Thief - Feline

Things I need to do:

• Write three chapters of my new book, following POVs of
• Octras
• Shosu
• Rael
• Write in my journal
• Write reviews for
• Mistborn
• Skyward Sword
• Minish Cap
• Finish reading Sherlock Holmes (done w/ first two cases)
• Give Luna a bath
• Do laundry
• Draw more pictures

While I'm working on these things, you enjoy this picture. Jaron and I are making a dungeon crawler of sorts... I've been drawing all the characters, and he colors them beautifully for me. Didn't he do a good job? :)

-Tsira

Green Balloons

*Eee! I finally got my handmade journal from Juliana, and it's SO cute. I love it!*

--

It's the simplest gifts that mean the most.

I love the decorations and the spirit of giving that accompanies the holidays, the hot chocolate and peppermint candy canes, the smell of pine... and I love the unique properties of each snowfall. Sure, I hate how cold it is, and I don't want to get up in the morning, but there's something special about this time of year.

The best part is, of course, the presents.

I don't mean getting presents, though. It's giving them that makes it all worth it. People give to their friends, their neighbors, their families... and if their mindset is right, they're doing it without expecting something in return. But I wish that would extend year-round, not just when we're bombarded with "CHRISTMAS SALE" and "50% OFF" signs.

See, the best time to give presents is when they're not expecting one.

I know I told you this, but a few weeks ago I was injured at work. But there's more to the story than just that. Even though the damage wasn't incredibly difficult to bear (and has since scarred over), I cried a lot. I cried because I was angry, and frustrated, and yes, hurt. And I was left alone for some time to get over it before someone insisted that I go to the office and contact WorkCare. After all the paperwork was filed, and I was down to just sniffling, I returned to the classroom to collect my things.

One of the children in my class ran up to me and presented a simple piece of paper, ripped from a notebook. She was worried about me, she said, and she wanted to make me feel better. When I flipped the paper over, I saw 3 green balloons, drawn and colored like something you'd expect from a seven-year-old.

And I started crying all over again.

This time, though, it was because she'd given me exactly what I needed.

You never know when the simplest of gifts will help those around you. Take the time to show how you feel about them, and you'll be surprised at how much they needed you.

--

Well... I have the next week off of work, so I'll be catching up on everyone's blogs, finally writing all the reviews I need to do, and churning out the next two chapters of my new manuscript. Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you keep that spirit of giving with you all through the year.

-Tsira

Dreams

How real are your dreams? How much do you remember about them?

My dreams are often very vivid, but almost never make logical sense. Of course, that keeps them interesting. I'm sure some psychologist could tell me some really crazy stuff about myself because of that... but still, they're just dreams.

Two nights ago, I dreamed about a house of death. Perfectly preserved corpses laid behind glass walls, their bodies positioned like any you'd see at a funeral. I knew none of them--but was asked to release their spirits. By making their spirits visible through my breath, I could set them free. Of course, I almost passed out every time I did so.

I also dreamed that night about telling my family about this dream. And I lied to them about it. I'm still not completely sure why that was the case. Dream logic is a strange thing.

Like I said, my dreams are vivid. Sometimes I am uneasy when I wake because of this, sometimes happy, or sometimes dizzy. I ran a lot in a dream last night, and this morning I woke with shin splints. I don't know whether I am a very strange person--and by extension, a character of mine--or if this is relatively normal for other people. This is both for research purposes and to satisfy my own curiosity; I'd like to know what your experience with dreams has been.

So again I ask: how real are your dreams, and how much do you remember about them?

-Tsira

Birthday

So... it's been more than two weeks since my last post... but like I said, Skyward Sword. Yup. I finally beat it and started Hero Mode, with over fifty hours of play so far.

And I've been giving everything to work lately. This week I actually had to go to WorkCare because of something that happened, and by the way, it took them forever to document and treat everything. I'm doing just fine, but tetanus shots suck. I had to get one after the incident "just in case." You know, we expect little kids to get over their shots in five minutes, but this pain in my shoulder has lasted for three days. It feels like someone is repeatedly poking me in a very tender place. It's not the worst pain ever, but I still find what the nurse said funny. She said, "Your arm might get a little sore, and if it does, just massage it a little or put some ice on it." ...a little sore? Massage that painful-to-move-or-touch spot? Are you crazy?

Well, regardless, I went back to work the next day and today was totally a breeze. It helps that it's my birthday and I feel really loved by the awesome people I know well, but it also helps that the kids were amazingly good today. And by amazingly, I mean that it never happens. This week has been major trouble, so for everything to go this smoothly is kind of a miracle. See, God remembered it's my birthday and he calmed the minds of the kids for one day.

Or so I'd like to think.

Sometimes little moments of peace are all a person needs to get through the big storm. For me, today is one of those moments. It's been a really rough few weeks, but this is so worth it. Happy Birthday, and my sympathy to all those like me who have to endure Christmas ornaments as birthday presents. ;)

-Tsira