Soggy Updates

Since the rain has closed HACC for the third day in a row I finally have some time to update my blog.  The ONLY good thing to come out of the flooding (I'm currently drying out about 40 books that got saturated when our basement flooded but at least it wasn't as bad as some people have).

I have been busy, busy with the start of school.  I'm taking five classes this semester and I'm in various stages of three different research projects (why did I think this was a good idea?).  Truly though, I'm enjoying all of my classes and learning a lot.

The other big thing that has been eatting all of my time is Faire.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have had the joy of exploring a new character this year- Barbara (Babs) Norris the Fishmonger.  As I suspected, she is a little crazy.  She likes to say she can catch anything- including husbands (why stop at fish?).  Currently she is under the employ of no fewer than 10 people, all looking for husbands, including the greatly feared Duchess of Sussex (who has had seven husbands already).  She is also trying to catch a giant squid which she intends to turn into a scarf and deeply believes that this will be the latest fashion craze.  Like I said, she's a little nuts :)

My alter-ego, Babs Norris.

Despite being busy I'm having a wonderful time.  I'm even looking forward to join my writing friends in just a month and half for NaNoWriMo.  Though how I will fit that in I have no idea!

With greetings from Mount Hope England,

Pandora aka Babs

Educational Adventures

            Earlier this year I decided I was finally going to go to college.  My higher education was put off years ago by my continued ill health and it wasn’t until recently that I felt I could finally handle continuing my schooling.  Thus began my search for a major that would work best for me.  It has been an interesting adventure.

            I have always had a number of interests, all of them on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Naturally, when I sat down to compile a list of possibilities for college, I was greeted with a group of utterly unrelated majors and a minor headache.  How does one decide which interest to pursue?  Do you pick the one that is most practical?  Or do you choose the one that excites you most?  Is there a middle ground?  Do you write them all on slips of paper, throw them in a hat and choose at random?  Do I leave the decision up to my dog Jasper?  Is there even a right answer when it comes to making up your mind what subject you would like to spend thousands of dollars to learn?

            Despite my initial lack of ability to choose a major, I am excited (and if I’m being honest a little scared- its been six years since I was in a class room).  Looking over my list of possible electives makes me want to jump around like a little kid.  I mean I can take a Yoga class for my physical education credit (certainly beats running laps and playing dodge ball!).  I could also learn Arabic (to ease my someday travels to Egypt), diagnose my entire family after taking an abnormal psychology class, or introduce myself to planetary astrology.  “Beam me up Scotty!”  (sorry, couldn’t help myself)

            With all these ideas spinning around in my head you will be happy to know that I did finally make a decision- I think (and no, my dog didn't help).  It looks like I will be majoring in Social Science Education.  I love history and if I procure my masters I can work in a museum.  On the practical side I can teach (do not fear, your children are safe in my hands- I can’t possibly mess them up teaching them history.  Not like I could if I was teaching them chemistry.  I should never be allowed a job where playing with combustible chemicals is required!  But I'm rambling…)

            I will be starting at HACC, Lebanon Campus in the fall (provided all my financial aid comes through) and I will be sure to post all of my adventures here, despite what will no doubt be a crippling amount of homework.  I’m sure I will have some great stories!  Wish me luck (I'll need it)!

           

           Hoping this wasn’t a stupid idea,

           Pandora

Goodbye Gypsy, Hello Fishmonger

So this year my time spent at the Ren Faire will be a little different.  For six summers now I have worked seasonal staff on the swing shift.  My days have been spent running around, helping everyone out as the slightly crazy, half English Gypsy Pandora.  For my seventh season I decided it was time for something a little different.  That’s how I wound up auditioning for the volunteer cast back in February.  And after nearly having a heart attack during the actual audition (the Gods only know why) I officially made cast (duh, it’s not like I’ve been doing this for six years or anything).

Now after many long years I must set aside the gypsy to become someone new.  Just last week I found out who my new alter ego will be.  I'm thrilled.  If I have to say goodbye to the gypsy (who is, by the way, in Europe trying to take over Romania) I can think of no better person to move on to.

Thus do I introduce Barbara Norris, Fishmonger.  Don't know much about her yet.  She was born just outside of Billingsgate Market in London in 1540.  She's very good at catching things (fish and otherwise).  Beyond that she is a mystery to me.  I think she's a sweet heart but I suspect that you should keep your eyes on her- she might do something a little crazy at the drop of a hat.  I suppose we will have to wait and see. 

Just be sure to stop by the Faire in August and say hello.  She'll be the one running around with the fish.

