New Theme!

Hello, everyone. I hope you appreciate the new theme on my blog…my dad and I stayed up until about 11:30 working on it! Then I discovered blinkies and went a little blinky crazy… but, I think I’ve calmed down now.
Yesterday was a pretty full day. We didn’t have church, so I got up late, because the night before was Dad and my blog night. After lunch, I went to see Indy. I brought him inside and he was full of energy. And I mean brimming full. I saddled up, despite the cold, and attempted to warm up his bit before I put it in his mouth. You know how they always say to never put a cold bit in a horse’s mouth? Well, I tried, I really did. But hey, it’s cold out there! Even after I squeezed the bit in my hands for five minutes it was still cold. By this time, I was starting to feel kind of sick…my eyes and back were hurting, but I was not going to go home without a ride. After making many circles with my horse, I finally got on his back and he was eager to go.
Indy’s favorite gait is a trot. It’s difficult to make him walk and difficult to make him canter, but he’ll trot with just a loosen of the reins. He can also trot at the speed of a fast lope, so I tend to hold him back all the time. But yesterday I decided to try and relax and just let him go. Whew, it was a fast trot, but it felt amazing! We both could have kept going, but it was getting late. I dismounted and untacked. Despite the cold weather, Indy was actually sweating. I brought him back outside and opened his gate. Before that, though, he rolled in the snow and rubbed himself all over with it. He looked pretty good – that fire-red color against snow white is really striking. He got up and looked at me with the cutest look on his face!
Well, when I got home from the barn, I felt terrible. I had some toast and went to bed. The toast was a mistake…
But today I’m feeling better. I decided to put up some old pictures of Indy. As old as they can be, as I’ve only had him one year!
“Never grow a wishbone where your backbone should be.” ~ Jenny Paddleford


February 1, 2010

Last spring

Check out the cool close-up.

Because He Cares...About Jeans?

Something really neat happened today. I was not feeling my best when my alarm buzzed at 6:15 am. When I am not feeling my best, I tend to make a big deal of things that really aren’t a big deal. Anyway, I got ready for the day and walked downstairs. At the bottom of our stairs, there is a huge mirror, that shows you just about all you need to see of yourself. I saw that my jeans were getting faded and I started worrying. Worrying that my favorite jeans would soon be too short. Worrying that I would not have enough jeans to wear. I worried for a while until a verse popped into my head – the one about the lilies and the clothes in Matthew 6 – and I decided to stop uselessly fretting. If I need new jeans, God will provide them for me! Right?
After lunch, I heard that my mom was going to Target. No way! I instantly remembered a pair of cool jeans on a Target shelf and asked to come along. She said yes. Wow, it was a little miracle for me. I really wasn’t in desperate need for new jeans, but God had showed me that he cared anyway. But, being who I am, my thoughts immediately went from, “Thank you, Lord!” to “But they’re going to be so expensive!!” I shut myself up and prayed instead for a good deal on jeans, knowing that if God had supplied a trip to the store, he would definitely supply a bargain as well.
I ended up with a great pair of jeans and money left over. Thanks Lord!! Many of you reading this may be in much greater need than me. What I have to say to you is this, and I quote,
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7. Don’t hesitate! If God wants you to have it, you’ll get it. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” – Ephesians 6:18a. Even about jeans. Have a great night!
January 31, 2010

Editing

Author Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted, Two Princesses of Bamarre….) says that editing the book is her favorite part of writing. Not so with me. When I insert new big chunks of words to the story, it feels like its becoming a patchwork quilt – nothing matches. But with this story, I’m trying to be very careful and systematic so that I don’t make a mess of things. My editors are my parents…they are very good at their job, too. They do their best to make sure that no plot holes are in the way. My biggest problem now is that my book is too short to be called an actual novel. So I’m attempting to lengthen without dragging it out in a pointless fashion.
I guess I’ll stop writing in my blog now before it becomes too dragged out! Bye!
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 ~ “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial; “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive.


