"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination!"

If you are a regular - or irregular - reader of this blog then you may have noticed that the look has changed somewhat. I changed it a few days ago actually, but since I had already posted that day I decided to wait to say anything.

If you did notice, I applaud you.

If you did not... then maybe you are a first timer here! In which case, WELCOME!!! Was that too loud? ...Welcome... Not loud enough? Well you are a picky person... Welcome! Better? Thank you.

Also this is the 51st post on this blog! *whoot whoot* The new look is kinda in celebration of that.

To make up for not having anything else to say... here's a picture of a cat... and a snowy tree lined path... and Toothless... and a night sky!

Title is a line from the opening song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka jr.

Goodbye to Bonavista

"So goodbye to Bonavista, your mountains and your shores, goodbye to sad relations that I'll never see no more, for i'm bound to seek my fortune and sail the whole world wide, and if ever we shall meet again it'll be on the other side, on the other side.."

That is the chorus of a delightful ballad called Goodbye to Bonavista.

I love ballads. And sea shanties too. The love of adventure is laced into the words. And the music makes me want to dance. And it makes me long for adventure, to hop onto a ship and sail the world to seek my fortune, to find new lands; or to saddle my horse and ride the praries; or to fight a fight worth fighting. With these songs I can "Rise And Follow Charile" or find "St Brendan's Fair Isle" or march beside "The Minstrel Boy" or give "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes" for the visitors of Nova Scotia, or see "The Sultana" sail again.

I feel peaceful when listening to them. And yet I also want to jump up and shout and holler for adventure, say farewell to my loved ones to go off into the great unknown.

the Comedy of Errors: a summary

Just for fun! (it's 5:30 AM btw)

Comedy Of Errors: A summary

Duke: Sry dude but you have to die.

Aegeon: But my tragic backstory! Involving two sets of twins!

Duke: Oh the feels! I'll let you live one more day.

Adriana: You're my husband.

Antipholus of Syracuse: No I'm not.

Dromio of Syracuse: Since when do I have a wife? And she's like a globe!

Antipholus of Ephesus: Open the doors, I'm hungry.

Household: Hi hungry. We won't let you in.

Antipholus of Ephesus: Fine! I'll just go spend the day with a Courtezan.

Luciana: Help! My sister, Adriana's, husband is in love with me!

Antipholus of Syracuse: I'm not her husband!

Merchant and Goldsmith: Where's my money?

Everyone: What the heck is happening?!

Courtezan, Pinch, Officer and Servants: Hi there.

Everyone: What the heck is happening?!

Aemelia: Two sets of twins, remember? Also I'm Aegeon's wife, and the mother of the Antipholi.

Everyone: Oh yeah! Awesome.

Adriana: Which one of you is my husband?

Antipholus of Ephesus: Me!

Antipholus of Syracuse: Now can I marry Luciana?

Luciana: Okay.

the Dromios: Wow! We're identical!

*Bows*

"Why, how now, Dromio! Where runn'st thou so fast?"

Hey Everyone.

I really need to get better at regular posting...

SO! How have you been?

I have been very busy. Hence the silence on my blog. So what has been happening? I had finals - I got an A in both classes! And Sister Act opened - we have only four performances left! I've already started on another production - Comedy Of Errors - though this one is not with WCT.

And I had homeschool prom yesterday - which was delightful.

Oh, and I somehow my Sacroiliac joint out of whack - which was very painful.

For those of you who don't know - I didn't - it is a joint in the lowback/hip area. In the words of Wikipedia: one of the SI joints' function is shock absorption (depending on the amount of available motion at the sacroiliac joint) for the spine, along with the job of torque conversion allowing the transverse rotations that take place in the lower extremity to be transmitted up the spine.

And because of that injury I was forced to "take it easy" during last weekend's performances. Which, for me, is really hard. I don't like holding still, or not pulling my own weight, so having other people do what I was originally told to do was mentally painful for me. However my cast-mates were all being caring and lovely, and making me take care not to make my injury worse. And I'm really grateful for them doing so, but still, there were many moments that I wished that they cared less, because I was going crazy. So I wrote the following piece in response to the situation.

__

A curse upon this injury!

I in future shall take better care of myself

If only to avoid this tender care from my companions

In truth, at the first, I basked in the affections that were shown me

And reveled in the laziness I was allowed

But as the days went on, the resting was no longer a joy

And indeed itself became like unto working.

__

So yeah. That's what has been happening with me.



The title quote is a random line from Shakespeare's The Comedy Of Errors.

"Can't you see me on the stage performin' Mozart?"

Hi everyone,
What have I been doing lately that would be keeping me so busy that I forget to write a post? Well, the answer is: I am in a show - Sister Act - and we open on the 6th, and I'm working on finals for my first semester of college. As well as trying to make sure I eat and sleep and keep my off-brand semi-sanity.

For school I have a dance final, where I have to choreograph a minute of a song then perform it, as well as learn, then put to music and perform, a piece that our professor choreographed.
I also have the Stagecraft final: where I'll have to name various tools, and lumber and such and prove that I know how to use them.

