An Update on my Life (or, In Which I Muse)

My life is terribly repetitive.

It's an odd thing to say, but I'm sure that everyone has felt thus in their life. I wake up every morning at the same time, eat breakfast, go to school. I sit for seven hours learning about a variety of things. Lately, even the more interesting things have begun to feel dull and repetitive. My schedule never changes. I come home, I write a bit and do homework, and then it's some reading and Internet, and then bed.

And then the same thing all over again. That's really all I have to say on that topic, but it's what's been on my mind lately. So in other news...

Last weekend, Halloween weekend if you want to look at it that way, was the first snow of the year. Which is insane because it was the last day of October/ first day of November and it never snows that early where I live. Typically there's some snow around January (last year it snowed a magnificent five inches one day and it was truly wonderful) but never ever in early November. Not much snow, but it was visible.

I've been writing furiously ever since the beginning of November because of NaNoWriMo, and I'm five chapters into my book. Five, you guys. And I got a good friend of mine to join in, and am very excited to see how that turns out. Unfortunately this means that I've been almost entirely disregarding my Christmas knitting, and I know that eventually I'm going to be in a panic trying to make up for the lost time. Ah well.

So that's my life at the moment. I know a lot of y'all are participating in NaNoWriMo this year, how's it going for you?

If Days of the Week Were People

Monday is the sort of person who always looks hurried. Its hair is always messy-- though on occasion it manages to find the time to pull a brush through it. It prefers comfortable clothes to fashionable ones and can be seen wearing a sweatshirt and jeans most of the time. Though Monday is reasonably intelligent, this intelligence is often marred by its constant exhaustion. Monday can often be found carrying a mug of coffee. Monday is nice enough, but don’t get on its bad side-- it can snap in an instant.

Tuesday is quiet. The sort of person who never answers a question in class. Shy, perhaps, but don’t be fooled-- Tuesday will talk your head off if it gets to know you well enough. Tuesday’s clothes rarely match but they make a statement nonetheless. Tuesday has a bad habit for drumming its fingers constantly against the desk or table, often irritating others... a sign of its love for playing the piano.

Wednesday is boring. You know the sort of person-- one who rarely talks and doesn’t seem to have much of a personality, who does average in everything. Wednesday wears clothes that don’t draw any attention to anything, except perhaps their dullness. Baggy and grey. Additionally, Wednesday checks its watch obsessively and bites its fingernails to the quick. It enjoys watching TV and eating popcorn (lightly salted).

Thursday is unfailingly optimistic. Notorious for wearing bright colors and getting overexcited about most everything, it constantly obsesses over the books, movies, and TV shows that it loves. Thursday has many friends, around which it is well-loved for its constantly happy demeanor. Thursday is extremely imaginative and has created whole worlds in its mind.

Friday gets distracted ridiculously easily. It can’t stay still and excels in a majority of sports. It dresses in all the sporty brands-- Nike, for example. It gets in trouble most often for not paying attention or being too aggressive in football. Unless playing a sport, it is also easily bored. Friday does not much care for reading, though secretly it has read The Wheel of Time series twice (there are fourteen books, it is quite an accomplishment), and would rather be running or throwing a ball to its equally hyper little brother. It loves many movies and TV shows, and dominates at board games.

Saturday is very laid-back and relaxed. Quick with a joke and easygoing, its favorite pastimes are surfing, rock-climbing, and canoeing. It never gets too competitive about anything, and its laziness can get tiring after a while. However it has a brilliant sense of humor and can often be found lounging on the couch reading or having Netflix marathons. It is the class clown and doesn’t much care about grades or school, though it can do very well if it puts its mind to it.

Sunday is genuinely sweet to everyone, always trying to be helpful and kind. It loves volunteering to help people and works at the local soup kitchen on weekends. It is an artist-- both with paintings and words. Its still lifes are vividly realistic, and it loves writing free-verse poems. One day it hopes to move to New York City, where it will buy a house with a room devoted entirely to its painting.

NaNoWriMo

I'm signing up for National Novel Writing Month (more commonly known as NaNoWriMo) and I'm so excited!!! This is the first time I've done it but I love writing and I'm always thinking about writing a new book.

I'll keep you posted on how far I'm getting. Are any of you signing up (if not, you should)?

Short post, sorry.

Oh, and I've finished 1/10th of my Christmas presents... only 9 more to go!

My Latest Great Endeavor

I know, I know. It's three months until Christmas.

