Indulging my Two Secret Passions: Tintin and Opera

In the Tintin books by Hergé, the opera singer Castafiore always sings "The Jewel Song" from Faust by Charles Gounod. If fact, she never sings anything but "The Jewel Song" from Faust. In the Tintin movie, however, Castafiore does not sing her signature song; rather, she sings something from Romeo et Juliette, which is another opera by Gounod. Seven years later, I still wonder why the movie makers decided to change her quintessential song from one opera by Gounod to another. Was it laziness? Did it have to do with copyright? Did they not do their research? Could their soprano not hit the notes (doubtful, since the song from Romeo et Juliette is the higher of the two songs)?

This image does not belong to me, so don't come for me, Image Police.

I have no answers, BUT I do have a new question. Today, I was listening to a Maria Callas CD, and "Una voce poca fa" from The Barber of Seville came on. I recognized the beginning melody as the song to which Castafiore makes her entrance in the Tintin movie. In the movie, after the first thirty seconds of "Una voce poca fa," the song switches to "Je veux vivre dans ce reve" from Romeo et Juliette, and Castafiore begins to sing.
It's one thing to mix up two songs by the same composer, but The Barber of Seville isn't even BY Gounod! It's by Rossini. Furthermore, it's in an entirely different language. Why in the world would the people in charge of the music for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn splice together two songs from two different composers who wrote in two different languages and lived about thirty years apart? Why in the world didn't they have Castafiore sing "The Jewel Song" like she was supposed to? Will I ever have answers??

Check out the scene for yourself:

Watching // Listening to // Reading // Writing

WATCHING //
After watching for more than a year, I finally finished Friends. 

I started it last summer, I believe, but when school started, I stopped watching (we were on a break, okay??). It's not my favorite sitcom ever (that will forever and always be Frasier), but it was oh so much fun to see all the silly situations that Ross got himself in to.

On the subject of sitcoms, my roommate and I are nearing the end of The Office. It's been a fun Netflix Trip.

Some friends and I went to see Incredibles 2, which I thought was incredible (haha). Did you know the movies are set in the 1960s? I didn't notice the time period in the first movie, but it was evident in this one. It adds one more element to an already fantastic film.

This poster belongs to Disney Pixar

My friend and I just finished Netflix's Lost in Space. I have so many thoughts about this show that it will be its own separate post.

Last but not least, I watched the first episode of Babylon 5 last night. My dad and I are watching it "together." Even though we are 1,500 miles apart, we will watch an episode or three a week and then talk about it. My thoughts so far: it reminds me a lot of Deep Space Nine, but Star Trek has much better graphics (and better acting and writing, too, methinks, but I don't want to make a final judgement yet since I have only seen the first episode). I'm excited to keep watching!

LISTENING TO // 
I've been on a classical music kick over the past few weeks. I've been listening to a lot of Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition <3), Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Saens. Check out The Carnival of the Animals—it is so much fun! My favorite pieces are "Aquarium," "Pianists," and "Fossils."

I've also been listening to a lot of Twenty One Pilots. I'd never heard of them before coming to school, but they are now one of my favorite bands. They are coming out with a new album in October and have released three songs with music videos. I love Twenty One Pilots because they have created a whole world and story line within their music, and it is SO. COOL. because it is an extended metaphor for the singer's mental health. I can't embed their new music into my blog for some reason, so here is a link to their music video "Jumpsuit" (which I think is slightly more understandable than "Nico and the Niners," which is my favorite of their three new songs).

READING //
This summer, I have been making my way through the Minstrel's Song series by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt. I've been reading them on the Kindle app on my phone, usually in my fifteen minute morning breaks at work. I'm at my grandparent's house until school starts next week, however, so I am reading, reading, reading. I finished Yorien's Hand yesterday. Whooooaaaa. So epic! I am afraid for Oraeyn, Kamarie, Yole, Brant, and the gang, and my intrigue about Kiernan Kane continues to grow! I started Minstrel's Call this morning.

From Instagram

I am also reading a book of short stories by Willa Cather, which I am enjoying. The stories are about the disillusionment that creators sometimes feel. I am re-reading "The Garden Lodge" right now, which is about a practical woman who has a famous tenor to stay at her house. When he leaves, she has a breakdown as she remembers how her childhood was destroyed by over-sentimentality and how she refused to indulge in anything imaginative as a result. I didn't quite catch the meaning of the story the first time I read it; I understand it more the second time. The stories make me sad because the characters are misunderstood and purposeless artists, but it is a good kind of sadness because it reminds me that I do have a greater purpose when I am creative: I reflect God the creator.

