Crazy Fun Weekend

Before I get into everything that I have to say, I wanted to quick clarify something. Just because.

I have had several people ask me if I wrote my last post. Well... thanks for the vote of confidence, people! haha Tell me if I'm wrong, but I usually give credit where it is due. I don't think that the post was something so revolutionary that I'm the first one to think of something like that, but it is all my own. Nothing was copied and pasted... the most help I had was to look up synonyms online because I wanted the words to flow better.

Yesterday was a blast as I got to hang out with some good friends. We went for free lunch at Noodles (my first time and NOT my last in that restaurant!) and I totally failed at eating with chopsticks. Nice to see that nothing has changed in the last 14 years. =P

We also went to Starbucks, where I had my first ever **REALLY** bad experience with crabby people who don't know what they're talking about and who didn't trust me. After my really great experience last week, this was a major letdown. AND... thanks very much to their hard work, I now have a negative balance on the gift card I used, though I should have enough on it for another drink. But "I can't help you. Call the 800 number." Of course. I'll see what I can do to get my money back, but "by the people and for the people" doesn't seem to apply to businesses. lol

Tonight I'm going bowling. It's cheaper later, so we're not even starting 'til 9. I think We're bowling from 9 to 1:30. So I'll most likely be sleeping in tomorrow. =) Anyhow... to get a ride to the bowling, I'm already at my friend Naomi's house. We just watched Newsies. It was my first time seeing it and two or three people were all like, "OH! That's the movie with Christian Bale! He's the best part!" Well... I think that his being the best part is more because of his character than Christian Bale himself, just so ya'll know. Oh... and how come nobody was all excited about Bill Pullman? lol Anyhow... It was a pretty good movie. Not a favorite or anything, but I wouldn't mind watching it again. =)

Tomorrow night I'm going to a progressive dinner. Never done one of those before, but I think it'll be fun! Food and fellowship are a couple of my favorite things. =D

Anyhow... that's just a peek at my weekend. Hope you guys have a good weekend, too!

The Judgement

     The courtroom is packed with people, all awaiting judgement. The silence is uncomfortable to those who will be tried, their nervous breathing the only sound in the court. The prosecutor is in his element, head held high. He stands beside a table, his cohorts are seated behind it. He taps his foot lightly, albeit impatiently, on the floor, waiting on the Judge to call a name.


     "Joseph Middleton," calls the Judge. A man stands up and moves towards the front of the courtroom. The prosecutor smiles secretively. This man will receive the death penalty for sure. As Joseph reaches the front of the room, the Judge clears his throat, "Mr Prosecutor?"

     "Your Honor," the prosecutor says, dipping his head a little, "This man is Joseph Middleton. His life has been full of wickedness. He was only five years old when he began committing crimes. He started with lying and thievery, but as he grew older, his crimes grew worse. He had no compassion on those he thought were beneath him. He loved outside of his marriage. He hoarded money that should have been given to the kingdom. He spoke evilly of those who should be honored. Even your own name was blackened in his dirty mouth, Honor! More shocking than any of this, though, for years this man has worshiped outside of what the kingdom allows. You of all people must know what a crime this is. Look at this man. See his crimes, Your Honor, and condemn him to the punishment he deserves!"
     So saying, the prosecutor cracked his knuckles and sat behind his table, grinning, gloating. His friends and companions around him sent him knowing looks, also triumphing in the imminent destruction of the man before them.
     The Judge looked at the prosecutor thoughtfully for a moment, then turned and looked at Joseph. The eyes of the guilty man met those of the Judge.
     A movement from the side of the courtroom opposite the prosecutor caused all to turn simultaneously. A man had stood from his position alone behind the table for the defense.
     The still courtroom seemed to grow even quieter as everyone watched the man slowly walk across the floor towards the one who had been charged with such numerous crimes. He stopped and stood in front of Joseph, his eyes meeting those of the Judge. Silent communication passed between them. Finally, the Judge stood.
     "Mr. Prosecutor," He said, "I see before me, not a guilty man, but a perfect man. I have looked into these eyes and seen immeasurable love and compassion. I have seen forgiveness and graciousness. There is nothing foul in him.

This man is not the criminal you think.

 He is my son."

     The Judge, the King, the Righteous One stepped down to Joseph Middleton and put a hand on his shoulder, the man -His Son- standing by. "Come, my child," He said, leading Joseph to the door that would take him out to freedom, "Enter into the joys of My Kingdom. Though your sins were once scarlet, they are now white as snow."

March of Books - Fireproof

I found this book at the thrift store one day and decided to read it. I had loved the message of the movie and was curious whether or not the book was exactly the same or a little different.

