Post-Christmas Post

Hey guys! Did you have a merry Christmas? I sure did. I love Christmas mornings, no matter how tired I am. Being a Santa's Helper is hard, guys. I got some really cool things for Christmas though. I'll have to post pics when I have time. I got TONS of books though. I don't know if I'll have any spare time between reading and school. Speaking of school, I'm back to boring biology classes (alliteration!). And also Spanish and Math. And I must finish Great Expectations before class starts again! Then there's my speech I have to memorize, and then perform, and the acting class I have to prep for! And all that must be done before the middle of January. Exciting, right? So I'm going back to boring biology. Hope you guys had a merry Christmas, and your new year will be fantabulous.

Sagerific

Chirstmas Approaches

Christmas is in a week. EXACTLY A WEEK. I'm really excited and filled with dread at the same time. I wish presents weren't such a stressful thing. I am so ill prepared. With a week left. So some people might be getting cards. Not because I don't love them, but because I may or may not be able to get their presents done in time. Somehow, I usually pull through, but it might not happen this year. Hopefully it does *crosses fingers*. I hope the rest of you are having a fabulous Christmas season, and remember that it's not about buying the best and most expensive presents. It's about the person who gave us the greatest gift there ever was. Merry Christmas!

Sagerific

My Power Point Presentation!

So for my Unleashing Your Voice class I had to give a power point presentation. Thought I'd share it with you!

I love music. I especially love playing the piano. It is one of my favorite things to do. It is a rare day when I don't sit down and play. I don't always play what I'm assigned by my teacher, but I'm usually on the piano for at least an hour or two every day. Some mothers have to tell their kids to go practice the piano, while my mom has to tell me to get off the piano and go do something else.

I've been playing the piano since I was five. I'm on my fourth teacher. There have been times when I wanted to quit. My mom wouldn't let me quit until I could play every hymn in the hymnbook. She didn’t mean the simplified one, either. I can probably play all of them now, with some practice. But now, you couldn't pay me to quit.

For me, music is not just playing an instrument. It's really an emotional release. When I play the piano, I express my feelings through it. It's like an emotional amplifier. Albert Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” And that is definitely how it is for me. Although I'm definitely not a physicist. When I'm frustrated or sad, I go play the piano. When I'm happy, or excited, I go play the piano. And what I play usually reflects my mood. Sometimes my mom judges how I’m feeling by what I’ve been playing that day.

I've used music to make other people happy, too. When my sisters, Sydney and Sabrina, and also my brother, Spencer, were really little, I used to hold them on my lap while I played piano, if my mom wasn't right there to take care of them. Playing the piano usually helped to calm them down.

I've also played music in church. Playing religious music is another way to share my testimony. One thing I like to do on the piano is create medleys and mash-ups of different hymns. One of my favorite medleys, not written by me, is the EFY medley. It is 'As Sisters In Zion' and 'We'll Bring The World His Truth' put together in a beautiful combination.

Someday I would like to be a professional songwriter, and share one of the things that brings me most joy. While I also like drawing, and painting and such, typically the more aesthetic form of art, my preferred medium uses sound. Some people use pencils, or paintbrushes, I use the piano. Leopold Stokowski said, “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.”

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

I know it's a day early, but I probably won't be posting tomorrow. So it's Thanksgiving Eve today :) In seminary we're writing a book. As we go along, everyone in class will write about a topic that has to do with something we're learning, and that's one chapter. Today, since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we wrote about something we're grateful for. I wrote about my friends. She suggested writing about your family, but my mom, dad, brothers and sisters are all my friends, so I figured I'd write about friends and cover all areas :) Here's a few things I'm grateful for right now:

My friends and family, of course

The gospel of Jesus Christ

Music

Necessities (clothes, food, house, etc.)

Sweaters. That goes in necessities but I'm going to restate it. Along with...

...Food

Hot cocoa

Books

A computer

Piano teaching. So that I can be a better teacher, but also so I can earn money to buy...

...my own computer...

...EFY admittance...

...a ticket to Virginia...

...an ipod. 

Also thankful for money.

Education

Freedom

Frogs (it was going to get on here sooner or later)

People that read my blog and care about what I say, however scatterbrained and pointless it may be. Because sometimes it's not scatterbrained and pointless, and when it's not, the people who stick with me through boring blog posts will eventually get to the good ones. 

That's my list for right now. Oh! I'm also incredibly thankful for the fact that I can eat as much as I want tomorrow and no one will judge me but myself. I'll have to go exercise afterward (LOL not going to happen). Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!

Sagerific

Doctor Who Surprise!

