Thor: The Dark World

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My dear friend and I went to see Thor: The Dark World in the theater yesterday. I thought it was spectacular, as I knew it would be, and it was almost exactly what I expected... plus much more.

As always, Marvel had special effects to impress, characters too honorable not to love, and one character in particular whose changeableness somehow manages to capture my heart. What is is about such a dark and troubled character like Loki that causes this? Is it the charming actor who plays his part coming through bringing the audience to tears, or is there something in the character itself that demands the need for love? In this movie, as much as if not even more than the first Thor, I felt compelled to offer that love, if only I could. I will not give anything away to those who still dearly wish to see this film, but I will say, we all desperately want to see Loki change, become the hero... don't we?

Sadly, there was one part of the movie I did not appreciate at all, and that is crude humor. Sometimes I forget that the world thinks about suchlike dreadful things in the exact opposite manner that I do, but at the same time as feeling this disgust, I was grateful to know that something so awful still disgusted me.

In spite of this minor disappointment, I was a bit impressed with some of the allusions in the movie, especially one at the very beginning when Odin, Thor's father, introduces us to the film's main theme: light verses darkness. Odin says that before light there was darkness, and in a way, he was right. This is a nod to Genesis 1:1-5,

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day."

As usual, the secular world interpreted this truth differently. In the movie, Odin seems to claim that there was no light at all, only darkness, he does not explain how the light came to be, or any of that (we Christians know of course that God is light, and has always existed, and also obviously created the world and the light and darkness, etcetera, so we know the answers to those questions), but regardless of this confusion, I found it interesting how often, as in this example, allusions to God were made. Having good theological teaching and a proper worldview going into the theater probably helped with this.

Also, the humor was beyond expectation or hope! Ugh... I do not wish to give any of this away either, but Loki especially had the theater laughing out loud!

All I ask of you is this, that if you go see Thor: The Dark World, that you lower your expectations on purpose, in order that you are completely blown away. (I was!)

steps into spring

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Spring is on the move.

At least here in Minnesota, we've had a few fluctuating false springs so far as winter has fought to keep it's strength up --- but no longer. Snow is finally melting, and I'm beginning to feel the warm promise of flowers and all growing things in the air.

Though I've visited my blog so very little this winter, life has not hit a lull.

During this week of spring break, I have not been needed to babysit my niece, as is usually a regular part-time activity, and there haven't been any piano lessons --- two large chunks of my week (when you include the extra babysitting that goes along with the lessons). The week, however, has had no trouble at all filling itself up, as it always does.

I find myself still wasting plenty of time watching various movies, usually in the evening, a habit of which I am trying to rid myself.

I've made headway in my novel, and am almost done with a long-winded editing process so that I should be able to move on to just plain writing by Monday. (Hopefully....)

As much as I love The Goose Girl, and Melanie Dickerson's works, I think The Hobbit is moving up a long ways on the favorite books list. The first time I read it, I had a hard time picturing everything, but since An Unexpected Journey came to theaters, the story and even the characters have been come easier to keep track of, understand, and love. I'm reading the book for the second time, and should break down and purchase my own copy anytime the next time I babysit and have some spare cash. ;)

Spring means it's almost my little sister's birthday (Emily), which I probably look forward to more than my own! I have a few little presents for her already, and know about a few bigger ones from our older sister, Lilly. I think knowing helps me anticipate the day even more.

Spring also means that the snow will be melting soon, the grass and leaves will be coming back, and through all of this, I'll have some fresh scenes to take photos of. (I really want to practice portraits this spring, and I'm already scoping out some good sites for these.)

Spring is a wonderful motivator. After a good long winter, it's time to step outside, stretch out the hibernating cramps, and go do something!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Thank You, Lord, for another new year, 

and thank You especially for another Good Friday anniversary!

the Hobbit

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Yesterday I went to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected journey for the third time in theater. (Which is a first. I don't know if I've seen any other movie even just two times in theater before.) I started knitting a hat during the trailers and was about half-way through by the end of the movie (and that's mostly by feel, not by sight). My mom and sister, Emily, were with me --- I think we all agreed that The Hobbit gets better every time. (They were seeing it for only their second time because we all went to the midnight showing, and I went again the next day with a group of friends from church.) But seriously; I've started being able to quote it, memorized the dwarves' names (and faces!), and am determined to read The Hobbit again before the next two parts are released.

Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins, an actor whom I was first introduced to watching Wild Target, a comedy starring Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, and Rupert Grint; then one night my sisters and I began watching the BBC television series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch (who actually plays the dragon Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit). It was shortly after that when we learned Martin Freeman was going to play the part of Bilbo, so naturally we were... well, ecstatic, really. He portrays Bilbo perfectly. He's the number one thing I like about The Hobbit, but believe me, not the only thing --- I like every detail. ;)

 

It's fascinating to look at the behind-the-scenes videos (such as the one above) which explain a good chunk of the work that goes into the making of The Hobbit. It really does take so much to make a movie worth watching, and I believe Peter Jackson and his capable crew did a fabulous job! I've heard people complain about The Hobbit 'not being as good as Lord of the Rings' or 'too silly' and suchlike. Well, truth is, The Hobbit is NOT as serious at the Lord of the Rings. I've heard that J.R.R. Tolkien actually wrote it to be a children's book. And The Lord of the Rings trilogy is frankly pretty dark. I appreciated the humor of The Hobbit because the end of the "LotR" (Lord of the Rings) trilogy when Frodo sails away just breaks my heart. I needed a little cheering-up, and An Unexpected Journey did just that for me.

And I know a lot of people thought it was a little stretched out, but seriously: what true fan can complain about having three whole movies made about a favorite novel, especially if they star Martin Freeman? There were actually aspects of the book I didn't fully understand, and other parts I couldn't really picture in my own imagination. An Unexpected Journey answered a lot of questions I had. And how often do we have the chance to see a fantastic book like this from another person's perspective, anyway? I can't help thinking that if J.R.R. Tolkien could see his books from Peter Jackson's perspective, he would be very well-pleased.

For those of you who loved The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey even half as much as I did (which is still saying a lot!), don't worry; The Desolation of Smaug comes out on December 13th of this year, and There and Back Again, on July 18th of 2014 (and that's only about half a year after part two!) We don't have that much of a wait ahead of us. And I plan on watching An Unexpected Journey several mores times when it finally comes out on DVD.

For those of you who didn't really like the movie all that much, think about the reasons for that. We geeks will allow you to be more interested in other movies --- everyone has their own tastes and is entitled to their own opinion --- but if your only excuse for disliking The Hobbit is because they're splitting it into three parts, just know that The Lord of the Rings was originally one book as well, but was separated into three parts because of its length! Length is a problem for you? *Chuckling ensues* Well, my friend, because I'm a true geek at heart, I'm hoping for more extended versions --- love those --- to put up on the shelf, next to The Avengers, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Star Trek, and every other 'geeky' movie or TV series I have on my rather extensive wishlist. Length is good.

Lastly, I want to ask everyone to do one thing concerning movies based on books; to give the movie an honest chance. Allow yourself to not be prejudiced, but see its quality in and of itself, even if you still like the book more. You really are seeing the book from someone else's perspective, seeing their very imagination, which is FASCINATING! Allow yourself to look over any quirks you don't care for and simply enjoy the movie. And please don't make judgments until you've seen a bit of all the work everyone put in to making that movie. (Particularly The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.) Could YOU have done a better job? Let's give Peter Jackson some major kudos for bringing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to life!

toothless ... part two

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Thank you to anyone who prayed for me during my wisdom tooth removal yesterday. If I could have had it go any way, I would have chosen just exactly what happened! I don't remember the surgery at all, just talking to the surgeons a little bit, then waking up in a cot with my mom next to me, and a nurse nearby. I tried to talk right away, which was really difficult because of numbing as well as the gauze in the back of my mouth --- that part made me tear-up in frustration --- but it wasn't more than a few minutes later before I was communicating all right. I started cracking jokes, which was my plan all along. I was perfectly content, and don't recall any pain at all. Actually, even when they had put the IV in for anesthesia (an experience I've heard an awful lot of unpleasant stories about), it wasn't that bad, not nearly as much as I expected. 

