Writer's Are Wild: William Faulkner, Pt.1

Surely, you've surmised that I am a person who likes to learn by now. Curiosity is both my superpower and my nemesis. In addition to trying to cultivate and curate my personal skill as a writer, a goal of mine has been to study writers of all kinds. I want to discover and study a diverse range of writers past and present solely for the previously purported purposes. And I love a deep dive!

Recently, I've developed a system for studying writers of interest more efficiently by utilising ChatGPT. Here are the questions I typically start with when putting together a little rabbit hole to hop down to explore the life and ideas of a literary figure: 

1. Chat, can you give me some basic biographical information about...?

2. Was/Is this author considered problematic?

3. What are some good works to read by this figure tailored for a beginner?

4. Can you provide any good articles featuring or about (the figure)?

5. How is (this figure's) style defined and how can I incorporate it into my own writing exploration?

6. Can you provide writing prompts inspired by this author's style/genre?

7. Who are some diverse and modern day figures/writers who were influenced or comparitive in style?

8. Can you tell me (figure's) writing routine? 

Of course my questions and process will become more refined in the future the more I do this but for now it quickly produces such a rich document of research that offers a point of entry into my subject. This is only my 2nd I've done it for writers specifically and each time I've been busy for WEEKS exploring. 

More often than not, when I've done research on literary figures in the past I've discovered their lives have been quite astounding. This is the antithesis of the reclusive writer or boring librarian trope. Things were happening all around and many were sure to place themselves front and center to take notes and contribute commentary or a perspective of thought. I'm often delighted with little jewels of stories, gossip, and anecdotes involving these figures. So many of writers were quite the characters in the crazy story of their own lives. Many times, upon first glance the initial information may not read off the page as being that dramatic until you put them in the context of their time period and societal norms. Sometimes it's just imagining the literal reality and placing it factural life. Writer's are wild AF!

One of the first interesting things that pricked my mind about William Faulkner was that he exaggerated his military service. An odd place to start I know but he never served in a war, yet mimicked walking with a limp due to war injuries. In fact during World War I he was rejected by the US Army due to his height/small weight (allegedly 5'5) so he only ever served in the British Royal Air Force in Canada. The reality of this multiple Nobel/Pulitzer Prize winner limping around playing a wounded war veteran provoked all kinds of questions within me about what kind of person does that and what the motivations behind the pretence would be. Maybe daddy/granddaddy issues? 

Real talk, I feel like this was a pretty commonplace practice back in the day due to societal and social pressures on men/white men. I don't know how many men are lying about their military service anymore (though being a milspouse, I've witnessed it) but really I'm speaking more to the idea of men creating clout to fulfil perceptions of masculinity or valor/honor. Men, you are enough. None of this deterred me from my mental musings casting Falkner (later changed to Faulkner) as the southern gothic Verbal Kint from the Usual Suspects, traversing plantation roads and southern lanes gradually straightening up his gait the closer he comes to his writing room.  Nor from imagining, the far more exaggerated and hilarious Cherry Surprise from I'm Gonna Get You Sucka. " Don't make me come hopping after you." 

What's more is you can see how the experiences in Will's life; whether it be his service, the railroad, his hometown later went on to shape aspects and concepts in his writing works. Discoveries like these are alway encouragement to me because I've had a lot of life experiences and tries at things in life. I know a little about a whole lot of things. It's comforting to know that the greats were actually consistently pulling from the same small personal sums of their lives to create magic. 

Other intrusive thoughts while submerging myself in the basics of Faulkner include: 

-Is this where we get the term 'little Willy from or is it truly just a vulgar phrase?  How tall is Kevin Hart? 

-What qualified as romance prior to the 1900's? Willy's great grandfather wrote, The White Rose of Memphis, in 1881. It sounds like a racists or patriarchal purity based fever dream. I read some reviews and a couple of synopsis- it is not. 

-Bet he had a learning disability and didn't even know it - he quit high school after repeating eleventh and twelfth grade twice yet went on to be a bookkeeper, railroad owner, and THE prolific/profound Faulkner. 

-Where can I get a Phil Stone? 

-Octosyllabic couplets? Is that eight syllables per pair of lines? 

-What is post Joycean experimentalism and was there enough of it to be a named era? They just be naming everything. 

-Mosquitos: A rap battle mix tape. 

-IsYoknapatawpha Faulkner's Bon Temps? When I create my own BonTemps I'm going hard. 

-Bruh. Why did Britannica do him that way,

 "...his health undermined by his drinking and by too many falls from horses too big for him." 

The mind is relentless, chile. Can you gather why it takes me forever to study anything? This is why my remedy has to be to just start things. Don't think too much or you'll never stop ...or start for that matter.

In other news, Faulkner dropped out of college after only a single year ya'll. I wonder if there was a bunch of tense bullshit back and forth with his parents or if he just chucked the deuces in peace. The parent child dynamics of the past always intrigue me when I read about them. I can't imagine half the stuff depicted in novels and articles as the norm. Nevertheless, it plays out that his family and family relationships kept him moving and shaking through a myriad of jobs into what we would consider current day adulthood while he made small steps toward his writing destiny. 

What literary figures would you create your own AI study guide about? What questions would you ask?

A theme for February

We've talked about how I love a theme. In February I always hit health hard with my kids. I tend to interpret Valentine's Day as a time to cover self love; which has resulted in unit studies and joint reads that cover self esteem, anger management, personal health and hygiene, self regulation, growth mindset etc. Under the theme of passion in February I always cover sex education with my kids too.

