A Real Baby
When I was a baby...I was acrobatic. NO kidding, I must have set the world record for the most near death experiences. Most of it was because my parents first child, my brother Caleb, was perfect. He was the baby all of the books were based on. He slept at the right time, ate at the right time, talked at the right time, walked at the right time. You can't hold anything against him. The only thing he did wrong was come out of the womb sunny side up,or face first. I would fault him for that, except I did the same thing. Even my grandparents told my parents that they'd get a 'real baby' next time.
They did. I was next in line, and I always kept my parents on their toes. First thing was, babies were supposed to sleep on their back. I cried and cried until they flipped me over onto my stomach, and then I was fast asleep. Now, my mom worked at a preschool, so she brought me along. (Quick aside, my Mom grew up in Africa, so she kind of does things differently than normal moms. Such as not taking maternity leave.) She thought it was time for my nap, so she settled me on a blanket in the next room and waited for me to fall asleep. It worked with Caleb...but I was a 'real baby'.
I was convinced it was not nap time, so when she left the room to go work, I cried and cried and cried....and cried. I wanted attention, not dreams and rest. When I realized she wasn't coming back I stopped crying and decided to explore. I kicked my legs over and over again, scooting across the room on my stomach. It was slow going, but my mom had heard I was silent, and assumed I was asleep. She kept working, and I kept scooting. I wasn't really crawling, as I was only 3 weeks old, but I was definitely moving.
My mom came to check on me when I started crying again. When she walked in, I wasn't on the blanket. There was a little trail of blood though, and her eyes followed it until she saw me, kicking and screaming, stuck under a drum set, the reason I was crying. When she picked me up from the trap I was in, she saw my toes were streaming blood, from when I was kicking them against the carpet, the answer to the blood trail. I think that was about the time she took her maternity leave...
And that wasn't the last time I surprised my mother with my acrobatics and stubbornness either. I flipped my car seats off counters, walked at ten months, and would refuse to eat sandwiches if they didn't land on the plate correctly. When I was asked to say something correctly, I would either say that's what I said, or I can't say that very well. I was a 'real baby' all right.
Sledding:
This was around Christmas time, when I was four. We had this really long and steep hill behind our house, and this year it happened to be covered with about three feet of snow. We invited another family to come over and go sledding.
Our sleds were in the form of big inner tubes. They glided really well on the snow and ice, but my mom was always worried that the inner tube fabric would tear on rocks and sticks. For this reason, we were told to stop short of the woods beneath the hill. But my mom didn't know how fats and icy it really was. Squealing and laughing we sped down the hill again and again, then trudged back top the top for the next ride. We barely missed a birdhouse, and we ended up hitting one of our guests, but we always managed to stop short of the woods.
Until later. By now we had made an icy track on the already icy hill and we were making breathtakingly fast runs. The ride in question was taken by my brother Caleb and I. It started out like all of the others, and we were chortling with glee. Then Caleb realized what we all should've a long time ago. We were going too fast, and the woods were coming up fast. We tried to stop, but we were only four and six. The tube was too big and going too fast for us to possibly succeed.
So we held on tight, certain that as soon as we entered the tree line the tube would blow up. Of course it didn't, and soon the small bushes and grass clumps pulled our tube to a stop. I don't think the tube was ruined, but I don't remember.
Australia:
Now I think it was the autumn after that sledding day that we moved to Australia to plant a church. We lived there for eighteen months in a white cement house with a pink kitchen and a big backyard. The House was cement so that we would keep cool in the hot Australian climate. In the back yard, I remember three different things happening.
One thing was, this was where my 'horses' lived. These, of course, were imaginary creatures that I had to substitute real horses. There were about twenty of them and I knew them all by name and color. Every day I went out to pet them, feed them and ride them. I led them to fresh pastures and settled their squabbles with a kind but firm voice. They all loved me and would come when I whistled. Even if I didn't have food in my hands.
The next one was a very short memory. I decided to grow an orange tree in my backyard. Very carefully, I saved the orange seeds, planted them and watered them every day. I was so sure the would sprout and grow up to give us fresh oranges everyday, but they never did. I was very determined, but it was the wrong climate for them to grow and nothing came of my work.
Lastly there was Chomper. Chomper was a very big rottweiler that lived in the house behind ours. Our yards were separated by a very tall fence, so Caleb and I would climb a tree growing next to the fence and watch him. We were very interested in the big dog next door, mostly because we had no dog of our own. We were fascinated, but our little brother, Drew was not. Every time we heard that tell tale bark, our little trio split up. Caleb and I went to climb the tree to watch, and Drew would run screaming inside and slam the screen door. He felt certain that the dog next door would jump over the five foot fence, and be stopped by the flimsy screen door. Chomper never even knew Drew was there.
Torn Between Friends:
I remember in first grade when I had two best friends. Two very jealous best friends. One's name was Audra, and the other was Joelle, who I called Jojo. We used to hang out all the time in first grade and play a game called pretty girls on the playground together. To this day I don't know what that game was about.
All I remember on this day was that they got into a fight. Somehow, they got mad at each other and it got so bad that they both wanted to tell the teacher. I remember seeing them, one after the other leave our playing spot on the carpet to tell the teacher...something. I think it was something like this 'Miss Bagely. Joelle/Audra is taking my best friend away from me' Meaning Audra/Joelle.Then they came back and gave silent treatment to each other while I tried to include them both in a conversation. It was very stressful from then until lunch.
When the lunch bell rang, Miss Bagely, the first grade teacher, called me over to talk with her. She said 'Both Joelle and Audra have come to talk to me today. I take it their having a fight and you're in the middle?' that's all I remember. It was a short but vivid memory, and I still wonder what the two girls said about me.
Mrs.Wiloughby's Class:
I am now in second grade, in a new wing of the school then I had been last year, and separated from my two best friends. Our class was a very fun one and this was a year full of many events. The first one I remember was the first day of school.
I couldn't find my class. I wandered down hall after hall, looking for the classroom, but I couldn't find it. I was a very prideful; second grader, so of course, I didn't ask for help. I eventually found it. That's all there is to that memory.Then there were the twins. Their names were Timothy and Wyatt and you could tell them apart by their ears. At least, I could. Wyatt's ears had a swirled pattern, whereas Tim's were more normal. Or the other way around. A long time later, I brought brownies to class on my birthday, and dropped the dish while it was still filled with brownies. It was a full year, but there was one highlight.
Now, at our school, they had one very strict rule that I remember. NO TOUCHING THE WALLS! It spread germs, apparently. So, one day, our class had been touching the walls in the hallway too much and we all had to sit on the side of the playground during recess. While we were there, there was a sudden crash . We didn't see anything, but the playground was blocking our view. The teacher watching us told us to stay put while she went to see what happened. there were shouts of excitement from children and whistles and yells from teachers as they tried to gather their classes together. Our teacher came back and hurriedly brought us back inside to the classroom, where we were informed that a tree had fallen from the neighboring forest. We spent the whole afternoon writing a story about it.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctors Away
How to Eat an Apple
1. By a bag of apples, or pick one from an apple orchard. If picking an apple, then read steps 2,3, and 4. If not, skip them. If buying an apple read steps 5,6,7,8, if not skip them.
