The *Gospel* of Judas?

According to information in the archives of the Orthodox Church and via our priest, the Orthodox Church has known about this document for many hundreds of years.

It seems the original document was written as early as AD 140-180. Discovered in 1970, this ancient papyrus document may be the same "Gospel of Judas" referred to by Irenaeus.

In the 180's AD, Irenaeus wrote extensively on ancient heretical groups. One of these groups, known as the Cainites, thought they were descendants of "Esau, Korah, [and] the Sodomites." Irenaeus wrote that "They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas."

Writing fictitious gospels was the "in" thing in the second to fourth centuries AD. Numerous second to fourth century gospels and documents were discovered in 1945, including "The Gospel of Thomas." These documents, not including the Gospel of Judas, has been translated in a book called, The Nag Hammadi Library.

Anyone who has actually ever read the Nag Hammadi documents knows that they are usually so absurdly bazaar that they have virtually no claim to historical reliability-unless, of course, you think that women must become men in order to be saved, or that being female is a "defect," an "illness," or "madness" or that Jesus never suffered in any way and, in fact, was laughing at everyone while on the cross. Or perhaps you believe that the androgynous god "Death" begot seven androgynous female offspring named "Wrath, Pain, Lust, Sighing, Curse, Bitterness, Quarrelsomeness." Hmmmm, I wonder why no early church leaders considered these Nag Hammadi documents as part of their New Testament?

Still, the media is having a great time with this, partly out of their lack of knowledge and partly, no doubt, for ratings.

Feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested.

Dennis Ingolflsand

So, this "Gospel of Judas" has been a fake for many hundreds of years. It isn't something new that has just been recently discovered. The Church has known about it for a long time.

It does seem quite odd that around holy times for Christians there is an unashamed effort to make us question our faith and devotion, and if the Christian is not steadfast and certain about what they believe is true and right, they will question their faith at every report they receive and believe fiction for truth and truth for fiction.

In being a Christian you cannot be a weak minded or weak spirited person, nor can you be so narrow minded that you do the very thing Christ speaks out against - judging our brothers (other people) when we do not know everything about them. The task, and it is a difficult one, is to gather all of the necessary information and proceed forward with faith and guidance of the Bible and the priest and our traditions to see us through to the proper course of action.

This so-called "gospel" is fiction. And, if you really look at it, you can see just how warped-sided it truly is. One of the allegations is that Christ told Judas to betray Him. If this was true then why did Judas commit suicide by hanging himself before seeing the reason as to why Christ had him do such a thing? And who did Judas tell before he committed suicide? He would have to tell someone who could write. There weren't that many people back then that could perform that most important task. And, how long did it take Judas to do this? He killed himself before the sun rose upon Christ's Crucifixion! It just doesn't make sense.

"We might as well give up, they're coming at us with flashlights!"

My husband and I received this little hand-out-almost-magazine in our mailbox the other day. It is from a local Protestant Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Normally we just read these things, chuckle a bit here and there, and then toss it away. This time there was something SO funny I just had to share this with you all. I hope you find it as humorous as we did.

Two boys from the city were on a camping trip. The mosquitoes were so fierce the boys had to hide under their blankets to keep from being bitten. Then one of them saw some lightning bugs, and said, "We might as well give up, they're coming at us with flashlights!"

I think surely these boys are city boys! ROFL!

Death and Taxes

April 15th is fast approaching.

Yeah.

I am doing the 1040EZ form this year for the first time in many years. You know what this means? I am nervous and I am going to have to deal with numbers all day today, pretty much. Yes, I have delayed it as long as possible, but mostly to let B get out of the house so I can have the radio on and if I get frazzled I can scream and now have him worried and running to see what is wrong with me.

*sigh*

Taxes.

Could we just agree we didn't need to fill out these papers, IRS? I'm sure we could come to some sort of agreement.... No? So these papers have to be filled out and sent it? OK. I may get money back? OK, incentive. It is the ONLY incentive of course, but it is there.

Sometimes I've wondered if taxes could be the death of someone. There is a lot of stress around tax time here in the US.

Fiction, The Child's Voice

No one submitted anything, so, here is Billy's continuing story....

The Child's Voice
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Ward gave him a genuine smile before casting his eyes back out over the landscape again. It was several long seconds before Ward answered with, “Mexicans.”

“Mexicans? In Leslie County?” Billy sputtered and nearly choked on his beer.

“They’re going to work in the pot field for me this summer. First I need to get them squared away at the shack with food and water.”

“You speak Spanish, Ward?” Billy’s smile was filled with good natured ribbing. Wardy chuckled softly.

“No, but Jemma does.”

Jemma Davis. Now there was a looker for you. She was younger than Wardy by a good fifteen years – all of about twenty-two Billy would say. She had a body that could stop the river from rolling and a face so beautiful she could stop traffic. How she had hooked up with Ward or why had been a big mystery. Neither she nor Ward were talking, but Billy suspected Ward may have had some information on her. Other than that, Billy couldn’t see how Ward had lucked up.

“Don’t be thinking things about Jemma, Bill,” Ward said, cutting into Billy’s thoughts.

“OK,” Bill said with a slight smile as he took another sip of his beer.

“You have a lot of vices, Bill. They’re going to get you in trouble one day. Somebody might come looking for you.”

Billy laughed a short, barking sound. His breath made clouds in the cool air.

“I’ve never hurt anybody, Ward. You provide me with girls...willing girls at that...and enough pot to keep me happy with a little extra money. I stay on the straight and narrow more or less.”

“You aren’t any more on the straight and narrow than I am!” They both laughed. The sound and discussion suddenly made Billy’s stomach feel uneasy. It could also be feeling that way, he decided, because he hadn’t had anything to eat in a while. “See you around, Bill,” Ward said, rising slowly, almost stiffly from the porch.

“See you, Ward.”

Billy watched Ward get back in his jeep, then back out and turn, headed back down the mountain. Something was wrong. Ward had never talked about vices before and him getting in trouble one day. What did Ward know, or suspect? Then again, maybe he was just over-thinking it all and letting his paranoia get the better of him. He did that sometimes.

....to be continued

Although I normally do not participate in memes. This one just simply made me laugh, so I am passing it all along to you.

http://alg.livejournal.com/

Not All Old Things Are New Again, but We're Close!

Cheyenne was joshing with me recently and said that changing The Kentucky Mountain Girl News was heading into the frame of, "Old things are new again." I laughed at the time, but after seeing such a response of the oldest readers to The News, I have relaxed and returned to the original look and the format of what The News should probably never wandered away from in the first place.

So, here is the break down of things that are happening:

1) I am just going to Blog.
That's right. I am just going to blog things of interest to me and everything else will just be as it is.

2) The News is open for submissions.
Wednesdays are still open for fiction and poetry from you all out there. Some of my own fiction will be published here, but it will appear after yours on the Wednesday posts.

3) There aren't going to be any links this time.
If there is something of interest on the 'Net I find out there, I will post a link for you all to go trekking to if you so desire. Having the links in the sidebar or in the header just seemed to make things feel cluttered. So, we are cleaning up and looking better and ya'll will be directed to really interesting posts throughout the day or night or entry as it all seems to fit together.

That's it. Back to basics. It sounds odd to say this (write this), but it feels good and right. I think The News, and I, have needed this for a long time, we just didn't know how to get back to the place we needed to be. So, thank you for the emails you sent me and for the encouragement. I really did need them. Also, thank you to B and Cheyenne for their unfailing support in this endeavor and in all of my other adventures. It may be just because Spring is finally getting ready to fully spring, but looking at how The News looks, and feeling so satisfied with it all, I must admit I am more enthusiastic about just about everything than I have been in quite a while.

Seriously.....

Kolbar and I did absolutely nothing today as far as going to the movies or going out. He went to service this morning and came back home where we ate and watched television and then napped some more. When we got up we discussed going out, but Kolbar didn't want to. At first I was quite upset by it all, but then we just kept watching TV and kept relaxing and it just seemed the right sort of thing to do. We were productive, however, in that I managed to get some more dishes clean while Kolbar worked on the back room. If we have just a little more time to work on the house between now and Pascha we will have a very favorable house for MaryG to be able to sleep and let the dogs out for us. (I hope she doesn't mind four legged bed fellows, because she will definately have them.)I am feeling better about the entire job thing, just not pleased. I am determined to get a job and I know I will find one, a good one. All of the crap happens. Kolbar said I was beginning to get a serious taste of what he goes through every time he applies for a job. It is sad that after all of these advances, there is still such prejudice against people who are different from the norm, whether that be by the color of one's skin, sexual orientation, or physical disability.

The old fire of fighting against the discrimination is not there in me now. In some ways I believe this is a good thing: I am a more settled, more adult person and don't have all of the rebellion in me. Instead, there is an intelligence and a willingness to work through it all and persevere until I reach my goal. Yes, there will be battles along the way and like a tired soldier I do not want to have to fight them, but there is no way of obtaining the objective except to battle and to win and move forward. Sometimes these sort of battles and soldiers are the deadliest kind to face - they have seen far too much for something to make them back down. They are seasoned and sick of fighting, but they will fight until the day they get to go home. At least, this is the way I feel. Perhaps I have the soldier wrong, but from day one I have been trained to be a solider and I have accepted I am going to die a soldier. It is just that my war never leaves me, and is never going to. It is always with me. It will forever be with me, and some how I am learning how to have a good life despite it.

