The Huguenot

 

(Aka: A Huguenot on St. Bartholomew's Day, Refusing to Sheild Himself from Danger by Wearing the Roman Catholic Badge by Sir John Everett Millais)

Millais is one of my favorite artists, so I decided to do a drawing today of his lovely painting.(The painting is far superior, she looks so sad in the painting.)I would have put it on MOS, but we're having a masque, if you haven't visited you should!


This also marks a momentous occasion in my life: I know how to scan! 

(I was thinking this morning about how fun it would be to learn how to fence, thus the picture.)

I haven't blogged in two weeks, though I'm not sure why. In fact, I really don't know what is going to end up here right now, so be afraid! I'm kinda just going with what's on my mind:

For Christmas I got from my parents 14 new art books! (That is probably why I haven't been posting) Two of them are about the Pre-Raphaelites, one about art nouveau, and one about William Morris, the others are about great masters or art in general or famous portraits. So today I have been soaking it all in while listening to Kevin Max's Christmas album, Holy Night, another Christmas gift. (That's right Eriol KEVIN MAX!)

I just looked over to the end of my bed and spied another perfect gift. They bought me 6 yards of the most beautiful fabric ever! It has deep plum purple velvet sections, iridescent lavender sheer sections,and shimmering paisley sections, all pieced together with a wonderful gold-trimmed purple ribbon. My mind is whirling with thoughts of what to do with it, but until I decide I'll have to be content with draping it about my shoulders and parading through the house (my family is used to this by now).

O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise,
even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself
will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the
people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth
reacheth unto the clouds.

Pslam 108:1-4

BEHOLD!

For those of you interested, a Coldplay concert will be on PBS Saturday Night at 10:00 pm. The time probably changes regionally, so check the listings. Happy!

I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm quite behind on making my Christmas gifts, so if you want one, you'd better let me go! Have a very merry CHRISTmas-time!

Oh Bliss!!! It's Snowing!!!

(I must admit it is isn't a blizard, but it will do!)

Small green aliens have invaded my dorm room!

What goes on

Well, it's Wednesday! I just have awakened from a pleasant and refreshing nap (It's 3:47 pm here) and my brain is running in fifty different directions, so bear with me. I've survived thus far, and all is easy till exams, starting next Wednesday.

I was sleepy because this morning I woke up at 5:00 am to finish my paper for English on the theme of Art in John Fowles' "The Collector". I opted to go see 'Walk the Line' with my friend instead of working on it last night. But she is getting married in June and I won't get to see her for a while, so we had a grand time! I really liked the movie a lot, and the song 'The Ring of Fire' has been stuck in my head ever since! Funny, but I really want to listen to some Johnny Cash now. How bizarre!
Yesterday in art we drew (well more like we charcoal-ed) a copy of Pablo Picasso's self portrait when he was 19. He was pretty creepy looking! But it gets scarier: Then we had to draw self portraits! When Mrs.Gill told us to 'over exaggerate the shadows', I took her quite literally! Using charcoal, I drew my face. When I was done, I laughed. It was like I had reverse-Michael Jackson-syndrome! If you have seen me, I am about as pale as they come, which was not the case with my portrait! So I erased. And erased some more, till I thought it looked ok. Well in the end, my friend said to title it El-Meiska because I looked quite Latin. So I gave up. Will I ever be able to draw a self portrait? Who knows.
Last Thursday for art we went downtown to see the Rau exhibit, everyone should rush out right now and go see it! I was like a foot away from TWO Fra Angelico's! The very same paintings that inspired a 19 year old Dante Gabriel Rossetti to begin the Pre-Raphaelite Movement! Ahhh!
Speaking of art, Monday I was talking to Mrs.Gill in her office. Her office is in the older office building and has huge windows and tall ceilings. If I had that office, I would never get anything done, not with those windows! Anyway, we were talking about my schedule for spring, and got off on Christians in the Visual Arts, and how there aren't any hardly. To my supreme delight she understood exactly what I meant and encouraged me! We had a great time and I didn't even mind getting soaked on the way back (talk about a storm!)! So I have had an over-all good half week!
Now I think I'll finish my new skirt I'm making. It's going to be really cool, it's long black lace in tiers and is longer in the back. I decided since December was coming up, I needed some new victorian-inspired clothes ( isn't that exactly what you were thinking?). I also am planning a art nouveau-y green coat with a standing collar. I know, you're all so excited. Well, try to contain it, they aren't finished yet!
Well, that's all for now! Oh wait, I'm now on day 10 of my crusade angainst my hair straightener, isn't that interesting?!
Thanks for reading my ramblings! Get ready for December, it's so wonderful and romantical and sparkly! Let the magic begin!

