This Southern Belle's Musings

This Southern Belle's Musings

"Darlin', don't ever take a Southern woman for granted!" [tm]

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Friday, April 23, 2004

West Coast Bound!

"By starving emotions we become humorless,
rigid and stereotyped; by repressing them we become
literal, reformatory and holier-than-thou; encouraged,
they perfume life; discouraged, they poison it."
-- -- Joseph Collins

I am literally taking these words to heart.     It is time to soothe -- to heal -- my emotions, and to indulge in a little "me" time.     I will soon begin the task of packing for a week-long trip for a much-needed vacation to a 'lil B&B on a secluded beach in a little town just south of Santa Barbara, CA.     The thought of waking each morning to walk on the beach, and spending each evening watching the sun set, is just the motivation I need to find the right mindset to downshift from perpetual overdrive to leisurely relaxation mode!

Plenty of books to read, plenty of blank journals to write in, plenty of sunscreen . . .     I'm envisioning a week this side of Heaven!     I'm disconnecting the computer, saying good-bye to technology for at least a week, packing a couple of bathing suits, some shorts and tank tops, my trusty Birkenstocks, my new David & Goliath flip-flops ("boys are stupid, throw rocks at them"), assorted hair accessories and plenty of hair conditioner, my cameras and lots of film.

So-long East Coast with all of your worries, troubles and stressors . . . Hello, West Coast with all of your sand, surf and laid-back attitudes!     It may only be for a week but, a week can certainly make a difference in your peace of mind, and re-center your Body, Mind & Spirit!

current mood: Anticipation
current music: Birds singing just outside my window

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :1:25 PM
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Ten Questions

"Our feelings are our most genuine paths to knowledge."
-- Audre Lorde

These 10 questions originally came from a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot. It is probably more familiar to many as the question James Lipton asks at the end of "Inside the Actor's Studio." I answered these ten questions differently in another incarnation of myself several weeks ago but, today, for A Southern Belle's Musings, I will answer them as follows:

01. What is your favorite word?
Love.

02. What is your least favorite word?
Hate.

03. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
The refusal to edit raw emotion when it erupts from pure passion.

04. What turns you off?
Lying.

05. What is your favorite curse word?
I can't tell you (you might tell my dad!)

06. What sound or noise do you love?
Rhythmic breathing when two bodies are near.

07. What sound or noise do you hate?
The phone ringing every five minutes when you're busy (working, showering, etc.), and the 'person' can't leave a message and/or wait for a return call.

08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Full time, tenured lead photographer for National Geographic. (yes, that's the ultimate "dream-job")

09. What profession would you not like to do?
Day-care worker or Teacher.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
First, St. Peter will say (in his best Southern accent), "Hop on in the back of the truck, we're headin' up to the Big House!" Then, God, will say, "We've been expecting you!"

current mood: Giddy
current music: Rain (still) falling on the tin roof

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :7:49 PM
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Sunday, April 11, 2004

Easter Myth-Busters

And, we wonder WHY upcoming generations have such skewed views on life . . . case in point . . .

Rabbits do not lay eggs -- especially brightly coloured, and artfully decorated ones!

But, not to be an Easter Scrooge . . . Happy Easter to All!

current mood: Exhausted (insomnia sucks!)
current music: Dogs snoring (honest!)

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :3:48 AM
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Saturday, April 10, 2004

Set Your Inner Artist Free!

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it!
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
--Goethe

Creativity lives in us all. But, often, we stifle the creativity . . . thinking it to be childish, or a waste of time. I recently found something that might make you reconsider that misconception. How about partaking in The Art of Sleuthing? Once you arrive at this link, continue forward four pages to be "inspired" to get out and get "creative" today!

". . . we can't kill time without injuring eternity."
--Thoreau

Creativity manifests itself in many ways. What may be a creative outlet for one, may not necessarily work for another. We must each find what is right for us to express our own unique creativity.

So? What will YOU do today?

~ Miss Kitty

"When I quote others I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly."
-- Michel de Montaigne

current mood: brimming with creativity
current music: the sounds of nature, just outside my window

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :10:31 AM
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Friday, April 09, 2004

Did You Know?!?

"Art, like morality, consists in drawing a line somewhere."
~ Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936)

I "borrowed" this quiz from Denise, because I just love fun 'lil quizzes . . .

Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says.

"The most potent muse of all is our own inner child."

Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?

The wall in my studio.

What is the last thing you watched on TV?

CSI on Thursday evening.

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The wind chimes on the front porch, and the birds singing in the back yard.

When did you last step outside?

About two hours ago when the FedEx guy delivered my new tankini for my California trip.

Before you came to this website, what did you look at?

Searched links for photo hosting for my friend, Vic.

What are you wearing?

Thunder Creek Harley T-Shirt, Black Jeans and Black Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars.

Did you dream last night?

Yes, but I can't remember the details now.

When did you last laugh?

Just a few minutes ago, talking on the phone with my friend, Vic.

What is on the walls of the room you are in?

