Madison's Musings

Updating You...

2010-12-25T18:56:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!
Well, as you can tell, this blog is entirely completely dead. No hope of it returning.
BUT. I have some good news for you! I have started a new blog. It's called "The Time of Our Lives." Here is the link: http://reflectionsonthetimeofourlives.blogspot.com/
Obviously, since this blog is long gone, I won't be posting on it anymore. I will let it remain up so people can read the archives and old posts, but I won't be posting anything new anymore (I mean, you can tell - I haven't done a real post in over a year on this blog) The new blog above is my new outlet for a blog. I don't post quite as often, and the style is slightly different, but I'm hoping for those of you who used to read this blog will like my new one even better =)

Merry Christmas!

~Madison

A Tag and Such Things

2009-12-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

My my... Christmas is only a week away! Can y'all believe it? I dunno about y'all, but at our house, Christmas lights are shining, Christmas music playing joyfully, presents carefully wrapped are under the tree, and a feeling of Christmas is in the air. Actually, tomorrow we are going to our aunt and uncle's house tomorrow... or, to correct myself: we are going to their cabin. My uncle built a cabin out in some land they own by an absolutely ~gorgeous~ pond. The cabin is all cute and cozy, so I'm looking forward to going there tomorrow! I'll try to put pictures up of the pond and the cabin. :) We're planning on eating tons and tons of food, playing some bluegrass, and just hanging out... and opening a few presents. ;)
In any case, enough of my ramblingness. I have a delight... Julia has delighted me by tagging me with a delightful tag. :) So, here it is!

1. Six names that you go by: <- Well, lemme think... I'm often called Maddie, of course. That is my most commonly used nickname. But I have many original ones... Mad Hatter, which I was dubbed by my good friend Jordan. ;) And I must say it fits me quite well. I also go by Madders, Madderlies, MadG, and Mads. :)
2. Three things that you are wearing right now: Polar bear and penguin socks, a black shirt with white cuffs, collar, and bottom, and jeans.
3. Three things that you want very badly right now: Christmas to be here, a Canon camera, and a good long laugh. :)
4. Three things that you did yesterday: Hmm... I got a cute haircut, went to a piano recital, and went to Mock Trial. :)
5. Two things that you did today: I started my journey of reading the whole Bible in the 16 days of Christmas break, and I finished school... so I have two weeks of break!
6. Two things that you ate today: Baked potato for lunch, and fish/shrimp/pea salad/and grits for supper. :D
7. Two people that you last talked to on the phone: Well, the last person I talked to was my uncle, who was calling to talk to my dad. The person before that was most likely one of my parents or Macy, but I can't remember.
8. Two things that you are going to do today/tomorrow: Well, today, I will keep reading my Bible, and then I'll go to bed. :P As for tomorrow, like I said before, I'm getting together with three of my uncles, two of my aunts, and four of my cousins, and one of my cousins has a wife. :) I haven't seen a lot of them in a long time, so I'm REALLY excited! :D I cannot wait until tomorrow. <3
9. Your three favorite beverages: Mochas, lemonade, and either water or Coke (big difference, I know. lol )

And now for tagging.... I tag anyone who likes photography. :) Random, but there ya go!

So... yes. :)
I hope that all of you are having a delightful Christmas season!
So, the question of the day is: how much Christmas shopping have you done?
(by the way, you better get it done soon ;)

Y'all have a great night!

In Christ,
~Madison

Christmas is Coming....

2009-12-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I decided that since it is rather a nice chilly night and I have not much to do, I should do a little blog post to my dear blog friends. :)
I hope everything is going well with y'all. I've been pretty busy myself... but it seems like Christmas is actually getting here. Of course, it has been coming, but it seems especially that the Christmas season began, for me. So, I shall tell you of a few things I've been up to lately:
Well, yesterday was quite funful. I went to my chorus practice at 10:15 to practice for a performance. We practiced until about 12:20 or so, and then we went out to Stevi B's with our chorus group. Then we went over to do our performance. We did pretty well, and sang some really fun songs! One was Canticle of Carols, which was a medley of several carols. Then we sang Still, Still, Still which is a very pretty, "flowy" song that is rather hymn-like. Then we had all of our fans (haha ;) sing some carols along with us, which is always my favorite part! Then we had some of the kids do individual performances. Then we did God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, which is so much fun. It is almost in a jivy tune... it sounds so funny! And then we sang Carol of the Bells acapella, which sounds really cool! So that was yesterday... very nice day, I must say.
Today has also seemed quite wintry. It has been in the 40s and 30s all day... unfortunately, it has rained instead of snowed. :( But all the same, my mom and I went to go see a performance of The Nutcracker today. It was really fun! I love all the color and the dancing and such. It was wonderful! After we did that, we shivered our way back out to the car, and went to Starbucks where we ordered a delicious doughnut and I got a Gingerbread Latte. A little to gingery, but still quite good. :) Then, on the way home, we had a nice conversation... I do love having random conversations with my mom! She is one of my best friends, because I can tell her basically everything. So yeah, I'm very thankful for my mom! <3 That was random, but yeah, I had to say it. :) Once we got home, I started a fire, and helped her make some chili and corn muffins. So tonight has been quite a nice night staying at home in the warmth of it all. <3
So, sorry for such a random post, but I thought I'd just tell y'all what has been going on.
Catch y'all later!

In Christ,
~Madison

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T04:39:00.001-08:00

Well.... this poor blog appears to be quite neglected and sad. So I suppose I should post something again. So first of all, as you can see, I'm still alive, even after these three months. :) Yeah, just thought I would let y'all know that, as that is pretty important... as for what has been going on with me, I've been very busy. I've had school, extra-curricular activities (lots of those, that take up a lot of time), chorus, piano, and about a billion other things. Seriously. Okay, maybe not, but I've had a lot to do! This year has been crazy busy, but I'm really enjoying it.
I don't even really know where to start, because ~so~ much has happened these last three months. I've been making so many new friends, doing so many new things, it is just really hard to catch up!
So, since I can't really catch up I'm so far behind, I guess I'll go ahead and say it:
Merry Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night!
Or wait... that isn't right...
Ahem....
(sorry for my cheesy jokes, they are a family thing ;)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)
I hope you all have a delightful Thanksgiving!
And there is indeed much to be thankful for. I think it funny how people think that you have to have so much for you to be thankful. You have to have the newest gadget, the coolest clothes, the most expensive accessories... we Americans are so obsessed with having a good "status." We have to be better than the neighbors. We get so caught up in that, we forget what we do have, and we forget to be thankful. I think we need to remember more often than Thanksgiving we always have something to be thankful for.
If you've had a hard year, sometimes you just want to push Thanksgiving aside and move on to the New Year and start everything fresh. Or maybe you're so bogged down you just want everything to end. I know that feeling. You are honestly not alone in that fight. Believe me, I used to think I was the only one struggling with this and that. Let me tell you that you are most definitely and most assuredly not the only one. And let me also encourage you by telling you that the hard times will end. And you're thinking, "No. It never will. It has been going on for such a long time. It never will. Ever. I don't believe. I can't believe you. It is impossible. It can't happen. It won't happen." Trust me it will. I can most assuredly tell you that I felt exactly that way a little over a year ago, and I can tell you that I thought the end of it would never come. It will. I can promise you that. You might even be going through something harder than what I went through, but I can tell you this: We've got a merciful Savior, and He loves you so much, and these times will end after a time. It is just something you're going through. It is a passing thing. Which brings me to my point: even in the hardest of times, we have something to be thankful for: Christ. Even when you've lost everything (and I mean everything: relationships, family, possessions, etc.), you still have Christ. He is always there, even if He seems distant. I know that feeling too. He feels like He is so far away. Reach out, He is there to listen to you always. I am thankful today for Christ Jesus who has saved my life!

Anyway, I hope that today you have one of the best Thanksgivings ever! Be sure to enjoy the day and all the food, but don't forget who provides the joy. :)
Happy Thanksgiving all!

In Christ,

~Madison

P.S. I'm going to try to post more than I have been. My most sincerest apologies to my regular readers for not having posted in so long!

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 26

2009-08-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, before I start... you've probably noticed that I have fixed my blog up a little bit. :) Taken some stuff off the sidebar, put up a new background, and I also have a new playlist. So, you can check all of that out. :) And also, I've put some polls up, so if you would please vote on those! Thanks!

For Today: August 23rd, 2009.

Outside my window: Just a tinge of autumn. :) A tad cooler weather, a tad bluer skies.... now we just must wait for the pretty autumn leaves. :)

I am thinking: That if autumn doesn't get here soon, I shall simply die. :P

I am thankful for: Long walks on brisk days. :D

I am wearing: My fave jeans and a white shirt that has green leaves on the front. :) Very pretty shirt. Like it.

I am reading: 16 books. :D Some of them are: Safely Home, The Return of the King, The Scarlet Letter, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, and David Copperfield.

I am hoping: That autumn will be here soon. :)

I am creating: A blanket. :) Like a full size one. 'Tis gorgeous so far! <3

I am hearing: My brother walking around...

Around the house: Winston is under the bed... :P Spencer is still walking around... my mom and dad are probably in their room either taking their regular afternoon Sunday nap or talking... and so on... :)

One of my favorite things: Autumn!!!! :D (are you getting the feeling I'm totally obsessed with autumn? :P)

What I accomplished since last week: School, knitting, reading... and that's about it. :P

A few plans for the rest of the week: Lemme see... school, knitting, reading, and getting together with Macy on Friday, and then going shopping with her on Saturday!! :D

Soo... yep. That's all for today. :)
Have a great Sunday! God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

Hello!

2009-08-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

So... I guess y'all may have noticed I took like a month off from blogging. :P Yeah... sorry I haven't been on much. I have had the chance to... just never really thought about it.
Anyway, first, I thought I'd give y'all an update on my life... well, not much going on. But things are really about to pick up. I've started school back... oh joy. :P And this year I'm doing a *ton* of stuff: college level Latin, Mock Trial, chorus, and piano. Not to mention some other stuff I have about once a month, plus the activities going along with those, and so on... yeah. I'm super busy this year. Or I will be. 'Tis rather exciting though! :) I can't wait to get back in the "groove" of things (and I can't wait to see my chorus friends again!!! :D ). Anyway, yeah, that is basically my life right now.
Umm... * thinks * what else to tell y'all... oh yeah... just to amaze y'all... I'm reading 16 books right now. o.O Yeah, I'm serious. Kinda scary, no? :P Yep... but all the same, I am. Trying to finish most of them by October so I can start some "wintry" books by then (especially Dickens... Dickens has such a *wintry* air to his books, doncha think?) Oooh, yes, and I'm planning for a splendid autumn this year. :) I've made *so* many preparations for this fall... I can't wait for it to get here!! <3 style="font-style: italic;">beautiful leaves gusting from the trees.... 'tis my favorite thing. :) Soo... here are some of my plans for this autumn:

On September 1st, put my autumn candles out (don't you just love candles? They're simply amazing...)
Of course, like I said, pick out some "cozy winter" books to read. :)
And the traditonal expedition to the pumpkin patch... with lots and lots of pictures!
On the first day of autumn, go for a brisk walk... hope it's chilly enough for a jacket!
Enjoy the delicious flavors of autumn Starbucks coffee.... ;-)
Go shopping for delightful autumn clothes... (which Macy and I are doing some next Saturday, I hope!!)
Hehe... this one is for Macy: Okay Macy. Sometime this autumn, we're going to go outside when you're over at my house, and we're going to take a billion pictures. Okay? Yes. We are. I shall drag you out there if need-be. :P But we *shall* do it. :D (such fun!!! I love autumn pictures!!)
Sit outside many autumn mornings to feel the brisk air.
Try to enjoy autumn at it's fullest! <3

Soo... yes! :) That is going to be my autumn, in general. Aaahhh... such wonderfulness! Soo... yes, that is what I'm planning on doing.
Okay, now, to finish my long boring post that no one really cares about (but is fun to post anyway! :D), I shall do something I found on a couple of girl's blogs. What you do is take your iPod, and set it on shuffle, and put the name of each song you get to answer the following questions. :) Fun! And since I have an iPod now... I can do it! Yea! (oh, by the way, OF COURSE, I don't believe these answers. They don't mean anything. This is just for fun)
Okay, so here it is:

If someone says "this is okay" you say: Snowbound.
Erm... what? :P

What would be describe your personality? : River.
Umm... very odd. :P Although that is one of my favorite songs... :)

What do you like in a guy/girl?: Wait and See.
Umm.... okay? o.O lol

What is your life's purpose?: Total Praise.
Oh yeah!! :D Love that answer! Oh, and by the way, of course, that praise goes to God. ;-)

What is your motto?: Hodie Christus Natus Est
I think that means "Today Christ is Born." I think. Don't quote me on that... kinda an odd motto though. lol

What do your friends think of you?: Fight Another Day.
Whoa... o.O That is like... totally what I hope my friends don't think of me. I think it would be kinda scary if they did....

What do you think about very often?: Walkin' My Baby Back Home.
Bahahaha!! :P No, I don't think about that very often. lol

What is 2+2?: Lights of Madrid.
Umm... okay?

What do you think of your best friend?: A Field of Flowers.
Hey, that's actually a pretty nice answer. :) Comforting like a field, pretty like the flowers, altogether pleasant... yes, works very nicely. :D

What do you think of the person you like?: Up Around the Bend
Wow... o.O Just wow.

What is your life story?: Last Call.
What?

What do you want to be when you grow up?: Untitled.
Hahahahaha! Love it!!! :P

What do you think when you see a person you like?: Finally Home.
Again: Wow. o.O Just wow.

What do your parents think of you?: Too Much Between Us
Hahaha!! :P Wow, I definitely hope not! But still... makes for a funny answer. But in reality, yeah, I hope that is not what they think. o.O

What will you dance at your wedding?: There is No God Beside You
Hmm... interesting. :)

What will they play at your funeral?: Timber
Umm.... okay... that seriously wouldn't fit a funeral. o.O WAY more fits a wedding.

What is your hobby/interests?: I'll Fly Away
Hahaha!! :P Wow... that is just too funny. lol

What's your biggest secret?: (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
Hahahahahahahahahha!! * giggles insanely * Wow. That is like... I think the best answer so far. :P

What do you think of your friends?: Ballerina
Indeed? o.O

What's the worst thing that could happen?: Send For Me
Hehehe. :P Very nice. lol

How will you die? Aquarium
Haha. :P I'm going to in an aquarium? Very interesting... * cough * Ooh, I get it, a shark is going to bust through the glass and eat me. :P Interesting. :P

What's one thing you regret?: (did two) Deck the Halls; Sing, Sing, Sing
Hahaha, these two are funny. I regret hitting people I know... :P
Oh, and I guess I would regret singing.... or rather, everyone else would regret that I sang... xD I was *not* gifted with a lovely voice... unfortunately. lol

What makes you laugh? Love Story
Haha... actually, yes, I guess they do. :P I don't know... romance seems to be hilariously funny for some odd reason... :P

What makes you cry?: The Great Pumpkin Waltz
Haha, really? :P

Will you ever get married?: Final Day
Umm... okay? Does that mean I'll get married the day before I die or what? :P

What scares you the most?: In the Bleak Midwinter
That's not true!! I LOVE WINTER! <3 Besides... I love that song too. :P

Does anyone like you?: The Hand Song
Does that mean yes? :P Like someone wants to hold my hand? Oh how nice. :P * laughs *

If you could go back in time, what would you change?: If We are the Body
Hmm... interesting. :) Actually, that song makes a good answer. Not the actual title of the song, but the lyrics.

What hurts right now?: Listen Up
What? :P

What do you most often exclaim?: Trust You
Haha!! :P That is actually preetttyyy true... I don't exclaim it, but I do tend to trust most people...

Where is paradise?: Hold Fast
Umm... what?

What did you first say as a baby?: Peppermint Patty
Hehehehehehe... :P

If you had a pet, what would you name it?: East Kentucky Home
Hahaha. :P Very nice. Sounds like a horse's name...

What is your favorite sight to see?: Praise You With the Dance
Ooh, like this answer. :) Very good answer!

What makes you gag?: Boardgames
Sooo not true. :P I love boardgames!

What are you best at?: My Heart Will Fly
Too true... o.O

If you wrote a book, what would you call it?: On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand
Awww. :) I like that.

What did you wish for last?: The Solid Rock
Yes! :D I always wish for Him to be near me. :)

What would your superhero name be?: Your Love is Extravagant
Wow... o.O Kinda true though... :P

How soon will this be over?: Love
Hey, I like that! :D Since love never ends... that means this will never be over (whatever "this" is :P)

Where are you sitting?: Safe and Sound
Hmm... I like that. :)

What do you hate most?: Too Much Between Us
Okay, that answered another question, but I love how it answers this one! <3 Sooo true. :)

What do you love most?: About a Boy
Umm... what? o.O

What do you not care about?: Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Haha, nice. :P

What is your secret name?: Lullaby
Heeey, that works really well!! :D People don't tend to see that I have a very soft and quiet side of myself... I never really show it, but it's there. :) That works really well!

What will you post this as?: For Freedom
Haha, no I won't. :P lol

Soo... yes. :)
And... I have to torture y'all some more. xD
Macy and I made up some questions the other day for ourselves, and did the same thing as what I did above. Here are some of the funniest answers:

What gets you down?
My answer: Santa Claus is Coming to Town
(don'tcha just love it?? :P)

What will your future be?
Macy's answer: He's a Pirate
(hehehehehehe!!)

Why are you happy?
My answer: Hey Stephen
(lol... this one made me laugh :P)

What do you hate most?
Macy's answer: Sailing with Russell
(this one is my favorite, hands down :P)

What are you?
My answer: A Cuckoo in the Woods
(hehehe, this is one of my favorites too)

How do you feel right now?
Macy's answer: Eureka!
My answer: Almost Too Serious
(love this combination here :P)

What's in your bag right now?
My answer: Consuming Fire
(hahahaha, that one made me laugh :P)

Where should you go now?
Macy's answer: To the Moon for All I Care!
(hahahahahahahaha! This one HAS to tie for first place. :P)

Hehe, so, yes.
Okay, I'm done now. I'll stop torturing you. I'm leaving...
Have a great day! :D God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. Sorry for my crazily hyperactive post. o.O

Hopeless Romantic Tag

2009-07-29T12:48:00.001-07:00

I found this tag on Cassie's blog.

What two qualities do you want most in your future husband?
Wow... just two? Christian goes without saying. So for the other two main ones: Funny/happy (like me :) and... this isn't exactly a quality, but to be a *real* man. You see so few of them these days... the kind who isn't afraid to smile, and also isn't afraid to cry... who is strong... that's kinda how I picture him. :)

Is there a fictional character you see as a model for your future husband?
Hmm... sort of. This may sound silly, but Sam from the LOTR seems to describe the kind of guy I like best... if that makes any sense. lol

Where do you want your wedding?
In a church, obviously. :) I'd like it to be either in the morning or afternoon (having it in the evening would seem depressing to me)... and I'd like it to be in the autumn, my fave season! For some reason, I prefer October... but yeah. I'm getting really off track here!

What are your views on courtship?
Exactly what I'm going for. ;-) Courtship is the best way for things to go.

What are your views on your first kiss?
Saving it for my wedding day. :) Got the idea from "Before You Meet Prince Charming". Thought it was great, and thankfully I hadn't kissed anyone before I read it, so I decided that was the way to go!

Do you have or want a purity ring/locket?
I desperately want one... but I don't have one. :(

Do you have or want a hope chest?
Yep! Although, like Cassie said, it is more for practical reasons. I'm trying to collect things for decorating, the kitchen, the living room, bedrooms, and for babies. :) And I like to make them if I can!

Will you wear a veil at your wedding?
Very likely, yes.

What kind of wedding dress do you want?
Wow... that is hard! I want it to be "flowy", but I don't want a train.... and I want it to be short sleeves... butterfly sleeves (odd on a wedding dress, I know, but I think they look sooo pretty!).... and I'm not sure exactly what else. But that's just kind of an idea...

What flowers do you want in your bouquet?
I have no clue. Never even thought about it. :P

What do you want to name one of your daughters?
Hmm.... I've always liked the name Aletta. :) You never hear it, and I think it is so pretty!

What do you want to name one of your sons?
Hmm... * thinks * I believe.... hmmm..... * thinks again *..... I like the name James a lot! But that is just an idea... there are some others I like... ooh, I know! I really like the name Jeremy. :)

Do you believe in the 'knight-in-shining-armor' view of courtship?
Sorta....

What music do you want to play at your wedding?
George Winston, all the way. :P Pachabel's Canon... I know, it's played way too much at weddings, but it is sooo pretty! I'm not sure what instruments I want playing all this stuff though... I like piano... although I really like violin too. Maybe both. :P No organ though. I like organ, but it seems kinda depressing at a wedding.... okay, wow, I'm really going off track here (again).

Are you a hopeless romantic?
In one word: Yes. :P Unfortunately. But yes, I am.

I tag anyone who wants to be tagged. :)

In Christ,
~Madison

My Life... in Mid and Late July, The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 26

2009-07-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd just let y'all know what I've been doing lately, since I haven't really been posting this summer...
This has been a really awesome summer, with lots of things going on. And I must say that ever since I got back from camp, a lot has been going on. :P Well... lemme think about what all has happened...
Well, first, I think it is worthy to note that my awesome friend from camp, Tyler, set me up a website! :D Well, most of you probably know that I have a Bible blog. Well... 'tis no longer a blog! 'Tis a real website! :D Go check it out! Here is the link: They Will Soar on Wings Like Eagles. Soo... yeah, that was one of the exciting things that has gone on.
As for the garden, we got a pretty big harvest of beans the other night. :) Very exciting to grow things you can eat!

Don't they look so pretty? :)

This is me snapping the beans into a bowl...

Well, we also decided this week that it was time for the summer garden to go... which means most of the peppers, the beans... and what was left from the rotted squash. :P So we pulled all of it up yesterday... and we bought lots of seeds and plants to put in their place! :) Two crookneck squash, one zucchini, two cucumbers, and seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkins... oh yeah, and lettuce, swiss chard... and beets! :) So, yesterevening (my new word... lol), we went outside and put the new dirt on the garden...

Ah, the smell of soil! :) Oh, and yes, we did level it out by the way. lol
Then my dad left me to plant everything however I wanted to! So I planned it all out on paper... and it ends up that I had a lot more space than I thought I would, so I was able to plant quite a bit! It is awesome how much you can plant in a small amount of space! Also, I have a planter and some pots, so I can plant some lettuce, swiss chard, and beets in that.

Anyway, this is what it looks like:

The peppers and tomatoes were already there, which is why they are bigger than the other plants. :) And there is a lot of empty space because there was a lot of seeds to plant!

Oh, yes, and here is a video... :) Sorta tour of my garden. So y'all can finally hear what I sound like when I talk (oh joy... or rather, oh no :P ). lol Anyway, here it is! Now you'll have a sneak peek at where everything is:

Anyway... I must mention something else totally amazing... and rockin' awesome... and so crazy cool... :D
So, yesterday, my dad and I went out to buy the seeds and dirt for the garden. Afterwards, he said we were going to go into Walmart. I asked why, and he said to go get a coffee pot (*really* long story... won't go into it :P). So, we grab the coffee pot... and I think we're about to leave. Well, instead of going to the front of the store to check out, he starts heading to the back of the store, and I'm wondering what in the world we're doing. So I follow him back... and he goes to the place where they have all the cameras, video games, and other gadgets. ;-) Well, he goes over to look at the iPods, and I'm still wondering what on earth he is doing (although starting to just maaaybe wooonder.... ;-). Then he goes up to the counter (they have one back there), and he asked if someone could let him get something out of the case. So this lady goes back with us to the case, and he gets an iPod for himself (his old one died... so he had to get a new one). She's about to close it up, and my fantasy comes true... "Wait, no, I'd like to get one more." "You're gonna get one for ME???" I'm totally going crazy here. ;-) lol! So he asks me which color I want... and so now I have the most rockin' amazing blue Nano iPod there is! :D lol Here's a picture of it:

Whoo-hoo!! :D Pretty cool isn't it? Love the color! I already have 152 songs on it (which covers everything from Steven Curtis Chapman to Yo-Yo Ma). :P Although that is about all I'm putting up for now... although I'll put some more on eventually.
Soo... that's about all that has been up with me lately. Been having a really good summer!

Anyway, I suppose I shall do a Simple Woman's Daybook too...
For Today: July 26th, 2009.

Outside my window: Pretty sunnyiness... :) Patches of sunlight coming through the trees out onto the grass....

I am thinking: About my new iPod. :)

I am thankful for: Hrm.... tiredness. Makes you sleep well. ;-)

I am wearing: Jeans and a cute V-neck shirt with white, brown, green, and ivory leaves on in. :) JJill shirt...

I am reading: I can't remember. :P But the last thing I picked up was The Scarlet Letter... so that is one of the books I'm reading.

I am hoping: We can have pizza tonight!

I am creating: Well... I started a cross stitch project the other day...

I am hearing: The computer rumbling... and the dishwasher. Plus the typing of the keys... :P Nothing much else though... kinda quiet around the house. Usually is on Sunday afternoons.

Around the house: My mom is working on something in the library, and if I had to take a guess my brother is either reading or on the computer... and I think my dad is reading his new book about the middle ages, which he is really liking. And me? I'm just sitting here in front of the computer... as you can tell. ;-)

One of my favorite things: Quiet Sunday afternoons.

What I accomplished since last week: Planting my fall garden, reading some, playing the piano a tad... and a few other things.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Erm... not much. Actually, it is hard to say. We might be out of town for a couple of weeks, or we might be having a get together with some friends this weekend... and I'm not sure which. :P lol

Here is a picture:

This is a picture from camp. :) Prettiness! 'Twas early morning... this is a look out on the boating lake that we swam in and did some canoeing in... much fun!

