The Write Stuff #4

Happy Holidays, one and all! Even as I write, currently, I am happily celebrating the coming new year by watching my siblings rock out on Wii bowling and trying to one up each other. While normally I'd be right in the middle of such a challenge, I find myself tonight content to sit back and let my siblings take the Wii-mote. Just being around them again has been the balm my ravaged mind needed after a particularly intense December. Listening to my brother's voice crack as he loses his Just Dance record to the other brother. Hearing the elder one crack jokes and use the best comic timing. Fingering my little sister's soft platinum blond curls as she sits in my lap while watching The Lord of the Rings (The Hobbit got her addicted... yes!). All of this is... perfect. Just perfect. 

Today I decided to choose a fluffy prompt to tackle. In light of the new year, I have been working hard on a t-shirt quilt (pictures will be posted when it is completed, I assure you) and my love of t-shirts has been known for a long time. 

Prompt #4

You've just lived through the apocalypse and you have only one t shirt. Which is it and why? 

One t-shirt? I get only one? I need a shower just thinking about that. Well, the t shirt I would choose would be my favorite soft grey tee that holds the wonderfully roguish visage of one Han Solo. This shirt has a bit of a convoluted story behind it, but I will try to distill it down as best as possible. 

        It was a brisk April evening as the fog was beginning to roll in. The ozone scent from the firework show had dissipated into the crisp scent of churros and childlike happiness. The Land of Disney always smelled like that, ever since I could remember. This time around, I was traveling with my high school choir for Disney Magic Music Days, and was surrounded by my dearest and closest friends. We spent countless hours bouncing from ride to ride, swapping Fast Passes and goofing around like any group of choir kids would in Disneyland. 
     
   There was one friend in particular whom I was fond of. My best friend turned boyfriend and I, let loose in a place where magic is as real as air, were unstoppable. Our main group of friends all ended up being in pairs, everyone having their "main squeeze" to hold. Each having our own interpretation of romance. For us, in particular, ours was a love born out of geekdom, forged among our love of Sci-fi, and inflamed by our knack for story-telling. I, being the much bigger Star Wars fan (and he knew it, after having it proved to him time and time again) always begged for another go on Star Tours. He, being the generous and doting beau, would indulge me by accompanying me at least once each day. Yup, he was that good. 

      
         This particular night was one of the last, I can't seem to remember if it was the last or not. Star Tours had a five minute wait, I couldn't resist. Once again, we made it through another of those crazy tours and came out in the gift shop, as all Disneyland attractions seem to lead. 
        "Is there anything in here that you really wanted?" He asked me. He knew I'd been collecting souvenirs for my younger siblings and hadn't found something for myself yet, and our time was nearly up. 
        "A t-shirt, I really want a t-shirt." I replied. Thus the hunt began. The park was closing soon. I felt like Cinderella, looking for my Prince Charming t-shirt before the clock struck twelve. With his help, we found all sorts of different prints, makes, styles, and colors. Yet, they were either insanely over-the-top Disney retail prices or not quite to my taste. Just as I was about to give up, one last shelf of t shirts caught my beau's eye. 
        "What about these?" He gestured. I fingered my way through the muted browns and greys, searching for a design that would satisfy the graphic snob in me. Then... I saw it. Light grey, with a blue detail and dark grey printing. It depicted my favorite film character of all time. My love for him was only leveled with my love of libraries. He knew that, my good old beau did. Without words, only the thrilled look and inevitable "squee" that sat on my lips, I held the shirt up for him to see. With a warm smile and a shake of his head, he said, "Done, let's get it." and took my hand as I bit my lip in pure excitement. 
        That trip was the highlight of my high school years. Believe me, there weren't many, if you can imagine any high school experience. That time I got to spend with him before parting ways for college life was certainly magical. Now I will have a t-shirt to commemorate that lovely experience. And that thing had better survive the apocalypse, heaven knows I paid enough for it. 

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

The Write Stuff #3

Yes, I have been slacking off on my writing. The last few days have been a bit of a head spinner in terms of my plans for the future. At some points its exhilarating as I think about all the things I could do, then it becomes depressing when I think of my apparent inability to sink a shot on the first go around.
Well, it is Christmas, and by golly I'm going to enjoy myself, whether my subconscious will let me or not. So for today's prompt I went with something incredibly girly. You'll laugh at me when you read the next line. This is  NO JUDGING ZONE here so to all of you out there who care to snigger, keep those comments to yourself until you've written something along those lines and I can critique too :)

Prompt #3
Write a love story that takes place in winter.

Eliza sucked at ice-skating. Truly. She wasn't afraid to say it either. There was a problem though: her parents were a famous ice skating duo. They had been gently prodding, hurling, shoving, every sort of encouragement and bribery known to human kind to push Eliza to take to the ice. Therein laid the rub. The relationship between them and Eliza was the equivalent of them performing their routines in a gravel parking lot: it didn't work. 

Needless to say she spent a lot of time at the rink where both of her parents coached. Each year when school started she'd lug her homework to her favorite, musty old bench in the box beside the rink. This year, she was a senior in high school. Something in her told her that this year would be different. This year, she'd make her move to independence. 

