Keeping in Touch

A Kiss for Little Bear

2012-02-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

"Little Skunk," said Cat, "I have a kiss for Little Bear. It is from his grandmother. Take it to him like a good little skunk."

Little Skunk was glad to do that. But then he saw another little skunk.

She was very pretty. He gave the kiss to her.

And she gave it back.

And he gave it back.

And then Hen came along. "Too much kissing," she said.
"But this is Little Bear's kiss, from his grandmother," said Little Skunk.
"Indeed!" said Hen. "Who has it now."
Little Skunk had it. Hen got it back. She ran to Little Bear, and she gave him the kiss.

The skunks decided to get married. They had a lovely wedding. Everyone came.

(From "A Kiss for Little Bear" by Else Holmelund Minarik)
(Reposted from crazyacres)

This is Lonely

2012-02-16T12:31:00.005-08:00

I am the only person in the house right now. Thomas and Catherine aren't back from school yet, and everyone else left for a friend's house before I got back from school.

I have decided that I will never live by myself.

This is lonely.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T03:52:00.002-08:00

St. Valentine of Rome

St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, possibly a bishop. He was also a physician. St. Valentine was imprisoned forgiving aid to martyrs in prison, and while there converted the jailer by restoring sight tothe jailer‘s daughter. While Valentine of Terni andValentine of Rome sometimes have separate entries in martyrologies andbiographies, most scholars believe they are the same person.

There are several theories about theorigin of Valentine’s Day celebrations that relate to love and sentiment. Somebelieve the Romans had a mid-February custom where boys drew thenames of girls in honour of the sex and fertility goddess, FebruataJuno; pastors “baptised” this holiday, like some others, by substituting thenames of saints such as Valentine to suppress the practice. Others maintainthat the custom of sending Valentines on 14 February stems from thebelief that birds begin to pair on that date; by 1477 the English associatedlovers with the feast of Valentine because on that day “every birdchooses him a mate.” The custom of men and women writing love lettersto their Valentine started on this day. Other “romance” traditions have becomeattached to this feast, including pinning bay leaves to your pillow onValentine’s Eve so that you will see your future mate that night in yourdreams.

(Source: http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-valentine-of-rome/)

Prayer to St Valentine

O glorious advocate and protector,
St Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession the miseries
under which we labour,
and obtain for us the divine blessing,
that we may be found worthy to join you
in praising the Almighty for all
eternity: through the merits of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

(source: http://www.catholicprimer.org/home/prayer/prayer_to_st_valentine)

"That's My King" by Dr. S.M. Lockridge

2012-02-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

As Bad Catholic said, American Protestant preaching at it's best. (^_^)

Changing

2012-02-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day, and I asked him what kind of person he wanted to be. I asked him that because recently I've been asking myself the same question. I have, on the side of my blog wall, a list of things that I want to learn how to do - sew, cook, garden, ride horses, etc. All of these things are part of the person I want to be -- generous, patient, dependable, independent, productive . . .

I've finally begun to take steps towards being this kind of person. As I said before, I bought a sewing machine and some patterns. I've found where the nearest Jo-Ann's Fabrics and Crafts is. Now, to just get fabric and start on a project!
I haven't been able to cook as much recently, and I will be able to cook even less this week, considering the fact that I have work from Tuesday through Friday! However, the desire is not gone, so I don't consider this a failed project.
Not only am I working on making myself an outwardly more productive/creative person, I'm trying to fix the inside. Recent experiences have made me realize I am still a child at heart -- vain, demanding, selfish. Sure, I have good points, but that doesn't mean there isn't so much more to be improved on.
That's why I said I am aspiring to be a woman . . . it's a goal that will take a lot of effort and self-criticism.
I think I can do it though. And I will be someone I would be proud to know. (^_^)

On a separate and unrelated note, Jack has been adorable lately. Although the poor baby has a headache, he's still playing nicely. When Mom was fixing some pain reliever for him, Jack grabbed the little syringe (that has the medicine in it) and stuck it in his mouth. Haha! You'd think he knew it was going to help. (Maybe he does!)

"Hands" by Jewel

New Stuff!

2012-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Through the ever useful Internet, I have struck gold!
Sewing PatternsReview.com!!! First of all, I only struck gold because I found a sale! All McCall's patterns are on sale NOW for $3.99! Most of the original prices are around $15!!! Talk about striking gold!
I recently purchased a sewing machine, and I am very eager to start making my own skirts! This website (found by chance) is going to help me get there! Today (just a few minutes ago), I bought 3 skirt patterns. I am so excited!
(If you like sewing, you might want to check out this website!)

Miracle Joey: The boy who refused to die | LifeSiteNews.com

2012-02-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

Miracle Joey: The boy who refused to die | LifeSiteNews.com

At only 13 weeks pregnant, Kristin Page's water broke. She did not go into labor, but instead, the baby remained inside of her. Somehow, the baby survived! Read the whole story by clicking on the link. (^_^)

School and Work and Home Life and Friends and the Internet and . . .

2012-02-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

Life has seemed like it is very stressful recently. I had a lot of homework to do yesterday, including an entire paper to write, Calculus homework and over 50 Spanish notecards to write. And I was stressing about going to work tomorrow. And I had chats with 2 friends going. And I knew my paper wasn't going to be good! And I did this and that and the other! Gahhh!
Heh, the funny thing is that I wasn't nearly as stressed as I was making myself.
Once I finished all of my homework (which took me about 5 hours), I sat on my bed with my journal and just "talked" with myself for a while. I didn't have the Internet up (except for music). I had the blinds down. And I just relaxed. I felt better about myself than I have in a long time.
I need to slow down more often, and realize that my problems aren't as big as I make them out to be.

I just need to start chillin'

Today, I go to only one class, which I enjoy! I get to finish my homework in the comfort of my bedroom. I get to go work at a job I LOVE. And I have many friends who love talking to me.
Can life get any better?

Nature and Generosity

2012-02-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Someday I would like to wake up to this: a golden path down an old road. I would be surrounded only by nature and the glories that God created. In the city, surrounded by pavement and nosy cars, we can't truly enjoy the beauty of the earth. Sure, we feel good on sunny days, but does that compare to the glory of dewy fields and a misty sunrise?

I think humans were meant to be farmers - or at least were meant to be surrounded by nature constantly. People who spend their lives enclosed by cubicle walls quickly become drab and colorless. Where is the thrill of existence when existence consists of a computer screen? How can anyone be happy when one only has oneself to be happy with?

Humans are made to share. If one relies on nature for existence, sharing becomes second-nature, and not only because it helps us survive. Living in Nature makes one feel small. In order to feel big in such a big world, giving what one has is the only control there is. Living in a small world of figures and papers makes one feel large; why give when you are all that you need to be? Living in the large world of Nature makes one feel small; so give away! It's all you have.

Funny Old Proverbs

2012-02-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

"Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet." - Chinese Proverb

"Don't fall before you're pushed." - English Proverb

"Call on God, but row away from the rocks." - Indian Proverb

"You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was." - Irish Proverb

"Never rely on the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your mother-in-law." - Japanese Proverb

"Rejoice not at thine enemy's fall - but don't rush to pick him up either." - Jewish Proverb

"Speak the truth, but leave immediately after." - Slovenian Proverb

Happy Groundhog Day

2012-02-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

European Roots

(Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson)

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

According to an old Scotch couplet:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be twa (two) winters in the year.

Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winter to come and mair,
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule.
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Teutons, or Germans, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."
Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.
The Germans recited:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
This passage may be the one most closely represented by the first Punxsutawney Groundhog Day observances because there were references to the length of shadows in early Groundhog Day predictions.
Another February 2nd belief, used by American 19th century farmers, was:
Groundhog Day - Half your hay.
New England farmers knew that we were not close to the end of winter, no matter how cloudy February 2nd was. Indeed, February 2nd is often the heart of winter. If the farmer didn't have half his hay remaining, there may have been lean times for the cows before spring and fresh grass arrived.
The ancient Candlemas legend and similar belief continue to be recognized annually on February 2nd due to the efforts of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

(Source: http://www.groundhog.org/groundhog-day/history/)

BREAKING: Starbucks coffee co. officially backs gay ‘marriage’ | LifeSiteNews.com

2012-02-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

BREAKING: Starbucks coffee co. officially backs gay ‘marriage’ | LifeSiteNews.com

At first it was rumored that Starbucks condemned the war in Iraq, so I was going to boycott them then. Even though that rumor turned out to be false, I am going to boycott them again. I don't understand why people think embracing "diversity" is supposed to be such a wonderful quality. Why can't Starbucks just sell coffee and stay out of the political arena? (Even though technically, this isn't supposed to be political. Marriage has everything to do with the Church and nothing to so with the State.)

Cry Me A River (Michael Bublé cover) by No Southern Accent

2012-01-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Rose showed me this song, so kudos to her!

Jack Chilling Out With Me During Dinner-Making

2012-01-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

Jack was checking out the pockets on my pants.

Then he was checking out himself in the camera.

He was amused. (^_^)

Giving me a hug! <3

All boys love kissies! ;-)

Big Smile! ☺

Bye bye!

Brian Regan

2012-01-31T05:44:00.001-08:00

I've always liked Brian Regan. :) He's a wonderful comedian; not only is he funny, he doesn't use foul language! It's hard to find a stand-up comedian that has good language. Enjoy!

Cooking Dinner

2012-01-30T08:07:00.000-08:00

Last night, I made dinner for the family. I made oven-fried chicken, Dixie style, and a vegetable pasta salad. My uncle Steve made dinner rolls (which were delicious!), and dinner was amazing! I love hearing everyone say "Oh my gosh, this is so good!" over and over again. I could easily get used to this.
In any case, I am going to post the recipe for the vegetable pasta salad since it was delicious!

Vegetable Pasta Salad

2 boxes of corkscrew macaroni
8 baby carrots, cut into julienne strips
4 green onions, chopped
1 (4 oz.) jar of diced pimientos, drained
1 1/2 cups of sliced celery
1 yellow pepper
4 tablespoons of chopped parsley (the recipe calls for fresh, but I used dried)
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of commercial Italian dressing
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Cook the pasta according to package direction, omitting salt; drain. Rinse in cold water; drain.
Combine pasta and remaining ingredients, tossing well.
Chill for 1 hour. (I didn't do this, but it might have been tastier if I had.)

Please keep in mind that this recipe serves about 12 people. You may want to half it for a smaller family. ;)

Have a great day!

Life

2012-01-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

We all know the movie "Wall E" and the precious characters, Wall E and Eve. During the movie, I realized something about the characters and certain elements in the movie.

First: Eve is a girl and she carried a small (though very important) life inside of her.

Second: Wall E gave her the plant, so it's like the plant is Eve and Wall E's child!

Throughout the movie, there were certain elements that made it seem like Eve was pregnant, like the amount of care and concern everyone felt for her while she carried the plant.

Third: Eve was the name of the first woman on Earth, and Eve the robot was the "woman" who helped bring life back to Earth!

I thought all that was pretty cool. :) Thanks for stopping by!

The Doctor's Theme

2012-01-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

I recently posted a song called The Mad Man with a Box. Now while that song was good, this one is better! Enjoy!

A Few Thoughts

2012-01-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Now while I realize that my thoughts have already been thought by thousands of other people, they are brand new to me. Please bear with me while I explore my own mind.

I was listening to a country music station the other day and realized that country songs are constantly mentioning God and the country connection with Him. Humankind has come to realize that people who live in the country tend to have a more intimate connection with the Creator, and some would think that is simply because country folk are simple and haven't come to realize that God is really not all that important in day-to-day life; He's just important on Sundays, right? (I don't actually believe this; I'm just voicing the beliefs [perhaps unspoken] of a majority of contemporary people.)
Perhaps the reason city folk don't care so much for God is that they never see a reason to believe in Him. Out in the country, one is constantly surrounded by the mighty forces of nature! With tornadoes, dust storms, droughts and plagues, country folk keep a tight hold on their religious beliefs. What else can they do to avoid succumbing to despair? How is a mortal to contend with hurricanes? Only with an almighty, immortal, omniscient, loving Being.
And what about those city folks again? Surrounded by air conditioning, furnaces, hot water, paved streets, Starbucks, and insurance, what need have they of a god? They know (deep down) that God does not give money to those who ask for it; why ask Him for anything then? City folk rely on the power of man to achieve greatness. They can afford to! "cp[,de]4r3w'w'wftfdcw d D" - contribution of Jack. Without a constant reminder of how frail human life is, how fickle nature is, and how dangerous the world is, men easily lose track of Who they owe their lives to!

Anyways, that was just what I thought as a result of that country song. :) That country people are more connected with God because they realize they need Him. City folk just don't see the reason since they get everything for themselves.

Angelus by Jean Francois Millet

Cheese Bread

2012-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite breads to make just because it's full of cheese and delicious. (^_^) It's also very simple, so beginners like me can understand everything about it.

2 cups of flour
4 tsp of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar
1/4 cups of Parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cups of butter, melted
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of Parmesan (for the top); cheddar

Combine the dry ingredients.
Stir in the cheddar and Parmesan.
Combine the milk, eggs and butter in a separate bowl.
Add to the dry ingredients and stir. (No, duh.)
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan and cheddar.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 300°.

That is what my oven needs to thoroughly cook the bread. If you think yours may need a different setting, just remember, cook it for a long time at a low temperature. Otherwise, the outside will burn and the inside will be raw. :P Yuck.

The Mad Man with a Box

2012-01-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

This is just a song from a favorite TV show of mine. Enjoy. (^_^)

What is Love? What is Marriage?

2012-01-24T03:38:00.000-08:00

"One day, Plato asked his teacher, “What is love? How can I find it?”

The teacher answered, “There’s a large wheat field in front. Walk there without turning back, and take just one leaf. If you can find one leaf that you think is extraordinary, it means you have found love.”

So Plato walked…and not long after that, he came back empty-handed.

The teacher asked him, “Why, you don’t bring any leaf?”

Plato said, “I can only bring just one leaf and when I walked through the wheat field I can’t turn my back. Actually I have found one extraordinary leaf, but I don’t know whether there’s any other leaf more extraordinary, so I didn’t take that leaf. When I walked further, I realized that the leaves I found are not as extraordinary compared to the leaf I’ve found earlier in my walk. In the end, I didn’t take any single leaf.”

Then the teacher told him, “So…that is love.”

Another day, Plato asked his teacher again, “What is marriage? How can I find it?”

The teacher answered, “There is a forest in front. Please walk there and don’t look back. You can only cut one tree, and cut the one that you think is the highest. That is when you find marriage.”

Plato walks there, and he came back not long after bringing one tree. The tree, however, is not a very good tree and not a very tall one, either. It’s just an ordinary tree.

The teacher asked him, “Why did you cut that kind of tree?”

Plato answered, “Because from my previous experience, after walking through the wheat field, I came back with nothing. So this time, when I saw this tree which I think is not so bad, I decided to cut it and bring it here. I don’t want to lose another chance to get it.”

And the teacher said, “Well …that is marriage.”

(I did not write this, but kudos to whoever did.)

Brave New World: UK ethicist wants women to abandon motherhood, use artificial wombs

2012-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

Brave New World: UK ethicist wants women to abandon motherhood, use artificial wombs

There are few things that make me writhe with anger. 1) People who refuse to listen. 2) People who believe that being a woman is a disease. This woman-doctor-thing falls into that second category. Dr. Anne Smajdor believes that pregnancy is a disease because it brings some discomfort to the mother. Sure, some people have it worse than others, but that doesn't mark pregnancy as a disease, does it? “If there were a disease that caused symptoms and risks similar to those caused by pregnancy, I contend that it would be regarded as being fairly serious, and that we would have good reasons to try to insure against it,” Smajdor says. Yes, surely we would have good reasons to insure against it. But do your hypothetical diseases produce human life? Does an indescribable loving bond form between the "patient" and the "disease?" Was your disease created from an act of love? (One could argue about AIDS, but AIDS still produces nothing good.)
Why must this doctor believe that pregnancy is a disease? She believes that the only way for men and women to be truly equal is for women to not have to be pregnant.
I just thought of something. What if the reason women are going to such extreme lengths to prove that they are equal to men (e.g. dressing like men, going to war, avoiding bearing children) is because they don't believe they are equal? I know I'm as good as a man. I have every right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that men do. I have an equal right to Heaven and to the attention of my God. But notice something, if you please: I wear skirts (most of the time). I want more than anything to be a wife and mother. I am not telling men to stop trying to control my body. I am not marching around declaring myself an independent woman, free from the constraints of ... who exactly? I simply believe that men and women have different roles in society. Is there something so wrong with being a mother that one must take every brand of birth control, avoid marriage like the plague, and despise children from the bottom of one's heart?
Modern women are the reason modern men have given up on finding good women. Modern women cause modern men. Modern men don't want to get married because modern women are so available.
Silly modern women. Y'all are creating the very problems you are trying eradicate.
In any case, I am scared for the future of mankind if women buy into this "ectogenesis" thing. Brave New World scared me half to death! Does anybody feel like forming a small (very secluded) country with me?

