Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Opal from Opal Swirls  was totally boss this week and nominated me for Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Thanks Opal!!

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site. √
• Put the Award logo on your blog.√
• Answer the ten questions sent to you.√
• Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.√
• Nominate ten blogs.  YOU are nominated. Yes you. 

Here are Opal's awesome questions:

Motto to live by? Silly or for real. 

There are quite a few I kick around at times, but I think the one that is most real and serious to me is 

Whatever you do, do it with all your might to the glory of God. 

Favourite type of cookie? The most important question. 

Chocolate. Chip.

Do you dance in the rain? Please tell me you at least jump in puddles. 

You know, I haven't for quite a while. I did all the time when I was little. And jumping in puddles had nothing to do with it. I practically swam through them. But I did get a piggy back ride through the rain last Friday, if that counts for anything. It was fun. I haven't done that since I was little either. 

What do you know about New Zealand? I always have a NZ question. 

Um...I have a foggy notion that it's green and kind of wet there. Or maybe it's dry? I'm not sure. I think I've hunted funny looking critters on Big Game Hunter that were in New Zealand. I'm also positive that it is named after Old Zealand. And...is it one of the countries where they spell things with ou's, like colour and favourite? 

What do you find hardest about blogging? Be honest.

Getting time to write decent posts on a regular basis. I can write a decent post, but its finding time and subject matter that gets to me sometimes. 

Strangest thing you've seen in public? Yeah...

Do we really want to go there? I mean, I had five million things flash through my mind when I read this question, and I don't think I could type a one of them without laughing in embarrassment till I cried my eyeliner off. 

Lets see...Okay, this probably isn't the weirdest  but we were on vacation one time and this guy came out of the store. Scary, burnt up looking guy. You know the type. He had tattoos all over him. One tattoo said Stacy (I think. Can't exactly remember the names), and one said Alice. Like, he had money to put his new girlfriends name on his body, but not enough to take the old one off. He also had like a cocker spaniel  dog on his shoulder. And I don't know, I just found that strange. Like, terrifying dude, and he's got a cute little lap dog tattooed on him. 

One word that describes you? A word you would use to describe you.

I hate answering this question. I'm a writer. How on earth am I supposed to stick all my thoughts into one single solitary word all by its onesie?

Ugh.

Creative.

Do you have a favorite poet? Or poem, a poem is good too.

I'm just going to say Emily Dickerson and keep it simple. She's the only poet I've read that I actually bothered to take note of the name, so I must think she is a favorite. 

Last book you read and enjoyed? To steal from Heather (again).

Goodness gracious and sakes alive, what was the last book I read??

I read Legend by Marie Lu. Well...I started it. I didn't quite get it finished, because apparently the abyss that is my bed swallowed it for a long long time and the library was calling, and fines, and yeah, so I took it back rather abruptly. But I did read a substantial chunk of it, and I did enjoy it. 

The best sport in the world is... soccer/horseback riding.

 Football.

And then bull riding. 

And then UFC. 

Sweet! So, now my questions for anyone who got that hand up there pointed at them:

1. Do you wear glasses? (I'm an optician now. I gotta ask)

2. Do you keep a journal? (I'm stealing this one from the questions Opal was asked, because it was funny)

4. What is your least favorite color? (Green, for instance. Or yellow)

5. How old do you feel? (I'm wondering, because I'm going to be twenty, and that just seems unreal to me. I'm certain I'm still sixteen)

6. What should I know about New Zealand?

7. All music genre's but one are about to be obliterated from earth. Which one do you save? (evil, aren't I?)

8. Are there any types of posts you want me to try to get going again? I'm feeling creationally blah. (right, cuz I said my one word description was creative) character posts, snippets, real life stuff, etc?

9. What is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for you?

10. What is your most embarrassing moment? Do please blast it all over the internet for us ;)

11. Did you notice there was no #3?

12. Did you go look?

13. There was also no #6.

14. Got ya.

15. Should I stop being weird?

July's Beautiful People

Ladies and gents, boys and girls of all ages, behold-

My second post this week. 

Madness. 

If you want to participate yourself, or find links to other bloggers taking part, just hop on over to Further up and Further In . These questions would turn out with really boring answers if I used Creed from The RP Fantasy, so I'm going to use Reeve from Running Crazy. 

