Mandy's Place

My Ecologcial Footprint

2011-03-28T22:31:00.003-04:00

In my Environmental Science class, I got to go to a cool website where I took a quiz that showed me my ecological footprint (see below). You can try it out and find your ecological footprint at footprintnetwork.org

Anyway, it takes 15.7 acres to support my lifestyle and it would take 3.5 Earths to sustain everyone if everyone lived like I did. 10% of the energy goes into food, 15% into shelter, 7% to mobility, 12% to goods, and 56% goes into services. So basically, it doesn't take much to feed or clothe me, but it takes a lot to keep me warm and sheltered and occupied.

2011

2011-03-16T17:52:00.006-04:00

A lot of things have transpired so far this year. A few major things include:

I GOT MY BRACES OFF!!! I'M WIRELESS BABY!!!

I got ULTRAVIOLET highlights. Now they're just blond highlights.

Then, later, I got a haircut. That was a big deal for me. Last time I had gotten a haircut was like 18 months ago.

Also, I turned 17. My dad got transferred to a new job which is 3 hours away, so I don't see him around as much as before.

I graduate this June. I applied to 5 colleges: Geneva College, Messiah College, Andrews University, Southern Adventist University, Atlantic Union College. I plan to get a double major in Psychology and Spanish.

I guess that's a good note to end on. Toodles, noodles.

I Remember When...

2011-03-16T17:24:00.003-04:00

I first got my gerbils almost 2 and a half years ago. One of the first things I did when I brought them home was take their pictures then post them on this blog. I had been wanting gerbils since I was a lot younger. At first I wanted hamsters, but then I found out you only have to clean out gerbils' cages like 2 times a month because they don't smell as bad, and that was definitely an incentive since I knew I did not like cleaning out my guinea pigs' cages every few days.

One day we were at the Living Things pet shop, which is my favorite pet shop in this area because it always had plenty of live animals for me to stare at. This particular day they had gerbils, and I don't know how I convinced my mom, but we impulsively bought Ralph and Roo, and brought them home. They looked so identical that I could never tell them apart, so I just guessed which one was which, the fatter one being Ralph.

Anyway, they grew fat and happy, eating their sunflower seeds every day. Before long, they got tired of cardiorespiratory endurance exercises and instead began weight training. Instead of running on their wheel, they would knock it over. And every night I would fall asleep to them banging the wheel against the glass in one of their brilliant but unsuccessful attempts to escape.

Two days ago, one of their stories ended. I don't know for sure if it was Ralph or Roo that I found lying on the bottom of his cage, blood running from his eyeballs. His death was unexpected and sad. And what made it very strange was that he died on March 14th, and my rabbit Tiddles (which I didn't write an epilogue for) died on February 14th (yeah, my Valentine's Days tend to suck). It makes me wonder what will happen on April 14th.

my Wordle World

2010-09-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

I have an announcement to make!

2010-06-12T05:42:00.003-04:00

As of yesterday, I AM A SENIOR!!!!!! No more math, and no more honors courses for me!!! Just English and Spanish 3 and 3 science courses and a few required electives... I'm taking it easy my senior year!
And, though it's hard to believe that a whole year went so fast, PVYBC starts day after tomorrow! Summer camp will basically be my vacation since I am working again for most of the summer. So far, in one day I have earned almost $40. And earned some deeply sore leg muscles picking all those strawberries.
I went to bed last afternoon since I was so pooped and I woke up early. So now I think I will go do something useful, like try to curl my hair and otherwise get ready for campmeeting.

Listlessness

2010-05-12T01:48:00.002-04:00

Okay, I know this is an ungodly hour to be awake and blogging, but I need to be held accountable for something. I was forced to take a vacation (yes, I have gotten a few chuckles out of that one) and made to go see my loving grandparents! I splashed my feet, and, thanks to an obliging wave, my shorts, in Lake Erie at Presque Isle. And I got to meet my pen pals from NY who are stuffed with AWESOMENESS!!! Anyway, now I am behind in school, and I am attempting to get caught up. Seeing as there is only like, one month of school left, I am not going to give up yet! But there are so many distractions which are, of course, distracting me from what is important right now, which is completing my school and getting good enough grades to go to college. I find that when I make lists, I tend to finish almost as much as I have planned for the day. So I have made a list, and hope to finish everything on it. Basically, my list says:
1. School (Algebra 2 assignments)
2. School (Anatomy assignments)
3. School (Technology assignments)
4. School (Spanish assignments)
5. School (government assignments)
5 1/2. (more government assignments)
6. School (American Literature Assignments)

P.S. You don't want to know the specifics because they are the boring subject matter I shall be slaving over tomorrow morning through midnight.

Summer, I need you so very much right now. I feel too tense.

My Awesome Citadel made of snow!

2010-02-09T22:47:00.007-05:00

I singlehandedly crafted this lovely snowfort! It was a bunch of fun and good exercise... I think everyone should take some time to enjoy the snow!

And there is Alyssa who kindly took the photos. Thanks!

NUTS

2010-01-28T15:32:00.003-05:00

I had this really great post idea and now it is just - GONE! I feel so Dory-like. oh there's my memory stick. The Eggplant parmesan is cooking. I am going to have potatoes and cheese. sorry for all the food references but I haven't eaten yet today and am hungrified!
Well I went out in the woods today while I was waiting for my moody rabbit to decide to hop out of her cage. Sometimes she wants to come out and will practically hop into my arms, but sometimes she decides to play hard-to-get. I can't drag her out because she is ten pounds, and her toes get stuck in the wires if i try and sometimes if she REALLY doesn't want to come out, she will lunge and growl at me. Once I get her out she is usually sweet as pie and snuggly as a fuzzy sausage but it can take some patience to coax her. So today I opened up her cage but she wouldn't come out initially so I decided to take a little walk while waiting for her. It was sunny and rather warm, warm enough to wear a light bright pink jacket and not get frozen. This was fortunate because it is deer hunting season, and if there did happen to be any hunters in our woods, they would have to be pretty dumb to mistake a girl in a bright pink jacket for a deer, so I felt pretty safe. The ground was soggy and wet but I managed to not get my socks wet by tightrope walking on logs over puddles and soon I had arrived at the gushing creek. It was snowing as lightly as it can snow and still be noticable, like one snowflake per square yard each second. I actually saw a flock of 10-20 robins, despite certain people telling me they don't travel in flocks, and maybe they don't, but I definitely saw a bunch of robins. Anyway, I went back to Missy's cage and just as I had predicted, she was out and I quickly scooped her up. I am not quite the nature bug i used to be but i still enjoy short little treks out in nature.

High Horse's Courting

2010-01-25T14:31:00.002-05:00

I just read this hilarious story from my English book called, "High Horse's Courting". It made me laugh out loud!!!! I have paraphrased it for your reading enjoyment, but the story in its entirety is even funnier! It's an authentic Native American tale about an Indian boy named High horse who wants to marry this beautiful Indian girl. He talks to the girl and she says that she likes him maybe a little. The Indians would trade horses for their wives, but High Horse only had two horses and her father won't let him have his daughter for only two horses and said for him to quit talking foolishness like that. High Horse's friend offers to let him borrow two more horses, but the father won't let him have his daughter for four horses either. High Horse asks the girl to run away with him, but she says she wants to be bought like a proper wife. So High Horse felt really sick and he felt like he was going to die. His friend Red Deer notices and says he has a plan: they will steal the girl and High Horse and the girl will ride away together and be happy for the rest of their lives. Red Deer waits outside while High Horse sneaks into her teepee after he is sure her and her parents are asleep, but finds that her parents have tied her in bed with leather thongs in case someone tried to steal her, and they thought she might even want to be stolen. So he has to cut the leather cords away with his knife while she is sleeping, and each one makes a loud POP. But she still doesn't wake up. When he is down to the cords at her thighs, he is really nervous and his knife slips and pokes her, which in turn makes her wake up yelling, which wakes up her parents and they start yelling, and her father gets some other men and they go and chase High Horse and Red Deer, who run away like antelopes, but no one is sure who they were because it was so dark. So High Horse is feeling sicker than ever and Red Deer plans another way for them to steal her. He tells High Horse to strip and then he paints him white with black stripes until High Horse looks so terrible that Red Deer says he is almost scared. Red Deer tells him that this time, if he is caught again trying to steal the girl, the village will think he is a bad Spirit and would be afraid to chase him. So High Horse sneaks into the teepee again and Red Deer waits outside while he cuts the cords. It made a lot of noise and the girl started moving around in her sleep and then her mother wakes up. "Suddenly the old woman awoke and said to her old man: 'Old Man, wake up! There is somebody in the teepee!' But the old man was sleepy and didn't want to be bothered. He said: 'Of course there is somebody in the teepee. Go to sleep and don't bother me.' Then he snored some more." (LOL) But this really scared High Horse so he lay still so they wouldn't see him and then he got so tired he fell asleep. Next thing he knew, it was morning and the girl was screaming and her parents were yelling about a strange animal in the teepee and he almost knocked the teepee down getting out! Apparently his friend was wrong about the village being scared to chase him because the whole village chased after him with guns and bows and tomahawks but he ran and hid in a hollow tree and nobody found him. By then the village was creeped out and decided to move out quickly. So they moved and left High Horse behind in the hollow tree. The whole time, his friend Red Deer knew what was happening of course but had to pretend to be as surprised and scared as everybody else. He watched where High Horse ran off to and after the camp moved he went and found High Horse. High Horse wasfeeling so ashamed and sick he said he would go on the war-path all alone and he didn't care what happened to him. But Red Deer said he wouldn't let him do that, and went on the war-path with him. They went and stole a herd of about a hundred horses from a Crow tribe and drove them in front of the girl's teepee. High Horse yelled to the father asking if he thought maybe that was enough horses for his girl (I can just feel the sarcasm...) The old man told him he didn't want the horses, he wanted "a son who was a real man and good for something. So High Horse got his girl after all, and I think he deserved her."

Tiddlywinks!!!

2010-01-15T16:59:00.002-05:00

Okay I was just exercising so I feel really happy right now cuz of all those whatchamacallems endorphines? that get released when you exercise :D so that is why I may seem a little too perky lol

Thanks all of you who prayed for Tiddlywinks! Tiddles got his teeth clipped a few weeks ago and he is now just as hoppy as ever! He is going to have a operation to have some of those teeth pulled because thankfully, it was inexpensive enough. :)

The last blog post I did was actually on another blog that is for my honors US government course. It's called "Can We Provide Broadband Across PA?" and you can visit it in the slight chance (ha HA) that you are interested. http://palcsbroadband.edublogs.org/

During winter break I attended GYC (Generation of Youth for Christ) in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme was "Unashamed," and we learned all about being unashamed of Christ! I even went on outreach and invited people to sign up for Bible studies. It was an awesome experience and I am sooo glad I got to be there! I am totally going next year when they have it in Maryland!
And I want to shout out that my friend Christina earned her yellow belt in karate today after a grueling test!!! ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡YAY Christina!!!!
I went to the PA Farm Show yesterday. It was fun and stinky and tiring! Some of the best parts were getting to see this girl do stunts on a galloping horse and watching horses play soccer and see Irish dancing. Not to mention free ice cream samples and fried portabella mushrooms and seeing a bunch of animals. I even got a magic scarf! It is purple and blue and green and so it matches like a lot of my clothes lol... it is magic because you can stretch it into being a shawl as well as a scarf. I also saw a lot of rabbits, a few of which looked exactly like my rabbit Hopscotch (one of them was actually distantly related to Hopscotch because he was from the same breeder that we got our mama bunny from and bred by). Hmm I should go get Missy, she would probably lick me. She loves licking me when I am sweaty cuz I guess I taste good and salty then... yuck? whatever :)
I was gonna call this post "tiddlywinks!!!" before I realized I had a lot more to say than just about Tiddlywinks :P

bla-bla-bla-bla-bla-bla-bloggin'

2009-12-24T14:44:00.003-05:00

I happen to be listening to Spanish Christmas songs. These particular ones are called "Pastores y Zagalas" and "Que preciosas mananitas" y "Las Posadas". I shall attempt to find the translations. Pero primero yo estoy voy a comer arroz de español para mi almuerzo. Okay. Done with the spanish rice which was prepared by mi madre. So "pastores y zagalas" means "shepherds and shepherdesses", "Que preciosas mananitas" means "What precious early mornings," y "Las Posadas" means "The Inns." ¡Qué interesante! lol

I learned how to make some German paper stars the other day. They are like the ones below, but mine are much cooler because they are colorful and one is made out of ribbon! :)

Tiddlywinks

2009-12-24T14:11:00.003-05:00

Please pray for our rabbit Tiddlywinks! He has a major problem with his teeth and he could die because of it!!! Please pray we can take him to a vet that can help him. He is a special pet of ours and we don't want to lose him! Thanks!

