Elenatintil

Internet Etiquette

2012-01-26T18:33:00.001-06:00

The one single thing I seriously hate about the internet is the loss of a common standard of etiquette, politeness and common decency. I'm not referring to any one incident, but several years of people using the facelessness of the internet to say and do things that they would never do offline, face to face. I'm tired of being hurt, I'm tired of seeing other people hurt, I'm tired of reading news articles followed by comments filled with stuff that normal people do not say in every day life. I'm tired of lies, swearing and lack of kindness. I'm tired of anger.

This contrast is probably even greater to me right now because I'm reading so much historical fiction. Maybe we don't need quite the level of manners required in Jane Austen's day, but I sure wish we practiced more of it online than we do currently.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

2012-01-23T14:05:00.001-06:00

A young girl flits through the streets of modern-day Prague. Karou's an artist, just another student, set apart only by her vivid blue hair. Little do her friends know that when they exclaim over her drawings of fantastical creatures, that they are looking not at denizens of Karou's imagination, but of another world.

Raised by the chimeara Brimstone, Karou cannot remember any other life than that in the little shop that can be reached by many doors in our world, but is not a part of our reality. So few of her questions are ever answered. All she knows is that Brimstone creates wishes out of teeth.

Then one day an angel enters her life and everything changes forever.

It's rare that I learn of a book because two of my favorite authors recommend it. When I first saw the title and description on Shannon Hale's website, I added it to my list of library requests because I figured it was worth checking out. However it sat in a pile for a long time as I read other titles first.

Then Orson Scott Card reviewed it on his blog and painted so glowing a picture of the story that I could hardly wait to get off the computer and start reading it. I was immediately hooked. It's a paranormal romance that borders closer to fantasy, and is written with an elegance of style that few YA novels can boast. Laini Taylor has written a beautiful, poignant story here. The single biggest flaw is that the story demands an immediate sequel and the next book won't be out until fall!

This is a YA novel, and I feel I must alert my readers to the fact that this book does not shy away from including Karou's growing understanding of human sexuality. While I feel the subject matter is handled well and truthfully, I know that many of my more conservative teen readers would probably not feel comfortable with it. I would rate this book for ages 16+, with the caveat that all readers are different and some 16-year-olds will not be ready for it.

Adventures of a Painter

2012-01-21T21:01:00.002-06:00

Who could imagine that such a tiny room would be so much trouble to paint? Two weeks just to do two coats of paint...

All right, in all fairness, I had to clean the room, mud the holes, sand the mud, prime the mud, paint the ceiling, tape down all the trim, and THEN put on two coats of paint... in two different colors (red on two walls, cream on the other two). Plus I had an neck injury and three days of severe nausea from paint fumes. So maybe two weeks isn't that bad.

What on earth am I talking about? Well since my health is giving me no option but to stay at my parents house for the time being, they have graciously given me permission to move to the downstairs bedroom. It's smaller than my current one, but I get some space outside the room in the family room, so in the end it'll be worth it. Plus I'll be more out of the way (my current room is in the middle of all the house traffic), and I'll be able to watch stuff after 10:00 at night without waking anyone up. Hurrah!

It's been a long year, and I'm definitely not at the place where I was expecting to be 12 months ago... but we're making the best of it. Being able to put vivid red paint on some walls helps a lot... ;)

Why is Wikipedia Blacked out? SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-18T20:01:00.000-06:00

Wikipedia is blocked today.

Google has a black box over its name.

Proboards and Tumblr feature pop-ups talking about the issue.

But why? From the messages on facebook wondering why Wiki is blocked, I can tell that very few people are actually clicking the links that these websites are providing. And that's a shame because SOPA and PIPA are very real and need to be understood. While SOPA has currently been stalled, PIPA is still ongoing. And PIPA is just as dangerous.

As Tumblr's info pop up states it:

As written, PIPA would import censorship and surveillance techniques pioneered by countries like China and Iran, reversing longstanding U.S. policy on Internet freedom, betraying U.S. First Amendment values, damaging our standing around the world, threatening our job-creating innovators, and undermining Internet security for everyone.

This isn't saying that the passing of this bill is going to automatically take away our rights and turn us into China or Iran. However the wording and permissions it grants are opening very dangerous back doors that allow far too much possibility of many websites being forced to close down without due process of the law.

In an open letter to congress, Neil Gaiman and other artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers state it this way:

We fear that the broad new enforcement powers provided under SOPA and PIPA could be easily abused against legitimate services like those upon which we depend. These bills would allow entire websites to be blocked without due process, causing collateral damage to the legitimate users of the same services - artists and creators like us who would be censored as a result.

We are deeply concerned that PIPA and SOPA's impact on piracy will be negligible compared to the potential damage that would be caused to legitimate Internet services. Online piracy is harmful and it needs to be addressed, but not at the expense of censoring creativity, stifling innovation or preventing the creation of new, lawful digital distribution methods.

(Read the full letter here)

I don't claim to be an expert, but since the first hearings started last fall I have been gravely concerned about this bill and strongly feel all internet users should take the time to become informed about it.

Once Upon a Time: Hansel and Gretel

2012-01-16T18:08:00.004-06:00

Okay, I'll admit right off that I've never liked the story Hansel and Gretel. Abandoned children? Gingerbread house? Cannibalism? Ugh, color me freaked out. In fact, you could say that Hansel and Gretel is one of the popular fairy tales that retains the most of it's gruesome and grim beginnings. You can't really take out a lot of the dark elements without erasing vital parts of the story. Probably a significant factor in why Disney never tried doing a take on it.

Anyhow, I went into last night's episode expecting not to be too excited about it.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. They did an excellent job of translating the fairy tale parallel to modern day and wove in a beautiful theme of family. In addition to a great introduction to our new characters, we also got some good moments and characterization for many of our existing favorites: Emma, Henry, Regina, and Mary Margaret. Even Mr. Gold got a nice little scene.

It was really lovely to see some more children joining the cast, and Hansel and Gretel are written very realistically. I look forwards to meeting them again in future episodes. And I hope their Dad gets some more characterization as well. There is a ton of room for development.

For an episode featuring children, it did sport a very creepy badie. The Gingerbread Witch was pretty terrifying and if I'd seen this as a child I'm sure I would have been freaked out by her. However the show does a good job of not overdwelling on her, allowing her to be an element but not a dark focus.

A lovely Easter egg in this episode was the mirror glimpse of Snow with the Seven Dwarves. Looking forwards to seeing more of them soon -- maybe even in next week's episode!

But the most pressing question right now is... Who is the Motorcycle Dude? Last week I theorized on the FTN Forum that Bae (Rumple's son) was Henry's father. I still hold to that hypothesis, and I'll admit I wondered immediately if that's who the stranger was. However, you'd think Emma would recognize him if that were the case, so this Stranger seems unlikely.

For more pictures and theories on this episode, check out my tumblr at elenatintil.tumblr.com where I have reblogged some cool bits for your enjoyment!

Why Reading Fiction is Worth Your Time

2012-01-14T15:31:00.001-06:00

The Business Case for Reading Novels - Anne Kreamer - Harvard Business Review

A great article citing scientific research to back up the case why it is worthwhile to spend quality time reading fiction.

The Dangers of Ice

2012-01-12T15:02:00.003-06:00

Winter really cannot decide whether it wants to be here or not. We got a light dumping of snow over New Years, then the temperature shot up into the 50's. Yesterday it plumetted again, covering the ground with slick, dangerous ice.

I happened to be unaware of just how bad the ice was on our driveway and ended up taking a rather nasty fall. Now normally when you fall on your behind it hurts and then you get over it, but this appears to be something a bit more problematic. Even though I was able to see my chiropractor right away, my pain got worse, not better. Of course to deal with it I'm supposed to ice my neck, but seriously it is far too cold for that! Ah well.

The worst part about neck injuries is that they don't just hurt, they also screw up a lot of other things because of how many nerve endings are connected in there. So emotionally things are kind of messed up too.

I guess I'm just taken by surprise, really. Overall my health has been improving and I've been getting a lot of stuff done. A setback like this is hard to swallow... and understand.

Just really hoping that it will end up not being so bad and the inflammation will go down and tomorrow will be a better day.

And I sincerely hope all of you watch your step carefully and avoid any similar mishaps!

Downton Abbey Season 2 US Premiere

2012-01-09T13:45:00.001-06:00

Last night was the US premiere of our favorite new Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey.

Missed it? Don't worry, PBS will be doing several reruns over the next week. Check your local channel listings for details and don't read any further for there WILL be spoilers!

I recently showed Season 1 to my grandparents and they loved it, although they thought the ending was a bit of a letdown. Which is absolutely true, and exactly why we needed Season 2. The question is, does the first episode really live up to its predecessors?

My answer is yes.

With the very first shot we are plunged into the horrifying trenches of the Somme. WWI is portrayed with mud, explosions and a sense of terror, but a well set up shot list that avoids showing anything truly gory (which is perfectly in keeping with the generally PG sense of the show). Matthew is in charge of a unit in the trenches and we are shocked to see him covered in mud rather than dandied up in a dinner jacket. It's a look Matthew wears well, however, and no surprise. He's a man of honor, and no man (or woman) of honor would be able to maintain their self respect if they didn't contribute in any way they could to the war effort.

Indeed, that is the central theme of this episode with nearly every character struggling to deal with their own acceptance or avoidance of this obligation -- or the obligation in places on those they love.

Lord Grantham finds himself back in uniform but little more than a figurehead for his regiment. He's forbidden to go overseas and can do little more than show up for regimental dinners, a fact which galls him to no end.

Sylvia, the youngest daughter, meanwhile finds a way to aid the war despite all conventional rules. She goes belowstairs to take cooking lessons in preparation for a nursing program - then launches forwards into a neverending whirlwind of hospital care. Cousin Isobel supports her in this, and surprisingly enough, so does the Dowager Countess. This, in turn, leads to what one might consider Lady Grantham's contribution to the war effort -- letting her youngest daughter leave propriety and expectation behind to take on this very menial and demanding job. Lady Grantham can seem selfish at times, but the smile on her face when she watches Sylvia learn to bake a cake reminds one that every character on the show is three dimensional, with both light and dark sides, human temptations and the capacity to love.

Even Thomas, the head footman we all hate, after his cowardly action to get away from the war front, shows a genuine desire to help another in his attempt to cheer and save a blinded soldier at the Downton Hospital. Lady Mary also shows a softening of character. She is deeply in love with Matthew, but where once she would have fought to win him back, she now stands aside, seeing (at least for now) the true worth of Matthew's new fiance, Lavinia.

Actually the only character I still don't feel any sympathy for is Edith. Although I was pleased to see her finding some satisfaction in her work on the farm, I can't help but see that everything she does is to find and prove her own self worth. She lacks discretion and any sense of consequence, freely encouraging a romance with a married man. Yes, Edith is a product of her background, of being ignored and set aside for Mary all her life, but I have yet to see her do one selfless thing or really anything that endears her to me as a person. I hope to see her character grow and develop into a woman of honor and integrity, or at least see her face the true consequences and meanings of her actions.

I could go on and on about all the characters. Anna. Bates. Daisy. William. Mrs Patmore. Carson. Each one of them was given quite a solid re-introduction in this premiere episode. We also got quite a good view of our two new cast members, Lang and Edith, who both promise to be interesting and unique additions.

But the biggest question of all is how Downton Abbey as a whole is going to weather the change from country estate to war hospital... well, convalescence home.

So far I have been quite happy with Season 2 and think it lives up in every way to Season 1. I'm looking forwards to tuning in next week to episode 2!

Once: Interview with The Evil Queen

2012-01-08T11:44:00.000-06:00

http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/218213/411mania-Interviews:-Lana-Parilla-%28Once-Upon-A-Time%29.htm

The link above leads to a great interview with Lana Parrilla, who plays Regina/The Evil Queen on Once Upon a Time. Some very interesting tidbits about her filming process as well as a teaser for tonight's episode.

Matched

2012-01-07T12:42:00.001-06:00

Imagine a perfect world.

You never have to worry about getting sick.

You never have to worry about where your next meal will come from.

You never have to worry about who you are going to marry.

The future world of Matched is just such a place. The government has gotten statistics and probabilities to such a perfect science, that they can determine exactly how much a person should eat, exercise, and who - among their millions of citizens - are perfect matches for each other.

Cassia is an intelligent (and slightly stubborn) young lady on the eve of her matching ceremony. To her delight, she finds that she is matched with her best friend Xander. A safe and happy future is guaranteed.

Then, another face flashes across the screen. Another young man she knows. Ky. The officials assure her that it was a mistake. Ky is an Abberation. He is allowed to live in their society, but due to some misstep by his parents, he will never be permitted to marry.

Outwardly Cassia pretends to accept this and tells no one what she has seen. However she begins to wonder if, after all, Ky is her true perfect match. Over the summer they find themselves growing closer together... and uncovering a grave and terrifying truth about their seemingly perfect world.

Matched is marketed as "The Hunger Games with more Romance" and it's true. It's a softer, shinier world on the outside, and lacks the grittiness and shock value of the Hunger Games, however the principles are similar. Readers who prefer reading dystopian novels though the lens of romance will find this book right up their alley.

One aspect I really appreciated was the emphasis on choice. Cassia lives in a world where all their choices are made for them and for her to choose to do anything outside of the norm is also huge. However love is also a choice. And Cassia's parents are an example of a couple matched by the government that share a real and lasting love -- a love that they choose to cherish and strengthen every day. They've passed this understanding of what love really means onto Cassia and will support her in her final choice, even if it's not one they ever would have made themselves.

While not quite the level of The Hunger Games, Matched nonetheless carries more punch and depth than the average teen romance novel. It is also very appropriate, with no crudities, swearing or violence to cause concern in handing this book to younger readers.

Well Thank You Shannon Hale!

2012-01-05T17:46:00.003-06:00

The downside to being a voracious reader is that you tend to go through all your reading material at an insanely fast rate. Keeping stocked on stuff to read is a neverending job for me and I've gotten to the point where I'll turn suggestions into library requests almost instantly because otherwise it's too easy to run out of good books.

Author Shannon Hale shared a marvelous blog post about her best reads from 2011. I quickly realized that just about every book on her list looked excellent, so I went ahead and requested nearly all of them from the library. The first ten came in within days... so I'm looking forwards to a really fun week or so of reading. Never fear, I shall report the exceptional ones to you all!

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

2012-01-04T11:27:00.005-06:00

I am delighted to bring you an excellent review of this film from my good friend and 'adopted big brother' Matthew Bowman.

The Robert Downey Jr. movie Sherlock Holmes, in many ways, broke new ground. It ticked off a lot of diehardHolmes fans and pleased others all at once, and for the same reasons. Holmes was rude, arrogant, and engaged in a lot of physical violence; this upset those who liked the Victorian trappings of the original stories, and pleased those who had wondered what it might be like to see Sherlock's side of things, rather than the more sanitized version written by Dr. Watson.

As you might guess, I fell into the latter camp. I enjoy looking at character motivation and personality, and it was fairly obvious to me that Holmes was a high-functioning sociopath whose attitudes were constantly explained and excused by “Dr. Watson's” writings. Doyle didn't describe it completely correctly, but then alienists (the Victorian-era term for criminal and/or extreme psychology) were still working out the details in his day. I not only found Downey's interpretation correct, but also highly entertaining.

Other details also served to endear the movie and its interpretation to me (not the least of them being a Watson that actually shows off being a military man rather than a dumpy city doctor), but just as my delight focuses on Holmes, most of the disapproval from other Holmes fans comes from the same issue. That isn't the only aspect, however; the movie's high focus on action was a problem that came up a lot in my discussions with others. While I could certainly see that issue for others, I usually paid it no mind. For me, it had been skillfully wrapped around everything I liked about a good Sherlock Holmes story, and complemented it rather than detracted from it.

Not so with A Game of Shadows.

Don't get me wrong. I liked the movie. It was entertaining. But while it starred Holmes, it was not a good Sherlock Holmes story. There wasn't even a mystery plot. Oh, they put in the trappings of a mystery, with hidden clues leading to bigger questions and wrapping it up at the conclusion with an honestly satisfying confrontation with Moriarty; but it wasn't a mystery story.

It felt more like a James Bond story. More cerebral than your usual Bond, mind you, but not the sort of cerebral that you'd expect from Sherlock Holmes. For that matter, I literally started falling asleep in the theater during the slow-motion, bullet-time run through the forest as Holmes and his allies attempted to escape from Moriarty's goons. (In the movie's defense, of course, I was already tired, and the theater's leather seats are VERY comfy. However, the urge to sleep was over once people started talking again.) The plot advanced mainly through action, unlike the first film; when clues came up, they often seemed far-fetched and unnecessary . . . such as a bomb to hide a shooting murder when the bomb would have done the job by itself.

I enjoyed the movie, but I would have enjoyed it more had I known that I should just relax and enjoy the action and characters and stop looking for the mystery. The first trailer I saw for the movie made me suspect that it had been written to take Robert Downey Jr.'s unique brand of weirdness and comedy; that held up somewhat during the actual movie, but it wasn't as bad as what I had feared. I did enjoy the characters, with Downey and Law meshing even better this time around; while Law moved Watson back to being a three-dimensional character in the first film, he distinguished Watson as much more than simply Holmes' sidekick in the sequel. Holmes' “calculating the coming fight” moments (four in all) were very well-done, and different each time. One even did what I had expected in the original movie (something occurred that Holmes didn't anticipate), while the final such moment was possibly the best of both movies in terms of the characters involved.

The rest of the casting was excellent as well. Jared Harris was surprisingly appropriate as Moriarty, just for one. It's a role hard to play as it is, simply because of the lack of original source material. (For such an iconic character, Moriarty shows up in a mere two Holmes stories.) Harris didn't play the role as insane, maniacal, or even as overtly eccentric, but still came off as creepy as well as Holmes' intellectual equal.

Rachel McAdams did even better as Irene Adler this time around; it's almost criminal how little screen time she got. She displayed a range of emotions so quickly and so well that it really left an impression on me, which contributed greatly to suddenly becoming a sympathetic character. In the previous film, she was more like the Holmes version of Yo-Saff-Bridge from Firefly. (Oh, and to my diehard Holmes-fan friends: I basically pretend that Irene is a different character who happens to have the same name as the Irene Adler from the original stories.)

Stephen Fry as Mycroft worked wonderfully as well. While Mark Gatiss' interpretation (from the BBC seriesSherlock) is still my favorite Mycroft, Fry's performance was delightfully eccentric. For that matter, the way Downey and Fry play off each other makes this the only Holmes/Mycroft performance I've ever seen where I could really believe they were brothers -- despite the fact that, while Fry fits the description of Mycroft from the original stories to an almost scary degree, he and Downey look NOTHING like each other.

