Dream a Little Dream

Do you remember all the different professions you wanted throughout the course of your life?

One minute you want to be the President of the United States, next you want to be an Astronaut, then a pop star, then a comedian, then a veterinarian, etc. etc. etc.

It's crazy how much the people in our lives can alter what we want to do in terms of careers. Today's media also plays a huge part. We are inspired by the popular idols we see in movies and online.

Heck, I myself am inspired by the people I read about in books. I love turning to the end of a novel and reading about the life of the person who write it.

Sometimes I wonder if I am on the right train, traveling to the destination which will make me happiest.

I am inspired by anything and everything I see and absorb. So when I watch videos on youtube from my favorite makeup artists, I cannot help but think if I would enjoy being a makeup artist and getting a chance to help people look their best, be as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside.

Then I remember everything I am working towards. The quiet yet amazing and adventurous life of being a writer.

At the end of the day, I love knowing that the stories I create are entirely my own. That no one else in the world has combined the same words or the same sentences as I have. It is all my own, it's unique, precious, and THAT is nothing short of magical.

Be proud of your craft, whatever it may be.

Work towards it. Seize it. Dominate it!

And remember that I love you.

~Piper

Creature of Habit….

Everyone has habits....

I bite my nails when I am nervous or scared.

I chew the end of my straw when I am at a restaurant, and then proceed to blow bubbles in my drink.

I burst out into song throughout the course of the day.

I pinch the bridge of my nose when I am deep in thought.

I double check, triple check, quadruple check the ingredients I am supposed to put into a recipe.

I coo at my betta fish because I have no other pets to coo to. It’s a sad thing to behold.

I giggle like a pixie when I find something amusing, or at least so I’m told.

I curl up into a ball before I go to sleep.

I am incredibly protective of my porcelain skin. Sunscreen is my friend.

I make cat sounds as a form of communication at times. Yeah…no explanation for that one.

I refuse to bend the corners of pages as a form of bookmark.

I smell books after I purchase one or get one from the library. Such a pleasant scent.

I act like a man when I eat. There is no daintiness allowed when it comes to chicken wings my friend.

I try to learn something new every day, whether it be a fun fact or a new word.

If I don’t wear concealer under my eyes, I will die. I have the worst dark circles you can imagine.

I must smell yummy or pretty before I leave the house. It has to be subtle, not loud.

I can recite Disney movies by heart.

I carry a little notebook around with just in case I have to sketch or write something down.

I wave my hand whenever I enter a store with automatic doors, it makes me feel like a jedi.

etc.

Tell me some of your habits!

~Piper

If You Just Believe

Methinks Mr. Josh Groban said it best, “you have everything you need, if you just believe.”

(I got to see him LIVE in concert on the 15th, needless to say I melted into a tiny little puddle of sheer bliss and happiness.)

Ahem. But let me ask you this, do you believe? No I am not about to go all “preachy” on you. Seriously though, I mean, do you truly actually with all that you are and with all your heart…believe?

“Believe in what?” you ask. I’m not asking you to believe in fairies, but you better clap your hands just in case!

Quite simply, I am asking if you believe in yourself.

Have you forgiven yourself for the mishaps and the mistakes you have made? We are human, even the best of us make mistakes. What would life be without its curveballs and pitfalls? Yes we condemn them when they happen, we shake our fists in fury and swear like sailors.

But when was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back and really smiled at yourself in the mirror?

A lot of the time we find life passing us by too quickly, we never take a moment to say “Stop stop STOP! Hold up, just give me two seconds.” Take a deep breath, look around you. For goodness sake relax. Life loves to put on its running shoes and go at a contant speed of 600 miles a second when we can only run 80 miles a minute.

Take those polietely requested two seconds to really appreciate life. Seconds are ticking away constantly. That is the beautiful and ugly thing about time, it goes at a steady pace, coming when we want it to and even when we don’t want it to. It’s an invisible thing that rules us all, yet we believe in it. Especially when we begin to see those crow’s feet in the corners of our eyes and feel the weakness in our bones and hair coming out of our ears.

