I was nowhere near this eloquent. Were you?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
He was on Ellen today, here's part of that interview:
Amazing, isn't he?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday Morning Meme
So, I realize things have been a bit on the “heavy” side here at Candid Karina, which is all well and good, but I thought for a Monday morning (okay, fine I realize by the time I hit publish on this it’ll be afternoon), I’d go with something a bit on the lighter side.
I heard about this Meme from the lovely leader of SheWhoBlogs, Frances. She, in turn, grabbed it from Janie, and I thought it seemed like a fun one to do, so here we go.
It is what the name of it says it is...a meme about your "writing style", just questions about the same. So, without further ado, here are my answers.
1. Do you write fiction or non-fiction? Or both?
Both. My blogging is mostly non-fiction (though sometimes, you have to wonder, don’t you?), but then there’s my poetry, and the great American novel I’ve been working on for decades now.
2. Do you keep a journal or a writing notebook?
No. I haven’t kept a journal in many, many years. Somewhere along the line it stopped being important to me to diary my thoughts and daily activities. I’m actually a little sad about that, it would be nice to be able to go back and reflect on what I was feeling at certain times in the last few years. And yet, even now, knowing I feel this way, I can’t bring myself to journal now either. But I blog, so I suppose that covers that, doesn’t it? I don’t keep a writing notebook either, but at any given time you will find random writings on spare pieces of paper, or any of the dozens of notebooks I have lying around my home or office.
3. If you write fiction, do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something else you discover only after you start writing? Do you find books on plotting useful or harmful?
It depends. Most of the time, I must admit that my characters write themselves. I don’t usually start with a “goal” in mind, and develop the story from there. Usually I start writing, letting the character speak to me of where it is they are going, what it is they are doing, and go from there. On the rare occasion that I do have a planned action, conflict, motivation, I find myself usually blocked at some point, not able to reach that destination. It seems that if I already know the destination of the character, I lose interest in the voyage. If, however, I have no idea where we’re headed, I take much greater pleasure in sitting back and enjoying the ride. As far as the books, I don't find them harmful, but I don't find them useful either. For me writing is "organic" and no books on "how to" can help me. I can't follow instructions on something that to me is just like breathing...I just do it.
4. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?
I am both actually. I’m a procrastinator by nature, in everything I do, pretty much. But when I get some inspiration to write, I usually have to drop everything and do it right then in there, for fear of letting it escape.
5. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?
“Short bursts of creative energy” pretty much sums me up. That’s probably why I find it nearly impossible to finish any story longer than a few pages, and why poetry works so well for me. I have a really hard time with sitting with the same idea for long periods of time. I think that’s where my procrastination sets in.
6. Are you a morning or afternoon writer?
I am a “whenever I have a chance” writer. The time of day doesn’t really affect my creativity, it’s more when the muse strikes, and I happen to be near a computer, or a pen and paper.
7. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?
I don’t think I can write in complete silence. The chaos of the world around me is my greatest inspiration, so I need some hustle and bustle around me in order to focus. That said, when I am finalizing any particular piece of work, I need complete silence and concentration.
8. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)
Mostly computer, sometimes by hand (usually only poetry by hand though).
9. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One? Or do you let the story evolve as you write?
Hmm…I think I answered this question pretty much in number 3, because for the most part, the way it works with my character’s goals and motivations is how it works with my endings as well. But, this is very different when I write non-fiction. I’d say that 95% of the time writing a piece of non-fiction (an article, a blog post, etc.) I’ve already figured out my conclusion, my point, my ending, and a lot of times, my final sentence, pretty much before I’ve written my first word.
10. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?
Not usually, no. I write from my heart and mind and my crazy imagination, not what’s on the book shelves. However, what’s going on in my life GREATLY influences all my writing, not just the non-fiction, but my fiction as well.
11. Editing/Revision - love it or hate it?
For the most part, I actually enjoy it. There’s a sort of pleasure in going back over words you wrote “in the heat of the moment” and rereading them almost as a stranger, to realize what works and what doesn’t. To see those moments of genius you had, those words that are pure brilliance, that you can’t even fathom where they came from, and then to be able to change the not so brilliant word choices, the pieces that don’t make sense even to your eyes upon a second glance. I think it’s part of the art form of writing, and I love it.
