I just absolutely love this picture, orange color and all.
Sanditon thus far is proving very strange, I'm still reading what Jane Austen herself wrote, but it just doesn't sound like her at all. They have Austen's notes and diary excerpts for sale at the bookstore downtown, hopefully I'll be able to get on that soon. I think there are two more existing fragments that I have yet to read, of course I'm on the lookout for the both of them but I'm starting to think I'll have to order them online.
Next on my reading list-
1. Middlemarch
2. Daniel Deronda
3. Bleakhouse
That's a great many pages to slog through right there but only three books. I desperately want to go book shopping. (I was going to say need but I caught myself.) I've got a list of books I want something like a mile long. Maybe I should concentrate just a little bit more on writing then reading... the writing might just provide me with the money I need to keep reading what I want.
October 4, 2008 -Reading and Writing-
October 3, 2008 -Of Kittens, a Dog, and a Laser Pointer-
And another leaf picture. I'm going picture taking tomorrow so I'll have some fun new stuff to put up that isn't so repetitive.
Picked up another Austen fragment, Sanditon this time, finished by an anonymous woman. Well, she's true to the Austen style in that much at least, I just hope she doesn't disappoint as much as the last one did.
Things are starting to look like I'm getting my own apartment again. I've applied for a job in Reedsburg that pays $11.35 an hour, and there's apartments right across the street that happen to be leasing. If I got the job we're moving in there.
Today was my boyfriend's day off, so we went to Robot World. I hadn't been there since I was about six, I had so much fun! They have an automatic lawn mower that just runs around all the time mowing the grass, it's so little and fun looking, it even refuels itself. At the gift shop we bought a cheap little laser pointer and took it over to my boyfriend's sister's house to play with the little kittens. They were adorable but didn't get into it very much, we had a lot of fun with the dog though. They have a great beast of a dog, German Shepard, Husky, and something else I can't quite discern that makes its head huge and blocky. He loved the pointer and galumphed after it for a good half hour, trying to pounce on it like a gargantuan fox.
FACT:
Small children are very good at scaring little animals, particularly when driving a Barbie jeep that for some unknown reason has a police siren and lights. This causes kittens to hide in small nooks and not come out even when you shine a laser pointer.
October 2, 2008 -Barack Button-
Another bee picture, I know, but they all just turned out so well.
Not much to say today. I got a cool "America's Next First Family" button with Michelle, Barack and their girls pictured on the front. Stuck that on my jacket. Highlight of my day, seriously.
October 1, 2008 -The Closing Campaign-
OCTOBER!
Adopt a Shelter Dog month
Gay and Lesbian History month
Photographer Appreciation month
And, furthermore, there's only a month left of the presidential campaign. People, you better believe that this election will fully determine whether our nation sinks or swims. We are headed straight for another depression, and no matter what we do to try and fix it, the damage has already been done. We need a leader who, in the next few years, is going to make responsible and intelligent decisions, someone who can prevent a complete plummet. The incredible debt that George Bush has sent us into now becomes our next president's responsibility, so let's just reason this out here.
John McCain is adamant about continuing the war that got us into this mess in the first place. Brilliant, let's just spend another trillion dollars so our men can die in a country we never should have gone to in the first place while here at home the price of basic needs start soaring through the roof. Our economy is in trouble and McCain wouldn't even acknowledge that simple fact until the stock market crashed. What can we expect of him as our president? Blissful ignorance as the middle class becomes extinct? And McCain's "lower taxes" bullshit that he feeds to the swing voters, who does he think he's kidding? Where do you think the money comes from that funds this pointless war? As long as we stay in Iraq our taxes stay the same, not to mention if the idiot actually gets his way and invades Iran. You might as well say goodbye to this country as you know it if that happens.
