Saturday, January 23, 2010

What Am I Inspired By?

people who have a lot of self-motivation. that is one thing I am severely lacking.

the color green. it is bright and beautiful and full of life. trees are green, and trees are wonderful.

dancers. "are we human or are we dancers?" - the killers. I always sit in awe at my friends' dance recitals. watching the difficult steps being performed with ease. I know the work it took to get to that point, and I appreciate the talent.

Jackson Pollock. american artist. creator of some of the most beautiful, mysterious art I've ever seen. splatter paint. mixed colors. dramatic canvases.

the moon holds me captive.

Billie Joe Armstrong. his past, where he came from, how he got here. No one knows Green Day like I know Green Day, at least no one I've met so far.

Fairies. fantastical creatures. delicate and cunning. you had better watch your back.

the month of October inspires me. all things to do with autumn inspire me. pumpkins and folklore. transformations. change.

Hairstyles of the Damned. Joe Meno. the best young adult fiction novel I have ever read.

the vastness of space. We, as humans, do not and will never comprehend how infinitesimal we are on our planet Earth.

the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to know what peace is about...

flowers. a vague statement, but there are so many flowers in so many situations that I cannot possibly narrow it down to one phrase. just the word.

confident smiles. not the egotistical "I'm better than you" smiles. the ones on the faces of

the Rocky Mountains. Mt. Evans. Colorado. breathing cool, clean air. feeling on top of the world. literally being on top of the world.

entry: 28 September 2009

Monday, January 18, 2010

Lucid Dreams

The following is the scariest dream I've had that I can remember. I rarely have nightmares, so this was quite frightening.

In my dream, I woke up suddenly. I have a fountain-type thing that mists and changes colors from red, purple, blue. When I woke, it was giving off a purple light but wasn't misting.

My blinds were up - they are usually down when I sleep because my bedroom windows face the street, and I don't want anyone to be able to watch me sleep.

There was a man outside my window, but his hand was someone through the glass of the window, which was closed, and he was playing with the beads hanging in the front of the window.

I was extremely scared, and I yelled at him to go away.

I don't know if I went back to sleep or if I just closed my eyes.

For the second time, I woke up suddenly. I got out of my bed and opened my bedroom door. There was a purple light, similar to the one from the misting thing, coming from down the hallway.

The man was sitting right outside my door. His face and his body were in a shadow, so I didn't know who he was. He was holding a flashlight.

I called loudly for my mom and yelled at him again to go away. My screams were desperate, and I felt like I was sobbing. I wasn't crying, but I was terrified.

My mom came out of her room, but the man was gone.

Even as I write, that horrible feeling of terror is still inside of me. I've never been that scared from a dream, besides perhaps when I was a child.

However terrifying this dream was, the experience of a lucid (waking) dream is one I'll never forget. The feeling of actually being awake in a dream was so bizarre. I hope to have another one somewhere in the future.

Entry: 24 September 2009

bananaberries.

Think of a person, someone you know or not, and write about what you think they dream about. These are the dreams of my beloved and insane sister.

Dream One:

Two apples, one orange, and five bazillion bananas.

Each fruit beings to peal itself like a boxer takes off his robe, ready to fight.

Barely audible, someone is singing what sounds like "We Are the Champions."

Shelbi and Carla stumble into the scene. One of the bananas screams at them because they are laughing too loudly.


Dream Two:

My sister is driving me around. We are going to Target like we usually do.

Now I am driving the car. I don't know how this happened. I somehow know how to drive. We are no longer going to Target. We are going to puck up my mom from the airport. she is coming home from London.

I'm in the airport by myself now. I don't know where everyone else went. Mon and Sissy were just right here. I'm getting dizzy because I'm turning around in circles. I don't remember where we parked the car.


Dream Three:

In reality: my sister came in here ten minutes ago and woke me up.

In my dream: All my clothes were already laid out on y bed. I grabbed my socks and unfolded them. I tried to find my foot, but it was very difficult for some reason. My first sock is finally on my foot. Now where did my other one go? Oh, here it is. I'm sitting on it. I don't want to get up. I'm so comfy. I think I'll just change shirts under my covers. There my shirt is on and I'm already halfway finished getting dressed.

In reality: I actually didn't wake up. My sister came back ten minutes later, called me an idiot, and told me to get up again. I was lying there still in my pajamas.

entry: 17 September 2009

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Nana's Story

She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled. The box was filled with little sugary candies, the kind her nana used to give her. The box was made of tin worn down by frequent use. Inside the lid was a picture of her nana. She was alone now, so she clutched the little box and slid it out of her pocket. She squeezed the side a little to open the lit. The tiny photograph of her nana looked at her with a warm smile. Her nana was a beautiful lady. The expression in her eyes was so inviting as if to say, "Lilly, darling, take a candy." Lilly took a candy, unwrapped it from it's colored plastic, and put it into her mouth.



entry: 9 september 2009

dustland fairytale.

