Iced Tea

The sun came out today. Even though it's cold, it makes me think of spring and summer. I cannot wait for spring to arrive. So to celebrate the sunny occasion, I decided to help myself to some iced tea.

Just Tazo Passion Fruit Tea with sugar added. It's lovely. Happy almost-spring-time!

I felt the urge to write

"Isn't the point of blogging to just write meaningless words to get attention?"

Words of wisdom from my boyfriend.

Well, sometimes blogging is very serious and sometimes it is not. I believe my blog falls somewhere in between. But whether you write about food, games, or even write about writing, blogging is just writing about whatever comes to your mind. It's also for people like me who want to be part of that unique species called "writers." I pretend I'm completely consumed by the words that swim around in my head. But whether I'm hardcore or not, I still enjoy putting words down on paper or typing them on to a screen.

With that, I've realized my blog isn't about anything in particular. It's about this and that and other things. My blog looks like what my mind would look like if I were able to put my mind on a screen. Fun little curlicues and bright colors surround the mess of words that are my thoughts and experiences. Sure it's a little cluttered, but it's mine. So thank you blog for being a tribute to my mind. And thank you readers for enjoying my clutter.

Do I blog just to get attention? Maybe. But maybe there's more to it. Maybe I blog for the sheer joy of it... plus more!

Camels, people in brown coats, orange papers... senseless muttering.

My gums feel strange. And my teeth hurt. Or at least, the empty spaces where my teeth used to be hurt. Yesterday, I had my wisdom teeth surgically removed. I was put under IV sedation and numbed up.

Before the procedure, several things were done to prepare me. First the nurse put an oxygen tube up my nose. Ewww. Very uncomfortable. Then, they put one of those things on my finger that reads your pulse. I could hear the beep of my pulse on a little machine. I caused a little mischief and played with the machine by seeing if thinking about certain things or breathing faster would make the machine beep faster. That was fun. At least it was until they got ready to give me the sedation shot. It was slightly embarrassing when the machine starting beeping faster and faster. I didn't realize a shot would make me that nervous. All I remember after that was the room looking kind of funny. The light above me looked like it was getting bigger and then smaller and then bigger again. Then I woke up. Let me tell you it's very strange to suddenly wake up without any memory of ever closing your eyes. I also realized there was gauze in my mouth and I couldn't even feel my lower jaw. The nurse was standing there. She asked me how I was doing. I answered "imdnggh." She nodded as if she'd understood I'd tried to say, "I'm doing okay." Then again, this is her job so she probably did understand me.

Then I must have fallen asleep again because there was a camel in the room. After my eyes opened again, the nurse said, "Keep your eyes open." "mgh" (okay), I replied. I failed though because then there were Browncoats (Independents from the show Firefly. It's a great show. Watch it.) standing in the room and Malcolm Reynolds (the captain from the show Firefly) was talking to me about my teeth. Then the nurse told me to stay awake again. I nodded but failed. This time somebody was ripping a piece of orange paper. These were the shortest, but strangest dreams I'd ever had. After waking up that last time, I really tried to make an effort to keep my eyes open. Then the nurse went to get my mom. They came back and talked about post-op stuff like my medications and what I was not allowed to eat. I don't remember much of what they said. Then I tried to tell them about my dreams. They looked at each other as if I needed to be put away. But hey, it's not my fault the drugs made my brain all fuzzy.

I was sent home with medications and an ice pack that straps over my head and hangs beneath my jaw. My mom said I looked like Jacob Marley. I suppose maybe I did look a little bit like the picture included in this post. Just... minus the chains... and the crazy hair... and the ghostly complexion.

My mouth still hurts today and I'm not feeling pleasant. Let's just say... I'm watching the clock to see when I'm allowed to take my pain med again and I'm wearing my Jacob Marley garb. But I do have to say, baby food does not taste too bad. As a matter of fact, I think I'll have some now with a little pudding for dessert.

Although it's rather unavoidable, I wish that none of you will have to (or had to) go through this ordeal with funny dreams, pain, and squishy foods... plus more.

