Foolery.

I have now realized that it is not good to let your sibling onto your computer.

Blog = hijacked. :)

Duluth: City of Windblown Humans

This morning I was starting to experience dropsy again. The kind of dropsy where you fall asleep... everywhere. So I decided I needed to escape my castle abode. No matter how cozy it is. And it is rather too cozy. So I pulled on my sweater and headed out the door and walked down towards the Lake of Shining Waters, took a left and ended up here. At Dunn Bros. A great study spot I discovered. I am eating a blueberry muffin and quite content in fact. 

Today I have no school and I shall have no school until Tuesday. You have no idea how freakishly happy this made me. And I am celebrating big by reading books. I finished "Tale of Despereaux" which was quaint and cute, but a bit too morally for my liking. I don't like it when an author is trying to teach me things. I like to figure things out myself. Note to authors everywhere= don't dumb your audience or we will dumb you down. Sorry, didn't mean that to sound threatening or anything. But, I read all last night, sipped chai tea, and wore my gigantic green wool sweater which Heather and I decided is our sister exchange sweater. Nothing quite so comforting as a bulky big sweater. 

Duluth has been major sweater weather lately. I am wearing a sweater right now to think of it. Duluth is also the city of windblown humans. Note to prissy ladies everywhere: "do not, I repeat, do not get yourself a perfect new 'do' and then take a trip to Duluth. You will regret it forever when the wind takes a blow at your pompadour and you are blown to Calcutta (or something)." If you don't watch yourself here, you will be blown into the lake. Seriously.

But I have come to love this town. True, it has it's dark and unattractive side as does any town, but there is a lot of beauty and friendly people here as well. And I feel so much more free here now than when I was cooped up in a dorm room all year. That is one thing I've learned about myself. I am really very much like Eowyn from the good ole' "Lord of the Rings". Aragorn - "What do you fear my lady?" Éowyn - "A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire." I have come to realize that what I fear most is to be caged up. To not be free. To feel like I haven't done anything of worth all my life. I crave adventure more than a girl really should. 

But, living in my house I feel happy and free. And right now, unstressed and sipping coffee, I feel like a bumblebee. Not really. That just rhymes so I just felt like sounding a bit cheesy.

Have yourselves a sunshiney day folks.

Song of the Day:

"Breakfast at Tiffany's"

The Artful Homework Dodger

Yes sir. I am indeed dodging my homework with a pointless posting of projects that I am going to accomplish this summer. I will probably add to this list as the fancy takes me.

1.Make Vintage Suitcase Coffee Table (It is so magical that you can even store things within!)

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: ashley’s vintage-suitcase coffee table

2. Clear out my closet and room of unused clothes and junk, donate unused items to charity, and make clever projects out of some of the junk. Ideas: 

~Use T-shirt book   

~Turn unused sweaters and shirts into pillow covers

~Using old jars make moroccan lanterns  Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: katie’s glass-jar moroccan lanterns   

3. Write something significant: be it a collection of monologues, a short story, etc.

4. Take experimental pictures

5. Cook some funky recipes : Soups, quiches, casseroles, veggie dishes, etc. (check out recipe books from library and copy recipes... compile into my college cookbook)

6. Read good plays

7. Work through the "Artist's Way Program" and actually do it

There is more, but I am going to wait for my brain to awaken before I add more. Today is one of those fall asleep in a little ball days. Why am I so darn sleepy? I need to wake up. Maybe I will plod outside for a bit because it is golden and sunny, and then attempt more homework. Uffdah! Oh, but I am excited for Friday though, because, Friday I do not have Public Speeking class, which means, I will spend the whole day cleaning up our little maids quarters, maybe bakings some muffins, doing massive amounts of dishes, laundry, and will take a walk down to the park to read my book, and then rehearsal in the evening. It will be a good day. But onto the present. Off I go to attempt some waking up. Goodbye comrades.