So last night my dad told Trey and Adam and I we were going shopping. We weren't going shopping though. We were going to see 'The Day Of The Doctor' in 3D at the movies!! SURPRISE!!! It was seriously awesome. Like, really fantastic. There were tons of people in awesome costumes. I saw a bunch of Doctors, more than one TARDIS, Jack Harkness, etc. And the feature itself was obviously great. It just made my whole month I think:) Thanks dad!

Sagerific

Happy Holidays

Next week is Thanksgiving. I still can't believe it's November. I think I'm still kind of in denial. I only have a month left to finish my school stuff! Plus there's the matter of presents. I'm way behind this year. I might have to go and buy stuff for people (gasp). Someday, I will be done with school and everything, and I will have time to sit and crochet. Or learn how to knit. But that probably won't be in this lifetime, so I'll just crochet in the time that I don't have, and worry about inner peace later. I'll figure out a yoga plan or something after Christmas. I'm pretty happy about this year though. I have some good ideas for people, and I think they'll like what I'm giving them. 

Happy Holidays!

Sagerific

School is stressful. Get over it.

Hey people! Haven't posted in a while, have I? No sirree. Well now I will.

So what have you guys been up to? I've been bombarded with school stuff, and I really shouldn't be blogging right now, but it won't take very long, and I need to get my mind off of my stupid, frustrating, exasperating, and totally annoying biology class that I am taking online.

Like seriously. I HATE IT. I'm kind of scatterbrained (read: really, really, scatterbrained) sometimes, or all the time, and so my mind just doesn't do details very well. I like the story part of things. I can't ever remember the dates of things, unless they're really important, and even then, who knows...But biology, it seems to me, is all about details, and so my brain doesn't want to learn about the cells that it's made of.

My Spanish class would work better if the course wasn't so confusing to navigate and complete.

Really, math is the only one I'm doing okay on this year. Yes, you read that right, I said MATH. I still don't like it. It's boring and annoying, but I'm starting to grasp the concepts a little better now. So it's not so bad. But I still don't like it.

I'm also taking a class called UNLEASHING YOUR VOICE (see what I did there? ;)). I like this one. I've learned a lot about speeches, and I think I'm getting better at getting up in front of people. I still get nervous and sometimes feel like I'm going to faint from embarrassment because my thoughts scatter and start running around crazy like escapees from an insane asylum, but it's going away a little bit.

And then finally, there's TJYC. This takes up more of my time than anything else, and it's really hard, but I love it. It's really quite fantastic. I'm learning so much, and reading a book almost every week, and writing essays every other week, and participating in discussions, and studying documents, and education, and statesmen, and it's really one of the most fulfilling classes I've ever taken. My teacher and I haven't always gotten along. She's pushed me  to work hard in the past, and it's always felt like too much. Like I can't do it. Because it's hard to critique Hamlet when you're 13. I didn't think I could do it, and so I pretty much failed. I passed the class, and did pretty well, but I probably didn't do as well as I could have. But in this class, TJYC, I realize that my teacher pushes me to work hard because she wants me to do well, and she knows I can do well. And I finally know I can do it. I can read that book. I can write that essay. And even though it's hard, and I sometimes feel like I'm going to fall apart from all the stress, it's totally worth it, and I love it. Thanks Genne. You're a great teacher, and I appreciate that you believe in me.

Sagerific

I Feel Like A Rain Cloud

Some days are just crappy. And when they are, it's nice to have people who understand that. The rainy gray weather pretty much reflected my mood today. Aside from my mood, today is Adam's birthday! Happy birthday Adam! Even though you won't be reading this. Oh well. I made him an awesome Harry Potter cake. Considering the fact the all I had for decorating was frosting, it was pretty cool. Another ray of sunshine in my rainy day was the 'planning meeting' we had at lunch today for the Shakespeare club I'm trying to get organized. We now have an idea of what we'll be doing each week, what kinds of things we'll be acting out, reading, etc. I still don't know what we'll be performing, or what we'll have accomplished by the end of the year, but it's a good start, and the meeting went about as well as it could have in a room full of loud children eating lunch and yelling and stuff. Maybe my day wasn't a complete waste after all.

School Is Starting!!

YAY!!!! Ok so maybe you don't like school that much, and fine. You probably have good reason for it. But my school is awesome. It really is. I mean, there are times when I hate it and I want to go live in a hole and not ever think about writing anything ever again. I think this year will have a few stressful points, to say the least. But I think it will be a good year. Stressful and overloaded, but good. I didn't realize how much schoolwork I was going to be doing until yesterday. Like, holy crap, where did all this come from?! I'm taking a class called Thomas Jefferson Youth Certification (TJYC), although I think they are changing the name, which has around, oh, 20 hours of schoolwork outside of class. I'm taking a writing lab for that class, I'm taking a personal finance class and a class called Unleashing Your Voice, both with hopefully very little outside work at all, otherwise I might die. I'm also doing Spanish, math, biology, maybe art, and most definitely piano lessons! How's that for ya?

