Ready for Spring

March is nearly over here in big sky country, but spring has yet to get settled in. It seems like each time spring gets its foot in the door, winter comes over and stomps on it. We were blessed with mid-50 temps here a week ago, now it's below freezing. The same thing happened a few weeks ago. I'm honestly not sure what to make of it.

In spite of all this, I have still started my seedlings indoors. I made a colorful yarn wreath, filled my bird feeders, painted a lovely picture of rolling hills covered with flowers, and baked sugar cookies in the shape of flowers. I'm trying to will spring to come, because I'm ready to be outside. My skin is dry and pasty white; it needs to feel the sun's warmth. I long for green in my garden. I'm very curious if the apple trees in my yard will be beautiful. I'm also looking forward to exploring my town when the weather is fine, when there's time to linger and enjoy discovering a new place, instead of hurrying in from the cold.

Anyway, guys, I'm hoping to get some more pics up soon of what we're up to around here. Stay warm, friends, and repeat after me: winter won't be around forever.

Wanting to Do Something

I have the desire to craft, and no idea what I want to do. I think to myself, "Maybe I'll paint a picture." However, that doesn't feel like what I want to do. I think, "How about a quilt?" Still, that doesn't seem like it. Refashion an outfit? Nah. Scrapbook? Uh-uh. Update my nightstands? No dice.

What should I do, my friends? I have no idea, and I'm frustrated.

Sigh.

Ikea Envy and the Cost of Things

So lately I've been having a bit of what I call "Ikea envy." It is a condition where, upon seeing the cool stuff you can do with Ikea products, you feel sad and a little jealous of people who are blessed to live near an Ikea. Have you seen all the fantastic "Ikea hacks" - the ones where people take a cheap piece of furniture, such as the RAST dresser ($34.99), and turn it into something that looks like a million bucks? Seriously, if you haven't seen them, take a minute and Google it. They're insanely clever, and right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, the closest Ikea is over eight hours away in Utah, and their shipping rates are exorbitant, so I'm stuck with a creative itch I can't scratch.

At any rate, the whole reason I have this creative itch is because I've been bitten by the design bug. I guess it's just living in a new space that has me wanting a change, or it could be that I've had the same old stuff for years now and I would like something new. A lot of the things I have, while not bad, where either inexpensive things bought in a hurry, or they were hand-me-downs given to us to fill a specific need we had at the time. Combine that with the fact that quite a few of my possessions got pretty beat up in this last move, and I'm feeling the need for something different.

That being said, I can't just go out and buy all new things because my husband and I are attempting to become debt-free in the next two or three years so we can begin saving for a down payment on the dream house we want to build. I have to make what I have last for now. However, it isn't just that. More and more I'm coming to realize that all those homes that I admire on Pinterest and in the magazines aren't furnished with particle board furniture from big box stores. The homes that dazzle me most are filled with family heirlooms, lucky flea market or yard sale finds, tirelessly sought for antiques and vintage pieces, and high-end quality stuff made by people who give a damn about their craft. That's what I want, and that kind of look takes time. If I try to rush it, I'm going to end up disappointed. So for now, I'm going to bide my time, and make due with what I have. So that means getting crafty.

**WARNING: SMALL RANT AHEAD**

I'm realizing lately that I am out of touch with how much things cost in general. The other day I hit up my local home improvement store for the things I need to spruce up my nightstands, and I suffered some serious sticker shock (say that five times fast) at the price of paint. It was the same at every store I checked. I also browsed my local craft store and did some internet searching for fabric, but by the time I was done, I was ready to cry. Who pays $99 a yard for fabric?! And I love me some Pottery Barn, but I think that $40-$60 might be a bit much for throw pillows. Now if you want the real kicker, Anthropologie has these nifty rough amethyst 4x6 inch picture frames for - wait for it - $548. A frame that holds a FOUR INCH BY SIX INCH picture. If you like these frames, I'm going to tell you a secret: buy the stuff you need to make this on Etsy, it will cost you about $30, maybe $40, depending on shipping. There. I just saved you $518. Seriously though, who is buying this stuff? It isn't me, or anyone I know. And listen, I know I'm a cheapskate, but I honestly DO NOT KNOW a single person who could afford to spend five hundred dollars on a tiny picture frame. The people I know have to do number crunching if they want to buy a decent sofa or a USED car, but that's the people I know, and granted, I don't know many. It just gets me how much things can cost, and what some places consider reasonable prices. Kind of like when Better Homes and Gardens does an article on small kitchens, and the kitchens they show are bigger than my living room. I've had a 10'x10' kitchen that also served as my dining room. It truly had only enough counter space to make a sandwich, yet I cooked meals and baked desserts for a family of three in it. Until BHG shows me a kitchen like that, I'm not inclined to give them much credibility. So when I see stuff advertised as affordable home decor, I bristle up a bit when they show things it would take my husband's whole paycheck to buy.

Anyway, I'm done rambling for now. I appreciate you putting up with my musings. I promise less rant, more awesomeness for the next post. See ya!

Westward, Ho!

