Paris: A love letter to my mommy

We have been back from our trip for over a months now and it really hasn't hit me that we went. I went for the very first time when I was 13. That trip was incredible. We went to Rome, Florence, Pisa, Paris and London and saw as much as you can in 10 days. I was more excited to be leaving the country for the first time and being without my parents than actually going to historical sights. I was just grasping history and loving it then so going anywhere with history was great. I remember when I learned about the trip from my 7th grade history teacher. I wanted to go so bad! Paris is where Marie Antoinette was from! London is where Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I were from! I could not believe that my junior high school would take a bunch of 13 and 14 year olds out of our little town. My teacher knew this would be a trip I would want to go on so he made sure I had the info. I took the packet home and told my mom about it, almost like it was a joke because I never thought my mom would let me go! It took her about 1 minute to say yes. I was floored! The trip was not only expensive but it was my first time on an airplane AND out of the country! My mom was actually letting me take this expensive trip out of the country and I would do it without her. For the next several months my mom worked her butt off to send me on the trip of a lifetime! I could never be thankful enough for how much she wanted me to go on this trip and how she made it possible. My mom gave me a bunch of money for the trip, bought me a bunch of disposable cameras (this was before digital cameras and smart phones, I know so long ago!) and even some new clothes. My whole family took me to the airport and sat with me at the gate (this was even pre 9/11 security) and off I went on my very first flight alone! It was AMAZING!!!! The food, the people, the history! Everything! We spent most of our time in Italy then took a train to Paris. Paris is where I found myself and where I left my heart. I couldn't believe that a more wonderful place existed on the planet than Paris. There was so much beauty and grace and class in Paris and it was just so unlike anything I had ever known. The Eiffel Tower really blew my mind. From that day on I was determined to go back there one day and, thanks this time to Scott, I was able to go! It was even more incredible than the last time and this time I was with the love of my life! The first trip I took to Europe was what changed my life forever. I am OBSESSED with history! I am OBSESSED with Paris and I have found so much of myself because of that trip.

This post is 100% for my mom. I fit wasn't for her I would not have left this country. I would not have an insatiable wanderlust for the world. I wouldn't have gone back to Paris. I would not have been able to sit in the seat Hemingway sat in. I would not have bought a book from Shakespeare & Co. I would not have found a love of crepes and macaroons. I would not have a thirst for learning about historical figures and places. I would not be who I am today if she had not given me the opportunity to go. Thank you mommy for being the best mommy in the whole world and loving me with all of your heart. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for you and I want the whole world to know how amazing you are!

In honor of my mom I am going to spend the next couple of days (maybe week or so) posting the pictures from our trip! Today will be the first 2 days. I hope everyone enjoys the change seeing as here won't be a story today just some about me and pics fro my awesome trip!

AirFrance was fantastic!

This was the view from our apartment!

Musée de l'Armée

We had lots of (jet lagged) fun with the Eiffel Tower.

Scott thought it was hilarious to walk in front of my picture of the tower.

One of my favorite pictures!

This pigeon stalked us as we sat by the Seine 

Symbols of Napoleon I were all over the city.

We flew all the way to Paris and stumble upon a kid with a Raiders hat on! Raiders!?!? What the hell?

Pinky out

Scott likes to take pictures of me when I am mid sentence

Can't get enough of it.

Crazy head gear! This stuff was so intricate.

Tiny guns!

These were all hand crafted. How nuts!

The whole museum is filled with military stuff thanks to Napoleon's love of military. 

It has a mustache!

This one too!

A dagger crucifix

Way to go Scott

Napoleon's Tomb!

On the ceiling of Napoleon's Tomb

We stumbled upon a bone cancer race. They went from Denmark to Paris on bikes!

I just could not get enough of this tower!!!!

Well I hope you all enjoyed our first couple of days in Paris!

See ya tomorrow!

I really like my writing lately.

