Peace of Mind - Boston

I had trouble deciding between this song and “Live Like We’re Dyin’”. So of course that song plays right after this one.

*sigh*
Thanksgiving break, but I still feel like I’m supposed to be supervising, coordinating, or just doing something in general. Sure, I have homework to do (mostly reading different chapters of different textbooks or the like). The past three weeks have been blocked up with work, meetings, classes, and other projects, so unwinding has been... difficult?

I’m involved in at least 4 different groups that meet on a regular basis.

Missions Group – Meets every other week and discusses different aspects of mission work for the mission minded.
Personal Evangelism – A newer group that meets every week and discusses ways to spread the Gospel.
Southern Oaks – Meets every week and hosts a devotional at the Southern Oaks Assisted living home.
A Helping Hand – A new student-based organization I’m part of. Our goal is to spread the Gospel as well as help with physical needs of those we are teaching. I’m part of the IT department of the organization.

I’m probably missing a couple other groups. Add classes, homework, group projects, and work to that mix.

Now that the musical is over, things should be pretty easy at work. I just have to make sure to secure the job so I can have it next semester. My boss already said I could have the job when I brought it up, but I figure reminding him every so often before the end of the semester would be a good idea.

I can always count on people around me to tell me how stressed I seem. You know it’s bad when you have friends telling you on a daily basis to chill out or take some time off. Finally being persuaded to spend some time relaxing, I took one day and canceled two meetings and moved two other meetings to different times. Trying to ignore most calls and texts, I ate dinner by myself and watched The Wrath of Khan in solitude. I enjoyed every minute of it. Despite being called an extrovert, I still like to think of myself as in introvert. I wanted some time alone (not to do homework) just to get my mind off everything. It left me feeling a little better; at least enough to last me through the rest of the week.

Now it’s Thanksgiving break. I’m spending it with a friend’s family in Oklahoma. By the time it came down to planning where I was going, I just wanted to get away from everyone and everything. That sounds really selfish...
There is a fine line somewhere in there that I’m still trying to figure out.



I sat down to write (NaNoWriMo, remember?) only to get nothing as far as inspiration goes. When I have time, I have no inspiration or desire to write. When I’m super busy, I have all the inspiration in the world. The stuff keeps me up at night until I tell myself I need to relax and get some sleep. Tis an merciless cycle.


The thing is, even when I do take a break from things, my mind still plagues me. I’ll be thinking about problems others are having and how I can help or different plans that need to be made or things on my to-do list (both short term and long term) and how I can accomplish them.
The truth of the matter is, I can never really get away from everything.



(cool points to whoever can correctly guess what these pics are from)




There is comfort in knowing God is in control, but that’s after I remind myself of that. I want to do everything on my own. For some reason, I feel that I have to. “No one else is going to do it for you.” Or “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” So I do. I automatically try to take care of others and help them with their problems in addition to juggling my own. If someone asks for help, I’ll drop what I’m doing and take on that as well. Tis no wonder I get so worn out. But I can’t stop, oh no. I can’t neglect anyone, otherwise I’ll be letting them down and that’s the last thing I want to happen.

*sigh*

Then I take a deep breath and remember why I became a Christian: because I was sick of trying to handle life on my own.

Looks like I’m still learning. =/

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy helping people. I’m thankful for the chance to help someone in need. I love my job. I’m thankful for the education I’m getting. I lament the fact that I let other things take priority over homework time and I have to rush through the material. I’m thankful for my friends and teachers. I’m thankful for the different groups I get to be part of. I’m thankful for my immediate physical family and I long for the day I can be with them again. I’m thankful for my spiritual family, life would be 10 times more difficult without them. I’m thankful for my extended physical family (hi grandma!) and the fact that I can stay in contact with them better now that I’m stateside. I’m thankful for my awesome friend who let me stay with her family for Thanksgiving. Maybe before the end of the week I can force myself to relax before the final stretch of school. Maybe. There’s a slight chance I’m going to go Black Friday shopping. *shudders* (20 years with a spotless record for what? That’s the question.)
With any luck, I’ll live to see Christmas break. I’m guessing I won’t be able to fully relax till I’m on the plane ride home.

