It's About the Music

It's no surprise that I am a huge fan of music. It's a paint filled canvas of emotion and each song provides the brush strokes for the final picture. I'm also a fan of poetry and have written quiet a bit over the years more for my own enjoyment than anything.

I had been going through some old writing and found one that I did back in 2007 after seeing Dead Can Dance in concert at the Hollywood Bowl during a beautiful starry night. Needless to say, I was a bit inspired, so here it is.

Dead Can Dance Poem

In the meadow of night,
the stars flickered and hung
like souls set aloft
on the wings of musical bliss.

Music hung in the air wrapped around-
clung to the very corners of our ears-
bliss on bliss
the very fabric of lyrical intricacy.

Drums thrummed and hummed
and we danced in our heads.
Set free to roam the world
and travel within time itself.

Then brought down to earth once more,
wrapped in layers of melody.
Curled up in the cocoon of timelessness.
Slept in the womb of violins.

We sang in silent tongues
as voices pure as angels soared.
In that we many were caught in awe
and given a gift without measure.



For good measure, here's some Dead Can Dance to listen to just to provide better insight on why I was moved so much:

"Insert Title Here"

I had no idea how I wanted to title this blog, so I opted for no title at all. Sort of like the book I've been working on for some time, I have no actual title to go with it. I'm sure it will strike me in time. I just don't want to put something out there that's too cliched or implies that it's a paranormal romance (it's not I swear.)

That said, I'm pretty excited about a new tool being worked on by the folks that do Scrivener (I love this writing program.) It's like a Mindmapping program but more free-form called Scapple. It's currently live for Mac, but in beta for Windows until Monday, September 30 (I'm not a Mac user.) I'm looking forward to giving it a test spin and seeing if it can help with getting ideas in a more organized state. It's meant to be a tool for scribbling down ideas and then connecting them later as it makes sense.

I thought I'd toss out a book recommendation too for anyone who might be curious about Paleo and how to get started. Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo is clear, concise, is beautifully organized, and has some truly delicious recipes. You can see some additional resources to the right in my links. After switching how I eat, I've been not only more focused, but my allergies are significantly decreased (I can breathe!), no more sugar imbalances, and no more migraines. Is it for everyone? I'm not a doctor so can't tell you what's best for you. I truly believe though that everyone has different needs, whether they do better as a vegan or vegetarian etc. It's not a religion, it's just food. You should eat how you feel best.

Just to truly mix this blog up, I thought I'd share another great cover done by Halestorm performing Get Lucky (originally by Daft Punk).

Too Good Not to Share

Some things are just too good not to share. This is one of them. A teacher took time to teach his kids 46 and 2 by Tool. Normally you see these things and think, "Oh that's cute!"  This isn't cute. This ... is amazing. What an awesome teacher and an awesome experience for these kids. Music (to me) is possibly the greatest gift.

The singer reminds me of Lindsey Mosley (Sturm) of Flyleaf.

In Brief

If brevity is the sole of wit, then I'm about to be very witty today. I haven't been very good about updating the blog. I could say I've been busy, but everyone is busy these days. So, I won't say that. I will say though that I've been working to change my diet (and habits) and have moved more fully Paleo. You can read up on it in some of the links I've added recently. Let's just say, I feel better than I did before, but it's still a lot of adjusting to the need to find time to make good food that isn't processed and tossed together for the sake of saving time. It's all from scratch as much as possible as well as learning what is "OK" not to be "perfect" on.

I'll try to be a bit better in the future with updates on things that are hopefully a tad more entertaining like baby goats.

Vikings on History Channel

I have always been drawn to stories from history, but more to those stories about my ancestors. I can't cite many specific stories beyond knowing that my family came from here or from there (along with knowing some of who they were) through tracing my genealogy, but getting stories of what their lives might have been like is always fascinating.

My recent fascination has been with History Channel's show Vikings. I not only love the mythology (more than Greek or Roman), but I love the chance to get a glimpse at a culture we rarely get to see. While the story is largely fictionalized (they need to tell a story still), that story is based on as much real history as they could possibly add in.

What do I love? The story pulls no punches and yet makes you both root for and cringe over the harsh realities of how they lived and the choices they had to make. The cinematography is compelling and beautiful and the acting is spot on. If you haven't seen the trailer for it, you may want to give it a gander.

Here is the stunningly haunting trailer for the show:

Who were the real Vikings?