Well, there you go. That was fun. I'm not tagging anyone, but I'd love to read yours if you decide to do it, so if you do, please let me know, okay?
I heard about this Meme from the lovely leader of SheWhoBlogs, Frances. She, in turn, grabbed it from Janie, and I thought it seemed like a fun one to do, so here we go.
It is what the name of it says it is...a meme about your "writing style", just questions about the same. So, without further ado, here are my answers.
1. Do you write fiction or non-fiction? Or both?
Both. My blogging is mostly non-fiction (though sometimes, you have to wonder, don’t you?), but then there’s my poetry, and the great American novel I’ve been working on for decades now.
2. Do you keep a journal or a writing notebook?
No. I haven’t kept a journal in many, many years. Somewhere along the line it stopped being important to me to diary my thoughts and daily activities. I’m actually a little sad about that, it would be nice to be able to go back and reflect on what I was feeling at certain times in the last few years. And yet, even now, knowing I feel this way, I can’t bring myself to journal now either. But I blog, so I suppose that covers that, doesn’t it? I don’t keep a writing notebook either, but at any given time you will find random writings on spare pieces of paper, or any of the dozens of notebooks I have lying around my home or office.
3. If you write fiction, do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something else you discover only after you start writing? Do you find books on plotting useful or harmful?
It depends. Most of the time, I must admit that my characters write themselves. I don’t usually start with a “goal” in mind, and develop the story from there. Usually I start writing, letting the character speak to me of where it is they are going, what it is they are doing, and go from there. On the rare occasion that I do have a planned action, conflict, motivation, I find myself usually blocked at some point, not able to reach that destination. It seems that if I already know the destination of the character, I lose interest in the voyage. If, however, I have no idea where we’re headed, I take much greater pleasure in sitting back and enjoying the ride. As far as the books, I don't find them harmful, but I don't find them useful either. For me writing is "organic" and no books on "how to" can help me. I can't follow instructions on something that to me is just like breathing...I just do it.
4. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?
I am both actually. I’m a procrastinator by nature, in everything I do, pretty much. But when I get some inspiration to write, I usually have to drop everything and do it right then in there, for fear of letting it escape.
5. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?
“Short bursts of creative energy” pretty much sums me up. That’s probably why I find it nearly impossible to finish any story longer than a few pages, and why poetry works so well for me. I have a really hard time with sitting with the same idea for long periods of time. I think that’s where my procrastination sets in.
6. Are you a morning or afternoon writer?
I am a “whenever I have a chance” writer. The time of day doesn’t really affect my creativity, it’s more when the muse strikes, and I happen to be near a computer, or a pen and paper.
7. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?
I don’t think I can write in complete silence. The chaos of the world around me is my greatest inspiration, so I need some hustle and bustle around me in order to focus. That said, when I am finalizing any particular piece of work, I need complete silence and concentration.
8. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)
Mostly computer, sometimes by hand (usually only poetry by hand though).
9. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One? Or do you let the story evolve as you write?
Hmm…I think I answered this question pretty much in number 3, because for the most part, the way it works with my character’s goals and motivations is how it works with my endings as well. But, this is very different when I write non-fiction. I’d say that 95% of the time writing a piece of non-fiction (an article, a blog post, etc.) I’ve already figured out my conclusion, my point, my ending, and a lot of times, my final sentence, pretty much before I’ve written my first word.
10. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?
Not usually, no. I write from my heart and mind and my crazy imagination, not what’s on the book shelves. However, what’s going on in my life GREATLY influences all my writing, not just the non-fiction, but my fiction as well.
11. Editing/Revision - love it or hate it?
For the most part, I actually enjoy it. There’s a sort of pleasure in going back over words you wrote “in the heat of the moment” and rereading them almost as a stranger, to realize what works and what doesn’t. To see those moments of genius you had, those words that are pure brilliance, that you can’t even fathom where they came from, and then to be able to change the not so brilliant word choices, the pieces that don’t make sense even to your eyes upon a second glance. I think it’s part of the art form of writing, and I love it.
