Oct. 25, 2009 - Sorry.....
Ah, what can I say? I've been gone for an inordinate amount of time. No one is probably even checking this blog anymore, but...
It's October. The last week of October, to be exact, and for me, being a NaNoer, it means....hmm....chaos? Insanity? Breaking nails while playing the piano?
The issue is the fact that I must rail out 50,000 words in a single month. This involves planning. Lots of it.
Firstly, and most obviously, I have to somehow find a way to create a world that I can promptly immerse myself in (plot-planning, character development, map drawing...) For me, this means internet name generators. Such things in themselves are one of the greatest proofs against micro-evolution; after spending hours clicking through tons of trash to find the few gems, the idea that random chemicals could assemble themselves into intelligent humans without any design seems utterly ridiculous. Random combinations can't hardly produce a decent name, much less your eyeball. No, name generators are not the magic cure for all your naming difficulties, I learned. After throwing out the spontaneously generated junk, I then had to sift through everything else to find names that don't look like they were spat out of a mindless, unimaginative machine....even though they were....and then try and match those with the cultures of the world.
Needless to say, my characters will not be visiting many towns.
Secondly, I must keep my parents happy so that they will let me write like a maniac, scream at my computer, and argue with my characters when they get antsy. This involves three things: Cleaning my room, staying on top of my schoolwork, and not skipping getting out to exercise.
The 'cleaning my room' was finished tonight, despite the blanket/pillow redistribution difficulties, the complex relocation of multiple other objects such as clothes, and the fact that, despite the fact that my room is overflowing with books, no matter, my dad thinks, If she is studying Greek, then of course she needs all three two-inch-thick volumes of the Expositor's Greek New Testament ready to hand! This has decommissioned my electric keyboard to an extent.
Staying on top of schoolwork is 'easier' do I dare say? Perhaps not. To stay on top, I find it necessary to get ahead, and that means that instead of typing this, I should probably be deciding whether to curl up with 'Last of the Mohicans' a well-written adventure set during the French and Indian war that is NOTHING like the (lovely) movie that bears the same name and uses the same characters/setting, or drink tea with 'On the Right to Rebel,' which is a forty-page sermon discussing the circumstances under which Christians are not only permitted but obligated to revolt against their government. And that's not considering Con Law cases, Greek, Humanities, Algebra, Quote Test Making, or the Biology that is slowly consuming my life-blood into its already gore-filled pages (I am the third student this book as attacked). Hm. Good think we're ahead on that pamphlet project...
Of course, I could always combine reading some of this stuff and walking...although people walking around with their noses in books are libel to trip, crash into other people, get weird looks, be ambushed by Orcs, or all of those at once. Which could become awkward. The other option is to be a hermit, dedicate the rest of my teenage life to the accumulation of knowledge (half of which I will use but rarely), and become an eccentric nutcase who dances to the soundtracks from old westerns, wears costumes half the time, and enjoys listening to the teacher that all the rest of her classmates hate.
Or I could just admit that the second option describes me pretty well and add the first option to it...minus the Orcs.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go work on the formulation of conclusions.
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Jul. 19, 2009 - *busts in*
Grace and peace to you in the Lord.
I am here to inform you of the happy fact that I will be gone to KAMP for a whole week!!! (And no, I didn't spell that wrong when it comes to the name of the camp.) In about twelve hours, I will be tearing around in a large open space with about 200 other people, laughing hysterically, kicking up dust, and crashing into everyone. Fun stuff.
The theme of the camp this year is 'Alive Together'. So I'm not just looking forward to fun games with old and new friends, but some awsome classes with awsome teachers that will bring my faith another step forwards. Or maybe even several steps. That's what I love about this camp. They never water anything down. I'm hoping this will lead to some thinker posts, rather than the craziness I normally write.
Well, I must go finish my packing! See ya!
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Jun. 22, 2009 -
1.Dogs or cats? Cats.
2.Fish or chicken?(for eating) Chicken
3.Aquatic animals, or land animals? Land
4.If u were 10 ft tall, what would be the first thing u would do? Get a helmet so I wouldn't hurt myself when I ran into doorframes..... :)
5.Favorite channel? Our TV kinda died recently....
6.Favorite number? 45....at the moment
7.Favorite band? ZOE Girl
8.Favorite singer? Singers. The Celtic Women
9.Favorite actress? *shrugs*
10.Favorite actor? I don't know.
11.Favorite book? I have to pick one??? Nooooo...... Fine. I...uh...InkheartLordoftheRingsNarniaEragonBrisingerTheDoorWithinPrideand PrejudiceDoHardThingsActsFirstSamuelLukeHebrews.
12.Favorite season(time of yr.) Winter
13.Favorite animal(s)? Cats...and horses.
14.Favorite color? Rose...or Dark Green.
15.Favorite blog on here? *bites lip* I can't choose!
16.Least favorite color? Dirty Yellow...or Orange
17.Least favorite number? 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 because I can't read it.
18.Favorite movie? Probably Lord of the Rings
19. Favorite song? The Sky the Dawn and the Sun....or You Get Me....or maybe....
20. Favorite place 2 be when writing a song:(if u write songs) My room.
21.Favorite place ot be when ur mad? Generally by myself, so I can calm down and not do anything I'll regret.
22.Favorite person to talk to when ur down? Someone who is in a good mood, but not overly so.
23.Favorite place ot be when ur crying? Depends on what I'm crying about.