    It made me feel more confident.

Being wheeled out to the car was an interesting experience; it was weird to not be able to stand on my own two feet. My mom had the car pulled-up to the door, and she and the nurse helped carry me in. After that, I started to relax and almost fell asleep. Emily had been finishing babysitting for me, so we picked her up when we left the hospital, and then we stopped to pick up my prescribed pain-killers, then came home.

Em and mom helped support me up the stairs (we have a split-entry), and then into bed. Boy, it felt good to be drowsy and just rest! I still didn't feel any pain. Emily read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets aloud until I fell asleep, and then later, she and Lilly were baking cookies around the time I woke up. I watched Once Upon a Time (my favorite TV show), and then Em and I watched some I Love Lucy and then X-Men United (the second one), but I don't think we finished it.

The lower left side of my face hurts when I touch it, which I believe is because that was the only wisdom tooth that hadn't started coming out, yet. So far, that's pretty much the only pain I've had, but for a little bit of soreness. And right now, I'm wide-awake, jolly, and even energetic. I went downstairs without trouble, have been getting all of my own food for myself. I'm not having any trouble with dizziness or weakness --- the truth is, I feel great!

Oh, and I actually did have one of my sisters' delicious cookies last night. They were freshly-baked, and therefore warm and soft. I nibbled off little pieces and rubbed them between my tongue and the roof of my mouth. Other than that, (and a half spoonful of cookie dough) I've stuck to completely soft foods like pudding and yogurt and a little ice cream, which are things I love to snack on any day. Despite all of the horror stories I've heard and the expectations of something going wrong, God and my family have been taking excellent care of me --- I'm wanting for nothing. And the oral surgeon said my swelling will be at it's peak tomorrow. Believe it or not, looking like a chipmunk is what I've been looking forward to the most! ;)

When the nurse settled me into the wheelchair right after I woke up from my surgery, I just wanted to sing praise to God! My heart was bursting with happiness and gratitude because of how well things went, and I'm still praising Him in my heart.

My mom is going to go see my grandparents tonight, and if I'm up to it, she might take me along! I'm excited; I haven't seen them since the beginning of the week, and I want to see how they're doing, and share my praise to God with them!

At this rate, I'll be feeling just great for church on Sunday, which is really good, because I'm helping set-up and training for the laptop slides!

Thank You, Lord, for making this such an easy, painless experience! All praise and glory be to You, for all that You are, and all that You have done!

               Amen.

November Anew

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The November sun has been hugging the south wall of the world here in Minnesota, shining brightly as if to encourage dreams and the little hopes of pleasures associated with this beautiful season. I can almost smell the pumpkin pie from here in the future; that spiced delight wafting around the house, fresh from the oven; turkey drizzled with gravy, mashed red or sweet potatoes, green beans, and a dish overflowing with steaming corn... And it isn't just the food --- it's everything. November reminds me to be thankful for everything.

    Last year I wrote about 25 or so posts on things I was thankful for. I don't want to be so formatted this time; I want to just write about the beautiful gifts God sends one at a time without planning it all out.

    Right now, one of the things I'm most thankful for is health. Last week, my whole family was exposed to a pretty bad case of the stomach flu. My niece, brother and sister-in-law caught it first, and I from them since I've been babysitting for my niece routinely for the past several months. The night after they were sick, I was sick; and the night after that, my sisters were sick; and the night after that, my mom took her turn. And then two nights later, my dad started to feel ill --- even my grandparents have caught the bug! I know it's a bad one because my dad almost NEVER gets sick, and the flu we catch almost NEVER spreads like this --- it's been like wildfire!

    I'm grateful to have my food stay in my stomach!