I have been able to think more clearly lately and it has shown (hopefully) in my stories. I  like adventure and finding new places, new species, new explanations for the world through my stories. I have also been journaling more which helps get all the nonsense out of my head and leaves room for creative juices to flow. I haven't been able to have too much time to edit my stories so if you can please give me some feedback on any grammar or spelling I would appreciate that. I may start looking back at some stories and adding more parts to them so if there is anything that stood out to you let me know so I can write more about it! 

I hope everyone has a great day!

25 August 2014

The Inheritance

Dawn sat in a diner contemplating life. She had nothing but she also had everything as she sat and ate her pancakes. As she bit off a piece of maple covered pancake a mysterious woman walked into the diner. The woman looked around for a seat and caught Dawn's gaze. Dawn quickly looked down but not quick enough. Before she knew it, the black clad woman was taking a seat at Dawn's booth and lighting a cigarette.

“Ma'am, you can't smoke in here. Can I get you something to drink?” asked the very annoyed server.

“Just a coffee, black, and an orange juice, large. I will also have two eggs scrambled, bacon and hash browns. Thank you!” with a wink and a smile she took one last drag and put her cigarette out in a napkin, “I really out to quit, you can't smoke these anywhere anymore. Plus they are just not really good for you but what is am I right?”

“I'm sorry but do I know you?” asked Dawn

“No but you looked like you could use someone to talk to. You were just sitting here alone looking... contemplative. Unless you were waiting for someone. Were you waiting for someone?”

“No. No I wasn't. Um, who are you?” more intrigued thank annoyed, Dawn just stared at her brunch mate waiting for an answer.

“Penelope. My name is Penelope. My family always tried to call me Penny but I hated that name. It's so young sounding and I have never really felt young. Go ahead and eat that piece of pancake,” Penelope waited for Dawn to finish her bite before asking her some questions, “So, what are you sitting here thinking about? And what's your name by the way?”

“I'm Dawn and I am just thinking about life,” she said as she chewed her food.

“What is it about life that you are unsure about?” inquired Penelope as she twirled the spoon in her coffee that just arrived.

“I just have so much of it to live now and I don't know where to start,” Dawn wasn't sure she could trust Penelope but something about her made Dawn through caution to the wind, “I don't have any friends because I focused all of my attention on school and a couple weeks ago my parents died in a car crash leaving me with a huge inheritance. I have nothing left now that my family is gone. They taught me everything except how to be alone.”

“so you're smart, you're pretty and now you're alone. What's keeping you here? Why stay in this city if nothing is holding you back?”

“I just... I... I don't know. I don't really know,” proclaimed Dawn.

“Do you have a job? Do you owe anyone money?” quizzed Penelope.

“Nope,”

“Then leave! Explore the world Dawn! Go to London, Paris, Rome, Bali, Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica! Go see the world! Nothing is holding you back anymore so use that brilliant mind of yours and that pretty smile and hop on a plane. Find some handsome European boyfriend, eat weird food, find the meaning to life according to every culture, see everything! If you have as big of an inheritance as you say then get out of this city and use the money your parents gave you to make them proud!” Penelope started to eat her eggs.

Dawn took a deep breath and for a few minutes they sat in silence and finished their food. The server came and gave them their bills before Dawn spoke again, “I guess you're right. My mother always told me about her travels to Paris and how much she loved to fly even though deep down it scared her.”

“Good! Here, take this,” Penelope scribbled down her phone number and address, “send me a postcard of your travels and if you get too lonely just gimme a call. I am more like you than you know and I took the trip you're about to take. My parents died when I was very young and I never got along with the girls my age so I left when I was done with school and I am so glad I did. Makes me appreciate little diners like this one,” Penelope smiled at Dawn, kissed both of her cheeks and said goodbye to her new friend as she sauntered outside to finish her cigarette before flagging down a taxi.

A few months later Penelope her the postman drop mail in the slot by her door. She never gets much mail so she got up to see why so much sounded like it came in. With glee she flipped through postcards from all over the world, describing how much an inheritance can help a lonely girl.

“She really did it!” she sighed as she sipped her Bordeaux and listened to some Frank Sinatra. Suddenly she felt her phone vibrate.

