Winter Break Productivity: It's a Balancing Act

#DailyWings: "Other things awaited. It was good to be young and to know it for once. So much unfolding to do." -The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

It's been a week since I took my last final exam in social psychology and came home for the holidays. After reuniting with my family, receiving notice of my class grades and hanging Christmas stockings up by the fireplace, it feels like everything has fallen into place. Things are as they should be. I've taken the last couple of days to relax on my favorite couch at home with Mockingjay in one hand and a mug of hot chocolate in the other. Life is good. 

And yet, there is a small tug in the back of my mind, reminding me that something's not quite right. I have never been able to sit still for very long without getting antsy -- especially if I'm not doing work. Leisure is wonderful, but winter break wouldn't be the same without some productivity, too. Even as I immerse myself in the world of Panem, the thought of internships to apply for, blog posts to write and stories to pitch always sucks me back into the real world. 

Balancing work and play during winter break is like baking a cake. You've got ingredients like eggs and flour and coarse ground cinnamon that don't taste great alone. Then there are the ingredients that make the cake delicious -- sugar, fruit, chocolate, frosting. But too much frosting doesn't make you feel great afterward, either. So what do you do? Measure, mix, bake and add toppings. And there you have a perfect Christmas confection, a product of perfectly blended time, energy and carefully chosen ingredients. 

Well, creating a schedule isn't exactly the same as that, but it's what I've been doing. (Almost) every day, I create a to-do list of all the goals I want to accomplish -- both things related to my work and things that give me personal downtime. Hashing out the goals in terms of numbers (do this X amount of times, work on this for Y minutes) makes them more concrete and doable. Below is a basic example of the kind of productivity list that can be helpful for balancing out time between work and leisure.

Your productivity list may be a little bit different, depending on the rest of your schedule and what your goals may be. Also, recently, I discovered an amazing invention: StayFocused, a Google Chrome extension  that allows you to block distracting websites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, etc.) of your choice for a certain amount of time. Without this extension, I honestly don't think my final exam grades would have turned out as well as they did. It has really helped this past week whenever I want to work on an application or poem and find myself steering away to look up memes, gifs and social media. Highly recommended! For Apple users looking for productivity applications, I use Evernote, Weave and WriteChain. 

Has the holiday season served a stressor or a period of respite for you? What are some ways in which you stay productive, but also find time for the things you enjoy? 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Speaking of productivity, come join me and 20 other bloggers who have already signed up for Frankie Mallis's Fourth Annual No-Kiss Blogfest! Here's the deal: 

"Write a scene or post one from of your favorite books, movies, TV shows, pictures or WIP that show the almost kiss -- the rising, crushing, excruciating, longing, tension that comes  when two characters get oh-so-close to kissing that you can just feel it, want it, NEED it....and then...they don't!" 

This will be my third time participating in this blogfest. I have fun every year, and you can bet I'll be joining in for the beginning of 2013 as well! You can find my previous entries here and here. Be sure to sign up and post your entry by Jan. 2! 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Dec. 14 -- Send one text message wishing someone good luck on her last final exam

12:09 p.m. "I hope your exam went well! :) when it's done forget about it! You did your best! Btw did the gift ever get there??"

Dec. 15 -- Apply for two internships with looming deadlines

• Sent a story pitch to a health magazine in Boston
• Applied for a local news internship

Dec. 16 -- Read three chapters of "Mockingjay"

Chapters 18, 19 and 20 -- completed. 

Dec. 17 -- Watch all four "Superman" movies (yes, on the same day)

Dec. 18 -- Put five extra ornaments on our Christmas tree

Dec. 19 -- Write a six-page scene for my NaNoWriMo novel 

Dec. 20 -- Add seven new holiday songs to my Spotify playlist

Dec. 21 -- Visit eight new blogs (provide any recommendations in comments below!)

Dec. 22 -- Meditate for nine minutes. 

Dec. 23 -- Bake ten gingerbread cookies! 

