A Crazy Night

Picture Prompt Day 32 - A picture of a crazy night

     I don't think Cat or Deanna would like it if I showed our other goofy pics so we'll settle on this one.  It's always interesting when the three of us get together.  ;)

My Day + 18 Facts About Me

Picture Prompt Day 25 - A picture of your day

     Today I worked on planning my NaNoWriMo, chatted with a friend I randomly ran into at the library, got the things I needed for dinner, then made dinner (Tuscan Bean and Sausage soup). 

Now I am going to unpack from our trip and clean my room so my sister can share with me while our grandmother is visiting.

1. My favorite song depends on my mood.  I like Mordred’s Lullaby, Come Sail Away, In My Room, I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls, Scarborough Faire, Bring Him Home, Part of Your World, Starry, Starry Night, God Help the Outcast, My Immortal, Solla Sollew, Falcon in the Dive, A Victory Song, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Gunpowder and Lead, Bait a Hook, and Ode to Joy.  (Julie O) 
2. I have never finished writing a long story.
3. One of my favorite things to write with is a Sanford Design Ebony Jet Black Extra Smooth charcoal pencil. 
4. I took art class in middle school and the only thing I really learned well is how to draw eyes.  Once our teacher had us sketch with our eyes closed to practice drawing without looking at the paper and my eye sketch was nearly perfect. 
5. For years I didn’t think I was artistic in the traditional sense because my artwork was not realistic but I have recently realized that cartoon-ish work is just as beautiful and have enjoyed embracing my own style. 
6. My reading choices as a youth consisted of mysteries (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and ND/HB xovers), animal stories (Island Stallion, King of the Wind, Animal Ark, Dinotopia), and historical novels (Laura Ingalls, Dear America, American Girl, The Midwife’s Apprentice, Girl in a Cage).
7.  The first book that made me cry was Black Gold by Margurite Henry.  I immediately gave the book to my sister to keep and while the book has found its way back to me, to this day I still have not re-read it.
8. When I read, if I’m not careful, I completely block everything out.  I lose track of time, I have no idea what has happened while I was reading, and my fingers will suddenly be in pain from me chewing on them.
9. As a child I would fall asleep chewing on the edge of my favorite blanket, singing to myself.  No wonder I have TMJ problems now.
10. These days I fall asleep listening to an audio book, either one of the Cat Who books by Lillian Jackson Braun, narrated by George Guidall or one of the Mary Russell books by Laurie R. King, narrated by Jenny Sterlin.  ((At this very moment it is Justice Hall.))
11. Or I fall asleep to the Return to Pooh Corner album by Kenny Loggins with “Lux Arumque” by Eric Whitacher, “Trial of Lancelot” and “Mordred’s Lullaby” by Heather Dale, “Flying” and “The Fairy Dance” from the live action Peter Pan soundtrack, and the main theme from Hunt for Red October.
12. Have I mentioned that Hunt for Red October can put me to sleep?  One of my favorite movies and it knocks me out! 
13. I have seen three movies in the theatre twice: Wreck-it Ralph, Les Miserables (2012), and Star Trek: Into Darkness.
14. So I already mentioned, I liked chewing on things as a child, especially when falling asleep ... including the power cord to the lamp above my bed. If my parents hadn't discovered it when rearranging my room I would have chewed on the live wires and killed myself by accident.
15.  I like cleaning my room to books on CD, especially Mossflower by Brian Jacques and Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.
16.  Music and audio books can trigger very vivid memories.  For example, I hadn’t listened to Mossflower for a while but the moment I heard the passage about the Kotir soldiers capturing Martin I was immediately transported from the road I was driving on, back to my room where I first heard the story, facing my highboy, looking out over it into the backyard, in the summer, and I could distinctly taste the fruit gummies I had been snacking on at the time, as mother had bought a big box and I was the only one who really liked them.
17.  I am incapable of cleaning while looking normal.  I end up with my hair in funky/spikey buns, wearing clothes that don’t match at all (whatever I find while cleaning plus a skirt usually), whatever jewelry I come across, and my cleaning apron with bunches of pockets.
18. When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2 makes me feel guilty about getting rid of things.

We're Messed Up Man

Picture Prompt Day 10 - The person you do the most messed up things with

     This should be self explanatory.  They have plastic cake decoration foliage in their mouths.  They are goofs and I love them and they make me laugh so hard I have to use my inhaler.  Two live an hour away now, thankfully the other lives a flight of stairs away.

