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Yes, I have one.  Islanded in a Stream of Stars

I got it quite a while ago but didn't really start to get into it til now.  It's a place where people join together to celebrate their fandoms, no matter what they are.

It's addicting, like Pinterest, and I love it, like I love Pinterest.

You should get one too!

Enjoy :)

<3

"The Jackals In Their Dens Tremble At Her Approach"

“Come on, Grandma!  Let’s play dress-up!”  So I used to say to my grandma as I breezed past her after lunch, galloping up the stairs as fast as my little legs would go.  Then I would burst into my mom’s old room and make a beeline to the wooden cabinet where my grandma kept a lot of her costume and fine jewelry.  I would sit next to her on the floor and together we would go through each drawer.  Soon we were both bedecked in amethyst rings, turquoise necklaces, and silver and gold bracelets.  I remember on one of these dress-up days Grandma pulled out a white box I had never seen before and I peered down eagerly, wondering what sparkling treasure would be nestled inside.

It was a huge lion’s claw.  The top of it was set in heavy gold and it hung from a long, thick golden chain. 

I remember my jaw dropping and Grandma tells me that my eyes got so big as I stared in wonder at it.  “Is it real, Grandma?”  At her affirmative, I asked if I could hold it.  She let me, and I ran my fingers carefully over the smooth surface, carefully touching the sharp tip.  “It’s your grandpa’s,” she told me.  I loved it.  I have always loved furs, naturalistic jewelry, precious stones and rocks, fossils, and claws and teeth of all different kinds of animals—even at that young of an age my imagination was captivated.

Later that afternoon I asked Grandpa if he would tell me the story of how he got the lion’s claw necklace, and here it is: When Grandpa was a young man he and a few other men went to Africa to hunt the dangerous animals that were overpopulating the areas where people lived.  “These animals, Dana,” he told me, “are not like they portray on television.  It’s like they are completely different species from what you’ve seen on TV or at the zoo.  When you encounter them in the jungle, like I have, and you look in their eyes you can feel their wildness.  They are primitive, feral.”  The claw came from the paw of the male lion that my grandpa killed.  When he came back to America, he had the claws turned into necklaces.  The one I had seen upstairs was the biggest of the bunch.

After that day, every time I played dress-up with my grandma, I would look for the lion’s claw and hold it for a while before putting it lovingly back in its box.  And even though it has been years since I have played dress-up, I have never forgotten the lion’s claw necklace.  A couple days ago during the family’s Christmas dinner party, Grandpa, Grandma and I were sitting together in the living room, chatting and laughing about all kinds of things.  Then my cousin Max came in to show us what Santa brought him for Christmas: a rifle.  It was so cool, and as I watched Grandpa hold it, I asked him to tell us again about his hunting trip in Africa (it had been many, many years since I had last heard the story).  “I remember the lion’s claw necklace, Grandpa,” I told him once he was finished.  “I remember how I used to hold it and look at it all the time when I was little.  It captured my imagination.  Maybe it’s the barbarian in me,” I laughed, “but I love that lion’s claw necklace.  It’s really awesome.”

I have a very special relationship with my grandparents.  We deeply understand each other and saying that we are best friends and kindred spirits doesn’t quite fully explain the profound and loving relationship we have.  Being the beautiful, generous souls that they are, my grandparents wanted to take me out to my favorite restaurant, PF Chang’s, for a celebratory lunch in honor of my completed MA degree and student teaching (my mom came too, which was really nice!).  When we were all seated, Grandma pulled a small box wrapped in golden paper with a shiny gold bow out of her purse and gave it to Grandpa.  Then he reached across the table to place it in my hands, saying, “Here’s an old Moroccan Proverb that suits you now that you’ve accomplished so much and will continue to do so: ‘The lions in their dens tremble at h[er] approach.’”  I grinned and in my mind, I thought, No way.  Not quite daring to believe, I carefully unwrapped the box, opened it, and there nestled inside was the lion’s claw necklace I’d loved for so many years.  I remember exclaiming and looking up at them, fingers tracing the familiar smoothness and sharp tip.  “We wanted you to have this, Dana,” Grandma said.  Gratitude welled up in my heart because the necklace represents so much to me and I thanked them both.  Grandpa smiled and asked, “Do you want to wear that now?”  “Of course!” I replied, clasping it securely around my neck.  Then Grandpa said, “Maybe this is more fitting for you: ‘The jackals in their dens tremble at her (the lioness’s) approach’—the lioness is you!”  “I like that, Grandpa,” I laughed, pressing the claw against my heart.  “I am a Leo, after all!” 

I couldn’t stop fingering the lion’s claw necklace—now my lion’s claw necklace—as my mom and I drove home.  I was so happy and so appreciative and so aware of their pride in me and their love for me that I began to cry.  The lion’s claw necklace is so much more than just a necklace: it symbolizes my grandparents’ strength, their courage, their generosity, and their love.  I haven’t taken the necklace off all day.  And whenever I wear it in the future I will always think of them.

Me and my lion's claw necklace.  Maybe I should think of a name for it!

<3

Gone, Yet Still With Me

Anne McCaffrey, one of my very favorite authors, passed away back in November.  When my brother told me the news, I remember tears filling my eyes—I couldn’t believe that she was no longer with us, writing her incredible tales.  She really was—and is—the Queen of Science Fiction.  Anne has transformed the SciFi genre into something completely new and exciting by creating worlds and characters that both men and women can relate to and love as if they are real places and people.