Dec. 24 -- Take an eleven-minute walk outside

Dec. 25 -- Snap twelve photographs capturing the magic of Christmas


Wendy Lu

Winter Break Productivity: It's a Balancing Act

Tweet

December Challenge: Countdown to Christmas

#DailyWings: "I thought I understood it, that I could grasp it. But I didn't, not really. Only the smudgeness of it; the pink-slippered, all-containered, semi-precious eagerness of it. I didn't realize it would sometimes be more than whole, that the wholeness was a rather luxurious idea. Because it's the halves that halve you in half. I didn't know, don't know, about the in-between bits; the gory bits of you, and the gory bits of me." -Like Crazy

Being done with finals is like breaking the surface of a very deep lake after having been underwater for much longer than your body can handle. And there you are, engulfing buckets of air and grasping desperately at nothing. Once you're finally at peace with the waters again, you look around and realize you don't know which direction to take next. You're just glad you were able to swim to the top. 

This is how I feel. 

The weird thing about freedom is, after you get over the excitement of finally having time to do whatever the hell you want, there's that moment when you really don't know what to do first. Catch up on "Glee"? Bake cookies -- and eat all of them just because it's been days since you haven't eaten anything not prepackaged? Write a blog post about being done with finals? Get back into reading that book you started three months ago? 

Or maybe you're like me, and you start writing a laundry list of all the things you'd like to do before the year is over and another begins (if the Mayans weren't correct, that is). Let's swap? Here's mine: 

1. Actually get eight hours of sleep every night. 

2. Watch The Hobbit

3. Watch Les Miserables on Christmas

4. Watch the original "Superman" series (I - IV)

5. Write a poetry series. 

6. Get through "Lost" (Season II)

7. Arrange a guest post for the blog

8. Finish reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

9. Finish reading The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje - bought the book today!

10. Apply to 1,983,021,830,219 internships

My holidays will be spent in New Orleans, somewhere I have always wanted to go to but never had the chance until now. I can't wait. It also occurred to me this morning that, including today, there are officially 12 days left until Christmas! Although I didn't grow up in a household that emphasized religion, Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, one that I associate with family, twinkling lights, marshmallows and socks. I've created my own challenge as a means of counting down the days...and will be blogging updates daily!

Dec. 14 -- Send one text message wishing someone good luck on her last final exam

12:09 p.m. "I hope your exam went well! :) when it's done forget about it! You did your best! Btw did the gift ever get there??"

Dec. 15 -- Apply for two internships with looming deadlines

Dec. 16 -- Read three chapters of "Mockingjay"

Dec. 17 -- Watch all four "Superman" movies (yes, on the same day)

Dec. 18 -- Put five extra ornaments on our Christmas tree

Dec. 19 -- Write a six-page scene for my NaNoWriMo novel 

Dec. 20 -- Add seven new holiday songs to my Spotify playlist

Dec. 21 -- Visit eight new blogs (provide any recommendations in comments below!)

Dec. 22 -- Meditate for nine minutes. 

Dec. 23 -- Bake ten gingerbread cookies! 

Dec. 24 -- Take an eleven-minute walk outside

Dec. 25 -- Snap twelve photographs capturing the magic of Christmas

How are you spending the holidays? What do you hope to accomplish before the year is over?

Wendy Lu

Milestones: During the past few days, I reached 40,000 page views. This is my 200th blog post on TRA. Thanks for following!

If you want to keep updated with the blog, please "Like" The Red Angel Blog on Facebook. Once you "Like" the page, please click the 'Liked' button underneath the cover photo and make sure the 'show in news feed' option is checked. That way, you'll be able to see the updates!

December Challenge: Countdown to Christmas

Tweet

Halloween House of Horrors Blogfest

#DailyWings: "There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery." - Joseph Conrad

This past weekend was a very special weekend for the Romantic Friday Writers, as the Halloween House of Horrors challenge took place Oct. 19 - 21. I know, I'm late. But when you've got four writing assignments due in less than a week and the flu to battle, your priorities tend to shift around. But hey -- better late than never, right? I won't be winning any awards with this piece (I wrote it in less than two hours, all the while wagging a disapproving finger at my own head for putting myself in such a time crunch), but it was still fun to write and come up with at the last minute.  

So what exactly was the challenge all about? 

RFW: "We’re looking for chilling stories of ghosts and haunted locations – and maybe even love from beyond the grave. A romantic element is essential, but we’re looking for stories with a thrilling edge of fear to add to the romantic tension building between our hero/heroine."

