Little Choices

Just two choices on the shelf.

Oh what could the choices be?

Pleasing God or pleasing self.

Oh I would more like Jesus be!

-Ken Collier

     "Soft little choices." It's a phrase that my pastor uses all the time. These are the choices that we make that are "small" but always lead to something a little bigger... then a little bigger... and even a little bigger... until suddenly we find that we are deep in sin. These could be choices of omission or commission, but either can be bad.

     I've been making tons of bad choices lately. Putting off things that I should do or doing things that I shouldn't. Sometimes it's obvious, "this is a soft little choice that could lead to something bigger." Other times it's hard to see and I'm left wondering what little road is the right one.

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away 
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
 Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid 
When you give yourself away 
People never crumble in a day 
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
-Casting Crowns

     On an opposite note, sometimes it's the tiniest little wise choices that can lead us to make greater wise choices. These seemingly insignificant moves in the right direction can have such a huge impact on our usefulness for Christ!

     This week, I commit to look twice at the choices I am making. Will you?

     P.S. I'm not really that familiar with Casting Crowns and I don't know the song Slow Fade... I just found it online and thought it fit.

Three Things Monday: Places to Dream of

Venice. It's so beautiful and romantic!

Prince Edward Island. It's so beautiful... and the setting to a story I just happen to love!

London. So historic! The home of Sherlock Holmes! Etc etc etc!

Kindle Cover

     As I mentioned in a previous post, I am the *very* happy owner of a Kindle Fire. As much as the thing cost, I want to be sure that I take good care of it! But when I looked at covers online, I was rather disheartened. There was really nothing that I could afford. So I decided to try and come up with something on my own. I rifled through an assortment of random things that I never throw away (I could write an interesting post on that collection... empty spools of various sorts and sizes, torn paper, holey socks, etc etc etc) What did I come up with? Two sheets of really thin foamy stuff. They were barely big enough, but I sewed them together and to a scrap of denim I found. 

     I went through our fabric box downstairs and picked out two fabrics that I liked. I had no clue how I was going to use them, but I figured that it might be nice to be experimenting with two colors instead of just one. lol The main fabric I decided to use was green.

     Well, it's certainly not perfect, but I finally made a little pouch to put the kindle in. It's rather lumpy in places because the foam bunched up a bit. I decided to make a strap, too, though I might take it off later. I made the strap by braiding strips of the brown fabric together.

      My mom's sewing machine is really awesome, so I added this cute little flower design:

     I'm a little afraid that the edges will fray a lot more over time, but I like the look of it right now. And it will serve it's purpose for awhile... until I can buy or make something better. Or just fall completely in love with it lumps and all!

Sherlocked

I love Sherlock Holmes. Any time I hear his name, I perk up and wonder what might be new for his 21st century fans. It was over a year ago that I saw something online. "Sherlock BBC" Apparently Sherlock was coming to television... as a 21st century detective. I was skeptical. Oh, so skeptical. Yet very interested.

Finally, Masterpiece Mystery aired the episodes here in the states and I was able to watch them online. The first episode was amazing. I decided that Sherlock definitely worked in the 21st century and that Benedict Cumberbatch was the perfect choice to play him! Here are my reviews of the show:

[I took out some of the spoilers, but some are still there... FYI]

Season One Episode One: A Study in Pink

The police are investigating the deaths of a series mysterious suicides that are all linked by the same pill. Detective Inspector Lestrade turns to Sherlock Holmes for help in figuring out the strange deaths - deaths which Sherlock believes to be the work of a serial killer. Meanwhile, Sherlock is introduced to John Watson and the two decide to become flat mates. John starts to get to know and trust Holmes in spite of the consulting detective's arrogance. Sherlock eventually discovers the serial killer and goes to see him, careless of the danger he is placing himself in. John saves Sherlock's life by shooting the serial killer who reveals that the entire scheme was invented by a man called Moriarty.

