Another Contest!

I'm entering Hannah's photo contest! These are fun :)

Here's my photo.

What I love about summer is all the time I get to spend at the barn riding. In the cool of the morning, I can ride Indy for a long time without worrying about schoolwork. I'm going to miss that come fall.

I took this picture at our county fair.

To enter the contest, visit Hannah's blog: My Nutty Life.

And now I have some news for you. My book is finished! All that's left is to have my dad read it over. Then I'll be ready to send it...someplace. :)

Also, I'm leaving at four in the morning tomorrow for PA - we'll be attending my cousin's wedding. And I'm going to be a bridesmaid. Pictures to follow! I'll write again next week.

Days 26-30

It's the last post of the 30-Day-Challenge! I hope you guys enjoyed it, because I know I did. :)

Day 26: A childhood memory

Hm...there are so many. I would say wrapping Christmas presents for our kitties in newspaper and putting them around the tree. :) I don't remember what the presents were. I think I made them toys from string, paper, and such.

Day 27: A physical feature that you love

Is this on me, or just in general?

My favorite feature of me are my eyes, because they get really blue sometimes. Also, my high metabolism. :) My least favorite feature of mine is my height! I'm really tall :) That's one reason why KC wouldn't have been a good horse for me - he was quite petite and I was outgrowing him fast.

My favorite physical feature in general are eyes and hair. Typical, I guess, but it's so cool to see how many different ways people style their hair. And they do say that your eyes are the windows to your soul.

Day 28: A scar you have and its story

Well...I have all these tiny little scars on my arm from when I got caught outside in a hailstorm. The sky was green and I was running, running, running toward the house, trying to make it....

Just kidding. One of my bad habits is picking things. I love the feeling of it. So I have all these tiny scars on my arm from when I picked off the scabs during nightly storytime some years ago. I do still pick them, but I'm trying not to... :) My favorite scar that I have is a small dent right next to my left eye. My mom says it gives me character. I got when we were shopping for someone's wedding clothes at the mall and I fell down the stairs. :P Yup.

Day 29: Hopes, dreams, and plans you have for the next 365 days

This is a cool question because it was just my birthday :) I hope, dream, and plan to finish my book and try out self-publishing with it. (I'll write a post about self-publishing later.) I also want to join 4H and show Indy at the county fair next year. That means lots of practice, because he isn't a very good gaming horse.

There are just so many possibilities when I think about what the future holds. It makes me giddy.

Day 30: A motto or philosophy

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1

Me and Indy

I had my family come and watch me ride Indy today. My mom got a video for me, too.

Days 21-25

Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people

Well...I rarely eat cookie dough while I'm making cookies :D Though I admit that if there are chocolate chips or M&Ms, I will pick out a great quantity and eat them. But my hands are clean! (Can you tell I couldn't really think of anything?)

Day 22: A website

Christian Cowgirl is a great website for horse-lovers who ride Western and English both. Visit the forums for talk about your horse life, your God life, and much more. My name on there is "indyluv"

Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered

Definitely through my writing! I want to write books that aren't dark, morbid, and vulgar, but still appeal to teens. (Especially Christian teens)

Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love

The Hannah Montana movie. I actually really enjoyed it. Too bad Miley Cyrus isn't taking the high road.

Day 25: A recipe

Here's a really simple snack treat that I made for a Victorian tea at our Bible study. Actually, the tea was called off last minute, so my plates of dainties were swarmed by hordes of brothers. But these are SUPER good.

Here's what you need: Pickles (not too small, not too big), Cream cheese, sliced cold-cut ham, toothpicks

Here's how: Spread the cream cheese on a slice of ham. This is harder than it looks, people! Be delicate! My mom had to use her fingers to get it on smooth. The piece I tried to spread looked more like something off a scarecrow when I was finished. Roll up a pickle in the ham. Simple enough. Now, cut the pickle into slices, poking toothpicks into the slices as you go. Ta-da!!! It may sound weird, but just wait until you taste it. :)

Fair Day

We went to the county fair today! My favorite part was the horse show (duh), and I snapped lots of pics. Maybe I'll be competing next year :) Here are a few of my favorite photos. And hey...if you ever need photography opportunities, go to a fair! You get horses, food, cute baby goats, and colorful spinny things shaped like dragons. What more can you ask for?

Git 'er home!

I love this flag picture. I gave it an antique tint.

Tails up! It's a floating horse! :)

Ferris wheel. By the way, I hate rides. I just take pictures of them.

My friend Grace.

Check out that nice lean!

Days 17-20

Day 17: An art piece

Well...here's a charcoal picture I drew using a program called Draw Today. It's really easy! Anyone could do it. And the pictures you get are really lifelike. Can you tell who my subject is here?

Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive

The time when I get the most like that is in the fall, when wind is whipping through the trees and blowing leaves everywhere. Wind gets me all hyped up. Usually I run around our pasture a few times to blow off some steam.

Day 19: A talent of yours

Writing. And listening to people. Usually I'm the one my friends choose to confide in and have deep conversations with.

Day 20: A hobby of yours

Same as the above :D But I also love collaging! I take cardboard boxes, cover them with black paper, and then cut pictures out of magazines and glue them on. Here are a few photos of my best ones.

I do a lot of horse themed ones because that's the kind of magazines I have the most of. :)

I love, love this one!

Here's a little one I have on my dresser.

Ching, Ching; Bling, Bling

You'll never guess what happened today! I was upstairs peeling wallpaper - which I have been doing for a few months. I'm trying to re-do my room, but because I'm only doing it as a side-project, it's taking a really long time. And the way the wallpaper is coming off does not help one bit.

But anyway, I was upstairs peeling wallpaper when I heard the doorbell ring. It's almost my birthday, so I let my dad get the door in case there was something I wasn't supposed to see. But he stayed down there for a while and I heard my stable guy's voice. I listened for a few more minutes and heard a woman's voice. (??) Just as I was about to go down and investigate, my dad called my down and

introduced me to the woman, who had a whole bunch of horse stuff to get rid of. She used to board with my stable guy, but she had to sell her horses, which left her with a whole bunch of stuff. My stable guy had apparently told her about me.

She asked if I'd want any of the stuff, and I said, "Well, sure."

"I have it in the back of the truck. Let's go take a look."

Wow. Not only did I get to look at a whole bunch of horse stuff, but I got to keep most of it!

For free! And she was happy to get rid of it! I'm still kind of in shock.

Here's a picture of the stuff. I hung it up in a tree in our orchard because I wanted to air it

out, and...*cough*...it makes a good picture setting.

I call it my "Tack Tree."

I now have two pairs of spurs,

Two pairs of saddlebags (one is really pretty leather, which I'm guessing is super expensive),

And like three bridles! (Not counting the one I have at the barn already.) The one in the above left picture has German silver accents. The below left is my favorite. And the aqua bridle case in the below right came from the very very nice lady too.

Some various other things include three pairs of reins (two match the bridles), two saddle blankets, a horse blanket (which I'll be passing on to a friend who has an Arabian horse), and a tack tote with a cover.

Besides THAT is a whole bunch of buckets and an electric fence charger, and two hay nets, and a tying post to put into the ground.

As my mom said to me, "Wow. Happy birthday from God!"

Days 11-15

Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently

My friend took this at our Tent Party :) She also did my hair, what you can see of it.

Day 12 - A song that you want played at your wedding

This is a fun question, but I don't know any really good love songs. Beatles is my specialty. Hm.... this isn't a love song, but I would want "Step by Step" played, because it shows a picture of what your life should look like following God. With your husband, both of you would have to learn to do that in sync.

Day 13 - A guilty pleasure

That's easy. Blogging while I should be helping around the house!

Day 14 - A vacation you would like to take

I would love to go ride horses in Ireland. It's such a mystical, ethereal place.

Day 15 - A person you admire

George Washington, General Lee, and...there was someone else in my list but I forgot him :D

Day 16 - A song that makes you cry

"Edelweiss" from Sound of Music. Firstly because it has such a slow, sad tune. Secondly because at camp, the good-bye song went to the tune of "Edelweiss". It was sad. I cried.

On that note, come back tomorrow and I'll give you 17-20 something.

30 Day Challenge - Days 6-8

Day 6 - A moment I wish I could re-live

Well...there are quite a few. But since I am going to turn fifteen in a few days, I'll say that...I wish I could re-live one of little-kid birthdays. The feeling of birthdays change when you hit a certain point. For instance, when I was little, I thought about my birthday every day for maybe a month before it happened. I would get so excited about it! And even though we only had a family party, I would put together little goodie bags for each of my brothers, parents, and grandma. Now I am so busy I hardly give my birthday a thought, except for when it's happening. It's certainly special, but it's not as much fun.

Day 7 - Five things I couldn't live without

1. My God! Without him I would literally be nonexistent.

2. Indy! Though horse ownership is a trial at times, one nuzzle makes everything worth it.

3. My e-mail! It's how I keep in touch with friends far away, how I plan get-togethers, and how I give (and get) encouragement.