24.Favorite person to tell anything to? God
25.Favorite day of the week? Normally, Saturday. During Bible Bowl, Wednesday because of Bible Bowl and chocolate and chapter headings duels! YEEEESSSSS!
26.Favorite month? Decemeber or January.
27.Favorite day of the yr.? Depends on the year
28.Favorite radio station? KLOVE
29. Favorite hour in the day? 7:00 PM
30. Favorite meal of the day? Uhhhhhhh.....
31.What is a basic day in the life of U? Wake up, fall out of bed, do my devo (hopefully), get dressed, do a few stretches, eat breakfast, do schoolwork (or read) eat lunch, goof off on the computer and chat, write on my books, read more, eat supper, get on the computer more if I can or read, go to bed, mutter darkly at the neighbors, and try to sleep.
32.Are you described to ur frenz as crazy? As a general rule.
33.Favorite website? I don't have a favorite at this point.
34.Favorite youtube video? *bites lip* ummmmm uh....
35.Favorite family member? KC...or The Jeff...or Bookie.....
36.Favorite sport? Volleyball.
37. Name 5 things u would want to do when u grow up:
1. Get a book or two published
2. Get married
3. Be a mom
4. Get in a massive debate with...someone...
5. Live in a castle
38. Name 10 things that make u laugh:
1. My friends
2. My siblings
3. My dad
4. The nutcase guys in my history class
5. My uncle
6. The 1245 class
7. My cousins
8. Random parts of books
9. Clean comedy
10. My parents talking
39.Name 10 things u do everyday:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Write
4. Battle my hair
5. Mentally debate someone/thing
6. Read
7. Look over the letters to the editor in the local paper
8. Throw clothes on the floor
9. Laugh at my parents when they loose their nouns
10. Laugh 'evilly'
40. Name 5 things that u never leave home w/out:
1. PANTS! (or skirt)
2. Glasses
3. A gum wrapper (they lurk constantly in my pockets)
4. My brain
5. A pen or pencil
41. What is ur parents names? Mom and Dad
42. What is ur middle name? Ann Marie
43.Is ur middle name embarressing? It was when I couldn't spell it.
44. Is this tag 'awesome'? I dunno
45. When is ur bedtime? 10:30 pm
46. Where were u born? Colorado
47. Are you weird? Naturally.
48. Are ur family members supportive of u? Yep.
49. Do u write music? Kind of. I rarely get it on paper.
50. Do u play any instraments? Piano, Gitaur....I'm learning banjo...
I tag....Fairywings
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Jun. 18, 2009 - Stolen Lunch
This may or may not be true, but it's still funny. Got it in an email.....
A man is walking through the zoo when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to devour her right in front the little girl’s screaming parents.
The man runs to the cage, hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back letting go of the girl and the man returns her to her terrified parents.
A reporter has seen the whole scene and says to the rescuer: ‘Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life.’
‘Why, it was nothing,’ said the man. ‘Really, the lion was behind bars and I knew God would protect me just as He did Daniel in the lions den long, long ago. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt was right.’
‘I noticed a bible in your pocket. Are you a Republican?’ asked the journalist..
‘Yes, and I’m a Christian on my way to a Bible study,’ the man replies.
‘Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed… I’m a journalist and tomorrow’s paper will have this on the front page. The journalist leaves.
The following morning the man buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads on first page: “Right Wing Republican Christian Fundamentalist Assaults African Immigrant and Steals His Lunch."
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May. 13, 2009 - YDTG
Edit:
This is a really great post!!! Very funny, but quite logical. Obama Wasn't the First Black President!.
~*~*~*~
Yes. It's happened. Even to me. Now I must wear black and veil my face for the rest of my life. Why? I'm a potential domestic terrorist. A threat to the peace...(well, you knew THAT already.)
Shocking, no?
"What could of brought you to this?" you ask. The answer? The Department of Homeland Security.
Now I have to figure out whether dad put the fence up to keep out the dogs, the boys, or the FBI. I'm such a troublemaker.
Now, for a quizzy!! Mentally check all that apply.
[ ] You are a verteran, especially from Iraq or Afghanistan.
[ ] You think the government taxes you too much.
[ ] You believe in smaller government.
[ ] You attended a tea-party rally.
[ ] You believe in the Second Amendment.
[ ] You believe that life begins at conception.
[ ] You voted for Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, or any other Republican candidate.
[ ] You disagree with the current administration.
[ ] You listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, etc.
[ ] You watch Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, etc.
[ ] You pray/believe in God.
Guess what! If you checked any of those, and especially if you checked several of those, you are a potential domestic terrorist and a threat to the peace. Just like me. Just like about half the nation or more.
Yes, the world has gone crazy.
Anyway, welcome to the Young Domestic Terrorists Guild! If that up there is how domestic terrorists are defined, we gotta be domestic terrorists in ernest, my friends, and strive to support each other.
Happy terrorizing!
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Apr. 15, 2009 - Tea in the Sea
So, I was at a Tea Party rally today. Those of you who didn't go missed out BIG TIME, and I feel sorry for you. I didn't take many pictues; I was too involved listening to the speakers and yelling at the top of my lungs. However, here is a link to a 40 sec. vid that I took at the beginning of the rally. When I took the video, it was gauged that there were about 2,000 people there, and more were coming in, so it probably leveled out at about 3,000.
It went off very well. We had been concerned that some nutcases would try to cause violence to make us look bad, but nothing happened. The protest was very peaceful, but still very exciting. This is only the beginning.