There are people all over the world who believe in things that they cannot see. I do the same. I believe in things I cannot see or touch or taste or smell, but I have the courage to put my faith and trust in the things that are looking out for me, even the mischievous muses that come in and out of my life providing me with the inspiration to write.
(end of rant)

If you have to absorb and learn something from this blog entry, it’s that you should believe in not only the invisible, but also believe in the visible. Believe in yourself. Even if the weight of the world is too much for you to bear, you failed a test, love sucks, your parents are nagging you, your pet died, you forgot to pay a bill on time, you got fired, whatever. Life is certainly not fair, people have the power to make you miserable, but one thing they cannot take away from you is your belief. It is a flame that stays lit as long as YOU kindle it and take care of it. If you believe in yourself, everything becomes a little easier.

Smile. Today is all yours. You got this. I’m behind you 110%. I love you.

Go to my other blog to read my short stories: http://short--flashes.blogspot.com/

~Piper

Short Stories Galore!

Drum-roll please!

This is the moment you have all been waiting for! Right? Right? Am I right?

I have created a second blog devoted ONLY to short stories written by yours truly. There is no general theme or protocol, it's as simple as me and my imagination.

If you are interested in paying that blog a visit and reading the first story I just posted, go to the following link: http://short--flashes.blogspot.com/

Happy reading and be sure to comment and leave feedback so that I know whether or not my work needs tweaking.

I love you all, my gentle readers. And yes, this blog will continue to be updated with my observations and odd happenings.

Smile, this day is yours.

~Piper

Need to Knead

Chai tea is quite possibly one of the best things on this planet....

Seriously

I mean think about it. Any kind of tea will either make you feel British OR will put you at ease. Especially chai tea, which is subtle yet packs a punch of serious spices and flavors that entice your taste buds to take that next sip.

Another thing that tops the list of being one of the best things on this planet

KNEADING BREAD DOUGH

When you have had an incredibly stressful day and nothing in the world seems to make sense, you can always retreat back to a simple and tasty cook book, crack it open to one of your favorite recipes, and begin the magic of creation.

Bread is the ultimate trickster. You have to make sure the yeast is active and that all the ingredients are behaving properly and that you add enough flour to make it sticky but not too sticky.

Once you have a lovely blob of baby-bottom soft dough, you are golden. There you get the opportunity to knead it into submission until you have taken all your problems out on the combination of flour, butter, and milk.

Consider it to be a tasty "stress ball".

Once it is all baked and filling the house with its delicious warm scent, it is the silent reassurance that you did something right that day and that all is good in the world.

Settle down on the sofa with Pride & Prejudice, a piece of the freshly baked bread and some chai tea and that will make for a ridiculously satisfying evening.

A recipe that I have tried and strongly recommend:

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/

This woman is a genius. Queen of the kitchen.

In conclusion: have a lovely week, keep your head up high, smile at the little things, laugh out loud, and savor every sip of tea.

Also, be sure and knead the life out of that bread dough. Life will get better.

~Piper

Recipe for happiness

Begin by separating all the key ingredients, this is important, because if you mix certain components together in the wrong order the end result will not be tasty.

Start with 1 cup of genuine smiles. Make sure they are well packed, and pour them into a big mixing bowl. Then slowly incorporate ½ a cup of hugs and warm embraces in with the genuine smiles. They will combine very easily after a few stirs. Be generous with your kisses, make sure they fill at least 2 tablespoons. They have to be passionate and affectionate kisses, not shy chicken pecks.

Set aside this mixture and grab another mixing bowl.

Scoop out three measured cups of laughter, make sure they’re fresh; it WILL make all the difference. Next, crack four enthusiastic high fives into the bowl and fold them in with the laughs. Add a 1/4 of a teaspoon of playful eyelash flutters, a pinch of cuddles and snuggles (careful not to add more than a dash, anything more might become overbearing and clingy) and last but not least add a dash of pink rosy blushes. Stir this well and very gently for about five minutes. Once you have finished stirring everything and it is all integrated, add the other bowl of mixture in with what you have just mixed.

Continue mixing for another 5 minutes until it is all bubbly and enthusiastic. Rainbows and glitter should start forming on the top, and that will tell you that the mixture is complete.

