So Close to the Shelves, You Can't See the Books.

     A couple days ago, my family took a weekend vacation to go to a wedding. We went to a movie, went to a mall, walked various places, and ate at various places, and just generally enjoyed not doing anything. On our drive home, we stopped at a massive Half-Price Books. (I thought I heard it was the largest in the world, but that seems pretty ridiculous so I might be wrong.) Anyway, it was really big. No five stories or anything, just one story but it went out for a long time.
     I loved going there. I walked in, and there were hundreds of books. Everywhere. New friends waiting to be met over on this side. New worlds waiting to be explored on this side. I know, I know. I sound like one of those book nuts, right? Well, that's what I am, aren't I? :D I practically went bounding through the shelves looking for anything that peeked my interest.
     One section caught my eye: Christian Fiction. 'Hmm, cool! I think I'll go look at that.' So, I went over. As I do in any section, I start at one end and start scanning titles. If I title catches my interest, I pull the book out. If the cover picture and synopsis catch my interest, I write the name and author on the little notepad in my purse that I always have with me. This is to look them up on Amazon or the library when I get home, or to add to my ever growing list of 'books to read.'
     Anyway, so I'm scanning through titles, and I very soon discover something. Literally fifty percent of the books in the section are Amish romances. I was immediately disappointed. I kept skimming through the section for a little while but just kept stumbling over more of the same thing, and I got discouraged and gave up. Yep, I went to the secular section with far more interesting novels.
     Honestly, it disappointed me that so much of Christian fiction is Amish romances. Hey, you want to write a book about the Amish? That's cool! I'm all good with that. You want to make it a romance? Go for it! I might read it one day; who knows? But does the majority of Christian fiction have to be romance? Does it have to be Amish? Is the only way we can convey Christian theology (and I'm not saying whether the Amish have it right or not) is through showing a culture that is completely isolated from the world? Jesus calls us to go out into the world, to minister and evangelize, to try and touch every life we can for God. Can we do that if we're sitting in our special counties, trying to remain separate?
     Another point, do so many of these books need to be romances? Now guys, I am as big a fan of romance novels as anybody. Not icky romance novels, no Fifty Shades of Grey or anything like it. But a good novel with a heavy enough dose to be considered in the romance genre? Let me at it. And, I'm all for Christian romances because we need some healthy romance novels on the market. Still, why do so many Christian books have to be "romances." Is that the only way we can appeal to the market?
     I read a book a year or two ago called Yearbook by Allyson Braithwraite Condie. It was definitely religious fiction, but it was Mormon. I didn't chuck the book; actually, it's still on my shelf upstairs. The plot covered many different high-schoolers; all in the 15/16/17 age range, and all interconnected with the other characters. Some of the kids were dealing with moving, some with family issues, some with image problems, some with break ups, and all with religious struggles. And you know how they fixed their problems? Not by finding their inner strength or getting a gf/bf. They turned to their religion.
     Granted, the intricacies of what they believe are wrong. They would quote the Bible and the Book of Mormon in the same sentence. Still, you have no idea how refreshing it was to read a book about modern kids with real problems who solve or sometimes only begin to solve (which is sometimes more realistic) all of their issues through faith! Yes, there were a few couples in the novel, but it wasn't a romance book. These kids were not closeting themselves but were trying to evangelize their friends as well as prepare for missionary-like trips. It was an excellent book, in my opinion, not from Shakespeare-like vocabulary or underlying symbolism, but because it was real. This is how religion functions in our everyday lives. Let's write a book about it.
     Why can't Christian fiction writers be brave and really get books out that aren't romances? Why can't we really pack them with our beliefs and show how Christians of today interact with the Lord on an everyday and personal level? How we depend on him for our livelihood, for our joy, for our salvation? Wouldn't you want to read a book like that? I would! If I enjoyed it in a Mormon setting, I know I'd love it from an angle that I can relate to.
     Being a writer, I've begun to think about how my opinions relate to myself. As a Christian, I've pondered over the question of "Should Christian writers only write Christian books?" My opinion is a no. I feel that nowhere am I required to write purely Christian fiction. I think that I am called to reach people, and if my talent is writing, than I need to reach people through writing. A lot of people can be turned off when they see a book is talking about God. So, maybe you never specify the religious relationship. Maybe the main character isn't a believer but a friend is. I mean, you can do all kinds of things.
     To me, we need healthy, good, enjoyable literature out in the world for people to read. There are more people than me who want to pick up a book without worrying how much language or "smut" is contained inside. So, if I write a novel that has no mention of God, but has a strong family unit, high morals, and stuff like that...Someone could say, "Hey, that was a good book. I wonder what else she's written." And then they might find the book I've written that does go in the Christina Fiction section. And through really both books, I have reached them. (Of course, this all depends on me writing a lot of books. haha!) But still, I think you get my meaning.       
     Anyway, I thought about posting a facebook status about this...but as you can see it would be an eensy-weensy bit too long. So, I decided it should go up here. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts about anything in this post.

