Part 2
“No,” Chris said with a slight smile. “They were all friendly. And after a bunch of animals appeared, people appeared, too.”
Chris paused for a moment. He gathered his courage and continued.
“Dillon?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember, last year, when Grammy Caroline was sick in the hospital?”
Dillon put on a thinking face, his cheeks pink, then nodded. “A little bit.”
“And then, a few days later, she died?”
Sad, Dillon slowly nodded.
“Well, I saw her there too. Except she wasn’t sick or dead. She was alive and healthy.” Chris grinned at the thought.
The once bright day turned to gray as silver, cotton ball clouds gradually encompassed the sun. Boris went from his spot in the yard through his kitty-door inside the Jenkins’ house.
“But Grammy Caroline didn’t see me. No one seemed to see me. But the animals did. They let me pet them. Even the lions.”
Dillon’s eyes widened in awe, and an itty-bitty raindrop struck his nose. The small boy went cross-eyed looking at the drop. His brother grabbed one of his chubby arms and pulled his plump body into their house. Both nestled underneath blankets on the window seat inside, holding warm mugs of hot chocolate. Chris took a sip and continued.
“Everyone there was happy. Over the rainbow, I mean. Even the animals were playing, so I couldn’t help but be happy, too. But then, Mom called me in for dinner, and everything disappeared. Even Grammy Caroline vanished, and I was just standing in the middle of our lawn, staring off at a regular rainbow. It was like Mom’s voice ruined the whole thing.”
The rain outside had dispersed to a slight drizzle, and a large rainbow was spread across the sky. It expanded over the entire sky and ended in the trees on the hills near Mr. Flynn’s.
Suddenly, Dillon jumped up. He shed his fleece blanket and ran out the front door. His short legs took him into the street and through the light drizzle. His older brother followed him and stood in the misted lawn.
“Dillon!” Chris called out. “What are you doing?”
Slightly turning, a broad smile on his face, Dillon called back, “I’m going over the rainbow!”
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Over the Rainbow
I originally wrote this story in sixth grade for extra credit. This is the new and improved version, however. The old one was shorter and not as descriptive. I'll prolly post it in two posts, cuz it's still a couple pages.
“Chris?” Dillon said, as the two boys sat on the edge of the sidewalk in front of their house. They gazed across the street at Mrs. Jenkins’s cat, Boris, as he lazily chewed on a torn baseball glove in the yard. It was a warm day. Light clouds were suspended beneath the midday sun. “Have you ever gone over a rainbow?”
“Once, I think,” Chris, the older brother, said. “A long time ago.”
“How did you get there?” Dillon, only six years old, questioned.
“Well, it was raining pretty hard,” Chris began. “It even started to hail a little. But then, all of a sudden, the rain just sorta – stopped.” Chris thought for a moment, tapping his chin. Dillon, elbows on his knees and chin in his hands, stared at his older brother, engrossed.
“I walked outside, and there was this huge rainbow, way over there,” Chris said, pointing. The older brother’s finger directed Dillon’s attention to the mammoth trees on hills that overlooked their neighborhood.
“So I started running. I went all the way past Mr. Flynn’s.”
“Whoa,” Dillon gasped, his bright blue eyes sparkling. “That’s far.”
“Yeah,” his brother agreed. “I finally got to those hills, and there was the rainbow, right in front of me.”
Chris attempted to paint the picture of the multicolored revelation for Dillon. He spread his arms wide in front of him and essayed to explain the wall of color. Dillon could almost see it right in front of him. His baby fingers reached out and touched the invisible wall that his brother was describing.
“So I went through it.”
“Through it?” Dillon exclaimed. “How?”
“I don’t know,” the nine-year-old shrugged, stumped. “I guess it just wasn’t a. . . hard wall. It wasn’t big at all. So I could just walk through it.”
“What was on the other side?”
“At first, it was all white,” Chris resumed. “Like a blank page in a book. Then, when I walked around, things started to appear. Like flowers, grass, and birds. But no humans.”
“What else?” Eagerly, Dillon leaned forward. Chris, smiling, continued.
“Mrs. Jenkins’s old cat, Judy, you know, the one that died?”
The six-year-old nodded.
“She was there. Then, other animals, too, came out of thin air. Dogs, other cats, birds. Rhinos, giraffes, even tigers and bears.”
Dillon let out a gasp. “Did they hurt you?”
“Chris?” Dillon said, as the two boys sat on the edge of the sidewalk in front of their house. They gazed across the street at Mrs. Jenkins’s cat, Boris, as he lazily chewed on a torn baseball glove in the yard. It was a warm day. Light clouds were suspended beneath the midday sun. “Have you ever gone over a rainbow?”
“Once, I think,” Chris, the older brother, said. “A long time ago.”
“How did you get there?” Dillon, only six years old, questioned.
“Well, it was raining pretty hard,” Chris began. “It even started to hail a little. But then, all of a sudden, the rain just sorta – stopped.” Chris thought for a moment, tapping his chin. Dillon, elbows on his knees and chin in his hands, stared at his older brother, engrossed.
“I walked outside, and there was this huge rainbow, way over there,” Chris said, pointing. The older brother’s finger directed Dillon’s attention to the mammoth trees on hills that overlooked their neighborhood.
“So I started running. I went all the way past Mr. Flynn’s.”
“Whoa,” Dillon gasped, his bright blue eyes sparkling. “That’s far.”
“Yeah,” his brother agreed. “I finally got to those hills, and there was the rainbow, right in front of me.”
Chris attempted to paint the picture of the multicolored revelation for Dillon. He spread his arms wide in front of him and essayed to explain the wall of color. Dillon could almost see it right in front of him. His baby fingers reached out and touched the invisible wall that his brother was describing.
“So I went through it.”
“Through it?” Dillon exclaimed. “How?”
“I don’t know,” the nine-year-old shrugged, stumped. “I guess it just wasn’t a. . . hard wall. It wasn’t big at all. So I could just walk through it.”
“What was on the other side?”
“At first, it was all white,” Chris resumed. “Like a blank page in a book. Then, when I walked around, things started to appear. Like flowers, grass, and birds. But no humans.”
“What else?” Eagerly, Dillon leaned forward. Chris, smiling, continued.
“Mrs. Jenkins’s old cat, Judy, you know, the one that died?”
The six-year-old nodded.
“She was there. Then, other animals, too, came out of thin air. Dogs, other cats, birds. Rhinos, giraffes, even tigers and bears.”
Dillon let out a gasp. “Did they hurt you?”
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Whoa, THAT'S Weird....
I've noticed some things that I'd like to share.
Also, I'm SO bored. I wished for school to be over, and now I have nothing to do. But I still think I'd rather be doing this than stressing out over projects and tests and homework. Cuz those are BLECKS. (bleck n. an event or object that is considered bad or undesirable)
SO, on to what I've noticed.
I've noticed that I do some pretty weird things, out of habit.
For example:
I scrunch my nose up when I laugh, and when my glasses are slipping off of my nose. It must be pretty annoying for other people to look at. (Yes, you can comment and agree.)
When I'm looking at a digital clock, I find mathematical relationships between the numbers. (Ex.: I might look at 4:40 and think 4 x 10 = 40.)
I pop my knuckles, my feets, my toes, my back, and my neck. I guess a lot of people do that, but I do too.
I kick the air, jump around, or take a few steps back when I realize something. Or when I'm cold.
I doodle all over EVERYTHING.
I attempt to harmonize with almost every song I listen to (including seminary scripture mastery songs). I find it hard NOT to harmonize with some certain songs, too.
I sniff once after I cough.
I roll my eyes and half-blink with one eye when I'm trying to think of what I want to say. (Riley, you share this trait with me.)
I almost always have to tap the beat when I'm listening to music.
ETC. ETC. ETC.
SO. This is another post where YOU (people who read my blog) come in. Now that you've read this post, you've gotta comment and tell about something that you do out of habit that's kinda funny or strange.
Alright, GO!
Also, I'm SO bored. I wished for school to be over, and now I have nothing to do. But I still think I'd rather be doing this than stressing out over projects and tests and homework. Cuz those are BLECKS. (bleck n. an event or object that is considered bad or undesirable)
SO, on to what I've noticed.
I've noticed that I do some pretty weird things, out of habit.
For example:
I scrunch my nose up when I laugh, and when my glasses are slipping off of my nose. It must be pretty annoying for other people to look at. (Yes, you can comment and agree.)
When I'm looking at a digital clock, I find mathematical relationships between the numbers. (Ex.: I might look at 4:40 and think 4 x 10 = 40.)
I pop my knuckles, my feets, my toes, my back, and my neck. I guess a lot of people do that, but I do too.
I kick the air, jump around, or take a few steps back when I realize something. Or when I'm cold.
I doodle all over EVERYTHING.
I attempt to harmonize with almost every song I listen to (including seminary scripture mastery songs). I find it hard NOT to harmonize with some certain songs, too.
I sniff once after I cough.
I roll my eyes and half-blink with one eye when I'm trying to think of what I want to say. (Riley, you share this trait with me.)
I almost always have to tap the beat when I'm listening to music.
ETC. ETC. ETC.
SO. This is another post where YOU (people who read my blog) come in. Now that you've read this post, you've gotta comment and tell about something that you do out of habit that's kinda funny or strange.
Alright, GO!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Couples
Considering I haven't posted a random post since 1947, I decided to do one today. Right now.
An incredibly random thought came into my head as I was listening to a Spongebob episode just now.
It's the one where the old fry cook of the Krusty Krab, Jim, comes back. Spongebob, feeling inadequate, decides to quit. He says goodbye to everything in the KK, including a pot and a pan.
This is when I noticed:
things tend to come in pairs, and they are always in pairs. Always.
Such as, pots and pans.
Odds and ends.
Aunts and uncles.
You get the picture.
So, what I want YOU to do is give me some more couples. (I can't think of any more at the moment...) COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT. Let's see how many we can get.
An incredibly random thought came into my head as I was listening to a Spongebob episode just now.
It's the one where the old fry cook of the Krusty Krab, Jim, comes back. Spongebob, feeling inadequate, decides to quit. He says goodbye to everything in the KK, including a pot and a pan.
This is when I noticed:
things tend to come in pairs, and they are always in pairs. Always.
Such as, pots and pans.
Odds and ends.
Aunts and uncles.
You get the picture.
So, what I want YOU to do is give me some more couples. (I can't think of any more at the moment...) COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT. Let's see how many we can get.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Becoming Mary
Today, I got to be Mary.
And by Mary, I mean Christ's mother.
At church today, a special Christmas program was led, as usual for the Sunday before Christmas. Sacrament meeting ran over BIG TIME, so Sunday School time was reduced to a speck. Not that it wasn't a good lesson, Brother Roberts.
But Young Women's had about the same time, however, I guess....maybe. I'm no good at time estimation.
As we young womens came through the door, we each grabbed a scarf from a bag held by a YW leader. Confused at first, I took the silky orange one on top, and took a seat off to the side of our oddly arranged room.
All of the chairs faced a table on which stood a picture of a woman with an oil lamp, a bigger picture of Mary and Jesus on an easel, and a T.V. The lesson began with Sister Rhoton suggesting that we all don our scarves and become Mary.
We listened to "Breath of Heaven" (sung by the Ellsworth sisters) and watched the Nativity. Sis. Ellsworth then taught us about Mary's life, and how her situation was so odd for the time. She then related the parable of the ten virgins: five were prepared with oil in their lamps, and five were not. When the bridegroom arrived, only the prepared ones were allowed to follow him to the party.
We have to be prepared. We must fill up our spiritual lamp by praying, keeping the commandments, and repenting. This is how we prepare for the bridegroom, Christ, to come.
An Ellsworth sister who recently returned from BYU Jerusalem brought with her little lamps for each of us YW. They are so cute; pinkish clay with a small rope wick inside. And the cool thing is, that they are also usable, and not just decoration.
The lesson ended with a song sung by Sister Jones entitled "Behold Thy Handmaiden." I'm not sure who wrote it, but I'm posting the lyrics below.
I came away from this lesson incredibly spiritually enriched. It probably wasn't as spiritual for you guys just reading what happened, but it was really cool at church.
I liked learning about Mary. Wow, did she go through a lot. I can't even imagine.
The point of everything, I suppose, is to tell you (girls...) to try to put yourself in Mary's shoes before (or on) Christmas Day. Think about her, look up some pictures of her, watch the Nativity, find a version of "Breath of Heaven" to listen to. And carefully read the lyrics below.
Behold Thy Handmaiden
Behold Thy handmaiden, Lord.
Ready now am I to live the word.
To teach Thy word, to praise Thy name on high.
Behold my hands, O Lord,
Consecrated now to serve Thy daughters,
To serve Thy sons, to comfort each with love.
Behold my eyes O Lord,
Windows to my soul to see Thy light,
To love Thy light, to know and shape my role.
Behold my heart O Lord,
Waiting patiently to feel Thy love,
To share Thy love, Thy child will I ever be.
Thy child will I ever be.
To see pictures of the awesome lamp and pictures that I received, go to mine and Lynzi's photography blog.
And by Mary, I mean Christ's mother.
At church today, a special Christmas program was led, as usual for the Sunday before Christmas. Sacrament meeting ran over BIG TIME, so Sunday School time was reduced to a speck. Not that it wasn't a good lesson, Brother Roberts.
But Young Women's had about the same time, however, I guess....maybe. I'm no good at time estimation.
As we young womens came through the door, we each grabbed a scarf from a bag held by a YW leader. Confused at first, I took the silky orange one on top, and took a seat off to the side of our oddly arranged room.
All of the chairs faced a table on which stood a picture of a woman with an oil lamp, a bigger picture of Mary and Jesus on an easel, and a T.V. The lesson began with Sister Rhoton suggesting that we all don our scarves and become Mary.
We listened to "Breath of Heaven" (sung by the Ellsworth sisters) and watched the Nativity. Sis. Ellsworth then taught us about Mary's life, and how her situation was so odd for the time. She then related the parable of the ten virgins: five were prepared with oil in their lamps, and five were not. When the bridegroom arrived, only the prepared ones were allowed to follow him to the party.
We have to be prepared. We must fill up our spiritual lamp by praying, keeping the commandments, and repenting. This is how we prepare for the bridegroom, Christ, to come.
An Ellsworth sister who recently returned from BYU Jerusalem brought with her little lamps for each of us YW. They are so cute; pinkish clay with a small rope wick inside. And the cool thing is, that they are also usable, and not just decoration.
The lesson ended with a song sung by Sister Jones entitled "Behold Thy Handmaiden." I'm not sure who wrote it, but I'm posting the lyrics below.
I came away from this lesson incredibly spiritually enriched. It probably wasn't as spiritual for you guys just reading what happened, but it was really cool at church.
I liked learning about Mary. Wow, did she go through a lot. I can't even imagine.
The point of everything, I suppose, is to tell you (girls...) to try to put yourself in Mary's shoes before (or on) Christmas Day. Think about her, look up some pictures of her, watch the Nativity, find a version of "Breath of Heaven" to listen to. And carefully read the lyrics below.
Behold Thy Handmaiden
Behold Thy handmaiden, Lord.
Ready now am I to live the word.
To teach Thy word, to praise Thy name on high.
Behold my hands, O Lord,
Consecrated now to serve Thy daughters,
To serve Thy sons, to comfort each with love.
Behold my eyes O Lord,
Windows to my soul to see Thy light,
To love Thy light, to know and shape my role.
Behold my heart O Lord,
Waiting patiently to feel Thy love,
To share Thy love, Thy child will I ever be.
Thy child will I ever be.
To see pictures of the awesome lamp and pictures that I received, go to mine and Lynzi's photography blog.
The Academy--Chapter Three--Continued, CONTINUED!
Yeah, so, I wanted to post more nonsense, but I don't know if I can put what I WANT to say in words yet, so, I thought I would post this.
“Oh, come on, tell me.”
“Kind of. I guess.”
“‘Kind of, I guess’,” she mimicked. “You do. I can tell! You don’t call any other guys that you know ‘smart’ and ‘great’.”
She was right. So, instead of contradicting her, I let her fantasize about my life with him for me. She talked about how when we were older and we got out of high school, we would get married and name our kids cool names like Alastair. I laughed, but knew that would never happen. After I went to high school, getting married wouldn’t be what I concentrated on. I would be a scientist, or an artist, or an author–I would have some type of career before I thought about making anybody my husband.