25 Facts About Me

1.  In a musical there is almost always one song I don’t like (and my sister finds much amusement in this).
2.  The shirts in my closet are organized by color.
3.  One day I would like to find something I can be so passionate about that I will become an expert.
4.  As a child I wanted to be an archeologist with a focus in paleontology so I could dig up the dinosaurs I loved reading about.  If I couldn’t be that I wanted to be a secretary because going to the moon in one of those little capsules was not an option.

5.  In fifth grade I killed a fly in mid air with a ruler.

6.  I cannot stand repetition but I can reread a book a hundred times.

7.  I spell ‘theatre’ the British way … much to the confusion of my friends.

8.  I cannot spell ‘similar’.  I ALWAYS spell it ‘simular’ … which evidently means ‘one who simulates’.

9.  I like eating my round candies (MnMs, Junior Mints, Skittles) in twos ...

10.  … and I like it even better to eat my candies in color order … but not the whole bag usually, just by the handful.

11.  I am not a morning person and loathe speaking in the morning.  I will do whatever I can and use all of my ninja skills to avoid talking to people.

12.  Guilty pleasure movie: The Scarlet Pimpernel starring Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews and Ian McKellen.  It is hilarious with moments of serious men in manly ponytails.  ^_^  Also, I like yelling at the screen, “You’ve been told by Magneto!”

13.  The only thing that I like now, that I did not as a child, is guacamole.

14.  I still use Neopets Standard Time to set my clocks.
15.  When I get tired I use bigger words than usual.
16.  When I am uncomfortable in a situation I often start speaking in German, despite it not being my first language and despite my lack of fluency.
17.  I’ve never been stung by a bee/wasp/etc.
18.  I’ve never broken a bone.
19.   I have no freckles on the bottom of my feet, though I do have a matched set on the top.  (Cousin Denise)
20.  My favorite food is very hard to pinpoint but I love strawberries, I love lamb and venison, I love food that has flavor.  (Julie O)
21.  For a while I convinced my sister that split pea soup is nasty.  I still think so but she has changed her mind.
22.  I will not pull out in front of a car with it’s turn signal on, no matter how slow it is going.  That is how I almost got hit in Canada.
23.  Avengers fanfiction is best with a medieval soundtrack.
24.  I have never read an Alex Rider book … but I have listened to all except the newest and I’ve seen the movie.
25.  I cannot buy tights at a department store or drugstore because their lightest shade looks like a really bad fake tan on my pale German-Irish-Oregonian legs.     

Day 32 - Improv when your button is undone

February 1 - Her button was undone

HIS button is undone!!  ^_^

     Rayella was startled to feel a bit of a breeze on the underside of her breasts and blushed twenty shades of crimson when she looked down.  The thrice accursed button had undone itself, again!  Gritting her teeth she drew her apron up, finished taking the order of the man at the counter and excused herself.  She couldn't believe it!  The shirt had a mind of its own!  Most times she wore the white button up, identical to two others she owned, it behaved itself, remaining buttoned and modest all day.  And then there were days like this.  The fourth button from the top refused to stay.  Rummaging in her purse Rae found a safety pin (by jabbing her finger on it) at the very bottom then stepped into the staff bathroom to begin the wrestling process necessary to secure her shirt without making it obvious or creating more of a gap.  Why didn't she listen to herself this morning when she thought it would be a good idea to wear a cami?  For the love of everything holy!  It was one of those days.  She couldn't say everything was going wrong, and really, some nice things had happened, but just enough stuff like this was happening to make her consider crawling in bed and hiding under the covers for the next two days.  At the very least it was an ice cream and movie night.  Wait.  With the way things have been going, nothing that could spill.  Did she have a sippy cup in the house?  That's it, a no spill water bottle (contents open for discussion), the pre-cut cheese, meat, and crackers in her fridge (no way was she touching a knife) and Darcy.  Sigh.  Now to hope her shirt survived the next three hours.

     It was really hard to start this prompt but I am very pleased with the way it went.  And I am sure ladies out there know how Rayella felt about the shirt!  I do!  And who else has had days like that?  Not really bad enough to really complain but you are a clutz and everything you can do wrong or stupid, you will?  I've been having more of those lately.  Hopefully as the weather improves, so will my coordination.