~ Always Hope ~
~ Never Alone ~
~ Endurance and Victory ~

Stand My Ground - Within Temptation

So busy.

Tests, quizzes, meetings, homework, classes, programs, work, food, and that stuff called sleep.

Ah well, here are some sites to check out in the meantime.

Website of the organization I'm assisting. We're still trying to get it up and running, but this is the website so far.

Site for Hanna's prequel (or what I have edited so far). I'm continuing this for NaNo. Course, most of what I write is unedited, so it may be a while before this site gets updated.

If you want some of the unedited stuff, scroll past the poem.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit -
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver line of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.

--Unknown


Frozen Memoirs: unedited excerpt.

The doorknob rattled as she tried opening the locked door. I heard a loud sigh before Anna continued. “If you’re listening,” she said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you. It’s just... I want to believe you can do better, if you tried.” As she talked, I quietly made my way to the window and noiselessly slid it open. I assume she kept talking. I was already out the window and sprinting to my bike. Within a few minutes I was on my way to rendezvous with the White Raven.

~ Strength and Honor ~
~ Endurance and Victory ~

Toccata-Carpimus Noctem - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

*Plays Epona's Song first*

Excitemenet all around.
I got to spend the weekend with some amazing people. It was nice just to get away from college for a while. One of my friends invited me to go to her family’s house for a cookout. It was awesome. 1) Christian fellowship. 2) Home cooked meals. 3) No pressing homework. 4) More home cooked meals. 5) The good fire smell on your clothes after a bonfire.



I think what I found most entertaining was the way the family members interacted with each other. There were some pretty hilarious moments. I missed my family a lot afterwards. I have to remind myself what I’m here for. I need to finish what I started.
On that note, I finished two scarves this semester. I’m almost finished with a third one. One gets a lot of crocheting done one a 3 ½ hour trip.

After I get back, boom. Halloween. I went through today without incident, for which I’m grateful. I dressed up as Malon from Legend of Zelda. Costumes are like jokes; they don’t have the same meaning if you have to explain them. And that I did.



I had a bottle (jar, technically speaking) and everything! All I was missing was Epona and Link. Ah well, they are surely on an adventure of some sort to save Hyrule. In the meantime, I shall stay here, singing and dreaming...



At least I didn’t dress up as some totally ambiguous character from an unpublished story *cough* ISC Hanna *cough*
<_< >_> *whispers* Though I’ll admit, I loved being Hanna. ^_^
*ahem* I had a good time.



With the beginning of November comes the start of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Like I said before, I’m not planning on finishing, but I want to get farther along in some of my half-written stories. To any other writers out there taking on this quest, may you always find a pen and pad when you need them and overcome every writer’s block.

~ Always Hope ~

Party in the CIA – Weird Al Yankovich

Yes, I can kick off the post with an insane song. It’s the weekend.

It is amazing what I get myself into.



Course it’s nothing compared to what Hanna gets into, but that’s another rant for another time.

Midterm week is over. As far as tests go, they weren’t that bad. Not that good, but not bad either. The grades were somewhere in the middle, in a place that would make any perfectionist wince in agony. I’ll work on it. Still working on balancing everything out. My priorities are like little baby ducklings that keep wandering out of line. Don’t ask me where that analogy came from. You’re following the rabbit hole, remember?

Anyway, I’m thankful for midterm week. A bunch of tests at the same time isn’t really convenient, but I like having a checkpoint. A place to stop and see how I’m doing, where I need to improve, and what subjects I need to spend more time on. On the other hand, it can be a painful revelation as well. Tis the price of knowledge, I suppose. =/
Tis knowledge I want to know though, even if it is painful. Tis necessary.