So, I know I haven't talked much about it, but I thought I might share some photos from our journey westward to Big Sky Country. I didn't get a lot of photos because I was driving, but I got enough to sum up our journey.

This is my little one pretending to drive while we were stuck at the auto repair place in Augusta, GA. Word to the wise, rent something other than a U-haul. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, after about 12 hours on day one, we'd only covered a distance that usually takes just two hours. Not a good way to start the trip. Fortunately, there weren't anymore problems once we got back on the road, but by then, I was already pretty frazzled.

Day two began with us in Monteagle, TN. We woke up to LOTS of fog - like all the cliches about pea soup and hands in front of your face were completely true. While we waited for visibility to improve, we had a leisurely breakfast at the Rocky Top Restaurant. If you ever find yourself in Monteagle, you owe it to yourself to stop here. There's very good country cooking, friendly staff, and reasonable prices.

More pics from day two: the Nashville skyline, farm life in Kentucky, my tuckered out crew (traveling with a five year-old, a dog, and a cat isn't easy), and the St. Louis arch. We covered as much ground as we possibly could on day two in an attempt to make up for lost time on day one. It was pretty hard, but I really wanted to get to Montana as close to on-schedule as possible. My husband had been in Billings for the last two months, and we'd missed our 10-year wedding anniversary, Halloween, my husband's birthday, Thanksgiving ,and our daughter's 5th birthday together. When my mother in-law offered to help me move out so we didn't miss Christmas together too, I was grateful, and I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to in order to finish the journey.

 When the St. Louis arch came into view, I was a happy camper. I'd been excited to see it since I found out we'd be passing by it on our trip. However, today, the "gateway to the west's" beauty signified something else: our day of driving was nearly done, and better yet, we were halfway to Montana. Twelve hours and four states later, we stopped on the west side of St. Louis and rewarded our monumental driving efforts with dinner at Steak' n Shake.

Day three had us driving through a whole lotta nothin'. To the right is a pic of my little one at a rest stop in Iowa, getting a preview of the snow we had to look forward to. We had to trek the rest of the way across Missouri, into Iowa, and then across the vasty nothingness of South Dakota. To illustrate how little there is in South Dakota, my mom-in-law's husband, in spite of our warnings, decided to forego stopping for gas in Sioux Falls. When we began looking for gas, we finally found a little place several miles off the interstate. This town was so small, the gas station was also the town's grocery store and pizza joint!

On day four, the final day of our journey, we started out about two hours from Rapid City, SD. Over to the right you can see that vasty nothingness I was talking about. Once we got to Rapid City, we took a detour to go see Mt. Rushmore, because coming so close and not seeing it seemed like a crime. After that, we had lunch in Sturgis, SD, where my mom-in-law picked up some souvenir t-shirts at the Harley Davidson shop for her nephew and his wife, who are avid bikers. From there, we made the final push across Wyoming, and I tell you, it was beautiful. The snow on the landscape looked like someone had dusted powdered sugar over a giant donut. There were mountains, antelope, bald eagles, and more deer that I've ever seen in my life! We even got to see Devil's Tower, which is fantastic, because it is literally the only thing around for miles. I'm telling you, if you ever have the opportunity to drive across Wyoming, DO IT! Just fill up on gas first, because if you don't, you might find yourself surveying the landscape on foot with a gas can in one hand.

 This picture doesn't do them justice, but here are some of the Bighorn Mountains (I think). And to think this scenery is practically in my backyard! Anyway, after stopping in Sheridan, WY, we got back on the road and finally arrived in Billings at about 8PM. WHEW! Even though I was sleeping on an air mattress because our stuff was still in the truck, I've never slept so hard in my life.

So there you have it. Our four-day driving marathon across the ol' U.S. of A.

I Haven't Died

I'm still here! I know you guys are dying to know how my family's Halloween costumes turned out this year, but I'm telling you, I haven't stopped moving long enough to get the photos out into the blogosphere. Since I have a few minutes, let me tell you about what's going on in my life.

Back in April, my husband applied for a new job. It's clear across the country from where we live, but it's better pay, better work, and near our target area for our eventual secluded hobby-farm dream home. Well, months rolled by, and we just assumed that since we hadn't heard anything that he wasn't getting hired. Fast forward to August, and we got a call for him to come interview. In September, he was offered the job. At the beginning of October, my husband headed on out to start his new job and try to find a place for us to live. Meanwhile, I was still back at our old home packing up our stuff to put into storage. The plan was I would store all our stuff and then go stay with our relatives while waiting for my husband to find us a home out there.

Shortly after we got the call for the interview, we also got a call from our real estate agent in NY. The house that we'd been trying to sell for three years finally had an offer. There were negotiations and paperwork aplenty.

Since my daughter and I have been staying with family, we've been constantly running errands and visiting family. It feels like I haven't really had time to catch my breath. At any rate, we're scheduled to move into our new home with my husband in early December. Perhaps then I can rest. Who am I kidding? Christmas is approaching!

