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To paraphrase, the youngest daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman, who is a Christian singer/songwriter and Grammy-winning artist, was killed in a car accident on Wednesday. She was five years old. Please keep them in your prayers.
22 May 2008
21 May 2008
I didn't know that piano could make you hungry?
Well, it can, because I just spent 65 minutes on the piano and I'm going back to do another 30 as soon as I recover, and while I did eat breakfast I'm definitely ravenously hungry. Maybe moving your fingers is better exercise than I thought. Which reminds me of what's really a horrible quote:
[Me practicing while siblings are playing a very loud game with a ball directly behind me]
Me: Guys, can you PLEASE be quiet?! I'm trying to concentrate!
Brother: *blinks* How do you need to concentrate? You're just moving your fingers?
Yes, I did piano for ten years to learn how to move my fingers. Right.
To-Dos for today include tossing some stuff in a backpack cause I get to visit my grandparents today and tomorrow (YAY), catching up on math, and then finishing the various graphics I've agreed to do, including awards for a recent contest (four more to go), a Jars of Clay banner, and a banner from the first scene of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I have these weird spurts where I like to make graphics, so I figure I might as well go with it.
This is a week of season finales, incidentally. House and Bones were both on Monday, the two-hour finale of NCIS was last night (though I haven't watched it yet) and American Idol is ending this evening, THANK GOODNESS. It is a little depressing, though, how there won't be anything interesting to watch over the summer.
While I'm at it, a couple interesting links for anyone who happens to be reading and has some spare time on their hands:
Don't Panic, a superbly well done fanfic about a modern-day young woman who gets dropped into Middle-Earth, except instead of instantly falling madly in love with Aragorn, dueling Sauron and becoming the worst Mary-Sue to ever walk the earth, she finds that medieval life isn't all it's cracked up to be, and has to learn Sindarin in order to communicate with anyone. It's really good, trust me, and it has a sequel called "Okay, NOW Panic!"
Weird Canadian Place Names. I found this because Jamie and I were discussing it, and there are some really odd ones in there - the best being Ochiichagwebabigoining in Ontario. I kid you not.
As an afterthought, I'm considering switching my blog over to somewhere else; I'm finding Blogger a bit boring. Any suggestions?
Weather: Rainy.
Melda
[Me practicing while siblings are playing a very loud game with a ball directly behind me]
Me: Guys, can you PLEASE be quiet?! I'm trying to concentrate!
Brother: *blinks* How do you need to concentrate? You're just moving your fingers?
Yes, I did piano for ten years to learn how to move my fingers. Right.
To-Dos for today include tossing some stuff in a backpack cause I get to visit my grandparents today and tomorrow (YAY), catching up on math, and then finishing the various graphics I've agreed to do, including awards for a recent contest (four more to go), a Jars of Clay banner, and a banner from the first scene of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I have these weird spurts where I like to make graphics, so I figure I might as well go with it.
This is a week of season finales, incidentally. House and Bones were both on Monday, the two-hour finale of NCIS was last night (though I haven't watched it yet) and American Idol is ending this evening, THANK GOODNESS. It is a little depressing, though, how there won't be anything interesting to watch over the summer.
While I'm at it, a couple interesting links for anyone who happens to be reading and has some spare time on their hands:
Don't Panic, a superbly well done fanfic about a modern-day young woman who gets dropped into Middle-Earth, except instead of instantly falling madly in love with Aragorn, dueling Sauron and becoming the worst Mary-Sue to ever walk the earth, she finds that medieval life isn't all it's cracked up to be, and has to learn Sindarin in order to communicate with anyone. It's really good, trust me, and it has a sequel called "Okay, NOW Panic!"
Weird Canadian Place Names. I found this because Jamie and I were discussing it, and there are some really odd ones in there - the best being Ochiichagwebabigoining in Ontario. I kid you not.
As an afterthought, I'm considering switching my blog over to somewhere else; I'm finding Blogger a bit boring. Any suggestions?
Weather: Rainy.
Melda
19 May 2008
Here I am again
...posting because several people asked me what was up with the not-posting-ish-ness of late. Sorry, I can't use the excuse that life's been hectic, because it hasn't, since the Nakamun quiz meet. Things have actually been pretty uneventful.
A few recent pieces of news...
Well, Nakamun, like I said. Stats-wise, it was disappointing, especially since I'd been hoping for Internationals a little bit and didn't make it. It was a lot of fun, even if I didn't quiz that well. And what made it all better was that I won a $2000 scholarship to Ambrose University College in Calgary. That thrilled me right out of my socks. (I wasn't wearing any at the time, but that's beside the point.)
