Happy Memorial Day!

Remember the heroes...if it weren't for them, our country wouldn't be free.

Izori

Typical Saturday

This is SO not it! First off, we're dog-sitting! The dog's name is...I'll still code her, even though she's a dog...her name is Easter, and she's a great dog. She's at our house, and I just took her for a walk.

Then we had an Alpaca meeting. =( It went okay.

It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO muggy! It's hot too, and I'm very miserable. My hair is 100% flat.

We had a thunderstorm recently. I love thunderstorms. They're just so powerful. I feel, incredibly, very secure with the lightning and the thunder and the pounding rain. I don't know why. It also makes me feel poetic.

I finished 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' yesterday. The ending surprised me a little. It was kinda like Lemony Snicket was building up, and building up, and then it just ended. There were some things that weren't necessarily holes but certainly went unanswered. However, it leaves room for the imagination, and I can certainly imagine what happened after.

(You might not want to read the following if you haven't finished the books. Just sayin')

The strange shadow-thing was really a hollow ear of corn, and it had sucked up the Baudelaire parents who really hadn't died, and the Quagmires, Fiona's family, and the Baudelaire parents had steered the thing and had met up with Violet, Klaus, Sunny, and Kit's daughter and lived happily ever after! If you were to inquire after Violet Baudelaire though, you would be unable to find her. On the other hand, the famous inventor Violet B. Quagmire is famous and was recently in the news. Her husband, a successful cartographer, often works with Klaus and his wife, Fiona, to write the history of the V.F.D. That organization, in the meanwhile, is thriving and helps capture stray elephants for the zoo. All the other characters have happy endings, even Esme Squalor, who became one of the most generous, welcoming people in the city, and who now lives with her husband and their adopted, reformed child, Carmelita. TA-DA!

Er, at least that's what I think.

I'm not going to do the Writer's Daybook now. Maybe sometime later.

TTFN!

Izori

Guess what's coming up!

That's right, summer! I"m really looking forward to it, particularly because, for basically the first time ever, I won't have to do school work through the summer! All I basically have to do is complete Latin, but we're right on track for everything else.

That's probably the only downside to home schooling: if we aren't careful, we get really off track because we don't have a rigid schedule. However, not being tied down to the public school year has way more ups then downs, including being able to vacation when no one else can. =) We can also take sporadic weeks off, like we did during Dad's cancer treatment.

I had an extensive to-do list for summer, including brushing up on my Russian and being more fluent in sign language. And there were some things even more ambitious than that! Then I decided that this summer I'm not going to be stressed out. I might not get as many things accomplished, but at least I won't feel like a spread a mile wide and an inch deep.

Here is my drastically toned down summer to-do list:

1. Completely finish and publish my NaNoWriMo novel.
2. Finish Latin.
3. Be able to run 4 miles.
4. Get my Vitamin D level up to normal.
5. Become a better swimmer (I'm a good swimmer, but not a fast one)
6. Become better friends with Luthien.
7. Practice soccer every day.
8. Cut down on sugar intake.
9. Read my Bible every single day.
10. Choreograph to 'The Butterfly' by Mairead Nesbitt
11. Relax and have fun!

And my before summer to-do list:

1. Finish the script for my friends (ha-ha, that's funny).
2. Do a good Gollum imitation (I'm actually good at that already)
3. Finish my school work

Yes, not a very long list.

Stuff that didn't make these lists were things like work more on two other novels and improving my foreign language skills. However, I still want to improve my sign language.

Well...now that I've made known my goals, I might want to start working on them. Like finishing my school work.

Can't wait 'till summer!



Izori

P.S. Thanks everyone for praying! I'm am 100% better now, and my mom, who had it on Sunday/Monday, is better too. Erestor has caught it now. Please pray for him, and also that no one else will catch the stomach bug. Galdor would be absolutely miserable if he had it!

Thanks!

Prayer Request and a notice

I'm still not feeling 100%, which means that unless I suddenly feel great in a couple of hours we'll have to postpone my birthday dinner...again. So can you guys please pray that I'll get over this really odd stomach bug? Thanks.

