A little bit of joy

I have a little Facebook page called Delightful Scribbles one of my favorite blogger Soundtrack to I Do liked my page. It is nothing big but I did say in my blogging goals I would celebrate little achievements and I consider this an achievement. I love her blog and follow her wonderful photos on Pinterest and I am honored she likes me on Facebook.

Check out her blog, she writes a lot about weddings, wedding music and wedding photography. She also writes a bit about her life and her faith. It is a great little place for this girl this girl to escape. Thanks Colleen for your inspiration. 

Love is in the Air

One of my favorite bloggers Desirous of Everything and a few other bloggers have started a February Comment Love Challenge. Here are some of the things she wrote about the challenge:
I don't know about you guys, but I sort of live for comments on my blog.  A blog comment let's me know that someone is actually reading what I wrote and that someone actually liked it enough to say something about it.  I mean, that's kind of a big deal right?


So are you up for the challenge?  Here is how it will work.  When you link up below, your blog will appear on the first four blogs and creators of this challenge.  We encourage you to follow all of these blogs if you do not already!  Adding your blog to the linky tool means that you are ready to participate in the Comment Challenge which starts February 1 and ends on February 14 just in time for Valentines Day!  Get it?  Comment Love??

What do you need to do?  Comment on at least 3 blogs a day for two weeks straight.  The purpose of the link devise below will encourage participants to comment on fellow participant's blogs.  Discover new bloggy friends and start conversations.  However, you are allowed to comment on any blogs that you like. 


I hope you look at her blog Desirous of Everything join the challenge and spread the love with your comments. 

I have been watching the 1st season of Gilmore Girls

so to start this spreading of the love here is a great love scene...

"I love you, you idiot"

Blogging goals

I started this blog post...in earlier January but I never posted it because I realized it sounded like I was whining.  

I am a small time blogger but sometimes I wish I was a big blogger, it might be vanity. I first started this blog thinking I would just share my creative writing the story I was working on at that time. But soon I realized I wasn't writing a lot. Then last spring this this blog just became about my life with inserts of my story. But I guess in someways I thought one day this blog would be explosively big. My dream was a blog like the one Julie Powell had in the movie Julie and Julia.


But I am still a small time blogger dreaming of one day being a big blogger with 100s of followers and lots readers. Right now I sit at 18 followers and a small little Facebook page where I post everything I write. So though small I try to have a presence on the social media front. 

But who wants to read a blog of some one just whining. I have read lots of lots of bloggers I follow that give hints on how to grow them my favorite come from one of my favorite bloggers Desirous of Everything in her post What I have learned about blogging this year so far. Maybe I like it so much because she mentions my blog. But was reading her blog that I was inspired to put my blog under construction in August to boost its appearance. But I also found a new blogger I like A Law Student's Journey.  She blogs a lot about crafts. While I am not a crafter (but if you are... I really recommend it). But she has a post called Tips to Grow your Blog. I feel in some ways I want my blog to grow but I also want it to be a place where I stick to my statement on top. 

I am the kind of person that believes in love, believes in sappiness, believes that God has a grand plan for it all, and I am enjoying the journey of figuring it out.

But there are more things I would like to do...

1. Include more music. In my post Music of my life  I said "I like music but I am not a music expert. I can not play a note of music because I never learned how to read music and I can't sing but that doesn't stop me from singing in my shower or at church. I also can't tell the difference between a melody and harmony. But I still love music all kind of music too.." So to be true to my music loving self I am going to post more songs. I will post them near the top of my post so you can listen to them as you read


Here is one of my new favorites...

Love is Waiting- Brooke Fraser

2. I will try to take more photos of my life. While I do love pinterest and will continue to use it. I want to take more of my own pics to share with you my lovely readers. Of course I only have the camera on my phone... I will try to take more pictures to share my life. 

Like this picture, I took at my Dad and Step-mom's house, 

it inspired my post In want of Womanhood 

and part of my story A Blooming Flower

I am setting those two goals now and when I think of others I will share with you.

Things that will continue...

1. I will post about my story. I started this blog primarily to show off the story I was writing. But now it has turned into a blog about my life, faith, and dreams. But one of my major dreams in life is to be an author so I will of course be posting more about my story. If you want to read it in it's entirety (up to date) I have set up a blog just for my story you can find it here. Of course on the right hand side are all the links to it. 