It Comes As No Surprise

2012-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

On that lovely social website known as Facebook, there is a group that one can join called Happy Elf. The first time I saw it, it was asking me if I wanted to find my "Superhero" name or something like that. When I clicked on the website's link, I found this description on their page:

Now doesn't that beat all? The phrase "bread and circuses" comes to mind. I do wish other people would see that getting "you focus off of all the negative news in the media" is a terrible idea. If one is not informed, how can one make informed decisions? If one can't make informed decisions, how can one be a good citizen? I am, of course, referring to mostly US citizens because we vote! We do have to make decisions!

It's our moral and civic duty to stay informed.

Novena for a Happy Marriage

2012-01-21T05:30:00.001-08:00

EVERY DAY OF THE NOVENA:
O Jesus, the dearest Friend I have, in allconfidence I open my heart to You to beg Your light and assistance in theimportant task of planning my future. Give me the light of Your grace, that Imay decide wisely concerning the person who is to be my partner through life.Dearest Jesus, send me such a one whom in Your divine wisdom You judge bestsuited to be united with me in marriage. May his character reflect some of thetraits of Your own Sacred Heart. May he be upright, loyal, pure, sincere andnoble, so that with united efforts and with pure and unselfish love we both maystrive to perfect ourselves in soul and body, as well as the children it mayplease You to entrust to our care. Bless our friendship before marriage, thatsin may have no part in it. May our mutual love bind us so closely, that ourfuture home may ever be most like Your own at Nazareth.

O Mary Immaculate, sweet Mother of the young, toyour special care I entrust the decision I am to make as to my future husband.You are my guiding Star! Direct me to the person with whom I can best cooperatein doing God's Holy Will, with whom I can live in peace, love and harmony inthis life, and attain to eternal joys in the next.
Amen.

DAYS 1-9 (JAN 18 – JAN 26): ST RAPHAEL
O Raphael, lead us toward those we are waitingfor, those who are waiting for us: Raphael, Angel of happy meeting, lead us bythe hand toward those we are looking for. May all our movements be guided byyour Light and transfigured with your joy. Angel, guide of Tobias, lay therequest we now address to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you areprivileged to gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows oflife, we feel the need of calling you and of pleading for the protection ofyour wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the province of joy, allignorant of the concerns of our country. Remember the weak, you who are strong,you whose home lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is alwayspeaceful, always serene and bright with the resplendent glory of God. Amen.

DAYS 10-18 (JAN 27 – FEB 4): ST ANNE
Good St. Anne, you were especially favored byGod to be the mother of the most holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Savior. Byyour power with your most pure daughter and her divine Son, kindly obtain forus the grace and the favor we now seek. [Mention petition.] Please secure forus also forgiveness of our past sins, the strength to perform faithfully ourdaily duties and the help we need to persevere in the love of Jesus and Mary.Amen.

DAYS 19-27 (FEB 5 – FEB 13): ST JOSEPH
Remember, O most chaste spouse of the VirginMary, that never was it known that any who implored your help and sought yourintercession were left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly untoyou, and beg your protection. Despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, myhumble supplication but in your bounty hear and answer me. [Mention yourpetition.] Amen.

FEBRUARY 14: PLEASE OFFER A PRAYER AND/OROFFERING OF THANKSGIVING.

Not A Matter of Opinion

2012-01-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

I was recently made aware of a video that is taking the world by storm!!! It is called "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus."

(disclaimer on the video: may not be appropriate for children under 15)
As any one of us could tell this fellow, such a statement is a paradox because Jesus came to fulfill the Old Law (aka, the Jewish religion), not abolish it. So... even though that one phrase knocks all of this kid's theories to the ground, he does have a legitimate point in his speech: that many people are only Christian in name, and not in actions. I am guessing that such people don't truly believe in Heaven or God, because if they did, they would know that Jesus said, "But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:16) And what are they being other than lukewarm Christians? I think that point will explain to him why the churches that he sees seem so fake: they are all appearance and have no meat to them.
One thing that is very odd is this same person who bashed religion (while simultaneously loving Jesus) also said this: If you are using my video to bash "the church" be careful. I was in no way intending to do that. My heart came from trying to highlight and expose legalism and hypocrisy.(https://www.facebook.com/jeffersonbethkepage/posts/340255849327214) I am not sure this guy really believes in anything. How could he hold two entirely different opinions at the same time? Even if his first statement wasn't a paradox, this second declaration of his certainly makes everything a regular conundrum!

The main reason I wanted to post this was because I found this response to Jefferson Bethke's video:

I really like this video! I think Fr. Barron does a wonderful job refuting Bethke's argument. I would encourage you to watch both videos, (though pay more attention to the second one; I only recommend the first so you can have some background information.)

Vienna Teng

2012-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Here is another artist I am "rediscovering." I had some of Vienna's music before, but I am going through more of her music now. She has a beautiful voice! I love how she actually uses her voice too! A lot of the artists you hear these days have auto-tune and alter the droning they actually do so much that it sounds like they're singing.

But she doesn't do that. Vienna sings!

Below I have one of my favorite songs by her, "Between", although it is hard to pick one! I also like "Gravity" and "Soon Love Soon." Not to mention "Lullaby for a Stormy Night" and "Nothing Without You."

I hope you enjoy Vienna's music as much as I have.

Jack-Jack, the lil' cowboy!

2012-01-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

This is my baby brother, wearing my best friend's cowboy hat. (^_^)

Draw when you're ready, pardner.

He's a heart-breaker!

Widecombe Fair by Show of Hands

2012-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

This song is beautifully haunting. I quite like it!

Of course

2012-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

I do wish this wasn't what my family did on 70 degree days. :( But it's so hard to justify sending everyone outside when we've only got a mud-pit for them to play in. I hope we can buy that house in Clover because then, at least, we would have a yard to put the kids in. And the neighborhood is great for riding bikes and such in.

And here are some gratuitous pictures of Jack in his red cowboy boots! (^_^)

More About Yesterday

2012-01-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

After I posted about going to the house yesterday, my family went to the park to enjoy the beautiful 60 degree weather. (What month is it again?) I just want to share some pictures that were taken while we were there.

Friday Firsts

2012-01-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today started off pretty good. I woke up a little later than usual, so by the time I was fully showered, dressed and fed, it was time to leave! Leave to where, you ask? Well, I found this house on realtor.com that looked amazing! The house we have now (although gorgeous) is a little too big for us and is difficult to heat and cool. Also, there is no room for kids to play. So, just for laughs, I was looking for a new house for us! And I did!

I found this lovely house in Clover, SC, near my uncle's house! Although it is not as close to shopping centers as our current house is, I love the location so much more!
The house is situated on the top of a hill; it is in a suburban community, but the houses are not close together (as they are in our present community), and the house has an acre of property! Our house right now has 0.3 acres of property. Not good, as you can tell.

The back deck is half-screened, half-open!

When we (Mom, me, Rose, Rachel, Stephen, David and Jack) pulled up to the house, the neighbor's dogs came running over to see us. One was a little white dog who refused to come closer than ten feet. The other dog looked to be some sort of mix; she was a golden red, with perked up ears and a slightly curled tail. She was adorable and let us all pet her. After a while, both the dogs left, having evaluated us. (^_^) One reason I chose this house to show to my family is because we would be able to get a dog with this house. The house we have now is NOT built to accommodate animals; the back door is in the basement. The access to the back yard from the front yard is ridiculous, and I doubt a puppy would be able to hold it that long. ;) But this new house! This new house has a back door on the basement and the deck has stairs down to the back yard! So a dog would have plenty of accommodation.
Okay, to continue with the house and comparisons: our house now has lots of vertical space (which looks nice but is terribly impractical. This new house has a lot of horizontal space, which is exactly what our family needs. The formal dining room has enough space to fit our 10 ft long table in! Our current house doesn't have a dining room large enough, so the table is shoved up against one wall. Not fun.

The family-living room, connected to the kitchen.

There is only a family room, but it is large enough to hold all of my family in one room! Our current situation crowds us a bit. :P
Jack was fascinated by the fireplace. It's a gas fireplace (unfortunately), but it covered, so Jack (or any animals) wouldn't have access to it.
Jack loved the whole house. He was ooo-ing and ahhh-ing all over the house. He was so adorable!
Another huge plus about the house is the finished basement! There are only 3 bedrooms upstairs, including the master bedroom. However, down in the basement, there are 2 play areas, one bedroom, another possible bedroom, a full bath, a workroom and a garage! There is also another garage that is accessible from upstairs. What was kind of funny is the possible bedroom downstairs wasn't legally allowed to be called a bedroom because it didn't have a closet.
Anyways, I think I've labelled all of the major advantages of the house. One down side (we thought) about the house was the fact that it is 20 years old, right when everything starts breaking. However!!! The present owner (although moved out) has gotten all of that taken care of! The realtor lady said that everything was being fixed, so we wouldn't have to worry about that at all! Isn't that lovely?

The front porch with ceiling fans!

I hope Dad would be willing to look at this house as a possibility. Dad likes the house we have right now for its location. We are in a really good place right now; close to shopping, school, work and church. I have yet to look up how far this Clover house is from everything, but I don't think it will be a major disadvantage. After all, my uncle lives in the same area, and he goes to the same church as us and the same work as my dad! So it can't be too bad, right?
In any case, I love this new house. I can't wait to see what Dad has to say about it! (I hope it's positive.)

Another first of today is today is the first day I've made sweet tea. Although it was slightly weak (the box only called for 5 minutes of steeping; turns out Mom usually does 30 minutes!), I think it was good. I can't wait to make it again!

Day 1

2012-01-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Jack seems pretty excited about dinner!

Today is the first day I start my New Year's Resolution! Tonight, I am making lasagna! Mom always uses the recipe from the back of the Barilla lasagna, and it's so delicious! I started my own recipe book today (it's just a notebook, but I will upgrade one of these days) and I wrote that one down, along with how to make biscuits, pancakes, cheese bread and sweet tea. I still need to get the correct amount of sugar to put in the sweet tea, but perhaps I'll just have to test how I like it. (^_~) I also took down our big Southern Cooking cookbook and searched through that for any recipes I want to try. Boy, did I find recipes! I'm most excited to make gumbo, but there's a lot of other stuff I want to try, like cheesy chicken spaghetti, popover pizza, and quick monkey bread (which is really more like dessert). I am so excited! I am sure I have this job pretty easy; I am only cooking twice a week. I have the most trouble coming up with side dishes - especially vegetables! There's only so many things you can do with greens and make it match the rest of the meal. I'm going to have to experiment a lot more, I think.
Wish me luck!

My Work

2012-01-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

I work at a fast-food restaurant called Chick-fil-A. When I applied, I knew next-to-nothing about the company; I'd only had their food 3 times in my life! But now, I think it's the best possible fast-food restaurant one could work at!
It is a very very Christian organization. The founder, Truett Cathy, has made it mandatory that each and every branch is closed on Sundays, not only because it is Biblical tradition, but also so all employees have time to refresh themselves and reconnect with the world around them.
Taken from the Chick-fil-A website:

WinShape Foundation was founded more than 20 years ago by Truett and Jeannette Cathy. Under the WinShape Foundation umbrella, there are several programs, including WinShape Homes®, which currently operates 11 foster care homes in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. The WinShape College Program℠ at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, is a co-op program offering joint four-year scholarship funding to incoming freshmen of up to $32,000. WinShape Camps℠ offers boys and girls summer programs at the college, which will be attended by more than 13,000 campers in 2011.

Additionally, WinShape also operates the WinShape Retreat℠, which offers a sequestered setting for marriage support and counseling and other gatherings on the Mountain Campus of Berry College. Held at WinShape Retreat, WinShape Marriage℠ aims to help married couples by offering intervention for couples in crisis, preparation for engaged couples and enrichment for those interested in growing their marriage.

WinShape Wilderness℠ is dedicated to using adventure to equip people to experience real change, not just in a team setting, but also through personal transformation. WinShape Wilderness is an outdoor adventure program that facilitates experiential learning for all audiences in ropes course settings as well as canoeing, rock climbing and backpacking venues.

Finally, WinShape International℠ was founded in January 2005 with a mission to mobilize leaders to transform young people and communities around the world.

Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship Program: Chick-fil-A separately offers $1,000 college scholarships to certain qualified franchised Operator Restaurant employees, a Chick-fil-A tradition that has awarded over $26 million in scholarships.

I think all of this is wonderful, but what else is wonderful, but not mentioned here, is the WinShape Retreat is strictly heterosexual. The WinShape foundation does not support gay "marriages." Personally, I think that is fabulous! Though I have nothing against gay people (and in fact respect the struggle they must deal with every day of their lives!), I don't believe there is such a thing as gay marriage. There couldn't be. First and foremost because true marriage is strictly an ecclesiastical arrangement. And the Church says gays cannot marry. End of story. What the homosexual community is asking for is for the government to force the Church to change her policy on gay marriages. Not cool, bro. Separation of church and state, if you don't mind. The State cannot marry people because that authority comes from God alone. The state can merely recognize that a couple are bound to each other in a lawful manner (no child-brides or forced marriages). In any case, I am glad that my work supports my faith. I am not sure what brand of Christianity Chick-fil-A supports, but so far, I'm loving all of it!

1 Corinthians 13:7

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

My Evaluation of John Lennon's world created from the lyrics to "Imagine"

2012-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky (You'd get chaos because there would be no perceived right or wrong, and people wouldn't see the need to obey any rule or regulation)

Imagine all the people living for today (people wouldn't see the point in charities or helping the poor)

Imagine there's no countries (countries naturally form around ethnic groups)

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for (essentially, no purpose in life)

And no religion too (no religion means no consequences in this life or the hereafter, so people wouldn't bother trying to live a good life. Being good doesn't pay in this world [typically], so why try?)

Imagine all the people living life in peace (there would be no peace because lack of laws would lead to unchecked violence)

You, you may say

I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one (individual countries would be torn apart from mass panic; after a while, the surviving people would regroup into new countries)

Imagine no possessions (it's part of human nature to accumulate possessions)

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger (Nobody NEEDS greed or hunger, and poverty would increase since everyone would live for themselves and would not donate)

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people sharing all the world (This would never happen since everyone take everything they wanted for themselves; no sharing would be involved)

You, you may say

I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will live as one

(I'm just saying)

The Pee Little Thrigs

2011-12-31T13:58:00.001-08:00

As told by the Flying W Wranglers, in the style of Archie Campbell

10 Ways to Love

2011-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

1. Listen without interrupting. (Proverbs 18)
2. Speak without accusing. (James 1:19)
3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)
4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9)
5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1)
6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15)
7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:14)
8. Trust without wavering. (Corinthians 13:7)
9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians 3:13)
10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13:12)

Helen Shapiro

2011-12-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

My sister and I found this singer yesterday, and I am thoroughly impressed by her voice!

My Creative Side

2011-12-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

So I had another story idea the other day! I have one of these about every week, but I love this new one!
The story is about a little boy named Jacopone (an Italian name) who, on a dare, entered a barrow and now thinks he has been cursed! He is miserable and watches the world's problems all around him and thinks they are all his fault! For example, the people in his town start getting sick and dying. Jacopone thinks it's his presence that is killing people, but it's actually a plague (since they live in olden days and such). Jacopone decides to go to the capital city of his country and beseech the High Priest for his help; along the way, he encounters a forest fire (caused by the drought) and millions of people who are running away from a "nameless fear" (which is actually an invading army). But Jacopone is too young to realize all of this and thinks he is causing all of the problems around him. He eventually is going to realize what's going on, but his childish confusion is adorable, in my opinion. (^_^)

Little Jacopone

Little Jacopone was walkingalong the road, or rather, stumbling. He could barely see the road in front ofhim, even though it was broad daylight. The ten-year-old hadn’t slept in two days,and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

Brushing ragged black hair awayfrom his eyes, Jacopone stared at the road a ways in front of him. Was that aperson, or just another mirage?