But for Christmas we're having a LOT of family coming over. Meaning, besides my parents and my two sisters, there will also be: my aunt, uncle, and baby cousin; my grandparents; and my other aunt. And I will be knitting ALL of these people a present for Christmas, because all of them know I can knit, and all of them want something hand-knit.

Not that there's anything wrong with this. I'm happy to knit them presents, and I like knitting. But... ten objects (and nice ones, too: hats, mittens, scarves)... it's quite a lot.

• Two pairs of needles
• Eight skeins of yarn
• Two yarn needles

I'll keep you updated on finished projects as I go.

How much have you been thinking about Christmas? What are you planning on giving your family?

It's Autumn!

Today was the first day it really felt like fall. I know it's been autumn for a while now, but it's still been fairly warm. Today, though, it was really cold in my house when I woke up. And I was really cozy all curled up in bed... and only got up to get a hot cup of coffee and read my book.

My dad put on Christmas music to listen to because he says that it's October now and he's waited long enough. And so that just makes everyone feel Christmassy, even though we still have quite a while, but Christmassy is a wonderful feeling.

The leaves are starting to change colors, too. Mostly it's still all green, but there are spots of orange and yellow and red here and there. Not that I don't love summer, because I do, but I'm glad that we're entering fall.

Because there is really nothing like waking up when it's cold but you're warm under quilts, and the sun is warm, and you can wear long sleeves and a sweater but not a heavy coat.

10 Books That Have Stayed With Me

And here it is!  My first book-related post. I told you it was coming.

My mother challenged me to pick ten books that have affected me and that I think about; and then to post these books on my blog. So here we go: ten books. (I'm counting each series as one book.) These are in no particular order.

1. The Bible
2. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
5. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
6. The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis
7. The Penderwick series by Jeanne Birdsall
8. The Giver by Lois Lowry
9. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
10. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

All are extremely highly recommended, obviously. And it would be fantastic if other bloggers would post their ten books. I'm always trying to find something new to read!

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me

I was tagged for this by Sarah at foreverchanged13.blogspot.com.

The Rules:

1. Copy and paste the questions below and then answer and turn them into a blog post. Or, record a video answering these questions and upload it to your blog post.

2. At the bottom of your post, tag anywhere from 2-10 bloggers you want to see answer these questions. (I also suggest hitting up your tagged people via social media just to let them know you tagged them to do this tag challenge.)

3. Use the title: 20 Things You Might Not Know About Me Blog Tag. Once you’ve hit publish, leave a comment below with the link to your post.

4. Use the hashtag #20ThingsBlogTag when sharing on social media so we can all find your awesome posts!

Question 1: How tall are you?
I'm five foot three, almost five foot four.
Question 2: Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?
Not really. I'm pretty good about solving riddles but I'm not entirely sure if that counts.
Question 3: What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?
Blogger typically won't let me go back to erase something without forcing me to rewrite everything else. If I misspelled Blogger, "Bogger," and went back to add an L it would do this: Blgger. And then: Bloger. And so on.i
Question 4: What’s your biggest non-blog related pet peeve?
I can't sleep without the bedroom and closet doors closed for some reason. 
Question 5: What’s your favorite song?
It was "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic for awhile but now I'm not sure. I have a list of 27 songs on Spotify that I love.
Question 6: What’s your favorite Etsy shop that isn’t yours?
I don't really go on Etsy. 
Question 7: What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?
Reading, writing, drawing, knitting, and lately, Pinterest.
Question 8: What’s your favorite junk food?
Fritos. I love them. It's a weakness.
Question 9: Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?
I have a dog named Nellie:

Question 10: What are your number one favorite nonfiction and fiction books?
Fiction: The Harry Potter series, hands down (I know it's a series, not just one book, but bear with me). Nonfiction: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, probably.
Question 11: What’s your favorite beauty product?
Uhm... Nail Polish? I don't wear makeup, so I don't know.
Question 12: When were you last embarrassed? What happened?
I would rather not talk about this :P
Question 13: If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Lemonade!!!
Question 14: What’s your favorite movie?
I love the Lord of the Rings movies (and the books too). Favorite one: Return of the King.
Question 15: What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?
I'm not in high school yet; that's next year for me. I'm going to assume nerd though.
Question 16: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I would love to move to England.
Question 17: PC or Mac?
Mac, I think.
Question 18: Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?
The last interesting thing that happened to me regarding a boy was when the kid with the locker next to mine asked how I did on the math test. 
Question 19: Favorite celebrity?
Emma Watson or David Tennant. 
Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want be best friends with?
 I feel like I'll hurt somebody's feelings if I give an answer and it's not them. I might be giving myself too much credit, but I won't post the answer.