2. I will write about my life. Rather it be about my faith, my love for Jane Austen, Downton Abbey, Gilmore girls or books. It might also be about what events/struggles are going on in my life. I have loved people reading these and either making comments/suggestions or giving me virtual hugs. I have always used this blog as kind of a diary and I will continue to do so.

3. I will keep celebrating my little and big triumphs like when I reached 100 post or 100 followers. Or when I write pages in my story. Or when I finish a semester in school, or when I finally school (that will be a big triumph).

 Hope you enjoy the journey too.

My thoughts on Journaling

I love to journal. I have had one since the 8th grade when I took a poetry workshop, provided by the public library, and that author encouraged us to journal. Of course in the 8th grade I think I wrote about who I had a crush on at the moment and how I wanted him to like me. So nothing too insightful but what can be expected from an 8th grader. So when I was skimming this article "Reflective Journaling" on a website I like title I found it surprising that the author, Melissa Donavan, wrote "I realize that a lot of writers don’t bother with journals at all; they want to focus on the work they intend to publish." I know I am not published author but I can not imagine not keeping a journal. I fill my journals with prayers, letters I know I will never send to people but it helps me get my thoughts out, quotes I like, doodles (if I can't think what to say) or even book list. I guess in that sense I am " I’m a journal slob" like Melissa calls herself.

As a wannabe archivist I often wonder what people will think of my journals or how my journals will be cataloged, when I am long gone. I even imagine my kids finding my journals after I pass away and reading them. (I know it is a little weird.) But what will they think of my younger years... will they think I had too many crushes? Will they wonder why I repeatedly write letters to people I will never send? Will they think I am over dramatic? I don't know.


I know I find this intriguing because a few years ago my younger sister and I were staying at my Grandma's house and we found one of her old diaries from her college years. It was a five year journal so she wrote a little line in it every day about each day for 5 years. And at one point there was mention of a guy that wasn't my granddad. (I never asked her about it... it wouldn't be right). But as a wanna be writer I have tried to write many a stories that revolved around this plot line.

I like buying a new journal, I spend about 6 months with a journal, and when I get close to the end I go to a book store and buy a new journal. Different designs, different covers have stuck out to me over the years. Of course sometimes being on a college student budget I sometimes have to buy a 99 cent notebook from the drug store... but I figure I can collage them and that is great too. My junior year of high school I had a crush on a guy named Patrick and my friend (probably sick of hearing me talk about him) told me to buy a notebook with the guy Patrick from Sponge Bob. That way every time I thought of Patrick (my crush) I would look at my journal see this Patrick and slowly get over my crush, good idea but sadly it didn't really work.  Every time I get a new journal it feels like a fresh start.

I like this quote from Melissa..."Reflective journal writing has other practical applications, too. Poetry and stories can evolve from reflective journaling. And by striving to better understand ourselves, we may gain greater insight to others, which is highly valuable for fiction writers who need to create complex and realistic characters. The more deeply you understand people and the human condition, the more relatable your characters will be." I kind of gone off topic, but while I use this blog as my open journal, I have a much deeper journal at home... and I love it. I try to write in it (mostly my prayers) every night. So if you don't have a journal... I don't really know how you live. I mean you don't have to have an old fashion journal but with technology today surely you could keep one on you ipad or smart phone.


Basically I really like journaling and if you don't have a New Years Resolution maybe consider buying a journal and using it. Even if you don't write any great piece every one needs a place to get there thoughts out.

Happy 101... Thanks for reading

I can't believe my blog has more than 100 post on it. 

Found at Fallen for a Star

I started this blog back in 2009 and I wrote a total of 8 post that year. What I wanted to do with this blog was kind of write a novel through my blog like how Charles Dickens used to write his stories for newspapers.

Here is a snippet from my very first post

"Hello all,

I am using this summer to read a lot of inspiring novels and maybe write a story of my own. Its just my first draft but I would love to get my stories out there. Especially since a lot of my close friends live out of town I would like them to read my stories."