The maximum number of words is 1,000 but I'm afraid I went over quite a bit (it's hard to stop after you start, you know!). 

~ ~ ~ 

The Wife's Return

Anne-Marie didn't like where she was. Everything was dark and claustrophobic. She was inside some sort of case, which was musty and smelled of carcass. Where was she? The last thing Anne-Marie remembered was pounding on the glass window of her bedroom as smoky fumes filled her lungs and flames flickered against her ankles. Before she was  engulfed in fire, Anne-Marie had caught a glimpse of her husband, Kenneth, running across the front yard with his hands waving frantically. She'd been so sure that he had gone for help...

Her arms lifted, and a gasp escaped from Anne-Marie's lips. The gasp came out strange, though. Icy, almost. Anne-Marie stared at her arms -- they were transparent, as if they weren't there except as a ripple in the air. She moved her fingers one after another, and there went five ripples. She glanced down, and realized her long, once beautiful blonde hair was also transparent, like cellophane noodles. And so was her floral dress, the one Kenneth had bought her for their anniversary months ago. The one she had been wearing the day of the fire. 

"W-What am I?" asked Anne-Marie to no one in particular. Her voice had also changed -- it was several octaves higher than it used to be. "What have I become?" 

Anne-Marie moved to the side, feeling claustrophobic, and looked at the bottom of the case.  She screamed. There, right beside Anne-Marie was her own corpse, more than half-decayed. She was in her own coffin. 

* * * 

Three weeks had passed since Anne-Marie climbed out of her grave and discovered that she'd come back as a ghost. Waking up next to her own body wasn't the only surprise. Returning to earth as a disembodied spirit had its advantages -- Anne-Marie could now walk through solid objects, walk through the air and become invisible at will. If she didn't want humans to see her, they didn't. And if she wanted to move an object or walk through it, she could. The afterlife had so much to offer. But all Anne-Marie wanted was to know about Kenneth. Was he all right? How did he escape? Did he miss her, and if so, what did he say at her funeral? 

It didn't take long for Anne-Marie to figure out where to find her husband. The day she awoke, she'd realized that her grave was located in Breyer Meadows, the cemetery just a few miles from her home. When she returned, Anne-Marie found that her house had been burned to the ground. The fire had destroyed everything -- her piano, her favorite family photographs, her china and parlor furniture. All of it was gone. 

"No," Anne-Marie whispered. "No!" That night, she filled the town with her screams, cursing the name of God and terrorizing children in their sleep. She watched from behind windows as mothers rushed to their young's beds, holding tiny heads against their chests and assuring them it was only a bad dream. Her heart hardened at the sight. Nobody was there to hold her, or tell her that everything would be okay. 

Her only consolation was that Kenneth was still alive -- he had to be -- and that he would surely reach out to her if only he knew she was here. In some form, at least. 

Anne-Marie could bear it no longer. The next day, she went into the city and floated up to the seventh floor of the investment company where Kenneth used to work, hoping that he was still there. Sure enough, just as Anne-Marie reached the glass window of Kenneth's office, she saw him. 

There he was, standing against the door in a gray pantsuit with his hands in his pockets, looking flawless as ever. There was that dark brown hair and caramel skin, long nose and curled mouth. The fire hadn't left a single burn on Kenneth, at least none that Anne-Marie could see. Her eyes drooped and she cocked her head to the side, smiling dreamily at the man who had asked for her hand. Kenneth was alive and well. And still so handsome. The sight of him was enough to make her feel almost warm again. 

Then, movement on the other side of the room, behind the curtains that blocked part of the window, caught Anne-Marie's eye. The smoothing out of a skirt. The adjustment of eyeglasses. A woman came into view: a pretty blonde woman with long legs and red lips. Anne-Marie watched as she walked toward Kenneth, her heels making a small clicking noise against the tiles, and gave him a kiss. 

Kenneth put one hand around the woman's waist and the other around her neck, and kissed her back. With overlapping lips and tongue and passion that he had never seemed to put into the kisses he'd once given Anne-Marie. They were locked in a tight embrace now, as if they were determined to put as little space between them as possible. 

