Winter Girl in a Summer World

So today's the last day to enter Olivia's contest "Words for Snow," and I decided to enter. The entry can be just about any genre of art, as long as it has something to do about winter. I've written a short story (very short), which I'm going to enter (about 400 words). I call it:

Winter Girl in a Summer World

copyright Melody 2010

Closing her eyes, she could practically smell the cold, crisp iciness of a winter wind. The taste of snowflakes melting like some delicate crisp candy on her tongue was almost tangible; it could only be described as pure crystal. She could almost feel the delightfully soft and crunchy texture of snow between her fingers, reddening her skin and tingling her all the way down to her toes. The purity of the world shone bright in her mind's eye -- ground washed white in a splendor of snowflakes and healed from the burning, harsh flame of fall and the withering overwhelming heat of summer.

Summer.

The word sat in her mouth, waiting for her to embrace it like all others did. But she refused, spitting it out like a rotten apple. Why did her thoughts always have to go back to this? For that matter, why did the world always have to go back to this? Her pale face puckered into a deep grimace, and she opened her ice-blue eyes.

The scene stretched out verdant and brilliant before her, the epitome of a perfect summer's day. The sky hung sultry and sapphire over the brilliant mass of green trees, the mirrored blue of the lake, and the jeweled heads of flowers all shades of the rainbow. Everything was bright, beautiful and lush.

But not to her.

She felt the hate welling up in her again in her. It was so strong she almost sank under the weight of it. All this color, all this noise and rush and heat was too much for her. It hurt her eyes just to look at it. If only she could wish this all away -- make it always winter.

Someone had once asked her why she hated summer so much. "There has to be some kind of explanation for it - I mean nobody hates summer."

She hadn't been able to give a good explanation to the person, not one they would accept, anyways. She tried describing the delights of winter - the sights, smells and sounds that entranced her senses. Or even detailing the dreadfulness of summer - how hot, dreary, loud, and busy it was. But she was greeted only with puzzled looks and blank stares.

The dark-haired girl looked again out into the vivid green. She would never belong in this bright world with its crazy colors, noisy bugs and birds, and myriad of smells to overwhelm the senses. Only when it faded into the soft, dreamy shades of winter was she truly happy.

Her face reflected the creamy white and the pale icy blue of her favorite season... and she closed her eyes. 

(all rights reserved, please do not copy without permission)

A Story Unfolding

What with Christmas and New Year's, college break and travel plans, friends to see and relatives to remember, I have been busy as all get out.

But somewhere, in the midst of it all, inspiration's spark has been flaming brightly. I am writing as never before... stories, poems, you name it. I very much want to share my work with you all, but I don't want to jeopardize whatever future publishing ability/rights I may have.

However, I have come up with a solution. I will post small excerpts on my blog, and if you would like to read more (which I would love if you did!), you can simply email me (under "Contact Me" up in the header) and I shall send you the link for the story or work-in-progress in a google doc.

I wrote this beginning some time ago, about the time where I was involved a car accident (no one was hurt or anything, thankfully). The idea and memories took a hold of me so powerfully that I had to get it down. Only recently have I looked at it, and picked up my pen again.

You never expect it to happen. Things come up, life continues on, and yet you never expect it to happen.

It was a Monday, the day Yvette and I go to our piano class. I was thinking about my upcoming job interview, and the Bible Study we had that night. I don’t know what she was thinking about. It was silent in the car, but a companionable silence. I remember that she had a slight smile on her face, though her eyes were locked dead ahead as she drove. I looked out the window at the green trees, feeling the slight summer breeze that blew through the space at the top. It was a typical day.

You never expect an accident to happen. You never plan it into your day like you would any other thing: “Dentist Appointment at 2:00 on Wednesday, go to grocery store on Friday, have a car accident Monday at 11:00.” No.

If we knew everything that happened in our day, would we even want to begin? I think not.

Certainly, if I had known about the accident when I woke up that morning, I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed with a smile on my face and excitement in my heart. I wouldn’t have planned how Katie and I would do a sleepover that Friday, and how I was going to finally sit down and paint the roses that were wilting on my windowsill. I don’t know what I would have done had I known. Perhaps I would have just killed myself then and there.

The car hit us dead on. I can see it in my mind, clear as day, coming closer and closer and closer. I remember noting that it was a Honda Civic: sleek, classy, bright red. The person was trying to pass a slowpoke in front of them, and misjudged the distance. My sister tried to swerve, tried to scream, tried to do something to save us. And she almost succeeded. She saved me.
copyright Melody 2010

This is my current inspiration, the story that is gripping me heart and soul. I am not sure yet how it shall unfold, but it is taking shape, oh so slowly.

