I know I mentioned this last week, but I'm going to encourage you again to read and follow this blog!! : http://jaylienielson.blogspot.com/
If you're wondering "What the heck am I supposed to do about this, Jess? I don't even know this girl." let me just tell you. She loves reading messages that people send her and I think it would be really cool if, whoever you are out there, you sent her a message on this website for her to read : http://www.teamjaylie.org/
It doesn't matter if you know her or not. Some words of love and encouragement can really go a long way. It just breaks my heart to know that someone so young has to go through something that even some adults don't make it through.
"And he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again" 3 Nephi 17:21-22
On another, less important note, I am bubbling over with joy. The first reason for this, I can't disclose. Not yet, anyway. It's a surprise and I don't want to ruin it...but I'm just so dang excited about it [:
The second reason is that this has been a wonderful week. I have the absolute best friends anyone could ever hope for and they all make me really happy. I don't know what I'd do without them.
Third, tomorrow is Friday. Need I say more?
Anyway, here is the end of something I've been working on. I have the beginning done but for some reason I decided to write the end before the middle. I posted the first couple sentences on facebook a few weeks ago when I was just starting and since then, it's been quite a development.
Empty. Lonely, forlorn, deserted, lost, vacant, abandoned, empty. Merriam looks up at the ceiling and sees nothing. She looks at the floor and sees nothing. She looks at the walls, the furniture, the rooms, the door. She looks at everything and sees nothing. ‘What have I done?’ She thinks. Where she once had only a tiny pebble, an enormous stone now lay. It grew and grew and grew until it sank to the bottom of her heart, and there it resides. It weighs her down with sadness and regret. She hasn’t seen anyone for days. She hasn’t spoken for days. She is disgusted by her reflection and by the sound of her own voice. ‘Ernest.’ A new tear dances down her cheek, like an ice skater gliding across a bed of frozen flowers. When her eyes close, his face appears and she flings them open again with a whimper. Broken. Nothing will ever fix him. Empty. Nothing will ever fix her.
“Merriam…” She hears her name whispered through the stagnant air. She opens her eyes. “Merriam.” the soft voice says again. The ugly word pierces the silence like a pin through a child’s skin. Merriam catches a sultry glint of light out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head and her eyes rest upon an object lying on the kitchen counter. She takes a sharp breath and her jaw tightens. “Merriam, I’ve missed your touch” the thing says to her. She flinches away in disgust. “What is that face for? We’re friends, remember? I can help you.” She blinks in bewilderment. Silence. “You can?” She croaks. “I can.” Says the voice. She reaches out her hand and wraps her fingers slowly around the handle of a very sinister looking carving knife.
She brings the knife to her lips and presses them against the cool metal. It sighs at her touch. The Sigh travels in through her mouth and wraps around her lungs and the base of her brain. She feels alive. So alive. Colors swirl past her vision; smells, feelings, sounds, all so vivid. She can see Ernest again, and he is beckoning to her. She can feel the tender brush of his fingertips against her skin and the hair rises on her arms. She stands in bewilderment for a moment before the knife moves, almost of its own accord, from her lips to her chest. She feels the tip of it pressing on her through her blouse. Fear and doubt start to creep into her mind but The Sigh chokes it out before it can take root. Hands on the knife. Knife on her chest.
Fingers on the handle of the cab.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Arizona (and some other random thoughts)
So, it's about time for another post. I'm gonna stick my writing on the end but first, I want to talk about some stuff. First of all, there is this ADORABLE 5 year old girl from back home who has this horrible horrible cancer and it just breaks my heart. She's only 5, for goodness sake. Please read her story and give her your love and support, even if you don't know her. Pray for her and her family. She is being so strong through all of this and I know I probably wouldn't be. She's such an inspiration to me. I know there are more important things going on in the world than me and my issues. Reading the blog about her story has really made a huge impact on my life and the way I see the world. Just take the time to read some of it and get to know her a little better. She will inspire you too.
http://jaylienielson.blogspot.com/
And here is her website:
http://www.teamjaylie.org/
Now, I know this is super random when compared to my other blog entries but...I had the craziest day today. It was full of awkward rapture, particularly tonight (Oh my gosh...I should be doing my homework right now!!). Bree, Andrew, Gabe, and I made scavenger hunts for each other of crazy things to do on campus (we had to either take a picture of it or film it) and HOLY cheese. One of ours was something like "Film-Frantically search for your lost pet snake in the library" and it...it was hilarious. I had a good number of the people in the library believing I actually lost a live snake. I even laughed just now thinking about how funny it was. It was SO fantastic. I'll have to do that again in the future [:
Anyway. This feels rather insignificant after the 2 things I just typed but here you go anyway.