Have a great day! :)

Libraries

I think Libraries are underrated places. Books are underrated themselves, but people keep pushing them, which is good. However, we're getting more digital books, and Libraries are starting to sink into "the corrupt sands of commerce"--You've Got Mail.
I know a ton of kids don't use libraries. Even in my homeschooling circle I find so many kids who've only ever used a library for required school research. *gasp* HOW? I want to beg of them. I love libraries. They're this big cove filled with shelves and shelves of mysteries. Upon opening some of the boxes, you're met with boredom, junk, or interesting things at another time, but every once and awhile you find a treasure. I know; right now I'm being all cliché and tacky...but I do love libraries.
It's no different than bookstores in my opinion. I walk into Barnes and Noble, and aside from the coffee smell which makes me happy, I get kind of giddy thinking of how many unknown books I'm going to discover in the next hour. Seriously, when you take me into Barnes and Noble, I just walk through shelves, pulling out random books and reading the backs. Usually, I come home with about 4 new books I want to put on my "to-read" list.
Currently, I am still hacking my way through the Amazon jungle known as the novel Les Miserables, and I'm getting rather sick of it. I'm actually getting rather sick of just forcing myself to read it. It never ENDS!!!!! However, one of my friends just recently finished it, giving me hope that I can indeed accomplish the task I started about two years ago.
No matter, that's the book I'm in the middle of, but I've been waiting for Nicholas Sparks' book Safe Haven  to come in at the library. It was taking forever, and I was getting really tired of waiting because I kind of boycotted Les Mis till I got it. So, I didn't read a thing yesterday. So sad. But, today I went to the library, and they had my book and the CDs I requested; and I was super happy. Yay for libraries! I hope they never go out of style.

"Heaven help us, if the library caught on fire, and the volunteer hose brigades-man, had to whisper the news to Maaaaaaaaarian." -- The Music Man

Everyone is an Artist

What is an artist, exactly? The first thought might lead you to paint, thick strokes of green on a bumpy sheet of canvas. Or perhaps your mind took you to the concert stage, the sound booth, or the stacks of CDs on your bookshelves.

But then you're reminded to think in more general terms. Well then...I suppose people in the arts: the painters, the musicians, the dancers, the photographers, the writers, the actors.  But is that all? Is that where the term 'artist' stops? Only someone being involved in the arts? I say, no.

Everyone is an artist, in my opinion. I don't mean that in the way that everyone has the potential to write a poem or sing a song or dance to Tchaikovsky. No, everyone is an artist now! The term applies to everyone, currently, in exactly what they're doing. 

The chef who places the spring of mint on the left of the pastry instead of the right. The architect that slants the roof to this degree versus that degree. The room designer that wants a country feel. The weaver that has a whole box of red yarn beside her. They are all artists. 

To me, artistry is creation. If you can make something, then you're an artist. The home cook who pours the soup into one big serving dish. The engineer organizing steel beams to fit together. The teenager rearranging her room for the fifth time. And Grandma, as she knits that sweater for her ugly dog. All of these are artists. They have the drive, the ability, and the creativity to make something. 

I've been thinking about this subject a little lately. As a writer, I consider myself an artist. I might not consciously state it to myself, but if I were to think about it, I would say I was an artist. I write stories; I create. I am an artist. And you know what, so are you. You don't have to be holding a camera or a baton or a brush...you can be sitting at home making an EXCEL spread sheet. Because think about it, didn't you have to figure out which colors were going to be allotted to which categories, and what columns things were directed into? 

Enjoy the rest of your day! :)

With Speech Note Cards In Front of Me...

As I sit here with Disney music playing off of youtube and my speech note card in front of me (that I'm supposed to be working on), I think about how today is April 30th! The last day of April means that finals are just around the corner. This week is actually my last week of classes, and finals will hit the week after that. Spanish on Mon, Brit Lit on Tues, Biology on Wed, and Speech on Thurs. Yup, and then I'm done! Done with freshman year! Done with lonestar (except for a possible summer class, if it makes). Oh, I wore my HBU shirt today. :) It's all very exciting.

Today's going to be a bit of a fun day. Mom and I are going out as soon as she comes home from getting Dad's truck detailed. We're going to the mall, the movies, and who knows where else. :) I'm looking forward to it. Not really any homework to do today...except those speech note cards still sitting in front of me. Haha!

Oh, I am revising one of my novels at the moment: Elsewhere. It's at 52,8...and something words. Once I push it up to 60,000 I'm making a trip to Office Depot. Print. Print. Print. Fold. Stuff. Lick. Seal. Stamp. Mail! Yes, I'm going to take the Writer's Plunge. I'm sending off my first book to a publishing company called Shadow Mtn. Publishing. I've read several books that they've printed, and I like all of them. The style of site seems friendly and for some reason, it's constantly in my mind when I think about submitting. So, I'm gonna do it, as soon as the ticker at the bottom of my screen reads 60,000.

Well, that's about it. Not much going on except the usual. School. Books. TV. Family. Friends. Life. Yeah, that's how it goes. Well, speech note cards are staring me in the face...and Mom just walked in. Haha! So long till next time.

LOTR is most definitely Terrifical!

I personally love Lord of the Rings and the memes people match up with them are hilarious. This picture is often used, but I found this one especially funny since it's exactly how I feel. :D 

Have a Terrifical Tuesday!