Kelly Reilly did a masterful job as the new Mrs. Mary Watson, far less than the screen time she deserved. She did so well, in fact, that I could be convinced that she could be a third member of the Holmes partnership without destroying the rapport between either Holmes and Watson or their actors. Granted, it would have to be handled delicately, and involve a few hoops to avoid destroying the character (no pun intended) of the source material; but that also assumes that they'll return to the source material with the next film.

Noomi Rapace, playing a gypsy named Madame Simza, was the weakest of these, but I think this was more because of the character. She didn't seem to have a lot of room to grow and change throughout the film, and the few moments where she had a chance to really act stood out. That character was far too confining for any actress to really spread her wings.

Overall, the movie is worth seeing if you haven't, and probably not worth seeing again if you have. It's entertaining and diverting, but not a work of cinematic art. There's a lot of promise in the actors for another sequel, but I hope the writers learn from their mistakes in this film so that we can have a true Sherlock Holmes adventure the third time around

First Chapters and Writing Time Travel

2012-01-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

The first chapter is always the hardest.

To start.

To revise.

To declare finished.

I'm plugging away at work on my sequel and today sat down for two hours to almost completely write chapter one. It was much needed and I think will work a good deal better... but I'll have to see if I still feel the same way in a month or so.

In a way I'm glad that I have a chance to get seriously started on my sequel before the first novel gets picked up by a publisher. As I work on the second book I'm finding several issues (most in relation to time travel mechanics) that need to be tweaked, changed or deleted completely in both books. So in the long run the entire series is going to work better because I've been able to venture further into the story before being forced to lock all of the time travel rules into place.

Seriously. Time Travel is fun, but you absolutely positively have to create solid rules that you understand and can explain coherently otherwise it completely falls apart as a concept. Timeline and the first 4 and a half seasons of LOST are good examples of well-written time travel. The last season and a half of LOST is how time travel absolutely positively should not be done. The Time Traveler's wife is a good story of a self-contained circle. Doctor Who is all over the place, with some episodes serving of examples of brilliance, and others as a glossed over mess.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-02T18:05:00.001-06:00

It's 2012! Aren't you excited? A whole new year just waiting to be filled with adventures and dreams!

Oh don't give me that pessimistic "and school and work and fights and crying and breakups" stuff. Being optimistic is good for the soul!

In all seriousness, I'm looking forwards to this year. True, a lot of bad things could happen, but right now there are a lot of good things on the schedule. So I'm going to look forwards to those and stay positive.

The year has already gotten off to a pretty solid start. I spent yesterday with friends and we had a blast. Several of the girls and I had a Phantom of the Opera sing-along and then the whole group had a rowdy round of crazy and brilliantly performed improv games. We finished off the evening with a laughter-filled viewing of Weird Al's film "UHF" which I recommend as a crazy, cheesy flick of weird hilarity. If you enjoy parodies and things like Monty Python and Napoleon Dynamite you'll love this. Low PG-13 for a bit of adult humor, but nothing too risque.

Today I've already successfully altered some shirts for my brother (dress shirts, yikes!), watched the first episode of Dollhouse Season 2, and completed two of the tasks on the to-do list for the business my friend and I are (finally!) starting. So all in all a fairly good day and it's only 6pm.

Farewell 2011!!!

2011-12-31T22:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a momentous year. In many ways a tough one, but with its own surprises and joys along the way.

Thank you all for continuing to follow me here at Elenatintil.Blogspot.Com. Your readership, support, comments and likes mean so very much to me. And I cannot say how incredibly encouraging and uplifting all of your prayers have been. Thank you. Again and again.

Wishing each and every one of you God's joy and blessings in 2012!

Fighting off a Migraine with Doctor Who Special Features

2011-12-30T21:58:00.002-06:00

It may seem strange but it was actually pretty comforting. I curled up in bed after taking my asprin and put on my brand new copy of Doctor Who Series 3. The lovely thing about the BBC is that they subtitle just about all of their special features on DVDs. Americans don't tend to do that so for most movies I have to ignore the special features. However with Doctor Who it really is worth getting all the extras. Series 3 has a very lovely long feature (actually broken up over four disks) that actually are David Tennant's video diaries from the series.

Most fans know Doctor Who Confidential as their backdoor into the series, but honestly I found the clips edited for the DVD release to be quite unsatisfying. The video diaries, however, were a delightful, hilarious and very personal look into the filming of the show and I vastly enjoyed them. Even with a migraine.

It's also pretty fun to see all the actors out of character. Surprisingly I found that Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) reminds me a ton of Sharayah Bunce, who played Rose Brier in my film "The Shadow of the Bear." Also fun to see was the appearance of Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith) in the segment on the Doctor Who "Weakest Link." I've always loved the character of Mickey and it was fun to see how hilarious he is in real life.

Plus, of course, it's no secret that I adore David Tennant and it was brilliant to see his lovely self hosting the thing. So anyhow, this is a fun special feature that all DW fans should take the opportunity to watch.

The Too-Absent Hero

2011-12-27T18:32:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed while writing a story that when certain characters walk into a scene the whole tenor of your project changes?

I've been working on a sequel to my first novel (which has had a lull in querying with all my health issues and the holidays). There was a certain way the plot had to go that kept the hero from wandering in until about page 65. I knew I missed him, but I didn't realize just how much I needed him until he finally appeared and started talking to my heroine.

The whole story takes on a new depth when he arrives. Not that there aren't other characters that bring plenty of their own goodness to the tale, but it really doesn't feel truly 'alive' without him. When he's not there, it's obvious that he's missing.

It doesn't even have much to do with Romance because that whole element hasn't come strongly into play yet (I'm a fan of drawn-out romances). It really is that he is a character that adds a needed edge to the story.

So now I need to figure out how to handle this lack when he's not around. I think there is a certain part of it is that is good. The readers need to miss him when he's not there and feel what an important character he is. If my pre-readers tell me that they missed him, I'll count that as partially a good thing.

But I also think that a complete absence of my hero for the first 65 pages is a problem. So I need to determine how to bring him in or strengthen the other characters to hold the weight better. Actually I need to do both.

That's why we have second drafts.

Anyhow, I wrote eight pages today and I feel immensely satisfied with the fact. I've been in a rut where I haven't been able to write more than a page or two at a time and it has been very frustrating. My writing retreat really forced me to sit down and write for a long period of time and got me back into the groove.

It also helped that my doctor identified one form of caffeinated tea that my body can handle. Which is lovely because it gives my brain that extra jolt and focus I need to sit down and seriously write some quality focused material for two or three hours.

Anyhow, draft one is currently 79 pages and 23,000 words long. Considering how long I've struggled to start this sequel, I think that's a pretty significant start.

The Twelve Days, Broomball and Doctor Who

2011-12-26T18:41:00.000-06:00

It's always strange when Christmas ends, isn't it? So much hype and then... over. I much prefer to embrace the twelve days tradition and spread out the festivities. With New Years, a dance night and a bridal shower planned, it's not hard to continue on in the festive spirit.

I am, however, perfectly glad to give up all the sugary sweets because they make me feel absolutely miserable. If any of you see me sneaking any chocolates or such things, do come up and slap my hand away, won't you?

Overall Christmas was extremely lovely this year. We had a good time with family, lovely music, and some really heartfelt presents. After supper us young adults, my mother and grandfather went out to the pond where we proceeded to build a bonfire and play broomball in the dark. It was absolutely splendid. I haven't been able to play a physical game like that for a long time, so it was wonderful to be well enough to do that yesterday and to spend the time with my cousins.

Then my sister and I settled down to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special which, while not quite as wonderful as last years, was nonetheless extremely good. There was more humor and quirkiness than last year, and a happy ending which I always felt was rather lacking in RTD's years.

And on a spiritual front, I've been reading and pondering Lauren F. Winner's "Mudhouse Sabbath" which is a fantastic book that I hope to blog about at some point in the near future.

I hope that you and yours had an absolutely lovely Christmas. :)

On this the eve of our Savior's birth...

2011-12-24T13:48:00.002-06:00

Two thousand years ago a young girl, nine months pregnant, was told there was no room for her to lay her head. Her husband, a young carpenter, searched out the only shelter available for them... a dark, dirty stable cave. Their child, God incarnate, was born not to the anxious audience of a court, or even the loving circle of a family, but rather under the dark quiet eyes of the animals of Bethlehem. What humbler entrance to the world could there be for the Prince of Peace?

Now every year humanity gathers in an attempt to make up for this shunning of our savior at his birth. We'll never achieve it fully, for we are always distracted by presents and food and our own selfish vanity... but the grace of God is that he loves and desires us always, no matter how imperfect our love for him might be in return.

May the love of God surround you and may you feel his presence tonight, no matter how you are celebrating.

Merry Christmas

I was Jane Austen's Best Friend

2011-12-21T13:50:00.004-06:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up with Jane Austen? To be her friend, her confident, her sharer in adventures and the recipient of the first drafts of her stories?

Well wonder no longer. In Cora Harrison's novel "I was Jane Austen's Best Friend" we are given a peek into the life of Jane's cousin, Jenny Cooper, and the year she spent living with the Austen family.

The scene is set with Jane Austen dying of a terrible fever in Southampton. With a schoolmistress too cruel to send for Jane's parents, her only hope of survival rests in the hands of her cousin Jenny. But to save Jane's life, Jenny must venture out into the dangerous seaport to secretly post the letter summoning Mrs. Austen. In doing so she risks her own life... or at the very least, her reputation.

Jane and Jenny both survive, thanks to Jenny's courageous actions and the assistance of a handsome young Navy captain. However Jenny must carry her secret with her as she travels with the Austens back to their home in Steventon and joins society there. For now she is safe, but if anyone learns that she wandered the midnight streets of Southampton unescorted, her future will assuredly be destroyed.

It's easy to push these fears to the back of her mind in the midst of the boisterious Austen family. Jenny quickly makes friends with all of the Austen boys, and helps Jane teach her deaf and dumb brother George sign language. They put on a play with the help of the glamourous and worldly cousin Eliza, and take great amusement in older Austen sister Cassandra's hidden romance with student Tom Fowle. But then Captain Williams reappears and Jenny's secret is in danger of being discovered...

With a full range of characters from which we can see the seeds for many of Austen's literary creations, this well researched but light-hearted and appropriate look into the past will be enjoyed by every Austen fan.

What temperature do you write best in?

2011-12-19T19:54:00.000-06:00

It's a weird question, but we all have different body types and different situations under which we can write best. I have a hard time writing or focusing on anything when I'm cold. I reallyreallyreally hate being cold.

Being hot can be problematic too, but I don't think it's such an impediment to my writing.

Or maybe I'm just all focused on the cold because it's December and it's the midwest and it's freeeezing in my bedroom.

Anyhow. I think temperature is relevant to the creative process. What do you think?

Writing Retreat in Pictures

2011-12-17T14:23:00.000-06:00

Writing Retreat Weekend!

2011-12-14T20:32:00.002-06:00

It just so happens that I'm heading out of town with a couple of friends for our own writing retreat... on the weekend of Jane Austen's birthday... to write a book about Jane Austen.

No, this was not planned. The dates just happened to align this way.

So anyhow I packed up a ton of books on writing and Jane Austen and then a novel or two and a book on drawing. Possibly overkill, but just looking at the books inspires me. I'm also bringing along my favorite writing movies. By which I mean:

Sense and Sensibility (the new BBC)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Bright Star
Miss Potter
Becoming Jane

I can never watch these movies without feeling in a writing mood. I figure if I get writer's block, I can just pop one in and get those juices flowing.

I should have internet access so I do hope to write a few blog posts about the experience. Should be pretty fun! I'm hoping to really get some serious work done on my sequel and also get the final edits into the first novel, because they've been sitting around for a YEAR waiting to get finished.

To Judge a Book by its Cover

2011-12-13T17:29:00.002-06:00

That's one of the earliest sayings we learn. "Never judge a book by its cover." And yet we do. Why else do publishing companies work so hard to package books attractively? Why else is one of the biggest pieces of advice to self-publishers "hire someone else to do your cover?"

Because an intriguing cover is going to catch our eye and a boring cover is going to turn us off. Unless someone has recommended it to us or the title really draws us in, we're not going to look further at a book with a boring cover. But a book with a well designed cover with interesting and informative graphics? Yeah, we're going to pick that up and check the back or inside flap to see whether the synopsis lives up to the promise of the picture.

Unfortunately it is rather hard to properly enjoy covers at libraries. Sure they have a few out on display, but never nearly enough. So what do I do? I go to the bookstores where they fully realize the importance of a cover and lay their books out on tables. Then I browse among the lovely spreads of awesome and pick up the books that catch my eye. If it passes cover, title and synoposis test, I write the title down in my notebook and look it up at my library later.

Yes, I do actually buy books. However I'm extremely poor and can't buy all the books I read. That's what libraries are for. However if I read a book and decide I want to reread it a year or two down the road, then I will purchase it. I simply have been burned too many times to buy a book without reading it first. That's why I don't ever weed out my bookshelf. I have chosen its inhabitants carefully and loved them long before I bought them. They're not going anywhere.

Once Upon a Time -- Let's Discuss

2011-12-12T18:44:00.000-06:00

Well before getting hit by this flu bug, I did manage to properly enjoy last night's episode of "Once Upon a Time." I've been meaning to do a mid season analysis post, and with the holiday break commencing this seems the right time to do it.

Cue SPOILER WARNING

Properly warned? All right, lets carry on.

While each episode has had it's own surprises and revelations, I think last night's episode might be the most shocking yet. From the moment Sheriff Graham kissed Emma and started getting flashbacks, I knew we were in for a crazy ride.

For a show that is about fairy tales, we really haven't had much for kisses yet. I should have known that Graham kissing Emma already meant that bad things were going to happen...

Yes folks, he's dead. As in Storybrooke dead. It's been confirmed by the actor that he will not be reappearing as Sheriff Graham, although he reminded us that there is still plenty of room for him to show up in flashbacks. Considering the heavy influence LOST has had on this show, I think we can count on seeing him again. (In LOST it didn't matter if someone died, the actor ALWAYS came back for SOME reason.)

Still... what a shock! I always liked Sheriff Graham. When he first appeared on the screen I was livechatting with my friend Amanda about the episode and we both went -- "CUTE BRITISH GUY! WHO IS THE CUTE BRITISH GUY?" My first instinct was that he was the big bad wolf, but considering how the writers denied any connection to the comic book Fables (where the sheriff IS the big bad wolf) I realized they would likely give him a very different fairy tale origin. The huntsman/woodsman from the Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood tales struck me as most likely.

(Interestingly enough, the writers originally wanted a different origin for Graham, but had to change it, citing rights issues. Hypable theorizes Robin Hood, but I think it is far more likely that they originally DID want his backstory to be the big bad wolf and had to change that to avoid similarities with Fables)

So he's dead. And at the very moment when Emma was finally about to open up her heart to him. What does this mean for her? Will it make her harder or will it break open that wall she's built around herself? We're due for an Emma-centered episode soon which I am very much looking forwards to.

Also last night we learned a bit more about why Regina hates Snow. Apparently she entrusted Snow with a secret... and Snow told someone else. I suspect this has something to do with Snow's father. Snow felt it would be betraying her father to keep Regina's secret, so she told her father. Whether Snow's father is Regina's lost love, or whether there was someone else in the picture is another question entirely.

What about the show as a whole thus far? I'd say overall I'd give it a B, or B-. It's lot a lot going for it, but the writing could stand to be a bit tighter in places and it shows. Some episodes are pure gold, whereas others stray too close to bland. However, overall, it's doing a pretty good job and has lots of room for the future.

Coming up in January we'll be getting an episode centered around Mr. Gold, which should be fantastic as he's been a well acted and intriguing baddie. I'm looking forwards to learning how his brand of evil came to be!

14 Days until Christmas

2011-12-10T12:37:00.001-06:00

Time, where did you go? Wasn't Thanksgiving just yesterday? Now suddenly I don't know if there is enough time to get all of my Christmas work done!

Being sick all fall means my finances are in a sadly depleted (read 'non existent') state, so I have to rely on my artistic abilities to provide much of the gift material for my loved ones. Thankfully I've spent enough years perfecting these skills that I can actually create some pretty cool things.

Okay, not going to lie, some of the presents I am seriously going to have a hard time parting with. Bother my skills of coolness!

Anyone else here the crafty sort that creates rather than buys gifts? What sort of things do you do?

Photos for Little Smiles

2011-12-09T13:50:00.001-06:00

We can't always focus on the big things in life. That would just get way too intense. Lately I've been taking pictures of little things that make me smile, and I thought I'd share them with you all.

I have a pretty extensive necklace collection. I can get about half of it onto hooks on the wall, but my smaller fragile necklaces are not to be trusted there. Several years ago I figured out that I could take an organizer intended for sewing supplies and use it for my jewelry. It works like a charm!

Everyone else went crazy with Black Friday shopping. I just picked up a few deals on Amazon. To my surprise they arrived just four days later -- excellent service, especially when you get four films and a TV show for a mere $30!

I love pretty lights. It's one of my favorite things about the holiday season and I love the chance to add a bit of extra sparkle to my own room as well as the world in general.

Did I mention sparkle? How about this bit of glitter in my favorite color on this card?

The perfect breakfast. I mastered the art of creating mashed potato pancakes at last. The trick? Mix in an egg white with the potatoes before frying them and everything will stick together a lot better!

New Painting of Jane Austen?

2011-12-08T14:18:00.001-06:00

Thanks to the good ladies at Austenacious for posting about the recent discovery of what may be a painting of Jane Austen.

For those of you who are Austen fans, you probably know that there are only two authenticated images of Jane in existence (so far as we know). So this is pretty exciting news! Check out the whole story here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/05/jane-austen-lost-portrait?newsfeed=true#_

Screenwriting Challenge

2011-12-05T15:44:00.001-06:00

We like to give screenwriters a lot of crap for writing shoddy scripts - especially sequel scripts - that we hate. We criticize their plots, their character choices, their dialogue...

So here's a challenge. Write an outline of 1-5 pages, including some indication of character motivation and bits of dialogue, for a film or film idea that you think you could do better than the film studios.

It can be as much or as little work as you want. It's a chance to stretch your writing and adaptation skills, but it's also a way to have fun that is maybe not quite as much work as a full blown fanfic.

Extra motivation? Send me your outline and I'll post it here on the blog! For my favorite one I'll even do a bit of concept art. ;) elenatintil [at] gmail [dot] com

Some Suggestions

Avengers
The 'official' movie is coming out next year. Do you have issues with the direction they're taking? Want a different line up? How would you do it?

