Thoughts on the Journey

Just seen on misslucyjane's journal and one of my favorite students introduced me as the awesome librarian to his mother. Life is good.

What are you reading now? I'm reading My Life in France by Julia Child, which I keep raving about because I love it. Her nephew helped her to write it and her life story is amazing as well as her journey of figuring out who she is and what she sees as important. I love the joy she took in her life, her bravery in moving to different countries and making each new place home. Its also one of those books that's a great reminder that it takes time to find your way in life.

What did you just finish reading? Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly, it was on sale as an ebook and I read it in one big gulp on Sunday night, which was bad for my sleep schedule but a great book. The heart of the story is about a man who once killed a dragon and a kingdom who calls for him, but how nothing is as you expect. It plays with tropes about magic, love, power and has characters that feel real. Also two characters that wear spectacles in a medieval setting, I loved it. She's one of those authors that I always love reading but sometimes get intimidated by just how much she's written. If you enjoy Discworld and Garth Nix for acknowledgement of tropes, some humor and honesty, read this book.

What will you read next? Yesterday I got a package from amazon full of my next reads. Two romances from Courtney Milan's Turner brother's series as I read the last one first and wanted to own more of her books in print and A Fantasy Medley 2. I bought the third book purely for the Tybalt story in it.

Oh and guys, the sun is out and there's blue sky. I think I might end up having a pretty drive east and when I finish work, there's a message from muji waiting on my phone. We're going to find a way to meet up and there will be chances to connect with millimuns in NYC and I get to see an opera.

I do really love my family but two days of sleeping on odd surfaces isn't fun while my shark week hits hard. Saturday was amazing as the day was spent with my brother and his family, they gave me a basket full of cooking oils, sauces, salts and dried things for my pantry. I'm going to have such fun cooking with all of them. Sunday we went to my father's first cousin's house in North Jersey which is small, was full of people I didn't know and my body went ugh, no. I had a nap, didn't eat much and just had an odd day. The best part of the party was that my father was talking up my Yuletide story to someone from his cousin's writing group, it was strange and wonderful.

Today we traveled back to Delaware and tonight a small group of people are coming over to eat, which should be nice. Tomorrow and later this week, there will be movies and lots of not doing a lot. I'm thinking about seeing Les Mis, taking my parents to see The Hobbit and maybe Wreck-it Ralph. Oh and muji, I'm emailing you as if there's space in your schedule I want to see you.

I finished Code Name Verity on the drive to my brother's place and I'm still in flailing mode about it. That's just a painful, beautiful book. My next two books are going to be Pratchett's and hopefully lighter, Dodger in an ebook and Snuff in paperback.

Oh and if anyone can guess my yuletide, I'll write you a story. I'm still working on various gift fics, but the offer's there. Some hints, it's been recced by someone on my circle, its over 3k and in a fandom I've never written for before.

Also signal boost: Aren't You Glad You Left Livejournal" Anniversary Fic Exchange/Festival/Creatathon! I hope to fill some of these in the coming week since there are some great prompts.

Before I descend into party prep and just not doing a lot, I thought I'd do the end of the year meme.

( Looking back on 2012 )

It feels great to go into this new year knowing that I have a job and an apartment and am finding where I fit in a new place.

It turns out a school party that I thought was tonight is tomorrow night, so I can have a restful night. The day is rainy but not as cold as yesterday, I always appreciate not having to deice my car in the morning.

Now for two holiday things, I'll try and hit up everyone's love meme threads this weekend and if you don't do them, know that I think you're wonderful. I hope to get started on my cards soon as I feel a little overwhelmed at how behind I am on my shopping.

If you'd like a holiday fic, leave me a prompt here.

holiday love meme 2012
my thread.

I just back from a lovely Thanksgiving with my friend A and her family. I've been sleeping in and just feeling tired and grateful.

I'm grateful for everyone in my life who has helped me get through this wonderful and tricky transition. I hope that your days are full of people you love and delicious food.