       "Sarah, could you make me the usual?" Eliza called out as she rummaged through her bag haphazardly, awkwardly trying to balance her text book and calculator in one arm while the other searched her messenger bag for her ever elusive pen. It was a typical Thursday afternoon in October, Eliza had just walked over from school. By the time she looked up to see the usual good natured face of Sarah, the concessions manager, she'd dug her pen out and was shaking the ink down.  Reaching the counter, Eliza gasped. 
        "Sorry, Miss, I'm not Sarah and unfortunately I don't know what your usual is." A square pair of spectacles gleamed under a mop of Hobbit style brown hair. His nose looked not quite straight, giving him a devil-may-care aura. Staring blankly, frozen in embarrassment, Eliza tried to find a way to continue. 
        "Where's Sarah?" she asked dumbly. 
        "Went into labor last night, I expect she's delivering her baby. I'm filling in for her until she gets back." 
        "Oh, well.... um...." Eliza continued to trip over herself. Whether it was due to her foot in the mouth question or the fact that this boy was quite cute, she couldn't tell. 
        "You're not used to having your schedule changed, are you?" He chortled. 
        "I'm quite adaptable, thank you very much." Eliza countered indignantly. 
Ten minutes later found the two of them still chatting at the rink's concession stand. Fast friends didn't quite cover them. 
        "So, you've gone to my school for how long, and we've never met formally?" Eliza asked. 
        "Three years," He replied, squeezing a few dots of ketchup out of a nearly empty bottle onto a hotdog. "I've been training at this rink since I was five, so I've seen you around." 
        "Really? Are you serious? Well, that makes me feel like a jerk." Eliza stated shamefully. 
        "No," He chuckled merrily, pushing his glasses up his crooked nose. "It just means that we weren't meant to cross paths." Eliza smiled at that. From the across the rink, she heard her name rise up in the cold air. 
        "Oh shoot, I gotta go. I'll see you around?" 
        "Sure thing, I'll keep your usual in mind." The boy smiled with a half wave. Eliza began walking away. 
        "Oh! Sorry, what was your name, again?" 
        "I didn't. Its Danny, for the record." 
        "Danny, nice to finally meet you." 
As the cold December chilled the air, the budding romance between Eliza and Danny seemed to heat up. Eliza would lean on the concession stand counter as Danny would regale her with tales of his many hockey checks and his latest esoteric musical discovery. The attraction between them was like the winter frost; blossoming into crystalline patterns that grew more intricate every day. The patterns weaved and swirled ever closer together until one day when the ice had to be broken. 
        "Would you be up for a date?" Danny asked out of the blue on a particularly cold December evening. Eliza was caught so off guard that she didn't realize what she was saying until the knee-jerk reaction had done it for her. 
        "I'm free on Friday." She replied easily, yet suddenly her stomach filled with those butterflies that everyone fawned about. 
        "Great, I'll pick you up. Wear warm clothes, we'll be outside. How about seven o'clock?" Danny's rag had been wiping the same circle for the last five minutes as he stared at her. 
       "It's a date." She nearly sang. He called it a date, and he asked her to her face... couldn't ask for more, could she? 

Friday. Her anxiety was as thick as peanut butter. After spending three hours getting ready, Eliza tromped down the stairs to her parents waiting in the living room to see her off as they never had before. 
        "How does it look?" Eliza did her little turn on the catwalk then posed. She'd chosen her pale pink peacoat layered with her fleece hoodie underneath for comfort, a pair of matching pink earmuffs over her brunette waves she'd spent the better part of two hours completing. 
        "Lookin' good, sweetheart. You'll knock him dead." Her father said, stepping up to her mother's side. 
        "You'll be fine, honey." Her mother murmured, sharing a knowing look with her father. Before Eliza could question it, the doorbell rang. Her mother had to stifle her laughter at Eliza's small yelp of surprise. Humiliated, Eliza answered the door. 

        "I think you're gonna like what we're doing." Danny seemed as though he would bubble over with enthusiasm as he escorted Eliza across the snowy park, her eyes covered with a blindfold. 
        "I think you should keep your eyes on on the road so you don't lead me into a tree." Eliza replied.
        "Ta-da!" Danny whipped off the blindfold and Eliza's face fell. 
They stood on a darkened  ice rink. 
        "This isn't funny, Danny." Eliza said, dejectedly. 
        "It's not supposed to be. C'mere." He gently led her to the center of the rink, the darkest point. 
        "Wait here." He instructed.
        "Danny, so help me if I fall on my butt I'm gonna-" The lights over the center flooded on and Eliza was left breathless. There, set in festive reds and greens, was a beautiful table for 2. 
        "Danny.... it's.... it's-" 
        "It smells delicious, lets eat." Danny skidded up to her expertly with a tray of food in his arms. 
Danny's mother had prepared a delicious meal, with Danny contributing to the dessert. Chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting. After the smearing of frosting, Danny sighed then jumped up. 
        "Now, for the fun part." He disappeared again across the rink. Eliza wrinkled her brow, her mouth falling open in confusion. He returned carrying what looked like a lumpy package with loose strings dangling over his arms. As he came closer, Eliza saw the skates. 
        "No, Danny." 
        "No what? Come on, I asked you out, you have an obligation as a girl to at least be polite and try." He smiled as he handed her a pair of well worn figure skates, and sat down to fasten his old hockey skates. Eliza pouted for a minute, but her sense of female duty overpowered her pride and she started lacing up the skates. 
        "I can't stand." Eliza said stubbornly, sitting in her chair. 
        "Oh yes, you can." Danny heaved and pulled her out of her chair when she promptly slipped and fell onto him. "Easy there, that's it. One step at a time." 
        "Why? Why do you torture me?" Eliza fumed through gritted teeth, her entire body tensed in an awkwardly bent position. "Where'd you even get the skates to fit?" Danny held her hands firmly and continued to guide her on. 
        "Your mom, I called and asked for your shoe size and she said she could do me one better."  Eliza groaned. 
        "Leave it to my mother to continue to push me when I don't want to be pushed!" 
        "You know, 'Liza, no one can push or pull you unless you let them..." Danny said patiently. 
        "Says the guy who is pulling me along against my will." Eliza straightened up a bit to look him in the eye. Danny cocked his head knowingly and Eliza had to admit that she did let this happen. 
        "Alright, alright, teach me, Master Yoda, in your icy ways." Eliza submitted her control completely. 
        "There you go, now I'm just going to hold you and we'll skate together. Only when you're ready." 
        "Ready," Eliza muttered, setting her jaw for a slippery impact. Suddenly, Danny wasn't in front of her pulling anymore. He fell in stride beside her, slipping one arm around her waist, the other holding her left arm out to help her balance. 
        "One, two, three and one, two, three..." He whispered beside her. Slowly, ever so slowly, Eliza's grip loosened and her gait lengthened. Danny turned on his iPod and they began skating about to the dulcet tones of Lionel Ritchie and Barbra Streisand, making Eliza fight harder to laugh and skate at the same time. 
        Time to be brave: Eliza pushed away from Danny's safe hold and began skating around the circle. The wind rushing by her face, the exhilarating feeling of sliding through the air made her heart race. She sped faster and faster, a grin splitting her face from ear to ear. But the euphoria was short lived. The wall seemed to be coming up awful fast. 
        "Danny! Danny! I can't stop!" Eliza shrieked in terror, already wobbling around. In an instant she heard the swish of experienced skates sliding along, carving the ice to their will. Strong arms wrapped them selves around her and brought her careening body to a halt with an oomph! There was a moment as they stood there, locked in an embrace. Eliza looked up into that Frodo-esque face and was spellbound. 
        "Are you always that graceful when you let go?" Danny murmured, looking into her soft brown eyes. Eliza's breath caught, not for the first time that night. 
        "Only when I know someone can keep me from failing miserably." She whispered, eyes still fixed on his. "How do I know I won't fall-" She was cut off as Danny's lips met hers. Shivers raced down her spine as she enjoyed the gentle touch of affection. Once they broke Danny gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.
        "You don't. But just know if you're falling, I'm falling right beside you." 
The swirling breeze of the night wrapped its soft hands around the pair, still entwined in Danny's arms, pushing them closer together. Eliza began shivering, making Danny chuckle and squeeze her tightly. They both began laughing, letting all their nervous energy out. 
All of a sudden there was a scratch on ice and the two found themselves hitting the ice hard. Stunned, the couple looked to each other slowly. The sound of their laughter forcing itself through their lips echoed over the empty rink with a jovial holiday ring. 

