#over the mountain journal magazine

[notepok]

Over the Mountain Journal | Birmingham Alabama

Over the Mountain Journal | Birmingham Alabama

Over the Mountain Journal | Birmingham Alabama Over the Mountain Journal is a unique suburban newspaper written and organized specifically for our readers in Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County. We deliver the Journal to 40,000 Over the Mountain Homes every other week. With our editorial emphasis on people, social events, schools, homes, sports and more, we…

[writingquestionsanswered]

Any advice to write your own quotes that is not so common?

Learning to Write Memorable/Quotable Prose

As readers, we know there are few things better than reading a quote that hits in all the right ways...

"The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections." —Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

“Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you go on even though you’re scared.” —Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

As writers, part of the dream is to be able to craft quotes that resonate with our readers like that... quotes that will be quoted... quotes that will be remembered.

Unfortunately, learning to write quotable prose isn't something you can do immediately just by following a few tips. It requires a few thing that take some time...

1 - A Fertile Mind - A big part of being able to write quotable prose is having a fertile mind... or in other words, giving your brain all the right elements it needs to be able to produce quotable prose. Here are some things you can do to encourage a fertile mind:

-- Filling Your Creative Well ensures that your brain is full of words, ideas, and imagery that will help you think up memorable quotes.

-- Improve your vocabulary by using a thesaurus (just make sure to cross-reference with a dictionary), subscribing to Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day e-mails, buying a "word of the day" desk calendar, using a reference like The Describer's Dictionary or the Random House Word Menu, and reading as much as you can--books, short stories, poetry, magazines, blog posts, song lyrics, anything you can get your hands on. Read through lists of vocabulary related to specific things, like geography, weather, architecture, travel, etc. Keep a journal of new words and their meanings as well as words that resonate with you.

-- Bring out your inner poet by reading poetry (there's a ton of poetry available for free online), reading song lyrics, and trying to write your own poetry.

-- Fill your mind with beautiful imagery by traveling... in person, if you can, but if you can't, YouTube makes it super easy to be an armchair traveler. There are countless beautiful videos of every place on Earth you could ever want to visit. There are travel documentaries, montages of beautiful scenery, walk-throughs, and tours. You can also go to a photo site like Pexels or Pixabay and type in random imagery terms like "mountains" or "starry night" and see what images come up. Save the ones that speak to you most in a pretty folder.

2 - Practice - Even with a full creative well and fertile mind, you're still not going to be able to instantly craft beautiful prose or memorable quotes. You still need to hone this skill through lots of practice. That's going to mean trying to craft beautiful prose and memorable quotes, which is going to mean writing a lot of not-so-great ones before they get better and better. Try looking at some of those pretty images you saved and see if you can write some pretty quotes about them. Look at the list of interesting vocabulary you saved and see if you can use any of it to craft a pretty quote. Take a pretty line of poetry or a evocative song lyric and try to craft it into a memorable quote. And more than anything else... just write your stories and always try to craft beautiful prose and memorable sentences. The more you try, the better you'll get.

3 - Have a story that merits pretty prose and memorable quotes - The truth of the matter is that even if you do everything listed above, you still won't be able to craft pretty prose and memorable quotes unless your story provides you the necessary raw materials. You need an engaging plot, compelling characters, interesting themes, quote-worthy imagery in plot elements and setting, and both characters and circumstances where memorable quotes make sense.

If you do all of these things, though, you'll be writing pretty prose and memorable quotes in no time! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[fatehbaz]

In reality, the Atlantic coastal forest is a garden [...]. It is absurd. It is as if a glass divider separated, on one side, the experience of the fruition of life, and on the other, the place from which we originate. This division reveals another, more profound divorce: the idea that humans are different from everything that exists on earth. [...] The Amazon rainforest is a monument. A monument built over thousands of years. The ecology of that place in motion creates shapes, volumes -- disperses all that beauty. The Amazon rainforest, the Atlantic coastal forest, the Serra do Mar, the Takrukkrak are monuments that have, for us, the power to open a portal that accesses other visions of the world. The forest provides this. And yet, despite its materiality -- its body that can be felled, uprooted as wood -- the forest is not seen. In Brazil, there are cities that UNESCO has declared the cultural patrimony of humanity. Meanwhile, we destroy the Atlantic coastal forest, the Amazon rainforest. It’s a game of illusion. The fact that we live in the region of the world where it is still possible to sprout people from within the forest is magic. There are people who look at this as a type of delay in relation to the globalized world: “We should already have civilized everyone.” But it is not a delay, it is a magic possibility! [...]

In the spring, a season they loved, the Botocudos ascended along the Doce River to the steep slopes of the Espinhaço Mountains [...]. The culmination of the period is September 22, when the sky is very high and the seasons pass from winter into spring. The mountains bloom, it’s beautiful. The Botocudo families, having come from different hillsides, from the Serra da Piedade, traveled to the Espinhaço to experience this cycle deeply. There is a lot of inscription about this engraved on rocks throughout that entire region. Have you ever noticed, on the slopes of Conceição do Mato Dentro, how wonderful the Tabuleiro waterfall is? The slopes of the Tabuleiro are a tremendous library! Once I stopped there to watch the sunset, until it grew dark. I stayed looking at the different stories on those slopes. It is the history of the passage of our ancestors through those sites some thousands of years ago, as archeological studies have already confirmed. [...] Our history is interlaced with the history of the world. But the country throws away this history. People who travel to these places drive pickaxes into the boulders [...]. Each fragment, each piece that they pull up from those rocks is as if they ripped out a page or stole a book from the library.

