it is best to be

Hi There.

2012-02-23T10:42:00.003-08:00

Nice to be back.

How 'bout a classic "good things" list?

Toms

hairspray

trumpet solos

shiny trophies

really nice suits

brand new books

brand new babies

Downton Abbey

play rehearsals

brotherly love

glass bottles

cherry pie

cool belts

nice ties

love

Mysterious

2011-12-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Amy Grant's mother told her, "Never underestimate the power of keeping some things a mystery."

I think she was right.

let's be...

2011-12-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Shall we?

2011-12-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

I wanted to put Mrs. Wilder's words into something a little more cool

So I did.

Fatherly Advice

2011-12-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

I made the mistake of asking my father, "What should I write about?"

His answer:

"After finishing my first semester of senior year, I reflect upon the many things I've learned...

...but mostly I think about my father and his wonderfully helpful advice."

Thanks, Dad.

Unfortunately, he's right.

I am a reflection kind of gal.

More importantly, my father does give pretty good advice most of the time.

"Manners are important to everyone but me when I come home."

"Go out and play with your dog."

"Do your work."

I really love my dad.

Mama Lion

2011-12-06T16:43:00.001-08:00

Wow.

Talk about protective.

I'm sure you've seen various examples of mother animals in action.

The slow-mo of the mama attacking whatever stands between her and her precious babies.

I feel that way about many things.

I scare myself sometimes.

Like Pinterest.

Suddenly everyone at school is buzzing about it.

Mind says:

"That's my hour-sucking website! Back off! Stay on Facebook! Let me have my marvel-at-the-awesomeness moment alone!"

Or like the play.

Mind says:

"What?!?! Other people like acting too?! Impossible! I know you'll just mess it up. Let me have my good-memories-fun-times cast back!"

Or even like music.

Duh.

Something that was made to be shared.

Mind says:

"I'm gonna tell you about this group I like and this song that's stuck in my head all the time. But don't you dare even think about becoming a fanatical-fan-rave-about-them person like me!"

Empty threats aside...

...let me share with you!

Pinterest: Love. True, deep love. I've tried a hairstyle I've fallen in love with. It's easy, fast, and cool-looking...all three of those things are hard to come by with my hair.

Play: We move from last year's Faith County to this year's The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon: surely the dumbest theatrical performance of all time and space. But it makes people laugh (including me - almost as hard to come by as the hairstyle) so what the heck?

Music: Adele. Need I say more? Yes, I do need. I wish she would stop smoking. There, I said it.

Don't worry.

I promise I won't hurt you too bad if you get between me and my babies.

The Cycle of Depression

2011-11-20T16:38:00.001-08:00

Here's how it goes with a friend of mine, in her words:

"Summer...yes. On summer high through September. October...no. Anger. Depression.

November means...Christmas, and life is heaven on Earth."

Quite literally, I wish to add.

That aside, let me just say that I am one of the verbal anti-November-Christmas proponents.

Here's how it goes with me, in my words:

"No, I do not want to buy my dog a Santa sweater; not now and certainly not when it's actually Christmas."

"What in the world is all this garbage doing up in November?!"

"Man, they sure started early on Christmas lights."

"I hate 'Jingle Bells'."

Until, like, December 8th or something.

So I don't understand my friend's revolutionary change of heart that takes place in the magical time between October 31st and November 1st.

But, in the spirit of the November Christmas season, here's what I said I'm looking forward to about my December Christmas.

Old movie marathons. Last year it was Doris Day.
All the smells. Does cold air really smell like something? To me it does.
And, of course, the Nativity. Nothing better.

Merry November Christmas. Stay happy.

Quotable Quotes

2011-11-12T12:59:00.001-08:00

Five fabulous examples of what other people say and I generally agree with.

1. "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." {Abraham Lincoln}

2. "I believe Christianity, as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I can see everything else." {C.S. Lewis}

3. "Anticipation is the most delicious feeling." {a book called Destiny I read years ago}

4. "I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is a purpose and worth to each and every life." {Ronald Reagan}

5. "I think that's what life is about, actually. It's about flowers and children." {Audrey Hepburn}

And of course, "It is best to be..." etc. wins top award.

2011-10-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

How 'bout Pinterest?

I just like looking at everyone else's.

I kinda want one; not going to lie.

As this is turning into a list post in my mind, I think I will make it as such.

Ah!

I'll pin.

Pin my ideas here, like on Pinterest!

See, I tied that in quite nicely.

So:

The house currently smells like meat. Good meat. Meat that will soon be consumed. By me.

I am learning to make flowers out of tissue paper.

Tutoring fifth graders has made the phrase, "Their eyes lit up," a reality. They really do light up.

Captain America is going to be in another movie. I. Love. Captain. America.

Pirate Pete: Talk Like a Pirate is my new storybook for storytelling this year. I get to...well...talk like a pirate.

I enjoyed blog-surfing for about an hour tonight. So nice to poke around, after having been away for awhile!

au revoir.

Home is Where My Books Are

2011-09-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been reading books as of late.

It's been awhile since I've truly sat down and read a real book.

Let me just say, it's delightful to be back in my element.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was lovely and frightening to my easily disturbed mind. I wouldn't suggest reading it at night.

The Chosen One was sad and sad and sad and intense.

Both I highly recommend.

Books are wonderful.

My mother recently gave a friend a card that says what this title is.

I need more books.

The Indians

2011-09-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole...

Iroquois, Algonquin...

...both of which "we've been saying wrong".

I've been doing a lot of thinking about Indians lately.

Native Americans.

You know.

I'm taking History of the West this year.

And apparently three-fourths of the class are suddenly "of Indian blood".

We've covered the Indians of the Northeast and Southeast thus far.

Every class is a sad account of how horribly Native Americans were treated when they "did absolutely nothing wrong!!"

My teacher is quite empassioned about the subject.

I enter sixth hour mildly excited about 50 minutes of stories.

I leave sixth hour feeling mildly depressed and guilty.

Then the librarian went and recommended the book Octavian Nothing.

More about slaves than Indians, but that's not the point.

*glistening tear*

Then my father had to go and want to watch The Last of the Mohicans.

*SOB*

Even despite my infatuation with Hawkeye/Daniel Day-Lewis...

...good grief!

I didn't do anything!

I promise!

But I still feel like I'm the one who kicked them all off their land.

I'm sorry anyway.

Nonsense

2011-08-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

I'm in a decopage mood.

You know, when your mind is kind of helter-skelter and filling in the cracks of the day.

I feel very much like writing a nonsensical what-am-I-thinking-about-right-now post.

So that's what I'm going to do, whether you like it or not. At least, I hope you like it.

P.S. Not neccessarily in order of importance.

1. Water for Elephants. Charming movie. I actually liked Robert Pattinson.

2. I want a camera. I want to take pictures of what I'm thinking about.

3. Forrest Gump. Saw it for the first time and cried, cried, cried.

4. A house we toured while hunting for the grandparents. I want to be their friend. However, it would be kind of odd to say, "Hi there! I saw the inside of your home, looked at the books on your shelves, and analyzed your family pictures! And your decor made me want to babysit your children!"

5. I have athlete's foot. But no one really wants to know that.

6. I do believe that my oratory this year is going to be about history. Hm...wonder where that idea came from?

7. I collect bookmarks. Did you know that? I now have bookmarks from every major attraction in Washington, D.C.

8. Since the beginning of time (aka kindergarten), I have been a horrible notebook-hogger. When someone asks me for a piece of paper and all I have are my spectacular notebooks with very attractive design work on the front, I feel real anger at the person for being irresponsible as I rip out a precious page of paper.

9. I have found a country band that I like. Go ahead and gasp. The Band Perry.

10. And to top off this list of nonsense, let me just say that I'm glad it's almost September. I dream about fall all year long.

Happy Being!

Elyse

The picture is there simply because I love ancient photography. I don't know what it is. Hopefully it isn't a cult or war party. What else is necessary for a post titled "Nonsense"?

It's Almost Over

2011-08-21T12:00:00.002-07:00

Well, not quite.

What was it the principal said on the first day of school last Wednesday?

"Only 174 days to go!"

Thank you for that lovely reminder.

That tells me that my days of Mary Tyler Moore marathons are over...

...and that I can't just pop in an Audrey Hepburn flick any time I feel like it...

...and that my brother is thirteen...

...and that he's .1 inches taller than me.

I don't know how I feel about being...you know...

...old.

I'm bad at feeling like I'm superior to the underclassmen.

But they're all so...tiny.

Was I that tiny as a freshman?

Or that...stupid?

I guess I don't want to graduate.

I don't want to be a senior.

Everyone else is constantly saying, "I can't wait to get out of here."

Is it wrong that I don't want to leave just yet?

I'm not one for change.

I was upset when I got a new bed a few years ago.

Can you imagine how frightening the prospects of college are to a person like me?

Perhaps I'll feel differently once things are more planned for my future.

Then I'll be excited.

Maybe.

2011-08-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

"I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are the first to be rescued off of sinking ships."

{Gilda Radner}

I'm glad to be a woman.

Or close to it.

Almost old enough.

But how nice it is to be able to watch James Dean movies and sigh.