I am freaking out.

Anyway, this blog will either become neglected and pathetic (oh wait, it already is), or it will be my creative outlet. Maybe I can practice some writing skills. Maybe I can learn stuff and share it with you guys! So you can learn about Martin Luther too! How's that sound? Good? 'Kay. Well I have class in an hour and I have yet to eat breakfast and make myself look presentable, so I will leave you. Bye!

Sagerific

Well, that last post was kind of a downer. Lets think of a happier subject. I started reading Divergent today. So far, it's great. I love dystopian novels. They make you think. Also, I have hardly read ANYTHING on my previously mentioned summer reading list. I read The Shadow Thieves. It was good, but similar enough to Percy Jackson, that I couldn't help comparing it, and, of course, Percy Jackson won. Soooo yeah... I started The Last Dragon, but got bored, started Heroes of the Valley, got bored, and have yet to even consider actually reading any of the other ones on the list. Soooo, here's a new and improved one:

Death Comes To Pemberley (doesn't that sound fantastic? It's a murder mystery written as sort of a sequel to Pride and Prejudice!)
The Mermaid Chair
The Pinhoe Egg
Maybe some other Jane Austen books, some classics such as Les Miserables, The Count of Monte Cristo, Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby (confession: mainly this one because of the movie, but also curiosity. It's been on my shelf for a while.), etc.

And this is not summer reading, but I've been waiting for...drum roll......................The House of Hades!!!!!
Warning: Next line contains spoilers so if you don't want those, scroll past.




OhmygoshtherewassuchacliffhangerandPercyandAnnabethwereputinthathorribleplacecalledTartarusandtheymightdieandmostlikelyundergotortureandseparationandwhoknowswhatelsethathorribleauthorRickRiordanhasdreamedupandI'vebeenwaitingforalmostafreakingyear!!!!
Well, not quite that. But it feels like it!!!









Anywho, I hate sticking to lists, so who knows what will happen. And who really cares, anyway?
Oh, guess what? I'm thinking about going on a writing retreat. In Colorado. It sounds amazing, and I think it'll help my writing skills. Not this year though. Next year, maybe. Anyway, what do you think?

Sage

Secretly, but not so secretly, I'm an introvert.

I may seem outgoing sometimes. I might laugh at everything, make a sarcastic comment, or talk too much. But really, deep down inside, I'm an introvert. Ok, you may be thinking, "Deep down inside? I think you're confusing that with 'outside your comfort zone.'" But no, I just am shy. Always have been. Granted, now I speak up a little bit more, get in someone's face occasionally because "that's not fair", or something like that. But really. I'm just shy. After I speak up, or confront someone, I usually wish I hadn't, because now the attention is on me. I hate when the attention is on me. When I might have done or said something wrong, or because maybe I will do or say something wrong. Or something not necessarily wrong, but different. Weird. I hold such people who immediately categorize someone as "weird" or "normal" in disdain, generally, but the main reason for that is because I'm afraid they will categorize me. I don't want to be weird. I hate being that one person who is not always guaranteed a place in conversation, or a seat next to someone. The person everyone ignores, until they need a favor. I hate being the outsider. Of course, everyone does, so this is not new. But it's hard to make friends, for me. I need them to make the first move. And then if they stick with me, and don't abandon me, and actually take interest in me, I can start to feel safe. This post ended up being different then I thought it would be. I originally was thinking about playing the piano. That's right, and I can sense your eye roll, but just listen. Or read, I guess I should say. I was thinking about playing the piano, and how I don't like playing to silence. I don't like silence. I suppose it comes from living with seven other people. Five of which are younger than I am. So I am used to noise. Not only used to it, but fond of it, actually. Silence is one of the things that scares me the most. Piano recitals, in spite of the fact there is sound issuing from the piano, tend to be horribly silent. It's what makes me the most nervous. I would be much more comfortable if someone was talking. Whispering, even. Or if someone dropped their bag and the contents spilled all over the floor. Actually, that would be embarrassing, but you get my point. Because in that moment, the attention is not all on me. Once you start, and you're playing your song, you can start to forget, and relax a little. The piano has always given me this kind of comfort. And it's not always like that. It's fun, when I'm with friends, showing them a song I really like, and they say how well I can play, but I'm not putting on a grand show for them. And you know, it's not even for them, really. Mostly it's for me. I like showing off something that I've learned and worked hard for to people who care about me, and not necessarily my achievements. My true friends encourage me to work hard and be accomplished, but if I don't, if I fail a test, or made a bunch of mistakes on that song, they don't care. They still love me. Oh gosh, this is a very scatterbrained post, with lots of grammar mistakes I'm too tired to fix, and if you're still reading, I pity you. But I thank you for listening.