From Instagram

WRITING //

I haven't been writing anything, but I do have several ideas floating around in my head... I am going to keep them in my head right now, especially since school is starting next week, and I definitely won't have time for personal projects then. I will tell you that one idea is sci-fi and one is fantasy and one is memoir(ish).
Also, there are exciting things happening on the blogging horizon...

COMING SOON TO TEN BLOGS NEAR YOU

So, what have you guys been watching/listening to/reading/writing? Are you excited for the Silmaril Awards? What do you think of the slightly modified name?

The One Where I Update You On My Life

Could this be considered an Ishness post? I've never done one before, so I'm not exactly sure of the protocol. Let me know in the comments! 

For the uninitiated, "Ishness" is hosted by Deborah O'Carroll. She and other participating bloggers talk about what they've been doing lately... I want to talk about what I've been doing lately. So. Let'sa go-o.

LIFE-ING
I got a job! After several stressful weeks of searching, a local hardware store hired me as a cashier. If you ever happen to visit... first of all, how did you find out where I work?? Second of all, do not ask me to direct you to the ladders because I do not know where we keep the ladders. We carry everything from paint to propane to potting soil, from things that kill bugs to things that kill moss (I live in the Pacific Northwest where moss is a Big Problem), from whitewood-that-is-actually-gray to hula hoops. I don't know where any of these things are.

I don't know who made this gif, but I want to give them all the credit because Totoro hula hooping is just too cute. Also, I'd like to thank them for making a hula hoop gif that doesn't feature a half-naked woman. 

I've never cashiered before, so this is a good learning experience for several reasons. 1) With cashiering skills, I can now get a job at any store. 2) I'm forced out my cozy eggshell in order to politely and happily interact with strangers for long periods of time.
My (far more) introverted (than I thought) soul did not, initially, like interacting with strangers for long periods of time, but now that I am getting used to it and have worked on changing my attitude, I don't mind it as much.
Plus, it's a great opportunity to people watch! There are many, many, many different types of people who peruse hardware stores.
Here are some of the most interesting people that have come through my line:

-The old woman who bought $600 worth of soaker hoses. I asked her, "Do you have a big yard?" and she said, "No, but I have a lot of plants." Her plan was to hook up all the hoses and snake them through the yard so that she wouldn't have to use a sprinkler to water her plants.
-The man with the Star Wars t-shirt and the Chihuahua named Yoda.
-The old, deaf couple who told me "Thank you" with their hands, their eyes, and their smiles.
-The woman who wore her blue tape as a bracelet and looked far more regal than royalty.
-The man whose money made the cash register smell like cigarette smoke every time I opened it.
-The man who yelled at me for double checking that I got a price right.
-The talkative woman who went on and on about how easy it is to hide the true nature of things. Even people can put up a facade and you would never know until you marry them. (That story went from very philosophical to very sad in a very short amount of time).
-The woman who said she was having a s*** day (quite literally) because her husband had stepped in dog poop.
-The lady trying to discourage her elderly father from buying Mountain Dew.
-Oh, yes, and the two teenage girls trying to beat up their friend who had taken refuge behind the service counter. That was an interesting morning.

I also got an Instagram account where I post pictures of books with (what I hope are) witty captions.

WRITING
My goal since finishing the fourth draft of my novel has been to write a short story a week. So far, I've written two and edited down the VBS skits to an acceptable length.
My first story is about a musician whose mother always sits in the front row of his concerts. The second story recounts the Terror of having to evacuate one's dorm at 3:30 AM because someone on the boy's floor burned orange chicken and set off the fire alarm (based on a True Story).

READING
Somehow, I've managed to read seven books so far this month. I read Rosie the Riveter, which is about women in World War II. This is research for my next novel, which I will talk about in another blog post. What did I learn from this book? Mainly that if women in the 1940s could leave their homes and children to do hard, physical labor and raise the production of planes from 60 a month to 360 a month (and all while maintaining their waved hair and makeup-ed faces) so that their men could win the war overseas, then I can be a part-time cashier without bemoaning my life.

Contrary to popular belief, THIS is Rosie the Riveter, not the lady with her sleeve rolled up saying, "We can do it."

I also read The Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones (the third and fourth books in the Chrestomanci series). I enjoyed them immensely. I liked The Magicians of Caprona better, though, because of the parts with Punch and Judy. Also because of Benvenuto the Cat.