There you go :) Have at it. 

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

The Write Stuff

Another writing prompt, hooray! Again, I can't remember exactly where I got this prompt, whether it was online or from a teacher. However, it is definitely not mine. It is far too clever of a challenge. 

Prompt #2

Write a scene showing a man and a woman arguing over the man's friendship with a former girlfriend. Do not mention the girlfriend, the man, the woman, or the argument. 

                “You take care.” The voice flitted through the din of the crowded café. With a quick wave and a smile, he let her know that he acknowledged the comment and returned the sentiments. With a contented sigh, he turned back to the tiny table for two by the window. With the skill of a nautical officer, he navigated through the crowd of coats, scarves, and prickly beards to return to his seated companion. Before sitting down, a string of words were lifted on the steam of the coffee to his ears.

       “She seems nice.” That shrill voice sounded like a bow being pulled across the strings of an overly taut violin. With a shrug, he sat down on the crooked stool and pushed his Ray Band glasses up further on the straight nose of his. This nonchalant response had not yielded the wanted response, unfortunately. The contented smile began to fade as it met with a line; a hard, blood red line, that seemed to grow thinner every minute. It fell in perfect accordance with the unimpressed eyes that bored through the long black lashes, straight across the chipped formica table.

       “Yeah, I hadn’t seen her in a while. It was nice to talk to her,” and nothing more, he wished to add to calm the roiling presence before him. He didn’t dare bring up the notion, in fear of opening a new altercation in the already stormy waters.

       “I thought she’d already moved to Africa.” The red line formed the words slowly, her motions matching the cadence of the words. Deliberately, the spoon turned the froth of the latte into a swirling whirlpool of lights and darks. His eyes followed the spoon… carefully, analyzing the next move. For if it were the wrong one, this ship would sink in a fiery blaze.

       “Her plane leaves next week. I am glad I could say goodbye. I’ll probably be too busy here to worry about her there.” The words sounded somewhat shaky to his mind, yet they seemed to be in a steady enough course to not trigger any sort of alarm. Reading those eyes could have been classified as a Herculean task. It was always a mystery as to what they told once clouded over in this misty green mood.

     “You would worry about her more here, than in Africa? Well… isn’t that sweet of you.” There could have been a low rumble coming from those words, or it could have been the drunk fisherman at the bar chuckling heartily at the little man beside him. It was impossible to tell. Looking… no, searching for anyway out of the sea of awkward that had enveloped the two, a lightbulb flashed as if by an imaginary camera. Pulling the corner of him mouth upward slightly and slowly reaching out, their hands met over a scratch in the table shaped like a wave drawn by a three year old. The darker skin of his fingers trailed over the pale blue vein that traveled down the top of the delicate hand then back up, gently… lovingly.

     “You know I worry about you more, though.” His eyes moved from studying the delicacy of her hand to staring over the tops of his Ray Bands to meet her icy eyes, “Don’t you?” In the moment their eyes locked, he waited. Waited for some indication that the storm would pass or whether to settle in for a long night. Slowly, ever so slowly, the ice began to melt as the runoff inflated the red line into a curved one. Placing her other hand on his, her thumb moving up and down like a dog’s wagging tail across his worn hands.

      “Now I do.” The reassured whisper was the exhale of relief. 

Voila! How did I do? I don't think I really "mentioned" any of the unmentionables, so I'll call that a success. 

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

Peppermint Peaks

Huzzah for more cupcakes! In light of finals week and the long hours of studying and working, I decided to take the night off and work on a creative project. 

