Bird's Eye View

D'awwwwwww

Thanks to Emily over at Emily in the Real World for awarding me the Liebster Blog Award!!! :D Here's the info behind the award:

The award is for bloggers who are nominated by others as their favorite blogs. (Me: *sheepish grin*) They must have less than 200 followers and nominees must follow these rules:

1) Post eleven facts about yourself.
2) Answer the questions posted by the nominator.
3) Pass the award on to eleven new recipients.
4) Pose 11 new questions to your bloggers.
5)Post a copy of the badge on your blog (type “Liebster Award” into Google images; you’ll find plenty to choose from). Notify nominees and include links to the originating blog, as well as the new recipients.

So...*shuffes feet* Facts about myself? Ok. Umm.

1) I taught myself to read when I was 4 years old.

2) I enjoy listening and watching other people rather than having the attention focused on me (which is why I have a blog, right? :P)

3) All of my favorite authors have been dead for at least the last several decades. With one exception for Regina Doman and the author of "Divergent" whose name escapes me at the moment...

4) I really love debating as long as everyone uses logic and it doesn't turn into a shouting match.

5) I love watching old movies and British TV sitcoms (Fawlty Towers, Yes, Minister, etc.)

6) I love swimming in the ocean (even when it's freezing and it makes my toes go numb)

7) I always sing in the shower as loudly as possible (I'm so considerate, eh?)

8) When I was little I wanted to be holy hermit in my backyard.

9) I have taken martial arts since I was 5 years old.

10) (Almost there!) I have written the first drafts to three novels, one of which will never be finished and the other two...hopefully sometime before I head off to college. :)

11) I don't have a Facebook page. Yet. ;)

And here are the questions! 

1) What is something that you loved to do as a kid but would be mortified to do now? I would act like I was a heroine in a fairy tale (literally) and I would talk to myself and act out all the parts and usually I would end up using my little brothers as the dragon/evil knight/noble steed. :D

2) If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

SCOTLAND. :D

3) What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day? Reading, writing, singing, or playing piano. I am melodramatic that way. ;)

4) What is an unusual skill you possess? I can wiggle each of my eyebrows independently. And I can curl my tongue. And wiggle my ears. And touch my nose with my tongue.

5) Would you rather have toasters for hands or have a donkey follow you around

everywhere? (This was an actual question from a recent job interview. I kid you not.) At least your job interviews are interesting. ;) I'm not sure what this is supposed to gauge, however...um. I would probably rather have a donkey following me around.

6) What is the scariest thing you ever did? Invite a guy to Mass last Monday (he came!! :D) (Side note: I am not usually in favor of the gal asking to guy to events, but it technically wasn't a date, so I figured it was okay)

7) What is your dream job? Being an author/journalist/stay-at-home-mom :)

8) What actress would you want to portray you in a movie adaptation of your life? (Again, another interview question.) Oh dear...Alice Englert?

9) What is your pet peeve? People pronouncing words incorrectly. As in, putting the accent on the wrong syllable? It's like NAILS ON A CHALK BOARD, PEOPLE. o.O

10) Hot or cold pizza? Both :D

11) Did you have a celebrity crush? Who is it? Did, or do? Haha. I actually don't really have one at the moment. Although this guy...

is quite striking.

And there you have it! And now for my nominations...

Emily at Emily in the Real World
Camryn at Interstellar Mac
Mae at Imaginations of a Princess
Victoria at Sunlight and Shadow
Rose M. at The Golden Road (I know you are taking a break from blogging for awhile, but this'll be waiting for you when you come back :))

And here are the questions for you lovely ladies...*rubs hands together*

1) If you had one chance to change the world, what/how would you do it? (muahaha. Nothing like opening up with a kicker)

2) What's your favorite TV show?

3) Favorite movie?

4) Favorite singer/band?

5) What's your least favorite chore to do?

6) What do you do when you're feeling down?

7) Who is your least favorite author?

8) What do you think of these questions so far? ;)

9) What is your dream job?

10) If you have read the Fairy Tale Novel series by Regina Doman, which book was your favorite? If not, what is your favorite book series?

11) What's your least favorite child's TV show? ;)

Yay! Thanks, Emily!!! :D

~Grace

On Changing Plans!

