Singing in the Dark

[adieu]

2012-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

I've finally decided to start up a new blog...this one just doesn't feel like me anymore. I have changed so much in the past year or two, and felt like every post I made on here was just explaining that fact. Having somewhere to post freely and have a fresh start is going to be great :)

So, head over to singing in the dark (same name....I could not come up with a better one!) and follow me!

[i took a sip of something poison but i'll hold on tight]

2011-10-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Do you know how much I miss writing?

Very, very muchly. So I'm going to try to get back into blogging, especially since I think I think I'll have things to say again!

Right now I'm reading blog posts from a year ago, and my goodness....it's incredible how much I've changed. Some of what I wrote just makes me laugh and roll my eyes, but other parts just make me miss the innocent, trusting, idealistic me of only last year so very much. Well, it could be argued that these adjectives could still be used to describe me (the first and last, at least), but let's just say there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. So much has been lost that will never be regained, but I'm realizing that that's the way it has to be. To gain, we must lose. To see the light, we must first see the darkness.

Well, to start things off, college is going well. It's taken a lot of adjustment and all-in-all I'm very glad that it turned out that I'm still living at home this year, but I've made friends and am enjoying my classes. Studying....that's another story. Ex-homeschooler = studying is a fail. Well, for me at least...maybe other ex-homeschoolers nonetheless have mad studying skills, and perhaps they'd like to aid me? I'm not too happy with the grades I've gotten so far, but like I said, I'm still developing the fine art of studying. Plus, I'm taking a lot of music classes, this is the first time I've done anything musical other than sing, and everyone tells me that this particular school is very tough (they like to fool you...you'd think a two-year college would be comparatively easy, right? Not necessarily so, my friends.), so I'm trying not to feel too much like I'm made of fail. Just enough to spur me on to harder work and better things... Voice lessons, however, are pretty much made of win. I have a wonderful teacher, I've made so much progress already which is very exciting, and I'll be starting to learn a song in a week or two!

It's been a coming-out-of-the-tunnel sort of weekend for me, metaphorically speaking. As I've mentioned previously, this has not been the easiest year. Lots of things happened and made me question just about everything, but I've finally been getting my priorities back in order and pulling all the bits and pieces together to figure out who I am. It's amazing how much happier that can make a person, that knowledge that who you are and what you believe in is something you can stand by and not be ashamed of.

Yesterday, my mom and I went on a pilgrimage with some people from our church to this shrine, the site of the only approved Marian apparition in the U.S, which is pretty amazing. We drove there with a family from our church and had a great conversation with them on both trips. One thing the father said really struck me: "God wants us to be either hot or cold...He can't stand it if we're just lukewarm." Well, not that He'd technically want us to be cold, but it makes a point. It's something I've always known, but have definitely needed to be reminded of lately. I really do not like how lukewarm I've become, both in regard to God and in regard to other things in my life. After all, what point is there to a life that isn't lived to its fullest? What point is there in having beliefs if you're afraid to live them? What is a person if they lack courage?

During Mass I started thinking, as usual, about the future and all my trepidation concerning it. But something has changed and I no longer feel quite so hopelessly rudderless...less like a drowning person reaching for driftwood and more like someone in a perfectly decent boat that actually might be steerable. Putting God back into His rightful place of number one in your life makes such a difference :) The future is suddenly looking much less hazy, and I've returned to my original plan of transferring to Christendom next year. Ah, you don't even know how happy this makes me. This is the third time I've seriously revisited that idea, and just the fact that I keep coming back to it and every time it seems more and more right is very reassuring. WOOHOO!

Lots of things lately have been coming together to nudge me in that direction, one of them being a radio segment I heard on the Catholic station last week in which they were discussing colleges. The main point that stuck with me was that, in the long term scheme of things, four years is really not that long, and you will have ample time to meet a wide diversity of people in your lifetime. A lot of young Catholics on the quest for their ideal college, and I include myself, will sometimes balk at a college that seems "too Catholic", or just a Catholic college, period, thinking that they're missing out on knowing a diverse mix of people, and fearing that they're just locking themselves in a big bubble. But, as this speaker pointed out, these four years of your life are one little, albeit important, step in the big picture. It's doubtful that not being exposed to a wide variety of people at a huge public university is going to change you into a narrowminded bigot. However, chances are that four years at a college where the values and beliefs you have already established are shared with the vast majority of students will help you become a person who is rock-solid in their beliefs, rich in true friendships, and confident in the person they are. Plus, the rumor that all Catholic colleges are full of socially inept nerds is just that...a rumor. Just from my one visit to Christendom, I learned that while some do fit into this mold (and hey, that is not necessarily a bad thing...most nerdy people are absolutely lovely and fascinating), the majority are very normal young adults who dress and and talk and act like most nice, upstanding people you'd meet anywhere else. Why wouldn't you want to spend four formative years of your life in their company?

I know that this can vary widely from person to person. I've met absolutely amazing people who fit perfectly at the public colleges they attend, and I wouldn't deny that for many, this is the road to take. I've concluded, however, that my road to higher education is the road to a Catholic college. That's where I'll truly grow and thrive and become the person I should be. Sure, I could be happy somewhere else, but a Catholic college is where I'll be free to really become myself, to make true, life-long friends, to get the education I truly desire. We only have one life. Why settle for second-best when you could reach your dream by stretching just a little bit farther?

Oh, and presenting my latest favorite song...

Helena Beat - Foster the People

[there's a party on the rooftop top of the world]

2011-08-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've always had a thing about clothes.

When I was 5 or 6, I had this super bad habit of constantly changing my clothes...I'd go through about four different outfits in a single day. Now I (usually) can stay in the same clothes all day, but I still love coming up with different combinations of whatever happens to be in my closet. And some days, I really like what I come up with!

Today was one of those days, so I took myself on a photo shoot (yay for timers on cameras)...out on the roof! Yep...that be an honest-to-goodness rooftop. I had to crawl out the window and everything. :D

shoes - payless; skirt - twentyone; camisole - mudd; sweater - vanity; scarf - gordmans; bracelets - mudd; earrings - candies

I love scarves. I think this one just kind of made the whole outfit.
Being photographer/model is a good time :D

Call me crazy, but one thing that I am really looking forward to about school is having somewhere to go every day, so I can wear nicer clothes and not feel like I'm wasting them by staying home! Although, I suppose that technically if you enjoy wearing the clothes it's not really a waste even if you never step out of the house all day, but it's still more fun to be all dressed up and have somewhere to go. I've started getting more into accessories...they just add so much more depth and interest to outfits. See those bracelets I'm wearing? They came in a set of about 20, some with charms and some just knotted cord, and I love 'em. And, of course, there's scarves. :D

I got my schedules for fall! It's looking pretty darn busy...but I think I'm going to enjoy it. Mondays are psychology, English (I got placed in 102...sooo happy about that!), and chorus, plus ballet, pointe, and lyrical at my dance studio in the evening; Tuesday is Intro to Acting, math, and vocal technique, plus ballet (it's a lower level class, but I'm taking it on pointe), hip hop, and modern; Wednesday has the same college class schedule as Monday, with church choir practice in the evening; Thursday is the same as Tuesday, with the exception of jazz, ballet, and assisting with a modern class; and Friday is the same class schedule as Monday and Wednesday, and I work at the country club 4 pm to closing! I'm also doing the performance group again this year, so I'll be at dance every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.

*tries not to die*

But I'm looking forward to it. :)

Thoughts [but then again, what else would they be?]

2011-08-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

One of the undeniable things about life is that it never stops changing and is always unpredictable, and even though this is one of the scariest things about life, it's also one of the most comforting.

Hummus is one of the best foods ever.

Everything is tinged with melancholy...

Not having my friends around makes me sad.

I'm gonna live forever....I'm gonna learn how to fly....

Those are just a few random thoughts plucked from my mind (the last is a song though, not random thought processes like the rest. haha). Lately, when people ask how I am, I never know quite what to say. There are so many things I love about my life, but there are also so many things about it that frustrate me, so that at any given moment I may be elated or down in the dumps. I have gained a lot of perspective lately, though, which helps so incredibly much if you're an overly emotional person like myself. Perspective shows you so much...it can show you when things are worth crying about, when they're worth being excited over, and that no matter what, even if whatever it is seems devestatingly horrible, something will change and make it better in some way or another. However, I usually prefer when my mind doesn't make that change come within two minutes, because usually in two more minutes I'm right back to feeling how I did before and then I just start thinking I'm bipolar!

Also, having the ability to write songs can be a lifesaver. :)

So, on a brighter and somewhat shallower note, I redecorated the walls of my room recently.

The pictures on the left were all made by my very talented sister, and the poster was made by myself for the dressing room I shared with one of my friends for Introspect.

Also, last week I found the exact shade of nailpolish I'd been looking for, which made me happy! It's sort of right between white and pink...

There. Classy. Pretty. I like. :D

I've also been reading Les Miserables again. Wonderful book. :) I started reading it during Phantom of the Opera, and even though that was back on February, I'm only on page 115 out of more than a thousand. It's not the biggest page-turner ever (not yet, at least), but I really love the style in which it's written. It's very unique, often going off on really random tangents, but there's also a piercing simplicity and clarity in everything he says.

So, it's almost 3 am. Wrenching myself out of my summer sleep schedule is NOT going to be easy when school starts. :P

Growing.

2011-07-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

I've been putting off this post for weeks, mostly because my non-confrontational side was getting the better of me. This summer has been one of so much change and growth for me, and my opinions on just about everything are shifting. After a lot of thought, I decided that I do want to share some stuff on here, mostly because I'm a big believer in being honest and I don't want to feel like I can't be honest on my blog, of all places!

So, here are a few things I've learned over the summer. This certainly isn't everything, but it's a lot of things I've come to find important. Some of them are certainly cliched...but hey, they're true!

* Life is not going to come to you while you sit there waiting for it. People can't read your mind...they're not going to know that you want to talk to them, or that you want to do things, or even that you care about them, unless you say something. Opportunities are not going to fall into your lap without you persuing them. You have to rise and meet things...they're not going to always just come to you. In fact, they usually won't, and if you remain passive all your life, life will just end up passing you by.

* Putting things in perspective is a great skill to have. For example, just because someone doesn't want to be with you 24/7 and has other people they enjoy spending time with does not mean that you don't matter to them. Just look at it from your own point of view...no matter how much you love someone, you do need time away from them, and just because you need time away does not mean you love them any less. And just the fact that you love other people too does not lessen the value of this person in your life - love doesn't work like that. It doesn't have a certain capacity beyond which it cannot be filled...in fact, the opposite is true. The more you love, the more you are capable of loving.

* Externals really don't matter as much as many people seem to think they do. There are so many amazing people in the world, and it's just not right to completely write someone off because they don't dress or behave quite how you think they should. This is actually something I've started feeling pretty strongly about...I've noticed that there are so many people who adopt a very judgmental and non-Christian attitude towards most people they meet. Jesus Himself said that whoever among us is without sin can cast the first stone, and we can never truly know what another person's thoughts or reasons for their actions are. And besides, it is really not up to us to judge if they're right or wrong. No one is going to be reached by judgment and condemnation...only by love. And besides, you miss out on knowing so many wonderful, unique people if all you can see are the things you think they're doing wrong!

* God is love and love is God. Love is truly a beautiful thing, it can be found everywhere if you keep your eyes open, and it is something we all need. There's no shame in needing other people...there is great strength and value in independence, but there is also great strength to be found in admitting that yes, you do need other people.

* Putting a name to problems can really help solve them.

* If you think you know exactly what's going to happen in your life, you are most likely wrong. Things never stop changing, and while plans are good to have, you just have to accept that they are probably going to change once or twice (or ten or twenty...) times along the way.

* If you have fears, you have to face them...you can't let them consume you. This is so much more easily said than done, but it's true. A life ruled by fear is a miserable thing. Even if facing your fears is absolutely terrifying, it does get easier and you will have more regrets about not trying than you ever would have if you just remained in your safety zone. It's painful, it takes time and worry and tears, but knowing that you are breaking out and gaining independence and control over your life is worth it.

* And finally...the world is not a horrible place. Just because people are different from you (maybe they dress differently, attend a different church, have a different means of education) does not mean they are terrible people. I really believe that it is so, so important to view everyone as an individual person and not just judge them and cram them into categories. God made the world and everyone in it, and He loves each and every one of them more than we could imagine. Loving our neighbor does not mean judging our neighbor...it means loving them.

So yeah, that's an idea of what my thoughts have been in the past few months. It's certainly not everything, and I also certainly don't think I have all the answers now, but at least some things are starting to be clearer.

So, here's a quick update on my life, which is finally feeling like less of a black fog as far as what's happening in the near future goes!

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" finished about two weeks ago. It was the most amazing performance experience I've ever had, and I miss it and everyone involved sooooo much! It was such a unique show...I recommend reading this blog post about it, since it's the best explanation of it I've ever read. I learned so much from being a part of Introspect, and I've also decided that I do want to stay involved in theater. The whole experience mirrored what it would be like to be a professional a bit more closely than any other show I've been in, and I just loved it. It's just such a powerful medium, the opportunities are endless, dance is my passion, and I need theater people in my life. :)

I'm starting college in about a month! College had been extremely up in the air for basically forever, but to make a very long story short, I was accepted and given a very, very good financial aid offer at the university in town! I'm sooooo happy about this...I'd pretty much given up hope that I'd be able to go anywhere in the fall semester, both because I'd applied so late and also because I really did not want to completely wipe out my savings account right in the first semester. Classes start September 6...I don't know what exactly I'm taking yet since I still need to take placement tests and register. So I'll go there this year and transfer somewhere else next fall...I haven't decided where. That's another reason I'm super happy about all the financial aid - I'll actually be able to visit schools I'm interested in!

You may have noticed, I sort of overhauled my blog. I was actually toying with the idea of starting a completely new one, but I decided against it for a variety of reasons...I still really like this name and couldn't think of a better one; I have a lot of followers; and even though I've changed incredibly much and now strongly disagree with a lot of stuff I posted in the past, I am still me and it just shows how I've grown.

So, there's a post. Finally! I'm amazed that this still gets visitors every day...now you have something new to read!

Announcing...

2011-06-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

...my Etsy shop, A Thousand Echoes! Lots of stuff is up and more is on the way, so check back often!

Thanks so much to everyone who answered the poll...it helped so much to know what people are interested in buying! And if you haven't answered it yet, feel free to offer your input.

And if you like what you see and would like to help me advertise, just copy and paste the code underneath the Etsy sidebar and it will display this picture:

with a link to my shop.

[random photos]

2011-06-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Cats do not like hot weather.However, they do enjoy squishing themselves into baskets that are almost too small for them.

Clouds are gorgeous.

I was very happy with this outfit from a few Sundays ago!
shoes - target; skirt - nice as new; camisole - kohl's; sweater - banana republic (via nice as new); bracelets - (peace sign) claire's (red) gift from a friend who bought it in italy (pearl) gift from a friend
The peonies are blooming and I put them all over the house.

quilt by my aunt

***

As I mentioned in another post, I'm working on getting an Etsy shop set up. If you could answer the poll question on the left-hand side of this page, that would help me very much! :)

SUMMER.

2011-06-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

IT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. <3

It's been in the 90s all week, and I love it.

For some reason, this hot, muggy weather makes me not want to sleep...in a good way. I'm not terribly tired at night, but I still want to get up early and see the gorgeousness of the mist rising off the grass into the sunlight of a new day.

Hasn't happened yet.

But there's always hope!

The warmth and my increased intake of water has also made my skin look fantastic, with the rather unpleasant side effect of feeling a bit like a water balloon. However...drum roll please, this is big...it's not even the middle of June and people, I already have the beginnings of a pretty legit tan! I did not even know this was possible for me! Not a burn, but a tan...and quite a few freckles, too! This makes me happy!

I rode my bike down to the library today. It was lovely on the way down. But I haven't invested in a bicycle lock yet, and the whole two hours I was there I was checking on my bike every 20 minutes. I don't want to lose it! It's pretty and shiny and green and I've had it for almost 10 years now...I wuves it. So yeah. Bicycle lock is definitely going on the shopping list, along with a nice wire bicycle basket so I don't have to break my shoulders or smoosh my lungs carrying alllllll my library books in a messenger bag.

I'm just feeling...motivated...even to the point of giving Etsy another shot. As soon as I actually get some stuff listed I will post the link! What with the college decision I've made (more details on that will be forthcoming), I'm really going to need a lot of money. So I'm hoping Etsy will work for me this time...well, and that I'll make it work ;)

Adieu.

So...

2011-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

I am now a legal adult! Apparently I can now do all of the following:

1. Vote
2. Buy lottery tickets
3. Get a tattoo without parental consent
4. Get piercings without parental consent
5. Go to a casino
6. Sit in a bar (but no drinking...so what's the point of that?)
7. Take the driver's test without taking driver's ed
8. Buy tabacco
9. Go to a dance club
10. Fill out all the paperwork at the doctors' office
11. Smoke
12. Adopt a child
13. Get arrested

So basically, when you turn 18 you have full permission to be bad as you want, but you DO run the risk of being arrested for it.

Just kidding. ;)

However, there are a few I'm definitely planning on doing in the near future! Only good ones...naturally... 0:)

It was a wonderful birthday weekend. For starters, I got to see one of my favorite animals up close and personal!

Isn't it cuuute?

Look at its "ears" :D It was a windy day!

Then tthis morning I was happy because (among other things, of course!) I was able to wear my new dress. ;) Goodwill FTW...it cost $5!

I look dumb in that picture ^^ It was too early in the morning for photography! ;)

But this one turned out pretty well.

My dad and I took a bike ride all over town that afternoon. It was so much fun! We crossed two bridges, got food at the ice cream stand, and I started working on my tan. Because I just get sooo dark in the summer...right. haha

Now I wish we'd taken some pictures!

I still can't get over the around a hundred messages people wrote on my Facebook wall :) I feel very, very loved! Thank you so, soooo much, everyone...it very much made my day!

Be blown away...

2011-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I think there's probably one thing in everyone's life that they are always, always going to wish they could have done. For me, that is definitely figure skating! It's basically dancing on ice (really extreme dancing!), plus you can have the dream of someday competing in the Olympics. I've always loved watching figure skating, and I think I am always going to wish I could have done it. But some dreams were just not meant to be...

I came across this video of Yukari Nahano skating to the Bolero from Moulin Rouge. She is amazing. And here is Evan Lysacek skating to the Rhapsody in Blue. I've been a fan of his ever since the Olympics...he's incredibly talented, a great performer, and, well, he's pretty cute too. ;) Then this is a video I came across around the last Olympics, when I was looking at various figure skating videos...Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao skating to this really gorgeous instrumental version of Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever. Those lifts...that requires such trust.

So, if you want to see some incredible skating to gorgeous music, watch those links! You will be blown away!

One day I'll fly away...

2011-06-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

I don't think I mentioned anywhere in my last post that the post's title came from the song "Seasons of Love" from the musical RENT. It's a very, very good song...you can listen to it here. :)

You know, you all are very, very lucky that I am not a blogger who uses their blog to rant. I could be doing oh-so-much ranting right now...but I won't. 0:) Let's just say today (heck, let's just say many of the past days) hasn't been the greatest ever.

You know what I really want to do right now? Take a trip somewhere. I love traveling, and I love the new perspective that comes with it. I feel like I could use a lot of new perspective right now...new perspective, new experiences, something to take me away from all the things that drive me crazy in everyday life. When I come back, I'll be ready to deal with them again...but not now. Not now. And there are so, so many things driving me crazy right now.

Measure your life in love.

2011-05-31T22:28:00.000-07:00

When I was 10, I thought that I had the future all figured out and there was just no way it could turn out any different from the timelines and plans I had carefully drawn up.

When I was 14, I was beginning to have an inkling that maybe life wasn't going to turn out quite how I had planned it, but it still seemed that it couldn't really be that different from what I expected.

When I was 16, I realized that yes, it could be that different. But maybe that was okay.

Now, I've realized that life will be nothing like what I ever expected it to be. Sometimes it will be so wonderful that it surpasses anything I ever imagined, sometimes it will just be bizarrely different, and sometimes it will seem so hellish that I'll wonder why God just stopped caring about me or anyone I love.

But He never does.

There is good that comes out of even the most awful things.

The love people have for each other will never fail to make any burden lighter.

Even when it feels like the world is caving in around you, like all you can do is sink into the ground and cry, it will pass. Thinking of that isn't necessarily going to do a thing right at that moment to ease the pain in your heart or the tears you're drowning in, but someday it really will pass, and you really will be stronger. It might seem like the coldest sort of comfort, but hang on. Hang on to something. Hang on to those you love. Hang on to God.

You will survive.

God actually does know what He is doing, even though sometimes it seems like, well...He doesn't. But He does, and He's known what He's doing long before the beginning of eternity. Trust, and beg, and pray, even when it seems hopeless.

It never is. Never.

Life is twisted and strange and oddly beautiful, and what seemed like the greatest curse can often turn out to be the greatest blessing.

Of growing up.

2011-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Wow...I have not blogged in forEVER. My life has been incredibly busy and stressful for about the last month, so therefore there was not much to blog about. Prayers for my family would be much appreciated...thank you! However, since I see that I still have several visitors every day (I LOVE YOU!), I decided I should make an effort and get something up for you to read!

Well, the most excited thing that has happened to me lately is being cast in this summer's production of "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" by Introspect Dance Company! IDC is a performance group that forms every summer, made up of people between the ages of 15 and 25. The story is told through dance and music performed by IDC's band (past performances were "Waiting on the World to Change", which focused on showing that teenagers really do care about issues in our world and care enough to do something about them, and "How to Save a Life", which focused on teen suicide, its causes, and the necessity of facing issues in your life). This year's show is about five people with troubled pasts who meet at a diner in Rhode Island, and the idea that you have to meet your problems head-on and cannot let them define you. I was cast as Tina, a friend of one of the main characters, and will be doing a lot of contemporary pointe, mostly to music by Vanessa Carlton - I absolutely loved what we learned at the callback! I am sooooo excited about this!!!

And once again, I am reminded how everything always works out for the best. I auditioned for Footloose about two months ago, and it was a kind of big blow to my confidence when I didn't get cast. However, now I am so glad I didn't! I probably would have thought I was too busy to audition for Introspect, and I really think I'm going to get so much more out of this than I would have gotten from Footloose. It's going to be a chance to really grow as an artist and be a part of something that will really affect people. Plus, I think it's just going to be a lot of fun...everyone is so friendly and creative and I really look forward to working with them! The first rehearsal is this afternoon...I can't wait!

***

I've been doing a lot of growing up in the past few months. I'll be 18 in a week and a half, and it's beginning to hit me that I'm almost an adult. And like so many things, it's not quite how I imagined it would be, but it also doesn't scare me nearly as much as I always thought it would. It's such an interesting time...you really start to understand the world and the people in it, including yourself. I've changed so much just in the past few months, but I'm realizing that deep inside, I'm exactly the same "me" I've been my entire life.

If you come from a conservative, homeschooled upbringing, maybe you have noticed that when the teenagers in your group of friends get to be 17, 18, 19, they change a lot. If you're anything like how I was, this was a cause of major concern - to all appearances, they've really "gone off the deep end". But now that I've reached that age myself, I can assure you, don't worry too much about them. Maybe they'll get more piercings than you approve of, or starting dating someone who isn't from your church, or suddenly seem to be hanging out with people at all hours of the day. But fear not - this is just something they have to do, and you'll probably do it as well to some degree or another when you're that age. We have to do it because we are inhabitants of this world, and at some point, we are going to be on our own in it. Up until now, parents and other responsible adults have made most of your decisions for you. You had to ask their permission to go places, to buy things, to be involved in anything. And that is how it should be. While you're growing up, you simply don't know enough to make the right decisions in certain situations, and often you don't even want to. I didn't, at least. I was always pretty happy to just ask my parents about everything and rely on their judgment.

But one day, you realize that soon, very soon, you're going to be the one making your decisions. You will be fully accountable for your actions. It is your own judgment you will be relying on. The pattern of your world is shifting and your parents are now in the role of advisor. This freedom can be intoxicating, but you need it. You need to learn how to navigate the world and make the right choices, and the only way you're going to learn this is by trying. Some things you try might not be the smartest in the long run, but if you always stay true to yourself and the values and morals you were raised on, you'll be fine. Just remember, the best, most admirable people are without a doubt the ones who aren't afraid to laugh and act crazy and have a good time, and at the same time aren't afraid to stand up for their values and beliefs and God, even when it goes against popular opinion. Those are the strong people. Those are definitely the cool people.

