Beans Are Gross! and Other Interesting Thoughts

2009-04-03T11:38:00.001-07:00

2008-10-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Funny little Comic

2007-11-14T17:52:00.001-08:00

Short (long) Story

2007-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today I was bored and had nothing to do, so I set up at my mom's computer and started writing. I had an idea I'd start (another!) fantasy story. As it ends up it is a rather pointless, odd sort of short story. I like the way it reads, and it's not much good for anything else, so I thought I'd post it. :)

PS I realized after I'd finished it that "Faramere" is almost identical to "Faramir" from Lord of the Rings. Seriously! I really wasn't copying! O_O The name sort of just popped into my head when I was trying to pick a name for the world. I can't believe I actually spelled it almost exactly the same too, because I have never read the Lord of the Rings. Anyway... I'm just going to leave it the way it is -- I can't think of anything else! :(

Miss Sickle's Story

The front of the house appeared normal enough, with a little flower garden and a gravel path going to the door. Through the curtains in the front windows the shadow of a little boy and and old woman could be seen. Madeleine Terner frowned. Dylan had promised to be home early, to help her clean the house before their parents got home. When he didn't come home at four thirty Madeleine had cleaned the house herself. "Ever since the old women moved into St. Laurence a few months ago, Dylan has been over here for hours helping her with her garden." Maddie thought resentfully. "What does he like about her so much?" Personally, Madeleine found the old woman creepy, with her low, whispering voice and deep blue eyes that seemed to stare right into your very soul. Walking to up to the weatherbeaten door Madeleine knocked loudly. Soon enough it was opened, and the little bent, aged woman stood grinning up at her through large, cracked glasses.

“Madeleine, my dear, what took you so long? We’ve been waiting. Come in.” She said. Feeling a little discomfited, Maddie stepped in.

“Miss Sickle, I came for Dylan…”

“Yes, yes, Dylan. Much wisdom that boy holds in his head. This way.” The elderly woman led Maddie through a short, dimly lit hallway. The old pictures that lined the walls were of stern, forbidding old men and women, who looked down their crooked noses at her through gloomy, scowling eyes and seemed to whisper as she passed. The peeling, faded flowery brown wall paper, shelves filled with dusty & cracked leather bound books, and the dim light provided only by candle sticks gave the house a lonely, secret air to it, making all who entered quiet and subdued. Soon they reached a door, and Miss Sickles pushed it open, exclaiming, “Your sister is here now, Dylan.” Despite Maddie’s protestations, soon the old woman had her seated in an old, musty arm chair, in her hands a hot glass of hot chocolate despite the warm weather and in arm’s reach, a plate of ginger snaps. In the hearth a fire was roaring, the only light of the room. Maddie was stifling.

“Now that we are all here we can start.” The woman grinned.

“Excuse me,” Madeleine began.

“Hush, hush Madeleine Ceara Terner. We have much to talk about.” Taking a cookie, the old woman began before Madeleine could say a word. “Faramere, Madeleine, is a world, not so faraway as some people would like you to think. Once upon a time, the unicorns ran free in it, with the centaurs and talking beasts and singing elves. People could be happy there like in no other place, and Peace reigned. But no good thing lasts forever, as the saying goes. From the universal happiness and harmony, rose a monster, called the Orc. No one ever knew where he came from – some thought he was a mix between giants and dwarfs, for he was tall like the giants but strong and brave – fierce – like the dwarfs. Soon there were many Orcs, for they seemed to multiply in a different way than most. They wanted power, and to obtain it they would do anything. First, they pillaged villages, took food, and shelter when and where they wanted it. But at one town, some of the villagers decided to defend themselves. They fought the Orcs, yet they were weak and untrained, and several of them died in the attempt. Still the Orcs decided that they needed to make an example to the people, to subdue them, and show them who the masters were. For this example they choose a remote, isolated little village called Dallán, which means Blind. When the Orcs arrived, many of the men were out hunting. The Orcs massacred the place, slaughtering women and children, the elderly and sick. When the men arrived home that night, the town was afire and their families were dead.

“One young man, Cathaír, which means ‘Battle Lord’, had just been married to a beautiful young woman with flowing golden hair, whose name was Aoibheann, which is said as Eevyin, and means ‘Beauty Radiant’. Sweet and lovely, the most beautiful girl in the village, that day she had begged him to stay home from the hunt. She told him she felt danger in the air, but Cathaír laughed at her and said that no danger would come to her, for the people of Dallán were naïve and trustful – blind – and knew not that danger lurked in the world and would harm them if it could but get to them.

“When Cathaír arrived at the village his heart screamed in terrible agony, and he swore to avenge the Beauty Radiant, by the blood of his father Cathal, ‘Strong in Battle’.

“Cathaír raised an army, for many were willing to fight, and trained them as killers. Thus battle raged, and many innocent were killed for the sins of others. More and many came to fight from many countries, for the example of Dallán had not suppressed but strengthened the people. But even after the Orcs were long defeated the battle still raged, for people no longer knew Peace, and fought because of the need to fight, for with the birth of the Orcs came the birth of Hate and Envy.

“But Love and Hope had not yet died, and they sent two children – two children to vanquish Hate. The children were from another world, no less lost and sorrowful, for Hate had entered their home as well. No, it was not that they were better then the people of Faramere, or stronger. But Love knew them, and so entrusted them with the mission.

“The two children were called Awnya and Darwan.

“And so the two children began their quest. Awnya knew that they must overcome Hate in the hearts of men, from which it derives its power. But this could not be achieved easily; men clung to their hate, and so did not relinquish it. Many challenges did the two children face, for Darwan succumbed to Hate. But Awnya held onto Hope, and Trust and Love guided her path. She went to a small village called Deaglán, meaning ‘Full of Goodness’. Some of the people of Deaglán knew Love, and made friends with Hope and Trust; others only new Hunger and Want, and Anger. Hate gripped their hearts. But Awnya did not give up, for she saw Hope. She fed the poor with Love, and rested the weary with Hope. To those who were deprived she gave Trust, and Joy entered all their hearts. Awnya knew that she was fulfilling the Mission. She had only needed to show Love to one person, and others began to obtain it.” The old woman closed her eyes and smiled peacefully. Madeleine, who had sat enchanted throughout this narrative, who had seen it unroll before her eyes, was still in Faramere, with Cathaír, the Orcs, Awnya, and Love.

“Miss Sickle, have you finished?” Dylan whispered, breaking the silence.

“There is no more to tell.” The old lady said simply.

“But what about Darwan – did Awnya ever completely vanquish Hate? Did––”

“Darwan died in battle, dressed in Hate’s robe. No, Awyna never defeated Hate completely. But the point, little Dylan, is that she tried. She succeeded, though she didn’t extinguish Hate entirely. He lurks in dark corners still, waiting for the time when he may be unleashed again. But Awnya – though ever so slowly – made Faramere a place where Hope was a living, thriving thing, where Love was known and Trust was willingly given. Anger and Sorrow are now part of Faramere too, for it is impossible to live without them when you first let them enter. Envy and Poverty walk the land too. But, my children, the world is far better a place now, because one little girl tried.”

Caddie Woodlawn

2007-11-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

It's a strange thing, but somehow we expect more of girls than of boys. It is the sisters and wives and mothers, you know, Caddie, who keep the world sweet and beautiful. What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way! A woman's task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness. It's a big task, too, Caddie - harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers. It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness. A woman's work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as improtant as a man's. But no man could ever do it so well. I don't want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady. No, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind.

(from Caddie Woodlawn)

Some Random facts!....about my life

2007-10-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Getting up at 6 am everyday is anything but enjoyable, but going to Mass at 7 am everyday makes it worth it.

Homeschool groups/co-ops are a whole bunch of amazing! And you meet a lot of really awesome people there, especially when you go to two different ones every week!

You really need some new earrings.

2 1/2 year old little, cute, red-headed girls named Elsa are absolutely wonderful. You could never get along without your one.

Funny, sweet, crazy little girls named Emma are a lot of fun and absolutely amazing, and you sure love the one you have.

Getting accepted as a Pure Fashion Model is really exciting, and the monthly "sessions" are a lot of fun, especially when you get the (very pleasant!) surprise of realizing that someone you know from one of the homeschool groups is there!

Piano lessons are a lotta fun, even if they takes work and patience.

You have the most amazing parents, who do everything in the world they can - just for you.

You never seem to be able to keep your room clean or your laundry up to date. >.< style="font-style: italic;">ever. Seriously.

If people want to make you happy, they should know that all they have to do is take you shopping. Seriously.

You are unbelievably lucky, because you have some of the most wise, wonderful, fun older siblings everrrr.

You never have enough time to do all the things you want to do.

You need an iPod/MP3 player.

You have an awesome family.

After getting up so early in the morning, you start going to bed a lot earlier at night! And now that it is....9:58 pm, you are about to fall over with sleepiness. *yaaawn* :P

G'night! God bless.

I am proud to say...

2007-10-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

That my blog is:

100% Free Personals from JustSayHi

:) :) :)

9/11

2007-09-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Change of Template!

2007-08-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh! As you can see ('m sure O.o) I changed my template...I think it looks ugly! But I can't change it back to the way it was because I had a bunch of custom colors and fonts. Tell me what'cha think! Should I keep it, or lose it? :)

Oh gosh

2007-08-10T14:57:00.001-07:00

I don't know where this picture came from, but when I saw it, I just cracked right up. =)

Playlist!!

2007-08-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

If you look at my sideboard, you'll notice I have a playlist! It's kinda hard to go up and down to new songs, but other than that I think it's pretty easy to use! Give it a try and tell me how you like my taste in music!!! :) :) I know it's kinda a random list, esp. Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls, but that way you hear a bit of everything I like!! Tell me what'cha think!!

Anna

Wow - I haven't posted in a while!

2007-08-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I haven't because life's been rather hectic! What with school (yes, I've been doing that terrible thing through the summer! >.<) the beach, babysitting......and, well, life in general, I just haven't had time to post!

Yet I've managed to read some great books lately! One I just finished was so exciting...but I guess I'll leave that for a post on The Good Book Club. :) Another blog I have been neglecting horribly of late. I also have a nice stack of new books fresh from the library, so I have lots to post on there now!

Well, I guess I just wanted to explain my sad lack of posting lately. :)

Now, I have a few things I need to do, and perhaps I'll post a few other things today!
God bless!

Wedding Traditions

2007-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

I was about to go on another search for strange facts when suddenly I had the idea of posting how some old wedding traditions got started! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! I know it's very long, but I simply love learning about traditions and how they got started.... :)

The engagement ring – one of the oldest of the Western European wedding traditions.

One of the ancient traditions of Western Europe which is still going strong today is the idea of the engagement ring. It was way back in 860 A.D. that Pope Nicholas I proclaimed that not only was an engagement ring required to seal the agreement to be married, but that the engagement ring must be made of gold. The making of the ring out of gold signified that the groom was willing to make a financial sacrifice for his new bride-to-be.