An Interesting Facial

I spent this last weekend at a county fair. I participate in 4-H and rabbits are my main project. I own a Mini Lop. She is four years old and her name is Layla. My whole 4-H club took part in the county fair so we had a nice little section of the rabbit barn for our bunnies. On the last night of fair, I went in to the barn to check on the rabbits. One of the rabbits, a Dutch named Cosmo, was sitting in his cage facing away from me. I wanted to pet him so I reached through the bars on the cage to give him a little pat. Bad idea. I startled him. My eyes instinctively closed. I had no idea why they had until I realized my face felt warm and moist. Not to mention it smelled rather funny all of a sudden. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the rabbit peed on my face.

I just thought that was worth sharing. Though I would not recommend using rabbit pee as a facial or a wash. My skin felt rather tight, it smelled funny, and urine is not a healthy substance. (No worries, I washed my face thoroughly in the bathroom after that little epeedemic).

If you do happen to be interested in natural facial care, check out my friend Heidi's blog franticallysimple.com

She has tried a facial powder made from egg shells and washing her face with honey.

Hope you're having a great summer! Mine has been full of camping and rabbits... plus more!

Oh dear what is happening to me...

I have recently been dragged in to the world of video games.

Now before you start panicking, you must know I am (still) very much an amateur and nowhere near hardcore (yet?).

No really I've only been playing a few things. Mostly just Portal and League of Legends. And other little fun things that don't exactly count as "gaming."

Basically, the point of this post is... Help me. No, no I don't want to be dragged back out again. Believe me, I would go kicking and screaming. I want help with suggestions. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to suggest your favorite video game. (One thing though... I would prefer PC games because that's really all I'm able to play. We do have a wii so if you have a wii game you must suggest, I'm open to that as well.)

Now help me play these games! Plus more!

Ready, set, suggest!

No guilt

Many of my posts have been chock full of apologies for not posting. (Who reads this anyway?)

A dear friend of mine took the time to tell me not to worry about being consistent on my blog. She told me to post when is convenient for me. So, off you go Guilt. Leave this place. There is no room for you here.

On that note, let's talk some more about casting off guilt. I'll spread it out over a few categories.

~Emotional~

The problem: I am an impatient person. I get anxious and easily excited about something. So, naturally, waiting in anticipation of something drives me nuts. Sometimes people do too. I can be short of temper. This results in having an attitude with my parents, yelling at my brothers, or saying something spiteful to a friend. Afterwards, I feel terrible. No one likes inflicting pain on others (if you do, you have psychological problems).

Casting it off: As embarrassing and humbling as it is, apologizing works wonders. Take the time to let people know you're sorry for hurting them. And let people know you appreciate them! I know how much it hurts to feel unappreciated. One approach I took was to write a letter to a family member and leave it under their pillow for them to find. That's a nice way to say what you need to say without the awkwardness of saying it face to face.

~Physical~

The problem: I used to do taekwondo, but I haven't trained for about two years. It felt so good to go in to the school twice a week and get a really hardcore work-out. I prided myself in being able to do crunches for who knows how long and punch a bag for 5 minutes straight without faltering. I am not keen on the idea of trying that now for fear of failing. To top it all off, I've never been good at running, so I can't do that either.

Casting it off: Since my schedule is so busy and I can never seem to find time to exercise, I have trouble casting off this guilt. BUT I am finding little ways to feel better about myself. As silly as this sounds, shower daily. Yeah I know most of us do this anyway, but actually think about it. Relax while you're showering. Try not to think about your schedule or what's bothering you. Think about the warm water splashing off your head, clearing your pores, and refreshing your soul................... aaaaah. If a shower's not physically healthy, I don't know what is. Another thing I've tried is doing 25 crunches right before every shower. Those are great for making your tummy smaller. Directly affecting your physical health? I think yes. One more thing on the physical note. Smaller portions. I like food. Lots of food. I eat food. Lots of food. Food is yummy. So... slow down with your food. Enjoy that bite. Chew it slowly and purposefully. If you savor your food, you'll actually eat less. What a great way to enjoy your meal while still being healthy!

