This blog is entirely random, but I think important enough to jot down. As this is a personal journal, I want to remember the random events just as much as the important ones.So brace yourself for a string of random.
1). I finally started watching Dr. Who and WOW! I friggin love it! I still can't stop missing Eccelston, though. He has such a dominant, sexy, mysterious vibe about him. *swoon* I would highly recommend this show even if you're not a big geek. However, you do have to have some amount of threshold for cheesy, but the stories, the writing, the creativity of it all is marvelous!
2.) Republican Primaries for the Presidential Elections (I told you this would be random)
For this time-capsule-ish blog, I would like to record my frustration in this year's choices for Republican candidates. I will most likely be voting for Obama in the presidential elections because, as I stated on my facebook status :
Santorum has ignorant views of gays and opposes both same sex marriage and birth control (right, because we can ALL afford to have 7 children). Gingrich resigned from Speaker of the House and has changed religions as often as he's changed wives. I can't even stand to look at Mitt Romney. And Ron Paul who? Sigh.
Ron Paul, a Libertarian, is the closest to what I would consider being a Republican candidate that focuses on the issues rather than slandering others, he has an outstanding career track record, and he has served in our country's military forces. Yet, he won't even have a shot at it because Mitt Romney... *shudders*... is far in the lead ahead of anyone. I cannot like this person. Santorum is not any better of a candidate although he does like to play the "pauper" in the elections and whine about how much more money Romney has than he. Santorum has belligerent and ignorant views of homosexuals and same sex marriage... well that's almost typical of any Republican candidate. Gingrich.. hah! No. If you haven't watched any of the primary debates, I encourage you to watch at least 5 minutes of Romney and Santorum. Everytime I watch them and then look at the numbers...
3.) New Apps:
Scramble with Friends
If you have an iPhone, play it! It's so fun!
OkCupid App- Really well done!
Audiobooks App- For nights when I can't sleep!
4.) My FIRST Earth Sammie!
Top: Andrew from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Bottom: Me, Houston, Texas, United States
5.) Cure for the Blues.
When you're down, get down with this Cool Cat
Many new chapters are just on the horizon in my life right now. I can see the sun rising and the warmth is so close now I have found myself now running towards it as dawn approaches my present life. What does this mean, really? Well it means that I am desperately grasping at ideas and opportunities around me and am so hopeful for my future that I am jumping in head-first, pushing myself to just be bold and do it! I am on the starting side of many large things in life and I've found that right now, if I can be so bold as to just take the leap, there will probably be wonderful things that await me. In this post I hope to catalog a few of these exciting life changes so that I may go back in a few months time and see what came of them. Hopefully I won't disappoint myself too much... I HOPE that I will take these leaps and will find myself in a whole new world by then. *crosses fingers*
The title of this post is certainly inspired by the fact that today is indeed Valentine's Day. Interestingly enough I took it upon myself to wiki Valentine's Day because all I really knew about it was that it was named after a martyr, St Valentine (Valentinus), cupid some how manifested himself into the holiday, and that it's a holiday that most people generally aren't a fan of because they're either single or feel pressured as a couple to show their affection through a capitalist scam encouraging the purchase of chocolates, flowers, expensive meals, and really anything red or speckled with hearts. Can you tell I'm not a fan?
Anyway, as I researched the history of what some lovingly pet-named "Singles Awareness Day", I found something that really appealed to my own interests. Did you know that Valentine's Day wouldn't exist as it does now without Chaucer? Can you believe that people have been giving candy and "valentine's" cards since the 15th century?! I bet you didn't! Well then, let me enlighten you! Warning: Incoming nerdy literary facts. Check this out... It says here in wiki (yes, I know, the internet's most trusted source, right?) that Chaucer was the first to associate Valentine's Day with romantic love in his poem Parliament of Fowls:
You know that on Saint Valentine’s day,
By my statute and through my governance,
You come to choose – and then fly your way –
Your mates, as I your desires enhance.
But nonetheless my rightful ordinance
I may not alter, for all the world to win,
That he that is most worthy must begin.
Before Chaucer's poem, Valentine's apparently never had any romantic connotation. The poem had an even more romantic impact since it was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. In the poem Chaucer creates fictional "old" traditions that were never actually traditions before Chaucer wrote the poem. Courtly love and the "High Court of Love" (established on Valentine's Day in the c1400) influenced the romantic and poetic nature of the holiday we know today as well. The members of The High Court of Love, established to deal with matters of love, relationships, and abused women, were chosen in a poetry contest of sorts. Women would hear their poetry and judge them based on their understanding of love and relationships. Soon after you have Valentine's Day appearing in Shakespeare's work and English poet John Donne all but knicks Chaucer's marriage of birds imagery and writes his own poem celebrating the marriage of Elizabeth on... you guessed it, Valentine's Day.