Negatives: Foul language pops up here and there. I can't remember how many times because I edited it out. Though Sherlock and Watson are *NOT* gay, the gay lifestyle is mentioned and approved of in a couple of instances. Gross.

I was a bit disturbed by the gay references in this episode, but my relief that Sherlock and Watson are not gay themselves was intense. I had been quite worried about that aspect.  In any event, this episode was my favorite of the first season.

Season One Episode Two: The Blind Banker

Holmes is hired by an old friend to investigate a mysterious break-in at a bank in the City. He discovers that symbols spray-painted onto an office wall are a coded message intended for an employee of the bank, who is later discovered dead in his flat. The next day, a journalist is killed and the same symbols are found nearby. Holmes and Watson follow a trail of clues that link the two dead men to a Chinese smuggling ring, who are trying to retrieve a valuable item that one of them stole. Holmes eventually cracks the coded message based on Suzhou numerals and a book cipher, but not before Watson and a female friend are kidnapped by the criminals. Holmes rescues Watson's friend but the leader of the gang escapes. After escaping, the leader of the gang is in communication with her superior, who is identified by the initial "M".

Negatives: One or maybe two swearwords.

I felt like parts of this episode were a little darker than necessary, but overall I enjoyed it. I didn't think they showed Sherlock's abilities to their full potential, but it was still a good episode.

Season One Episode Three: The Great Game

Sherlock Holmes is commissioned by his brother Mycroft to investigate the suspicious death of a government employee who was working on a top-secret defence project: the Bruce-Partington Project. After apparently rejecting the case and handing it over to Watson, Holmes begins to be taunted by a criminal who puts his victims into explosive vests and sets Holmes deadlines to solve the apparently unrelated cases, which include a twenty-year-old cold case involving the shoes of a drowned boy, the disappearance of a businessman, the death of a TV personality and the death of an art gallery guard. As Holmes solves the cases, he finds links between them. After clearing up the original case of the civil servant, Holmes tries to force his unseen adversary to reveal himself. Near the end of the episode Holmes and Moriarty reach a standoff and Jim reveals that he is responsible for the crimes. [The episode ends on a cliffhanger mid-standoff. GAH!]

Negatives: Some language. Watson spends the night with his girlfriend. A few gay references.

This episode shows Sherlock's character quite well in my opinion. He gets so wrapped up in what he's doing and he has a total lack of normal human emotion. This episode was better than the second one as far as showing off just who Sherlock is.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the show. The bad things were pretty easy to edit out for the most part. There is some violence in this show as well as a few intense moments, but I didn't put that in as a negative because, quite frankly, I don't see it as such. =) Anyhow... Ending the season on a cliffhanger was so cruel! I spent a year coming up with a hundred possibilities for how things were going to end. I didn't even come close to what actually happened in the first episode of season two.

Season Two Episode One: A Scandal in Belgravia

Mycroft hires Holmes and Watson to retrieve compromising photos of a minor royal held on the camera phone of Irene Adler, a ruthless and brilliant dominatrix who also trades in classified information extracted from her rich and powerful clients. Holmes obtains Adler's phone, but discovers it is booby-trapped and requires a code to disarm it. When Adler discovers that the CIA are on her trail, she disappears and is then apparently killed, only to reappear months later when the coast is clear. Adler manipulates Holmes into deciphering a coded message on her phone which she obtained from another well-connected client. She sends the message to Moriarty, who in turn uses it to foil a British counter-terror operation.

Negatives: This is by far the worst thing that was ever put in front of my eyes. There was some language. Strong gay references. Waaaaaay too much disrobing.

I cannot recommend that anyone watch this episode. It's a pity because there is so much potential in it. There are some great lines! If they could have just made Irene Adler a different person... In any event, after this episode, I was hesitant to watch the next one. A friend of mine said that she's going to give the show up altogether.