When I was in seventh grade, Grandpa bought me Anne’s Dragonflight, the first novel in her Dragonriders of Pern series.  I was instantly captivated by the cover which depicts a huge, golden dragon soaring across a vibrant green sky with a glowing red planet seemingly pulsing in the background.  I remember wondering who the dragon and the young woman riding it were so I eagerly turned to the first page and was instantly transported to a world unlike any other I had ever visited before:

A lush and beautiful world called Pern where gold, bronze, brown, blue and green dragons live in rapport with the women and men they bond with.  I had never read a story before where dragons, when they are born, choose a man or woman to be theirs, and once they have chosen, their minds are so profoundly linked with their humans’ that they can communicate mentally with them and feel everything the other feels.  And when the female dragons (gold and green) rise to mate with the males (bronze, brown and blue)…well, let me tell you (one romantic to another) it gets pretty darn steamy since their humans are linked mentally with them down on the ground, experiencing what they are experiencing…it’s enough to make me blush.  The Pernese men and women and their dragons share and experience everything together.  It’s like they are two halves of one soul, or two souls made one—one cannot live without the other once the bond is made at the dragon’s birth, and once the bond is made, it cannot be undone.  I had never read a story before where the dragons are always the “good guys,” battling a constant threat in the form of deadly spores that rain down from the sky—silvery, deadly spores that burn and absorb anything organic they touch, turning vegetation to barren wastelands—by using their ability to breathe fire, searing them from the sky before they can reach the ground.  I had never read a story before where dragons could teleport not just between places but between times as well (yes, I said time travel).  I had never read a story before that combined elements of both fantasy and science fiction so effortlessly that it created an entirely new genre of its own.  And, come to think of it, I had never read a story before where I actually forgot I was reading because the world of Pern, its dragons and its characters became so real to me—and are still so very real to me to this day.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
The golden dragon is Ramoth and her rider is Lessa
Painting by Michael Whelan

I have lived and breathed this series that spans seventeen novels and many short stories for years.  Every time I read it it’s like I’m visiting old friends.  I have collected all of the novels in hardcover and softcover.  I own all of the Collector’s and Book Club editions of the novels.  I met Anne in person quite a few years ago and she signed the well-read and well-loved copy of Dragonflight Grandpa gave me.  Because Anne is the inspirational woman that she is, in middle school I began dabbling in creative writing by inventing my own dragonrider characters, penning down their stories and making illustrations to go along with them (sadly I can’t find those stories but I still have many of the drawings).  When I was in high school I joined an online Pern-based writing club—one of the few that had been officially approved by Anne herself—and created, very thoroughly I might add, my own dragonrider characters and wrote their stories alongside many other talented and devoted fans.  I poured my heart and soul into many of the storylines I created with the other club members, and like Anne’s characters, my own became just as real.  (I hope to return to the club and my characters one day!) 

When you love a fictional—and yet real—world like Pern with all your heart and when you devote so much creative energy to play in that world…it’s hard to describe just how much it becomes a part of you.  To know that the creator of Pern is no longer with us is very sad and my heart ached when my brother told me she had passed on.  However, I really can’t be too sad because she lives on in her novels and short stories, and because I know that her soul is certainly in a much better place now—and she is probably blissfully soaring across the astral heavens on her own golden dragon even as I write this.

Anne McCaffrey

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Finis

“Hi, is this Doris?”

“Yes it is.”

“Oh hi, it’s Dana.  I forgot if I was supposed to call you today or tomorrow for the Comps scores.”

“Oh, well I have them right here in front of me, if you want to know…”

*deep breath*  “Sure!  Let’s hear it.”

“Let’s see…  Dana…  You got a pass.”

“I passed?”

“You passed!”

“I passed!”

Me and Molly right after taking the Comps
We both passed!

Well, my friends, after 19 years, I’m finally done with school!  This semester I have completed the English Literature Masters Program by finishing up my last class (hooray for Beowulf!) and by passing the Comps exam with my dear friend Molly by my side; and at the same time I have also completed the Multiple Subject Credential Program for teaching grades K-8.  To all those who think that you can’t complete both programs at the same time: you can.  If you have the will, the patience to apply yourself, and a positive attitude, you can.  I have.  But it certainly wasn’t a cake walk.  I worked very hard for the last two and a half years.  This last semester was perhaps the hardest I have ever worked.  I didn’t draw and I didn’t read for fun and I didn’t have a social life outside my one masters class and student teaching.  I lived in my own world of constant lesson planning, teaching, TPA3 and TPA4 preparation and writing, Beowulf-reading and essay writing, and Comps exam preparation.  The week before Thanksgiving was the week where I began sprinting toward the end of the semester because all TPAs and essays were due and the Comps test date was looming—and I made it!  So it’s possible, guys.  I’m living proof!  I want to thank all of those who have supported and encouraged me through this final semester: God, my dear family, my master teachers Donna and Vickie, my professors Dr. van Elk, Ilan, and Mimi, my dearest friends (you all know exactly who you are :D), and my awesome student teacher girls Kasey, Kari and Jenny.  I couldn’t have done it without all of you—thank you!

Me and Donna

I’ve grown up so much in this last year, and especially in this last semester.  I’ve discovered new strengths I didn’t even know I had until I was taking charge of 30 first graders and 33 sixth graders.  And I’ve discovered that I really love teaching—especially the little ones.  Before I started student teaching I wasn’t sure if I would even like teaching.  I remember being so nervous about embarking on this journey that I didn’t sleep much my last weekend of summer vacation because I was fretting so.  It turns out that all the anxiety I felt was unnecessary.  My experiences in both primary grade and upper grade were wonderful.  I love both my master teachers.  I love the kids.  I love the school environment.  I love teaching.  The principal of the last elementary school I was at has given me paperwork to become a sub for the district and I am well on my way to making my subbing license official (as are the rest of my student teacher friends who completed this amazing journey with me)! 

Jenny, Kasey, Phoenix, Vickie, Me, Michelle and Kari

So what’s next for me now that I’m done with school?  Well, getting my subbing license is first on the list.  Passing the RICA is next.  Then getting a full-time job with (hopefully!) a primary grade.  But until then?  Right now I’m basking in the glow of knowing that I’m done with school.  I’m really enjoying Christmas vacation (I’ve just finished decorating the Christmas tree!  I wound over 1,500 lights within the branches and lovingly nestled all my favorite ornaments in perfect places while I sang along to Celine Dion’s Christmas album).  I’ve been mentally and physically resting.  I’ll be getting back to exercising and eating more healthy.  I’m working on commissions and I’ll finally be drawing for myself again.  I’ll be reading novels that are on the “Once I’m Done With School” list.  I’ll be hanging out with my friends.  I’ll be going to work at my family’s company and I’ll be thanking God every day that I have a job. 