Doctor Who
Write your own episode. Fit it into an existing season, or write your own one-off Christmas special.

Harry Potter
(Honestly I can't think of any good prompts here, but I'd be interested to see how someone else would structure one of the harder books like 5 or 7)

The Hobbit or Beren and Luthian
How would you do it? Would you make the Hobbit as one movie or two? How would you turn Beren and Luthian or any of the other Silmarillian tales into a film?

Narnia
Prince Caspian has gotten the most criticism... how would you write it? Or try your hand at one of the other books. (Silver Chair or The Horse and His Boy being my suggestions)

Pirates of the Caribbean
You know they'll always find room for more movies. So how would you do it? Do your own sequel to any one of the films, 1-4.

Star Trek
Write your own episode/movie based off the TV series (any version), or write ideas for a sequel to the newest movie.

Star Wars
You get a chance to write a story set between episodes 3 and 4. What would be the plot? Who would you focus on?

X-Men
Rewrite X3. Or work on a sequel to XMFC. Or write your ideas for X4. Or an origins movie based on the character you are most intrigued by.

A Letter to December

2011-12-04T15:33:00.001-06:00

Hello December.

Been awhile since we last hung out. 11 months, to be exact. That's kind of a long time for friends to be apart, isn't it?

We have an interesting sort of friendship though. You always like to bring stress in my life. At the very least there is all the hustle and bustle about making food for the holidays and finding the perfect gift for everyone (Okay, I do like gift shopping, although it helps when I'm not sick and unable to make money!).

But what I like least of all is the commercialism you bring with you. I know it's not your fault, but it's still true. America has turned Christmas into a big marketing scheme and it drives me nuts. I mean, this year Christmas decorations and songs started showing up with your little sister, November. She seemed excited to get in on the fun, and I swear, October was looking jealous.

Yeah, that's right, your little siblings want in on the Christmas fun too. Please tell them no? One month of religious sacredness turned commercial is more than enough for a year (Yeah, March and April are in trouble too with their Easter shennigans, but that's another letter).

No, don't run away now. We're still friends, December. I just have to be honest about these problem's we've been having. Now comes the good part.

I love your music. Christmas carols are some of my favorite songs ever. And since we only sing them when you're around, I'll always love you for that alone.

First snow. Okay, November says she gets this one, but honestly? Her snow never says. You, my dear December, always get the honor of the first snow that stays.

Christmas trees. Remember when you and Prince Albert got that tradition set up back in the 1800's? It's one of my favorite. The smell of pine... the twinkling lights... the ornaments with years of memories...

But most important of all? You're leading up to the most important birthday celebration of the year. The one all the other months are jealous of. The one that so much of the world celebrates even if they don't really know the birthday boy himself.

So... December... I guess we'll keep on going with this friendship, since the pros outweigh the cons by far (though we still can't ignore them).

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Romance in Doctor Who

2011-11-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

It's one of the most controversial issues of the New Who series. Should the Doctor be written in a romantic sense? Should his companions be allowed to fall in love with him? Could he ever fall in love in return? The fans are hotly divided on this issue.

In Old Who it wasn't an issue because the BBC had very strict rules on the subject. There were actually written guidelines for how the Doctor could and could not touch his companions, to avoid even a hint of anything happening behind the scenes (i.e. the bedroom).

However when the made for TV movie appeared, it featured a very prominent romantic subplot. So when it came time to revive the show in 2005, there was a whole new range of possibilities for the writers to play around with.

The question is... should they?

[SPOILER WARNING -- If you have not yet watched ALL 6 seasons of New Who, I can guarantee there will be spoilers.]

[...I did warn you about spoilers...]

[Still here? Okay, read at your own risk.]

To Romance or not to Romance, that is the question.

There are a lot of fans, probably not a majority, but a very vocal minority, who believe that the Doctor should absolutely always be asexual. These tend to be those who were introduced to Old Who first, and therefore have the idea of a non-romantically-inclined Doctor firmly in their heads. I understand this. If I'd watched a show for almost thirty years (or seen a good chunk of that) without any romance involving the title character, I'd be pretty thrown for a loop if he suddenly started snogging people.

However, what has really kept the show alive over the years is its ability to change and adapt to the times. I mean, the most iconic feature of the show is that the Doctor regenerates any time they need a new actor in the part. It's a show that is not afraid to change, and that change has lead it through 48 years of intense fan love.

On the other hand, should the show become entirely focused on Romance? I don't think that's a good direction either. After all if you change something too much, you lose the core essence that has drawn people in for too long. So some change is good, but not too much.

But some fans do think any romance is too much. Is it really? Is the Doctor really that incapable of romantic love and sexual desire?

Absolutely. Kind of hard to end up with a granddaughter if you aren't into those things. Let's not forget that the Doctor's very first companion was his granddaughter Susan, and later on he mentions that he once was married and a father.

(Yes, I know, the novels do posit the idea that Time Lords are grown to adulthood on looms... but this isn't official canon, and anyhow, the show itself shows the Doctor and the Master as small children on Gallifrey, so I think that kind of debunks that myth)

Russell T Davis, the head writer who oversaw the relaunch in 2005 was obviously in the romance camp. He created the young girl, Rose, who became the Doctor's companion and eventually fall in love with him.

Her first Doctor was Christopher Eccleston, who played the doctor with his traditional quirkyness. And more importantly, he was rather homely to look at, which helped keep him in the 'eccentric professor' category instead of becoming a sex icon.

Then David Tennant appeared and quickly became the most popular Doctor ever according to fan polling, besting out even Tom Baker. This is certainly largely because of his huge talent and charisma... but it's undeniable that his appealing looks were also part of the picture.

And right away the romantic element of the show started amping up. "The Girl in the Fireplace" by Steven Moffatt was the first Doctor-centered love story on the show. Coming close on the heels of "School Reunion" which featured much tension between Rose and Sarah Jane Smith (who was now revealed to have been in love with the Doctor), this solidified the Doctor's position as a dashing romantic (I here mean romantic in the classic sense, ironically).

Then we got the very climatic and intensely romantic ending of season 2, followed by season 3 which thematically centered very strongly around Martha's unrequited love for the Doctor. He is now a recognized desirable hero and does Martha ever know it!

After such a romance laden third season, everyone was ready for a return to a more classic approach. With Donna as his companion, the Doctor was once again able to fall more into the eccentric professor role, and surprisingly enough, the platonic chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate resulted in the strongest Doctor/Companion bond of 10's run.

Not that season four lacked romance. Steven Moffat once again took the lead on the romantic front and introduced us to the mysterious River Song, a woman who seems in every way the Doctor's equal... from his future. Is she his wife? His friend? Something else entirely? Viewers went slightly insane trying to figure it out (See my Doctor Who archive in the Geek Portal for my own crazed ideas).

And of course the grand finale resolved Rose's love story, but creating a Doctor duplicate, a move that even RTD himself admitted might not have been the best idea. However it satisfied a lot of fans and properly closed that door.

So the Doctor is off to a clean start when he regenerates into Matt Smith.

There are fans who find Matt Smith hot. Kudos to you. I'm not saying a word against that. He's a fantastic actor. And as the Doctor I find him perfectly odd, eccentric and fun. Really not romantic. Which is really what the show needed at this point.

Romance didn't disappear, far from it. If anything it became more prominent with Amy and Rory, an engaged couple... with Amy having a thing for the Doctor. Sort of. For awhile. Actually after season 6 the whole "Amy in Love with the Doctor" thing doesn't seem nearly as prevalent to me. I mean, now that we know she's his mother-in-law and all. ;)

In season 6 we got the full scoop on River Song. And we also got what I think is really the perfect romance for the Doctor. The Doctor remained his odd, eccentric, not traditionally attractive self... and yet he fell in love and a woman fell in love with him in what I felt was a very believable and appropriate way. They became equals, and while their story is incredibly romantic, it didn't make the Doctor a 'romantic hero.'

(Okay, he and River have insane chemistry and their scenes are really incredibly hot, but they manage this without taking away from the Doctor's 'eccentric old professor' persona which I think is amazing. Alex Kingston and Matt Smith for the win.)

So I'd say there have been some solid wins and also some misses on the romantic front. I believe romance can work in Doctor Who, but I also think it's been used a bit too much in the New Series. I think, however, now that the Doctor is married to River, the dynamtic is going to change and that will be a good thing.

Belle due to join 'Once Upon a Time'

2011-11-28T11:23:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago they announced that the character of 'Belle' would be joining OUaT. Today the first picture was released and it looks fantastic! Unfortunately we won't be seeing her on our screens until Valentine's Day... still, that'll be a lovely way to celebrate the day! (And it's only the cream on top that this princess will be played by the beautiful and talented Emilie de Ravin)

We've also learned that Aladdin will be popping into the show as well, which I think is fantastic. So far we've only seen characters from western fairy tales, so I'm delighted to know that the show plans to branch out!

You can read the full story here: http://www.hypable.com/once-upon-a-time/2011/11/28/first-look-at-emilie-de-ravin-as-belle-in-once-upon-a-time-aladdin-appearance-confirmed/

I'm now on Tumblr!

2011-11-26T00:51:00.001-06:00

So many times I run across pictures that I want to share with all of you... but it's much, much easier to post them on tumblr than on this blog. Besides, I like to keep the posting to less than seven posts a week here because that's what you all have indicated you prefer!

So my tumblr is going to be where I put pictures I find online that I think are worth sharing. Humor, art, beauty, mindboggling... they will all be there. The primary emphasis will be on my favorite fandoms, so things like X-Men and Doctor Who will probably show up the most.

Do you have a tumblr? Follow me and I'd love to check you out in return! :)

You can find me at elenatintil.tumblr.com

Happy 48th Birthday, Doctor!

2011-11-23T13:54:00.001-06:00

Today the British Show "Doctor Who" turns 48 years old. That's positively ancient by television standards and it's still growing strong. Just this year we saw a major explosion in U.S. growth. A year ago I could count on two hands the number of friends I had that even knew what Doctor Who was. Now? It seems like a third of the people I'm friends with on Facebook love it. (And I have 352 friends at last count, so that should give you a pretty good number).

If you haven't already, may I suggest celebrating the day by watching the mini-episodes that were released earlier this week? You can find them online by searching "First Night" "Last Night" "Bad Night" "Goodnight." Fans of River and the Doctor will not want to miss the first two, and those who love Amy and Rory will cheer over the second two. WARNING. Do not watch unless you have seen all of seasons 5 & 6, as well as "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead."

So, Happy Birthday Doctor! May you stay around for another 48 wonderful years and more!

It's a Fairy Tale Heroine Day

2011-11-22T14:06:00.001-06:00

I don't mean "Happily Ever After" sort of fairy tale where you ride off with your prince into the sunset. I mean a day full of little trials, adventures and coincidences that are quite common to fairy tale heroines.

Left Skype at midnight telling my friends I had to do a Cinderella and leave. - Cinderella
Last dream of the night involved lots of little animals who were crazy about me. - Snow White
Had trouble waking up. - Sleeping Beauty
Friend made a picture of me and her that unintentionally looked like "Snow White and Rose Red." - Rose Red (Which Disney needs to make a movie of. ASAP.)
Singing. Constantly. - Every Disney Heroine under the sun.
Made quite the tasty breakfast. - Tiana
Completely unmanageable hair. - Rapunzel
Nose stuck in a book. - Belle/Beauty
Surveyed all of my stuff, and though I think it's quite a neat collection, my parents want to clean it out. - Little Mermaid
Cleaned up the ashes from the fireplace and got rather dirty. - Cinderella

And it's only 2:00 in the afternoon! I wonder what other escapades the rest of the day will hold...

And yes, okay, fine, these are all pretty ordinary occurrences, but a normal day seems so much more interesting when you look for the literary connections.

Any fairy tale allusions in your life today?

Hunger Games Trailer

2011-11-21T16:30:00.001-06:00

Have you seen "The Hunger Games" trailer?

I have to say, it really doesn't matter whether you are a fan or not. This is one trailer you really do not want to miss.

Sadly, I didn't watch it the moment it came online. I waited. A few days even. And then I finally 'found the time' to look at it. And kicked myself furiously for not watching it sooner.

You see, it's rare that I see a trailer for a movie adaptation of a beloved book that so completely captures the story. And I don't just mean plot and lines, I mean casting and locations, and tempo and costumes. Oh my. Even the costumes were fantastic. Every single frame felt like it really was the book come to life.

Of course, a horrible movie can still be proceeded by a fantastic trailer... but I'd say right now the odds are that we're going to get a pretty fantastic film come March.

So go watch it. Even if you're not a fan. Fall in love with the story all over again. Read the books if you haven't. "The Hunger Games" as a movie is set to be just as fascinating and moving as the book.

Of Time and Adventure

2011-11-19T00:57:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it feels like the older you get, the faster time flies. Has it seriously already been five days since I last posted? Has it been two weeks since my surgery? Has it been two months since I came home from school?

God's been challenging my heart a lot lately. I've been wrestling with hard questions and hopefully growing stronger because of that. This year has just been a year of growing in understanding in ways I never thought I'd have to. Funny how God works, isn't it?

And hard. I improve, but it's like two steps forwards one step back... and sometimes it feels like one step forwards and three steps back. I've learned that doctors really like my blood -- so much so that my new theory is that they're all vampires. I mean why else would they keep insisting on taking the red stuff? And by red stuff I don't mean the kool-aid.

I think it's really at the holidays that we notice how much we have - or haven't - changed. We compare ourselves to where we were a year ago. What bugged us? What didn't? What were our hopes then? What is the reality now? What has improved? What has gotten worse? Who has left our lives... and who has joined?

When I hit the holidays I normally always think at some point "I wonder what it'll be like a year from now." So it's only natural that the opposite is true as well.

I'm not at all where I thought I would be a year ago. All those plans went the way of the dodo bird. Well, maybe not all of them, but a lot. On the other hand, other people in my life are pretty much exactly where we would have predicted them a year ago. So what's different about me? Am I just too stubborn in my own plans? Or does God really have something that different and unusual planned for me?

Honestly? It wouldn't surprise me. I don't mean that I'm special or unique anymore than anyone else is... but I do seem to get my plans upset quite a bit more than average. It really makes life quite the...

...well, adventure.

A bouquet of my favorite comic book panels

2011-11-14T00:51:00.001-06:00

Over the past three years I have come to immensely appreciate the talent and craft behind the comic book industry. From an under appreciated medium, it has come to the point where strong characters, deep and moving plots, and fantastic art make many graphic novels a sheer pleasure to read.

That doesn't mean that there aren't bad apples. Like anything, there are some not so great pieces to weed out. But overall I've found a lot of joy and inspiration from delving into the comic book world.

As most of you, my dear readers, know, the past two months have been filled with a lot of personal hardship in the form of my health issues. God has sustained me in many ways, with a supportive family and amazing friends. However I believe he is also behind motivating me to join the tumblr roleplaying group that my friend Alicia had raved about all summer. I finally caved, joined the group... and have never regretted it. I've met some amazing people who have become very dear to me in a very short time, and I've also had the chance to share my love of comics and characters with those who appreciate them just as much as I do.

Because we RP (short for roleplay) on Tumblr, we use a lot of graphics. I've started saving my favorite clips and panels, some humorous, some heartrending, and I thought it would be really fun to share some of my favorite pieces with all of you.

First off is a gorgeous picture of one of my characters, Alison Blaire/Dazzler. She's a singer and channels sound into light/plasmabolts/serious stuff to be afraid of. This particular picture is drawn by my absolute favorite artist, Sana Takeda, who makes every single page a gorgeous masterpiece. I think Ali just looks breathtaking here, and the rose is a gorgeous touch.

Next we get to see Ali's powers at work, aided by another favorite of mine, Theresa Cassedy/Siryn. These girls should always work in tandem.

The artwork for this cover is not my favorite, but I love it because of the emotion behind it. The most recent Marvel event has been the controversial SCHISM which has torn the X-Men right down the middle. One of my main characters, Rogue, must choose which side to join. Her two love interests, Magneto and Gambit, are on opposite sides. Which will she choose?

I'm a secret Rogue/Magneto shipper. For that reason I love the image of Magneto carrying Rogue off the battlefield. My Gambit utterly loathes this pairing and I have far, far too much fun teasing him about it... (Yes Chris, this is here to tease you... ;) )

But I will forever remain a loyal Gambit/Rogue shipper, which I will prove by sharing one of my all time favorite pieces of art ever. Below is the cover to one of the only decent Ultimate X-Men comics ever. It's not just beautiful, it's breathtaking. My dream is to someday have a really nice large-sized version of this hung and framed in my home.

One of the reasons I love the X-Men is their willingness and ability to portray strong girls. I'm not in love with the art below (c'mon, you can't move in stuff that tight) but I do love the sentiment behind it.

Another kind of girl power below. The green haired woman is Lorna Dane/Polaris, youngest daughter of Magneto, and one of my main characters. Here she is seen spending some quality time with her niece, Luna (daughter of Quicksilver). We do have a Luna player on Tumblr who is absolutely adorable!

I lovelovelove the ship of Lorna and Alex Summers/Havok (younger brother of Scott Summers). They're adorable and sweet and have a really long and enduring love story. One of the things I find utterly adorable about Lorna is how enthusiastic she always is about kissing Alex.

See?

I love her priorities. XD

Moving away from the lovey-dovey stuff, this panel is sheer fun. Piotr Rasputin (Colossus) has been pining over his lost love (Kitty Pryde) and his friends are trying to distract him. A couple of the younger girls think Twitter might be an appropriate distraction. (The black-haired girl is a precog --- she can see the future. ;) )

Oh these Gambit/Rogue/Magneto pictures! I just can't get enough of them! Chris, I'm sorry. Shannon... join me in ALL THE ANGST EVER.

Did you know there was a team of YOUNG Avengers? They are the children of the original Avengers and it's actually a pretty well written story. Two of them are Magneto's grandchildren, and he is helping them track down their missing mother, the Scarlet Witch. They are undercover in Germany... and Billy (the magical one providing the disguises) goes for a Sound of Music theme...

So that's an insight to why I love comics so much... and some of the moments that are worth reading again, and again, and again...

Date a Girl Who Reads

2011-11-11T01:17:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook today and it is one of the most beautiful things I've read in a long, long time. For every girl who loves to read, and for every man who is in love with a girl who reads.

“Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.
Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.
She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.
Buy her another cup of coffee.
Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.
It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.
She has to give it a shot somehow.
Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.
Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.
Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.
If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.
You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.
You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.
Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.
Or better yet, date a girl who writes.”
- Rosemary Urquico

Let's examine "Snow White and the Huntsman"

2011-11-09T20:44:00.000-06:00

I'm really torn about "Snow White and the Huntsman."