~Spiritual~

The problem: I think this section can speak for itself. Yeah, we sin. A lot. All day, every day. No wonder we feel guilty about this one. It's directly spiritual in the sense that sometimes we don't appreciate church. We go because it's routine. Things like that. As if that's not enough to get our guilt machine going, the emotional and physical guilt also ties in to this. Dang.

Casting it off: As cliché as this sounds... read. your. bible. I hardly ever take the time to read God's word. Right now is Lent; a time of prayer and fasting. As well as giving something up this year (caffeine if you're wondering), I've also decided to do something this year. I'm working my way through the gospel of Matthew every day. I'm also doing a daily devotional. I have found this to be extremely refreshing and incredibly beautiful. I'm learning how to incorporate God in to my every day life. Another thing to do is really focus on church. Whatever denomination you are, think about why you are there. This morning at mass, I almost started crying. I was a Eucharistic minister today and I was serving wine. I suddenly became so excited to be sharing the blood of Jesus with my community. I was so joyful and I could feel Jesus' joy at my being so in love with Him at that moment. So take the time to see that beauty. If you can't, as God to help you. And most importantly, know that He is a merciful God and ask Him for forgiveness.

A lot of guilt comes from these mindsets: "I need to do this" or "I need to do that." "I didn't do this" or "I didn't do that." St. Therese of Lisieux focused on the little things. What if we did as well? Start with a few small things that you "need" to do. Don't look at that huge workload in front of you. Do things one at a time. Then, appreciate the things you've already done. Be satisfied that you found the time to call that friend or wash that dish today. Then build from there.

Now go out there and live life. Laugh, cry, apologize, forgive, exercise, pray... plus more!

As many activities as there are leaves on my lawn

It seems like every post says something like this:

"I've failed my readers once again"

"I missed the post for last month"
"Oh darn it, I forgot to write on my blog"

What is going on here?
I suppose I have priorities... More important things to do... Like facebo-- uhhh I mean, homework.

So here I am (again) posting late.

Well, the big update would be... I'm 16 now. I celebrated my 16th birthday this weekend with many of my friends and my immediate family. My party was New York themed. Pretty classy right? We all wore fancy clothes and ate yummy food. It was a hit worthy of Broadway.

I also got the present I really wanted. No, not a car. A guitar! It's wonderful; a very pretty guitar with nice action and gorgeous sound. If you want specifics, it's a 2006 Taylor 812 CE. Acoustic electric.

Now let's back up to October. Halloween and fall activities went well. I got to hang out with my boyfriend (yes, I have a boyfriend ^_^) a few days in a row. We watched a movie and later in the week went to a haunted corn maze. And no, I wasn't the only scary thing in there. I got scared, he got scared, we both got scared, and we got lost. All in all: had a great time.

I was a mime for Halloween. I had the striped shirt, beret, and everything. I even painted my face white. The hardest part was not talking. I'm kind of talkative (if you haven't guessed already from my manner of speaking in my posts). I think I was able to keep my little mouth shut for close to 5 or 6 hours. Impressive.

At the beginning of this month, NaNoWriMo started. For all of you who have no idea what that is, I shall explain. (No it's not an anime convention). It is short for: National Novel Writing Month. A crazy month when aspiring authors all over the world try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. I started doing it, but considering my birthday and party were the first weekend of this month, I lost a lot of time. I only have just over 4,000 words... It may seem like a lot, but compared to 50,000... let's just say I'm losing hope. I shouldn't be too hard on myself, because I've actually never done NaNoWriMo before, but I'm losing faith. I might just try writing my novel over several months instead of one. We shall see.

Hope your fall is colorful, crisp, and clean, plus more!

September Falling Leaves (and falling behind)

It's September. Schedules are changing as fast as the leaves on the trees. But some of us (cough*me*cough) are also falling behind like leaves falling from the trees.

I'm just barely scraping through with this post. September is almost over. But I've prevailed. I have not failed this time to meet the deadline for this month's post. So here I am with several things to report.

Before the school year got too hectic, I was lucky enough to get in a vacation and a camping trip.

My mom's side of the family got together at the beach. We rented a beach house for a weekend near the beginning of this month. We had a weekend full of fun.