I didn't write anything in 2010... that is sad. Then in 2011 my first post was about how busy I was in grad school that I couldn't write. But then in March I wrote about how my sister called me out about how I wasn't writing. Then slowly my blog turned from a nothingness to actual writing. I write a lot on my "coffee breaks" as an escapism from moments I just can't handle things.

By August I was a full pledged blogger trying to write every day. Some of my writing wasn't that great but I was a blogger through an through. In my "I'm a Blogger" post I used Jennifer Donnelly (my favorite author) as my inspiration for my blogging.

Try to stand still inside all of that and hear your own voice.

It's yours and only yours, it's unique and worthy of your attention,

and if you cultivate it properly, it might just make you a writer.

-Jennifer Donnelly

I really tried to push myself to write a post everyday  thinking that would increase my blog popularity and I started a Facebook page to share my blog. But by the end of August I realized my writing wasn't that great because I was pushing myself to write and I not always enjoying it. Also blogspot.com had changed their layout so it felt more like a popularity contest. I didn't want my blog to be about popularity I wanted it to be about who I was, though in the back of my mind I thought how cool would it be if my blog was the next big blog (it's not and I'm okay with that) So I kind of had an "identity crisis" for my blog about what I wanted this blog to be. In my "Blog Popularity" post I wrote about how...

I am going to try to go back to my roots for this blog. I want to write about what inspires me or my writing rather it be a picture I found or a quote I like or blog from one of the many bloggers I follow. I want to share my story more from what is going on in my life to what I am writing. I have loved this summer writing about books I was reading to the movies I saw. In a few days I will be in class so I can keep you posted on cataloging and historical research (fun times right?). I just want to get back to why I loved this blog... an oasis not an obligation.

Now I am really trying to think about what I write about.Even last night as I was getting ready for bed I was thinking about this blog and a post I wanted to write about. I told my roommate that if I could figure out away to get my computer water proof I would write my blog in the shower... you can get some great ideas in there. (TMI?) Sometimes my blog is random thoughts and very free flowing. But I am back to loving my blog. It is not an obligation it is always a pleasure to write in this blog.

I have listed some of my favorite post on the side bar as I have been looking forward to my 100th blog post.

100 post here I come... My favorite post so far.

(In alphabetical order)

A little road mapping

A Page from my diary

A Sap at Heart

A Sap at Heart (Part 3)

A Thought for Thursday

Daddy's Girl

From a Hopeful Romantic

I'm a Blogger

Thinking about my Grandma

But if you have any favorites please let me know. I love my reader's comments and input.

I love writing, I always have since I was a little girl. I would fill up notebooks with the stories in my head. I now fill up more notebooks with journal entries but I am still working on writing a novel but it is still a work in progress. Maybe one day I will be a published author. But until then I am glad I have this blog where I can come write and escape from my day to day. I write about lots of things going on in my life I mostly get inspiration from conversations I have or thoughts and struggles I am going through. Sometimes this blog is like my journal. But on lighter notes I write about movies and books and just little pleasantries. My writing really has no rhyme or reason to it. I just love writing.

I am so happy I discovered blogspot 2 years ago and I continue to find excellent blogs that keep me inspired in my writing and dreaming. This place even though virtual is my little oasis. I frequently think about how to "improve" my blog by making it reflect who I am and where I want to escape to. I think if my blog was a comfortable reading chair what would it look like because that is how I want my blog to be some place comfortable I can take my mug of coffee, sit, enjoy, relax and write.

So as I wrap up this reflection of my blog I want to thank you for being my readers.

I love this blog and I enjoy writing in it when I can and I enjoy knowing people read it. I have some very dedicated followers and that makes me very happy that people out there read it continuously. So a special thank you to my lovely and loyal readers. 

My Friends are blogging



My friend Alicia and I

 My friend Alicia has started writing a blog. I love when ever my friends write blogs... when I learn about them I seek them out and begin following.  My friend Alicia's blog is called "Be Still" and she has a post called "Be still and know that I am God". A phrase that comes from Psalm 46:10 a great passage that gets over looked a lot.

Alicia writes in her post...