The War on Terrorism. If that's what this war was really about we wouldn't be overseas. What about the thousands of people shot every year in gang conflicts and territory wars? The mothers who have to bury their sons and daughters due to pointless violence? Maybe we should be worrying a little bit less about weapons in the middle east and a little bit more about weapons in the hands of criminals here at home. If it were up to me, nobody would be allowed to own a gun, nobody at all. That way, weapons can't fall into the wrong hands. Children teased at school don't go out and buy the guns they use to kill their classmates, they just find the key to their dad's gun cabinet. Terrorism abounds in this country, whether it be ignorant, close-minded sign bearers at a gay pride festival, or men dressed in white sheets burning a cross.
People, please, research your candidates this year and make a well informed choice. The youth of this country depend on you to secure a future worth looking forward too. I remember the devastation I felt at 14 years of age, not old enough to vote, hearing that George Bush was once again our nation's president. And now, this man that I didn't vote for and never would have voted for has racked up debt so bad that I will be paying for it the rest of my life. This year, be a true patriot and choose the man that's best for this country and our future.
September 30, 2008 -Aspirations-
I love the detail you see here, all the different blades of grass and different plants surrounding the leaf, the little drops of water standing out against the yellow surface. I liked the contrast of the yellow leaf against the still green grass, like summer and autumn colliding into each other. Image quality seems consistently better from my first picture post thus far.
I bought the '09 Writer's Market today. Together with an ACT study book, a Conn Iggulden novel about Genghis Khan, and a book titled How to Read Novels Like a Professor, the purchase put me out eighty bucks. Yeah. I think I might take the other two back, I need the Writer's Market and the ACT study guide, but I need money more than I need to learn about Genghis Khan or how to read. I think I've got the reading down anyway.
So, studying for the ACT. I've decided I'm going to go to four year college after all. Which means taking the ACT of course, which I never did in High school, mainly because I'm an idiot. I'm not really worried about the test, the reason I bought the book was for the math section. I don't do so well in that particular study area.
What I'm undertaking here is a good eight years of school, probably more. I'm going to be a Veterinarian, something I've wanted to do since I was just a little girl, but something I never really thought was feasible, due to money and my not so fantastic grades. I'm starting small though, and I'll get there eventually. God that is so much time though... eight years. And I might specialize in exotic animals like lions and tigers and bears and whatnot, I'd like to work as a veterinarian in a zoo. I am going to owe so much money at the end of all this.
September 29, 2008 -Joan attempts Jane-
Image quality seems a lot better today, yesterday's picture was really disappointing because it's all about the detail, which you really can't see. This flower was all alone on the trellis, there wasn't a single other bloom.
Last night I finished reading Joan Aiken's incredibly disappointing continuation of Jane Austen's The Watsons. I know that the woman is just trying to help you better understand the times and customs, but in doing so she absolutely murders any attempt to sound like Jane Austen. I mean, she talks about Napoleon Bonaparte and his relations with Russia, Jane Austen would never have written about such a thing, her stories were about the people in them, not events happening hundreds of miles away, every Austen fan knows that, it's trademark. And the way that she felt it necessary to explain the ingredients or components of anything and everything that we, as people of the modern era, probably have never heard of before. You can always tell when an author is awkwardly weaseling something into a paragraph just for the sake of the reader, making the characters ridiculously explain what is perfectly clear to them. It's extremely distracting. And some of the things Aiken had the young women doing, unheard of. You have to remember we're talking Victorian England here. She wrote about an elopement in passing, nobody seemed to think it was that big of a deal, and then all of the sudden a different sister becomes the disgrace of the family because she's living above an apothecary's shop. I'm afraid that's just not the way things would have went. The romance was incredibly unsatisfactory, and far-fetched even for an Austen novel. I disliked the fact that Aiken had the heroine's romantic interest writing her a letter, rare was the Victorian gentleman who would have done such a thing before becoming engaged to his female correspondent.
And so, in summary, as an avid Jane Austen reader and fan, I hardly feel that any sort of justice has been done to this remarkable woman whom I consider to be one of my greatest teachers.
September 28, 2008 -A Bee and some Tea-
I have decided that, starting today, I am going to include a picture with every post. A quality picture, something interesting, something you want to see. And no, I'm not going to jack pictures off of google or anything like that, these will all be pictures taken by me.