My Studio -- two bulletin boards filled with friends' photos, calendars, and misc. memorabilia. A brand-new paint job -- "Box-Turtle-Olive" on the walls, three shades lighter on the ceiling, and a tan colour on the wooden floor. A large framed B&W print called "Women-On-The-Rise," which is a repro of a famous print of a group of men on a steel I-beam high above New York City, but this one is all women, in period work clothes, chatting, applying make-up, etc.

Seen anything weird lately?

Around here, it seems like every day I venture out I see "something" weird.

What do you think of this quiz?

I like most quizzes, and I think this one is fun.

What is the last movie you saw?

"The Whole Wide World."

If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?

A house back in my hometown, pronto -- and, begin the process of "blowin'-this-pop-stand!"

Tell me something about you that I don't know.

I could; but then I'd have to kill you. J/K

If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Ensure that "acceptance" and "tolerance" are the norm, not the "exception."

Do you like to dance?

Most definitely.

George Bush.

I do not discuss politics, or my political views, on any of my sites [personal preference/personal choice], so I'll skip this one.

Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Not a valid question for me. I'm CLBC.

Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?

Ditto -- see answer above.

Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes, if it were my ancestral homeland of Ireland.

current mood: procrastinating (way behind on deadlines!)
current music: the melody of my wind chimes outside

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :5:02 PM
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Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Let's Dance

"A critic is a legless man who teaches running."
-- Channing Pollock

Although I admit that I am relatively new to blogging, I am definitely not new to journaling. I am, what some might even consider, a "purist" when it comes to journaling (or writing of any kind, including personal and business letters) in that I write everything -- and I do mean, everything --out in long-hand before ever transferring anything to a computer keyboard. There's just something about sitting in front of a computer screen, typing on a keyboard, that causes me to edit - edit - edit in a most obscene way! When writing things out in long-hand, I just keep writing, not worrying about the flow of the words, just the stream of consciousness. Since my mind, imagination, and thoughts are free to flow as the pen moves across the paper (no editing allowed!) I don't miss the minutia of a point or topic. Even if, when I'm to the re-write (or final phase) point and the minutia is cut, at least I have the option to cut, and not the regret over feeling that I'm left missing something that was lost forever in the rush of the clicking of the keys.

My writings literally take on an art form when it finally reaches the editing phase -- balloons, arrows, circles, gyrations of the dance -- a symphony of movement as the words and phrases are rearranged into the most pleasing compositions. By allowing the stream of consciousness to flow freely in the initial writing stages, the intensity and depth of the writing is more profound than if that < delete > key was readily available on the keyboard.

The prestigious Prentice Hall Proofreader's Marks have nothing on me! The subtlety, the ebb, the flow . . . it all comes full circle to find its proper place, its proper rhythm, the tempo with just the right hint of juxtaposition . . . to give it a unique melody.

current mood: creative and verbose
current music: the soundtrack to Ocean's Eleven

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :2:04 PM
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Tuesday, April 06, 2004

Southern Belles Stand United

"It's surprising how many persons go through life
without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other
people are largely determined by their feelings toward
themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself,
you can't be comfortable with others."
-- Sydney J. Harris

If you haven't yet experienced Jill Connor Browne's views of life as the self-proclaimed "Sweet Potato Queen," any of her writings, public appearances, or anything remotely related to the Queen and her "queens," I advise you to run (not walk) to your local bookseller, or pop on over to amazon.com at the link provided below, and grab her book, "The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love" pronto!

As an East Tennessee Southern Belle myself (*so what if there's a little tarnish on my tiara*), I can so relate to Jill's attitude toward life, and her approach to living it. Check her out (there's also a link to her O-fficial web site in my permanent links on the right)!

current mood: highly amused
current music: the birds singing outside of my window

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :4:40 PM
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Thursday, April 01, 2004

Wake Me From This Dream

"Knowledge of any kind ...
brings about a change in awareness
from where it is possible to create new realities."
-- Deepak Chopra

How do we know what is truly real, and what is merely an illusion? Life is a mystery, and no matter how much we attempt to analyze, to rationalize, or to justify our actions and reactions to the world around us, how can we be sure that we're reacting to reality instead of a dream-like illusion? Do we genuinely know the difference between being awake and being asleep? Could we be continually confusing the two?

That vague, out-of-body feeling of deja vu that occurs all too often to simply explain away, those brief glimpses of movement in our peripheral vision that vanishes the moment we turn our heads to see who or what is there, those strong, unexplainable emotions that haunt us over time -- are these real? How can we rationalize all of the associated impulses that are bombarding our senses if they aren't real?

current mood: Mystically-curious
current music: Rain on the tin roof

(c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :9:06 PM
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♪ I am

Susan Reno-Gilliland, known as "Miss Kitty," an Irish lass, a true Southern Belle; a writer, photographer, animal-lover, dreamer, stargazer, totally tangled (or is that entangled?) in relationships, slightly obsessive iNFp with stories to tell! . . . (fascinated by forensics, human behavior, pushing all the right buttons of men I find interesting, and seeking utterly-sweet revenge without any repercussions.) I am a Friday's Child. Friday's Child is loving & giving.
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