Well, that is all for now! I hope y'all have a great day! God bless! :)

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. Yes, I am eventually going to get the pictures from camp up on my private blog. ;-) I'll try to have them up within a week or two.

Back from Camp!

2009-07-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well... I came back from camp... ALIVE! :P So, yeah, I'm still here... I've just been thinking about camp so much I haven't had a chance to blog much. lol
Anyway, I made a ton of awesomeness friends at camp, and I had an awesome time too! I shan't go into all the details... although, for my private blog followers, I'll try to have some pictures up sometime this week.
Anyway, just wanted to let y'all know I'm still alive! lol

In Christ,
~Madison

Oh the Antiques You Can Find...

2009-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, indeedy. Yesterday, my mom and I went shopping nearly the whole day for antiques! 'Twas quite fun. =) Here is a summary of what we did yesterday... including pictures of the wonderful finds!
Well, we lit out for our first stop about 10:30. We finally got there. This place is huge. I don't mean pretty big. I mean like, huge, gigantic... I'm not sure how big, but if you had been there before, you would know what I meant by big. Anyway, we entered into the building, and I found several *great* buys! =D Here are some pictures:

Well, first of all, these glasses! =) Aren't they *so* pretty? My mom and I were walking along, when we came across this really neat booth. My mom got some taller glasses that are exactly like them, except, duh, taller. =P These I guess are more like dessert glasses. =) Anyway, they were only $2 each, so I couldn't pass them up!

Pretty random plate. =) I was holding it up against our black stove so you could see the pattern better. Only $2!

This is a really pretty plate, and similar to a bowl and plate I already have. (oh, sorry for the remaining tag that was sticking to it ;-) It shall be washed off) Anyway, I found it, and it was only $2. But then I saw that everything at that particular booth was, I think, 40% off! So I quickly snatched it up.

Also... I had to treat myself to some do-dads. =P I couldn't help myself. This was about the only "splurge" I had yesterday. They were $2 each, but I just *had* to get them!
It was funny... I was talking to my mom yesterday, and I told her how these three little pendants describe me in my entirety. =P They really do! Here's how:

Mr. Unbelievably-Funny-Smiley-Jumping-Frog shows my hyperness, happiness, and craziness. =P My facial expression is often like that of Mr. Unbelievably-Funny-Smiley... well, so on and so on. ;-)

The cross pendant shows my faith.

And this one may confuse you a tad. How can this describe me? Well, the pink shows my feminine and quiet side... and I dunno why, but this pendant seems kinda peaceful... which, believe it or not, I can be peaceful sometimes. =P

Anyway, it was just kind of funny how they seemed to describe me. =P
Anyway, I'm intending to use them for key chains, and I can just switch them out when I get tired of one.

After going shopping at that place, we went and ate lunch with my grandmother and uncle. It was really fun... we got to talk about a lot of stuff. =)

After lunch, we went to another antique shop. Not *nearly* as big as the first one, but still, it was pretty large.
I found a pretty good find there too!

These two bowls were originally $3 each. I found one, and immediately decided to buy it, because I have several pieces of glass with this pattern. Then I found the other one. And I also realized that almost everything at that booth was 50% off. So I ended up getting both bowls for $3! =)
Oh... and um... I had a problem... you see... these bowls seemed to multiply. Don't believe me? Don't believe that two bowls can multiply? Well then you just roll down and see for yourself. ;-)

Tehehehehe. =D Told ya! And none of these bowls are the two shown above! So... how did this happen? Well, I told my grandmother (who was shopping with us) that I found these two bowls. She said that she would go with the ones she had given me (she moved a while back, and had given me several pieces of glassware). I looked confused and said I didn't have any bowls like that. So, she found out that she had them, and she said she would give them to me! =D So when we went by her house later, she gave me these 7 bowls! So now I have 9 of these bowls! =D I'm sooo excited about it!

She also gave me this larger serving bowl! =) So now I'm ready to go! =D

Soo... that was pretty much my shopping day. We went three other places, but the only other things I got were a button and some flipflops. =P So, nothing large.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the post!

By the way, this is the last post I'll do for a week, as I will be gone at camp with Macy. =D I'll be gone until July 18th. I'm gonna miss y'all! Oh, and I would appreciate prayers for our and the other campers safety, and also that we would have a great time. =) Thanks!
Well, have a great week! God bless! =)

In Christ alone,
~Madison

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 25

2009-07-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted much lately... so I suppose I should, now shouldn't I? ;-)

For Today: July 8th, 2009

Outside my window: Rather cloudy skies...

I am thinking: About how happy I am. =) lol

I am thankful for: M & M's. =D

I am wearing: Jeans, a blue shirt... and I guess that is it. =P

I am reading: Technically, 15 books, but I haven't been reading at *all* lately...

I am hoping: Um.... that the next three days will pass quickly! =D I am going to summer camp with Macy on Sunday, and I cannot wait!

I am creating: Wow... Umm... a scarf, a cardigan, a baby cardigan, another scarf, another scarf... =P And a few other things. lol

I am hearing: The air conditioner and some music... and our neighbor doing house work.

Around the house: I believe my mom is on the computer, and the dogs are probably sleeping.

One of my favorite things: Hmm... I know I've said this before, but music. =) Music makes me sooo happy. =D

What I accomplished since last week: Hmm... * thinks * Going to see my grandmother, driving my bro up to summer camp, relaxing, watching Prince Caspian, knitting... and a few other things.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Knit, garden, back for camp... and other usual stuff. =)

And sorry... no picture or video today. I couldn't find one. =(

Anyway, that is all for today!
Oh, and just so you know, like I said, I'm leaving for camp on Sunday, and I won't be back until the next Saturday. I'll probably do a post or two before I leave, but I just wanted to let y'all know. =)

Have a great day!

In Christ,
~Madison

My 4th of July

2009-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

First of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AMERICA!! =D

Yes, today is the day that our forefathers declared our independence. We now have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. =) Three cheers for our forefathers!

Anyway... I guess y'all want to know how I spent my 4th of July. Well, today itself, I don't think we're doing anything. I had my 4th of July celebration on the 3rd. =P I will try not to bore you to death while I tell y'all what I did yesterday.
About 10:00 yesterday morning, my uncle and cousins came and picked us up to go down to my aunt's house. I knew it was going to be an interesting drive with my brother, and my two cousins Austin and Macy. Well... for a while... most everything was quiet. Then, closer to the end... * cough * Things got a little interesting. Well... Macy randomly decided she was going to start counting to 1,000. Wow. Yeah. Also, Austin has this awesome recorder, where, of course, you record your voice... but then, when you play it back, you can make it faster or slower. =P It was awesome! For instance, Austin did a MadLibs (if you've never done these before, I don't know how you've ever been a kid =P ), and recorded his voice when he was reading it. It was about the weather. For instance, "...storm perambulating around the seas..." =D And then, in the background, Spencer kept saying, "Amen!" =P It was hilarious! Especially when they played it back really fast.... when it was on that setting, Spencer sounded like a chipmunk when he said "amen". Hehe! It was sooo much fun. In the meantime, Macy was at... about 700. =P lol!
Anyway, about 5 minutes later, we got to my aunt and uncle's house. The first thing we did was go and great everyone... and then got our bathing suits and sunscreen on. My aunt has a pool at her house, so we always go swimming there each summer. When I finally got out to the pool (I had to go in the house twice to get goggles and to put my glasses up), and I did something I have never done before. Everyone is always daring someone who hasn't gotten in yet to just jump in. So, I ran all the way across the yard, and then jumped into the pool. =D It was fun! Cold water... in really hot weather... amazing! =D Anyway, we swam for probably an hour, and then we went and ate lunch. That consisted of hot dogs (with onions, ketchup, and cheese on top =), pickles, baked beans, and Skittles. =P lol! Anyway, after we ate, we went to go see the dog that my aunt has been taking care of. She was *so* cute! She was pretty small, but she had the coloring and face of an Australian shepherd. She was really hyper too. =P
After that, we went and jumped back in the pool. I actually didn't swim that much after that. Mostly we just hung on to the edge of the pool. Although we did do some swimming. We probably stayed out for another hour or two. Oh, and I have the scars to show it... horrible sunburns on my shoulders, face, and a little bit on my arms. Paaaainful!
Then Macy and I went back inside the house... and then went right back out to take some random pictures of each other. =D Then we went back inside and just hung out with the family.
So... that was basically what we did yesterday. =) It was really fun!

Anyway, I hope all of you have a safe, awesome 4th of July!
And one more thing.....

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

In Christ,
~Madison

Hope Chest Treasures and Fun Things

2009-07-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well... before I begin, I suppose I should lay out the results from the polls. =)
Q: How many posts do you want to see on my blog?
Out of 11 people, 9 people said "the same amount you've been posting" and 4 voted for "more than you post.

Q: What kind of posts do you want to see?
Out of 18 people, 12 said posts about my life, 11 said posts with lots of pictures, 8 said posts with videos (that I did), 7 said serious posts, 5 said posts with reviews, random facts, on how to do crafts, and homesteading, 4 said The Simple Woman's Daybook posts, and 1 said posts with videos from YouTube.

Thanks to *all* who answered this poll! I'll try to do some posts with what you asked! =)

Now, since y'all voted you wanted to hear more about my life (trust me, it isn't going to be interesting ;-) =P ), I'll tell you about how yesterday went, and how I got these treasures and fun things!
Well... we got up yesterday and went to my grandmother's house (she is only about 35 minutes away), and then we went out to eat at Cracker Barrel. I had a wonderfully autumn breakfast (which didn't exactly match the blazing hot summer weather)... it was hot biscuits with apple butter, a side of bacon, and orange juice. =) Hmm... set me in a mood for autumn (which is my favorite season!). After we ate, naturally, we went out into the shopping area. They were having some sales, so I decided to look around and see if I wanted something. Then I saw it. I was shocked. Cheap, cute, and something we use all the time! Plus the fact it could go in my hope chest! And 40% off? Okay, so you want to know what it is. ;-) Well, it was a ceramic sugar and creamer set! =D Okay, so you're wondering what is so special about that? Look at these pictures of them! =)

Aren't they *beautiful*? I thought they were simply gorgeous. They were originally $9, which is a steal anyway, but they were 40% off, so I got them for $6! More expensive than something that you can find used, but they were too pretty to pass up! Anyway, while we were there, my mom spotted something that I had seen earlier. Cutest thing ever. =)

I thought it was sooo cute! =D Chicken plate... =) Oh, if it looks big to you, just to let you know, it isn't. =P Very small. My mom suggested I could use it say for instance if you were at the table and were drinking tea, you could put your tea bag on it. And I'm sure I can find other things to use it for. I know you're not supposed to buy something unless you know how you're going to use it... but honestly. =P Anyway, if nothing else, I could hang it up for decoration!
Anyway, afterwards, we went back to my grandmother's. But we only dropped my brother off, so he wouldn't have to go shopping with me and my mom. ;-) First we went to an office supply store and craft store... then we went to Target, one of my favorite stores! =) Now, believe it or not, I'm very into fashion. Modest fashion, mind you, but fashion, nonetheless. Anyway, I was shopping around for some of those big purses that are in now. I had been in Target a couple of months earlier, and had seen some cute ones. I didn't see the same ones this time, so I was kind of dissapointed. I kept looking around, and I couldn't really find anything. But I finally started seeing some purses that I like... and then I got all confused, because I had 5 purses I like and only about $20 to spend. =P (of course, I wouldn't have ever bought all 5, just saying it was a hard decision) So, I ended up getting these two. =) This one I'm going to keep:

Up-close of the button:

Okay... so maybe it is big and fashionable, but I like it! =P
Anyway, this other one, I'm not sure if I'm going to keep... I need to see if it would go with most of my clothes:

Up-close of the fabric:

I really liked this one, so I had to grab it. Only $10! Not bad for a purse. ;-)

Anyway, I suppose that is all for today!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. On Friday or Saturday, I will probably have another longer post up about my life... so if you want to read about it, then come then and I should have one for you. =P

May/June Book and Movie Reviews

2009-06-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

So, did ya think that I had forgotten about last months movies and books? Of course not! =P Last month ended on a Sunday, which I like spending with my family. So I didn't do that long post. Anyway, this month, it will be doubly long because: I finished several books last month, *and*, at one point this month, for about a week, I was watching an average of one or two movies per day. =P Yeah... we were getting movies from Netflix, and all that kind of thing, so I've watched several new movies this month.
Anyway, to get on with everything! =)
First, book reviews:

Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Rating: 4 stars
About: This is definitely the best of Jane Austen, in my opinion, which is surprising, as this was her first better-known novel. Although, I have heard that most people find this book to be their least favorite by Austen. This book is about a girl named Catherine, who is going on a trip into Bath. Catherine is flirtatious and has a very creative mind. She goes on a visit to Northanger Abbey... but in the meantime, is trying to discover it's secrets. Austen made the characters in this book very vivid, and the storyline was really good! Like I said, if I were to recommend any Jane Austen book, it would definitely be Northanger Abbey.

Title: Sense and Sensibility
Author: Jane Austen
Rating: 4 stars
About: This book is about two girls: Marianne and Elinor Dashwood. These two sisters are complete and total opposites. Elinor is quiet and sensible, while Marianne is loud, flirtatious, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Especially when the attractive Mr. Willoughby comes along. The Dashwoods had just been thrown out of their house by a family member who had inherited it, so they moved to a little cottage. There, they meet Mr. Willoughby and Colonel Brandon. As the story goes on, they find out that Mr. Willoughby is probably not the most suitable man for Marianne... and Elinor, as well, finds out that the man she is in love with is engaged to another young lady.
This is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend this book!

Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Author: Baroness Orczy
Rating: 5 stars
About: Best book. Ever. =P Okay, not really, but this book is fantastic! Its about a man, Sir Percy, and his wife, Lady Marguerite. Marguerite was at one time the most famous woman in Europe, as she was French actor. But when she went off to marry Sir Percy, she thought he was in love with her. But now, she is not so sure about his love. And while this is going on, Marguerite's "friend", Chauvelin, is trying to find out who the Scarlet Pimpernel is. The Scarlet Pimpernel was a man who saved people from the guillotine (sp?) in France. And Chauvelin was trying to get everything he could out of Marguerite. But Marguerite has a hard choice: she can either give away what she knows about the Scarlet Pimpernel, or she can save her beloved brother. Which would she choose?
Ah... now... if you have not read this book, go to the library or book store and read it. =P Wonderful book! I highly recommend it!

Title: French Women Don't Get Fat
Author: Mireille Guiliano
Rating: 5 stars
About: When you read this title, you probably laughed. "French women don't get fat? What on earth does *that* mean?" Possibly that was what you were thinking. Well, I'll tell you. =P This book is a *fantastic* book by a French woman. Being from France, she knows the secrets of French women on how to stay thin. This book explains how they do it. One thing is, is French women don't diet. And now you're probably thinking, "But I thought this was a dieting book!" Well, not really. This book is how to have healthy eating habits, which actually keeps you thinner than dieting! For one thing, you don't have to cut out things that you think make you fat, like chocolate and dairy items. You're probably surprised at this, but the key to not getting fat from things like that is eating in moderation. Eating dairy and chocolate in moderation is actually more healthy than cutting them out altogether! Another key thing is eating those things in the best quality you can find them. Anyway, moving on from that, another important thing is drinking *lots* of water. This can help you loose at least a pound or two. Also, exercising is a great way to lose weight. But the way she says to exercise is probably not what you're thinking about. You're probably thinking about going to a gym and working out, or going on those death marches around the block. ;-) Well, that isn't what she suggests. She is talking about taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or playing tennis with a friend every week. Things like this help you lose weight, *and* they keep you healthier. And one last thing: don't just snack. Oh yes, we are all guilty of this one. ;-) That's when you pull the chips out of the pantry and snack on them for about an hour. Or eating a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting. Those things that you *think* you need to eat. Sometimes, people just get so into the habit of eating, they eat even when they don't need to. If you're not hungry, don't eat anything!!! That is probably the biggest thing in losing weight. And if you are hungry, don't eat too much, and lean towards something healthy, like yogurt or fruit.
Anyway, now that I've give you almost the whole way on living French, you can go and read the rest of the book. =P Great book, and I highly recommend it!

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Rating: 5 stars +
About: This book is about a boy named Jonas, who has just become a 12 in the quiet, orderly Community. In this Community, there is no color, no feelings, no pain. Everybody has to do everything the exact same way as everyone else. But when Jonas is assigned to be the Receiver of the Memory, he isn't sure what to expect. Jonas begins to learn about things like happiness, pain, and love. But one day, he learns about something in the community that he didn't know before... what "releasing" really is. That is when he has to take a major, drastic move...
This book is a fantastic book, which I highly, highly recommend!

Now... on to movie reviews. These reviews will probably be pretty short, as there are *so* many movies that I've watched! But, here they are:

Title: Fiddler on the Roof
Rating: G
Genre: Musical
Rating: 3 stars
About: This movie is about a Jewish man in Russia, who has three daughters who want to get married. But as each one comes up asking him for his blessing, he has to decide how much he can give in lenience towards his daughters. How far can they go while still getting his blessing?
Pretty good movie. Not my favorite... don't really like the ending... but you might like it. =P If you like musicals a lot, then I would recommend this one.

Title: The Princess Bride
Rating: PG
Genre: Fairy Tale.... =P
Rating: 5 stars
About: Okay, so you're probably gaping at the fact I hadn't watched this movie up until this month. =P Well... I doubt there are many of you out there who haven't watched this movie...
Anyway, this is *such* a typical fairy tale movie. =P But that is what makes it so funny! Princess Buttercup is about to marry her dear Wesley, when he has to go away... and then the prince tries to marry her... and then Wesley comes back to try to save her... but then Wesley gets carried away to the horrible... torturing.... machine.... thing....... =P * cough * Will the wonderful Wesley be able to marry his beautiful Buttercup? Awesome movie, and I absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend this one.

Title: Up
Rating: PG
Genre: Children
Rating: 4 stars
About: This movie is the first movie I've seen in theaters since either The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Facing the Giants. =P Can't remember which came later. Anyway, this movie is about a man named Carl. It starts out when he is a little boy, and he wants to go to a place called Paradise Falls. Then, he meets a little girl who is insane, hyperactive, and crazy, who wants to do the same thing. The first 10-15 minutes show Carl's and Ellie's life together... getting married... doing fun things... and saving up to go to Paradise Falls. Except for one thing... they keep having to pull their savings out. Then, one day, Ellie dies. At this point, I was nearly crying. =P Really a very sad part of the movie... very sentimental and everything.... well, one day, not very long afterwards, Carl is about to be picked up to be taken to a retirement home. Well, he doesn't think so. He tells the men who are about to pick him up that he wants to go back through the house one more time. Well.... the men are absolutely amazed to see hundreds and hundreds of balloons come up from behind the house, tearing the house off of it's foundations, and carrying it away. Well... Carl is trying to float away to Paradise Falls to fulfill his promise to Ellie. Well... he is flying along in the air.... nice and quiet.... when... *knock* *knock* *knock* His eyes get big. He goes to the door, and finds a little boy named Russell clinging to the siding of the house. Russell is in something similar to the Boy Scouts, trying to earn a badge for serving the elderly. Carl slams the door on Russell.... but then opens it again, and Russell comes tearing the house, talking and talking and talking... messing things up, and acting rather crazy. The story goes on from here.... and oh my word, oh my word, ohmyword.... oh. my. word. Close to the end... oh my word... it is the sweetest thing *ever*!! But I shall not spoil it for you. =D Hehehe! So now you must go and watch this movie. I loved it!

Title: My Fair Lady
Rating: G
Genre: Musical
Rating: 3 stars
About: This movie is about a young lady, Eliza, living in England, who has absolutely horrible speech (oh, and she is "a good girl" she is!! ;-) One night, a man, Professor Henry Higgins, comes up to her and swears he could entirely change the way she spoke in just a few months. So, she comes to him one day, asking for lessons. Well, he gives her lessons... but they aren't exactly what she expected. Henry is very mean to her, making her practice for hours and hours without sleep or anything.... but he continues working and working, and then one night, tries to pass her off.
This is a pretty good movie. Not my favorite, but I liked it. =)

Title: Enchanted
Rating: PG
Genre: Children
Rating: 4 stars
About: This movie is about a princess, Giselle, in an animated world who is about to marry her wonderful Prince Edward, who is the man she has been searching for... but Edward's horrible mother-in-law throws her down a well into a horrible place.... New York? Suddenly, she leaves the animated world, and comes into the real world. It's a cold rainy night, and nobody will help her... except, oddly enough, a divorce lawyer, Robert. Giselle is singing and talking rather strangely everywhere she goes, getting Robert in trouble. He continues to try to help her. But as the movie goes on, Giselle seems to lose interest in Edward. But when Edward comes to try to save her, she has no choice but to go back with him.
Just as a note though, there is one scene in here that makes it a PG movie. It isn't terribly bad, but just as a warning, there is a PG scene in here.
This is a really cute movie. =) I enjoyed it! I would recommend this to people who like Disney movies.

Title: Fireproof
Rating: PG
Genre: Christian
Rating: 5 + stars
About: This movie is absolutely wonderful! It is about a guy, Caleb, and his wife, Catherine. Catherine wants to get a divorce. They are constantly fighting. But when Caleb's dad hears about it, he comes to talk to his son. He tells him that he will send him something in the mail that takes 40 days to do, and he told him to wait and see if it changed his marriage. Caleb gets a book in the mail called The Love Dare, written in his dad's own hand. He tries to do it... but it only gets harder. Catherine seems to be pushing him away more, and not noticing a thing he did. What can he do to change himself and her?
This is a fantastic movie! Better than both Flywheel and Facing the Giants, in my opinion. =) I highly recommend it!

Title: The Swan Princess
Rating: G
Genre: Children
Rating: 3 stars
About: Well... this movie is so typical fairy tale, it is scary. =P And you're wondering how I came to watch it? Well, this was my cousin Macy's favorite movie when she was younger, so she had me watch it. Anyway, it is about Princess Odette and Prince Derek. Odette's father and Derek's mother plan to have them married when they got older, so their kingdoms would be united. When they are about to get married, Odette is carried away by the evil bad guy dude, Rothbart. =P Anyway, he puts a curse on her that she is a swan until the moon shines on the lake that she is held captive in.
Pretty good movie. =) I liked it.

Title: Prates of the Carribean- The Curse of the Black Pearl
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Not really sure... lol
Rating: 4 stars
About: Yeah... I hadn't watched this one. Amazed, now are you? ;-)
This movie is about a girl named Elizabeth, who as a child, was fascinated with pirates. But one day, she is captured by pirates. But these pirates have a curse... they can't be killed. They become skeletons at night. Since Elizabeth is captured, the man who was in love with her, Will, has to go in search of her. Helping him is the crazy, not-so-common pirate, Jack Sparrow.
This movie is really good, and I really enjoyed it. If you like Lord of the Rings, you'll probably like this movie. =)

Title: Roman Holiday
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Classic
Rating: 3 stars
About: This is your basic, classic, chic flic from around the 40's and 50's. ;-) Audrey Hepburn stars as a princess from Europe. Entirely sick of the schedule and hum-drum of things, she runs off one night. Unfortunately, right before she left, she had been given something to make her sleepy. She is found by a journalist (Gregory Peck), and so he takes her in. The next day, she says she is a student who had escaped from school. But he knows who she is, and tries to find out all her secrets for a huge story for the news. But it ends up that throughout the day, they start falling in love...
Pretty good movie. =) I didn't like the ending terribly, but I really liked the story!

Wow... wait... really? Is this reality? Did I finally just finish these reviews??? :-o =P
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

Hope Chest and Homesteading

2009-06-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Real quick: To all my private blog readers, I did a pretty long post on that too. So you can go read that. =)

Well, here is my promised post! But I'm also adding a little something that I didn't mention yesterday. =) I'm going to post a couple of things that I have for my hope chest. One I made, and one I bought.
This was the one I bought. I'll kinda explain how I got this.... tell you a little bit about today. =P Well... I was woken up at an unearthly hour of the morning (just kiddin'... it was actually a rather late hour that I won't mention =P), and about 15 minutes later, my aunt called and said that she and Macy were going to go to a couple of garage sales, and she was wondering if I wanted to come. So, they drove into Chick-fil-a, picked up a breakfast sandwich, swung by and picked me up, and we went to these garage sales. =) The first one we found out was actually *last* week (and the newspaper and printed it today... now how annoying is that?), so we went to our next one. Macy found these amazingly pretty plates that she'll post pictures of soon on her blog. =) (click "blog" to go to hers) Then we went to our second garage sale. This one was really big. Well... this is the thing I bought. =)

Isn't it pretty? =D A guy came up to me while I was looking at it, and said it would be $1. I shoulda asked if I could get it for 50 cents... but he said it was brand new, and it had never been used. So I quickly snatched it up. It can be for my hope chest, but it also goes with the room that I have right now! =) So, yeah! I'm really excited about this one, and I dunno why... it isn't terribly big. lol

Anyway, as for the thing in my hope chest that I *made*...
Drum roll please! =D

It's a baby cardigan! =) It was the easiest thing in the world to make, and I *love* how it looks! Cute, soft, and the flower button is just precious! Hehe. =)
Here is a close up of the stitches...

I love knitting, and this one knit up really quickly.

Well... now we shall mosy along to the homesteading part! =)
So, a few weeks ago, I took a picture of some tea that I had made. A couple of nights ago, I decided to try out my first homemade tea! =)

Getting the tea ready... (sugar and cookies and tea in the tea ball)

Pouring the tea into the tea cup....

Waiting for the tea to change color....