Season Two Episode Two: Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock and John are contacted by Henry Knight, a man plagued by the traumatic memories of the death of his father at the hands of a monstrous hound on Dartmoor years before. Investigating Dewer's Hollow, a local spot where the beast was allegedly seen, as well as the nearby Ministry of Defence testing site Baskerville, Holmes and Watson uncover a conspiracy wherein one of the Baskerville scientists, Dr. Frankland, is continuing the work of an aborted project to create a hallucinogenic gas for military use. The episode concludes with a confined Jim Moriarty being taken out of his cell.

Negatives: Foul language (increased from the first season). I can't remember any other negatives right now...

This was the creepiest episode as far as I'm concerned. I still really liked it, though! I think it could rate as one of the scariest things that I have ever watched, but that's because the hound kept bringing back memories of a nightmare I've had since I was pretty young. (That nightmare including the wolves from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) I want to see this episode again, though... I wasn't able to watch it all in one sitting because I got interrupted.

Season Two Episode Three: The Reichenbach Fall

After a series of high-profile cases lead Sherlock to fame, Moriarty launches a simultaneous heist on the Tower of London, Bank of England and Pentonville Prison, for which he allows himself to be captured and put on trial. He secures a not guilty verdict through blackmailing the jury and visits Sherlock, explaining he still intends to 'burn' him, taunting him with a "final problem" for him to solve. Soon afterwards, Moriarty arranges for the kidnapping of the children of an American ambassador, who are terrified of Sherlock once he has them rescued. This, in conjunction with the ease with which Sherlock solves the case, leads to Sherlock becoming a suspect. Sherlock escapes arrest and soon learns Moriarty has constructed a fake identity as an actor hired by Sherlock, and has seeded the press with the story. The two meet on the roof of a hospital, where Moriarty explains that assassins will kill John, Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade if Sherlock does not commit suicide; he wants Holmes to do this to cement his planted story of Sherlock being a fraud. After a tense conversation in which Moriarty realizes the two are enough alike that Sherlock could extract the code to call off the assassins from him, Moriarty shoots himself. Sherlock calls John and 'confesses' to being a fraud (which John refuses to believe) and then apparently steps off the roof. He is vilified in the press. John and Mrs. Hudson meet alone at his grave to say their goodbyes; the final seconds show Sherlock watching from afar, having faked his death in a manner unseen by the viewers.

I. loved. this. episode. It was done so well! And I think I have an idea about how Sherlock survived, but I'm most likely wrong. I was way off base when last season ended! But I'll write my idea down somewhere just in case I'm right... then I can tell everyone that I am a genius! LOL

In conclusion, here is something from Wikipedia:
"Steven Moffat felt that he and co-creator Mark Gatiss had outdone Conan Doyle in their version of Holmes' fall and Moffat added that, in that much-discussed sequence, there was still "a clue everybody's missed." After the end of the final episode of the second series, Moffat and Gatiss both announced on Twitter that a third series was commissioned at the same time as series two. Steven Moffat has said that he is hoping the series will be screened "hopefully before the year's out.", though this has been contested by executive producer Sue Vertue. Moffat aspires to tackle the details from the original stories that are rarely covered in adaptations, such as Watson marrying and living apart from Holmes. A part of the resolution to "The Reichenbach Fall" has been filmed."

I used Wikipedia for the plot synopsis, too. And got the pictures from google. So there's the credit where credit is due. I have high hopes for the next season... those hopes including an absence of Irene Adler.

Happy and Busy

Last weekend was SO much fun! On Friday I got an early birthday present... A Kindle Fire! Boy oh boy am I excited to have it! I have loaded fifty or so books on it so far. Lots of classics - Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, etc. Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not I can afford to buy any books. I SO want The Count of Monte Cristo. I also think I'm going to buy a KJV Bible. I have the ESV on there already, but I want to have both.