Disgusted, Anne-Marie looked away. Being a ghost was living hell now, for try as she might, she just couldn't get tears to come falling down her cheeks. How could Kenneth do this? It had barely been three weeks since the fire, and here he was kissing another woman. Hadn't he missed her, or at least wondered what she would think if she saw him right now, cheating? No, he probably hadn't wondered that, and -- as much as she wanted to think of it this way -- he wasn't cheating. Everyone thought Anne-Marie was dead. 

I am dead, Anne-Marie thought, angrily. Her life as a human being was long over, but Kenneth's wasn't. He had already moved on and left her behind. I can't let that happen. I can't let him do this to me.

She waited until Ms. Long-Legs left the office, her poker face on and her hair clipped into a tight new bun as if nothing had happened behind closed doors. 

Kenneth was alone in his office now, straightening his sleeves and walking toward his desk. Now was Anne-Marie's chance. She slowly floated through the glass window and right into the room until she was hovering above Kenneth. It took him eight seconds to realize he wasn't alone, and he whipped around to find a rippling Anne-Marie by his side. He let out a sound between a yelp and a wail. 

"Darling," Anne-Marie purred, and put one icy hand on his shoulder. Kenneth jolted out of his chair. 

"Who--who are you?" he said, wide-eyed and transfixed by her lucid presence. "What are you?"

"Oh, my dear Kenny." Anne-Marie watched as he flinched at her old nickname for him. She took a leap toward him, and he took several steps back. "Kenny, don't you know who I am? I'm Anne-Marie, your true love." 

"No, that's not possible. Anne-Marie is dead," Kenneth said, shaking his head back and forth as if trying to get rid of what was right in front of him. "She died in that fire." 

He took another step back, and Anne-Marie realized he was barely a few feet away from the glass window she'd spied on him through. Her eyes darted to his temples, where beads of sweat had begun to form. She smiled sweetly. 

"I've come back for you," Anne-Marie said. "Soon, we'll be together forever and you won't leave me again. You won't have a choice, if you're just like me." 

"Just--just like you? But, no," Kenneth stammered. "You're not real. This isn't happening." 

"Oh, but it is. You made this happen, honey, when you decided to leave me behind in that terrible house." Anne-Marie's tone was suddenly icy. "Now it's your turn to know what it feels like to be left behind by your entire world." 

"No!" Just as Kenneth turned his back, Anne-Marie swooped down and pushed him with her icy fingers until his face met the glass window. 

Blood everywhere. Broken shards flying in the air. From the seventh floor down, Anne-Marie was falling, falling, falling with Kenneth. Her hand held onto his shoulder, refusing to let go. And even as the wind blew roughly against his broken and ensanguined skin, he turned his head ever so slightly and saw her face plunging forward next to his. Seconds before Kenneth's body hit the pavement, he looked at her in the eye and seemed to notice her for the first time. He uttered his last word as if it was a question, "Anne."

I will be visiting RFW House of Horrors blogfest entries during the next couple of days. Thanks to those who have already stopped by to visit! Can't wait to read and get spooked!

Wendy Lu

Halloween House of Horrors Blogfest

Tweet

Happy Valentine's: Making the Best Out of a Hallmark Holiday

QOTD: What are your thoughts on V-Day? Is this a special time for everyone to tell their loved ones how much they care, or is Valentine's just another Hallmark holiday?

Happy Valentine's Day! <3 Bought myself a pretty paper rose :)

You can be sure that love was in the air today--all over campus. Students of all types of organizations were selling merchandise in the Pit: Purple-dyed carnations, candy, pink-and-red hearts, paper roses, chocolate-covered strawberries, the works. And it seemed as though there were more couples than usual holding hands and cuddling together. I even spotted one couple behind the dining hall, nuzzling against each other with their noses touching. I forgot to say "AWWW!" as I passed by. Oops...then again, they probably wouldn't have wanted me to interrupt. 

I have the biggest urge to make an "LOLOL FOREVER ALONE" joke right now but I shall refrain. Honestly, Valentine's Day really isn't that bad. I mean, if we're going to have holidays about loving our mommies and daddies and loving our presidents and loving no school presents (that's what Christmas is all about, right?), then it totally makes sense to have a holiday dedicated to love in general. And it really can be fun. It can be as fun as you make it.  

