Blog Party!

Today was my day in a budding author blog party, go and check it out over at  Miss Jack Lewis Baillot's blog, However Improbable.

Here are links to other posts I've done on my various writing projects. So grab a cup of tea, or your other warm comforting beverage of choice, and hang around for awhile, don't forget to let me know what you think! =)

Into the Woods

NaNoWriMo

Poetry

Writings

Words

78 Words

 

Yesterday my mind had stopped thinking and would only worry and fret…..Yesterday my heart was broken…..Yesterday my soul had fled to the darkest reaches of my imagination…..Yesterday my life lay in shambles around my feet…..As I sat in the middle of the destruction every dream I had ever dreamt, I feel asleep…..Yet, as I slept, God placed one small, softly glowing seed into my heart…..When I awoke to the new day, heart sore, but healing…..That seed was hope!

Home Again!

The cars unpacked, the duffles too, the dirt is almost gone,

The sweeping up of all the sand seems to go on and on.

Our sunburned faces and and bug bitten limbs, are happy to be clean,

The sun and sand while lots of fun, to our epidermis can be mean!

From Family camp we've just come home, bug bitten tired and sore,

But as we drove away we cried, please just a little while more!

The week was full of many things, like friends and food and fun,

It was so much fun in fact, I wish it wasn't done!

I would like to thank everyone who came up and made, 

This family camp the thing it was, God's love was on display.

Old friendships deepened and new ones made, that is where it's at,

This week would not have been the same, if we had been missing that!

I will sleep in my own bed tonight, not afraid of bugs or mice,

I think maybe I'll hear bags pipes play, say, won't that be awful nice?

It's time to go, my rhymes are done, my bed is calling me,

I can't wait until next year, I love my FBC Family!* 

*Yes, I know that last line has to many syllables, but in this case content was way more important then a perfect rhyme scheme! =)

House o' Dreams(Drama Club)

Starting today Ashley over at BRAMBLE WOOD FASHION is hosting an Anne of Green Gables fashion week. How could I not participate in that??=)

Day one was going to be a dress that I thought would be perfect, but after having been proactive in finishing it, even to the point of taking pics before hand a slight(okay huge!) flaw was found in the fabric of the dress. Which might be a sheet "borrowed".....okay, stolen from the costume room clean up. There was no room for it in the fabric bin and what were they going to use an old sheet for anyway.....(blush!)

Ahem, so on to the post for today! A pic of some scenery straight out of the movie and a word picture!

I took this pic while camping at the beach with some friends last summer. It reminds me of where Anne first met Emmaline's father. I can't for the life of me remember his name though!

Today you are going to get a tour of my very own House o' Dreams!

A cool, misty breeze plays against your face as you stand looking out over the crashing waves. The scent of the sea and green growing things fill your senses. You can feel the beat of the waves as they crash against the cliff face far below you. The sight of the setting sun turning the sky a brilliant rainbow of reds and oranges setting the sea below aflame reminds you that it's time to go. You take one last long look at the sea you love so dearly and turn to go. You can hear the sigh of the wind and imagine it's telling you good bye.

You walk down a path through the leafy moss covered trees, ferns brushing against your ankles. The breeze rustles the leaves in the trees making them sound as if they are having whispered conversations that only God can know. Every once in a while you catch a glimpse of the ocean through a break in the trees, its constant whoosh muffled by the trees. You round one last bend and then you see it, your home!

Tucked on a hill side above the shore; against a forest full of enchanted things, sits the little piece of heaven on earth God has seen fit to bless you with! Close enough to hear the lullaby of the waves but far enough into the trees to be protected from the fierce power of the ocean when a storm has come. How you love to watch the waves grow higher and hear the thunder boom in response, the lightening illuminating the storm tossed sea in almost terrifying flashes.

You stop and take in the view for a moment. The house is small, but that's how you like it, you can't stay mad at the ones you love in a small house! The covered front porch is deep and wide, how you love to sit out there in your rocking chair with a book sitting forgotten in your lap as you contemplate the wonder of your Saviors creation.