I've been getting into the Christmas Spirit lately. Here we have an EXTREMELY easy cupcake. All I used was a chocolate cake mix (generic brand) and added a box of pudding. 

The funny thing about these was the fact that I ... omitted the eggs... accidentally. I was watching Stargate Atlantis while I was mixing, alright? Either way, these still turned out delicious. The pudding mix helps immensely. The festive frosting is a regular buttercream with bits of Wint-O-Green mints and peppermint extract (Thank you, Neighbor!) with about 7 drops of green food coloring to create the look. I melted about a handful of chocolate chips and drizzled it on.


Oh! Another aspect of my love of Cupcakery is the fetching, functional, and just plain fun carrying case gifted to me from my sweet mother for my birthday. This case is, obviously, shaped like a large cupcake. It holds two dozen cupcakes, has a very firm handle, and smells delightful on the inside. I think the case is found at Ross, if you find it as adorable as I do. Baking cupcakes is probably the best stress reliever, for me. The smell, the taste, the art; a balm for my soul.

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

Autumn Pumpkin

I know this is supposed to be a writing blog, but I thought I'd do a bit of showing off. Where I live, I've become known for my cupcakes. Let's just say I have a lot of fun pinning Cupcake pictures on Pinterest. I like to make fancy cupcakes. 

Here are the result of a few hours of practice and artistry. These are my Autumn Pumpkin Cupcakes. 

We decided to have some friends over for dinner, so "Holy Cupcakes, Batman!" I ran to the Pinmobile and pulled up the first recipe I could find. What we have here is my attempt to capture the "Cuteness" of these mini cakes in a photo. I'm trying to improve my photography skills as well so these are a few of my MANY pictures that I took. That is the miracle of digital photos: it doesn't cost any money  to mess up. 

So what we have going here is a pumpkin cinnamon cupcake (I used applesauce to replace half of the sugar, also to help keep it moist) with a cream cheese buttercream. In the art of Cupcakery, it's always a good idea to add some sort of flavorful garnish that can serve dual purposes of decorating and adding to the overall taste. For a little touch of sass, I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on the buttercream. I'm a big fan of cinnamon in several things.

I have a flair for the dramatic, it is true. Yet, this picture was just so ... I wish there were a more sophisticated word for "cute." Charming, I think I like that one. These cupcakes turned out wonderfully. Moist, sweet, and just the right amount of frosting to cake ratio. 

Pinterest? Nailed it!

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

Attack of the Geek

I am not your typical girl. For anyone who knows me, knows that is fact irrevocably true. I like nerdy things. Reading books... okay doesn't sound too bad, right? How about reading books such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series? Okay, that's geeky. Watching Star Wars; not too terrible. Quoting each movie by heart and creating a personal Star Wars poster shrine above your bed... that's geeky.

I am also a HUGE fan of DIY projects. If I had the time, everything of mine would be DIY. To corroborate this fact, simply check out my Pinterest page. 'Nuff said.

 So today's post will be a combination of my two different obsessions. I get a lot of questions about these when I wear them so I thought I would do a little explaining.

Ta Da! My Geek Shoes. I sketched and painted these myself. As you can see on the front of these beauties, I have on the right the symbols for both the Rebel Alliance  (Star Wars) and the Empire Cog (Star Wars as well). The left shoe holds the kanji for the word "Serenity," a reference to my favorite, yet extremely short lived television show Firefly. 

 Here is the shoe that was on the left.
Note the beautiful StarGate, in the style of StarGate Atlantis as one of the Pegasus Galaxy Gates. Also the symbol for Earth, the strange triangle with a circle above it.

 My two favorite characters from the show. In the blue is Rodney McKay (hint, his name is written on him) holding his magic tablet. By the way, McKay had an iPad before they were cool. Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is in red, holding his trusty P90 and crazy hair. If you'd like to see why I like these boys, go check out StarGate Atlantis on Netflix. Worth every second.

Another shot of McKay. Yes, he is holding his tablet over his head. There is also a stylized version of the Celtic symbol for Water.

Another shot of John Sheppard.

Below you can see the outline of the Firefly Class cargo ship "Serenity" from the cult hit Firefly  and movie Serenity.

Here we have a puddle jumper from SGA. Makes you wish you had the Ancient Gene.

A couple of my other favorite sci-fi characters. We have Han Solo (Star Wars) in blue and Jayne Cobb (Firefly) in red. Yes, Jayne is holding Vera.

A better shot of Han.

A better shot of Jayne

 Well, I hope you found that interesting. It was a project of mine that was a labor of love and I am proud of this outcome, unlike some of my other painting or shoe projects.

This is Meg, signing off.

IN CASUS PERGIT

The Write Stuff

Alrighty, so today I continue with my hopes of improving my writing with some creative fluff. 

Today's Prompt: 

A con cam who convinces people they've been abducted by aliens and takes their money... is abducted by aliens.

