Wacky and Wild

Hello, ladies and gents! I'm about to head out of town for a few days on a tiny vacation with my family, but I wanted to leave you an entertaining journal activity to work on before I left. This idea I've drawn from an absolutely charming book I received as a gift called The Sacred Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women by Suzy Toronto (be sure to check it out at http://www.suzytoronto.com/ ). In the book, Toronto has created beautiful and bright illustrations of "wacky" women without faces (to ensure that you can picture what the woman would look like for yourself). To top it off, accompanying each drawing is a sweet poem describing the character and personality of that particular woman. They are each based off of friends the author actually knows, but that everyone can identify a particular friend with.

To give an example - the poem "She Who Has a Great Attitude" begins:

"The way she sees it,

If you want rainbows,

You gotta have rain.

So she pulls up her bootstraps

In the storm

And goes out looking

For puddles to play in."

(Here is a link to the illustration and full text of the poem - http://www.3wackywomen.com/files/1617020/uploaded/WD8104.jpg_

It is now your job to think of the friends you surround yourself and their wonderfully wacky traits. Male or female, pick one or even a few to write your own poems about. Do not be concerned with the form of your poetry, but focus instead on vividly describing the characteristics that make this friend unique to you. Title your poem(s) "She/He who is....." and finish the title appropriately. For an even more creative experience, make your own wacky illustration of what this friend looks like. After you have finished, write a short description of how you came to know your friend, some of the things you share, and why this person is important to you.

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Return to the Light

Hello there, anyone who is still around! I haven't made an appearance here since August, but I guess it seemed to be a shorter span of time to me. I apologize for the lack of new updates. These months have been filled with pain and a disinterest in expressing myself. My personal journal suffered. This blog suffered, and I apologize for leaving you without new outlets for expression. I have been dealing with deaths and major illnesses in the family, and I even recently underwent surgery to remove my gallbladder which had had me in excruciating pain for months. It has been a struggle, but now I find myself wishing to return to this blogging world and my little journal topics project. Pain has been the major factor for my absence, so let's start there for this journal topic.

When I was about to have my surgery, a professor told me a curious thing that has stuck with me. "It may be hurting badly now, but just think, you'll never remember this pain" he said. I looked at him quite puzzled and asked him to explain. "Think about it," he said, "your senses can all reproduce exact memories. You'll always know what grandma's apple pie smells like in you memory, and you can always recall the exact taste of your favorite meal...stuff like that...but no matter how hard you try to remember, your body won't allow you to recall that feeling of pain." Now that my surgery is over and I'm healing up, I've tried to remember what the pain felt like before and after. I know where the pain was and that it felt like it was stabbing, but I can't recall the exact feeling or intensity. The soreness after surgery was bad, but I really can't recall the feeling of it.

Today I want you to focus on the topic of pain. Why might it be that our bodies don't allow us to remember pain as intensely as we remember other feelings produced by our senses? What is the most pain you've ever been in? Describe how you think the pain felt then, and also describe how it feels to try and recall that pain.

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Make Each Day Worthwhile!

Do you ever get lost in the flow of days, doing the same monotonous tasks each day and waiting for something new and exciting to come along? Even on those days, if you look hard enough, I'm sure you could find something that made your day a little bit better - overhearing a humorous conversation, getting a particularly delicious sandwich at a deli, etc. When your days start to run together, start to examine what little things really set those days apart!

Make a list of ten noteworthy events that have happened to you in the past 24 hours. Which one was the highlight of your day? Do you have any honorable mentions for the list? What can you start doing to make each day a little bit better? Do you cherish these small moments (were they easy to remember for this list) or do you barely notice them when they happen (did you struggle coming up with ten)?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Behind the words

I spend a great deal of my free time immersed in good books (usually multiple ones at one time). There's nothing better than curling up under a warm blanket with a book that can steal my attention for hours. Secretly, I think being a librarian is my dream job. Surrounded by all different kinds of books for the rest of my life? I can live with that!  Now, there are good books, bad books, and ones you probably go, "Ehhhhhh, it was ok." But, for this entry, we're going to talk about the ones that, when you finally are able to putthem down, leave you speechless in a moment of awe. 