We laughed all the way up to our apartment, where we immediately started on our homework. Not too long into our studies, a knock on the door broke our attention. It was Cadence.
“I have a note,” she said through the door.
“From Jasper!” Avery exclaimed, running to open the door. “Give it here!”
Cadence caught Avery’s overly anxious hand and giggled. “It’s not for you. It’s for Poppy.”
A little awestruck by this explanation, I rose slowly to my feet and came away from my desk. Cadence placed the small, folded piece of paper into my hand and walked out of our apartment.
I cleared a space on my desk and sat down. Oddly, Avery didn’t pry. She simply walked across the room and sat at her desk resolutely.
The thought of who the note was from and what it said sent a shot of adrenaline through me. Excited, I quickly unfolded the paper to find it blank. Perplexed, I folded and unfolded the paper several times, searching each side stupidly. There was no writing on it – at all.
“What does it say?” Avery’s tone was strangely bland and uninterested. “Is it from him?”
“I don’t even know.”
Avery finally showed the same curiousness I had always seen in her and ran to my side. Just as confused as I was, she snatched the college-ruled leaf from my hands and sought a trace of ink or lead. Nothing.
“Odd,” she said simply, folding the paper back up and tossing it nonchalantly toward me. She returned to her empty emotion and her desk without another word.
I scowled at the girl for being so un-Avery; however, she wasn’t even looking at me anymore, so it didn’t matter. I crumpled the paper and threw it at the garbage can beside my desk, missing, as expected. With quick, short movements, I pulled the mass of worksheets and study guides toward me. For the next few hours, all I did was work furiously to finish every problem as fast as possible. I finished at nine o’ clock: an hour before bed.
I shoved the desk chair backward, almost sending it toppling over itself. I grabbed a coat from the closet and opened the apartment door.
“I’m going for a walk.”
Avery’s pencil dropped from her hand, all of the tenseness from concentration gone from her body. She peered over her shoulder at me. “You’re done?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t blame me when tomorrow your teachers bust you for getting all of those problems wrong,” she snapped.
“They’re not wrong!” sprung to my tongue, and with it, a bitter taste. I swallowed the words back down, ignored her irritating attitude, and slammed the door behind me. I took quick strides down the hall to the left and knocked at Cadence’s apartment, number 306.
“Oh, come on, tell me.”
“Kind of. I guess.”
“‘Kind of, I guess’,” she mimicked. “You do. I can tell! You don’t call any other guys that you know ‘smart’ and ‘great’.”
She was right. So, instead of contradicting her, I let her fantasize about my life with him for me. She talked about how when we were older and we got out of high school, we would get married and name our kids cool names like Alastair. I laughed, but knew that would never happen. After I went to high school, getting married wouldn’t be what I concentrated on. I would be a scientist, or an artist, or an author–I would have some type of career before I thought about making anybody my husband.
We laughed all the way up to our apartment, where we immediately started on our homework. Not too long into our studies, a knock on the door broke our attention. It was Cadence.
“I have a note,” she said through the door.
“From Jasper!” Avery exclaimed, running to open the door. “Give it here!”
Cadence caught Avery’s overly anxious hand and giggled. “It’s not for you. It’s for Poppy.”
A little awestruck by this explanation, I rose slowly to my feet and came away from my desk. Cadence placed the small, folded piece of paper into my hand and walked out of our apartment.
I cleared a space on my desk and sat down. Oddly, Avery didn’t pry. She simply walked across the room and sat at her desk resolutely.
The thought of who the note was from and what it said sent a shot of adrenaline through me. Excited, I quickly unfolded the paper to find it blank. Perplexed, I folded and unfolded the paper several times, searching each side stupidly. There was no writing on it – at all.
“What does it say?” Avery’s tone was strangely bland and uninterested. “Is it from him?”
“I don’t even know.”
Avery finally showed the same curiousness I had always seen in her and ran to my side. Just as confused as I was, she snatched the college-ruled leaf from my hands and sought a trace of ink or lead. Nothing.
“Odd,” she said simply, folding the paper back up and tossing it nonchalantly toward me. She returned to her empty emotion and her desk without another word.
I scowled at the girl for being so un-Avery; however, she wasn’t even looking at me anymore, so it didn’t matter. I crumpled the paper and threw it at the garbage can beside my desk, missing, as expected. With quick, short movements, I pulled the mass of worksheets and study guides toward me. For the next few hours, all I did was work furiously to finish every problem as fast as possible. I finished at nine o’ clock: an hour before bed.
I shoved the desk chair backward, almost sending it toppling over itself. I grabbed a coat from the closet and opened the apartment door.
“I’m going for a walk.”
Avery’s pencil dropped from her hand, all of the tenseness from concentration gone from her body. She peered over her shoulder at me. “You’re done?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t blame me when tomorrow your teachers bust you for getting all of those problems wrong,” she snapped.
“They’re not wrong!” sprung to my tongue, and with it, a bitter taste. I swallowed the words back down, ignored her irritating attitude, and slammed the door behind me. I took quick strides down the hall to the left and knocked at Cadence’s apartment, number 306.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Rescuer
Recent events and past events caused me to write this poem. I hope that the symbolism may inspire you.
The Rescuer
Emotions rise.
The lake becomes deeper and deeper.
The doves drown.
People flee the watery abyss that is soon to consume them whole. Nobody wishes to be caught when the flood begins.
The lake reaches its brim.
One person has not fled.
How can she, after all? The lake is hers.
The water comes in gushes of cold liquid.
The blueness overtakes the person, swallowing her whole.
The water rushes back to its pit,
pulling,
sucking,
dragging.
She is caught in the constant current.
She reaches the rim with the rushing liquid.
If she yields to the encompassing liquid, she is gone.
Just as she crests the lake’s edge, a hand reaches out and grasps her arm, holding tightly.
“Hold on to me,
and don’t let go,” the Rescuer commands.
The rescued keeps her hands clasped around His arm.
“I can’t hold on.”
The current continually pushes at her weak body.
Her hands are slipping.
“You just have to hold on to me. I’ll save you.”
She squeezes, holding even tighter, and prays that He can save her.
The waves suddenly stop.
The waters recede.
The Rescuer pulls the person to stand.
She falls on her hands and knees and expresses the most sincere gratitude to her Rescuer.
They both stride triumphantly away from the conquered waters.
The next lake will be easier,
when He is with her.
The Rescuer
Emotions rise.
The lake becomes deeper and deeper.
The doves drown.
People flee the watery abyss that is soon to consume them whole. Nobody wishes to be caught when the flood begins.
The lake reaches its brim.
One person has not fled.
How can she, after all? The lake is hers.
The water comes in gushes of cold liquid.
The blueness overtakes the person, swallowing her whole.
The water rushes back to its pit,
pulling,
sucking,
dragging.
She is caught in the constant current.
She reaches the rim with the rushing liquid.
If she yields to the encompassing liquid, she is gone.
Just as she crests the lake’s edge, a hand reaches out and grasps her arm, holding tightly.
“Hold on to me,
and don’t let go,” the Rescuer commands.
The rescued keeps her hands clasped around His arm.
“I can’t hold on.”
The current continually pushes at her weak body.
Her hands are slipping.
“You just have to hold on to me. I’ll save you.”
She squeezes, holding even tighter, and prays that He can save her.
The waves suddenly stop.
The waters recede.
The Rescuer pulls the person to stand.
She falls on her hands and knees and expresses the most sincere gratitude to her Rescuer.
They both stride triumphantly away from the conquered waters.
The next lake will be easier,
when He is with her.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Academy--Chapter Three--Continued (again)
This is a break from the normal mysteriousness, suspicious, unknowing-ness that usually occupies this story. :)
“Poppy!” came an excited squeal from behind me. Avery grabbed my shoulders and spun me toward her. The sudden motion made the pain from the bruises beneath her hands double. “Guess what? Jasper said that he liked me!”
Too bummed from the previous incident with Alastair, I didn’t even smile at her ostentatiousness.
“Did he actually say it like that?”
“Well, not exactly. But pretty much! Oh, I’m so excited!”
Other girls joined us and hugged Avery like she was getting married to the boy. I finally managed a fake grin and then congratulated my best friend.
After the bells rang for free time, the other girls scattered about to talk to other friends, laugh with the boys, or do homework. I glanced around, looking for Alastair. Spotting his black leather jacket, I quickened my stride. Avery caught me mid-step.
“Hey, Poppy.”
“Hey.”
“Where’re you going?”
“To talk to Alastair.”
“Him?” She looked disappointed, and almost hurt. “You always talk to him.”
“Hey, don’t judge!” I scolded lightly. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know, but he’s just weird.”
I finally cracked an authentic smile and laughed.
“What?” she asked innocently. “Am I wrong?”
“Yes. He’s not weird. He’s really nice. He’s a good person.”
“Then why are you always so sad after you’re around him?”
I frowned.
“Yeah. I’ve noticed,”she said.
“He’s just... I don’t know how to explain it. Radical. But not in a bad way. He’s so smart, and he’s just got some ideas that I don’t agree with.” I paused, feeling guilty about putting him down. “But he’s so great, I mean...he’s really great.”
Suddenly, Avery broke a smile. She laughed so hard that she started to snort.
“What is it?” I asked, catching her contagious laugh.
“You like him!” she cried, randomly hugging me and spinning me around until we both fell onto the leaf-littered concrete. We lay in the crunchy red and orange leaves and laughed for a bit longer. She took a few breaths and then said, quieter, “You like him. Don’t you?”
I hesitated. I hadn’t been thinking of Alastair in that way; I’d been too busy trying to figure him out. I wasn’t even sure if I knew him enough to say that I liked him
“Poppy!” came an excited squeal from behind me. Avery grabbed my shoulders and spun me toward her. The sudden motion made the pain from the bruises beneath her hands double. “Guess what? Jasper said that he liked me!”
Too bummed from the previous incident with Alastair, I didn’t even smile at her ostentatiousness.
“Did he actually say it like that?”
“Well, not exactly. But pretty much! Oh, I’m so excited!”
Other girls joined us and hugged Avery like she was getting married to the boy. I finally managed a fake grin and then congratulated my best friend.
After the bells rang for free time, the other girls scattered about to talk to other friends, laugh with the boys, or do homework. I glanced around, looking for Alastair. Spotting his black leather jacket, I quickened my stride. Avery caught me mid-step.
“Hey, Poppy.”
“Hey.”
“Where’re you going?”
“To talk to Alastair.”
“Him?” She looked disappointed, and almost hurt. “You always talk to him.”
“Hey, don’t judge!” I scolded lightly. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know, but he’s just weird.”
I finally cracked an authentic smile and laughed.
“What?” she asked innocently. “Am I wrong?”
“Yes. He’s not weird. He’s really nice. He’s a good person.”
“Then why are you always so sad after you’re around him?”
I frowned.
“Yeah. I’ve noticed,”she said.
“He’s just... I don’t know how to explain it. Radical. But not in a bad way. He’s so smart, and he’s just got some ideas that I don’t agree with.” I paused, feeling guilty about putting him down. “But he’s so great, I mean...he’s really great.”
Suddenly, Avery broke a smile. She laughed so hard that she started to snort.
“What is it?” I asked, catching her contagious laugh.
“You like him!” she cried, randomly hugging me and spinning me around until we both fell onto the leaf-littered concrete. We lay in the crunchy red and orange leaves and laughed for a bit longer. She took a few breaths and then said, quieter, “You like him. Don’t you?”
I hesitated. I hadn’t been thinking of Alastair in that way; I’d been too busy trying to figure him out. I wasn’t even sure if I knew him enough to say that I liked him
Friday, November 27, 2009
Dresses
Again, I wrote this poem QUITE some time ago. Copper Pants is even newer than this one. AGAIN, the rhyming isn't great; the syllable count isn't exact. But, anyway....
I've also been thinking that I've lost my rhyming. I don't write rhyming poems anymore; I'm more of a FREE-VERSE person now. It takes less thinking. Maybe I've just gotten stupider over the years. What a shame. Nevertheless, Dresses.
Dresses
I am a newborn baby,
so pure and dressed in white.
So small, so sweet and innocent,
a touch of God’s pure light.
In my father’s arms
he blesses me with love,
and joy and peace and happiness
so I can return to Him above.
~ ~ ~
Now that I am older,
I know right from wrong.
All my sins are washed away:
I sing a joyous song.
The Holy Ghost is my new friend
and I’m one step closer to
a life of wondrous Celestial glory
of that which I once knew.
~ ~ ~
And so now I wait till that day
when I enter the building carefully
to be sealed in white with the one I love;
to be with him eternally.
I’ll be the best that I can be
and teach my children right.
Then my conscious will be clear
and I’ll be bright as white.
~ ~ ~
And when my life is spent,
and I bow before Him on bended knee,
then I can tell him honestly,
that I held all the keys.
“I wore all the dresses, and
I wore them worthily.
So now please take me back
to Thee, Thy daughter to be.”
(Please feel free to comment and tell me what is horrendous about this poem/Copper Pants/The Academy. Comments are greatly appreciated and help me to become a better writer!!!!)
I've also been thinking that I've lost my rhyming. I don't write rhyming poems anymore; I'm more of a FREE-VERSE person now. It takes less thinking. Maybe I've just gotten stupider over the years. What a shame. Nevertheless, Dresses.
Dresses
I am a newborn baby,
so pure and dressed in white.
So small, so sweet and innocent,
a touch of God’s pure light.
In my father’s arms
he blesses me with love,
and joy and peace and happiness
so I can return to Him above.
~ ~ ~
Now that I am older,
I know right from wrong.
All my sins are washed away:
I sing a joyous song.
The Holy Ghost is my new friend
and I’m one step closer to
a life of wondrous Celestial glory
of that which I once knew.
~ ~ ~
And so now I wait till that day
when I enter the building carefully
to be sealed in white with the one I love;
to be with him eternally.
I’ll be the best that I can be
and teach my children right.
Then my conscious will be clear
and I’ll be bright as white.
~ ~ ~
And when my life is spent,
and I bow before Him on bended knee,
then I can tell him honestly,
that I held all the keys.
“I wore all the dresses, and
I wore them worthily.
So now please take me back
to Thee, Thy daughter to be.”
(Please feel free to comment and tell me what is horrendous about this poem/Copper Pants/The Academy. Comments are greatly appreciated and help me to become a better writer!!!!)
Copper Pants
:)
So, I wrote this poem a while ago.
It was inspired by these pants that I used to have that I was kinda embarrassed of, for whatever reason. I was more insecure last year and a couple years ago, so these copper-colored pants were not-so-great in my eyes. BUT. They inspired this poem, even though the poem really reverses the way I felt about the copper pants. Either way.
The rhyming isn't great, but hey, nobody's perfect.
COPPER PANTS
I woke with a start
Slapped my alarm clock,
And sat up in bed–
I was being mocked.
The time was eight o’clock!
I was going to be late!
I rushed and I hurried
And I muttered, “Oh great.”
I was finally ready,
The car’s honking was loud.
So I ran out the door,
I was ready! I was proud!
I sprinted into first hour,
Sat when the bell rang.
I fixed up my hair
And said “hi” to the gang.
Then my teacher said,
“Okay, everyone stand up
Who wore copper pants.”
And my confidence was snuffed.
I watched as my classmates
Arose one by one
And showed off copper pants.
Oh, it was not fun.
Because then I realized,
Oh, to my dismay,
That I had not worn
Copper pants today.
I shriveled and slumped
In my chair with a sigh
Quite aware that I
Would soon start to cry.
In that moment I realized
(When I was sad and depressed)
That today, SILVER pants
Were the improper dress.
I couldn’t believe it.
Could it really be true
That today I’d let my wardrobe
Go completely askew?
I walked through the school
Head down in shame,
Watching copper pants walk by.
It was I to be blamed!
As the last bell rang
For school to get out,
I continued to shuffle
My feet, and to pout.
Until I spotted
Another pair of SILVER pants!
And all of my troubles
Seemed like tiny, little ants.
The girl with red hair
And the quirky smile
Shared all of my feelings,
Shared them all the while.
And so, what I learned
On that copper pants day
Was that it’s okay to be different
In your own special way!
So, I wrote this poem a while ago.
It was inspired by these pants that I used to have that I was kinda embarrassed of, for whatever reason. I was more insecure last year and a couple years ago, so these copper-colored pants were not-so-great in my eyes. BUT. They inspired this poem, even though the poem really reverses the way I felt about the copper pants. Either way.