I have also been doing some serious thinking and going through a flood of emails I received today from old readers. Those who have been there from the beginning. They want the old format back, the one from the very beginning. In all honesty - that was when I was happiest in blogging. So, the format is going to change, as well as the look. I think it is time for a different look for the new season.

OK.

We progress.

Bouncing Back Like the Basketball of Luck

The family emergency appears to be over for the time being. I really hope it is over for good. My husband appears to be right as rain now and I am plugging away at doing the job interviews and filling out applications and such.

"The Child's Voice" is progressing and the next installment will be up tomorrow. Once "The Child's Voice" is over we will begin putting out some poetry, or perhaps another story.

Don't forget - Wednesdays are open to other people's fiction and poetry. I can give a bi-line, which is always good. If you want guidelines, just email me and I'll get them to you ASAP.

Emergencies, Wednesdays, Jobs and On We Go

It is Wednesday. No one submitted any fiction or poetry for today, so there isn't any fiction or poetry to post today.

There was something of a family emergency on Monday and yesterday I had to take care of my hubby so there wasn't any writing done. Ready for the next part of "The Child's Voice"? It is coming...tomorrow!

An Update and Fiction!

Imagine my surprise when I go to post the next part of "The Child's Voice" and discover the Friday section was not there! It said it posted, but, obviously, did not. So, here is Friday's section. Enjoy.

The Child's Voice
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Ward gave him a genuine smile before casting his eyes back out over the landscape again. It was several long seconds before Ward answered with, “Mexicans.”

“Mexicans? In Leslie County?” Billy sputtered and nearly choked on his beer.

“They’re going to work in the pot field for me this summer. First I need to get them squared away at the shack with food and water.”

“You speak Spanish, Ward?” Billy’s smile was filled with good natured ribbing. Wardy chuckled softly.

“No, but Jemma does.”

Jemma Davis. Now there was a looker for you. She was younger than Wardy by a good fifteen years – all of about twenty-two Billy would say. She had a body that could stop the river from rolling and a face so beautiful she could stop traffic. How she had hooked up with Ward or why had been a big mystery. Neither she nor Ward were talking, but Billy suspected Ward may have had some information on her. Other than that, Billy couldn’t see how Ward had lucked up.

“Don’t be thinking things about Jemma, Bill,” Ward said, cutting into Billy’s thoughts.

“OK,” Bill said with a slight smile as he took another sip of his beer.

“You have a lot of vices, Bill. They’re going to get you in trouble one day. Somebody might come looking for you.”

Billy laughed a short, barking sound. His breath made clouds in the cool air.

“I’ve never hurt anybody, Ward. You provide me with girls...willing girls at that...and enough pot to keep me happy with a little extra money. I stay on the straight and narrow more or less.”

“You aren’t any more on the straight and narrow than I am!” They both laughed. The sound and discussion suddenly made Billy’s stomach feel uneasy. It could also be feeling that way, he decided, because he hadn’t had anything to eat in a while. “See you around, Bill,” Ward said, rising slowly, almost stiffly from the porch.

“See you, Ward.”

Billy watched Ward get back in his jeep, then back out and turn, headed back down the mountain. Something was wrong. Ward had never talked about vices before and him getting in trouble one day. What did Ward know, or suspect? Then again, maybe he was just over-thinking it all and letting his paranoia get the better of him. He did that sometimes.

....to be continued

Fiction!

The Child's Voice
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Ritchie came back to Billy’s side and paced him back to the porch where Billy sat down to wait on his guest’s formal arrival to his house.

Woodrow “Wardy” Morgan was a handsome man. He was just over six feet in height, and his shoulders were square and strong. The shock of black hair and blue eyes just added to his charm. Besides being handsome, he was a tough man. Billy knew of six men Wardy had killed and about a dozen others he had had a hand in, but Wardy was not connected with any of them. No matter what Wardy had done, or would do in the future, would cause him to do any time. Wardy Morgan was one of the most powerful underground men in the entire county.

“Bill,” Ward said with a jerk of his head in greeting.

“Ward.”

Ward stayed by his jeep for a minute. Billy knew the other man’s hand was on the gun stationed inside the special holster there. “Expecting trouble?” he asked with a quick glance around what parts of the property he could see. Ward was also a very smart man.

“Nah - just got back from town and was getting my stuff out of the car.” Ward visibly relaxed and let his door close. Ritchie rumbled softly as Ward came to the porch and took a seat on the other side of the case.

“Sure is pretty up here, Bill.”

“Yup.”

“I need to store something up here for a couple of days.”

“How long?”

Wardy whistled softly before he answered, “About a week. What will it cost me?”

“What have you got?”

“Two girls. Runaways. Sixteen and seventeen. They owe me.”

Billy nodded, trying to appear calm and nonchalant about it all. The truth was other parts of him were hungry, too, and he liked ‘em young.

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll send the girls up tomorrow. Keep ‘em as long as you want. I’ll put my stuff in your barn tomorrow night. Don’t go snooping this time, Billy. It will be safer for both of us that way.”

“I don’t care what you put in my barn Wardy, you know that, as long as I know what it is.”

“Ammo for the fields. Some land mines. Some seed.”

“That’s the usual. What is so ‘unusual’ about what is going in there this time that I shouldn’t look at?”


.....to be continued

Would you like to see your name HERE ?

It is Wednesday again. How about filling this space with some of your own creations? A story, a poem, something to grab the attention and start yourself a bi-line.

Email me at hahwriter@Yahoo.com for writer's guidelines.

-- The Editor

Fiction!

The Child's Voice
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Billy hefted the grocery bags out of his trunk and slogged through the remnants of snow the sky had dumped on the mountains of eastern Kentucky night-before-last. Ritchie came bounding from the back bedroom all teeth and hackles. Luckily he saw who it was pretty quickly, but Billy let himself relax, just in case. As Ritchie’s attitude changed, the dog came forward, head down and tail wagging madly in apology.

“If I didn’t know better,” Billy said, “I’d say you were a worthless mutt if there ever was one.” Billy smiled and once the groceries were on the table, he gave Ritchie much attention. Ritchie seemed to almost melt in adoration, which warmed Billy’s heart greatly, if not his body. There was an entire case of beer waiting for him in the car, which caused him to sigh and straighten. Ritchie followed him to the car quickly.

Billy’s mouth began salivating at the sight of MILLER stamped all over the case. His throat constricted with dryness and thirst. Yeah, he had a problem. He had had a problem for the past twenty-five or thirty years and would probably die with a problem. So far, his problem hadn’t stopped him from doing good things with his life.

He was actually quite successful in his own way. He had enough connections to keep supplied with enough pot for himself and to sell. He worked at carpentry through the summer and kept enough secrets he was a little more secure than he normally would have been, and an added benefit of keeping secrets was he was never without female company if he wanted it.

Yes, he was a success in little Podunk, Kentucky. And, if people were smart, they would realize that.

Billy set the case of beer down on the porch and sat down beside it. The rolling hills of Kentucky spread out before him. The Pollards had owned the mountain for generations. Their records said they had had the mountain since before the Civil War. The county records backed them up. Now he owned it. His Ma, Katherine Pollard, had left it to Jimmy, Billy’s baby brother, in her will, but Jimmy had needed money and a safe place to hide for a while, so the mountain had been fair trade. It was as it should be – Jimmy was eleven years Billy’s junior and quite a surprise for Billy, previously the baby of the family and the mountain, Pollard’s Mountain, had always gone to the baby of the family. As far as Billy was concerned, it had finally reverted to the proper owner.

Billy opened the case and pulled out a nice cold beer. In the winter you could have a nice cold beer whenever you wanted one without even trying! All you had to do was leave it outside and it would chill faster than inside the fridge.

Ritchie bounced off down the long, snaky driveway. His voice was raised in loud warning. Billy meandered back to the car where he removed the .45 semi-automatic pistol from under the driver’s seat. He closed the trunk as he passed it.

Billy had just enough time to slip the gun under his jacket and down into the holster he had at the small of his back when a muddy jeep came to a loud, roaring stop just in front of Billy’s old red Camaro. Billy raised his beer in greeting to the driver who slowly stepped out of the jeep. There was a smile on the driver’s lips, but not in his eyes.

.......to be continued

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

Firstly: I am beginning to believe my husband is right that every time I get out of the house I end up sick! Now, on with the catching up.

Saturday Hubby and I took a day off from being with friends and the house, me writing or researching, and just had a good day together. It was much, much fun, and muchly needed for the two of us.

Sunday we went to Church and after Church I went to Barnes and Noble's while Hubby did some social thing for the both of us. So, for the majority of the afternoon I was able to peruse books, finish a short story I am submitting somewhere by this Friday, begin a new one, and just relax back into myself. I really needed that, and Hubby just relaxed himself, though he felt more rushed than he wanted, despite me trying to help ease out the early evening we had.

Today I have been ill with a stomach something. Right now I am feeling much better.

Tomorrow is really going to be an interesting day because fiction is here and I just need to make sure I have the first part as close to exactly as I want. It will be published every day - except Wednesday - until it is finished. I am looking forward to all of this!

The world has suddenly gotten hectic, but I am handling it a little better than normal. Much to tell you about, including new fiction for next week! Am VERY excited!

More later!

4930 words! Almost finished!

