May 26, 2008

Free Writing

Lately, I’ve been writing. I started with some monologues loosely based on people I know, then I moved onto free writing. Free writing-for me-is writing what ever I feel inspired to write without thinking about form or continuity (a technique I learned from one of my English professors, which I found extremely helpful). In my case, I start with a loose idea of the story I want to convey, but try to focus mainly on creating images that I think set the “right” tone. Although, most people find starting with the form helpful, I prefer to do it the other way around-not sure why. Then, typically, I don't touch what I've written until I feel inspired to polish it into something worth reading. Uh....yeah...at this point, most my work get stowed away in a journal NEVER to be read again.

The thing is, I just joined this writing/reading group, and I decided this was a fine time to bring new work to the table while polishing old stuff. So here I go. The next step for the free write below is creating a more coherent structure that I can flesh out. I'm kind of excited see what I can do with it.

Oh. Happy Memorial Day or is Labor Day? Happy whichever. No Happy Memorial Day. Jake just said it's Memorial Day...NOT Labor Day. Funny, not one of my neighbors corrected me this morning-bet they didn't know either. ;)

"Celestial Garden" Free write before I polish it:

Sculpted in this soft but cold celestial garden
We nearly scattered like powdered chalk statues
Spooky in the white world of salt, sugar, diamonds, and glass

In the stillness we watched, enchanted by the obscured color we see
Where liquid crystal oozes over lush leaves
and blood red berries appear like rubies locked in glass

At this moment I feel paralyzed and breakable
I want to be let out into the world I knew before
The world built of dirt, coffee, gravel, and ash
Maybe there in the coal shadows I can move freely-not dissipate
Then you remind me…The Gate
We can’t make in through its thick bound vines or endure the slice of sharp chlorophyll fans skirting spruced-needle warriors

For now we stay
Stay to see if one day the walls will melt into green.
Stay to see if the Keeper keeps promises not fully understood.

Until then, while invisible hands shape ivory dreams into pearls
I’ll be scattering frost with the hope that some will travel over these walls
To the land we chose to leave

Maybe then this flurry can melt and bloom something more constant than snow
But for now we wait out the frost in this soft but cold celestial garden.

| By Heidi V. | 06:39 PM | Comments (6)

February 12, 2008

Multiple intelligence Quiz

I FINALLY found this quiz that my cousin was telling me about! Here’s the link if you’re curious.

http://www.mitest.com/o7inte~1.htm

You may be a bit surprised by your results—I was. I expected to be Intrapersonal to be higher, and I was SURE Linguistic would be my highest. I was wrong. Perhaps my low intrapersonalness is to blame.
My Results:

The Seven Intelligence Areas
Linguistic: 7
Logical-Mathematical: 2
Spatial: 6
Bodily-Kinesthetic: 7
Musical: 8
Interpersonal: 7
Intrapersonal: 5

This is the link explaining what the categories mean: http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardnermultipleintelligences.htm

| By Heidi V. | 03:32 PM | Comments (10)

January 02, 2008

Nothing New

In honor of the year flipping forward to 2008, I dedicated an entire day to relaxing which generally leads to thinking. I’m not sure why my thoughts fixated on the topic of ancestry and “roots” but they did. I spent some time imagining what they, my ancestors, may have been like. I envisioned family members in tie dye, flapper dresses, pilgrim hats, and Flintstone attire. Somehow this got me thinking about how much of what I KNOW has come from those who had gone before me. And that got me thinking about how much of what I OWN has belonged to someone else previously (virtually all my clothing, furniture, and décor are a result of hand-me-downage). This got me thinking about how everything I’M MADE OF has been part of or belonged to someone or something else before me too! By this I mean on a molecular level!
In order to explain this without “going geek on you” as my Science Olympics friends used to say, I’ll spare you a chemistry lesson on the breaking of chemical bonds and formation of new ones. Instead, I'll just say this: A long time ago my dad told me that ALL water stays in the biosphere FOREVER and all our cells are part of atoms that have been here since the dawn of time! Now, if that’s true--and it is according to most Christian and secular scientists--THEN it’s possible that the water moistening my eyes could have been sweat from an ancient dinosaur or part of a raindrop that fell on Noah’s ark, or maybe even the breath of Jesus himself!

Isn’t that incredible?

Everybody on the radio’s talking about newness and breaking from the past as we usher in 2008, and here I am feeling more ancient and connected to the past than ever before.

Happy new year you atoms of old! May God use each of us fearfully and wonderfully made creatures to do great things this year!

| By Heidi V. | 02:50 PM | Comments (5)

December 18, 2007

The Hobbit! YAY!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7150644.stm

| By Heidi V. | 12:54 PM | Comments (4)

December 13, 2007

Jacob and I are-well see for yourself

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1357469749

Merry, Cheery, Wonderful Christmas to all!

| By Heidi V. | 10:35 AM | Comments (4)

November 28, 2007

Prayer Requests

Jacob's grandmother fell down the stairs a few days ago and is in the ICU at Barnes; because his grandfather is recovering from a recent heart attack he is unable to visit her. Actually, he's frustrated because he, himself, requires 24 hour care which prevents him from assuming an active roll in comforting the rest of the family.

Also, a dear woman from my church, Donna, lost her son. He was shot thorough the head a few days ago for unknown reasons. I CAN”T imagine the pain she’s going through. All of it just makes me want to cry, but I feel so focused on staying strong and supportive that I’ve kind of turned off my emotions.

So prayer requests:
Prayer that Jacob's grandmother would regain full brain function and full mobility (the two main complications are bleeding/swelling of the brain and a spinal fracture).
Prayer that the stress wouldn't bring on another heat attack as grandfather processes what's happened to grandmother. Although, the paramedics were able to zap his heart back, they pointed out that his health is poor.
Prayer for Jacob and family because everybody is exhausted.
Prayer for me to know what God would have me do…what needs to meet when it seems the needs are endless.

I thank God that my own father is on the road to recovery! AND that GOD used that tragedy to grow my faith greatly! With that said, please pray that God would use these tragedies to grow Donna’s and Jacob’s families as he did in my case.
Thank you for your prayers.

P.S. The photo is of Jacob's grandparents. I love them SO much.

| By Heidi V. | 12:07 PM | Comments (4)