I'm starting off with this little guy in spirit of the toad incident and because I think it's probably one of the best pictures I've ever taken. (Click for much better image quality.) I caught the bee on a cold day so I could take as many pictures as I wanted without having to worry about being stung.
I've been browsing the web today for teaware. I really want to get into gongfu brewing but I don't have a gaiwan, I really want the green lotus one on Tao of Tea's website. I need a matcha set too, and they can be really pricey. The tins that they put their limited edition teas in at Tao of Tea are incredibly tempting, as are the storage tins for sale by Rishi. I need more teapots horribly, I really like the Japanese Fukugatas, but they can be hard to find. I have yet to try Gunpowder green, Dragonwell, or Puerh, and I've heard nothing but top notch ratings for all three. I've got a long shopping list for the next time I have the money to blow on my tea obsession.
September 27, 2008 -The Toad Incident-
An extremely high stress day. I spent a grand total of five hours with my boyfriend's family... minus my boyfriend. Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins, and I had to brave them all by myself.
You see, today was my boyfriend's brother's surprise birthday party. All of the boys went paintballing to keep the birthday boy out of the way so that his wife could set up the party, and were supposed to be done at 3:00. Somewhere around 2:45, we received a call that birthday boy had just bought 500 more paintballs. What could anybody do? It wasn't like his wife could call him and tell him to stop playing paintball and come to his surprise party. She really pulled it off though, he had no idea at all whatsoever.
My boyfriend's mother and I looked after a few of the little ones for a while before the party to keep them out of the way during setup. I took the two little girls out to pick apples off the trees in the backyard, and one of them found a toad. OK, now this is a really little girl, four years old, and let's just say she was no expertise in the handling of toads. I swear to God I could see the poor little guy's eyes bugging out as she pinched him mercilessly between her fingers, and if you'd like to meet a stubborn little girl, let me introduce the two of you. No matter what I said she just would not put the poor toad down, she wanted to put it in a bucket on the porch, and after a while I just let it go. We were walking back to the house and toad girl steps on an apple rotting on the ground, which happens to be covered with bees. She's in stocking feet, so of course she gets stung. She's immediately on the ground screaming and crying. I pick her up and try to calm her down, tell her it's OK, she'll be alright, when I notice that she still has the toad in a vice-grip. I'm carrying her back to the house imploring her through her tears to put the toad down so that we can go inside the house and fix her owie, but of course I'm not getting through to her. Now, I'm on the porch with one screaming little girl in my arms, a scared little girl trailing behind me carrying the shoes toad girl insisted that she didn't have to wear, about to open the door, when this little girl stops crying and says, "wait, I have to put this in the bucket." She wriggles down, scurries across the porch to a bucket, deposits the toad inside the bucket, trots back over to me, and then commences to sob once more.
We got her a band-aid (because she insisted that she have one) and put a cold cloth on her foot. There was no swelling and she was fine in less than fifteen minutes. God I love little kids. (And I'm not being sarcastic, this is a prime example of their awesomeness.)
September 26, 2008 -Speak-
Last night I read The Watsons, one of the unfinished fragments that Jane Austen left unfinished when she died. I miss Austen so much, reading her was like getting back to an old friend, I think it's about time I reread the novels.
So, I've decided to really get serious about the independent magazine I've been wanting to produce for quite some time now. I'm in the process of comissioning a few articles, the first issue may be ready before November. I'm thinking a liberal publication with a lot of literature and art, Indie music reviews and whatnot with a huge focus on controversial issues like Darfur, a humanitarian kind of thing, a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. And the name? Speak.
It will definitely be quite the task, but if I can really get this underway it will all be so worth the effort.
September 25, 2008 -Victor Hugo-
If you were asked to name your favorite book, do you think you could? Earlier today I didn't think I would be able to choose, but after thinking about it for a while, I have an answer. Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. As some of you may better know it, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. If you know nothing of the story beyond the Disney movie, then we are talking two entirely different worlds here.
