I can be very stubborn. As my momma always says, "Nothing on this whole wide earth could move you, Abby, when you get your mind made up." But I guess in my recent past I decided not to get to sleep at a proper hour. Maybe not so recent. I admit it, momma! I haven't listened to you since I was twelve years old! I've stayed up and disregarded your "get to bed" rules! I'm sorry!
I need sleep. Sleep. That precious thing that I just can't seem to do. Maybe I am stubborn and stay up reading and writing and watching TV. Maybe I once thought that five hours of sleep each night was enough. But I'm starting to suffer from the effects of lacking sleep.
And I need to develop good habits for the rest of my life. If I'm only getting five to seven hours of sleep now, what will I be getting in college?! I don't even want to think about it. I've got shadowy bags under my eyes, I about drop off each day listening to chemistry lectures, and instead of thinking I need sleep, I just grab coffee! What's wrong with me?!
So this is my official proclamation to get more sleep. No more stubbornness. No more, "Mommy, I'll sleep tonight. I promise," and then staying up until 12:30. It's time to take my health more seriously.
So it's 10:26 right now. Off to bed. And tomorrow, I'll pair down to 10:00. Wish me luck!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Limericks, Limericks, Limericks!
There once was a turtle from Paraguay.
He wanted to know how to fly one day.
So he ran for the ledge,
And jumped off the edge,
That turtle who was from Paraguay.
There once was a lady who wore many pearls,
Her hair was in curls, and she loved dancing twirls.
But as she danced her foot slipped
And, shrieking, she tripped,
That lady who wore many pearls.
I just love writing limericks!
He wanted to know how to fly one day.
So he ran for the ledge,
And jumped off the edge,
That turtle who was from Paraguay.
There once was a lady who wore many pearls,
Her hair was in curls, and she loved dancing twirls.
But as she danced her foot slipped
And, shrieking, she tripped,
That lady who wore many pearls.
I just love writing limericks!
Packing for a Trip
This is me, talking to myself:
Come on, Abigail, focus. It's six o' clock in the morning. You've got two hours before Daddy loads up the Toyota Rav 4 and we head to the beach. You've got to finish packing. What do you have packed so far? Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
Okay, let's begin. Bras, undies, sure... that's the normal. Now bathing suits, socks, jeans, shorts, jean shorts, tanks, T-shirts, one sweatshirt, beach dress, campfire dress, and, um, hmmm..... more underwear! You can never have enough underwear, Abigail.
Now, just a little makeup, moisturizer, toiletries, shampoo... oh, and a brush, a toothbrush, ugh! This list is too long! Next year, Abigail, you're going to "rough it" at the beach. One piece per type of clothing and one zip-lock bag of toiletries.
My goodness, is Daddy calling already?! Of course, he would want to pack up the car earlier than we agreed upon. Men on a mission... dangerous. So, I-pod, check. Books, check. Sketch pad, check. One more pair of underwear, check. My sanity, check.
Now let's get all this stuff to the car. Wow, this is heavy. Really heavy. You're a girl, Abigail, you can handle it. Ugh... so heavy. You'll need back surgery by age twenty, probably.
Alright, suitcase in the car, check. Purse in the car, check. Toiletry bag in the car, check. Bag for extras in the car, check. And Daddy thought you took too many bags? Ha! You paired it down to four this year! Congratulations... now let the games begin.
Ready for one crazy week at the beach!
Come on, Abigail, focus. It's six o' clock in the morning. You've got two hours before Daddy loads up the Toyota Rav 4 and we head to the beach. You've got to finish packing. What do you have packed so far? Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
Okay, let's begin. Bras, undies, sure... that's the normal. Now bathing suits, socks, jeans, shorts, jean shorts, tanks, T-shirts, one sweatshirt, beach dress, campfire dress, and, um, hmmm..... more underwear! You can never have enough underwear, Abigail.
Now, just a little makeup, moisturizer, toiletries, shampoo... oh, and a brush, a toothbrush, ugh! This list is too long! Next year, Abigail, you're going to "rough it" at the beach. One piece per type of clothing and one zip-lock bag of toiletries.
My goodness, is Daddy calling already?! Of course, he would want to pack up the car earlier than we agreed upon. Men on a mission... dangerous. So, I-pod, check. Books, check. Sketch pad, check. One more pair of underwear, check. My sanity, check.
Now let's get all this stuff to the car. Wow, this is heavy. Really heavy. You're a girl, Abigail, you can handle it. Ugh... so heavy. You'll need back surgery by age twenty, probably.
Alright, suitcase in the car, check. Purse in the car, check. Toiletry bag in the car, check. Bag for extras in the car, check. And Daddy thought you took too many bags? Ha! You paired it down to four this year! Congratulations... now let the games begin.