Day 32 - Improvisation

     Writing is like an actor's improv, you begin and "characters bloom, plots come out of thin air."
     Speaking of actors, who has seen Improv Everywhere?  They are the ones behind the famous Grand Central Station Freeze, the Food Court Musicals, and the No Pants Subway Rides.  My favorite missions though (as they call each prank) are: Free High Fives - it brings such joy to the commuters; the MP3 experiments - it is one of my lifegoals to be in NY for one of these!!!!!; the surprise wedding reception - they throw an impromptu wedding reception for a couple married at city hall, complete with brides maids, groomsmen, a cake and music, it was so sweet and kind and made people so happy; and Welcome Home - they greet complete strangers flying into the local airport!
     Click on the name of any mission to be taken to their page with the video, synopsis, and reactions.

Day 28 - Jellicles and our other furry friends

August 28 - He called you by your real name

     Coricopat's ears laid flat on his head as his tail bushed and he bared his teeth at the man.
     "He called you by you real name!" he hissed to his sister.  Tantomile simply smiled enigmatically.
     "Yes," she purred, rubbing her head along the outstretched hand.
     *He?  I am offended,* a feminine voice echoed in his head.  *I am glad to know the disguise is effective but really?*
      Cori's eyes crossed as two battling waves hit him.  On one side was his Jellicle self, screaming that this was a human and they were neither telepathic nor able to see their Jellicle forms as he and his sister were in right now.  The other was his animal/cat side telling him that this was a very powerful force that he needed to bow to and love and obey and follow.  Normally his sides dwelt in harmony, the instinctive feral cat and intelligent cerebral Jellicle making up the overall fabric of his being, never before had he felt so torn.  His instincts were trying to tell him something and he quieted his mind to hear the tiny voice.  It came across in bold, capital, bedazzled letters.  GUARDIAN!  This was the being chosen to protect animals, his rational side interpreted, and deserved the obedience of a pack/tribe leader.
     *Very good [             ].*
     Coricopat flinched.  No one ever spoke a Jellicle's Third Name except extremely close mates or siblings.  It was a part of their self-identity, of their soul and it felt like she, for he now knew it was a woman, was poking his life force with a stick.  Only Tantomile knew that name.  It was the only thing he had ever had to consciously share with her, and even then she had never spoken it aloud.
     *Pax child.* Peace brother* came simultaneous messages from his sister and the Guardian.
     *I apologize,* the Guardian sent along with waves of peaceful emotions as his sister twined herself around him.  *Jellicles are on the edge of my jurisdiction so I know less about their society that most creatures I come across.  Know that I would never speak your Third Name/Self-Name aloud or to anyone but you.*
     "Thank you."  His voice was still strangled with emotion but he did his best to convey his appreciation.  Then a thought occurred to him.  "Do you speak Jellicle?"
     The form nodded then replied in the same tongue.  "It requires rearranging my vocal chords a little and I don't think any slang or colloquial terms would translate well but I can understand."

     I wasn't sure where to go with this.  My first thought was Rae but I feel like I am harping on her and not developing her like I should.  My next thought was a Jellicle ... and I really wanted to simply explain why you don't call a Jellicle by their real name, if you should guess it, which you never will.  They don't pull a Rumpelstiltskin and dance around singing it.  I ended up combining them.  For some reason it was always Coricopat saying the prompt, never anyone else in the Tribe or any of my original Jellicle characters, though it did waver between him warning Tantomile or Cantata.  And if I could bedazzle the word Guardian in a sparkly pink-red, I would.


Day 28 - In the Company of Animals

      Ms. Abercrombie discusses various authors who have/had pets, both cats and dogs, as faithful companions, cheerleaders, and muses.  She also briefly discusses the fact that her current furry shadow is a rescue named Nelson.
      I am glad she made the decision to adopt and I think that using a rescue program is an excellent way to go about it.  We have used American Brittany Rescue to adopt our last two dogs and are so happy with our choices. 
     Our first rescue was Sammie, a young male who had been rescued from two different abusive homes (one neglect, the other worse).  When we went to meet him he was already named, well mannered, housebroken and crate trained, and while a little reserved, he got along with us all well.  He was the most nervous around my dad, which broke my father's heart, as he had grown up with Brittanies and even had one named Sam.  We decided one of his previous male owners must have kicked him when he went out the door because he either refused to go outside or was skittish if my dad was standing in/near the door way.  After he had adjusted to the family and warmed up to us all (though he claimed Mom as 'his' person, with me as beta) my dad and sister took an afternoon and slowly taught Sam that Dad wasn't going to hurt him by having Deanna lead him in and out of the house on his leash first with Dad standing next to the doorway, then with Dad petting him as he went though.  Later, from time to time, he would still feel too much pressure if one of us was in the doorway but by and large that was the only residue from his previous life.  Poor thing had terrible genetics and lost several teeth, ended up being mostly blind one eye (which led to several false alarms), and developed arthritis but he enjoyed cuddling and snuggling with everyone and was very glad to meet new people.  He had his preferred spot on the couch and if it was occupied during a party and the person got up, he had no qualms about reclaiming it!  Did I mention Sam's favorite spot during the day was the back of the couch?  He could see the whole neighborhood and get a nap in the sun all at once.