In the past we've read, studied, chatted, and researched using a plethora of books over the years specifically in February such as; Usborne's What's Happening to Me? Guy Stuff: the Body Book for Boys, American Girls The Care and Keeping of You Vol. 1 & 2, Celebrate Your Body (and it's changes too), 30 Days of Sex talks for three different age categories, Good Picture, Bad Picture for two different age groups, Own Your Period-A Fact-filled Guide to Period Positivity. Now obviously, I don't limit the conversations to a single time of year but February definitely acts as a heavier catalyst for these conversations. 

[On a side note reader BEWARE, if I figure out how to do affiliate links on books I talk about I will. At the very least you'll be able to see which books I'm talking about in particular by clicking the links. Back in the day I would have taken great pleasure in simply providing a thumbnail type picture that may have or may have not included a link!]

So. 

February. 

It's historically the time the I can come into a set mindset of loving myself more as well. I don't know if I intentionally can't get myself to fall in line health and personal fitness wise during January on principle or if some other hidden psychology is involved. I surely never truly get my act together until February. This year I've got a little ongoing social date with a girlfriend to walk outside two days a week. I'm working on hopping on my Peloton consistently every week too. 

I've been cleaning up my diet and drinking my greens. I can say that since last year I'm down 15 pounds and I'm proud of that. I can admit that I was not putting in the effort and my lifestyle willed it. That has NEVER happened! Since last year around this time we moved to Washington state and we did a full 'do it yourself' move and drove across country with our two vehicles, three kids, and big ass dog. When we got to Washington my husband's job had us both hitting the ground running. When I tell you this was the fastest I've ever gotten our house up and functioning AND involved in our surrounding community, I mean it! It was a whirlwind but we are quite settling into life in the PNW. 

Additionally, being a black woman, my kids being bi-racial, and also homeschoolers we study black history and figures all year long. In February I kick it up a notch; I guess what this really means is consistency. This year we're focused on the Harlem Renaissance. Crash Course on YouTube has some excellent animated videos to kick off the study and from there we delve into the Great Migration, art, music, authors, poets, fashion, figures. It's truly excellent and exciting and unbelievable to learn about this period of time. The 1918's to the 1920's and 1930's; it was the best of times and it was the worst of times- truly!

What are February's like for you and/or your family? Are you more of a January life stacker? Are there traditions or cyclic habits that you didn't even realise you adopted? How are your healthier lifestyle goals coming? 

The Great Courses

I'm wearing out these Great Courses! I've recently wrapped up "Wolves and Werewolves in History and Popular Culture." 

I learned so many things about wolf/werewolf legend and lore that I never knew and sometimes was appalled to find out. I also loved all the many references sited throughout the class. It was an excellent starting place for my shifter research to begin and now I have so many references for more resources! When I was a kid I remember that feeling of finishing a book I loved and seeing all the references for other books by that author at the end. When I became a teen sometimes the publisher would include an excerpt from the author or from like authors in the same publishing house. Listening to the course and taking notes on the new references gave those nostalgic vibes. 

Next I happened upon The Great Courses's, "The Real History of Dracula." While I still haven't finished the course it's a great accompaniment to reading Bram Stoker's Dracula with my kids in our little Homeschool Horror Creative Writing Unit Study. The course has been giving me all kinds of little insights to add to our discussions and really has me feeling boss level intelligent while educating my kiddos! 

Honestly, Dracula, can be a tricky read with schoolbag kids due to some of the adult themes going down but I've discovered I much prefer to face challenging topics head on as my kids mature. Literature is a fantastic catalyst for nuanced conversations that might not otherwise happen. It's easy to discuss potentially uncomfortable topics in a way that feels safe and unpressurised. It was doubly charming to hear the creators of the Werewolf course, Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, echo this same sentiment within what I would call their thesis statement on the purpose and importance of the work in the class introduction. It was totally validating to hear!

The last Great Courses that I have in the works, likely to be worked at a snails pace for the foreseeable future is The Great Courses, Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques, taught by James Hynes.  Where the two former classes have a run time of about four and a half hours and the most interactive thing you have to do is listen- maybe jot some notes; this course runs over twelve hours and is stuffed full of concepts a novice pursuing writing can benefit from. 

It's actually a curriculum. A curriculum that you can borrow from some libraries for free, purchase from Amazon or Audible platforms, or even straight from the Great Courses website. Even if you pay out of pocket, it is a highly efficient and cost effective way to gain knowledge into the craft of writing. I decided to work through the material just as if I was taking a class- old school, but at home. The course is split into lessons with exercises, resources, and objectives to complete.

I printed the course materials out (it's almost 200 pages) from the Audible file and put it into a binder (also old school). Next I made myself a little schedule.  The schedule is mine so just like I love to do in my homeschool with the kids, if I want to go down a rabbit trail of learning I can do that. I promised myself I would read any and all resources of interest within the course and truly work on just enjoy the process. Enjoying the process is something I have a hard time doing sometimes. I tend to make my goal about finishing which sometimes can steal the joy from the journey. 

A negative point, thus far, is that a lot of the suggested reading neatly listed at the end of each lecture are works that are out of print, hard to find, or unappealing (mainly due to them being dated). Overall it's only a minor set back being that there are plenty of modern day craft books that I have my eye on or that I even already own and have not read through. I'm sure will suffice as supplements. 

