Concetta20

I've had so many idea bouncing around and each time I pick one and say "ok, this is the one I'm going to stick with. It seems solid enough to really develop." And then ... Nothing. This time, I really mean it! --- no really! It's going to be awesome!

I came across a tidbit of information, thanks to BBC's Horrible Histories (I totally thought of this before that "Vikings" show on History came out), that wouldn't it be interesting to follow the life of a (fictional) monk who gets gets sold into slavery after his monastery is sacked by Vikings. All he has left is his small, personal Bible, which he is able to hide or the Vikings let him keep (by Providence) All the superfluous things of his faith has been stripped away so all he has left is the word of God. He learns the language and starts to teach those around him about Christ and he comes to terms with his own past choices dictated by the environment of his old life.

(In the best way).

I finally saw the "Rise of the Guardians" film a couple months ago, and throughly enjoyed it (Alexandre Desplat is on my favorite composers list now! He was already on my radar with "The King's Speech", I have not heard a more well-crafted movie score in a long time).

Although, back to the series, I did not realize that the books I had vaguely heard it the film was based on was a William Joyce series, whom I had only known for "Roly-Poly Ollie" and "Meet the Robinsons" (And now I also know his "Leafmen" books spawned the "Epic" movie).

I finally went to the library and checked out a bunch of his books (for myself and for the kids in my aftercare group, but mainly myself ). I've been drooling over the illlustrations and storytelling. I would like to purchase his children's book about the flying books; so sweet, an ode to book lovers everywhere. I've been delving into his "Guardians" series, zipping through them since they're an easy read and enjoying the wildly imaginative, J.M. Barrie-esque storytelling, where the improbable or fantastic is presented to the reader very matter-of-factly. 

I also have been reading the favorite of my middle school years, Lloyd Alexander; reading the books of his I never got around to reading before. I'd like to finally own the Prydain Chronicles, the Vesper Holly Series and the Westmark Trilogy. 

In adult reading, I've picked up a, so far well-written/researched, novel about Claudia, Pontius Pilot's wife, starting with her childhood, and probably ending after Pilot's removal from office (haven't got there yet).

The rest of the new town center opened up, along with it a lot of shops I could only get to at a mall 45 minutes away, like Francesca's . I took three of my nieces shopping after church and spent a lot of money, but had a great bonding time with them.

Still working on fleshing out the characters of my airship story. I'm having so much trouble with the main guy!

Okay . . . okay . . .

Kris Marshall's growing on me, darn it.

Near the end of the second episode I was like, "no! Don't make me like you! No, no, no!"

I still miss D.I. Poole. Kris Marshall's more "grounded" character would have worked if we did not have the more extreme Poole character to compare him with.

NooooOOooo! Why do you keep doing this to me, BBC? First Assumpta in "Ballykissangel", Arthur in "Merlin", Sybil and Matthew in "Downton Abbey" and now D.I. Poole in "Death in Paradise"? When an actor leaves a show why do you always have to kill them off?! From articles announcing his departure from the series it sounded like Ben Miller was leaving in the middle of the third series . . . Psych! Gotcha! . . . we killed him off with an ice pick in the first three minutes! Totally unnecessary! His character wanted to return to the U.K. and tried to more than once, despite his fondness for his team, he could have left at last and it would have been plausible! I wasn't as impressed with Kris Marshall as some of the article-writing parts of the British population are. He was rather boring and his bumbling seemed forced. I actually teared up when they showed Richard expiring during the murder reveal. Not cool, BBC1. Not cool at all.

I am having so much fun with my new software, Manga Studio 5! I can't wait to start drawing comics with it. I've been also having a blast working on commissions, especially this new one which has to do with illustrating scenes from WWII veterans' accounts. I also have a new job working in the infant room at a Montessori school! Woohoo! To come home after an eight hour day of cuddling babies, to draw, sounds good to me.