Why Not Be Published?

The Kentucky Mountain Girl News is looking for good short fiction to put in its pages on Wednesdays. Fiction of any type is being looked at, from romance to thriller and horror. Science fiction and fantasy highly prized.

Do you have a story that is 5000 words and needs to see the light of day? Maybe The News is for you.

The News offers a bi-line but does not buy any rights - the story is yours free and clear. All we ask is that you mention the piece previously appeared here.

If you have a story over 5000 words, send it any way - if it's good we'll serialize it!

Got poetry? Submit a poem anywhere from 10 to 40 lines in length.

Let's see what you have.

-The Editor

Tired

Yes, it is late, but just wanted to let everyone know the changes I spoke about on Friday are slowly coming forward.

Spring Drenching and New Beginnings

It feels good outside. It is in the 70*F range and intermittently storming and then sun shining. It has been doing this all day. It reminds me of me.

For a while I would be bouncy (but not manic) and then I would be gloomy. It would all happen on my insides, and I would try with desperation to keep it away from showing on my outside. I don't believe I ever truly succeeded in keeping from showing someone part of what was happening on the inside. Luckily, things are better now. I have a better grasp on what I need to do than before, and this is helping, especially in the writing world.

There, in the writing world, I have a novel to write, one to revise, and a short story to finish. This means the summer is full. The rain today sort of makes me feel as if things are finally getting washed clean and I have a new beginning for a lot of things.

Isn't that the way it usually is - we constantly have new beginnings? As long as we don't waste them, they help us to keep everything on track in our lives.

I admit - I have been in a very strange place lately, both emotionally and especially creatively. I was reading over Wil Wheaton's blog today and he said something that really hit home. He said:

My blog, which is a reflection of my life, has become average because I've allowed it to happen. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but at least I'm aware of it, and I can begin the long and painful process of ripping myself out of my average rut, and moving to where I want to be.

I've been reading a lot of Seth Godin's blog, and his book The Purple Cow. In Purple Cow, Seth says that the first few cows you see are really interesting, but they eventually blur together and you forget about them. Then you see a purple cow, and it's extraordinary, and you take notice, and you can't believe you were ever impressed by a regular old cow. He uses it as a metaphor for marketers, but it applies to anyone who produces some sort of media or entertainment; it certainly applies to me.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/

This has been quite true of me lately as well. No, I'm not an actor or a world famous writer or poet (yet) but I do take what I do very seriously (and thankfully it does keep me a little more humble than I would otherwise be, let me tell ya). The entire gist of it is - I feel as if I have let The News, and you readers down.

It has been quite a number of weeks since fiction and poetry and genuine writing have appeared here. It makes me ashamed. Why? Because the one thing I planned for this place was to be honest and real about myself and what I do. I haven't done that in a while, or I've done worse: make plans and promises here and never follow through.

So, first and foremost, I apologize to you and to The News. I believe there is great promise with what happens here and how it could jump into something marvelous and major. As sometimes happens with me, when I am on the verge of something wonderful it seems I subconsciously sabotage it. (It is a wonder I actually got married!) I let all of the things I have not accomplished get into the forefront of my brain instead of letting the accomplishments and the drive I have help propel everything forward, where it is supposed to be.

Now, secondly (it sort of goes in a list I suppose), I am returning to myself, if you will, and to the original purpose of The News: Writing and being honest with my goals, as well as showcasing what I can do and have done.

There, it sounds quite simple doesn't it. The thing is - I'm quite scared. I wish I could put my finger on what makes me so scared, because then, maybe, I could look it full in the face and get it away from me forever. OK, if not forever then for now.

So, poetry will arrive as it arrives and stories will arrive, and other people will submit various things. Life will go on, hopefully a little more level and on-key than it has been. As I am fond of saying, "Life gets in the way of the living." This time I'm stopping the train well in time before the end of the tracks vanish over the massive drop into the canyon.

Question

There is a new serial story plotting its way through this usually fertile brain. What day would be a good day to post it on?

This Space For Lease

How can I lease this space? It is quite simple - The News is looking for really good stories and poems to put in this space on Wednesdays. Do you write? Maybe a story or poem of yours could fit here nicely. Email me at hahwriter@Yahoo.com and I'll make sure and send you complete writer's guidelines.

Good luck!

Peace?

Peace?
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy

Does peace exist?
Can it really exist
as long as their are
men and women,
humans,
on this planet?
Sometimes I really wonder.
Sometimes I just don't care.
That not caring frightens me.

Psychic Warrior, A Book Review

Bob Mayer, a.k.a. Robert Doherty, has the sort of bio you would expect someone like Hemingway to possess, someone from the past when people went out and did extraordinary things with their lives. Mayer, very much a person of the current time, has done the exact same thing and it makes me shake my head in joy and perplexity. Why am I perplexed? Because he has the sort of bio I wasn't expecting and he looks so quiet and calm a person.

Psychic Warrior is one of those books I picked up to read because the second book caught my attention and I thought it would be a good idea to read Book I before Book II. I admit, it took me a while to get into this book, but once I did - about Chapter 3, I think - I was ready for the story. There were twists and turns and the people portrayed were very real and reacted like real people. It was a wonderful story.

I have read several of the Area 51 novels and liked Doherty's (Mayer's) style of writing. It is descriptive without being overly so, and the people he writes about are people you would actually expect to meet in these given situations, especially in the military sector.

Don't jump to the conclusion this novel is just a "military science fiction" novel. It opens up areas of thought concerning remote viewing and what the government knows that we don't know without actually getting into the conspiracy theory that has actually been beaten to death in many science fiction novels.

One of the most interesting scenes in the book was when Jimmy Dalton met his wife on the virtual plane. Her body was suffering from a stroke as well as ALS, which robes the body of movement. When he first saw her ethereal body she looked like she did when he first met her, then aged to what he knew now. "I can't come back this time, Jimmy" she says. In quiet words she asks if she can just 'go on' and Jimmy agrees. He stays there in the virtual plane and watches as her soul vanishes and the alarms go off and the doctors preparing to bring her back. It is one of the most touching and yet respectful and loving things I have ever read about death and the dying of someone important to the main character's life. It was a death scene that I found myself not crying over, yet feeling the loss and in a most honored way.

Psychic Warrior is the precursor to Psychic Warrior: Project Aura which is a book I will pick up as soon as I am at Barnes and Noble's again.

Psychic Warrior is a good read without being an overly difficult read. There are plot twists, good guys, bad guys and a bad guy you can't help but feel a little sorry for. I am very curious to see what happens next, because Feteror is one bad guy I don't think is going away. Why? Because he is nothing more than a head, or brain, and a spinal column floating in liquid and connected directly to a computer. No wonder his remote viewing is so darn good! That's all he has! That is his world. Yes, I suspect Feteror will be reappearing.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Whittling

Whitling is one of the most interesting pass times I have ever seen. Old men used to sit in front of the court house back home on this old plank bench, and they would whittle. For those of you who don't know what whittling truly is, quite simply, it is taking your pocket knife and a stick and shaving little pieces off of it, or make a flute, or even carve a small animal while you are discussing with your friends the past, the future, as well as solving the world's problem. Most interesting it is.

Well, I am going to whittle my book of poetry down to 60 poems so I can submit it some where. It makes me feel odd. Every poem in that collection means something to me - of course it does! I wrote the thing! Still, how am I going to choose from that collection!?!

Should it just be my favorites? Should it be ones that are directly pertaining to what happened and thus let it explain itself that way? Am I going to have to order them differently?

It really is a lot to think about.

N.J. Nurse Gets Multiple Life Terms

Having been present at my Mom's passing and having to rely on nurses to take care of her and my Dad at the VA hospital he was in. I have to admit this makes me angry. It makes me angry to the core of my being that someone who was supposed to help save lives and instead takes them.

I myself am in and out of hospitals and I have to rely upon trust that what the nurse is giving me in her syringe is exactly what the doctor ordered to help me feel better. How can something get so twisted in the care giver's mind that killing is better than saving?

Deciding Things While Spring Gets Sprung

It is warm outside. I'd say it is about 60*F. The wind is blowing at times, but it doesn't really diminish the glorious warmth outside. It feels goooooood. I am ready for Spring and Summer. I am tired of cold gray days, although I must admit this past winter wasn't all that gray, but it sure was cold (but not as cold as normal, which I am most thankful for).

With all of the changes happening outside, it just seems like something should change on the inside, so I am already working on that. (If I get brave I will post a before and after picture.) So, why not let things carry over here?

Wednesdays are supposed to be for outside fiction. Fiction I have not written. Or poetry. I like poetry, too. So, until people start submitting good things, I will post a notice that says The News accepts submissions. That's all that's going to be there, unless, of course I find another piece of poetry I would like to share with the world.

The rest of the time? Well, it's going to be taken up with movie reviews, book reviews, and fiction of my own, with the occasional rambling pieces thrown in for good measure.

No big changes really, just a more decisive way of looking at what I want to do here, and, of course, keep you all happy.

2009 Lost Memories, A Review

I had to see this movie twice before I could actually figure out how to review it. Why? Well, the movie could really be "2009 lost memories" or it could be "2009, lost memories."

It is a Korean flick with a good amount of action and an underlying story of a Korean special forces cop and his Japanese partner. In this futuristic adventure, Germany received the nuclear bomb and Korea is ruled by the Japanese.