My account of December 22, 2009

2009-12-23T13:37:00.004-05:00

Our family had planned several days before to go to a craft party at my cyber school's hq in West Chester, which is like an hour and a half from our house driving. Some of my family decided they were too sick to go so we it ended up just being me, my big sister, and my dad. My dad actually had lost his voice, so it was a much quieter ride than we were used to when being with my dad.
But my dad does this thing. Whenever my dad is driving near a fancy hot new expensive car, like a ferrari or mercedes or bmw or anything that is worth half our house, he ALWAYS says he can get in front of them and change lanes before them or whatever because the person isn't going to want to hurt their new fancy car by ramming into him for it. And each time he goes in front of them or whatever they ALWAYS beep their horns loud and long... and each time he says get my gun; I'm armed and they're not. And each time my mom goes "Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat!!!!!" (which is my dad's name). It was funny cuz this one time, there was a fancy car behind us and he beeped at us when my dad went in front of him and then later when the same car got behind a line of traffic, my dad drove by him quick and beeped at him lol it was so funny but my mom got all freaked out and my dad said I'm armed and they're not, and my mom was like how do you know they're not armed and for the tiniest split second I was like how can they drive without arms? and then I realized he meant firearms and I felt pretty dumb lol anyway so yesterday on this particular drive in Philly there is this guy and his gf in their hot new mercedes in the lane next to us and trying to change lanes and my dad says, "Watch this" and next thing I know I hear BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP from the shiny silver mercedes and my dad says "Get my gun! Get my gun! I'm armed and they're not!" and we throw up his briefcase and I duck my head in my lap and then I look around quick and the car is behind us and the guy is glaring. But he couldn't afford to do anything to our car for fear of damaging his shiny new mercedes. So anyway, SURPRISINGLY, we arrived safely at the building and made our way through the confusing maze of cubicles until we reached the room where we were to spend an hour and a half making international crafts with the foreign language teachers. One of them was my Spanish teacher in 8th grade and 10th grade. She taught us how to make God's Eyes, that craft with popsicle sticks and yarn. We also spent a long frustrating hour learning how to make these German Stars. They are like origami, and you can make them with long strips of paper or ribbons.
On the way back, we are listening to the charming English accent version of the voice on the gps. Unfortunately, it tells us to stay left at the toll booth so we accidentally go through the EZ pass one and don't get a ticket so when we get to the booth where we have to pay, my dad almost has to pay $24 instead of $2 but then my dad explained what happened (with difficulty because of his lost voice) and the toll booth guy said it happens a lot so we got away with it. My poor dad. Later we met a friend at the grocery store and she asked if we enjoyed our dad not having a voice for once because he is usually extremely talkative, but actually I missed his voice because I had been having to do a lot of his talking for him.
After that, we go to a Chinese restaurant and order vegetarian Chinese food, but I don't order the moo shu vegetables because I don't know what is in them and my dad always jokes about cow feet. haha
But we are still hungry so we go to this place that sells luxury chocolates so that we can get free samples. But I couldn't find the samples, so when my dad shows me where they are, he said my eyes bugged out and I made a beeline for them like a zombie and he was teasing me the rest of the day about it! I reached for the biggest piece and Alyssa says, "Don't be greedy!" So I grab a smaller piece, rather disappointed, and watch as SHE grabs the biggest piece. I should really not listen to her so much.
Then we go to Wegmans and get the rest of our dessert. The first thing, I will not disclose what it was because my dad would get in trouble with my mom if she reads this. The second thing was a 2-liter bottle of cherry soda. We are all rather full by this time and my dad doesn't want to carry the soda around and I don't want to throw it away so I finish it off for us straight from the bottle. But by then I am too full and too tired to want to shop for food for Christmas. So I am walking around in a stupor while we get groceries and then I need to use the restroom because I had just drank about a liter of soda. But when I get to the restroom there is a guy standing in front of the door holding tape which says "Do Not Pass This Line." So I am forced to keep walking around feeling tired and sick and OOOH my brother just handed me two Hershey's kisses!!!! But what made me feel better was this funny thing I observed. I noticed a trail of chocolate milk on the floor, and I decided to follow it. I saw an employee discover it and he walkie talkied to some other employee, "We have a situation here! There's a trail of chocolate milk all over the store! Send someone over the clean it up." And maybe it wasn't that funny but since I was so tired I was laughing hysterically!!!
After that ordeal I wasn't so tired anymore, and we went to some other stores and the mall and I got a great Spanish-English dictionary for only 4 bucks and Alyssa and I helped my dad pick out something for my mom for Christmas. Then we went home and I went to bed and had a disturbing dream and woke up this afternoon.
Well, if you have just finished reading all of this, congratulations. I hope you have become a better person because of it, or have at least been amused.
Excuse me while I go refill my blood sugar.

In the beginning...

2009-12-13T11:46:00.003-05:00

...there was a blog. Called Mandy's Place. And I posted and posted and posted from the time I was like 12 to the present. And lately only got on every once in a while.

Soooo this feels kind of awkward, blogging after not being on for so long. I guess all I should say for now is announce that I am going bowling today!

The other day I learned chest block at karate class.

I also just finished up to the 2nd midmarking period of 11th grade.

Still desperately attempting to learn español.

I am so excited for the holiday season!!! Mi tiempo de año favorito!

And I quit all the stupid facebook games which my sister started me playing and which took over my free time. So perhaps I will be blogging more often. But ironically, all my blog posts show up on facebook anyway, because somehow I set my blog to be affiliated with facebook.

I made a skeleton dude for anatomy class named Mr. Skelly Ton. When it is time to get rid of him, I am going to bury him in the ground as befits a skeleton. Maybe even make him a gravestone...

My brother just pulled my hair...

2009-08-11T19:00:00.001-04:00

...And his excuse: "I wasn't pulling it! Some of it just, um, got stuck between my two fingers!!!"
^^Exactly! :)

Heat Wave

2009-08-10T17:22:00.002-04:00

I readily agree with accuweather.com when it says that it feels like it is 100 degrees. It's actually only 89, but it is still apparently the hottest weather we have had so far this summer. All that talk about how I wanted warmer summer weather, I take it all back! I love the rain; I would do a rain dance if I thought it would help. I have piled up my hair and stuffed it under a cap so it won't stick to my neck. Makes me feel kind of topheavy; 20+ inches of hair, even rather thin hair which requires gallons of volumizing shampoo and conditioner to keep it from being so thin that strands of it would be invisible to the naked eye, feels especially weighty when one is soaking in a pool of sweat. Days like this I almost feel jealous of guys, because their hair is already short and light and they can go around without their shirts. It makes me mad to see my brother parading around in only his underwear and shorts. In times past I have even bullied him into putting his shirt back on, just because it was annoying me that I couldn't go around without one too.
I feel like jumping into the creek, but on second thought that would probably not help since I bet it is almost boiling by now. And it is surrounded by poison ivy and supposedly according to my mom, lyme-disease-carrying ticks [I don't really blame her for being paranoid though, seeing as she has gotten lyme disease twice]. Seriously, come to think of it, the creek would be boiling if it were a hundred degrees Celsius rather than 100 degrees fahrenheit. Even though, to the chagrin of my Canadian friends, I have basically forgotten what I learned in chemistry last school year about converting temperatures, for some reason or other I still remember that 100 degrees Celsius is the temperature at which water boils. I wonder what temperature blood boils at? You know how blood has to be heated before they can inject it into people who need a blood transplant? Well I heard a story once about some people who tried to heat the blood in a microwave, and the person who got that blood died. Rather creepy... but it is a favorite anecdote of the people who believe microwaves are dangerous and life-threatening and possibly cancer-causing (of whom my mom is also one of, sort of :)
Okay, either I swallowed too much pool water yesterday or the heat is really getting to me. Or maybe it's the strange book I have been reading. At any rate, I had better quit typing before I spill out something really bizarre. Well, in parting, remember to stay hydrated and try to keep as cool as possible, which means you'll have to try even harder if you don't have air conditioning like we don't. Well, at least the giant fan is on now and buzzing its heart out loudly. My dad seems to be an expert in ventilation (or at least thinks he is), and has set up a system that coincides somehow with how the propellors on an airplane work (trust him for that!). The fan is so loud I can hardly hear myself think. So tata!!

The Call by Regina Spektor (but done by me this time)

2009-07-21T11:18:00.003-04:00

~ Lyrics-- It started out as a feeling

Which then grew into a hope

Which then turned into a quiet thought

Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder

'Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back when it's over

No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing

Doesn't mean it hasn't been this way before

All you can do is try to know who your friends are

As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light

You'll come back when it's over

No need to say goodbye

You'll come back when it's over

No need to say goodbye

Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let those memories grow stronger and stronger

'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back when they call you

No need to say goodbye

You'll come back when they call you

No need to say goodbye

Everyone has their own agenda

2009-07-15T00:09:00.002-04:00

^that - a quote in a book I read a while back. Lately the following have been on my agenda - think, sleep, talk, eat, pick blueberries, play, read, shop. Not necessarily in that order, but sort of. But this is kind of just to let you know what I have been up to lately. So you don't worry about me. HA ha. I wish my agenda would change a little or a lot to include something very exciting. Like my sister decided to travel. Which I would like, but is an expensive habit, and we need to save up for skydiving lessons and flight school. Because those would definitely offer an extremely exciting and welcme change in my agenda.

Videos & Photos of Missionary Ground Pilot Class at PVYBC

2009-06-23T19:54:00.014-04:00

At Piedmont Valley Youth Bible Camp (PVYBC) I was in the flight class and at the end of the week we all went to an airport and got to experience flying first-hand! I got to copilot for a while, and had full control of the plane for about 3 minutes... I also got to sit in the back seat for two more flights. I had never been in a small plane before and the one time that I had flown in my life was when I was 3 so I could scarcely remember that. So it was a new experience for me and it was absolutely the most exhilarating and AWESOMEST thing I have ever done!!! At first I thought I would be nervous, but somewhere on the fun van ride to the airport, I got so excited that there was no room left for nervousness! Also, while I was up in the plane I kept having this urge to jump out the window LOL... So now I have two new goals, to get my private pilot's license, and to go SKYDIVING!!! yeah! I took this first video of the plane our flight class rented taking off.

We also did a few stalls... one was called the roller coaster and I LOVED IT!!! We climbed so hard that we were being pressed into our seats and then all of a sudden, we stalled and we were just FALLING, falling out of the sky, floating out of our seats, and whatever was in our lap started floating around too! Unfortunately I did not get a video while doing that but I need to do that sometime :). We had someone else's camera with us in the plane, and it was just floating around inside the fuselage, then when we recovered it went shooting into the trunk lol... know what would be neat, turning a video camera on right before you did the roller coaster, then later seeing what video it took while it was floating randomly inside the plane hahaha.