1. What’s their favourite ice cream flavour?

I love this question, because it actually comes up in the story. A lot. He likes Rocky Road. 

2. Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What are they wearing? Who will they be with?

Could be one of two things. He's going out with Donny. They will basically burn lots of gas and have nothing to show for it by the end of the night. He will be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. 

OR, after some new developments in character arcs, he will be with Amy. They still might burn tons of gas, randomly cruising town doing much of nothing, but they will most likely stop and get snacks somewhere, and maybe drop into random shops full of dusty books and old records. He will still probably be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But it will be cleaner. 

3. Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Do they wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Are they in socks that are ratty and full of holes? What do they consider comfortable and what do they consider agony?

Reeve wears tennis shoes. His socks are clean and he likes them fuzzy so they tickle when he walks across carpet. Don't make him wear anything that needs polished. He will scuff it to no end and it will be torture to smooth them up. Right now his foot is on the gas pedal, so he is wearing grey tennis shoes. 

4. Do they have any birthmark or scars? Where are they and how did they get them?

Reeve doesn't have any birthmarks or noticeable scars. 

5. What kind of music do they listen to? Does it change depending on their mood or is it always consistent? (Feel free to share samples!)

Oh...I thought about this before...what was it....

If I remember correctly, Reeve listens to Alternative Rock. It changes when he's with Amy though, because she likes old rock and old country, so he suddenly becomes a big fan of Credence Clearwater Revival when she is around.

6. Do they have any musical talent? Play an instrument? How’s their singing voice?

No instruments. His mom tried to make him learn piano when he was younger, but thank God she dropped that notion rather quick. His voice is decent. Not great. Not tone deaf. Right in the middle, where a teenage boy should be. 

7. What kind of book would you catch them reading?

Reeve isn't much of a reader. Probably a parts manual is the most consistent thing he reads. Oddly enough, he will read kindle books way more than he will the hard copy. Despite his reading slump, he's a big history buff, so if he's reading something not mechanics related, it would be something from the vaults of the past. 

8. How would they spend their summers (or their holidays)?

He's currently spending this summer squealing tires around South Dakota with a pretty girl. 

9. It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. Ex. If they’re eating breakfast, what’s on the menu? Are they hiking, shopping, lazing around?

Saturday at noon...Okay, so it's his day off. He slept in a little. He's probably zombie walking down the hall, rubbing his eyes and trying to push the strand of hair down that's trying to stand straight up. His shirt is only half on and he's tugging it over his elbow while trying to see if Amy texted him after he fell asleep last night. Cue the mom coming out of the bathroom and you have a lovely little collision and she tells him he shouldn't be on the phone all the time, it's bad for his eyes, and sleep deprivation has been proven to cause health problems. She'll barely get that out before disappearing down the stairs. He just shakes his head and yanks his shirt on before tripping into the bathroom. 

10. Is there anything your character wants to be free of?

His physical life is pretty good. There's not really any people or situations he would really like to shake. The more...shall we say spiritual part of his life however...I'd say he would like to be free of questions...or rather, his uncertainties. He has a lot when it comes to God, his parents, and where he stands in the world. He thinks he would be really happy if he could have the answers to those doubts. Or better yet, they would all just go away and things would be swell. 

A Tookish Tag

So many thanks go out to Skye for attaching my name to this tag. I cannot wait to answer these questions. It's sheer brilliance.

 RULES

Link back to the blogger who nominated you

Answer questions

Tag other TolkienKnights

1. How were you first introduced to LotR/TH and was it love at first sight/read?
I had heard about it briefly because the series was on the required reading for a class I took in school. I never did read it at that point. After that I met Lana who is properly obsessed with all things LOTR/TH, so she convinced me to get started. And no, it was not love at first sight. I liked reading The Hobbit well enough, and I liked parts of LOTR at times, but in general, I didn't enjoy the read, and I have yet to finish the series. The movies on the other hand, are quite a different story. I have enjoyed them immensely.

2. If you could meet the actors who portray the characters in the movies, would you?

Um....YES.

Aragorn. He is a must.  

But uh...mostly Kili...

