"...before the walls of Minas Tirith.."

My doom is not decided, at least not by myself. I'm still not certain that it is completely settled, but if I had a choice I am not sure just what I would want it to be. Certainly not a heart attack from blockage, or falling and breaking myself because of frail, demineralized bones.

I think that I would like to be taking a lovely stroll on a breezy afternoon in the early fall, probably through Hot Springs, and then absentmindedly fall into a hole in the ground right in front of me. I don't know just what would do me in; probably not the direct impact, but hitting something on the way down and then landing on the injured anatomy. Or swinging from a trapeze over a faulty net.

I know that this probably sounds like a morbid discussion to have with oneself, but I have found that for myself, making light of anything helps me come to terms with it. It's sometimes easier than trying to actually explain things. As case in point, some poems are wonderful at doing just this thing, such as this jolly poem:

I Saw A Jolly Hunter
__________________

I saw a jolly hunter
With a jolly gun
Walking in the country
In the jolly sun.

In the jolly meadow
Sat a jolly hare.
Saw the jolly hunter.
Took jolly care.

Hunter jolly eager-
Sight of jolly prey.
Forgot gun pointing
Wrong jolly way.

Jolly hunter jolly head
Over heels gone.
Jolly old safety catch
Not jolly on.

Bang went the jolly gun.
Hunter jolly dead.
Jolly hare got clean away.
Jolly good, I said.

---
Charles Causley

" So let the old year die with a fond goodbye..."

The New Year is coming upon us. Quickly. In like, four or five days. If I wasn't too lazy, I might look it up, but I ever so slightly wonder where the tradition of making New Year's Resolutions came from. I think that I remember hearing different tales about possible origins. One that I somewhat remember, though it may be a few traditions muddled together, is that in which people would write down the past years dissappointments, bad thoughts, fears, or sorrows, and then burn them or release them into the air via birds, balloons, or something like that. And then also making new wishes and setting new goals for the fresh year to come.

I am making another start. I am moving. I thoroughly enjoy my current living conditions with my family. In the fast few months I have had a tremendous time being the mean big sister again. And also some fun trying to be the sagacious, nurturing big sister, though not as often. (Quick aside: Brother had his wisdom teeth out today, four of them! He is doing better. He seems to be recovering well.)

Well, I am now venturing out, but not on my own. I am moving in with my best friend. I have heard from some people that we might not be best friends for long if we are going to be living together, and I have also heard the opposite from other people. For quite a while we have talked about living together, since we were younger. We had our own unique and corporate designs for what our living quarters would be. They may have been just a little bit beyond our budget, but who thinks about such minor details when you don't have to work for a living.

I am trying not to be anxious. I honestly can't think of a good reason that I should be. Some people say that any move or big change, no matter whether you view it as good or bad, has accompanying stress. Thankfully, I believe that the God that I serve is a good God, and He has always blessed me in little ways that have kept from going completely batty. He's still doing that now. Oh boy, I could tell you some amazing things that God has done on my behalf, even when I didn't realize it. I hope that He can use as much as and more than He has blessed me: it would be quite a lot of work.

Well, there are probably quite a few of us who need to work off some extra holiday calories. I'll try to knock a few out with a combination of mad dashing to pack and move and a little bit of nervous energy as well.

Danke, Gracias, Dank u, Grazie, 너를 감사하십시요, Obrigado, Merci, Σας ευχαριστούμε, Вы, and Thank you!

We finished opening our Christmas presents this evening with almost all of us together. I had only opened presents from friends before tonight, but we opened the family presents tonight. The total tally so far is:

• a DVD player w/remote (whoa!)
  
• wool socks (yeah!)
  
• a new journal
  
• Ferrero Chocolates, and two Lindt truffles
  
• chocolate nut fudge, sugared peanuts, and a snowman tin
  
• an Oreo tin, pretty greeting cards, and lots of pretty hair pretties
  
• a beautiful nativity box
  
• beautiful red driving gloves (from Granny:)
  
• a fold-out sewing cube
  
• an Atkins Cookbook
  
• $10 cash and a $10 bookstore gift card
  

That's quite a pull. I really tried not be giddy about unwrapping presents and reveling in the materialistic emphasis placed on the giving and receiving of Christmas present. I really like the red driving gloves, they match a beautiful red coat that I have.

It was also a lot of fun giving presents. I had some help from my sister, quite a bit actually, in picking the presents that I gave. She and I went to eat lunch with our dad today. That was pretty fun. We enjoyed selecting the presents that we gave to dad. And he seemes to like them too. Our pastor said that we often watch other people unwrap the gifts that we give them to see that they not only accept the gift, but that they also accept us. It is wonderful to know that gifts that you give, at any time of year, are needed, appreciated, and loved. Which reminds me, I have quite a few phone calls to make.

Please pray for the people in Asia that have been affected by the earthquake, its aftershocks, and their effects! And also keep the aid workers in your prayers as well as they attempt to help out.

I'm A Sad Little Woman

I am actually not sure if I can use the words little or woman about myself, but they will do for now. I was invited to a party with my sister and her friends for Christmas. After eating a very good homemade dinner, we played some games about movies. I know probably more about movies that I haven't even seen than movies that I HAVE seen. I wonder if this is another sign of patheticism. Thoughts, BBB? It was SOOOOO much fun though. If only I could learn all of the important stuff that I will need to know as well as I can soak up all the useless knowledge that I have.