Anyway, that's what's been going on with my life. If you don't see me around, I'm probably running around all over creation like a chicken with my head chopped off. However, I promise as soon as I get a minute or two to organize my photos and my thoughts, I will post about Halloween, my paintings, and my craft projects. Until then, tootaloo!

A Tale of Love and Loss: Ashley and the Tacky Mirror

Life has been hectic for me lately! A couple of weeks ago, my husband was contacted about interviewing for a job in Montana. Shortly after that, we had a visit from my parents. Then our real estate agent contacted us about an offer to buy our house that we've been trying to sell for three years. At the moment, we have all sorts of irons in the fire, so no long posts for me today. Instead, I will present you a cautionary tale about procrastination.

While my parents were visiting, my mom requested that we visit the Hobby Lobby in town. Mom loves Hobby Lobby, but she doesn't have one very close to where she lives, so this was a special treat for her. Once inside, my mom, my daughter, and I began strolling the isles on the hunt for treasures. To make room for the Christmas items (don't get me started on that, I don't feel like climbing up on my soapbox tonight), they had put several items on clearance, including several decorative mirrors. It wasn't long before I spotted it - the gaudiest, God-awful mirror I'd ever seen. It was large, oval, and surrounded by ugly brass circles with obviously fake gems in their centers. What was worse, you could just sense the cheapness about it. Boy, I wish I had taken a picture to show you all. I called my mom's attention to it, and together we made fun of how hideous it was. On a whim, I checked the price tag. They had originally wanted $200 for this atrocity, but it had been marked down to only $25.

I began to walk away when I felt a change come over me. Mirrors are pricey, and $25 wasn't a bad price for a mirror that large, even if it was ugly enough to be tried for crimes against humanity. I glanced back. On a second look, I felt the mirror somehow had a kitschy charm to it. Honestly, the mirror's frame had a good shape; it was only the terrible brass and plastic gems that made it unattractive. I said to my mom, "Actually, I think I kind of like that tacky old mirror. You know, you could spray paint that frame and it would probably be pretty nice." She nodded in agreement. However, being my normal thrifty self, I said, "But I don't really need it."

Unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more I really did want the mirror. After wrestling with the desire for a week, I stopped in to see if the mirror was still there. Alas, it was not. So here's my story's moral - if you really like something on clearance, don't wait! Snatch up that ugly mirror and make it yours!

Catch you next time!

Another WoW Post (Contains Spoilers)

Man, it's been a month since I last posted! Time has just flown by for me lately. I wish I had my stuff together to show you all the neat things I've been making, but I don't, so today you're getting another post about WoW. Last time I blogged, I was excited about patch 5.3 and the continuation of the story of the Horde rebellion. With the Siege of Orgrimmar on the test realms, I had some predictions/hopes for the upcoming coup d'etat. However, after reading Wowhead's latest report on the PTR, it's clear that Blizzard doesn't intend to grant me my silent wishes. (Warning, spoilers lay ahead.)

Let me start by saying that I don't like Garrosh. He's woefully arrogant, brash, and power-hungry. However, that didn't stop Thrall in all his wisdom from naming him Warchief. Why? Surely Thrall saw all that, and he didn't just promote Garrosh because he's the son of Grom and rightful heir of the Warsong Clan? No, I really think Thrall appointed Garrosh as Warchief of the Horde because he saw potential for true greatness and leadership in him.

 WHAAATTT!?

Hear me out; there are several Horde quests where you get to interact with Garrosh and see that he isn't just a mindless warmonger. The first quest I'll mention is The Warchief Cometh, where Garrosh warns Sylvanas, albeit tactlessly, about the dangers of the path she is treading with the Val'kyr. Another quest that comes to mind is To Be Horde in Stonetalon Mountains. When Overlord Krom'gar sends out that bomb, Garrosh tells him that murdering innocents is not honorable, that the end does not justify the means. As a rule, Garrosh is against total war,  as is evidenced by the fact that he forbids Sylvanas to use the plague. He has access to a chemical weapon that would grant complete victory over the Gilneans, yet he does not take advantage of it. Once again, in Breath of Darkest Shadow, he makes the distinction between honorably defeating one's enemies and straight-up slaughter when he tells Ishi, "Control your hatred, Ishi. There is killing, and then there is murder."

Okay, so Garrosh isn't all bad. That doesn't make up for the atrocities he's committed so far this expansion, so what's the point? My point in showing you all this is to set you up for how I believe the Siege of Orgrimmar should end. Garrosh is the son of Grom Hellscream, who as you know, was the first orc to partake of the demon blood that corrupted the original Horde. Along the way, he realized his mistakes, and gave his life to free the orcs from the blood curse by defeating the demon Mannoroth. I think it would be fitting if, near the end of the Garrosh encounter, Garrosh overcomes the hold the Sha has on him, and sacrifices himself to help the raid party defeat the Heart of Y'shaarj. That way Garrosh, like his father before him, could be redeemed and remembered as a hero instead of dying as a villain. It would have some pretty awesome symmetry, I think. However, that's just not going to happen, at least if the audio files from the PTR are to be believed. With his dying breath, Garrosh still claims that ruling the world is his destiny. The audio files seem to reveal that he has no remorse for what he's done. I guess at least I can hold out hope that he's going to drop a legendary Sha-touched Gorehowl or something. That would be spectacular, and it would help make up for the injustice of having Gorehowl drop as a lowly purple in Kara.