Happy Belated Easter!

Yay for a new liturgical season! And Spring is finally here, and we're almost halfway through April, and I'm graduating next month! *wide eyes*

Suddenly everything seems to be happening all at once. Also, I recently started working again for Little Buddy (the one with Downs) :D It's only three mornings a week for now, but once I'm done with school I'll start full-time. It's exciting and a little daunting at the same time. It's more daunting to think that I won't be in highschool anymore. I almost can't imagine it.

As far as this Fall goes, I sent an email to the admissions director asking about SAT scores, and apparently I'm good to go! All I need are my reference letters and an essay, and I'm in! I'm soooo excited. And now comes the fun part of saving up money. ;)

Annnd here comes the big news. I've kinda sorta changed my plans as to what I want to do after college. I've decided that although I love music, I don't think I can make it my life. And I've always loved to write. It's something I've known I would keep doing no matter what else I decided to do. So I came to the monumental conclusion that maybe that WAS what I could do. (*gasp*)

So my plan (for now...I'll believe it when I see it, so to speak ;)) is to get my degree from FisherMore in theology, and then go on to try to intern for some News organization (I'm hoping for somebody like Glenn Beck, but we all have our dreams ;)) and then eventually work my way up to being a journalist. And I'll probably keep writing novels and such. So you'll probably be seeing more news stories here. (*waits for collective groans to die down*) :D

And there you have it. My middle-of-the-stream switcheroo. And I will still keep studying music, but I don't think I can make a career out of it.

Also, please pray for the victims of the Boston bombing yesterday, and their families.

I have a few posts in the works. I'll try to post them later this week. Now I gotta "run" to class!

~Grace

Good Friday

Awards!! "One of the Greats"

Ok, so I just finished watching Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" for the first time...

At night.

By myself.

In a dark and quiet house.

O.O

Did any of you hear that noise??

*grips security blanket a little more tightly*

So...since I can't go to sleep NOW, I figured maybe I could mess around with Blogger or something...and then I realized that Rose M. (over at the Golden Road blog; go check it out!!) had awarded me TWICE, and I hadn't posted them yet! *facepalm* I am deeply sorry, Rose!! And thank you again for giving them to me! :D So "without further eloquence," I present the award "One of the Greats!" :D

And here are the questions that go with...

Q1. What are some of your tips for the background of blogs? Layout, colors, etc.?
A1: Oh dear...umm...pick something that goes with what you plan to blog about. Or pick something that you think fits your personality and writing style. :)

Q2: What are your favorite blog topics to write about? Books reviews, baking, everyday life, sewing, etc.?
A2: My favorite blog topic to write about would be my inconsistency in blogging! Just kidding. That's my second favorite. Haha. My favorite topic to blog about would have to be the quirkiness and fun of everyday life, with some philosophical musings and Chesterton quotes thrown in there for fun. :D

Q3: What are some of your favorite blog topics to read?
A3: Honestly, I love reading about all of y'all's daily lives!! Sounds stalkerish, no? :P I also love reading about how all of you (or most of you) can make all sorts of things, and sew and knit and do pretty much everything else. I don't know how to do any of those things, so I enjoy living vicariously through you. ;)

Q4: What is your biggest blogging tip for newbies?
A4: Consistency! Not kidding. That also means don't burn yourself out in the first week or so, because then you'll get tired of it and not post for another year. So keep it to a post a week, and that way you'll have time to formulate something you really want to say, too!

Q5: Why did you start blogging?
A5: Hard question. I guess because I write everything down...and I can't help but share my opinions with anyone and everyone (as my friends IRL can certainly testify). And because well I just like writing. I like talking about something neat I've found or something interesting I've read, or something awesomely amazing that's happened. :)

Rules!

1. Copy & paste the award to your blog.
2. Answer the questions given above (everyone answers the same questions every time).
3. Award 1-5 bloggers who are some of your favorites, give a quick description of why you chose them, and let them know you tagged them!

I award:

Emily at Emily in the Real World-- Because you're awesome, and I love reading your blog posts! I've been following your blog since it's start (my mom sent me the link from your dad's blog) and I've enjoyed reading about your adventure in "the Real World" and your hilarious take on them. :D

Cheyenne at Flowers and Chocolate: First of all for the amazing blog name :D Secondly because you comment! And you seem like such an awesome, enthusiastic, energetic person! :D Thanks for being here!

