For those of you concerned, I did not die. I simply got drawn away from my passion and wasted many weeks doing things such as checking Facebook, and watching movies, while wondering why I have been so bored. Its funny how one can get into such a state of apathy. It becomes the usual to sit around, and think about doing something, only to leave it until the tomorrow that won't ever come. Well no more I tell you! I will not do it. I am never happier then when I am busy and so I am getting back on this blog, poor Mary has been waiting to continue her marriage, and I have been denying her.
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| :) |
I guess it is fitting that I had such a long state of absenteeism before I started talking about Phillip. For Phillip spent most of their marriage away from Mary. But we will get there. Because the marriage caused panic in the country, a marriage contract was drawn up to try and ease the peoples minds. This contract allowed for Phillip to have the title of King of England but only while Mary I was alive. Everything he proposed had to be accepted by her first, and England would not be required to spend money on wars to benefit Phillip and his family. Obviously these restrictions were not the most appealing to Phillip but the benefits of such a marriage outweighed these cons and so he conceded.
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Coin used in Mary's time
Photograph by Lara E. Eakins |
Phillip was in the marriage purely for political reasons, while Mary had fallen hard for Phillip based on his portrait before she even met him. She was searching for a loving husband, who could perhaps fill the void, that had been empty of love for years. After it was decided that she would marry the spaniard plots to put Mary's sister Elizabeth on the throne started propping up endlessly. The main participants of these plots included Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger, and Henry Grey. Yup you read that correctly, the same Henry Grey who had been released from the tower after plotting to put the nine day queen on the throne. Mary realized that she perhaps was to lenient with those involved with Lady Jane Gray, and so she went to the other end of the spectrum. She had around 100 traitors hung, her sister arrested, and Lady Jane beheaded. Although it should be noted that she forgave over 400 of the other people involved in these plots.
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| Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger |
Eventually the marriage took place, July 25th 1554 to be exact, and Mary reached one of her goals. And like many women her other main goal was to become a mother and continue Catholicism in England. It did not take long for Mary's doctors to announce that she was pregnant. The happy queen began to swell in September. Thinking she had her successor in her belly Mary turned towards her final big want, to bring England back into Catholicism.
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| Mary I and Phillip II |
The heresy laws were reinstated, meaning that anyone could be declared a hieratic and burned at the stake. And in January the first three men were found guilty and condemned to their toasty fate (yes, I know that was distasteful). However, England had many protestants who did not want to ever return to Rome's teaching. Instead of the burnings causing fear and subjection in her subjects they simply increased their hatred. But even if her country hated their queen she still had the child on the way. Or so she thought.
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| Burning at the Stake |
For some reason people thought that a pregnant woman, of royal blood, needed to sit in a dank room for the final months of her pregnancy and Mary followed this custom. The babies due date came and went and still Mary lay there waiting to give birth. Soon another month passed and no signs of a delivery were to be seen. It is believed that Mary, wanting to be pregnant so much, caused herself to have what is known as a phantom pregnancy. Her body displayed all the signs of being pregnant but no child was within her. Mary was heartbroken and her spanish husband didn't help matters. That August, after those at court were well aware of Mary's failed pregnancy, Phillip left the country. A distraught Mary would write to him, almost daily, in order to beg for him to return to her.
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| False Pregnancy |
Eventually Phillip did return, but shortly afterwards another war against France was declared. I think they should never have declared peace between the two countries, for it would have saved a lot of time. And as if the hatred for Mary was not enough, it would only increase when England lost Calais there last bit of land in France. Mary's reign was now officially regarded as a complete failure. Mary did have some good news, however, she announced that she was pregnant once again. This time convinced it was the real deal.
It wasn't. Another phantom pregnancy took place, but this time Mary would not recover. Her health deteriorated until she had no choice but to declare her half sister, who she had imprisoned for treason, and who was a stanch protestant, as her heir. On November 17th 1558 Mary died, ending her short reign and sorrowful life.
