There's a world outside your window

Christmas is my favourite time of year.  I grew up in a family that celebrated the season with gusto, belting out joyful carols from the beginning of December and leaving stockings hanging by fireplaces for as long as possible in January.  Christmas for me means noisy family get-togethers, far too many mince pies and giggling under duvets late on Christmas eve. 

With so much happiness during the festive season, it's easy to forget that not everyone is having such a happy holiday.  One person who is having a particularly trying Yuletide is Brandy from 20 something bloggers.  She didn't ask me to post this, or even send me this. I saw it on one of her reader's blogs sarah-bration and re-posted it here.  Brandy, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your 'hot awesome dude'.  I pray that a little Christmas miracle comes your way.

xxx
--

My name is Brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds. Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog- as personal as the dude that I adore (who I actually met through my blog- single ladies, let that be a very good reason to blog, the possibility of meeting someone as wonderful as my man), but I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He’s a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He’s the kinda guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job. He’s the guy who sent flowers to me at school- dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He’s a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred. He’s made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He’s listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

The holidays have hit us hard. He’s recently been told he may have something called multiple myeloma- an incurable cancer, that gives a person an average of five years of continued life. Though this news has came as a shock, he continues to be exactly who has always been- spending his time worrying about me, rather than worrying about himself. He’s the most selfless individual I know- (he stayed late on Christmas Eve to work, so his co-workers could leave early) and a post like this would never be something that he would promote or encourage but when I’m overwhelmed and feeling helpless, the blogging community has always given me tremendous support and comfort, two things I desperately need at this time.

As I write this, the future is uncertain and we aren’t sure what’s happening. He’ll need to see an oncologist soon, to verify what’s going on in his body. My hope is that everyone who reads this think positive thoughts and if you are a person who prays, could you add him to your list? (You can refer to him as ‘brandy’s hot awesome dude’). If you don’t pray, please keep him in your heart.This cancer is only a possibility and I believe that the prayers and positive thoughts of people can make sure it never becomes a reality.

I want to give a big thank you to the blog owner who scraped their original blog plans and graciously put this up. My goal is to get as many people as possible to see and read this post. If you are reading this and want to help, copy and paste my plea into your blog or send a link through twitter, so more people can keep him in their thoughts. I would be so very grateful (even more grateful than I am to my friend who first showed me the picture of Ryan Reynolds on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. If you haven’t seen it, google it. You. Are. Welcome).

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making- but this is life. Right now. And I’m throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you and if you know anything regarding MM- please email me (my email is on my blog). This isn’t a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It’s just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be with the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next. Maybe it is silly, but I really do believe that positive thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for reading this and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.

The Year of Wonders

In light of the coming new year and the end of the noughties (but not my naughties...mwahaha!), here is a bit of a review of the past year.  Full of madness and mayhem, mischief and magic, this past year has been one of my most memorable yet and instead of doing a boring, dot-point recap of events, here instead is my year in facebook statuses...most definitely need to spend less time on the fbook! :-)