"A few years ago I sat in an Easter Service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston, and the worship leader chanted this line for a solid ten minutes. Maybe it was longer than ten minutes. Either way, it felt long. My mind wondered to things that needed to get done, bills that needed to be paid, work, what I wanted to eat for dinner, etc. The focus was on my needs in the moment. I wasn't paying attention to the commandment to be still, to give God His time and listen, really listen, to what He needed to say to me in that moment."


How many times does that happen in our lives? For me a lot. I get so wrapped up in my problems or the things I have to do and I forget to remember He is God and He will take care of everything. Reading Psalm 46  really reminds me how much God has been there for us and will be there for us.
 

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging....
Come and see what the LORD has done,

the desolation he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-3 & 8-11
Alicia ends her post saying...

"Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am taking care of you.
Be still and know that I am with you.
Be still and know that you are loved unconditionally.
Be still and listen, really listen, to Me.
Be still and chill out. "
I know I personally need to be reminded of that daily.

I really hope lovely readers you will check out Alicia's blog. She is new to the blogging world and I want to wish her the best of luck.

Enjoy a Cup of Jo

Today during some idle time I found this posting about finding your soul mate on a blog I follow, Cup of Jo (click here)...
Remember that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry says that only 5 percent of the population is date-able? Elaine asks, "Then how are the other 95 percent getting together?" Jerry's response? "Alcohol." When I was single, I felt the same way...

It felt like I was meeting lots of people--but no one I really wanted to date. And the guys I did like already had girlfriends (or just weren't interested, sad). My mom kept telling me that I would definitely end up with someone fabulous and that I shouldn't worry so much. She said she was 100% sure and that it was normal to worry but that I didn't need to. But it was easy for her to say--she was already blissfully married! And I was already 28 (which felt old to me at the time!). Plus, New York seemed like the roughest place to date: You're always surrounded by models (seriously, honest-to-goodness perfect-skinned, long-legged, teeny-waisted, 6-foot-tall Ukrainian models), and the guys you meet seem to either be married or a little crazy.

For more click here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

To begin with I actually don't watch Seinfeld all that much but I know my sister loves it so she probably remember it a lot better than I do.

"My mom kept telling me that I would definitely end up with someone fabulous and that I shouldn't worry so much." I feel the author on this one... my mom told me stories of all the boyfriends she had in high school and while I had a few crushes I only had one boyfriend so I often I felt my mom and I were just on different paths. I aslo remember she told me when she got married at 23 "she felt old enough to be married" when I was 23 I felt no where near old enough to be married. I just graduated college and I am still figuring out who I am. I sometimes feel when my friends talk about what they do and what I should do to (like savings, moving, or just dealing with life) that they all got invited to a "how to be an adult meeting" and my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. (Of course I don't really want to duplicate my mom and dad's marriage since they got divorce). But I do wonder will I ever meet the one. All my married friends tell me thats normal but they can say that they are married.

She talks about how the city you live in might make an impact on the dating scene. I think my city does play a factor. First I grew up in Oklahoma where it is more normal to get married fresh out of college or soon afterwards, so I kind of have that pulling on my heart strings (making me think I should be getting married). But now I live in Boston where most people don't get married till they are in there 30s. Mostly because people here are so focused on their schooling and then their jobs. I feel a lot of people are focused on themselves and try to get everything put together before they think about marriage. If I have to have everything together for marriage... I don't think I will ever get married because I feel I will never have it all together.

She ends the post saying..."What's your relationship status? What are your dating worries? Do you ever worry that you're never going to find your soulmate?"

I am trying not to worry about my dating status. I am trying to remind myself...
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " (Jer. 29:11) and "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). I know and God knows the desires of my heart are to be married and be a mom... but I know it has to be in the Lord's time. Until then I get to enjoy single life where I can do what I want to do when I want.

Read it its a good post.

What do you do?

I was inspired to write this post after reading this blog post by the blogger unRemarkable girl.

She writes...
one of the downsides of living with a pilot is that his job is infinitely more interesting than mine. at parties people want to hear all about the glamour of the pilot's life, or ask questions like why you need to switch off your ipod during take off. when people hear what i do for a living, they smile vacantly and then move on. so i thought i'd talk about my job today - whilst trying not to bore you to death.

I tried to comment but it wasn't working for me so in response I write this.

You know when you meet people usually the first question is "what do you do?"