It was different in many ways, but without changing the story too much except for... Well, we'll get to that.

The thing I liked most about the book was getting a bit more into people's heads. Although the movie does an okay job portraying what a character is going through, everything is visual. Whereas in a book, you can read what someone is thinking.

Another thing I love about the book is that if I'm in the mood for some Fireproof, I can just read my favorite parts without having to stick in a DVD.

BUT... all of those good things were pretty much counteracted by the end. The end was awful. I can't even believe that something so cheesy and so-not-real-life even made it into this book! (This is your cue to stop reading if you don't want any spoilers.)

I assume that most of you have seen the movie. You know how Caleb was saving up for a boat? And how he finally communicated to his wife that his love really was back and there to stay was that he spent all of his hard-earned savings on medical stuff for her mom? Sweetest thing in the movie. Nothing touches me like self-sacrifice. Nothing.

And the book ruined that. Caleb wins the stinkin' boat on Wheel of Fortune! Maybe that won't bother some people. I probably am going way overboard with my dislike of this turn of events. But I hate hate hate it.

It's a good book if you leave that off, though!

[[March of Books]]

March of Books - Wild Orchid

Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call...

     I haven't loved everything that I've read by Cameron Dokey, but most of it is pretty much amazing. And the set of "Once Upon a Time is Timeless" books have given me hours of pleasure. Wild Orchid was one of my favorites. 

     Hua Wei is a great warrior who loves his wife more than anything else in the world. When his wife dies in giving birth to their daughter Mulan, his heart breaks and he determines never to come home. So the infant Mulan is essentially left an orphan.

     Growing up, Mulan is a bit of a tomboy. She learns such unwomanly arts as swordsmanship and writing. So when the Huns come to attack China, it's only natural that Mulan feels that she should join the battle. 

In reading reviews done by other people, I saw that several mentioned or even complained about how similar this is to Disney's Mulan movie. The truth is, I read this book before I ever watched Mulan. And though they are kinda similar, they are *very* different. In fact, I suppose that I wished that the movie would have been more like the book. I hated Mushu (as in despised, abhorred, etc etc etc) the first time I watched Mulan. But he grew on me. =) Anyhow... I really didn't think that it was just a rendition of the Disney tale. And, as usual, Cameron Dokey wove an excellent plot around a familiar story.

O Happy Day!

Remember this post???

http://ramblinrose506.blogspot.com/2011/01/coat-love.html

Well.... Today I got the yellow trench! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! I'm ecstatic! I've only been looking at it with sad longing for months.

It was 60% off.
I had that $10 off that I told you about yesterday.
Mom had an additional 15% off.
And I still had half of my Christmas gift card.

I'm very happy!

Fun Things on Friday

Today I'm just going to name some random things that I think are fun/cool/whatever. Maybe you'll find something you like somewhere in my mish-mash of happiness!

First up: I got a card for a free birthday drink from Starbucks... so I finally got to use it yesterday. I got their passion tea. [For those of you who don't know this, I am not a big fan of coffee, but tea is my favorite drink ever! So it only makes sense that I get the cheapest thing at Starbucks even though I could have whatever I wanted.]

Anyhow... I got my tea at a Starbucks near King Soopers and then sipped on it for awhile. We ended up in Target and my tea was gone. I was really sad 'cause it was so good! Then I had a thought: There was a Starbucks in Target, and I can get free refills with my registered gift card... The only problem would be that I was in a different location. But I really wanted more tea, so I went and asked. And they gave me the refill! Totally made my day!

Item numero dos: 

Anybody read Terri Blackstock? I love her books! Most of them, anyhow. My dear friend Bailey has a job as a receptionist, which gives her some time to read. BUT... since she's working all the time, she can't get to the library a lot. Enter moi, her library-addicted friend with similar reading passions... I check out books for both of us. (It makes me feel a little bit better about have nearly 40 items checked out when I know it's between two people!) Anyhow... enough of the background. The simple fact is this: Bailey said that she wanted to read Terri Blackstock's Restoration series. So I checked out the first two. I stayed up til one this morning reading the first one. It grabbed me from the very beginning. I wish I'd just checked out the whole series at once, but I suppose that wouldn't have been good for me health-wise. lol Anyhow... if you like suspense, survival stories, or maybe even sci-fi, give this series a shot!

Next up! This post is waaaaay cool. Hayden's blog is one of my new favorites! I love finding kindred spirits online! Anyhow... I am going to have to find The Art of Tangled at my library. =) The art for Flynn Rider? I am SO glad they made him the way they did! Some of the concept art was pretty awful!

