Thirteen things I'd like to do before I...
Thursday, October 25, 2007


Thirteen things that I want to do before I solve the great mystery

1. Learn how to fence. I love swords, and it’s always been a desire to learn how to use them. I am much more interested in the historical aspects than the competitive…I think it’s far more interesting.
2. Finish the Grand Dress of Absolute Elizabethan Prettiness. Tears ago, I got a Simplicity pattern that was based off the Shakespeare in Love gown. It is a thing of glory…ruff and bodices and over skirts and underskirts and jewels and gold lace. Recently I managed to get a lot of emerald green with a slight blue tinge velvet, and despite the very fine glitter pattern, I’m tempted to death to use it, though I *should*probably make this dress using non-farb, accurate materials. Actually, I’d like to make a dress for almost every era of man up to the Victorian times.
3. Somehow feel that I’ve made an impact with my writing. I want to reach people and make them happy…so, I’d love to feel that I’d really done that.
4. Learn how to belly dance. Not the belly dance for strippers, either. Belly dancing has a long, rich history, and when done for more cultural purposes than for titillation can be extremely graceful and beautiful. And talk about good for the waist!
5. Learn to speak another language. I know – or knew – how to curse, vociferously, in 9 languages at one time. I can say hello and thanks in a few. I love peppering my words with words from another tongue, I think it’s not only colorful and interesting, but it’s fun. So, I think it would be nice to learn one or two to the point where I can speak them fairly well. I am not picky...pretty much any language would do. Spanish, French, German, Gaelic, Chinese, Italian…all of those would be wonderful.
6. Attend a Regency Dinner. Sometimes they have these Regency style house parties…wouldn’t that be awesome? I love old time dancing…in fact, if I ever (not likely) had a wedding again, I’d invite someone who could teach people medieval dance, and instead of doing the modern stuff, we could do these elegant, fun dances. I think people would enjoy that, if for nothing else it would be different. Anyway, I think an evening of Regency Elegance would be very cool.
7. See an opera. I recently went to my first symphony, and I loved watching the people playing their instruments and feeling the sound. Now add the pageantry of an opera. How cool would that be, with the acting and costumes? I love plays, so this should be interesting.
8. Travel, travel, travel. (See previous 13’s.)
9. Work at a Renaissance Faire. I’ve always loved the people at the faires…rennies are, generally, sweet, free spirited, good hearted, hard working, interesting, passionate, creative, intelligent people. I feel at home with Rennies, I always have. I would love to spend a summer with them, and it would let me tap into my silliness and joy of impromptu acting.
10. Sail on a ship. No more need be said.
11. Have a successful rose and herb garden. I love roses, and I love herbs…I don’t do badly with herbs, but the roses…eh. I just remembered…I have to plant tulips this weekend. I hope they, and the new iris, do alright.
12. Join a stable and get back to horseback riding. When I was young, we had an Appaloosa named Cinnamon. I loved her…I really miss her. She didn’t mind me stroking her ears, which a lot of horses do not much like. Horses are a pleasure…they smell good, (generally) and most are gentle and pleasant to be around. Mine had a bit of a snarky streak, though. She used to think she was a real comedian.
13. Get most of my stories that are floating around in my head finished. They are good stories, and they deserve to be told.

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 3:00 PM 3 comments

3 Comments:

Hi, cool list!! I did a TTlist too, it's here: http://lifes-adventures.net

Cheers!!
Noelle

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:19 PM  

Thanks for stopping by today!
You must go see an opera, I used to go several years ago...I had a friend who got me free tickets often! It was great!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:04 PM  

I hope you achieve them all!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:18 PM  

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  Oh, well. There is always Monday.
Friday, October 19, 2007

I am not having a successful work day. Just so much to wade through. Ugh. And no, not one whit, desire or ambition. Ugh.

I wanted to show you a link to a review.

It’s not a bad review, but you can tell the story didn’t really enthuse. I’m grateful to her, though, for the time and effort she spent. I know writing book reviews is not easy or always fun.