I found that despite my only previous experience with fire being creating tissue paper models, I managed to build a wonderful fire.

I played on the beach with one of my little brothers. We found an abundance of seaweed and a piece of coral. I also drew a myriad of hearts in the sand.

We played games and watched movies as a family as well.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend and I got to know my family better.

This last weekend, my immediate family went on a camping trip with my best friend's family. We stayed at a campsite next to a lake.

I once again put my newly discovered fire skills to good use.

The weather was hot, so I spent most of the second day chilling with my best friend. I also gave us both henna tattoos.

Later, she and I went out on the boat with her dad. He took us water tubing. Now that was great fun. It was bumpy and crazy and fast. We took the boat up to 40mph.

I also got a chance to do some star gazing. I watched the moon rise over the lake.

Overall, another great weekend.

Classes have also started back up again. This term, I am taking 2nd year Japanese and Biology 102. So far, everything's going well... but it's only the first week. Next week should be more difficult. We shall see.

As we continue further into this season of autumn; have a good school year, stay warm, drink coffee, enjoy the outdoors, watch the falling leaves.... plus more!

Really? -grumble-

I forgot a post for July? I? Forgot? A post? For.... JULY???? How could I? (Hey that rhymes...)

Oh goodness... When I said busy summer, I really meant it didn't I?

Well folks, let's give you an update shall we?

JULY

I went on a mission trip. It was great. I went with my church youth group (plus some more from another youth group) to Seattle, WA. We were there for almost a week. We sorted through clothes at a donation center for foster children, we served lunch to the guys at a drug rehab center, and packaged a bajillion won tons at a food share. As well as serving the community, I got to know many many great people.

AUGUST

I went to Polk County fair. I was showing rabbits, photography, art, educational displays, and I made two speeches. I had a prepared speech about demodex mites and the problems they can cause for dogs, and I did an impromptu speech. The impromptu speech was interesting. The topic I pulled out of the can was: "There are two spots left on Noah's ark. Choose from grizzly bear, ostrich, dolphin, elephant, or field mouse. You have to be the animal and explain why you deserve the last spot on the ark." Yep. I chose field mouse. It was pretty funny. Anyway, one of my educational displays and my art exhibit went to State fair. I was also selected to do my prepared speech and another impromptu speech at State.

Last week, I went to a horse camp. I met lots of awesome people and I got to ride a horse. Loved it. I learned some new things about riding and I got to do a basic barrel race at a trot. As well as horseback riding, there were all kinds of activities. Arts and crafts, bible study, free time, swimming at the lake... oh. And mucking stalls. That's great fun. I think the best part was the fact that my riding instructors quoted Monty Python and the Princess Bride. That totally made my week!

ANOTHER RANDOM UPDATE

I have a job! I'm working at a physical therapy place. They have several other offices in different cities. In the basement are stacks and stacks of boxes. The boxes are full of files... Seven years worth of patient files. My job is to scan all the files, one by one, in to the computer system. Yes, it's rather tedious, but at the same time very cool. It's my first real job, and a pretty good one at that. Much better than flipping burgers (no offense to anyone who is passionate about their burger-flipping job).

And that's about it. I shall not forget to update in September.

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer and looking forward to the new school year!

Enjoy last minute pool parties, ice cream cones, picnics... plus more!

Summer is Fresh

Well now, where to start...

I have had a great beginning of the summer. The Christian Leadership camp was great. I made many new friends and learned even more leadership skills.

I went to a multi-cultural festival here in town this weekend with one of my friends. We had a great time. :)

I am also looking forward to the mission trip this summer! It's coming up fast. Our team tie-dyed t-shirts to wear up in Seattle.

So far, I'm getting a fresh start to my summer. Speaking of fresh... I've put a fresh new design on my blog! I thought it was time for a change. Leave a comment with what you think.

Surprisingly, that's about it. Now that summer's here, I really don't have much to report. It's a nice break from my usually hectic life. I've been keeping busy talking to friends, playing and writing music, and doing spontaneous things... plus more!

And I failed... again

I created this blog because I didn't keep up my old one.

My goal was: Update this blog once a month

I have failed.

