Blessed for Certain...

Words cannot describe disaster until one lays eyes upon it. It is in the mere seconds you step foot on the battlefield that mother nature clearly won, that you see how fragile life can be. As I walked onto a field of torn limbs, unrecognizable homes, and fragments of strangers lives, I held back tears. Pictures; once happy memories were scattered in pieces, wrapped around foundations that no longer held drywall. Cars that once excelarrated to 60 mph on the interstate, moved 60 mph with the tornado and scattered across peoples yards. Sadly enough, Easter baskets and car seats remained intact. These things could be seen through tattered, smashed windows. Despite this damage, people worked; searching for any possession that was salvagable. That's the thing about disaster. The important no longer seems important. The 50 in. plasma television? The new leather couch? The new car? These THINGS, well thats exactly what they are. Things. None of these things can come close to the eyes of the firefighter who has to search for those who are missing. These things can not come close to the tears that fall from loved ones eyes once they  realize their son, their daughter, mother, father, friend, is not coming back.

Disaster. Does anyone truly understand the meaning of disaster? It was not until I faced disaster, that I clearly saw what was before me. Yet here I write, confused, feeling somewhat detatched. Do I really understand what is going through their minds? Did I ever? So often in life we take things for granted. And I am guilty of doing so. On more than one occasion, even since the storms entered AL, GA, and TN, I have worried about missing work and not getting paid. I admit, I am ashamed of this. I am one of the lucky ones with a roof over my head, electricity, and food in my belly. Why as humans, are we perpetually making the irrelevant--relevant? There is no rhyme nor reason; just an exucse to hear our own voices as we complain about NOTHING. Mundane, I admit, and shameful. Disaster.  Again I must ask, what do we really know about disaster?

Ironically, as I stood in line at the grocery store days before, I thought to myself, "what would we do if something really bad happened?" Now, I suppose you are wondering why I would think such a thing, but this question arose as I read headlines from the National Inquirer. The National Inquirer in itself, is a publication of falsehood. I sincerely doubt that aliens are taking over the brains of infants. But, for some reason I asked myself, "What would we do if something really bad happened?" Unfortunatley this is a trick question. And after seeing the devastation from these storms, it is completley safe to say that many do not know. BUT they keep moving, and hold onto the one thing, that glimmers the slighest bit of hope. And that is FAITH. 

As I hugged a woman whom I had never met, she smiled and said "It was nice to meet you darling." And she thanked the Lord for keeping her home on the ground. At that moment my heart grew. How does anyone SMILE, after such tragedy hits? The answer? Faith.

I must admit, I am guilty of not going to church as much as I should and I rarely pray unless I truly need salvation. I am not being a good Christian, and despite my lack of faith at time I am truly blessed. It was upon leaving Ms. Dee's home, that my heart filled with faith. A smile, changed my perspective. Hope, despite tragedy, changed my perspective. 

Words alone cannot describe what I saw with my two eyes yesturday. Words alone cannot describe the emotion of every person involved in this storm. However, my words can provide a means of understanding. My words alone, can change YOUR perspective and help you see that the mundane things we complain about are nothing compared to disaster. Mother nature may have inflicted a major road block, but faith can turn this all around. Faith will keep us alive. God Bless!   

The Queen of Hearts

"There is no use in trying," said Alice; one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." -Lewis Carroll

Original Artwork By: Wendy Paula Patterson

Alice in Wonderland

Miss Penny Lane

Penny Lane: "I always tell the girls never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously then you never get hurt. If you never get hurt then you always have fun, and if you ever get lonely you can just go to the record store and visit your friends." 


The quote above is from the adorable Kate Hudson in one of my all time favorite movies Almost Famous. Although much of the film is centered around groupies, drugs, alcohol, and the quest for fame, I can't help but believe that the music, above all else, has the power to heal. Even if the world seemingly falls apart, I have found solace and comfort in the lyrics of my favorite song and the sound of their voices. As did Miss Penny Lane.

She longed to be loved, but music was her heart...
&& the music, well, I will leave that for you to decide.


Almost Famous Soundtrack:
1. America- simon & garfunkel
2. Sparks- the who
3. It wouldn't have made a difference-Todd Rundren
4. I've seen all good people: your move- Yes
5. Feel flows-The Beach Boys
6. Fever Dog- Stillwater
7. Every picture tells a story-Rod Stewart
8. Mr. Farmer- The seeds
9. The Way out- The Allman Brothers Band
10. Simple Man-Lynyrd Skynard
11. That's the Way-Led Zeppelin
12. Tiny Dancer- Elton John
13. Lucky Trumble- Nancy Wilson
14. I'm Waiting for the man- David Bowie
15. The Wind- Cat Stevens
16. Slip Away- Clarence Carter
17. Something in the Air-Thunderclap Newman

You Know Who You Are...