HA!


"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18
I hope everyone has a wonderful day with your family and friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

Interesting...

This is a very good article I read for anthropology today.

YOOO HOOO!

My sibling (not Lukolas, the other one)has officially created a blog! (And there was rejoicing in the land!)

SO GO VISIT IT! It's really groovy! See?

Random Rainy Recollections

You're a painting with symbols deep, a symphony
soft as it shifts from dark beneath
A poem that flows, caressing my skin
in all of these things you reside and I
want you flow from the pen, bow and brush
with paper and string, and canvas tight
with ink in the air, to dust your light?
From morning to the black of night

This is my call I belong to You
This is my call to sing the melodies of You
This is my call I can do nothing else
I can do nothing else

You're the scent of an unfound bloom
a simple tune
I only write variations to sooth the mood
A drink that will knock me down to the floor,
a key that will unlock the door
where I hear a voice sing familiar themes,
then beckons me weave notes in between
a tap and a string, a bow and a glass
you pour me till the day has passed....

This is my call I belong to You
This is my call to sing the melodies of You
This is my call I can do nothing else
I can do nothing else

'Melody of You' Sixpence None the Richer (I really like this song. Alot.)

Today has been a very rainy day, here at the bustling (ha) campus. This, of course, is great news if you were me, which you are not, and may be glad of it! So anyway, I'm so very excited because it is a gloomy day, which tends to make me feel overtly 'poetical', if you will. So I'm sitting here in my freshly re-upholstered (hey it only took me like 3 months) chair with the lights out except for my softly glowing lamp, typing away. Now, I realize there is nothing 'poetical' about a computer, but here I am anyway.
So I have decided to write/illustrate a new story for my niece, Princess Sparkle Puff, or maybe I should finish that other one, or read the rest of that William Morris book I checked out, or stare out the window imagining that I'm really being held captive in a tower, or take a nap (how's that for creative!?), or go to the post office, hmm... Well, I guess I haven't quite 'decided' after all! I suppose what I mean to say is that when it rains one doesn't go outside (Well, not normally. Why, just the other day I went out to parade about in the rain with my umbrella! But that doesn't happen unless I'm feeling especially bizarre or am looking at waterfalls), so I can stay inside and think without a sunny day beckoning me to read outside. Maybe none of this makes sense, it's just really hard to say what I mean. I love rain!
I think I've decided: I'm going to imagine. I simply cannot resist, with the wind blowing ever so... so...passionately! (Trust me, that is the perfect word. If you could see it you'd agree.) I'm inspired, so I must go.
But I really should go to the post office....

These are the two things, the two things that I know!

Ok, number one:
As much as I dislike jeeps, nothing compares to flying down a country road singing 'With or Without You' at the top of your lungs and staring up at the perfect sky. It's definitly the closest I've been to flying. It's simply exhilerating!

Ok, number two:
I'm sure the world would be a better place if everyone had sparkly stars hanging from their ceilings, and butterflies on the walls.

Ok, number three: Oh yeah, and those are picture from the play! Sorry I couldn't get a good picture of the Witch. She was really jumpy-wavy-screamy.

Well, I guess that was more than two things, sorry!

Sorry....

.....but I'll be VERY busy, swamped in fact, until 'Wizard' is finished. It opens today! You all should come see it, it's going to be great!

Here is the 'Art House'!

Isn't it adorable!?! I am about half-way finished with a 'two-point perspective' drawing of it, I guess I'll post that on the sketchbook sometime. So anyway, I just love that house!

Memorial Hall in the morning...brrr!

Farewell and thanks to Mrs. Parks

Tis incredible but true!