Anyhow... I love the Kindle Fire! =)

On Friday night my friend Sarah came over and we watched Jane Eyre. The long version with Timothy Dalton in it. Sarah wasn't too keen on it, but I still love it. Sarah spent the night and then on Saturday we went ice skating with church friends! I am no pro... I feel like I'm living life on the edge if I move. hahaha! But I had a great time and I didn't hug the wall too much. I just wish I could go more often and maybe actually get comfortable on the ice. I used to dream of being an olympic skater. =P

Sunday was a good day, too. I went out to Panda Express with my best friend Erin and then we spent the rest of the afternoon playing word games at Starbucks. Erin got coffee and I got chocolate. Coffee is gross. Jus' sayin'!

Early Monday morning my mom and sister left for Hawaii. Erica is helping the Bible quiz team there prepare for our tournament here in CO. They get to travel and see historic and exotic things while I'm stuck at home playing mom. hahaha I'm really glad that my mom gets a break, though! I mean... how often do homeschooling mothers get to get away from life? She totally deserves it! And my turn will come eventually. I've determined that I'm going to become a renowned (and therefore wealthy) author so that I can travel all over creation and get more and better writing ideas. lol

Things have gone pretty smoothly here. Seth the Picky has actually eaten (and liked!) everything I've made so far. We'll see how long that keeps up! There have been a few complaints over schoolwork, but he's getting it done, so hurrah for that! =)

I need to go get lunch going for Mr. Picky. I'll try to post tomorrow with another project I just did. The project didn't turn out perfectly, but considering that I was 100% winging it? I'm happy with the results.

Tata for now, my friends!

Everlasting Praise

Last summer I was listening to the CD Everlasting Praise as I swept the dining hall floors at Grand View Camp. I had just read this blog post and my heart was heavy. So heavy. Suddenly I found a little bit of joy as I heard the lyric, "Then at last in Heaven we'll give you everlasting praise!" The joy and the sorrow whirled together and I burst into tears. My wonderful co-workers paused what they were doing and hugged me. We prayed together and then continued our work. About a month later, Mrs. Bixby went to give her share of the everlasting praise to God.

It's been five months now. I think often of Mrs. Bixby and of the family and friends that she left behind. Sometimes my thoughts are sorrowful, but sometimes they are happy. I remember vaguely the first few times I saw her when I was five years old. I remember watching her all of the time. She was so sweet and so funny! I decided that I wanted to be exactly like her when I grew up. I even wrote her a letter telling her so.

We were working on our Christmas play one year when she asked if she could speak with me privately. I was a little scared that I was doing something wrong, but I talked to her after our practice. She told me that a lot of the younger kids were watching me and that it was important for me to set a good example. It was one of the first "Do Hard Things" messages I ever heard. I was annoyed with one of the other people in the play and I guess it was showing. I did my best to take to heart what she said and change my attitude. I really appreciated the fact that even though she was a grown-up and I was just a kid, she talked to me as if we were on the same level. She didn't just yell at me or threaten me or anything.

Our church used to have a monthly get-together where everyone brought projects to the church and worked on them all day. Many of the ladies sewed quilts and such. Some people brought art projects. A lot of the time us kids just played outside all day or played board games, but sometimes I would bring a project, too. It made me feel special when Mrs. Bixby would take time to look at what I was doing. She was always an encouragement. Always.

I don't want to make this blog post too long by telling every story of how I learned something from Mrs. Bixby or how I was blessed or encouraged by her. So I'll start wrapping up.

I was absolutely thrilled when my mom told me that a couple of the Bixby kids were coming over and were going to stay the night. I love each of them so very much! But then my mom told me WHY the kids were coming over. Mrs. Bixby had just found out that she had cancer and was going to see a doctor. My mind immediately went to stories like Dana's Valley and The Healer. Beautiful young women who got sick and eventually died. But those were stories. This was real life. In real life people don't have to die in order to make a difference, right?! 

That was the question I asked God continually. For awhile I was pretty sure that I was right. She would be sick. She'd be in the hospital. The doctors and nurses would come to know Christ. She would get better. It was a perfect story of hope and God's love!