And it turned into a gorgeous light green color! =) Shows that it is fresh tea. ;-)
Anyway, more than anything, it smelled good. Didn't have much of a taste. But it smelled unbelievably good! (just so you know, it had mint, lemon balm, and lavendar flowers in it)

Also, we have been harvesting a lot from our garden, which has been really fun!
For one thing, lots of tomatoes have been coming in:

I picked six yesterday... and more should be ready in a week or two.
Also, last night was really exciting! =D We grew beans for the first time this year, and so last night I went out and picked our first crop. It wasn't much... but it was enough that we all got some for supper. =) They tasted *so* good and fresh! Sorry I didn't get a picture of them.

Anyway, the last thing for today, is I'm going to show you how to make hot pepper jelly! This is also something I did today. Almost immediately after I got home from going to yard sales, I got to work on this.
Now, this is my first time making anything like this... so I was a tad inexperienced... but it went *pretty* well. =P
Oh, and yes, all the peppers came from the garden. And if I know you, and you like peppers, and you want some please come see me!! I have about a bazillion banana peppers, and more coming on... and I'm about to die we have so many banana peppers! =P Okay, not really... but yeah, we have to many. Okay... I'm getting off track here.

This is what you will need for the jelly:

~1/4 cup chopped jalapenos
~3/4 cup chopped sweet peppers (I used banana peppers)
~6 cups of sugar (isn't it ridiculous?)
~2 1/2 cups of cider vinegar
~2 3-ounce pouches of liquid pectin
~A few drops of red or green food coloring (optional)

In this recipe, they suggest that you use all green or all red peppers, so the jelly will have a soft color.

As for pots and pans and such, here is what you will need:

~Blender
~Two large saucepans
~Strainer
~Jars for freezing

First, chop up all your jalapenos.

Put this into the blender (sorry for the bluriness...)

Next, chop up your banana peppers, and put into the blender.

Blend until the peppers look about like this.

Next, in your first large sauce pan, put in the sugar, apple cider vinegar, and your ground up peppers. Turn on high heat.

Stir constantly.
Bring to a boil.
Next, simmer for 10 minutes.

Now you're going to need your strainer and your other large saucepan.

Pour the whole mixture into the strainer, over the other pan. This will catch all of the peppers.
Now, scoop out two tablespoons of the pepper mixture. Don't put all of it in. This part is just for texture. The taste of the peppers is already in the liquid part, so you don't need all of the peppers. Throw the rest of the peppers away.

Next, pour the two tablespoons of peppers and the liquid back into your first saucepan (or you could leave it in your second... whichever). Bring this back to a boil.
After it is boiling, turn the heat down. Add your pectin and food coloring (if you are adding it).
Bring back to a boil one more time, and let it boil for one minute.
Remove from heat.

Now, you are ready to put it into jars. Now, I was doing this a little bit differently from the recipe. I'm planning on freezing my jelly.
If you are only canning this, use these instructions:
Ladle into sterilized jelly jars (this one calls for about six 8-ounce jars) with two-part canning lids, leaving 1/8 inch headroom, and seal. Process in boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

If you would like to freeze your jelly, follow these instructions:
Ladle into freezer jars, leaving about 1/4-1/8 inch headroom. Cover immediately with lid. Let the jelly sit out for 24 hours, and then freeze.

And, here was the finished product!

Pretty, isn't it? =) I got 6 1/2 jars of jelly. Now it is sitting out on the counter, setting up.

EDIT: Well... just for kicks, I'm gonna throw in a few tags. I love tags... but don't feel like you have to read them. I just love typing them out! =D

I found this one on Earwen's blog. =)

How tall are you? I shall not tell you. =P Okay... I'll give you this much... I'm between 5 feet and 6 feet! Hehehe. =P

What are your favorite out-of-doors things to do? Gardening, walking, swinging (yes, I still love doing it =D ), running around and screaming like a maniac, and swimming.

What are your favorite indoor activities? Reading, knitting, eating =P, messin' around on the computer, watching DVDs, etc. etc.

What are your favorite books? The Inheritance, Rainbow Valley (from the Anne of Green Gables series), The Fellowship of the Ring, The Magician's Nephew, The Silver Chair, and sooo many more that I can't remember.

What are your favorite movies? The Lord of the Rings, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Chariots of Fire, To Kill a Mockingbird, Prince Caspian, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and lots more that I can't think of.

If you could live in any era, what era would it be? Definitely the 1930's-50's. =D I always think of that time as the most "innocent" time. My dad always tells stories from when he was a kid, around those times, and it always seems like such a wonderful era. =)

Do you believe in in Phenomena? It depends on what ya mean. =P

Who are your favorite fictional characters? Fun question! =D Sam (LotR), Lucy (The Chronicles of Narnia), Anne (Anne of Green Gables series), Elizabeth (Pride & Prejudice), Elinor (Sense and Sensibility (I'm actually *very* much like Elinor... except more hyper! =P)), Bilbo (The Hobbit), and a lot more. =)

What are your favorite songs/artists? Haha, this will be a *long* list. Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, Brandon Heath, FFH, Chris Rice, MercyMe, Jim Brickman, George Winston, Nickel Creek, Newsboys, Superchick, David Crowder, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, The Rippingtons, Chris Thile, Michael Card, and Mark Schultz are just some that I like. And believe it or not, I do listen to some popular music. ;-)

Who are your favorite poets? Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Wordsworth, John Keats, J.R.R. Tolkien, and some others I can't think of off the top of my head...

What are your favorite mythological creatures? Erm... I don't really have any favorites. I never really thought about it. =P

What are your favorite girl names? Oh wow! Hard... Here are some: Adelaide, Aletta, Christy, Eowyn (wink wink ;-), Grace, Samantha, Elizabeth, Alexa, Allie, and lots of others.

What are your favorite boy names? Peter, Wyman, James, Jeremy, Ethan, Chris, Carson, Travis, Micah, Mitchell, Derek, and Eric.

What are your favorite colors? Blue, green, brown, and white.

What do you often say? Wow...
Totally!
Hehe, yeah.
Yep.
(notice this is all stuff you add if you can't think of anything to say =P)

What fictional character would you love to meet? Hmm... Sam or Eowyn from LotR.

Who do you tag now? Whoever wants to be tagged.

This is another one I found from Earwen's blog:

Starting time: 5:46
Name: Madison =) (yes, with the smiley face added. =P lol, that is my signature! If you're around, and have pencil and paper, beware... I'm likely to start drawing smiley faces all over it!)

Sisters: None. =( Of course, Macy (my cousin) is nearly my sister! =)
Brothers: One, Spencer.

What are you wearing? An ivory skirt, and an ankle-length black and white skirt.

Favorite number: Probably 88.
Favorite drink: Water, lemonade, coke, and mochas! =D

Favorite month? October. Very autumnish. =)

Favorite breakfast? Umm... I hate breakfast... in general. =P Sometimes it can be good. It depends on what mood I'm in, but my favorites are: chocolate chip muffins, scrambled or fried eggs, or maybe oatmeal (it's good if you put some maple syrup, milk, and butter in it! =D)
Love someone so much who made you cry? I think so...

Broken a bone? My collar bone. Pain. =P

Been in a police car? I think *once*.... but it was because this guy knew my dad, and he was taking us on a tour of the police station thingy. =P Not 'cause we were arrested. lol

Been on a boat? Yep! Looove it! =D
Came close to dying? Nope, thank goodness!

Been in a hot tub? Yep!

Swam in the ocean? Oh yeah. But not a lot.
Fallen asleep in school? Hehehe, sorta. xD

Cried when someone dies? Yep.

Fallen off a chair? I think so.
--------------------Who---------------------
Who did you last yell at? Hmm... I dunno. It's been a while since I yelled. Of course... I did get mad at the computer a day or two ago. lol!

Do you like filling theses out? Loooove them! =D Why else would I be doing them?

Do you like yourself? I suppose so... sorta. Maybe. Kinda. =P

--------------Today did you---------------
Talk to someone you like? Duh! My mom and dad. =D

Got sick? Nope, thank heavenly goodness. =P I hate being sick!

Sing? Yep, in church. =D And very quietly at home... hopefully nobody was listening. =P
-------------------Last person who-----------------
You talked to on the phone with? I think my brother...

Made you cry? I dunno... umm... oh yeah! =P A little boy who I babysat for! lol I had such a bad day that I cried... lol He had been a big handful, and then a bunch of little things happened... and then the last straw came... and I just had to hide. =P

Went to the mall with? Dad and bro. The bookstore is at the mall. =D

Been to Europe? No. =( *sigh*
Been to Asia? Nope.
Been to Russia? No!

Been to the Bahamas? Nopers.
Been to Mexico? Nope nope nope.

Been to Canada? Nope. (I've never been out of the country, silly tag! =P )

Been to Africa? See above note. =P
---------------------Final questions--------------------
What are you listening to? My dad watch golf.... and the air conditioner... no music playing, amazingly enough.

Do you hate someone in your family? Umm... no. =/

What car do you wish to have? Hehehe!! xD Wow... lots of cars...... A black or red Cooper... (awesome car!!)... and a Lexus. I don't want a Lexus to look impressive, but I absolutely *love* the way they look! Of course I'll never get one of those... with my luck, I'll probably get a ratty pickup truck. lol!

Good singer? No. Absolutely not. All the people who have *ever* commented on my singing say I'm off-key. =P So....... yeah. That is why I only sing when I'm alone or in church. (or in chorus)

Indoors or Outdoors? Depends. I like both. =)

Do you have a job? Yep... lots. =P Every-now-and-then babysitter, daughter, cousin, sister... and so on!

Time finished: 5:59

And one more tag! I found this one on Laney's blog. =)

What is your favorite song? Hmm... today I'm gonna say Sing, Sing, Sing by Chris Tomlin.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Read, knit, do stuff on the computer, write in my journal, etc.

What is your favorite animal? Maybe dogs?

Do you have any family members that follow your blog? Macy, my cousin. =) And I think my brother lurks on my blog.... xD lol! And my mom reads it every now and then.

Do you like to sing? Loooooove it! Unfortunately, I don't have a good voice. =P

What is your favorite YouTube video? I dunno... I guess I'm gonna say Lord of the Rings in 60 seconds. =D

Do you play an instrument? Piano and the dulcimer!

What grade are you in? Hmm... maybe I'm in the 7th grade... or possibly I'm in college.... or maybe I'm in the 3rd grade.... you never know, now do you? =P

Do you get a lot of comments on your blog? No... =(

Do you like nature? Definitely!! =D

Do you believe in fairies? Nope.

Are you crazy? Tooootaaallly!!!!! =D =D =D =D =D

Do you have a playlist? Yeppers! =)

What are your 3 favorite books? The Fellowship of the Ring, The Inheritance, and Rainbow Valley.

What are your three favorite movies? Lord of the Rings, Pride & Prejudice, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Do you have a cell phone? Yep! =D Love it too! (although I can't do much with it...) I'm a technology insane... person... so, I love anything like that that I can play with. =)

Do you have an ipod? No, but I sooo want one!!

What is your longest post? I dunno...

How many times have you started a tag? Lots, if you consider the ones I finished. =)

How many time have you been tagged? I dunno... several times.

Have you ever ridden a horse? Yep, a few times. =)

Do you like your blog signature? I don't have one!

Are you hungry? Nope, I've been snacking on Vanilla Wafers for a while... =P

What's the weather? Incredibly hot, and rather dry. I'm ready for some thunderstorms!

'What is your favorite song on your playlist? Just ONE?? Let's make it five. =P Lemonade, Turn, A Million Miles Away, Some Days You Gotta Dance, and either Sweet Home Alabama, Suzie Q., Midnight Special, or Free Bird. =P

When is your birthday? I'm not tellin' you! =P

Are you tired? Yes.... * yawns *

Are you on vacation right now? Sorta...

Are you bored? Nope.

What time is it right now? 6:09

What is your least favorite book? I'm not sure...

What's your least favorite movie? Hmm.... I'm gonna say Gone With the Wind. =P

How are you feeling right now? Tired... want to watch The Waltons and eat pizza like we do *every* Sunday night. =)

Who are you tagging now? Anyone who wants to do this tag! =)

Okay, that's all for now!

Anyway... this is the end of my post. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures! =)
Have a great day! God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

Two Tags!

2009-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I got this from Julia's blog. =) By the way, tomorrow, I'm planning on doing a long post about our homesteading adventure! So tomorrow, expect a long post with pictures! =)

What is your favorite day of summer?
Hmm... I dunno. I think every day is my favorite. =) But... I guess July 4th. That is always fun.

What’s your favorite outdoor summer activity?
Gardening. =D I love going out and working in it. 'Tis very fun!

What’s your favorite indoor summer activity?
Reading, knitting, messin' around on the computer...

Pool or beach?
Wow, that is a hard question! Probably the beach, depending on which one it is. But I like the pool too.

Have you ever camped during the summer?
Nope.

Popsicle or ice cream? What flavor?
Popsicles, because we have ice cream all the time. =P Although I like both.

Do you help with your church's VBS?
Well, if we could find a church to join, then I would probably work with VBS, but I haven't before.

Do you get bored during the summer?
Not really. Sometimes... but generally if I get bored, I hop on the computer, play the piano, or knit on a project that I'm doing.

Is summer your favorite season?
No, definitely not. But it isn't my least favorite. It is probably... second favorite or third favorite. Autumn is definitely my favorite. =)

The other tag was from Sarah. =) This one is a Narnia vs. Lord of the Rings tag.

Narnia VS Middle-earth!

Here I go!

Gimli vs. Trumpkin? Gimli, definitely

Gandalf vs. Professor Cornelius? Oh wow, this one is hard! I'm not really sure... they're both awesome!

The White Witch vs. Saruman? I guess Saruman... but they're both bad... so what's the point in saying either? =P

Gandalf vs. Aslan? Oh wow... another impossible one! =P Umm... I'm gonna say Aslan, but it is so close.

Aragorn vs. Aslan? Hmm... and hard again. lol I'm gonna say Aragorn.

Narnia vs. Middle-earth? Middle-earth, of course! Narnia is cool, but Middle-earth is amazing!

Prince Caspian vs. Frodo? Frodo, definitely.

Susan vs. Arwen? Okay... amazingly enough, I think I'm gonna have to go with Arwen.

Edmund vs. Merry? Oh wow, this one is hard! They're both really awesome! I guess I'll go with Merry.

Lucy vs. Pippin? Pippin, definitely. =P He's hilarious, and has no clue what is going on (like me =P lol!)... so, yeah. Although, I love Lucy!

Peter vs. Haldir? Peter, definitely. But not in the second movie. In that movie he's a jerk...

The Dancing Lawn vs. Lothlorien? Lothlorien, definitely!

Centaurs vs. Elves? Umm... Elves. Of course. =P

Peter's sword vs. Anduril? Peter's sword.

Susan's magic bow and arrows vs. Legolas's bow of the Galadhrim? Hmm... I'm gonna say Legolas's bow.

Wargs vs. Werewolves? Umm... I guess Werewolves. =P

Orcs vs. Hags? Orcs, of course. lol

The White Witche's castle vs. the Tower of Barad-dur? Barad-dur.

Gryphons vs. Eagles? Eagles, definitely!! Totally cool. =D

Uruk-hai or Telemarines? Umm... Uruk-hai, I guess.

Catapults or Oliphaunts? Hmm... I guess Catapults. For some really odd reason, Oliphants seem depressing to me. =P lol!!

Cair Paravel or Rivendell? Wow, that is really hard!! I guess Rivendell.

Well, that is all for now. Anyone who wants to can do those tags. =)
But remember to check back tomorrow for a longer post! (and remember... it comes with pictures! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 24

2009-06-21T10:54:00.001-07:00

Edit: Ack! Thank you so much Riah, for reminding me! =P I forgot to tell all of you about our Father's Day! =P Well... for Father's Day this year, me, my mom, and brother went out to a really awesome, huge store that has every kind of guy thing under the sun... fishing, hunting, camping, grilling, archery... you name it. Anyway, we got our dad some things for grilling, as he has gotten really into that this summer... he's been grilling bratwursts, pork chops, hot dogs, vegetables... really good stuff! =) And my mom made him an awesome card. =D And we went out to the bookstore this afternoon, which was really fun. =)
Anyway... a tribute to my dad: I love my Daddy. =) I've learned sooo much from him. He has taught me to look at both sides of a situation, and how to look on the bright side of things, both of which are very important. I've always wanted to follow my dad, because he sets such a good example. =) I love you Daddy! Happy Father's Day!
And also... to all the other fathers... Happy Father's Day! =)

Hello everyone!
A few things before I start: One, is that I have done a new post on my Bible blog. If you'd like to read it, click here. Also, for my private blog readers, I have something up for you, if you haven't seen it yet. =) And one other thing. I think most of you have voted on my polls, but for those of you who haven't: I have put a couple of polls on the top of my sidebar, as I haven't been getting as many comments lately. Tell me what you'd like to read, and how often you'd like to read it by voting. =) Thanks!
Although I will post what is entitled above, I wanted to share some things with y'all first. I wanted to tell you something I realized last night. This is basically another post, which I'll call "What God's Idea of Great Is". Right now, I'm reading John Ortberg's fantastic book called "God is Closer than You Think." Wonderful book, and I highly recommend it. Anyway, last night, I was thinking about how I was single, and how I wanted to do all these huge, wonderful things for God. And then, while I was reading this book, I came across a passage that just made me laugh, it was so ironic, "Over time, [Brother] Lawrence learned to sit at the Lord's feet even while working. 'It is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelets in the pan for the love of God....' In the kitchen, 'the lord of all pots and pans' [Brother Lawrence] was spattered with more than grease and flour. He was covered with the dust of his rabbi." That just wowed me. This little man, doing simple work for the Lord, and yet, it looked so great because he did it with a great love for Christ. That's when I realized that if we serve God wholeheartedly, then we *are* doing something great for Him. I'm not saying that we should sit around and do nothing, because we are called to go out and do things for Him that are big. But my point is, is sometimes I think we wait too long for that big thing to happen, instead of doing little things in between. God wants us to do little things. In the Bible, it says if we are faithful in the little things, He will give us big things to do. As I read that passage in the book, I was literally gaping, and laughing at myself for thinking that the little things *weren't* big things. If we serve God with our whole heart, and love Him with our whole heart, mind, and strength, then we are doing exactly what He wants us to do.
Anyway, just thought I'd share that little tidbit with y'all. =)

For Today: June 21st, 2009.

Outside my window: Sunny skies. A bit of breeze. Very hot.

I am thinking: About just finishing The Giver. =) Good book. I'll have a review of it at the end of the month.

I am thankful for: Golf. Random, I know. =P But I like watching it!

I am wearing: A cute skirt from J.Jill (click on skirt to see a picture of it), and a white, short-sleeve sweater with a cute button at the top.

I am reading: 15 books, since I just finished The Giver.

I am hoping: That we'll have pizza for supper tonight! =)

I am creating: A jacket for myself, a baby cardigan, and a pillow... oh, and a scarf.

I am hearing: My dad watching golf and the air conditioner.

Around the house: Well, like I said, my dad is watching golf, my brother is in the dining room, and my mom is probably cleaning up from lunch.

One of my favorite things: Hmm... * thinks * Seeing. =D *winks at Mel*

What I accomplished since last week: A lot of reading... and that is about it. =P It's summer. =P

A few plans for the rest of the week: Do more reading... practice the piano and my dulcimer... pick some tomatoes, squash, and maybe some peppers and beans from the garden... blog... and so on. =)

Here is a picture I am sharing with you:

Sorry the picture isn't very big... I'm on the laptop, so I had to copy it from my private blog... and it was in my sidebar, which made it smaller... and therefore, it is smaller here. =P Yeppers! I love this picture!

Well, that's all for today! Have a blessed Lord's day! =)

In Christ alone,
~Madison

The Problems with Sunscreen

2009-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

To my private blog readers: Just so y'all know... I have a big surprise for y'all. =) It's on the blog. Go. Now. =P Read it! =D And just so you know, it may take a little bit to load. You'll see why if you go and look. =)

Note: Before I start, I wanted to let everyone know: as I haven't been getting as many comments lately, I think it is because I haven't been doing the kind of posts y'all want to read. So I have a couple of polls on my sidebar, so you can tell me what you want to read. If you would please vote on those, that would be great! Thanks so much!

Hello everyone! This is actually a post I wrote quite soon after I started this blog. But no one was reading it then. ;-) Anyway, I thought I would re-post it, since summer has come around again. I hope you enjoy! I remember, forget the sunscreen. =P Here it is:

"Summer is here! Yes, you're pulling out last year's bathing suit and goggles. Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen! Or then again, maybe you should forget the sunscreen.
You've probably heard over the past few years that if you don't wear sunscreen every time you get in the sun, you'll get skin cancer. Which means you should always wear sunscreen.
But I've come across some interesting facts. Here are the links I got them from:
http://www.worldimage.com/blog/archives/000027_sunscreen_dangers.html
http://www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html
So you don't have to go through all of those facts, here are some of the mains ones that may make you decide that sunscreen isn't such a good idea after all, no matter what the scientists say.

Sunscreen actually increases your chance of skin cancer.
It blocks your skins ability to make Vitamin D by more than 95%.
Only one out of many things it causes in women is increased breast cancer.
Only one out of many things it causes in men is sex identity confusion... in other words, feminization.

If that scared you enough, look at what some of the ingredients in it are supposed to be used for.

DDT - Used in insecticide
Dioxin - Used for chemical by-product during manufacturing of insecticides and plastic.
2, 4D - Used in weed killer.

Did that scare you a little bit?
You'd think people who make this stuff would actually test it before they started saying it protects you."

So, yeah, forget putting on the sunscreen every day.
Like I said, why on *earth* do these people say these things help if they haven't even tested it!
Hope you enjoyed the post!

In Christ alone,
~Madison

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 23 and Question

2009-06-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Edit: Hello everyone! =) I just wanted to let everyone know that I *finally* did another post on my Bible blog! I'm doing a study through James right now. This post was on James 3:1-12. If you would like to read it, click here. Please leave a comment!

Hello everyone! To begin, I have a very important question to ask all of you. You see... I have not been getting as many comments lately as I used to. So I think I'm not doing the kind of posts y'all want, so I need to see what kind of posts you *do* want. I'm going to be putting up on the top of my sidebar a couple of polls, so y'all can vote for what you want to see on this blog. Please vote on these two polls! I'm very eager to see what you have to say. And this blog is for y'all to read, so I want all of you to enjoy it! Also, if I'm doing anything else wrong (the way my blog is laid out, my sidebar, etc.), please tell me that too!

Okay, I know I generally don't do this on weekdays... in fact I don't think I ever have. But I'm going to today. =)

For Today: June 16th, 2009, Tuesday

Outside my window: Sunny skies... and it is probably hot already.

I am thinking: About nothing in particular... breakfast.

I am thankful for: Great friends!

I am wearing: *looks ashamed* Okay, you can guess from that that I'm still wearing my PJ's. =D

I am reading: 16 books. Yeah. I'm serious. Too many. =P

I am hoping: That I can finish some of these books soon. lol

I am creating: Wow... lots of stuff. =) I am knitting a baby cardigan, a cardigan for myself, a pillow, and a scarf.

I am hearing: The faucet running and the air conditioner going... and my mom talking to the dogs...

Around the house: Spencer is prolly about to get on the other computer... my mom is eating breakfast... the dogs are watching her... =P

One of my favorite things: Having someone to talk to!

What I accomplished since last week: Wow... lots of stuff. Mostly crafty type things though. =) I need to post some pictures of what I'm making so y'all can see it.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Read, computer stuff, chores... and that is about all I can think of. lol

Here is a video I am sharing with you:

Is that not amazing? I tried to play that song once, and it was *not* a successful attempt. lol In fact... I tried for probably 3-5 months. =P Didn't turn out as nicely as that.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the post!

In Christ,
~Madison

Guess the Face

2009-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't posted in several days!
Anyway, I came up with this idea. It is very similar to the movie game that I've posted a couple of times. I'm going to post several pictures of people, and you have to guess who the people are. But again, one rule: do not look at anyone else's answers. =P
Here we go! =)
(by the way, you get extra credit if you can name the poems/books/movies they wrote/were in)

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.
9.
10.
So... have fun guessing! =)

Anyway, in my blogoversary post, I had y'all do a quiz. Only two of you guessed... and both of you got most of the questions right. Here are the questions:

1. What are my dogs' names?
2. What bone did I break once?
3. Who are my favorite authors? (list as many as you can)
4. What was my first post besides the intro on? (do *not* peek!)
5. What is my favorite fruit?
6. Who is my favorite poet?
7. Who is my favorite artist?
8. What are the names of my three closest friends?
9. How many sibs do I have?
10. What is my favorite kind of bird?

Here are their answers:

Riah
1. Winston & something else?
2. Collar bone (clavicle)?
3. Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien? Ummm? I have no idea. Louisa May Alcott? Like... I know you love classic lit. But that is all. =P
4. I haven't a clue. I wasn't with ya a year ago. xP
5. -thinks- I feel like I know this one... Is it a berry? Ummm... I'll just say strawberry. I have no clue.
6. Poet?! OMG. Dunno.
7. Artist. Oh. I know this one... I mean... I've read it. Multiple times. I just don't recall his name... Hang on. I'll get it...
8. Ohhh. Ummm... I think I know your closest GenJ friends... So I'll go with them. And your cousin. Macy, Melody, Esther. Oh yes. Wow. I don't know you at all, Madi. xD
9. 1!
10. Bird? Ehhh... One that flies. Randomly, chickadee.