What are some books that have changed your life (or your outlook on life)? What made you connect with these book and their characters? What were the pivotal moments in the stories when you realized the message of these books would remain with you forever?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Fear & Hope

I find it very sad that I can never find an uplifting story in the news. I believe that it is my responsibility to stay up to date with what is happening in the world, but it gets so depressing sometimes. Politics, death, disease - it's a little too much sometimes. On the rare occasion that I do happen upon a genuine news story that brings a shining ray of hope, I cherish it.  Even seeing people doing their part to make a better impact on the world instead of a worse one is something grand to me. 

Consider what the world is like today, and be sure to think about both the good and the bad aspects. Now, what are five things about this current world that frighten you? What are five that give you hope? If the world were to continue on its current track, what do you see happening in the future? Where do you see yourself in that future world?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Fallen Heroes

Everyone must face disappointment in their lives, usually disappointment with other people. We might put our faith and trust in them, only to be let down in the end. It's hard coping with the fact that maybe someone you idolized wasn't as worthy of your adoration as you had previously deemed them. 

Describe a time in your life when you were let down by one of your heroes (this can be any real person in your life or even a super hero you adored). How did your respect for him/her change afterwards? Did he/she ever regain your trust? If at all, how did being let down by someone you trusted change your outlook on life?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

The Cure

I'll let you in on one of my secrets - one of my biggest fears. I fear that eventually I will develop Alzheimer's. Yes, I am still very, very young compared to those who usually have the disease, but the truth is, it's in my family, and I'm scared to death of it. I don't have a great memory as it is. Already I can't remember simple things that I really should know (Such as what I did yesterday or something a person told me 5 minutes earlier). I keep praying that a cure will be developed well before I'm considered "elderly" and a prime candidate for the disease. Wouldn't it be great if we could just wish away diseases?

If you had the power, what is one disease you would cure? Why is curing this specific disease important to you? Who have you known that has had this disease and what effects did it have on him/her? Theoretically, let's say you could cure this disease for the entire world, but for that to happen you would spend the rest of your life with that same disease - would you do it?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Share the Love

Even on my worst days, I still feel the need to spread a little goodness - you know, show a little love. It can be done in a variety of ways. While I'm thinking about it, this is a great time to introduce you to a blog I follow, Brett's Good Deed of the Day. Same principle as what I'm discussing here. Some days I'll leave a little bit extra in a tip to a hard-working waitress, or give a few extra treats to my doggies when they give me that irresistibly cute look, or even give up whatever important work I'm doing to just listen to a friend that needs someone to lean on. 

How have you shown a little love today? Do you do things like this often? How does it make you feel about yourself? How do you think it makes those on the receiving end feel? 

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

A Simple Touch

One of the first things people learn when getting to know me is that I completely lack a sense of smell! Weird, yes, I know, but I have a strange problem with my septum that makes my nose feel like I have a permanent cold. So let's see - no sense of smell, if I didn't have contacts I'd probably be completely blind, and my hearing is terrible. I'm getting old way before my time! What's left - taste and touch, my favorites! For this entry though, we're going to focus on touch. It's an incredible sensation, which can be experienced in so many ways! Here are some things to think about:

How much touching are you comfortable with - from family? friends? strangers? Describe what it feels like to be touched by someone that you love. Name five things that you love to touch because of the way they feel. Imagine that your entire body loses the sense of touch, and you become completely numb to the pain or even pleasure that touch can bring - how would your life be different? Which of your senses do you value the most - touch, smell, sight, hearing, or taste?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Not a Topic, but an Idea

While this won't be an entry that offers you a new topic to write about, I believe it might give you a pretty sweet idea (and me the opportunity to do a little bragging -haha-). I have an amazing fiancé who loves and understands my passion for my journal, although he's never been able to commit to actively keeping a journal himself. Tonight, he had a little surprise for me. He took five pieces of paper, a pen, some tape, and a marker and went to sit down and write. He returned with five folded and taped up pieces of paper that fit in the palm of my hand and were marked on with the marker so I couldn't see any of the words inside. He told me that inside were various topics, which mostly related to our relationship, that I could use to write about in my journal. The rules - I could pick any of the pieces I wanted, but only open one every 24 hours and absolutely no peeking (He knows I'm a terrible snoop, especially around presents). I thought this idea was amazing, and I am so eager to start on the first topic.

