The Bending of Their Minds

Marie King ©

Climbing a mountain... it's a deeply personal and spiritual experience– to be confronted with the capabilities of your body in such a measurable way. To reach the tallest height and to know that it was your own two feet that got you there, to feel the sweat drip down your back in tribute to your achievement, and the heavy rhythm of your lungs fueling your body with pride.

When I finally made it to the top of this mountain, I sat down in utter exhaustion and wrote the following on a small scrap of paper which I just recently found (and thus triggered my writing of this post):

It was on the backs of men that this world was built 

and it was the bending of their minds from which beauty was to be born.

I miss the mountains with such a depth as some people long for their home.

I've never felt so bound by money as I do now, when I have none and can go nowhere but the longer I am trapped, the more certain I know I can't live without these sleeping giants in my life.

Soon my loves, 
MK

I think I first stumbled upon this song in a Norwegian commercial...
I can't quit it.
Maybe you won't be able to either.

Seaside, Seashore

on the shore
the soft, sweet shore
rest a boat. exhausted,
ravished by the sea it tried to tame.
perhaps the end was beautiful

perhaps the sea swallowed her whole
and when she expired
spit her onto the shores
to rest aside her love
forever


Always yours,
MK

Newton's 3rd

Life is one big contradiction, compiled of a billion little contradictions: live with passion, savor the moment; love fervently, trust carefully; be one with nature, embrace technology; celebrate our diversity, ignore our differences; etc, etc, etc.

I find it hard to determine my priorities in this mess of choices. Nothing is black and white, everything good comes with something equally bad- positives and negatives always seeking to balance each other out. That is nature- that is the human race. To be alive is to be pulled in every which direction.

I started my college years as an International Studies major and every course I took demonized globalization- providing example after example of the adverse affects it was having on various nations and cultures. It was horrifying to say the least. And yet, even with this knowledge, I can't help but feel lucky to live in a world where I could meet and become dear friends with people from all over the world. How lovely it was to sit in a class with Germans, Koreans, and South Africans and learn about their perspective. How fortunate I am to be able to read French literature, study German architecture, watch Bollywood movies, and eat Thai food. Newton's third law doesn't apply to physics alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Globalization is both a curse and a blessing. Technology is both liberating and binding. Love is both joy and pain.

I love collecting quotes and there are a million wonderful, eloquent phrases in support of all these opposite philosophies of life- which is what set me off on this tonight- but perhaps the best way to understand and carry on is by finding solace in the old truism- you can't know joy without knowing sorrow. Something can only be understood in context of what it isn't.

Life is about finding balance. It is meant to tear you apart, so that you can put yourself back together with the full knowledge of both who you are and who you choose not to be. 

With all my joy, 

MK

Reader's Block

Lost in the clouds,
MK

Looking At Me, Looking At You

“It is when you lose sight of yourself, that you lose your way. To keep your truth in sight you must keep yourself in sight and the world to you should be a mirror to reflect to you your image; the world should be a mirror that you reflect upon.” 

― C. JoyBell C. ―

A doodle bug is running rampant. I wish it would take hold of me and never let go, but alas, like all bugs, this shall pass.

Cheers to crafty fevers and artsy agitations!

Always yours,

MK

Holes in My Consciousness

“One thousand brilliant stars punched holes in my consciousness, pricking me with longing. I could stare at the stars for hours, their infinite number and depth pulling me into a part of myself that I ignored during the day.” 

—Maggie Stiefvater—

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is infecting the world once again and I can't help but smile. 

Cheers to you and yours! 

MK

Enchanted

Happy dreaming, 

MK

The Irreplaceable Spark

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists... it is real... it is possible... it's yours.” 

― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

There are a few books I re-read each year without fail. Here are my three:

• Atlas Shrugged
• Pride and Prejudice
• Harry Potter

(well I suppose the last one is more like 7 ones, but how can one really stop HP once they start?)

These books represent three different parts of my soul and these characters are the ones I miss the most when I reach the end. Pride and Prejudice gave me heart, Harry Potter nourished my dreams, and Atlas Shrugged saved my life. My heartfelt thanks to the wonderful women that wrote these books! I owe you everything.

In pursuit of the written word,
MK

Digital Road Trips...

