Tomorrow is the big day! Finally the time has come, and I'll be seeing my first Broadway show! It's so exciting. I'll wait to say anything more because tomorrow evening or Monday I'm going to make a post to tell you all about it.
Lately I've been doing better at keeping up with my writing. I haven't been doing a lot, but it's better than none. Also, I think I say that way to often, so I'll try to update you on my writing in a way that is different and not quite as repetitive. Hm.... This is harder than it sounds. Like, way harder. Um, let me put it like this. I'm on chapter two and my character has gone through so much that it should be more like chapter four. Maybe five. Also, she's a very tough gal to work with. Her name is Gaelic for Elizabeth, so Ealasaid. For fairly obvious reasons I can't say Ealasaid said, after she speaks. That is a rather troublesome thing to work with, yet I cannot bring myself to change her name. Even though when I think of the name Elizabeth I think of a red headed girl, not brown-blonde.
I have continued reading Anastasia: The Lost Princess today. Lately I just haven't been reading as much, so I finally continued a bit. It's such a different perspective than I'm used to. Ever since I learned of Anastasia's story I figured she had to have died. Thing is, everywhere I read it always says weird contradicting things such as, "DNA scans prove that the entire Romanov family died in the Ipatiev House that night, though due to missing DNA either Anastasia or Maria might have survived. Maybe even Alexei though it's inconclusive." I mean, I'm only paraphrasing, but that is literally what I see written everywhere. It's extremely frustrating. Due to James Blair Lovells book my opinion on whether Anastasia survived is being heavily questioned. It's so totally possible that Anna Anderson was Anastasia. But I can't find actual conclusive results on her DNA test, so it's impossible to say for certain. One thing is for sure, Anna Anderson was more than a mere impostor if she was not Anastasia after all. I'm going to start on a post about the Romanov's soon, though the exact topic I've yet to decided. I keep going between a post about Rasputin, or about the Ipatiev House and near the time of the Romanov's death.
Oh yes, just recently I got a new nightstand! My old one was a little table that has been around for as long as I can remember. It had a few scribble marks and wasn't the best looking. My new one it part of my desk set, and has a huge draw that I have no idea what to put in it. It's all quite glorious. Also, we're getting closer to when Daniel and I move into the bigger room, and Daddy moves the office into our room. I think we might start working on it in the next month or so. Daniel and I still haven't decided on a color for out room. I want something less neutral than a boring brown, grey, or blue-grey that we have around the house. But the room has to still have a neutral feel, since someday we want to sell the house. In my mind I see a glorious red, but I'm sure if I went with that color it wouldn't turn out half as good as it does in my head. We we'll probably pick a nice shade of blue or green.
About three times today the chickens have started making a ruckus, and I've gone to the door seeing if the coyote has returned. He's becoming a frequent visitor, and needs more than a human appearing on the upper deck to permanently keep him away. Now whenever I got to the door and check I bring an air soft. Ideally I'd get the BB guns, but my air soft are much easier access. Hopefully old wolfy with leave our chickens be.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about horses, and how I've planned my future. It just makes me want to spend more time at a barn, but I haven't found one to volunteer at yet. I sent a message to a barn that a friend goes to the other day. But that's the irksome thing about equestrians. None of them seem to have a second to reply to emails. I don't really understand not replying. When I receive an email I'm like, boom, gotta respond. These people obviously don't. Kind of like my alarm. Some people can lazily lay, letting it go off for a while, but when I hear my alarm I shoot up trying to turn it off in a panic. Almost as though it'll explode if I don't turn it off quick enough. It's weird.
I've almost memorized the entire song of Let it Go in French. It's quite fun to sing it. I've almost memorized the Healing Incantation from Tangled in French too. That one is so short though, so it's easy to remember.
While browsing Freegal a while back I discovered a cover that Peter Hollens did, of the song Brave by Josh Groban. Well I fell in love with it, and just the other day decided to listen to the actual song. It. Is. Amazing! Oh my gosh, I love it the more I hear it. You have to go check out both versions.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Fear Not, I'm Still Here
Since I haven't posted for like, six days or whatever, I decided to make a quick post before bed. I dunno why, but I just haven't thought about my blog these past few days.
I've started writing for real, and my novel Heart of Fire is almost at 6,000 words. Yeah, tiny and all, but it's a start of course. My goal is for all my books to be a minimum of like, 150,000 words. Thing is, I don't think any of them have enough plot for that. Terrible, I know. Luckily I have found a path of unending possibilities to lengthen Heart of Fire. I can't wait to get the first draft done. On another note, I should seriously keep editing and going through Believe. After all, I got the first draft and all. But it needs help and a complete re-write. That's never gonna happen when it's becoming a dusty old file on Scrivener.
After reading a friends blogpost about experimenting with bangs, I seriously want bangs. I do this all the time. See, I'm always afraid to get my haircut. I mean, with curly hair you just don't know how it will really turn out, and these days I just brush the top of my head a little if I don't shower, so I'm not used to hours in the bathroom styling my hair and such. But I love the look of bangs. But bangs are short hair, and short hair and curls often don't mix. But bangs would look so pretty! But the struggles! I really don't know. Deep down I want bangs. It's not the same commitment as going from hip length hair to shoulder length, as I keep wanting but deciding not to do. I dunno, what do you think?
I seriously need to write another history post. My list currently includes, writing about the wreckage found of the Titanic, Rasputin who was the last Tsaritsa's holy man and who has creepy eyes, and either facts about Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, or Mary Queen of Scots. I've also been thinking of writing about real rumors and stories of Robin Hood, and history surrounding the Crusades to the Holy Lands led by Richard the Lion Heart (son of Eleanor of Aquitaine).
