#of course i get inspiration to write at 11:44 pm on a school night......;;

[thebeautyoffanfics]

hihi! can i get teru reacting to his s/o, who’s normally clingy, basically starts ghosting him and then just one day disappears? I’m in the mood for angst. Also if this goes against your rules just delete it. I hope your having a wonderful day :)

teru minamoto x gn!reader

a/n: hello!! Sure thing, it’s not against the rules, so no worries :D I hope you’re having a wonderful day as well, I’m so sorry for how long this took to get out, and thank you so much for requesting!! <3

ALSO I think I ended up taking this in a different direction than you wanted?? I hope that’s alright;; either way, I do believe I left it vague enough for the reader to improvise as they please,,?

word count: 899

Teru never minded your clinginess! Although he had some sort of reputation to keep up at school, he’d play into it no matter what. He’d give as many hugs as you needed, as many kisses as you wanted, and talked to you as often as you wanted.

Outside of school, he was almost as clingy as you were- Teru found himself thinking about you constantly. He’d invite you over, regularly eating dinner with you and his siblings. You felt like a family- a family with two rather clingy individuals.

Teru picked up on everything almost instantly. It’s slow at first… maybe at the start of a break, you don’t respond to a few texts he sends before bed.

“Ah, but that’s normal,” he’d tell himself, glancing down at the messages he had sent. Maybe you were busy? Maybe you were already asleep? Yes, that was probably it.

But, in the morning, you didn’t respond to his usual “good morning” text. Several hours passed, stretching long past the time Teru knew you usually woke up. “They’re probably having a busy day,” He’d sigh, mostly reassuring himself at this point.

His texts would slow down for a day or so, as if he was giving you time to stop being angry with him- as if he had perhaps done something wrong.

“Kou, do you suppose (Y/N) is mad at me? Did I say something wrong the other night?”

“Eh? Why do you ask, Teru-nii? They seemed fine when you took them home.”

“I see… Thanks, Kou. It must be in my head, so don’t worry.”

After a day or so passed, he would finally give you a call. His stomach churned with each ring, and by the time the phone stopped ringing, the automated voice telling him to leave a message- he felt as if he was going to be sick.

“You’re worrying over nothing,” Teru would tell himself each time his call went to voicemail. Still, he wanted so badly for the break to end. He’d count down the days- not because he wanted break to last as long as it could, but because each day away from you was beginning to overwhelm him. If only he could know whether or not you were safe- that’s all he wanted.

Several times occurred where Teru pondered maybe, just maybe, he could call one of your parents. Did he have their numbers-? Surely, he could find them somewhere… but no, wouldn’t it be inappropriate to call them in a time like this…? Wouldn’t they have notified him if you were in some sort of danger??

Teru would panic. All he could do was worry, and he hated it. It wasn’t like Teru to be so aside himself, and yet, here he was. Staring at his phone- jumping at every notification- eagerly answering every call- hoping, simply hoping he could hear your voice. To see the way you texted.

As the days dragged on, Teru finally decided… he’d walk past your house. Not to be creepy- no, he’d just knock on the door, and offer a polite “hello there! Sorry to bother you, honestly I just haven’t heard from (Y/N) in a while. I don’t mean to seem intrusive, but I wanted to make sure that they were doing alright?”

But, when he arrived at what he undoubtedly knew was your house, no words could describe the emotion that overwhelmed his entire body. He knew he was most likely being dramatic- how long had it been, two weeks? Ridiculous.

Yet, the “for sale” sign sitting on your lawn was enough to make Teru’s mind go into overdrive.

The last few days of break were awful. Teru found himself feeling physically ill towards the end, his head pounding, stomach aching- yet, all he could do was distract himself with his usual exorcist duties. He’d fight monsters all day, until he felt as if he could no longer stand- go home, shower, sleep, eat, then sleep once more. An endless cycle. An endless cycle, growing depressing without your encouragement.

Of course, Teru wouldn’t show this lingering fear towards his siblings. That only made it much worse- covering up how he felt constantly, until he was alone in bed, too exhausted to think of much more than how desparately he wanted to hear you on the other end of a phone call. You’d pick up on how sleepy he sounded, and how his responses slowed down- “Right, Teru! You should rest, sweetie! I’ll talk to you shortly, alright? I love youuuu!!”

Tears stung his eyes, worse than any bug or exorcist lightning could. Finally, the night before school started once more, Teru would let himself cry. It was uncharacteristic- he knew it. He was the prince… the big brother… people were supposed to admire him- to feel protected by him. Monsters would feel threatened by his presence… yet, because he worried so intensely for his s/o, he was reduced to crying like a toddler.

Despite how hard he cried, how those voices in his head would taunt him- Teru forced himself to get up in the morning. He unwillingly dressed himself, ate, and eventually arrived at school…

Your seat was empty.

With the fear in his entire body more intense than it had been in a long while, Teru stepped out of the room- mumbling some sort of excuse not even he understood.

[lifestylejournaling]

Masterlist of Lifestyle Journal Ideas

I was going to post images with each listing, but 100 pictures on one Tumblr post was quite a task. So, if you’d like to see examples of any of these, I am adding them to my Pinterest Board which can be found [here].