One phase of my life is over and a new one is just beginning.  Every time I think about the future ahead of me I get so excited.  Bring it, world!  :)

<3

Happiness

Even though I’m stressing about so many things right now I’m trying to take the time to find happiness in every part of my day and acknowledge consciously that I’m happy—and honestly it hasn’t been that hard!  I’m loving what I’m doing with my life right now.  Being a student teacher is so much fun!  It’s a lot of work, yes, but it’s one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  I love the kids, both the first and sixth graders, and my master teachers.  They all make me smile and laugh every single day.

When I was with my first grade class their sweetness, “love notes” (little mementos they drew or wrote to me…I have a huge pile!), hugs and stories brightened my days.  I even got a written marriage proposal from one of them—my first marriage proposal ever!—and I quote: “Will you mere me.  Can we have a date.”  And he drew a house with me and him together in it.  It was so sweet.  I received it on my last day and the boy who gave it to me didn’t put his name on it, but I remember thinking to myself that I had never gotten a "love note" from this boy before.  I wish he had written his name!  My last day with my first graders was perhaps one of the brightest days in my student teaching experience.  It was bittersweet, of course, but so many good things happened that day: my master teacher and I had our traditional Starbucks together, we gave each other gifts (she gave me a framed picture of us together with our first graders), there was a feast of autumnal goodies put together by all the master teachers since we student teachers were leaving, I was given presents and more love notes from my kids, and they were all especially wonderful the entire day.  Earlier that week I had made up little parting gifts to give to each of them (one Disney pencil and pen per student tied together with curly yellow ribbon, an Achievement Certificate: the Outstanding Scientist Award, personalized for each student and signed by me, and I also gave each of them a really cool holographic African animal sticker, or “scientist badge,” made by National Geographic to wear the entire day).  As I called up each student to give them their present and award, I got hugs from them all, including the boys who tended to be so shy!  Not only did I get hugs, I got “I don’t want you to go” “I’m going to miss you” and “I love you” from everyone.  I had the biggest lump in my throat but I was able to hold it together fairly well (my master teacher and I had already cried twice that day, so I was trying to keep the threatening tears back as best as I could) but once the bell rang for dismissal and all my kids surrounded me, hugging me so tightly that I couldn’t move, I completely broke down and cried.  I reassured them that I was okay, that I was crying just because I was going to miss them so much!  And in response they hugged me all the harder.  I promised them I’d come back and see them as often as I could—and I will!  Even though it was a sad day, it was also one of the brightest and happiest days, if that makes any sense at all. 

I haven’t had as much time yet with the sixth grade class I’m in but I’m starting to get to know the kids better day by day—and they’re growing on me, for sure!  I really like them.  They’re at that age when their senses of humor are starting to come out and they have me smiling and laughing all the time!  When I look at them, I see myself in them—the kid in me.  I love it when they find any excuse to get me to talk to them.  They’ll raise their hands, ask a question, and then make a comment, which of course turns into a conversation…one that I usually have to cut short, but I love that they do it!  I remember doing the exact same thing to my teachers (whom I loved!) when I was in sixth grade and to see that they’re pulling the same stuff I did when I was little to show me that they like me really makes me happy. 

I’m learning so much about how to be a successful teacher and I’m learning all over the place: in the classroom, in the lounge, in parent-teacher conferences, in staff and grade-level meetings and in talks with both my master teachers.  These two women inspire me, and I mean that with all my heart.  It’s hard to explain why they inspire me…but I’m going to try to put it into words…  They’re witty, clever, intelligent, funny, honest, genuine, caring, appreciative, supportive, encouraging, positive, multi-talented and open-minded.  They’re great story-tellers.  They give me really awesome advice, and not just about teaching but they also offer it to me in other aspects of life.  They make me smile and laugh and I’m really happy when I’m around them.  There is no doubt in my mind that God had His hand in placing me with them at this point in my life and I’m blessed to know them.

<3

Instagram

I love Instagram.  It’s my favorite iPhone app.  Molly first introduced me to it last semester and I thought to myself, “Self, when I get an iPhone, I will get this app!”  When I finally bought my iPhone last week at Walmart for a really good deal it was the first app I downloaded—yes, I even downloaded it before the Facebook one! 

Instagram brings out the inner-photographer in me.  This app is not just a camera—it’s an *artistic* camera because it has several different filters you can choose from to put the photos through to make them appear brighter with high contrast, or more subdued and soft with a romantic feel.  I’m really enjoying documenting my days using Instagram.  I like working on training my eye in how to make the every day things artsy and fun.  Since I don’t have a lot of time to draw, this helps me tap into and explore my artistic side.

Some photos to share...

<3

Summer Reading

Probably like most college graduate students, summer is my reading-for-fun time.  Even though I work 40 hours a week, go out with my friends and take care of family responsibilities on top of all of that, I always make time to read every summer night before bed.  Reading relaxes me and it allows me to escape the mundane of every day life (because, let’s face it, every day life can get a little boring sometimes!) into time periods lost to history, or into different worlds filled with the fantastical.

I’m the type of summer reader who likes to devote her time and energy to one book at a time.  However, since I belong to two book clubs this summer I’ve had to adapt—and I’ve done so very willingly!  Right now I’m reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens with one group (there are six of us) and with the other (there are only two of us) I’m reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.  I haven’t started Agnes Grey yet (it’s coming in the mail!) but I have started Bleak House and I love it!  It’s Dickens’s best work.  If you haven’t read it I highly suggest picking it up, or if it’s too daunting for you, I recommend watching Bleak House the BBC mini series starring Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock.  The mini series is what got me completely hooked into the intricate mystery of Bleak House—not surprising, since the screenplay is written by the genius Andrew Davies (he’s the one who wrote screenplay for the beloved Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice) so you will not be disappointed I promise!