Entering adulthood is an extremely confusing time. You start questioning things you were raised to believe, because now you know that if you're going to believe something, you have to be convinced it's true. Some things that were always very important to you just aren't anymore, and other things you though would never matter to you suddenly do. The fact that man is not meant to be an island is brought home to you strongly, and the loneliness you sometimes experience feels like it's going to completely crush you and all you can do is cry. Then you feel like you're being weak for feeling like you really need other people, but it's fine. You do need them, and they need you.

And when people, people you looked up to when you were younger and people you counted as friends, look at you and just think, "Wow, she's turned into such a rebellious teenager," it really hurts. Yes, you are a teenager, and yes, you are going through a certain rebellion. But it's not always a bad thing. I'm sure those very people who are judging you for it did the same thing in their younger days. I guess they don't remember that even though the outside person might seem very different, the true person, the one inside, is really and truly the same person. They are growing. They are changing, yes, but changes are not always a bad thing. They're probably suffering more inside than you'll ever know. And all of this is going to make them a strong person someday. They have to know the world, so they can know what to keep and what reject. They have to test and question their beliefs, so that they can be completely convinced that faith and reason are in agreement and what they believe is the truth. They have to know and love other people, because, to quote Les Mis,

"To love another person is to see the face of God."

Day 18.

2011-05-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.

That's easy. Absolutely any time I've been on stage. :)

A report on the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. :)

2011-04-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of my parents (the fogginess of my just-awakened brain didn't register which one) woke me up around 3 am this morning. I thought, "Why are they waking me up?" and promptly fell back asleep...my brain basically just does NOT work in the first few minutes after I wake up...and the reason didn't register until my mom woke me up again almost an hour later.

"Oh! Right! It's the wedding!"

That thought immediately jolted me out of bed and downstairs to join the rest of my family, where they had been watching the coverage since 3 am. I am very much an Anglophile, as perhaps you've gathered, and I've been looking forward to the wedding ever since I heard about the proposal. A royal wedding is such an exciting thing to have happen in your lifetime! Of course, it would be better if I were actually from England, but I'll make do with remembering that a quarter of my lineage originated there and feel national pride in such a great event :)

Okay, to avoid this post being completely random and rambling and impossible to follow, I will write this in an orderly manner.

The gown - Ahhh...it was beautiful! Very simple, very classy, and very stunning. I loved it. The veil, too, was beautiful...so simple, but so exquistely flowing. And isn't she just absolutely beautiful? She looks like a princess...which is, of course, exactly what she is. :) I also really like the fact that she decided to wear her hair down, the way she normally wears it.

The ceremony - The ceremony was so, so beautiful. It was totally worth getting up at 4 am to experience it. It was completely traditional, the music was incredible (I absolutely LOVE choral music, so I'd been pretty excited just about the music, and it was a happy moment when they started singing "Jerusalem"!), and the sermon by the Anglican Bishop of London, beginning with a quote from St. Catherine of Siena - "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire," - whose feast it is today, was one of the best wedding sermons I've ever heard. If you'd like to read it (I really recommend it...it's also nice and short!), click here. I also thought that Catherine's brother James did an absolutely marvelous job reading...nice and slow, and very natural sounding.
The hats - Oh, those hats! I must say, I did not care for Princess Eugenie's (that really odd beige one with all the curlicues), but one of my favorites was worn by Sophie Winkleman. Lovely, is it not? It was so much fun seeing so many hats and classy, posh outfits.

The family - I just can't believe that Queen Elizabeth is 85 and Prince Philip is 90. They both looked so good! Prince Charles and Camilla also made a fine-looking couple, Camilla's dress was very festively spring-like, and I loved her hat. And Catherine's family looked absolutely wonderful! Very classy, very polished, very sure of themselves.

And, last but certainly not least...

William and Catherine - It's been said many, many times, but what a lovely couple they are! They both seemed so happy, and relaxed, and genuine, and I loved the way they looked at each other during the ceremony, especially the smiles they exchanged during the vows. It was really a privilege to be able to witness it. I'm so happy for them, and I wish them all the best and hope and pray that they will continue to know much happiness together!

Day 17.

2011-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Day 17: An art piece.

Hmmm. I've always liked art, even though at the moment I'm only mediocre at drawing. That could change someday...I just don't really feel like putting in the effort right now. But anyways. I have tons of favorite artists...I've always especially liked the Impressionists. However, this is a painting by someone with a very different style, which I've also always loved.

"Nighthawks", by Edward Hopper

This has been one of my favorite paintings since I saw it for the first time when I was...7? 8? I just love his stark realism and use of light. Often we'll be driving in the early morning and I'll see light hitting a brick building, casting sharp shadows, and think, "That looks like an Edward Hopper painting."

* * *

So...today was the day! I am now sans all four wisdom teeth, my last baby tooth, and have an odd assortment of rubber bands and chains attaching my impacted tooth to my braces in the hopes that one day (about six months all together, so we hope) it will pop from the roof of my mouth to the place it should be. My face is now square-shaped instead of heart-shaped, and I don't exactly look like myself. Plus, I'm having this agonizing craving for PIZZA. Not more pudding and Yo-J...gah...

My appointment this morning was for 9:45, so I slept in until about 9:15 am. Less time to get nervous! Thankfully my mom saw me starting to take a drink of water right before we left the house and was able to stop me, so my agony didn't have to be postponed (you can't eat or drink anything at all for six hours before the operation). We arrived, I drummed my fingers on the arms of the waiting room chair and obsessively slumped down and sat up again in nervousness for the five minutes we had to wait, and then I was ushered into the torture chamber... *cough* I mean the operating room. The part that really made me most nervous was the thought of the IV...I have this horrific fear of needles (actually, I've been getting it under control lately...getting stitches helped me overcome it!) that stems from my first experience with them. I was eight years old, I got blood drawn, and they hit a nerve. PAIN.

Anyway...back to the present. The nurse, of course, reassured me that it really wasn't that bad, and I, of course, was not convinced. She stuck heart monitors on me and I was entertained for a while by watching my heart rate go up and down...it usually stayed in the 80s, but if I was perfectly still it went down to 64 and if I moved around a lot it started pushing 100. When the time for the IV to be inserted, it went up to 106. haha So I closed my eyes, extended my arm, she tied a tourniquet around it, I started squirming in discomfort, she told me to just relax because the needle would go in much more easily, and then she suddenly remembered the skin-numbing spray she'd told me about earlier and sprayed so much on my arm that it ran down the sides. Then she stuck in the needle.

"Does it hurt?"

"Um...yes!" In lieu of going stiff as a board and gritting my teeth, I was writhing around and groaning. I've also started to actually be honest when the doctors ask me questions. :P "It hurts! It stings! Ahhhh!" I started giggling hysterically...that's my usual odd nervous reaction.

"Oh, it's okay. Ha, I laugh when I'm nervous too!" This, naturally, made me laugh even harder. She pulled out the needle, making me contract into a ball with another hollow groan, and the oral surgeon, who was walking by and glanced in the room right then, do a double take.

After about five or ten more minutes, the oral surgeon came into the room, loudly exclaiming, "So, are you ready? DUN DUN DUN." My mom informed him that was not the atmosphere we were going for. ;) Then we said our farewells, the surgeon patted me on the head and said they'd take good care of me, two more nurses entered the room, and one of them stuck this plastic thing with prongs into my nose without any preamble. I inhaled the cold air, thought it felt like laughing gas and therefore instantly wanted to start hyperventilating, but forced myself to stay calm.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, fine...just what is this thing in my nose?"

"That's just oxygen."

"Mmmm...I see." I closed my eyes, settled back in the chair, she jammed a huge piece of plastic in my mouth to prop open my jaws, and next thing I knew I was opening my eyes, hearing Cee-Lo sing, "And I thought, forget you...OOH OOH OOOOOH!", and the first nurse say, "Okay, you're all done!"

I blearily sat up, and then my mom came in. My memory is a bit foggy, but I remember the nurse replacing the gauze between my jaws and handing me my teeth in a little paper cup contained in a plastic bag that said "Biohazard". After that she handed me some paper and a pen to write on, since I couldn't talk, and I asked and answered some questions for a while. The operation took about an hour and a half...longer than expected...the surgeon said my teeth did not want to leave me. Then the nurse tied ice packs around my face and I sat up.

"Just wait a second...I'll get the wheelchair."

"Wheelchair? What the heck?" I started to stand up. Oh.

So they wheeled me out the car, my mouth started hurting worse and worse, and eventually I started crying and felt absolutely, utterly miserable and in pain for about half an hour. Only being able to communicate by paper didn't help any. Oh, and neither did the fact that it was about 1:30 pm and I hadn't eaten or drank anything all day! But then I got situated at home, ate and drank, and then had an absolutely wonderful iced coffee my wonderful mother had bought for me, and my good spirits were restored. I was also cheered by the fact that the space where the incisor on the right side of my mouth should be didn't look quite as horrible as I'd expected, and it will be gone in a few months!

So there, my friends, is a pretty much blow-by-blow account of my oral surgery. Wellllll, maybe not exactly...I wasn't awake for that part. ;) I'm happy it's gone so well so far, and hopefully the pain and swelling will go down and I'll be able to go to work on Friday!

* * *

And wow, I feel dumb. I totally forgot to wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter! Even though I had to work from 9 to 5, my Easter was wonderful, and the Easter Vigil Mass the previous night was absolutely gorgeous.

HAPPY EASTER!

O happy fault, that merited for us so great a Redeemer!

Day 16.

2011-04-19T14:56:00.001-07:00

Day 16: A song that always makes you cry.

There actually isn't a song that always, without fail, makes me cry. Sure, plenty of songs have made me tear up or cry for various reasons, but there aren't any that always have that effect. Sorry...that was a boring day. ;)

* * *

This is actually pretty old news, but I got my hair cut last Friday and I really like how it turned out. The stylist did exactly what I've always wished a stylist would do...really seemed to know what she was doing, checked my face shape, had lots of suggestions, and then just dove in fearlessly with a pair of scissors and made my hair look awesome. Et voila... Yay! So yes, I'm liking my hair at the moment.

I can't believe it's already Holy Week. This Lent hasn't been the best ever, to be honest. I actually keep forgetting that it's Lent, partly because I can't go to Stations on Fridays anymore because of work, I've not been doing a good job of keeping my resolutions, and...yeah. These past few months have been pretty stressful for many different reasons, and I guess I've been distracted. But I think everyone goes through times like this at some point, and I'm going to try to make the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) count as much as possible...even though I have to work Good Friday (I'll be able to go to Stations in the morning, though, and part of the afternoon service) and Easter. :( Oh well. I will try.

Day 15.

2011-04-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Day 15: Something you've always wanted to do.

There are so, so, SO many things that I could mention for this, but I just randomly pick something and say: dance a solo at the recital. I was going to this year but ran out of time because of being in POTO (which was of course totally worth it!), but I really, really want to next year. The song I was planning to do is Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush, and next year, if my finances allow me to do two, I'd love to do that and Jump by Madonna. Jump is sort of the theme song of my sister and me, plus, if you listen to the words, isn't it the absolute perfect song for a senior solo? I think doing a solo would be such a wonderful experience...just that sensation of being the only one on the stage, and feeling one with the music.

Day 14.

2011-04-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.

Okay, there are literally (well...maybe not exactly literally...) about ten zillion places I'd love to visit, but I'll just pick one and say the British Isles.

You have the Chalk Cliffs of Dover...

...and the quintessential beautiful English countryside...

...and the breath-taking Lake District...

...gah, it's so gorgeous...it looks like New Zealand or something...

...and London...

...and Yorkshire...

...I'd also like to visit Wales...

...as well as Scotland...

...and while I'm over there, even though it isn't technically a British Isle, I guess, I would love to visit Ireland...

...especially this - the Giant's Causeway.

All of those places also have the added bonus of being some of my "ancestral homelands"!

Of course, there are many, many other places I hope to go someday... among others, Italy and France and Greece and, most especially, Australia and New Zealand. The way those two countries are so different from the rest of the world fascinates me. I've always thought that it would be absolutely awesome to do archeology work there. Maybe after my mid-life crisis. ;)

Day 13.

2011-04-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Day 13: A guilty pleasure.

And why should I share this with you all? o.O Just kidding... Hm. I have a few, and it kind of depends on who I'm talking to whether or not it seems guilty. Well, one is that I've gotten kinda addicted to Glee. To some this would be a capital sin, to others an induction into a club of awesomeness. What can I say...it's often almost painfully cheesy, the morals aren't the greatest, and while sometimes the singing and dancing is pure awesomeness, there are also times it misses the mark...but it's so addicting. I'm not really a fan exactly, but I like watching it. Another is rap and hip hop music. I can't help it...I like it! Again, this is something that would seem normal to some and shocking to others...so I guess my guilty pleasures are sort of relative. If the words are totally nasty I don't listen to it, but often I can't understand what they're saying anyway. :P I have found that a little bit goes a long way, though. Other than that...nah.

* * *

I'm auditioning for Footloose tomorrow! And of course I have a cold...right on cue. Well, at least it's not a sinus infection like I had when I auditioned for POTO! I'm singing "I Dreamed a Dream", and unfortunately I have to do a monologue... *headdesk* I hate those...I'm not really sure why though. Oh well...it'll be fine!

Dance tonight wasn't the greatest ever, thanks to my cold making me feel like my brain was wrapped in gauze and my legs had lead weights tied to them. And then...Intelligent Ivy Moment of the Day. Even though I'd been feeling weak and out of it during all of my classes, I came home and tried to do fouette turns in our rather small living room...that ended with me in a heap on the floor. haha At least stitches weren't involved this time!

Oh, I've found two new favorite artists - Adele and Owl City! I absolutely love Adele's Rolling in the Deep, and even though I still honestly can't stand Vanilla Twilight, I've always loved Fireflies and I've found that I like a lot more of his music, especially Rainbow Veins and Hello Seattle. I'm happy, because I've always loved the name Owl City. :D

Yesterday my sister and I walked over the theater downtown to watch the dance competition. Some of our friends from our studio competed, and they all looked amazing! I was proud to be from that studio. :) Then we walked around downtown because it was such an incredibly warm, sunny, beautiful day, and ran into a Phantom person (meaning, a person we know from POTO ;) ). It was an awesome foretaste-of-summer day.

However, all good things must come to an end, and our sudden summer weather ended in a tornado, as I mentioned yesterday. It actually didn't hit my town (we didn't even get any rain! :D ), but a town north of us that my best friend lives in was hit pretty bad, and the house of a couple from our church had the roof ripped off. Please keep them all in your prayers!

Day 12.

2011-04-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

I'm finally doing this post...I've been putting it off for forever because I didn't know how to answer it. :P

Day 12: A song you want played at your wedding.

Well, there's a ton of songs I'd like played at the reception just because I like them and they're good songs to dance to, there's a few hymns I would like at the actual ceremony, but for a first-dance type song...that's going to be whatever is me and my future husband's song. Soooo...check back in five or ten years or so, okay? ;)

* * *

IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It actually feels almost more like summer...I think it's the humidity. But I am SO incredible happy! Warm weather took far too long to come this year! I'm also super excited because...remember that blog party I mentioned last week at horsefeathers? The winners were picked yesterday and I was one of them! :D I have never won anything in a drawing before, so I'm super excited...especially because it's a $25 gift certificate to this Etsy store! *dances with excitement to think that she can actually buy one of those gorgeous headbands* Thank you so much, Olivia! Now we have tornado warnings, and the guy on the radio made me laugh so hard I just about cried by saying, "If you're driving, get off the road and into some permanent structure, or just get in a ditch, put your face down, and cover your important body parts with your arms." ...yeah, last I checked they were all pretty important. And apparently arms don't make the cut...

Day 11.

2011-04-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.

This picture was taken last weekend when I spent a very fun day with a friend of mine walking around downtown, taking pictures, and doing some shopping. We found this amazing chair at a consignment shop...I want it! So does my sister! So does my friend! It was funny, because the lady working there saw us taking pictures of the chair and said, "That is a pretty cool chair, isn't it?" My friend and I both agreed. "A little girl was sitting in it the other day," she continued, "and I told her that if she wasn't careful, she was going to turn into a huge foot. She got up pretty fast...I think I might have scared her!"

* * *

And a very happy birthday to my absolutely wonderful mom! :)

Day 10.

2011-04-06T13:55:00.001-07:00

Day 10: A picture of you taken more than 10 years ago.

This is me at the age of 5 (about 12 years ago), at one of THE coolest parks EVER. I loved it! As perhaps you can see, there are all these awesome hidey-holes and crawlspaces and hidden spots (like those tires), and even a rocket ship - that white thing in the background. I think the only reason I'm not smiling is that I'm trying to do the cool and sophisticated look (yeah...not sure if that's happening, considering my clothes ;) ), or else I just didn't want my picture taken at the moment. Knowing me, either one is about equally possible. haha

Day 9.

2011-04-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

Day 9: A photo you took.

That was taking coming home from my awesome visit to Christendom College! Seeing the clouds from an airplane for the first time is an experience like no other.

* * *

I did most of my summer clothes shopping at Nice as New this past weekend, and I found some really cute things! Such as...

...these shoes! They're soooo pretty...and they were only $7!

And they go perfectly with this skirt...I just need to find a top and I'll have an outfit for Easter!

I finally found a nice black skirt.

I LOVE this sweatshirt. It's one of those things that looked sort of terrible hanging on the rack but really nice after I was actually wearing it, and it's so so comfortable.

Then I found two sweatshirts, right next to each other on the rack, that both warranted a happy dance!

I have always wanted a "Nightmare Before Christmas" sweatshirt!

Then I found this...a sweatshirt from that performance of "Les Mis" that made me fall in love with theater 6 years ago.

EPIC WIN.

Day 8.

2011-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Day 8: A photo of something you ate today.

Um...why??? That's so boring... But if "they" insist...

Behold, some of today's sustenance. We had to sing for a funeral at church and stayed for the lunch, and they served ham!

* * *

I've had this black bag for my dance stuff for a while now. While I really like it (I especially appreciate all the compartments!), the plain blackness of it just begged for a little teeny bit of sprucing up.

I also have had an owl iron-on decoration thingy hanging around for years which I bought because I LOVE OWLS. And that was the perfect place for it to find a home!

Hopefully the zipper pull will hold up, because I really love how it turned out! The original pull has actually been missing since sometime in January (I only got around to replacing it now...), and I just hope that this one doesn't fall off or fall apart. It was pretty fun to make, although I was holding my breath almost the entire time. I always find making things like that to be rather stressful, which probably explains why I almost never do it. A little British flag charm has been floating around my house and purses for months ever since it fell off my messenger bag, and of course now that I have a place to put it, it's nowhere to be found. I really hope it turns up soon, because it would add the finishing touch!

I just really hope it doesn't start shedding rhinestones...that would make me very sad.

And I just had to share this awesomely bizarre little statue with you all. I don't even know where I found it, but itsn't adorable and whimiscal and just a little creepy?

Day 7 / blog party!

2011-04-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.

Uh oh. This is always a super hard list to make. I'm never sure whether to make them profound...or superficial...or material things...or spiritual things...or what. So I shall just try to not overthink it and just write what comes to mind.

1. God. That's kind of a given, because quite literally we can't live without Him!

2. Music. There's just NO WAY on earth I could survive without it!

3. Dancing, singing, writing, and performing. There isn't any way I could stop...if I did, a huge part of me would be gone. (Was that cheating, listing four things under one number? Oh well...)

4. My family.

5. Earrings. I love earrings, and it feels freakishly weird if I'm not wearing any.

* * *

So, there is this completely awesome blog called horsefeathers, and Olivia is throwing a giveaway/blog party in honor of having 500 followers! Here is my participation in the party...

Favorite season, and why? That would be a toss-up between spring and fall, with fall a little bit in the lead. Much as I love spring...the world feels new, like spring has never happened before...it just doens't last too long where I live. Fall, on the other hand, is long and breathtaking and blood-quickening and beautiful.

How would you describe your personal style? Hmmm...my personal style has been evolving a lot lately, and currently it's a little bit vintage, a little bit sporty, a lot comfortable, and very me, since I primarily shop at thrift stores.

What's one weird thing you can do? (The stranger the better!) I can do a pretty sweet imitation of Gollum's "gollum" noise. I can also pop my shoulder blades out, and I'm really flexible, which seems normal to me since I dance, but it sometimes freaks people out!

Rain or shine? I gotta say shine. The rain is beautiful, but there is not much in this world that can make me happier than sunlight.

Favorite music? I listen to everything from Faure to the Black-Eyed Peas, including, but not limited to, Simon and Garfunkel, Adele, Coldplay, Journey, Vanessa Carlton, Rene Aubry, The Fray, Feist, Blue October, Keane, Linkin Park, Nelly Furtado, and basically anything musical theater.

Classical music: love it or hate it? LOVE! I've always enjoyed it, but only lately have I become more open about it and started listening to it more again, especially while I'm doing schoolwork. Some of my favorite composers are Debussy, Faure, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Chopin, and I also absolutely love all sorts of choral music.

Phobias? I used to have a zillion phobias, but they've been fading away. Now I'm mainly just afraid of needles...still. heheh. But you know what's worse than needles? IVs. Oh my goodness. *shudders* That's why I'm not having complete anesthetic when I get my teeth pulled...but I'll need to get shots nonetheless, of course. Time for my macho man act! *flexes muscles* Regular needles make me kinda nervous too, ever since my friend told me the story of a needle, laying on a bed...and her climbing into bed, completely unsuspecting...and the needle burrowing under her skin. Ugh. You're welcome...now you're probably scared of them too!

Hop on a plane and go live somewhere for a year...where is it, and why? Somewhere in England because I am an Anglophile (plus, I already speak the language!).

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? I'm definitely an extrovert. I used to think I was introverted, but...I'm not.

Would you/do you perform on stage? Heck yes! Whenever I possibly can...I can't live without it.

Day 6.

2011-04-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.

Actually, I have a lot of those. Not all of them are captured on film, either. But this moment is definitely up there in places in my own life I would return to if I had a time machine.

"Masquerade" in our production of Phantom of the Opera! I'm in the red dress in the front (my favorite costume ever.)

That was definitely my favorite scene. Being in it was a sort of dream of mine ever since I watched Phantom of the Opera for the first time, and it was one that I never though would be fulfilled so soon! It was just so, so much fun to be in (even though the first sopranos - which I am - had some ridiculously high notes)...I love the music, it was absolutely full of dancing, and the entire scene was so exciting and full of energy, since everyone in the entire show was in it. The end of Masquerade in our very last show was such a sad moment for me!

Day 5.

2011-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

Day 5: A favorite quote.

Okay, I really have about ten zillion million favorite quotes, but for the purposes of this post I'll go with one that has a been a top favorite of mine for a long time.

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring

Some people like to make fun of me about this (let's just say that I'm a bit lacking in the height department...), but that is NOT the reason it's one of my favorite quotes. I like it so much because I really believe that it's true...when you think about the way everything you do is going to have an impact right until the end of the world, it's absolutely amazing. And that is the way the world is changed - by the things that all the ordinary people do, and if they do enough of them they become extraordinary and so does the world. That is an incredibly inspiring thought.

* * *

Lately I've been re-exploring my love of classical music. That was about all we listened to when I was growing up, so for a while I was sick of it and took a break, but in the past few years I've been rediscovering it and realizing that so much of it is so interesting and beautiful. I'll really never understand why so many people dismiss all classical music as being "boring". Sure, some songs can be pretty mind-numbingly dull, but the same goes for some songs from every genre. I got these boxed sets of CDs of classical music from the library a couple of weeks ago (actually...they're overdue...) and I've been enjoying them a lot, especially the ballet music CD. Yes, I am one of those geeks who will be at ballet class and hear a song and go, "Oh, that's "Masks" from Romeo and Juliet! I love that song!" But Prokofiev's score for Romeo and Juliet is so beautiful...I love the first few seconds of the Introduction, and the Dance of the Knights.

I'm also one of those odd people who loves classical music and also enjoys rap now and again. Really, country is the only kind of music I cannot stand (and I actually do like a lot of Lady Antebellum's music).