After Nakamun life slowed down a LOT, with no more quizzing to worry about. I wouldn't have minded continuing to study, but I do like not having as much on my plate. Oh, and pre-Nakamun, I had a very interesting little escapade with my laptop. Basically, it died. I was getting error messages telling me to restart constantly, and yes, I was pretty much completely freaked out. So my uncle was kinda helping me to troubleshoot over the weekend before Nakamun, but nothing worked, and we eventually decided that it wasn't going to. So that was really, really depressing. But since I have awesome parents, the Sunday we got back from Nakamun my little sister goes "AMY! Mom bought you a new laptop!"
...so things really did work out okay. I'm not sure quite how to thank my parents.
Otherwise, this past Friday we went to see Prince Caspian, and I loved it. Every minute of it. They did such a good job, and it was at least as good as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, if not better. And boy, if I crushed on celebrities...Ben Barnes...luckily, I do crush on fictional characters. Caspian was pretty amazing. All the Telmarines, Caspian included, had these COOL sorta Italian-ish accents, and the political intrigue with them added a lot more depth to the story, I thought. There was some tension between Peter and Caspian, which was a masterful addition. Edmund was also phenomenal in this one - he's now my favorite Pevensie. VERY good movie. Everybody go see it right now.
I think that's probably all that's worth reporting. Going to YC next weekend, which should be exhausting/fun, depending. I think YC stands for Youth Conference, which seems like a bit of a misnomer to me - basically, there are a lot of speakers and Christian bands and stuff, and a ridiculous number of youth hang around in the same building. I'm told it's a lot of fun.
I haven't been really making graphics lately, but when I've done some new ones I'll post them. I do have a couple avvies, here and here. I got a new set of icon brushes and I wanted to try them out, mostly :) I also plan to do more writing over the summer than I have been, so maybe stay tuned for random drabble and short stories, too.
...and I'm done.
Melda
"Note that half a deer is not considered part of the population." - Amy's Math Book
A few recent pieces of news...
Well, Nakamun, like I said. Stats-wise, it was disappointing, especially since I'd been hoping for Internationals a little bit and didn't make it. It was a lot of fun, even if I didn't quiz that well. And what made it all better was that I won a $2000 scholarship to Ambrose University College in Calgary. That thrilled me right out of my socks. (I wasn't wearing any at the time, but that's beside the point.)
After Nakamun life slowed down a LOT, with no more quizzing to worry about. I wouldn't have minded continuing to study, but I do like not having as much on my plate. Oh, and pre-Nakamun, I had a very interesting little escapade with my laptop. Basically, it died. I was getting error messages telling me to restart constantly, and yes, I was pretty much completely freaked out. So my uncle was kinda helping me to troubleshoot over the weekend before Nakamun, but nothing worked, and we eventually decided that it wasn't going to. So that was really, really depressing. But since I have awesome parents, the Sunday we got back from Nakamun my little sister goes "AMY! Mom bought you a new laptop!"
...so things really did work out okay. I'm not sure quite how to thank my parents.
Otherwise, this past Friday we went to see Prince Caspian, and I loved it. Every minute of it. They did such a good job, and it was at least as good as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, if not better. And boy, if I crushed on celebrities...Ben Barnes...luckily, I do crush on fictional characters. Caspian was pretty amazing. All the Telmarines, Caspian included, had these COOL sorta Italian-ish accents, and the political intrigue with them added a lot more depth to the story, I thought. There was some tension between Peter and Caspian, which was a masterful addition. Edmund was also phenomenal in this one - he's now my favorite Pevensie. VERY good movie. Everybody go see it right now.
I think that's probably all that's worth reporting. Going to YC next weekend, which should be exhausting/fun, depending. I think YC stands for Youth Conference, which seems like a bit of a misnomer to me - basically, there are a lot of speakers and Christian bands and stuff, and a ridiculous number of youth hang around in the same building. I'm told it's a lot of fun.
I haven't been really making graphics lately, but when I've done some new ones I'll post them. I do have a couple avvies, here and here. I got a new set of icon brushes and I wanted to try them out, mostly :) I also plan to do more writing over the summer than I have been, so maybe stay tuned for random drabble and short stories, too.
...and I'm done.
Melda
"Note that half a deer is not considered part of the population." - Amy's Math Book
17 April 2008
And again! *le gasp*
Yeah, and it's only been, what, three days? Go me.
That's not to say I have a whole lot to actually talk about, but I suppose it's the thought that counts. Let's see...what's been on my mind lately...I'll pick three.
1) Math sucks. I don't care HOW much you tell me it's an 'exercise for my brain', I'd rather go read a book and exercise my brain that way, thank you very much. All you people who want to be engineers, go ahead and have fun with the quadratic formula and graphing equations and vectors and stuff, but I plan to WRITE, therefore I need about grade 6 math and I'll be quite happy. Oh, and then there's the universities-like-math school of thought. WHY? WHY do they like math? What's so impressive about playing with numbers for years on end that they like it at universities? I've been playing piano for ten years, and I think that shows a lot more discipline and commitment than math does. I also know stuff like, oh, how to spell and use grammar and punctuation correctly. All that to say - I hate math. And math hates me. And I am saying goodbye to math forever as soon as I possibly can.
