It's the little things that count.

A vacation isn't about big fancy amazing things (that's a 'trip' or 'tour'). A vacation is about relaxing and enjoying the little things that bring joy and wonder into a day.

Last week I was walking along the beach, when suddenly a group of about ten rays came swimming by. They weren't huge -- just about 20 inches in wingspan at the most. I was amazed, as I've never seen them in the wild before. Then, as I kept walking, I realized that they weren't the only group. Hundreds of rays were swimming all along the coastline! It was amazing! When I talked to my grandpa later, he said that in the 30 years he's been coming down here he has never seen anything like this. I thought that was absolutely amazing.

My first week it was just me with my grandparents, but some extended family members had a nearby unit and I was able to spend a lot of time playing with my little cousin. We had a blast building sandcastles, drawing pictures and swimming in the pool. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend so much time with such a creative and sweet little boy!

My family and my brother's girlfriend joined us on Friday which has changed a lot of dynamics. On Saturday night all eight of us sat down to watch "The Swiss Family Robinson." It was one of our favorite live action films growing up, so it was really fun to watch all together. However it was also pretty funny to look at it through adult eyes, and notice some lines we'd never picked up on before! For instance, in the big end fight, little Francis says "Look! It's a man getting squashed!" We howled over that one.

Last year at this time I was attending a little church in the mountains of Virginia. This month I've been able to attend a little church on an island. It's been a really wonderful experience. Last night we had the founder of the International College of Prayer preach and that was fantastic. This week our sermon was on the meaning of faith and it was also very eye-opening.

Another highlight of the service was a baby dedication. Now I've been to a lot of baby dedications... but I've never seen a little guy as happy as this one was! He just wiggled his feet and smiled at the audience... so much laughter!

We also had a singer who was a very old little lady -- probably at least 80. When she came up I did a double take, wondering how she could possibly still have a decent voice at her age. Then she started singing and blew us all away with the power and sweetness of her voice! It's not unlikely that she had some history on stage or in opera, she was that good. And the most amazing thing was that not only did she sing three times for us, but she also sang for the early service as well!

I've been spending time with my sister and my brother's girlfriend, which has been nice. We all are pretty close and excited to hopefully be family some day. And it's nice to have other girls to go tanning with, or go out to breakfast with.

In fact, on Saturday my grandma treated all of us ladies to pedicures! It was my first time with such an experience and it was absolutely delightful! We had really nice beauticians and the ten of us chattered away like a scene from "Steel Magnolias."

I've been reading lot of Orson Scott Card down here. I absolutely love that man's writing. I finally finished all of his 'Ender' and 'Shadow' series and just love them...

I've also started a new writing project. It's been so long since I really crafted a new mythology that I've almost forgotten how much work there is to do! Especially with an ensemble cast when you have to figure out personality and backstories and physical appearance and motivations for all of them...

Do you ever feel that your writing is more about exploring your characters than about creating them? I sometimes feel that these are people that really exist, and I'm just uncovering who they really are.

The Earth is the Lord's...

The Earth is the Lord's...

There is something about being surrounded by nature that really makes me think about God. Down here I've been taking walks on the beach and I find myself contemplating the creative genius of our LORD.

Humans can be creative, but everything we do is an imitation, or inspired by something that already exists in creation. I tried to think of something that had no basis in the natural world, and I really couldn't come up with anything. Clothing, perhaps, but basic clothing is sort of a no-brainer to construct. I was making tunics out of sheets when I was five years old.

But music, paintings, computers, food... they are all expansions and variations on what already exists.

If a human existed in a black void, and had never seen earth, how would they manage to create anything? Without a basis, how could they build? I doubt we'd ever think of sand, or trees, or colors... I mean, can you invent a new color? It's something that simply cannot be done.

Art Round Up 3-4-11

I've been saving up several new drawings to share with all of you! (and they're not ALL X-men either)

First off are two sketches of Nightcrawler in motion. I have a new Marvel book on drawing, and in the section on action they have a series of Nightcrawler leaping. I'm replicating all five sketches (hopefully) to practice both action and character.

Next up is a sketch I did of a dress idea... the proportions didn't turn out quite right, but I got the idea of the dress down which was the whole point in the first place.
Next up is one I'm pretty proud of... Wolverine!
Then we have Cyclops looking very buff and awesome.
Then I did studies on the female face...
And the male face...
Here Mr. Fantastic poses for me to study male proportions.
And now a special treat... the Brier sisters! (From the SOTB film)

Marie Antoinette

I avoided this film for many years because of the content I'd heard about and the supposed historical inaccuracies. However it was at the library this week and I decided to check it out and give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised.

"Marie Antoinette" is a film that deals with the life of France's most famous queen from the day she left her home in Austria, until the morning she rode away from Versailles to her imprisonment in the Bastille.

It is not meant to be a historical epic, but rather a portrait of life in the 18th century French court. Rather than a drama that follows a tight three act plot, it acts more as a documentary, a focus that is helped by the very natural acting of the stars and the usage of the real locations at the Palace of Versailles.

As someone who has been to Versailles and the gardens there, it was astonishing to see the actual rooms used in the films. It was amazing and really added to the reality of the experience.