More happiness? I got a $10 off coupon for Kohls --- for a minimum purchase of $10! And I still have half of my Kohls gift card from Christmas. Do I sense some shopping coming on? I hope so! 

This week I wore sandals and flip-flops! Winter used to be one of my favorite seasons when I lived out in the country... but since we've been in the city? Not so much. So I'm really looking forward to more warm weather! I was going to post this video right onto my blog, but embedding has been disabled. LAME. But that's a song I've had stuck in my head at different points this week. Hmm... I should watch that movie again. =) Love it! 

Aaaaaand last, but not least:

Today we are celebrating my sister Erin's birthday. Her actual birthday is tomorrow, but we've got some things going on, so we're celebrating tonight. I got a Papa Murphey's gift card 1/2 off from Plum District, so we're going to have pizza! And then us girls will probably have a movie night and watch Tangled. Assuming, of course, that we can find out why the audio on divxstage isn't working. 

Anyhow... That's some of my life's happiness right now! I hope ya'll are finding lots of little things to cheer you up, too!

Toodles!

**All images courtesy of Google

March of Books - The Count of Monte Cristo

I know that The Count of Monte Cristo has come up on several occasions here at The Ramblings of Emily Rose. The reason for that, quite simply, is that I love the story so much! So I thought that I should say a few words about it for the March of Books. =D

Many people are intimidated by the massive size of Alexandre Dumas' Count, but those that manage to get through it pretty nearly always love it. All but one of my friends are big fans of Edmond Dantes. (As far as I know, anyhow... there are a few friends with whom the subject has not yet come up.)

Unjustly thrown into prison as a young man, Edmond Dantes loses everything. Everything. But a gift from a dying Abbe Faria gives Edmond the chance, not to regain what was lost, but to seek vengeance from those who took it from him. What follows is an exciting tale of one man seeking to destroy those who destroyed him. Edmond learns, however, that in destroying others he is also destroying the life that he has found for himself and the friendships he has formed. This leads to a drastic change of heart which leads Edmond to say in a letter to one of his dearest friends:

Tell the angel who will watch over your future destiny, Morrel, to pray sometimes for a man, who like Satan thought himself for an instant equal to God, but who now acknowledges with Christian humility that God alone possesses supreme power and infinite wisdom. Perhaps those prayers may soften the remorse he feels in his heart.

I think that The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the best works of fiction to ever be written.



Join the March of Books here!

Favorite Things

Some recipes taste so amazing that they are worth the hard work that goes into them.

Other recipes are easier and still taste good, so they're nice to fall back on.

I now introduce to you one of the quickest, tastiest recipes I have ever used. From the Taste of Home cookbook, Split Second Cookies are the way to go!

One warning, though: Careful about the jelly. I put just a wee bit too much on the first time I made these. And the cookies rose a little in the oven, causing the extra jelly to slide down off the pan and onto the bottom of the oven. May I just say that burnt raspberry jelly is not the most pleasant smell to fill the house with? Nor is it the best way to get your family excited about a new dessert recipe.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup raspberry jam

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough into four equal portions; shape each into a 12-in. x 3/4-in. log. Place 4 in. apart on two greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2-in. depression down center of logs; fill with jam. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes; cut diagonally into 3/4-in. slices. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

The above image belongs to Taste of Home, as does the recipe. You can find both here. I just put them on my blog to make it easier for you. =)

March of Books - Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue

Lady Carliss faces the challenge of her life. Can she save the kingdom before it’s too late?

Determined, smart, and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue.

While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out.  She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton, or let him die so that others may live.

I have really enjoyed reading Chuck Black's books. I loved the Kingdom Series and was eager to read more of his books. My library took their time, but they finally bought all of the Knights of Arrethtrae books. I've only read the first four so far, but I hope to read the last two soon. 

One of my favorites of the Knights of Arrethtrae books was Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue. I not only enjoyed having a female knight, but also loved the message of the book. Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart and Lady Carliss are probably my two favorites of Mr. Black's books.

The message in Lady Carliss was really good. I love how Mr. Black can write books that hold convicting messages without making them so overpowering that they belong in the religious self-help section. Lady Carliss reminded me so much of the way that Satan takes "innocent" things to distract us from our true mission. Something we would never consider to be wrong or dangerous can end up destroying our usefulness to God.

The great message of this book is only part of the reason I love it. Lots of action, suspense, and fantasy --- and all of this without the sorcery and witchcraft that stain so many of today's fantasy/adventures.


March of Books: =D

March of Books - Secret of the Golden Cowrie

When I was younger our closest neighbors lived a half mile down the road. Their dad worked at the same place as my dad and we went to the same church, so we knew each other pretty well. It was so much fun to be able to ride my bike to their house to play... and to get books. 