1. Books To Read- Color them in as you go! Or make a fun list of them and check them off one at a time. 

2. All About Me- Make doodles of things you love, add quotes, draw yourself!

3. Future Log- There are so many ways to make this page. Please do some research to see which would work best for you

4. Movies To Watch- Pretty self-explanatory, but there are many ways to do this page too

5. Skills To Learn- Jot down all the things you want to learn

6. Important Numbers and Addresses- In case of emergency of course. Also, be careful what you put in this part for your own privacy reasons

7. Year In Pixels- Honestly, one of my favorite pages

8. Fonts, Banners, and Frame Ideas- For practice and to choose from when you are having trouble being creative

9. Snail Mail Log- Keeping a list of people who you want to send letters to

10. Savings Tracker- It’s always fun to see how much you have saved up

11. TV Series Tracker- Keep track of all the shows you still need to binge

12. Monthly Challenges- I know I haven’t been helpful with this lately, but you can always search for challenges on my page

13. Music Playlists- A list of songs that describe you, your goals, things you love, etc. 

14. Timeline of Your Life- This was hard for me to make. My life isn’t all that exciting

15. Inspiration Page- Fill it with quotes, pictures, memories, etc. 

16. Self-Care List/Ideas- I posted many lists like this on my Pinterest if you want more ideas

17. Monthly/Yearly Memories- Look back on all the good and bad things that you’ve gotten over and endured. 

18. Sleep Tracker- See how many hours you get each night. This also works well when paired with number 7. 

19. Me Time Log- Keep track of how many hours you spend with yourself. We all need to learn to love on ourselves a little more. 

20. Tiny Adventures- Go out of your comfort zone and go on some tiny adventures like reading in public, talking to a stranger, giving people compliments, etc. 

21. Word Tracker- For those who are writers who like to procrastinate

22. Daily To-Do List- This can be done on your weekly pages or you can make a page specifically for daily sticky notes. 

23. Blog Post Ideas- Got an idea, but you’re not at your computer or have what you need for your post? WRITE IT DOWN

24. Fitness Log- Keep track of how much and when you work out or stretch or do yoga or and of those fun physical activities. 

25. Food Log- If you’re trying to lose weight or just get healthy or just want to track your food intake for fun, this is for you! 

26. Meal Prep- I love how cute and helpful these pages can be. 

27. Gift Lists- Ever see something and say to yourself, “Man, ____ would really like that”? Keep a list of things people would like so that you don’t worry about it when it comes to holiday time or birthdays. 

28. Grocery Lists- Every time I go shopping, I forget something because I didn’t write it down. 

29. Goals- Oh, yes! It’s 2018. We need some goals. Monthly, weekly, daily, YEARLY. Just get some goals and aim for them. 

30. Recipes To Try- I see nice recipes all the time on Facebook, but I never think about them again after I keep scrolling. It’s bad. 

31. Daily Affirmations- Give yourself some compliments and some emotional support

32. Business Plan- Make yourself a good businesswoman or businessman or businessperson in 2018. You got this. 

33. Birthdays- Keep track of all those important people in your life that need to be remembered on their special day. 

34. Work Hour Log- Sometimes we don’t keep track of all the things we get paid for. Actual work, babysitting, photography jobs, writing jobs, pet sitting, house sitting, etc. 

35. Wishlists- Not so you can #treatyourself, but so that you can make note of things you really want. 

36. Gratitude Log- It’s always good to have a moment of gratitude with yourself. Make it a monthly challenge if you need to!

37. Quotes- Your own, friend quotes, celebrity quotes, author quotes, and lyrics. 

38. Illustrations and Doodles- Doodling helps you keep your mind fresh and ready to react quickly to situations. 

39. Jokes- Your own, ones you heard, ones you read, etc. 

40. New Discoveries and Interesting Facts- Find a new interesting fact? How about that lemonade is basically Sprite in almost any other country than America?

41. Travel Log- Places you want to go! There are so many ways to do this, so look up different versions before starting!

42. Family and Friend Favorites- Their favorite colors, animals, stores, places, hobbies, etc. 

43. DIY Projects- Things you want to try out someday. 

44. Chore List- Keep track of when you do your chores so that your house doesn’t become disgusting or dusty. 

45. Bucketlist- What do you want to do before graduation, moving out, marriage, having kids, etc. 

46. Story Ideas- I always come up with story ideas and then when I sit down to write them, I blank. 

47. Period Log- For people with periods that have many PMS symptoms or even PMDD symptoms. This is a great way to show your doctor all of the things you go through each cycle. 

48. Words That Make You Happy- Silly words, ugly words, words that are fun to say, etc. 

49. Things That Make You Happy- People, places, and things. 

50. Monthly Habits- Water intake, cleaning, bathing, exercising, reading, etc. 

51. Story Titles- This can be titles for books, short stories, poems, or just nice sounding titles for anything. 

52. Made Up Words- I make myself laugh with all the words I make up on the daily. 

53. Follower Counter- This page keeps me inspired to keep doing what I love. 

54. Index- Always have an index for easy access to the pages you want to find. 

55. Icons- Sometimes we need to have icons to make our pages pretty. Sometimes we make too many icons and never use them (me). 