That would be myself and Kevin Max, that's right KEVIN MAX!!! Lukolas and I waited at Bongo Java for a couple of hours before the show and we were just waiting for him to show up. (Don't get their Hot Chocolate) I kept on saying, "Oh! Is that him?!" To which the sibling replied, "You'll know him when you see him." Of course, he was right, cause when he came around the corner we knew it was him. He walked like two feet in front of our table and gave me a big smile. If you thought I was excited before I got there, you should have seen me after that!
Wow, the concert was absolutely incredible! Unlike some artists, his voice is perfect live. He sang these songs from his new album, The Imposter: 'Confessional Booth', 'The Imposter', 'Sanctuary', 'Your Beautiful Mind', 'The Royal Path of Life', Stay, 'I Need You, The End' and 'Seek' from Between the Fence and the Universe. I thought my heart would surely break while he was singing "I Need You ,The End". I know I was on the verge of tears! Lukolas and I were hoping he would have sang "Dead in Moon", but I guess it would have sounded strange acoustic/ live. I've never heard 'Prayer Chain', but a guy named Andy something from that group played the guitar for him. He also read some of his poetry and showed us a picture he drew of Freddie Mercury with a cape and fangs. That part was random, but hilarious! He is so funny and very personable, even my dad seemed pretty impressed, maybe. Afterwards, we got in line to talk to him. I started thinking, "What on earth am I going to say to him?" I decided to stop thinking and figured that I'd say whatever happened to pop out of my mouth. So here was my smooth opening line, ready?: 'Hello'. Wow, I know, that's so deep. Anyway, he said, you know," Hi! What's your name?" So I told him and we went round and round about how weird my name is. Then he told me that I had an excellent dress and we talked some about my little costume 'problem'. Not that I was wearing a costume, but hey, people have told me that they wanted to be me for halloween! So then he signed my 'Sterotype Be' cover and he saw my backpack and was like, "Your backpack is incredible!" So he signed that too! After we got a picture, we left and I was so happy! I met Kevin Max! One day, I'll gather my Grand-children aroung me and they'll say, " Tell us about the time you met Kevin Max!" Then I'll tell them with glossy eyes, " It was incredible!" I'm so glad I got this opportunity, it was great. Lukolas and I may never recover!

Oh, and did I mention that Kevin Max is incredible?

Fairies

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
It’s not so very, very far away;
You pass the gardener’s shed and you just straight ahead-
I do so hope they’ve really come to stay.
There’s a little wood, with moss in it and beetles,
And a little stream that quietly runs through ;
You wouldn’t think they’d dare to come merrymaking there-
Well, they do.

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
They often have a dance on summer nights;
The butterflies and bees make a lovely little breeze,
And the rabbits stand about and hold the lights.
Did you know that they could sit upon the moonbeams
And pick a little star to make a fan,
And dance away up there in the middle of the air?
Well, they can.

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
You cannot think how beautiful they are;
They all stand up and sing when the Fairy Queen and King
Come gently floating down upon their star.
The King is very proud and very handsome;
The Queen- now can you guess you that could be
( She’s a little girl all day, but at night she steals away)?
Well- it’s ME!


'Fairies' from 'Fairies and Chimneys' by Rose Fyleman

Ello!!! (Ding! Ding!)

Ello all! I 've just returned from a merry bicycle ride through merry Lebanon! Yesterday, I rode up to the old military school, Castle Heights, to draw some of those buildings.(When I'm done, I'll put them up here.) Anyways, my bicycle is a green and shiny Schwinn from the sixties, and I am madly in love with it! However, I became aggravated at it when I (finally) reached the square and I couldn't get my lock to work! Grr! But in the end, I had a lovely hour-long ride and saw lots of beautiful homes that I am going to draw.

Oh yeah, and that's my new hat!

Ahh, the wonders of technology...

Here is my drawing I entered at convention in the spring of 2004

A Day in the Life...