Pour into pan of choice and bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven of 325 degrees. Bake until golden brown and singing Beethoven's “Hallelujah”, caution: the rays of light will be very bright and might blind you momentarily.

Serving size: Enough to fill the bellies of all painfully cute woodland creatures that come and clean your house whilst you are away at work.

Enjoy!

~Piper

I’m Laughing at Clouds….

I wonder if people walk in the rain anymore.

Would you grab an umbrella once it started raining? Just so you could stroll down the street, step in puddles, watch your reflection amongst a rippling surface, perhaps indulge in some singing and dancing and be like Gene Kelly?

Do they listen to the rain?

Do they try and make sense of the rhythm and patterns that those cascading droplets are making as they descend from the skies to the solid earth?

Do me a favor. Next time it rains, grab your sweetheart (if you do not have one, an invisible Mr. Darcy will do just fine) or family member or friend or cat or whatever is available and take a stroll in the rain. Wear your best pair of rain boots/duck feet and be daring. Hold their hand while the other holds up the umbrella. It’s a surreal experience and one that not many appreciate anymore.

Our little town has been plagued by dark clouds and blustery winds and MANY droplets that have accumulated into heavy downpours. Every time you look out the window you will see the sky is permanently blanketed in leaden clouds heavy and swelling with rain. The Earth absolutely loves all the attention it is getting, it has never been greener….or wetter for that matter.

It’s interesting how people complain about how dry the summers are, and then when they finally get a summer filled with rain, they complain about that. It seems there is always something to complain about. They have a serious case of needing to take their sweetheart’s hand and take a walk in the rain.

I do not have the power of little duck feet today, alas. I have some snazzy black heels to which will be my doom if it chooses to rain around 4:30 when I get off of work.

It looks like rain—no surprise there. So I may just have to take my umbrella and rainboots and take a long walk and let my thoughts be carried away by the rush of water and the soft drip drops and pitter patters.

If you listen closely, you will also hear me singing and dancing in the rain.

~Piper

The WHAM Factor

Have you ever met one of those people...who are so opinionated and so closed minded that it absolutely drives you up the wall?

If there is one things in this world that I do not tolerate, it is closed mindedness. Those who cannot keep a broad perspective that can see both sides of the table are truly the most infuriating people on the planet.

"I am right, because I am always right, my opinion is the only one that matters, blah, blah, blah."

Seriously. Take it from the movie Bambi. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

That special group of people remind me of birds....

I know what you're thinking. You're probably giving the computer screen the oddest of looks. But let me explain!

Picture the scene....

It comes so unexpectedly that it is almost unwelcome entirely.

There you are, taking a leisurely nap on the couch, hypothetically curled up in a nice warm fuzzy ball of micro fleece, and suddenly WHAM

You sit up in alarm, searching desperately for the perpetrator. There is no visible evidence that reveals a shenanigan or intruder so you resume your nap on the couch, a little wary and cautious this time.

WHAM

It happens again!

You race towards the general direction of the noise and low and behold, there is a bewildered and perplexed bird who is curiously cocking its head and wondering why it cannot pull a Matrix move through the glass of your kitchen window.

Birds are crazy.

Just like those annoying closed-minded people.

They have very little perspective when it comes to clear surfaces. (Then again, the same behavior can be observed within the human species. How many times have we ourselves walked into a glass door, or witnessed someone doing thusly? If you haven’t, just wait, it’ll happen).

Sometimes we just have to admit that we are not the cleverest of species at times….

How does one avoid closed-mindedness?

First of all, when you encounter someone who is closed minded you will often find yourself resisting them entirely. Resistance comes from you and who you are and how you define yourself as a person. Treat that moment like a personal challenge. Do not put forth an argument that is emotionally attached to you and your personal beliefs. Instead, make the playing field level by saying "you COULD be right...but what about this?"

Being open-minded means you are receptive to new ideas and are willing to consider and discuss and take on new challenges and perspectives. By exploring them further, you will be able to gain better knowledge as well as a broadened range of ideas that other people might have.