56. Packing List- For those who travel often or stay at friends’ houses more than our own, it’s good not to forget the things we need. 

57. Morning Routines- Our bodies need routines for mornings to get us ready for the day. 

58. Nightly Routines- Our bodies need routines for nights to prepare us for sleep. (see what I did there?)

59. Weight Tracker- If you’re struggling with your weight, keep a chart tracker or add your daily weight to your calendar. 

60. Pen Test Page- If you get new pens, highlighters, or markers, its best to test them out before using them. 

61. Brain Dump- Sometimes we just need to jot down ideas or thoughts. It’s okay if they don’t make sense. 

62. Spending Log- Keep track of what you spend because you might need that someday. 

63. Water Tracker- HYDRATE

64. Habit Tracker Reward System- This is something I came up with myself, so if you have questions, message me!

65. Name Lists (For Babies and Stories)- Keep a list of cool names for characters or even future babies. 

66. Looking Forward To...- Birthdays, holidays, raises, pay days, vacations, etc. 

67. Compliment Lists- Make a list of your go-to compliments, your favorite ones people have given you, etc. 

68. Level 10 Life- Please look up what this is before jumping into it!

69. Pet Care Log- Keep track of how much you do with your pets. Walks, play time, park time, play dates, baths, etc. 

70. Achievements- What have you done that you are proud of?

71. Weekly Log- Keep track of your week. This is one of the most used pages in any bullet journal honestly. 

72. Monthly Log- Another overly used page in any bullet journal. Very important. 

73. Daily Log- I don’t do this too often, but I know it helps others who really need a whole page for each day. 

74. Bill Tracker- This was fun to make and something I will be using now

75. Income Tracker- How much and how frequently do you get paid?

76. Deadline Page- Prepare yourself for things that you need to get done. Do not procrastinate this year!

77. Vocabulary Practice- Sometimes we just need to educate ourselves on our own terms. (and with our own terms. Anyone? Anyone?)

78. Doctor Appointment Log- If you don’t want to add them to your calendar or they are too far out to add to the calendar you’re using. 

79. Username and Password List- Be careful with this page. If someone finds your bullet journal, this could be bad. 

80. Monthly Cover Page- These are so cute! I just started doing them, but they make my journal so artsy and pretty. 

81. Dream Log- This is a fun one. Track your dreams. This would be good to line up with how many hours you get as well. 

82. Favorites List- What are YOUR favorites? Movies, snacks, drinks, subjects, people, colors, animals, etc. 

83. Habits To Break- Do you bite your nails? Quote The Office too much? Throw clothes into piles on your floor? STOP THAT. 

84. Small Things That Matter- Puppies, getting up in the morning, pennies, smiling at yourself, laughter, etc. Remind yourself that there is good in the world. 

85. Things To Sell- Get rid of the things you don’t need. Or make things to sell! Be prosperous this year. 

86. School Schedule- High school and college students really need this. Even teachers do too. Make a chart of your classes, room numbers, buildings, and times.

87. House Projects- Things that need fixing or improvements around the house. 

88. Day Trip Ideas- Fun places to go when you have the time. 

89. Things I Am Bad At- It’s okay to admit our shortcomings and work on them. Or just accept them for what they are. 

90. Resolutions- YES! Make yourself this better this year. Be the best you. 

91. Crochet/Knit Log- When making a blanket, small items, or just keeping track of your improvements in your skill. 

92. Future Planning- Make a list of the things you want in your future and how you plan on getting them. 

93. Quirk List- Ever notice you do small little weird things? Make a list to appreciate who you are. 

94. Who Borrowed What- Sometimes people borrow things and you forget until you need it again. By then, they threw it out or gave it to someone else. 

95. Six Word Stories- Get those creative juices pumping. 

96. Love Yourself- Write down all the things you love about yourself. Appreciate yourself. 

97. Paying It Back- Honestly, a good page to have, but it doesn’t get much attention from me. 

98. Childhood Dreams- We should always try to look back on what we thought we wanted

99. Good Deed Ideas- Ever think “wow, wouldn’t it be great if I could _____”?

100. Mind Mapping- There are a few reasons I really enjoy this, but it really helps me get my thoughts and ideas out more easily

[green-eyeddragonfanfiction]

Dragon’s 1k Follower Celebration!

That’s right, my lovelies. You read that title correctly! I hit 1k Followers!

First of all, I love each and every single one of you. I never imagined when I started writing that I’d actually make it this far.

When I started, I barely knew how to use Tumblr (if I’m being honest, I’m still faking it till I make it) and only wrote for my own benefit. I wanted to see the stories I had in my head come to life. Sharing them with you all, though, was a way more enjoyable experience than I ever expected it to be.