This was a fun day, even though I must admit that it was hard to keep in my mind for even a small amount of time what the day is meant to be celebrated for. I thought about it when I was coming back home with my aunt and cousin. Jesus came to this earth to live as a man and die for us. And He rose again to give us new life. It was so much easier to just enjoy all of the GOOOD food and company. I am glad that I will be able to go to church tomorrow. I hope that you're able to go too. I will try to write again soon. One last Merry Christmas!!

"Alright; you're a fake and I'm a phony."

We are up watching Holiday Inn on the television. I suppose that spending time on the internet on Christmas Eve isn't the traditional way to interact with your family, but we're enjoying ourselves. Mother and Sister are knitting, Brother is intermittently reading over my shoulder, and I am, of course, typing an entry to this blog. I have been wondering how my friends are doing. I hope that they are doing well. Sister and I went to the store again today to pick up what I wasn't able to pay for yesterday. However, today we braved the snow and ice in my car. She is a good car, so it wasn't so bad, and a lot of the ice and snow have melted from braver, hopefully well-insured motorists driving along.

I look forward to tomorrow, getting to eat Christmas dinner with family. But, I am also hoping to be able to see some of my other family as well. You know what, I had better stop typing and go get to wrapping and cleaning. Love you all! God bless and Merry Christmas to you!

No Work, No Work, Lalalalalala

Well, after about the second call in, I found out that I didn't have to go to work today. And no one else in the family had work or school, so we have enjoyed the time just doing laundry, lounging around, and venturing out into the snow sparingly. Sister and I actually went on a kind of mission. There is a recycling center that is about 10 minutes from our house by foot. We went there through the snow to see if there were any good magazines to look at in the magazine bin. I believe that this is most commonly referred to as "dumpster diving." Sister and I have talked about it before, but have still been unable to succeed together. There wasn't anything worth looking at that we could see, so we went on in the other direction to the dollar store up the hill.

We stopped at home first to check in with the parental units, and then on down the backroads, staying away from heavy traffic for the ice on the roads. We has just as much fun getting to the dollar store as we did at the dollar store, though it did feel good to thaw for a while. We must have spent about twenty or thirty minutes there. Terrible thing is, I didn't have any money with me, or my checkbook, only my debit card to which I do not know the pin. So, the cashier said that she would keep those things for me until I could pay for them tomorrow with my checkbook.

When we got home, we just did what we had done before taking off: a good deal of nothing. We did eat dinner, watch a movie that Song had checked out earlier, and now we're watching another movie. It is wonderful fun to have nothing important to do. I will try not to take this for granted. And we did get some work done. More to do tomorrow. Time to rest for tonight. God bless you and yours!

P>S> Stay safe if you have ice or snow where you are!

Let it Rain, Let it Sleet, and Finally...

It is finally snowing, and has been for the past few hours. No work. Church was canceled. The library is closed, as are the stores. So, the only thing left to do is to bundle up, drag your brother and little sister out into the snow, and procede to attempt to kill each other: Death by Snowball! Brother knocked me over, threw snowballs at me, and rubbed snow into my head/hair. Little Sister really just had fun playing in the snow. She may have thrown a few snowballs, but nothing to match the velocity of Brother's snowball blitz. I was successful once in knocking Brother over, but was met with more snow on my face and in my hair. I LOVE MY SIBLINGS!

I really do love my brother and sisters. Time to go torture them some more.

For those who have it, enjoy the snow! For those who don't: At least you won't get frostbite or hypothermia!

Pillar Covering U2 is Like Peanut Butter Fudge

Today has been a day of good food, good fellowship, and good singing. One of the families in the church invited everyone over to their house for a Christmas lunch. Lots of good food! (Small personal victory: I skipped dessert in favor of sweet potatoes; yummy!!) And it's always fun getting together and talking, sharing. I got to hang out with the yungins and the teens, which is always a wonderful experience. They are FULL of energy and enthusiasm.

After lunch I went with Sister to visit some friends, stop by the library, make a quick run into the local grocery store for beans, and then it was back to church (a little bit late) for a choir meeting before our Christmas Cantata this evening. And the Cantata was wonderful! The songs are good, and the soloists who sang did a GREAT job with their parts. Then after that we had another small fellowship time. Mostly just little snacks and finger foods. So, good food and the goodness of God are on my mind.

Well, I have been listening to a CD that my brother and sister have, In the Name of Love. It's an album of U2 songs recorded by various Christian music artists. I really like the cover of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by the group Pillar. It's really good. Yup. But don't take my word for it. Oooo, and the songs redone by Tait and Tobymac are veeeeery good too.