Anyway this next video is one I took of takeoff while I was sitting in the backseat as a passenger.

We opened the windows in the airplane because it was so hot and we wanted to decrease the chance of us getting airsick. Boy it was awesome... I even stuck my hand out the window on several occasions, and the wind obviously pushed really hard on it. Our instructor was telling us how he stuck his arm out the window nce when he was going much faster to see what would happen, and it almost broke his arm!!! He also said if you have a bug hit you at that speed it really hurts LOL!

^ Me copiloting the plane!!!

Me having crazy hair cuz of the open window...

^ at an altitude of like 2000 feet I think.

^ The plane about to take off.

^A pond/lake from the copilot's eye view.

DEFORESTATION!!!

"THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!!"

Outdoors with Korah and Lanaya

2009-06-23T19:31:00.004-04:00

Our 'crick'

Some freaky cool mushrooms i found.Famous last words - "Don't worry, these are the good kind of mushrooms!"

The "shelter" my brother and I half-built.

beautiful greenery

A fern growing out of a stump.

^me

A MOVIE NIGHT!!!

2009-06-10T13:26:00.002-04:00

Well that's kind of what my mom, sis and I did last night, 'cept we started at 7:00 and watched A movie (8 Below), no more. Mostly because my sister dropped asleep halfway through it and my mom followed sometime later. We bought a pile of movies cheap from this really nice guy at this farmer/flea market we went to on Tuesday. Let's see, there was of course 8 Below, and Finding Nemo (oooh love that movie, my favorite part is when Dory speaks whale!!!), Ratatouille, Happy Feet, Over the Hedge, Everyone's Hero, Meet the Robinsons, Shrek 1 & 2, and I think that is it. We had our own table so we were there for a while and got to talk to a bunch of ppl including the ppl who had their tables set up near ours. When he found out I have a job picking strawberries, this one older guy named Luther was telling me how when he was a kid, they would pick strawberries from 6-6 every weekday and got paid a dollar each day! Then they would give all but 25 cents (which was their allowance) to their parents. I was like wow! It makes me grateful I get paid as much as I do! Anyway PVYBC (summer camp) starts on Sunday! I am so excited and I'm going shopping this afternoon for stuff to wear and other things I need to take there. I can't decide whether or not to get a haircut though. I probably should since I haven't had one since October (gasp) since I've been trying to grow my hair out but on the other hand I have neeee idea how I would want it cut other than a trim. Talk to u guys later...

What I look like with wavyish hair/pelo rizado

2009-06-01T22:42:00.004-04:00

You guys like pictures, don't you? Here is what my hair looked like after Alyssa graciously French-braided it and I waited to take it out til it dried.

Red strawberries and Purple Asparagus

2009-06-01T22:27:00.003-04:00

Well, this morning, starting at about 8:30, I began my summer job picking mostly strawberries. I got a little surprise when they asked me to help cut asparagus. Yeah what an event! ha ha
Some of the asparagus was actually purple. I'd never seen purple asparagus before but it's the same color on the inside as the green asparagus - green. My two favorite colors combined in one cute vegetable! It was fun slicing through the stalks. I had to use a knife and I didn't cut any of my fingers off! Aren't you proud of me? :D I did cut pretty close once, I accidentally trimmed my little fingernail. But anyway. Because I spent about an hour at the asparagus and the strawberries were a little sparse, I nly picked a paltry 17 quarts of strawberries... my first day last year I picked like 39! Oh well. At least I'm not sore at all from all thebending down. Last year my first couple days I wasso sore from all the stretching that I could barely walk!! But I guess it's because I'm used to it since I stretch a lot and and stuff for karate and soccer.
But the big bummer about all this is... I can't even go back tomorrow to be with my sister on her first day of work there because I'm not done with school yet and I have to keep working at it until Friday. How sad :'( I'm allllll finished with my English, History, and PE classes, but I still have a lot of work left to do on Geometry, Chemistry, Spanish, Art, and a PSSA review course. And I have finals in three of those due on the 4th. On the bright side, if I get all done with Geometry by tomorow evening, I can go to a pizza party! So I'd better get working. good-bye!

Photos

2009-05-25T22:26:00.006-04:00

Lately I've been spending time and uploading photos on facebook and I had almost forgotten that I had a blog... so I think it's my blog's turn for some attention now! Well, the photos I'm putting up are from almost 3 weeks ago... My family and I, of course, were in the area so we went to a place called Centralia... it was supposed to be a ghost town but that aspect of it wasn't impressive because all the houses that had been abandoned had been torn down long ago and some people stayed in their houses so it didn't really seem like a ghost town... but the reason why those people who left, left, is a little fire that began in 1962- and is still burning... underground. u c, it was a coalmining town, but somehow the coal mine accidentally got set on fire... anyways, with plenty of fuel to keep it going, the fire is still burning, and in some places, such as a section of the highway in the area, the ground caved and smoked and stuff. It was really neat and eerie especially since it was pretty overcast when we went to see it.

^you can see why the road had to be closed^

Here Alyssa seems to be quite enthusiastic about the smoke she has found venting from the earth.

*cough, cough*

We were wondering why this house had five chimneys?

Wind power!

The crack in the highway...

My strong sister

I caught my brother trying to sneak into the graveyard! He looks very guilty doesn't he?

^Little old me

Well that's all for now... I'm all done in.

Laterz

Today's happenings and hair

2009-05-08T14:50:00.004-04:00

I wish I could go to the library @ least once a week.
But such is not the case.

My karate class was canceled today. Which to be honest, I am a little glad about because I had some things I wanted to do today.
Alyssa and I, our soccer team won yesterday, 4-2.

I played with my oldest bunny rabbit, Missy Daisy, in the yard today. Usually I just set her in the outdoor playpen and leave her there, but today I actually set her down and let her romp around... at first she was rather surprised, but then she went exploring... you have no idea how cute it was!
I am thinking about getting my hair cut into a bob and getting bangs again. I had that haircut til I was 8 or 9 I guess.
I watched a really good movie today called Homecoming. It was made in 1996, when I was two years old. It's based on a book, which is entitled, naturally, Homecoming, and it's by Cynthia Voigt. It's the first of a series of books called the Tillerman series I think... I didn't actually read Homecoming; I read Dicey's Song, which is the next book in the series. Anyway, I love the movie and that book. So that is partly why I wanted to go to the library... to get more books from that series. The actors in the movie are all really great, and I love 'specially how Dicey looked... and she happened to have that haircut I was thinking of getting... maybe that even influenced me to want to get it again... I mean, I wanted to get that haircut again before I watched the movie, but I guess that made me want to get it even more. :) I just don't know when... I was also trying to see if I could get my hair to be like 2-2 1/2 feet long... and I am sort of close. I feel like measuring my hair... brb

okay Alyssa couldn't really decide but it is about 20 inches. If I cut it, I am definitely giving it to Locks of Love to be made into a wig for chemo patients. I like to think that if I did, another girl somewhere would have the exact same hair-do, down to the same hair, as me. Do you think I should cut my hair right away, wait til summer is over, or not cut it at all?

Here's a pic of me last Fall... my hair has grown like 4-5 inches since then. In Spanish, is hair pelo or cabello? or both? Because then horse hair would be caballo cebello...

Tengo hambre... quiero comer pizza... laterz

Dumb Questions on Homeschooling, LOL

2009-05-06T19:46:00.001-04:00

I did not write this... I found this posted by someone who in turn found it from someone else on the World Wide Web. So I thought I'd share it w/ you... go ahead and read it if you'd like a laugh! Have you ever noticed that even the most intelligent seeming humans are capable of asking extremely stupid questions about homeschooling? Although I'm always too polite to retaliate, the following answers always run through my mind when I hear the following:

Do you parents make you homeschool?
1. Yes, they chain me up in a deep, dank basement and force me to learn independently.
2. Yes, they do. In my heart of hearts I really *want* to spend 6 hours a day in a stuffy classroom filled with stupid people, listening to a rude and irrational teacher rant incessantly.
3. No, I make them homeschool me.

Do you have any friends?
1. Friends? We don't need no stinkin friends!
2. Yes, let me introduce you to my friend Harvey. Say hello Harvey.
3. No, I'm a misanthrope sociopath who would rather die a thousand deaths than be socialized normally.

How do you meet people?
1. I have found that painting myself blue and running through the streets screaming is a very effective way to meet people.
2. I go to a playgroup!
3. Actively seeking out human companionship is illogical.

Do you get graded?
1. I grade myself. I am very proud of myself for maintaining my 4.0 GPA.
2. Grades are determined each semester by a coin toss.
3. Grades? What are those?

How do you know what to do without a teacher telling you?
1. I am omniscient.
2. I visit the library and pick books at random. Those books then become my curriculum for that semester. Last semester, I studies alternative physics, macrame, tomato growing, and the plot flaws in the Star Trek the Next Generation episodes.
3. The little green aliens who live under my desk tell me what to do.

How do you remember to work without a teacher nagging you?
1. I'm a very bossy person, and therefore I get on my nerves all the time by nagging myself to do homework.
2. Why would I need to be nagged? I love doing algebra homework!
3. I bribe myself. Whenever I finish a homework assignment, I give myself a dollar or a candybar.

Is homeschooling legal?
1. No. In fact, you could even be arrested for aiding and abetting a criminal just by talking to them!
2. Yes. The Government wants as many of us smart-aleck, self-motivated brats out of their high schools as soon as possible.
3. No. We live in a dictatorial police state where being different is punishable by death.

Do you like homeschooling?
1. No, I hate it. I'd rather have a root canal every day.
2. Dude, I love homeschooling. In fact, I love everything! Peace and Love, man.
3. Not particularly. I tolerate homeschooling because the alternative is so horrendous.

Are you going to homeschool your children?
1. With any luck, my offspring will be born on an asteroid colony, where homeschooling is the only viable means of an education.
2. What kids?
3. Certainly! In fact, my children will undergo an accelerated education, so that they will be ready for college by the age of 10.

You must be pretty smart to homeschool huh?
1. Actually, my intelligence level is below normal. I have simply acquired an immense vocabulary through memorization, which often fools humans into believing that I am more intelligent than I actually am.
2. I am a super genius, and my superior intellect allows me to take full advantage of non traditional methods of education.
3. Duh, what? Huh?

Little known facts about me that you may have never known before!

2009-05-06T19:09:00.003-04:00

Well, since I spent almost an HOUR doing this, I thought I might as well put it all on here for you to survey...
After only answering questions for the past hour however, I am having difficulty thinking up things of my own to say... so anyway, read this and maybe you'll find out some little known fact about me that you never knew before!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The longest survey you'll ever fill out! Do the world a favor: fill it out and post it for all your friends. Do this because the person who sent it to you didn't sit here for ages for nothing. Answer all the questions honestly, no lying to avoid stuff.