3. What is your favorite credit song from LotR/TH?

I See Fire by Ed Sheeran for sure. Makes me want to cry. I sing it on the way to work on a weekly basis.

4. The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit – which is your favorite?  *evil laugh*  (And no, you don’t actually have to decide.  I’m merciful like that. *magnanimous smile*)

For the books, The Hobbit. Talking movies, tie.


5. Who is your favorite all-around character?
Ack! You realize there are four books, and six movies, right? The cast is gigantic.

...sigh. I suppose I'll have to go with Aragorn. Simply because I loved him in both the books, and the movies. 

6. What is your opinion on Boromir?
I liked him. That's why he died. The characters I like always do that. I think he was a good guy. The ring just got to him. Like it did half the characters in the story.


7. How many times have you watched the movies/read the books?
*hides from the objects about to be thrown at me* I've read the first LOTR book...once. I started the second one...The Hobbit I read once...I've watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey two or three times. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug I've watched one and a half times (Minion 2 got bored, so we couldn't finish it). I have yet to see The Battle of the Five Armies...*sobs* Kili! And I've watched the entire Lord of the Rings series once....In my defense, I'm never home, and my family refuses to watch any of them when I do come home.

 8. What book is your favorite?
Well since I've only read The Hobbit and....What's the first book of LOTR called? I'm a failure. Anyway, The Hobbit was my favorite.

9. Who is your favorite female character (other than your answer to question #5)?
Um....I really didn't pay the girls that much attention. I like Tauriel, even though she's not supposed to exist. I also like this gal...

 10. Who is your favorite male character (other than your answer to question #5)?

11. Which of the movies, in your opinion, has the best ending?
Oooh, well I did not like the end of Return of the King at all...I liked the ending of The Desolation of Smaug.


Now, for tagging, I'm not sure which of you all...ya'll...are Tolkien-ites, and I would hate to put you on the spot. So if you like nasty little hobbitses and soul posessing jewelry, have at this tag! You can just re-use these questions. Have fun!

Creative Blog Award

Months ago, Opal , was amazing and nominated me for this award.

I was not amazing and took this long to respond.

But, thanks go out, even when late.

 

DA RULES:

 Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media/blogs
Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you
Share 5 facts about yourself with your readers

 

Hmmm, okay, rule number one....

I only have 15-20 readers I think, so...

You all just got nominated. Have a nice day.

 

Rule number two, refers back to the first paragraph, where I did indeed send out thanks to Opal the amazing.

 

Rule number three.

 

5. Facts.

 

 

 

FACT: If you grab a photo album full of pictures of me when I was thirteen and look at what I'm wearing, then go to my drawer, you will most likely find that same outfit in my dresser. Not because I'm a pack rat or a hoarder or anything like that, but because I haven't grown since then and the t-shirts are still fully functional.

 

FACT: When I was young and was playing "cowboy" my name was always Michael W. Smith. Not because I liked his music that much, or that I wanted to be a boy. It was simply a name I could remember, and it sounded more western to me than Michelle W. Smith.

 

FACT: I don't remember ever losing an unofficial footrace, but I don't remember ever winning a race on a track. Ever.

 

FACT: If you catch me when I'm tired anywhere from 10pm to midnight, I'm going to be super drowsy and quiet. Anytime after midnight, I'm going to be giddy to the point of being frightening. I will giggle. It will be bad.

 

FACT: I have a spider living in my bed and feasting on my flesh like a psycho path, and I can't find the little blood sucking creep.

 

 

TA DA!!

I finally posted this, and followed the rules. That's got to be some kind of record.



Goodbyes Suck

Hello humans. Do please forgive me for my sporadic presence in the online realm. I apologize.

I tentatively promise you I'll post more regularly this week. I'm working on a couple tags and blog award posts, an update on my life lately, and more of the story. I'm also trying to concoct a couple deep and meaningful posts about some things I've learned in the last few months, but my thoughts aren't quite forming coherent sentences on those topics yet, so we will see how that goes.

Anyway, I should probably move on to the topic mentioned up there in the title, shouldn't I?

Goodbyes.

They suck.

End of story.

Tomorrow, Jarod will be going away to college some three hours away. I'll be at work though, so really, today is the last time I'll be seeing him.

And I already miss him.