I have a habit of piling up more stuff on top of everything else I’m doing. It’s awesome that I’m involved, but at the end of the day…. I’m out of it.
*refrains from using a LotR quote about butter over too much bread*

I’m loving my job. The past couple weeks I got to work in the wood shop. ^_^ I got to help paint primer on everything and started the actual painting. I also got to use the saw and drill (no, I didn’t play with them).

I’ve done more crocheting. I finished a scarf and a couple scrunchies. Then I started on two other projects. There are also a few small sewing projects and hot glue gun projects that are on my to do list. I made cookies though.

~ Inception cookies ~



You have now been exposed to awesomeness. :|

As far as craziness goes... I found enjoyment in pulling off a prank. I f you know me, you know that’s stuff I’d talk about doing (or even worse if ye talk to Hanna), but would never actually do.
... For the most part :P



I found enjoyment in it. We may have opened the floodgates here. <_< >_>



(Don’t worry, we took all the post-it notes off. Eventually)

To add to the ever-growing list of things to do, I’ve been trying to get back to writing. Hanna’s prequel got a couple updates. Irish Rose hasn’t moved in…. far too long. In short, NaNoWriMo’s coming up. What better time to write than NaNo? I’m not planning on finishing, but I at least want to get some words in.



So yeah, I’ve been busy. Looks I will continue to be busy.

*bows* Until we meet again.

~ Always Hope! ~






Oh, and you didn’t see any of this secret stuff, ok?

Moondance – Nightwish

Ok, so I went more with a blue/grey theme. Blue beats red in my eyes anyway. ;)

It’s been raining for the past four days and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. This song seemed to fit with the nature of rain, wouldn’t you say? Starts out slow, just a few drops at a time, and then before you know it, it’s coming down in torrents.
There are times when the rain comes down steadily, but softly. Those times I simply enjoy standing in the rain with my head turned to the sky. The soft pattering sound calms everything and it is as though anything riotous and polluted is washed away, leaving an open clean world in its wake.
Then there are other times that the rain comes with thunder and lightning (and if you’re in TN, tornadoes >_> ). A magnificent display of light and sound so powerful, you’re far safer watching it from a sheltered place. You can’t help but to be excited by it, either in terror or enthrallment: your choice.
I’m reminded of a verse in Matthew.
Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (KJV)
I love the rain.

On a random side note: my favorite part of November Rain is from about 7:00 to the very end ^_^



I’ve passed the 100-hour mark on my field lab, putting me at 102 hours now.

Thursday last week, I went to a cancer children’s hospital with my sister. We were helping out a lady with her art lesson. We crafted little beads out of clay and made necklaces with the girls. The boys made little ornament things from the clay.
I enjoyed my time there, despite staying silent for the most part.
It’s not much, just to be there to make little clay figurines and such with the children. It’s not a cure. I can’t promise them a healthy life. I certainly can’t promise them tomorrow. But it’s a way of giving them hope. Hope that, through this momentary happiness, they can find the strength to keep fighting.

A few verses from Proverbs come to mind.
Proverbs 15:13 “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”
17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
18:14 “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”

That’s the way I see it. My sister and I are scheduled to go back on Tuesday. I’m looking forward to it.


I’ve gotten some major writing done over the weeks. I’m getting closer and closer to the bridge that spans the first major gap in my writing. Note I said first, as in the first of many. :P
Kudos to SA for the many much needed word wars.
On that note, I thank EDJ for his *ahem* “moral support.” Just don’t be expecting any non-explosive cookies anytime soon.
Misty! Where be ye, lass? If I didn’t’ know any better, I’d say EDJ burned yer house down again. Ye needs to stop poofing so we can get some work into ISC before the summer is over.



Green Thunder for the win ^_^

Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin

Bah, I really couldn’t decide between using several different songs. Everything ranging from Don’t Fear the Reaper to Europa crossed my mind. I eventually settled on writing three semi-scattered sections with three songs.
Ah well, for those of you who can actually listen to the music on here, you can stay and listen to it all you like, I will warn you though I have a song for every shade of color on the spectrum. Consider this blue/grey to red. It won’t be for long though. Who knows, the next one might be pink… *wrinkles nose* A very dignified shade of pink, mind you. None of that candy coated stuff.

