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*