Monday, November 30, 2015

Beautiful Words

Just wanted to shear with you one of my favorite verses of poetry. I love Dickinson.

VI. 
If I can stop one heart from breaking, 
I shall not live in vain;
 If I can ease one life the aching,
 Or cool one pain, 
Or help one fainting robin
 Unto his nest again,
 I shall not live in vain.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Thoughts During Math Class

Homework? What homework?

Thank goodness she grades on completion. *writes down random numbers*

X equals b over -2a... x equals b plus or minus the square root of negative b plus 4ac over 2a....

*draws sketch of crush* Not bad-- oh, good gravy, that was close. *covers paper as said crush walks by*

Tori. This is Rebecca. Can you hear me? C'mon, we're eternally bonded, we have to have some kind of telepathy... Tori... please answer... Tori....

Why did I take honors math?

Please take your talons off my desk. I know I sit in the front row next to the board but that does not make this table your personal hand rest. Thank you.

Why are you in my bubble what even

Aaaaand here comes the usual thirty minute ran that always follows morning announcements.

Do we really need to review the dress code every morning? No one in here ever breaks it. We're honor students, for the love of bologna.

And now the lecture on participation.

And the one on grades. I should write a book on the predictability of this class.

Oh, hold your tongue. Maybe if you were actually teaching us, this entire HONORS class wouldn't have had to retake three tests. In a row.

How can someone's voice be that monotonous?

PLEASE shut up.

Might as well do my history homework while she lectures us on tardiness. Not that anyone in here has ever been tardy.

Sid better not be coming over here to ask for my white-out again. He needs to learn to write in pencil like the rest of us. I'm not giving him my white-out. I am not giving him my whi--
Sid: "Hey, can I borrow your white-out?"
Me: "Sure, go ahead."

What do you mean we have a quiz today?

Yay. Trigonometry. Fun.

Y equals... b plus the square root of... minus 32a... no, that's not how the formula goes. Just shoot me now.

Why did I take honors math?

Great. My stomach is imitating whale calls. I hope no one else can hear that.

Might as well turn this quiz in. I'm not getting anywhere.

Don't trip. Don't trip. Don't trip. *trips* *stumbles back to seat*

Can I die now

All of my friends sit at the back of the room.... Toriiiiiiiii... I need you.... 

Shoot. He caught me looking at him. Time to act like I'm studying really hard.

*draws*

Are you kidding me. It's been thirty minutes since class started. Sixty more to go. AARGH.

Why. Did. I. Take. Honors. Math.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Guest Post: Seriah

Hello! Remember me? I don't blame you if you don't. I got sucked into the crazy world of band geek/ honor student. So much to do, so little time to do it. But I made it back! I'm out of school for a few days, thanks to the County Fair. I've spent today going over my marching band music for the parade. Oh, and making pepperoni rolls. Yum. ;)

I decided a while ago to do a series of guest posts. To you guys who wanted to do the interview questions, thank you so much for your patience. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get them up. Anywho, here is one of them:

This guest post interview comes from the lovely Seriah, who blogs at The 221b Babysitter. She is one of my dearest friends and pen pals.

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
Occasionally, I have some pretty deep thoughts, and I thought I might like to share them. I also thought it might be a good way to keep people updated with the goings-on in my life, since at the time I didn't have a Facebook account. (I haven't been very good with that though... :P oops...)

2. Do you like chocolate or vanilla better?
 Chocolate. 

3. Do you have any all-favorite books/movies/music/actors? You can name as many as you want.
Favorite books: SHERLOCK HOOOOOOLMES!!!!
Favorite movies: How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2; Spider-Man 2 (the old one with Toby McGuire!); The Adventures of Tintin; Secretariat; Captain America; Big Hero 6... The list goes on.
Current Favorite Music: The PHAAAAN-tom of the OPERA!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Can you tell I'm slightly obsessed? If you can't, just ask my family...)
As far as actors... Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Tom Hiddleston are all just ridiculously talented actors. I mean, have you SEEN Mr. Holmes or BBC's Sherlock???