Japan is a world power, even rivaling the United States in its strength and intelligence agencies.

At one point the Japanese partner says, "I don't think of you as Korean."

It appears the Japanese found a time traveling stone and went back into history, to 1909 and stopped an assassination. This changed history into what 2009 currently was. Now the Koreans, who know the truth because of someone who was pulled into the new time line and explained what happened. Thus an underground movement was born to reclaim the real history of Korea and its people.

The Japanese do not want the real time line, they prefer the one they currently have and Korea and Japan going at it head it head is exemplified in the two partners who are now thrown onto different sides of the board.

Sometimes the symbolism was so intense it was quite easy to get lost in it and not find a link in the movie's action itself. Was this really a story about perceived history and the history the victors write, or is the real story about living life, the life you are given, without regret? It is a hard call.

See it and tell me what you think of it.

I give it *** out of 5 stars.

Posting Progress

Sorry for the absence of a post yesterday but there were technical difficulties I still quite haven't figured out. So, today is just letting you know I am working on it, and also to let you know something interesting is coming, I hope.

Tomorrow, peoples.

Rethinking

I have been organizing and re-organizing my thoughts about what I should and should not do next with this blog, and am currently stymied.

*******

This blog is OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS on Wednesdays! Any takers?

Alive and Breathing

Today I can honestly say I feel like an almost pain free person! This past week (so far) has been one of those horribly cold weeks which sends my arthritis into absolute hissy fits and causes me to either lie flat on my back and moan (but not quite curse my fate), or sit in my chair and do pretty much the same thing.

When these flare ups come there isn't a normal amount of pain I can expect. The pain varies from going-to-make-you-pass-out-little-missy to just-going-to-stay-here-and-annoy-you-for-hours-on-end. Both are...unpleasant. When it hits the annoying stage there just isn't much that can help ease it: it is annoying and consistent in its annoyance. When it is PAIN it is downright impossible to breathe almost. Since Saturday night it has been fluctuating between these two extremes and it hasn't been pleasant. So, I have watched movies and not done any writing, which annoys me too.

Now I am feeling better. The pressure has changed and the temps have warmed up, which is really good for the old joints.

???

I don't get it.

wants

I want a new back.

I want a new shoulder.

I really want the yuckiness to ease up just a wee bit more so I can say I can actually relax.

Snap Shots

Sitting quietly at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee before her, Alison watched the steam rise from the dark liquid. It was one of those "snap shot" moments she always enjoyed. Outside her window snow was piled up for six inches and the dogs were busily playing in it, romping and chasing each other. The sound of cars was joyously absent because of the snow. Not many would get out in weather such as this. It was a blessing for the most part.

Gary had headed out before day break to make it to work. He took the snowmobile this time. He had to take it in to work for about two days out of the year. He had already taken it out six times this winter.

Jenjen and Sarah came running for the back door. Alison smiled as she opened it just as it would seem they would both slam into it. It always amazed her how much they trusted her to have her eye always upon them and the door to miraculously open. What would they do in a couple of weeks with just Gary to take care of them for about a week while she was in the hospital?

Alison pushed the thought from her mind.

Xia dai Gao Fei, or Full Contact, a Review

Full Contact is one of those movies you will watch and either like, or not. It stars Chow Yun-Fat as a thief with a good heart. He plays Godfrey who is a kick-ass martial artist and looks really good riding a motorcycle in tight jeans. I was quite surprised at how good he looked in this movie. I am used to seeing him in the police dramas where he is playing a hard smoking, gun toting cop. In those movies he is in a three piece suit or at least a suit jacket. For Full Contact (done in 1993) he is younger, and giving a tough showing for his character of Godfrey who is double crossed by his best friend Sam, who even marries Godfrey's "widow", Mona, and makes a life for himself in the criminal world in Hong Kon.

The character of "Judge" played by Simon Yam is one of the most flamboyant homosexuals I have seen portrayed in a while. His boyfriend is so nelly you can't help but want to walk up and slap him for no other reason than being nelly! (There are some of you out there who will understand exactly what I am talking about!) And you would crack up doing it!

Judge is a bad guy. He makes no pretenses about it. He has stolen some ammo from the United States government and plans on selling it for a considerable profit. Godfrey helped to steal this ammo and was shot, by Sam (Anthony Wong ) when the robbery was complete. Why was Godfrey shot? Because it was a personal favor to Hung, another really bad guy. Judge agreed. It was business.

Godfrey escapes a burning house with the daughter of the innocent family that Judge and his gang killed. The girl is badly burned. When Godfrey is in the boat escaping the bad guys and fast approaching police in Thailand, which is where the story begins, he discovers a little black and white dog that doesn't have a name apparently and so the three of them make it to safety to a Buddhist monk.

The monk helps Godfrey's wounds heals and Godfrey, in turn, helps to take care of the girl.

Through the entire movie you can see how Godfrey wants to make everything right. He wants to give the girl money to make up a little for her being so badly burned and for the killing of her parents, which he feels is his fault. He wants to show Sam people can be good, and, as a thief, no one should ever get hurt during a robbery. It is more than just honor among thieves but "honesty." As for Mona, Godfrey is still very much in love with her, but he lets her make up her own mind, after all - he didn't get in touch with her to let her know he was still alive.

There is a lot of action in this movie. There is a lot of blood. There is a rawness that may turn some people off. Through the entire film there is an honesty of brilliant character that simply cannot be denied. It is a great action movie. It is also a very thinking movie in the way Godfrey goes about his revenge. It is a love story with many complications.

I say, see it. It's good.

Poetry

Turmoil
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Hurting
Like the slow ache of death itself
Swirling into nothingness
Existing in everything

Rejected
Accepted
Words meaning nothing
Yet somehow everything

Lost
Inside and out
Torn in two by
This

Feeling
Wondering where to begin
How to end
Is there an answer

Because
There doesn't seem to be
A beginning
To anything

Grief
On so many levels
Trying to hide its result
Trying to forget

Times
Past in shadows and happy mists
Voices that still rumble
With laughter and joy in my dreams

Causing
Me to wonder
Where am I supposed to be
In the present

Past
Turmoils bubbling from the depths
Joys rising and falling like waves
Lost inside everything.

Girlie Goodness and Thoughts of the Random

It is late, yes, but I did not want to retire and have my dear little blog without having an update, and, quite honestly, I just wanted to put down a few thoughts before going to bed.

Thought #1 - I had my hair done today. I had it cut and styled. It doesn't look exactly like what I want (the Madonna hairstyle of current video goodness), because my hair was very damaged and needed some TLC in the cutting department. So, it is feathered and leathered and it looks cool. Now all I need is hairspray, mousse, and some hot curlers to keep everything looking the way it does now, or, should I dare say, even better? When I was through with my hair I went out into the mall and wandered over to the nail place and made myself an appointment to have my nails done and my eyebrows waxed. It is time I actually start taking care of myself as a girl, you know. It has been a long time coming between actually taking care of myself and just letting things fall as they may.

Thought #2 - I have a new favorite show. I haven't mentioned it before to anyone yet because it sort of makes me blush. The show is Project Runway. The show where new designers come out and try for their fashion designers creds. It really is a good show and I have fallen in love with it. I hope there will be a third season.

Night all.

My World

I have two on-line homes it appears. Here and over at Livejournal.com. I have two places I adore, simply because they are mine. They are mine just as writing is mine and no one else can really share in the creating of a story, but they can share in the reading of the story. I am beginning to believe whole heartedly in Neil Gaiman's ideas about writing - you have to have an ego, and a big one. Plus, you don't always take yourself too seriously, that's when people screw up about their writing, like Anne Rice did (does?).

Currently I am preparing to work on a new piece I am going to call "I Am Edgar." I have never put down a title before, really, not here. I've always had initials. Why am I changing my mind now? Because if Cherie Priest can do it, so can I. I really am more confident of late. Besides, how am I going to brag and complain if you don't know what I am talking about?! Also, this title is shorter. It doesn't take an entire minute to type it out. This helps immensely.

This one is not science fantasy, but, I think, full on science fiction. I'm not exactly sure where it is going, but I do have an opening scene. As time progresses and as the story unfolds, more details could come of it. I'm happy with this story, but also a little concerned: It feels BIG. It doesn't feel very much like a short story, but it could possibly be. Also in the Writing World I need to work on WHRTTT (it's a LONG title).

Can I do the Cherie Priest thing and work on two books (oh no! I said it!) at once?

The Real Saint Valentine

In roaming the Internet for the history of Saint Valentine, I was amazed at how much hooey there is associated with Saint Valentine's Day. It seems people are more ready to believe the saint never existed or that this is just a nice "Christianized" version of a pagan holidy. What was most shocking is how the Catholic Church has relegated Saint Valentine and Saint Nicholas to "possibly" having existed and they have been taken out of the list of Saints recognized by the Catholic Church!

Still, some people have located the true story, or as true as we can get it these days, of Saint Valentine and this site truly has a wonderful way of wording the story. It sounds almost verbatim from the teaching of my priest.

God Bless you Saint Valentine!

History tends to be confusing and vague, but despite several different possibilities for his identity, it is believed that the actual Valentine who inspired this holiday was a priest during the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius II.