Today I finally started exercising. I must say, it felt good. While running on the elliptical I finally got around to continuing H2O. I only have one episode left until the season two finale. The running went great; I was able to run 1.16 miles in 25 minutes. My goal was to run at least a mile in that time. As for the target exercising, well. Lets just say there's room for improvement. I find myself doing the exercising too fast, but with time I'll get better. I'm just glad I finally started, after finally getting the proper exercise clothes and a much needed yoga mat. I kind of doubt I'll feel sore tomorrow, so that's why my target workout wasn't too great. Hopefully I'll be able to go slower on Wednesday.
I would write more, but alas, it's late and I should be sleeping right now. Well, it's not that late, but I should be getting to bed anyways. See y'all tomorrow! (Okay, yup, yeah. Saying y'all is still strange. We have friends who moved up from Georgia, and whenever they say y'all I can't help but giggle inside. It sounds so funny; almost cute).
I've started writing for real, and my novel Heart of Fire is almost at 6,000 words. Yeah, tiny and all, but it's a start of course. My goal is for all my books to be a minimum of like, 150,000 words. Thing is, I don't think any of them have enough plot for that. Terrible, I know. Luckily I have found a path of unending possibilities to lengthen Heart of Fire. I can't wait to get the first draft done. On another note, I should seriously keep editing and going through Believe. After all, I got the first draft and all. But it needs help and a complete re-write. That's never gonna happen when it's becoming a dusty old file on Scrivener.
After reading a friends blogpost about experimenting with bangs, I seriously want bangs. I do this all the time. See, I'm always afraid to get my haircut. I mean, with curly hair you just don't know how it will really turn out, and these days I just brush the top of my head a little if I don't shower, so I'm not used to hours in the bathroom styling my hair and such. But I love the look of bangs. But bangs are short hair, and short hair and curls often don't mix. But bangs would look so pretty! But the struggles! I really don't know. Deep down I want bangs. It's not the same commitment as going from hip length hair to shoulder length, as I keep wanting but deciding not to do. I dunno, what do you think?
I seriously need to write another history post. My list currently includes, writing about the wreckage found of the Titanic, Rasputin who was the last Tsaritsa's holy man and who has creepy eyes, and either facts about Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, or Mary Queen of Scots. I've also been thinking of writing about real rumors and stories of Robin Hood, and history surrounding the Crusades to the Holy Lands led by Richard the Lion Heart (son of Eleanor of Aquitaine).
Today I finally started exercising. I must say, it felt good. While running on the elliptical I finally got around to continuing H2O. I only have one episode left until the season two finale. The running went great; I was able to run 1.16 miles in 25 minutes. My goal was to run at least a mile in that time. As for the target exercising, well. Lets just say there's room for improvement. I find myself doing the exercising too fast, but with time I'll get better. I'm just glad I finally started, after finally getting the proper exercise clothes and a much needed yoga mat. I kind of doubt I'll feel sore tomorrow, so that's why my target workout wasn't too great. Hopefully I'll be able to go slower on Wednesday.
I would write more, but alas, it's late and I should be sleeping right now. Well, it's not that late, but I should be getting to bed anyways. See y'all tomorrow! (Okay, yup, yeah. Saying y'all is still strange. We have friends who moved up from Georgia, and whenever they say y'all I can't help but giggle inside. It sounds so funny; almost cute).
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Something to Look Forward To
About a month ago our family decided something. For about three, four years now we've been on a serious spending freeze. We haven't gone on vacation in a while, and barely got to go to Oregon last year. Basically we stay home and don't go out. But this is year two of Trebon, and things are really starting to look up. While this isn't for sure, we've decided to act as though it will happen no matter what, but we're planning on going on a Disney Cruise in March 2016. I'm really excited, and I think having something set more than just, if we can, really helps. This year, we're also very likely going camping, which is something I've missed the last few years. Camping is the best.
For years now I've wanted a good camera. I've got a little silver point and shoot, but the picture quality is beyond terrible. So now that I've got a good paying job I'm going to get a really nice camera. My budget is around four hundred to five hundred dollars, so it'll be a while before I save up enough. All yesterday and this morning I was looking at different cameras. So far I have three contenders, but will almost positively go with the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. It doesn't have changeable lenses, but it's still an amazing camera. I can't wait until I can finally buy it, or whatever camera I actually decided on. My plan is to have it in time for the Cruise, but hopefully sooner.
Since watching Phantom of the Opera with Tiana for the second time, I've become completely obsessed. I just finished listening to Act II from the 25th anniversary cast, which is my favorite. The music is just so amazing! I'm planning on reading the book soon. Also, it's only twelve days until Tiana and I go and see Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway! That is going to be so exciting! Then it's only a few more months until we see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, which now that I'm even more into it, will be ten times more exciting! The Overture is my favorite song, and in the production we're seeing the chandelier swings from the stage and over the audience! Gah, it's going to be so epic. Then of course I cannot stop listening to Wicked, which is amazing. Someday I'm gonna see it on Broadway.
For my Gaelic I'm writing everything I learn from Mango Languages into a notebook, which is collage rule and has seventy pages. I was looking at it today, and I'm about halfway through the notebook! Already! Seems like I'm just starting. I wonder how much faster I would learn if all this time I was surrounded completely by the language. I'll admit, practicing alone takes it's tole, but at least I'm not learning the world's hardest language, Chinese! I'm so glad English is my first language. When you really think about it, English is insanely hard. Actually, it's the second hardest language to learn. I used to think it was easy, but it totally isn't.
Ugh, my stomach hurts. Not sure why. It might be something I ate. Oh, and we're having chicken wings for dinner. Fried food on an upset stomach? Ugh, that does not sound appealing.
Brunuh Ville released a new song, Song of the North. It's eleven minutes long, but I love it! Yet another vocal with Sharm, one of my favorite singers. It kind of goes along with the song King of the North, just a tad.
For years now I've wanted a good camera. I've got a little silver point and shoot, but the picture quality is beyond terrible. So now that I've got a good paying job I'm going to get a really nice camera. My budget is around four hundred to five hundred dollars, so it'll be a while before I save up enough. All yesterday and this morning I was looking at different cameras. So far I have three contenders, but will almost positively go with the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. It doesn't have changeable lenses, but it's still an amazing camera. I can't wait until I can finally buy it, or whatever camera I actually decided on. My plan is to have it in time for the Cruise, but hopefully sooner.