The rhyming isn't great, but hey, nobody's perfect.
COPPER PANTS
I woke with a start
Slapped my alarm clock,
And sat up in bed–
I was being mocked.
The time was eight o’clock!
I was going to be late!
I rushed and I hurried
And I muttered, “Oh great.”
I was finally ready,
The car’s honking was loud.
So I ran out the door,
I was ready! I was proud!
I sprinted into first hour,
Sat when the bell rang.
I fixed up my hair
And said “hi” to the gang.
Then my teacher said,
“Okay, everyone stand up
Who wore copper pants.”
And my confidence was snuffed.
I watched as my classmates
Arose one by one
And showed off copper pants.
Oh, it was not fun.
Because then I realized,
Oh, to my dismay,
That I had not worn
Copper pants today.
I shriveled and slumped
In my chair with a sigh
Quite aware that I
Would soon start to cry.
In that moment I realized
(When I was sad and depressed)
That today, SILVER pants
Were the improper dress.
I couldn’t believe it.
Could it really be true
That today I’d let my wardrobe
Go completely askew?
I walked through the school
Head down in shame,
Watching copper pants walk by.
It was I to be blamed!
As the last bell rang
For school to get out,
I continued to shuffle
My feet, and to pout.
Until I spotted
Another pair of SILVER pants!
And all of my troubles
Seemed like tiny, little ants.
The girl with red hair
And the quirky smile
Shared all of my feelings,
Shared them all the while.
And so, what I learned
On that copper pants day
Was that it’s okay to be different
In your own special way!
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Academy--Chapter Three--Continued
MORE MORE MORE
At lunch the next day, I sat with the same group of football boys and other girls that I usually sat with. The veil of guiltiness was beginning to thin quite a bit, and people didn’t ignore me as much anymore. For this, I was glad. It seemed like forever since I had seen Avery smile at me.
Alastair plopped himself down beside me. Everyone still seemed to be ignoring him, but I believed that it was just because he was new and different.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, glancing nervously at the others sitting at our table.
“Of course.”
He chewed his lip for a second and then said, “Alone?”
I threw a short look at the others at our table, too. Nobody was really paying attention to us. Only Avery, still getting closer to Jasper, would look at me every little while to seek my approval of her actions through a smile.
“Okay.”
We both got up and moved a few steps away from the table, into the middle of the rectangular courtyard where groups of satisfied students were gathering.
“So,” I said suspiciously. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I think I can explain it better now,” was Alastair’s answer.
“Explain what?” I asked lightly, though I knew.
“It’s a simple cause and effect situation.” His voice was low and serious. “I was breaking the rule, right?”
“Yes, I suppose so, but I–”
“No contradicting me yet. Okay. So, I was breaking the rule. You came over to tell me not to. You were doing the right thing by trying to get me to stop. I wasn’t listening, though, so it was right of them to punish me.” I scrutinized his face as I processed this. “Even though it was such a harsh punishment for just picking some stupid leaves off of the tree,” he mumbled as an afterthought.
“So,” I said slowly, shaking my head at this impossibility. “You’re saying that it was wrong of them to punish me because I didn’t do anything?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“No, but I did.” I was becoming tired of his futile attempts to convince me that what I had learned at this school was wrong. “I did. I was with you.”
“Poppy!” he cried, almost angrily, drawing a few heads to look our way. “Haven’t you ever, once, questioned what you’ve learned here?”
“I’ve been tutored in the most advanced fashion,” I mumbled without strength. My voice was so small and hoarse. I tried to hold onto what I’d always learned; what everyone here had always told me.
“Sure, you’ve learned a lot about math and science. But what about the rules? What about these moral values? You’re fourteen, right? Haven’t you ever thought that something was wrong here?”
We were both silent.
The truth was, I’d never questioned any of the rules or anything that the counselors or the principal had told me until Alastair questioned them. Nobody at the school questioned the rules. In fact, there was a rule against questioning rules.
I used this as a quick getaway. “Rule number 3. No questioning rules. We could get in trouble for this.”
Alastair was beat. He shrugged as if shrugging me out of this life, out of this world, and walked away.
At lunch the next day, I sat with the same group of football boys and other girls that I usually sat with. The veil of guiltiness was beginning to thin quite a bit, and people didn’t ignore me as much anymore. For this, I was glad. It seemed like forever since I had seen Avery smile at me.
Alastair plopped himself down beside me. Everyone still seemed to be ignoring him, but I believed that it was just because he was new and different.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, glancing nervously at the others sitting at our table.
“Of course.”
He chewed his lip for a second and then said, “Alone?”
I threw a short look at the others at our table, too. Nobody was really paying attention to us. Only Avery, still getting closer to Jasper, would look at me every little while to seek my approval of her actions through a smile.
“Okay.”
We both got up and moved a few steps away from the table, into the middle of the rectangular courtyard where groups of satisfied students were gathering.
“So,” I said suspiciously. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I think I can explain it better now,” was Alastair’s answer.
“Explain what?” I asked lightly, though I knew.
“It’s a simple cause and effect situation.” His voice was low and serious. “I was breaking the rule, right?”
“Yes, I suppose so, but I–”
“No contradicting me yet. Okay. So, I was breaking the rule. You came over to tell me not to. You were doing the right thing by trying to get me to stop. I wasn’t listening, though, so it was right of them to punish me.” I scrutinized his face as I processed this. “Even though it was such a harsh punishment for just picking some stupid leaves off of the tree,” he mumbled as an afterthought.
“So,” I said slowly, shaking my head at this impossibility. “You’re saying that it was wrong of them to punish me because I didn’t do anything?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“No, but I did.” I was becoming tired of his futile attempts to convince me that what I had learned at this school was wrong. “I did. I was with you.”
“Poppy!” he cried, almost angrily, drawing a few heads to look our way. “Haven’t you ever, once, questioned what you’ve learned here?”
“I’ve been tutored in the most advanced fashion,” I mumbled without strength. My voice was so small and hoarse. I tried to hold onto what I’d always learned; what everyone here had always told me.
“Sure, you’ve learned a lot about math and science. But what about the rules? What about these moral values? You’re fourteen, right? Haven’t you ever thought that something was wrong here?”
We were both silent.
The truth was, I’d never questioned any of the rules or anything that the counselors or the principal had told me until Alastair questioned them. Nobody at the school questioned the rules. In fact, there was a rule against questioning rules.
I used this as a quick getaway. “Rule number 3. No questioning rules. We could get in trouble for this.”
Alastair was beat. He shrugged as if shrugging me out of this life, out of this world, and walked away.
Friday, November 20, 2009
New Moon
Wow.
I just had a very pleasant evening with my best buddies Annie, Sarah, and Riley. Goodness, did we have a jolly good time. It was really quite invigorating. And I still have a bit of English accent on my tongue; the urge to continue speaking in it is almost too difficult to bear. In fact, I believe that I am still thinking in the attractive accent. (Not saying that the accent is attractive on me, or, when I use it, but rather attractive to me.)
It all started with awkward introductions and hesitant hellos at about 6:45 this evening. Riley's mother took all four of us to Cinemark, where we all decided upon speaking in English (or British; we've been using them interchangeably tonight) accents all night.
And so we did.
Well, I kindof broke that during the movie, but, for the rest of the time, I was as English (British) as I could possibly be.
The movie was aLOT (red word) better than Twilight! I mean, come on, how could it not be??? I had lots of fun sitting by Annie and pointing out random quotations and events that we liked. :) It was good fun. I frequently claimed my blossoming love for several characters who had small and seemingly insignificant parts in Twilight. 'Twas grand indeed.
After the movie (and after Sarah posed a daring Jacob move off of the railing in the theater) we walked to Rubios, which was closed. We ran into a similar problem with Panda Express and Taco Bell; however, we got Sarah's sister to drive through Taco Bell's drive thru and buy various food items for my hungry friends.
And, "Yes, I would like some mild sauce!"
The entire grandeur of the event ended with an epic failure: I forgot to say thank you to Sarah's sister for driving us home.
So, THANK YOU, HANNAH!
And thanks to my besties, A, S, and R. You're the best guys! This is DEFINITELY happening again, very soon!!!!!!!!!
I just had a very pleasant evening with my best buddies Annie, Sarah, and Riley. Goodness, did we have a jolly good time. It was really quite invigorating. And I still have a bit of English accent on my tongue; the urge to continue speaking in it is almost too difficult to bear. In fact, I believe that I am still thinking in the attractive accent. (Not saying that the accent is attractive on me, or, when I use it, but rather attractive to me.)
It all started with awkward introductions and hesitant hellos at about 6:45 this evening. Riley's mother took all four of us to Cinemark, where we all decided upon speaking in English (or British; we've been using them interchangeably tonight) accents all night.
And so we did.
Well, I kindof broke that during the movie, but, for the rest of the time, I was as English (British) as I could possibly be.
The movie was aLOT (red word) better than Twilight! I mean, come on, how could it not be??? I had lots of fun sitting by Annie and pointing out random quotations and events that we liked. :) It was good fun. I frequently claimed my blossoming love for several characters who had small and seemingly insignificant parts in Twilight. 'Twas grand indeed.
After the movie (and after Sarah posed a daring Jacob move off of the railing in the theater) we walked to Rubios, which was closed. We ran into a similar problem with Panda Express and Taco Bell; however, we got Sarah's sister to drive through Taco Bell's drive thru and buy various food items for my hungry friends.
And, "Yes, I would like some mild sauce!"
The entire grandeur of the event ended with an epic failure: I forgot to say thank you to Sarah's sister for driving us home.
So, THANK YOU, HANNAH!
And thanks to my besties, A, S, and R. You're the best guys! This is DEFINITELY happening again, very soon!!!!!!!!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Academy--Chapter Three
Wow, I haven't posted this in a long time, but, on Sarah's request, I shall.
Chapter 3
“Qu’est que tu fais pendant temps libre?” I asked Alastair amidst the low rumbling of teenage whispers in French.
“Quoi?” It was one of the only words that Alastair could pronounce correctly, even though he could read and write French almost as well as I could. Even with my advantage of eight extra years of learning the language, Alastair was catching up quickly. He amazed me with his capacity to retain all that he was taught.
“I said,” I said slowly, “‘What do you do during free time?’”
“Oh. Well,” he sought for the right words in his brain and finally stuttered, “J’aime jouer au l’athletisme?”
I looked at him with faux disapproval and he said, “No! It’s ‘J’aime faire de l’athletisme,’ right?”
Grinning, I praised him. “Great! Now you just have to work on your utterly horrible pronunciation!”
He smiled back and we continued our French conversation with relative ease. We both walked to our next class, English, which classroom was located on the second floor of the school building. We laughed at Alastair’s poor attempt to explain how he felt about the class–“Je deteste l’anglais! C’est barbant!–when he randomly brought up a question that I had almost forgotten about.
“Are you still confused about what I said about our punishment?”
I hesitated, thinking. I tried to gather up the theories that I had had just a few days ago when we had been discussing this in the first place. I rubbed my shivering arms in thought, and, almost in spite, one stubborn cut on my arm split and began to burn.
“Ah,” I said softly. I pulled up the sleeve of my sweater and inspected the reopened scab. Alastair looked down at his shoes and shuffled his feet as he stood in the middle of the hallway. I found a nearby drinking fountain and washed away any evidence of my wound. It didn’t bleed hardly at all, so I recovered my arm with the sleeve and answered Alastair in the most roundabout way I could manage.
“Well, I don’t really. . .know what you mean when you say that I should blame you,” I said slowly. After trying to read his expression for one moment, I resolutely stepped to the left and continued down the corridor to the English room.
As hard as I tried to concentrate on what Mr. Crar was saying, nothing was sinking in. All of the information simply came into my ears and bounced off of my brain, jumbling with all of the other nonsense that was floating aimlessly inside my head. Still, I was optimistic. I didn’t give in to the incomprehensible thoughts that I was having. Everything seemed too confusing; I didn’t want to think about all of it when I had so many other things to concentrate on.
Chapter 3
“Qu’est que tu fais pendant temps libre?” I asked Alastair amidst the low rumbling of teenage whispers in French.
“Quoi?” It was one of the only words that Alastair could pronounce correctly, even though he could read and write French almost as well as I could. Even with my advantage of eight extra years of learning the language, Alastair was catching up quickly. He amazed me with his capacity to retain all that he was taught.
“I said,” I said slowly, “‘What do you do during free time?’”
“Oh. Well,” he sought for the right words in his brain and finally stuttered, “J’aime jouer au l’athletisme?”
I looked at him with faux disapproval and he said, “No! It’s ‘J’aime faire de l’athletisme,’ right?”
Grinning, I praised him. “Great! Now you just have to work on your utterly horrible pronunciation!”
He smiled back and we continued our French conversation with relative ease. We both walked to our next class, English, which classroom was located on the second floor of the school building. We laughed at Alastair’s poor attempt to explain how he felt about the class–“Je deteste l’anglais! C’est barbant!–when he randomly brought up a question that I had almost forgotten about.
“Are you still confused about what I said about our punishment?”
I hesitated, thinking. I tried to gather up the theories that I had had just a few days ago when we had been discussing this in the first place. I rubbed my shivering arms in thought, and, almost in spite, one stubborn cut on my arm split and began to burn.
“Ah,” I said softly. I pulled up the sleeve of my sweater and inspected the reopened scab. Alastair looked down at his shoes and shuffled his feet as he stood in the middle of the hallway. I found a nearby drinking fountain and washed away any evidence of my wound. It didn’t bleed hardly at all, so I recovered my arm with the sleeve and answered Alastair in the most roundabout way I could manage.
“Well, I don’t really. . .know what you mean when you say that I should blame you,” I said slowly. After trying to read his expression for one moment, I resolutely stepped to the left and continued down the corridor to the English room.
As hard as I tried to concentrate on what Mr. Crar was saying, nothing was sinking in. All of the information simply came into my ears and bounced off of my brain, jumbling with all of the other nonsense that was floating aimlessly inside my head. Still, I was optimistic. I didn’t give in to the incomprehensible thoughts that I was having. Everything seemed too confusing; I didn’t want to think about all of it when I had so many other things to concentrate on.
Fall? No, actually, Christmas.
HEY GUYS! Guess what?
I think it's fall.
Maybe.
I'm still not entirely sure, but hey, I wore a jacket today! I think Mesa is progressing!
So, can I just say something?
I absolutely LOVE this season that is coming (or not). I mean, come, on, who DOESN'T??? The weather gets cooler, and everything just....settles. If that even makes sense.
Thanksgiving comes, and you get to be with family and eat awesomely fantastic food that isn't normally present in your everyday diet. (Why isn't it??)
And now, I'm going to say something else.
I absolutely LOVE the season that comes after this one. Winter. Hiver.
The air is even cooler (well, in Mesa, it doesn't change so much from fall), and you get to wear sweaters and jackets and layer all types of nonsensical clothing.
It's great.
My very favoritist part of winter, ALWAYS and FOREVER, is Christmas.
It's another holiday where family is always involved, and, especially in my family, there are three or four big parties held at various places. I love my family.
And the music! Oh, gosh, the music. Break out Josh Groban's Noel. And cuddle up on the couch, by the fire, with a blanket, and watch all of those 60's and 70's puppet shows on abc family. (Rudolph, The Year Without a Santa Claus, etc.)
But, of course, the most important part of Christmas is who it was named for.
Christ.
I saw the most revolting poll question on Facebook the other day: "Should Christ be kept in Christmas?"
I got super mad, and put this comment beneath it: "No, of COURSE not, considering that's what CHRISTmas is all about!!! What are these people, stupid?? I can't believe this is even a question!!!"
Because what kind of world is it that thinks that we should take Christ out of His birth?
I know, right? Disgusting.
Let us not take Christ out of Christmas. These days, everything about Christmas is commercialized. It's all about the presents, right?
WRONG.
Keep Christ in your Christmas. He is what it's all about.
I think it's fall.
Maybe.
I'm still not entirely sure, but hey, I wore a jacket today! I think Mesa is progressing!
So, can I just say something?
I absolutely LOVE this season that is coming (or not). I mean, come, on, who DOESN'T??? The weather gets cooler, and everything just....settles. If that even makes sense.
Thanksgiving comes, and you get to be with family and eat awesomely fantastic food that isn't normally present in your everyday diet. (Why isn't it??)