2. Find an orchard that is okay for you to pick in. Find an apple tree that has ripe apples hanging on it's branches.(They're ripe when they're about the size of you're fist and not too hard)
3. Grab the apple of you're choice with you're hand.
4. Twist clockwise until falls off the tree into your hand.
5. Go to grocery store or local fruit stand. (Make sure you have aboout ten dollars with you)
6. Pick an Apple or a bag of apples, any kind will work.
7. Go to cash register or whoever is selling the apples (usually at the front of the store)
8. They will tell you how much money to pay them for the apples. Give them you're ten dollars and take the money they give back to you if there is any.
9.Go to the place you want to eat your apple. It can be any where, unless it is a place where there is no eating aloud, or your around someone who is allergic to apples. An easy way to find out is to ask anyone around you if they are allergic to Apples.
10. Hold the apple you want to eat with the stem, long and wooden, is at the top, and the dent is at the bottom. Make sure your hand is leaving some of the apple uncovered.
11. Find the spot you left uncovered, not the stem or the dent.
12. Open your mouth
13.Put your front teeth into the apple. Just a couple millimeters in.
14. Put your bottom teeth into the apple, justa few millimeters in.
15. Put your teeth together, your teeth will go through the apple and pop it into your mouth. Hint: Go slow, the apple may be hard and it would take more effort to bite it off.
16. Once apple bite is in your mouth, take the rest of the apple away and hold it until you've completed steps 17,18, and 19.
17. Chew the apple bite that's in your mouth by pushing your teeth together, pulling them apart and putting them together. try to keep your lips closed while doing this.
18. Once the bite is a pulp puish it to the back of your throat with your tounge. you're body will atomatically swallow.
19. Repeat steps 11-18 until apple is only a core. this is when seeds are showing and the stem and dent are still on the apple.
20. Throw apple core into garbage.
21. If still hungry, repeat with another apple.
1. By a bag of apples, or pick one from an apple orchard. If picking an apple, then read steps 2,3, and 4. If not, skip them. If buying an apple read steps 5,6,7,8, if not skip them.
2. Find an orchard that is okay for you to pick in. Find an apple tree that has ripe apples hanging on it's branches.(They're ripe when they're about the size of you're fist and not too hard)
3. Grab the apple of you're choice with you're hand.
4. Twist clockwise until falls off the tree into your hand.
5. Go to grocery store or local fruit stand. (Make sure you have aboout ten dollars with you)
6. Pick an Apple or a bag of apples, any kind will work.
7. Go to cash register or whoever is selling the apples (usually at the front of the store)
8. They will tell you how much money to pay them for the apples. Give them you're ten dollars and take the money they give back to you if there is any.
9.Go to the place you want to eat your apple. It can be any where, unless it is a place where there is no eating aloud, or your around someone who is allergic to apples. An easy way to find out is to ask anyone around you if they are allergic to Apples.
10. Hold the apple you want to eat with the stem, long and wooden, is at the top, and the dent is at the bottom. Make sure your hand is leaving some of the apple uncovered.
11. Find the spot you left uncovered, not the stem or the dent.
12. Open your mouth
13.Put your front teeth into the apple. Just a couple millimeters in.
14. Put your bottom teeth into the apple, justa few millimeters in.
15. Put your teeth together, your teeth will go through the apple and pop it into your mouth. Hint: Go slow, the apple may be hard and it would take more effort to bite it off.
16. Once apple bite is in your mouth, take the rest of the apple away and hold it until you've completed steps 17,18, and 19.
17. Chew the apple bite that's in your mouth by pushing your teeth together, pulling them apart and putting them together. try to keep your lips closed while doing this.
18. Once the bite is a pulp puish it to the back of your throat with your tounge. you're body will atomatically swallow.
19. Repeat steps 11-18 until apple is only a core. this is when seeds are showing and the stem and dent are still on the apple.
20. Throw apple core into garbage.
21. If still hungry, repeat with another apple.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Am I a Slangwhanger? (Obnoxious writer)
"What a Hodge-podge!( an assortment of odds and ends)" I, Watson, exclaimed at the list of suspects."We'll never figure this out!"
Holmes snorted. "You, my dear Watson, are anencephalous (lacking a brain)" He sighed. " The answer is plain."
"Codswallop (nonsense)!" I shouted indignantly (offendedly)"You bloviate (brag, speak pompously). There is no way you can know the murderer from this list."
"You are Batrachomyomachy (making a mountain out of a molehill)"
This went on Boustrophedon (in a back and forth pattern) until I yelled "You are discombobulateing (confuseing) and flummoxing (exasperateing) me!"
"Then let me prove to you that my knowledge is true."
"Fine."
"Maven Thompson is guilty."
"Why?"
"Let me finish! Maven Thompson is a Quean and I will prove it"
"A Queen?"
"No, Watson a Quean, Q-U-E-A-N, meaning disreputable woman."
"You Petifogger (Confuse me with your speech)"
"You're no better. Anyhow, she is known to have abibliophobia (A fear of no reading material). She takes out more than she returns. Obviously, the victim, also known as the librarian, would no longer allow her to borrow books, so she, the librarian, was slain (killed) with a snickersnee (long knife) by Maven."
"Cockamamie! (Absurd)"
"Shall we try there then?" Holmes questioned. "If she is the jackanapes (Hooligan), then we'll put her in hoosegow(jail), and be done with it."
"Fine!" I grabbed my furphy (water container) and we set off, both in a dudgeon (bad mood).
Holmes snorted. "You, my dear Watson, are anencephalous (lacking a brain)" He sighed. " The answer is plain."
"Codswallop (nonsense)!" I shouted indignantly (offendedly)"You bloviate (brag, speak pompously). There is no way you can know the murderer from this list."
"You are Batrachomyomachy (making a mountain out of a molehill)"
This went on Boustrophedon (in a back and forth pattern) until I yelled "You are discombobulateing (confuseing) and flummoxing (exasperateing) me!"
"Then let me prove to you that my knowledge is true."
"Fine."
"Maven Thompson is guilty."
"Why?"
"Let me finish! Maven Thompson is a Quean and I will prove it"
"A Queen?"
"No, Watson a Quean, Q-U-E-A-N, meaning disreputable woman."
"You Petifogger (Confuse me with your speech)"
"You're no better. Anyhow, she is known to have abibliophobia (A fear of no reading material). She takes out more than she returns. Obviously, the victim, also known as the librarian, would no longer allow her to borrow books, so she, the librarian, was slain (killed) with a snickersnee (long knife) by Maven."
"Cockamamie! (Absurd)"
"Shall we try there then?" Holmes questioned. "If she is the jackanapes (Hooligan), then we'll put her in hoosegow(jail), and be done with it."
"Fine!" I grabbed my furphy (water container) and we set off, both in a dudgeon (bad mood).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Goodbye Easter
Dear People of the World who Celebrate Easter,
As of next year, there will be no more Easter. That's right, no cutesy baskets, no fake grass, no plastic eggs, and NO CHOCOLATE! I am resigning from my job. Don't try to replace because there is no other bunny in the world that can lay eggs. Especially chocolate ones, or plastic ones filled with chocolate. I can lay both, and have suffered major health problems from it.