I didn't post even once during the month of April.
I feel I have let down my readers, but I've probably only let down myself. I have no idea how many people actually read this blog. Maybe I'm just posting on here for my own personal benefit. If I'm able to keep it up, it gives me the feeling that I can accomplish things. I also like to practice my writing skills.
So, if you read my blog, I hope you enjoy it at the very least. I also hope I haven't let you down in any way by missing my April post.
As it is, I am barely scraping the May post. It is after all Memorial day in just 2 days: the end of May. Oh my!
Where is this year going?

Anyway, I feel the need to update you (whoever you are) on my life.

I am still taking Japanese. I am nearing the end of this term and I'm nervous for my final. I shouldn't be nervous. I always do well. But I forget that.

I took an archery class for a few weeks. It was interesting. I say "interesting" because I'm not exactly sure how good I am. One day I get 6 bulls eyes in a row. The next, every shot I have is a foot away from my target. What happened there?
Nevertheless, I am going to try and continue archery in the fall.

Summer is getting closer. I feel like I'm looking forward to it even more than previous years. Though I have no idea why that is. Maybe because it's going to be full of all kinds of enjoyable activities.
In June, I'm going to a Christian leadership camp. Very cool. I enjoy leadership, so I can't wait for this chance to grow in those skills. I also get to see a very good friend of mine: a seminarian I met on a mission trip last summer.
Speaking of mission trips, I have another one in July! This year, we're going to Seattle. Yes, you can find poverty even there. I'm looking forward to helping the community up there. I'm also designing our team's t-shirt with another friend of mine.
In August, I get to go to a horse camp. I am very excited about that because I haven't been horseback riding in a *very* long time.
Between all these activities, I have also landed myself a summer job. I'll be working an office job, transferring patient files at a physical therapy place. Woo, exciting. But hey! It pays!
And when I'm not being a leader, a missionary, a horseback rider, or an office worker, I'll be hanging out with friends. I have great aspirations for coffee and jamba juice trips.

So there it is. My summer is chock full of randomness. And as a good friend of mine says, "randomness is the spice of life."

Looks like a spicy summer this year!

Hopefully, I won't be too busy to update my lonely blog. Even if I'm only writing to myself. Hmmm... hey. If you read my blog, leave a comment on this post.

Hope your summer is great! Have fun with swimming, jamba juice, beach trips, and popsicles... plus more!

This and that and this and that...

As it's been over a month since my last post, I have quite a bit of updating to do.

All during February and March, I was becoming overwhelmed with... well... everything. Although I was doing well in my Japanese and math classes, it seemed to be too much. Homework piled up along with various other things in my schedule. Yet, my faithful friends and family stuck by me like bugs on fly paper (even though I was not very pleasant). After much encouragement (and a little chocolate), I made it through Winter term and I still managed to scrape an A in both classes. What a relief. :)

I also just finished another great year of Shakespeare's Greatest Hits. It's a Christian homeschooling group of students grades 6-12 who put on two Shakespeare plays every year. This was my 3rd year in the program. We performed Henry V and Taming of the Shrew. As always, this has been a great experience. I've learned more about myself and my fellow actors as I do every year.

And speaking of acting, I am trying out for a play at the end of this month. Chemeketa is performing Alice's Adventures Underground this Spring. I am to try out for the main part of Alice. I don't need to memorize a monologue, but it might come in handy. I was going to memorize something from Our Town, but I seem to have lost my copy of that play. That could be a problem...

Anyway, moving on.

St. Patrick's Day was a few days ago... I completely forgot about it. I didn't wear green. I feel rather sad that I missed the chance to wear all the same color without people giving me funny looks. The shirt that I wore (luckily) did have a little bit of green on it. Though I wore my blue sweatshirt over it which resulted in a pinch from my Grandmother.