Since watching Phantom of the Opera with Tiana for the second time, I've become completely obsessed. I just finished listening to Act II from the 25th anniversary cast, which is my favorite. The music is just so amazing! I'm planning on reading the book soon. Also, it's only twelve days until Tiana and I go and see Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway! That is going to be so exciting! Then it's only a few more months until we see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, which now that I'm even more into it, will be ten times more exciting! The Overture is my favorite song, and in the production we're seeing the chandelier swings from the stage and over the audience! Gah, it's going to be so epic. Then of course I cannot stop listening to Wicked, which is amazing. Someday I'm gonna see it on Broadway.
For my Gaelic I'm writing everything I learn from Mango Languages into a notebook, which is collage rule and has seventy pages. I was looking at it today, and I'm about halfway through the notebook! Already! Seems like I'm just starting. I wonder how much faster I would learn if all this time I was surrounded completely by the language. I'll admit, practicing alone takes it's tole, but at least I'm not learning the world's hardest language, Chinese! I'm so glad English is my first language. When you really think about it, English is insanely hard. Actually, it's the second hardest language to learn. I used to think it was easy, but it totally isn't.
Ugh, my stomach hurts. Not sure why. It might be something I ate. Oh, and we're having chicken wings for dinner. Fried food on an upset stomach? Ugh, that does not sound appealing.
Brunuh Ville released a new song, Song of the North. It's eleven minutes long, but I love it! Yet another vocal with Sharm, one of my favorite singers. It kind of goes along with the song King of the North, just a tad.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Happy Valentines Day
Just thought I'd make a quick post before bed, seeing as it's Valentines day and all. Actually, I didn't even realize it was Valentines day until I saw peoples' posts on Facebook. We've never really celebrated the holiday before, so for our family it's pretty much just another day. Way back when, Valentines day was celebrated to honor the saint, Saint Valentine. I don't really know much about the story, just what little tidbits I've read whilst doing history research.
We just finished watching Maleficent. I saw it in theaters, but Daniel and Daddy had not. I really like the movie. Since watching it the first time I've found that Elle Fanning (Aurora) is just how I imagined my character Madeleine from my story Believe. Visually, that is. So it was kind of cool watching her in a movie, after casting her as my character in my head.
This morning after waking up I heard the chickens making lots of noise in the backyard. Apparently we've got a coyote visiting again. He was seen around the chicken coop that morning, evidently interested in our hens. My mom scared him away just by stepping outside. Then later I was on Daddy's computer, and the chickens started at it again. I stepped outside in time to see the coyote trot away, jumping casually over the fallen log and into the brush. Before he disappeared he turned around to stare at me. He was so cute! It makes me want a dog, preferably a German Shepherd or Husky, and I just wanted to go pet him and cuddle him. Obviously that was never gonna happen. I made a tiny, tiny noise and he turned around and we haven't seen him since. A part of me wants to see the coyote again, but the other half doesn't. He, or I guess maybe she, would have definitely gotten one of the chickens if they'd been roaming in the yard that morning. Thank goodness they weren't.
You know how when someone asks the age old question, if you could have one superpower, what would it be, and you can never quite decide? Well, it's taken me some time, but without a second thought if I could pick one it'd be flying. So what if I'm afraid of heights. I've had so many dreams where I could fly, and they felt so real. Course, it was really frustrating. In most of the dreams I was being chased, and flying was an odd and complex thing. But dreaming of having the power is almost like having memories of flying. So that would be the first superpower I'd get, and if I could get another it would no doubt be breathing underwater. That used to be my first pick, but you can only use it in water. Flying you could use anytime.
So much for a short post before bed. Oh well, as I wrote I slowly remembered things that have been on my mind lately. Now I'm going to sleep. My back hurts a little, probably from the chair and position I was in all during the movie.
We just finished watching Maleficent. I saw it in theaters, but Daniel and Daddy had not. I really like the movie. Since watching it the first time I've found that Elle Fanning (Aurora) is just how I imagined my character Madeleine from my story Believe. Visually, that is. So it was kind of cool watching her in a movie, after casting her as my character in my head.
This morning after waking up I heard the chickens making lots of noise in the backyard. Apparently we've got a coyote visiting again. He was seen around the chicken coop that morning, evidently interested in our hens. My mom scared him away just by stepping outside. Then later I was on Daddy's computer, and the chickens started at it again. I stepped outside in time to see the coyote trot away, jumping casually over the fallen log and into the brush. Before he disappeared he turned around to stare at me. He was so cute! It makes me want a dog, preferably a German Shepherd or Husky, and I just wanted to go pet him and cuddle him. Obviously that was never gonna happen. I made a tiny, tiny noise and he turned around and we haven't seen him since. A part of me wants to see the coyote again, but the other half doesn't. He, or I guess maybe she, would have definitely gotten one of the chickens if they'd been roaming in the yard that morning. Thank goodness they weren't.
You know how when someone asks the age old question, if you could have one superpower, what would it be, and you can never quite decide? Well, it's taken me some time, but without a second thought if I could pick one it'd be flying. So what if I'm afraid of heights. I've had so many dreams where I could fly, and they felt so real. Course, it was really frustrating. In most of the dreams I was being chased, and flying was an odd and complex thing. But dreaming of having the power is almost like having memories of flying. So that would be the first superpower I'd get, and if I could get another it would no doubt be breathing underwater. That used to be my first pick, but you can only use it in water. Flying you could use anytime.
So much for a short post before bed. Oh well, as I wrote I slowly remembered things that have been on my mind lately. Now I'm going to sleep. My back hurts a little, probably from the chair and position I was in all during the movie.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Movies and the Telly
I have found a way to make pronunciation charts for Gaelic songs! As of the moment I only listen to Julie Fowlis, though that's beside the point. On YouTube I can slow videos down, and by doing so I can actually catch how each Gaelic word is pronounced. I'm working on of her songs right now, so I have a new way to practice and get around Gaelic. Singing! This is working out quite well.