The deep brown color reminds you of chocolate and the white of marshmallow. Your favorite drink inspired this color combination! The flowers that grow in riot up around the porch are in full bloom, the many colors and scents making for a heady experience as you get closer. You absentmindedly place your hand upon the gate post, it's weathered gray surface worn smooth by the hands of the many friends that have done the same.

You hurry down the stone path and bound up the steps as the rain starts to come down. Even though darkness has fallen outside the light hasn't left your home. The soft colors of the sea and shore grace your home. The soft blue-grays and greens of the sea. The light yellows, creams, pinks of the shore have inspired you in your decorating. No anchors or pelicans in sight, but more subtle touches of the coast have found there way into your home. The sand dollars you search so hard to find line the mantle, only the perfect ones please! Drift wood worn smooth by the relentless tide, sea glass, pebbles, shells and a few prize Japaneses glass floats are also scattered about. In the center of the mantle sits your favorite find ever..........do you know what happens when lightning hits the sand?

Pictures of your happy life line the walls, book cases filled with the books you love so much, the joyful voices of loved ones filling the silence and the wonderful feeling of love and peace that fills a Godly home make this your sanctuary. This is home.

So ends the tour, sorry abut the length! I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into one of my air castles. If you've even made it this far, and if you have I applaud you; this is very long!=)

The Beginning.....

I could tell you that I'm the tall, slender; wait, willowy, yes willowy is a much better word. Where was I, oh yes.....

I could tell you heat I'm the tall, willowy blond with big violet eyes and a tinkling laugh who is standing at the front desk making her way through the world by the power of her good looks and charm. Or, I could be the girl sitting in the background. Sewing machine in front of her, silent for now as she stares out at the world from behind the racks of wedding dresses. You can't see the frizzy brown hair, the apple cheeks, the shy down cast eyes and her innate awkwardness in all social situations.

How would you know, right? Your not here, it would be easy to convince you that I'm something I'm not. But, that would make this story much less interesting and we would lose the whole point. Since you have bothered to pick up this book and are still reading at this point, you're going to get the truth.

I am not the tall, willowy, blond. Shocker, right? I mean, with an opening like that, did you really expect me to be? That beautiful girl at the front desk is my older sister, Samantha. But, you can call her Sammie, giggle, smile! Sorry about that, I'm just tyring to keep true to character here.

That leaves the round faced girl hiding in the back. Yep, that's me! If you could see me, you would see me waving, but since you can't (as previously established!),  you'll just have to trust me that I'm waving right now! My name is Grace, but do not call me Gracie or I will be forced to, um, glare at you and write mean things about you on my blog!

My sister and I both worked at our Aunt Rosie's wedding store, Happily Ever After. Sounds fun, right? It is, for the most part. Sammie worked the front desk and helps the brides pick out dresses and I am the "assistant". Which means I do whatever I'm told and I help Aunt Rosie alter the dresses. That's what I'm doing right now, or should be doing right now. Instead I've got my laptop out; his name is Harold by the way, and am writing down the events that have taken place.

Like how Sammie is now married to the love of her life (and mine, but we will get to that later!) is pregnant and living the perfect all American life. What about you Grace, you might be asking. Well, I fell in love, had my heart broken, planned a wedding and had my secret double life exposed and boy did that case some ruckus! But, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's go back to were it all started,  Starbucks! What, you were expecting somewhere different?

Once upon a time.....

A Soggy Day Poem!

Plink, plink, drop, drip, drop,

I'm afraid this rain will never stop!

Raining, raining, all day long,

Like an endless drippy song.

The ground is wet and oh so muddy,

My mop has become my bosom buddy,

Seems there's more dirt inside then out,

It makes me want to stomp and shout!

Whenever two or more are gathered near,

The talk is gloomy at best I fear,

We grunt and sigh, always complain,

About this blasted soggy rain!

We all say, where are you sun?