Many of you are thinking, that I have one of the easiest jobs in history but have any of you tried to dye over 1,000,000 eggs a year, then hide them all over the world? Not to mention when you go through all trouble only to find that there is someone who has already hidden the eggs for you (looking at you, parents!)? Or you bounce too hard and all the eggs break? Not to mention tripping on your own big feet, which happens often enough when you are a bunny. Besides, It is hard when you have to walk on two legs like you stupid humans do! My little frotnt paws can hardly carry tihe egg basket!
Why do you need me anyway? You big name companies have already monopolized Easter enough, you don't need a bunny to deliver eggs when everyone buys them from you? Especially when no one believes in me except the small children. I thank the small people aof your race who are still faithful to me.
For you, I will leave small tidbits of chocolates and stuffies. When all of you lose faith or interest in me, than the Easter bunny will be finished. There is no second chances for those who are born from now until then and there will be none for people who suddenly believe.
Sorry, but my mind in made up.
THE FINISHED,
Easter Bunny
As of next year, there will be no more Easter. That's right, no cutesy baskets, no fake grass, no plastic eggs, and NO CHOCOLATE! I am resigning from my job. Don't try to replace because there is no other bunny in the world that can lay eggs. Especially chocolate ones, or plastic ones filled with chocolate. I can lay both, and have suffered major health problems from it.
Many of you are thinking, that I have one of the easiest jobs in history but have any of you tried to dye over 1,000,000 eggs a year, then hide them all over the world? Not to mention when you go through all trouble only to find that there is someone who has already hidden the eggs for you (looking at you, parents!)? Or you bounce too hard and all the eggs break? Not to mention tripping on your own big feet, which happens often enough when you are a bunny. Besides, It is hard when you have to walk on two legs like you stupid humans do! My little frotnt paws can hardly carry tihe egg basket!
Why do you need me anyway? You big name companies have already monopolized Easter enough, you don't need a bunny to deliver eggs when everyone buys them from you? Especially when no one believes in me except the small children. I thank the small people aof your race who are still faithful to me.
For you, I will leave small tidbits of chocolates and stuffies. When all of you lose faith or interest in me, than the Easter bunny will be finished. There is no second chances for those who are born from now until then and there will be none for people who suddenly believe.
Sorry, but my mind in made up.
THE FINISHED,
Easter Bunny
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
You Definately Need... all of These!
Boots, The Best, and not just in the West:
By using wordplay, we can change the word 'boots' to 'boost'. And these Must-have shoes are a boost, in confidence and in height. That extra inch on the heel gives you an edge, and everyone around will give you a second, or maybe a third glance. Not to mention the somewhat pointed toes make you feel like you know exactly where your going. Besides, the no traction feature means you can literally glide across your floors. Everyone will notice you and you'll definitely have the most original shoes around. Best of all these shoes are authentic, so you can use them around any farm or ranch and fit in there too. Now conveniently priced at $70!
Comes in :
Cloud White
Bruise Black
Dusty Brown
Chestnut Red
Tux Jacket, For that Formal Occasion:
Jet black with a touch of sheen in the fabric, it entered the winter formal. There was no glove on its arm, but that didn't last. The ladies dressed as colorfully as butterflies soon swarmed around its black splendor, as if it were a drop of nectar.
Glancing down at my own Black coat it seemed to pale in the presence of its onyx glory and I knew that he would be the talk of the formal. Wishing I'd thought to buy something fancier than my fathers old Jacket, I tried to join the colorful swirl of skirts surrounding the Jacket, but was immediately pushed away.
It could be you under that Tux Magnificence. Buy today for $120.
The Bow Tie: For the Slightly Snazzy Society.
Ties are hard to tie. What length should it be? How tight should it be? What color in the world should I use?Is this too formal for tonight? Is it formal enough?
Forget that silly tie. Banish those questions from your mind. Here is your solution. A bow tie. Bows are no longer for girls, the have entered the man-wear category. Formal enough for any occasion, yet never too formal, it manages to catch the attention of anyone your with. Even your half blind Grandma will notice this graceful yet manly accessory.
Buy, and enter the uncomplicated life. $20 for two!
Comes in:
Rippin' Red
Blazen' Blue
Youth full Yellow
Graceful Green
By using wordplay, we can change the word 'boots' to 'boost'. And these Must-have shoes are a boost, in confidence and in height. That extra inch on the heel gives you an edge, and everyone around will give you a second, or maybe a third glance. Not to mention the somewhat pointed toes make you feel like you know exactly where your going. Besides, the no traction feature means you can literally glide across your floors. Everyone will notice you and you'll definitely have the most original shoes around. Best of all these shoes are authentic, so you can use them around any farm or ranch and fit in there too. Now conveniently priced at $70!
Comes in :
Cloud White
Bruise Black
Dusty Brown
Chestnut Red
Tux Jacket, For that Formal Occasion:
Jet black with a touch of sheen in the fabric, it entered the winter formal. There was no glove on its arm, but that didn't last. The ladies dressed as colorfully as butterflies soon swarmed around its black splendor, as if it were a drop of nectar.
Glancing down at my own Black coat it seemed to pale in the presence of its onyx glory and I knew that he would be the talk of the formal. Wishing I'd thought to buy something fancier than my fathers old Jacket, I tried to join the colorful swirl of skirts surrounding the Jacket, but was immediately pushed away.
It could be you under that Tux Magnificence. Buy today for $120.
The Bow Tie: For the Slightly Snazzy Society.
Ties are hard to tie. What length should it be? How tight should it be? What color in the world should I use?Is this too formal for tonight? Is it formal enough?
Forget that silly tie. Banish those questions from your mind. Here is your solution. A bow tie. Bows are no longer for girls, the have entered the man-wear category. Formal enough for any occasion, yet never too formal, it manages to catch the attention of anyone your with. Even your half blind Grandma will notice this graceful yet manly accessory.
Buy, and enter the uncomplicated life. $20 for two!
Comes in:
Rippin' Red
Blazen' Blue
Youth full Yellow
Graceful Green
Monday, April 11, 2011
Shopping for Voice, anyone?
Shopping List:
-Gum
-Apples
-Bread
-Pineapple
-Dish soap
-Shampoo
IMPROVED SHOPPING LIST: Stop writing in that stupid cursive. It’s too flowery and pretty. And you take such a long time to write it.
-Gum, Don’t get that boring mint kind. We need some fruity gum, or maybe the spicy cinnamon. And don’t get those little pieces, when I want to chew gum, I want to chew gum! Make sure it’s long lasting; I don’t want to have to get a new piece every 15 minutes. And I hate it when it melts in my car, so get some that’s not too soft.
-Apples, I want Granny Smith apples. They’re bright, refreshing and flavorful. Not to mention, they’re skin doesn’t taste like its covered in wax. The red ones are too plain and too soft. Apples are supposed to be crunchy and fun to eat. Besides, they taste better when they’re dipped in peanut butter. Buy that too.
-Bread, I want soft and fluffy bread, not those kinds that are filled with ‘whole grains’ and nuts. Apples are hard, and Bread is soft, got it? I don’t care if you want me to be healthy, I won’t eat any bread at all if you buy that stuff, and then where will you be?