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Hola, everyone! I've been submersed in Spanish lately...actually, I'm usually submersed in Spanish so sometimes it just comes out. 

My world has been flipping itself around quite a bit, lately. Some changes are important, others are exciting, and one is just...well, sad. Very, very sad. Keep reading. :D

Change #1: My whole plan this semester has been to take the summer off from school, continue on at Lonestar in the fall, and transfer to HBU in the spring semester. About two weeks ago, the world flipped. ;) I had a meeting with a faculty member at HBU. It has now been so ordered by the Pope (a family nickname for Dad) that I have the ability to go to HBU in the fall semester. :D I am super excited and looking forward to a whole new experience of new teachers, new friends, and joining another Kelly kid tradition. 

Change #2: Tonight, I had an egg salad sandwich...and I liked it. What? You are not gasping in shock? Clearly you were not around for the 18 years of my life in which I heavily disliked egg salad. I think it all has to do with the amount of mayonnaise. I didn't put a lot in this time; I think it's kind of like milk in cereal. A little is actually good. Too much? Ick-wick!   

Change #3: A few days ago I was hit with a shocking reality that disturbed my mind almost as much as the time I found out Goofy is supposed to be a dog. Quite traumatic, I assure you. Well, this truth? Some of those call-in radio programs on the radio? Some of them are taped! Taped! They lied to me! Every night when Delilah says, "We're here with you tonight," it is a lie. She's not actually there. Another childhood fantasy dashed. 

Annnnyway, so that's what's been going on with me lately. Hope you all are doing stupendous! 

The Toast of Life

As I was making toast for myself this morning, I decided to write a blog post.

Today, Mom and I are driving down to HBU so I can speak with an adviser about my degree. You see, HBU is changing their degree plans over the summer and guess what they're introducing? A creative writing major! I couldn't be happier. It'll will be so nice to just be able to focus down into that specifically and also be able to tell people I'm a creative writing major instead of an English major. English majors are just asked. "Oh, so you want to teach?"

I'm going to repaint my room. I've selected green and found two really light, pretty greens that I like. I'm going to paint some drywall and put it in my room to see how the colors work with everything. Then I shall decide. Also trying to figure out what else I want to do in my room. I know a few things: where I want to put certain books, some things I want to put away, but the biggest problem is what I want most in my room. I want pictures, both prints as well as photographs. I want an area where I can just tack up photo upon photo of my friends and I. And, I'm at a loss how to do that. Maybe I should go search Pintrest for some ideas. ;)

Oh, and I wanted to share a verse with you that I read in my morning quiet-time; it really stuck out at me. Psalm 72: 18--"Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things." That's a pretty amazing verse when you consider it. Everything the Lord does is wondrous. The 75th person He healed was no more miraculous than the 1st. He is wondrous and everything He does is wondrous. :)

By the way, to explain the quote on the side, I had a quote from Kate and Leopold about toast that I wanted to post, but it's way too long and there's a word that I don't want to include on this blog. Haha! So, while scrolling through the quote section on IMDb for the movie, I found this one. It was just too funny not to share.

The Three World Wonders of Siblings

Today happens to be national sibling day, and so I am succumbing to internet pressure by writing a blog post about it. :D 

Brother 1--Ryan: Loud and quiet, living in another state but still around, encouraging, pushes the boundaries to get me to think about things, asks a question to specifically get me to find a position about something, no nonsense about certain things unless he feels like being goofy, the best pianist I know, makes amazing eggs but I had to show him how to make a real omelet, crazy driver, takes a real interest in my interests, will always be the big brother to ask questions, can make Julianne laugh more than anyone else, excellent deep-dish pizza maker, a friend not just a brother, and has the best laugh I know. 

Brother 2--Justin: Makes any situation better, the one to make up football plays for front-yard games, willing to run around with markers as phasers, really good at poker but loses at Omaha, never ever is going to lose a game of Stratego, more brilliant than I knew was possible, doesn't do so well making rice, a necessity for the proper and full enjoyment of watching Remember the Titans, can out talk you in any argument because he uses big words, chicken connoisseur, had a bed I couldn't sit on :P, always reliable, has the cool car, plays the piano and I'm 8 years old again, and has the best laugh I know.

The only sister--Kathryn: the person that know me best--to an ocean's floor depth, the only person that can fully translate when I'm speaking the obscure dialect of quoting, the most exasperating and most endearing, the first call and the first text, when there's nothing to talk about we still talk for an hour, always contributing to my books--even when I might not want her to, and she's always right about my books--even when I don't think she is, my best friends can't touch how "best" she is, amazing, complex, nearly opposite taste in music from me but has the same taste in fictional male characters HAHA!, Disneyworld lover, movie-holic, always willing to read anything I give her...even if it's poetry, doesn't mince words when I'm being stupid or overreacting, dependable, blue with pink polka dots, and has the best laugh I know. 

I couldn't love these three any more!

Irish People are Terrifical

My sister found this pillow and took a picture of it. I find it quite humorous and excellent for my Irish roots. :)

The Smell of Burned Bacon...

The smell of burned bacon...
How horrid, how putrid, how nasty, how vile.