Oh, and mom has declared that computer use must slow to a trickle, so if you don't see much of me then don't think I got abducted by aliens and am desperately trying to escape from a Martian winery with help from an undercover spy from Neptune involved in a plot to overthrow the government on Jupiter. Just in case you would think that. =)

One last thing: I know that I've been awarded by a lot of people...sorry that I haven't done those. I'll try, but I doubt I'll have the time.

See ya!

Izori

Today's a holiday...

...because, at 5:30-ish today, I turn 14!!! I'm really excited, especially because I'm on the very verge of finishing editing my NaNoWriMo novel! So if I get that done before early evening, I can say that I have completely written a novel when I was 13.

Thanks, everyone, for you great comments! I woke up feeling great today, and just in time! Dad took me out to Caribou Coffee. The only thing wrong with me is that my neck hurts from falling asleep on the couch yesterday. =)

Izori

Prayer Request

Ugh. I am absolutely miserable. My stomach started hurting yesterday (Tuesday) night, and it progressed until I threw up at about 11:00 PM. I threw up at about 3 AM after that, and I still feel pretty bad. Please pray that I feel better, especially because tomorrow's my 14th birthday and I really don't want to be sick then. If you could also pray that I won't get grumpy and take it out on my family, that would be super awesome.

You know, watching a cooking show didn't really help. We were watching the Nationals lose to the Cardinals (that was kinda funny when Niger Morgan lost his glove, even though it cost us two runs =) and our go-to channel was, as usual, Food Network. Usually I really like watching stuff such as Iron Chef, Ace of Cakes (it's hilarious, although sometimes it can get kind of weird), although I honestly think that Unwrapped is boring. But anyway, Chefs vs. City was on, with the two main chefs facing Duff and Geoff from Ace of Cakes. I was rooting for Duff and Geoff =)

Well, in this episode of Chefs vs. City, they had to go cook an ostrich egg sunny side up, and then they had to eat a whole, hard-boiled ostrich egg. That's equal to 24 chicken eggs. It was disgusting, and it completely ruined my appetite and caused my stomach to feel even worse. =(

You know, actually I do feel a bit better then last night. I've taken ginger, which I think helped. And when I usually get stomach bugs they only last half a day or so. I think this one's starting to go away.

Unfortunately, this means I'll be missing soccer. At least it wasn't a game day or something. And I also don't have to do schoolwork! Lol.

This is nothing compared to about five years ago, though. It was Sunday, the day when our family was going to become members of our church. During Sunday School, I started to feel really nauseous. And then, right in the middle of a hymn, I threw up. All over my poor mom. Erestor basically scooted over to the next pew. =) But I was completely miserable.

And then I got the flu when I was 3. Oh man. That was...horrible *shudders*. I still vividly remember throwing up into my tomato soup.

Not to mention the 3 day stomach bug Mom, Erestor, and I caught once. That actually wasn't too bad.

Well, I should probably get off the computer now. Sorry if I ruined everyone's appetites! lol.

Izori

Great News!

We just got the results for my Lyme Disease/Vitamin D test, and it came back negetave for Lyme! However, my Vitamin D level is kind of low. I'm glad about these results because it should be really easy to cure.

Thanks for praying!

Izori

Saturdays

Well...I was going to go exercise in the basement, but I just took out my knee on a table. Man, that hurt. So, I guess I won't.

Erestor had a shut-out baseball game, 21-3. His team won. =)

I had a great soccer game on Wednesday. I played against some people from my shooting/archery club, which was interesting. My team won, 3-0.

Sigh...we're going to do a 5-K race in November called the Turkey Trot. The first two times I did it, I was 11 and 12 years old, and I was a natural runner. It's really unfair how little kids can basically sprint three miles without any training. Now I'm a good sprinter, but I can hardly jog over a mile. If I had a choice, I wouldn't do any running, but since I have to do the 5-k, I might as well train. -_-



Enjoying summer!

Izori

To delete or not to delete, that is the question.

It's so often that you hear someone tell you to keep on going if you find yourself in a writing rut. If a sentence, paragraph, whole chapter, etc. seems awkward, just don't worry about it and move on. This has been repeated so often that you (or I, at least) assume that this advice goes for all times.

But does it?