It would be another 617 years before the tradition of adding a diamond to an engagement ring would be started. It was in the year 1477 that King Maximilian presented the lovely Mary of Burgundy with a diamond engagement ring, and from that day to this a diamond has been a girl’s best friend.

It was in Italy, the land of love, that gold wedding rings first became popular, and it was also in Italy that the tradition of the wedding cake was first begun when, in the first century B.C., a cake or bread was broken over the bride’s head to insure fertility.

The tradition of the Best Man began in medieval Germany.

It was in ancient Germany that the Western European tradition of a Best Man began. In olden days it was sometimes necessary for a man to kidnap his bride from a neighboring village and he needed his strongest friend (his Best Man) to help with the kidnapping and to stand by him at the wedding ceremony to fight off any relatives that might try to take her back. (Yikes!)

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

But it was in England that many of our most enduring Western European wedding traditions got their beginning. The ancient nursery rhyme about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue is now an important part of most Western European weddings, even though many brides and grooms no longer know the significance of the rhyme.

Something old is symbolic of continuity. The old item was often a piece of lace or a grandmother’s scarf or an old piece of jewelry. Something new signifies hope for the future, and can be anything from a piece of clothing to the wedding band itself. Something borrowed is symbolic of future happiness and is often provided by a happily married friend of the bride. And finally, something blue. In ancient times blue was the color of purity and often both the bride and the groom wore a band of blue cloth around the bottom of their wedding attire.

Before the German Wedding Day

According to German wedding tradition, when a baby girl is born in Germany, several trees are planted in honor of her birth. When her wedding date is set, the trees are sold, and the money is used for her dowry.

A unique German pre-wedding custom is the creation of a wedding newspaper by the friends and family of the bride and groom. This newspaper, or booklet, is filled with pictures, articles and stories of the engaged couple. The newspaper is sold at the wedding reception, to assist with the expenses of the honeymoon.

Belgium wedding Traditions

One of the most important and enduring traditions of the Belgium wedding is for the bride to carry a specially embroidered handkerchief that has her name embroidered on it. After the wedding this handkerchief is framed and hung on the wall in a place of honor. When the next female member of the bride’s family is to be wed, the handkerchief is removed from its frame, the new bride’s name is embroidered onto it, and it is passed down.

The wedding handkerchief is passed from generation to generation, and is considered an important family heirloom.

During the wedding mass the bride and the groom are enthroned in two large chairs placed near the alter, symbolizing that on this day and in this place they are the king and the queen. At the conclusion of the ceremony the groom slips the wedding ring onto the third finger of his bride’s left hand. The ring, being an endless circle, symbolizes never-ending love, and the third finger of the left hand is believed to hold the vein that travels to the heart, symbolizing love.

Austrian Wedding Customs and Traditions

Choosing the day

Although most weddings take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past. Fridays were also considered unlucky particularly Friday the 13th. The famous old rhyme advises a wedding in the first half of the week:

“Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.”

Wedding Decorations and Traditions in Spain

Orange blossoms have long been the flower of choice for a girl getting married in Spain. Since the orange tree bears fruit and blossoms at the same time it's flowers represent happiness and fulfillment.

Before a couple getting married in Spain exchange their vows in church, the groom gives his bride a wedding present of thirteen coins. This gift is a symbol of his commitment to support her. The bride-to-be then carries these coins, in a little bag, to her wedding ceremony.

Eastern European Wedding Traditions

May you be blessed with long life, prosperity, happiness and fertility

Many Eastern European wedding traditions concern long life, fertility and happiness and prosperity. In Czechoslovakia, for example, the bride’s friends would often plant a tree in her yard and decorate it with ribbons and brightly-painted egg shells. The belief was that the bride would live as long as the tree. Traditionally an infant would be laid on the couple’s wedding bed as a symbol of fertility. After the ceremony the young couple would traditionally break plates and the more pieces the plates broke into the more successful their marriage would be.

In Hungary a new bride wore an elaborate headdress at her wedding in which was woven strands of wheat as a symbol of fertility. Also a new bride would be presented with an egg. By smashing it she would insure the health of her future children. Traditionally the new bride would present her husband with a gift of seven scarves, seven being a lucky number and signifying her desire for a long and happy marriage.

A wedding tradition in Poland holds that the parents of the couple present them with rye bread sprinkled with salt and a glass of wine. The bread symbolizes hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt symbolizes that life will have its difficulties, and the wine is a blessing for health and happiness.

The Pictures!

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The Bride and Groom and the bridesmaids.

Jenny and the flower girls.

Husband and wife.

The Father and Bride walking down the isle.

The handsome groom watching his bride slowly walk toward him.

Together!

"You may kiss the bride!"

What age do you act?

2007-07-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Another quiz! I know....But I love these things!

You Are 14 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

And how perfect! My birthday is on the 18th, and I'll be fourteen!

A Time for Everything

2007-07-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

(Ecc 3:1-8

Things to Ponder

2007-06-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

If you try to fail and succeed, which one have you done?

Reminiscing....

2007-06-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today I was looking through my old school things from when I went to Casa Esperanza in 4th grade. While looking at a little picture of Teddy and his friends, I caught sight of an old diary that my teacher had given me at the end of the school year. In it the younger class mates had written a word or two about me. It was cute, and some of them are rather funny, so I thought I'd share! :)

You are a great helper

~Kerian

Anna I like you kus you are rily nice

~ It was blank...anonymous?!

I like how you play with Angela (?? =/ Haha!)

~Matthew

Your nice sometimes. I ask you things. That makes me enjoy your company.

Love,
Zachery

She is a good to read thank you

~Cameron

Anna - you are a good artist (Awww!)

~ Anonymous...again!! :-o

You are vere sweet!!!

Love,
Shayne

Anna, you are a good friend to Angela

~Sam

You are kind.

By Abril

I like you cause your nice

~Kyleigh

And lastly, my teachor wrote a little note for me.

Anna- I feel so fortunate to have had you in my class this year. Your gentle spirit, kind heart and talented eye are gifts we have all benefited from. Thank you for sharing the special person you are with us.

Love,
Senora S.

In the back of the book I had scribbled a bit of journaling....

It was sweet to read all this and to remember the silly, sweet or sad things that happened while I was going to Casa.... The boy I had had a crush on...my best friend, Angela...my favorite part of the school day, drawing maps of the world....how the first day at school I had been so shy, but after just a few days I had made lots of friends... and my mortal enemy, Crysula! I also remember when I would draw some pictures in my sketch pad and how some little complement would fill me with pride. :) How much I hated my uniform.... How math was so difficult...reading time, another favorite time of the day.

It was so nice to sit and remember. That was the year I donated my hair! Ugh, that hair cut was so horrible! .....That is when I got my glasses! Yikes!.....

One of my favorite things about school was...Spanish class. I loved learning the new words for Cat, dog, green, pink, square, circle...

One of my least favorite things about school was...always having to have a partner when the went to the bathroom! Sometimes I would have to wait fifteen minutes before someone else had the need of the rest room! >.<

Yes.....I will always remember the friends and foes I had, and the happy and sad things that happened during that year at Casa! :)

Reviews in Fifteen Words or Less

2007-06-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice - By Jane Austen

Faaaabulous! All I can say is that this delightful, classical story is a must read!

Pride and Prejudice - 1995 (A&E - Mini)

I *love* this movie! Complete, interesting, and lovely, the only complaint.....it was too short! =P

Pride and Prejudice - 1980 (BBC - Mini)

Not heard of often, this might be my favorite film version yet! Must see! (O.o Mr.Darcyissooocompletelyperfect!! <3<3<3)

Pride and Prejudice - 2004

Mr. Darcy.....oooh! Perfect! Quite good. Though not competing with the minis, I liked it! :)

......((Ooohmygoodness! That was hard!! :))

Things to Ponder...

2007-06-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

If someone invented instant water,
what would they mix it with?

I'm bored....how about some weird ol' facts!?

2007-06-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's physically impossible to lick your elbow. (Trust me...I tried! ;)

The main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch each year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building!

A snail can sleep for three years.

Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.

Typewriter is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

A crocodile cannot stick it's tongue out!

Sigh Don't you love Garfield?

2007-06-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

Here is today's "Garfield Comic of the Day"! So funny! Hehehe :)

PS - Click on the picture to make it bigger!

Yes, yes, another quiz...

2007-06-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I should be doing something more important - especially at this time in the morning! =P

Your score on this personality test was 69%

Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural lead, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

Personality Quiz
Take More Quizzes

"I see his blood upon the rose"

2007-06-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see His face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice-and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.

Joseph Plunkett

I haven't been posting very much lately, buuut.....

2007-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00



Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Things to ponder....

2007-06-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Word of the Day

2007-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

jocose • \joh-KOHSS• adjective

*1 : given to joking : merry

2 : characterized by joking : humorous

Example Sentence:

In the office, Ellie's lively, jocose personality keeps everyone smiling and upbeat.

Did you know?

When you need a word to describe something (or someone) that causes or is intended to cause laughter, you might pick "jocose" or a synonym such as "humorous," "witty," "facetious," or "jocular." Of those terms, "humorous" is the most generic and can be applied to anything that provokes laughter. "Witty" suggests cleverness and a quick mind, while "facetious" is a word for something that is not meant to be taken seriously. "Jocose" and "jocular" both imply a habitual waggishness and a fondness for joking.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Yaaaay!! Interesting and Strange Facts!

2007-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

No one knows where Mozart is buried.

Under extreme stress, some octopuses will eat their own arms.

Black bears are not always black. They can be brown, cinnamon, yellow, and sometimes white.

'Jedi' is an official religion, with over 70,000 followers, in Australia.

If a surgeon in Ancient Egypt lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off.

The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.

People with blue eyes are better able to see in the dark.

An egg will float if placed in water in which sugar has been added.

A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball made of rubber.

Men laugh longer, louder, and more often than women.

Unlike dogs, pigs, and some other mammals, humans cannot taste water. They taste only the chemicals and impurities in the water.

Hurray!

2007-05-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

You are a 95% traditional Catholic!

Congratulations! You are more knowlegeable than most modern theologians! You have achieved mastery over the most important doctrines of the Catholic Faith! You should share your incredible understanding with others!

Do You Know Your Baltimore Catechism?
Make Your Own Quiz

Thank you Antonia...

2007-05-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

I found this beautiful meditation on Antonia's blog. Thanks for sharing!

Meditation

by Cardinal John Henry Newman

God, you have created me to do you some definite service:
You have committed some work to me which you have not committed to
another.

I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for your purposes.
I have a part in the great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for nothing.
I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace,
A preacher of truth in my own place.
Fulfill your high purposes in me, I am here to serve you, to be yours.