4. Candy! I'm a candy addict... A box of candy (especially something sour) will win you the way to my heart.

5. My family and friends! My family are the people I know best. Sometimes I take out my bad mood on them, it's true. But I love them dearly. My friends are just -- indescribable. I love them dearly as well.

Day 8 - A thank-you letter to someone who has changed my life.

Dear Mom,

You are the one who I lean on in all kinds of situations. (Even though I'm now taller than you.) You're one person who isn't afraid to point out my faults, and I hope I'll always listen to your advice. You're my teacher, my friend, my helper, and my advisor. Love you,

Ellyn

Day 9 - A photo I took

I had been looking for an excuse to share this!

The horse is Gorgeous George.

Day 10 - A photo of me taken 10 years ago

Well...

I don't feel like finding one and scanning it into the computer, so you don't get this one. :) Come back tomorrow for Days 11-16!

bOuNcE! (An unlikely defense weapon)

Everyone who rides has problems with flies in the summer. When I take Indy onto a road near our house that runs through the woods, its like entering a war zone. But here's something that might help:

Bounce dryer sheets. The bugs dislike their smell, and you just tuck them or fold them around your horse's halter to keep the head safe. You can also rub them over your horse, but that doesn't usually work very well.

Happy riding! :)

Days 1-5

Day 1: A favorite song

Did You Sleep Well - Crooked Still

Good mornin' my darlin, I said from the door

My bags are all packed, you won’t see me anymore.

The room it was empty except for your clothes
And a picture of the forest through the dimly lit smoke
Did you sleep well?
Did you sleep fine?
Did you sleep much at all?
All night I heard two voices from out here in the hall
The first one was lonesome and the second one was clear
The first one was familiar as the second drew near
She walked to the window to expose the light
Her breath hung in silence like

the fog in the night
The sun raised its head from behind the frost She sat down by the stove with her long legs crossed

Did you sleep well?
Did you sleep fine?
Did you sleep much at all?
All night I heard two voices from out here in the hall
The first one was ancient but the second was a gun

The first one was laughin’ before the second was done

She drew up her eyes and then turned my way

Her mouth it was movin’ but the words tried to stay
Her posture was thin and her tears they were tall
Like the picture of the forest in the fire in the hall

Did you sleep well? Did you sleep fine?
Did you sleep much at all? All night I heard two voices from out here in the hall
The first it was singing and the second dressed in red
The first one was hungry and the second was well fed

My struggles were hard and my journey was long
My food was your beauty and my water your song
I returned for your voice and

your precious melody
I heard them both but you sang not for me
Did you sleep well? Did you sleep fine?
Did you sleep much at all?
All night I heard two voices from out here in the hall
The first was a flower and the second was a train
The first issued warning and the second brought the rain

Day is breaking, it’s time for me to leave
Each breath I’m taking reminds

me to grieve
You’ve proven false but another will be true Walking tall in the darkness the whole night through

Will you sleep well?
Will you sleep fine? Will you sleep much at all?
All night you’ll hear two voices from out there in the hall
The first will be a mirror and the second one a dove
The first will be an echo and the second silent love

Will you sleep well? Will you sleep fine?
Will you sleep much at all?
All night you’ll hear two voices from out there in the hall
The first will be a mirror and the second one a doveThe first will be an echo and the second silent love

Day 2: A favorite movie

Day 3: A favorite book

The Seven Towers - Patricia C. Wrede

I had been going through a “dry spell” when I read this book – meaning, I couldn’t find a book that I could get lost in. None of the books I found were books I could totally enjoy. (I think my pickiness is increasing with years…) The Seven Towers pulled me out of the dry spell.

Here is an exciting story that pulls you right into the middle of its spells, enchantments, and schemes. The characters are all important, but there are so many of them I will only introduce a few.

Jermain is an outlaw, banished from his place in the king’s castle for the questionable crime of telling the truth. He ends up as the commander of Wizard-King Carachel’s army, which is trying to defeat the fearsome Matholych.
This creature is not a man, nor an animal, but a hazy red thing, which feeds on magic and reaps destruction in the process.

Meanwhile, a most eccentric sorceress tells Prince Eltiron that he has a connection with the tower in the castle, but he doesn’t know how to use or activate his power. A time will come, however, when he will have to do so in order to save his kingdom and his friends.

This is a wonderful fantasy, complete with poison, mystery, a princess, and a traitor. But most importantly, a happy ending.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the characters. They are brought to life with humorous quirks and personalities. The book gets a little confusing at times, but the more you think about it, the more you understand and appreciate it.