In addition to these two books I’m reading for my book clubs, I’m also reading a historical fiction novel called Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman and The Witches of Eileanan fantasy series by Kate Forsyth.  Kate is an Australian author and even though this series was first published back in the 1990s I’ve just discovered it this year.  I’ve been searching and searching for a new fantasy series to cherish as much as I cherish The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey and Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies.  I remember browsing Barnes and Noble a few years back, scouring the book shelves for another fantasy series that wasn’t cliché, and suddenly came across one of Kate’s novels called The Tower of Ravens.  The cover depicted a blue-black, horned, winged mare flying over wild, mountainous terrain with a bold, young woman riding on her back, a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder.  Now, I’ve always loved horses, and as a young one I loved stories about pegasuses (pegasi?) and unicorns, and of course that love has carried over into my adult life, so I picked it up, read the back, thought it seemed promising, and bought it. 

As is the way of the world, life happened and I forgot about The Tower of Ravens until I came across it on my bookshelf last semester.  So I picked it up…and couldn’t put it down!  Kate has created the world I’ve been searching for: Eileanan, a fantastical land that mingles both the eastern and western cultures, a land that is overflowing with Celtic, Scottish and Indian lore, magic, dragons, winged horses, satyrcorns, witches, warlocks, merpeople and fantasy creatures I hadn’t even imagined until reading this series.  All of characters are three-dimensional, the main plot and subplots are woven together with such finesse, and rather than just telling me her story, Kate shows it to me using detailed descriptions and allowing me to see into the intriguing minds of her characters.  There are nine books in the series (Dragonclaw, The Pool of Two Moons, The Cursed Towers, The Forbidden Land, The Skull of the World, The Fathomless Caves, The Tower of Ravens, The Shining City and The Heart of Stars).  The Tower of Ravens, The Shining City and The Heart of Stars actually take place after the first six, and when I realized this I went back to Barnes and Noble to start at the very beginning like I should have done so in the first place—but found out that the first six were out of print here in America!  So I made a mad dash to a used bookstore in Fullerton and couldn’t find them there, or even on ebay.  Amazon had a couple of them for sale starting at $15.00 and I wasn’t about to pay that much for a used paperback no matter how much I wanted to read it.  So I waited.  Bided my time for weeks on end—and my patience finally paid off this week because I found all six novels being sold by the same person on Amazon for $2.00 each and I snatched them up before anyone else could!

My friends, Kate’s rare novels are USPSing their way to me as I write this and I’m so excited!  As much as I love reading classic literature, there will always be a part of me that adores well-written and thought-provoking fantasy novels just as much.  I’m very happy to be reading both genres this summer.

<3

I Wanna Dance With Somebody :)

So, my dear friend Danaé is getting married soon and I can’t wait to dance at her wedding.  Seriously.  I love to dance, but I’m the first to admit that it’s not my number one talent.  My sense of rhythm is kind of lacking—unless the dance is choreographed, or if it’s line dancing, or if it is one of the traditional ones that I can do with a man (because then I’m like, “I got this!”).  Thank God for the cotillion classes and the hula and tap lessons I took in grade school, the dances I signed up for during my high school Red and Gold days, and the concerts I've been to because they have given me the basics and keep me from looking like a complete newbie out on the dance floor.  Even though freestyle dance isn’t my thing, if you give me a little while, I’ll eventually ignore that fearful, insecure voice in the back of my mind that wants to hold me back and I will dance the night away!

What got me thinking about dancing today were two songs I heard on the radio: Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Chris Brown’s Forever.  I love these dance songs.  Whenever I hear them on the radio I find some way to dance to them, either with my fingers taping on the steering wheel or with my foot tapping on the floor (but not my gas pedal foot!).  I grew up listening to I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I can remember jumping around in my room as a little one, wearing my special “dance costumes” (which were long full skirts and silken scarves wrapped around my arms, neck and hair), waving the Ribbon Dancer around and belting out the lyrics at the top of my lungs (I obviously wasn’t as self-conscious then as I am now…but what child isn’t self-conscious at the youngster age, right?).  Whitney Houston’s song brings back so many flashes of happy childhood memories to me and it’s that wistful nostalgia that keeps my love for that song strong.  I first heard Forever on the episode of The Office when Jim and Pam finally got married.  I’d been waiting for that marriage since Season 1 and when it finally happened I was so excited!  Of course, I didn’t understand that The Office was spoofing a youtube video until after the episode was over—but once I saw that youtube video I loved the song even more!  I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the bridal party rocking out to that song as they dance down the aisle in a church of all places…it’s really not very respectful…but the concept was original and I can forgive their lapse because they looked like they were so happy and were having such a good time!  Then I heard Forever at Molly and Bryce’s wedding when we were all out dancing in the nighttime air in-between the gardens covered in Christmas tree lights.  That was another special moment because the joy was palpable…everyone was smiling and laughing and dancing and even singing along! 

Whenever I hear those two songs I always think of all of the happy moments they are now always and forever associated with, and I know my husband and I will dance to them at our own wedding.  But until then, I hope Danaé plays them at hers so I can dance to them (and hopefully with somebody)!

<3

Here's that youtube video!

Awesome Memories

Well, my second Spring semester as a grad student is almost over and I’m rather sad to see it end!  I have had so much fun this Spring—from science field trips such as boating on a stormy day, visiting tide pools and petting swell sharks (yes, I did pet actual sharks, and no, I wasn’t scared!), to my friends and I laughing over discovering what is probably one of the first “yo mamma” insults ever in one of our Renaissance plays The White Devil by John Webster…it all has been an absolute blast!  Sure, I experienced stress, just like I do every semester (this time around was perhaps a little more stressful than usual because I took five classes, two language, one English Lit and two more for my teaching credential, all of them work-intensive, and on top of all of this I also worked 20+ hours a week).  But all of the stress I went through was totally worth it because of all the laughs and good times my friends and I shared.