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| Queens' Mary I and Elizabeth I Tomb |
And finally one final slight occurred to Mary when her tomb became so covered in rocks that her half sister was placed above her and they now share a tomb, rivals even in death.
*Most of these pictures are in the public domain. If I have failed to give credit where credit is due, please let me know. The first cartoon has an artist that I don't know of.
When writing fiction of any kind, the main question with respect to plot is always this:
What is the problem?
The problem, also known as the conflict, is the thing, or things, standing in the way of the hero/protagonist getting what he or she wants or needs, and as such, it sets up his or her journey. When that problem is compounded, it raises the stakes, creating tension and compelling the reader to turn the page to find out “what happens next?”
Generally speaking, literary problems/conflicts fall into one of four classic categories:
- Hero versus someone else
- Hero versus society
- Hero versus nature/natural events
- Hero versus him or herself (conscience, or inner struggle)
Sometimes these overlap, or the problem encompasses more than one category. Let’s look at some examples from a few well-known children’s books:
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems – Hero vs. someone else (the bus driver has told us not to let the pigeon drive the bus), hero vs. society (like the child reader, the pigeon is too young to drive), hero vs. himself (the pigeon is desperate to drive!)
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelman – Hero vs. nature/natural events (Madeline has a burst appendix)
Owen by Kevin Henkes – Hero vs. someone else (Mrs. Tweezers, the nosy neighbor, persuades Owen’s parents that their son is too old to have a blankie); Hero vs. society (Owen is starting school, where blankies are not allowed)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Erica Carle – Hero vs. himself/Hero vs. nature (no matter how much he eats, the caterpillar is still hungry)
The hero’s problem can be circumstantial, or it can be informed by character. Ideally, it’s both. The pigeon is desperate to drive the bus (character) but he’s too young (circumstantial). Madeline’s appendix bursts (circumstantial) but how she, her fellow students and Miss Clavell handle the problem is informed by character. Owen’s neighbor, parents and school want him to give up his blankie (circumstantial) but he is unswayed in his devotion (character). The caterpillar’s appetite is never satisfied because he is a caterpillar (character) and has only so much time before he has to cocoon and transform into a butterfly (circumstantial).
So… what’s your hero’s problem?
A really cool babe I know was interviewed for the wonderful Class of 2K8 group blog. I learned so much from this chick's interview. You can too. See here: http://classof2k8.blogspot.com/ (At this rate, I'll be the charter member of the class of 3K8. Do you think I will finally figure out how to burn CDs by then?)
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Some times we know when we've said too much, when we've complained beyond the pale, when we've told all the world we're miserable over a little scratch or a last-second Blooming Pimple.
And then there are days like today. When every whine and kvetch and tantrum is utterly justified.
It's Easy Bake Oven hot in here. The central air conditioner is either out of the juice it needs to do its thing or it's just that much hotter outside at this late hour than it should be.
I just killed an ugly swarm of baby ants marching in and around the dog's food bowl. Eureka. Book me on the Home Shopping Network. I just found a new use for a can of Arrid Extra Dry. (If it can kill odors....) ;> (Forgive me, you humane and lovely people.) It was all I had available at the moment. They had to go. I am talking about 100 ants. They walk fast. Who knew? At least they went out with fresh-smelling underarms. We should all be so lucky.
But the worst part of this horrific day was when I encountered, face-to-face, a 18-20 year old attempting to break into my house via the bathroom skylight in the ceiling. He was one step away from jumping down to the floor and doing G-d knows what to me and the house-- and my daughter, who was home with me.
Oh My G-d. A nightmare. My worst. A violation of my home and sanctity. He was yanking open the skylight when I saw his face looking down at me. His body was crouched, like a wiry, malevolent spider in still life.
I never knew I could scream this loud. I cannot believe I was only Co-Captain of the Boosters cheering squad with the sailor's mouth I apparently acquired somewhere on the road. ;>
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed in the shrillest, most piercing pitch of A triple sharp sharp.