The windows are now open, don't worry. And I'm very glad for this dank weather that allows us to open the windows. I know other people don't like dampness in the air, but I do. It makes me feel cold and want to get under covers and read and write. I love this kind of weather.

But right now, I'm not exactly feeling cool and damp because I was just out doing unplanned manual labor. Haha! I'm not going to go into the details of said manual labor because I'm not sure how much is up for universal disclosure and how much would sound like complaining. Let it simply suffice to say that the labor was not anything meant for three women...more like six men.

Anyway, yeah, there's really nothing to write in this post. But I felt like I had to right down that little bacon ditty at the beginning. The reason why the bacon is burned is because we out doing the manual labor and were unavailable to remove the last pan of bacon. I've never seen bacon that crispy. Haha!

On the bright side of the day, Chester is once again back in our yard instead of roaming out in the world during a thunderstorm. Also, I've been reading for a good portion of the day; what I do most days now and I LOVE it! Also, my hair looks pretty good.

So, yep, that's about it. Tethered dog, good hair, good book, and burned bacon. Happy Wednesday!

Capt. Terrifical

I wonder sometimes if this is how people feel when I quote. Haha! Then again, this is sometimes how *I* feel when someone quotes...and they don't do it right. Haha! No matter, I enjoyed this picture quite a bit.

Enjoy your Tuesday. Make sure it's terrifical!

Fingerprints on My Heart

I decided I needed to write a poem. We've been reading a lot of sonnets in Brit Lit right now, and though this is no sonnet, I wanted to write a poem. It was a rush of inspiration, and a bit different than what I usually write. Still, I just wrote it, and I like it. So, I thought I'd post it and see what you guys think. Criticism is welcome but as Mark Twain said, only criticism I like. Haha! No, I'm just kidding. Any feedback is welcome.

Fingerprints on My Heart

I thought I had to do it;
It was the only way.
So, I went home,
And opened my chest.
I took my heart out,
And attached it to my sleeve.

I showed it to everyone;
I let everyone up to see.
I ask them if they'd like to hold it.
Most say no: they think I'm crazy.
A few are surprised
But hold out their hands.

I'm wary of the boys.
I give them the same offer as the girls,
But a different connotation is behind it:
More hoops to jump through,
More precautions,
More necessary boundaries.

I let the girls keep it for as long as they like.
I'm always happy
When a girl is holding it:
Makes me feel special.
It's hard to hold a heart for long.
Your hands can start to shake.

It went fine for awhile.
They shared my heart equally
And some I preferred to hold it over others.
Still, I never put it back inside.
I thought they liked it too much.
Why didn't everyone do this?

Then I found out.
Someone didn't want it anymore.
I offered it to a usual yes,
And got a no instead,
A squeamish look.
What?

Then another.
More shied away.
The novelty was gone.
More work than fun.
Even the yeses
Were for shorter periods.

Maybe you should put it back in,
They said to me.
The ones that had turned to nos.
That's not how it's done.
It's not safe either,
Was their sheer excuse.

Was it really that way?
I looked at my heart,
There like a banner to the world.
Had I not achieved a difficult state?
Had I not shown them all me?
Had I not done the bravest thing?

Suddenly, pain started.
I looked back at my heart.
What were those?
Smudges? Dark areas?
Over the flawed skin?
The pain centered from there.

I knew what bruises were,
Dime sized, oblong shapes,
All over.
When had these come?
When had the pain started?
How could I not have seen this?

Now, everywhere I went,
I received more.
It was because my heart was
Too far out, too vulnerable.
The yeses began to talk like the nos,
Encouraging me to replace my heart.

Hide it, they said.
Keep it safe,
Were their friendly words.
I agreed.
Maybe it was time.
Yes, I would do it.

It was hard,
But I took my heart down.
I took a deep breath
And went to put it in.
Panic like water.
The scar was gone.

Without the guide map of removal,
Replacement is impossible.
I'm lost. Now what?
I can't put it in.
I don't know how.
I don't remember

Tears. My heart hurts.
I can't hold it in my hands anymore,
It's too sore from the bruises.
From the nos that didn't
Treat it gently.
It is a heart after all!

I half wish I could sever it completely.
But of course,
That's just as impossible as replacement.
There's only one choice left.
With a sniff,
I put it back on my shoulder.

It still sits there,
Hanging limper than before. Still sore.
It will always be sore.
The bruises can't seem to disappear.
They held it too long.
They left their mark well.

I'm marked now.
And no one wants
To hold a damaged heart.
Only a few of the truest
Still say yes to holding on.
I'm now wary of more than just boys.

I hope the skin,
The damaged, overlapping skin
Can grow back.
I hope the scar will
Magically appear
And I can put my heart back where it belongs.

But sometimes I wonder,
Was it really ever inside?
I can't remember that far back.
Was I born abnormal?
The most vital piece of life
Born to the most defenseless place?

I'm still looking for yeses.
Though, I'm more cautious than before.
I try to see a word ahead
In any person's eyes.
A yes?
Or a no?

If it seems like a yes,
It has to be permanent.
I don't always judge right.
I have more bruises than before.
More marks of all the mistakes.
More identification of who finally said no.