Camryn at Interstellar Mac: (I can't put the link, since it's a private blog) Because you're also awesome, and I love reading your blog because we don't get to hang out NEARLY enough, so this is another way to keep up with your doings and goings on :) Plus you always post such fun stuff!

Rose M. at The Golden Road: Right back atcha, girly! ;) I am awarding you because you are an amazing blogger, and your comments are so lovely and you seem like such a kind, awesome person :) I read your blog with great interest (and yes I did follow along with Sherlock Week! I am now a Sherlockian, and am ashamed I was not one sooner ;)) and I look forward to your next post!

So there you have it! Thanks so much, Rose!

~Grace

I promise...

This will be my last "complaining post" for awhile! I'm sure y'all are getting tired of reading them!

Actually this is more of a prayer request post, and a selfish one at that. :P

The other day a friend and I were talking about high school and the terrors thereof, and he asked me (joking) what I was going to do with myself after I graduate.

And I realized something. I haven't the faintest idea.

I mean, I know I'm going to have work and there are a million books I want to read and other classes I want to take, and I'm 99% sure of where I'm going to be taking college courses this coming academic year.

But what's next? After school? What am I going to do with my life? I love to write, I love music, I love theology, I love helping people, I love teaching, but I'm wondering if I'm good enough at any of those things to actually make a career out of one of them.

Then I tell myself to shut up and if I'm not happy with my skill level now I need to stop wasting time complaining and practice, gosh darn it. ;-)

So I guess I'm asking for prayers just to keep that mindset, instead of the pessimistic one that's been looming in a threatening manner for the past few days. :-)

For next week, I have a few political/philosophical posts coming up. Thank you bearing with me!

~Grace

Habemus Papam!!

We have a Pope!

Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio is now Francis I.

Please pray for the Holy Father, and the rest of the Church, and for the continuation of the Latin Mass.

I will refrain from commenting on any of Pope Francis I's stances until I've had time to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. Possibly pray a few rosaries.

God bless and guide the Holy Catholic Church and her leaders, especially His Holiness, Francis I.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostris. Amen.

~Grace

I'm Not Very Good at This, it Seems...

Hi! *waves* Sorry 'bout that.

So...guess I'm kind of late to the dance with the whole Benedict XVI resigning, but hey! I mean, it's just the first time in 500 years a pope has resigned, right? No biggie.

Kidding! I am still a little in shock about the whole thing. And reading posts like this:

http://www.taylormarshall.com/2013/02/did-blessed-virgin-ask-pope-benedict-to.html

And this:

http://www.taylormarshall.com/2013/02/st-malachy-prophecy-why-pope-benedict.html

are not exactly helping. However, we know that whatever happens, God will always take care of His Church. We also know that it might be a good idea to start saying a daily Rosary and/or going to weekly Confession/Daily Mass, yes? :D

In all seriousness though, I'm not sure what to think of the whole "prophecy of St. Malachy". But parts of it seem to coincide with the Fatima secrets, which I do believe in. Long story short, I'm still doing my research and will post whatever results I come up with. Or I might just post another couple links to what other people (who are smarter and more knowledgeable than I) are saying about all this stuff on their blogs.

As far as the papal conclave, it's really exciting! I remember watching the news channel on TV, before Pope Benedict XVI was elected, while everyone was waiting with bated breath for that white smoke to start rising. :D This is also a primary prayer intention at my house at the moment, because, being huge traditionalists that we are, we would rather not have a Cardinal such as Shoeborn or Oullet be elected. Just sayin'. Not that we believe either of these men would consciously harm the Church, but...they're not big fans of our Sacred Tradition and prefer (as in Shoeborn's case) to hold "balloon Masses":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Lom28KSlg&feature=youtu.be

I rest my case.

(By the by, I know I'm going to be yelled at for the above comments, but I can't help it. Those are my opinions. I'd really rather not have them, but there you are.)