---

Words of: Ailton Krenak. As published by Ailton Krenak and Mauricio Meirelles. “Our Worlds Are at War.” e-flux Journal Issue #110. June 2020. As described by e-flux: “The following testimony by Ailton Krenak, a longtime Indigenous activist and intellectual in Brazil, was originally published in the December 2019 issue of the Brazilian magazine Olympia: Literatura e Arte. The testimony was related orally to Jose Eduardo Goncalves and Mauricio Meirelles, and then transcribed.”

[p-artsypants]

Blurb #6

I'm going to try to share 70 blurbs from my WIPs and unfinished fics to celebrate reaching 70 posted fics! To help with this endeavor, please feel free to send me a word or a fandom you know I write for, and I'll share the blurb. IDK if I'll get 70 prompts, but let's try it! Send as many as you want!

Mabel loved her brother, but sometimes, Dipper could be such a Debbie-downer. Such as right now. Wendy sat at the counter of the shop, reading a magazine, while Mabel braided her hair. Dipper sat in the corner, his nose in the journal, like some sort of hermit. “Dude, don’t you need to like, take a break from reading a little bit?” Soos asked, momentarily pausing in his work on repairing the ceiling light. “Yeah bro bro, you’ve read that thing like eight times now!” Mabel tied off the end of the braid. “At least today.” He slammed the book shut. “Yeah, I know, I’m just…frustrated. I know the answers I’m looking for are in here somewhere.” “Well,” stated Wendy, as she took her muddy boots of the counter. “I’m bored. Mabel’s bored. Soos is working, but I’m sure he’s bored, and you’re bored. So let’s do something.” “W-w-what do you have in mind?” Dipper stuttered. “Let’s go and investigate something!” “Oh no no no. Grunkle Stan doesn’t want us to go out looking for trouble…” Then he muttered. “I may already do that…” “Oh come on!” She stood up and walked over to him, “There has to be something in here that’ll be fun.” “And you never know Dipper!” Mabel chirped. “Maybe well find some Author-y clues on the way.” Dipper sighed. “Alright, fine. Do your damage.” Wendy thumbed through the pages. “Stairs that count different going down then going up. Lame. Waterfall that has a perfect reflection. Boring. Tree made of faces. Creepy, but not interesting. Melonheads—…” “DUDE! Not the Melonheads!” Soos almost fell off his ladder in his panic. Wendy smiled. “I know what we’re doing tonight.” Dipper took the journal back. “This rumor dates back to the 1950’s, when the nuclear reaction on the mountain had an acute meltdown.” He looked at Soos. “There’s a nuclear reactor here? That— That actually explains quite a few things.” He continued to read, “A group of people in the West that were poisoned by the radiation and grew abnormally sized heads. The only way to get to them in through a tunnel under the highway.” Mabel scrunched up her nose. “A group of people with big heads? Sounds like Dipper’s tribe.” The male twin gave her a blank look. “Dudes, I know it doesn't sound that that scary, but this is something you don’t want to mess with.” The three looked in interest, beckoning him to finish his story. Soos sighed, and then stood tall, and then began in his story telling voice. “Twas the summer before I entered high school. My cousin Reggie had just gotten his drivers license. He told me about the Melonheads, and we thought it would be fun to…you know, check it out. There are three levels to the Melonhead challenge. First, is to sit in front of the tunnel for five minutes in your car. Second is to drive into the tunnel, lights on, keys on top of the roof and last ten minutes. We didn’t even make it to five before we heard chainsaws.” He shivered. “I didn’t sleep for a month after that.” “What’s level three?” Asked Dipper. “Oh dude, you don’t want to know!” “Level three! Level three! Level three!” The trio shouted. “You have to drive through the valley…but rumor is, if you go in the tunnel…you don’t come back out…” “Oooooo…” “I’m in.” Wendy declared. “I’m in, like jelly in a doughnut!” “And I suppose I’m in too.” Dipper declared. “The guys will totally flip over this, it’s going to be awesome!” Wendy already had her phone out and was texting her friends. “Now, we just need a driver that knows where the tunnel is.” Dipper stated, looking at Soos. “No way dude, there is no way you’re talking me into this. — “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Soos frowned, cleaning out the back of his truck.

[stefike]

One of my photos was chosen as a finalist in the 20/20 Photo Festival Call For Entry: The Natural World. There are 24 finalists out of 155 submissions and 750 photos. The top 3 winning photographs of fellow photographers are pictured below.  

Please join me this Friday, September 1st, at Cherry Street Pier from 5:30-7 pm for the opening reception. The reception will include an informal panel discussion at 6PM with curator Ryan Strand Greenberg and the top prize winners. 

