Thoughts on the Journey

I've recently been reading some wonderful books that I haven't had a chance to talk about and as I just finished one more I thought I would. On the recommendation of minkhollow, I read Villains by Necessity and it made me so happy. It's a riff on a high fantasy worlds where the balance of the world has gone too far towards Light and a band of villains need to go and open a DarkGate to release Darkness into the world once again. The band of characters and world is well drawn while still playing on well known fantasy tropes, there are moments of fun and some tough places and I enjoyed it. If you like high fantasy and enjoy Diana Wynne Jones and Pratchett, I can't recommend it enough.

The other two books I read that have stayed in my thoughts are quite different ends of the spectrum. Unraveled by Courtney Milan, a fantastic historical romance that I won from SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com that's about a woman trying to get by and a rather strict judge. Their romance is complicated and careful and the book just works. I plan on finding the rest of this author's books as apparently this is one in a series she wrote about a family.

Then the other book is Rosanne Cash's Composed which is a book about family, writing, music and love. Her way with words is breathtaking and I kept crying with recognition and amazement as I was reading. The only thing I wish I'd been able to do as I was reading was have her greatest hits playing as her songs and her family's songs are touchstones throughout the book.

Last night at work one of my fics started to come together, which makes me so happy. Maybe, maybe I'll be able to post it this week along with doing more job stuff.

The meme is a tarot one which is simple but I have to say that the answer feels right to me.

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I still feel remarkably shattered from what happened today but I feel much more hopeful. I emailed the people in charge of the Pep stuff and they're going to see what's going on. I have time to register for classes in the second half of the second semester and if need be, I'll drop or audit my seminar class. Its the only one I don't need to graduate.

Thank you so much for all your good thoughts. I had a long talk with my parents that helped as they pointed out how not having a consistent advisor didn't help matters and that I have allies. They're right, SI is a good place, I just hit a bump.

Then my mom and I ended up talking about fanfiction and it made me happy as I was able to explain to her my reasons. It reminded me just how much I love writing and I think I'll be putting up another prompt meme and I wrote a Will OOM that makes me happy. He's the first character I ever really wrote or told about and I love him. Maybe someday I'll share my tales of him with more of the world.

Now I'm going to do round two of the icon meme with icons from wanderlustlover, if you'd like some of your own to talk about just comment and ask me.



Dean is my favorite part of Supernatural and one of my favorite television characters, because he feels so real with his hurts and his vices. I spotted this icon on a community somewhere and went yes. I love the softness in his face and the words, time rambles on and its worth remembering. What's horrible today won't be tomorrow.



At one point, LJ had this weird glitch where random icons would appear instead of the ones you meant to use. This popped up in a thread I was doing with the_croupier and I snagged it. I think it might actually be from Twilight but I love the sentiment, strange and overpowering love and the graphics are just right.



On one of the icon communities I follow someone posted a bunch of text icons and this was one of them. Its really important to me to say thank you and be grateful and I like the simplicity and look of this. They're two words that can brighten a day.



This was another one that I found one day and went, oh yes. I think I was during one of the many transitions I've had in the last few years and it just felt right. I like how its hopeful, but a reminder that sometimes the things you really want aren't easy.



I realized that I needed a tea icon and this one perfectly suits my idea of how to spend an afternoon with a cup of tea, a good book and something to munch on. It really is good for the heart.

Oh and I still have the tarot spread I did laid out on my living room floor. I just don't feel ready to move it yet.

Next Semester, I'm not having six hours between classes, its nuts. Though I was actually able to get to class with time to spare this morning which felt nice. The concert last night was amazing and its nice to realize just how safe I feel walking around Ann Arbor at night. I mean some places are better lit than others but now I might be more willing to consider doing other things. It always takes me a bit to sort of get comfortable with how I feel walking around a new place.

Not too much other news, I just finished a wonderful book called The Hunger Games, its a fantastic YA Science Fiction book and I recommend it to everyone. If you want a spoiler free review then there's one of my LibraryThing account under the username katekf.

Now since I'm not really in the mood to do my class reading, I'm going to do two memes. The wonderful word meme from athousanderrors.

Also a lovely meme from ashen_key Post a picture in my comments that you think describes me when you think about what/who I am. No matter how surreal or plain. Give no written explanation. Just an image.

Now my words.
Demeter
Demeter has always been one of my favorite goddesses. I like that she chose to go her own way and how much she was willing to do for the love of her family. Also I like that she's a creator, I'm starting to realize that's something that I really relate to and just like. I want to be someone who nurtures and inspires and if I end up the kind of youth librarian who can tend young people's love of reading and learning like Demeter then I'll be happy.

Nature
I grew up in this lovely small college town outside of Philadelphia and there were woods. I tend to get most of my ideas when walking and I love places where you can just feel they've been there a long time. New Zealand and Europe especially Ireland and Greece are some of my favorite places, because of how much the natural world just is a part of everything. I'm trying to take more art photographs of nature and as the leaves are starting to change here will be doing that even more.

Tarot
My mother has read the tarot since I was quite young. She doesn't do it very often but its something the two of us share. My father is very much a scientist and doesn't understand why we do it. I think for me its because I feel that there's more out there than can easily be explained and the tarot is one way to touch it. The deck I have is the Faery Wicca Tarot and I love it, on my road trip up here I bought it a box so that it can live somewhere else than wrapped in a scarf. Its been in that scarf since my sophomore year of college and traveled the world in it. I bought my deck during my first year of college and even though I haven't done a reading in a while just knowing its there is comforting to me.

Books
I know there was a time in my life when I didn't read but honestly I can't remember it. My parents read to me when I was younger and to me books are just friends. No matter where I'm going I always have a book to read. I'm studying to become a librarian so that I can share and pass on this love of words and show people the amazing joy words can bring.

Pirates
I'm not sure why you connect me with pirates but thank you. For a long time I thought I would end up a historian and one of my favorite areas to study is maritime history. I actually had an unpaid internship at a maritime museum in Philadelphia right after I graduated college and I had such fun with it. Pirates are just an extension of this because honestly everything's better with pirates.