After Lecture 2 one of the books on the suggested reading list was Stephen King's, Salem's Lot. It's a rabbit hole I chose to hop right on down. This book has been on my TBR list for years. So many craft books and classes site King's book in examples or as influence. Aside from his, On Writing, book I have not read a Stephen King novel since I was a teenager. It's been a neat and sobering experience to read his work as an adult. I'm about a quarter of the way through  and getting a bit antsy for things to come together. I feel like I've met every. single. person. in that measly town!

Anyway, as expected the course starts with beginner concepts and then progresses. Right now I'm at the point where we discuss getting into the writer mindset and the lesson also outlines bare bottom objectives like where to start when you actually do start to write and also how to start. Hynes starts out with the stereotypical adages of evocation and Show, Don't Tell. They are concepts that are completely overdone but entirely critical. I expect any standard class offering a comprehensive education in how to write will eventually include them. Hynes provides excellent examples and commentary so I'm not mad about it. 

The beginning lessons were quite exciting to me because I taught similar concepts in my teen co-op class this past November. We had the opportunity to participate in National Novel Writing Month as a class. It was such a fun and enriching experience that every single one of my students utilised and was excited about. I had fun giving the kids writing sprints, teaching them how to specifically start, and rooting out how and when "to show." It was cool to see I was on the right track with my course materials and layout from someone I feel is validated to teach through their credentials and accolades. Me personally, I'm just winging it- figuring things out with no official training!

With The Great Courses there is such a vast variety of subjects to explore. I also have James Scott Bell's course, How to Write Best-Selling Fiction. If I'm not burnt out, I plan to deploy that course next straightaway.  I whole heartedly stand behind the notion that these courses abound in laying the groundwork of research and development within any given subject. I would encourage everyone to use them as a starting source to build upon and give you structure when exploring a topic of interest. I look forward in sharing what I've scratched up through these courses on the blog. 

January good.

I like the general theme of new beginnings that threads through the month of January. So many people balk at a New Year resolution but I tend not to be so sour about folks making changes this month. It makes sense to me. I think it's important to personally evaluate/assess/re-assess. Shouldn't we all eye ourselves with a bare lens of honesty and ask 'what can I do different?' or, 'how can I improve?' January should bring up questions such as, 'What in my life is not quite serving me any longer?' 'What can I do about that?'  I like that at the very least once a year, collectively, folks mindfully and wilfully touch that stone. Even if only for a brief month's time. 

One of the many positive things about being a military family is that it's packed with tangible milestones and the chance to start something new again and again with each job or duty station. As a family, we move every 2-3 years being a part of the military. We've done this for about twenty years now. While we've struggled through some moves and beasted others, overall I still get excited each time we relocate. It's a chance to refine things and try something different on a large scale. It can be revitalising. 

So. 

January. 

It's a great time to reflect and try something new. 

We are doing several something news in the month of January in our household. This new year is an entire season of change and fine tuned recommitment to various things. I've personally re-committed to my writing. I'm back onto studying craft.  I'm locked in with a focus on writing with my students at co-op and even with my children in our homeschool. I have some specific goals; one of which is to focus on completing at least one of my novels this year. 

I enrolled in a paranormal romance writing workshop through AutoCrit that really has me excited and motivated. As a supplement to the workshop, my library lets me have access to the Great Courses for free, so I've been listening to The Real History of Dracula and taking notes. One of the stories I have sitting is actually a shifter based paranormal romance but maybe my writing future holds vampires as well!  If you are an Audible member you have access to The Great Courses, Wolves and Werewolves in History and Popular Culture if you're into that kind of thing. It's next on my list.

It's been fulfilling to make writing fun again through this blog and even with what I'm teaching my children. My eleven year old asked about doing a horror writing course, so I've been creating one for her and my son. I'm utilising RL Stine's Masterclass as a main resource/ spine of the curriculum but we're studying key figures and elements within the genre as well. We've done author profiles, writing sprints, copy work, curated genre research lists, watched videos, read articles, and have been listening to Dracula on Audible together. We are ripping apart and combing through that poor book and it's all been a blast. Secretly, I have to admit, I've been pumped when my kids have started recognising horror devices being employed in a show or spooky scene we're watching on television.

With the way my mind is set up I am always resolving to do something or other and I tend to not be able to let the thoughts go until I jump in and start. Most of the time the obsessions don't singularly hit in January so I start when the spirit moves me. Still this January I finally starting making that homemade pasta I've been thinking about. So far we've had fettuccine, spaghetti and homemade lasagne pasta sheets. My closets have embarked on an editing journey, and I decided to lose thirty pounds for good- though I haven't put a plan in motion on that yet. We'll have to see how many of the new try's become a way of life in our house. I love the different influences we've picked up over the years even though sometimes I do overwhelm myself with all the trying. Still, when the curtain finally closes on my life I will have done it all due to this somewhat annoying trait of mine! I know I'm a Jack of all trades and a master of not a single one- it's a satisfying life trying all the things. 

What type of things have you and your family resolved to do in this new month, new season, and new year?

(Vie-oh-lah) A Book Review

My grandmother was always an excellent cook. On one particular day she was making a new dish she felt especially proud of pulling off. I can't recall what the dish was now but I always tell the story with a heavy emphasis on the punchline. 

My grandmother reaches to lift the lid off the pot on top of the stove with grand flourish. She had the elaborate hand gestures going and all. Me and my sister were wrapt with anticipation to see what was inside. 

She hefts the lid like a grand cymbal and confidently exclaims, "Vie-oh-lah!" 