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Apr. 10, 2009 - Ah, what a beautiful tapestry!!
Indeed!! I mean, it's not everyone who has a translucent curtain that has been decorated with red and beige paints in the best abstract style hanging at the end of their kitchen. This fantastical drapery is supported by rustic beams and pillers and sways gently in every breeze. And ah! what can I say of the wall beyond it? Half lavender, half brown and cream - the epitome of a perfect union between the early 20th and 21st centuries.
But no matter how I put it, the fact still remains that part of our kitchen is seperated by the rest by a huge, paint-splattered, plastic sheet held up only by the virtue of a few precarious 2X4s. Half of the east wall, which was lavender, has been ripped off, exposing the old lath and plaster and the new insulation.
I prefer to look on the brighter side of things however, even if the kitchen is now quite squashed. I mean, when you're family is taking out the lath and plaster and you are chatting on the internet, it's always fun to text-yell, "GAAAA!!! My mother is ripping out the walls!!" and see how many people are shocked and horrified.
My mother says she likes the smaller kitchen, although I, quite frankly, find it annoying. Pulling the kitchen table one way to wash the dishes and the other way to take things out of the oven gets frustrating at times. But I must say that the coziness has not been without pleasentry, and reaching across the table for the salt has gotten easier since that center leaf of the table got taken out.
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Mar. 25, 2009 - Homeschoolery
You know you're a home schooler if...
Growing up/now
[X] Own/have owned a denim jumper
[] You were at least 13 when you got your first "trendy" haircut (I've never had a trendy haircut)
[X] Everything in your closet at some time was referred to as modest
[X] You do/have tucked things in that shouldn't be tucked in
[] You have been a member of at least 3 co-ops
[X] You were a true 16 and never been kissed
[] Your mom drives a van of some sort.
[X] You have at least one childhood picture where you, your mom, and all your siblings matched
[] You are/were/will be a PSEO Student
[X] At some point in your life you were more comfortable with adults than kids your own age
[X] Have studied ways to defend your beliefs, debate, and/or create laws
[X] Used uber conservative aBecka curriculum
[X] You use big words that most adults could not use in conversation
[] You can use the words sublime, epiphany, and cognizant correctly
[X] You have a favorite word. (currently it's 'Capricious')
[X] You have an understanding of Latin root words and how to use them
[X] People from the outside world are referred to as "public schoolers"
[X] You or one of your siblings knits.
[X] You laugh at the decline in literacy in America
[X] You score constantly higher than "public schoolers" on standardized tests.
[X] You have no concept of cafeteria food
[X] Family vacations are/ can be referred to as "Field Trips"
[X] Traveling on said vacations have included stopping at historical site markers along the way
[X] You have never been in a public elementary school, middle school, or high school during regular school hours (any or all of the above)
[X] You have gone to or been involved in a homeschool convention
[X] You read books on a regular basis
[] You have taken part in a political protest
[] You were a Pride and Prejudice fan before the movie
[] You were a Lord of the Rings fan prior to the movie
[X] You were a Chronicles of Narnia fan before the movie
[] You speak a language other than English (does Gibberish count??)
[X] You dream of dating characters from books instead of celebrities (Mr. Darcy.....*faints*)
It has been assumed that you...
[] Have won many spelling bees
[X] Have no social life
[] Have no friends of the opposite gender
[] Are extremely inept
[] Only listen to classical music
[X] Play piano or the violin (I do play piano, acutally)
[] Do not own a pair of trendy jeans.
[] Have no knowledge of drugs or alcohol
[X] Don't date, only court.
[X] Have never been to a "party"
[X] Know no other beliefs other than what your family believes
You have been asked more than 10 times in your life:
[] If you wear pajamas to school
[] If you get perfect grades because your mom grades you
[] If your mom teaches you or if somebody else's mom does
[X] How do you meet people
[X] Why you aren't in school
[X] If you get days off whenever you want
[] If you're going to be homeschooled through college
[] If you have a big family
[] What your parents are protecting you from
[] To quote something famous
[X] For the answer, because supposedly homeschoolers always have all the answers
You have "rebelled" by:
[] Listening to "worldly music"
[] Wearing black fingernail polish
[] Wearing tight clothes or letting your midriff show or showing off what color of boxers you are wearing
[] Watching a *gasp* PG-13 movie
[] Breaking dress code
[] Listening to music with a beat (Christian or otherwise)
[X] Dancing. Especially dances that involve contact for longer than 2 seconds. With somebody of the opposite gender. (Exactly how old does this 'person of the opposite gender' have to be?)
Post this on your blog and check the thigns that apply to you!
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Feb. 26, 2009 - An Old Green Book
Some of them were green, others maroon. Their ribbon bookmarks were frayed, their backs were tattered, the pages were folded, waterstained and, occasionally, scribbled on. I often wished for other song-books than the ones we had - ones like the other church buildings had, with dark blue covers and lovely gold writing embossing the sophisticated-looking title.
I got my wish.
Yes, the old, battered hymnbooks were packed neatly into boxes and put away. I liked the new songbooks. They smelled of fresh print. They were filled with the newer songs, songs that I liked. No matter that my father and his peers were complaining about the loss of the older songs. The old songs were nice, yes, but these new songs were so pretty!