“Hey Penelope! I am going to be in Nice in two weeks then heading off to Spain. I could use some company.” With a wide grin Penelope booked a flight as she talked with her new friend about all her travels.

26 August 2014

The Immortal Girl

Long ago lived a species of human hybrids that lived in the world like everyone else. They were immortal and had a wide range of abilities. Rumors and myths called them blood drinking vampires but that is not what they called themselves. They were just the immortals or gypsies. They did not drink blood and they lived off the land like regular humans. The immortals were undeniably beautiful and the greatest intellectuals alive. Some say it is God's way of preserving the human race and world other's say it is evolution at it's best, either way immortals were the favored beings for hundreds of years. Eventually they fell out of favor and had to live in secrecy. People were afraid of the immortals and found ways to kill them.

Amelia was an immortal only she did not know it. She had always been the pretty girl, the smart girl, the girl with a very young family. She often thought that her family was cursed. No one was old and no one had parents. Everyone was taken care of by siblings or family friends and no one stuck around long. It would soon be Amelia's 25^th birthday, a day that would change her life forever. The morning started out like normal except for the fact that suddenly she had a heightened sense of everything around her. She could feel the room like it was alive, almost as if time had slowed down. Even the faint flutter of a butterfly's wings could be heard outside of her bedroom window. She shook it off thinking she just needed some coffee. She got dressed and peered into the mirror. Amelia had never been a vain person but when she saw herself this time she could not stop staring. She exuded radiance as if it was glowing from her skin. She had perfectly rosy cheeks, her lips were a luscious pinkish red, her eyes were a deeper crystal blue and her hair had never looked so full and shiny. She was so taken a back that it took her a moment to realize that she heard multiple people in her kitchen just then quietly sitting at her table. She lived alone so it must have been her cousin. Amelia took a deep breath and went downstairs. She couldn't help thinking how weird this day was. When she got to her kitchen she saw her cousin Adelaide waiting for her with her husband Max. They had coffee and breakfast for her and it looked incredible.

“Good morning Amelia! Happy birthday! Come sit down. We need to talk,” it's never good when people 'need' to talk so Amelia grabbed a coffee and a bagel and sat to listen to Adelaide.

“Good morning guys. Is this all for me?” asked Amelia.

“Of course! Today is a very special day! So where do we begin?” Adelaide looked at Amelia with a more joyous look than she should, “You are a very special girl and today is a very special day.”

“Okay...” Amelia really wanted to stand up and demand what was going on but Max and Adelaide looked so excited she waited.

“Amelia, there is something we never told you. You see we are all special. There are things now that you are going to learn since you are 25 that have been kept secret and I guess we should just get to it. Amelia, you are immortal and we aren't your cousins,” proclaimed Adelaide.

“That is hilarious guys! What is really going on?” laughed Amelia.

“Did you notice anything... weird or different this morning?” inquired Max. As a matter of fact she had, “Did you look at yourself this morning?”

“What is going on?” Amelia could now hear her heart racing and she could feel the warmth coming form everyone's bodies, “Yes, I did. I look... different, better maybe? And I can feel and sense everything!”

“That was how your mother felt when she awoke on her 25^th birthday as well,” responded Max.

“My mother?”

“Yes. I felt like the whole world was electric!” exclaimed Adelaide.

“Wait... you... my mother...” BAM Amelia passed out.

“I think we told her too much too fast. She is a sensitive like me dear.” said Adelaide to Max as he calmly lifted Amelia up and took her to the couch.

After a few minutes Amelia woke up, “Is this for real?” she asked without skipping a beat.

“Yes. We used to be out in the open but fear put us in hiding. We couldn't tell you we were your parents because we never age past our rebirth age. You will notice now that you won't get sick. You will never get a disease or a virus. You will never worry about cancer or other things that kill people easily. You still need to be careful. You can't go around being reckless because you don't injure and then the government will take you away. We die if we do not have sun and nourishment but it takes many agonizing months. We are immortal but there is a catch,” explained Adelaide.

“Of course there is a catch,” huffed Amelia.

