Epics

New York Bound! Yours truly- the Piñata has been decapitated  After a very long and interesting week I am super pumped to know that Wednesday morning I will be flying out to NYC for Halloween. This is an absolute dream come true for me and I have longed to go for many years now. It is so often and so easily dismissed that when dreaming, the cost belongs somewhere in a category of the cosmic and ethereal variety. I just don't get it! I want the things that I dream about to come true. I want to fight for it! I want to see and experience the imagination that runs rampant in my brain space. Don't you? What is it that we can do to accomplish all that we set our hearts to? I just figure that if it is on your heart and you also cannot get an idea off your mind; well, you likely ought to follow through with that curiosity. I hope that you will try in any case.  Some inspiration from Facebook I got to spend a super incredible weekend with my favorite guy

Krishnaa: Draupadi and Krishna https://www.quora.com/Does-Sri-Krishna-h ave-a-relationship-with-Draupadi With so much reading going on this week about Krishna, I am starting to see so much more of him with Draupadi. Her name is also, Krishnaa.  The protector and the protected. I am a little over half way in the book, Palace of Illusions. The part that I am in now is just after Krishna has beheaded Sisupal for his 100th+ insult.  Draupadi tells Krishna, "When I thought that you had died, I wanted to die, too." Wow... how profound a statement. There is so much to be said in this moment between them and I cannot help but wonder what it is that will transpire between them. The book itself is absolutely an artistic device that I will cherish forever. Chitra has a writing style that is unlike any that I have seen so far and I am keenly excited to read her future works.  Bibliography: Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Palace of Illusions. 2008

Internal Motivation http://onlinecourselady.pbworks.com/w/page/ 103903723/week10 Advice to Writers This website is so interesting and helpful. I am a writer and feel the weight of limitations often. I don't know many writers personally, though I am dating a writer, and sometimes it feels like it is a very solitary lifestyle- living in the realm of my imagination. I also especially enjoy this image to the right here. ----->  Oh, the amount of excuses and just toiling one can do, to avoid the truth of simply needing to be internally motivated. I hear this and see this too often. It doesn't singularly apply to writing efforts either, but with many variables of existence!  The advisory notes that I got from 30 minutes of reading on the site were these: The characters arrive first, then you build the world from that.  Realize what it is that you  need to release your imagination. Do you need quiet or chaos, music, what environment helps you be t

Krishna and the Syamantaka Sun Stone Krishna marries the Bear King's daughter, Jambavati http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/12/reading-guide-kincaid-krishna-chapter-8.html The more we talk about Krishna, the more I like him. There are many things that I have to say that I disagree with (more than one wife) but as a whole image I imagine this epic character to be one of  commendable qualities. Krishna actually reminds me quite a bit of Beowulf. There can't be any possibility that I am the only person who has considered the parallels in both epics.  In chapter 8, Krishna much fight the Bear King to retrieve the Syamantaka jewel-  a radiant stone gifted by the son god, Surya. Our hero fights a battle with this bear that lasts 21 days, until the beard asks to be spared. (The bear is hungry and tried.) All the while, Krishna's attendants were at the mouth of the cave, awaiting for his return.  They feared the worst (without going to check) and assumed that their

The Earth Welcomes Krishna Krishna http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/05/free- book-kincaid-shri-krishna-of-dwarka.html Wow, Krishna has had quite the youth and adolescence. I will focus on the beginnings of these chapters, which peaked my interest the most; This boy was born as an incarnation to Lord Vishnu. Krishna comes from the tales of the Indian Epic, Mahabharata. I enjoy so much that there is elaboration and further explanations available to these wonderfully brilliant characters within this foreign mythology. I wonder why it is, that so much of western knowledge is lacking of these cultures and tales? When I was in schooling for my youth, I was taught extensively the stories of Greek and Roman mythology. (Which was indeed my preference on a course like this.) And I feel I was so naive and ignorant to what these incredible stories of Indian Epics entailed. I wish that the school structures of todays youth were taught more of epics from a global perspective; in

today Holy crow, does it ever stop? I am so glad to know that we are more than halfway through with classes for this semester, but man, I am beat. I feel like I say this every week. (and its true) I want to get to a place where I am not waiting until after midnight on Sunday each week to get my work done for this class, and others. I don't know.. maybe I added too much on my plate. Or maybe school isn't designed for a single mom with two young children to be taking 18 hours worth of course work. Regardless, here I am and here I will stay. I've went through several tea light candles and lots of coffee this week. I am still being productive, though in the procrastinating variety... No judgments! I made some yummy paleo chili this week. Wanna know what the craziest ingredient was? (Im telling you anyways!) It was PUMPKIN PUREE. Isn't that just absolutely banana pants? I might be a little delirious at the moment, which is also okay. I'm just tired and have to take

Palace of Illusions: (2) So, I am at the part of the book where Draupadi talks of her husband's extra wives. This is particularly fascinating for me because I never could understand how a woman could adhere to the polygamy of a spouse, where the wife was meant to stay monogamous. That just seems ridiculous a notion, and completely disrespectful.  Draupadi and Husbands https://www.quora.com/If-some-groups-advocate-men-having- multiple-wives-are-there-women-who-have-multiple-husbands What Draupadi explains is her large tantrums in opposition to her husbands taking new wives, though she notes in secrecy that her jealousies were largely farce, because she knew realistically that she couldn't expect her husbands to be celibate in the years that she was required to bed her other husbands. Wow, what a concept!  Bibliography: Palace of Illusions, Chitra Divakaruni