Starting Time: 6:39
Full name: Maranda Leigh Powell
Sisters: 2
Brothers: 1
Eye Color: blue
Shoe size: 9-10
Height: approx. 5'6"
What are you wearing right now: Loose light blue jeans a few 'destroyed' patches that I borrowed from my sister cuz she can only fit them after a certain amount of serious exercising... and a Bright Blue BMA shirt that I got in a gift bag drawing at PA campmeeting.
Where do you live: Pennsylvania, the Keystone State
Favorite Number: 13 & 54 (they also happen to be my lucky numbers, lol)
Favorite Drink: Cold A-Treat Cream Soda and Polar Punch (I haven't had that in a while... it was a smoothie recipe we created composed of orange juice, frozen bananas, and pineapple)
Favorite month or month of your birthday: January
Favorite Breakfast: Pancakes

*******Have You Ever*****************Broken a bone: Yeah, when I was 3... I may have told you the story b4... kind of funny story, I was playing 'Zaccheus' on the couch with Alyssa. I was Zaccheus. I climbed to the very top of the couch and Alyssa would say, "Zaccheus, please come down!"... well, I came down, but not the way she expected! I fell and at the splat at the end, I slightly fractured my arm... it's one of my oldest and vividest childhood memories... come to think of it, most of my childhood memories are of injuries... kind of odd.
Been in a police car: naw
Been on a plane: Yeah
Ever came close to dying: I don't think so!
Been in a hot tub: yeah, several X @ hotels.
Swam in the ocean: Yep, but only a few times, in the Atlantic. When we lived by the Pacific, I was too young to go in the water. I've swam in Lake Erie more.
Fallen asleep in school: Yeah definitely... it's easy to do if you're a homeschooler
Broken someone's heart: you tell me...
Fell off your chair: maybe
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: No
Saved e-mails: I pretty much save every email I get.
Been cheated on: nope, never gave anyone the chance.
*********What is-****************Your room like (color scheme?): It has alternating lime green and bright blue walls, with ceilings left white.
What is the last thing you ate: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Your favorite color and thing to do: my favorite colorz r green, purple, and orange. I guess my favorite things to do are reading, watching movies, and generally talking/socializing/doing things with other people.
------------Ever Had- -------------------------------
Chicken pox: yeah, unfortunately, I had it last fall. I think it was the worst week of my entire LIFE! I got hit pretty hard since I was kind of old to be having it. I have a couple teeny scars, but not cuz I scratched them... okay but I won't gross u out anymore...
Sore throat: ¡Claro que sí! Of course!
Stitches: Nada

Broken nose: Nopety nopety no
Someone who absolutely drove you up the wall or you couldn't get along with: Well some ppl annoy me only sometimes, but yeah I admit there are a few ppl I guess I don't like much!
Car sickness: Yeah... I mostly get it on really windy roads, in hot weather, or from trying to read in the car.
-----Do You------------------------------------

Believe in love at first sight for anything: No... that's one reason why I turned down the first guy who liked me... I guess he doesn't believe in it anymore either now...

Love picnics: Yeah
Like school: Well, I don't hate it... I guess I like it as much as anyone could like school.

Love your sibling/s and parents: Yes I love them all immensely!
Like to make new friends or meet new people: Yes

--------------Last Questions-----------Who was the last person you danced with? My little siblings, lol
Who/what makes you smile: Things that make me smile generally will make me laugh too...Being happy makes me smile... duh... um cute animals, funny forwards, books, and movies (I'll just be sitting quietly readin and I seemingly randomly burst out in laughter, yeah I luv funny parts of books), as far as people, anyone can make me smile if they say the right things!
--------------------------Who---------------------------------------------Did you last yell at last? My little siblings probably. A lot of times I have to yell just to be heard, you know, to make my voice carry.
Do you like filling these out: Kinda Sorta... I mean, I wouldn't want all my friends to be in the dark on all this highly important information on me!
Do you wear contact lenses or glasses: Contact lenses
Do you like yourself? Yeah, why wouldn't I?
---------------------Final Questions---------------------------What are you listening to right now: The birds singing through the window, a door slamming, people walking around downstairs.
What did you do today? School, reading, did a lot of updating on shelfari, talked on the phone, correspondence.
What car do you wish to have? Well, I really like those cute pontiac sportscars... but of course I'll probably just end up getting an affordable car that won't cost too much to replace when I crash it XD
Good singer: Taylor Swift pops into my mind
You the oldest: Nope, second oldest.
Indoors or outdoors: Well there are times that I'm in the mood to be outdoors, and times when I''m in the mood to be indoors.

------------------------Today did you------------------------------1. Talk to someone: my family members, Korah
2. Get sick: No3. Sing: probably, I sing a lot
4.Trip over something: If I did, my mind has blocked the memory of it for the benefit of my pschyological health.
5. Miss someone: yeah... :(--------------------Last person who---------------------------

7. Was in your bed: me myself
8. You talked to on the phone: Korah
9. You texted: I don't have a cell phone; thus, no texting
10. Went to the movies with last: I haven't been to an actual theater since I was like 5 (besides I-max 3-D theaters) but the last person I watched a movie with would be people my family
11. You went to the mall with: My mom and sister I guess

-------------------Have You Ever---------------18. Been to Mexico: No
19. Been to Canada: No

20. Been to Africa: No
21. Had somebody laugh just when you started walking towards them: I can't rightly recall such an incident, no.
------------------------Random-----------------------22 What books are you reading this summer? Wha!??? I have to wait for the summer to read?! aaaaaaahhhh I have been like totally reading hundreds of books lately (okay, that was a little hyperbolic... hehe I learned that word in Literature class, it's nice to know especially if you are always forgetting how to spell exaggeration, is it two x's or two g's?)... ANYWHOOO I have a virtual shelf of all the books I've read lately or some not-so-lately and of books I plan to get ahold of and read and of books I am currently reading... I think I'll be able to get a widget for it up soon on my blog, maybe. Anyway, I've been reading about the Holocaust in my Literature and History classes so I read a few required and supplementary books on that "event". Including NIGHT by Elie Wiesel, The Diary of Anne Frank (the definitive edition), Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, and Fire in the Hills by Donna Jo Napoli.
23. Are there monster's under your bed?? I used to believe wholeheartedly that there were. I conjured mental images of the ear monster, nose monster, toe monster, etc. I even got Alyssa to believe in them. I don't believe in the anymore, but sometimes I still make sure all my appendages are safe under the covers where NoThInG can get to them...
27. Favorite sport to watch or play? Volleyball, I guess. Soccer too.
30. Favorite location: My own home sweet home, the library, book stores, the beach
32. Who do you really hate: Satan
35. Ever tried to tell somebody something and they didn't understand: Yeah but usually if I don't think someone will understand something, I don't even bring it up.
36. Are you lonely right now? No... I have company. Mine annoying little brother makest his annoying young presence known at mine side at this time.
37. Ending time: 7:33 (Hey, I like 2 b thorough)

What's up?

2009-04-27T15:57:00.002-04:00

^ when people ask me that, sometimes I can't really think of a good answer because I feel like my life, or at least a list of whatever I've been doing lately certainly isn't intriguing, or even interesting.
It's not like I'm going on a mission trip
or solved a mystery
or even got my drivers permit (which would be illegal for about another 6 months).
But if you're here that means that you're curious anyway...
And are expecting me to have put something on here.
So, just for you, I will tell what I have been up to...
After church on Sabbath my sister and my mom and I did a music program at a local nursing home, the Phoebe Home. We do it once a month, and it basically involves us singing/ playing our various instruments for an hour straight until we have lulled numerous old folks to sleep.
On Friday our mom had a friend of hers from church over and she brought her 3 little boys (all under the age of 6) with her. They were very cute and the two older boys didn't want apple pie.
In the past week we had a record temperature change (from about 40 degrees to 90) which has put me into flip-flops and summer clothes! It was so sweltering yesterday that all us kids went down to the creek and had a dip in our own spring-fed, frog-and-fish-and-stick infested pool. At which the neighbor lady, leaving for work, pulled up and asked us if we weren't too cold in there.
I've also spent a considerable amount of time soaking up sunshine on our hammock. Which my dad, in honor of the infamous fake meat, has dubbed the Wham-mock. :) I also read the book Johnny Tremain while swinging on it. That's a very good book by the way; if you haven't read it, you should read it. One of my favorite parts is when Paul Revere's daughter sticks out her tongue at Johnny and later apologizes and he says something like, "oh, that's all right, I liked to see it; it was so long and red! At first I thought you were a hound dog all dressed up!" It was also made into a movie like 40 or 50 years ago, which I would like to see sometime.
I watched some great movies too which I hadn't watched before. Namely: City of Ember, Bridge to Terebithia, National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (aka NT2), Tuck Everlasting, and I didn't quite get to finish watching Holes. Yeah I know that's a LOT of movies to watch in just a week's time but I don't have much stuff on my agenda so I have to have something to do...

My Goldfish

2009-04-17T20:30:00.006-04:00

I thought I'd post some pictures of my goldfish on my blog. For a while I had left my aquarium empty because my fish had been dying. But Orinoco and Cleo have been doing spendidly...

I had a hard time getting them to stop swimming a moment for the camera (in most of the pictures I got but deleted, they look like little orange blurs)... Goldfish, even feeder fish are so cute that it makes me sad that most of them end up dead by getting shaken to death in their bags by little kids on the way home, or worst of all DEVOURED.

Above is Orinoco... I got that from a song called Orinoco Flow and so I was thinking about calling my other fishie Flo but I decided to call her Cleo after the cute goldfish on Pinnochio, LOL.

^That's Cleo

The two of them, swimming together happily.

hungry anyone?

I thought this was appropriate since it's about what tomorrow is...

2009-03-31T18:16:00.002-04:00

ATHEIST HOLY DAY - ( A MUST READ ) FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY!
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter andPassover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discriminationcase against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. Theargument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognizeddays. The case was brought before a judge.After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, thejudge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Yourhonor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians haveChristmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur andHanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Yourclient, counsel, is woefully ignorant."The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observanceor holiday for atheists."The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God. Thus, it isthe opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God,then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.
Court is adjourned.

Whataweek

2009-03-30T16:11:00.004-04:00

I think this past week has been the most stressful week of my life! I still don't feel myself... I had deadlines to meet for school, and I hadn't completed a lot of my work. So there I was, working as hard as I could on my school, in front of my computer about 16/7... fortunately I got extensions of a few days for my geometry, chemistry, and art class, or yeah I woulda flunked. But I completed everything due...well everything except for a formal essay on whether I think it was right for the conspirators to kill Caesar... geez... and stayed up all last night doing that. When I finally got to bed it was 5:00 am. And when I woke up it was 11:00 and my sister was stuffing a very large spoon full of mashed potatoes she made in my mouth. At first I was concerned because the concoction was, well, green, but it turned out it was just from all the herbs used to season it. Anyway, it was actually pretty good but I am hungry again. There were a bunch of wild turkeys outsidein our yard this morning, it makes me sad that most of them will probably be shot. I need to chill, relax, maybe play some Zoo Tycoon. I think I'll get a hippo and an alligator. I love that picture! whoever drew it, thanks!oh the picture's by Bill Peet. Neat.I found it on http://www.everypicture.com/index.php?sc=1I think I'll put that site in my link... I'm taking an illustration class in school so yeah I like good art, and especially funny art, like Calvin and Hobbes and this picture of two mice I saw once, the one was holding a mirror up for the other mouse, who had hardly any fur left... and there was a pair of scissors next to them. It was just so funny! faugh I think I'm getting a little goofy from lack of sleep........... until I post again...

~little ME~

How Smart Is Your Right Foot?

2009-03-19T17:46:00.001-04:00

TRY THIS NOW! This is so funny that it will boggle your mind. And you will keep trying it at least 50 more times to see if you can outsmart your foot.But you can't!!!
1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction!!! I told you so... And there is nothing you can do about it.Make sure you pass this on to your friends... They won't be able to believe it either!!!

Hundreds attend global warming protest! :@

2009-03-19T17:42:00.002-04:00

I got this this winter and it made me laugh; I hope it made you too!

Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders

2009-03-19T16:22:00.003-04:00

The other day we we about to fill in this hole in our yard. But under some wet leaves in the hole I found two eastern red-backed salamanders. They're very common in Pennsylvania. So this isn't the first time we've found them. An interesting thing about them is that they don't have lungs so they "breathe" through their skin, and they need to keep their skin moist in order to breathe (like worms).

That one on the left is wriggling away. They like to wiggle on their sides like those sidewinder snakes to try to escape from predators. So the first time I saw one do that it was kinda startling.