And to love the mind-qualities of Atticus Finch.

And to admire the Situation's guns, for crying out loud.

How nice it is to put on makeup when no one but my family is going to see me.

To put on my navy blue power suit and feel like I can take on the world.

And to admire a sparkly pair of shoes at Neiman Marcus.

And to like Captain America's hair.

And to put on red lipstick.

Just for the heck of it.

Girls can do that.

I love it.

Buckets Part Two

2011-07-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

Eleven through twenty.

Here goes.

11. Sing a duet.

12. Tour Edwalani.

13. Be in a reenactment.

14. Ride an ostrich like Mom.

15. Have breakfast at Tiffany's.

16. Go behind the scenes at Disney.

17. Buy (and WEAR) an adorable fedora.

18. Decorate a room turquoise and white.

19. Wander around an Italian city and get lost.

20. Waste a little money in a Vegas slot machine.

Buckets Part One

2011-07-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Polka Dot was quite inspirational, and I created my own bucket list.

I'm not sure why I didn't do this years ago.

I've got forty-five things so far.

With more to come.

Here's ten.

Serve tea.

Be a bridesmaid.

Plant windowboxes.

Read by candlelight.

Make an appointment.

Ride a horse in Ireland.

Yell from a mountaintop.

Stay the night in a castle.

Make someone believe I got a tattoo.

Watch every movie the Academy has credited with Best Picture.

{photo credit}

2011-07-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ten things I am in love with:

1. Grinding lemons in the garbage disposal.

2. Boys who wear Buddy Holly glasses.

3. Little kids with missing teeth.

4. Friends who bring you pizza.

5. The Secret Life of Bees.

6. Superman haircuts.

7. Re-reading books.

8. Lenny Kravitz.

9. Tennis fuzz.

10. Buttons.

Now then, here's why:

1. It's the original fresh scent. And it's strangely stress-relieving.

2. Because they're adorable. And they usually have a personality that matches their cool glasses.

3. Mostly because my little cousin has this condition right now. And he makes up stories about robots and projectors at age six, so of course I love him.

4. She showed up today with pictures of Chicago, a souvenir for me, and a cheese pizza. What's not to love?

5. One of my favorite lines: "How you have to breathe out and let the human heart be the puzzle it is." This is summer.

6. Because Superman is undoubtedly the best superhero ever. And the only one I'd want to save me if I were in dire trouble.

7. I'm reading Beauty again. And it's great.

8. My favorite song is "You Were In My Heart". And no one but the best uses lines like, "I know not what to do".

9. There's a whole bunch of it stuck to my tennis racket. And it's cute.

10. I bought a canvas purse with yellow birds on it. And then I decided to make it even better by pinning buttons on it. "Jazz It Up at the Dallas Art Museum", ruby slippers, and Phi Kappa Delta, whatever that is.

I {heart} It

2011-06-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

It looks like something from a ghost story or a horror movie, doesn't it?

Granted, I've never actually seen a horror movie (a Titanic museum gave me nightmares).

But still!

I can fill in the blanks.

A-couple-of-teenagers-go-on-a-road-trip-and-end-up-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-with-a-serial-killer.

Isn't that the plot?

But this picture is nothing of the sort.

Nah, it's just James Buchanan's inauguration picture.

I saw the original in D.C.

And I want you to look at it as closely as I did.

All those people.

They were real.

And that is awesome.

In a place like D.C., a person like me gets swept away in the never-ending stories....

...my mother had to literally drag me out of an exhibit at 3 pm to go eat lunch...

...my favorite show (that I never get to see because we don't have cable) is "American Pickers"...

...in between trips to hotels and friend's houses with cable, I settle for "History Detectives" and "Antiques Roadshow"....

...and I have a shirt from the Lincoln Library that says, "I {heart} History," for Pete's sake.

This picture has so many wonderful stories in it.

It represents everything I {heart}.

Which is why, when anyone asks what I plan to do after high school...

...the only thing I say is, "I'm going to college to major in American History."

Maybe one of these days, I'll be working in one of those museums I love so much.

And I'll be saving the world from the bad things it used to be, one fourth grade field trip at a time.

You Go, Girl.

2011-06-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be neccessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."

{the incredibly intelligent and classy Miss Piggy}

D.C.

2011-06-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Fifteen things I saw in Washington, D.C., that made me smile on the inside.

bow ties

panty hose

hipster puppets

small black children

small asian children

old men smoking pipes

Catwoman's supercool outfit

dancing in front of the Smithsonian

a lot of frantic interns clutching Starbucks

grown (rather old) men in polka-dot shorts

thirty-year-old men learning how to use Twitter

people who you can tell feel like they are lookin' good

the second after a picture is taken when everyone relaxes

tears of happiness with, "I made it, Mom!"s rippling across a ballroom

watching all the people slowly nod off in their business attire on the train after a long day

{photo credit}

Ouch.

2011-05-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

My heart hurts a little.

So does my hair.

It's all stiff with hairspray, and it's going to be a nightmare untangling it.

I'm jealous of my brother. A couple of swipes with a comb and things are as good as new.

As for the heart...

"Drama" is pointless.

I've always made a point of not getting myself mixed up in anything.

I did nothing wrong.

I wasn't even in the "drama".

But it directly affected me.

Ouch.

It's a relief to know that nothing I did caused any of it.

But still.

It hurts a little.

Things were normal.

Fun.

Relatively simple.

I just don't get what changed.

I think I misjudged people.

The "drama" is an excellent example of that.

But my poor little heart got pricked.

And my cheeks got red.

I sat on the sidelines with a clear view of everything I didn't do wrong.

So I decided not to let it get to me.

That would be pointless.

And I went home and slept and ate and sat and stared and wrote and attempted to not feel sorry for myself.

I hope they're all happy.

Maybe now I'll truly become the poetry-writing type.

Ouch.

The Promenade and Other Incredibly Important Things

2011-05-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, prom.

That lovely time for all high school girls.

Sort of.

This whole topic is near and dear to my heart, as I have been surrounded by prom-y discussions since before Christmas break.

So, let me be honest about a few things.

Tanning for prom is not (I repeat, NOT) a good idea, in my opinion. No offense. I personally just don't want to be orangeish and contract skin cancer.

I will not be wearing feathers or flowers of any kind. Vintage look for me, please.

Dancing is stupid.

Okay, I take it back. I would gladly waltz, Jane-Austen-country-dance, Charleston, and jitterbug it up if dancing styles hadn't evolved. Too bad.

In a small school like mine, prom is a big deal.

It's becoming more and more clear to me now...just how odd high school relationships are. Dates and all that jazz have changed for so many in just a few weeks. Myself included. Huh! The mind is funny that way.

How I, of all people, ended up on the prom committee...I have no idea.

All things considered, I'm pretty excited. I have a pretty dress and sparkly jewelry, so I'm happy.

Now then, let's move on to more important topics, shall we?

The American Lit class is watching The Great Gatsby. Hence all the classic-dance talk.

I'm not going to miss the seniors as much as I did last year. My brain cells needn't be wasted on that.

I think I'm in love with a song sung in...uh...Romanian, I think? Listen.

And now...

I, Elyse, am going to post a poem I have written myself. You read that right. Don't laugh, okay?

I had to. For Creative Writing. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Lawson.)

I don't have a title for it. Sorry.

Ahem. *insert clearing of throat sounds here*

Cowboys and Indians

Redcoats and rebels

Blacks and whites

Basses and trebles

Crystal clear

The end is near.

Smiles and frowns

Darkness and day

Kindness and cruelty

Work and play

With every tear

The end draws near.

Pencils and pens

Fingers and toes

Life and death

Open and close

Each new year

An end is clear

War and peace

Yours and mine

Finders and keepers

Rain and shine

Sorry, my dear

Your end is near.

I told you not to laugh. :)

Minstrel Man

2011-04-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Because my mouth

Is wide with laughter

And my throat

Is deep with song,

You do not think I suffer

after I have held my pain

So long?

Because my mouth

Is wide with laughter,

You do not hear

My inner cry?

Because my feet

Are gay with dancing,

You do not know

I die?

{Langston Hughes}

A friend of mine said that this was one of their favorite poems. It's immensely sad, don't you think?

Good Luck!

2011-04-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."

No Auditions for Role Modeling

2011-04-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

role model : noun : a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others.

When I tried out for the play, I read some lines in a Southern accent.

And waited until the end of the week.

Then - miracle of miracles! - the list on the door said I was Mildred.

Ta da!

Easily done.

Not too difficult.

But I decided to audition for the play.

I made myself speak with a Southern accent.

My life?

A different story.

I just live it.

Isn't that how you do it, too?

Don't really think about how you do things...until you're called out on something.

What if you got called out in a good way?

They told you that you have characteristics that they admire and want in their own lives.

At first, you would want to sit that person down and tell them how they truly don't want to be like you.

You see every angle of yourself - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the uglier.

But then you would decide to accept the compliment.

It would mean you're living your life in a way someone else thinks is honorable.

So you would want to jump up and do something wonderful!

You would want to live so that they will have something worthwhile to respect.

You would want to be "better" for them at first...

...but then you would realize it's that messy person that they respect.

