Wishing on Stars

• Dec. 8, 2009 - 10 More and Give-Aways!

Posted By PrairieGirl95

Alright all you viewers, we only have 10 more comments until we are at 100!! In a previous post, I said that I would give the 100th commenter a little award icon, and I am still planning on doing that. ;)

I also wanted to let you all know that I will be holding give-aways for homemade stuff from time to time! I will post rules for these each time I hold them.

It has been pretty cold here lately! 20-35 is the average now-a-days.... brrrr! I am going to get myself a cold at this rate. Here are all of the things I've done outside today:

1. Lunged my horse and worked her for awhile. Total time: about 1 hour to 1 hour and 45 min...

2. Road my brother's 3-wheeler. Total time: 30 min at the most.....

So, yes, I have been outside quite a bit today... plus I have to go out every 3-4 hours and break ice in the horses' water troughs. lol

Well, for all of you who are having cold weather, I hope you haven't been outside as much as I have! LOL :)

Have a great day!

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• Dec. 8, 2009 -

Posted By Jordan

So, I decided to re-write Towers of Iron instead of trashing it... Here's the first re-written chapter:

Chapter 1: The Whisperer

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the soggy ground as the autumn moon rose over the trees and shone through gossamer spider webs hanging in the branches. A mouse stuck it’s head out of it’s hole beneath a large old oak. It blinked at the moon and looked at the Tower, it’s wet nose quivering.

To the mouse, the Tower of Noran Mir looked almost heavenly bathed in the moonlight, each of its four sides glinting with the golden images of a hand. Music and laughter drifted through its open windows, carried by the breeze into the forest. All was at peace. All was well. Had the mouse thought to, it would have smiled at the sounds of celebration. But it was frightened away.

A tall man stepped out from behind the oak tree, his face shrouded from view by a heavy black hood. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he gazed at Noran Mir. The moon glinted off his eyes; black they were, and cold as steel. They sparked with vehemence at the Tower and the sounds of happiness that came out of it.

“Soon,” he said to the Tower in a dead whisper, “Soon you will be bowing in the dust before me.” He patted the sword that hung at his side, and smiled a grim smile.

There was a slight noise somewhere behind him. He whipped about, dagger in hand, dark eyes probing the black shadows of the night. Seeing nothing, he sheathed his dagger, cast one last bitter glance at the Tower, and stealthily made his way into the deep shadows of the forest.

The path he followed was an old creek bed, which winded through the forest like a snake. Deeper and deeper it went until the man was reaching the very heart of the forest. He could just hear the sounds of harsh shouting and drunken laughter, and could see the red glow of fire up ahead, when suddenly a rough hand grabbed his shoulder from behind and he felt the sharp edge of a knife tickle his throat.

A figure stepped out of the shadows. The dokkal’s face, grey and grim, could barely be seen by the moonlight. “What’s the word?” the dokkal demanded in a deep voice.

“Shade, you idiot!” the man hissed. His captor let him go with a gasp.

“By the Snake, Elamstar!” muttered the dokkal, “We didn’t know it was you! With your hood...”

“Be glad I don’t have time to deal with you now, imbecile,” growled Elamstar. He turned and strode toward the campsite.

As usual, he was greeted by a drunken brawl. He scowled at his soldiers, but they were too busy fighting or drinking to notice him. He crossed the camp, dodging the fighting Dokkalim that came in groups or pairs, and stepping over the sprawled forms of sleeping soldiers, slowly making his way to a lone tent erected beside the great bonfire in the center of the camp.

Casting a hostile glance at the sleeping dokkal leaning against the tent with an empty wineskin in his loose grip, Elamstar lifted the heavy canvas flap and entered. He lit a small lamp hanging in the corner, revealing a table with a plate of half-eaten food on it and a cot. On this cot lay a person, dressed in a dingy blue shirt under a stiff leather jerkin. The flickering light from the lamp accentuated the sharp Annwine features of his youthful face and shined in his golden hair.

Elamstar scowled at the sleeping Annwyn. He looked so peaceful, as if he were back in his own bed in his great Fomorian palace in Linaar. “Well, Prince Mornan Fomori,” muttered Elamstar under his breath, “It seems your days of peace are finally at an end.”

A slow smile spread across Mornan Fomori’s face. “Would you mind closing the flap?” the prince asked, “There’s a draft.”

Elamstar frowned. “Stand up!” he ordered.

