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Is this better? I think so at least... Heavens! Anyways, on to a subject that is at least slightly less bothersome... the weather! The past couple of days have been simply splendid! Just chilly enough for a sweater and a cup of tea and not 100 degrees like it was at the beginning of the week! I don't know about you, but I abhor hot weather. Warm is pleasant, cool is fantastic, but anything above 85 degrees is out of my comfort zone.



This was the view from the back yard yesterday... now if only that were London Fog and this really were a castle... Actually, I've heard that castles are quite drafty... maybe not the best place for me, who seems to be cold *all the time*. Bother. I suppose that's what long-sleeved gowns are for?

I was reading Jonathan's blog this afternoon and realized that I had not posted anything at all about the Easter play! If I haven't already raved to you about why the Easter play is so fantastic, you can read his post about it since it pretty much sums it all up. (Philosophic Minstrel's latest post "Resurrected Drunken Pirates: Reflections on Holy Week")

There's just a bit of the craziness...

Alright, I really didn't have much to say today... perhaps I'll post again later this weekend whilst avoiding the STAR Test Prep...

P.S. Just in case y'all were wondering, I do, in fact, have all of the lyrics (gibberish included) memorized to that song...

P.P.S. If ANYONE has a suggestion for my 16th birthday party, please let me know!!! Mum is starting to do more than threaten and I need to come up with somehthing quick!

I realized that I have not exactly been focusing my mind on the good lately. I have been veering toward the negative, cynical side of my nature; that side that is to be denied. Going through my recent blog posts, every one seems to be negative or dark or weary. In Paul's letter to the Philippians he wrote:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." – Philippians 4:8

Recently, I was conversing with a dear friend about our "very most favorite things". As I started thinking about it, I remembered back to last year when Meaghan and I, not paying as much attention as we should have been in Science class, decided to exchange a list of our favorite things. (Daniel, you might remember something about that.) We passed a note back and forth for several days, simply writing down ridiculous things that made us happy. To remedy the negativity of my recent posting habits, I've decided to start a list, much like the one Meagh and I wrote last year. Y'all are welcome to post your own lists of "very most favorite things" in the comment box! Here are a few of mine:

Jesus (Sunday school answer!), the Trinity (the more accurate description), relatable Bible verses, glassy water, blue skies with thunder clouds on the horizon, warm feet, soft blankets (can y'all tell I'm sitting on my bed whilst I type this?), crunching leaves, stale peeps (the candy, not the slang term for friends), loud music, background noise, crowds, psycho-analysis, utter silence, Mike Huckabee, old pictures, big hugs, that new book smell, yarn between my hands, dynamic piano music, new good-smelling shampoo, a kitchen warmed by a baking oven, fresh cookies, hot tea that burns your tounge, antique headboards, English gardens, Socratic Circles, heated discussions, fingerless gloves, MY freshly shaved legs (haha, Daniel!), and Meaghan's too (David!), pens with flowing ink, aching fingers, red lipstick, Converse Chucks, big sweatshirts, Disney movies, British accents, good books (though they are a rarity), Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (the hero from Pride and Prejudice, Steven!), water skis, flowery language, great quotes, un-scented lotion, warm sunshine, rainy days, a single lamp being turned on, flowy-skirts, dear friends, long lists!

Though I doubt many of you took the time to read through all of that, those are a few of my most favoritest things! I encourage you this week to really think about those things that make you really and truly happy. Not necessarily silly things like most of what I mentioned above, but what brings you honest to goodness joy.

Babblings of an Insomniac

I cannot sleep. Over the course of Spring Break, I have gotten into the habit of going to bed at 10:30-11ish. Quite a good habit to get into when in need of sleep. However, I find that tonight sleep escapes me. It is a night when everything seems to be against my getting any rest. There is a cricket chirping outside my window whose lullaby, usually so sweet, is nothing but grating to my ears. He will go quiet and then, just as soon as I think myself ready to forgive his former annoyance, start up as loudly and persistently as cricket-ly possible. My glow-in-the-dark Converse, whose faint glow generally causes no trouble, nag at the peripherals of my vision, even with eyes shut tight. Try as I might to push thoughts from my conscious mind, they crowd back with a vengeance, vying for space to parade before my eye-lids and remind me of all that needs to be done. I suppose forcing the mind into a quiescent state works against itself. The sheep have departed, most probably fatigued from jumping the fence so many times. I don't blame them. They were getting over-worked.

Wandering wraith-like through the house does me no good, serving only to remind me of my solitude at an hour so late. The deathly quiet permeates into my very being; I no longer know if I remember how to make a noise. The clicking of knitting needles does not soothe a restless spirit. Nor does the muffled ruffling of turning pages. The hum of the computer sitting atop my lap and the constant clicking of keys is doing naught but increase my growing headache. And yet, what else is there to do when the rest of the house is sleeping? Hot tea, an all-curative, requires the whistling of a kettle. Musical instruments are quite obviously sonant. Mindless television is a waste of time, whether there is time to be wasted or not. Be there any cure for an insomniac?

I find myself complaining about being awake. Or, if complaining is the wrong word, lamenting works just as easily. Perhaps I should veer to a more light-hearted subject? How about guitar chords? Yes, yes. I think that shall suit just fine... Of late, I have been playing the guitar more oft than usual. I find it not only a calming release, but also a useful instrument. Mandy mentioned to me several months ago that she greatly enjoyed playing worship songs because she found that the chord progressions generally fit the way they were to be sung. I now find this statement to be entirely accurate. With most songs containing the same chords, worship music seems an excellent (and simplistic) form of praise, any time or place. "Enough" and "God of Wonders" have quickly become two of my favorites. If only I could learn to play piano chords! hmph. Though I love the piano, its soft tone and delicate airs, powerful harmonies and underlying rhythm, I'm surprisingly finding the guitar much easier to pick up. Unfortunately, no instrument is at the moment anything near a priority compared to this last quarter of Sophomore year.

Let it be over! I realize that I am only a Sophomore and should be enjoying high school; reveling in being a teenager and not yet having to start a career or pay taxes. However, I find myself longing for adult-hood. (And no, not just to vote President Obama out of office.) High school grows monotonous and insipid. It seems to be only an interim period before life can start and I can "go my own way", so to speak. Okay, I realize I am making absolutely no sense now. Just let it be known that I would graduate tomorrow in a heartbeat and let it be done with if given the chance.

This post is getting quite long... Meaghan will probably have given up reading several paragraphs ago. For the sake of my readers, I shall be done. Wish me luck! I'm off to once again attempt to slip into a peaceful slumber... I don't have too high a hope.