Regrouping

Hey guys! I missed the last two Terrifical Tuesday posts. I just haven't been on here lately or thinking about it. So, here's a picture for today. I thought it was really cute. Hope your day is pretty!

The Excellent Emperor

The movie, Emperor, hit theaters on Friday but in limited release. Only four theaters are showing it right now in theaters close to me. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a film documenting the 10 day struggle of General Fellers to decide whether the Japanese emperor Hirohito should have been charged with war crimes after World War II. 

Dad, Kathryn, and I went to watch it this afternoon after church and lunch. I thought the movie was excellent. It was definitely a dialogue driven movie, which is usually not my style. It's Kathryn's. However, she was bored about half way through while I was riveted to the screen. Honestly, I thought it was captivating. Mattew Fox was polarizing as Fellers. I don't profess to be a great judge of acting, but I found him so real on camera. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the pent-up devastation, the "doing his job when he didn't want to," and the relief and acceptance of several things. 

There were multiple flashbacks in the movie, and while I found one a bit lengthy, they all served a purpose and added layers to the movie. The color of the movie was intriguing and there were certain camera angles that I found different and refreshing. I know it sounds weird for me to be talking about all of this, but I noticed things like that occasionally as I did in this movie. 

It wasn't a funny movie, or even a movie with "great lines," but it was a solid, and as far as I could tell, fairly accurate portrayal of some events during that time. I was thoroughly intrigued and look forward to watching it again. 

Avenging Terrifical Tuesday!

I don't know how people make these connections. :)

Chicken Pot Pies!

I'm not extremely adventurous with my food, but occasionally I get a kick to try a new recipe. Sometimes that recipe sounds really strange, and sometimes it's safer. Still, it's a new recipe. Well, with Mom going out of town, I decided the aspect of having to cook dinner would be the perfect opportunity to try a recipe I'm ripped from a magazine. 

They're called Mini Chicken Potpies. Not super out there, but still something new. I asked Mom what she thought, and she reminded me that Dad doesn't like pot pies. (I had already remembered on my own, however, and decided to make it anyway. Haha!) 

Tuesday turned out to be the day to make them. I purposefully avoided telling Dad about it until he specifically asked, though. ;) I had to make a run to the grocery store for turkey and cheese, so I popped into his office. Just as I was about to close the door, he asked, "What's for dinner?" The conversation is relaid below.

M: "...Chicken Potpies."

D: *not a pleasant face* "I don't like chicken pot pies."

M: "I know it's not your favorite, but it's a new recipe, and we're going to try it."

D: "I don't like peas!"

M: "I know; neither do I. I'm not going to put any in."

D: "Does it have carrots?"

M: "Yes."

D: "I'm not a big fan of carrots."

M: "We're going to try it anyway. If it turns out horrible, there are eggs."

D: "And pizza! Hahaha!"

     Yes, it was rather funny, but I shall jump you to the actual cooking part. I failed to read the recipe early on in the day to find that the frozen peas with carrots and onions had to be thawed. So, I had to take the pan off the heat and defrost vegetables. Since I was only using part of the onions, I dumped them into the same dish with the peas and carrots to thaw. (Note: not a good idea) They came out all nicely thawed, but there was a problem. They were all mixed up...I hadn't thought it out well. I then began to separate every single pea out of that vegetable mix. Pick. Pick. Pick. Carrots and Onions went to one side, peas to the other. Pick. Pick. Pick. When they were all out, I realized that the onions had to go into the pan long before the carrots...I then began to separate every single onion out of the carrots. Pick. Pick. Pick. Haha! Let me just say that this part of the prep was No Fun! Eventually though, it all picked up and I was "a-flyin'." It was about this time that Dad came downstairs and looked in at what I was making. "Oh," he said, "you're making it from scratch." :D 

     It was fun to be making real food. Melting tablespoons of butter. Stirring flour and stock into carrots, onions, and chicken. Having to flavor--which I need major work on--and making the crust without a 'pastry blender' which is what the recipe called for. I used my quick thinking skills from watching Food Network and pulled out a fork to mash the butter in, and then I just used my hands. I was pretty sure the crust was going to come out raw or heavy or nasty or just bad, but I reminded myself we could always pull it off after it had cooked. So, I took out ploops of dough, splayed them out, and gingerly placed them on top of the filling in the ramekins. I felt like a real chef! (Note: that was about to change)

     The recipe called for the tops of the crust to be brushed with egg and water. I got a bowl of water and pulled out the egg. I will interject in my own story right here to say that I was slightly stressed from everything before hand. I might have felt like a real chef, but I was still nervous about the whole thing coming out. And all that picking peas stuff had really gotten to me. Also, it was seven o'clock at night...and they had to bake for 25 minutes. Forgot to mention that earlier. Haha! Anyway, so I was stressed and rushing...and holding an egg. I had the bowl of water and I cracked that egg...dropping the whole thing onto the counter. I cracked it on the bowl, but it gushed onto the counter, oozing around the scissors and to be honest, it kind of freaked me out. My eyes got huge, and I probably uttered some kind of high squeak. I didn't know what to do. Had anyone ever broken an egg over the counter? 