So! Exciting things are happening, peoples! Both in the great big world out there and at right here at home...I officially don't have to take the SAT again (I can't remember if I mentioned that in my previous post or not...and I'm too lazy to go back and check teehee), I have some very big scholarships I'm working on AND...I may or may not have met somebody in my classes this semester...:D

Ahem. So yes. I'm still alive and monitoring the happenings outside my little sphere of existence, however I am really busy. But I will try to post something once a week from now on. *nods solemnly* Now I need to go catch up on what everyone else is blogging about. ;)

OH! Also before I go, Happy Middle of Lent to you all! I know you're all enjoying it ever so much. ;) I also want to say that I'm reallyexcitedandjumpingupanddowninmychaireventhoughI'msittingbecausethisSaturdayis
myBirthday!!!!!!! :D

So yeah. That is all. ;)

~Grace

Soooooo...Happy New Year?

I AM STILL ALIVE!!

Ahem.

Now that we have that cleared up...;)

I am terribly sorry for not posting in...what? Over a month? Yeah. Unfortunately, nothing really exciting happened in that month for me to tell you a story about. Unless you want to hear my final SAT story...well, okay. You talked me into it.

(Actually this is going to be more of a rant on how low the standards of our public school system have slipped...consider yourself warned.)

So...I walk into the highschool -- which is about as big as 5 hotels smooshed together...just sayin' -- to find my fellow SAT-takers dressed to the nines in...pajamas. Seriously, guys? I know it's Saturday morning, but if I can drag myself out of bed and at least run a brush through my hair and put a pair of jeans on, so can you. And it's not even that early. Work with me, people!! :P

Now really, it went pretty smoothly, for the most part. Except none of the kids knew how to write in cursive. Or sign their name in cursive (what are they going to do when they have to sign important legal documents to, gee, I don't know...get a student loan for college? Buy a house? Get a car?), or bring their IDs with them when they left the room during the breaks. *headdesks* Plus, they were loud. And talking most of the time. Which is weird, because I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be. One of the guys was even making goat noises. I "kid" you not. (Hah! See what I did there? Ayyyyy?? :D)

But the one thing that made it really interesting was when one of the guys in my class got caught trying to use his cellphone. In the classroom. On the last section. Right before we were about to be let out. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

Do public-school kids have any concept of the "real-world"??? Please tell me this is just a fluke, because....I mean, really?? :P I mean, I'm sure most of them did fairly well on the SAT, and I'm not saying they're all idiots. Not by a long shot. But they have no concept of responsibility, or being an adult! I mean, the whole reason they're taking the SAT is so that they can get into a good college, get a good education, and be successful adults, right? Btw, I don't actually think that college guarantees you a successful career, but it doesn't hurt. Neither does learning a little responsibility and good work ethic.

Anyways, end of rant. If y'all have any interesting SAT stories, please feel free to comment and share! :D

As far as New Year's resolutions...I have a million and one things I want to do this year. Whether or not I actually get them done is another story. ;) But I do have three main ones:

1. Be less of a smart-mouth. I don't know if you have noticed or not, but I tend to try to make "clever" remarks without thinking about whether or not I'm going to hurt anybody. Sooooo that's one of the faults I have that I'm hoping to at least minimize this year. :)

2. Figure out long-term plans. Let's face it; I'm a teenage girl. Stability is not really my middle-name at the moment. But I do need to try to set out and solidify some plans I have for the next few years, at least. I'll keep you updated. ;)

3. Learn how to really pray. This is one that I should have been working on for awhile now, but I'm finally going to stop procrastinating about it and do it. Starting with at least one rosary and one holy hour per week, plus reading St. Theresa's The Interior Castle. We'll see how it goes. Pray for me, haha. :)

So there you have it! Pretty much my life between Christmas and present! Except for my college classes this semester, but I'll save that for the next post...hopefully I'll have something more interesting to say next time! ;)

Happy New Year, y'all!

~Grace

Live-blogging the Apocalypse

So...

We're all still here?

Yep.

Ah well. On with Christmas-prep!

So if you walked into my house at the moment, you'd probably be seized with the irresistible urge to turn around and run away...or maybe to stay and help eat the cookies (just kidding; there are no cookies. There is fudge though. And as all of my IRL friends can tell you, that stuff's addictive).