It's a beautiful film, filled with the beauty of the artificial (clothing, hair and food) and the natural (the gardens and scenes of Versailles). It shows the excess of Marie Antoinette and her people, but allows the viewer to make their own judgement.

The movie is rated PG-13 for a reason, but it is perfectly historically accurate. Marie Antoinette was publicly naked every day when her ladies dressed her, she and her husband did have some very public issues when it came to the consummation of their marriage, and she probably did have an affair with Count Fersen. That said, I feel all of these subjects were handled fairly appropriately and while they are not matters suitable for younger viewers, this is a movie that adults interested in history and beautiful film should be able to appreciate.

X-Men: First Class -- Poster and Spoof!

The first two character posters for X-Men: First Class were released this weekend. And despite misgivings about other aspects of the film, I have to say the posters look pretty cool!

In honor of this release, I'd like to share with you an X-Men spoof I wrote on the plane down to Florida last week. It's basically my thoughts of what would happen if the X-Men could see the films being made about them.

Please note two things. First of all, I used the characters from the current main team(s). That means there WILL be some favorite characters missing. Secondly, I've gotten plenty of enjoyment out of all the films and I plan to enjoy the next one to some degree as well. This is my attempt to translate character thoughts, not necessarily my own opinions. ;) Also, this is humor, so keep that in mind when you get to the end...

Enjoy!

-------------

The X-Men sit down to watch the trailer for X-Men: First Class. After it is over...

Silence.

Then... everyone starts talking at once.

Hank: Well, I must say the digital effects used to portray my transformation look quite excellent.

Peter: (shocked) The Professor had hair?

Emma: (stunned) A bra. They put me in a bra... do they have any idea how long it took me to design my costume? Weeks of analysis...

Bobby: Kurt, was that your mom in that one shot in the bedroom? Cuz she was hot--

Kurt: (hands over his ears) TMI! TMI!

Emma: (furious) Weeks! And all the fabric was specially ordered and then the fittings... and then they go and just pull off the first shiny thing they find on a Wal-Mart shelf and it's not even technically WHITE – I mean, hello. I am the “White Queen.”

Kitty: You know, Emma, if I were you I'd be more worried about how old they make you out to be. I mean, according to this you're at least 70 now.

Emma: I-- well –

Bobby: Wow. Emma's a cougar.

Emma: Robert Drake. Do you seriously want to spend the rest of your life drooling like a two-year-old?

Scott: (pats Emma's shoulder) It's okay, honey. I always knew you fudged the birthdate on your driver's license.

Magneto: (loudly, interupting) Well, I can't complain. It looks like they finally managed to cast a proper actor in my role this time.

Rogue: I don't know, Erik, seeing you without white hair is almost as weird as seeing the Professor WITH hair...

Bobby: What I want to know is why Scott's kid brother joins the team before I do. I mean, he's totally stealing my spot of coolest member on the team!

Jubilee: Humph. You're complaining! At least you got LINES in the first three films! I got a freakin' cameo.

Wolverine: Could be worse, darlin'. They made Scott even more of a prissy prep poster boy. Not that that's hard to do –

Scott: Watch it!

Rogue: And Ah was made over into a wimpy pushover.

Gambit: Oui. And dey made me twenty years older den ma cherie. Not ta mention what dey did ta my accent...

Kitty: You're telling me! They hooked me up with Bobby! No offense to you, Bobby, but how could they think I'd fall for anyone other than Peter?

Peter: Thank you, Katya.

Gambit: I t'ink dey just know our sizzlin' love stories would steal all da glory from Wolverine.

Kurt: Ja. They should have just called the films “the Adventures of the Amazing Wolverine.”

Wolverine: Thanks bub, but no thanks. I got enough women problems without Hugh Jackman getting the title role.

Kitty: Is there any way we could stop this?

Storm: Perhaps a peaceful supplication to the studio heads to stop production?

Beast: A targeted computer virus might destroy the footage.

Wolverine: I say we trash the place.

Magneto: Only if we save the footage of sexy me.

Jubilee: Please do not ever say “sexy me” again or I will suck your blood for breakfast.

Scott: Or... we could do what the Fantastic Four did. Let the movies create such a false picture of us that our enemies completely underestimate us.

Bobby: Wow, that's...

Emma: Actually quite brilliant darling.

Kitty: (from her computer) Uh, you might want to rethink that, Scott.

Scott: Why?

Kitty: Because I'm checking IMDB, and they say the next movie features Jubilee turning into a vampire and Robert Pattinson will be playing her love interest.

Silence.

Jubilee: Okay. We're totally trashing the place.

Ink and Fairydust - March 2011

Ready for an adventure? Then check out March's issue of Ink and Fairydust! In its pages we have articles covering world travel, stories from Ireland, Greece, England and more! Also included are recipes and role playing games for those who want to experience the international at home!

You can read it all and more here: http://issuu.com/inkandfairydust/docs/march2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More england

Pieces of Heaven

Florida always seems to me a little bit like heaven. At least, my particular Island during the ideal climate of February and March.

Before you get too jealous though, I'd like to remind you all that I've been sick for the past two months, and this whole trip is as much about recovering and getting strong as it is having a vacation. So it's a good thing.

Anyhow, a few photos to share...