Music Monday: From Can to Can't

I stumbled across this incredible song about a week or two ago, and I can't get it out of my head. I think there's a short story there, if not more, and its been tempting and teasing me with its lyrics. What about you do you have a song that you find you could use as inspiration for a short story or a novel?

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

All of these people or groups of people help me grow as an individual and help nourish my sense of self:
- My family - my father, mother, brother and I were always very close. They help keep me grounded and stick with me through thick and thin.
- My husband - loves me despite the fact that I continually change and grow and show different sides to who I am , which isn't always necessarily who he first fell in love with.
-My children - They are my reflection. They are my best teachers. They also give me the gift of always remembering to see things through a child's eyes.
- My friends. Some lifelong, others relatively recent. They hold pieces of my past and pieces of my future. Either way, silver or gold, they are continually providing me with new adventures, new insights, and new experiences.
- My education community. Going back to school at this stage in the game was daunting, but I have a group of excellent advisers, professors, and peers who keep me bringing my "A" game to things.

Day Five: Six Things You Wish You Had Never Done

Today's entry puts a line from Frank Sinatra's song in my head, "Regret's I've had a few" from "My Way".  I'm weird like that... I love Sinatra. But I digress, regrets - yes, I've had a few:

6. Follow other people’s dreams for my life instead of my own.
5. Dropped out of college the first time.
4. Held myself in such low-esteem. I often let people and situations get the best of me because I never felt worthy enough.
3. Move to Arizona. Accepted that first date. Stayed put when I knew it wasn’t enough for me.
2. Pretended to be someone I wasn’t. Life is much easier if you just admit who you are and accept and like yourself the way you are.
1. Stayed put while Mom was in her last moments. I should have been there. Someone should have sat with her while she passed.

Honoring the Bard

In honor of William Shakespeare's 450th birthday, here is a list of some of my favorite quotes involving love from his works.

Shakespeare Love Quotes 1: Twelfth Night – Act 1, Scene 1

“If music be the food of love, play on”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 2: Antony & Cleopatra – Act 1, Scene 1

“There’s beggary in love that can be reckoned”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 3: Much Ado About Nothing – Act 2, Scene 1

“Speak low if you speak love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 4: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 1, Scene 2

“The course of true love never did run smooth”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 5: Much Ado About Nothing – Act 3, Scene 2

“Love goes by haps; Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 6: Antony & Cleopatra – Act 5, Scene 5

“The stroke of death is as a lovers pinch, Which hurts and is desired”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 7: Henry VI Part 1 – Act 5, Scene 2

“She’s beautiful, and therefore to be wooed; She is woman, and therefore to be won”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 8: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 1, Scene 1

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 9: The Tempest – Act 3, Scene 1

“Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 10: As You Like It – Act 3, Scene 5

“Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 11: Romeo & Juliet – Act 1, Scene 1

“Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 12: King Lear – Act 1, secene 1

“I love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 13: The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Act 3, Scene 1

“Love is like a child, That longs for everything it can come by”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 14: As You Like It – Act 3, Scene 4

“The sight of lovers feedeth those in love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 15: The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Act 3, Scene 1

“What is light, if Sylvia be not seen? What is joy if Sylvia be not by?”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 16: The Merchant of Venice – Act 2, Scene 6

“Love is blind, and lovers cannot see, The pretty follies that themselves commit”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 17: Twelfth night – Act 3, Scene 1

“Love sought is good, but given unsought is better”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 18: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 3, Scene 3

“Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 19: Romeo & Juliet – Act 2, Scene 6

“Come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy, That one short minute gives me in her sight”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 20: Hamlet – Act 2, Scene 2

“Doubt that the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move his aides, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 21: The Tempest – Act 3, Scene 1

“I would not wish any companion in the world but you”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 22: As You Like It – Act 3, Scene 5

“I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 23: Anotony & Cleopatra – Act 3, Scene 5

“Her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 24: Romeo & Juliet – Act 3, Scene 2

“Lovers can do their amorous rites by their own beauties”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 25: As You Like It – Act 4, Scene 3

“Love hath made thee a tame snake”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 26: Othello – Act 1, Scene 3

“She loved me for the dangers I had passed, And I loved her that she did pity them”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 27: The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Act 1, Scene 3