The bigger one trying to escape ^ v

One of my favorite memories is a time several years ago, I was playing around in some woods with these boys we knew, and we found like twenty salamanders and put them in this cup. Then we took them inside their house and showed them to their mom. She was so scared she shrieked and jumped a mile high and asked us in a very shaky voice to please take those THINGS outside right away!!!

My views on littering

2009-03-19T16:02:00.004-04:00

Here's a little persuasive speech I wrote on littering (rather, why not to litter, not like how to litter lol) for my *ahem* Literature and Composition class. I have never been good at persuasive speeches, so please bear with my feeble attempt. :/

Don't be a LITTERBUG!!!
By Yours Truly

Everyone, I have something that should be brought to your attention!
I’m sure something like this has happened to you – you’re walking along when suddenly you find that your foot is stuck to the sidewalk. You spend a few moments prying yourself free and find a glob of warm, pink, gooey gum on the bottom of your shoe. Or maybe you’re taking a walk along a country road, trying to enjoy the scenery, but it’s impossible not to notice all the loose bags and aluminum cans scattered along the side of the road. Many roads probably have enough aluminum cans alongside of them to build a small airplane! I don’t know about you, but all the ugly litter lying around really gets me down in the dumps!
The fact that it’s illegal should be enough to keep us from littering. But there are even more consequences to littering that you might not even consider. A still-smoking cigarette butt could cause a fire, a sharp object on the road could bust some poor person’s tire, and chemicals dumped in the woods could find their way into a water supply and make people sick. Animals could get caught on or choke on a bright looking bag, balloon, or candy wrapper some human has set free. It’s not that hard to keep our world clean. Instead of tossing that empty soda can or used tissue out your window, just keep it in your car for a little while until you can get to the nearest trash receptacle.
You might think, “Oh, it’s just one little piece of trash; it won’t matter.” But if everyone litters, all that trash will pile up and just look plain gross! Even things that will decompose, like food scraps, can be hazardous, e.g. slipping on banana peels, or by enticing animals to wander out close to the road to eat some food someone has tossed, thus causing accidents. You might say this is far-fetched, but you’ll be sorry if something like that happens to you!
Don’t people know that there is a reason for a littering fine in this country? I bet if everyone who littered were actually fined, there would be enough money to pay off the national debt! But I hope you have figured out by now that even if you don’t get fined for it, littering doesn’t pay!

The Urge to Create

2009-03-19T14:01:00.001-04:00

By Michael Card

How many are your works, O Lord!In wisdom you made them all; The earth is full of your creatures.
PSALM 104:24 NRSV
From the old lady who fills a page with doodling as she talks on the phone, to the man who welds together dinosaurs in the middle of the desert out of wrecked car parts, all around us are examples of this mysterious, powerful urge to create, to be creative, to live out or somehow respond to the beauty of our creative Father.
Perhaps you can look around your own home and see peculiar pots or pictures you’ve created because there seemed to be no other choice but to create them. People who cannot sing or play a note fill notebooks with songs. Others labor for decades over novels without the remotest hope of ever seeing them published.
We are driven to create at this deep wordless level of the soul because we are all fashioned in the image of a God who is an Artist.
How do you react to the idea that God is an Artist? What can you say about the art he has created?

Yesterday I...

2009-03-03T17:22:00.002-05:00

played in the snow for the first time this winter. We don't have a hill, so I built a big mound of snow for the kids (and me, hehe) to sled off. Sledding isn't good enough for my brother however. Of course he had to SURF, standing up on his sled. Because dude it's so cool, you know. hahahaha
Today I'm going to town today to get a birthday present for Alyssa.
I put some stuff on my art blog if you wanna look. I've actually been doing more art than music lately. I'm rather surprised at myself.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA!!!
I'm going to go make a snowman.
But before that I guess I'll help Alyssa with her geomtry homework AGAIN. Cuz her birthday's coming up and all,
so bye

Midterms

2009-01-22T16:15:00.002-05:00

well I'm halfway done with 10th grade now... yesterday was the end of my second marking period. I'm pretty sure I got at least a B or B- in every subject... Yeah I would have gotten more but I'm such a procrastinator... I ended up finishing over a month's worth of each subject in less than a week. LOL
To keep me from getting distracted from doing school my sister hid my keyboard (or tried to, I found it anyway). It was the first time in at least a month or two that I went a day without playing piano... I was soooo happy to get it back last night that I laughed. I'm addicted to it, I tell u!!!
The baby rabbits are about 6 weeks old now I think... they are so sweet and getting bigger all the time! Tiddlywinks is chinchilla, just the same as her mom and Hopscotch is still black and white, no change there.
My birthday was great, I got at least 8 birthday cards... not exactly all on my birthday, but I actually like getting late birthday cards because it makes it feel like your birthday isn't quite over. :D
I RRRREEEEEEAAAALLLLYYY wanna get the Narnia movie soundtracks... BIG FAN

My Birthday

2009-01-10T19:05:00.002-05:00

Today was my birthday. My sister made me a chocolate cake.

Rabbits playing Leap frog! or maybe hopscotch

2008-12-24T19:11:00.004-05:00

I found a perfect word to describe rabbits with!! :)

ballistic - being or characterized by repeated bouncing

GOOGLE MAPS

2008-12-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

This just goes to show you CAN FIND EVERYTHING on google!!!! I love the kayaking across the Pacific Ocean parts LOL!!! hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Driving directions to Tasmania, Australia

16,369 mi – about 56 days 14 hours

Germansville

Pennsylvania

1.	Head west on Memorial Rd toward Primrose Dr	2.4 mi
2.	Turn right at PA-309/Route 309 Continue to follow PA-309	15.9 mi
3.	Turn right at E Mauch Chunk St/PA-309	0.1 mi
4.	Turn left at PA-309/Pine St Continue to follow PA-309	6.2 mi
5.	Take the ramp onto PA-309	0.9 mi
6.	Take the ramp onto I-81 N	13.3 mi
7.	Take exit 151B to merge onto I-80 W toward Bloomsburg Entering Ohio	272 mi
8.	Take the exit onto I-80 W	4.5 mi
9.	Take the US-80 W exit toward Cleveland Toll road	0.4 mi
10.	Keep right at the fork to continue toward I-80 W and merge onto I-80 W Partial toll road Entering Indiana	354 mi
11.	Continue on I-90 W (signs for I-90 W/Chicago) Partial toll road Passing through Illinois Entering Wisconsin	271 mi
12.	Continue on I-94 W (signs for Eau Claire/I-94/St Paul) Entering Minnesota	156 mi
13.	Take exit 249 for I-694 N	0.8 mi
14.	Merge onto I-694 W	29.8 mi
15.	Slight right at I-94 W (signs for I-94) Passing through North Dakota Entering Montana	818 mi
16.	Merge onto I-90 W Passing through Idaho Entering Washington	815 mi
17.	Take exit 10 to merge onto I-405 N toward Everett/Bellevue	3.6 mi
18.	Take exit 14 to merge onto WA-520 W toward Seattle	6.0 mi
19.	Take the Montlake Blvd exit	0.5 mi
20.	Merge onto Montlake Blvd E/WA-513	0.3 mi
21.	Turn left at NE Pacific St	0.7 mi
22.	Continue on NE Northlake Way	0.2 mi
23.	Turn left to stay on NE Northlake Way	1.0 mi
24.	Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Hawaii	2,756 mi
25.	Slight right at Turtle Bay Hilton	0.1 mi
26.	Turn left at Kuilima Dr	0.5 mi
27.	Turn right at HI-83	10.5 mi
28.	Continue on Joseph P Leong Hwy	1.9 mi
29.	Slight right at HI-99/N Kamehameha Hwy Continue to follow N Kamehameha Hwy	8.6 mi
30.	Merge onto I-H2 S via the ramp to Honolulu	8.2 mi
31.	Merge onto I-H1 E	4.5 mi
32.	Take exit 13B to merge onto I-H201 E	4.7 mi
33.	Continue on I-H1 E	3.8 mi
34.	Take exit 23 for Punahou St	0.2 mi
35.	Turn right at Punahou St	0.1 mi
36.	Turn right at S Beretania St	0.1 mi
37.	Turn left at Kalakaua Ave	1.9 mi
38.	Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Japan	3,879 mi
39.	Continue straight	0.3 mi
40.	Turn right	184 ft
41.	Turn left toward 県道263号線	0.2 mi
42.	Turn left toward 県道263号線	0.2 mi
43.	Turn right at 県道263号線	0.3 mi
44.	Slight left to stay on 県道263号線	200 ft
45.	Turn left to stay on 県道263号線	0.3 mi
46.	Turn right at 国道125号線	0.4 mi
47.	Turn left at 国道354号線	0.4 mi
48.	Slight left to stay on 国道354号線	2.0 mi
49.	Turn right to stay on 国道354号線	1.0 mi
50.	Take the ramp to 常磐自動車道 Toll road	0.3 mi
51.	Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 東京 and merge onto 常磐自動車道 Toll road	23.8 mi
52.	Take exit 三郷ＪＣＴ toward 首都高・銀座・湾岸線 Toll road	0.7 mi
53.	Merge onto 首都高速6号三郷線 Toll road	5.7 mi
54.	Take exit 小菅ＪＣＴ toward 湾岸線・銀座 Toll road	0.4 mi
55.	Merge onto 首都高速中央環状線 Toll road	0.4 mi
56.	Take exit 堀切ＪＣＴ on the right toward 銀座・箱崎 Toll road	0.3 mi
57.	Merge onto 首都高速6号向島線 Toll road	5.4 mi
58.	Take exit 江戸橋ＪＣＴ toward 新宿・北池袋 Toll road	0.4 mi
59.	Merge onto 首都高速都心環状線 Toll road	3.8 mi
60.	Take exit 谷町ＪＣＴ on the right toward 東名・渋谷 Toll road	0.3 mi
61.	Merge onto 首都高速3号渋谷線 Toll road	6.9 mi
62.	Continue on 東名高速道路 Toll road	189 mi
63.	Take exit 豊田ＪＣＴ toward 東海環状・伊勢湾岸道・豊田東・四日市 Toll road	0.3 mi
64.	Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 伊勢湾岸道・四日市 and merge onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道 Toll road	19.8 mi
65.	Take the ramp onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道 Toll road	12.1 mi
66.	Take exit 四日市ＪＣＴ toward 東名阪道・大阪・伊勢道 Toll road	0.6 mi
67.	Merge onto 東名阪自動車道 Toll road	13.8 mi
68.	Take exit 亀山ＪＣＴ toward 新名神・京都・大阪 Toll road	0.6 mi
69.	Merge onto 新名神高速道路 Toll road	30.9 mi
70.	Take exit 草津ＪＣＴ toward 草津ＰＡ・名神・京滋・京都・大阪 Toll road	0.2 mi
71.	Take exit 草津ＰＡ on the right toward 名神 Toll road	0.5 mi
72.	Merge onto 名神高速道路 Toll road	30.1 mi
73.	Take exit 吹田ＪＣＴ toward 中国道・山陽道・宝塚・岡山 Toll road	1.1 mi
74.	Merge onto 中国自動車道 Toll road	18.8 mi
75.	Take exit 神戸ＪＣＴ toward 山陽道・岡山・徳島 Toll road	0.9 mi
76.	Merge onto 山陽自動車道 Toll road	192 mi
77.	Take exit 廿日市ＪＣＴ toward 山陽道・岩国・北九州 Toll road	0.7 mi
78.	Merge onto 広島岩国道路 Toll road	7.4 mi
79.	Take the ramp onto 山陽自動車道 Toll road	59.4 mi
80.	Take exit 山口ＪＣＴ to merge onto 中国自動車道 Toll road	40.5 mi
81.	Continue on 関門橋 Toll road	5.9 mi
82.	Continue on 九州自動車道 (signs for 九州道・福岡・熊本) Toll road	59.1 mi
83.	Take exit 鳥栖ＪＣＴ toward 大分道・大分・長崎道・長崎・佐賀 Toll road	0.3 mi
84.	Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 長崎道・長崎・佐賀 and merge onto 長崎自動車道 Toll road	75.0 mi
85.	Take exit 高速長崎ＩＣ toward ながさき出島道路・（長崎市街） Toll road	0.5 mi
86.	Merge onto ながさき出島道路/国道324号バイパス Toll road	1.9 mi
87.	Take the ramp onto 出島海岸通り/国道499号線 Partial toll road	0.4 mi
88.	Turn left at 江戸町通り	0.2 mi
89.	Turn left	486 ft
90.	Turn left	400 ft
91.	Take the 長崎~奈良尾~奈留島~福江 ferry Toll road	60.8 mi
92.	Continue straight	0.2 mi
93.	Turn right toward 国道384号線	0.3 mi
94.	Turn left at 国道384号線	1.3 mi
95.	Slight left at 県道27号線	7.0 mi
96.	Turn left at 県道31号線	0.4 mi
97.	Continue on 県道164号線	4.7 mi
98.	Turn left to stay on 県道164号線	0.2 mi
99.	Slight left at 国道384号線	2.9 mi
100.	Turn left	0.6 mi
101.	Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Australia (Northern Territory)	3,358 mi
102.	Turn right at Myilly Tce	0.2 mi
103.	Turn left at Kahlin Ave	0.2 mi
104.	Turn left at Gilruth Ave	1.1 mi
105.	Turn right at Goyder Rd	0.2 mi
106.	Turn left at Stuart Hwy Entering South Australia	1,688 mi
107.	Take the ramp onto Princes Hwy	56.2 mi
108.	Slight left to stay on Princes Hwy	44.4 mi
109.	Continue on Snowtown Rd	29.9 mi
110.	Continue on Catherine St	0.5 mi
111.	Continue on Port Wakefield Rd	54.3 mi
112.	Slight left at Main North Rd	3.6 mi
113.	Turn left at Robe Tce	0.7 mi
114.	Continue on Park Rd	0.5 mi
115.	Continue on Hackney Rd	0.8 mi
116.	Continue on Dequetteville Tce	0.8 mi
117.	At the traffic circle, take the 3rd exit onto Fullarton Rd	1.3 mi
118.	Turn left at Glen Osmond Rd	1.6 mi
119.	Slight left at Adelaide Crafers Hwy	5.0 mi
120.	Continue on South Eastern Fwy	43.5 mi
121.	Continue on Princes Hwy	8.7 mi
122.	Continue on Dukes Hwy	115 mi
123.	Continue on Western Hwy Entering Victoria	89.3 mi
124.	Turn right to stay on Western Hwy	1.5 mi
125.	Turn left to stay on Western Hwy	49.7 mi
126.	Slight right to stay on Western Hwy	0.3 mi
127.	Slight right at Western Armstrong Deviation Hwy	1.7 mi
128.	Slight left at Western Hwy	6.8 mi
129.	Turn left to stay on Western Hwy	42.7 mi
130.	Continue on Western Fwy	66.3 mi
131.	Continue on Western Hwy	3.6 mi
132.	Turn right to merge onto Western Ring Rd	4.7 mi
133.	Take the exit onto West Gate Fwy	5.7 mi
134.	Take the exit toward Cook St	0.3 mi
135.	Turn right at Cook St	0.2 mi
136.	Slight left to stay on Cook St	118 ft
137.	Turn right at Salmon St	0.4 mi
138.	Turn left at Plummer St	0.4 mi
139.	Turn right at Graham St	0.6 mi
140.	Sharp right at Princes St	400 ft
141.	Turn left to stay on Princes St	0.3 mi
142.	Turn right at Waterfront Pl	0.1 mi
143.	Take the Bass Strait Fy ferry to E Devonport Entering Tasmania	276 mi
144.	Continue straight onto Bass Strait Ferry Terminal	0.1 mi
145.	Turn right at Esplanade	0.3 mi
146.	Turn right at Wright St	0.5 mi
147.	Turn right at Tarleton St	0.4 mi
148.	Slight left at Bridge Rd	413 ft
149.	Take the ramp onto Bass Hwy	0.5 mi
150.	Take the exit toward Formby Rd	0.2 mi
151.	Sharp left at Formby Rd	0.2 mi
152.	Formby Rd turns slightly right and becomes Devonport Rd	1.6 mi
153.	Slight left to stay on Devonport Rd	0.1 mi
154.	Continue on Mersey Main Rd	0.8 mi
155.	Turn right at Sheffield Rd	4.4 mi
156.	Slight left at Nook Rd	3.2 mi
157.	Turn left to stay on Nook Rd	2.9 mi
158.	Turn left to stay on Nook Rd	2.0 mi
159.	Continue on High St	0.5 mi
160.	Turn left at Sheffield Rd	0.4 mi
161.	Turn right at Spring St	0.5 mi
162.	Continue on Claude Rd	10.4 mi
163.	Slight left at Olivers Rd	6.6 mi
164.	Slight left to stay on Olivers Rd	6.3 mi
165.	Turn right at Mersey Forest Rd	8.3 mi
166.	Slight right at Maggs Rd	2.1 mi
167.	Slight right at Arm Rd	3.4 mi
168.	Turn right	2.1 mi