I could say my job title "Membership Processor" or what I feel my job is. But both of those are not the answer I would like to say. I sometimes say I am a grad student getting a dual Masters in Library Science and a in History. Which is usually is followed by confused looks or people asking me questions about the Dewey Decimal System (which I have not memorized) or a joke saying you have to get a Masters to put away books. So after I tell them what I do I in turn ask them what they do. And sometimes that's where the conversation ends. Sad. I think sometime what we do for a living puts us in a box and from then out you are the job to them.

But I would like to ask "what are you passionate about?"

The answer to this question is writing. I have other loves my family, my church, my friends, Jane Austen, reading, and more. But my passion is writing. I love writing stories, I love writing this blog, I love writing in birthday cards, and I love writing long handed letters. I just love writing. Though this blog is not world famous and doesn't have 100s of readers (I got excited when my blog got into the double digits the other day). And I am not a published author (though I would like to be maybe never as big as J.K. Rowling). I love like writing.

Last night I went bowling with my community group (bible study) and one of my friend's asked me how was your week I said "work was not so great" but then I said "but I got a lot of fun writing done and that was good." I told her about my blog and how I am also writing a story. She might have gotten more information then she wanted but it was still great to say that even when work isn't going well my week was good because I got some writing in.

Sorry I couldn't respond unRemarkable girl I do love your blogs and photos.

P.S. Would like to wish my Dad a happy birthday. (Here he is playing with my niece...doing what he loves to do; being a grandpa.)

Please tell me what your passionate about... maybe we can start a better connection that way?

I'm a Blogger

I will say loud and proud I have become a blogger. I love this blog even though I am not sure how many people read it or how many people care about my opinions on maybe silly stuff but I don't care I just like writing this and getting my thought out there and I LOVE when people comment or when some one writes on my facebook wall about my blog or even yesterday a co-worker asked me about the movies I saw because she saw on my blog I wrote about them. I LOVE IT! I think about this blog- like what to say, or what to add to it or what do I want to write about next. I also look forward to my weekends so I can work on my story and post it on my blog. I spend time looking for pictures on Google Image to portray what I am talking about and I love when I find a quote and it inspires a free write. Maybe I am a bit crazy.

So first I want to say thank you to my loyal readers. I want to thank my sister who called me out in March and said I don't write enough and she loyaly follows my blog. I want to thank my Grandpa who reads it and then writes encouraging notes to me on Facebook... my Grandpa is so high tech. I want to thank my co-worker who gave me a shout out at a meeting for being creative. And I want to thank all my supporters who have read or listened to my writing and for supporitng me. I love the support.

You guys really are the reason I keep writing, even if no one reads it.

Second, I want to say I have always wanted to be a writer. I love writing. My mom can attest to how many notebooks I writing probably little stories that never went any where. I had a few poems published in my high school literary magazine, they probably weren't that good but it helped to have friends who worked for the magazine. But I loved seeing my name getting a by line. Writing has just been my oasis when school, work or life just got to hectic I love to pull out a journal and write a story. I have always started writing my stories in notebooks or paper I found I can't sit at a computer and stare at a blank word page and write (I wish sometime I could my hand really cramps up after writing for hours by hand). In my summer class I learned the expression "Desktop Publisher" it came out in the 80's or early 90's when people were getting their own PCs and wrting their own words and distributing just by hitting the print button. I know I am an 80's baby because I can't remember a time not having a computer. My Grandpa brought macs to TCU (if I have the story right) and when they got new computers he would give us an old one. I remember having one computer in my play closet, that was lots of fun and I guess I owe it to my Grandpa for letting me be a desk top publisher. But I guess through my Blog I am a desk top writer because even though I don't know how many people read my blog my writing rather it be a random blog post like this or part of my story (Sisters of Pinehaven, working title) people are reading it and it it is out there for the world to see. One day I would like to be an actual published author with a book on shelf that you can buy at Barnes and Nobles or maybe an independent book store. But until then I will keep writing this blog and hoping you readers will keep reading. THANK YOU!