Macy
1. What are my dogs' names? Winston and Daisy
2. What bone did I break once? Collarbone
3. Who are my favorite authors? God, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austin, J.R. Tolkin, and the author of Anne of Green Gables (whoever that is)
4. What was my first post besides the intro on? (do *not* peek!)
I dunno :P
5. What is my favorite fruit?
Banana!! Lol, jking. I'm gonna go with strawberry I think...
6. Who is my favorite poet?
Tennyson!
7. Who is my favorite artist?
John William Waterhouse
8. What are the names of my three closest friends?
Mallory, Haley (isn't that her name?) and... ... ... me?
9. How many sibs do I have?
Two, Spencer... and me!
10. What is my favorite kind of bird? Definitely chickadee. :P

Okay... so, y'all were good at guessing! Here are the answers:

1. Daisy and Winston
2. Yep, y'all were right. My collar bone. One word for breaking a bone: pain. =P
3. You both had good guesses. My favorites are: Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Dickens, and Louisa May Alcott. =) And of course, as Macy pointed out, God. =D
4. Hehe, I knew nobody would know this one. =P It was a review on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice (the movies).
5. Yep, both of you were right. Strawberry. =)
6. Hehe, Macy got this one. =) Tennyson!
7. And again, Macy got this one. John William Waterhouse.
8. Hehe, you both had good guesses. =) And all of them are technically my closer friends. Riah got my closest online friends, and Macy got a couple of my "real life" closest friends. Anyway, the people I was thinking of are: Macy, Sarah E., and Mallory. =) Although, everyone listed are my closer friends. =D
9. Hehehehe, techically, Riah got this one right. =P But Macy added a very important point: "Two, Spencer... and me!" Yes... very true... we're practically sisters, but not quite. xD
10. Hehe, wow, y'all got this one right too! Chickadee! =D Although, I also love titmice and blue jays.

Anyway, that is all for today! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

First Blogoversary!

2009-06-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited! It was today a year ago that I first started this blog! =) I can't believe that it has only been a year since I started this... it seems like it has been at least two years. I've made so many friends and been to so many blogs... I just can't believe that it has only been a year!
Well, since it has been a year... I'm going to do a few things. First of all, I wanted to thank *all* of you for all the support you've given me. I'm so blessed to have met all of you blogger friends! I have been especially blessed to meet two of them this year: Mia and Julia. It has been really fun to get to know all of you!
Another thing I wanted to do was post some scripture. This blog is for the glory of God, and so I want to praise His name by doing this. =)

Isaiah 40:10-11
Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are young.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Jesus Christ.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 John 5:1-5
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Revelation 1:12-18a
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one."

Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they wil reign forever and ever.

Wow... those verses are so powerful!! When I was typing in the last verses, I just began smiling. I just can't imagine how great God is, or what heaven will look like. But it is all ours, if we just trust in Him and follow Him. I am fascinated by what He has promised us! God be praised!

Well, the next thing was to say who won on the Andy Griffith quiz. I think only four people guessed at it. Anyway, here are the rankings. =)
Okay, wait, no, I take that back... only three people. =P
EchoOfMercy got a shocking 17 out of 20 right! Congrats! You won! =)
Earwen got 9 out of 20
Rachel got 4 out of 20
Great job girls! Considering how hard I made those questions, y'all did incredibly well! Thanks for participating! =)

And then I wanted to share some pictures of my garden with y'all. Hehehe... y'all are going to be amazed. So, it all started out with this. Take a good look at this picture:

Wimpy, yes? Yes indeed. =P Now... scroll down a tad... Hehehe...

A tad bit more... you're almost there. =)

And... voila! =D

Hehe, this is what happens after a few months of growing. =) Yes, this is that wimpy little garden above! We did pull up the okra... replaced it with huge beans (as you can see). The only other thing we pulled up was a tomato plant, and it wasn't doing anything... looked diseased. So we replaced it with an heirloom yellow brandywine tomato plant that we got today. =D
Anyway, here are some more pictures I took from the garden:

Zinnias blooming. Beautiful!

Bean plants. Gigantic, huge, bean plants. =P I've never seen anything besides trees get this big. =P lol
One of our jalapeno. My dad picked the biggest one this morning, but we have some big ones coming on now. Fun to watch them grow!

My yellow brandywine heirloom tomato! Like I said, we just bought it today. Really good looking tomato!

I love this picture! =) Some new flowers coming on to our Better Boy tomato plant.

Some tomatoes. Big! =D

Zinnia about to bloom. Pretty!

Squash on one of our squash plants.

More squash... about to bloom.

And going outside of the garden...

Here is one of the grape plants that we planted! I can't wait to get some grapes. =) And best of all... instead of buying grape juice, we can make it! =D

I'll bet you can't guess what this is. =)
Well, since you'll never guess, I'll tell you! This is a lemon tree! =D Yes, I'm growing a lemon tree that produces lemons. Don't believe me? Wonder how? No, I don't live in Florida. =P The answer is: when it gets cold outside, you bring your plant inside! The company where we bought it from says that once it starts producing, it will produce all year long. Wow! Pretty cool! =D

And now... into the kitchen. =)

This is some tea I made. It is mint lavendar, and it has some lemon balm in it. I haven't tried it, but it smells delicious!

These are some dried herbs I did a month or two ago. The smallest jar is peppermint, the second jar is rosemary, and the biggest jar is sage. Don't they look pretty? =)

This is some squash I harvested the other day. We had it a few nights ago, and it was *delicious!!!*

This is a zucchini I harvested the other day. We haven't eaten it yet... we are waiting to get a few more.

Anyway, that is my garden. =)

I am going to steal something from Marissa's blog that she did for her 200th post. I'm going to ask y'all 10 questions about myself, and I'll give y'all the answers soon. Some of these only the people I know may know. But we shall see. Here we go!

1. What are my dogs' names?
2. What bone did I break once?
3. Who are my favorite authors? (list as many as you can)
4. What was my first post besides the intro on? (do *not* peek!)
5. What is my favorite fruit?
6. Who is my favorite poet?
7. Who is my favorite artist?
8. What are the names of my three closest friends?
9. How many sibs do I have?
10. What is my favorite kind of bird?

Well... I think this is the end of my first year post! I hope you enjoyed everything!
Have a wonderful day! God bless!

In Chirst alone,
~Madison

Quiz, Tags, and Awards

2009-06-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

First of all... I have done an Andy Griffith quiz. I'm going to copy it out again in this post, so y'all can do it. I'm extending the day you can enter the answers in to June 6th.

1. In the first episode before Aunt Bee came, what was the name of Andy's housekeeper?

2. In which episode does Andy meet Helen?

3. What are the real names of the Fun Girls?

4. In the episode "Three Wishes for Opie", what was Opie's first wish?

5. What is the name of the English man who appears in two of the Andy Griffith shows?

6. What is the only episode where Gomer and Goober both appear?

7. In the episode "The Jinx", what happens when Henry is in the boat with Barney and Andy?

8. In "Barney and the Choir", how do they keep Barney from singing?

9. What is the name of Andy's first girlfriend?

10. What is the only episode where Barney's mother appears?

11. In "The Rumor", Barney thinks that Helen and Andy are getting engaged. For a surprise, what does he and some of his friends do for them?

12. In the episode "Citizen's Arrest", who is calling out "citizen's arrest"?

13. What is the only season that has a Christmas episode in it?

14. In "A Feud is a Feud", what Shakespeare story does Andy keep relating to?

15. In "The Pickle Story", what is the name of the lady who makes the wonderful pickles?

16. In "Andy Saves Barney's Morale", what had Barney done to make the whole town "quiet"?

17. Who is the man who left the Andy Griffith show in season 4 to do a show about him being in the marines? (this should be easy for some of you ;-)

18. What is the only episode where Andy's wife is mentioned?

19. In which episode does Andy help a lady give birth to a baby?

20. What does Andy give Opie at the end of the episode "Keeper of the Flame"?

Extra credit: Which episode inspired the movie "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken", starring Don Knotts (the guy who played Barney in Andy Griffith)?

And now for the tags and awards!

First of all, awards:

Thanks Sarah! I really like this award. 'Tis true of me. =P
I award all of my followers who are Hobbit lovers!

Thanks so much Sarah! I love this award!! =) Very pretty!
I award this to: Julia and Marissa!

Now for tags! Both of these were from Sarah. Thankee! =)

What is your favorite food? Oh wow... potato salad... grilled chicken... steamed broccoli... and so many other things. =D

Your favorite hot drink? Hot tea or hot chocolate. Not sure which one.

Your favorite cold drink (besides water)? Coke and lemonade.

Your current favorite articles of clothing? Hmm... a pink shirt that says "simplicity"... my new black and green skirts (ankle-length =D)... and maybe the ivory shirt I'm wearing right now.

What are you reading right now? Don't ask. I'm reading 13 books right now. =P

What are your favorite books right now? Right now, The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott.

What are your favorite movies right now? LOTR, Prince Caspian, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Chariots of Fire, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

What music do you listen to? Christian, bluegrass, classical, jazz, and some other kinds.

What phrases/exclamations do you say often/are a family joke? Haha, wow, a lot. =P But the one that I'm thinking of is so awesome, I don't want anyone to steal it and say it was their idea. (I'm serious, it could be the title of a book =P) So, I'm not telling! =D

What do you enjoy doing most? Drawing, blogging, reading, playing my instruments, and lots of other things. Oh, gardening too.

If you were going somewhere dangerous in Middle-earth, Narnia, or The Lands Beyond, what would you take? Hmm... a horse, weapons, food, and something to sleep in.

Who are your real-life role models? Jesus, my mom and dad, Sarah E., Mallory, and some of my other friends. =)

Who are your fictional role models? Oh wow... hard to choose! One would probably be Sam (LotR), because he is such a faithful friend... love his role in the books and movies. =)

If your life were a movie, who would play you? Hehe! I agree with Sarah's answer! "No one could pull it off but me!" =P That is so me. lol

What are you most afraid of? Almost all bugs (I tend to scream at any bug I see lol), like Sarah said "certain people" =P, natural disasters (tornadoes is usually what I'm most afraid of in this case), breaking things, and loud noises.

What are your favorite smells? Brownies or fudge, Christmas trees, some books, some flowers, tomato plants, and lots of other things!

What is your favorite sound? Music, wind chimes, singing (this includes Gregorian chants =P), the sound of wind in the trees, and the sound of people I love talking. =)

What is your favorite sight? People I love (family and friends), old pictures, smiling faces, movies, sunrises, familiar things, and lots of other things.

If you had a CD, what would it be called? You'd have to know me to understand. =P

I tag anyone who loves tags!

And the next tag is a tag on Arwen. =)

1. to say your 3 favorite Arwen quotes.

2. Say your three fav. Arwen dresses.

3. Post it on your blog.

So, here it goes!

My 3 fav. Arwen Quotes are:

"If you want him, come and claim him!"

"There is still hope."

"It was a gift. Keep it."

And, my 3 fav. Dresses are: (I'll put pictures of them up instead of describing them =)

I tag any of my followers who like Arwen! =)

Well, that is all for now! Hope you enjoyed the post!

In Christ alone,
~Madison

Garden Fresh Dinner

2009-05-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

First, before I start with this post, I want to let everyone know: there is an Andy Griffith quiz below this post. I'm letting people guess the answers until June 2nd. I hope y'all enjoy the quiz! =D

Okay, so it all started this afternoon. You see, I'm getting into homesteading. It is one of the most fun things to do, to me. =) So, I started by deciding that I was going to make my first batch of pesto. Then my mom suggested that we make pesto pasta. And then we thought about the fact that I picked my carrots this morning... so we decided that I could harvest my mesclun and use my baby carrots on our salad for dinner. And so... here are some pictures and the instructions to tell you how to make pesto!

Pesto

~2 cups of fresh basil

~Pinch of salt

~1-2 cloves of garlic

~1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

~1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

~3 tablespoons pine nuts

First of all, put your two cups of basil, garlic, salt, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil (do not put in all of the olive oil) into a blender or food processor.

Blend until you have a nice paste, that looks somewhat like this (note, it shouldn't be yellow. It looks yellowish because I had to use the flash so you could see kind of what the texture looks like =) Oh, and it isn't as water as it looks ;-)

Next, put your Parmesan cheese into the blender.

After this, put your next 1/4 cup of olive oil into the blender.

And last of all, put your 3 tablespoons of pine nuts into the blender.

And there you have it! Some delicious, homemade pesto! =D

Anyway, our dinner tonight was delicious! Especially the salad. I haven't had much fresh-from-the-garden food before, and I was absolutely shocked at how much more taste there was in the food! The salad leaves tasted so much for fresh, and the carrots had twice the "carroty" taste than carrots you buy at the store. And these carrots were tiny little things! So, my point is, home-grown stuff is not only healthier, but twice as tasty. =)

Oh, and this is totally random, but I'm so excited, because we got our first Casting Crowns CD tonight! I have listened to their music before, but we didn't have a CD. This one had most of my favorite songs on it, so I got that one. It is their first CD, and it has a couple of my favorite songs: "If We Are the Body" and "Voice of Truth". Anyway, I just thought I'd share a random snippet of my day with you. =)

So, that is all for tonight! Have a great evening!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. Don't forget about the Andy Griffith quiz! =D

Andy Griffith Quiz

2009-05-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
I am going to doing an "Andy Griffith Quiz" to test how much y'all know about the show. ;-) Although, I will only be testing you on the first 5 seasons. After that, the shows went downhill... and... meh... weren't really any good in my opinion. Anyway, you could almost call me an expert on Andy Griffith, as I watch it all the time. =) So, here is the quiz! Try to answer as many questions as you can! Oh, and remember ONE thing: do NOT read any other person's guesses. =) (note: these will not be in the order of the seasons, just to confuse y'all =D) Oh, and one other thing, these questions are going to be hard, unless you know Andy Griffith really well. =)
Here we go!

1. In the first episode before Aunt Bee came, what was the name of Andy's housekeeper?

2. In which episode does Andy meet Helen?

3. What are the real names of the Fun Girls?

4. In the episode "Three Wishes for Opie", what was Opie's first wish?

5. What is the name of the English man who appears in two of the Andy Griffith shows?

6. What is the only episode where Gomer and Goober both appear?

7. In the episode "The Jinx", what happens when Henry is in the boat with Barney and Andy?

8. In "Barney and the Choir", how do they keep Barney from singing?

9. What is the name of Andy's first girlfriend?

10. What is the only episode where Barney's mother appears?

11. In "The Rumor", Barney thinks that Helen and Andy are getting engaged. For a surprise, what does he and some of his friends do for them?

12. In the episode "Citizen's Arrest", who is calling out "citizen's arrest"?

13. What is the only season that has a Christmas episode in it?

14. In "A Feud is a Feud", what Shakespeare story does Andy keep relating to?

15. In "The Pickle Story", what is the name of the lady who makes the wonderful pickles?

16. In "Andy Saves Barney's Morale", what had Barney done to make the whole town "quiet"?

17. Who is the man who left the Andy Griffith show in season 4 to do a show about him being in the marines? (this should be easy for some of you ;-)

18. What is the only episode where Andy's wife is mentioned?

19. In which episode does Andy help a lady give birth to a baby?

20. What does Andy give Opie at the end of the episode "Keeper of the Flame"?

Extra credit: Which episode inspired the movie "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken", starring Don Knotts (the guy who played Barney in Andy Griffith)?

Have fun everyone!! =)
You have until June 2nd to get your answers in!

In Christ,
~Madison

A Tag!

2009-05-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

As I am too lazy to come up with another post, I decided to do this. =P I found this on facebook... so... yeah... =P I'm gonna do it!

Are you available?
Available for what? For babysitting? Or for the phone? Or what? =P

Are there any stressful situations in your life?
Indeedy. Who has a life that doesn't have stress? If you've got that life, can I switch places with you? PLEASE? =P

Is there someone you don't ever want to be out of your life?
There are *lots* of people I want to stay in my life. =)

Where did you get your last bruise from?
Hmm... I remember getting it... but I can't remember from what... probably on vacation though. lol

What are you currently hearing right now?
The computer rumbling and the dishwasher.

Is there a reason for your MySpace song?
Don't have MySpace...

Has anyone ever given you roses?
Nope. Not yet. If it was from any guy besides my dad, I wouldn't take 'em anyway. ;-)

What are you looking forward to?
Hrmm... having our friends over on Friday, and having Sarah and Mary spend the night. =D

Are you really happy or are you just saying that?
Hrmm... I dunno. =P I'm not really HAPPY, but I'm not sad or depressed or anything... meh... I'm just kind happyishly not happy. =P

When did you last hold hands with someone?
With my bro and dad at supper last night.

Do you think relationships are hard?
Sometimes, yeah, I guess so. But they don't *have* to be.

What was the last reason that you CRIED?
No clue.

Are you a loud person?
Erm... my friends know the answer to this one. =P Yes. I'm about the loudest creature this side of the universe. * cough * Yeah.

When was the last time you slept on the floor?
Hrm... * thinks * I dunno. It has probably been several years.

Did you have a valentine this year?
Umm... no. Obviously.

Are there framed pictures from your parents wedding in your house?
Yep. On the piano.

Do you hate the last person you kissed?
Nope. But I haven't kissed anyone in years (literally). And the last person I kissed was either my mom or my dad, so, obviously, no I don't hate them.

Have you accidently sent a text to the wrong person?
I don't think so.

Boy or girl to text you last?
I'm assuming this is asking who is the last person who texted me... anyway, it was Macy. =D

How do you feel right now?
Sorta happy, sorta not happy...

To whom did you last give the finger to?
? Umm.... ?

Do you trust anybody of the opposite gender?
Yep, I suppose so...

How did you and your number one become friends?
Hmm... well, I don't really have a bf. But my closest three friends: two I think I met through church, and one (hehehe) I've known since like... probably two days after I was born? =P

Do you think you're old?
Nope.

Are you a jealous person?
Meh, sometimes, but I try not to be... which isn't easy.

Do you wear contacts?
Nope. Icky. I prefer glasses. In fact, I like the way I look better with glasses than without them.

What are you wearing?
Ivory shirt and jeans. Boring. =P

Did you have a good birthday last year?
Meh, sorta. Lemme give you the basic run-down of my birthday. Well, I had nasty cereal with nothing to drink for breakfast. =P Then, for lunch, I had Burger King. And then we spent 45 minutes driving around town trying to find Sears. After that, it got better. =P We went to an Italian restraunt for supper, and then after we came home, my uncle, aunt, and cousins (Macy and Austin!! =D) came over and had cake, and I opened my presents from them and my parents. =) It was sort of an okayish b'day.

Is your hair naturally curly?
Very barely, yes. It is hardly noticeable, but I do have a bit of a wave.

What are you most looking forward to?
Hehehe, this question was already asked. =D But another thing I'm looking forward to is getting some herbs! =D

Is there a girl that knows everything or mostly everything about you?
Hrm, sorta... but not really. I wish I knew my friends better. =(

Who is someone you wish you could fix things with?
Hrm... nope.

Do you know anyone named Matt?
Hehe, yep, definitely. =) A couple... one is one of my bro's friends, and another is my cousin.

Do you text in class?
Nope.

Do you remember what you were like a year ago?
Uh, yeah. Who doesn't remember that? =P

Are you ticklish?
Oh yeah. But take warning: if you ever tickle me, you're going to hear the loudest scream you ever heard in your life. =P

How is your hair?
Bad. =P Brown, kinda wavy, tangly, thinish... not good. =P

Has someone disappointed you recently?
Sort of...

Have you ever broken someone's heart?
I don't think so.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
I tend to hide them, but sometimes I'll talk about them. Sooometimes. =P

Are you happy?
Hehe, they already asked this question... =P Happier than I was when I answered it last. =D

Name something great that happened today?
Umm... nothing. Seriously. Nothing good has happened today. =P Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

What do you need to go shopping for?
Another ivory shirt.

What were you doing at 9 this morning?
Let's just say that I love summer. =P

Do you like grilled cheese?
Sorta... not really though.

Have you ever switched schools?
Yep.

Is there a difference between the word best friend and friend?
Most definitely.

Do you miss anyone?
My Mallory. =( I miss you!!

Can you recall the last time you sincerely liked someone?
Hahaha, I love Macy's answer, "Ah, but the question is, can I recall meeting someone I sincerely did NOT like?"

How did you wake up this morning?
Well, I'll tell you how I woke up... and then read what Macy said on this subject. =P Hehehe!!
Okay, so, I woke up this morning by my mom coming in and letting Winston jump all over me and lick my face. =D
This is what Macy said about waking up:
"Weeeell... I drempt that my Aunt was running me and my cousin Madison around in a shopping cart in Sams, (Which is REALLY funny considering that my Aunt is not the type of person to do silly things like that!) and then scary bad people locked the building up and started persecuting the Christians! And so I woke up. (I don't like nightmares!!) It was 7:20. And I went back to sleep. Then Austin woke me up at 9 and told me I was a silly sleepy head and that I was wasting my whole morning. So I was like "He's right... I could be doing so many other things right now! Like writing a long and really dumb answer to a stupid question on a silly quiz about how I woke up this morning!". Okay okay, so I really didn't have that exact thought... but something along those lines."
Hehehe. =D

Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced?
Erm. No. Nasty.

Does a kiss make you feel better?
Nope, not generally. =P

What did you do today?
Umm... read, ate, messed around on the computer, and watched Andy Griffith. =P

Have you ever brushed your teeth while in the shower?
No... that is rather odd. lol

Have you had more than 3 boyfriends/girlfriends at the same time?
Nope... for one thing, I can't imagine three guys wanting to date me. For another thing, I wouldn't let 'em date me.

Have you ever thought about your death?
Definitely.

Ever been in love?
With Jesus, yeah. =D

Have you ever had stitches?
Yep... ooowww... I'll go into my long, boring story of how I got stitches. =P You see, I think I had allergies (I know, you're wondering how allergies has to do with stitches, but keep reading =P), and ya know how you get a nasty taste in your mouth when you have allergies? Well, anyway, I did. Anyway, I climbed up on the counter to get a mint. You see, I was too short to reach over and get one (I was fairly young at the time), and we keep our mints in a jar on the counter. Well, I was jumping down, and I hit my chin on our ceramic counter, and cut it open (ooowww...). Anyway, I showed my mom, and she said I would need stitches. So we went to one place to get stitches, but they were really rude to us, so we went to somewhere else, and had to wait for at least 30 minutes, maybe an hour. And then I finally got my stitches. And they were painful. =P And I think I still have a tiny scar on my chin.

Do you know how to use chop sticks?
Nope!

Who was the last person you couldn't take your eyes off of?
Haha, I dunno. =P

Have you ever had an Oreo with peanut butter?
Nope.

Have you ever been arrested?
Nope.

Funniest thing you heard all day?
Umm... something on Andy Griffith.

Have you ever gotten a mosquito bite on your face?
Nope.

Well, that is the tag!
I tag anyone who loves tags. =D

In Christ,
~Madison

Vacation Pictures and A Tag

2009-05-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the promised pictures of our vacation! =) I hope you enjoy all of them!

This is a picture taken from one of the prettiest places in the world: Cades Cove. =) It is *such* a gorgeous view, wherever you are.

Hehe, I just had to put this picture in here. =P Winston is just too cute! =D

Isn't this a *gorgeous* view of the mountains?

We were hiking a trail called Rainbow Falls, and we came up to the falls... and these adorable little squirrels kept coming up to us. Doesn't this picture look professional? My dad is good at photography. =)

This is a gorgeous shot of the falls. Although, I wish y'all could see them in real life... they look really small in this picture. They are actually gigantic!

This is a random picture of some flowers at Rainbow Falls.

Well... that is all the pictures for now! =)
Again, for my private blog followers, I'll have some other pictures up from vacation soon, along with some videos! =)

Anyway, Cassie tagged me. =D So, here I go!

5 Things:

5 things that make you smile:
- My friends. =D
- My dogs!
- God. =)
- Looking at pictures of me and my bro when we were babies. =D lol
- Singing

5 things that you'd like to be able/capable of doing:
- Singing. =P lol!! (ask anyone who has heard me, and they'll agree that they wish I could sing... so I wouldn't constantly be torturing them with my singing voice! lol)
- Being able to fly like a bird...
- Be able to do photography.
- Be the Proverbs 31 woman. =)
- I agree with Cassie on this one... dance. =P

5 things that relax you:
- Listening to music.
- Talking with my family or my friends.
- A shower. =)
- Warm blankets and a blazing fire.
- The sound of the wind.

5 things that you enjoy doing:
- Singing (can you tell I absolutely love to sing? ;-)
- Gardening
- Being with my friends. =D
- Reading classic literature books
- Laughing =)

5 books that are your favorite:
- An Old Fashioned Girl
- The Inheritance (Alcott)
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- Calico Captive
- Carry on Mr. Bowditch

5 foods that are your favorite:
- Pizza
- Potato salad
- Chocolate chip muffins
- Grilled chicken
- Squash

5 things that you spend much of your time doing:
- Computer... *looks embarrassed*
- Chores
- Gardening
- Reading
- Writing in my journal

5 things that you'd like to do someday:
- Marry a wonderful guy and have a family =)
- Go to Scotland
- Read 100 books in a year. =D
- Be in a movie (hahahahaha, yeah right =P As my mom would say, "Dream on" ;-)
- Play the piano really well

5 things that you collect:
- Books
- Seeds... I guess. =P
- Pillows (I can *always* use an extra decorative pillow on my bed =D)
- Notebooks... and then I use them all up. lol
- Music

5 songs that your favorite:
- "Sanctified" MercyMe
- "Lemonade" Chris Rice
- "Letters from War" Mark Schultz
- "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynrd Skynrd
- "Bad Moon Rising" Creedence Coldwater Revival

5 movies that are you favorite:
- The Lord of the Rings (all 3)
- Pride & Prejudice
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Chariots of Fire
- Father of the Bride

5 things that you did today:
- Blogged
- Read (at last, I've had a chance to =P)
- Went to church
- Smiled and laughed =)
- Watched an episode of The Waltons

5 things that you did yesterday:
- Came home from vacation
- Read (a lot)
- Texted Macy. =P
- Prayed
- Read my Bible.