“We are all mortal, even us immortals, until our first kiss. Immortals were not meant to be alone. You have a mate out there somewhere. Once you see him you both will feel a searing hot pain in your left wrist and a symbol of your love will appear on both of your wrists. As soon as you lock eyes with your mate this will happen. We are given a year to find our mate or we stop being immortal ad begin to age rapidly. You must kiss your mate within that year to seal both of your immortality,” explained Adelaide.

“Yesterday I was just a girl. Today I am immortal, I feel everything and I have to find someone in this giant world that I can imprint on and stay alive with?”

“Essentially yes but you also will get to refine your senses! You have an ability now that you get to figure out!” proclaimed Max, “For me it is strength. I broke everything the first couple months I was immortal. Your sweet mother helped me figure out how to be more delicate.”

“And I can absorb emotions, even influence them a bit. I can also sense everything around me which helps me know where everything and everyone is,” explained Adelaide.

“So what now? I woke up and my world is totally different, I mean hell, last night I didn't have parents now I do so what now? What is next?”

“Nothing honey! It is your birthday and you need to eat!” said Adelaide with a giant smile.

“What about my first kiss?” asked Amelia.

“Lucky for you the monthly meeting is next week and this is the big meeting. Usually mates are formed from the same regions. Many families live near us but this monthly meeting is also the big yearly gala. Everyone will be there and you will certainly meet your mate! All the newborns are introduced at each meeting so just look everyone in the eye. It won't be too difficult to catch someone's eye with how beautiful you are,” smile Adelaide.

Amelia was only slightly disturbed by all of this new information. She always felt different and now she knew why. She fell asleep the night before just a normal 24 year old girl and woke up an immortal with a mission to find herself and find her mate. She had parents and family and people like her but right now all she cared about was her coffee and learning more about the history of her people from the parents she never knew she had.  

I knew I forgot something!

I forgot to post last night but I was having such a good time with Robbi and +Nikki that I just lost track of my priorities! Happy birthday to Nikki, my sister from another mister. It is very nice to have you in town this week! 

I hope everyone had a good Monday. This week has already been too long for me but it will get better! See you all tomorrow!

23 August 2014

The Lady At the Gas Pump

Suzy Mallard was a hot mess,

Suzy Mallard wore a pink dress.

She filled up her car with fuel,

It was electric if only she knew.

She left the station and turned on the wipers,

Out poured gasoline like a hiss from a viper.

A smoker ahead flicked out her cig,

It hit her car and blew up like a big rig.

Up in flames went poor old Suzy,

And certainly the sight was quite a dozy.

24 August 2014

My Pillow

I laid my head down on the pillow and let the counting sheep put me to rest. As my eye lids held steadily closed my dreams began to fester in my mind. I gathered them and collected them in my subconscious to forget at my will. I awoke feeling rested and let the counting sheep take their turn to nap. I grabbed my pillow and shook it out to lay it down for a prettily made bed. As I shook my pillow all my dreams tumbled out. Mingling and tangling, they tumbled from my pillow fortress. My nightmares mixing with my hopes. My visions for my future combine with my memories of the past, morphing together in a pseudo present as I snore the night away. Dancing together on my bed, my dreams seem to coexist in a perpetual plane of reality and not. I saunter between insanity and rationality wondering if what I see could be my life. In fear of losing my dreams I scoop them up into my arms and cradle them close to my heart where they originated. I place them back into the pillow where the sheep can keep them safe. I pat my pillow filled with my illusions and wish them all some peace as I go about my day. 

Racing day and game day?

At least we are still in preseason or I would be very upset to miss the Broncos. But alas my husband is more important than a bunch of football players so today we race! Not much is new in life yet but hopefully soon that will all change. Christian leaves in a couple of weeks and that will be weird but life has to go on. We all grow up and choose our paths in life and sometimes those paths take us to far off places. As for me, I am content in my happy home in Colorado.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will see you all Monday!

