.

What will happen next year? Based on 2011 the only prediction I will make is that there will be even more changes in my life. Hopefully they will be good changes. Where they are not good changes, I pray for the strength to make them in to good changes.

May 2012 be a wonderful year for all of us.

NaNoWriMo Results

So here are the results for my version of NaNoWriMo. I missed four days. I wrote a total of   2,433 words. This is just under ninety-four words a day for the twenty-six days I did write. Clearly, there is room for improvement here. Still, it is good to get back into the habit of writing, even if it isn’t on one of my stories – yet. Baby steps.

Fare Thee Well November

Some good times this months. Highlights include the ward auction, Thanksgiving, Allyson’s birthday, and watching Lord of the Rings in five days. And yes, that was the extended edition^^; Here’s to a good December.

Too Large

I remember back in second grade. Yes, I was already reading at a high level for my age. My teacher, bless her, wanted to give me a bit of a challenge. So I think she gave me one of the Little House on the Prairie books to try. I’ve never been able to remember which one, though. And I ran into a wall with my reading. I could understand the words. I could understand the sentences. And I don’t think I got past the first chapter. The story was too big for my young mind to handle. I picked up Little House on the Prairie again in fourth grade, and fell in love with them because my mind was ready for it. Life is sometimes like that. Some things at first seem too large to handle. Then as we learn and grow, we find that we can handle what is before us after all.

More Thoughts on Why I Read

There are many reasons why one could read. Some people like to read to find out information, whether it is about a far away place or a distant time or to learn how something works. I do this often too.

But there is a reason to read, a reason why I read, that is much more fundamental.

Tell me a story.

That, really, is what it comes down to.

Do they save the day? Does the guy get the girl? Does her dream come true? Do they live happily ever after?

The funny thing – as I read these stories, I vicariously practice out living my own life and learn hopefully a few things that I then don’t have to learn through sad experience. I also learn to look through another’s eyes.

So . . . tell me a story.