5 things that you plan on doing tomorrow:
- Have some friends over... grill... and eat... =) Can't wait to see Anna Grace!
- Read
- Organize my room a tad...
- Scrapbook! =D
- Possibly do some blogging

I tag anyone who loves tags. =D

Well that is all for now!
Have a great evening everyone!

In Christ,
~Madison

I'm Back! =)

2009-05-24T06:54:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Well, we got back from vacation yesterday. We had a long drive... probably 5-6 hours. And isn't this just like me... I spent probably 2 hours of it reading about homesteading. lol =D
Anyway, we had a really good vacation. We did plenty of shopping and hiking (we were in the mountains). I'll try to post some pictures later on today!
Oh, and for the private blog followers, I'll have some other pictures up sometime soon. =)

Anyway, I thought I'd start back in with a tag! I found this on Echos of Mercy's blog.

1. Last beverage: Grape juice. =D

2. Last phone call? The last one I received... I have no clue. The last one I dialed? Someone I babysit for.

3. Last text message: Umm... something to Macy... =P

4. Last song you listened to: I have no clue... probably a bluegrass song though. Wait, no, I think it was a James Taylor song.

5. Last time you cried: No clue.

HAVE YOU EVER’s

6. Dated someone twice: I haven't ever dated, and I don't intend to either.

7. Been cheated on? Not that I know of.

8. Kissed someone & regretted it: Talking about a guy? I've never kissed a guy. =/

9. Lost someone special? Yes, most definitely. Several people, actually.

10. Been depressed? Yep.

11. Ridden on a Roller Coaster? Nope... I don't want to either (no matter HOW much Macy bugs me about it. =P *wink wink*)

LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:

12. Blue

13. Green

14. Brown

15. Umm... white?

HAVE YOU:

16. Made new friends: Yes. Duh. How could I have any friends if I didn't make any? =P

17. Fallen out of love: Umm... no? =P Is this a trick question? lol

18. Laughed until you cried: Yep!

19. Met someone who changed you: Yep! Jesus! =D And of course, my awesome friend, Sarah. =)

20. Found out who your true friends were: Not sure... sort of.

21. Found out someone was talking about you: I don't think so... =P

22. Do you have any pets: Yep! Two dogs! =D

23. Do you want to change your name: No, I like it!

24. What did you do for your last birthday: Umm... went out to eat and had my cousins and aunt and uncle over. =D

25. What time did you wake up today: I'm not sure...

26. What were you doing at midnight last night: Probably just putting a book down to go to sleep. =P

27. Name something you CANNOT wait for: Everything I "couldn't wait for" has already happened. =P I guess the next thing I can't wait for is for chorus to start again!

28. Last time you saw your father: I don't know if I've actually seen him all morning. On Sundays, before church, he spends most of his time in his room reading his Bible. =)

29. One thing you wish you could change about your life: Hmm... I think I would get to know my friends better... and be able to tell them more about myself than I regularly do. ;-)

30. What are you listening to right now: Nothing really...

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? Possibly, but not that I remember.

32. What's getting on your nerves right now? Hmm... nothing at the moment... I don't think.

33. Most visited web-page: Probably either G-mail or my blog. =P

What is your...

34. What's your name: Madison. Duh. =P

35. Nicknames: Oh my word, don't get me started. But, okay, here it goes: Maddie, Mads, Madderlies, Maderina, Mad Hatter (thanks Jordan =P), and a zillion others that I can't remember off the top of my head.

36: Male or female: Female. Of course. ;-)

37. Elementary: Not telling.

38. Middle School: And... not telling.

39. High school: Aaaannndd... not telling. =D

40. Hair color: Brown.

41. Long or short: Longishly shortishly, mediumith length... =D It is a few inches past my shoulder.

42. Height: Not sure.

43 Do you have a crush on someone? Nope.

44. What do you like about yourself? Umm... no clue. =P

45. Piercings: Don't have any.

46. Righty or lefty: Right

FIRSTS:

47. First surgery: I've never had surgery.

48. First piercing: Don't have any.

49. First best friends: The first ones I remember are Caroline and Aaron.

50. First sport you joined: Gymnastics, cheerleading, and tennis.

51. First pet: Dog. =D Daisy!

52. First vacation: Oh wow, I have no clue.

53. First concert: Hmm... I'm not sure about that either.

54. First crush: Don't know...

55. Eating: Haha, I have no idea what this means. =P

56. Listening to: My parents talking. Duh. =P

57. Waiting for: Umm... what does this mean? =/

YOUR FUTURE:

58. Want kids? Yep!!

59. Want to get married? Definitely!!

60. Careers in mind? Wife, mother, and if that doesn't happen... then I don't know.

HAVE YOU EVER:

61. Kissed a stranger: Eeeww... of course not! I'm not *that* insane. =/

62. Lost glasses/contacts: Nope! =D

63. Have sweaty hands or armpits: Oh wow... weeeird question. =/ But yeah, of course.

64. Broken some one's heart: I sure hope not!

65. Had your own heart broken: Sort of... not for long though. =P

66. Turned someone down: Not sure what this means... but I don't think so.

67. Cried when someone died: Yep.

68. Liked a friend that is the opposite gender? I agree with what Alissa said... in what way? =P But as a friend, totally!! =)

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

69. Yourself: In a way, yes. In another way, no.

70. Miracles: Yep! Of course! Jesus did them. =D

71.Love at first sight: Probably not.

72. Heaven: Umm... this is sort of obvious. Yes!

73. Santa Clause: Nope.

74. Tooth Fairy: No. =P

75. Kiss on the first date? No. I believe in your first kiss being saved for your wedding day! =D

76. Angels: Yes, definitely.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:

77. Is there one person you want to be with right now? There are plenty of people I want to be with right now!

78. Who is it? Hmm... Mallory... and Macy... and Sarah... and the blogger Sarah... and Stephanie and Sydney... and lots of other people!

79. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? Never had a boyfriend.

80. Do you collect anything? Nope, not right now.

Did you answer these questions truthfully? Yep.

I now tag anyone who wants to be tagged! =D
Anyway, I should have some pictures up sometime this afternoon from vacation!

Have a good Sunday everyone!

In Christ, our Lord and Savior,
~Madison

Goodbye For Now!

2009-05-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not leaving for forever. =P I'm only going to be gone for a week! We're going on vacation (I'll have pictures when I get back!).
Anyway, I wanted to leave all of you with something to do while I'm gone. =) So, to keep all of you busy doing something, I'm going to link to some of my older posts you may not have read, or haven't read in a long time.
Here they are!

Baking - Chocolate Chip Cookies
Relationships with Young Men - Part 1
Relationships with Young Men - Part 2
We're ALL Feminists
Speaking with Conviction!!
Art - The Lady Clare
Let's See Now... Would You Like Christian or Christian?
Two Different Models
What do I Think is Modest?
Proverbs 31:10-31

Well, that gives y'all 10 posts to read while I'm gone. =) Although, feel free to browse through some of my other older ones too! And also, leave a comment if you'd like! I always like comments, even on older posts. =)

Oh yeah, and be sure to listen to my new playlist as well! =D

And one more thing. This is the last time I'll be posting this information for now:
I have started a private blog. If you would like to be invited, please leave a comment with your e-mail address in it; although, just so you know, I'm only inviting people I have already met in real life. But I'd be delighted to invite you if I've met you before! =) Oh, and by the way, the comment with your e-mail address will not be published.

That is all for now!

I hope all of you have a great week!
God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. I'd appreciate it if y'all would pray for me and my family while we're gone. =) Just that we would be safe and have a good time and such. Thanks so much!

New Background and Playlist! And Tag. =)

2009-05-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

So, how does everyone like my new look? =) I thought it looked rather summerish, so I decided to put it up.
Anyway, I also put up a new playlist! All of these songs on this playlist remind me of long, hot summer afternoons. They were specially picked out to fit the summer mood. =D So, I hope all of you enjoy! Also, you'll notice that there is a ton of variety in the music. I listen to large variety of it, so you'll see a bit of everything. Everything from the Allman Brothers to Nickel Creek, and MercyMe to Alison Kraus. So, expect lots of different stuff. =) Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy!!
Also, on the poll that I had on the last playlist, here are the results:
5 people: Fingerprints of God, Cinderella
4 people: Sanctified
3 people: Lemonade
2 people: Word of God Speak, So Long Self
1 person: Finally Home, You Are the Sun, Amazing Grace, In the Blink of an Eye, Butterfly's Day Out, Smellin' Coffee, I Do Believe, Dive, Next 5 Minutes, Yours.

EDIT: I decided to put a tag in also. =D

Do you like Lord of the Rings? Yep, totally!

Is it your favorite movie? Sort of.

What's your favorite out of the trilogy? Return of the King, definitely.

Do you believe it has an allegory? Yes, duh. =P

~Favorite~

Female? Eowyn. =D

Horse? Shadowfax, I guess...

Location? The Shire. =) I'm so totally a Hobbit. =D Except... I'm not fat or short. lol!

Hobbit? Sam or Pippin.

Elf? Legolas.

Human? Eowyn or Aragorn...

Dress/Gown? Any dress of Eowyn's! =)

Battle? Dunno...

Quote? Oh my word... never for the life of me could I pick one. =P But here are a few: "We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?" (that one makes me just roll in the floor laughing every time =P) "Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled as a disturber of the peace." "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." "You need people of intelligence on this mission. Quest. Thing." (hehe, I always laugh at that one too =P) "There won't be a Shire, Pippin." "Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead." "Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee. And I don't mean to. I don't mean to." "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
Next time, don't ask me that question. =P lol!

Scene? Oh wow... this is almost as hard as quotes. =P I'm not even gonna get started. lol

Piece of Jewelry? No clue.
~VS~

Aragorn VS Legolas? I can't decide!! :-o Too hard!

Frodo VS Sam? Sam. All the way. =D

Merry VS Pippin? Pippin. Of course. Who else? lol

Legolas VS Gimli? Legolas

Arwen VS Galadriel? Arwen, definitely. I'm not a huge fan of Galadriel.

Arwen VS Eowyn? Eowyn, totally and all the way!

Eowyn VS Eomer? Eowyn! =D Although Eomer is cool.

Eomer VS Theoden? Eomer. Theoden is just... meh... not cool in the movie. =/

Arwen VS Aragorn? Aragorn, definitely.

Arwen VS Legolas? Legolas. Whoa.

Legolas VS Haldir? Legolas, most definitely.

Boromir VS Faramir? Hard choice... Faramir, I guess.

Smeagol VS Gollum? This is weird, but Gollum. At least, when he is good.

~Final~

Book or Movie? I can't decide. They're both amazing!!

I tag anyone who likes LOTR! =)

Well, that is all for today! =) I'll have the poll on the next playlist up sometime soon! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

Awards!

2009-05-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks girls for all the awards! =D I'm so sorry if I missed some... it takes me so long to get to these award posts. =/

Thanks so much Marissa for this award!!
I award this to: Julia, Haley, Sarah, Stephanie, and Sydney!

Thanks Marissa! =)
I award this to all of my followers!

Thanks so much Marissa!
I award this to anyone who likes blogging!
Thanks so much Sarah and Marissa! =D
I award this to: Julia, Mia, Stephanie, and Sydney!

Thanks, girls, for the awards! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

A Tag (made by me!)

2009-05-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! =)
I decided I would make a tag up myself. I'll go ahead and put in my own answers, and then I'll tag a few people. =)

~~~~~~

Beginning time: 4:18 PM

~~~~~~
Favorites!

What is your favorite animal? Probably a dog...

Who is your favorite author? Lots... Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Louisa May Alcott.

What is your favorite instrument? I have a lot of these too! =P Piano, dulcimer, mandolin, and cello.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Football and golf.

What is your favorite sport to play? Tennis, although I'm terrible at it. =P Macy will attest to this! lol

What is your favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice and the LOTR movies.

What is your favorite classic literature book? The Inheritance, Louisa May Alcott.

What is your favorite store? Barnes & Noble. =D

~~~~~
Would you rather...?

Would you rather buy a new book or re-read one? Buy a new one. I almost never re-read books.

Would you rather spend money or save it? Hard... =P Spend it, I think. Although, I like saving too!

Would you rather go on vacation to the beach or the mountains? Mountains, most definitely! I like the beach, but the mountains are *way* more gorgeous. More "romantic", if you know what I mean. =)

Would you rather play an instrument or listen to it? Tough... probably listen to it. Although, I like playing music too!

Would you rather be indoors our outdoors? Probably outdoors, depending on how hot it is.

Would you rather have your room painted lime green or purple with pink dots? Lime green. =D I think purple and pink wouldn't look too good... not on the walls, at least. =P

Would you rather live in a cave or in a tree house? A tree house, most definitely!! I've always wanted to live in a tree house. =D

Would you rather have a cat or a dog? Well... probably a cat, because we already have two dogs.

Would you rather host a get-together or go to one? Host one! I love doing things like that. =)

~~~~~
About you!

Do you have any siblings? Yep, a brother.

What year were you born? Not tellin'. =P It's horrible that I should ask the question, and then not say... but I'm not telling. =D

How many times have you moved in your life? 4 times, I think.

How long have you been a Christian? 7 or 8 years I think.

~~~~~
Totally random (Warning: this might not make sense, so just pick one, even if it doesn't =P)

Christmas or Thanksgiving? Christmas!

Words or pictures? Pictures.

Iguanas or turtles? Turtles. =D Just so long as they're not snapping turtles. =P

Randomness or sense? Randomness!!

Books or magazines? Books.

Summer days or winter nights? Winter nights. =) Prettiful! Although, I absolutely love summer afternoons, especially if it is rainy... or if I'm out at the pool when it is burning up and sunny. =D

Screaming monkeys or running bears? Screaming monkeys, for two reasons. =P Screaming monkeys would be hilarious to watch... and for another thing, I've seen a running bear once... it was about 5-7 yards away from my brother and me, and it was pretty darn scary. =P lol

Jane Austen or Charles Dickens? Jane Austen, most definitely. Although I really like Dicken's books too.

Scotland or Ireland? Scotland, all the way!

Running or walking? Walking... although, this summer, I'm intending on getting up early in the morning to go run. =)