Sage

My Summer Reading List

Well, it's getting to be that time of year, when we bookworms start making our lists. Or is that just me? Anyway, I usually have a mental list of what I want to read in the summer, and I also have literally stacks of books waiting for me in various places around my house. This time I shall blog it. I'll have you know this is quite an accomplishment for me. Sooooo here goes.

My summer reading list:

Airborn
Heroes Of The Valley (this one looks really good!)
The Last Dragon (I've already listened to this once before, but it was a long time ago and I really liked it so I will read it again)
A Nest For Celeste
Rodzina
Jackie's Wild Seattle
Breadcrumbs
Drift House: the first voyage
The Shadow Thieves
The Dark Is Rising
The Inheritance Cycle. That's the official name for the Eragon Trilogy, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.

Well, that's a disorganized list. Oh well. I also realize that a few of these (actually most of these) are children's books, but I don't care. I'm going to read them. It's very unlikely that I will read ALL of these, of course, but it's nice to have a list of what's in front of you.
I just finished reading The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner. It was a great book. It didn't start out seeming so great, but I never saw the end coming. It also resolves itself very well, in my opinion. So well that it just left me with this great love for the characters. I was completely content and happy with the way it ended. You may not think it was such a great book, and I am not always the best judge, but I believe it's worth reading. Read on, my friends!!! Or, as Ramona's teacher would say, D.E.A.R! Which, sadly, but not so sadly, reminds me of DEER!!! Please tell me someone gets this.

Sagerific

P.S.
Have you read any good books lately?

I have no idea how to title this, except I am sick.

Ug. I am sick. I feel like crud. Why??? This is not fun. And it's so pretty outside, but I can hardly enjoy it with this cold! :( Well, at least it was thoughtful enough to wait until after the play to come on. Speaking of which, The Tempest was a great success!! I had lots of fun doing it:) Thank you to all who came and supported us! Or at least supported us, even if you couldn't come:) Now, it is time to finish my school, some crochet projects, and mail that dang present and letter to Marley (sorry!). All while I have a cold. At least I have my red converse and a sweater to cheer me up. Hope you all feel better than I do!

Spring! Hurry up!

I am in desperate need of some spring. And not just spring, I need sun. I want to wear shorts and sandals and t-shirts. Also, I think I need to move away from Washington. It's too gray. Sun gives me energy, and since there's been so little of it, I've been drained. I need some motivation! Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. I also have a surprise coming for you people, but it will not be revealed for at least a week. So keep checking my blog if you want to find out what awesome project I'm working on.

Sagerific

Buy my stuff! :)

So, I have a lot of things that I'm saving money for right now, (such as a trip to Virginia, EFY, a keyboard of my own, an ipod touch:) and I've decided to start selling things I crochet to earn some money. I haven't started yet, so I need some ideas. Would anyone like something specific? And actually, would anyone be willing to buy ANYTHING? I can make cute slouchy beanie hats, little amigurumi polar bears (which could be regular bears with different colors), coin purses, flower clips, pencil cases, etc. I guess I'm self-marketing here. Spread the word that I can make and sell crocheted stuff!!! :) And please, requests. As long as it's not a huge sweater. And remember, this would be really, really helpful!

Sagerific

Wordles

I love wordles. They look super awesome and totally professional. And they're free:) Here are a couple of Shakespeare ones I did. The first one is Much Ado About Nothing, my favorite play:)

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6274136/Much_Ado_About_Nothing

The second one is The Tempest:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6273985/The_Tempest

Anyway I think they're cool and would be a fun idea for a tshirt design.

Want to create your own? Go to http://www.wordle.net/ and click 'create' to try it out!


Sagerific

Happy New Year!!!

I'm back from Christmas vacation. Now, back to schoolwork and seminary. I really miss sleeping in. But, it is all for the good, and I'm starting a new semester in school. For my big class project this term, I have to have a garden. And I have to start very soon, and to start very soon the plants would need to withstand cold weather. So, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I won't fail this and kill my soon-to-be garden. I will also be helping and working on a new play this year with the Shakespeare class! Presenting.....The Tempest! I'm am very excited to start working on it and I'm sure it's going to be lots of fun. Oh, and I do have one new year's resolution, which is: start reading classics! I haven't read Moby Dick, Les Miserables, Jane Eyre, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A tale of two cities, ok maybe I should just do authors, Charles dickens, MORE Shakespeare, Jane Austen, L. M. Montgomery, Nathaniel Hawthorne, C. S. Lewis, Louisa May Alcott,............Anyway, that probably will not happen until this summer. When I do start all this, I will hopefully remember to blog and write reviews on these, which will probably be full of spoilers, since I don't like secrets. And if you haven't read the books and you don't like spoilers, I guess you just don't have to read them. What are your resolutions?

Sagerific