Oct. 1, 2009 - Can You Guess?

Just for fun, can anyone guess what this is?

P.S.  This is NOT a contest.

Copyright 2009 Defective Compositions

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Aug. 7, 2009 - Krispy Kreme

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Jul. 17, 2009 - Nifty Forums!

I have been joining some forums lately, and really enjoying them!  I want to share them with you, because they are so neat!

The first one is Homeschool Alumni.  I have often lamented the lack of activities and functions that include homeschool graduates.  Everyone seems to think that once you have graduated high school, you go on to college.  For those of us who don't, I guess we are just supposed to fade away. 

Just kidding!

Anyway, Homeschool Alumni is a great forum for homeschool graduates to get together, meet new people, play silly forum games, discuss interesting topics, and encourage and bless one another.  I have really loved it, so you are a homeschool graduate and like that kind of thing, you should go check it out!  At least swing by and take a peek at my profile.  :P

The second forum I am excited about is the new Rememberance Press Forum!  I haven't been on it long, but already I think it is really neat!  I can't wait to start looking around more!  If you decide to join, make sure to add me as a buddy!

I'll see you around!

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Jul. 13, 2009 - Eyebright's Bloodsucking Insect

::Note::
I will not be posting A Young Maidens Daybook for several weeks.  We are in the process of moving, and I don't want to be tied down by having to post Mondays.  I will hopefully get back to it soon.

Packing boxes is actually rather boring.  Stacking boxes is boring.  Moving boxes gets quite monotonous. 

So, one day, after being extremely silly with Bluejane, and perusing my "new" pocket dictionary, I discovered the word Flea.  The minute description said, "bloodsucking insect".

For some reason, that just set the two of us off into gales of giggles.  We found it uproariously funny.  So, in a fit of ridiculous humor, I scribbled, Eyebright's Bloodsucking Insect, on a HUGE box.

I figured it would provide some amusement to packers, stackers, and movers. 

Later on, I realized that I didn't have the foggiest idea what was in that box.  It was my stuff, I know that, but what of my stuff...

I do have the satisfaction of knowing that it did bring smiles to my family.  Mommy and Daddy were slightly disgusted with me, but the boys and Bluejane thought it was hilarious.  As we moved the box into the shed, it was announced to all the world, "Here comes, Eyebright's Bloodsucking Insect!" 

Bluejane and I still tried to make our descriptions on the boxes interesting, but from then on, we made sure that we (hopefully) labeled the box so that it was known what was inside it.

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Jul. 2, 2009 - Our Local Homeschool Group

Our homeschool group is amazing.  Actually, it is the best homeschool group that I have ever been a part of.  I just realized, as we are preparing for our move, that I'm not going to be able to take that totally awesome group with me. 

Granted, there may be a perfectly wonderful group in our new location, but it won't be the same.  I will have to get to know everyone first, and what if they turn out to be one of those goofy groups that encourages the help of the state in their homeschool. 

Or maybe they will be a group of what we call "public school homeschoolers".  For those of you who don't know this term, it means, loosely, a homeschooler who looks, acts, and talks like a public schooler.  Their education may be based at home, but their hearts are in the same place as those lemming-like, state educated public schoolers!

Did that make any sense?

Moving on.

So, our homeschool group is simply awesome.  Why?  I'll tell you.  In our group, nobody is excluded.  The older kids play with the younger kids.  Girls and guys get along with no crushes to hinder their spiritual relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Even graduates are always welcomed back, and invited to parties and activities. 

It will be sad to leave them, but it is a comforting thought that I already know some people who only live a few hours away from where we are hopefully going.  When we finally get word for sure that we are going to Kentucky, then I am going to shout for joy, and notify my friends right away!

Maybe that wasn't a really great description, but I am going to remember this homeschool group forever.  You guys are terrific!

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Jun. 5, 2009 - Oh, Lovely Summer!

Public Domain Images
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May. 27, 2009 - Dive

I found this over at Vintage Tea, and thought it looked fun!

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the Next button for your answer.

3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly!

 4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
__________________________________________________________________________

If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?- Winter Wonderland (Burl Ives)

How would you describe yourself?- Are You Washed in the Blood (Alan Jackson)

How do you feel today?-- Shall We Dance (The King and I)  [There was a different King and I track right before that, but I didn't know what it was called!]

What is your life's purpose?- Sixteen Going on Seventeen (The Sound of Music) [Ha!]