To sum it up...

I <3 music!

Day 4.

2011-03-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

Day 4: A favorite TV show.

I actually really don't watch TV (I don't follow any shows since we don't have a converter box thingy on the downstairs TV, and therefore the only times I watch shows are when I get them from the library, which is pretty seldom), so this is actually almost the only show I ever watch. But I love it. :D

We're waiting for Season 8 to come from the library...the last season. Nooooooo...

* * *

This is really random, but I love how, when you leave a comment on a blog, it says "Choose your indentity". It makes me feel like I'm Jason Bourne or something...

Day 3.

2011-03-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Day 3: A favorite book.

This is one of my absolute favorite books, and unfortunately it's also the only good book Philip Pullman ever wrote, IMO. The other two books in the trilogy are just junk and I've heard so many bad things about "His Dark Materials" that I don't plan to read them. But this...this book is amazing!

I loved the story, really enjoyed the writing style, found the characters likeable and believable, and the fact that a book is set in England will almost always endear it to me. So if you like books that are exciting, interesting, fast-paced, and have a certain British/steampunk-y flavor to them, I think you would like it!

I will never forgive him for ruining everyone in the subsequent books, however...

* * *

I had two cups of full-strength coffee this morning. I CANNOT HOLD MY CAFFEINE. Drinking an excess (well, for me two cups is an excess...) of coffee always has an interesting effect...my hands shake uncontrollably, I dance instead of walking even more than I usually do, I get lightheaded (so now I can't tell if I'm still having dizziness issues like yesterday!), and I find almost everything humorous in some way or another.

Do any of you frequent Target? I love that store! One of my favorite things in it is the accessory section. :D That is always the very first place my mom, sister, and I stop when we go there. Target has the most AMAZING bags, hats, and scarves. *dies* I actually splurged when we were there on Sunday and bought an awesome white linen fedora for summer.

But one of the best things at Target is the low-cut socks. Oh my goodness...I am completely addicted to buying them. They're only $1, and every single time I go there they have a ton of new patterns! The latest pair I bought are black with yellow, green, pink, coral, purple, and turquoise stripes.

Tres belle? Oui!

Right now I'm very happy...I'm finally able to actually write music! I've been writing song lyrics for years, but a melody always evaded me. Well, that has ended, at long last! I wrote a song about a week ago that had a melody basically already attached to it, I'm working on another one, and there's a third that I've been working on since last fall. I might record one of them sometime...now the only thing left to do is become good at the piano so I can add an accompaniment!

Day 2.

2011-03-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

And did I rise and meet the challenge of posting every day? Of course not. ;) But, whatever. It'll get done when it gets done! So, here is...

Day 2: A favorite movie.

Oh man...I could go crazy with this, too, and make up ten zillion genres and fill them all with at least two or three movies. But I won't. I'll also pick something other than Lord of the Rings, because I think that everyone knows those are my absolute favorite movies! It will never cease to amaze me that I can watch them absolutely any amount of times and I love them as much as ever. But wait...I WASN'T going to talk about LOTR. ;) However, I will talk about my second favorite movie, which has the added benefit of not being very well-known! And that would be...

I'm not even completely sure what it is about this movie that I love so much. I love the story...it's so inspiring and not quite like any other sports movie. I love the general air of British-ness. I love the characters. I love the music (the theme is one of the best things ever, and I've also fallen in love with "Jerusalem", England's unofficial national anthem that plays at the end...it is EPIC. And listen carefully to the second verse - the name of the movie was taken from a line of the song!). I love the cinematography. I love to run. So I guess I came up with a ton of things I love about it, but there's still something undefinable that makes it amazing and puts it right up there under LOTR in my favorite movies.

"Now there are just two of us...who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels." Lord Andrew Lindsay, Chariots of Fire

"I believe that God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire

* * *

I cannot wait for summer! I went out to dinner with some friends last night and had a great time making tons of grand plans with one of them for the summer. This summer is going to be absolutely AMAZING. I almost always make big plans for the summer, but I really think that this year they'll be carried out. I can't wait! Today wasn't so great, however...all day I felt extremely dizzy, like I'd just done about ten zillion double pique turns all around a room. Then I started feeling nauseated, it got worse when I laid down, and wasn't too encouraged when my mom looked up "dizziness and nausea" on the internet and informed me that they are symptoms for heart problems, kidney problems, brain tumors, anemia, and basically nothing less serious than food poisoning. Lovely. However, these dizziness issues happened last year too and as far as I know nothing is seriously wrong, so hopefully it's still just mild anemia or something and will just go away! I'm feeling a bit better now, however.

I really need a haircut. I HATE MY HAIR!!! Well, I do at the moment, at least. Erm. Anyways! Just had to throw that out there!

My dad designed the logo for this year's dance recital and it is SWEET. I'll most definitely post a picture of the t-shirt after I get it! And speaking of dance, I don't think that dance studios should have spring break. Actually, I don't think they should have a summer break either (well, maybe for like two weeks...)! We're on spring break right now and I miss it!!! Right now I'd usually be in modern... *sigh* At least we'll be going Thursday afternoon to work on the duet my sister and I are doing for the recital! We're reprising Spanish from our Christmas show, but this time on pointe!

Oh...and I'm SO excited! I now have 60 followers! :D That's amazing! Thank you so much, Polka Dot! Plus, I now have an even number of followers, which also makes me happy. haha But don't let that discourage you from following! ;)

30 Day Challenge, Day 1

2011-03-25T12:08:00.001-07:00

I'm actually doing another of these 30 Day Challenges on Facebook (and stuck on Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory. What on earth? I have zillions of favorite memories, and a lot of them were not preserved in a photo! I'll have to get creative...) It would seem they're the latest craze. However, I think I'm going to do this one that I learned of on Mirfain's blog, since I've been itching to post lately and couldn't think of anything to talk about. So here's a whole list of things to talk about!

Day 1: A favorite song.
Day 2: A favorite movie.
Day 3: A favorite book.
Day 4: A favorite television program.
Day 5: A favorite quote.
Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.
Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.
Day 8: A photo of something you ate today.
Day 9: A photo you took.
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.
Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.
Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).
Day 13: A guilty pleasure.
Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.
Day 15: Something you've always wanted to do.
Day 16: A song that makes you cry.
Day 17: An art piece.
Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.
Day 19: A talent of yours.
Day 20: A hobby of yours.
Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.
Day 22: A website.
Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.
Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.
Day 25: A recipe.
Day 26: A childhood memory.
Day 27: A physical feature you love.
Day 28: A scar you have and it's story.
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.
Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

So, without any further delay I shall commence with Day 1: A favorite song!

Thank goodness they just said "A" favorite song...

*goes to YouTube and browses through the nearly 300 songs on her "favorites" list*

You know what, just for the heck of it I am going to do this my way and post favorite songs from several different genres. And where there's one favorite song, there are bound to be about 10 more that could just as easily vie for the place of "favorite", just so you know!

Favorite Classical Piece: Pavane, Op. 50 (Faure)
Song That I Refer to As My General Favorite: Don't Stop Believin' (Journey)
Favorite Piece of Choral Music: Evening Hymn (Gardiner)
Favorite Song from a Musical: Work Song (Les Miserables) (it's the epic opening song), One Day More (Les Mis) (the signature Les Mis song, IMO), I Dreamed a Dream (Les Mis) (one of my favorites of the solos, and one of my favorite songs to sing), On My Own (Les Mis) (my other favorite solo...I think just about anyone could relate to it at some point in their life)
Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern of Les Mis songs here. I wonder why? haha Okay, here's a few from some other musicals...
Seasons of Love (Rent), Overture (Phantom of the Opera) (AH THE MEMORIES!!!), and I would post Home (Phantom), but all of the recordings of it on YouTube are absolutely terrible, IMO. Well, if you'd like to hear me singing it, click here, but I've sung it better (I should re-record it sometime...)
Favorite Weird Song: Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush) Actually, there are so many that could go in this category...I love weird music!) Okay, here's another :) : Steppe (Rene Aubry)
Favorite Song That's Almost Classical But Not Quite: La Grande Cascade (Rene Aubry)

All right, I could probably keep doing this all day long, but I'll stop. ;) There's a small collection of my favorites!

Title-less.

2011-03-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

I was doing schoolwork up in my room this morning and getting distracted by looking around at the walls. I realized that I really, really like my room, so I decided to try taking some pictures of it and slightly editing them with the aid of Picnik, even though I'm certainly far from being a brilliant photographer (actually, truth be told, pretty far from even being a decent one).

So here's what I came up with.

My desk.

The ceiling.

George the Cyclops Catepillar, Martha the Normal Catepillar (their namesakes are the snakes belonging to Hermes in The Sea of Monsters :D), Figbash the Owl, and Noel the Penguin.

A collagey paper from Michael's, my lovely calendar...I LOVE Japanese artwork...and a beautiful card that my sister made for my birthday a few years ago.

Note the beautiful dancers cutouts hanging from the ceiling, also made by my awesome sister. :D

Just a few of my favorite guys. haha

My dresser.

My picture of Julie Kent, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater, that she autographed for me when I met her a few years ago, and one of the roses my voice teacher gave me after POTO.

***

So now I'm thinking about applying for another job in addition to the one I already have. I really hate applying for jobs, mostly because figuring out schedules is always such a huge hassle. *headdesk* However, I kinda need the money, so we shall see.

And I never know what to say when they ask how much I want to be paid. O.o

There was a man named Jean Valjean...

2011-03-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

We just finished watching the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert on PBS. It. was. AMAZING. My dad had told us there was going to be a special about Les Mis on tonight and I was expecting the usual hour-long documentary. But when we turned it on and I saw the stage and heard the first notes of "Look Down", I started literally dancing with excitement...it was going to be the entire show! I've been wanting to see it again since we saw it when I was 11. So yes, it was amazing!!! The concert format was a bit odd (for the most part, they were all singing to the audience in front of microphones instead of to one another), but even though it was different it actually worked quite well, and everyone was wonderful. I was actually quite impressed by Nick Jonas's performance...I cannot stand the Jonas Brothers' music, but I thought he did a fantastic job as Marius (I really think he should just stick with Broadway!). Perhaps he sounded a bit young and undeveloped, but I actually thought it was nice that Cosette and Marius both seemed about the age they were supposed to be.

One of the best parts came at the very, very end, after you'd suffered through about 20 minutes of the lady who, in my dad's words, had certainly had her coffee that morning, excitedly exclaiming, "Did you know that it took Victor Hugo 16 years to write Les Mis? Well, it doesn't need to take you 16 years to call and pledge your money! Call now!" and "One more day...well, it doesn't have to take you one more day! Call now!" until you want to throw something at the TV screen. *cough* Anyways. The original cast was there! The four original Jean Valjeans sang "Bring Him Home" as a quartet, joined at the end by tonight's Valjean, and then everyone sang "One More Day". That was amazing. I can only imagine the emotions that were flooding everyone, to be back on stage singing this incredible music from this incredible musical 25 years later. One of the best parts was when Michael Ball (the original Marius) sang, "My place is here...I stand with you!", and this huge smile lit up his face as he gestured expansively to the stage and the cast. That was just completely awesome!

So...I'm on a Les Mis high right now. :) That is my favorite musical! Someday, somewhere, I will perform in it.

On a slightly different note, I've been reading some of my favorite books lately! My mom bought four Agatha Christie novels from the library booksale last week, and I hadn't read any of them. I love her books! They're almost pure suspense, her descriptions of people are brilliant, some parts are absolutely hilarious, and in the end, even if it seemed that the crime was going to have some mediocre resolution, there is always some fascinating, often heart-rending story behind it. That's one thing that sets Dame Christie's books apart from other mystery novels...she always deeply explores the underlying reasons that murders are committed, and they are many and interesting.

And then my other favorites...I have discovered that I LOVE the Percy Jackson books! I saw the movie a few months ago and greatly enjoyed it, and then I read the first book and enjoyed it even more! I just finished book two last night, and I'm so glad there are four more! I really love the way Greek mythology is adapted to modern times, it's so much fun to figure out what mythological people or creatures they're running into (especially since I love Greek mythology), and the books are well-written, very well paced, and often completely hilarious! I must admit it...if something or someone makes me laugh, I'm bound to love it. haha

"Rats are delicious." The Sea of Monsters

A paean to the arts.

2011-03-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

paean -noun: any song of praise, joy, or triumph

I haven't been posting on here much lately. For a while I was just too busy with POTO, but now I have way more time than I know what to do with and just nothing to say. (Except for: I MISS PHANTOM!!! It's been nearly two weeks since it ended, but there is still a hole in my life. *sigh*) So many things have been changing lately, mostly my plans for the future. Being a part of Phantom of the Opera really made up my mind on something that has always been floating in the back of my psyche. I decided that the performing arts is really something I want to be a part of for the long term. I haven't decided yet on the specifics, but it will be something related to music and dance and the theater! The more I think about it, I realize that the performing arts have really always been a part of me. When I was very young - about five - I sang constantly and fearlessly and would give concerts for my family. When I was a little bit older - around nine or ten - my sister and I would spend hours rehearsing interpretive dances to music such as Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and then give performances for our parents. A few years later, my friends and I staged several plays together. During high school, I've spent countless hours in class, rehearsal, and onstage in ballets. And throughout the years, I've never stopped singing. Seeing performances inspired me from an early age as well. When I was about six years old, my family was at a high school for a craft show, and my dad and I decided to take a walk around the hallways. In our wanderings, we came across a rehearsal of "The Miracle Worker" in the auditorium and watched for a while from the back. I can remember thinking, "Wow. That looks amazing. I am going to do that someday!" And of course there was that wonderful, magical two hours in the February of 2005 when a wide-eyed 11-year-old saw "Les Miserables", was awestruck to the point of completely losing her voice, and wrote in her journal that night, "I think I have found my calling." I've never forgotten that night, and I've never lost what it inspired. My love for the performing arts has waxed and waned over the years, but lately it's been growing stronger and stronger. There are so many things that I love about it.

♥

I love telling stories. That's why I also love writing, but writing is such a solitary pursuit. I could never stop writing, but when you tell a story through the performing arts, you're using your whole body to tell it directly to the audience. It has the potential to be so...powerful.

I love music. That's actually way too calm of a statement to accurately describe how I feel about it. Music is incredible. Nothing else holds such sway over the emotions, can so deeply inspire one to thoughts of beauty or thoughts of despair, can so subtly but effectively build one up or tear one down. And to feel like you are a part of beautiful music, to feel one with it, is one of the best feelings in the world.

One of the ways I feel this is through singing. All my life, I've been singing, and slowly but surely, my voice is becoming stronger and better. In the past few months it's actually become mine...not this voice that will sometimes do what I want it to but more often sounds pathetically weak, but a reliable instrument that I hope holds promise. I try! Here is an example of what I've achieved so far.

The other way I feel it most strongly is through dance. When you dance, you become the music visualized...it becomes a part of you and you become a part of it. And with this comes such a feeling of being alive.

That's another thing I love about the performing arts. Whether I'm dancing, or singing, or doing anything on stage, or just messing around the piano, I feel alive. It's such a hard thing to describe...that quickening of the pulse, that rush of adrenaline, that feeling that this is what you are meant to do, that electric current that connects you to the audience.

Ah, the audience! Audiences are seriously one of my favorite parts of performing. The knowledge that you are bringing joy to people, making them laugh and cry and thrill and feel, that you have given them a wonderful memory that will remain with them, that you have brought beauty into our torn and troubled world, makes me feel so happy and grateful and blessed. There is almost nothing in this world that makes me happier than hearing how much someone enjoyed a performance I was a part of.

And while we're on the topic of people, I absolutely love theater and music people. They are some of the nicest, most creative, most talented, most interesting, most alive people you are ever going to meet. And most of them love giving hugs! :)

I really think that musicians and dancers and actors and all other performers have a unique calling - to bring beauty and truth to the world. Beauty can be found in so many places and ways. Truth speaks directly to our souls. "This world is so full of ugliness, but all of you have brough so much joy and beauty to so many people in the past few days," the cast of POTO was told by a very wise man. It remembered me so much of a quote I've loved for years, ever since I read it in the book White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry when I was about eight years old. Colonel Podhajsky was speaking of the Lippazaners and the Spanish Court Riding School, but his words could apply every bit as well to anyone who has dedicated their life to any of the arts. "Our Reitschule is a tiny candle in the big world. Our duty, our privilege is to keep it burning. Surely, if we can send out one beam of splendor, of glory, of elegance into this torn and troubled world...that would be worth a man's lifetime, no?" ♥

So yes. I believe that it is in the arts that my future lies. I'm not yet sure of the specifics, but I'm sure it will all be revealed in due time! In the past year, so many people have told me "Oh, you must stay in the arts!" after seeing me in various shows, and to them I would like to say thank you so, SO much. You've given me hope that I do indeed have a chance! :) However, this is of course means that my college plans have changed. Christendom is an absolutely wonderful place and I wish with all my heart that I had several lives to live so I could use one to fully immerse myself there, but as things stand now it probably does not lie in my future. I'm just not going to say anything definite about college at this point though, because at this point nothing is definite, and in any event I won't be going anywhere this coming fall. What will be happening in my life this coming fall still hasn't been decided absolutely for certain (I'd say I'm about 97% sure of what I'll be doing), but I want to wait a while before I reveal what exactly that is. :) And FYI: I changed up the sidebar a bit. All of the pictures now lead somewhere. :) EDIT: Whoohoo, this is so much fun! I'll definitely be adding more pictures...keep your eyes open...

It's over now, the music of the night.

2011-02-22T00:44:00.001-08:00

*happy/sad/bittersweet/nostalgic sigh* The Phantom of the Opera. is. over.

:(

:'(

:)

I'm just sort of in awe of how awesome the entire experience was. Every single performance was absolutely incredible, and the only time we didn't get a standing ovation was one of the school shows (and that was the audience's fault ;)). As I've mentioned before, all of our leads and the entire cast were phenomenally talented and absolutely amazing. The crew was extremely dedicated and there were no technical glitches, and the orchestra sounded wonderful.

Of course, there were a few defining moments.

* The very first show. It was a school matinee at 9 am (we had to get there at 7 am!), and so many people were so, so nervous. But the whole show went wonderfully, and we recieved a standing ovation. That totally blew us away, seeing as it was a school show and our very first performance, and several people, such as myself, started crying during curtain call. :) I was already crying, actually, because of the Phantom's amazing performance in the lair scene.

* The Bathroom Boy Singers. haha A lot of the guys had learned this song called The Prayer of the Children in men's choir at their various schools, and one day they decided to sing it in the bathroom because the acoustics were amazing. So about 15 of them crowded in there and the girls clustered around the door in the hallway, and they sang that song. It was so, so beautiful, and one of those funny, awesome moments where it's really beautiful and touching, but kind of weird when you stop and think about it. But that's the best kind of wonderful moment. So they became known as the Bathroom Boy Singers and gave several performances during our breaks between shows, and "The Prayer of the Children" became our theme song. I'm listening to it right now...gah, it's making me cry! It's always going to bring back so many wonderful memories and make me nostalgic...and it just happened two days ago! It's such a beautiful song.

* Something that the man who played the elderly Raoul said before the last show. He's a music professor and the choir director at the college in town and had led a lot of the vocal warmups the week of the show. Just after warmups before the last show he told us, "There is so much ugliness in the world, but you all have brought so much joy and beauty to so many people in the past few days." That was awesome...that's exactly what I love so much about the performing arts.

* Spending about half an hour on the last day sliding down the hallway in rolling chairs. The dressing rooms were in extra classrooms off the main part of the school, and the girls' dressing room was accessed by a sloping hallway. On the last day, two other girls and I entertained ourselves by rolling up and down the hall on rolling chairs. :D Naturally, everyone who saw us had to laugh and shake their heads, but we just told them that it was tons of fun and that they shouldn't judge. ;)

* The last show. It was absolutely wonderfully epically perfect. It was so bittersweet, but so beautiful. Hearing the overture and watching the chandelier go up for the last time brought tears to my eyes...I love that part. It makes it so easy to believe, as you stand warming up backstage in your Hannibal costume, surrounded by your friends who are also dressed in exotic costumes, that you really truly are a member of the ballet corps of the Paris Opera. Masquerade, which I've decided is my favorite scene to be in (and definitely my favorite costume!) went beautifully and was full of energy and excitement. Then there was the lair scene. Ahhhhh. *blissful sigh* The entire cast has to crowd into the two wings to sing the "Track Down this Murderer" parts, and usually I would stand with my friends and dramatically pantomime what was going happening on stage, but this last time I just wanted to watch what was actually happening on stage. So I sat in the wings, my vision slightly dimmed by the fog machines, just a few feet away from the action, and watched. They all gave it their all...it was absolutely incredible. The Phantom was really, truly crying, and I was almost afraid he wasn't going to be able to sing the emotional, sorrowful, and, on that night of nights, so very poignant last lines of the show: "It's over now, the music of the night." But he did, and he sang them the best he's ever sung them.

* The last curtain call. I cried, just as I knew I would (although I didn't completely lose it like I was afraid I would!). The audience rose to their feet right when the ensemble came out, as they had every night, and the clapping and cheering kept rising and rising, growing louder as Christine and Raoul came out, until it reached its crescendo as the Phantom stepped onto the stage. The energy, the joy, the excitement, the emotion of the audience is so palpable in those moments that it's almost overwhelming. And then, right as the lights dimmed and the curtains closed for the very last time, all 56 of us clustered together in a huge group hug. It was the perfect ending to what had been a perfect show.

Gah, I'm crying. :')

I am going to miss this show SO much, though! It's always hard when a show ends (unless you absolutely hate the show, which did happen to me once, lol), partly because it's just so sudden, but this one was harder than usual. We'd been there for hours every single day for the past two weeks and for three hours every week night for the previous month, everyone got along wonderfully and there was a real family feeling among us, and POTO is just such a wonderful, epic musical that leaving it was ten times harder than usual.

And there were so, so many wonderful moments, especially in the last few weeks. Blasting music in the dressing room (it's rather amusing to leave the hallway hearing "Il Muto" and then hear Lady Gaga when you open the door); singing show tunes at the tops of our lungs in the dressing room, makeup room, green room, and up and down the halls; incessantly curling hair; putting on what felt like way too much makeup; eating lunch that was prepared by the awesome moms in the commons and getting into shouting-and-chanting-and-pounding-on-the-tables competitions; knowing all the words to all the songs and mouthing them whenever we were waiting in the wings...oh, good times. :)

I also absolutely loved all the directors - they are AMAZING. Our main director is particularly amazing and we all love her! I think lots of people started crying during her last speech before the last show, especially when she said that, even though it sounded cheesy, she was going to hang the big picture of "Masquerade" we'd gotten framed for her in a very special place in her house because we all had a very special place in her heart. I'm sad that this is probably the last show I'll do with her!

So, to quote the Facebook statuses of practically the entire cast..."it's over now, the music of the night." I'm so, so sad that it's over and will miss it SO much, but I really am happy to have so many wonderful memories, the knowledge I was in such a great show, and the friendships I've made.

Handwriting

2011-01-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to do the handwriting tag that's been floating around lately...I love writing down random things and it's always interesting to see peoples' handwriting (you don't see it much in the blogging world!).

1. Name and Blog Name
2. Right handed, left handed, or ambidextrous
3. Favorite letters to write
4. Least favorite letters to write
5. Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
6. Write in caps: CRAB HUMOR KALEIDOSCOPE PAJAMAS GAZILLION
7. Favorite song lyrics
8. Tag 7 people
9. Any special note or drawing

Update!

2011-01-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

So I know that several of you have asked me to keep you updated on how Phantom of the Opera is going. In a word (well, phrase), it's going absolutely wonderfully! I can't believe we only have two weeks left of rehearsal before the performances - it's gone so quickly. This week we started doing full run-throughs every evening, late next week we'll begin rehearsing with the orchestra (in which one of my good friends is playing the flute!), and the week after launches us into 14 days of rehearsals and performances every day! We will have nine performances all togther - three matinees, six public performances, and three of those days will have two performances. It's going to be exhausting, but I can't wait!