They had loads and loads of books. It was the bookworm's delight, let me tell you! One of my favorite books, which I borrowed over and over again, was Secret of the Golden Cowrie by Gloria Repp.

"Connie Lawrence loves secrets, and when Aunt Laura shares one with her, it leads them both to a puzzle connected with a beautiful golden cowrie shell. Connie plunges eagerly into the mystery. 


Figuring it out will be fun, and besides, it will give her a chance to prove herself to her big brother, Dan.

But who is the prowler that knows so much about Aunt Laura's house? What secrets does the strange little set of diaries hold? And what should she do about the letter that she found in the desk?


When time begins to run out for Aunt Laura, however, it is to Dan that Connie must turn. As they work together on the deepening mystery, she comes to a better understanding of God and learns something about her own self as well."

Okay. First of all, I loved Connie. And envied her. How come I never got to solve a mystery? I also loved some of the lessons that Connie learned along the way. Trusting God is something that I need to work on now as much as I did when I first picked this book up. 

Ricky was a pretty cool character, too. I loved his pet raccoon. I felt for him as he was lonely but was still trying to go it alone. I think I used to pretend that Ricky was real and that he was the little brother I wished I had. (This was obviously before Seth!) 

Dan was cool. I always wanted an older brother even more than I wanted a younger brother. Even though I know he was wrong to not be a better big brother from the start, I justified it by saying that Connie must have been a brat and deserved it. I was sure that no big brother could ever make mistakes. Older brothers were meant to be trusted guides and leaders, so they'd be perfect, right? =)

Stella was a great character, too. I think that Gloria Repp totally gets the desire that younger girls have for older girls to notice them and to care about them. I wished I could be more like Stella with her independence and all, but some of that just comes with age. ;)

Well... we ended up moving away, so there was no more going over on my bike to pick out books at the neighbors'. 

So...

 I started duplicating their library for myself. Now I own over fifty of the books that I used to borrow all the time. =) Those, of course, include Secret of the Golden Cowrie. 

I brought Secret to AWANA a couple of weeks ago so that my girls could read it if they wanted to. I was happy that one of them has already read (and loved!) it. =D I always like having books in common with people. 

I still enjoy reading this and many other books from my childhood. I can't wait to share it with my own kids some day!


YLCF's March of Books

Good Things Are Meant to be Shared

One of my very dear friends recently gave me a product from Willow Tree Minerals. Though I love her and trust her, I didn't really think it would work. So many times people have told me, "THIS is the most amazing thing ever because it really works!" ... And I try it to find out that it really doesn't help a single thing. I decided that I must have really weird skin that won't be helped by anything.

Well, my sister and I both tried the overnight mineral treatment and voila! The zit that was trying to break out? Totally gone. I was afraid it might be some fluke thing because (as I said before) this kind of thing never works for me. So I tried it again. With the same success! I'm going to have to keep this stuff on hand! I imagine I'll have to buy some more before I leave for Arizona 'cause Erica's not going to want me to leave her here without any. lol Anyhow, I'd definitely recommend getting some. It doesn't take much of the powder, so a little thing of it will last a looooong time.

Also... this post made me very happy. I am going to have one of those dresses someday! lol Okay, at least something similar. =D

As long as we're sharing things, I thought I'd also direct your attention to this Aslan's Meditation's post from Aslan's Country. The post is on godliness, and I'll admit that I needed the reminder that godliness is not attained by not being ungodly. I also found this quote from Oswald Chambers to be thought-provoking:

"To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things."


I find that (most of the time) I am willing to give up my sin... but to surrender my way of looking at things? To see things from God's point of view? That seems so radical! I'm too fond of my fleshly human point of view. But that needs to change. I need a new way of seeing things.

Do you?

March of Books - Phantom of the Opera

SCENE ONE:

It all started a long time ago. With a piano CD mom got. It had All I Ask of You on it in a beautiful arrangement. When I found out it was from Phantom of the Opera I listened to the real song.

I decided that I loved Phantom of the Opera.

SCENE TWO:


A movie was coming out. Phantom of the Opera. I thought it would be cool. I watched the trailer. The darkness of it kinda creeped me out. And it seemed so... wrong. Sensual.

I decided that I was adamantly opposed to all things Phantom.

SCENE THREE:


The thrift store. I couldn't find any books. Any clothes. Any anything that interested me. My mom? A cartload of stuff to try on. What was I to do? I picked up a book. I actually felt guilty even looking at it. Even the book looked dark and foreboding. [I love the word foreboding! Anyhow...]