Well, there you go. That was fun. I'm not tagging anyone, but I'd love to read yours if you decide to do it, so if you do, please let me know, okay?
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Basket Full of Goodies
I realize I haven’t been doing a really good job of posting regularly, or uh…at all, really. I realize that those of you who used to consider yourselves my “regular” readers (all three or four of you) are probably feeling quite neglected and abandoned. I realize everyone else probably didn’t even notice I was MIA…well FINE! ;-) But seriously, I hate that I’ve been such an inconsistent blogger lately, and am hoping to turn things around. See, life has gotten incredibly busy these last few months, so the “real world” if that’s what we’re calling it these days, has pulled me away from the blogosphere. But, I LOVE the blogosphere, and as much as I haven’t had time to visit, I’ve been missing it dearly.
Not only do I miss regularly updating you on the shenanigans of my OH SO EXCITING (don’t laugh) life, I REALLY miss reading about all your adventures and misadventures. My google reader is up to oh geez, probably 500 or 600 posts, so when in the world I think I’ll find the time to catch up is beyond me, but I refuse to clear it out and start from scratch. What if I miss something vital? One of these days, I promise, I will catch up.
In the meantime, I’m going to ask you to leave me a comment directing me to one or two of your most recent posts that I just MUST read. Pretty please? I really want to know.
So, now that we’ve covered my catching up with YOU, here’s a bit of what’s been going on with me. And there’s a lot folks. I warn you now, this is a long post, but hey, you’ve had barely any reading material from me all summer, so maybe you’ll enjoy my ramblings.
First of all, starting next week I’m embarking on a new writing venture. Because this is such a huge thing for me, one that I’m incredibly excited about, I’m going to save the details of the announcement for its very own post in the next few days. However, because I don’t want to be a terrible tease, I’ll share with you that I’ve been asked (uh, maybe I volunteered myself) to contribute to a wonderful Ezine called Blissfully Domestic as part of their “Inspired Bliss” channel, which is their faith channel. Yes, I know, funny how things happen, right? But because of this, I’m making some new blog-buddies, and want to take a moment to say HELLO to them. Can’t wait to get inspired by you ladies! If you stopped by today, I hope you’ll poke around to get to know a little more about me, but for purposes of knowing why I’m joining you, the next few paragraphs, and links therein, should give you an idea. The rest is just my crazy mind at work.
Moving on then, we’ve already discussed the amazing summer I’ve had reconnecting with God, my faith family, and the youth of my parish. As things move along in that field, I’ll give you more of that story, but for now, you can read this (if you haven’t had the chance to do so yet), and just know that I’m still the same snarky, sarcastic, and shoe addicted Karina, I just have a greater sense of my place in this world now. It feels nice. And in case you are wondering, the tattoo is healing quite nicely as well.
The summer is now drawing to a close and you would think that would mean that I’d have less activities planned with the youth and all, and get back some of my free time. You would think wrong. The Fall and Winter are going to be just as, if not even more, busy as the summer was, but this is a good thing. I’m looking forward to all that is lined up for the next few months.
Another major change in my life has been this career move of mine, and with the exception of a few posts to tell you about my new job, I haven’t really told you much about how that has gone. Let me tell you now. I LOVE my new job. LOVE IT. I went from a stressful, pull my hair out of my head every day, holy crap how in the world am I ever going to catch up with any of my work, and I’m going to kill my coworkers one of these days, kind of job, to well…how do I even describe it? Some days, I’m bored with nothing to do. GASP! I KNOW! My new boss, The Don, is fantastic. He’s a great guy, with a heart of gold, and the type of boss everyone always wishes they could have. My new company is wonderful. They truly care about their employees and their customers, and I feel good about working here, and it’s the kind of place you want to promote to your friends and family, because they really stand for something. My new coworkers are all great, and I’ve made some new friends, and am looking forward to things like the holiday party, because I can see it’ll be a blast. And the job itself is easy. I have great freedom to my days to do my work at my own pace, without anyone (see Nazi) breathing down my neck, there are NO MORE Whisper Wednesdays, and there are plenty of opportunities for me to step up and be challenged when I want to be. There is also great room for growth here, so while I’m okay with the laid back pace for now, I know when I start to feel stagnant, I can step up to the plate and take on new ventures.