Amen .

Can I Live? - Nick Canon

2007-05-29T08:07:00.001-07:00

Even if you don't particularly like Nick Canon or this type of music, this video is very moving. It might make you cry, but it's worth it.

"My Priceless Pencil"

2007-05-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

This is a super touching and sweet story written by an eighteen yr old (I think) homeschooler who has entered the army. M3T41 51UG (Metal Slug) of Teen Homeschool Hang posted it in the "Open Mic" Forum. But it is a true story, and I thought that it was so sad and sweet that I wanted to share it.

Never in my entire life have I ever been so scared of a child. On Wednesday morning of last week, Alpha company along with the MP unit from Fort Meyer went to the Washington monument to rehearse for Twilight Tattoo. As I was riding on the bus, the sergeant rose, turned to us, and told us what was going to happen that morning.

" Hey guys, listen up. for those of us that have done this for a couple years, you know whats going on, for the rest of you, pay attention. Make a wish foundation has granted this kid's wish to be president for the day. If he walks up to you, be sure to call him 'Mr President'."

" Oh, and I swear to God, if you jack around out there with him, I will SMOKE THE...."

You get the idea.

We arrived shortly there after and began to practice. We did a few run throughs, and then I heard it. Sirens that where once in the distance grew louder and louder as the presidential motorcade closed in. my heart started to pound as the sergeant called us to attention. I didn't know what to expect. They didn't say how old he was, what he looked like, or who would be there. The doors to the black hummer opened up, and the secret service took there positions. the president was in view.....

Out popped this 8 year old boy, who was barely tall enough to see over the bodyguard's knees. He had a little red tie on, which stood out that much more in his black "presidential tuxedo", and next to him was the vise president, dressed the same attire. he was escorted to the viewing area, and was lifted onto the luxury leather seat. i wanted to laugh at how awkward he was positioned. His legs hardly went over the edge of the chair.

It was at that point we started the show.

I was in a long line of Old guard soldiers, all of us carrying one of the 56 flags representing 50 states and the 6 US territories. I will spare you the details, but basically our job was to dip the flags in front of the president. as I was about to pass in front of him, i was filled with panic, fear, and sorrow all at once. " What if i screw up!? This kid is going to die, and all i do is ruin his one chance to be president!"

The point came, and i executed my job perfectly. I went back to my marker, and waited for the ceremony to end. Something happened that i didn't expect. Instead of leaving, the president and his posse disappeared out of my sight. Time goes by, and I start to see what's going on.

Before I know it, the president is standing.. right... in front... of me. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I salute him, and he sticks out his little hand. His little hand. Here in front of me is a boy, dying of terminal cancer, president of ALL AMERICA, and all he wants to do is shake my hand and give me a pencil.

Thats all I could do. shake his hand...and take his pencil. Just like that, he was gone on to the next guy, and I'm left with a small reminder of what happened mere seconds ago. I wanted to do so much more. I wanted to take his cancer. I wanted to give him the rest of his life. I wanted to say," thank you, Mr. "President".

I can't take his cancer. I can't give him his life back. I didn't "say thank you".

However, I dipped the flag the best I ever have, could, or will. No other president will get that dip. It's something no other person in the world will ever witness.

I have his pencil. I keep it in my top drawer. I check the make a wish foundation often to see if they posted his story. Whether they do or not, I will always remember Michael Salzinger, President for a Day.

Funny Answers for Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Answers given by elementary school age children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
Mostly to clean the house.
To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mother?

He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?

We’re related.
God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?

My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?

His last name.
She had to know his background, like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
Does he make at least $800 a year?
Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?

My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
She got too old to do anything else with him.
My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?

Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.
Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms and dads?

Moms work at work & work at home, & dads just go to work at work.
Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
Moms have magic. They make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?

Mothers don’t do spare time.
To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?

On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
Diet. You know, her hair. I’d diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?

She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
I’d make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2007-05-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

A few little poems written by myself as a gift for my "mummy" on Mother's Day.

Mother's Day comes 'round each year,
Celebrating all mothers, so dear.
Here is a little gift for you,
With kisses galore and lots of hugs, too!

My little wish is here for you,
Of hope and joy, and laughter, too.
This little wish belongs to you -
Hope you have a grand old day,
Everyone loves you more than they can say!
Right now I can't think of anything for the end of this poem! =/

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Disappearing Alphabet by Richard Wilbur

2007-05-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

If the alphabet began to disappear,

Some words would soon look raggedy and queer

(Like QUIRREL, HIMPANZEE, AND CHOOCHOO-TRAI),

While others would entirely fade away.

And since it is by words that we construe

The world, the world would start to vanish too...

What if there were no letter A?

Cows would eat HY instead of HAY.

What's HY? It's an unheard-of diet,

And cows are happy not to try it.

In the word DUMB the letter B is mute,

But elsewhere its importance is acute.

If it were absent, say, from BAT and BALL,

There'd be no big or little leagues at all.

If there were no such thing as C,

Whole symphonies would be off-key,

And under every nut tree you'd

See HIPMUNKS gathering winter food.

If D did not exist, some creatures might

Wish, like the dodo bird, to fade from sight.

For instance, any self-respecting DUCK

Would rather be extinct than be an UCK.

The lordly ELEPHANT is one whom we

Would have no name for if there were no E,

And how it would offend him were we to

Greet him as "Bud," or "Big Boy," or "Hey, you!"

The ELEPHANT is thick-skinned, but I'll bet

That that's a thing he never would forget.

Hail, letter F! If it were not for you,

Our raincoats would be merely WATERPROO,

And that is such a stupid word, I doubt

That it would help to keep the water out.

If G did not exist, the color GREEN

Would have to vanish from the rural scene.

Would oak trees, then, be blue, and pastures pink?

We would turn green at such a sight, I think.

An H can be too scared to speak, almost.

In gloomy words like GHASTLY, GHOUL, and GHOST,

The sound of H can simply not be heard.

But how it loves to say a cheerful word

Like HEALTH, or HAPPINESS, or HOLIDAY!

Or HALLELUJAH! Or HIP, HIP, HURRAY!

Without the letter I, there'd be

No word for your IDENTITY,

And so you'd find it very tough

To tell yourself from other stuff.

Sometimes, perhaps, you'd think yourself

A jam jar on the pantry shelf.

Sometimes you'd make a ticking sound

And slowly move your hands around.

Sometimes you'd lie down like a rug,

Expecting to be vacuumed. Ugh!

Surely, my friends, you now see why

We need to keep the letter I.

If, all at once, there were no letter J,

A cloud of big blue birds might fly away,

And though they'd been an angry, raucous crew,

I think that I would miss them, wouldn't you?

Is K unnecessary? "Heavens, no!

It's in my name!" exclaims the ESKIMO.

"And if there were no K, my little craft,

The KAYAK, would be scuttled fore and aft."

It would be bitter, if there were no L,

To bid the LEMON or the LOON farewell,

And if the LLAMA, with its two-L name,

Should leave us, it would be a double shame,

But certainly it would be triply sad

If LOLLIPOPS no longer could be had.

M is a letter, but it alternates

As a Roman numeral often found in dates.

If M should vanish, we would lose, my dears,

MINCE PIE, MARSHMALLOWS, and a thousand years.

No N? In such a state of things,

Birds would have WIGS instead of WINGS,

And though a wig might suit the owl,

Who is a staid and judgelike fowl,

Most birds would rather fly than wear

A mat of artificial hair.

What would our proud bald eagle say

If he were offered a toupee?

I think it would be better, then,

For us to keep the letter N.

What if there were no letter O?

You couldn't COME, you couldn't GO,

You couldn't ROVE, you couldn't ROAM,

And yet you couldn't stay at HOME!

Where would you be had heaven not sent you

The letter O to orient you?

How strange that the banana's slippery PEEL,

Without its P, would be a slippery EEL!

It makes you think! However, it is not

Profound enough to think about a lot.

What if the letter Q should be destroyed?

Millions of Us would then be unemployed.

For Q and U belong like tick and tock,

Except, of course, in places like IRAQ.

What if there were no R? Your boat, I fear,

Would have no RUDDER, and so you couldn't steer.

How helplessly you'd drift then, and be borne

Through churning seas, and swept around the Horn!

But happily you couldn't come to grief

On ROCKS, or run aground upon a REEF.

What if the letter S were missing?

COBRAS would have no way of hissing,

And all their kin would have to take

The name of ERPENT or of NAKE.

At breakfast time the useful letter T

Preserves us all from eating SHREDDED WHEA.

Without the letter U you couldn't say,

"I think I'd like to visit URUGUAY,"

And so you'd stay forever in North Platte,

New Paltz, or Scranton, or some place like that.

Were there no V, would geese still fly

In V FORMATION in the sky,

Calling it something else instead,

Like "angle," "wedge," or "arrowhead"?

Perhaps. Or they might take the shape

Of smoke rings or of ticker tape,

Or spell out words like HERE WE GO

Or NUTS TO YOU. You never know.

What if there were no letter W?

The WEREWOLF would no longer trouble you,

And you'd be free of many evils

Like WARTS and WEARINESS and WEEVILS.

But then there'd be (alas!) no sweet

WATERMELONS for you to eat.

The letter X will never disappear:

The more you cross it out, the more it's here.

But if it vanished, treasure maps would not

Have anything with which to mark the spot,

And treasure isles would ring with the despair

Of puzzled pirates digging everywhere.

Lacking the letter Y, I guess

We'd have no way of saying YES,

Or even saying MAYBE, and so

There'd be no answer left but NO.

How horrible! Who wants to live

A life so very negative,

Refusing presents, RASPBERRY ice,

Fudge cake, and everything that's nice?

Because they're always BUZZING, honeybees

Could not be with us if there were no Zs,

And many Zs are needed, furthermore,

When people feel the need to SNOOZE and snore.

Long live the Z, then! Not for any money

Would I give up such things as sleep and honey.

Good heavens! It would be an awful mess

If everything dissolved to nothingness!

Be careful then, my friends, and do not let

Anything happen to the alphabet.

And now, the long awaited Strange and Interesting Facts!

2007-05-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off!

Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult!

Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia!

The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog." uses every letter of the alphabet!

A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night!

Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone!

Hummingbirds can weigh less than a penny!

Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it's known as Tennessee!

The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year!

Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark!

I Met a Dragon Face to Face

2007-05-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute little poem I found about reading. Enjoy! =]

I met a dragon face to face
The year when I was ten,
I took a trip to outer space,
I braved a pirate’s den,
I wrestled with a wicked troll,
And fought a great white shark,
I trailed a rabbit down a hole
I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,
I traveled in a time machine,
And searched for dinosaurs,
I climbed atop a giant’s head,
I found a pot of gold,
I did all this in books I read
When I was ten years old.

~ Jack Prelutsky

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
John 20:6-9

Happy Easter!!