So maybe being a role model would change something about you.

You would realize that you're being seen.

Picture Credit

five revelations from spring break

2011-03-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

1. 207 pages of John Grisham's The Summons were read in Arkansas. Never knew I was a fan.

2. Far too much cranberry jello was eaten. Once again, in Arkansas.

3. It was realized that my brother will grow up to be either a sports photographer or a card shark.

4. A future subscription to both "Reminisce" and "Country Living" would be fantastic.

5. I am in deep like with The Great Gatsby.

Any new revelations?

i felt my life with both my hands

2011-03-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

I felt my life with both my hands
To see if it was there—
I held my spirit to the Glass,
To prove it possibler—

I turned my Being round and round
And paused at every pound
To ask the Owner's name—
For doubt, that I should know the Sound—

I judged my features—jarred my hair—
I pushed my dimples by, and waited—
If they—twinkled back—
Conviction might, of me—

I told myself, "Take Courage, Friend—
That—was a former time—
But we might learn to like the Heaven,
As well as our Old Home!"

-Emily Dickinson

Quite interesting, don't you think? I do like it. I'm sorry if it makes even less sense with all my font changes. Maybe some more Dickinson shall be in the near future...

slowing

2011-03-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy.

Far too busy.

Even now, when I'm trying to slow down, there's the persistent canned cheering of NBA 2K9 in the background, which somehow makes me feel rushed.

Yes, the Celtics are beating the Magic in Jake's simulated basketball world.

Anyhow, I intentionally tried to slow down today.

I took my time getting ready for church.

I folded clothes.

I played the oboe. That sound isn't necessarily calming, per se, but that's not the point.

I wore sweats all afternoon, for crying out loud.

And yet here I am, still feeling rushed.

You see, it's been a very, very cram-packed weekend.

I'm headed to State with two of my speaking events (one of which is my original oratory).

So that's wonderful! And I'm excited.

But I was running around so much this weekend trying to get there.

And that has made me incredibly tired.

So, slowing down is necessary.

As a result, let's think about calm things, shall we?

Here are five things I believe best demonstrate what I've been doing throughout my absence here in the blogosphere:

I discovered Etsy. Oh. My. I think I'm in love. Here's one cute artist who inspires me to get a job, just so I can have money to buy her stuff.

Have you ever seen The Romantics? If you haven't, don't. If you have, I feel your pain. Incredibly unsatisfying and strange, not to mention it sported the worst character development I've ever seen.

As stated earlier, I competed in speech and debate districts. And also, as stated earlier, they went extremely well. If you happen to be looking for a wonderful children's story, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is the best. It's treated me very well in storytelling this year.

My high school had Homecoming. And I *sigh* went to the actual dance after the game. I sigh because I spent the entire evening selling soda in the concession stand. It might sound pathetic, but truthfully, I had a far better time bobbing my head with those folks rather than "dancing" out there.

Rehearsals for the spring play are headed into high gear. Ever heard of Faith County? Neither had I. But it's funny, I get to be sarcastic the whole time, and there's a Porta Potty on the stage, so all is well.

Emily Dickinson, I discovered, is great. This is coming from me. The poetry rebel. I checked out the 50-pound book of her entire collection of poetry. Though I was supposed to be writing an essay about her, I started losing track of time in that book. Those spastic dashes and lack of capitalization fascinate me. A Dickinson post is in order, I believe.

Yes, it seems that things are a bit less hectic now. Slowing down a tad.

Please don't forget to stop every once in awhile. Please.

Ah! My laundry is clean! Something else to do that's calming.

So, see you for the Dickinson post later this week?

Sounds fabulous. It's a date.

yum and the story

2011-02-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Yogurt-covered pretzels - the babysitter I loved.

Salsa from that little Mexican restaurant - 100% gen-you-eyne.

Lemonade - summer nights.

Turkey sandwiches - the school cafeteria.

Ranch dressing - the old house and the dining table there.

Carrot cake - my birthday forever ago.

Goat cheese - my trip to St. Louis.

Homemade pizza - a random Friday night with my family.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts - Sunday mornings in the Loft at church.

Wendy's cheeseburgers - Wednesday nights in the Loft at church.

Diet Coke - beloved aunt and uncle's house in beloved St. Louis.

Chocolate mousse - American Girl Place in Chicago five years ago.

Fake eggs - camp.

Hot chocolate - blogging.

On Pretty Things

2011-02-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Keeping up the spirit of the last post, I got to thinking about the, uh, eyes. Yup. You guessed it.

Pretty lookin' stuff.

The nook upstairs where all major decisions are made, books are read, and things are written down...by me. The shade is a perfect filter of light in the morning.

The coolest jewelry ever...made out of typewriter keys.

"Cracker Crumb" paint on the walls of the living room.

Sundae's ears. In case you're wondering, that would be my dog.

Debate trophies.

My brother's face when he first plugged in the Xbox 360.

Clotheslines in the spring.

Lemon cookie boxes.

Kerosene lanterns.

Paul Newman.

Ireland in general.

Italy in general.

The little icon on my dashboard that says, "Followers".

Rocking chairs.

St. Louis.

My bookshelves.

Old notebooks from seventh grade.

Tennis ball fuzz.

Snow. (It's fallin' in abundance 'round these parts.)

Tom Cruise.

This adorable new blog I found.

Pretty much any old "cowboy" movie.

Octopus necklaces.

Ancient books.

Giant shuttlecocks in Kansas City.

My dear dedicated artist friend's work. (She sends me pictures of everything.)

Clean hair and the 'do that ensues.

Unsliced loaves of bread.

That picture above.

On Hearing Things

2011-01-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

The best, prettiest, funnest, most emotion-evoking sounds around. To me, anyway.

giggles
Australian accents
most Bon Jovi music
heat kicking on in the house
keychains
a Mustang engine revving
Gene Kelly's tap dancing
"Claire de Lune"
puffy golden prom dress
dangly earrings
Dad chopping wood out back
any salon
the music on A Series of Unfortunate Events
"Such Great Heights"
GPS voices
Wal-Mart greeters
theme song of "The Andy Griffith Show"
my mother singing show tunes
"Amazing Grace" on bagpipes
heels clicking on linoleum
"Stereo Love." Seriously, accordian music!
Grandpa
snow

snow day - summer night

2011-01-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's a snow day. The second one this week, as a matter of fact. Personally, I'm tired of it. Two days in a row, stuck in a house, coughing up lungs, and warming my toes and fingers are not my ideal day off.

Isn't it strange that so often, when winter sets upon us, that we're usually ready for summer again? And when summer's here, there's a desire for winter, or at least something a little cooler?

Maybe it's not that way for you. Maybe others are simply content in ice storms and chronic colds. But I, unfortunately, am not like that and cannot get out of winter without a complaint or two.

So, to cheer myself and any other winter-drudgery-sick individual, how 'bout a dose of late summer evening?

night.

fireflies.

shorts.

cicadas.

sweat.

lemonade.

maybe tea.

running.

cut grass.

giggles from kids.

growing dark.

lights in the trees.

lawn chairs.

burgers.

ice cream.

talking 'til ten.

under stars.

nerf guns.

more cicadas.

grimy hands.

leaving.

then staying a little longer.

too dark to see.

but still talking.

still laughing.

looking for the dippers.

smelling the grill.

smiling.

time to go inside.

maybe.

Photo taken by my debate partner and friend Melissa. She's quite talented, don't you think? Tennis courts and a sky. That's all she needs.

In a Beautiful Way

2010-12-31T15:06:00.000-08:00

I know I'm just one more person talking about seizing the new year.

Or saying goodbye and mourning 2010.

One more person in the blogosphere telling you what I think.

So I won't.

I'll let someone else do the dirty work.

I'll let you look at their creative brains and let you do the thinking.

It'll be far more thought-provoking and interesting than plodding through my emotions with me.

Here are the shining stars...

The year in quirky photographs

Well-spoken teenagers

Taking stock of the year...last year...

Know what? I like this system.

They're smart people.

And now for a brief message from our sponsor...

...that would be me...

...I thank you.

For being here.

For completing another wonderful year of being.

I wanted to finish in a beautiful way.

indeed...

2010-12-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine texted me this very morning.

Quite a Christmas surprise, because, although she expresses no faith, she said, "Happy birthday, baby Jesus!"

Joking or not, I responded with a simple "Indeed."

Indeed.

Happy birthday, baby Jesus.

I Heart Audrey

2010-12-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

I really, really like Audrey Hepburn.

Like everyone else, I know she's classy and elegant and a style icon.

And I, like everyone else, wish I could dress like her.

She had tons of pretty black dresses.

Just one pretty black dress, and I'd be set for awhile.

But even without the pretty black dress, I'd be content just being her devoted fan.

Ever since I first watched My Fair Lady many, many moons ago, I've been in fandom-mode.

Then followed Roman Holiday...

and Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

This Christmas break, there'll be Funny Face.

Along with The Great Gatsby (which was...interesting)...

the three-disc set of Doris Day and Rock Hudson...

DVD, a family favorite, in Lt. Robin Crusoe...

Amadeus, which I had no idea existed until yesterday...and now it's broken.