No matter how many times I read the book, the only thing that gets old is Hugo's description of French architecture, and that's minimal. I cry every time, the story is incredibly heartbreaking. In the end, Quasimodo, the horribly deformed and widely despised "monster" proves to be the only real human in the whole book. And in the end, he chooses this woman who spurned and despised him, he gives his life to her even knowing what she felt. This is not the Esmeralda I grew up adoring.
Les Miserables is pretty high up on the list as well. And in case you didn't see this coming, Victor Hugo is beyond a measure of a doubt my favorite author, with George Eliot coming in as a close second. I have yet (regrettably) to read Daniel Deronda or Middle March, but I've downed three of her other novels, Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, and Silas Marner. So far The Mill on the Floss holds place number one.
As for other authors I hold in high opinion, Jane Austen is a big favorite, as well as Charles Dickens. The Bronte sisters, particularly Emily, are also favorites. As far as modern authors go, I've taken note of two, Richard Adams and Chuck Pahlaniuk, both excellent reads but for incredibly different reasons. Chuck, if you ever get the chance, will absolutely blow your mind with the way he wraps his head around things. Adams is a comfort read, an author I've adored since childhood and grown up with, only recently have I explored the different things he has to offer. And tomorrow I'm taking a trip to the library to return the finally finished Travels of Marco Polo, perhaps I'll delve into another yet unread novel of one of my favorites.
September 24, 2008 -Lucrezia Borgia-
Historical fiction. I think I'm going to do it. I have always been fascinated by Lucrezia Borgia and I want so badly to write about her. Historical fiction is such a challenging genre but I'm willing to put in the time. I only wish we had a better library here in the Dells, it would make things a lot easier.
Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia by his mistress Vanozza Cattanei. Yeah, Cardinals are supposed to be abstinent, I know, but it gets a lot worse. Even before her first marriage, rumors were flying that Lucrezia and her eldest brother, Cesare, were lovers. Today this is widely believed to be unjust slander spread by people opposed to the wealthy Borgia family. When Lucrezia was 12, in the year 1492, her father became Pope Alexander VI. As with all highborn ladies of the time, she was married for conveniance at a young age, but when her marriage no longer served a purpose to her father, Rodrigo had it anulled, an event unheard of in the 1500's. Lucrezia's husband, accused of impotence as a means to dissolve the marriage, was furious, and started the rumor that made Lucrezia and her father famous. He stated that Lucrezia was not only mistress to her two oldest brothers, but to her father as well. The public wasn't hard to convince.
Lucrezia fled to the convent of San Sisto in Rome to ride out the divorce, humiliated both by the proceedings, carried on against her will, and the scathing rumors. It was in this convent that Lucrezia became pregnant with her first child. To this day no one can say for sure who the father is, suspects include a messanger named Pedro Calderon, Lucrezia's brothers Cesare and Juan, or Pope Alexander VI. What makes this interesting is that although the maternity of the child was never on any sort of record, Pope Alexander did announce that the boy was his. Was this merely the support and protection of a grandfather, or something more? As an interesting side note, Juan Borgia was found dead in a river during Lucrezia's stay in the convent.
Lucrezia went on to marry again, a happy marriage that ended when Cesare killed her husband. When Lucrezia married a third time she became the Duchess of Ferrara. This is where she spent the rest of her life adored by her subjects.
So who is the real Lucrezia Borgia? Who was she behind all those closed doors, of all the slander what is truth and what is merely rumor? What if it is true, all these horrible things, but not in the way we think? Cesare, Juan, Rodrigo, what if they were her lovers but by no will of her own? I see this gentle, intelligent woman being taken advantage of by everyone around her. This is the Lucrezia that I want to put down on paper. "Stories compel themselves to be told."
Tomorrow is a sending day. I've got five short stories I'm shipping out. As always, I'm hoping for the best.