I know that some of you were hoping for photos, but unfortunately I cannot acquiesce to your requests. :( It's actually for a good reason, though...we have a lot of costumes rented from a couple of professional theaters (who usually only rent to professional companies!) and their costumes are copyrighted, and there's also the fact that the rights to POTO were released very recently, the show is still being performed on Broadway, and there's just too many chances to get sued if a lot of pictures from our production got out. Sorry. :(

Being in this show has been such an amazing experience. Towards the beginning I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the rehearsals and everything, but now I really look forward to rehearsals (which is good, considering we have them every night for about a month ;)). And the talent is this show is incredible. Seriously, some of these people have it in them to go FAR! It's awesome to have the chance to work with them and observe and learn and marvel at the fact that we're all high school students. :D I think I've really improved a lot as well in singing, dancing, and acting. My voice has strengthened a ton and my range is better (I can hit the high Gs and Bs in Masquerade pretty easily now!), dancing on pointe every day can't help but improve you, and I think/hope I've learned to act better.

Watching the show come together and seeing everyone get more and more into character is SO much fun. I also have more of an appreciation for all the work that goes into the set and props and costumes...those people work so hard! And our set looks amazing. :D They covered the entire facade, painted it gold, and added box seats. The gondola is battery-operated (I want one! It's so cool!), and apparently it really will look like Christine is walking through a mirror. The set designer is also a professional illusionist, so that helps!

Once again, I am reminded of how much I love the theater and performing. I've had a profound post in mind to write about it, but now of course I can't remember it. :P I've said a lot of it already, but be prepared...there is one coming soon. ;)

And now I shall leave you with one of the most epic pieces of music from POTO: The Overture! Thank goodness I haven't gotten tired of the music yet...I'm beginning to think that it's physically impossible.

Yearly Recap

2011-01-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the start of the second week of 2011, and I still haven't done my traditional yearly re-cap post. It's time to commence and test my memory! (Or perhaps just look at last year's posts ;))

January: The main highlights were attending the Moscow Festival ballet's production of "Coppelia" and reading my essay at the pro-life rally. The latter was...interesting...because I had to stand on a tub from the kitchen to be tall enough next to the podium. o.O It was rather funny because the speaker noticed and commented on it in the beginning of his talk as one of the things that had made his day. I just about died of embarrasment, of course!

February: Lots of ballet, watching the Olympics, and thinking romantical, fantastical, sometimes nonsensical thoughts. Goodness, I've changed so much since then...

March: This month's highlight was most definitely our ballet of "Peter and the Wolf" and "The Ugly Duckling"! I danced the part of the Turkey, the Cat (my first solo role!), and a swan in UD, and was a Hunter in P&W. Being a hunter...oh, good times! That's got to be the most fun I ever had getting into a role!

April: I think that Holy Week was, as usual, the highlight of the month. The Tridentine Rite Holy Week services are so incredibly beautiful. The rest of the month, if I remember correctly, was mainly spent reading and doing schoolwork.

May: The Holy Hill bus trip! I love bus trips, I love visiting shrines, and I love May weather, so I always look forward to our church's annual pilgrimage to Holy Hill. May was an interesting month...I really did a lot of growing up, but it was the kind of growing up that's actually enjoyable.

June: I turned 17. I spent several days helping to clean the entire church in preparation for the Prior General's visit, and amazingly had a very good time and didn't go crazy! Cleaning is really not as bad as it's cracked up to be, though. I also played the Doctor in our performance of Hans Christian Andersen's story "The World's Most Beautiful Rose", and was reminded once again how much I love storytelling in any form.

July: I finally got a job! One of my friends was able to recommend me at the country club he works at, and I got a job bussing tables in the restaurant. So I began working my first real job from 4 to around 10 or 10:30 pm every Friday night. Oh, and that was also the month I found my first white hair!

August: The first week of August was spent at girls' camp. I was a leader for the first time, and, well, let's just say it was a good learning experience. I think I'll be much better prepared for this year, though! And towards the end of the month I reached another turning point in my maturity - fear ceased to be my ruling passion and I returned to my original, much more confident personality.

September: Wow, I didn't post at ALL that month. The main thing I remember is that we took lots and lots of dance (several hours every night...it was really fun before I got completely burned out ;)), and my grandpa and uncle visited for a weekend.

October: October was an exciting month! I found out that a theater group in town was doing Phantom of the Opera, I discovered my love for murder mysteries, and...I visited Christendom College!!! That was my first airplane trip that I remember, my longest trip away from home, and the first time I'd traveled by myself...and ohmygoodness, it was wonderful! I had such a good time and started very much looking forward to returning for an extended stay in August '11. :) Thankfully that actually translated to a renewed interest in my schoolwork, too!

November: I signed up for the ACT and began to feverishly (well, for the most part...) study for it, and rode on a Christendom high for most of the month. ;)

December: Snow...cold...Phantom of the Opera rehearsal...choir...schoolwork...dance... ... ...CHRISTMAS!!! I also experienced the disappointment of getting my ACT postponed, but as it turns out that was probably a good thing. I felt much more prepared when I actually took it.

So, that's what 2010 was for me! The main word I would use to describe it is "growth". I grew and changed so much that year. I have a feeling that this year's word is going to be "change", but, even though it scares me at odd moments, I am very much looking forward to it.

Joyeux Noel! :)

2010-12-25T16:08:00.000-08:00

"In our world, too, a stable once held something that was bigger than our whole world."

-from The Last Battle by C.S Lewis

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS! :)

Making Christmas, Part Two

2010-12-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

Now for the Nativity scene! We made the figurines and stable about 10 or 11 years ago, and I love setting it all up every year.

And can you find Ratty?

There he is!

My mom had the awesome idea of putting this big mirror (which we found on the curb) on top of a dresser (which we found in the basement) in the corner of the living room. I think it looks quite nice!

Making Christmas...

2010-12-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

...making Christmas, making Christmas!

That, in case you don't know, is a line from one of the most insanely hilarious songs from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, and that is what we have been up to lately! Behold some photographic evidence of our work!

Ratty trying to be helper kitty (and epicly failing, poor thing)

My beautiful green bird!

Some ornaments my mom made...I like to call them the Five Freaky Friends

One of my very favorite ornaments!

Another favorite...I've had it since I was 5 years old. We used to have a nightlight with that picture, too, but sadly it broke a few years ago. :(

My very first ornament, made by my dad 17 Christmases ago.

The mice looking at Cinderella's coach

And there's the entire tree!

You know, Blogger seriously needs to re-do their photo uploading tool, because all of the pictures end up at the top of the page and it's extremely time-consuming to move them where I want them. Not to mention that now I can't cut and paste in my blogger posts...anyone know how to fix that?

So stay tuned for Part Two!

Snow

2010-12-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

We finally have some snow! It snowed a lot just before Thanksgiving weekend, and Thanksgiving day and the friday after were both bright, beautiful, blue and white days. Being able to look out the window at work and see sunlight and snow and rolling hills and black branches etched against the blue, blue sky made working for 9 hours on Thanksgiving much more bearable! That, and the fact that I earned twice as much in tips as usual, not to mention I worked about 2 hours longer than I normally do - the specter of Christendom College always dances before my eyes, encouraging me!

For the first time ever, my mom, sister, and I went shopping on Black Friday. I actually had a lot of fun! Just two words of advice: 1. Don't go in a big city, if you can help it (in our town of 30,000, pretty much everyone we saw just looked like they were having fun...none of the crazed shoppers one always hears about...but I hear that in large cities in can be a bit different), and 2. 6: 30 am is just about the perfect time to go! It's early enough that you can have all the fun of getting up while it's still dark out (well, I find that fun, at least! ;)), it's well after the first mad rush, but it's not so late that people have started getting cranky. It was so weird to arrive at the mall at 6:30 am and find it as full as a busy Saturday afternoon! And everyone looked wide awake...that was the funny part! We didn't get anything terribly exciting, but the sales were excellent. When you're a poor student trying to save money for college, saving a few extra dollars is always a priority!

POTO (Phantom of the Opera) rehearsals started this week...my sister and I have been at one of the local high schools every evening from 4:00 to 5:00. It's not been terribly interesting so far, as we've only worked on blocking (which for me means lots of standing around!), but I can already tell it's going to be amazing. I'm really looking forward to starting to work on choreography next week! Oooh, and we also got scripts which we'll get to keep! I just highlighted and sticky-noted mine last night, and it already has copious notes...fun fun...official official! The scenes I'll be in in Act 1 are:
Scene 1: Rehearsal of Hannibal;
Scenes 2 and 3: After the Gala, Angel of Music, Through the Mirror (the ballet girls are in the background stretching, practicing, etc. the entire time);
Scene 5a: The Magic Lasso; and
Scene 7: Il Muto (one of the operas).
In Act 2, I'll be in Scene 1: Masquerade;
possibly Scenes 6 and 7: Don Juan (another of the operas);
and Scene 8: Track Down This Murderer (although I'll just be singing off-stage in that one).
I'm very happy with my part! It's fun because I'm actually a member of the opera company, and there will be tons of stage time!

Well, I really need to go study, write, and stop procrastinating! But before I go, I'll leave you with this beautiful song: Snow, by Loreena McKennitt. Nothing says "winter" to me more than this song.

The words are equally lovely and come from this poem, which is definitely one of my favorite pieces of poetry:

Snow

by Archibald Lampman

White are the far-off plains, and white

The fading forests grow;

The wind dies out along the height,

And denser still the snow,

A gathering weight on roof and tree

Falls down scarce audibly.

The road before me smooths and fills

Apace, and all about

The fences dwindle, and all the hills

Are blotted slowly out;

The naked trees loom spectrally

Into the dim white sky.

The meadows and far-sheeted streams

Lie still without a sound;

Like some soft minister of dreams

The snow fall hoods me round;

In wood and water, earth and air,

A silence everywhere.

Save when at lonely intervals

A farmer's sleigh, urged on,

With rustling runners and sharp bells

Swings by me and is gone;

Or from the empty waste I hear

A sound remote and clear;

The barking of a dog, or call

To cattle, sharply pealed,

Borne echoing from some wayside stall

Or barnyard far afield;

Then all is silent, and the snow

Falls, settling soft and slow.

The evening deepens, and the gray

Folds closer earth and sky;

The world seems shrouded far away,

Its noises sleep, and I,

As secret as yon buried stream

Plod dumbly on, and dream.

...til you drown in the light, in the sound.

2010-11-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't shared my exciting news yet! I got into Phantom of the Opera!!! I'm in the ballet corps and the ensemble, which means a lot of stage time. :) I'm extremely excited! The performance is going to be absolutely incredible...it always is with this group!

We've had two rehearsals so far - the first a general read-through and the second a vocal rehearsal of "Masquerade". I'm soooo excited about being in "Masquerade"! In case you've never seen or heard it, here is the movie version! That way you can see the amazing, incredible dancing, but I actually like the way the stage version sounds better. This is a dream come true...I've seen the movie so many times, and every time I would see "Masquerade" and think, "I would LOVE to be in that!" And here I am!

Our performances are the second week of February - we have 9 altogether! I've never been in a show that ran that long. Eeeep, I am sooo excited. :)

The ACT test date is fast approaching. I'd really appreciate prayers that I can stay on track with studying for it...I'm having difficulties with that. Thanks SO much! I've also been wading through website after website of scholarships... *starts to go crazy*

And Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Unfortunately I have to work, but hey, I need the money, and that way I'll have some extra money I can buy a few Christmas gifts without feeling guilty that I'm taking from my college fund. ;)

Oooh, one more thing...anyone else getting excited about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? I know I am! The plan is to get a group of friends together and go see it the afternoon of the 11th (after my ACT!), and then go tubing!

A painful post.

2010-11-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Perhaps some of you know this already, but I am incredibly klutzy. This comes as a surprise to some people who assume that since I dance I am naturally graceful at all times, but that, I am afraid, is not always the case! And it seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes on...

Case in point:

At swim class on Tuesday, I backstroked right into the wall and bashed my head against it, almost knocking myself out. At work on Friday, I ran into no less than three people while walking from one end of the resturant to the kitchen. And...drum roll please!...at dance on Saturday I was trying to do a jump I'd never attempted before. The first time I fell and caught myself painfully on my hand. I tried again and this time literally landed flat on my face, hitting my chin extremely hard.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to try that again!" I exclaimed, staggering to my feet a bit unsteadily.

"You're bleeding!" said my teacher.

"Really?" Sure enough, blood was dripping from my chin. "Wow...that's weird." She gave me an ice pack wrapped in a napkin and had me sit out for the rest of class. After class the other teacher looked at my chin and said that I should call my parents because it looked like it needed stitches.

Stitches? But all I'd done was fall on my face! Trust me to find a way to end up with stitches after that...

So my dad came and took me to the walk-in. The doctor told me I was going to need stitches or else end up with a possibility of infection and a gouged scar on my chin...that made me feel like a deflated balloon. Needles are my number one fear and stitches require a lot of them in all varieties! But I decided that it would be worth it to avoid the risk of infection, a bigger scar, and feeling like a wimp, and I went under the needle.

It wasn't sooo bad...I just concentrated on breathing very slowly and deeply (which also meant rather loudly, and I think was freaking out the doctor because he kept asking me if I was all right), and I only felt the first two shots. Dad said they gave me 5 or 6 - I'm so glad I didn't know that was how many I was getting beforehand! When I had lost all feeling in my chin he started sewing me up. It felt SO weird! I could feel the edges of my skin being pulled together...sorry, that's rather disgusting. He put in two little stitches and it seemed to take far too long, but at long last he was finished, and I sat up with many admonishments from the nurse to be careful because I'd be dizzy.

So yes, now I have a pretty wicked looking gash about an inch long with two black stitches on the underside of my chin. :P The stitches come out on Friday (yay! They itch terribly!), and I will have a scar - woohoo! I'm actually happy about that...I like scars. I had no idea you could actually get a gash from falling on a flat surface...ohhh, that's nasty when you think about it! Time to change the subject!

Let's see...I know! I'm getting all my oral surgery done in January - yay! Well, I'm actually totally dreading it, but it will be nice to get it over with, and it also means only a few months of braces after that! I'll be so very happy to have them gone. :D But before that happens I have to all four of my wisdom surgically removed, my one remaining baby tooth pulled, and the tooth that is coming in in the completely wrong place (namely, the roof of my mouth) dug out and have a bracket attached to it. *cringes* Not fun!!!

Wow, that wasn't much of a subject change, now was it? And I'm afraid the next thing I have to say is rather painful as well...

I'm taking the ACT on December 11! *tries not to nervously hyperventilate* I'm completely confident about the English and Reading sections (they actually look really easy), but the Science and Math sections...ohhhh dear. I haven't even learned a lot of it, so I'm planning to do a TON of studying between now and December! Tomorrow I will commence my intensive study schedule (which reminds me - I'd better write up my schedule tonight instead of tomorrow so I don't have it there undone in the morning, tempting me to procrastinate!). Please pray for me that I can stay on track and retain all this knowledge! Thanks SO much! :)

*re-reads post* Wow, this is rather dismal sounding! I hope I don't sound like I'm begging for sympathy...I'm not...these are just the most exciting things that have happened to me lately. lol

One last thing...could I please ask for your prayers for a very special intention? Thank you so much! You're all in my prayers!

Music

2010-11-04T10:54:00.001-07:00

Music is a wonderful thing. You know how some songs just make you happy? Even if you've been having a terrible day, hearing a certain song can just make everything feel right (or at least like there's a chance it will again). It almost feels like your heart is breaking, but in a very, very good way.

So I'm going to share with you my current "happy songs"!

Love Story meets Viva la Vida by Jon Schmidt - Oh, this song! I love it! I'm so happy that guy wrote it...it's just brilliantly beautiful.

Don't Stop Believin' by Journey - This is one of my favorite songs ever! I'm really not sure exactly why...there's just something about it that I love. I'm even more attached to it now since we danced to it at the Halloween dance, and it will forevermore remind me of my visit to Christendom!

And I also love this version of it...

Don't Stop Believin' by Glee

So, there is the music that has been making me happy lately. I hope it does the same for you! :)

My Trip to Christendom College, Part 2

2010-11-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

And without further ado, here is Part 2!

(That rhymed! Oooh, I'm good.)

Oh, and you're in luck this time - you get some pictures! Hopefully I'll have pictures of my costume soon too. EDIT: Well, Blogger is being lame is being lame and refusing to upload my lovely photos, so hopefully I can get them up tomorrow!

November 1, 2010 -

(7:30 AM) So here I sit at Harry's Tap Room at Dulles, eating a bagel and drinking coffee which are thankfully delicious since they were rather expensive (the coffee actually cost more than the bagel!). I feel so "official-official", sitting alone, wearing a legit college sweatshirt, and content in the knowledge my baggage is safely checked in.

Since I don't have to board until 10 to 8 and I have a (much-needed) cup of coffee to drink, I thought I'd write a little more. I'm sooo tired! The dance last night ended at 1 am, I didn't get to bed until close to 3 AM, and the van picked me up to go to the airport at 5:30 AM! But it's all totally worth it, of course!

I have a feeling that this return trip is going to feel incredibly short, so it's probably going to feel like no time at all since getting here was so quick. The sky is totally light now (7:45 AM) - it looks so pretty and sunny and pastel-y. No clouds to rise above today!

I suppose I should write a little about my actual stay now. It probably won't be that detailed simply because way too much happened for me to record it all, but I'll recount the highlights.

Friday - I sat in on classes. They were absolutely amazing! I attended a theology class, a history class, a philosophy class, and a literature class, and I seriously did not have a favorite - they were all incredible! I'm sure that actually taking them and needing to study and do homework and all is a little different, but they're so interesting I'd be completely willing to work really hard.

That evening I went into Front Royal with my ambassador and some of her friends to Tropical Smoothie and Wal-Mart. Fun, crazy times ensued! When we got back I walked over to the student center to access the internet on my laptop, and also to take advantage of the 1 AM curfew and the chance to walk around in the dark! I went back to the dorm at about midnight, read for an hour, and got to bed at 2 AM.

(9:40 AM) I'm interrupting this a little...my flight got slightly delayed (thank goodness only slightly! I'd rather not learn the great art of booking it though an airport just yet!), so I talked to my sister on the phone for about an hour while I waited - I was there super early anyways, of course.

Gah! I was in the wrong seat again! This is getting very embarrassing... I also turned the wrong way while boarding the plane and walked right into the security people.

"Do you want to get patted down?" demanded one of the guys, smirking.

"Um, no! Agh! There's the door!" I quickly rushed down the hall, reflecting with gratitude that I'd never see them again! Ah well...it's good for humility, and things like that are really quite hilarious in retrospect.

Yay! We're moving! I'm not at a window seat this time, but I can still see out just fine. I'm planning to try and catch up on some sleep, anyways.

(Not sure of the time - I'm not positive where I put my watch...it's either in my baggage or I forgot it...and I had to turn off my cell phone) Well, so much for sleeping. I guess I'm still too hyped up (and probably slightly buzzed on caffeine) to sleep sitting up, so I'll just keep writing.

There's only a few clouds today...they look really funny/cool! It looks sort of like they're under a glass table top.

Wow, there are so many sleeping people. They're lucky - I just can't sleep in public places. I'm trying to decide...should I get something thirst-quenching or something caffeinated? I'm really thirsty so I think I'll just get the caffeine on the next flight.

So let's see, where was I in my account? Saturday morning, I think...

Saturday - There was a special contenential breakfast and a presentation from the Admissions Director in the cafe for all the visiting students at 9:30 AM. I'd already heard most of the presentation from various other sources, but it was definitely worth hearing again! It made me get even more excited...Christendom is seriously an awesome, one-of-a-kind place.

After the talk we went to Mass. It was a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin, which I'd never attended before, but it was really nice. I was extremely impressed by Christendom's liturgy! I've gone to the Tridentine Mass since I was 10, so the thought of Novus Ordo made me just a little apprehensive, but it was wonderful. I love they offer everything from the Novus Ordo in English to the Tridentine Rite, but it's all so reverent and absolutely beautiful.

Lunch followed Mass and after that the swing and contra clubs held teaching sessions for the visitors in the gym. That was SO much fun! As I'm sure you all know, I love dancing, and I almost never get to do scoial dancing. I've only done swing a little bit at weddings and the only contra dance I knew was the Virginia Reel, so it was awesome to learn so much more! We danced for about two hours, and after that I met my one true love - the library! As I walked through the many aisles absolutely of wonderful books (and it's two stories!) I thought, wow! it's worth coming here just for this!

By that time it was dinner time and we adjourned to the commons for the Oktoberfest meal, which was followed by various competitions such as barrel rolling, stein racing (which I failed epically at...serves me right for feeling right for feeling so cocky about it!), bean bag tossing, and doughnut-on-a-string-eating. After all those events we went back inside and there was a contra dance! That was the very first I had ever been to and it was wonderfully fun! I had another of my usual epcially klutzy moments during the broom dance - I was sashaying down the aisle with a guy and when he tried to twirl me, we lost our balance and went literally flying into the row of girls! It was so hilarious!

I spent another late night on my laptop at the student center typing up the blog post from the 30th, and once again got to bed around 2 AM. College life. *shakes head*

Sunday - This was definitely the best day! It began with the beautiful Mass - a Novus Ordo all in Latin with incense and the amazing choir. It was one of the most beautiful Masses I've ever attneded...I really loved the marriage between the old and the new. After Mass we ate brunch, and then I became acquainted with a Christendom tradition that I absolutely LOVE - the sing-alongs around the piano in the commons that I mentioned in my last post! Like I also mentioned there, I am totally in awe of how talented some of these people are.

After spending about an hour singing and listening, one of my friends and I walked down every single aisle of the library, which we both agreed we want to marry. Or at least have a job reading very single book so they don't get dusty! We had to perform the sad task of printing out our boarding passes, and then we and another friend were privileged to be let in on the knowledge of an awesome secret place in the library!

Next, the three of us had hot chocolate and cookies in the cafe and talked to the Admissions Counselor for a while, and then we went to Vespers. Oh, that was wonderful!!! We sang a lot and it was so nice to be able to spend some very peaceful time in the presensce of Our Lord.

We had another adventure after Vespers! We decided to go up and see the choir loft and on our way up, one of the students offered to show us the bell tower! We stayed up there talking for about half an hour - it was so much fun! After dinner, the same student took us on a walk down to the dock on the Shenandoah River. It was so peaceful and quiet and beautiful down there.

The evening was spent dressing for the Halloween Dance, trick-or-treating in one of the guys' dorms and going to the haunted house (which was in a guys' dorm room and really quite impressive, and - in my opinion - hysterically funny, with loud creepy music, strobe lights, and people with creepy costumes and voices popping up all over the place). And then around 8:30 PM, we headed to the dance! Oh my goodness, the dance was SOOO much fun! I had such a wonderful time! I danced a lot, and usually when I wasn't dancing with someone I was freestyling in an awesome little circle with some of my fellow visitors. It was FUN!!!

I stayed until it ended at 1 AM, and then had to say goodbye to all my friends because I had to leave at the insane hour of 5:30 AM! What with showering and packing and talking I didn't make it to bed until 3 AM, which brings me to the exhausted and brain-dead state I am in at this moment. I've done so many stupid things it's absolutely insane! You should see all the bizarre spelling mistakes I'm making (example: I spelled "insane" "insain"), and I even asked the stewardess if I was in the right plane because it was a different color from the others. My goodness...

But thankfully I am on the last flight I'll be taking today, and we're almost ready to take off! So I think I will leave you here and succumb to exhaustion for one last hour. Fare thee well!

So ends my chronicles. I had an absolutely marvelous weekend, and, as you've probably figured out by now, I definitely want to attend Christendom next year! I'm working on applying...it's so very exciting. Please pray for me, and thank you SO much to everyone who was praying for me over the weekend! It's very much appreciated, helped a great deal, and know that I am praying for you as well!

Things I Love About C-dom

2010-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I'm loving about Christendom!

* The chapel. It's beautiful, and it's right in the heart of the campus - exactly where it should be! I love being able to stop in to say a prayer whenever I pass by, and every time I've gone in there have been at least three people praying.

* The amazing library. Seriously, it is soooooo cooooool! It's huge and jam-packed full of all sorts of incredible books. There's also an amazing view of the Shenandoah River out the enormous windows in the back. I could live in this place!

*The classes. The classes and professors are so amazing! I sat in on Theology, History, Philosophy, and Literature on Friday and they were all wonderful. I love learning about that sort of thing.

