A Relaxing Day Away at Mount Glorious! :)

I woke up on Cinco De Mayo not completely sure what the day held before me and Johan. I decided that I would make Johan a delish mexican dinner to celebrate Cinco De Mayo- but Johan came to pick me up and I thought we were going to Coles (The grocery store) because I was quite low on food and what not. Then we started driving and he said we aren’t going to Coles. I then asked, “Where are we going, then?” and he smirked like – why would I tell you that!? lol… then he asked, “Well, where would you need tennis shoes, water, and shorts?” There were countless things running through my mind like “gyming” (That Idea got thrown out completely, because as much as I know I should do it – I didn’t want to at that moment) and then I said “hiking?” and he said mayyyyybe!

We started driving and all of a sudden all around us we got the feeling of being in the country instead of the city. Which is a lovely feeling. I was raised in the country and I have realized how much I miss it now living in a city. Soon we stopped at a car park and got out. There was a sign that said D’Aguilar National Park and that there was a rainforest circuit walk. We started walking. It was so peaceful with no loud noises. The birds sung and their songs echoed through the vines draping from the extremely tall trees. It was such a gorgeous evening. We ended up going deeper into the woods and the deeper we went the darker it got. Also the colder it got.

At the end of the hike the rain forest was getting much darker and thoughts of bears and wolves started filling my mind only to be reminded that they don’t live in Australia. Then we heard an eerie bird screeching that sounded like a shrieking baby. It scared us. I have no idea what it was though. Our imaginations were fumbling and twirling with thoughts of a witch in the forest who wanted to eat us. That’s what happens to my imagination. Give me something to think about that is slightly scary and I could drive myself crazy with those thoughts of what it was…

We made it back to the car and as we drove back to Brisbane there was a point where we stopped at a stop light. We both heard something and looked at one another. What was it??? It sounded like the Demon Baby Bird that was in the forest. After having shocked faces and then realizing our thoughts were just our imaginations and that the noise we had probably just heard was the breaks of a passing car or something. We laughed for quite a while.

I am so thankful for such an a amazing boyfriend who surprises me with little things like this. :) Sooo thankful! :)

I may have mentioned it before, but I am taking a writing course from “Writer’s Digest University”. It’s a course on freelance writing. I finished my first assignment today and now I need to figure out how to confront a business about doing freelance work for them. I have currently done two brochures and they are so amazing!  I love them… So, I hope the companies do as well! :)

Well I must scoot!

Much Love,

Devin

ciao

But… nothing comes close to the Golden Coast.

Today was a great day and so was yesterday. Johan and I watched “Magic Beyond Words”, which is about J.K. Rowling and kind of about the stories and things that inspired her to become a writer. I love the movie. If you haven’t seen it – I recommend it completely! Especially if you are creative or a writer… you will love it.
I have been taking a writing class from Writer’s Digest University and it’s on freelance writing and how to market yourself and such. It’s been really exciting as this first assignment was to rewrite the words on a brochure and such. I got distracted with the brochure’s appearance so I opened up InDesign and started remodeling it. Mine looks awesome, if I do say so myself. I will put it up on here after I contact the company to try sell my writing and designing services to them. :)  I have been excited about this class though! I will update ya, as the class proceeds.

Yesterday I talked to my sister. I am so excited because she is probably coming to visit me in June. I really can’t wait. Miss my sister (or SeaStar as we have nicknamed one another!) After that it was about 6pm so Johan and I didn’t feel like cooking anything. We decided to go somewhere like Hungry Jacks or McDonalds, but after getting gas we were driving out of the city and I turned to ask him where we were going and he told me that he couldn’t tell me. I got all excited. A surprise.

Soon we drove into the city and saw the port with all the boats and the bright lights. It was the Gold Coast. We then arrived at Surfer’s Paradise and walked through a night market looking at different objects and the amazing cityscope along side the beach. The huge building Q1 and Soul. Amazing architecture – so, of course my boyfriend and I stood looking up at them for a little while. hehe… Johan knows so much when it comes to those things. It amazes me, but I guess he would know those things because he is studying it. Then we walked to a restraunt and ate fish and chips and I got a chai latte. It was a lovely evening… hehe… even if I was dressed like I was doing camping. I hadn’t known where we were going to go so I didn’t get dressed up. The Gold Coast is like Australia’s Vegas somewhat… and it was a friday night, but oh well! :P I had a beautiful time hanging out with my love. :)

Johan and I enjoying the moment. :)

Hehe… :) Cute!