“Only one way to find out, Iguess,” the boy thought. He kept walking. Poor Jacopone had seen so manymirages along the road that he wasn’t certain if he was even alive anymore! Thesun was scorching hot, shriveling the greenery along the road. The trees werewilting, and some were prematurely shedding their leaves. The only sound theboy could hear was the constant whirring of cicadas.

“Ho there, boy!”

Jacopone jumped. He lookedaround for a bit, trying to find both a speaker and a spoken-to. “M-me?”

The old man Jacopone hadthought was a mirage shuffled over to the boy, grumbling, “Of course you! Doyou see anyone else out here?”

Jacopone admitted to himselfthat there was no one else. “But why do you want me?”

“This wagon is too heavy forme. I’m not as young as I was, see?” The old man grabbed Jacopone’s arm anddragged him over to a cart filled to the brim with pottery. “And my donkey’sgone and died from the heat! You grab that handle over there, and I’ll grabthis one. We both pull, see?” The old man pushed Jacopone toward the other sideof the cart, and grabbed his own handle.

Jacopone backed away from thecart. “I don’t think you want me to help you, sir. I’m not good for this.”

“C’mon, kid! I’ll give you tensilver pieces once we get to The Blue Talisman, okay? The tavern’s not too farfrom here.”

Even the prospect of money andwater couldn’t tempt Jacopone to pull the cart with the old man, thoughJacopone did think over it for a while. “I really shouldn’t. You wouldn’t wantme to if you knew…”

“Knew what?”

Before Jacopone could answer,the old man’s eyes went wide, and he pointed behind the boy. Jacopone turned.

The forest behind the two wason fire! The blaze was engulfing the parched forest, sending thousands ofscrawny rodents and birds fleeing. The fire belched black smoke into thepristine blue sky. Although Jacopone could not quite see the flames, he knewthe blaze would soon be at the road.

“Oh no,” Jacopone whined. “It’sall my fault. It’s all my fault!” He turned and ran away from the forest, downthe road. He had run about a thousand feet when he remembered the old man.Stopping, he turned to look for the hobbling figure of an old man behind him.There was no one.

“Oh no,” Jacopone whined again.Although he was all out of breath and dizzy from the smoke, he ran back to lookfor the old man.

The old man was slouched overat his wagon, limply hanging onto the handle. He was still coughing andwheezing, but it was apparent that he couldn’t move another inch by himself.

Jacopone tried to pull the oldman up, but the starved ten-year-old couldn’t budge the man. Frustrated, theboy threw down the old man’s arm and kicked the wagon. With tears (either fromfrustration or the smoke) running down his face, Jacopone collapsed near theold man. Then he thought of something. Standing up, Jacopone grabbed the oldman’s arm once more and yelled, “Ghago! Help me!” Jacopone stood still for afew seconds, and then he glared at the old man. Giving a monstrous heave, hegot the old man onto the cart. Tucking the old man’s boots underneath a tarp,Jacopone grabbed the handles of the cart and pulled!

He couldn’t budge the cart.With over two hundred pounds of pottery and one hundred eighty pounds of man,the cart was too heavy for the boy. Jacopone refused to give up! Whispering thename “Ghago” over and over, Jacopone pulled at the peddler’s cart. Finally, itmoved. The cart moved one inch and then another. With each step Jacopone took,the cart moved one more inch.

The road the cart was on wasflat, smooth and dry. With few curves and no hills for Jacopone to struggle up,the young boy was able to muscle his way to the crossroads he had been headingfor before. When the boy reached the crossroads, he paused, gasping for air.

Jacopone turned to look at theold man. The old man hadn’t moved from his position on the floor and was nolonger gasping for air. Jacopone’s heroic rescue had been just a little toolate.

The poor boy crumpled to theground in despair. “How much damage can I do in a day?” he thought. Jacoponestared at his sooty, blistered hands. Clenching his hands into fists, andgritting his teeth, the boy stood and ran away from the cart as fast as hecould. Jacopone did not watch where he was going. He just needed to get awayfrom that cart, the dead old man, and the forest fire raging behind him.

(That's all I have so far. I have a hard time writing stories after getting the first part written. Perhaps I'll get better sometime.)

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everybody!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful blissfully uneventful day! Even though uneventful occasions are rarely remembered, they are treasures nonetheless!

Well, as you can see, I got a puppy for Christmas! Except he's not real; he's a little stone puppy. He dreams of being a real dog someday! (Haha, "dreams," because he's asleep! I'm so funny.) I have named him Dopey, and he resides under my nightstand.

I know I keep going on and on about leaving Facebook, but it is going to be a major change for me. I always check Facebook as soon as I get on the computer, and it is a major source of communication for me. I am thinking that I will start writing letters to stay in contact with people and news, which means I'm going to have to prioritize. Can you imagine trying to decide who you are going to keep in contact with? My family is always going to come first, so I'm glad I have all of their addresses and such. But with my friends . . . It's going to be hard to decide who I am going to keep in contact with. Some of my "friends" on Facebook I never speak to, but I love watching their lives! (Creepy? I guess so.) One of my old friends is pregnant, and I wish I could stick around to see a picture of her baby.

Oh well. I decided a long time ago that I was going to dump Facebook before I got married, so I could devote all of my time and energy to my family; it's never too early to get rid of a bad habit, right? And speaking of habits, I'm trying to pick up a new one: cooking. A very close friend of mine recently went back to his home in Kansas, and he told me about how his sisters are amazing cooks. And I felt a bit ashamed of myself since I hardly ever cook. I always want to, but I just never . . . am around when Mom is making dinner. So now (after discussing said problem with best friend), I am going to make my New Year's resolution be "Make dinner at least once a week!" It going to take a lot of communication between Mom and me, making sure that we aren't making the same things and she gets all of the groceries I need. I am going to ask for specific nights to make dinner, so I am never caught off guard, and since I have a job. I think it will be easiest that way. In any case, I am really excited to start being productive!

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you're as excited about the upcoming year as I am!!! :D

(Picture of me.)

Suzanne Ciani

2011-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Suzanne Ciani is a piano artist I recently found. Well, I think she is a piano artist; she seems to do a little bit of everything though, so perhaps she is a composer? In any case, I love her music!

I have the music from an album of hers called Silver Ship. My favorite song is called Sargasso Sea, which is where this picture (of the album cover) will take you, if you desire to listen as well!

I hope you will enjoy her music as much as I do!

(P.S. I just noticed her hair looks a lot like mine! Maybe that's why I like her so much! Haha!)

Fruitcake Post

2011-12-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

This post will have a little bit of everything, so I am calling it a fruitcake. If the flavors don't match . . . too bad. (^_~)

I have found, or been informed of, a few more reasons why I ought to leave Facebook. The new Timeline profile asks for very private information, that only close friends ought to know. Timeline asks for information like if you have any tattoos or piercings, if you have changed your religious beliefs (and the reasons behind it), who was your first kiss, if you have lost any weight (but no option for if you have gained any), any habits you quit, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I, for one, love filling out personal information about myself. It brings up memories and makes me feel like I am meeting someone new. This would make the new Timeline a sweet poison for me. I would be happily giving out my most private information to anyone who wanted to shuffle through my profile. Adjusting all of the privacy settings for this information would be an extreme pain in the butt! Facebook is not worth the hassle.

Now, on to the weather! It's raining. There are only four days left until Christmas and it is raining. I can't help but think that if it were a few degrees colder, this rain would have been snow! I heard that the Midwest (where I used to live) just got a beautiful snowstorm (I'm sure they would beg to differ, but I can't help but envy them!). I think this rain is what is left of that snow. Poor miserable stuff. I normally like rain, but around Christmas . . . I am sure you can sense my disappointment.

Finally, the last thing I want to talk about today is this preview!

I simply cannot wait for this movie to be in theaters! It comes out on my birthday next year, and I have every intention of going to the midnight premier! The trailer was just released yesterday, so I am very excited about all of this! Martin Freeman is going to be a fabulous Bilbo Baggins.

Reasons for Changing

2011-12-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that Facebook has been invading the privacy of its users, especially with a new profile set-up called Timeline. It's a timeline (obviously) from the moment of a person's birth until the present. As a friend of mine on Facebook pointed out, the new format gives the privilege of a life-long friendship to mere acquaintances. It also may allow stalkers to get a clear view of where to find you at any given time; I saw on a different friend's profile a "Maps" page, which seems to be connected to Google. This Map had his school location on his profile. If that isn't an open invitation to stalkers, I don't know what is. My friend also pointed out that the new Timeline erases privacy settings, forcing one to reset them all. And also, by allowing Facebook to have all of the information about your past (even before you were a Facebook member), Facebook will be able to more accurately feed your information to different business so those businesses can more accurately give you appealing ads.

In light of all of these stalker-prone changes, I think I will be removing myself from Facebook. The friend I have been mentioning is going to relocate to Google+ but I dislike that social network as well. Through one's Google+ account, Google is able to follow all of your searches, purchases, and "likes", so they can also more accurately advertise to you. I hate being followed in that manner, by such an anonymous "Thing", so I won't be going there.

I have chosen to start blogging again. I know I won't get nearly the same amount of feedback, but I've been wanting to wean off of Facebook anyways. I guess this is the "push" to remove myself. (^_^)

And just for the record, I don't like the Timeline set-up either. It looks tacky and horrible.

ModCloth

2010-10-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

For the past year, since I've had my Facebook account, I've seen an ad for ModCloth. I never clicked on it, because I never really thought it would be worth it. But just today, I clicked on it and found the cutest dresses ever! Even though these dresses are expensive, they are absolutely adorable! I love them.

I've always liked the slightly vintage look, with the floral patterns set to a modern style.
They also have recommendations for what to wear with the outfit, which is wonderful for me! I've never been good at that sort of thing.

Anyways, I wanted somebody to rave over these dresses with me. Please comment and say what you think of them.

Disreputable Characters

2010-09-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

(This is a story I wrote for my English class last semester. We were rewriting The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain.)

The cloaked man peered through the bog. A faint flicker of fire shone elusively through the trees and mist. His face and hopes brightened with the thought of a dry bed, cooked food and company. However, his experience warned him not to get his hopes too high. The Western Bog was not home to many friendly people; especially in the 12^th year of King Pedeoc's reign. The king was somewhat slack concerning the bandits that swarmed the roads.

The cloaked man pulled his lute closer, making sure it was dry and safe, as he watched the owners of the fire, raucous band of men, hungrily devour some other man's cow. One man was apart from the rest, hunched over a small object. The cloaked man crept closer to the separated man, wondering what he was doing. The separate man suddenly jumped and grabbed at something: a little frog. The cloaked man saw it struggling between the large man's fingers.

“Still playin' with yer pet, eh, Thrash?” asked another man; the leader by the condition and fabric of his cloak. “Hain't you squished it yet?” The other men started laughing and calling Thrash other names, making fun of his frog.

“I swears,” Thrash eventually replied to their jeering, “I made three pound of gold on this here frog. I aim to make more.”

The other men laughed, but the cloaked man's hand briefly went to his empty money pouch. I haven't heard the sound of two coins clinking together since I don't know when, he thought. Rubbing his fingers together, he started looking for a frog. After he had found a suitable one, larger than Thrash's, the cloaked man waited for the men to calm down. As they finally settled into their sleeping arrangements, the cloaked man decided to announce his presence. Pulling out his lute, he first quietly tuned it, and then started playing a dis-concordant tune that echoed eerily through the dank marsh.

The band of men immediately rose into action, whispering loudly to each other and grabbing at their weapons as they looked for the source of the music. The cloaked man noticed, from his perch in a tree, that Thrash had carefully put his frog in a box, underneath the log, before joining the rest of his comrades.

“Ay! There he is!” One of the men had seen him, so the cloaked man put his lute away and pulled his legs out of the men's reach.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” the cloaked man said as the band gathered around the foot of the tree. He inwardly laughed at their confusion; none of them could reach him, so their usual tactic of surprising and killing their victim was defeated. A sad prey I would make, in any case, he thought. Only my lute is worth anything, and these brutes wouldn't know half its value.

“Ay! What are you doing up there, lil' fella?” The leader of the band saw that they were going to have to change methods with this man, and so tried being friendly. “Why doncha come offa there?”

The cloaked man shifted his position, so he could easily jump from the tree. “I would like to jump down, kind sir, but a large array of weapons seems to be blocking my way.”

“You heard the man!” The leader bellowed. “Get outta the way!” He started roughly shoving men aside, clearing the area around the tree. The leader turned around to look at the stranger in the tree, but instead jumped back as the cloaked man seemed to spring up before his eyes.

The leader suddenly changed his mind about this cloaked man. The leader was somewhat superstitious, as most men of that time were, and this stranger's flaming red hair, brown skin and golden eyes immediately put him on the alert. However, he didn't want to appear weak, so he kept his eyes from showing the fear he felt.

The leader crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully at the cloaked man. “What's a guy like you doing in a place like this? You Anchurian folk never hang out in bogs like this.”

“How true that is, my friend,” the Anchurian said dolefully. “To be banished is cruel thing!”

“Banished, eh? Whadjoo do?” The leader now had no qualms in killing the man. If he had been banished, no one would be looking for this Anchurian if he went missing.

“Oh, this and that, and little of both,” the stranger said elusively. “All I do is pilfer a few coins, and here I am cast out in the world, with only my lute and frog for company! It's a cruel thing, I tell you!”

The cloaked man glanced briefly at Thrash, to see what his response to the frog statement would be. Thrash's eyes lit up with the prospect of a match and he glanced quickly to where his frog was hidden.

“Oi, Thrash here's got a frog. Whadjoo use yers for?” One of the men called out. He was immediately buffeted by the other men.

“C'mon! Whadjoo think he uses it for! The only use a man's got with a frog is to jump it! Or eat it!”

“I jump my frog, as you gentlemen so eloquently put it,” the cloaked man said cautiously. He didn't want to offend these rogues too much, but his mouth tended to get him into trouble. “He's a winner, too. Out-jumped all other frogs north of the border!” The cloaked man knew from experience that his frog could jump pretty far; he had had quite a time of catching it.

“Well, let's have us a little competition then!” The leader suggested. He knew his men needed a little fun, and if the stranger's frog out-jumped Thrash's, there would be an excuse to kill him. “C'mon, Thrash, get yers. C'mon over here, stranger! Light's better.” The men all gathered around to watch Thrash's prized frog beat this cocky stranger's frog.

Thrash set his frog out near the fire, where every man could see it clearly. The glossy green skin shone and its blinking red eyes made a few men cross themselves against the evil eye. The cloaked man pulled his frog out from his coat pocket and set it next to Thrash's.

Thrash looked at the stranger's common frog, and sneered. “I bet yours doesn't even jump on command!”

“I bet it does,” the cloaked man said defiantly. “I'll bet yours won't jump nearly as far, with all that pampering you've done!” Thrash had obviously taken extremely good care of his frog.

“Twenty shillings yours doesn't jump even half mine!”

“I don't have any money on me, but I will bet my lute your frog will land five feet behind mine!” The cloaked man knew this was dangerous. He didn't want to let the band know how much his lute was worth, but he had to offer something. However, he had no intention of losing in any case. The cloaked man pulled the lute from his back and let the firelight glint off its subtle gold inlays.

“Hold now, man,” Thrash said. “That lute's worth sixty pound if it's worth pence. I can't match that!”

“I don't mind,” the stranger said confidently. “Match it as best you can.”

Thrash pulled out his bag of three pounds, and shook it. The stranger's eyes glinted as he listened to the chink of the coins. “Three pounds,” Thrash said. “S'all I've got. Take it or leave it.”

The stranger nodded, and they set their bets side by side.

“All righty, men,” the leader interrupted, “Here's the rules: no cheatin'. Frog that jumps the farthest wins! Good luck!”

Thrash leaned close to his frog and whispered something to it. Frowning, the cloaked man listened carefully, but Thrash was only telling the frog what a good jumper he was and how he would jump father than “this stupid bloke's” frog. Smiling, the cloaked stranger whispered a few words under his breath, and rubbed his fingers together. Suddenly his frog made a ridiculous sideways leap toward Thrash's frog, and as the stranger quickly grabbed it, his fingers brushed the other frog's side. Thrash's frog blinked in surprise, and then settled onto its back legs.

