In the New Year of our Lord 2016

I hope you're all having a most lovely New Year's! Right at the moment, I'm sitting in my blue room enjoying my sparkly white twinkle lights after coming in from enjoying the outside sparkle lights while doing chores. We don't have any snow at the moment, but we got lots and lots of rain last weekend and now there's plenty of that certain, thick, brown, squelchy substance in places. And after milking, I got to go up and help (most) of the herd find their new round hay bale. (Apparently, they got so excited about it that they completely forgot where the fence opening is to get round and to it. Quite ridiculous behavior. Really. ;)) 

And earlier this afternoon, I got to watch a movie with my family while sipping coffee from my new French blue coffee cup and smiling over my 2016 tropical water/places calendar (both Christmas gifts from my brother ;)).

:)

This isn't a new year's resolution post, but a lot of things have been wrapping up in the last few weeks and I've been thinking through some new things I'm hoping to do soon -- and as all of it delightfully coincided with the beginning of the new year -- some sort of post just seemed fitting. 

2015 was an incredibly full and really most blessed year. It had its share of tough and difficult days at times, but throughout every moment of them God was utterly faithful.

I read a lot more last year than I had for several years previous, which pattern I'm looking forward to keeping up! (And at the moment I'm feeling inspired to do book reviews, too, so we shall see...)

Along with and included in it, I discovered some MARVELOUS new stories -- both books and movies. I've been updating my top favorite films list here over the last month or so. (There are several more that might be making an appearance soon, but I'd like to rewatch them again at least once first. ;))

I was also blessed to go on some fairly epic travel adventures this year. In April, I got to go with two of my siblings for a fast road trip east and really and truly got to meet a dear friend face-to-face (whom I first met through blogging) AND attend her beautiful wedding!! In October, I was blessed to take a two week trip to stay with a very old and very dear friend (and her lovely young family) across the country, which was absolutely splendiferous. And in November, I was blessed to go road tripping across the country west for yet another dear friend's wedding (in which I was honored to be a bridesmaid, and which was altogether perfectly thrilling and wonderful). As I said, it was all quite epic. :) (And YES, I am still very much hoping to share some pictures!)

And.... some most exciting things have also been/are happening on the writing front lately. ;D

There are so many things that (Lord willing!) I'm eager about and praying for in this next year -- and here are just a few of them I'm planning to do on a daily level:

~ I really like the new Bible reading approach I tried during part of last year: reading from Genesis-Revelation in 10 chapter increments (or an entire book, depending on the length) + a psalm or a proverb, so I'm planning to do that again.

~ With my next sister in the house there are plenty of different exercise options floating around and she found a new walking routine recently that looks interesting. There's also my favorite Ballet Beautiful waiting to be picked up and I think they might compliment each other well, so I'm thinking of alternating between the two and seeing what happens.

~ Picking up my fiddle again would be excellent.

~ And (we'll see what happens with this one), but I've wanted to learn Spanish for quite a while. So now just to make a start.... :)

So there you have it! My (very) quick overview for this January 1st. Now I'm off to do some kitchen tidying and finish testing out a new spelt flour pretzel recipe I've got in progress. ;)

A Very Merry 8th Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all!!

Tell me! What's one adventure you'd love to take on in this Year of Our Lord 2016?

Western Week!! And a bit of a ramble....

Happy Monday everyone and I hope you all had a lovely start to the week! This is a quick note to be sure you all know Emma Jane and Olivia are kicking off their Legends of Western Cinema Week today!

(Isn't this lovely?)

I'm very much hoping to participate later in the week and I've been tossing around various ideas. Of course, I'd love to do a Zorro post of some sort.... but there are a couple hefty factors weighing against such a proposition.

#1: I don't feel it's quuuuiiiite the right era (being California in the early 1800's under imperial Spain, etc). There are a couple 90's episodes that might work..... BUT I'm also trying to save those for my splendiferous "January" plans. ;D

#2: I really really REALLY need to be focusing on my short story A Flame Shall Spring and (unfortunately) you-know-what rather inhibits my concentration. 

See what I mean?

Hence, I'm currently on a course of self-imposed abstinence. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be having at all the same effect with David's Shoulders, so after I finish a good chunk of AFSS I shall return to life as usual.... and then the stories can really fly! ;)

So! Okay. All that to say, for the Legends of Western Cinema Week I'm hoping to do a review of the classic Stagecoach starring John Wayne. We shall see! And meanwhile, I wanted to make sure you all knew about the gala event early on in the week so you have time to participate if you like. I do hope you can join in!

(And just look at that.... I got some Zorro pictures up for the western week after all! ;))

Liebster Award #3!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful July thus far! Summer here has been full… but in the best sense, so on the whole quite enjoyable.