     Keeping in mind it was 7 and they had to bake for a half hour, I decided to muscle through and leave the shifting mass where it jiggled. I cracked a new egg, carefully into the bowl, brushed the tops of the dough, and sent them in to the oven to die. With them in, I went to cleaning up and left the egg till the end. I did spray the ENTIRE counter down with 409 stuff to ensure no one got salmonella poising. 

     They were done at exactly 25 minutes, and they smelled excellent. I got one, Dad got two, and since I didn't have a side, I got out the pita chips we had. Then, we sat down to watch Ever After. (Yes, I got Dad to watch a sappy chick flick--and he enjoyed it, too! :D )

I was too hurried to get them into the oven that I didn't take a picture before. This is just having come out of the oven. 

The finished product with a little bubbly, crusty things on the sides. :D

So, the verdict? EXCELLENT!!! They were so good! The filling was smooth, the flavor was so...just good, like really good. The crust was good and added a nice change in texture. I could have flavored it a bit stronger with salt and pepper, but it was good. Dad's opinion? Few times have I ever heard him rave about food like he did that recipe. His ramekins were practically licked clean, both of them. :D It made me really happy. It's a really strange sensation, that huge feeling of pleasure in making food for people and having them be truly satisfied. Dad wants me to make it again soon. :D I think I have him converted...at least to this recipe. Haha!

Tonight, chili for dinner.

We're heading in One Direction

I'm not sure if anyone else will think this is as funny as I do. Maybe it's not even that funny. But I laughed quite a bit when I saw this. Happy Terrifical Tuesday!  

Oscars 2013!!!

Roll out the red carpet! The stars are coming! Yes, it was Oscars day yesterday, and as Kathryn and I make a great to-do over the whole thing, I wanted to write a blog post about it.

I did not like the host. I don't know if it's some kind of curse to all hosts at the Oscars..but none of them are good. Now, some are vastly better than others, but aside from Anne Hathaway and James Franco who were probably the worst ever!, I think this guy was next. He was crude; his jokes were lame. He was booed several times. And after the opening, he never really did anything to "host." I was very disappointed. I was kind of excited to see Captain Kirk...but it was slightly sad, actually.

Also, since this was the 85th Oscars and they made a big hype about having a special thing about movie music, I expected some really cool stuff. Some old footage, and I was hoping for one huge dance number weaving together tons of movie music. Alas, there was hardly any. You could hear snipits of classic songs throughout the night, but nothing very grand. However, I did feel that they could not have picked a better song for the In Memoriam video than the theme from Out of Africa.

Oh, and we cannot forget the lovely dance between Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum near the beginning. I thought it was really cool, and they were both excellent--extremely graceful.

But why do we stall? Everybody's favorite part--or at least mine--is seeing what everyone is wearing and playing the best dressed game. Kathryn and I pick one guy and one girl for best dressed and sometimes a worst dressed person will get thrown in.

*Worst dressed this year was Helena Bonham Carter. I only saw her in the performance of the Les Mis cast, but whatever she was wearing...was not Oscar worthy. (But I've just got to add, what *was* Anne Hathaway actually wearing?)

*Best dressed guy is often a difficult category. Guys don't have a ton to work with at the Oscars so the race is usually tight. This year was no different, and surprisingly, Kathryn and I disagreed on our final guys choice. (We usually end up picking the same guy.) While her pick--Channing Tatum--was in the running, in the end I gave the award to Chris Evans. His look was clean, classy, snappy, and simple. And unlike some who possibly lost due to their unruly beards, his facial hair is at the proper proportions for his face and the look.

*While we're all excited to see the guys all spiffed up, it's the girls who captivate us. You're always looking for the stunning one to take your breath away, and the hideous dress to make you laugh outright. Well, coming in as best dressed girl of the night, Jennifer Lawrence is clearly stunning enough to take away one's breath. Her hair was simple but tidy, her jewels balanced, and the dress...*sigh* absolutely gorgeous! It was a princess dress, a ballgown worthy of a pumpkin coach. She was absolutely beautiful, and I'm so glad she got the Oscar for best actress!

And, that's a wrap! See you all next year!

Happy Fantastical Friday!

As I sit here eating my Valentine's Day candy, I find it such an unending comfort that you know without a doubt that the square at the bottom of your heart shaped box is a caramel...and you won't be unhappily waylaid by nasty cherry fluff.

On another note, :) , how has your own day been? Well, I'm glad to hear it. My day's been pretty good. I'm very tired these days 'cause I never seem to stop doing things. Once one task gets finished it's zoom on over to the next one. School, the house, dinner, and office work for Dad keep me pretty busy while Mom is away.
Tonight's dinner is leftovers from a previous meal this week. This means the microwave will be my main utensil instead of the stove or oven. I am quite happy about this fact. Microwave the chicken, microwave the rice, and slice open a bag of salad. Voila! An easy dinner sounds nice, and while I haven't had a hard dinner yet while she's been gone, the idea of cooking a full blowout meal is more tiring than you might think.
I know I really have no reason to complain or even really, just talk about "how much work it is," because I think about people like my sister-in-law who has a toddler and a newborn. I've got nothin' on her!
