I also love the location of where I work. Working in the historical downtown area of my home town has been great fun this summer. I’ve been able to reconnect with old friends for lunch, enjoy daily walks, and just see other people out and about, something I, as an avid people watcher, was really missing in my old job in the boonies.
The downside to this working environment has been that going out to eat lunch every day (practically) made me gain quite a few pounds. I was pretty busy and active all summer long with the youth, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but still, it was getting to the point where I knew I had to do something about it.
SO, a few weeks ago I joined Jenny Craig. I went with Candid Mama as moral support, but after listening to their introduction (uh, sales pitch) I decided to give it a shot as well. I signed up for a 6 week trial, and am now on week 3. I’ve lost 5 ½ pounds in my first two weeks so far. Considering I’m not working out, am not feeling particularly hungry at any time, and actually enjoy the food, I’d say this is a success. My goal is 20 lbs so hey, I’m a quarter of the way there…that’s not too bad. The best part is I’m learning some really easy and manageable ways to keep this going once my six week trial is up. It’s been an amazing boost to my confidence to see the weight go too. It’s slow, but healthy the way it is going, and I love that I’m taking charge of my body. And yes, I do feel healthier; it’s amazing how what we put in our bodies can totally affect how we feel isn’t it? Yeah, yeah, I know old news.
Speaking of a confidence booster, I bought a product off an infomercial that changed my life. No, seriously. I’m not getting paid to say this (but really, they should pay me for all the publicity I’ve done for their product), but I am in LOVE with the Wen by Chaz Dean hair stuff. You may not know this, but my hair has been complete crap for years now. I had some stuff going on a few years back, and my hair which has always been really thin, just became crap, and for a while now I’ve pretty much always worn it up, sort of hidden and kind of “out of sight, out of mind”. I HATED my hair. I wouldn’t even get it cut, because there was no point. I have tried every hair product known to womankind and nothing worked to fix it. So, one day, while cleaning my house with the television on for background noise, this infomercial came on. Now, for the record, I don’t buy things off infomercials, pretty much ever. I don’t buy into the whole “this will change your life” thing, EVER. But, since I was already spending all sorts of money weekly on trying new hair products, to no avail, when I heard the words “Just one use of this product and you won’t believe the change in your hair”, right after I said “yeah, right” I said “Well, whatever, what have I got to lose?” So, I ordered it. With much dubiousness, when it arrived, I tried it.
And HOLY CRAP if my hair wasn’t completely different after just one use. That stuff really works. I’ve now been using it for about a month, and LOVE my hair. I wear it down most days now. I get compliments on my hair from strangers. MY HAIR! The rats nest I kept hidden for years. LOVE IT. Huge confidence booster right there as well.
One more vital thing I changed this summer. You all know I’m a big sister through Big Brother Big Sister to Lil’K. Have been since she was 8 years old. She is now 15. For the last year or so, we’d drifted apart. I was having a hard time finding ways to connect with her. I was looking at her as a teen who didn’t much need me in her life anymore, and I wasn’t sure how to stay involved in her life. Part of me wasn’t sure I needed to anymore. I never had any plans of walking away, but it was getting easy to just not call her for weeks and blame it on the fact that we were both busy with our lives, and she was doing just fine without me. But I was wrong, because now, more than ever, she needs me. Now, more than ever, she needs some positive influences in her life. Now, at a time when every decision she makes could truly affect the future of her life. Because of the youth group activities this summer, I was able to find a common ground with her, and we spent a summer having a great time together, and getting closer. This weekend we take another step in our relationship, which I am hoping will open all sorts of new doors for our communication as she faces what will surely be the toughest years of her young life. We are attending a “parent/teen” retreat. I have always been a parental figure in her life, and it’s time I take a more active role, so I’m looking forward to this retreat like you can’t imagine. It was time I stepped back in and took charge a bit, because last year was a rough year for her, and I wasn’t a very present figure. I blame myself for that, I’d become complacent in a lot of things in my life.