Besides, who says Valentine's is just for couples to enjoy? I bought a red paper rose this morning from one of those merchandise booths at the Pit, and you can bet I got it for myself! My mood instantly skyrocketed after that. Having the independence, the will and the money to treat myself to a small gift was so much more awesome than anxiously expecting someone else to do that for me, and I him. The thing is, before you can learn to love someone else you gotta' learn how to love yourself first. I also bought one of my great friends a pink rose, which made her really happy -- and made my day even better! 

After classes, I spent my afternoon tutoring adorable elementary and middle school-aged kids at an after-school program. We provided them with snacks (yes, candy too), a duo step show and art supplies to make Valentines for the local children's hospital. As cliche as it sounds, spending my time helping others is, I think, the most special part of this holiday for me. 

Best of all, throughout the day I have received really sweet messages from my awesome sister and friends. I am really too lucky to have these people in my life. And here I am now, letting myself enjoy a crunchy-delicious apple with Nutella before I finish off the night with a free-writing session and the latest episode of Glee. On Valentine's Day, what could be better?

Happy Valentine's: Making the Best Out of a Hallmark Holiday

Tweet

Happy Bliggity Birthday: The Best of the Blog Year 2

QOTD: What is your favorite type of sinful cake, the cake that you only eat when you feel really wicked? (Mine is red velvet! Mm...yummy)

Happy Sunday, everybody! It is a very grey day here in North Carolina, but I am in a spirited mood and am so excited to say that it's TRA's Blog Birthday/Anniversary! Can't believe I've kept up this blog for two years already...I guess when you're having fun and loving what you write about, time flies. 

I've been sifting through this past year's blog posts and thought I'd share with you TRA's Top 10 highlights. 

Your Ultimate Journaling Guide Part #1 and Part #2

100 Followers Blogfest: "Inanimation" and Let's See That Inanimation!

Interview: An Evening with Writer Jordan-Marie Smith

Reflections on My First Year of College

The Secrets to a Hot Blog

"Why I Write YA" Blogfest

The Art of Sophomore Swag

"How Old Are You?" "Why Does It Matter?"

Reveal of the Red Angel + NaNoWriMo 2011 Begins!

My Experience As a Critique Partner

As promised, I have finally launched a new feature of the TRA blog site. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing: Double Check Editing Services! This is a sort of thank you to all of my friends, family members and blog friends for the constant support and encouragement I've received throughout the years. It is also a part of my commitment to helping others find their own writing style and literary success. Enjoy! 

Here's to another year full of blogfests, literary frenzies and adventures! Happy Birthday, TRA blog! 

Happy Bliggity Birthday: The Best of the Blog Year 2

Tweet

New Year's Resolutions 2012

QOTD: What is the longest amount of time you have spent writing a single blog post?

I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend so far! First I wanted to start out with some news that is circulating around the blogosphere: 

Mia Hayson is requesting guest bloggers over at Literary Jam and Toast, one of the funniest and best writing blogs ever. This is a great way to meet some new bliggity friends, share your unique skills and knowledge with others, and meet the lovely Mia! Over at Confessions of a Bookaholic, there's a giveaway for all you To Kill a Mockingbird lovers! Finally, a good friend of mine has started her adventures as a journalist at The Constant Interview . Caitlin Byrd is an amazing writer and has always been an inspirational role model to me. Check it out--you will learn so much from her. 

In fact, I found this on her blog: 

Let's all try to keep this in mind as January gradually draws to a close and we start to embrace the second month of 2012. It's strange...I don't even feel like 2011 is over yet. I don't think it has hit me. Perhaps I'm still caught up in everything that happened last year--all the things that changed who I am and all the things I did or didn't do. 