Without further ado, let’s get this shit started. This will be a two-part celebration. A Q&A and a fan pick fic (kind of like I did for 500 followers back at the beginning- ... the beginning of the month??? That was only a few weeks ago? What the hell. *interally screaming*). I’m doing the Q&A because I’m not exactly a talkative blogger. I answer asks privately and that means you only really get to hear me talk in my author notes, on fic recommendations, or when I reply to anons. I really do love all of you, I swear, I just don’t want to spam you guys with ask answers <3. Please know you’re always welcome to pm me or send me asks! I like talking to all of you.

*Please participate by sending me an ask. Feel free to send all requests/questions in as anonymous (please use the honor system and only vote for a fic once). You don’t have to follow me to send in a question or your fic request, although it kind of defeats the purpose of a follower celebration ;) New followers are always welcome, of course!*

Asks will be posted to my blog, so sorry in advance for the spam!

Q&A Portion

You can ask me just about anything, really, but here’s a list of questions to get those brain juices flowing:

01: When did you first start writing? 02: What was your favorite book growing up? 03: Are you an avid reader? 04: Have you ever thrown a book across the room? 05: Did you take writing courses in school/college? 06: Have you read any writing advice books? 07: Have you ever been part of a critique group? 08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten? 09: What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten? 10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve? 11: Which one of your fics would you want to be known for? 12: Who is your favorite author? 13: What’s your favorite writing quote? 14: What are some of your favorite writing blogs? 15: What would you say has inspired you the most? 16: How do you feel about movies based on books? 17: Make me choose (between any characters or actors from Mass Effect, Dragon Age, MCU, Supernatural, and Harry Potter universes). 18: How do you feel about love triangles? 19: Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand? 20: As a blogger, do you have any pet peeves? 21: Do you outline? 22: Do you start with characters or plot? 23: What’s your favorite & least favorite part of making characters? 24: What’s your favorite & least favorite part of plotting? 25: What advice would you give to young writers? 26: Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both? 27: Which is your favorite genre to write? 28: Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end? 29: Which do you find easiest: writing or editing? 30: Take an excerpt from one of my stories (500 words or less) and ask me anything about it (how I was feeling when I wrote it, what it means for the rest of the series, why I wrote it the way I did, etc). 31: Have you ever been published? 32: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work? 33: Are you interested in having your work published? 34: Describe your writing space. 35: What’s your favorite time of day for writing? 36: Do you listen to music when you write? 37: What’s your oldest WIP? 38: What’s your current WIP? 39: What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had? 40: What’s a random fact about you? 41: What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline? 42: Do you enjoy making your characters or readers suffer? 43: Have you ever killed a main character? 44: What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with? 45: What’s your favorite character name? 46: Describe your perfect writing space. 47: If you could steal one character from another author and make then yours, who would it be and why? 48: If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about? 49: If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about? 50: If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?

Now, the part you’re all here for:

Fan Pick Fic

Here’s a list of possible topics/fics/ideas I haven’t really considered writing up until this point for whatever reason. Send in the *one* you want to see, either with your question or just by itself!

A: A Dance With the Devil 3 (it will be mostly smut-free, focusing on the dilemmas presented in ADWtD 2) B: One Mistake 2 (a dark, gritty sequel focusing on vengeance) C: Monster!Bucky (you decide which monster!) D: Tarzan!Bucky and Jane!Reader (I got this request some time and have been toying with the idea, but I’ve been focusing on WW and Bah, Humbuck!) E: A Night to Remember Sequel (think Supernatural, but more like the first few seasons. You Steve and Bucky roaming around ganking monsters) F: Medieval MCU AU with Feudal Lord!Bucky and a Destiny-bound Reader

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me or send me an ask!

I’d be ever so grateful for any reblog signal boosts!

Once again, thank you so much! I’m really excited to hear from all of you! Please please please participate! You can vote or ask a question or both! No pressure, sweethearts!

Voting/submissions will end Friday at 3 am (ET), so be sure to get them in before then! Asks will be answered as we go and the winning fic will be announced at the end!

[austentatious]

Get to Know Tag

So I was invited to do this by @soundtracks2life​

Name: Almeera but my closest friends call me Eshi. Sometimes, I think people don’t know my real name is Almeera. I’d like to be called Almeera more. Star Sign: Leo Gender: Female Height: 5′3″ (5′4″ on my good days.) Orientation: Heterosexual Favorite Color: Red Time Right Now: 9:03 PM. We just got home from a trip. Current Location: Home, Philippines. Average Hours Of Sleep: 6 hours. Last Thing I Googled: Snake exoskeleton. I’m a biologist. Lucky Number: I’d like to think it’s 18 or 8 but I’m not really lucky. Number Of Blankets I Sleep Under: When you live in the Philippines, one is too much but I sleep with one blanket even if it’s scorching just to keep the mosquitoes away. I am allergic to mosquito saliva. Favorite Fictional Character: Hermione or McGonagall from Harry Potter, that guy from Dune by Frank Herbert (I read it a long time ago), Prince Caspian from Narnia, Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and probably many more but I am exhausted from our trip so I can’t think. Favorite Book: At the top of my head, I liked Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Prisoner of Azkaban, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Dune by Frank Herbert. Dream Job: Be a doctor and teacher and librarian and researcher and traveler. What I’m Wearing: I just had a bath and I’m wearing a top that’s too fancy to sleep in but oh well and some ratty old shorts. Random Fact: I double-knot my shoe laces. When Did You Create Your Blog?: When I was in high school, aka A LOOONG TIME AGO. Do You Have Other Blogs?: Yes, a private, password-protected blog where I write poems. Who Is Your Most Active Follower?: I don’t know. What Made You Get A Tumblr: One of my oldest friends told me to make one because it’s a cool site. Do You Get Asks On A Daily Basis: No. In a parallel universe, maybe. Why Did You Choose Your URL: I love Jane Austen and thought austentatious would be cool as a play on its homophone--ostentatious which was the deepest word I knew back in high school. I tried to be so complicated back then and I just stuck with it--call it branding.