Happy Fantastical Friday! :)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Have any of you read this lyrical poem from the Middle English period? I'm reading it in my British Literature course. I like it; some of the poetry is really good. For example, this passage that is the very beginning of the poem. It's so cool! That's why I wanted to post it. Have fun! :)

Once the siege and assault of Tory had ceased,
with the city a smoke-heap of cinders and ash,
the traitor who contrived such betrayal there
was tried for his treachery, the truest on earth;
Aeneas, it was, with his noble warriors
who went conquering abroad, laying claim to the crowns
of the wealthiest kingdoms in the western world.
Mighty Romulus quickly careered towards Rome
and conceived a city in magnificent style
which from then until now has been known by his name.
Ticius constructed townships in Tuscany
and Langobard did likewise building homes in Lombardy.
And further afield, over the Sea of France,
Felix Brutus founds Britain on broad banks most grand.
          And wonder, dread and war
          have lingered in that land
          where loss and love in turn
          have held the upper hand.

So funny!

Happy Terrifical Tuesday!

This picture made me laugh so hard. Anybody else thinking of the hamster from Bolt?

Kathleen Lenore!

Kathleen Lenore
How beautiful you are.
Wreathed in pink,
I couldn't love you more.
You're already such a darling.

Kathleen Lenore
Your eyes are already open!
Active and happy,
Joy already fills your little frame.
I am so proud to call you my niece

Kathleen Lenore
I am amazed at the life
God has given to us,
and the future He has planned for you.
A precious future for a precious girl!

2/15/13  3:12 am. 9 lbs. 4 oz.

Ter. Tues.

I'm sorry. I can see the face my mom is making as she sees this, but I find this really funny.

Happy Terrifical Tuesday! :D

Dogs on Terrifical Tuesday

Happy Terrifical Tuesday! 

The Last Day

It's here. My eighteenth birthday. Well, it will be tomorrow, anyway. And that's why I'm writing this. Today is my last day to be seventeen. 17. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed being 17. In fact, if you think about it, I've enjoyed being every age in my teenage years. (Can't remember actually feeling happy to be nine or anything. haha) I know most people hate being 14 because they were so awkward, sometimes 15 gets lumped in for the same reason. But while I was ridiculously awkward during those years, I didn't really notice it--or at least I didn't care. I just really enjoyed 14. I thought 15 was GREAT! Being 16 was amazing. And 17? Let me show you what made being 17 wonderful.

What I did during this last year:
My 1st birthday party!
Senior year (the spring part of it)
My last semester of choir
The choir Disney trip! (This is sol much fun!)
Graduating
Hawaii
Surfing
My first mission trip to Boston!
Visit to PA to see Ryan, Noelle, and Julianne
Getting to see the Builtmore Estate
The start of "real college"
One of my most enjoyable semesters of college
   --made possible by the best English class led by the best teacher
   --and also by two friends who got me through ridiculously tough classes.
Surprising Justin in WI after he got sworn in
Wrote my first 50,000 word novel in 30 days!!!
Getting my sister back for a month!
Having my whole family here on Christmas day!
Getting my license

Do you understand a little better? Haha. Of course, I could have done most of those things regardless of my being 17, but there's just something...There's something in the number 17. There's a special connotation when you say "I'm 17." There's a lingering idea of still being "young." Not in a sense that now I'm done for, and I'll never have fun, and I'm suddenly old. Just the idea that you're no longer a kid. You might be young-er, but you're not young. You're not little. 18-year-olds vote; they join the army...hey, they can buy stuff off of infomercials. Haha! This last year has been the most growing I've ever done in my life. The most spiritual growing, the most emotional growing, and the most growing I've done as in learning new things and getting older. Trying to go back and think about the beginning of being 17...I don't even feel like the same person. Piles of things transpired over the summer that I feel like it was a year in and of itself. Yes, only three months being a year. Sounds weird, but that's how I feel. I will miss 17, the number, the label, and the idea. I will miss being able to say "I'm 17." I'm sad to being turning *another* page in my book. I know that's what life is about, but it doesn't make it any easier. So many pages have turned this year...I just want to read these pages a little longer.

Goodbye 17! It's been the best, spending time with you!

Gorgeous Day!

The weather is gorgeous today! Seriously, I just want to be outside. It's so windy, and I love the wind! I'm just going to have to take a walk or take some school work outside.
This lovely weather combined with copious (amazing word in my opinion) amounts of sleep has energized me in knew ways. I'm ready to knock off everything on my to-do list and put new things on to be checked off.
I feel rather like listening to Disney music and watching Mr. Rodgers right now. :D Like, I'm seriously so perky and ready to do anything. I do have Disney music on at the moment (currently playing is Best of Friends), and it's adding to my mood. By the way, I'm smiling as I write this.
Yes, it's a good day. And I'm not letting thoughts of my Bio class tonight distract me or get me down. There are too many good hours in this day to be worrying about later. Haha!
Well, I only wanted to jump in here and write all this 'cause there was no way to condense it properly into a facebook status. OH! And I will be doing either some editing, brainstorming, or writing today! :D

Check in with you later and I hope you enjoy this day as much as I am! :D

Cats on Terrifical Tuesday

It's "Terrifical Tuesday" again! Here's a picture for your enjoyment!