It's like a needle scratched off the proverbial record. Me and sis are clearly perplexed-it's etched plainly on our faces for a beat until my Auntie hollers from the dining room, "Do you mean, 'voila?!" 

The four of us fall into a ruckus of laughter until we cried. It's one of those memories that I can still see and hear so clearly even a smooth thirty years later. 

It's a story that came back to me while listening to, Finding Me, by Viola Davis. A story that has absolutely nothing to do with the book aside from the parallel of how Viola's family says her name in the book. Yet maybe I'm a little mistaken. There is so much in the book that calls to and runs parallel with my own story and my own rocky family ties that kept bringing me back to my own tales of old. Many of which I've been eager to leave buried in the dust of the past. 

I suspect Viola's story triggered, in the full sense of the word, my memories because there is much about the relationships and circumstances she had growing up in poverty that mirror my own. It was triggering in a reflective way and I found her voice gave insight/perspective into my own history and experiences that I had not considered. There were strong colorised themes that had me thinking more deeply as well. 

Riffing off the idea of Viola's writing voice, what an excellent narrator to her own story she truly was. Her literal voice has a rich fullness that had me conducting a quick search to see if there was anything else out in these streets narrated by her for me to listen to.  I highly recommend the audio version which is what I listened to. 

Finding Me is a book that has been on my TBR list for a long time and I kicked off my New Year listening to it while waiting for my son at swim practices. The book is raw and beautiful and poignant. She blasts off with a profane hook for the reader. (Peep my writer's jargon! lol)

I was gagged that she was out here cursing freely and frequently- I hadn't expected that. I had an image of who I thought she was. It was an image I had neatly generated over time after multiplying her public persona by the image of who I guessed she was in her acting projects divided by my own respectability. I was way off and I'm glad. So yeah, she curses- and it ADDS to her writing voice. It added to really understanding who she is and where she came from.

Aside from the excellently profane hook, within the first chapter she was, as the kids say, "spittin'". Just so much poignant truth. She has a beautiful way of telling her stories of the past while being anchored in the wisdom of her present. It's so well done. 

She speaks candidly about the entertainment industry and the evolution of her experiences within it. When she talks about the perception of "classics" and being classically trained at Julliard where any perspective  outside that scope was sub par, I felt that. It made me think more deeply about the history of code switching and instances where I've felt compelled to do so. 

I loved how she spoke of her experiences in Africa and how essentially it was a catalyst for her owning her own choices. She decided how she wanted to move and show up in the industry early on. The book has many significant moments that call the reader to think differently. To reflect deeply. While the book spoke deeply to my experience as a black woman, the book is for everyone. 

I actually am a writer.

At a certain age, I developed the belief that being a writer was kin to being clever. I likened it to being as powerful as God; with the creating worlds with words and all. At an even earlier age I learned that a person can evoke with words in negative ways just as easily as they can with sugary flowery concoctions of verbiage or the poignantly beautiful stuff. 

An obvious concept: It all has impact so be careful with your words.

When I discovered writing/journaling/reading, it was absolutely an outlet for me as a young girl. It was the best outlet I could have ever had. I can certainly say I was holding a lot within. I'd had a lot of experiences that I didn't know what to do with. I hadn't learned or understood how to identify my own feelings. When I learned to write writing was my chance to dissect all the...things. Writing allowed me to write and scream, and cry, and mourn everything I would never say or even mildly articulate to anyone aloud. I could simultaneously explore all my avenues of thought that felt so stifled or shuttered. Writing in my youth was the foundation for me having a voice in my adulthood. 

In many instances I was coming of age in a familial culture where children were seen and not heard. As an adult with perspective, I would actually say children, in general, were an afterthought in the wreckage of "adult" business and choices when it came to most of the households I lived in. In the end I wrote some very raw and troubled emotional tirades on paper as I came of age and it permanently changed some of my relationships. It was the catalyst for me having to learn some hard but necessary lessons. When it comes to my writing origin story I can most widely say, that at the time, the lessons I learned changed my personal perspective and the freedom with which I wrote- drastically. 

I always wanted it back though- the freedom. I don't know what that says about me deep down but I still wanted to be one of the ones gifted with the natural talent to use words and be brave enough to use them with a bold free hand even when I consciously shunned the idea or felt shame for wanting it. Because isn't it wrong to wanna BE God- even if just on paper? Isn't it selfish to be free? Isn't there a right way to use words? A righteous way? Shouldn't it be my goal to be tempered and responsible and polite--cautious? Shouldn't my writing think about the people around me? 

As a young adult I remember reading Oprah's notorious book club pick, A Million Little Pieces. It was a bold, unflinching, and in your face read. I was suspicious and intrigued at the author's talent and audacity. When the scandal unfolded it was almost like an affirmation. I probably even let out a breath. It affirmed my burgeoning Spiderman philosophy in writing, "to whom much is given, much is required". The author's very public smack down and cancellation before the social masses ever really did that sort of thing was a mental back pat to me at the time that you didn't just write any 'ol kind of way and get away with it! 

Anyway, I got into the habit where I would write journals and lists and contracts and letters and all that everyday informal stuff- because I still needed to write but my voice was gone. I lacked depth and authenticity when I did write something more significant. I would try to write something personal and be bogged down with thoughts about what others might think or how they would be effected or how my words might come across. I would measure my words against the standards of others. Bare bones magical storytelling or raw emotion, the sometimes messily masterful shit that really splinters open something real? That was and is something entirely different and I no longer dared to do that. 