Happy Belated Birthday Benty!

2007-03-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

(Above: picture of the cake Lorcan made for some homeless people,to help grant Benty's wish)

Happy Birthday!!! Wow! 9 years old! That's crazy! I hope you had a good day!

x-o-x-o-x

Anna

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day marks the Roman Catholic feast day for Ireland's patron saint, who died in the 5th century. St. Patrick (Patricius in Latin) was not born in Ireland, but in Britain.

• Irish brigands kidnapped St. Patrick at 16 and brought him to Ireland. He was sold as a slave in the county of Antrim and served in bondage for six years until he escaped to Gaul, in present-day France. He later returned to his parents' home in Britain, where he had a vision that he would preach to the Irish. After 14 years of study, Patrick returned to Ireland, where he built churches and spread the Christian faith for some 30 years.

• Many myths surround St. Patrick. One of the best known—and most inaccurate—is that Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland into the Irish Sea, where the serpents drowned. (Some still say that is why the sea is so rough.)

But snakes have never been native to the Emerald Isle. The serpents were likely a metaphor for druidic religions, which steadily disappeared from Ireland in the centuries after St. Patrick planted the seeds of Christianity on the island.

• In the United States, it's customary to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. But in Ireland the color was long considered to be unlucky, says Bridget Haggerty, author of The Traditional Irish Wedding and the Irish Culture and Customs Web site.

As Haggerty explains, Irish folklore holds that green is the favorite color of the Good People (the proper name for faeries). They are likely to steal people, especially children, who wear too much of the color.

• Colonial New York City hosted the first official St. Patrick's Day parade in 1762, when Irish immigrants in the British colonial army marched down city streets. In subsequent years Irish fraternal organizations also held processions to St. Patrick's Cathedral. The various groups merged sometime around 1850 to form a single, grand parade.

• Today New York's St. Patrick's Day parade is the longest running civilian parade in the world. This year nearly three million spectators are expected to watch the spectacle and some 150,000 participants plan to march.

• Dublin's St. Patrick's Day parade is little more than 75 years old. This year festival organizers will launch 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of fireworks to cap their celebration, which is expected to draw 400,000 spectators.

Facts gathered here

Drawing and Personality Test

2007-03-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

I have just finished taking a personality test! I drew this picture and answered some questions, and I appear to be,

Driven and ambitious and tend to make radical moves to reach my goals.
Am a thoughtful and cautious person. I like to think about my method, seeking to pursue my goal in the most effective way.
I like following the rules and being objective. I am precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.
And I have a sunny, cheerful disposition!

The first three answers are completely oppisite! Although, I do like to think I have a "cheerful disposition"! =) Would you like to take the test? =)

Finally! Some More Interesting Facts!

2007-02-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs
has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

For more, Read 50 Things Everyone Should Know!

Amazing Hand Art!

2007-02-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

Here is some crazy, beautiful hand art! Isn't it awesome?

Check out some more here!

If Somebody There Chanced To Be

2007-01-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

If somebody there chanced to be
Who loved me in a manner true,
My heart would point him out to me,
And I would point him out to you.
But here it says of those who point —
Their manners must be out of joint —
You may not point —
You must not point —
It's manners out of joint, to point!

Ah! Had I the love of such as he,
Some quiet spot he'd take me to,
Then he could whisper it to me,
And I could whisper it to you.
But whispering, I've somewhere met,
Is contrary to etiquette:
Where can it be
Now let me see
Yes, yes!
It's contrary to etiquette!

By W. S. Gilbert

A tough riddle...

2007-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am holding something right now.
It is more precious than any gold,
more fantastic than any silver,
more beautiful than any diamonds,
more unbelievably sweet than any sugar,
and more cute than any rabbit,

That Ever Existed.

Stercoricolous, Euphonious, Saccharine, Anonalous???

2007-01-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

Last night I found A Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. Now, you may think this is a little strange, abnormal, queer, odd, eccentric, anomalous, and quaint, but I rather enjoy reading things like that. So I picked it up right away and started reading it. I would think of words and look them up quickily, swiftly, promptly, speedily, rapidly, and reptatorially...oh wait! that is an antonym! Anway, then I'd read all their synonyms and antonyms. But I ran into quite a few hard, arduous, difficult, tiolsome, obdurat, austere, pitilous, and even cruel words. Some were very long, lengthy, endless, elongated, and outstretched. Others were practically impossible, impervious, inconseivable, and unreadable. Phew!

Starting Back to School

2007-01-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

Today we start school again! I'm planing on being very busy, because I have to finish up everything for this school year. I'm totally going to be schooling through summer too! I can't believe it! I'm going to be in tenth grade next school year! Three years till college! It's scary and super exciting at the same time.

Of course, three years it a pretty long time. But time goes so quickly! I've been seriously lacking in one all important thing lately. Praying. Praying that I'll be led in the right direction, and that I'll make the right choices, and things like that. Three years for playing about that isn't actually that much time! And saving up to pay for college! So far I only have two hundred dollars! Three years for saving up isn't not long either!

I am hoping that the year I graduate from highschool, I'll be able to join NET Ministries for a year. I really want to. It seems like the perfect thing for me to do! But for now I'll just have to try to get through highschool in one piece! =)

So my New Year Resolutions (though they are a bit late) are to pray more, save more, and study more!

Happy New Year's!!!!

2006-12-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's everyone! I hope you have had a wonderful year!

Jesus Christ, please fill us with peace and clear our minds to prepare for a new year. Help us enjoy our friends and families. Unite us with Your grace and love. Please, Jesus, make this year one we will not forget.

Amen.

Merry Christmas!!!

2006-12-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you all had a holly jolly, super merry Christmas!!!

I haven't posted much lately, and that is because we got sick and Gabriela, Bethany and I went on a "sleep-over" to our sister's house! We did baking and shopping and had a wonderful time! And then we all came home on Christmas Eve!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

xoxoxo

Anna

Our Advent Wreath

2006-12-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

I just had to share a picture of our Advent Wreath! My mum made it! Now is it pretty or what?

As you can see, we only have white candles! But we didn't order any actual Advent candles in time! It's still really nice, though.

It only has one candle lit in this picture, but today we light the third candle!

Another Two Birthdays!!

2006-12-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made a cake for my friend Taylor, who is now 15! And for his twin, Tyler, and for a girl named Cassie, who will be 15 tomorrow!! HAPPY BRIDTHDAY!!!!

Cool things that happened this week:

I went Christmas Caroling with a lot of friends last night! It was really fun.
This makes my 13th post this month! Yay! I broke my record!
I went Christmas shoping for my "person" (The person I'm Christmas angel to... some one who I give candy and secret, tiny presents to during Advent, and then give a BIG present to on Christmas day! I wish I could say who I'm Christmas Angle to and what I got them, but they just, just might see this!)
I got a present finally for one of my best friends! (Kateri!)
I had a just plain silly, good time! =)
I cleaned my room finally!!
We lit the 3rd Advent candle!
We are only 7 days away from CHRISTMAS! Is that crazy or what?

Happy Birthday to One of the Best Sisters EVER!!!!

2006-12-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Aimee! Have a piece of cake and a mug of hot-chocolate on me! =)

Love you!!!!!

Baking Day!

2006-12-14T05:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I baked 68 mollases cookies! And I had Bethany Rose, my little sister, to help me. I looove baking with Benty, we always have such fun! But yesterday, as I think my mother would agree, we had a little too much fun...

Have you ever had a Flour Fight? If you have not, you have no idea how delightful it can be. If you have not, all I can say is, you should. A Flour Fight is when you throw flour at somebody. Benty and I always have flour fights when we bake. Yesterday though, we didn't just have a flour fight. We had a flour war! And you should have seen the house afterwards. We had be-floured the house. And you should have seen us! There was flour in our hair, all over our clothing. There was even flour covering poor defenseless bystanders who had been caught in the combat.

Of course when our mum saw that, we got in trouble. We then had to de-flour the house. We vacuumed up the kitchen tiles floor and (somehow the flour had wandered all over the house!) the dining room wood floor. We vacuumed up each other and we vacuumed up our clothes! And, thank heavens, our mum was there to help us.

She is always there to help us. Whenever we are in trouble, she is there to help. Whenever we are worried, she is there to help. No matter what, she will always be there to help.

Thank you God for my mum!

Feast of St. John ofthe Cross

2006-12-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid I missed two feast days already (Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Lucia) So I decided I must not miss another one.

St. John of the Cross, pray for us!

Saint John of the Cross, in the darkness of your worst moments, when you were alone and persecuted, you found God.
Help me to have faith that God is there especially in the times when God seems absent and far away.
Amen

Being an older sister means....

2006-12-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Reading books ten times over to eager ears.
Making billions of sandwhiches for many little fellas.
Watching Chicken Run and other favorites...
huuuundreds of times.
Having your room torn apart by small hands.
Having your treats snacked on... and not by you.
Getting all kinds of cute pictures and scribbles and cards.
Dancing all sorts of silly, wiggly dances, just for fun.
Hearing little voices laugh and sing.
Being hugged more times than it is possible to count.
Being kissed till your face is wet.
Having "I love you more" contests all day long.
Being followed around by tiny little patting feet.
Cuddling whenever you want it.
Being loved.

Second Week of Advent

2006-12-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

Baruch 5: 1 - 9 5:1 Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. 2 Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; 3 for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. 4 For God will give you evermore the name, "Righteous Peace, Godly Glory." 5 Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. 6 For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. 7 For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. 8 The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God's command. 9 For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.

Christmas Facts!

2006-12-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some very interesting facts about Christmas, and Christmasy things!

Holly
The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries drops of his blood. Holly became a nativity tradition.

Presents
The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus. The exchanging of gifts between people started in about the 1800's.

Reindeer
The reindeer probably came from stories of the Norse God Woden who rode through the sky with reindeer and 42 ghostly huntsmen. Clement Moore's famous poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (T'was the Night Before Christmas) sealed the image of Santa Claus, his reindeer and the magical flying sleigh loaded with sacks of presents.

Santa Claus
The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century. He was very pious from an early age, devoting his life to Christianity. He became widely known for his generosity for the poor. At the time, the Romans held him in contempt. He was imprisoned and tortured. When Constantine became emperor of Rome, he allowed Nicholas to go free. Constantine became a Christian and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325. Nicholas was delegate to the council. He is especially noted for his love of children and for his generosity. He is the patron saint of sailors. He is also of course, the patron saint of children. The Dutch kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In the 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. The image of Santa was originally a man in a long brown robe and furs carrying a cross and wine flask with a holly crown on his head. In 1885, a Boston printer, Louis Prang, first devised the red-suited Santa and this theme was later developed by the Coca Cola advertising artist Haddon Sundblom in the 1930'sThis produced the modern image of a jolly character in a red suit trimmed with white fur.