* The rickety piano laden with music books in the commons. That was the best idea ever! It's right outside the cafeteria and there is pretty much always someone playing it and/or singing...and they're all super super talented! I was seriously in awe! After brunch this morning I joined the group of people standing around it singing...we sang songs from Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, and a bunch of other shows. It was awesome.

* The people. These are seriously some of the friendliest, nicest, most welcoming people I've ever met. Everyone always smiles and says hi to me, most of them are hysterically funny, all the stories I've heard about how polite and chivalrous C-dom guys are are completely true, the students in general aren't in the least bit stuck-up or nerdy or religious freaks, and they're all so very Catholic. It's awesome to see how many people attend Mass and drop in to pray at the chapel, and they just live with such joy. I was also extremely impressed that the entire time I've been here, I've not heard one person take God's Name in vain. Pretty cool!

* The dancing. Oh my goodness, it is SOOO much fun! I fianlly learned how to swing dance yesterday and I'm now really looking forward to the dance tonight, and last night I attended my first dance! It was a contra dance after the Oktoberfest, and I had a wonderful time. I love how they do so much real dancing, and so many people are really good at it, too!

Well, those are a few of the things I really love here. After I get home I'll do a post telling more about what exactly we did.

Happy Feast of Christ the King! And Happy Halloween! And Happy All Saint's Day a day early! :)

My Trip to Christendom College, Part 1

2010-10-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend is my trip to Christendom College! I wrote in my notebook the entire way there, and here I sit in the student center (at 11:11 PM - make a wish!) typing it alllll out for your reading pleasure! Hopefully you'll not find a basically minute-by-minute account of my travels by air to be too mind-numbingly dull. ;)

(A little after 2 PM) It took a tortourously long time for the plane to finish getting to the runway and actually take off. But when it did, it was so thrilling! The plane paused and then suddenly the engines grew louder and the plane began taxiing rapidly. Being the speed junky that I am, that was amazingly fun, and with a little ratcheting clunk we became airborne. It was incredible to see the earth quickly fade away, roads becoming neat little grids and rivers shining silver snakes. I must admit that the way the plane was tilting (towards my side of the plane and I'm right beside a security door...things like that always make me nervous) made me a little uneasy, but it soon righted itself. And it was completely worth it for the huge burst of adrenaline as we barrelled straight into the sky and broke in amongst the clouds.

People have always told me that the sight and experience of flying above the clouds is absolutely incredible, but it didn't prepare me for the grandeur of actually experiencing it myself. The plane was wrapped in white, gauzy clouds for about two minutes and then we broke through. Oh, it was beautiful! A vista of whiteness spread around us as far as the eye could see, and the beautiful blue sky shone out through the clouds in varying stripes of pale blue and azul and the softest gray-white. It looked like a whole new world...it looked like heaven.

"Have you flown much?" asked the man seated beside me, observing my transfixed gaze and exclamations of delight.

"No, this is actually my first time."

"Ah! Yes, seeing the clouds is pretty incredible."

"It is! I was really looking forward to seeing it."

"It's like flying above a big white blanket."

So now we're far, far above the clouds that are blanketing the Midwest with cold and gray. The 1st officer just said we're at 29,000 feet (it's 2:35 PM and we're about half an hour from landing in Detroit). When I look out the window I see white clouds all around us, blue skies above, and the sun shining incredibly brightly.

I've decided that flying is very, very fun. The whole nervous getting everywhere I need to be at the airport is stressful, actually boarding the plane is very nerve-wracking, but the actual flying and soaring through the clouds is absolutely blissful and thrilling. It's like riding on an enormous, very tame dragon.

We're losing altitude now (2:49 PM) and it looks like we're flying over Antarctica. The clouds, which really look like a mountainous landscape, are interrupted by patches of blue which looks exactly like water. It's so beautiful...I wasn't expecting it to look so much like a landscape. It's a whole different world in the sky.

(Almost 3 PM) We're sinking and I can once again see the ground! I've never been in MI. I wonder what the plane looks like coming out of the clouds?

You'll appreciate this, Bailey...the man next to me was playing Spider Solitaire.

And now we've left the blue skies and are amongst the turbulent clouds once more.

(A little after 5 PM, sitting on the plane and waiting for take-off...the worst part!) And Mum, you'll appreciate this (or not...) - when viewed from above, subdivision streets look remarkably like centipedes.

So this is what landing was like. After being wrapped in clouds for about 5 minutes, they blew away - puff! We started sinking towards the ground again and Detroit was visible as far as the eye could see. So very odd to think I've been there now (well, I'm still here as I write). The car looked like shiny little bugs gliding along the streets.

We sank lower and lower, getting almost disturbingly close to the fields as we approached the airport. It must take so much practice to know exactly how fast to start decreasing altitude. After about 20 very long minutes of going down all the roads on the runway (another super aggravating/tedious part of air travel), we pulled up to one of the gates and had to wait about 20 more minutes before we could disembark.

The Detroit airport is huge. Thankfully the man who was sitting next to me was very kind (and also, ironically, going to Front Royal!), and he directed me towards the monitor and the correct gate before I, in my slightly discombobulated state, even had time to get my bearings. I started toward Gate B11, taking one of the moving sidewalks, which was very fun and felt a little like flying. Checking in was completely uneventful, and so here I am on the plane.

The planes are much smaller than I'd expected - I felt rather claustrophobic when I got in it the first time. There's only two seats on either side of the very narrow aisle - a bit of a tight squeeze. It's not so bad if you're by a window, however, which both of my seats have been! I actually didn't get the right seat either time, but it doesn't really matter.

And now (5:25 PM) we're moving! I'm such a seasoned traveller now that I barely even looked out the window...I'm sure that blase air will only last on the ground, however!

As usual, I only used one of the things I brought and could easily have gotten by with nothing but my purse and a notebook, since I've spent the entire time writing. This second half of the trip (it's only a little over an hour) will probably be pretty much the same.

(5:33 PM) And we're off! Eeep, I absolutely LOVE that moment of takeoff! As I've mentioned, I do believe I've become a confirmed speed/adrenaline junky. So back I go to my beautiful land above the clouds... The horizon is an absolutely gorgeous shade of plae, pale turquoise.

(6 PM) It's extremely sunny and extremely bumpy! Okay, now it's settled down (the bumpiness...not the sun). Very, very odd to think I'm above Ohio or something right now.

(6:15 PM) The sun is definitely setting and we're once again preparing for landing. This whole trip went so fast! The clouds have cleared and I can see land and MOUNTAINS! I wonder what state we're in. The trees look pretty brightly colored and the grass is green. And the mountains...ahh! They're so beautiful!

(6:30 PM) We're sinking over D.C. and are ahead of schedule - shocking! The wheels came out with a clunk and we're going downnnnn...this is so cool! And taxiing is so fun!

(7:15 PM) So here I am sitting next to Baggage Claim 6 at Dulles! It's still hard to believe that I'm actually in a big city - the United State's capitol, in fact. One of the interesting things is all the different accents and languages I'm hearing - even over the intercom.

Finding my baggage was quite an adventure! I followed the signs saying "Baggage Claim" down two flights of escalators and onto an underground transportation thing that was basically a subway within the airport. That was fun because it went really fast and right through all the pipes and things under the building. I'd been told to meet a Christendom representative at Baggage Claim 6, and therefore I thought that was where my luggage would be too. After waiting for about 5 minutes past the time my flight had been scheduled to arrive (it had arrived about 20 minutes early), I finally had the bright idea of actually looking at the monitor. Oh! The Detroit flight's baggage had to be picked up at Baggage Claim 14 - all the way on the other end of the building! Whoops...

So I walked there and was able to claim my baggage after a few minutes' tense waiting for it to appear. I'm dreadfully paranoid about losing my baggage.

Airplanes, I have decided, are absolutely beautiful. They're so bird-like. Watching them take off is like watching swans in flight. They're also beautiful for the fact that they're such incredible pieces of machinery. When I flew today it made me wish that all the people who had longed for flight over the years could experience it.

Well, I'm toying with the idea of finding something to eat. I won't be picked up for at least 20 more minutes and I don't want to be famished.

(8 PM) There, I walked all the way back to the deli across from Baggage Claim 14 and bought a container of hummus and pita chips for $2.99 - not bad, since I didn't even eat half! It was sooo good...I love hummus.

I'm really enjoying travelling. It's not quite as hard or nerve-wracking as I expected, I haven't had to ask anyone for help yet, and it's rather fun to be doing it all alone and having people call you "ma'am" because you're obviously grown up enough to be travelling alone. The main reason I'd be glad to have a companion would be to have someone to talk to, but that is why I've been writing obssesively the entire trip. I guess I have this strong ingrown need to communicate.

It still feels a bit unreal that I'm sitting here at an international airport outside our nation's capitol...I can't quite grasp it. It still feels like I'm at home in the Midwest and Washington D.C. is far far away on the other side of the country. The idea that I'll actually be sleeping in a dorm at Christendom College tonight also seems a bit preposterous, not to mention the fact that I'll be spending the entire weekend here. Freakyyy...like Twilight Zone-freaky, man.

It'll be about 15 minutes before someone gets here to pick me up. Now I'm getting nervous again! Oh well...I'll live, and it will be fun.

So, that's how it went - my first airplane trip that I can remember, and my first time travelling alone! I'll write more about my actual visit after I get home, but suffice it to say for now that I am having a wonderful time! :)

revives dead blog

2010-10-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

My blog has been rather dead-ish lately. I've actually been too busy to post on it, which is kinda nice for a change!

So, I have a few pieces of exciting news! One is that I'm auditioning for Phantom of the Opera next month!!!!!!!!!!!! :D There's a theater group in my town that does a really big musical every two years with students from all the area highschools. Their productions are always spectacular...it was their Les Miserables that was the first musical I ever saw (I was 11). I was literally struck speechless for about 10 minutes after it ended (I really couldn't talk, it was the oddest thing!), and ever since that night I've wanted to be on stage!

So I was eagerly watching for news of what this year's production would be (the other two were Cats and Peter Pan), and I was absolutely freaking estatic when I found out they're doing Phantom, one of my favorite musicals!!! They held three workshops a couple of weeks ago, two of which I attended, and after them I was even more excited than I had been before! The director told us a bit about what the production would be like, and it's going to be INCREDIBLE. This group always does a mind-blowingly professional job, and they have a $70,000 budget for it! She showed us the set designs, which look amazing (they're actually covering the entire archway over the stage to make it look like the Paris Opera House, and the niches for the statues will be the box seats!), and then we learned the music and choreography for "Masquerade". It was SO much fun! It was amazing to hear the melody come together, and the choreography is simply awesome.

So I'm suuuuppppeeeer excited for the auditions! I'm singing "Stranger in Paradise" from the musical Kismet for my song, and reading Galadriel's speech from the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring for my monologue. I'm also doing some pointework, since I'll be auditioning for the ballet corps, the ensemble, and Meg! I would love to be Meg, and several people have told me they think I'd play her really well, so perhaps the directors will agree! :)

Some more exciting news is that I'm visiting Christendom College in the near future! :D I'll have to be sure and post about it!

And...I'm doing National Novel Writing Month (commonly known as NaNoWriMo) this year! It's a challenge to write a 50,000 word (about 175 pages) novel in one month. It's other name is insanity, of course. ;) But I thought I'd give it a try, even though I doubt I'll make it to 50,000 words! Stranger things have happened, though. If you're doing it, feel free to add me as a buddy on the website! My user name is _Tinuviel_ (and by clicking on that link you can read the synopsis of my story...for some reason Blogger isn't letting me paste. :P).

I feel like totally re-vamping my blog. Well, maybe not totally, but somewhat. I've changed a lot lately (I'm not nearly as shy and fearful anymore!), and I just feel like this blog needs an overhaul. I'll see what I can do... Oh, and another weird thing that has been changing is how light my hair is getting! When I was born it was black, by the time I was about 6 it had faded to really dark brown, and then it's just been progressively getting lighter and lighter, especially in the last few months. It's definitely light brown now! Strange.

One last thing. I've discovered two new favorite authors - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie! Now that I'm finally no longer a constant nervous wreck I'm really enjoying mysteries. I think it's hereditary...my mom and sister both devour them too! I'm also reading more of Sir ACD's Professor Challenger books...I love them! They're science-fiction and sometimes hilarious and fascinating and really good.

Of movies and fearlessness.

2010-08-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

We have been watching SO many good movies lately! They are...

Bright Star - This was one of the most beautiful, romantic, and sad movies I've ever seen. It tells the story of the short-lived but amazingly intense relationship between the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Bright Star was wonderfully acted, the music was unique and beautiful (I especially loved the wordless choral singing), and the cinematography was jaw-droppingly, breathtakingly gorgeous. It also made me want to read more of Keat's poetry! Some of my favorite lines were:

"Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music: do I wake or sleep?"

"There is a holiness to the heart's affections."

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases. It will never pass into nothingness."

"Bright star, would that I were as steadfast as thou art."

Another aspect I really loved was how Fanny's family was so present, and they were all obviously so happy and loved each other very much. It seems like you just don't see that in very many movies, even period dramas. It also added a really nice note of groundedness to what could have been a very sentimental movie (but wasn't at all, for reasons in addition to that!).

I had a lot of fun making graphics from this movie, too. With such beautiful imagery and quotes, how could it be anything but a joy? If you like to see a slideshow from them, click here!

Alice in Wonderland - Finally, finally, finally, we saw it, and just as we expected, we (we meaning my mom, sister, and I...not the royal we...or "We are Bates, sir," (if you've watched Top Hat - and if you haven't, you should! - you'll get it) ) loved it! It was so wonderfully Tim Burton-y (in other words, weird and hilarious and creepy and interesting and awesome), I absolutely loved the music (I'm adding the theme song to my playlist on here as soon as I get a chance), and I loved Alice's clothes! Steampunk, I've decided, is my new favorite style. *swoons* I especially loved the dress she wore at the beginning, the dress the Hatter made (which I can't find a picture of...), the dress the Red Queen had made, and the coat she wore at the end.

Some people have taken issue with supposed "feminist undertones" in Alice - I myself didn't see them at all. There was the incident of Alice refusing to wear a corset. Smart girl! Corsets were absolutely horrible for your health, and just because everyone is wearing something doesn't mean you have to also. It really can be taken as a good message. Then there was the fact that Alice slayed the Jabberwocky. So what? Eowyn slew the Witch King. Girls don't always have to always conform to someone's ideal of what they should act like. Look at St. Joan of Arc - she certainly was no damsel in distress. Everyone is different...everyone's calling is different. And besides, in this case it is a story about a fantasical land where anything can happen and usually does. ;) And finally, people have taken issue with the way the movie ends - Alice becomes an apprentice with a trading company. Oh well...that's what she wants to do, and she's motivated in a large part by love and admiration for her deceased father - it seems to me that she wants to carry on his legacy. Also, if you've read the book, you'll remember that Alice is a very curious, contrary, strong-minded sort of girl. I thought the movie captured her personality very well.

But, anyways, back to the movie!

The Cheshire Cat was so awesome and cat-like! Definitely my favorite character after... [fan girl warning] THE HATTER!!!!!!!!!! Johnny Depp is an incredible man, the way he can be completely endearing even with an orange bozo wig and garish makeup and fake gooseberry green eyes. :D [/end fan girl warning] The Bandersnatch was also rather creepily adorable after it came over to Alice's side.

I also loved the way the movie started. I have a thing about the opening scenes of movies...if they're extremely awesome, the movie goes way up in my estimation! And this one was wonderful (Tim Burton's usually are)...the theme playing dramatically to the backdrop of a full moon overlooking a stylized London, with the title in its awesome font flying towards you through the sky. Danny Elfman was the composer, so, therefore, all the music was completely epic!

And, finally, another thing I really liked was how elements of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were woven in. I've loved both of those books since I was about 4 years old, and it was so much fun to see them come to life! The books are rather (extremely) odd themselves, so Tim Burton was the perfect person to make them into a movie, in my opinion!

Sherlock Holmes - As the credits (amazingly epic credits, I might add, with scenes from the movie suddenly turning into sketches) began to roll as we finished watching this movie last night, these were the first words from my lips:

"That. was. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!"

That about sums it up!

I've always been a big Sherlock Holmes fan (and fan girl, I must admit...I developed quite a crush on him, and that certainly hasn't changed after seeing this new incarnation!), ever since watching the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce movies for the first time when I was about 11. Those were great, but this...this was awesome!

First of all, I loved the whole atmosphere. It was very underworld of London, steampunk-y, slightly seedy, and reminded me a lot of The Ruby in the Smoke (one of my favorite books, and unfortunately the only good book ever written by Philip Pullman, IMO). Then there was the villain Lord Blackwood, and all the fighting, and the creepy "black magic", and Irene's mysterious employer, which all kept it exciting. Then there was Irene herself, who I thought was really cool. I liked the way she was sort of mysterious and obviously had her own life...it was a nice departure from the usual sidekick. Then there was the humor - Holmes and Watson were absolutely hysterical together!

Watson: "Get that thing out of my face."

Holmes: "It's not in your face, it's in my hand."

Watson: "Then get that thing in your hand out of my face!"

and,

Watson: *enters the room where Holmes is practicing shooting and in the process freaking out the landlady*: "Permission to enter the armory, sir.

And then there was the music! Oh my goodness, Hans Zimmer outdid himself on this soundtrack...it was one of the best I've ever heard! It even made Irish music with annoying singing sound cool! It was epic, there's no other word for it.

The one jarring note...what was up with Mary's hair? Correct me if I'm wrong, but women didn't have big heavy bangs like that back then, did they? I really liked her character, but every time she showed up I winced...the hair just looked totally out of place!

But aside from that I enjoyed every minute of it, and I cannot wait for Sherlock Holmes 2!!!

* * *

I've finally been getting a grip on my fear lately. Fear was my ruling passion for years...I was afraid of the dark, afraid of reading scary books or watching scary movies, afraid of talking to people, afriad of what people were thinking of me, afraid to state my own opinion, afraid to make jokes, even afraid of the sound of my own voice. It's a pretty awful way to be.

But I've been realizing that life is far too short to be afraid to live. It sounds cliche, but it's so true. Fear of what people will think of you or what might happen or that you'll look like an idiot can't stop you from living. You are who God created you to be, and you shouldn't be ashamed of that, or afraid people will hate it. And besides, assuming that people dislike you isn't a very charitable thing to think about them! ;)

Fear kept me from being honest with people. I was afraid they'd mock me, or think badly of me, or pick a fight, or simply think I was weird. I'm just not afraid of that anymore. Really, people generally aren't that bad, and even if they are, oh well. Who cares? Does their opinion really matter in the grand scheme of things? Nope. Fear also kept me from being honest with my friends in that I was afraid to talk to them and afraid to show them that I care about them. And it kept people from seeing the honest-to-goodness real me. I've been noticing lately that the image people seem to have of me is often very different from what I truly am. And as I thought about it, I found that I can think of plenty of instances in which the way I act is not quite in line with what I'm thinking. I'm not calling myself a hypocrite...I hope I'm not...I just tend to suppress the real me for, what I realized, is absolutely no good reason at all.

I read this post by Melody on her wonderful blog Vividry a few days ago, and wow, I couldn't believe how perfectly she described just what I, too, am going through right now! And now I have an excellent mantra. Just do it. Thank you, Melody! :)

Feeling fearless (and, if not completely fearless, at least like you have a grip on your fear and it isn't controlling you) is an exhilarating feeling. I'm starting to realize that I'm at the beginning of my life. Exciting things are just around the bend, and anything can happen.

Happy birthday, Kathryn!

2010-08-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Today Kathryn, one of my closest friends, turns 14. I can't believe she's still so young... :) So, in honor of her birthday, I'm writing her the classic chessy birthday post. :D

It's so funny to think that at this time last year Kathryn and I barely knew one another! I'm so happy that we're friends now, though. She always has a willing ear to listen all my rants, is full of good advice or the ability to just listen (which is sometimes the best thing of all), and is a very trustworthy and faithful friend.

She's also one of the (if not the) very sweetest people I know! I'm always so impressed by her caring nature, her ability to get along with almost everyone, and her patience in situations I'd be tempted to run from screaming. ;)

She's also a wonderful writer, extremely talented with graphic arts, and has an awesome sense of humor (sometimes a rather twisted one...but that's why we get along so well ;)).

And she's beautiful, inside and out!

Happy birthday, Kathryn! I love you! :)

Catch-up.

2010-08-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wow...was I ever surprised to look at my dashboard and see that I haven't posted anything since July 22! So I shall remedy that...I have a ton to get caught up on.

Firstly, to continue with the subject of my last post, my job is going very well! I've been working there for a month now (only once a week, to be sure), and I got my first pay check a week ago last Friday - $111! In case you're unsure what a busser does and you'd like to know, I'll enlighten you. We're those lowly creatures dressed all in black who race around setting tables, clearing tables, offering the customers water, bringing the waitresses baskets of bread for their tables and other things they may have forgotten such as steak knives, polishing the silverware, carrying huge tubs of dirty dishes into the kitchen and emptying them at the dishwasher, filling pitchers of water, and, when all the customers are gone (which is sometimes as much as an hour after the restaurant closes at 9 pm) we move all the chairs out of the rooms, vacuum the floors, and reset all the tables. I'm really finding it to be a very enjoyable job, though, and I actually prefer the busier nights...less feeling awkward about getting paid for just standing around and talking to your friends. haha

Secondly, I'll talk about camp. It was...interesting! I was a team captain for the first time ever, and as that meant going way out of my comfort zone and staying there for five days, it was pretty stressful. But I had a good time, especially during the Olympics! For some reason, my favorite game was a relay in which we had to run to a table, solve a math equation, and then run back to our team, tagging the person so they could do the same. It was very fun in an odd sort of way.

But for the most part, this summer has been rather boring. I guess the excitement and fun of last summer (Milwaukee, a French girl staying with us, lots of parties) had to last for two years. :P Oh well...

Oh, and from computer land I have good news and bad news! The good news - a friend of ours didn't want her computer anymore, so she gave it to us! It's a flat screen, only about two years old, and runs sooo fast...ah, it's heavenly! Our other computer was so slow it was almost unusable. But the bad news is...the sound doesn't work! :( I'm dying...most of the music I would listen to was on YouTube or my blog playlist. :P And now I'm lost in a silent world...sad, sad, sad. Hopefully we can get it fixed soon!

I've been feeling extremely restless lately. I'm definitely looking forward to fall and winter, because I'm just getting very tired of the lazy days of summer. This fall I'll be taking voice lessons at the music conservatory, auditioning for their choir, taking some ballet, taking Spanish and catechism at church, and hopefully I'll be in a musical!

So, I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever! This was probably a pretty boring post, but...at least you all know I'm still alive! ;)

Exciting news!

2010-07-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

I have some very big news! I now have a job! :D

Last Sunday one of my friends told me the restaurant he works at is hiring more people to bus tables on Friday nights, since he knew I've been looking for employment for quite a while now. I called them the next day and was able to get an interview Wednesday night.

When I got there, entering through the large front doors (which, by the by, remind me very much of a hobbit hole - they have a huge circular window), I was about 10 minutes early for my 5:15 interview. There was no one in the lobby, but I could hear people talking in another room and figured there was probably a staff meeting going on. I stood awkwardly in the lobby for about 10 minutes, reading and re-reading the plaques, smiling at passers-by, and feeling more and more uncomfortable. The restaurant is at a golf course, very large, and with big windows that showed lovely views of the golf course which I could see parts of from where I stood. Finally a lady asked if I'd been helped or was just waiting for someone, so I told her I was there for an interview. She told me the staff meeting was going longer than usual and I could just sit down, so I settled into one of the four large chairs near the fireplace and pretended to be doing important things on my phone (the only magazines were golfing related, so there wasn't really any reading material).

At last the staff meeting was over, and D., the lady who would be interviewing me, appeared and brought me an application to fill out. It didn't take long to fill out since I didn't have any past jobs, and D. was quite surprised I was done already when she walked through a second time. Then she sat down and interviewed me, which was quite painless and rather humorous. :D

At the end of the interview, she asked if I'd be ready to start this Friday! I enthusiastically said that would definitely work, and so she gave me all the necessary forms and information, such as wear your hair pulled back and what sort of shoes and socks to wear (black, closed toes, with black socks). She also asked if I'd be fine with being a hostess sometimes, which would mean I'd greet the people who had reservations, bring them to their table, and give them menus, which of course I said I'd love to do! As I went outside, folder full of confusing forms in hand, I tried my hardest to not run until I'd at least gotten out from under the archways leading to the door, but I was SO excited I couldn't help myself and ran to the car as fast as I could! Dreadfully undignified, but oh well. :) Earlier in the week I'd thought that it would be pretty cool if they hired me right then and there and I could start working that Friday, but I thought, "Ah, that'll never happen. They'll have to call my references and everything, so I won't even dwell on it," but it happened! I was so happy! I feel so blessed to have gotten a job so quickly and painlessly!