Valentine, or Valentinus is credited, along with St Marius and his family, with assisting the Christian martyrs during their persecution by Claudius. At that time it was a crime to provide aid and comfort to Christians. Claudius had also issued an edict forbidding marriage. He believed married men made poor soldiers because they grew attached to their families. Therefore, to guarantee a steady supply of soldiers for his empire, Claudius abolished marriage and cancelled all engagements.

Valentine invited young lovers to come to him in secret, where he joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had Valentine brought before him. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods to save him from otherwise certain execution. Valentine refused to renounce Christianity and instead, attempted to convert the emperor, thereby signing his death warrant.

Thrown into a dungeon, and tended by a jailer named Asterius, the young priest had only the barest necessities of life. His one comfort while awaiting execution was his friendship with Asterius' blind daughter. She befriended the kindly priest by bringing him food and delivering messages for him.

In the last days of his life, Valentine, through his deep and abiding faith, miraculously restored the sight of the jailer's daughter. He also converted Asterius and his daughter to Christianity, an act which would result in their eventual execution by Claudius.

On the eve of his execution the priest wrote a farewell message to the girl and signed it "From Your Valentine," a phrase that would live on long after its author died. He was beaten and beheaded on February 14th, 273 AD/CE, outside the Flaminian Gate (now the Porta del Popolo but known for a time as the Porta Valentini) in Rome. According to legend, a pink almond tree, a symbol of abiding love, blossomed near his grave (the girl planted it there by his grave other sources say).

In the 4th century Pope Julius I built a church in honor of Valentine. In the 7th century Pope Honorius I restored it and it became a very popular pilgrimage site.

The valentine has become the universal symbol of friendship and affection shared each anniversary of the priest's execution -- Valentine's Day. Valentine has also become the Patron of those couples who are engaged to be married.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.(John 15.13)

84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, A Review

Sometimes it is wonderful to just sit quietly and watch a good movie without explosions or intrigue of the dastardly sort, but intrigue of the heart and head as you get to know someone. This is what the movie 84 Charing Cross Road does without being a romance, which is absolutely wonderful.

It stars Anne Bancroft as an American writer Helen Hanff who sparks up a correspondence with bookseller Frank P. Doel who is played by Anthony Hopkins. Helen is in New York City and Frank is in London, England. Through their letters and his sending Helen books, we see the friendship grow and sparkle and the people learn how to be friends long distance.

84 Charing Cross Road is based upon a true story and it has the feel of something that could be true. There isn't any romance possible, because of the distance, but at the same time there is a deep love involved between these two people, and actually the entire book shop because as acquaintances grow they tend to pull in other people.

If you want a good story, and good acting without having to figure something out (I know, it doesn't happen too often, but it is fun when it does), then watch this movie.

SILVER HAWK, A Review

"Did your crack-crack attack really shatter the glass?"

"I'm not sure if it was my crack-crack attack or the force of Wolfe's punch!"

Michelle Yeoh does a wonderful job portraying the masked superhero type woman in this wonderful martial arts movie.

As a little girl, LuLu (Michelle Yeoh) trains at a Shaolin temple in martial arts and her best friend, Richman (Richie Jen), is always going on about standing up for justice and portrays himself as the superhero to all of his school, but when it came down to the fighting it was LuLu who really did it, and enjoyed it.

The movie opens with Silver Hawk having a major fight with guys in a semi-truck. Of course the fight went outside while the truck was still moving and she was having an obvious good time in beating up on the bad guys. It was so bad of a beating the bad guys actually tied themselves up! And just what was inside the semi that they would attempt to fight so hard for? A panda cub which Silver Hawk got to play with for a little while before heading on her merry way back to her other life of being an heiress.

In the meantime, Superintendent Richman (Richie all grown up now) is having a hard time finding this Silver Hawk and arresting her for being a vigilante. Perhaps it is needless to say his martial arts are still not as good as LuLu's was.

The two friends meet and Richman does not recognize his long lost friend for a while, but when he does, their friendship is quickly rekindled and he vents to LuLu about how Silver Hawk is causing him problems. Of course, LuLu considers Silver Hawk to be a crime fighting good guy and tells him so, but sweetly and with a beautiful smile.

Of course there are bad guys in this movie - a guy, Wolfe, who has prosthetic arms and a big black guy with some nasty moods who is none other than Michael Jai White from Spawn fame. His addition to the movie was actually quite good and added a different dimension to the movie itself.

Yes, the movie itself is campy, it has props and wonderful wire fu, but the story in and of itself is excellent and well told. There are a lot of flicks I would not like to watch again once I have seen them, but this is one where I would like to own and see it again, and probably again.

Silver Hawk is one of those perfect movies to see when there is snow on the ground and you want a good movie to enjoy. So, go out, rent it, buy it, enjoy it.

Mindless Observation

I have a cold. A nice fresh cold. I feel like crud. Reading has been something my eyes just don't want to do, so the TV has been on and I have actually been watching it. At first I didn't realize I had thoughts roaming through my head, like ideas for a story, thoughts of recipes, ideas for different spice combinations, etc.. It surprised me.

Things and Their Mommas

You know, it almost galls me how things can get blown out of proportion. It appears that if you draw a cartoon about Muhammad people can become violent, but if you draw a cartoon of Jesus, which happens every single day somewhere, then it is taken and life goes on. Some laugh at it, some just shrug and go on. It seems the Muslim world can poke fun at anything and everything, but can't take it back. I think this whole entire mess is quite out there, and not in that cool, artistic sort of way. Deal with it people.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/religion

"I'll be sore in the mornin'."

That's what Hellboy says once he has finished fighting the big baddie in Hellboy and it sort of fits for me today.

This past weekend was the celebration planned for Hubby's birthday, but that didn't happen the way it was planned because there was un-planned-for snow which just took the fluff out of most of it, but Hubby has had a magnificent time this weekend which was what was wanted.

For myself, I am looking forward to just relaxing for today and tomorrow and letting everything else just come as it should beginning on Thursday. Lazy? Possibly. Necessary? I lean toward, YES.

We Lost It Again

Yes, we most certainly did. We lost the portable phone again, and it is the only phone we have in the house that rings. And now it's dead. It's dead and it doesn't ring any more which means the house phone, land line is pretty much useless except for out-going calls. I have threatened going out and buying another phone, one that will ring when someone calls, but I haven't done it yet. Part of me wants to keep the silence and the phone quiet in the house. Another part of me wants the phone to ring so I will know when someone is calling me. So many parts to one person and a problem. Isn't that always the way it is?

I know in the end we will find the portable phone and be able to put it on the charger and have something that will ring when someone calls, or I will actually break down and go and get another phone, perhaps two (one portable and one cheapo for the computer area). Right now, however, there is silence for the most part in the house when the television isn't on or I don't have music going. It is relaxing that way, but, sadly, it can't remain, not forever. It would get quite dull around here if I couldn't talk to people in the end.

In just being bored and actually relaxing around the computer, I found some interesting things. What do you think?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=326072154999008590 - I have been to martial arts demos before and am always impressed by things I see there. I am really glad someone put this up.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=468519686284969837 - When we used to do this back home the sheriff got called!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2899771876757809023&q=funny - Just too funny! Soldiers burning weed while reporter tries to report on it! I'm sorry just too too funny!

Loftiness and Chicken Fried Rice

Today I had some chicken fried rice for lunch from one of my favorite Chinese places. In the fortune cookie was the following:

Your future is as boundless as the lofty heaven.

This really impressed me and made me think. I think Iam going to tape this one to the monitor so I can have it in plain sight for a good long time. I need to be reminded of this and of reaching for all the dreams.

A Look At Self

A Look at Self
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy

Time and space swirl and mix
Creating memories, creating who we are

No wonder it is hard to change,
Though not an impossibility.

Have You Ever Noticed the Words?

Pure Imagination
ARTIST: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Music and lyrics: Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley

Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination

We'll begin with a spin
Trav'ling in the world of my creation
What we'll see will defy
Explanation

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world, there's nothing to it

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world, there's nothing to it

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be

Trust No One

Who Am I? still amazes me. It is one of the finest Jackie Chan movies out there. Why? The stunts are impeccable (at least the finished project) and impressive. Although the movie was released in 1998, I have to admit it is one of my favorite movies of any type, not just in the martial arts or action/adventure genres.

In this movie, Jackie Chan plays a Special Forces team member who loses his memory because of greed on his superior’s part. He is befriended by the Masai in Africa after he loses his memory and is badly wounded after falling out of a helicopter into the jungle canopy below, wraps a rope around his body and launches himself off of the side of a building and then rights the world enough to run off, has an outstanding fight on top of a building, and runs down the side of a building without a rope! Awesome!

Just see this movie!

A Sad Passing

Coretta Scott King has passed away.

Thinking Again

Today has been a day of deep thought on my part. What I want to achieve in this attempt at changing my body for the better; what I want out of my writing life/world; what I want out of life in general. Recently I have been faced with all kinds of possibilities, some of them not really good. I am happy to report I DO NOT HAVE CANCER! Thus all of the ideas that have been roaming around in my head and actually sitting down to decide what I want out of my current life. It never hurts to have a wake-up call every so often. This one, however, was quite scary. Still, I feel like I have a fifth chance at life.

Looking at This Friday

Nothing I had planned has come about, but things that I hadn't planned are occurring. What is that old saying about mice and men?