Invade My Privacy Tag

1. Did you wake up cranky? When I haven’t gotten any sleep and someone switches on my light or makes loud sounds that woke me up from REM sleep. 2. Would you date an 18-year-old at the age you are now? No. I’m turning 23 in a few months. That’ll be a huge age gap for me. I’d prefer dating a not-so older guy. 3. Do you prefer to be friends with girls or boys? I used to prefer boys as they are less drama but people are people. I don’t have a preference anymore. Just be a sensible person. 4. Would you ever smile at a stranger? On occasion. Not all the time because I’d like to be invisible. 5. Can you commit to one person? Yes. The question is, could a person commit to me? 6. How do you look right now? Fresh, tanner, sleepy. 7. What exactly are you wearing right now? A mismatch of fancy top and ratty shorts. 8. How often do you listen to music? I used to listen to it everyday, whenever I’m not in class but these days, I seldom listen. 9. Do you wear jeans or sweats more? sweats. 10. Did you think your life will change dramatically before 2017? Yes. 2016 was the year I graduated, my Dad went to my graduation (this is ground-breaking because my parents aren’t together and he has a family and I haven’t seen him in 16 years). Also, I planned on going to medical school for sure in October 2016 (when I took the NMAT). That was the fiercest decision I had to make. 11. Are you a social or an antisocial person? Anti-social is too extreme. I don’t socialize if I can avoid but I am not totally opposed to it either. I socialize when I HAVE to so I’d say I’m more of an asocial 12. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say? I would never be the first to admit I like the person so if he tells me he likes someone else, I am safe from the embarrassment. I’ll probably act cool, shrug it off but deep inside I’ll be chiding myself for liking someone who can’t like me back. I’ll be able to move on pretty easily. I don’t create situations where I get invested too much. I am not comfortable about feelings and people. 13. Are you good at hiding your feelings? Every emotion except for anger. I get pissed off easily. I need to be kinder to people and myself but I am just so easily pissed off. 14. Can you drive a stick shift?  I can’t drive and I don’t want to drive. I am not confident about my eyes’ capability to assess road situations which is why I have to be rich so I can hire myself a driver. 15. Do you care if people talk badly about you? Yes. I think they talk badly about me even before they do, even if they really don’t but I try not to be openly affected by it. 16. Are you going out of town soon? Just went out-of-town a while ago but I will be going out-of-town in a few days to get lab exams done for my health record. 17. When was the last time you cried? Last month while watching Good Doctors. 18. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to? Yes. It’s odd. Very odd. I moved on. 19. If you could change your eye color, would you? I wanted to have gray or green eyes but it probably won’t work with my complexion. I have brown eyes and brown hair. It’s enviable in some places?  20. Name something you have to do tomorrow? Do the laundry because I haven’t washed the clothes I wore from two weeks ago. 21. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having? That I didn’t get to swim in the beach as much as I’d like to. We were supposed to go to another beach but we got lost. I slept through the whole debacle but I’m not happy to wake up and realize we’re on our way home when I slept thinking I’d get to swim more. P.S. I can’t swim. I should say float and play on the water instead of swim. 22. Have you ever liked one of your best friends of the opposite sex? The last time I had a best friend was in fifth grade and all my friends were girls then. 23. Are you nice to everyone? I am not a nice-nice person but I try to nice. I’m more civil, actually. I am not easy to get-to-know in person. I am shy and awkward at first and I don’t like being totally nice because I think I’ll be a push-over then. I don’t like being vulnerable. 24. What are you sitting on right now? Wooden chair. 25. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat? Of course. I may not be nice but I still afford people respect. 26. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have? What does it mean to want someone? 27. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night? My brother. I showed him Return of the Superman videos. 28. Do you get a lot of colds? Nope but on the off-chance that I get one, it’s pretty bad. 29. Have your pants ever fallen down in public? No. 30. Does anyone hate you? Probably. I’m not that likable. I believe people tolerate me. Maybe I should trust my friends more but I don’t even like myself sometimes so I can’t imagine people liking me. I plan to work on that. 31. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?No. 32. Do you like watching scary movies? YES. 33. Are you a jealous person? For major reasons like this person is getting their shit together and I hope I do too, or this person seemingly gets to have it easy but I try to think about that ‘seemingly.’ Maybe something’s off in their life too that I just don’t know about and maybe they also have something to envy although it may not be obvious to me. 34. If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be? 6th grade. Please. Let me just redo that year so I don’t reminisce and regret and cringe at old self. 35. Did you have a dream last night? I slept this morning. I probably had a dream but I forgot it now. I hopped through numerous islands today and that was exciting!!! 36. Is there anyone you can tell EVERYTHING to? No. 37. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years? LOL, I’ll still be in school. I can’t see myself getting married. I haven’t even dated anyone legitimately. It’s hard to daydream such things when I want to focus on getting my shit together. 38. Do you think someone has feelings for you? I don’t think so. My gap year has been people-less. I hung out with my college friends and went to trips with my family. Haven’t met anyone substantially new and interesting. 39. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? No. 40. Did you have a good day yesterday? Exhausting. 41. Think back 2 months ago; were you in a relationship? I can think back to the past five years and still be able to say no. A decade even. 42. Is your life anything like it was two years ago? Nope. For one, I was in school and struggling back then. I took some shitty profs for not-shitty classes. I got grades below average despite trying to work hard. I was set on going to graduate school then. 43. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now? Going on that road trip. 44. What’s the best part about school? Learning, not necessarily inside the classroom. I was an active org member and I was so inspired everyday that I work with different people of different ages and motivations. 45. Do you have any pictures on your Facebook? Yep. 46. Do you ever pass notes to your friends in school? We used to. I remember passing notes during Genetics. Whenever we have something to react to that is not about the lecture. In Cell Mol too! There was an okra clipart in our prof’s powerpoint presentation and I have no idea if that was a trick to see who’s listening but it was super odd and funny I just had to ask my seatmates if they saw. 47. Do you replay things that have happened in your head? Yes. I write in my head about imagined scenarios. 48. Were you single over the last summer? Yes. When was I not? 49. What are you supposed to be doing right now? Sleeping. 50. Don’t tell me lies, is the last person you texted attractive? I think I texted my Mom? She’s beautiful.