See, here’s the funny thing that happened this summer. Somewhere along the way I realized I’d been just going through the motions of daily living. It wasn’t that my life wasn’t a good one, it was just that I wasn’t exactly doing much of anything. I looked back at the last few years, and pleasant and peaceful as they’ve been, I had a hard time differentiating one from the other. I’m 33 years old. That’s way too young to settle for status quo. It was time for me to stop living on the sidelines, and take an active role in my life. It wasn’t enough to be living, I need to be ALIVE. I’ve done things this summer that I swore you’d never see me do. I went canoeing. I’m deathly afraid of drowning folks. It was exhilarating in a terrifying sort of way, I loved it. I got on a roller coaster. The kind that turns you upside down. Ladies and gents, I DON’T DO THAT. Correction, I didn’t do that, because now? OH, I can’t wait for the next one. I’m doing it folks, I’m doing it all.
Next adventure? Hmm, maybe I’ll try my hand at dating again, what do you think? After all, we can’t let my fabulous new hair and soon to be svelte figure go to waste, now can we? Right..yeah, okay…
Not only do I miss regularly updating you on the shenanigans of my OH SO EXCITING (don’t laugh) life, I REALLY miss reading about all your adventures and misadventures. My google reader is up to oh geez, probably 500 or 600 posts, so when in the world I think I’ll find the time to catch up is beyond me, but I refuse to clear it out and start from scratch. What if I miss something vital? One of these days, I promise, I will catch up.
In the meantime, I’m going to ask you to leave me a comment directing me to one or two of your most recent posts that I just MUST read. Pretty please? I really want to know.
So, now that we’ve covered my catching up with YOU, here’s a bit of what’s been going on with me. And there’s a lot folks. I warn you now, this is a long post, but hey, you’ve had barely any reading material from me all summer, so maybe you’ll enjoy my ramblings.
First of all, starting next week I’m embarking on a new writing venture. Because this is such a huge thing for me, one that I’m incredibly excited about, I’m going to save the details of the announcement for its very own post in the next few days. However, because I don’t want to be a terrible tease, I’ll share with you that I’ve been asked (uh, maybe I volunteered myself) to contribute to a wonderful Ezine called Blissfully Domestic as part of their “Inspired Bliss” channel, which is their faith channel. Yes, I know, funny how things happen, right? But because of this, I’m making some new blog-buddies, and want to take a moment to say HELLO to them. Can’t wait to get inspired by you ladies! If you stopped by today, I hope you’ll poke around to get to know a little more about me, but for purposes of knowing why I’m joining you, the next few paragraphs, and links therein, should give you an idea. The rest is just my crazy mind at work.
Moving on then, we’ve already discussed the amazing summer I’ve had reconnecting with God, my faith family, and the youth of my parish. As things move along in that field, I’ll give you more of that story, but for now, you can read this (if you haven’t had the chance to do so yet), and just know that I’m still the same snarky, sarcastic, and shoe addicted Karina, I just have a greater sense of my place in this world now. It feels nice. And in case you are wondering, the tattoo is healing quite nicely as well.
The summer is now drawing to a close and you would think that would mean that I’d have less activities planned with the youth and all, and get back some of my free time. You would think wrong. The Fall and Winter are going to be just as, if not even more, busy as the summer was, but this is a good thing. I’m looking forward to all that is lined up for the next few months.
Another major change in my life has been this career move of mine, and with the exception of a few posts to tell you about my new job, I haven’t really told you much about how that has gone. Let me tell you now. I LOVE my new job. LOVE IT. I went from a stressful, pull my hair out of my head every day, holy crap how in the world am I ever going to catch up with any of my work, and I’m going to kill my coworkers one of these days, kind of job, to well…how do I even describe it? Some days, I’m bored with nothing to do. GASP! I KNOW! My new boss, The Don, is fantastic. He’s a great guy, with a heart of gold, and the type of boss everyone always wishes they could have. My new company is wonderful. They truly care about their employees and their customers, and I feel good about working here, and it’s the kind of place you want to promote to your friends and family, because they really stand for something. My new coworkers are all great, and I’ve made some new friends, and am looking forward to things like the holiday party, because I can see it’ll be a blast. And the job itself is easy. I have great freedom to my days to do my work at my own pace, without anyone (see Nazi) breathing down my neck, there are NO MORE Whisper Wednesdays, and there are plenty of opportunities for me to step up and be challenged when I want to be. There is also great room for growth here, so while I’m okay with the laid back pace for now, I know when I start to feel stagnant, I can step up to the plate and take on new ventures.