Right now I've managed to escape to the dining room (the only empty room in the house, for now) and I'm listening to Straight No Chaser's Christmas album over and over again until I feel like jumping back into things. Because right now, I feel like I need something straight with no chaser.

Just kidding.

Maybe.

I'm actually not stressed at all about Christmas prepping this year. We host Christmas every year because in my family, it's customary for the household with the youngest children to host everyone else. And that's always us. ;-) So every year it's a bit of a mad rush (especially if my mom's expecting around this time of year...oy) to get everything ready and make sure there isn't any dirty laundry,  bits of fossilized food, or, ya know, embarrassing pieces of everyday life that accumulate in a house with six children. At least we don't have pets, right? :D

And we've actually gotten most of the cleaning done! It's a little nutty right now because we are sooooo close to the finish line, and we're actually a few days early! The relatives won't be here until Sunday, so we are in gooooood shape, my friends.

Of course, one of the littles will probably catch a last-minute cold, freaking out my asthmatic grandmother and great-grandmother (not because my great-grandmother is asthmatic, but because she freaks out when we're sick), and giving my mom a fit of hysteria. But we all have our dreams. ;)

Only 3 more days until Christmas Eve! Do you guys have any special Christmas traditions? Food, decorations, favorite Christmas carols/albums, etc.? :)

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

~Grace

P.S. I finally got my SAT scores back! And I only have to take it one more time to bring up my math score! *happy dance*

May they Rest in Peace

I'm sorry I haven't posted lately...Christmas prepping has kicked into high-gear, and we still have half the house to scrub, presents to wrap, and cards to send.

But I wanted to take a minute to ask for prayers for all the families in Connecticut who lost their children last week in the most horrific shooting of our nations history. I can't even imagine what those parents and siblings must be going through right now...to have your young child/brother/sister massacred in their classroom is beyond belief. And for it to happen this close to Christmas....I keep thinking of those 20-some empty stockings hanging there on Christmas morning...

And please pray for the soul of the young man who committed this terrible crime. He above all others needs prayers. He was obviously a very disturbed soul. May God have mercy on him.

Requiscant in pace.

~Grace

Sorry!

I am truly, deeply sorry for the lack of posts recently...I have good excuses though! Things have been crazy...no wait, I use that one all the time. Errmmm....hang on, I'll think of a good one...

Seriously though, things have been rather nutty around here as of late. I've been cramming like crazy for the SAT -- which is this SATURDAY!!! -- and prepping for final speech [insert booming echo effect for "final speech"] for Rhetoric class...I'm supposed to stand and deliver a 10-12 minute speech on a proposition selected from a list of those the professor came up with for us. I think I'm going to pick this one:

"George Washington was a greater President than Abraham Lincoln."

Shouldn't be too hard, right?

So anyways, I will try to post something a little more substantial next week, but keep checking back in case I post something else fascinating over the weekend....like a pointless YouTube video including the Muppets. ;D

*shrugs* Oh what the heck.

(Psst. Disturbed yet? Well, my little brother does a really good impression of the big Muppet with the bunny ears...maybe I'll post a video of THAT sometime in the future...)

Oh yeah! And Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a good one! :) 

~Grace

Happy Veterans' Day!!

Please remember our fighting men and women overseas and at home -- as well as their families -- in your prayers this evening! They need them now more than ever.

~Grace

My Post-Election Post

Since it seems to be the thing to do this morning. ;-)

(By the by, did any of you ever feel like this? *points to above image*)

I was talking to a friend last week who said (mockingly) that if the right candidate wins the election, next Sunday's homily will be about Heaven, joy, peace, love, etc. And if the wrong candidate wins, the homily will be about Purgatory.

I'm not sure if he was right or not, but I know it's feeling a little bit like Purgatory. And maybe that's a good thing. A lot of the bloggers I've been following this morning are writing encouraging, stick-it-out posts, and some of them are even quoting "Batman":

"I'm not the hero Gotham City wants...I'm the hero Gotham City deserves..."

Does this apply to our re-elected President? It makes sense. With rampant "tolerance" of homosexuality, divorce, atheism/agnosticism, promiscuity among teens and young adults, and the blood of millions upon millions of murdered children on our hands, who did we expect God to give us? God is a God of mercy, but He is also a God of justice. That's why we have things like Purgatory and Confession. It's so that God (in His infinite mercy and patience) can purify us. But that mercy is only granted when we get down on our knees and beg for it with everything we have.