Cumberland... Let's recap the day, shall we?
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!! I awake to my VERY annoying alarm clock, wondering ( there I go again) why my feet are sticking out from under my covers, because I simply can not sleep without at least one blanket cacooned all about me, now that it is fall (sigh). I don't take too long to ponder that for fear of my clock waking my next door neighbor, who is obsessed with wizards (not that that is important, it's just interesting). In ONE fell swoop, leap, descent, and dive, I fly from my bed and smack the clock. It's six, time to rise and whine, uhh, I mean, shine. He he, oh. Anyway, then I have my devotions. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes and is crucial to my surviving the day! Always, always, always there is a verse I read that applies itself with flashing notice signs to a situation later that day. Today it was Pslam 32:8 ( one of my favorites, it's even on my concrete wall) : "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." This verse really encouraged me today. I have been kinda sad of late, I mean, Cumberland doesn't have the largest 'scope for imagination' ever, neither does it have the largest body of believers. In fact, it often seems I am the only one, like a missionary to a foreign land. Does this make sense? Anyway, I say all that to say that it doesn't matter. The God that created this entire universe and could just as easily destroy it, loves me and will guide and instruct me. Me, as insignificant to the grand scheme as I am. It's amazing, and I could never hope to fully understand it.
SO, after that minor revelation, I went to breakfast and consumed 4 pieces of stale canteloupe ( and tea). Yummy. I fear I shall waste away eventually! Woe is me! ( Ok, what did you expect, I just got back from the theatre!) Then, I spilt cranberry juice all over my Yellow Submarine shirt, which was, you guessed it, yellow. What makes this so great is that I had a speech to give! HA! I just laughed at it, I don't know why I didn't go right back to my room and change, but I thought it was so funny!
Off, to english, to read and discuss (yuck) essays written by feminists, how exciting. Then to Anthropology, where we watch an hour long video about tattoos, though I can't tell you why on earth we did. Next came..... SPEECH! Which went very well, even with the stain. Then I grabbed a piece of pizza and some 'summer berry' tea and went for a walk. I considered going to the library, but I can see it now:
"Have you got anything new?!"
" Not since yesterday!!!!" Just like on Beauty and the Beast. Except Belle left with one book. I left with enough huge books to cause the librarian to say, " Wow! It looks like you looked for every large book in the building and grabbed it!" Maybe I did?!
So I opted to stroll around. The campus is very lovely, but there are no flowers. I am in the process of begging the president to let me plant some. So I was strolling along, then I realized, "Oh, It's time for History!" I rushed to my room and got my book and was in my seat in under three minutes, and that was after I entered a psycology class in progress, so that must be a record!
After all my classes were over , I came back and finished my costume for my sunday school class party. We're dressing up like characters from musicals. I bet you can't guess who I'm going as! Christine from the Phantom of the Opera! So I have a huge poofy pink dress with a bustle and everything, and a red velvet cape that I just finished today. It is the same dress she has on during the Masquerade. Then I dicovered that Kevin max is coming to Bongo Java to have a concert and did a happy dance! I also danced about my room to the groovalicious tunes of Nat King Cole and Mary Poppins on my record player, trying to block out the band playin right outside my window and Mr Murphy screaming at them, " STOP! THAT'S LESS THAN MAGICAL!!!!" I wonder what he considers magical? I then went to the cafeteria to find some broccoli to eat ( it was my only choice, and I didn't feel like tea with broccoli).
Then comes the best part of the day, which is normally the hours spent in the theatre, but today it was the FCA meeting! Tonight was the first night I attended the meeting and I loved it! There were only about ten of us, but we sang and prayed and heard a short, but quite relevant, message from Pastor Cook. It was about the difference betwixt beief and faith, using Rom 10:17 and Heb. 11:1. It was great! But best of all, I found the other Christians here, even if there were only ten! Of course, there are, I hope, more that go to church elsewhere on Wed. nights. But we had a blessed-ly wonderful time.
From there I walked to the theatre to talk to Doc about measuring for costumes. That wasn't too exciting.
Now we find me sitting upon my 'princess-and-the-pea' bed typing up a storm to make up for lost time. As long as this post is, it may make up for future time too! Anyway, that's all, and thanks for listening to the thoughts of a poor, lonely art student! I'm off to bed, or better yet, to read my Byron, Keats, and Shelley book that smells like an attic. Good night, God bless, and may you all dream lovely dreams!
"She walks in beauty like the night....."