I fell in love with it. I checked it out at the library to finish it. And I ended up with my own copy to read and re-read.

Erik, or the OG (Opera Ghost), or The Phantom, or whatever you want to call him, is one of those characters like Edward Fairfax Rochester. They are SO wrong... but you absolutely love them and feel for them.

Here is a quick summary that I stole... BORROWED from allreaders.com:

""The Phantom of the Opera" is a hideously deformed musical genius who hides in shadow, living beneath the Paris Opera house (which he himself designed some years earlier). Forced to live this way due to the fact that he has become a killer, his motives in life are changed when he falls in love with a young prima donna named Christine, a girl he has secrety been giving singing lessons.
But when a young man named Raoul DeChagny vies for the love of Christine, a deadly rivalry ensues- which will determine the fate of not only Christine, but of the entire Paris Opera House."

Someday I hope to be able to see a performance of Phantom. I now completely understand it's status as a classic. It has everything I love in a book. Strong characters, some historical value, love, mystery.

Conclusion? I should have gone with my first impressions on hearing All I Ask of You. Phantom is one book that'll be on my shelf through every renovation.


http://ylcf.org/2011/03/march-of-books-2011/

Don't Forget!!!

[Note: I am posting this on March 15, but because I've already posted twice today as it is, I'm going to switch the time stamp to say that I posted this right after my Rose in Bloom review]

I apparently forgot a very important Louisa May Alcott book when I did my review on Rose in Bloom. I actually didn't even list all of the ones I have read, but one particular book has come up again and again over the last few days. "What about Jack and Jill?" So... I am here to tell you that Jack and Jill is on my shelf and I have read it a few times. I actually have a beautiful set of matching Louisa May Alcott books! Though Under the Lilacs is missing. :'(

Another book by Miss Alcott that I do not own but have read is The Inheritance. 

Surprisingly, I found that I liked the movie better than the book. I should probably read the book again and make sure that my original opinion still holds. =) The movie does have a little language in it, but I love it!

And so I won't miss something again, here is a list of her works taken from Wikipedia:

Selected works

• The Inheritance (1849, unpublished until 1997)
• Flower Fables (1849)
• Hospital Sketches (1863)
• The Rose Family: A Fairy Tale (1864)
• Moods (1865, revised 1882)
• Morning-Glories and Other Stories (1867)
• The Mysterious Key and What It Opened (1867)
• Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy (1868)
• Three Proverb Stories (includes "Kitty's Class Day", "Aunt Kipp" and "Psyche's Art") (1868)
• A Strange Island, (1868)
• Part Second of Little Women, also known as "Good Wives" (1869)
• Perilous Play, (1869)
• An Old Fashioned Girl (1870)
• Will's Wonder Book (1870)
• Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag (1872–1882)
• Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys (1871)
• "Transcendental Wild Oats" (1873)
• Work: A Story of Experience (1873)
• Eight Cousins or The Aunt-Hill (1875)
• Beginning Again, Being a Continuation of Work (1875)
• Silver Pitchers, and Independence: A Centennial Love Story" (1876)
• Rose in Bloom: A Sequel to Eight Cousins (1876)
• Under the Lilacs (1878)
• Jack and Jill: A Village Story (1880)
• The Candy Country (1885)
• Jo's Boys and How They Turned Out: A Sequel to "Little Men" (1886)
• Lulu's Library (1886–1889)
• A Garland for Girls (1888)
• Comic Tragedies (1893 [posthumously])

As A. M. Barnard

• Behind a Mask, or a Woman's Power (1866)
• The Abbot's Ghost, or Maurice Treherne's Temptation (1867)
• A Long Fatal Love Chase (1866 - first published 1995)

First published anonymously

• A Modern Mephistopheles (1877)

March of Books - Rose in Bloom

I have a confession to make.

I'm really bad at book reviews.

See, it annoys me sometimes when I go to read a review and it completely spoils the story for me because someone comments on so many of the details. So I try to steer clear of doing that. Which means that I usually end up 'reviewing' a book by saying, "I loved this!" or "This was awful!"

A few years ago I decided to sit down and read everything by Louisa May Alcott that I could get my hands on. It was a great month! Everyone knows about Little Women, some people know about Little Men, Jo's Boys, and Eight Cousins, but it seems that the two least-known books of Miss Alcott's are An Old Fashioned Girl and Rose in Bloom.

Rose in Bloom is the sequel to Eight Cousins, following the cousins as they grow up. There's no end of trouble as the cousins try "high society", fall in love, and forge new and life-changing friendships. No matter what troubles the clan face, they stick together while Dr. Alec tries to steer them right. And in the end, almost everyone is safe and happy. I won't say who ends up *not* safe and happy, only that the first half dozen times I read the book I found myself dissolving into tears.