21 August 2014

The Time Keeper

Deep in a heavily wooded forest was a cave. The cave was beautifully scary with ivy growing all around it. The ivy was dotted with tiny deep purple flowers but it led to an entrance that was black as night. Even the animals stayed away from the cave. Folklore told a tale of the Time Keeper, the being that took any form you imagined when you walk in the cave. The Time Keeper bargained with people but always for a price. Time was valuable. You cannot be given time without giving time but many are all too desperate to get back a slice of their time back. Rose was one of those desperate souls. Her heart was always missing something, words she had not said lead to moments she never got with the one she loved. If only she had stopped to tell him she loved him then he would not have gotten on that ship and died at sea. Rose traveled many miles, beyond the great plains and trekking over the great mountains until she reached the edge of the forest. With a deep breath she slowly walked into the Time Keeper's cave.

“Hello? Time Keeper? Please I need your help,” whispered Rose as she walked through the dark, cool cave.

“My sweet, lovely child! Time is what you are here for and time is what I have for you but you cannot walk away with the time I give you alone. You must pay me you pretty thing,” spoke the Time Keeper. Appearing as the most beautiful woman Rose has ever seen", she had long, blonde hair that flowed all the way to the ground. Her eyes were as green as the Irish countryside. Her skin was as pale as the moon and her dress was a light, glittering blue as if the sky had dressed her itself. She made Rose feel so welcomed and comfortable with her glowing gaze and honeyed voice, “Darling dear, are you now prepared to tell me what you need from me and pay the price for your prize?”

“I just need one minute. Just one. I did not stop him. I needed to tell him I love him. He needed to hear him say those words and I didn't say them. I was afraid, I was worried he wouldn't reciprocate. I let him leave and the last look he gave me told me I was wrong for not saying anything but goodbye. He died and I could have saved him. Please, I just need that minute back to tell him,” begged Rose.

“You poor thing. A love lost is always a hard thing to hold onto. You see time back for losing your love has the heaviest price,” hummed the Time Keeper. With a flick of her hand she produced a locket in the shape of a heart. It was a beating heart that thudded as if it were fresh from a chest, “Take this precious one and go back to where you last saw your love. Whisper his name into this locket until it turns bright red and he will come to you. Just remember you pay for time with time and time taken for a lost love requires more from you. Do you still want this?”

Rose took a minute to think but she knew she had to at least tell him she loved him. She shook her head yes and held out her hands for the locket, “thank you Time Keeper.”

“Go my darling and find your love,” the Time Keeper disappeared and Rose was alone in the cave. Immediately she took off for the long journey to the sea where her love left. She pulled out the locket from around her neck and whispered his name into it.

“Lucas. Lucas. Lucas. Lucas. Lucas...” on the fifth one she heard a sound in the water. Suddenly there was a gasp for air and he was there, pulling himself up to his feet and onto the shore, “Lucas! You're here! It worked!” She ran up to him and embraced him.

“Rose! How am I here? I was sure I was dead but I was pulled away and brought back here,” he said in amazement.

“That is no matter. I love you Lucas. I have always loved you and I should have stopped you and said it to keep you here so you wouldn't die but you are here now! My love, my sweet Lucas,” Rose could not believe her eyes.

“Oh Rose, I...uh... I don't know what to say. Thank you, Rose but I do not love you,” he stuttered.

“But that day, you looked at me. You looked like you wanted to stay,” Rose was hurt and confused.

“I was looking at everyone. I should have told you I wanted to go home. There was a girl back home that my parents had introduced to me through letters. I fell in love with her and was going home to marry her. I looked at you and everything around you because I was going to miss this temporary life I had made here. I am so sorry Rose,” he apologized to her and kissed her on the forehead, “I am sorry Rose. Thank you for being here, I should go.”

Rose was shattered. Her heart was absolutely broken. She looked at the locket and it was completely black now. She cried on the beach for hours before she realized that she was getting weak. She decided to return to the Time Keeper's cave.

“Time Keeper, what is happening to me?” she cried out.

“My sweet darling, it did not work did it?” whispered the Time Keeper, “Child you pay with time from your life. With time given for love if you do not get your love back and your heart is broken then your payment comes quicker. My sweet child your heart is weakening by the second.”

