Salinye

Every morning? lol that would be nice! It's more like a 24/7 hang over. But, mornings are the most severe times! ~Salinye

Small update, for those curious... I had a series of blood tests this week. The first results had us all a bit worried, not only about the baby, but again, they were concerned I had a molar pregnancy. (pregnancy induced cancer.) HOWEVER, the blood results from yesterday seem like things are more in the norm. I no longer am afraid that I'll miscarry, as my HCG numbers are good and I'm so stinkin' sick. However, there is still a small chance that it could be a molar, but the doctors and I think it probably isn't. :0) So, I feel a lot better about it, now! I'll have another ultrasound on Dec. 29th, which will tell us conclusively whether it's a healthy pregnancy or not, but until then, I'm actually feeling much better about things. This horrible morning sickness is no fun, BUT I will never complain as long as it means the baby is fine! Anyway, I appreciate your kind words and warm thoughts. I'll update again after I have that u/s on the 29th. I will know everything for sure at that point. :0) Thanks again, ~Salinye

I particularly like the faerie and the pureblood elemental. They are all great. You are very talented. :0) ~Salinye

A flyer appears tacked to a wall in the conservatory tower. Upon it is a picture of many of the pen men sporting various dating attire. Some had flowers or chocolate while others stood in poses they thought would look casual, but really were meant to show off their flexed muscles. Below was the following message: MEN! REVENGE IS UPON YOU! LADIES! BE BOLD! BE BRAVE! WE WANT YOU! Then in smaller print: (For the good of The Pen, you know.) Ladies, wonderful women of The Pen! Now is the time to pay back the men by following their example! Volunteer yourself to be auctioned off at The Pen’s first ever, Bachelorette auction! Last time I claimed that you have nothing to lose! However, these *are* the Pen men we’re talking about, so no guarantees! *stifled giggle* However, they were more than willing to be our guinea pigs for the first ever bachelor auction at the Summer Solstice Carnival. So, now it is our turn to put our time and creative energies on the line and step up onto the auction block. If you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact Salinye, Ayshela or Katzaniel, and watch for details on the auction itself , coming soon! This entire event is for the sole purpose of having fun and getting to know our neighbors here at Pen Keep. The men will pay for the ladies, so they get to pick how it will work in each partnership. So, you have several options of how to work this. 1. He can choose to have his partner write something about/for him. 2. He can choose to have his partner write up how their supposed date went. (Here the bachelorette can choose to make it a nightmare, humorous, chaotic, no one says it has to be romantic! :0)) So, gentleman, if you pick this option, remember you are placing the date in their creative hands! 3. He can choose to get with his partner and co-write the date or something entirely different. For instance, perhaps your partner can travel back in time and you want her to take you back so you can stop that tree from falling on your dog….etc…*grins* However you choose to work it, just make sure you have a good time and hopefully get to participate in some fun, creative writing and even perhaps get to know a Pen Friend better. You have until Monday the 20th to get signed up!. More details TBA Humbly~ Your guild leaders If you sign up late, be sure to PM Ayshela and Salinye!!!

Ayshela, I'm really sorry to hear you are so sick, but I'm sure glad you reported your findings here. One of my best friends has been sick like you since November 1st and been through two rounds of antibiotics and still is hacking like nothing else and needs to be in bed a lot. I'm going to suggest to her that she have her doctor check her for Pertussis. No wonder our children are immunized for it, eh? Would have been nice if those immunizations were around when we were little! I sincerely hope you get over this soon. ~Salinye

Mira, I thought the "feeling" of this place was painted very vividly. To me it seemed to be a boring drab place. Perhaps a school corridor or some sort of old building. A older large stale building. Maybe a place where people might have to sit and wait for endless hours to talk to someone or another that they were supposed to see over an hour ago. That's the feeling it left me with, anyway. :0) ~Salinye