Two of my loves are Robin Hood and Peter Pan. There is just something about their characters that fascinates me. The only thing is that the Disney figures are pictured in my mind. I'm not sure if that is a good or a bad thing seeing hos Disney has a tendency to alter the truth about a lot of subjects.

If I were to choose between the love interests of these two gentlemen, I would definitely choose Maid Marian over Wendy. Maid Marian is more classy and mature. I've never been a fan of Wendy. STOP WHINING. You don't get all of Peter's attention all of the time.

Me as Maid Marian with my gallant love, Robin Hood. That's a nice picture. We would be foxes too, just like in the Disney movie. However, this is not a sexual fantasy. That's just weird.

So why is it that I think so highly of Robin Hood and Peter Pan?

The valor and bravery
They exude. Fight for
The good of innocence.

The history and folklore behind Robin Hood's tale also fascinates me.

"Appox on the Phony King of England!"

Was Robin Hood a good guy or a bad guy?

Does Peter Pan really need to grow up?

They both just do what they think is best.

"Robin Hood and Little John
Walking through the forest
Laughin back an' forth
At what they other'ne had to say
Reminiscin' this-n-thattin
Havin such a good time
Oh-de-lally, Oh-de-lally
Golly, what a day"



entry: 8 september 2009

pumpkin jack.

On this night of all hallows' eve, the earth transforms. The dead are once again alive.

It is about this time of year, the beginning of September, that my anticipation for Halloween begins. This holiday has always been my favorite. Halloween is the climax of the fall season. The golden, red, and brown leaves litter the earth, leaving the trees bare and life-less. The breeze is cool, and I need a jacket when I go out. the sky seems not so bright like it did during the summer. Life is changing.

On the first of the wonderful month of October, I am allowed to put up our Halloween decorations, well, the pumpkins at least. I always have a mind to put the decorations up when the weather becomes cooler in September, but my mom just calls me ridiculous.

We have some of the best decorations. First of all, they are stored in this antique, big, black trunk in our basement. My mom has had the trunk for a very long time. It has an incredibly distinct smell that always makes me happy inside because the smell means - IT'S HALLOWEEN! It's a stale smell, like most old artifacts, only there is a tinge of sweet also. The black trunk is split into layers, separated a removable shelf. Place mats, witch cloaks, and orange light bulbs are on the removable shelf. Beneath are the sacred ceramic pumpkins. My mom has been collecting ceramic pumpkins since before I was born. We have one pumpkin with a black top hat that is over 50 years old. DO NOT DROP THIS - always the warning when handling the pumpkin. It is my duty to arrange the ceramic pumpkins with the bale of straw on our front porch. Well, it's more like I don't let anyone else do it because I like it so much.

My family has other Halloween traditions besides the ceramic pumpkins. Every year we carve our own jack-o-lanterns. With our kitchen floor covered in newspapers, we scoop the guts our and saw faces into the pumpkins. Halloween is also my sister's birthday. We eat cake and celebrate before going out for the night.

Ah, Halloween is just so wonderful. So many of these memories and images come to mind, and I just smile with content.


entry: 3 september 2009

Live in the Shadow of a Dozen Roses

Make a list of places where writing hides for you. Be specific.

- ginger pumpkin scented candles

- a good hug (you know, one of those you receive from a best friend you haven't seen in two years...coughAARONcough)

- inside jokes about bananas (a reoccurring motif in the lives of my sister and me)
- the moon and the stars

- music. all different types. right now I'm pretty sure it's The Beatles.

- my dreams. this is an important one. I keep a dream journal if that tells you anything.

- the smell of incense. fizzy pop incense. from sunshine day dream imports. the hippie store. where I bought my purse/bag. it's wonderful there.

- the vibrant color of green plants beneath flowing water. the picture I took at Trout Lodge comes to mind.

- the abstract, splatter-technique paintings of Jackson Pollock.

- the smell of autumn. of halloween. brisk, dry air. the trunk of decorations in our basement. carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. all of these smells.

- the shape, color, texture of blown glass. actually seeing being crafted. the awe of a child in Hannibal.

- mysterious fairy rings, made of mushrooms and darkened grass, appearing in my front yard.

- Henry David Thoreau. I read Walden last summer and was delighted by the experience. I came across quite a few phrases that struck me. I wrote them down. One is, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

- In the place of beige ceramic tiles, pomegranate mango soap suds, and skin hydration. the shower.


entry: 31 august 2009