I have found more than once that deleting whole pages of awkward writing has taken care of the 'bothered perfectionist writer's block'. But does that mean that once I write a single awkward word, I can feel free to go heavy on the backspace button?

Not necessarily. In fact, not at all!

My theory is that the backspace method works if your plot is getting awkward. If your prose is getting awkward, then I would agree with popular advice (if you're on the 1st draft)--work past it, and then sweat about it.

Awkward prose, at the most, will just keep on nagging your mind that you have to go back and fix it. But that's okay. You can fix it later, and in the meantime make sure it doesn't get in the way of your writing. However, awkward plot not only nags you, but it will most likely begin to lead the rest of your book into the mire of awkwardness.

What are y'all's thoughts?

Izori

Kindly Read This Post

Sigh...I've been kinda out of it lately.

Our printer is broken.

We have a big soccer game today.

What? Soccer game? SOCCER GAME!?!

I'm awake. Lol.

Anyway, the main purpose of this post was to draw you to a project I have just started on my other blog. That project is called...Operation Prayer! Please visit it; all you have to do is pray.

And an announcement...I think I will go half off. I've just had a sudden burst of things to do, and even though I'm still going to be on Blogger, you might not see much of me. Still, feel absolutely free to comment! I have some posts on writing/reading coming up!

Izori

My Mom

Moms work a 24/7 shift. Whether they want to or not. They don't get vacations.

My mom cooks 3 meals a day, every day. She home schools us, too. She's one of my role-models. She's changed my diapers when I was little, and now she buys my clothes and pays for piano lessons and all that other good stuff. Let's face it...without mom, I would be...uh...in a pretty bad way. As in non-existent.

LET'S GIVE THREE CHEERS FOR MOTHERS!




Lol.

Izori

Ghosts? Oh, they're commonplace here. And, by the way, have you seen the bottles of blood?

It's not very rare to be reading on the dining room floor and suddenly the door opens wide with no one touching it. That's because it's REALLY windy today! Yay! I love wind! And I've gotten quite used to 'ghosts' walking in and out of our house.

So...the doctors appointment went well. I talked to my doctor, and she thinks that, although there is a strong possibility of Lyme Disease (it has been on the rise around here), there's a good possibility that it's Vitamin D deficiency (also common). However, I think that there's a better chance of LD. I know that I got bit by at least one deer tick that I know of, and if there were anymore in my hair I wouldn't have a chance of finding them. Actually, I could have gotten a full-blown 'bull's eye' rash and I probably wouldn't even have noticed--my hair is pretty thick and mahogany colored. Besides, I eat a lot of dairy and I'm outside a lot.

And so, after chatting about symptoms, my doctor sent me in the direction of...*dun-dah-dah-DUH!*...the lab!

I had never had blood-work done before, and I was really nervous. Actually, that's an under-statement. I was petrified. But as I said, it went pretty well. It's actually fascinating to watch burgundy liquid stream into a little tube that's attached to your arm. Except it hurt.

What was really helpful was that Proverbs 18:20 was taped onto the lab wall. I think the lady must have been a Christian.

From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. Proverbs 18:20

Yeah, maybe a verse about God helping through pain would have been more accurate, but the proverb was really helpful. Right before she plunged the needle into my helpless arm ;), I read it in my head over and over and over and over...

The most interesting thing was, even though I had only barely glanced at the scripture reference and had read the text countless times in my head, I only remembered the scripture reference. Very odd, because I usually have a really hard time remembering numbers. Anyway, I guess the reference was helpful for looking up the verse in my Bible at home.

The lab lady had a hard time finding my vein. She gave up on my right arm, and it took her a lot of probing with a needle to find one in my left arm. That was kind of painful. But I guess it's hereditary--my dad has small veins on that part of his arm, too.

But it was almost worth it to see the blood fill up the bottle. I know, I'm really morbid. And even though the needle hurt and there was an uncomfortable pressure on my arm, I loved watching that bottle fill up. It's weird.

I'm not going to do the Daybook today because, frankly, I don't feel top-shape. I'm just kind of tired and I have a headache and my wrists hurt and I'm tired of reading 5 books of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' in a row.

Anyway. Don't listen to me complain.

