Bad Dreams and Good Truths

Fair warning to all, this is a dark and introspective kind of post. All who are faint of heart or simply not in the mood for emoting, please jump ship now.

A few years ago I had a dream that has stuck with me. I was out jogging when I was a attacked by a cougar. This was when there was that rash of death’s in California coming from cougar attacks, so I had a lot of fertile ground to build from. There wasn’t a lot of pain from the attack, mostly shock. The thing jumped on me knocking me to the ground but I managed to get free at first. I’d done everything in my power and just knocked it off. It was coming again, and this time I knew I couldn’t stop it. I was going to die. As the cougar crouched to spring I had this eternal moment of wondering. Is this it? Does it all end here?

I grew up on national park surrounded big scary predators. I’ve swum in the oceans with sharks and jellyfish. None of them ever really scared me. Even cougars didn’t get under my skin until after this dream, so I can’t just dismiss this as a Jaw’s like fixation.

One of the things that makes us human is our belief that we have time. As far as I can tell this is a correct assumption. Up until that last moment we do have time to finish that novel, to be a parent, to make up with our enemies and see more of our friends. But the point is there is a last moment. There comes a point where things are undone.

I was a teenager when I had this dream. A lot of crap had happened to me and I felt like my life was over. A rather typical teenager feeling! This dream showed me how much I had to lose. It made me realize the value of my dreams. More then that, it made me finally take my writing seriously. You see, one of my last thoughts as the cougar pounced for that last time was how much I regretted that no one would have read my stories.

                                                                                                     

So now I try to work hard on the things that matter. It was just a dream, but it’s one that I don’t know if I’ll ever forget. Even though it only happens once, remembering that an end is coming motivates me to live as much as I can before it gets here.

The Meenie Goes To The Pinewood Derby

Jonathon got to have a lot of fun last weekend. It was pinewood derby day! For the last year Jonathon has been den master for our local cub scouts. It was a bit of a surprise when he was asked to do it. He’s worked with different scouting programs since forever, but cub scouts was something he hadn’t done since he’d been one. It’s been a challenge but he’s getting the hang of it. 

Today he got to take three boys to the local pinewood derby. He had a car of his own and a competitive spirit, maybe a little too much for a leader. He was the designated pit crew. In other words, he was the last minute helper for a lot of boys who walked in with unfinished cars. His own boys had great cars already and were ready to go. Although none of his boys won any medals they all did well in their heats and had a great time. 

The Silverado, Jonathon’s car, arrived third in the Outlaw’s, the race for non-cub scout competitors. He beat a poor six year old by a hair to take the bronze. When he told me the story he sounded guilty so I asked if he felt bad. No, he just felt bad for not feeling bad. He really wanted that bronze. Now I’m sure he loves that I just shared that, but it was too funny not to.

So a good time was had by all. Jonathon is sad that it’s over because now he has to come up with new ideas for activities. It’s back to business as usual until the races come again next year. 

Jennavier Recommends: Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Have you ever picked up a book and you just wanted it to be good? That was me with Edenbrooke. We were dropping my brother off for his mission when my parents swung by a Deseret bookstore. Everyone was grabbing a book for the ride home. Yes, I come by my book obsession naturally. Because I’m a mooch I convinced my dad to buy his grown daughter a book too, and the one I picked was Edenbrooke. It had been heavily advertised across the entire Utah valley and I gave in to the marketing campaign. It wasn’t just it’s pretty cover that grabbed me, it was the fact that I had seven hours in a car with my nearest and dearest to survive. Without excellent entertainment that would be difficult to say the least. Well, Edenbrooke served it’s purpose. I was glued. We were barely more then halfway home when I finished it. My sister grabbed it and she too finished it by the time we pulled in to home. Within two days my mom had read it as well. Now my brother is almost ready to come home and I still remember how awesome that book was, even though at my family’s request I left it behind when I came back to the east coast.

So what made Edenbrooke so awesome that it captivated an entire van full of women? (The men remain uninterested, sadly!) It was just plain fun. A romantic novel set in historical England, it’s features a heroine really coming into her won. What made it was a fun and interesting story, a great romance, and dreamy setting. Plus you can’t get much better then hero. Really, he’s awesome. When I say I love historical romances, it’s Edenbrooke that’s in my head when I say that. So what are you waiting for? Go read it!