Like toilet paper trailing...

I'm not sure that embarrassment has a shelf life, but in retrospect I can't think of any really embarrassing situations as of late. I think back to blind dates and sweaty palms, and while certainly not the preferred way to meet someone, it can be a fun and thrilling way to meet new people. Not to view it with entirely rose colored glasses, it can also be down right creepy. The world is definitely filled with all kinds. I've had my fair share of bad haircuts, torn trousers, and pratfalls. In truth I have more regrets for things I've said a la string of profane expletives as I smash finger with hammer or find a stain on a favorite article of clothing after its been through the dryer and is thoroughly set. And all in all these things appear rather petty in the scheme of a grand and diverse plan. Worse still is my desire for fleeting popularity when I was in high school. I'm reminded of the all American play "OUR TOWN" each moment of our lives is a memory in the making, but these memories mutate over time; the edges become softer, and the once clear lens of fear, hormones, trepidation, and self importance, fades. As an adult, I understand the frustration of these characters, and that our time here is measured. I firmly believe our link in the human chain is based on the mundane day to day activities with our fellow man. Centuries from now I am sure to be forgotten, but in the life of a child, an abused spouse, or homeless vagrant I can make a difference. I won't pretend that I do this as often as I should, I don't seek out the poor the humble or the oppressed. I admit that I clip coupons and bargain shop so that I can pretend to be more affluent than I am, and try to impress those whose status appears better than mine. But appearances and judgements based on them are shallow.
I think of the recent headlines and how we build up celebrities to later tear them down, and politicians who have lived or profess to live in a moral majority. I admit I would like to enter a diatribe on the NJ Governor, but do not believe this the place. Human health and growth depends on making choices, sometimes we make correct choices and sometimes not, I am continually amazed how far Sanjaya made it in the previous AI season based on theatrics rather than talent. Was it not a singing competition? I think of our President and I pray for him nightly, because we have now entered an era where the world despises us. I am a full blooded and deeply patriotic American, but I do not believe in the unnecessary sacrifice of lives in Iraq. I am continually shocked at the amount of personal freedoms we give up daily so that we can shop in safety. Think of the Presidents message shortly after the attacks on New York, and Washington. GO SHOPPING!
It was a long road to return to this but hopefully 8 years of embarrassment is enough, but we chose this as a nation, let us to make the choice to return to a more noble and dangerous ground human rights for all. We take for granted the freedoms we enjoy daily, do not fight for a banner of democracy: a democracy is another term for a majority and a majority can be WRONG. Fight for freedom for all, for Darfur, for the hungry, for equal rights which includes homosexuals. I don't have to personally believe a behavior moral in order for it to be another's right. But I do have to let the world have the free choice to make its own decisions. Countless lives have been lost fighting religious wars in attempts to prove on which side God was fighting. Luckily he is the sole judge of our actions, but his myriad warnings as well as his expectations should unite us not divide us.

Assignment 5: Embarrassing Moment(s) (July 29-Aug 4)

Well, I guess it's Assignment 4...?

I hope there weren't too many of you rolling your eyes at the title of this next assignment. I think it's good to get out a little embarrassment once in awhile. It keeps us humble, and we can draw from our own experiences (good, bad, funny, embarrassing), to help our characters develop. So here's this week's assignment:

Describe for us an embarrassing moment, situation, date, etc. If it's short, do more than one. And don't worry. We won't laugh at you...to your face. ;)


I'm purposely making this a short/easier assignment as I know there are at least a few of us who have major things going on this week. So have fun with it!

Cheers!

Assignment... Assignments :)

Okay, I was going to try and post this a week ago so people didn't get confused, but obviously I didn't. :P I had sent this out in an email, but I think it got lost. I revised it a little (and skipped last week, giving it up for lent :P) So... to start today, here's the list of when its your turn for an assignment.

Hurt Family: 7/29-8/4
Banana: 8/5-11
Clever Name: 8/12-18
T. Fisher: 8/19-25
Kal: 8/26-9/1
GoodNEvili: 9/2-8 (Four Season's Haiku - one for each season)

Let me know if I've missed someone who's been actively posting. We'll see who's joined up once we get to Good's week and go from there, but this should last us a bit. I am hoping to have time to try Hurt's time travel posting idea so it doesn't look like I was as much a slacker as I really am :) and post my Show and Tell today.

(P.S. - Happy Anniversary, Poop)

Show and Tell: Debra

(Well, it's good to see I'm not the only slacker. Even so, I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this one done. I should have worked on it sooner as I never have any free time on the weekends.)


I would like to introduce you all to one of my oldest and dearest friends. It's perhaps a bit odd that he and I would become so close. He's six years older than me and rather quiet but I love him more than I could ever even say. He's been there for me when I had no one else. He's been the one I've cried to about every fight my parents had,, every time I was picked on at school or chased home having rocks thrown at me. He was there for me when my father died. He comforted me when friends hurt me, through every bad break-up, and broken heart. His name is Blue and he is a blanket. I know it seems silly for an adult to still have a baby blanket and I don't care.


Blue was actually my sister's baby blanket but from the moment I first saw him tucked away in her closet it was love and I had to have him. Blue was never blue. He was white with a green and pink flower pattern and pink and green ties. I named him Blue Blankie because I liked the sound and thought it suited him.


Every time my mother would wash him I would sit in front of the washer and dryer until it was done and I could have him back. I slept with him every night, carried him to the dinner table, and even tried to take a bath with him. My parents once tried to hide him from me. They told me that he had decided to go live somewhere else. I knew they were lying, Blue would never leave me. I remember running around out in a rain storm calling to him and crying. I must have been three or four. My dad was standing on the porch yelling at me to come in but I wouldn't. I remember him coming down and picking me up and me pounding on him and screaming bloody murder, I had to find Blue! Once inside there was Blue, sitting calmly on the floor waiting for me. They never tried to take him away again.


I slept with him every single night. He went along on road trips, camping trips, sleep-overs. I couldn't bare to sleep without him in my arms. One day Kristofor, my husband, came home to find me clutching a still damp Blue and crying. He asked me what was wrong and I held up Blue and choked out, "Look at him! He's dying!" It was true. My poor Blue was in tatters. The green and pink pattern long ago worn away, the fabric all thread-bare. I had long ago stopped washing him in a machine but now even hand washing him was doing so much damage he was just falling apart. Kristofor slowly pulled Blue away from me and folded him up. He went into the closet and put Blue up on a shelf. "If you want to save him, you have to let him go. You can't sleep with him anymore." He was right. I didn't sleep for three days. That was five, maybe six years ago and I haven't slept with Blue since. He sits on his own shelf in my closet and every once in a while, when I'm sad or having a very bad day, I pull him down and breathe deep his musty smell.