After I'd excitedly told my dad that I'd been hired and called my mom to give her the big news, Dad suggested we go buy my requisite black pants and black shirt right then. That was incredibly difficult - have you ever tried shopping for a long-sleeved, button-up black shirt in July? Don't, if you wish to preserve your sanity! I finally had to settle for three-quarter length sleeves, which will hopefully be acceptable for summer at least. And since I'm so tiny, finding dress pants also proved to be quite a challenge. After I'd almost given up hope since the Petites section had no sizes under 6, I spotted some in the Juniors section that were size 1. They were exactly 6 1/2" inches too long, as I discovered while altering them today, but they FIT! So now I have my clothes...I'll have to take a picture tomorrow so you all can see how official I look. ;)

The other exciting that hadn't occurred to me would happen is...I'll be getting a checking account! Now that is scarily grownup...I'm past the point of no return, no going back now! ;) And I suppose I'll have to learn how to balance the checkbook...fun stuff.

So yes, that would be my big news. Exciting! At this time last week, I'd no idea I'd a have a job in a week! :D

*****
I added a few songs to the playlist at the bottom of the page and deleted a few others. It's quite an eclectic mix...everything from the Secret Garden to Skillet...and I hope you hear something you like! :)

*****
And thank you SO much to Rocina Fontina for giving me the Princess of Feminine Delight award! :) That was so sweet of you!

100th Post!

2010-07-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

We watched Eight Below last night. Amendment: my mom and sister watched Eight Below - I ended up running out of the room screaming! Here's a brief synopsis of the movie, in case you've never heard of it: Jerry is a guide in Antarctica, and provides transportation for scientists with the aid of his beloved dogsled team. On one journey, the scientist he is assisting breaks his leg, Jerry gets frostbitten fingers, and after getting back to the station in the nick of time before a huge storm hits, they have to be airlifted to the hospital. And sadly, there is no room on the plane for the dogs. After plans to return immediately to get them fall through due to the awful weather, Jerry is forced to return to the U.S, tortured by the thought that he left his dogs to die. It turns out fairly well, with Jerry being reunited with 6 of his dogs months later.

However, in one part one of the dogs is eating an orca carcass (naaasty looking), when suddenly a huge, hideous, nightmarish-looking leopard seal comes bursting out of it! I screamed bloody murder! Thinking about it still gives me the creeps, in fact. :P I stuck around, slightly petrified by the seal (if you don't know what they look like, here is a picture. *shudders* And they're huge), until the seal, which had vanished back under the ice, suddenly popped out of a hole and grabbed one of the dogs by the leg! That was when I leapt off the couch, bolted upstairs, and started reading C.S Lewis. :P Good comfort for a troubled mind.

But before I tell you how, thanks to Mere Christianity, a question that had been troubling me has been answered, I'll remark that I really dislike movies like Eight Below and March of the Penguins. It's not that I find that morally problematic...I just find them terribly depressing. I guess it's because it just seems so hopeless, since even when things are at their worst for humans, they still have reason and can at least try to find a way out. And even if they do die in the end, if they were a good person you know they're going to a better place, but when animals die, that's that. They're guided entirely by instinct, they don't understand what's happening to them, and all in all it makes for a depressing experience.

Anyways...on to brighter topics!

For months, I've been struggling with the question of why God gave us free will. The answer I was always given was, "Because we cannot love without being free, and He wanted us to be able to love Him." To me this always just seemed terribly selfish, so I figured I must be missing something. I was, and it was all made clear in Chapter Three of Book Two of Mere Christianity.

"Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot imagine such a thing. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata - of creatures that worked like machines - would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free.

"Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently He thought it worth the risk. Perhaps we feel inclined to disagree with Him. But there is a difficulty about disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all your reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream can rise higher than its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on. If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will - that is, for making a live world in which creatures can do real good or harm and something of real importance can happen, instead of a toy world which only moves when He pulls the strings - then we may take it it is worth paying." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

You would not believe how grateful I was when I read that. For months, I'd been tortured with doubts about free will. It seemed selfish and unnecessarily cruel of God to give us our free wills simply that we may love Him when it was so terribly easy for us to go astray. But after reading that, I realized, among other things, that God does not need us. He doesn't need our love, so why would He create a bunch of automatons simply to love Him? It would be absurd. But He loves us, and He loves us so intensely that He wants us to share in His love. And as C.S. Lewis pointed out, He knew there would be great risks in giving us free will, and He knew it was worth the risk.

With that thought in mind, isn't it awe-inspiring to imagine what the Beatific Vision must be?

Well, back to more earthly topics. I have joined that venerable company of people who have...found their first gray hair! :^O Except in my case, it skipped gray and went directly to white. :P My mom and I were taking a walk and as I ran my fingers through my hair, I glanced down and noticed one of the strands looked very pale.

"It must just be blonde," I thought, since I have a few hairs that are very light blonde amidst the majority of brown. But it looked awfully pale...I looked closer...

"Mum," I said, "I just found a white hair!"

She looked at it and confirmed that yes, indeed, I have a white hair! It's sooo weird... I hope it stops right there for...um...at least 20 more years?

So here it is, folks - my 100th post! I can't believe I've actually written that much on here. I've officially been on Blogger since February 2009, but I didn't actively start blogging until June of last year...just a little over a year ago. I'd wanted a blog for months, but I just couldn't think of anything to write about. Suddenly, however, I started thinking of things, and I haven't stopped since!

And I am so, so, SO thrilled to have 43 followers! It is so wonderful and encouraging to know that there are people out there who enjoy my writing. Thank you SO much! You're all so very much appreciated, and I keep you in my prayers. Every time I get a new follower, I shriek happily, "Yay! I have another follower!"

So, since it seems like people often have some sort of celebratory thing when they reach a significant number of posts or followers or years on Blogger, I thought I'd borrow Melody's idea. You can ask me any question you'd like (within reason, naturally. heehee), and I will answer them all in a post next Saturday! Yay...you get to know more about me...exciting. Sarcasm there. ;) But I really enjoyed reading Melody's post, and I figure, we all like learning more about our friends, be it IRL or in the blogosphere. So...ask away, me hearties! Yo ho!

Summer Days...

2010-07-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the greatly anticipated days of summer...the church picnic!

I really love the picnic - I have ever since the first one we attended, and that was 6 years ago! I love spending time with my friends and being outside and playing sports/games and eating picnic food and listening to people play their musical instruments. Today, I ended up playing tennis, badminton (I was so surprised when I realized that it's spelled badminton), volleyball, a game reminiscent of monkey in the middle, jump rope, frisbee, soccer, tug of war, and kickball.

The tennis balls went flying crazily all over the park; I'm terrible at badminton; it was a semi-lame game of volleyball in which everyone kept switching sides whenever they wished ;); the monkey-in-the-middle-ish game took a very long time because of how we are all very good at throwing, catching, and confusing people :D; jump rope was actually quite fun, and I have retained my skillz; the frisbee ended up on the roof of a little concrete utility shed, and I was able to hoist myself up on it with my own two arms...I felt veddy strong! ;) (I'm terrible at frisbee too, though...one of my friends told me to throw it harder and pretend I was trying to take off his head. lol); one of my friends and I were going to play a one-on-one game of soccer, rushed at the ball, collided, and didn't even touch the ball...it was hilarious :D; we all got our fingers hurted playing tug of war; and our ball was commandeered halfway through the very confusing game of kickball. But despite all that, I think I can safely say everyone had a wonderful time! We know how to have fun. :)

Oh, and I did all of the above in a skirt, with no problems whatsoever! :)

I realized today that I'm really not terribly good at most sports, (I might just need more practice, though). I love playing them, however! Everyone has always told me that I'm very competitive, and I guess I'm realizing that I am. *smiles sheepishly* But that's not a bad thing at all, in my opinion. It's kinda funny that the truth eluded me for so long, however, seeing as every time I'm running with someone it turns into a die-hard race (for my part, at least).

Oh, and while I'm talking about sport-like things, I'll make the announcement that I now know how to swim! :D :D :D We decided to brave the public pool one evening after noticing that it's really not that busy and ran into some friends from church, Mrs. W and her two daughters. Mrs. W was able to teach me how to swim! I can now do the breaststroke and the crawl. It's sooo much fun...I can't wait for swimming lessons in the fall! I just wish water didn't have to be chlorinated, since it aggravates my asthma. :P

We watched The Return of the King last night. I looooooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeee that movie...as I'm sure you all know. :) After last night's viewing, I noticed two things (I always notice new things): I like the secondary characters (such as Eomer and Theoden) a lot more than I used to, and this time I felt such an incredible feeling of relief when the Ring was destroyed! I guess it just really hit me...wow...it's gone. They accomplished what they set out to do, and the world has been saved. What an incredible feeling of disbelief, wonder, and awe would fill your heart after accomplishing something like that! This time around, I also really noticed how hard Frodo fought to destroy the Ring. It was killing him, but he pressed on untiringly. He's always been my favorite character.

So, these are a few of my favorite moments from my favorite movie ever: Arwen seeing the vision of her son (it's such a beautiful message of what a gift life and a mother's love is, and always makes me cry); the moment when Eowyn says, "I am no man!" and kills the Nazgul ( my mom and I agree that that is the coolest part of the entire trilogy!); Galadriel helping Frodo press on in Shelob's Lair; Theoden's speech before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields when he hits his sword against the spears; Aragorn's speech to the Men of the West before the Black Gate (both of those parts give me chills!); and the entire end.

*sighs* The Lord of the Rings is just one-of-a-kind.

On a different note, this is my 99th post! :O :D I feel like I should do something special for it, but I've no idea what. :P Any ideas? :)

I am thinking of redesigning my blog, however...even though that makes me so nervous! I don't know...I don't like change. But I am getting a wee bit tired of this layout, so I think I will.

Distant Dreamer

2010-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

I was listening to one of my mixed CDs that I haven't listened to in a while, and came across this song - "Distant Dreamer", by Duffy. I realized that this is definitely my theme song! :D It describes me and my general outlook on life extremely well.

So anyways...

Life has been going pretty normally. Therefore, I can't think of anything to post. :P Well, here's one thing! I have many teeth issues (hence my oh-so-lovely braces...), and there was a good chance I'd need oral surgery to correct the placement of one of them if it didn't come in on its own. But the good news is...it started coming in today! The only bad thing is that it's coming in through the roof of my mouth - rather unpleasant. But I'm SO relieved that I won't need the oral surgery! Now all that needs to be done is for it to come in all the way and the orthodontist will attach a bracket to it and wire it to the rest of my braces.

I sincerely hope that wasn't Too Much Information for anyone! :/ *smiles hopefully*

Bread and Movie Trivia!

2010-06-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

It has been so unseasonably cold here! When I got up at 7 am, it was only 50 degrees Fahrenheit out. Brrr! It's 66 right now, which is still pretty cold for the last day of June. o.O

I felt like baking, so I made not one, but two loaves of bread. The banana bread had to bake for an hour, so I decided to just bake a loaf of oat bread as well, since it bakes for only 15 minutes. The house smells sooo good right now!

I also cleaned parts of the house, and I think I've figured out why cleaning can be so therapeutic. You can feel like this, at least, is something you're in control of. And often thoughts will start spinning out of control, but when you clean, you can actually see something become orderly.

And now for the Movie Trivia Game!

I thought it would be fun. Some of my friends have done it on Facebook and I've seen it on a few other blogs lately, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Here are the rules:

1. Pick 20 of your favorite movies.

2. Go to IMDB.com and find a quote from each movie.

3. Post them for everyone to guess.

4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

5. NO cheating.

I'll give you until next Wednesday to guess. :)

1. Character #1: - "Look at me. What did you see?"
Character #2: - "A tree. There was a white tree in a courtyard of stone. It was dead. The city was burning." Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, guessed by Christina and Vicki

2. Character #1 - "If I can't win, I won't run!"
Character #2 - "If you don't run, you can't win." Chariots of Fire, guessed by AutumnRose

3. Character #1: - "Reckon I'll leave my brains at home, then." North and South, guessed by Jessica

4. Character #1 - "I'm sorry I said anything about it now. I'll try to find a more agreeable piece of news."
[pause]
Character #1: "Old Marjorie at the lodge is dead." Wives and Daughters, guessed by Jessica

5. Character #1 - "The fact that you rescued me, unnecessarily, hardly wipes out past wrongs." Anne of Green Gables, guessed by Vicki

6. Character #1 - "Some day it'll just end. Everyone will go home, get on with their lives. Tall grass will cover the battlefields. And all the pilots we've lost won't mean a d--n thing." Flyboys

7. Character #1 - "I was so tall."
Character #2 - "Well, you were older then."
Character #3 - "As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger." Prince Caspian, guessed by Jessica

8. Character #1 - "A bird may love a fish, signore, but where will they live?"
Character #2 - "Then I shall have to make you wings." Ever After, guessed by Jessica

9. Character #1 - [holding Character #2's cat] She's so soft. And she's vibrating.
Character #2 - She's purring, David. I Am David

10. Character #1 - "No one of our age has ever taken power."
Character #2 - "Which is why we're too young to realize certain things are impossible. Which is why we will do them anyway." Amazing Grace, guessed by Christina and Vicki

11. Character #1 - "Monsieur! You are now addressing the second most celebrated balloonist in Europe."
Character #1 - "And who is the first?"
Character #1 - "He is not available. He was, uh, buried last Tuesday." Around the World in Eighty Days, guessed by RoseinFaith

12. Character #1 - "Oh, er, do you mind if I ask you a question, frankly? Do you love my daughter?"
Character #2 - "Any guy that'd fall in love with your daughter ought to have his head examined."
Character #1 - "Now that's an evasion!" It Happened One Night, guessed by RoseinFaith

13. Character #1 - "How many have I had?"
Character #2 - "Two."
Character #1 - "Make it an uneven three." The Sound of Music, guessed by Jessica and Vicki

14. Character #1 - "Never again will I allow WOMEN to wear my dresses! " Top Hat

15. Character #1 - "That's it. Out you two pixies go - through the door, or out the window. " It's a Wonderful Life, guessed by Vicki

16. Character #1 - [exits study, finds four of his daughters eavesdropping] "Good heavens. People." Pride and Prejudice (2005), guessed by Christina and Vicki

17. Character #1 - "I've been sitting right here since seven o'clock."
Character #2 - "Yes, with your back to me. When I invite a woman to dinner I expect her to look at my face. That's the price she has to pay." A Night at the Opera

18. Character #1 - "She saves me from an inferno and she's glad she happened to be awake." Jane Eyre, guessed by Audrey

19. Character #1 - "I'm fighting for something that's real for the first time in my life! " Step Up

20. Character #1 - "I feel as though someone's handed me the moon... and I don't exactly know what to do with it." Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, guessed by Vicki

One of those days...

2010-06-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's one of those days...one of those days when you just feel sort of out of it...and depressed...and like doing something interesting...but there's nothing to do. :P I think I'm feeling people deprived - I wasn't able to talk to any of my friends after Mass today! So I will try and cheer myself up by writing a long, random, rambly post. ;)

I think I have finally figured out what my temperament (for more on the temperaments, here's an article I wrote on them) is! At various times in my life, I've thought I was choleric, melancholic, or sanguine (but never phlegmatic). I now think I'm melancholic-choleric, because of my mix of introversion and extroversion, and, well, I think I have a lot of traits from both temperaments. *sighs contentedly* For some reason it's so nice to know these things! I also found out that my Myers-Briggs personality is INFP (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceptive), and the descriptions I've read sound very much like me.

* * *

I read (actually re-read) a very good book yesterday - The Borrowed House, by Hilda van Stockum. The first time I read it, I was about the age of the main character - 12 - and, like her, many things just went over my head. But with this reading, I was able to really appreciate what a wonderful book it is. It's set during WWII, but from an angle that is seldom heard from - 12-year-old Janna is a member of Hitler's Youth, and believes fervently everything they indoctrinate her in. After she is sent to live with her actor parents in Amsterdam, however, things begin to change. She sees more clearly what the Nazis are doing, and the foundations of her world begin to tilt. I sort of fell in love with this book...I remember loving it when I was 12, too, but I think I love it even more now. It truly paints a vivid picture of what things were like during WWII, and brought tears to my eyes by the second chapter. And **SPOILER** I just know that Janna and Sef will find one another when the war is over! I wish there was a sequel. :) **END SPOILER** Hilda van Stockum is such a talented writer and portrays her characters so sympathetically and well that you feel their pain and suffering as though you were suffering it yourself. Much as I love this book, I find books about WWII to be so disturbing...it happened not so very long ago, and it could happen again. God grant that it won't.

* * *

I just experienced a really cool weather phenomenon! It started raining about 15 minutes ago, but before long I saw the sun shining through the window. It was still raining, however, and it looked so beautiful that I just had to go outside. As I stood in the sunlight in the front yard, raining pouring on my head, I could see the sky was blue on one side of the house and full of gray clouds on the other. As the clouds moved over my head the rain lightened up and eventually stopped, but when I ran over to the sidewalk it was still raining! It was so strange, but really cool.

* * *

And with that, I shall leave you. Today wasn't the greatest, but I know it won't stay like this. Ohhh! I forgot to mention - we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the other night, and I must admit I loved it! :) It's so crazy...and weird...and hilarious ("Even I am edible, but that is called cannibalism. And cannibalism, my dear children, is something that is frowned upon in most decent societies.")...and Johnny Depp is my favorite actor, I've decided. My family has also been having far too much fun watching the Marx Brothers lately...our favorites so far are A Night at the Opera and Room Service. :D

Nightwatch

2010-06-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is a poem I've been wanting to write for months. The first two lines came to me one day last winter, but then I could not think of any more! I was finally able to finish it last week, however, and here it is.

Nightwatch

I have written of such beauty in the dark watches of the night,
When all the world lay silent, and shrouded with the dreams
Of the sad and lonely heart, torn asunder by its fears,
Dreams of battles fierce, as of yet unseen.
Dreams of a troubled heart, wet with tears and torn with strife,
Darkness leads to nameless terror, which misery alone will bring.

But some dreams were illumined with the light of the stars,
They shone in the darkness, they brought forth the joy
Of the heart full of peace, that seeks God even in dreams,
Dreams of purest beauty, with the strength they bring.
Dreams of truth and goodness, of hearts beating for a life -
Darkness leads to nameless wonder, which Truth alone will bring.

And I sat in silence wondering, my pen held in my hand,
Wondering how to tell it, this dark song of life.
Of the pain and the beauty, seen only when all is still,
Of the wonder grand, its perfect melody.
A song of peace and courage, a song of fear and strife -
This, all this I saw as I watched in the darkest night.

The words came to my heart and told of the watches of the night,
And I knew my gift was true, I knew my pen was strong.
I told of the beauty, of the glory of our life,
Told of the wondrous pain, the suffering of a wrong.
And the dreams came unto me, and they filled me with their joy,
And I wrote of their beauty in the dark watches of the night.

A lovely day.

2010-06-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today was a marvelously beautiful day (and still is)! It started out with fog, which was absolutely breathtaking as it blanketed the alley. An infusion of sunlight turned it to the softest sort of gold. We walked to Mass (about a mile through a residential area of our town) through the mist and gray, so it was rather a surprise to find it completely sunny and clear when Mass was over! But it was that sort of brightness and blueness you only see on very hot, humid days, when it looks like there's a piece of gauze stretched across the sky.

But geez...it's true, no good deed goes unpunished! heehee My mom, sister, and I were taking a walk around church (long story, but we had some time to kill after Mass). We passed the antique store that's on the corner, and noticed a sad sight. There was a big pot of petunias completely upended and smashed on the grass! The stand they had been on had blown part way over and they had fallen to their doom. :( :P So I went and tried to pick them up, but the stand fell over on me and hit me on the bridge of my nose! It hurt rather badly, and almost knocked me out...probably would have if it had fallen on my head, as it was very heavy! I was slightly dazed for a moment, and then asked my mom, "Is my nose broken?" She assured me it wasn't, and now I just have a bruise there that basically looks like a huge freckle. Ya just can't win...haha.

I also learned the joys of playing Solitaire on my laptop from my sister. It really is very fun, and way too addicting! She won two games and I won one (with her help, I must admit!). I also took some pictures...the timer setting is so much fun! Here are a few of them.

You can see where the evil plant stand attacked me. haha

I also had a prayer answered, so thank you very, very much, God! :) I knew that all would be well.

"Wives and Daughters", and fathers too

2010-06-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

We watched Wives and Daughters (BBC, 1999) this past weekend. That is SUCH a good movie! It's also a wonderful book. And I must admit, it has just about eclipsed Pride and Prejudice in my affections.

So...what were some of my favorite things about it? Well, one thing I loved was how real it all seemed. I could really relate to Molly, particularly at this time in my life. When it begins, she's barely 17 (like me), and things are definitely changing even though she may not notice it. I could also relate to her personality, particularly her mix of reserve and openess, tendency to care very deeply about people even though they didn't know it, and inability to conceal her emotions (my mom remarked, "She reminds me of you, Ivy!", as Molly glowered at Mr. Preston at the ball. heheheh).

The romance between Molly and Roger also seemed very real - it was such a natural thing for it to grow out of their brotherly-and-sisterly friendship. Even though Roger was in love with Cynthia for a time, he was, as he put it, in love with a "hypothetical Cynthia". He was always honorable during the entire affair, and afterward thought how silly he had been to not see all along that Molly was the one for him.

I actually think that Roger Hamley is now my favorite hero from classical literature...sorry Mr. Darcey and Mr. Thornton! The two latter gentlemen are charming and very likable, that's for sure, but when you come right down to it it's very unlikely that one would meet one of them in real life. And even if you did, you might not like them as much in real life as in stories - at least I don't think I would! Roger, on the other hand, is pleasant, sensible, and very sweet and caring right from the start. He shows himself to be first and foremost a true and devoted friend to Molly, and that's what I really like about him. He's the sort of guy I hope to marry someday! And he actually seems real. He's not drop-dead gorgeous (*cough*Mr. Thornton*cough*), he doesn't always do everything right (such as falling in love with someone as flighty as Cynthia), he can sometimes be awfully stupid/blind, but he does always try to the right thing. All in all, he is awesome. :)

The acting was excellent in my opinion, particularly Squire Hamley. I really liked his character, flawed though it was in some regards. I was very fond of Osborne too, even though at first he can seem unlikable (well, I liked him from the start because I knew his secret since I'd read the book, but my mom and sister weren't so sure). The part where he dies is so sad, and so well done. You can truly feel the Squire's pain.

Cynthia is aggravating yet likable, and you can't help but be glad that her twisted affair with the suitably attractive but sinister Mr. Preston turns out well. She's just one of those incredibly shallow people, who, even more incredibly, is pretty content to be that way. Her mother on the other hand...agh! I just wanted to slap her. :P

Lady Harriet was one of my favorite supporting characters, both in the movie and in the book. She's so feisty and goodhearted, and I love the part where she saves Molly's reputation. That is definitely using your power in a good way!

Well, that was certainly not a very good review, per say...they've never been my strong point. It was more just a random conglomeration of all the reasons I now LOVE Wives and Daughters! :)

****************************************************
And now, happy Father's Day to all the fathers of my readers and any fathers who may be reading this! May God bless you and St. Joseph guide you!

I'm really happy that our church records every Sunday's sermon and puts it online, because today's was particularly good! Click here to listen to it. It's about marriage and the role of the father and mother, and it really cleared up a lot of confusion I'd been having. I advise you to listen to it if you have time!

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" Trailer!!!

2010-06-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here it is...the official trailer for "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"!!!!!!!!!

I CANNOT WAIT FOR DECEMBER 10TH!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

One of these days, I'm going to have to write a post about why exactly I love the Narnia books SO much. For now, suffice it to say I've loved them since my mom read them to me when I was 8 years old. And the movies are doing a wonderful adaptation, in my opinion!