January 31, 2010

Funday Munday

This is just a reminder to you all that my blog is still alive – I just haven’t had any writing inspiration. I’m sure you know how that goes. I’m actually really excited about today, even though I don’t exactly know why. But it’s an unusual feeling for a Monday, so I’ll take it! Part of the reason is that I haven’t seen Indy in days. I’m definitely planning on making it over there today to ride or just lunge him – either would be great! This weekend was a week of friends and writing. On Friday, a co-op friend came home with me and we started planning our writing club. We got a lot done, but it left us drained! Then Saturday, I went to another friend’s house and we worked on outlining the story we’re writing together. Yesterday was the church potluck – fun!! And today…I’m back to school. Something I’m not looking forward to this week is writing a story in German. Just a simple one, you know, nothing deep. But I’m using my dashboard translator every sentence!! *groans* Please wish me luck. I hope you have a great week of school, work, and other business. God bless.
“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” – Eleanora Duse

Day in Masquerade

It seems like however Indy behaves for me affects the whole day…today (with him) was terrible. And to make things worse, it was the kind of day that masquerades as a good exciting day, while it’s disappointing underneath. The sun was bright, the sky was blue, blue, blue, and Indy’s blaze shone as white as the snow against his fire-red coat. I’m being over-dramatic, of course, but… the day wasn’t what I’d hoped for.
I was a little nervous when I went to the stable because the last time I rode Indy he got spooked and started running. I stayed on even though I was bareback, but it still scared me. Anyway, I was nervous but I was trying to hide that. I brought my darling horse over to the barrel so that I could climb on his back, but every time I climbed onto the barrel, he would step one of three ways: forward, backward, or to the side. That made it impossible to get on his back. I was getting mad and teary because I was just sitting on this barrel looking like a dumb cluck who couldn’t get her horse to stay where she wanted him. Which was true in this case. Finally, I gave up the whole riding thing and got out the lunging stuff so that Indy would learn that he’d have to work whether I was on his back or not. But by that time, my hands were NUMB and FROZEN so I could only lunge him for a little bit. I put Indy and his stuff away and stormed home.
The only good thing about my time at the stable was that Cally, the blind mare, heard my voice when I went into the horse pen and started following me around. She likes me ’cause I pet her and give her butterscotch treats, and I don’t mind that her eyes are all clouded over. So that was cute.
On the bright side of the day, I got my schoolwork done really fast and spent the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon on a picture. It has two of the characters from my current story on it, Jacha and Kiann…I sort of messed Jacha up, but I’m pretty happy with Kiann, considering the fact that I’m horrible at drawing men. Speaking of artwork, I’ve got to get that part of my blog working better. I can only view the top picture when I’m logged in, and that means you can’t see it at all. I’ll work on it…I am new to this whole blog thing.
“With great reputation comes great responsibility.” – Elizabeth Elliot


January 30, 2010

A Gentle Spirit

1 Peter 3:3-4 ~ “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”


Heroines in books are always spicy. They’re bold, brave, and beautiful and take part in great adventures. And for good reason – who would read a book about a timid little mouse who sat in her corner all day? The verse above has never really appealed to me because it seems to suggest the latter of the two examples above. At first glance, the words “gentle and quiet spirit” bring a picture into my mind of a young woman who spends her life at home reading her Bible, praying, and meditating all day. But this is not what the verse means. In contrast, the world has an idea of a life that’s fast and loud – a life that has no time for God. The world takes pleasure in being rough, tough and mean. They enjoy putting themselves under the title, “Bad.” Like the Michael Jackson song. Obviously, this is not what the verse means either. I think that I can live a full, active and exciting life while still maintaining a gentle and quiet spirit. I can have fun while still being sensitive to other people’s needs and help them when help is needed. I can talk to God and be still before him. I can take time to think things over and grow in my faith. I can share my opinions in a gentle way. I can live my adventures for God and enjoy all the things he has created. And I can still be tough without advertising that fact. This may sound boring to those who are used to a hard fast life, but whether you believe it or not, the only real joy comes from God.
January 30, 2010

Frozen Motors

Seven people got up this morning with about an hour to get ready for church. Suprisingly, everyone co-operated and we were all set to troop out to the car when we discovered that our vehicles would not start. So, we’re skipping the first hour of church and eating Christmas cookies instead. Hopefully we can make it to the second hour.-27 is the coldest temperature I’ve seen in a long while. I wish that the sunny days in winter were not the coldest…
“Life is the best story you’re going to get – but only if you take the time to read it.” – Ellyn(me)