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 |   Reflections and ruminations from a modern day Alice - Life is Wonderland |
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Reflections and ruminations from a modern day Alice - Life is Wonderland  Welcome to the place were I chronicle my own falls down dark holes and adventures chasing white rabbits! Come on In, Take a Bite, You Never Know What You May Find... "Curiouser and curiouser." Alice in Wonderland    |
| We have been trying to sell our house and find our new home. It is an exhausted process that has consumed my mental energy as my brain seems to continually reset and recalculate based on the potential homes we have seen. I find it emotionally draining as well as I am tore between loving the home we have made with our desire to provide more for our daughter; more space to grow, more yard to explore and more neighborhood children to befriend. At the same time I excited by the prospect of moving into a new town, closer to family, I am loathing the thought of moving and leaving the familiar spaces behind that I have always loved. In the midst of all this emotional and financial processing, I have done very little writing. I have watch deadlines slip past and made myself promises that I would get back to the grind as soon as things were more settled. As a result, my creativity feels bottled. My muse sits in the corner pouting and that neglect wakes me at odd hours and leaves me feeling restless. In an effort to fan the flames and distract myself from a multitude of other things, I'm going to take up today's blog challenges and see if it helps shake anything loose. "Blogging Circle of Friends " DAY 2017 May 25, 2018 Write about the life of a box of Jello. Caroline dragged herself up the walkway, dragging her nine-year old feet and her backpack along the ground as she came. Her face was a hot mess of spent tears and painfully familiar frustration. Seeing her face I thought, not for the first time, how damn difficult it was to be a young girl at this age. I wish I could spare her from the push and pull of those fickle young friendships, the drama of preteen woes and wishes. "Tough day Abbie?", I asked her and I opened the screen door and ushered her inside. She suddenly hurled her backpack into the corner of kitchen and burst into tears. For the next twenty-two minutes I listened to how "her best friend Lizzie had decided she liked Samantha better and, did I know the two of them had a sleepover together last weekend and didn't invite her? Also, Lizzie had called her "immature" when Abbie got upset about that. She got mad and had to sit alone at lunch and oh yeah, lunch had been cheese ravioli's and she hated cheese ravioli's because they tasted like rubber. Then on the bus Tyler Marshall told her she had a bee in her hair just to be funny and also she sat on someone's old peanut butter sandwich!" At this point, my daughter wheeled around and pointed to a wide stain on the seat of her pants with exaggerated annoyance. I held out my arms and she ran into them, burying her face in my chest and giving into fresh, hot little tears. "Okay, okay" I soothed her, rubbing her back and thinking how to best subvert my daughter's rotten day. Then I remembered a box of jello I'd tossed into my shopping cart last week, blue raspberry, Abbie's favorite flavor. "I know how we can turn your day around Abs, let's make a special treat." I fetched the box of jello and jiggled it in front of her pretty nose. "Blue raspberry, your favorite..." I coaxed. Abbie wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. "Do you have any cool whip?" She asked hopefully. I threw open the fridge and gleefully pointed to the new can of whipped cream. Two hours later we sat side by side on the porch swing, slurping cubes of unnaturally blue globs and took turns spraying dollops of whipped cream onto our tongues and laughing. I told her not to worry about Lizzie and Samantha, friendship can be complicated but eventually you find the right ones and it makes up for all the drama. Eventually her world seemed to right itself again, and all it took was a little love and a box of blue raspberry jello. I knew that one day her sorrows might not be absolved so easily but for now, as the lightning bugs ushered in a mild evening and I could feel the summer waiting in the wings, I was grateful my little girl would go to sleep with a smile in her soul tonight. "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 1620 May 25, 2018 Write a story or poem about a broken promise. Jacob opened his eyes and took a few more minutes to realize the pounding in his head was an actual, physical reality. He tried to sit up, moved to quickly and closed his eyes, moaning, as the nausea threatened to overtake him in white, hot rush. The pounded continued, relentless, accompanied now by someone calling his name. Jacob looked at this watch. The illuminated dial told him it was 10pm and he was exactly two hours late for his shift. His brain made the frantic connection, driving him up to his feet with the painful realization that he was in no shape to report for duty. Jacob sank back to the floor. His eyes fell on the empty whiskey bottles that littered the floor. Four months of sobriety, flushed out by the amber-colored elixir, the taste of which still clung to the roof of his mouth, the bitter aftertaste of a broken promise. |