Here's a look at what helped define 2011 for me: 

Year in Review

• Became a reporter for my college newspaper
• Became social media savvy (joined Twitter and tumblr!)
• Chose my career pathway (clinical psychology)
• Completed my first social media & marketing internship
• My turtles grew up into full-size (ish) adults! Yay!
• Got rid of acne with regular skincare
• Reached 160 blog followers, created TRA's Facebook fan page and hosted my first blogfest (and now there are email subscriptions! Look right.)
• Bought my very first Moleskine journal
• Became aware of current news and world events
• Grew more comfortable with speaking in crowds (aka: I no longer get weak or shaky)

Now that I am reflecting over my old New Year's resolutions, I think I did pretty well. I got a lot done. It was a good year for me. A lot changed, but so did I. A small part of me misses where I was (figuratively) at the beginning of 2011, but there is no doubt that I am where I should be right now. 

Do you feel like you accomplished the things you set out to do at the beginning of 2011? If not, are you planning to continue that journey this year, or are you starting fresh?

Speaking of goals and such things, these are my NEW aims for 2012:

I'm kind of a sucker for organization and planning tools, so I always love New Year's. There's something about the idea of starting a new year that makes one feel inspired all over again...as if this year is going to be "it." The big one when everything that's supposed to happen happens. There's promise and excitement and possibility. 

As I browse through this new list, I find myself nodding my head multiple times and thinking, Yes, this is what I want to accomplish in 2012. I've been adhering to most of these so far, though it's going slowly. I know some of these will be tough--especially #8 since I'm a slow reader--but even if I don't accomplish all of these goals at least I will have tried my best. That's what counts, right?

My favorite part of goal-planning is the actual process of completing them. It's fun and actually feels fulfilling. And once we've reached the finish line, we can begin a new race and start all over again. 

New Year's Resolutions 2012

Tweet

Winter Break Recap: Harry Potter World 2012

QOTD: If you could donate one million dollars to any organization, which would you choose and why? 

Happy Sunday, everyone! I apologize for my unexpected absence from the blogosphere. I've spent the last week and a half mostly bedridden due to a nasty virus I picked up over winter break. I have literally felt like a walking snot burger (so unattractive, I know). Good news is I'm back now and hope to catch up with blogging, schoolwork and writing! This is not a great start for my new years' resolutions, but better to start late than never, right? 

So how are you doing with your new years' resolutions? Have you gotten into a regular daily routine of working out/gardening veggies/meditating/whatever-you-resolved-to-do, or are those goals already long-forgotten? (And if the latter is true, I don't blame you. I can't even remember my weekend homework assignments.) 

Whether you're struggling to keep up with your resolution plans or have already worked them into circadian habits, check out my Resolutions Guide to make sure you're on the right track! 

I spent winter break in Orlando, Florida. My family and I joked that we experienced a hot Christmas! The most amazing part of my winter break was getting to experience Harry Potter World for the first time. Enjoy! Check back soon for my New Years' Resolutions 2012.

The truth is that you don't need any of the generic traditions like snow, presents or even Christmas trees to make Christmas unforgettable. It's the people you spend it with that make the holiday special. 

Fun Fact: One of my most popular nicknames as a kid (and sometimes even now) was Wendy Lu-Who (like Cindy Lou-Who from Whosville in The Grinch).

Hogwarts!!! I screamed. Loud. We went in and the features were phenomenal. Talking portraits, dragons and magic exist! I saw it all with my own eyes!

The entrance into Hogsmeade, people. I screamed even louder. It really was a mini town with shops (we ate dinner at The Three Broomsticks!) and were just like the ones from the books and movies! 

Could they...be? Yes! CHOCOLATE FROGS!!!!!!!!

Butterbeer: one of the sweetest and most positively peculiar things I have ever tasted. Butterscotch and sugar cookies with a light, creamy froth on top. A real lip-smacker. 

All photos were taken by me. 

Winter Break Recap: Harry Potter World 2012

Tweet

Happy New Year!

Yayyy we've survived another 5,250,600 minutes. Here's to you, 2012! Wishing all of my followers an amazing year. I have a feeling this is going to be a special one (and not just because it's a leap year ;)). Happy New Year everybody!


Also - my entry for the 3rd Annual No Kiss Blogfest, hosted by Frankie, will be posted sometime today. Check back soon for my blogfest entry, followed by a reflection and page updates. Thanks so much for your patience!

Happy New Year!

Tweet

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

QOTD: What are you most thankful for this holiday season, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? (Mine is the turkey, duh.) Share with us in comments! 