Come and make the rain be done!

We hate it, hate it, yes we do,

Great, now I sound like Dr. Suess!

Wait! Stop, let's all rethink,

About this endless, plink, plonk, plink,

Close your eyes and smell the air,

Nothing smells quite so fair.

As the world when it's washed anew,

God has done the same for you!

Refreshed and washed you, made you clean,

Now does hope begin to gleam?

Now open up those eyes of yours,

And get thy butt out of doors,

Look around and you shall see,

A poem so lovely as a tree....

Wait a minute, that's not my line,

Oops, let's try another rhyme!!

The grass seems greener, the flowers bright,

Isn't the world a wondrous sight?

Look at those hated drops of rain,

Sparkle and glisten, a pearly sheen,

Upon our world a miracle wrought,

It's been bejeweled, now who'd have thought!

My favorite part, I've saved for last,

A promise from an ancient past,

To never flood the world again,

Given to our boat builder friend.

A promise displayed across the sky,

For all to turn an awe stuck eye,

A band of colors shining bright,

The rainbow is a wondrous sight.

God paints it there, for us just so,

That He can let us know,

He's  always there, and loves as dear,

Isn't that so good the hear?

So, when it's gray, I'll not complain,

I've decided when it starts to rain,

I'll think upon the greatness of,

My heavenly Father up above!

Sad Day?

I didn't make it to the next round of ABNA.=( My pitch wasn't really what they were looking for, the winning ones seemed to run more along the lines of book reports rather then the more book jackety type one that I wrote. I waited and waited the 24th of February checking the main page every half hour or so to see if they had posted the results. Finally at about 4pm they had the list of names ready to upload. After an excruciating 2 minutes of download time. I quickly scrolled down to the P section and my heart gave a queer little jump as it went straight from Pe to Pl. No Pi to be seen.

I sat there staring at the screen for a few minutes, then I realized the strongest emotion that I felt was not of disappointment but of relief! In actually reading my book(weird I know, just reading it straight through!) I realized that there were lots of editing mistakes still and some old bits of the the first plot running through there. It wasn't ready yet and I have some more work to do before I will get my free proof and let people outside my family read it. So far it's just my Mom and me who have read it and we both really like it, but then again I think we may be biased!

I'm thinking that I have about another month of work to do on it before I send it in to get my free proof. After that I'll start passing it around to all the people who have said that they wanted to read it when I was done and nervously await the opinion of people not blood related and predisposed to like what ever I do! =)

Into the Woods

Back in November I participated in National Novel Writing Month(AKA NaNoWriMo) and and through that I wrote a book. Early last month I got an e~mail about a contest on Amazon.com that if won would result in a publishing contract with Penguin books. Needless to say I was super excited and rushed to finish editing my book by the entry deadline. I managed to finish and sent it on it's merry way, now I just have to wait for February 25 to find out if I've made it to round two! The books that make it into the second round are being judged on a pitch that you wrote about your book.

Not only did it have to be something like you would find on the back of a book, but you also had to include why it would appeal to the age group you had written it for. Now, I entered it into the young adult category(ages 12-17) because honestly, not to many people my age read fairy tales any more! Let me tell you, that last paragraph was hard to write!

How would my book appeal and speak to girls today, I really had no idea. I think that I hit on an important issue that is very relevant and is also something that has come up in my own life. I didn't want to pull just any old moral out of my hat so to speak, I wanted it to be something that I had had personal experience with. All that to say, here's the pitch and in the spirit of optimism be looking for my book at your favorite book sellers soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have all had fantasies about entering into the book we are reading, and yet, aren't we all a little glad that we can't? Imagine if when things got intense or scary, you were unable to shut the book and walk away. It is in exactly this situation we join our heroine. Her favorite story has always been Beauty and the Beast; and, from the outside, the story seems simple. Beauty shows up, always perfect and lovely, and the hideous Beast falls in love with her. Hannah is an average girl living a normal life, but what happens when she wakes up as Beauty and finds herself in a strange place filled with magic and danger?