Me – looking like I am going camping.

My Love and I <3

It made me laugh when I saw the “Vegas Sign” so, I made sure we got a picture in front of it so I could text
it to my sister and tell her to meet us, because my sister lives in Vegas and also studies there.

I will update again tomorrow with the surprise that I got today from Johan! It’s been a nice weekend full of surprises and I have loved it! :)

Happy Fifth of May to you all!  Happy Cinco De Mayo! :)

Finding the true America – with “One Nation Under God” – National Day of Prayer

Hello Everyone,

I am an American who is living abroad in Australia. It is the 3rd of May, here in Australia, which means that it is the 2nd of May in America right now. On the 3rd of May in America – it is The National Day of Prayer. It’s something that is held very close to my heart. I remember when I was in high school it was a big thing to meet at the pole early in the morning for the prayer of our nation. I think history and culture is very important for American’s. The most important thing though, is belief. If it’s not a belief in God, many American’s have a belief in their people – they believe in their people, their strength, and their Hope. Although, those are all good things to believe in – they are not the main things that the American forefathers started America on. America was a place where people ran to for religious freedom and to start anew! The land was set on Christian ground.

Just lately, there have been some things that I haven’t been so happy with, with my country. The President and some of the things that he has been involved in. As a Christian, I was appalled at what Dan Savage said at a Journalism Convention (You may also watch and listen to what this man says.”
This was supposed to be a talk about Bullying and Anti-Bullying… and yet, He was bullying. I found that, that was extremely wrong. It says that Obama supports this man. So, if you agree with me that it was wrong, please visit this website and sign the petition to the President.
(If you agree with me, that this is wrong – but you can’t sign the petition because you aren’t an American – then don’t feel left out, because you may help as well… America needs as many prayers as you can send out. So, if you are a prayer warrior… please meet all the other prayer warriors across the world at the feet of Jesus on our knees. Change only comes when many people unite in Jesus’ name. So, let’s all make a difference with our Nation’s brothers and sisters – because that is what we are. :) I know that I will meet all of you someday and I am very thankful for all of you.

I am not the happiest with my countries government and the current situation that it is in. In my title “Finding the true America…” I wanted to bring out the picture of The True America… The true America isn’t what you see on the News. It isn’t Obama speaking on the news or the other politicians. It isn’t the multiple news stations fighting about who you should vote for. The TRUE America are the people who stand up – They are the people willing to make a difference. They are the people who don’t want their country to get lost in the mess of the world.  It isn’t what you see in the open – That isn’t the TRUE America. The True America is the quiet one, the one waiting to stand up for what is right. The huge company of hidden voices waiting to be heard, screaming in the silence to be heard.

Join me and thousands of other believers across the globe to pray for America the next two days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Yw6KqJ34Q

Who? Me. What? Driving on the opposite side of the car and opposite side of the road…throw a stick shift into the picture and what do you get? Lol…. = it was a success… Haha… I am proud of myself!

I just got done writing a thousand words. I am so happy that I know what is going to happen next in my story. I once interviewed an author and they told me that they love to stop writing each night when they know what they will proceed with the next day. It’s a nice idea to try out next time when you write!! :)

I am going to start working on a surprise for all of you this week. It will be an awesome blogging experience momentum for all of ya! I am excited to offer it to ya all! :)

Today my boyfriend taught me to drive on the left side of the road, right side of the car, and with a stick shift. Let’s just say that, that is a lot to think about coming from driving on the right side of the road, on the left side of a car, and with an automatic. You no longer only have to deal with 2 pedals, but with three pedals and a five geared stick shift and the whole thing with the other side of the car and road thing. I was nervous at first but towards the actually driving without stalling it, it got exciting for me, but I think that Johan enjoyed it even more to give me a driving lesson! And let’s say I only stalled it twice…. And it was on flat ground. So I was proud of myself. It was funny because I drove his mum’s car and it’s a little golden car and one timesee said I could borrow it if I wanted to when in Brisbane and inside I was thinking… Um… No, because I don’t know how to drive a stick shift. But then I said to her one time, ” No, I can’t drive that, Thing. I can drive a bicycle instead!” and from that day and on the little golden nugget of a car has been called and known as the “Thing” by his whole family! Lol… Oh boy…

This week I will start doing a part time job working as an admin for a psychologist. I can’t wait to start! It will be exciting, besides the brain and psychology has always interested me!  That will be fun! :) Then tomorrow I will update you about searching for magazines to send writing into and sending proposals to businesses in the Brisbane area offering my writing and design services. I will also add a tab up above with my services and how you can hire me. My portfolio tab will be edited tomorrow as well! So there are many things to keep your eyes open for! Exciting!