-Pineapple, Get the ones that are pretty. No half missing or fallen over tops, and make sure the scales are even, and not too hairy. Not to soft if you squeeze it, but not rock hard either. And try to make sure that the core isn’t too big so that we can have big pieces of pineapple.
-Dish Soap, Why bother buying Dish Soap if we have a dishwasher, stupid. But if you must buy it, then your washing dishes, so I don‘t care what you get.
-Shampoo, I want ones that smell nice. And don’t get that two in one stuff, get the actual Shampoo and conditioner, they work better. You know my hairs frizzy, sop get no frizz stuff, will you? And I don’t want princess and superhero stuff; I want the real, adult stuff that works well.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Cooking with Stress
Ingrediants:
-Pinch of No Sleep
-Dash of No Time
-Teaspoon of Misunderstanding
-Cup of Haggling Teachers
-Quart of Chores
-Gallon of Homework
Instructions:
Pour pinch of no sleep into a bowl. Mash in cup of haggleing teachers and gallon of homework. Boil a quart of chores and a teaspoon of misunderstanding.Beat first mixture into boiling pot, add a dash of no time, and serve when just under boiling over. Optional extra ingrediants: Pint of fighting friends, and a Dallop of ruined relationship. Enjoy!
-Pinch of No Sleep
-Dash of No Time
-Teaspoon of Misunderstanding
-Cup of Haggling Teachers
-Quart of Chores
-Gallon of Homework
Instructions:
Pour pinch of no sleep into a bowl. Mash in cup of haggleing teachers and gallon of homework. Boil a quart of chores and a teaspoon of misunderstanding.Beat first mixture into boiling pot, add a dash of no time, and serve when just under boiling over. Optional extra ingrediants: Pint of fighting friends, and a Dallop of ruined relationship. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Echoing Voices of Spring
SPRING BREAK
1. I think my spring break this year was one of the better ones I’ve had. I had a lot to do, and it went by at a good pace, not too slowly and not too fast. I enjoyed a couple sleepovers, hung out with friends and most importantly, packed up my house.
I am moving a little up the valley later this month, so my mom and I made sure all of our stuff was ready to go over the holidays. I don’t know about you, but organizing is what I do best, so making sure everything was sorted, into a box and labeled to go to the right room, was a great occupation for me. My mom and I also spent some time looking at pictures of our new house to figure out where possessions were going to go. We had a lot of fun and I can’t wait to put our dreams and speculations into a reality.
My dad and older brother went to El Salvador over the break too, so when they came back, they had lots of cool stories to enlighten and pictures to share. My brother couldn’t wait to show us the gifts he’d picked out for my little brothers and my dad brought back a hammock for me to hang in my new room. I can’t wait to relax and read in it!
2. None of your business.
3. Spring break, the sunny, or not so sunny at the time, Okanagan. Emerald-ring was spending it packing her house, instead of braving the rainy cold weather. She was working with only help from her Mom, because her Father and brother were building houses in the small country of El Salvador. Surprisingly, the thirteen-year-old enjoyed working with her mother on this project, and their house was ready to change locations as soon as they could move in. Two people packing up a house in Two weeks, stranger things have happened.
4. Yeah we’re having a great time over here. Spring break is in full swing and we’re packing every day. Believe it or not we’re almost done and it’s just mom and I. Dad and Caleb are in El Salvador and we’ve gotten a couple emails from them and it sounds like their having fun. How are you doing?
5. Well, I spent my spring break working hard at packing up my house. I’m very organized, so it went faster than I thought it would. My brother went to El Salvador with my dad so it was just Mom and I. We’re almost done because of hard work. Playing Monopoly was fun because I love the strategy of expanding my property without losing money, and persuading people to trade while getting what I won’t and getting the better deal.
Answers:
1. For Ms. Redfern
2. For Worst Enemy
3. For Newspaper
4. For Grandma
5. For Boss
Friday, March 18, 2011
Memory on addition lane...
I was four years old at the time. Blissfully ignorant of my surroundings, and was torn out of my normal life when my mom and dad were gone one morning, replaced by my aunt Laura and Uncle Jeff. I was confused when they told me that Mom was having a baby, and they were here to babysit us. Yes, there had been talk of a baby, and mysterious packages arriving with toys and baby things that I couldn't play with.
I quickly forgot my confusion when I realized that my cousins had also come to play with us. We spent the morning together, pretending, playing in the woods and sliding down the basement stairs. Sometime after braekfast and before lunch, Uncle Jeff inturrupted our play to announce that my mom had had the baby, and we were going to go visit her now.
After getting buckled into my carseat, I chattered to my cousin, Bethany, about my baby brother or sister. I think my uncle Jeff had told me which it was, biut I had been either to excited or didn't listen. I remember walking in the sunshine of the parking lot, and saying that I hoped I had a little sister. I had an older brother, and I was jealous of Bethany, who had an older sister instead.
"No, you have a little brother, I know"
'Bethany, you don't know anything, I have a little sister!" I was, and still am, very stubborn. We argued all the way inside, while we stood in the elevator, and as we trooped down the hall of the maturnity ward. I walked in and saw my beautiful mother, who was clutching a small blanket bundle. I got right to the point.
"Mom, do I have a sister?"
"No, honey, this is your brother, Drew Steven," I heard Bethany crowing that she had been right, but all I saw was the baby. My little brother. All wants for a sister faded away, and all I wanted was to stay with this baby forever. After some congratulations and having Drew passed around, Uncle Jeff proposed that he should take us kids to Burger King to celebrate. I protested, saying that I would stay and 'help'. My mom told me that she and Drew would be fine and that I should go and eat.
I left with my cousins, and looked back one last time at my little brother, Drew.
I quickly forgot my confusion when I realized that my cousins had also come to play with us. We spent the morning together, pretending, playing in the woods and sliding down the basement stairs. Sometime after braekfast and before lunch, Uncle Jeff inturrupted our play to announce that my mom had had the baby, and we were going to go visit her now.
After getting buckled into my carseat, I chattered to my cousin, Bethany, about my baby brother or sister. I think my uncle Jeff had told me which it was, biut I had been either to excited or didn't listen. I remember walking in the sunshine of the parking lot, and saying that I hoped I had a little sister. I had an older brother, and I was jealous of Bethany, who had an older sister instead.
"No, you have a little brother, I know"
'Bethany, you don't know anything, I have a little sister!" I was, and still am, very stubborn. We argued all the way inside, while we stood in the elevator, and as we trooped down the hall of the maturnity ward. I walked in and saw my beautiful mother, who was clutching a small blanket bundle. I got right to the point.
"Mom, do I have a sister?"
"No, honey, this is your brother, Drew Steven," I heard Bethany crowing that she had been right, but all I saw was the baby. My little brother. All wants for a sister faded away, and all I wanted was to stay with this baby forever. After some congratulations and having Drew passed around, Uncle Jeff proposed that he should take us kids to Burger King to celebrate. I protested, saying that I would stay and 'help'. My mom told me that she and Drew would be fine and that I should go and eat.
