Curing my writer's block

I'm blogging to blog today, as in to let you know what's going on in my life and my head.  

Life is good, no doubt about that, except for one paper that stands between me and Thanksgiving break.  Ahh, Thanksgiving... apparently my mom made cookie dough so we can make leaf and acorn-shaped cookies when I get home.  I have been craving those cookies all week and I look forward to making a frosting and sprinkle mess all over the counter.

Anyway, this paper is making me question things in ways I wasn't supposed to. Mainly I am thinking that if the concepts of love, suffering, grace, and redemption are so complex and mysterious, how in the world am I supposed to write a coherent essay about it in relation to this book?  Some things are just too good for anyone to write about... that's why C.S. Lewis, Dostoevsky, and Flannery O'Connor are so remarkable.  They were able to articulate the truths of life through their characters, symbols, and plots.  I, on the other hand, am limited to analysis and research about these works and can therefore not explain these ideas as thoroughly as these masters of the written word.  And yet, I must suck it up and do it.  Now.  

Any time now.  

Alas.  College.

Anyway, enjoy these quotes by C.S. Lewis (from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/c_s_lewis.html, image from http://www.mrrena.com/2001/Lewis.shtml)

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.

Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason.

Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

"Originality is nothing by judicious plagiarism" ~Voltaire

I will make no excuses for ignoring my blog for the last two weeks.  Yes, I admit it, but I’m back and ready to blog.

So, I've just been longing to write a story.  Some sort of story that begins with "Once upon a time..."  But I just don't seem to have anything after that... so I won't even try.  I will, however present to you Wikipedia's list of traditional story beginnings and endings from around the world:

Equivalent phrases are also used in many other languages to begin a fable or tale:

• Albanian: Na ishte një herë.. 'Once there was...'.
• Afrikaans: Eendag, lank gelede... 'One day, a long time ago...'
• Algerian Arabic: Hajitek ma jitek (حجيتك ما جيتك) 'I've told you what's coming'
• Classical Arabic: kân yâ mâ kân fî qadîmi zzamân wsalifî al`aSri wal'awân...(كان يا ما كان،في قديم الزمان، وسالف العصر والأوان) 'There was, oh what there was (or there wasn't) in the oldest of days and ages and times...'
• Assamese: Bahut dinor agot... 'Long time ago...'
• Armenian: Կար-չկար... 'There was, there was not...'
• Bulgarian: Имало едно време... 'There was, once upon a time...'
• Catalan: Hi havia/això era una vegada 'There was a time...'Temps era temps... 'Time was time...'
• Chinese: T: "很久很久以前" ("lit. A very very long time ago...")
• Croatian: Jednom davno... 'Once, a long time ago...' 
• Czech: Bylo nebylo,... 'There was, there was not...'
• Ekoti (Mozambique, Bantu): Rakú z'éepo waarí-vó oswááipu nwúlw'eéne saána 'Once upon the time, there was a truly great friendship...'.
• Danish: Der var engang... or Engang for længe siden... 'There was, once...' or 'Once a long time ago...', respectively. Common endings: Og de levede lykkeligt til deres dages ende. 'And they lived happily until the end of their days.' and Og hvis de ikke er døde, lever de endnu. 'And if they're not dead, they still live.'
• French: Il était une fois 'There was a time... ' Common ending ... ils vécurent heureux et eurent beaucoup d'enfants '... they lived happily and had many children'.
• German: Es war einmal... 'Once there was...' ...und sie lebten glücklich und zufrieden bis ans Ende ihrer Tage. '...and they lived happily and contentedly until the end of their days.', alternatively ...und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute. '...and if they haven't died yet, they are still living today.'
• Georgian: "Iko da ara iko ra, iko..." 'There was, and there was not, there was...'
• Goemai (Nigeria, West Chadic): Tamtis noe lat/ dok ba muaan yi wa 'My tale has finished, (it) has returned to go (and) come home.'
• Greek: Μια φορά κι έναν καιρό... 'Once, in another time...'
• Gujarati: ઘણાં વર્ષો પહેલાંની વાત છે.('This is an old story.') or એક જમાનામાં..('In one era, ..') or વર્ષો પહેલાં ('A long back')
• Hebrew: Hayo hayah pa'am... (הָיֹה הָיָה פעם) 'There once was...'
• Hindi किसी ज़माने में ('In one era, ...') or बहुत पुरानी बात है ('It's an old story, ...')
• Hungarian: Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer egy... 'Once there was, where there wasn't, there was a...'
• Icelandic: Einu sinni var… 'Once there was…'
• Indonesian: Dahulu kala... 'Long time ago...'
• Iraqw (Tanzania, Kenya, Cushitic) tokaro-yâ 'once upon a time'.
  • In oral literature, phrases like "I remember something that our father told me and that is this:" are common (Iraqw: Kar aníng te-'ée' to-ká a inhláw ar aakó doo-rén ni alki'-a i tí).
• Irish: Fadó, fadó, fadó a bhí ann (agus bhí rí i nGaillimh) 'A long, long, long time ago it was (and there was a king in Galway.)
• Italian: C'era una volta... 'Once there was...'. Common ending: ...e vissero per sempre felici e contenti. '...and they lived forever happy and glad.'
• Japanese: Mukashi mukashi (昔昔, 昔々, むかしむかし). 'A long time ago...'
• Korean: Yet-nal Yet-jeok-e... (옛날 옛적에...). 'A long, long time ago...'; Yet-nal Yet-jeok-e, Ho-rang-i Dambae pidun shi-jul-e ... (옛날 옛적에, 호랑이 담배피던 시절에...). 'A long, long time ago, in the days when tigers smoked...'
• Kannada: Ondanondu kaaladalli.... 'Once, in a long past age,...'
• Kyrgyz: илгери-илгери... 'ilgeri-ilgeri... 'A long, long time ago...'
• Latin: Olim... 'At that time'
• Latvian: Reiz sen senos laikos... 'Once long ago in times long gone'
• Lithuanian: Vieną kartą... 'Once upon the time'
• Luxembourgish: Et wor emol... 'It was once'
• Macedonia: Си беше еднаш... 'Once upon the time there was...'
• Malayalam: Pandu Oridathu... 'Long ago...'
• Malay language ( Malaysia )Pada suatu masa dahulu...' Once Upon a Time'
• Maragoli Kenyan language related to other Luhya languages. Mmadikhu ga khaare (in olden days).
• Maltese Mela darba... (Once...).
• Mongolia: Эртээ урьдын цагт 'Once Upon a Time'
• Moroccan Arabic: Hajitek ma jitek (حجيتك ما جيتك) 'I've told you what's coming'
• Norwegian: Det var en gang... 'There was, once...'
• Persian: "روزی روزگاری" (Rouzii, Rouzegaarii). 'One day, One time'; or: "یکی بود، یکی نبود، غیر از خدا هیچ کس نبود" (yekii boud, yekii naboud, gheyr az Khoda hich kas naboud). 'There was one, there wasn't one, there was no one beside the Lord'
• Polish: Dawno, dawno temu... 'Long, long time ago...'
• Portuguese: Era uma vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: "... e viveram felizes para sempre" (... and they lived happily forever)
• Romanian: A fost odata, ca niciodata... 'There once was (as never before)...'
• Russian: Varies by the gender and number of the character(s) introduced at the beginning: Жил-был (zhil byl) (one male), жила-была (zhila byla) (one female), жило-было (zhilo bylo) (one neuter), жили-были (zhili byli) (plural): Correctly "had lived" (a stray survival of the disused Russian pluperfect), but nowadays liable to be understood as "lived, was". Жили-были is often preceded by «Давным-давно, в тридевятом царстве, в тридесятом государстве» (“A long long time ago, in the twenty-seventh kingdom, in the thirtieth state”, here an old numerical system is used, literally “in the kingdom three-times-ninth, in the state three-times-tenth”.)
• Sanskrit: Pūrākāle (पुराकाले) 'In the ancient time...', Kadājit (कदाचित्) 'Once upon the time'/'At any time'
• Scots: "In the days of auld lang syne"
• Serbian: Common beginning: Једном давно.../Некада давно... 'Once, a long time ago...', Била једном једна...(feminine)/Био једном један...(masculine)/Било једном једно...(neuter) 'There once was one...', Common ending: ...и живеше сретно/срећно до краја живота. '...and they lived happily for the rest of their lives.', ...и живеше дуго и сретно/срећно. '...and they lived long and happily.'
• Shona:"Paivapo"....(a long time ago,there existed)
• Sinhala:"එකමත් එක රටක"....(In a one country...)
• Slovak: Kde bolo - tam bolo... 'Where it was - there it was...'
• Slovene: Pred davnimi časi ... 'A long time ago...' or Nekoč ... 'Once...' 
• Spanish: Érase/Había una vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: ... y vivieron felices para siempre/y comieron perdices. '...and they lived happy forever/and ate partridges.'
• Swahili (east African): "Hapo zamani za kale..." (a long time ago).
• Swedish: Det var en gång... or En gång för länge sedan... 'There was, once...', or 'Once, long ago...' respectively.
• Tagalog: Noong unang panahon... 'At the first time (a long time ago)...'
• Tamil language: முன்னொரு காலத்திலே...
• Telugu language: అనగనగా ఒక రోజు...
• Thai: กาลครั้งหนึ่งนานมาแล้ว 'Once upon the time (long ago)...'
• Turkish: Bir varmış, bir yokmuş. Evvel zaman içinde, kalbur saman içinde... 'Once there was, once there wasn't. In the old times, the sieve in a stack of hay...' *[1]
• Urdu: ایک دفعہ کا ذکر ہے۔۔۔ ('Ek dafa ka zikar hai...') 'Once upon a time...'
• Vietnamese: Ngày xửa ngày xưa... 'A long, long time ago...'
• Welsh: Amser maith yn ôl... 'A long time ago...'