You know? Right? Empty…Hollow…Filled with grief. The thing about being empty, hollow or filled with grief is that you first have to be full of life, love and happiness to truly know the depth of sorrow. The messed up part about sorrow is that you find ways to twist the knife and feed it. It’s like a disease that wants to keep itself alive. You feel guilty and ashamed for grieving because you know you have so much to be thankful for and other people have experienced so much worse. So what right do you have to feel sorry for yourself? Then part of you speaks up and claims that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Your pain is your own. It’s legitimate. For a time, you have a right to feel it, embrace it-try to understand it. Then of course, the other side of you realizes how incredibly pathetic you’re being. Life is so beautiful. YOUR life specifically is so beautiful. How can you complain? Who are you that you think you should get to cruise through life with no trials, no pain and furthermore, you KNOW if your trials were laid on a plate next to others trials, you’d most likely pick your own back up again. However, isn’t grieving part of the trial too? Isn’t HOW you handle that pain, that grief, that hollow feeling that replaced the joy part of the trial? There is a story about a woman in Poland. She had to flee her country with her children during WWII. By the time she finally found safety with others of her faith, she had rags wrapped around her frost bitten feet and had watched all of her children either starve or freeze to death before she arrived. You know what the FIRST thing she did when she found safety? Gave praises to God for her many blessings. She was so thankful that she was such a blessed woman. That’s true faith. Faith in God should not be dependant on your circumstances. It’s not true faith to love God when things in life are good and to scorn him when things in life are bad. After all, we do not love our children when they are good and scorn them when they are bad. What a horrible and ridiculous philosophy to live by. Why claim to have faith at all? Most of the time, most of the time, perhaps you are pretty good about separating your feelings for God from your circumstances in life. Most of the time you can always see your extreme blessings and remain thankful, relying on Him for help during the hard times. Most of the time… But every once in a while something happens that just makes you feel hopeless and in between feeling guilty for even feeling hopeless in the first place, when others have so much worse, you find small strands of bitterness taking residence within your soul. Bitterness is something you thought you dusted your feet of long ago. It’s a love/hate relative, Bitterness is. Parts of you crave to embrace it while most of you is horrified by its very presence. How easy it would be to throw your hands in the air and let bitterness take over-How easy and how horrible. You won’t let that happen though. It’s just not you. Just knowing it’s there and possible is scary enough. So instead you just decide for this moment you will feel empty and hollow and filled with grief and you’ll try to understand it and what you’re allowed to feel later when it’s not so fresh. What else is there to do? Sometimes you just have to hurt...and it really hurts. ~Salinye

So, had an ultrasound today. Doesn't look good. Don't really want to talk about it, just thought since I prematurely spilled the beans here, I should probably clean them up. ~Salinye

Yan-Yan~ I'm so very sorry you've had such rotten things happen to you this week! I know when things go downhill like that it can feel like the whole world is crashing down around you! But, the best thing about having life suck you to the bottom of the crud pit is that there is only up to go from there, right? That make you feel any better? No? Yeah, it is a 'typical feel good line'. LOL http://www.themightypen.net/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif But, on a more sincere note I truly wish you well. I hope your surgery goes smoothly and that you will recover with little pain and be feeling up to par in no time! I'm sorry about your van, I hope that will be a speedy repair for you as well. About the surgery though, at least you get cool drugs and hot nurses, right? *grins* About the potential girlfriend...I'm tempted to spout out another typical feel good line about other fish in the sea and what not, but I"ll spare you! *grins* Perhaps one of those hot nurses will be single and you'll be glad you look like a cop and are unattatched! Thinking of you, friend! ~Salinye

Salinye, having kept silent during the pleasant exchanges, took the opportunity to eye the "newcomer" while his attention was on the others. As his cat left on it's assigned task he M'Avron turned his gaze to her, having been the only person who had not introduced herself to him. "I'm Salinye. I've been around Pen Castle for a couple of years now, and I don't recall every coming across you before, or hearing about you. However, considering the situation, I'll take you at your word. As Gryphon said, you are of course, welcome in our search if your intentions are honorable. While we wait for your companion, I'll show you to Annael's tree." The mage smiled to soften the suspicious edge of her words. Within two minutes, they were all four standing beneath the large tree that housed so many fond memories for many of the Pennites. "Well, this is it." Salinye said as Gryphon flew up among it's branches. "This is no ordinary angel we are looking for, she is a fallen angel and her wings are black. We should be especially aware of any loose feathers lying about. She would often lose them." Climbing up into the tree she sat on a branch about a third of the way up it's trunk and looked out across the grass to the keep. Heaving a great sigh she mumbled to herself; "where are you, Annael?"

Most of the post offices have a bunch of letters that kids mail to Santa Clause. A lot of them come with return addresses. The post office will let you collect some of the letters. Then you can get things from the list and return it to the post office and they will send it back to the child from "Santa". Always feels good to do that. :0) It's a nice family project. :0) Just a suggestion for anyone looking for a good service project in December! ~Salinye

Salinye smiled to her two search companions. “I’m honored to be aid to the two of you.” Annael’s tree is just at the forest edge. We can have a look in the courtyard on our way out, although I’m sure she’s nowhere as obvious as that, but you never know where you’ll find information. Gryphon was already flying low circles around the courtyard by the time Anna and Salinye reached it. “Nothing looks out of the ordinary, to me, but we can spend some time here if you two wish, but I’m guessing it would be smarter to check the other places mentioned first.” Salinye and Anna nodded their agreement and the three headed out of the courtyard towards the forest line. Gryphon stayed just ahead of them this time, as he wasn’t sure of the exact location of Annael’s tree. The air was fresh and crisp, too lovely of a day to be ruined by an abduction. “Hault!” Gryphon called down to them in a loud whisper. “There is someone there among the trees.” Salinye and Anna stopped in their tracks and scanned the forest. At first she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, however, after a few moments she noticed a humanoid shape among the trunks and low branches of the trees. Her elven eyes were keen, but not as keen as that of a bird. Calling a spell to the to recesses of her consciousness she called out to the “stranger.” “Hello there! Please show yourself.”

