Oh no!

My blog stats have been dismal lately and, though I profess to be the only blogger in the world who doesn’t care, I do. I am trying to decide if it’s my stingy posts, my lack of creativity or just being hidden in a corner of the matrix.

Unfortunately, stingy posts are sometimes neccesary when one has had too much sun and not enough sleep, so I can’t do anything about that. Nor can I change the fact that I have little exposure compared to I Can Has Cheezburger.

So let’s blame my lack of creativity. THAT is something we can work on. Because I know that you all thrive on the brilliant adventures of Ms. M. A. Smith, I shall fill you in on the latest chapter of the saga. (A publishing deal is in the works for my three-volume novel.)

For your viewing pleasure

I was blog-surfing yesterday and I found a couple of cool new ones. I thought I’d put ‘em up here for you all to enjoy.

Russell Stutler - He lives in Japan and has heaps of sketches that remind me alot of Dad’s style.

Bill Sharp- This is someone who’s painting remind me very much of Dad. (I didn’t realize until just now that I bookmarked both of these guys because they remind me of my father’s stuff. I must be homesick!)

And for those of you who have yet to discover one of the great delights of the internet- I Can Has Cheeseburger. I highly suggest that you visit this link. It’s well worth your time!

That’s all for now.

“Being Inspired” or “This is How I Process”

A lot of the time when I have an excess of pent-up feelings, I draw or write to get my brain back in shape. It’s sort of like (pardon the analogy) popping a blister. You get all the ’stuff’ out of the way so you can get on with business.

Today I drew something in my sketchbook and wrote this as a caption.

“At the end of the world are broken statues and stunted trees. There are ruined watchtowers, too, and broken bridges. And though those ends are found in high places, there are higher places still.

An eternity looms and the horizon beckons. Voices fall silent- there is no-one there to speak- and the universe echoes the starlight.

An end is merely a place to begin.”

Not bad for half an hour’s worth of work and only a few songs on my iPod’s ’shuffle’.

The Second Day

Did you ever think about what it must have been like for the disciples on the day after Jesus was crucified? We tend to skip from the cross to the empty grave and forget that there was a day where heaven was silent and earth was empty.

—At this point let me offer a disclaimer. If I err in any way it is my human fallability. I would love to hear thoughts from my audience (all five of you)—

First Set

Twas my first set today and it went very well. My butt was tired by the end, as was my voice, but I felt like I got to spend two hours with the Holy Spirit which is never bad.

 I’ve realized why I’ve become such a reluctant blogger. I’m at that point where if something isn’t related to God, it holds no interest for me. I don’t want to write about the day-to-day stuff because it’s unspeakably non-important right now. And, since I can’t spatter the internet with everything that God is doing in my heart, I am clean out of subjects.

I really am sorry for this, because I know that there’s a few of you out there who keep up on my life via this blog. There really is no answer for you other than pray for inspiration, leave topic ideas or call me.

Loves to you all. I’m peacin’ out for now.

Where IS the tea towel?

(Title taken with permission from Karina at the intern dinner tonight. She spent two and a half hours wandering around looking for that towel.)

Can I just say right now that there is only 178 days until the release of Prince Caspian?

Also that, of all the things I am going to miss about NZ, “pump” water bottles are easily in my top five.

And, not to drag on the random comments any longer than neccesary, tomorrow is my first ’set’ at THOP.

Gasp!

Back from my bonny adventure

Coromandel trip, part II.

Today I hopped into a van with Amanda, Angela, Alana, Becca, Keri and Nikki and headed off to the Coromandel and Cathedral Cove. The weather was much better today than when Kate and I went, which I looked forward to very much.

The trip up was fun. We stopped off and got breakfast at Paradiso cafe, then basically drove for three hours. We got lost a couple of times and had to backtrack. At one point everyone in the car got so car sick that we had to pull over. The Coromandel roadworks people are incapable of making a straight rode (granted the topography doesn’t make it easy either- too many little hills). Point being, the place we stopped at was a tavern. A tavern full of Sunday morning bikers.

My car

So I just found out that my car (beloved thing!) is now officially past the point where it is worth putting money into. That means two things: one, I have no heat in my car which is a problem only because I like ice-less windshields; two, I really should start praying for a car.

 So the other day I was looking at something and I found the car I want. Ready everyone?

Ferrari F430

That’s my baby. Matte black and elegant.

I think I’ll name her Sheila.

Top 5 Movies… or something

Sean asked me after my last movie post what my top five movies of all time were. Here is where I get to point out my favorite error regarding movies. You can have your top 5 favorite movies based on pure enjoyment or your top 5 movies based on artistic value. There are some movies I admire because they are well made or well structured, but I wouldn’t want to watch them every week. Then there are movies that have shockingly bad plots/premises but I watch them all the time. I will include both categories here.

Home from the Holiday

Thanksgiving is complete and I am so grateful for everyone at THOP.

I’m full and tired and have a bit of a headache from too much sun. To quote a favorite film… “I feel like butter spread over too much bread”, except I am simultaneously stuffed to the gills with good eats.

A longer update approacheth.