Reviews don’t bother me…well, maybe it’s early in the game to say that…but I know a couple things about reviewing that I think will make it easier to accept the less than thrilled reviews, or the plain disappointed ones. I know what people are thinking, generally, when they are reviewing. I know that good reviewers get more books than they know what to do with, and sometimes that means their time is limited.

And, well, if there are people who aren’t absolutely in love with Neil Gaiman or Barbara Hambly, chances are there are people who won’t love my work, as well.

Last night I went to the symphony…the Pittsburgh Symphony came to the Uni last night. I got to go with Laura and Mike, which was really brilliant. I didn’t get to talk to her as much as I would have liked, but because Mike and I were with The Dean, we got really good seats! What was really wonderful was that Mike and I got to talk. It is so good to have a friend in a person like that.

The music was mostly really wonderful. It was truly an experience to have the music wash back to you, to hear the sound and feel the vibrations and actually see people working away on their instruments. You know that a great deal of effort and talent goes into creating such beauty, but you become really convinced of it when you watch them up close.

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 2:46 PM 0 comments

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  Chat tonight!
Monday, October 15, 2007

I am in the world’s best mood.

William’s Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis is playing, and it makes me just…soar. It’s Mission Day, which means that there are no classes, and I have been alone all morning, working hard to get everything caught up. My Myspace player is playing…Feist’s 1234 was just on before this…and I am feeling free and joyful and pleased to be alive.

The gentlemen I mentioned, the fencers, have both been really awesome. They sent me reading lists of books to get me started in my reignited passion for historical fencing, and I am starting down the path to make a club here on campus. One of them very sweetly said they’d come down and do demos…it’s a long drive, and I doubt we’d be able to give them much in the way of funds, so it really is good of him.

Tonight, I wanted to remind you, I am doing a writing chat at romance galleria. This is my very first solo I’m an author chat, so I’m excited. I will be giving away copies of my stuff and discount coupons, so please stop in! You can support your nutcase friend, *and* maybe win something!

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 12:37 PM 1 comments

1 Comments:

Hi Cindy,
Thankyou so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. At first I wasn't sure who you were until I saw on your blog that you were at The Romance Galleria tonight... lala.
Anyways it was a pleasure meeting you this eve and was fun chatting on IMVU. Friend me ok and we can chat again.
Ally
>^,,^<

By Blogger Ally, at 4:15 AM  

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  The Templars
Saturday, October 13, 2007

So, do you know what happened 700 years ago today?

The Templars were arrested, an event which led to the destruction (completely, despite what fiction authors might tell you) of the order.

I was “All Templars, all the time” these past couple of weeks or more, but it was worth it. There were beautiful Friesian Horses, dashing swordsmen (John Lennox and Chris Franklin were utterly awesome. The way they moved together, the way they fought, the interesting and very knowledgeable way they spoke on several different subjects…it was too cool. I learned so much, and I didn’t get to go to all the sessions or pay as close attention as I wanted to. If you ever need people with sword fighting knowledge for any reason – plays, movies, teaching, anything – you should trundle over to www.artofcombat.org ) John Lennox spoke about an opera singer who, during an intermission, went and had a duel with three different men, then went back to singing. I so need to write about her. They also spoke about having boarding melees – basically, maritime combat reenactments. I thought that sounded rather fun.

We also had brilliant speakers – Malcolm Barber, Constance Bouchard (Who is also a fantasy writer!) and Jochen Burgtorf.

The dinner was fabulous…GA Christi and GA Sara dressed on costume and looked like jewels. I would show you a picture…I’m a proud aunt, really, when it comes to them (OK, I’m like, 5, 6 years older, but…) but I wouldn’t want to without their ok. Trust me, they were beautiful.

In fact, those two ladies, and all my student workers and a couple of volunteers were so much help, I was floored. I knew they would all be awesome, but really…they were beyond words.