But that story was *my* version of 'perfect', not God's. As that became apparent, I struggled with it. I still struggle with it sometimes. You know, we get tired sometimes of toddlers asking "why?" at every turn... but I think we do that to God a lot. "Why her, God?" "Why now, God?" "Why like this, God?" 

Mrs. Bixby's joy in going into her Savior's arms will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's yet another aspect in which I wish to be like her: to be so Heaven-focused even when there's so much to love here on earth. And someday when I get to Heaven, the "why's" from down here won't matter any more. I'll stand near her at the feet of our Father and I'll join her in singing Everlasting Praise.

[Amy Caldwell Bixby was my Pastor's wife while I lived in Steamboat Springs. She first sang in Heaven after her fight with breast cancer ended on August 19, 2011.]

Wrap-up

Well, here I am to wrap a couple of things up. I forgot to post the movie quote answers (nobody guessed on them anyhow...), I forgot to answer that last question in the literary character quiz, and I promised to tell you what I did with my book vase. 

First up: The movie quotes

1. "Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"

Riley Poole in National Treasure

2. "She batted them pretty little eyes at you, and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!"

Tex in Charade

3. "I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, can read 20,000 words per minute.

[beat]

Yes, I am a genius."

Dr. Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds

4. "Just stop calling it a mushroom."

Victor in Letters to Juliet

5. Character one: "Look at that demure little head. And all of us wondering what's inside it."
 Character two: We'll find out soon enough. 

Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Melbourne in Young Victoria

~*~*~

Next: I forgot about number twenty-one in the quiz I did the other day. Oops!

21. Margaret Hale and Beth March reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by Inigo Montoya's sinister secret organization. Lady Catherine volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that she is actually a spy for Inigo. Meanwhile, Inigo has kidnapped Edmond Dantes in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of Molly Gibson, they seek out Jane Eyre, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?

The Wayward Spaniard 

~*~*~

Last: I found something to put in my vase! A collection of feathers that I found at Michaels. There were so many great things that were small enough to fit in the vase, but this is what felt right to me. =)

Road Trippin' Again!

In three weeks I'll be in Wisconsin again! [insert *much* happiness here] I'm so excited to go and see little Jubilee (who finally graced us with her presence on Sunday) and, of course, her mommy and daddy!!! I leave on the greyhound bus on Monday and get into Wausau on Tuesday.

My first trip with greyhound was this September, and boy oh boy was it an adventure! I saw people from nearly every walk of life and spent time in the company of the amish, crass and flirtatious women, a weak and diabetic woman whom I was able to assist with different things, an old man who smelled horrible and had no teeth, some really friendly and outgoing people who shared (sometimes maybe too much of ;)) their life stories with me, a really quiet computer-geeky type of guy, a couple who were making out for most of the trip, etc etc etc

Okay... when I first got off of my final bus, I didn't know if I wanted to go on a bus trip again. But I had a lot of great experiences mixed in with the not-so-great parts. And as a writer, I LOVED it! Getting to know people or even being forced to listen in on loud conversations is a great way to get character ideas or even plots. Broken hearts, sea monster sightings, mystic religions, and every other topic under the sun... it's all available on the bus or in the terminal. 

So... I'm taking off again! And I'm excited about it! If I can figure a way to update twitter from my phone, I'll be doing that throughout my trip. =) Otherwise, I'll just try to get a post up here soon after!

Playing with Fire

"If you play with fire, you're gonna get burned." I don't even know where all I've heard that, but I know that I've heard it many times. Aaaaaand I am here today to tell you that it's true. 

The fire that I recently got burned by is swagbucks. I love swagbucks! The more the better, right? That's why I have been trying out more and more special offers. Especially the free trial offers. I had a few scares... the time that freeshipping.com charged me before they were supposed to (they gave me a refund)... the time that I spent money on bigfishgames.com and my swagbucks didn't come through (the swagbucks were eventually credited)... and few others. 