On the one hand
-Ultra Revisionist
-Kristen Stewart

On the other hand
-I love new twists on fairy tales
-Chris Hemsworth
-Awesome sauce costumes.

So far the pros are outweighing the cons. And this very cool poster with a good look into the art design is very intriguing. Could be a really interesting good film... or an utter bomb.

What do you think? Will you go see it? Does it interest you?

Hello Internet! (and all my dear readers)

2011-11-08T19:16:00.001-06:00

Thank you all a hundred times over for your prayers and get well wishes. I know I had a LOT of heavenly intercession going on because things went very well. The surgery went even better than I expected, and the nausea was far less overwhelming than I dreaded. Staying horizontal for three days was really, really hard, but I became pretty adept at typing on my side. (I hope I never have to go on bedrest, but if I do, I'm all of the prepared!). I had so many friends making me smile and sending good well wishes --- I couldn't have asked for a more supportive time.

I can get up and walk now, although I am battling a low grade flu that is making recovery slower than I expected. Also there's just discomfort from the incisions that pop up from time to time and make life less fun.

However I'm not complaining. I am so thankful for the answers the surgery gave us and am looking forwards to hopeful future relief.

And I feel so blessed with all the love God has placed in my life. You all are amazing.

Surgery News

2011-10-30T20:36:00.002-05:00

So. I'm in need of major prayer requests.

Without going into a lot of detail, I'm having surgery on Wednesday. It's a laparoscopy so it's minimally invasive and I can go home the same day, but it still requires cutting and anesthesia and such. I'll be dealing with pain and confined to bed for about a week afterwards.

Reassuring bits? I've had a procedure done before so I'm familiar with anesthesia and its effect on me. Laparoscopies are quite safe and I know women who have had them done, so I'm really not afraid. Also, my problem isn't life threatening, just life inhibiting, so if the procedure doesn't work I'm not in danger of dying or anything.

Not so reassuring? There is no guarantee that the procedure WILL work, and that's what I would like to ask for prayers for. That if this is the way God wants to heal me, the surgery will be successful. Prayers for a quick and complete recovery would also be appreciated!

Thank you all so much being so supportive and encouraging as I deal with these issues this fall. It means the world to me!

What is the plural of Fog?

2011-10-28T13:53:00.001-05:00

Did you know it was possible to get 110 points on ONE Scrabble word? I sure didn't. However when my dad put down a 7 letter word, he not only covered two triple word bonuses, but he also got a 50 pt bonus for using all of his letters.

Yes, yes, I was very tempted to throw in the towel at that point, but figured a move that epic should be celebrated by at least finishing the game. And I did manage to close that gap so that I only lost by 60 points in the end. In fact, with 275 points, I think it might have been my highest scoring Scrabble game ever. Which was kind of cool.

We had a couple of words come up that we had to check in the dictionary. Okay, a lot of words. The most perplexing one was "fogs." I mean, that's not a word we tend to use. "There were a lot of different types of fogs settling down in the valley that night." We finally did figure out that it was the correct plural of "Fog" and could be counted in the game, but boy, that was kind of crazy!

Also, "Za" is a legal Scrabble word. "Az" is not.

Once Upon a Time

2011-10-27T13:52:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time in a far away land, a prince awakened a princess with a kiss. But on their wedding day an evil witch appeared and cursed their kingdom, saying that she would send them to a place with no more happily ever afters. They search high and low for a way to deflect the curse, but the only answer they find is the little baby the princess carries inside her...

Once upon a time in a loud and cutthroat city, a young woman named Emma makes her living by lending and collecting bail bonds. Sweet and demure she is not, but apparently someone thinks she's a princess in disguise. That someone is 10-year-old Henry who claims he's the baby she gave away when she was 18, and that she, Emma, is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. His town, Storybrooke, is populated with amnesiac fairy tale citizens, and Emma is the only one who can set them free...

'Once Upon a Time' is exactly the show fairy tale fans have been waiting for. It's got princes, princesses, swordfights, evil witches, curses, prophecies, fairies, dwarves, mysteries, and yes, of course, true love.

It's also clean, well written, engaging, entertaining, well orchestrated, beautifully costumed and populated with some really cool and well developed characters.

So tune in on Sunday night, 8/7c, on ABC. You're in for a treat!

The Secrets of Larger Families

2011-10-26T14:31:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to raise a large family? How does that even work?

I certainly have! Granted, I have a bit of experience since the families I nannied had 4 and 6 children. Still, there were plenty of days when I thought "how could I ever handle this many kids?"

And yet I would like a larger family. More than three, for sure (which is what my parents had). I always wished for more siblings growing up and since I'm planning to homeschool my future kidlets, I think having a family on the larger side makes quite a bit of sense. In the end though, it really depends on what God calls me to.

Anyhow, I believe in being prepared, so I love articles that deal with the logistics of raising more than the typical American two. I came across a pretty good one today that sums up a lot of what I've heard from other sources.

http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-raise-eight-children-without.html

No, I don't plan to have eight children. But I do have quite a few more domestic skills than this blogger, so if she can do it with 8, I would think I could manage with 4, 5 or 6...

I know many of my readers come from larger families. What are your thoughts on this? Any tips the writer didn't mention? I'd love to hear!

A Secret Klutz? Or not...

2011-10-25T18:27:00.001-05:00

Some people are just prone to klutz attacks. It's not a bad thing, as long as they don't hurt themselves. Sometimes it can be fairly funny. For instance, my sister and I always joke that when she falls in love it's going to be a regular rom-com with the coffee spills and other crazy heroine tripping attacks.

I've never really fallen into the klutz zone. I'm really good at catching myself if I trip, and spilling stuff just about never happens.

Well, until this year. Now my number of scars has gone up to 5 (from 2 previous to this summer) and there was a really spectacular incident with a cup of tea the other day that should have been caught on film and sent in to "America's Funniest Home Videos."

So anyhow, I'm now really mystified as to what caused this change. Did I get dropped into "The Princess Diaries"? Are 22 years of suppressed hurts coming out? Have I always been this klutzy, I just kept away from dangerous things?

Actually I suspect it's really just that I'm tired all the time and lack of concentration causes issues like that. Hopefully that'll get better after my surgery in November because today's incident was way too close to leaving me toeless.

But, you know, I wouldn't turn my nose up at the "Princess Diaries" option either.

Women and Comics

2011-10-18T15:39:00.003-05:00

(Today's post is guest written by my good friend, C. M. Miller. He and I have been chatting quite a bit about girls in geekdom and he was inspired to write up some of his thoughts for my blog. Enjoy!)

I will wholeheartedly admit to the fact that I am a hugenerd. The biggest source of my nerd-dom comes from my love of comic books, andit’s because of this love that I find myself drawn to situations such asroleplaying via social networking sites. I myself am a fan of it because itdraws both players and followers alike in and gives them a sense of connectionand familiarity to their favorite heroes. And it’s within this world offantastical realism that I’ve made quite an eye-opening discovery.

It’s sortof a given that comic fans are generally going to be male. This has kind ofbeen the given since the invention of the superhero. But you can probablyimagine my surprise when I found that Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye,Wolverine, and many other pillars of machismo from the comic book world werebeing played by girls. This trend is due mainly in part to the rise of thecomic book movie. Because of the success of films like Thor, Captain America,and X-Men: First Class, females are finding themselves drawn into the world ofsuperheroes that, for the longest time, was quite a sausage fest. I personallybelieve that this trend will move beyond just online roleplaying and intomainstream mediums such as actual comics and films.

The idea ofa strong female comic character that could carry her own series has long beenconsidered a misguided idea perpetrated by supporters of women’s rights. Butthis rise in female readership will, in my mind, undoubtedly cause an up-swellin demand for more strong female characters. Personally, I hope this doesbecome a reality, as I am quite a fan of these kinds of characters. However, Isadly cannot predict the future and can only sit back and see what lies instore for the female comic audience.

(What do you think? Are we girls making our voices loud enough for the big companies to hear us? Join the discussion in the comments below!)

Downton Abbey

2011-10-17T14:44:00.004-05:00

It's easy to write off Downton Abbey as just another BBC Miniseries. Yet to do so would be to miss out on a beautiful gem of drama and a deep and insightful look into the social hiearchy and psychological journeys of the citizens of 1912 Britain.

Downton Abbey is the story of an entailed estate currently belonging to Lord Grantham. However, he has no sons to inheirit, which means the property and money will pass to the nearest male relative upon his death and leave his daughters penniless. Eldest daughter, Lady Mary, has been engaged to the current heir, but when that heir is a casualty of the Titanic wreck, everything changes.

Now the estate is due to go to a distant cousin. Who works. As a lawyer. And doesn't use a valet. Horror of horrors! Mary certainly won't think of marrying him, and he isn't interested in middle daughter Edith. And matters just become more difficult from there.

Meanwhile there is another world beneath stairs. The lives of the servants are given just as much screen time and sympathy as those of their employers and Downton Abbey paints a compelling and empathetic picture of the lives of the working class. Never before have I so clearly felt that I understood what it was like to work as a servant in the Edwardian/Victorian age.

Technically this show is probably the finest piece of work I've ever seen from the BBC. Costumes, writing, acting, cinematography -- it is all fantastic and a definite cut above past dramas.

But what really sells the story to me is the heart behind it. The characters are not stereotypes and one dimensional. They are living breathing people who genuinely care about each other and the future of Downton Abbey. They have their flaws, but they also have their virtues, something which I feel is often lacking in television and period drama these days. I don't just want to see scandal and rivalry... I want to see love, trust and sacrifice as well.

The show (at least the first season) is fairly appropriate. There is one footman who is a homosexual and there are two brief subplots that deal with that, the most obvious being in the first episode but nothing graphic. Then later on one of the women has a love affair, but again nothing is seen and there are clear and disastrous consequences.

Over all I would say this is a top notch show that I would highly recommend. I will be eagerly looking forwards to watching subsequent seasons when they're released on DVD.

Oh, and did I mention that it's quite funny? Maggie Smith plays the hilarious matriarch. I've borrowed some quotes to share with you all and whet your appetite for more:

• Cora: "I hope I don't hear sounds of a disagreement."
Lady Grantham: "Is that what they call discussion in New York?"

• "What is a weekend?"

• "Last night! He looked so well. Of course it would happen to a foreigner. No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else's house."

• "One can't go to pieces at the death of every foreigner. We'd all be in a constant state of collapse whenever we opened a newspaper."

• Cora: "I hate to go behind Robert's back."
Lady Grantham: "That is a scruple no successful wife can afford."

• Lady Grantham: "Why would you want to go to a real school? You're not a doctor's daughter."
Sybil: "Nobody learns anything from a governess, apart from French and how to curtsy."
Lady Grantham: "What else do you need? Are you thinking of a career in banking?"
Cora: "Things are different in America."
Lady Grantham: "I know. They live in wigwams."

• Lady Grantham: "You are quite wonderful the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. I never knew such reforming zeal."
Mrs. Crawley: "I take that as a compliment."
Lady Grantham: "I must've said it wrong."

New Avenger Trailer Analysis and Transcript

2011-10-14T19:27:00.003-05:00

I could hardly call myself a geek if I didn't comment on the new Avengers trailer, now could I?

I'll admit, I haven't been terribly enthused about the movie because I wasn't too keen on the line-up, particularly in the girl department. I mean, of course I was delighted that Joss Whedon was directing, but still...

Anyhow, the new trailer has gotten me very excited about the movie. It looks like it's going to be a ton of fun, but with some really good character development. And Whedon is a brilliant, brilliant man when it comes to ensemble cast characterization.

I'm glad they're keeping the team fairly small, although I'm still a little ticked that we've seen five guys on the team (plus Nick Fury) but only one girl. And I like Black Widow just fine, but I would rather have seen a more traditional Avenger woman -- Wasp, Scarlet Witch, or even Ms. Marvel.

I also feel that the trailer focuses a little too much on Tony Stark, and I'm really hoping he doesn't dominate everything the way Wolverine dominated X-Men. However I know he's their strongest property right now so from a marketing standpoint it makes sense. I just hope we can see more from the others in future trailers.

Anyhow, it looks like it is going to be an epic and fun movie and I'm looking forwards to next summer!

My friend Matt was awesome and typed up a transcript of the trailer for me! I'm going to post it below in case any other hearing impaired viewers need it. :) (We're a little uncertain about the identity of a few of the offscreen speakers. Please let us know if you can identify any of them!)

Loki: "You were made . . . to be ruled."

"In the end, it will be every man for himself."

[Stuff blows up]

[random helicopter]

"What do we do?"

Fury: "We get ready."

[Logos]

Fury: "There was an idea . . . to bring together a group of remarkable people. So when we needed them, they could fight the battles that we never could."

[Iron Man flies through the city.]

Fury: "Gentlemen . . ."

Fury: "What are you prepared to do?"

Stark: "No offence, but I don't play well with others."

Cap: "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away, what are you?"

Stark: "Uh . . . genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."

Thor: [laughs]

[stuff blows up, people punch things, Black Widow poses for the male audience]

Stark: "If we can't protect the Earth . . . you can be damned sure we'll avenge it."

[Iron Man flies out of the water and into the city]

[Avengers title]

Stark: "Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster."

[Banner loses control and turns into an enormous green rage-monster]

Banner: ". . . thanks."

Pan Am

2011-10-13T13:50:00.003-05:00

Imagine a time when regular airplane travel was still new. When the idea of zooming through the air was terrifying and strange. When Pan Am Airlines decided to encourage and lure in more travelers by creating the perfect stewardess. A classy, elegant lady with a reassuring smile and a kind voice ready to fetch whatever you need.

ABC's new show, Pan Am, tells the story of four of these stewardesses and the rest of the crew on their jet. These spunky young women represent a wide demographic of the changes going on during this period.

Maggie is stubborn, sassy and full of spunk, the girl you call at the last minute when your regular doesn't show up.

Collette is French, sophisticated and charming, capable of handling any situation with grace.

Laura is naive, shy and the new face of Pan Am after a LIFE photographer snapped her face and got it on the cover of the magazine.

Kate is Laura's big sister, capable, determined, adventurous, and with a huge heart for helping others. Oh, and she's also a courier for the CIA.

And while the core cast spotlights the women, the pilot (Dean) and co-pilot (Ted) are great supporting characters as well and add some masculine interest to the show.

The show is about relationships, politics, intrigue, and social change. It has wonderful characters, great writing, beautiful cinematography, and fantastic costumes (see my sewing blog for more about the Pan Am costumes!).

It also has gorgeous locations, with episodes taking place in London, Paris and Berlin so far.

I started watching the show skeptically, but was absolutely blown away by how good it has been. So far it's been the strongest premiere of the year, and I'm including the summer shows in that statement as well. I can't wait to see where it goes and I highly recommend it!

As far as appropriateness goes -- there has been a total of one implied sex scene and one inappropriately behaved passenger. Both situations involved appropriate consequences and were discretely handled. Kids won't be interested in the show because it's written for adults, but as far as adult shows go, it is very clean.

An Update of Unexpected Things

2011-10-11T01:35:00.004-05:00

Oh my poor neglected blog! I'm so sorry. I've been working myself up to post some pretty difficult news.

Despite all of our hard work, my health has continued to be debilitating. It finally became clear that there was no way I was going to be able to make school work, so I made the decision to withdraw from college.

It was a hard decision, but I've had a lot of peace and calm about it. Just as I knew I was meant to go to NDSU, I also know that withdrawing was what had to happen. All the whys and hows aren't clear, but I'm able to believe that God has a plan (something that I definitely struggled with for awhile).

And surprisingly enough, things have been going pretty well despite being very sick. My family has been absolutely incredible. They all deserve medals for being so supportive. My friends have been pretty amazing too. And God has brought some other kind of lovely things into my life as well.

Anyhow, it's been a really insane and totally unexpected turn of events and I appreciate all of you being patient as my attention was drawn away by all of this.

The Wedding of River Song... the review.

2011-10-06T21:19:00.003-05:00

It's time for the Final Installment of this week's Doctor Who fest. Afterwards I promise I shall return to posting things that will appeal to non-DW fans as well. ;)

First off, if you haven't seen "The Wedding of River Song," do not read past this paragraph. There will be spoilers, and if this review spoils the episode for you, I shall be heartbroken. So have compassion on my heart and just watch it. Thank you! :)

----Spoilers Abound---

Remember how I said there were two lines I wanted explained in this episode? And as long as they were explained, I wouldn't care what else was left hanging?

Well they were explained. Perfectly. And more lovely lines, lovely characterization, and awesome stuff made this episode very nearly perfect for me.

(It was too short to be 100% perfect, but it was very close).

Some of my theories were right, and some were wrong. We didn't have a ganger, but we DID have a tesselecta which fulfilled the set-up and pay-off requirement brilliantly, and fooled us all with the ganger red-herring. So kudos, Moffat.

The eyepatches were perfect, and gave us BAMF moments for both Rory and Amy. ("I'm Pond. Amy Pond." So awesome!)

The parenthood aspect was subtle, but there, in its significant role in the wedding. Parental consent on behalf of the brides parents is evidently the main part of a Time Lord wedding.

Well, that and bowties. ;)

And River was wonderful. For a few days I struggled a bit with her overdramatic line that she would suffer more than the entire universe if the Doctor died... but then someone pointed out that she is a very, very young River. And I remember what I felt even a few years ago being in love, and even now I could see myself saying that line. Because when you contemplate someone you love dying (even in a non romantic love way), it's the most terrible thing imaginable. In fact it's not imaginable. The Doctor, of course, is ancient and mature and can sacrifice loved ones for the good of the universe. But young River? No. She can't. Because she's only just begun to live.

The question was perfect. Definitely guessed by fans, but so obvious that most didn't take it seriously. But it is perfect, and I expect that will be a major role in the 2013 50th anniversary year.

And then we've got the Doctor going back to being the shadowy adventurer. The lone rescuer. No longer the focus of every major force in history and space, but someone who slips into the background and performs his heroic actions in secret. This was a necessary turn, and I'm so glad they're setting it up so well.

There is so much more I could say about this episode. And yet I still find it hard to be coherent about it. My reaction when I think of it is to smile and laugh and dance and cheer... because those are the feelings Moffat made me feel. Moffat the master. Moffat who doesn't care about tying up every single scientific little detail, to the annoyance of many. Moffat who brings us the wedding of the Doctor and River Song in an alternate reality on top of a pyramid, involving a robot and a bowtie.

I loved it.

Doctor Who Finale --- are you Ready? And Predictions

2011-10-01T15:47:00.004-05:00

The Doctor Who season finale airs in America in just four hours. Are YOU ready?