Hang on, I'm thinking....

Been VERY busy of late, so my posts have been pictures or something that doesn't require much thought. As soon as I get some free time, I'll post something that is remotely thoughtful, I hope! I hope everyone is having a groovy day, I am, mostly because I am sitting on the front porch of the Art House, as I call it, or the Lawlor Art Studio, as everyone else calls it. Wow, Dr.Rivers would have a cow if he saw that sentence, oh well! Anyway, see you all later!
Oh yes, I have an audition today at 4:00 for the part of Josephine in the H.M.S. Pinafore. Please pray!!

Yeah! We'll shine like stars in the summer night!

The stage is lit up for 'With or Without You'
Splendid!

Vita est brevis ars longa!

Hurray for Alphonse Mucha! Hurray for Art Nouveau!

That would be Lukolas, Midsummer, Eucharisto , and myself in the Pacfic Ocean. Ahhhh. (I would be the insane one with a skirt on. Bad for freezing day, good for pictures.)

Today has been pretty interesting, here at school. Here is what we learned in Cultral Anthropology:

* In Japan, the Pepsi company recalled an ad campaign that said ' Come alive with the Pepsi generation'. Nothing wrong with that you may say, but if you could read it in Japanese, it would say: ' Pepsi makes your ancestors come back to life.'

* The same thing happened in China with Coca-Cola, which to them says: 'Bite the wax-filled tadpole'. Hmmm. Sounds tasty, ey?

* The GM motor co. found it hard to sell the 'Nova' in South and Latin American countries. Might that be because in Spainish 'Nova' means, 'won't go, run, or move'. Sounds dependable.

Dr. Heifner was trying to show us the importance of analyzing every aspect of a different culture when 'interacting' with it.

I also learned I have aHistory quiz Friday.

I just came back from 'Wizard of Oz' auditions. I was the only non-theater student he asked to read Dorothy. Don't think that's going to turn out, however. Why, you ask? Well, I was the tallest girl in the whole room, and Dorothy is a little girl. How would you like to watch a play where the little girl was taller than all the other womens roles, and some of the guys? I would rather be 'Glenda' the good witch, cause she has a poofy dress, and a wand, and she is tall.

Look!!! There is a picture on my blog! WOOO HOOO! I did it all by myself!

What a funny picture it is, too!

Wow! This is my longest post! ( It's also my first English assignment!)