I went through a stage where I believed that if I could become clever enough maybe I could be a writer without the authenticity bit. I don't know if I consciously mapped a course for that but there was a time where no matter how many hundreds of books I've read, no matter the vast cumulative hours, days, years of literary consumption I had, I could never have the knowledge or insight that made me smart enough to spin a masterpiece others would want to consume. I discovered that it's hard for me to write well without including little splinters of myself. Ironically, no matter how many vocabulary words I know, it's the simple words that ring true and its the plain language that always would hit me the hardest. 

I haven't been brave enough to be my real self on the page for a good and long time. 

I'm so glad I've grown a bit. I'm so glad I tried Writing Down the Bones again. I'm so glad that I'm getting past discounting myself. I'm so glad that I'm learning and flexing my writing muscles as they grow. I suspect this blog will be about me learning. 

I'm proud to say that being a writer of a certain age I am still learning many things anew. I used to think people grew up to a certain number of years and then refused anything new or fresh in life. I had seen that model of living in action with seemingly irrefutable evidence to that ancient adage- "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I'm so glad familiar or even societal habits don't have to be passed along and/or consumed. 

There are many things to talk about, many things here on my little blog. It's still the way I process life but I will likely talk most about me learning to write authentically and just plain...better. 

What are you all learning and talking about in this season of your life? If you are a writer, what personal limiting beliefs are you overcoming?

 

Chile, I can't believe it!

I don't know what wild hair made me search the blogger sphere and look for my old blog but I did. I also don't know what possessed me to see if I could log into it... 

Presto! 

I'm here. 

Since my last entry in 2011 I've had several more moves including a second move back overseas and to Germany. We also moved to Kansas a second time, California once, and repeated Georgia as well. We currently reside in Kentucky but will be on our way to Washington state soon enough. This military life has been...exhilarating...exhausting. 

Since my last entry I've had two more children and my son who I announce on the blog is fourteen going on fifteen this year. 

Since my last entry I've attempted to write a romance novel-- several times. 

It's been a while since I've worked on any story but I can still vividly recall those first days I first decided to try and ended up with over 50 pages written. 

It was magical. I didn't know I could until I did. It was coherent and it was real. Now I have MANY unfinished manuscripts strewn about the home now. It's foolish to think that this year will be the year but I must admit...sometimes I be playing the fool.

Since my last entry my family became permanent homeschoolers during covid. It's been amazing- at least from my perspective. There is always the fear that the kids will grow up and one day reveal that it all sucked and they struggled and did it for me but would have preferred public school. Homeschool for me has been so exciting, freeing and fun. I did not expect to enjoy it when we were essentially forced into it.

My middle child actually wants to go back next year and while I've gone full advocate for homeschooling I will let her make that choice to return. This may be one of those things she needs to see for herself. She's in that tween stage and I want her to feel heard, understood, supported, and validated in choosing what's right for her. 

Not so secretly, I suspect public school won't be what she hoped it would be, learning style wise, and I can validate, support, hear, and understand her right to change her mind as well. As far as I'm concerned it's not such a high stakes decision to experiment with. Recovery in either direction is low cost. 

Since my last entry too many changes, twists, and turns have happen for me to list them nonchalantly in a reintroduction post. Over the years I have thought many times about blogging. I think I even produced a couple of entries on a "new" blog somewhere out in these cyber streets at some point. I just can't recall where or if I even published them! I had a knitting video podcast on YouTube that I started and quit within the same year many years ago. Funny enough, I enjoyed all of those things. Unfortunately, I can recognise in hindsight that I did not make time or seriously dedicate myself to them. 

Curiously, I think it stems from some fundamental attitudes I didn't realise I developed. I used the internet a certain way when I was younger. It was a spare time compartmentalised occasional conversation piece.   I wonder now if I had been more diligent could I have parlayed my hobbies and interests into something more that was lucrative and fulfilling. Hindsight is always 20/20, ultimately I think the answer is that I didn't have confidence/determination/motivation anyway. Maybe this new resurrection of the blog will lead me somewhere new or different than before if I can change my attitudes

There's always that pesky little problem of never quite being able to group my words in that impressive way that could evoke like I always dreamed. Lack of confidence.

In the early years, when I was blogging there were plenty of examples of hobbyist going professional. Now days I feel a little out or sorts and put off by the terrain out here. I'm not so sure that blogging happens just for blogging sake anymore. Everything seems to be steeped in monetised agenda. I'm not so sure that personal blogging isn't plain out of vogue.  My time away has limited my understanding to the new standards of a blog- solely to make money.

Isn't everyone using AI now anyway?! lol. 

Regardless of all the reasons I could talk myself out of things, I'm back on blogging. Old school. The purpose is for my own pleasure. The content will be a range. I'm just trying to write and get better. I live a full bodied life and my brain is always on. I be doing and experiencing all kinds of shit. 😂

On that note, I don't intend to censor myself though I also don't curse much anymore. 

Nevertheless, we've established, I'm a woman of a certain age- I'll say what I want and be free here. 

Quick update & Movies

 * Haven't forgotten my blog, been busy as usual. We're leaving Italy soon. There's a lot to do w preparing to move back to the states including having last hoorah's with friends.
* On the knitting tip again finally. Stockinetting my heart out with Lion Brands Curtain Call Shrug. Using Paton's Decor in Grey.