Then there is the musical. We have a lot of choreography, music, lines, and blocking to learn, and we had two weeks less than musicals usually have for rehearsals.

I'm trying not to complain - after all, it was my decision to do all of this - but sometimes I just really need to get things said, otherwise the pressure and stress will cause me to explode further down the road.

My social-anxiety came back from his short vacation a few days ago, and worry-for-the-future came with him, so that's another fun thing to deal with...

I am so worn out... I can barely keep my eyes open for most of the day. I can no longer pretend that I'm fine... I can't hide the weariness any more...




My birthday just passed and it was a very interesting day... not so much in what happened (it was mostly just like any other day), but what it did for me. I woke up, went to class - I had Stagecraft that day - I honestly didn't expect anyone to remember, but my classmates said happy birthday. Which lightened my spirits. Then I went home, rested, then got ready for rehearsal. When I got there, a few people were already there, they said happy birthday, but other than that everything was business as usual. Then more people got there, and they all said happy birthday, and gave me hugs. People brought cake and brownies. Then, when everyone was there, we started warm-ups, and they all sang happy birthday. So it was all very normal, and routine, but still... it made me so happy, to see everyone's smiles, to hear their cheers, and feel their hugs. I felt loved. And I was overwhelmed by that. I was genuinely happy, which actually doesn't happen all that much (especially not since I was taken by exhaustion). I was with people that I loved, and I could feel their love for me, and that was all that mattered.



And I'm going to leave you there, because I need to write a paper on the concept and design elements of my choreography for tomorrow...


I used a Tangled quote for the title, because, Tangled is awesome, and happy, and always a good choice!

Camp NaNo Has Begun!

Imagine a cabin. Where is it?

Make it bigger. Make it smaller. Make it your ideal size.

Now place it in the middle of a forest.

A small stream flows nearby.

The forest is on a mountain side.

It's been snowing.

It's nearly dusk.

Through one of the windows you can see the glow of light.

                                                      <><><><><><><><><><><>

Now look at that! I made you see something right? Naturally you didn't see the same thing I did - everyone has their own unique vision - but my words still were your guide.

Being a writer is like being a guide. We lead our readers on journeys, adventures, quests. 

Something else we do...

is Camp NaNo!!! 

While we may not be in idyllic cabins - not me anyway - writers from around the world are "gathering" to participate in the event. 

I have chosen to do so. And to continue a previous work instead of starting from scratch. I am working on The Animalia Project! A story about a young teen girl named Dallas that loves to win; and how her life changes when she begins to develop unnatural abilities. Go visit my Pinterest board for it! https://www.pinterest.com/rosecottagekitt/the-animalia-project/

And here is a newly written snippet! I feel like it shows off Dallas pretty well. 

                                                                         <><><>

The first time that Dallas won a fight, she was seven years old. It was while walking down a side street in town that she heard the sounds of an altercation. Curious as she is, she went towards them. What she discovered, was a group of six bullies beating up a young boy that was around her same age. She calmly walked up to the one that she guessed was the leader and tapped his arm. This dark haired boy – probably eleven – turned around angrily and told her to shove off. She - still calmly - asked to know why he was beating up a little boy. 

                                                                          <><><>

My word goal is 10,000. Which might not be a lot, but with how busy I'll be this month, I think it's still going to be a challenge.

Are any of you Camp NaNo-ing? What is your project?

The End Of A Beginning. Once Upon A Mattress.

Last night was the closing night of my first college show, and I'm sad now, so you are going to get a post about the beauty and heartbreak of theatre.

Once Upon A Mattress. A comedic, musical, retelling of "the princess and the pea." My first college musical. I went through a lot - emotionally - during the rehearsals and the run of the show, and my heart is kinda full. This show was the start of something new for me, and now that it's over I don't really know what to do...

Being in theatre means that, for a few weeks, you pour everything into the show: your heart, your soul, your time, your energy, your life. When it's all said and done, you will literally have put blood, sweat, and tears into the production. And then, after the performances - however many you have - you tear it all down, and it's gone forever, except for the place that it will always hold in your heart. The moment you are cast, you become a part of a family. A crazy, annoying, loving, hard-core, wonderful, amazing, family. And saying goodbye isn't easy. There is nothing else like theatre. The fleeting nature, but lasting impact, holds beauty like none other.

I got stressed and aggravated many times, but I also was encouraged, inspired, and entertained, and those many little happy moments are what I will choose to remember in the coming years. 

I feel like I have grown as an actress and a human, and I am grateful.

I am also very very very grateful for the people that I had the pleasure and honor to work with. I gave and received friendships, and I feel like I'm now a part of the group. 

I could probably talk for hours about how wonderful and painful it all is, but I don't want to start crying.

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO WAS IN THIS WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL AND I LOVE & APPRECIATE YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL LOVED AND INCLUDED!!!!!!!!

"There is magic in the theatre, the theatre is magic, and blessed are those that make that magic."

Here's to you, and here's to me!