Ready for one crazy week at the beach!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Eating Chocolate is Dangerous
When I think of risk taking, many things come to mind: sky diving, swimming with sharks, running across a street in New York City, you know... risky things. But something I've come to realize is that those little chocolate boxes filled with chocolate covered mysteries are also dangerous. You bite into one hoping for some almonds or peanut butter and you get strangely mysterious sticky cream that should be nougat but is instead rather dubious. You run to the trash can and spit it out rather ungracefully, promising yourself that you will never again be drawn in by the inexpensive chocolate boxes and their temptations. Five minutes later, however, and you bite once more into a chocolate. Is this a coconut cluster? Or, um... well, your not sure what this one is, but it's good, so...
I experienced this on Valentine's Day. My mom and I think it's funny to bite into a chocolate to find out what's inside without looking at the little code card that explains what's nougat and what's mint filled. We laugh and make weird faces and run to the trash can when we get a chocolate that's not to be trusted. We then bemoan eating chocolate because of the calories, but five minutes later... we take a bite of another piece, laughing when I get the chocolate covered cherry. So much fun!
I experienced this on Valentine's Day. My mom and I think it's funny to bite into a chocolate to find out what's inside without looking at the little code card that explains what's nougat and what's mint filled. We laugh and make weird faces and run to the trash can when we get a chocolate that's not to be trusted. We then bemoan eating chocolate because of the calories, but five minutes later... we take a bite of another piece, laughing when I get the chocolate covered cherry. So much fun!
Five Metaphors that Describe my Life
The books lining library shelves remind me of the opportunities I will have in my life: There are so many to pick but I can only choose a few.
Freedom is comparible to running from the school building, cheering, on the first day of summer.
Writing feels like I am talking to a friend who loves to listen.
Taking a chemistry test can sometimes feel like jumping off a high dive without knowing whether there's water in the pool.
Spending time with my family brings me joy and a glimpse of the love that God has for his children.
Freedom is comparible to running from the school building, cheering, on the first day of summer.
Writing feels like I am talking to a friend who loves to listen.
Taking a chemistry test can sometimes feel like jumping off a high dive without knowing whether there's water in the pool.
Spending time with my family brings me joy and a glimpse of the love that God has for his children.
Snowy Days
I just cannot understand our weather right now. We are in the middle of February! Where is the snow? Why is it so sunny? Where are those really cold days when you pile on the sweaters, mittens, and hats and count down the seconds until you can get back home, have some coffee, and relax.
Don't get me wrong. I love summer, and fall, and spring is really rainy but just as great. But winter! I love the beautiful snow and crystralized tree branches. Ice hangs off our porch railing like tiny diamonds and I enjoy just staying indoors, keeping warm and watching snow fall. And perhaps, just maybe... having some snow days.
Summer is so hot and sticky and buggy. I really enjoy the winter snow and the refreshing chill of stepping outside in the morning before school to a light snow fall.
The downsides: scraping ice off your car windows, pipes freezing, sprinkling salt, chapped hands, and house heating malfunctions. But positives for me: hot beverages are so much better, covering up with warms blankets at the kitchen table is absolutely acceptable, snow days, reading books in front of windows while watching falling snow is fantastic, and staying at home when it's cold gives you time to watch movies or spend time with family. I think summers at my house tend to separate us more, with everyone going separate ways. But time slows down in the winter. So please, God, send some snow!
Don't get me wrong. I love summer, and fall, and spring is really rainy but just as great. But winter! I love the beautiful snow and crystralized tree branches. Ice hangs off our porch railing like tiny diamonds and I enjoy just staying indoors, keeping warm and watching snow fall. And perhaps, just maybe... having some snow days.
Summer is so hot and sticky and buggy. I really enjoy the winter snow and the refreshing chill of stepping outside in the morning before school to a light snow fall.
The downsides: scraping ice off your car windows, pipes freezing, sprinkling salt, chapped hands, and house heating malfunctions. But positives for me: hot beverages are so much better, covering up with warms blankets at the kitchen table is absolutely acceptable, snow days, reading books in front of windows while watching falling snow is fantastic, and staying at home when it's cold gives you time to watch movies or spend time with family. I think summers at my house tend to separate us more, with everyone going separate ways. But time slows down in the winter. So please, God, send some snow!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A Positive Change in the Past Year: A Free Verse Poem
My story I write.
Whispers of creation
Envelop me.
Scratch of pencil across lined
White paper.
Flutter of papers,
Wings with words.
Hopefully they will fly
Across my future.
Paper absorbs my thoughts,
My dreams,
My imagination,
My story I write.
(The positive change I have had this past year continues to be an ongoing one. I am writing a story that I hope will be published one day. This past year I have spent the most time writing it. I pour myself into the work, taking more time to work on it than ever before. Writing is what I love, and it positively affects me because it lets me put on paper the thoughts that float around in my head. Life becomes clearer to me when I write. When I look back on what I've written, I can see what I've done, the mood I was in, and the joy that writing brings me!)
Whispers of creation
Envelop me.
Scratch of pencil across lined
White paper.
Flutter of papers,
Wings with words.
Hopefully they will fly
Across my future.
Paper absorbs my thoughts,
My dreams,
My imagination,
My story I write.