What is your motto?- Silver and Gold (Burl Ives)

 What do your friends think of you? It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Bing Crosby)  [Is that a good thing?]

 What do you think of your parents?- Drive Another Nail (Randy Travis) [This is a good song, despite the way it sounds in answer to the question!]

What do you think about very often?- Prelude to the King and I

What do you think of your best friend?- Happiness is the Lord (The Booher Brothers)

What is your life story?- The Lantern on the Wagon (The Booher Brothers)

 What do you want to be when you grow up? Ragtime Cowboy Joe (The Booher Brothers)  [Again, Ha!]

What will you dance to at your wedding? Dancing (Hello Dolly, The Musical)

What will they play at your funeral?- Western People Funny (The Kind and I)

What is your hobby/interest?- A Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives)

What is your biggest fear? He's Still Working On Me (The Booher Brothers) [As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes that is kind of scary.]

What is your biggest secret? A Puzzlement(Reprise) (The King and I)

 What do you think of your friends?- Wonderful, Wonderful Day (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

What will you post this as?- Dive (Steven Curtis Chapman)


If you want to do this, feel free!
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May. 26, 2009 - Blossom

I have always enjoyed messing about in photo editing software, so when I saw this tutorial several months ago, I was eager to try it.  Well, either I didn't know then, what I know now, or I was willing to kind of branch out on my own a little more, and so, using Miss Emily Rose's tips on how to get a vintage look, this is what I came up with!


At first I kind of struggled because it wasn't a real tutorial, in the sense that Miss Emily Rose didn't give me step-by-step instructions.  But, when I realized that, #1 My picture wasn't going to look like hers anyway, and #2 It didn't have to, I just had a lot of fun trying different things! 

I did have a hard time with our scanner, though.  We had to scan it onto my Dad's computer, and then he e-mailed me the crinkled paper scan.  Unfortunately, you can't see it as well in the picture.  Not as well as I would like. 

Here are the before and after pictures.

I learned some cool things while doing this.  I learned how to add fonts to my Photoshop Elements, which I am very excited about.  I have about exhausted what came with the program. 


I also downloaded a software called The Gimp.  It sounds rather intimidating, doesn't it?  Well, it kind of is!  I am trying to figure out the whole "paths" thing, on it though, and it might take me a while.

So there you have it!
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May. 6, 2009 - A Mushroom Man

I met this fellow when I was staying with my aunt.  When I first saw him, I thought he looked quite Italian, but I upon introducing him to my aunt, she was of the opinion that he was Mexican.  Rather an interesting combination, don't you think? 

Anyway, he has been hanging about in our shoes lately, and when I tidied them up, there he was smiling away.  He has such a happy countenance. 

I moved him up to the windowsill, where, hopefully, he will enjoy the company of the Eiffel Tower and an old medicine bottle.  Since they are all about 3 ½ inches tall, he shouldn't feel too short.
Copyright 2009 Defective Compositions

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Apr. 7, 2009 - First Picnic of the Year

It has been simply lovely here lately, so today we finally packed ourselves into the car, and drove into the mountains for a picnic.  It was a nice quiet outing, or at least it was for me!  I listened to a story on my mp3 player all the way there and back.  Here are a few pictures from the actual walk.

Copyright 2009 Defective Compositions

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Mar. 21, 2009 - From Geocaching

A couple of days ago, my family and I went geocaching, and a took a couple of pictures that I thought I would share with you.  I thought that they were both really neat.  I don't think I remember ever seeing a "Slow Walkers" sign before, have you?

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Mar. 2, 2009 - Hurrah for Links!

Do you like links?  I do.  If I see links, it means that I might find a new, really neat, website to visit.  Since I like links, someone else might like links too, so I will share some with you!

Homebound Missions is a mission in the country of Haiti, that offers projects, that anybody can do, to help.  The blog for Homebound Missions also suggests many other things you can do to help the effort in Haiti, such as one that Mommy and I really excited about, hosting a baby shower! 

Another website that I have been frequenting lately is Ravelry.com.  I posted recently about it, but I would like to tell you about it again, now that I know a little more.  I have been a member of Ravelry for a couple of weeks now, I think, and I think it is one of the neatest knitting and crocheting websites out there.  I won't go too much more into details, for that you can read my other post about it, but I do want to mention the Homeschoolers With A Blog group that I started on Ravelry.  If you are on Homeschoolblogger, and Ravelry then please join the group!