There's no better way to start off one of the best months of the whole year with a midnight showing of a movie, especially one that has been looked forward to for seemingly countless weeks! Lilly and I went with a few friends to see Wreck-it-Ralph last night. (I posted about my excitement for this Disney-Pixar animation last month, going on and on about how cool it looked and how happy I was that Owl City wrote a song for it.) I walked into the theater already knowing from trailers, photos, suchlike and so on that it was going to be spectacular! And well, to put it plainly, it more than exceeded my expectations!
As far as animations go, I can almost always tell how much I'm going to enjoy them. Wreck-it-Ralph was no exception. Lilly obliged my wishes by taking photos of me on her phone, standing next to all the posters I liked in the theater (this was during the last 45 minutes before the movie started). Beside the large Wreck-it-Ralph poster, I squatted down right next to Fix-it-Felix Jr. --- I had begun to have an inkling that I was going to really, really like him a lot, and he turned out (not at all to my surprise) to be my favorite character! With his gentlemanly "ma'am", his "oh my lands!", the sound it makes when he bounces around, his willingness to risk his life to do what is right, and by-gosh, that cute little smile! I just love him.
    It's really so hard for me to not share spoilers with all of you about the storyline; I was glued to my chair the whole time. I guess I can at least share that I practically laughed my head off, and even started to cry at one point. And honestly, I should have seen the ending coming, but it completely took me by surprise, in the pleasantest way. I just love it when movies do that! Now, I just have to wait until it's officially released so that I can buy it, smuggle it into the DVD player, and wow the rest of my family unfortunate enough to have been sleeping by midnight last night and have $7.50 still tucked into their wallets.
    Someone please say I'm not the only one who is ridiculously excited about this movie!

And now, I'm sitting here at the computer, Bible before me (turned to John 8; great chapter from Christ's ministry), Owl City's 'When Can I See You Again' from Wreck-it-Ralph playing on YouTube (multiple times; I've seriously listened to it at least 15-20 or more times since I woke up this morning), and Merlin cued-up on Netflix. (Oh boy, Merlin is a whole story of its own! I'll be writing about that sometime soon, too, I'm sure.)

 

Well, November... you and I are off to a great start. ♥

I'm gonna' wreck it!

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I suppose every now and then, everyone has a movie or two they are REALLY looking forward to seeing in theaters. I have a gathering number of them, myself. I'm sure just about everyone has to be excited about the Hobbit, but I have an increasing interest in a film of a completely different variety.

Wreck-It-Ralph is due to come out November 2nd. It's an animation by Disney about an arcade game charaterI've seen two trailers (one of them multiple times), and the more I watch it, the more I anticipate its release.

You can image how excited I was when I logged on to Facebook and saw that Owl City had posted a photo of the movie, along with the link to the song he made for the Wreck-It-Ralph soundtrack! To put it softly, I was ecstatic. I literally had to tell myself, "Calm down, Katherine... Breathe..." and try to regain some (very little) composure.

Nothing I can say can truly spark an interest in you, so I give you the link --- then you can watch the trailer yourself and see why I want November to come quickly!

Wreck-It-Ralph, IMDb

the phantom

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I loved the music in the Phantom of the Opera, but for some reason the movie disappointed me. I know I have a few friends who would be sorely confused by this statement, being huge fans themselves. Let me explain.

Just before the movie was coming to theaters, I watched the trailer online and was honestly enchanted! What made me want to watch it the most was hearing the phantom's fabulous voice. I was intrigued, and I don't know that I had ever been more excited to see any other movie before! But when I did see it, it wasn't what I had expected. I overlooked the minor details which displeased me, but the ENDING! I was more inclined to feel pity towards the phantom than hatred for his misdeeds. (I confess, I'm like that with most villains. I feel just awful because of their blindness and their sad lives.) There was no happily-ever-after in the Phantom of the Opera, and that kind of ruined it for me.

I'm a huge fan of the famous Beauty and the Beast story. I love the redemption, the learning to love; a growing love that is pure and unbreakable. I wanted the phantom to have a second chance, to learn to love, despite all of the hatred from the past clawing at his conscience and reminding him he does not deserve love. The beast is supposed to earn the beauty --- no charming rich boy to get in the way.