Like a Sir.
Okay okay okay. So literary history lesson over. There is, however, a good segue into what you may consider to be slightly more interesting information. The theme of this post "Keeping Romance Alive" is something very much inspired by the choices I face in my life of late. One of those choices being that I've decided to go back to grad school. I have several options before me and I find myself questioning myself constantly on what the most "responsible" decision is to make. However, in the spirit of romance, I am reminded of the many novels I've read that would be dreadfully boring if the characters had just stayed in their hometown and gotten a "safe" degree and gotten a "good" job and functioned normally in society. In the spirit of romance, I have decided that I WILL study abroad. I don't know when, how or why, but I WILL be furthering my education overseas and I don't want to settle for anything less. Of course, the not romantic bit of that is that I will need to either hurry and sell everything I own or spend a year raising as much money as possible. Either way... world... here I effing come.
Right, okay. So .. nerdy ranting... romantic life chapters... and now what? Ah yes. It wouldn't be Valentine's without a Valentine now would it? Yes well, I DO have a Valentine and while my love life is something I keep very private at the moment, I do have a soft spot for mushy, gushy displays of affections. Leo, I saw this adorable Valentine online and immediately thought of you. I could have just linked it to you, but I thought this would be more special. :) Happy Valentine's Day!
Hoping you all had a wonderful day. Hope you showed someone special how much you love them even if it's not romantic. Heck, my Mom was the first to wish me Happy V-day today and it made my whole morning! And if you're still reading this blog, you get a humungous teddy bear squish! Muah!
Who is Little Bird? I've realized I've gone through a week or so of this blog without telling you much about the person behind the posts. This week I've been quiet on the blogging front but I think I'll be tricky by introducing both more about myself while also providing a weekly update.
My Theme Song
This one's tricky because obviously theme songs should depict a mood, tone, and the pace alongside a story. As my story changes of course my theme song changes. It's well known that I have an unhealthy yet charmingly enthusiastic obsession with David Bowie. Naturally you could assume my persona's theme song would be written by none other than the sexy Goblin King that stole my heart when I was 6. Sadly I have not found a Bowie song that fits the ticket. However, I did once have a friend that used Rebel Rebel as his ring tone for when I called in college. I would say that's entirely appropriate. :)
So WHAT is this theme song, eh? What encompasses all that is Little Bird? As this is such a difficult decision to commit to, I have chosen to drag out this entire process for the sake of suspense. There are so many songs I could choose, but for this week's update I have chosen my personal theme song. The song I imagine in my head every time I walk into a room is.....
Work
What is it that I do? How do I have all of this time to blog and bake cakes and make crafts? Well, for starters I was unemployed all summer, but before that I worked as a Deaf Ed teacher for a semester as a long-term substitute. I have a degree in English and Education and a minor in Deaf Education. I lucked out and got my first teaching job working with kids from pre-k through 12 grade as an itinerant Deaf Ed teacher (and at times interpreter). Though I don't have an interpreting license, I was still offered a chance to interpret for a kindergartener, 3 third graders, and a ninth grader. I think the most challenging yet fascinating student was a deaf/blind girl I worked with named Lauren. She had so much working against her and virtually no language and yet she still accomplished so much in her day. :)
Now I'm back to substitute teaching but in a more general capacity. I have also started my application process for the Peace Corps, but because that takes from about 6 months to a year for an assignment, I need to find a place to volunteer, take some form of creative class, and continue working on my blog. I'm 26 and bear no shame in saying that I still have no idea where my career path will lead. I only strive to find something I love doing and something that I can look back and say "Wow, never thought you'd do that, did ya?" I intend on impressing myself one day. :)
Things that make me go "Ooh!"
1) When I hear a song on the radio that I love. I love music so much, but the music that really makes my heart skip a beat are my beloved classic rock tunes.
2) Beautiful Fall Days. The temperature in Texas has a very brief period that it's perfect and that's between mid October and late November. I love the smell of the air, the clear sky and the gorgeous trees. This is a picture of pre-autumn trees along the road I lived on nearly my whole life in my small hometown.
3) Random acts of kindness. Possibly a note that says "Thinking about you" or a text of your favorite joke because you thought it would put a smile on someone's face. I love it when we use our most precious and rare trait of humanity: benevolence.
My nerdy little secret...