The Natural World is a continual source of inspiration and inquiry. Over the last 200 years, photography and science have evolved with our ambition to comprehend Earth's ancient processes, understand our place in the universe, and share knowledge and beauty with future generations. Landscape photographs have become almost ubiquitous in the canon of photographic history, appearing in magazines, academic journals, scrapbooks, galleries, community science projects, and home decor. The tradition of documenting the environment continues worldwide today as some photographers attempt to capture the effects of critical environmental issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change. 

Curated by Ryan Strand Greenberg, The Natural World is a collection of images by 24 photographers documenting today's environment. These photographs highlight the delicate balance between living organisms and habitats from Philadelphia to India. From endangered insects and monoculture farming to cell phone transmission towers disguised as trees and the erosion of a mountain belt, these photographs capture the uncanny convergence of distant past and present landscapes: a time capsule that helps describe the natural world today.

[yaoi-life96]

Monsters Within

Summary: After complete radio silence from nosy Reporter and informant Freddie Lounds and a mysterious email, Detective Will Graham is sent off by his boss to investigate her disappearance. The investigation leads him to the Murkoff Corporation and their involvement in the Mount Massive Asylum, which has been shut down before being reopened to house the criminally insane. Will heads to the asylum in the hopes of finding the missing Reporter. If only he knew what monsters lie inside...

CHAPTER 2

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Staring at the address on the paper, Will looks up to the two story building with a raised eyebrow. Apparently, Freddie's 'apartment' is a room at a very cheap and seedy motel.

Then again, she was always moving about, following the trail of a big story anywhere. Like a damn bloodhound.

Walking to the building, Will climbs to the second floor and arrives to the room. He pulls a copy of the key out of his pocket, ignoring the fact Jack had it. That's a whole can of worms he doesn't want to open.

The door unlocks and the dark haired man enters to immediately trip and fall on his face.

Groaning, Will lifts his head to see he tripped on a stack of magazines. Kicking the door closed, he examines the knocked over stack, noticing a theme.

Every issue was about the Murkoff Corporation.

Turning his attention to the rest of the room, stacks of papers were everywhere, some even tapped to the wall with images.

"Murkoff huh, what were you chasing, Lounds." wondered Will.

He spots a laptop on the bed and heads right for it. If he recalls, Beverly mentioned Freddie usually keeps a journal or something to write down her thoughts. What better place to keep it than her laptop?

Opening it, Will fixes his glasses to turn it on. Password protected, it was to be expected but he was prepared.

Taking out a small device, Will connects it to the laptop and types in a few words. Laptop unlocked, thank you Jimmy.

"Let's see what we ha- of course her background would be of herself." sighed Will, rolling his eyes.

Why was he helping look for her? Because its the right thing or a Jack thing, it was blurring together.

He opens her documents and looks through the files. Eventually, he finds one marked 'current scoop'.

Clicking on it, he finds her unfinished article, and it was all about the Murkoff Corporation.

'The Murkoff Corporation, started in 1946, one year before the Cold War, is stated to be a charitable business that looks to the future for mankind. However, I got the details that paint a different picture, a much darker, bloodier one. While Murkoff was started a year before the Cold War, hidden documents found at former Murkoff buildings show details of human experimentation. Devices drilled into skulls, military sleeper agents, chemical enhancements, and even cybernetics. All seems like it could arguably be volunteers, but the documents show each subject was dragged against their will to these tests. Experiments that never showed up anywherw, not even in military files. Though it seems Murkoff is still to this day experimenting with human lives. In 2009, they reopened the Mount Massive Asylum as a rehabilitation for the criminally insane and people with mental illness, but reports show nothing comes back out. Once inside, the patients are never heard from again. Even visitation is restricted, and oddly enough, any attempt at getting a signal by the asylum is impossible. What exactly are they hiding? I have gone deep inside the asylum to reveal the truth. And the truth is a dark and damning pit from which no one can return from whole again. '

That was all that was written, Freddie never returned to finish it.

"Mount Massive Asylum, isn't that the old building deep in the mountain, didn't even realize they reopened it." said Will.

Grabbing his phone, he speed dials Jack. The tone goes on, seriously, he never picks up right away. Serious and important his ass!

"Will, tell me you got something, we have no luck getting info on her cell." said Jack.

"You won't, I got her laptop and her latest article, she was looking into Murkoff and Mount Massive Asylum, my guess is she went there." said Will.

"Mount Massive, they reopened that old shit hole?" asked Jack in confusion.

"Ya, Freddie's article is all about Murkoff's involvement in human experimentation, as for her cell, according to her paper, no signal can be reached up there now, they blocked it, as well as restricted visitation so no one can go in." said Will.

"I see, you found some good stuff, listen, we're going to keep looking into Murkoff here then, Will, I need you to go to the asylum and find her." said Jack.

"What, me, Jack, I'm just your profiler, Beverly is your agent." said Will.

"I'm going to need her here, especially if I need a quick in and out at one of their locations, just think of this as a promotion." said Jack.

"Can I skip the promotion and go home to my dogs?" asked Will, exhausted.

"No, I want you at the asylum tomorrow night, so get some rest and get supplies, I'll talk to Brian and Jimmy about getting passed the signal jam." said Jack.

Before he could even protest, his boss hangs up. Will groans to close the laptop, leaving the room. Why did he want this job again?!

Great, now he has to go the the asylum tomorrow.