Today I think I'll either watch Tangled, or Brave. In French of course. Probably Brave, because it's from the library and I can only keep it for a week before having to return it. Unless I can renew it, in which case I could have it longer. I really wish I could watch Brave in Gaelic. Well, I don't actually know for certain that it's not available. But I highly doubt it, as I've said, Scottish Gaelic is a dying language. That's a little bit why I wanted to learn it a little more than Irish Gaelic, though it's also because I'm interested in some of Scotland's history. Plus Scotland is just beautiful. I've seen pictures of the Isle of Sky, and it looks amazing. I'm actually basing a place in Heart of Fire off of the Isle of Sky.
The Flash recorded yesterday, but with Sereina's work schedule we don't get to watch it the day of. So tonight we'll be watching Flash, then Arrow! The next episode is Canaries, which I kind of read a full synopsis of the episode a while back. It's what made me feel more hopeful for Black Canary. Oh yes, speaking of Arrow, I wrote and sent out my first ever fan letter yesterday. You may have guessed, but it's going to Stephen Amell/Oliver Queen/The Arrow. I'm asking for an autographed photo, so I hope I get a response soon. If/when I get a response, then I want to write the rest of the cast and get all their autographs. Colton Haynes is high on the list, and Emily Rickards, Willa Holland and Manu Bennet. Arsenal, Felicity, Thea, and Slade. Oh Slade, I really liked you before you went crazy killer. Of course I want everyone's autograph. Can't forget Malcom/John Barrowman. Thing is, would I want an autographed picture of John as Malcom, or Jack?!
Since we're on the topic of television, I should mention that tomorrow we're planning on watching Million Dollar Arm. We saw a trailer for it in the theater a while back, and Sereina just got it from the library. It looks like it'll be a good movie.
We got waffles again! Yeah! We hardly ever get breakfast food, so I usually have toast or something. I've been trying to eat less bread, since it's just carbs and it's expensive. But I still end up having two slices a day, cause I can't find anything else for breakfast.
Oh, looks like I've got some Trebon work to do. For those who don't know, our business name is based of the French words for very good, Tres bon. So the actual name of the busniess is Very Good Business Stratagies. Kinda funny, don't you think?
Today I think I'll either watch Tangled, or Brave. In French of course. Probably Brave, because it's from the library and I can only keep it for a week before having to return it. Unless I can renew it, in which case I could have it longer. I really wish I could watch Brave in Gaelic. Well, I don't actually know for certain that it's not available. But I highly doubt it, as I've said, Scottish Gaelic is a dying language. That's a little bit why I wanted to learn it a little more than Irish Gaelic, though it's also because I'm interested in some of Scotland's history. Plus Scotland is just beautiful. I've seen pictures of the Isle of Sky, and it looks amazing. I'm actually basing a place in Heart of Fire off of the Isle of Sky.
The Flash recorded yesterday, but with Sereina's work schedule we don't get to watch it the day of. So tonight we'll be watching Flash, then Arrow! The next episode is Canaries, which I kind of read a full synopsis of the episode a while back. It's what made me feel more hopeful for Black Canary. Oh yes, speaking of Arrow, I wrote and sent out my first ever fan letter yesterday. You may have guessed, but it's going to Stephen Amell/Oliver Queen/The Arrow. I'm asking for an autographed photo, so I hope I get a response soon. If/when I get a response, then I want to write the rest of the cast and get all their autographs. Colton Haynes is high on the list, and Emily Rickards, Willa Holland and Manu Bennet. Arsenal, Felicity, Thea, and Slade. Oh Slade, I really liked you before you went crazy killer. Of course I want everyone's autograph. Can't forget Malcom/John Barrowman. Thing is, would I want an autographed picture of John as Malcom, or Jack?!
Since we're on the topic of television, I should mention that tomorrow we're planning on watching Million Dollar Arm. We saw a trailer for it in the theater a while back, and Sereina just got it from the library. It looks like it'll be a good movie.
We got waffles again! Yeah! We hardly ever get breakfast food, so I usually have toast or something. I've been trying to eat less bread, since it's just carbs and it's expensive. But I still end up having two slices a day, cause I can't find anything else for breakfast.
Oh, looks like I've got some Trebon work to do. For those who don't know, our business name is based of the French words for very good, Tres bon. So the actual name of the busniess is Very Good Business Stratagies. Kinda funny, don't you think?
Monday, February 9, 2015
Far From Over
I have a small head ache, and I'm wondering if it's from the orange juice I drank. Ever since I stopped eating sugar I've become really sensitive to certain drinks. Grape juice for instance. I really love it, but when I had too much I got a really bad head ache. I can't be sure that my head is hurting from the orange juice, but after drinking it for a bit I didn't feel the best.
Oh yay, my check just came in the mail. Now it's just a matter of getting to the bank and cashing it, then I'll buy my time turner. Or, hm. Sereina's birthday is coming up, and she's going to the Disney store. Maybe I should save my money for that, and buy it after. But I really want that time turner. Ack, I'll figure it out somehow.
So I'm getting near the end of plotting Heart of Fire. Or so I thought. I didn't really have a good end, and as I continued plotting it kept getting flimsier and weirder. Deciding I should take a break, I started browsing Pinterest to maybe find inspiration. Then I see a picture of a cavern of sorta. Neatly carved walls with Celtic patterns. Perfect. All of a sudden I realize, this book is far from over. If I felt I had enough, I'd make it into a trilogy or something. So then, the book is not over. But there's a small problem that has to do with about eight other characters. Then I remembered another pin I'd seen a while back, of a large group holding lanterns and picks and such, and blam. Yes, blam. I started to realize where this book could start going. It's definitely got it's rough edges, and by no means does it follow the writing rules. That's one thing that irks me, when people say your book must start, then there's an incident, the stakes, final end battle of sorts, then the conclusion. I mean, it's so cookie cutter. That's partially why I don't like a lot of writing tips. They tell you to follow a mold, and I think writing is all about breaking the mold. Not to say there aren't good rules and ideas, but sometimes people get hung up on rules. They're more like guidelines anyways...