EDIT: I was supposed to tag someone. Haha. I tag @feel-o-sophy, @thesociallyawkwardprincess, and @ergo-i-blog

[stannesdamascus]

Weekly News, October 12, 2017

THIS is a plain-text version of the Weekly News - for the full (and much prettier version click here) Weekly News of St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Damascus, MD View this email in your browser 

** Weekly News, October 12, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------

Explore our Community - Sunday 8am and 10am

** “Let us go forward in Christ's name as a community of faith; to grow in faith through worship, witness and love for one another and our neighbor” — St. Anne's Mission Prayer ------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to St. Anne's Episcopal Church, an inclusive community of faith located in Damascus, Maryland (http://saintannesdamascus.net/location) , the "northern star" of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (http://www.edow.org/) . We invite you to establish roots in the rituals, tradition, and fellowship of the Episcopal faith. All are welcome!

** Your Support is VITAL to ensure our future! ------------------------------------------------------------

Income as of End of August: $253,623 Expenses: $251,023 Surplus $2,600

Pledges are about 5% behind from the summer. Please try to keep your pledges up to date - and remember, although we currently show a surplus, we are expected to have a deficit at the end of the year, so begin to pray about increasing your giving for 2018!

Please Keep your Pledges Current! (It's needed to pay our bills!)

** TONIGHT - Saint Anne's Senior Housing Community Meeting ------------------------------------------------------------ This is a meeting for the local community to preview preliminary plans and to ask questions about the Senior Housing Project. It is required as we make our submission to the county for the Special Exception Permit. It is also open to any members of St. Anne's.

October 12 7:00pm in the Sanctuary

** Why You Should Go To Church Part 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ The following is reprinted from the blog The Art of Manliness and authored by Brett and Kate McKay (although this article is for women as well as youth). The blog created in 2008 has grown to be the largest men's interest magazine on the web. This is a really good article and offers some incredibly valid reasons why belonging to a faith community and attending regularly makes a difference in people's lives. It also offers some great points for EVANGELISM! It is long - so I will be reprinting it here in sections over the next couple weeks. Although if you want to read it in it's entirety just check out the blog (http://www.artofmanliness.com/2017/04/14/go-church-even-youre-not-sure-beliefs/). By the end of the article you will see how, in the authors' view

"regular church attendance functions as one of the best keys for anyone wishing to create a flourishing life — not just the religiously inclined, but even agnostics and atheists as well."

Now on to the article...

When it comes to religious institutions, Americans exhibit some contradiction between their beliefs and their actions.

On the one hand, the vast majority feel that churches and other houses of worship are powerful forces for societal good: according to the Pew Research Center (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/) , almost nine in ten Americans say that religious institutions “bring people together and strengthen community bonds” and “play an important role in helping the poor and needy,” while three-quarters believe they “protect and strengthen morality in society.”

Americans’ bullishness on the positive impact of religious institutions, however, doesn’t fully extend to their active participation in them: only half attend religious services on a monthly basis, and even fewer attend weekly.