        Today I start the story of me, Josh Heinrich. Not because I'm a good writer or anything, don't go getting your hopes up for something real decent. Unfortunately, I am being compelled to write this due to... well its a long story. Let's just say I've learned a few new things about the universe, and many of you aren't going to like it. 
     So there I was, just a few days ago, minding my own business. Literally, I was tending to the business I run. I'm a lawyer for very reputable firm for clients with a .... supernatural claim, shall we say? I defend those poor souls who no one believes. I - Shut Up, will you? I'm telling the story! Anyway, I was listening to a client go on and on about his strange, unexplained abduction experience - I told you to shut up, I don't care what you think.... No!... Fine. I had to show the man that his strange skin marks were marks from Alien Probation - ALRIGHT, FINE! I convinced the guy that he'd been abducted by aliens, good grief. Happy now? May I continue? Thank you. 
     Like I said, minding my own business when I closed up shop and went out to get my car. No, I did not get the car by swindling. So what if I... Argh alright. One of my previous clients was a rich heiress from New York who was convinced that she had seen an alien and wanted me to prove it. And yes, I bought an Aston Martin Vanquish with the money from that stupid bimbo. Happy? I apologize, she wasn't a bimbo... although she was as dumb as a redneck blond. Argh... I'm sorry about the blond joke. Moving on...I got into my Vanquish and started driving home. Now there was this stretch of road for about fifteen minutes where there were no streetlights of any kind so it was pretty dark. I hurried home... okay I was going 30 over on my way home. But who wouldn't, with a car like mine, I mean seriously- Sorry, I'm sorry. In the middle of the dark stretch I suddenly was blinded by this incredibly bright blue beam that hit me square in the eyes. In my moment of panic, I cried out and swerved as I-yes, my girlish squeals have now been duly noted, thanks a lot. Instead of running off the road however, I found myself floating. Myself, the car, my double shot latte in the cupholder, all floating up to the sky. It was darker than a night filled with black snow that multiplied exponentially every surface it it. The darkness, the weirdly suffocating blackness surrounding me, and the fact that I was now a good five stories above the street, made me dizzy. I passed out momentarily. 
     The next couple of hours get a little fuzzy. I was in and out, drifting aimlessly in the vast abyss that is my mind- really? Really? Fine, I admit that I was drooling and I don't have an endless intellect. Look, all I remember were these strange faces with distorted eyes, sparkly skin, and an abundance of fur in all the wrong places. The next thing I know I'm back on the side of the road, sitting in my Vanquish. Thinking it was all a dream, I shook it off, laughed a bit then pulled back onto the road. It was in those few moments that I believed that I would go on living the rest of my life normally. No. I was wrong. I was incredibly wrong. For you see, while I was in the care of those freakazoids they decided to implant part of their technology into my brain. It calls itself my Conscience, and boy is it a big pain in my- Yes! You are a huge inconvenience. See? You're doing it again, interrupting me. 
     Anyway, my Conscience is compelling me to write this public apology to my clients and to vindicate them in saying.... do I have to say it? Okay, okay, stop nagging me! I have now become an abductee, just like I told them that they were. Gee, this Conscience is really cramping my style. You mean people actually have these things in their head naturally? How do they function? Well... I guess I'll learn.

Hope you all enjoyed that. This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

Christmas Memories

Hello again! I failed on my gratitude goal, however I am always trying to improve. 

So today I want to share a quote from A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. It's not about Christmas, exactly. However, I have been hearing this message repeatedly today so I thought I'd share.

"My how foolish I am! You know what I've always thought? I've always thought a body would have to be sick and dying before they saw the Lord. And I imagined that when He came it would be like looking at the Baptist window: pretty as colored glass with the sun pouring through, such a shine you don't know if its getting dark. And it's been a comfort: to think of that shine taking away all the spooky feeling. But I'll wager it never happens. I'll wager at the very end a body realizes the Lord has already shown Himself. That things as they are, just what they've always seen, was seeing Him. As for me, I could leave the world with today in my eyes." - Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory

Lately I've had a lot of opportunity to reflect on the ephemeral nature of a life here on Earth. I am entirely guilty of living my life as the word "And" as if I'm building up to something greater. The truth is I don't know what is going to happen and so I should be enjoying myself in the time that I am given. Why is that? Why are humans always given to wish for something better, no matter the circumstances? This is my personal thought, but I believe it's because we are all searching for a way to become like God. We are all desperately seeking ways to become better than what we are now. All in preparation for the Day of Judgment when trumps sound and peace prevails. This quote is saying that even though we seem to prepare and lead up to the day that we meet our Maker, we are getting more and more acquainted with Him each day that we live here. The Lord has been showing himself to us through the ages. We have simply been too focused on the future to notice His silent presence. Feeling that the Lord only visits those on their death bed is a bit morbid, don't you think? I like to think that, while I'm sure He sits beside us at that time, he's been with us every step of our lives. Rather than meeting for the first time at the dusk of life, more of a heartfelt reunion with an old mentor who has been watching out for you all your life. 

I think that the Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to think about the Lord's hand in our lives each day. What has he done for me today? I am striving to recognize the smaller influences of God in my everyday life to help me keep my eternal perspective. 

Well, there is your Spiritual Thought for this rainy Sunday evening. I would just like to state how incredibly excited I am that this weekend kicked off the Christmas season. I raise my pink plastic glass of tap water to the notions of Hope, Charity, Brotherly Love, Family, and most importantly to the birth of our Savior. Let the festivities begin !

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

Give Thanks

I thought of something else I am incredibly grateful for. This country! I am so thankful that I can enjoy so many freedoms and protections that are provided by this country. No matter how dour the situation looks, I give thanks that I can have the opportunity to write my thoughts candidly, to worship who and how I wish to, and to know that I can now have a say in how legislation and leaders are put in place. 

This country was built upon such a land of opportunity. When the pilgrims sojourned "across the pond", which actually is a lot more than a hop, skip, and a jump, they began a tradition of thanking their Lord for all the blessings that had come to them by leaving England and finding a way to worship. Our Founding Fathers followed suit in this tradition. If any of you have time, I would HIGHLY recommend reading George Washington's Thanksgiving Address, it is worth your time, trust me. Thanksgiving did not become the national holiday it is until the times of Abraham Lincoln. When the 16th president addressed this great nation, amidst the throes of the Civil War and the Slavery debate, he gave a beautiful and eloquent Thanksgiving Address. This short speech solidified the holiday in American tradition. I want to quote one line that is particularly inspiring. 

 "It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people."