I left with my cousins, and looked back one last time at my little brother, Drew.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Laughter on the Breeze
A string of laughter, what is a string of laughter? Is it an actual string? Maybe it is a line of people laughing, or maybe just one person, who laughs on forever. People can laugh strong enough to compare them to a rope, so do some only laugh hard enough to compare to a string? In my opinion, a string of laughter is from the wind. Carrying along on the breeze, it settles cozily in a mother’s ears as her children play.
Wind always pulls things along, carrying dust, leaves, snow, and other odds and ends of our lives. It brings in the storm, and tows away the fog. It pulls the bird along for an easy flight and fills the boats sails. It brings us the sounds from far away, and alerts us to danger. But it also takes our dreams away, demolishes buildings, and deceives us with the cross-breeze. Dreams float away on the rope of the wind, and new ones take their place. It spreads the flames in a fire, and then turns them back on themselves.
Wind has many sides, many personalities. It can be angry in the tornado, sad when creaking the old barn's joints. Its gentleness is shown in the slight breeze on a summer day, and its joy in the blustery one. You know it’s annoyed when it stirs up a small dust devil. It congratulates you in the clapping of the trees branches, and wails with you in the rain. Wind is a friend, and an enemy for the people who have suffered its wrath.
My favorite gift of the wind is from my senses. Smells carried in from a wildflower field, or maybe after a rain, a strain of music from a concert, a cooling touch on your neck in heat, and the water in your mouth from the kitchens tantalizing aromas. Sights are affected by the wind. You don’t see the wind itself, but you know where it is and where it’s been. The willows branches whipping, writhing in the power in the wind, swirling leaves, making tornadoes, and the waves crashing on the turf.
How can the wind have so much effect without us seeing? How can it be so good, yet so evil? Wind has more power than we give it credit. It plays such a big part in our lives, and we take it for granted. There are so many thoughts the word wind brings us, and to think it all started with a string of laughter.
Wind always pulls things along, carrying dust, leaves, snow, and other odds and ends of our lives. It brings in the storm, and tows away the fog. It pulls the bird along for an easy flight and fills the boats sails. It brings us the sounds from far away, and alerts us to danger. But it also takes our dreams away, demolishes buildings, and deceives us with the cross-breeze. Dreams float away on the rope of the wind, and new ones take their place. It spreads the flames in a fire, and then turns them back on themselves.
Wind has many sides, many personalities. It can be angry in the tornado, sad when creaking the old barn's joints. Its gentleness is shown in the slight breeze on a summer day, and its joy in the blustery one. You know it’s annoyed when it stirs up a small dust devil. It congratulates you in the clapping of the trees branches, and wails with you in the rain. Wind is a friend, and an enemy for the people who have suffered its wrath.
My favorite gift of the wind is from my senses. Smells carried in from a wildflower field, or maybe after a rain, a strain of music from a concert, a cooling touch on your neck in heat, and the water in your mouth from the kitchens tantalizing aromas. Sights are affected by the wind. You don’t see the wind itself, but you know where it is and where it’s been. The willows branches whipping, writhing in the power in the wind, swirling leaves, making tornadoes, and the waves crashing on the turf.
How can the wind have so much effect without us seeing? How can it be so good, yet so evil? Wind has more power than we give it credit. It plays such a big part in our lives, and we take it for granted. There are so many thoughts the word wind brings us, and to think it all started with a string of laughter.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
DOH!
Ever had the urge to crush something? Really stretch it and squeeze it? Or maybe you would like to show off your artistic abilities, mold and build something, or maybe you’re an animal person, and you really want a pet of your very own, well boy are you in luck!
Play-Doh, the thing of wonder, the multi-tasker, the Doh that can do anything, for anyone over 2 years! Busy mom that thinks TV rots kid’s brains and doesn’t have enough money for a babysitter? Play-Doh will keep your kids occupied for hours. Work stressing you out? Play-Doh will help you relieve your anxiety by letting you squeeze out your tense brain and muscles, and it’s cheaper than the chiropractor. If you need a companion, just use the Play-Doh to make yourself the perfect friend or pet, and if you have a fight, you can just crush them and no one gets hurt.
Maybe you’re an artist that just can’t make up your mind. Like when you make a piece of art, but don’t like it, and want to start over. With any ordinary paint and paper, you can’t just erase your works, but with Play-Doh, just press it back together, and start again! Play-Doh comes in many different shapes and sizes, and all the colors of the rainbow, and more! Play-Doh dries out if you keep it out too long, so always make sure to put it away when you’re finished. One amazing fact about Play-Doh is that if you love your work that you made, just stick it in the oven, and keep it forever.
So remember, whatever your needs, wants, or desires, come to Play-Doh, the Doh that can do anything. (Fun to play with, not to eat!)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sacrifices Come First.
The door slammed behind him, and warmth returned to the room once more. Was it because the cold winter was shut out? Or because Allen had left her presence? Rose sighed, it had been a good relationship, but it was time to end it. Allen had never understood the prospect of Rose having alone time. He didn't grasp that her world didn't revolve around him. She had other responsibilities, she was the queen of the land now that her father had passed on. Rose wouldn't be surprised if she never got married, for the land was in turmoil, a great war was raging between their allies, the Yidions and the enemy Moorland people. Since they were allies, they were expected to help them fight,and many men were being lost.
She was thinking of ending the friendship between the two kingdoms, but her good friend Grace was a princess in Yide, and she didn't know if she could stay sane without their leisurely rides and picnics. But for your kingdom, he father had often said, you needed to make sacrifices. Rose turned and started penning her end of the alliance to the kingdom of Yide. She would not allow one more man from her people die for a war between other kingdoms. For a fight that wasn't theirs. Rose would have to end her friendship with Grace, as she had ended her relationship with Allen.
How many more sacrifices would have to be made be fore the end of her reign?
She was thinking of ending the friendship between the two kingdoms, but her good friend Grace was a princess in Yide, and she didn't know if she could stay sane without their leisurely rides and picnics. But for your kingdom, he father had often said, you needed to make sacrifices. Rose turned and started penning her end of the alliance to the kingdom of Yide. She would not allow one more man from her people die for a war between other kingdoms. For a fight that wasn't theirs. Rose would have to end her friendship with Grace, as she had ended her relationship with Allen.
How many more sacrifices would have to be made be fore the end of her reign?
Learning.....and where.
I'm going to start by saying that each person has a left brain and a right brain. Your left brain is your academic learning, and your right brain is your common sense, and artistic skills. Some of us are more right brained than left, and vice versa. I think that left brained learning occurs in school, and right brained learning, the common sense, occurs in life. Both are important, but the question here is, which form of learning is more important?
Let's start with left brain learning, the academic form. Some examples are reading and writing. Those are the only reason I think we need to got to school. It is almost impossible to survive in the world if you cannot read and write. Another important learning tool is Math. Numbers are used world wide, and if you can't add or subtract, than you can't balance finances. This will lead to real trouble in your life. The other subjects, like Science, Social Studies, Drama, French, we don't really need.
Now on to right brained learning, the common sense, and the artistic point of view. I think this is the more important form. If you know every language in the world, but you can't cook, you will have to use TV dinners, and that is not healthy. If you know all of the bodies functions, but youcannot tie your shoes, than you will be behind the rest the rest of the world.
