A Little Shel Silverstein, Lunar Lovin' and Reintroducing Myself

Well, hi, it's Monday!  I know, you were trying to forget that, right?

I was reading "A Light in the Attic" to my son the other night, and found this gem:

This Bridge
Shel Silverstein
PP. 168-169

This bridge will only take you halfway there
To those mysterious lands you long to see:
Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs
And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.
So come and walk awhile with me and share
The twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known.
But this bridge will only take you halfway there--
The last few steps you'll have to take alone.

I've read the book many times over, but I'd forgotten this one, and it struck me in so many ways.  But today, it strikes me as being all about story.  When you read a book, you have the ability to imagine it in your head, to create the monsters from a description, to picture the characters, to see and feel the setting.  Words on the page can only do so much without your mind.  It's your mind that finishes those words, that twists them into the stories within you, and that makes you feel what you feel.  When you watch a movie, you're forced to see what they chose to have you see.  Everything is laid out, and you have no real choice in envisioning characters and settings.  If they've made a crappy monster, that's all you'll see.  Whereas, if a monster is written to be not so great, it can become so much more within you.

Remember the magic in your stories, and in the stories of others.  It's a beautiful thing, but no one can hold your hand.  You have to take those last few steps on your own.

Now, I'm participating in two blog hops today, but both are brief.

What can I say about myself?  I discovered the joy of writing in elementary school when a teacher gave us each a photo prompt and told us to write for 15 minutes.  Mine was a picture of the Earth.  From that day forward, I've always loved to write from a prompt (or any other ol' way).  I write mostly horror, urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic.  I have a fascination with history, especially all things Wild West.  I also enjoy photography, though I haven't had the opportunity to take any photography classes yet.  Sometimes I get lucky and get a really great photo, and often they're okay.  I'm blessed to live in a place where I'm exposed to gorgeous natural surroundings, which provides much of my photo fodder, along with my kiddos, who I love to photograph.  For random factoids on me, you can see an About Me post I wrote last year, HERE.

Thank to Stephen Tremp, Mark Koopmans, Elise Fallson, and C.M. Brown for this blog hop, intended to help all us bloggers get to know each other!

Now, thanks to Mina Lobo, we have the Lunar Lovin' Hop.

I was sad I couldn't get any good pictures, and not because the sky wasn't clear - it was.  I just didn't have the knack tonight.  Here's what I got, though.

 I could see it completely clearly through the telephoto lens, but I was too cold and shaky to get a good pic in the dark.  I tried the tripod, but the lens was too heavy, so it relied on me to balance it anyway.  Still, I loved sitting out in the dark, gazing up the moon.  Peaceful.  It was about 11:15 PM when I took the photos, here in Colorado Springs.  The constellations were so clear.  Utterly gorgeous.

Thank you for stopping by!

What I'm reading: Annwynn's Blood, by Michael Eging and Steve Arnold.

Have you taken the time to enjoy the moon lately?  What random fact do you like telling people about yourself?  Did you enjoy Shel Silverstein as a kid?  When was the last time you read his work?

May you find your Muse.