Lastly, listen to your own thoughts and feelings very carefully, be aware of your observations, and learn to value them. When you're a teenager – and even when you're older – lots of people will try to tell you what to think and feel. Try to stand still inside all of that and hear your own voice. It's yours and only yours, it's unique and worthy of your attention, and if you cultivate it properly, it might just make you a writer. -Jennifer Donnelly

A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes

The title comes from one of my favorite Disney cartoons Cinderella but this little free write comes from my office's quote of the week.

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.
-Leon J. Suenes.

When I read this I thought...What are my dreams?
The dream I am pursing right now is getting my Masters in Library Science and Masters in History. I guess physically the government is paying for it but I will be paying them back soon. But I guess in some ways I am paying for it. At least my body and brain are. Summer class hasn’t been so bad but spring was hard taking two classes and working full time come May I was wiped out. I was tired, I was mentally exhausted and I was always on the brink of tears (because of mental exhaustion). I guess that’s part of the price you pay.

Another dream I am living out is living in Boston. It has become my life but I remember when it was my dream. When I was younger I wanted to be a writer, I still do, but I thought working for movies. I was thinking about the dress I would wear when I hit the red carpet for my night at the Oscars. So I dreamed of going to UCLA or UCSB (University of California in Santa Barbra). I told then I would move to New York. Well my mom gave me some good advice “if you want to live on the east coast you should look at east coast schools”(okay that might be paraphrasing). So I did look at east coast schools. I begged my mom to buy Baron’s Profile of American Colleges and we can begin scouring colleges every where from Boston to Virginia. I thought about schools in New York but the city seemed too big too scary. Then my mom came to Boston during the 2004 play offs against the Yankees, I am not sure if was the excitement that filled the air because of that or what but I fell in love with the city. I looked at a few schools in Connecticut but Boston had captured my heart. So I applied to Simmons and Suffolk in Boston and my mom made me apply to Quinnipiac in Connecticut just in case but I wanted Simmons first and Suffolk second. I got into Suffolk (however I am going to Simmons now for grad school) and loved the idea of moving to the city, during my second visit to Boston I told my mom I was going to tie my self to a park bench so I wouldn’t have to leave. And in March I started a count down till I moved to Boston. I even wrote a persuasive speech to convince the students in my English class to move to Boston and for months it was all I talked about. So it was a big dream of mine to move to Boston and I have loved it for the most part. But I guess I pay for it, when I am lonely and miss my family. I pay for it because I don’t get to see my niece and nephew grow up as much I would like and there are moments I pay for it when I wish I could still climb into my mom or dad’s lap and cry on their shoulders. I cry over the phone but its not the same. But I guess those are just facts of life and I have to remember sometimes the dream of living here are worth the loses.

Okay that took a sad turn, I didn’t mean for this free write to be sad.

On the up side there are still dreams I still have yet to accomplish. I have two really big dreams one to become an author but I know I would not feel my life wasn’t complete if I wasn’t a wife and a mother. As a single girl I love thinking about being the stay at home wife who has dinner on the table when her husband comes home and I also like watching my married friends and learning from them what it is to be a good wife. There is a really funny quote from Gilmore Girls where Emily, the grandmother, describes her life as a canoe she is rowing a long and so his her husband and through each doing their own job they are making life work out. If you know the show this quote seems completely out of place for the character Emily but I like the idea of being a canoe. Right now I am more what Emily would describe a kayak. I know there are deeper things to describe how a marriage should be than a canoe but I like the image a lot. In that I also dream of being a mom. It might be a miss quote but in the movie The Perfect Score, Scarlett Johansson character describes the type of mom she wants to be one who doesn’t care about the title on her business card but being an actual mom (okay random quotes stick in my head). I see that as a way I would want to be and I love the real life examples I get from my sister, and the moms at my church I have gotten to know. That’s my biggest dream to be a wife and a mother and while I am still enjoying my single life it is something I look forward to and pray about.

I guess the next dream I have is to be an author. Which is why I started this blog, to keep me motivated about writing. I have written stories ever since I was little. The first journal I remember having my best friend in elementary school gave me, it was peach colored with a precious moments doll on the cover. The only problem is though I dream about stories I have yet to finish one. I also have a big problem with showing people my work. I am not a good speller and punctuation is not my strong point I am known for my run on sentences. And until this blog, though I would read my stories to my mom, I didn’t like people reading them. I am sure my younger sister does not remember this but one time we were at my brother’s soccer game and I let her read a story of mine and all she did was point out my spelling errors since then I didn’t like people reading my stories. I know when most people do things creatively they pour themselves into it and they expose themselves to vulnerable. I don’t like being vulnerable but if I want to be published I guess I will have to face people not liking my work.

