Saturday Six

I don't know why I've been so uninspired lately. So I'm turning to yet another meme. Lame as they can be, at least they get me thinking and writing, right?

1. What is your favorite site to visit on line for fun? http://www.blackmask.com They have tons of free online books to read, that range from the really pathetically lame to the sublime.

2. What are five things you would like to accomplish before 2007? Ha! See, even in memes I cannot escape the whole resolution bit! Okay, five things: finish the first draft of The Telling; get a teaching job; take a month off before starting said teaching job; go to the fantasy writers' convention in Austin in November; and go to Salt Lake City for a visit.

3. Look around right now what are five things you see around you.. what importance do they have to you?

a. A copy of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. I love reading it for the imagery the poetry evokes.
b. A small floral arrangement with roses in warm colors ranging from ivory to deep apricot. I love the colors and I love the warmth.
c. A bust of Queen Nefertiti next to a papyrus with a painting of the bust. I think she was an incredibly beautiful woman, and such an enigma. Did she really believe in the Aten the way that her husband did? Was her husband really such a peculiar-looking man as his portraits make him out to be? What happened to her after Akhenaten died? What were the circumstances of her death? So many questions with, as yet, no answers.
d. A dark green glass paperweight. It's beautiful--I don't quite know how to describe it. In the old sailing ships, these green glass shapes were used to bring light into the inner quarters of the ships. My stepfather got this for me on the occasion of my graduating college, and I treasure it for the beauty of it, for the association with achieving a long-held dream, and for the love of my stepfather.
e. A 16x20 mirror with an ornate gold frame. I like it because it fits in with the Egyptian theme I'm using in this room. I also like it because it reflects what I show. If I'm being the person I want to be, then I like what I see in the mirror. When I'm being ugly or hateful, I don't like the person I see in the mirror, and it helps me to calm down.

4. Would you change your middle name if you could?

No, since I rather like my middle name. Besides, I already changed my first name. Well--I didn't change it, exactly, but moved it to a middle spot. Okay, my name used to be Virginia Lee. Back in 2001, I decided my name would be Faith. That's the name I go by most of the time, except with people who are uncomfortable using that and prefer to call me Ginny or Virginia. But I understand and appreciate the reasons that my parents named me Virginia Lee. So instead of replacing the Virginia part with Faith, I decided that I would move it to a middle spot. Both my brother and my sister (from my first family) have two middle names, so now I do as well. Did any of this even make sense?

5. Briefly describe your bedroom.

Our master bedroom is in a state of complete chaos since Joe's in the process of doing some remodeling. So I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom. It's Egyptian themed. The walls are painted a glorious honey-orangeish color. I have matchstick blinds on the windows that will shortly be covered with gauzy white curtains to provide a titch more privacy. I found a fantastic Egyptian wallpaper border that Joe keeps promising to put up for me. I have a mirror (described above); a plaque of Horus; and some prints from ancient tombs that need to get hung up as well. All of my Egyptian books are in a small white bookcase in one corner. The bookcase also holds a small fountain, a bust of King Tutankhamun, some small canopic jars, and some statues made into bookends. The nightstand is made of a reed-type material with black wood trim, and bears a small lamp, a bust of Nefertiti, and a papyrus of Nefertiti in a great gold frame. We have a daybed right now that I'm planning to exchange for a futon when I get the money to buy it; the cover is turquoise satin with gold, purple, and chartreuse accents. I have a lot of pillows and cushions on the bed, and it's slightly decadent. And there is a small reed laundry hamper as well. I've ordered a light-switch switchplate with Isis on it that has yet to arrive. After that, I just need to swap the ugly rug in here for a mat, and it will be finished!

6. When were you last outside, and what were you doing?

Last night, and I was bringing in some picture frames that I had bought earlier in the evening.