Epified Mahabharata:      Wow! This is so fun and I love how the narrator is depicting this story. I must confess that I, too, enjoy the Mahabharata more than the Ramayana. The very first story that Epified presents is that of Ganga, the river goddess. She marries the king when he asks her but on the stipulation that he must never ask her any questions- he agrees.  She drowns seven sons in the river without him questioning her. I am sure that he has simply been filling with rage this entire time... how horrific! I couldn't agree to marry someone without questioning them. I couldn't watch and stay silent as someone drowned my child. How absolutely mortifying this is!  Children's Book of Indian Epic stories I am excited to get this book in the mail here in a few days. (: I think that it will be interesting trying to share these stories with my little girls but will first peruse them to see that it would be appropriate. (Not all children's books seem very

What a week... Y'all (non-existent readers) I am so tired. I know I have said this before but whoa, do I feel so silly for signing up for 18 hours worth of course work. Why did I do that to myself? Self-sabotage, I tell yah. This weekend I attending a women's gathering for the ministry that I participate in called, Karis Fellowships. These women and their wisdom astound me and I am so very glad that I was able to have to opportunity to come join in this weekend. I learned a lot and feel like I've made new friends in the process, which feels so rare! My time gets all tied up between being a single mother to two kids and trying to get this damned degree of mine. The great thing about this nice little retreat, is that these women all have this same common goal to being the best that we all can be, as children of God and following the path that He has paved for us. Firefly: Carlton Landing, Oklahoma Picture taken by me One of the beautiful meditations of the weekend

The Palace of Illusions: The front cover of the book How do I even begin to decipher the response that I have to this book. I am only 43 pages into this now, having just been able to finally pick up the novel to read it.  The story is written from Draupadi's first person narrative and I am just so very thrilled to read each page. I am hungry to read more pages and am ever grateful that the professor suggested this book to me. I am doing my storybook from Draupadi's first person narrative and had decided on that very thing before I had known about this book. It is already helping me frame ideas for my own project. I also feel that the book illustrates beautifully the mundane and unregarded facets of existence that happen to be excluded from the Mahabharata. There are details of culture and time//space//relevance that I simply would not have considered beforehand. Now, with those passages in draw explanation, I better understand the spooky intrigue of fortune-tel

Am  I proud of my progress so far? No. I am not passing this class- YET. Despite my best efforts, I am still far behind the curve of what can get me a passing grade. Hopefully, I can do better and try harder, or locate more time to what needs to be  done to get my degree instead of all of the outside stressors that are effecting my life right now. I currently have 138 points... to be on track to pass with a C I need to have 183 points by Sunday evening. Is that doable?? I don't think so... but I do know that I can get closer to that goal. I appreciate that the professor provides weeks like this where we can reflect and assess where we are standing. It feels like I am allowed to catch my breath and try harder.

Feedback Cats I enjoy the feedback that I do receive from students. I feel like that is a great way for us and you to engage in a very virtual place, which makes the atmosphere feel more personal somehow. I have to start providing more feedback of my own; it feels like most of what I have for this class are excuses, but I would like to  imagine myself in a place where I can provide more results. I do feel like the blog comments are fun, too. Getting to read stories and learning the sort of technique that different students use, or their mode of storytelling- that is fun to me! A lot of this class is revolved around self-discipline. I want to do and be more of that. Going forward, getting a solid routine for how this class (along with all of the other classes I am taking this semester) will help more than I can actually give credit for.

Draupadi and dushasan scene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupadi       So far, this course has been much more than I anticipated. I thought that adding that sixth class, of something I am interested in anyways, would be easier said than done. A majority of my online classes have been much more straight-forward than this. Honestly, I do not mind. I am  learning so much! I only  wish that I had more time that I could dedicate to  this class, because I feeling it is one I can learn a lot from.       I chose this picture because I find this image of Draupadi the most peaceful that I have come across, from my posts thus far. I am excited for the storybook and look forward to a more scheduled and reliable routine for the final 8 weeks of this course. 

A Handmaiden's Horror       The metallic crash of dishes hits the floor, the carefully adorned delicacies proven to now be mere formalities to the authentic intentions of my evening. The smell of sandalwood is everywhere and the world is moving so  quickly that it is quite difficult to grasp what it is that has happened. My heart races. My body cold, chest heaving for breath. I stand backed against large, wooden double doors; the locked and final barrier that  prevents me from escaping to freedom and away from my perpetrator. I am afraid, my hands behind my back cannot find the lock or knob.  Kichaka and Draupadi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raja_Ravi_Varma ,_Keechaka_and_Sairandhri,_1890.jpg      The lust of Kichaka rages in his un-seeing eyes. He is angry. Everything he has ever wanted, his every desire and whim granted. All but her. Who is this lowly slave girl to think that her virtue should be spared? The monstrous form of this man-beast looms over he

Arjuna and the Celestial Beings http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/pde-mahabharata-arjuna-and-indra.html Arjuna- The Pandavas have been  exiled to the woods for 12 years, after eldest brother and King loses all of their possessions and livelihood in a game of dice. Draupadi laments theirs suffering and is quite loathsome of the situation that her king has put them all in- she wants revenge and her  old life  back. The former king  does not indulge her requests, but  instead  says, "Anger is sinful; it is the cause of destruction."  And so... nothing is done! While in  exile, the brothers send Arjuna off on his own  to train  and pray for guidance that will  help recover their familiar environment. On his journey, he ends up being requested to go to the city of demons, Hiranyapura, for Indra. There are many a ghoulish and deviled demons, yet Arjuna slays them all. For his great valor and bravery in conquering  Indra's foes; he receives a great diadem, chain of g