*ahem*



Anyway…

There’s always a melancholic sort of peace listening to soviet funeral music. It’s as if this last glorious musical piece is to somehow annul the physical loss. Everyone in the neighborhood can hear the brass playing at the funeral, especially since the funerals are conducted right outside the apartment entrance. I woke up this morning to the melodic sound. It’s somewhat ironic, being awoken from the dead of sleep by the music being played at someone else’s funeral.

*pokes EDJ* I somehow blame you for the irony >_>

I’ve always found the phrase in this song “die for anyone” intriguing.
Probably because of my... habit… of wanting to help people with their problems. If someone’s sick, hurting, angry, sad, I want to be there for him or her. Regardless of the cost or damage I may or may not receive, I want to help them and I will do everything in my power to help them.

I’m still trying to find my place in this world. At least, that’s what I find myself thinking. Then I have to stop and admit there is no place for me here. I don’t belong here. WE don’t’ belong here. It’s that simple. This is not our home. At least, not permanently.
I grew up with a very different way of life. One in which I am ever so grateful for. I cannot express how deeply thankful I am for my parents and the way they reared me.
Back to my point though, this is the only life I know. It’s the only life I’m fully capable of living and it’s only natural that I would want to follow it.

But sometimes, the sneaking little suspicion that maybe this isn’t that path I’m supposed to follow shows itself. Maybe I’m supposed to be doing something else. Though this doubt is usually eradicated swiftly with the knowledge that I’m already doing what I should be doing. But then I’m reminded that no living person knows what the future holds. Which just brings me full circle. In the meantime, I do what I do best. Whether that is helping with plumbing, sawing through drywall, signing up to clean, or just being a listening ear or attentive eyes, that’s what I’ll do.


Moving on…
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

I’ve been reading through the book “The Ugly American” lately for my field lab.
I’m impressed so far. It is nothing like I expected, yet everything I would expect. Now let me explain that. I didn’t know what to expect upon opening the book. Some rant about Americans by a foreign author maybe? I don’t know. But as I read it, it was painfully obvious how ignorant of particular situations people can be. Not just some random war that they have nothing to do with, but occurrences in which they SHOULD know better. They have no excuse not to know the situation they are involved in.

From what I’ve read so far, each chapter in the book focuses on a different individual and shows the events unfold through their eyes. The setting is roughly the same for them, as they all are connected in some way to a particular country and the politics thereof. However, through each of these eyes the reader sees just how blind some of the individuals really are. Particularly the ones from America. Not all Americans are that way, but admittedly, Americans have a reputation of either not knowing or not wanting to know. About the people, the culture, the hardships, all very real life situations for millions of people around the world. Yet this attitude of trying to “Americanize” the “uncultured” people of another land reflects very badly on every American when the only representatives out there are the ones pushing this system.
Maybe some people can’t help it. Some Americans, probably subconsciously, feel they have to be someone else when they’re in foreign land. They play the tourist. That’s fine and all that if you actually ARE a tourist, but otherwise, be yourself.

Here’s a quote from one of the people in the book to kind of help you get my point:

"The simple fact is, Mr. Ambassador, that the average Americans, in their natural state, if you will excuse the phrase, are the best ambassadors a country can have,” Magsaysay said. “They are not suspicious, they are eager to share their skills, they are generous. But something happens to most Americans when they go abroad. Man of them are not average… they are second-raters. Many of them, against their own judgment, feel that they must live up to their commissaries and big cars and cocktail parties. But get an unaffected American, sir, and you have an asset. And if you get one, treasure him – keep him out of the cocktail circuit, away from bureaucrats, and let him work in his own way." (Lederer)

At least put in an effort to understand the people you are around.
All the little mistakes the Americans made along with all the little victories the Communists gained really made it seem like the Americans were inadvertently handing the country over the Communists on a silver platter. Ignorance is not bliss. Neither is it excusable or acceptable.