(The positive change I have had this past year continues to be an ongoing one. I am writing a story that I hope will be published one day. This past year I have spent the most time writing it. I pour myself into the work, taking more time to work on it than ever before. Writing is what I love, and it positively affects me because it lets me put on paper the thoughts that float around in my head. Life becomes clearer to me when I write. When I look back on what I've written, I can see what I've done, the mood I was in, and the joy that writing brings me!)
A Call from a Distressed Friend
Ring, ring, ring.... ring, ring, ring...
"Hello?"
"Abigail! Ugh, thanks for picking up. It's Bekah."
"Yeah, I know! So what's u..."
"I'm in a quagmire! A QUAGMIRE!"
"Is everything okay? Wha..."
"Which book do I read for Honors class? I mean, if we need to write a literary analysis paper I want to enjoy the book..."
"Bekah, I know exactly what you mean!"
"Where are you?"
"Standing in front of my bookshelf."
"Me, too!"
"Bekah, what books were you thinking about?"
"Well I've got The Girl With the Pearl Earring, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, Year of Wonders, The Crucible, Hamlet... oh crap, I just tore the cover of Hamlet!"
"That's okay, you can borrow mine, but..."
"Abigail, what do I do?!"
"I don't know..."
"What did you choose?"
"That's kind of funny, Bekah, because, ah... I've got Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bell Jar, The Sea Runners, The Count of Monte Cristo, Murder on the Orient Express, and Of Mice and Men, too!"
"So many good books... what're we going to do?!"
"Alright, Bekah, here's what we're going to do. Let's limit our choices to three books. When we go to Honors class tomorrow we'll look at Mr. Garner's face when we hold up each book. If he looks like he disaproves..."
"That'll tick off one choice!"
"Right. May the best book win."
"Great plan. But, ah, Abigail?"
"Yeah?"
"How do we choose only three books?!"
(This was an actual conversation that took place. No joke. Just a few changed words here and there, but... this is an example of the trials and tribulations of a bibliophile!)
"Hello?"
"Abigail! Ugh, thanks for picking up. It's Bekah."
"Yeah, I know! So what's u..."
"I'm in a quagmire! A QUAGMIRE!"
"Is everything okay? Wha..."
"Which book do I read for Honors class? I mean, if we need to write a literary analysis paper I want to enjoy the book..."
"Bekah, I know exactly what you mean!"
"Where are you?"
"Standing in front of my bookshelf."
"Me, too!"
"Bekah, what books were you thinking about?"
"Well I've got The Girl With the Pearl Earring, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, Year of Wonders, The Crucible, Hamlet... oh crap, I just tore the cover of Hamlet!"
"That's okay, you can borrow mine, but..."
"Abigail, what do I do?!"
"I don't know..."
"What did you choose?"
"That's kind of funny, Bekah, because, ah... I've got Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bell Jar, The Sea Runners, The Count of Monte Cristo, Murder on the Orient Express, and Of Mice and Men, too!"
"So many good books... what're we going to do?!"
"Alright, Bekah, here's what we're going to do. Let's limit our choices to three books. When we go to Honors class tomorrow we'll look at Mr. Garner's face when we hold up each book. If he looks like he disaproves..."
"That'll tick off one choice!"
"Right. May the best book win."
"Great plan. But, ah, Abigail?"
"Yeah?"
"How do we choose only three books?!"
(This was an actual conversation that took place. No joke. Just a few changed words here and there, but... this is an example of the trials and tribulations of a bibliophile!)
Music
One of my favorite blessings in my life is music. I've come to realize just how much I love it. When I think about how much I listen to music, I am reminded of how much time David in the Bible spent composing and singing music. He was drawn to it. He felt in the presense of God when he sang. Most of the chapters in Psalms are his compositions.
But something that interests me is what his psalms and music actually contain. They aren't just about praises or love or joy. They are also about pain and loss and confusion.
For example, let's look at two different verses.
Psalm 66: 1 to 3 says, "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You."
I can just picture David lifting his hands to the sky and singing, his smiling face turned golden in the sunlight.
But then listen to this verse: Psalm 13:1 says, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?"
Wow. I can imagine David, sitting under the shade of long, sweeping tree branches, crying and pouring his heart out to God in the form of a song.
Music touches our lives in so many ways. It is a form of communication between our heart and God's heart. It also brings people together. Secular music, Christian music, and instrumental music can be good. But I always remember that the music I let fill my ears eventually makes its way to my heart.
But something that interests me is what his psalms and music actually contain. They aren't just about praises or love or joy. They are also about pain and loss and confusion.
For example, let's look at two different verses.
Psalm 66: 1 to 3 says, "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You."
I can just picture David lifting his hands to the sky and singing, his smiling face turned golden in the sunlight.
But then listen to this verse: Psalm 13:1 says, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?"
Wow. I can imagine David, sitting under the shade of long, sweeping tree branches, crying and pouring his heart out to God in the form of a song.
Music touches our lives in so many ways. It is a form of communication between our heart and God's heart. It also brings people together. Secular music, Christian music, and instrumental music can be good. But I always remember that the music I let fill my ears eventually makes its way to my heart.
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