I dunno about you, but I drool over these editions of Diana Wynne Jones' books.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, however, took up most of my reading time this month. Several people whose bookish opinions I trust raved about this series. I tried reading it a year or two ago and couldn't get into it because of the clairvoyancy. This time, however, I pushed passed the first two chapters and read the entire series in two weeks. There is SO much in The Raven Cycle to talk about. I'd like to re-read the series and do a full review on it sometime in the near future. What I'd like to say now, however, is that, yes, Maggie Stiefvater's writing style is just as beautiful as people have said, her characters are flawed and real and wonderful, and her plot is unique and wacky. Also, yes, this series does have "questionable" content if you are a Christian. I say "questionable" in quotation marks because I have a lot of thoughts about this content. I would like to address this in a separate blog post, but, as I said, I'd like to re-read the series before I talk about it more on my blog. For now, I will say that I enjoyed the series a lot, but if I were to recommend it, it would be with extreme caution (at least until I can explain my thoughts about it). 

One thing I can say without re-reading the series is that THESE COVERS ARE SO GORGEOUS.

Now, I'm reading The Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve in preparation for the movie that Peter Jackson is making. I'd forgotten how much I like Philip Reeve's prose! I also plan to start the fifth Chrestomanci book soon. 

WATCHING

I watched Sherlock Season Four and it was So. Good. The middle episode was my favorite (mostly because of Mrs. Hudson). I had to pause the last episode several times to say "WHAT??!" I didn't like season three or the Christmas episode, so I was glad to enjoy Sherlock again! If Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat were to end the series here, I would be happy because they wrapped up the storylines and character arcs fantastically.

And now it's time for a confession:

...

...

I love sitcoms, and I have been watching quite a bit of Friends and Cheers since getting home from school. I started watching Friends at school, and I started watching Cheers again because I wanted a show where I could take a break from all my worries (sure would help a lot). Y'know, sometimes I want to go where everybody knows my name, and they're always glad I came. Cheers is a great show to make you feel that way.

"NORM!!!!!"

MUSIC-ING

I've been listening to my usual variety of contradictions. Jazz followed by '70s rock followed by classical music followed by Christian rock from the '80s followed by the Hamilton or La La Land soundtrack followed by heavy medal Middle Earth music.
The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had its 50th anniversary a few weeks ago, so I've been listening to that a lot. In fact, I had to force myself to stop listening to it so that I wouldn't get tired of it. It's an incredible album, though. I watched a documentary on how the Beatles made it, and they pioneered several techniques and sounds with this album. They were a truly legendary band (but perhaps that's another blog post, too).

Let me know what you've been up to recently! What have you been reading? What have you been listening to? I love getting comments, so don't be shy. 

Recent Discoveries

Since coming to college, I have been exposed to so many new genres, movies, television shows, and music! I want to share them with you, my friends.

Television:

Do you remember a few years ago when everyone raved about the show Adventure Time? I never watched it, until last semester. This cartoon is a random and colorful show about Finn the Human and Jake the Dog and their adventures. They fight a lot of monsters and rescue a lot of princesses. Although the show is random, there is always a moral to the story, even if that moral is somewhat odd. If you like fun and creative shows, then check out Adventure Time! (Also, episodes are only thirteen minutes long, so that's a plus!)

Monk is another show that I have heard a lot about but have never watched before. My roommate owns the first few seasons, we started watching them, and I love it! Monk is like a mix between Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. He is a private detective who is fantastic at deduction, but he is also extremely OCD and germaphobic. This combination makes this murder-mystery show charming and unique.
I have also been introduced to Psych (yet another show that I have heard a lot about but never watched), though I've only seen one episode of that so far.

The Office is a show about the office antics of a paper company. I have seen the same seven episodes of this show multiple times on account that they are the favorites of my friends. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this show, as it is pretty funny.
My roommate has also introduced me to the show New Girl, which would be a lot funnier if it weren't so dirty.

My friends watched this and recommended it to me, so I watched it over Christmas break. While I enjoyed the 80s setting and the uniqueness, I thought that the plot and characters could have been better developed. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to season two!

Movies:

I loved The Goonies! It was like Indiana Jones and Tintin except it featured children. It has all the elements of a good adventure story (pirates! friendship! bumbling sidekicks! a monster! ice cream!) and reminded me a lot of the stories I enjoyed as a child. Good old Steven Spielberg.
We also watched The Sandlot, Little Rascals, and Second Hand Lion which also feature children protagonists. All three movies were lovely.