And right now America is anywhere but on her knees. I once read something by a blogger who said her grandmother used to tell her that you will either get on your knees willingly, or God will put His hand on your head and force you to them.

Well.

We're being forced to our knees right now. And we'd better buckle up, because we haven't hit the ground yet -- not by a long shot. But this is what we need to turn ourselves around because we have shown time and again that we will not repent. And God will not suffer us to continue to affront Him to His Face. As faithful Catholics, all we can do is continue to keep going to Mass as often as possible, try to educate others about the Faith, and pray really, really hard, especially for our priests, bishops, Cardinals, and most importantly the Holy Father. We need to pray that they will recognize the state of the Church and batten down the hatches, and work harder at truly catechizing Catholics.

Get ready. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

~Grace

Mr. Smith goes to Washington

Back in 1939, two years before WWII, Frank Capra directed a movie called "Mr. Smith goes to Washington." It starred James Stewart as the country-bumpkin-suddenly-become-junior-senator Jefferson Smith.

He was "ghost-appointed" junior senator by a man named Taylor, the infamous mastermind behind the political machine that runs half of the Senate, including Jeff's idol and fellow state Senator, Mr. Joe Pain.

Mr. Smith knows next to nothing about the political game, which is why he was appointed in the first place: to be a stooge for Taylor and his lackeys. To be an extra vote for whatever they want to be passed.

The first thing Mr. Smith does when he eventually gets to Washington is take tour. He's so much in awe of the history and the great men surrounding him that he can barely remember his own name. But he soon learns of a bill being presented to the senate which contains a graft (an illegal profit). In the face of this political corruption, one would think a man so obviously out of his league would just keep his mouth shut and go along with it, because after all, what does he know?

He doesn't. He gets up in front of the entire Senate and tries to expose the Taylor Machine for what it is. But Senator Pain, in a panic that his political career will be destroyed if his part in the bill comes out, instead paints Jeff as a criminal, and nearly forces him out of the Senate. But at the last moment, Jeff takes advantage of a rule allowing him to stay on the floor as long as he stays on his feet and keeps talking without stopping for a moment other than to take questions.

He does this for almost 24 hours straight, because he believes that the people from his state will support him and bring forth evidence against the Taylor Machine. In the end they do, but it is Jeff's amazing struggle against the powers that be in the American government that makes the movie completely amazing. His willingness to stand up even when everyone else is telling him to sit down because he can never win. They're telling him the battle is lost. But as he says several times in the movie: "The only causes worth fighting for are the ones that are lost." If you haven't seen this movie before, PLEASE go watch it right now. It is one of the best movies ever.

And it is extremely fitting for the election being held tomorrow. Mitt Romney is far from a country bumpkin, but Obama could have been cast as Taylor in a remake of the movie.

And in the face of this seemingly insuperable obstacle that is the Obama Machine, one wonders (especially as a first-time-voter like myself) if your vote will count for anything. You wonder if it will make any difference in the long run. Sure, you're going to vote anyway, but at the same time you're filled with a despair and a horrible knowledge that in spite of your vote, Obama will win anyway.

But that's not the way it works. Firstly, God will know which way you voted, and that will be recorded for eternity.

Secondly, your vote matters because you voted. At first this may seem kind of stupidly self-evident, but what I mean is that it's the fact that you voted that counts. It's the fact that you cared enough to vote. It's the fact that you are fighting. It's the fact that you are trying your best, and that's the best you can do.

And it's the fact that America is millions of "you's" who will get up in the morning and vote for the right person, no matter how many people in the media, or their parish, or their family are telling them to sit back down, to shut up, and to just go along with it because we are country bumpkins and we couldn't possibly understand.

But they're wrong. And we will stand up and have our say, even if we have to keep standing and talking for another four years. Because everyone has labeled our cause as lost. And there are no causes more worth fighting for than those that are lost.

~Grace

And this is crazy, but here's my novel...

So NaNo, Maybe?

Hey y'all, sorry for the lack of posting...the AC adapter to my laptop broke (*shudders from the memory*), so I've had to (try to) use the family computer in the meanwhile.