So, if you are going to be getting me a gift for Christmas, but are not sure what I would like, I can tell you that I really don't want anything. But, if you insist on getting me something just because I am so sweet, make sure that it's something that Brother can borrow, like a can of spinach or two. (Or the new U2 album!!!)<-- Brother wrote that parenthetical addition. Or perhaps a bright pink jumping rope with feather tasseled handles. He would LOVE to borrow that. 8)

The Snicket is Better a Little Lemony

We saw the Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events movie tonight with our dad. Sister has read all of the books I believe. I have read none of them, though I did have plans to, and still do. But, there are a LOT of books that I PLAN to read. Some I have even actually started reading. Perhaps if I hadn't read The Neverending Story I wouldn't feel so compelled to read all of these stories. It could also be that short stories and picture books are my downfall. Sometimes it takes a great effort for a story to really gain my rapt attention, even if it is one that I am very interested in reading. This may explain my love of children's stories. They understand the fickle attentions of a juvenile (or juvenile level) reader and compensate with grand sceneries, uniquely intriguing characters, and evocative details. This movie was lots of fun, especially the credits!

Yes, that's all. Odd, no?

Hear Ye: LAST SHOPPING WEEKEND BEFORE CHRISTMAS

But, I don't care. Do you know that I read that book about the boy that always said, "I don't care." I think that his name was Pierre. He was eaten by a lion because he didn't care. That book taught me, correctly or not, that one must never NOT care. However, I am not concerned with the fact that this will be my last opportunity to chance severe bodily harm by braving the crowds at the local stores or mall. I do love all of my friends and family, but if I haven't been able to buy you a present, I'm sorry to say that I don't have the nerves to try now.

On a serious note, one of my coworkers passed away this past Wednesday. Another reason that I don't care about the shopping potential of today. His funeral is later today. While I didn't get the chance to really know him, I know his girlfriend, and she's a sweet lady. They cared about each other very much, and this isn't going to be easy for her. She's in our prayers.

It will be a busy day later on, after I get some sleep. We have choir practice in the afternoon, and then I will be visiting with my dad. I pray that I don't get a bad attitude and drag other people down with me. There is hope for tomorrow because of what Christmas means: God loved us all so much that He sent his only Son to be born as a baby, live a human life, die a cruel death as a man, all so that we would be made right with God. It took Jesus' willing sacrifice to make atonement for our sin. Don't let me ever say that I am better than anyone because I have accepted this gift. I am just a sinner saved by grace, as you've probably heard said before. It's this hope that allows me to go on without staying in those depths of despair, and I know that I will see those loved ones who have gone home. If you don't have it yet, please get this joy, hope, love, and peace for yourself!

If you have questions about how to accept God's gift, you could check out http://www.saved.com, and http://www.planetwisdom.com might also help.

If you have more questions, you can post a comment on my blog and I'll see if I can get the answers for you. I also strongly encourage you to seek out a Christian friend or relative, and especially a local church. May God bless you and communicate his great love to you in a special way.

I DIDN"T FLUNK!!!

I checked my grades today (as I have been trying desperately to do for the past three days: I know I'm a dork) and am very happy to report that I DID NOT FLUNK! My good friends and sibs know, that is my "I'm-trying-(but-not-too-hard)-to-be-modest" way of saying that I did good! I brought my cumulative grade point average(GPA) up .04 points. This is good because the school that I want to get into is VERY competitive, especially the nursing program. I have heard of people just barely getting into said school with GPA's similar to mine, and being at the bottom of the incoming class! It's only just a little bit more than somewhat intimidating. But, I know that I can do it. And if not, I could just follow one of my collateral career paths: teaching, forensic pathology, automotive technician, plumber, cosmetologist, brain surgeon. I really am interested in all of these occupations, though I am not certain what kind of skill I would have at them. I am still not certain as to my potential nursing caliber, either. I remember learning that it's better to pray than worry, so I will just be doing a lot of praying.

I hope that your grades are to your satisfaction, and that of the college/program/field that you want to get into, as well. And thankfully, grades don't mean everything. Sometimes they can mean a good scholarship, a fellowship, or an award; but having skill, ability, and common sense are also very important. Perhaps your intelligence is more towards a car's fuel injection system than a person's digestive system. It's a different kind of knowledge. So, the great and powerful "FiOz" tells you to accentuate the positive: build on your strengths, and your weaknesses. Identify your strengths so that you can put them to good use for yourself and those around you, and identify your weaknesses so that you can learn from them and see where they might help you as well.

And don't eat too many servings of "Sugar Free" foods. An overabundance of sorbitol may overly facilitate gastrointestinal peristalsis, hence the warnings on labels: “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.” Happy Christmas Break!

Oh, the Maddening Din

I am not quite sure just why the Din is so maddening; he's probably a nice chap if you happen to have a really good pair of earplugs. Truly, the din around Christmas has almost given me cause to be concernced. With this fall semester winding to an end (my last final is tomorrow!), trying to figure out what to do about Christmas presents, participating in the Christmas Cantata at church, putting off figuring out what to do about moving all of my stuff, helping out the family, and all the other minutiae of life, I am about ready to just go hibernate until next April. (Actually it would probably take very little to convince me to hibernate for the winter, if it weren't for the plugging process: blech!)