"The sun is so bright!"That was my first thought when my mother woke me. My next was, "Why is she doing this? She knows we were out late!" But then I remembered, we were going to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts to see the exhibition of the Pre-Raphaelite Dream. For years I had seen the works of the Pre-Raphaelites in art books that I’d borrowed from the library. I dreamed of seeing some of these wonderful paintings in real life. As I was getting ready, visions swirled in my excited head of which paintings I might see. Maybe I’d see some of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s work, or Sir Edward Burne-Jones’, or I might even see one of my all-time favorites, Marianna, by John Everett Millais. I could only hope!
The sun grew brighter as we made our way downtown. I put on my sunglasses and began to think about going to downtown Nashville. Big cities have always been so exciting to me. My parents would take my brothers and I downtown for special occasions: plays, exhibits, or to celebrate at ’Demos’, and the excitement still remained for me, even at age 18. This trip was to be no exception. Like a blinding ray of sunlight, my mother broke my nostalgic thoughts by asking me a question about art. My mother is largely responsible for my interest in art. When I showed promise in art at an early age she went to work: recording art shows, rushing me to exhibits around town, and securing painting lessons. She encouraged and nurtured my interest. "What is it exactly that you like about the Pre-Raphaelites?" I had never really considered it before, I just knew that their works appealed to my senses. We turned onto Broadway as I struggled to find the words, I wanted to sound like I knew what I was talking about. " I think it is because they are dealing with themes in literature, mostly Renaissance literature," I heard myself say, "and they’re so aesthetically oriented. You know, ‘Art for art’s sake’." That was a good answer. All she said was, "Hmm."
The sun was even brighter as we parked and got out. I looked toward the huge granite building that was the Frist. Before it was the Frist, it was Nashville’s post office, built in the ‘Art-Deco’ style of the 1920's and 30's. It was so ornate in design. " I love ‘Art-Deco’," I thought, " I love everything about this place." As we neared the door I began to shake inside. I was on the verge of being in the same room as the works of the artists I looked so highly upon. It was like the temple of art, and we were preparing to enter the inner-sanctum. Despite my sense of awe and reverence, my mother’s question still unnerved me. What was it about these paintings that captivated me so? I silently determined to find out that day. The janitor in his blue uniform startled me as he opened the door for us. How I envied him, being there everyday! "You probably don’t even appreciate it," I said to him in my head, "not like I would." I then turned up the magnificent staircase. My mother took the elevator, due to her heart problems. I silently thanked God that I could ascend the beautiful steps, a thrill I believed I’d never get over and relived every time I visited.
The sun spilled over the threshold of the room containing the exhibit. It was almost heavenly. I stepped across and found myself lost not only to time, but to my mother. I recorded in my journal every painting and artist as I viewed them. The first painting I saw was Proserpine, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The model was Jane Morris, the wife of Rossetti’s best friend, William Morris, and incidentally the woman that he loved. Many of his paintings bear her face, as if an immortalized declaration of his feelings. Painting after painting took my breath away, till finally I came to the last room. Then I saw it, in the center of the room, with a light shining down on it. My vision blurred as tears formed in my eyes. It was Marianna, my favorite, the one I had wanted to see the very most. In the illustration, dressed in a bejewelled blue gown, she stood up from her obviously feminine and confining task of embroidery, with fabrics spilling luxuriously from the table to the ground. As she looked out the open window, leaves rushed in. It was so beautiful, simply perfect in every way. After the initial elation and profound shock, I forced my eyes from the picture to read the poster to the far right, explaining what exactly was the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Dream’. Once I had read it, it hit me. I knew why I had always been drawn to these images! I turned back to Marianna as if to confirm my thoughts, and instead I saw my mother . Surely she saw the look of revelation on my face. " I know why!" I felt like I was shouting. She calmly asked , "What’s that?" I disregarded her question and kept on going. "It is the feeling that is expressed by these paintings, their message. The Pre-Raphaelites were condemned by the Royal Academy of Art, but they persevered, and they eventually overcame. They not only hoped for a better future, but they worked towards it, even when they were ridiculed. These pictures depict such a sense of inspiration, of hope!" My mother simply smiled at me. She knew me so well and understood what I meant. I smiled back at her and wondered if anyone else ever would.
The sun was bright when we stepped outside, but not as bright as my future. Right there on the steps of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, I made a choice. I wouldn’t be resigned to fate, like Rossetti, wistfully dreaming of a life he couldn’t have. I would be like Millias’ Marianna, looking out toward my future and leaving behind that which tied me down. There was hope for change! "I am a modern day Pre-Raphaelite", I thought with a smile and a glance in my mother’s direction, "and I have my mother to thank for it."

Pre Raphaelite Wisdom (A Peace Offering)

Here it is:
" A picture is a painted poem and those who deny it have simply no poetry in their nature."
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Mayhap a word from this wonderfully imaginative artist will appease those of my loyal-royal subjects that preparing for college has separated me from! I'm off to school Saturday to move in, but my first day will prove to be very trying indeed: A 3hour drawing class, and an hour of choir! Ah, blissful day! Art and Music!

My niece now can quote a large portion of Shakespeare's 116th Sonnet! I'm so proud of her, and trust me, she is proud of herself too! She quotes it to everyone she meets!( Since I'm speaking of Will, I've aquired a book of 'pocket sonnets', just lovely )

Well....

Sorry I've been lacking in my 'blog' skills, but I've been busy! We( my family and the 'Queen of endless breads') went to our family reunion over the 4th of July, we watched fireworks in Cinncinati, Ohio. They were so beatiful, inspiring, and thrilling! Then , on the 8th, I had my college orientation and figured out my schedule for the first semester: MWF: Cultural Anthropology, Composition, Speech, US HistoryI. Tues Thurs: DrawingI and 'Cantores Celestis', also known as the 'Chick Choir'. It seems I'll be pretty busy, when I'm not in the library! I don't think I'll know what to do with myself around that many books, constantly! Oh! Everyone please pray that God would bless me with a Christian Room mate. That is a really scary thought, me being with some one I do not know, so prayers would be GREATLY appreciated!