Now I am practicing L’incantation de la Guérison, or The Healing Incantation, from Tangled in French. I'm going crazy on this. I've also been trying to figure out A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal (Noble Maiden Fair) because the two singers sing it a little differently (one is of Gaelic origin, the other is not) and every tutorial on how to sing it is different and doesn't sound like how the singers do it. Ack, I wish Google Translate would get Scottish Gaelic. That's what makes learning these songs in French so easy.
We have been watching Psych like crazy lately. Just a few months ago we were starting the series, and now we're on season six. Heh, reminds me of when we started Doctor Who. Watching series one in three days... ahh, good times. But anyways, I'm sad because the show didn't get renewed for this year. So season eight is drawing closer and there will be no new episodes. That makes me sad, because Shawn and Gus are epic. They do crazy stuff. It was so funny, one time there was sudden shooting, and Gus jumped behind a car. But he jumped unnaturally high as he dove for cover, and it looked so funny. Shawn on the other hand crouched behind a pole that did literally nothing to hide or protect him. Ahh, they're awesome. There's an episode coming up called Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger. Now that's bound to be an interesting episode.
So far today I have not watched Tangled in French, and I kind of doubt that I will. Maybe I'll find the time tomorrow.
Oh yay, my check just came in the mail. Now it's just a matter of getting to the bank and cashing it, then I'll buy my time turner. Or, hm. Sereina's birthday is coming up, and she's going to the Disney store. Maybe I should save my money for that, and buy it after. But I really want that time turner. Ack, I'll figure it out somehow.
So I'm getting near the end of plotting Heart of Fire. Or so I thought. I didn't really have a good end, and as I continued plotting it kept getting flimsier and weirder. Deciding I should take a break, I started browsing Pinterest to maybe find inspiration. Then I see a picture of a cavern of sorta. Neatly carved walls with Celtic patterns. Perfect. All of a sudden I realize, this book is far from over. If I felt I had enough, I'd make it into a trilogy or something. So then, the book is not over. But there's a small problem that has to do with about eight other characters. Then I remembered another pin I'd seen a while back, of a large group holding lanterns and picks and such, and blam. Yes, blam. I started to realize where this book could start going. It's definitely got it's rough edges, and by no means does it follow the writing rules. That's one thing that irks me, when people say your book must start, then there's an incident, the stakes, final end battle of sorts, then the conclusion. I mean, it's so cookie cutter. That's partially why I don't like a lot of writing tips. They tell you to follow a mold, and I think writing is all about breaking the mold. Not to say there aren't good rules and ideas, but sometimes people get hung up on rules. They're more like guidelines anyways...
Now I am practicing L’incantation de la Guérison, or The Healing Incantation, from Tangled in French. I'm going crazy on this. I've also been trying to figure out A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal (Noble Maiden Fair) because the two singers sing it a little differently (one is of Gaelic origin, the other is not) and every tutorial on how to sing it is different and doesn't sound like how the singers do it. Ack, I wish Google Translate would get Scottish Gaelic. That's what makes learning these songs in French so easy.
We have been watching Psych like crazy lately. Just a few months ago we were starting the series, and now we're on season six. Heh, reminds me of when we started Doctor Who. Watching series one in three days... ahh, good times. But anyways, I'm sad because the show didn't get renewed for this year. So season eight is drawing closer and there will be no new episodes. That makes me sad, because Shawn and Gus are epic. They do crazy stuff. It was so funny, one time there was sudden shooting, and Gus jumped behind a car. But he jumped unnaturally high as he dove for cover, and it looked so funny. Shawn on the other hand crouched behind a pole that did literally nothing to hide or protect him. Ahh, they're awesome. There's an episode coming up called Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger. Now that's bound to be an interesting episode.
So far today I have not watched Tangled in French, and I kind of doubt that I will. Maybe I'll find the time tomorrow.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Queen of the Soup?
One of our most common dinners is chicken noodle soup, which I enjoy. But sometimes we have it a little too much. Most of the time Sereina cooks it, and I've only made it like three times. When I made if a few weeks ago everyone was blow away by my mad skill. My dad has proclaimed that only I shall make soup. Perhaps I'll call myself the King of the Soup from now on. Only thing is, I hope I can recreate what I did the first time.
I think I've just about got the pronunciation down for Let it Go in French. Now it's on to memorization! It's so much easier to find resources for practicing French, versus Scottish Gaelic. I'm going to have to be very diligent in practicing Gaelic, since it's so easy to get caught up in French songs and watching movies in French and things. I've been trying to think up ways to practice my Gaelic, since I have no one to practice with in person. My best idea so far is making work sheets for myself, to write and read Gaelic. But that would take a lot of work, so I'm trying to think of other ideas. I have some flash cards, but I've basically memorized them all and I haven't made ones with new words and phrases in forever.
Yesterday we stopped by Historic Flight, and out front there was a deer! It was just happily munching on the grass; it's not too often you see deer in such a populated area. There's a busy road right there, and yet the deer was just happily munching the grass like it was in a forest meadow. Reminds me of when I was little, and a deer, and two fauns were in our backyard (I forget, but there might have been a buck as well). We don't live in the country, and the green belt beside our house is too small for the deer to live there. But there they were, happily eating the roses.
I've got a lot to do tomorrow. There's a huge pile of blankets and pillows in the bathroom that need putting away, then Daniel and I need to clean our bathroom, and I still haven't gotten my old desk out of my room. Then of course I've got school, and I'll have to do a few loads of laundry as well. It's going to be a busy day. Hopefully I'll find some time to sit down and watch Tangled in French while beading or something. After I learn For the First Time in Forever in French, I want to learn it's reprise, then some songs from Tangled. Specifically the Healing Incantation. I also want to practice singing Noble Maiden Fair from Brave, the only Disney song in Scottish Gaelic. I already know how, but I want to listen to the song again to make double sure that I'm pronouncing everything correctly. OH! I could watch Brave in French too! I'll have to get it from the library though. Dang, too bad they didn't have Brave in Scottish Gaelic. At least, I doubt they do. How fitting that would be if I they did though...