On the physical front, I am doing poorly, as they say back home, but I have hopes this poorly spell will pass. It hasn't stopped my creativity however, because ideas for stories and poems are still popping up left and right and the lethargy, though it is keeping me from working at a continuous pace, is not stopping the work of the creative at all. This gives me hope things will majorly progress in the coming days and weeks.

We have cable movie channels now and I must admit today has been the first day I have just let myself veg in front of the mind box in quite a long time. It seems my brain needs the break from all of its thinking because I have actually watched a couple of movies. One movie in particular has caught my fancy, The Haunted Palace with Vincent Price. I remember seeing this flick as a child on the Saturday Afternoon Movie Show and being scared senseless. It is a pity it doesn't scare me now like it did, but my heart still beats quickly on occasion at some scenes. I also watched The Picture of Dorian Gray the old black and white version. It was absolutely superb. So, why am I watching all of these "old" movies in comparison to the new movies that are out there right now? Because they seem better in many ways, than current movies who rely too much on the show instead of the tell of a good story. I love modern movies, all of you should know that by now, but sometimes, when you go back into the black and white vaults you come up with some true gems of excellent story telling.

Now, to some news.... Have any of you read about this?

Poem

Ashen Shivers
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy


Rising above the ashes,
Never more, never went, never look
Over that edge into the past
Where things live and have already died
Existing in memory
Adorned in gossamer gown and glowing colors.

Newness feels...new
Like a taste newly tasted
Or a scent newly discovered
Resting on the palate
Digesting into current life
Evolving into current existence.

Phoenix risen
Newly born
Ages old
Youth experienced
Life exemplified
Time's ultimate passage.

And the Music Plays

Recently my husband developed a love for Latino music. No, he can't speak or understand Spanish, and neither can I, but he loves it. He loves the rhythms and the sounds, the movements the music encourages you make, as well as the risks the music encourages you to take in doing said moves. He loves the passion of the words even though he doesn't understand them. It is sort of like life I think - we never understand completely what is happening or ahead of us, but we love it, usually, knowing that this isn't going to be the way things are forever; and, sometimes, we dread it to its utmost core. Still, there is something exciting about the not-knowing - it keeps pulling us forward, just like B's Latin videos he loves to watch.

Only those upon the journey can see the dim road.

Last night I was fortunate enough to see a wonderful film called Musa the Warrior. It is an epic film of freedom, love, and what it means to be the person you truly are. Does it say all of that in one simple sentence? Of course not. It comes through in the wonderful imagery and the fullness of the story of Yeosol a Korean slave who is released from slavery by his master who raised him from a boy and is a Korean envoy to China. Yeosol's master dies on a long march back to Korea. Why are they going back to Korea? Things did not go so well with the envoys and General Choi, who is arrogant and immature at best, decides they are all going back to Korea.

On their march many fall, those who are still alive are executed and a lock of their hair taken so it can at least be returned to Korea. Also on their march they fall into a campsite, almost literally, of Mongol soldiers. Low and behold, there is a Ming princess being held captive and she drops a silken handkerchief with the words "help me" on it, which General Choi finds and upon catching a glimpse of her pretty face, he decides they are going to rescue her, as well as Yeosol who has been captured by the Mongol soldiers. It is the Mongol general that hopes Yeosol will decide to join the Mongol army because he admires the young man's skill and ability with the spear.

The princess sees Yeosol and appreciates him from afar, but she is a princess and he is an ex-slave, so romance, as we in the West would view it, does not take place. There isn't any kissing or love-making, but there is love and a reality in this love that forces us even deeper into this story. At one point Yeosol, who does not speak Chinese, is yelling at the princess in Korean, and she, in turn, is yelling back at him in Chinese. (Don't we all do that at one point or another in our relationships?)

General Choi also admires the princess, he has a better chance with her, of course, because he is a Korean general, but he also sees how she favors Yeosol. There is some anger, but there is also honor.

This is one of those films where everyone on screen matters to the viewer in one form or another, even the Mongol general who has the "bad guy" slot. You end up feeling for him as well because he does not want to do what he knows the job requires, but he does it any way - he is a Mongol general who is loyal to his people and his Khan.

There is action in this film from minute one and continues until the very end. As for the ending itself, I'm not going to tell you. Being an Asian film, it is sad, but it has an honor and a loyalty about it that cannot fully be brought across here.

And this guy is dangerous with a bow! I was much impressed. Actually I was as impressed with him as with Yeosol's use of the spear.

Rent the movie. Enjoy it.

Things

* The coal miners in West Virginia were found dead. The really bad thing is how the press is saying "Well, they had good air just a few feet away." OK wise guys, you be in a deep mine explosion and cave in, and YOU find the good air without a problem. Prove it to me you can do it. Of course they aren't going to even try. So, until they try, I personally believe they should shut up.

* I've been pondering something this weekend. Something important. Something I am going to share later on in the week if not tomorrow.

* My JoJo (canine) has been very upset today. Cappachino (feline) has taken up residence under my wheelchair when I am in the living room watching television. JoJo has been so upset by this that she has literally been grumbling and complaining and very upset with B and me because we are not making the cat move so she can be as close to me as is possible.

This warms my heart really, and makes me smile, even though JoJo is indeed extremely upset.

*Have just watched a fantastic movie tonight. Will review it for The News later on in the week.

Keep Them in Your Prayers

More miners are trapped in West Virginia.

Yeah, I Needed to Share This

I really needed to read this today and now I get to share it with you. Any thoughts? Commmments?



"Action is the antidote to despair."


– Joan Baez

So the 'Net is Propositioning Infidelity?

Today as I was checking my email, as I am want to do several times a day because things come in at different times and I need to check to see if a publisher received this story or that poem, because many actually DO respond with an email (although many don't as well). Sometimes the Spam filter doesn't catch what is Spam and what isn't, I have made it a habit to at least peruse the addresses and subject lines of the bulk mail/spam mail folders. This habit has let me rescue a couple of submission possibilities I would not normally have had because the computer, or service, put them in that particular file rather than the Inbox, where they were supposed to go.

Usually the same things keep appearing in the bulk/spam folder - prescription drug offers, sex offers, dating offers, scams, the usual. Today while I was scanning over the titles and senders of said titles, one caught my eye. It said, Clandestine Meetings. It was from a dating company. This struck me as a little odd, and although I don't usually open weird emails, I did this one and was shocked to discover my suspicions were quite founded: It was a dating site for married people to find other married people (and sometimes single ones) to have an affair with! It supported, touted and even encouraged adultery in couples!

I was stunned and re-read the advertisement several times. No, not to see how to join, but just to make sure I had seen what I thought I had. It was blatant about "getting the satisfaction" each married partner wanted and needed and "why does your significant other have to know?"

Sadly, I am really far behind the times if this is the trend now. I grew up believing that if someone who was married had an affair there were problems in the relationship and that if an affair was had then there could be forgiveness and the relationship could be saved. Having an extra marital affair was never encouraged.

I have known of a case or two when one member of the marriage was in love with two people, but in the end a decision had to be made as to which one to finish out living the rest of their lives with. That is, if their marriage partner had not killed or divorced them upon finding out the matter (and usually they never did). Still, these were exceptions rather than the norm. The norm is - having an affair, the wife or husband finds out about it and there is usually a divorce on the table in less time than it took to have the affair!

But people do NOT need to be encouraged to have an affair.

By the way, remember the commandment THOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY!

We're Graduating Them Dumb

Most college graduates can't read well?

The Truth Is Out

OK, so here's the deal. I've had to have all of those nice girlie tests recently. Yeah, enough said. The only thing is that it turns out I'm not menopausal. This leaves two other possibilities - endometriosis and cancer. I'm shooting for endometriosis. On Tuesday of next week I go back for more tests and receive the diagnosis. I'm a little on edge. Really? Doesn't that surprise anyone? Glad to know.

Since things could end up being bad I've done a lot of thinking since 2:30 this morning. I've really looked at myself and my life and decided serious changes need to be made. It doesn't matter what the results are to the tests I am getting in the best physical shape possible - it has been long over-due as is, and I am going to concentrate on being "the little wife" and pounding out all the stories I can possibly get out there.

Why am I going to be concentrating on "the little wife" deal? It is difficult to explain. It will make the husband happy for one, and happy husbands leave you alone to do what you need to or want to when they aren't with you. He works a solid 40 hours a week, so I think I can manage this without too much of a problem. It is all of this talking he wants me to do to him that may be the hardest problem. It always has been. He never knows when I am being open and sharing my soul. He is always expecting something great and grand in a discovery either my self-discovery of something he has always known, or guessed, or that he discovers something brand new and startling in its revelation. Those things don't happen that often people. Since he doesn't read what I write and he ignores the LJ and this blog, well, he misses a lot on me. He has the excuse he is tired, of course, that he worked all day, but if the places were reversed, he would be down right damn hurt if I didn't look at his drawings and schematics. It wouldn't matter how many hours of work I had put in. Oh well, that's life, I suppose, as a married person.

Growing Worry

Have you ever had one of those days where something you had been worried about seemed to be lifted and then the worry comes slamming back even harder on you? That's the sort of day this has turned into.

Questioning and Not Coming Up With Good Answers

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. Doesn't it seem odd to you?