My, how I wish I could read and pronounce all of these beautiful and funny phrases!  It sure is amazing how universal this language of story telling is.  In fact, I am thoroughly enjoying my English class, where we are learning about the hero's journey.  Perhaps you have noticed how all of your favorite fairy tale, Disney, and historical heroes have similarities.  Well, according to my English teacher and our hero-analyzing muse Joseph Campbell, author of "The Hero With A Thousand Faces," all of these heroes go through a similar path of self-discovery and triumph.  We have looked into Knights of the Round Table, the Buddha, and even Rocky to find these common motifs.  So far we have learned that all heroes must pass a threshold to begin their journey to heroism (Ashe from Pokemon becomes old enough to be a trainer), but only after recognizing a need in their lives or communities (Belle from Beauty and the Beast must save her father and fulfill her need for adventure).  All of these heroes have helpers and/or some muse-figure (Hercules has Phil to train him and Meg to distract him) and must ultimately face their greatest fears and weaknesses (Ron from Harry Potter hates spiders but is ironically dragged into the Forbidden Forest to speak with a pack of giant arachnids) and ultimately they reach an abyss (Dorothy almost gives up all hope of getting back to Kansas).  Upon returning to their communities they may be welcomed back as the heroes they are or perhaps shunned for their strange new ideas (Contrast the welcome of Prince Charming --pick one-- with the estrangement of "The Dark Knight").  You'll never be able to read a hero story or watch a Disney movie the same way again!

Sources:
image:  http://www.swoyersart.com/james_christensen/onceuponatime.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_upon_a_time

For the love of learning

I certainly hope it is not pretentious of me to post a homework assignment of mine online and think you might like to read it, but that is what I am about to do. I was so enlightened by Dominican University's recent Caritas et Veritas Symposium that I just wanted to share some of what I learned.

The Caritas et Veritas Symposium was a fascinating day for me and I enjoyed exploring the meaning behind Dominican University’s motto. I had the privilege of attending three sessions in which speakers applied the meanings of “caritas” and “veritas,” the latin words for “love” and “truth” to their fields of knowledge. I was especially moved by the English department’s presentation called “A Gradual Dazzling: The Nature of Truth in Literary Studies.” This took place in the beautiful Noonan Reading Room, which I thought was a perfect setting for such a topic. The presentation explored how literature often uses a “slant view” of truth, using Emily Dickinson’s poem “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” to present the idea. Four professors spoke about writings in their fields of expertise to describe this further and explore the role of love and truth in literature.

