Inspiration Strikes

Or a phone with a "note pad"
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I follow a blog called Inkwell Inspirations that mainly has the focus for Christian writers. It is a great blog to read  in order to remember to combine my faith and my passion for writing. In a recent post they discuss the idea of being a "The Subconscious Writer." She explains this: "Because so much of my creative process takes place on a level even I do not understand. Ideas percolate under the surface, maybe for weeks, maybe for months, maybe for years. At some point they burst out like a geyser. Characters are talking to me, scenes unfolding in my head, worlds evolving, and I’m frantically trying to get them down on paper before I lose them. I’m sure if push came to shove, I could sit down and come up with an idea and craft a book like a normal person, but that’s not the way I typically do it, and it’s not the way I desire to do it."

I feel this is totally true of me. For example I was walking to my dentist I saw these houses and I thought they were beautiful and all the sudden a scene came to me... it is not a scene for the story I am currently working on... it just came out of no where. I took out my phone and pulled out my "notepad" on the phone and began to type. I love when scenes like this come to me it makes my walk abouts more interesting. She ends the post saying "In the end, being a “subconscious writer” isn’t the goal. It’s just the process. The ultimate goal, whether pantser or plotter, is to be led by the Holy Spirit and allow him to flow through every word we put on the page. This is how to write with a godly passion that will cause our readers to fall in love with our stories and transform them from the inside out." 

I agree with this... I don't always want to be a subconscious writer one day I would love my faith to be more and more about of my writing but you got to start somewhere, right?

Here is the scene...

It was a great big Victorian home with intrinsic molding, a minimum of two bay windows, and high pointed roofs. Built in the last decade of the nineteenth century in the heyday of the golden age. While it was all posh and prestige on the outside, it was Ginny Camden grandma's house. The house was filled of memories of her playing dress up and Essie (as Ginny called her Grandma) reading to her the books of Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables late into the night. She had memories of her summers spent there, she got her first kiss there from Lawrence (who she had a crush on all summer mostly because she was going through a Little Women phase and he not only had the name but had a slight resemblance of a young Christian Bale). In later years Ginny felt Essie was the only one who understood her, in years as a teenager when her parents fought non stop Essie's home was a place comfort. Today was not a day of joy.

Ginny rested her heads against her knees that she had close to her chest. She could still smell the dye in her new black dress. 

"There you are," her mom found her buried in Essie's closet. "I think you should come out and see some people, there are a lot of people who want to see you."

Ginny just shook her head. 

"Some of your friends are here. And lots of food."

Food? How was that suppose to comfort her? No one cooked as well as Essie. 

"Please Genevieve."

She didn't know how she was suppose to get up she could barely stand. Everything about this day felt wrong. This house would not feel the same without Essie sitting at the kitchen table that could look out to the street. 

Ginny just shook her head. 

"Alright Ginny, take your time."

"She's not up to coming out yet," she heard her mom say.

"God bless her soul," a woman's voice responded.

God? Where was God in this? Essie had always been a true believer attending church every Sunday morning and evening, and Bible study on Wednesday nights. If she hadn't gone out that Sunday night she would still be here. God could have protected her. Essie was always going on about how God was a great protector but He didn't protect her that night. God was obviously not there