And now, I'm going to say something else.
I absolutely LOVE the season that comes after this one. Winter. Hiver.
The air is even cooler (well, in Mesa, it doesn't change so much from fall), and you get to wear sweaters and jackets and layer all types of nonsensical clothing.
It's great.
My very favoritist part of winter, ALWAYS and FOREVER, is Christmas.
It's another holiday where family is always involved, and, especially in my family, there are three or four big parties held at various places. I love my family.
And the music! Oh, gosh, the music. Break out Josh Groban's Noel. And cuddle up on the couch, by the fire, with a blanket, and watch all of those 60's and 70's puppet shows on abc family. (Rudolph, The Year Without a Santa Claus, etc.)
But, of course, the most important part of Christmas is who it was named for.
Christ.
I saw the most revolting poll question on Facebook the other day: "Should Christ be kept in Christmas?"
I got super mad, and put this comment beneath it: "No, of COURSE not, considering that's what CHRISTmas is all about!!! What are these people, stupid?? I can't believe this is even a question!!!"
Because what kind of world is it that thinks that we should take Christ out of His birth?
I know, right? Disgusting.
Let us not take Christ out of Christmas. These days, everything about Christmas is commercialized. It's all about the presents, right?
WRONG.
Keep Christ in your Christmas. He is what it's all about.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Photography Blog
SO.
Some of you (Annie) might have noticed that I never posted those pix that I promised.
Well, what are we going to do about that???
MAKE A PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG INSTEAD!!!!
Lynzi (my sister) and I have a new photography blog. It's a link on the left; it's called "Pyrreosi Photography." Check it out! I'm gonna post some more pix on it very soon!
THANKS for all you guys who still care and look at my blogs! LUV YA!
Some of you (Annie) might have noticed that I never posted those pix that I promised.
Well, what are we going to do about that???
MAKE A PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG INSTEAD!!!!
Lynzi (my sister) and I have a new photography blog. It's a link on the left; it's called "Pyrreosi Photography." Check it out! I'm gonna post some more pix on it very soon!
THANKS for all you guys who still care and look at my blogs! LUV YA!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
And so it does.
I realized (again) that I absolutely LOVE the scriptures.
For church, they asked us to read the entire Book of Mormon before December 20th. Seminary asked us to read it before the end of this school year (if we do it before next semester, then we get to go a barbecue :)).
So, I took both challenges. And I finished it! And it made me super happy.
But, I'm still continuing to read it.....I was reading it before I actually started this challenge, and I'm going to read after it, too.
Today I read the continuation of Ammon and the converted Lamanites story. (Chapter 30) (Sorry for all of those who don't have/haven't read the Book of Mormon.) Korihor, the Anti-Christ, began to teach amongst the Nephites, and he was drawing the people away from the church and leading them to believe in false things. He continued on to Jershon, where the people of Ammon (converted Lamanites; Anti-Nephi-Lehis) caught him, bound him, and took him before Ammon (their ruler). (They were smarter than the Nephites; they were devout to the church and wouldn't allow Korihor to pollute their land with sin.) Korihor ended up being cast out of Jershon, and was also taken to the chief judge of another city. The chief judge questioned Korihor and his false teachings, asking him why he denied God when he knew that He truly was. Korihor, stubborn and hard-hearted, demanded a sign that God lived. The chief judge said that his sign was to be struck dumb so that he could no longer preach falsely to the people. Indeed, according to the word, Korihor was struck dumb. In writing, he admitted to his knowledge of God. He was cast out of the land, and in another city, while begging for food, he was trodden upon until he died.
The moral of the story? The last scripture of this chapter says: "...and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell."
And so it is.
Why do I find this so endearing?
Because it's so RIGHT. It's so TRUE. I love when the righteous continue to be righteous. I love when they cast out the evil because it's RIGHT. I just love everything that I've learned about the scriptures, and I continue to love the things that I've learned.
And my soul delighteth in the scriptures.
I realized (again) that I absolutely LOVE the scriptures.
For church, they asked us to read the entire Book of Mormon before December 20th. Seminary asked us to read it before the end of this school year (if we do it before next semester, then we get to go a barbecue :)).
So, I took both challenges. And I finished it! And it made me super happy.
But, I'm still continuing to read it.....I was reading it before I actually started this challenge, and I'm going to read after it, too.
Today I read the continuation of Ammon and the converted Lamanites story. (Chapter 30) (Sorry for all of those who don't have/haven't read the Book of Mormon.) Korihor, the Anti-Christ, began to teach amongst the Nephites, and he was drawing the people away from the church and leading them to believe in false things. He continued on to Jershon, where the people of Ammon (converted Lamanites; Anti-Nephi-Lehis) caught him, bound him, and took him before Ammon (their ruler). (They were smarter than the Nephites; they were devout to the church and wouldn't allow Korihor to pollute their land with sin.) Korihor ended up being cast out of Jershon, and was also taken to the chief judge of another city. The chief judge questioned Korihor and his false teachings, asking him why he denied God when he knew that He truly was. Korihor, stubborn and hard-hearted, demanded a sign that God lived. The chief judge said that his sign was to be struck dumb so that he could no longer preach falsely to the people. Indeed, according to the word, Korihor was struck dumb. In writing, he admitted to his knowledge of God. He was cast out of the land, and in another city, while begging for food, he was trodden upon until he died.
The moral of the story? The last scripture of this chapter says: "...and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell."
And so it is.
Why do I find this so endearing?
Because it's so RIGHT. It's so TRUE. I love when the righteous continue to be righteous. I love when they cast out the evil because it's RIGHT. I just love everything that I've learned about the scriptures, and I continue to love the things that I've learned.
And my soul delighteth in the scriptures.
Friday, November 6, 2009
WEEKEND
OH, goodness. It's the weekend, and I am so happy.
Nowadays, before the weekend comes, it's already the next week. Well, that's how it feels. That's why I like to enjoy the weekend in some way, or else its a waste of time. And since time is going by so quickly, I need to use it in a fun, but wise, way.
So, I went to the MVT game! I was kinda bored, though. I was just with my bros, cousins, and cousin's friend. So I just sat there the whole time until my parents came to pick us up.
They were at the hospital visiting my grandma. She had to go in this afternoon because she was having chest pains. Turns out, from what I heard in my mom's side conversation to my uncle (who is here with my cousin), she had a minor heart attack. SCARY. Don't want to lose her. Or anybody.
It's still November.
Just to letcha know.
I hope it's here for a while. Of course I want Christmas to come, but...not so fast. Take some time. Let me enjoy the next few weeks, for good things are happening!
For example: next Wednesday, we have no school cuz it's VETS DAY! The next Wednesday is late start and that Friday, my cousin comes home from his mission. We get to go to the airport with his family and meet him. :) Or, at least, I'm pretty sure that's how it will go down. Then, the NEXT week is Thanksgiving! YAY FOR THANKSGIVING! I'm super excited for that one. It seems like it's been forever since it was last Thanksgiving....haha maybe cuz it was YEAR AGO.
I'm still puzzled by the fact that time continues to pass me and I don't notice it until its gone. I just feel crazy, cuz I can't stop thinking about it. Once you start thinking about time, you just go on and on and attempt to look into the future and nonsense until you've thought of all of your life and....
Yeah. I'm crazy.
So while I'm still sane, I'll tell you to simply listen to the songs in the "All About Me" section on the right of this page, cuz they are SUPER awesome. Tres bon. Mucho bueno. Just do it!
Nowadays, before the weekend comes, it's already the next week. Well, that's how it feels. That's why I like to enjoy the weekend in some way, or else its a waste of time. And since time is going by so quickly, I need to use it in a fun, but wise, way.
So, I went to the MVT game! I was kinda bored, though. I was just with my bros, cousins, and cousin's friend. So I just sat there the whole time until my parents came to pick us up.
They were at the hospital visiting my grandma. She had to go in this afternoon because she was having chest pains. Turns out, from what I heard in my mom's side conversation to my uncle (who is here with my cousin), she had a minor heart attack. SCARY. Don't want to lose her. Or anybody.
It's still November.
Just to letcha know.
I hope it's here for a while. Of course I want Christmas to come, but...not so fast. Take some time. Let me enjoy the next few weeks, for good things are happening!
For example: next Wednesday, we have no school cuz it's VETS DAY! The next Wednesday is late start and that Friday, my cousin comes home from his mission. We get to go to the airport with his family and meet him. :) Or, at least, I'm pretty sure that's how it will go down. Then, the NEXT week is Thanksgiving! YAY FOR THANKSGIVING! I'm super excited for that one. It seems like it's been forever since it was last Thanksgiving....haha maybe cuz it was YEAR AGO.
I'm still puzzled by the fact that time continues to pass me and I don't notice it until its gone. I just feel crazy, cuz I can't stop thinking about it. Once you start thinking about time, you just go on and on and attempt to look into the future and nonsense until you've thought of all of your life and....
Yeah. I'm crazy.
So while I'm still sane, I'll tell you to simply listen to the songs in the "All About Me" section on the right of this page, cuz they are SUPER awesome. Tres bon. Mucho bueno. Just do it!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!
Goodness gracious on quatorze quinze!!!!!!!!! I HAVEN'T POSTED IN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!
My blog just became a last-priority type of thing, sorry.
BUT, now that I'm here, I can tell you that....................
IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY LAST THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm finally fourteen!!!!! For my b-day, I got an i-tunes card, some camis, the movie Twilight :), AND.......
A DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!!! OH YES!
I'm so happy. For the past few days, I've just been taking pictures! I LOVE it! In fact, I should probably be posting pix in this post, but I'm not. Maybe I'll load them on the comp. after I'm done with this post. Then I can put them on Facebook AND here.
I also need to change my background. I guess I could keep it, cuz it's fall, but I kinda want to change it. "HAPPY HAUNTING" is more of a Halloween thing anyways.
SO. My To-Do List:
1. Load pictures on computer.
2. Change background.
HERE WE GOOOOOO!!!!!!
My blog just became a last-priority type of thing, sorry.
BUT, now that I'm here, I can tell you that....................
IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY LAST THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm finally fourteen!!!!! For my b-day, I got an i-tunes card, some camis, the movie Twilight :), AND.......
A DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!!! OH YES!
I'm so happy. For the past few days, I've just been taking pictures! I LOVE it! In fact, I should probably be posting pix in this post, but I'm not. Maybe I'll load them on the comp. after I'm done with this post. Then I can put them on Facebook AND here.
I also need to change my background. I guess I could keep it, cuz it's fall, but I kinda want to change it. "HAPPY HAUNTING" is more of a Halloween thing anyways.
SO. My To-Do List:
1. Load pictures on computer.
2. Change background.
HERE WE GOOOOOO!!!!!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Blues-Busting Blueberry Ice Cream
Another ice cream recipe!!!!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 3 cups whole cream
Preparation
Puree the blueberries with the sugar and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Whisk in the cream until thoroughly combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Serve in separate bowls garnished with a few fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint.
Note: This can also be frozen in a container in the freezer and stirred every 15 minutes.
Concord Grape Sorbet
Another tasty-looking recipe that I found! Easy--as long as you have an ice cream maker!
Ingredients
Ingredients- 2 pounds Concord grapes (about 2 quarts), stemmed, divided
- 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
- Equipment: an ice cream maker
Preparation
Purée half of grapes in a blender until smooth, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Repeat with remaining grapes to yield 3 cups purée. Whisk in sugar until dissolved. Chill until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up, at least 2 hours.
Cooks' note: Sorbet keeps 1 week.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Chapter Two--The Academy: Continued
This is another really vital part of the story. Here, you guys should be learning something about Alastair and about Poppy, if you haven't learned it already. Feel free to comment and ask questions or tell me that I did something weird or wrong or whatever. (weird, wrong, whatever....3 W's!) ENJOY.
I kept the ugly remains of bruises and cuts covered with long sleeve shirts, pants, and tennis shoes. Luckily, the air was beginning to get colder, anyway, so I didn’t stand out in that way. However, everyone still knew that I was guilty; and it was in this way that I wasn’t part of the crowd.
I didn’t see Alastair for five days after our punishment until he showed up in my history class the next Monday.
“Poppy,” I heard as I entered the classroom. Alastair sat in the desk directly beside mine. I made my way over to my desk, sat down, and proceeded to get out the materials for class.
“Poppy, please listen.”
I obeyed and looked at him. He looked a little shocked.
“Um, I’m sorry about the whole ‘getting you in trouble’ deal. Really, I am. I didn’t know that I was breaking the rules, and I didn’t want to listen to your warnings. Honestly, I am--”
“Alastair, what are you blabbing on about?” I said irritably. I wished that he would just say what he wanted to say so that we wouldn’t get in trouble when Mrs. Bennett had to start class.
“What?” He looked at me confusedly.
“I just don’t understand, that’s all. You’re saying sorry for nothing.”
“But I got you in trouble. Aren’t you mad at me or something?”
“You didn’t get me in trouble. I got myself in trouble by being with the accused at the scene of the crime.”
Alastair still appeared puzzled; however, the teacher began instructing, so he was silent. After class he followed me down the corridor on the top floor of the school building. I was heading down to the basement for Gym.
“Poppy.”
“Alastair, honestly, why are you apologizing? There’s nothing to apologize about.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled up the sleeve of my violet-colored shirt.
“These,” he said solemnly, quietly. His finger rested gently on one of the slices that ran vertically down my arm, almost to my wrist. “These are what I’m apologizing for.”
“These?” I said casually, still exasperated at his incoherent gestures. I yanked my sleeve back down. “They are the work of the counselors and the principal. You didn’t have any part in them.”
A taboo was beginning to form around the scratches and scars. As we spoke of them, I felt as if they were alive and something to fear. This fear frightened me, but I didn’t show that as I wrestled Alastair with my words.
“I’m not comprehending.”
“Neither am I.”
We were both tired of trying to understand each other, and I still needed to make my way to the gym.
“I have to go, Alastair. I’m sorry,” I said hastily, beginning to run as I noticed how late I was. The boy still stood in the corridor as I rushed down the stairs and into the gym to get dressed out for class. All hour, I thought of what Alastair had said.
And I began to question myself.
What did I know about the incident?
Alastair had been picking leaves off of the tree. I was trying to stop him. Logically, I was to be blamed. I was with him, trying to. . .stop him. I was stopping him. Wasn’t that the right thing to do? No, it wasn’t; I should have immediately told on him like I had been taught to do. But Alastair was innocently in the wrong. He hadn’t known the rules, so I was simply trying to guide his actions so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. Yet we both got in trouble in the end.
As I dug deeper into the situation, into my mind and into what I knew, I began to confuse myself. Some of the things that I investigated started to contradict, and I couldn’t explain my theories. Mentally and emotionally worn out, I forgot about Alastair and instead focused on getting the baseball to make a crack in the back wall of the gym.
I kept the ugly remains of bruises and cuts covered with long sleeve shirts, pants, and tennis shoes. Luckily, the air was beginning to get colder, anyway, so I didn’t stand out in that way. However, everyone still knew that I was guilty; and it was in this way that I wasn’t part of the crowd.
I didn’t see Alastair for five days after our punishment until he showed up in my history class the next Monday.
“Poppy,” I heard as I entered the classroom. Alastair sat in the desk directly beside mine. I made my way over to my desk, sat down, and proceeded to get out the materials for class.
“Poppy, please listen.”
I obeyed and looked at him. He looked a little shocked.
“Um, I’m sorry about the whole ‘getting you in trouble’ deal. Really, I am. I didn’t know that I was breaking the rules, and I didn’t want to listen to your warnings. Honestly, I am--”
“Alastair, what are you blabbing on about?” I said irritably. I wished that he would just say what he wanted to say so that we wouldn’t get in trouble when Mrs. Bennett had to start class.
“What?” He looked at me confusedly.
“I just don’t understand, that’s all. You’re saying sorry for nothing.”
“But I got you in trouble. Aren’t you mad at me or something?”
“You didn’t get me in trouble. I got myself in trouble by being with the accused at the scene of the crime.”
Alastair still appeared puzzled; however, the teacher began instructing, so he was silent. After class he followed me down the corridor on the top floor of the school building. I was heading down to the basement for Gym.
“Poppy.”
“Alastair, honestly, why are you apologizing? There’s nothing to apologize about.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled up the sleeve of my violet-colored shirt.