*Exhales* Ok, I think I’m done harping on my own people. But please… just use a little common sense sometimes, please?



*sigh* Alright, I’m done.

Now then, for a little more pleasantness. I at least want to end on a happier note. New worlds are always a sign of hope, right?
Back on track then.

I’m 80 hours into my field lab. This week that has mostly included helping my father cut out and fold 40 directories for our congregation. I already told you how much I’m enjoying my book for required reading. I’ve been writing various notes as I go through the chapters to make the book report easier to write later.

Our bathroom still has a hole in the wall. New problems keep us from really using the toilet on that side of the apartment. As far as the running water in the basement, we haven’t heard anything. They must have taken care of it for now because we haven’t heard any complaints either.

I’ve finally had the inspiration to practice playing the piano again.
*pokes EDJ again* Thank yer original for me for that one.
Anyway, I printed out notes to a song I really like and have been practicing that. Asides from my family, who shall have to endure it until I am sent overseas again, I’m keeping the song I’m playing a secret. I’m pretty sure I got the easiest version of the song. It’s 6 pages long, but I’m already on the second page. Which is pretty much zooming through it, considering my normal note-reading pace. The left hand is a little tricky, but I’m happy with my progress. ^_^

Writing.
Ah yes that thing where people put words together to make tales worth reading. I’m working on it. Hanna’s prequel is moving along nicely, but I still haven’t bridged the gap between what I have on the separate blog and what I’ve written for JuNoWriMo. Writing everything from Shard/Hanna’s perspective can be a little draining at times. I’m looking forward to the lighter parts. Parts filled with the interesting and surviving characters.

Now then, I do believe I shall take my leave.

As Hanna so aptly put it, “If you need me... do without."






Lederer, William, and Eugene Burdick. The Ugly American. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. Print.

Waving Flag - K'naan

I probably should have updated this a while ago, but it’s been crazy since I’ve been home.

Potluck, Ladies’ Day, guests, jetlag, plumbing, cleaning day, dish days, cherries, hot water, cold water, word wars… yeah. Busy.

I’ve already gotten more than 55 hours in for my field lab. I haven’t even started reading my book for the book report yet.

My siblings have certainly made me feel at home



Notice how many sheets of paper they used? That thing is HUGE! :P

Getting back on track has been like trying to follow a sleep-deprived writer's train of thought.
Try it sometime.

But even now, I am soooo glad to be back home.
It's like time traveling back to my own time-period.
...not that anyone other than Marty McFly would really know how that feels, but you get the point.

Oh how I've missed the simple things of home, such as properly built swings. I have no earthly idea why Americans can't make a decent swing set. Sure, half the time our swings are broken and missing, but when they're there, they're awesome! I can swing, crochet, and listen to music without losing my balance for almost an hour. And when I stand up, my legs don't feel like they're going to fall off.

Ok, I've finished my swing rant.



Anyway,
The Ladies' Day we had went exceptionally well. my sister, mother, and I led a few songs and each presented a lesson.


Over the past few days, we've only had hot water on one side of the apartment because a pipe somewhere or other broke. So I've been told. The only way they could get to it was through our bathroom, so we had to have our toilet moved and part of the wall taken down so they could get to it. They fixed it in one day, so that's commendable, but that left us to move our toilet from out of the bathtub and back where it belonged. Though we're going to need help reinstalling it. As soon as we got cold water on the other end of the apartment, they shut off the hot water for the building. A normal procedure around this time of year, but the timing was exceptional, don't you think?