Will hates asylums, due to his empathy disorder, many people wanted him admitted just so they could study his brain. See what made him tick. Thankfully his father loved him enough to keep him out of them.

Getting into his car, Will backs out of the parking lot and starts down the road to the agency. He'll drop off the laptop and head home to his dogs.

He'll need all the doggy love and cuddles to make it through tomorrow.

Damn Jack and his crusade of self righteousness. He'd rather take up Alana's offer of therapy sessions.

[babylovepresley]

i was tagged by the lovely amazing beautiful talented show stopping iconic @ash-omalley

get to know a fellow fan <3

favorite time of the year : my absolute favorite season is fall! i love the coziness of it, and how safe and happy it feels (if that makes sense hehe)! it reminds me of some of the best times in my childhood so it is definitely quite a sentimental season! also, don’t know if anyone is wondering, my favorite color the leaves turn is red :)

things you collect : currently i’m collecting records, and i am about to begin collecting music trading cards! my recent additions to my record collection are the saturday night fever soundtrack & the monkees self titled album! so far i have 4 elvis records, and i’m currently fighting for my LIFE to find a decently priced “moody blue” record!!! as for trading cards, i just ordered some elvis packs and i am absolutely over the moon, i cannot WAIT to get them in the mail <3 previously i’ve collected chapstick (im trying to start that up again) and comic books !

last song you listened to : “you gave me a mountain” by elvis, it’s been a recent favorite of mine <3

last movie(s) you watched : elvis on tour (1972) dirs. pierre adidge, robert abel & bullet train (2022) dir. david leitch! i cried my way through elvis on tour yesterday, and i saw bullet train for the second time with some friends last week! i usually watch 3+ films a week, but i’ve been incredibly busy with school work :/ however this week i AM going to see don’t worry darling (2022) and i am sosoososo excited about that :)

dream place to visit : i’m currently daydreaming about getting to visit graceland; i even have an outfit planned for pictures on the steps/bench (if that’s allowed ofc)! i also may have a v cute instagram caption planned too… at this rate i should just through caution to the wind (and my dwindling savings) and go! for now i’ll blow kisses to memphis and hope they land in graceland <3 oh! i’ve also always always ALWAYS wanted to go to Italy, and hopefully one day i’ll be able to <3

a place you want to go back to : truthfully i would do ANYTHING to go back to the beach right now. i’m not sure why but i’ve had a very strong connection to the shore this summer and i’m already longing to go back, lay on the sand and feel the warm sun <3

something you want : i’d love to work for rolling stone magazine one day. i’m currently an english major dipping my toes into the world of journalism and i have fallen head over heels in love with musical journalism. i’ve only ever written creatively, but i recently got to write an article for my school newspaper and it was actually incredibly refreshing and fun! hopefully one day i can live my “william miller” dreams and travel with a band to write an article for rolling stone… one day… ‘till then i’ll keep daydreaming :)

@foreverdolly & @emmymaehereeeeee & @jolovesfandoms <3

[barkersanchez03]

Why You Need A Classy Casual Outfits For Guys

The extra freedom to experience life exterior the house that ladies of the Gilded Age acquired, the extra freedom of movement was skilled in fashions as well. You can mix and match colours but make sure they complement one another well. You'll be able to simply use your current stock of clothing in your closet and combine and match. The primary spotlight in steampunk clothes type is the corset which is at all times worn excessive of a shift or blouse fairly than under the clothes. Proper as the final buzzer was about to sound, soccer participant Akbar Gbaja-Biamila appeared over to a Rebel fan and said, "Remember this present day, when the Aztecs came into your enviornment and rushed onto your court!" The buzzer sounded and SDSU had simply received their first Mountain West Convention tournament title and had been set to go to the NCAA Division I males's basketball tournament.

Early 1890s dresses consisted of a tight bodice with the skirt gathered on the waist and falling more naturally over the hips and undergarments than in earlier years. Fashion for Everyone in Paris started carrying bloomers when bicycling as early as 1893, whereas in England lower bicycle frames accommodated the dresses that ladies continued to put on for bicycling. The lizard skin presents a fashionable contact that proves that you just might be each trendy and sensible at once, whereas the quartz supplies a bit of sparkle to the wrist. Whereas illustrations nonetheless dominated trend magazines, printed trend images first appeared in French journal La Mode Pratique in 1892, where they'd proceed be a weekly function.

Steampunk clothing is made with a combination of cutting edge equipment and old-fashioned bespoke fabrics for setting a regular that's unmatched in the style industry. The distinction between the sherwani and the Nehru go well with is the fact that sherwani features a peak that touches to the knee though alternatively the Nehru swimsuit includes a height that might be identical to the standard suits such because the Tuxedo. Males's stainless steel bracelets come in lots of sorts of contemporary and futuristic kinds. Fashionable girls's clothing styles shed among the extravagances of earlier many years (so that skirts were neither crinolined as in the 1850s, nor protrudingly bustled in back as within the late 1860s and mid-1880s, nor tight as within the late 1870s), however corseting continued unmitigated, and even slightly increased in severity.