I have so much to be thankful for, but especially: my loving, compassionate family and my amazing friends, both of whom are always there for me when I need them and constantly challenge me every day to be the best person I can be. I am thankful for my Moleskine journal for being forever patient with me when I am writing in it. :) I am also thankful for the weather, for I could not have asked for a more beautiful and sunny Turkey Day. 


But of course, my Thank You List would not be complete without any mention of my amazing blogging friends--not just all my amazing followers, but the bloggers who inspire me every day to be a better writer, blogger and friend. I want to thank each and every one of you for sticking with The Red Angel blog and for all of your support, encouragement and friendship all this time. You guys are the best!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday with the ones you love.


P.S. Be sure to check out my previous blog post, which I stuffed (no indirect pun intended?) full of motivation for this last week of NaNoWriMoing (plus my word count, which has actually gone up since then)!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Tweet

Happy Veterans 2011: "It's the Little Things That Really Mean Big"

QOTD: It's November 11, 2011! Did you wish for anything at 11:11?

Before anything else, I just want to congratulate the UNC Tar Heels for their AWESOME win against MSU (67-55). I'm usually not a Sports fan but when it comes to UNC (and especially when it comes to UNC basketball) I get kind of excited :) Even better, we won on an aircraft carrier! Woohoo! #heelsonaboat