I also love the location of where I work. Working in the historical downtown area of my home town has been great fun this summer. I’ve been able to reconnect with old friends for lunch, enjoy daily walks, and just see other people out and about, something I, as an avid people watcher, was really missing in my old job in the boonies.
The downside to this working environment has been that going out to eat lunch every day (practically) made me gain quite a few pounds. I was pretty busy and active all summer long with the youth, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but still, it was getting to the point where I knew I had to do something about it.
SO, a few weeks ago I joined Jenny Craig. I went with Candid Mama as moral support, but after listening to their introduction (uh, sales pitch) I decided to give it a shot as well. I signed up for a 6 week trial, and am now on week 3. I’ve lost 5 ½ pounds in my first two weeks so far. Considering I’m not working out, am not feeling particularly hungry at any time, and actually enjoy the food, I’d say this is a success. My goal is 20 lbs so hey, I’m a quarter of the way there…that’s not too bad. The best part is I’m learning some really easy and manageable ways to keep this going once my six week trial is up. It’s been an amazing boost to my confidence to see the weight go too. It’s slow, but healthy the way it is going, and I love that I’m taking charge of my body. And yes, I do feel healthier; it’s amazing how what we put in our bodies can totally affect how we feel isn’t it? Yeah, yeah, I know old news.
Speaking of a confidence booster, I bought a product off an infomercial that changed my life. No, seriously. I’m not getting paid to say this (but really, they should pay me for all the publicity I’ve done for their product), but I am in LOVE with the Wen by Chaz Dean hair stuff. You may not know this, but my hair has been complete crap for years now. I had some stuff going on a few years back, and my hair which has always been really thin, just became crap, and for a while now I’ve pretty much always worn it up, sort of hidden and kind of “out of sight, out of mind”. I HATED my hair. I wouldn’t even get it cut, because there was no point. I have tried every hair product known to womankind and nothing worked to fix it. So, one day, while cleaning my house with the television on for background noise, this infomercial came on. Now, for the record, I don’t buy things off infomercials, pretty much ever. I don’t buy into the whole “this will change your life” thing, EVER. But, since I was already spending all sorts of money weekly on trying new hair products, to no avail, when I heard the words “Just one use of this product and you won’t believe the change in your hair”, right after I said “yeah, right” I said “Well, whatever, what have I got to lose?” So, I ordered it. With much dubiousness, when it arrived, I tried it.
And HOLY CRAP if my hair wasn’t completely different after just one use. That stuff really works. I’ve now been using it for about a month, and LOVE my hair. I wear it down most days now. I get compliments on my hair from strangers. MY HAIR! The rats nest I kept hidden for years. LOVE IT. Huge confidence booster right there as well.
One more vital thing I changed this summer. You all know I’m a big sister through Big Brother Big Sister to Lil’K. Have been since she was 8 years old. She is now 15. For the last year or so, we’d drifted apart. I was having a hard time finding ways to connect with her. I was looking at her as a teen who didn’t much need me in her life anymore, and I wasn’t sure how to stay involved in her life. Part of me wasn’t sure I needed to anymore. I never had any plans of walking away, but it was getting easy to just not call her for weeks and blame it on the fact that we were both busy with our lives, and she was doing just fine without me. But I was wrong, because now, more than ever, she needs me. Now, more than ever, she needs some positive influences in her life. Now, at a time when every decision she makes could truly affect the future of her life. Because of the youth group activities this summer, I was able to find a common ground with her, and we spent a summer having a great time together, and getting closer. This weekend we take another step in our relationship, which I am hoping will open all sorts of new doors for our communication as she faces what will surely be the toughest years of her young life. We are attending a “parent/teen” retreat. I have always been a parental figure in her life, and it’s time I take a more active role, so I’m looking forward to this retreat like you can’t imagine. It was time I stepped back in and took charge a bit, because last year was a rough year for her, and I wasn’t a very present figure. I blame myself for that, I’d become complacent in a lot of things in my life.