“These,” he said solemnly, quietly. His finger rested gently on one of the slices that ran vertically down my arm, almost to my wrist. “These are what I’m apologizing for.”
“These?” I said casually, still exasperated at his incoherent gestures. I yanked my sleeve back down. “They are the work of the counselors and the principal. You didn’t have any part in them.”
A taboo was beginning to form around the scratches and scars. As we spoke of them, I felt as if they were alive and something to fear. This fear frightened me, but I didn’t show that as I wrestled Alastair with my words.
“I’m not comprehending.”
“Neither am I.”
We were both tired of trying to understand each other, and I still needed to make my way to the gym.
“I have to go, Alastair. I’m sorry,” I said hastily, beginning to run as I noticed how late I was. The boy still stood in the corridor as I rushed down the stairs and into the gym to get dressed out for class. All hour, I thought of what Alastair had said.
And I began to question myself.
What did I know about the incident?
Alastair had been picking leaves off of the tree. I was trying to stop him. Logically, I was to be blamed. I was with him, trying to. . .stop him. I was stopping him. Wasn’t that the right thing to do? No, it wasn’t; I should have immediately told on him like I had been taught to do. But Alastair was innocently in the wrong. He hadn’t known the rules, so I was simply trying to guide his actions so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. Yet we both got in trouble in the end.
As I dug deeper into the situation, into my mind and into what I knew, I began to confuse myself. Some of the things that I investigated started to contradict, and I couldn’t explain my theories. Mentally and emotionally worn out, I forgot about Alastair and instead focused on getting the baseball to make a crack in the back wall of the gym.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Oven-Fried Panko Chicken
I saw this recipe and the name looked kinda weird, but then I read it and it sounded kinda good! Plus, it's super easy, so, this one's a keeper. (and also, panko is Japanese, and who doesn't like awesomely foreign things??? :) )
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 10 serving pieces (breasts cut crosswise in half)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Stir together panko, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a pie plate.
Stir together butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then brush all over chicken. Add chicken, 2 pieces at a time, to crumb mixture and coat evenly on both sides, pressing chicken into crumbs to help them adhere, then transfer, skin side up, to a shallow baking pan.
Bake chicken until well browned and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.
Project? Over October Break????
Yes, that's right. I have a project over October Break. How LAME is that?? It's all because of my history teacher......BLECK, stupid project! It's a project for first quarter, but it's due in the second quarter! Isn't that smart. Well. The reason that I am posting this is because my dad and brothers went camping this morning, and my mom and sis had to come to work, so I came with them, and I brought my homework. (OH, and btw, I also had OTHER homework from her, too! But I already finished it. I had to write a rap with vocabulary words in it about Ancient Rome's government. Don't ask.) So, now I have this paper in front of me explaining the choices for the project and I don't know whether to write a children's book or create a game. Yeah, most of you would probably tell me to write a children's book. But I just don't want to do any of it at all. Would anyone like to do it for me???
Well, anyways, thanks for listening to my rant. Just had to tell somebody besides my mother, so, why not post it? Isn't that what blogs are for?
Well, anyways, thanks for listening to my rant. Just had to tell somebody besides my mother, so, why not post it? Isn't that what blogs are for?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake
This looked tasty, so I wanted to post it!
Ingredients
Fruit Topping
Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan
Fruit Topping
- 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
- 3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and each cut into 12 slices (1 pound prepped)
Cake
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (1 ounce) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Chantilly cream or Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Butter a 9-inch round baking pan.
To make the fruit topping, put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan (one with a tight-fitting lid) and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. (Covering in this way allows the steam to wash down the sides of pan, which will prevent any sugar crystals from forming.) Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the sugar, gently and slowly swirling the pan as needed to cook the caramel evenly, until it becomes a dark amber color. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to harden. The pan will be very hot from the sugar, so take care in moving it if you need to. Fan the pear slices on top of the caramel in a circle around the perimeter, filling in the center with the remaining slices.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the cake, place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back slightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, leaving the pan on top of the cake for 5 minutes before you remove it. Serve the cake warm, topped with a small dollop of Chantilly cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Storage: Wrapped in plastic wrap, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Chapter Two--The Academy
Woot woot here's more of the story. PLEASE, if any of you guys who I invited are still reading my blog, comment! Post about what you're thinking as you read. Is anything confusing? Is the sentence fluency okay? What do you predict is going to happen????? :)
Chapter 2
My face was still red hot as I opened the dormitory building’s door. I propelled my legs forward as fast as they would go without running. My muscles were tense; I was trying to prevent myself from screaming, crying, and sprinting to my apartment.
I hoped silently that Avery was not there yet. I assumed she was out in the courtyard still, hoping to catch Jasper before he retreated to the boys’ dormitories on the other side of campus.
I opened our apartment door as carefully as was possible with my trembling hands and furtively glanced up and down the hall before I slid into our room and shut the door.
Then I collapsed.
The weight of guilt and the burns of punishment on my arms and legs kept me glued to the floor. I sobbed until all I could do was close my eyes to keep them from flowing out of the sockets with my tears. I lay crumpled on the carpet directly in front of the door until I could summon enough energy to stumble to the bathroom.
I removed the light jacket that I had been wearing and pulled up the cuffs of my pants to reveal several streaks of blood trailing down my limbs. I gasped at the pain of even looking at them. Still uncontrollably crying, I turned on the water in the bathtub and sat on the edge of it. I waited until the running liquid was cold, then stuck my wounded legs and arms underneath. The cool of the water partially soothed my utter pain.
Avery arrived just a few minutes after I had washed my cuts clean. She came solemnly into the bathroom and gathered a tube of ointment and some cloths. She helped me dress my open skin and then got into her pajamas without a word. This only increased the burden of my guilt.
While Avery worked on homework and proceeded to do her nighttime studying on the left side of the room near her bed, I lay in my bed, reading a French novel that I had to report on in two days. Avery still said nothing.
I went to bed at ten o’ clock, the assigned bedtime for every student my age, in silence. I couldn’t believe the feeling that I had of being an ultimate outsider. I’d never, ever, in my entire life as a student at the Academy, been punished in such a way. In fact, I could only think of one other time that I had been punished at all: when I had first arrived at the school.
Predictably, for the next few days, no one talked to me. Teachers didn’t call on me. No one sat with me at lunch. Not even Avery said one word to me.
And every night, I was haunted by horrific dreams filled with cracking whips, flying fists, melting metal, and no way to protect myself. But, unlike other nightmares, waking up wasn’t an escape; it actually brought me to the horror of my dreams. I still felt the reality of them on my scarred skin.
Chapter 2
My face was still red hot as I opened the dormitory building’s door. I propelled my legs forward as fast as they would go without running. My muscles were tense; I was trying to prevent myself from screaming, crying, and sprinting to my apartment.
I hoped silently that Avery was not there yet. I assumed she was out in the courtyard still, hoping to catch Jasper before he retreated to the boys’ dormitories on the other side of campus.
I opened our apartment door as carefully as was possible with my trembling hands and furtively glanced up and down the hall before I slid into our room and shut the door.
Then I collapsed.
The weight of guilt and the burns of punishment on my arms and legs kept me glued to the floor. I sobbed until all I could do was close my eyes to keep them from flowing out of the sockets with my tears. I lay crumpled on the carpet directly in front of the door until I could summon enough energy to stumble to the bathroom.
I removed the light jacket that I had been wearing and pulled up the cuffs of my pants to reveal several streaks of blood trailing down my limbs. I gasped at the pain of even looking at them. Still uncontrollably crying, I turned on the water in the bathtub and sat on the edge of it. I waited until the running liquid was cold, then stuck my wounded legs and arms underneath. The cool of the water partially soothed my utter pain.
Avery arrived just a few minutes after I had washed my cuts clean. She came solemnly into the bathroom and gathered a tube of ointment and some cloths. She helped me dress my open skin and then got into her pajamas without a word. This only increased the burden of my guilt.
While Avery worked on homework and proceeded to do her nighttime studying on the left side of the room near her bed, I lay in my bed, reading a French novel that I had to report on in two days. Avery still said nothing.
I went to bed at ten o’ clock, the assigned bedtime for every student my age, in silence. I couldn’t believe the feeling that I had of being an ultimate outsider. I’d never, ever, in my entire life as a student at the Academy, been punished in such a way. In fact, I could only think of one other time that I had been punished at all: when I had first arrived at the school.
Predictably, for the next few days, no one talked to me. Teachers didn’t call on me. No one sat with me at lunch. Not even Avery said one word to me.
And every night, I was haunted by horrific dreams filled with cracking whips, flying fists, melting metal, and no way to protect myself. But, unlike other nightmares, waking up wasn’t an escape; it actually brought me to the horror of my dreams. I still felt the reality of them on my scarred skin.
Chapter One--The Academy: Continued
Pay special attention to this part of the chapter. It has information that is vital to the rest of the story! (And keep in mind that this is in Poppy's point of view. This is what she knows....or believes.....)
The actual school building was to the south of the courtyard. In it, there were about one hundred classrooms, divided up into four floors. Each was specifically designed for the subject that would be taught there. One of the rooms was the huge gym, located in the basement. The south campus was designed exactly the same way as the north, but without the main hall. In between the campuses was an enormous field of yellow, unkempt grass. It symbolized the shame of being sentenced to the other side of the Academy’s campus, and this could be done by breaking any one of the five hundred twenty-two rules.
There weren’t that many; I didn’t understand why people had such trouble keeping them. Most other kids though the same, and that was why it was such a big deal when someone broke a rule. The consequences were severe. The most extreme was being banned from the Academy altogether. I had only known of a few sixteen-year-olds who had had this punishment set upon them because of the breaking of a rule.
One of those rules was one that every student learned as soon as they entered the Academy. That was to be a snitch.
If anyone, anywhere, at any time, was doing something that violated a school rule, you were to tell on them. It didn’t matter if they were your best friend or your twin, you were required to report their deeds to a counselor or the principal. The guilty would be quickly punished, and you would be praised for your haste to blame them.
Sixteen was the age at which you left the Academy. You were sent to a higher school; that is, as long as you passed the enormous exam at the end of each year. The exam encompassed every single aspect of every single topic that the students learned since they were eight years old. There was an academic and a physical portion included in the test. Most everyone passed the exam, but those few who didn’t were sent home. This was a miserable fate.
And one that I hoped never to experience.
The actual school building was to the south of the courtyard. In it, there were about one hundred classrooms, divided up into four floors. Each was specifically designed for the subject that would be taught there. One of the rooms was the huge gym, located in the basement. The south campus was designed exactly the same way as the north, but without the main hall. In between the campuses was an enormous field of yellow, unkempt grass. It symbolized the shame of being sentenced to the other side of the Academy’s campus, and this could be done by breaking any one of the five hundred twenty-two rules.
There weren’t that many; I didn’t understand why people had such trouble keeping them. Most other kids though the same, and that was why it was such a big deal when someone broke a rule. The consequences were severe. The most extreme was being banned from the Academy altogether. I had only known of a few sixteen-year-olds who had had this punishment set upon them because of the breaking of a rule.
One of those rules was one that every student learned as soon as they entered the Academy. That was to be a snitch.
If anyone, anywhere, at any time, was doing something that violated a school rule, you were to tell on them. It didn’t matter if they were your best friend or your twin, you were required to report their deeds to a counselor or the principal. The guilty would be quickly punished, and you would be praised for your haste to blame them.
Sixteen was the age at which you left the Academy. You were sent to a higher school; that is, as long as you passed the enormous exam at the end of each year. The exam encompassed every single aspect of every single topic that the students learned since they were eight years old. There was an academic and a physical portion included in the test. Most everyone passed the exam, but those few who didn’t were sent home. This was a miserable fate.
And one that I hoped never to experience.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Chapter One--The Academy
I haven't had much time to write/post this story, but I'm getting on it right now, so don't worry! :) Haha jk I know that most people don't look at my blog anyways. BUT some people do, I guess. Maybe. So here's more.
The Academy was an enormous school.
It taught in the most advanced fashion, my parents had been told before they sent me. They sent me after I turned eight, like most parents did. My mother had cried slightly, but my father had stood strong. I was going to be taught in the most advanced fashion; how could they not be proud that I was going to get an excellent education?
Being only eight, I hadn’t realized much about how I wouldn’t see my family for a long time. I had sobbed and protested, saying that I needed my mom, but I knew that my sister was already at the Academy. My brother, Doren, I was told, would never be able to attend. I wondered why. He had waved wildly at me as they took me away in the black car, yelling that he hoped to see me again soon. I loved him. He was ten when I left.
The Academy was frightening and intimidating to me when I first arrived. My chauffeur had to press a careful code into a keypad before the huge gate would let us in. His fingers moved expertly across the numbers and letters as his shiny sunglasses reflected the midday sun.
Then I had met the principal.
Dr. Strom was a fierce-looking man. He was large and muscular. The corners of his eyes had the tiniest wrinkles, and his hair was a dark brown. He had scared me so incredibly that, at first, I ran from him as soon as I entered his office.
That was when I learned the first lesson of the Academy.
“Never run from Dr. Strom,” Dr. Strom had said into my eight-year-old face. “Because he will always find a way to get you back.” His voice was strangely kind, but piercing at the same time. I obeyed him then, and have always ever since.
As I have said before, the Academy was an enormous school. There were two sections in it: the North campus and the South campus. In each part, there were boys’ dormitories and girls’ dormitories. The women counselors had apartments in the girls’ building, and the men in the boys’. The dormitories were separated by age; youngest at the bottom near the counselors, and oldest at the top.
In between the dormitories was the courtyard: a well laid out cement rectangle with picnic tables, benches, and canopies. The courtyard was used at lunch time and during assemblies in the spring when the air was fresh and warm. The younger students also used it as a play area during any free time. It was surrounded by lush, green grass and several trees.
If you were to stand in the middle of the courtyard and face north, you would be facing the main hall. Here, Dr. Strom resided. It was also where the massive auditorium, frightening principal’s office, and the calling house were located.
The calling house was actually just a single, simple room with one telephone in it. Here, students were allowed to contact their parents and family, with the permission of the principal. It was opened only for emergencies or once or twice when a new student begged to hear their parents’ voices. Otherwise, it was always locked with two steel doors; the only way to open it was to know the code for the keypad beside the doorway.
Once every six or seven months, every student was allowed five minutes to speak to their parents in the calling house under a counselor’s supervision. It was everyone’s favorite part of the year.
The Academy was an enormous school.
It taught in the most advanced fashion, my parents had been told before they sent me. They sent me after I turned eight, like most parents did. My mother had cried slightly, but my father had stood strong. I was going to be taught in the most advanced fashion; how could they not be proud that I was going to get an excellent education?
Being only eight, I hadn’t realized much about how I wouldn’t see my family for a long time. I had sobbed and protested, saying that I needed my mom, but I knew that my sister was already at the Academy. My brother, Doren, I was told, would never be able to attend. I wondered why. He had waved wildly at me as they took me away in the black car, yelling that he hoped to see me again soon. I loved him. He was ten when I left.
The Academy was frightening and intimidating to me when I first arrived. My chauffeur had to press a careful code into a keypad before the huge gate would let us in. His fingers moved expertly across the numbers and letters as his shiny sunglasses reflected the midday sun.
Then I had met the principal.
Dr. Strom was a fierce-looking man. He was large and muscular. The corners of his eyes had the tiniest wrinkles, and his hair was a dark brown. He had scared me so incredibly that, at first, I ran from him as soon as I entered his office.
That was when I learned the first lesson of the Academy.
“Never run from Dr. Strom,” Dr. Strom had said into my eight-year-old face. “Because he will always find a way to get you back.” His voice was strangely kind, but piercing at the same time. I obeyed him then, and have always ever since.
As I have said before, the Academy was an enormous school. There were two sections in it: the North campus and the South campus. In each part, there were boys’ dormitories and girls’ dormitories. The women counselors had apartments in the girls’ building, and the men in the boys’. The dormitories were separated by age; youngest at the bottom near the counselors, and oldest at the top.
In between the dormitories was the courtyard: a well laid out cement rectangle with picnic tables, benches, and canopies. The courtyard was used at lunch time and during assemblies in the spring when the air was fresh and warm. The younger students also used it as a play area during any free time. It was surrounded by lush, green grass and several trees.
If you were to stand in the middle of the courtyard and face north, you would be facing the main hall. Here, Dr. Strom resided. It was also where the massive auditorium, frightening principal’s office, and the calling house were located.