Again, this is more to do with yarn, but I just love yarn!  KnitPicks has just come out with some new colors for their Imagination yarn, and they are just gorgeous.  I had to share them with you!  My favorite colors are Munckin and Frog Prince.

Here is a link that I haven't looked at in a long time.  The Gallery of Paper Dolls has, well, paper dolls, but these dolls come from different time periods, and also different books!  I was really excited when I found this website, because it is not often that you find a paper doll for the Scarlet Pimpernel!  There are several strange dolls, such as the Teen Pop Queen, so do be careful. 

Enjoy the links!

 

 

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Jan. 16, 2009 - Meet Fritz

Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Fritz the Owl.  He is a quirkly little gent, although, I myself don't know him very well, yet.  I do know how he came into being!  On evening as I was attempting to allow my creative juices to flow,  just out of the blue a little fluffy owl was drawn. 

Sadly, I lost Fritz that time.  The computer went to sleep, and I couldn't figure out how to wake it up, so I shut it off. 

The next time I decided to be creative, I thought, "Aha!  That fellow would make a lovely template!"  The problem was, that I couldn't redraw him the way I wanted.  Finally, I settled for the above, and I like it.

Nothing on my sidebar has changed much, just colors, and possibly order.  My dropdown menus are a little farther up than they were before.

So, please welcome Fritz, and make him feel at home.  It might take him a while to get used to everyone, but once you get to know him, I know that you will like him as much as I already do.

Maybe someday, it won't just be Fritz. Possibly Fritz will aquire some friends kind of like him, but who knows.  My Bamboo Tablet might go on strike, or I might be to busy playing the Wii!

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Jan. 12, 2009 - Wives & Daughters and a Cup of Hot Chocolate

Bluejane and I have been watching Wives & Daughters on Netflix lately.  I, of course, really enjoyed it, and Bluejane, of course, really liked to tease me about it.  It's not really her kind of story. 

Bluejane loved predicting exactly what was going to happen next, which I'm sure was calculated to annoying my enjoyment of the apparently transparent story.

We were pleasantly surprised last evening, when we discovered that one of our good friends had given us, a little packet each, of Hot Chocolate.  It was kind of funny because, immediately, Bluejane and I both thought of drinking our cocoa while watching our movie!  Isn't that a great idea!

 So we quickly made it up, and sat there, watching Wives & Daughters and sipping, well, I guess I don't really sip, I gulp!  It just doesn't sound as lovely to say we sat gulping our cocoa during a movie. 

So, thank you my friend. You know who you are!  I enjoyed my cocoa very much, despite the fact that I am a gulper.  As to your question, you can leave a comment without being a member. 

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Jan. 9, 2009 - Shopping With Grammy

I absolutely love it when Grammy calls Mommy, and says she want's to go shopping.  I love shopping, even when I don't get anything, and I especially like going when it is just us girls, and Mommy and Grammy.  We meander all over the place, and go to other stores on a whim. 

So, yesterday, that is what we did for apparently nine whole hours.  I wore the lovely boots in the picture, which was silly, because I know that if I wear them for anywhere near nine hours my feet will ache.  They are kind of short term footwear.

We were not expecting to be gone that long, but the time passed so quickly, that when Daddy called us and asked if we were going to be home for dinner, Mommy was surprised to find that it was even around dinner time!

The most exciting buy for Bluejane and I was these skirts.  There was also jackets, but there wasn't enough and not the right size for both of us to have one, so we settled for three skirts.  We each got a blue one, and I also got the red one.

Mommy got one as well, but she also got the matching jacket.  We are hoping to wear these to our first family pictures in over 12 years, but who knows when that will happen!

We, or at least I, had so much fun debating about whether or not we should get them, whether or not we should get the jackets, trying it all on, and then debating if we should get the red one as well!  We tend to debate a lot.

This last picture turned out to be my favorite.  There were also some Mary Jane type shoes that Bluejane and I wanted to get but they were quite beyond what we wanted to spend on a pair of shoes at the moment. 

Oh, I forgot to mention, the best part about these skirts, was that they were on sale!  Isn't that the best part about anything bought on sale?

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Jan. 1, 2009 - An Amazing Christmas, So Far!

Wow.  With all of the presents that I have recieved this year for Christmas, so far, I feel spoiled rotten!  I am excited to tell everyone about them, because they are all so cool. 

