The Blur That Is My Life

I have a big problem. Procrastination. Laziness. They're the same thing, basically. A couple weeks ago, I was getting so frustrated with myself. I'd tell myself I'd do something later, that it wasn't urgent, that I could just push it off, and then the next thing I know everything is jumbled together and needs to be done now. I gave an extemporaneous speech yesterday. I had about a month to prepare it, and instead I spent one and a half weeks on it. I was happy with my speech, but I think it could have been even better if I had spent more time on it (of course, I did pick a tough current event--the stuff going on in Egypt). What was worse, I was pushing off other things besides speech. And I wasn't doing so well on those.

Then just recently, I decided that I really hated that rushed feeling and I was going to do something about it. Instead of wasting my time fiddling around on the computer, I'd get my schoolwork done first. God has placed schoolwork in my life as my main responsibility, and that means if I don't get it done I'm failing Him. So I actually put effort into my schoolwork.

You see, I'm not very smart. My mental capacity is slower than many of my friends. I take a while to 'get' things, and I struggle with comprehending things. I think I've always had this trouble, but I'm really noticing it this year. I look at many of my friends, who are doing honors classes/skipping grades/generally intelligent, and I get so discouraged.

I've just accepted the fact that I'm slow on the uptake. When I'm reading a case for government, I scan over a confusing paragraph and just say, "Oh, I don't get it just because that's how I'm made. What's the use." And then I don't give it any more effort.

Lately I've been trying to change that.

And I'm thrilled! It worked! I am actually 'getting' a lot of stuff that I never thought I'd get: algebra, government, politics...

Plus, I've actually had time to do things like blog! It's incredible.

Of course, you might not be seeing that much of me for a while. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are packed. On Wednesday, I'm making pot roast for dinner and I'm getting my hair cut. (yes, that takes a lot of time). On Thursday, I have piano, voice, biology, more biology, piano again, more piano, and more piano! All right after the other. And then on Friday, I'm going to watch three rounds of debate in a tournament! I'm really excited.

Yeah. Everyone else is watching American Idol and sports, and I'm watching a debate.

=)

Random Thought: Stars are like shards of broken glass dropped into black water. I've read many similes and metaphors about stars in books, but I haven't ever seen the one I thought of last night. (please don't take it. I think it's an awesome simile, and I would really like to use it. If you take it, I will slowly strangle you. I'm one half joking)

Hugs and Blessings,

Izori

Sigh.

Today was not my day.

Meltdowns: 3

Answers to a test that I had forgotten but remembered thirty minutes after I turned the test in: 2

Mistakes made while accompanying ballet on the piano: 22

Headaches: 3

Times I couldn't pay attention to save my life: 7 (while playing the piano)

Total of words I wrote in my books: 0

Typos in this post: about 18

The good things are that that I wrote in my diary for the first time in 2011, I memorized 1 Peter 1:6-7 in a day, and I actually got around to blogging. =)

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ.
~1 Peter 1:6-7

Hugs & Blessings,

Izori

This is impossible...

I remember going to a book signing for an author that I admire so much. My brother, Peter, and I were the last in line to have our book signed. There he was--a genius of a man, with a really cool white beard and twinkling eyes that spoke so much. We heard him speak earlier, and we have never had such a good time. We got a glimpse into the mind of the creator of our favorite books. I remember perfectly--he signed our books, and then he asked Mom to photograph us three--him, Peter, and I--all holding hands.

That man was Brian Jacques, and he died on February 5th of a heart attack.

Here is his website: Brian Jacques: The Official Website

"A mouse is small and can go unnoticed: but there is no limit to what a brave heart and a fearless spirit can achieve."--Brian Jacques

It's been a while...

So, how are you all? Do you remember me? It's been a matter of weeks since I've posted!

The first reason for my lack of posts is that I really don't have that much time! (I think just about everyone has that problem). Juggling my jobs, chores, schoolwork, writing, and blogging has been kind of tough. That is because I can't juggle three balls, let alone five. It's just to be expected that I drop a ball. Thankfully, unlike real juggling I had a choice as to which ball I should drop. Blogging hit the floor with a resounding thump.