Professor Warren Green, a teacher of ancient literature, spoke about the Greek tragedies of the 4^th and 5^th centuries BCE. He explained how the role of theater in Athens during the 5^th century BCE was very central to society, though I was disappointed to learn that only men were permitted to attend theatrical events. I was fascinated to learn that the theater of Dionysus was large enough to seat the entire male population of Athens, and it did so during a four day theater festival that took place every year. Theater-going was therefore a communal experience, in which men of all social classes and roles were brought together to observe and participate in a parade and as many as 12 plays in 36 hours. The great playwrights Euripides, Sophokles, and Aeschylus wrote the tragedies to show the men of Athenian society “how to be an active citizen in a democracy at war” (Green). The tragic stories of Antigone and Polenyssius offered play-goers a view of the consequences of greed, pride, and willfulness, as well as an argument for finding a balance between the laws of the state and the laws of heaven. I found it ironic that although the plots were often extreme and included elements of the divine, these seemingly unrealistic pieces of the story became ways to explain the troubled political situations of the times. The men who attended the plays were brought together in community and were inspired to discuss justice and mercy. The tragedies of ancient Greece can therefore be understood when they are presented in the context of the era. Through a knowledge of ancient Greek democracy, history, and the theater experience, we as 21^st century Americans can better understand why ancient Greek tragedies could become a means to understanding of the truth. I believe theater continues to confront societal issues and inspire dialogue that finds solutions and cooperation.

The next speaker, Professor Mickey Sweeney, brought us further through history as she presented a mesmerizing look at the Romance genre of literature. The Romantic era of story-telling, writing and poetry came about during the Medieval Era in the 13^th and 14^th centuries CE. Such writing, mainly by Geoffrey of Monmouth, includes stories of knights, kings, and magicians. Professor Sweeney explained how collective learning was often done through the distribution of manuscripts, which were both entertaining and informing, for they attempted to convey the truths of history and human flaws while maintaining an audience. Histories and tales of adventure were often stretched to grand, unrealistic proportions, such as the passionate story of Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. I related this fact to current media techniques, which continue to stretch the truth in order to keep consumers interested. However, I noted a difference in the role of God and religion today than in the Romantic era. Whereas people of the time believed in God’s control over history, writers viewed their historical stories as “records of God’s divine history” and as “tools to tell moral lessons” (Sweeney). Kings and nations would prevail because of their moral strengths, and individuals would fall because of their moral weaknesses. The supernatural elements of some stories, including the magical character Merlin, were often criticized by Geoffrey’s contemporaries as being heretical, yet “magic” has always existed in history as a human explanation of the mysterious things of the world. It seems that God has taken a secondary role to science as the modern world’s source of reason. In ways similar to modern media, the stories of the Romantic era were told on a “slant,” with the purpose of conveying the importance of history and an explanation of why things happened as they did.

The third presenter, Professor Joseph Heininger, used the work of two contemporary Irish writers to show how poetry is a complex and profound way to respond to world events. I was especially captivated by this presentation because I have not studied much modern poetry. Heaney’s poem “Punishment” contains the heart-wrenching observation of an adulteress who suffers a horrible punishment from the IRS, which dominated Northern Ireland at the time. Following this retelling, Heaney explores the complexities of the event. While he sees the woman as a victim of scapegoating, Heaney also understands the human desire for revenge. Longeley’s poem “Ceasefire” also explores a historical event, but in a different way. His poem is an analogy of the ancient Trojan Wars to modern Irish conflicts, from which Professor Heininger concludes that “nothing erases killing, but there is atonement when the cycle of violence is ended with love and self-surrender” (Heinenger). I am delighted that poetry continues to be a valuable source of truth, for I love reading and analyzing the works of Longfellow, Sandburg, and St. Vincent Millay. I shall certainly continue to look into modern publications, for these works show how poetry may better contain the breadth of human emotion than other genres of literature.