The danger can't be banished by the turning of a page. The Beast is real and sitting right in front of her. The enchanted servants expect things of her that she knows she is incapable of accomplishing. How can she - plain, awkward and clumsy Hannah Smith - be expected to take Beauty's place in the story? Join Hannah as she struggles to discover the truth behind fear and love. Will she allow herself to live happily ever after?

In today's world of super models and stick thin actresses girls are bombarded with images of perfection. You are only worthy of love if you are perfect. The story of Beauty and the Beast has always been a favorite of mine but Beauty was well beautiful! Would the spell still get broken if an average girl took Beauty's place? Hannah, through no extraordinary measures, breaks the curse by just being herself. A message sorely needed by girls today. Being perfect and beautiful isn't the only way to find love and your own happily ever after.

(Into the Woods is the tittle of my book!)

Rejoining the Human Race!

For the last month I have been spending a lot of my free time, wait, did I just say free time? Excuse me while I go and laugh myself into a corner about the concept of free time!....................................
Okay, I'm back now! As I was saying, I've been spending a lot of time here on Blogger, in fact during the week at least 1 hour a day, most week days it was 2-3 hours. Nap time was typing time over at the Poet house! What exactly was I doing here since I seem to have a considerable lack of posts per time spent here typing away? Well, since I don't have my own computer and didn't want my baby(yes my baby if you have a problem with me calling my book that go and, , do something to yourself! And not a lets grab a cookie type thing! ) on the Poets somewhat unreliable lap top.
Besides I wanted it here with me on the weekends so I could work on it here. So, I typed about 85 percent of it here, on Blogger. Then I copy and pasted it into Word when I got home. The spell check is a little loopy, it didn't like the name Nicolas and didn't have the word leapt! I guess my characters moved around rather quickly a lot of the time because I seemed to run into this frustration quite a few times!
If you couldn't tell from the title of the post I will now be joining the realm of the non-NaNoWriMo'ers again. It was a whole different kind of month for me. Just the massive amount of brain juice it took to keep the story going and all down in one month left me running pretty dry! I'm sure the director of the Christmas play I'm in will be happy to have me running on all my cylinders once more!
I had been wanting to write a book since I was a little kid, but I had never gotten around to it. It was one of those one day things. One day I'll write a book, one day I'll learn to play an instrument, one day I'll be 5 foot 6 and only weigh 115 pounds........okay even I don't have a big enough imagination to talk myself into that last one!
Back to the narrative, all of my down time at the Poets house was spent writing and some not so down time, can you say bored kids and nail polish? Oh, yeah! What did we learn today kids? Maybe that nail polish and blush are not interchangeable?
I didn't get much writing done at home because I didn't want to tie up our computer and I don't really have much free time.(There's that funny phrase again!) I work 40 hours a week and still do all that I used to at home. Plus my dad just got a job in NY so I'm coming home to moments like, "Katy! Your home after 10 hours of work! I know that you have to leave again in 40 minutes but can you fix the Internet, right now!?!?!"
Needles to say my life had exploded and I decided to add writing a 50,00 word novel in there because? Maybe I'm masochist, maybe I'm crazy, or maybe the aliens have finally gotten control of my brain. Whatever the reason I stepped up to the challenge and have conquered it! My book had been written, now comes the fun and easy part! Editing is always the fun easy part, right?
Wait........ why are you laughing? Hey! Why are you rolling on the floor in front of your computer, still laughing? I'm getting the impression that I said something amusing, hmm maybe this editing bit won't be as easy as I thought! Oh, well time will tell, but for now the book is going to rest and I will rejoining the normal human race, well as much as I was ever part of the normal human race that is!=)
(Just as a note, my parents are still happily married, my dad had just been out of work for 9 months and a contract job, even one in NY was very welcome. He comes home when he can and it's not a forever! Just wanted to make sure that I didn't start any rumors or anything!)

Crazy!

