Let it Snow!

I could hardly believe my eyes when, on Tuesday afternoon, beautiful white flurries began to drift, ever so slowly, down from the sky like tiny Christmas angels. It was not even December, and I hardly live in an extremely snowy place.

But, there they were: little snowflakes falling like the leaves did a few months back. The flakes were tiny as they drifted across my line of vision, slight. They refused to stick together, to gather into snow that I could shovel.

The sky was that lovely shade of blue perfect for snapping a few photos. Cold bit at my gloveless fingers, but my ears were could not have been warmer.

*Note: this is NOT a fur hat! Zero animals were killed to make it. I checked, specifically. I mean, you couldn't pay me a million dollars to wear something made of real fur, no matter how cozy it seemed.*

It was odd luck that allowed me to capture such a decent-looking self portrait (usually, I look horrible).

Somebody was a little too obsessed with my hat, and wanted to murder it at all costs.

That somebody was also a little freaked out by the slippery, icy deck, and insisted on climbing on top of (and sitting on) the little stool on our porch.

Yesterday, too, it snowed, even harder then it had on Tuesday. It wasn't shovelable, either, but several inches are predicted for this weekend...*cheers*

It is SO hard to believe that not even a week ago, I was able to take these sunny-looking, vibrant colored (and totally unedited except for the watermark) photos:

 These dandelions littered a neighboring lawn, still fully intact even as the weather began to turn into bitter, but refreshing, cold.

I love the bokeh on this stop sign. This photo is so vibrant it is hard for me to believe I took it at the end of November.

Even though no one will see the leaf that left this imprint, ever again, it has left a legacy that will last for years.

I found a flower bush, still in bloom, and could not resist picking one of the lovely flowers and holding it up to the setting sun.

Sorry for the length of this post - I had way too many photos to post, as I've hardly posted a single picture through all of November. Also, please vote in the poll at right. And thanks to all of my followers - we're up to 75!

Happy holidays everyone, and I hope that you stay warm and cozy this winter.

Things I've Learned From NaNoWriMo

I've done it.

Take a look at my NaNo badge over in my sidebar --------->

Yes! I have officially written 50,000 words in 30 days (well, actually, 26 days)!

I can't believe that I wrote over 6100 words today. That is an all-time, all-life high.

When I signed up for NaNo, I did not didn't really think I would win. It would be just for fun, just to write.

But here I am, amazed. And even though everything I wrote is going to sound like total crap when I read it over and begin to edit come December, at least I managed to pump out 50k words in one month. Even though my actual story has veered, totally and completely, away from the original idea, I still love every word I have written.

I have learned to push myself. To reach the goals I set. To actually set goals for myself.

I have learned to just write, because you can't edit a blank page. To just write, no matter what, because first drafts never get published anyways - it's the fifth, or fifteenth, or even fiftieth, that do.

I have learned not to write too many contractions (I had to keep reminding myself, as I wrote this post, to write I've instead of I have or can't instead of can not).

If anyone asked me about NaNoWriMo, about deciding whether they should participate in it, I would definitely say yes. Even if you do not don't win, it's an exhilarating experience. It's thirty days and nights of literary abandon. 

Good luck to all fellow WriMos who aren't done yet- you can do it!

Alphabet Thanks

Last year, I made a post on Thanksgiving listing 26 things I was thankful for - one for each letter of the alphabet. This year, I'm going to do it too. If you'd like to, you're welcome to link up:

answers, because questions without them are too confusing
bridges, because they link things together
Christ, because He is my Savior
D300, because my Nikon is the best camera ever
exclamation points, because sometimes you need a little joy
fall, because it had an unexplainable beauty that just is
gardens, because even in the middle of a too-big city, they are the retreat in nature that always calms me down
home, because it's where your heart is
in-between, because it's impossible to be perfect
jokes, because laughter is the best medicine
Kusy, because my dog is just so amazing and so loving
love, because I doubt anyone could exist without it
miscellaneous, because, let's face it, not everything fits into a clear-cut category (and not everything should)
NaNoWriMo, because, even while it can be a pain in the backside, it's fun to just let go and write
open doors, because closed ones are uninviting and often hard to open, even if they do harbor some hidden loveliness
pristine beauty, because we have enough breaths to spare a few
quizzical looks, because they provide amusement (especially when coming from a dog)
running, because it is the kind of freedom only wind streaming in your hair and the rhythmic thuds of your feet on the ground can show you
snow, because winter (and Christmas) would be no fun without it
thunder, because lightning needs a partner in crime
umbrellas, because, young or old, everyone needs to play dress up
very good, because just plain old good doesn't say nearly as much
whimsicality, because sometimes reason can be abandoned
xoxo, because hugs and kisses are better than xylophones ever could be
yellow brick roads, because everyone should go on their own personal trip to Oz
zzzz, because I'm thankful I can sleep, even if it is often cut short by having to wake up for school

What are you thankful for? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Politics

I have never yet met a honest politician who really has the people's best interests at heart.

Correction: I haven't really met many politicians, face to face. But from those about whom I have heard, none are the sort of people I'd trust with governing our country/state/county/city well, equally, and honestly.

Maybe, somewhere, out there, such a politician does exist.

Or maybe not.

Does politics do that to you? Takes an honest person who just wants to better his home, and turns him (or her) into someone who gives pay raises to friends? Someone who lies about themselves to make it seem like they are better citizens and better would-be elected officials? Someone who, during campaign season, blasts ads saying that their opponent is, indeed, a selfish lying stupid fiscally irresponsible dunce (when as a matter of fact each of those terms could be better used to describe that first politician anyways)?

Or is dishonesty what it takes to succeed in the dirty world of politics? If someone who would be willing to lower their own pay as a mayor or other elected official in order to buy better books for poor schools, or to give every family who needs it a substantial meal that is free, would that person just not be elected?

Or, worse, would they be elected, and then turn dishonest, because of the power they hold?

Politics is a frightening world.