Now for the people I'm tagging:
Eve
Ella
Lily
Morning

See you all next time!

Lots of Things

I have a lot of things to say, starting with, my blog was featured on Blogs by Kids which made me super excited! My online parties consist of Imaginary Cake. So here you go-- Imaginary Cake for you, and for you, and for you, in honor of my being featured.

I won't be able to post at all during the weekend because...

I'm going camping!!!

Which I am super excited for in case you can't tell. 

I also have yet to die during our football unit in P.E. That's this football:

Not this foot ball:

Really American Football should be called "Hand-Oblong-thing" because the ball isn't really a ball, it's an oblong thing, and you use your hands. 

Anyway. 

This week I will start posting my first book reviews, I PROMISE. I've been really bad about that (I keep on thinking, I'll post a review on the next book I finish) but this time I'm going to post a review.

All for now,

More Writing

today i want to realize
that i'll never be perfect

that no one is, really
that i should stop comparing myself
to people who aren't perfect either

today i want to realize
that i'm loved the way i am

with all my awkwardness
and jokes that aren't really funny
and all my mistakes
and with all the times i say the wrong thing

because i'm me
and i may not be gorgeous
or witty or graceful
and that outfit may not look great on me
but i'm still me
instead of a barbie doll
made up to look like everyone else

and yes, i spend too much time reading
sports might not be my thing

and yes, i do cry over fictional characters
i know that might seem ridiculous

but even though i'm more comfortable in a sweatshirt than skinny jeans
and i haven't worn makeup since... well, forever
i'm so very much me
and i'm loved by the one who made me
and in the end, that's all that matters

really

Finally posting after a good long while. (To my couple  large amount of readers: Sorry!).

Who's seen the two latest episodes of Doctor Who (who here even watches the show)? So far, my impressions of the Twelfth Doctor vary. In episode 1 he seemed OK but the actual episode had content that I could've gone without. In episode 2 he was a bit of an insensitive jerk but the actual episode was totally clean. I hope it's not one or the other!

I assume that most of you by now are back at school, or maybe have yet to be done with it, if you start the reasonable way (in January) and end in November. How is it so far? I realize that most of the blogs I read are written by girls a year my elder, so for all you new high schoolers: Terrifying? Less so? Was it all you thought it would be?

I finally recently got a Pinterest account, the link for which I will post later when I can.

All for now!

A Poem

A small something I wrote, for your enjoyment. Please do not use it as your own work!

This could be a fantasy-type poem, or a metaphor for something else.

Really, it's up to you to decide.

I know you in your palaces 
with your golden walls 
crystal staircases
and 
diamond windows
don't understand why I like my own little home
you think that it's too small
thatched roofs don't keep out the rain
lack of windows brings in the breeze
only one floor (how can you stand it?)
But I wanted to tell you
just once, though I know you'll forget,
My house isn't huge but it's cozy,
filled with stories told around a crackling fire
and laughter and family,
it's nice to see the stars at night
sometimes birds fly in
and sing songs to us 
You wouldn't understand
because you live in a palace
But though palaces are nice in their own way
I prefer my little house
and walls can be made of dreams and hopes
instead of gold.

Pictures

I'm not going to be able to post as often, because of school, which is unfortunate. But I'll try to write at least once a week.

I will start posting book reports soon, due to the fact that it might make life more interesting for all you readers. Today I'm posting a couple pictures...

I feel that this would happen to me. At least, Loki is my favorite Avengers character, which apparently is not as strange as I thought it was. 

I can't believe I never noticed this in Calvin and Hobbes. I love that cartoon to death. Anyway, you won't understand this unless you watch Doctor Who. If you don't, shame on you. Commence the watching!!! Now! I'm serious.

Also, I want this room so badly...

I just found this on the Internet, so if it belongs to someone I'm sorry. But I would love a four poster bed, and this room is themed like the Gryffindor dormitories. It's got brooms and everything!

All for now! Love to all you readers!

Lake Winnie Again

Yesterday I went to the birthday party of a friend of mine and had a really awesome time...

I posted before about Lake Winnie, remember? That was before I had gotten my bearings about my blog and was really being kind of goofy. If you want to read my rambles, you can read that specific blog post here. Anyway, the birthday party-- it wasn't really a party because there weren't a lot of people there and there weren't any presents-- was at Lake Winnie, the amusement park.

We got there at about 10:30 in the morning. As soon as you walk in the park, there is this giant ride called the "Fireball".

