Friday, June 15, 2012

Free write Friday

This week's feature is from a while back but I thought it was interesting plus it has a major tie into one of my new obsessions.... can you guess.... The Hunger Games.
{pic}
(Don't worry I won't give away any spoilers)

I follow this blog called Creative Writing Prompts and on April 20th it had one that used the theme of the Hunger Games... no there weren't any kids fighting to the death. I was a really interesting prompt so I thought I would do it. 

“As long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve.” - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Poetry and Essay prompt: Think about things that fill your emotional hunger. What, besides food, keeps you alive? Free-write a list for one minute. After a minute is up, pick one thing from your list and start an essay or a poem.

To read more click here

I didn't need to think of list I knew what it was that kept me alive, it is writing. I know I should say my friends and my family. That is a much better answer but it is not what came to my mind first. My writing came to my mind first. When ever I need to escape into a world that is all mine, that no one can touch, screw up or destroy I have my writing. I have my own little world and that is where I can go and no one can hurt it. Maybe it is not my writing that keeps me alive maybe it is my imagination, it has been with me before I sat down and wrote a story. It was there with me through all my years of playing dress up and playing barbie. Most girls just dressed up their barbies but I acted out stories with my barbies long before I put pen to paper. I know some people as they get older they seem to lose that world of play and make believe. They slip on their grown up clothes and have more practical aspirations but I still get to lay in fields with daisies and dandelions that dance around me. I still get to wear fine ball gowns and fall in love with a prince. I could go to the moon and back if I so wanted to. I need only pull out a pen and paper and there I will be in my own little world, tucked away from it all. I guess I couldn't live with out my imagination and my writing gets me there.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

"It would all end well"


{pic}
This is not the end of my story but at the end of this part Aunt Iris believes this  will all end well and I thought that it would be a could title for this section of the story. I have found this quote on Pinterest and right now things are not okay in the story so it is not the end. But as I think about the end of my story I do wonder how everything will be okay. Life doesn't always have ends so as a writer I have always been stuck with thinking how ends are going to happen in stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{pic}
The next day Emmy felt better until she remembered what happened and where she was. She was Aunt and Uncle's house knowing that her cousin Julia was probably just waiting for her to come just waiting for her to come out of her room so she could rub it in Emmy's nose. Emmy flashed back to that first party she had seen Julia at when she looked as if she was tenderly guarding a secret. At that time Emmy almost believed her to be sweet but now it all made sense Julia was guarding her secret about their engagement. Then at the rehearsal dinner how quick she was to tease Emmy for the way Caleb acted, it was all a fun joke to Julia. Her head now pounded and requested her breakfast in her room.

            "How long is going to stay," Julia moaned at breakfast.
            "She just fainted just last night darling," Victoria said.
            "I know but with the announcement last night I really thought we could start planning the wedding."
            "If we start today or tomorrow it will not make that big of difference. You have plenty of time till June."
            "June?" Julia moaned again "I want to be married as quickly as possible, I do not want to wait till June."
           
            "Yes June, Nicholas and Kathryn will not be back from Italy till at least March and March is far too cold. Besides how would it look if we took the attention from Kathryn, she deserves some time to be the bride of this family. I had to wait eight-teen months before my mother and father even announced my engagement after my sister was married. We announced your engagement barely a week after Nicholas and Kathryn's wedding because you moaned and begged so much but you will not beg your way into getting us to push up the wedding."
            "Then what if Caleb and I eloped?"
            "Then your father will cut you off without a dime and I hardly expect Mr. James can afford to risk it."

            Julia threw herself on the chair she felt she could hardly risk having Emmy and Caleb in the same city for one more day. While he acted coldly to her outwardly Julia felt from the way he talked about when they were alone that he could possible still have feeling for her and Julia would not risk him falling for her again as he did in Pine Haven. By then Julia knew a bit of the true story of Caleb's financial situation, only Mr. Danford made sure to know the whole truth before anything was settled, but Julia loved him with all her heart and did not care how little he brought to the table so Mr. Danford agreed as long as the money remained in Julia's possession and Caleb followed strict guidelines would they consent. Mr. Danford required that his future son-in-law start his new business and head quarter it in Boston so Mr. Danford and Mr. Danford's investors could watch it closely. Also if in three years the business had not done well Caleb would work for Mr. Danford in order to make sure his daughter was well provided for. Julia did not know of this arrangement for all she talked about was how wonderful life would be like in New York. Until June, Caleb would live in New York closing up his New York office and settling up his accounts. Caleb owed some money around town and there Mr. Danford helped him too. For all this Mr. Danford thought Julia's wedding cost him more than he would think but Caleb was always a smooth talker and had been able to convince Mr. Danford it would be worth his investment. Mr. Danford was quick to protect all his investments stating that if anything unsettling happened before the wedding then both Julia and Caleb would be left without a dime, making elopement impossible for the couple. Also if Caleb ill treated Julia in any way during their marriage Mr. Danford had every right to take his money away from Caleb. Julia told her parents that this was true love and she thought her parent were going to extreme measures. Still Mr. and Mrs. Danford would not acknowledge the engagement until after Caleb signed off on all of this, which he had done the night of the dinner party. And Julia had to follow her parents orders so the wedding date was set for June twelfth.