[cleoenfaserum]

The Atrocities In Gaza Are The Perfect Embodiment Of ‘Western Values’

What are “Western Values”

Western values are a set of values strongly associated with the West which generally posit the importance of individual rights. They are often seen as related to Judeo-Christian values, and are generally associated with other sociopolitical aspects of the West, such as free-market capitalism and liberal democracy. (Link to source: Western values (West) - Wikipedia)

Top 5 Core Values Of Western Societies: Individualism-Personal responsibility-Free enterprise-Equality-Patriotism (Link to source: Top 5 Core Values Of Western Societies — CEOWORLD magazine)

The United States of Nothing: What are “Western Values”? (link to source: The United States of Nothing. What are “Western Values”? | by umair haque | Bad Words | Medium)

LISTEN & / OR READ...

879-1 https://ok.ru/video/7435726228019

READ:

When Israeli president Isaac Herzog described the assault on Gaza as a war “to save Western civilization, to save the values of Western civilization,” he wasn’t really lying. He was telling the truth — just maybe not quite in the way that he meant it.

The demolition of Gaza is indeed being perpetrated in defense of western values, and is itself a perfect embodiment of western values. Not the western values they teach you about in school, but the hidden ones they don’t want you to look at. Not the attractive packaging with the advertising slogans on the label, but the product that’s actually inside the box.

For centuries western civilization has depended heavily on war, genocide, theft, colonialism and imperialism, which it has justified using narratives premised on religion, racism and ethnic supremacy — all of which we are seeing play out in the incineration of Gaza today.

What we are seeing in Gaza is a much better representation of what western civilization is really about than all the gibberish about freedom and democracy we learned about in school. A much better representation of western civilization than all the art and literature we’ve been proudly congratulating ourselves on over the centuries. A much better representation of western civilization than the love and compassion we like to pretend our Judeo-Christian values revolve around.

It’s been so surreal watching western rightists babbling about how savage and barbaric Muslim culture is amid the 2023 zombie resurrection of Bush-era Islamophobia, even while western civilization amasses a mountain of ten thousand child corpses.

That mountain of child corpses is a much better representation of western culture than anything Mozart, da Vinci or Shakespeare ever produced.

This is western civilization. This is what it looks like.

Western civilization, where Julian Assange awaits his final appeal in February against US extradition for journalism which exposed US war crimes.

Where we are fed a nonstop deluge of mass media propaganda to manufacture our consent for wars and aggression which have killed millions and displaced tens of millions in the 21st century alone.

Where we are kept distracted by vapid entertainment and artificial culture wars so we don’t think too hard about what this civilization is and who it is killing and maiming and starving and exploiting.

Where news cycles are dominated more by celebrity gossip and Donald Trump’s latest mouth farts than by the mass atrocities that are being actively facilitated by western governments.

Where liberals congratulate themselves for having progressive views on race and gender while the officials they elect help rip apart children’s bodies with military explosives.

Where Zionist Jews center themselves and their emotions because opposition to an active genocide makes them feel like they are being persecuted, and where Israel supporters who are not Jewish still kind of feel like they are being persecuted also.

Where a giant globe-spanning empire powered by militarism, imperialism, capitalism and authoritarianism devours human flesh with an insatiable appetite while we congratulate ourselves on how much better we are than nations like Iran or China.

These are western values. This is western civilization.

Ask somebody to tell you what their values are and they’ll give you a bunch of pleasant-sounding words about family and love and caring or whatever. Watch their actions to see what their actual values are and you’ll often get a very different story.

That’s us. That’s western civilization. We say we value freedom, justice, truth, peace and free expression, but our actions paint a very different picture. The real western values, the actual product inside the box underneath the attractive label, are the ones you see acted out in Gaza today.

[toughgirlchallenges]

Majka Burhardt - Professional Climber, Mother of Twins and Author of “More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood.

Majka Burhardt is a professional climber, certified climbing guide, conservation entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker; she is also the founder and executive director of the international conservation and development organization Legado and the author of More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, released in 2023. 

Majka currently lives with her 7 year old twins and her husband, the internationally certified mountain guide Peter Doucette, in Jackson, New Hampshire.

About the Book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood. 

An intense and emotional epistolary memoir by one of the world's top ice climbers, born at the confluence of motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage. 

As one of the world’s leading female professional rock and ice climbers, Burhardt and her husband led globe-trotting, adventure-seeking lives.  When she learns that she’s pregnant—with twins—Burhardt at first tries to justify her insistence on pursuing extreme risk in the face of responsibility.  But she is  ultimately forced to grieve the avalanche of emotions that accompanies any major life transitions along with the physical changes in her own body.

Based on the letters and journals Burhardt diligently kept over the course of those six years, More takes the reader on an around-the-world journey as Burhardt explores the transformative, identity-shifting experience of motherhood and its irreversible impact on career, identity, marriage, and self.

In the early weeks of her children's lives, Burhardt immerses herself in adoration for her twins and grappling with the tremendous guilt and struggle around having to return to risk-laden work and that ever elusive balance mothers everywhere seek amidst it all. 

As the newness of her twins fades into a permanent reality, Burhardt turns her attention towards her marriage and the collateral damage as she and her husband, Peter, struggle to navigate their new normal. As anger and resentment threaten the foundation of her family, Burhardt courageously looks to her past—and her own mother's tumultuous and confusing history of success, violence, and ragged divorce—to better understand her own way forward.  How will she break free from the legacy of her own childhood to start fresh with her own family? 