Tasmania

Australia

These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. You must obey all signs or notices regarding your route.

2008-12-21T21:40:00.003-05:00

umm i accidentally got rid of my old template... and since i don't feel like going to a whole lot of trouble with my links and widgets and things, i thought i'd just get a template from thecutestblogontheblog.com which has a lot of nice templates except for the text goes off the page. oh well i'll have to get another one later.
The baby bunnies are growing, and have very short fur. um u can look at my art blog to see some pictures i drew in the past few days. well that's all, later!

Update on the bunnies

2008-12-20T23:06:00.003-05:00

Now we only have two babies left. Missy wasn't feeding them on her own, in fact she doesn't seem interested in them, so several times a day we have to hold her down on her side or her back and force her to let the babies nurse. It's been working fine, the babies seem to be getting enough to eat and getting bigger. They're even starting to get some soft fuzz on them. Please pray for them, that they'll survive! Missy gets mad at us for making her feed them in such an undignified way, but that's because she is such a spoiled girl!!! We found out that some other people who tried raising their pet house rabbit had the same problems we are having, but they did what we are doing, and the babies lived. So i guess we have hope.

Bunnies!!!

2008-12-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

This morning we woke up to a lot of snow outside! We looked in Missy's cage and it looked like it had snowed in there too because she'd pulled out a bunch of her fur to make a nest. And...I MUST DECLARE IT TO THE WORLD!!!! ---today she gave birth to five bunnies!!! Sadly, she cut the cord too closely on two of them (that happens a lot with rabbits' first litters), and they didn't make it. :( But we still have 3 of them, three wriggling furless bunnies with !!! such perfect tiny little ears!!! eep! We can tell by their skin that two of them will be broken (patches of white and a darker color) and one will be solid (all one color). I hope she takes great care of them, it will be so fun to watch them grow!

Just thought I'd...

2008-12-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

make a post even though I don't have much to say... Well only nine days til Christmas!!! My rabbit Missy is going to give birth any day now, maybe even tomorrow! I want to go Christmas shopping, get caught up in school, and read a book... I sang in choir last Sabbath for our church Christmas program, while wearing a funny blue robe that is our choir's uniform... Afterwards was the fun part though, the Christmas social. There was pizza and my family (with some help from a few of our friends) won 2nd place in the gingerbread house decorating contest. And of course the whole white elephant gift exchange was fun as usual... even though I only got potpourri haha
I'm reading Lord of the Flies for Literature class... no comment yet... I got to watch Walle and Bolt (not for English class obviously), they were sweet. :) Other than that my life for the past few days has been rather dull so you don't really want to hear about it.
I need a new template. This one is too depressing don't u think?
hmmmm a random fact about me: I've never been to Antarctica.

Undefined

2008-12-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

which one is your favorite?

Beautiful Spirals

2008-12-03T11:17:00.000-05:00

Pink Paws

2008-12-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

Okay this is kind of crazy but my dog, whose paws are normally B&W, are now PINK!!! He must have stepped in something, we don't know what... or maybe some weird person decided it would be fun to dye the fur on his paws pink (highly unlikely). Once Lanaya colored part of his face purple with an unwashable marker. haha... I suspected it had something to do with her but she blatantly denied everything.

How's the new template?

2008-12-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

I F-I-N-A-L-L-Y yes FINALLY after almost a two seasons of that strawberry template, got a new template. How do you like it? (Rate it 1-5 in the sidebar) It's still fruity but hey it goes with my cherry avatar that I CAN NOT change!!! A blogger glitch I suppose. So now all you people (yeah right), who were wondering why I don't have maybe a nice picture of myself for my avatar, besides the fact that I probably don't really have a good picture of myself, it's because I am stuck with that sparkling cherry on my blog for life!

Anywhooo... about the rest of my life, well I'm reading this sci fi stuff for English. It's starting to creep me out! Like have you ever read the Veldt? It's about these kids in like 2050 or something who get addicted to this simulator machine and end up committing patricide!!! That story was almost banned in a public school! And I had to read it. It was sooo eerie!

But as for the cherrier things, IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!! YAY!!!! Winter is sooo my favorite season!!! We've set up our artificial Christmas tree and have been busy ever since trying to keep Missy (our rabbit), from consuming its lower branches, the rug thing underneath it, and the cords for the lights. Normally she behaves much better, but ever since she's been pregnant she's been really moody and trying to chew things up. I can't wait til she has her babies (about two weeks from now!!!) They are bound to be adorable!!! We're expecting our gerbils to pop out a litter themselves eventually, Ruby and Remy are officially getting along together thanks to the cage divider introduction (see my sister Alyssa's blog), and they are such a cute couple!!! I've never seen a cuter couple!!! LOL
tata 4 now!

The one time when I needed my camera most...

2008-12-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

The pine branches and bare skeletons of trees outlined against a sky of yellow and pink with a huge rainbow arching overhead. A weird eeriness floating over it all. The one moment I would have liked to capture. And the one moment I had no idea where my camera was. pitiful

Gerbilly Gerbils

2008-11-20T20:46:00.001-05:00

We have a gerbilry of gerbilly gerbils.
They are very sweet, and never terrible.
Sometimes their cages can smell quite horrible,
But we still love our gerbilry of gerbilly gerbils.
-By Me myself

Remy

Ralph and Roo

Ruby

Top 5 Reason Why I Like Mondays Better Than Thursdays

2008-11-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

1. Monday is the beginning of a whole new week, minus Sunday. On the other hand, Thursday is nearer the end of the week, and you feel pressured to get things done so you don't have to worry about doing them next week, which would spoil your lovely Monday. You don't get yelled at on Monday morning for not having done any school yet that week.
2. Thursday at my house is Salmon night. Being a vegetarian, this is impossible for me to participate in, and thus very hard for me to appreciate and stomach. And somehow the old argument always comes up, debating my family's opinion that you should eat anything, even if an animal has to be slaughtered, if it's supposed to be good for you. They won't even consider my side of it, and salmon night for me usually ends with my mom shouting "Jesus ate fish!" and my older sister taking this opportunity to shove her plate of salmon under my nose, making me want to throw up, even if I haven't eaten anything since more often than not just the smell of salmon puts me out of the mood for food, or even if I am hungry, salmon is what's for dinner so no need to make anything else.
3. Because everyone else hates Mondays, and I'm an optimistic sort of person, usually.
4. Monday is the day Blose's has a special of 3 movies for 3 days for $3.33. We never rent movies on Thursday.
5. Monday was named after the moon, which is a lot nicer than what Thursday is named after - the mythological god of thunder.

Gerbils!!!