**BRIEF INTERRUPTION ON HOW TO POST TO A SPEICIFIED DATE**

Okay, since some people don't get a chance to post their assignments within the specified time frame, here's a little trick to keep things neat and organized with regards to posting.

Now, as you're posting there are several options on the screen. If you look to the bottom of the text box, you will see a > arrow with a Post Options link. Click on it. It will give you the option to change the time and date of your posts.

So, if you're late posting, just click the Post Options and change the date to the Saturday before the next post..or the Friday, or whenever. Just so it's grouped together with other posts of its kind.


Clear as mud? Excellent! :)

Happy writing!


PS- Remember that posts are from Sunday thru Saturday, with the next assignment starting on Sunday.

I Wish I Didn't Have to Show You

We all have something we wish we could show, and other things we wish we didn't have to show. I'll tell you about the one I wish I didn't have to show. It was my passage from childhood into teenhood.
I was a skinny tomboy. The development of breasts was a traumatic experience because it signified that I belonged to the "weaker sex." They seemed so pronounced. I denied they existed and continued to do all the things I thought were not associated with them, like wear make-up, or a bra. One of my used-to-be-friends teased me about not wearing a bra in front of others who apparently noticed as well. So, I broke down and got my first bra on my birthday. I walked in the house after shopping and there were all my friends, male and female. "SURPRISE!" they shouted. On the wall was a huge sign, "Happy Birthday, KING TIT!" I hate those guys. That birthday marked a significant transition from showing my favorite toy in school to showing the world what I was really made of. That was the day I accepted that I was not only a girl, but a developing young woman. Ouch!

#3 Show and Tell : Haven

She walks into the classroom on Monday morning, dreading what people will think. And yet, a little excited to be the only one in class that knew what she was going to share. Actually being asked by the teacher to explain this made her little heart do flip-flops. She had a purpose that day; she was important.

When it came time for Show and Tell, she raises her hand, waiting to be acknowledged. When the teacher finally calls on her, she takes a deep breath, scoots her chair away from her desk, stands and walks to the front of the classroom. She turns to face her peers; fellow 5th-graders with their own hidden insecurities. Her insecurity, however, was not very easy to hide.

She clears her throat as she pulls a folded, crumpled piece of paper from her jeans pocket. Now, as her teacher was the obnoxiously OCD Dave Davies, Show and Tell had to be in the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How format and take up at least two minutes, with question/answer period to follow if needed. It wasn't the time allotment she was dreading; it was the bombardment of questions and critical, judgmental looks and gestures she was sure would follow.

She unfolds the paper and starts to read: "Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to one of the two facial nerves. Each facial nerve directs the muscles on one side of the face, including those that control eye blinking and closing, and facial expressions such as smiling and frowning. Additionally, the facial nerve carries nerve impulses to the lacrimal or tear glands, the saliva glands, and the muscles of a small bone in the middle of the ear called the stapes. The facial nerve also transmits taste sensations from the tongue.



Bell's palsy occurs when the nerve that controls the facial muscles is swollen, inflamed, or compressed, resulting in facial weakness or paralysis. Exactly what causes this damage, however, is unknown. When Bell's palsy occurs, the function of the facial nerve is disrupted, causing an interruption in the messages the brain sends to the facial muscles. This interruption results in facial weakness or paralysis.

Bell's palsy is named for Sir Charles Bell, a 19th century Scottish surgeon who was the first to describe the condition. The disorder, which is not related to stroke, is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Generally, Bell's palsy affects only one of the paired facial nerves and one side of the face, however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides.

Who Gets Bells Palsy?
Bell's palsy afflicts approximately 40,000 Americans each year. It affects men and women equally and can occur at any age, but it is less common before age 15 or after age 60. It disproportionately attacks pregnant women and people who have diabetes or upper respiratory ailments such as the flu or a cold."

She looks around the room before she smiles a lopsided smile. "I have Bell's Palsy," she says. "Any questions?"

Show and Tell

I wasn't sure what I was going to show, my first thought was to be my usual jackass self and show off an action figure or some such, but I decided not to.

What I have to show might just look like an old wooden box with flowers and vines carved into it, and I suppose that technically that's all it is, just an old jewelry box, a little beaten up, the main design being mostly faded on top. It was my grandma's, I'd always see it sitting in it's place, never really knowing what was in it, I kind of thought of it like a treasure chest, who knew what it held, for years I wondered that.

Grandma passed away when I was 9, and I'm not sure why but I came to have the box, maybe the adults noticed I always looked at it, I'm not sure, but there it was, the "treasure chest" that I'd always wondered about. If it held anything, it was taken out, and I lost interest for a long time, just letting it sit, collecting dust.

I'd forgotten about it, buried under various clutter that I never picked up, until we had a house fire and somehow, this little wooden box managed to make it through, a bit darker due to the damage, but there it was intact. I'm a bit of a pack rat, and hang onto silly things, ticket stubs from movies, concerts, various little things I find amusing and such, I decided that I'd keep all that in the box. Not that anyone who would ever look through it would care that I seen Something About Mary at 12:35 am on 7/17/98, or that on Tue July 8 in 1997 I was at a Counting Crows with the Wallflowers concert, but I can look through this from time to time, and I see the tickets and other little things, and I remember it like it was yesterday, so I guess that I made it my own little treasure chest after all.

T's Show and Tell

A young woman leans forward, pulling a large green storage container towards her chair. Snapping off the lid, she examines the contents within.

The sound of a woman in labor breaks the still, summer morning air at the county correctional facility. The inmate is transferred to a nearby hospital, where she delivers a child. A girl.

The soft sound of Christmas music wafts through the air as the woman reaching into the box and pulls out an ornament.

A phone rings. A social worker has a ward of the court that needs placement. She’s been in an emergency home for a couple of months, but will need a long term home. The couple agrees to foster the baby.

The woman stands, smiling at her mother as she holds up the ornament for her to see. Her mother smiles back, a warm sense of understanding passing between them.