As I have told my girls, all I remember of last semester is darkness.  But new and bright light came back into my campus life this Spring and I have God, my family and dear friends to thank for that!  I’ve been so happy this semester and I’m really going to miss sitting and chatting outside LA1 and LA2 with my friends, soaking up the sunshine while sipping on my nonfat white chocolate mocha (or my sweetened iced green tea!).  I’m going to miss the late night Tuesday librarybucks chatting dates with Molly and the spontaneous runs to Deli News for $5 medium pepperoni pizzas.  I’m going to miss the random, spur-of-the-moment lunch dates with Danaé, “What’s Happening Hour” with Bobbie and chillin’ out with Sam.  I’m going to miss frantically trying to finish the reading I couldn’t get done the night before an hour before class starts—and then, after reading as far as I could, getting the Melissa-ized version for the rest!  I’m going to miss Kat’s sweetness and snark, Melissa’s and Rachel’s stories, and the discussions Erin and I have about American Girl, men, Harry Potter, and retail therapy.  In fact, I’m going to miss all of the conversations I share with my girls!  I’m going to miss the fun science experiments, such as making ice cream using nothing but spoons, plastic bags, sugar, vanilla, milk, rock salt and ice.  I'm going to miss my professors teasing me.  I’m going to miss the hilarious times in my Spanish class and the “I can’t believe this is real life” looks my tablemates and I shared during our math class.  I’m going to miss Old English (not necessarily the translating part…I could do without that ;D) and the great one-liners my professor had (“thinky thing,” anyone?) and the conversations about how Beowulf and Grendel’s mother are like the pro-wrestlers we see on TV, ninjas fighting unicorns, unicorns fighting ninjas, and how the Anglo-Saxon people are misconstrued by the general public as hoards of peasants eating turnips.

Oh, how I love school!  I’m going to miss it so much when I finally graduate with my masters and teaching credential next year.  But I will forever have these awesome memories to take with me on my journey through my adult life and I’m sure they’ll make me beam with just as much joy then as they make me do now.

PS: In case you want to read one of the first ever “yo mamma” insults…

Monticelso [to Vittoria]:   I shall be plainer with you, and paint out

                                       Your follies in more natural red and white

                                       Than that upon your cheek.

Vittoria:   Oh, you mistake.

               You raise a blood as noble in this cheek

               As ever was your mother’s.

(3.2.51-56)

Love it.

<3

I'm an American Girl Who Loves American Girl!

My love for the American Girl doll collection started when I was a little girl in second (or was it third?) grade.  Back then when American Girl was still owned by Pleasant Company before the Mattel buy-out there were only five dolls and their sets of stories you could collect.  Each doll represented an era of American history:

1)      Felicity Merriman: a spunky, spritely girl growing up in Virginia in 1774, just before the Revolutionary War. Felicity grows impatient doing the "sitting-down kinds of things" that colonial girls are expected to do. She much prefers to be outdoors, especially riding horses! Felicity learns about loyalty and responsibility - to her family, her friends, and her country - and what it means to be truly independent.

2)      Kirsten Larson: a pioneer girl of strength and spirit growing up in Minnesota in 1854. After a long, dangerous voyage with her family from Sweden to America, Kirsten finds it difficult to get used to a new country and a new way of life. But as she makes friends and discovers what her new land has to offer, she learns the true meaning of home.

3)      Addy Walker: a proud, courageous girl who escapes from slavery with her mother in 1864. Together they embark on a dangerous journey to the North, hoping one day to reunite their family. Addy learns to read and write, makes new friends, and discovers what being free really means.

4)      Samantha Parkington: a bright, compassionate girl living with her wealthy grandmother in 1904. It's an exciting time of change in America, and Samantha's world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend Nellie, a servant girl whose life is nothing like Samantha's.

5)      Molly McIntire: a lively, lovable schemer and dreamer growing up in 1944. The world is at war, and she misses her father who is overseas caring for wounded soldiers. Molly doesn't like many of the changes the war has brought, like rationing rubber, eating turnips for dinner, and not seeing Dad on Christmas. But she learns the importance of getting along and pulling together - just as her country must do to win the war.

(Descriptions courtesy of http://curtdanhauser.com/AG_Collecting/Main.html)

When I was little I really wanted the Kirsten doll and my family gave her to me for either my birthday or for Christmas—I can’t remember which.  But I do remember the absolute excitement and happiness I felt when I opened the box and saw that I finally had my very own American Girl Kirsten doll.  My friends and I all had dolls from American Girl and we would always play with them.  We were creative girls and we took our dolls on adventures through beautiful, enchanted forests and magical landscapes that were inhabited by faeries, unicorns, gryphons, various other mythical creatures, and animals that could talk.  I took very good care of Kirsten and of course I still have her, her books, and many of her original outfits and accessories.

Inevitably, as these things happen when you’re growing up, I stopped collecting American Girl and found new hobbies to explore (such as model horse collecting, among other things).  But I always had a soft spot for American Girl.  Whenever I would see the books in Barnes and Noble, or when I would come across a catalogue in the mail, or when I would see Kirsten tucked safely away in my closet, I would get a little wistful and remember all the fun times I had playing with her.  I knew then that when I had children (hopefully a daughter or two!) I would want them to play with her and create their own wonderful American Girl memories. 

When I was in eighth grade my whole class and I went to the east coast and traveled from Williamsburg all the way up to New York City in two weeks.  We explored all of the major historical sites and I absolutely loved them all!  My favorites, though, were Williamsburg, Mt. Vernon and Monticello.  It was on this trip where the love that I have now for the Revolutionary War era of American history blossomed.  Ever since the East Coast Trip I’ve loved studying and reading about the Founding Fathers and the birth of my beloved country.  I remember the fleeting thought passing through my mind when I was traversing the Williamsburg grounds: I should have been more into Felicity when I was little!  While I love Kirsten and her story, Felicity is really the doll that represents the period of American history that I love the most.  And so, as I graduated eighth grade, I got it into my head to buy my own Felicity when I was older.

 Flash forward to ten years later...

A couple weeks ago, my friend Erin and I were reminiscing about American Girl (it turns out she was just as into all of the dolls as I was!).  I shared with her that I really wanted to buy Felicity one day, especially since I found out last year that American Girl was going to retire her soon.  (American Girl has slowly been retiring all the historical dolls and is going more mainstream with their sales of modern-day dolls that “can look like you!”  It makes me a little sad to see all of the historical dolls, who were such a wonderful part of my childhood, disappear year by year).  I told Erin this and she told me she wanted to buy Felicity too!  The next day I saw Erin’s message on my facebook wall: “I can’t find Felicity on the American Girl website!  Is she gone??  PANIC!”  I rushed over to the site to check—and sure enough, Felicity was gone.  Just like that.  Retired.  No longer available anywhere!