The pictures really don't do it justice. It's huge and extremely scary-looking, and the train goes in circles around it (upside down, too). One of the girls in our little group (let's call her G) started begging all of us to ride. "It's so much fun!" she insisted. I shook my head and said no thank you, I'd rather not die today, but at the very end of the day, at about 8 pm, G had gone on it 7 times, R had gone on it 6 times, E once, Mrs. C once, and me, once. 

I was pretty much forced to go on. *shudder*

I had a great time though. We also went to the water park, which was awesome. I ended up with a sunburn on my cheeks and nose and arms and pretty much everywhere that was not covered by my shorts and t-shirt. I still have it. My dad called me "tomato-face" today.

Tomorrow's school again! (sigh) I have Geometry homework to do... my teacher gave me homework on the very first day!!! Oh, the unfairness.

May the School Year be Ever in Your Favor (and books)

The weekend is back! My first two days of school went splendidly, thank you to all of you who wished me luck!

It's exhausting waking up so early. For my school we have to wake up really super early and my alarm clock is right by my head and extremely loud. So it was kind of painful being jarred from sleep. My sister (I share a room with her) teases me because this morning, as soon as the alarm went off, I turned it off and rolled over again.

Which is true, but hey, isn't that what most people would do?

My science class is going to be awesome, I'm certain! The teacher seems really nice and she says that she won't give much homework, which is great because my Geometry teacher gave us homework on the first day :P

So, I know most of you have school coming up pretty quickly and I'm wishing y'all (do I bother you by using my Southern words?) luck. Hopefully your year will be not a good one, but a great one.

Meanwhile, I am excited for tomorrow because I have a birthday party to go to....! And I get to sleep in, too-- you wouldn't believe how fast the early-rising catches up to me.

Oh! Book recommendations! Since now people are commenting on my blog I feel I can ask that without knowing I will get no replies. So, if you have any recommendations, go ahead. I always love to read new books. (However, I know someone will tell me to read the Infernal Devices series because I'm forever getting told to read that: I'm not allowed to read them, sorry.)

I'm thinking about putting book reviews on this blog, what say you? I think it's a good idea.

Lots of love and let the school year be ever in your favor!

My Last Two Posts, Combined

My last two posts were about the Beautiful Blog Award and School. So now, I'm writing about both.

I got nominated for the BBA again by O Williams (thanks so much! I feel so loved!)-- you can find the link to the questions and answers here since I don't want to write a super long post.

Also, my nominees (less this time):
-Hannah at In the Heart of Hannah
-MorningTime4 at The Ups and Downs of my Not-So-Average Life
-Julia at Running Through the Stars

My questions are the same as the ones on the last BBA post.

Thank you!

Now my next topic, school.

Tomorrow's my first day!!! My mom got me a new shirt to wear, and I have pants that will go with it perfectly (though not shoes, I wonder what I should do, hmm...) New classes; I have P.E. first which is a pain since I don't want to be all sweaty for the rest of the day. And I'm two years ahead of my grade in math-- I have Geometry this year and it's in the twelfth grade hallway! I'm in eighth grade, dear readers! What will I do?

I don't even know any twelfth graders.

And isn't my new design going splendidly? Thanks to Eve!!!

Thanks for reading, y'all, and good luck in the coming school year! Wish me luck, too, I'm sure I'll need it!

Beautiful Blog Award

I got nominated for the Beautiful Blog Award by MorningTime4... thank you!

It seems pretty much like the Liebster Award that I've been seeing a lot lately.

Rules:
-Answer the questions given to you
-Nominate others and pose questions for them to answer
-Tell the nominees that you've nominated them.

Morning's questions (and my answers!):

1) What fandoms are you are apart of?
Doctor Who and Harry Potter 2) What book/movie do you love but everyone else despises? None that I can think of-- however, vice versa, I did not like the Shiver trilogy in the least and everyone else loves it.  3) Your opinion on biscottis? Usually delicious but sometimes too dry for my taste 4) Lemon sorbet or key lime pie (for ice cream flavors)? Lemon sorbet!!! 5) Do you have any weird pet peeves? Probably, but they're not weird to me! Seriously, I can't think of any, but I'm sure that I have some. 6) If you could have any super power, what would it be? Why? Shape-shifting, because then you could become a bird and fly, or become a spider and be practically invisible... really, it's all of the superpowers in one. 7) If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? I would love to learn how to figure skate. 8) Do you believe in miracles? Oh yeah. 9) Finish this sentence  "There is beauty all around when ……" The sun first rises in the morning and everyone's just waking up; the air is fresh and cool; and it's a new day with no mistakes in it yet. 10) Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the opossum that it could be done.  11) Name one thing you would like to do before leaving this earth. Publish a book that would touch hearts around the globe. 12) What has been your biggest challenge? Being me when everyone else wants me to be everyone else. 13) If you could stay a certain age forever, what age would that be?