“I loved him so much and he did not love me. I gave him my heart and now I have lost everything,” cried Rose as the Time Keeper cradled her weakening body.

“You must pay for your time my dear, I am so sorry,” with that Rose was gone and so was the Time Keeper. All that was left was Rose's lone body still clutching the locket of her unrequited love. Eventually she turned to ash, joining the ashes of previous unloved souls in the Time Keeper's cave.

22 August 2014

The Not So Ordinary Day

It was never going to be an ordinary day. Jill woke up and the everything seemed different. The sun was brighter, her vision was clearer, she could smell the dogs outside and the cars outside seemed louder. Besides a splitting headache, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Jill stood up, shook it off and hopped in the shower. Even the shower wasn't as usual. She could not get the temperature to be the exact level of warm. After she was up and ready, Jill sat at her table drinking her coffee when she heard a noise behind her.

“We picked you to be different and you are just going to sit here drinking coffee?” exclaimed a man's voice from behind her.

“How the hell did you get inside of my house?” yelled Jill as she jumped up from the table, grabbing her coffee with lightening speed before it could spill.

“Calm down. I am not here to help you. You have always showed potential to be better and so we decided to give you the abilities to be better. We ask that you use this for good. You see we have done this for others and they tried to be good but a darkness in all of us got the better of them. We have been vetting you for quite some time and have faith that you are a person of good virtue,” explained the man.

“What are you talking about? Who are you? Who decided to 'give' me abilities?” Jill was so confused. She knew the day was different than usual but this was just crazy.

“We, the people in charge of that decision, gave you the abilities. You will notice some slight differences over the next couple days but you will grasp them and once you do you must go out in the world and find people who need help. Little help, big help, help of any kind. We need to bring some goodness to the world and you get to do that. Now I have explained as much as I am allowed and you must figure this out on your own. Good luck and please don't disappoint us or we will have to eliminate you.”

Jill was about to say more but the man was gone. He hadn't left out the door, Jill would have heard that. She sat there for a minute contemplating what her life meant now and deciding whether or not this was a joke. She sipped her coffee and suddenly felt a smack on her head.

“I said get to it!”

Today was a great day!

It started out crappy, I had lots of anxiety but I ended up doing the ALS ice bucket challenge with +Nakita and then walked through Clement Park for some Nella's. I am donating to the ALS foundation not just doing the challenge and I encourage everyone to donate as well! It is for a good cause seeing as ALS is a horrible disease that affects many.

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day and a shout out to my mom who has been really busy but I love her and look up to her for working so hard.

19 August 2014

The Frog and The Pigeon

Pigeon lived in a big city and was finding the noise and smells just a little overwhelming. He decided to venture outside of the city to find some comfort in the quiet outdoors. As pigeon flew about, he spotted a cozy little pond in the heart of the woods.

“This place is so beautiful! So much nicer than the loud, busy city,” announced pigeon as he strutted around the pond.

“It's not as nice as you'd think. I would rather live a busy life than this mundane life,” croaked the nearby frog.

Pigeon was taken a back by this. How could any creature not be happy in this fairytale land of green scenery and tweeting birds. Pigeon could even hear a magical sounding waterfall in the background. The woods were such a wondrous place for all animals to live, at least that is how pigeon felt.

“But frog, you are sitting on a lily pad throne, surrounded by flowers in a pod of refreshingly cool water! What is wrong with this perfect place?” inquired pigeon.

“It is so dull and boring here. There are no noises, just silence with the occasional hum of bug or a bird. There is nothing to do,” grunted the frog.

“You should go to my city. It is extremely noisy. People yell at each other, horns honk, sirens blare and the stench is unbearable! It smells like all the wort things rolled up into one. This nook of the woods is serene in comparison,” explained the now disgruntled pigeon.

“Well aren't you so lucky,” puffed the frog as he jumped away, leaving the pigeon alone.