The child arrives at the couple’s home. She is pale, underweight, sick. She comes with outdated medicine. The foster mother immediately takes her to the doctor. The doctor looks grim. The child has failed to thrive. She fears mental and physical delays, prenatal drug exposure. She looks to the foster mother. “You aren’t planning on keeping this one, are you?”

The woman turns, moving towards the tree that stands in the living room corner. She looks the tree over, for the perfect spot.

The foster family works with the child. She gains weight, becomes healthier. The doctor is still skeptical, claims chronic developmental delays, but the family does not give up. The biological mother gets released from prison, gains visitation rights. The child has bonded with the family, does not take well to this stranger.

The ornament is large. It can’t be placed just anywhere. It is difficult to place it so that it will hang properly, as it must.

The foster mother leaves the room during one visitation. The child does not see her go. She looks up, finally discovering her gone, herself alone with the other woman. She panics, runs crying from the room and down the hall, searching. She finds the foster mother, clings to her. As they leave, the foster mother glances in her rearview mirror, sees the biological mother standing in the rain, watching them go. It is the last time she sees her. Later, they get a call. The biological mother has relinquished her parental rights, had asked them to adopt the child.

The woman finds a sturdy branch overhanging a bare patch in the tree. She hangs the ornament, stepping back to admire it, glittering in the glow of the Christmas tree lights.

It is December, and a four-year-old girl sits in Santa’s lap. Her mother smiles, tells Santa that it is a special day; they have just finalized the adoption of the child. Santa smiles, tells the child that he, too, is adopted. He reaches behind him, taking an ornament from the tree, and presenting it to her. It is a large snowflake, crafted from a thin, lacquered wood; lightly dusted with snow-white glitter, and with a shiny purple ribbon looped through one of the holes, to hang it on the tree. It is lightweight, but durable, serving as a reminder for over twenty years of just how lucky she has been in her life.

The woman turns back to where her mother sits, bending to kiss the older woman on the top of her head, her arms wrapping around her neck in a hug.

“Love you, mom.”

Show and Tell...

Show and tell is rather like a rite of passage for the elementary years, I don't remember them much after grade school. I think the last conscious memory of it is second grade? My family was rather shall we say below the poverty level during this time. I remember feeling incredibly jealous as the cabbage patch craze was beginning to sweep the nation; care bears, and mon chi chi, were also nominal stars within our classroom. I myself was never a recipient of fore said items, as gifts in our house were determined by holidays and were often necessary items like socks, shoes, and I even remember having to write an ingratiating thank you note to my Grandparents for underwear. It was not unusual to receive a wrapped and re boxed piece of second hand clothing from a cousin or even my one outgrown by my older brother, for a birthday present or Christmas gift.
As second oldest; items I outgrew would in turn be given to my younger siblings, or cousins in a long line of use. I don't remember an affinity to any one item but in retrospect it makes it harder to deduce singular family photographs as the clothing appears more as a stylish imprint than a personal reflection of choice. To clarify: an article of clothing in my family would remind one of the time it was produced or of its intended audience. For example you wouldn't say the orange footie pajamas belonged to Jason, my older brother as there are photographs of each child wearing the orange footies. (I secretly believe that all the photographs are of Jason and as each child grew the effort of tracking and scrap booking new achievements lessened with each passing.)

It was after one such display that I'm not sure if it was the want to be included that I anxiously told the teacher I wanted to be part of the weekly show and tell, or if I was trying to get attention from a classmate, I was a bit of a Casanova during the formative years. The playground was comprised of large construction grade tires in varying patterns. A different type of show and tell was often perpetuated within the reinforced folds of steel cables and rubber. My best friend at the time and cohort was a girl named Megan. Not that I can blame all of my problems on members of the fair sex, but I heartily believe that this may have been the motivating force. Hard to believe I was ever under such influence.

I'm sure there are a few of you who have many memories of show and tell performances, mine was a solo endeavor. So the memory is quite vivid. There were only two pieces of exciting news that were deemed newsworthy. Angelina one of my classmates had successfully played midwife to her pregnant pet and announced that 7 puppies would soon be available for adoption, her mother then opened a large box and several black and white balls of fur were carefully extracted. The puppies were paraded up and down each row of students and their frightened shivering bodies were manhandled by no less that 30 students. I suspect there was an ulterior motive as her mother also distributed a flyer which included a phone number and a black and white photograph of her view of the most attractive and hence therefore desirable puppy. I'm sure this had been her parents attempt to stave of the inevitable foray of dropping the puppies to the pound or an afternoon hawking them beside the K-Mart.

Compared to the miracle of birth, mine was less earth shattering, but I proceeded nonetheless. It was early march and a chill wind was still blowing in the early mornings as I walked to school each morning, but today I had awoken to find a brown paper package with my name as recipient. There were four other packages as well, each one addressed to a different child and posted from Pittsburgh, PA. This was a rare occurrence, there were no birthdays, Christmas and Easter had passed. The Pennsylvania address only added to the mystique as we didn't know anyone who lived there. Upon opening the box there was a note from my uncle who had recently been accepted to play football with the Steelers. Inside was a jacket with yellow sleeves and a black body, a team insignia sewn over the left breast. It was brand new and it was mine. Each of my brothers opened to find similar jackets for the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland Raiders. Whether my uncle had meant for me to have the jacket of the team he was now a member of or by sheer coincidence mattered not I felt special, unique, and different. Perhaps I just wanted to share that feeling with the world. Perhaps we never change and are still searching for that feeling today.

Assignment 3: Show and Tell (July 15-22)

***One bad thing about doing our writer's group in a blog is that as late post come in the new assignment gets bumped down. So, I've decided to re-post this with a new date stamp so that it will be at the top (I hope).

Sorry I'm posting this late. I wasn't sure that it was my turn or if I should post a new assignment before everyone is done with the last one. I decided to just go ahead and post now so people could start on this one.

Show and Tell: Children in elementary school look forward to show & tell days eagerly. After all, it's the day that they can openly bring their special treasures to school and share them with everyone. The point isn't just to bring the objects to school, but to tell others about them, to share details that help others understand why an ordinary teddy bear or a banged up toy dump truck is something special. For your writing assignment, choose something for show & tell. Your job is to write a short something (story, poem, just whatever) that shows us the object and tells us why it's important to you. You'll need to use lots of details to demonstrate the significance of the object.

Horror Corn Maze by Glass Darkly

Okay, so I'm finally getting a second to brainstorm about the horror movie. This is just going to be a stream of consciousness kind of thing as I am already very, very late. I haven't read anyone else's so as soon as I post this I'll read and comment.