I've been busy with my music. I've written another song on the piano which gives me a total of six for that instrument. I still haven't written any of them down... they are all in my head. One of these days I'm going to forget one and it will be lost forever. I will grieve for it as if it died. So I should write them down (although I probably won't... darn procrastination...). I've been working on my guitar playing too. I learned how to play Blackbird, by The Beatles. I enjoy that one. I also wrote my own song on the guitar last night. I don't know what chords I'm playing. It's really just a bunch of random finger picking. I don't know how to write it down so there is no hope for me there. I'll just have to play it endlessly so I won't forget it (which will result in my family getting tired of it). If you'd like to know the name of the song and the lyrics, leave a comment on this post and I'll drop you an email.

Anyway, I think that just about sums up what I've been doing since my last post.
Tell me if my life is too dreary and I'll see what I can do to spice it up. ;)

What ever goes on in your life; enjoy all that goes on... plus more!

*Heart*

I had a sudden urge today to make Valentine's cards.

I remember when I was little, I would make them a lot. Red paper, white paper, pink paper, and those little lace hearts would get glued together by my little hands. I remember the joy I found in writing a tender message inside for my mom or dad. "I love you!," "Happy Valentine's Day!," "You are great!"

Each card I made would be different. Some of them had layers of different sized hearts, some were a heart folded in half, and some had pink and red designs all over them.
When the card was finally finished, I would sit back and admire it. I could hardly wait to give it to its recipient.

Then I handed a beautiful, colorful, lacy, little card over to my mom or dad. With childish innocence and a smile on my face, I watched as the card was read and I waited for appreciation in the form of a hug.

This Valentine's Day, I challenge you to take the time to let people know you appreciate them. Try and find the same joy in pleasing someone you love that a child would.

Maybe you'll even make a Valentine's Day card for them. Maybe add some ribbons, lace, or colored paper... plus more.

A toast... to the New Year

While we raise a glass (of sparkling cider for us minors), let's remember 2009.

What are the mistakes you made? How can you learn from them?
What is something you wish hadn't happened? What is something wonderful that happened?
What is something you wish you'd done? What is something you accomplished?
Have you lost anyone special to you? Have you made new friends?
What was the highlight of your year?
Reflect on how you think you've changed in the last year. For better or for worse? Or do you feel that you've changed at all?
Finally, remember 2009 as a whole. Think of how it will stand out from past years.

Now to look at the year ahead. A whole new year. A year to start things over... to begin afresh.
What is something you are looking forward to?
What is something you want to accomplish that you didn't last year?
Do you have a New Year's resolution?
Who are the people you want to spend more time with?

So now, as we raise a glass, we toast to the New Year. May 2010 be filled with peace, joy, and love. May its events help to form you as a person. May you help those around you and may those around you help you.

Have a Happy New Year, plus more!

Have yourself a merry little everything

Well! Christmas is almost upon us! The season feelings are here.

But amidst all the rush of Christmas... lights, presents, business...

Try to remember the real reason why we celebrate. And keep in your heart the feeling that comes around. This year -- give more, receive less.

Peace, joy, love, plus more to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Caught up in... life

Well it's been over a month since my last post. I feel out of touch.
Let's see... I'll update you all on things that have happened.

At the beginning of November, I turned 15. I went and tested for my driver's permit and passed! Now I'm learning to drive. I haven't gotten in to any car crashes yet so that is a good sign. It must mean my mom is doing a good job of teaching me.

To further celebrate my birthday, I went to the beach for a few days with my mom. We stayed in a hotel, relaxed, watched movies, and went geocaching. If you don't know what geocaching is, look it up. It's great fun.

------

Here is a random recipe for anyone who is interested:
Tomato-cheese pasta.
I'm not sure about the exact amount of pasta needed... however much you'd like I suppose. Mixed with this sauce recipe, you should have about enough pasta to feed five. Here is the recipe for the sauce.
~ 3 T. of butter
~ 3 T. of flour
~ a pinch of minced garlic
~ milk (no specific amount)
~ 1 can of condensed tomato soup
~ about 1 1/2 cups of any variety of cheeses you'd like. (Grated)
~ any spices you'd like. I used pepper, oregano, and basil.
After placing your cooked pasta in a colander, melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add flour slowly (you might not have to use all of the flour). Stir. Add garlic and a little bit of milk. Pour in the tomato soup. Mix. Gradually add cheese and however much milk you'd like to get the desired consistency. Reduce heat to simmer. Continue stirring until the sauce is smooth. Stir in spices. Add pasta, stir, turn off your stove, and enjoy! :)

Speaking of food... Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Whether visiting family or celebrating this holiday in town, I hope you all have a wonderful feast. I know I can't wait to dig in to turkey, stuffing, and pie. It's the one day of the year that I don't have to be ashamed for taking a fourth helping because everyone is stuffing themselves like... well... a Thanksgiving turkey!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your turkey and pie... plus more!