Though I just said that I hate reviews that spoil things, I have to share this little passage from the last chapter. It makes me so happy! If you have plans to read the book, don't ruin it for yourself by reading this. =)

The room was a blaze of sunshine and a bower of spring freshness and fragrance, for here Rose had let her fancy have free play, and each garland, fern, and flower had its meaning. Mac seemed to have been reading this sweet language of symbols, to have guessed why Charlie's little picture was framed in white roses, why pansies hung about his own, why Psyche was half hidden among feathery sprays of maidenhair, and a purple passion flower lay at Cupid's feet. The last fancy evidently pleased him, for he was smiling over it, and humming to himself as if to beguile his patient waiting, the burden of the air Rose had so often sung to him:

"Bonny lassie, will ye gang, will ye gang
To the birks of Aberfeldie?"

"Yes, Mac, anywhere!"

He had not heard her enter, and wheeling around, looked at her with a radiant face as he said, drawing a long breath, "At last! You were so busy over the dear man, I got no word. But I can wait–I'm used to it."

Rose stood quite still, surveying him with a new sort of reverence in her eyes, as she answered with a sweet solemnity that made him laugh and redden with the sensitive joy of one to whom praise from her lips was very precious: "You forget that you are not the Mac who went away. I should have run to meet my cousin, but I did not dare to be familiar with the poet whom all begin to honor."

"You like the mixture, then? You know I said I'd try to give you love and poetry together."

"Like it! I'm so glad, so proud, I haven't any words strong and beautiful enough to half express my wonder and my admiration. How could you do it, Mac?" And a whole face full of smiles broke loose as Rose clapped her hands, looking as if she could dance with sheer delight.

"It did itself, up there among the hills, and here with you, or out alone upon the sea. I could write a heavenly poem this very minute, and put you in as Spring–you look like her in that green gown with snowdrops in your bonny hair. Rose, am I getting on a little? Does a hint of fame help me nearer to the prize I'm working for? Is your heart more willing to be won?"

He did not stir a step, but looked at her with such intense longing that his glance seemed to draw her nearer like an irresistible appeal, for she went and stood before him, holding out both hands, as if she offered all her little store, as she said with simplest sincerity: "It is not worth so much beautiful endeavor, but if you still want so poor a thing, it is yours."

He caught her hands in his and seemed about to take the rest of her, but hesitated for an instant, unable to believe that so much happiness was true.

"Are you sure, Rose–very sure? Don't let a momentary admiration blind you–I'm not a poet yet, and the best are but mortal men, you know."

"It is not admiration, Mac."

"Nor gratitude for the small share I've taken in saving Uncle? I had my debt to pay, as well as Phebe, and was as glad to risk my life."

"No–it is not gratitude."

"Nor pity for my patience? I've only done a little yet, and I am as far as ever from being like your hero. I can work and wait still longer if you are not sure, for I must have all or nothing."

"Oh, Mac! Why will you be so doubtful? You said you'd make me love you, and you've done it. Will you believe me now?" And, with a sort of desperation, she threw herself into his arms, clinging there in eloquent silence while he held her close; feeling, with a thrill of tender triumph, that this was no longer little Rose, but a loving woman, ready to live and die for him.

"Now I'm satisfied!" he said presently, when she lifted up her face, full of maidenly shame at the sudden passion which had carried her out of herself for a moment. "No–don't slip away so soon. Let me keep you for one blessed minute and feel that I have really found my Psyche."

"And I my Cupid," answered Rose, laughing, in spite of her emotion, at the idea of Mac in that sentimental character.

He laughed, too, as only a happy lover could, then said, with sudden seriousness: "Sweet soul! Lift up your lamp and look well before it is too late, for I'm no god, only a very faulty man."

"Dear love! I will. But I have no fear, except that you will fly too high for me to follow, because I have no wings."

Rose in Bloom online edition.
Find out more about March of Books here!

Thoughts

When I was twelve, I knew how my life would be. I knew for certain that when I was seventeen, some talented and handsome young man was going to take an interest in me and marry me a year later. My goal in life was to be an 18-year-old bride.

Weeellll.... that didn't exactly happen. And I've struggled with that. Where's the talented and handsome guy? Where's ANY guy? What in the wide world am I supposed to be doing?

I love my friends, but sometimes I get a tad jealous. A dear friend of mine got married a week ago. Another friend is fast approaching engagement and a wedding. Two more friends have had young men express an interest in them.

I sit back and wonder, "Where am I going wrong?"