Except on ebay.  You can find anything on ebay.

So I then rushed over to ebay and did a little research on the Felicity doll, both the pre-and-post-Mattel models.  After a day or so of debating with myself over whether I should buy her or not now, I decided to commit to a purchase (as did Erin!).  Since Felicity is now retired, her value as a collector’s doll is going up—and will continue to do so as the years go on.  So, with a beaming smile, I bought an original Pleasant Company pre-Mattel Felicity doll and excitedly awaited her arrival for a whole week.

My friends, Felicity finally came yesterday!  She really is a beautiful doll with a pretty, round face, lovely green eyes and bright copper-red hair. 

Erin and I have decided that we are going to continue collecting Felicity’s original outfits and accessories.  We’re really excited about owning Felicity (finally!) and starting our American Girl collections back up.  I have such wonderful memories of American Girl when I was a little girl playing in my room and out in the backyard with my elementary school friends, and it will be so fun to create brand new American Girl memories with more friends as an adult.  Erin already has a great ebay story about how she got into an intense bidding war with someone else over Felicity’s Christmas gown—I’m sure there will be many more stories like that in the future!  I can’t wait to share all of these stories and my love of American Girl with my future daughter(s) one day.

<3

(Reposted, since blogger crashed and lost it the first time around!)

Renaissance Faire Adventures!

Me, Melissa, Kat and Erin

Yesterday I shared my first Renaissance Faire experience with my close friends from my Renaissance Drama class: Katrina, Melissa and Erin (her boyfriend Ben and Kat’s boyfriend Tu came too).  We all had so much fun!  We arrived at the Faire early and purchased our discount tickets.  My change came back in “gold” dollar coins—that was much more Faire-esque than paper money!  I felt like a legit Faire-goer with those in my wallet.  Then Melissa and I were asked by a woman dressed as a peasant if we wanted to buy “fine carrots grown in the Shire”—we declined…we were more in a “Sin on a Stick” (a rather bawdy name, isn’t it?  But it’s actually frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate on a stick), fish and chips, meatpie, pasta, turkey leg, chicken and quail kind of mood than a veggies mood.  (We were definitely looking forward to eating all of that famous Faire food!)

My hairdo

The first thing the group of us did was to go to “Braids for Maids” so I could get my hair done up in swirling French braids, ribbons and flowers.  The maid who did my hair was quite skilled in her craft.  It took her about 20 minutes to gather my hair up and twist it into two fancy braids and adorn it with pretty ribbons and flowers—it was well worth the money!  When we were all there a group of Puritans came inside and did a Biblical skit for us.  …There was a unicorn in it.  And an ark.  And that’s all I remember about it!  I tipped my hair dresser maid and she yelled out “God save the Tipper!  All Tippers go to…(and the rest of the people chimed in)…Heaven!”  That was hilarious.  All day, whenever someone would tip the Faire workers (who were always “in character” by the way), they would either yell “God save the Tipper” or “Huzzah for the Tipper” or “All Tippers go to…Heaven!”  Loved it.

The weather stayed blissfully cool until about 12:30 in the afternoon.  But even after 12:30 the weather didn’t get too hot.  The wind blowing in from across the water kept the temperature inside the Faire grounds relatively cool despite the sunshine beating down on us.  I still got a little sunburned (no surprise there, thanks to my Irish heritage!) and we got parched enough to shell out the money to get “Cold Drynks” as we traversed the Faire grounds.  We girls had a blast stopping at all the booths to ogle the pretty jewelry, try on skirts, peasant blouses and gypsy shawls and sashes.  The girls talked me into trying on a beautiful green, short-sleeved peasant blouse.  When I pulled back the curtain, they oood and ahhed over how I looked in it, then Melissa and Kat told me I had to “whore it up” and they pulled the sleeves down until they were off my shoulders (and showing much more skin than I’m used to!).  I felt feminine wearing it that way though—and we all decided that next year we’re going to try to make the effort to dress up in peasant blouses, corsets and full skirts!  Can’t wait.

Of course, you can’t go to the Renaissance Faire without having someone say something inappropriate to you.  A peasant woman with a basket full of flowers came up to us and told us we needed flowers for our bosoms.  I blushed and told her no, no, I really didn’t.  I was good.  And she insisted that men wanted to see flowers tucked away in our cleavage, and I told her, no, I’m pretty sure they don’t care.  (But maybe they do?  Who knows!)  Besides, my chest isn’t that big…the flowers probably wouldn’t have stayed even if I did buy some!  The girls were cracking up over my embarrassed responses to the peasant woman.  Later that day, Melissa was accosted by a drunk pirate who wanted to find her “treasure” and her “booty.”  He actually had a treasure map and laid it over her chest, and then tried to lay it over her bum.  Special, right?  And I was hit on by a Renaissance Archer Guy who I think was supposed to be Robin Hood.  Or something.  I felt him looking at me, and I purposefully did not look back, but he came over anyway and asked me, “Do you know why blondes have more fun?”  And I thought, Uh-oh, but decided to play along.  I smiled sweetly at him and said, “I…don’t know.  Why?”  And he replied, “Because there aren’t enough redheads to go around!”  *facepalm*  Special.  I’m pretty sure I flushed but I handled him as well as I could and told him “Thank you?” and was then rescued by the girls (thank you, girls!).  Later that afternoon we had a Yeoman “escort” us for 10 minutes or so.  Nevermind the fact that we had two guys with us—he just wanted to flirt with us girls.  I let Melissa, Erin and Kat handle him and I just laughed inside.  Eventually Melissa escaped him to walk with me.  Like Melissa said, these Faire workers have it pretty good: getting paid to flirt with girls?  Not too shabby of a job for a young buck. 

We all bought some things at the Faire, besides the seriously delicious food.  The girls bought jewelry, hair decorations, coronets and gypsy shawls, and I bought a half-wreath of cream-colored flowers with a pretty ribbons and greenery woven through them to wear on my head.  I felt like a princess wearing that!  While we were out shopping, Queen Elizabeth I went by with her train of nobles, including Shakespeare and Marlowe.  We girls slipped into “crowd character” and cheered and waved and shouted “Hi!” to her.  She met our eyes and waved and shouted “Hello!” back.  That made our afternoon.  Also, I almost got run down by the Pub Crawl.  Do take note: when going to the Ren Faire, don’t get in the way of people and their booze!  Thank you.