The Annwyn prince slowly obeyed, clearly enjoying the cloud of impatience spreading over Elamstar’s face. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather me bow to the dust before you, like Noran Mir?”

Elamstar started at this. “You... You didn’t follow...” He rushed back to the entrance where the dokkal guard was still in a drunken slumber. “Fool!” he shouted as he shook the massive soldier to his feet. “I warned you that if you did not keep the closest watch on him, there would be consequences!”

The dokkal stumbled to the ground, wide eyed. “He escaped, sir?” he asked in a hoarse whisper as he struggled to his feet.

“That’s one thing you’ll never know,” hissed Elamstar in his soldier’s face. “Kinnos!”

A large dokkal strode away from the bonfire and grunted a salute.

Elamstar shoved the staggering dokkal toward him. “This idiot isn’t to see the light of another day,” he snarled, “See to it, and replace him with someone more trustworthy.”

“I’ll do it myself,” said Kinnos.

Elamstar studied Kinnos for a moment. There was a certain... something about him that unnerved him. Something almost noble, if a dokkal could be noble. Elamstar waved them off. “See to it.” He went back into the tent.

Mornan was smiling that mischievous smile that never failed to anger him. “I could have escaped, you know,” the prince said.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I enjoy baiting you. Your reactions are most amusing.”

Elamstar scowled. “You are not at your palace in Linaar, Mornan. You are as helpless as a rabbit in the claws of a vulture.”

Mornan tilted his head to one side, as if studying Elamstar. “You’re right,” he said finally, “You do look like a vulture.”

Elamstar regarded the Annwyn with distaste for a moment. Then he smiled slowly. “Would you like to hear the latest news of the war, my prince?”

A stoic mask immediately dropped over Mornan’s face. He sat down on the edge of the cot and stared at the flickering lamp. “Go on,” he said quietly.

“Very well,” Elamstar leaned against the table and watched Mornan’s face. “Our troops,” he said, “Have destroyed all the ships in Isai Nor. Without their sailor friends, the soldiers of Noran Risas gave up without much of a fight.”

Mornan’s face remained emotionless, but Elamstar could sense the shock of the news quickening the prince’s Annwine blood. Shock, replaced by bewilderment, and then... hope?

“Did you find what you were looking for?” asked Mornan suddenly, his blue eyes piercing into Elamstar’s.

Elamstar was taken aback at first, but then shrugged it off. “So, you’ve guessed,” he said slowly, “But, no. Your fool of a brother escaped with it.”

There was no mistaking the triumph, and pride, in Mornan’s voice. “As long as Naramir has it in his care, you can forget about taking the Sarilan.”

Elamstar shrugged. “Who cares about that sword anymore? We have a better one now.” He straightened and threw his coat back. He drew the sword that dangled at his side, it’s elegantly curved blade rasping as it came out of it’s scabbard. Elamstar held it almost worshipfully in the dim lamplight. “Do you know it, my prince?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the polished steel blade. “Can you feel it’s power? Can you hear it screaming for a battle? For death?” His eyes narrowed at Mornan. “It’s bite is hungry, it’s fire is unforgiving. Do you know it’s name, Mornan?”

Mornan gazed at the shimmering blade. He saw how easily the hand of Elamstar gripped it’s handle. “Rimastan,” he said reverently, “The sword of King Dore.”

“Rimastan,” said Elamstar, “The sword of Elamstar.” He sheathed the sword and leaned against the table. “Do you realize the gravity of it all? Rimastan is in the hand of the one it otherwise would have fought against.”

“I assume you are thinking of the prophecy of Seer Ash?” Mornan asked.

“That if Sarilan and Rimastan fought against each other the Towers of Iron will fall?”

Mornan narrowed his eyes at Elamstar. “Surely you don’t believe that,” he said, “Seer Ash was a madman!”

“Was he?” Elamstar smiled, “Not a nice thing to say about my great-grandfather.”

He continued to speak, but Mornan couldn’t hear him. The detail of the tent, Elamstar’s face, and everything else blurred and blended together in confusion. Mornan instinctively leaned back and let the feeling take him.

Elamstar stopped speaking. His eyes narrowed as he saw Mornan’s eyes close. Then uncertainty gave way to fear. He realized with shock that Mornan was passing into salimin, a trancelike state in which the Annwine people were said to receive visions. Elamstar grimaced. Visions from... Lor.

Elamstar spat and leaned against the table, waiting for Mornan to finish speaking with his god.