2008-10-21T13:14:00.000-04:00

I am now the proud owner of two adorable gerbils (not mice). Their names are Ralph and Roo. Aren't they the sweetest? :)

The two of them
"Shhh don't wake my brother up!!"
Roo crawling around in my sweatshirt pocket.
naptime

Inspiration

2008-10-07T12:07:00.000-04:00

I was taking a shortcut through the seafood section of the grocery store when I was struck by an inspiration- I want a pet lobster.

Mmmmm...

2008-10-07T12:06:00.000-04:00

Chocolate cake is so loveable...

popcorn and cell phones.

2008-09-25T14:29:00.000-04:00

WOW this is just crazy!!! click on the link to see the video... you have to see it to believe it.

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/portable/video/x5odhh_pop-corn-telephone-portable-microon_news

If cell phones can do this to popcorn, imagine what they can do to your brain!!! But to look on the bright side, you have a portable popcorn popper!

Trip to Panama

2008-09-23T22:21:00.000-04:00

I just found out that the two-week trip to Panama that I wrote about a few posts down is actually $2000, not $5000! Which is a lot more reasonable. If I could raise the money in time (the trip's March 28-April 11) and it's the Lord's will, I think it would be a great experience and I'd really like to go! Not only that, there are scholorship opportunities for students who go. My mom doesn't really want me to go because she doesn't like the idea of me going off "on my own so far away"... but I wouldn't be on my own, I mean, there will be chaperones. The thing I'm most unsure about is since it is a secular thing, they would probably have inappropriate activities on Sabbath. If I am going to go though, I have to decide pretty quickly! Because it's somewhat of a first come first served basis. If I don't go this year I might go in 2010 when I'm a junior (they have the trip every year), I guess that's a little more realistic. Next year another thing I'd like to do is run for student government. I missed it this year since I had to go to the library to do school for the first couple weeks and that was when the candidates signed up and I was too crammed in my schedule to do that. Anyway have to go. byeeee

since I'm on a roll today

2008-09-23T18:18:00.000-04:00

Here's some pictures I took of an adorable froggy. I'm pretty sure he's either a small leopard frog or pickeral frog. We have a lot of them around our house, all about this size, some more on the green side, some more on the brown side. I love em! I'd post the pic of one sitting on my face but I don't think it's on this computer.hey not that one!!!
however here's a poem I wrote and dedicated to it.

That thing used to croak at me
whenever I walked by,
he made me shriek,
he had me freaked,
until his batteries did die.

ah there's mi pequeno amigo!!!

um help I am not a tree frog why am I on a leaf way up here!!! get me down!!!

oh btw the way you say frog in Spanish is rana, (rrrrroll the r since it's at the beginning of the word and the a's are both long, like ah). mi pequeno rana es dulce y verde.

some pics of me

2008-09-23T18:08:00.001-04:00

my images are being uploaded to blogger. Loading... My images are being uploaded to Blogger. Loading... my images are being uploaded to Blogger. Loading... there they are, good! *Did I just type all that out loud?* @ campmeeting early this summer (or should I say last summer cuz it's autumn now, whoopee!!!:) oh my shirt says got Jesus but my hair got in the way of the got haha
Me and mi mejor dulce amiga Korah at Dorney Park, we'd just got off the WhiteWATER landing ride so we were rather wet! (Going on the swings and coasters helped us dry off though :)

okay yeah there's me in my big backyard.

and bet you'll never guess how or where this was taken... I think I want to be a hippie. What do they do and stand for anyway? I've heard they like peace and tie dye and going green and WWF, that all sounds great to me.

It's Geico

2008-09-23T18:03:00.000-04:00

or however it's spelled. Anyway, he's my friends iguana that I got to petsit for a week or so this summer.
boy he has a lllllong tail

Missy Daisy's mugshots

2008-09-23T17:27:00.000-04:00

Yes, folks, Missy Daisy is behind bars. She has been proven guilty of sawing through her owner's headphone cord, using only her teeth. Her owner, a Ms. Maranda P., says that it wasn't totally the 10-month-old rabbit's fault, because she put the headphones on Missy so she could listen to some music without disturbing her sister who was working on school project. The rabbit obviously though they were a threat, such as a device to suck out her brain. Looks at the owners records revealed that the owner has had numerous blonde moments in the past, confirming her confession. Ms. P is not upset at the damage since the headphones still work on the other ear, and she was going to get new ones anyway since these ones had been broken and taped together in several places. However, she decided that "Missy needs to spend some time out of my room for a while".

I wish

2008-09-23T17:12:00.000-04:00

that I could go on of my school's trips, to Panama. It sounds really cool (the main part of the trip is teaching English to native kids, and they teach the students Spanish, plus there's whitewater rafting and trips to the beach and stuff) but get this it costs $5000 (oh my word), no kidding!!! Isn't that outrageous!!!??? I probably wouldn't get accepted anyway since only 14 students are allowed to go (I wouldn't be surprised if even less than that were able to, considering the price). oh well...

Squeak

2008-09-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

I had this cool new fish, named Gracie, who was see-through in some spots. You could see her swim bladder and gills and best of all, her brain! I'd never been able to see what was going on in something's head before! But it all ended for her when she broke out with ich, it's like fish pox. And she died this morning. Opal is still alive and she looks like she's made it through the worse. It was really sad though that she lost her friend because when they were sick they would seriously lie down next to each other on the bottom of the tank and they looked so sweet. I would say poor Gracie but the dead know nothing so poor Opal! She must be traumatized after the loss of her two best friends in just a few weeks.

Zoo Tycoon 2 photos

2008-09-19T20:33:00.000-04:00

just to clear this up

2008-09-17T17:45:00.003-04:00

chicken pox are not anything like 'dewdrops on rose petals' (as my doctor seemed to think)

lol don't expect any pics of me for the next month or so (not like i post pics of myself much anyway)... I just hope I'm not scarred for life. I wish I'd have gotten the vaccination, but no, too late now!!!

This Is Just To Say

2008-09-17T17:45:00.002-04:00

By William Carlos Williams

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

HELP

2008-09-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

I am being held hostage at the library by my very own mother!!! For my ransom I must do school...

NOOOOO!

2008-09-10T10:12:00.000-04:00

D-O-N-T-W-A-N-T-T-O-D-O-S-C-H-O-O-L-C-A-N-T-M-A-K-E-M-E

LOST

2008-09-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

my headphones... I left them at the library by accident yesterday and they're nowhere to be found!!! :(If you see them please let me know)...

Green Polar Bears?!!! LOL

2008-09-09T18:35:00.000-04:00

I saw this news article and If I hadn't been in the library I would have burst out laughing!!!!

TOKYO - Green polar bears are drawing questions from puzzled visitors at a Japanese zoo. Three normally white polar bears at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in central Japan changed their color in July after swimming in a pond with an overgrowth of algae.

The sight of green polar bears has prompted many questions from visitors concerned about whether the animals are sick or carrying mold, zoo official Masami Kurobe said Sunday.
"Visitors seem to be shocked by the color, and we are asked every day why they are so green," he said.
High temperatures in July and August and less-frequent water changes because of the zoo's conservation efforts caused an algae growth in the bear pond and safety moat, Kurobe said.
Algae that enters hollow spaces in the bears' fur is hard to rinse off, he said.
The bears are expected to return to their natural color when the algae growth subsides in November, Kurobe said.

Lost in Translation

2008-09-09T17:09:00.000-04:00

Why it's important to make sure things are translated correctly.

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company's mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."

Quick

2008-09-09T16:37:00.000-04:00

Do you have any suggestions of books to read or movies to watch? Just leave a quick comment if you do! Thanks...

Weekends

2008-09-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

My weekend was good, I got to talk to one of my bestest friends on the phone, watch 2 movies that I hadn't watched in forever, show up late for song service, and not do school!
I'm making a goal to memorize the first 10 chapters of Psalms, one verse a day. Right now I'm on Psalms 1:5. The way I'm doing it is writing down on one side of a sheet of paper the verse I want to memorize, and then on the other side just the first letters of each word in the verse to practice with. It really works; if you ever want to memorize scripture (or anything really, maybe the Declaration of Independence), try it!!!

Had any fried grasshoppers today?

2008-09-05T10:08:00.000-04:00

Did you know that 80% of the world's population eats insects and arachnids (BUGS!!!!) as a regular part of their diet? I didn't before I read a book my brother got from the library the other day. I was completely disturbed (especially at the part about roasted grasshoppers, because as some of you may know I have a deep fear of grasshoppers). The reason you may not have known this before is because entomophagy is no longer widely practiced in North America and Europe.
I'm considering doing a report on this for school. After all, it's a topic that interests me, in a disturbed kind of way.

neverending

2008-09-04T17:32:00.000-04:00

I am here at the library sitting in the same spot I've been sitting for over 5 1/2 hours. Doing mostly school. My geometry and history and english and music and spanish and chemistry etc. (mostly orientation things). It seems like it never ends! And I guess it doesn't, because even after we graduate from middle school or high school or college or university or whereverplace , we never stop learning. Right now I'm learning that being at the library this long doing school makes me want to go home!
oh and here's a little quote for the day
"Anyone can make you 'look bad', but only you can make yourself bad." -anonymous-

Did I tell you I got a fish? She is a calico fantail goldfish and her name is Opal. She had a pal named Colby but sadly, she died last week. That seems to happen whenever I reset up a tank. I want to get a black moor.

Library card

2008-08-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

I finally got a library card today! My email inbox is stuffed and so is my shelf of books from the library.

Why I've not been here

2008-08-27T13:24:00.000-04:00

Usually I come up with some reason why I haven't been posting but this time it is legitimate! I have been without internet for over a month and I miss it so bad!!! :( We're supposed to get our internet hooked up in a week or else i could be absent for my first day of school which would kinda stink lol... but yeah though this may sound hard to believe to some of you, I have found some things to do lately besides hanging on the web. I don't really have time to tell about anything right now since I have to leave the library right now, but I'll get back with you all later somehow... bye

Hello again/ work

2008-07-10T18:05:00.003-04:00

Congratulations! If you are reading this then you are a loyal visitor to my blog and have come here to check for a post even though, yes, it has been over a month since I've posted anything, even though I have had and still have lots and lots of things to tell you about! So I'll attempt to catch you all up, starting around where I left off...

As far as my job, my employers the Schmidts are very, very nice, they're almost like relatives. Mr. Schmidt Sr. gives me free bags of sweet cherries cuz he knows how much I love them and he's so nice like that.:) (not to mention I get an on-the-house cold can of soda after work every day... mmm A-treat brand frosty cream soda is now my favorite soda flavor!) Cherries are probably my favorite fruit, at least one of my favorites. He gave me a really big bag once and I really wanted to try making a fresh cherry pie out of them, which I'm sure would have been delish, but not surprisingly the cherries were so good they got eaten up by all of us but probably mostly me before I got around to actually making a pie.