Stockings hanging on your mantel...
According to tradition, Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry. The tradition has modified itself, from gag gifts , to small inexpensive but useful gifts.

The Candy Cane
In the late 1800's, a candy maker in Indiana wanted to express the meaning of Christmas through a symbol made of candy. He invented the idea of bending one of his white candy sticks into the shape of a Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols of Christ's love and sacrifice through the Candy Cane. First, he used a plain white peppermint stick. The color white symbolizes the purity and sinless nature of Jesus. Next, he added three small stripes to symbolize the pain inflicted upon Jesus before His death on the cross. There are three of them to represent the Holy Trinity. He added a bold stripe to represent the blood Jesus shed for mankind. When looked at with the crook on top, it looks like a shepherd's staff because Jesus is the shepherd of man. If you turn it upside down, it becomes the letter J symbolizing the first letter in Jesus' name. The candy maker made these Candy Canes for Christmas, so everyone would remember what Christmas is all about.

"Silent Night"
In 1818, an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr, was told the day before Christmas, that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music. He wanted to write a carol that could be sung by a choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night, the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night) for the first time.

Lump of Coal
According to tradition, giving a lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children comes from Italy.

More Christmasy Facts!

Cookies, Books, Movies, and Advent

2006-12-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been busy making Christmasy treats! Today I'm hoping to make sugar cookies, and lemon icing for the little ones to decorate them with! I might even make mollases cookies, with M&Ms! Yum...

Lately I have been reading some really great books! Here are some of them:

The Count of Monte Cristo
Julious Caeser
A Man for All Seasons
Plautus Four Comedies
And of course, The Christmas Carrol!

And I've been reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to my little brother Tanny.

Of course, during the Advent season, we have been watching a LOT of Christmas movies! We don't have Cable, so we watched tapes! We have watched The Grinch (The one with people!) Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The cartoon!) Blue Toes, The Nutcracker (The cartoon) The Christmas Carrol, and many, many more.

The best time of all, is when we all sit around the couch with our parent, eating candy-canes and sipping hot chocolate, and watch the merry movies together!

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2006-12-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

The Magnificat

Luke 1: 46-55 (Douay translation) My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because he hath regarded the humility of
his handmaid; for behold from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty hath done great
things to me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto
generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might with his arm; he
hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their
seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good
things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant, being
mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham
and to his seed for ever.

Happy Birthday Mama!

2006-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today is my most-suberb-wonderful-super-magical-best-mum's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

I hope you had a good day. I am working on the birthday cake now. =) The icing should be good. Too bad my first made-from-scratch cake was not good. The easy-to-make-because-it-comes-out-of-a-box-cake is pretty good too, anyhow. =)

Love love love,

Your Children.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

2006-12-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Today is St. Nicholas's feast day! We awoke to new mugs and candy-canes and chocolates and. . . The Polar Express!! Yay!

Have a wonderful St. Nicholas Day!!

PS. I almost forgot, here is a link about the real Santa Clause! =)

Setting up the Christmas Tree!

2006-12-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, Jenny, my older sister, surprised us with a beautiful Christmas tree! We had a lovely Christmas tree decorating party!

The Christmas tree, at starting point.

Everyone pitched in to fix up our big tree!

Emma, who is four, worked really hard prettying up the tree.

Here is sweetie pie Elsa, helping decorate! Talk about cute!

You might be able to tell -- Emma had a fabulous time. =)

Yes, Advent is one special time of year! Our tree looked wonderful when we were done. I wish I had a picture of the finished project! Now we just need to try and make sure Elsa doesn't steal all the decorations off before Christmas Day at least! =)

I hope everyone is having a splendid First Week of Avent.

PS. I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures of Thanksgiving! They are not on our camera!

First Sunday of Advent

2006-12-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

Stir up thy power, O Lord, and come, that by thy protection we may be rescued from the dangers that beset us through our sins; and be a Redeemer to deliver us; Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.
Amen

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

thanks·giv·ing (thngks-gvng)

An act of giving thanks; an expression of gratitude, especially to God: a hymn of thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day.

thanksgiving

n 1: fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag [syn: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day] 2: a short prayer of thanks before a meal [syn: grace, blessing]

Poems

How to observe Thanksgiving

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

The Pilgrims came

The Pilgrims came across the sea,
And never thought of you and me;
And yet it's very strange the way
We think of them Thanksgiving day.

We tell their story, old and true
Of how they sailed across the blue,
And found a new land to be free
And built their homes quite near the sea.

Every child knows well the tale
Of how they bravely turned the sail
And journeyed many a day and night,
To worship God as they thought right.

Twas the night of Thanksgiving

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
but I just couldn't sleep...
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned...the dark meat and white,
but I fought the temptation with all of my might.
Tossing and turning with anticipation,
the thought of a snack became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door
and gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
stuffing with gravy, green beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
till all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky
with a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie
But, I managed to yell as I soared past the trees...
Happy eating to all -- pass the cranberries, please.

Quotes

Anne Frank: "I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."

William Shakespeare: "O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."

Theodore Roosevelt: "Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds."—1901

Thanksgiving...tomorrow!

2006-11-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is practically here! My oldest sister Aimee and her boyfriend Jeff were supposed to get here right around now (ten o'clock). But because of floods and such their train has had to stop for a while. They're are only two hours away, but they aren't going to get here till tomorrow! Boohoo!

But I'm sooo looking forward to meeting Jeff, seeing Aimee, Jenny, John, and Jonathan, and having a really special day! I can't wait! I love the turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all that yummy food, but most of all, I love having my whole family around me! Tomorrow there will be 16 people here! Yay!!

I hope you all have a super Thanksgiving!

Oh, and I'll put up some pictures of tomorrow when I can! =) I'm definitely going to take loads of pictures!

Also, I think I'll re-post last years Thanksgiving post. Haha.

God bless!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

St. Augustine of Hippo

2006-10-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

St Augustine has always been one of my favorites saints! I thought it might be nice to share a few of his prayers and quotes with you!

Lord Jesus, Let Me Know Myself

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You,
And desire nothing save only You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You,
And ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
That I may deserve to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear You,
And let me be among those who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing save only to You,
And let me be poor because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me that I may see You,
And for ever enjoy You. Amen.

Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop, Writer, Doctor

Prayer to Seek God Continually

O Lord my God, I believe in you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Insofar as I can, insofar as you have given me the power, I have sought you. I became weary and I loabored.

O Lord my God, my sole hope, help me to believe and never ro cease seeking you. Grant that I may always and ardently seek out your countenance. Give me the strength to seek you, for you help me to find you and you have more and more given me the hope of finding you.

Here I am before you with my firmness and my infirmity. Preserve the first and heal the second.

Here I am before you with my stregnth and my ignorance. Where you have opened the door to me, welcome me at the entrance; where you have closed the door to me, open to my cry; enable me to remember you, to understand you, and to love you. Amen.

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Quotes
God has no need of your money, but the poor have. You give it to the poor, and God receives it.

The love of worldly possessions is a sort of bird line, which entangles the soul, and prevents it flying to God.

Conquer yourself and the world lies at your feet.

God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes you do what you can and to pray for what you cannot, and aids you that you may be able.

St. Augustine of Hippo

Dear St. Augustine,
help me to love God as you do, to obey him as you do, to know him as you do. Help me to follow your wonderful example. I wish to be like you!

St. Augustine's Site!

And Some More Strange and Interesting Facts

2006-10-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

And today we have a special addition on....BUGS!!! =)

A butterfly has to have a body temperature greater than 86 degrees to be able to fly.
A cockroach can change directions up to 25 times in a second.
A colony of bees have to fly almost fifty-five thousand miles and tap two million flowers to make one pound of honey.
A flea can jump 150 times its size. That is the same as a person able to jump up 1,000 feet in the air.
A butterfly's taste sensors are located below their feet.
A house fly's feet are 10 million times more sensitive than a human tongue.
A scorpion can have up to 12 eyes.
Bees can communicate with other bees by dancing. Their dance can alert other bees as to which direction and the distance nectar and pollen is located.
A butterfly can see the colors red, green, and yellow.
Cricket chirping can tell the temperature outside. Counting how many times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds and then adding 40 to that number will approximately tell you what the temperature is in Fahrenheit.
For every human in the world there are one million ants.
In a lifetime, on average a honey bee produces 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey.
Lady Bugs really are not bugs. They are actually beetles and their correct name is The Ladybird Beetle.
Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue more than any other color.
And Finally..........Fried spiders taste like nuts. (Blahhhh)

Phew, this one is a long list!! :-D Heheh!

-x-x-x-

And Finally.......

2006-10-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

More interesting and strange facts!

Cows sweat through their noses.
Deer sleep only 5 minutes a day.
Dolphins can look in different directions with each eye. They can sleep with one eye open.
Coffee was first known in Europe as Arabian Wine.
Dogs can't decipher size. That's why little dogs are mean.

Sorry it had been sooo long, I ran out of facts a long time ago, so I had to search for these! Hahaha! =)

-x-x-x-

The Beatiful, Most Holy, Eucharist

2006-10-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

God in his omnipotence could not give more, in His wisdom He knew not how to give more, in His riches He had not more to give, than the Eucharist.

- St Augustine

"It is there in His Eucharist that He says to me: 'I thirst, thirst for your love, your sacrifices, your sufferings. I thirst for your happiness, for it was to save you that I came into the world, that I suffered and died on the Cross, and in order to console and strengthen you I left you the Eucharist. So you have there all my life, all my tenderness.'"

- Mother Mary of Jesus, the Foundress of the Sisters of Marie Reparatrice

"When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence."

- St. Francis de Sales

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it."

- St. Augustine

"Do grant, oh my God, that when my lips approach Yours to kiss You, I may taste the gall that was given to You; when my shoulders lean against Yours, make me feel Your scourging; when my flesh is united with Yours, in the Holy Eucharist, make me feel Your passion; when my head comes near Yours, make me feel Your thorns; when my heart is close to Yours, make me feel Your spear."
- St. Gemma Galgani

"Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you - for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart...don't listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love...
"Receive Communion often, very often...there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing..."
"The guest of our soul knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us - that is all He asks."
- St. Therese of Lisieux

"And just as He appeared before the holy Apostles in true flesh, so now He has us see Him in the Sacred Bread. Looking at Him with the eyes of their flesh, they saw only His Flesh, but regarding Him with the eyes of the spirit, they believed that He was God. In like manner, as we see bread and wine with our bodily eyes, let us see and believe firmly that it is His Most Holy Body and Blood, True and Living.
For in this way our Lord is ever present among those who believe in him, according to what He said: "Behold, I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world." (Mt. 28, 20)
- St. Francis of Assisi

"What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this under the form of a little bread, for our salvation"

"...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood."