Oh! And the ever-authentic Alamo, which I simply must watch with father dear.

I think I love old movies almost a little bit more than the ones we've got now.

You have a favorite?

check it

2010-12-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Go see {link love}.

Please? I'm proud of it.

On another note, here's what's been going on as of late.

The "f" key on the keyboard is going out. I have to press it seven times to get it to work.

It's December. (You already knew that, I know, but that's not the point.)

I'm popular on Dictionary.com. Sort of.

There's a Superman shirt at Wal-Mart I've been dying to get.

I sent my letter to Jacqueline.

There's a purse waiting for me out there. If you've never been purse-hunting, you're not missing anything, let me tell you. It's one of a female's most stressful shopping jobs.

I learned how to Arrive Alive, how not to be a statistic...etc. Good things to know.

Jennifer Grey (not to mention Derek Hough) won Dancing with the Stars. Yeah, yeah...I am, unfortunately, a follower of that ridiculous show. Does that lower my IQ?

So, yes, I am a typical teenage girl.

I think I need to accept that.

Meet Jacqueline

2010-11-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

I'm here! Alive and well!

Slightly disappointed that I neglected my blog for a month and a half, but alive nonetheless.

Since the last time I was here, I received a letter.

Her name is Jacqueline.

She is the little girl who got my Operation Christmas Child box.

The first letter from Jacqueline I received over the summer.

She speaks only French.

Her second letter is as sweet as it gets.

She drew a picture for me using the crayons I sent her.

I'm convinced that she's the sweetest girl in Niger.

And she wrote a poem called "For Elyse".

"L'amitie"..."Friendship".

"Many people have lost their time trying to buy something that can not be bought.

But when they realize the mistake it is never too late to correct.

Friendship is one thing that we can wholeheartedly do even if there are still difficulties to be opposed.

Friendship is a mysterious feeling that can only be discovered by the heart.

The true friendship lies in the sincerity and love."

I cried.

It amazes me that a little girl so far away from me understands something like this so beautifully.

Jacqueline has made me want to be her best friend, too.

Time to write a letter in French.

gratitude

2010-10-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Boy, was I mad the other day. Some little thing someone said, somewhere...I honestly forget what it was...I just felt like punching them. HARD. It threw me off. I let it get to me. And I went through the rest of my day like that. Not really listening in class, taking zero notes, playing tennis horribly at practice, snapping at my teammates, ignoring my brother's Fantasy Football woes, failing to work on my homework. And yes, what that person said probably wasn't that big of a deal. In the moment, it sure seemed that way.

But as I lay in bed that night, my blood cooling, I thought of something. It hit me. HARD.

What's the problem?

I'm forgetting what I already have, not whatever it was one ignorant person thought I didn't.

So I counted my blessings.

I can go downstairs for a glass of water. (And so I did.)

I can walk downstairs for a glass of water. No wheelchair or braces or crutches. (This I did as well.)

I can pull out my Medieval History textbook and learn as much as I want. (Which I did. I wasn't in the best learning mood, so it didn't last long, but I did.)

I can whip out my cell phone and play a game on it. (I did. Apparently just owning a cell phone puts me in the top percent of the richest young people in the world. Gratitude...)

I have my vision. (I looked at one of my favorite fairy tale books with beautiful illustrations, and greatly enjoyed it.)

I have my innocence. (Which speaks for itself.)

So, as you can see, I have much to be thankful for. I just forget sometimes.

my gift {to you, by you}

2010-10-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Much as I would love to have a picture by my friend Melissa right here, right now, to share with you, I cannot. Alas, my computer is being ridiculous.

What I do have today is a beautiful, sunshiny afternoon. I'd like to share that with you. Alas, I cannot transport you here. So that's out, too...

Oh! I know! I can tell you about the singer at church today; let you hear her beautiful voice...shoot. Can't do that either. Alas, I have no recording of her.

Okay, let me tell you this: it's finally autumn, it's beautiful outside, and I heard someone who has been blessed with a lovely voice.

If you've ever experienced any of those things, call on their memories. It's all I have to give you for now...something you already have.

the issue

2010-09-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

So, here's my idea.

Original oratory this year? Ya know, that speaking thing I do?

I gotta have a speech.

Persuasive; on a human issue.

So here's my idea.

Rating books.

I mean, seriously, we rate everything else.

So why not books?

Isn't a written story just a movie in your mind?

Can't a book scar a young person just as much as a horror movie can?

Yes, I'm focusing on young adults here.

Because their minds are delicate.

Prone to belief in anything that sounds cool.

Developing.

Sounds like me.

So why not protect that?

Because they say...

"They're going to hear about it sooner or later."

"Sheltered kids get nowhere."

"Parents can read along with their kids and explain why it's wrong."

"Freedom of speech is a human right."

Honestly, how many parents of young adults are going to read with their kids?

And how many of the kids whose parents aren't reading with them are going to understand it's wrong...and yet follow the example set by that book they read?

Most of them.

And that's dangerous.

Culture caters to "young adults" in public libraries, too.

Where anyone can pick up any book supposedly written for someone like them and read it without any warning.

Don't get me wrong, literature is good.

But not all of it is good for everyone.

So, how do we fix this?

Pop a PG on the cover and be done?

Maybe?

Well, that's what I'm going to figure out.

The Love Runs Deep

2010-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine it.

Getting married, right now, as old as I am.

That's what my grandma did.

She loved my grandpa.

And he loved her.

She still loves him.

And he still loves her.

Grandma, who shoots air soft pellets at squirrels through the laundry room window.

Grandpa, who makes new friends every time he eats breakfast in town.

Grandma, who is always waiting for us in the kitchen when we come to visit, with food that's "almost ready".

Grandpa, who gets more tools for each new odd job.

They've both been standing for Jesus their whole lives.

They're full of stories, character, strength, and love.

My grandparents, whom I love and respect.

This picture was, in a sense, their engagement shot. Aren't they lovely young people?

i want us to know...

2010-08-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

...that we're all pretty fascinating, when you think about it.

...people who want you to learn are not (fill in the blank).

...someone who's a little different is still worth our time.

...that femininity is not found in playing dumb.

...that manliness is not found in ignorance.

...that breaking rules isn't what true fun is.

...someone will be thinking about us.

...that books are not just for geeks.

..."smart" is a good thing.

...something beautiful.

Sometimes I need to remind myself of these things, too. I tend to see everyone else's issues, point them out, and harp on them in my thoughts. I was the little girl in kindergarten telling the other kids what not to do. Funny, I've befriended those same troublemakers here in high school. But enough about me...that's not what it's about, right? We've all got issues.

At least we get to have them together.

I Took Me Some Photographs

2010-08-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

I went photo-shooting with my dear mama's camera the other day.

I was pretty impressed with myself.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Photography can be done.

Even by someone like me.

make 'em laugh!

2010-08-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone laughs differently.

I look people straight in the eye.

My mother leans.

Dad rarely gets truly tickled, but when he does, he concludes with, "Ah, shoot."

My brother is strange. He smiles big, a lot, but when he laughs, I do too.

My art teacher tears up, or at least rubs his eyes, every time he laughs.

My friend sounds like she's choking, or coming up for air or something.

Another friend airily giggles. It sounds fake, but it's not.

Yet another friend lets out one big blast, then covers her mouth.

An aquaintance has a different laugh every time I see him. He usually sounds like a goat, but it's hilarious for everyone around him. No one cares, and neither does he.

Yet another aquaintance can't talk until the moment is completely over, and even then she might keep on going for awhile.

How do you laugh? I know you've got your own little quirks, because I do too. So tell me.

This picture is of my grandfather John and grandma Bonnie. The Bonnie as in my mother's mother. The one with the brilliant words about doing. See "About the Name". She's obviously tickled here, and leaning over just the way her daughter does.

I love how Grandpa looks impressed with himself. He knows he made his love laugh.

your love is a song...

2010-08-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

symphony

I'm so nothing. I have nothing to recommend me, nothing truly special in the eyes of the world. But in your eyes...in your eyes, I see truth. I see an opportunity to be who you created me to be. You show me what it means to be loved, and I try to show my thanks for it by loving you back.
I think of your love as a symphony, as music that seeps through my thoughts, my inhibitions, and finally, touches my soul. Can I feel that, please? Can I be lost in the songs you sing to me?
You show me your love through daily occurances...a spontaneous thought...a beautiful day...the history you've orchestrated...the people you place in my life...the song I'd forgotten, but heard all the same, at just the right moment. And at that right moment, you tell me what I need to hear.
Please, help me listen to what you say, because I know you speak to me in ways I love.
And I'll continue to love you back.

Filled

2010-08-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

"Lead me with strong hands, stand up when I can't..."

~Sanctus Real

I want to be led.

I want to be emptied of everything I know now - my desires, my hopes, the things I picture for my future, my failures, over and over again, my imperfections, my obsessions, the things and people I love -

I want it all emptied, good and bad alike.

To be empty is to be clean.

To be empty is the potential; gaping, wide-open potential, to be filled.

Refilled with only the good and more: the beautiful, the humble, the simple, the joyous, the dependent.

When you're filled with good things, they create a solid surface. It's something you can lean back against, soak up, and enjoy.