The calling house was actually just a single, simple room with one telephone in it. Here, students were allowed to contact their parents and family, with the permission of the principal. It was opened only for emergencies or once or twice when a new student begged to hear their parents’ voices. Otherwise, it was always locked with two steel doors; the only way to open it was to know the code for the keypad beside the doorway.
Once every six or seven months, every student was allowed five minutes to speak to their parents in the calling house under a counselor’s supervision. It was everyone’s favorite part of the year.
October Break
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
What is the meaning of these multiple YES's???? Well, as you might have seen in the title of this post, it is OCTOBER BREAK! I can't believe it. Can anyone else??? This is so utterly insane.
Also, I think that the only thing that I talk about on here is how fast time goes. Sorry, but it's only cuz it DOES go by WAY TOO FAST.
They say that in the last days, the days will be short so that the righteous will not have to suffer so long. I'm not saying I'm the ultimately perfect person; it's just another sign of the times. Along with....no, I won't mention them. Too many to say. Too many to say.
NOW. Let us focus on HAPPY THING LIKE OCTOBER BREAK!
Our fam isn't doing anything ultimately awesome. But I get to go to another one of my cousin's farewells. That'll be good. She's going to South Carolina for her mission. Everyone seems to be leaving! But in November, two of my cousins are coming BACK from their missions, so it won't be too bad.
My bro and sis came to Seminary today! (Why do I capitalize Seminary? Je ne sais pas; I just feel the need to.) ANYWAYS, so Lynzi and Kody came to my Seminary class today to hang with us and Bro. Nielson! It was sweet! They got to hear our ULTIMATELY (used 3 times in this post already) AWESOME scripture mastery song! :) It was awesome. :D I love scripture mastery! It's something I'm actually good at, and it's so ultimately (4) cool to be reading scriptures and then you look and there's a scripture mastery, so you quickly quote it to your brother or your dog or your stuffed animals. Pretty sweet.
SO I hope you guys all have an awesome October Break!!!!!!!! Comment/text me about what your doing/call me to hang out if you're NOT doing anything! LOVE YOU ALL! :)
What is the meaning of these multiple YES's???? Well, as you might have seen in the title of this post, it is OCTOBER BREAK! I can't believe it. Can anyone else??? This is so utterly insane.
Also, I think that the only thing that I talk about on here is how fast time goes. Sorry, but it's only cuz it DOES go by WAY TOO FAST.
They say that in the last days, the days will be short so that the righteous will not have to suffer so long. I'm not saying I'm the ultimately perfect person; it's just another sign of the times. Along with....no, I won't mention them. Too many to say. Too many to say.
NOW. Let us focus on HAPPY THING LIKE OCTOBER BREAK!
Our fam isn't doing anything ultimately awesome. But I get to go to another one of my cousin's farewells. That'll be good. She's going to South Carolina for her mission. Everyone seems to be leaving! But in November, two of my cousins are coming BACK from their missions, so it won't be too bad.
My bro and sis came to Seminary today! (Why do I capitalize Seminary? Je ne sais pas; I just feel the need to.) ANYWAYS, so Lynzi and Kody came to my Seminary class today to hang with us and Bro. Nielson! It was sweet! They got to hear our ULTIMATELY (used 3 times in this post already) AWESOME scripture mastery song! :) It was awesome. :D I love scripture mastery! It's something I'm actually good at, and it's so ultimately (4) cool to be reading scriptures and then you look and there's a scripture mastery, so you quickly quote it to your brother or your dog or your stuffed animals. Pretty sweet.
SO I hope you guys all have an awesome October Break!!!!!!!! Comment/text me about what your doing/call me to hang out if you're NOT doing anything! LOVE YOU ALL! :)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
General Conference
Today was GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!! I just want to say that it was so awesome. It's starting to get shorter---it doesn't feel as long and boring as it used to. My sister declared that it was because we're getting older--and I believe it. When you're young, General Conference is just some boring old guys talking on the T.V. for WAY too long. But when you're a teenager, it's really something. It's spiritual and meaningful and something you look forward to.
I really, especially loved Elder Holland's talk. It was so powerful! Just totally--BAM. This is what I believe, and you should believe it, too! It was awesome.
I also got to listen to Seminary Conference on Friday in Bro. Nielson's class. That was so great! I mean, the topics were awesome and it was crazily spiritual. I love when I can feel that ultimate power, even at school, where things can get really...unattractive. (That's the NICE way of saying it.)
Seminary is my oasis at school. It's where I have an awesome teacher who's really nice, funny, and fun, and I'm with a bunch of kids who believe in the stuff I do. I can learn about my religion and enjoy myself and, for a moment, not pay attetion to all of that stuff that I heard from kids and teachers before. It's so GREAT.
Well, I hope all of you guys who have seminary/watched General Conference feel the same way I do. I just want to say that I really love this Church. I don't want to be all preachy, but I really have enjoyed this weekend!
Have an awesome rest of the day! :)
I really, especially loved Elder Holland's talk. It was so powerful! Just totally--BAM. This is what I believe, and you should believe it, too! It was awesome.
I also got to listen to Seminary Conference on Friday in Bro. Nielson's class. That was so great! I mean, the topics were awesome and it was crazily spiritual. I love when I can feel that ultimate power, even at school, where things can get really...unattractive. (That's the NICE way of saying it.)
Seminary is my oasis at school. It's where I have an awesome teacher who's really nice, funny, and fun, and I'm with a bunch of kids who believe in the stuff I do. I can learn about my religion and enjoy myself and, for a moment, not pay attetion to all of that stuff that I heard from kids and teachers before. It's so GREAT.
Well, I hope all of you guys who have seminary/watched General Conference feel the same way I do. I just want to say that I really love this Church. I don't want to be all preachy, but I really have enjoyed this weekend!
Have an awesome rest of the day! :)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Magic by Ben Folds
If you guys have recently checked out the "All About Me" section of my blog, the little one on the right, then you've noticed that one of my favorite songs right now is "Magic" by Ben Folds. My sis sang it in her choir at Mountain View, and it was AWESOME. So, listen to this!!!!!! It is so cool! It's a cappella and it sounds sooo amazing. I hope you guys like it too!!!!!! Here ya go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zLOnDnFpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zLOnDnFpw
Thursday, October 1, 2009
C'est Octobre
ACK! Goodness gracious on quatorze quinze, WHERE does the time go? At least I'm not the only one who feels this way, or else I'd be CRAZY.
Eh, maybe I'm still crazy.
THE POINT IS, however, that time goes by way too fast, and tomorrow is Seminary Conference, then General Conference twice, then Dallin's 10th birthday, then late start, then early release, then October Break, then my birthday, then Halloween, then November.
And I'll bet any of you fourteen billion-kazillion dollars that it will be November as soon as you've finished reading this post.
So, use your time wisely, I guess. Am I supposed to be teaching you something in this post? Who knows. It wasn't intended, but I have to add SOMEthing. So....don't just think that you will be able to TRY that or DO that later, because later is NOW. Don't procrastinate ANYTHING, that's a no-go. Believe me, I know. And that's one thing that I really don't like about myself. Learn from my mistakes and BE GOOD, CHILDENS!
I love all you guys; thanks to you who still check out my blog! :D I'm not a very interesting person....sorry......BUT you might find a recipe on here that you really like, or an idea for the best-seller novel that you're going to write, so don't complain too much. :) Leave comments, live life, and laugh. Especially at yourself. (Another thing I REALLLYLLLY don't like about myself---I try to laugh at myself, but I'm really just so embarrassed that I can't show it......ya, lame.)
Eh, maybe I'm still crazy.
THE POINT IS, however, that time goes by way too fast, and tomorrow is Seminary Conference, then General Conference twice, then Dallin's 10th birthday, then late start, then early release, then October Break, then my birthday, then Halloween, then November.
And I'll bet any of you fourteen billion-kazillion dollars that it will be November as soon as you've finished reading this post.
So, use your time wisely, I guess. Am I supposed to be teaching you something in this post? Who knows. It wasn't intended, but I have to add SOMEthing. So....don't just think that you will be able to TRY that or DO that later, because later is NOW. Don't procrastinate ANYTHING, that's a no-go. Believe me, I know. And that's one thing that I really don't like about myself. Learn from my mistakes and BE GOOD, CHILDENS!
I love all you guys; thanks to you who still check out my blog! :D I'm not a very interesting person....sorry......BUT you might find a recipe on here that you really like, or an idea for the best-seller novel that you're going to write, so don't complain too much. :) Leave comments, live life, and laugh. Especially at yourself. (Another thing I REALLLYLLLY don't like about myself---I try to laugh at myself, but I'm really just so embarrassed that I can't show it......ya, lame.)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Brown Sugar Muffins
While I'm on here, I might as well type up this recipe, too. This one we just made this past week in Foods. VERY tasty.
Brown Sugar Muffins
Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix egg, milk, vanilla, margarine, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to egg mixture. Mix well.
4. Grease muffin tins (or put paper cupcake holders in); fill 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
Brown Sugar Muffins
Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix egg, milk, vanilla, margarine, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to egg mixture. Mix well.
4. Grease muffin tins (or put paper cupcake holders in); fill 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
Joanne's Apple Crisp
This is another recipe that I made in Foods, and a tasty dessert to serve to family during this autumn season! It is VERY good! I have yet to make it again for my family, but when I make it, I am sure they will like it a lot. Also, it is really good with caramel syrup and/or vanilla ice cream. (P.S. Thank you to Celeste for sending me this recipe!)
Joanne's Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
2 apples
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Joanne's Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
2 apples
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp oats
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pare apples and slice into thin pieces. Spread them evenly on the bottom of a Pyrex dish.
3. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
4. Cut in butter. (My Foods teacher advised us to use two knives and not a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. This makes the mixture flaky and easily sprinkled over the apples. However, my group used the pastry cutter :) and after everything was cooked, the clumps of brown sugar and oats were smooth. This way was just as good, if not better, than the other way. It was also faster than using two knives.)
5. Put brown sugar mixture over apples.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
7. Serve with ice cream and caramel syrup.
1 Tbsp butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pare apples and slice into thin pieces. Spread them evenly on the bottom of a Pyrex dish.
3. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
4. Cut in butter. (My Foods teacher advised us to use two knives and not a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. This makes the mixture flaky and easily sprinkled over the apples. However, my group used the pastry cutter :) and after everything was cooked, the clumps of brown sugar and oats were smooth. This way was just as good, if not better, than the other way. It was also faster than using two knives.)
5. Put brown sugar mixture over apples.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
7. Serve with ice cream and caramel syrup.
New Background!
Well, since October is almost here (WOW how time flies), I decided to just do a cute lil autumn background. Little did I know that this background actually looks THIS CUTE!
Anyways, I'm very happy that October is almost here. It brings cooler weather, General Conference, my birthday, and Halloween! :) Maybe the fact that I'm a NINTH GRADER will actually start to sink in this next month! I still don't feel like one. Maybe when I finally turn fourteen like all of my friends have (some are already fifteen, you lamos :)), I will feel like a Freshman. Maybe. I hope so!
Well, just thought I'd share that tidbit of info. with you. HAPPY HARVEST!!!!!!
Anyways, I'm very happy that October is almost here. It brings cooler weather, General Conference, my birthday, and Halloween! :) Maybe the fact that I'm a NINTH GRADER will actually start to sink in this next month! I still don't feel like one. Maybe when I finally turn fourteen like all of my friends have (some are already fifteen, you lamos :)), I will feel like a Freshman. Maybe. I hope so!
Well, just thought I'd share that tidbit of info. with you. HAPPY HARVEST!!!!!!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Mareen's Famous Bean Dip
Who IS Mareen? She's my Foods teacher's sister-in-law, or something like that. I'm taking a Foods class at Poston and it is fun. Right now, we're doing a bunch of super easy recipes that are absolutely DEEEEELISH. If you don't like this bean dip, YOU'RE CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! ( just kidding....) (also, you are all probably a lot more intelligent than I, and you probably could tell which words were ingredients and which were directions, but I like order and organization. maybe I'M the crazy one......)
Mareen's Famous Bean Dip
Ingredients:
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 can chili beans
shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Soften cream cheese in microwave in a Pyrex dish, about 30 seconds. Spread on bottom with a spatula.
2. Pour chili onto cream cheese, spread.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of chili.
4. Microwave until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.
5. EAT with some tortilla chips! And love it!
Mareen's Famous Bean Dip
Ingredients:
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 can chili beans
shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Soften cream cheese in microwave in a Pyrex dish, about 30 seconds. Spread on bottom with a spatula.
2. Pour chili onto cream cheese, spread.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of chili.
4. Microwave until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.
5. EAT with some tortilla chips! And love it!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Prologue Part 2--The Academy
We're back by popular demand! (or because Annie said she wanted more :D ) HERE YA GO! (But don't expect a BUNCH more; I prolly won't be able to write a lot of it after 2morrow until NEXT weekend. So....ya)
“Stop,” I blurted before I’d even reached him.
Alastair looked up as if he had been woken up from a long sleep. “What?” he said confusedly.
“You’re not allowed.” I plucked the leaf that he currently had in his hand and threw it onto the grass subtly, trying not to make a scene.
“What’s the big deal?” He said it casually. He was still confused.
“It’s against the rules to touch the trees! Don’t you know that? Didn’t the principal tell you? Or the counselors?”
Apparently, my voice had been sharper than I had intended. “No,” he shot back. “No one has hardly talked to me at all.” He took another leaf from the same branch.
“Hey!” I grabbed the leaf again and let it float into the green grass where it was camouflaged. “Stop it, or you’ll get us both in trouble.”
“It’s not even a big deal!” In spite, he took several leaves from the tree and let them fall onto the concrete courtyard.
“No!” I swept up the leaves with my hands frantically. “Stop it, stop it, stop it!” Aggravated, I stood and came up to his face. “I mean it, Alastair! Look, you may not know about the rules around here, but it’s no excuse to behave like this!”
“Why. Does. It. Even. Matter!” With each word, Alastair plucked another leaf from the tree. At the last syllable, he was pulling on a stubborn leaf. Not according to his plans, the entire, spindly branch snapped from the thin tree. The sound it made as it hit the concrete echoed loudly in my ears.
I was over.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone dart toward the main hall.
“No,” I whispered.
I felt the blood drain from my face and saw the blood drain from Alastair’s. His eyes darted across the faces of the teenagers in the courtyard, then leaped to mine. I felt the tears running coldly down my cheeks.
“What....what did I just do?”
I didn’t answer. My mind was rushed with what was going to happen to me now. The bell rang from the main hall, and I instinctively stepped away from Alastair. He was the accused. He was the guilty. But then I stepped back to him with realization. I was with him, so, so was I.
A shaky hand came to my mouth and I gasped, sobbing silently. The rest of the students lined up in alphabetical order facing the main hall. They stood tall, faces grave. I spotted Avery amongst the several kids that I had always known. Her mouth was open slightly, eyebrows pushing together. She was looking at me, Alastair, and the broken branch.
A stillness fell across the courtyard. It dropped like a sheet of rain; it affected everyone. I removed my hand from my mouth and wiped my eyes. I stood up straight and stared forward at my fellow students. I was lined up with Alastair.
The principal stepped out of the main hall. The students’ hands went up in a salute to him.
And the accused stood, faces blank. We awaited our fate.
“Stop,” I blurted before I’d even reached him.
Alastair looked up as if he had been woken up from a long sleep. “What?” he said confusedly.
“You’re not allowed.” I plucked the leaf that he currently had in his hand and threw it onto the grass subtly, trying not to make a scene.
“What’s the big deal?” He said it casually. He was still confused.
“It’s against the rules to touch the trees! Don’t you know that? Didn’t the principal tell you? Or the counselors?”
Apparently, my voice had been sharper than I had intended. “No,” he shot back. “No one has hardly talked to me at all.” He took another leaf from the same branch.
“Hey!” I grabbed the leaf again and let it float into the green grass where it was camouflaged. “Stop it, or you’ll get us both in trouble.”
“It’s not even a big deal!” In spite, he took several leaves from the tree and let them fall onto the concrete courtyard.
“No!” I swept up the leaves with my hands frantically. “Stop it, stop it, stop it!” Aggravated, I stood and came up to his face. “I mean it, Alastair! Look, you may not know about the rules around here, but it’s no excuse to behave like this!”