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times. "Embrace your singleness." "Singleness is a gift God give sometimes." "Actively pursue God during your years of singleness." I nod my head politely. I know it's the truth. But me? I'm not supposed to be single, so it doesn't matter for me. I'm the girl who's supposed to jump from teen to bride without all that dreadful waiting and serving in between. That's the plan.


My plan.

What's God's plan? Apparently it's something a little different.

But it'll be better.

But until I know just what the plan is, it's time to lace up my singleness running shoes and start running the part of the race that God has for me right now. Serving my family and my church. Working at camp this summer. Growing in knowledge of the Lord. And praying for the man that is coming SO LATE... but right on time.

P. S. A giveaway to look at... go here.

March of Books - Acts of Faith

I know that March is almost half over, but I've really wanted to join the March of Books on YLCF, so I thought I'd jump in now. =)

The first books I'm going to review are the Acts of Faith series by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke. I just read these and I *loved* them!

The Centurion's Wife
     I had seen this book at Barnes and Noble several times, but I just shrugged it off. It really didn't interest me. One of my favorite books, The Robe by Lloyd Douglas, was set around the same events. Why bother reading another book that could in no way match up? Warped thinking, I know. But that's the way I felt.

     Then one of my favorite people in the world told me I should read it. That she would bring it to church for me. And that I must hurry with it because other people wanted to borrow it from her. I didn't want to hurt her feelings and say, "Not interested!" So I took the book and started it. And finished it. And wanted more.

     I loved the historical information. I loved the characters. I loved everything about the book. So off to the library I went to find the sequel...

The Hidden Flame

When I first started this book I was somewhat afraid that I wouldn't like  it. The focus is shifted to new characters. But in the end, I still loved it! In fact, I think that the character shift was a great idea! I "got to know" some of the people better through the change in perspective, but everyone I loved from The Centurion's Wife was still there. 

This book also inspired me to begin reading through the book of Acts in my Bible. I wanted to check and see just how much was being made up and how much was really scripture. Characters such as Ananias and Sapphira, Stephen, and Peter, are given time in this book. I wanted to make sure that they didn't get fixed in my mind the wrong way. =D 

After reading The Hidden Flame, I decided that I'd better get on paperback swap and put the whole series on a list of books I want. I went to my library's website and requested the third book...

The Damascus Way

     I went to the library soon after finishing The Hidden Flame, so I was able to get The Damascus Way right away. Several days and many many books had passed between The Centurion's Wife and The Hidden Flame, so the former isn't as firm in my mind right now... But I'm pretty sure that The Damascus Way is my favorite of the three books. 

     The characters were still great. The history was still so much fun. I had expected the series to start to take a down turn as many series tend to do. I'm thrilled to say that there was definitely no down turn. At all. I'd recommend this series to anyone without hesitation, though I would also recommend reading your Bible alongside. 

I've heard conflicting reports on whether this is the last in the series or not, so I'm going to try and find a reliable source to tell me. =)

Go here to join the March of Books.

How Time Flies

Tomorrow it will have been two weeks since Dad's accident. I can't believe how quickly time has flown! Several of you have asked questions about what exactly happened, so I hope this will clear things up for you. =) I am just going to use an email that my uncle sent out with a few of my own notes thrown in. My notes are in brown.

Thanks for your prayers for Matt. It was a very serious injury. The accident happened at 1:45.  Due to sudden impact into the handle bars, 3 broken ribs, cracked sternum, punctured lung. We have had conflicting reports on the punctured lung. The doctors down here said that it was just bruised. So either God miraculously healed the puncture or the original analysis was wrong. Struggling to breathe, spitting some blood, gurgling sounds from the chest. We were able to get a message to EMS to send out oxygen. At 2:30 the first rescuer arrived with Oxygen. More rescuers arrived around 3:15, but the paramedic did not arrive till about 3:45. Did not get Matt packed and out of the creek till approximately 4:15. Did not get to the ambulance till 5:00. By this time he is borderline hypothermic but they had the ambulance hot and ready. At the hospital they put a tube in his chest and installed a line for IV fluids. Took X-rays/cat scans. Due to the injuries to his lung, and being in close proximity to the heart, they determined to fly him to Denver. (not having support from his ribs, we can literally see his heart beating. Kinda cool but so NOT cool, people!) By 11:00 PM he was at Denver health.

Due to nationwide prayers, Matt is now home recovering. Praise God for modern medicine. Praise God for complete strangers who were not even part of the rescue team jumping in to help. Circumstances like this make any difficulties we think we are facing seem mighty small. We are blessed. God is good!