“And go!” Thrash shouted, clearly taking advantage of the stranger's unready position. The stranger put his frog carefully on the ground, and gave it a little nudge. The frog hopped as quickly as it could across the clearing and disappeared into the bog.

Thrash stared at his own frog. It hadn't moved an inch. When he carefully nudged it again, the frog croaked apologetically. Angrily, Thrash gave the frog a vicious jab, but it didn't budge a single inch. Thrash frowned at the stranger, who merely shrugged.

“Tough luck, friend,” the stranger said before picking up the small pouch of gold and his lute.

“Now look here, that can't have been fair! You cheated somehow! I know you did!” Thrash grabbed his sword and shook it menacingly at the stranger.

The cloaked man held up his hands in mock surrender. “Now that's taking it too far, friend! You are just a poor loser!”

Suddenly, the entire band of men started yelling at the cloaked man and drawing their weapons. The stranger realized it was time to go. He quickly threw a handful of powder into the fire, and the dark clearing was suddenly lit with bright greens and blues as the fire spewed tongues of fire around the men. The stranger ducked away from the band as they rubbed their blinded eyes, and he quickly ran off into the bog.

“Oi! Men! Don't let 'im go! Get him!” The band of men charged into the bog after the stranger. They started searching above and behind every tree, and several of them got stuck in the soggy ground. Shouting all sorts of curses at the cloaked man, the band of men struggled to get out of the bog.

Far down the road, the cloaked stranger twirled his newly acquired bag of gold. “These disreputable characters are always poor losers.”

2010-06-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Not very many things have happened since Easter. Our life commences in a hum-drum way that is at once comforting and boring. We have all finished our school year, welcoming summer with open arms! However, now we are experiencing the real South Carolina weather, 90 degrees and humid.

Mom purchased a membership to community pool for us back in April. However, it wasn't until last Saturday that we took advantage of it. I didn't particularly relish the idea of swimming with a bunch of strangers in what would undoubtedly be a crowded, chlorine-filled pool. It took quite a bit of convincing to bring me to the pool. I eventually did go, but only to watch David. Luckily Catherine and Rose persuaded me to bring my swim-suit just in case. The pool ended up being not very crowded, not very chlorine-filled and I ended up in the water with everyone else. Well, we all ended up a little bit burned...mostly on our shoulders, where the sunscreen washed off quickest. I didn't get burned very badly, which was odd, because I probably had the least amount of sunscreen on of anybody.

We'll be going to famous Myrtle Beach this Saturday. My mom's parents have had this planned for a long time, and so we will be staying there for a week, with my mom's family. It will be very nice to see them again, since they have always lived far away from us. My mom's oldest brother lives in California, so we live on complete opposite sides of America! The last time I saw my uncle was about... 2 or 3 years ago, when my grandparents purchased tickets for me and Philip to join them in visiting my uncle and his family. So this Myrtle Beach trip will be a wonderful family reunion!

Speaking of family, as I mentioned before, my mom is expecting a little baby boy. Since Junior is expected at the end of August, Mom has decided not to home school the younger children. It is rather too bad, because this means they will have to go public school. I never favored the idea of my youngest siblings in public school, since they haven't gotten the full teaching of our faith yet, and so won't know the difference between the good and bad they will experience in school. It makes me miss our old school, for all its failings, because at least you knew you were being taught the truth, by people who knew and believed the faith.

A little about the past school year, I think it went very well for us having gone in during the second semester. Of course, it was harder for Rose and Thomas, because they had to jump into the year, whereas Catherine and I had an easy entrance. Our school runs on a block schedule, so we're taught our subjects for an hour and half each day. Then, we have finished an entire subject by the end of a semester, and an entire new "year" so-to-speak is started the next semester. Having new students a class seemed completely natural to them. None of them would have known I was completely new to the school if I hadn't told them. In any case, Rose had a hard time at first, especially with math, because her class was somewhat ahead of where she had been. But she soon conquered that obstacle and ended up with the best average in her class. I still don't know much about Thomas but I think he did tolerably well. :-) I think all he needs is a little pushing and he'll get it. Catherine ended the year with A's and B's, and that's much better than she did at our old school, so this new system is working well for her. My classes were all much too easy. I ended with straight A's. However, I am entering more honors courses next year, so hopefully it will be a little more challenging. I am also going to take a Creative Writing course, because I hope to be an author sometime. I am not planning to make journalism or whatever my career, since it is such an uncertain business. However, it would be a wonderful hobby, so I'm going to try and develop those skills.

So, I'm going to be a senior this coming year. A rising senior, as I believe the term is. Catherine is a rising sophomore, and I think she's anticipating the coming years at our school. Rosie Posie is a freshman! I think some people will find it hard to believe, since she is so tall! Thomas is in 7th grade now, and Rachel is in 5th. Stephen is going to be in 1st grade. So we're all quite grown-up now, ha ha!

Rachel, Dad and David have had birthdays since I posted last. David, the little guy, is now four years old! However, he is still taking advantage of the position of youngest. He quite often asks me to carry him upstairs because he does not feel like walking. I have to remind him that he is four and can walk by himself. :-) Rachel is now 10 years old! Double digits! I'm glad she hasn't grown up too much though, and she can still enjoy a wonderful baby doll my grandmother sent. She's named the little boy Zachary and takes him around everywhere. He's even going to be joining us at Myrtle Beach, which Rachel says he is very excited for. I am afraid I do not have pictures of their birthdays on this computer so I will have to post those later.

I hope everyone will have an excellent summer!

2010-04-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."

Happy Easter to all of my friends!

I have this urge to be extremely poetic and say something memorable, but nothing comes to mind. The Bible has the best quotes, and I can't even come close to the depth in the words. No one other than God can put all of the meaning in the words, words to keep theologians busy for years.

God knows all things, so He knows exactly what to say to bring all people together, under His banner.
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Well, several things have happened since last I posted...minus that post on Good Friday...
Philip was supposed to come up here for Easter, but his car wouldn't start. That made us all very sad. We haven't seen him in a such a long time, and he just graduated from A School. Philip is now a petty officer, and going into nuclear training. I know he was planning to go to Illinois for Easter week, but now I'm not sure what his plans are. I miss that kid. ;-)

My grandparents are coming down from IL to see us! I am so excited, because we haven't seen them once since we moved! I can't wait to hug my grandma! I miss her so much! They will leave IL today, and be here by tomorrow. We're going to try to persuade my grandma to teach us how to make a lattice for cherry pie. I can't wait!

The middle of the school semester just passed, and the Klaske kids soared through it. My lowest grade was a 97%, and I know that everyone else passed with flying colors also! The exact numbers I'm not sure of, but Rose has finally gotten on her feet in her middle school, and is wowing all of her classmates. I think Catherine has reached a stage of comfortably challenged. Thomas still never mentions homework, but no body has been complaining either, so he must be doing well. ;-) Rachel's homework must be time-consuming, because she rarely has time for chores... Stephen has been memorizing poems, and he really likes to recite. David is always there with the prompts, in case Stephen forgets anything.

Unfortunately, Dixie has been much worse lately. She is very stiff, and has gotten paranoid. she yelps if someone walks near here, so Dad thinks someone (i.e. one of the little boys) stepped on her. Dixie's neck is very stiff, and she barely lifts her head. I hope she will be okay. I'll let you know if anything develops.

Mom has been doing very well. We had a bit of a scare a few weeks ago, when she had intense side pain, and had to go the hospital. However, it wasn't anything extremely serious, and the baby is just fine. We discovered that another baby boy is on the way! Mom said Dad gets to name this baby, but Dad has called in another authority. David had a nickname for himself, Jack Jome, and we all like calling the baby our Jack Jome baby. Dad was already thinking of naming the baby John, and I said we could have his middle name be Jerome. John Jerome sounds good, I think, so the nickname could work out perfectly!

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, and a blessed year! The Lord bless you and keep you!

Good Friday

2010-04-02T07:07:00.001-07:00

Today shines through our windows, with golden sunbeams, and a turquoise sky. Birds sing joyously, and the water sends sunbeams dancing. It seems somewhat indecent considering today is the day our Savior died. The sky should be overcast, there should be a slight drizzle, and Nature should make us feel sad, not joyous. But really? Last year, when I wore black to Good Friday devotions, my dad told me that today was not supposed to be mournful, because today is the day mankind is saved. Jesus brought the history of Earth to its climax, fulfilled the prophesies of the Scriptures, and justified all He had ever taught or had us believe.
Of course it is proper to wear black today though. It shows our respect for God, and our mourning for His death, His physical absence on holy Saturday, and our period of waiting for Easter.
We hold our breath as we watch our Lord be scourged, as the soldiers press the crown of thorns on Jesus' head. We stumble along with the crowd, watching Christ struggle to support the heavy cross.
Our breath catches with each stroke of the hammer, crushing Jesus' hands and feet. Each strained breath brings another tear to our eyes. His every word lingers in our minds, burning our hearts, "Mother, behold they son. Son, behold thy Mother." He has given us His own beloved mother to be our own. We watch as our mother holds her precious Son's body, weeping and kissing His bloody brow. We follow the mourning people to Jesus' grave, and roll the stone in front of the door. And now we wait, for the Messiah to return, and tell us all was not in vain.

2010-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up as I should be. Quite a few things have happened since I last posted, but I can't seem to recall quite all of them.
Philip came to see a few weeks ago. I was sitting on the couch in our living room, reading a book, when Mom came downstairs and began to discuss college visits with me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone pull into our driveway. I saw a shining blue car, and a rather pale driver. I noticed he had thin glasses and a military cut. However, I couldn't see all of his face, so I didn't know who he was.
"Ugh, Mom," I said. "Someone pulled into our driveway!"
We groaned together, because now we would have to get up and answer the door. Mom stood and started tidying up the front hall. However, the person did not come to the door. He did not even get out of the car! This confused me.
Now, who would drive into someone's driveway and not get out of the car? It obviously wasn't a saleperson of sorts. Someone turning around could have done so a while back, without coming to our end of the road.
Now, who normally sits in their car in someone's driveway? Family does. I've seen it happen many times. A family member (uncles and grandfathers in particular) will drive up, but sit in the car for a while, as they get their things or listen to the radio.
Now, that made me think, what family do we have down here? We're all here, including my uncle Steve. That left Philip.
"Mom?" I looked at her. "What kind of car did Philip get?"
Mom's eyes opened wide and she screamed! She ran outside, while I yelled, "Wait, it might not be him!" But who could hear something like that at a time like this?
We had not thought to see Philip, because it had snowed fiercely the day before. He had driven all the way up from Charleston to see Mom for her birthday!
It was absolutely wonderful seeing him again, and having him at dinner made our lives complete again.

Mom has been doing a lot of shopping lately. She's having the hardest time finding stores that carry maternity clothes! Mom's expecting again, our own baby number 9 and we are all so excited! The baby is due in late August. A few years ago, that would seem like forever, but as you get older, time goes by faster, and I know it will be August in a jiffy! I can't wait. ;-)

That is all the news I have right now. I have been finding school very easy, but that is mostly because I have had a semester's learning before my schoolmates. As we come to things I've never learned before, I expect things will become more challenging. Catherine has been having a lot of homework, but it doesn't seem to be particularly difficult. Rose has tried out for the high school performing choir, and the judge was very impressed with her vocal skills. ;-) I think she made it easily. Thomas had to go to the doctor for an abscess in his arm, but he's quite healed now. He recently got a french horn, which he likes a lot. Rachel likes her schoolwork, but she likes her friends even more. She's always over at a friend's house playing. Stephen likes to play on the Wii with his friend next door. David is a perfect little boy, save he doesn't seem to like eating anymore. However, he is always ready to save us ladies from the assaults of the 3 year old next door. He is quite the gentleman.

The Lord bless you and keep you. And since you are mostly in IL, may the Lord keep you warm too!

Catch up Point

2010-02-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I've been able to update; I was unable to access my blog for a while, so this is going to be a long one.
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A long while back, some friends of ours from church invited Catherine, Rose and me to go with them as they explored a small town and its college. We decided to go with them as this sounded somewhat exciting.
We drove for quite a while, but it was fun. We first went to the college, exploring their campus, which was also an arboretum. The trees there were quite different from the trees we have our. Our trees are really tall, very spindly and have few branches. The trees at the college reminded me of the trees in IL: tall, thick trunks, spreading branches. It was beautiful.
They also had a chapel on campus, but it was Presbyterian or something. We went inside anyways, to see if it had a pleasant interior. It frankly reminded of a kitchen. The organ pipes were in the front of the church by the altars. The pipes had been covered with things that looked like cupboards. There were altars underneath them, looking like counters, and the two altars in the center looked like and island and a table. There was a bowl, chalice and pitcher on the closest altar, which completed the look. We decided to go up to the choir loft, just to look. We ended up staying there for a very long time singing very Catholic songs. It was very fun. One of my friends taught us a Eastern Easter song, in Greek. That was fun too.
After that, we looked around the town a bit, but we were hungry, we all wanted pizza and there were no pizza places. So, we looked around for one in other parts of that area. Not finding any, we went to downtown Charlotte, where our friends new of a very interesting restaurant.
It was an authentic Italian restaurant, complete with a pure blooded Italian manager. He was our waiter for the evening, and he excelled. He told us that his family dated all the way back to the 16th century. We were simply in shock. He also knew 6 languages, of which English was the 3rd. The restaurant served wood burning pizza, custom made. When our waiter asked us what we though to fit, the other girls said things like,"It was so good! Delicious! Excellent!" I said, "I'm definitely coming back." "That's the right one!" He said. ;-)
That was an interesting evening.
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I know other things happened since then, but I can't recall much.
Rachel, Stephen and David have all found good friends around the neighborhood. There is a family next door with a 9 year old girl, and 7 year old by and a 3 year old boy. As if things couldn't get any more coincidental, huh? It is the cutest thing in the world, listening to David and his little friend talk to each other. There are several girls Rachel's age around the neighborhood, so even though she home schools, she has no lack of friends.
Thomas and Rose go to the same public middle school. Rose was a hit there right off the bat, being the new kid. She has many people to talk to, and she's enjoying school a lot. She finds the math rather hard, but she's had to jump into the middle of the year, so she hadn't stopped at the same place she picked up. She had to learn several things very quickly, but now she's getting the hang of it more.
Thomas is in band, playing the French Horn. He got a mouth piece a few days ago, and he was blowing it all over the house. He has about 4 people he talks to regularly, so he is happy. His homework seems to be going well, since I've never heard him speak of it; I've never seen him doing it either. I hope that's a good thing. ;-)
Catherine and I go to the same public high school, but we never see each other during the day. The school is huge (compared to what I used to know), with 1400 students. They can't fit all of the kids in the cafeteria at the same time, to they split lunch. I have the first lunch and Catherine has the second, so that's why we never see each other. We don't have any classes together, since I'm a Junior and she's a Freshman. I know she's been talking to a few people, but I don't think she's made any bosom buddies yet. She's been taking PE, and she finds it quite a bit harder than what we had at our old school. I think she's enjoying it though.
I like school well enough. I find the schedule somewhat monotonous, since I have the same four classes, day after day, week after week. At our old school, there was a slight change in the day to day schedule, and that kept it interesting. Now, I have nothing. I have four classes, each over an hour long, in the same wing of the school. English class is the most interesting right now, because the teacher is amazing. My Pre-Calculus is all right. I get the distinct feeling I'm the smartest in the class, even though it is an Honors class and there are quite a few seniors in the class. Though the teacher is excellent, she speaks to us like we were elementary school children, and the other students respond like elementary school children. Oh well. They can't help it, I guess. US History is fun, but it is likely going to be the hardest class. That is the class I have most friends in, so that makes it more fun. [Ha ha, as a by note, we took a drug survey the other day, and the computer is probably going to think I'm either a straight out liar, or entirely fake. ;-) ] Spanish 1 is all right. I prefer the teacher I had at my previous school. This teacher doesn't have a very smooth method of teaching, skipping from one thing to the next and throwing random information in here and there. My other teacher was much better; I miss her.
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We had snow the other day; ever one was freaking out. It was so funny, seeing how scared they were of snow, how they cancelled all their plans and spoke of preparing for being trapped indoors. There was quite a bit of ice, but the snow itself was harmless. The only reason we were worried about the ice was we live at the bottom of a hill, so we weren't able to get out. School was closed today, also, but that's no bummer. ;-) Rachel's been sledding with her friends a few times, and she enjoyed it a lot. There are hills galore over here, so all they had to do was go to the golf course (about 10 minutes away).
Catherine, Rose, Mom and I went to the Carolina Place Mall yesterday, but we didn't get to see much of it since they close early on Sundays. On the other hand, it was huge and beautiful. It was much better than the mall we had in IL. We will definitely have to go back and explore some more.
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So, that's what we've been doing, and I hope that I will be able to update again soon.