Note to the mature readers out there: (Do I have any?! Raise your keyboards. All together now.) There may have been a few expletives tucked into the above-referenced sentence but I'm taking artistic license to omit the Naughty Bits here in this edit-free re-telling of the saga. Trust me. Those words do not add to the story.
Face to face with a home invader! Face to face with something I hate more than mice. (Note to self: post the "I Hate" meme soon.)
He fled. I freaked. I spent the rest of the afternoon entertaining police officers and detectives and sniffing dogs in my home. I apologized for the mess. I offered them food. (Can't shut off the Betty Crocker Good Hostess spigot, even in the middle of a crime scene.)
My dog, Charlie, is the true hero. If not for his incessant, mad as hell dog barks, I would not have known to follow the sounds of banging and tools to the 2nd floor bathroom.
He deserves a medal for his heroics. I deserve peace and quiet.
Does anyone have any to spare?
Please?
A special thanks to children's author Audrey Vernick for watching over me, today and always.
I haven't had the strength or guts to address the sorrow I feel in the aftermath of losing newsman and family man Tim Russert.
My heart broke as I watched Tom Brokaw make the annoucement on MSNBC Friday afternoon. No. Not Tim. Not NOW. As much as he loved his family and friends, clearly his passion for politics and this year’s election cycle in general was what drove him…
… and to think that he won’t be here to guide us through this insanity and see it to its conclusion this November is unfathomable.
58 years young. Man, life is not fair at all. Tim Russert exuded life. I pray he died a happy man, despite leaving way, way too early.
He told America’s story and now we will have to seek other voices to make it all make sense
Go get 'em, TR.
May your family and friends one day soon find great comfort and peace knowing how blessed they were to have known you. May I confess that I, too, feel blessed to have crossed paths with him in this lifetime?
To Maureen and Luke and Big Russ: Thank you all so very, very much for sharing Tim's life with us. I will never forget him. As I type these words, I see his smiling eyes on the television screen, aired during one of the tribute shows on MSNBC this weekend. I have watched each show over and over, not wanting to let go of his presence and not wanting to accept the pain of his loss. And it does hurt. And it is a great, great loss to our nation and to the world. But oh what a better world he made it. You should be very proud of all he was and all he meant and all he did. HE MATTERED.
I know I do not grieve alone. A friend just passed along this video footage to me. I presume it was from today's Meet The Press. I have not seen the show yet. But as always, when words fail me, Bruce Springsteen fills in the missing pieces and makes it all make sense. Like me, Russert was a Bruce fanatic. I cannot think of a more fitting final tribute to Tim's life and times than the footage in photos and music presented on Meet The Press today.
And there's that awful empty chair at the end.
Hard to express the pain and grief of knowing his presence is now always and forever just a spirit in the night.
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables... from Les Miserables:
"Phantom faces at the window.
Phantom shadows on the floor.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more"
Crying over empty gas tanks seems so silly in the scheme of life now, doesn't it?
Good morning everyone. I thought I would share some of what I learned at the first day of Tim O’Reilly’s Tools of Change Conference. I took an enormous amount of notes but to be honest the most important thing I heard all day was that Publisher’s Weekly has partnered with Netgalley to allow publishers to send and track galleys electronically. This is huge. Galley production is not only expensive but it is also wasteful. Many if not all galleys end up in the garbage and it is, therefore, difficult to know if they are actually reaching the desks of reviewers. Hopefully, with Netgalley, publishers will be able to cutback on the amount of paper they waste creating galleys and further encourage the publishing industry to go green.
There is your public service announcement for the day. (more…)
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By Evan Schnittman
Corey Podolsky has written an excellent essay, Book Widgets and Book Selling 2.0 that clearly explains the thinking behind the large scale repository efforts underway at a few publishing giants. He posits wisely that Web 2.0 viral marketing, especially on sites like MySpace.com, is wonderfully afoot. These publishers have enabled their content to be safely and securely discovered and displayed in the hope that at some point, some sort of monetary transaction will occur. (more…)
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