The last thing we all did was watch the jousting.  We were cheering for the black and white knight (I think he represented England) and it was a joust to the death!  We were totally into it.  We yelled and booed at the three knights we wanted to lose, and screamed and clapped for our knight.  He ended up being run through by two swords (bummer)—but at the end he lived again and came out of the gate galloping on his steed so it was all good!  Once the jousting was over we got to meet our knight and pet his horse.  I absolutely love horses.  I always have.  I love to ride them—trail riding or trotting or cantering, I love it all (and I’m a fairly good rider too, if I do say so myself!).  The horses these knights rode on were rescue horses, so I donated money to their cause. 

Also, I must share two of my favorite signs I saw: "Laundry Service: Drop Thy Britches Hither" and "Children Left Overnight Will Be Sold"  Hah!

So, moral of the story: Go to the Ren Faire!  It’s really fun, especially when you’re with a really awesome group of friends.

<3

Kiss kiss! Maybe he'll turn into a prince!

Simple Joys

Even when I’m feeling stressed about all of the projects and tests and papers I have due at the end of each semester, I always try to take the time to appreciate the simple joys each day brings.  This week has been a week of many joys.  Here’s a few I’ll share~

~An impromptu Deli News pepperoni pizza and chit-chat date with one of my dearest friends

~The gorgeous, warm weather

~Sitting outside between LA 1 and LA 2 and enjoying the warm sunshine on my face and the cool breeze in my hair

~Drinking a Starbucks sweetened green iced tea

~Making ice cream in class—and then getting to eat it

~Drawing
~Laughing and chatting with my dear friends before class starts and after class ends

~Finding out I have another month to earn more money to put towards Fall tuition

~The taste of fresh, homemade whipped cream

~Turning on the whole-house fan at night and listening to my two sweet little parakeets warble happily to the sound
~Talking on the phone with three of my other dearest friends

~Reminiscing about American Girl and finally, after years of waiting, buying Felicity

~Napping in the sun

~The feeling of clean, cool sheets against my bare legs

~Falling asleep at night with the window open

~Getting complimented

~Logging on to facebook and seeing my friends link me to posts that make me burst out laughing

~Hearing Florence & the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” on the radio and singing along

~Having my classmate wish me Happy Star Wars Day: May the Fourth be with you

~Finding more closure and feeling peace within about it

~Reading one of my favorite, well-loved books

Take the time to appreciate the simple joys in each day.  You’ll find that you can’t help but smile!

<3

My Weight-Loss Challenge

Last week was the week of carbs for me: pizza, pasta, potatoes, bread, ribs, chicken, more coffee in a day than usual, cheesecake, chocolate…you name it, I ate it.  Like most women I’m an emotional eater.  When I’m upset or stressed out all I want to do is eat my comfort foods.  But yesterday I felt so guilty about giving in and swore I’d weigh myself on Sunday (today) and once again try to be stricter with eating right and calorie counting.

This is the dress!

So after I rolled out of bed this morning I gathered enough mental strength to weigh myself.  I stepped on the scale, braced myself, and peered down at the numbers—and was actually rather pleased!  Over the last month or so I’ve maintained weight rather than gained and I’m so relieved, you have no idea.  I do have a rather gorgeous bridesmaid’s dress to fit into by July and the last thing I want is to gain any more weight back.  It fits well now but I know it could fit even better by July, so it’s a real motivator for me to do the right thing by eating right, counting calories, and exercising as often as I can.

I used to hate exercising.  I loathed it as much as I love PF Chang’s (my favorite restaurant in the whole world).  But in the Fall of 2009 I overcame the mental block I had about it, especially once I could see that all my hard work with weights and cardio and effort to eat right was paying off.  After seeing the definition starting to appear in my legs and seeing my waist start to shrink, giving me a better figure, I began to enjoy doing it.  I liked to sweat and feel my muscles tremble and quiver because it meant I was doing the right thing.  When I lost my first 10 pounds I went online and splurged on my first pair of designer Seven For All Mankind dojo-cut jeans and  told myself that in another month I would fit into them.  (I chose Sevens rather than True Religion because the pockets on the Sevens tend to make a woman’s behind look pretty darn good…just sayin’!)  And a month and a half later I could fit into them!  I was so happy and so proud of myself.  I actually still have those Sevens but they are too big for me to wear now.  I’ve decided to keep them for sentimental reasons…I’m sure you women out there can understand that!

I’ve been on a weight-loss kick since the Fall of 2009.  Since then I’ve lost 20 pounds, a shirt size, a pant size or two depending on where I shop, and have gained a lot of confidence in myself.  However, I still feel that I can do better—hence the push to lose more weight and inches off my hips, legs and arms by July.  And it is a push.  My body likes where it’s at right now.  I know most women can relate to this—when your body likes where it’s at it’s so hard to cut back on foods you love and push yourself to exercise more.  But I’m making the effort and will continue to do so even after July.  For those of you who are struggling with the whole weight thing, don’t give up!  As long as you have your goal in mind and you really want it, you’ll get there.  We’ll make it there together  :)

<3

"The whole world's on fire, isn't it?"...

…says Cora Munro to her lover Nathaniel in The Last of the Mohicans.  The movie’s powerful theme crescendos in the background, overriding the canon blasts, musket shots and screams of the wounded and dying.  They hold on tight to one another through the bars of the prison cell, Cora pressing her face against Nathaniel’s shoulder as he grasps the back of her neck, tangling his fingers in her dark hair.  The blazing fire outside the fort lights their faces in an orange glow.