I need to help Luthien with her roller-blades.

Izori

Prayer Request

Hi! Later today I'm going to the doctor's to be tested for Lyme Disease and Vitamin D deficiency. I have never had anything done like this before, so I'm really nervous. Please pray that I get good results and that I'll be fairly calm.

Thanks!

Izori

Happy National Day of Prayer!

National Prayer Day was first called on in the Revolutionary War, and then later by presidents George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and F.D.R. Roosevelt (I'm pretty sure). And our nation most definitely needs prayer! Here are a few prayer requests.

1. This current generation of Americans. Obesity, horrific video games, increasingly politically correct school curriculums...we'll need every single prayer we can get for these!

2. President Obama and his family, that God will change their hearts.

3. Crime and immorality (illegal and otherwise) to come to an end.

4. Our brave army.

5. The whole world, financially (especially Greece), physically, and spiritually.

6. For that big oil spill to be cleaned up. I've heard that if it gets caught in a current, it will go as far as North Carolina. Which is really bad.

7. For the hearts and souls of everyone.

8. For the desperate embracing of really bad ideas, such as communism and socialism, in hectic times to come to an end.

9. For Greece in general.

10. For all of our missionaries.

11. For the state of Arizona, which is having a lot of issues (such as crimes) with illegal immigration. Good grief! It's their own border! If Americans were flooding into Mexico against the Mexicans will, of course politicians would call the Americans trespassers and intruders.

12. For Tennessee with all of their flooding.

13. For Jesus to come again really soon!

Izori

Soccer

First off, sorry if I make any typos. The blinds are on because my pet turtle (turntle) needs the light, and it's shining on the screen so I can't see a thing. So, all I'm doing is touchtyping. Not looking at the screen really at all.

EDIT: I actually looked at the screen again after the sun had shifted, and fixed my typos. Just for laughs, I'll put what I originally had in parenthesis after the correct word.

Anyway. We had soccer (swoccer) today (tocady), and we scrimmaged (schrimated) for a looooooooong time. An hour and a half, or two yours, or something like that. It was really cool, though. I had a pretty good game (especially because I prayed before. I find that praying not only relaxes me, but that God answers it). Anyway, it was really cool because everyone got to play at the same time. Meaning we had 25 people on the field at one time. Whenever we wanted we could walk off and get a quick water break. It was really cool. My 'team' won too.

It was really hot, though.

Uhhhhgggg. I am devoid of energy. I shall return sometime tomorrow or the next day, or the next...

Izori

2nd Amendment

Is this just a rumor? I heard that some politician doesn't believe that the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution gives people the right to bear arms.

Excuse me for a moment. I hope I don't offend anyone, but...

How could this be interpreted to get to that conclusion?

2nd Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Now, unless this part is talking about 'arms', as in the limbs attached to your torso, I think it's pretty clear.

Does anyone agree/disagree?

Izori

Announcement (and a record!)

Alright...I've made a record. This is the THIRD time I've posted today! *gasp*. Anyway, I would like to bring an exciting offer to your attention...Anecdote is accepting authors! Go and check it out!

Izori

Awel's Blog Party!

Go HERE to get to Inspired Designs Studio for a really cool-lookin' blog party!

And here are the questions I am supposed to answer upon entering the contest.

1) What's your all time favourite blog/blogger?
I don't have any favorites.

2) How do you personally define forgiveness?
When someone has hurt you deeply and you love them anyways. After all, it's what Jesus did for us.

3) What object of your possession has the most sentimental value in your eyes?
My Bible, or a picture of my late cat.

4) What song do you consider your personal theme song?
I think it would be 'Brave' by Nichole Nordeman.

5) Do the opinions of others about you really matter to you?
It depends.

6) Do you ever make up words?
Yes.

7) Off the top of your head, do you know what your middle name means? (You can look it up though! :)
*sigh*. Yes. It's a color. But my unofficial middle name means 'God's Promise'. (Elizabeth)

8) What's s something that never fails to make you smile?
Wind.

9) What person has touched your heart the most?
God.

10) Give a scene in a book where you really understood what the author was trying to convey.
There are a lot in 'The Shadow of the Bear'.