Eight or nine-- old enough to make jokes and understand a lot, young enough to still be cute and innocent.

Now my questions:

-Which fictional character are you most like? (be honest!)

-What made you want to start blogging?

-Where does your blog name come from?

-What is your least favorite subject at school?

-Favorite name for a girl? For a boy?

-Where would you like to live when you grow up?

-If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would it be?

And my nominees (no order):

-Bethan at Think. Read. Write. Dream.

-Ella at Simply Scribbles

-Eve at Eve of Womanhood

-Sarah & Bernie at Forever Changed

-MorningTime4 at The Ups and Downs of My Not-So-Average Life (this might not count)

That was a long post! Thanks for keeping up with me.

School

I'm back home, and today I had to go to my school and get registered for the new school year which is coming up way too soon! It's a real shock. One of my two sisters (I'm not naming names because I don't think they'd appreciate it) is going into sixth grade, and I saw a bunch of the upcoming sixth graders. I can't believe that I used to be that small! I mean, I remember being in sixth grade (it wasn't all that long ago, after all) and I'm pretty sure that I looked the same.

I guess a lot happens between being an upcoming sixth grader and being an upcoming eighth grader.

My cousin, who is a year older than me, is going into high school. Next year he'll get his learner's permit and start to drive (he won't get his actual driver's license till later, but you know). A more terrifying thought I've never had.

Ugh, school. Not that I don't like school, because I do. (honest!) But summer vacation went way too fast!

I'm excited though because I know that I got a couple really good teachers that a lot of people like.

Also, I went through all my brand-new school supplies and organized my binders, which is always a little bit fun. Call me crazy, but I like organizing school supplies. My own room, not so much.

In other news, I'm getting a blog redesign. Excited for that! I won't post who's doing it until it's actually done, though... but I've never done a thing like that before.

All for now.

Writing Contest

Back home... sigh...

This great blog, Eve of Womanhood, has hosted a writing contest and here is my entry. It's sorta long (a bit over two pages, but an easy read), so I've linked this post to Google Drive and you can find it there.

About my entry:
I live in a very wealthy community-- but my family is very average with an average income and a smallish house. Therefore, sometimes my school asks for very expensive things on the school supply list, and sometimes the teachers suppose you have an Apple device (iPhone, iPad) and plan the lesson around a certain app that can only be found through Apple. This bothers me, as I don't have an Apple device, so I wrote a story about two kids who kind of rebel against their wealthy, expensive public school.

Please read it and enjoy!

Written at the Ocean

Today was beach day... and here's a short bit I wrote about it.

We go to a beach where the sand sparkles with tiny golden specks and smooth stones dot the shore instead of seashells. I stand at the edge of the crashing waves, looking over the ocean. Wide and vast and grey and blue.

The waves are water horses, raging and angry as they crash against me. They gallop towards the shore, sea foam dripping from their mouths.

I welcome them with open arms. 

The sand is wet beneath my feet as I walk farther into the ocean, the water coming above my knees. Soon I am joined by my mother, two sisters, and my grandfather. They laugh as the cold water splashes over them, over me. 

I feel something nudge my foot. Is it a fish, or one of the smooth, wave-tossed stones? "Watch out for crabs," my grandfather warns. I yank my foot back and he laughs. It was only his toe; he was trying to scare me. I brush myself off as haughtily as I can manage.

Some of the waves slap against me, others come softly, and still others roar-- angry and magnificent. I lose my balance once, twice, three times, when big waves hit. The water horses take me. I stumble each time and fall, salt water splashing everywhere. I can't act haughty when I'm laughing so hard.

Seagulls cry loudly in the clear blue sky, making known their existence. I look up as one flies right over me, its wings flapping lazily, soaring on the wind. The air smells of salt, of the sea, of sunscreen and sand in your bathing suit and books read on the shore and the sun in the sky. 

A piece of seaweed clings to my ankle, a watery hand. I don't know what it is, at first; I shake it off, shuddering. We rush farther in, small against the enormous ocean.

And I wish I could stay there forever.

In Which I Talk About My Book

My California trip is drawing to a close... it makes me so sad :( Tomorrow I'll be on the airplane back and the day after I'll be shopping for school supplies, kind of last-minute but not really.

On the bright side, I am over 14,000 words into my book, yay!!! 