Just to clarify, I *HAVE* a gi. lol I just know it won't fit for more than a few more months! ~Salinye

My husband and I do Shobukai Kenjutsu (Japanese swordsmanship). ~Salinye

Welcome back, Mynx! ~Salinye

Knight, just for you! What is a Doula and why should I hire one? As a birth doula, I accompany women throughout the labor and birthing experience. I help ensure a satisfying and safe birth. I have been educated at Seattle Midwifery School (SMS) and utilize knowledge from that training and the natural training that has come from hands on experience. I provide emotional support, physical comfort and, when needed, act as a liaison between you and medical staff to ensure you have all the information needed to make informed decisions during labor. I offer comfort through massage, position changes and relaxation techniques. Women helping women in labor and birth is an ancient tradition. Today, this philosophy is back and many couples are reaping the benefits of having a birth doula! A doula ensures one on one emotional and physical care and * provides information, comfort, encouragement * advocates for your birth plan * remains with you during your entire labor * works with others at your birth * helps you with relaxation through breathing, massage, change of body position and visualizations. What a doula is not: Doula's do not perform medical tasks such as take blood pressure, fetal heart beat, or vaginal exams. I am independent and self-employed. I work for you, not the hospital, a midwife or any other medical organization. My goal is to ensure that your labor, birth and post partum care is as comfortable and satisfying as possible. Recent studies have shown that when a doula is present at a birth: Decreased medical intervention in labor*: Reduces need for cesarean by 50% Reduces length of labor by 25% Reduces use of oxytocin by 40% Reduces pain medication use by 30% Reduces the need for forceps by 40% Reduces epidural requests by 60% 6 weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas were: Less anxious and depressed Had more confidence with baby More satisfied w/ partner (71% vs 30%) More likely to be breastfeeding (52% vs. 29%) ~Salinye

LOL Mira, I think you're starting to know me too well!!! I'll only stop if it becomes bad for me, and ofcourse, I'm not sparring. :0) *curses the people who don't make maternity gis!* ~Salinye

Ahhh yes. I have that! I'm just wondering if they even make them for pregnant women who outgrow the regular ones! :0) BIG BELLY won't work when my belt is up under my breasts Erkle style! lol ~Salinye

I don't understand...YOu got a maternity gi? If so WHERE? I've searched and searched! ~Salinye

...for a maternity gi! Do they exist? If so, I can't find them or any other sort of maternity martial arts clothing. I know we have some people overseas who are heavily involved in the martial arts, so if you know of, or hear of anywhere that I can order maternity martial art clothing, that would be AWESOME! I don't need it yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of a few months! Thanks in advance! ~Salinye

Thanks, everyone. Appy, no no nono! I'll be hiring a doula as I plan to go 100% natural and will need one! I'm considering a water birth! I'll be the doula at a water birth in February, so I'm sure that will help me decide if I want that option or not. If I do, it just means I need to have the baby in a birthing center as opposed to a hospital if I do. :0) I could do it at home, but think I'm not quite comfortable with that. Options...options....*holds sign* "Need doula. Will pay in food." ~Salinye

Here's the scoop! I'm pregnant! I know, I know, some of you may not think that that is big news since it will be my 5th child. However, to me, each child is a whole new celebration of it's own, and none is less exciting than the others! Also, I have to keep this a secret from most people in my life until January 22nd, so it's nice to tell someone here! Unfortunately (some of you know this as I went through a bad spell about 18 months ago or so) I lose a lot of pregnancies. So, I don't feel confident in sharing the news with people around me until I hit that 12 week mark. (January 22nd) Once I hit 12 weeks with a pregnancy, then the chance to miscarry goes down to 2 %. So, I'm really hoping this one will stick as this will most likely be our last child and I've been trying for 9 months to get pregnant and it would really stink to have to start over, not to mention the emotional baggage. Which is why I don't tell too many ppl. Because then later they ask you how far along you are and you have to tell them you miscarried and then even if you're okay with it by then they feel horrible and it's awkward and blech! So, you're among the few I'm telling and although I'll have some anxiety for the next 8 weeks, I'm also tired and nauscious and that's a REALLY good sign. :0) Thanks for letting me share! ~Salinye

Test. People searching Annael's tree, The Confessional and attached caverns, please post here. Link to main story is here. ~Salinye

Salinye looked around as people departed in groups of two and three. "Well, I suppose I'll start my search with her tree in the courtyard, followed by a detailed inspection of The Confessional, afterall, I probably know those rooms best. If I find nothing there, I'll work down into the Underground caverns connected to it. Safety in numbers I hear, so anyone is welcome to join me....Except you, ranger." She smirked to Gyrfalcon and turned to leave the building to start her search at Annael's favorite tree assuming one or two people would join her. Link to the search party searching Annael's tree, The Confessional and attatched caverns (which does not include all caverns, just the ones in the underground under The Confessional) is here.

*laughs* This is a board full of creative people! There must be some more guesses out there! *zooms off to church* ~Salinye