Still, I missed the old singing. The congregation that we had joined could barely carry a tune in a bucket, not to mention the four-part harmony that I had grown up with and loved. Why, I wondered. Then I realized - they didn't have the music to follow! Even before I could read, Grandma had set me on her lap, taken my hand in her's, and carefully directed my first finger to point to each word as we sang it. When I could read, I followed the words myself. Soon after, I learned to read music, and I could make sense out of the notes. Here, these poor people had no loving grandmother to direct their fingers to each word, no piano teacher to unlock the mysteries of staffs, notes, key signatures, pitches, rests, and all other things musical. All they had were big yellow letters on a screen above the stage. When you sing acapella, this spells disaster. Needless to say, my musician's ears twitched at the sounds that came from the congregation. I figured out why music was never given to us - all the songs were meant to be sung with instruments. As I realized that, I realized that we, if we were to sing acapella, must return to the songs that were meant to be sung by voice alone, and my eye fell on the boxes that held those old song-books.
This whole line of reasoning took around three years to complete. By the time it had finally been straightened out, I was in history co-op. Our project was/is a play on the life of Charles Spurgeon. They needed two hymns to be sung acapella by the homeschool choir. I consented to find them and dug out the old songbooks.
These songs were to play the part of the soundtrack. As such, they needed to be picked carefully, with the same forthought as a composer would give when adding music to a movie. Their lyrics must complement the scenes during which they were sung. Which meant that I must not only thoroughly read the scene, but the songs as well. I started in the front of the song-book, scanning to find hymns that I knew from my childhood of singing. My knowledge began with #2.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depth of His love,
And covers me there with his hand.
I was familiar with the book, and knew that every song was much like this. I realized what I had done. I had just left a treasury of many of the greatest hymns in the world to molder in a cardboard box beside the front door. I knew song 3, 6, 7, 8 9, 10... all in all, I could sing (though not from memory) at least 3/4 of the songs in the book. I quit looking for a song to match the scene. That could wait. For now, I needed to recover some lost heritage.
I cannot share the beautiful poetry of every one of those hymns with you, nor can I let you hear them sung as I heard them. All that I can tell you is that they are a musical catechism. They teach, they lift up, they pierce your very soul. And in the night, when the dark started getting creepier than it should, there was only one song on my lips.
Lord, we come before the now;
At Thy feet we humbly bow:
O do not our suit disdain;
Shall we seek Thee, Lord, in vain?
Lord, on The our souls depend:
In compassion now descend;
Fill our hearts with Thy rich grace,
Tune our lips to sing Thy praise.
In Thine own appointed way,
Now we seek Thee, here we stay:
Lord, we know not how to go,
Till a blessing Thou bestow.
Grant that all may seek and find
Thee a God supremely kind;
Heal the sick, the captive free;
Let us all rejoice in Thee.
I had not sung the song in years, but I, to my joy, remembered most of it. I quickly found that, prompted, I could sing at least the first verse of around 200+ hymns. The only wish that I had now was that I would be able to hear those songs sung by a congregation that knew singing. I considered for a moment and thought to myself, Fat chance around here! Either the congregations around here are instrumental or headed that way. Still, for this I prayed.
Then we got the call. A close friend of the family was at death's door and had but a few days more to remain on the earth. We decided to go and see him one last time. Last night, as our car sped through the darkness and I tried not to think of the disgusting side-effects of car-sickness, my mother dug out some tapes.
"I got these from a lady in the church," she said. "They're by Jerry Rushford, and in them, he talks about the history of some of the hymns. Is it okay with you two if I play them?"
Dad and I said yes, mom inserted the one of the tapes, and I heard that incredibly soothing sentence: "Please turn to number ----." (yes, that is soothing to me because it is so familiar.) Mr. Rushford is a storyteller. There's no other word for it. He told a story of a writer and the hymn he had just had the people turn to. Then he said, "Let's sing the first verse."
And I started crying.
Because there, swelling beautifully from the car speakers in the dark, were the songs that I grew up on and the stories of how they came to be. Until a few years ago, I hadn't known any other kinds of music. And compared to that singing, nothing else was music. We listened to every one of those tapes that night on the road, and my hitherto troubled soul settled down while I wondered, What made me think that God wouldn't provide a way for me to hear these again when I needed them most? Then, How could we loose this? Whatever in creation possessed us to lay this by for something else?
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Feb. 13, 2009 - New Template!!
I have been learning a lot of facinating new things about HTML lately and went on a blog-changing spree. None of my blogs have escaped my insanity - all have been modified. It took me a while to be happy with this one, but I like it now.
On other notes, I am quite excited. My history class is putting on a play, Light in the Fields, at the end of April. It's about the life of Charles Spurgeon. Because there aren't that many of us in the class, everyone but our lead actor has to play two or more different parts. This creates a lot head-scratching among the three girls in the class because we are doing the costume designing and whant to make it clear that the characters, though they are played by the same people, are different. So aside from digging up authentic costumes that reflect each character's social status and nature, we also have to have it where costumes are easy to change. It will deffinately be an adventure.
It's very interesting being the secretary for The Cluttered Desk. Especially when one author has written or is in the process of writing thirteen or fourteen books, another has eight or ten, you [me that is] have something like three or four, and the other has perhaps three, maybe more. Why is this so hard, you ask. I'm trying to compile a list, and not just any list. I wanted an exciting list that used pictures of old books with the new titles written on them. But now that I have around thirty titles staring me in the face, I'm thinking about doing things differently. And it doesn't help that I lost one of the lists. (Sorry, Theynore.)