Does it really have to be a corn maze? :P So... I'm picturing this labrynthine "structure" of corn stalks. The grounds have been cursed/enchanted so that any who enter has a unique experience. The spell or presence draws out the character's greatest fears and makes them live/face them.

They start out together, but soon they start seeing things. The deepest horrors dwelling inside each mind springs to life for them in the maze. No one can see the other's horrors, they only see their own. Maybe I should start at the beginning... who are these people and how do they get there? Hmmm...

A group of apprentice (do they have apprentices?) historians/archeologists have been assigned the area of Ancient Native American Curses for their master's project. Six of them... yeah six is a good number... Their professor (who probably turns out to be a decendant of whoever cursed the maze in the first place) wants a unique presentation, bemoaning the unremarkable offerings of the last few years.

The suck-up, we'll call him Douglas (not Doug or Doogie, though some of his classmates refer to him as "UGH" behind his back), is all over the idea and is determined to spur the other five to feats of historian greatness. He starts researching the idea... as do the rest, but without the fanatic zeal that Douglas puts into his work... he comes across a vague reference of the site. He shares it with the others and they all agree after finding out more about it that it would be perfect for their project.

The paranoid perfectionist, Jacqueline, who would be a suck up if she didn't take so much time making everything perfect that she missed out on all the sucking up opportunities (gotta move fast with Douglas around)... thinks it is actually the perfect site, but is worried about how little is really written about it.

Breezy, free spirited Thomas, Tom-tom, Tommy-boy, Tomeister, the Tomster (who received the long string of nicknames from the studious Nigel ((yes a tad cliche, but I tell you its a million dollar name, baby! :) )) who's just trying to be hip so Jacqueline will notice him) reassures Jackie that that is what they are there for, the whole world will know of this place once they finish their project. (Douglas approved of this little speech, btb)

Rounding out the group are the twin sisters, Amalia and Avaria... ha ha just kidding. Artemis (Temis or Missy) and Apollo (Paula) are actually their names. Their parents thought they were having boys and didn't want to change the names they'd picked. The parents are well respected in their own field of Ancient Greece and Rome - Do You Know the Difference? Its a seminar they give around the country. It's fabulous, really.

Artemis is as gung ho as her parents and most of the rest of the class. Apollo is less enthusiastic, but she goes where her sister goes, as always.

Okay so (details, details, planning, packing, searching, finding) they get to the site in the middle of the day. All seems well, so they take their gear and head inside to find a good place to camp. Light-hearted joking abounds giving off the feeling that all's right with the world and this movie isn't going to turn into a bunch of blood, guts and screaming.

The sun begins to set and Jacqueline gets up to pace around a bit. Thomas tells her to lighten up and enjoy the night, beautiful skies, yadda yadda yadda. She puts on a brave face, but still decides she needs a bit more leg stretching. So she takes off down one of the paths, with her trusted map... that she got somewhere... que slightly more eerie music... scenery still beautiful though. She even sees a few cute little furry creatures. When she passes shadows fall over them and they look bloody and creepy.

She goes back to the group, feeling a bit better. Dinner's ready and everyone sits around the fire, Nigel suggests telling ghost stories (because that's what cool kids do around a campfire you know). They all tell one and laugh after each, some nervously, others accompanied with rolling of eyes. Then Paula sees a big tarantuala climbing up her sister's back, screams and points and scoots away. Everyone jumps up and gets all excited... but when none of the rest of them see anything they throw marshmellows at her telling her it was a good joke.

She gives a forced laugh then frowns, looking behind her sister for signs of the big ugly thing. Hmmm... maybe this isn't exactly how the assignment was supposed to go... I should get to the horror part. Basically, people start seeing things they are afraid of, it starts out small and innocently enough, (in and out of reality) but soon they are trapped in their own minds and no one is seeing anything real anymore.

Nigel comes across Thomas, but he thinks he is the man that killed his parents when he was little. Thomas walks over to Nigel (who he sees as Nigel), trying to comfort him as Nigel is looking pretty bad. Nigel sees the murderer, hears him taunting and getting closer and suddenly in his scurrying backwards his hand falls on the handle of a scythe which he whirls around in Tom/the murderer's direction.

Tom tries to get away, but stumbles. He pleads and cries for Nigel to see who he is, but Nigel doesn't. He hears the murderer continue to taunt him, so he swings down over and over again slicing and dicing poor Tom to pieces... cue staccato theme to accompany Tom's dying screams. I'm thinking this should happen after Tom figures out what's going on and tries to tell the others. Obviously the maze doesn't want anyone figuring it out.

Does Nigel come out of it and realize what he's done? Not sure... Has the maze taken him under its... stalk... and appointed him executioner? I'm thinking the reason the professor has had such lackluster results is that he assigns the same project year after year, but the students keep dying and the ones who make it out don't want to talk. Have to figure out a way to hide that from the school/public because that many students dying every year would get suspicious.

Maybe two or three make it out and come after him and then more horror ensues as he uses the dark magic his family has handed down through the centuries. Either everyone dies and some creepily familiar explanation is used (like... the audience finds out the "truth" behind why you lose socks in the dryer... and its some big scary evil thing. Lame example, but that's what I mean... something completely ordinary that no one thinks about actually has a horrifying story behind it.)... or one or two of the students survive and kill the guy (which leaves an opening for a sequel because those kinds of bad guys never really die :P) ... or get him locked up, which still leaves an opening for a sequel which horror movies seem to feed on :P

Okay... I might put more thought into this later, its kind of interesting to me :) But I'm going to post what I have now so I don't get even further behind and I've been wanting to read all yours all week! Hope I made sense... I didn't get very gorey, sorry Hill...

Boo!!! or not.

Heh, ok, this is for last weeks assignment that i totally procrastinated. Brought to you now in ramble format:

I couldn't really think of anything that had to do with groups. For some reason I just had a hard time thinking about a bunch of individuals and how they'd survive (or not) in a cornfield. Sooo....

My thoughts did keep drifting to a lone person though. Like maybe visiting grandpa's for the summer and liking to get out of the house.. or being driven out of the house. Maybe grandpa's creepy. Or just old and doesn't relate. So maybe the kid (I was thinking a girl) would take solace walking around the farm.. into the cornfield.. maybe sees something (a flash of clothing) and gets lured in, or walking a dog and gets pulled in. Something like that.