It's ridiculous, I know.

 

 My mom rolled her eyes this morning and said "you know he's going to come back every weekend, right?"
And I do know that. Jarod and I have talked about it at length. It's only five days. We only see each other for lunch three days a week. It wont be much different. We can still see each other on the weekends. But we are still dreading it. Funny how that goes, isn't it? People rationalize things out, and it all makes sense and we know its true, but that little thumper in our chest just shakes it's head and says "Yeah, but..."

In books goodbyes are always so poetic. They tear at our heartstrings, but we always know it will be okay. The hero will come back. The damsel will be waiting to run into his arms. Everything will be perfect and life will carry on, happily ever after. But in real life there's always an uncertainty to them. College is a long way away. Anything could happen. Maybe I'm just paranoid of goodbye after reading Allegient. It's possible. Will things be the same when they come back? Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Every time I hear that I flash back to the six year old version of me watching Disney's Robin Hood. Lady Cluck tells Maid Marian that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Marian gets this sad look on her face and says "Or forgetful." Somehow that's never quite left my head.

Of course we will have cell phones, but it's just not the same as having a person there with you; seeing those little grins, and how their eyes change when they're happy. Those things that make it all real.

Amidst the sad feeling of not being able to see him regularly, there's a tiny nagging fear in the back of my mind that wont quite go to sleep. The boys are already ready to party hard once school starts. They've been calling for weeks. So far everything has been good and Jare has handled it smoothly. But I'm a girl, and we are prone to uncertainty. I know I have to trust him, and ultimately God, but sometimes it's so hard to let go of the things we want to hold the closest.

Several weeks back an issue arose. Nothing sinister, but something that gave me pause and caused me to think about where all this was going. I questioned whether this relationship was in God's will. After crying for a good three hours at the thought that my new world might be falling down around me, I would up in the yard of the farm my dad grew up on. The tractor was broke and we were supposed to be fixing it, but my parents just stood and talked to me for probably an hour. They said that there was no way to know yet what was and wasn't the right direction. They said to keep these things in mind and take them to God. All good advice. But the part that really hit me was when my dad said to let go.

He said when we hold on to something so tight, and try to force it to work by our own power it is destined to fail. Whatever is done without faith is sin. By holding on to what I want and not listening to the Holy Spirits leading I was not giving God room to bless and direct my steps. He suggested (he said it had to be my own choice) that I let God have Jarod; that God could take care of him way better than I ever could. That he could move in his heart to put him in the places he needs to be. That God knows better than I do where those places are, and what time he wants him there.
I wrestled with that for the rest of the day. I was scared. If I opened my hand, what if Jare fell out? What if this thing I had invested so much in turned out to be a waste? I didn't want that. I didn't want to have to face that.

But I was miserable, and I knew things were certain to be a waste if I continued on without my Savior's guidance. So I let go. I cried to God for hours that night. I told him he could have Jarod if he wanted him. That I wanted what was best for Jarod, no matter how painful or scary that reality might end up being. I begged that if we weren't in God's will that it would be made clear to me, and that Jarod would come to that decision so I wouldn't have to. I didn't want to second guess myself.

And you know what happened?

Things got better.

Things got so much better.

Immediately.

I never mentioned any of it to Jarod. I didn't voice the concern I'd had. All the changes came about without him knowing anything about it.

It's amazing what God can do when you step out of the way.

 

When I thought he was closing the door to my little treasure room, really turned out to be him opening the door to the whole castle.

 (So far. Things could always change. I'm still telling God that he can have Jare, and that he can have me, and that I want us both to be wherever God wants us. But so far, it seems like we are right there)

Now I find myself telling God all over again, "I can't be in control. I can't be at mechanic school hovering. He's got to be on his own and face the trials that are going to fly at him. I can't hold on to him, but I know you can."

Just because I've got that all thought out in my head doesn't mean that I'm going to sail through this afternoon perfectly. I'll probably cry. Which will be ridiculous. Hopefully I can hold back the flood until I get home. I'll probably destroy my phone by talking on the phone too long, and texting nonstop. I'll probably mope around and eat the leftover chocolate chip cookies from his going away present.

And then I'll be okay.

Because I'm a child of God, and so is he, and if God be for us who can be against us?