Now a wonderful meme last seen on ashen_key's journal.

One little compliment can make you feel amazing. So give me a compliment, anything in the entire world, even that my shoelaces are pretty. Put this in your journal. And once you get some comments, put that entry in a memory or tag and when you are feeling down, just go to that entry and this will remind you how great you are.

Don't forget to post this in your own journal so I can compliment you, too!

Also if you want a card, please let me know here. I do have lots of addresses and will send cards if I have your address, but let me know if its changed.

From wanderlustlover and camwyn, I spent last night coughing and sneezing and today there's a staff appreciation lunch. It's going to be an odd but I think good day. There's also something off about feeling pretty sick the night before getting a flu shot.

So I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious but you have no idea about, or something obscure you just have to know. Ask away. All topics, within reason, are open for discussion.

Today was a really good day and one that I realized I needed. Yesterday I felt like a zombie thanks to how long Back to School night was, I wasn't the only one either, but long day.

The good started with getting to the school not terribly early but early and having time to make tea. I had left my mug in the library yesterday, which meant that this morning my tea was a lipton bag with hot water from a coffee maker. Now this isn't bad, but my norm is proper boiling water and a nicer tea bag but still it was tea.

Then the library was quiet, there were kids but everyone was just being comfortable. I think they've been listening to me in terms of being respectful of who else is in the library. I took advantage of this quiet to put together a possible schedule for all the school emergency drills as this is apparently my job, then filled out rental applications. I know the one I want and that's the one I'm going to turn in after work tomorrow. Then I hope so very much that the turn around will be quick and I could actually move in by October 1st.

Now the big wonderful part of today was talking to this library designer/consultant person that the library consultant the school had talked to before hiring me recommended. This meeting was full of hearing one of the school heads saying we want a plan and images to pitch to donors. Also he liked my ideas and clearly approved of how I was thinking of the space. It was this great moment of yes, change is going to happen and I will be a major force in it, I think more of a force than the school even realizes. The other fun thing was there's this one student who has really reached out to me and as I was on the way to the meeting asked for my help with some research. We ended up not crossing paths until the end of the day today, but I'm going to help him and I hope other people start to see that I can do that. It just feels possible.

I know a lot of you are having hard times at the moment and I hope that the winds change for you.

I also adore the tropes' meme and plan on making the amnesiac Charles/Erik story into something bigger. Please keep prompting me over there as I've discovered that I do like the idea of writing Jane Austen fanfic as opposed to just Becoming Jane fic. This could be dangerous.

I'm loving my new job but I have these moments of realizing how little this community knows about how a library works. I think some of the teachers and kids get it but then something will happen and I feel like blinking at the world.

( In which I go on about my library )

In terms of finding a place, I'm meeting with the realtor on Saturday morning and my hostess is going to Ohio this weekend, so I get to have some space to myself. I'm really looking forward to it since every day I stop off for food or at a cafe right after work to destress. Because when I'm working, I'm on all the time as students and faculty come and go. I hope it won't be too long once I find a place before I can move as I miss having my own space. This in-between one works fairly well but want my space. Also I'm starting to get enough of a routine that I feel like I can start doing other stuff that's been waiting, I apologize for how long its taken me to get anything in the mail.

Life is good and busy. I do have moments of am I up for this job? I do feel like I am. Now another meme, this time last seen at in_the_blue:

Comment and I will:

Tell you why I friended you
Associate you with something
Tell you something I like about you
Tell you a memory I have of you
Associate you with a character or pairing
Ask something I've always wanted to know about you
Tell you my favorite userpic of yours
Tell you that you may post this in your own journal

I have a second interview on Friday and made it home in one piece. I hate the roads around Detroit so much, they always leave me feeling like I'm going to miss my turn or get side swiped by someone. The only roads that can compare to worry and terror are the ones around Baltimore for me, but I made it to the interview and back safely.