Now just a kid in a cornfield could get boring quick, so maybe she has a handicap or something? At first I was thinking she was deaf and couldn't hear all the creepy things happening.. but then I thought how much more scary would it be to blind and let her imagination run wild with all the wind sweeping through the corn, a windmill that's old and rusty, animals wandering around being... creepy. Especially being lost in a huge cornfield and no clue on how to get out.

So it ends up not really being haunted, but every sound made to think it is. I like the idea of the dog finding her and bringing her back out. I know its not quite what the assignment called for, but those of you that know me know that I don't have much of an imagination... It makes me appreciate those that do even more :)

A Brief Interruption

Hello all!

I'm going to make this quick because I don't want to have a lot of extraineous posts. First, I am going to post my Horror assignment, but probably while I'm at work tonight. I'll be working 27 days in a row and I blinked and this week was gone. (excuses, excuses, I know :P)

More importantly... We have a few new members and some who have not posted and I wanted to say to them. WELCOME! and YAY! :) And... feel free to post previous assignments or just jump in on the current one, whichever inspires you.

Thank you all for joining and I hope you are getting excited about our possibilities!

~H~

Corn Maze/Horror Flick Assignment (Debra)

Ok, I took a different approach and just jotted down any ideas I had and then why they were good ideas or bad ones. Not sure how much fun my rambling will be to read. Please excuse the grammar, I've just typed it as I've thought it. Good luck understand it! lol

Idea 1: Evil kids are the scariest. Especially if there's nothing wrong with them, they're just evil sociopaths. Evil kid/kids would make a great "villain"/murderer... especially if it's a girl. So serial killing 12 year old girl. That would be cool.

Idea 2: What if the group of people are older, like 30ish? Would that appeal to a younger audience at all? How would that do given that most horror slasher type films are about teens or college age people. What if it's a group of 30 somethings that decide to have a little fun around Halloween by going out to a corn maze. They are married couples and single friends. Professionals, regular people. They get to the maze late, just before closing, but think they can get through it really fast so they go in. They get lost in the maze and when they finally get out everyone else is gone. No cell reception and tires slashed? Or maybe batteries in their cars are all dead. A creepy old house not too far away, they go to use the phone and of course the owner is a killer.

Idea 3: Should the evil crazy killer be the "good guy", the most sympathetic and sweet character? Is that too over done?

Idea 4: I like the idea of tons of cliches but I wonder if that would end up being a bit too much like Scream... or worse it would really be something more like you'd see on the Disney channel around Halloween. Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, a witch... is that just silly? I don't know how this could be done in a way that would really make it cool but I love those old black and white horror flicks. It'd be cool if there was a way to do it right but I don't have a clue what that way would be.

Idea 5: How about a crazy couple who can't have kids so they run a corn maze and steal a kid or two every year out of it and then keep them locked up in their house... or maybe kill the kids after a year because they don't want them to get too old. Is that too much like Children Under the Stairs? Maybe, but that was a really creepy and scary movie in my opinion.

Idea 6: The villain/killer person could be a very creepy old man who is a religious fanatic and anti-Halloween. He could kill people in the maze because they are evil for celebrating Halloween. That could be very scary. He could recite bible passages while he tortures them.

Idea 7: The movie should be called Corn Stalker with the er in dripping blood. Now that's cool! :)

Corn Maze Ideas

Yeah, so I got that whole brain freeze thing going on myself, and didn't come up with much more than a few general ideas, but here they are.

Corn stalk shoved through someones eye.

One of them falls into a pit filled with bones and bodies, some fresher including the body of one of their group with strange symbols carved into the flesh, so maybe it's some kind of cult killing.

The known body with the symbols carved in, well every good story in a corn field has to have two characters go off and have sex, so that body could have been that of the guy, stabbed in the back while doing it with his girl, she got angry and made a joke about his "staying power", until realizing that he had a dagger in his back and ran away promptly, without checking to see if he was dead or just almost dead.

Good old creepy looking scarecrow that every maze has to have, well this one has a good one, that's really creepy, with a really sick looking scythe. So of course one of the bodies is found nearly cut in half by the scythe, maybe with the scythe still sticking out of the body.

The ones left regroup by where the scarecrow used to be, but it isn't there. The scarecrow jumps out of the corn field at the group all menacingly, after finding the one killed by the scythe this is obviously some evil demented scarecrow guy trying to kill them all, so they attack it with whatever they can find rocks and such, and they beat the scarecrow to a bloody pulp. They figure they'll pull the mask off to see who it is that's been hunting them, and find it was one of their group. They try and figure out why that person would try to kill them all, while doing that a tractor starts up and starts to chase them, they pretty much figure out then that the person they killed wasn't aware of the murders and had just dressed up in the scarecrow costume to try and scare them, and they beat him to death for it.

I was thinking, forget the tractor just chasing them, one of the of course trips and falls down, and then they get run over by the tractor. It was probably a girl wearing high heels, to a corn maze, for no reason. So when the rest of them realize it was her that was run over, they're not that shocked, since she wore high heels to a friggen corn maze, and they generally agree she prolly deserved it, since she was most likely a whore. Hey every good horror movie has to have a whore that you just wanna see die, and she'd obviously be that one. :P

So I kind of figure that none of them make it out, kind of like it when it's a bit different and there's no hero that saves the day, and nobody makes it out.

Corn Maze Horror

I have to admit that I found this assignment to be difficult. Knowing that we should be writing down every idea made my mind shut down on me for most of the week. Nevertheless, I did manage to come up with a few ideas, so without further ado, I’ll get down to the business of sharing them with y’all.