Day 4: A favorite TV program

We don't watch TV, actually, because we never got the convertor box thingie needed to pick up programs. But that's fine...we didn't watch it before that, either :D When I was little, my favorite was Liberty's Kids. :)

Day 5: A favorite quote

Ooh, I have so many! Visit my Favorite Quotes page for a complete list. Here's one of my favorites. And come back tomorrow for Days 6-7!

“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence – it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” – George Washington

30 Day Challenge!

This looks like a fun blog thing! Thanks, Margaret Rowena :)
I may skip a few days in here, and combine some others, but I hope you enjoy my answers! If you want to do this, go right ahead. :)
Look for Days 1-5 tomorrow!

-------

Day 1: A favorite song.
Day 2: A favorite movie.
Day 3: A favorite book.
Day 4: A favorite television program.
Day 5: A favorite quote.
Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.
Day 7: Five things you couldn't possible live without.
Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life.
Day 9: A photo you took.
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.
Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.
Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).
Day 13: A guilty pleasure.
Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.
Day 15: A person you admire.
Day 16: A song that makes you cry.
Day 17: An art piece.
Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.
Day 19: A talent of yours.
Day 20: A hobby of yours.
Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.
Day 22: A website.
Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.
Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.
Day 25: A recipe.
Day 26: A childhood memory.
Day 27: A physical feature you love.
Day 28: A scar you have and it's story.
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.
Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

Magic - ???

I decided that I wanted to read Harry Potter this summer, but after I heard one of my friends comment on it, I wasn't so sure. I was kind of confused, because some of my friends said Harry Potter was fine, and others were wary of it. I decided to read the first book anyway, and after I finished, I was more confused than ever.

The book itself was okay - I didn't like how the kids were always breaking rules, though at one point, they did know they deserved the punishment they got. But Harry and Ron didn't seem to care much about the restrictions of Hogwarts, and Hermione, who did care at first, was classed as "annoying", and a little goody-goody. I didn't mind the magic in there either, except for one line where Ron asks Hermione if she's a witch or not. At that point, it sort of hit me that they were supposed to be training to be witches...so without that line, I would have been fine with it.

I'm not sure if I'll read the next book or not. We'll see.

This morning I was poring over my concordance and my dictionary. (Lovely friends, they are indeed.) Leviticus 19:26b says that no divination or sorcery should be practiced. Divination is foretelling the future. Sorcery is defined as witchcraft/magic. Witchcraft is defined only as magic, but a witch is a woman/sorceress with powers derived from the evil spirits. Interesting...

But anyway - even a few weeks before I read Harry Potter, I had been wondering about magic in books. I know that's kind of a hot topic for Christian families who read a lot. Our family doesn't care about magic in books. My dad is fine with it, except for the bad kind of magic like divination and black magic, of course.

I am fine with magic as well, as long as the main characters aren't taking part in the bad kind. I prefer books with magic to take place in different lands, where the author can set up different rules and laws that don't pertain to our own. If they're doing magic in our real world, I'm a little more wary...but I don't think that those are necessarily bad. I guess each one of us have to go by how our consciences behave. However, I don't think it's right to applaud Narnia and Lord of the Rings because their authors were Christians and then put down other perfectly fine books with wizards and elves just because they have magic in them.

The below snippet is a conversation I'm going to put in my next book. In that story, the army is not allowed to use magic even though there is magic to be used and their enemies are casting spells like crazy. (©!!!)

----

"It all depends on how you define magic," said Bronerion. "I define magic as wind whistling through the trees - it moves unseen, and yet you still see leaves rustling in its wake. Another kind of magic is the way a horse runs - each hoof moving in its time, and all four beating the ground together to form a wondrous speed. And there's the kind of magic that passes between a man and a maiden..."

"But then," Carei interrupted, "Magic is everywhere. How do we obey the Unseen Ruler's command to put off all magic?"

"I told you," said the old man. "It all depends on how you define it. The Unseen Ruler gives us magic in love and air and creatures of the earth, but he forbids us to add any crude magic of our own to that."

"Because...he doesn't want his own being ruined?" Carei asked.

"Because that would show that we didn't trust him and the strength of his own magic." Bronerion lit his pipe. "Don't you have a riding lesson at this hour? Off with you. We'll discuss this more later."

-----

I would absolutely LOVE to hear your opinions on magic and fantasy books. Comments are my friends and so are you. :)

Camp Pictures

Just a short note to check in with you :) I have three pictures from camp.

I only took the second one :)

Here's our whole cabin. I'm on the right in the red shirt.

Here is the barn where I would walk every morning.

And here is the horse I rode for the week - Mocha! I'm sure I talked about her in my last post, so I'll shut up and give you the photo.

I'll write soon - (hint on my next post: fantasy books and magic)

Inspired!