| Blog Harbor Challenge" Books Day 27 Prompt: Books are the sweet escape from reality and one of the cheapest ways to travel. If you could take the train to your favorite fictional world, what would it be? What would you do once you get there? This is a difficult prompt given the sheer number of possibilities! There is something completely appealing about walking through a wardrobe into Narnia. When not under tyrannical and icy rule, it is a land with an impressive landscape the features mountains and rivers, lush valleys and rolling hills. It seems to be perpetually Spring. It is a magical place with talking animals and fantastical beings. Great, right? Then, you consider Hogwarts with its floating candles and resident ghosts. What could be more of an escape then a magical school for aspiring wizards? Or Oz, with its blazing emerald-colored buildings, yellow brick roads and fields of poppy? Even with the occasional horde of flying monkeys, who would turn up the chance to visit such a place? For me though, the land that most captured my fantasy as a child would still draw the adult me there in a heartbeat. It is a place of secret hideouts, mountains dotted with teepees, and mermaid-filled lagoons. The night sky is always filled with the stars and the shadow of a flying pirate ship creeps across the lovely scenery below. You get there by dousing yourself in fairy dust and thinking happy thoughts. Had I the chance, it would be a ticket to Neverland I would book over them all. |
| Blog Harbor Challenge Day 26 Prompt: Sometimes, when we read, we run into characters who have the same or similar personalities as ours. If you could relate to one book character, who would it be and why? Tell us also who is the author and what is the book all about. I am easily a modern day Alice in Wonderland, driven by my curiosity, to follow bouncing white rabbits into dark holes. I frequently give myself very good advice "but seldom ever follow it". I harbor a child-like belief in "impossible things". I love that Alice is smart, that she reasons with herself but also readily walks into the mystery of world around her. She is grounded but at the same time, open to the possibilities. She is both a dreamer and a thinker and I adore that about her. |
| Blog Harbor Challenge Prompt - Day 22: What is that one book that you have read only once in your life and think you'll never be able to go back to it again? Whether it's because of the strong emotional impact it left on you, or because it was so bad that you dread from thinking about reading it again, or because it was part of the school literature you just couldn't get away from, or whatever reason that particular book made you not wanting to go back to it again. Tell us who is the author, what was it all about, and why is it that you think you can't read it second time or more? Sylvia Plath's The Belljar , was assigned reading for me as a junior in high school. Something about the author's slow descent into madness profoundly affected me. I struggled for a long time after with troubling thoughts and fears about developing mental illness. For so many years my handle in this site was "fearthebelljar" for that reason. It stayed with me in disturbing way. I felt the idea of something like that hanging over one's head like a belljar filled me with anxiety and unease. I respected Plath so much for the quality of her writing but I never could go back and read it again. |
| Blog Harbor Challenge Weekly Theme: MUSIC Prompt - Day 17: Moment of truth time. If someone were to put your entire music collection on random, what would be the most mortifying song to come up? In other words, of all the songs you own, which one is the most embarrassing to admit to? C'mon... fess up! *Smirk* I am immensely proud of my vast and varied musical tastes. My playlist is an epic journey through many different genres and a celebration of everything from smooth jazz to classical piano, to acoustic singer-song writer gems and crushing rock anthems. I pride myself on having an open appreciation of musical talent even if my playlists seem to be generated by someone suffering from acute identity disorder. I connect with certain things about artists/songs and they stick with me. For example, I love Joss Stone. Her voice is soulful and sultry, a bit raspy but wholly unique in the way she oozes through any song, barefoot and breezy on the stage. I appreciate the verbal command of Macklemore, the poetry of "Neon Cathedral" is simply amazing, especially paired with Allen Stone's soulful chorus. Jack White's, "Lazaretto" is just profoundly good, driving rock that shakes you out. For the most part, songs that make my playlist ultimately do it because there is