“Oh, how this spring of love resembleth, The uncertain glory of an April day, Which now shows all beauty of the Sun, And by and by a cloud takes all away”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 28: Much Ado About Nothing – Act 2, Scene 3

“I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 29: As You Like It – Act 3, Scene 5

“Mistress, you know yourself, down on your knees, And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 30: As You Like It – Act 2, Scene 4

“In thy youth wast as true a lover, As ever sighed upon a midnight pillow”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 31: Macbeth – Act 2, Scene 3

“A heart to love, and in that heart, Courage, to make’s love known”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 32: Henry IV Part 2 – Act 3, Scene 2

“For where thou art, there is the world itself, And where thou art not, desolation”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 33: Hamlet – Act 3, Scene 4

“You cannot call it love, for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 34: Much Ado About Nothing – Act 2, Scene 3

“She will die if you love her not, And she will die ere she might make her love known”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 35: As You Like It – Act 4, Scene 1

“Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 36: Cymbeline – Act 3, Scene 4

“Men’s vows are women’s traitors”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 37: Romeo & Juliet – Act 1, Scene 1

“Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 38: The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Act 5, Scene 2

“Love will not be spurred to what it loathes”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 39: Romeo & Juliet – Act 2, Scene 1

“This bud of love by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 40: Love Quotes from Troilus & Cressida – Act 3, Scene 2

“To be wise and love, Exceeds man’s might”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 41: As You Like It – Act 5, Scene 2

“They are in the very wrath of love, and they will go together. Clubs cannot part them”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 42: Othello – Act 4, Scene 2

“His unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 43: Much Ado About Nothing – Act 5, Scene 1

“What a pretty thing man is when he goes in his doublet and hose and leaves off his wit!”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 44: Troilus & Cressida – Act 3, Scene 1

“Is this the generation of love? Hot blood, hot thoughts and hot deeds? Why, they are vipers. Is love a generation of vipers?”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 45: Hamlet – Act 4, Scene 7

“Love is begun by time, And time qualifies the spark and fire of it”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 46: As You Like It – Act 3, Scene 4

“The sight of lovers feedeth those in love”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 47: Othello – Act 3, Scene 3

“Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, but I do love thee, and when I love thee not, chaos is come again”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 48: The Merchant of Venice – Act 2, Scene 6

“Lovers ever run before the clock”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 49: Love Quotes from Othello – Act 4, Scene 3

“I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to Palestine for a touch of his nether lip”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 50: Love Quotes from Henry V – Act 5, Scene 2

“I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say ‘I love you’”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 51: Love Quotes from Henry VI part 3 – Act 3, Scene 2

“I’ll make my heaven in a lady’s lap”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 52: Love Quotes from Henry V – Act 5, Scene 2

“You have witchcraft in your lips”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 53: Love Quotes from Othello – Act 3, Scene 3

“I humbly do beseech of your pardon, For too much loving you”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 54: The Taming of the Shrew – Act 2, Scene 7

“Kiss me, Kate, we shall be married o’Sunday”

Shakespeare Love Quotes 55: Love Quotes from Much Ado About Nothing – Act 1, Scene 1

“I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me”

Day Four: Seven Things That Cross Your Mind A Lot

7. Its 2014. Why haven’t they invented a clothing dryer that can fold clothes yet?
6. If I spend time looking up better ways to manage my time, aren’t I procrastinating and therefore wasting time I was trying to manage?
5. Why are people so quick to judge others all the time? Why do they profess to be one way, yet act out in the exact manner they proclaim to abhor?
4. The effect my hasty words have on the people I love. Whether it is directly or indirectly about the person I am talking to, sometimes I fear I am too harsh, that I hurt without intent. And I hope people know I am sorry.
3. My Family are ever present in my thoughts. I love them and I spend time planning how I best can show them, care for them, and making sure I am helping to meet their needs.
2. My characters. When I am in the midst of writing, my character’s behaviors, actions, attitudes, and feelings flood my mind.
1. My coursework. I’m competitive when it comes to my studies. I obsess over getting everything just right so I can get the best grade possible. I am consumed with it.