Other factors are probably exacerbating my fritz: I think that I need to get more sleep, drink more water, eat more greens, and definitely get more exercise. It is so exhilirating to race along the streets atop my bicycle; the wind whipping my ponytail underneath my helmet as I pass my brother at the top of the hill! Exercise certainly does improve your attitude, mine more so when I am competing with my brother. I can tell that I need to get more exercise because I am having a much harder time even trying to keep up with him now. If I can't keep up with Brother on my bicycle, I'm certain to be run over by holiday bargain-hunting hoardes. So, there is nothing left to do but right my epitaph:

She walked to the checkout, sweater in hand;
too bad for her, everyone else ran.

Yeah, it needs work. If you have a better one, please e-mail me or post it as a comment. But in mind of my tender condition, please don't go get it in stone just yet.

All The Leaves Are (Not Yet) Brown

But, the sky has been quite gray here. We have had a lot of rain. According to The Weather Channel, areas of Arkansas have about a four inch surplus of rain, with an expected one or two inches on the way within the next few days. The Weather Channel is really cool, though I don't watch it as much as I used to. Now it is more of a quickie wardrobe adjustment tool, to be sure that I do not freeze, fry, or drown as I dash about town. I have even watched Storm Stories a few times, though quite a while ago. Though I have joked about how enthralling and exciting it is to watch the weather channel (you're just on the edge of your seat!), I really do like to try to decipher the different maps, radars, and readings that they broadcast.

It may boil down to my brain being wired for scientific inquiry, but I like almost anything with a science behind it: my chemistry class, my anatomy and physiology class, CSI, science-action movies, Discovery Health Channel, some PBS documentaries, and a lot of Little Sister's exploration/explanation books. Mind, Little Sister is only seven years old. The other day, she got out one of her books about sharks(which she really likes) and asked me to read it to her. It had words that I had only heard in my biology class, like cephalopod, and plenty more words that I hadn't heard of at all! But she's also the owner of a very inquisitive little mind. I honestly believe that each child birthed by my mother was successively smarter than the last. And this may open up the Nature/Nurture argument, but we have also had a rich, vibrant upbringing. A little bit crazy as well, but as Mr. Wonka said, "A little nonsense now and then is treasured by the wisest men."

So, I will go study for my Anatomy and Physiology lab final while listening to the soft pattering of rain in the background, and look forward to driving to school in the morning. The changing leaves are beautiful down that road.

Scrooge Was Right, When He Was Drunk

I do not in anyway condone drinking, just to let you know. But, I have been thinking about all the things that I want to write. If you have read or seen any version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, you probably remember his encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who had him drink from a cup that contained "the milk of human kindness." In one version, with Albert Finney in the lead role, Scrooge becomes quite plummed and sings a song with the cheery apparition that goes something like, "I like life, life likes me, life and I nearly fully agree." There's more to it, but I think that I truly agree with the basic sentiment: I LIKE LIFE! Sometimes I can't help it, especially when I think of all the things that I enjoy, or when I am busy doing all those things that I enjoy. Granted, there are times when I do not have such a Pollyanna attitude (like when I am hacking up my lungs at work and hoping that my supervisors aren't staring daggers into the back of my head), but most of the time I do try to find that silver lining. This perspective has been nurtured by my family and friends as well, even if they don't fully realize it.

This also may give some explanation to my appreciation of all the oddball, off-the-wall, crazy things that I like. For instance, I am listening to the soundtrack to Chocolat, with it's soft flute and sweeping strings. It has a sort of ethereal sound at times, like you're walking through a fairy forest in a dream, or you're watching a unicorn walk along a brook from your hiding place behind the untamed honeysuckle. On the next track you're strolling through an indian market, silk draping your shoulders and trailing behind you in the jasmine-scented breeze as you make your way to the square to watch the storytellers. And you can't help but have a little swagger and bring your eyes up into a smile above your veil. Okay, yeah, I know. But I keep myself entertained. Another thing that I like: the movie Fairytale:A True Story. It's a very good movie. You should go watch it right now. That way I can stop typing and go eat dinner. Happy viewing!

NOTE: To those of you who know me, no teasing! Otherwise, raspberries to you!

¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

Hoy es el cuarto jueves de noviembre: ¡el Día de Acción de Gracias! Soy agradecido para el pavo, la torta de calabaza, las batatas, la salsa de arándano, el pan de maíz, y especialmente mi familia.

I am not certain that my Spanish is correct, but roughly:

Today is the fourth Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Day! I am thankful for turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn bread, and especially my family.

Well, I hope that it is correct. I have SOO many things to be thankful for that I should probably stick to my native language now to express my gratitude. First things first, who am I expressing my gratitude to? I think that my thanks is being given to the same One that received it last year, two years ago, and however many years ago it was that the pilgrims gave Him thanks. I am still grateful to God for every blessing that He has bestowed to me and in me, especially the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, being born of a virgin, dying for my sins that I might have a right relationship with Him. Thank you Lord!

I am Thankful for:

1. having today to live
   
2. smelling the turkey that Grandma is cooking in the oven
   
3. the family that I will be eating dinner with in a little while
   
4. the family that won't be here to eat dinner with, but I still love them
   
5. my church family
   
6. my BBB
   
7. the fact that my sister likes my poetry
   
8. we can choose whether we want to watch the Macy's Day Parade or James and the Giant Peach
   
9. the sibs and I will be able to visit with our Dad on Saturday
   
10. my school marks are pretty good, so far
    
11. our kitty cat that got out yesterday morning came back in last night!
    