So, feel free to email me if you'd like to come along for the ride. But I warn you... it's not a smooth one.

Three Things

Number One:

Some of you may know my friend "Robin" from her guest post on my blog. Well, she has now officially entered the blog world as Edith, with her own photography blog titled "Observatory of the Quotidian."I highly recommend that you check it out - her photos are beautiful, her words are well-crafted, and she tells a story like no one else. 




Number Two:

It is of utmost importance that I direct your attention to this post. On it, you will find the most hilarious photos of yours truly, which in my opinion are not something you want to miss. ;)

Number Three:

I would like to have some new "blogolutions" for this year, and I would like your feedback! (This is what I wrote for them last year.) What about my blog would you like to see more of? Any suggestions for new things you'd like me to post about?

I hope you all are having a blessed Christmastime. May God richly bless you with His love and peace in this beautiful season.

My Quoteable Family

I'm back home for Christmas, and realizing just how much I've missed my family. They're funny, witty, silly, crazy, sweet, kind, loving, and just all-around wonderful. It's hard to imagine how I've spent about three months of this year apart from them.

With all of this fun and humor come many quotes. I'm the type who loves to capture things - make sure that whatever is said, seen, or heard is recorded in some way. So whenever someone says something funny, I love to write it down!

Here is just a small sampling of them so that you get a glimpse of the fantastic fun we have:

"God is the ultimate multitasker." (said by an unknown member of my family)

"Joy is a melody fashioned from sorrow." (said by a good friend)

My brother: "If the most something can do is nothing, then that something is worth nothing. If the least something can do is something, then it is worth something." (try wrapping your brain around that one!)

My brother (on my insistence in writing down everything funny that came out of his mouth): "The dreaded pen to paper... don't write that down!"

Mom: "I think I need more sleep than the average bear."
My brother: "Well, the average bear sleeps all winter!"

I've decided that each week I'm going to post either a quote (by myself, someone I know, or someone famous [or all three XD]), or a thought. I have a lot of small things I think of that don't work well to turn into larger posts, and so this shall be a good way to express them.

I hope you all are having a fun time with your family as well, if you are with them. What are some funny things you've said?

You Know You're a Music Major if...

In my escapades as a music major, I've come across a number of funny situations that seem to be typical of music majors (at least here at Cedarville). Most of them are quite funny - so I thought I would give you a sampling. ;)

You know you're a music major

...If you compare Beethoven to cheesecake (and Chopin to chocolate!).


...If, in a fire drill, the first thing you grab is your music books and your metronome... not your coat or some other more "useful" thing.

...When you hear people talking about "the cadential six-four", and you know what they're talking about.

...If you dread facing "Pat the Perturbed Primate" and his evil laugh when you are late to theory.

...When you find that you can't listen to Classical music while studying (or doing anything) - it's too distracting! 

...If you listen for the chord progression in songs and predict what the next chord will be.

...If the only song that can consistently get stuck in your head is the polka-dot song  - and people look at you oddly as you sing numbers under your breath. (This one is for you aural skills people!)

...If you would be willing to walk through a blizzard to get to a recital, but not to dinner.

...If most of your day is spent either in a practice room or the music lounge.

Yep, that's us music majors! :)

Freefall

Sometimes life can feel like this:

source

Falling, swirling... that feeling of panic and overwhelming fear as your feet get swept out from under you and there's nothing to hold on to... just falling, falling, falling, with everything tumbling down about your head.

It was like that for me the beginning of this week. What with finals coming up, juries to prepare for, papers to write, schedules, gifts, meals, and packing to figure out, life felt like it had just given way beneath me. (Or as one of our chapel speakers said, like a whale exploded.)

But then, something shifted.

It wasn't necessarily that life changed (though some things did get worked out), but that my perspective changed.

I had forgotten what was at the bottom: 

source

The Almighty and Steadfast hands of God.

Do you ever feel this way - where things tumble down about you with no seeming end in sight?

Even though life might feel like it's in free fall, God is there at the bottom, with his hands cupped, just waiting to catch you and prove once more to you His faithfulness and care.

So instead of being dropped off a cliff, we as Christians have this unshaken assurance that the craziness of our trials and troubles (and life in general) are all held in God's hands. Though it may seem like we can't see how we'll ever be rescued from this terrifying descent, He already has us covered. We'll never completely cave in if we rest in the assurance of His unfailing love. 

That makes life in the midst of craziness seem a lot more manageable.