I'm entering Olive Tree's contest!

This picture is so beautiful - it's really nothing of mine. I just happened to be there with a camera at the right moment. God makes things so beautiful and it makes me want to spread beauty wherever I go.

This photo is of my cat, CC. It inspires me because it shows the wild side of God's creation. Even if something looks docile at first sight, there could be something untamed hidden inside.

Shining Bright

I'm back from camp, as you can see. It was amazing. I learned so much and grew a lot spiritually, which worked out well because today - the day after I got back - I got to be baptized. But more on that later. Back to camp. Spending an entire week with Christian people and listening to nothing but Christian music and studying the Bible twice a day totally rejuvenated me! On top of that, I didn't have to worry about my hair or my clothes or anything like that. It was just what I needed.

The other parts were great too - I got some good tips on cantering that I'm going to try out on Indy tomorrow. At camp, I rode a speedy and sensitive horse named Mocha. She was great, but only 14.2 hh, so my legs cramped up. :D But she took such light signals! That was really cool. I also took kayaking and sailing. There isn't much to learn in kayaking, but my head is still kind of spinning from sailing information. We didn't get much wind, but I still know the basic parts of the sailboat, how to set it up, and how to steer and stuff. Now when I read ship books I'll actually know what a "come-about" and a "jibe" is.

I have pictures, but they're very bad quality, so I'll wait on them and see

if I can get some from my friend. For now, I'll give you some highlights of the week.

I went tubing for the first time in my entire life! It was cool, but...we went over a big wave and when I came down I chomped on the inside of my cheek and got a cut there. So tubing was fun, but I got other chances to go and I didn't take them. :) I also attempted to water ski. Water skiers out there, I admire you greatly. To make my story short, I'll say that I lost both skis and after that I forgot to let go of the handle thingie, so I was zipping through the water with no skis and my swimsuit was coming off.

I'll try it again - someday.

Another highlight was the all-camp game we played toward the end of the week. That week of camp was the Holidazzle - because of the 4th of July - so each day we celebrated a different holiday. The all-camp game was on "Christmas", so half the counselors dressed up as Hoos from Hooville, and the other half dressed up as Grinch minions. And of course, one was the Grinch him(her)self. One of the minions made me laugh so hard that I was literally crying with tears streaming down my face and the little girls were asking me if I was okay. We had different stations to go to, and one was a slide made of tarp that was set up on a hill. They sprayed the hose down the slide and we got to go down. That was super fun.

I'm going to give you the chorus of our theme song, which pretty much describes my week at camp.

---

The sun's shining bright and it just won't set

Your love is alive and it lights my step

My heart is amazed every day to the next

Your joy overtakes and I

Can't forget about it.

Waoh-oh-oh. Waoh-oh-oh, I

Can't forget about it!

---

And then my baptism was today. I gave my testimony, which was very short. I didn't have time to cry, which was great. But unfortunately, I did have time to be stung by a bee. It got me on the ankle as I was talking, and I crossed my other foot over to rub the bite. When I was done and the pastor was walking up to give the next instructions, he got stung by a bee too, though his reaction was funnier than mine. :)

The water was warm, though the sky was cloudy. I got dipped and it

went so fast that I barely had time to feel anything. After the baptism, I had a great time eating and swimming and playing Ninja and Mafia with my great church family. I do have pictures of my dip.

Until next time,

Ellyn

Beach Day!

A while ago, I and a few of my best friends (including one you may know as Margaret Rowena) spent the night together and went to the lake to swim the next day. The weather was perfect, and we had lots of fun. We did a few chicken fights and only realized afterward that they were listed on the NOT side of the rule board. :P Oops. The only part of the rule board we noticed was the part that said, "No hanging on the buoys." From a few yards away, that phrase looks amazingly like, "No hanging on the boys." :D

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our fun day. Courtesy of my friends. :D I'm the one in the tankini - blue and white top, black shorts.

- Ellyn

Horse Trackback

If you read my post "My Life and Horses - Part 1", you'll remember a horse called KC. I am finally posting a video of me riding him! (That's one reason why I switched from WordPress to Blogger - I couldn't post videos there.)

I felt like such a cowgirl, and I still remember his beautiful lope. I didn't feel him rocking under me at all - it was just smooth, smooth. Enjoy!

I've also posted some pictures of me on Rosie, who was also mentioned in "My Life and Horses - Part 1."

P.S. I will be going to camp next week, so I don't know if I will post between now and then or not. I'm excited, though - I'll be riding there, too!

This picture is funny - my body looks like I'm on a galloping horse, but Rosie is really only trotting... xP

Don't you just love my pink Keds? ;)