And if you're wondering what song that is in the opening sequence, it's "If I Had a Heart" by Fever Ray.

In a Nutshell: What I've been Doing Lately

I lead an often --let's call it -- challenging life. I'm quite sure I'm not the only one. This is what comes of living in an age as we do. With every convenience, there is a cost. With every advance, there is another hurdle. But I'm stubborn and I carry on.

In this digital age, we are not alone in our struggles or bereft in potential resources for getting through our challenges. Because of this, even at the (still young) age of forty I continue to push myself to learn and become better. I am my own worst critic, so this is often one of those challenges I face among others. I also truly believe that we make a mistake in thinking that at some mystical age, we know all we ever need to know and should stop learning. I have news for you all, while "life is short" we lead far longer lives today than our forebears. Learning shouldn't ever stop.

To that end, I have been pushing myself to take advantage of the resources available to me on the internet and via books I'm able to find and read. While I still read a lot of fantasy (in fact I'm currently finishing book three of the Mistborn Trilogy (Mistborn, The Hero of Ages, &; The Well of Ascension). I'm enjoying it, but the more I read what others have written, the more I just want to work on my own novel/s that I've had percolating in my own brain pan.

So, what does it all mean? What am I doing anyway?

Learning: Making New Brain Ripples

I am fortunate that my employer offers internal means of learning and a library by which we can freely borrow. I admit, I don't always take full advantage of this. Balancing a work life and a family life along with personal ambitions isn't easy. (It's hard. It's probably the hardest thing I've done in my life. But the payoff? Hopefully worth it.) So, to supplement my opportunities to learn, I've turned to a few different places.

Coursera- Free online courses from top level universities. It's not going to get you a degree, but it will help you learn about some great topics. Many courses also include a certificate when you complete them, which may help bolster your resume.

Code Academy- Another free way to learn, they teach a variety of coding skills. Again, this may not make you into an expert or get you a degree, but it will allow you a means to start learning if you're interested in doing so. Even if you're "just" a blogger, there are courses on Web Fundamentals that will help you learn more about basic html and CSS.

Vocabulary.com - Test your vocabulary and push yourself to learn more.

Reading- I'm reading a lot more reference books than I am for pleasure books. I blame my mother for always answering our questions of "What does "x" word mean" or various other curiosities with the simple words, "Look it up." This was more difficult back then since there was no internet to go to or downloadable books. We instead had sets of encyclopedias (real ones with pages and everything) and dictionaries or even headed off to the library. If we didn't know what something was, we looked it up.

Here are just some of the books I've been reading through (If you have Amazon Prime, you can often borrow these for free):

APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book - Since I haven't done this yet, I figured this was worth checking out and Amazon had it as a daily deal on Kindle. I have friends I can talk to about the process as well, but they have their own lives and I don't want to soak up too much of their own extra time if I can help it.

The War of Art- How to break through your creative blocks. It's a short book and doesn't have any big ground breaking information, but at the same time, it's encouraging and practical.

The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself - I love my editors. Even when I get irritated at what they want to edit. Without a second pair of eyes specifically trained to edit, what I write wouldn't be nearly as good. (Perhaps as evidenced by this blog? ;) ) That said, I also think it's worth the effort to make editing slightly less painful for them if I can. This book helps you take a step back, and learn some self-editing techniques that can only help you make your end product better.

Write Great Fiction - Revision And Self-Editing - Another of the books I've been reading to learn more.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition - There's a newer version out now (I think we're at 16) but this is a great resource for understanding the ins and outs of grammar and punctuation.

Health: I Think I'll Go For a Walk

Aside from those, I've been trying to improve my health. I own a FitBit to track my daily activity and take walks when I can.

I also signed up with eMeals to make it easier on myself with meal planning. We're using the Paleo Plan and so far, I've noticed a difference: less headaches, no migraines, no joint pain, losing some much needed weight/fat, feeling more energetic. My other half no longer has horrible heartburn at night either. I'm not suggesting others do likewise, I'm just pointing out what a difference taking a look at your own activity and diet can make. (These are my experiences alone and should not be taken as medical advice. Please see your doctor and/or your own nutritionist when considering health options.)

I'm still learning and adjusting what we can eat and what we shouldn't eat, but it's going well for us. I've been checking out Mark's Daily Apple among other sources to learn more about how others are approaching this type of lifestyle. I'm cooking nearly every day (save maybe one day a week) something new each day and frankly, carryout doesn't taste nearly as good as it used to.