Come to think of it, I should probably be doing research for my Argumentation class. Hmm. I've got four very hot topics to reasearch. It should be fun, but I should quit doing all my Tuesday homework on Monday. *blushes* Yes, I procrastinate. I'm a little too used to debating off the cuff. It doesn't help that one of my classmates made an embaressing comment in class last week that makes me a little wary of one of the topics. Nor does it help that my muses have been driving me crazy to write. And there I go, procrastinateing again and giving excuses at the same time.
You should glare at me so that I'll get scared and go and do my homework.
....
....
....
Harder???
....
....
Not that hard! Yipes! I'll go do it, I promise! *runs out to find notes*
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Jan. 19, 2009 - Bein' a Girl Ain't For Sissies
Whoever labeled girls as 'sissies' was someone who had not been a girl before, wasn't a girl then, and would never be a girl in the future - a boy. Admittedly, we can't do one decent push-up or chin up, and struggle through crunches and other such feats of strength that boys make their forte. HOWEVER, this does not mean that girls a wimps. We're just....wimps. *AHEM* You know what I mean.
But seriously! Being a girl involves alot of things, from hairstyles to managing a household. I'm going to have various post concerning such things from time to time on here, so stay tuned!
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Dec. 27, 2008 - Picking Favorites
Everyone has a favorite character in a book. Writers end up with favorite characters too. I have plenty of sweet, level-headed girls and dashing, heroic guys, all of whom I love, but I have ended up with a favorite character: Jasper Watson.
I often wondered why Jasper was my favorite character, and I finally realized that it was first because of the lesson that he taught me about trust several months ago and next because of the lesson on unconditional love he taught me more recently. These lessons are something that I want to share with you.
My dear authoress,
Here you go again, agonizing, wanting all the answers. You're as bad as Joshuel, maybe worse! Justyne, you've given me a very interesting life, and I am faced with many struggles. But I'm a character, and you are the authoress. Do you know what that means? That means that I know that you have an overall plan. Each thing is happening for a reason.
This is what I wanted to talk to you about. God is the greatest writer there has ever been! Just look at the Word and its complex plotline. This means, that you my authoress, are a character in God's manuscript. Everything is part of the plotline.
You, as a writer, expect your characters to trust you. You tell us that you know what you're doing. Think about that, and trust your Author. He knows what he's doing.
-Jasper
Jasper gives me that lecture a lot. Sometimes it's short, sometimes it's long. Being lectured by a character is humbling, but Japser's got a wonderful understanding of the situation and usually knows what I need to hear when.
Jasper's lesson on unconditional love cannot be shared without my giving away part of a side-plot, but at this point, I think it doesn't matter.
When Jasper and his sister Kaia are reunited, they are seperated by a religious gulf. Jasper follows the Lord, Kaia follows the gods. Jasper tells her that the gods are false, but he never crams anything down her throat.
That reminded me of God. He shows us the way, but he doesn't force us down it. He doesn't drag us kicking and screaming through the pearly gates, he holds them open and calls for us to come through.
Jasper keps on loving Kaia and protects her as much as she'll let him. But his love gets tough sometimes, as when he burns the tonics that she thinks she needs to take to get in contact with the gods.
God is the same way. He loves everyone and doesn't want to see them hurt. We often cast off his proffered protection, but it is always offered. Sometimes, God gets tough and won't let us have something that we want because he knows that it will hurt us.
The rest is easy. Kaia is angry at Jasper for burning her tonics. She tries to kill him, disowns him, and leaves to go back tgo a life of peganism. Still Jasper loves her. He finds her lying on the side of the road, bandages her wounds, and takes her back without a question.
God's relationship with mankind is easy to see there. Yes, Jasper is my favorite. He showed me God in a way I never intended when I wrote the story.
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Dec. 17, 2008 - Author Tag!!
Do you have a pen/pencil collection? How many of those are chewed? I do have a pencil collection. They sit in two places in my room and keep getting stolen by family members. I'm slowly amassing a collection of rolling ball-point pens (the BEST kind). My designated 'Science' pencil is knawed pretty ferociously. Sometimes I chew my pencils, as I think better when my jaws are moving, but I mostly nibble at my thumbnail, click my teeth or chew gum very loudly.
Do you prefer handwriting or typing furiously? I like both. It really depends on the story and even the scene. Some just come easier when they're handwritten. I've been trying to do more handwriting lately to improve my penmanship and spelling.
How often do you get inspiration? At odd times, mostly in the middle of classes when I can't write. Quotes, events, books, scenery all give me inspiration. Music too, although sometimes, instead of entire song, I'll be inspired by two notes or a broken minor chord.
Are you blogging this on a computer or laptop? The family computer. I'm going to get a laptop soon...I hope.
Do you get inspiration more in the early morning or late at night? Rarely early morning. Mid-morning, sometimes, and I generally write in the afternoon, evening and night. Most insparation comes when I can't put it to use.
Do certain movies/books/music inspire you? 'Narnia', 'Lord of the Rings', 'Ranger's Apprentice' and 'Jubal Sackett' all give me lots of inspiration. As for music, probably 'Mummer's Dance' and 'Mummer's Dance' the single version as well as most flowing piano solos and soundtracks, especially the Narnia ones.
How do you incorporate God into your stories? He's just there in the lives of many of my characters. The villans are, of course, godless. Lots of my characters go through spiritual journeys. It's not the main plot of any of my books, but it's an obvious side plot.
Do you kill off your villains or make them repent? I make up for rarely ever killing hero characters by mercilessly wiping out the villans. Except for one, whom I had go harmlessly insane. But mostly I like to plot their gory deaths.