Song of the moment: Apache by Danger Beach

Of Popping Food

This is probably one of the most random blog postings I will make. But I am tired. And I feel like dedicating a post to the food that has predominated my diet for the past many a year. And that food is the marvelous corn that pops when you stick it over hot coals. I suppose one could say that is somewhat metaphorical, because wouldn't it be nice, when you walked over the hot coals of life, to pop with joy, instead of wilt like an old piece of spinach. But, I am not going to get philosophical. I am simply going to say. I love popcorn. That's it. And the book by Tomie DePaola by that name is brilliantly simple. This Monday, celebrate popcorn by grabbing yourself a big heapin' bowlful. 

Okay, Have yourself a jolly little day. Love, Flo.

"Thinking outrageously I write in courier..."

Well, this picture is almost to a T my new abode. It has been a delightful last couple of days in my castle. On Monday night Emily and I made dinner in our new place, feeling like the perfect little homemakers, I ran outside and picked dandelions, and we dolled up the table. After dinner with our other two housemates, we headed off to Grandma's for dessert where I had tiramisu and I felt like a little french girl. Emily and I then went on a little hike where we looked at old houses as the sun set and a paper moon came out to grace the sky. It was beautiful and magical. Back in our castle we had chai tea and watched part of Amelie. That movie never ceases to grab me with how much I relate to the main character of Amelie. If I was a movie, I think I would be Amelie. The combination of the bouncy and beautiful accordian/piano music, the warm colors, the emphasis on simple pleasures and joy, and the pure childlikeness create such a connection between me and this film.

In honor of Amelie, I think I shall narrate myself like in the film.

Carla likes:

Carla likes tearing paper into tiny shreds

Carla likes the smell of coffee on a chilly spring morning

Carla likes making people laugh with silly and random comments

Carla likes surprising people 

Carla likes when bananas have the perfect tinge of green

Carla likes people who care passionately about something and are well-versed in that something

Carla likes accordians

Carla likes when her nose develops freckles

Carla likes seeing families laughing as they share their inside jokes

Carla likes to imagine herself as a sailor

Carla likes cuddling up with a good book for hours and losing oneself in a story

Carla like people who don't give a whit what others think of them

Carla likes staying in old hotels and pretending she is Sherlock Holmes while solving imaginary cases

Carla likes blowing milk bubbles

Carla likes the sound of waterfalls

Carla likes warm cozy muffins

Carla will continue this some other time perhaps.

As for now, I should go finish typing up my speech on C.S. Lewis which I am giving today and finish sipping my coffee. I gotta skeedaddle. So goodbye.

Song of Day: "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song"

I think I will bake cookies tonight.

I Capture the Castle

Haha. Well, unlike Cassandra in "I Capture the Castle" I do not write this sitting in the kitchen sink. Rather, I write this sitting in the sunshine shining in from the windows in one of the academic buildings of UMD. It is rather early, 8:15, and I sit sipping coffee. I decided to walk Emily to her class today so that she wouldn't get lost, but although that meant early rising, it also means I have time to write and read. Which are the most delightful of morning activities.


So, I will tell you about yesterday and my move into my new abode. We drove up to the house, which is an old brick castle-looking house with a tower. The day was sunny and green and resembled Ireland and mom and I walked up to the house for my meeting with Cathy, the maintenance lady. She was a super cute gray-haired woman with one of those perpetually surprised expressions and a very energetic and flustered but sweet personality. I will be taking pictures soon and maybe posting them here, but the house is a dream. Beautiful woods floors, big tiled bathrooms, hidden doors, multiple staircases with you find after wandering the house, a beautiful kitchen, and a charming living room complete with an electric fireplace. Emily and I set up our bedroom which is a tiny little room, technically the maid's quarters of the house, which has a little door leading to the balcony outside. One of the 3rd floor residents, Henry, a hippy-esque fellow, gave us a jade plant which we named Agias Agamemnon. I still, however, cannot grow accustomed to the fact that I will be living in that fairy-tale-like house for the next month. It seems very unreal. I want to be sure to "capture" the castle and not miss out on the novelty of our stay there. To truly experience the house and this summer month in Duluth is what I would like to do.


I brought my castle-reading books with me which include "The Tale of Desperoux", "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie", and "Brideshead Revisited". Sitting on the balcony and reading one of these I think will be one of my pastimes. I also want to make sure to write letters, and also to take walks along the Lake Superior boardwalk. I don't want to miss out on anything. I also just found out that my first read through doesn't start until tomorrow evening, so I have this evening to make dinner with Emily and maybe take a walk or something lovely like that. I am so dang thankful. Okee. Well, I guess I will end this post now.