This made me think - more people should be doing this! I've heard of giving journal jars as presents (jars filled with journal topics), but not everyone has the time to organize those. This way is much simpler. So I say to you, readers, why not find a friend or loved one who shares your enthusiasm for writing and present them with your own topics. I assure you, they will be thrilled and just itching to pick up the first one to open. The greatest gift you can give are your words. 

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Title: Title: Title:

Whenever I am nearing the end of the blank pages left in my journal, I look back at the past entries and reflect. It's amazing to see the amount of personal growth that these pages contain. It is at this time when I am reflecting, that I declare a title for my journal. Every good journal deserves a name. My handy-dandy leather bound journal, for instance, I've decided to call "Down the Rabbit Hole" (I adore Alice in Wonderland, and this journal has contained quite a bit of madness).

Review your journal entries in search of a common theme. What would you title your journal? Where does that title come from, and what does it reflect about the entries inside? Think of your journal as a book - what illustration would be on the cover? Do you think if it was on a shelf in a bookstore, someone would want to purchase it based on the cover/title (I know it's said to never judge a book by its cover, but we all literally do it sometimes!). What other titles would you consider for your journal? 

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

In a Cage

I'm back! I had a lovely time in NYC, and one of my favorite parts was seeing all of the beautiful creatures in the Central Park Zoo (I'm a big-time animal lover). This little visit got me thinking and inspired the following topic for you to write about!

Imagine that a new type of zoo has just opened, except you are the creature in the cage on display. When people come to see you, what information do they learn about your habits and your lifestyle? Design your own information card that would be on your cage that would tell visitors all about the creature inside. Also, describe what kind of habitat your cage would simulate (Be creative! Does your cage look like a coffee shop or a garden patio? It can be anything! Go in detail!) Thinking deeper - who would you say, if anyone, is your trainer? Who has the most control over you and your actions? If you are a creature who "performs", what do the zoo visitors expect to see you do?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Pull the Covers Over Your Head & Hold Your Teddy Bear Close

Last night, I had a terribly vivid nightmare. It absolutely shook me to my core. I'm not ashamed to admit that, even though I am an adult, I still crawled out of bed at 5a.m. to go check on my parents (the dream was about my father). I didn't mean to do another dream-related topic so soon after the last one, but after this nightmare, I couldn't help myself.

Describe the last nightmare you had that you can remember. What was the most vivid part of it? How did the nightmare relate to any fears you may have? Upon waking from a nightmare, how do you react and cope with the terrors your mind just released on you?

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

(PS - This might be the last post from me until Monday.  I will be spending the weekend in NYC and have zero access to the web. My apologies!)

Make Me a Metaphor

I am a terrible poet. Horrible, horrible, horrible. While I thoroughly enjoy reading poetry, I have absolutely no talent for writing it. That aside, this was a journaling exercise I found quite amusing and actually enjoyed writing.

Just for the few of you out there that might not know exactly what a metaphor is, I'll provide the Dictionary.com (The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy) definition:

metaphor
The comparison of one thing to another without the use of like or as: “A man is but a weak reed”; “The road was a ribbon of moonlight.” Metaphors are common in literature and expansive speech.


Create a list of metaphors that describe you. Use metaphors to describe your current self, your state of mind, your past, your future, etc. Do not limit your number of metaphors. Write only in metaphors until you fill you have completely and accurately described yourself. (Example: My future is a blank sheet of paper, unlimited possibilities that lay under the control of my hand. )

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie

Dream a Little Dream

I am a big fan of SLEEP. Even though I don't get very much of it, sleep is always a new and exciting experience. I live for little cat naps or the deep slumbers where not even an explosion could wake me. I love to explore the dream world and see what new, strange images my mind will conjure up. 

Describe the area you sleep in most - is it a big, comfy bed with numerous pillows or maybe a cozy couch with a warm blanket? Why is this place so inviting to you? Describe some of your most memorable dreams. 

Good luck and best writing!

~Cookie