Elamstar.

Elamstar smiled. He closed his eyes and concentrated. “Yes Master?”

All is ready. You need to attack now.

Elamstar nodded. He opened his eyes and stood.

“You will fall.”

Startled, Elamstar looked at Mornan. The prince had come out of his vision and was smiling up at him.

“Oh, yes,” said Mornan slowly, as if savoring each syllable, “You will surely fall. The strength of Lor is on our side.”

Elamstar struck Mornan across the face with the back of his hand. “Don’t you say that name again,” he snarled. He turned on his heel and strode out of the tent, leaving a smiling Annwyn prince behind.
“Kinnos,” he growled to his general, “Is all ready for the attack?”
“All is ready,” said Kinnos, his voice showing no emotion, “The troops are assembled just outside the wood, as you ordered.”
“Then,” said Elamstar, his voice jubilant, “Order the advance.”
“Yes, sir.” The dokkal drew his scimitar and lunged through the camp, followed by half a dozen soldiers.
They ran down the winding path faster than any horse could have, and soon they burst out into the clearing. Kinnos laughed a grim laugh as the rush of the impending battle swept over him. He lifted his great battle horn he carried at his side and blew a resounding blast. With a tremendous shout the Dokkalim troops exploded out of the darkness of the forest and swept over the clearing toward the walls of Noran Mir. Overhead great round stones hurtled through the night sky and burst against the stone battlements. Kinnos saw them and grinned wildly. The catapults were doing their work.
Inside, General Nimoran leapt up from his seat in the Great Hall. “Everyone to the walls!” he commanded. There was confusion as tables and chairs were overturned and people scrambled for the doors. Men hurried everywhere, herding the women and children deeper into the Tower and seizing weapons and armor.
General Nimoran stood on the wall, staring in horror at the great mass of Dokkalim charging the walls. A flaming thing hurtled towards him from the blackness of the night, roaring through the air.
Mornan opened the tent flap, just enough to peek out. The camp was almost empty, only a few drunken Dokkalim sprawled out around the diminishing fire. A slow smile spread across his face. He stepped out, keeping to the shadows as much as he could as he crossed the camp. No voice called out, no pursuing footsteps were heard... And he ran.

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• Dec. 8, 2009 - Kitchen Moments ~ Cooking Biblical Foods

Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in Kitchen Moments

I found a very interesting website when researching this week's topic:

Cooking with the Bible

When you go to a recipe at this site, such as Elizabeth's Carob Cake, you will find the recipe, a photo, and also tabs that will take you to a Bible Reference page and the History page for that particular food.

The site also has a meals section with links to recipes for each dish.

I plan to spend more time at this site in the coming days, and perhaps take a look at the cookbook if I can find it at a local library.

Another book that I find helpful in planning Biblical celebrations is Celebrating Biblical Feasts In Your Home or Church by Martha Zimmerman.

I hope these sources help you to add some tasty foods in with your Biblical studies.

Blessings,

Catherine

Catherine Love lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They enjoy cooking, gardening, and learning new things as they seek to live a lifestyle of learning together as a family. You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Seeds of Love.

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• Dec. 8, 2009 - A Starcraft Battle Report.