"The Rich And Powerful Take What They Want... We Provide, Leverage."

In Which I Fangirl Over The TV Show: Leverage.

A while back I finished the final episode of the show and I am very sad that it is over, so to feel better, I am going to talk about it!

Don't worry, it'll be spoiler free.

But very picture heavy.

HERE WE GO!!!!!

Leverage:

Former insurance claims investigator Nathan Ford heads a team of former top-criminals. They handle 'unorthodox' cases of people unlikely to get their dues through regular channels and legal procedures. That often involves stinging or otherwise scamming criminals. Nate's team is altered at times, and his professional as well as personal past repeatedly seems to catch up. Written by KGF Vissers

A crew of high-tech crooks attempt to steal from wealthy criminals and corrupt businessmen.

- Written by IMDb editor


Now for the characters (in no particular order)!

The Hitter: Eliot Spencer
I absolutely love him. He is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE characters. A very distinctive man. He is tough, but has an adorably sweet side. He can take down a bunch of gun tottin' guys with only his fists, or, he can make you a gourmet dinner, or, both at the same time. And his smiles make me melt. he has a reputation for saying that something has a "very distinctive ____" whether it be sound, fighting style, smell, haircut... ect.

The Grifter: Sophie Devereaux
She is very mysterious - even at the end of the show - and little things about her past keep popping up bringing with them even more questions about who she really is. Sophie is a very interesting character and the team would be incomplete without her.

The Hacker: Alec Hardison
I love geek characters and Hardison is no exception. He is very very smart and he has some of the best lines. The brotherly relationship between him and Eliot is very amusing to watch.

The Thief: Parker
Parker (she has only the one name). Is SO FUN AND COOL. She is far from normal and is hilarious because of it. She is also clever and extremely observant. I wish I were like her. She is tied in first with Eliot for favorite character in the show - I can't choose between them!

The Mastermind: Nate Ford
Nate probably has the most character development in the show, and not all of it is good. It's a roller coaster, that adds a lot of tension (which is actually a good thing, story wise). Since he is the Mastermind he is obviously very smart. He is the planner, and even when things go wrong, somehow everything works out.

Other Important Characters Include:

Jim Stirling:
Insurance Investigator. Former co-worker of Nate's. I suppose he could be called an anti-hero. I personally love him, however, the team does not.

Tara Cole:
Another Grifter that comes in for a few episodes.

Maggie Collins:
Nate's ex-wife.

This show became my favorite very quickly. And I really don't think anything will beat it, even though there are several shows that I love very much: Warehouse 13, Sherlock, Fringe, Supernatural, Flash, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and of course, Doctor Who; and probably more that aren't coming to mind.

These people are just amazing! I love them to pieces! Their characters are so well formed and the story is so well written. It's definitely some the BEST writing I've ever seen in a TV show.

All in all, it is an absolutely fabulous show, that I love. With super awesome people that I love.

NOW GO WATCH IT!!!!!

_ _ _ _ _

(I got all the pictures off of google images and I do not own any of them)

20 Books I Want To Read In 2016

One of my goals for this year is to read more than I did last year. That includes reading some for the first time, reading some that I started but never finished, and re-reading books that I loved or can't remember or didn't really understand.

So here is my list of 20 books I want to read in 2016.

Read for the first time: 

1-4 The Giver quartet: The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son.

5 - Dracula

6 - The Scarlet Pimpernel

7 - The Comedy of Errors

8 - The Great Gatsby

9 - Alice in Wonderland

10 - Through the Looking Glass

11 - Allegiant 

12 - The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent's Shadow (book 3)

Continue where I left off:

13 - Les Miserables
14 - The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire (book 2),
15 - The Book Thief

Re-read:

16 - Hans Christian Anderson collection

17 - The Brothers Grimm collection

18 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and other stories

19 - Cyrano de Bergerac

20 - Animal Farm


Which of these have you read? Which are your favorites? Are some of them on your 2016 list?
Let me know in the comments! 

New Year's Resolutions

January 1st. The time of year when we suddenly decide that we are going to try harder and get more done, thus setting for ourselves tasks and goals that we will mostly likely not accomplish.
We fail time and time again, and yet we still do it. This persistence is quite endearing, but rather perplexing... Why do we continue to do something when we hardly ever seem to succeed?
But enough with these questions!

I will now join the masses in setting and announcing my goals/resolutions for this year of 2016!

1. Broaden my vocal range, both in notes and style

2. Finish the first draft of a novel that I have already begun

3. Participate in and win Camp NaNo

4. Participate in and win NaNoWriMo

5. Learn more dance - of various styles

6. Make a music video

7. Spend more time with my BEST FRIEND

8. Read more.

9. Take school more seriously

10. Audition for as much as possible

11. Do some form of exercise apart from dancing (I don't really expect that one to happen)

12. Have a healthier perception of myself and my abilities

13. Actually fulfill at least three of these...

*Edit: 14. Blog more regularly*

I think that looks pretty good - and unattainable - but I guess it will be nice to have a challenge.

Good luck to you all!

~ Smithy Rose.