~~~~~

End time: 4:31 PM (that includes when I was watching YouTube videos =P)

~~~~~

Hope y'all enjoy! =)

I tag: Sarah, Sydney, Stephanie, Marissa, and Julia! =D
Anyone else who wants to do this can do it!

That's all for today!

In Christ,
~Madison

The Beauty Inside

2009-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

First, before the post, I wanted to let y'all know: I have started a private blog. If you'd like to join, leave me your e-mail in a comment. This comment will not be published. Oh, and by the way, I am only allowing people I have met in real life to join this blog, just so you know. =)

Ever thought about this before? Sure, so many people have told you "beauty is inside." If you're like me, you've heard this a thousand times. But have you ever actually observed it? Have you ever seen the beauty inside a person? I have. I've seen it so many times.
Ever felt like you're ugly? Like you're the ugliest person of all your friends? It happens to all of us, I suppose. But wait... did you just forget what I mentioned above? The beauty is inside!
This whole post will be talking about that kind of thing. This is just what I've been thinking a lot about lately, and I've observed it a lot too. Which is so interesting!
My best friend is this way. She has outside beauty, but she is so beautiful on the inside. She is polite, good-natured, fun, good... all kinds of things like that. And her sister. She is so gorgeous. She has the most beautiful inside, and so she is almost shining with happiness. She is beautiful! They're so much fun to be around!
And you know what? I've got dozens of friends I could mention who are beautiful on the inside. And you know what else? If they didn't have a beautiful inside, they wouldn't have a beautiful outside either. How do I know? Well, have you ever looked at the cover of a trashy magazine? And you know how they look so horrible? Do you know why? Because their inside is full of junk.
I have come to the conclusion that the beauty on the inside *determines* your beauty on the outside. Sure, there are some girls who have natural beauty, but they can most definitely be ugly if they don't have beauty on the inside.
Okay, so I've been talking about this "beauty on the inside." What determines this beauty? What makes our hearts beautiful? It is the love of Christ. If we have Christ in us, we always shine forth in beauty. Jesus changes our hearts, and if our hearts are beautiful, then our beauty on the outside changes too.
Anyway, to end this rambling post, I want to end with this: as we get older, and start looking for someone to marry, we should look for this on the inside. We should see the love of Christ pouring forth from them. If we don't see it, we shouldn't even consider them as someone to marry. Marrying someone who loves Christ (and you can see it) is the most important thing of all. If you don't see the fruit of Christ working in a guy, then he isn't the right one. I can't say anymore than that if you like a guy, then it should be because of what he is like on the inside. What they look like on the outside does not matter at all. Look at the heart. What do you see? Is it good? Does it bring fruit?
Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed the post. =) I've been thinking about all this kind of thing lately, so I decided to make a blog post out of it! So... yeah, I hope y'all enjoyed!
Have a good day! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

New Blogs!

2009-05-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well, this is an exciting post for me!
I have an announcement of two new blogs:
First, I am starting a private blog! This is only for people I have actually met. If you are interested in reading this blog, please put your e-mail in a comment on this post, and I'll invite you (that is, if I know you =P)! If you do leave your e-mail in your comment, the comment will not be published. So your e-mail will not be published.
Anyway, my cousin, Macy, has started a new blog! This one, she has promised to keep up. =P If you would like to visit it, click here. I think this will mostly be about her homesteading project (correct me if I'm wrong). Anyway, I'm excited about reading it! =)
So, that is all for today... sorry for such a short post!
Have a great Sunday!

In Christ,
~Madison

Chorus Concert

2009-05-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today was incredibly fun! We had our final chorus meeting and concert today, which was kinda bittersweet.
Anyway, I suppose I'll jump right in. Well, we went to the place we meet at around 9:00. We practiced and got our final things together, and then we went to the place where we did our concert at 10:00 (more like 10:20, but we were supposed to be there at 10:00 =P). Anyway, we talked to some of our friends, and then we lined up in our cramped space. lol Anyway, we first sang American Folk Rhapsody, which is *so* much fun! 'Tis easy for me though, because I've been doing it all year. Then we sang Wayfarin' Stranger, which is absolutely gorgeous, and very "haunting." Then we sang "Let Love Come Near" which is like a 70's/80's type song... lol Anyway, that one is pretty fun!
Next, we had our individual performances. First, a girl named Rose played the piano. Then my bro and my cousin, Macy, played fiddle and guitar together (Spencer played guitar, and Macy played the fiddle). Then I played a song called "An Eagle's View", which went pretty well, although I was nervous. Then a guy named James played a jazz piece, and then... of course, the most amazing: Sydney and Stephanie played Dueling Violins. =D They were great, as usual!! Loved hearing y'all play!
Then we went back to singing. First we did Wade in the Water, which is the most awesomest song ever. Then we sang Homeward Bound, which is *so* gorgeous. Then we sang All Aboard! That song is the most fun song on the planet. =P One reason is because we use choreography (sorry... not sure how you spell it) in it. It was sooo much fun!!
* cough * It appears that someone (probably one of my family members) was on this, and took out part of my post. =P I don't know what the rest of it was, so I'll just leave out what was there.
Sorry 'bout that!

God bless!!

In Christ,
~Madison

A Tag and Quizzes

2009-05-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, another one. =P I love these things! So much fun! I found this one on Earwen's blog, so I thought I'd do it. =)

How old are you? Not tellin'. Although my real-life friends know. ;-) lol I think? Hehe. =D

Is this your first tag? Of course not!

Have you ever moved? Yes.... five times.

What is your favorite animal? Probably a dog.

What is your favorite movie? Don't ask. I have a zillion of them. =P Lord of the Rings, both of The Chronicles of Narnia, To Kill a Mockingbird, Chariots of Fire, just to name a few.

What is your favorite book? The Inheritance, Louisa May Alcott.

Are you an elf? Hmm... I'd prefer to be a hobbit personally. =D Although, elves are *beyond* cool.

Who do you like better, Eowyn or Arwen? Okay... y'all are probably gonna die for amazement... but I like Eowyn better. =) Yeah, I know, that has to seem weird to y'all, but still... Eowyn is like ten times more awesome to me! Although, all of you LOTR fans have made me a bigger fan of Arwen.

How long have you been riding? No riding. =P I did riding like... probably 2-3 years ago, and I only did it for a month or two. lol

Who are your favorite Lord of the Rings characters? All of them? Hehe. =) Okay, my absolute top five favorites are: Pippin, Eowyn, Aragorn, Sam, and Legolas.

Do you get a lot of homework? Nope. =D

Do you think tagging is awesome? Loooove it!

How many times a week do you ride a horse? Umm... never. I haven't ridden a horse in years.

Do you like blogging? Duh! I love it! =D Do you think I would post this much if I didn't?

Do people think you're strange? Most definitely yes. All of my friends, even my best friends, think I'm weird. I'm serious. =P And people who don't know me as well... well, no wonder people avoid me! lol Yeah, I'm seriously weird. I'm hyperness itself. And when you mix hyperness, insaneness, and put it in me... well... then people are bound to think you're strange. ;-) People probably refer to me behind my back as the hyper freak who wears glasses and reads classic literature. =P lol!!

Do you like getting comments on your blog? I loves it people. =P Keep them comin!

Do you like getting new followers on your blog? Usually, yes. =)

Do you get bored easily? With me, it is hard to be bored. I've got this mouth, you see.... and yeah. =P Get my drift?

Do you have an awesome blog? Maybe... probably not. It's too hyper. =P

How many followers do you have? 39, I believe.

What was the scariest moment with a horse you have had? I don't know if I've ever had a scary moment on a horse. =P

Who do you like better, Sauron or Saruman? Saruman. Although I hate both of them.

Do you like school? Of course! Well... okay, change that to most of the time. =P

Are you a good actress? No. Of course, when I was 10 or so, my brother and I filmed some of my book that I was writing. I wish y'all could see it. =P I was *so* dramatic... gah... it was hilarious. =P Anyway, no, I'm not a good actress.

Do you like music? Couldn't live without it!

Do you like taking personality quizzes? Most definitely!

Do you like long or short posts? Both! =)

Are you easily entertained? Somewhat... sort of. =P If it is funny, then yes. lol

Are you going to tag someone else? Yes!

And so, I tag... everyone who wants to be tagged. =)
Enjoy!!

Anyway, I had to do some quizzes too... lol

What Jane Austen character are you?

Kathy is the most gullible and inocent Jane Austen character ever invented. She is very pretty and is willing to do anything anyone asks. Very kind and good with children, she is loved by many.

Quiz by TheQuizzery.com

What classic heroine are you?

Emma Woodhouse

The heroine of Jane Austen's "Emma", Miss Woodhouse is a lovely young heiress who delights in matchmaking. However, she soon finds her plans gone awry, and her opinions quite wrong, as dear Mr. Knightly so often warns her.

Which Classic Heroine are You?

Don't get why I got that one. =P lol

Well, that is all for now.

God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

GHEA Conference

2009-05-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well... my past two days have been beyond exciting! Can anyone be surprised? They were absolutely a delight! And they were almost a complete blur I did so much.
On Friday morning, my brother, mom, and I all jumped in the car, and drove up to the GHEA conference. We always enjoy this event when we go! Well, to make things incredibly short, I shopped all day. =P That is generally all I did. And I found some wonderful treasures! Later in the post, I'll give y'all a list of things that we bought while we were at the conference.
Anyway, on Friday night, we had a most wonderful time. We had gone and eaten supper, and had come back to listen to a couple of speakers, and watch the Highlandlers (more about them in just a second). Well, when we got there, the wonderful speaker, Andrew Pudewa, was speaking on the profound influence of music! It was a wonderful lecture to hear, and I really enjoyed it, and thought it very interesting. I'll post one thing about what he said: this one man one time did a test on mice. What he did, is he made mazes for I think about 60 mice. And these mice were split up into categories. One category listened to no music, one category listened to classical music, and one category listened to heavy metal music. Then, after these mice had listened to the music, he set them in the mazes, and watched how long it took for each of them to run through the maze. It was quite amazing, the results! The mice who listened to no music improved some, just from running the maze so many times. But for the classical music listening mice, they improved profoundly! They were able to run through the maze very quickly; approximately 5 minutes! But as for the mice who listened to heavy metal, they went downhill... fast. By the end of the test, it took them about 30 minutes to run through the maze. Interesting, no? ;-)
Anyway, next were the Highlandlers. These are some amazing dancers from two or three homeschool families who dance mostly German and Scottish dances. I've seen them dance before, so I couldn't wait to watch them again. And, of course, they were wonderful! =)
Here is a video of them at one of their performances. It is sections from several of their different dances.

The Highländlers — Scottish Dancing from Ted Liedle on Vimeo.

Aren't they wonderful?
And here is one other video:

The Highländlers — Bavarian and Russian Dancing from Ted Liedle on Vimeo.

Anyway, my main purpose in mentioning them here is this: they need money. No, this is for some stupid fundraiser.
Perhaps y'all have heard of the persecution homeschooling families are going under in Germany. Well, these families are going over there in 3 weeks. They really need money, as they are going over there to see how they can help the German homeschoolers. This is very, very important, and I encourage you to give a donation. If you are interested in hearing more about their purpose, click here. If you are interested in donating, click here. But please consider donating! They don't even have 1/4 of the money they need. And they really do need it.
Anyway, after the enjoyment of watching them, we listened to Mike Smith, on the future of homeschooling. It was very interesting to listen to him.

So... then came Saturday. This was a *very* interesting day for me! And a very delightful one as well!
Well... first came one of the most exciting parts of the entire conference. I was walking around the vendor hall, when suddenly, as expected, I saw Julia! =) I had been excited all day about meeting her! I went over and was able to meet her! She was very nice, and we got to chat a little bit. I came by her booth several times, and finally decided to get this bracelet.

I only do wish pictures could do it justice! I absolutely love it, and I'm *definitely* going to be wearing it all the time. =) If you're interested in seeing more of Julia's jewelry, click here to see her online store!
After meeting Julia, I walked around a bit, and shopped a bit. I went out into the hall, and sat down for a bit to flip through some homeschooling information. Then I heard my walky-talky beep, and found out my cousins were there! I went off to find them, and then we walked around for a while. We looked at books and talked about all the great stuff that was there. And also... * giggles *... she taught me some of our "choreography" that they had been taught in chorus yesterday (no, I'm not kidding, we have choreography to our song... it is so hilarious. lol).
After we had walked around a while, I went off to see if the lecture my mom and dad went to was done. While I was walking down the hall, I heard a squeal, and I looked up, and it was my friend Haley!! =) We hadn't seen each other in about a year, and we had been planning to see each other for *weeks*. lol Anyway, she and I walked around for a while... and then I ate lunch... and then she and Macy and I got together and we walked around the vendor hall and looked at books, which was fun.
After a while, we kinda split up, and I went to go look for books. And then, about 4:30 or 5:00, we decided it was probably time to go. So we got everything together, and left.
Anyway, that has been *my* past two days! And I thought they were totally fun. =)
But I promised to tell y'all some of the treasures we got! So, here is a small list of some of what we got. =)

Evidence Not Seen
Gulliver's Travels
Villette (Charlotte Bronte)
Freckles
The Hidden Art of Homemaking
The Moffat Museum (yes, this one is for me =P )
Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust
The Protestant Reformation - Major Documents
The Aeneid
The Backyard Homestead
Practicing Hospitality
Under the Lilacs
Ovid: Metamorphoses
Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement
The Princess Adelina
George vs. George - The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides
101 Hymn Stories

And that is just some of the stuff we got. =) I'm so excited about reading all these books!

So... sorry if I bored everyone to death with my narrative, but I wanted to tell everyone!
Have a great day!

In Christ alone, our strength, help, and protector,
~Madison

Book and Movie Reviews for April

2009-04-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time of month again. =)

Anyway, once again, I have only read one book this month. But this time, I had a good excuse... I've been super busy lately, and this book was hard to read. =P
So, here is the review!

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Rating: 5 stars +
About: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
And so begins one of the most well known books of all time.
This book was a work of art, to say the least. It was wonderfully written, and just a joy to read. To me, the *only* draw-back on this book, is for a while, it can be a bit boring. Especially the first book (which is very short, trust me. I think about 37 pages). After you get past the first book, it gets more interesting, but it is still hard to read. What is so weird about this book, is you have to make yourself read it, but once you are reading it, you enjoy it! And as it gets closer to the end, it gets better and better, and more suspenseful.
Anyway, as for a description, I'll give it to you from the back of the book, as I think it describes it best: "Unjustly imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexander Manette is reunited with his daughter Lucie and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could now take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it though, the pair are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman - Charles Darnay - falsely accused of treason. Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom, the dissolute lawyer's clerck Sydney Carton. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama, romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine."
This is definitely a book worth reading, and you will be glad you read it, even if it took some work. =) So, I definitely recommend this book!

Okay, as for movies: I've only watched one new one this month, I think. I know, amazing isn't it? I may have watched some more new ones, but this is the only one I remember watching.
Okay, prepare to laugh at me for watcing this movie. =P

Title: American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong
Rating: NR (not rated)
Genre: Childrens
Rating: 5 stars
About: Okay, I know y'all are all laughing at me... yes, I'm a teenage girl watching American Girl movies. Do you mind? =P
Okay, about the movie:
This movie is about a girl named Chrissa, who has just moved to a new state to live with her grandmother. She starts school the next day, and instantly is being bullied. Three girls, Tara, Jadyn, and Sonali all bully her. She begins to not want to go to school, because she is not only sick of being bullied, but scared too.
But there is another girl, Gwen, who is being bullied too. Chrissa finds out she is homeless, and Gwen makes her promise not to tell anyone. When the three "mean bees" over hear them talking about it, they do something incredibly mean to Gwen, and she thinks Chrissa told them.
What is going to happen about being friends with Gwen? And what about the bullies? How can Chrissa handle them?
Personally, I thought this was a great movie. More for younger girls, sure, but I think some older girls would enjoy it too. It has a great plot, and the acting is really good too. Also, I wanted to note something: in the first three American Girl movies, all of the girls acted like brats. In this movie, Chrissa is most *definitely* not that way. Also, they don't potray her parents as idiots, like they did in some of the other movies. So, I definitely liked the fact that they didn't do either of those.
And so... yes, I recommend this movie. =)
And just as an "add-on", here is the trailer to the movie:

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. We are going to be traveling tomorrow, so prayer would be appreciated. =) Thanks!

A Tag!

2009-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks Marissa for tagging me!! =)

~Your Favorite:~

Color? Blue, brown, and green. =)

Candy? Sweet Tarts. =D

Main dish? Probably Cincinnati Chili.

Dessert? Some kind of cake, probably.

Drink? Pepsi or Coke, lemonade, and water.

Veggie? Okra, squash, and maybe tomatoes?

~Do you?~

Go to Starbucks Coffee Shop? Alllllll the time. =P lol Yeah, I'm spoiled to their mochas. =D

Go to the mall a lot? Nope... well, okay, yeah. Usually once every week to two weeks. Usually we just go to the bookstore though. ;-)

Talk on the phone everyday to someone who is not family? Nope.

Read your Bible everyday? I try to.... but I don't succeed very often. =(

Do lots of reading period? Definitely. =P

See your grandparents everyday? Nope. Usually only once every month or two.

Bake a lot? Not often, but I do love to do it! =)

Clean your room everyday? Nope... causing it to be a wreck at the moment. =P

Have to say your sorry to someone everyday? Nope.

~A Certain Thing You Dislike Of Each Category~

Veggie? Spinach...

Color? Really, really bright pink, and some types of green.

Drink? Hmm... I dunno.

Animal? Hippo? =P Or possibly a snake.

~Do You Have A~

Pet? Yep! Two cocker spaniels. =)

Gift card at the moment? Zillions of them...

Sewing machine? My mom has one.

Big mess under your bed? A little...

Pack of gum in your bag or purse? Nope.

Computer in your room? Nope.

~Have you ever~

Been on a plane? Yep! =)

Been out of state? Most definitely. =P

Out of the country? Nope.

Been in a eight-teen wheeler? No.

Been in a car accident? Nope.

Read about a hundred and fifty page book in about and hour? No.

~Your Favorite Place to?~

Go shopping? Barnes & Noble, J.Jill, Target, Old Navy... and so many other places. =P

Eat out? Johnny Carinos. =)

Go visit? Dunno.

Read a good book at? Under the covers at 12:00 at night. =D * giggles *

~Random~

What color is your room? Brownish-rose. =) 'Tis pretty!

Do you share a room with anyone? Nope, thank goodness.

Have you ever went swimming in a pond? No.

How old are you? Not tellin!!

What year were you born? Not telling this either. =P

Are you related to anyone important or famous? Well.... very distantly, yes. =D Someone who signed the Declaration of Independence!! =) Although I'm not telling who.

Have you ever met a vice president? Nope...

Are you getting bored yet? Definitely not.

What are you thinking? That my carrot cake better turn out okay. =P

Hehe, so that is that!!
I tag anyone who wants to do this. =)

In Christ,
~Madison

200th Post!!

2009-04-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! =)
Yea!! So, this is my 200th post! I cannot believe I've made it this far in less than a year... lol Anyway, just as a warning: Y'all will probably have to read this over two days, this post is gonna be so long. =P I mean, this is going to be ridiculously long, because I have to: type 200 facts about myself, put in some of my favorite pictures, answer everyone's questions, and put in some of my favorite YouTube videos. Oh, and also, at the end, I'm going to tell y'all how guild went! =D So, be prepared to be reading this half the day. And I know you'll be reading for a while, because I had to type this post over two days! =P lol
Oh wow... where should I begin? I think I'll start with Sarah's idea of posting 200 random facts about myself. =P (just so y'all know, a little while ago, I did something that I think had 50 or 100 random facts about myself... so some of these may be overlap ;-)

1. I think my favorite book in the Bible is Romans.
2. I absolutely love photography!
3. I'm technology crazy. I love anything I can mess around with, and tincker with. For example, I can figure out almost all the gimics on a digital camera (that I have never seen before) in about 3-5 minutes. =P
4. I've got awesome parents!! =D
5. I love blogging! (have ya noticed that yet?)
6. I am a total night owl.
7. I have a random fascination with the sky... especially at night when you can see the stars. But whenever we are out on a walk, I just love looking at the sky. And again, especially at night, because it is fun to watch the stars, and see how their pattern changes with the seasons.
8. I absolutely hate bugs... and roaches and spiders are the worst... ick!!
9. I love gardening!
10. We have an old Bible in Latin. =D
11. I love and hate learning French at the same time...
12. I love to buy new shoes!
13. I am scarily hyper... for those of you who know me, you know that already. For those of you who don't, I'm warning you in case I meet you. =P
14. My favorite season is fall. I love all the beautiful colors!
15. My life-long dream is to live on a small, hobby farm, with my husband and 10 kids. =P Yeah, weird, isn't?
16. I love to sew!
17. Knitting is my favorite craft. Or is it cross stitching? Or perhaps embroidery?
18. I love rainy days!
19. I absolutely love singing. Sure, I don't have the best voice (which is why I sing in chorus or when no one is around... or when someone who doesn't care is around =P), but I still love it!
20. I tried collecting stamps once. It didn't work. =P
21. I love scrapbooking!
22. I like to make hand-made cards.
23. I've never tried eating peanut butter and ketchup mixed together. =D
24. HOOLIO!!! =D (sorry... inside joke =P )
25. I love inside jokes. ;-) ^_^
26. My favorite fruit is probably strawberries. Especially when you put them in milk, and sprinkle sugar on top. =)
27. I have never baked bread before.
28. My favorite things to bake are brownies and cookies!
29. I love pumpkin seeds!
30. I love to decorate.
31. Blue is my favorite color, any shade. Although I think sky blue is my favorite shade of blue.
32. I've never read the entire Constitution of the United States. (shame on me!)
33. Everyone thinks I'm weird. =P I'm serious.
34. The reason everyone thinks I'm so weird is because I'm so random and so totally hyperactive.
35. My favorite holiday is Christmas, and probably Easter after that, and then probably Thanksgiving, and then April Fool's Day. =)
36. I can never think of any good tricks to pull on people on April Fool's Day.
37. I have never pinched anyone who wasn't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day. Because I'm not usually wearing green anyhow. ;-)
38. I love playing the piano.
39. I have to play an hour of piano everyday, skipping one day a week... which can get pretty tedious. =/
40. I love looking at old pictures of myself, and listening to my voice when I was little. =)
41. Up to the time I was 6 or 7, I had something my mom calls my "bird voice". =P I was super high-pitched... it was so cute. lol!!
42. Oh, and speaking of when I had my high-pitched voice, I thought I sounded like a guy. =P Now isn't that just ironic?
43. My favorite book is The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott.
44. My favorite authors are: Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.
45. Both of our dogs are cocker spaniels. =)
46. When I get older, I want to have a Scottie, a Westie, a Yorkie, and a cat. =P I know... it is such a weird combination. My mom says that I better have a lot of money for grooming fees. ;-) lol
47. We "inherited" almost all of our furniture. All of our bedroom furniture was "inherited", and much of our other furniture was too.
48. My least favorite meal is breakfast.
49. My favorite meal is supper.
50. I can't believe I've only made up 50 facts. =P 150 more to go... SARAH!! You're killing me! =P
51. My favorite kind of bird is a chickadee!
52. I love birdwatching!
53. I love to read! Of course. ;-)
54. One of my favorite "old shows" is Andy Griffith. We have the first 5 seasons of it, and we have watched most of them dozens and dozens of times.
55. Probably my favorite, modern Christian author is John Piper.
56. I have listened to Pilgrim's Progress on tape at least a thousand times (J/K), but I've never read all of the book.
57. I am learning how to crochet!
58. I can type really fast.
59. I like reading things in *very* small sections. If I'm reading a book, I usually only read about 5 pages. And then I set it down and pick up another book I'm reading.
60. I love the 1940's and 50's! =) For some random reason... lol
61. I absolutely love music! Playing it, singing it, and listening to it. =)
62. My favorite kinds of music are: Christian, classical, jazz, 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's music, and bluegrass.
63. My favorite kinds of music to play are: Christian and classical.
64. My favorite songs, at the moment are: "Sanctified" by MercyMe, "Lemonade" by Chris Rice, and "Letters from War" by Mark Schultz.
65. All of my purses are "tiny". Or so everyone tells me... I mean, if a *guy* notices your purse is tiny, then it is tiny. =P
66. I babytalk my dogs more than I do little kids. =P Weird, I know...
67. I love Ansel Adam's pictures!
68. My favorite artist is John William Waterhouse.
69. My favorite poet is Alfred Lord Tennyson. I also like William Wordsworth a lot.
70. One of my favorite parts of the week is chorus.
71. Whenever my cousin and I can't think of anything to say, we discuss pineapple. =D Yes, I'm serious. It's rawesome!
72. I've been playing the piano for 4 years.
73. I've had 3 different teachers during those four years, and it looks like I might be getting a fourth teacher...
74. Hobby Lobby is my favorite craft store. =)
75. Barnes and Noble is my favorite bookstore.
76. My favorite vacation spot is Gatlinburg, TN.
77. I love ankle-length skirts. =D
78. Almost all of my skirts came from J.Jill.
79. I am thinking about wearing skirts almost all the time. =)
80. I love older movies!
81. My favorite Christmas movie is probably It's a Wonderful Life.
82. Our Christmas tradition is to open one present on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas morning. Although we used to open all of our presents on Christmas Eve, because we had to travel an hour and a half the next day to visit our family.
83. Our best Christmas present ever was Daisy, our 11 year old Cocker Spaniel. =D
84. We almost always eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas day.
85. And speaking of cinnamon rolls, I *only* eat them on Christmas day, and then the leftovers over the next few days. But I never eat them any other time. It feels like I would be breaking the tradition. =P
86. I love Starbucks!!
87. My favorite thing to get at Starbucks is a mocha.
88. My favorite thing to get at Starbucks around Christmas is the Peppermint Mocha. =)
89. My favorite room in our house is the library. This is where we keep most of our instruments, and many of our books. It is decorated with the Ten Commandments (it is really cool... it is the Ten Commandments, then thoughts on it by Martin Luther, and it has medieval pictures next to each Commandment =D), an older looking map, and, over the piano: several pictures of "antique-looking" flowers. 'Tis really a very pretty room!
90. My favorite kind of jewelry are bracelets and necklaces.
91. I do not have my ears pierced, although I would like to get them pierced... maybe... =P
92. I love painting my finger nails and toe nails. Yes, random, I know...
93. My favorite color of nail polish is probably either clear, white, or a purplish color.
94. My room has three windows in it. =) So I have probably the sunniest room in the house.
95. I prefer blinds to shutters.
96. My favorite kind of house is a cottage. =)
97. I love brick floors. =D
98. My favorite documentaries are Planet Earth and Expelled.
99. In general, I hate documentaries. =P
100. I can't believe I have to write 100 more facts about myself. lol
101. I hate the book Ivanhoe. It doesn't make any sense. Don't ever read it. =P
102. I don't like modern books at all. I *rarely* read a book that was written after the 1950's, unless it is a Christian book.
103. I almost like shopping for PJs than I like shopping for regular clothes. =P
104. I love to study about government.
105. In my opinion, being involved in the government is a part of the Christian life.
106. I hate being nervous about something. lol
107. I don't know why, but I tend to get nervous when I go out to lessons. Even something like chorus or piano. I'm not sure why. =P
108. I have back-aches all the time... it is annoying.
109. I have broken a bone before. 'Twas my collar bone. I was doing gymnastics, and I was on the bar (if you know what that is), and I was doing something where it is like... you're doing a split on the bar, and you swing in a full circle around the bar. Well, while I was upside down, I fell off the bar, and fell on my shoulder. I thought I had just knocked the breath out of myself, but my shoulder kept hurting, and hurting... so I had to sit in the office. The worst part was I couldn't get either of my parents. My mom was shopping, and my dad was outside... so I had to wait for what felt like forever. Okay, sorry for that long story.... but I love telling stories like that. =D
110. I love picnics!!
111. I'm scared of loud thunder and lightning. I have deathly fear of it. =P
112. I'm scared to death of bees and wasps.
113. I've never been stung by anything before except a mosquito and an ant.
114. One time, I was only about 3-4 yards from a running bear. =P My brother and I were making these ridiculous videos of ourselves, and suddenly, we saw this HUGE black thing running by us, *very* close to us, and so, our natural instinct was: RUUUUN!!!!!! =P Yeah, I know, it was stupid. lol Anyway, it ran away from us, but it was still really scary.
115. I hate skin-tight clothes. And lately, when I've been shopping, it seems like that is all I've seen...
116. My favorite bluegrass instruments are the mandolin and the dulcimer.
117. I love antique furniture.
118. I hate junky cars in front yards... =P
119. I love being out in the country. I *muchly* prefer it to the city.
120. Randomness... but... okay. =P Right now, in our garden (and in our planters and pots), we have: tomatoes, squash, okra, jalapenos, banana peppers, a Mr. Stripey tomato plant (my mom got it... it is so cute! The plant produces striped tomatoes!! =D lol ), lemon balm, rosemary, mint, oregano, parsley (two kinds), sage, some prettiness flowers... zinnias, verbenas, radishes, carrots, poppies, and maybe one or two parsnips? lol
121. I should be getting off the computer now as it is almost 10:40 and it is thundering. =P So... my random fact... I'll finish this post tomorrow!! lol
122. I love books by Doug and Nancy Wilson! =)
123. My fave "inspirational" book is Do Hard Things. Makes you want to go out and *do* something!
124. I love homeschooling jokes. =D One day, I'm gonna do a whole post of them. lol
125. If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would most definitely be pasta. =)
126. It seems as if I have more friends on the computer than in real life. =P I suppose that is because people on the computer don't see how weird and hyper I am. lol =D
127. My favorite country is Scotland!
128. I prefer an English accent to a Scottish accent.