Bad things fill up full of holes, so you always want more. They deceivingly make themselves appear grounded in truth, and when you try to put your weight tentatively on them, they fall through.

I want to be emptied. Cleaned out, refreshed, sanitized, and made full.

In fullness, there's freedom.

Finding My Online Self

2010-07-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've been messin' around with some new templates and fonts and other pretty stuff. So, my color scheme may go from brown and gold to pink and blue to orange and white to who-knows-what. Bear with me as I discover who my blogging personality truly is! It will come to me...

We Do These Things

2010-07-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

An average afternoon, pre-Fourth-of-July, and my mother and I were power-walking through Wal-Mart, searching for blue cups to match the color scheme of the weekend. (Not to be found, by the way. What's up with that?) In the midst of calculating the advantages and disadvantages of buying Tropicana lemonade over Great Value lemonade, and the cooing over the patriotic star-shaped ice cube trays, we stopped in the drink aisle. The one with racks of soda towering over you on one side and water bottles piled up on the other.

All I wanted was cream soda. All I wanted. However, wouldn't ya know, the only rack going empty in the entire aisle was that one. A single bottle lay at the very back, just out of reach. Nevertheless, I was undaunted. I wanted that cream soda. No other would do. I stretched and stretched, up on tip-toes. My fingers brushed the cap, and in that moment of frustration, I said...

"Come on, little buddy, come to me..."

...yeah.

It was at this time that I realized something I'd completely forgotten in my quest for cream soda: other people go to the drink aisle, too. A man stood with his cart full of cat food and an amused expression directly behind me. At that moment, I abandoned my mission quickly and gladly, not wanting to know who else, exactly, had witnessed this. I grabbed some Pepsi and beat it - back to my mom, and far, far away from the man and his cat food.

Fortuanately, I have a mother who laughs. With me, not at me.

Doesn't everyone do stuff like this? Even if you have no one to chuckle with in the moment of flushing, it sure makes a good story for those around you.

Melodious Sonnet

2010-07-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise his name – I’m fixed upon it
Name of God’s redeeming LOVE.

Hither to, thy love has blessed me
Thou hast brought me to this place
And I know thy hand will bring me
Safely home by thy good grace
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Bought me with his precious blood.

O, to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love! Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

~John Wyeth

Something Glorious

2010-06-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Some things I want to experience at some point...

Some weddings...my brother's, a wonderful friend's, and, maybe someday, my own.
An outdoor concert...and I won't care who's playing...as long as it's a symphony.
Receiving an acceptance letter to that great college I'll find one of these days.
Find a love letter written by a long-ago family member.
See this band perform "Something Glorious" again.
Taking pictures of my children someday.
Casually bump into someone famous.
Read my journal in thirty years.
Glimpse a real movie premiere.
My 25-year class reunion.
A tailored outfit.
A great prom.
See Italy.

Won't You Help?

2010-06-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'll get straight to the point: I need some new blogging friends. As much as I love the few blogs I frequent-and I do mean few-I'd like to get to know some of the other corners of the blog-o-sphere. If you'd like to suggest your own blog or someone else's you enjoy, please, please, please comment. I'm lonely here at it is best to be! Truly, (insert pathetic sad face) won't you be my friend?

A Workout

2010-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

You know those times when you say, "There is absolutely no way I'm doing that."? I love saying it. I don't have to do the thing then, because I'm being pathetic and whiny, and therefore no one feels like forcing me to do anything. Oh, I've used it on occasions like, say, spiders in my room, a 100 degree day when it's possible you'll be painting something...outside...So, let me share with you my latest experience with the afore-mentioned phrase.

I returned home this afternoon from the week-long camp my youth group goes to each year. Needless to say, it was a fantastic experience altogether, but the phrase...

Robert, my wonderful, amazing, cool youth pastor, whom I normally completely agree with, suggested, "Sometime this week, we'll probably be going to the ropes course on the property here."

At this point, I felt torn between wanting to slap poor Robert or running to hide.

How dare he offer something like that, I thought. I'm not physical! I have no upper body strength! I'm gonna feel like a total idiot! I'll be standing there the whole time! What's the point of climbing around thirty feet in the air on ropes and cables and whatnot?!

Somehow, I did it.

Yes, after all of my internal complaints, I just climbed up a cargo net (that gave me terrible rope burn and bruises), walked across a bridge made out of two-by-fours (forty feet up), and zip-lined down to the ground (three seconds of which were spent falling straight down). I, Elyse, just did it, and I'm so glad.

Maybe this stands out in my memory because I'm the kind of person who would love to just sit back, be comfortable, and watch extreme sports when...well...never. That's just who I'd accepted myself to be, and I planned on defending that personality trait whenever threatened.

Just doing it made me feel like I could do whatever else I wanted. Maybe it's a good idea for me to stop saying I'll never do something.

Tough

2010-06-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you something: it's tough being a teenager. Especially one with morals. You want to be in but not of. How do you make the right decision? How do you deal with those who seem to think you're odd or out there because of what you believe to be true? How do you say no when it seems impossible, when there's easier options? How do you get over the fact that people around you have different priorities?

Sometimes I enjoy being the voice of reason, because I'm the one with the truth. But that's tough, too. Even when you know you're right, and that they need to hear this, you continue to doubt yourself, wondering if they even care or if any of it is sinking in.

They treat you differently, and you're torn between wanting it and wishing it away.

You want to fit, but know that you never completely can.

Leaving things your heart knows are wrong tears it apart sometimes.

I might sound hopeless, but I know it isn't. There's a point to it all...getting there is tough. *sigh* Sometimes I just wish things were simpler.

"happy birthday, dear elyse..."

2010-06-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

I was born on the day of my baby shower. I apparently wanted to be at the party. It's also Angelina Jolie's birthday, and exactly one month before the fourth of July. However, these things don't really matter as much as the others that have happened over the years on June 4th. Here's some thoughts (well, really mostly my parents'...) on birthdays past.

I hiccupped in the womb. It was a great event for my mother's coworkers.
I didn't cry loudly when I was born, like my brother did. (Let me just say, the "loud" aspect hasn't changed much since then.) I whimpered, like a little lamb.
On my first birthday, I downed an entire Twinkie when my parents' backs were turned.
The sound of the shrieking peacocks mystified me when I went to the zoo at three years old. I guess the goats' tongues, did, too.
I had a cake with a Barbie stuck in the middle for a ballerina party. I loved that cake.
At one birthday, I made a movie with my friends. There were tater tots, photo booths, and guest appearances. Man, that was fun.
There have been tons of wonderful themes my mother is fantastic at planning for. Let's see...sunflowers, carousels, princesses, ballerinas, American Girl, the Wizard of Oz, a tea party, butterflies...

I so love my memories. Happy birthday to me.

Good Senses

2010-05-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

Smell: My darling father's aftershave. It lingers, and yet it isn't overbearing. It seems to make the whole house smell amazing. I never get tired of it, and I tell him so constantly. He definitely smells good.
Sight: My calendar, when I cross off the 26th of every month. It means that the next day, the 27th, my texting bill starts over. Yes, this makes me ridiculously happy. It shouldn't, but it does.
Sound: The crunch and swoosh of my beautiful formal dress. All these poofs and layers. Occasionally I just put it on and swirl around my room. I feel like a Disney princess - completely beautiful.
Taste: One of those giant orange sodas from the cookie kiosk at the mall. I love those things.
Touch: The genuine squeeze of a genuine person who's genuinely glad to see me. Every time I see someone like this, I don't know whether to grin in cheesy joy just to be near them, or stand paralized in awe of their awesomeness. Do I make sense? Probably not. I'm good at that. :)

The Splendor Falls

2010-05-22T13:38:00.001-07:00

The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying.
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O hark, O hear! How thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying;
Blow bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Isn't this beautiful? I'm getting to be a poetry person...huh. Never saw that one coming. :)

So...Today...

2010-05-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Man, it's been a long few weeks. Cramming for finals, EOCs, etc, etc, etc. My thoughts today...

Aw, shoot. School's almost out. I love school!
Being a senior is just about as cool as you get in high school.
As a result, I love seniors.
As a result, I want to be one.
Graduations make me cry.
How in the world do sponges digest food? The absence of a cell wall allows animals what?
I won't have to take biology as a senior.
I refuse to wear heels when I'm graduating.
I'm way too hung up on seniority tonight.

Moving along...

I wish I could take good pictures. Practice, yes...but you kind of have to have a camera that works...and a lot of time.
Lemon cake is delicious.
Pink laptops are very cute.
My birthday is coming up soon!
Elyse on World War II: Hitler was crazy, his wife must have been crazy, too, and it's very hard to grasp the fact that one man was responsible for the destruction of almost half a race.

Well, enjoy the evening. I'll be weeping for the by-gone seniors. And looking up sponge facts.

The House With Nobody In It

2010-05-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

WHENEVER I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I've passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.

I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn't haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn't be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.

This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.

If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I'd put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I'd buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I'd find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.

Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there's nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.

But a house that has done what a house should do, a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby's laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it's left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.

So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can't help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.