Raw, candid, and galvanizing, More is a passionate and poignant testament to the enduring power of love and our lifelong journey to understand ourselves as we strive to always pursue more.

***

Don't miss out on new episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast that are released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Hit the subscribe button to stay updated.

By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can help increase the representation of female role models in the media especially in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to contribute. Thank you for your support!

  Show notes

Who is Majka

Living in Jackson, New Hampshire

Her early years growing up

Being very sporty and adventurous

The toughen up Majka campaign

Doing a 45 day canoe expedition in the Arctic

Her love for being on trail

Mentors and role models

Kitty Calhoun - Alpinist & Activist 

Lynn Hill 

Getting into climbing at at 15/16 years old and how it started gradually 

Taking a year off from college to climb full time 

Feeling drawn to ice climbing 

Wanting to make climbing her job

Writing for climbing magazines to make money and to combine her passions

Climbing in Ethiopia, Africa

Climbing a first ascent - The Sandstone Towers of Tigray, in northern Ethiopia.

Book: Vertical Ethiopia published by Shama Publishing, an Ethiopian Publisher.

Legado

Brining in scientists to climb around the vertical granite terrain on Mount Namuli in Mozambique 

Shifting the focus of Legado from being a conservation organisation to one that activates climate justice with indigenous people and local communities throughout the world

Working in Mozambique, Kenya and Peru to help create a thriving future 

Motherhood and not being sure if being a mum was part of her agenda

Meeting her partner, Peter in 2008 in New Hampshire at an Ice Climbing Festival

Getting pregnant and finding out it was twins

Book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood. 

Trying to hold onto her career during pregnancy and motherhood

Working with Patagonia 

Micro moments of balance 

Training and exercise during and after pregnancy

The impact of pregnancy on her core

Getting outside and adventuring with the children

Writing the book and reflecting back over that time

Focusing on showing up and being as present as possible

Practical advice and tips for new mothers

The importance of friends and community 

Dividing up domestic labour and having systems

Waking up at 5.30am

Morning routine 

Rest and recovery

Mantra and words of empowerment

Being a warrior goodness

How to connect with Majka

Final words of advice to encourage women to go after their own dreams

  Social Media

Website: majkaburhardt.com 

Instagram: @majkaburhardt 

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Legado Activates the Power of Legacy - So that people and nature can thrive together - now and into the future. 

Buy the book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood

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[finishinglinepress]

FLP CHAPBOOK OF THE DAY: Human Wilderness by Amanda Passmore-Ott

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/human-wilderness-by-amanda-passmore-ott/

Human Wilderness contains #poems that explore the tension between human #nature and the natural world through deep observation and reflection. The title of the collection suggests the exploration of nature leads to an even deeper exploration of what it means to be human as the poems take the reader on a lyric journey of loss, longing, becoming, understanding, and acceptance. Ultimately, Human Wilderness is a potential for metamorphosis.

Amanda Passmore-Ott teaches writing at The Pennsylvania State University and lives in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Her poems can be found in such journals as Tiny Seed Literary Journal, Blueline: A literary Magazine Dedicated to the Spirit of the Adirondacks, Albatross, Wavelength, andCalliope: A Journal of Women’s Literature and Art.

PRAISE FOR Human Wilderness by Amanda Passmore-Ott

In the penultimate poem in this chapbook, Amanda Passmore-Ott writes, “how easy it is to confuse becoming / whole with becoming someone else.”

I sat for a long time with that line, turning it over in my mind as if it were a smooth stone I might turn in my hand. I know that the stone begins as part of a much greater whole, but time takes care of breaking it off, wearing it down, shaping it into something easily grasped—something that is whole in itself, although it’s only a fragment.

Holding the stone is a way to know nature on an intimate scale. It’s one thing to scale mountains, another to cradle a stone. Essentially—elementally—the two forms are the same. What differs is the way we experience them.

Fortunately for us, Passmore-Ott has moved through both the external terrain and the interior landscape that it has helped to shape.

The poems in this collection aren’t “about” nature. They are “of” it. They are not born of observation so much as they are of immersion—the taking in, the slaking off, and the rebirth create an intimate experience. “Becoming whole” is a process of transformation that the poet invites the reader to not only share, but embrace.

–Charlotte Holmes

Amanda Passmore-Ott’s book, Human Wilderness, suggests that the world is ever-dying and we suspend ourselves in perpetual mourning, haunted by the occasion of milk-weed and the snake’s spent skin. “Grief is a haunting of / mid-June wilting to high summer” and the speaker sees it in the vivid and ephemeral images that pull her toward the wilderness and her own loneliness. The Earth acts as a palimpsest writ with markers of the past, from the mountain ridges to the speaker’s own longing from childhood to adulthood, a longing that pressed her into the mud and saw her chasing stars. Unable to transform herself or secure the stars, she instead painstakingly chronicles the changes around her, stung by ‘nature’s indifference’. Haunting and imagistic, these poems make the natural world a gorgeous purveyor of death and beauty where the speaker waits, as we do, “ for all those things/ others have heard and we have never seen.”