P.S. I really like this book art.


Love, Carmen


(Today's Music: The CDs of Beirut and Annes of Green Gables)

Of Big Fat Aardvarks. Or B.F.A.s.

This little child is sitting at home on her green carpet, in a knubby green sweater, and feeling wonderfully chipper. I have had one heck of a good last couple of days and I am still sitting on the moon with my fishing pole. Hmmmm, where to start.


To begin, I found out that I received all A's in my classes this semester which was a beauteous thing to behold. Second, I am signed up to take both Modern Dance and Jazz Dance next semester. Third, I was accepted into University of Minnesota Duluth's B.F.A. Acting Track. Fourth, I was reunited with my family and poofy puppy. And finally, I will be staying for May and June in a charming little house in Duluth that has a little stained glass window, and electric fireplace, a garden out back, and is within walking distance to campus. I am just a spoiled little girl. And I am going to bask in my spoiled-ness for a while. I really don't think God minds me basking in the joyful things He has given me. I think He simply appreciates my thanking Him and realizing where all these blessings are coming from. Not from my own merit or work, but rather from his providence and care for me. To have a Father that caring and committed to his children is one heck of a great thing.


So, as I bask in these things, I will attempt to be posting more blog updates, potentially pictures of my two month Duluth house, updates on playing Moth in "Love's Labour's Lost", and any quotes, pictures, videos, etc. that I come across.


"Great is Thy Faithfulness".


And song of the day is "Grown Ocean" by Fleet Foxes.


Pssst... Do you like my new blog title. I do. It feels more fitting. I think it is also fitting as I am in the stage of my life where the story is starting and the curtain is rising.


Love, Carmen

Happy May Day

On this day back in 1884. Nope, I lied. On this day back in the late 1990s, Boopie and I used to put together little baskets filled with cookies and tulips and daffodils, and deliver them to our neighbors' doorsteps. And run away, giggling like maniacs.


I miss those days. And I miss the days of having the free brain space to think to do little things like that. Now that I'm in college, I kind of have to force my brain to take a breather in order to think of pointless things to do. It's like my brain refuses to do anything if it is utterly unrelated to school. 


But, only 2 more weeks of school, and then home for a weekend, and then back to Duluth for a month of Duluth summer, complete with a class in Public Speaking and the role of a witty page boy Stage 2's production of "Love's Labour's Lost". I really am very excited for this summer as I think it will combine many good things. I will be able to taste a bit of Duluth summers and be in a play at the same time, will be able to go home to be with the family and my Squishy the malamute, and will be able to go to Sugar Lake with Grandma and Grandma. I really am so very blessed and just forget to recognize that fact.


I also just realized that I have not blogged in eons, and I thought it would be helpful for my brain to release a bit of it's clogging on some sort of written medium. So here it is.


Ooohhh! I forgot to tell you. This week, I went to this random lecture on "Hiking the Inca Trail" which, as most random excursions turn out to be, was the highlight of my week. The lady talking very closely resembled Katherine Hepburn, was very engaging, and wore a 100% baby alpaca fur sweater. She was a nifty adventurous woman, let me tell you. It sounded so exciting as she described the steep trek and at the end her tour of Machu Picchu which is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Just walking amidst all that history would make my bones tingle with happiness.


And last night, it was all windy and cold and rainy and I cuddled up with popcorn and watched a fantastic film called "The Devil's Backbone". A Spanish ghost story directed by the director of "Pan's Labyrinth" it was beautifully creepy, sad, and even quite gory. But as usual, Guillermo Del Toro filmed it beautifully.


Right now I am sitting in the Engineering Building for no particular reason except for change of scenery and as I look out this little window there is a little patch of prairie in between the buildings. It has waving grasses and is very picturesque.


Anyhoo. I am attempting to be quite productive at the moment and it is really backfiring. So I should probably get back to it.


Nice talking with you.


And here is a nice picture of flying kites on a hill. That is where I would like to be presently.

I wish you happy sleep. Until later, chow.