The second is that I haven't been able to think up anything to post about. Now that I'm on Traveling Tales, I'm not posting writing tips on this blog anymore, and I'm kind of at a loss for what exactly my blog should be about. My life is so boring that I'm sure that no one wants to hear endless posts about it, but sometimes it feels really good to just sit and type about my life.

(Peter just walked by the computer room, completely drenched, holding a soccer ball. Our eyes met and an instant telepathic bond was formed. The translation of the message that was transmitted: my brother is crazy.)

I'm actually happy. =) I'm starting to rewrite my first NaNoWriMo book. It's tough, because I'm so used to first draft jot-down-whatever-trash-pops-into-your-head-first type of writing. But now, on a second draft, I'm actually spending some time editing stuff I've just written. And I'm actually satisfied with my writing style. I can see that it's grown so much from two years ago. I know that it'll keep growing and that two years from now I'll look on it and pronounce it garbage, but I know I'm progressing.

The story line is changing a bit. Before it was super cliche (partly because I had just watched Lord of the Rings and was completely obsessed over it). Honestly...I even had something very, very close to Ringwraiths in my book. Now it's starting to look really original. Like it's my very own. *happy sigh* I love you, book.

I hope this post was worth your time clicking over. =) I'll try to write something even more substantial later this week, but now I have targets just waiting for me to nail with arrows! *happy sigh* I love you too, archery.

Hugs & Blessings,

Izori

Bail

Pass it on! Of course, you have to title the post with the first word you pick out in the crossword puzzle!

Tough Project #1: Cleaning My Room

(First off, thank you so much for your comments! Don't worry, I wasn't really going to delete my blog. Sometimes I just wonder if anyone is actually finding a point to what I'm writing. But thanks again. I saw that I had seven comments to publish and you should have seen the look on my face!)

My room was a wreck. Seriously, I think that was the reason why I was getting sick so many times in a row. One stomach bug, four colds, and one cough/fever since December 17! All my used tissues were ending up on my dresser or on the floor beside my bed. Because I'm so busy, I would just throw my clean laundry on my bed, and then move that to my chair at night. School papers, writing papers, and just papers were scattered all over my desk, and I had insulated the windows by stuffing wads of quilts and dirty clothes on the sill. Can you say...germ heaven?

Never again! Today, I cleaned (and I mean cleaned) my room. I actually washed the windows! I actually organized my drawers! It's amazing. Now all I need to do is arrange my books in alphabetical order. =)

How to make your room look clean in five minutes:

1. Get rid of the papers. With tissues, scrap paper, and cough drop wrappers scattered on my dresser and floor my room really looked worse than it was. Papers just take up so much space and look so cluttered. Clear those out, and your room looks nicer already! Besides looking cluttered, I'd imagine stuff like dirty tissues can be pretty bad for your heath.

2. Pick up the clothes. If you're like me, you find putting away your clean laundry to be pretty time consuming. Actually, it really only takes a couple minutes, and the longest part is to get around to it. Dirty clothes should be put in the hamper as soon as possible. Like paper, clothes take up a lot of space on the floor and really make things look worse than they actually are.

3. Straighten the miscellaneous dresser/shelf-dwelling creatures. Everything looks so much better with your shelves in good order! Even just compacting things on the shelves can give the illusion of an organized and neat room.

Honestly, once you've done those three things your room can look amazingly neat for just about five minutes of work! Of course, I actually vacuumed my carpet and dusted my shelves and washed my window, but those are really just deep cleaning.

Next tough project: saving enough money!

God bless,

Izori

Something Missing? Like, Me?

I can't believe it. If you've been following me for a long time, you'll know that until recently I blogged every single day! A gap of more than one day between posts was really rare, and now...how long has it been since I last posted? A week?

I have severe writers block. I cannot even write an essay. I am serious. All my writing sessions end in me staring frustrated at the computer. I mean, come on! Just last week I wrote a 1,000+ word essay contrasting Christ and Gandhi, and now I can't write about the Black Death, Florence Nightingale, and germs?

I'm not sure quite what to think of it. Part of it, probably, is just because I've been feeling kinda blah. Just kind of like I'm in a little bubble, and nothing touches me. I wasn't even really excited that it snowed.

So up until here this was a pointless post, but I would like to ask a serious question. If I deleted this blog, what would your reaction be?

Izori