This season has been a wonderful adventure for me. My first time following Doctor Who as it aired, and being able to share the experience with family and friends, both virtually and in front of the TV. I owe my grandparents a lot of thanks for welcoming us over every Saturday night to camp out in their basement while we took our adventures in Time and Space.

And I really think this season, more than the previous ones, was meant to be watched as aired. It was so plot heavy that waiting week to week and theorizing was really a vital part of the show. I can't imagine future audiences will have quite the same impact when they can watch all 13 episodes in one day (should they so wish).

So what do you think will happen tonight?

My predictions are fairly simple and some of them are extremely popular on various fan sites right now.

I think we'll see a ganger. Either the Doctor, or River, or Rory. But the flesh was too well set up in the first half of the season not to reappear. Plus there have been far too many clues that all is not normal with the Doctor at least half of the time. (If you're not in on that secret, I'll give you two clues. Apple. Rubik's Cube.)
Following up on this, I think a ganger will play a part in the wedding. Either it's not the Doctor, or it's not River, or the wedding is just for show.
The eyepatches have to do with avoiding control by the Silence and allowing the wearers to remember the existence of the Silence.
A lot of people have wondered why Amy and Rory didn't seem more distressed earlier this season about not being able to raise River. I think we're going to find out why.
Both in the opening two parter and the mid-season finale, many of us felt as though they were only seeing half a story. I think we're going to learn about the other half tonight.

But at the end of the night, there are only two things I want answers to, and they're both based on lines of River Song's.

"I'm sorry my love." ~ River Song as the Tardis explodes

Who is her love? Is it the Doctor... or is it more complicated than that?

"Are you married, River?"
"Are you asking?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Hang on, did you think I was asking you to marry me, or asking if you were married?"
"Yes."
"No, but was that yes or yes?"
"Yes."
~ The Doctor and River at the Wedding of the Ponds

Is she married or not? And if so, to whom?

The episode is called "The Wedding of River Song." If we don't get the answers to these questions, there is something seriously wrong with Steven Moffatt's brain.

Doctor Who Confidential Cancellation - Can YOU complain?

2011-09-29T13:34:00.004-05:00

So most Doctor Who fans have heard the news that they are canceling Doctor Who Confidential. After next week it will be done and won't be released anymore. They're citing budgetary reasons.

I'm not entirely sure I believe this, because it seems like the cost of producing DWC would be a lot lower than any other show. Possibly they just haven't had very good viewing numbers. I don't know.

What's bothering me is the number of fans protesting this and demanding it be brought back. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to make a point.

Producing a TV show isn't free. It takes money, and the money has to come from somewhere.

The BBC gets no money when you watch any of their shows illegally.

If you don't get BBC America, you can buy the season pretty inexpensively on iTunes or Amazon.

I get that a lot of you are broke. I totally am to. This isn't a post about illegal downloads.

My point is simply this. If you're going to protest the cancellation of DWC, first check and see whether you're giving the BBC any source of revenue. If you're not, then you're not a customer and you can't complain about the cancellation of one of their shows.

If you are? By all means. Write the BBC and let them know your wrath. It's totally your prerogative to do so.

Terra Nova - The Pilot

2011-09-27T18:17:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of the 22nd century, Earth has used up its resources. Mankind's only hope is to escape through a timecrack to colonize the prehistoric earth.

Sound like an interesting set-up? I thought so. Then was surprised and thrilled to learn just how much more there is to the show.

The story revolves around the Shannon family. In the present, dad Jim is a cop and mom Elisabeth is a doctor. They had two kids, Josh and Maddy, then decided to ignore population laws to have a third child, little Zoe. At the beginning of the show they're caught, which puts them on the wrong side of the law and makes escaping to a brighter future in Terra Nova a lot harder than just walking through a time crack.

Once in Terra Nova they learn that the bright past has problems of its own. Like rebel teens, killer dinosaurs and a splinter group not afraid to use guns to prove their point.

There's a lot of fun elements here that will help it appeal to a wide demographic. However there is enough dinosaur violence and high intensity that will keep at least part of this show from being appropriate for the younger kids. Still, there's no language or sex so far, which gets this show off to a pretty good start.

We still have to wait and see whether the show can pull off everything it promises, but it's got a really good start and I have high hopes for it.

Parenthood in Doctor Who Season 6

2011-09-26T12:28:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else feel surprised by fall? I feel like I was just lugging books around in 85 degree weather, and now I'm shivering and bundling up against the cold.

I spent the weekend out at my grandparent's cabin which was a really lovely treat. I don't often get to go out there without my entire family coming along, so this was a rare chance to have a bit of peace and quiet out there. It's the most beautiful time of year too, with the leaves just changing, yet the flowers still in bloom.

Who else enjoyed this week's "Doctor Who" episode? Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All! I laughed so hard... Matt Smith is brilliant with babies.

It's interesting that this season has such a strong theme of parenthood. I was thinking through, and really the only episodes I could come up with that didn't have a strong subplot of parenthood were "The Girl who Waited" and 'The God Complex.'

Think about it.

The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon - Amy deals with possibly being pregnant and the discovery of what may be her child

The Curse of the Black Spot - All about the Captain and his son

The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People - the father and his ganger, both who loved their son and how that affected their acceptance of the reality of the flesh's identity.

A Good Man Goes to War - MelodyMelodyMelody

Let's Kill Hitler - More MelodyMelodyMelody

Night Terrors - A father's love saves the day

The Girl who Waited (and) The God Complex - there are not overt parental themes here, yet at the same time there is this theme of the Doctor being responsible for Amy in a very fatherly way.

Closing Time - STORMAGEDDON. And Craig. and Craig being the Doctor's baby, lol.

I'll be very, very surprised if "The Wedding of River Song" doesn't have some pretty strong themes of the safety in a parent's love. OR, moving beyond parental love, to romantic love. But I think it would make a lot of sense for the Doctor to accept his responsibility for his companions and stop running away from his mistakes with them. We need to see this. I think, in a way, the Doctor walking up to his death could be a way of doing this. He did fail with River because he didn't rescue her in time. So he doesn't run from her, but faces down the doom that he engineered himself by taking Amy Pond onto the Tardis.

Thoughts? Conjunctures? Theories?

9 Days

2011-09-23T14:57:00.001-05:00

It's been 9 days since I last posted. Wow. That's quite a long time.

It's been hard to think of things to write because I spend a lot of time these days trying not to think too deeply about things. With my health as problematic as it is, overdwelling on real life problems can be problematic.

Labrynthitis

2011-09-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

It's a sickness, not a maze. And while it certainly is an interesting name, it's also a real pain because it's basically constant dizzyness. Which is pretty difficult to cope with.

But. At least I've got a name and it's a cool one.

And Then I was Hufflepuff: A Sneak Peek at Pottermore

2011-09-13T11:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I finally opened up my e-mail to see that I'd been allowed into Pottermore. I quickly logged in and started navigating my way through the story. While there wasn't quite as much new information as I would have liked, I will say that the graphics are gorgeous and I am looking forwards to playing the games that they have.

The wand sorting was pretty fantastic. My wand is Maple, with Phoenix feather core, 13 and a half inches long, and surprisingly swishy.

You'll have to join Pottermore to get your own wand and learn about all the woods and cores, however, I will give you a sneak peek by sharing the information about my wand wood and core! :)

(Image not from Pottermore, merely illustrative)

Phoenix
This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.
Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

Pretty neat, yeah?

The woods are even more particular:

Maple
I have often found that those chosen by maple wands are by nature travellers and explorers; they are not stay-at-home wands, and prefer ambition in their witch or wizard, otherwise their magic grows heavy and lacklustre. Fresh challenges and regular changes of scene cause this wand to literally shine, burnishing itself as it grows, with its partner, in ability and status. This is a beautiful and desirable wood, and wand quality maple has been among the most costly for centuries. Possession of a maple wand has long been a mark of status, because of its reputation as the wand of high achievers.

And there are many more woods than cores, so you have a lot of exploration and reading ahead of you! Plus I haven't said a word about length... it's not just based on how tall you are!

But of course, what I was really looking forwards to was the sorting! The questions were rather different than I expected, but they made sense. On some of them I could have gone either way, but I must have ended up choosing fairly consistently. I expected that I'd be a hatstall, since I have qualities that would fit me into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, OR Slytherin.

The Sorting Hat, however, had other ideas because it triumphantly placed me in Hufflepuff.

HUFFLEPUFF?

I was stunned. I had not for a minute considered the possibility that I would end up in Hufflepuff. What on earth happened?

Then I started to read about the house, and the new information from JK really shed new light. It's not that Hufflepuff House is stupid, or unachieving, it's that they are very modest and they don't go bragging about their achievements all over the place (Gryffindor, I'm looking at you).

I thought about the way I'd answered the Sorting Hat questions, and realized that I'd consistently placed the welfare of people and a love of nature above ambition, glory, and knowledge. And it's true that I have a very strong moral sense that really becomes apparent when you ask me the hard questions.

And, as I thought about it, I realized that being in Hufflepuff House really was a compliment. Would I really want to be in another house, where there would be indications that I consistently chose to put other things above people? Or where I had a love of human creations above that of God's?

This isn't a reflection against the other houses because I would have been happy in any of them. It's just my own personal journey towards appreciating -- really appreciating my inner Hufflepuff.

To help spread the word of truth about my new house, I'm sharing the Welcome Letter with you all below. I've put some of my favorite bits in bold...

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I’m delighted to welcome you to HUFFLEPUFF HOUSE. Our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves. Our house colors are yellow and black, and our common room lies one floor below the ground, on the same corridor as the kitchens.
Now, there are a few things you should know about Hufflepuff house. First of all, let’s deal with a perennial myth about the place, which is that we’re the least clever house. WRONG. Hufflepuff is certainly the least boastful house, but we’ve produced just as many brilliant witches and wizards as any other. Want proof? Look up Grogan Stump, one of the most popular Ministers for Magic of all time. He was a Hufflepuff – as were the successful Ministers Artemesia and Dugald McPhail. Then there’s the world authority on magical creatures, Newt Scamander; Bridget Wenlock, the famous thirteenth-century Arithmancer who first discovered the magical properties of the number seven, and Hengist of Woodcroft, who founded the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which lies very near Hogwarts School. Hufflepuffs all.
So, as you can see, we’ve produced more than our fair share of powerful, brilliant and daring witches and wizards, but, just because we don’t shout about it, we don’t get the credit we deserve. Ravenclaws, in particular, assume that any outstanding achiever must have come from their house. I got into big trouble during my third year for duelling a Ravenclaw prefect who insisted that Bridget Wenlock had come from his house, not mine. I should have got a week of detentions, but Professor Sprout let me off with a warning and a box of coconut ice.
Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don’t shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. Nobody intimidates us.
However, it’s true that Hufflepuff is a bit lacking in one area. We’ve produced the fewest Dark wizards of any house in this school. Of course, you’d expect Slytherin to churn out evil-doers, seeing as they’ve never heard of fair play and prefer cheating over hard work any day, but even Gryffindor (the house we get on best with) has produced a few dodgy characters.
What else do you need to know? Oh yes, the entrance to the common room is concealed in a stack of large barrels in a nook on the right hand side of the kitchen corridor. Tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, and the lid will swing open. We are the only house at Hogwarts that also has a repelling device for would-be intruders. If the wrong lid is tapped, or if the rhythm of the tapping is wrong, the illegal entrant is doused in vinegar.
You will hear other houses boast of their security arrangements, but it so happens that in more than a thousand years, the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories have never been seen by outsiders. Like badgers, we know exactly how to lie low – and how to defend ourselves.
Once you’ve opened the barrel, crawl inside and along the passageway behind it, and you will emerge into the coziest common room of them all. It is round and earthy and low-ceilinged; it always feels sunny, and its circular windows have a view of rippling grass and dandelions.
There is a lot of burnished copper about the place, and many plants, which either hang from the ceiling or sit on the windowsills. Our Head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout, is Head of Herbology, and she brings the most interesting specimens (some of which dance and talk) to decorate our room – one reason why Hufflepuffs are often very good at Herbology. Our overstuffed sofas and chairs are upholstered in yellow and black, and our dormitories are reached through round doors in the walls of the common room. Copper lamps cast a warm light over our four-posters, all of which are covered in patchwork quilts, and copper bed warmers hang on the walls, should you have cold feet.
Our house ghost is the friendliest of them all: the Fat Friar. You’ll recognize him easily enough; he’s plump and wears monk’s robes, and he’s very helpful if you get lost or are in any kind of trouble.
I think that’s nearly everything. I must say, I hope some of you are good Quidditch players. Hufflepuff hasn’t done as well as I’d like in the Quidditch tournament lately.
You should sleep comfortably. We’re protected from storms and wind down in our dormitories; we never have the disturbed nights those in the towers sometimes experience.
And once again: congratulations on becoming a member of the friendliest, most decent and most tenacious house of them all.

Apartment Tour 2.0

2011-09-05T13:50:00.003-05:00

Part of what got me through this last week was reminding myself how much I love my apartment. It's hard to be sick, but I'd still rather be here than in my old room. Here I've got my own kitchen and bathroom and I adore them...

Below is one of my computer set-ups (preferred is sitting on my bed, but when I'm feeling better this is pretty good too). The adjustable laptop tray was $20 and is great for a variety of purposes. I also like using it for my wacom tablet, especially as the surface is tiltable.
This is the shelving units by my door. It's kind of weird not having doors on this shelf, but it saves so much time when I'm prepping a meal!
Gotta keep those hotpads handy!
The books!
I also got my favorite curtains from my parent's house, my windchimes, and my lights and got them properly situated around my window. I looooooove it so much! I also got a $4 mirror from Walmart and attached it to the wall with 3M removable velcro. Which rocks!
Then there are the lovely dishes I've been cooking. This is gluten free, sugar free lemon poppyseed cake.
And this is my beautiful eggbake!
Thanks for popping in for the tour, friends!

The Doctor and Donna make Much Ado About Nothing

2011-09-04T16:30:00.002-05:00

If you can't make it to Europe yourself, the next best thing is to send your little sister.

My sister, the brave adventurous missionary girl, was walking down the street in London when she saw this sign. Immediately she stopped and stared so hard that her group asked her what was the matter.

Now SHE claims that she only reacted so hard because she knew what a big deal this production was for me (two of my favorite actors in my favorite Shakespeare play!!!!). I, however, insist that she would have reacted to seeing the Doctor and Donna in a Shakespeare play regardless of me.

Anyhow, she took this picture for me and I majorly geeked out over it. Now just to track down my own TARDIS so that I can go back in time and move through space and see the actual production...

Fish Fingers and Custard

2011-09-03T12:41:00.003-05:00

It is Doctor Who Saturday! Who is ready to watch episode 6.9???

If you're tv-less like me, you'll be watching it tomorrow after websites like iTunes and Amazon upload it for us. So to tide you over, I've got a fun clip for you.

Doctor 11 has a favorite food -- Fish Fingers and Custard. Have you ever wondered whether that combination is actually yummy --- or flat out disgusting? Some friends of mine decided to test it out... and filmed their reactions!

Being a Heroine in Disguise

2011-09-02T13:26:00.003-05:00

One way to help get through tough times is to imagine you're a hero/heroine in a story. It doesn't usually work during the toughest times, but it can be encouraging at certain moments.

For instance, sometimes it can be really hard for me to accept that I'm deaf --- that I have this really fundamental difference from most of the rest of the world and that nothing will probably ever change that. This is part of why the X-Men have become so important to me. The whole theme of the X-Men comics is that there are these people who are given a trait/ability that separates them from the world... and unlike other superheroes, the X-Men are feared, hated and misunderstood by the rest of the world. I may not be able to fly or teleport, but my hearing loss is a genetic change that has drastically changed my life -- and not always in bad ways (I'm a super fast reader because I rely so much on my eyes).

This week I've decided I'm Sleeping Beauty. Laying no claims to the beauty part, but I do seem to struggle with the need to sleep all. the. time. I also grew up surrounded by needles and spinning wheels so the getting pricked part seems kind of a given. Plus my prince hasn't shown up, so maybe he's waiting for that hundred years sleep?

As you can tell, the first example is a pretty serious deep issue for me... the second one is more of a fun 'look at life this way' Rose-Brierish exercise. But they're both theraputic and help me understand, reevaluate and accept my limitations, differences and struggles.

Have you ever identified with a fictional character in a way that has helped you get through a difficult period?

Strength and Weakness

2011-09-01T22:49:00.003-05:00

Very quick note to assure you all that I'm still alive. It's been one of the hardest weeks of my life and I've only gotten through it with a lot of support and encouragement -- most of all from my mom who dropped her life back home to come help me out for five days (and my dad for supporting her in that).

I'm actually dropping two classes now (psychology and microcomputers). We are fairly certain that, in addition to a lot of other things, I have an auto immune disease (I'm not naming it here because I like my privacy, not because we don't know specifically what it probably is). Which, if you know anything about them in general, you'll know that that's a pretty heavy burden to carry. So yeah, that's a significant piece of why I struggle with health problems so much.

I already knew this year was going to be a challenge, but this week we really had to come face to face with exactly how hard that was and how much it was going to take to get through the semester intact. I've been blessed with really amazing professors though who have expressed their understanding and support. With their encouragement I am motivated to keep on going...

But it's not easy and it is pretty scary. I'm fighting a constant battle here.

I'm sharing this partially because a lot of you have been really devoted readers for a long time and I think you deserve to know (and want to) what is going on and why I'm not posting.

But there is also a fact of admitting that life is hard. It's really hard. And you've got to be strong enough to ask for help or you really are going to fail. Because the worst thing you can do is hide your problems away and think that you're strong enough to deal with them alone.

And at the end of the week, the score is....

2011-08-26T17:45:00.003-05:00

First week of college (round two) complete. It's been a bit rough with some sickness the last 36 hours, but I made it to four out of the five classes I had on schedule in that time period so I'm pretty pleased with myself.

My professors are all pretty cool and I'm liking the classes so far, although the psychology reading load is a leeettle bit heavy.

I have been getting my reading done so far though, which means that I can use the time before class starts to get some scribbling in on my novel. Sort of interesting because I haven't handwritten a significant portion of a novel in quite some time.

And now I'm dead tired and I'm going to focus on resting and beating this sickness thing before Monday. Cya later, folks!

Five Tips to College Success

2011-08-24T08:40:00.004-05:00

For all of you who are first time college students, here are a five helpful tips for success (and less stress!). And hey, even you experienced students might find this useful!

#5. Before you get dressed, check Weather.com for your area. This way you can dress accordingly, manage your hair appropriately if it's going to be windy, and bring an umbrella or rain jacket if rain is in the offing (or layer up if it looks like a snowstorm).