See, here’s the funny thing that happened this summer. Somewhere along the way I realized I’d been just going through the motions of daily living. It wasn’t that my life wasn’t a good one, it was just that I wasn’t exactly doing much of anything. I looked back at the last few years, and pleasant and peaceful as they’ve been, I had a hard time differentiating one from the other. I’m 33 years old. That’s way too young to settle for status quo. It was time for me to stop living on the sidelines, and take an active role in my life. It wasn’t enough to be living, I need to be ALIVE. I’ve done things this summer that I swore you’d never see me do. I went canoeing. I’m deathly afraid of drowning folks. It was exhilarating in a terrifying sort of way, I loved it. I got on a roller coaster. The kind that turns you upside down. Ladies and gents, I DON’T DO THAT. Correction, I didn’t do that, because now? OH, I can’t wait for the next one. I’m doing it folks, I’m doing it all.
Next adventure? Hmm, maybe I’ll try my hand at dating again, what do you think? After all, we can’t let my fabulous new hair and soon to be svelte figure go to waste, now can we? Right..yeah, okay…
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Still Remember
Seven Years. SEVEN YEARS. And still, the numbers 9/11 bring pause to most of us. Again the conversations can be heard here and there "Do you remember where you were when it happened?" "I can't believe it's been seven years" "When will the memorial be finished?" So many questions, so many emotions, and still, it doesn't make sense. I don't think it ever will.
I'm taking a moment today (or two or three) to send out a prayer to the universe that we somehow learn to live in peace with one another. To pray for the souls of those lost that day, and for the families they left behind. To pray for change, for love, for forgiveness.
And as it seems to be tradition, I wrote this poem the week it all happened seven years ago, and post it here again today.
Tuesday Morning
When I awoke
the sun was shining
I could smell the ocean breeze
the birds singing
the world was grand
I started my day with ease
Then the phone rang
"turn on the tv
You won't believe your eyes"
And then I saw it
the second impact
terror coming from he skies
"What's going on?"
I asked dumbfounded
"Is the world falling apart?"
As time progressed
I learned much more
The knowledge broke my heart
"Oh my God
There it goes"
Someone said to the crowd
And as it fell
our hopes crumbled
the country sighed out loud
How could this be?
Here , in America?
We're not supposed to cry
On a Tuesday morning
for no good reason?
People aren't supposed to die
But things have changed
The world is different
We'll never again be the same
But how we stand proud
The United States
Much more than just a name
My heart still broken
My eyes, still moist
I still can't make much sense
But I've seen the focus
such prayer, such unity
The world's love so intense
They shook foundations
They collapsed buildings
They took human lives that day
But we won't be rattled
Won't be destroyed
God Bless the USA
Copyright 2007 - Karina
I sure hope as a nation we can come together and rebuild the pride and unity we showed on those weeks following the attacks. This country has suffered in so many ways in recent years, but we can still come together and prove there's a reason they call it the "American Dream".
Okay, that's it, I'm done, that's about as political as I'm getting on here today.
I'm taking a moment today (or two or three) to send out a prayer to the universe that we somehow learn to live in peace with one another. To pray for the souls of those lost that day, and for the families they left behind. To pray for change, for love, for forgiveness.
And as it seems to be tradition, I wrote this poem the week it all happened seven years ago, and post it here again today.
Tuesday Morning
When I awoke
the sun was shining
I could smell the ocean breeze
the birds singing
the world was grand
I started my day with ease
Then the phone rang
"turn on the tv
You won't believe your eyes"
And then I saw it
the second impact
terror coming from he skies
"What's going on?"
I asked dumbfounded
"Is the world falling apart?"
As time progressed
I learned much more
The knowledge broke my heart
"Oh my God
There it goes"
Someone said to the crowd
And as it fell
our hopes crumbled
the country sighed out loud
How could this be?
Here , in America?
We're not supposed to cry
On a Tuesday morning
for no good reason?