129. I think my favorite Jane Austen book that I have read, out of the ones that I have read, is either Northanger Abbey or Sense and Sensibility.
130. I like Pride and Prejudice more in the movie than in the book. =P I know, it is weird. Oh, and I mean the older version, not the newer version. ;-)
131. I love homeschool conferences! =D
132. I love learning Latin.
133. My own personal opinion is that God not only send children to give us joy, but to test our patience.
134. I'd rather go to the mountains than the beach.
135. My favorite beach site is Apalachicola (sp?) in FL.
136. I love collecting shells!
137. It has been my life long dream that I would be able to draw and paint. Unfortunately, about the best I can do is draw people that look like cucumbers and flat flowers. =P
138. Have I mentioned that I got to level 3 in gymnastics on the team?
139. I took tennis for about... 3 months. =P And to this day, I have an amazingly nice tennis racket, and nothing to use it on. lol
140. Oh, and by the way, I'm a failure at tennis. ;-) I played it last night with my cousin, and I was horrible at it.
141. I love socks and slippers! =D
142. October or December is my favorite month. I'm not sure which though.
143. I hate the middle and the end of winter... I'm always ready for some green leaves and warm weather.
144. I have read through the Bible only once.
145. My favorite Gospel in the Bible is Luke. Although, I love John too.
146. I am a Reformed Baptist.
147. My favorite state is probably...... TN maybe? Although I really like IL. And MD is pretty...
148. My least favorite state is probably... Virginia or North or South Carolina. No offense to anyone. =P
149. I love my friends! =D
150. Only fifty more to go!
151. I often wonder why brothers have to be so annoying...
152. I also wonder sometimes what it would be like to have a sister. I've always wanted a sister!
153. I hate artificial light compared to "real" light. I don't like using artificial light unless it is dark.
154. I love looking for constellations. I can find almost nothing, but it is still fun!
155. I hate and love exercising at the same time. =P It can be fun, but then it can be tedious and annoying.
156. One of my favorite instruments is the cello.
157. I have no personal interest in learning how to speak Greek.
158. I absolutely cannot stand speaking Spanish. It seems so common and everything... icky... I'd rather learn something that isn't so common place.
159. I would like to learn how to speak Italian.
160. I like learning history, usually. It depends on what book I'm reading.
161. My favorite history writer is probably David McCullough.
162. Although I am a night owl, I love getting up early in the morning, if I can drag myself out of bed. =P
163. One of the worst things ever is when your mind totally blanks.
164. I hate brain freeze.
165. My favorite kind of ice cream is either Rocky Road or Phish Food (Ben & Jerry's).
166. My favorite places to get ice cream are Ben & Jerry's and Brusters.
167. My favorite summer meal is grilled chicken, baked beans, potato salad, and probably some fresh vegetable like squash or okra. Of course... a couple of "slices" of onion would be amazing with it. =)
168. My favorite cold-weather meal is corn chowder or chili.
169. My favorite meal in general is probably either Cincinnati Chili (aaammmaazing! If you've never had it... well, let's just say I don't know how you haven't gotten through life. lol) or Baked Spaghetti. Yummy stuff!!
170. My favorite kind of food is Italian.
171. My favorite candy bar is Snickers.
172. My favorite comics are Calvin & Hobbes, Baby Blues, and The Peanuts. =)
173. My favorite Calvin and Hobbes book is probably "Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink' ". =D
174. My favorite character in Calvin and Hobbes is... of course... Calvin. lol
175. My favorite character in Baby Blues is probably Zoe or Hammie. Although Wanda is hilarious too.
176. My favorite character in The Peanuts is... duh... Snoopy. =D Whose favorite character *isn't* Snoopy? lol
177. Almost *all* of my friends about a year or two ago were like... at least 3 years younger than me. =P
178. One of my best friends, Mallory, is 3 years younger than me. Although she acts like she acts three years more mature than me. =P
179. To me, it is easier to talk to adults than to kids my age.
180. I love pictures. Love 'em. Pictures of my ancestors, pictures of my friends, pictures of myself, pictures of my family...
181. And, of course, I love home videos!
182. One of my favorite combinations is kettle chips and plain yogurt. =D I know... that just shows part of my insane mind... =P Of course, cheetos and plain yogurt are amazing too!! lol
183. I'm very talkative. In fact, if you know me, you know I'm just like Anne of Green Gables: "prattling on without stopping for breath." lol
184. I can't stand fake plants. I have no idea why... but I usually just can't stand them. I much prefer real ones.
185. One of my favorite smells is freshly washed sheets. =)
186. My favorite Christmas smells are fudge, brownies, and peppermint. Oh, and, duh, Christmas trees!
187. I love stone walls!
188. I used to love the smell of gas at a gas station. =P
189. I actually used to have a blog, years before I started this one. Actually... I think I had 3. lol But they have been long since left to ruin.
190. I can't believe I only have 10 more facts to come up with!!
191. I'm tired of coming up with facts. =P
192. I can't think of any more facts except the fact that I can't come up with any facts. =P Hehehehe!
193. Is thinking that Sarah should be happy with all these facts. =D
194. I can't wait for chorus in about... 50 minutes.
195. I hope we don't sing two songs the entire time. lol!!
196. I can't wait for the chorus concert.
197. I love riddles, even if I can *never* figure them out. =P
198. I hate blonde jokes. lol!
199. I love organization!
200. I'm the luckiest girl there is. =) Jesus is with me all the day long, I've got an awesome family, wonderful friends, the cutest dogs *ever*, and not to mention the fact I've got clothes on my back, food on my table, and a roof over my head. So, yeah, I'm blessed! =)

Okay... YEA!!! I'm so excited!! I'm done with all my facts!! =P Finally!! I'm done! I'm free! lol, just kiddin'. It was fun!

Anyway, next, I shall go on to pictures. =) Oh, and unless I saw particularly that I took it, the credit goes to my dad on the pictures. =)

I absolutely love this picture! I took this one when we had snow last month. =) I love this picture of our old bench in the snow. 'Tis so prettiful!

This is one of the stain-glass windows that we had at our old church.

This is a gorgeous picture that my dad took while we were in Gatlinburg... or rather, in Cades Cove, which is about an hour away from Gatlinburg.

Hehehe! This is a picture of Winston (I've probably showed it to y'all before) on his first Christmas. He had a fascination with the bows and ribbon, and he was constantly picking them up in his mouth. It was sooo cute!

This is a random picture of a flower that my dad took in Chattanooga.

This is definitely one of my favorite pictures ever. =) I remember trying to get the light *just* perfect, because the sun was coming up over this cathedral. I love this pic!

Aren't these wildflowers gorgeous?

Again, this was taken in Cades Cove. =)

You can't really see the quality of this picture, but it has always been one of my favorites!

Doesn't this picture look *so* professional? I love it! This was also taken in Cades Cove.

This picture was taken in Gatlinburg, after almost a whole day of playing in the snow in the mountains. =)

Next, I shall post everyone's questions, and then give my answers. =)

(from Marissa) In your opinion, is Obama a good president so far?
Well... that is hard to say. I don't think he is as bad as we all thought, but in general, no, I don't think he has been the best president. Not as bad as everything, but still, not a good one. I think he has done a *lot* of stuff that he shouldn't have done... like the stimulus package.

(from Marissa) Why did you start a blog? Are you glad you did?
Well, there wasn't any particular reason... but about a year ago, I kept thinking about how neat it would be to start a blog. So, I did. And yes, I'm definitely glad I did! I've made so many friends through it! =) It has been a real blessing.

(from Marissa) What are your 5 favorite movies and books?
Wow... hard question!
For movies:
The Return of the King
To Kill a Mockingbird
Pride & Prejudice
The Sound of Music
Chariots of Fire
As for books:
The Inheritance
An Old Fashioned Girl
Calico Captive
Animal Farm
Rifles for Watie

(from Marissa) What do you eat for breakfast?
Hehehehe. =P Usually I eat oatmeal, but I'm getting sick of that, so I've been having things like toast or fried eggs. Or, if my mom or I have baked something, we eat that.

(from Marissa) What is your favorite website?
Oh wow... maybe G-mail? =P

(from Marissa) What color socks are you wearing?
Hehe... bare feet. =D

(from Marissa) Have you ever eaten anything unusual?
Yes, most definitely. Chicken. =D * giggles *

(from Mel) What significance do you see in Matthew 28:10b which says, "Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Oh wow... that is a hard one Mel. =P The only thing that really catches my eye (and this isn't terribly significant... I don't think...) is the part "there they will see Me." That did, just because often, the disciples didn't believe. He is telling them they would definitely see Him there. But I'd say there is a 99.99999% chance that wasn't it. =P
Can't wait to see your thoughts on it!

Thanks for the questions! =)
And now for some of my fave videos:

Okay, so the song itself is awesome, but doesn't the video *seriously* add to it? =)

I love this song. =) Thankee for sending this to me Melly!! Love ya!

Prettiness. =) I mean... even people who don't like bluegrass have to admit that is pretty!!

MEE MEE MEE MEE MEE MEE MEE MEE. =P

And this last one, you can't embed, so here is the link: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Sure, this is the stupidest thing ever, but... JUST WATCH IT. =P

Well... last of all: about guild! =D
So, here it goes:
I had been practicing for an hour. I was nervous. I went and ate lunch. I got ready. I jumped in the car. We drove off. I was nervous, and my heart leaped at every turn we made. We finally got there. My piano teacher told me I could go practice, as there were some practice rooms. So I played my hardest song, Invention No. 4 in D minor, several times, and the end of one song.
After practicing, I went back to wait. I talked with my mom some, and then I got up. I was nervous. I had my music in hand. I went into the room. Thank *goodness* it was about a quarter of the size I thought it would be, so it wasn't as scary. =P But is was a pretty room! I handed my music to the judge, and walked over to the piano.
I sat down, and he asked me to play my scales and chords. So, I played them, and then went on to my song, Farewell to the Piano. I did that one almost perfectly... dynamics, pedaling, notes... it went very smoothly. Then I played my next chord and scales, and then my next song: Waltz in A-flat Major. I did that one pretty well too. I think I messed up once... and it wasn't just a fingerslip... but it wasn't huge, because if it had been, I woulda remembered it better. =P Anyway, about halfway through that song, I was thinking how my hardest song was next. I told myself to focus on that one, and so I did. And after finishing that one, I got nervous. My next song was, of course, Invention No. 4 in D minor. I played the scales and chords. Then I began playing. I actually did pretty well on that one. =D When I finished, my heart was in my throat. I'm serious... my heart was just pounding and pounding. lol Anyway, after that one was my favorite song: An Eagle's View. That one was a breeze, 'cause I had been playing that almost 7 months to the day. That one I was just able to have fun on. I ended well, and got up. I took my music out, and walked out of the room. And let me tell YOU, I must have sighed of relief three dozen times. lol
Later that afternoon, I got a call from my piano teacher. My brother handed me the phone, and said I had gotten a really good score. I said, "Hey!" And she said that I got a superior plus!!! =D I was so excited! She said I had the highest score (I guess in this district) of anyone my age at my level! After hanging up, and I am dead serious when I say this, I ran through our hallway screaming at the top of my lungs. =P lol, yeah. I was *that* excited.

So... this is the end of my 200th post! I hope you have enjoyed it! =)
Have a good day! God bless! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

Awesome Video, 200th Post Coming Up, and The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 23

2009-04-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

EDIT: Hello everyone! I just wanted to know that I will probably be doing my 200th post on Friday or Saturday. So if you have any questions at all, please comment and leave them! =D I can't wait to answer everyone's questions! Thanks for the ones left so far! I'm looking forward to answering them!

Hey everyone! I wanted to show y'all this awesome video I found on YouTube. It has a wonderful song to compare with these scenes. I thought it was just a really awesome comparison! Check it out:

Pretty neat, wasn't it? =) I really like that song... I had never heard it before, but I thought it was really cool!

Anyway, the main point of this post was to inform y'all that my next post will be my 200th post! =D I'm so excited! I haven't even been blogging for a year... lol Anyway, I have had several suggestions on what I should do for my 200th post. One of them was post a bunch of my favorite pictures, which I will be doing. Another one was to type 200 random facts about myself. =P Which I will also be doing. The last one I will be borrowing from Marissa. =) It is: everyone can ask me questions. =D Yea! lol
Here are some ideas for questions you can ask me:

Serious questions - This can be about faith (what I believe about certain things), modesty, even government if you want to test my knowledge. =P

Random questions - This can range from anything from what I eat for breakfast to what I time I stay up at night. =P Just anything random and unusual.

What is your favorite? questions - These are always fun. =D Okay, I'm sure you know what these are. Some examples are, "What is your favorite breed of dog?" or "What is your favorite candle scent?" These can be random too. =)

Those are just some ideas. They don't have to be limited to those kinds of questions. I'd really love to have some questions! Ask me as many as you want to! I can't wait to read and answer them!
Also, one other thing: if you have any other ideas for my 200th post, I would be glad to hear them! =)

For Today: April 19th, 2009.

Outside my window: Cloudy skies... chirping birds... a little bit of a breeze...

I am thinking: About getting to see my friend Haley next month! =D We haven't seen each other in almost a year, and we live like 2 hours apart... so I can't wait to see her again!

I am thankful for: The fun that I had at Macy's (my cousin) spring party yesterday. =) We went on an egg hunt (yes, late, but still... that doesn't matter! lol), ate a bunch of sweet stuff like jelly beans, Peeps, those little wafer thingies, "goopy cookies" as we call them (you know... those soft cookies with lots of icing that you get from the grocery store... yum!), and who knows what else... and we talked about a bunch of random, hilarious stuff while we ate. And then we went and watched a Tim Hawkins DVD. =D Hilarious!

I am wearing: Blue jeans, black socks, and a gray sweater with a white, long-sleeve shirt under it.

I am reading: The usual. As usual. =P

I am hoping: That we'll find a church soon.

I am creating: A boat-neck shell. Knitting rocks!

I am hearing: My mom telling me to cut some parsley for our potatoes, and the hum of the computer.

Around the house: My brother is getting the drinks, my dog is walking around the house, my dad is on the computer, and my mom is fixing lunch.

One of my favorite things: Knitting! I love to make things with my hands. =) It may be more expensive, but it sure is fun!

What I accomplished since last week: Reading quite a bit, playing the piano, chorus, getting together with my friends, gardening, and knitting.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Knitting, reading a lot, doing guild (where a judge judges your piano skills... please pray! It's this Thursday), chorus, piano, and other usual stuff.

Here is a picture I am sharing with you:

Hehehehe. =D And you're wondering what this is. Well... one time, my friend Esther and I were chatting with each other, and we were talking about how we never went anywhere. Well, we decided to start a temporary "Hermits" club. =P And that is where that picture came from! Hehehe! You rocketh girly! * high five *

Anyway, that is all for today! Hope y'all enjoyed the post!!

In Christ alone, our prophet, priest, and king,
~Madison

Mr. Doubletalk

2009-04-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of him? Durwood Fincher? Mr. Doubletalk? If you have, surely you are at least giggling by this point. You remember the times of watching videos with your family and friends, and just rolling in the floor laughing. You just can't stop.
And so, who exactly *is* Mr. Doubletalk? Mr. Doubletalk is a guy who goes around the country, asking people questions that don't make any sense, watch their reactions, and get paid for it. =P Yes, I'm serious. Wanna see for yourself? Watch these videos below:

Okay... so that one was only *sort of* funny. Watch the one below. =P

Funny, isn't he? =P I love the people's expressions. That is by far the best part! Hehehe!

I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

Dulcimer Video

2009-04-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, if y'all have never heard a dulcimer before... well then I don't know how you've gotten through life so far. =P A dulcimer is a bluegrass instrument. And, okay, a lot of people I've talked to hate bluegrass... or at least, don't really care for it. But, me... I love it! Often it has an Irish sound to it. I think some people just thing bluegrass is the same as country. If you think so, you are sooo wrong... lol Anyway, okay, I've gone off on a rabbit trail.
Dulcimers are probably my favorite bluegrass instrument. There are two types: hammered dulcimer, and lap dulcimer. The one in this video is a lap dulcimer. Both are really beautiful instruments, and really fun to listen to.
This song is called "Whiskey Before Breakfast". Okay... I know, stupid name. =P But this is strictly instrumental... no country voices in here. lol Anyway, this is by far my favorite dulcimer video that I've found on YouTube. So, I hope you enjoy! =)

So, did you like it? =) Okay, if you didn't... some people just aren't bluegrass fans. But as for me, I love it!
I hope all of you have a great day!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. The "garden surprise" I think has shipped today... and we actually got part of it yesterday. =) Hehehe... I can't wait to show everyone!

The Truest Video Ever

2009-04-14T14:18:00.001-07:00

This is the truest video I have ever seen in my entire life... the first part about the "fish" is just like my grandmother, and the second part about "the sweater" is so like my mom it is scary. =P I mean... you could almost say she is repeating what is said on the video. I suppose all mothers are like that. If I had to take a guess... this video will remind you of a lady in your life. Especially your mom and grandmother. =P The first time I watched this, I was just shaking I was laughing so hard. lol You'll enjoy it!! Have fun laughing!

Is that video not SO true? Ever since, whenever my mom says it is going to "be cold", I instantly start quoting this video. =P
Have a blessed day!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. I would recommend, especially for younger kids, not looking up Tales of Mere Existence on YouTube. Okay, I know that makes you want to go and do it... but some of his videos are... not... exactly... Christian or wholesome. =/ Some of them are good, but be *very* careful if you do search it. Just wanted y'all to be forewarned.

Gardening and Herbs

2009-04-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well... today was just an absolutely gorgeous day outside, so I had to take pictures of some plants and our garden outside. It was too gorgeous to pass up!

First, I will introduce you to our "herb" garden... which is on the patio in pots. =)

Here is my favorite herb.... mint! Sorry for the shadow I was casting over it. =P My mint was just kind of... lagging, but since my mom cut it back a bit, it has been spring forward with leaps and bounds. Now I just need some ideas on how to use it.

This is our sage, with the mint over to the side. Our sage was just kind of staying in the same place... but it has been taking over the whole pot this past month!

And this is one of my *favorite* herbs: chives! Our dog, Winston... *cough*... loving to eat absolutely everything, ate our chives too. =P Well, they are finally coming back this spring. We used some on our Easter dinner that we're about to eat. =)

This is one of the prettiest herbs, but I absolutely despise the smell. It is Lemon Balm... or is it Lemon Verbena? I can't remember. Anyway, it had mostly died from the cold and frost, so my mom cut it down to the stem, and it is coming back up very nicely right now.

And last but not least, our rosemary plant! I love the smell of rosemary... and it is such a pretty plant anyway. There is also some parsley on the side of the rosemary.

And this is our herb garden as a whole. I want to get some other herbs, but this is what we have right now.

This is on the other side of our "brick wall". This isn't a very good picture... but this is the rest of our herbs: oregano and parsley. The oregano is really small, so you can't see it that well. Unfortunately, now most of the parsley is gone, 'cause my dad cut it off so we could use it on some asparagus for Easter dinner. =P And doesn't it figure that I hate asparagus... I grew all that nice parsley, and then my dad goes and uses most of it. lol I don't really mind... because it might come up better now since it has been cut back a little.

This is my planter garden... which isn't doing very well, as you can see. =P The thing "closest to you" is mesclun, and then carrots in the middle, and then our weeping okra plants in the back. =P Poor okra... it hasn't been watered much, and it is rather sickly.

Here is the beginning pictures of our *real* garden. The row in the middle is our banana pepper plants.

In the front here, we have three tomato plants, and a couple of squash plants.

This isn't a terribly good picture, but this is our most healthy looking squash plant right now. =) I know, it is tiny, but we just planted it yesterday, so you can't really say anything. =P

This is our row of half dead okra. lol I'm hoping it will look better in a week or so... we watered our plants really well today, so hopefully they're perking up.

This is our garden as a whole. From the left to right, here is what are on the rows:
1st row - 3 tomato plants and 2 squash plants
2nd row - Squash plants
3rd row - Squash plants and 1 jalapeno plant
4th row - Banana pepper plants
5th row - Okra plants.

This is a random picture of my fave tree in our yard. =) I wish I had a picture of it when it was blooming a few weeks ago. It was gorgeous!

And lastly, our Azalea bush.

A pretty, close-up shot of three azaleas. =)

I saw this clump of flowers, so I decided to take a picture of them. =)

Well, that is all for today! =D When the garden grows some, I'll show all of you some more pictures of it. And also of the fruit we're getting off of it! =D
Have a blessed Easter! =)

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. I have another post below this one that I did today, so please read it! =)

He is Risen Indeed!

2009-04-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly, Jesus met them. "Greetings," He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet, and worshiped Him.

~Matthew 28:1-9

Today is Easter Sunday. This is the day Christ rose from the dead. I think too often we think about going to Easter sunrise service, Easter candy, Easter lunch, and Easter everything else that we forget exactly what Easter is about. We need to remember that we don't celebrate Easter to do all this other stuff. We celebrate it because Christ rose from the dead on this day.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Amen.

In Christ,
~Madison

A Tag! =)

2009-04-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged! Thanks Sarah!

What do you enjoy most? That is probably impossible to say. =P I love doing crafty type stuff, and I'm REALLY getting into urban homemaking. =)

What are some lessons that you have taken? Gymnastics, piano, and tennis. I think that is it...

Your favorite authors? Louisa May Alcott, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen.

What do you like to sing in the shower? Oh wow... that is hard. I love singing songs from chorus, and I like singing hymns especially... "Be Thou My Vision" and "Amazing Grace" being my faves to sing. And then, I love to sing "Lemonade" by Chris Rice. =P And of course I'll sing other songs too, randomly.

Have you ever broken any bones? Yup. My collar bone. It hurt. Bad. And I think I might have broken my toe once... but I'm not sure.

What languages do you want to learn? Italian!

What Jane Austen movie is your favorite? Pride and Prejudice, but I really, really like Sense and Sensibility too.

What are your favorite books in the Bible? Oh wow... that is hard. Ruth, Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Luke, Romans, James, and 1 John. Although, I like all of them. =) Except... I have to admit sometimes the Old Testament gets a bit boring at times.

Your favorite singers or bands? Nickel Creek, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, Chris Rice, MercyMe (jumps up and down =P ), Yo-Yo Ma... and a lot of others. The other ones are on my profile. =P

Your favorite types of music? Christian, classical, jazz, bluegrass, and hymns.

Your favorite animals? Dogs, chickens (I'm having five fits, 'cause I want chickens so bad =P ), goats (and I want these too... lol), horses, and cats.

You were suddenly dropped into a movie, what movie would it be? That is hard... maybe Pride and Prejudice?

Where would you land in Middle Earth? The Shire. =)

How tall are you? Ain't fessin' up. =P

If you had to go back to any time period, where would you go? The 1940's and 50's.

What is your favorite project that you have done/are doing? Ooh, definitely doing our urban homemaking stuff! We just planted our garden today, and we're doing some other stuff soon.

Your favorite fictional characters? Oh my word... that is sooo hard! =P Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice), Aragorn, Pippin, Merry, Sam, and TONS more... but that is all I can think of.

What is your favorite piece of jewelry? Necklaces, although I like bracelets too.

I tag: Anyone who wants to be tagged!

Have a blessed day everyone!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. We planted our garden, so I'll have pictures up soon! Oh, and we ordered the surprise today.... they should be here in a couple of weeks. =D Hehe, I can't wait to show everyone!

Good Friday and Rambling

2009-04-10T17:57:00.001-07:00

I'm guessing most people here know that today is Good Friday. Yes, that means the day that Jesus Christ died in our place. Think about it: the cross is where *we* deserve to be. Jesus literally died for us. He didn't die just to die. He died for you, and for me. That is just a pretty amazing thought.
I will be posting a passage, Luke 23:44-49:
"It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When He had said this, He breathed His last.
The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, 'Surely this was a righteous man.' When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things."
Think about it... for a moment, just try to even imagine Christ's pain. I know I can't even begin to imagine. But not only was He bearing the pain of the cross, while on the cross, He had our sins hanging on His back. They were weighting Him down, not only physically, but very much emotionally. It is a horrible thought, but He did this all for us. Christ Jesus died on the cross, bearing our sins, so that we might live in heaven. How great is the love of Christ, that He would die on the cross for us! Praise God!

But... as usual... I must bore all of you with my random, boring life. Of course. And I know I hear moaning from most of you. =P But look, I gotta ramble to someone. I mean, I'm so hyper, I have to tell things ten thousand times. It gets it out of my system... mostly. Anyway, this is what happened today:
After doing our usual stuff for the day, we got ready... yes, Friday is my fave day of the week. =) Why? Because chorus is on Fridays! And chorus is my favorite thing of the entire week... so obviously, I get excited. Anyway, this Friday was really, really, really different. The church that we do it at was setting up for the Good Friday service tonight, and so there was no one in the office, and so we couldn't get the key to the door to the choir room. So, we had to go to another room, which was really cramped, and we could barely fit. But, another thing that was really different is: my brother joined today! =D lol Which... was odd. I dunno why, it just was. So... he is so totally bass, it is scary. I mean, I'm serious, he has a *creepy* bear-tone voice. =P Okay, it isn't creepy... I mean, it is just really deep. So, I think he is really happy about joining chorus! And we need another bass guy person... so it is good he joined. Anyway, we did a bunch of boring review, so we didn't have that much time for the songs we were actually working on. Anyway, it was pretty fun... preeettty fun. After chorus, I got together with my "usual" group... not, as in, exclusive group... but just the people I usually talk to. =P My cousin, Macy, came up to me, and she said, "So, I'm coming home with you!" And I was really confused... anyway, the plan was that she would come home with us, and then her mom would come pick us up so we could go over to their house to dye Easter eggs. Confusing plan, I know. Anyway, we found out that my aunt would come pick us up straight from the church.
Welllll... *cough* You see, my other cousin, Austin, was going to the prom tonight (speaking of which, he looked amazing... he wore a white suit (which includes white pants... totally awesome!), and a black tie, and it was awesome =D ). Well, they were getting the flowers for him, and the florist people got his order totally wrong, and so they had to kinda re-do it, and so Macy and I were stuck in the church for prolly 20 minutes. But that was fine, 'cause we like singing a bunch of random songs... like chorus songs. And we did it in a room that echoed, so it sounded totally rawesome.
Anyway, after waiting for a while, they came and picked us up, and we sat in the cramped back seat of Austin's truck. Then we went back to their house, and Macy and I got the dye supply stuff out... and did Easter eggs. And ate Cheetos. =P That is us... eat Cheetos and dye Easter eggs... that shows how random we are. Anyway, we made some really cute eggs! After doing all that kind of thing, we went outside, and we looked in their garden, and then jumped on the trampoline. I looove trampolines. =D I mean, you gotta love them! And we sang while we were sitting there... lol Mostly "Homeward Bound" that we're learning in chorus. And we played with Macy's unbelievably adorable cuteness puppy fluffness dog, Jeremiah. =D Anyway... after a while my dad and bro came to pick me up.
And so we came home. And since then, I haven't done much except eat supper, and go outside for a few minutes.
But tonight, we're supposed to be doing a family night! We ate supper, and in a few minutes, we're going to play Scrabble. And then tomorrow morning we're going to eat a big breakfast (which we almost never do). So, that is gonna be fun!

Anyway, thank you sooo much for letting me use this as a rambling place... I seriously need places to ramble people's heads off. =P So, thankee for that.
God bless! Have a great evening!

In Christ,
~Madison

Thoughts on TV and Tea Parties

2009-04-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay... so, no, I'm not talking about TV in general. You see... my family doesn't have cable. But we went to my grandmother's today, and she has cable, so I always watch some TV when we go over there. Well, we had the news on, as usual. =P Well, Glenn Beck was on (do I hear loud cheering? Come on people... I need to hear some shouts of glee here =P), and so I got to watch him, which was pretty awesome, because he is about the most frank person I've ever heard in my entire life... in a good way. ;-) Plus the fact he is absolutely hilarious... put those two together, and you've got one awesome person. Oh, and also the important fact that he is a conservative. lol Anyway, he goes on with all this news stuff, and all the junk that is going on now... well... that gets me all hyped up about all this junk, and how I wanna go out and change the world. =P That is just like me.... anyway, I loved what he did near the end of his show. He said he was going to do something "politically incorrect". He was going to talk about the Passover and Easter. People across America were probably gasping with horror at such a prospect. Oh my! He is going to talk about a *religious* holiday! *gasp* What shall become of us all? *cough* Yeah... so, anyway, I thought it was great what he did. =) He came up, he showed a scene from the Passion, and then, he continued on, saying that when we go through the rough times we are going through now, it isn't for no purpose. He basically said that through this, God is shaping and molding us. So true. Even though Glenn Beck will never see this, I wanted to say: Thanks so much Glenn! I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did on TV, not caring what others would think.
Anyway... after all that, I wanted to share also with you real quick, a commercial. It was a commercial about how with the bad economy, you probably want to have some gold, instead of dollar bills (which is probably true... but still... =P). Anyway, the reason I mention this, is the guy said something like, "If you want security, buy gold!" Or, "Your security is in gold!" Something along those lines. Anyway, the second I heard that, I thought, "I need to put this in my blog post." =P Anyway, my point is... don't you see the world in that. The world thinks that you should put your trust in money... or government... or anything, except God. This guy says you can only find security in money. How so? How does money bring you security? So many people these days only look at material things. But as Christians, we need to put our hope not in money, or the government (especially not these days ;-), but in Christ, which brings us right back to what Glenn Beck was saying this evening. Our hope is in Christ. Okay, sure, people are gonna be thinking, "Why do you place your hope in something you can't see?" Why? Because, HE is what matters. Some people can't understand that, but we all know that Christ is the only thing that can give us hope. Money can't. Nothing can, except Him. I think we need to remember that more often.