–Camille-Yvette Welsch, author of FULL and The Four Ugliest Children in Christendom

The poems in Amanda Passmore’s Human Wilderness are rooted deeply in the Earth, the natural world, from which we all slithered into being and to which we will all return in diffusing glory. And like us, her poems navigate that brief liminal space/time between Earth, Sky, and everything else, where the tussle ensues.

Nature will not be denied. Nor will humanity. Passmore weaves melodies, fiddle tunes, out of these elements. Gives us glimpses of (at least the potential for) metamorphosis.

–Steven Sherrill

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #chapbook #read #poems

[claugeeee]

Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

Reporter John Branch's multi-media piece, "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek," was released by the New York Times. The tragic tale of a group of skiers who were caught in a terrible avalanche in 2012 is told in the film Snow Fall. In order to more effectively portray the tone and story, the article makes use of both the conventional written text found in all classic periodicals and other types of media. Along with this, automatic animations, video, pictures, and audio clips are also used, and they are all shown over a collection of three-dimensional maps. These additional media are utilized as tools to aid the reader in understanding what is being given because the subject matter of this story is complex.

By using other media, Snow Fall outperforms competing magazines in effectively communicating its story, paving the way for a better future for journalism. A large motion title slide appears at the top of the article. The words "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek by John Branch" are displayed above a moving image of a mountain slope covered in snow, with a thick white cloud of the powder floating through the atmosphere. Undoubtedly the most important part of the narrative process, this is the story's opening image. The opening image has several effects on the plot.

Traditional text is used to tell the story as the reader scrolls through the article. An embedded video of an interview serves as the first indication of anything special. In this interview, the subject discusses the incident from her point of view, as well as her feelings and thoughts at the time. A video is a fantastic visual and aural tool to complement the text. A written piece might have simply summarized everything spoken in the interview, but a video enables the audience to see face expressions and hear the tone of voice used when those things are said.

[p-artsypants]

you tagged me so I gotta send an ask right? 😅

I was rewatching gravity falls recently, so I'm curious about 'the melonheads' one. does it have anything to do with the halloween episode?

Oh! Well actually, I tagged you so that you could have the chance to share your WIPs if you wanted. I really love your comics and drawings and was curious to see if you had anything unfinished that you wanted to share?? You don’t have to of course.

But since you gave me a prompt, I will share a snippet of the Melonhead fic. I never finished it, but it got pretty long. It was supposed to be a stand alone episode of Gravity Falls and I started it before season 2 came out.

Mabel loved her brother, but sometimes, Dipper could be such a Debbie-downer. Such as right now. Wendy sat at the counter of the shop, reading a magazine, while Mabel braided her hair. Dipper sat in the corner, his nose in the journal, like some sort of hermit.

“Dude, don’t you need to like, take a break from reading a little bit?” Soos asked, momentarily pausing in his work on repairing the ceiling light.

“Yeah bro bro, you’ve read that thing like eight times now!” Mabel tied off the end of the braid. “At least today.”

He slammed the book shut. “Yeah, I know, I’m just…frustrated. I know the answers I’m looking for are in here somewhere.”

“Well,” stated Wendy, as she took her muddy boots of the counter. “I’m bored. Mabel’s bored. Soos is working, but I’m sure he’s bored, and you’re bored. So let’s do something.”

“W-w-what do you have in mind?” Dipper stuttered.

“Let’s go and investigate something!”

“Oh no no no. Grunkle Stan doesn’t want us to go out looking for trouble…” Then he muttered. “I may already do that…”

“Oh come on!” She stood up and walked over to him, “There has to be something in here that’ll be fun.”

“And you never know Dipper!” Mabel chirped. “Maybe well find some Author-y clues on the way.”

Dipper sighed. “Alright, fine. Do your damage.”

Wendy thumbed through the pages. “Stairs that count different going down then going up. Lame. Waterfall that has a perfect reflection. Boring. Tree made of faces. Creepy, but not interesting. Melonheads—…”

“DUDE! Not the Melonheads!” Soos almost fell off his ladder in his panic.

Wendy smiled. “I know what we’re doing tonight.”

Dipper took the journal back. “This rumor dates back to the 1950’s, when the nuclear reaction on the mountain had an acute meltdown.” He looked at Soos. “There’s a nuclear reactor here? That— That actually explains quite a few things.” He continued to read, “A group of people in the West that were poisoned by the radiation and grew abnormally sized heads. The only way to get to them in through a tunnel under the highway.”

Mabel scrunched up her nose. “A group of people with big heads? Sounds like Dipper’s tribe.”

The male twin gave her a blank look.

“Dudes, I know it doesn't sound that that scary, but this is something you don’t want to mess with.”

The three looked in interest, beckoning him to finish his story.

Soos sighed, and then stood tall, and then began in his story telling voice. “Twas the summer before I entered high school. My cousin Reggie had just gotten his drivers license. He told me about the Melonheads, and we thought it would be fun to…you know, check it out. There are three levels to the Melonhead challenge. First, is to sit in front of the tunnel for five minutes in your car. Second is to drive into the tunnel, lights on, keys on top of the roof and last ten minutes. We didn’t even make it to five before we heard chainsaws.” He shivered. “I didn’t sleep for a month after that.”

“What’s level three?” Asked Dipper.

“Oh dude, you don’t want to know!”