My grandfather was kicked out of school because he was 'too dumb to learn'. That is bologne! My grandpa is that smartest person I know. He built a bridge acro a creeek for truck and trailers without going to school for it. He fixes tons of cars and tractors, and he is a fabulous cook. My grandpa is one of the smartest people I know, and he was kicked out of school for not being left-brained.
So, being right brained is important, but its definately not everything. If I had a choice of being right-brained or left-brained, I would choose to be right-brained. Full of Artstic talent and Common Sense.
Let's start with left brain learning, the academic form. Some examples are reading and writing. Those are the only reason I think we need to got to school. It is almost impossible to survive in the world if you cannot read and write. Another important learning tool is Math. Numbers are used world wide, and if you can't add or subtract, than you can't balance finances. This will lead to real trouble in your life. The other subjects, like Science, Social Studies, Drama, French, we don't really need.
Now on to right brained learning, the common sense, and the artistic point of view. I think this is the more important form. If you know every language in the world, but you can't cook, you will have to use TV dinners, and that is not healthy. If you know all of the bodies functions, but youcannot tie your shoes, than you will be behind the rest the rest of the world.
My grandfather was kicked out of school because he was 'too dumb to learn'. That is bologne! My grandpa is that smartest person I know. He built a bridge acro a creeek for truck and trailers without going to school for it. He fixes tons of cars and tractors, and he is a fabulous cook. My grandpa is one of the smartest people I know, and he was kicked out of school for not being left-brained.
So, being right brained is important, but its definately not everything. If I had a choice of being right-brained or left-brained, I would choose to be right-brained. Full of Artstic talent and Common Sense.
Typo for Better
Wouldn't it be awesome if the people writing the laws and regulations of driving made a typo? Many of us think so, though we don't all agree on what the typo should be. And so, the age old (In more ways than one) question remains. Should driving age be at 14, 16, or 18? I think we should keep it at sixteen, and here's why.
First of all, I KNOW that driving age shouldn't be at age 14. Who needs to drive at that age anyway? There is not many places that a 14-year -old wants to go to. If they do, however, tend to have a lot of activities, they can get a ride with parents, siblings, friends, the bus, or just simply walk or bike. Exercise is always a good thing. Also, 14-year-olds aren't old enough to get jobs, so they don't have anywhere that they have to be except school, and that has a school bus. They aren't mature enough to care about the rules on the road that keep people safe, and that will endanger them and other people.
On the other hand, I don't have as much of a conviction that the driving age should be at age 18. There are the same amount of pros and cons. On the good side, 18-year-olds are mature enough to handle themselves on the road, but they also might of waited so long to have this privilege that they go drunk and crazy with freedom. They also have many instances where they can use a car to get places, like a job or dates, but that happens before age eighteen. They're jobs will also help pay for bills, but again, teens usually get jobs before they're eighteen. I think waiting to be eighteen is just too long to wait.
Therefore, since 14 and 18 are out of the question, I think the appropriate driving age should be 16. This is when teens start high school and have more clubs, sports, and extra-curricular activities to attend. Also, this is when teens usually buckle down and get a job, and paying more of they're own fees in the famiy. However, I don't like the rules in BC where you first get an 'L', an 'N', and finally a full fledged lisence. By then you are nineteen, even older than eighteen and even more drunk with freedom. Teenagers are so daunted by th three years of magnets that they doon't start until they are forced to learn or ride the bus the rest of thier life.
So, my final opinon is that we should stick with the age of sixteen, but not have an 'L' or an 'N'. Keep the age, or the numbers, not the letters. They only give adults more time to adjust to the fact that thier children are driving. Driving should start at sixteen, and be a full fledged lisence.
First of all, I KNOW that driving age shouldn't be at age 14. Who needs to drive at that age anyway? There is not many places that a 14-year -old wants to go to. If they do, however, tend to have a lot of activities, they can get a ride with parents, siblings, friends, the bus, or just simply walk or bike. Exercise is always a good thing. Also, 14-year-olds aren't old enough to get jobs, so they don't have anywhere that they have to be except school, and that has a school bus. They aren't mature enough to care about the rules on the road that keep people safe, and that will endanger them and other people.
On the other hand, I don't have as much of a conviction that the driving age should be at age 18. There are the same amount of pros and cons. On the good side, 18-year-olds are mature enough to handle themselves on the road, but they also might of waited so long to have this privilege that they go drunk and crazy with freedom. They also have many instances where they can use a car to get places, like a job or dates, but that happens before age eighteen. They're jobs will also help pay for bills, but again, teens usually get jobs before they're eighteen. I think waiting to be eighteen is just too long to wait.
Therefore, since 14 and 18 are out of the question, I think the appropriate driving age should be 16. This is when teens start high school and have more clubs, sports, and extra-curricular activities to attend. Also, this is when teens usually buckle down and get a job, and paying more of they're own fees in the famiy. However, I don't like the rules in BC where you first get an 'L', an 'N', and finally a full fledged lisence. By then you are nineteen, even older than eighteen and even more drunk with freedom. Teenagers are so daunted by th three years of magnets that they doon't start until they are forced to learn or ride the bus the rest of thier life.
So, my final opinon is that we should stick with the age of sixteen, but not have an 'L' or an 'N'. Keep the age, or the numbers, not the letters. They only give adults more time to adjust to the fact that thier children are driving. Driving should start at sixteen, and be a full fledged lisence.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Story Ending
... LOUDER! The sound kept heightnening, kept growing, gaining speed and velocity. The officers still feinged ignorance. Suddenly I thought I MUST be mad, for how else could simpletons, such as these men before me, keep their act up for so long. They weren't like me, weren't nearly as cunning, couldn't possibly be as paitent. THey could not of heard the sound it was impossible.
They didn't know, though they soon would. They would here and know everything. The sound was now past the barrier of my ears, it was in my mind, in my soul. I would die from it I was sure, it would slowly kill me.
My heart matched it pound for pound, beat for beat, stroke for stroke. And then, it slowed. The sound slowed and my heart slowed. Slower, slower, softer, softer...until it stopped.
They didn't know, though they soon would. They would here and know everything. The sound was now past the barrier of my ears, it was in my mind, in my soul. I would die from it I was sure, it would slowly kill me.
My heart matched it pound for pound, beat for beat, stroke for stroke. And then, it slowed. The sound slowed and my heart slowed. Slower, slower, softer, softer...until it stopped.
Monday, February 28, 2011
A One-Eyed Dinner at my Uncle's
The floorboard creaked, and I sat up straight in bed. There, standing with it's back to me was the biggest dog I had ever seen. I stifled a scream. What should I do? It would turn around soon, and then it would kill me, I was sure. It was sniffing through my suitcase that I had left open on my floor. Great, its got my scent, now I can't run. I had to do something before it turned around. It was too late, and as it turned, I noticed to things at once, one it only had one eye, and two, it was...smiling? It jumped up on my bed, knocking me flat, and pointed its nose at my throat.
You can imagine my surprise when it started licking me instead of maiming my face. It was friendly, alright, but it was still big and its paws were crushing my chest. "Get off!" I told it severely. It whined a second before obeying, jumping off my bed altogether. But a moment later, its nose was back again, sniffing my face and whining. I noticed the sun was up, so I decided to get up. Pushing the dog's nose aside, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched. I had gotten in late last night., so I was a little stiff.