* Happy Hogmanay, Edinburgh!
* overwhelmed by the aftermath of a rip-roaring, didgeridooing Aussie day flat party!
* just had a peppermint crisp muffin and a rooibos latte at the Zulu lounge....yebo goggo!!!
* fighting to resist the charms of warm, Parisian nights, twinkling Eiffel Tower lights and the soft calling of the river Seine...
* "Some people think I'm bonkers. But I just think I'm free!"
* did some meeean gangsta rapping last night!
* had Jonathan Rhys Meyer appear in a dream last night - is there no end to his talents??
* can't stop dreaming about Henry VIII....but why am I always having my head chopped off???
* leaving Edinburgh on a wet, rainy summers day :-(
* makes all the Highland coos go 'moooooooo!'
* lost in Austen....please nobody try to find me! :-)
* reading 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'......hmm
* just heard someone refer to me as 'Rach, the sassy one'!! Is that a compliment???
* likes to dress to match her sister. Yay cowboy shirts and fluffy ugg booties! :-)
* has a renewed interest in Dubliners :-)
* running around like a clown on purpose
* did some fine Irish jigging at Paddy Hannahs last night...cos that's what peep-toe heels are made for! :-)
* wants to do something really memorable for graduation....like pulling out a magic wand after receiving my degree and shouting 'Expecto Patronus!!'
* wants to hold your hand in Strawberry Fields forever
* In quite a Shakespearean mood tonight...'The Tempest' to be precise
* ululating for the Bokkes!! Woo-hoo, got a feeling that tonights gonna be a good night :-)
* finally got my wish to dress up as a pirate. Many children were scared and lots of timbers were shivered! Yo-ho-ho, it's a pirate's life for me!
* trying to put together a beach volleyball team :-) Any takers??
* just bought the cutest pair of leopard-print swimming shorts for Bali.....despite what you may think...not tacky at all!! Hehe! :-)
* so much for the Bali diet...that home-made mango ice-cream was just CRYING to be eaten!! *eat me! eat me......*
* has a cracking headache from my caffeine detox....proof enough for me that coffee and chocolate ARE good for you!! :-)
* is so happy to have my boetie home from Malaysia...but not too impressed about the lack of presants, mister!!! :-)
* has a job interview on Friday...eek!!
* going to watch 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'. Yay, I love weird stuff! :-D
* needs a lock for her sock drawer after catching Rich with a pair of mine on his big feet trying to sneak out without me seeing. Oi!!
* writing the next Christmas Carol....move over, Dickens!! :-D
* I adore pepperoni passion kisses....why, they are my favourite kind, Miss Foxy Kurowski :-D
* wondering at the bittersweetness of having so many friends all over the world that, no matter where I am, I always miss someone...
* was just suggested 'Wonder Woman' by facebook as 'people you may know' based on common fields...sounds about right :-D
* 'For Sale: Baby Shoes: Never Used'. Bravo, Hemingway, master of the 6-word story 
* so, so pleased that my baby sis got baptised at Burns Beach yesterday.....not so pleased that on that same beach an hour later, a swimmers warning was issued due to a tiger shark feeding frenzy on a baby humpback whale :-s
* I really like the word 'lush'. I think that shall be included in my next piece of writing :-)
* leaving on a jetplane to Bali in six sleeps :-)
* back in the land of English-speaking tv, drinkable tap water and beachside livin'......hello, Perth! :-)
* only wants world peace for christmas....but some Irregular Choice heels would be very nice too, Santa ♥
* has had 'Endless Love' stuck in my head for a solid week...thanks a lot, Glee!!
* 'my first love...you're every breath that I take'...........over and over and over.....gah!
* building my own house today....my gingerbread house, that is :-) * had a customer at work who felt the need to explain to me who Nelson Mandela is.
* was asked yesterday if I knew if Roald Dahl would be bringing out a new book in time for Christmas *sigh*
*would like a non-alcoholic candy cane please :-)
* Since when is La Roux an 'electro goddess'?? I always thought she looked more like the white witch of Narnia myself...
* My Christmas blog! :-) Merry christmas week, everyone! http://rachmanship.blogspot.com/2009/12/dear-santa.html
*Guess they give Elvis Presleys as christmas presants in Texas. That's what it's got on my snazzy Christmas card anyways! Thanks, Amy! ♥
*Wants words with Santa about this set of drums he brought for Bex.....so long, silent nights!

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

I have been exceptionally good this year.  There may have been one or two unavoidable mishaps, particularly in the Edinburgh part of the year.  Granted, I probably shouldn't have thrown my shoe at Jackson when he called me awful names at work.  And I probably shouldn't have hit Evil Bob over the head with my handbag for teasing me about my red hair *I did receive payback for that one, by the way so I don't think that it should count, Santa.  I broke my drivers license in the process and had to carry my passport around with me for six months until I returned home to Perth*.  All in all though, I have been very, very good.  Here is a little list of things that would make my christmas:

1.  A plane ticket to somewhere exotic.  Anywhere will do really.  Somewhere tropical, like Fiji or the Maldives.  Or a European winter wonderland, maybe Switzerland or Russia.  I can't bear to be cooped up in one place for too long so pretty please Santa! With sugar and whipped cream on top!