On the blogging front, I received the Liebster Award again a few weeks ago! (Thank you, Hamlette!) So here are my answers for all your enjoyment and—of course—edification. ;)

1. Do you have a favorite mug or teacup? ~ Yes, indeed! It makes me happy every morning—and I’m sure it’ll be a big surprise:

2. Are you an adventurous eater? (Do you try “strange” foods?) ~ Hmmm. Generally I’ll try something as long as I know what’s in it. But then, on the other hand, sometimes I won’t (if I—accordingly—know what’s in it). I did once try a tiny bite of raw, healthy ground beef.

3. What fandoms are you into? ~ First and foremost, almost anything Zorro related. :) In further general terms: Disney, period dramas, classic films and any other spectacular stories truly told.

4. What famous author/book do you really not care for? ~ Don Quixote! Honestly, it’s dreadful. (I did get halfway through the massive tome and then stuck fast where he’s turning cartwheels for “penance” in… well, never mind. Let’s just say he didn’t have much going in the way of clothing.) Cervantes’ mockery makes me angry, but for a long time I didn’t completely understand why until I read some background on Spenser’s Faerie Queene. Writing at the same time as Cervantes (and a couple centuries after the heyday of armored knights) Spenser’s work is a stunning epic in defense of Christianity, including nobility, sacrifice, and honor (along with a lot of other truths well worth dying for). I now find it fascinating to compare the two—Spenser and Cervantes—but I still haven’t gotten around to forcing myself through the second half of DQ. (Side note, there IS an excellent 90’s Zorro episode on the Quixote theme, though, and—while it’s dealing with an old man’s dreams—it ends resoundingly in favor of a true fighting hero. ;))

5. What obscure author/book are you nuts about? ~ One (I think) little known story I love is Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. It’s one of the three books that have actually made me cry. And don’t worry, it does end happily!

6. What’s the oldest movie you’ve ever watched? ~ The Mark of Zorro (1920). The silent film with Douglas Fairbanks, it’s both frightfully fun and funny. (I did warn you about my Zorro thing up above, didn’t I?) Incidentally, though having the same name, it’s also different from The Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power listed here on my author blog. 

7. What did you have for breakfast today? ~ A mango-gelatin smoothie.

8. When did you first see your favorite movie? ~ I feel like I’ve been linking to Shadow on the Mesa here every five posts or so… but it does truly seem inevitable. I first saw it last Thanksgiving and I’ve now seen it five or six times.

9. Do you prefer fantasy or sci-fi? ~ I don’t think I’ve ever actually read any sci-fi… so fantasy.

10. What did you expect your blog to be like when you started it? ~ A place to share about my stories and surrounding interests and/or further delightful happenings—I was pretty open to seeing where it would end up going. 

11. Has it changed? If so, how? ~ The story sharing part has hopped a little, but in the main it’s stayed pretty constant. One major development I’ve noticed is I’ve gotten more comfortable writing what I actually think—both on and off the blog. Learning to be comfortable opening up and honestly sharing my opinions. I’m still growing, so thanks goes to all you wonderful readers and friends who have (and still are) helping me along! It’s also helped me even in some smaller details like faster typing and editing. I still cringe when I discover a typo (and am known on occasion to cut-and-paste and delete and repost my reply comments if I’ve made an egregious error), but it’s helping me learn to get words out and achieve the fine balance between crippling perfectionism and excellent, well-executed work. :)

And now for 11 facts about myself (in no particular order)!

1. I love clear turquoise water.

2. I have a splendid story board up behind my computer with all my character “castings” for On David’s Shoulders and also my important writing calendar.

3. I’d like to learn Spanish someday.

4. I can recognize quite a few different butterflies. 

5. I milk cows.

6. I’m crazy about Egyptian archaeology and history.

7. One of my favorite musicals is the ‘03 Music Man with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth.

8. I love studying dinosaurs.

9. I’m hoping to use the Leisl’s Dance Dress pattern here, when making my bridesmaid’s dress for a friend’s upcoming wedding.

10. I’m 5’4” tall.

11. I don’t like flies and gnats, etc., but otherwise bugs, spiders and creepy crawlies really don’t bother me.

I hope you all enjoyed and thanks so much again for the tag, Hamlette!

Tell me! Do we have any of those last “11 Facts” in common?

June Happenings and Delights!

Reveling in deep green against blue skies.

Moving house and getting my new writing area set up—photo calendar, character sketches and all complete!

Carrying armloads of plates and pantry items and all the extra (highly important) odds and ends needing new homes.

Working in our brand new kitchen!

Sleeping with the windows open.

Wading in the deliciously cool creek after chores.

My garden a wildflower patch of Queen Anne’s Lace and my favorite blue chicory and a few Bachelor’s Buttons.

Brilliant orange daylilies.

Grandparents coming a-visiting.

A new calf.

Elastic hair bands advertised to last up to 145 ponytails.

