Something Creative

This week, for my class, I am supposed to keep a log of how much I write everyday. I thought that, as part of that writing time, I could write one new thing on my blog each day for the entire week. (I think what will be difficult about this assignment is making time to write, as I now work nine and a half hour days. . . It'll be hard, but as my dad says, dadgum, it'll teach me discipline!:) So here is Day 1:

The royal little terror looked like a black, phantom rabbit as it bounded in and out of snow drifts while the last bits of lavender twilight slowly faded. The treeline beyond the jumping miniature fox stood as a guard against all other unknown mysteries; but this one had escaped. Unfortunately, I was a sure target. Every other living creature was nestled in snow-muffled caverns of comfort, or in glowing-windowed houses of ignorance, but here I was, running for my life in knee-deep mounds of cold.

I could hear the creature getting closer as I bumbled through the drifts. It's rapid panting made my eyes twitch, and though small, it produced a rumbling growl that hit the gear-shift of my already-flying legs. How was it possible that I was hurtling over the snow, yet it was gaining?

I felt a tug on my left pant leg, heard a snarl, and then another tug. I decided to sneak a glance behind me to gauge my inches ahead of it. Just as I was turning my head, I felt a sharp pinch on the back of my thigh. As I tried to pull away, my foot slipped under the powder and I hit the ground with a muffled thud.

Under other circumstances, I might have had a pleasant landing, but as it was, all I thought about was shielding my head and curling up in a ball. The phantom dug at my head and arms, trying to reach my face. I squeezed my eyes tightly and waited for the first blow. I could feel it sniffing at the hole underneath my elbows when suddenly . . .

"Eww! Jezzy, you just licked up my nose!"

As I tore my arms away from my head and tried to wipe up the damage, the little skipperke dog stood on my chest in triumph.

Sparrow

I have not had time to write recently (and when I say write, I mean write as a form of art, rather than just thinking on paper), but today, in rummaging through my thumb drive in search of my resume, I found this little blurb that I wrote during the summer of 2008. I believe the principles therein still hold true, and I thought they might be worth sharing. (Also, I normally like to add a picture to my posts (no matter how terrible the resolution is) because I think it adds depth to my meaning, but I don't have one of a sparrow, and I have to go to work in about five minutes.)

Out my window, I have a view of a few rolling hills with fields of round, freshly cut hay bales, thick patches of trees, and an occasional cow. I love to sit and ponder upon the mysteries of life from my perch beside this window, and I have discovered many simple truths in this position. Part of my view also consists of the roof of my house. I used to regret this obscurity, considering that my view would be much more inspiring without it, but have since found that it too, has its own objects of enlightenment.

Where that gable meets my wall is a small nook, perfect for a handful of sparrows to make their home. I have had occasion to observe the birth, growth, and maturity of many a sparrow, my favorite part being when the babies learn to fly. They start out tentatively at first, tending to short distances, yet they learn so quickly! Within days, they flitter about as if they had always been flying. My little sister, Rosamund (6), and I have named one of those babies, Gus. He is chubby, with a black stripe across his beak, and a bold, ebony badge on his breast.

In my times of doldrums, I am drawn to this seat of edification, and almost every time, I am uplifted by a sparrow that unknowingly has come to keep me company. I stand in awe that the tender mercies of the Lord often come in the most simple of forms, and I think if we were to look around more frequently, we could be uplifted every moment, finding no need for despair or confusion at any time, because God is always there.

New Year's: Look Not behind Thee

Good Thoughts

The following are words and sources of inspiration that have influenced me this past week. They have not inspired collectively, but each one individually has encouraged me to be better, to change my thoughts, better my actions, and improve my life.

1. "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind. " --Henry William James

2. "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people stay for awhile, and give us a deeper understanding of what is truly important in this life. They touch our souls. We gain strength from the footprints they have left on our hearts and we will never be the same." --Flavia

3. A Sure Way to a Happy Day

Happiness is something we create in our mind,
It's not something you search for and so seldom find--
It's just waking up and beginning the day,
By counting our blessings and kneeling to pray--
It's giving up thoughts that breed discontent
And accepting what comes as a "gift heaven sent"--
It's giving up wishing for things we have not
And making the best of whatever we've got--
It's knowing that life is determined for us,
And pursuing our tasks without fret, fume or fuss--
For it's by completing what God gives us to do
That we find real contentment and happiness too!

--Helen Steiner Rice