Suspecting there is still a little bit of mischievous gypsy in there,

Pandora

An Odd Welcome to Spring

It’s amazing how fast time goes by.  It’s been a fare while since I’ve found a moment to post anything here.  But today, at last, I have a moment to breath and think things over.  The last twelve months have not been the easiest for me.  A year ago today my father passed away.  In that moment the world flipped on its head.  Ever since then, it has felt as if I were racing to put things right again, praying desperately that the world would make sense again.  Looking back over the last year I think the world has finally righted itself again.  But it is a different world then the one I remember and oddly I find myself all right with that.

This past year has taught me that life is all about changing and growing.  It’s about learning when to hold on for dear life and when to let go.  It’s about finding happiness in the stupid little things that come along.  It’s about learning that things will happen in their time and that the universe can’t be rushed.  And its about remembering that a single decision, going left instead of right, those tiny events lead us to where we are now. 

A year after the world flipped on its head I can finally say that I understand how I found myself here and that I have no regrets.  There have been tears and pain, no doubt.  I would love a few more minutes with those who have passed on to other things.  But for the first time in a long while I find myself beginning to grow comfortable with where I am and who I am becoming.  And that is a gift.

Spring has finally arrived and the world is waking up.  And it feels like I am waking up too, from a long hibernation.  So allow me to shout out my welcome to this new world that I find before me.  I look forward to getting to know it better and starting my next great adventure.

Welcome back spring, with all your possibilities.  It’s good to see you again.

Pandora

Mush, Blank Rooms and Death by Sheep

So why is it that when you are trying to write something totally brilliant your brain churns out nothing but mush?  All your ideas are horrible, your plot lines have gapping holes and at the end of the day all you have to show for your troubles is a pile of crumpled and partially singed paper.  But when you’re trying to get to sleep because you’ve just gotten home from your grueling job and you haven’t slept well in a week, your brain suddenly goes into overdrive.  Instead of catching up on your zzzz’s you’re vaulting from bed every ten seconds to write something down because you know if you wait, by morning all you’ll have left is a pile of mush.  I think the Muses just have a very sick sense of humor.  They’re all, sure you can write brilliantly but you won’t get any sleep so in a year’s time you’ll be a raving lunatic.  Provided, of course, that you aren’t all ready crazy.  Maybe that’s what happened to me.  Hmmm, something to think on I guess.

Now here is something else that bothers me.  When I can’t sleep because my mind won’t shut up, I try to calm my thoughts.  I usually start with an empty, blank room.  Very calming and soothing right?  You would think so, but oh no.  Me, I’m suddenly annoyed that the room is blank so I have to start decorating it or blowing it up or something and my mind is off again, a billion miles a minute.  So then I try to count sheep.  Very traditional.  Now I don’t know about you, but my sheep are always jumping over a fence.  One sheep over, two sheep over, and so on.  But now I’m wondering, why the hell are they jumping fences?  I mean have you ever seen a sheep jump a fence?  No, neither have I.  I’ve ridden a sheep once when I was like five.  It was some ridiculous rodeo my parents entered me in.  Thought it would be loads of fun.  Ha ha ha.  Thanks a lot!  I hung on by clinging to the side of the sheep and the only thing that kept me from falling off was the overwhelming fear that I would fall and be trampled.  Then my death certificate would read: Killed by sheep.  A rather pathetic end really.  Anyway that’s my random rant for the day.  I’m done now.

A New Venture

After much encouragement from my writing friends I have finally started this blogging thing.  It’s probably something I should have done a while back but better late then never.  Thus is the Dinning Room Wall born.  One part diary, one part place to get my work out there and one part my brain exploding all over a word document.  I apologize in advance.  There will probably be a lot of brain exploding.

This past year has been a particularly trying one and I would be a fool if I didn’t admit that the words saved me.  It is also in the words that I’m rediscovering what makes me tick.  I beg you to bear with me.  There will be a lot on here that is experimentation, a lot that I’ve never attempted before.  Some of it will no doubt be brilliant.  The rest will be used to line local litter boxes.  And that is the beauty of writing.  It’s allowed to be brilliant and horrid all at the same time.

So to everyone out there, I thank you in advance for reading and in case we don’t chat again before the holiday, I wish you all the best and the making of some fabulous new memories.

With hopes for a great New Year and a large glass of Eggnog,

Pandora

An Ode to You

Another year has almost come and gone

The hardest one yet

I couldn’t watch you fade away

And now it still seems unreal

Shattered dreams and shattered plans

A strange new world, without you in it

Somehow I’m still breathing

Still searching for something I can’t name

Now it’s your voice in my head

That tells me to keep going

The old is wiped away

The new path sits unclear

I watch the sun come up and wonder

What comes next

Do I stay

Do I stand and walk away

Can I find the strength to leave behind

The dreams we used to have

New fears, new hopes

Bred of death

And the life that followed

Clearer eyes and truths finally faced

Learning to remember

While finding the will to let go

I say goodbye, take a step forward

Heart in my throat, tears in my eyes

Farewell, you were loved

But it wasn’t a waste

Life or death

For you carry on in me