And last, but not least, TEA PARTIES! =D Okay, so you're thinking about little tea parties among young ladies. Taking tea with some of your friends, and acting all proper and dressing up and everything.
Nope.
That ain't what this girl is talkin' about.
Nope.
THIS girl is talking about a more important tea party. ;-) One that could be in the history books one day. Wanna participate? I do.
This tea party is on Tax Day, and this tea party is a bunch of them. All around the country! Okay, so, I assume that everyone who is reading my blog right now has heard of the Boston Tea Party. Well, this is what these are like! Except we're not dressing up as Indians or anything... =P These tea parties, like I said, are being held around the country this Tax Day. People are getting together in towns near you (yes, near you, so go to one =P) to complain about the ridiculous tax junk. Tax Day TEA Party. T.E.A. stands for: Taxed Enough Already. Agree? Check out this website. Fed up? Want something better? Let's make a statement. We've been quiet too long. We've done nothing too long. Let's get moving. Let's do something.

Anyway... I hope all of you enjoyed the post. I'm sorry I'm not sounding terribly clear tonight... I just needed to type some. ;-)
Have a good evening!

In Christ,
~Madison

Excitement!

2009-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick update on what is going on here at my house. =)
Well, as I think some of you know, we are finally starting a garden here! I'm super excited about this, because we haven't had a real garden in several years. But I found out a little bit more about our plants that we bought. Of course, we have the three tomato plants, three okra plants, a jalapeno plant... but I was looking through the squash plants that we got, and I found out that one of the 14 "squash" plants we got is actually a little jalapeno plant. So, that leaves us with 13 squash plants, which we got two kinds of: crookneck squash and zucchini squash. So, I'm really excited about that!
And also... hehehe... we are getting a secret. =P I'm not letting anyone know until we get them! Okay, I might tell you if I know you in real life... but then again, I might not. =P I love keeping people in suspense! lol Anyway, I'll give you a hint: it will *greatly* increase the size of our garden space! =)
I am accepting guesses on what they are! =D

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. My 200th post is coming up really soon! I have an idea for what I should do, but does anyone have any ideas on it?

Art - La Belle Dame Sans Merci

2009-04-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

This painting is by, of course, my favorite painter, John William Waterhouse. It is called La Belle Dame Sans Merci, which was inspired by the poem with the same name, which was written by John Keats.
One of my favorite things about this painting is the dark colors in it. There is a lot of "mystery" in this painting, so I think the dark colors are interesting. Also, I love the attention to detail Waterhouse put them it. They are definitely in an "elven grot". He painted her very well, with much detail to her eyes and hair, which are two very important parts in the poem.

Here is the poem that inspired the painting:

"La Belle Dame sans Merci"
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love the true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Okay, yeah, odd, but you have to admit that is a really great poem. I'm not usually a fan of poetry like that, but I really love this poem, and the painting. It is so "medieval" and mysterious.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the art post. =)

In Christ,
~Madison

Random Fact!

2009-04-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

A random post for a random fact. =)
We were eating out about... a little over a week ago. And my cousin, Austin, pointed at a picture on the wall, and he said, "Do y'all know why the guy's leg is covered up?" And, of course, we didn't know. Well, he told us that this is actually where we get the expression, "It cost an arm and a leg." Back in the old days, when someone painted your picture, people would try to show as few limbs (arms and legs) as possible, because for each arm and leg, it cost you extra. So people would turn sideways so there would be less limbs showing.
Just thought I'd share an interesting fact with y'all. =)
Have a great night!

In Christ,
~Madison

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 22, and other random stuff

2009-04-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I shall start with other random stuff. =P

First, I wanted to share something about Abby with y'all. =) I thought this was just *amazing*. Okay, so, Chris Tomlin, one of my fave Christian bands, has a new CD out, called Hello Love. Well, Abby had just heard this song from that CD called "I Will Rise". She said she really liked this song, because it reminded her that one day she would be free of her physical problems. One day, she would be totally healthy again, and she would be made perfect. Well, almost at the same time, I think it was her cousin... anyway, she has a band, and she heard the same song. For some reason, she felt a random urge to learn the song as fast as she could. So she got her band together, and they learned the song in two or three days. Well... as I think most of you know, Abby died on April 1st. Well, it was great, because since that song meant so much to Abby, her cousin was able to play that song at her funeral. God does the coolest things. =) And He put in perfect timing. I just thought I would share that with all of you. The song is at the top of my sidebar. I really hope you'll listen to it! =)

Second, I wanted to share something with all of you. When we were in Sunday School this morning, the teacher, was telling saying that oftentimes, we do something, or even don't do something and wish we had, and we look back and say, "I wish I had done that" or, "I wish I hadn't done that". Well, the encouragement he passed on to us, is that God had a reason for letting you or not letting you do that thing. There is a reason. We may not know even until we get to heaven. But there is a reason for that. Just a little thought for the day. =)

Anyway, Marissa said that "it sounded interesting" that I might tell all of you what my cousin and I did the night before last and yesterday afternoon. Well... I shall *yet again* bore all of you to *death* with my normal life. =P I'm terribly sorry I do this to all of you so much... but I like to tell *someone* about it. lol
Anyways... the night was lookin' good. It *was* going to be a boring Friday night. Nothing exciting. Then, that afternoon, my dad called and asked us if we wanted to go out and eat pizza for supper (nice pizza place, by the way, not Pizza Hut or somethin' like that =P ). Of course, we're all happy about that, because going out to eat is always fun. =) Then, we got a call that evening from my aunt. She said that after we ate there, we could come over to their house for dessert, and coffee for the adults =P. After I found *that* out, I found out that I was also going to be spending the night at their house.
So, we went out to eat... which is probably my favorite restraunt where we live. My family always seems to have the most fun when we go to this pizza place... I dunno why. =P Anyway, after that, we headed over to our cousin's house. Soo... we came in, and then almost immediately got on the Wii, and ate cheesecake. =D Hehe, fun! It is always fun to watch people play video games... don't ask me why... so I was content to sit and watch. Hehehe... wow... it was *such* an oddly hilarious game. Say for instance.... there is this beanstalk, and if you water it, you can climb it, and go up to "whale island" where the "awareness" of the whale is. =P lol!! 'Twas very odd... anyway, that was the weirdest part. Most of it was normal... although there was some other odd stuff in it.
After playing the Wii for a while, the family gathered around the computer for about 10-15 mintues, like we usually do, to watch funny YouTube videos we had found. I will show all of you the funniest video we watched sometime soon. =) Veeeery soon. And today I'll show one of the Tim Hawkins videos that we watched. Hilarious!
Anyway... here comes the MAHNAHMAHNAH part that I was telling all of you about yesterday. =P Hehehe! Okay... so my awesomeness friend Lindy sent some of my friends three videos. But this one was my absolute favorite out of the three. It is from the Muppets. Anyway, Macy and I were the only ones still at the computer, and so I pulled up the Mahnahmahnah song. =) Here it is. PLEASE watch it!! =D You'll be laughing insanely. Which is seriously fun!

Hehehe, if you're not laughing... you must be crazy. =P
Anyway, after we watched that video, we sang that song *all* night. I'm serious, we couldn't go like 5 or 10 minutes without singing the Mahnahmahnah song! =P It was awesome. But it was good we watched it before we went to bed, because if we had been around anyone else had been around, we would have driven them insane! lol
Anyway, we got ready for bed. By this time it was about 11:00, and we got in the bed, and mostly we talked about Abby, as it had been the day of the funeral. We talked about that for around 30 min. - an hour. It was a good discussion. =) Abby was a great girl, so she is great to talk about.
After that, we got back on the Wii. We talked sporadically, and sang the Mahnahmahnah song quite often. =P We stayed on there for about an hour, and then we turned the light off.... which means taaaaalking. lol
And so we talked... and talked... and talked. It was great fun, 'cause we don't really talk that much at night anymore. So we just talked each other's head off... and almost fell off the bed laughing (okay, not literally) twice. lol It was awesome! We played a game we learned at one of our friend's house, where you think of a word, and then you think of what that word reminds you of. Here is an example of me playing it, "Okay, I'll start with the word pillow. Pillow reminds me of a bed, a bed reminds me of sleep, sleep reminds me of night, night reminds me of the moon, etc." That is just an example. But the ones we did were absolutely hilarious, and we were just rolling laughing. At one point, I'm serious, I don't think I could really control my motions I was laughing so hard. =P It was sooo much fun!
After talking for about another hour, we went to bed... by which time it was about 2:50. =P
That morning, I got up about 9:00 and got ready for the day. Then I got on the computer and flipped through the modesty survey some. Before breakfast, we ate cold breadsticks. =P And they were amazing!! Actually, I could have just eaten those for breakfast they were so delicious! Then we ate a Chick-Fil-A breakfast sandwich. =)
Almost immediately after, we ran off to meet my mom. My cousin and I "switched" cars. So, we first went to a yarn shop (knitting stuff =), and then we went to the other yarn shop where we live. Then, after that, we went to a cool little Christian coffee shop that we have here, and we got lunch and some coffee. And we did somethin' you probably won't see anywhere else. =P Macy and I shared a medium coffee, 'cause Macy didn't want a whole one for herself. So we got a couple of think coffee stirrers, and slurped our coffee our of that. =P Of course, first we had a race to see who could eat the most whipped cream off the top of the mocha. lol
After that we went and dropped Macy off at her house.
Then, I got on the computer and did some stuff... and then my dad and I got in the car, and went and got some plants so we can start a garden!!!! =D =D =D I'm so excited!! We haven't a *real* garden in about 2 or 3 years! We got 14 squash plants. Yes, 14 whole squash plants. =P I was like, "Umm.... Daddy.... we need 14 squash plants???" lol And we got 3 tomato plants, 3 okra plants, and a jalapeno plant. Oh yeah, and we got a packet of seeds for two kinds of flowers. =) So I'm super excited! =)
Then, after we had supper, we went to the bookstore. Which was fun! We got to see my friend Christine and my cousin Austin.

Anyway... that was *my* Friday and Saturday. =P lol

For Today: April 5th, 2009.

Outside my window: Fairly cloudy skies... it rained a little bit earlier... I don't think it is raining now though.

I am thinking: How hard it is to find a good church. =( We just can't find anything.

I am thankful for: The fact we might go to our old church this coming Sunday!!!! =D * screams at top of lungs * Okay.. sorry... but I love my church. In my mind, it is the best church in the entire world! =D So I hope we go!!

I am wearing: A really cute set that I got from J.Jill!! =) Here is the link to the skirt and shirt. Well... they must have sold out of the shirt. But anyway, it is just the same print as the skirt. =)

I am reading: The same 'ol stuff. =)

I am hoping: That we can go to our old church this coming Sunday! I miss everyone sooo unbelievably bad. =( I'm about to die to see my pastor... and his wife... and my old youth pastor... I miss them so bad!

I am creating: Nothing at the moment.

I am hearing: Music. =) MercyMe, Time Has Come.

Around the house: I think my family is just sitting around talking... still. lol

One of my favorite things: Music. =) I could not *live* without music, I don't think. It is comforting, fun to listen to, and calming... which is all great for me. =P

What I accomplished since last week: Reading, piano, spending the night with Macy, singing "Mahnahmahnah" ten thousand times =P, getting stuff for a garden, and some other stuff like that.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Reading, piano, chorus, and the other usual stuff. I don't think we have anything else going on....

Here is a video I am sharing with you:

Hehehe! =) That is the one of the videos we watched Friday night. =P

Anyway, sorry for the incredibly long post on my random life and everything. =P I hope you enjoyed it at least some! lol
God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

Quizzes I found on Sarah's blog!

2009-04-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yea! Thanks to Sarah for these awesome quizzes. =)

Hehehe, the first one: Which race from LOTR are you?

I'm a Hobbit!

Though technically not your own race, you represent what's most enjoyable and best in the Lord of the Rings world. Your love, spirit and selflessness are unsurpassed among your Middle Earth brethren.

Which Lord of the Rings race are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

I'm quite happy, because I've always wanted to be a hobbit!! =D I LOVE hobbits! They're so cute... and short... and fat... and happy... =) I mean, who on earth can't love hobbits... unless you don't like LOTR. lol

The next quiz I took was: What hobbit are you?

I'm Peregrin 'Pippin' Took!

Troublemaking and scheming, cheerful and curious, you're Peregrin Took, more often known as Pippin!

"But the dear silly old hobbit, he ought to know that he hasn't got to ask. He ought to know that if we can't stop him, we shan't leave him."

Which hobbit in the fellowship of the Ring are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Yea!! =D I've always felt like a Pippin... slightly stupid and unaware, and crazy, and clueless... yet funny and happy. =D Ignorance is bliss... sometimes. =P lol Of course... I like all the hobbits. But Pippin I think is my fave.

And then the other ones I found off the same website.

Okay... this one is so random... but I love iPods, so I had to take it. =D
What color iPod are you?

I'm a Blue iPod

You're a Blue iPod, reflecting your mainstream taste for actual instruments. For you, it might be rock, or it might be country: the point is you like a band with a good voice and actual music.

What color iPod are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Okay.... so, I hate country. =P But I like some "rock" music... you know, like some 60's and 70's stuff. But I mean... not like... bad rock. Ya know what I mean? Just cool stuff that is good music. =) But yeah, it is true, I want *real* music. And besides that... blue is my fave color!! =) If I had an iPod, I'd prolly get a blue one.

This one was *really* random: Which 2005 Blockbuster movie are you?

I'm Madagascar!

You're the animated instant classic, Madagascar! For more information, read the description on Yahoo! Movies.

Madagascar: #9 Highest Grossing Movie of 2005, #70 All-Time

Which 2005 Blockbuster Movie are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Haha!! Okay... I dunno how I got this one. =P I mean... it was an okaaay movie, not my fave though. Kinda insane... ish... =P lol

Oh my goodness!! I'm gonna love this one. =P Which Mario Bros. Character Are You? Hehehe. =)

I'm Princess Peach!

The classic damsel-in-distress has turned more active and sportier in later games, wielding everything from a flaming dress in Super Mario RPG to a tennis racket and mini-skirt in Mario Tennis. You're Princess Peach, the love of Mario's life.

Which Mario Bros. character are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Hehehe! =) Of course... now doesn't that figure? Princess Peach... she is AWESOME! lol, but not nearly as awesome as Toad... or Mario... =P Sorry, I'm rambling.

Hehehe, fun!! What Cereal Mascot Are You?

I'm Tony the Tiger!

Strong, loud and muscular, you're the Frosted Flakes mascot, Tony the Tiger!

Which cereal mascot are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Argh!! How HUMILIATING!!! =P

Hahaha... sorry... : What color Corvette are you? =P

I'm an Arctic White Corvette!

You're cruising out by the coast in your Arctic White Corvette!

What color Corvette are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Haha, awesome. I'd prefer black though... a black Corvette would be SO indescribably awesome.

Hehe!! Oh my word!! I had to do this one. =) What Lego Piece are You?

I'm a 2x2 Lego Piece!

Small and sturdy, you're a 2x2 Lego piece!

What Lego piece are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

Raaandom. lol

This one sounded cool: What Sky Are You?

I'm an Evening Sky.

Cool and comforting, you're a brisk evening sky. You figure you've got the same number of hours every day, why waste them sleeping late or hitting the bed early? The most active hours of the day your comfort zone; morning and night are simply time to warm up and cool down.

What sky are you?

Take Other Caffeine Nebula Quizzes

I knew I would get this one. But it *should* say a night sky. I am SO a night person... I can't wake up in the morning... but I stay up until ridiculous hours of the night.

Mmk... sorry for giving all of you more boring quizzes I took. =P Hehe. But I wanted to do them terribly bad, so I did! =)

I hope all of you have a blessed day! God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. Just as a warning, I think tomorrow I will torture you all with my story of what happened last night and today... hehehe =)... and also a song that will be in your head for days... and weeks... and months... and you will sing it constantly, and you will drive your family insane. Here is a hint: MAHNAHMAHNAH!!! Hehehehe... that is all I'm telling you. =P

And we wonder why...

2009-04-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wonder exactly *why* we wonder why kids are not smart these days.

And so now we know... ;-)

In Christ,
~Madison

A Special Note, a couple of blog awards, and something for Sarah =)

2009-04-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll start with the "something for Sarah". =P Here is the picture for my button:

It may be too big... I dunno. We'll see.

As for the awards:

The first one is the Sisterhood Award!

Thanks so much Marissa!! =)
I award this to: Julia, Esther, and Melody.

The next award is The Adorable Blog Award! =)
Thanks so much Sarah!! =)
I award this to: Cassie, Marissa, Melody, Esther, and Julia. Congrats girls! =)

And then... I have a special note...

I miss you Abby!! I'm glad you're in the best place anyone could go. You were a great Christian girl, and a lot of people are going to miss you. Love you!
I'm looking forward to seeing you again one day. =)

The full story about Abby is the post below.

In Christ,
~Madison

Some Days You Just Wanna Wake Up...

2009-04-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well... I'll just plunge right into this...
We got a phone call this morning. Okay, you probably just guessed it. Me, I think it is an ordinary phone call. A few minutes later, my mom comes into the room. She walks in, and says that my cousin's and my friend, Abby, died in her sleep last night. =( She was only 14 or 15 years old. Abby has always had some health problems, but lately they had been getting worse and worse. Also, she had had to go under the sorrow having her horse, Becky, die two or three months ago.
Anyway, that is where I got this title. Some days you just want to wake up, and find out all of this was just a huge nightmare. Something that didn't actually happen... even though it did.
But I'd really, really appreciate it if you would pray for my cousin, Macy, as she knew Abby much better than I did. And also, especially pray for Abby's family as they go through this. I've seen another family go through the same thing before, and I know it is *not* easy.
Although I do have a comfort. I have comfort that Abby is now in a better place. =) Yeah, you all know where I'm talking about. The best place, where Jesus Christ reins over everything. This morning, before we got the phone call, I was just finishing up reading Revelation. And this is a passage that is comforting to me:

"Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

That is where Abby is right now. =) And one day, when I go to heaven, I'll see her again.

Anyway, I appreciate the prayer for her family.
Thanks!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. If you haven't read my book and movie review post already, I'd appreciate it if you would read it. =)

P. P. S. No, I still haven't forgotten about the award or the button, but I feel like I have ten zillion things on my mind right now... so I probably won't get to it today. But I'll try to get to it sometime this week, and if not this week, then next week.

Right now I am: Gloomy , melancholy , sad , and stressed .

Book and Movie Reviews for March and Poll Results

2009-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the last day of March, which of course means: book and movie reviews! =D lol
But first of all, I have one simple question: Where did all of these posts come from??? =/ I got on this morning and checked my dashboard, only to find there were 10 posts to catch up on!! And then I just got on a few minutes ago, only to find two more I needed to read! =P I mean... honestly... today must be "Do A Blog-Post Day"! lol Okay, I'll be quiet and get down to business...

First of all, the book reviews. Or review, that is. =P Okay, yes, I was lame and lazy this month... I only finished reading one book. =/ It takes me soooo long to read a book, but... meh... oh well.
Anyway, here is the review:

Title: I Am Regina
Author: Sally M. Keen
Rating: 5 stars
About: This is a book about a girl named Regina, who was captured by Indians, and taken away from her Pennsylvania home. This is actually a true story. Of course some of it is added in, but the basic story is true. This is a wonderful, wonderful book, although I would not recommend it for children under the ages of 11 or 12. I would have probably said ages 10 or 11, except for one part in the book, which prolly wouldn't be too great for a 10 year old. Also, there is some violence in this book, which adds to the intensity. For a younger girl (and also older girls, as this is a *wonderful* book), I would recommend the book Alone Yet Not Alone, which is about Regina's older sister, Barbara. That book is not quite as violent, yet, the quality is amazing. =) Also, it would please younger girls as it has illustrations. ;-) Anyway, this book, I Am Regina, is a great book, and I highly recommend it! I will put a review by Publishers Weekly that is on the back of the book, as I think it describes the book very well, "Raw and sensitively written, this well-researched account of a factual story neither shies away from the horrible truths of war nor sentimentalizes its emotional content.... Keehn's prose is immediate and fresh, and transports the reader into this poignant narrative." To put it this way: I never wanted to put this book down. It is a great read!!

Okay, now for the movie reviews. =)

Title: Les Miserables
Rating: PG-13
Genre: French Revolution ('twas all I could think of =P )
Rating: 5 stars!!
About: This movie is absolutely amazing! I mean... amazing doesn't even begin to describe this movie! It is about a convict named Jean Valjean. He is tortured with the worst labor by a man named Javert. But once he gets out from under the labor, and he starts a new life. He becomes a businessman and a mayor in a small town. He ends up taking in a prostitute named Fantine. Fantine has a small child named Cosette. When Fantine is dieing, Jean promises to go and get Cosette and take care of her. But by this point, Javert is catching up with Jean. He finds out who he is, and is now trying to take him captive again. So when Jean finds Cosette, he has to run and find a place to hide.
This movie is just unbelievable, and is *very* well done! Although, I would highly recommend a parent to review this first. I'm not going to set an age, because I'm not really sure where to set it at. I mean, this movie does include a prostitute in it... it is going to have a couple of not so great scenes. My cousin and I, when we watched the movie, just skipped over them.
Anyway, this is a wonderful movie, and I would highly recommend it!!

Title: Meet the Robinsons
Rating: G
Genre: Childrens
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
About: This movie is just completely hilarious. It is about a 12-year-old orphan boy named Lewis. He is a science nerd, and when anyone comes to an adoption interview for him, they end up running out of the room after only a couple of minutes. But one day, Lewis decides he is ready for the science fair. After working for a really long time on his project, he brings it in. BUT... =P Then comes Bowler Hat Guy and Doris! *gasp* =P Yeah... your typical bad guy... which makes it all the more funny. Bowler Hat Guy's main goal in life is ruin Lewis's life. Well... Lewis doesn't figure that out until a boy from the future named Wilbur comes in. Lewis is soon transported into the future, trying to fix his past. This movie has dozens of twists and turns. It is absolutely hilarious, and is a great story! And the end has about the biggest twist you can possibly imagine.
The only thing in this movie that is really kinda weird is close to the end... and then for about two minutes, things get kinda creepy. Might not wanna let the little kids watch this one. ;-)
I would definitely recommend this movie!

Title: Come What May
Rating: I think unrated.
Genre: Christian, Inspirational (to me at least =P )
Rating: 5 stars +
About: This is a story about a college guy named Caleb Hogan. He wants to transfer to Patrick Henry College. His conservative dad is totally fine with it. On the other hand, his extremally liberal mom is not. But he ends up transferring anyway. The good news is: his parents pay for the first year. The bitter-sweet news is: he can go next year as well... if he wins the Moot Court Championship.
Caleb goes to his Moot Court class. He finds out who is partner is: Rachel. Soon, they're getting to work on their Moot Court case, which is overturning Roe vs. Wade. Although Caleb isn't much into the idea of overturning Roe vs. Wade, for fear he would lose and not be able to go back to Patrick Henry. Rachel tries to make him overcome his fear of that.
Rachel starts working for Caleb's mom, who works with real court cases.
In one scene, Caleb asks Rachel to go out on a date with him, which she instantly refuses. She says she wants to keep herself pure until marriage, and that means keeping her heart for one guy, and one guy only: her husband.
As the movie goes on, the pressure on Caleb grows larger, as he has to decide if he will be overturning Roe vs. Wade in his arguement.
And so the story continues... which means if you wanna find out the awesome ending, you better go and watch the movie. =P
This is a fantastical movie that I would highly recommend to anyone! My only problem with this movie is the acting sometimes. There is only one scene (a very short one) that has really bad acting, but that is earlier in the movie. There are a few "aqkward" spots, but otherwise, it is really good! The story is absolutely amazing. I'm begging you on my knees to watch this movie. =P It is awesome!!
Here is one of the scenes from the movie:

Look good? Okay, go watch it then! =P

Okay, so those are the reviews for this month!
Now for the poll results. =)

Which of these shows is your favorite?
Out of 17 votes, 6 people said The Waltons, 5 people said Andy Griffith, 2 people said I Love Lucy, and there was 1 vote for Leave it to Beaver, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., Bonanza, and The Munsters. To tell the truth, I like all of those, except Bonanza. =P I like it pretty well... I'm just not the Western type. ;-) I didn't vote, but if I had, I probably would have voted Leave it to Beaver.

Which three books out of these are your favorite?
I think some people put more than three, but that is fine. =) Out of 23 votes, 13 said Anne of Green Gables, 6 said Pride and Prejudice, 5 said The Fellowship of the Ring, 4 said The Return of the King, 3 said The Two Towers, Oliver Twist, The Secret Garden, and Jane Eyre, 2 said The Hobbit, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, 1 said Mansfield Park, 2 said "Wow, I can't decide!" and 1 said "Meh... I don't really like any of those books." Out of all the books I listed, if I had voted, I probably would have said: Sense and Sensibility, Anne of Green Gables, and one of the LOTR books.

Do you ever go to Plugged In Online before you watch a movie?
Out of 16 votes, 9 said "Sometimes, if I don't know much about the movie", 3 said "Yes, everytime I watch a new movie!", 3 said "What on earth is Plugged In Online??", and 1 said "Everynow and then".
Well, for those who don't know what Plugged In Online is, you are seriously missing out! It is a Christian movie review site, and it includes every piece of info that you could possibly want about a movie.

Anyway... okay... you better have like this post... 'cause I spent like an hour to an hour and a half doing it. =P lol
I hope all of you have a great day!!

In Christ,
~Madison

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Week 21

2009-03-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments on my piano recordings. =) I'm glad you all enjoyed them!!
As for the votes I got from everyone on their favorite piano piece: I got two votes for Song of India, one vote for An Eagle's View, one vote for Fairwell to the Piano, and one vote for Invention No. 4 in D minor. =) Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'm glad you liked it!

For Today: March 29th, 2009.

Outside my window: Sunny skies... a bit of a breeze. =)

I am thinking: About how I need to be ready to go to church in... 15 or 20 minutes. =P

I am thankful for: The wonderful day ahead of me! =) We're supposed to go to church, and then go out to eat with my dad's brother, sister-in-law, sister, and brother-in-law, plus my two cousins, to celebrate my dad's, sister's b'day. =) lol Then, we're supposed to go to my uncle's house for a little while, and then my family will be going to an outdoor picnic thingy with fireworks. =D Speaking of which, pray it won't be too windy, 'cause if it is, they might not do the fireworks, which would be rotten. =( lol Okay, not that bad, but still.

I am wearing: An *adorable* skirt (click here to see it... and by the way, it does look different in real life =P), black shoes, an ivory, V-neck shirt, with a three-quarter length sleeve, pink shirt. 'Tis totally cute. =D One of my new fave outfits!!

I am reading: The same stuff as last time, plus A Tale of Two Cities.

I am hoping: That I can finish some of my books soon. lol

I am creating: Lots of stuff, but not really working on anything.

I am hearing: The rumble of the computer.

Around the house: Nothing much... everyone is getting ready for church, I think.

One of my favorite things: My awesomeness, wonderful friends!! =D I mean, honestly, how did I survive before I had my friends? To quote Melody, "Oh... wait... I didn't." =P

What I accomplished since last week: Tons and tons and tons of stuff!! Blogging, obviously, reading, usual stuff, chorus, piano, e-mailing... and then what I did yesterday. =) You see, my mom and I had planned doing several "outdoor" things yesterday. Well... * cough *... it ended up that it was raining cats and dogs. =P Anyway, we had planned if it was to rain, what we would do. First, we went out to eat breakfast, which was really fun. =) I had a pastry, a mocha, and my mom and I shared a "cup" of fruit. Good thing we had the fruit too.... I was about to *die* because of all the sweet stuff I was eating. =P I mean... I always have *some* kind of something that has fruit in it, or is fruit based. But eating a pastry and drinking a mocha... wow... too much sugar. lol Anyway, enough rambling. Next, we went to our first stop. You see... about two or three months ago, I bought like... three or four J.Jill skirts, plus the ones I had gotten last fall. And I had absolutely nothing to go with them. So my mom and I went shopping for things to match. Oh. My. Word. We were shopping for like... hours. =P For a while, I thought we wouldn't find anything. But at our first stop, we ended up finding two things to go with one skirt, and then a gray sweater to go with jeans or my black skirt. Then, we went to our second stop, where, thankfully, we were very successful!! We found something to go with the skirt that I'm wearing now, something to go with a mossy green skirt that I have, and something to go with this skirt. So, actually, we ended up finding something to go with every skirt that we brought... in two stops!! My mom and I were obviously excited. lol And the good thing is, is I can wear everything I bought with jeans... which means I have like a ton of new outfits. lol Yea!! =D
Okay... I'll stop talking before I make ya deaf. lol

A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, really nothing. =P I don't have chorus, or piano... so I'm going to have a nice calm week for once.

Here is a picture I am sharing with you:

Yup... that is Winston, holding his toy. =) Hehehe. We have dozens and dozens of pictures of Winston... so I have a large selection to choose from. lol

Anyway, I hope all of you have a great Sunday! God bless!

In Christ,
~Madison

P.S. No, I haven't forgotten about the award. =) I'll try to get to it soon! Sorry it is taking me so long!