By looking into the “slant truths” of literature throughout history, these speakers showed how such “lies” lead readers to the truth. To discover the truth, however, it is necessary to find the intended meaning of the literature through an understanding of the writings’ contexts. Greek tragedies of the 5^th century BCE, Romantic writings of the Middle Ages, and poetry of the modern era played and still play important roles in history, not only in the preservation of historical events, but also in the explanation and interpretation of these events. Furthermore, the exploration of society and how it should be is a constant theme of literature, which makes it a valuable tool in the classroom and in life.

P.S. The picture is from a prayer service for Sudan. Keep on praying!

Love with your guts

When the required reading list for the Freshman Honors seminar was posted I had a strange mix of feelings. The first thought to come to my mind was "Woo hoo! I get to go to Barnes and Noble!" upon which I hopped into the family car and drove to the nearest bookstore. Upon purchasing $50 worth of novels I realized just how hefty this higher learning stuff was going to be. "Oh my," I pondered, "This novel has 796 pages. How am I ever going to finish just this one?" The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky's last and greatest novel. All I had to say was... Bring it on.

At this point in time I have read about one third of the novel. I am on track with the syllabus and am enjoying the in class discussions about the story and its characters. While I know for certain that not everyone finds this novel to be an enjoyable read because of the long tirades and numerous characters, I have a great interest in "The Brothers."
While I do not recommend the novel for a leisurely weekend read, I would like to share a bit of the story with you. This excerpt is a quote from one of the Karamazov brothers to another, Ivan to the younger Alyosha. Ivan is cold and critical. He is known for his sharp intellect and deep logic, as well as his rejection of faith and his strange philosophies about life. I found it odd and inspiring that these beautiful words came from such a harsh character:

"I want to go to Europe, Alyosha, I'll go straight from here. Of course I know that I will only be going to a graveyard, but to the most, the most precious graveyard, that's the thing! The precious dead lie there, each stone over them speaks of such ardent past life, of such passionate faith in their deeds, their truth, their struggle, and their science, that I--this I know beforehand--will fall the the ground and kiss those stones and weep over them--being wholeheartedly convinced, at the same time, that it has all along been a graveyard and nothing more. And I will not weep from despair, but simply because I will be happy in my shed tears. I will be drunk with my own tenderness. Sticky spring leaves, the blue sky, I love them, that's all! Such things you love not with your mind, not with logic, but with your insides, your guts, you love your first young strength..." (230).

Perhaps the imagery is gruesome, but I just love that line: "you love them with your insides, your guts!" Here are some things I love with my guts:

Walks after breakfast
Blue skies
Happy goldfish
Perfectly brewed tea
Flowers that bloom into autumn
Calls from home
Finding the perfect position to read in
Heirloom jewelry
Understanding chemistry
Wearing hats
Smiling and holding doors for other people

...basically anything that makes me want to sing and dance is gut-loving worthy.


Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, 2002.

Once upon a time, in a distant land...

Hello friends, it's been a while and I miss you all.

The reason I haven't written is because I am in a magical, distant place full of wonderful things to do, amazing people to meet, and brilliant things to see called college. Here, my dear friends, is my list of favorite things about college (in no particular order):

1. The campus looks and feels like Hogwarts. The first day of class, I had to stop myself from asking why all the students were not in house robes, and why in the world the faculty was not wearing pointed caps. The reality is, this is Dominican University, not Hogwarts, but the Gothic, ivy draped vibe is still the same. The way light shines through the second level chapel at night is enchanting and beautiful.

2. There is this awesome vibe here called Caritas et Veritas. When I came to admissions events and went on a tour through the campus as a high schooler I was blown away by how friendly everyone was. The school truly is full of people brimming with happiness, from the teachers who actually know your name to the sisters who give you random hugs in the hallways and even the students who hold doors like true gentlemen and ladies. The school motto, meaning "Love and Truth" is totally legit.

3. I have the cutest dorm room. Yes, I was nervous about how it would come together, but it has. My roommate (who is the best roommate one could ask for) and I have bedecked and bedazzled our room complete with art posters, butterfly wall stickers, and shelves full of health food. We have even welcomed another friend into our home, Francis the Goldfish, who I won at the annual DU Fest. My curious friend is a brilliant orange color who brightens even the most difficult homework assignment.