- Joyce Kilmer

Relyn did a post about this a while back, and I read it four times in a row. It's so beautifully sad. And if you know me, you know I'm not a poetry kind of gal. This was touching.

Atticus Is the Man

2010-04-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

I have finished To Kill A Mockingbird for the very first, but not the last, time. It was required reading, but it didn't feel like it to me. Normal required reading is considered dusty, dull, and old. But this story really struck a chord with me. I don't suppose I'm the first, since it wouldn't be required reading if it hadn't at some point. But, required or not, I loved this book. My favorite character was Atticus.

He's the man.

I sat there reading, thinking, "This guy is so smart. Man, this guy is smart. So smart." I mean, I can't imagine saying things like that off the top of my head! So poignant, yet so true.

Maybe it's just the manhood thing. Atticus is a real man. He is emotional, you can tell, but isn't afraid to hide it. He admits he's getting old. He's honest with his children. He's strong, but doesn't boast it, only using it when he needs to. He does the dirty work. He is self-controlled. He's smart. He knows he's a man.

This is coming from a teenage girl's point of view, but wouldn't it be nice if all men were like Atticus? Stepping up, taking initiative, being men, yet not over-doing it. I'm pretty sure that, if anything, men want to be like Atticus, somebody so respected for the right reasons, deep down inside.

I Love It

2010-04-10T14:13:00.002-07:00

I am in a play. And I love it, let me tell you. I can't get enough of it. Why?

The excitement of auditions. They really are pretty great. "Ooh, she's pretty good. Naw, they won't make it. Oh, I did terrible! No, you did just fine. He'd be good as so-and-so..." Nerve-wracking but way fun.
The leap your heart gets when you see the cast list. Surprise for some, shock for others. "Guess who I got? Yes, I did! Who are you? Really?! I can't believe it!"
Rehearsals. Continuous laughing, line-checking, stumbling, more laughing, bumbling, yelling, and more laughing.
Dress rehearsals. "You should have your lines down by now! Speak up! Man, I messed that up bad. Set changes need to be quicker! Um...can you help me with my makeup? This doesn't fit. I hate this lipstick!" One of the best parts.
Pre-show antics. It's a secret world of it's own. All kinds of games and laughs and makeup-fixing.
The actual performance. "Oh, the audience liked that part. Whoops, skipped a line. Nice job, guys. He's ad-libbing a lot. Wish me luck. Break a leg!"
The applause.

I'm A Geek

2010-03-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen those people who get excited about certain things that don't seem to matter in the long run? That aren't even true, but love the stuff anyway? Like Trekkies. And Twilighters. Those "Mrs. Cullen"s. Whatever, I say. I smirk at their obsessions like everyone else. But I'm also human, and I'm a geek, too, so I know people smirk at me sometimes, too. Feel free to do so as you read this. :) But what am I geek about, you may ask?

The Lightning Thief series. If you've never heard of these books or don't know what they're about, this will fill you in. If I lived in New York City, I would have been at the premier in a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

Jane Austen. This may not apply to me in full because I (don't hit me) haven't read the books. I know. Very bad. But I like the movies...does that count at all? My mother says I can't buy the shirt that says, "I randomly quote Jane Austen," (which I do) until I've actually read the books. I'm getting around to it...:)

The Rebelution. I check the website every time I'm online for their latest blog post. It's so incredibly refreshing to read anything by the Harris brothers. This is a good geek-thing.

Chuck. The TV show about that be-Conversed, bumbling, adorable spy who loves his partner agent (but won't admit it) and works at an electronics store in the Nerd Herd as his cover. I love it. My family will testify to the fact that every time it hits eight o'clock on Monday night, I can be found shrieking, "Chuck is on! Chuck is on! I love you, Chuck!" to the screen.

Yes, I can be very pathetic when these things are anywhere near me. Like I said, I'm human, too. But I gotta admit, I love life even more when Chuck is on, or when I'm reading about Percy and Annabeth and Grover, or having a bi-weekly P&P movie night with my mom, or checking in with other rebelutionaries, so I guess it's worth it. :)

The Tunes

2010-03-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

How 'bout the songs I listen to? I've got so many I love and then wear out, but some just keep coming back for special occasions.

Pumpin' up tunes - Bring 'em Out by Hawk Nelson, It's All About You by PureNRG, and Jump by Van Halen (of course).
Sleepy-time tune - Silent Night by Celtic Woman (yes, Christmas song, but it's in the most beautiful language ever...it's the old language of Ireland, I think?).
Pre-band competition tune - August's Rhapsody (see playlist!) and Bari Improv by Mark Mancina.
"Why am I here?" moment tunes - Lost Get Found by Britt Nicole and Tears of the Saints by Leeland (the first song that made me cry in a concert).
When I just want to be a teenager tune - Because You Live by...(yes, I like him)...Jesse McCartney. (Smite me.) Oh, and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade, and Apologize by OneRepublic. Wow, didn't realize just how much of a teenage girl I am.
Good ol' tunes - Monday, Monday by the Mamas and the Papas, Day O by Harry Belafonte, and The Way You Look Tonight by Steve Tyrell.

Can you relate to any of them? Any suggestions for other categories?

Ick

2010-03-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Do you know that feeling? The little pinch inside that says, "That's stupid. You're stupid. Why did you do that, stupid person?" Well, I do. I really don't like it that much. Here's an example...
I was walking down a hallway, and truly, I'll admit, I was pathetically trying to look cool, like I had somewhere I needed to be, like I had it all together. Right. Interesting how our conscience works. I'm convinced that it was bored and felt like picking on me. It whispered a little snickering message to my arm, and then to my hand. "Fling the water bottle across the hall!" it said. I hope it had fun. I did, and it worked. To make it worse, the cap on the bottle broke, and the little water that was left went everywhere. "Stupid, stupid Elyse!" it said.
Well, no, I did not succeed in appearing the least bit cool. In fact, I'm sure I looked pretty klutzy. That little pinch had a good time. I didn't.

Feminism...Sort Of

2010-03-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Feminism is great. Wonderful. Fantastic. Without it, women would still be mostly looked down upon. No voting. No equal pay. No higher positions or promotions.

Perhaps (most likely) you've seen or read Mary Poppins. You know the mother of the children in the story? She's a suffragette. Like, a completely obsessed suffragette. Never home, never caring for or disciplining her children. She's so caught up in the cause that her first duty is forgotten. Now then, here comes my true appreciation for feminism, because so many women risked so much for their rights. For that I'm very, very grateful. But perhaps we forget what a woman's first priority is - being the helper of the genders.

Our culture has told us, ever since womens' rights, that being the helper is bad, very bad. I'm not saying that that's the calling of every woman, but it's what we were made for. And that's not a bad thing. We've bought into that lie and have settled for less, when women should be taking pride in being feminine and the role they therefore play.

I'd like to maybe share that with a few people, through an original oratory speech next year - why it's important to remember to be feminine while being feminist. The speech is supposed to be persuasive. What do you think? Would male judges appreciate the topic as well? Would a woman who is very pro-womens' rights even listen? Would you personally agree with this topic if presented well? Give me some feedback! I'd love to know your thoughts.

Thoughts

2010-02-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

So, what am I thinking about today? This...

How much I want a Christa Taylor dress.
This analogy.
Affirmative Action. I must write a four-minute speech about it before Friday.
How discrimination is so cruelly unfair.
How wonderful it would be if everyone knew Jesus.
How nice it would be to get a blog makeover done by this person.
Why I can't write poetry.
How incredible Jane Austen's world of communication was.
What it would be like to live in Hungary, where our church's missionaries are headed.
Why I'm so terrible at photography.
Why I didn't take art this year.
How pointless I believe high school dances can be.
Why it's so terrible to have to eat a meal with a plastic spoon, as some people seem to think it is.
How lovely it would be to have someone come and do my laundry for me...and fold everything...and clean my room...
How totally cool I'd be if I could sword fight.
How blessed I am to have been born into this, my family.
How neat it is to have five followers, compared to last week's two. :)
Why songs get stuck in our heads and refuse to move out.
How much pure fun it is to be in a play.

This picture was taken by my friend Melissa. Hence my thought today about being a terrible photographer, which I am. Melissa, however, is obviously not.

The Big Red Button

2010-02-26T10:24:00.001-08:00

http://www.toysforyourblog.com/games/bigred/

Follow this link...if you have some time and don't mind being taunted by a button. Maybe you've seen this before, but it's a lot of fun. Give it a shot! I spent fifteen minutes of my life with this thing. Was it worth it? No...but it made me smile.

Messy Yet Beautiful

2010-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, blog. Nice to be back. I took a break at the beginning of the year. Some prioritizing was necessary. So, for today, I have a post I drafted forever ago. Here goes...

When I'm old and gray, and I have a house of my own, I want to be the one with the fun house. Haven't you read a book about the mysterious old lady with the weird house? Somehow, it can then become a sanctuary for a lucky young person.
Yes, my house will have many rooms, each with it's own special personality. I want one room filled with bookshelves, and, having read each and every one of them, I'll invite others to do the same. We can sit and sip tea and talk about the hidden meanings in every story. Then I'll have a clean room, with pale teal walls and hand-made rugs with a million colors. It'll have a window that opens out into a beautiful garden and a wrought-iron bed with fresh white sheets. Oh, and then I'll have a memory room, filled from ceiling to floor just with things from the past. You know how much I'd love to be in a room like that? To be in the past, just for a moment? Ah, well. Next will be a writing room I keep all of my stories, and that's where they'll live.