Pleeeeeease will you feed me?

     Our second rescue (whom we have right now) is Charlie.  Charlie is a purebreed, owner surrender, meaning his owner contacted ABR and asked them to come take him away, in this case because the wife and kids weren't happy with the dog the hubby got and wanted a pug.  They had the gall to brag about it to the person who picked him up.  Makes me sooooo mad.  The two major issues we've had to deal with on Charlie were socialization and his hunting drive.  His first family kept him outside, on a chain, so he was very happy outside, with very little interest in people or affection.  Now he gets jealous if we kids are snuggling with Dad on the loveseat, that's his spot!  lol!  We noticed a definite change after our latest camping trip, our first with him.  After dark he would curl up in people's lap or on a camp chair around the fire and since then he has staked out Dad's lap as his, which is really funny because Charlie is on the long side for a Brittany, not really 'lap' size!  For his hunt drive we ended up taking him to a dog trainer and worked with her, getting him to focus on us and learning how to calm him down when he starts racing from window to window, 'hunting' squirrels and birds and moving leaves.  Initially it involved putting him in his crate when he wouldn't stop, but now a firm 'Down' and 'Stay' works very well.  He'll complain a bit at first but then he'll settle down for a nap.  Phew.
     I could write pages and pages and pages about our beloved Brittanies, their similarities and differences and quirks and adventures (and not even start on our gerbils or my favorite cats) but sufficed to say, writer or not, pets are very important, to love and to snuggle with, with no judgement or malice or ulterior motive (unless it's dinnertime).

Not gonna talk to you, but I'm going to marry you

The funniest thing happened on Sunday and I just had to share with those of you who don't go on Facebook!
My sister, one of our friends, and I went to meeting in Sandy on Sunday so that we could go to a movie with our friends there afterward.  After meeting I was standing in a circle of friends when I felt a soft patting on my lower back.   When I turned around a cute little blonde boy was standing there, staring at me.  As soon as he saw he had my attention he looked up at me seriously and said, "I don't know your name."
"My name is Leandra," I told him, but it was loud so he repeated that he didn't know my name and I repeated what mine was.  Afraid of it continuing, I asked him what his name was.  He rattled off something long in that not exactly clear English way kids have, but I had heard him comment during meeting so I clarified. "Your name is Izzy?"

He nodded and studied me for another moment, looking me up and down. "Are you a Jehovah's Witness?"
I replied that yes, I was and he gave me a VERY disbelieving look!  I'll admit I felt a little self conscious at this.  My dress wasn't short or revealing or tight, but I have a figure so sometimes I do worry about the message my clothes may be sending unintentionally.  After several more long moments of staring he informed me, "I'm not going to talk to you."
And with that parting shot he walked away into my group of friends.  I found this absolutely hilarious so I buried my head in Deanna's shoulder to keep from laughing and she was having a hard time keeping it contained too.   When I looked up he was looking at me but then turned and wandered away.
A few minutes later he walked up behind me again.   He told Rebecca and I, "You girls are very pretty. I'm going to marry you."
Playing along I said that he was a little young and I was too old so maybe we'd have to wait but he wasn't put off.   He said that since he was six and I was fourteen we could work things out!!
At this point it was time for us to leave so after a quick "see you later", another friend hustled me across the Kingdom Hall to get my bags.  He met us there and invited me out to lunch, Chinese, and after hearing that my friends and I were going to a movie (Wreck-It Ralph), he informed me that he had Madagascar 3 and 2 at home and that they were very good movies.  I agreed that they were very good movies, then Caitlin told him firmly that we needed to leave.  We said good bye and I just about died of laughter in the car on the way home, especially when Rebecca told me that she loved me too, but she had no desire to be a sister-wife with me, thank-you-very-much.

From "I'm not going to talk to you" to "Let's get married" in a matter of five minutes!  No wonder he has a reputation as a ladies man!  His poor parents and his poor twin!  XD