But now, I'm back! I have a new AC adapter! Aren't you happy for me? I know I am.

And now, it's almost the end of October! How did that happen? I accomplished maybe (n)one of my goals for this month...ah well. Better luck when I'm 82.

But there are more important things to worry about! College applications! Thousands of essay scholarship contests! SAT prep for December and January!

AND NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH. *cue dramatic orchestra blast*

That's right, November is the month of madness, where Wrimo's everywhere beat their brains into a throbbing pulp (ewwww....) in order to put 50,000 words of a novel onto paper. Or screen. Somewhere.

I have done this for the past three years, so somehow it doesn't seem quite right to miss out this year. But do I have time??

I hope so.

Because, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, I'm going to go for it.

So call me crazy. ;)

~Grace

P.S. I will be writing another post for a few days from now about a rather dramatic change in my plans for after college. *rolls eyes* I guess I did it again...

P.P.S. I bet you're wondering why I'm using so many song references in this post. The answer is...because I feel like it. ;)

Artsy Award!!!

So an award was recently bestowed on me 'umble blog by the gracious Rose M. of "The Golden Road"!

Thank you so much, Rose! :D 

Here are the questions that go with... 

1.) Skirts or Jeans?
I have to say it depends on whether I'm babysitting or just hanging out at home. If the latter, I have this uuber-comfy long skirt that I wear a lot. But if I plan on having to run after small children or get down on the floor into positions in which wearing a skirt would prove disadvantageous, then I wear jeans or capris.

2.) Cats or Dogs?
Both! I love animals. Both are a lot of fun for different reasons. But if I were planning on buying or adopting one at the moment, I would have to say a cat, because they aren't as high maintenance. I wouldn't have time to walk a dog right now, unfortunately.

3.) Cows or Horses?
Horses! Cows are sweet, but...I don't know. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for horses. :)

4.) Wood floors or carpet?
Wood floors, definitely! Sock-sliding! XD But they're just so much better-looking. Plus they're so much easier to clean. ;)

5.) Rain or Sun? 
Either or. I love it when it's sunny because then I can go outside to do schoolwork. But I also love it when it's rainy because then I can stay inside and enjoy being cozy. Or, if I have free time I go outside in the rain and get soaking wet just for the fun of it. ;)

Now for the 5 tags...I tag:

The Ninja at Craft Ninja
Little Mac at Interstellar Mac (sorry y'all, she has a private blog)
Mae at Imaginations of a Princess
Little Red Writing Hood at Inkling
Emily at Emily in the Real World

Thanks again, Rose M.!!!! :D

~Grace

October is here!

Wow! Y'all get two posts in the space of a week! Don't you feel lucky? ;-)

I'm very excited that it's finally October (even though I feel like this year can't possibly be going by this fast, and I'm only dreaming and I'll wake up soon and it will still be April)! It seems like it is now officially Fall, which happens to be my favorite season. The cool weather, the colors of the changing leaves, Thanksgiving, all of it! I love it!

But I have decided I'm going to spoil the fun by making myself achieve some goals by the end of this month. And I've decided to post those goals on here so that I feel like somebody is keeping tabs on me because honestly, that's the only way I can get anything done.

So! Here are my lofty ambitions for the month of October:

#1: Finish editing "Chosen". Some of you may remember this book as the one I wrote two years ago during NaNoWriMo, but still haven't made more than a few tentative and half-hearted stabs at editing. So this month, I'm actually going to do it! Inspiration has struck! I WILL have this book edited and up for sale by November! *nods firmly* Another reason I'm doing this to make up for missing NaNoWriMo next month. :'(

#2: Drink more water. Okay, what? How did we get from dreams of writer-dom to a simple health tip? Well, here's the thing. I've found myself going for days where the only liquids I consume (is that the word I'm looking for?) consist of 2-3 cups of coffee, 1/2 a cup of milk in the morning, and 1 glass of water at dinnertime (and sometimes I don't finish the water). That's it for the whole day. So I think unless I want to dehydrate to death, I need to start carrying a water-bottle around. Plus I've found that drinking more water keeps me more alert. So it's a win-win situation. ;-)

#3: Exercise! Even if it's nothing more than a couple sit-ups and push-ups every morning, I feel so much better when I engage in something physically challenging daily. I mean, something other than chasing small children around.