            Since Emmy had not been able to come down for breakfast Aunt Victoria thought it was best to keep Emmy at their home for the day giving her rest. Emmy felt as if Aunt Victoria was doing this completely out of family obligation, it would never look right for a family member to cast out their relative while they were ill. It wasn't that Emmy was ill she couldn't face her cousin and the gloating that would come if she saw her cousin. However she could not stay in this house another day so the next day she got up her strength came down to breakfast, acted pleasantly enough whenever anyone brought up Caleb's name which Julia did a lot she tried to change topics. After breakfast she asked Aunt Victoria if she could return to Mrs. Dumont's home. Aunt Victoria worried a bit that Emmy was not quite ready. Emmy assured her she was plenty healthy to satisfy Aunt Victoria to invite Mrs. Dumont to tea and then Mrs. Dumont could see Emmy safely home. Aunt Victoria consented to this arrangement and wrote Mrs. Dumont quickly about it. Emmy could see that Julia was cheerfully smiling. Emmy thought that it was because she wanted to gloat but Julia wanted her to leave so her mother and her could start planning her and Caleb's official engagement party.

            There is little conversation to record from that day Emmy tried to stay far away from her cousin as possible. She wished she was back in Pine Haven at least there if she wanted to away she could hide in her woods and none really came looking for her. Here in Boston the houses were smaller with maids running around everywhere and at every hour. She could not even escape outside for people crowded the sidewalks, carriages and motor coaches filled the streets, there seemed to be no place of absolute solitude and right now that is what Emmy needed. She need to get away and try to process it all that had happened in the last forty-eight hours for none of it made sense. Though Caleb never had said it he certainly acted as if he loved her, he had hinted at them running away together. surely that must of meant something. Then she came here to see him  so cold and distant did not make sense and now to learn he is engaged to her cousin it was all mind boggling. Uncle Charles had said they didn't want to announce their engagement till after Nicholas was married, could they could have been engaged that when time in Pine Haven? Was his flirtation to her been all a joke between Julia and Caleb? None of it made sense and in her time of needing her woods she was far away from all she knew. Her only comfort in that day was seeing Aunt Iris who promptly took her back home after tea.

            "Aunt Iris, I am so happy to be back, that house was torturous for me I do not know if could survive much longer. It tool all the strength I had to act normal so Aunt Victoria would allow me to come back."
            "Yes I am sure the news of your cousin's engagement would be quite unsettling."
            "It was and how I longed for my woods to escape into."
            "I would then encourage you to go back to Pine Haven but I feel luck has changed for Laurel. Mr. Foster came by today and stayed almost an hour and half."
            "Really?"
            "Yes he came under the pretenses of seeing you but he did not seem to hesitate staying when he learned you were still at the Danfords."
            "Did he say anything else about the party?"
            "Very little, just that before the announcement you were the talk of the party."
            "Anything else?"

            "No he just made sure to tell us that he made sure you had a wonderful evening." Emmy gave a sigh of relief. "Though Alfred did tell me about the gossip of you and Mr. Foster being a couple. Do not worry I did not tell Laurel, who would believe it anyway Mr. Foster so clearly has eyes for Laurel."
            "Thank you Aunt Iris, I was so humiliated when I thought people thought that about Mr. Foster and I. I could not bore to think what Laurel would do if she knew the gossip. I did not even know Mr. Dumont had heard the rumors he seemed so immune to it that night."
            "Alfred always knew everything, just certain things he cares not to talk about and to him had no validity so he cared not to pass it on."
            "I am very thankful to Mr. Dumont's modesty."

