This may be cheating.

Okay ... I want this blog to be a tribute to real life. And I'm pretty sure this counts (but not 100% sure. But if I can't break the rules on my own blog, then where can I break them?) 

Music is a fairly big part of my life. For me, music = ability to do housework (and often homework, also.) And so, I am going to share with you my favorite motivational songs. I think perhaps "meatspace" would be more honored if I taught you how to play an instrument, or something of the kind. But as long as you use recorded music to help you do useful things, I think it has a lot of value in the real world. 

Here are the songs that are keeping me groovy these days:

"Daylight" by Matt and Kim

"Feeling Good" by Michael Bublé (or a host of other artists ...)

"Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae

"Be OK" by Ingrid Michaelson

"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens

"Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra

"The Show" by Lenka

I'm not sure how popular any of these are, or have been in the past ... you may know all of them already! Often songs I like are featured in commercials, and since I don't watch TV, I have no idea that everyone else hears them 24/7. :)

Meet one of my favorite books ever.

There are a few books that I consider to be among the best I have ever read. The Once and Future King by T. H. White, first published in 1939, is one of them. 

The Once and Future King follows the life of the legendary King Arthur from his childhood into his old age. Yes, I realize that sounds rather dreary to anyone who is not a King Arthur enthusiast. But the key word here is legendary. This book is not a historical account by any means; rather, it is a tale of the myths and the magic that surround King Arthur to this day. 

But it is not so much the story that draws me in - it is the crystals of sheer genius that are scattered all throughout this book. T. H. White uses wry anachronisms, mostly voiced through the character of Merlin, who is living from the end of time to the beginning instead of the other way around. There are half-hidden literary references, waiting to be discovered by the well-read. And the writing style itself is a lovely thing to behold - although this is a deep book, its quirkiness proves that it doesn't take itself too seriously.

I am not saying that The Once and Future King is a piece of cake to read. It is, in fact, a rather politically charged book and contains heavy themes such as communism, war, and betrayal. For me, this makes it all the better. I like a good helping of food for thought. But such themes will, I'm sure, bother some people. Also, this book contains some violent elements, such as the hunting and somewhat graphic killing of animals. And, of course, it is 639 pages long. Basically, this book is too complex for children and even some teens.

But if great literature could be understood without a good deal of thought and effort, what would be great about it? The ability to provoke thought is the beauty of The Once and Future King.          

Why you should keep a commonplace book.

Have you ever come across a quote that changed your life? Are you one of those people who is inspired by words? I am; and this year in my literature class, we've been doing a project that I think I'll be continuing for many years to come. In this class, we are all required to keep commonplace books. For those of you who aren't familiar with this term, a commonplace book is a blank book in which you keep quotes that are meaningful to you. Here's mine:

                 

I hope you all recognize the literary reference on the cover. :) Here's a sampling of the quotes that I've written this year:

"One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!" - Winston Churchill

"There is a great deal more to be gotten out of things than is generally gotten out of them, whether the thing be a chapter of the Bible or a yellow turnip." -George MacDonald, Sir Gibbie.

"If you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so they don't apply to you." - Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites.

I feel that for avid readers and/or writers, a commonplace book is very important. It's been really neat for me to have a place to keep my favorite examples of great literature and the quotes that have made an impact on me. Even for people who don't enjoy reading and writing, I think a commonplace book can still be very beneficial. So, go ahead and start one! :)

The best way to learn about history ...

I am a longtime lover of historical fiction. But, at least for me, it's difficult to find well-written, clean, creative historical fiction that isn't just out there to make money. That's why it is such a pleasure to introduce these three novels. 

A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh is set in England in 1665. It tells the story of a small village called Eyam and its struggle with the Plague. The story is recounted through the eyes of Mall Percival, a young woman who lives in Eyam. The book is poignant in its description of Mall's reaction to the Plague as it isolates her village from the outside world, and especially as it isolates Mall from her love, who lives in another village. This book is sweet but sad, and is exceptionally well-written.

Set in New Hampshire in the 1800's, The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates follows the life of Jared Austin from the time of his early apprenticeship to a traveling wall stenciler. As Jared is taught under the direction of expert stenciler Mr. Toppan, he embraces the life of a traveling artist, but hopes to one day return home to marry his sweetheart, Jennet. This book is very tender and uplifting.

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope is one that I've read over and over again. Set in modern-day New England, it opens with orphaned teenager Peggy Grahame's journey to her uncle's antique house, which is to be her new home. Peggy has heard that the house is full of ghosts, a rumor which turns out to be true. However, these ghosts are merely her perfectly genial Revolutionary War-time ancestors, who are more than willing to recount lengthy - and humorous - stories from the 1700's. This book is written in a uniquely playful style, and is a lot of fun to read. 

                               

So this is how it feels to be a blogger ...

Hello, readers! I'm Emily. Before we get any farther ... should I explain my oddly titled blog? :) 

Maybe I'm a little bit old-fashioned. See ... I'm not a lover of virtual reality. I think the life outside of our computers and televisions is the life we should be living. Real life is so much deeper and lovelier than anything you'll find in cyberspace or on TV. 

But many people spend all their free time on the Internet or at the television. And so many bad consequences come from that mode of relaxation.

There are better ways to enjoy life. This blog is all about those ways. Apparently, "meatspace" is the new word for the opposite of cyberspace. (Who knows what they'll come up with next ....) In other words, "meatspace" is real life. And that is the explanation for the name of my blog. My blog is all about ways to spend time in the real world, enjoying life in a valuable way.

Okay, it might seem a little ironic that my blog is sort of anti-computer. But think of it this way: I'm just using it as a springboard into real life. It is my hope that anyone who sees this blog will be inspired to appreciate the amazing things this planet has to offer.

So on here I'll talk about the books I love, the poets and artists I'm into, maybe even a few good recipes ... (or not, I'm not much of a cook ....) Hopefully, this blog will be a good reminder to appreciate life!