I think I've just about got the pronunciation down for Let it Go in French. Now it's on to memorization! It's so much easier to find resources for practicing French, versus Scottish Gaelic. I'm going to have to be very diligent in practicing Gaelic, since it's so easy to get caught up in French songs and watching movies in French and things. I've been trying to think up ways to practice my Gaelic, since I have no one to practice with in person. My best idea so far is making work sheets for myself, to write and read Gaelic. But that would take a lot of work, so I'm trying to think of other ideas. I have some flash cards, but I've basically memorized them all and I haven't made ones with new words and phrases in forever.
Yesterday we stopped by Historic Flight, and out front there was a deer! It was just happily munching on the grass; it's not too often you see deer in such a populated area. There's a busy road right there, and yet the deer was just happily munching the grass like it was in a forest meadow. Reminds me of when I was little, and a deer, and two fauns were in our backyard (I forget, but there might have been a buck as well). We don't live in the country, and the green belt beside our house is too small for the deer to live there. But there they were, happily eating the roses.
I've got a lot to do tomorrow. There's a huge pile of blankets and pillows in the bathroom that need putting away, then Daniel and I need to clean our bathroom, and I still haven't gotten my old desk out of my room. Then of course I've got school, and I'll have to do a few loads of laundry as well. It's going to be a busy day. Hopefully I'll find some time to sit down and watch Tangled in French while beading or something. After I learn For the First Time in Forever in French, I want to learn it's reprise, then some songs from Tangled. Specifically the Healing Incantation. I also want to practice singing Noble Maiden Fair from Brave, the only Disney song in Scottish Gaelic. I already know how, but I want to listen to the song again to make double sure that I'm pronouncing everything correctly. OH! I could watch Brave in French too! I'll have to get it from the library though. Dang, too bad they didn't have Brave in Scottish Gaelic. At least, I doubt they do. How fitting that would be if I they did though...
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Life as of Late
I have been taking my French more seriously these past couple of days. Yesterday I watched the entire movie Frozen in French. It was really weird, and I only caught a couple words. Like oui, non, and their names of course. I mean, I knew what they were saying, but the French still slipped past me. It was fun though, and I really enjoyed it. While watching I was sorting my vast collection, if you will, of beads. I tried Duolingo, which now makes more sense that I've learned it's meant more for memory reinforcement than learning par say. Now I really wish they had Scottish Gaelic, because I don't have any really good ways to practice. For French I've been listening to Disney songs (particularly Frozen) in French, but since Scottish Gaelic is an endangered language, I haven't found it, and don't think it exists. So I'll have to stick to Gaelic songs I've never heard, versus Disney songs in Gaelic. Speaking of which, I'm learning how to sing Let it Go in French! I've made a chart with how to pronounce all the words, so soon I'll be singing Let it Go, and eventually, For the First Time in Forever, En français! I'm in love with the sound of their translation of the chorus for The First Time in Forever...
Other than my usual, languages, writing, etc. nothing much as happened. We visited my grandpa today. He's doing pretty good.
My Versailles post was really fun to write. It took a bit of research, and I hope I got everything correct. Sometimes people can be very confusing, or spread information without really knowing what they're talking about. I hope that I'm not spreading false information. I referenced multiple sights, and they all said the same thing, so I think I'm good though. Sometime soon I want to make another post about the Romanovs, possibly more near their tragic end... or perhaps about Rasputin. That guy is creepy, and some of his pictures are downright scary. The way he stares into the camera makes me think of a mad man... and not the good kind like the Doctor.
Other than my usual, languages, writing, etc. nothing much as happened. We visited my grandpa today. He's doing pretty good.
My Versailles post was really fun to write. It took a bit of research, and I hope I got everything correct. Sometimes people can be very confusing, or spread information without really knowing what they're talking about. I hope that I'm not spreading false information. I referenced multiple sights, and they all said the same thing, so I think I'm good though. Sometime soon I want to make another post about the Romanovs, possibly more near their tragic end... or perhaps about Rasputin. That guy is creepy, and some of his pictures are downright scary. The way he stares into the camera makes me think of a mad man... and not the good kind like the Doctor.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Château de Versailles
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| Versailles |
You may see Versailles reference to as both a castle, and a palace; this is because both terms are true. I'm going to be honest, I though that the terms castle and palace were pretty much the same. Turns out they have their differences. A castle is a fortified building, or series of buildings in some cases, designed to withstand enemy attacks. So you'd be better off in a castle during war. A palace is meant more for luxury and leisure. Something to impress guests with, which let's face it, Versailles is all about impressing people. All in all, Versailles seems like the best place to be, seeing as it's both a castle and a palace.
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| The Hall of Mirrors |
Not that I've ever been (yet) but The Hall of Mirrors would have to be my personal favorite room in the entire palace. Originally it was known as simply The Great Hall, or in French, 'Grande Galerie'. It was first an outdoor terrace, but was later converted into an incredible indoor space to showcase one of Louis XIV's most prized collections, which would be his sculptures of antiquity. He got to collect expensive statues, while I collect worthless bottles. Oh, the life of a royal.
On especially grand occasions, such as Marie Antoinette's wedding I would imagine, every candle would be lit, their light bouncing off the three hundred and fifty seven mirrors around the room, transforming the Hall of Mirrors into a magnificent corridor of light. In all there are 43 chandeliers made of pure silver, seventeen large ones, and twenty six small. I've looked high and low, but I cannot find a definite amount on how many candles each chandelier can hold. Some say one thousand, one crazy sounding one said ten thousand, and just looking at the picture it looks more like fifteen or twenty, so maybe they were referring to the total candles in the room. Either way, that much light bouncing off the walls would be a truly breathtaking sight. I wonder how it would appear from the outside, looking through the seventeen glass doors looking into the Grande Galerie.