Through these issues I kept reminding myself to be careful and pay attention to what I was doing so that I'd never get charged actual money in my pursuit of online money. Enter stamps.com. I think that their offer was for 450 swagbucks for signing up. What could I lose, right? 

Try THIRTY-TWO UNITED STATES DOLLARS.

Yup. It's like the new version of The Biggest Loser. When I first created my stamps.com account everything seemed well and good. But when I went back later to log in, nothing would work. I tried the old, "Forgot your username/password?" thing. They tried verifying my identity by asking security questions that I had never answered! I tried customer support. They told me that they needed my full name email address before they could help me. I sent that information and they sent me on a roundabout with all of their rigamarole on how they were saving me money and blahblahblah. 

All of this was taking precious time and before I knew it, I was charged the monthly fee of $16. Based on what I have learned from different customer support members, I knew that I had never actually signed up for a "free trial" and had reconciled myself to the fact that the $16 was gone. 

This afternoon I contacted customer support yet again (this round by phone) and barely managed to keep my cool while on the phone. After telling the woman on the other end of the line seven times that I wanted to close my account, she finally agreed to do it. But she said that at this point I have to keep the account at least until February 9th and receive another $16 charge. 

In a nutshell: My desire for free money finally caught up to me and cost me big time. I will never again use stamps.com and do not recommend it to anybody unless they are looking for a long-time account with no need to contact customer support. 

As for the playing with fire? Getting burned again is as likely as getting struck by lightning..... riiiiiiiight? ;) I'll keep doing what I can to rack up those swagbucks and continue getting free stuff. =)

Three Things Monday

Three things I absolutely love:

The smell of fresh rain - especially out in the country!

Toothless. He's so cute and loyal and just wonderful! I love the top picture where he's making puppy eyes at Hiccup. I loved Gift of the Night Fury!

The stories and illustrations of Kim Lewis. I LOVE them!!! 

Especially Harry the Elephant. =)

Kim Lewis' books

One Month...

Not so long ago, I felt like I was waaaaay too mature to be only 12 years old. (I was wrong) In any case, thirteen seemed like a good point to reach. There was something old (in a good way) about those numbers that ended in "teen".

Now I am faced with quite the opposite problem. Here I am, one month before my 20th birthday, and I feel much too immature to be leaving the teen years. The young years.

At the same time, though, I'm excited! I don't know what all my 20th year will hold for me, but I know that it will be amazing! I hope to reach a higher level of that elusive maturity, but regardless of where I am, I know that God will be with me and that He has a perfect plan for me. I just have to remember to ask for directions instead of heading off on my own all of the time!

Keep Swimming

Dory isn't always the smartest fish. Actually, she would drive me insane if I had to spend too much time with her. But I have to admit that she does have one good piece of advice: "Keep swimming!" I find myself singing her little ditty every once in awhile... sometimes just for fun and other times because it's a good way to lighten up a little when there's a crisis.

I think that another way of saying this is: "Be flexible!" Life has a way of taking unexpected turns, so it's best just to go with the flow. People will appreciate it and you'll feel a lot less beat up when everything is said and done! Sometimes flexibility is *very* easy for me. I don't get it when people are ticked off in slow traffic. I'm cool with last-minute plan changes. Annoying people do still annoy me, but usually I can shrug it off and not lose my temper. And if someone doesn't get what I'm saying? Hey... no need to get hot under the collar! I can explain it again a little differently!

Some things are harder to swim through, though. Worry for other people. Loss of any variety. Getting weighed down by the future. I think it's okay to take a moment to just sit still for a bit, but the important thing is that you pick up and get swimming again.

Sometimes we have to have help. Praying and/or talking to friends are good ways to get back in the right current. Knowing that you're not alone is SUCH a help when you're trying to swim through difficult circumstances.

Don't just sink to the bottom of the ocean and get bogged down in the sand. Keep swimming!