The book should be a ball of light in one's hand.

Quote comes from:
Properly, we should read for power. Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one's hand.
-Ezra Pound
US poet (1885 - 1972) found at: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1911.html

Today on the blog Austenprose I read about a new book called Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler and while I hope my story that I am writing is kind of like Sense and Sensibility what struck me most about the Austen prose article was that Jennifer Ziegler called Jane Austen a Young Adult author and I was a little surprised by this but I must say she makes perfect sense. Ziegler says...

" I think, in some ways, Jane Austen wrote YA. Before anyone tosses tomatoes at me, please allow me to explain… Austen’s books centered around young women on the verge of adulthood. They are nearly ready to leave the nest and take their spot in the world – and in the Regency era, the best landing of all would be that of a happy marriage to a good and prosperous man. Standing on this threshold of life is the emotional setting for all young adult novels. Teens are caught between the insular world of the childhood home and that of society at large. Even if they don’t strike out on their own at the end, they have surely become more “adult” by the final page.
Austen never makes the search for a proper husband the point of her stories. In every case the main character needs to go through some significant growth first. Whether it’s Elinor learning to trust her feelings as much as her intellect, Marianne coming out of her fantasies and into her senses, Elizabeth learning not to judge too prematurely, Emma learning not to meddle in other people’s lives, and so on, Austen makes sure her heroines recognize and overcome character flaws in order to earn their happy-ever-afters. Such maturation is central to young adult literature, as it is with all good character-based fiction. However, in YA, the age of the protagonists is key. Teens and early twenties don’t know as much about the world or themselves quite yet. Because of this, the problems they face are brand new, but also – and this is critical – their emotions are brand new. This is first love, first heartbreak, first crushing disillusionment. "

For full article click here

I guess when I started reading Jane Austen I thought them as so high class literature that in a very geeky way I thought I was cool that I loved Jane Austen and I could appreciate her. But in high school I couldn't share my love to people other than my mom because all my friends were reading Harry Potter or other books that I had no interest in. So I kind of kept my love a secret, it wasn't until I college I met other lovers of Jane Austen and it is like this instant bond. One of my best friends and I started talking only because we both loved Jane Austen and since a beautiful friendship has grown. But I still until reading this article would have consider Jane Austen Young Adult only because sadly sometimes, young adult literature is looked down upon from a scholarly point of view.

I am here to say that I like Young Adult novels (other than ones about Vampires or Werewolves but if that is your thing be proud of it) and I like reading stories about first loves, first heartbreaks, over coming maybe childish things, and experiencing the world for the first time. I am not ashamed to say it. Whatever you read is good just read!

So I wanted to give a shout out to two Young Adult novels that have really shaped me...

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine this book I read in the 6th grade so might be a little to young for Young Adult but I owe this book a lot of credit in my life. I read this book in the 6th grade and since then I have not stopped reading. Now I know Anne Hathaway (who I usually love) made a movie of this book but don't waste your time watching the movie read the book it is so worth it. It is kind of Cinderella story as Ella has the curse of obedience with over her and she has two mean step-sisters that she knows might threaten her life if they find out about her curse.
A good book review click here
And one day I hope to give it to my niece and let her experience this book I first loved... of course that won't happen for a few more years she is only 18months old now.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly is another book that I like to give a shout out to. I read this book my freshman year of college and I re-read it the summer before my senior year. Though this book and I have had an interesting history. While I was re-reading it my purse including this book was stolen. While the purse and a few items were returned to me this book was not. That made me sad because it was so good but I hope that this book didn't end up in a dumpster but some one picked it up and was able to read it. I then checked it out from the library to finish re-reading it. And until recently I didn't own it I just knew I read it. In a moment of retail therapy I bought another copy for myself so now I own and have read everything that Jennifer Donnelly has published and when The Wild Rose comes out I will own that too (can't wait).