Write about a scene, first from far away, then closer, then closer.
The hot, Arizona desert stretches out as far as the eye can see and either direction seems like a hopeless quest for life. The cacti dance across the ocean of dust and sing to each other while the small plants that litter the ground rush to stay out of their way. The unassailable sun beats down on every living creature in sight, forcing them underground or into their prickly homes. Everything seems to slow down, or stop altogether. Arizona is a drop of water hanging off the edge of a branch in the morning light, never falling; condemned to hang for eternity.
After hours of searching, a small town is discovered. Neighborhoods and markets seem out of place in such a climate but the enduring character of the people keep the place alive. Tourists also wander the area; little ants on the burning sidewalk, scrambling to escape the blaze of a magnifying glass. They never come prepared enough. A few miles away, gunfire sounds through the motionless air. The hum of spurs echo through the ground and pull its victims back in time to the Old West. Saloons and markets, gunslingers and horses. Even the very spirit of the place seems ancient, as if a timeless bubble surrounds the entire park.
Eight miles to the east, a house sits on a grassless plot of land. Rocks cover the yard, as if trying to prove themselves better than any blade of green could ever hope to be. The house is small, and a brand new family of 4 sits inside; father, mother, sister, brother. Not including the garage, the house is only 4 rooms. On the counter, in the same spot each night, a pot of beans cooks. The children play on the musty floor. Not a care in the world troubles their young minds. Father stands at the window and dreams of something better for his family. Mother tells him, and perhaps herself, that they have everything they need. They have each other.
The scorching sun smiles on the family.
http://jaylienielson.blogspot.com/
And here is her website:
http://www.teamjaylie.org/
Now, I know this is super random when compared to my other blog entries but...I had the craziest day today. It was full of awkward rapture, particularly tonight (Oh my gosh...I should be doing my homework right now!!). Bree, Andrew, Gabe, and I made scavenger hunts for each other of crazy things to do on campus (we had to either take a picture of it or film it) and HOLY cheese. One of ours was something like "Film-Frantically search for your lost pet snake in the library" and it...it was hilarious. I had a good number of the people in the library believing I actually lost a live snake. I even laughed just now thinking about how funny it was. It was SO fantastic. I'll have to do that again in the future [:
Anyway. This feels rather insignificant after the 2 things I just typed but here you go anyway.
Write about a scene, first from far away, then closer, then closer.
The hot, Arizona desert stretches out as far as the eye can see and either direction seems like a hopeless quest for life. The cacti dance across the ocean of dust and sing to each other while the small plants that litter the ground rush to stay out of their way. The unassailable sun beats down on every living creature in sight, forcing them underground or into their prickly homes. Everything seems to slow down, or stop altogether. Arizona is a drop of water hanging off the edge of a branch in the morning light, never falling; condemned to hang for eternity.
After hours of searching, a small town is discovered. Neighborhoods and markets seem out of place in such a climate but the enduring character of the people keep the place alive. Tourists also wander the area; little ants on the burning sidewalk, scrambling to escape the blaze of a magnifying glass. They never come prepared enough. A few miles away, gunfire sounds through the motionless air. The hum of spurs echo through the ground and pull its victims back in time to the Old West. Saloons and markets, gunslingers and horses. Even the very spirit of the place seems ancient, as if a timeless bubble surrounds the entire park.
Eight miles to the east, a house sits on a grassless plot of land. Rocks cover the yard, as if trying to prove themselves better than any blade of green could ever hope to be. The house is small, and a brand new family of 4 sits inside; father, mother, sister, brother. Not including the garage, the house is only 4 rooms. On the counter, in the same spot each night, a pot of beans cooks. The children play on the musty floor. Not a care in the world troubles their young minds. Father stands at the window and dreams of something better for his family. Mother tells him, and perhaps herself, that they have everything they need. They have each other.
The scorching sun smiles on the family.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Alphabet Soup.
Something a little lighter for the nice readers, yes? Yes...
I am, in no way, suggesting that this story is at all exceptional or attention grabbing, or even the least bit interesting...but it was fun to write. The parameters: Write a 26 sentence story where each sentence starts with a letter of the alphabet in order from A to Z, and kill off your main character.
Albert Bevo.