4. I actually like my classes. Yes, that is right, I like my teachers. All of them. I really appreciate how my English 102 teacher didn't just slap an A on my paper... she's actually going to make me refine my writing style before I can have that 4.0. I am also enjoying my Nutrition (yee!), Honors Seminar (aka book club), Chemistry (you'd like chem 101 too if you had this teacher... he doesn't look at you funny no matter how stupid your question is), and Computer Science (very little homework, please and thank you) classes.

5. I'm not the only Jesus Freak, in fact there's a bunch of us. I can go to Mass every day with the sisters on campus and a group of faithful friends. I get to sing in the Liturgical Choir (and get academic credit). Whipping out a rosary is totally commonplace. I can also be a part of an awesome group called Breaking Open, which consists of the coolest group of people on campus and tons of other prayer and service opportunities. I'm even meeting people from different faiths and learning about them. Plus, the chapel is connected to a reading room, which I have taken full advantage of. How cool is that!

6. I don't care what the other kids on campus say, I like the food. The thing is, the cooks sneak vegetables into pretty much everything, so of course I love it! I figure if you don't like the choices of the day just go to the salad bar or make yourself a PB&J.

7. I can wear whatever I want. No uniforms for college kids. Ha!

8. I don't have to wake up at 6:00am to get to class on time. I live two minutes away from breakfast and class... I can get plenty of beauty sleep... most of the time...

9. The Rebecca Crown Library is the most wonderful place in the world. Three levels of library, filled with books from all over the world, in all different languages, on all different subjects, from all different times. I found one book printed in 1850-- and it had a barcode! I can check out anything I want from this glorious place! But more on this later...

10. I know how to get to Chicago and will do so quite often. Believe me, I plan to take full advantage of those student reduced ticket prices!

11. Making new friends, meeting new people, and being overwhelmed with endless opportunities. Yes, it's tiring and stressful, but it's coming together. Dominican University, here I am!

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." -Rabindranath Tagore

It's true. I am a college kid. I'm sitting in my dorm at my desk (a sturdy wooden thing) by my bunk bed (I get to be on the top!) and my window (which looks out onto the parking lot and has a lovely view of the morning sun). Behind my laptop is an inspiring layout of delightful things, including my Speech Team glow in the dark star, a pretend diploma, sweetly naming me "most graceful," an I <3 Bigby bumper sticker and a picture of my sweetie.

Hanging above my bed is a friend from home: a decorative butterfly that dangles from the ceiling and makes me happy. I have always loved butterflies, from the way they flutter around so lightly and are blown about by the wind to the ticklish sensation they cause when they land on you. I was inspired to do some googling about these winged friends and found some delightful facts... including these from: href="http://www.vlinder-01.dds.nl/butterfly_symbolism.htm">http://www.vlinder-01.dds.nl/butterfly_symbolism.htm,

There is a Native American legend that says, " If you have a secret wish, capture a butterfly and whisper your wish to it. Since butterflies cannot speak, your secret is ever safe in their keeping. Release the butterfly, and it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of butterflies.By setting the butterfly free, you are helping to restore the balance of nature, and your wish will surely be granted."

Psyche is the Greek word for both soul and butterfly. The belief was that butterflies were human souls searching for a new reincarnation, which gave the creature uncanny and sometimes ominous connotations. This symbolism was also used in early Christianity as a symbol of the soul. Celts thought that women became pregnant by swallowing butterfly souls. These butterfly-souls flew about seeking a new mother.

Other cultures believed that spirits of the dead took the form of white butterflies. In northern Europe to see one flying at night was a warning of death, and some said that the soul-butterfly's ability to leave the body in sleep accounts for dreams.

The Chinese believed a jade butterfly suggested a wedding of souls, making it an appropriate gift for the groom to give to his bride.

Perhaps you have heard some things about these little dudes but weren't sure whether or not to believe it. Well, my friends, I, annwithane, am here to demystify the butterfly conundrum.... THINGS YOU WEREN'T SURE WERE TRUE BUT ACTUALLY ARE:

1. Monarch butterflies journey from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 2,000 miles, and return to the north again in the spring.

2. Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.

3. Butterflies can see red, green, and yellow.

4. Many butterflies can taste with their feet to find out whether the leaf they sit on is good to lay eggs on to be their caterpillars' food or not.

