Category Archives: Life

Adoption, Life, Literature

Catching up. . .

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. . . because I seriously need to!

To begin with, my big sister is in Sicily!  And she’s going to be there all summer!  I seriously don’t know how I’m going to survive, but I guess I’ve gotten this far (exactly one week, to be precise), and she responds to my e-mails, because she’s awesomeness.

(Prepare for this post to be a lot of scattered randomness!)

Calling all you sweet Omaha people, I’m doing a fundraiser for our adoption!  You can read about it on the family blog here!  I’m selling made-from-scratch, chocolate chip scones.  I’ve gotten rave reviews on them at every party and gathering I’ve made them for.

We’ve been listening to this song a lot lately:

“Raise your thoughts a little higher,
Use your words to inspire,
Joy will fall like rain,
When you speak life with the things you say”

Little Brother loves it. 🙂  We’ve been saying “speak life” instead of “speak nicely” or something like that, and it works well.  Oh the magic of making something a song!

Plus, I had the best ever Middle Earth geek moment a few weeks ago, and I had to tell you all about it: I walked down to a playground in our neighborhood recently–because I have a “thing” with playgrounds–and wandered around and climbed on top of monkey-bars and walked on fence-rails.  What big kids do at parks.  It had rained the day before so there were some lovely puddles to splash in.  I was just paddling around when I looked down and there, half-buried in the sand, at the bottom of a puddle, gleaming in the sunshine, was a ring.  A ring.  I just stared.  Then poked it with my Aragorn boot.  Then picked it up.  It was silver–a little disappointing, but still cool.  Though slightly creepy.  I put it in my pocket and brought it home with me. 🙂

Happy Wednesday, folks!  What have you been up to?

Life

May showers bring. . . ???

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As you can see, we have plenty of flowers.  But the showers didn’t pass on when April did!  We’ve been getting quite a bit of rain, and we had some spectacular hail last night. . . I think Spencer was the only one who wasn’t woken up by it about 3:00 a.m.!  I came downstairs this morning to piles of ice out the windows and a thin layer of leaves and sticks over everything.  Literally, everything.

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Flighty Nebraska weather! 🙂

Life
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The best big brother ever is turning seventeen today!

I love you, Spencer!  Thank you so much for everything you help me (and all of your family) with, not least of which is keeping this blog up and running.  You’re awesome!

Happy birthday!

Life

April Fool’s Day

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So.  Yesterday was April Fool’s Day, and it would have been the day to try and convince you guys I was publishing a book or we were adopting a sixteen-year-old from Ethiopia or something crazy.  That sort of thing.

(I’m realizing in retrospect that I should have posted a fake part of The Sacrifice and had Penny die.  Your comments really would have been hilarious. 🙂 )

But the fact is: April Fool’s Day always drove me insane–probably because I’m the most gullible person on the plant (don’t say it, Ellen.  I know I’m blonde, thanks.)  And I promised myself once (I think it was last year) that I was not doing April Fool’s Day stuff on my blog.  Just not.

So, here we are.  No April Fool’s Day jokes.  It’s just not how I work.

What’s your take on April Fool’s Day?

Life, Literature

“The Sacrifice”: Part eleven

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Happy April, y’all!  Can I say it’s officially Spring now?

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I love Spring!

Anyway, The Sacrifice:

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Part Eleventh: Hard

The familiar ride ended at the hills, somehow seeming longer and yet shorter than before to the Princess. Brother and sister dismounted at the edge of the very first of the tree-clad slopes. Neither thought to keep hold of their horses’ reins, but Captain and Snowflake stood still and watched them, as if aware that this moment was a solemn one for their masters. Both humans stood and looked at the ground, unwilling to break the silence.

“I have to go,” said Penelope at last.

“I know,” said Henry. Slowly he reached out and hugged her. “This is harder than dying in dragon-fire,” he said softly, as she pulled away from him.

“I am sure it is,” she answered, gently. “But we have to, Henry.”

“I know,” he said again. “But it’s so hard.”