This number is naturally lowest among those without a particular religious affiliation — a cohort that has been growing in size over the past decade. “Nones,” as they are called, now represent 23% of the population (including over a third of Millennials), about a quarter of which consists of agnostics and atheists, with the rest being those who are simply religiously unaffiliated. Only 4% of these Nones attend religious services weekly, with 24% attending monthly, and almost three-fourths attending seldom to never.

But even among those who are affiliated with a religion, regular attendance at their faith’s services is rarer than one might think. Only 46% of the religiously affiliated attend services every week, with another 35% saying they go 1-2 times a month, and 18% reporting they go seldom to never. Among Millennials, the number is much lower; only about 27% attend services weekly.

When all groups are combined, only 36% of Americans attend religious services on a weekly basis (and as we’ve discussed previously, significantly less of this percentage is made up of men (http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/08/01/christianitys-manhood-problem-an-introduction/) ). That represents a small but significant 3% drop in attendance over the last decade.

Recent decline aside, service attendance has been low for much longer than that. Gallup surveys (http://www.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx) , which peg the percentage of people who currently go to church or synagogue weekly or almost weekly at 38%, show that even 25 years ago, that number was still only 44%. And if you read books from the early 20th century, and even farther back, the authors remark on how few people were going to church even then.

Church has been a hard sell for a long time.

But there’s still a really good case to be made for going. And not just for the devout or orthodox, either.

Note: In the rest of this article, we will use “church” when referring to religious services, as Christianity-based religious institutions are what almost ¾ of Americans would participate in, if they participated. But the principles outlined apply to attendance at all houses of worship, including mosques, synagogues, etc. (continued next week)

** Parish Conversations ------------------------------------------------------------ The vestry has been working on some conversational questions based on themes from the vestry retreat to discuss in small groups over the next several weeks. These conversations are meant to help the vestry continue to plan our future as a community of faith, and to help keep us growing! It's really important that we have your input and we hope that you will be able to make one of the sessions that are graciously being hosted at homes of parishioners. The conversations will last approximately 2 hours and will be facilitated by members of the Vestry.

You will see signup sheets in the parish hall for the currently scheduled sessions - each session can hold 10-12 people. THE ENTIRE VESTRY encourages you to sign up for one of the sessions and help us continue to grow as a community of faith.

Currently scheduled sessions are as follows: * 10/27; 7pm - Reed and Peggy Owens Hosting - Damascus * 11/3; 7pm - Shane and Cindy Lippert Hosting - Clarksburg * 11/5; 1pm - Tom Warfield and Robin Mustain Hosting - Germantown * 11/8; 7:30pm - Bettianne Quinn Hosting in Multi Purpose Room at St. Anne's * 11/17; 3pm - Bryan and Victoria Imhoff Hosting - Clarksburg

Tentative: 11/12; 2pm - Bill and Chris Mathews Hosting - Ijamsville

** New Neighbors Food Drive ------------------------------------------------------------ St. Anne's is collecting food for refugee families in our area. The food will go to specific families we work with through our New Neighbors refugee assistance ministry, and also to the food bank that serves them. We are also collecting donations of money to assist refugee families with expenses like rent and utilities. If you would like to contribute, please drop off your donations by October 8, in the blue bin in the narthex. The shopping list appears below. Thank you! * Basmati Rice * Pasta Sauce - No Meat * Pasta * Dried Fava Beans * Tomato Sauce * Black Olives * Cooking Oil * Olive Oil * Sugar * Flour * Tea Bags * Coffee * Toilet Paper * Laundry Soap * Snacks for Kids

** What makes you feel good about contributing to St Anne's? ------------------------------------------------------------

We are looking for people willing to stand up and tell us –  in 2 to 3 minutes at church services during our giving campaign to start in late October – how they answer this question.  Doesn’t matter if you have been giving to St. Anne’s for a month, a year, a decade or most of your adult life.  Your answer may get others thinking about giving in a way that they had never considered before!

I can point to 2 stories I heard from those willing to get up and talk about their reasons for giving that have been the great inspiration to us to commit our financial support of the faith community we have been a part of (including St. Anne’s of course)over the past 20 years or so.  I know how important it is to hear people speak of reasons for giving in their own words.  So please devote some thought and prayer to doing this, and if you are willing to do it,  call or text me at 240-620-2441, email me at timpacey@verizon.net (mailto:timpacey@verizon.net)  or see me in church.

Finally, if you have thoughts to share but speaking in front of the congregation terrifies you, not to worry.  By next week, we will provide an opportunity for you to share your thoughts in writing or electronically on What makes you feel good about contributing to St Anne's, that we can share anonymously with the rest of the congregation.