Another disappointment that I have about the upcoming raid is that we have to fight General Nazgrim. He turned a blind eye to the secret missives that Vol'jin was sending me during the Dominance Offensive campaign. While he never really gave his consent, he certainly did nothing to stop me from aiding Vol'jin in setting up a rebellion. I'd really hoped that he'd be fighting along side us to overthrow Garrosh, but instead, he stands between us and the Warchief. I've gotten pretty attached to Nazgrim, as attached as I can be to a fictional character, anyway; I've fought beside him for three expansions now. I watched him get promoted from Sergeant to Legionnaire to General, so it makes me sad that he has to die. I'll be honest, I nearly cried when I heard the soundbite from his death, where he tells us that we fought an honorable fight, and that he was glad that he died by our hands. If I ever participate in the Siege, I will surely do a /mourn for Nazgrim.

But anyway, enough with the WoW talk for now, I have stuff to do! TTFN, ta-ta for now!

You and I or You and Me? A Short PSA

Hey, guys! It's the week before Easter, and I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger, but I decided I'd take a minute while my lunch is cooking to bring you a little grammar lesson. I've been seeing the improper usage of "I" and "me" going around quite a bit, so I want to share with you a hint that is very helpful. In situations involving multiple people where you want to know whether you should use "I" or "me" in a sentence, always think of how you would answer the question if you were only answering for yourself. In cases where you're alone and you'd answer "I," use "I" when including multiple people also. The same goes for "me;" if you're alone and would normally answer with "me," then use "me" when referring to multiple people. Let's clarify with a couple of examples:

Example 1, Using "I":
Kim asks, "Who is going to the store?"
You reply (when speaking for yourself alone), "I am going to the store."
OR
You reply (when speaking for yourself and someone else), "Jan and I are going to the store."

Example 2, Using "me":
Kim asks, "Whose dog is this?"
You reply (when speaking for yourself alone), "It belongs to me."
OR
You reply (when speaking for yourself and someone else), "It belongs to Jan and me."

Pro Tip: Always include yourself last in these situations, it's just plain polite (e.g., "Jan and I," not "I and Jan").

There you go. My grammar may not be perfect, but I do try, and now you can try a little harder too!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Blah Weather

Today after a dreary morning, it's finally sunny and nice outside. Gosh, I really wish we could have a few consistently sunny, warm days. I tell you, the rain and cold has got me feeling pretty blue, and the peeks of sunshine have been a cruel tease. I want to sip sweet tea on my front porch, dammit! Speaking of which, Pinterest has once again been a source of inspiration for me:

Someone pinned this cool, handmade pillow you can find on Etsy. I like the saying, and I'd like to do one of my own with a little different design on some burlap. If you order this pillow, you can customize it with your own colors and sayings too. Actually, the whole shop has some pretty awesome stuff. I'm going to make a pillow like this and pair it up with some of these outdoor pillows from Target:

I'm really feeling the turquoise right now, you know? It's so bright and happy. Anyway, that's it for now. I'll post some pics of my new porch furniture when I get it all done. Until then, tootles!

An Argument for the Oxford Comma

People I know sometimes look to me for advice on grammar. "You were an English major," they say. While I remember grammar rules and can normally help, I don't consider myself any more qualified than anyone else to give advice, because my degree is actually for literature. Besides, if my time studying lit in college taught me anything, it's that the rules for writing are fluid at best. Some of the best writers of all time bent the grammar rules or even broke them entirely. This is not to say I believe grammar rules are unnecessary. I firmly believe there's a distinct difference between E.E. Cummings writing exclusively in lower case, Lewis Carroll writing "Jabberwocky," and the stuff that ends up on this site: The Best Responses to Misspellings on Facebook. The grammar rules we were taught in elementary school can prevent confusion and occasionally keep you from looking downright stupid. It's with this in mind that I bring you a most convincing argument for the Oxford comma:

Source.

The Oxford comma is considered optional, but you can see here that it does lend clarity to just who was invited to the party. In this case, leaving it out could cause some... ambiguity. Either way, using it or not is up to you (or your persnickety English teacher). I'll have you know though, if the Internet is to be believed, Hugh Jackman finds the Oxford comma sexy. I hope you enjoyed your little grammar lesson. If you'd like to see more grammar and literature related funnies, visit my Pinterest board: I'm an English Major

Not Now

Today I have an opinion I'd like to share. I don't know that it will be popular, or that me having my say-so will make any difference, but here it goes anyway.

By now, I'm sure there's not a single US citizen that hasn't heard about the recent school shooting in Connecticut. My heart hurts when I think about it. Friday, I avoided Facebook  because all the posts were bringing me to tears. I haven't read too much in the news either, because I just can't take it. I can't even imagine how the families of the victims must feel.