- St. Francis of Assisi

Our Father THY WILL BE DONE A Meditation by St. Peter Julian Eymard

Our Father Who are in Heaven: in the heaven of the Eucharist,
to You Who are seated on the throne of grace and love,
be benediction, and honor, and power and glory
for ever and ever!

Hallowed be Your Name: first in ourselves, through the spirit of
Your humility, obedience, and charity.
May we in all humility and zeal
make You known, loved, and adored by all men
in the Holy Eucharist,

Thy Kingdom Come: Thy Eucharistic kingdom.
Rule Thou alone forever over us
for Your greater glory
through the power of Your love,
the triumph of Your virtues,
and the grace of a Eucharistic vocation
in my state as a layman.
Grant us the grace and mission of Your holy love
so that we may be able to effectively extend
Your Eucharistic kingdom everywhere
and realize the desire you expressed:
‘I have come to cast fire on the earth;
and what would I, but that it be kindled?’
Oh! that we might be the incendiaries of this heavenly fire!

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: Grant us the grace to find all our joy
in wanting You alone,
in desiring You alone,
and in thinking of You alone.
Grant that by denying of ourselves always
and in all things,
we may find light and life
in obeying Your good, acceptable and perfect Will.
I will what You will.
I will it because You will it.
I will it as You will it.
I will it as long as You will it.
Perish our thoughts and desires
if they are not purely from You, for You and in You.

Give us this day our daily bread: You are our Eucharistic Lord
and You alone will be our food and clothing,
our riches and glory,
our remedy in illness,
and our protection against all evil.
You will be all things to us.

And forgive us our trespasses: Forgive me Jesus, for I am sorry for all my sins
just as they stand in your eyes.

As we forgive those who trespass against us: For anyone who has offended us in any way,
with our whole heart we forgive them
and desire for them the gifts of Your love.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: Deliver us Jesus, from the demon of pride,
impurity, discord and complacency.
Deliver us from the cares and worries of life
so that with a pure heart and a free mind
we may joyfully spend our life
and devote all that we are and all that we have
in the service of our Eucharistic Lord.

Amen.: In You, O Lord Jesus, have I hoped;
let me not be confounded forever.
You alone are good.
You alone are powerful.
You alone are eternal.
To You alone be honor and glory,
love and thanksgiving forever and ever.

A link: The Real Presence

Letters from Long Ago

2006-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I walked into the dining room and found two letters scattered on the floor, an envelope lying near by them. I picked up one of the letters. It was written on pretty, flowery paper, in childish cursive. It was address to "Kings" Hmm, I thought, who are the "Kings"? But as I read it it started to make sense. After I was done reading that one I picked up the next letter lying on the floor. It was addressed to "Three Kings" But this one was typed and printed out on blank printing paper. After reading that one I looked around for more --after all, there had to be more then 2. And there was. I found two more letters address to the Three Kings. These last two were written in my mother's handwriting, but dictated by my other siblings. The envelope is addressed to :

"The Three Kings
Virtue St. Heaven"

The stamp was a square, in which was written, "No postage needed if Child of God."

Here I shall write what these letters say (I shall write them with the exact same punctuation and spelling as the originals):

From oldest, to youngest;

(The first letter I found, written in cursive)

Dear Kings,

Please do not mind the messy writing, my fingers are still sore.

How have you been? How is the baby Jesus? How is Father B. How is St. Anthony? How is Mr. D.

I would like to make a list of things I would like, to make your job easyer.
That is, if I have been a good girl. I would like movie money, a watch, or a porcelin doll, or the movie
The new one Emma, or Hair stuff or, socks, That is all I can think of, if you can't get me anything that is on this list anything you get me I'm sure I'll love.

Love,
Jenny

Jenny is now 22, and she's going to be married soon!

(The second letter I found, typed.)

Dear Three Kings,

Hello! How are you doing? I hope you are fine! How are the politics in Heaven going?Any new policies? How am I doing?!?! Am I headed in the right direction? I sincerely hope I am!!! Anyway On to the trivial things! My poor suggestions are as follows:

I would like a pair or two of slipper socks, the Robo Master lego set, or the Robo Stalker lego set. Preferably the Robo Master set. I would also like a cap or dart gun ( You can get them at the dollar store!) If you can not get any of these suggestions, Then I would like some more Tolkien books. So much for suggestions, I hope you have a good time!

Cordially Yours Jonathan

Jonathan E. G.

(And at the bottom of this letter is written in handwriting, "P.S. Please write back!!!!!")

Jonathan is 21 now, and in College!

(Third letter I found, dictated my brother Miguel, written by my Mum)

Dear 3 Kings

How are you doing? My father & my mother said I should make a list of ideas for you guys to pick a gift from.

Any action figure will do. Here is my lego list: Do you think maybe I should get some Robo Force, my brother really likes them. I would like some Explorers sets (stingrays) That's it for lego for now. Maybe a few pens & pencils will do and I'm almost out of my 1st bottle of scope. Bye for now.

Love Miguel

P.S. Just about anything will do.

Miguel's now 19!

(Fourth letter I found, written by my mum, dictated by Gabriela)

Dear Three Kings,

How are you doing? How is baby Jesus? What do your camels like to eat? I have been good this year. My daddy said I should make a list of presents for you to pick from. I would like:

Some ballet slippers

a leotard (and tootoo in pink)

May you please pray for me

I would like a calandar -- Christmas Tree one with stickers to hang on the window.

A clock

Some alphabet books

A toy box

Bye bye. I have to eat my candy cane, wash my face and hands, and help clean.

Love Gabriela

P.S. Please kiss baby Jesus and say hi for me.

Gabriela is 15 and in 10th grade!!

I hope you enjoyed these great finds as much as I did! :)

My, my, my!

2006-10-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well. I haven't posted for a while!

I've started going to Confirmation classes at my church on Sundays! They're pretty interesting. I've been confirmed already, when I was five! but I just wanted to go and listen and stuff. I'm keepin' it fresh! :P

Youth Group is great! We meet every other Saturdays -- 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays. 5th Saturdays are going to be best, because on those days the youth group does fun things like go ice skating and stuff! Too bad there aren't many fifths in a year! We're reading this book called a Philadelphia Catholic in King James’s Court. It's very interesting. I'm on the second chapter now. Also, we're helping out with this big, fun thing our Church is doing on the 28th for Halloween! It's going to be so much fun! There'll be bobbing for apples, treasure hunts, candy, a cake walk, and a lot of other stuff! I'm dressing up as Charlie Chaplin! (I know, I know, I'm kinda old to still be dressing up, but heck! It's fun! :) Actually, come to think of it...I think this might actually be the first time I've ever dress up! Whoa!

School's getting on...this week hasn't been too great. I hate science! Blaaah. Oh well.

Oh yeah! Tomorrow I'm going to this great thing called Eucharistic Congress Teen Track. We're going to hear speakers and there'll be a procession, and afterwards there'll be Mass! I think it's going to be a lot of fun! I have a new sweater to wear to it. I had to take out a loan to buy it though...heehee! I'm working on paying you back, Mummy!

Well, I'm just plain starving now.

I'm pen-paling with a girl named Kateri! We're also emailing. It's a whole lot of fun! I love writing letters! Also, her cousin Lucia and I have started emailing too! Just so you know, her name is pronounced Loo-see-ah, (She was very particular on that :) She's really funny and neat to email with!

Well, as you can see my life's just great right now! Even with a little problems (ahem....science). And now I shall go eat. :-D

Joy to the World!

2006-09-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Those were the very first words I wrote in my journal today. Can you guess why?

My sister is engaged!!

Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it glorious! I'm so happy! John is the best guy in the world, and my sister Jenny is the best gal! Jenny & John! How perfect!

Dear Jesus, bless this wonderful couple!

xoxox

No! Go away! Don't look!

2006-09-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today, when I was getting ready for Mass...I did something that at first I couldn't believe.

I was about to blow-dry my hair after washing it, but for some weeks now I've been wondering what I would look like if I had bangs. Every time I asked my mum, she would say no! But finally, this time, she said, "Ah, whatever Anna -- But you'll have to bear the consequences, eh?” Not very encouraging, huh? But I jumped right off, grabbed a pair of safety scissors, and snipped away! When I looked in my bedroom mirror, what I saw horrified me. It was … me! ...But...terrible …looking! There was this big tuff of hair right above my eyebrows...and it was crooked too!

So, nearly petrified, I clipped away, here and there, a bit more. And looked again. And was just horrified …again.

Just then, Noah, my brother, walked by my open bedroom door. Oh nose! I cried desperately that he please not look, and covered my face. He, of course, then walked straight into my room and said, "Ah, c'mon, show me. What'd you do?"
"No! Go away!"
"C'mon Anna..."

And I showed him. And everyone else when I went downstairs. My mum couldn’t help but say ‘I told you so!’ And, I have to admit, it looked so bad that I cried! :-O

So. We were about to leave for Mass. I looked dreadful. And I didn’t know what to do. Luckily my mama isn’t all bad :P
Quickly she cheered me up, and helped me by telling me my hair would look much better if I let it all down instead of up in a ponytail. And it did! Of course, I pinned half of those horrid bangs up with a barrette so that it wasn't so thick, and now, when I look in the mirror -- I may just be getting use to it but -- it actually doesn't look that bad! :) I sort of actually like it. Although, when I let ALL of the bangs down, it looks terrible again.

I suppose that it was…just one of those things. I know I would never have been satisfied if I hadn’t cut my bangs…And now, I must bear the consequences, whether happy…or not :D

God bless!

Anna

School has started! And so has a cold...

2006-09-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

+
M

A very sniffily, coughy, sour throaty cold, too. Did it have to start right now? *Sigh* Oh well!

Monday was good, but I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked. I feel a bit better from this old cold already…maybe I can do school tomorrow. Today I was just too sick!

It’s so sad about Steve Irwin! Noah, my brother, said to me the other day that he felt as if he had lost a very good friend. I’m sure lots of people feel that way. He was such a great guy!

I just watched A Little Princess. The more recent one, and that one always makes me want to read the book so badly! I’ve already started it again! I’ve probably read that book 6 or 7 times. It’s definitely one of my favorite books. Talking about books, there are so many I want to read! The Count of Monte Cristo is very high on my list, and so is Belles on their Toes, Anne of Avonlea, Maurice and Therese (I’ve almost read that one, but I had to give the book back to my big bro, so I’m going to buy one online. It’s such a wonderful, magical….remarkable book!) I just can’t wait to get to the library.

I’ve been doing a lot of journaling lately. I use to start a diary every week or so, write a few things in it, and then give up! But when I started this one…it was like I was really talking to Jesus! I start each entrance with “Dear Jesus,” “Dear Father,” "Dear Christ,” or something like that. And I just…talk to him. It’s really wonderful.

Well, I have a headache and it’s getting late! Goodnight world!

Anna

Happy 1st of September!