 MOVIES
Recently watched Greenberg, which was as quirky as the previews look. Sometimes I feel like it was trying or that the movie was just running parallel to views and jokes I’ve seen Ben Stiller make in real life. It also drug on painfully in spots
Watched Social Network and liked it.
Watched Inception and thought it was better than the Matrix ever was. Loved it.
Saw Takers. Not as bad as I would have judged. Had some quality to it though it was very typical heist style movie. Even though I like rap and hip hop, I expect very little from rapper produced movies. This one quality wise esp. was a step in the right direction.
Saw Easy A, was one of those feel good teen romcommer’s that was actually cute. It was on par w my like for Mean Girls. Emma Stone had me feeling like she was the new Lindsay basically. Albeit, the anti-crack/stupidity version.
Thought the American drug on unnecessarily, though Clooney was looking Fine (note w capital F).
Holy vulgar guilty pleasure, Machete. Did you really pull a cell phone out of there stripper outfits and naughty nurses? What am I watching?
Cried my face off watching Hachi, deep sobing ugly cry and I’m just not that kind of girl.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Loved.

Seen a ton of things but I pulled these off the top of my head. Gotta dress the boy and myself. ttyl

Recently Read Review-Sookie Stackhouse Novels

Been reading the Sookie Stackhouse Vampire novels and really enjoy it. I’m on the 8^th book. Before I get into all that let me say this on a sidenote; I read the first book of the Twilight series and thought I might choke Bella out through the pages. It kinda made me worry about teenage girls reading those books. She (Bella) just seemed like a codependant, insecure, stupid girl. I really wanted to jump on the bandwagon and like it but I just couldn't. Some of my friends and family say I need to keep reading and I will.... eventually...maybe. I’ve got the other 3 books to read but I don’t know if I can bring myself to waste the time/effort.

Anyway, the Sookie series is not for teenage girls or people who love the no sex aspect of Twilight. The books are no where near as explicit as the Showtime series but…it’s no purity show. Hide your kids, hide your wives….and hide your husbands too

I will also say that Stephanie Meyers is probably a better writer than Charlaine Harris BUT Charlaines characters and books are more interesting and fun and clever.

The books regarding Sookie are significantly different from what’s being done in the series (after the first season, that is- the 1^st season kinda goes right along with the first book which makes sense). Anyway, I don’t know if Sookie will realize it or not but book after book I’m more and more Team Eric and she needs to be too. Course in regard to the TV show I’m team Eric too. Bill is a boring unattractive mess compared to Eric on the show. Season 2 they give Eric a haircut and I was like, DUUUUUDDE. As in, “Holla at me, you look so good I could slap your mama” kind of DUUUUUDE.

So, some things I like about the books have mainly to do with the characters, especially Sookie. She’s funny and clever and smart in the books. She is also gangsta/gangster (tomaetoe/tomahtoh). In the books she’s like,"Bill, Sam, Tara, Eric, boyfriend,girlfriend, king, queen, brother –WHOEVER if you're in trouble…I’m going in." She’s an undeniably strong character in the book though she does need rescuing. She’s finally the chick who kicks off the high heels to sprint from the bad guys while slathering vaseline on her face for the inevitable brawl to come and I like that. I think at one point in the latest book she pretty much says, "this chick does not know, I'm the business when it comes to a fight." I don't know I could be paraphrasing just a bit. Anyway, she might be considered by others just a slight bit Whiskey Tango but she doesn’t view herself as such so in turn no matter what anybody says in the book we all know she isn’t (lol). There’s plenty more I like but I’ll leave it at this.

Some things I don’t like about the books is the constant rehashing Charlaine does with each new installment. I’ve read Series books before and I can never recall this constant rehashing of characters and back information. Sometimes it’s so annoying that I’ll skim/skip the page or paragraph she’s going on and on in. Charlaine, honey, there’s gotta be a better way. I understand the desire to make each book a product the reader can pick up at any installment and not feel totally lost but seriously…seriously? There’s gotta be a better way. Another oddity--well, I guess the character of Bubba is kinda growing on me with each passing book not but the first few books that character made me laugh out loud due to how cheesy it felt to stick him in there. It felt undeniably cheesy BUT I also had to like that the author wasn’t afraid to have fun and insert him. There are other things I could complain about but nevertheless I recommend the series if you like TrueBlood, the show, and if you like vampire novels.

Let's pretend

Let's pretend like I never left and haven't be completely absent from my little blog space for over a year. Pretending.....time......NOW!
So we move back to Georgia in February some time. I guess I will have to make it my business to post up any trips and travel we do between now and then. It has been a blast living here and I don't want to leave. Straight up. Period. Don't wanna go.
Guess I gotta move onto the next chapter of my life. Nevertheless these last few months will certainly be a blow out of events. Funny everyone is visiting us now that the sand is about to run out on the hour glass here. By the time it's all said and done we will have had about two months of guests staying here! It's been a blast. I'm so glad everyone has/is coming. It's been nice being able to share a little smidgen of my life with everyone. My sister and her boys are here now and there is a series of wonderfulness going on between my son and her boys being together, her LOVING Italy, and getting to hear the boys perspective on everything they see and learn.
Anyway, I see that I said so last year but for real...talk to ya soon, I'm back on the blogging tip and I'm about to come with a vengeance.