Poor mom and her fashion memories

It's been one week since my post informing you all that I had a cold. My goodness it seems longer. In any case, I am happy to announce that my health has improved. Gone are the head aches and sore throats. All that's left is a little sniffle, which is always somewhat welcome to me, considering it is a factor that accompanies my favorite season: fall.
I recently wrote an essay about fall for a writing class I am doing. The essay informs the reader of certain attributes of fall that make it wonderfully unique. If you are interested in reading a copy of it, feel free ask and I'll be happy to email it to you.
Now, one attribute of fall is just around the corner... Halloween is drawing near! People are scrambling to finish costumes (or come up with one), buy candy for trick-or-treating, and get pumpkins to place on the porch.
These past few years, I have come up with the most bizarre costumes: a baked potato, a baby bottle, an old lady, gas-station Barbie, and most recently -- a garden gnome. All these costumes have been fun and none of them have failed me a "best costume" award, but I felt this year I wanted to do something a little less crazy.
I was brainstorming ideas: a Gothic princess, a medieval maiden, etc. but none of the costumes would be very reusable. I was beginning to despair when suddenly, I had it. An 80s girl! It would be perfect. Not something too crazy, and not something common like a vampire or a pirate. I began to find things that would work for the costume. I have a pair of black leather boots and a black leather skirt. They would work great. But what to wear as a top? The answers to my questions resided in my mother's closet. I had to go look.
"Mom? I figured out what I'm going to be for Halloween... an 80s girl! But I need some stuff for my costume, so can I look in your closet?"
"Sure," she responded.
I found what I was looking for. A yellow collared shirt and a brightly colored knit sweater. My mom also helped me go through her jewelry to find some clunky earrings and a necklace. I tried on the whole thing. My mom remarked that I looked like a popular girl from the 80s.
She offered to look for her college year books to show me more examples of what people wore. I don't know if the fact that I was making a *Halloween costume* out of something that people wore 25 years ago amused her or made her cringe. Maybe a little bit of both.
I'm going to a Halloween dance next week and plan to wear the costume then. There will be a costume contest with several winners such as: scariest costume, most creative costume, prettiest costume, and silliest costume. My mom thinks I should get the award for scariest costume.
I guess the moral of the story is: don't remind your mother of fashion trends from her college years. Hee hee.
Anyway, that's all that goes on plus more!

Life goes on

I wake up this morning more tired than usual. I press snooze on my alarm clock one too many times. I realize I have a sore throat and a head ache. Isn't waking up in the morning supposed to be pleasant? What happened to waking up to the sun shining through your window with the faint sounds of bird song? What happened to sighing happily, eager for the day ahead and enjoying the last warm remnants of a soft blanket? Sigh* I suppose we can't all have those days. So, I wait, hungry and cold to find out if I am actually sick or if my body is just playing tricks on me.
Maybe I'll put on some socks. Maybe I'll do some homework. Maybe I'll drink another mug of hot tea. Maybe I'll fill my empty stomach. Maybe I'll watch a movie.
Or, I'll do all that plus more.

S'mores, yurts, and raccoons... Oh my!