People aren't supposed to die
But things have changed
The world is different
We'll never again be the same
But how we stand proud
The United States
Much more than just a name
My heart still broken
My eyes, still moist
I still can't make much sense
But I've seen the focus
such prayer, such unity
The world's love so intense
They shook foundations
They collapsed buildings
They took human lives that day
But we won't be rattled
Won't be destroyed
God Bless the USA
Copyright 2007 - Karina
I sure hope as a nation we can come together and rebuild the pride and unity we showed on those weeks following the attacks. This country has suffered in so many ways in recent years, but we can still come together and prove there's a reason they call it the "American Dream".
Okay, that's it, I'm done, that's about as political as I'm getting on here today.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Tattoo? Who knew?
Yes, that's right, yours truly went and got herself inked this weekend. And no, this wasn't a spur of the moment thing. I have wanted a tattoo as far back as I can remember, at least since I was 16 years old. In fact, because my mom didn't want me to get one, we made a deal that I would wait until the year I turned 30 and she turned 50 (same year) and we would go together and get them then. That worked out fine because I never knew WHAT I wanted to get tattooed, so I figured by 30 I would have figured it out. Good thing too, because had I gone in my 20's I probably would have ended up with something stupid.
ANYWAY, 30 came and went and I still had no idea what I wanted to get, so I didn't. But this summer I knew EXACTLY what I wanted, and I've been pumping myself up for it all summer long. Finally, this weekend I decided to just go for it.
I am happy to say that I am THRILLED with my tattoo. The guy who did it did an absolutely fantastic job of capturing my vision and idea exactly how I wanted it. In fact, he made it look even better than it looked in my mind's eye. By the way, the place where I went to get my tat is a really well known tattoo place that has tattooed a bunch of celebrities, including pro-wrestler Chyna Phillips, one of the New Kids, Danny Wood and Mark Wahlberg.
Anyway, I'm so glad I went, I love my tattoo! And it didn't even hurt that badly. there were a few spots that hurt like hell, but they were over in seconds, and he was done the whole thing in about 20 minutes.
Now, what did I get? And where did I get it? Well, it's on my shoulder (on my back). As far as what, this goes hand in hand with this recent post about my faith. Everything has changed for me this year, and the idea for this tattoo actually came to me during mass one day.
Here's what it looks like (sorry about the glare on the first photo, I had A&D slathered all over it):
A close-up with no glare:
ANYWAY, 30 came and went and I still had no idea what I wanted to get, so I didn't. But this summer I knew EXACTLY what I wanted, and I've been pumping myself up for it all summer long. Finally, this weekend I decided to just go for it.
I am happy to say that I am THRILLED with my tattoo. The guy who did it did an absolutely fantastic job of capturing my vision and idea exactly how I wanted it. In fact, he made it look even better than it looked in my mind's eye. By the way, the place where I went to get my tat is a really well known tattoo place that has tattooed a bunch of celebrities, including pro-wrestler Chyna Phillips, one of the New Kids, Danny Wood and Mark Wahlberg.
Anyway, I'm so glad I went, I love my tattoo! And it didn't even hurt that badly. there were a few spots that hurt like hell, but they were over in seconds, and he was done the whole thing in about 20 minutes.
Now, what did I get? And where did I get it? Well, it's on my shoulder (on my back). As far as what, this goes hand in hand with this recent post about my faith. Everything has changed for me this year, and the idea for this tattoo actually came to me during mass one day.
Here's what it looks like (sorry about the glare on the first photo, I had A&D slathered all over it):
A close-up with no glare:
It represents obviously my faith, and my kind of "rebirth" into it this year, and also, the fact that since I reconnected with my faith, I see a monarch butterfly EVERYWHERE. As a matter of fact, the minute I walked out of the tattoo parlor, one flew right by me.
Getting this tattoo also represents something else I've been finding myself doing a lot this summer, which is LIVING. There are all these things we always say "I'll do it one day", or things we are simply hesitant, or afraid to do. I've kind of decided to just throw caution to the wind and do them already. There's the tattoo, there's my going to an amusement park and actually riding the rollercoasters that usually scare the crap out of me (and loving it too), there's me agreeing to go canoeing even though I'm deathly afraid of falling into water and being underwater...There are a million and one of these things, and I'm just doing them now.
What are you going to do RIGHT NOW that you've been holding out on? Go on, do it.
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