Consider all that comes your way and do not immediately resist the people who put forth those ideas.

In other words, to wrap things up with my peculiar metaphor from earlier....

Don't be the bird that crashes into everyone's window so unexpectedly!

Magic Beans

Unfortunately, these little buggers do not grow gigantic bean stalks....



You get up in the morning, you are crabby and half-asleep, and the only thing that will prevent the oncoming headaches and biting people’s heads off like an angry bear is a gritty mixture of that strong little brown bean. Somehow, it turns the meanest of morning creatures into happy campers within a few sips. It may take a cup…or two…or three…but for those of us who do not drink coffee or are new to the substance and are becoming a convert….it can kind of be terrifying to see the transformation people undergo when they are deprived of coffee. It almost makes you re-evaluate your decision to drink said coffee and what long-term effects it will have.

As a college student, I am proud to say that I do not get my caffeine fix from coffee or those fizzy sugary beverages that look like liquid radiation. Those are only used in desperate situations (such as finals week *coughhellweekcough*). I prefer healthier alternatives, such as tea. Tea contains SO many goodies for your body, including herbs and antioxidants and fruit extracts that can boost your immune system and clean out the evil free radicals. Tea can also give you that little extra “something” to get you going in the morning should you need it.

Coffee is that naughty little bean that does strange and interesting things to people. Why else would there be so many StarBucks coffee shops all over the place? They are indeed EVERYWHERE. I always feel a tad indecisive whenever I walk into a StarBucks because you have to make a bagillion decisions on the spot, and I am certainly a fan of trying new things.

Cappuccino, mocha, latte, espresso, iced, skinny, extra whipped cream and caramel sauce....

So many good things packed within a tiny cup.

Such highly addictive good things.

How I wonder what you are....

Once upon a time,

I remember gazing at the stars that night.

Losing myself to the celestial bodies that loomed above me, resembling a canvas made of black silk with diamonds scattered upon its smooth surface.

It was like looking into a stygian sea with pinpoints of light to guide you.

Then, one of them began to move.

It was as though it were a crystal, rippling and shaking from the vibrations of sound. Then it broke away from the darkness and twinkled and beamed as it began its luminous descent across the sky.

I watched as it raced towards me. It was surreal, unexpected.

I reached out my hands as though I were trying to catch a ball.

As soon as it made contact with my fingers, I winced and groaned.

It burned upon contact, yet the star was the most beautiful thing I had ever beheld. Its iridescence was inhuman, colors of all kinds flashing and glowing, singing a soft melody as it felt my grasp upon it begin to waver.

I did what any sensible man would have done.

I put the star in a cage.

It hummed and buzzed against the gilded bars, but the star made no fuss as it hovered and danced within the tiny perimeter that surrounded it.

It almost seemed to enjoy its captivity.

As the days grew longer, I began to covet the star. Obsessing over its presence. I was plagued by its existence and the fact that it remained within my possession.

But then, one day, the star no longer sang its bright songs. It remained at the bottom of the cage. Its light flickering and dimming like an exhausted candle, choking on its own pool of wax.

I tried everything within my power to cheer it up and make it lively again.

Nothing seemed to work. Not even the sound of my own songs or musical instruments.

So I did the only thing I could think of...and dreaded.

I took the cage out into the middle of the star gazing field. Shakily unlatched the door, scooped the coldness out of captivity and whispered to it. Wishing upon the star.

It came to life, slowly but surely, it burned and blazed one more time, bursting like fireworks as it shot out towards the heavens and began its long ascent.

A journey that I knew all along that would have to be taken eventually.

With a smile and a tear, I watched as it diminished into the familiar blackness to join the others that twinkled above me.

"Then the traveler in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark; He could not see which way to go, If you did not twinkle so."

With an empty cage, I turned on my heel and left the field. Hoping and praying that the star I once called my own would find the happiness it deserved.

A caged star is a dead star.

A free star is a living star.

They were never meant to be caught.

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C'est fini! I watched Howl's Moving Castle and concocted of this little idea for a story. It seems riddled with metaphors and symbolic meaning, but I'll let you figure them out. In the meantime, be happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise!

~Piper