This first item, is not a Christmas present, but a graduation present, and I just got it yesterday.  This may not mean anything to you, but it is a Canon Powershot SX10 IS camera.  If you look at my avatar, you will see the camera itself.  I am an incredibly indecisive person, so it took me a little while to decide which camera.  When we first started looking at them, though, the SX10 really stood out to me, and my Daddy.  It just looked nicer, and the features sounded good.  So a trip to the electronics store was made, and though they didn't have the camera in stock, they had one to look at, and look at it we did.  It was larger than I expected, but the whole thing was rather impressive.  Using both the optical and the digital zoom, I was able to look about half way across the store and read large print on the boxes on a shelf.  Since they didn't have the camera anyway, I decided to think on it.  I know that this isn't really a good shopping practice, but after we looked at the SX10, it was hard to look at anything else.  It was almost as if I was just looking at the others just to say that I did!

So far, after having it for only one or two days, I really like it.  I am going to have to learn a lot about how to use it, because there are so many features that I know nothing about. 

Now, onto my Christmas presents!  All four of us children were pretty surprised to find that we had a Wii game system!  Since it is still pretty new, we play it almost everyday, but I am almost certain that stricter limits will soon be put into place.  At least I hope so! For my sake as well as the the rest!  My favorite game that we got is MarioKart.  I love racing with my favorite character, Toad.

Tonight, we opened presents with my Grammy.  She hadn't yet given my birthday present, and I was very surprised to find that I have a new piano keyboard!  It plays, I think, 100 songs, and while it is playing the songs, the keys that are being "played" light up to show you how to play the song.  Also, I think it has more keys than my old keyboard, although I haven't checked yet.  So that has got me excited about playing the piano again, and I need to find my teaching DVD.

I also got some books.  My Antonia, Pilgrim's Progress, and Jane Austen, An Illustrated Treasury.  Socks and pencils, candy, a journal/sketchbook, and yarn are some other things that I recieved.

So, like I said, it has been a pretty amazing Christmas.  So Far!

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May. 9, 2008 - Happy 17th Bithday Jocelyn!

 Well, I know that this isn't a big party.  It isn't much compared to your real life party, I'm sure!  Happy Birthday, though, my dear friend Jocelyn!  I think I probably would have dropped blogging altogether a long time ago, if it wasn't for you and Amanda.

Well, let the festivities begin!  First of we have to get to where we are going, in a horse drawn carriage.  No picture, but your imagination can make it better than a picture.  Just make sure that it is festooned with your favorite flowers.

Where are we going?  Why to Pemberley, of course!

Yes, I know that Pemberley is spelled wrong.  Sorry to completely ruin your party.  No, we can't go on.  Oh, fine, let the party continue.

What a better place to have a weekend party?  We will eat, play croquet, stroll through the grounds, and admire the paintings in the hallways.

Also, there is a present.  A humble present, but you already have it, and have possibly opened it by now.

As for cake, the first tier is chocolate, the second tier is spice, the third tier is yellow, and the fourth tier is white.  They are decorated in your favorite shade of green, but with a frosting that won't color your mouth and teeth green as well!  An abundance of frosting flowers also festoon the four tiered cake.  I hope that looks good, when you imagine it!

Well, like I said, it isn't much, but Happy Birthday anyway, Jocelyn!

 

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Apr. 24, 2008 - Taco Soup!

Yesterday morning, as I was checking my bloglines, I saw that my good blog friend Lyric had posted.  This was exciting, as she hadn't posted in quite some time.  In her usuall funny way, she shared a recipe for "Taco Soup". 

I laughed really hard when I read her post, just because it was so funny, and then I read the comments that had been posted, and they were hilarious, too!  I thought the post and comments were funny enough to read out loud to my mother.  She also laughed, but my Dad, in a mournful sort of voice, said "Taco Soup sounds good." 

So that very day, we went to the store, and bought a crock-pot (our old one had shattered), and beans, so that my Dad could make Taco Soup.

Well, Lyric, here is the picture.  It was a nice success, although, my Dad thought we should have added peppers, and a whole bunch of other things.  It was very good.

Thanks for dinner, Lyric!

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Apr. 17, 2008 - It's a Beautiful Mornin'!

Well, today is absolutely gorgeous!  The sun is bright and warm, making the day 75°.  It feels so strange to go outside and have no thought of putting on even a light sweater!