********** UPDATE **********

So around 11pm someone comes to our door telling us that there’s water running in the basement. At 1am, my mother and I go with a neighbor lady to try and get someone to turn the water off. We’re on the first floor, so we can hear the water running outside our door. The stairway to the basement is locked, with a heavy-duty soviet padlock, no less. We go to the entrance next door and call all the people on the neighbor lady’s list of people to call in such cases. No one picks up their home phone, no one answers their cell phone, no one answers the door. We’re at this for a good 30-45 minutes. The lady decides that there is one other person she can call, but she left the number in her apartment. Now, we have yet to hear if anyone can come over and shut the water off. In the meantime, my mother’s doing laundry before we run out of water. I love how every day is an adventure. ^_^

********************


On a side note, I've been writing more. One of my goals this summer, and for this month in particular, is to get my ISC prequel done. I have notes all over the place that I've been meaning to fit in to an actual story format. It's coming along nicely, but I'm still writing in scenes instead of chronologically. Though the last four or five scenes have been written chronologically, so I'm making progress. ^_^

Oddly enough, I've been thinking more about world history. (( Random Prussia mention )) Wars and battles, mostly. Though that may be because the latest scenes I've been writing have been more battle oriented...


Another random note, I need to get back on a regular sleeping schedule...



Strength and Honor!

Never Going Back To Ok - The Afters

Hah, finally found some time. Well, I made some time really. It probably wouldn’t hurt to go over my notes again, but this has been on my to do list for a while. Such a thing should not have to go on a to do list, I know, but time escapes me.

So, school has come back with a vengeance. It won’t be too long now.
After a much needed break, I’m ready to get back to work. Yet at the same time, I’m ready to be done with this semester.

I’ve noticed how school has a way of severely limiting randomly creative productivity. I’ve had less time to draw or write. I think I’ve only drawn two pictures the whole time I’ve been here, which is sad. I was able to manage in a word war though. 800 something words in an hour. Talk about losing my touch.

I packed up my piano for Thanksgiving break and haven’t bothered to get it out again, considering it’s only going to be packed again in a couple weeks. I’ve only been able to practice when I make the time for it, usually when I need a productive stress reliever. Interestingly, that has been a fairly rare occurrence. Either way, one of my many locations of refuge has a piano and is just across the street from my dorm. Convenient? I’d say so.

A lot of stuff has been going on around campus. “Important” stuff. So important, I miss half of it. Like the SS people on the rooftops that I totally missed. My excuse? It was a busy day and I wasn’t looking for them. Yeah, I think I’ll stick with that. :P

Ah well, finals are coming up pretty soon. This shall be a very interesting next couple of weeks...


~ Savvy

Toss the Feathers - The Corrs

HAH! I knew I had a more recent version of the last excerpt, so I did a little digging and found it.