12. my cold is dissipating!
    

Honestly, there are SOO many more things to be thankful for, like jungle gyms and monkey bars, video rental stores, a job, a running car, good teachers, kind coworkers, the Best Bestest Best Buddy in the Whole world! And lets not forget electricity, tissues, the internet, Blogger.com, the computer CD player, Sara Groves' CD Conversations, and comfy, black sweat pants that are wonderful for lounging around the house in. May God bless you greatly today, no matter how little or how much you have!

Dogs Just Get a Bad Rap

Well, it is the day before the celebration of Thanksgiving in America, and I am thankful for many things. None of which is the worsening cold that I have been nursing since Monday evening. It caused me to leave work early Monday, call in on Tuesday, and I am currently attempting to enjoy life as much as I normally try to while coughing, wheezing and spitting up varying shades of phlegm. I know, I probably shouldn't entertain you with the gross facts, I forgot that not everyone is as morbidly inclined as yours truly, especially when she is sick.

But, I do feel an obligation to keep my adoring public up to date, as this appears to be their wish. I actually don't mind being sick too much, I just don't really like all of the things that come along with it. Some people say that they enjoy pain because it helps them to remember that they are human. I suppose that I am similarly minded when it comes to being sick. I am normally quite healthy and in some weird way enjoy the reprieve. And I do think that dogs get a bad rap; how many dogs do you know that are always sick, or always coughing, sneezing, and hacking up myriad other lovely little things around the house? So why do we say, "sick as a dog?" I just don't understand.

As far as I can tell, the sum of my symptoms are 1)a sore throat, 2)a sprinting nose, 3)upset stomach, 4)mild earache, 5)mild chest and arm pain (which may be from the exercises the day previous), 6)and a feeling like my head is full of wood shavings, though not so much today. When I wasn't evaluating the green-yellow-orange-brown spectrum pooring forth from my nasal passages, I spent most of the time sleeping. This was a very comforting experience as I have been skimping on sleep of late, which is probably one of the reasons that I AM sick. This could be seen as cruel irony.

Enough of that. I do have some work to do in preparation for tomorrow, and I probably should be praying that our kitty that ran out this morning gets back soon and that my grades don't plummet (Brother says that this is a double intimation, as "plummet" means "to fall from a high place," or something to that effect, therefore inferring that my grades are currently high :) this semester. I will try to post tomorrow on what I am thankful for. There are many, many things to be thankful for. Even this blasted cold.

Security Updates

Well, with everything that's going on the world, one must stay up to speed or one will be trampled by left-brained elephants that have escaped from the zoo. Don't ask.

Considering the most recent news of Colin Powell's resignation as Secretary of State and Condoleeza Rice being considered for the position, I am left wandering who will be the National Security Adviser. From listening to NPR I know that there are a few people being considered, but what if there is a lag, a window when we will not officially have a National Security Adviser.

Contemplating these heavy subjects has prompted me to look at my own personal security. I am certainly not paranoid, yet, but I know that even when we think things are harmless, that's when we get run over by wildly stampeding left-hemisphere dominant pachiderms. So I have decided to make the decision to limit comments on my blog to those who are registered with blogger.com. There have been comments posted to some of my entries that are disconcerting at the least. I understand that the intentions of posters may be harmless, but I have learned to live by the motto, "Better safe than sorry."

This may offput some of my dear friends who do not have accounts but wish to engage in discourse over the content of my entries. Okay, I DO have a big head and know that you probably aren't THAT interested, but if you are, and if you do want to discuss any of these topics, just send me an e-mail and I will be glad to reply. I am sorry to those who were just trying to have fun and may be hurt by this policy, but I also thank you for understanding and hope that you will continue to enjoy my clever wit. In fact, I would encourage you to open your own blogger account, if you so desire. It is a wonderful way to funnel brain burps, tickle your friends' and family members' funnybones, and to just get things out that might otherwise just fester inside and get all moldy. Moldy ideas don't bring much to fruition.

There is a major drawback though: my REAL diary is quite lonely. I think that I will go give it some company and poor some of my marvelous thoughts into it right now.

Stupidity is a Lot Easier

Well, it's getting down to the last few weeks of the semester. Right now, stupidity would be so much easier. I could just blow off all of my classes, maybe go to work, and spend more time with my family, my friends, and the long list of books I need to/want to read. But, as I have learned from good friends who have lifetimes of experience, stupidity doesn't pay very well. I suppose that I don't really want to be stupid, but lazy. Unfortunately, laziness doesn't pay much better.

So many things in life would can seem so hard to deal with at times. I personally have nothing to complain about. I am SO blessed by God. But, there are times when dealing with things like finances, interpersonal relationships, intrapersonal relationships, I just kind of wonder what I am supposed to do. BBB and Sister are good sounding boards; they both listen and tell me what they honestly think. They are also very smart and very understanding. For instance, I am up this early because my sister and I accidently woke each other up a little bit before 5:00 this morning. We started talking and didn't really try to get back to sleep, until about 20 or 30 minutes ago. I tried, but gave up. I will be able to make it up later.