#4. Especially that first week, pack your backpack the night before. That way if you DO accidentally oversleep, you can just grab your bag and go. It'll also help ensure that you don't forget anything essential.

#3. Eat healthy. This sounds lame, but it's incredibly important. In addition to keeping off the Freshmen 15 (which is VERY real and sometimes turns more into the freshman 20), it will also keep your skin clearer, your brain more alert, reduce colds and illnesses, and help your mood and sleep patterns. Good eating means at least one fruit or vegetable every meal, drinking LOTS of water, avoiding bad fats, (yes, even that awesome pizza your new dining center has...maybe keep it down to one or two slices a week?), and staying away from sugar as much as possible.

#2. Make a schedule for your homework. Mark your assignments on a wall calendar and always refer back to it. That way you won't get to the last week of classes and find you're way behind on... well... everything. DON'T ever try to cram. You'll have poor results and forget everything very quickly, which is NOT the point of college. (Learning, not forgetting, is the point)

#1. HAVE A CONSISTENT SLEEPING SCHEDULE! Get to bed early, and always have your wake-up time be at least an hour before your first class. Getting a solid night's rest is just about the best thing you can do to being a successful student, and you'll sleep better if you always have the same schedule. Plus if you always wake up at 7:30, soon that wont' seem early to you at all. I promise. Use an alarm clock to help you get into this rhythm, and have your body on this schedule before classes start.

The Wedding of River Song

2011-08-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

This is an episode title, so I'm not considering it a spoiler.

And yes, folks, this has been revealed as the name of the final episode of season 6.

Frankly? I'm furious. Why? Because I actually do want to see River Song have a proper wedding. However every single episode prior to this with a suggestive title (The Doctor's Daughter, the Next Doctor, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor's Wife) has been, to some extent, a cheat. Oh, Jenny and Idris were great characters, no doubt. I definitely want to see both of them again.

But... River Song... possibly my all time favorite Dr. Who character. Seriously. My expectations here are so high, I don't know HOW the Moff could possibly meet them. Furthermore I'm sure he's not even going to try.

I mean, the last time we got an episode titled "The Wedding of..." it turned out to be, well, involving evil aliens and in the end there was no wedding.

Besides, how could you release a title like that and then actually follow it? There has to be some twist, right?

Or maybe there's not. Maybe... maybe we actually will see River Song's wedding.

However just the fact that this title has been released makes me seriously doubt that, if she actually marries anyone, it's actually the Doctor.

Or IS it? Of COURSE Moffatt knows that we've been teased far too many times about these titles. He knows we're gun shy. So he totally could feel confident in naming a straight forwards episode with a straight forwards title and know that we will not, at all, be expecting it.

You know, a double cross sort of thing.

I don't know, even that seems too simple for Mr. Steven Moffatt.

And now I have to wait almost two months to find out the truth. Seriously. I'm majorly ticked off here.

What does Church have to do with College?

2011-08-21T19:21:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest mistakes I feel I made the last time I went to college was failing to connect with a church. I wasn't too far from my parents church where I'd grown up and decided I'd just continue going there.

However... there was a major disconnect that happened anyways. Other issues happened that made attending services there not the best idea for me at the time and I really dropped off going to church altogether. This meant by my second year I really didn't have a solid support team or source of spiritual renewal.

I'm sure I'm not the only college student with this problem. After all, if you've spent the last decade of your life at one church, it can seem pretty scary to visit a new congregation by yourself!

When I nannied in Virginia, my employers requested that I regularily attend a church service (of any kind) in order to set a good example for their kids. I knew this was a good idea and that I really needed that place of spiritual connection and church family. So I gathered up my courage, made a few connections, and found a church that became a huge blessing and source of comfort over the next few months. I was only there for a short time, but it drastically changed how I viewed church, and especially joining new churches.

So one of the first things I did when researching my university of choice was to look at the church offerings in my area. Almost immediately I came across one that looked like a perfect fit. Flash forwards ten months later and I'd made contact with a young lady from the congregation who was delighted to help me with transportation and meeting people. Today I got to attend service with her and her boyfriend and was incredibly blessed by the experience.

The sermon was great -- I'd probably rank it among the top 10 sermons I've ever heard. The pastor preached on Deuteronomy 6 and going back to the very foundation of our faith -- loving the Lord our God with our entire beings, in every area of our life, and teaching this devotion to our children.

Another amazing thing -- music is incredibly important to me and a very vital part of any church service. When two of my absolutely favorite worship songs were played ("Come Thou Fount" and "In Christ Alone") I felt pretty sure that God was making it clear I was meant to be here.

So I'm excited. I'm really enthusiastic about being a part of this church body and worshiping and learning there. It's a real blessing.

And I really want to encourage those of you who are going off to college this year... do become part of a Christian group, even if you are at a Christian college. So many people told me this when I first went and I didn't listen. I've always regretted it. But you will find it invaluable to not just go, but get connected. I promise. And it doesn't have to be a church, it can be a Bible study, a group like Campus Crusade -- any gathering of believers where you can grow in God, love others, and build each other up.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King

2011-08-20T13:02:00.004-05:00

Chloe King is an ordinary high school girl. Until one day she falls off a tower, dies...

and comes back to live.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the claws, superhearing, agility, speedy reactions and night vision.

Sound familiar? Yes, folks, Chloe is one of the Mai, ancient Egyptian guardians of the human race who manifest many cat-like abilities (they are supposedly descended from the Egyptian Goddess Bastet). The downside? Chloe's coming-back-to-life abilities are not normal for Mai, and mark her as the prophesied 'Uniter.' This makes her a target for the Mai's enemies, the mysterious 'Order.'

The Nine Lives of Chloe King utilizes familiar elements of beloved stories like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. However it is not as dark as the former, nor as tetesterone driven as the latter.

It is, in short, a show about a teenaged girl, for teenaged girls. However, unlike similar offerings on TV today, Chloe's problems go far more then what guy to go on a date with. She struggles with the meaning of her powers and just what her responsibility towards human and Mai entails.

It's an ABC family show so places a strong emphesis on family. Chloe and her mother have a strong, healthy relationship. Even though Chloe can't tell her mother the truth about her Mai abilities, she still works to having good communication in all other areas.

There is making out and some innuendo, but Chloe is prevented from even so much as kissing humans, due to the deadly results of intimate contact between human and Mai.

That's not to say the show is perfect, but it's a far healthier and more positive viewing option than, say, Glee. Plus it's just plain fun and the cast is filled with plenty of likable characters (even if some of the acting occasionally rings a little false).

So girls, if you're looking for a TV show that's not filled to the brim with garbage and bad morals, you may find a more acceptable option here.

I certainly love the premise and intend to keep tabs as it progresses!

(Don't have cable? You can find episodes for free on Hulu!)

Of School and Fears and YOU, my awesome readers

2011-08-18T15:26:00.004-05:00

I like Professors.

Maybe I'm just lucky in that I've always had pretty good ones. Or maybe homeschooling just trained me up to really appreciate adult conversation (as well as peer socialization, of course). I'm not sure.

Anyhow, I met with nearly all of my professors this week to discuss accommodations for my hearing loss in their classes. I was delighted to find that they are all pretty cool and nice and I'm excited to have a chance to learn from them.

At the same time I'm a little nervous about being back in school and the sheer time commitment of that... will I have time to sew? To write? To draw? To be with friends? These are things that are integral to who I am and without them I sort of become a walking shell of myself.

I don't usually ask for prayers on this blog, but... if you remember, if you could pray that God will be with me as I move forwards on this new adventure, that would mean so much to me.

Thank you all for continuing to be such faithful and delightful readers. I appreciate your time, comments, poll answers and even checking of the little boxes beneath the posts so much. It helps me remember I'm not just talking to a void, I'm talking to YOU! And your presence shows that what I have to say is interesting and instructive and I can actually serve, entertain and teach others through this blog.

So again, Thank You.

Sound of Music Humor

2011-08-17T13:55:00.001-05:00

My father sent this to me today. I thought it was hilarious and couldn't resist sharing it with you!

It's especially timely because just last week my younger cousins roped me into re-enacting the entire Sound of Music in the backyard. They also insisted I play Maria. It was an absolute blast, made even better by the fact that they all had the movie practically memorized and even the 3-year-old could sing along to some songs. Priceless.

Doctor Who in Britian

2011-08-16T09:42:00.002-05:00

Is Doctor Who really as big in Britain as they say it is?

Well, my sister brought back her report from the front line and I am delighted to share it!

As many of you know, she was on a six week mission trip in Europe, and since their home base was in London they spent quite a bit of time there. They got plenty of chances to interact with the local residents, including the young people. One day they were all hanging out and the teens started talking about their favorite TV shows. Many of the British teens watched American imports like Glee and CSI. My sister brought up Doctor Who. Most of the kids went 'oh yeah, we watch that.'

Except for one who said... "No, I'm weird over here. I don't actually watch it."

So there you are folks! In England, the kids who DON'T watch Doctor Who are the 'weird' ones. IMHO, that totally rocks.

In other Doctor Who news, today I am weeping for all of the new fans who watched the prequel for 'Let's Kill Hitler' before seeing Season Six. They have now effectively had most of the suspense, awesomeness and wonder of the first 6 episodes ruined for them. And considering all that happens in those episodes, that is a real tragedy.

I don't say this in a 'holier-than-thou' or a 'you guys are BAD' sort of way... I genuinely am sad. IMHO Season 6 contains the most awesome, edge-of-your-seat, complex plot so far and even though most of us had guessed the reveal in 'A Good Man Goes to War', there were few people who would have made that guess without episodes 1, 2, and 5. And guessing and waiting and discovering in the episodes how all the pieces fit together is such a beautiful, wonderful thing. I am honestly sad that so many of my friends will now not be able to watch those episodes the way they were meant to be watched --- without knowing.

However, that doesn't mean they shouldn't still watch the episodes, as there are plenty of things even the viewers still are waiting to find out...

After all. The Silence are coming back!

The Cutest USB Hub you ever saw

2011-08-15T19:08:00.003-05:00

Isn't this little guy adorable? My grandmother gave me a bag full of useful things when I headed off to college... and one of them was this, the cutest little USB Hub I've ever seen.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to name him. I've got a plant named Lockheed, a dress form named Eliza... a suitcase named TARDIS, still undecided on the mannequin... and I want this one to be connected to Doctor Who. It's a Hub, so maybe something Torchwood related would be appropriate... Or I could just call him David after my favorite doctor. Or just "The Doctor." But that could be confusing. "Can you pass me the Doctor? Have you seen the Doctor? Oh just let me hook up the Doctor..."

A Celebration of Harry Potter

2011-08-13T09:51:00.003-05:00

The following video is a hilarious, heartfelt and touching fan-made music video celebrating the Harry Potter fandom. Not to be missed by any true Harry fan.

Cyberthieves, Contrition, and shiny things called AWARDS

2011-08-12T09:54:00.004-05:00

News Flash!

http://blog.catholicwritersguild.com/2011/08/cwg-news.html

Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves by Regina Doman and Rachel's Contrition by Michelle Buckman BOTH won awards from the Catholic Writers Guild!!!

This is majorly exciting to me for several reasons!

First off, as a friend, because Regina Doman is a very dear friend of mine and not only did she write Alex, but she also was the editor for Rachel's Contrition. So congratulations, Regina!

Secondly as a reader. I absolutely loved both of these books! In fact when I first read Rachel's Contrition (and since I was living in Regina's house at the time, I got to pre-read it), I said "this is absolutely going to win awards, it's that amazing."

Thirdly I've sort of got a personal stake in Alex since a) Regina graciously allowed me to be part of the group that gave editorial feedback, and b) because I went out to her home for three months to nanny and tutor her children so that she'd have time to finish it. I knew it was going to be good and I wanted to read it!!! Well, obviously I was right... ;)

Fourthly, I know this this has to be a particularly special honor for Michelle Buckman. She's a Catholic writer who has been working in mainstream Christian fiction for many years. She was excited to learn about Sophia Institute Press and have a chance to publish Catholic fiction. So winning this award is sort of a validation for her for giving up the bigger presses and going with this tiny new press to follow where God was leading her.

Fifthly, if you read the article closely, you'll notice they quote my friend Ellen from her review of Alex in... guess what? INK AND FAIRYDUST!!! Yep, that's currently the first review on the Alex website, so the CWG pulled it for this news release. That's a pretty awesome plug for I&F, especially since the Summer Issue just came out!

So anyhow, this calls for tons of confetti!

Congratulations to Regina Doman and Michelle Buckman!

The Bad, the Good and the Best.

2011-08-10T10:09:00.002-05:00

I fully intended to get a blog post up yesterday, but arm injuries, even ones on your left arm, tend to make that a bit problematic.

Now let's make something clear, I don't tend to fall. I'm very good at catching myself, and I've never slipped on water before. So I really don't know why that particular puddle at Chipotle caused such a fall, but I do know that they seriously need to get new tray returns because having the full weight of your body fall on one arm that hits that narrow edge is seriously painful.

Thankfully after tons of icing, I woke up this morning to (finally) no pain, which means we don't have to worry about any cracked or otherwise traumatized bones. However it was quite a shock and completely wiped me out all of yesterday.

Oh well. I suppose it'll give me good material next time I have to write about someone getting injured in my book. Which will probably happen.

Good news? I got to stop by Half Price Books yesterday and FINALLY found another volume of Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. This was #4 (Unstoppable) which is my favorite. Or second favorite because I really love TORN too... oh well. There were also a ton of classics on sale so I picked up several of them too.

Best news? MY SISTER COMES HOME TODAY! She's been in Europe for six weeks on a mission trip and for the last few days has actually been just three miles away from the center of the riots in Tottenham, England. She and her leaders have written several times to assure us that they are all okay, but still, I am VERY glad that she's not staying over there any longer.

Don't invite Captain Jack to Dinner

2011-08-08T13:42:00.002-05:00

Remember the Meme my friend Amanda and I filled out the other day?

She insisted I illustrate question #7.

An Unconventional Dinner by ~Elenatintil on deviant ART

And the Sorting Hat says...

2011-08-08T10:27:00.003-05:00

I was browsing around on DeviantART and found this Hogwarts House test on Alceea's journal. It seemed like a pretty good test to me (some are pretty lame) so I thought I'd give it a try.

Gryffindor:

• [x] You are loud.

• [x] You liked going to school to see your friends.

• [ ] You've had more than a couple detentions.

• [x ] You always have something to do on the weekends.

• [ x] You like to be the center of attention.

• [x] You get above average grades in school.

• [x ] You've been called bossy before.

• [] You're a bit of a daredevil / you like an adrenaline rush.

• [] You are athletic.

• [ ] You are one of the best players on your team.

• [x] You would do anything for your loved ones.

• [x] You like the colour red.

• [x] Your favourite class is Transfiguration or DADA.

• [] You would never break a promise.

TOTAL: 9

Hufflepuff:

• [x] You have many acquaintances, but only a handful of good friends.

• [] You get average grades in school.

• [ ] You've been called boring before.

• [ ] You don't like to brag about your achievements.

• [x] You value honesty.

• [x] You don't mind working hard to get what you want.

• [ ] You like the colour yellow.

• [] You have a job.

• [] You are athletic.

• [ ] You are a team player.

• [ ] You are in the middle of the social totem pole.

• [x] You are easily amused.

• [x] You like helping others.

• [ ] Your favorite class is Herbology or Divination.

• [ ] You like the music played on the radio best.

TOTAL:5

Ravenclaw:

• [x] You get good grades in school.

• [x] You like to read.

• [x] Dumb people annoy you.

• [x] You are creative.

• [x] You've been called a know-it-all before.

• [x] You would say your intelligence level is higher than most.

• [x] You hate cheating.

• [x] People often want you to help them with homework or projects.

• [x] You are more into the creative arts: theatre, dancing, drawing, etc.

• [] You are extremely logical in your way of thinking.

• [x] You are considered shy or quiet by people you don't know.

• [x] You like the colour blue.

• [] Your favourite class is A History of Magic, Charms, or Care of Magical Creatures.

• [x] You tend to over analyze things.

• [x] You can focus and pay attention well.

TOTAL: 13

Slytherin:

• [x] You are very competitive.

• [x] You like the finer things in life.

• [] You think welfare is a waste.

• [x] You've made fun of someone in the past week.

• [] You've been called a snob before.

• [x] You think the end justifies the means. (If it's the right end)

• [x] You're not afraid to say something to someone else's face.

• [] You tend to think people are a bit jealous of you.

• [] You've made someone cry by just saying something to them.

• [] You tend to root for the villains in movies, books, etc.

• [x] You are very good with words.

• [] Above all, you want to be successful in life.

• [ x] You like the colour green.

• [x] You love to win.

• [x] Your favourite class is Potions or DADA

Total:9

Hmmm... That's a pretty solid Ravenclaw. What do you think? Am I Ravenclaw? What are you?

We'll find out OFFICIALLY in a few weeks when Pottermore goes live! (Yes, I got in as a beta user... just waiting for my welcome letter now!)

Things that make the new life official

2011-08-06T20:20:00.003-05:00

- Getting asked directions by campus visitors. It's strange to think that they had no idea I'd only been here a week... I had a double take before I could collect my thoughts and point them in the right direction.

- Trying every first... blender, vacuum cleaner, tea kettle, toaster, stove...

- Doing the first load of laundry. It costs $1.25 to wash and dry a load... but the dryer only gets it mostly dry, not all dry. So it really will probably end up being $1.50 per load.

- Making a cup of coffee and sitting down to do my first writing in my apartment... I got two pages done!

- Going shopping and getting asked my address by store clerks... and giving them my new address!

- Actually returning an item to the library.

- Cleaning the apartment for the first time. (I've been here long enough to clean it!)

- Finally meeting one of my next door neighbors.

- Taking the bus around town, successfully transfering and not missing a single connection.

Of Bob the Tomato, Han Solo and Bellatrix Lestrange...

2011-08-05T21:40:00.002-05:00

I got a comment on my last version of this earlier today, and after re-reading the whole post to refresh my memory as to what the comment was actually talking about (this was almost two years ago!), I decided to indulge in the fun again! My dear friend Amanda (who got me into the whole thing in the first place) agreed to do it with me, and we had a blast choosing the characters and reacting to the scenarios.

The BOLD is the question

The ITALIC is me

The REGULAR is Amanda

First, list twelve characters from any fandom, then answer the questions below.