I was crazy to take on this quest of mine to write a 50,00 word novel in a month! What a busy month for them to choose to hold this event! I've only been caught up on word count three times. Never the less, my word count is up to 38,178! One more week to go and I couldn't be happier with how it's all turning out. We shall see what the end of of this crazy month long journey of mine holds for me and my story!

NaNoWriMo

Can anybody sane with a full schedule of other things to do write a 50,000 plus word novel in one month? That is the question asked by the people running the National Novel Writing Month competition. The challenge? To begin and finish an 50,00 word or more novel in the month of November. The challengers? Anybody with a computer who has ever wanted to write a book. Oh, and is a little on the insane side!

I had heard about this NaNoWriMo for a few years and had never given it much thought besides those people are nuts!! I'd been trying to write a book ever since I was 10! If I hadn't accomplished it in the 13 years since then what on earth would make me think I could do it in one month?

Something must have made me think I could do it, because on October 29 I signed up! Then the next day a pep talk e~mail came and it didn't pep me up one little bit! It did the exact opposite! In I found out that Twilight was only 25,000 words long! Now even if you've never read the book I know you've at least seen it somewhere. That's not exactly a light weight book! So, when I didn't even get started writing until the 3rd I had no hope of catching up to the 1,600ish word count goal. That's daily! So I was about 3,000 words behind schedule.

I sat down to write on that day and wrote for about 2 hours, spell checking as I went because I can't type. Nope, I've tried to learn really I have! Hen pecking very fast is what I do, so spelling mistakes abound in my writing! I went to a word count tool and was astonished to find I'd written about 3,000 words! I was ecstatic, not that I didn't erase half of that the next day because my characters had gone in an entirely different direction then I wanted them to.

But, not only have I caught up, I am a couple hundred words ahead of schedule! Well, at least I was yesterday, with this new dawn another 1,600ish words must roll out of my brain down my hen pecking fingers and onto the computer screen! Here is a link to my author page if you are interested.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/547888

If you are even more interested get back to me at the end of November and if I've managed to come up with anything decent you can request a copy of the next great American novel! To give you an idea of word count this post is 442 words, including this sentance!

Farewell Summer

Summer days have come and gone,

They were so very fun,

The long and lazy days of being,

Outside in the sun.

The pool is full of yucky muck,

It should be put away,

The bathing suits have all,

Been put in the drawer to stay.

The school books have come off the shelf,

The supplies are being bought,

One last week of summer time,

Is all that we have got!

Go to the park, go to the lake,

Go any where at all,

This one last week of summer time,

We all ought to have a ball!

This last summer, oh how it has been,

One of the best I've ever had,

Lots of fun, fellowship and friends,

Have made it very glad.

The fall is bringing more then,

The start of school it seems,

It brings an older sister dear,

The fulfilment of a dream!

A wedding we are having now,

Her special day we plan,

She's leaving me, this sister dear,

He is one lucky man!

Another tear this fall will bring,

The loss of friends so dear,

One only goes to school again,

And only for a year!

Sunday nights I will no longer see,

Another friend so near,

I know I will see her again,

But not so often I do fear.

Life is changing so very fast,

I'm being left behind,

Why am I being left alone?

Is running through my mind.

Then I see a sunset bright,

I feel the crisp fall breeze ,

It reminds me of the God,

That will always be with me!

He's always close, He's always near,

He'll never leave my side,

He's standing there with arms held out,

With arms thrown open wide!

This poem it has gone on to long,

It's gone from bad to worse,

I will just write one little last,

Just one more small short verse!

The moral of this story is,

There's always one you see,

Whatever life does throw my way,

God will always be with me!

Castle in the Air

While camping I was asked if you could live any where, where would it be and what kind of house would you live in. I'm not very good at coming up with spur of the moment answers so here is my answer after careful consideration! Come and take a tour of my house o' dreams.......