During the dinner, Paul said the nicest thing…Paul is the faculty member who put together the event, and he did a little intro at the beginning of dinner. He said something like, “there are several names on the back of the program of people who deserve thanks, but most of all…” and he said my name. And I got teary, while everyone clapped. Kelton, one of the other faculty, actually stood. I even got to sit next to John Lennox, and a lovely lady who teaches at Shippensburg and who loves Sandman, and who I am determined to keep in touch with, it was totally one of those “I think you and I are definitely meant to be friends” sort of things. How could life have been better? All the people who matter are happy, the event went off well, and I got to talk to someone who likes sharp and pointies even more than I.

So, all in all a very good day.

Here is a picture of my desk…old time map of London over the window, and a pretty flower:

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

And here are the horses. Are they not love?

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 9:47 PM 0 comments

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  Whee! Guess who's the Author of the Month?
Monday, October 08, 2007

So, ever wonder how I got started in writing? What I do when I can't sleep? What my favorite foods are? If the answer is "I've been reading this journal for ages, I already know, silly." then the fact that I am Zumaya's featured Author of the Month won't be half so exciting to you. But, if you feel like seeing it, here you go.

This should be an exciting week job wise...we will finally have the Templar event, (pray it don't rain Thursday, here) which will, when it's over, lift a huge weight off me. Just in time, too, because we should be getting a lot of job applications for me to process. (Know anyone who has a PhD in US History and wants a job?) Also, my father has decided to go through with the lapiscopic surgery. They want to put a tube in for a couple of weeks, which ought to be thrilling. (They want to get him to gain weight. The last few years the Doctor's are all saying he needs to lose weight, lose weight. Now they want him to gain some back. I tell you, no one's ever happy. *rolls eyes*)

Did I tell you I bought plants? There was a English Department yard sale, so I went and bought an African Violet (named, predictably, Violetta), an Arrowfoot I call Flutter (because the tin came in, and I plant to transplant it out of, has butterflies on it, and from this angle, the leaves look like butterflies in stasis...) a draconis marginata I call Dragon Lady, because the one I have at home I call Lady Miss Tree, and a pot of purple Shamrocks I call Brigid. It is amazing how the plants liven up the office. They make me very happy.

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 8:14 AM 0 comments

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  Quirky Conversations with Unknown Entities
Monday, October 01, 2007

Hello, Life.

Hello, Cindy.

Well, I’ve decided that I’m going to get a grip on you, and hold fast. The days go too quickly for me, and there’s so much I want to get done.

I’ve heard this before.

Stop being snarky. I am going to do this…I’m going to write one thousand words a day and clean a drawer a day. That way I will become neat and organized and get a book done. Aha.

I’ll believe that when I see it. I do want to know one thing…we both know you won’t do it, so why do you post it on line so everyone can be witness to your failure?

And this sort of attitude, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is why they really say life sucks.

Anyway! I had a lovely weekend…Cion sent me a dragon’s eye and purple magic, which was tremendously awesome. In my book, during one of the high points in the story, magic starts flooding the ley lines, like rivers. And each different kind of magic has a different color. So, it was rather wonderful and marvelous to get a vial of the most rare magic of all from a wonderful friend.

I also spent too long playing Sims 2. So long that as I do my life things, the sims music keeps playing in my head. As I was walking I realized that the main song was flooding my ears, and I was wondering if I was walking along to the beat. But, Bon Voyage is about as close to a beach as I’ll get this year, sadly, so it’s been fun to play. I managed to build some really pretty castles, too. (Not sand, home-castles.)

Moonlight was actually pretty good. Not great…but good. I am always relieved when I see something with Vampires + Detectives that they still aren’t like Balancing Act. I live in fear that since things take so long to get published, I’ll look like I was copying an idea when in fact, I had it before someone else did. Still, history will look at the copyright date, and not at my blogs…

OK. I go back to work now. I managed to get a bunch of really hard stuff done, and wanted a short brain break. Now to do a really important task...

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Permalink Cindy scribed this at 11:34 AM 0 comments

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