#4: Work on getting rid of one item from my confession lists. Because I'm getting tired of confessing the same things over and over....and over again. :P And I'm sure God is getting tired of hearing the same things over and over...and over again. :P :P

#5: Finish Algebra 2! Surprisingly, this is the one goal I actually feel confident I can accomplish. Don't ask me why though. I might start doubting. ;-)

So there you have it! Do you have any goals for this month?

Side Effects May Harm Some Family Members

In today's culture it seems to be a truth universally accepted that young women have to go to college, and afterwards get career jobs that will enable them to rise to positions of power in society, because women are just as capable of running a successful business as men are.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that women can't run a business just as well as men. I'm not saying that they can. And I'm not saying that women shouldn't go to college. I think the fact that women are able to go to college and get as much education as they want is a wonderful thing. All I want to talk about in this post is the repercussions a working mom's career has on her family.

Women are designed to have children, and to raise them. That is why we are more emotional, nurturing, and protective than men. We are better equipped to deal with day-to-day family life than men are. That is where our main skill set lies. Traditionally, men were the bread-winners of the family, and the women were the caretakers of the home and educators of the children. Up until the Industrial Revolution, that is (but the Industrial Revolution is a post for another day).

But in our "modern-thinking", feminist-idealogy-driven times, it is commendable for women to find work right out of college. Career jobs, at that. It is unthinkable to most of society that any woman would not want a career job, or would not consider marriage to be a career job (by the way, ask any married gal you know if they would consider marriage and/or raising a family to be a full-time job. I bet you I can tell you what their answer will be).

But in all this pressure to get high-paying, successful jobs, we tend to lose sight of something much more important. We as women have the unique gift of being able to  have children, and to raise and educate them much better than a man could. We are the ones who hold the family together.

I don't know how many times I have heard priests give homilies on the different roles of family members. I'm sure you've all heard some variation of this idea: the father is the "head" of the family, the one who makes the decisions and provides for the rest of the "body" that is the family. And the mother is the "heart" of the family, the caretaker and nurturer. The mother is the one who the kids go to when they are having trouble. She is the one who resolves sibling squabbles. She is the one the kids go to when they want something, and then the mom goes to the dad, because she is the one who can soften him up. She is the one who will sit and listen for the next forty-five minutes while the five-year-old retells his latest dream that doesn't even really make sense because he tells it in such a mixed-up, confusing way that makes you wonder if he even really understands what he's saying. She's the one who has the patience to explain that geometry problem to her highschooler over and over and over again, yea, even unto dinner time when the rest of the children are ravenously hungry so that they threaten to eat each other, and yet there is no food on the table. And she is the one who then takes all the children out to McDonalds, amid much cheering and vows of eternal love and gratitude from the backseat.

But we all know what happens if you take the heart out of the body. The body dies. The same principle applies to the family. If you take the mom out of the family life, away from the duties which should be hers, there is no one to fill the vacuum that is left and the family grows more and more distant from each other. In a sense, it dies.

This is what being a working mom means. And you may be thinking "but Grace, you're being paranoid. Now really, you're taking this too seriously."

Am I? Take a step back for a minute and look around. How many problems infect our society today? How many could be prevented if all homes had a good mother in them, taking care of them? People always talk about the ill-effects of not having a father around the house. But nobody ever mentions the harm that comes to a family without a mother.

I have been able to observe the children that come from a family where the mom is "stay-at-home", and I have been able to observe children that come from a family where the mom goes to work everyday. And the differences in the way the children interact not only with their siblings, but the way they view the world is very different, and not so much for the better.

I'm may not be a psychology expert, and I don't pretend to know each different family's situation when it comes to needing the extra income. And I'm not saying that a mom can't work from home, if that's what she wants to do. All I'm saying is my observations lead me to the conclusion that a family where the mom is present and accessible to her spouse and children at any and all times is a much happier and much more prosperous family.

If y'all have any thoughts on this subject, I'd love to hear 'em! :D

~Grace

This Makes Me Happy

One of my favorite videos ever. My favorite characters, performing my favorite song, by one of my favorite bands.

It just doesn't get any better than this.

~Grace