A cool, misty breeze plays against your face as you stand looking out over the crashing waves. The scent of the sea and green growing things fill your senses. You can feel the beat of the waves as they crash against the cliff face far below you. The sight of the setting sun turning the sky a brilliant rainbow of reds and oranges setting the sea below aflame reminds you that it's time to go. You take one last long look at the sea you love so dearly and turn to go. You can hear the sigh of the wind and imagine it's telling you good bye.

You walk down a path through the leafy moss covered trees, ferns brushing against your ankles. The breeze rustles the leaves in the trees making them sound as if they are having whispered conversations that only God can know. Every once in a while you catch a glimpse of the ocean through a break in the trees, its constant woosh muffled by the trees. You round one last bend and then you see it, your home!

Tucked on a hill side above the shore; againt a forest full of enchanted things, sits the little piece of heaven on earth God has seen fit to bless you with! Close enough to hear the lullaby of the waves but far enough into the trees to be protected from the fierce power of the ocean when a storm has come. How you love to watch the waves grow higher and hear the thunder boom in response, the lightening illuminating the storm tossed sea in almost terrifying flashes.

You stop and take in the view for a moment. The house is small, but that's how you like it, you can't stay mad at the ones you love in a small house! The covered front porch is deep and wide, how you love to sit out there in your rocking chair with a book sitting forgotten in your lap as you contemplate the wonder of your Saviors creation.

The deep brown color reminds you of chocolate and and the white of marshmallow. Your favorite drink inspired this color combination! The flowers that grow in riot up around the porch are in full bloom, the many colors and scents making for a heady experience as you get closer. You absentmindedly place your hand upon the gate post, it's weathered gray surface worn smooth by the hands of the many friends that have done the same.

You hurry down the stone path and bound up the steps as the rain starts to come down. Even though darkness has fallen outside the light hasn't left your home. The soft colors of the sea and shore grace your home. The soft blue-grays and greens of the sea. The light yellows, creams, pinks of the shore have inspired you in your decorating. No anchors or pelicans in sight, but more subtle touches of the coast have found there way into your home. The sand dollars you search so hard to find line the mantle, only the perfect ones please! Drift wood worn smooth by the relentless tide, sea glass, pebbles, shells and a few prize Japaneses glass floats are also scattered about. In the center of the mantle sits your favorite find ever..........do you know what happens when lightning hits the sand?

Pictures of your happy life line the walls, book cases filled with the books you love so much, the joyful voices of loved ones filling the silence and the wonderful feeling of love and peace that fills a Godly home make this your sanctuary. This is home.

So ends the tour, sorry abut the length! I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into one of my air castles. If you've even made it this far, and if you have I applaud you; this is very long!=)

Air Castles

Does any one else build air castles? I do, I have built them about pretty much everything in my life. Some are big and grand, others are really more like cottages nothing much to them but very homey and comforting. Whenever I feel like it I can just pop on over to one of my air castles and take a tour. Some I have been working on for years! When they fall, especially the old grand ones it breaks my heart! But what if they aren't just breaking down over time? What if some one you love is slowly picking it apart piece by peace and taking the best parts and leaving the rest in a jumbled heap? But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me explain!

What on earth am I referring to? Do I really have a bunch of castles and cottages floating around above me in the sky? The explanation is this. In Little Women they call their dreams air castles. I feel in love with the term and have been building them ever since. My dreams and anticipations get "built" up in my mind. I do it about almost everything, I even have some haunted ones filled with the things I'm not looking forward to. The driving instructor inhabits a rather large and drafty one!

As with all personality traits there are good and bad things about them. I anticipate things, come up with endless scenarios about everything in my life. It makes it hard to surprise me, because if I find out one little clue I will think and dream about it until I've figured it out. It sucks sometimes, but then sometimes then anticipation is the best part. Christmas day is overrated but it's the feeling of anticipation and joy that is Christmas spirit that makes the holidays one of my favorite times of year.

Now that you know some about my over active and rather odd imagination, back to the point of this post. Over the years of course the content of these castles has changed some of them have even faded away completely without me really noticing. But I have a treasured few that I've held on to for years. I've built them, seeking the perfect pieces, searching until I find something that is just right. Like looking for the right words in a story or the perfect angle and lighting for a picture.