5. There are more types of insects in one tropical rain forest tree than there are in the entire state of Vermont.

6. Most insects are beneficial to people because they eat other insects, pollinate crops, are food for other animals, make products we use (like honey and silk) or have medical uses.

7. People eat insects – called "Entomophagy"(people eating bugs) – it has been practiced for centuries throughout Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and North, Central and South America. Why? Because many bugs are both protein-rich and good sources of vitamins, minerals and fats.


Alright, friends, I do hope that cleared some things up for you. These 7 facts are from www.thebutterflysite.com. Check it out, it's just delightful.

If you ever run into an injured butterfly and simply can't leave it in its misery, find out what to do at Butterfly Rescue International. That's right people, an entire organization dedicated to saving our little friends!

A 10' by 12' pit of possibility

Preparing for college is very stressful, from the application and acceptance portion to the scholarships and financial conundrums... but I don't need to tell you about that. Either you know about all of this already, you will sooner or later, or you will hear others complaining about it from now until forever. But this, my friends, is not my place to complain, rather, I choose to use this online opportunity to muse about my future dorm room.

Ah, my dorm. Shared with just one other person, this is the only place in college that I may officially call my own, and ONLY my own. From the mini fridge to the shower caddy, it seems there are many necessities in this place. However, I am finding that the cutsie, predictable dorm decorations abounding in stores are not inspiring me. Instead of cut-out florals or neon patterns, I'm on the lookout for designs and colors that draw out my inner zen/intellect/happiness.

To do this, I think I shall make a list of the things that inspire me in such ways. Perhaps this will lead me to finding the perfect college bedding set (my cockeyed-optimistic approach)

1. Flowers~ particularly lilies, roses, peonies, and anything that smells delicious

2. Tea Cups~ the old designs are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the soft, iridescent colors

3. Tomatoes~ Honestly, I believe tomatoes are the perfect food. You can do pretty much anything with them and they will taste great

4. Stars~ Nothing is more spectacular than a clear night sky full of stars

5. Ella Fitzgerald~ When paired with Louis Armstrong, nothing can stop her

6. Cinderella~ Rags to riches stories exist all over the world, as do brilliant interpretations of this girl's fantastic wardrobe

7. Chanel~ "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" -Coco Chanel

8. Pianos~ From the music they make to the alluring shine of their keys, there is something truly appealing about a piano, not to mention those people who can play one

9. Speaking Spanish~ I like how much I think about what I am saying, but even better is when I don't have to think as hard- and it just comes to me!

10. Walking~ Through parks, neighborhoods, cities, country streets, beaches- there is no better place than the present. You can walk wherever you are.

11. Museums~ The one and only type of place I love to get lost in

How this list will help me set up my dorm room, I'm not sure... Though I have some ideas now.

Reading my own palm

My design interpretations according to my interests:

Flowers: Perhaps a vase, bottle, or bowl full of blooms (fake or real... preferably real)

Tea Cups: Look for soft pinks, blues and turquoise with gold accents and delicate designs

Tomatoes: Hmm, maybe an obsession with tomatoes should just stay in the kitchen...

Stars: One is never too old for glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

Ella Fitzgerald: There is an intriguing poster of Ella at a performance- you can just tell how engrossed she is in her own world of music and rhythm.

Cinderella: Ah, Cinderella- I'll reflect my love of her with my shoe collection

Chanel: Authentic Chanel may require something more extravagant than a college student's budget, but I can certainly draw from her tasteful use of pearls, tailored fabric, and good smells

Pianos: A collection of quality piano tunes in digital form would fit perfectly into a dinky dorm room while making it sound as huge as a concert hall

Speaking Spanish: Ooh, architectural elements from Spain are gorgeous- think wrought iron crosses, brightly painted tiles, and fountains. I believe a cross is in order, right above my bed.

Walking: "Walking" might be a hint to get out of the room. Frequent walking will be part of my schedule.

Museums: Posters will abound in the old-fashioned way: filling the walls from top to bottom. However, I hope I won't get too lost in my own room.

Wow! I truly think it was worth my while to do this. It's like reading my own mind...