Terrifical Tuesday!

I'm going to start a trend today. I shall call it "Terrifical Tuesday." It's basically like Wordless Wednesday, but I'm doing it on Tuesday. I got the idea from Mom, and it's pretty much just posting a funny picture or something else really funny like...I'm not really sure what. But, today, we shall have a picture.

Something Funny

I was reading Great Expectations earlier today, and I came across this line that I thought was very funny. Thinking you all might enjoy it, I decided to post it here.

"There, I found a virtuous boatswain in his Majesty's service--a most excellent man, though I could have wished his trousers not quite so tight in some places and not quite so loose in others--who knocked all the little men's hats over their eyes, though he was very generous and brave, and who wouldn't hear of anybody's paying taxes, though he was very patriotic."

Required Readings

Two classes this semester have me reading various interesting things. My Brit Lit course has me in Beowulf right now. I used to be staunchly anti-Beowulf. But I must say, after understanding the principles and period behind it, and how to decipher some of the *beautiful* poetry...within the poem, haha!, I'm really enjoying it. It actually reads just like a regular story, and it's quite exciting. Though I'm not required to read the whole thing for the class--we're only reading to page 88--I have decided to continue on so I can say I've read the whole thing. :)
The other class for reading is the Then and Now course with Mrs. V. Now, I already mentioned the Cinderella variations, but I want to come back to them for just a moment. Everybody knows that Disney has cleansed all the original stories, because they are quite gruesome. I know I've read Grimm's Cinderella, but I did not remember that the step-sisters cut off their heels and toes to get their feet into the shoe. Nor did I remember how the dad doesn't even like Cinderella anymore. Oh, and also, the step-sisters? Yeah, birds pluck out their eyes at the end of the story? While I do not agree in theory with sanitizing stories...thank you, Disney for giving us the lovely Cinderella movie we have today.
The other things I've read for the T&N class are Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and Browning's "Porphyria's Lover." I had read neither before but because of them being Poe and Browning, I was excited to read them. I really like Poe and Browning. Do you know how violent those things are? It's kind of funny, actually. You read them and go...wait, WHAT?! Did that just happen? Why am I reading this? Haha! I shall not spoil the stories for you, but both are very short and can be found on google if you'd like to know what I'm talking about.

Then, something that I'm not being required to read for school, but that kind of goes in the same theme, is Great Expectations that I'm still making my way through. Though it's thick writing, I am enjoying it quite a lot. Dickens has succeeded in writing an amazing display of characters. I can't even begin to describe it. The depth and warring facets within Pip...and yet, he's not a whiner...AH! It's just so cool and makes me grin just thinking about it! I don't think I can ever hope to pack into a character what Dickens has put into Great Expectations. Go read it, if you haven't and keep reading it, if you're stuck plowing through the endless descriptions. Haha! It is worth it.

Just a Random Post

I'm going to be abnormal. I'm not going to say "WOW! I haven't posted in forever." I'm not going to apologize or offer explanations for why I haven't written. I'm not even going to talk about Christmas or having all the family here. Well, maybe for just a second. ;)

It was great to have the family here! I couldn't have enjoyed spending time with Julianne more than I did. Yes, I did most of the diapers, and asked for it, too. :) I'm practically a pro...well, not quite yet. But, I will be soon. Though I posted them on facebook already, I've got two adorable shots for you. Right here. :)

 You might be able to see her "Cindy-Loo-Who" curl in this picture. 

So, let me tell you a little about my classes. I'm taking four this semester, and attending a fifth...though I'm not actually taking it. It's a bit confusing, but I shall explain. (Oh, and to protect the privacy of the teachers, I shall use only an initial to refer to them.)

1. Brit. Lit: When I signed up for this course, I was not looking forward to it. I'm not a fan of ancient English literature. Still, a friend was taking it, and the class fit into the category of a "required" for my degree. The class is taught by Dr. T. (From a Muppet standpoint, that's really funny!) Though I doubt it will be my favorite class of the semester, I have already found myself enjoying the presentation of info.

2. Speech: Ms. S is unpredictable and fun. I'm looking forward to the rest of the class. 

3. Spanish: This is an online class and has caused an insane amount of headache. Still, after going back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth again, I've decided to stick the course out and just do it. Prof. S is prompt with emails, so that's a very good thing. 

4. Biology: Science is not my favorite avenue, but I do enjoy Biology. And though I'm taking the first part that mainly deals with cells (blah), I'm interested in the class. Plus, it's taught by Dr. S. He's been fun, spending one class meeting talking a good deal about penguins and the other talking about cake. He assures us we'll get to Biology soon. Haha! 

5. (the almost class) Literature: Then and Now. This class is with my favorite teacher, Mrs. V. She and I rather brainstormed the idea for this class last semester. The whole class looks at a piece of literature and then a modern (or at least written after the original) version of the literature. For example, we've already looked at the difference between three versions of Cinderella. Grimm's, Disney's, and then the Chinese version. Yin Xuan? I think that's the name, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it's really cool to see the differences and similarities in these pieces  and I'm looking forward to reading and attending more, though I'm not required to. :)