This is one of the many quotes—and scenes—of this movie that sends shivers down my spine.  I love The Last of the Mohicans (the theatrical cut, not the director’s cut.  There is a difference, I promise you).  The writing is wonderful.  The directing is well done.  The scenery is beautiful.  The acting is superb.  The music is gorgeous.  I actually grew up with its beautiful soundtrack.  Some of my earliest memories as a child are of being in the car with my mom and listening to the soundtrack on cassette tape.  When I was in middle school I finally watched Mohicans with my parents and instantly fell in love with Nathaniel, Cora, Uncas, Alice, Chingachgook and even Duncan.  I watched with bated breath as the romance between Cora and Nathaniel slowly unfolded (yes, I was even a romantic then!)—and I still watch with bated breath as if I’m watching it for the first time all over again.  I’m the kind of romantic who appreciates the conversation between the man and the woman and how that is far more important than anything physical that happens between them.  I also love when the meaningful looks the lovers share are so charged with raw emotion that they are more significant than a kiss.  This is the kind of romance that exists between Nathaniel and Cora.  Later on in the movie they do kiss, but that is all they do—the physical never overshadows their true love for each other. 

Mohicans is the type of movie that is becoming rarer in today’s world: it promotes the love of freedom, and liberty from tyranny; it promotes intellectual and true love over physical lust; it promotes doing what is right over what is easy; and it promotes morality, strength, courage, honor, selflessness, quiet dignity and integrity in man’s actions.  Nathaniel is the kind of man I’m very much attracted to.  I know he’s a fictional character but the rules of honor and integrity and strength he lives by are not fabricated, and I know that there are men out there who do embody those qualities I admire and want in a husband.  Nathaniel’s love for Cora really does take my breath away when I’m watching the movie.  He respects her as much as she respects him and it is from this respect that their love grows and deepens.  It’s truly beautiful to watch.

My family and I watched Mohicans earlier this evening.  It’s one of the only movies that I will lay still and watch all the way through without getting up for any reason.  I won’t even talk during it because any disruption ruins the poignancy of each scene—especially the last 10 minutes of the movie.  That last scene is one of the most powerful of any movie I’ve ever seen.  I don’t think I even breathe during it—those of you who have seen it know why.  For those of you who haven't seen it, it is sort of like Gladiator.  It has that power that keeps you captivated until the very end.  And just like Gladiator, you can’t just get up and leave when it's over—you have to stay and silently watch the credits and appreciate the beautiful music and the feelings the movie leaves you with.  Tonight was no different for us.  After the movie ended and the credits started rolling, my family and I were quiet for a long while, silently watching the credits and listening to the music and allowing our thoughts to linger on the feelings this movie provokes in each of us.

If you haven’t seen this movie you really should watch it—but make sure it’s the theatrical version, not the director’s cut.  You won’t regret it, I promise.

<3 

LOST

The almost-tropical weather we have been having today—blue skies and bright sunshine instantly turning into dark clouds and rain—reminded me of something I’ve really been missing this Spring: LOST.  

Yes, the TV show. 

I’m not sure if I can call myself a Lostie like I call myself a Phile (a hardcore X-Files fan) but I love LOST.  Back in 2005, Grandma asked me if I was watching “this new show called LOST.”  I admitted that I hadn’t seen any of the episodes but I’d heard great things.  I remember her saying to me, “Oh, Dana!  It’s really good!  You should give it a shot.”  Seeing as how I’m always open to watching all kinds of shows, and knowing that this show was acclaimed for its deep character development and its elements of mystery and science fiction (everything that I enjoy!), I decided to follow her advice and get into it.  So for my birthday that summer I asked for LOST Season 1.  On that warm summer night in late August my family and I settled down in the den to watch it and we didn’t (couldn’t!) stop that night until we finished disc one. 

I was floored by how addicting the show was.  I just couldn’t get enough!  After finishing Season 1 on DVD, my mom, dad, brother and I began watching it religiously together on live TV.  I fell in love with the characters: from the reluctant but strong leader Jack to the ambiguous Kate to the bad boy Sawyer to the sadistic Other Ben to the Other-turned-good Juliet—all of them.  The flashbacks of these characters’ lives before the plane crash became just as important as the current trekking-through-the-jungle-avoiding-monsters-death-and-the-mysterious-Others-while-desparately-searching-for-a-way-off-the-Island plotline.  Each episode focuses on one of the characters.  Their flashbacks and the current Island plotline are woven together with a themed symbolism and purpose that I find innovative and provocative.  The characters of LOST are not one-dimensional.  Each flashback (and in later seasons, each flashforward) and action they take in the Island plotline adds layer after layer after layer to their personalities, making them real people who are good and flawed, who have loved and suffered, who have gained and lost.  They are not black and white—they are shades of grey.  I think that is definitely part of the reason why I fell in love with all of them and why everyone who loves the show can relate to them—because we are all shades of grey.

LOST is a show that is character-driven which is the number one reason why I love it so.  But I love it for its mysteries too, both explained and unexplained.  I mean, smoke monsters?  Ghosts?  Polar bears roaming around the jungle?  Miracles?  Immortality?  Time travel?  You can’t get much better than that!  I also love it for its complicated storylines that took me on a whirlwind of a wild ride.  It’s definitely not a fluff show.  To quote my professor, it is a “thinky thing” because it challenges your perceptions.  It didn’t really irk me that not everything was explained by the series finale.  I felt that the way it ended, with unraveling threads and loose ends, was fitting for a show that was renowned for its ambiguity. 

This is my first Spring since 2006 without LOST to look forward to every week and I really do miss it.  I miss the feeling of excitement that used to come over me when it was 15 minutes til 9:00.  I miss settling down on the sofa with my family around me, chatting about the last episode and theorizing about the mysteries unexplained.  I miss talking to my friends about each week’s episode, exclaiming over the events that occurred and wondering what in the world was going to happen next.  I’ve missed LOST so much that my family and I have started the series over again since we own the seasons on DVD.  I love revisiting all the characters and reliving their stories with them.  Even though I know what is going to happen next, I still find myself biting my lower lip nervously, clutching my blanket to my chest, sometimes groaning and snarling at the TV, and, yes, sometimes wiping away a tear or two—it’s a sign of an excellent show.

There will never be another show like LOST.  Never.  I count myself fortunate to have, in a way, grown up with it.  If you haven’t watched it I recommend that you, to quote my Grandma, “give it a shot.”

<3