But, I didn't really want to go back to bed just yet because it was good talking with Sister. I also talked with BBB last night over the telephone. Honestly, she puts up with a lot from me. I am sometimes a little bit annoying. As you can certainly tell, it's not THAT often, but it has been known to happen.

*`*`*@*`*`*

We pause our regularly scheduled ranting to bring you a personal preference plug-

Do you like Christian Rock music like Fiona the Fair?
If you do, you might check out http://www.Xthealbum.com featuring artists and music from the X2004 Album - 17 Christan Rock Hits!
Good music, good message, Great God!

We also recommend checking out the individual artists Tobymac, Tait, Relient K, Superchic[k], Pillar, KJ-52, 12 Stones, and Audio Adrenaline, to name a few.

*`*`*@*`*`*

Well, I am going to try to be a good, productive student and work on some school work. I like Anatomy and Physiology! Don't you? Yes, let us join books and study Anatomy and Physiology. (Don't look at me like that, I think it's fun. *big grin*)

My Sister Should Be a Storyteller

For two evenings now, before the light has gone out in the room of my sister and myself, the heavens have shaken and the gale winds have blown. We fought. They were really more like spats. The first crossing of powers was the night before last. I wanted to spread the blankets out evenly and asked for her help. She had already lay down and was warm and comfortable. She felt that she could easily assist me from her reclining position and I felt that she would be more help if she got up out of bed. We both admitted afterwards that it was a petty thing to fight about. I would like to say that hormonal spikes can do that to a young lady, but I really could have made the bed quite easily on my own and not upset the both of us.

Last night's tango was not as long, but I believe that it was a little more heated. She was ready to lie down and get as much sleep as she could (not a nice, full eight hours even) before having to get up, shower, and get to school this morning. She had already brushed her teeth and made herself ready for turning in. I turned on the small lamp and headed for the door. She promptly reached over and turned OFF the small lamp. (Again, I would like to add the "hormonal spike" disclaimer to the following skirmish, but if I had just kept on and gone to the bathroom to brush my teeth, any unpleasantness could have been avoided, but...) I stopped right where I was, turned to face her (which was silly since we were now in the dark), and told her to turn the lamp back on. She asked why. For some reason this really started to make me hot under the collar, and it was probably only 65 degrees in that room. I told her that I was just going to wash my face and brush my teeth and then I too would be ready to go to bed, but I would like the lamp on to get back to the bed. "I can make it to the bed just fine without the lamp on," she replied, or something along those lines.

We were not amused with her poorly veiled accusations that we were being "High and Mighty" that we could not make it to our side of the bed without the lamp to guide our every dainty footstep. You see the blatant finger-pointing, don't you? Well, we quickly pointed out the boxes, stuffed animals, and other harmful debris awaiting our approach, plotting our demise. "And," we pointed out,"those are not [our] stuffed animals or [our] boxes that are littered about haphazardly, just begging [us] to break something!" Being as wise as we are, we should have known that words spoken in heated haste are often greatly mistaken. Some of those boxes, most of them, really were ours, mine. Sister pointed this fact out and I just told her to keep the lamp on because, "I said so." This also led to the accusation that I was being bossy all night. Sister has a knack for telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I had told her to stop yelling earlier, I told her to go rinse her teeth, and I was now telling her to keep the lamp on just because I said so, even though she needed to get some sleep. With my true nature laid bare in the dim, dusky light from the lamp, I skulked off to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and drown my pride as much as I could.

I think that Sister is absolutely right. I need more soy.

Vacations are Blessed Things

To be truly honest, I am very glad that I did not have to work on Monday or Tuesday. My church's pastor and his wife attended the state convention and needed someone to dog and house sit. One time previously I stayed at their home with their dogs and bird, so they asked me if I could do this again. They have two sweet black labs and a little yellow bird, all of which are very easy to care for. I was glad to take care of them, so I asked for and got Monday and Tuesday off from work. Since I don't work on Wednesdays anyway, I can still watch the dogs until their mom and dad come home today.

So really, aside from still going to classes, I have had a small vacation. With this block of time opened up, I was able to attend a seminar with a friend of mine. There have been a number of seminars this semester, but my normal work schedule hasn't allowed me to attend. There have been varying topics, but last nights topic was probably by far the most interesting and culturally relevant. We discussed the historical and popular culture views on the values of love, sex, and marriage. A major strain of discussion was the historical role of "love" in choosing a partner and in the marriage relationship. According to the speaker, historically, up until about the 1600's, "What's Love Got to do With It?" could have been the theme on the view of marriage. Marriages were nothing if not economic and social contracts formed to improve a person's economic capabilities. For example, a farmer would choose or select a wife based on her strength and capabilities around the farm. He would need someone to help him with the work, not just to sit around looking pretty all day. It was also said that at some times in history, though I have forgotten the dates, marriage was looked down upon, and the relationship between a married man and woman was seen as impure or immoral. WHOA! In the words of one of my sis's (possibly) favorite characters, "SHUT UP!"