Pigeon was quite alright with that. Frog was a downer and made the beautiful surrounding. Pigeon was happy in the green, mossy woods he landed in. He didn't care what frog said, he had found himself a new home. Pigeon was complete with his new home and potential for new friends.

20 August 2014

What Would You Attempt To Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?

A class full of 5 year olds, perky and ready for the world, were asked, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” The children were wide eyed and eager to answer.

“I would fly high in the sky!”

“I would go to the sun!”

“I would buy all the candy and share it with my friends!”

“I would build the tallest, biggest building for all my friends to live in!”

“I would take my family to our favorite forest for all the camping we could want!”

The children had so many dreams and hopes for lands and places far beyond what they could comprehend. They had joyful aspirations of things they wished to grasped. The question was then asked to a group of 14 year olds. The outcome was much sadder.

“If I could do anything without fail I would go back to a happier time.”

“I would skip school and write all day and not get in trouble.”

“I would make my parents love each other again.”

“I would stop all of the bullies from calling me fat.”

“I would disappear so no one could hurt me again.”

Children, hopeful and full of life, they view the world as place of amazement. They traverse the planet full of sacred wonder. Day by day they become jaded in life and grow into adults who know the world and it's pain rather than it's light. Inside all of us is the 5 year old still, stuck behind sadness and knowledge just waiting to get out.

In many ways we ponder this great Earth...

and we see so many things. Good things, bad things, sad things. Right now there is so much conflict in the world. Every country has something awful going on, some more than others.We get so caught up in the news reporting horrible offenses to the human spirit. I am often burdened with all that I hear and see that I fail to see the life around me. Life may not seem so great but it really is. It really is worth appreciating and it is time that we start appreciating all that we do have before we no longer have it. I hope everyone is having a great day and a great start to the week and don't forget, look around and smell the roses!

17 August 2014

The Ride

Mark didn't let on that he was scared but the feeling of his stomach in his throat was a stiff reminder for him. He swallowed hard and clutched his hands. He could feel the sweat building up in his palms as he closed his eyes and tried to remain calm. He could feel a cool breeze whipping about his face but he was hot as a summer's eve. The wait was only a couple minutes but to Mark it seemed like an eternity. Butterflies were building in his stomach and his throat was tight, just then he heard the click. Click click click shhhhh. The ride was off! The coaster went down the first hill, took a loop and shot up a final hill. Mark screamed with excitement as the fear left his body and left only adrenaline. Then another click click click shhhhh and off they went but this time backwards. The frightened wait was worth it as he ran down the stairs to get in line for another coaster. Adrenaline pumping through his system and pulsing in his veins. Mark had found his new thrill out of a dreadful fright.

18 August 2014

Jane Doe

What does that mean? I am laying here in the forest, my beloved forest, covered in dirt and leaves as police prod around me. They will take me to the county coroner, clean me up, perform an autopsy and look for me in missing persons. My parents will eventually be notified to come see me and identify me as Diane Hampton, their tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, slender daughter with every ambition in the world. For now I am just Jane Doe. It's kind of peaceful being here watching life revolve around me. There are lots of flashing lights and so much movement but I hear nothing, I feel nothing, I sense nothing but quiet silence. My last moments were horrible but where I was laid to rest is now morbidly beautiful. My body tells a tale of someone trying to destroy me but I fought back. The police will find my neighbors skin and blood under my nails. All the evidence is there and with time, my killer will be caught. Jane Doe. Never in my life have I been so anonymous. I was always popular and well liked but now I am just a body of a teenage girl. I remember life being so full of wondrous things. I could reach every height, all my goals could be accomplished, nothing was impossible until I was named Jane Doe. Everything is extremely clinical from where I lay now. The police aren't looking at a girl, they are looking at a scene. They'll go home and drink away what they saw today but me, I will sit here and ponder my Jane Doe status until I am properly laid to rest and find peace. I never thought life could be so short, so evil, I never thought everything could go so wrong but it did. I am Jane Doe and here I lay, murdered by my friendly neighbor, my favorite dress is torn to pieces but I am in the most beautiful forest. Diane Hampton is now dead and I am Jane Doe.