2. A 'Wicked' dayplanner.  2008 and 2009 were a flurry of new experiences for me, from moving to Scotland, camping in Alpine climates and learning to didgeridoo (not very well, I might add).  I intend to make 2010 even better.  Plus, I am a social butterfly and with all of the parties, dates and events I have planned for the new year, I absolutely must have a day planner! Besides, I'm obsessed with stripey socks and who wears them better than the Wicked Witch? ;-)

3. A Nigella Lawson cookbook.  A domestic goddess, I am not.  Even after a year of living on my own, the best meal that I can come up with if I absolutely must cook is sausage and mash.  I despise cooking and I'm definitely not very good at it so if there is one person in the world who can inspire me to broaden my culinary horizons, it is Miss Lawson.  But be warned: I may begin using adjectives for my food like luscious, succulent and 'scrummy yummy'.

4.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  If you could possible arrange for him to be underneath my tree on Christmas morning or even just get him to deliver my presants, I would be very, very much obliged.  It's not that I don't love you, Santa.  I'm just a fool for an Irish accent ;-)

5. At the risk of sounding like a Miss Universe candidate, I really would like world peace for Christmas, Santa.  I realise that you probably can't manage this in one Christmas Eve but even if you were able to relieve just one person's suffering this Christmas, that would be very nice.  I feel mighty selfish sometimes enjoying all the merriments of the season when there are people in the world who are suffering and alone at Christmas. 
Lots of love and gingerbread kisses,
Rach xxx

P.S. If you happen to receive a letter from a Miss J. Kurowski from Philadelpia, I promise that there were no signs saying I couldn't climb that tree!

Reading is good for your brain

Ok, so that last post was really blergh and I am sooo tempted to delete.  But I'm not going to!

I am doing the NaNoWriMo thing this year!  For anyone who doesn't know what that is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  The idea is to start and finish a novel in exactly one month.  Yikes!! 50, 000 words in one month! This is going to put my procrastinating to the test!! :-) I've thought through some ideas and I'm writing on this idea that I had when I was studying but never had the time *too lazy* to do anything with.  I'm not gonna say too much because I am EXTREMELY particular about people reading or knowing too much about what I'm writing until it's polished and finished.  Borderline pedantic, really.  All I'll say is that the title of it will be 'The Wind Chasers'. 

I have also just finished two books for my 50 Book Challenge and am half-way through another so that brings me to a total of three and a half books (one being Twilight, so I'm not really sure if that counts).  Book #2 was 'Remarkable Creatures' by one of my favourite writers, Tracy Chevalier.  The story is about the life of Mary Anning, the famous British fossil hunter.  Seeing as this is the woman who wrote 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', I was expecting greatness.  I was disappointed.  The book was bland, lifeless and really 'unremarkable'.  I have been waiting months for this book to come out and have been checking her website regularly to see if there were any updates.  While discussing the book on her website, she comments that her one challenge will be to 'make fossils sexy'.  Well, I hate to say this Ms Chevalier but it just wasn't achieved.  Two stars for this and only because it's obvious that there was an immense amount of research here.

Book #3 was 'A Voice in the Wind' by Francine Rivers.  I cheated a little bit on this one as I've read it before but I love it so much that I wanted it to be in my book challenge anyways! The book is part of a trilogy called 'The Mark of the Lion' series and it's about the persecution of the First-Century christians.  The story focuses on the life of a Jewish slave girl whose family are killed in the destruction of Rome in A.D. 70 (I think!).  It's absolutely brilliant and there are so many tidbits of information that I never knew about the era that are just so interesting! This is actually the book that got me interested in historical fiction and after reading it five times, I still never get sick of it. 

I'm so sorry that I have been so slack with updating this blog lately.  I don't even have the excuse of being too busy or anything like that as I've had nothing but time on my hands for a while now! I do, however, keep my dailybooth quite current so if anyone would like to check that out from time to time, the addy is:

http://dailybooth.com/rachmanship

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! If anyone has any book recommendations for me for my 50 Book Challenge, please leave me a comment!

Toodles!
xxx

*sigh*

Today, I was determined to write a complete blog in one sitting. Normally, I have three or four blogs that I work on at a time and add and edit bits and pieces until I feel it's ready to publish. Not only could I not complete one whole post in a sitting, I couldn't write anything! My mojo is completely off today :-( Grrr!!

Will try again tomorrow...

Toodles!
xxx

8 True Things

A week or so ago, I was tagged to do the 50 Books Challenge.  50 books in a year!  Easy peasy man! :-) I'm gonna make an effort to review all the books that I read for this little challenge so by......21st September of next year, I should have read and commented on 50 books. 