- The day starts off happily enough. A group of seven friends decide to spend Halloween at the local Historic Farm. As the day draws to a close, they decide to take a quick flashlight run through the corn maze before heading off to a party. But unbeknownst to them, the maze is [dramatic music cue] possessed by evil spirits!
- The maze, which seems small and innocent enough from the outside, expands and shifts once our characters are inside, making it virtually impossible to reliably backtrack to the entrance, let alone find the exit. It also conspires to separate the characters.
- The maze is filled with various Halloween props: a scarecrow; jack-o-lanterns; a vampire in a coffin; etc. As the group entered the corn maze, the scarecrow was the first thing they saw. I envision them all basically ignoring it, completely missing the fact that a crow is sitting on its shoulder, pecking at its eyes. This shot would of course be moody and atmospheric, foreshadowing doom for our blissfully unaware characters.
- After being separated, the fun begins. The evil spirits begin possessing the props. (You see, my evil spirits can’t possess a living host.) Character #1, while trying to make their way back to the entrance, gets waylaid by the scarecrow and ends up impaled on the scarecrow’s scaffolding. The crows have a field day.
- Character #2’s flashlight burns out, and they pick up a jack-o-lantern to help light their way. The jack-o-lantern bursts into flame, a supernatural fire that consumes character #2, dying down to reveal a charred skeleton.
- Character #3 wanders around until they notice a light out of the corner of their eye. Thinking that it is one of the others, they follow the light. It leads them to a large barrel designed for bobbing for apples. They walk over to it, and look down. Seeing what looks like a faint and ghostly image in the water, they do what any good horror movie character does, they lean in for a closer look. They are grabbed and pulled down into the water, where they are drowned/throat torn out. (Think kelpies from Celtic myth, here.)
- Character #4 is wrestled into the coffin by the possessed vampire prop. The lid gets slammed shut, and then the ground around it turns marshy. It sinks down, out of sight.
- Character #5 gets bitten by the vampire prop. The evil spirit hops from the vampire, to char #5’s corpse. Taking the scythe from a Grim Reaper prop, it goes to hunt down characters 6 and 7.
- Possessed character #5 finds 6 and 7, claiming to have fought off some of the monsters and found a way out. He leads them close to the exit, where the possessed scarecrow and Grim Reaper wait. They plan to kill characters # 6 and 7, take over their bodies, and leave the corn maze to go wreck havoc elsewhere. Character #5 reveals himself to be a bad guy, a fight ensues in which characters #6 and 7 manage to ‘kill’ #5 and escape with their lives.

Hillary's Horror Flick Assignment (Hurt Fam=Haven)

I'm not sure how to write in screen play format, so I'm just going to write it out. I'm saving this blog post as a draft so the ideas are written in first to last order, and then I don't have to waste paper or lose it somewhere...:P Forgive me if it's jumbled. I'm not very good at writing yet.

***

*eerie noises as fade in to corn fields, camera from a first-person (??) view-point (from the character's pov) of a child* Sounds of a child sobbing and trying to run through the corn maze, out of breath. Distant sounds of screaming and terror. Crunching sounds from behind as someone stalks closer and closer. Stopping to catch her breath, the child changes direction and runs until she can't her the crunching footsteps anymore. She looks behind her, thinking all is safe, when suddenly there's a rustle and you see her terrified expression as she screams...*black out*


** 2:47 AM, Home of young family, three days before corn maze adventure **

Child cries and yells, "daddy" repeatedly, terrified. Startled, the parents awaken and the mother goes in to console the child. Realizing the child is in a cold sweat and truly frightened, the mother takes her from her crib and into their bedroom to console,etc. The child frantically tries to get away from being near her father, not wanting to look or be touched by him....

Basically going on from there, the father is the one who is zapped by the evil forces in the corn maze and comes after his family. The child's dream is a foreshadow of things to come.

Brainstorming by Cotton

Someone gets caught in a combine. Lots of screaming and spurting blood and viscera.

It's all just a test for a wayward son to appreciate his family and get off the drugs. He very reluctantly accompanies his family on this outing. It all goes wrong, but in the end his family is ok and he has learned his lesson. Kind of like The Game.

The teens have been in the maze for many hours, experiencing much horror and two dead companions already when they come across a basket of harvest fresh apples. The Tubby One leaps at the basket and begins devouring one. Only when he's got it half eaten does he realize it's full of maggots! EEEWWWW!

The scarecrow comes to life and chases them with a sickle.

Two of the college students are a couple and they jump in the hay wagon for a little "roll in the hay" when one gets impaled on a pitchfork "accidentally" left behind. Or, perhaps the scarecrow jabs it up through the bottom.

The victims come across a "field of poppies" and they begin to halucinate nightmarish things that cause them to attack one another.

They go for a hay ride and the horses get spooked, running out of control until the wagon crashes, pinning one of the friends under it. The others go for help, leaving him alone and helpless.

A demonic fire starts in the middle of the maze that chases its victims without actually burning any of the corn--which would, of course, destroy the maze and make it easier to get out.

OK So I got kind of on a roll here at the last minute and then got a phone call from someone in Spain whom I haven't seen in over a decade and now I really need to sleep. So I will respond to everybody's assignments tomorrow. Sorry I have been late on this assignment. I will do better.

I hope you had fun with this assignment. I was beginning to and I think the little affirmation helped fuel the fires, so to speak. How was your experience?

Assignment Numero Due (2): Brainstorming! (July 8-14, 2007)

This assignment is self-serving. But, hopefully, it will serve you all as well, my friends. I am horrible at brainstorming because I'm excellent at self-censoring. I would like to get over that. Another reason this assignment is self-serving is that the topic is a potential screenplay idea for My Canadian Rose to direct. If any of your ideas do end up in produced screenplay, you'll get a "special thanks" in the credits and, perhaps,*dangles this next as a carrot*, a walk on role (read: extra). Oooooooh!
Topic: A horror movie that takes place in a corn maze. It's Halloween time, or at least Harvest/Autumn time. A group of people (teens, college students, a family, a church group, total strangers detoured to the maze by a washed out bridge) go out to a corn maze for an evening of light hearted fun, not realizing that the corn maze is (duhn, duhn, duhn) haunted! Or perhaps run by a (duhn,duhn,duhn) crazed killer! Or perhaps gets possessed by (duhn,duhn,duhn)demonic spirits! Or gets overrun by (duhn,duhn,duhn) genetically mutated creatures!
Assignment: Brainstorm all week about what horrific, frightening, gruesome, gory, humorous(?) things that could befall our hapless victims. Write them all down. No censoring! So, there should be no assignments turned in prior to Saturday. But do think about it everyday and write down everything that comes into your head. Also, after you write down something say to yourself, "Now that is a million dollar idea!"
Enjoy!

Character Names

1. A loquacious, gregarious librarian.

Jennifer Clark – I’ve yet to meet a Jennifer who wasn’t loquacious.

Jennifer is a young, frustrated writer who became a librarian so that she could be around books all day for ‘inspiration’. If you have a while, sit down and she’ll tell you all about it.