4. Do you like crafty things or more athletic things?
Crafty. Anyone that knows me very well knows that I am terrible at any sport, ever. Except maybe kayak racing... Does that count?

5. Favorite season?
Summer. Or Fall. Or maybe Spring. It depends on the place. Spring back east is beautiful, spring out here in the desert is just windy. But with fall, there's sweaters!!! And in summer, there are campfires and camping... 

6. Who inspires you the most?
People that didn't finish school or didn't go to college, yet still managed to completely rise above everyone's expectations and greatly impact the world. Mark Twain and Charles Dickens come to mind. 

7. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
Oh gosh. That's a pretty long list right there. Ummm...
Coming up with (and actually yodeling) a 30 second song on camera, knowing it will be seen by lots of people on YouTube... Being in a (filmed) car-chase... Trying to swing dance...having to turn someone's hair and beard grey with copious amounts of hairspray and cornstarch for a theatre production... Running through a field of pricker-bushes while tied to five other people searching for PVC pipes... Doing someone's hair between scenes in the dark...(also theatre)...Trying to write a five minute audio drama in a day and a half... Yeah....

8. Who is your favorite author?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(Why must you make me choose only one?!?!)

9. Favorite play that you've been in?
The Chronicles of Narnia, the Silver Chair. (It's actually the only play I've been in as an actor, but I've also been in two musicall-y type things.) I had the role of the lead female, Jill Pole, friend and fellow student at Experiment House with Eustace Clarence Scrubb; and they both get pulled into Narnia together. I wish we could get together a reunion party for the cast. I miss that show so much!!!!

10. Dream vacation?
A bicycling tour of Ireland/England--I would love to see the places where CS Lewis lived!!!!

11. What would you like to be when you're older?
A professional writer, singer, and actress.

12. What's the story behind your blog name?
The 221b Babysitter stems from my love of Holmes--I actually have the famous address stuck to my bedroom door. I am also my family's main free babysitter--I work for Starbucks and pens.

13. What never fails to make you smile?
Once again, there's kind of a list, but the one that comes to mind immediately is the memory of my first time swing dancing. I was making tons of mistakes, but my partner was great, and didn't mind. We were dancing outside in a crowded, dimly lit courtyard, and towards the end, I was spinning so much that all the lights and faces and dance steps just kind of blurred into a single happy memory that I could've lived in forever.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Summer Journal Excerpts

This time last week, it was still summer. But I'm a sophomore now. I guess I just feel old. Because this time next year I'll be a junior, which means that the year after that I'll be a senior, which means that the swirling vortex of terror-- aka the future beyond high school-- is looming on the horizon. *gulps*
 
Enough depressing thoughts. I thought I'd share a few little snippets of my summer. These are a few excerpts from my journal. I've taken one from almost every entry-- they are few, yes, I know. What I've written this summer wouldn't feel a reporter's notepad.
 
I'm doing this for me just as much as for you. Sometimes you just need to reflect over recent times to think about what you've been doing....
 
So:




       "I can't believe Monday is the last day of school. It's crazy. Just last week I was trembling at the thought of high school, and now summer is just around the corner. I have so many plans:  learn piano, work on my Latin and Spanish, finish (one of) my novel(s), have a real flower garden, blog every day...."


       "Well, I just almost got hit by a bus.
       I was coming out of church this evening, making a mad dash across the parking lot to the playground. Most everyone had left, so I didn't look before I crossed. I looked up just in time to see the huge Habitat for Humanity bus screeching on the brakes. I leapt across the last few feet and made it. I whipped my head around, watching the bus cruise over the spot I was standing.
       Gulp.