Today was a great day with m boyfriend, Johan! I am so blessed to call him mine! :)

Love ya all,

Devin

A new post for you! :)

Hello all, I am currently on the sunny coast with Johan and his family! Today was a lovely day even if it rained pretty much all day!! I enjoyed every part of it with my boyfriend.

I was extremely sore today though! At the beginning of the day I was wondering why… But I think it’s because of all the walking I did yesterday! I walked to the grocery store and carried bags back! It felt really lovely to walk and be outside! I even got some interesting views and got to experience some interrrrrrresting… People. Like the kinds you would read about in my books… Lol. then later tonight I did some reading over my blog and I realized about how much I have grown and the different things that I have gone through in my life!

This July will be my blogs one and a half year anniversary! So to celebrate, I will be planning something exciting! I can’t tell you yet, but I will let you know soon!! Get ready! :)

So as you all know I have been writing a lot lately. But I need to gt into the sit down and write for an hour every day. It’s my job. I must also find places to submit it to so that I can start getting paid for my words! :)

Zombie Flash Fiction Contest Winner – Jeremy R. Bergen

I would like to introduce Jeremy Bergen. He is our Zombie Flash Fiction Contest Winner. Please give him a warm applause! :)

Jeremy R Bergen is a 22 year old aspiring actor/writer and has been writing stories for as long as he can remember.  To date, he has written multiple short stories, a screenplay, and a one-act play.  His brain is filled with ideas for many more.  Currently he is working on developing a novel.  Jeremy graduated from Providence College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Communications and Media. Jeremy currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

So I guess this is it.  The final stand of humanity.  Nowhere to go from here.  A jungle gym, some swings, a slide, a couple of fire poles.  Everything, everywhere crawling with those afflicted with the epidemic.  A few believed that they were people with a severe disease, but most asserted their opinion that they were the walking dead.  At the moment I was on the fence in regards to the invasion of our summer serenity.

All around me is the reminders of the summer camp that I would happily attend for seven days a year.  Seven days where all I got to do was revisit my old life.  A few years ago, my parents moved with my younger sister and me to a community in the city.  Dad got a better job apparently.  It sucks for me though because I don’t like my school.  My teacher doesn’t care about me and everyone in my class hates me.  Most days I just end up going home right after school, doing my homework, and not leaving the house.  When I do go out, it’s usually to go for a walk by myself in the neighbourhood.  These seven days of camp were all I had to visit the friends I had at my old school.  Due to the situation this year, I got to see my friends for an extra two weeks, but this will be the last year of summer camp.  There will be no return from this.

I glance around the play structure and I see frazzled versions of my favourite people.  I’ve known my best friend Kenny for as long as I can remember.  I think we had play dates when we were still in diapers.  We did everything together.  Now I only see him once a year.  I’m afraid my last memories of him will be him fighting off death with an old baseball bat.  Benjamin is a boy that I only met last year at camp but we became friends very quickly.  I can’t pinpoint it but I was able to relate to him deeply after knowing him for five minutes.  I sure hope those sapling branches he whittled are pinpoint sharp.  Julie is the cute girl I knew from my old school.  We used to talk a lot before she started to mature and hang out with the other girls more.  She still smiled at me the first time she saw me at camp every year.  She isn’t smiling now.  Her face is the epitome of fear as she maintains her death grip on a canoe paddle.

Twelve hours ago that paddle had a very different purpose.  The four of us, plus two counsellors, were on a morning canoe trip out in the lake.  The lake was calm and beautiful.  Back at camp things were tense as we were placed under government quarantine for two weeks already.  We couldn’t go home because the epidemic was already widespread and they wanted to keep us secluded if they could help it.  The lake wasn’t far from the camp so we were allowed to canoe if we didn’t go out too far.  I wish we had stayed out there longer because I feel like that is the last serene moment I’ll ever experience.