Speaking of aircraft carriers, Happy Veterans Day! Thank you so much to all of those who have died, fought and risked everything to protect the lives of American people. We appreciate everything you do for our country, and I can't imagine the amount of courage it takes to do what you do. Thank you. 

~~~

Today, the Red Cross sponsored an event at my school that involved having students create greeting cards for our troops overseas. I stopped by the Pit (the heart of our school--both geographically and symbolically!) earlier this afternoon and, after noticing the group's booth, wrote a greeting card. Something about this particular event really warmed something inside of me. I don’t know if that's what compelled me — but I asked if I could help, and ended up spending an hour in the Pit and various school centers nearby asking fellow students if they’d like to write greeting cards as well. 

I was so surprised and taken aback by how many students actually said “Sorry, I don’t have time…I, uh, have class soon” or just simply said “No thanks.” 

Sometimes, I wish people would just stop what they are doing and think about what they could do to make others happy—not to make themselves feel good or to put that act of service on their resume, but for the sake of genuinely wanting to make someone else smile. 

I mean, I didn’t even tell the other “official volunteers” my name in the end—but I didn’t care. “Getting credit” wasn’t my mission at all. The only thing on my mind was the fact that people like these men here are fighting every day for us and may not even be at home for Christmas to be with their families. It takes three minutes to write a greeting card of warm wishes and thank-yous. It’s the least we can do. And in my opinion, it's a collection of little things like this that can really make a difference. (Agh...sorry for being a huge cheese ball tonight!)

I mean, I'm not saying that I don't get hurried some days and forget to slow life down for a few moments and think about what I should be thankful for, because I do. I guess I just feel very strongly about this because I associate serving in the military with making sacrifices for others. What greater sacrifice is there to give than risking your time, energy and life to help protect another?

I do have wonderful news, though. At the end of my "shift", we'd collected 50 greeting cards written by students from all over campus. YAY! Thanks you guys. <3 Whoever picks up your card somewhere in the world, I know he/she is going to love it. Once again, Happy Veterans Day! 

Oh, and one more thing: 

NaNoWriMo Word Count: 9,152 (still behind, but hey I'm making progress...sorta...)

Happy Veterans 2011: "It's the Little Things That Really Mean Big"

Tweet

Reveal of the Red Angel + NaNoWriMo 2011 Begins!

QOTD: Tell us about your Halloween. Did you dress up? Did you go trick-or-treating (you're never too old for this, I promise!) or hand out candy to the kids? Did you stay at home and watch scary movies? Let us know! 

When I was a little girl, I used to get really paranoid about being in the dark and having bad guys snatch me away from the safety of my home. Both figuratively and literally. These bad guys include dangerous creepers, but also verbal attackers and anyone who is wrongly judgmental of who I am. Honestly, I think I worry too much about what other people think of me.

Which is totally understandable, right? I mean, I know I'm not the only one who cares about how my opinions and lifestyles will shape what people see the parts of me that I share with them. But to an extent this sensitivity is a setback, seeing as I'm a writer and journalist/psychologist-in-training. How can I give other people solid advice on how to improve their lives for the better and write articles on topics I feel strongly about when I'm nervous about what nice or mean things Jack and Mary are saying behind my back? 

A major lesson I have learned in college so far is that it really, truly does not matter what other people think of you. There are just way too many individuals in this world, and focusing on one's rank in popularity and likability is just a waste of time. Of course, that isn't to say reputation and presentation of one's self doesn't matter, because they do--especially in the corporate world and in the job market. But it's important to balance reputation and individuality. 

Be who you want to be, and don't let the fear of what others may think of you prevent you from trying out new things, expressing yourself and saying what you believe in. 

This sensitivity is also what has kept me from becoming too public on the Internet. I can say anything I want to online...but doesn't that mean other people--strangers, friends and colleagues alike--can say anything they want about me too? My answer to my own question is...yes, but so what? I have nothing to hide except myself, and why do I want to hide myself when there is so much to share and so much to do in a single lifetime? 

I don't. 

So after much thinking, I have decided that I'm going to share with you all who I am--not just as "the red angel," but as me. I feel like by doing so, all of you readers and fellow bloggers will be able to identify with me better now that you can put a name to a face and have a better picture (no pun intended) of who I am. 

Yup, that's me! My name is Wendy Lu 

(Sometimes I get called Cindy Who/Wendy Wu/other forms of Wendy Lu, so whichever you prefer ;) Red Angel works too haha)

So I made this costume for a "Super Rave" that took place in one of the dorms last year. What do you guys think? And hey, Supergirl could be Asian...you never know! Haha. I am always really curious as to how Halloweeners (LOL) put their costumes together, so I'll break down my Supergirl facade for you: 

• The Superman shirt was a gift from a wonderful friend of mine. He knows how much I love Superman! You can find different versions at Hot Topic. 
• I bought the blue/violet stockings from the mall, though I forgot which department. $3.00 on sale. Check out various styles at ModCloth! 
• The red skirt is from a local thrift store. It was originally a long skirt, but another friend of mine who is excellent with the sewing machine was able to hem it for me. Only $3.00! 
• The red cape is a really long piece of fabric that I got from Hancock's Fabrics. About $6.00 or so. 
• My red headband was part of a set of headbands that my sister gave me for Christmas a few years ago.
• You can't see my shoes, but I'm also wearing black Converse All-Star high-tops. They weren't originally going to be a part of the costume but they actually fit really well with the Superman look, so I figured it worked! 

Sadly, I was not able to go out for Halloween this year due to my American History (1865-present) exam, which took place yesterday (hence, the late blog post!). Halloween wasn't all just textbooks and studying, though. I live in a really quiet apartment complex and there aren't that many families or children living near me. But to my surprise, starting at 6:30pm on Monday night, three adorable little kids dressed up as princesses came knocking on my door. I quickly tossed some Kit-Kats into a bowl, threw on my Superman shirt and showered them with candy! :) How was your Halloween? 

NaNoWriMo Word Count: 582 (I blame History. But...major write-in tonight! If you are a participant, how is NaNo going?)

Reveal of the Red Angel + NaNoWriMo 2011 Begins!

Tweet

Happy National Day on Writing!

I cannot remember a single moment in my life when I did not love words and writing and literature. And I simply cannot imagine a life in which I did not write...I have tried and I can't. I write because I have no choice. 

Language in the form of writing has always amazed me with its power. There are no limitations as to what I can write and how I can use it. When I journal or string words into poetry or create characters in their own little worlds, I feel limitless. Reading over my works constantly teaches me things about myself and about life that I otherwise would not have known. My lifelong goal is to use the power of words to inspire others with the story of my past, share with them my belief that weaknesses can be turned into strengths and encourage them to accept each other’s differences. 


I write to show people they are not alone, and I write to keep myself sane. Without writing, I would have little purpose in this world. 

This is why I write. Tell us your story. Happy National Day on Writing! 

Happy National Day on Writing!

Tweet