Ginny closed her grasp around the cross necklace hanging around her neck, she wanted to yank it off, but no strength came. Essie had given her this cross on her last birthday with the inscription "Always love" on the back.

~~~~~~

Okay I didn't write all that on my walk but it just started coming to me. I really want to see where this story goes.

Fall Confession

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Hello readers,

I have a confession to make in the past I have been a "negative nelly" about autumn because autumn means winter is coming, but this year I have been enjoying it. The street I live on has lots of trees and they are all changing colors and it is great to be walking and having leaves fall down around you. Last night I was kind of having a "ho-hum" day and as I was walking a bit of breeze hit and leaves fell down. I said "Thank you Lord." It was just a little moment of calm and happiness.

Us waiting for the bus at the airport...
we were so happy to see each other

Also this last weekend my sister and niece came to visit and watching her enjoying the fall--crunching on the leaves, drinking hot chocolate, and every thing else was just made my heart so happy. (Plus just being with my niece makes me happy).

Walking through the Gardens

Visiting Mrs. Mallard
"Make Way for Ducklings"

Enjoying the sun... playing on the Greenway

I had a great stay-cation and I love showing off this city that I love so much.

Also I think right now God is teaching me to live in the present and enjoy it, not just to keep thinking about the future. I am going to enjoy this fall (even with the knowledge that winter is coming) and be thankful for the present.

This will be hard because I know I spend a lot of time thinking of the future, I have a weird nostalgia about the future thinking things will be better or that things will make sense. But I have to remember God is preparing and molding me now for what He has for me. So NOW my focus should be to learn what He wants from me in the present and not be so focused on what is beyond my control.

Hope you guys have a great fall!

All three of us enjoying the sun. 

In need of some light-heartedness

Dear Anne,

When I started writing these letters to you I made a promise to you that I would not write any "fluff" post but right now I need some "fluff." Lots of things in my life seem to be crumbling around me and I cannot think of how to phrase them all. But I didn't want to not write this week so if you will pardon me... I am going to write some fluff. 

Reading the book on the T.

I just got done reading my friend Katharine Grubb's book Falling for Your Madness, which I highly recommend as a great read on the beach over the summer or when you are stuck inside due to a blizzard or like me and just don't want to think about grad-school. I started it on Thursday afternoon and finished it by Sunday and I got swept up in the chivalry of the story. It is great to have such chivalrous character like David to fall for and you know me I am a sucker for a chivalrous hero. 

Any way this letter is not to write you a book report but I wanted to write that blurb so you understand this part. In one of their dinners they discuss what five things they love and five things they hate. I will only share my five loves in this letter (as I need some time to remember the good things in my life). 

my nephew wearing the T-shirt
I got him for Christmas

1. I am going to break David's rule of not saying my family... he thinks it is virtuous to say but doesn't say anything about us (p. 37). I am sorry but I think if you want to know me you must know I have a deep love of my family. They shape me so much and  while I am at least a thousand miles away from them they are a constant in my life. And lately I have seen how important they are for me as a support team in my life. But more specifically you have probably seen from my other letters I do have a sort of addiction to my niece and nephew. Last week I was feeling lonely so I made sure to spend some time with kids. I skyped with my sister and through that I drew pictures of princesses with my niece. Then on Friday I spent the afternoon with my best friend's baby. It was what I needed. So I love kids. 

2. I love getting lost in a good a book. Even though I am in grad-school I try to make time to read a fun book on the side. I love when a story can completely take me away from all that is going on in my life and I can disappear into another world. I usually find this true about historical fictions but last year I read the Hunger Games and could not put them down. 

3. My first cup of coffee. I sometimes get up, switch my coffee pot on, and then climb back in bed and wait for it to finish brewing. My first cup always wakes me up. The picture is of my favorite mug. My best friend gave it to me for Christmas and it is absolutely my favorite. This picture is not good but it says "Creative Fuel" and I love my days off when I can sip out of it and actually do some fun writing, which leads me to my number 4. 

4. Getting time to write. It doesn't happen much from going to grad-school, working, and doing life but I love when I find a few minutes to "work" on my story. I put the word work in "" because it is not really work it is a pleasure.  Like my getting lost in a good book I also like getting lost in  my own stories. 

5. Umm... last thing. This is hard because I feel there are many things I love. But I would say this city of Boston. Since the first time I came here I felt like this place was home. While, I love going back home to Oklahoma for the nostalgic aspects. I think Boston was the first place I ever felt like I truly fit in. And even in the cold I still love it here. I also feel God has blessed me here with my school, my friends I have made that have become a second family to me, my church, and most importantly my walk with Him.  

Boston gets more snow. 

Okay thanks for listening to my "fluff" it was good to write this down and remind myself all the goodness in my life. There are more than five things I love but I want to follow David's rule. 

- Blaire 

Roaming around Cambridge.

Today's photo was to take a picture of the sun. Well I decided to take a photo of my shadow in the sun. I am in my winter coat with my school bag on my side (that is the weird lump on my side). Today I went I took a little trip to Cambridge. While it is only across  the river from me... I hardly go which is a shame because today I remember why I love Cambridge, well at least the Harvard Square area. Tons of brick buildings and old colonial homes.