Is the majority of your characters magical beings, humans or halflings? Or something else? My main characters are either human or mostly human. I have Elves and Nymphs, but they're always secondary characters or 'extras.'
What genre of writing are you most comfortable in? If you were to step out of your comfort zone, what would you write? Fantasy, for the most part. I like writing futuristic stuff and have dabbled in a little romance writing as well. If I were to step out of my comfort zone, I would write historical fiction. I like historical fiction, but I can't for the life of me write it because I feel like I'm not being true to history by doing so.
Do you work better alone or with someone else? It depends on the 'someone else' as well as the plot. Mostly, though, I prefer to work alone. I have enough trouble with my own multi-personalitied brain.
Do your stories make sense, or do they ramble wildly? I try to make them make sense, but sometimes I start rambling off into what the characters are doing in their everyday lives: Detailed discriptions of meals (and how exactly they were prepared), clothing (down the the smallest tie and button) the color of someone's hair, the way their eyes look, or the history of a place (with discriptions of all the things of note that happened there), history of weapons (who owned them, where/how they used them and what their lives were like, who they married, how many kids they had....) and other things that the story could do without.
Are your characters mostly Renegades, Peacekeepers or a mish-mash? Mostly peacekeepers, actually. I only really have two renegades: Steven and Joshuel, and they rebelled over a girl. Steven didn't want her, Josh did, I wanted it the other way around, and they weren't going to put up with my plans. Steven, well, he left, and I haven't heard from him since.
Are you a sucker for good grammar? Yeah, for the most part. Sometimes I use bad grammer when I'm in a mood for it, though.
How is your handwriting? Pretty neat, so long as I'm not writing fast and furious. Then it ends up looking more like some foreign language. I'm working on that, though.
How evil are your villains? They're pretty nasty fellows. I wouldn't want to be around them.
Are you long-winded or succinct? It really depends on the scene. Some scenes are written quickly, others are very detailed and careful.
Do you have typical "writer" traits such as inkstains on your fingers or a pencil behind your ear? Not so much inkstains, but I generally use hairstyles that allow me to thrust a pen or pencil through them so I can get to it easily.
Would someone walking past you on the street consider you normal? Ummm...I'm not quite normal, and I dress just a tad differently than everyone else, so they might consider me a little off my rocker.
Do you write mostly poetry, stories, novels or a mixture? I love writing novels, and I can write stories pretty well, when I get in the mood. And yes *blushes deeply* I write poetry. I rarely show it to anyone, though. It's either incredibly mushy and romantic or dramatic, last-stand, fight-to-the-death kind of stuff.
Do your characters vary in accents, appearence and attitude or are they mostly the same? They vary for the most part.
Do real people and/or places inspire your writing? Yep. The Rocky Mountains, Crag Crest Trail....
How many blogs/websites/internet haunts do you have? Let's see here...There's this blog, my Sarconian blog, the TruthSeeker blog, the EDITS blog, the blogjacked one, the Committees of Corespondence website, Poverty Flatts, and the Cluttered Desk, where I hang with my siblings. That makes...eight.
What is your favorite character? Or do you choose to remain unbiased in case of a revolt? Jasi!! Jasper is my favorite, along with Tucker.
Do you talk to your characters? Do they talk back? Yes, I talk to my characters all the time. Not out loud, for the most part, though. Joshuel, Jack, Melissa and Darcy and my villans all talk back. The others don't usually complain, except when I haven't written them for a while.
Are you more comfortable with girl or boy main characters? Depends on the book. I've written from both, but surprisingly enough, I gravitate towards boys as main characters with some supporting females.
Do you follow basic overused plotlines with new twists thrown in or do you depart from the norm all the time? Well, every time I think I have something new, someone else uses it. I like doing things as originally as possible, though, so I will discard scenes if I think they're too cliche'. I do like throwing new spins on old stuff, though, and some plot lines are timeless.
Do you feel God has called you to be a writer/poet? Will you grasp "the power of the pen"? I do feel like I was mean to be an authoress, and yes, I will grasp the pen's power.
If you are an author/ess and haven't done this tag...well...you're doing it now. HA! Off you go now, and have a lovely amount of fun!
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Nov. 29, 2008 - Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy....
*groan* She can bake a cherry pie, but there's no guarantee that she'll get the sugar measurement right.
My brother, his wife, his in-laws, and my parents and I all spend Thanksgiving together, so we collaberate as to who brings what to the meal/feast. This year, my end of the matter was supposed to bring potatoes, cranberry sauce and a fruit pie. I offered to make a cherry pie.
Thanksgiving morning was full of great excitement as mom and I moved about the kitchen getting our cooking done. I was singing the glories of oobleck and so got distracted while making the suger measurements. Cherry pie takes 1 1/2 cup of suger. It is added to the pie in halves; 3/4 cup before you cook the filling, 3/4 cup after the filling starts to bubble. But I (distracted by my ode to the amazingness of oobleck) added the full 1 1/2 cup and mixed in the corn starch before I noticed what I was doing.
I hate throwing stuff out and starting over again, so I began to rack my brain for a way to save my poor cherry pie. And then I had it! Since 1 1/2 cup of suger was twice the measurement that was asked by the recipe, I could simply double everything else and make TWO cherry pies instead of one. And who was going to protest to that? I mean, we LIKE cherry pie!