2006-09-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have a wonderful month! :)

My sis has started her own blog! Here is a link: http://godinhisheaven.blogspot.com/
It's going to be a great blog!

Goodness! This post is very out-dated.

Today (the 4th, was my older bro Jonathan's birthday! Happy birthday Jonathan!

We had my sis Jenny, her boyfriend John and, of course, Jonathan over for a Bar-B-Q! It was very good. :)

Tomorrow school's starting for us! I know it's a bit late....but we just moved! We did as best we could! I'm kinda excited. A new year. Getting closer to college! But that's still a loooooong way off, so don't worry, Mummy! :D

Well, off I get!

God bless!
Anna

Square dancing, rooms, reading, and life.

2006-08-31T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, we've started square dancing. I'm not sure if I like it! If there were only more young people going, that would be neat. We go to our church to dance, and it's only old Ladies and gentleman! They're really sweet and nice...but still! I'll just have to kidnap a whole bunch of kids and bring them to church on Thursdays! Hehehe!

My room is so hard to keep clean! I guess it's because all the little kiddos come in and play with things. Gabby and I rearranged everything a week or so ago! It was so fun! I have to take pictures of the whole house and post them! That'd be so fun! I love taking pictures!

I have a whole bunch of books I want to take out of the library. Belles on Their Toes, The Count of Monte Cristo, Borrowers! lol, the borrowers are fun books to read. :) Actually, I've been playing borrowers with my 8 year old sister Benty lately! I guess there's still a lot of kid in me. Hehehe

One of the last books I've read was Arthur: The Seeing Stone. It was a good story line I think. But it had some details on things that weren't so good. They explained about incubuses, which was something I'd much rather not know. There are two more books in the series, but I don't think I'm going to read them.

So all in all, life has been very good! I met two very nice kids at Our Lady of the Highway. Allison and John -- their both 15, and friendly and fun!

God bless!

--
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
~ Rom 13:12
--
"I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."
~Anne Frank

A handful of stuff

2006-08-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm babysitting with my sister Gabriela right now, so I'm not going to write for long. But I thought it was time for an update!
My parents are at our old house right now, for the last time!
I want to post some pictures of our house soon, but we don't have the camera here yet, so I'll have to wait for that.
I'm reading a whole bunch of books right now, and will start school in a few weeks. We're starting a little late this year, because of our move. But I unpacked my school books yesterday.
A few weeks ago I started something kinda interesting: "Letters to Your Future Husband".
It's sort of funny, but I enjoy doing it. I wonder if boys write letters to there future wives! Ha ha! That would be funny. Like if on the day they got married the husband said, "I have a present for you, darling."
And his wife said, "Wait, let me give you my present first."
And then they both gave each other a stack of letters! Hahaha!

I've been looking at Catholic beliefs on suicide. A nasty subject! Like, whether it's a sin, and whether or not those who commit it go to hell. I didn't look for whether or not they go to hell, because anything that I could possibly find about that would be wrong. Because no one knows. But I did find this:

"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."

The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. When some one kills themselves, well, I think it's the same thing. But no one really knows who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, that's between them and God. So we know it's wrong, but we don't, and can't, know where the person goes. That's what I think.

Here is something some one else said;

I don't think it's right because God has a good plan for us all (Jeremiah 29:11). Why do people do it? I think one reason would be that they don't feel as if their lives are worth anything, even after trying various things to fill their Jesus-shaped void. Where do they go? Unfortunately, I have to say hell. One, because they ended what was not theirs to end. Two, because anyone who would commit such a drastic act surely doesn't have a relationship with Christ. Whether that relationship be shallow or deep, I believe they would at least hang on to see what God would do in the future, hopefully resulting in a stronger bond between them and Jesus. I remember someone saying suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and I think that statement is correct.

And what another person said;

But God never gives anyone anything to big, heavy, or hard to handle. And I'm sure that person would be able to trust in God, be strong. It would take prayer and faith, certainly! But I'm sure they could do it with God's help. St. Therese of the Little Flower said,

"If I had no faith, I would have taken my own life without hesitation,"

I think you'd only be able to kill yourself if you had no faith. Look at Therese! She suffered so much! But she trusted in God, and she was rewarded! She trusted in God, even when in her head she heard over and over again, "When you die, you will see, there will not be heaven, there will be nothing," But even with that spiritual pain and physical pain, she was triumphant! She trusted and believed, and followed blindly to wherever God wanted her to go.

But now I have to go!

Anna

Okay then!

2006-08-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I still haven't written in forever. I just can't write. Because no one reads this!! Waahh haha! :(

Well, some interesting stuff.....I found a really cool site a really long time ago. http://www.teenhomeschoolhang.com/

It's really neat. And we're moved! Just a few more trips and we are here for good! :)
Also, I have to go eat dinner.

Pax!

Sooo...

2006-07-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been posting at all lately... I just haven't gotten into the "blogger mood", I guess. I just don't know what exactly I should write. But I've decided to be a better blog owner from now on ;)

So, my life lately. That's what I'll write about.

So, my life lately -- has been very busy. My family and I are moving! That's 11 people (because three of my siblings have already moved away), a family business, lots of animals, and a whole bunch of furniture!! It's pretty exciting, but then, of course, I'm going to miss my friends! But the town where we are going to move to is really very nice. The downtown is very cute! So I'm pretty happy about that!

And my birthday is in a few days! The 18th! Don't know exactly what I'm gonna do though. Tomorrow my mum, sister and I are going to go shopping for new things for my new room! So that should be nice! Actually, I painted my new room - mine and Gabby's new room, that is - a few days ago! It's this sort of dusty rose color...I think it looks pretty cute. I also painted Bethany's and Emma's (my little sisters) room! It looks adorable! One wall is pink, one blue, one purple, and one yellow! Adorable!

So anywho...that's my life lately.

Home Alone (Sort of)

2006-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I do of course have my older brother, Miguel, who is 19 here with me, and Noah and Teddy (two of my younger brothers) are here also.
But comparatively it does feel like I am home alone. With my mum, dad, older sister, younger sister, younger brother, younger sister, and other younger sister, oh! I forgot! and that last little sister! gone on a business trip... it really is quiet and..... well, a bit lonely here. I am home with just three boys! What do you do with three boys!?!

I'll tell you what you do:
Firstly, you watch movies and eat ice cream till three in the morning.
Secondly, you get up rather tired at 9:34 in the morning.
Thirdly, you eat "quick make rice" (that takes almost an hour to make, because you forgot to turn on the oven) for breakfast.
Fourthly, you watch more movies and eat more ice cream.
Fifthly, you try feebly to tidy up a bit.
Sixthly, you run outside and turn on the hose, and start a great (and I mean great!) water fight.
Seventhly, you come inside and take a quick shower, to get the mud (that your brother threw at you) out of your hair.
Eighthly, you go to pack a few items for your dad, which he has sold on his website.
Ninthly, you come inside to find that your brothers (who had said they were going to clean up the house while you packed) had not cleaned at all.
Tenthly, you will use the computer....

There! That's what you do with them! Now I just hope my mother, who is not supposed to know this, does not read this..... ;-)

Well, I suppose it is time for the
"Eleventhly, you go and clean up the house" bit!
God Bless!

Even More Interesting (And Strange) Facts

2006-04-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
If NASA sent birds into space they would soon die, they need gravity to swallow.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks, otherwise it will digest itself. (Yuck!)
Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time.
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
I'm running out of Interesting Facts

That's all interesting, right?

The Mcglots - Ready for the Party

2006-04-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Ah, finally!" sighed Mrs. Mcglots, sliding thankfully into her favourite armchair. "We're ready for your party, Diana Anna."
"Yup! And tomorrow's the big day!" Diana Anna Mcglots was in ecstasy.
"Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!" croaked G., smiling widely. G. was the only person in the house who wasn't completely pooffed.

The house was spotless, the party food made and festooned and the house – the house was filled to the tiptop with beautiful and imaginative decorations. Like Diana Anna had said, tomorrow was the big day, the day of Diana Anna Mcglots' party.

"So, you're finally done?" asked Mr. Mcglots, raising his eyebrows. "No more running around screaming about burnt cupcakes, dirty shelves and lost decorations?"
Mr. Mcglots was completely fed up with all this silly party business. Mango, sitting on the biggest armchair in the lounge, looked at the two party-planners with stern but hopeful eyes. He was really very sad to have to take no notice of Mrs. Mcglots and Diana.
"Yes, honey, no more running around. But, I don't think I ever really screamed." Mrs. Mcglots replied.
"Yes you did, all the time," insisted Mr. Mcglots.
"Yeah, Mum, you really did," agreed Diana Anna, shaking her head.
Mrs. Mcglots shot her a nasty look before saying indignantly, "Well, if I did, you certainly did, Diana Anna."
"Yup, you both were quite crazy, to say the least."
Neither Diana Anna nor Mrs. Mcglots much liked the compliment.

"Well, who did you invite, Diana Anna? You did give an invitation to Sarah Slitenly, right?" asked Mrs. Mcglots.
"What? I didn't invite anyone. You were the one who handed out the invitations."
"My goodness honey, why would I hand out invitations? It is your party, your friends. I don't know any of them."
"You mean you didn't hand out the invitations?"
"No!"
"But –but, then no one gave out invitations? We don't have anyone coming to my party!"
"Ahhhhh!!!!" Mrs. Mcglots and Diana Anna shrieked in union.
"Ah-ha." said Mr. Mcglots, shaking a finger at them both, "I said you both were screaming."

Some More Interesting (And Strange) Facts

2006-04-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

My friend sent me a never-ending amount of Interesting Facts!

If a statue in a park is of a person on a horse that has both front legs in the air, then the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

Starfish have no brains.

Interesting, no?

The Mcglots - Gone Crazy

2006-04-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Mcglots had been busy all week, Diana Anna had made sure of that. This party business had more to it that even Mrs. Mcglots had expected. There was the food to buy, bake and embellish, the house to clean and decorate, invitations to make and hand out, and of course Diana Anna needed a new party dress to wear. Mrs. Mcglots had decided that the new dress would be hand sewn, but this turned out to be every bad idea. Diana Anna had loved the thought of a handmade dress, but after a few days of sewing and sewing Mrs. Mcglots couldn’t take it anymore. So they had determined to take Diana to a tailor to have the clothing made. But, the tailor had said it would take quite a sum and a few weeks to have such a fancy dress, as Mrs. Mcglots had described to her, completed. That wouldn’t do. So Mrs. Mcglots was now on a quest for the perfect pre-handmade dress. Sigh. There was also the trouble of finding a good date on which to host the festivity.

Mr. Mcglots considered the whole thing ludicrous and wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Fred, Diana Anna’s pet Monkey (as I have already told you), was following Diana Anna and Mrs. Mcglots all around in utter amazement. He had never seen Diana Anna so excited and nervous, using the phone nonstop and going on errands with her mother nearly everyday. Fred had never seen Mrs. Mcglots, who was usually cool and collected, in such an uproar. She was running all over the place like a chicken with its head cut off, baking, shopping, cleaning, and baking some more.