Ireland

Sometimes, late at night when I can't sleep, I'll travel around the world. I'll wander the streets of Paris, get lost in the English countryside, and twist my way through the roads of less-touristy Mexican cities.  I'll bike around NYC, drive around Finland or fly above in a satellite, going round and round the earth... stopping only when my eyes are too tired to take in anymore.

Norway

I of course cannot actually afford to go galavanting across the globe for spontaneous midnight adventures, but I can go on Google Maps. It's incredible- the ability to traverse a planet from the warmth of our beds. Someday, when I am no longer burdened by my student debt, I'll get to see it all in the flesh, but for now- I am thankful to live in the 21st century of digital travel. It soothes my restless spirit. 

Mexico

Ireland

Norway

Italy (can't remember for sure)

Norway

And sometimes, I go back to where I was born- Lakeside, Chicago.

Your digital backpacker,
MK

P.S. Fun quirks I've stumbled upon: biking behind the same girl on Governor's Island (NYC) and while going along one road in Canada, the season suddenly changed. Let me know what you find!

P.P.S. All images are snapshots from Google Maps ©

Snow Bright

 January 2010 

...but while the honest ones 

shrank back from

the touch of snow

the liars

were where the truth was

—Rg Gregory—

For all you fellow winter lovers out there, as you will mournfully recall, last year was quite a disappointment for us in the Midwest. We only had two major snowfalls, lots of warmth and sunshine. It was hideous. A real downer.

This year, we're not going to repeat last year's mistakes. I've done my research and with proper application, I suspect this may be the best year of all. But I'm going to need your help. The following have been extensively studied and are scientifically proven methods for increasing the volume of granular material this year:

• Sleep with your pajamas inside out
• Leave ice cubes on the porch
• Place a spoon under the pillow [*note: some studies suggest freezing the spoon first]
• Place a white crayon in the freezer
• Run around a table 4 times
• Flush an ice cube down your toilet

Needless to say, I will be doing my own research including repeating any snow dances I might discover on YouTube. Stay strong, keep your spirits up and if you have any other suggestions LET ME KNOW!!

Love and snow flurries,

MK

Moments of Profound Beauty

"Sometimes, you are lucky enough to stumble onto something that feels so precisely like a dream, the line between reality and that perfect place where anything is possible blurs. Sometimes, you try your best to capture it. Sometimes you come close. Sometimes." 
—Tyler Knott Gregson—

Quite often this world confuses me. The people confuse me. More often than not, I feel like I don't fit into it. And it can make me sad at times. But whenever I go outside, really outside- not a front yard or down a sidewalk- but a forest, a seaside, an infinite spread of untouched land- everything settles in me and I feel completely at home. 

I'm touched by these moments of profound beauty. 

They remind me of how much life is meant to be enjoyed,

how much the world desires to be savored. 

I can at least do that much. 

Truly yours,

MK

You Are Alive

For years, I've been scared of walking alone in dark forests, especially the November nights with their overcast skies and screaming winds. I have a very over active imagination and it often ends with supernatural killers and my death. But lately, I've been going out every night into the wild, concealed world and have felt utterly at peace. 

The stars have a special diamond quality to them- sparkling more than ever through the murky atmosphere.And though the screeching winds make me wary, their touch is soft. Never do the air feel so tangible as when they are thick with cold.
The winds are a playful thing and now I imagine they howl not in fear, but in delight. 

Fall exposes the trees, and you can trace the veins as they reach up into the night sky. They remind me of a neuron cell, sending and receiving messages. In summer, the trees soak up the secrets of the earth and reveals them to the universe on little slips of leaves.  But when the cold sets in, the universe whispers back of other worlds and soft colors and swirling bursts of light. The trees take note and send it along to the ground below, so as to inspire the flowers to bloom and the grasses to grow when the warmth returns. The trees are the guardians of the ages; they are the messengers, the chain between the earth and her heavens.

 The crisp, cold nights are no longer a source of fear- they are a source of joy- boundless, infinite and perfect. This is the time for the self to give way to the world. These are the moments one should go out just to remind themselves that they are alive. 

MK

A Million Pieces

I am an inconsistent woman. My life is composed of whims and impulses. My heart burns through its passions like a comet blazes through the earth's atmosphere, bright and joyous, but burning, burning, burning until when it finally lands, it's in a million pieces, scattered all over. I am without patience and my attention is a wild animal that shrugs any attempt to tame it. When I love, I love passionately- with everything I have and everything I am and when I lose that, I am utterly broken. I never rebound quite the same and I never love anything twice. 