       "So... K is engaged now. It was a big surprise to me and the others who weren't in on the secret. K's brother J announced last night that he would have a special surprise for his new bride down on the beach today around four o'clock. I forgot all about it and was in the middle of a vicious game of pool basketball the next afternoon.
       'That's against the rules!' Hannah had shrieked.
       E shrugged and dunked her under. 'There are no rules!'
       'If there are no rules, then there's nothing saying I can't shoot at an imaginary basket and get five-hundred points per shot!' I yelled. I stole the ball and threw it up in the air. 'Five hundred! A thousand! One thousand five hun--'
       'Rebecca's gettin' creative," It was Uncle S, being sarcastic as usual. I sent a wave of water and chlorine over his head.
       A group of cousins went by, all dressed up and with cameras. 'Where are they going? Oh, right. It's four.' I was not about to follow. Not like this-- in an unflattering bathing suit, hair sticking to me, and makeup running down my face. Anyone with a camera was an enemy just then.
       But I could watch from a distance.
       I hoisted myself out of the water and went to the steps that lead over the dunes. The cousins were already specks down the beach.
       "Who is that?" Someone had come to meet them. It was a tall someone, a large someone; probably a man. There were greetings and hugs and camera flashes. The Someone got down on one knee in front of what looked like K. After a moment, he stood and they hugged.
       An aunt came running back down the beach, breathless. We asked what happened. 'A proposed to K. Very romantic, yes, no time to talk-- have to go start dinner.'
       K came back, starry-eyed and beaming, holding the hand of A. A diamond ring glittered on her girlish hand. Thanks to the help of K's brother J, the proposal had been a complete surprise.
       Some of my girly fashionista cousins had nearly given away the surprise.  They had fussed over K like mother hens. 'You need to change out of that bathing suit-- are you going to change out of that bathing suit?' 'No, don't wear that-- not flattering.' 'Mmm, nope. Find something else.' 'Honey, you gonna dry your hair? Let's dry your hair....' 'Girl, you need makeup. Here, let me help.'
       Meanwhile, a frustrated K had rolled her eyes, asking, 'What's the point!? It's about J and his wife!'
       Well, now she knows.


       "S came to VBS tonight.  F, my five-year-old bestie, grabbed me by the hand. 'Who's that, Fwabecca?' she asked. She looked at my visitor with a wary eye, head cocked to the side.
       'She's one of my friends. This is S.'
       'Are you her bestie?'
       'She's one of my good friends, yes,' I said quickly. 'Want to run through the bouncy house?'
       'Yes!' I nearly lost my balance as she leapt forward, jerking me along behind. I threw an apologetic glance over my shoulder at S.


       "Joshua got in trouble for yanking on Levi's ear. S and I could hear Dad downstairs, lecturing.
       'You never pull on someone's ear! They can come off with only seven pounds of pressure!'
      S and I looked at each other, then burst into peals of laughter on the floor. Only a doctor. Only a doctor would say that while scolding his child. 'No, only your dad, Rebecca.' S said, wiping her eyes.


       "I would do anything to get him to notice me except talk to him,  you know?"


       "All I've done this summer is message L. And get into embarrassing situations any time I go out in public. And watch Sherlock. Eh, well... I'm being me and doing what I enjoy, and I guess that's what matters."


       "The trumpet section leader was marching up and down his row, and could be heard bellowing over the rest of the chaos: 'IF I SEE ANYONE MARCHING BACKWARD NOT ON THEIR TOES, I WILL TAKE OUT THAT PERSON'S ACCHILES TENDON. IS THAT CLEAR?'
       I can assure you that everyone marched backwards on their toes. That time, anyway.


       " Since there was nowhere else for us to go, we marched with tiny steps in the stretch of parking lot behind the band room. The stupid athletic teams were hogging our field. Again. This time it was the soccer players. The football players were tackling each other in the grass by the shed. Now that they had an audience, they started to show off.
       'I hate football players,' said a clarinet player behind me. She had echoed my thoughts.
       'Why?' asked a freshman flutist, cheeks flushing red.
       'They're so cocky, and with no reason to be.' I agreed. Yet when we started marching, I tripped over an air pocket when one of them smiled in my direction. A coincidence, I'm sure.


       "Tomorrow is the first day of school. If I don't have at least one class with L or J, I think I'm going to cry."


       "Is it wrong that I'm terrified of freshmen?"