something about them that sets them apart...sometime its talent of the artists, the lyrics, the musical composition or arrangement. However...there is that rare time when I like something for a reason even I can't explain or justify, my "guilty pleasure", my "something doesn't belong with the others" song. For me, that would be pretty much any song from Hole's 1998 album, Celebrity Skin. I simply do not know why I like that album so much, only that I do. Much to the chagrin of my college roommates, I played it a lot in college. A lot. Courtney Love leaves much, much to be desired as a lead vocalist and the arrangements of many of the songs sound rushed, as if they threw them together to save on studio costs. Yet...in it's messy, ugly chaos, there is something that I just enjoy. One of my particular favorites from the album is "Doll Parts", and its an languid sort-of ballad in which Love almost sounds like she's trying too hard to be the ethereal Mazzy Star. The hard driving song "Violet" gives way to Love's screaming through the high notes with an ugly brilliance that I sometimes leave on repeat to get me through a particularly tough day at the office. So, there you have it...the worst album I am be a bit embarrassed to admit I love. In case you need a dose of Ms. Love in all her messy glory...(you're welcome??) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_rfGBwamc "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 1582- Prompt: April 17, 2018 Prompt: What makes us emotionally dependent on people or anything else? And do you think a person might have emotional dependencies with or without being conscious of them? I would like to think that as human beings we all have the capacity to be emotionally dependent on someone. If not, how else would we experience love and loss so acutely? I think in any life journey we develop those dependencies, some of which we may not even be conscious of, and it makes our lives richer, more full. Of course, there is the risk of being co-dependent which is why maintaining our own outlook and presence is so important. We can not love someone so much that we begin to live only for them. We always need to remember to take care of our own needs, even in the midst of a committed relationship. Even the most dedicated and devoted mother understands she's raising a child that will eventually leave her, and move into their own life. We are raising our children to be adept at leaving us, and building an independent and successful existence for themselves. "Blogging Circle of Friends " DAY 1979: April 17, 2018 Prompt: What are your calming rituals? My job can be demanding. There are days when the stress level drives me to the edge of sanity. I employ several calming methods to avoid pitching my computer out of my office window or throwing hot coffee on my man-baby coworkers. On the days when I want to calm myself and simultaneously scare any interlopers from my office doorway, I'll play my "angry tunes" on Spotify. Nothing says, "leave me alone" right now like blasting Saliva or The Pretty Reckless at almost unacceptable volume. Also, nothing saves me from going to prison like sipping a cup of steamy, frothy latte in the abandoned coffee room. Sometimes that silly latte machine is all the stands between me and cursing tirades worthy of a straight jacket. When my coffee and my tunes are not readily available, and a glass of wine and bubble bath are not in the cards, then I count. I count over and over again from 10 down to 1, each time taking one or two seconds more between each number. I might do this ten or 20 times before I find I'm breathing slower, that I feel calmer and more centered. |
| "Blog City" DAY 1581- Prompt: April 16, 2018 by Prompt: Is opportunity something that happens or comes to you on its own or is it something you can create for yourself? If both, which one applies more to your life? In my life I'd had several opportunities that have come to me both organically and because I actively pursued them. More often then not, I've sought out the opportunities for myself, worked for them. It is rare that an opportunity has come to me by pure chance. Once upon a time I found myself a recipient of a scholarship to the Semester at Sea. A teacher had nominated me for consideration for the program and written at letter of recommendation and support. I was given the opportunity to do a week of scientific research and study aboard a 180 foot teaching sail boat out of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It proved to be one of the most rewarding and revealing experiences of my high school career. It was challenging, the first 24-48 hours I battled crippling sea sickness and crushing fatigue. Then, as our young captain said it would, the sickness left us as suddenly as it had come upon us. The next three days were filled with deck side classes on sailing, long sessions in the learning in the lab and exciting experiences like finding ourselves on the edge of the Gulfstream where the water turned an amazing 70 degrees. We all were allowed to jump