-Abraham Lincoln, Oct. 3rd, 1863

He certainly had a way with words, didn't he? Thank you, Honest Abe. Take a moment and be grateful for this country that we live in and for the "certain unalienable rights" we all so freely enjoy. 

This is Meg, signing off. 


IN CASUS PERGIT

Gratitude 2!

Back again! Hooray! I'm going to completely honest and pull back the curtain here and let you know that the reason I'm finally writing is that I have time to! School has slowed down a bit now that I have finished most of my assignments that professors seem to all require right before Thanksgiving break. I still have my final paper about Disney Animation to turn in, but it is all set and ready to go, so no stress there. Thank heavens.

This paper has been an eye opening experience. Of course, it took my third writing class to finally realize that writing a research paper does NOT have to be about dry, dusty, boring questions that a teacher gives you. I made that mistake many times before; each time it made my writing experience miserable. Which is very unfortunate, because I plan on using writing in my career. What is the difference? Subject. I decided to write this time about something I am not ashamed to say makes me "geek out" for lack of a better term. The topic: Disney Animation.

That's what I am grateful for. Disney Animation has influenced me more than I previously realized. I was what some might call a "Disney Kid." Ask my parents, I would always rather watch a Disney movie. Then as I got older I would always rather watch a Star Wars movie, but seeing as that is now a part of Disney I guess you could say Disney was my childhood and adolescence. I am grateful for the fact that though there are many who would criticize what Disney portrayed in their films, I seemed to have absorbed the good attributes instead. Disney was my escape as a kid. If anyone asks my favorite Disney character I would say, and always will reply "Belle" simply for the fact that she had this amazing library and I used to read excessively in my preteen, and well into my teenage years. Here was a girl who was selfless enough to take her father's place as a prisoner, and ended up taming that awful beast into a tolerable, even endearing love. Buzz and Woody absolutely detested each other, however they were able to bond through their adversities and work together to make it home. Marlin shows that parents can and should cross oceans (physically or metaphorically) to help their children and sometimes crossing that distance brings you closer than ever before. Jasmine decided to change her own fate if no one else could change it for her... of course she ended up back at square on anyway and would have married one of the suitors (who happened to be Aladdin) had not Jafar become all powerful and all that jazz. Then there's Ariel who ran away from home at 16, thinking she was a woman, got her voice taken away, fell in love with the first male human she set eyes on, and has a seagull giving her life advice. So the Disney psychology is not perfect... I will admit that whole-heartedly. Heck, due to my research recently I can now crack the jokes with you. However, I can not deny that I was inspired by Disney's animated movies. They were probably one of the major reasons I was bitten by the film bug. To quote a rather obscure (and possibly shameful that I know) song, Disney reminds me that "There is a world of hope... if you can dream."

This is Megan, signing off.

 IN CASUS PERGIT

Attitude of Gratitude

     So I have been absolutely terrible about posting on this blog. I promise I have been thinking about it. I have pictures and tutorials to upload of the things I've been doing but I just haven't had the time (or the brain power) to actually edit something decent to be placed on the internet. 

Tonight, however, I feel that with the upcoming coming holiday next week I need to take a moment to write about what I am grateful for. In this stressful time for me, sometimes it is a wonderful break to think about what I've been given to realize that life isn't as bad as I originally thought. Hopefully, it will be entertaining (possibly even interesting) to read. 

I am grateful for... 

First and foremost is my family. Being away from them I realize just how much I depended on their love and support every day. Breaking away from that was a challenge that is still plaguing me today. I can't wait to go home and hear my brothers quote Nacho Libre together, complete with terrible Hispanic accents. Or see my sister practicing her beam routine in the living room while everyone else tries to watch TV. What is more exciting is the fact that this year will be the first time in a few years that I will see my extended family from my mother's side. After growing up about 45 minutes away from my grandparents' house, we would see them two to three times a month. Moving away, I hardly saw them. I love seeing my aunts and uncles and cousins and getting to play with the family who I miss so much. So many good memories have come out of that house. 

My room mates. They put up with so much of my shenanigans, they should be given a medal. Thank goodness I was placed with such sweet girls. We've become something of a family, celebrating our little triumphs together (We passed cleaning check!) and sharing many good memories (our Quote wall can prove it). Whether we are traipsing through the snow, or sitting down to watch The Scarlet Pimpernel, we have many different adventures together. 

Film. There is a reason that I have been quoting movies since I was a little girl. I know this was the chosen way for me and every day as I learn more and more about it I see that this is where I belong. The world of film is so creative and reflective and so expressive. I tremble to think about a world without movies. Where would we be as a society without the greats like Hitchcock, Sturgis, Spielberg, Scorsese, or Eastwood? I have to be extra grateful for what my film courses have taught me about the film experience and how through analysis I can enjoy movies even more (Skyfall was pretty brilliant in my new film viewing style)! 

I'll end with hand written letters. I have become slightly obsessed with letter writing lately and I can not thank my correspondents enough for their letters. Such magic is found in reading the actual handwriting of a friend who is far away. Though I have been writing to many of my very dear friends on their missions in many different countries, I've also found I can draw closer to friends who I have not spoken to in many years or siblings that I miss. To me there are two great joys in my stage of life: first of all is having my hair brushed by someone else, and secondly is receiving a hand written letter. Letters are so personal; they make you feel so loved and appreciated that someone took the time out of their day to compose a letter and send it along. Though it takes longer than a text or email, it is worth the wait to be able to see the piece of paper that they were holding and writing on at one point. That personal touch is what makes letter writing feel like a huge wave of endorphin running through you, making you smile like a lunatic as you hold your letter tightly as you try to walk back to your apartment as fast as you can in order to read it in good light. It is a dying art, but bygolly I'm going to keep it up until no one writes me back... even then I'll probably keep at it. 