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Surviving Band Camp

(Written August 3)

I spent almost all of last week at marching band camp. People told me it was a ton of hard work and commitment and that I didn't know what I was getting into. They were right. But I loved it!

My favorite part of marching band are the two band directors. They are both lovely Christian ladies with a vast knowledge of music and an amazing sense of humor. One is all sunshine and rainbows; the other is lively and very dynamic. It's been a joy to know them both.

One of them in particular gives amazing advice and encouragement. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from her:

"The word can't is illegal in this band room."

"Don't lie to me. You know where liars go-- that's right, straight to Washington D.C."

"What have I said about crying over a boy, dear? Don't waste your tears over one-- they make more of them every day."

My school's marching band is a little different from most. Like most bands, we're a family. (New "family trees" are actually drawn up every year.) But from what I've seen we're given a loser reign than most bands because our directors know that a little trust goes a long way. We also do things a little differently.

When someone messes up, instead of being scolded, everyone in the room drops what they're doing and applauds that person. The poor soul is usually so embarrassed that they never make the same mistake twice.

"Story Time": This is the directors' unique way of making announcements during band camp. At the end of practice, the head director yells "Story Time! Gather round!" The entire band huddles around the drum major's platform. Some sit cross-legged. Some stand. Some lean on others. We all look up at the head director with bright eyes. It went something like this:

"Once upon a time there lived a beautiful band director. She had an evil stepsister named Mrs. B--" The other band director rolled her eyes. "And the beautiful band director had a dream-- She dreamed that the entire band would practice Karn Evil 9 tonight and memorize it so we could run through the drill tomorrow." (Groans from the band.) "She also dreamed that magical elves from a faraway land would bring her band popsicles--" (Cheers from the band) "--and that the band would all meet back here at ten till eleven. Seniors, you can go ahead."

Well this post had a point to it, but I can't even remember what it was... Oh, yes. So here's some tips on surviving if you're going to band camp any time soon. :D


1. Water. I don't care if you're not thirsty yet. Drink it. All of it. Whenever you can. You'll thank me later.

2. Mark your music. No one is going to remember all the positions for the field show the first time you're set on the field. Make note of it in your flip folder. Be sure to write down where you're standing, for how long, who is next to you, and where you move to next. Don't forget to write in the holds, either.

3. Sunscreen. Wear it. You don't burn? You will. The sun's harmful rays damage your skin before it turns red or tans. Sunburn just means it's too late. It's not worth the risk. You're going to be on the field for 4+ hours at a time.

4. Aloe vera. Oh, you didn't take my advice when I told you to wear sunscreen? Most people didn't. :) Just put something with aloe in it on the burned places overnight. It helps.

5.  PLEASE wear tennis shoes. No one wants to trip over your lost flipflop while marching. We're not allowed to look down when we're at attention! And marching backwards in open-toed shoes?
Impossible. Or boots? You'll die of heat stroke.

6. How to get turf out of your shoes aside from lighting them on fire:
  • You can't.
  • It's never coming out.
  • It's not humanly possible.
  • It's there forever.
  • End of story.
7. Understand that when a section leader yells that he will take out the Achilles tendon of anyone not marching backward on their toes, he is (probably) joking. I still wouldn't take any chances, if I were you. Marching on your toes it is!

8. Know when Senior Prank Day is. Every high school band camp has one. Watch out for it. I would avoid wearing white clothing, or bringing anything that is important to you to camp that day.

9. The seniors are never to be trusted. They're like little kids during band camp:  full of mischief and pranks. Lowerclassmen, watch out!

10. And most importantly: "One more time" never actually means "one more time". One more time actually means "We gonna keep doin' this until all y'all get this perfect", which can take anywhere from five more times to fifteen. Just a heads up. :)



Saturday, July 18, 2015

Western Week!!!

I haven't watched a lot of westerns. Wait-- that's a lie, yes I have. When you have three younger brothers, a passel of redneck cousins, and a dad who grew up watching that kind of stuff, you better know who John Wayne is! Westerns are second only to The Andy Griffith Show in our home.