In other news:

ADVENTURES WITH FOUR YEAR OLDS:
I've decided to teach my niece some Shakespeare, probably a sonnett. We'll see how that goes!
Tonight when I got home, there were several toads out in the road. So naturally, I did what any good Auntie would do, I dragged her outside in the dark to hunt amphibians! We caught a toad and, to my great suprise, a tree frog. It was so cute!( and sticky) She would touch the toad, but not the frog. I explained the differences to her, so now she is learn-ed in the ways of frogs. Then we let them go, sticking the frog to my bedroom window and watching it climb away. She had such a good time!Maybe I shoud teach her a sonnett about a toad, though I doubt Shakespeare often lighted upon the subject.

I know none of this is very interesting, it is just some of what has been going on!

When you sell a man a book, you don't sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue-you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night- there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean.
Christopher Morley

A truly great book is a tale to the simple, a parable to the wise, and a direct revalation of reality to a man who has made it a part of his being.
John Middleton Murray

A good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense.
Vladmir Nabokov

Study for me has been the sovereign remedy against all the disappointments of life. I have never known any trouble that an hour's reading would not dissipate.
Baron De Montesquieu

A book is the only place where you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear of it going off in your face.
Edward P. Morgan

For those of you wondering.....( as I often am)...

Many of you know that I am attending College this Fall, but you may not know what for.( You also may not ever hear from me once I get there!) Since I can remember, Art has been my major gift, or, talent. I do praise the Lord for it, and try to use it for Him. So, I will be majoring in Fine Arts, with an emphasis in Art ( there are other emphasis'), and minoring in theater( another intrest of mine, especially the costuming aspect). God blessed me with a scholarship for Art and in Choral Music, etc.( those auditions are NIGHTMARES).
Maybe I'm saying all this to say: If you are wondering what God will do and accomplish in with your life, look at the gifts He has given. It can often give some insight, and He didn't give you a passion in a certain area for nothing! He enables.
Thanks, those of you who have encouraged me and prayed for me, and do not stop anytime soon! I'll need all the prayer I can get, as I am attending a private, but not Christian, University.I truly want to be a light!( Not many people listen to artists, but they have to see them!)

In other news:
Today I was looking for a Michael Crawford CD, but my search was no success, so I bought a Sarah Brightman CD( It's kinda opera-ish). Tonight, as we were coming home from Vacation Bible School I forced my siblings to hear it at a red light. We looked over to see a truckload of true orange-blooded Tennesseans, if you know what I mean, with their windows down.Then the bright idea popped into our heads to turn the music all the way up and roll our windows down. My brother, who was driving, was frolicing/dancing/galloping/driving ( don't try this at home kids). Needless to say the Tennesseans were shocked out of their minds, but I think we got the biggest kick out of it. We laughed all the way home!( In Addition: My niece was screaming SPRITE! SPRITE! at the Taco Bell drive-thru, which made our little trip extra special)

Remember: All you need is Love!

All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
Leo Tolstoy

Words of Wisdom from the Freshly Graduated

I never want to do that again.

Ello, Ello, Ello!

Is it just me, or are CDs stickier than everything else?

Lately I've been thoroughly enjoying albums that aren't necessarily mine, but have since found their way into my CD case.
Jars of Clay, Who We Are Instead
This is great, I fall asleep to it every night! My mom won it at an auction at rocket town, and I've had it ever since! Jealous Kind, Sing, Only Alive, Show You Love are some of the best.
Caedman's Call, Share the Well
This one is pretty unique. It is like a journal of the band's missionary journeys to India and Ecuador. I really like Mother India the best. Maybe. On the very end, there is a 'hidden track' of a group of singing, shouting Indian men. It's probably one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life!
Six Pence None the Richer, Six Pence None the Richer
I liked their style, when I heard them on the radio, and decided that if given the chance to hear an entire album, I would really like it. So I borrowed it from Sir Knight and loved it. Of course, I hadn't heard it since about Christmas and then guess what shows up for my family!? That's right! Their self titled CD, so I have listened to it almost constantly since it got here! They are great, like musical poetry, revealing the reactions of an artistic soul to its Creator, among other themes.