“Level three! Level three! Level three!” The trio shouted.

“You have to drive through the valley…but rumor is, if you go in the tunnel…you don’t come back out…”

“Oooooo…”

“I’m in.” Wendy declared.

“I’m in, like jelly in a doughnut!”

“And I suppose I’m in too.” Dipper declared.

“The guys will totally flip over this, it’s going to be awesome!” Wendy already had her phone out and was texting her friends.

“Now, we just need a driver that knows where the tunnel is.” Dipper stated, looking at Soos.

“No way dude, there is no way you’re talking me into this.

—

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Soos frowned, cleaning out the back of his truck.

[svietplacements]

SVGOI Advantages

Incubation environment for innovative student entrepreneurship, more than 15 successful companies have started their journey at SVGOI.

Global Exposure

International tie-ups with more than 25 colleges from 7 countries with students from more than 10 countries studying in campus.

Super 60 Batch

There is a special batch of 30 to 60 Students in each branch which is called SUPER-60 in CSE, ALLIED-30 group in Civil, and so on. These Students have assured 100% placement in the campus placement drive.

Research

Students leading the search for knowledge with highly equipped research facilities at the campus. More than 100 research articles published at national and international stages.

Project Based Learning

Investigate and respond to an authentic & complex challenges and go beyond learning with project based learning while experiencing enriching experiences.

Sporting Excellence

Compete and achieve the excellence with passion under the excellent sporting environment. More than 30 sports tournament participations happening over the Year.

Scholarships

SVGOI provides a comprehensive scholarship program to both incoming students as well as current and rising graduates.These programs provide financial support to the students, based on academic achievement or other criteria that may include financial need for the purpose of their education.

NCC

The National Cadet Corps at SVGOI grooms the cadets (Boys and Girls) to join Defence forces and to be the disciplined citizen of the country. Every year the NCC cadets attend several camps including Annual training Camp, Personality development & leadership Skill Camp, Mountaineering Expedition Camp and National Integration camp.

Cultural Activities

The social and cultural activities at SVGOI prepare students for real life and strengthen their personal skills. Social/cultural activities not only help students to identify themselves with the university, but also assist them to develop in a desired field and also improve skills such as organizational, presentation, leadership and interpersonal communication.

Industry Internship

These internships are designed with industrial partners to provide the optimum learning experience for students as well as research opportunities and industrial contacts for the College. These internships lead to enhance student`s development and strong relationships between the University and its industrial partners.

Central Library

Library here in College premises is the centre of intellectual and learning activities. It is enriched with valuable inputs, books, journals, magazines to satisfy students and teachers as well their hunger for knowledge. Our library provides perfect study environment for students, teachers under cool and peaceful milieu with spacious facility.

[lavyahairdesign]

Wedding Makeup Artist Toowoomba

The perfect Wedding Makeup Artist Toowoomba can ensure that every girl in your bridal party feels absolutely gorgeous and will look stunning on your big day. They offer all sorts of wedding hair and makeup services as well as pre-wedding pamper sessions, styling and even tanning for the bride and her girls. They operate all over Toowoomba and service clients from all walks of life, whether you're getting married in a church, in the mountains or at the beach.

They have a team of professional, fully accredited and insured hair and makeup artists, who are able to provide you with the very best in quality service. Their talented makeup artist, Tyneale, has over thirteen years of experience and is the winner of tons of impressive awards in her industry. She's also a beauty and fashion expert, which makes her an invaluable asset for any event or special occasion.

Her team of professionals will create a custom style that suits your vision for your big day. They can work with you on the exact look that you want to achieve, or they can suggest some ideas that might not have crossed your mind before. They can help you to create a flawless and natural look, or they can also create an artistic and dramatic masterpiece that will stand out in photographs.

All of their stylists have extensive training and experience with all aspects of wedding hair and makeup. They have a wealth of industry knowledge and are constantly updating their skills and techniques. They are also trained in airbrushing, which allows them to create an even and flawless finish on any skin tone or type. They have an eye for detail and are dedicated to making you feel confident and beautiful on your special day.

In addition to their extensive wedding experience, they have been featured in many reputable publications and blogs including Polka Dot Bride, The Wedding Playbook, Hello May, Collective Journal, Queensland Brides, Australian Bridal Magazine, Wedding Diaries, and Dancing with Her. They have also been involved in various local film productions and character & special effects makeup for events both locally and interstate.

They use premium products that are cruelty-free and hypoallergenic. They can also accommodate any skin allergies or sensitivities, as long as you let them know in advance. Their prices start at $250 for a hair and makeup trial. They will travel to your location for your wedding day.

All of the makeup artists on Flayr have a full portfolio of their work and verified customer reviews that you can check out before booking an appointment. They also list all of the products they use in their kit, so you can get an idea of what to expect.

You should always book in for a trial before your wedding day, so that you can find the perfect look. This also gives you the chance to bond with your makeup artist and request any little adjustments that you might need on the day.

Lavya Hair Design are your first choice for a Hairdresser in Toowoomba for modern hair cuts, crisp clean hair colours and naturally nourished hair.

Visit our brand new salon in Toowoomba Plaza near Kmart, where you can relax in style and be pampered whilst enjoying our affordable hair package deals.