However, on Saturday, I braved Facebook and a few news sites, and my feeds were a deluge of people arguing about guns. From gun rights people, I saw every version of "guns don't kill people, people do" imaginable. From those who oppose guns, I saw everything from "we need stricter gun laws" to "ban all assault weapons now." This is not unexpected; it happens every time there's a gun-related tragedy in the news.

I don't know why, but I just couldn't help it. When I saw these, I got angry. Now is not the time for this crap, people! It's only been four days since the shooting, some families are likely still struggling with accepting that this is real, that this atrocity isn't some nightmare they're going to wake up from any second. The last thing they need is the TV and Internet inundated with politicians, activists, and armchair bureaucrats arguing about gun rights and dragging their murdered children into the fray. There's only a week left until Christmas, I'm sure things are hard enough for them without having to hear a bunch of idiots talking about it like it's just another statistic. What they need is time to mourn and time to bury their dead in peace. The way I see it, using the Newtown victims as fodder for your political agenda is little better than the Westboro Baptist folks protesting at soldiers' funerals.

I know some think that now is the perfect time, while the tragedy is still fresh in people's minds, to have this discussion and work on a solution, but I'm telling you that's not true. This argument has been going on for years, and we're no closer to a viable solution now than we were when the Columbine shootings occurred. And even if we were to miraculously all agree on what must be done, it would take weeks at the very least to get new laws passed through Congress. Trust me, this argument can wait a couple of weeks. Please, let's all take a break and give these families a little bit of respect.

The Christmas Season, Feeling Overwhelmed, and Netflix Woes

This post is a little early because I have a confession to make. As you may know, we don't have TV services at my house. I just don't see paying an exorbitant amount of money for a cable/dish package when I'm only going to watch like three of the channels. We rely on Netflix for most of our TV series viewing, and that works fine, although sometimes it takes Netflix a little while to upload new episodes. Normally, I'm not bothered by this, but you see, I have this crush. I finally talked my husband into sitting down and watching season 2 of AMC's The Walking Dead with me, and I've fallen hard for Rick. And you know how when you were young, and you got a new boyfriend how you wanted to spend every second of every day with them? Well, that's kind of how I feel about Rick now, and I don't know what do with myself. I just can't get enough of the long, lean, gunslingin' Atlas figure. Maybe I should get a six-shooter and a highway patrol hat for my husband... but I don't think you guys want to know that.

Source.

At any rate, my withdrawals haven't helped my feelings of being slightly overwhelmed. It seems no matter what I do, I can't get ahead on housework. I have so much stuff I need to do, so much I want to do, and somebody has stolen a few grains of sand from my hourglass! All this being what it is, I'm still very excited for Christmas this year. We're visiting family, yes, but ultimately because of my husband's work schedule, I've decided to spend Christmas Day at home. It will be the first time we've done that since the little one was a newborn. Now that she's a little older, I think it'll be an exciting day of seeing her open her presents and then playing with those presents. I also plan on making a nice dinner for us all. It should be good. Welp, that's all for now. Maybe I'll have something awesome to share with you all later this week. Until then, enjoy this picture of our beautiful tree we got from our local farmer's market:

Why Zombies Scare Me

Halloween is just around the corner, so I thought I'd write something that's been on my mind for a while. For me, zombies are possibly the scariest Hollywood monster ever conceived. They plague my dreams and make me wake up in a cold sweat. Why, you ask?

The reanimated dead already play a roll in our collective psyche, which is why vampires are popular in the larger monster mythos. But there's something more disturbing about a zombie to me, because it represents primal savagery and enslavement to your base urges. The zombie story is a tale of the id versus the ego, a look into the nature of humanity. Losing the ability to reason and losing control over your desires is frightening, because it means losing that which makes a person human. A zombie is like a wild animal, but worse. An animal can often be deterred, but a zombie only has one desire, one driving thought, and that is to feed. It will fulfill this desire by any means necessary; the only way to stop a zombie is to kill it. Again.

Facing a relentless enemy that doesn't know reason, fear, pain, or remorse is scary enough, but then we have to consider how zombies are made. Infection occurs rapidly and spreads rampantly through a bite or a scratch, and in no time at all, hordes of the walking dead are swarming the streets. When this happens, at any moment a person could go from a reasoning being to a complete savage capable of infecting others. There's no hope of a cure. All that person once was ceases to be. Scarier still, the infection does not discriminate. Man, woman, child, black, white, yellow, red, or brown, it does not matter.

Then there's the emotional and moral dilemmas survivors must face while dealing with zombies. Survival situations can bring out the worst behavior in people. No one likes to think they'd be the person to trip their best friend while running from zombies, but if your life depended on it, would you? Would you kill someone for their food or their weapons if it meant that your family might survive another month? You may say no, but do you know that for sure? In the beginning, I mentioned that the zombie itself is a representation of the id, but in the fight for survival, humans also battle internally with the id. When faced with the choice between life or death, our true nature comes out, and we may not be as noble as we think.