Helping out at a church friend’s wedding: baking cookies and helping with reception preparations and running errands. (Note to self: don’t steam chiffon bridesmaids dresses under a smoke detector. The fire department may very well show up in the hall outside. :))

Watching Beauty and the Beast.

Listening to soundtracks: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella (2015), and Ever After (which I haven’t seen and which is high on my TBW list).

Writing David’s Shoulders.

Shining new ideas for a Sleeping Beauty retelling; then hitting my head against the wall with frustration over them; then starting to write and regaining the shining-ness.

A marvelous church summer dance and conference.

Two close friends announcing their engagements—within two days of each other. (I’m so thrilled!)

Getting a Pinterest account. I've already started three boards and it's going to be SO fun.

Rearranging bookshelves.

And shifting piles and piles and piles of books from the old attic to the new basement and stacking them—now patiently waiting—for fresh paint to dry on the shelves.

Still mulling over this excellent post—The Only Thing You Need to Know About Writing Strong Female Characters.

And laughing over this one—16 Things You Need to Know About Dating a Girl Who Writes.

And enjoying Kaycee’s spot-on defense of Frozen’s Anna here.

Trying to implement this quote in my own life both on and offline: “Maud was of the class whose education consists mainly of a training in the delicate ignoring of delicate situations.” 

P.G. Wodehouse, A Damsel in Distress 

(Hard for this girl who loves confronting everything head on, but sometimes it’s simply the wisest course.)

And last (but most CERTAINLY not least!) watching the 90’s Zorro tv show! This is truly embarrassing, but at first I admit I was just going, “It’s okay. Very 90’s. But pretty good....” Then we hit certain episodes and I melted to a thousand pieces. I’m crazy about it! The theme song and—and—and—well, let’s just say it’s safer to leave any more for a future discussion. I LOVE IT and can’t get enough!

And there were other things this last month, too. Lots of conversations—lots of emotional growth. In all of it, even though I have no idea where my squiggled path will end up—or who else’s path it may happen to run across—I can truly say that God’s plans are always deep and right. I’m so thankful for the friends He has given me—and so amazed by the joy He has poured out.

It’s been a full month and wondrously good!

Tell me! Do you have any highlights to share from the last month?

Darkness, Glory and A New Year

As I was going over my bookshelves—trying to find words to catch some of the deep excitement I have for this new year—a dear, familiar, green-covered book sprang forward to notice: Greenwillow by B.J. Chute. A top favorite, I’m still always freshly and incredibly amazed by its delightful wordplay and rich goodness. And it had exactly what I was searching for…

“Outside darkness stayed, darkness and snow and ice, as if it would stay forever. 

So no one in Greenwillow was prepared for the morning when it came, not in a slow snowy dawn but with the sun shouting up over the hills and catching a million mirrors of ice storm, as if the music from a harp had been frozen and splintered and flung from the west and the east and the north and the south. The great trees were sheathed in ice, and so were the tiniest meadow grasses. Branches glittered and cracked under their frozen weight, and small autumn seed-coats turned to diamond stuff.

The sky was as blue as the first dawn itself, the one that woke Adam, and there was a fresh powdering of snow that had fallen before the ice began to creep. It was next to impossible to look abroad for the dazzle, and the Reverend Birdsong stood on his doorstep and shielded his eyes and felt very near to bursting with God’s wasteful glory and this new Creation. Charity the cat came out beside him, walking very daintily in the cold, looked at the snow, sneezed in protest and withdrew to the warm hearth. Birdsong rubbed his hands together and crowed.” Greenwillow by B.J. Chute

Over the past year I’ve had (and I know will most definitely have in this new one as well) some tough and difficult days—but at the moment I’m very thankful. Longing for some things…but yes, very thankful. God has been very good, and His grace and lovingkindness have been and will be sufficient!

For wonderful things also happened in this last year. Wonderful things that wouldn’t have happened if every day of 2014 hadn’t happened in the way it did. On story (and subsequent blog fronts), I have some tremendous goals for 2015. They’re pretty huge, but so many different areas of life seem to be falling into place—fitting together from disparate pieces to a cohesive whole—that, altogether, I can’t help rubbing my hands together, running from one place to another, and feeling very much like the Reverend Birdsong!

And with this beginning to a new year, the time is also most ripe and perfect for a heartfelt “thank you” to all of you wonderful followers and dear, encouraging friends! Thank you so much for taking of your time to read and visit!!

Merry Christmas (again) and a very Happy New Year to you all!!!

On David's Shoulders - Character Faces #1!

Edit February 2015: Since the time of posting here, my current work-in-progress On David’s Shoulders, has undergone a huge shift including “recastings” for most of the main characters. Accordingly, I’ve decided to take down the contents of this post. If you’d like to see the current story summary and more details, you can visit its page on my author website here.

Thanks for understanding!