Well, I'll go ahead and wrap this one up. I am sure that many of you probably haven't even made it this far, but to those who have, congratulations I should find you some sort of plastic medal and present it to you with a personal hug. I want to try and post some more Grateful Things the rest of this week so stay tuned :)

This is Meg, signing off. 

IN CASUS PERGIT

First Week of School 2012

        There are always a lot of emotions associated with the start of a new school year. Sad to see Summer go, enthused to start a new year, anxious about harder classes, and excited to meet new people. Everyone in public school around the world knows what I am talking about. Everyone not in public school but now attending university know it as well. This being my first semester of college, I'm kind of inclined to feel all of these emotions in an even sharper sense than ever before. I'm not going to lie: school was usually pretty easy for me as a kid. I'd do what the teachers told me, never talked back, and found that when I was quiet and non-disruptive I could be left to do whatever I wanted. Sure, my concurrent enrollment classes gave me a jolt that college would not be that way, but my other high school classes weren't too challenging. I got straight As my whole high school career. I got an A- in a college class as a Junior, but I've cried those tears and come to celebrate the fact that I passed with flying colors. But that was only a State College. I now attend one of the largest universities in the West: BYU.
   

Kickin' it at the first BYU Football game!

        First come Dorms. I feel very blessed to be living in the New Heritage Apartments on campus. Since I have my GE all finished I needed some sort of Freshman influence to keep from from growing up too fast. These freshies keep me young, you know. I have recently learned that my dormitory has been nicknamed "Hogwarts" due to its size, construct, and the four levels in each building (i.e. houses.) I can't help but throw my fist in the air in Geek Triumph for this reason. I live with five other amazing young ladies. Because BYU has such a hard application process, everyone in attendance was the cream of the crop from their high school. My dear room mates range in size, shape, interest, and eating habits. For the sake of saving them, I'll not use their names but instead give them nicknames that I feel are aptly earned.
        First we have our resident Rapunzel. She is beautiful both inside and out, even crazy at times. Most of us would agree that she is probably the most studious of our little posse.
        Mulan (no, she isn't Asian, don't read into it!) is the most athletic of us all, getting onto the BYU track team. She's our little rising star. Both in sports and in music. She's has the most infectious smile and the perkiest of ponytails, to say the least.
        Sleeping Beauty is definitely the bubbliest of us all, when she gets in her beauty rest. We all know its been a long day when she gets super hyper and starts singing and dancing and begging for raspberries. This girl has laughed with me for some of the most ludicrous of reasons.
        Snow White is a mystery wrapped up in a vivacious package just waiting to spring on you. This girl is a dancer, and her love of music is ever present. I will admit to listening in as she practices her Arias every once in a while. Its quite beautiful to hear.
         My final room mate we shall call Cinderella. We do NOT make her clean up after us. No, I draw this parallel because she lives in a calm, quiet manner that is always sweet and endearing. Not to mention she is a good one to talk to about Broadway history and trivia. Score for me!! So yes, I live with some of the most precious princesses of this campus.

Freshman Orientation... we were taking our big "Y" class picture.

        Classes... I'm not going to lie and say I have an incredible course load that is super hard and teaching me so much. Honestly, I have quite a light load. And for good reason: I'm really trying to focus on my Major Application. My two favorite classes are Advanced Tap Dancing and TMA 102.
        Tap dancing has re-awakened my love for percussive footwork. I had nearly forgotten what it was like to finish a five minute combination perfectly and just pause for that single moment of glee that I actually did it! If anyone out there reading this (which is probably no one, but hey I'm okay with that) get the chance to take a tap dance class from BYU, I would highly recommend it. I look forward to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon when I can just go to class and not have to sit there and wait for everyone to learn basic steps. Its exhilarating!
        Theatre and Media Arts 102: Introduction to Film. Can I just say that I know I am in the right place? Every time I go to lecture and listen to Professor Russell, I know that this really was my chosen calling in life. We watch clips from films and then pick them apart piece by piece. The other day, in talking about the History of Film, we started out watching a silent film about a train robbery which was then proceeded by a clip from Star Wars Ep. III. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
       
        College is really such a wonderful experience. Even if I have to do three hours of reading every day. Oh well, I shall look at this as a time to improve my mind and hopefully my reading speed. Life at the university is quite adventurous, but I always find myself back in the dorm doing homework or writing something new (I'm working on my Major Application, lots of exciting things going on there) and inevitably I feel just like I did back in high school: chained to the written word but also liberated by it. I know that I have been put here for a reason. There is something here for me to do, a person to meet, a day to make, an influence to bring, and all I can do is live life every day searching for it. This is Meg, signing off.

My wonderful Family Home Evening group... minus two girls and two boys :)

IN CASUS PERGIT

News from the Grad

Deep Thoughts

        So I haven't written in a while and I must apologize for this. There are an insane amount of topics I've wanted to write about... from the Aurora shooting to the Chick-Fil-A Political Debacle and more tips for college living. However, due to my circumstances at the present moment, I believe the matter that I wish most to write about is Home: leaving home, coming home, home is where the heart is, et cetera, et cetera (said in the style of a famous Rogers and Hammerstein character).

        I come from a wonderful family. I am the eldest of my family's 4 children. Translation: I am the Guinea Pig. And though that may sound derogatory,  my parents have done a fabulous job of molding, shaping, and otherwise brainwashing me into the lovely person I am today. Those two people have been charged with my life for the last 18 years and now, as I stare my upcoming birthday in the face, I've realized just how hard it is to care for the aforementioned life form. Without compensation or time off from my care; they diligently primped, preened, comforted, scolded, laughed at, laughed with, and other wise trained me. Being the eldest, I've gained an appreciation and great respect for the rearing of children. Let's make that abundantly clear.