2) On a happier note, I'm remembering my view on post-secondary education and life after high school as it was about this time last year, when the thought scared me silly and I had no desire to even converse on it. Last year was also the year I was in band, and the year I discovered I didn't want a career in music (yes, the two are related), which may have helped that along a bit. And I mean, it's not like I have every facet of my life after school planned out, but I know a lot more than I did, and it doesn't scare me like it used to. So I suppose that's a good step in the right direction. I like knowing what I'd like to do, and even if most of it right now is just dreams, it's certainly better than nothing.
3) And finally, and somewhat randomly, I've been really thankful for friendship lately. Over the weekend I had so much fun meeting people and discovering people with the same passions as me and finding that I'm not the only crazy one out there. There have been times where I've felt that I don't quite fit with the friends I have, and most of this year has been discovering that I don't need to fit. They'll love me anyway, and fitting has nothing to do with it. It reminds me of a conversation we had at the youth retreat about confidence - when you're self-assured and real and you, people won't care what kind of clothes you have or what you look like. Because by being confident and not caring what others think and knowing that above all, God will love you no matter what and in the end nothing else matters, you're beautiful inside and out. Easier said than done, but it's very important to always remember.
And a couple random things...I haven't heard about my job application at the library and I'm getting rather antsy. Could you guys pray that I get it, please? This is a bit of a rare opportunity and I'd love it if I could work somewhere I enjoy. Random thing #2 - so you probably remember the short story I wrote a while back, for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I'm pretty sure I didn't make it on a national level. The list they posted on their site doesn't include Canadians at all, but I think if I won my name would be on there. I'm okay with it, though - I didn't expect to even get past the first level, so it's all good. Random thing #3 - this is my 200th blog post. *celebration* Random thing #4 - I edited my profile. Rather more accurate now.
I think that's all.
is now ~Melda (because I answer to that anyway)
"Will, don't stand on the popcorn."
That's not to say I have a whole lot to actually talk about, but I suppose it's the thought that counts. Let's see...what's been on my mind lately...I'll pick three.
1) Math sucks. I don't care HOW much you tell me it's an 'exercise for my brain', I'd rather go read a book and exercise my brain that way, thank you very much. All you people who want to be engineers, go ahead and have fun with the quadratic formula and graphing equations and vectors and stuff, but I plan to WRITE, therefore I need about grade 6 math and I'll be quite happy. Oh, and then there's the universities-like-math school of thought. WHY? WHY do they like math? What's so impressive about playing with numbers for years on end that they like it at universities? I've been playing piano for ten years, and I think that shows a lot more discipline and commitment than math does. I also know stuff like, oh, how to spell and use grammar and punctuation correctly. All that to say - I hate math. And math hates me. And I am saying goodbye to math forever as soon as I possibly can.
2) On a happier note, I'm remembering my view on post-secondary education and life after high school as it was about this time last year, when the thought scared me silly and I had no desire to even converse on it. Last year was also the year I was in band, and the year I discovered I didn't want a career in music (yes, the two are related), which may have helped that along a bit. And I mean, it's not like I have every facet of my life after school planned out, but I know a lot more than I did, and it doesn't scare me like it used to. So I suppose that's a good step in the right direction. I like knowing what I'd like to do, and even if most of it right now is just dreams, it's certainly better than nothing.
3) And finally, and somewhat randomly, I've been really thankful for friendship lately. Over the weekend I had so much fun meeting people and discovering people with the same passions as me and finding that I'm not the only crazy one out there. There have been times where I've felt that I don't quite fit with the friends I have, and most of this year has been discovering that I don't need to fit. They'll love me anyway, and fitting has nothing to do with it. It reminds me of a conversation we had at the youth retreat about confidence - when you're self-assured and real and you, people won't care what kind of clothes you have or what you look like. Because by being confident and not caring what others think and knowing that above all, God will love you no matter what and in the end nothing else matters, you're beautiful inside and out. Easier said than done, but it's very important to always remember.
And a couple random things...I haven't heard about my job application at the library and I'm getting rather antsy. Could you guys pray that I get it, please? This is a bit of a rare opportunity and I'd love it if I could work somewhere I enjoy. Random thing #2 - so you probably remember the short story I wrote a while back, for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I'm pretty sure I didn't make it on a national level. The list they posted on their site doesn't include Canadians at all, but I think if I won my name would be on there. I'm okay with it, though - I didn't expect to even get past the first level, so it's all good. Random thing #3 - this is my 200th blog post. *celebration* Random thing #4 - I edited my profile. Rather more accurate now.
I think that's all.
is now ~Melda (because I answer to that anyway)
"Will, don't stand on the popcorn."
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