Posted By Mathusala

This is Matt Carmack coming to you with a game played between a few friends just to help keep me cheered this holiday season. The map is Showdown. Arguably the best 1v1 map in all of starcraft, the long narrow corridors between bases make rushing a long shot and attacks can be ambushed, spotted, trapped, and herded in these valleys, Expansions lie within the valley and have more than one entrance so surprise attacks can be made. Summoning his green Nexus to the bottom of the map, our raining champion Mathusala0 (me of corse) Elects to go for a zealot rush backed up by a DT rush if the zealots cannot break his greek opponent. In the Far north a spawned Hatchery of the purple color churns out drones for the insane mind of Adrr1 (for Alex must have been insane to challenge me) He goes for early lings to defend and begins heading for lurker tech. Our Green friend to the south heads a probe up to his first choke point to start building his first pylon, Throughout the game cursing the dreaded words, "you must construct additional pylons!" In the north our slippery challenger decides to build an early spawning pool before morphing his first overlord. As our shiny southerners pylon completes, Not one, no that would be nothing, but TWO gateways go down, sealing the choke point and start producing Zealots to boot! In the north the slimy Zerg build two creep colonies as well as an evolution chamber to research early tech. 4 zerglings hatch and begin making their way south... ... Just as our first glorious protoss defender warps in and heads north. in the entrance choke point of our neighborhood greeks base a small skirmish occurs and the zealot, killing a single zergling, is driven back through the canyons after being mortally wounded. Back south however, three more zealots have finished meditating and come out to play hard ball. in the mean time more harsh demands for pylons cause the green mind reader to smack another 4 of them down as well as cyber core, and citadel of adun. (Dark templar tech otw) However the retreating zealot meets up with his three buddies and they turn around and annihilate the 3 zerg pursuers. Not to be so easily astounded, the crippled player send yet another 6 zerglings south the try and gut the protoss war machine. However they are sliced to pieces as the noble warriors of the Green color trek north. Encountering the mushy creep nasty sunken colonies stop the protoss from entering the base. However the zerglings within come out to play and though one warrior is killed they zergling are torn to shreds. lacking the power to take 3 sunkens. Our fiendish protoss lord sneaks around and tries to kill off the diligent workers mining away, however bad micro causes him to take far to many hits and he backs away. Now however 6 more zealots advance from the south and attack the zerg, the other 3 zealots join in and they cut down the sunkens and ALL of the drones and zerglings within the base losing 5 of their numbers. as 2 more zealots enter the field our spartan comanion crys out "How the **** did you do that!?" as the game closes at the 9:00 mark. This has been a Mathusala0 report. Enjoy

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• Dec. 7, 2009 - "I'll Be There Snow Dream Under The Sky..."

Posted By The Lady [or so I say] in excitement and anxiousness...

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I have seen it! Finally!
*grins and laughs happily*
...want to know a secret? Okay, it's not a secret. But still...

...this is also the first time that snow has fallen at our house....

wanna know another one?

...this is the first time I've seen snow fall.

Yup. Therefore, I am very Very excited! ^__^

That's our backyard!!! It's not much snow, but still...

We all woke up @ 3:30 am to see the snow fall. EVERYONE. Even the little Peoples!! Bj and I went out to see it and I was the first one to touch it. [after my Dad who gave it to me of course...] Ah, it was so very loverly!
Mum convinced us to wait till 7:30am to play in the snow. haha, most of us don't usually get up that early let alone be up earlier and all dressed up! [that didn't make sense. oh well.]

Everyone is still outside playing and making snowmen and having snowball fights. I just came in for a cup of tea and because my gloves need to dry. They are all wet from the snow.

Oh, also, we decorated our tree a while ago but I never put a picture up...hold on...

Tada!!! [l-r] Me, Micky, Thumbelina, Lady Flora, and Bj.
Bj and I put up the lights ourselves and only us children decorated it so...it might look a leetle funky.

Please excuse any nonsensical sentences and speling mistakes and gramr.
Thank yoo vera mutch.

Ever His,
Zel

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• Dec. 7, 2009 - This Entry is Brought to You by the Foundation for Preventing Emma from Eating Cowboy Shaped Marshmellows

Posted By Taylor the Cowboy in Randomness

I'm trying to stall reading "At the Back of the North Wind" by posting this on my blog. I know, aren't I just a wonderful student? ;-)

It's only 18 days until Christmas!

There's really not much going on, accept I've been having a lot of those lazy days lately. Slacking off on piano, not writing or reading, and such. *shrugs shoulders*

*Random School Rant: On* Why is it that all philosophers in the 1800's are so....twisted in what they think? Honestly! Especially Mr. Descartes, ugh! Mr. "Cogito ergo sum". *makes a face* *Random School Rant: Off*

God Bless You,

Taylor

Quote of the Entry

Taylor: I can't tell if that is Josh Groban or Adam singing......or Kermit.

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• Dec. 7, 2009 - Classical Education ~ An Anchor for Homeschooling

Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in classical

During the homeschooling journey, one will come across many times of stress, pressure and doubts. The journey is full of waves knocking us to and fro as we try to maneuver our way down the path of educating our children. It is always important to have God's Word in our heart. When we are in the middle of a storm, though, life is more manageable when we have His Word embedded in our heart. When we can cite His Words that bolster us up and incite courage into our very being, this makes the going a bit more bearable. His Word becomes our anchor as we are being tossed every which way by the waves of life. His Word calms our spirit and clears the emotional fog.

I have been in need of that anchor in the last few months as I have been dealing with health issues. These issues and the ensuing effects have caused me to doubt myself and my ability to educate my children. I have even gotten so far as to seriously consider putting them in school after the Christmas break. I feel like I have let my children down. Not only am I not giving them a Classical Education but it might also be debated whether I am giving them any kind of education at all.