I prefer the imaginary to reality, the visual word to the spoken word, and being solitary to the company of others. 

I love the cold though it's barren. I love my dreams though they give me no comfort. 

And I'm in love with the stars though they do not love me back.

MK

(I also adore sweeping generalizations☺)

Brighter is a State of Being

 In drawing class, you learn about perspective and the way something farther away looks smaller than something close. But with stars, you can never gauge just how far they are. Your mind reads the sky as those that are brightest are closest. 

But brighter doesn't mean closer. Brighter doesn't mean bigger. Brighter is just a state of being. 

Like the stars, people tend to use certain things, like academic and professional success, as a filter by which to view a person's status. But people are just people are just people.

If you want to see them clearly, look for the happiest— they are the ones that burn brightest.

MK 

The Cute Cure

Cute animals can make any day better. 

Plump pigs are great snugglers, goats are great listeners, donkeys are more awkward than you, and fuzzy cows love big hugs.  

❈ Baby zebras dry all tears and little kangaroos fix all broken hearts ❈

↓ And if this guy doesn't make you feel better, ↓

then maybe your vision's the problem. 

See? All better!

MK

America. The Brave.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

-- Abraham Lincoln --

"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country"
-- JFK --

Love you 'merica, 

MK

The Smallest Crevices of My Soul

I followed the forest path,

as far as it would go. 

And when it went no more, 

I pushed my way through.

The trees huddled around as the sun twinkled down; 

the leaves rustled with the soft wind,

and crunched beneath my feet. 

I breathed deep,

inhaling the fresh, crisp air 

into the smallest crevices

of my soul.

 Love always, 

MK

Like sleeping and like walking...

-- Roses --

-------------------------------------------------------------

You love the roses - so do I. I wish

The sky would rain down roses, as they rain

From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?

Then all the valley would be pink and white

And soft to tread on. They would fall as light

As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be

Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!

-------------------------------------------------------------

 -- George Eliot --

Hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!
MK

Hello November

Hello

Novemeber 

Dearest!

Love, MK

Happy NaNoWriMo 2012!!

M'gentleman would like to say Happy NaNoWriMo! It all starts today and I have absolutely no idea where my story is going despite my preparation. I'm just going to wing it and hopefully have something tangible to show at the end.

Prior to last year's NaNoWriMo, I probably hadn't written any stories since elementary school and certainly nothing near novel length. So to be honest, I was quite surprised when it came so easy. It was hard the first few days to make that 1,667 word goal for the day but by the second week, I could bust out 3k, no sweat. I also remember being terrified of dialogue- I was seriously having some anxiety as I neared the point where my character would finally have to interact with another person. And then she did and I never thought about it again.

Writing was a joy and I'm looking forward to this month more than I can say.

I wish all you other NaNoWriMo'ers out there all the best!

Cheers to a wonderful month full of crazy adventures and new characters!

MK

The Adventures of Monsieur Smooshcheese & Senior Poofcakes (cont'd)

Keep up with the adventures of Monsieur Smooshcheese & Senior Poofcakes at their designated blog 

http://poofcakes-and-smooshcheese.blogspot.com

Marie King & Vickie Vuong, 2012 ©

Bloomberg on 'Europe's Unfinished Currency'

Thomas Mayer is one of the many authors I have the pleasure of working with at my publishing house. Not only is he a brilliant man with an excellent resumé, but he's also incredibly kind. He is currently doing an international tour that I was able to help coordinate and Bloomberg was one of his stops in NYC. Check out the interview above and buy his book- it's fantastic!

Direction

When you come to a crossroads at your life, how do you decide which way to go? 

And why does the choice weigh on your heart like a million pounds?

God Bless Our Troops!

Bombers are my favorite warbirds to check out. The pilots from WWII always have the most fascinating stories.

This was one of those 'right place, right time' photos.
The men were posing for some other photographer, so I snuck in and took my own. 

My deepest gratitude to our armed forces! 

The Warmth of the Law

My great-great grandfather helped build the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. 

I may be biased, but I think it's one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the country. 

A beautiful building for a beautiful city. 

If you have a chance, you should travel up there in the summer. It's really well kept up and when you're done touring the building, you can visit one of my favorite farmers markets that wraps around it.