The final edit might be some mix of the two. I think I've got a lot more description in the second one. Ah well, read them both and tell me what you think.



~~~~~ Out of the Frying Pan: Edited ~~~~~


“What… what do you want?!?” Sheila tried hiding the fear in her voice. “Like I said,” the gruff man replied, “we’re taking you with us!” He stepped closer. “Stay away from us!” She took a step back. “Listen, girlie!” snapped the evil man. “I’m taking ya’ll and I don’t care if you like it or not!” Sheila continued backing away, but bumped into something. She glanced around and saw she was trapped; cornered between the wall and the stove. She looked back at her attacker, her eyes wide with fear. “No where to go, eh?” he sounded as if he could read her very thoughts. “Well, I guess you’re outa luck! Hahaha!” his laugh was deep and sickening. Sheila’s mind raced with panic. This large, coldhearted guy was determined to take her and her siblings, but she was paralyzed with fear. They heard a voice from the back of the cabin. “Get away from her!” Liam dashed forward and tried to tackle the menace. Before he could even reach him, one of the other thugs grabbed him and threw him to the ground. “What are you trying to pull here, kid?!” The big man mocked Liam as Sheila watched with widened eyes. She tried to scream, but her voice failed her. Liam tried to get up, but was hit in the face by a minion’s fist. Liam fell back to the floor with blood spilling from his nose. “You can’t stop us, kid!” He tried to get up a third time; he jumped to his feet and ran toward the leader of this merciless band. Liam pushed past the first menace and had just about reached his target when the second brut punched him in the stomach. Liam slid to the ground; his eyes squeezed shut with pain. “Hah! Let that be a lesson to ya!” The man and all his friends laughed long and hard. Liam had fought so hard to help, but was knocked down every single time. Seeing her brother lying on the floor in agony caused a fire to burn inside Sheila. She was angry, enraged that these vicious men had come in here and attacked her brother for attempting to save her. She was furious! She glared at her enemy, who was still laughing at Liam. With fury like no other, Sheila grabbed the handle of the heavy iron skillet behind her with both hands and swung it at her opponent’s thick head. It hit him just as he was turning around to face her. The evil man fell to the ground screaming in anguish. The other two men froze in shock as they stared at her. She wielded the skillet in both hands as some sort of bladed weapon, her newfound confidence evident through her glaring, fiery eyes. She raced toward the enemy and swung the deadly frying pan at the first man’s head. He swerved just in time to avoid the assault. Sheila changed directions and swung at the other ruffian. He was not as swift and got hit in the side with the heavy pan. The first man snatched Sheila from behind and lifted her into the air, the skillet falling from her hands. “Let me GO!!!” She screamed as she kicked furiously in an effort to get away. Her wild thrashing eventually caused the man to let go of his hold. She dropped to the ground and made a mad dive the pan. Just as she grasped the handle and stood up, she was hit by a powerful blow. She fell to the ground almost instantly, blood slowly oozing from the back of her throbbing head. “Get the kids!” The big man glared at her from above. “What about her?!” whined the wounded underling. Their criminal leader apparently understood his subordinates’ biased sense of justice. “Leave her to die!” With that reply, he stormed from the cabin. The minions took the children captive and followed. The last thing Sheila heard before her vision faded to black were little Tulia’s cries.

Last Rose of Summer - Celtic Woman

So, I decided to let ye all read some of one of my stories, Irish Rose.
Because most of my creative energy goes into writing Ice Sword Chronicles, this story is among many left on the back burner.

Though maybe I can convince you to see diamond in the rough.

I started writing this novel about 4 years ago, though I stopped soon after. I just started really writing again last November.
One of my dreams is to actually finish and get this book published. I'm a long way off, considering I haven't fully written the rough draft yet, but I'm getting there.

I'll let you read some info on it then an excerpt.

Motive: I first decided to write this book to prove that I could write a story just as good as, if not better than, Eragon. As time passed, I was more focused on creating and completing a work of art that I hoped would be enjoyed and appreciated by others.

Summary: Sheila Gallowglass undertakes the challenge of moving her siblings across the war-torn country with the hope of reuniting with their parents. However, this task proves to be more difficult than she imagined.

Setting: American Civil War, early 1860’s


Excerpt:

~~~~~ Out of the Frying Pan ~~~~~


“What… what do you want?” Sheila backed away from the gruff men. Three more shoved past Elisabeth into the small cabin. “We’re here to take you and the rats to trial for helping a runaway slave!” the leader spat. “She’s not a slave!” Elisabeth said, clearly infuriated. “Ain’t she now? I guess we’ll just have to see about that!” With those words, the thugs slowly moved in to capture her young siblings. The leader of this hoard of villains made his way to Sheila. “Stay away from us.” her weak reply only caused him to laugh. She knew she needed to stop them, but she only continued backing away from the invaders. Sheila glanced behind herself when she bumped into the wall. She had backed right into a corner between the wall and the stove. Filled with fear, she looked back at the evil man. Sheila knew she was trapped and so did her kidnapper. “Nowhere to go, huh?” he sneered as he edged closer. “Get away from her!” Liam dashed forward in an effort to save his sister. Before he could reach his target, one of the ruffians lifted him into the air and threw him to the ground. Liam landed on his back with a loud thump. The leader turned to Liam, a deep sickening laugh emanating from his throat. “What are you trying to pull here, kid? You can’t stop us!” With fury in his eyes, Liam hopped to his feet and made a mad dash for the man. He shoved past the first two minions, but another one hit Liam in the face so hard it knocked him back down to the floor. Liam stayed down, blood spilling from his nose and his eyes squeezed shut with pain. The heinous man laughed even harder. All the men in the group laughed with him. They all mocked Liam and his attempt to protect his sister. Sheila couldn’t stand seeing Liam defeated and lying on the floor in anguish. With the evil men’s laughter ringing in her ears, Sheila took hold of the heavy iron skillet sitting on the stove. “Get out!” With a mighty swing, Sheila hit the leader just as he turned back to face her. Howling in pain, he fell to the floor clutching his bleeding head. Stunned, the kidnappers ceased their advancement. Brandishing the frying pan as a sword, Sheila charged to the closest thug and swung again. This man had to swiftly scramble out of the way to avoid the oncoming attack. Sheila changed directions and flew at the next man. Not being able to move quickly enough, he caught the blow of the heavy pan with his side. With fire in her eyes, she pressed the assault. Just as she brought the pan down in another heavy swing, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind and lifted her into the air. Caught by surprise, Sheila dropped her makeshift weapon and heard it clatter on the wooden floor. “Let me go!” Screaming, she thrashed her legs in an effort to get away. Her violent struggling caused her captor to lose his hold. She deftly landed on both feet and made a dive for the skillet. Just as she turned around, she felt a sudden crash to the back of her head. She crumpled to the floor, blood dripping from her head. The cruel leader of the gang of kidnappers glared at Sheila’s unconscious form. “Get the rats!” Only one subordinate was fooling enough hesitate in carrying out the command. “What about her?” His timid question evoked even more rage from his livid boss. “Leave her to die!” he spat out with hate. Sheila could still hear Tulia’s cries as her vision faded to black.

Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson

I've never been a big fan of change. Sure, I like variety, but stability and I go a long way back. I like some things to stay the way they are. Other things I'm just fine with changing.

Moving to college? Bring it on.

Extra schoolwork? Oh, how I've missed thee.

Meeting new people? Sure, just watch your approach.

American swing-sets? I'm tempted to tear one down and rebuild it my way...

Calling someone other than my mother "Mama"? ...I'll get back to you on that.


This has been the season of change. Ever since I got here, life has been a roller coaster of events. I haven't been able to pull off an all-nighter, simply because I've been too exhausted to. How I miss homeschooling. Time was never exactly on my side, but now it's attacking in full force.

Then there's the emotional drama involved. Ick, I never thought of myself as being very girly. "A tomboy at heart," I say. Jeans, mud, four-wheelers, woodworking, programming, plumbing, video games, rock climbing, heated debates over which hero is better. (Btw, Batman wins. Every time.) Let's face it, romantic conversations have never appealed to me. 9 out of 10, I'm hanging out with the guys. One of my hobbies is actually making fun of the sappy chick flicks I'm forced to watch.

Logic has been my best friend since I can remember. After all, "The melodies of logic must always play out the truth." Right?

Right..... not.

Anyway, yeah... none of the girls I know love logic the way I do. Some come close, but...
I say "Computer Engineering" and they say "....Wow, I'm glad you can do that because that's over my head." *facepalm*
Then there are the others who say, "Oh, you're one of THOSE people..."

Well, I must have picked the right major because I seem to be doing exceedingly well in my programming class. I started an assignment before the teacher finished telling us what to do. Course I was the first to finish. This isn't the first time that's happened. Hopefully, it won't be the last. Hopefully, the class isn't just really easy and I won't find myself struggling with the other computer classes next semester. Always Hope.

Wow, now I'm just rambling. Evil fatigue. Ah well, my time of rest shall come. Thanksgiving break. Christmas break. Either way, I need a vacation. In some ways, I want my old life back. Things were so much simpler then. But... that's not what life is about... is it? Of course not. No one would ever grow if they stayed in the same place all their lives.