“Of course it’s hard. And your part is harder.” She wasn’t quite sure this was true, but she said it anyway. “But you have to stay. I—I’m dying for these people. They shall need a King. Help them. . . when I’m gone?”

“Sure, Penny,” he answered, halfheartedly. “Anything you like.”

“Anything except forget me?” she teased sadly.

“Right.” Something that might almost pass for a smile flickered across Henry’s face as he brushed windswept strands that had escaped her braids out from between their faces.

Penelope closed her eyes as his hands played across her face. It had always been her and Henry. Did she have to do this? Would anyone blame her if she didn’t? Probably not, but that wasn’t the point.

She shook the thought of turning back out of her mind as she shook her brother’s hands off her face. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and craned her neck to kiss his cheek before she turned her back and marched up, into the the foothills. She could hear Snowflake whinnying for her like crazy, but she never turned around. She had said goody-bye to her brother as best she could, she would not ruin it by looking back again now.

Faith, Life

Great Books: The Apostles Creed

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I read the Apostles Creed as my third piece of literature for Great Books, and writing about it has been one of the hardest assignments I have had yet. There was plenty of content to write about, but somehow I could never quite put my finger on what I wanted to say. I finally realized that I had subconsciously been stuck on the fact that everything I thought of to write led me back to the Bible. I could not write about what I believe without going back to Scripture for help, and leaving the Creed behind me.

Continue reading Great Books: The Apostles Creed →

Life, Literature

“The Sacrifice”: Part ten

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The weather was beautiful yesterday!  I joined Mom and the littles at the park that afternoon, and it was all kinds of fun!  You don’t get too old for playgrounds, if you’re creative: I climbed around on top of monkey bars and walked on the fence rails.  I felt like Dorothy. 🙂  (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go watch The Wizard of Oz again.)

Moving on, here’s Part Ten of The Sacrifice!  I had good intentions of posting Part Ten before today, but it didn’t happen.  Weird how I get busier when I’m on Spring break. . .  Anyway, Part Ten:

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Part Tenth: Never Forget

Penelope came downstairs to breakfast several minutes later and managed to choke down a small amount of food before going back to her room to find boots and a cloak. She had decided to go out to the dragon, instead of letting it come for her, and had convinced her family to let her. It felt like her choice then, not his, and that made it easier.

The Shepherds had told them where the dragon’s lair was—and assured her it would be impossible to miss. It would take her hours to hike up to it, not to mention the ride across the Valley. Henry had insisted on riding with her to the foothills, but she found herself now at the inevitable farewell with her parents. However she managed it, she struggled through without crying, and Eleanor somehow kept her tears at bay as well. Before they left, the Queen placed a thin, silver circlet on her daughter’s head. “Never forget that you are a princess, Penelope,” she told her. “No matter what happens.”

They stepped out of the Castle and saw that the whole City had turned out to see them go. At the door to the Royal Stables, less than twenty feet away, stood Henry. He was holding Captain’s reins in one hand, and Snowflake’s in the other—both horses saddled. Penelope thought she had never seen her brother look so grave.

Reluctantly letting her hand slip out of her mother’s, the Princess walked from between her parents; fully aware that every person in the City was watching her, and trying hard to be graceful. Henry helped her onto her horse and then mounted himself. She judged from his nod that she was supposed to go first. Stiffly, numbly (and rather clumsily) she urged Snowflake to a walk. Henry came several paces behind her.

People had lined the streets all the way to the Gate, waiting for them to go by. Like a wave spreading out before her, the townsfolk knelt down in front of Penelope’s horse—bowing to their Princess. Penelope blinked back her tears, and looked ahead at the empty road before her.

The Gate was opened wordlessly before them, and as they rode out into the fresh, green Valley Henry urged Captain forward beside Snowflake. Penelope turned towards him, and sorrowful blue eyes stared into sorrowful blue eyes for a moment before they both turned away. She looked out across the fields, and gasped in surprise: the grass was cloaked in scarlet, purple, and yellow; dotted with daisies like white stars.

The flowers were in bloom.