I was visiting my uncle for a few weeks, at my mothers insistence, and already I knew I would hate it here. The house was entirely made of wood, wooden walls, wooden floors wooden furniture. There was no paintings to adorn the walls, no carpets, and no cushions on the chairs. Not to mention I had just been attacked by his monster mutt.
After dressing I went downstairs to see how good my uncles cooking was, and to my dismay, he had left a note on the table, saying he had already left for work, and I would have to 'forage my own breakfast'. The dog had tagged along and was wagging his tail behind me.
"What are we going to do boy?" He wagged his tail harder."I could eat you I suppose, and kill two birds with one stone." Great, I was reduced to talking to a one-eyed dog. And now I'm thinking of eating him. Am I that desperate?
I didn't know, but this was going to be a long visit.
You can imagine my surprise when it started licking me instead of maiming my face. It was friendly, alright, but it was still big and its paws were crushing my chest. "Get off!" I told it severely. It whined a second before obeying, jumping off my bed altogether. But a moment later, its nose was back again, sniffing my face and whining. I noticed the sun was up, so I decided to get up. Pushing the dog's nose aside, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched. I had gotten in late last night., so I was a little stiff.
I was visiting my uncle for a few weeks, at my mothers insistence, and already I knew I would hate it here. The house was entirely made of wood, wooden walls, wooden floors wooden furniture. There was no paintings to adorn the walls, no carpets, and no cushions on the chairs. Not to mention I had just been attacked by his monster mutt.
After dressing I went downstairs to see how good my uncles cooking was, and to my dismay, he had left a note on the table, saying he had already left for work, and I would have to 'forage my own breakfast'. The dog had tagged along and was wagging his tail behind me.
"What are we going to do boy?" He wagged his tail harder."I could eat you I suppose, and kill two birds with one stone." Great, I was reduced to talking to a one-eyed dog. And now I'm thinking of eating him. Am I that desperate?
I didn't know, but this was going to be a long visit.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Writing Prompts
1. If I were invisible for a day I would move things around on people, and also sneak around the halls climbing on stuff I wasn't supposed to.
2. My name is a secret but fellow blogs call me Emerald ring because that is who I am on this blog.
4. If I had only twenty four hours left on earth, I would do stuff I had always dreamed of doing, and say good bye to everyone I could think of.
2. My name is a secret but fellow blogs call me Emerald ring because that is who I am on this blog.
4. If I had only twenty four hours left on earth, I would do stuff I had always dreamed of doing, and say good bye to everyone I could think of.
Hitting with my Best Shot
I eyed the blood-red yarn with disdain.It blocked me. Fencing in marbles that could be mine if only I could get them out of its seemingly insignificant perimeter. I chose my shooter carefully, a medium glass marble with a smooth surface and flashy colors of red, yellow, and green. Kissing it for luck, I aimed it carefully with my thumb, and catapulted it into the mine field of marbles. Ricocheting against them, it made the smaller marbles retreat from the yarn circle with terrifying speed. When it finally stopped in the center, a gaping hole stood where there used to be a huge mass. I cheered and gathered the marbles I had won into my lap. Grabbing my shooter marble, I pumped my fist in the air and yelled with triumph.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
It was a Dark and Stormy Night...
"It was a dark and stormy night, we were all sitting around a campfire, when someone asked me to tell a story, and so it began," our camp leader, Leader Luke, as we called him, cleared his throat. "It was a dark and stormy night, we were all sitting around a campfire, when someone asked me to tell a story an-"
"Hey! Your just saying the same thing over and over!" I told him insultingly. "Tell us a real story!"
Our camp leader laughed. "My Grandpa told that one to me when I was a kid. It took me a while before I figured it out."
"I've got another one," said Tom, straightening a little "Pete and Repeat were on a bridge, Pete fell off, so who was left?"
"Poor Pete," Muttered Zoe, the kindhearted one.
"That's easy, the person left was Repeat." I flushed proudly.
Tom started again "Pete and Repeat were on a bridge, Pete fell off, so who was left?"
"Repeat!" I had already said that, why was he asking again?
"Pete and Repeat were on a-"
"All right quit it, we all get what your saying." Rob rolled her eyes as he talked. "Can we have smores now?"
Leader Luke looked up from the flames. "Sure, why don't you guys go find some good roasting sticks, and I'll get the marshmellows."
Soon, we all had three or four smores in our belly, and were tucked soundly in our sleeping bags, Zoe and I in one tent, Tom and rob in another, and Leader Luke in the third. I was almost asleep when Zoe asked,
"Where's Drizzle? She usually sleeps with me," Her eyes looked round and scared.
Where was she? We realized that we would have to go outside and find Drizzle, our black lab. We both picked up our flashlights and put on our coats and shoes, then stepped into the night. We flicked on our flashlights, and beamed them around the trees looking for Drizzle's camoflaged black shape. We didn't see her. Then we took a deep breath and stepped outside the clearing.
"Drizzle!" We yelled into the night, but we heard no answering bark. Suddenly, we heard something crashing through the woods behind us, and then a hand reached out, grabbing my shoulder and twisting me around. It was...Leader Luke.
"What are you girls doing?"
"W-We-We were looking for Drizzle!" I sttuttered slowly.
"She's lost," Zoe added.
Luke sighed. "OK, how about you girls go sleep in your tent, and I'll look for Drizzle."
"OK," together, we trooped back to our tent, which seemed farther away than it was before. When we finally got back to our tent, we zipped the flap, turned on our flashlights, and sat up the rest of the night, afraid to sleep without our beloved dog.
"Hey! Your just saying the same thing over and over!" I told him insultingly. "Tell us a real story!"
Our camp leader laughed. "My Grandpa told that one to me when I was a kid. It took me a while before I figured it out."
"I've got another one," said Tom, straightening a little "Pete and Repeat were on a bridge, Pete fell off, so who was left?"
"Poor Pete," Muttered Zoe, the kindhearted one.
"That's easy, the person left was Repeat." I flushed proudly.
Tom started again "Pete and Repeat were on a bridge, Pete fell off, so who was left?"
"Repeat!" I had already said that, why was he asking again?
"Pete and Repeat were on a-"
"All right quit it, we all get what your saying." Rob rolled her eyes as he talked. "Can we have smores now?"
Leader Luke looked up from the flames. "Sure, why don't you guys go find some good roasting sticks, and I'll get the marshmellows."
Soon, we all had three or four smores in our belly, and were tucked soundly in our sleeping bags, Zoe and I in one tent, Tom and rob in another, and Leader Luke in the third. I was almost asleep when Zoe asked,
"Where's Drizzle? She usually sleeps with me," Her eyes looked round and scared.
Where was she? We realized that we would have to go outside and find Drizzle, our black lab. We both picked up our flashlights and put on our coats and shoes, then stepped into the night. We flicked on our flashlights, and beamed them around the trees looking for Drizzle's camoflaged black shape. We didn't see her. Then we took a deep breath and stepped outside the clearing.