The Tale of the Hills

2010-01-12T07:46:00.001-08:00

You walk over another hill, as green and as cool as the last. The white flowers are sprinkled like stars on a green breezy sky. You lift your head, letting the wind play with your hair and cool your face.
The meadow is dotted with trees, under which sheep rest and shepherds pass the day. You wonder at these people; how can the spend so much time doing practically nothing? They wave to you as you pass by, and though you find them cheerful and welcoming, you do not stay. The wind is too insistent: you cannot stop.
You do not wander too close to the sheep, for they would get in your way and distract you. You have a feeling that you are searching for something, but you do not know what it could be.
Finally, losing hope with the wind, certain that it is leading you nowhere, you stop. You sit on a stone that seemed to have been meant for you to sit on. You abandon your troublesome confused thoughts and drink in the scene in front of you.
A wide landscape, never-ending it seems, has opened in front of you like a book. The grass tells of youth and things that pass. The hills represent journeys and places that should be seen. Trees are time, age and those who govern the wild and reckless. The flowers, though as passing and temporary as clouds, speak of perpetual beauty.
Though you do not understand all that you have found, you appreciate it, and admire the glory within. Then, you hear something, and though it does not match the tale of the hills, it nevertheless seems to tell a story, a higher story, a more worthy story, of its own.
You stand, suddenly dissatisfied with what you have seen, and you must find that which you hear. The sounds is clear, though somewhat faint, and the wind carries it nearly the same way the sea carries a boat. The song is traceable, and you follow it, letting it draw you in, letting it entrance you.
Just as you come over a hilltop, you see them. They do not see you, and you quickly lay down, for if they saw you, the song would surely cease. They are sitting on the hillside beneath you, passing the time you thought they spent so idly.
There are two of them, sitting, watching, singing. You do not know their names, so you name them yourself. They become Christopher and Jonathan, not brothers, but nearly so due to the depth of their friendship. The blond hair of the one and the brown hair of the other stand out in the green and white landscape. Their clothing is simple, practically rustic, but it only makes them more real for you.
As their song ends, and they begin to laugh and talk, you feel discontent again. How could they end such a beautiful melody, and replace it with such coarse, earthly language? But, as they talk, in mellow tenor voices, you realize the song had not ended. Their voices, their movement, their life is an endless melody in praise of the gift of living.
You cannot stay any longer, for if you do, you know the feeling will pass, and you will have nothing but two young shepherds, singing on a hillside.
Perhaps, when you return tomorrow, you will speak to the shepherds, not merely watch them from afar.

Promises are promises

2010-01-12T07:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, I said I would explain some of the pictures that I put up before. Some of them might confuse some people, who weren't there for it.

In the first block: I think the leaves are easily explained as leaves. Our small maple (or was it oak?) tree looked gorgeous in the fall, and I really wanted to get good pictures of it. So I did.
The little baby girl, who is absolutely adorable, is my youngest cousin. We were visiting our cousins, and we simply had to get good pictures of her before we moved. I really like the way that one turned out.
The sparkles right next to her, Catherine (or Rose) took of the snow. It looks really pretty, doesn't it?
The last two pictures are pictures of our last Sunday at our church. The people at our church gave a us a good-bye party, and the cake was part of it. They also all signed a poster. The picture of me and a friend of mine is sort of an inside joke. We are/ were both in our church choir, and the night before, we'd gone to the choir party. We both one prizes (I won at bags, we both won at bags, and she won at darts). We both got medals, and jointly won a trophy, but I kept that. ;-)
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In the second block, Catherine is standing next to whales. Yes, she mostly certainly is, because that is the semi that took all of our stuff to SC. It was probably the most exciting semi anyone ever made. It's funny how you never see those kind of things on the highway though.
The next picture was taken in Kentucky at a rest stop. The rest stop had a "scenic view" spot, that had a really good view.
The picture to the right of that was taken in.....Kentucky. It was a different rest stop though. It had a very cool view. That was when we realized that we were really getting into different terrain. You rarely see great dips in the land like that in IL.
The picture in the next row, of Catherine and Rose, is at a park near our home. We live right next to a lake (you can see it over our neighbor's roof), and we went to go see it. It was a very big lake.........(by the way, in case anyone is confused, Catherine dyed her hair brown, so she's not blonde anymore).
The picture to the right of the lake was taken at the same rest stop in Kentucky, with the "scenic view". That was one of the "views". Very cool.
I think the next two pictures explain themselves: Thomas is twelve now, and we all stuck our heads out of Catherine's vedroom window. ;-)
By the way, I need to write down a few birthdays:
I am 17 now. My birthday was December 14, and that was the day we started driving down to SC. A very momentous birthday.
Stephen is 7 now. He is exactly (well, off by 6 days) ten years younger than I am; that makes it easy to remember how old he is. ;-) We weren't moved into our new house yet, because his birthday was December 20, and we didn't move in until after Christmas. I think he ahd a good birthday though.
Thomas turned 12 on December 30. It is so easy to remember Stephen and Thomas's birthdays, because Stephen's is 5 days before Christmas, and Thomas's is 5 days after Christmas. He was lucky enough to have his birthday in our new house. He had a carrot cake, with a lot of frosting. Tasty.
So........those are the pictures. I hope I have cleared up any difficulties. If there is a specific picture that I didn't mention, please ask. I would happy to explain.This is another picture at the "scenic view". Can you see how tiny that little farm is? Yeah. Those are big moutnatins, eh?

Sorry

2010-01-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid I lied in my earlier post. It wasn't after midnight when I published it. I thought it was when I published it, because our computer had been an hour behind before, and when it said 11:something-or-other, I thought it was still an hour behind, so it would have been really 12: something-or-other. But someone fixed it. So it was only 11:something-or-other. My deepest apologies.
Pictures to make up
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The pictures in the first block are from before we moved. The pictures in the second block are from during and after the move. Hopefully, I will be able to explain what some of these pictures are later. However, I have no room here. Tune in later!
The Lord bless you and keep you.

After Many Weary Days.....

2010-01-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

.....I can finally write to you again.
We have successfully moved into our new house! But, moving into new houses includes drawbacks, along the lines of no Internet for two weeks.
I still have not found time to upload pictures onto the computer, for the simple reason I do not know where the camera is. And even if I did know, the wire that would connect the camera to the computer is in a drawer that is filled with other wires that look exactly the same (to an inexperienced person like me) and do entirely different things!
Therefore.......I have no pictures. And speaking of no pictures! Philip was here for Christmas! And why mention this now? Because no one took any pictures!!!! Our camera was lost amid the piles of everything we had everywhere, and no one thought of taking it out. No one thought of getting pictures of our first Christmas in South Carolina!
I think....you are mad at me. *Hides behind chair*
In any case, we're in our new house and we just got Internet today, so I am actually being very nice and not waiting until tomorrow to tell you what is going on! So....don't hit me.
~Philip is doing very well. He seems somewhat bored with the Naval Base, but that's just like him. He seemed to enjoy being home, and it seemed like we had finally found which box we had packed him in, and we just pulled him out! He hadn't changed a bit; at least, not in my eyes. Maybe someone else saw change in him. I didn't. Well, perhaps he smiles more, but that is hardly a change for the worse, don't you think?
~I have been...tired...and somewhat lonely. That is hardly unexpected though. I've enjoyed Philip's visit very much! And I can't wait to unpack his box again. I hate putting him away like this. For Christmas, I got a beautiful bracelet from my grandparents, and a lot of money in gift cards to Target (the only really big store around here). However....I am a bad shopper. I can never pick something I want. I always see something I need, but those rarely fall under the category of "Christmas Shopping." Sigh. Do they have shopping school anywhere?
~Catherine has been bored. There isn't much to do here, save play our new Wii (thank you, Dad!) and play on the computer. (Catherine's not all that into reading). She is very excited about going to public school (Catherine, Rose and I will be going), and I feel she will fit right in. She did her Christmas shopping rather quickly, because she knew exactly what she wanted. She's capable like that.
~Rose has been bored also, but she enjoys playing the Wii and being on the computer. She also enjoys writing, and does it it a great deal of the time, though what she writes, I have no clue. She also did not know get with her Christmas money, so she settled on a pair of jeans. It's a nice alternative. Just so you know, Rose is a singular person who makes me laugh a lot. She's very fun.
~Thomas has been getting on. That is the right word, for he is not entirely happy and not entirely unhappy. He is not happy, because I think he feels the separation now, and it has a deep affect on him. He also does not get as much computer time as he would like, and I think that brings his spirits down. He is not doing poorly though, because he has a Wii game all his own, and has been keeping himself somewhat occupied. He spent his Christmas money on a Halo figurine thing, which he was happy with for a few days, and he quite forgotten about know.
~Rachel has been happy. The new house is very exciting for her, and she has taken it upon herself to know where everything goes, so she has a ready answer for everybody. She spends a lot of time playing on the Wii and she is already a pro at bowling (beating Dad to the title!). She came with us older kids when we went to Target and I helped her pick somethings to buy with her Christmas money. She settled on a stuffed life-like Golden Retriever puppy (very cute, and quickly named Goldie) and a cute sky blue shirt with many stars scattered all over it.
~Stephen has been spending a lot of time playing with David. They are nearly always found in the living room, sprawled all over our great big green couches, with beanie babies galore everywhere. He has been playing the Wii, but he rarely plays anything but tennis. He spent his Christmas money on a Batman toy, with a spaceship-like thing and little Batman to go inside.
~David bought exactly the same thing with his Christmas money, and somehow they know whose is whose. David loves our new house, and has dubbed it "our house with all the rooms." He now has a big boy bed, finally removed from the crib. David has also been playing the Wii. He even made his own Mii, Jack Jome, a name he made up on his own. David already knows how to play most of the games on the Wii, but his favorite game, I think, is boxing, which he gets very into (he jumps all over the place, bashing his fists everywhere, making wonderful sound-effects).
~Mom hasn't had much time to herself, trying to deal with everything that needs to get done. Our schooling needed to planned out (which has been settled, thank goodness), we needed Internet and phone service, she needs to find a home school group for the little kids, and our fridge isn't big enough to hold all the food we eat! Which leads to shopping often, and acquiring little. The fridge in our garage hasn't been hooked up yet. I think she has been very much appreciating the nights. She will also be much happier, I think, now that we have Internet.
~Dad has been working later than he did in Illinois. He normally stays at work until 7:00. This is rather sad. I wish he would come home sooner. It's so nice, though, that we can finally have him home nights, now that he no longer has to commute over states. Dad enjoys playing on the Wii. I think his favorite game is Bowling, and his least favorite is...either Boxing or Baseball. He quickly became a pro after Rachel, at Bowling, and now he feels pressured, because he has to keep the title. In any case, I think he's very happy we're all here now. He seems to be enjoying life. *Smile*
~Dixie has been doing poorly. As I mentioned in an earlier post, she is always limping and now she has learned how to stand with her back legs crossed, so she doesn't have to put weight on her injured leg. I say "injured", but we don't know what's wrong with her leg. We plan to get her leg X-rayed, but I haven't heard of any developments in that direction. Dixie has two beds now, one upstairs in my room and another downstairs in the family room. She prefers the one downstairs. However, even with her limp, she manages to make it up and down all three stories many times daily. She is hungry more often now, so she is fed more often. She seems thin, but that is only her waist, really. Her chest has always been broad, but now it seems as if her ribs have expanded. Anyways....we are all very concerned for her, and we hope she will not have to live with that limp much longer (meaning, we heal her leg!).
That is what has been happening. And it has taken a very long time to say so. It is now past midnight.
Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy Easter!
I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Lord Bless you and Keep you.

A New Look

2009-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, guess where I am? If you said Illinois, you would be off a few states. We've officially driven down to South Carolina, to live for the rest of our days! Or at least until we get sick of it and decide to move back. Either way, here we are. We started driving on December 14, which happens to be my birthday, which I will talk about later.
We started from my grandparents' house, at about 9:30 in the morning. We were all rather tired and out of spirits, so most of us slept until we reached Chicago. We hoped to have one last look at that huge city, but the fog was covering the city, so we could only see the closest buildings. It was rather disappointing.
Indiana was also incredibly boring: wide flat plains, covered with a drab sky and mist. There was hardly anything exciting there, and it seemed to last forever. The little kids had been carefully seated to prevent as many quarrels as possible. Thank goodness, too. We would have driven each other nuts if we hadn't seated them so.
As soon as we started getting into Kentucky, and more exciting things, it started to get dark, so we barely saw the outline of enormous hills. We stopped in London, Kentucky, to sleep. We stayed at Days Inn, which was quite nice. We had a free hot breakfast the next day.
Tuesday was far more exciting, because we could see the amazing hills and valleys that surrounded us. None of us (except Dad) had ever seen anything like the looming mountains, and the wooded hills. The amount of trees blew me away. I had never known so many trees could occupy the same state. (Well, I could have guessed, but it sure didn't seem like it!)
We had to stop a few times for bathroom breaks, and we got quite a few pictures that don't do the scenery any justice whatsoever. I would post them, but I am working from a community computer, and I don't really think that would be a good idea at this point. I definitely will upload later though.
Tennessee was very much the same as Kentucky, except we started getting more into the mountains. It was all very exciting, seeing mountains for the first time, and a strange thing that we noticed was how few towns there were. The route that we took lead us by many houses and we saw a gas station and McDonalds here and there, but the amount of towns were very few.
We got into North Carolina around 3:30-ish. It was rather hard to say, because I wasn't really watching the time. We went to see our new house in South Carolina, before coming back to North Carolina to stay at a friend's house.
Our new house is amazing, and all of us loved it immediately. The amount of space may not seem like very much, but all in all it is a huge house. The rooms are smaller than the ones we have now, save the boys' room and the basement. The boys' room is an entire floor, which is the third floor, and on the top of the house. It is probably the biggest room in the house except for the basement. The basement is huge, with ten foot ceilings and lots of space. However, it is not finished yet, which will give Dad something to do on weekends (*hee hee*). There is one room in the basement that has cement walls, which makes a perfect echo room.
After we saw the house, we went over to our friend's house for dinner and catch up time. My uncle who lives down here also came over, and so did another friend who had moved down to stay with Dad's company.
And now, here we are, being a little lonely, but still excited. We're still waiting to buy our house, because there are some complications in the paper work. It is all rather frustrating, and it seems to me, unnecessary.
Well, that's what we're doing for now. I will post again as soon as I have more updates.
P.S. For anyone who has a particular interest in this, Dixie did rather well during the trip. She got sort of antsy, having to lay down for a substantial part of the trip. We had to hold her back whenever we stopped, because she would try to run around. I forgot to mention that she has had a limp for a little over a month now. Dixie started limping around Thanksgiving, and most of us think it's because she was running around to much. Even though she hasn't gotten over the limp, she is still happy, and doing her best to leap around and be young. We're kind of worried about the new house, because there a lot more stairs and Dixie will have to try a lot harder to get up and down them. there are also more hardwood floors, so we will have to make sure she doesn't slip.
Pray for us, and for Dixie.
The Lord bless you and keep you.

A New House

2009-12-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

I suppose it's safe now to say that we're actually moving; all of my readers probably know anyways. We made an offer on a house quite a while ago, and I would have told you earlier, but the last house that we bid on and lost discouraged me somewhat.
The plans seem final now, as we have movers coming on Wednesday. This week will be our last at our school (a very sad thing) and we spent our last Sunday at church today (another sad thing). At least we will be able to go on Tuesday, because it's The Immaculate Conception.
However, this next Sunday, we will be at my cousin's church, and then that very day, we will start the long drive down.
One thing that makes me slightly sad (besides leaving everybody up here! *Sob*) is we will be splitting up the drive between two days, one of those days being my birthday. I do not particularly favor the idea of driving most of the day on my birthday, but a birthday present I received from my grandparents is shining like a beacon for me. I just got the box yesterday, and I am so excited now! I feel like a child!
I will see if I can post some pictures of our house soon. Have a wonderful Second Week of Advent! The Lord Bless you and Keep you.