"We've danced in the risk of each other. Would you like to dance around the world with me?" -Dave Matthews Band Argentine Tango

Excerpts & Confessions of an Unpublished Writer

It had been five years she quietly thought to herself. It was time to let go; time to move on. But how, she wondered? For years she had lived in an ever present struggle; an inner turmoil in which she desperately wished to escape. Eager to disperse her agony, she walked to the balcony of her hotel room. The ocean below her looked welcoming; a body of mystery in which she could find herself surrendering to. She watched as the waves violently crashed against the rocks. Surprisingly, the sounds of the waves soothed her. For a moment, she envisioned herself floating lifelessly through the cool water feeling the ripples of the water cascade across her naked body. As she gripped firmly onto the railing of her three story balcony, she knew.

As she stepped closer to the ledge, she thought of him. She could see him clearly in her unsettled mind.  Over the years she had memorized every contour of his masculine face. As her hands reached for his chiseled jaw she came to the realization that her vision was merely a mirage; a deep pool of water in an otherwise dry desert. His dark brown eyes pierced her imagination like daggers. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she loved him. Within seconds her heart belonged to him as if it were some unforeseen gravitational pull.

As the sea air blew through her tangled brown hair, she pealed her pearl earrings from her ears. They were the earrings he had given her after the accident. She hadn't taken them off, or thought about taking them off until now. In her wildest fantasies and dreams she had imagined these very earrings as a staple of their impending future. Tears slowly rolled down her delicate face as she closed her eyes and thought about the day he had given them to her. In the midst of her thoughts she opened her dreary eyes and stared at the sky. She had never seen the sky look so beautiful. As a child she had imagined the sky as an infinite blanket of wishes; dreams that would eventually come true. As she breathed in the sweet salty air for one last breath, he touched her arm.

Photo by: Andrew S Gibson Freelance Writer & Fine Art Photographer

The Art of Seeing the Invisible

" Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." David Frost

Success for many comes with determination, motivation, and hard work. Success is not merely built overnight but built over many nights, many days, many hours, blood, sweat, and tears. It is in the hours we work or practice a skill that we get closer and closer to obtaining the ultimate goal; the ultimate dream. For many, we are told that we "can't". As we move ever so slightly towards the direction we wish to be heading, we are told that there are too many challenges, too many obstacles in the way. And silly enough, we believe the voices nagging in our mind. But why? Life is about challenge! 

Recently, I was floored and quite honestly inspired by two of my friends who decided to leave everything behind, jump in a car, and drive across the country to Colorado. Now, their story is quite unique because they didn't necessarily have a plan. Their plan consisted of places to stay, places to see, and well, the possibility of finding an apartment upon arrival. Of course, their drive and determination landed them in Colorado with an apartment the very next day. It was in that moment upon hearing their news that I got to thinking about success, destiny, and well, to put in layman's terms, "Getting whatever the hell you want in life".


I have had many conversation's lately about success and goals. Although many of these conversations take place on a recliner on a porch with a glass of wine in hand, I can't help but believe that these little discussions are planting the seeds of success. After all, you must start with some sort of vision, some sort of foundation. I once read that vision in itself, is the art of seeing the invisible. Seeing the invisible? But wait, if something is invisible, you can't see it, right? Wouldn't that make more sense? Sensible, for the successful person, is not necessarily a word in their vernacular. If I have learned anything from being a Vector Marketing Sales Representative, I know that vision is truly an art and that incredible things happen if you just believe that they will happen. When I was a kid, I would have never imagined saying that in 2010 I will sell $3,000 worth of knives in two weeks. I also would have never imagined saying that I was a District Manager Candidate for Northern New England Region selling what else but....KNIVES?! Sensible, no.

A wise professor once stood upon his desk and said: "Do you know why I stand up here? Anyone?" A student then replies, "To feel taller!" The professor yells "No!" as he slams his foot on the desk. "Thank you for playing Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." As Mr. John Keating, played by Robin Williams steps off his desk in the popular film Dead Poet's Society, I couldn't help but wonder if perspective has everything to do with success.

Lately, my vision has become clearer and I am moving towards the direction of achieving my dream and my desire to be successful. As Mr. Keating suggested, we shall always look at things, and possibly ourselves, in a different way. Challenge, I am finding, is non-existent and I am craving the hardship and struggles of building my future. I am seeing myself as a more confident, more successful woman and I can't wait to tackle writing a business plan and building my dream. Life, ladies and gentleman is a ticking time bomb. Will you be the one to light the fuse, or will you wait for the explosion?

