Inspiration Walk

Every once in a while I run out of steam. I can't push myself to sit at the computer and type out the words that I know I should. And then the cycle of punishment begins. I nag at myself and belittle the things that I think. Nothing good can come of it.

So I take an inspiration walk. I just get out and look at the world. I try to see new meaning in the things around me in the hopes that it will spark the well that has run dry.

A few rainy days ago, we had a sun-filled one, and I took the camera with me to capture what I saw. If you find the gloom getting to you, hopefully these pictures can serve as an inspiration for something. Faux sunshine from you computer screen.

You can find the whole album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/goblinmarket82/InspirationWalk

Columbia River Gorge

I'm doing a couple of sunny weather posts today in order to counteract the gloomy weather.

A few weeks ago, when the sun first came peeking out, I decided to take the day and go for a drive up the Gorge. It was still chilly out, and the leaves on most of the trees were slowly peeking their little buds out to test the air.

I pulled off at the Portland Women's Forum State Park Viewpoint, also known as Chanticleer Point. Feeling brave, I grabbed my bag of essentials (books, journal, pens, water) and marched on through the gates down the overgrown dirt road. Not knowing where it would lead me, I wasn't even sure if it was part of the park (there was no sign regarding trespassing), I wandered along until I found a bend in the road that overlooked the highway and the river. It was peaceful, and the birds were making their little bird noises as they welcomed the first warm day of spring.

I sat for quite a while in the breeze, writing and reading on a blanket I had spread out on the grassy edge of a dormant blackberry patch. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like heavy footsteps. I sat up at attention, not knowing what would come traipsing around the bend of the road. It got closer and closer, until I could see the outline of what looked like a very tall person walking with long strides. I sat still and waited. What came around the bend was a young girl on a chestnut brown horse. She was startled to see me, but not as startled as I was. It was not what I expected.

A line of nearly ten horses and their riders quietly and softly walked by me. I know enough about horses that if you are on the ground you shouldn't make any sudden moves, so I sat very still and waited for them to pass, smiling at the riders.

I didn't want to stick around until they came back on their way out, so I packed up my blanket and things and headed back up the hill to my car. I drove a little further to the Crown Point overlook and took a few more pictures.

Inside the Crown Point Vista House.

Wool spinning demonstration.

The view from the balcony of the Crown Point Vista House.

My Exciting News!

I am going to be published!
Words can't even begin to describe how excited I am right now. This has given me the energy boost I needed to finish up work on a few of my projects. If you are interested in buying a copy of the book my story will be in, the website is here: http://patchworkpath.com/index_files/ppdb09.htm

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog.

Wordstock: Happening This Weekend

Hey there all you book lovers! Wordstock is happening this weekend, so if you have some spare time you should swing by. I'll be volunteering on Sunday as a stage assistant, and I can't wait!

If you've never heard of Wordstock, let me just tell you it's the finest collection of events centered around books, writing, and authors this side of the Mississippi, as far as I know.

Happening at the Oregon Convention Center, for more information check out:

http://www.wordstockfestival.com

I'll write more about my experience later, so check back!

Read It, Love It

I finished reading Tony Vigorito's Just a Couple of Days about a week ago. It's taken me that long to really digest all of the things it made me contemplate. The overall theme is one that I think is especially timely: when you strip away society and the modes of definition, we are all the same.

Using a slightly frightening tale of bio-warfare gone terribly wrong, Vigorito demonstrates what life would become without the use of words. Instead of being a post-apocalyptic nightmare, it twists and delivers a smack to the human race that is desperately needed. Without words to communicate, humans evolve to a level of understanding and unity that we otherwise would not be able to achieve.

Is it plausible? Probably not, but it drives one to think that maybe something of this nature happening would drive us as a species to accept the fact that we are not so different from one another. The main thing separating us is lack of understanding. If you could clearly communicate your message to everyone else on the planet without having to worry about language or tone or misunderstanding, think of the things that could be accomplished.

The prose flows forth in a beautiful symphony of description and narrative, and there is a lot of irony contained in this story. Overall a great read with short scenes making it great for bedtime reading (you can quickly end a chapter as soon as you start to feel sleepy). A must read if you like fantastical what-ifs.

Another Thing You Should Read: 2nd Installment

Today I learned something disturbing. Let's just say that first you think you know somebody. Then you realize you have no freaking clue about anything. And on that note, I'm going to recommend that you read Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl.

Yeah, it was a best-seller. What of it? Anyway, it has a great mystery driving the whole plot forward, and it's definitely one that you won't want to put down. When you're reading it, you'll feel like you entered high school all over again. Only this time you're that freakishly smart kid that intimidated everyone with your crazy wacked-out knowledge. This same smart freak is accepted into the famous clique and hijinks ensue. Then someone dies. And things get really complicated really fast.

It just goes to show, you never really know someone.

What You Should Be Reading: Installment 1

If you're like me, then you like a good book. If you're not like me, well then, you still might like a good book even if you can't appreciate men in bunny suits running through the Laurelhurst Park (true story). Lord knows it's a difficult process finding a decent book these days. With all the chick lit, sci-fi, and cardboard cut out books out there (ok, they have their places) sometimes you just want a good bit of literature to sink your teeth into. Something that challenges your thinking, makes you wonder a little bit, draws a little bit more of your soul out into the world. For that, there's this: What You Should Be Reading. I read a lot of books, so if you're looking to find some recommendations, this is the spot. Likewise, if you have a book you would like to recommend, please do so.

I have a certain number of prerequisites when looking for a book. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Book must not be classified as a romance novel. That's not to say it can't have a love story intertwined, but I have to say I get really bored with stories that are just plain about a romance. I mean, boy meets girl, girl meets boy, blah, blah, blah. We've all heard it, seen it, and read it, so lets move on!

2. Book must not be solely about family drama. Again, it could have some family drama woven in, but I think we've all seen The Family Stone. Boring. Not to mention all the personal family drama we all deal with on a daily basis. If it stresses me out in real life, I sure as hell don't want to stress about it in my reading life.

3. The title must grab my attention. And by grab I mean attach and not let go.

4. Book must have an interesting underlying theme. Ok, this one isn't a rule so much as a suggestion. I just love when a book has something unusual about it, some extra quirk that draws me in.

And that's it. Fairly simple really.

Today I will discuss a recent find on a trip to Powells (I often go just to wander, smell the pages). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon jumped out at me from the shelf. Well, not literally. But the bright orange cover did, as did the title, and we all know the title says a lot about a book.

It seemed a huge task, to write a book about a young man with autism investigating the murder of a neighbor's dog. When I started to read, it took me a few pages to realize that the protagonist had a form of autism, and I was surprised that someone would take that on. Now I must say his story is told with sensitivity and humor, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. My eyes were opened to the reality of autism; something I did not understand before.

It was a pretty fast read, and it challenged my thinking. So if you're in the market for a good book, check it out.