I've always wanted to talk about this show on my blog, and I thought  Western Week would be a great time to do it. (Click the link to participate-- it's not too late to join!) I've never really done anything like this before, but I'm giving it my best shot. So, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my post!
http://allthingsbonnyandbeautiful.blogspot.com/2015/07/listen-up-yall.html

Despite my upbringing, the only western I ever really obsessed over is Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. It's a several-seasons-long TV series about a female doctor in Colorado just after the Civil War. She arrives in Colorado almost by mistake: the town put out an advertisement for a doctor, and was expecting a man. When Michaela Quinn (Jane Seymour) showed up in town, everyone was shocked-- they were expecting a Dr. Michael A. Quinn, not a woman! At first the townspeople are wary of her, but they soon learn to trust and even admire her.

Dr. Mike (Michaela) is one of my all-time favorite characters television-wise. She is strong and persistent, while still being feminine, and also motherly to her adopted children. She is skilled in the medical field and saves the lives of most of the cast at least once throughout the six seasons. :)
 
This is a really great show if you like action. Something exciting and usually life-threatening happens in just about every episode. It's full of cowboys and Indians and outlaws, as well as a little romance. While it isn't a Christian show, it does have a lot of good morals and almost all episodes are appropriate for the whole family.  If you're watching from the DVD sets, most versions have a pretty detailed summary before each episode, so you know what's happening.
 
Overall, I give Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman four and a half stars.

I wish I could go more in-depth on this, and maybe talk (or obsess) about Sully, Colleen, Brian, or....  But I have to go help make food for our church's annual picnic tomorrow, so I'm out of time. I'll post tomorrow or Monday with pictures from the picnic.
 
Until then!
 
--Rebecca

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

DIY: Shabby Chic Rag Banner

Good morning all! Today I have decided to show you a craft I love making.
 
 
 
These rag garlands are really cute.  You can hang them over windows or use them as banners at parties.  You can change out the fabrics, too, for the change of season or a redecorating.
You'll need:
  • Some type of string. It could be twine or yarn or a shoelace, depending on the design you have in mind.

  • Scissors

  • Fabric (Mine came with a kit for making these.  I'll put the link here as soon as I can remember the name-- I threw away the paper thing.)

 

 
1. Cut the fabric into strips. Mine were about an inch wide and a foot long, but you don't have to be exact.

 

2. Fold one strip in half, then lay the string on top of it.

 
 
 

3. Bring the ends of the string through the loop at the top and pull it into a knot around the string.

 

 
 

4. Continue tying strips of fabric until the banner is the desired length.


 
 
  I love how flexible this craft is.  You could use ribbons instead of fabric.  You could get a pattern going or just attach them at random.  You could make a fancy one and give it as a gift. You could even country-fy it by using twine with camouflage fabric. :)

 
 I promise I'll do a writing post again soon! :D

Monday, July 13, 2015

Reviewing My Latest Obsession: Christy

Usually when I haven't posted in a while it's because I'm really busy.  But this time it's been my latest media obsession:  Christy. My mom checked it out from the library once and said "Hey, thought you'd like this."  I don't think she was quite prepared for the full-on obsession that followed, though by now she ought to be used to it. :)


Image result for christy tv series
 
 
If you have ever heard of the author Catherine Marshall, then you've probably read her most famous book, titled simply, Christy. It's the story of a young woman teaching school as a missionary in rural Tennessee around 1912.  If you enjoy the Little House on the Prairie books, you would like Christy. And my period drama girls, I think you would love this.


Image result for christy tv series
 

The book was an immense success.  Soon there was a TV series with the same name.  It's one of the few series aired on television with God as the center of every episode. The original TV show starred Kellie Martin (Christy), Tyne Daly (Miss Alice), Randall Batkinoff (David Grantland), and Stewart Finlay-McLennan (Dr. MacNeill).


Image result for christy tv series cast
 

The Pilot episode stuck to the book practically word-for-word. The rest of the original episodes were loosely-based around the book, and never contradicted it. (The director deserves a HUGE thank you for that!) It's family-friendly, full of action, and funny. Also, as I said before, it's pretty God-centered.