One final point - I mentioned before that the infection does not discriminate. We see in zombie movies two types of people. The first is the stone-cold zombie killer, determined to survive and resolved to the fact that zombies are but shades of their former selves and cannot be helped. The second is the person who hesitates to fight because when they look at a zombie they can't help but see family, friends, and neighbors - people they once knew and loved. We always say to the second person, "Kill them! What are you waiting for?!" But what would you do? How would you act if you were staring down the barrel at someone you loved? What if that monster was your mother or your father? What if it was your own precious child, or your beloved spouse? Could you look them in their now soulless eyes and blow them straight to Hell? Could you really? If you did, could you live with that image stuck in your head for the rest of your life? What would stop you from, in your grief, turning the gun on yourself? I have turned these questions over in my mind a hundred times, and honestly, I have no answer for them. That, more than anything, is why zombies scare me to death.

Not Feeling it Today...

These last few days I've just been going through the motions. I haven't been able to sleep at night, but having a little one means I can't sleep during the day either. Caffeine doesn't help, so I've been shuffling around like a zombie. An irritable zombie. I try not to be crabby around my little one, but she's so bouncy and happy and chatty, and I'm so...well, not. Seeing happy people when I'm in this mood doesn't make it better. However, with any luck, I'll be in bed (and asleep, that's the key) at a reasonable hour tonight so I can be my usual self tomorrow.

At any rate, there were two highlights of this past week for me. One, my husband built us a lovely fire pit and outdoor shed, so our new rental is becoming more and more homey all the time. I love bonfires, and my love finished our fire pit just in time to enjoy some of the first cool nights of fall. We had a lovely visit from some friends and roasted marshmallows while the kiddos played with flashlights in the dark. The second highlight was the release of World of Warcraft's fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria.

The above picture is my main, Leahsidhe, riding a kite across the isle of Pandaria. The graphics for this expansion are amazing, so I've been taking screenshots like nobody's business. (That is a link to my facebook WoW album, which is supposed to be public, so I hope you guys can see it.) But seriously though, Blizzard needs to give their art and graphics departments a big raise, because it's almost like playing in a painting. That's not all that's good about it, though. I'm having fun meeting the Pandaren and learning about their culture and history. There are several fun quest chains, particularly the quests with Riko and Kiryn on the Horde side, and the quest to smash hozen with the giant yeti in Kun'Lai Summit. There's also lots of extra funny stuff, like the interactive cauldrons on the Isle of Reckoning, or when you pass by Pandaren locals and they comment on how strange or skinny you look. As a hunter, I'm digging all the new tameable creatures out there. So yeah, I'm not quite 90 yet, but I'm enjoying the journey. Also, I'm going to confess about being wrong. In my last post, I said that MoP would be a lighthearted break from the drama of Azeroth, but it seems that tensions between Horde and Alliance are at an all time high, and the reappearance of the Sha is all our fault. Sha are big, bad, and feed on negativity. They stayed buried in Pandaria for centuries, then we show up with our faction war, and well GUESS WHAT:

Source.

Anyway, that's all for me today. Next week I should have a lovely blog about all the crafty stuff I've been doing. We'll see!

Fall Anticipation and Other Randomness

Well, today's post is going to be short. I have a few craft projects on the table right now, but nothing is ready for me to do a blog about. So, I'm just going to talk about a few things going on with me.

Even though it's still HOT, HOT, HOT outside, I can feel fall coming. There's something about the sky now that says autumn is on its way*, and believe it or not, some of the leaves around here are starting to turn. I can't wait for cooler weather, fairs, bonfires, apple cider, beautiful foliage, mums, asters, and HALLOWEEN. It makes me so giddy I want to squeal!

What also makes me giddy is our new house. We signed the lease two weeks ago, and since we've been moving our stuff over one truckload at a time. I like our new place more and more each time I go over, so I think we're going to be really happy there. I sure am looking forward to enjoying a cup of coffee on our new porch!

I just found out recently that the Mists of Pandaria expansion for World of Warcraft is coming out at the end of September. I'm excited and a little surprised that it's coming out then; it's sooner than I expected. This means I have some work to do, like finish leveling some toons I wanted to have ready for the new content. Guess I'll be spending some time in Azeroth!

*For you science buffs, I did a little research because I wanted to know if I was just crazy or if there really is something to my feeling that the sky is indicating the coming autumn. I can't actually explain what I pick up on that makes me recognize the change of the season, but here's what I discovered: because of Earth's tilt, the sun appears higher in the sky during the summer than it does in the winter. This causes a change in the appearance of the sky's color, due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering (what makes the sky blue). The change would be pretty subtle and would vary based on latitudes, but the lowest estimate I've seen about human color perception is that we can see approximately 2 million different colors, and I've also seen estimates as high as 10 million colors. Color variations are subjective, but it probably is possible for a person to pick up on a change in the sky's hue. Read about it all here:

http://www.morehead.unc.edu/Shows/EMS/seasons.htm
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1998-10/909280669.Ph.r.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color

Too hot to do anything

I had a revelation a few days ago. I'm not very good at this whole blogging thing. My inspiration for blogs comes in fits and starts, so regularity doesn't really fit into the equation. Even when I say to myself, "I need to blog today, " oftentimes, life gets in the way, and I end up doing something else. I want to post more regularly, and I think the only way to do that is to actually schedule my blogging time. If I constantly gather my blogging inspiration and sit it aside, then I should have enough material to sit down and crank out a blog for you all once or twice a week. It's a nice plan.