The Light At The End of the Tunnel...

What happens when people you know, become people you knew? Will we ever see it for how it is, and not for how it was? As humans, we are perpetually anchored to our past, never seeking the future. The waters are too dangerous, too unknown. We hold onto “what could have been”, as we dwell in our inner melancholy on the island we deserted ourselves to. As we lay awake each night we wonder if we can truly survive. We pray for that one individual to find themselves back to our heart. Of course, they never do. There are reasons doors close, and others open. We must grow. We must learn how to stand. There comes a point where we need to stand up, brush the dirt of our knees, face the world and pick up the pieces. It is a fact that the human heart can stop beating to the point where we are legally pronounced “dead”. But by some miracle, we survive. The heart beats once more. We are given a second chance to live. The pain can be conquered and if we are lucky enough, there will be someone there to hold our hand and help us heal.

Diane Arbus

Kiss of Sunshine...The little things in life...

Summer is not summer without a Sam Summer Ale. Enjoying this beautiful Sunday afternoon in Tennessee!

Artfully Crafted

Today is National Beer Day! Crack open a cold one, and enjoy! My choice for this evening...a Blue Moon!

MmMmMm

Who said anything about Ruby Slippers?

    Her familiar kind eyes met mine and she asked with a smile, "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? "Pretty much", I chuckled as she rang up my 2.6 oz can of Pringles. "85 cents Dear", she sang as I placed a quarter and six dimes into her hand. Ironically a few weeks before, she had stared at my stomach telling me that I was too skinny. Of course her flattery, I had ignored and thought about the "Fried Pickle" sign down the street. Everything in the South, I must digress is indeed breaded and fried in oil. Upon paying her, I couldn't help but feel some what defeated and embarrassed. I imagined this was how Daisy had felt when I held my chewed up high heel to her nose. She had walked away with her little puppy head down, knowing she had upset her momma. Sighing heavily, I wished her a "Good day", and walked out of the store to my car.

    As I approached the car I couldn't help but stare at my reflection. To be completely honest, my outfit could have paid for several weeks of groceries, maybe even a nice bottle of wine. Amused, I plopped myself into my car and pondered the irony of being a 25 year old college graduate with a Bachelors degree in Social Science, who just paid for an 85 cent can of Pringles in change. To be honest, moments before, I had tried to pawn off an item of jewelry in hopes of filling up my car with gas. Unfortunately that same piece of jewelry glistened in the sun as I shoved Pringles into my mouth one by one. My stomach growled as I stared at the people across the street ordering bags of delicious, artery clogging hamburgers, and hot-dogs at Sonic. I realized I was the kind of hungry where anything and everything could be disguised as a gourmet meal fit for a king or queen.

    Now, I want to say, before you feel bad, I chose to be in this situation. Like many of you already know, I took a giant leap of faith to embark on new-found happiness. And in order to do so, I had to endure the $1200 bill for a new place to live, and the other countless bills that just seem to follow me wherever I go. Life, I am beginning to understand, truly does present some fun character building exercises.  Pringle by Pringle, I reflected upon this very sentiment. I had to wonder: Why do we seize to listen to the advice that is given to us? Faint whispers of my best friends flooded my mind as I put my car into gear. "Kristina, did you save any money?" they asked, as I looked down at my new hot pink stilettos. It was in that moment that I had a "Carrie Bradshaw" moment and remembered her saying: "I like my money right where I can see it...hanging in my closet." Or in my case, my feet. Of course I didn't save. That would have been the right thing to do, the MATURE thing to do. And if you ask anyone I know, I tend to do things ass-backwards, cry, then pick up the pieces. I'd like to say that one day I will eventually grow-up, but growing up doesn't seem too fun. I'm 25, and I can easily still pull of hot pink stilettos that force me to walk like Barbie...

    However, as I drove down the road, I couldn't help but wish I wasn't in this financial situation. It becomes exhausting when you have to calculate numbers in your head all the time. Buying enough gas to last you a week and having enough money to buy at least a few things to eat a week becomes a mathematical equation. Now, I know that I am not the only one who has ever experienced this sort of ordeal which is why I feel comfortable sharing it. Too be honest, it is quite humorous. And Friday, (payday) is only a few short days away...

As for those shoes, Miss Carrie Bradshaw once said, "Every once in awhile a girl has to indulge herself."

Christian Louboutin Ruby Slippers = Love at first Sight.