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| Attic above the Hall of Mirrors |
Next we have The Queen's Apartments, which are are made up of five different rooms, The Queen's Bedchamber, The Queen's Private Cabinets, The Room of the Queen's Gentlemen, The Queen's Antechamber, and The Room of the Queen's Guard; the main room being The Queen's Bedchamber.
The ceiling of the Queen's Bedchamber dates back to the days of Maria Theresa, Louis XIV's Spanish queen, for whom the room was designed for. The paintings by François Boucher and the wooden panels were later made for Marie Leszczyńska. Only the furniture and fireplace were upgraded for the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette.
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| The Queen's Bedchamber |
In October 1789 rioters stormed the palace. Marie Antoinette fled through a secret door to the left of the bed, the passage leading to the Queen's Private Cabinets and the Kings Apartment. The rioters did not loot the palace during the French Revolution, but after items were sold at an auction that lasted a year. Over time the original furniture has been recovered, and is now on display in Versailles. It took over thirty years of work to restore The Queen's Bedchamber. The original Schwerdfeger jewel case and the firescreen were eventually returned to the room. Other items have been replaced with equivalents. The fabric on the walls and bed was rewoven from cartoons of the period. The bed and balustrade were rebuilt from documents in the archives. All of this required tedious research and delicate reconstruction. Even the 1745 Baillou and Crescent clock Marie Antoinette placed in the bedchamber has been restored to it's place. Other items returned to the room include Sené's chimney piece and the bedspread by Desfarges. Some of the original furniture (already mentioned) has been recovered including the andirons by Boizot and Thomire. Other items have been replaced with facsimiles: armchairs by Tilliard and folding stools taken from the suite of rooms belonging to the Countess d'Artois. The Savonnerie carpet was rewoven from documents.
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| Areal view of the Gardens of Versailles |
Versailles extravagance and beauty did not stop inside the castle, but continued in the enormous gardens. There are two hundred thousand trees and two hundred and ten thousand flowers planted every year. As I said before, Versailles has nearly two thousand acres of gardens. Among all the greenery, there are fifty fountains with six hundred and twenty jets of water. Apparent Lousis XIV had a love for fountains, and they're great to entertain the guests. It cost around a third of the entire buildings budget to keep the water supply running, and many of the fountains still use the same network of hydraulics that was built by the royal family.
At some stages, Louis XIV put more focus on the Garden of Versailles than the château itself. There's a clear theme in the gardens, with a specific focus on the sun god, Apollo, and other solar imagery as well. This was because Louis related himself with the sun, and was commonly known as the Sun King. The Gardens of Versailles's design would remain the same, until the eighteenth century.
After the French Revolution, some of the gardens trees were cut down, on order from the reigning National Convention. Some prominent people sensed a potential threat to Versailles, since is has strong links to the monarchy the revolution sought to destroy, so they convinced the National Convention to open the gardens for the public instead of destroying it. Luckily the suggestion was accepted, which likely saved the Gardens of Versailles from destruction.
In conclusion, Versailles is a place full of fantastic history, and this post only barely touches the surface of this historic monument.
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| Fountains in the Garden of Versailles |
After the French Revolution, some of the gardens trees were cut down, on order from the reigning National Convention. Some prominent people sensed a potential threat to Versailles, since is has strong links to the monarchy the revolution sought to destroy, so they convinced the National Convention to open the gardens for the public instead of destroying it. Luckily the suggestion was accepted, which likely saved the Gardens of Versailles from destruction.
In conclusion, Versailles is a place full of fantastic history, and this post only barely touches the surface of this historic monument.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Someday I'll Be Fluent
We lost the Superbowl, which is sad. But seeing as I'm not that huge of a fan, it doesn't matter that much to me. Hopefully we'll go to the Superbowl next year! It's possible.
Today my Grandpa is coming up from California to visit for a week or so. I totally lost track of time, and was surprised when yesterday Sereina said he was coming tomorrow. It'll be great to see him again, since we haven't seen him in quite a while. My Grandma came up a few weeks ago, but he didn't come with her that time.
I've been making good progress in my Gaelic. I haven't made a post in a while about it... I should. Just yesterday I completed lesson twenty one, in chapter four. It's really exciting making progress. Even if there are some complicated grammar rules, and I don't remember everything perfectly yet, it's still exciting to think that someday I'll be able to fluently speak another language. All my life I've wondered what it's like to speak another language. Do you have to translate everything in your head, or do you just hear phrases and in an odd way just know what they mean, without thinking, yes, this means hello, this means goodbye, etc.
My room is still a mess from getting the new desk. All my stuff lays in piles, waiting to be boxed up and sent down to my grandpa's basement for storage. Then of course I have a whole other desk just sitting in my room, one of the draws still needing to be cleaned out. It has all my crafting supplies, so I'll have to find a bin and put it in the office closet. Ugh, I can't wait until I get the bigger room. It's going to be awesome.
No! My mouse battery has died, and none of the batteries in this house seem to make it work again. This begs the question. Are the batteries bad, or did the mouse finally died? I hope it's the batteries, just cause I really like having a mouse and I don't want to have to buy a new one.
Well, I think I'll start my school. Or clean my room. One of those. Probably clean my room a bit, then do my school. Yeah, that sounds good. Or work on a history post, then clean my room, then do school... gah, I dunno.
Today my Grandpa is coming up from California to visit for a week or so. I totally lost track of time, and was surprised when yesterday Sereina said he was coming tomorrow. It'll be great to see him again, since we haven't seen him in quite a while. My Grandma came up a few weeks ago, but he didn't come with her that time.