Born and raised in Austin Texas.
Could he ride the bull?
Darn tootin, he could.
Every morning from 6am to 11pm he was out there practicing; ridin until he couldn’t feel his body from the waist down.
Fame and fortune was all he wanted and he would practice until he was the best there ever was.
Gambling with his life was something he’d grown used to over the years and he didn’t know if he could ever do anything different…until Mary Beth.
He was riding the bull one day when, on second 7, his eyes caught those of his rodeo angel.
In a white skirt and cowgirl boots, with her hair done up all purdy and red lipstick plastered all over her lips, she was the juiciest thing he’d ever seen.
Just as he was about to make it into the qualifying round of his first big-time rodeo, he flew off that bull at second 7.
Kind and generous, warm and inviting; he knew Mary Beth was the best thing to ever happen to him.
Lord knew he loved ridin that bull, but something about this cowgirl princess had him whipped like a track dog.
Many a night the two topics would battle it out in his mind for the last thought before sleep overtook him, but when he awoke in the morning he could never recall which had won.
No two things could ever matter more to anyone.
One day, though, his Mary Beth dropped some bad news on his cowboy head.
“Pregnant”, she said.
“Quit that rodeo-ing and help me care for God’s gift to us.”
Rodeo was his first true love and reality struck Albert in the face at that moment.
Simply choosing to quit ridin those bulls was, well…not so simple.
Thoughts troubled him for minutes and hours and days and weeks and months until, finally, Mary Beth said she was leaving if he didn’t quit the rodeo.
Unbelievable, unthinkable, unimaginable; unexpectedly, Albert’s life was torn apart.
Volatile in her pregnant state, Mary Beth knew Albert would never choose her over his real passion for those 8 seconds, so she picked up her bags and left him to his livestock.
Without her in his life, Albert was crushed and empty.
Xanthic visions of her hair danced across his eyes every time he let them close; he never thought he could miss a woman as bad as he missed his Mary Beth.
Yesterday was his last rodeo.
Zealously he took that rope in his right hand, raised his left, and rode until the hooves met his throat.
...Alphabet soup!!!! :D
I am, in no way, suggesting that this story is at all exceptional or attention grabbing, or even the least bit interesting...but it was fun to write. The parameters: Write a 26 sentence story where each sentence starts with a letter of the alphabet in order from A to Z, and kill off your main character.
Albert Bevo.
Born and raised in Austin Texas.
Could he ride the bull?
Darn tootin, he could.
Every morning from 6am to 11pm he was out there practicing; ridin until he couldn’t feel his body from the waist down.
Fame and fortune was all he wanted and he would practice until he was the best there ever was.
Gambling with his life was something he’d grown used to over the years and he didn’t know if he could ever do anything different…until Mary Beth.
He was riding the bull one day when, on second 7, his eyes caught those of his rodeo angel.
In a white skirt and cowgirl boots, with her hair done up all purdy and red lipstick plastered all over her lips, she was the juiciest thing he’d ever seen.
Just as he was about to make it into the qualifying round of his first big-time rodeo, he flew off that bull at second 7.
Kind and generous, warm and inviting; he knew Mary Beth was the best thing to ever happen to him.
Lord knew he loved ridin that bull, but something about this cowgirl princess had him whipped like a track dog.
Many a night the two topics would battle it out in his mind for the last thought before sleep overtook him, but when he awoke in the morning he could never recall which had won.
No two things could ever matter more to anyone.
One day, though, his Mary Beth dropped some bad news on his cowboy head.
“Pregnant”, she said.
“Quit that rodeo-ing and help me care for God’s gift to us.”
Rodeo was his first true love and reality struck Albert in the face at that moment.
Simply choosing to quit ridin those bulls was, well…not so simple.
Thoughts troubled him for minutes and hours and days and weeks and months until, finally, Mary Beth said she was leaving if he didn’t quit the rodeo.
Unbelievable, unthinkable, unimaginable; unexpectedly, Albert’s life was torn apart.
Volatile in her pregnant state, Mary Beth knew Albert would never choose her over his real passion for those 8 seconds, so she picked up her bags and left him to his livestock.
Without her in his life, Albert was crushed and empty.
Xanthic visions of her hair danced across his eyes every time he let them close; he never thought he could miss a woman as bad as he missed his Mary Beth.
Yesterday was his last rodeo.
Zealously he took that rope in his right hand, raised his left, and rode until the hooves met his throat.
...Alphabet soup!!!! :D
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