I am obsessed with Morgan le Fay from the legends of King Arthur. I am going to the Renaissance Fair this weekend and I had to stop myself from buying a 60 dollar cape for a somewhat larp-esque experience. I really wanted to be all dark and mysterious like I imagine Morgana is in the tales. I like the many dynamics of her character depending on which version of the story is told. One of my favorite portrayals of her character is in the recent sci-fi series called Merlin. It's a great family friendly version of the legends. Also, Marion Zimmer Bradley's book Mists of Avalon really added depth to Morgana that hadn't been seen in previous legends, and remains one of my favorite books for that reason.
And as if it couldn't get nerdier, here is an edited snapshot I took of my character in the virtual world of Second Life. This is my avatar as an interpretation of Morgan le Fay:
And I think now that I'm getting into my secretive life as a nerd that I should probably end this segment of looking deeper into the life of Little Bird. I have a weekend of Uncharted 3 and Renaissance Fair ahead of me so it's safe to say that this weekend will rock! Hope you all have an awesome weekend as well. Love you much!
Okay so my friend Tishi will be so disappointed when she finds that I didn't completely follow through with my Halloween costume idea, but I simply did not do anything eventful over the holiday weekend worth getting dressed up for. However I will tell you my ridiculous (and very very lazy) idea of a costume I was going to do.
I don't know if you've ever heard of Teenage Mutant Ninja Noses but it is a website dedicated to an odd idea that peoples' noses make the perfect canvas for a Ninja Turtle face. I found this hilarious and so unique so I wanted to create my own. Had I done anything for Halloween, I would have painted my nose for the occasion. However, instead I just drew on top of a pic of myself in gimp so that I, too, could have a Ninja Turtle nose.
In spirit of Halloween and as an ode to nostalgia, I encourage you to turtle-up your nose and post a pic in my comments. It's super easy to do and I personally am beaming with pride at my nerd street cred right now. Kawabunga!
In the spirit of Halloween I also want to share with you some of my favorite costumes I've seen this year. There have been so many wonderfully creative ideas that I wish I had the time and energy to try myself. Maybe next year... just maybe (but probably not. obviously, I can't even commit to actually painting a ninja turtle on my nose. lol).
And finally, the flyest fairy princesses of 2011. This girl can sing it!
So adorable! Speaking of adorable, as a last tribute to all things Halloween, I want to share with you one of my favorite blogs of all time called My Milk Toof . The link I just provided will entertain you with a cute Halloween story of ickle and Lardee. You will also find the other endearing tales told by the adorable little toofs. I absolutely LOVE the creative genius behind these stories and creativity in the way they are narrated. The author personifies them so well that they are so easy to fall in love with. I'm dedicating this section of the blog to my to favorite story blog characters. Happy Halloween, ickle and Lardee!
Please everyone be safe this evening if you're planning on celebrating tonight (I know most people partied it up over the weekend). I relaxed all weekend so tonight I'm actually going to go to a full-service dine-in movie theater just so I can feel like I did something. I'm used to having massive parties and dressing up. A couple of years ago we had a zombie party where myself and the other two hostesses dressed as zombies with fully decked makeup, and we would stand at the door and "bite" the guests who came dressed in "civvies". We dragged each guest to the bathroom and I zombiefied them with makeup and gooey skin bits (squishy gel pieces that came with the kit) and then we had a dance party (as always). Man I LOVE dressing up. Hehe.
I can't emphasize safety enough. Don't drink and drive, no random midnight walks in the woods, and always, ALWAYS double tap. Happy Halloween! Enjoy your night and be safe!
This weekend I had several crafts planned that involved yarn and lots of glue; However, some of the key elements needed to complete those projects were unavailable to me. Luckily, I stumbled upon a cute lamp base while I was looking for the yarn, and I remembered a cute craft idea I saved on one of my Pinterest boards.
Mine didn't turn out near as cute as this lamp, but I still like the way it came out. Obviously this craft is super easy. You only need a lampshade and lots of fun buttons to deck it out with. I used a multi-purpose craft glue, but pretty much any glue that is stronger than classic Elmer's glue will work. I wouldn't recommend using hot glue because the glue dots will show through the buttons through the lampshade when lit up.
Here's how it all turned out:
I hope you all had an amazing weekend. I had a great weekend watching a UFC fight and relaxing for the rest of the time. I'm happy I completed at least one craft this weekend and I look forward to trying out some more ideas to show you. Hope you had a safe and happy Halloween weekend! See you tomorrow!
"Gone are the days of begging,
the days of theft.
No more gasping for a breath;
The air has filled me head-to-toe
And I can see the ground far below.
I have this breath
And I hold it tight
And I keep it in my chest
With all my might.
I pray to God this breath will last
As it pushes past my lips
As I dance."- Between Two Lungs, Florence and the Machine