Day Three: Eight Ways to Win My Heart

8. Be thoughtful and present enough to know when I need some tangible sign you’re still into me. - Send me flowers once in a while. Bring me home a small present with large personal meaning. Write me a love note. Hug me tight when I need it.
7. Spend time seducing my mind.
6. Kiss me like you’re starving for me.
5. Listen to what I have to say. I don’t want you to pretend you’re interested, or not even be interested at all…actually BE interested.
4. Look at me like I’m the only girl in the room.
3. When I do nice things, tell me that it makes you happy, and that I please you. That’s all I want.
2. Let me be comfortable enough to be myself with you, and not a version of myself that mirrors you.
1. Give me permission to stick my cold feet in between your legs to warm them up on particularly chilly nights.

Day Two: Nine Things About Yourself

9. I am left-handed. The nuns tried to force me to be right handed, but my mother would have none of it.
8. I’m studying to earn my Master’s in English Literature and Creative Writing.
7. My mind goes a million miles an hour, I am constantly reading or writing (See #8).
6. I have an irrational fear of escalators.
5. I lust after custom Kitchen-Aid Mixers. See why here.
4. I’m a sapiosexual being. The body part I find most attractive in another person is their mind. Looks matter not if you can’t seduce me with your mind.
3. Learning to tie rope knots is something that intrigues me right now.
2. I love the pain that comes with getting tattooed or pierced.
1. I am obsessed with men's shoulders. I don't quite know why.

Writing Challenge: Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now

10. Be genuine. Your fake friendliness is incredibly transparent. Being fake shows how little you value people including yourself.
9. Please for the love of god, stop sending me game requests on Facebook.
8. Life is difficult, but it’s also incredible. Don’t let the difficult bits make you bitter.
7. Just because I am a female doesn’t make me less intelligent. I have a brain, and I am going to use it.
6. I love you. No matter what is going on, you can always talk to me.
5. I miss you every moment of everyday. I never imagined not being able to hear your voice would be this incredibly painful. The thought you are in heaven and not here provides me little comfort. I wish I got the chance to see you before you left us.
4. As Elsa from “Frozen” sings… “LET IT GO”
3. I’m going to miss my deadline.
2. You can try to pretend you’re something you’re not, but you and I both know EXACTLY what you are.
1. I still love you with all the madness of my soul.

Monday Mouthful: Ten Day Writing Challenge

I stumbled across this ten day challenge out on the interwebs and thought it would be a good introspective exercise for the next few days. Sometimes, even though I can write thousands of words about my characters, its not so easy to talk about myself. I thought this challenge would push me to be more comfortable talking about myself.

If you are unfamiliar with it, it involves the following blog posts:

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you had never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).
Day Seven: Four turn-offs.
Day Eight: Three turn-ons.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life right now, and why.
Day Ten: One confession.

Thoughtful Tuesday - My Life is A Book

There are two people you'll meet in your life.

One will run a finger down the index of who you are and jump straight to the parts of you that peak their interest.

The other will take his or her time reading through every one of your chapters and maybe fold corners of you that inspired them most.

You will meet these two people; it is a given.

It is the third that you'll never see coming. That one person who not only finishes your sentences, but keeps the book.

Sunday Snippet - Erasing Memories of You

I'm posting something that left my mind wandering the other night for several hours. It could turn into a new novella, full novel, or maybe just an idea that gives birth to a chapter in something I am currently working on. I think it came about partially because I've been analyzing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in my Brit Lit class, and I was up late watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Do you think its ever possible to actually ache for someone so much, that when they remove themselves totally from your life, you want the memories to be gone too?




She threw away everything he ever sent. Well, almost everything. She couldn't seem to get rid of the memories. She wanted to erase them. She wanted every synapse of thought that surrounded or involved him to be permanently gone. She had loved him. She hurt him. And he had hurt her immeasurably. She thought he loved her, but now she knew perhaps he didn't.

He insisted they remain friends so he could console himself with the knowledge she was still breathing, but suddenly he broke that promise and disappeared. Gone. Just like that. No hint that he was done. Just gone as if he never existed. He was out of her life as though she never meant a thing. Despite all promises on both sides all that was left was the day in and day out torturous thoughts. The smarmy phone taunted her. No text. No calls. No goodbye. No closure. An endless stream of waiting, wishing, and hoping he would contact her.

Couldn't she find someone willing to play Dr. Frankenstein and meddle with her mind? She ached for those memories to be erased. She wasn't asking for a lot, just about four months worth of proclamations of love, of shared desires, of feeling as though someone actually understood her.  If Clementine could do it in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, why couldn't she? She would change her name to Lacuna, move somewhere else, and never have to ache again for what would never be.