As I am writing this, both of my brothers are outside playing in the golden day, and my sister is riding horses with our neighbor.  I was just outside as well, reading my science book on the porch swing, letting the sun's rays envelope me with warmth.

This day also keeps reminding me that planting time is at hand!  We have tried big gardens before, but our thumbs are just not green enough to make them thrive.   Yet every year my sister and I get the urge to plant, and grow.  This year, I am going for a much smaller garden.

I have decided to try and grow an herb garden, so that we can put fresh herbs in our meals.  One of those herbs is Cilantro, my mother's absolute most favorite.  Mmm!  Another is not one that we plan on eating ourselves, but I am sure that our cats will enjoy Cat Nip.  I also plan on growing Parsley and Basil.  Those are the herbs.

For big stuff, I am going to try Pumpkins and Red Sun Sunflowers.  I have tried to grow pumpkins for at least three years.  (Not three years in a row!)  The farthest they ever got was to the flowering stage.  That was really disappointing, considering that we had wanted to try and milk-feed our pumpkins like Almonzo in Farmer Boy.  Those other years, I tried to grow the biggest species of pumpkin, hoping that with milk-feeding, I could grow a colossal pumpkin!  This year, however, I am lowering my goal slightly and settling for Conneticut Field Pumpkins, which, the package says, are great for carving and baking.  Precisely what we want!

The Sunflowers were kind of an afterthought.  When I was looking at seeds at the store, I glanced over the flowers, thinking I might want some of them, too.  Sunflowers looked good, and I knew just where I would plant them!  Wouldn't a row of sunflowers up the gravel driveway be such a cheery welcome?  So, looking throught the sunflowers, my eyes caught sight of big, bright, and beautiful RED ones!  Red is one of my favorite colors, and red sunflowers, automatically caught my fancy. 

The sun is still just as bright and inviting, so I think I will go back outside and finish some school on the porch swing.  Have any of you reached 75° or more, yet?

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Mar. 13, 2008 - No, My Hair is Red, Not Blond

*Note*

This post was not written to hurt any one's feelings, and I have nothing against people with blond hair.  You will find out why in the post below.  Also, some of my very, very good friends are blond, and I love them dearly.

Though my hair is red, deep down inside, I think I am blond.  Before I was born, my Mother prayed that I would have red hair, so God gave a red-headed baby, with the personality of a blond.

I could regale you with tales of how the blond in me shows.  I think I will only share three.

I have a friend who lives in a very nice house.  She only has one brother, and no sisters, therefore, it is very easy for them to keep their house clean.  Well, they have a screen door that is a solid pane of glass from the ground up to the top of the door frame.  Twice when I have gone there, I have run into that silly door.  The same house, the same door.  You would have thought that I would have learned a lesson!  Nope.  I ran into the same glass door, twice.

The second example happened a while back.  We were in the Fred Meyer parking lot, and I saw a license plate frame that confused me.  I ran up to Mommy and asked her about it.  "Mommy, is that license plate frame supposed to mean something?"  I thought it was supposed to be some rude comment or something.  It said, "My boss is a Jewish Carpenter".  Mommy looked at me as if I had lost my mind.  "Ah, Eyebright?"  Then it dawned on me.  Oh, I felt so stupid!

The third example makes me blush with shame every single time I think of it, or it is alluded to.  Last summer, my family was able to have dinner with the Suarezs, and we had a really great time.  My younger brother, Kekoa, loves to boast of my sisters, and my own, things.  Apparently his aren't good enough to boast about.  Well, he started talking about my pink mp3 player.  Naturally, Paulie wanted to know about it, and asked me what size it was.

I held up my hands confidently.  "Oh, about this long, and this wide."  I am very fond of my mp3 player, and said it rather proudly.  Paulie said, "No, I meant how many GB's is it?"

I probably blushed then, too.  How embarrassing!  Of course he meant gigabytes!

As if that wasn't bad enough, after the dinner, and the Suarezs were on their way again, as we were, Kekoa remembered it, and looked at me slyly and said, "So, Eyebright, what size is your mp3 player?"  I was taken in like a fool.  I confusedly answered, "Well, about yea long, and so wide."  Everyone laughed uproariously, as again, my face burned with embarrassment.  I had been duped.

Not again, however!  Try as they might, my brother and sister can't get me to tell them the size of my mp3 player.  Ha, ha!

What I said in the note at the top was true, I have nothing against blonds, I just wish I wasn't one!

 

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