About my book, I'm not going to tell you much. I want it to be a surprise. But I will tell you the last sentence I wrote, at the end of the sixth chapter.

"Flesh-eating birds," said Dahlia simply, and left it at that.

It's not as bad as it sounds-- and not nearly as violent. But I think it's a pretty good cliff-hanger ending to a chapter, don't you? 

Today I'm going to the beach. I love the beach so much. The California beaches are usually cooler than the rest of the state, as opposed to Costa Rica where they're hotter and much more humid. Anyway, it's really nice; yesterday we celebrated the descent of the temperature from 102 degrees Fahrenheit to 100 degrees Fahrenheit... that would be about 39 degrees Celsius to about 38, if you are not American and therefore don't use weird terms of measurement. 

I'll keep you updated on my book: And I will tell you when it's published! (It probably won't be published, but I have high hopes!!!)

Knott's Berry Farm

Yesterday, I went to one of the coolest amusement parks ever. No, it wasn't Disneyland-- $96 dollars per ticket is a bit much-- but it was still so much fun.

Knott's Berry Farm had nothing to do with berries as far as I could tell: They sold jam and raspberry preserves in the general store but that was about it. What it did have, though, was a bunch of roller coasters and rides.

It's a theme park, which basically means it has a theme (obviously). The theme here was Wild West and, in a different section of the park, Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

What was my favorite ride?

Probably the log ride though I screamed. It goes down really fast at one part, and that scared me, but it was so. much. fun. Besides, it sprayed water and it was so hot yesterday!

The log ride at Knott's Berry Farm. See that practically vertical drop? That's where I screamed.

I was really worried for my camera, because I have a bunch of pictures on it and I would be really sad if it got wet and stopped working. But it was fine.

Also, there was this:

I chose not to ride on it. 

My California vacation is drawing to a close! It's so sad-- because then I have to go back to school pretty soon after :( I like school, but I still don't want to go back.

Dogs and Chipotle (but mostly dogs)

One of the great joys in life is being greeted by a dog when you walk out of your room in the morning.

You're still half-asleep, and the dog, being full of energy, jumps on you and licks your face, its tail wagging furiously as though it wanted nothing more than to say hello to you. And then it gets back down and runs around you and follows you into the kitchen or the living room or wherever you're going...

My grandparents (I'm staying with them in California) have this adorable dog that is a mix of several small, white, and fluffy breeds, and it is just about the most adorable thing in the world. He sleeps most of the time, but in the morning he acts just so excited to see me, and it makes me happy.

This morning, for instance, I walked tiredly into the living room.

"Good morning," I said to my grandmother, who was sitting on the couch wrapped in a wonderfully warm blanket. Then: "Ah!"

I looked down to see what had jumped on me, even though I already knew what it was. There was that fluffy ball of fur, his top paws on my knees, his tongue out in a happy grin. I took a step. He took his paws off my knees and stepped in front of me, walking backwards as I continued to the kitchen.

Oh, the love of a dog.

I'm a dog person, in case you couldn't tell. Not really one for cats, because they don't seem very trustworthy.

Anyway, that was about my day, not much else except church and Chipotle (which is awesome)... of course it's only midday so there's still a lot that can be done.

Blogs and More

So, I'm here in California at last.

It's been really fun so far, though very, very hot. And dry. I'm going to start running out of lip balm eventually (eos is the best lip balm ever, by the way, and they did not pay me to say that. Unflavored ChapStick comes in a close second). I saw How to Train Your Dragon 2 today, and I cried! I know that's a bit pathetic, but ah well.

Did anyone else see that movie? Wasn't it good?

I'm also looking around for other blogs by kids like me. So far I've found a couple: Simply Scribbles and Serendipity. I'm using blogsbykids.net and it is very useful.

Also, I started a new blog for book reviews! My last one was a total failure so I'm redoing it all. Visit me at abookreviewed.blogspot.com. (Please?)

Since it's California of all places, I'm hoping to see someone famous, but as of yet, no luck. I'm sure if I did see someone famous, I would have no idea who they were and would therefore miss a great experience to brag about (I saw so-and-so!), because I really don't pay much attention to that kind of stuff.

Of course I would recognize anyone from the Harry Potter movies or Doctor Who, and seeing one of them (David Tennant! Emma Watson! Christopher Eccleston! Daniel Radcliffe!) would be so cool.

No more for now. I've started reading several more books, all at once, too. I'm going to get them so mixed up.