            Laurel and Emmy were happy to see each other again. Laurel was sorry she could not be there to pick up her sister, Aunt Iris was still concerned over Laurel's health and could not take any risk. Emmy understood perfectly, she told Laurel how awful it was to be in that house and how she kept replaying the announcement over and over again. Emmy wished she had never gone to that party, how she had longed to see Caleb James, and now every memory of him hurt. The only good news was that he returned to New York on the first train yesterday so she would not have to see his face. Laurel stroked Emmy's hair much in the same way mother had always done. Laurel knew mother would know the perfect thing to say and all Laurel could think to say was how everything would be all right. That wasn't true, she knew and Laurel doubted rather her sister believed her. You could never tell a crying girl that it would be all right because at that moment it felt as if the world would cave in. Laurel knew all this but still was all she say.

To read more of "It would all end well" click here

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Blogging Break

I have loved this picture for so long I am glad to use it
{Pic}
Hey lovely Readers,

My mind is having sort of mental block so instead of writing some post that are not good quality I am taking a little break from blogging right now. I feel like I am a little burnt out from all the commitments I have and some other personal things going on that I can't really think of something to write about. I think taking a little break from blogging is the best thing for me.

I will keep working on my story and updating the parts I have typed up. But I think right now I just need some time to write my story and make that the prime focus of my free time.  To follow my story click here... Sisters of Pine Haven.


Thanks for your understanding,

Blaire

Friday, June 8, 2012

My Day in New York City

Our view of the city coming in from train
My mom has been visiting Boston and on Wednesday we took a day trip to New York. We went to go see a matinee of a play my mom wanted to see but we also got to see a little bit of the big city. We mostly stayed in Midtown so this map should help as I talk about different locations.

{pic}
We started our morning very early in the morning taking a 7AM train down to New York City. It is amazing how much you can do in a day when it starts at 5AM. We arrived in New York (Penn Station) close to 11 AM and the show was not until 2 so we had some time to kill. First thing we had to do was just get our barings. I know New York is on a grid so it is easy to find your way but I haven't been to New York in almost 5 years so I got turned around bit. 
At the theater in front of the sign
The first thing we did was find the theater. It was located between 6th and 7th Avenue and on 44th Street. Then we went on search to find something to eat. We weren't hungry yet but we wanted to know where to go. And our search for food gave us a little time to wonder around. We saw Grand Central Station. Mom told me how in the 60s the city thought about tearing it down because no one really used it but how Jackie Onassis helped save it... good job Jackie because this building is beautiful and deserves to be preserved. 

Then after lunch we had enough time to go to the New York Public Library. 


A man and his lion
I am sad to say as a future librarian, I had never been to this library, which is a true beauty. I have now seen the famous lions and the beautiful lobby. Now on my next trip to New York I hope to explore the stacks a bit. Then we went to the play. 
{Pic}
End of the Rainbow is about Judy Garland staying London while she is doing a five week show at the Talk of the Town. It is to be her big come back tour. However she struggles with her drug addictions. With her is her new fiance, Mickey Dean, lets just get it out in the open is a big jerk, and her loyal pianist friend Anthony. 
Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland
{pic}
Okay that is the most basic plot line. So here are some of my reactions to the play. First if a play could be rated R, this play would be because they use the F word A LOT. That was hard for me to stomach because I have grown up idealizing Judy Garland from some of the movies I love most, Easter Parade and Meet Me in St. Louis. So to learn she was addicted to pills and alcohol, it kind of hurt. But Tracie Bennett who played Judy Garland played the character so sympathetically I felt sorry seeing one of my childhood heroes so fallen.
Judy Garland in Easter Parade... one of my favorites
{Pic}
My mom and other people in the audience, I was probably the youngest, kept mentioning how the actress had the characteristics of Judy Garland down so well it was almost as if Judy Garland was on stage. The play ends in New York in September but then goes on tour, if you go see it prepare yourself because you leave the theater saddened but also amazed at powerful-ness of the story. Here is a link to the New York Times review of End of the Rainbow if you want more of a critical view of this play. 

But I will not end this post on a sad note. After the play we still had some time to walk around so we walked to Rockefeller Center.

Then as we walking back to Penn Station we walked through Times Square. There were all these cartoon characters out there and I got my picture with Elmo. My mom took this picture with her phone and we sent it to my sister and niece as my niece loves Elmo. 

Then we got back on the train and headed home. I know I didn't see much of the city but I felt like I saw a lot for one day. So thanks New York City for the great day.