Of storytelling.

2010-06-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that I absolutely love performing because of the storytelling, but as I wrote it, I was thinking, "I know that I love telling stories...but for the life of me, I can't put my finger on what exactly it is about it that is just so beautiful!" And then I received a lovely comment from Addie, part of which said: "YES!!! I'm soo glad you made that point about telling stories-that's why I love acting! We're mirroring God's creative act by telling stories-it's absolutely beautiful. :) :) :)"

And in that moment, it clicked! That is the reason I love storytelling in all its forms! It mirrors God's creativity, as Addie so succinctly pointed out. He is the Supreme Storyteller, Who is writing each of our stories, Who is the Author of all the best stories the world has ever known, and Who has given us the wonderful privilege of participating in this beautiful work. I am so, so grateful that He gave me, and so many others, this incredible gift. Storytelling, be it through writing, acting, dancing, singing, or anything else, has a power to communicate a desire for the good and noble and true, glimpses of beauty (and therefore, God), the knowledge that we are made for something more, like almost nothing else. And of course, since it is such a powerful medium, we have to be careful to guard it and use it only for good. It can do so much harm in the wrong hands.

This whole train of thought reminded me of a scene from a fantasy story I started writing a few years ago. I haven't worked on it in months, but I plan to soon. It's spoken by Duma, who is one of the Drooka, a people from the land of Druckacorn (which, by the way, is a name I invented when I was about 5 and just had to put in a story!) who are very small in stature and were given the gift of music and storytelling.

“Night was closing in on Milovia. It is still closing upon her. There have been dark days, but I can see even darker ones ahead. It is so easy to lose faith, to forget why we are fighting, to completely miss the point. That is why the Great One Who is Above All told Flight to give the gift of storytelling to the Drooka. Without the stories, the wonderful times of peace would have been forgotten. They would be lost forever. No one would remember them - no one would care. But they have been remembered, and will continue being remembered and told and re-told until the last of the Drooka perish. Those times cannot be forgotten. They can’t be lost! That is why you are fighting, Epono, son of a long line of High Kings of Milovia. That is why you have been called here, Henry, son of another world. This light that has been kept alive by the old stories must be kept alive by you as well. It must never be allowed to go out. Milovia as it once was shall return. But the future lies in your hands. You have a great and noble task. Carry it out faithfully and well. We cannot let evil conquer all worlds for all time. It cannot! It shall not. The time of peace shall return to our world, and in time it shall return to every world and solar system and star, everywhere in the great universe of Him Who Is Above All. It will call for such very great sacrifice, but it will be worth it.”

The last dance...and a new start.

2010-06-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

So, yes. The recital on Sunday was my last ballet performance. It's bittersweet...I'm definitely ready to move on, but at the same it's very hard, since it's been such a huge part of my life for three and a half years now. And when you dance, it really becomes a part of your identity...it's going to be such a change to not be "Ivy who does ballet" anymore.

But, it had to be done. It was getting way too expensive (especially since my sister is in it too), it took a lot of time (I was busy almost every night of the week, and most of the weekend as well), I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I used to, it was getting very stressful and I'll have enough stress soon as it is (more on that in a bit!), and it was getting hard because of my physical issues (asthma, and tendinitis in my ankle and knee). I guess this is another growing-up experience...prioritizing. I'm so thankful that God has let me see that ballet would just be a hindrance to what I really want and need to do, and He even helped to not love it as much as I used to! In the past, I knew I should probably give up ballet, but I felt like I just couldn't. Now, though, even though it makes me sad, I know with my mind that I should give it up, and I'm at peace with that.

Something that I've realized in the past few weeks, however, is that it's not so much dancing that I love, but performing. I love being in front of an audience, telling a story, and it doesn't really matter if it's through speaking, singing, or dancing. Telling a story is the part that really matters, and I guess it's an intrinsic part of my personality, seeing as my main passion is writing. That really hit me when we were performing the skit at the reception for Msgr. Wach a week ago. About halfway through one of my very long lines, I realized, "I love doing this! And I'm getting almost as excited about this, a short little skit that's not even on a stage, as I do about ballet performances!" That was when it really hit me that the part I love about performing is telling the story, and that realization was strengthened when I noticed I wasn't particularly excited about the recital, mainly because the dances were just simply dancing. They weren't trying to communicate anything other than looking nice.

So, I'm not entirely disconsolate. I know that there will be other stages, other places for me to share a story with the world. The main things I'll miss about ballet are doing grand jetes (they are my specialty!), turns across the floor, especially pique turns (they used to be my nemesis, but I finally caught on and began to adore them, especially on pointe), and doing pique arabesque (which is just fun). I'll miss being on pointe...I always loved it, even when it just about killed my feet. And I'll always be sad I never did learn how to do fouette turns! I can sort of do them on pointe, but I never did get very good.

However, I won't miss the pain, the sweat, and the smell of sweat-logged ballet shoes. haha

So that was one of the "announcements". The other one is that I am definitely going to apply at Christendom College this fall! After a lot of thought, research, and prayer, my parents and I both agree that Christendom seems like it would be a great fit for me, and I really think that is where God wants me after high school. However, that's also where the added stress will come in! Three little letters... S. A. T. *dies* Now, the English section looks absolutely mindlessly easy and even fun, but the MATH?!? Oh my goodness...that's what I'll be doing much of the rest of the summer. We do know someone, though, who might be able to tutor me, which would be a lifesaver.

This summer looks like it's going to be pretty quiet...not much planned aside from working on math and going to girls' camp in early August, but that could change in the twinkling of a eye, and probably will. ;) But that's fine with me. In the fall, I'll really get cracking on my schoolbooks, and take six weeks of swimming lessons. I'm also thinking about taking tap. It's a dance form that I've always thought looked like a ton of fun, and now I would have time and money to try it! I'd also really like to/need to get a job this summer or fall, but we'll see how that goes.

Nothing much...

2010-06-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

I really feel like posting something...but I've no idea what to write. I've been pretty busy lately, but mostly with things that aren't exactly blog-post-worthy (helping at church, working like crazy on math and science, writing like crazy...oh dear, I'm starting to sound like I'm actually going crazy! haha).

However, I will have a few sort of announcements to make, probably sometime next week. *dun dun dun* *looks mysterious*

So, 'til then, I will leave you!

Week of Style, Day 7, and Birthday # Diez y Siete

2010-06-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't have much time this past weekend to get on the computer, so here is Saturday's outfit! That's the last of the Week of Style...I hope you didn't get too bored by it! ;) Oh...and this is a terrible picture of me...but I love this outfit! I really like all black with one colored accent.

SATURDAY

Shirt: a lady at church gave it to me, and she got it from Goodwill. Tank top: part of an outfit from Younker's. Sweater: from Goodwill. Skirt: from some store in the mall, can't remember the name. It was about 75% off, and it is the COOLEST skirt ever! You can't see too well in the picture, but there are two layers of tulle over the underskirt, and the middle layer has sequins! It's quite pretty.
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I turned 17 on Saturday, and it was such an absolutely wonderful birthday! Thank you to all of my friends who emailed me, wrote on my Facebook wall, messaged me on the forum, and wished me happy birthday in person, and especially thank you to Kathryn, who wrote such a lovely, sweet post about me on her blog! I feel very loved, and I know I love all of you!!! :)

I also got two wonderful gifts from my parents.

My claddaugh ring!

And...*drumroll*...a LAPTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!! My preciousssssss! :D I'm so happy, because now I'll be able to write whenever and wherever I want!
And I loooovvvveee the desktop background...isn't it gorgeous???

Okay, I'm going now...time to go drive the car for my third time! :D

Week of Style, Days 5 and 6

2010-06-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I didn't have time to post yesterday, so here are two!

THURSDAY
Shirt: from Goodwill, and I wore it earlier this week. Skirt: I made it a couple of years ago.

FRIDAY
Sweatshirt: from Goodwill. It's actually from Ireland, and I love it! :D Skirt: from a garage sale. It's a circle skirt.

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I just noticed I have THIRTY-EIGHT FOLLOWERS!!!!!!!! :D Thank you SO much! Seeing that people enjoy my writing makes my day! :)

Week of Style, Day 4

2010-06-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY

Shirt: from Aeropostale, via Nice as New. Sweatshirt: from Goodwill (I really like it because it has three-quarter length sleeves!). Skirt: from Goodwill. It used to be my mom's, but she got tired of it and gave it to me. It's super long...almost drags on the ground...but it's so comfortable! I actually cleaned a house in it today! I always get compliments on it, too.

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Thought for the day! ;)

I was just looking through the little notebook I keep in my notebook to record random things (stuff for stories, phone numbers/email addresses, awesome things people say, good songs on the radio), and came across this paragraph. Fr. F. said it in a sermon (I think...) once.

"Happiness is a choice we must make that is within everyone's grasp. Complaining just doubles the problems. Strive to be a person who says in the face of adversity, "It doesn't matter. I'll find some good to come out of it," and always remain joyful. A person like this is a beacon to society, because no one is drawn to someone who always complains."

Week of Style, Day 3

2010-06-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY

Shirt: from Goodwill. Tank top: from Target, and I'm actually wearing two. Skirt: the first skirt I ever made!
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The June Ink and Fairydust is out!

Open publication - Free publishing - More russell crowe

The I&F website was also launched today... visit it here! And if you have a Facebook, please join the group!

Week of Style, Day 2

2010-05-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
Shirt: from Goodwill. Tank Top: from Target. Pants: from Goodwill. Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern here! ;) I really love that shirt...I've had it for a few years and it's just so pretty!

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My dad showed us an extremely awesome video today! Here it is:

I just love astronomy and science. I've always loved astronomy, but loving science is fairly new. It's like a whole new world has opened up...it's absolutely fascinating. Who needs science fiction when the real world is so incredible? The thought of the utter vastness of the universe is so mind-blowing...

A wonderful weekend!

2010-05-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

I just had an absolutely wonderful weekend! My church went on a pilgrimage to Holy Hill, which is an absolutely beautiful shrine on top of a hill...you can see it in the pictures. The pilgrimage was by the Midwestern apostolates of the Institute of Christ the King, and the Prior General Msgr. Gilles Wach and Vicar General Msgr. Michael Schmitz were there.

We took a bus, which was of course lots of fun! I talked with Evangeline a bit, read, listened to music, rehearsed the skit with Kathryn, and let my thoughts wander as I looked out the window. About an hour away from the shrine, Fr. F. put in a DVD of Archbishop Fulton Sheen's last Good Friday sermon. It was about pain and suffering, and now (as usual!) I can't remember much about it, but I do know it was very good and I got a lot out of it!

We got to the shrine at 11 am, the choir was dropped off at the church, and then the bus continued down to the lower level. The choir members headed up the many stairs to the church, but when we got there it was discovered that a Mass was being said. So we stood outside (in the hot sun! With no sunscreen! My fair Irish skin protesteth muchly!) and practiced "Christus Vincit" and Hessler's "Missa Secunda"with a few choir members of another apostolate. In about 20 minutes the Mass had ended, so we were able to go up into the choir loft.

Our choir loft stairs have only one flight, but the shrine has three, and there are the most amazing views through all the windows! We practiced in the beautiful, spacious choir loft until 12:15 pm, and then started the trek back down to the lower level parking lot so we could meet up with the procession, which would begin at 12:30 pm. Well, since the shrine is so HUGE and we got separated from the people we were walking with, Evangeline and I ended up down in the completely empty parking lot! The procession had most likely just left, but no matter how hard we listened all we could hear was picnickers talking and laughing. So finally we decided to just head back up to the church, and on our way down another of the myriad paths we spotted the procession right in front of us! So we quickly shrank back against the trees and joined up in the middle.
The Mass was absolutely beautiful. All of the apostolates' choirs sang various parts of the Mass, and I was so impressed by all of them! The very best part was when all the choirs sang "Christus Vincit" together. I need to email our choir director and see if she can send me a recording of it...you must hear it! It was truly awesome, and perfectly sums up the happiness of that day. The church is SO beautiful, and there was a prevailing feeling of happiness, and peace, and God's presence, and deep, abiding joy that has always been in your heart but only shows itself to you at certain moments. It was so, so wonderful. I just felt safe, and full of joy.

After Mass, we went to the gift shop, where I bought some holy cards and medals and my mom bought a book about St. Teresa of the Andes and one about St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Then Evangeline and I rushed back to the lower level parking lot (again!) after a glance at my watch had sent me into a state of near panic...we hadn't eaten yet and were supposed to be at one of the chapels for Benediction in 15 minutes! As it turned out, however, Benediction didn't start until 4:20 pm instead of the scheduled 4:00 pm, so it was all for nothing. *shakes head*

After Benediction, I talked to some friends, and was able to say hello to Fr. M., who used to be the priest at our church until he was transferred two years ago. He's known me since I was 10 years old and has seen me through so much, so it was wonderful to see him again! Then it was back to the bus, where much silliness and laughter ensued. Good times!

Today, we practiced the skit outside after Mass. I must admit, I am nervous! I just know that I'm going to completely blank out when I get on stage. :/ Mustn't think like that! It will be fine! It will be great! There's absolutely no audience! *insert fake cheery smile* But the skit is coming together very nicely. Then Kathryn and I, as she said (probably fairly accurately!) walked about 2 miles around and around the church, talking about anything and everything! That was so much fun! :D

So that was my absolutely wonderful weekend. I'm so happy! God has allowed to just accept myself as I am...quiet, not much of a social butterfly...and I'm so grateful! For the longest time, I felt like I had to be one of those talkative, always-the-center-of-attention people, but that's just not who I am. I love those people, but I'm not one of them, and at long last, I'm realizing that this is who God created me to be and therefore it's perfectly fine. It's also just so much easier to enjoy myself at social functions, because I'm not always feeling like I'm a total loser for not flitting here and there and talking to everyone. So thank you, God:)

And now I'll start my Week of Style! Today there are two outfits, because I wanted to post yesterday's too.

SATURDAY

Skirt: from Bethesda, a thrift store. Shirt: from Nice as New, another thrift store! I bought them on Friday, and I'm so happy to have a nice new outfit that really matches!

SUNDAY

Skirt: from Goodwill. Shirt: from Goodwill. It's actually a cardigan, but I just wear it like a shirt sometimes. Scarf: from Fr. F., who gave a scarf to each of the ladies of the Altar and Rosary society after he came back from his visit to Ecuador. It's SO pretty!

As you can see, I don't do much with my hair. ;) I kinda like it down...that makes it easy to swoosh over your face if need be! :P

Northerness

2010-05-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read something in a book and thought, "Wow. I have experienced that exact same thing!" That happened to me recently while I was reading a book called The Everything Guide to C.S Lewis and Narnia.

It says that one day Lewis, who at the time was in his mid-teens and drifting into atheism, had an experience while looking at a drawing by Arthur Rackham (who happens to be one of my favorite illustrators!) that illustrated a scene from Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods, in a magazine. I read his account of it and was astounded.

"Pure 'Northerness' engulfed me: a vision of huge, clear spaces hanging above the Atlantic in the endless twilight of Northern summer, remoteness, severity." The book continues to say, "He immediately recognized this as something, some place he had been before, and the memory of Joy, "almost like heartbreak", flooded back."

I was so amazed, because I have experienced the exact same thing! Not from seeing that picture, but from other things...books, paintings, the way the sunlight touches a wall in the late afternoon. It's a feeling of deja vu...that you are seeing something that you've experienced before, long, long ago. It almost makes me think that some people really are spirited away to fairyland in their childhood, and that these feelings are those distant memories... Well, that theory is rather doubtful, but whatever it is, it's wonderful and inspiring. And what really surprised me is that he, too, described it as 'Northerness', which has always been one of the only ways I could describe it to myself.

Happy Birthday Evangeline!

2010-05-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Evangeline had a birthday yesterday, and I told her I'd have to write one of those cheesy posts about what a great person she is. ;)

But of course, she is.

She has one of THE most wicked senses of humor ever! That's one of the best things about her...she's just terribly funny in a very dry, British way.

She also is very down-to-earth, and certainly helps keep me grounded and humble, which I really do appreciate!

She's very artistic...I can't believe how well she draws, and she's a wonderful dancer.

She's quite deep and can understand the marvelous and mysterious things of life.

But on the other hand, she also appreciates the lighter things, like good food and good grammar and cute guys...haha.

She has an awesome sense of style.

And of course she's gorgeous, and I am JEALOUS of her hair!

Love ya! Even though you ARE 4 inches taller than me. *glares* heeheehee

Of sickness, SOTB, and LOTR.

2010-05-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have been sick since Saturday morning. *hacks* *blows nose* And yes, I really just did! haha It started with a killer sore throat, proceeded to a sinus infection, and has now settled in my chest, as usual. So now I'm coughing and have a fantastic croaky voice (which I actually find sort of fun, I must admit. ;) You can do an alarming sounding hollow groan!).

But the exciting thing is that we did not go to the doctor! Every other time I've had a sinus infection (and it happens every fall and spring, thanks to allergies), we've just gone to the walk-in and gotten antibiotics. But this time, my mom asked one of the "Dr. Mom"s at church, and she advised me to take goldenseal, which is a strange tasting, slightly bitter substance that you add to water or juice with a dropper. I opted for juice, to avoid the afore-mentioned bitter taste. Not that I could taste it, really...that must be one of the worst things about getting sick - losing your sense of taste! It drives me crazy, at least!

But it WORKED! I started feeling better the very next day! I do love natural remedies. :) Oh, and my sickness is obviously the reason I haven't started the grand Week of Clothes yet. ;)

I'm veryveryvery excited about something, but I'll have to wait and see if I can mention it on here. *smiles mysteriously*

Most likely most of you know about Regina Doman's Fairy Tale Novels (and if you don't, do follow the link and check them out!). I'm not sure if you all know about the independent film being made of the first book, The Shadow of the Bear, however! Click the link above the picture below to read more about this very exciting project. I also put the ad in my side-bar at the right.

The Shadow of the Bear Official Movie Blog

We've also started re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the seventh...eighth...ninth?...time. I'm beginning to lose track! I've also been reading more of Tolkien's writing, as a friend of mine has lent me The Children of Hurin and the first Book of Lost Tales. I LOVE Tolkien's writing! It's incredible how he so completely invented another world, with its own history and mythology and language. I love his style of writing...his descriptions, in my opinion, are unparalleled. An example: Soon after, it chanced that as the gray light of a day of rain was failing Turin and his men were sheltering in a holly-thicket; and beyond it was a treeless space, in which were many great stones, leaning or tumbled together. All was still, save for the drip of rain from the branches. (From The Children of Hurin)

For some reason, that passage really struck me...I could feel myself there, and hear the drip of rain, feel the cool, damp air.

I'm also appreciating his poetry much, much more - the first time I read LOTR, I must admit I pretty much skipped most of the poetry. *looks shamefaced* But it's so beautiful! My favorite of what I've read so far is "The Lay of Tinuviel".

The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.
(first stanza of "The Lay of Tinuviel", "A Knife in the Dark", The Fellowship of the Ring)

Reading his work is just wonderful...it gives you a sense of all the stories there are in the world, told and untold. As Tolkien himself said in a letter to his son Christopher, "A story must be told or there'll be no story, yet it is the untold stories that are most moving. I think you are moved by Celebrimor because it conveys a sudden sense of endless untold stories: mountains seen far away, never to be climbed, distant trees (like Niggle's) never to be approached - or if so only to become 'near trees'..." (from the forward of the The Book of Lost Tales I)

That just gives me this indescribable...thrill! It's so exciting to be alive in this world that is so full of stories, so exciting to have an imagination that can lead you to such amazing places, so exciting to be a writer and have been given the task of recording these stories, both told and untold.

No title

2010-05-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to mention this, but the essay I wrote for the Knights of Columbus essay contest won 1st place for 11th grade at the regional, diocesan, and state levels!

The girls' group has started working on the skit we'll be performing when the Prior General of the Institute of Christ the King visits our church next month. We're performing Hans Christian Andersen's short story "The World's Most Beautiful Rose", which I adapted into a skit. I was given the part of the Doctor, which requires rather a lot of memorization! In fact, when I was writing it up, "Wow, the poor person who gets the part of the Doctor..." crossed my mind. Figures I'd get it! :P haha I think it will be fun, though.

I have two intentions I'd really appreciate your prayers for. One is for my knee...I have tendinitis in it and it is horribly painful! I wouldn't mind so much, except that we have two ballet recitals coming up in the next few weeks. It'll be pretty bad if it's not better by then. :/ So if you could pray that the physical therapy helps, that would be absolutely wonderful! :)

The other intention is for some things going on at our church. Could you please pray that everyone concerned will be given the guidance we need to work out all the issues that have come up? Thanks so much!

May-ness

2010-05-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately, but it's nothing I really want to share with the world at large at the moment (not to sound like a jerk or anything, of course ;)), which is why I haven't been blogging much. I think that I'm coming to the time when I'm transitioning from an adolescent into an adult...and it's quite funny, because the last time I went through major mental changes (from child to adolescent) was during May as well! May has always been a rather eventful month for me.

So things are changing, but in a good and interesting way. I'm feeling almost inundated with new thoughts, new feelings, new emotions...all I can do is give my heart to God and ask Him to guide me through this confusion. But the oddest thing is that I'm no longer afraid to grow up. Ask any of my friends...I've always basically been Peter Pan. When I was 8, I wished I was 5. When I was 12, I would have loved to still be 8. When I was 15, I would have given an arm and a leg to be 5...or 8...or 12...and to stay that way forever! But now I'm fine with the thought of growing up (even though it still freaks me out that I'll be a legal adult in a month and a year! Eeep!). It's so odd. Now the thought of being an adult, getting married, having a house, having kids, having responsibilities, getting my books published, which all used to strike terror into my heart, sounds absolutely awesome.

I just realized that I haven't been posting links to Ink and Fairydust! I must amend that...it keeps getting better and better!

I don't remember what the last issue I posted was, so I'll just start with January. I write under the pen name of Lady Blanche Rose.

January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010

Lady Rose invited me to the 31-Day Dress Dare on Facebook, which should be pretty easy since I wear skirts all the time anyway, but I joined to swell the numbers. ;) And since they invite people to blog about their experience, I thought this would be a perfect time to do a Week in Feminine Dress, which I've been wanting to do for a while now! So I'll start that on Sunday.

"I'm here, I'm here! I've come back, I'm all right!"

2010-04-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

I apologize very, very profusely for having not posted in weeks! :( I miss blogging! I'm not sure what made my life suddenly have no computer time left in it, but since computer time also equals writing time, I'm really going to try to come up with more of it.

Since I need to get to bed right now, I'll just finally post this tag, the Friendship Tag, which Jessica tagged me in!

Choose any amount of friends real or blog and say at least two things or more that you admire or like about them. Tag and make sure you link to them.

Lady Rose
I met Rose on the Fairy Tale Novel Forum (where she is my mom in the forum family!). She's so sweet, funny, upbeat, not afraid to share and stand up for her beliefs, and is incredibly creative!

Kathryn
Kathryn has been going to my church for quite a while now (I actually have no idea how long, or if you came before or after us! :P). We only started talking much this past year, and she is very, very funny with quite a way with words, a loyal friend, and has a heart full of love for all creatures great and small.

Elenatintil
Elena is the administrator of the FTN Forum. She's such a wonderful young woman who is a talented writer, a gifted leader, and has a keen sense of humor and a great love for God.

Jessica
Jessica started following my blog a few months ago, and I've enjoyed getting to know her! She has a blog full of beautiful thoughts, and leaves very thoughtful, interesting, much-appreciated comments!

Addie
Addie is yet another FTN Forum-er, and I always love it when she posts, because what she has to say is always interesting, often very much the same as my opinions, and frequently very funny! Many times she has said something that was exactly what I needed to hear right then.

Ella
Ella is also from the FTN Forum (it has some wonderful people!), and she is one of the most cheerful, upbeat, happy people I have ever met! She spreads sunlight everywhere and has a good word for everyone.

Oh, and if you can identify the quote in this post's title, then...um...good for you! ;)

Happy Easter, and happy birthday Mum and Dad!

2010-04-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

O felix culpa, quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem! O happy fault, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

I hope and pray that you all had very happy and blessed Holy Weeks and Easters!

