NaBloPoMo Day 2: Spirituality Perspectives

Today's Imbolc, which is one of the wheel of the year holidays and the least known of all of them.

I recently joined a Unitarian Universalist church this past sumer officially and it's interesting that I finally found a church that suits me. I was raised Catholic and I still consider myself some flavor of Christian to a degree, but I also find that earth-based spiritualities and many other paths also call to me.

It was funny during service because we had a bat flying around the church. I was surprised that I didn't jump when I saw it and it made me happy to see. I usually hate swooping bats after a bad experience where one freaked me out at home.

Bats are good omens in most traditions, in spite of the fact that it's not healthy to have one flying around the building. People were making light-hearted jokes about it throughout the service until it settled or went back to its nest (I'm not sure which).

It was an interesting shift in perspective to not freak out about the bat and to experience a circle that was a little different than usual.

I think though the thing I like most about Unitarian Universalist churches though is that the learning and seeking never ends! There's so many things that I can do that are missing in my family's Catholic church.

NaBloPoMo February 2014: Day 1: If I could live anywhere...

If I could live anywhere... 

- from Creative Journal Topics Involving Different Perspectives

If I could live anywhere, I would live with my fiance in a place where it's not quite so cold as New England, but it still has seasons. I would live in a decent-sized house with a small dog, a cat, and a rabbit. I would be able to go to work nearby and still have some space to do my own thing and write and knit and practice reiki.

Iversity: The Future of Storytelling Unit 2: Character Profile & Hook

YOUR CHARACTER PROFILE LIST

Gender: Female
Age: 16
Physical Description (Size, Weight, Defining Attributes…): average height/weight, pink hair in flipped shape that looks vaguely like a tulip
Personality/Nature:  Himeno is kind of a stereotypical genki girl, very cheerful and smiling and impulsive. She's sweet, but she's not afraid to stand her ground and she values herself the most.
Ambitions/Desires: to be recognized, to belong
Is mostly seen as: improper (by her stepsisters + stepmother + the house maids), a wonderful girl (father), kind & observant (Sasame), idiot/impulsive (Hayate)
Sees her/himself as: being worthy of attention,
Loves: her father, her deceased mother, flowers, platonically the other knights, it is implied she may have a crush on Hayate by the end of the series
Believes in: herself, the knights (eventually)
Trusts: herself
Fears most: not being able to take care of or protect the people she cares about
Fights for: the people she cares for
Hates: being left behind, being yelled at and not knowing why
Most important event in life up to date: her mother's death (pre-series), her father's remarriage (pre-series), meeting the leafe knights (1st episode), being the White Pretear (final episode)
Most influenced by: her mother's memory, her father's alcoholic depression, the knights's history
Best Friends: Yayoi
Worst Enemies: Fenrir, Sasame briefly when he turns Dark
Relationship/Family status: step-daughter of a rich business woman, daughter of a single father, doens't quite feel like she belongs in her new family, though
Social/Ethnic Background: her biological mother died when she was young, this sent her father who wrote trashy romance novels into an alcoholic depression and they lived more or less in abject poverty with her becoming parentified, until he met Natsue a rich widowed businesswoman with two daughters of her own from her previous marriage.
Occupation: n/a
Education: high school student, martial arts training, cooking
Hobbies: gardening, martial arts
Special Skills/Talents: green thumb, martial arts skills, Pretear - in combination with the Leafe Knights has the ability to transform them into elemental weapons and shields, at the peak of her selflessness, she can turn fenrir's red snow white and revive the Knights.
Flaws: impulsivity
Disabilities: like the Leafe Knights at the peak of her power, she can drain her own energy too deeply (and the only solution is spoilers)
Special behaviourism(s), quirks,…: gives pep talks to herself, talks to flowers/plants
Style (Dress/Life Style): casual/comfort. Most often seen in her school uniform or the various transformations she undergoes when paired with her knights

Name: Awayuki Himeno
Nickname: Tulip-Head
TV Series, this character is in: Pretear - The New Legend of Snow White

Think about what makes this protagonist worth following through a whole series of episodes. What is it that HOOKed you?

The whole theme of belonging is a big one for me and the fact that the knights are trying so hard to bring her to their side in the first couple episodes. And then the twist in the middle when they finally tell her the truth. 

Common House Residents Journal #07: 2013-11-27

Entry #: 07
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2013-11-27
Replies: yes
Author: Alan
Trigger Warnings: none

I'm somewhat new to our system. Right now I'm going by Alan because as Apollo and Emmy keep quoting, "Spoilers." Since I'm from a new canon installment and apparently Emmy, GLaDOS and a few others have decided that those of us who chose to walk-in need to be kind to the fans who haven't finished this installment. It's making things a little awkward but we're managing for now.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Iversity: The Future of Storytelling:: Chapter 1: Creative Task

The story that has most impressed me in my life is The Mouse in the Manger by Rev. Gennaro L. Gentile.

Oscar is the youngest mouse in his family and loves his straw bed very much. However, one winter night he gets into a fight with his father because he wants more straw for his bed. So, he decides to run away. Eventually, he comes to a stable and encounters several different barn animals and attempts to be friends in exchange for straw. However, many of the animals turn him away for various reasons until he befriends a pregnant woman and learns the true meaning of friendship.

While I know the author is no longer a Reverend of the church, I  no longer consider myself Catholic, and the story is a bit dated in the stereotypical characterization of some of the stable animals's diction, I have found this to be one of the most touching renditions of the religious branch of the Christmas story without being heavy on the religious angle. I love how realistic Oscar the mouse is. I think all people can relate to Oscar's desire to have what he wants now and wanting to run away and his struggles with trying to make new friends. I also love how in the end he learns the meaning of true friendship and radical generosity.

Common House Residents Journal #06: 2013-09-26

Entry #: 06
Journal Type: outworld
Date: 2013-09-26
Replies: yes
Author: Vera
Trigger Warnings: none

We're having a weird week. Trying to figure out when we can meet w/ case manager. We have a ridiculous schedule right now. I don't know when we will be able to meet ATM.

Its frustrating a little.

We're still having a little weirdness with switching lately but managing and we still haven't been able to decide *when* we can go visit the local plural folks. Time is at a premium lately and it's *exhausting*. I'm kinda excited. We had photovoice today and it seems really neat. I think it'll be interesting.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Common House Residents Journal #05: 2013-09-04

Entry #: 05
Journal Type: outworld
Date:  2013 September 4
Replies: yes
Author: Dr. Nidhi Shah
Trigger Warnings: anxiety, depression, mental health issues, burnout

The past 2 weeks have been rough. We're still working on our crowdfunding fundraiser (which currently hasn't raised any funds) but I'm not worried; it's the thought that counts, right?

After our whole flip out last night of identity and lack of plural-friendly socialization ops messing with our creativity, Apollo and I came to the conclusion this morning that we have a too-many-masters problem right now, so we marked what online classes we're still doing and what ones we're auditing again. And what ones will start soon. We're still a little overwhelmed but I think we'll manage. We just have a lot of writing to do in the next couple days. It's been a while since we had trouble with ficlets....

We went to see a MRC counselor today. Now we're waiting for paperwork to go through. And considering whether we want to do the easter seals vocational assessment. Thinking but leaning towards yes.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)