Finally, I understand all of the references! I saw E.T. for the first time a few weeks ago. I thought the villains were underdeveloped, until I began wondering if they were made that way on purpose because the movie is from Eliot and E.T.'s point-of-view. If it is from their point-of-view, then it makes sense that the government is really hazy because that is how they would appear to a small child and an alien with no knowledge of earth culture. After I realized that, I liked the movie more.

Music:

I'd listened to Hamilton before coming to school, but I didn't fully appreciate it until last semester when I listened to it again. Upon first listening, I was too caught up in the changes that Lin-Manuel Miranda had made to history to enjoy the whole musical. When I listened to the musical again, however, I was captivated by Miranda's rhetorical prowess. Even though the musical isn't totally historically accurate, he has presented to his audience the basics through catchy tunes, created lovely character arcs, and gotten young people interested in history, which I think is fantastic! My favorite songs are "Non-stop," "You'll Be Back," and "Burn."

Petra is a Christian band from the 70s, 80s, and beyond. I had heard some songs before because my parents listen to them occasionally, but I started to listen to them on my own last semester. I love their sound and their lyrics. This Means War and More Power To Ya are my favorite albums.

Three of my friends are huge fans of the band Twenty One Pilots. This band is very hard to describe since their music could fit into several genres. They use a variety of instruments from ukulele to synthesizers to drums. I like them because their music is unique and their lyrics are relatable. I also like them because there are only two members of Twenty One Pilots and they write and perform all of their music themselves.

Welcome to Night Vale is not a CD but a podcast. It is a radio broadcast from the friendly desert community of Night Vale where strange things are normal. Mysterious Hooded Figures? A dog park that no dogs are allowed in? Mind-controlling glow clouds? A ban on wheat and wheat byproducts? These are all normal occurrences in Night Vale. This podcast very weird and very creative. It is also very nihilistic, and I'm not sure if I'm going to keep listening to it because of that.

Genre:
I took a class on Gothic Literature last semester and loved it! I learned the components of Gothic fiction and am now able to pick out Gothic themes in books and movies that I read and watch. Some common themes are seclusion, a damsel in distress, a run-down family mansion lived in by a decrepit family, and supernatural happenings. The Gothic genre birthed the horror genre, which I have also been introduced to this school year. Through the horror movies that I have watched, I learned that I do not mind supernatural horror, but horror that could happen in real life really freaks me out. That being said, I enjoyed watching The Shining and The Others, but hid behind a blanket for most of The Silence of the Lambs and Split.

I want to talk a little bit more about Split (beware of spoilers). This movie is about three girls who are kidnapped by a man with Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). It deals with themes of abuse and mental health.
Kevin and his multiple personalities were delightful. The audience got glimpses into several of his personalities, and that was fun. It was cool to see him going to his counselor, too. I thought they portrayed his mental illness well.
The end of the movie, however, was horrible. A twenty-fourth personality emerges in Kevin's body and it has superhuman abilities. He kills several people because they are too pure—they have not had anything bad happen to them, and since Kevin was abused as a child, this twenty-fourth personality thinks that he has to inflict pain on those that have never felt it. He doesn't kill the main character because he sees that she has been abused, too.
I didn't like this movie because the ending was so horrific and gruesome. I also didn't like it because the ending was too open-ended for my taste. The guy is not caught and punished for his deeds. The girl does not escape her abusive uncle. I left this movie feeling scared and unsatisfied.

The lesson that I've learned from this—and with the horror genre in general—is "be careful little eyes what you see." I've dabbled in the horror genre this year, and though I've enjoyed some of it, I don't think it's a genre that I will watch a lot of in the future.
As storytellers—whether through writing, movie-making, painting, podcasts, or music—and especially as God-created storytellers, we have a duty to create life-giving art (thanks to my friend Stephen for that phrase!). We also have a duty to engage in life-giving art. We have to use discernment in what we fill our minds with.
I wish I had the eloquence right now to sum up all the thoughts in my head, but I don't, so I am going to direct you to this post by DJ Edwardson.

Have you seen or heard any of the things on my list? What did you think? What do you think of the horror genre?

The Sunday... er, Monday afternoon Report

One week in to the new blogging schedule and I completely forget to post. Oops.