"Drizzle!" We yelled into the night, but we heard no answering bark. Suddenly, we heard something crashing through the woods behind us, and then a hand reached out, grabbing my shoulder and twisting me around. It was...Leader Luke.
"What are you girls doing?"
"W-We-We were looking for Drizzle!" I sttuttered slowly.
"She's lost," Zoe added.
Luke sighed. "OK, how about you girls go sleep in your tent, and I'll look for Drizzle."
"OK," together, we trooped back to our tent, which seemed farther away than it was before. When we finally got back to our tent, we zipped the flap, turned on our flashlights, and sat up the rest of the night, afraid to sleep without our beloved dog.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Moonrise Will Come.
Rising above the horizon, I looked down on the Okanagan Valley. I was in a silver fullness tonight, spreading my white light into the shadows the sun had left behind. Humming along to myself, I listened to the wolves’ song to me. The wolves always cheered me up because they were the only ones to love me. Everyone else slept while I spread my beauty on the world.
Either that or they did ill doing. Stealing, trespassing, vandalizing. Bus stations were being robbed of luggage, and souvenir shops ransacked. Was it my fault that they did that? Just because they were hidden in the cover of the night, did that mean I was responsible?
I never gave them ideas to do these things, and I never encouraged them. Crimes happened in the day as well as the night, and id people ever blame the sun? No they worshipped the sun. They worshipped the sun and cursed the moon. The werewolf was said to be activated by me, but who made that up? Did they put at the end of the story; any mention of anyone in real life is completely coincidental? No, they didn’t, and everyone blamed me for something I never did. People hated me when they had to take the graveyard shift, and children cursed their bedtime. Nocturnal creatures are shunned for not living in the day, and are often blind and ugly.
If you have ever seen the man in the moon, you may notice he frowns. I am the man in the moon, but why did humans force their own image into me. Can I not just be me, the moon, without adding a man into it?Will there ever be a time where the night is dominant? A time when the world depends on me?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Red Roses, Blue Violets
New Rose
Roses are dead
Violets are blue
I need a new rose,
How about you?
Smart Valentine
Violets are blue
Rose’s thorns are sharp
If you didn’t know that
You’re not very smart
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sweeps Sorrow
That day. That cursed day changed my life. Changed my calling, changed my job. The day my parents died of fever, everything changed it seemed. I was made an adult far too soon, so they said. Maybe I was. I didn't know. It was normal to me, to all the sweeps. The older takes care of the younger. We all work to stay alive. We all clean the chimneys of London.
"Emma, how much farther?" asked my brother Steven for the umpteenth time.
Rather than answer I said, "We're almost there, Steven. Be patient." I truthfully didn't know where I was going. It was a searching day. I couldn't find any customers on the streets, so I looked for one on the roofs. It was summer though. No one used their fireplaces in the summer, except at night.
"Emma, it's hard to be patient, there's nothing to do, and I'm tired of walking." Steven complained.
"Then help me search.”
"What are we searching for?" I loved my little brother, but sometimes he asked too many questions. Rather than telling him what I was searching for, I gave him a more difficult task.
"Find a lady walking her dog," I told him. That ought to keep him busy, any madam of London worthy to be called a lady would be having tea about now. I checked yet another chimney. Nope, too clean.
Walking the ridgepole of a fairly steep roof, I checked one that was still warm. No, It must have been just cleaned. I heard a shout from Steven behind me and whirled around, afraid he had fallen.
To my relief, he was balancing just fine, pointing at something in the street below. My eyes followed his finger and saw a well-clad woman strutting down the street with a very small dog.
"Found it, now what?" Steven asked impatiently.
“Now... find another sweep," This I actually wanted him to do, looking up at the horizon, I realized it was getting dark. We would have to find a place to sleep soon. I needed to find a sweep who knew the roofs around here to help us find a spot. We traveled along the ridgepoles for a long time. I finally called a halt, since the lamplighters were making their rounds below and my feet were too tired to stand. I settled Steven beside me and tried to sing him softly to sleep.
“I don't want to sleep... I'm hungry," Steven protested. I was hungry too, we had run out of supplies last night at supper, and we hadn't eaten since. I tried to ignore my stomach pains, but it was too hard, especially with Steven whining about his beside me.
There, at that very moment, I made a decision. I had always been taught not to steal. My parents told me it was wrong, the priest told me it was wrong, and the examples made of those who did it showed me it was wrong. For you, it may be a choice between stealing and not stealing, but for me, it was a choice between stealing and surviving. In a way, I had no choice.
"Stay here," I told Steven. I slowly stood up, the weight of what I was about to do weighing me down, and then strode determinedly to the nearest chimney I could fit down. Sitting on top of it I dangled my legs down while tying my handkerchief around my mouth and nose. I took a few breaths of fresh air, and then started my decent. Jamming my feet in cracks in the sides and holding myself with my arms while switching feet. Finally, I touched bottom and was able to crawl out of the fireplace. I was black from head to toe, so I wiped my feet before treading on the plush carpet. I found my way to the kitchen, grabbed two bread rolls, then followed my tracks back to the fireplace. I was focusing so hard on my footprints, that I didn't notice the man in front of me until I bumped into his somewhat large belly and looked in alarm at his hard face.
”Filthy wretch!" He sneered at me, then noticing what I held in my hands, added. “And a stealing one at that!" Before I could move he grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to where a telephone hung on the wall. I squirmed, screamed and kicked, but then man had an iron grip on me as he called the police. After he hung up, he slapped me hard across the face. Stunned, I slumped silently to the floor.
”That’ll teach you!" He hissed, turning to face the door as we heard feet outside the door, which banged open to reveal to London constables.
They saw me and, seeing the ashes on my body, knew I was a chimney sweep. They didn't even talk to the man before one threw me over his shoulder and walked back into the street. "No, please!" I pleaded, but to no avail. I suddenly remembered Steven, huddling alone on the rooftop. "Steven! Steven, run!"
His face, his innocent face, peered over the ledge of the roof. "Emma?" he asked. "Emma, where are they taking you? Emma, don't leave me, come back, please!"
The constable carrying me was pushing me into a police carriage now, and I managed to scream one phrase before he shut the door and locked it. "I love you, Steven!"
I still love him, and wonder about him, even locked up in the London jail. I wish more than ever that hunger had not driven me to that man's house, wish that I had paid attention and not got caught, and wish that I had been able to talk to Steven more before they took me. But I didn't, couldn't. I am Emma, a chimney sweep of London, and this is my life-long sorrow.
Monday, February 7, 2011
My Life is a Blurb
Is your life?
a) So happy its boring, so you need to read this exciting book
b) So sad its depressing, so you need to distract yourself with this book
c) Full of demanding teachers, so you need a book for your book report due tomorrow
d) None of the above, you just need something to do.
e) None of the above, you love reading
If you are one or more of the above, you should read this book. This isn’t some true story about all of my life’s woes, nor is it some grade one ditty about some child’s perfect life like Jane and her dog spot. I haven’t done anything heroic, haven’t broken any records, and haven’t made a new word in the dictionary. This book may sound boring, but it’s my life, and it sure wasn’t boring living it. I worked hard to make it happen the way it did, and I made some mistakes that you might find funny. But it’s my life. Respect it. Enjoy!
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