That being said, it's too hot to do much of anything right now. I don't have to tell you about the heat wave because it's pretty much been all the news has talked about lately. Well, I might have to tell you, if you live underground, since temperatures remain fairly constant and comfortable there. But then again, if you live underground, you probably don't read my blog, so... Anyway, our poor little AC unit is having a hard time keeping up with this triple-digit heat. Our house is so poorly insulated that we can't keep it any cooler than the mid 80's. Which causes me to think. Why is it that I find a low humidity, mid 80-degree day outside to be beautiful, but when it's in the 80's in a climate controlled house, I feel like I'm going to melt away? I digress. Back on track. It's been pretty warm; so warm that I haven't even been playing WoW, which would be my usual indoor pastime, because my computer will kick out too much heat. All I've wanted to do is sleep, since the heat makes me sleepy.

I have managed to get a few things done in between sleepy times. Last night I sewed new curtains for my bedroom. The day before I got the shape ready for a paper mache project I'm working on. The day before that I painted a new sign for my living room. I want to get pictures up for you guys, but my laziness always stops me just short of doing so. Anyway, I can't fight it anymore; I'm taking a nap. Catch you guys later!

Moving into the Woods with Ryan Gosling

So here's the thing: I'm not actually a Ryan Gosling fan. Put down the pitchforks and torches, please. I liked him in The Notebook, and he's pleasant enough to look at, but he's not my cup of tea. That being said, I'm pretty fascinated by the phenomenon that is the Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" meme. It amazes me that one actor could become the posterboy for everything you'd ever want to hear come from your significant other's mouth. Why not Johnny Depp, or Hugh Jackman, or any other handsome actor? Maybe it's just because he has a very sincere face; you can imagine him saying these things in earnest. Whatever the reason, you could say that the whole "Hey Girl" meme has gotten a little out of hand - I mean, in addition to the original, there's now a Literary Ryan Gosling, a Feminist Ryan Gosling, and the list goes on. There's even a Handmade Ryan Gosling, which is where I found this:

I totally swooned. My dream is to move out into the middle of nowhere and start a little homestead. So something about the text combined with the porch, the rocking chair, and his manly facial hair just sent my heart all aflutter. It really resonated with me. So yes, Ryan Gosling, I will move out to the woods with you, and we can make our own soap. It'll be awesome. As long as you don't mind all my unfinished projects lying around. Oh wait, you don't? I'm packing my bags right now.

Living Inside Our Own Minds

There's a thought I have in my head that I've been trying to flesh out in the last few days that I wanted to share with you. Quite a few people in this world, myself included, seem to be living very much apart from others, stuck inside their own heads. I don't mean we're all off in la-la land, daydreaming about winning the lottery, or that sexy coworker, or whatever it is people fantasize about. What I mean is, we all seem to have created a little bubble around ourselves, and regardless of what interactions we have with other people, we tend to stay within the confines of our barriers. We think we know our neighbors, our coworkers, even our own family members, but how much of our "knowledge" is what they really are, and how much of it is based on nothing more than conjecture on our part?

I'll try to clarify with an example. I have been married to my husband for eight years. Before that, we dated for two years, and before that we were classmates and friends for about a year. That makes approximately eleven years that I have interacted with this man on some level or another, yet he continually eludes me when I try to pin him down. I was completely taken by surprise when he told me that he cried the day our daughter was born, because he was proud of me. I never in a lifetime would have expected him to feel that way, let alone shed a tear over it. Another time, I mentioned how in tune he seemed to be with his body. He replied, "Must be the meditation." I then said, "You meditate?!" I have lived with this man for eight years, and I did not know this. I guess I assumed just because I'd never walked in on him in the lotus position, it was something he didn't do. And these are just two examples of hundreds of times I've been taken aback by the depth and complexity of my own husband.

Why? Why didn't I know this about the man that provides for me, that sleeps next to me each night, that helped me create my precious little girl? Much to my dismay, it's because I'm too wrapped up in my own little world to truly see him for what he is. I take him for granted. In my mind, he's the guy who's going through a phase with his crazy, mountain man facial hair; he's the guy who always wants to share what he did on the toilet that day (much to my chagrin); he's the guy who seems to think sexist jokes are a turn-on for me; he's the guy who nods when I talk about my craft projects, but doesn't really care. I paint a two-dimensional picture in my head of what he is, and I imagine that this image is all-encompassing. I'm so wrapped up in my own thoughts, hopes, fears, and ambitions that I actually forget that he is also a human being with thoughts, hopes, fears, and ambitions all his own. It is bad enough that I would dehumanize any person that way, let alone my own husband. Yet I do it over and over again.