Shoe Leather Zen

Have you ever noticed how the soles of our shoes reflect our lives? It starts out new and then it starts to get worn in and comfortable. It moves and changes and helps us stay sure footed, at least on the sure footed surfaces, but sometimes it just slips in water or trips over imaginary boulders the size of peas. Then it cracks, sometimes breaks while gunk gets stuck onto it and we have to clean it off sometimes just because the gunk is SO absolutely bad. Finally, when the soles of the shoes have gone as far as the rest of the shoe - usually the sole of the shoes outlast the rest of the shoe itself, but it all gets chucked to someplace else, or to Goodwill, or to the trash bin depending on how bad the rest of the shoe is. Then we go out and get ourselves a new pair of shoes, but it takes a long time for the new pair to feel as good as the old ones. Have you ever noticed this?

Friday!

Just because it's Friday.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4988454522180416170

Soup De Jour

Cross-posted to LJ.

Let me re-cap, for a moment, about supper last night: Hubby wanted a fish soup. Between myself looking in my cook books and on the 'Net, and Cheyenne looking on the 'Net and emailing me recipes when they would not open on Foodtv.com for me (most annoying that was), I had a pretty good handle on what I could do to make this fish soup. My plan was to have lots of pasta, some cheese, and a chicken broth base that would not be all that fishy tasting. I would fix the fish separately and he could add his into the soup if he wanted, and if he didn't, he wouldn't have to. Since the entire idea of fish soup seems just plain wrong to me, I was planning on the latter. Hubby, on the other hand, had an Oriental taste in mind, so he went to the Thai store and purchased some really odd ingredients for this soup. I prepared the fish separately as I had planned (thank God for small ideas!) and Hubby worked on his soup once he was back from service last night .

The egg noodles, bless him, were cooked until they really didn't have a taste any more, and the broth itself was so spicy and tasted so odd that my stomach felt a little green. Sounds odd, but is true. Hubby kept eating the soup and the noodles and thought they were absolutely wonderful, or pretended to at least. I am still not convinced he enjoyed his meal as much as he seemed to. He put his fish into this mixture and continued to eat with relish. I just ate my fish and some French fries he made with the soup just in case we needed more (possibly he was mostly thinking about me, or we would have a back up to the fish soup if he didn't like it). Needless to say, supper, for me, was not very tasty. But he enjoyed it, which means it wasn't an absolute and total loss. I did notice this morning that he made himself a fish sandwich and took that to work with him - the soup remainders has been left behind in the fridge.

Lazy But Productive

I am never quite sure what to make of these sort of days - this has been a lazy, but productive, day. Doctors appointments have been scheduled (yes, plural), I have contacted transportation so I can be out and about for a while tomorrow, and in looking in on the kitchen I can say that it will not be a difficult task to clean what little needs to be done and then prepare supper (it is deciding what to prepare for supper that is proving an almost daunting task). That was the productive side of the day. On the non-productive and lazy side of the day I can say I have listened to much music and decided I simply cannot survive the rest of the new year without Napster. I have lazed, eaten, and contemplated reading a novel or just watch one of the many movies I have stacked up beside the monitor here. So, a lazy but productive day.

Oh! And I have written more on the story that I had started just prior to the flu, or when I was beginning to get over it, I'm not exactly sure which. One of the main characters is trying to break away from me and do his own thing, thus taking the story with him into probable oblivion, but I am being steadfast and strong and, so far, am perceiver against him! Although, I am beginning to think that part of his actions may be somewhat probable and logical, but I do not have the fullest reason to go ahead and let him do what he wants. This is a good story, one of those stories where I know and can feel the words flowing almost like the blood in my veins. Keeping hold of these guys is becoming difficult, but rearing children never are.

One thing I have tried, and failed to do, is to locate something interesting to put into today's slot. Alas, you all are stuck with me yet again. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a good smattering of creativeness to share with you all. .... There IS a poem brewing deep down.

I love poetry.

I love writing.

Sometimes I even love being me.

Something Else, Not the Something I Was Going To Do

I had a poem ready to go for today, since it is Tuesday after all, and then in reading a fellow LJer's LJ I couldn't help but post this link

http://www.livejournal.com/community/little_world/39277.html?view=211565#t211565

because this is simply too amazing to just keep under wraps! Enjoy it to its ultimate fullest.

This sort of thing makes me want to try my hand at it, but it is all I can do to keep working on the stories, much less anything else!

Short and Sweet

Guess what I picked up this weekend?

Bloodrayne.

Check it out here

http://www.bloodrayne.com/loband/index.html

Are You Kidding Me?

http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/yellowpages.asp

The Differences that Unite Us

Last night was the beginning of the new seasons for Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis as well as Battlestar Galactica on SciFi Channel. I have to admit I was waiting for these new seasons to begin because the shows ended on nice cliff hangers last season. With the new season being here it was also time for B and I to slip into a routine we had come to miss after a while. We love SciFi Fridays on SciFi Channel. But, last night, I slipped away to go to the computer and write some on a short story that had my interest. So, for the next hour, I wrote and missed Galatica, but B was keeping me abreast of what was going on by calling in updates during commercials and even coming in at the end of the show to excitedly tell me the last five minutes of what had been happening. It wasn’t until I was in the shower last night that I realized something: Battlestar Galatica is not one of my favorite shows.

Way back when, sometime in the Seventies, I was a HUGE fan of the original BG but it was mostly because of the guy that played Starbuck (I adored him!) and because I loved everything science fiction and fantasy and it was the coolest (if not the only) sf show on at the time in my neck of the woods. Even back then I didn’t watch it religiously and pay attention to what was going on in the episodes. In fact, to this day I cannot remember one single BG episode clearly like I can the old Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. I remember many of those episodes, as well as the original Star Trek episodes (many of those I believe I have memorized, but not to the uber ST fan status, so I suck there).

Battlestar Galatica is not a bad show. It is, in fact, quite good, it just does not fit my particular taste, but it does for B. If I miss a few episodes in order to write my own stories and perhaps get published one day, I don’t see it as a horrible sacrifice like I would for the other two shows mentioned above.

B, on the other hand, can almost quote some of the old BG episodes to you. He can give descriptions of the cylons and the ships and the adventures in pretty good detail. He loves this show, old and new. In being his wife, I love having similar interests with him, it shows our unity, but there are times when we don’t have to be unified - we can like our own shows and our own things and still be just as much the couple – or more so – than we otherwise would be. Realizing that last night sort of removed a weight from my shoulders that I had not fully realized was there, until it was gone, of course. (And, I am not saying I am NEVER going to watch ANY of the BG episodes from this point forth, because I know I will. I like the show, I just do not love the show.)

It is important for us to have fun doing the little things in life, such as watch television together or like some of the same music, but it isn’t essential to our relationship. It is because of our individual interests and natures that drew us to each other just as strongly as it was the similarities in our interests and natures. This had not been a problem for me until I recently noticed just how many of my married friends were complaining that they had to go watch football with their husbands and how much they detested it. In a way it sort of planted a subconscious seed in me that I should like everything B likes, but I don’t. Although I like football, sometimes I do not like to watch the same games he doe, and if there are no stories pressing upon me I sometimes just sit in the living room with him and write letters, read a novel, edit a story I have already completed or do a craft of some type, but I do not ever feel that I should be as engrossed in said game as he is. Quite honestly, I am usually the one watching the football games and he is doing something else while sitting with me! It is good to be different in many ways, just as it is good to be similar in many ways. All in all, we do quite well together with our differences and our similarities, after all, if we were SO much alike what would there be left to discover about each other? Life together then would become quite boring at this stage of the game. Right now, it is just the way it should be, sort of like Goldie Locks and Baby Bear’s porridge, chair and bed – juuuuust right.

Yaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!

I had a lovely post all written out about last night and how my science fiction/fantasy viewing is different from my husbands and an almost epiphanical revelation, but Blogger ate it. Perhaps one day the words will flow again as easily as they just did. If not, well, it's your loss, and mine too, because it was a dam fine good piece.

Moon Warriors, a review

Cheyenne is always picking up interesting movies and sometimes he lends them out. When he was in recently he left a movie called Moon Warriors. B wanted to see the movie for the "kung fu whale" and I wanted to see it because of Andy Lau. There is just something about Andy Lau that pleases me. It doesn't matter if he is a good guy or a bad guy, but, he is cool. Plus, it was directed by Sammo Hung which EVERYONE knows as the brother of Jackie Chan and a martial arts master in his own right, not to mention writer and director.

In this movie Andy plays a villager, a fisherman trying to help a struggling heir to a throne regain said throne. It is one of those movies you actually get to see Andy's martial arts abilities in Wu Shu and acrobatics.

At one point Andy, or Fei, is sent to get the betrothed princess of the hiding emperor-to-be in order to unite forces so the current emperor, the younger brother of the emperor-to-be, can be deposed and the correct emperor enthroned. There is a huge fight, of course, because intrigue is afoot and the princess, who is quite spoiled as most princesses are, slowly becomes interested in Fei who loves her as well.

Once the princess is safe with her emperor-to-be Fei decides he cannot help the emperor-to-be any longer from a close distance because he simply does not want to see his own love marry the man who may one day rule the country. No one wants to see the woman they love marry another!