When we were portaging the canoes back to the camp, I remember hearing lots of running and screaming.  I couldn’t see well.  Half my face was under a boat.  Our counsellor soon told us to just drop the canoes and make a run for the mess hall.  I tripped and fell by a small bush on my way there.  Soon after I fell, I felt pressure and a sharp pain, never occurring to me that it could have something other than a scrape or a scratch from a plant.  I neglected the new danger.  When I got to the mess hall, there were lots of campers and a few staff already in there.  Someone immediately looked at me and said,

“Dude!  Why is your leg turning green?  Oh my god, is that what I think it is?”

I then realized that I was sweating, not from running but from a sudden onset fever.  Then I remember the floor coming to meet me before things went black.

* * *

I actually woke up a while later.  By this time things had changed.  I was still in the mess hall, although someone had decided to change my position from where I had taken my impromptu nap.  The mess hall was empty.  I was very, very hungry.  There was lots of food in the building but I had some strange craving I couldn’t identify.

Anyways, I eventually found my friends.  They were making their last stand for the camp and for their lives.  I’m sorry to say that I was not part of their efforts.  I was among the hordes of zombie children stumbling their way towards the play structure and up its polished ladders, steps, and slides.  It’s odd really.  I’ve read about zombies before and I never expected my thoughts and memories to be intact even though I no longer have any control of whatever body I have left.  Any method of exhibiting feelings is all but impossible.  If I could have produced tears of emotion, I would have, just to communicate to Julie that I was more than a walking cadaver craving the flesh of the living.  I’m glad she was still fighting for her life valiantly alongside everyone else.  I never had to watch her suffer through my ordeal.  That was the last thing that ran through my head before her paddle did.

1,059 words….

It feels so nice to finally have written a nice chunk of words again. It took a little bit of brainstorming and outlining to get this far. I am not really an outliner though. It’s crazy how some people are huge outliners and others just write, write, write and don’t need outlines. While growing up, my dad would edit for farming magazines and for other things. One of the other things would be my school papers. School being high-school and also college papers. He loved it. Sometimes it drove me and my siblings crazy because my dad loved editing and outlining so much that he would help us set up outlining mode in Word and  practically helped us rewrite the paper in outline. :P Now, I look up to him for that… because my outlines are nothing compared to how his were. But I am thankful that he took the time to sit down and explain it all to us. :) So, my outlines were not extremely amazing or anything… then more so end up being a list of points – like a road map… sorta of where I am going and where I will go next. So, then how do you write? Are you an outliner? or a freewriter? (I have heard some people call it pantsing… but I don’t like that saying much! lol!) 

I have pretty much one whole novel written. It’s the Created Ones, which is at about 70,000 words… the goal had been 80,000. I felt like I was pushing too many of my characters into the can and limiting their stories to the point where I felt like I was bored with them. That isn’t a good thing… by the way! lol…
Soon after thinking about one character at a time… I started seeing their past and their issues. I am totally excited about this Fantasy/Paranormal Fictional Novel. It has been trying my patience, and strength in writing as well. But maybe this first story will be easier to write… because I have basically written one novel already.

How have you all been?

I will be putting the WINNER of my Flash Fiction Zombie Contest up soon! Keep your eyes peeled, it’s a good one! :)

Devin Berglund

Back in my flat-ett! :)

Hello Everyone,

Today is a lovely day here in Brisbane. I opened the windows and put a sweater on. It feels like autumn… even though I am in Australia. There is a women next door who is working in her garden and I can smell fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. They smell like heaven. I just wish I could go help her… haha… and eat the veggies too. They smell so yummy. There is a wooden picket fence between her garden and my windows. But every once in awhile I think that it would be lovely to sneak into her garden. It makes me think of the book “The Secret Garden”.

Who wouldn’t want a secret garden to escape to? Like yesterday Johan and I took a walk and discovered a park where some moms were having a picnic with their kids and such. It was beautiful. :) But on our way back I saw a wall with vines growing all over it and then in one area there was an iron gate that looked like it entered a vine covered rock wall maze. Johan said he would build me a garden maze someday! I am leaving it to him… BUT… Let’s just hope I can find my way out of it once I made my way into it. Because I didn’t have the best luck with that in England and if you ask any of my family members about how good I am at mazes… lets just say  - I am not the best! :P

Today I have been thinking about my characters from my book and have been trying to decide how to go about writing the first book. I am slightly stuck… but I will figure something out. I am hoping to set up a time with some other writers where I could have a writing group, somewhat like what C.S. Lewis had with J.R. R. Toilken in Oxford called “The Inklings”. I would so love that.