My lunch at a local deli was rather disappointing, so I'm planning on going out later to Whole Foods to pick up either some wine or beer and something delicious for dinner. I also had a bad moment of my lunch considering coming back up on me but it didn't. My parents will be arriving sometime tomorrow night to help me move and as they said celebrate all that I've accomplished in Michigan.

At the moment I feel rather like a harp that someone's run their hand across and all the strings are vibrating. Most of the vibration is good but some of its leftover from Detroit driving, which is a touch nervous.

I think since I have energy and am in the mood to write, let's end this with a prompt meme.

Give me character(s) from a fandom I know, setting or a lyric or anything else and I'll write you at least a hundred words.

ETA: And now the energy's gone from good to uncomfortable and I can feel myself being a little snappish. I think there's just been a little too much today and I need to give myself more time to process and a trip out will help.

Second ETA: I have driven where I know and want to go with loud music, bought delicious wine and food and feel better. It's just been a full day.

Tomorrow afternoon, evening and part of Wednesday, I'm going to be spending at dodger_sister's. The plan is watching movies, talking mainly about writing, dinner and taking full advantage of the delicious AC in her place. I was feeling better today but my rather nice dinner ended up not staying where it should, I'm not happy. My sleep schedule's off again, last night I didn't get to sleep until six and the night before my coughing woke me up at six. Tonight I hope for a fairly solid night's sleep, though the fact the weather's gotten hotter again probably will make it trickier.

Good things have been happening, I figured out what I need to do for canceling various services before moving, I had a fantastic conversation with my family. My parents are babysitting my nieces and my sister is down there as well, that meant the phone conversation was full of everything. The nieces talked about Wonderstruck, my sister raved about her Mac, she's finally getting actually digitally connected, books with my father and just general health and planning with both parents. It's weird to think that they'll be here in about a week and by August I'll be out of Michigan. For context, my sister is in her older 40s and she's had email and access to computers but it never really stuck for her. This has worried me and my family as she's wanted to change jobs and it seemed like things were passing her by, but she sounded excited and asked for my help. I look forward to what I can do for her. A lot of things in her life have been moving forward and it makes me so happy to see it. Oh and I've been acquiring some good music of late, a Wallflowers' cd, Tori Amos' To Venus and Back, The Dark Knight soundtrack, that one's fully adiva_calandia and lienne's fault <33s and then one called Songs of the Civil War with a lot of good artists I know. I'm going to be enjoying a few of these on my drive tomorrow and at other points.

This coming week is going to be quite chaotic with Art Fair and many shifts, which is why I'm going for a break. I'll have my laptop and phone, so will definitely be doing some tagging, I just won't be on as much as I normally am.

If you'd like five topics just comment with five or something like that for me.

Now for the last round of five topics, this time from innerbrat:

1. Children's literature.
I love children's literature from picture books to young adult stuff. It's amazing how much the concept of children's literature has changed since I was a girl in the 80s, 90s to now in terms of adding depth and quality. There are fantastic authors who are reaching out to connect with their readers, publishers doing the same and kids going YES back at them. I love seeing how my nieces have reading as a part of their life and I hope in my professional life to become someone kids know they can trust about books they like and want to read. When I was young, I read children's books and grown up books, everything I could find and I had librarians who helped me figure out my way. That's why I want to be a librarian, I also love getting to explore books as part of my life and the constantly growing world of children's literature.

2. Friendship
I consider myself a loyal friend and feel blessed for all my friends from those I've met to those I haven't. To me being a friend means doing what I can to support someone however I can, sometimes that means not doing anything. My oldest friend is someone who our mother's met while pregnant and our birthdays are both in June. Mine at the start, hers at the end and we've been close since elementary school. When we were younger, we always seemed like almost mirror images to me. She was the oldest in her family with two younger brothers and the house full of all the toys, cable and sweet snacks, I was the youngest with two older brothers and an older sister and parents who watched my television watching and had healthy food. Though I did get sneaky with the TV and they finally gave up trying to cut me off after I learned how to plug it in and they realized I read as much as I watched.