1. Katniss Everdeen

2. Ron Weasley

3. Count Dracula

4. Bella Swan

5. Bob the Tomato

6. Rapunzel

7. Captain Jack Harkness

8. Han Solo

9. King Arthur

10. Bellatrix Lestrange

11. Edward Scissorhands

12. Elizabeth Swann

1. Who would make a better collage prof, 6 or 11?
Rapunzel or Edward Scissorhands? Hmmm... I vote Rapunzel. She has so much knowledge from just studying everything all the time, plus she’s FUN!
I think I’ll have to agree that Rapunzel would make a better college prof... Edward is cool enough to interest students initially, but he’s so quiet that they’d probably end up ignoring him anyhow. Rapunzel, however, would make all the boring subjects fun by singing about them.

2. Do you think #2 is hot?
Ron Weasley... I loved him in the book, but wasn’t too keen on Rupert Grint until.... THE BEARD AND THE LONG HAIR! OMG! SERIOUSLY! ;)
I’m sorry Ron, but I don’t think you’re hot. The red hair is adorable... but nah, not my type.
You haven’t seen movie #8 though, have you?
Hold on while I find a picture...
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVIT9U05ZLEyJUozO_IUnxzANGZPenEYx7x0GeURNNivNn3uCo SEE???? It’s even more awesome in action.
OH MY GOSH YES!

3. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
Since when is Han Solo going on missions for Elizabeth Swann? Huh, she must be paying him a lot...

Somehow I don’t think Han would agree to do anything Elizabeth asked him... well, unless there was a lot of money involved and she kissed him. Hmm, then I could see him agreeing.
Yeah but then he’d die, because everyone always dies after Elizabeth kisses them.
Well then I guess that answers the question of whether or not it would succeed! So nope, the mission doesn’t succeed.

4. What is or what would be 9's favorite book?
King Arthur would read... um...
Well lets see, if he had any book in the world to choose from and not just the ones from his time period...
Harry Potter for sure. Probably LOTR and Narnia too. I’m sure he’d chuckle over “The Once and Future King”
haha yes, I bet he’d get a kick out of Arthurian literature.

5. Would it make more sense: for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around?
Oh Ron would swear fealty to Rapunzel, no question.
Awwww, Ron would totally swear fealty to Rapunzel.
Hermione would have to get a little worried, even.
Yeah, and I think Ron could give Flynn a run for his money.
Especially now that he’s got that snazzy hair and beard option!
Oooohhh yeah!

6. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he room with 9 or 10?
I would really advise Bob NOT to go with Bellatrix Lestrange. Bad idea, Bob. Sorry.
Oh my gosh... if Bob were to room with Bellatrix, that wold be a really bad idea. Haha, at least though Bellatrix would figure that Bob was some magical thing and not freak out quite as much as Arthur would at the sight of a talking tomato.
Are you kidding me? Tomato soup would totally be the next item on the Lestrange dinner menu.
And Arthur would yell witchcraft and chop Bob in half... Bob, single rooms are the way to go.

7. 2, 7 and 12 are going out to dinner. Where do they go and what do they discuss?
Ron, Captain Jack Harkness and Elizabeth? Oh boy, if anything gets said beyond Jack hitting on Elizabeth, let me know. Seriously.
That would be one - really - interesting - dinner. Wow. Yeah, without the Doctor there to shut Jack up I don’t think much else would get discussed, because I don’t see Elizabeth refusing the attention or Ron doing anything other than sitting there and listening awkwardly.
And it’s Captain Jack so he might make things more awkward by hitting on Ron... oh dear, this would not be a good dinner at all.
Oh my... not at all. Okay, who let these three slip through security and go out to dinner? Dumbledore, pay attention to your students, Doctor... get a hold on Jack... Will, control your fiancee!

8. 3 challenges 10 to a duel, who wins?
BWHAHAHAHAHAHA ROTFL
Oh man! Epic duel of the century... Count Dracula and Bellatrix Lestrange???? CAN I HAVE FRONT ROW SEATS (behind bullet/spell/vampire proof glass, of course)
I’ll bring popcorn. And a wooden stake. And... um... Molly Weasley.
Sounds like a good plan. I think they’ll both end up dead...
Remember though, Bella has a wooden wand... plus I think she’d stand a decent chance of winning... I mean she has a wider range of magic than Dracula has vampire-y powers.
That is very true. If ever in our wildest dreams this happens, I’ll remember to bet on Bellatrix.

9. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, would (s)he get it back?
OH OH OH! Katniss, you’d BETTER not steal the Millennium Falcon!
Oh man... I think that might end up being more than even Katniss could handle.
Yeah, she’s tough but... getting between Han Solo and his ship? Bad move, girl.

10. Suggest a story title in which 7 and 12 both attain what they desire.
Elizabeth AND Jack AGAIN? Seriously, WHO PUTS THESE TWO TOGETHER?
HAHAHAHA... wow... okay... well, first off I don’t know if that’s a book I’d want to read because it’d be so complicated!
It would involve lots of guns, swords, kissing, and mythological creatures that are actually aliens. What was the word you used... yeah, complicated.
The book title “It’s Complicated”

11. What kind of plot device would you have to use if you wanted 1 and 4 to work together?
Katniss and Bella Swan... oooh! I know! Send them to a therapy group for girls dealing with having two guys in love with them.
HAHAHA... I’m going to have to second that.
So I have a serious question for you. Team Peeta or Team Gale?
Oohh.... hmm, I have to admit I was Team Gale for a good deal of the time, because after all he was there first. But then after the third book when he ...did some things I didn’t agree with... okay, I was still Team Gale ‘cause I liked him better and he was there first!
Was he really there first? Remember Katniss was awfully young when she first met Peeta... oh well, it’s been a few months since I read the books. Anyhow, I’m TEAM PEETA ALL THE WAY!
Eh, yeah, Peeta was there first. drat... hey, did you say there was a therapy group for people who can’t choose between two guys?
Yeah, I’ll give you the number.

12. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
Uuuuuum..... I don’t know if I should answer this. My subconscious has a serious but inexplicable crush on Captain Jack Harkness.
I’m just gonna say that I don’t know if I’d open the door... I mean, Captain Jack is great... but I do have a boyfriend and I don’t want him getting jealous.
I’ll tell you what you do. You give him my address and send him to MY door! Oh wait... is that a good idea?
Well... I don’t know... How about I send him to your door and let you decide if you want to answer it or not?
Again I ask... is that wise? On the other hand. I COULD use him to track down the Doctor and the Tardis...
Then in that case I shall send him to your door and come along to chaperon!
Good plan!

13. If you could command 3 to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
I would command Count Dracula to please go far, far away and not kill me and my family or my friends.
Well, I have heard that Dracula knows the X-Men. So I’d ask him to lead me to Utopia in exchange for... um... I’d think of something. Power or blood or information... ya know, the usual.
I’d offer him a chance to kill Edward Cullen and avenge the vampire reputation.
Seriously? Edward is so overpowered he would kill Dracula. Sad, but true.
Sad day.

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11?
I’m sure someone does. I have some friends who are into both Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.
Yeah, I’m sure someone at my school has at least doodled him.

15. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, what side would (s)he choose?

Ron choose between Bella and Bob? Difficult. I have this sneaking suspicion he’d go with Bob though...especially once he heard that Bellatrix Lestrange had tried to kill poor Bob and make him into soup.
I think that.... ooh, well if Hermoine was around then Ron would probably choose Bob. haha, Hermoine would probably talk him into starting a society to defend talking tomatoes.
Totally! And Ron, having grown into a very wise young man, would totally support her.

16. What might 10 shout out while charging into battle?
FOR THE DARK LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AVADA KADAVERA! and then waver her wand all over the place and kill as many people as possible.
Yeah, that too.

17. If you had to choose a song to best describe 8, what would it be?
Okay, this is gonna sound weird but... you know how Han falls for Leia before she falls for him? And he keeps hitting on her and whatever? Well that makes me think of “Marian the Librarian” from Music Man.
OH MY GOSH THAT WOULD BE PERFECT!
Now I really want to see a singing, dancing Han Solo.

18. 1, 6 and 12 are having a dim sum at a Chinese Restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?
Katniss, Rapunzel and Elizabeth Swann? Katniss, no contest.
Rapunzel. She shoots out her hair and grabs it before anyone else can.
But then Katniss jumps on the table, quick as anything, and uses her knife to cut Rapunzel’s hair off!
And while they are fighting and cutting hair, Elizabeth sneaks it and eats it before the realized what happened.
Pirate.

19. What would be a good pickup line for 2 to say to 10?
OH. My. GOSH! Ron Weasley with a pickup line for Bellatrix Lestrange??!?!!?!
“So...uh... you look like death. Er, I mean, deathly beautiful! Yeah! You’re deathly beautiful! Why are you looking me like that? No! Seriously! I think you’re gorgeous! Wanna get a butterbeer at -- why are you getting your wand out --- AHHHHH” *dies*

20. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
Bob? Get arrested? The only thing he’d get arrested for is following the rules too scrupulously.
Well, he did get arrested in “The Star of Christmas” for stealing... but that was in character.
Yeah, I can’t see BOB, THE BOB stealing...

21. What is 6's secret?
She has magic hair! That glows! And shines! And... does magic-y stuff. But wait, you knew that. So it’s not a secret. Bother...
Her secret is... she actually IS Mother Gothel’s daughter!
Poor Mother Gothel. I loved the Disney version, but I prefer the retellings where Mother Gothel is portrayed in a more sympathetic light.

22. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
King Arthur, I think. Cuz, you know, horses.
Hmm, probably King Arthur. Edward Scissorhands could cut his way through any leafy obstacles, but yeah, Arthur has the horses.

23. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you feel more comfortable walking with, 7 or 8?
Captain Jack Harkness or Captain Han Solo... OH MAN I CAN’T CHOOSE!
OH boy... well, as long as Jack has his teleport thingy, and his squarness gun... I actually think I’d feel a little safer with Jack. Although, the question says safe, not comfortable. If Jack started hitting on me... hmm, okay, I’d feel more comfortable with Han.
Here I’ve got the advantage in that I’ve watched Torchwood (ADULT SHOW, NOT FOR THE KIDDIES), and Jack actually is a lot calmer there. He radiates this sort of peace and protection, he’s very fatherly towards his team and I really like that. Han is just much more cocky --- Jack may ACT cocky, but he’s got so much wisdom and experience that he isn’t ACTUALLY cocky. So I guess knowing all that, I’d go with Jack.
Hmm, okay. I’ll take your word for it then!

24. 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4. Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?

Katniss and King Arthur team up to save the world from Bella Swan. Edward Scissorshands offers to help them, but then they discover he’s a SPY for Bella! (Because she has a thing for all guys named Edward). Meanwhile Bella has kidnapped Elizabeth Swann to force her surrender... and you know, for stealing her name! Katniss and Arthur seek the advice of Bob the Tomato who gives them Bible verses that somehow lead them to Count Dracula... who says that Bella can be defeated by driving a stake through her heart. Which actually doesn’t work, so Dracula does more research and realizes that Bella is another kind of vampire and needs to be ripped into pieces. So King Arthur takes Excalibur and hacks her up and Katniss starts a fire and burns the pieces. They rescue Elizabeth Swann who then runs off to find her true love, Captain Jack Har--- oh wait, that’s a different story.
Okay... a title for this.... I’m thinking..
The Rise and Fall of the Vampire Swan
I like that! Alright, now go and make that an actual story!
What is there left to say? I mean besides dialogue and description and motivations and inner mologues and kissing... oh wait, other story again.

Apartment Pictures

2011-08-05T17:08:00.004-05:00

Guess what I have? Some pictures of my new apartment!

This is my plant, which is a dragon tree, so I named it Lockheed after Kitty Pryde's Dragon. The blue tea cups were props on SOTB.
I love the color red. And William Waterhouse paintings.
If you've never had your own bathroom, or if you've never had to share a bathroom, then you cannot understand what a joy it is to finally have my own bathroom after over two decades of sharing. I enjoyed decorating it with removable wall decals from Target.
Remember those decals I mentioned? Well they also come in sparkly chandelier shapes!
Tea cupboard!
Kitchen before I got my stuff in
Look for more pictures and organizing/decorating adventures at Confessions of a Seamstress!

Move in Madness

2011-08-04T11:24:00.003-05:00

Wow... HI! It's been a week since I've been able to post... moving does that!

Yes, I said moving! After months and months of planning and packing and preparing --- I'm here at college in my adorable new apartment! It's been a ton of work these past few days. We had so much furniture to move and the books and then shopping for food and more little things we realized I needed after I got up here...

Plus, you know, orientation and getting to know a new city and new doctors and new school... and new libraries! Yesterday we went grocery shopping and lo and behold but what do we see near the grocery store but the public library! So now I can check out books both at my university and the local library system. I'm pretty psyched.

God has really been present here. Yesterday we had so many meetings that were pretty miraculous in their timing and set-up. I love the city, I love the people... everyone is so friendly! I love friendly people. :)

My campus is extremely pretty. Last time I was here was in the winter so I didn't realize how many trees and flowers there would be! I have a lovely view of a little hill covered in trees. It's great.

The college staff is excellent. Everyone is kind and willing to help... my building custodian is like a kindly old uncle who takes a real interest in making sure all of us college kids are settled in and happy.

And yes, I do have pictures to show you! Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll get them uploaded.

Thank you so much for your patience! (and for those of you watching Confessions of a Seamstress --- there will be plenty of awesome projects coming soon!)

For Norway

2011-07-28T10:02:00.002-05:00

Today's post is dedicated to the memory of the youth murdered in Utoya, Norway on Friday.

It was a terrible tragedy and I grieve for all of the families and friends of the victims, as well as the people of Norway.

If you haven't heard the details, I recommend this story about a mother and daughter who exchanged text messages while the daughter was trapped on the island. Very gripping and really personalizes the terror and sadness.

Writer's Groups, Dice and Leprechauns

2011-07-27T12:32:00.002-05:00

If you're a writer, I highly encourage you to join some kind of writer's group.

Maybe it's a critique group, maybe it's a support group, maybe it's a practice group, maybe it's just a group of people who like to write who go and see movies together every second tuesday.

Whatever they do, they're your community and nowhere else will you find people who are able to truly understand the solitary, frustrating, but intensely passionate life of a writer.

The Writer's Group that I've been a part of has gone through many evolutions over the years. The current incarnation really is almost nothing like what we started out as... but hey, now we actually write!

I managed to get to a gathering last night. We met at a library (which is a very writerly place to meet, I highly recommend libraries) and because half the group was late, those of us who arrived early decided to critique each other's work. (I will send you those notes tonight Katie, I promise!)

When the other part of the group arrived, they produced a pack of Rory's Story Cubes and divided up the dice, with each of us getting two symbols to jumpstart our writing for the next five minutes. Then we passed our page to the next person, took another person's story, rolled the dice again, and moved their story along with the help of the new symbols.

The point of the exercise wasn't to produce award winning stories, but rather to get us in a writing mode. And you know what? It actually worked. Furthermore a couple of the stories actually were fairly decent. I'd really like to know more about the fountain that could tell the future, the turtle who sued an airline because they wouldn't let him fly, and the Leprechaun Defense Division.

Plus, I now am psyched up about playing with words and want to get back to work on one or the other of my novels...

Doctor Who Season 6 --- Part TWO! What's coming?

2011-07-26T11:06:00.003-05:00

It's a long story how I never got around to posting my review of the final spring episode... mostly I just got busy with very important stuff.

Short review? I absolutely positively ADORED it. And the revelation of who River actually IS was, in my mind, perfect.

And I am so ready to see what happens next! The trailer came out this weekend, and I highly recommend that you take a look at it!

However if you want something that you can actually study every single pixel... enjoy the picture above!

First of all, I have to say I adore the Doctor's coat. It looks like something he picks up in WWII and I think it's GREAT! I hope he keeps it... (Captain Jack would approve, I'm sure! :) )

Secondly, I love River's costume. I know we saw it before, but seeing it in full length glory... it's great. I totally want to make and cosplay it at some point. I've been wanting to do her for awhile but there hasn't been one of her costumes that I've really adored... well, now I've found it. It's almost steampunk in design which only makes it that much better.

And... pyramid. In everything we've heard about the upcoming series, I've seen NOTHING about pyramids. So... what is going on with THAT?

Guess we'll have to wait and see...

Have you read Weregeek?

2011-07-25T10:54:00.003-05:00

Weregeek is one of my top favorite webcomics. It follows the lives of five young adults who are brought together by a love of all things geeky. Humor ensues as they engage in various RPGs and LARPs, discuss numerous fandoms (Star Wars and X-Men make lots of appearances and there is plenty of gentle Twilight bashing), eat sushi and deal with some interesting love triangles that may or may not be requited.

But little do they know that they are being tracked by the mysterious Hunters who will do anything in their power to wipe out every last shred of geekiness. The young people will have to summon their inner weregeek in order to have enough strength to survive...

It's awesome. It's hilarious. It's freakily true and a wonderful celebration of geek culture that isn't afraid to poke a little fun at itself along the way.

Best of all it updates FIVE DAYS A WEEK, so you can find fresh installments Monday-Thursday, and a behind the scenes sketch on Friday!

You'll want to start at the beginning, and do hang with it because the first few panels might throw you... trust me, it all makes sense before long and you'll be glad you stuck with it.

Where can you find it? Go to Weregeek.com!

Laundry Day -- a look back in time

2011-07-21T17:31:00.002-05:00

It's interesting how, for all the technology we have, there are still some things we do the old fashioned way. Take, for example, washing formal dresses, delicate knits, and some items of ladies underwear. You can't throw these things in the washing machine. So what do you do?

Well, if you're rich, you take them to the dry cleaners. If you're poor (or worried about the chemicals in dry cleaning), you wash them by hand.

Now that's not a big deal when you have a skirt or two and a fancy top. But me? I've got a closet full of costumes, embellished clothing, chunky sweaters, formal dresses and more --- none of which can be put in the machine. That means that every month or so (when I'm keeping up on laundry, that is), I have to turn the bathroom into a washroom. The sink isn't nearly big enough to accommodate anything, so instead I fill up the tub. And boy, when you're washing a Renaissance skirt made of brocade that clothing can get heavy!

Our foremothers were a lot tougher than us, because they did ALL their clothing by hand every. single. week.

Except in Renaissance days they didn't wash brocade skirts often and just wore lots of undergarments to keep body odor away from fancy fabrics. Yuck. I think I'll deal with the handwashing.

How many boxes does it take to pack up a room?

2011-07-20T11:45:00.002-05:00

A lot. And I don't have enough. Seriously, I've been packing up my books, clothes, kitchen stuff, etc, and I've already got at least a dozen boxes filled and I'm only about half done. I'm a little obsessed with packing, no?

Moving day is less than two weeks away! I am super excited and can't wait to get on campus and start this next phase of my life!