It's been a while

I'm just going to jump right back in here like it's what I've been doing for a spell instead of continuing on like I have been which would leave us all with more days of nothing said. The truth is that once I finally got over being sick with the baby I've done a lot of interesting stuff. I'll even have the thoughts of, "Man I should blog about this." Then I just don't. I'm going to try to be better. I've only got one more month until baby James is here BTW. Should be cool. Anyhoo, I'll start with something easy today. Movie "reviews".
There's no way in Sam Hill I can go back and give you a recap of the zillions of movies I've crushed over these months so I'm just going to do the last four I've watched. There's no favorites and no outright V8 award recipients in this batch so here's what I've got.
1. Bolt- Yep, I resorted to watching Bolt even though I don't actually have a child here begging to watch cartoons and I am not ashamed. The truth is that I've seen cuter and funnier animations in the past but it wasn't a bad flick by any means. If you want to watch some cartoon sweetness then this is a harmless choice. It has a little humor and a sweet message and ending. There's no Bambi, "Your mother won't be with us anymore" moments which is good but I did think to myself a couple times: "Can they just straight up rip off Inspector Gadget like that?" (Those old inspector gadget cartoons were dope!) Cartoons back then were so much better than the weaksauce they have now; and you can't beat those old theme songs. Anyhoo...
2. The Spirit-This movie was whack but I couldn't stop watching. I get it to a certain extent; the dialog and such are suppose to be hokie but good grief. Still I can't give it a tomato splat because it was the type of movie that is so bad it's funny. I would say to rent this movie only if you're in the mood to laugh and not take it too seriously.
3. The Reader- I thought this was a good movie but you should be warned to be prepared for a lot (I do mean a lot) of sexual inappropriateness. I'll tell you what else too, the movie has a lot of substance but the part that made my heart grow to Grinch size on Christmas morning was the short spell when old dude makes all the tapes and old girl starts to read and get her write on. I just thought that was amazing but don't rent it if you have a problem with sexuality on screen because they are not playing around.
4. Hotel for Dogs- Just another sweet and fluffy movie with little parts by Lisa Kudrow and Don Cheadle. It's about some kids who, you guessed it, start a clever little hotel for stray dogs after becoming "strays" themselves. It's just all kinds of lighthearted, feel good, family friendliness up in there so if that's what you're looking for rent this sweet little movie.

Back on the Block

1. First things first. I'm pregnant, preggo, preggers, knocked up, inseminated, with child. My lovely lady lumps gotta me a beauty baby bump. I gotta bun in the oven. I'm procreating. I'm multiplying the Earth. I'm a mommy to be, so on and so forth....you get the picture.

2. I'm back on the blogging tip but I'm not so sure it will be so much about knitting so the little readership I do have might be forced to keep it moving past my site. On the other hand I don't have plans to turn into Mommy and me central up in here either.

3. I haven't explored much of Italy yet but now that I'm feeling better--Venice, Rome, Verona--YOU COMPLETE ME.

4. I might change the site name to "Movie Watching Chick Knits sometimes" because I've got a whole bunch of movie reviews and a whole lot of unfinished knitting/crocheting projects.

5. The whole Bailey family is coming in a little over a week for Christmas.

someday...

I'll be hooked up to my own internet again and will be able to blog and upload pics of my new home as well as some of the projects I've gotten done. In the mean time "Viva Italia!"

Big ol summer bag.

The other thing I got done this past week were all the squares for my big ol summer bag that I want to take to the beach at the end of august. I needed 16 crocheted squares. Here they are.
I just need to sew them together and find someone to sew me a liner for it. I also have not decided what kind of strap I'm going to use. More info. to come later.

Lessons from Mama

I've been on Ravelry a lot lately and I must say that somehow it is motivating me to get my projects done. It may be a couple of things egging me on.

First off I've queued almost 150 projects that I want to knit.

Second, I have the yarn in my stash for several of the projects that I've queued.

Third, I have the book or pattern or pdf for a lot of the patterns I have in my queue with awaiting yarn.

Fourth, with all the other ridiculous stats I see since I've been on Rav. I've only got 16 projects done….and not all of them are DONE. I have a couple hibernating. I have a couple still in progress. That reminds me. The hat isn't done. I ran out of yarn-i have some more in my stash but it's currently in storage waiting for shipment. I'll finish the brim when I can get to my stash but that will only take a minute.

Also, Joy is enjoying her Special K's.

Ok, so anyway, ultimately, the stats don't lie and when I log on and see how out of proportion things are it kinda checks me. I may be itching to cast on a new project but I won't let myself until I see at least one of those WIP's are done first. I might want to buy some more yarn but not until I bust some stash first because honestly, this is ridiculous. (At this point there will be no new yarn buying unless I'm vacation). I don't want to be a SABLE chick. I want to have a small stash. Right now I feel so wasteful. When I was young my mother would say, "There are children in Africa that would kill for…." insert whatever you like in that space- food, toys, clothes. I know ya'll have been there before, sitting at the dinner table for hours pushing around food that you don't like wishing you could reach the Kool-Aid drink that has been sat in the middle of the table out of reach so you don't fill up on drink and not eat.

Wow, sorry forgive me, flashbacks. I digress-- what I’m trying to say is my mom was right. I need to appreciate what I have and not be wasteful. I’m sure there are knitters in Africa who would kill to have my stash—right? (Puh-leez, lets face it, there’s knitters in a America that would stomp a foot in my… ) Anyway, I’m going to use up a large part of this stash---I will! I can!

You guys and Ravelry will help me right.