A New Year

2009-12-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

It is a new year, you know...a new liturgical year. Well, maybe not quite, but it's getting there, so I think I can be justified in saying so now.

I think Christmas is the most beautiful time of year, and not only because it is the triumph of Hebrews, the salvation of the Gentiles, and the hope of the world. It inspires the entire world to be more God-like; to give of themselves, for no reason whatsoever than to give.
It inspires the most beautiful music. Music is an expression of one's soul, a reflection of your life, and depending on what you listen, it can be your salvation. When Christmas comes, and thoughts turn to God and love, songs turn to God. The music of the people becomes holy, loving, and welcomes the best in everybody. People pour forth their sorrows at being away from home, ask God to shed light on their lives, and thank Him for everything they have ever had.
The food also changes. People turn to spicier foods, with warmth to melt the bottom of your hearts.

I also have a personal attachment to Christmas time because my birthday is in the middle of Advent. Being born in the most beautiful time of year is a huge blessing. It really brings it at all home.

Changes

2009-11-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I've tried a new look. It is one of the many facets of my prism-like personality. At least, that's how I like to think of it:
A clear prism, pure and untouched. The sunlight pierces through the middle, creating rainbows of brilliant color. Each color is a different feeling, a different mentality, a different side of a life.
As you turn the prism, the sides creating a beautiful pattern, circling around you, enveloping your life, representing life at the same time.
The light also reflects in your eyes, casting light into the windows of the soul.
I love eyes too. Sometimes I have a hard time meeting people's eyes, especially during conversations, because I feel like it is intruding to gaze into another's "soul", even though it isn't really.
Anyways, there is my inspirational input of the day. Stayed tuned to hear more later.

Neighbors

2009-11-08T17:03:00.001-08:00

Kitty-corner to us is a house that the previous owner had abandoned. Only recently has it become occupied, by a nice family that we only met yesterday. They had an open house yesterday evening, inviting all the neighbors to come over, say hi, and get to know each other.
I wasn't planning on going, since I have been feeling a little sick, but Mom said I could go, say "hi" and then leave. As it turned out, I stayed as long as the rest of my family. The new family was kind of hard to distinguish from the rest of their family, but they were all very friendly, welcoming and...well, fun. The entire family was Laotian, from the country Laos, near Vietnam. I frankly would not have guessed that, since they look much more Oriental.
They had a few friends over too; I think mostly from their church. We met one guy there, whom they call "CD". He was very friendly, and kind of reminded me of us. There were a lot of little kids there too, all of whom were adorable! One of the youngest was a little boy named Skylar. He was adorable and became quite attached to Rachel. He was 15 months old. So very cute.
Anyways, that's what we did last night. Oh, and they had Thai (or Chai...we don't really know which one) tea which tasted really strange and really good! It was kind of like coffee, but kind of like tea. They also had a strange side dish: someone had emptied eggs shells (so the shell was intact, but there was a hole in the shell), then they scrambled the egg, adding salt and black pepper. Then, they poured the scrambled egg back into the shell and baked it! It was very interesting. One simply cracked the shell, and ate it like a hard-boiled egg. The egg itself looked rather weird, because the egg had turned green, and little black flecks in it. Strange, and intriguing.............tasted good though.
Hope to talk to you again soon!

Heavens a' Betsy!

2009-11-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

What in the world is going on with me? I haven't posted in ages.
Oh well. I try....but I barely get by with doing homework sometimes. it really is amazing how much school can cram everything out of your life. On the other hand, we haven't been doing nothing so here's a little of what's been going on:
1.) If you had driven by our house today [around 2:30 - 3:00] you would have seen several people outside, under the trees, raking. Now that doesn't sound all that unusual, does it? But what if you saw that the ground was covered with apples, not leaves? And what if that's what we were raking? Now that would be rather odd, wouldn't it? But that is what we were doing: raking apples. We have three apples trees, two of which are extremely generous, and one of them with rather spoiled apples. Our green apple tree is normally our best tree and gives us the tastiest apples; but this year, they were all spoiled before they hit the ground, so those were all raked up and dumped. (Hold on, I'll be right back....Okay, back; had to put some stuff in the shed.) Anyways, after that, we sorted through most of our red apples, which are normally not so great; but this year, a lot of them were really good. I hope to have some apple pies going around here soon, and Dad makes this awesome apple sauce recipe (which he made by the way), and we have a cider maker now! So, bring on the apples!
2.) Last weekend, as you all know was Halloween. We went down to my cousins' for trick-or-treating, and it was really fun. I didn't really go trick-or-treating, as I find it rather absurd to dress up and get candy; "Hi, I look like a five-year-old! Give me candy!" Yeah, not really my style, but I really like dressing other people up, so I did that a lot. I had to"make-up" my cousin as Ice, and my brother Thomas as a samurai warrior (which was my idea, by the way). However, he found/ made the costume and he looked pretty dang good.
Catherine went as a mobster, and she looked very snazzy. Pin-striped suit, sunglasses and a black B.B. gun made her look very......sophisticated and yet dangerous. Loved it.
Rose went as "Who-knows-what." Towards the end, she looked somewhat like the Joker, but her costume wasn't really meant to be anything. She matched her cousin though, because her cousin went as a rag-doll. Very creepy couple.
I already said what Thomas was.........he also dyed his hair black, and I draw a little black mustache and beard on him. Distinguished.
Rachel went as a sleepy person, with a robe, slippers and her bunny. It was very cute, because we put lop-sided ponytails in her hair, and I drew sleepy circles under her eyes. I believe she had the idea all by herself, which is good, because she had been asking for help. I was afraid she wouldn't feel like her costume was her own.
Stephen went as a crusader, with a red hood/ cape thing and sword. However, he didn't really like all the walking he had to do, so he went to about five-or-so houses, before I had to take him back to my aunt's house. His feet hurt, he said. Poor guy. I think he was content with his candy amount though.
David, the cutie pie, went as a monkey in a costume that was too small for him. ;-) He found his costume from about two years ago down in the basement, and he loved it. First he found a pumpkin outfit (that was also too small) and he wanted to be a pumpkin. But he liked the monkey outfit better. He kept walking around saying, "I'm a pretend monkey!" He has always so literalistic; he will pretend to be something, but if you ask him, "Oh, are you Superman? Are you a monkey? Are you etc, etc." He will say, "No. I am David. I pretending to be etc etc" Sigh. He is so dang cute.
Anyways, that weekend was super fun, and we had a surprise birthday party for one of my friends the next day. She did not suspect a thing; she even thought we were leaving that area to go home! But it was so super fun! We had homemade pie, that one of my cousins is famous for. ;-)
3.) Actually, that's really all that we've been doing that has had a big affect. But, there is one thing I haven't mentioned, you know that house we bid on? Well, we're not getting it. The septic system was not large enough for the amount of bathrooms to the house, and that is not something you can live with! So, we dropped that house, and Dad has been looking at houses while he has been down in NC working. He has to commute every week to NC. It was sort of-kind of okay before, because his bosses were paying for it, but now we are. This is going to get tough. Please pray for us.
God bless you, keep you happy, keep you healthy.

An Irish Friendship Wish

2009-10-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you

(A friend of mine sent this to me; I love it so much!

Galadriel, Lady of Light

2009-10-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

"The world is changed............ I feel it in the water..................... I feel it in the earth..................... I smell it in the air............... Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it..."

"...And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost....... History became legend.......legend became myth..."
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I love the Lord of the Rings. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Important News Update!

2009-10-16T15:02:00.001-07:00

We bought a house! In South Carolina! Today!
Okay, Mom and Dad bid on a house, about a week ago. It is a nice house; not perfect, but suitable. It has a lot of space, and room for us all. I am a little too flustered right now to give an accurate description of the house other than: it has 5 bedrooms (including the master). It has a wonderful porch, with gorgeous windows looking over the backyard. The living spaces are huge and will fit our enormous dining room table.
So, that being said, our closing date is November 9, so that is the earliest we could move.

These are some pictures of the house. It is very pretty. Phew. I feel ... deflated.
Well, please pray for us! Novenas to St. Joseph everybody!

Age

2009-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

You walk through a misty woods. The leaves rustle under your feet, speaking the words of the woods. The trees above you rustle in the faint breeze, telling you stories of ages past. Your boots sound loud and hollow as you cross an ancient wooden bridge. The water beneath you is wild, rushing past, sweeping years away. You see a small white flower drift onto the roaring current, and you watch in dismay as it is sucked under, devoured by time.

Your cape sweeps past you, trying to capture the wind, trying to pull you forward. You follow it, curious. Where does it want you to go? Why does the wind beg you to follow? There are no beings here save yourself. You wonder at the lack of sound, the lack of voices. Why is it only Nature speaks here?

The moss climbs onto rocks and logs, coating them, cushioning them from relentless time. You touch a branch and though it looked solid, it crumbles beneath your fingers. The decay revealed shocks you. How could something as solid as this be so temporary?

You look down, at the leaves beneath your feet. Beneath the leaves, the rustle and crackle, you see more leaves. Bending down, you brush aside the top layer, revealing another, forgotten layer. The leaves of yesterday have become soft, have pasted themselves to the ground, to form next spring's dirt. Are they content with this? You look up at their parent, an ancient gnarled tree. The branches reach out to you, begging you to come nearer. You walk to the massive truck and feel the rough bark. The leaves above your head have already turned. No longer fresh and green, they have become brilliant red. But they are deceiving no one. They fall from their branches, their home, to join their brothers and sisters on the forest floor, to become the ground.

The tree has grown old. The tree knows it will eventually die. But why? The tree has only completed its duty, so why must it die? You look at the winding limbs, the spreading branches, wondering.

There are more trees than this in the forest. There are many more trees in different stages of their lives. You walk, noting the ages, noting the stories. There is a young sapling, bravely trying to live up to its parent. It has seen one winter, and it will see another. But the tree up ahead has seen its last. The bark is gone; the protection is gone; the shield is gone. There are no branches, reaching to the sun; no twigs carrying bright leaves. There are only white limbs, white trunk. You brush it, telling it not to worry. It will come back, in the form of earth, to support its children, its neighbors, its neighbors' children. And indeed, at the base of this deceased giant, you see its successor. So young it can barely reach past the blanket of leaves. You tuck the leaves snugly around it, protecting it from the winter.

You have come to the end. You see where you left your comrades. You turn to look at the ageless and ancient forest. Why? Why did you go in there? Did you find what you were looking for?

Our Winner

2009-10-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

The winner of the poll I set up ages and ages and ages ago is Chocolate Chip!
A sweet batter, made with substantial food, such as egg, milk and flour, mixed with superfluous little chunks of chocolate. The chocolate chip cookie is famous; it probably didn't mean to become famous, but it is.
Why? Is it because it reminds people of home? Or of the past, when they were little kids, playing in the leaves in Grandma's yard? And then they would run inside laughing, enjoying life, and it would get even better, with hugs, love and cookies. ;-)
Well, what else can you say about this wonderful treat? Not much apparently... I'm running out of things to say. Oh! Except, when I was looking for a this picture I have, the caption for the picture said: National Chocolate. I think that's a good name for the chocolate chip cookie, because it is very national.

In the Bag

2009-10-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well, that's another two weeks in the bag. Being a junior at the beginning of the year is quite a bit harder than being a sophomore at the end of the year. That's why I haven't been able to update. I think most of my posts are going to be starting like this.
(Ha ha, David has a pear that had a little tiny bug on it. Then he put the bug on this keyboard, and now the bug is inside the keyboard. It's going to use its amazing bug powers to take over the world from inside there. Never mind. He found his way out. I guess he wasn't exactly a criminal master mind.)
Last week we had an open house. We're starting to take a "last resort" look on the sale of our house. I think that after the showing we have today, we're going to take our house off the market and switch realtors.
Mom and Dad have found a house in South Carolina that we like quite a lot. It has four bedrooms, not counting the master bedroom, three bathrooms, and huge living areas. I love the den most of all, because it almost completely made out of a gorgeous wood. It has three fireplaces, a pool, and large backyard. I believe the only reason we haven't bid on it quite yet is Dad is worrying about resale. Or however you say "if we have to sell it again."
We haven't been excessively busy lately. Rose, Catherine and I went to the mall last Friday.
We were helping the Knights of Columbus with an awareness program for the mentally challenged. We stood in a line three feet from our kiosk (I cheated and stood about five feet away) and handed people tootsie rolls, and people would donate if they wanted to. It was a lot of fun. We saw many cute little kids too! My favorites were two little blond girls, about three or four, who both had a dollar to put in my can. But there was a problem! Their dollars were just too darn big to fit in the teeny little hole! So, to solve their problem, the crumpled up their dollars like so much garbage and stuffed them in. It was so funny! I was gushing over their cuteness to Catherine and Rose for ages!
So, that's what we've been doing. Not much, I know. But...it's the school year. Can't do much then. see you all soon!

Catch-up Time

2009-09-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, here goes.
I've always hated catch up time. Especially when it concerns school. It is simply far too tedious and wearing for anybody to endure for long periods of time. That'll teach me to get behind then huh? On the plus side, it's not school I'm behind in. It blogging! Sigh. I'll try to do better.
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School has been going well so far. No one's behind so far as I know, and we've already had a few tests, which have turned out well. I believe the hardest class I have is physics. It is hard to comprehend, and I'm afraid that though our teacher is very smart, she doesn't quite know how to teach yet. And she doesn't quite comprehend how much time it takes to do physics questions.
Anyways, Stephen has been doing rather well. I think he enjoys school, but he also enjoys complaining about it.
Rachel and Thomas are in the same classroom this year, but I haven't heard any horror stories yet.
Rose is seriously under-challenged, but I don't think she minds too much. However, one has to worry when she can finish an entire Algebra lesson (30+ questions) under forty minutes. I think so0meone needs to show up who's really smart, so she has a little competition.
Catherine is finding sophomore-ism very tedious, and somewhat difficult.
I've already complained my bit. I think all of the senior high are lucky Spanish class is at the end of the day. Otherwise we would go crazy! But Spanish class is super fun, and very stress relieving. ;-)
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The reason I'm so incredibly late with this update is we have been very busy these past few weekends. Two weeks ago, my Aunt from the farm had a Labor Day Party. It was so much fun! We had square dancing, and food, and hay rides, and food, and loads of friends over and food. Okay, the food was good. What I enjoyed most was the friends, and the laughs. The warm hospitality of my aunt and the wonderful organic goodness of a farm really wrapped it all up and stuck a pretty bow on it.
The day after was a calming day, a time to finally put your feet up (well, at least after getting breakfast ready) and breathe some clean air for a change. We were surprised by our cousins, and we got to see them again. we had thought they would be busy, but they weren't! And we had lots of fun.
Thank for the farm fresh goodness, Aunt!
And I love this picture of this chicken! Is this one Sue, Aunt?
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The other reason I'm so late with this is we got to see Philip! We were all so excited when Mom told us that we would be taking Friday off (bonus) to go see Philip at our grandparents' over the weekend! He graduated on Friday, and Mom, Dad, and Dad's parents went to go see him. They brought him home, and oh, we were all so happy! It was the oddest feeling int he world, because it didn't feel like he'd been gone at all. He was only hiding, and we'd finally found him.
One sad thing was David didn't quite recognize Philip. He didn't want to hug Philip, or say 'hi.' In fact, he had to run and hide under the sunroom couch! Of course by then he was just doing it for show, and after he had played a bit, he loved Philip again. Especially when he realized people took a lot of pictures of him when he was with Philip. He became quite dramatic at one point.