I have to share when I find a something that is a perfect fit, in fact my family tiers of my enthusiasm. But I can't help it! But this inability in to keep these things to myself has caused some problems. The picking apart and poking fun can hurt. Right now though, one of the oldest and most grand castles is slowly being picked apart and gone through. The pieces I worked so hard to find and so happily shared are being taken and put into somebody elses castle. Some of my most treasured ideas are now being built into and used by somebody else for their castle!

If I find an idea first and talked about it for me I guess I want to use it first! I like reading the books I buy first and being the one to open my Cd's and things like that. I'm just funny that way I guess. Some of the joy is lost and I'm no longer as excited about them if I haven't used them first. So, now all those years of gathering ideas feels wasted and now I have to start over , my castle is slowly falling over and I'm sitting in the middle of the wreckage mad and sulking.

Am I wrong to feel this way? Should I not feel some disspointment? As I was pouting last night a song come unbidden into my head. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Okay, okay what are you trying to tell me God? What verse is that song from? I did some searching and found what I was looking for.
Matthew 7:24-27 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Okay, okay. I get it! I shouldn't pin my hopes and dreams on castles in the air. They are built on the sand and anything at anytime cold sweep them away. I should build my hopes on Jesus and the things I know He wants for my life, not base how I'm doing by how many of my castles are becoming reality. I fell asleep peaceful and knowing that it was okay to feel disappointed, but that ultimately it doesn't matter what happens to my air castles as long as I have built my real life upon Jesus. Nothing in-on-above-or below this world could ever move my house from the rock! I'll still have my castles and cottages. I have to much fun building them to ever completely get rid of them. But this reality check has dragged me out of my imagination and back out in the real world. I really needed it, sometimes God just has to smack me upside the head. And I thank Him for it everytime!=)

I have loved the rain

Get up right now and go outside, yes I'm talking to you! Go outside, close your eyes and take a deep breath. I'll wait..............................

Do you have that smell in your mind? Isn't that one of the most magical scents? I love the smell of rain, when the storm is building, when it's raining and after it's over. Nothing makes the plants look greener and who doesn't love a puddle?=) The gray days are a little tiring sometimes, but it's almost as if time has stopped. It's hard to tell the season and the light is the same most of the day, it's fun to imagine that time is standing still. But, maybe that's just me!

I love taking walks in the rain. The whispered hush of the rain as it falls and the feeling of tiny cool finger tips touching your face. The merry music it makes as it plinks and plonks down upon the world. The fairies come out to play in the rain, the rain drops make perfect fairy looking glasses. If you are walking in the woods in the rain stop, close your eyes and listen. You can hear their laughter as they dance between the drops.

Into every life some rain must fall, but I will share with you a secret. If you learn to love the rain you will have a smile upon your face and a song within your heart when everybody else is looking glum. Joy during lifes hard times can only come from one place the Creater of this rainy and wonderful world! Numbers 6: 24-25 The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”

When the light is within you, the joy will never leave you. No matter what the weather=)

Spring is Here?

It was beautiful a week ago, our early flowers were up and blooming. The flowering trees started to show some color and now they are all covered in snow! It's frustrating, but I love it here all the same!


Central Oregon's weather is unpredictable at best,
It puts our peace of mind and patients to a test,
It's warm in the middle in winter,
In spring the snow does fall,
The poor weather mans kept on his toes,
Just trying to make the call!

Before the season turned to spring,
Our flowers started growing,
But now that it is April,
Of course it's started snowing!
Our studded tires we have removed,
Like good boys and girls are we,
Now we wish we had them back,
Never mind the fee!

The seasons they mean nothing here,
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall,
Coming all on one day sometimes,
We deal with them all!
I know we get them all at once,
The sun, the rain, the snow,
But I don't care, I love living here,
Hip~hip hooray for Central O!