You know what you gotta do when life gets you down? 
Just keep swimming 
Just keep swimming
 Just keep swimming swimming swimming 
What do we do? We swim, swim, swim

Literary Mix-up

As I have been going through oodles of my blog subscriptions this week, I found this on three or four of the blogs that I follow. I thought it just might be fun to give it a go myself!


First, pick 12 literary characters before you look at the questions.


1. Margaret Hale from North and South
2. George Wickham from Pride and Prejudice
3. Jane Eyre from *gasp!* Jane Eyre
4. Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride
5. Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters
6. Harvey Cheyne from Captain's Courageous
7. Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility
8. John Chivery from Little Dorrit
9. Beth March from Little Women
10. Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
11. Lady Catherine from Pride and Prejudice
12. Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo


Now, answer the questions by putting the correct characters instead of the numbers.


1. Who would make a better college professor, Harvey Cheyne or Lady Catherine de Bourgh?
Oh, my soul! Harvey would once he's grown up a bit! Though it would be very interesting to see what Lady Catherine would teach. How to properly pack trunks?


2. Edmond Dantes sends John Chivery out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
The mission is something to distract John and to teach him to wait and hope. It does not succeed.


3. What is, or what would be, Beth March's favorite book?
She likes Pilgrim's Progress. For some reason Dana's Valley comes to mind, too... But that might be too sad for her. =P


4. Would it make more sense for George Wickham to swear fealty to Harvey Cheyne or the other way around?
Neither would make any sense at all! No one (except Lydia and other silly people) would ever swear fealty to Wickham and I don't see Wickham swearing fealty to anybody unless it was for show.


5. Molly Gibson is looking for a roommate. Should she room with Beth March or Tom Sawyer?
Beth March. For obvious reasons.


6. George Wickham, Elinor Dashwood, and Edmond Dantes are going out to dinner. Where are they going, and what do they discuss?
They are going to a very nice place, but one that isn't too over-the-top. (Thus accommodating Elinor's good sense as well as Edmond's money and Wickham's tastes) The discussion between Elinor and Edmond is intelligent and they are sharing life lessons with one another. Wickham won't listen and keeps butting in with inconsequential or repetitive topics.


7. Jane Eyre challenges Tom Sawyer to a duel. Who wins?
Not happening! Ever! But Tom would most likely win unless it was a duel of minds or words.


8. If Margaret Hale stole John Chivery's most precious possession, how would he get it back?
He would plead and cry. Not that she'd ever steal anything!


9. Suggest a story title in which Elinor Dashwood and Edmond Dantes both attain what they want.
Well... They both had a lot of struggle before they finally found love. Silent Hope and Vengeful Discoveries. lol That's the best I can do spur-of-the-moment.


10. What kind of plot device would you have to use to get Margaret Hale and Inigo Montoya to work together?
That would be one crazy plot! Perhaps just compassion from Margaret would induce her to help Inigo.


11. If Elinor Dashwood visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
It would be great! We could drink tea and read novels. =)


12. If you could command Jane Eyre to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
I would ask her to teach me to draw.


13. If George Wickham had to choose sides between Inigo Montoya or Molly Gibson, what side would he choose?
Inigo. No doubts there.


14. What might Tom Sawyer shout out while charging into battle?
He'd give an Indian war cry.


15. If you had to choose a song to best describe Jane Eyre, what would it be?
Nothing comes to mind... Maybe "Perfect Day"? lol I can't think of anything that actually really works.


16. Margaret Hale, Harvey Cheyne, and Edmond Dantes are having a dim sum at a Chinese Restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left , and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?
Harvey. He's younger and faster. And less mature. ;)


17. What would Molly Gibson most likely be arrested for?
Maybe for inappropriate conduct due to clandestine meetings with a man... But anything that she would get arrested for would be a misunderstanding.


18. What is Harvey Cheyne's secret?
He has always wanted to be good, but he didn't know how 'til life taught him. (Wow.. unimaginative answer on my part!)