Tim Pacey Giving campaign chairperson

** SAM (Saint Anne's Men) ------------------------------------------------------------ Friday Night gatherings are back! Join us for an evening of fellowship, discussion and fun! This is open to ALL men of St. Anne's and you are encouraged to attend. * FRIDAY, October 13 AT 7:00 PM * Reed Owens' Office 9701 New Church Street Unit ADamascus, MD 20872 

** Saint Anne's Youth ------------------------------------------------------------ This Sunday (10/15) I would like to have a VERY IMPORTANT meeting (during coffee hour) regarding the future of SAY and our calendar for the year.  I'd like parents & youth to do some homework before the meeting... Please bring your ideas to these questions -

1. What service based projects would you like to do during the school year? (homelessness, poverty, pets, other) 2. Summertime- From survey monkey questionnaire - most people wanted to do a mission trip, about a days ride away to a new place.  So now we need to decide where & when & with what agency (the responses were split on either agency)  I'd like each of you to do some research...  Looking at trips that include middle school as well as high school... Pick out your favorites from these 2 agencies for us to discuss this Sunday!

https://www.youthworks.com/trips/ Survey monkey comments below... Being able to go on the trip with St. Peter's was a positive. A negative was that we had to go to the large group gatherings at night when we we all really tired from the day’s work.

I felt that the group was trying to get to the end of the week as fast as possible, but getting to see new places was really cool.

One positive that I had was that we were able to talk to the whole group of the city in the street diner and a negative would be that the program was a tad bit unorganized and a little bit confusing at times.

She seemed to have a good time and learned a lot from the experience!

Positive: We were able to help a lot of people Negative: The staff weren't as engaged and I think Group was definitely better

https://groupmissiontrips.com/ Survey monkey comments below...

It was fun because of the time we had for helping the society and some free time so we can discover and find new things in the area. I can't think of a negative it was too positive

The whole set up of the camp was more appealing, but the week went by so fast. Positive: it was well organized and it really helped me connect with God Negative: Nothing

Faithfully, Bettianne

** St. Anne's Book Club: Books and Brunch! ------------------------------------------------------------

The St. Anne's Book Club will meet on Saturday, November 4 at 11 a.m. at Jean Hampton's home for books and brunch.

All are welcome! Please RSVP to Jean by Wednesday, November 1 if you plan to attend.

The book: A Piece of the World, by Christina Baker Kline https://www.amazon.com/Piece-World-Christina-Baker-Kline-ebook/dp/B01G1FFH6Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505043024&sr=8-1&keywords=a+piece+of+the+world

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller Orphan Train, a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion, and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting Christina’s World.

"Later he told me that he’d been afraid to show me the painting. He thought I wouldn’t like the way he portrayed me: dragging myself across the field, fingers clutching dirt, my legs twisted behind. The arid moonscape of wheatgrass and timothy. That dilapidated house in the distance, looming up like a secret that won’t stay hidden."

To Christina Olson, the entire world was her family’s remote farm in the small coastal town of Cushing, Maine. Born in the home her family had lived in for generations, and increasingly incapacitated by illness, Christina seemed destined for a small life. Instead, for more than twenty years, she was host and inspiration for the artist Andrew Wyeth, and became the subject of one of the best known American paintings of the twentieth century.

As she did in her beloved smash bestseller Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline interweaves fact and fiction in a powerful novel that illuminates a little-known part of America’s history. Bringing into focus the flesh-and-blood woman behind the portrait, she vividly imagines the life of a woman with a complicated relationship to her family and her past, and a special bond with one of our greatest modern artists.

Told in evocative and lucid prose, A Piece of the World is a story about the burdens and blessings of family history, and how artist and muse can come together to forge a new and timeless legacy.

And looking ahead: The book after this one will be Tea Girl on Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Girl-Hummingbird-Lane-ebook/dp/B01HMXRVL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1505043214&sr=1-1&keywords=tea+girl+of+hummingbird+lane

Cathryn Conroy

** StrivingforJustice&  Peace ------------------------------------------------------------

** ------------------------------------------------------------

The Celebrant:   Will you strive for Justice and Peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

The People:      We will, with God's help.

There was feed back....

 White privilege ?

 Literacy Development?

 Micro-aggressions?

Will we strive for Justice and Peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

With God’s help, we will .

I hope you find this respectful

RMW

** Cathedral Task Force ------------------------------------------------------------

For the next few month the Cathedral Task Force is gathering information from the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (AKA - EDOW). We would like to know your thoughts on the questions below.  Listening Sessions are on the calendar and they are : October 30th at Grace Church in Silver Spring, and November 1st at the Cathedral in DC.  The time of the sessions are 7pm to 9pm.  If you find you cannot get to a Listening Session, please feel free to answer the questions and share your thoughts with us.  Please look for the survey on the EDOW website: edow.org.  We hope to have it online very soon.  If you want to send your thoughts to an email then you can use mine: jpkbrewer@gmail.com.

1. What is the relationship between your congregation and Washington National Cathedral (AKA - WNC)? 2. What would you like the relationship to be/what are the opportunities for your congregation and WNC to collaborate and share resources? 3. The founding charter and tradition charge it to be a House of Prayer for all People, the chief mission church of the diocese, and a great church for national purposes, in all of these things working to promote religion, education, and charity.  Is that a role that the Cathedral is serving? 4.  What is WNC's role in public square? 5. What might the WNC do that it isn't currently doing?

Thank you for your time and attention to this concern. Thank you and may peace be with you, Pam Brewer ==============================================