Map of Boston

But I went to Cambridge to go to the Schlesinger library, it is part of the old Radcliffe College now Radcliffe Institute as it is a part of Harvard. (Side Note: If you love Julia Child her papers are there). Any way the picture above is when I got I got on Radcliffe's campus. I am glad I took the picture then because when I left the library it was cloudy.

This is the campus

Agassiz

I went to the library for my Intro to Archiving class, we had to visit the an archive and write a report on it. I want to research more into Women's Education at the turn of the 20th century. And so I went to the library to look at Elizabeth Cary Agassiz's papers, she was the first President of Radcliffe.

I guess I didn't have to do real research on her, but I maybe I will later. She traveled with her husband, who was a professor, to Brazil together and wrote a book about it. She raised money for the Perkins Kindergarten for the Blind but students ranged in age.

An example of her papers.

I know I am really geeky because I found reading her papers really fun and while I pushed myself to read the late 19th century hand writing some times I was happy to that some one had transcribed her papers (as seen above). 

But while I was at the library I got an email letting me know where I was placed at for my internship (part of my Intro into Archiving class). It is also in Cambridge, so I decided to walk to it. (Side note: I guess I will get lots of reading done while I am on the T). Any way while I was walking around Cambridge I took some other pictures.

I saw these post its just stuck on to an empty store front. I was surprised they weren't on the inside but they were on the out side just flapping in the wind.

I loved this one

But this was my favorite photo...

I took an adventure around Harvard's campus on the way back to the T station and I ended up in part of Harvard I had never seen before. I didn't see a sign for this building but I found it random to see a status of a rhinoceros standing around Harvard, even more odd it is a set. But I didn't take a picture of the second one because a guy was standing in front of it and was blocking the head. 

Love is all around

Hello Lovely Readers,

This not for the photo challenge but the last few days in my walks around my neighborhoods I notices some tagging signs. I saw the top one on a Sunday as I was walking to church. Of course I was running late and I hoped the van would still be there when I came home... and it was. I thought it was just a good little reminder.

This one is on a mail box near my apartment and noticed it a couple of days ago. 

I know it is illegal to vandalize but I liked the little reminder about what is probably the most important thing in life so I thought I would share it with you.  

Hope you have a lovely weekend. 

Snowy Days in Boston

"Snowfall (kind of love)"-Ingrid Michaelson

Good song for this kind of weather

Hello lovely readers,

Here in New England we can't say winter really starts till January. I think it is so we can convince ourselves that winter won't last forever. But I think I can say winter has come to Boston. Last Sunday when I checked the weather before going to church I checked the weather on my phone and it said 6 felt like -12. By the time I left church it was 12 and felt like -6. Even though I have lived in Boston for 6 years I still don't know how to dress for that weather (maybe you just can't). Over the week we have had flurries of snow but nothing that stuck. But yesterday we had our first snow. Now it wasn't much but I took some pics of it.

Right now I like the snow, when I was home watching it come down it was nice and quiet. I made myself a cup of hot spice tea and watched a movie. Even when I went outside it seemed like the world was quiet. It was very nice to have an excuse for a quiet day.

Now it wasn't much snow but I took some pics of it on my walk home.  

The Fens under snow

I love seeing paths of people who ventured away from the sidewalk 

I was trying to capture a couple walking through the snow

Icicles from a car. Also the thing I don't like about the snow... when it turns to brown.  

I don't have a great view from my window but here is the park across the street from me. 

The little sparrow on the top of the tree... very brave birds to brave the cold. 

I liked seeing the red berries on this bush. 

The fence of the park...I liked the contrast between the black and white

My New Neighborhood

I have had more one previous "sorry post" but since I started trying to write every day I hoped I would not write another "sorry post".... but I feel it has been a week since I have been on here.  :(

If you have been reading my blog you know I have been going through a move and right now at my home I still don't have Internet. But I am happy to say I am unpacked and that makes me very happy because now I feel like I am in my new home. My cat is still getting used to this new place but I am sure soon she will be owning it. 

Victory Garden with Prudential building in background.



Though I have been working around the clock I have made time to explore my new neck of the woods. I have walked through the Fens or the Fenway (for those out of town). Yes it has the same name as the baseball park but its a park like a garden not park like a baseball field. There is this part of it called the "Victory Gardens" started in WWII but still exist today as little individual gardens for people of the city to use their green thumb. Even though I don't like fall because that means winter is coming I can't wait to see the fall foliage here.

On another one of my walks around I also found a garden called the Riverway. It had lots of cool trees. One that drooped so low I imagined Emma and Mr. Knightly from the Miramax 1995 version (my favorite),minus the cars and the shopping area behind it. It was still very beautiful and fun to discover new places. I took my notebook their and got some writing done on my story, which felt like a nice break from my busy weekend. This is another place I look forward to walking around here with the fall foliage.

Found at Inkwell Inspirations


I am loving my new neighborhood and can't wait to spend more time exploring it.