11) What do you think of HTML? Is it the ENEMY or your friend?
Grrrrrr. Me and html don't get along.

12) What person comments the most consistently on your blog?
I don't know.

13) Who is your personal hero/heroine (fiction or real, or both) ? Why?
Jesus, because he's the best role model in the world.

14) Are you curious or are you satisfied knowing that "that's just the way it is"?
I'm very curious

15) List the your top 5 favorite songs. Do they have anything in common? Why do you love them?
'Brave' by Nichole Nordeman, 'The Last Rose of Summer' by Celtic Woman, 'Nil Se'en La' by Celtic Woman, 'Concerning Hobbits' by Howard Shore, and 'City on Our Knees' by Toby Mac. I love them because they're so different!

16) Do you ever get into arguments with...your characters? (that's if you write a book :). And if you don't write, do you think you would?
Are you kidding me? *glares at Maethar, who smiles innocently*.

17) While reading a book or watching a movie, were you ever blown away by an unexpected plot twist? What was it and how did you react?
Ugh, yes. 'Gone With the Wind', I was so disappointed. 'Inkdeath', and I was absolutely horrified.

18) What's your personal opinion of i-designs? (orignal, I know, but I really want to know! :)
I like it! LOl.

19) What's your favourite color combinations?
I really like brown and blue, and also silver and blue, and gold and green, and a lot of stuff.

20) What's your favourite comic book series?
The Adventures of Tintin

21) What is the oldest book you've read? How old was it? (By old, I mean, like antique books...the manuscript doesn't have to be old, just the copy of it. :)
The Bible.

22) What character in any movie or book, would you say is the MOST like you?
Probably Bear from 'The Shadow of the Bear'.

23) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
A lot of stuff.

24) As a child, what was one thing that always frightened you? This could be something real or imagined! :)
Uh...idk. I wasn't really frightened of much.

25) What's your life motto?
'Don't tread on me.'

26) As you're sitting in café, you're given a note: "It's in your best interests to meet me at 7 P.M. tonight, alone, at Pine and 4th." How would you react?
I'd go to Pine and 4th and bring a gun.

27) Name seven of your favourite books.
Torture! Torture!

28) Name your absolutle favourite font (you can have more than one though)!
Uh...?

29) Have you ever cried over...a book or a movie?
*sniff* Yes.

30) What's something that's brought you so much comfort?
The Bible

31) Describe what you would call a perfect moment.
Standing on the beach at sunset in summer after Jesus has come, with an ice cream cone.

32) What's the fastest you've ever read?
I haven't kept track.

33) What's your favorite book/movie genre?
Fantasy.

34) Do you say one word a lot just because of the way it sounds? If so, what's the word?
Not really.

35) What's something you thought you'd hate, but ended up loving?
Archery contests.

36)Do you prefer British or American spellings of words (ex: the British favourite to the American favorite)
Usually the American.

37) List a few of your favourite names.
Fiona, Ian, Rose, Sean, Colleen, and many more.

38) What is your favourite movie?
LotR.

39) Imagine you're writing a story, and one of your characters keeps something buried in a box where no one will find it. What's in the box and what's its significance?
A magic book, and it's significant because it's magic. Duh.

40) Was this boring? (be honest! :)
No, not really.

So...what are you waiting for? Join in the party!

Izori

P.S. Yes, I know this is the second time I've posted in one day. Sorry.

Writer's Daybook

WRITER'S DAYBOOK

What time is it...2:49 AM

I'm feeling...wiped out. We went to Erestor's base ball game.

Outside is...really hot and humid.

Today I...need to work on the script that I'm writing for my friends! And I would like to exercise.

I am hearing...the usual chaos.

I am hoping...to write.

I'm looking forward to...lunch.

I am glad that...we don't have an alpaca meeting today.

What I'm currently working on writing-wise...script.

What I just finished reading...book 8 of a Series of Unfortunate Events for the second time. Great book.

What I'm hoping to read...The Bible.

Writing buddy who I talked to last...uh...? Igirl? I don't know.

Writing tip of the week...my mind has gone blank. Sorry.

Number of words I wrote this week...some.

What time is it...2:55

Izori