The music still dazzles me, however disappointing the storyline was. Emily will play the music on our piano, and we'll sing together with all of our strength, letting the full power of it's magic sink in and settle on our minds. Music is magic.

I've seen the movie again, but my opinion remains unchanged. I suppose another reason I am so passionate about this is because I'm my own kind of beast, and what girl can resist dreaming of her own Prince Charming? Christ has saved me from my beastliness, and I'm looking forward to our happily-ever-after in heaven.

the drawback to our destiny

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Every Christian who is growing closer to God sees their sins more clearly, and it can disappoint them in their life-long walk toward holiness. 

I know I've felt this way before; so sinful that I wonder how God could possibly love ME, and that His grace could really be enough to cover all MY sins. I think in the worst possible way --- selfishly. Yet even during this thought process I am reminded ever so gently of that beautiful devotional by Charles H. Spurgeon, 'Looking Unto Jesus' (from June 28, which, by the way, is in only two days!)

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.

    “My hope is built on nothing less

    Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness:

    I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

    But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

I've posted this before --- it's my favorite devotional probably because it's the one that I need to hear the most. It's so easy to make prayer to God an idol, or reading His Word, or giving money to church. It's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be seen by others and recognized for the good things you do. Good deeds may start out as genuinely wanting to give God all the glory, but it doesn't take long in this era of "self" theology to get caught up in just about anything BUT Jesus.

    Life as a Christian ought to not only start with the Savior, but remain so the whole course, and of course eventually end there. And then the new life, we being made perfect at last for an eternity with Christ the Lord, finally begins.

I'll admit it, I'm in the rut mentioned above; I know Christ ought to be number one, and I do try to make Him so, but I have a secret attachment to the things of the world. Alright, I'll be perfectly honest and admit a couple of them.
    Music. I have a weakness for the better Disney songs like Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or exciting pieces written for PS2 games I love to play like Guide You Home which is sung by Gabriel Mann and Rebecca Kneubuhl. I claim my favorite song is In Christ Alone, and it is, but why is it that when I have my mp3 in hand, I'm tempted to listen to anything except that song?

    Another thing in my life which so easily entangles me is entertainment --- or rather more specifically, movies. Movies and TV and suchlike are designed to draw people in. I, for example, cannot walk into Best Buy, Sam's Club, or even Walmart without being distracted by the screens. And I have a deep-seated love for stories anyway, so it's even harder to resist Doctor Who or Lord of the Rings when my family is playing them, or really any films or shows. One of my favorite movies is Fireproof, but then why is it that I hardly ever watch it or suggest it to friends, while I do both of these concerning just about every other movie I see?

    I know why.

    The devil doesn't want me to proclaim the truth of the words 'In Christ Alone' by listening to that precious song and singing every lyric without shame in the grocery store for anyone to hear. The devil doesn't want people to know that Christ is the One who heals marriages, as Fireproof shows so clearly. No matter what the case, the devil really does work SO HARD to tempt us to turn our eyes anywhere but upon Jesus.

So, let it be our constant, undying prayer --- not just for our own souls, but for all the saints, all of the brethren of Christ --- that we would put Him first and fulfill our true destiny which is and always was meant to be giving Him the glory, forever and ever.

beauty and the beast

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I love this story.

A beautiful girl sacrifices herself, her freedom, her dreams, all to save the life of her father; she doesn't fall in love instantly, it's something that takes a lot of time. Magic, suspense, comic relief, Disney --- pretty much, it has me written all over it.

Emily and I just recently watched the cartoon, and now we're both trying to play the enchanting theme piece on the piano. I hope to play it at my next recital --- it's a more challenging piece for my level, but so beautiful that I am determined to learn it!

Last year I read Melanie Dickerson's 'The Healer's Apprentice' for the first time. It was fantastic, and I plan on owning it some day; it's honestly one of my favorites! Anyway, I discovered that the same author has another such princess book titled 'The Merchant's Daughter', which I believe is based on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale. So, yeah, I think I'll be giving that one a try. But I have a goal right now to not start any other novels until I'm done with 'Stepping Heavenward' by Elizabeth Prentiss. I've been reading that one for over a year (with several books in between), so I need to have this one completed before I commence upon any new books.