Cleaning: My Lack of Domestic Goddesshood

I'm horrible at organizing cleaning. It can be so overwhelming at times. Especially since I'd much rather be doing myriad other things, but I turn to Flylady.net. It's helped me put things in perspective. I'm not a domestic goddess or Martha Stewart. I want things perfect and clean, but I get overwhelmed by what all needs to be done. Flylady just helps break things into pieces and remember not to go "too far" on any one thing.

Writing: There's a Whole World in There!

I'm also spending more time working on my own book. I'm finally breaking through the barriers I had set up for myself in the past and have a better idea of how I want my chapters to be set up, the pacing of the book, and the story I want to tell. It hasn't been easy because there is an entire world of characters in my head who all want to have a turn in the spotlight. I'm sure I'll get to many of them in time.

Bonus:

Also, for those who may not be aware and may be interested, there's a new adventure gaming magazine in town: Gygax Magazine as covered by Boing Boing.

That's it for me for now. Back to work I go.

Signal to Noise - Poem

This seemed apropos if nothing given that the world is more connected than ever with so many possibilities and so many competing to be the one to take on those possibilities. There's a lot of 'noise' to contend with in so many wanting to be heard, seen, and recognized.

Vignette #2- Inside Voice

vignette  (vɪˈnjɛt)
— n
1.	a small illustration placed at the beginning or end of a book or chapter
2.	a short graceful literary essay or sketch
3.	a photograph, drawing, etc, with edges that are shaded off
4.	architect  a carved ornamentation that has a design based upon tendrils, leaves, etc
5.	any small endearing scene, view, picture, etc

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Do you see anything?” said the voice out of the darkness.

“What should I see?”

“Anything, I guess. Something. Maybe nothing. I’m not sure. It’s why I’m asking you. Do you see anything?”

“Darkness I guess- lots of staticky darkness. Like dancing flecks of faded light before my eyes every now and again. Is that what I should be seeing?”

“Perhaps,” said the deep baritone voice rumbling in her ears.  “Concentrate on the place you want to be most.”

“I’ll try,” said the soft feminine voice. “I’m afraid though.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Ending up somewhere I don’t want to be.”

“Where would that be?”

“I don’t know, but I know I don’t want to think about it. I thought you said I should think of a place I want to be?”

“Yes. You should.”

“Now you’ve done it.”

“What have I done?”

“I’m on the edge of a cliff.”

“Is that where you want to be?” rumbled the voice again.

“No,” came the tremulous response. “I’m afraid I’ll fall.”

“What would happen if you fell?”

“I don’t know. It’s so dark. I don’t know how far it goes down.”

“So, take control. It’s your dream.”

“Am I dreaming?”

“What else could it be?”

“A nightmare then,” the soft voice whispered as a breeze slipped through her hair and carried the sound with it.

“You can change it,” said the reassuring voice.

“How?”

“Imagine. Imagine an out. Imagine the stars above lighting your way. Imagine a bridge from the cliff leading across it to a safer place. Imagine there is no cliff. It’s your mind. Your thought. Imagine it, and it can be real in this place.”

“Where is this?”

“We’re in the crenelated battlements of your mind. Where else? Are you ready to wage war with yourself?”

“This is war?” she said weakly. “I’m not equipped for war.”

“You are.”

“I see something in the distance. Dark shapes oozing and viscous. I’m standing on the parapet of a castle’s walls now,” her voice shudders where her body is unable to. “They’re frightening.”

“Doubt.”

“Excuse me?”

“They’re your doubts.”

“That’s what doubt looks like?”

“To you it does. Others’ doubts may look different. To you, they’re dark shapes. The question is,  will you fight them?”

“What will happen if I don’t?”

“They’ll destroy you.”

“I see. I can’t negotiate?”

The sound of deep rich laughter drifts to her.

“So that’s a no,” she says a bit of humor seeping into her own voice as she realizes the inanity of such a question.

“Alright then,” she says as steel seeps into her voice. “I’ll fight. Will you help?”

“I already am.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m you.”

“I’m no baritone.”

“And so you’re not,” came the rich contralto.

“I'm not a contralto either, but I like it, I just don’t understand.”

“I am your strength—your will. I can sound however you imagine. I can be whatever you imagine. You imagined me as a baritone and now as this. I’m you, whatever you imagine you to be.”

“I’m odd.”

“I won’t argue with you. They’re getting closer. Shall we begin?”

“Yes. Let’s.”