“Why. Does. It. Even. Matter!” With each word, Alastair plucked another leaf from the tree. At the last syllable, he was pulling on a stubborn leaf. Not according to his plans, the entire, spindly branch snapped from the thin tree. The sound it made as it hit the concrete echoed loudly in my ears.
I was over.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone dart toward the main hall.
“No,” I whispered.
I felt the blood drain from my face and saw the blood drain from Alastair’s. His eyes darted across the faces of the teenagers in the courtyard, then leaped to mine. I felt the tears running coldly down my cheeks.
“What....what did I just do?”
I didn’t answer. My mind was rushed with what was going to happen to me now. The bell rang from the main hall, and I instinctively stepped away from Alastair. He was the accused. He was the guilty. But then I stepped back to him with realization. I was with him, so, so was I.
A shaky hand came to my mouth and I gasped, sobbing silently. The rest of the students lined up in alphabetical order facing the main hall. They stood tall, faces grave. I spotted Avery amongst the several kids that I had always known. Her mouth was open slightly, eyebrows pushing together. She was looking at me, Alastair, and the broken branch.
A stillness fell across the courtyard. It dropped like a sheet of rain; it affected everyone. I removed my hand from my mouth and wiped my eyes. I stood up straight and stared forward at my fellow students. I was lined up with Alastair.
The principal stepped out of the main hall. The students’ hands went up in a salute to him.
And the accused stood, faces blank. We awaited our fate.
Prologue--The Academy
A new story that I just spent a while typing. I really like it. But who am I to brag? I need YOUR comments and advice first! For the moment, it's called "The Academy." Please tell me what's cool/what's not. You won't understand it all; that's the point of a prologue, to reel you in but to leave you hanging. Thus, you'll want to read more. Hopefully this will do it, too!
Prologue
“Come on, Poppy, let’s sit over here.”
I obediently followed my best friend Avery to the table where all of the football boys sat. I smiled, knowing that she would somehow find her way right beside Jasper Williams, without a lunch, and with a flirty smile.
I found myself to the right of Bretton Cluff, a bigger-built boy with brown hair that he cut only when one of the counselors demanded that he do so. In front of me was Avery, fluttering her eyelashes at Jasper. Whaddya know, I thought, grinning and stifling a laugh. It came out as a snort. Embarrassed, I regained my composure and responded to Bretton’s look with a grin and a single blink. It was then that I realized who was on my right.
I didn’t recognize his face, which was strange, because I knew everyone at this table, and most likely everyone else at the school. He wasn’t giving me the strange look that Bretton had, but he wore a slight smile that didn’t show his teeth. His blonde hair wasn’t long like Bretton’s, either, but it wasn’t buzzed. I liked his bright blue eyes.
“Hi,” I said. I could hear the surprise in my own voice. “Who are you?”
The boy shyly answered, “Alastair,” and held out his hand.
I smiled. I loved his name. “Poppy,” I said in return, shaking his outstretched hand. I think he loved my name, too. “So, are you new here?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Alastair answered.
“Wow.” I hadn’t met a new person in a long time, and usually the new kids were little, or had just been inducted into the Academy. “I mean, cool. I can show you around the main hall if you want. Do you have French or German next hour?”
“Um...” he seemed confused and a little frustrated. “I don’t know.”
I frowned slightly. Alastair didn’t seem to know what was going on. “Oh. Well. Maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t like these one-word answers. But then all of the people at the table began to get up, so I did, too. I threw away some crumbly chips but kept my bag of big, purple grapes. Girls began to congregate around Avery, and I joined them.
“Oh my goodness, Ave!” Cadence Dauffrey exclaimed. “That’s so exciting!”
“Do you really think he likes you?” Edaline Sabre asked doubtfully.
“Of course he does!” Avery said, sarcastically hurt.
“And if he doesn’t,” I interjected, “at least Avery has Brigg!”
Briggson Bailey had been crushing on Avery ever since they had entered the Academy. Avery found him the most annoying thing on the entire planet, and had often told him so. Poor Brigg still couldn’t let go of her.
Avery made a sour face and the girls laughed. I looked at the group of boys who had gathered around another table and spotted Brigg staring at our group. I laughed out loud with the rest of the girls, and then I saw Alastair again.
He was standing beside the grass on the edge of the courtyard, picking some leaves off of a tree, looking thoughtful. I gasped.
Somehow I felt a responsibility to take care of him and let him know that what he was doing was wrong; I seemed to have been the only person to have talked to him since he had come here. I had agreed to show him around, too.
I quickly broke away from the group and rushed to Alastair.
Prologue
“Come on, Poppy, let’s sit over here.”
I obediently followed my best friend Avery to the table where all of the football boys sat. I smiled, knowing that she would somehow find her way right beside Jasper Williams, without a lunch, and with a flirty smile.
I found myself to the right of Bretton Cluff, a bigger-built boy with brown hair that he cut only when one of the counselors demanded that he do so. In front of me was Avery, fluttering her eyelashes at Jasper. Whaddya know, I thought, grinning and stifling a laugh. It came out as a snort. Embarrassed, I regained my composure and responded to Bretton’s look with a grin and a single blink. It was then that I realized who was on my right.
I didn’t recognize his face, which was strange, because I knew everyone at this table, and most likely everyone else at the school. He wasn’t giving me the strange look that Bretton had, but he wore a slight smile that didn’t show his teeth. His blonde hair wasn’t long like Bretton’s, either, but it wasn’t buzzed. I liked his bright blue eyes.
“Hi,” I said. I could hear the surprise in my own voice. “Who are you?”
The boy shyly answered, “Alastair,” and held out his hand.
I smiled. I loved his name. “Poppy,” I said in return, shaking his outstretched hand. I think he loved my name, too. “So, are you new here?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Alastair answered.
“Wow.” I hadn’t met a new person in a long time, and usually the new kids were little, or had just been inducted into the Academy. “I mean, cool. I can show you around the main hall if you want. Do you have French or German next hour?”
“Um...” he seemed confused and a little frustrated. “I don’t know.”
I frowned slightly. Alastair didn’t seem to know what was going on. “Oh. Well. Maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t like these one-word answers. But then all of the people at the table began to get up, so I did, too. I threw away some crumbly chips but kept my bag of big, purple grapes. Girls began to congregate around Avery, and I joined them.
“Oh my goodness, Ave!” Cadence Dauffrey exclaimed. “That’s so exciting!”
“Do you really think he likes you?” Edaline Sabre asked doubtfully.
“Of course he does!” Avery said, sarcastically hurt.
“And if he doesn’t,” I interjected, “at least Avery has Brigg!”
Briggson Bailey had been crushing on Avery ever since they had entered the Academy. Avery found him the most annoying thing on the entire planet, and had often told him so. Poor Brigg still couldn’t let go of her.
Avery made a sour face and the girls laughed. I looked at the group of boys who had gathered around another table and spotted Brigg staring at our group. I laughed out loud with the rest of the girls, and then I saw Alastair again.
He was standing beside the grass on the edge of the courtyard, picking some leaves off of a tree, looking thoughtful. I gasped.
Somehow I felt a responsibility to take care of him and let him know that what he was doing was wrong; I seemed to have been the only person to have talked to him since he had come here. I had agreed to show him around, too.
I quickly broke away from the group and rushed to Alastair.
Love Story Meets Viva la Vida
At first, I heard about this and had no clue what everyone was talking about. But then I saw it on my cousin's blog and it is so amazing, I have to put it on here. ENJOY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfH2BY5pdLw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfH2BY5pdLw
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Forgot the Map
Sorry I haven't posted any of this story for a long time. I just haven't been writing it, so I didn't post any more of it. This is only a short bit more. Sorry for the no-paragraph-ness. I really do follow proper paragraphing rules, it just doesn't show up on the blog. :)
“Adelie,” I said with its French accent, holding out my hand. She shook it and smiled.
“Where have you and your sisters come from?”
In realization, I searched the hay around me for Adelie and Elodie, finding them asleep behind me.
“We’re from St. Amore.” I lowered my voice. “We have fled the village. Italians will invade it soon.”
“Italians? I’ve never heard of Italians being so hostile.”
“Oh, Anastasie, have you not heard?” Anastasie shook her head, and I proceeded to explain. “Italian guerrillas have been attacking villages all about France. They take them, one by one, and kill every soul within. My mother and father are part of the FPF. They were warned of the Italians’ plans to invade our town. They told me to take my sisters to Spain, where my aunt lives, so we will be protected.”
Anastasie gasped, hands over her mouth. “Adelie, this is horrible. You must leave. Hurry, wake your sisters.”
I obeyed, but turned to Anastasie. “I do not know if they will try to take Rodez. It is large, and strong. They may avoid it for now. But they have many resources and several recruits. I don’t know how long it will be safe here.”
Tears beaded Anastasie’s eyes. “I will warn my mother. We have a large family; perhaps it would be best if we left soon.” I nodded once and turned my attention to my sisters. They were wide awake, looking at me as if to know what to do.
“Come now. We have wasted daylight.”
My sisters stood, careful not to hit the barn roof, and followed Anastasie and I down the ladder. Anastasie ran inside her house and then came back with a bottle of milk, some cheese wrapped in cloth, and a warm loaf of bread. I put the food in my bag, thanked her, gave her my best wishes, and set off with my sisters.
We kept to the edge of the road as we came into the center of town; cars and wagons drove along the cobblestones as they headed for the market or away from the inn. Merchants along the road were yelling to the people who passed by, advertising their newest products and cheap prices.
The sky was overcast. Clouds rumbled in the distance, but as of now, Rodez was dry. It was a little humid out, but cool. It would be a relatively comfortable walk today. It was then that I wondered where we were going, exactly. And how long it would take to get there.
I realized that we needed a map. It was one of the only things that I hadn’t thought about before we’d left home. I figured that as we entered the heart of the city, at least one of the shops would sell a map that we could purchase to continue on.
“Adelie,” I said with its French accent, holding out my hand. She shook it and smiled.
“Where have you and your sisters come from?”
In realization, I searched the hay around me for Adelie and Elodie, finding them asleep behind me.
“We’re from St. Amore.” I lowered my voice. “We have fled the village. Italians will invade it soon.”
“Italians? I’ve never heard of Italians being so hostile.”
“Oh, Anastasie, have you not heard?” Anastasie shook her head, and I proceeded to explain. “Italian guerrillas have been attacking villages all about France. They take them, one by one, and kill every soul within. My mother and father are part of the FPF. They were warned of the Italians’ plans to invade our town. They told me to take my sisters to Spain, where my aunt lives, so we will be protected.”
Anastasie gasped, hands over her mouth. “Adelie, this is horrible. You must leave. Hurry, wake your sisters.”
I obeyed, but turned to Anastasie. “I do not know if they will try to take Rodez. It is large, and strong. They may avoid it for now. But they have many resources and several recruits. I don’t know how long it will be safe here.”
Tears beaded Anastasie’s eyes. “I will warn my mother. We have a large family; perhaps it would be best if we left soon.” I nodded once and turned my attention to my sisters. They were wide awake, looking at me as if to know what to do.
“Come now. We have wasted daylight.”
My sisters stood, careful not to hit the barn roof, and followed Anastasie and I down the ladder. Anastasie ran inside her house and then came back with a bottle of milk, some cheese wrapped in cloth, and a warm loaf of bread. I put the food in my bag, thanked her, gave her my best wishes, and set off with my sisters.
We kept to the edge of the road as we came into the center of town; cars and wagons drove along the cobblestones as they headed for the market or away from the inn. Merchants along the road were yelling to the people who passed by, advertising their newest products and cheap prices.
The sky was overcast. Clouds rumbled in the distance, but as of now, Rodez was dry. It was a little humid out, but cool. It would be a relatively comfortable walk today. It was then that I wondered where we were going, exactly. And how long it would take to get there.
I realized that we needed a map. It was one of the only things that I hadn’t thought about before we’d left home. I figured that as we entered the heart of the city, at least one of the shops would sell a map that we could purchase to continue on.
Gianduia Gelato
Mmmm...Gelato! Figured you guys might like this recipe! I wanna make it so bad!
yield: Makes about 1 quart
active time: 30 min
total time: 4 hr
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts (8 ounces), toasted , skins rubbed off, and cooled
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
- Equipment: an ice cream maker
Preparation
Pulse hazelnuts with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan with milk and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
Put 1/4 cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to saucepan, then boil over medium heat 2 minutes, whisking often (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated. Chill, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.
Cooks' note: Gelato keeps 1 week.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The First Recipe!
The first recipe of the blog! YAY! (since it is one of the things that this blog is supposed to be devoted to.) I haven't actually tried this one, but Celeste Chesley and I intend to try it this weekend! I came across it while I was at school, in Foods class with Celeste. We were on http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary, looking up some definitions. I saw the picture of the brownies and they looked so delightfully delicious, I just had to print out the recipe. It's super long. Sorry. But if you want it, USE IT! It's called Layered Brownies with White-Chocolate Caramel and Cocoa Nib Gelato. Long title, long recipe. Again, I apologize.
Ingredients:
Candied pecans:
Brownies:
White-chocolate caramel:
Bittersweet-chocolate ganache:
Ingredients:
Candied pecans:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
Brownies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
White-chocolate caramel:
- 3 tablespoons water, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
Bittersweet-chocolate ganache:
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped
- Cacao Nib Gelato
- Special equipment: 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan
For candied pecans:
Lightly butter baking sheet. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until sugar syrup is light golden, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Add pecans and stir until syrup coats pecans, about 1 minute. Immediately pour pecans out onto prepared baking sheet; spread in single layer with heatproof spatula. Cool completely. Coarsely chop nuts. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
For brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil. Butter foil. Combine 1/2 cup butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture; whisk until blended. Add cocoa mixture; whisk until blended. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan; smooth top (layer will be thin).
Bake brownie until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer. Cool completely in pan on rack.
For white-chocolate caramel:
Spoon 1 tablespoon water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and stir to blend. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons water, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Reduce heat to low. Stir to dissolve any caramel bits. Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. Add gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin dissolves. Add white chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter. Pour caramel atop cooled brownie; spread evenly to cover completely. Chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.
For bittersweet-chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Cool until mixture is slightly thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes. Pour ganache atop caramel on brownie; spread just to edges. Sprinkle chopped candied pecans evenly over. Chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Using foil as aid, lift brownie out of pan; place on work surface. Fold foil sides down. Using sharp knife, trim off about 1/4 inch of brownie on all sides. Cut brownie into eight 3 1/2-inch-long, 13/4-inch-wide bars. Place 1 brownie bar and scoop of Cacao Nib Gelato on each of 8 plates and serve.
Teacher Quotes!
Teachers can be fun, mean, annoying, bothersome, kind, careless, incomprehensible, friendly, irritating, and BORING.
But sometimes, teachers say something so incredibly true, hilarious, or stupid, that you just HAVE to repeat it. Or write it down in your PAR Book. :)
These are some quotes that I thought were funny/great from a couple of my teachers. As long as I'm listening, and my teachers are saying something worth while, these posts will keep on coming!
After a student said, "That's hard!"....
"Life is hard, and then you die!"
-Mrs. Ostroski (You really have to know Ostroski/be there to understand how funny this truly is!)
A student was talking about what you could do in life with what we were learning, or something.....
"Get a good job like me, teaching math!"
-Ostroski
She was telling us about how many times we would learn something.....(this one really made me chuckle!!!!!!)
"....so cotton-pickin' many times...."
-Mrs. Hatfield
After we said the pledge today, old Mrs. Hatfield (really, she's old) proceeded to tell us to show respect for our flag and for the free country we live in (YEEEESSSSS, PATRIOTISM!!!!!!).....
"If you don't love it, go somewhere else!"
-Hatty
This one isn't funny, it's just true.
"Even though you know better, sometimes you don't DO better."
-Hatty
I don't know why we do what this quote says, but we do. Maybe it has something to do with the power that we have when we gain knowledge. We have the power to use that knowledge correctly, or incorrectly, and sometimes using it incorrectly is such a tempting choice, that we yield to the power of desire. It's hard to do the right thing. With choice comes accountability, though; it's what the LDS Church is based off of. So, I really liked this one. It meant something to me.
But sometimes, teachers say something so incredibly true, hilarious, or stupid, that you just HAVE to repeat it. Or write it down in your PAR Book. :)
These are some quotes that I thought were funny/great from a couple of my teachers. As long as I'm listening, and my teachers are saying something worth while, these posts will keep on coming!