We were able to see Philip for three days before the navy swept him away to South Carolina and nuke school. Family came over, and then there were more pictures and more stories, and on his last day here, we had our family photos. It's quite remarkable, how many of us there are.
Congrats, Philip! We'll keep missing you! I'm so happy that you're happy where you are! (He wouldn't stop smiling.)
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And finally, a few weeks ago, Mom really wanted to go on a hike. So she whisked me, Catherine and Rose off to the Kishwaukee Gorge. it was so much fun! We spent quite a bit of time walking around, taking loads of pictures. We're so lucky I remembered the camera. Most of the time we forget it, but I remembered forgetting it, so I got it. ;-) We also brought Dixie, who had a lot of fun. There isn't too much to talk about walking in a forest. We saw a lot of Nature! And some things that weren't Nature. We took a very very steep path that led down to the Kishwaukee River. Dixie beat us there. She also fell in, poor girl. The bank wasn't made for daogs, and she slipped when she was trying to get a drink. I don't she minded that much though. She likes swimming. Dixie's kind of funny because she like swimming, but she doesn't like rain, or simply getting her feet wet. Wuss-puss. Oh well. We still love her.
What was rather sad about that though, was coming home. Dixie was having a hard time getting up and down the stairs, and these days, it's become more and more apparent that she's getting older. She can't run down the stairs anymore, especially in the mornings. Poor girl.
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So, that's what we've been doing in those, two, three weeks I haven't posted.

Have a good weekend, everybody!
(Pictures: our surprise morning glories, Mom, Dad and Philip,Rose, David, some red flower we have, Catherine, and me)

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I just remembered!
Our winner is Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year! When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born as a man, on our world.....................
It is the time of year for family, for tradition, and for love................. When we set aside differences and unite under God's banner of Christendom..............We join together to celebrate the most victorious day for all Christians, God's promise manifest.............
We gather with family and friends and share the joy of the giving season........heavens, I wish I were more eloquent.
Congratulations, Christmas!

Our next poll is......is......um......how about names? Flowers? Cookies? You decide! We'll have a poll on having a poll! Nah. Cookies sounds good. What's your favorite kind of cookie? Sugar? Chocolate chip? Peanut Butter? How about peanut butter chocolate chip? Vote!

David, the little jokester

2009-09-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today, while we were away at school, Mom read an Elmo counting book to David. She had him count the objects on the page.
"How many little red monsters are there?" Mom asked, obviously referring to Elmo.
"One," David, quite correctly replied.
"How many chalks are there?" she asked, turning the page.
"One, two," David said, once again, quite right.
"And," Mom continued, "how many cakes are there?"
"Forty!" David said.
Mom was surprised. "Really?"
"Three..." David sadly replied.
David loves doing stuff like that; our mini comedian.

More updates coming soon! Weekend's almost here!

Sorry.

2009-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

I will post soon! I promise! We saw Philip this weekend because he graduated from boot camp, so I didn't have any time to update. Now we're back at school, so it will be a while before I can get back on!
So sorry.
And I'll put up a new picture of what Philip looks like now!

Psalm 33 (2, 3, 4, & 23)

2009-09-05T10:31:00.001-07:00

...I will praise the Lord at all times, his praise shall always be in my mouth...

...In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice...

...O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol His name together...

...The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend...

Our Winner!

2009-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Our winner this time is Ireland, the magical isle. Ireland is the green island, a place of solitude and peace. A place where sheep still run across green hills and where farms still feel like home.
It is such a mysterious place, where there could still be a leprechaun behind that rock and a fairy hiding in the mist.
Ireland's hills roll without check and the mist goes where it pleases. Where the sky dares to be blue and flowers spring forth in defiance of the modern world.
It is also the land of wondrous music, flowing and beautiful. Where tradition is held and modernism is rebuked. It dares to be itself and not someone else. And it is beautiful.
(Check the music at the bottom of the page!)

Our next quiz is Holidays! Is Christmas the best season ever? Or is Easter far better? Does Thanksgiving top all your favs or does the Fourth of July surpass it?

Phewf

2009-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the first week of school is finally over! Well, it wasn't that bad actually. In fact, it seemed rather short. Perhaps that's because I have a super easy schedule. It's almost as easy as my first year in junior high. Then, I had three study halls right in a row. Now, I have three study halls and one class in the morning. talk about easy, huh? Oh and also, I haven't had a single math class so far. How horrid is that! I supposed to have math at the end of the day, but that was also when Spanish class is. I'm required to take a language, so they canceled my math class, until further notice. Also, my two senior classmates decided not to take another year of math, so I was all alone! Tragical! So, I will mainly be teaching my self Pre-Calculus, with tips along the side. I will have one full class on Wednesday after school, but even none of this can happen until my book comes! Sigh. Patience is a virtue, I suppose. It's funny that I didn't realize how much I wanted math until they told me I wouldn't have it. I was so angry! But now I'm not, so it's all good.
Stephen is a first grader now and that means he goes to school with us! Yay, Stephen! I think he really enjoys being able to go to school with us. It makes him such a big kid! The only problem is now David is the only child at home. I don't know how he's taking the abscence of his favorite brother because he doesn't talk about it. Poor guy.
I think the saddest moment in anyone's life must be the time when your little baby boy gets too old for hugs and kisses. I tried to hug David the other day and he just let me hug him and went on his way. He's getting far too old, and he better stop it! Sigh, I suppose mothers feel like this all the time. How am I going to feel with my own children if this is how I am over my brother? At least he's still young enough to hold our hands during the tough times. But he'll be a man someday, no matter what I do to try to hold him back.
(P.S. I'll post more after Mass. See you soon!)

Last night

2009-08-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Last night, at about 8:00, Mom wanted us all to get ready for prayers. But we had a problem: where was Dad and Rachel? The last time anyone had seen them, they were outside. Now, they were nowhere to be seen and all the lights were turned off outside. So, we searched the whole house, only to find nothing!
Where could they have gone? How could we find them? So, Mom hired a vampire slayer (Rose) and a ninja (moi) to find them! This unbeatable pair set off around the entire world (the block) to find the missing pair! But horror of all horrors, they were still nowhere to be found! What could have happened to the sweet young girl and her father!
Once the pair returned to their base and reported to their boss, they set off again! However, their boss had sent another member to join, the zombie slayer (Catherine)! Now, this group was indefatigable! They would stop at nothing to find the missing pair. And lo and behold, indeed the group did find them!
Dad and Rachel had been walking around our whole neighborhood, trying to find this dog's home. Some of Rachel and Stephen's friends had found this dog somewhere and had asked us if we could keep him, since we have a dog. He looks a lot like Dixie, doesn't he? We walked him down to our house, but we only kept him in the garage. He was the most hyper dog I've ever seen and he was just crazy over Dad. He was just begging Dad to throw a woodchip for ages. He was a very friendly dog, but he didn't really let anyone pet him. He just ran around like crazy, begging everyone to throw anything he could get in his mouth. We named him Mulch because he played with the woodchip for the longest time.
Dixie was jealous as anything, but Mulch is gone. We kept him in the garage, and this morning he was gone. Sigh. Oh well. he was nice while he lasted. See ya' around, Mulch. Hope you find your family.

The Weather

2009-08-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely freezing over here this morning! I couldn't believe how cold it was when I woke up. It's been pretty cold for the past few days too. It's only the end of August people! Hello! On the plus side, it's now cold enough so I can have a cup of tea in the morning! I love drinking Vanilla Caramel tea when it's freezing out, because it gives me a sense of security and a feeling of "home."
David doesn't seem to be very affected by the cold. Hence, he is wearing the most spectacular outfit ever! I just took this picture. He is a very willing model and after each picture kept asking me to "take a annuvah one!"

Last night, we had some cucumbers that a friend of ours sent us. The one we ate was simply huge, so I cut it in half before slicing it up for eating.
Mom doesn't like a bunch of "goop and seeds" in her cucumbers, so I hollowed out one half of the cucumber. But then we had a problem. It looked like a kayak. So, we had to play with our food for a little bit. It was beautiful, ha ha!

Little Bit

2009-08-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ha ha, I just wanted to say something that just happened right now. I took an online quiz to see what grade I was really in. It said I was out of school! I had graduated from college and now I'm free! Yay! I feel so smart now! :-D
Oh and for some strange reason, Mom and Dad having been looking at puppies lately. I'm not saying we're definitely getting one, because we haven't even talked about it. BUT!!!! Dad never looks at dogs, so I got super dooper excited! If anyone has any influence at all with my parents, make them get a puppy!!! Dad was really interested in the English bulldog- Rottweiler mixes that he found in the newspaper. So, that's the dog picture I have.

My New Blog

2009-08-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

I have started another blog (because one wasn't hard enough to manage already, right?). This new blog is to help me "publish" some of the story ideas I have. I have created a link, down on the side bar, between The Bookworm bit and the Nada-farm link. Please visit it! And add some ideas! And do whatever you like! Well, not really whatever you like, but you know. Comment, rate, critique and so on so forth. Maybe I'll get something done, ;-)
I've also added music to my blog. The only way to get it to turn on though is to go to the bottom of the page. You don't have to click anything, but that will make the playlist finish loading and start playing. Thanks go to my Nada-farm Aunt for helping me put it on!

A little Clip

2009-08-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today, Dad assigned us the most noble and honorable job of weeding the gardens. However, we had also volunteered to work at the school today, cleaning up and such, so we didn't get around to the weeding until about 4:00 PM.
Rose and I were working at the side of our deck, where weeds and grass had turned the wonderful dirt suburbia into a teeming mass of wildlife! Rose and I viciously attacked the offending greenery and resolved to clean up the horrendous mess!
As we dug and dug and attempted to remove the weeds, we came across a poor family of worms! Mr. Ichabod Mudd had been trying to usher his family into deeper soil, aniticipating rain and chopping shovels. However, we discovered him and immediately dubbed him "friend." Still somewhat nervous for his family, he squirmed frantically on the restraining hand of his captor. He calmed down somewhat when his wife, Mrs. Wilimina Mudd, was placed beside him, but his angst for his children remained. However, Michael and Zoe Mudd were also rescued from the rain and shovel. I quickly deposited them under the shady bowers of Hosta Hotel. They were still nervous, for their youngest child had not been delivered with them! Thankfully, young, and tiny Katrina Mudd was found and returned to her family.
Mr. Ichabod Mudd is an intern for Oak N' Fields dirt-refining industry. Wilimina's brother, George, was seen escaping the digging site, but was unable to return to his family. Several neighbors, Mr. Beetle and Mr. Grub, were also seen, but left alone as they appeared to be the unsavory type.
Ta da.

A Golden Bridge

2009-08-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

If you were to see a sunrise, with rays of piercing light turning a black sea into a world of diamonds, what would you think? What would you do, if you were to take a small boat, and row out towards the sunrise and when you had gone as far as you could, you found you could no longer see your home? Where would you go, if you could not get home and you had to use the sun as your guide? Would you keep rowing towads the celestial lamp or would you turn your back on it to seek desperately for the house and fireplace you lost? If you did turn back, would you be happy when you landed on your shore? Would you wish you had kept going, until you had found the source of the sun's light? Or would have found a land where no man had set his foot? Would you climb the golden bridge of the sun's rays, into the heart of the golden globe? What would you find once you were there? Would you know?

Bring it on!

2009-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today is Tuesday. It would seem like any ordinary Tuesday, but it's not! Because in six days time, the doors of a haunted building will be opening again and its terror will once more plague the lands! Oh yes! School! The corridors are filled with the screams of tests failed and only the bravery of the few smart students can revive the ancient building!
Okay, I was definitely exaggerating, but I'm fining going back to school not as exciting as I have in previous years. Normally, by the end of August, we are thoroughly sick of summer and can't wait to pull out the pencils and paper. But this year has a tinge of sadness to it, because we can only stay for a month. The summer went by too fast and the one month we have will be even shorter.
I am glad we do have that month, because we will be able to see our old friends one last time and meet some news ones while we're at it. There is one new family at our school whom I really want to meet. Their father is a Naval officer, so I feel like we have to be best friends! And why shouldn't we be? I do not know what grades they will be in, but who cares?
Good luck to all students! And even more luck to their parents and teachers!
____________________________________________________________________
I expect you are kind of wondering at my new poll: where to vacation. I have put down a few of my personal favorites, but not Hawaii. Over-rated, I think.
I put down Turkey, because my esteemed History & Literature teacher told me that the best place to see Greek ruins is on the coast of Turkey. And it makes sense doesn't it? Greece was always at war, so their temples were always being smashed to bits. But on the coast of Turkey, far from the warring cities, they were safe and their architecture was preserved. I really want to see Turkey also because of Hagia Sophia, the famous cathedral/ mosque.
Australia is awesome because of its animals and also because that is where Steve Irwin lived. He was the most amazing man to ever be on Saturday morning cartoons!
And Ireland needs no explanation. The land of the magic folk and wondrous hills. I'd like to see a few genuine sheep too. ;-)
____________________________________________________________________
Oh, and a side note! I got a letter from Philip today! It was wonderful!

News and etc and stuff

2009-08-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

I think I've become rather lame. I don't post except when we have a winner and I didn't intend my blog to be like that! I'm supposed to be keeping you updated and I'm doing a very poor job. I shall try much harder!
____________________________________________________________________
Our winner is Autumn or otherwise known as Fall.
Fall is the time of year when all your labors have brought forth their fruit. When you can see what you have accomplished and even though it was hard, you would do it again, and again, for you love the fruit. Fall is school time, when minds return from summer, fresh and open. They may not enjoy the work, but neither did you at the beginning of the growing season. But now look. You have indeed done with what you could and brought forth what should be.
Fall is when changes become more apparent and the age of Earth is brought to our attention. Nature puts off her working gown and dons her brilliant gown of red, orange and yellow. She rains her bountifulness upon us and gives us the courage and warmth to face the winter.
Fall is when you can bring to mind again the values of living, the lessons to be learned, and what our good Lord has to give us, if we but plant the seed of Faith.
___________________________________________________________________
We had a showing the other day, but I don't think it will turn out very well. Our realtor was running a little late and he was a little early, so we were able to see him a bit. What I tried to see first was his condition. He was not married, so I doubt he has many kids so I doubt he would want a house as large as ours in this economy. But, as Rose pointed out to me, what if he lives with his parents or brother or something like that? Then he's perfectly welcome to buy our house!
I also discovered something phenomenal. In a way. I know why we haven't sold our house yet! Ever since we put our house on the market, we've been praying to St. Joseph to help us sell our house. But they thing is, we don't really mean it! We don't want to leave, so even though we pray to leave, we don't mean it at all! Therefore, we aren't getting all the help we need to sell our house. But I doubt even realizing this will help. We can't get the help we need if we don't want the help to achieve our goal. Anyways, I'm rambling now. A small comfort that I've found recently is a friend of ours and Philip's will be going to a college down in SC that will be close to where we live. It will be like leaving home and finding that a tiny part of it has followed you.
____________________________________________________________________

Important News!
Philip is now an Adult!
He turned 18 August 15!
And I was stupid and didn't post it then!

Well, that's how it goes though, isn't it? Philip was born 18 entire years ago, and now according to the law, he is an adult! I'm so surprised to find that my brother, my "knight in shining armor" (so called by Mom) is now in the ranks of grown ups! Well, it is not so surprising, because he's been grown up for the longest time. However! Now the government now calls him a grown up! And couldn't even wish him happy birthday because he's in boot camp. But we all sent him cards, so that was super cool. I have now started sort of a stream of birthday cards, sporting a most fabulous stick-man. It's become my sort of trademark ;-)
Happy Birthday, Philip!
____________________________________________________________________

I was practically ecstatic the other day, because Catherine, Rose and I were able to go the Face the Truth Tour in Rockford! When we learned that we were supposed to move at the end of July and the Tour wasn't coming to Rockford until August, I was so devastated! It is probably the one event I look forward to most all year and to be able to go one last time was...amazing. More than amazing, but I'm not coming up with the perfect word.
Of course it helps to have friends who go too, and since we can't see them all the time, being able to see them was also super amazing! They also happen to be on the staff, so that's kind of funny. My cousin, who is only seven months younger than me is also on the staff. I was happy for him! Congrats!
I hope we will be able to do it again soon! Oh, and "Hi, Dixie!" I saw you at the Tour and I really wanted to say hi, but I was constantly distracted. I was really happy to see you there!

We Have A Winner!

2009-08-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Watermelon. Watermelon is a succulent fruit that squirts delicious goodness into your mouth with every bite! Watermelon is summer on a vine and it's practically exploding with memories to be made. It's crisp green rind keeps the velvety red wonderfully preserved and nothing is better than the sweet juice.
I'm afraid I haven't much to say about watermelon, but gosh, what do you need to say? It's too wonderful for mere words!