over the side and swim in the open ocean. One afternoon we worked with the other scientists to pull the rafts of floating sargassum weed out and onto the deck and spent hours categorizing the organisms we found living on these islands of seaweed. On the way back, we were treated to a visit by a mother and calf humpback whale. Their immense gray bodies slipped under our hull and out the other side with a quiet grace that left us all speechless. It was one of the greatest, most memorable opportunities that was ever granted, unsolicited, to me. "Blogging Circle of Friends " DAY 1978: April 16, 2018 Prompt: April 16 is Save The Elephant Day. Write a blog entry about Pachyderms. Do you have any memories of elephants you have seen? What is not to love about Elephants? They are immense and powerful yet they can move with astonishing speed and grace. They are matriarchal, with the elder females running the herd. They are intelligent, emotional animals. What is more enjoyable then watching a wrinkled, furry baby elephant chase birds or play in the mud? Like many of our planet's amazing resources, they are also threatened and in desperate need of conservation and protection. For more information on how you can be part of the effort to save these wonderful creatures, here are a few groups that are doing some amazing work to help: https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/stopping-ivory-demand https://elephantconservation.org/ |
| Blog Harbor Challenge Weekly Theme: MUSIC ▼ Prompt - Day 16: Soundtrack songs. Which song from a movie/TV/game/etc. soundtrack has the most emotional impact on you? What song, when you hear it, brings you right back to the scene in question and gets you teary-eyed, overjoyed, amped up, etc. all over again? This prompt brings to mind two songs from two movies that are such complete and utter polar opposites I surprise myself! One of my favorite movies from back in the day is the 1986 film Manhunter, based on the book Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. It was the first film to feature Hannibal Lector but it centered around another serial killer cops dubbed the "Tooth Fairy" for the bite marks he left on his victims. The final scene when Will Graham has closed in on the killer, played wonderfully by the uncanny Tom Noonan, the song accompanying the epic climax is "In a Gadda Da VIda" by Iron Butterfly. It is quite literally the most perfectly paired score for any scene ever. Okay, I may be overstating it a little but the song does fit it all the right ways to the killer's powerful screen presence. He stalks across the screen nearly in time with the song's rifts, cutting an imposing figure with an eruption of violence and force. Here's a link to the scene if you care to see what I mean. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EykztUgfp2U At the other end of the cinematic spectrum is my second choice...a very close second. The soundtrack from Moana, in my humble opinion, features one of the best musical scores to date. The song, "We Know the Way" produced by the amazing Lin-Manuel Miranda is introduced by solitary drumbeats that bring to life the cave and its historical importance to Moana and her people. It tells the story in a beautiful, lyrical way - masterfully sweeping you up in the moment. The animation throughout the film is stunning, but even more so in this particular sequence, is stunning. The song is moving and catchy, you find yourself soaring with it, singing it well after the credits roll, days and days later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubZrAmRxy_M |
| Blog Harbor Challenge Weekly Theme: MUSIC Prompt - Day 15: Songs you hate. Tell us about one or more songs that you would be perfectly content to never hear again in your life, ever. As my daughter was growing up, I had an expanding playlist of toddler songs that would play each morning on the commute to daycare. Most of them were tolerable. I even managed to find a They Might Be Giants children's album filled with quirky, catchy hits that became a car ride favorite. Overall, there was not one song that I genuinely disliked...until she found "Gummi Bear". It is a looping, electronic blunder with a maniacal chorus that sounds like its sung by a cocaine addiction robot from Hell. She used to listen to it on repeat. I was alarmed to learn it had been translated in several different languages including Spanish and German. Why?! It's, in a word, horrific. I'm not sure I can adequately describe its particular brand of awful so here is a link for anyone brave enough to give a listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astISOttCQ0 Luckily my vast and varied musical tastes have rubbed off on my daughter. I consider it one of my parenting wins that she regularly listens to everything from Joss Stone and ZZ Ward to Broadway show tunes to Walk off the Earth and Santana. Now our rides are filled with a full and complex soundtrack that winds through countless genres and artists. There is still that odd, random morning when she gains control of my "phone music" and finds that one musical selection that I keep forgetting to delete from the musical memory. She plays it now to mess with me more than anything and as my ears bleed, I catch a glimpse of her smiling wickedly in the rear view mirror. |