Excitement & Boredom

Tomorrow is my big California trip and I'll finally get to read the books that I packed in my backpack so that they wouldn't taunt me every time I entered the room. As of now, I still don't have any books, but I'm 10023 words into my book, and I've been typing it a lot. When it's published I'll let y'all know (but you won't have to be alerted by me because it will be an instant bestseller and everyone will know about it anyways) (just kidding) (sigh).

I got this super soft yarn from Hobby Lobby but I don't know what do do with it! :( I've been looking up a bunch of knitting patterns but nothing is exactly right. It is very disappointing.

I am however knitting my mother a washcloth for washing dishes, so at least I have something to do.

My dog is feeling a lot better, in case you were wondering. She went for a walk today and seems a lot happier. She's been eating her food too.

I'm really kind of bored right now. You know how when you are waiting excitedly for something time seems to sssllloooowww down and everything just creeps by as if it were in slow motion? Yeah, that's how I feel.

Oh well.

See you next time!

California, Books, and Miscellaneous Happenings

I'm going to California in four days! And I'm so excited!!!

I get to go on an airplane, which is pretty much one of my favorite things ever. I love airports. My parents, not so much. But I guess it's more stressful for adults to have to go through customs and the like.

I got three books to read on the flight there. On the way back, maybe I'll convince my parents to get me even MORE books.

I got:

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (one of the BEST titles EVER-- even though it wasn't originally titled as such)
• Murder on the Orient Express also by Agatha Christie (one of her best!)
• Black by Ted Dekker (a Christian author, and the book looks amazing!)

I was going to get a Sherlock Holmes book, but I was already getting two mysteries (well, I don't know if And Then There Were None really counts as a mystery, more of a thriller, but still), so I got a fantasy/ suspense book instead. 

The only problem is that I have to WAIT until TUESDAY so I can read the books and it is slowly killing me! Not really, but ugh! They are right now sitting in my room right where I can see them every single time I walk into the room. 

In other news, I got a Pottermore account (that's for all you Harry Potter fans). It's so great already-- I got sorted into Ravenclaw which, I think, fits my personality well. I would've loved to be in Gryffindor but it is so not gonna happen. I'm waaaayyy too cowardly. (Sigh.)

My dog is sick and keeps throwing up. No fun for anyone. She ate some of that plastic that goes around a chicken and now is torturing everyone with retching noises and the disgusting smell of... you know. 

It's a rainy day. Otherwise we would put her outside in the backyard. I fell kinda sorry for her. 

I got new books! Not to mention that I'm almost 4 full-length chapters into my book; the one I'm writing. I could actually publish it once I'm done, I mean, it's like 10,000 words already. 

Long post, sorry :) There's a lot to say. 

Boredom & Books

Boredom, to me, comes quickly and unannounced, and does not care to leave any time soon.

So I'm writing a book, which keeps me from boredom for at least a little while.

Also, I read books, which tends to keep me from boredom; unless, of course, I finish all the books that are at hand. Then I'm more bored than ever and my family has to put up with me begging to go to the Library. I'm calling it the Library with a capital L because it makes it seem more official and also, cooler. Cool things have capital letters. Like the planet Earth. Or the name Emily. Just sayin'.

Have you ever read a book so good that as soon as you finished it you just had to read it again immediately after?

Or is it just me?

If you have, please put the title in the comment box, and I will be thrilled to read it.

Yeah, if you can't tell, I'm out of books again.

Oh, what my family and friends have to put up with! Sometimes I feel sorry for them. I should probably adopt another hobby instead of reading, because knitting can get boring.

Also, I play with my dog. My puppy is named Nellie and is the most adorable thing ever except I have literally no idea what breed she is. She has some shepherd and some corgi, but still doesn't really look like either. Here is a photo:

She's very peculiar. She enjoys sitting on top of couches and eating ice.

Yup.

Well, that's all for today, folks. See you next time!

So today I checked the "stats" on my blog and was happy to see that I had 82 page views-- and I know for a fact that the aren't all me. So, yay! I may be actually getting somewhere with this! That is, if people actually care to keep on reading.

70 page views from the US and 1 from Germany. Not including myself, of course.

Obviously I'm not going to be a famous blogger or anything, especially as blogging doesn't seem to be as popular anymore. But I don't have to be all alone either.

So, thanks, you guys! Bitte shon!

A short post, but it's Saturday. I've got things to do, places to be!

OK, not really. I have a depressingly not-busy Saturday, but it's all good. I can read or write or hit things with my lacrosse ball (just kidding. Maybe.)

Amusement Parks

So, I went to Lake Winnie the other day.