Now, back to Beauty and the Beast. I have to confess, I don't really like that Belle is a little of a --- shall we say, feminist? She's dissatisfied with her life and complains a lot; she doesn't want to settle down and be married, she wants to travel and go on an adventure. Well, she didn't know that she was in for one after all, and certainly didn't expect it to start out being so unpleasant compared with the stories she had read about. And it bothered me that she was going to break her promise to the beast and run away. But then, she decided to stay after all when he saved her life --- yeah, it's complicated, and a little frustrating. I wonder how Melanie Dickerson is going to interpret it?

I like to think of the true beauty and the beast story, between Christ and humanity. I'm seriously contemplating writing a novel about it; a prince is betrothed to the lowest creature on earth, who hates him, but learns to love him. She is ugly, he makes her beautiful; she is rude and unforgiving, and he melts her heart with his unconditional love. It's exactly what happened to me; Christ saved me from myself, and He loves me so much that no words can express it. I was a beast, destined for a fate of perpetual misery, but He stepped in and broke the curse.

"For while we were still helpless,

at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

For one will hardly die for a righteous man;

though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,

in that while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us."

-Romans 5:6-8 NASB

~ Now, that's what I call True Love! ~

the Avengers

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Prompted by the reviews from more than a few friends, I finally went to see the new Avengers movie. My sisters were with me, along with one of our cousins and another close friend.

I have to say, it was pretty much what I expected. But don't get me wrong! I was not disappointed. The only thing that took me by surprise was (WARNING: spoiler ahead!) when the agent, Phil, from SHIELD died. Yeah, didn't see that one coming, but I think it made the story a little more believable, considering it had aliens and gods and suchlike. Well, I guess I didn't expect the Hulk to roar Iron Man awake, either. And, for the record, if Iron Man had died, I would have been very upset, to say the least.

[ { ( People avoiding spoiler resume here ) } ]

I had heard from a few people about some of the humor from the movie --- boy, did they understate it! Tony Stark, my favorite superhero, was positively hilarious. "Dost thou mother know you weareth her drapes?" Robert Downey Jr. has great presentation; he pulls off cocky, arrogant, and frustratingly loveable very nicely.

I can't give the movie the best report in the world. I won't go into detail, but there was some rather severe immodesty in a couple of scenes.

And I'll tell you the same thing my friends told me: if you do watch the Avengers, watch it until the VERY END of the credits. I won't give it away, but there was a little something else that deserves a chuckle.

Do we really have to wait until December for the Hobbit?!

sweet sixteen

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My little sister, Emily, turned sixteen this April, and we had a party for her yesterday. She decorated her own cake with the Hunger Games mockingjay pin in yellow and gold. Most of her closest friends were able to make it, and we had a blast!

Mostly, everyone just talked together, which is great because there's always lots to say and laugh about. At one point, we went outside and a few of the girls danced in the rain or splashed the others with cupped hands full of water. We also pooled our ideas to make a very ugly Sim on our PlayStation console, and watched Megamind (my favorite movie!).

It was an extremely fun night. Happy birthday, Emily!

April transition

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My family is going nuts right now in our house; we're finally going to be putting up the last three new doors in the hallway (which includes mine!), preparing to put new carpet on our stairs, seeking the best new counter-top for our kitchen, and preparing to put up the rest of the trim on the upper-level. It's exciting, and yet also a little intimidating --- there's so much to do, and we want it to all be done within the next thirty days! What a time frame, right?

And speaking of time frames, that reminds me... I set myself a deadline for my novel. Well, sort of. I want to have the second chapter completed by tomorrow. Yeah, I'm close, but I want to have at least a couple more pages worth written, and that takes time. And a lot of it. I want my dad to be able to read my novel soon because I promised him that when I was done with this chunk of editing and writing, he could read it. So, I'll be cracking down on that shortly.

Have I ever mentioned that I love my church? I spend most of my time with two girls (sisters) in particular, April and Robin, who are both so sweet. We have many interests in common, and of course it's just wonderful to talk to people who share the Faith!