Meanwhile, the emperor-to-be has a woman body guard who is in love with him and he is secretly in love with as well. The body guard also has a secret (more intrigue approaches!) - she is working for the evil emperor and has sworn to kill the emperor-to-be, but her heart can't do it, so she kills everyone else...except the princess and Fei who has a wonderful moment talking things over away from the hiding place of the emperor-to-be. There is a wonderful fight between the two ladies which the emperor-to-be breaks up and when each woman accuses the other, he forbids either of them from speaking ill of the other. Although they don't like this very much, the women agree and go to their separate places in the hide out and mull things over.

The body guard thinks about what she should do. Should she be a turn coat on the evil emperor and fight beside the man she loves who would be a better emperor for the people by far, or should she carry out her mission and attempt to kill the emperor-to-be, her beloved?

The princess looks at her beautiful wedding clothes and thinks of Fei, but she is a princess and cannot turn her back on her royal duty so she spends her time mourning for the love and life that she could have had.

Enter evil emperor. He has found the hide out and is going to end the battle for the throne and and for all. The bodyguard decides she cannot go against her heart any longer and fights beside the emperor-to-be and princess and Fei. Yay bodyguard!

The evil emperor is not a bad fighter and he uses all of his evil powers to over-come his brother and the women and Fei. He kills the bodyguard who dies in the emperor-to-be's arms just before the emperor-to-be is attacked and seriously wounded. We don't know if he makes it or not.

The princess comes to help the emperor-to-be and is mortally wounded. As she falls, Fei catches her and cradles her lovingly in his arms after blinding the evil emperor. They have one of those quiet moments that you know are special and not to be disturbed. The princess is dying and Fei is holding her, spending a lifetime in one moment. It is the princess' dying that made me adore this movie.

The evil emperor, using his super martial arts abilities, finds his weapon and begins to rush head long at the dying princess and Fei. The princess' eyes close in death, and Fei is not going to disrupt her final peace on this earth by fighting. By the time the princess is gone, the evil emperor is too close and cuts Fei's sword in two and impales him against a stone pillar which cracks and falls off to crush the evil emperor and kill him. And why does the pillar crack and fall onto the evil emperor? Because of the entrance of Fei's beloved pet killer whale who leaps out of the water and hits the bad guy with his mighty tail! Yep, that will do it every time.

Fei is impaled against the stone pillar, magnificent in his heroicism. The princess is crumpled at his side in a sitting position with her head resting against his leg and his hand caressing her hair.

Fei says, "I thought I was finally dead, but I woke up far out to sea because my faith Wai Mei had come for me." Then the movie fades to him walking across a field covered in flowers by a statue of a woman that is supposed to be the princess I think. And he narrates along the lines of: "I stayed away from my land for three years and I came to discover that sometimes the stories and songs are true, especially the tragic ones." And the movie ends.

It was the most depressing ending movies I have seen in many a day! Still, as far as wonderful movies and stories to watch unfold it is a magnificent one. I just wish it wasn't so depressing in the end.

Should you watch this movie?

Yes.

Just be prepared for the ending.

Poetry, Life's Loom, H.A. Handy

Life's Loom
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2006 by H.A. Handy

Beyond the moment life looms
It weaves and tangles, detangles and grooms
Hoping for us what it will
Weaving for us what it must, good or ill.

And We Mourn

Only one man of the thirteen miners survived. Being the daughter of a coal miner, I paid very close attention to this story. Back in Leslie County mining is one of the main sources of income still, and each time I hear of a mine accident I pay close attention.

I remember instances when you would hear of cave ins and other wives of miners would end up calling my Mom to make sure Dad was safe, or as safe as she knew he was. There was a time when I was very small a lot of people came to the house to wait. The men laughed and spoke quietly in the yard and the women gathered with my Mom. Was Dad trapped? I don't know. But I knew it had something to do with the mines and I knew my Dad worked in the mines, and I was quiet. Being a child meant you kept quiet and listened and played with your toys even if you really weren't playing with them because that's what the grown-ups needed to see. Being older I know now that it was also a way of protecting us, of keeping us out-of-the-know, but we figured it out. We always did.

And then there was the horrible accident where an entire mine blew and caved and a huge number of men died. My Dad knew a lot of them. He went to keep tabs on what was happening and if he and his men could help dig them out. Everything came to a slow grind. We knew, I knew, Daddy was safe, but that didn't make me wonder if it would happen to him one day.

It seems from as far back as I can remember the coal mining business was important to my family, to my little corner of the mountains, and on around to many other corners I didn't know about. I knew my Daddy worked under ground and I asked him once if his mine shaft reached our house. "No, buddy, it don't. I hope it never does."

"Why Daddy?"

"Because that would mean the hills are gone. The trees are gone. No birds sing and the creek is dry." I thought about this very hard. That is when I think I actually started caring about the land, the ground, the air, the trees, the animals. Everything mattered. Everything was linked because of the ground.

Daddy is gone now, but I can't help but wonder if maybe some of those older miners, the ones who made it out day after day and raised families might be looking over this new set who have it just as hard as they did. Does a miner come for a miner in the absolute dark of the mine when they die? Part of me would like to think so.

West Virginia Miners Trapped

They are still searching for the miners trapped in the deep mine in West Virginia. Please keep the men and their families in your prayers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060103/ap_on_re_us/mine_explosion

Take Me Back, Poetry by H.A. Handy

Take Me Back
By H.A. Handy
Copyright 2006 by H.A. Handy

Take me back, Shayne, take me back
To Low Gap Mountain way up high.

Sissy, I can't - it isn't the same,
Everything has changed there from the way it was.

Take me then, where the mountains roll
Like endless waves upon the land.

Take me to where you can see the sky,
Blue as any sea

Where the hawks circle and cry as they pass
That greeting I dream of in my sleep.

Take me back, Shayne, take me back,
Back on top of the Kentucky hills
To where my soul can rest a while.

The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis, A Review

In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it. The horse seemed to like it too; he gave the sort of whinny a horse would give it, after years of being a cab-horse, it found itself back in the old field where it had played as a foal, and saw someone whom it remembered and loved coming across the field to bring it a lump of sugar.

...

Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by the other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars. They didn't come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leapt out -- single stars, constellations, and planets, bright and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.

...

The Voice on the earth was now louder and more triumphant; but the voices in the sky, after singing loudly with it for a time, began to get fainter. And now something else was happening.

Far away, and down near the horizon, the sky began to turn grey. A light wind, very fresh, began to stir. The sky, in that one place grew slowly and steadily pale. You could see shapes of hills standing up dark against it. All the time the Voice went on singing.

There was soon light enough for them to see one another's faces. The Cabby and the two children had open mouths and shining eyes; they were drinking in the sound, and they looked as if it reminded them of something. Uncle Andrew's mouth was open too, but not open with joy. He looked more as if his chin had simply dropped away from the rest of his face. His shoulders were stooped and his knees shook. He was not like the Voice. If he could have got away from it by creeping into a rat's hole he would have done so. But the Witch looked as if, in a way, she understood the music better than any of them. Her mouth was shut, her lips were pressed together, and her fists were clenched. Ever since the song began she had felt that this whole world was filled with a Magic different from hers and stronger. She hated it. She would have smashed that whole world, or all words, to pieces, if would only stop the singing. The horse stood with its ears well forward, and twitching. Every and and then it snorted and stamped the ground. It no longer looked like a tired old cab-horse; you could now well believe its father had been in battles.

The eastern sky changed from white to pink and from pink to gold. The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced the sun arose.

The Magician's Nephew was written several years after the Chronicles of Narnia was begun. It is the introductory book C.S. Lewis wanted for his series. I had never read it until this weekend in bouts of fever and flu and found myself totally enthralled with it on so many levels!

The adventures of the children I had not met before, the introduction of the Witch, Uncle Andrew all played their parts and I could see myself as the child as well as others in the story as it began to unfold. Have you ever wondered how the wardrobe came into being? You find out in this book. Have you ever wondered how a lamp post tree came to be in Narnia? You find out in this book, but does it in no way explain anything else that is going to happen. It truly is the beginning of the series and explains so much as well as set the table for one of the most wonderful adventures in reading anyone, old or young, could possibly go on.

The above section is not from the beginning of the novel, but somewhere in the middle. You think you are going to have one particular adventure and discover yourself on a totally different path, which all good adventures should do now and then. In reading The Magician's Nephew I remembered what it was about story telling and reading a good story that made me want to write them in the first place. I can't say it took me down memory lane because I had not read this book before. I can say it was one of the most superb reads I have had in a while.

Go, find it. Enjoy.

Already Some Positives

The New Year of 2006 has begun and already there are positives to report: I feel better. I am not "well" yet, but I am feeling much better and have hope that I am going to beat this nasty thing into submission very soon.

B and I brought it in holding hands because of this horrible cruddy sickness I currently possess. I must admit I really did miss my New Year's Kiss. There is something special about that first kiss of the beginning year - like there are promises made of many more, at least there is hope there will be.

Maybe it is because I am feeling better, but I am quite hopeful about this little Blog and what I hope it accomplishes this year. I believe I am going to add a book review for each week. This is for two purposes - to make sure I keep up my reading schedule, and to actually keep track of what I read during the year.

Can you possibly guess what the first book will be for 2006? Narnia, or the very first section of it. Already there is something that has struck my heart and imagination so deeply it made me actually remember why I started writing in the first place, as well as reading wonderfully lovely novels. I will share all of that with you later. For now, I am just enjoying the read and relaxing and feeling better.

2006 has indeed begun much better than I expected it too, yet hoped for.

Happy New Year All!