We had Catherine's birthday party yesterday, even though it's a week after her birthday. However, since some of our friends were out of state and it would be a crime if they didn't come, we are excused. We had very little trouble setting up and of course the decorations were all my design. Ha ha, it's part of my job around here, but it's one of my favorite ones, along with decorating cakes and making cards. There has to be someone who does the handmade stuff in each family.
Back to Catherine's party: it was a blast. We had an awesome time and I think so did all of the guests. We come up with the best presents in our circle of friends. Rose gave Catherine 10 pounds of Lipton tea and our cousins gave her a rock. A most wonderful rock with all of their signatures on it. She also got a journal (extra pretty!!!) and a gift card to someplace. I wish I knew, ha ha.
Thank you for coming everybody. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures, but we kind of forgot to get the camera out. Someone else took pictures though, so maybe I'll snitch some from him and post them later.
It was hot though! That kind of sucked, because that meant we were all stuck inside. It cooled down towards evening though and we went outside and got a little crazy. That's when we took lots of pictures. And they tried to play blob tag, but after three people it kind of ... fell apart. It was awesome!
And we can go to the Face the Truth Tour on Wednesday! I'm so excited, because I thought we were going to miss it for sure. But now we can go and I'm so happy! I hope you all come, because this is one of the biggest things we can do to protest abortion. Plus, it's fun! Meet old friends and make some new ones!

Pray for Us

2009-08-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Please remember to keep us in your prayers. My mom had a miscarriage yesterday. She had to go the hospital, but she's fine now. She's home and in bed. But remember us and the baby we didn't have.

We will Always Love You,
Even Though We Had You for So Little Time
We Will Always Remember You
Bygone Baby Number Nine

B&W Sunday

2009-08-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

(I've always wanted to be able to do a black and white Sunday, but I've never been able to post on Sunday before. Here goes!)

As you've probably noticed, these pictures aren't entirely brand new; but I tried to keep some variety and awesomeness in it. I hope you enjoyed it.
And for some stupid reason, I can't put the pictures where I want them. Ugh.
P.S. Doesn't Dixie look great in black and white!!!

A wonderful day

2009-07-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today is just a Friday, but that doesn't mean it can't be a spectacular day, does it? I thought not. In fact, it is a wonderful day simply because we had watermelon and I'm listening to Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann."
But the reason I brought up the watermelon right there is because when I was cutting the watermelon, Thomas came up to me and said, "What's the special occasion?" I said there wasn't any; it was just Friday. He said, "Yes, it's a special occasion. It's another day of living!" and that is why it is wonderful today. And then of course we concluded that every day is a special occasion and that makes perfect sense also.
Guess what? Tomorrow is someone's birthday. I'll give you a hint who it is: the only blond-haired girl in our family! Well, I suppose Mom counts too, but tomorrow, Catherine turns 15!!!! Yayayay!
I think we're going shopping later today to get her some presents. She already has one present that she knows about; it's a shirt, in case you're wondering. It seems that the older you get, the more presents you're told about.
Let's see: a quip about Catherine:
Catherine is a crazy person disguised as an angel. She has an imagination as big as the sky and more artistry talent than I could dare to hope for. She is rather independent and likes to explore her options.
Catherine is very loving towards those she loves and very welcoming towards new friends.
Catherine likes originality and always expresses herself clearly. Her name is Catherine Ann Thecla and she's turning fifteen tomorrow! Yay for her!
By the way the picture on the right is her on Rachel's baptism. So she's five in this picture.
________________________
By the way, I have come up with a new poll. Please, vote! Thanks!

Updates

2009-07-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the drastic day has come and gone. My older brother is officially a Navy man stuck in boot camp. It's actually called basic training, but we all know what it really is, right? I feel really bad, because I didn't cry at all. Is it because I'm cold-hearted? No, I think it's because I'm way too proud of him to be sad. This is Philip's "dream" and I want him to go with it as far as he can.
Philip was my best friend ever since I was born. Mom said he was my knight in shining armor and he has been. He is the best older brother I could ever hope for. I feel sorry for all those girls whose brothers tease them and rough them up, and I got a quiet, funny awesome person who impresses almost everyone who meets him. Talk about shining armor, huh?
The only problem with Philip was, he had no definite idea for his future. He wanted to go into law, but where would we get the money? Navy was the next best thing, I guess, so he switched to that. And I am happy for him, because he has settled down (sort of) and now he has a future laid out for him. Unless there is some sort of freak accident (unlikely) Philip will go very far. He told me once he could've been a genius and I completely agree with him. Now, with some competition, he can be the smartest person in the world. When that day comes, I'm going to smile so big, you won't be able to see the rest of my face. ;-)
And updates on the poll. COUNTRY wins! And the runner up is "other".
Now the country is a place of rest and relaxation, but it is also the most alive place in the world. The country is teeming with all kinds of life: plant, animal and people. The country is a hospitable, warming place that just begs you to take off your shoes and run around in the grass. It's where years fall away until you are a child and are as free as a bird.
It's where the grass is really green and the sky is truly blue. Where clouds are fluffy white and the breeze sweeps you off your feet. Where dreams catch hold and pull you away to Neverland.
A place for hugs and laughs. A place for summertime and swimming, wintertime and sledding, harvest-time and pumpkin-fests, springtime and little chickies. Thank the Lord for the country, where you unwind, rewind and renew your bonds with your family and friends.
I haven't come up with a new poll yet, so I'll keep you posted.

Today

2009-07-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today was a cool day. I woke up much earlier than usual. Well, early being a relative term, I woke up at 9:00 instead of 11:00. Ha ha. Just getting up that much before lunch put me in good spirits. Also, it was beautiful out today! Just spiffy! There was just the right amount of sun and wind to make it truly enjoyable to be outside. I didn't spend most of my day outside, even though I should have, but I did do something awesome: I drew with chalk on our driveway!
It was the most fun I've had in ages! I drew an island inside a whale first. And then I started writing all over the driveway. Like "Put Mail here" by the mailbox and "Read This Sign" by a little "don't step on the grass" sign. I also made a specific parking spot for Dad and wrote, "Park Right About Here" inside it. ;-) I also drew a big mug of beer and besides I wrote "We Have Fun *Hic* Here". The *Hic* was Thomas's idea. And last, but certainly not least, I drew my stick man with his whopper catch of a fish. it's about as big as him and a lot larger.
And then I hung out in the backyard with Thomas and Rose. Rose made a "stew" and Thomas and I sprayed each other with the hose.
I want to go outside more often, because it's a lot more fun than sitting on the couch wishing I had something to do.
I wish I had pictures, but our camera is still in the back of Dad's car from when we stuck it there for the showing. ;-)
Speaking of showing, I don't know if you knew we had one. It was on Tuesday and I think it went pretty well. We got to see what kind of car they had (Catherine had been babysitting for a neighbor and we had to pick her up). They had a silver pickup. I thought that wasn't so good. If they had a minivan, our chances of selling would probably be higher. ;-) Anyways, the wife loves the house. She says it's the house for her. But he says the house is too square and the house is too blue and he doesn't like the neighbor's yard either. So...there's really nothing we can do to help our case. Pray that we can sell it! And pray for Philip who leaves for the Great Lakes at 11:00 on Sunday!
And thanks for all the votes! Keep it up! (I don't really know how many people read this, so I can't tell if more people can vote! ;-))
God bless you!

What's Happenin'?

2009-07-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

There's really not all that much going on over here. Today, a man came over to check out our stuff, to see how his company would be moving it all. It was slightly funny, because we were all still in bed at 11:25 and Mom walks in and says, "Girls, I need you to get up, because someone's coming over...etc" And I was so confused because I thought it was still only 8:00 or so. I thought it was a little early for anyone to be coming over. It was odd. ;-)
He was a really nice guy though. He was very friendly. Sorry, I don't know his name.
This week is the face the Truth Tour and they're not coming to Rockford until August! Ugh! Now we can't go! Well, if we can persuade Mom to let us go on Saturday to the Tour in Aurora, we might possibly maybe. But otherwise, last year was our last Face the Truth Tour. (Sob)!
So, that's life right now. Except! Philip is going to Naval base in Michigan (I think) this Sunday. This Sunday, the first little birdie leaves the nest. (That is so cliche). And so it shall continue. I shall be the next bird to leave the nest. Well, I probably will. You see, all my life, I've promised Mom and Dad I would stay at home and look after them. So, I guess I have prior obligations. However, if I find a good college that's not close to home, bye-bye birdie number two. But, that's in two years, so we're good for now. ;-)
So, Philip is going to grow up (wasn't he grown up at about age 15 or earlier?) and he's going to get a real job (Hilander doesn't count) and he's going to be an engineer in the "World's Finest Navy." I'm really happy for him. He's found something that he can focus on and be productive with. I only hope he doesn't push himself too hard. He tends to do that sometimes, lol.
Oh and by the way, please, vote! I love my poll things, because it helps me practise being articulate and describe something. This weeks poll is where is the best place to live. Please, choose. I have an "other" choice, in case I forgot something. Vote, Please!

A long update

2009-07-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so so sorry I've been so behind on updates! I used to be right up to date and now I'm all slow! Sorry, sorry, sorry!
Our internet wouldn't load the "dashboard" page, so I wasn't able to post anything.
Anyway, over the past how many weeks, we've been doing a whole lot! We've been horribly oppressive toward my poor aunt and been practically living at her house for weeks! She is such a saint!
We were at her house for a Eve of St. John the Baptist bonfire, and we stayed for about four days. During that time, my parents were down in South and North Carolina, looking at houses once again. I don't they found any special house, save one, which we bid on.
The house that Mom and Dad found had four bedrooms (all of which are about as big as the girls' room in our house {which is the biggest bedroom in the house}), five full baths and one half bath. It had two full kitchens, one upstairs and one in the basement. The basement was finished and had a fireplace and cable wires. The upstairs main room also had a fireplace and the dining room and living room were combined into one great room. There was a den and the kitchen. Off of the kitchen there was a lovely, big screened in porch. The backyard was all forest and the front yard was very small. The driveway was extremely sloped and looked totally awesome!
That is the wondrous house we bid on. We were all so excited and the waiting period was extremely suspenseful. But, we didn't get the house. (Sniff). So, keep praying that we find a nice house to live in over there!
So, after the long period of time spent at my aunt's, we went home. And I can't seem to recall what we did after that. But then, a short while after that, we went back to my aunts house to celebrate my cousin's birthday. He turned 16 so now we are the same age until December. We actually went up there on the 3 of July to see the fireworks over by them. It was quite spectacular and we also were able to get together with some friends of ours who live down there and my "farm aunt". The fireworks were amazing and we stayed up way too late! Haha, that's the best part though. ;-)
The next day, the 4th, we hung out at my aunt's house, still. Even though it was the fabulous 4th, we didn't do all that much except loaf around.
The next day, however, we went over to my farm aunt's house to celebrate the Fabulous 5th (haha) and actually celebrate my cousin's birthday. It was the most perfect day in the entire world and I got to meet a cyber pal from Arkansas. That was exciting.
Oh and by the way, I got to hold my baby cousin about 80% of the time and it was wonderful!
And then! We went home. For a day. Because on Monday night, we got a call from my aunt, saying that the very next day, we would be going to Six Flags! Boy. We are so packing every single thing we can into a few short weeks!
Once we got up early (I boast a wonderous time of 5:09 AM) and got down to my aunt's house (8:00 AM) and left her house house (8:45 AM), we were all either super excited or really really tired. A total of 10 of us went and we had an entire day to knock ourselves out at the most awesome amusement park ever! I went on the Giant Drop twice and I was extremely scared the second time, which was weird. I also went on the Raging Bull twice. But I only had to wait an hour (there's this wonderful thing called getting into an empty seat after you've already had you're turn. I love it!). The Viper also took a long time to get into and it wasn't entirely worth it, but who cares. It was fun!
And finally, we are back at our own home, doing our own home stuff. It's exceedingly boring. ;-)
Thank you, Aunt, for supporting us for so long! You are an angel! And so is Melanie!
____________________________________________________________________
I am running out of ideas for polls. But anyways, congrats to telephone and email! You won the technology contest! I am a little too tired to write entire paragraphs on your greatness, but you rock!
This nect poll will be all about location, location, location!

The most recent poll

2009-06-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, who was seriously surprised? Dogs won! *Sigh*, my beloved poochies are the best animal there could possibly be. Well, actually, it was a tie. People voted either dogs or neither. So, if you are not an animal sort of person, forgive me, because I do not support your cause. ;-)

The definition of "dog" is "a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf." What an understatement. A dog is the guardian of the family. Dogs are extremely loyal, pack-oriented creatures whose thoughts are directed toward love. A dog will stay where it is loved. Of course, food helps too, but that can apply to any sort of animal you can pull up.
Dogs are often called "man's best friend." Does anyone ever bother to wonder why this saying is so popular? It is because the dog looks out for the man as the man looks out for the dog. The dog will serve the man in any way possible. All it asks in return is some attention.
Of course, I have other reasons for loving dogs too. They are just too darn cute!
I mean, c'mon, look at those floppy ears and little pink tongues! How much cuter can they get! And of course, all love goes to my own, beloved, wonderful dog, DIXIE!
Look and love.
Congrats to "neither" people too. I guess I should have put that option on the other posts, but...what am I going to do now? Maybe you're a bird person or perhaps a gold-fish person. Go, other-animals-besides-cats-and-dogs! ;-)

Gosh, Another One

2009-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers day to all you dads out there!

Celebrate the Father, the leader and head of the family!
This is not a poem, it just looks like one!
But I love you all you dads out there,
Especially my own wonderful daddy!

Yesterday,we went to my grandparents' house to celebrate fathers Day. On the way, I had to take pictures. And I got these two of Catherine:
I'm jealous of all those people who can look good, no matter how candid the photo is. She is one of those people. Sigh.

We had a lot of fun. It was somewhat hot and muggy, but what can you expect? It builds character. ;-)
My uncle made us hamburgers. Mmmmm, they were so good! He's the chef of the family. We also had salad and chips. Many, many chips.
My grandmother also made jello. That brought back wonderful memories, because she always made jello when she came over.
We used to have a song for that too.

We all had a wonderful time, and I got a little camera happy at the end of the day. I think the cake and ice cream did it.
Happy Fathers Day! And that includes grand-fathers, god- fathers, and God. I wondered how many people remembered that that day also celebrates our adoption as God's children.
Happy Fathers Day, God!

is Algebra or Geometry Better?

2009-06-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well, thank goodness, Algebra won! It was close though. The poll was 3 to 2. I have always preferred Algebra to Geometry, simply because I never understood the point of Geometry. What is the point of learning something that you will never ever use? I know I won't be an architect or scientist, so I stick to the basic facts of Algebra. Even if i isn't a real number.
Thank you everyone for participating in this poll. Up next is...
Are Cats or Dogs Better?
(I think I already know the results for this one!)

The Flood

2009-06-22T08:05:00.001-07:00

We all obviously remember that horrible day were it poured and soaked us all to the bones.

We were 't hit quite as bad as the house across the street. Joe's yard has always been the pool of the neighborhood. All of our gutters drain into his yard. Well, he doesn't live there anymore, but it will always be "Joe's Yard."

Then, guess where Joe's yard emptied into? The mini-gully across the street from him! It was quite the torrent coming through his gutters. Also his yard sported about three mini-whirlpools. they were so fun to watch.

As you can see, we practically had a lake down the road from us. It doesn't look very deep up close...

But Rose found out it was a lot deeper and colder than it looks. She has joined the Ministry of Crazy Walks.

We all had a lot of fun wading in the freezing water and getting completely soaked.

Some people could have been a little more manly about it, *hem hem* Thomas, but it was amusing to watch too.
Philip, Catherine and I went to the middle of the mini-lake. You can see from this picture how deep it was there. I was flicking away a bug. There were more drowning beetles than I could have imagined. It was a little gross, but who cares!

The mini-lake also had a beautiful whirlpool. It was pretty big compared to the other whirlpools we'd seen earlier. Philip and Catherine walked up to it, carefully, and stuck their hands in it. Catherine got a couple of pictures, but it looks like toilet water.
So hurrah for us, for creeping out of the depths of our basement to explore the unknown world of Nature! And hurrah for all of us glamorous people!
And hurrah for pretty pictures.

A Dash of Sparkle

2009-06-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

These are pictures that I took from around our gardens. It had just rained, so there were still water droplets to sparkle in the sunlight.

Dixie had been following me around, so I quickly snapped a picture of her, too.

I wish I could have arranged these more artistically, but I'm afraid I don't understand this thing very well.