Image result for christy tv series scenes 

 
Image result for christy catherine marshall
 
 
Unfortunately, there are only two short seasons, and the series ends on a cliffhanger.

Luckily for me (who was panicking:  "Nonononono! No! NO! You can't just do that!") there are three made-for-television movies that finish it up. Christy:  Return to Cutter Gap; Christy:  A Change of Seasons; Christy:  A New Beginning. Only five of the original actors returned for these movies-- Opal and Tom McHone, Dr. MacNeill, Jeb Spencer, and Birds-eye Taylor. There was a new Christy and a new David and a new Miss Alice, which just didn't work for me.

This was probably the biggest mistake in these movies:  poor casting. Many of the new people aren't quite believable as their characters.  For the most part it's no fault of their own, they just don't look the part.

The other reason I didn't enjoy these as much was because they didn't stick to the plot. *SPOILER ALERT* Yes, dreadful Lundy dies like in the book, yes, Fairlight's death causes Christy to question her faith, yes Christy ends up with the same guy as in the book (I won't tell you who).  Other than that the storyline was hardly recognizable.

It also left several unanswered questions. What happened to Margaret? What about Daniel Scott?

Image result for christy catherine marshall
 
It was, though, God-centered, full of action, and humorous, so I give it points for that.
 
So, in summary:

+The book was lovely; it was great literature.
+The original TV series was equally awesome.
+The three made-for-television movies that came afterward... not so great.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a new obsession....

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Hey



I've been reading a lot. And trying to take better pictures.  And gardening. And cleaning. And we went to the Outer Banks last week for our annual family reunion. We had 51 people there this year, and it's amazing that we're all so close.

Yeah, it's been a good, quiet summer so far.

 
 



On our way to the Outer Banks, we stopped by the Green Valley book fair.  They have loads of books in this huge warehouse.  You can't beat their prices.  My family stops there every year.  So if you're ever in Harrisonburg, VA, you should swing by. I had a great time in there, as you can see below. :)


I'll be posting several times a week now, starting tomorrow.  I hope I'll be able to keep that up once school starts next month, too.
 
 
--xoxo Rebecca Jane

 

Monday, June 22, 2015

DIY Fairy Garden Furniture

Guess who is FINALLY out of school!?
 
This wonderful thing actually happened last Monday at 1:30, but I've spent the past week getting things organized and taking it easy.  I didn't feel like messing with any blog posts, but I'm getting back into it.
 
Anyway, last night I started getting things ready for my little flower garden plot.  I've decided I want it to be a fairy garden this year, so I'm making mini furniture to decorate it.  So far I've made chairs and a bed... anybody want to see how?  I'm going to show you anyway. ;)
 
The chair instructions I got from this website that I found on Pinterest.  For the bed, I just randomly glued things together based on a Pin I saw and hoped for the best.
 
 For the chair, you'll need:
 
a glue gun
wire cutters or something similar
some twigs of your choice
a ruler (optional)
 

Follow the link above for instructions.  They are clear and relatively simple.
 

 
 
The finished product!
Not perfect, but it's a good first try.


Here is a random picture of the flag
on the front porch that I found in the midst
of all these photos I took. Enjoy!

 
For the bed, you'll need
 
a glue gun
wire cutters or something similar
some twigs of your choice
a ruler (optional)
thread (I used good old quilting thread)
moss

 
1. Cut the twigs.  For the head of the bed, I used two three-and-a-half-inch sticks.  The foot of the bed were one-inch twigs.  The leg braces for the bed were about two inches. The two long sides were four-and-a-half inches.

 
2. Glue them together

 
3. Weave the string around the bed frame.  I tied the knot near the head of the bed, then wove the strings in an under-over fashion where the mattress would be.
 
4.  Add moss. Pile it on top of the thread you've woven.  You can add a leaf blanket if you'd like, or leave it as is. I made a pillow by folding a leaf in half and stuffing it with more moss.


Finished product!
 


Aaaaaand that's pretty much all I have to say for today.  What did you think?
 
See y'all!