    I always love it when our pastor is saying so many wonderful things that my little pen can barely keep up. When I look back, I know which sermons were the best by seeing how messy my handwriting was! Well, this morning was like that. =)

    My mom, sisters, and I all joined our church choir, and we're going to be singing five lovely songs this Easter. I'm humbled by all of the beautiful voices that stand beside me, and at the same time, delighted to listen.

I tried something new today.

My sister, Lilly, had made a batch of macaroni and cheese for lunch, and when she finished her part, I decided to help her get rid of the last little serving. I had already started cooking a bowlful of tomato soup, and so, simply for the sake of experiment, I put a little macaroni on a spoon and dipped it in the soup. It was quite toothsome, and so I put the macaroni on a plate and drizzled over some of the tomato soup. Lilly was appalled, but my mom confirmed my theory that cheese and tomato go well together. It was kind of like Spaghetti-O's, but on an entirely new level of delicious flavor. What a pleasant discovery!

    Unrelated to this, I'm in the mood to learn how to cook more things. Pizza, check. Toast, check. Oatmeal, also check. The most difficult recipe I've ever conquered on my own was a hash-brown casserole I made last summer. I need to spice things up a bit and try something unfamiliar --- let's talk Pinterest.

    I've been collecting interesting, mouth-watering pictures of recipes, and yet bringing none of them into reality. That's a crime of the tongue. The two recipes I'm most interested in attempting presently are 'Tastes Like Lasagna Soup' and 'Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread'. Dinner plus dessert --- yes, please!

Who else loved The Hunger Games movie that just came out? My younger sister, Emily, is nuts about it --- she's already seen the movie twice in the theater, she's been braiding her hair to the side every day for over a week, and she won't take off the mockingjay pin replica that her friend gave her as an early birthday gift.
    Me? I really, really like the Hunger Games, and probably a lot more than I'm willing to admit because I don't want to seem totally fanatical about it. But it was a great movie --- far better than I expected, and I love all of the characters. (Well, mostly Ceasar Flickerman because he's totally full of himself and wears an all-blue sparkly suit with blue hair.) Anyway, I laughed and cried during the movie, and am psyched up for reading the books!
    Alright, for those of you who weren't that big on The Hunger Games, I'm also excited to go see The Hobbit this December. I've read the book and really enjoyed it, and I also just LOVE The Lord of the Rings movies which precede The Hobbit, although I have yet to read the books for those.

Well, that's the gist of my week. Thank you for reading this, and please do have a blessed Palm Sunday, everyone!

Dopey's feather

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A few years ago, a friend of mine gave me a mountainous pile of yarn, including a kit for making a pillow. Well, I used the yarn that came with that kit for headbands and crocheted flowers, but I finally finished knitting a case for the kit's stuffing. I could hardly believe how squishy it was! It reminded me of that scene from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, when the dwarfs fight over who gets to sleep with the only pillow, and end up tearing it in half and scattering feathers everywhere; Dopey the dwarf keeps one of these feathers, gives it a few pokes, and lays down to sleep peacefully. 

My pillow, affectionately dubbed 'Dopey's Feather', feels like what I imagine that feather must have felt like... just right.

September

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And here we have it --- the beginning of the end of another wonderful summer. The past few weeks have been filled with some days too busy to hold my head upright and keep my eyes open by the end of them, and other days so free from obligation that I've sat about and completed hardly a thing.

{ http://weheartit.com }

Just this past Friday, my family went to the Minnesota State Fair. Same as always, we walked about without any certain plan as to where we would go. Sadly, I missed watching the 4-H Arts-In performance, which is one of my favorite parts of the whole fair. We did, however, run into some dear friends and talked for a good while while I pecked at a corn-dog. My sister and I were fortunate enough to happen upon the Webkinz booth, and each purchased dear little toys for ourselves. (It may be considered a childish game, but even now at the age of seventeen, the little girl in me loves visiting this blessed game-site!) Overall, it was a fun day. Oh, and Emily got a picture with Captain Jack Sparrow! (Not Johnny Depp, but close enough.)