Here are some images of the scene. Obviously the images cannot give you a full understanding of how extreme the terrain was. We were down in a bowl, at the bottom of a creek bed with running water below us. Best guess,  the climb out of the bowl was close to 200 vertical feet at a 30% grade. One of the rescue workers described the extrication as "epic".

These are some of the pictures that my uncle took:

Routt County Search and Rescue about 4 miles from the scene

Dad lying in the snow at the bottom of the creek bed in a blanket with his hat over his face

Dad was at the bottom of this steep hill

Dad packed into a sled. (Two snowmobiles attached to pull)

Dad with a paramedic

The hill was so steep that the snowmobiles couldn't make it and they had to carry Dad up by hand. At the top of the hill the snowmobiles took over and pulled him the rest of the way to the ambulance.

My dad is doing pretty well now, though he still has a lot of healing to do. Thank you all so much for your prayers! It has been so amazing to see all of the ways that God provided throughout this whole adventure. I was going to tell some of the story from my point of view, but I think you get enough of the gist without my input.

Wise Girls in a Wild World

Is it really possible to be wise in our world today? Discretion, modesty, purity, etc. have all been thrown out the window in our society. In her book Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild, Mary Kassian talks about how God wants us to live. I haven't had an opportunity to read this book, but I'm hoping I'll be able to soon as I have entered this giveaway! I'd encourage you to peek at the giveaway, too. =)

Apologies

I said that I'd post about my dad's accident today... and it's really about time I did. Tomorrow will be two weeks since it happened.

BUT

I forgot that I'll be gone today. My family is going to the CACS (Colorado Association of Christian Schools) Fine Arts tournament. Several of my friends are doing things such as piano, Bible teaching, dramatic interpretation, and the like. So yeah... it'll be a good day, but it means not much time for posting. If we get home early enough tonight, maybe I'll try.

On another note entirely, Seth was drawing the other day and I thought he might be writing a story. He does that. (Yay for him!) Well, he was asking me how to spell some words, and he ended up with some hot Kohls in his fire instead of coals. Girl brain here! LOL

On Sunday Seth was playing by himself (with some imaginary friends) at church. I wasn't there, but apparently he was running around and having a good ol' time when he suddenly stopped and said, "Oh, yeah! I am Mr. Smartypants!" My friend Naomi thought it was hilarious, though the other people in the room were totally lost. lol I have no clue where the outburst came from, but it was funny!

Toodles!

Thoughts of Spring Blog Party

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?
     I asked my friend Bailey about this, and she said, "Helpful." I'd like to think she's right!
What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?
     Well... I'm not really one of those girls that is all goo-goo over movie stars and would flip out if she saw one. So I'm not seeking them out or writing in for autographs. I guess if I *had* to meet a "star" in real life, I'd pick someone from the cast of Sue Thomas.

Jack's picture was the first one I found with good quality, but I'd love to meet Sue, Bobby, or Tara, too. Or Lucy. =)


Are you a hopeless romantic?
     Define hopeless. I really don't know. Probably. Would it qualify me as a hopeless romantic if I get all excited when Jack proposes to Lucy in While You Were Sleeping? Or when John Thornton proposes and gives that look in North and South?

     It took that question for me to realize that two of my favorite ever proposals take place near a train. Is it a sign?! ;)

What is your comfort food/drink?
     Smoothie or cinnamon roll, depending whether I want cool comfort or warm. =)

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.
     I have a hard time going to sleep if I have socks on my feet.

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?
     I don't know. The first one that comes to mind is burning myself on the oven. I'm always very careful to open the oven door completely and stay as far away from the racks as possible.

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?
     I like so many different genres... but period drama are a favorite. And adventurey stuff.

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?
     I love books! I like suspense, historical fiction, true stories, etc. This is one of my favorite things in the world:

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?
     Classical, sacred, and soundtrack. With some fifties thrown in for good measure. =)

What movie or book character can you most relate to?
     Well... My father has never been unjustly sent to prison, but I have always felt a strong kinship with Roberta from The Railway Children.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).
     I watch Tom and Jerry. There's a safe confession. lol

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?
     England, most likely. Or Prince Edward Island.

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?
     Rain. Pure, country rain. I'm always sad when it rains here in the city 'cause it doesn't smell as good.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?
     Depends. Sometimes one, sometimes the other. Usually I'm pretty cool with my amount of silence vs. my amount of speech.

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?
     Barnes and Noble is a no-brainer. And thrift stores. And Kohls. I'm leaving something out, but there you have it.

What are your favorite animals?
     Dogs, I guess. =)


I will post later today or maybe tomorrow with some pictures and more details from my Dad's accident.
That's all, folks!