I'm calling it Lake Winnie because I honestly have no idea how to actually spell it. It's like some really long Native American word that is so unspellable that I am going to stop jabbering and get to the point.

And the point is...?

This is a bit of a diary entry, and I know what you're thinking (Ohnoanotherteenwritingabouther lifewhydoesshethinkIcare). I'll give you a second to decipher what I just typed. But really, I think the idea of an online journal is a good one. Because I'm certain that my life is so terribly interesting that everyone wants to know about it.

Ah! The point! I forgot about that.

So, Lake Winnie is an amusement park that's really a lot of fun. When we went (we being my family: Mom, Dad, and my two little sisters) there weren't a lot of people there, so we could just go on rides without wwwwaaaaiiittttiiiinnnnggg for hours... and hours... and then you wonder why on earth you thought this was a good idea... but you need to keep waiting because you got this far, you can't back down now...

Jeez, I ramble a lot.

I went on the Tilt-A-Whirl twice in a row, which was a bad decision on my part because my stomach felt pretty woozy afterwards. But it was so much fun! There was this roller coaster called Wild Lightnin' that was really jerky: you know, with sudden turns and drops and things. I went on that twice too-- it was much scarier the second time, for some reason.

Also, the Ferris Wheel. My youngest sister, who is eight-- we call her Lissie and you can, too-- has been asking to go on one of these large circles since the day she was born. Okay, not really. Maybe the day after she was born. The point is, she was thrilled to finally go on one, and it did not disappoint. Me, I find it kind of boring. But peaceful too-- at least, if you're not afraid of heights. My ten-year-old sister is, and she did not enjoy it.

This has been a long post. I hope I didn't bore y'all to death. :)

First Sentences

As my first official blog post, it would seem only fitting that I write about first sentences. Lately, I've been finding first sentences in books that I check out in the library. I've never really paid attention to them, but the first sentence is, I think, one of the most important parts in a book. It draws you in, even if you don't consciously realize it.

These are the books I checked out this week:

• Mossflower by Brian Jacques
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The One Safe Place by Tania Unsworth
• She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedwick
• How my Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers
• Skellig by David Almond

Out of all of these (yes, I read a lot) my favorite first sentence was in The One Safe Place. "It was tree o' clock in the afternoon before Devin was done digging the grave." This is such a simple first sentence that you almost don't notice it. And then you think: Wait a minute. Why is he digging a grave? Who's the grave for? What does it mean, tree o' clock?

Well, first off, I can answer the last question. It means three o' clock, but Blogger has some glitch that won't let me go back and correct typos without correcting everything else. Oh well.

But I digress. The point is, that is a cool first sentence to open up a dystopian book. But I did notice that there are a lot of other ways to begin a novel. Mossflower begins with description. "Late autumn winds sighed fitfully around the open gatehouse door, rustling brown gold leaves in the fading afternoon." She is Not Invisible begins with, "One final time I told myself I wasn't abducting my little brother". I love this one too. How my Private, Personal Journal... jumps right into the story with someone talking: "Thirty seconds! Thirty seconds until showtime, everyone!" Miss Peregrine's... begins with a somewhat cliche but still pretty good first line: "I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen."And last but not least, Skellig starts out with "I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon", which is a great first line as well.

Anyway, this is my "musing" for today, and I will return.

Hello, and Welcome to Emily's Blog

Hello, and welcome to Emily's (that's me!) blog. Right now the computer or tablet you are reading this with is secretly monitoring you to ensure that you are fit to read this. If it comes to the conclusion that you are not, a bunch of men dressed in black suits and mirrored sunglasses will come and take you away.

OK, not really. Or will they...?

My name is Emily which, if you are literate, you will have figured out by now. If you are not literate, you wouldn't be reading this right now, so I don't know why I bothered with that sentence. Or why I'm not deleting it. I can only hope that you've not entirely given up on me at this point.

I'm 13 years old and completely not your average teen. Just want to get that out there. My friends call me... unique. I hope that's a compliment.

I'm totally random, and this blog is mainly for my musings. Life, the Universe, and Everything. Book reports, observations, a diary entry or two, you name it. No one read my last blog, and it's likely no one will read this one, but it's cool to have a blog, don't you think?

I love to read and write, I'm fairly good at drawing, and I taught myself to knit. Boring enough for you? I'm not a huge fan of sports but I will admit, I'm pretty excited about Costa Rica beating Italy in the World Cup. I don't play any sports, though I have tried soccer, swimming, ice skating, and lacrosse.

If you read this, I hope you'll keep up with all my random blog posts. Until then!