19. If Lady Catherine and Beth March were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
I can't picture the two of them racing, but Beth would probably get there first. Lady Catherine would be far too concerned about decorum.


20. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you be more comfortable walking with, Elinor Dashwood or John Chivery?
Wow. This is a tough one. I guess I'd say John just because he's a guy, even if he's definitely not my type of man!


21. Margaret Hale and Beth March reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by Inigo Montoya's sinister secret organization. Lady Catherine volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that she is actually a spy for Inigo. Meanwhile, Inigo has kidnapped Edmond Dantes in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of Molly Gibson, they seek out Jane Eyre, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?

Projects for a Bookworm

Every once in awhile you may end up with a book that you don't want or already have. You may even end up with a book that's in bad condition. There are many ways to deal with these situations: eBay, paperback swap, the recycle bin, donating to the thrift store, etc. Today I'm going to share three projects that I have done with books that I didn't need.


Project One: The Hideaway 
You need: A book, a 3x5 card, an X-acto knife

This is probably the simplest of the three projects. Simply find a book that you don't want and open it up several pages in (I used an old beat up copy of The Count of Monte Cristo and started at page 100). Grab a 3x5 card and trace it on the page, then take an X-acto knife and cut through the pages until you reach your desired depth (I did 250-300 pages).

Project Two: The Invisible Shelf
You need: A book (I prefer hardcover), an 'L' bracket, a carpet knife (or other tough knife), small flat head screws, large screws, tape measure or ruler, glue

This is a more detailed project. Here are the instructions that I used! My shelf won't hold as many books as one of the pictures shown because I bought a cheaper/less sturdy 'L' bracket. That's okay with me, though... it's still pretty cool!

Project Three: A Novel Vase
You need: A novel-length book (preferably paperback) , glue, X-acto knife, vase template (I used this for my template)

First: Remove the cover of the book.
Second: Cut your vase template in half and line the flat side up with the binding side of the book. Trace.
Third: Using the X-acto knife, cut along the traced line a few pages at a time.
Fourth: When you have cut through the entire book, use the glue to affix the back and front to each other to round out your vase.

Note: I used an old 735 page copy of Daniel Deronda. It was the thickest book I had that I was willing to cut up. Even so, the vase barely fits my index finger... so if you want a vase that will hold a bouquet of flowers, you're going to need a GINORMOUS novel or several novels of the same size. =)

I just made my vase this week, so I don't have anything to put in it yet. I'll let you know when I do find something! I'll also see if I can come up with a few extra ideas on what to put in a vase that's no bigger than a finger. =) Do you have any ideas?

Three Things Monday: Tuesday Edition

I meant to post this yesterday, but life just got in the way and I never finished it. So here's my post a day late!

Thing 1:

OLD BOOKS - The look, the smell, the feel, the thoughts of yesteryear... Love 'em!

Thing 2:

CLOCKS - Old antique-y clocks, totally unique modern clocks, big clocks, little clocks... clocks clocks clocks!

Thing 3:

BAY WINDOWS - I have always wanted to sit in one and read a book! <3

There you have it! Three things that make me happy. =D

Hello, 2012!

One of my resolutions this year was to both journal and blog more. So here I am, practically a week into the new year, finally sitting down to type up a blog post. I'm *still* lost as to what to blog since I'm so far behind in everything I was blogging. So I'm just going to start fresh! Here are my blog goals for this coming week:

• Post at least three times
• Reply to comments that have been waiting here... forever
• Comment on all of my favorite blogs at least once this week

Not a lot, but something to look forward to, I suppose! =) And just for kicks, here's a few movie quotes for ya'll to guess. I'll post the answers on Saturday. 

1. "Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"

2. "She batted them pretty little eyes at you, and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!"

3. "I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, can read 20,000 words per minute...

[pause]

Yes, I am a genius."
4. "Just stop calling it a mushroom."
5. Character one: "Look at that demure little head. And all of us wondering what's inside it."
 Character two: We'll find out soon enough.

That's all for now, folks!