Other than that I am situating back into my flat after having been in Toowoomba. I am thankful my flat isn’t in the busy loud part of the city! It is on a back street of a bigger road so thank God I don’t hear the traffic.

But onto writing I go! I will be posting a winner from my Zombie Flash Fiction contest soon… so keep your eyes open! :)

Devin

Check out my latest Minnesota Star Tribune World Class Travel Blog Post - http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/blogs/148821685.html

Toowoomba Writing Workshop and Writing Plan

Hello Everyone!! It’s so nice to have my internet cooperate with me. For the past few days it’s been sluggish and slow like molasses in January – So I wasn’t able to write on here at all. It drove me crazy, because I wanted to update long before after I had my spa day. Which was Thursday last week. It was absolutely amazing. It started out with a bath full of bubbles and rose petals. Then I had the massage and they serves me chai tea after. What a lovely treatment of relaxation. I think everyone deserves to give themselves a break once in awhile.

On friday, Johan and I went to Toowoomba. Which is a lovely area filled with farms, fields, and rusty old wind mills. It reminds me a lot of western North Dakota with their old cowboy feel. It was so beautiful there and it was a wonderful escape away from tcitywide city! :) I went to a writing workshop there. It was so much fun. The speaker/author was Kathy Hoopmann. She wrote the book called “All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome”.

I learned a lot of useful information at the workshop! Check out Kathy’s books! They are just darling! Check out her website: http://www.kathyhoopmann.com/

While in Toowoomba I decided that my “Created Ones” Story will be turned into a series… because all my characters wanted a chance to get to know you all and there wasn’t enough room for that in the one book! :) So, I have planned to start doing that and lugging my way through that! :P Johan and I went to a lovely park called Queens Park and we walked around. There were such beautiful trees out and they were changing red colours. At first I didn’t see the red leaves, but then Johan surprised me with 2 beautiful red leaves that had fallen from the trees. I pressed them in my writing book. We went and sat on a picnic table near some of those trees. It was so beautiful and just a lovely time with Johan. A blessed and relaxing weekend.

Cleaning Day – Rain – Relaxation… and Pizza Recipe! :P

Hello Lovely People of the World!

I am back in Brisbane again! It’s really nice to be back here in my little flat. I’ve got my windows wide open and I feel the breeze calmly touching my skin every few minutes. I am cleaning today! I made a pizza last night for Johan and I. It was an absolute good meal!

I really enjoyed making this pizza! I have decided to start learning to cook more. Because eating out tastes good but it costs too much! Costs too much money and too many calories! :P lol… So every week I will post one recipe that I made and also a picture of how it turned out! I will share the recipe with you at the bottom. The past few weeks were quite busy and stressful for me. Have you ever had weeks like that? How do you deal with stress? I think I will set up a spa day one of these days this week. I really need it. Just to chill and let go!

How have you all been? :)

Pizza Recipe:
And the awesome thing about this pizza is that you can do all of it on the stove! :) EASY and HEALTHY! Let me know what you think! :)

1 3/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp honey

Oregano and Salt to taste (or any spices you want in the bread crust)
4 cups flour

pizza sauce

cheese

any toppings you might want

1.  Mix water and yeast and let rest for five minutes before you mix in the flour, oil, honey, and spices.
2.  After the dough has set and raised, divide the dough into 4 balls.  Press each ball flat.  It doesn’t have to be round, smooth or pretty.
3.  Cook the flattened piece of dough on one side of the griddle and cook like a pancake waiting for both sides to brown.  While the dough is cooking, put some chopped veggies on the other side of the hot griddle if you want to use them as toppings (I didn’t because I didn’t have any on hand today).
4. While cooking the second side, spread the first side with tomato sauce, pepperoni, grilled veggies, and mozzarella cheese.  Make it however you like it best or use whatever is on hand.  Alfredo sauce or pesto is a great alternative to tomato sauce.
5.  When the second side is browned, slide it under a broiler and let the cheese get golden brown.