Special K's done

I can tell you right now, the second legwarmer looks tons better than the first legwarmer. I think it has to do with confidence. I spent much of the 1st legwarmer figuring out the pattern, wondering about the gauge, trying it on constantly…the 2nd one? The second one I just cast on and knit and got it done. All the stitches are a lot neater, it took me less time and I barely tried it on at.
So anyway, I’m not ripping legwarmer number one out so, here they go. Of course I haven’t blocked them yet. These were extra quick to knit so that was cool.
I had planned on making myself some in brown using the same pattern but the other day when I was looking at records at the salvation army I ran across this:
Those legwarmers are hot! Jane even had the hole cut out on the heel. Looks like 1x1 rib for like two inches on either side and then all stockinette. I wonder if I could figure out how to do magic loop for these. Hmmmmm.
You know, I was wondering how effective stash busting really is if you have to buy additional yarn in order to bust the yarn in your stash? This seems to happen to me often actually. I have the brown wool I wanted to knit the original legwarmers out of but I don’t have any mohair/fuzzy yarn and I want my warmers to be a little hazy. And if I decide to knit the Jane Fonda legwarmers I’m going to need a lot more yarn. Dilemma.
Even still, legwarmers aside, sometimes I have to buy an extra skein or some more complimentary yarn when it comes to using yarn in my stash and I can’t help but to chuckle at the irony of buying more yarn to have less yarn.
Anyway, I will cast on for my pair soon but first I want to finish this…

It’s Mellow Moods from the 1st Get Your Crochet On! Crochet is so freaking quick.

Special K legwarmers

A couple of weeks ago I watched breakin’ with some family. It was a nice throw back. Me and my brother were pretty excited to share because we loved the breakin’ movies when we were growing up.
I mean I was all but gonna marry Turbo and Ozone. Anyway, the week after that we watched Beatstreet. My brothers girlfriend is taking breakdancing classes and the movies have been a sort of home work for her. Anyway, what really matters is that special K was layering the legwarmers on like nobody’s business. I was convinced immediately that I needed to make us both at least a pair. So I started hers' the other day from some yarn I had in my stash (STASHBUSTING!!!). Thus far I’ve got like one and a quarter done. They are quick knits…

It’s 1x1 ribbing of Lion Brand Wool-ease yarn held together with some wanna be mohair yarn that my sister gave me. I’m using size 9 double pointed needles. I just kinda ripped the pattern off from looking at legwarmers on ravelry (sorry). Nevertheless, they’re coming out pretty dope…if I don’t say so myself.
On a side note Ozone was wearing a couple of leather vests with zippers and chinese letters on the back. They were pretty dope. I definitely wish chinese letters would come back in style...I'd rock that in a minute without hesitation--heck if I could find them I'd start my own trend regardless...
I'm getting ridiculous w/ the youtube but you gotta check out Jean Claude Van Damme gettin' down in the crowd in breakin'. Yep, that's him in the black spandex unitard. Toooooo funny.

Step 1. Admitting there's a problem

I don't know if you've noticed. I don't know if I've told you all. I don't know if it's been obvious or not.

I have been so out of my element this last….geez forever. I've been out of it for forever at this point…let's not put a time frame on it ok? But really the worse has been these last eight months while my husband has been away in Afghanistan. It's been touch and go ya'll and you could never imagine how much yarn I have acquired in the last eight-ish months alone. It's kind of embarrassing actually. I need to get myself under control. I need accountability. I need to admit I have a problem. I'll start ponying up the goods slowly but you guys have to promise not to judge. I swear it's like I black out and suddenly when I come to, elann or kpixie or knit picks is knocking at my door thanking me for my purchase. Boy does it feel good to get those packages in the mail…

Fiery Phiaro Done

It's been a week or so and I still haven't blocked it and I must admit I wore it out to the new Wegman's because I had on these cute shorts and sandals and the weather was just right and I was feeling it and it didn't look incredibly wrinkled, just cute and sophisticated and I had a little Grace Jones"strange' girl" (pronounced straun*jay) in my strut and....although I can't say that Grace was very cute or sophisticated in that movie but she was working it from the old school "fierce" factory...
Anyway, I love this scarf. It was a pain in the neck to knit toward the end because it was so freaking boring and then you gotta braid all the fringe but it was so worth it when I got to "work it" in my handmade scarf at the grocery store (oh, don't hate). You can check the specifics on Ravelry but I did use 2 and a little bit of the third skein to finish this. I also bound off 10 stitches between every drop 5 group instead of doing and even ratio like the pattern calls for. I like it this way. Surely I'll block it this week

Ebay bay, ebay bay, e bay bay

found some Calmer style yarn – ebay bay

Had a little sale going on- ebay bay

Put it in my stash so I can Hike- ebay bay

Ohhh, you know that price was really right- ebay bay

Eh, e-bay that's my yarn… snap it up!

OHHHHhhhhhhh Snap! That's hot! Let me find out I'm bout to grab a record deal up in here. LOL, sorry, some of that southern rap (here's a singalong-lol) for ya. Feel freet to link to that foolywag material which is the music video if you want. Somebody tell me why Hurricane Chris has those Venus/Serena beads in his hair still? He needs to be pulled over and ticketed.

Anyway, I found some Calmer on ebay (get it-hehe) for cheap the other day-it was a total freak event. I snapped it up and it goes directly in my stash so I can finally knit Hike. Don't know when I'll ever start this top but at least I've got the yarn for it. I actually got it a while back but never posted.

I finished Ay baybays (AKA PeteyPab) summer bag too. As you can figure old gal is about the souff....

I used stash dishcloth cottons and the everlasting bagstopper pattern on Knitty. You can check out specifics on Ravelry. I'm Ninabeena on there. We should be friends.