How was my week? It started fantastically. Last Monday, my family and I went to see a Star Trek exhibit at a local museum! Here are some pictures:

 

Sugar:

I'm still doing very well abstaining from processed sugar. There are temptations throughout the week: chocolate and caramel bars at a graduation party, cake at church, ice cream in the freezer... but if I don't concentrate on the things I can't eat and, instead, focus on the things that I can eat, I find that I'm a lot happier.

Right now we're having a heat wave (80+ degree weather in rainy Washington? Unheard of!!) and it's very hard to do anything other than lie in front of the fan. Unfortunately, the heat also makes me peckish. I suspect it's out of boredom. I snack on sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins. I'm also drinking a lot of water.

Exercise:

I've been doing well with exercise, though because of the heat, I'm not sure how much I'll do this week. I tried doing a cartwheel today for the first time in a few years. I can still do them... but it hurt! I guess I don't use those muscles in my every day life.

Sleep:

Getting up with my alarm is getting easier. Going to bed on time is not. I've not been doing well with having my light turned off by 11:00 PM. I'm going to keep trying, though!

Reading:

I finished two books last week. One was The Silmarillion, which I wrote a whole post about. The other was The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I listened to the Focus on the Family radio theater-style audiobook. Andy Serkis as Screwtape was entertaining! I will have to read the book someday to glean the most out of it, though.

After finishing The Silmarillion, I started The Hobbit because I needed more Middle Earth in my life. I'm also reading Heap House by Edward Carey, which is very, very unique. The author is revealing the world, plot, and characters bit by bit, which makes the book mysterious and captivating.

Writing:

I've been working on the alien races for my sci-fi café story this week. I've also had a new story idea which is begging to be plotted. I had an idea a month or so ago that also needs plotting. Ideally, I would complete my sci-fi café story and both of these new story ideas over the summer so that I wouldn't have to do any outlining at school and could just start writing, but we'll see how far I get.

Music:

I played "Rustle of Spring" by Christian Sinding for my piano recital a few weeks ago. Here is a recording:

Now I'm working on the entirety of the "Moonlight Sonata."

My two biggest goals for this week are to memorize my songs for the voice recital and to write the VBS skits.

What's the best and worst thing that happened to you this week? What are you reading at the moment?

Happy Easter!

Here is a song that I sang for our church's Good Friday service:

And here is a mini-choir of my favorite Easter hymn:

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

Magician of Melody, Herald of Harmony, Rocker of Refrain.

Are you tired of listening to same old songs—built off of the same old three chords—over, and over, and over, and over again on your Christian radio station? If you are, then you're in luck! Here for one blog post only is that magician of melody, that herald of harmony, that rocker of refrain... It's the one-and-only Abbey!!

~cue applause~

Thank you, thank you. It's an honor to be here on the blog today. So, you're tired of listening to That-One-Generic-Worship-Song-That-They-Play-On-The-Radio? Never fear, I, Abbey, am here! Here to help you—yes, you!—find the right Christian music for you to focus on while your stuck in traffic so that you don't yell at other drivers! I'm gonna tell you about albums that have originality, harmony, and variety; I'm gonna tell you about musicians who perform and write their own songs! So, lend me your ears, friends, Romans, countrymen, and anyone else who happens to reading! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music:

"Out of Breath" by Go Fish.

If you like acappella groups, then this is the album for you! Just listen to that epic train horn at the beginning of this song. It's made completely from human vocal chord sounds! It contains no artificial sweeteners and is gluten free. While Go Fish is primarily known as a children's group now, they came out with several CDs for all-ages in the late '90s and early 2000s. With engaging rhythms and poignant lyrics, you won't want to miss this CD!

"Yesterday's a Sign" by Ken Medema.

Everyone likes stories, and what's better than a story set to music? I know—a Bible story set to music! On this CD, you will find the story of Moses, the story of the man healed at the pool of Bethesda, the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth, and the story of Ananias and Saul set to rollicking piano accompaniment arranged and played by Ken Medema himself! Additionally, this album comes with several tracks of beautiful, original hymns.

"Go," "In the Hands of God," and "Greatest Hits" by the Newsboys.

What other Christian band has lyrics about barbequing hamsters ("Shine") or Hobbits leaving the Shire ("Secret Kingdom")? What other band describes hell as a place where they don't serve Captain Crunch ("Breakfast") and where they play Celine Dion all night ("My Friend Jesus")? That's right, only Newsboys with Peter Furler at their helm has lyrics like this! That's why you should invest in these three CDs.
"Go" contains such hits such as, "I Am Free" and "Something Beautiful," as well as lesser-known greats such as, "The Mission" and "Your Love Is Better Than Life."
"In the Hands of God," Peter Furler's last full album with the Newsboys is a little out-of-the-ordinary, but that's why you're here, right? Some favorites are "No Grave," "The Upside," and "Dance."
If you're already a fan of Newsboys and are looking for a CD with all of their vintage hits, then their "Greatest Hits" album is definitely for you! It features "Shine," "Breakfast," "He Reigns," "Amazing Love," "Stay Strong," and thirteen other fabulous songs!