By the way, did you know that textbooks are very expensive? Insanely so. In an effort to help fund them I am selling baby quilts for just $35 each! You can learn more about them here: http://seamstressconfessions.blogspot.com/2011/07/baby-quilts-for-sale.html

Meanwhile I continue life very thankful for air conditioning. It was 90 degrees at 10:00 this morning, I dread to think what 2:00 is going to look like. I'm seriously wondering if I should try the old 'fry an egg on the sidewalk' trick. Hmmm...

Thorin Oakenshield revealed

2011-07-18T09:25:00.002-05:00

And here is Thorin.

I know some fans are unhappy, but personally? I love it. Thorin looks like a tough warrior of mature years to me, a man of power to lead an important quest.

(and I mean... seriously... it's Richard Armitage! You can't make him ugly, that would be a crime!)

Raspberries

2011-07-16T21:10:00.002-05:00

So after yesterday's intense Harry Potter post, I thought I'd do something completely different today.

Sweet, tart, calm, pretty, juicy raspberries.

Raspberry patches multiply every year. This year we have more berries than we can possibly pick.
My mother or I go out nearly every day and fill up this colander with red goodness.
But for every good berry we pick, there are about three more that get wasted. Which saddens me, but I guess it's a treat for the birds and the bugs.
Anyhow, these now have to be washed and frozen for lots of tasty smoothies this winter. I may even try to do a gluten-free raspberry tart...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part two. The Review

2011-07-15T19:13:00.002-05:00

Wow. How does one even begin to discuss this film? So many expectations, so many hopes... so many fans waiting to see it.

Okay so non-spoiler stuff first for those still waiting to see it.

It was good. 85% of the really important stuff was in there, which is probably a higher success rate than the average book adaptation. The special effects are phenomenal and well worth watching in the theater.

The acting, as always, was superb, perhaps even more than superb this time, with special nods going to Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter.

And... I think that's just about all I can say without going into spoiler territory. So. If you haven't seen it yet, get thee to a theater now. Otherwise, consider yourself warned.

On the ride to the theater last night I told myself "don't worry about your expectations. Just watch it and enjoy it."

And for the first half that worked fine. I was pretty happy with how they did everything.

Until they got to Hogwarts.

Now let's be really clear. The last third of Deathly Hallows is one of my favorite pieces of literature ever. Seriously. I am so emotionally connected to what is written there and think it was completely perfect. So I am obviously strongly biased. You totally may think differently and that's okay! We can disagree. In fact, I rather hope we do because I'd like you to be more satisfied with the film than I was.

The film gets started right away, there's no time to catch your breath, it's going. I was delighted to see Dobby's grave with the proper inscription. It was awesome to see Fleur and Bill's cottage, but very distressing that we, once again, missed Lupin's visit and any mention of baby Teddy.

Gringotts went down perfectly. Ron looked surprisingly attractive in his long hair and beard, and Helena Bonham Carter was 100% believable as the transformed Hermione. Both of their costumes were pretty awesome too (despite the cleavage, but that's trademark Bellatrix). The sequence in the vault worked pretty well and I think survived the adaptation to screen really well.

Hogsmeade went WAY too fast. Why did we loose all talk of Aberforth, Ariana, Dumbledore and Grindlewald? They could have EASILY given us a bit more information in 90 seconds (which the running time totally would have allowed). But no, suddenly Dumbledore randomly has two siblings we've never heard of in the films before. I don't know how non-book fans could even make sense of that.

The Room of Requirement was pretty awesome. Maybe not exactly how I pictured it, but it works and it was awesome to see all the other students again. Ginny's reunion with Harry was quite awesome.

But then... Harry just walks into the Great Hall and confronts Snape? What? I mean it's not totally implausible it just felt.... very rushed. Again, another three minutes could have included the sneaking up to Ravenclaw's tower. It felt like they were just racing to get to the fight.

From here on out, everything is paced and edited together kind of wierd, with waaaaay too much happening at the same time. In the book we followed Harry's POV and everything happened in a linear order. Here they had the option to mix things up, but I'm not sure it was a wise choice because it made it chaotic and hard to follow and also broke up a lot of the emotional threads that made the book so strong.

Instead we got a lot of fighting and CGI. Which... while cool at first, got to be WAY too much by the time the film was over.

Everything with Snape was pretty brilliant (although I felt the memory was kind of too choppy and didn't show us quite enough). They DID have the doe and "Always" which was my favorite moment of the series so I was glad about that. Moving his death to a random boathouse was weird... but whatever.

Ron and Hermione's kiss... well it worked in the film, and I get that it couldn't have been set up the same way as the book... but there was a point for how it was written in the book. All along Ron has belittled the things that are important to Hermione. In the books when he says to evacuate the House Elves, he is saying that he DOES understand Hermione's passions and values them. THAT's why she kisses him. And I think in cutting that, we loose something really important in their relationship.

I am glad we got to see them actually destroy the cup, though.

Fred's death was heartbreaking, but I'm sad we didn't get to see it actually happen. Same with Lupin and Tonks. It just felt like write offs of these characters and totally unfair resolutions for them.

Into the Forest again, Harry's death, Kings Cross and Narcissa were all done pretty perfectly. So THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT! They're the crux of the whole book and it's fantastic that they were done so well.

*sigh*

Then we get some pretty disappointing changes.

First off, we DON'T get Neville's "We'll join you when Hell Freezes over!" and instead we get a lot of scrabbling after Nagini that doesn't add anything to the film except shots of Hermione and Ron generally failing at killing a snake and a much less awesome moment for Neville. C'mon.

Mrs. Weasley has her totally wicked line! Bellatrix's death leaves a bit of a question mark though because the Avada Kedavra spell doesn't disintegrate people. So... ???

Finally there is the big fight between Harry and Voldemort. I'm sorry, but even after these years of training, I do NOT buy that Harry could stand against Voldemort in a big fight. Even with the Elder Wand not working (which I'm not sure was explained well at all). And it was big and draw out but...

But the end wasn't okay. The whole point of expellairmus was that HARRY DIDN'T KILL VOLDEMORT. Voldemort killed himself. And that did actually happen... but... it wasn't explained or made obvious. If you hadn't read the book you would have thought that Harry killed Voldemort. Also, Harry gave Voldemort a final chance in the book to feel some remorse... not having that in the movie did twist Harry's character. That compassion was essential to Harry's character.

And then Voldemort also exploded (again, WEIRD) and there wasn't a huge audience (which I thought was pretty lame and always liked having in the book).

Then Harry explained the whole wand thing after the fact, and snapped the wand and threw it away rather than fixing his own wand and laying the elder wand in Dumbledore's tomb. WHY?

But the Epilogue? That was perfect. I thought the aging effects were FANTASTIC and it was short, sweet and simple, just as it should be.

Whew. I feel like a bit of a sourpuss now. Which is lame because it wasn't a BAD movie. And as I screenwriter I have a ton of grace and understanding for the profession. Which also maybe makes me think I have a better right to criticize because I DO understand the limitations and the difference between novel and screen.

But this is my personal preference. I know a LOT of people REALLY liked it. Many fans didn't like the talky ending and they'll be made very happy by the film. And I'm sure I will enjoy it more when I can see it with subtitles and understand everything that I couldn't hear without them.

Also, now that I've gotten my complaints out, I hope I can move past them and enjoy the film for what it is. After all, it's the only Deathly Hallows pt 2 we'll ever get and it did get most of my favorite iconic moments right. I'm already looking forwards to seeing them again.

Who knew that DWARVES could be so attractive?

2011-07-13T11:15:00.002-05:00

It was said awhile ago that they were going to be making the 'Hobbit' dwarves quite a bit more physically attractive than Gimli. However the first two released pictures, while artistically very cool and well designed, were not what you'd call 'good looking'.

Then, yesterday, we got to see what the two youngest members of the party, Fili and Kili, are going to be looking like.

This has my stamp of approval! Fili looks like a great prankster, and Kili looks like he's about to give Aragorn a run for his money.

Read their full bios and see the other two pictures here: http://social.entertainment.msn.com/movies/blogs/the-hitlist-blogpost.aspx?post=2001455c-fe15-47c0-9c93-321e454c7f80

Now, what will Thorin Oakenshield look like? And how long will we have to wait to see his picture?

My Amy March is in Europe

2011-07-12T11:15:00.003-05:00

Do you remember in Little Women, when Amy got to go to Europe and Jo was absolutely devastated? Well, I spent a lot of time feeling like Jo when my sister announced her plans to go to Europe for six weeks on a mission trip.

However as I've gotten to learn more about the program, I've been able to overcome a lot of my jealousy and replace it with pride for my sister.

First of all she had to raise several thousand dollars to make the trip possible. This meant not only writing dozens of letters, but also making tons of phone calls to ask for donations. Calling anyone other than a close friend can be pretty freaky, and asking for money? Oy! Scary.

Then she had to spend a week in boot camp. It was pretty grueling from what I understand, with days starting at 5:30 in the morning.

Now they're off in Europe, sleeping on the floors of churches or camping out. Showers are rare (once a week I understand) and they're working hard to spread the love and knowledge of Christ.

Today I was able to catch my sister for five minutes when she checked her e-mail in Holland. Seriously! I chatted with my sister in Holland! She says there is tons of Van Gogh stuff everywhere.

I could never do what she's done. I can't feel like Jo, because my sister is not a leisure trip like Amy, she's on a backbreaking, soul-changing adventure of growth.

So, little sister, whenever you read this --- I love you and I'm so proud of you. :)

The Blog is Splitting

2011-07-10T19:23:00.003-05:00

I've long been pondering whether the purpose of the Elenatintil Blog really allows for my extensive sewing diaries. However I absolutely love blogging about my projects, and I know many of my readers love following. Since my Apparel and Textiles major this fall is only going to increase the load, I felt now was the time to create a second blog.

Elenatintil.blogspot.com will continue to host all of my movie and book reviews, my editorials, thoughts on writing, fandoms, and life.

seamstressconfessions.blogspot.com is the new home of my seamstress endevors. Here you will find my sewing diaries, my sketches, and my adventures as a fashion design student.

I've even carried the split over to the color scheme, with Elenatintil taking the blues and Confessions of a Seamstress taking the reds. I'm pretty excited about the new designs!

I would love of course to have you all visit both blogs! However I know my readers have many diverse interests, so please do follow what interests you and don't feel obligated to read what you consider 'the boring stuff.'

Either way, thank you so much for being my faithful reader! I hope to welcome you over at Confessions of a Seamstress soon!

Vintage Hats

2011-07-10T16:27:00.002-05:00

Last year my great-grandmother passed away, and this year my great-grandfather went into the nursing home. Consequently my great-aunts have been starting to go through the house and sort out all the years of collected belongings.

Somewhere amid the many shelves they found these darling (and very high quality) hats from the 60's or possibly 50's. They immediately thought of me and convinced my mother to bring them over. I was enchanted!

Not only are the hats cute (I'm absolutely in love with the velvet ones) and well made, but they are also of course of great sentimental value.

It's kind of like a treasure hunt

2011-07-08T19:06:00.003-05:00

My facebook status currently reads "Anyone who says shopping isn't exercise clearly hasn't been to Ikea."

Also, anyone who has never had their own apartment/house WITH KITCHEN does not have any idea of how many things you have to buy to get started. It is seriously insane. But also fun. ;)

So far my mother and/or I have visited Marshalls, Target (three times!), Goodwill, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ikea and many garage sales seeking the best deals on necessary items. Not to mention everything my grandmother and mother handed down to me. And for all that I still need measuring cups... we had a lot of debate over what kind to get and which would be cheapest and... the price ranges greatly. (Don't get them at Target. Seriously.)

I got some fun things too. A new bedspread in an awesome delicate floral print. A pretty round globe table lamp. And a plant. I really am in love with my little plant. It's called a dragon tree so I'm naming it 'Lockheed" after Kitty Pryde's dragon companion in the X-Men comics.

Naming plants was not my idea, btw. My sister started it.

And yes, I promise there will be plenty of pictures after I get everything set up! Look for them in the beginning of August.

Harry Potter, enduring legacy

2011-07-07T13:36:00.004-05:00

Harry Potter 8 is a week away and theaters are already selling out. I really shouldn't be surprised... instead I should be ordering my own!

Whether or not you're a Harry fan, you can still probably remember when the books first arrived in the US. Even I, a sheltered little conservative homeschooler was aware of the Harry Potter phenomenon. I still remember asking my father why the books were so big (this was long before I was allowed to read them). He answered with "marketing" and went on to chalk it all up to the marketing gurus who pushed the franchise with cups and backpacks and lunchboxes and movies and whatever.

And to an outsider that may have been what it looked like. It took about seven more years before I picked the books up for myself and learned that Harry Potter became big because it was a magnificent story with fantastic characters. And that shouldn't have surprised me. Kids are actually fairly particular about what they like, and a shiny lunchbox isn't going to convince them to read a five hundred page book.

But Harry is written as an everyman -- a character who represents the most common unifying emotions and characteristics of human nature. We may not all be Harry, but we can empathize with most of his struggles. We understand what it is like to be different from family members and or friends. We understand the hope and joy that comes when someone sees our potential and gives us the chance to shine. We know what it's like to be misunderstood and unable to communicate our worries. We understand Harry's desire to have mentor figures to give him wisdom. We 'get' both his desire to follow the rules, and find him more human and more like us when he fails (because we all do). We know what it is like to fall in that first awkward love. We sympathize with his struggles to be understood and appreciated for who he is and accepted as a mature young man. We also know why he rebels when he's brushed aside, because most of us deal with that as well. And we cheer when he grows into a fine young man and a true hero in every sense of the word, because it fulfills our faith in him and gives us hope for ourselves. If Harry can persevere against death eaters and dementors and horcruxes, surely we can get through test papers, overbearing parents and dating?

There are so many other factors as to what makes the Harry Potter series so enduring. But I strongly believe that it is Harry's accessibility and realism that makes the series so widely appealing.

Don't Mess with Mercury

2011-07-06T11:04:00.003-05:00

Don't Mess with Mercury by ~Elenatintil on deviant ART

(Find out more about the picture specs and what it was based on at my deviantARt)

This picture turned out so well that I absolutely had to share it here. Being so sick this year has been really hard, but I am so thankful that I was able to use the time to work on my art. I feel that my abilities have improved tremendously and I feel a lot more confident now about heading off to an Apparel Design Major this fall!

If Doctor Who Went to Hogwarts...

2011-07-03T08:19:00.002-05:00

If the Doctor and his companions had gone to school at Hogwarts, which house would the sorting hat have put them in?

The Doctor

It's a tie between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Brilliant and clever, yet also bold and daring. Which do you think he would choose?

Rose

I think Rose is a great example of the good and loyal hearts of the Hufflepuffs. A case could also be made for her in Gryffindor, of course, but I think she really is a sweet Hufflepuff at heart.

Captain Jack

Gryffindor. Nuff said.

Martha

Ravenclaw. She's by far the most intellectual of the companions and definitely belongs here.

Donna

I don't think there is any doubt that Donna belongs in Gryffindor!

Amy

Even without the Weasley-red hair, Amy is obviously in Gryffindor.

Rory

Hufflepuff. How could you put him anywhere else? He's like Cedric Diggory's even more awesome brother.

River Song

Gryffindor seems the obvious choice, yet I think Ravenclaw has a hold on our River as well. And who knows what seeds of Slytherin we have yet to discover?

...and don't worry. It's obvious that Slytherin would have been the most populated house, what with the Master and the Daleks and all those Cybermen...

ReginaCon 2011 -- The Report

2011-07-02T20:32:00.002-05:00

The last time I went to camp I was in sixth grade. Let's not even go into how many years ago that was. We'll just use the words "a long time ago."

However, age doesn't negate the fact that we still long for the best parts of summer camp.

Getting away from home. Playing crazy games. Hanging out with like-minded friends 24 hours a day.

Somehow adults (and even older teens) don't seem to get a chance to indulge in such fun very often.

ReginaCon (or as it is sometimes call, "Fairy Tale Novel Fan Festival"... yeah, you see why we go with ReginaCon), fills that need. It's 4 days (or so) of constant interaction with friends both old and new, giving us a chance to do those crazy games, talk geek stuff, play with hair, and dream impossible dreams together.

And of course, it's a wonderful chance to spend time with Regina Doman and her amazing husband Andrew and learn about writing, courtship and life from their fascinating stories. And sometimes (every other year or so), we are just lucky enough to hear a few never-before-released chapters from her latest writing project.

This year the festival was held at a farmhouse in Silver Lake, MN. It was a tight fit (we had about a dozen girls in the small basement), but oh, so much fun. Thankfully the weather cooperated and we were not blasted by the heat that is currently roasting the midwest to a crisp. Instead we had cool (and sometimes drizzly) days that were perfect for dressing up in costumes and playing murder mysteries.

Thursday (day 1) we all went on mass exodus to Minneapolis, where we joined many other beautiful ladies and dashing gentlemen to celebrate the premiere of "The Shadow of the Bear." It was amazing to finally see a (almost) finished version of the film in a real movie theater. And it just warmed my heart to see so many smiles and hear so much laughter.

After the premiere, several of the actors and a few crew members and I went out to a local pizza place to celebrate. It was fun and I was exceptionally happy that there was gluten-free pizza for me! Afterwards my friends Paul and Amanda took charges of driving and navigating so I didn't have to worry about that either. Perfect end to an awesome night.

On Friday I gave a brief filmmaking talk and answered tons of questions about the filming of SOTB. Honestly, one of these days I do need to write a book about my experiences as a young independant filmmaker.

Then we all got dressed up and ready for our murder mystery game! I went as Queen Elizabeth I and had a proper entourage with a spy, a military advisor, and a fool (who ended up being a traitor!). We were situated at a space cantina in the future and met many other travellers from various time periods, including Isabella of Spain, Amelia Earhart and Sophie Scholl. Then there were the space pirates, the detective from the future, and a mysterious Mr. Saxon who turned out to be a telepath in the form of a baby...

We had rented an auditorium for Saturday's fun and it turned out to be a very good choice. We started out with a talent show, which was a wonderful chance to share and see all the amazing talents our friends possessed. We had dancers, actors, musicians, comedians and more. I got to participate in the final skit, which was the Doctor Who Parody I posted on the blog a few days ago.

But by far the most fun was the dance that night. We called it the "Fairy Tale Novel Swing Dance" but it really was a celebration of dance and music. We learned (or in my case, taught) swing dancing moves, but we also waltzed, danced the Virginia Reel, and had a blast doing the broom dance which is as much a game as a dance. Several of us girls also acted/danced/sang/lip synced our way through popular musical songs like "Maria," "So Long, Farewell," and "Matchmaker."

It was a fantastically fun time, but more than that it was really a chance to bond and get to know friends that we had formerly only met online.