So anyway, maybe I just have sticky fingers when it comes to music that isn't mine! And as futher proof, I have my mom's Joshua Tree, U2: Best of 1980-1990, Neil Diamond, and White Heart! Oh dear!

Ahhh, March, it smells of....art!?!

My garden started growing about mid- Feburary and know I have them, daffodils. Their sunny faces greet me every morning whenI wake-up, reminding me that God is the most creative Artist of all! ( The fact that they are in my room says that there are no longer any more outside, save two small ones)
Today I took my sketching that won first place at International Student Covention last year
to hang at the Hendersonville arts council in the student art show.Hopefully, I'll win, which would be kinda nice! I'll add to this later, I have to go!

Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive!

But I am trying to graduate, so I might as well be dead! Just please bear with me as I try to breathe!

The Stage of Blinding Lights

Funny how U2 can influence the title of a post, right?


I was thinking about the allure of the stage. Tommorrow night, my high school play 'debuts'(if you will) it's first ever production,"Just Desserts and Make Believe." I am out of the class, but the teacher wanted me to be in it, so I conceded. She asked me the very same day I asked her for help. I needed help with audition pieces, you know short scripts and one minute songs. That weekend I was going to audition for the part of Belle in The Beauty and the Beast at a theatre in Franklin. However, I became ill so I could not sing, I couldn't even talk! So I agreed to take part in the school play. But why? Why is it that acting like somene you aren't is so appealing? I asked some friends this same question and most said the costumes. That doesn't apply to me though because( you can ask Foolish Knight, Princess of Mirkwood, Penny Lane Blair, etc) I always dress that way. For example, my principal asked me today if what I had on was my costume. I laughed and then he realized it wasn't and said, "I should have known!"
Maybe I will never know my reason for wanting to be in a play or musical, but if you know why, do tell! If you to have felt the call of the stage, and know what it is that beckons so, speak up and be heard. I do know, that after hours of rehearsals, it isn't the blinding lights!

Humor, 1909 style...

Since you demand, you must suffer with a hurried choice of information, however, thank you to the understanding of my predicament.
A stranger in Boston was interested to discover, when dining with friends once, that the dessert he would have classed as cream layer cake at home was known as "Washington Pie" in Boston. And the next time he lunched at a restaurant, he ordered the same thing; but the waiter put before him a rather heavy looking square of cake covered with chocolate, instead of the cream cake the guest had made up his mind to enjoy. A puzzled expression came over his face as he said reprovingly," I ordered Washington pie, waiter."
"That is Washington pie , sir."
"Well," expostulated the disappointed man,"I did not mean Booker T.--I want George!"

Yes, I know, weird. It is from,'Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers: A New Collection of Humorous Stories 'and Anecdotes By William Patten, 1909

This is a fine morning for wondering...

Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, and when the chance comes, you find there are no words? That the most eloquent of vocabularies could not rescue you from the confusion of thought? Then thinking upon it later, you wonder if the chance was the last to say that something? What if, had it been said, it had changed your whole life?
Recently, I have found myself in this situation, and it is most irritating! I wonder if I can ever even bring myself to that point again? my friend says," Now is all the time you've got", so what if that was my last chance?!? (sigh) And to make things worse, Joel posts the very true lyrics from Coldplay on his blog!( Don't worry Joel, I'm glad you made me think, I think.) (sigh)
Well ok, now that I am quite sure you are all begging me to stop before your brain explodes, I will. Maybe I should quit saying 'what if' and just go for it, I will never know till I try, right? Ha! Easier said than done!After all that I come to this conclusion: What happens will happen, regardless of how foolish I am, God is in control & His Will will prevail. I can rest in that until my mind starts wondering again....
Aren't you glad that you are not in my head all the time!?! I don't think Bono would want to take a trip inside this head, much less spend the day here!