        But I digress. My feisty family has lived in Saint George, Utah for the past seven (wow, has it really been THAT long? My goodness!) years and has recently moved to the evergreen Flagstaff, Arizona. I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, went to middle and high school in Saint George, and now live in Provo to start the upcoming semester at the University of Brigham Young. To be perfectly honest with all of you readers (who I pretend to be in the "many" category), I am not exactly sure which locale to really call home. I was formed into a girl in Mesa, turned into a teenager in Saint George, and now I feel I am being whipped into a woman by Provo. I feel no real connection to Flagstaff; the place where my family resides. Not that is really matters in the grand scheme of things. Needless to say, the location of my upbringing has had little to do with environment, and everything to do with the care and interaction. I mean, how can you reject the influence of Disney movies with the little ones, sitting on Daddy's lap playing with his Sunday tie because I am getting fussy in church, playing Keep Away as we wait for dinner to finish, going to hundreds upon hundreds of concerts and recitals and sporting events and who could ever forget the hours spent in the kitchen where many of our greatest (and most repulsive) concoctions were born? For those of you out there who are English nerds like me, yes, that was a run on sentence, and no it was not incorrect grammar because I am taking poetic licensing here to set a tone. Ha ha!       

        Home is such a tender word. Think about it. Let me show my English Sterling Scholar geek card and say what a soothing and soft sounding word it is. Not harsh with any strong consonants, not hard with short vowel sounds, simply steady and utterly relaxing. Just how I think every home should be. No matter where it is. For some people their house is the Home; their sanctuary, their element. For others, like me, it's the people. Where ever my family is, that is where I call home. No matter how many boxes I have to pack -no matter how many long grueling and altogether boring car trips I have to make with my trunk stuffed with the equivalent of a small elephant in things (but things I need!)- no matter where I go in the world there will always be one place that welcomes me and makes me feel as if I'm not the crazy screw up of a girl I usually feel like. 

        And in conclusion, Your Honor, I would like to just say this: I have spewed all this prose to say that Home is not a location, not necessarily. No, no, it is the family you develop. Maybe it's not your biological family, but some close friends who, let's face it they live at your house enough and you hang out at theirs so much that you might as well just merge the two places and adopt each other. I eagerly look forward to the day that I can make such an environment for a bunch of little bossy blondies to learn and grow and love each other. That's what I feel in my Home. That's how it should be, and that's how it's going to stay if I have anything to say about it. 
        This is Meg Williams, signing off.

The Williams Clan as of 2011. Aren't we a fine bunch?

In Casus Pergit

College Tip #3

        So lately I have been doing a TON of research into physical fitness and eating healthy since I now cook and prepare, and most importantly buy, all my own food now. I absolutely detest being sick or injured, so I wanted to try a bit of preventative medicine. To be perfectly honest: eating healthy is a major undertaking. I am determined to steer clear of the "Freshman 15" however it's not been easy.
        The first thing I'm always looking for when shopping is price. Eating on a budget, I've learned that  it is not beneath my dignity to eat cheap foods from Wal Mart. Yet you still do not want to get sick from poorly packaged or processed foods. Thus my new College survival tip:

#3 College Budget Foods

        Part A: Whole grains can be fairly cheap and can keep you fuller longer. Hence, less to buy to keep you happy!

        Part B: Keep Hydrated. We are all made up of 2/3 water, and we lose 2-3 cups daily just by BREATHING, let alone any other aerobic activity we choose (or may not choose) to do. Not only do we save ourselves head aches, but we also can improve skin tone, reduce injury, and help replenish our bodies' cells faster.

        Part C: Keep active. If you are home all day staring at the kitchen , you're mentally bound to eat something. Whether it be out of boredom or force of habit, it can begin to add up. Go for walks, hang out with friends, and just keep yourself involved with what's going on around you. It'll both improve your health and social life.

        I know you have probably heard all of this before, but it's very true. I hope this helps anyone who is as much of a College Guinea Pig as I am.  This is Meg, signing off.

IN CASUS PERGIT

Helpful College Hint #2

        Already, another one :) Oh good-ee. The way I see it one can not be too prepared for life on their own.  Today's hint has to do with technology.

#2 Invest in a good computer

        Yes, I know this one is completely cliche and everyone says it, but, my word, I have never been so reliant on my computer before. It holds my life within the confines of it's blue plastic shell.
        First thing to know when looking for a computer: Price Range. There is no way you can start shopping unless you have a budget so you can see what you are working with. I endorse both Macintosh and PC computers, however here are a few little things to know about the two

Mac Pros                                                         Mac Cons
Beautiful picture quality                                           Can't play well with other software
Reliable                                                                       Expensive, it'll cost you an arm and a leg
Good for video and image editing                          Word processing is not very friendly


PC Pros                                                                       PC Cons
Most prevalent in the market                                          Not as reliable
There are great prices for decent machines                  Crashes are common
User friendly, can interface with most software           Not as great graphics
Word Processing is a thumbs up

        Next thing to know: how you're going to use the machine. For me, I'm a writer and a graphic designer type myself so I'm split down the middle. I like Macs for my graphics and PCs for my writing and homework. Homework is what will consume my life so I would like a computer to support me through that so I bought a Toshiba Satellite series. I got 500 GB of memory as well because I knew I would be filling it up with all sorts of stuff. Not to mention I also invested in an external hard drive to back up my life. By the way, get an external hard drive. For the student they can be INVALUABLE. Most today are pretty inexpensive, depending on how much space you want.

        Well, I'm sure this is probably common knowledge, but I just thought I'd bring my personal touch to it. This is Megan, signing off.

IN CASUS PERGIT