2. The jealous younger brother of a 13th century Scottish laird.

Cailean MacTavish – Gaelic for ‘whelp’. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Technically, Cailean is only a few minutes younger than his twin brother, Fearghas. Unfortunately, he is not as responsible or business-minded as him, either. Showing little aptitude in the running of an estate, it came as a surprise to none but him when it was his brother who inherited the majority of the family lands. But don’t worry about him; he does a fine job of consoling himself with drink and women.

3. A 1920's crooner.

Rudolf Drozkowski – Yeah, I know, right? That’s why his stage name is R.J. Dewolfe.

Rudolf was born in the Bronx to Polish immigrants. While other boys his age dreamt of playing professional baseball, he wanted to be a star! Sure, that led to a lot of conflict with the neighborhood kids, but he made his dream a reality. While the biggest bully of them all now works in his father’s deli, ‘R.J.’ is making quite a name for himself. The ladies love The Wolf. Who’s laughing, now?

4. The lecherous owner of a fast food restaurant.

Enrique Benitez – Don’t call him Ricky.

El es muy suave. Or so he likes to think. Half Argentine, half Heinz-57, he not only embraces his Latino side, he proclaims it, loudly and proudly, whenever the opportunity arises. When he’s not at the store, he’s most likely to be found making the nightclub rounds, where he is a legend in his own mind.

5. A surgeon who cheated on his medical boards.

Dr. Scott Browne – An average name for a man who fears to be average.

Scott was born into a working class family, and was determined to make a better life for himself. He became the first in his family to graduate from college, and was accepted into medical school, and later a residency at a prestigious hospital. As his medical exams approached, the pressure he put on himself, coupled with the student loans he would have to pay off, became too much for him. Not willing to risk failure, he decided to cheat, just in case.

6. The fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant class couple wishing to elevate themselves into the ton. (Aristocracy).

Cecilia Teasdale – A would-be rebel without a cause.

Cecilia didn’t mind being shown off by her parents when she was a child, marched out to play the piano or recite a verse of poetry or two to impress dinner guests. But she is sixteen, now, and has had quite enough of being paraded about like a prize show dog. She finds the seedier elements of London society far more enticing. One day, she’ll escape from her parent’s influence, into freedom! They won’t be able to do a single thing about it, either. They shall never…oh what’s that? For her? Ohhhh, shiny!

Character Names by Through a Glass Darkly

1. Mildred Platt - with a name like that you -have- to have something else going for you. She would rather spend all day with her books, but she hated doing what was expected of her. So, she sacrificed what she loved to avoid being what people thought she should be. (Mildred Platt sounded so librarian that I thought it fit with perfect incongruity to her put on persona.)



2. Caerell mec Feradec - was so named because he looked a little feminine to his father. He was given his grandfather's name as his byname because his father had little use for that old goat either and he hoped people would assume his son was his brother's son if he left his name out of it. Caerell "renamed" himself Caerell mac Colban mec Feradec when he was old enough to know better, to force his father to claim him. Of course this started the whole goose incident that triggered the minor civil "war" that gave the tatcher's son the opportunity to... but I digress... (Caerell seemed feminine to me :P Obviously it wasn't as it was a male name, but :P)

3. Hypnotizing over the radio waves, fall under his spell now as he steps on stage... Mickey Tark! Women the world over love him... men want to be him... Okay so no one had ever heard of him... but they would! They would! Sure as his name was Sheldon Pew. (Sheldon Pew sounded suitably unfortunate for my hopeful hero and Mickey Tark is a work in progress. Each new attempt gets a new name, he's sure -one- of them will sky rocket him into stardom.)

4. Beatrice "Trixy" Robertson - Her parents had high hopes for their little beauty, but as her self given nickname implies, those hopes were dashed. She likes the slummy, scummy atmosphere of her "restaurant". She likes the kind of employees such an atmosphere attracts. And she definitely likes the fact that she is the boss, so what she says goes... or stays... as the case may be. (I think Beatrice is a pretty name, brings to mind someone sweet and innocent. She didn't want to be sweet and innocent, however, she wanted to be Trixy... and Trixy is anything but innocent.)

5. Dr. Michael Collins - a rather unassuming name for a rather unassuming man. He often looks around at his patients and co-workers and wonders how it all came to this. He'd tried so hard to rise above his less than auspcious beginnings, but when they told him he'd failed his boards... Well he just couldn't let that happen again, now could he? (Michael Collins sounds like someone you should be able to trust, at least to me. It sounds like someone into whose hands you could put your life. I guess it also sounds like someone who's desperate and a little insane underneath as well. :P)

6. The Honorable Lucinda Sommerset - "... of the Summerlain Sommersets, don't you know... Isn't she just a radiant beam of sunlight, my dear Baron?" Lucinda munched on a crumbcake as her mother talked, but looked up and beamed right on cue... Her smile full of blueberries and walnut bits. (Lucinda means light, so I went with that. I figured her father had enough money to buy her the "Honorable" title... and her mother is a distant fourth cousin to the genteel Sommersets who most of the rest of the family has forgotten about. Not Prunella though, and she is going to make sure they all remember -her-... erm... her -daughter-, yes her daughter...)

Names

1. Donna Ridge is my librarian, it just kind of sounds like a librarian name to me.

2. Callum Ainsley wasn't given quite as much as his older brother, although he's obviously the most deserving, at least in his own mind.

3. Bobby Gunn is my crooner guy, I just kinda see him hitting the dives, so he used the last name Gunn to be impressive or some such.

4. Jimbo Jergens is the fast food owner, my studies which are in no way intensive shows that 87.4% of the time you can't trust someone whose initials are J.J. I kind of figure he's probably opened a KFC rip-off in Alabama which is simply Alabama Fried Chicken.

5. Leland Dyson really just seems like the kind of guy who would cheat to get ahead.

6. Kassia Montague is the name for the spoiled daughter, just sounds like a name that's trying a bit too hard to be important, so the parents would have given her that name then spoiled her too much, so she obviously believes the hype of her name and acts accordingly.

Character Names by Cotton

1. A librarian who prefers the company of people to books and can't be quiet could only be named Miss Peggy Square who works at the Round Hole public library. She also dresses like Madonna from the "Borderline" days.