So the first book that I finished (and I'm cringing writing this) is 'Breaking Dawn' by Stephanie Meyer.  I read the others a few months ago and just didn't get into them so didn't bother reading the last one.  However, I got bullied into reading the final one and, I have to say, it wasn't that bad.  The writing is atrocious and it's a killer anti-climax ending but the storyline is pretty more-ish, I have to say! 

I'm not in much of a writing mood today, so I'm gonna steal a little '8 things' quiz thing from Fras (check out his blog, it's good reading!).

8 Things I look forward to

1) Spending Christmas this year with my family in Australia! :-)
2) Starting my post-grad at Murdoch. Finally, my brain will be in function again!
3) Spending nine glorious days in the beautiful Bali sun.  Bliss!
4) Summer this year! I'm normally more of a cool weather person but after about two years of living in Narnia, I'm looking forward to being warm for a change.
5) Celebrating New Years in Sydney with my Edinburgh pals. Yay!
6) Going for dinner on Saturday with my good friend, Cheresy (,")
7) Having a Quinton Tarantino film night with Ash
8) Many more travel adventures!


8 Things I did yesterday (in order)

1) Had left-over chicken for breakfast
2) Listened to some toe-tapping 80's tunes
3) Worked for a measly three hours
4) Played with my new phone (sooo cute and pink!)
5) Wrapped Ashley's birthday presant (which is about 2 weeks late)
6) Took way too many stupid pictures of myself for daily booth
7) Washed my car for the first time in three months (poor Agatha!)
8) Danced my socks off :-)

8 Things I wish I could do

1) Fly :-)
2) Have my own creativity button.  Push 'on' and churn out amazing writing everytime
3) Play guitar
4) Speak French and Italian
5) Travel whenever I want
6) See all the people in my life that I miss so much
7) Get my revenge on all the people in my life who annoy me! Mwahahaha! (kidding, kidding...)
8) Get my dream job of being a travel writer

8 Movies I love right now

1) Amelie
2) Virgin Suicides
3) Braveheart
4) Legends of the Fall
5) The Other Boleyn Girl
6) Stepmom
7) Across the Universe
8) Troy

*Now Fraser's last list was was '8 Albums I currently adore' but I'm much more a book kinda girl so mine will be '8 Books I cannot live without!*

1) Bible
2) Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
3) Voice in the Wind - Francine Rivers
4) 'Chocolat' and 'The Lollipop Shoes' by Joanne Harris
5) 'Girl with the Pearl Earring' - Tracy Chevalier
6) 'The Bell Jar' - Sylvia Plath
7) 'Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
8) 'The Virgin Suicides' - Jeffrey Eugenides (loved both the book and movie)

Miss Manship and the Bible of Dreams

When I was in my final year of uni, I took a psychology/writing unit called 'Writing Therapy'.  The purpose of the class was to examine the therapeutic benefits of writing and to discern whether writing can be a help or a hinderance in some situations (using writers such as Plath and Sexton...was the outlet of writing a delaying of the inevitable or could it have been the cause of them taking their lives?).  Anyways, one of the exercises for the class was to put a pen and paper right next to your bed and start writing the minute you open your eyes in the morning.  Apparently, because you are still in a semi-dreamlike state when you first awake, you are likely to be more in touch with your subconscious.  The idea interested me a lot and so I started setting my alarm five minute earlier in the morning and writing down my dreams.  Once I started writing down the dreams, they started getting more and more vivid.  Every night my dreams were getting stranger and stranger and I was enjoying capturing them on paper so much that I was even setting my alarm to go off in the middle of the night so that I could write down more of my dreams.  Slightly obsessive, I know but some of the material that I was getting for my writing was unbelievable.  I would get up in the morning with notes from the night before (usually stuck to my face or written on my arm) and have no recollection of the dreams themselves.  I have notebooks full of these dreams and not I want to start recording them on my blog but I don't really want them to get in the way of my regular blog so I've set up a separate blog purely for the purpose of recording some of my more elaborate dreams.  It's just an experiment at the moment but if anyone is interested in having a squiz, the address is

http://missmanshipandthebibleofdreams.blogspot.com/

Sweet dreams (,")