Now this friend and I have stayed in touch all over the world, she moved when we were both in high school but we're constantly visiting each other and calling and texting. I know that no matter what she's there. Then there's all the Milliways' friends and friends of friends who form my other network that I love and hope to get to see when I'm back on the East Coast. Life is short and friends make it sweet and rich.

3. Textures
Textures aren't something I'm constantly thinking about, but I'm always aware of. I play with my jewelery, touching my earrings, twisting my ring and bracelets, thinking about what's there. At the moment, I'm wearing a long silk skirt that feels light and cool and sandals that I can feel supporting my tired feet. My lips are cracked as I fiddle with them and my hair is feeling light and not heavy as I washed it yesterday.

4. Changeling
I don't recall which came first reading Charles de Lint or playing Changeling: the Dreaming, but both of them hold my idea of magic in the world. Magic where it's just out of the corner of your eyes, complicated and itself, you will be changed by it and it by you. The roleplaying games I've been proudest of running were Changeling ones. The LARP and tabletop that I ran at college, my players had their dramas but we had some great adventures. That was where I learned the great lesson of don't plan too much and trust the creativity of those around you, it's served me quite well so far.

Tiwa, piwakawaka my glorious fantail pooka is one of my favorite characters to play as she's a part of me. She's my creativity, my love of New Zealand and the teacher part of me all out there in the world and going, I want to know and explore and fly. The kind of stories I want to tell and write are those of magic just at the corner of your eye that gives you wings and shows you your possibility.

5. Faith
My faith is fairly simple. I was raised in the Swarthmore Monthly Meeting, which meets every Sunday in a lovely building with odd green cushions and paint on the edge of the Swarthmore campus. I spent my childhood going to First Day School, Quaker Sunday School, got marigolds on Easter, played in the pageant and after every meeting, spent time with wonderful people. One of the traditions of this meeting is after the Sunday meeting, there's brunch and everyone talks and laughs and you feel the community. That's the root of my faith, the joy of being with people, walking through lilacs and knowing that God is everywhere. I've addressed God with many names in my travels and felt his touch from Pennsylvania to jewel box churches in Greece to by the water in Wellington or with family. Faith to me means that we're all connected and have something rather strange inside us that says, yes, there is more.

I hope these answers make sense, I ended up being rather philosophical.

Today just seems to keep being weird for me, though I am accomplishing stuff. The movers are settled, so now I can focus on starting to sort and clean my place and arranging to shut off various services. My body is being awful and I don't know why. My ankle's been hurting quite badly and when I went to get lunch, I had a point where I thought I might faint. I ended up not able to eat my sandwich and instead had some yogurt which helped. I've no idea what happened and plan on sleeping a lot when I get home tonight.

I ended up writing a fill over on marvelousladies, which is awesome, everyone should go play there. The story I wrote is Get Your Claws In, a Peggy, Natasha fic from the prompt: Any: Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women. Later I'll post it on Ao3, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

Since I'm still feeling a bit worn out and work is quiet, I'm going to do a few more rounds of the 5 topics/question meme.

Comment to this post saying "FIVE!" and I will pick five things I would like you to talk about. They might make sense or be totally random.

Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself, hopefully for the rest of eternity!

(I don't really care if you say "FIVE" or let me know some other way. Just for the record.)

From in_the_blue
1. libraries

2. ( travel )

3. job hunting

4. ( your very favorite fictional character )

5. where you see yourself in ten years

Next round is from muji

1. Why librarian.
This one gets its own answer because its kind of tucked into the other one I did before. Libraries are where I keep coming back to throughout my life, they've always been the safe places for me. I know that I can enter any public library around the world and I will find a quiet space to sit, free internet and like minded people. I want to help create those places for kids, for them to know that they can come to me and I'll help them navigate books and life and creativity. Growing up it was librarians who gave me the courage to try reading books I wouldn't have normally tried and who were simply there for me.

2. ( Living in Michigan. )

3. ( Other countries. )