My problem solved, I measured out everything else (properly) and broke out the recipe for pie crust. The pie crust making went without a glitch and I soon had my two pies in the oven. At this point, my tale of two pies becomes very anti-climactic because nothing else happened. I took the pie to Thanksgiving dinner where it was recieved and devoured in great joy and happiness.
I sighed happily as I ate it and wondered why in all of creation the people writing the recipe didn't put 3/4 + 3/4 cup suger instead of 1 1/2 cup suger. Who knows? I don't make cherry pie that much, so I'll probably forget next time too. But hey, I'll be prepared for any surprise company!
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Nov. 16, 2008 - A Must See Portion of the Movie 'Come What May'.
This is a moot court scene where a PHC student is requesting the 'court' to overturn Row v. Wade. As he is arguing against Row. v. Wade in a moot court room, his mother argues for Row. v. Wade before the supreme court. It is a Must-see, as is the movie it comes from: 'Come What May'.
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Nov. 4, 2008 - A long post including Awards, Tags, and Deep Thoughts
Well, first things first. I was give the 'I Love Your Blog' Award by Isilwen.
I'm passing it on to..... Brielle at Brielle's Costumes. Her costumes are always AMAZING and very beautiful.
Annnnddd....TAGGED by Theynore!
1. If you were to describe yourself as a color, what would it be?: Forest Green
2. What is your favorite animal?: Cats...or horses.
3. What is your favorite musical instrument?: Piano, although I am quite fond of the fiddle and the harp.
4. Do you have a favorite number?: It varries with my mood, but right now I like 1,776
5. Roller coasters or boat rides?: BOAT RIDES.
6. If you were an animal, what would you be?: A...horse, probably a big clydesdale
7. What coin best describes you?: Um....a dime?
8. Do you like tags?: Yes!
9. Do you wish this tag would end?: Joshuel does, but I don't
10. Morning or evening?: Evenings
11. Mugs or just plain cups?: Mugs...or pretty tea cups, or goblets, but not plain cups
12. Describe yourself as a...INFJ
13. fiction or non-fiction?: Can't decide! I like em both
14. Do you wish you were somewhere else?: Sarconia...or 18th century America, when Americans knew what they were about.
15. Do you like candy or do you not like candy?: And why exactly would a person NOT like candy!!
I tag…Hmmm...I don't know. GraceElizabeth, I guess.
Now. For the Deep Thoughts.
Not long ago, I heard a former North Vietman POW speak about his experience. Mom and Dad wanted me to get my picture taken with him. As we stood there, smiling at the camea, he asked me, "Will you take care of my country?"
"Yes," I replied. Why would I not? But now those words echo hauntingly in my ears.
A soldier in tattered homespun, blood in the tracks left by his rag-wrapped feeet, leans on his scarred musket, gazes at me with hollow eyes that still have their fire despite their owner's starved condition and whispered through cracked and bleeding lips: "Will you take care of my country?"
A boy who lied about his age to get into the army lays on a battlefield, his blood slowly soaking into the ground, his uniform so dirty that none can tell whether it is blue or gray. He locks me in a gaze made anctient by war and asked in a failing voice, "Will you take care of my country?"
A doughboy lays under the barbed wire in No Man's land, shrapnel riddling the ground around him, never hearing the shell that bears his name. His eyes slowly glaze over as he sofly murmmurs, "Will you take care of my country?"
A soldier crouches on the beaches of Normandy, wondering if the next crawl to cover will end his life. He gazed across the years, wondering how the war will end and what will come of it. He tense himself for the next dashed and mutters to no one in particular, "Will you take care of my country?"
A pilot getting ready to start a bombing run on a North Korean bridge looks back across the sea and thinks of the people back home. "Will you take care of my country?" he asks them.
I stand there with former POW Ron Knutson's arm around my shoulders, haunted by the ranks of men who rise before my eyes from the past, asking in one great voice, "Will you take care of our country? We gave all we had, then passed the torch to you. Are you going to let it go out?"
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Nov. 1, 2008 - Such Beautiful Music
I and my dad were ushers for a chior concert tonight. I was wearing my black dress that I made for my brother's wedding, and Dad was all snazzed up in his dress pants, vest, tie, suit coat and cuff links. Cuff links. I don't think I'd ever seen my dad with cuff links.
Anyway, after escorting people to their seats, Mom, Dad and I all went and sat down (being ushers, we had free seats, which was nice, since tickets were $16.00. Most of the music the chior sang was accapella. They started out with 'Evening Song to God' by Haydn, which was accompanied by the piano. Then they did 'Missa brevis', also by Hayden with an organ and a string quartet. They also did Rachmaninoff's 'Vespers', numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10,14, and 15. My favorite song, however, was 'Water Night' by Eric Whitacre. Click here and go to the last song on the list to hear it. The lyrics make no sense, but they are very beautiful.
Water Night
Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
night with the eyes of water in the field asleep is in your eyes
a horse that trembles in your eyes of secret water
Eyes of shadow sater, eyes of well water, eyes of dream water
Silence and solitude, two little animals moon-led
drink in your eyes, drink in those waters.
If you open your eyes night opens doors of musk,
the secret kingdom of the water opens
flowing from the center of the night.
And if you close your eyes, a river, a silent and beautiful current,
fills you from within, flows forward, forward, darkens you.
Night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.
Like I said, they make little sense, but the song is haunting. Accapella music nearly, if not at its best.
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Oct. 19, 2008 - They've got me! AAHHHHHHHH!!!
Tagged by Kantare...
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog. Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six people at the end of your post.
Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
1. I have a strange attraction to walls and floors. (During basketball camp or volleyball season, I am usually the person on the floor at the end of the play, and at Church Camp, I will wake up to find myself huddled against the wall.)
2. I didn't read a fantasy until I was twelve and now I'm WRITING fantasy.
3. I'm a 1 Samuel Jonathan fangirl.
4. I love bluegrass music.
5. I can run a record player.
6. I can read a full 200-300 page novel in one day, given enough reading time.
I'm tagging...Ness.
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Oct. 10, 2008 - The Thank You Award and the Contagious Blog Award
Well, I got these awards a little while back and have neglected to pass them on until now.
The Thank You Award
Kantare and all those people over at YBS (Young Bible Scholars)
(This is going to be a bit long - bear with me please)
The crazy, nose-to-the-grindstone study of Bible Bowl was over. The adrinaline rush of the testing in Abilene had died away, and I was looking at three months of spiritual suffocation. And then YBS popped up.
I had a foundation for my faith, but my faith wasn't really mine. The foundation was moldering. I didn't agree with the people on YBS in all points of doctrine, but that was a good thing. Suddenly, I was challenged. I couldn't just believe something, I had to know WHY I believed it.
Three months of impending spiritual starvation turned into three months of spiritual education. I began studying, trying to find out wether or not my beliefs had a basis. One of the things we discussed/debated was the necessity of baptism in salvation. I don't think I convinced anyone on YBS, but the more I studied, the more I became convicted that baptism was necessary. On July the 20th of this year, my older brother baptized me.
It is for this that I would like to thank the folks on YBS. Without you guys, I would never have reached the level of spiritually maturity that I am at now, nor would I have surrendered my life to God. They've also given me an education in Calvinism that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten. Thank you, guys!!!!
The Contagious Blog Award
Isilwen
You have such a cool blog, Isilwen! I've loved reading your stories and posts and chatting with you. I hope our plans for meeting in November work out!
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Sep. 24, 2008 - Justyne + Standard Jeep = Mild Whiplash
I was going to get my permit. Was. But not now...yet. I found out that fifteen-year-olds have to take a course thingy or wait until they're sixteen. I looked at the dates that the courses were availble and decided to wait until I was sixteen. But, of course, that doesn't mean that I don't drive.
My 'driver's ed' started a couple years ago as I learned things like 'don't jerk the wheel or you'll probably roll the vehicle'. I've driven Dad's automatic jeep around on what we call the Hunter Property (it's part of old Indian hunting grounds and we sometimes find arrowheads out there). And most recently, Mom has started me driving the car. After a few weeks of hotrodding around the church parking lot at 5 mph, Dad decided that I was having it too easy and stuck me in the other jeep. Not the white jeep. Not the jeep wrangler that belonged to my brother (the one I want to drive when I get my licence). The other jeep. The yellow one. The one that isn't an automatic. The standard jeep.
Dad towed the yellow jeep out to the Hunter property on the trailer behind the white jeep. Now, the Hunter Property has no paved roads, just slightly rough dirt ones. You don't tow jeeps on trailers down them safely, especially through the gully. So guess who gets to drive the yellow jeep down to the 'doughnut' (the place where the road ends in a big circle)? Me. By myself. And I'd only driven the yellow jeep once before.
Dad sets off down the road in the white jeep, still towing the trailer. I gulp, push in the clutch, and shift to 1st gear. I was familiar with the road, so it wasn't extreamly hard except for the gear shifting part. I'm used to shifting from 'park' to 'drive', not 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th and so on but, shifting at slow intervals, I made it up to 4th before I killed the engine. After going through the gully on 1st, I decided that whoever had come up with automatics was my VERY good friend.
We left the white jeep at the doughnut and took off through the sage in the yellow jeep. The sage is bumpier than it looks like when you are looking at or walking on it. We jounced along until we got to the road. It took we a little bit to actually get on the road, *cough* but once I was on it, I stayed on it for the most part. I'm not a bad driver, I just don't have the 'dodge the overhanging tree branch' thing down yet. We left the jeep in low gear and just went on down the road. I was used to this sort of thing, so I didn't have too much trouble (except with those silly trees that grow rediculously close to the road). We went down through a big gully, but as we were coming up out of it, the sun was in my eyes. It was also reflecting off the dirty windshield. I knew there was a turn, but I couldn't see where it was. I was nervous. Then my arm hit the horn (which is more sensitive than those I have previously worked with) and the blaring noise echoed across the...umm...wherever we were. I totally freaked out. And killed the engine.
Dad decided that it was time to get out and clean off the windshield. By the time we were done walking around, cleaning the windshield and getting some water to drink, the sun was behind a cloud and I could see where I was going. Getting a standard started isn't easy. You let off the cluch somewhat and then push on the accelerator once it gets going but then you don't let off the cluch entirely until you're well on your way or something like that. It's horridly complicated and took me about five or six tries before I managed to get the jeep to lurch forward and head on down the road.
We drove around for a while, and Dad wanted to take me out on the point, but I declined. There is a right angle turn up on the top, and if you miss it, it's a fast trip down to the river. Cliff edges make me nervous when I'm in vehicles. They make me nervous most of the time, although not so much when I'm on my own two feet. So we didn't go out to the point. After a while, we came back to the doughnut and went home.
I think it went well, but Dad had a backache that night. I did, a little bit. The roads are deeply rutted and very bumpy, as there are rocks sticking out and stuff. The jeep trails back there aren't really hard, though, just rough...especially when you're with me. :)
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