Mango, another one of Diana’s pets (a frog), was more like Mr. Mcglots, deeming Diana Anna and Mrs. Mcglots quite crazy, and thought that only when the two of them calmed down they would again be worthy of his notice. Until then, Mango was completely ignoring Diana Anna and Mrs. Mcglots, ducking out of view whenever he heard them coming. The only one who seemed to have as much enthusiasm for the party as Diana Anna and her mother was Diana’s second frog, G. In fact, G. was more excited than both Diana and Mrs. Mcglots put together! G. would not stop hopping up and down, up and down, up and down, crocking as he did so. He was thrown outside countless times by Mr. Mcglots.

Yes, Diana Anna Mcglots party was shaping up to be quite a…hm… to say the least, quite an interesting event.

Some Interesting (And Strange) Facts

2006-04-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here are a few strange, interesting and perhaps little known facts a friend of mine sent me a while ago. Enjoy!

Studies show that if a cat falls off the 7th floor of a building, it has about 30% less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the 20th floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself.

It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog throws up its stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of its mouth. Then the frog uses its forearms to dig out all of the stomach's contents and then swallows the stomach back down again.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is 'uncopyrightable'.

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.

A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Hm...

More Mcglots

2006-04-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

"Well honey," said Mrs. Mcglots, scrubbing the wooden table spotless as she spoke, “I really just can’t see why you’d want to do something like that.”
“Mum, I’ve already said it twice! Susie Lerngie just had her birthday party, Mallory James held a New Year’s Day celebration last Tuesday, Michelle Fedrick also had one the day after Mallory, and yesterday Lucy Montmercy had a party just for fun! I’m nearly the only girl in class who hasn’t given a fiesta yet!”
“But, honey, why do you want to have a party?”
“Oh Mum! Everybody does! Can’t I just have one? Please!?! I’ll be a perfect angel for the rest of my life! And I’ll clean the whole house before the party!” Diana Anna begged, her face showing how sincere she really was.
“Oh, well, I s’pose you can. But, I still don’t really understand why you’d want to. You still haven’t given me a good answer, Diana Anna. When I was young I always had to have a good reason for giving a party.”
“Well, I don't know. Let’s just say I want to socialize more. Anyway, thank you sooo much, Mum! You won’t regret it!”
And with a peck on her mother’s cheek, Diana Anna waltzed out of the room.

Angels? Who are they?

2006-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Angels? Are they real? How do you know? Is it a true fact?

"The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition
CCC 328."

What are they? What do they do? Who are they?

"St. Augustine says: 'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.' With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word"
CCC 329."

"As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness
CCC 330."

Are they really here, on Earth? Are they really near me?

"From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God
CCC 336."
"Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them freguently in spirit; for without being seen, they are present with you."
Saint francis de sales

So, they are real. They are near. They are Persons. It is a truth of Faith. Kind of hard to believe at times, but,

"Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples. Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.^{CCC 332."

Click here to for a "How To" and an online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church!
Click here for another online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church!}

If

2006-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

~By Rudyard Kipling~

The Difference

2006-01-13T12:53:00.001-08:00

I got up early one
Morning
And rushed right into
The day.
I had so much to
Accomplish
That I didn’t have
Time to pray.
Problems just stumbled
About me,
And heavier came
Each task.
“Why doesn’t God
Help me?” I wondered.
He answered,
“You didn’t ask.”
I wanted to see joy
And beauty,
But the day toiled on,
Gray and bleak.
I wondered why God
Didn’t show me.
He said,
“But you didn’t seek.”
I tried to come into
God’s presences.
I used all my keys at
The lock.
God gently and
Lovingly chided,
“My Child, you didn’t
knock.”
I woke up early this
Morning
And paused before
Entering the day.
I had so much to
Accomplish
That I had to take time
To pray.

~ Author unknown

A Paragraph Making a Comparison to the Blessed Trinity

2005-12-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

'The Blessed Trinity'
By Gabriela, 14

A Rosary reminds me of the Trinity because the Trinity is three different Persons in one God,
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
A rosary is three different things in one; the beads, the string, and the crucifix.
Also, I have not yet seen a rosary that was not beautiful
and I imagine the Trinity to be very beautiful and mysterious,
Although I do not find a rosary mysterious.

'The Blessed Trinity'
By Anna, 12

I am using Time as my comparison to the Blessed Trinity. There are three dimensions in time, the past, the present, and the future. There are three persons in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The past, the present, and the future are all time, just like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God. We can not experience either in any other way.

'The Blessed Trinity'
By Noah, 10

A Sword is sort of like the Trinity because it has three in one.
The Blessed Trinity has the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, a sword has the blade, the hilt, and the handle. Let’s just call it the ‘Sword of our Lord’

'The Blessed Trinity'
By Teddy, 9

A hand has the palm, the thumb, and the fingers; the Blessed Trinity has the Father, the Sons, and the Holy Spirit.

The Mcglots: Continued

2005-11-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

Written by Anna

It was a fine, breezy day and the sun was shining right on Diana Anna Mcglots’ face. She yawned, stretched, and yawned again. She glanced at her alarm clock; it was only 6:43 am. If she hurried, she could make it in time. She stumbled out of bed and fell into one of her bigger stuffed bears. She picked herself up and dusted herself off, then she dashed over to her dresser and quickly got dressed. Today, instead of her usual green shirt and light blue long skirt, she wore a black shirt with a shimmering star on the front of it and dark blue jeans. She put her hair in a ponytail instead of leaving it down as was normal for her and took a fleeting look at her clock, now it was 6:51, she still had time.

As she flew down the stairs she bumped into her father and they both fell to the bottom.

“Ouch! Diana Anna, you need to be careful!!! Oh! Look, my pants are dirty now!” Mr. Mcglots cried, pointing out a small speck on his spotless dress pants.

“Dad, you’re just washing cars! Why do you have to be immaculate just to wash cars? When ever you get home you look like a chimneysweep you’re so filthy and black! You’ve already ruined like a hundred suits this spring!” Diana Anna said, massaging her knee.

Mr. Mcglots stood up and straightened his tie. “I don’t just wash cars, I wash spaceships! And it’s a very important job. And I have not ruined like a hundred suits! You’re mother’s been counting… it’s only been fifty-nine!” and he stomped up the stairs to change his pants.

Diana Anna hastened up the stairs, following her father.

“Dad,” she called, opening his door. He had obviously been coming to answer her call for they nearly collided for the second time.

“Ahhh! Diana Anna…”

“Sorry dad! Look, I was wondering…”

“No!” Mr. Mcglots interrupted.

“W-what??!?” Diana Anna stammered.

“If what you’re about to ask has anything to do with me, my ship, my job, Space, flying, or coming flying with me in my ship to my job in Space, then I say no.”

“But, but, b-but, how did you kn-know I was, was going t-to ask that!??!?” stuttered Diana Anna, a look of confusion on her face.

“No, and that’s final young lady. Besides, I didn’t think you’d find coming to work with me interesting if I just wash cars,” Mr. Mcglots raised one eyebrows and seeing the look on Diana Anna’s face knew she didn’t have anything to say, yet.

“Well, better get to washing cars…” he said and then, looking at his wristwatch cried out.

“My word, is it really 7:05? I’m late!!!” and he ran down the stairs.

“Boohoo.” sighed Diana Anna and she sat down on the floor.

Will be continued further... later

The Mcglots: A Strange Story

2005-11-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

Written By Anna

Hello, my name is Anna and I would like to tell you a story about a little girl and her family.

It all began, June 15, 2005, when the Mcglots moved into Raleigh, North Carolina.

They seemed the typical family, a Mom, a Dad and a child. But let me tell you a little more about them, things the neighbors didn't know. First of all Mr. Mcglots didn't have a normal job, he had to get there at 7:00, now maybe that’s normal but what if he had to get there on time when it's about five billion one hundred sixty miles away? Does that seem normal to you? I'll tell you how he does it. He has a super fast 7 foot 2 inches tall and 6 foot 4 inches long Super Duper Coovilistic 4001 type ship that is green with yellow polka dots that can turn invisible. But enough about the ship and more about the job! And what his job is, is really crazy!!!!!! And it's in SPACE!!!!!!!! I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that this story is going to be about some weird aliens who crash landed on Earth, but that is not even close. They are not aliens, they are humans, they are a little different, I know. But they are definitely human! Okay NOW I'll finally tell you what on earth or should I say what in Space his job is! His job is... cleaning ships at the space center gas station!! I know it's not a very good job but at least he gets a pretty good pay, 10 dollars an hour. Oh well, now I'll tell you what Mrs. Mcglots does!! She's a cook! No, no, no she doesn't cook stuff like cakes and soufflés, she makes things like Marcoons on a Moko - space food. I see you’re getting suspicious about all this space stuff and you're probably wondering about that Space Center right?

So I'll tell you a little more about it. The Space Center is obviously where Mr. Mcglots works. I've already told you that, but that's not all. You see, it's a Space Center. Wait, let me clarify that it's the only Space Center in space!! Now you probably want to know why it's there, right? It's there so that the astronauts can study space more easily. So that's why Mr. Mcglots has to go there every day; not so that he can do research, but so that the astronauts can have clean rides home.

Now let me tell you about their daughter, Diana Anna was not at all the typical kid, she was a very weird kid. She was a little tall for her age, she was almost twelve years old and almost five feet and seven inches. She was not super skinny but a very nice size and her pretty wavy hair was very, very red, not the orange hair that people call red for a reason of which I’m not quite certain, but real red hair. She also had beautiful big green eyes. Yes, all of these things are pretty normal but wait till you hear the rest. For one thing she has a rather peculiar talent, well standing on one foot with her eyes shut, blowing huge bubbles with orange bubble gum with up to five hats placed on her head she can skip rope to two hundred and three! She has a pet monkey and two frogs, the monkey's name is Fred, and the frogs names are Mango and G. The G doesn't stands for anything, it's just G. Her favorite color is red and purple, so naturally everything in her room is purple and red, including her walls, bed, shelves, chairs, desk, dresser and some knickknacks here and there. She loves to eat stuffing. She eats it all the time! She usually wears long jean skirts and green t-shirts (I don’t know why she prefers to wear green tops, she just does!). She collects teddy bears, she has about sixty by now, and her favorite one is a big huge white and blue one that she often falls asleep on. You will find out more about the Mcglots, if you keep reading this story.

To be continued.....

The Moth

2005-09-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

The moth flutters.
It flies onto the computer screen.
I squish it.
It splatters on the computer screen.
That is gross.
My mom will kill me,
So I rub it of.
She won’t know now.
That is good,
I think.