After a long and strenuous journey in the car, we finally arrived at South Beach on Sunday evening. We got checked in and went to explore the yurt that was to be our home for the night. After unlocking the door and depositing our stuff inside, I immediately ran outside and began to roll up the window covers.
After we got ourselves situated and had a snack, we took a 1/3 mile trail down to the beach. It was early evening so the sun was still up. The sky was perfect. Not a cloud hung there at all. We ran around in the shallow water. My dad and I lured the dog in... she wasn't very pleased with us and went waddling back to my mother, seeking refuge.
After exhausting ourselves, we rested our feet which were numb from the cold water, by sitting down and watching the sunset. The colors were brilliant.
Back at the yurt, I started a campfire. I was pretty happy with it, considering I had never made one before -- due to lack of activities in my girl scout troop (which is why I am no longer a girl scout). It took me only two attempts to have a beautiful log-cabin style fire crackling before me. I had the foresight to bring a guitar along on the trip, so I sat down and sang songs by the fire. I've always wanted to do that.
We had dehydrated food for dinner... you know, the kind that you "just add water?" It wasn't bad at all. When dinner was over, my brothers and I grabbed the three ingredients we needed to make that camping favorite... s'mores! We all sat down to roast marshmallows for our desert.
As we were enjoying the sticky chocolatey goodness, my dad exclaimed, "What is that animal on the porch?" We all turned around and saw something disappear under the porch. I quickly grabbed a flashlight and illuminated the spot it was seen... Four little masked faces in a row peeked out at me! We had a family of raccoons underneath our yurt! We had fun for quite a while longer rushing all of our food inside and watching the little pests dart in and out of their home. They were awfully cute.
I finished my evening playing more guitar and singing as the fire slowly died down.
Inside the yurt, my dad and brothers and I played a game of Apples to Apples... I won. Then we all wished our friends under the porch goodnight, curled up in our sleeping bags, and fell asleep with the sound of the ocean in the background.
The next morning, after breakfast, I decided to explore a trail behind our yurt. After assuring my dad that I wouldn't be gone long, I set off alone down the trail. Reaching the end, which only dumped out to another part of the campground, I decided to go back and explore one of the side trails I had seen on the way. It led downward and was encased on either side with bushes and trees tightly woven together to form a sort of wall on either side of me. It reminded me vaguely of a corn maze. The trail continued on for a while taking sharp turns and going up and down. I didn't feel any need to turn back, so I went onward. Eventually, there was a steep incline and the trees thinned out some. I started to jog along the trail to speed things up, only remembering after several minutes that I didn't have any water and should save my energy. The trail went on for what felt like a long time. I eventually found my way out and ended up back in the campground but in a completely different area. We were in the C loop, but I ended up in the G loop. I walked around for a while until I found out where I was and then I jogged back to our yurt. My dad looked rather confused when I came up to the yurt out of breath from the opposite direction I had started my quest.
We spent a little more time on the beach before we left. We were blessed once again with beautiful weather. I found many shells which I later placed in a hole we had dug. Some lucky person will come upon the collection.
We walked back to our campsite for a final time to pack our things and then check out.
We loved the area a lot and will definitely go camping there again. I had a great weekend with my family and had fun with s'mores, yurts, raccoons, plus more!

Continued from the past

Some of you will know that I had a blog before. I hadn't posted much on it. I don't like coming back to things after I have ignored them for a long time, so I've decided to start afresh and create a new blog.

First things first. I will start with education. Bwahaha.

I have started taking a Japanese class at Chemeketa Community College. In winter term, I will probably start a math class of some sort. So far, I am enjoying the experience working with other people in a class room. Having homework to do with deadlines is also very motivating for me. I think that will help me in the future.

Moving on.

I am disappointed to report that today was the last day of an acting class I was doing. I had an immensely good time working with fellow actors from Shakespeare's Greatest Hits and also several new students. Hopefully I will see most of them in January for SGH!

Random thought of the moment: My fingers smell like basil. I went out to our garden about an hour ago to pick basil to dry. I've been looking on the internet for suggestions on how to properly dry basil. We don't want to hang it... we'd rather dry it in the stove. I think we've found a pretty good way. Turn on the oven somewhere from 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit and dry until crispy. Do not let the basil turn brown. When it's done, you can store it in airtight jars at room temperature or in ziploc bags in the freezer. Just in case anyone is interested.

Tomorrow, my family is leaving for Newport to camp in a yurt for one night. I have never been in a yurt. I'm sure the experience will be new, exciting, and life-changing.

That's all for now. I'm off to help make tacos for dinner.

Enjoy all that goes on plus more!