After a student said, "That's hard!"....
"Life is hard, and then you die!"
-Mrs. Ostroski (You really have to know Ostroski/be there to understand how funny this truly is!)
A student was talking about what you could do in life with what we were learning, or something.....
"Get a good job like me, teaching math!"
-Ostroski
She was telling us about how many times we would learn something.....(this one really made me chuckle!!!!!!)
"....so cotton-pickin' many times...."
-Mrs. Hatfield
After we said the pledge today, old Mrs. Hatfield (really, she's old) proceeded to tell us to show respect for our flag and for the free country we live in (YEEEESSSSS, PATRIOTISM!!!!!!).....
"If you don't love it, go somewhere else!"
-Hatty
This one isn't funny, it's just true.
"Even though you know better, sometimes you don't DO better."
-Hatty
I don't know why we do what this quote says, but we do. Maybe it has something to do with the power that we have when we gain knowledge. We have the power to use that knowledge correctly, or incorrectly, and sometimes using it incorrectly is such a tempting choice, that we yield to the power of desire. It's hard to do the right thing. With choice comes accountability, though; it's what the LDS Church is based off of. So, I really liked this one. It meant something to me.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Forest: The Great Green
Yeah, ok, so, I wrote this for a school project: we had to write a praise poem to something in nature. But since I decided to make my blog writing-centered, I just thought I could put it on here. The title of it is up there at the top.
You live in the mountains,
amongst hills.
Lush and lively you are.
You are made up of trees,
pine and maple and fir.
Protector of Life, you
stretch your arms out to all those
who live within your bounds.
Humans adore your beauty;
your face is plastered upon postcards.
Where you are, it is brisk and cool.
It is easy to lose oneself in you.
Calm and peaceful, you put those
who are near you under a spell.
No one can escape such an incandescent wonder.
Nothing can compare to the serene,
placid, idyll that you are.
All wish to keep you with them.
Their only desire is to escape
the stress of the world
which traps them and enslaves them.
You, The Great Green,
provide the solution: an escape from care.
My love for you is impenetrable.
The site for an ideal vacation,
a lovely landscape,
and a way to elude daily worry,
you are amazing.
I miss you.
I await the time that I can return
and be gathered into your embrace again.
You live in the mountains,
amongst hills.
Lush and lively you are.
You are made up of trees,
pine and maple and fir.
Protector of Life, you
stretch your arms out to all those
who live within your bounds.
Humans adore your beauty;
your face is plastered upon postcards.
Where you are, it is brisk and cool.
It is easy to lose oneself in you.
Calm and peaceful, you put those
who are near you under a spell.
No one can escape such an incandescent wonder.
Nothing can compare to the serene,
placid, idyll that you are.
All wish to keep you with them.
Their only desire is to escape
the stress of the world
which traps them and enslaves them.
You, The Great Green,
provide the solution: an escape from care.
My love for you is impenetrable.
The site for an ideal vacation,
a lovely landscape,
and a way to elude daily worry,
you are amazing.
I miss you.
I await the time that I can return
and be gathered into your embrace again.
Friday, August 28, 2009
APOLOGY
TO ALL THOSE WHO SAW MY LAST POST:
Sorry! Haha the links don't work. Just in case you didn't notice. If you still want to see the cool crazy things that I was talking about, just go onto youtube and type in "project milo" and click on one that has a girl talking to a boy on a screen. For the other one, type in "project natal." That one is another X-Box 360 one, with this family who is trying it out. Hopefully, by these brief and not-very-descriptive instructions, you can find them.
Sorry! Haha the links don't work. Just in case you didn't notice. If you still want to see the cool crazy things that I was talking about, just go onto youtube and type in "project milo" and click on one that has a girl talking to a boy on a screen. For the other one, type in "project natal." That one is another X-Box 360 one, with this family who is trying it out. Hopefully, by these brief and not-very-descriptive instructions, you can find them.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
WOW.
My sister showed this to me last night around midnight. (cousins and uncles were over......a long night of Werewolf and Balderdash!) But anyway, it absolutely blew my mind. It is too cool. As in WAY TOO COOL. Like, "There shouldn't be anything that is this cool. It's too insane." Because it is too insane. It's so technological that it's scaring me. But it's also very cool. And so......
Wii's got nothing over this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM
And this is just plain crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXaZsm7rpU0
Wii's got nothing over this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM
And this is just plain crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXaZsm7rpU0
Friday, August 21, 2009
School=Overpowering
And it's true. School is overpowering. Which is why I haven't done a post in FOREVER. I'm sorry, this post won't be long, or cool, or interesting. But if you get the chance, tell me bout my blog and the writing stuff that I've been posting! I need the comments. I need comments to encourage me to write more, because I haven't written any of the Aurelie story in a long while. SO, comment!
I've seen lots of you guys at school, so maybe that makes up for blog-non-communication. And also Facebook. But Facebook isn't THAT much of a loss. Even though a lot more people get on Facebook than they do blogs. BUT ANYWAYS.
My cousins from Utah are here in AZ for my older cuz, who went through the temple today. He's going on his mission to Japan. Les parents and the older cousins went out to eat; thus, my little cousins and one of the other cousins, who is 17, are over here right now. One of the younger ones, Ty, is playing the 17-year-old's Wii game, Wii Sports Resort. The 17-year-old is Landon. The other one is Ty's sister, Paige. If I haven't mentioned them before.
So, I am pretty much done with all of my homework. Except for Seminary....oh, Brother Nielson! I love that class a lot. Bro. Nielson is so funny. I'm just waiting for his, "PIZZA! PIZZA PAAAAAARTAY!" You'll all understand (if you have Bro. Nielson) once Beans start getting pretty high......
My life is pretty boring when school is in it, so there isn't much to say. I'm sorry. I'm just an uninteresting person.
Well, I have a FEW things to say.
1. In French 2, we are doing a dialogue with partners. One partner is a famous French person, the other is their interviewer. I am Riley Hatch's interviewer. Riley is a French actress, Elodie Bouchez. (We had to find someone named Elodie b/c in French 1, we got French names for ourselves. Her's was Elodie. Mine was Aurelie. Except for my name isn't Aurelie.....I'm going to explain that after these parentheses are done.) So, my name is JAX LEIGH! YES! It is the coolest name in the universe. I mean, come on, Jax? NO one has that name. Not that I know of. I wish it was my real name. But, it's not, so having Riley call me that will have to suffice.
2. A week ago, I went and saw PONYO!!! with my sis and her friends. Yes, it's Japanese anime. Yes, the mouths didn't match the words. YES, IT WAS CUTE AND FUNNY AND VERY VERY AWESOME. So see it. Or call me to come WITH you to see it, cuz I want to see it again.
3. Uhhhhhh
4. I don't know what else to put.
5. OH YEAH! Tomorrow, I'm pretty sure that we're having a party for my grandpa's birthday. A swimming party! It oughtta be fun!
Comment. See you all at school!
I've seen lots of you guys at school, so maybe that makes up for blog-non-communication. And also Facebook. But Facebook isn't THAT much of a loss. Even though a lot more people get on Facebook than they do blogs. BUT ANYWAYS.
My cousins from Utah are here in AZ for my older cuz, who went through the temple today. He's going on his mission to Japan. Les parents and the older cousins went out to eat; thus, my little cousins and one of the other cousins, who is 17, are over here right now. One of the younger ones, Ty, is playing the 17-year-old's Wii game, Wii Sports Resort. The 17-year-old is Landon. The other one is Ty's sister, Paige. If I haven't mentioned them before.
So, I am pretty much done with all of my homework. Except for Seminary....oh, Brother Nielson! I love that class a lot. Bro. Nielson is so funny. I'm just waiting for his, "PIZZA! PIZZA PAAAAAARTAY!" You'll all understand (if you have Bro. Nielson) once Beans start getting pretty high......
My life is pretty boring when school is in it, so there isn't much to say. I'm sorry. I'm just an uninteresting person.
Well, I have a FEW things to say.
1. In French 2, we are doing a dialogue with partners. One partner is a famous French person, the other is their interviewer. I am Riley Hatch's interviewer. Riley is a French actress, Elodie Bouchez. (We had to find someone named Elodie b/c in French 1, we got French names for ourselves. Her's was Elodie. Mine was Aurelie. Except for my name isn't Aurelie.....I'm going to explain that after these parentheses are done.) So, my name is JAX LEIGH! YES! It is the coolest name in the universe. I mean, come on, Jax? NO one has that name. Not that I know of. I wish it was my real name. But, it's not, so having Riley call me that will have to suffice.
2. A week ago, I went and saw PONYO!!! with my sis and her friends. Yes, it's Japanese anime. Yes, the mouths didn't match the words. YES, IT WAS CUTE AND FUNNY AND VERY VERY AWESOME. So see it. Or call me to come WITH you to see it, cuz I want to see it again.
3. Uhhhhhh
4. I don't know what else to put.
5. OH YEAH! Tomorrow, I'm pretty sure that we're having a party for my grandpa's birthday. A swimming party! It oughtta be fun!
Comment. See you all at school!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Drifting
I wrote this to explain that feeling of being half awake and half asleep; that time when your body is still deciding whether to stay awake because of what it hears around itself, or to sleep because it is tired.
This is it. This is where you go when you're drifting.
Drifting
The movie we were watching was uninteresting. If I could have chosen, it would have been Pride and Prejudice or something like that. It was eleven o’ clock. I was tired. I slumped into the couch even more and closed my eyes. The music and dialogue of the movie continued to bleed through the mental wall I was trying to create to block it out. I shifted my position, ignored my brother’s complaint to sit still, and relaxed.
I landed softly into something white. My feet sunk into the fabric-y surface, and my palms grasped it to keep me from falling over. I sat down immediately to investigate.
The ground was soft and fuzzy, filled with beans. If I poked it, it bubbled back up like Memory Foam. It’s mushiness molded around my body, creating an incredibly comfortable seat. I smiled and laughed a little at it. Then I looked around myself.
Two walls of what looked like water were to my left and right. Looking up, I saw that they stretched upward forever. I could see into the liquidy stuff. It appeared as if I was above all the things that I was seeing, like on top of a little hill overlooking a city. I saw people. Places. Things. Nouns.
It was a little hard to make out exactly what was in the watery walls, as it is when you’re trying to find fish in a muddy, rushing river.
I was almost afraid to touch the walls; what if they immediately fell and encompassed my feet, my legs, my face?
I turned to the wall to the left of me. Gazing either way to the sides of me, it seemed to go on into the white forever. And, though everything that I could see besides the water walls was white, something seemed to fill the entire space. Something in the very atmosphere of this place, wherever it was.
I reached out and felt the air. It was smooth, like silk. I ran the palms of my hands all around me. The atmosphere of this most strange place was tangible. Even with my fascination of the air, I was still curious about the walls of liquid in front of and behind me.
Hesitantly, I placed one fingertip on the surface of a wall. It was wet. But when I took my finger away, it was dry.
I reached a minuscule bit further into the wall. My hand was wet as it came through the liquid, but then became dry. I realized that the wall was only a very thin layer: on the other side was all of the people and things that I could see. They weren’t in the water; they were behind it.
A strange sensation came over me as I reached into this wall. I began to relax. I wasn’t nervous or hesitant. I felt like whatever was on the other side of this wall was drawing me to it. My eyelids closed halfway. I smiled a small smile and my breath became slow. My arm continued to go through the wall until my shoulder felt the wetness.
A cry escaped from behind the other water wall. I snapped out of the spell that I was under and pulled my arm from out behind the wall. On my hands and knees, I stared into the scene behind the other wall. I saw people in a room, sitting on some furniture, watching a big black box. One of the people, a lady, had cried the cry. Another figure on the couch who was slumped down in the seat jerked a little and then settled back into it’s original position. This person interested me. I reached my hand into the wall.
A different sensation ran through my arm and to my brain. It spiked energy into me. It was also uncomfortable, compared to the feeling I had received from the other wall. I winced, but continued entering the liquid because of my curiosity. And then I tried something else that I hadn’t done before: I put my face into it.
The layer of water wall was thick enough that even with my entire face in it, there was still a little ways to go until I would actually be seeing the other side. I pressed on.
Now, most of my body was behind the wall. My bum and feet still had to come through, but for the moment, I was looking at the people. The figure who was slumped into the couch seemed familiar. I squinted to try to make out what the face was; on this hill, things were still a little blurry.
I put my hand forward, and slipped. I rolled and rolled and rolled
I started.
The movie was over, and my family was gathering their tired selves together to get to bed. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, though there wasn’t much. I figured it was because I had already been staring at consciousness for a while, now.
Or, at least it seemed so.
I was eager to return to my subconsciousness. I wanted to sleep, and rest, and dream.
But yet, softly, vaguely, my mind thought something else.
I just wanted to search behind the other wall.
This is it. This is where you go when you're drifting.
Drifting
The movie we were watching was uninteresting. If I could have chosen, it would have been Pride and Prejudice or something like that. It was eleven o’ clock. I was tired. I slumped into the couch even more and closed my eyes. The music and dialogue of the movie continued to bleed through the mental wall I was trying to create to block it out. I shifted my position, ignored my brother’s complaint to sit still, and relaxed.
I landed softly into something white. My feet sunk into the fabric-y surface, and my palms grasped it to keep me from falling over. I sat down immediately to investigate.
The ground was soft and fuzzy, filled with beans. If I poked it, it bubbled back up like Memory Foam. It’s mushiness molded around my body, creating an incredibly comfortable seat. I smiled and laughed a little at it. Then I looked around myself.
Two walls of what looked like water were to my left and right. Looking up, I saw that they stretched upward forever. I could see into the liquidy stuff. It appeared as if I was above all the things that I was seeing, like on top of a little hill overlooking a city. I saw people. Places. Things. Nouns.
It was a little hard to make out exactly what was in the watery walls, as it is when you’re trying to find fish in a muddy, rushing river.
I was almost afraid to touch the walls; what if they immediately fell and encompassed my feet, my legs, my face?
I turned to the wall to the left of me. Gazing either way to the sides of me, it seemed to go on into the white forever. And, though everything that I could see besides the water walls was white, something seemed to fill the entire space. Something in the very atmosphere of this place, wherever it was.
I reached out and felt the air. It was smooth, like silk. I ran the palms of my hands all around me. The atmosphere of this most strange place was tangible. Even with my fascination of the air, I was still curious about the walls of liquid in front of and behind me.
Hesitantly, I placed one fingertip on the surface of a wall. It was wet. But when I took my finger away, it was dry.
I reached a minuscule bit further into the wall. My hand was wet as it came through the liquid, but then became dry. I realized that the wall was only a very thin layer: on the other side was all of the people and things that I could see. They weren’t in the water; they were behind it.
A strange sensation came over me as I reached into this wall. I began to relax. I wasn’t nervous or hesitant. I felt like whatever was on the other side of this wall was drawing me to it. My eyelids closed halfway. I smiled a small smile and my breath became slow. My arm continued to go through the wall until my shoulder felt the wetness.
A cry escaped from behind the other water wall. I snapped out of the spell that I was under and pulled my arm from out behind the wall. On my hands and knees, I stared into the scene behind the other wall. I saw people in a room, sitting on some furniture, watching a big black box. One of the people, a lady, had cried the cry. Another figure on the couch who was slumped down in the seat jerked a little and then settled back into it’s original position. This person interested me. I reached my hand into the wall.
A different sensation ran through my arm and to my brain. It spiked energy into me. It was also uncomfortable, compared to the feeling I had received from the other wall. I winced, but continued entering the liquid because of my curiosity. And then I tried something else that I hadn’t done before: I put my face into it.
The layer of water wall was thick enough that even with my entire face in it, there was still a little ways to go until I would actually be seeing the other side. I pressed on.
Now, most of my body was behind the wall. My bum and feet still had to come through, but for the moment, I was looking at the people. The figure who was slumped into the couch seemed familiar. I squinted to try to make out what the face was; on this hill, things were still a little blurry.
I put my hand forward, and slipped. I rolled and rolled and rolled
I started.
The movie was over, and my family was gathering their tired selves together to get to bed. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, though there wasn’t much. I figured it was because I had already been staring at consciousness for a while, now.
Or, at least it seemed so.
I was eager to return to my subconsciousness. I wanted to sleep, and rest, and dream.
But yet, softly, vaguely, my mind thought something else.
I just wanted to search behind the other wall.
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