Yes, when I'm old, I don't plan on being lonely. Loneliness is a choice. That's why I dream of having a house that's alive with stories and history, so that others who appreciate those things can enjoy them.

December 26

2009-12-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

So, it's the day after Christmas. Mine was a beautiful one. I stayed home, and I talked with my family. I recieved beautiful presents wrapped in love, and I gave a some myself. Jesus Christ is born, and the hype is slowing down. Christmas candy is on sale, and the radio station that was playing Christmas music is now playing "positive, encouraging, and uplifting" music to "lift you out of the post-Christmas blues". Why is that? Because we're all sad that Christmas is over? That there's nothing to look forward too? That there's no more presents?! Well, get out of your Christmas blues by yourself, is what I say! Why be sad? Jesus is born! Our Savior is here! He's still alive, and he came and made it possible to live forever with the Creator of the Universe in paradise! Come ON!
Not only that, but its almost a new year! Yeah, yeah, sounds cliche, but I think nothing says fresh start like a new year on the calendar. New stuff to do, new stuff to use, a fresh start to look at things differently. I know what I'll be doing differently this year! How about you? Get up! Go outside! Christmas is every single day! We can celebrate the birth of Jesus every day! It doesn't have to come wrapped in shiny paper! "JOY to the world, the Lord is come! Let Earth recieve her King!..." It doesn't say anywhere in any Christmas carol that the joy stops on December 25. Happy Day After Christmas, everyone.

Beauty

2009-12-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished a marvelous book. It completely took me by surprise; I wasn't expecting anything. That's probably what made it so great. I tend to be disappointed by honor books, but this isn't one and is fantastic! The book is Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Honour is a plain young woman who has the ironic nickname of Beauty and two knock-out sisters. She and her family are forced to leave their comfortable city life for the country, but they are together, so all are content. The forest they live near is supposedly enchanted, but Beauty's father discovers just how enchanted it is. He makes an unfortunate mistake, the penalty for which is death, but Beauty intervenes and sacrifices her life with her family for the life of her father. A Beast lives in a beautifully mysterious, and Beauty goes to him to pay her father's debt. The Beast is a true gentleman, though he is never described, and Beauty lives comfortably, waited on by charmed servants. Her life, however, is never completely whole without her family. And after several months with Beast, she is allowed to return home temporarily, and everything changes.
Truly, the story isn't written for children, though it could have been; it was refreshing change from the books filled with profanity and unnecessarily thorough descriptions written in for the shock factor. Also refreshing was the character of Beauty herself. She is a strong woman who, for once, plays the heroine and isn't pretty. Not only that, but her feelings for Beast are so wonderfully gradual. The book is beautifully written, and connections (which I love) are made throughout the story back to the familiar tale everyone thinks they already know. This is not just another fairy tale with a twist; its a classic fairy tale in itself.

A List

2009-12-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Relyn's post, I was inspired to write my own list. These are things I'm thankful for. And not just oh-that's-nice-life-is-good thankful, but true, deep, heartfelt thanks. Strangely, I made a list already, just a couple of days ago in Algebra II. Hm...what got me thinking about that then, I wonder? :) Who knows. Here we go...

I can actually take a class like Algebra II, and I'm not completely confused yet.
No one is out to kill me.
My parents love me.
The Creator of the universe loves me. (This is more than true, deep, heartfelt thanks. Seriously. This is part of my soul.)
I have my own space to sit back and relax.
There are options in my future; it's not set in stone like others'.
My family and myself are healthy and in good spirits.

Okay, now for some oh-isn't-that-nice thanks.

My school has less than 500 people in it.
I can sit in a house decorated with lights just because, not because I need them to see.
The ball team is currently undefeated.
I played a song on the piano for jazz band. Without stopping and squinting at the notes.
A penny was lying heads-up in front of my locker this morning. I put it in my shoe.
I don't have blisters from the penny in my shoe.
It's almost Friday.

That's not all, but that's the basics. Excuse me, please, while I go give my mother and father (and even my repetitively-Christmas-caroling brother) a big hug.

Jeans

2009-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking...surprise! I thought about how our society is so color-oriented. Our living rooms have color schemes, our bedrooms have their own decorating palette. But its not just in our houses. Clothing. Oh, clothing. I love clothes and putting outfits together as much as the next teenage girl, but I realized how much we wear jeans. Magazines, fashion experts, and department stores describe jeans as being a "wardrobe staple", but they're blue. Our colorful society thinks of a rough blue cloth as being normal. We wear jeans with every single color in the spectrum! Oh, sure, there's lots of different colored jeans out there now. We got pink and orange and zebra-striped and holey jeans. But they were originally a burlap-y color, invented by a man out in the West for the hard workers out there. Somehow, they evolved into blue jeans. I just find it strange that when our living rooms wear blue and black and orange together, it's odd, but when we wear them on ourselves, we're styling a staple.

A Great Quote

2009-11-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

I recently heard the neatest quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. He was speaking to a group of high-school students six months before he was assasinated. I think it echoes something I've been thinking about lately.

"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streest like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, 'Here lived a street sweeper who swept their job well!'"

I've been contemplating the different ways I sweep my street. Do I do it well? Is it enough? Is this one little thing honestly going to impact my future?

Yes.

No matter what my life turns out to be, I will know that my street will be swept well.

Spontaneously

2009-11-12T17:45:00.001-08:00

So, several things are going through my mind right now. And I'll share them with you.

My original oratory speech (I posted about it awhile back) was relatively successful. Granted, I didn't make it to the finals, or even the semifinals. Okay, I didn't make it past the first round, but it was meaningful to me nonetheless. I'm hoping I can have it completely memorized by the next tournament. Hopefully.
Picture day is tomorrow. Hmph. I look back now on too many years of pictures. I wasn't really into the whole ordeal in elementary school; that was my mom's thing. She was the one who did my hair and picked out the outfit. Ah, the days where it wasn't my responsibilty for how I presented myself. I wish I could go back sometimes.
Some of my favorite words. I know, I know, kind of odd after those two things, but it's something I've been thinking about.

- vivacious

- tea

- cumpleanos (Okay, this is Spanish, but it's a delicious word anyway.)

- light

- carousel

- ridiculous

- fabacious (It means bean-like. I never use it, but that's not the point.)

- indignant

- clarinet

- zinger

- eight

- melancholy

- indelible

- majesty

And with that, I shall bid farewell.

Music

2009-11-01T15:29:00.001-08:00

I went to a concert last night. It wasn't huge, it wasn't small. At first my head told me, "Take pictures! Record it! You'll want to look back on this!" But I told my head to be quiet and make room for the music. Oh, the music. I just sat there and closed my eyes to take in the music. It was worth it. The singers had such a gift. We are told that whenever two or three people gather, God's presence is there. He was there. It was one of those times where you just know God is smiling and singing, too. I sang along. Music is to me what God's voice sounds like. I can't wait to be at His concerts.

Simply Gorgeous

2009-10-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Some things just take my breath away.

Nature astounds me.

The stories behind each picture are a mystery.

I love the idea of capturing a moment.

P.S. I'm still mastering the art of posting pictures. Google Images isn't the best place to find quality, I've learned.

Oratory? Definitely. Original?...Ugh.

2009-10-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

I love Do Hard Things. It's on my top five books list. I never get tired of reading it, and it has a place located very close to my heart. So, when I figured that I'd do an original oratory speech about it for debate, I thought, "This will be so simple! I'll just use stuff from the book yet make it my own!" No, Elyse, that's plagairism. I knew that. Silly me. So, now what do I do? Well, what ended up happening was me sitting myself down at Word with Do Hard Things in hand, and just typing. It was very negative, with no hope. "Teenagers are going to be the demise of the world!!!" was basically the unintended message. So I started over. It sounds more hopeful, and I think that its much more "me". I really think this speech could have effects beyond the competition room. I want to inspire people with what I say. Please pray that I can use the soil I've been given to be fruitful. So many opportunities present themselves in debate. This is one of them.

Tennis Lessons

2009-10-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

My tennis season is over. It makes me sad; it felt so good to just get out there and concentrate on nothing but a little yellow ball. But so many great things came out of it. I learned a lot, like...