There were more topics and historical contexts discussed, definitely interesting stuff. Another really neat part about the whole experience was the conversation that I had with my friend afterwards. Now, I would say that I am a conservative by nature, upbringing and belief. My friend, Abby, defines herself as an ultraliberal. But, her religious and spiritual beliefs also inform her sociocultural beliefs. One of the men there said that he thought marriages should be in the form of a two-year renewable contract. You get married and must stay married for two years. After that time, the marriage is evaluated and you either renew the contract for another two years, or you go your seperate way. We likened it to cellphone contracts where fees are imposed for breaking the contract before it's time fulfillment. We laughed about it a little while we were there, but when we were talking afterwards, we both agreed that we believe a marriage is not a contract which can be broken, but a covenant between two people. It was a lot of fun talking with her; she's a very smart lady.

Overall, yesterday evening was very enjoyable. I am kind of hoping to be able to talk with my sis about some of these things. She's another person who is wonderful to converse with. It will be interesting to see what she thinks about these things. I am glad that I know so many intelligent, creative, and caring people. I am blessed not necessarily with many friends, but I am blessed with good friends, the best.

Wednesday Was Very Fulfilling

Well, yesterday brought both cool breezes and electoral closure. America's president for the next four years will be George W. Bush, and the temperature has dropped on us like a great humpback whale that remembered it couldn't fly. Thankfully, I have some long-sleeved shirts, a jacket or two, and a warm winter coat.

Another reason that I like Wednesdays, which I have probably already mentioned because I repeat myself a LOT, is that I do not have to work on Wednesday nights, and I get to go to church and teach the little kids' class. Last night we talked about David and Jonathon's friendship. I think that my BBB and I are like that; we have a very strong bond of friendship. And while neither of our parents are trying to kill the other, we do kind of have to watch out for each other. This may frighten any person with the slightest bit of medical knowledge or just common sense, but I have felt the twinge or her very mean kidney punch before, as has she mine. But we still love each other. *big grin*

We have always been somewhat crazy. One of our favorite sayings when talking about our friendship with each other is, "She keeps me from going sane." There is much truth in that. There's really no telling where I would be without having known her. I don't think that I would pregnant, on dope, have AIDS, or be in a women's correctional facility (never!), but I certainly would not be as blessed as I am today. I probably wouldn't have the relationship that I have with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ either. She is really one of the most awesome Christians I know. To the best of my knowledge she has never judged me or anyone else. She will speak her mind and take a stand for her believes, but she does it in the most loving and humble way. She is an approachable person and doesn't shut anyone out. I'm now almost worried that she will read this, because there's no telling what she will do to me if she does. But I think that it's worth saying how cool she is.

My sibs are awesome people to. I look up to them SO MUCH (literally and figuratively)! And there are times when being the shortest has it's advantages. My youngest sister is the only one shorter than me, but maybe I might be able to squeeze at least another inch or two out of my epiphyseal plates before I stop growing.

Well, I probably should go drink a glass of milk. May God bless and be with you and our country: we will certainly need it.

Looking Forward to Election Results and Cooler Weather

Welcome to November! There are still many trees with changing leaves, the weather is cooling down slowly, and here in the south there has been a lot of rain. My sister and I, as well as many of my friends, like sweater weather. I enjoy the weather and the sweaters.

Halloween and all of it's hubbub came and went; today almost everyone at school and work was talking about the election. We talked about it at home and church as well. I cast my ballot today in a quick 15 minutes on my way home from school. I will still be praying that I made that the right choices and that the people that are elected take our city, county, state, and country in the right direction for the future.

This year we had an amazing number of newly registered voters, especially young voters, which was probably highly influenced by all of the very public campaigns to get more people involved. I don't know how many people will read this, but I hope to hear in the weeks to come that we still need to be participating in the governmental and political processes. We still have a privilege and obligation to remain informed about local and federal goings on in our government. If there are school board elections coming up, vote in those. Try to attend a local town council meeting. Read the newspaper or find out online what is going on in your state's House and Senate. Perhaps your local library or college library has a copy of Congressional Digest, which is also a good read. Just be sure to make your voice heard, don't let your government tell you how to live your life or how your children will live their lives.

I have not been very involved besides just voting, here-to-fore. I do plan to change that and I hope that God will be glorified in the decisions that I make.

He Speaks, She Speaks, We Speak

I am a kooky, fun, spunky sister. Can you believe it? Okay, me neither, but just don't say it like THAT; be nice!

I was my sister's personal assistant today. She participated in an aggressive speaking tourney with some of her classmates. She entered in the prose, storytelling, and partner improvisation competitions. My original intent was to give her a ride to the meeting place and then pick her up again if she needed it, but what really happened is much better! I became her personal assistant (of sorts) and a member of her "entourage" that watched as she performed and told her how awesome she was. By the way, she was GREAT!! I did NOT know that my sister was THAT convincing and passionate in acting, but it really shouldn't surprise me, as funny and fun as she is.

So, though I originally was not even going to go with her, much less do anything if I DID go, she somehow brought me into her group and I got to play a part in the action and partake in the exhiliration of it all. Sis and her friends really made me feel welcome, and she felt ucky most of the day too.

I want to let you know that I do not plan on taking my siblings for granted, not one of them. They are wonderful people that I admire and look up to. I would like to emulate, encourage, and (when I can) enlighten them. I have the coolest siblings in the world!! I LOVE YOU SISSY!! Even if I can't handle your infinite nature.