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Today is my mom's birthday, and, since I never did a post for my dad (his birthday was on Ash Wednesday and I gave up internet for most of Lent), I'll do his today as well.

Thank you, both of you, for being such wonderful parents. You've both taught me a lot.

Dad, thank you for giving me some of the best advice I've ever received...keep God first in your life, and the rest will fall into place as it's supposed to. Thank you for giving me my sense of humor (I think...haha), for always believing in me, and for teaching me so much...from long division to how to throw a baseball to how to navigate life.

Mum, thank you for teaching me by your example that to be kind to everyone, no matter how they appear, is a wonderful thing. Thank you for always listening to me with a patient, objective, and humorous ear, for giving me so much invaluble advice, for being an example of the sort of mother I hope to be someday, and also for teaching me so much...from how to knit to what to do about my myriad problems, both fleshly and ghostly (haha).

Thank you both for always being so supportive towards me, and for always encouraging me to be creative. Most of all I'm thankful that you're both very fervent in our Faith. I love you both!

Preparing for Easter

2010-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this video with all of you. It's an interview with Sister Marie of the Love of God, a sister with the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus, who is starting a new convent in St. Louis, MO, accompanied by a slide show of pictures of her and the convent. I've corresponded with her over the past five years, and my friend Essie (the one who joined that order) said to me after meeting Sister Marie, "You have to meet her someday! She's absolutely wonderful." So I was very excited to find this video on the blog Saint Louis Catholic, and be able to hear her speak! Isn't she beautiful, and can't you hear her love for God in every word she says? It's wonderful, and I can't wait to meet her, hopefully this summer!

If you'd like to read more about the sisters, their web page is here.

I've been doing quite a bit of baking today. Here's our menu for Easter:

Glazed Ham
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus
Rosemary Buns
Bread of Easter Brightness
Raspberry Bars

I made the raspberry bars already, the bread is rising, and I believe Evangeline just put the buns in the oven. I'm also planning to make the glaze today, so we can take it all to church tomorrow morning to be blessed! I'll also take some pictures of it all to post on here. :)

Tonight is the Easter Vigil...I can't wait! It's the most beautiful liturgy of the entire year, and I hope all of you get a chance to attend a Tridentine Easter Vigil some day!

Also, are any of you writers who would be interested in joining a blog dedicated to encouraging and critiquing your fellow writers? Some of the wonderful young ladies of the FTN Forum have started a blog, The Inklings' Resolve, for that purpose. Check it out!

Holy Week.

2010-04-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

We watched "The Passion" at church on Monday night. It was, as usual, a very moving experience (it's the sixth time I've seen it...we've watched it every year since I was 11). This year I found that the violence bothered me more than it has in previous years and I had to look away a lot, especially during the scourging. One thing that really struck me was that He was choosing to suffer all this...that was what it took. This stood out for me especially at the moment during the scourging when they go to turn Him over. I thought it was over, but then I realized, no...it was only half done. He knew that anything less wouldn't prove to us the immensity of His love, and so He suffered it...freely, willingly.

The thought that kept coming to my mind as I watched was, "I can't let this suffering, this pain, this incredible love be in vain!" That made me remember that our first duty is the salvation of our own soul. Everyone is precious to God, and He loves you just as much as He loves anyone else. You are the one person whose fate you can decide. Decide that you will not let His blood be shed in vain...that you will do everything in your power to try to love Him and live for Him alone. And if this focus on your own soul seems selfish, just remember what St. Francis of Assisi said: "Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society." Or, as another saint said, "Save yourself and a thousand around you will be saved..." Love draws love.

Another part that always, always moves me to tears is the moment when Our Lady is watching Our Lord carry His Cross, and sees Him fall under it. There is a flashback to Him tripping and falling on the ground when He was a little boy, and Our Lady dropped everything to run to Him. Remembering this, she runs to the side of her suffering Son. This scene really brings home the immense suffering Our Lady went through: the pain of seeing her son, her little boy, treated so cruelly. But she was willing to suffer this that we might be free...we cannot let her suffering be in vain, either. The older I get, the more poignant this scene becomes.

I also love the part with Simon of Cyrene. He's just an ordinary man who is pulled into a life- and earth-changing event. He doesn't realize this immediately, thinking he is just carrying the cross of a condemned criminal, but as he witnesses Our Lord's patience and incredible strength, he realizes that this is no ordinary man. Simon reminds me a bit of all of us...he is just a regular person who God calls to follow His Son, and, with a bit of initial reluctance, he does just that and his life is changed forever.

I feel a bit guilty about how my Lent went - not very well. :( I did not keep many of my resolutions, and I feel really bad about that. I'm going to try and make an effort to make this Holy Week as good as it can be. I'm not doing very well, but I really am trying to try...I guess that's what counts!

I'm really looking forward to the beautiful Triduum services...they are awe-inspiring, especially in the Tridentine Rite. Tonight we have Mass at 7 pm, followed by the stripping of the altars, moving the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose, the washing of the feet, and adoration until midnight. We'll be staying at adoration for a while, I'm not sure how long though. Tomorrow we will attend the Stations of the Cross at 8 am, and the Liturgy at 3 pm, which is followed by adoration until 8 pm. Holy Saturday is a pretty peaceful day with not much going on (except that I believe we're going to start painting the living room that day! o.O) until 9 pm, when the Easter Vigil starts. That is, without a doubt, my favorite service of the liturgical year. It is so solemn, so joyous, with such a feeling of ancientness. As you chant the Litany of the Saints, hear the prophecies, feel the rush of joy that Christ has risen from the dead wash over you, you feel such a strong connection with all the centuries of the Church, back to the very martyrs of the Catacombs.

Like I did at Christmas, I'm going to share an excerpt of my story "No Greater Love" with you here. I hope you enjoy it, and have a blessed and fruitful Holy Week!

A Excerpt from Chapter 20, "Life Always Changes", of No Greater Love

Soon Lent came. I began attending Friday evening Holy Hour, which was preceded by the Stations of the Cross. God granted me so many graces those Friday evenings as I knelt in the dim, smoky church contemplating His passion and death, I can’t even begin to tell you about them. There are no words in the human language to describe most of them, and I don’t understand many of them fully. I only will when I reach Heaven. How good our God is to deign to share with us so many secret, hidden things of Himself and of Heaven.

Then came Holy Week, which is one of my favourite times of the year. It’s so holy, so grace-filled, so wonderful, and I always feel closer to Heaven than at any other time.

Mass on Holy Thursday was beautiful, and Father Wiseman’s sermon on the Eucharist held many lights. At the Gloria the bells rang and organ played joyfully – Our Lord is here, present among us! He has given us His Eucharist and is with us until the end of time! But then we remembered that his very night He would suffer a cruel agony, and with this sobering thought the triumphant voice of the organ died away. The stark beauty of the plainchant accompanied our reflections for the rest of Mass.

I stayed very late after Mass on Holy Thursday to pray in front of the Altar of Repose. I always like doing that, to keep Our Lord company on that awful night when everyone, even His closest friends, abandoned Him. I always want to cry when I think of it. As I knelt before Him in the dimly lit church, I promised that here at least was one person who would never leave His side, no matter what happened. Thinking about that actual night, nearly two thousand years ago, I hoped that I was a comfort to Him when He thought of me.

We fasted all day on Good Friday, and kneeling in church that afternoon, I considered how this emptiness we feel from lack of food should echo the emptiness our souls should feel from the absence of our Savior. We heard the telling of the Passion one last time during the long, sorrowful service. The stripped, barren altar, with the candlesticks lying all askew, truly brought home the fact that He was dead. What joy can there be in life, if our only Joy lies cold and still in a tomb?

Holy Saturday was a quiet, peaceful day that culminated in the Easter Vigil Mass. How wonderful that Mass always is! Listening to the beginning of Genesis chanted in the dark church, lit only by the hundreds of little candles, feels like being present at the creation of the world. There is something ancient and glorious about the chanting of the Lumen Christi; the invocation of the saints through their solemn litany; the hauntingly beautiful Kyrie, which reminds you that God was there even before the dawn of time.

But there is an undercurrent of suspense, of great and triumphant joy that wants to break free, and finally it does! The altar boys walked around lighting the lamps on the sides of the church, and it slowly flooded with light as the organ thundered and the bells pealed. The windows of the church were open, letting in the chilly air of the spring night, and you could hear that all through London, the bells were proclaiming their glorious message.

And then the organ settled down, giving the familiar intonation for the Gloria, and once again the beautiful hymn praise resounded. Christmas is a personal and humanly joyful feast – Our Lord is a tiny baby, He is becoming one of us. But on Easter our joy is supernatural and bigger than any of us. Our God has returned to His true home, and through great suffering He has paid the price so that we may join Him there one day. It is something that brings your very soul to its knees in thanksgiving and adoration, and fills you with a foretaste of what He won for us.

Before Holy Communion I felt such a huge longing for Our Lord that it actually hurt. I felt as though I couldn’t wait to receive Him. Then I did, and, oh! I did not notice anything at all after I had. I could really feel a pulling on my soul, and on my body as well. I felt as if I were being pulled upwards by unseen hands, and as though I were not really kneeling there in the church of St. Scholastica’s in London. I was in Heaven.

Another step back in time...

2010-03-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post these early samples of my writing for quite a while now.

"What If..." Written May 23, 1998, when I was almost 5.

What if all the countries all of the towns were just a bridge away?
What if everything was in my neighborhood?
What if everything was perfect?
What if everyone would do everything we wanted them to?
What if we stayed in the same town?
What if we lived everywhere and did everything that we wanted to?
But it's just not possible.
The End.

"What if the Country" Written the same day.

What if we lived in the country but we'd rather live in town.
I go around my neighborhood finding things I wouldn't find in the country.
Like old newspapers and old bubble blowers and old pencils that are not very useful.
But the countries are clean.
Nothing like that that's in town is in the country.
But what if everywhere was very sad and pitiful like this.
It had garbage everywhere.
But it's just not true.
The End.

I had sort of an obsession with wanting to live in the country when I wrote the second one, as perhaps you can tell!

This one was inspired by our nature table.

"Christmas at the Oak Tree" Written December 2, 1997, when I was 4 years old.

The tree hears the call of Santa Claus, the crunching feet of Santa Claus, and the angel plays on the guitar a lullaby to me.
And I can hear the angels singing to the lullaby.
Santa Claus is opening up the gate and I can feel the cold and warm and it mixes together making hot.
A big giant candle stands behind the boat before me.
Presents are being dropped down by the angels above the earth in heaven.
I can hear footsteps crunching - Santa Claus is leaving me a present!
In the little pool there is some mermaids also singing from the lullaby.
Shhhh! I can hear the fishes calling help from the ice!
My friend, the giant rock, also got a present, too.
The End.

That part about the fish is sort of creepy... o.O haha Oh, and the picture is of me from about that time.

A step back in time.

2010-03-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'd forgotten all this time to write about our last day in Milwaukee! I must remedy that. :) Last summer was doubly exciting, because, not only were we at a ballet intensive, but we were in a big city for the first time ever! We weren't even in the city much of the time, because the actual classes took place in a suburb, but it was still exciting. I think we'll probably die of excitement next summer when we're in the actual city the whole time! :D

So anyways, Dad came down for the last few days, and the morning after the performance we checked out of our awesome hotel and headed home, taking a detour through Milwaukee on the way. We tried to go to Mass at St. Stanislaus, but it turned out that was going to be that evening, so we drove out by the lake. We were a bit pressed for time so we didn't stop, and stopped at a Starbucks on our way back downtown. It felt so...urban...to stop at a little Starbucks in a tall brick building in a big city and order a latte. Mine tasted terrible, but oh well! It was still extremely fun.

We decided to stop at the library. On the way there, we saw a movie being filmed! I've no idea what movie it was, but they had extras in old fashioned clothes, old cars, big cameras, everything! It was awesome, and we drove around the block a couple of times, excitedly staring out the car windows. Evangeline and I were also thrilled to see signs for the Broadway production of "Phantom of the Opera" hanging on kiosks! I tried to take a picture of one, but we were going too fast.

Then we came in sight of the library - major excitement! That's it in the picture to the right. I'd heard about libraries that were that big, but I'd never actually seen one. That is a library!

So we went inside, and wow...it reminded me of dreams I've had! I often have dreams about buildings, usually houses or libraries, and this was just like something I would see in a dream. The dream-like feeling intensified as we walked through and I realized that it was like many, many libraries all in the same building, and each one the size of a normal library in a modest-sized town! Dad's comment: "Wow. When you and Bailey grow up and are dancing down here, Mum and I will move down here too and I'll just spend every day at the library!"

I really want to go back and spend a whole day at that library sometime. One place I'd like to see is the Rare Books Room. It's locked, of course, but I was able to look through the windows and see a dimly-lit room, with rows and rows of shelves full of old books. There were even little balconies with more shelves. I would love to go in there someday!

We had to leave all too soon, however, but we still had one more place to visit before returning home. I don't remember where we found out about it, but we knew that there is a chapel on the campus of Marquette University that was originally built in Domremy, France. You can click here for the history of it that appears on the Marquette website. According to legend, St. Joan prayed in this chapel before leaving her home, and kissed one of the stones, which has ever after remained colder than the surrounding stones.

So we decided to visit it, especially seeing as Evangeline's confirmation saint is St. Joan. It took us a little while to find it, but after walking around the campus and asking some people for directions, we found it, deeply surrounded by trees and gardens. As you push open the wooden doors, it's incredible to consider that, nearly a thousand years ago, people were here, worshiping God, and that one of those people was St. Joan herself.

We knelt on kneelers in the back of the chapel, prayed a while, and then began walking around and looking at everything. The chapel is tiny, with deep stone walls and a few ancient tapestries. Being around history is awesome, and that is, in my opinion, one disadvantage to living in America - we just don't have that many old buildings. Being in that tiny medieval chapel almost gave one a feeling of stepping back in time.

As we walked around, a lady appeared from the sacristy. She proceeded to loudly explain the history of the chapel, which sort of bothered me...I like to quietly absorb things. :P But then Dad asked her where the famous stone was, and she led us to it. It's to the left of the altar, and she explained that if you place your wrist on one of the surrounding stones for ten seconds and then place it on the stone St. Joan kissed, you will feel that it is indeed colder.

Evangeline went first, since St. Joan is her patron. She felt the stone for the prescribed time, and then came away with a look of awe. "It really is colder." Next went Dad, who said, "Wow. That is incredible...it brought tears to my eyes." Then I walked up and laid my hand on one of the stones. I counted to 10, and then placed my hand on the stone she had touched. The stone really was much colder. Like Dad, it brought tears to my eyes...it was such an amazing manifestation of God's power. It's so hard to describe, but if you're ever in Milwaukee, do visit the Joan of Arc chapel!

And then we returned back to the sunny, bustling world of a July day in 21st-century Milwaukee. But a little bit of that wonderful, otherworldly joy and peace I had experienced in the chapel remained in my heart.

Of performing.

2010-03-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

After this weekend, I have concluded that I absolutely love theaters. I just love the buildings themselves...they're portals to an enchanted land. And it is one of the most exciting and thrilling things ever to be standing in the wings, surrounded by darkness, watching the story unfold under the bright lights of the stage, and thinking, I am an inhabitant of this world!

This has been an all-round awesome weekend (it always is!), so I thought I'd share it with you all. Well, the awesomeness started on Friday morning when my mom, Evangeline, and I went out for breakfast at a little diner right across the square from the theater around 7:30 am. We all had pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon (remembering too late that it was a Friday :-/ ). As we sat there eating and talking, our ears suddenly picked up "A Hazy Shade of Winter" by Simon and Garfunkel playing on the radio! We are all major Simon and Garfunkel junkies, so that brought great joy to us, and we all started singing along!

Around 8:15 am, Evangeline and I headed over to the theater. The morning was gloriously warm, sunny, and springlike. As we applied our makeup in the spacious dressing room, the cell phone of one of the girls went off to the tune of "I Wanna Be (500 Miles)"! We've been obsessed with that song ever since watching "Benny and Joon" several nights ago. "This day just got even more epic!" I exclaimed. "First Simon and Garfunkel in the restaurant, and now "500 Miles"!"

We got into our costumes and headed upstairs for the performance, which would start at 9:30 am. It was for the area schools, but about 40 people we know from church were coming, and there would be a full house. I love going up the stairs from the dressing rooms at the theater...there are three flights, and the steps are wide and concrete, with paintings of performers on the walls.

As I stood in the wings, listening to the familiar music of the overture of "The Ugly Duckling", the previous week's performance came to my mind. I remembered standing in the wings and looking up at the ceiling, which soared high above me, shrouded in darkness. I had wanted to write a poem...something about a starless night that is suddenly transformed into beauty and light.

The performance went remarkably well! I only made three mistakes, and none of them were very noticeable. I realized something during that performance, and when I mentioned it to Evangeline, she said it was the same for her. In general, we both tend to be quiet and introverted when we're around other people, but when we perform, those barriers fall away. There is this wonderful freedom to really enter your character (be a swan or a crazy hunter!), and to become it. And of course, your own personality enters into the portrayal, too, and you are more alive and real than you usually are. That's one of the things I absolutely love about performing.

The other reason is the audience! It is so wonderful to know that you are making it possible for all of these people laugh, cry, and have an enjoyable time. You become the guides to that enchanted world, and can take the entire audience with you!

The next morning, I woke up around 7 am. Evangeline had a Music Teacher's Association competition to audition for at 8 am, so I just stayed in bed until almost 8 am so that I didn't get in everyone's way. :P I would have had a nice, peaceful morning of sitting on the couch drinking coffee, but our cockatiel would not stop screaming! So I had retreat into the upstairs hallway, until my friend (I'll call her Elizabeth) got here around 9 am. She was going to spend the day with us and sleep over as well, so she could go to the performance. Evangeline got home around that time as well. Her competition went quite well, and we found out the next day that she got 14 out of 15 on her piano playing and a perfect score on the music theory, which means she'll be going to state in May!

We left for the theater again at 10:30 am. Two dancers from the Milwaukee Ballet were teaching master classes, and Evangeline and I attended both the Intermediate and Advanced classes - from 10:45 am to 1:30 pm! It was a lot of dancing, but it was wonderful. :) I'm really happy that my stamina is improving so much! After the last class, we all sat on the stage and asked the dancers questions about their careers and backgrounds for about half an hour. Then we went and had sandwiches in the loading dock, and after that it was time to do our hair and put on makeup and costumes in preparation for our last performance!

The actual dancing part of that performance was wonderful, but I was having some issues with my costumes. :P I'd been very forgetful and didn't lay them out in the wings, so when my quick changes came I was rushing around madly looking for them. Not fun. Do not do that! But they were all found in time, thanks to the wonderful moms who double so niftily as stage and prop managers. :)

The narrator of our production was SO nice - we all love her! She was obviously very excited to be narrating for us, loved watching us dance, and even gave all of us letters and roses after the performance...she's a very thoughtful lady! I ran into her that evening as she was leaving after the performance.

"You did such a wonderful job!" she said, giving me a hug.

"Thank you! You did too!" I replied.

"It all came from you guys. The way you all danced told me how to tell the story...it's really cool." I agreed.

"Are you planning on staying with dance?" she added. I nodded my head. Despite how stressful it had been over the past few weeks, I was realizing that dancing was not something I can leave any time soon. The only way that would work is if I never heard about ballet again!

"Good!" she exclaimed. "You have such grace and poise, and your jumps look so effortless...you really have something. I'm glad you're going to continue!"

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, beaming. I was so happy. In that weekend, I think I finally started learning to really dance, not just go through the motions, and it was wonderful to know that someone appreciated it.

I just found something on Pointe magazine's website that says exactly what I was trying to say earlier!

As dancers, we thrive on that ability to transcend the normal and become someone (or something) else on stage. It places us among the lucky few people who have the opportunity to experience that intangible freedom of another world.

But aside from those precious moments in performance, we spend hours and hours in the normal classroom grind, preparing ourselves for rehearsal, where we’ll spend hours and hours preparing for the product—our performance. The overwhelming majority of our time as ballet dancers is spent either preparing or preparing to prepare for time on stage, and naturally, we strive to make the most of it.

But all too often, I find myself working so hard on technical improvements in class that I forget to perform, to live the motivation of my movement—which is, after all, one of the greatest gifts of dance and the reason I’m there in the first place.

I'm starting to think that maybe if I don't dance, I'll be wasting one of my talents. It's definitely something to think about.

I was going to write about going to the Milwaukee Public Library and the Joan of Arc Chapel this past summer, but this turned into such a ginormous post that I'll spare you. ;)

The Olympics!

2010-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Are over. :( And I missed most of them! Sadness.

However, I did see a lot of the ice dancing and I love it! We stayed up very late to finish watching it one night, and I was SO happy when Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold! Their performance was absolutely beautiful in a very simple, exquisite way, and they both seem like such genuinely nice, happy people. It was great!

And there was Evan Lysacek, winner of the gold for mens' figure skating! AHHH!!! I've only seen his Gala Performance, and I must admit I was screaming like a fan girl during pretty much the entire thing! :D You MUST watch it, especially the turns at the end! He's a brilliant skater, and quite good-looking as well. haha

I also enjoyed watching Apolo Ohno speed skate...I remember watching him in the 2006 Torino Olympics and I've liked him ever since! Speed skating is such an insane, intense sport, and really cool to watch. Ski jumping is another one of my favorites, as well as any other sort of skiing, except for the moguls. I find those just sort of painful to watch!

So that's the last of the Winter Olympics until 2014...I'll be almost 21...*gaspeth*. I'm definitely looking forward to the Summer Olympics in 2012, though! But I'll be 19...*cries*... Anyhoo. ;)

Last night we finally watched "Monk" again! My mom, sister, and I are OBSESSED with that show! We're watching all the episodes on DVD, and it took a very long time for Season 4 to come in. We were going into serious Monk withdrawal! But we finally got it last night, and watched three episodes. Yay!

In case you don't know, "Monk" is a TV show about a detective who was removed from the police force after his OCD symptoms exploded into a huge disorder following the murder of his beloved wife, Trudy. However, he's still called by his friend Captain Stottlemeyer to help solve the more difficult cases, but this isn't always easy, as he has phobias of germs, milk, elevators, and practically anything else you could think of! The episodes are always very good, interesting, touching, and absolutely hilarious! We become rather addicted. :) They're also unusually clean for being a mainstream TV show, and very well acted. I definitely recommend it!

Oh, and I was wondering, has anyone noticed the pages I put up? You can find them right under my header. How do you like them?

Singing in the Dark

[adieu]

[i took a sip of something poison but i'll hold on tight]

[there's a party on the rooftop top of the world]

Thoughts [but then again, what else would they be?]

Growing.

Announcing...

[random photos]

SUMMER.

So...

Be blown away...

One day I'll fly away...

Measure your life in love.

Of growing up.

Day 18.

A report on the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. :)

Day 17.

Day 16.

Day 15.

Day 14.

Day 13.

Day 12.

Day 11.

Day 10.

Day 9.

Day 8.

Day 7 / blog party!

Day 6.

Day 5.

Day 4.

Day 3.

Day 2.

30 Day Challenge, Day 1

Title-less.

There was a man named Jean Valjean...

A paean to the arts.

It's over now, the music of the night.

Handwriting

Update!

Yearly Recap

Joyeux Noel! :)

Making Christmas, Part Two

Making Christmas...

Snow

...til you drown in the light, in the sound.

A painful post.

Music

My Trip to Christendom College, Part 2

Things I Love About C-dom

My Trip to Christendom College, Part 1

*revives dead blog*

Of movies and fearlessness.

Happy birthday, Kathryn!

Catch-up.

Exciting news!

100th Post!

Summer Days...

Distant Dreamer

Bread and Movie Trivia!

One of those days...

Nightwatch

A lovely day.

"Wives and Daughters", and fathers too

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" Trailer!!!

Of storytelling.

The last dance...and a new start.

Nothing much...

Week of Style, Day 7, and Birthday # Diez y Siete

Week of Style, Days 5 and 6

Week of Style, Day 4

Week of Style, Day 3

Week of Style, Day 2

A wonderful weekend!

Northerness

Happy Birthday Evangeline!

Of sickness, SOTB, and LOTR.

No title

May-ness

"I'm here, I'm here! I've come back, I'm all right!"

Happy Easter, and happy birthday Mum and Dad!

revives dead blog