You learn a lot about people when you're in a small space together.
Never read in a stick-shift car.
Kindle a friendship where you both laugh at the exact same things.
Dry your spandex before you wear them.
Ok, try to avoid spandex in general.:)
It's okay to swing and miss sometimes...at least it's going somewhere.
Move your feet.
Shake hands when the game is over.
Love all.
Laugh when you mess up.
Know that the next match is still going to be there.
Focus.
Country music is beautiful and annoying at the same time.
Sometimes love is bad and lines are good.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

2009-09-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's been so long, my friends. I apologize. But here I am with so many ideas! Tennis is in full swing, marching band is, well, marching in (pardon the pun), and I love history! Through some mysterious circumstance, I didn't take history last year...a mistake I regret. I love it! I knew I always loved it, but I just needed to be reminded. History may have passed, but the evidence it existed is fascinating.
We've been learning about ancient Mesopotamia, and their crazy religion. The Epic of Gilgamesh, for example, is considered to be the first book. The stories were Biblical! The Flood, Job, Creation...all of it, with different character names and some twists in the stories that weren't so Biblical. But I got to share with my class the story of Job as the Bible tells it. It was so cool.
Then, another cool thing hit me. One Sunday morning in youth, we were talking about Jonah. Our youth pastor showed us a map from Nineveh to Jonah's destination for running away. The trip would have taken a year in that time period! With all the commercial stops and drop offs...here I was thinking he was just taking a quick jaunt across the Mediterranean, when Jonah is running from his life. And lo and behold, what do we learn that week in history? That of the story of Nineveh.
I love connections. It's when you realize that you've heard this somewhere before, that this was in a book you were reading, that that poster was on the wall in your kindergarten classroom, that you get excited. I made the connection, and I was like, "I LOVE this! Tell me more, tell me more!" How neat-o is God?

And One More Thing For Today...

2009-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

This video gave me chills. Loved the song already, but this is so cool. I wish I could sing with abandon like those kids. It doesn't matter what people are thinking; you love the music. Enjoy!

Unphotographable Moments

2009-09-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Relyn's blog occasionally has posts about what she calls "unphotographable moments", times when you see something that is touching in a small way; things that a picture couldn't do justice to. I saw one today.
Have you ever been to a festival or fair where a tractor pulls a miniature "train" around the grounds? Children love them, especially the Thomas the Train fanatics. Well, I went to an event with one of those crawling about the yard. I happened to look at just the right time. Three boys, all around ten or eleven, were sitting in the last three cars. Of course they didn't fit, but I'm telling you - those boys were having the time of their lives in that train. Almost identical - arms crossed over their chests, heads leaned back, legs sticking out of the car, smiles on their faces - yet so different.
I just wanted to share with you the little things. I simply thought this was unphotographable. A picture couldn't capture joy.

Small Things That Make Me Happy

2009-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

waking up and stretching
using a new sponge doing the dishes
white dresses
buying a soda during lunch
charades
sunsets
getting my homework done at school
taking a shower with a fancy soap
watching home videos
the school supplies aisle at Walmart
eating soup on a rainy day
old photographs
being hugged
saying something really clever
being there when the ball team wins
watching Pride and Predjudice with Mom
staying at a hotel
standing on a balcony
going to camp
singing when everyone else is outside
seeing my dog, Sundae, with her deflated volleyball

What makes you happy?

ESPN Can Mean Something

2009-08-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I am NOT a sports fan. Nor am I a fan of ESPN magazine. But recently, some of their articles have been striking chords with me. It started when my youth pastor showed us the cover of ESPN with Zac Sunderland, a 17-year-old who became the youngest person to circumnavigate the world. Solo. His whole inspiration was Do Hard Things, the idea of the Rebelution! And now, today, ESPN surprised me once again with two great articles my dad read. One is about Colt McCoy, the quarterback for the Longhorns. (Hook 'em, Horns.) He is, essentially, superhuman to most people. He is truly amazing. Check out just one article here. And last but not least, my favorite article. In the very back of the magazine, no less. Did you know that there are children who cannot be in the sun or fluorescent lights for more than a minute, or they contract cancerous tumors? There are. It is amazing, fascinating, and sad. But these kids got to be with their favorite baseball players for the first and last time. Since the kids basically can't go outside in the sun, they do all outdoor activities at night. Therefore, some of the top Yankee baseball players went to play with 12 kids on their home field at three o' clock in the morning. Wow. It just blows my mind. I can't even do the story justice. Google it. It's amazing. And thanks to ESPN. I'm proud of you.

Grease is the Word...

2009-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry, it's been awhile...nice to be back! Well, school has started, tennis has begun (yay!), and I have seen what is probably one of the most popular movies of all time. Grease. And I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed. Slightly. Don't get me wrong, it was cute. Is it on my list of favorites? Nope. In my opinion, the best parts were the songs, which shouldn't really be a surprise to anyone. :) They're so catchy! As I listened, I found myself thinking, "Wow, I didn't know this is from Grease!" As for everything else, it was just okay. Alright, scratch that. I LOVED Olivia Newton John's clothes. So simple and cute. I wish that it would be considered normal to wear clothes like that now. *sigh* But, anyway, the whole thing really didn't have a storyline. All I saw was how life was for a "normal" teenager in the fifties. I don't even think it was close to accurate, except for the greased hair itself. I really don't know. This movie made me want to research a little bit more about the actual fifties, not the fifties in the movies. Altogether, it was not what I had expected it to be. My life does not feel more complete after having (finally?) watching the infamous Grease.

The Great Ones

2009-08-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

I added some new blogs to the list! (They are also renamed as "Simply The Best." The Tina Turner song? Get it?) Be sure to check out Afshin Ziafat. He hasn't updated since June, but his website has some really good stuff. BTW, he was the speaker at camp this year. Another great blog I recently came across is Beth Ann of A Modest Heart. Her posts are excellent! And as for Hoops and Yoyo...if you don't know them, they are the characters that appear on their own line of Hallmark cards. They are so incredibly cute, I couldn't resist putting up their blog, too! Good stuff. I love blogging!

Back to School

2009-08-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

So, school's almost started again. And I have to admit, at first I didn't exactly like the fact that every store takes the initiative to interrupt our tranquil summers with signs not-so-subtly poking fun at students. "Back-to-School Sale! Ha ha, you little scholars. You have to go back to homework! No more fun, no more, no more, hee hee hee!...."
But, seriously, I really actually enjoy school immensely. I don't always feel like this. It's the 'ol end-of-summer blues. Sigh. *Insert depressing jazz music here* I have had a great, relaxing, memorable summer, filled with great things, like:

Student Life Camp.
A trip to St. Louis.
Beginning blogging. :)
A super fun birthday celebration with some great friends.
A beautiful wedding. I love to dress up. :)
Some time with my family.

I do love summer, but school will be great. I love the clubs, the people, the day-to-day, and I do like homework, just not always in the moment. :) So, here's to school, the stepping stone of knowledge. Another year of learning. Sounds good to me.

Do Hard Things

2009-07-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

I figured I should let you in on a big interest of mine. It's called the Rebelution. To deny that it is part of my life is like denying that George Washington was a president. The Rebelution is defined as "a teenage rebellion against low expectations." It was started by two brothers-Alex and Brett Harris- who saw the need for a revamping of teenagers today. They wrote a book, which happens to be one of my favorites, that challenges teens to "do hard things," their motto. Doing hard things means doing things that our culture considers tough or strange for a teenager. Their book includes the picture of what our culture has taught teenagers to believe about themselves, exactly what it means to do hard things, and how teens can change our culture if they try-because we are capable of doing incredible things for God's Kingdom. I love their entire mission, and if you've never heard of them, be sure to check them out. Doing hard things has become my goal, and I believe that the message of the Rebelution is one everyone can take something out of, teen or adult. I'll try to publish more about this later.

The Pictures Are Temporary!

2009-07-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Yes, I just added those pictures as a banner. Some are fuzzy. It's just a temporary, that is until I become a bit more techologically proficient on these blog things. :) The pictures represent most of the themes from past birthday parties. They represent great times and loving family. I was inspired when I stumbled upon an old box of birthday cards. As I shuffled through them, it hit me-these people love me. They aren't just pieces of paper. They sent their love with the card. And they will always support me. It's an amazing feeling, knowing that I'm lucky enough to have so many people who will be there for me, no matter what. I broke down in thankfulness. The gratitude welled up inside me. I am so blessed.

Color in Darkness

2009-07-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about it? Color is everywhere. Even in black holes, (though some say that neither black nor white are colors, I beg to differ) creation echoes a rainbow of beautiful colors. Some examples of my favorite color-places...

The mountains of California. They represent something so majestic, so powerful. Their dark, tall sides, dotted with evergreens and buzzing with life. How beautiful.
Trees. We overlook them often enough. The rich green of leaves in spring makes me constantly wish I had a dress that color, though I know full well that the deepness of that green could never be captured in any dye.
Flowers. We appreciate the beauty and splash of color they bring. Just seeing a bed of flowers in the middle of a city makes me smile.
The beach. The bright, sometimes blinding of turquoise waters, crystal clear and (sometimes) unpolluted by man. The sand, with it's muted colors, is still colorful, and beautiful in it's own way.

Look around you. Right now. See the spectrum God has created for us to live in and soak up.

Hello, World!

2009-07-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hello there! My name is Elyse, and welcome to my humble beginners' blog. (Many thanks to Relyn for being so inspirational with her beautiful blog and cyber-knowledge. Without her I would be lost!) A little bit about me...

I'm an avid reader.
I'm an avid writer.
I'm a not-so-avid outdoor person, although I live on several acres. However, I do enjoy creation...from the other side of a window. :)
My family is my rock, and I love them dearly.
Oh, yes, I'm a teenager in a public school.
My life is Christ's. I live for Him.

Thanks for stopping by! Ya'll come back now, ya hear?