| "Blog Harbor from The Talent Pond" PROMPT (DAY 14): Blogger's Choice! All you have to do today is write about any movie and tell us why. What are you dying to talk about? Do you want to praise or rip on a movie you just saw? Mention your favorite movie that didn't fit into any of the prompts so far this week? Talk about your most eagerly-anticipated movie of this year? As long as you talk a little about why you picked it, write about any movie you want, past, present, or future! One of the most thought provoking films I've seen recently is the movie, "The Shack". I found myself at turns both hating and loving it. Admittedly, tackling the concepts of Heaven, life after death and the holy trinity as central themes, is certainly admirable for how ambitious it is. I also laud the movie for having the best of intentions as well. I found the inclusion of some of the darker elements of the crime, namely the kidnap and murder of a young child, hard to justify in end. I argued with myself whether or not viewer needed that particular scene in order to accept the fundamental premise of the movie. I loved the casting and portrayal of the character meant to represent Jesus Christ in his earthly form. The writers and director really made it easy to connect with the character in much the way Christians are raised to see Jesus of Nazareth and his role in their spiritual journey to God. Scenes with this character brought to mind the engaging and comforting elements of Sunday school teachings for me. I was raised Catholic and married into a mixed faith marriage. My husband and I are both largely lapsed in our respective faiths and we watched this movie together. He found it interesting and the physical depiction of the holy trinity might have made a little more sense to him as opposed to my convoluted explanations. Overall the movie message was universally about forgiveness and regardless of your faith, its a concept that we all can get behind. It was very thought provoking, not all entirely enjoyable in the traditional sense, but it made us think and talk about it after. It has stayed with me long after the viewing which, in my book, means something. |
| Blog Harbor Prompt - Day 13: Adaptations! You're still the head of a major studio, so what piece of material (can be anything except another movie: a book, comic, TV show, toy, news article, real life true story, etc.) would you choose to have adapted into a feature motion picture? Also, which movie do you think was the absolute best adaptation of the source material (best can be either most faithful or most improved, your choice)? Each time I've read a great book I've thought about how it might be translated on the big screen. Dan Simmons epic coming of age novel, "Summer of Night" is perhaps the one book I'd most like to see adapted for a feature film. The story follows a raggy crew of small town adolescents during the summer when something begins to take shape in the shadows and under their feet. The "something" is a slow burn of uber-creepy events leading up to an epic showdown, not unlike when a similar group kids face-off against the murderous clown in "It". Simmon's writing is top notch. He lures you into this idyllic every-town and allows you to be engaged by these ordinary, familiar kids and their summer flavored adventures. These are likely characters...the caring brothers, the tom-boy girl, the budding writer and the reluctant hero. They are endearing and awkward. I have to believe the casting director would have a blast casting the young actors that would anchor a story that is at turns, part "Stranger Things", part "Goonies". I would love to see how Hollywood would handle the big scares that come increasing more frequently as the book boils to its conclusion...the giant "worms", decaying corpses and murderous farm machinery to name a few. The tale has the potential for a great film I think if the adaption stays true to the vision of the author and the screenplay is as well written as the book. As far as what movie, in my opinion, was the best adaptation of the source material...I'd would have to go with the Chronicles of Narnia or the Harry Potter's franchise. There is pure enjoyment for me in seeing these stories, so ripe with imagination and magic, on the big screen. You read about Aslan and you picture him in your mind and then, there he is, bigger than life with that magnificent mane, those soulful eyes - just as you imaged he would look, and its just amazing. It is equally joyous to read about the halls of Hogwarts or the quiddich field and then get to see them translated in living color. I'm impressed with how well the movies have mirrored these books and how well the studios have given life to JK Rowling's worlds and characters. |
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