"On Fire" by Peter Furler.

If you still miss Old Newsboys, before Michael Tait took over as lead singer, then you might want to check out Peter Furler's first solo album after leaving Newsboys. He took Newsboys unique sound and unique lyrics when he left and you can find them, and much, much more, on this CD!

"Songs" by Rich Mullins.

"Mullins had a distinctive talent both as a performer and a songwriter. His compositions showed distinction in two ways: unusual and sometimes striking instrumentation, and complex lyrics that usually employed elaborate metaphors," says paragon of intelligence, Wikipedia.
Rich Mullins' use of hammer dulcimer adds an original layer to his already fabulous worship music. Who doesn't like interesting instruments?
Not suitable for people who don't like their faith challenged by intricate lyrics.

"Art of the State" and "Reconstructions" by AD.

Are you stuck in the '70s? Or, worse, are you stuck in the '80s??

~cue screaming~

 

Or, perhaps, worst of all, you are stuck in the Supernatural fandom and can't stop singing "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. If you answered "yes" to one of the above questions, you may want to check out AD. One of their principle members, Kerry Livgren, used to be a member of Kansas and actually wrote "Carry On My Wayward Son." He brought that style of music with him when he left Kansas and formed the Christian rock group AD.

"Comatose" and "Awake" by Skillet.

If you like giving yourself whiplash by shaking your head back and forth, hard rock Christian group Skillet may be for you! Their albums "Comatose" and "Awake" feature some of their most prominent hits such as, "Whispers in the Dark," "Hero," "Awake and Alive," and "Monster."
Disclaimer: Abbey will not be held responsible for whiplash damage or for the damage caused by feeling like a monster.

And there you have it! Eleven CDs to break the monotony of the Christian radio station! It's been an honor to be featured on the blog. Remember, I am Abbey, magician of melody, herald of harmony, and rocker of refrain! My agent would love to discuss any comments, suggestions, or undefined hatred toward me with you. Until we meet again, I'll be whipping my hair back and forth to some Skillet!

~cue applause, booing, and tomato-throwing~

 

Thanks for visiting the blog, Abbey! Wasn't she lovely, folks? I'm contractually obligated to say that. I'm also contractually obligated to say that all albums mentioned above can be found wherever good music is sold.

Ahem.

Come back next week when our special guest will be Cristafiora the classical music mogul!

The First Post

Welcome to Abbey's World of Pure Imagination!

I am Abbey (or, A.G. Werff). You may know me from my previous blog Dolls, Books, and Things That Matter.

Here are some facts about me for those who are new:

1. I love lists and organization and planning and schedules and goals and accomplishing things. As a result, you will probably see many goals and checklists on this blog.

2. My favorite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien and P.G. Wodehouse, and some of my favorite books are The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Adventures of Tintin by Herge. You can learn more about my favorites on my Goodreads page HERE.

3. I also write my own stories. Hence the blog title. Welcome to my imagination!

4. I'm a musician. I play piano and sing. You can find me on Youtube HERE. Occasionally, I might post about my musical exploits if you readers are inclined to listen.

5. In addition to playing music, I listen to a lot of music, especially when I'm writing. I listen to nearly everything. If it was written between the beginning of time and the 1980s, it's probably on my playlist (with an oh-so light sprinkling of modern music on the side).

6. There is a huge label on my forehead that reads "TREKKIE." Live long and prosper.

7. The most important thing to know about me is that I am a Christian, saved from my sin by the death of Jesus Christ on a cross. This does not mean that I'm perfect, but I do try to live my life according to the statutes put forth in the Bible.

Here are some things you can look forward to on this blog:

1. Book reviews.

2. Posts about my writing and editing process (inspired by the lovely Katie at Spiral-Bound.)

3. Well-written nonfiction articles on various topics of interest.

4. Update posts on my life and what I'm currently reading, writing, listening to, watching, playing, et cetera, et cetera.

5. Whatever else I can pull out of my imagination!

Hopefully, you are excited as I am to start this new blogging adventure together!