{ "Take what you can, give nothing back!" }

I think that was the highlight of her day --- not to mention a great way to end it!
    We heard about an fairly new apple for the first time in the Horticulture building called 'Sweetango'. We visited an orchard just yesterday, but they didn't have it quite yet. Hopefully the other orchard, Pine Tree, the one we usually visit will have it so we can give it a try.

{ photo by me! purevioletphotography }

Today, my older sister, Lilly, turned nineteen! I never could imagine what it would be like when I was younger --- watching as my older sister became an adult. But it's happened.
    The day started out slowly. I cleaned, cuddled with my cat, and ran out the door dragging along my socks and shoes as I chased after my family. We took her, blindfolded and bursting with excitement, to a bowling alley as a surprise birthday gift. She loves bowling.

I lost poorly, but considering I haven't bowled since I was nine, I guess I have a good excuse. Lilly did really well, however, and I'm so happy to see that she had a great time.

Halfway through, we were blessed with the opportunity to babysit my darling little niece, Olivia. Emily best of all of us can get her to smile big, and she has the most beautiful eyes in the world. Here, you can see Lilly is holding her. They're both so precious!

{ http://owlcityblog.com/2011/08/29/all-about-us-2/ }

I heard this song for the first time today. I can't believe how sweet it is. If I ever have a quiet moment, not doing anything --- not writing, not reading, not celebrating --- I'm going to hear it all the way through for the seventh or twentieth time and cry my heart away.

    For a moment, I wasn't even sure I was hearing Adam Young's voice, but every time I listened it became clearer and clearer and clearer that the fine sound belonged to no one else.

 On a sadder note, my family lost our sweet feline, Ned, early this past Sunday morning. I went downstairs and found him, dragging his hind legs behind him. At the emergency vet about an hour later after this alarming discovery, my dad and I learned that our poor Little Buddy had a blood clot, hence the sudden loss of usefulness in his back legs. By then, knowing I couldn't bear to put Ned through anymore misery, I began to resign myself to letting him go. I had plenty of time to cuddle him in my arms and say goodbye. I couldn't watch, but my dad was there holding Ned tenderly until the very end. 

At times it seems silly to cry for a cat. But I realize that God gave us emotions to use them. I know that it's okay to cry for an animal. After all, he was my Little Buddy; no other cat I have ever known had a sweeter disposition, a deeper love for people, or a greater appreciation for any and all kinds of attention. I'm going to miss him a ton!

On a much lighter note, Emily is excited --- nay, completely beside herself --- about starting the fifth season of Psych. I know, it's the sixth one coming out next, but we don't watch live TV; we do the much more fun waiting-for-each-season-to-come-out-so-that-we-can-borrow-it-from-the-library-and-watch-all-of-the-episodes-within-a-week thing. We've seen every other season several times through Netflix, and now seeing new ones is truly... very fun.


Happy late Labor Day, all!

Mega Obsessed!

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Dear Readers,

I have recently encountered the most fantastic cartoon called 'Megamind'! Am I obsessed? Well, not quite, but it sounds better than 'Mega ALMOST-obsessed!'
    From the moment I saw the first add, I just knew it was going to be great. At last, long after it had been in theaters, my family rented it. My younger sister was watching it by herself, and I walked in about half-way through. I sat down. I was transfixed. I never did remember why I had come into the room. I felt like I was a part of the story; like I was there amidst the action. When the ending came around, I looked at my sister and burst out about how awesome it was! Later, we watched it again with the rest of the family, and I decided the beginning was just as cool as the rest of it. I thought Megamind was going to be great before I discovered that the villain became a hero. Afterward? WOW! The character-development, action, romance --- and the hilarious lines --- every moment of it was amazing! Needless-to-say, I was indubitably impressed!

(That is a LOT of brain-bots!)

I also even spent time yesterday and today finishing a pencil-sketch of Megamind, which turned out WAY better than I had dared to hope! Oh yes... and I decided that Megamind is my new favorite movie. ;)