Beautiful North

My family spent the last few days visiting friends, at their lovely place a few hours north of here. I've never experienced so much in three day's time, and it was all fascinating. To put it simply, a lot happened.

These are of the cabin we stayed in. It's a rustic, vintage-y place, built in the 40's and filled with odd and ends and books and beds. And so very cozy.

The bed that my sister and I shared the first night. It's built into the wall in the loft, the wall is all windows looking into the forest. I love it!

The lake is spectacular . . . clear, mostly cold, and deep. Wednesday night, I managed to swim across it!

And the fishing's alright, too, much to my brother's contentment.

We went to the nearby state park for some adventures . . .

Lack of a swimsuit didn't stop our little pal from playing in the river!

It was the perfect day - warm, sunny. Perfect for us tourists! *snicker* We ran all over the trails, gawked at the tallest trees, climbed the fire tower (100 feet is higher than it sounds!), and snacked on candy bars.

My friend took me to the county fair that evening. It was small, unlike the two fairs I usually go to, and I loved the environment.

The horse talent show was really fun to watch. I'd never seen a drill team prior to that night, believe it or not! And this pony was very cute - very perky and happy to show off.

I want a horse of my own. Badly.

The midway was definitely a highlight for me - the few rides we went on were splendid, and the evening light paired with the neon light was wonderful.

Quick question: Am I the only one who is heavily reminded of Charlotte's Web when at a county fair?

As for food . . . well, I'm just gonna say that mint malts, lemonade, and cheese curds are as good as it gets.

That night, my friend and I spent the night in the library above one of the workshops.

We started in on "Much Ado About Nothing". Much laughter ensued, and not only because we were bushed!



Isn't it lovely? Don't you want to become a hermit and live there?

It was an altogether amazing trip. I wish everyone could experience one like it! I also wish I had my camera present when the seventy bagels we made came out of the oven. ;)

But the most amazing thing that happened while we were there? We met a new friend - and he met the world. My mom puts it way better than I could . . . this baby's birth is proof that prayer works, and that God loves life.

I can't wait to get back there. Good friends, beautiful places, and so much to see and do.
Thanks for reading, much love,
M

The Aura, or, Summer's Still Here

Summer. Summer.

It's speeding by. By today, the aura is definitely here: the End Of Summer aura.

The weather has stopped being beastly (humid and hot) and has started being amicable (sunny 70's-80's). Need I say more? :)

Last night, after the weekly church softball game, I sat on the car's bumper and studied the sunset, inhaled the scented air, and thought about how perfect God created summer to be. It's lovely.

Today, while playing tennis with my brother and a new friend, the sky was blazing blue and the sun was beating down. It was beautiful and fun, and - here it comes - very summer.

This is the summer I've never been readier for. Winter was hard and long, and the arrival of warmth and sun and greenery was balm.

It's a strange to have dreams come to a close that was always coming.

School starts in less than month. Within that month, I still have a lot of summer traditions to pull off: one more week at camp, camping with my family, day trip to Lake Superior, slumber party with my pals . . .

Sunday afternoon: Ivanhoe, Atlas Shrugged, and berries. Heaven on earth, I believe!

. . . oh, and I want to keep reading.

The other day, I cracked my algebra book and tried my hand at a few problems. After the pangs of treachery wore off, I found that I liked dealing with that topic of the fall/winter months. I can't wait for school to start . . . you'll probably be hearing more on that topic in the next few weeks.

The dilemma: Think/plan/dream wildly about the tantalizing future, or soak up/dwell in/simply exist in the very lovely present?

Both, maybe?

Sampling

A few days ago
- 11, to be exact -
I started a photography project.

It's supposed to get me out of my comfort zone,
and take a good picture every day,
for 25 days.

It was going to be 24,
because I like that number far better
than 25.

But that detail got lost
in the planning,
and I'm fine with 25.

Maybe I'll make it 24 after all.
Or maybe I'll end up loving it
enough to make it
100.

Here are my favorite shots,
thus far,
from this endeavor.

#2 -

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ~1 John 4:9

#3 -
Our fantasies are what most closely resemble us. ~Victor Hugo

#6 -
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein



#7 -
Brunch at Ikea

#8 -

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths. ~Psalm 25:4



To see the rest, my flickr is here.

Thank you for looking.
It means a lot to me.
~M

Powerlines, trees, and stoplights.

It was a golden evening.

After heavy rains and thunderstorms all day, the sky cleared and we had light.

Rich, golden light.

It was a glorious sunset. I stood in the driveway, camera in hand and mind moving fast, watching the sky change light and color in a mind-blowing, beautiful pattern.

The powerlines, trees, and stoplights that plague even slightly urban places were between me and the sky, but I looked on.
And inevitably, I started wishing to be at a place without any of those powerlines, trees, or stoplights.

I wanted a place where there weren't herds of cars driving by, without some of the drivers casting curious stares my way.

Imagine a field with no trees, a hilltop higher than any streetlight, or a lake with no shores. Wide, open spaces.

But I considered the traffic a little more, and I came to a conclusion:
I don't mind lookers-on after all.
Or powerlines, or trees, or stoplights.

The clouds were incredible. I don't know how many shades of grey and gold are possible, but I am sure that most of them were up in those clouds.

I was still thinking, in the back of my mind, about that abandoned hilltop and deserted, powerline-less, tree-less, stoplight-less field . . .

. . . but sunsets like this one aren't hindered.

And I'm going to

watch them

photograph them

and utterly enjoy them . . .

. . . no matter where I happen to be.

~

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11
~

How to Kill Writer's Block Quickly and Humanely

Writing is so important to me. I love doing it . . . I love feeling that what I did is good. In a perfect world, I'd be able to feel that way every time I wrote; in an almost-perfect world, I'd at least be able to write something every time I felt inclined to.

But alas! this world isn't even almost perfect, and there are times when I simply. cannot. write! Here are some activities I did during a recent 'bout of block.

1. Write fan fiction. I surprised myself by doing this, as I previously thought I was a non-fan fict type. But lo and behold, this writer likes to write with another writer's people and places! It's really fun to give them your own twist; and I love "fixing" the things I would've done differently. Delving into character's quirks and making your own for them is also fun. And words come quickly when you're not wondering about what's coming next, or details of the plot or setting.

2. Immerse yourself in your character's world. Only one catch: do it in your world. This is really good if you're writing sci-fi or fantasy, but it works for anything. I'm pretty young and inexperienced, so my main character is going through a lot of things I do not fully know about. And that inhibition can really affect my want to write. So I get to know what she's going through by imagining what I would feel like in her situation. I filled up 10 pages of note paper with my being a part of a rebellion in my neighborhood. So much fun to write about, and it's amazing how authentic imagined feelings . . . feel. ;)

3. Write something off a whim. For me, this means writing without knowing exactly what I'm writing. I don't quite equate this with freewriting, but it's a little similar. I use the first idea for a character that comes to mind, stick her/him in a vague setting, and let it fly. It's exciting.

4. Don't write. Stop feeling obligated to wring out the words that just aren't coming. Read a novel, play the piano, take pictures, go swimming. Be inspired, but don't hurt yourself in the process. :)

~~~~

Hope these were helpful! How do you conquer block?
~M