I am not the only one. Since I noticed this behavior in myself, I have also observed it in others - people stripping away at the layers of others, and leaving a flimsy, paper-doll effigy in their stead. I wouldn't believe it an exaggeration to say that everyone has done this to someone they know. Why? Part of it is in our nature, I believe. Our brains desire to make sense of the world, and as such, we draw conclusions and make sweeping generalizations about those around us, just so we can file them away in the "understood" category of our minds. What ends up happening in our scramble to understand is that we shed the bits information our brains deem unimportant to the larger picture. We then fill in the blanks with things from our own experiences and preconceived notions. So when Amy knocks at our door, our brain registers that it's "Amy, the crazy vegan," instead of "Amy, the girl who's passionate about preventing cruelty to animals and supporting local economies, so she carefully researched agribusiness corruption; veganism; and local farmers specializing in vegan-friendly produce so that she can better uphold her principles." See? That second-part is a mouthful, but it makes Amy more interesting, even to the point where you may not agree with her, but at least you respect her choices.

So how do we fix this problem of glossing over the people we interact with? Practice. We can pull ourselves out of the bubbles of our own minds if we practice sympathy on a regular basis. We should start seeing people as people again, not as puppets in the plays of our lives. Let's think about how we would feel if others were treating us the way we've been treating them. And let's give them a break, for crying out loud! People make mistakes. Instead of picking them apart, let's let it go. Perhaps the next time we slip up, others will be more forgiving as well.

Works in Progress

I have several projects on the table today. I've recently gotten into the bad habit of starting a new project before I finish an old one, and that has led to quite a few unfinished things cluttering up my space. Today, I am going to be working on a mail sorter that I started several months ago. If nothing else, I want this to get done today. If I have time, I'd like to work some more on my Icon of Shadows-inspired necklace. I do intend to do a little more blogging later, but for now I need to get up and get these things done. Pictures will follow!

Chain Letters

*This is also an imported post from September 2006, the days when Myspace reigned over the social media market. However, its message is still relevant and I still feel this way because I STILL get emails like this from friends and family, ALL THE TIME.*

Everyone loves email forwards and myspace bulletins. We pass on jokes, quotes, and stuff to make you think. But nobody really likes chain letters. I'm not sure anyone even really believes, "If you do this your true love will kiss you" or "If you don't pass this on, you will have bad luck for the rest of your life." Yet we keep on passing them on. Why?

One particular type of chain letter that I find especially annoying is the religious chain letter. Mind you, I am a Christian. I love God, and I love good stories that uplift and teach a good Christian moral. I have no problem with these types of emails and bulletins, until I come to the guilt trip that I find inevitably tacked on to each of them. It normally says something like, "If you're not ashamed of God, then pass it on." Or my all-time favorite, "Isn't is sad how it's so easy to forward all your dirty jokes to friends, but when you get a message about God, you're embarrassed to send it?" Thanks, guys. You've just put me right in the middle of a moral dilemma. If I send this to people, they will moan and groan about yet another chain letter, but if I don't send it, then God knows I am "ashamed" of him. Do I share this wonderful message about God, or do I delete it because it has that stupid chain letter addendum?

My general answer to this is to delete these kinds of forwards. Now before you try to run me out of town on a rail, hear me out. I don't forward very many things to begin with, and when I do, I generally only send it to one or two people in my address book. My criteria for whether I forward something or not is:

• Does the message have merit (can you take something valuable from it, like a smile, a laugh, or a good moral)?
• Will the person I am sending this to appreciate it?
• Is it free of stipulations (e.g., "pass this on within 24 hours or you will die a virgin")?

The truth is, when I receive a forward that is religious in nature, I'm much more likely to send it on if it doesn't tell me I should. Call it my rebellious streak if you will. I'll give you an example of what I mean. A few days ago, I received an email that had a "guilt trip" addendum. By the time I got finished reading the addendum, I had already decided that I would delete the message, just because I didn't want anyone I sent it to possibly passing it on simply out of guilt. But yesterday, a friend posted a bulletin with a story that was so touching I cried. I re-posted it for my friends to read without even giving it a second thought. Then I realized that it didn't kill the good feeling I got by guilt-tripping me into passing it on. I was much more willing to share this message than I was the other one, because in the end, it was the message itself and not the addendum that made me re post it. I am also happy to report that this bulletin has been re-posted by my other friends at least three times since I put it up, so the message is getting out there.

Now, I understand what these chain letters with attached guilt trips are saying. They're saying we shouldn't think twice about passing on a good message about God. They're saying that we should be just as inclined to pass on words of Christian inspiration as we are to pass on funny pictures or jokes. However, the message is largely missed because we start passing on things because they tells us to, or because they make us feel like if we don't, we don't love God the way we should. In fact, the ONLY reason we should pass on a message about God is because we WANT to, not because we feel obligated as Christians to do so. We should only pass on messages that touch us, messages that we can feel good about sending to someone else. You can bet that when you pass a message on in sincerity, it will be received better than it would be otherwise.