2. I got help on this one from this website. Unfortunately, it also made me realize that this one required a lot more thought and research than our timeline would allow, so I give you merely a first draft: Neachdan fiz Muirgheal. "fiz" means "son of," matronymically. In this story, the older son was named patronymically and also received the title. Muirgheal was a woman of standing in her own right, thus meriting a son named for her. Neachdan's byname is irksome to him, being a misogynist as all bitter and jealous men are.
3. Headlining this week at the Pink Rose Speak-Eas--uh, Night Club is a fresh face whose sure to make your "hearts buzz," Jazz Babies. Shake your shimmy to the voice as smooth as bathtub gin: Buzzy Hart!
4. Lester Beansley Doesn't your mouth just curl up in snarl when you say it? His does when he says it.
5. Ement Metzger The son of prominent German born Chicago surgeons, Ement always had trouble living up to expectations. Ement from the latin ementior meaning to devise falsely or make false statements. Metzger is German for butcher.
6. Melisande Millar It's a grand sounding name for a lady of grand proportions who would be grand. The surname's spelling was altered by her parents and is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable in an attempt to hide her humble origins.


Speaking of names and meanings, I just watched The DaVinci Code special features. Did you know that Bishop Aringarosa's name means red herring? If I'd have known that, I would have figured out the book even faster!

Heidi's Name Assignment (Debra)

1. Hilda Aldus Milde. Ok, just kidding. I couldn't resist. Levi Mendelsohn. He's a young, brilliant, passionate man who can be rather annoying when he really gets going! Also, he can't work late on Friday's or on Saturday.

2. Leod Dougal MacLachlan. Leod means ugly and Dougal means black stranger. I just imagine him being born and his nasty father saying that Leod couldn't be his as he's a large man with flame red hair and blue eyes and Leod is a small thing with dark black hair and brown eyes. It doesn't help matters that his older brother Bearnard is the spitting image of their father.

3. "And now we'd like to welcome to the Starlight Room, for one night only, Mr. Charles Drake!!!" :) I just love the way it sounds.

4. Brandie Brainerd isn't the owner of the fast food restaurant, but she is the manager. I like the false sweetness of the name Brandie mixed with the sharp sound of Brainerd. I imagine her as greasy and rather plump but not very old. maybe 30. She sees herself as still 16 (and dresses that way) and is constantly flirting with the young men who work there.

5. Dr. Mitchell Banning. Son of the world renowned Dr. Walter Banning. Mitch just couldn't take the pressure of trying to live up to his father's expectations and now he's about to crumble under the pressure of his guilt and self doubt. I liked this one because Mitchell sounds like a rather weak name to me. As for Banning I just think it sounds like a doctor.

6. Miss Dorcas Collier is my fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant. Every time Dorcas' mother introduces her to anyone she says, "This is our lovely daughter, Dorcas. Dorcas means gazelle. It's that just such a fitting name for our little dear?! She's so graceful!" Collier because it means coal merchant. How shameful!

July 1- July 7 Names by Hurt Fam

1. My social chatterbox librarian's name is BRIANNE SMITH. Brianne is a namesake of a friend of mine who is a very smart, very chatty butterfly. And Smith because aren't all librarians named Smith??

2. ALASTAIR MACMAHON is the jealous younger brother. I dunno...I just don't like the name Alastair. It sounds like the parents gave the better name to the eldest and this was the left-over.

3. BETTE VALE is the name that comes to me when I think of a 1920's crooner. This character didn't state whether the character was male or female, so I opted for a female. Bette was a common name back then and Vale sounds like a name she picked for herself to make her stand out in a crowd.

4. My lecherous fast-food owner's name is FRANK QUAIL. I dunno...Frank seems like a lecherous, greasy fast-foody name to me for some reason *peers*, and Quail is a scurry-run type of bird that would maybe throw some people off the scent of his lecherousness...ess..ess.

5. GREG CARLTON is the name I chose for "Dr. No". Carlton sounds like a name of a Harvard/Yale grad-family who chose this profession for their son.

6. PETRONELLA STAPLETON is the name I chose for our spoiled social-climber. It sounds like a self-important name, and one of a spoiled person. At least to me. And Stapleton is a common-sounding, non-ton name of a merchant.

So there you have it, folks.

(July 1st - 7th) Assignment The First: "Names"

Hello fellow aspiring writers! :) I just read through all 71 emails Debra sent me with our old stuff and I'm even more excited for this group to get off the ground. I'm going to cheat a little bit and use an assignment from last time just to get things underway. There are two that I was debating between, but since this week will be short I'm going with the "easier" of the two.

There are a lot of aspects to writing, and a lot of preparation phases. Character development, atmosphere/scene settings, plot outlines and more. This week we will begin our character development with a basic exercise... Names...

When you name a baby you're taking a real chance, because you have no idea how the little tyke is going to turn out; we all know people whose names seem to belong to someone else. When you name a fictional character you have no excuse for getting it wrong because you should know him/her better than the members of your own family. The names you choose to give your characters could suggest certain traits, social and ethnic background, geography, and even things that have yet to occur in your story. Think of Vladimir Nabokov's Humbert Humbert and Henry James' Merton Densher - they just SOUND right. Charles Dickens was so adept at this subliminal skill that some of his characters' names have become generic, representing personality types - like Uriah Heep and, most notably, Ebenezer Scrooge. The names you choose have a strong and subtle influence on how your readers will respond to your characters. You may have to rename your characters several times before you get it right.

Name the following characters, keeping in mind that you can plant, within a name, a clue to their role in your fiction. Include an explanation with each name on how you decided upon the name you chose.

1. A loquacious, gregarious librarian.

2. The jealous younger brother of a 13th century Scottish laird.

3. A 1920's crooner.

4. The lecherous owner of a fast food restaurant.

5. A surgeon who cheated on his medical boards.

6. The fat, spoiled daughter of an 1800's merchant class couple wishing to elevate themselves into the ton. (Aristocracy)

The objective is to recognize the names you give your characters should not be drawn out of a hat, but carefully tested to see if they "work." You are sending a message to the reader about who the character is, where he came from, and where he is headed. A name can send a message as powerful as a title.

Happy Writing!
~Heidi~

Welcome!

Walk right in... sit right down... baby let your mind roll on...

A few of you have responded, so I'm going to make a short welcome post to give you a warm runny feeling when you get set up :P

I'm really excited to get this started again! You don't have to worry about doing anything perfectly, none of us are perfect. This is for fun and to hone a craft (for some). As soon as we know exactly who is going to be involved we'll probably want to set up some guidelines, etc... so maybe start thinking about what you'd want to suggest as far as structure and content go.

In any event, thank you for joining and prepare for some fun!

~Heidi~