The main squeeze and I sat outside tonight on the porch swing, looking at the stars and just talking. It was terribly romantic. We're moving into our first place so soon now, I'm excited but I had no idea how expensive moving was. And the brand new laptop? Not working, at all. And the guy he bought it from won't give him his money back. So there goes four hundred dollars we could have used for furniture and groceries. Let's hope my freelance writing kicks off real soon.
September 23, 2008 -Marco Polo-
I am incredibly sick of reading The Travels of Marco Polo. Usually I love books with historical value, but this one is just so boring! I hate how he just drones on and on about these places, and yet not once does he describe any of his experiences in them. The entire thing is just so impersonal, like he purposefully extricated himself from the vast majority of the novel. (Could you really call it a novel?) This, I suppose, helps to really spark the debate as to whether or not he ever went to Asia. Don't you think that if he really had made that incredible trip he would have had tales to tell, experiences to relate? A popular theory is that he only made it as far as Persia, and that everything you read in the book is merely tales told to him by travellers passing through who actually had made the trip. That would explain why the book never mentioned the practice of foot binding, or tea, a staple drink in China that didn't even exist in Italy at the time. Then again, really, he doesn't talk about local customs much at all, the book mainly consists of how long, in terms of days, it takes to get from point A to point B, the weather, the terrain, religions practiced in different areas, and the fact that he encounters many people speaking languages "peculiar to themselves."
I don't know though, I just think that everyone is inclined to believe conspiracy theories. Roswell, New Mexico, the JFK assassination, even 9/11. Everybody wants to believe that there is some big secret being held back from everyone. And I'm not saying that I don't believe some things are conspiracies, but when it comes to Marco Polo, I'm not really sure why, but I want to believe the best about him. If you were to ask me what I really thought, I would have to say that yes, I believe he went to China, I believe he served in the court of the "Grand Khan." Why not? And the quote from his deathbed, "I did not tell the half of what I saw." That's one of my favorites. Right up there with Ghandi's "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
On a far less interesting note, I've ordered this Honeybush Apricot tea from Adagio and I am absolutely in love with it. I'm going to order a big bag as soon as I have the extra cash. Something you should probably know, I am positively addicted to tea. Mostly black leaf, though I do like green every once in a while. There is nothing more relaxing than a hot cup of quality tea and a good book. Granted, Honeybush is not actually tea, it's a tisane, (a term that includes herbal beverages and infusions) but typically, I drink tea.
The new laptop is glorious, I played on it for ages. I can't wait to get my own, but a car is my number one priority. In December I get payed for doing a Covance study, and I'm buying a Beetle! (Red or yellow??)
September 22, 2008 -Fly Away-
Seeing as my life was void of excitement this day in history, I will provide you with the highlights (there are a few points of interest) and then some literary entertainment. Yes, I did write the following story and I swear to GOD if anyone copies it...
Highlights:
The beau is buying a laptop tomorrow, which means I will finally have a computer with word so that I can type!
I received my first rejection letter for a short story, which, oddly enough, I'm really excited about. My logic, I'm officially in the game now.
The Literary Entertainment:
The Introduction
Attention cultured and learned citizens, this blog may be of interest to you. But just to be sure, please, purvey the following subjects that I will most likely be blathering on about.
1. Why liberal lefties rock my socks and should rule the world.
2. Delicious literature of all categories.
3. The benefits of being a tree-hugging vegetarian.
4. Why organized religion causes me much grief. (I am NOT a God-hater.)
5. History, in all of its glorious forms.
6. Fascinating foreign cultures and foods.
7. Music and theatre. Musical theatre, if you will.
8. I am poor and it sucks.
So, if you find your interest piqued, or if you're barely hanging in there but riding things out because you're bored, I will now make a promise to you. I promise that you will not encounter any annoying typos or heinous grammatical errors in this blog. I promise to provide you with genuine topics of interest and intelligence to the utmost of my abilities. I promise that I will not gripe about petty, whiny, annoying personal subjects that nobody wants to hear about. (But if it's juicy, I'll fill you in.)
So, having read the introduction to Arcana, welcome! Hopefully you've hit upon something you like.