The reason the story impacted me was that as a wanna be author I like how Donnelly blended kind of two stories in one (a thing I have always wanted to do). But as a person I love how the main character Mattie is under hardship being the oldest girl of a farm family but she still has goals to go to college and write. I won't ruin it for you but it is a good read. For a good review click here

I will also be sharing this one with my niece when she is older.

Probably the best known Young Adult book (and if its not it should be)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson show a darker side of High School but maybe me laugh when she wrote about the "Lies they tell you" for example the teachers are always there for you.

I won't go too much into this but its a good read rather you are in high school or not.

For more click here

Oh yeah for my readers who want to know more about my story (as the last few blog postings have been about my life) I am working on it... grad school is taking up a lot of time but I am still writing.

Amazed

Okay guys I am just amazed by the amount of blogging that happens about fashion history particulary about the 18th century and early 19th century. It seems to range from looking at life in these time periods or actually trying to make clothes from these time periods. I have tried following a lot of them but it is becoming so much and I know there are still uncharted waters. I am not going to follow blogs that talk about how to make fashion, mostly because my interest is in studying how fashion reflected the people's lives.

On the left hand side you can see a lot of the blogs I follow that cover Jane Austen, Gossip in 18th Century, writing blogs and other blogs on fashion. I have also found blogs on gardening, folk art, Christian living, things about London, movies, book reviews.Once again I am amazed about the wide range of blogs and basically if you have an interest there is probably a blog out there for you. And if not make one!

Some of the blogs I love to follow...
Jane Austen Today
http://janitesonthejames.blogspot.com/

by the same author Jane Austen's World
http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/

The Duchess of Devonshire Gossip Guide
http://georgianaduchessofdevonshire.blogspot.com/

Two Nerdy History Girls
http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/

Living on Literary Lane
http://lizzyslovelylibrary.blogspot.com/

Enchanted Serenity of Period Films
http://enchantedserenityperiodfilms.blogspot.com/

Some of these blogs have been essential in helping me set up the tabs on the top.

My hints on finding blogs google (you don't have to use google) search a term you are interested in for example "writing blogs" the find one that looks interesting. Most Blogs list what blogs they follow, look at them to find more blogs on things you like. I have even found a blog on NASCAR through doing this and there are lots of blogs on being a mom. I like doing all this when I am on my coffee breaks or just need a mental break from work and I will admit some times its hard not getting sucked into the virtual world.

Well I hope you enjoy the vast world of blogging.

My sister called me out

My sister who has now become a blogger, chatting about the daily works of her family (that I love to read) called me out for not writing much.
" I know," I said with a sigh. "I don't have time to write besides school papers."
Believe me they would not be fun to read. But I read blogs. Sometimes I get to work earlier than I would like and before I am ready to answer all my emails, I sit with my travel mug of coffee and read blogs. But my sister is right I don't blog much... but as my blog is titled "A journey through writing" this would be the low period of my writing.

I do imagine characters all the time though.

I have a wonderful little dialogues in my head of a librarian, no surprise, since that's what I am going to school for, digging through the of her library vaults and discovering letters from the 19th century (my passion in history). These letters might be from some one famous that everyone has heard of but no one knows her true history because these letters or maybe a diary has been hidden for 100s of years. Or maybe its a no one just a woman who seems to have a simple life (but there always has to be a secret). I don't have it all figured out yet.

What I have been doing with my time is....
http://womenmovement.wikispaces.com/
It is a path finder or resource finder as project for my reference library class. In it I am suppose to be helping a student/ information seeker that is looking for information on a certain topic. I have done my path finder on the Women's Rights movement of the 19th century (something that has always intrigued me).

Also for my history research paper I am doing my paper on a mostly unknown woman who was an abolitionist and a women's rights leader, Abigail Kelley Foster AKA Abby Kelley. I am finding her life quite fascinating.

What I am also loving about both my path finder and Abby Kelley is that these are women that pushed the mold of what a woman should be. Back in the 19th century the ideal woman was expected to stay completely in the "home sphere" and the women that pushed these boundaries I have loved to explore into their lives. Though I do often explain to people I am 19th century feminist not a 20th century feminist (for many reasons). But what I have loved doing about these projects is they have inspired my story ideas.

So Hunter, I will try to write more.