I've been making good progress in my Gaelic. I haven't made a post in a while about it... I should. Just yesterday I completed lesson twenty one, in chapter four. It's really exciting making progress. Even if there are some complicated grammar rules, and I don't remember everything perfectly yet, it's still exciting to think that someday I'll be able to fluently speak another language. All my life I've wondered what it's like to speak another language. Do you have to translate everything in your head, or do you just hear phrases and in an odd way just know what they mean, without thinking, yes, this means hello, this means goodbye, etc.
My room is still a mess from getting the new desk. All my stuff lays in piles, waiting to be boxed up and sent down to my grandpa's basement for storage. Then of course I have a whole other desk just sitting in my room, one of the draws still needing to be cleaned out. It has all my crafting supplies, so I'll have to find a bin and put it in the office closet. Ugh, I can't wait until I get the bigger room. It's going to be awesome.
No! My mouse battery has died, and none of the batteries in this house seem to make it work again. This begs the question. Are the batteries bad, or did the mouse finally died? I hope it's the batteries, just cause I really like having a mouse and I don't want to have to buy a new one.
Well, I think I'll start my school. Or clean my room. One of those. Probably clean my room a bit, then do my school. Yeah, that sounds good. Or work on a history post, then clean my room, then do school... gah, I dunno.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Superbowl Sunday
First off, today is Superbowl day and the Hawks are going! So of course we're inviting friends over to watch the game. I'm really not that into sports, and probably wont watch much, if any, of the game. But it's still a little exciting that the Hawks are going to the Superbowl two years in a row. I hope they win.
Yesterday we were cleaning out more of my grandpa's duplex. We're trying to get it rent ready, which we're getting closer. All of us kids have gotten free pick on any of his stuff, and yesterday I got a new desk. It's amazing. My old desk was really small and barely fit my computer and a notebook for when I do school. But this one holds my lamp, world globe, computer, phone, notepad, and a few decorative bottles. Oh, and a tin with pens and pencils. There's still room to spare to! So I'm really excited. There's a long drawer on the front, that's actually meant for a keyboard. But seeing as my keyboard is stuck to my monitor, I can use it as a whole other surface to use my computer on, for when I start a project on my desk. Overall it's just awesome! Gah, I could rant about my epic desk more, but that'd get boring for you guys.
I'm re-watching Agents of Shield, and has a mini marathon while setting up my desk and going through a bunch of drawers for things to get rid of. *Spoilers* whenever I see Ward I wanna punch him. I mean, after he turned bad I thought there was a chance of redemption, but after he dumped Fitzsimmons into the ocean, I knew he was past the point of no return. *vague sounds of Phantom of the Opera in the background* Anyways, there's no way his character can be normal again. In the latest episodes he just seems... crazy. Every time he tell Sky, "I would never lie to you." or, "I just want to protect you" I just think, psychopath. Ward, you need help. You sound crazy.
Something just fell upstairs. I wonder what broke.
I inadvertently took a week off of school this last week. Things just happened, and next thing I knew the week was half over without me having done any school. But I figure that's fine, I mean I usually don't take a week off from school. I should really read through my Gaelic book if I find some time today though. For the fun of it, I wrote down a part of a conversation to practice. It's: Feasgar math Coinneach MacDhòmhnaill. Is mise Seumas, seo Seonag mo bhean. Tha mise toilichte ur coinneachadh (you don't see it, but there are a lot of red squiggly lines underneath almost every Gaelic word!). Which translates to: Good evening Kennath McDonald. I'm Seumas, this is my wife Seonag. I'm pleased to meet you. Now of course the, my wife, part doesn't apply to me. Which basically means I'll never be saying this to an actual person. But it's good practice! In my personal journal I've decided to use Gaelic whenever possible, so I can practice more. You know, since I only know one other person learning Gaelic, and unfortunately she and I don't see each other often.
Yesterday we were cleaning out more of my grandpa's duplex. We're trying to get it rent ready, which we're getting closer. All of us kids have gotten free pick on any of his stuff, and yesterday I got a new desk. It's amazing. My old desk was really small and barely fit my computer and a notebook for when I do school. But this one holds my lamp, world globe, computer, phone, notepad, and a few decorative bottles. Oh, and a tin with pens and pencils. There's still room to spare to! So I'm really excited. There's a long drawer on the front, that's actually meant for a keyboard. But seeing as my keyboard is stuck to my monitor, I can use it as a whole other surface to use my computer on, for when I start a project on my desk. Overall it's just awesome! Gah, I could rant about my epic desk more, but that'd get boring for you guys.
I'm re-watching Agents of Shield, and has a mini marathon while setting up my desk and going through a bunch of drawers for things to get rid of. *Spoilers* whenever I see Ward I wanna punch him. I mean, after he turned bad I thought there was a chance of redemption, but after he dumped Fitzsimmons into the ocean, I knew he was past the point of no return. *vague sounds of Phantom of the Opera in the background* Anyways, there's no way his character can be normal again. In the latest episodes he just seems... crazy. Every time he tell Sky, "I would never lie to you." or, "I just want to protect you" I just think, psychopath. Ward, you need help. You sound crazy.
Something just fell upstairs. I wonder what broke.
I inadvertently took a week off of school this last week. Things just happened, and next thing I knew the week was half over without me having done any school. But I figure that's fine, I mean I usually don't take a week off from school. I should really read through my Gaelic book if I find some time today though. For the fun of it, I wrote down a part of a conversation to practice. It's: Feasgar math Coinneach MacDhòmhnaill. Is mise Seumas, seo Seonag mo bhean. Tha mise toilichte ur coinneachadh (you don't see it, but there are a lot of red squiggly lines underneath almost every Gaelic word!). Which translates to: Good evening Kennath McDonald. I'm Seumas, this is my wife Seonag. I'm pleased to meet you. Now of course the, my wife, part doesn't apply to me. Which basically means I'll never be saying this to an actual person. But it's good practice! In my personal journal I've decided to use Gaelic whenever possible, so I can practice more. You know, since I only know one other person learning Gaelic, and unfortunately she and I don't see each other often.
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