Strawberry season has been over for a few weeks now, and I made my last fresh strawberry pie several days ago (fresh fruit pies made out of any fruit are so delicious, but I suppose every fresh pie is delicious, except of course for cow pies, LOL :P XX). I'll be posting the recipe I use for fresh fruit pies on my cooking blog when I get a chance. I made a fresh strawberry pie and entered it in a contest at a fairly small local fair, Kempton Fair. I didn't get to visit the fair after the judging took place so I didn't get to see whether I won anything or not. I haven't heard anything back from them yet about it either so idrk what's become of that, I'm still hoping that I won something and that maybe they just are slow in letting me know...

anywhoo yeah so now I'm picking blueberries instead of strawberries, I think it's a little slower way to earn money that picking strawberries (I guess it depends though). I get paid by the pint instead of the quart, I get 60 cents per pint instead of 80 cents (oh, it turned out I got 80 cents a quart for picking strawberries instead of 75 cents) so since a pint is half a quart I basically get $1.20 a quart for blueberries if ya wanna compare, but blueberries are usually harder to accumulate since they're smaller, a lot of the blueberries are huge and juicy though, and very tasty (yes I do eat some while I work :D )!!! I usually work around 4-5 hours each morning (anywhere starting at 7:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. and ending at noon - around 1:30 p.m.) I usually pick around 30-some pints each day. My record for blueberry picking is 41 pints in a day (I want to break that record sometime, I tried once but I was 4 pints away from breaking it :), and my record for strawberry picking is 43 quarts in a day. With blueberry picking it's a lot more comfortable picking position since you're standing up, instead of having to bend over the short strawberry plants and get stiff and sore. I did get used to that though after my first week of strawberry picking, I must have stretched my muscles and gotten them stronger. Plus they eventually had me pick on the strawberry picker, same idea as a cherry picker, except it's like a tractor that creeps along v-e-e-e-e-r-r-y slowly and has cushioned platforms close to the ground attached to it that you and the other pickers lay on it on your stomach with just your head and arms dangling off and each person goes over their row and picks from it, and it's a lot more comfortable and faster and more fun (especially if you're talking with the other pickers) than just picking normally. Hope that explains/describes well enough what a strawberry picker is like...

I wish I had pictures of things from my job but I never take my camera along to work, I can't think of a good reason why I don't but yeah maybe I should sometime before the summer is over.

Alyssa is doing really well with her job as a lifeguard at Wildwater Kingdom at Dorney Park, she will be rich, lol!!! She got each of us a free day ticket to go to DP/WWK, so our whole family will be going there together sometime this summer and we also got some discount tickets from someone so we'll also be going a few more times this summer, I can hardly wait, it's going to be SO MUCH FUN!!! :D
This post has gotten pretty long so I guess I'll break up all my newz into several posts instead... you'll probably see this post last though since the blog puts the most recent posts closer to the top of the page, so thanks for reading!!!

Update

2008-06-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

Thought it was about time I posted on here again! Things as of late for the most part have been great (hey that rhymed!). Yeah sooo... I do actually have some significant news this time! And no, you don't have to guess, I'll tell.

:D We're actually moving!!! To that place in the picture right up there ^^^, it's a place in the country not far from here (about three miles or so). You probably already saw that on Alyssa's blog, but I wanted to announce it anyway. I love the place!!! It has a little bit more than 1 1/2 acres of land (partly wooded). The house itself (on the right in the pic) is very nice plus there is a seperate apartment over the garage (see that on the left) to rent out (it already has renters, so that's good). We're supposed to move there the end of July. In the garage is a seperate little room that we could keep rabbits in. It's going to be sooo fun to be able to keep more pets again! Besides getting more rabbits, I want to get guinea pigs and birds (at least, LOL). We might even eventually get another border collie puppy to keep Guy company! Across the street is a dog kennel, we found out they hire teenagers to help out so I'm hoping to get a job there possibly. Oh and speaking of animals, our next-door neighbors-to-be have horses (yay!!)! Alyssa wants to get chickens... I don't eat eggs so I don't really care for that idea quite so much, but they're going to eat eggs anyway so why not let them have free, organic, free-range eggs? Anyway, I'm getting so Off Topic!!! So I might as well get on to the next bit of wonderful news...

I passed 9th grade yesterday!!!! YIPPPEEEEEEE!!! And for my sophomore year, I'm planning on doing Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.

AND I got a job yesterday! Picking strawberries (hence the celebratatious new background)! It's at a family-owned farm called Schmidt Farm. I started this morning (early (well, 8:30-ish) ), and worked up until 1:00. My employers are very very nice and I had fun working there! I get paid 75 cents for every quart I pick and today I picked 37 quarts (9.25 gallons), which added up to almost $30. I hope I do that well every day! It is very tiring in that your legs and back get sore and burn from bending and crouching while you pick (if you've ever picked strawberries before, you probably know what I mean). I'm thankful it was rainy/overcast and cool for my first day of work so I didn't get too warm! After strawberry season ends, I'll be working picking blueberries. That should be easier on me because I will get to stand up while I pick. I'll be working there all summer. Well, I'd better go... Peace out!

~Mandy~

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity...

2008-05-04T15:52:00.000-04:00

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't DisguiseYour Voice !
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana'
7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.' 9. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face. 11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
18. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
19 Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity: Send This To Someone To Make Them Smile. It 's Called .. THERAPY

turtles (by me)

2008-05-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

Look and you might see turtles, or a bunch of leaves and bleeding heart flowers...

Pink dolphins

2008-04-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

There are dolphins in the Amazon River that are pink!

adorable animals

2008-04-27T22:02:00.000-04:00

mouse and frog

2008-04-27T21:58:00.000-04:00

This smart little mouse saved itself during a flood by hitching a ride on the back of a toad. :)

Bake Oven

2008-04-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

Today we went on a hike (a very short hike actually) at Bake Oven park, and hiked up to Bake Oven Knob, a point on the top of the mountain where you can see for miles! It was fun and we got ice cream afterwards. :) Almost to the top...
the view from the ridge on one side
my family sitting on the edge of a cliff
Alyssa lounging on a very comfortable rock
and there's meeeee!

Well we got more pics but I guess that's enough for now... bye!

Veggie and Fruit Creations

2008-04-27T14:53:00.001-04:00

I wonder how many times the parents of the ppl who made these had to tell them not to play with their food?

aren't they so clever? which one's your favorite? I love the first four, especially the singing oranges. :D I have more, maybe I'll post some of them later...

poor chocolate bunnies

2008-04-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

Shasta Daisy

2008-04-25T21:57:00.000-04:00

This is Shasta, the new bunny we're getting in about a month if all goes well. She's a chocolate chinchilla, the breeder she didn't come across them very often. I can't wait til we can bring her home! :)

choices

2008-04-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

This is getting so confusing! one day my parents say I can go to academy and another day they say one cyber school or the other and then it's back to BMA and then back again and so on and so forth... My grandma was right when she says that our family can never make up our minds...

More bunnies

2008-04-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

Well, since Chloe died, we have been looking into new bunnies that the breeder has... there's a really cute solid chocolate chinchilla, that we might end up getting... but here are some pics she sent us of her other litters (which are currently about a week old). Since they're so young, she still can't tell yet which are boys or girls... so we might end up getting any one of them. I actually love every single one (which might sound funny since I've never even met them :P ), and if we had the time and space, I'd want to get them all! :D If we fixed up the old hutch in our backyard we'd have enough space for 4 rabbits... but right now we only have room for 2 of them.

Which one do you like best?

Bees

2008-04-22T13:12:00.001-04:00

The crabapple tree in our backyard is in full bloom, so of course it attracts a lot of bees and bumblebees and wasps. I've always thought bees were so fuzzy and cute (although I've never liked honey), so when I heard a faint buzzing in the grass, I knelt down to investigate. There were two honeybees caught in the grass, struggling to get free. I gave one of them a lift, and he was soon buzzing off happily. But the other one just couldn't fly. I remembered hearing that sometimes bees don't pack enough fuel with them to get to where they want to go, and they end up crashing somewhere, unable to fly home. So I picked up the little guy and asked Alyssa to get a flower or something for us to give it so it could drink the nectar and get enough energy to fly home to its hive. But wait! She had a better idea! Soon she had brought a very large spoonful of honey, probably enough to feed a few dozen bees. The bee must have sensed the honey was there, because he kind of rolled over to it. And of course the best way to help him out was to dump the spoonful of honey on top of him! Anyway... apparently he didn't think much of the idea and got so upset that he was now a honey-covered bee that he stung the palm of my hand... which as you probably know, bees die anyway when they sting someone or something. :P It's a good thing he was a very weak bee at the moment because he gave a very weak sting. but still, the ungratefullness!!!

In Loving memory...

2008-04-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

Last night Chloe died. My parents and my sister Alyssa were with her when she died, they said she was shaking/convulsing all over so she might have had a brain tumor or hemhorrage. I miss her so much! :'(

2008-04-20T09:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went on a hike (with our church youth group and some people who weren't exactly youth :) ) up a mountain and back down. It was really steep in some places but we all made it back in one piece. On the way up there were a bunch of beautiful waterfalls. I got so thirsty at one point that I drank out of the stream, haha hope I don't die from that. Anyway it was fun, I hope we can go hiking again there sometime.

pic of me

2008-04-18T18:06:00.000-04:00

ok I dug this up from a folder somewhere in my computer... no I'm not that pale it's just a bad flash job haha

the great outdoors

2008-04-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

This evening I was keeping busy outside, starting to dig a garden... there's not a lot of space in our backyard but there's a strip of flat enough ground about 5-6 x 30+ feet that we can use as a garden... we can't plant a lot but we were thinking of planting some lettuce, a few herbs, tomatoes, zuchhini, and maybe some watermelon. We're supposed to wait til May 10 or so to plant things outside so we have a while to finish digging up the soil, which takes awhile and some hard work with just a shovel (I knew we should have borrowed a horse and plow from someone!)... I guess it's a good thing then that our plot is rather small since it would take a looooong time to shovel a bigger plot lol we had to borrow a shovel from our nextdoor neighbors, (which I didn't mind since they are really nice) because can you believe it, we left all our shovels in Illinois. Anyway...

I suppose by now you must have noticed my template makeover. :) Well hope you like it cuz I do. :P
b4n ppls...
Mandy

new template

2008-04-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

I want to pick out a new template for my blog so I hope I can find a nice one! :D

glofish

2008-04-15T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well... I guess it's time I made another post. :) What about?... okay today's topic is (drumroll plz) GLOFISH! okay so yeah I discovered this unique new species of fish on the internet last month and thought they were the neatest thing!!! glofish are a fish that are genetically engineered part zebra danio, and part of the DNA from a glowing coral thing, which makes these fish actually GLOW in the dark! Plus when it's not dark they are such bright flourescent neon colors! oooh just look at the pic... when I was picking out my goldfish a few weeks ago I saw some at the pet store, unfortunately they were $8 apiece (compared to the $3 apiece fancy goldfish) or I definately would have gotten several of my own. maybe I will get some someday. :D (oh btw they'll illegal to own in the UK, so if you live there you could get arrested for owning them, not sure why but anyways... )

today...

2008-04-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a thrift shop, I didn't get a lot but we got a bunch of VHS movies, and I got two jackets and a couple shirts and a cute jean skirt and a pair of shoes. There weren't very many jeans there and not too many nice shirts (which is what I was mostly wanting to find), and no jeans that fit me, so I guess another day I'll try another place. :) I love going clothes shopping! Anyway so I guess we're going to have a movie evening and we ordered pizza, it's going to be fun!!! well tty'all l8r

Happy Sabbath!

2008-04-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

I was looking at this picture and a few Bibles verses came to mind...

" The heavens declare God's glory, and the skies reveal His handiwork. Day after day they speak to us, and night after night they reveal God's wisdom. They do not have to speak with words or sounds, yet their voice is heard everywhere, and their words reach the ends of the earth." ~Psalms 19:1-4A (Clear Word version)~

"And the shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power ad great glory."
~Mark 13:26 (KJV)~

P.S. Please don't take any of my pictures and use them as your own without my permission, thanks! :)

Skwirls

2008-04-04T17:25:00.000-04:00

yeah I know how to spell I just did that 4 fun haha

Anyway my dad and I went to the park that I told you guys about a while ago, where we had fed peanuts to some squirrels. And this time I had my camera... :) One squirrel even grabbed a peanut from my hand. Anyway here are so pictures I got, aren't squirrels just soooooo cute?!!! (my mom says all squirrels just look the same to her and I guess they do but I want to post all these pics anyway haha)

P.S. Please don't copy any of my pictures and use them as your own! If you want to borrow any, please ask my permission. :) Thanks!