"Working 9 to 5" Isn't Such a Bad Way to Make a Living

I work. I think that I have already mentioned that I work, or it is somewhat apparent. One might ask, "Why does Fiona the fair work?" Fiona the fair would answer, "That is a good question!" Why do I work? I work because I have what I think is a very nice car that was given to me by wonderful people. This car must be insured for me to legally drive it. This car must also have gasoline in order for me to meet its mechanical demands. I must be able to drive to get to work and school.

I also want to be able to give back to God and others. I have been so blessed in my life, and I believe that I am not blessed just to sit around and say how happy I am about being so blessed. After thanking God for keeping me from living in the streets without any food or legs, I should try to give Him what is His and reach out to the people that He loves(which includes you!).

My sibs and I also enjoy the occasional flicker for diversion. This also usually involves more gas (in order to drive to see said flicker) and often foodstuffs of some sort. And there are sometimes football games, church activities, school activities, and other inspiring, educational, or just entertaining events to partake in, which inevitable require some amount of money.

So I work for an income, truly. But, more recently I have come to enjoy my work, as bizarre and twisted as that may sound. I do not hate it anymore, and I appreciate my coworkers and supervisors who are some interestingly unique people. One or two of the supervisors are very stern and demand quite a bit, but this is good because I feel that they make me perform my job more efficiently and accurately. There are also some supervisors who are more lenient and will allow a little more wiggle room, within policy. Finally, there a number of excellent supervisors (three that I can name without hesitation) that hold you to a reasonably high standard, but also make themselves available to answer questions without talking down to you. It is hard sometimes, and I tend to be quite critical of myself when I am not doing so well.

But, I am home for now and have the weekend off! So I will try to spend some of it now sleeping.

Doesn't everyone like unicorns?

Well, I just really wanted to add a picture, give the text a little more interest. Unfortunately, it didn't work. That must be fixed. I am afraid that I am very much like Alice in that I prefer books with illustrations. I enjoy imagining what things look like (though I am not always very good at it), but I truly enjoy looking at the pictures, seeing how other people imagined something. Some children's books have the most amazing illustrations; rich colors and textures that really bring the characters or ideas of a story to life. One that we recently enjoyed is Where Did All the Dragons Go? by Fay Robinson. The story is told with a lyrical narrative and has a curiosity inducing ending, but the pictures of the dragons and their landscapes are mesmerizing! Another way to find really good children's books: watch either Reading Rainbow or Between the Lions on PBS. Those are both excellent shows to watch if you want to inspire your children (or yourself) to read and ejoy it.

Younger children learning to read will appreciate Between the Lions because of the reading skills that it teaches. Curious and inquisitive children will appreciate Reading Rainbow because of the explorative nature of the show. There is a different theme to each show and the books that they read and talk about are related to that theme. From cooking to knitting, optical illusions and firefighters. Any given week there will be a good range of subjects showcased. But as LeVar Burton says, "Don't take my word for it," check them out!

My Competitive Edge Needs No Whetstone

I have had a good week, especially with the two days off from school. Adding immensely to my judging this past school week to have been "good" is the fact that I received high marks on my Chemistry, Spanish, and Political Science exams! I am rather academically competitive, mostly against myself. It also feels good to compare grades with the sibs. They are monumentally intelligent, so if any of my grades come close to (or occasionally pass) theirs, I tend to get a little giddy. There is a similar situation with my BBB (bestest best buddy) , but we are quite competitive anyway.

We Beat Breast Cancer Together!

I do not have breast cancer, but I do know a few women who have battled it and won. From what I understand it is not an easy fight. So I cannot complain about walking about 3 miles at 8:30 in the morning in the dampness that draped Little Rock on Saturday morning. Thank the Lord, it did not rain on us! It rained almost ALL day Friday in Central Arkansas. Though the weather forecasters threatened us with rain, the nearly 40,000 women, men, and children who walked/ran/strolled did so under a dry sky! As best as I could tell, it did not start raining in Little Rock until about noon. I thank God for holding the rain fast until the race was over.

Therefore, I cannot complain. But, I can say that I will get a very good, deep sleep tonight. :) Speaking of which, it is that time. Have a good night and God bless you abundantly according to His riches in Glory!

Loooooong Weekend: Starting two hours and 47 minutes ago

This is my first posting on my first blog ever. Someone who already has a wonderful blog created with blogger.com told me that it would only take about five minutes. Well, I am quite slow about many things, which now includes creating a blog. But that's alright. I have drifted around sampling the writings of other "bloggers" and am intrigued by the variety of viewpoints and styles in the few blogs that I browsed. Two that I especially liked were www.bloggingcat.com and www.athomedaddy.blogspot.com.

I normally work until 10pm on Friday nights, but asked to leave early so that I could participate in the Race for the Cure (http://www.ar-raceforthecure.org/) tomorrow in Little Rock, AR, with some amazing ladies from a local hospital. I had the good intentions of getting a good night's sleep and waking early tomorrow to shower and eat a good breakfast before walking. Well, a few small things compiled and I am facing about five and a half hours of sleep. Thankfully, I am a college student and have adapted to such conditions. I will pray for more sleep tomorrow night. It is a long weekend.