Those are the words that I mutter to myself when I sink into that bad place. That dark, suffocating place that does not abide in hope. I don't like that place so I combat it by turning to God's Word. I read His Word and commit it to my spirit, so that when the darkness starts to enfold me, I can hold it off by the light of His Word.

When I am at this place, there are quite a few scriptures that wards off the darkness. Here are a few that I have relied on in the last few months.

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. (Ps. 31:3-5)

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Ps. 31:24)

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness . (Isaiah 41:10)

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Ps. 5:3)

I am so thankful for God's Word that I can cling to as my anchor through this rough time. In clinging to His Word, I am assured that He will lead me to higher and drier ground in time.

Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband, homeschooling their 3 children (10,8,6) and is attempting to give them a Classical Education. You can read more at her blog.

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• Dec. 7, 2009 - Craft Corner ~ Bible Crafts

Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in CraftCorner

Most of these ideas have to do with Bible verses, but the possibilities are endless! Do you have ideas on how to creatively display scripture throughout your home? Please share!

Quilted Bible Cover ~ Although the Lord doesn't care whether our Bibles have a nifty cover, it's still a fun thing to make and use! Not to mention it can be very handy for holding paper and pen for sermon notes.
Stenciled Bible Verses ~ I saw this done at a church once, and the result was pretty and charming. Get some lettering stencils, choose an appropriate verse, color, and wall, and get painting! You could also stencil your verse on other things.
Another way to burn verses into your memory, almost literally, is to burn them onto a piece of wood using a woodburning tool. This technique is also called pyrography. It produces a simple, yet lovely, effect if you merely write out your verse in plain letters with your woodburning iron, and then decorate it with pressed flowers.
Still another way to display your favorite verses would be to print or write them out on a piece of paper, decorate it, frame it, and then hang it on your wall. You could also choose to use counted cross-stitch to embroider your verse.

Miss Eyebright enjoys crafts of all kinds, especially knitting. You can find her blogging at Defective Compositions.

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• Dec. 6, 2009 - Courageous!

Posted By PrairieGirl95

I assume most of you have heard of the movies Facing the Giants, Flywheel, and Fireproof? Well, if you haven't, they are Christian films made by a Baptist church in Georgia and they are REALLY good! lol For those of you who have seen them or have heard of them, they are coming out with a new film called Courageous! To watch the announcement video (which includes a little bit of what the movie will be about) go here: HERE I believe the movie will be out sometime in 2011..... I know.. it's a while to wait... but while we're waiting for that one, we have other movies to look forward to! Such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader! :)

Well, that's all for now! Talk to ya all later!

Oh, by the way, how do you all like my new template?? I got it the layout from Recycled Templates!

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• Dec. 5, 2009 - Just So EVERYBODY Knows...

Posted By Taylor the Cowboy

8 times 4 is NOT 12. Thank you.

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Why I Wish

Wishing on stars isn’t going outside, pointing to a sparkle in the sky, and SAYING what you want. It’s going out into the world, dreaming big, taking the risks, and HOLDING what you want. It’s shooting above and beyond and landing where your heart is. “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, when you wish upon a star, your dreams will always come true” – Walt Disney

Wish of the Month

A broken heart will ache with every beat,
And at times you want to just admit defeat...
But though those throbs bring pain and make you strive,
You should thank them cuz they mean you're still alive

Days of Wishing

Wishful Thinking

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Wishing on Stars

• Dec. 8, 2009 - 10 More and Give-Aways!

• Dec. 8, 2009 -

• Dec. 8, 2009 - Kitchen Moments ~ Cooking Biblical Foods

• Dec. 8, 2009 - A Starcraft Battle Report.

• Dec. 7, 2009 - "I'll Be There Snow Dream Under The Sky..."

• Dec. 7, 2009 - This Entry is Brought to You by the Foundation for Preventing Emma from Eating Cowboy Shaped Marshmellows

• Dec. 7, 2009 - Classical Education ~ An Anchor for Homeschooling

• Dec. 7, 2009 - Craft Corner ~ Bible Crafts

• Dec. 6, 2009 - Courageous!

• Dec. 5, 2009 - Just So EVERYBODY Knows...

Why I Wish

Wish of the Month

Days of Wishing

Wishful Thinking

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