hello july

 

"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."

 

--F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

 

So this is a June wrap-up of sorts (that's what the kids are doing these days, yes?) accompanied by random irrelevant pictures of leafy green things.

 

 

Books Read

-The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

-The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

-Alive by Scott Sigler

 -Winter by Marissa Meyer

 

Happenings

 

-Vacation. June started out in Florida in Poppaw's two-bedroom summer home near St. Augustine. We went to Cumberland Island, the beach, Sea World, and the local swimming hole.

 

-Girls' State. This is an educational leadership-type camp about government that everyone told me would be a great idea. "Yeah, okay, maybe it'll push me to come out of my shell." Wrong. I mostly wanted to die the first four days and I cried profusely. It wasn't until the last two that things were bearable. I had an awesome roommate though and I got closer with the girls who came from my school. So it wasn't a total loss.

 

-Guinea pig. My friend's mom teaches preschool and she didn't want to keep the class pet anymore so she asked around if anyone wanted it. We now have a small cute creature named Cinderella who likes to eat loudly at two a.m.

 

-Paint Party. We had a paint party at church where I made a mess painted flowers.

 

-Instagram. I finally set up an account. The link is on my sidebar.

 

-Black Bears Game. My best friend took me to a baseball game in Morgantown. I still don't understand baseball but I have a new love for Kona Ice.

 

-Wonder Woman. I went to see this amazing movie with my dad and later with my close friend who was traumatized by the ending and would not let go of my arm. "Rebecca. Rebecca, no. Tell me he doesn't die. Nooooo this is not okay." 9/10, this was a quality film.

 

Goals Accomplished

-Go dairy-free. I'm technically intolerant to milk but I usually consume it anyway and deal with the consequences. I did some research and it seems like it might help my acne if I stop having dairy, so I'm giving it a shot. I did really well, except for at Girls' State, where my only consolation was a daily ice cream bar. ✔

 

-Start a bullet journal. ✔

 

-Start working out again. ✔

 

-Clean out closet. I'll be trying out ThredUp this month and donating some clothes.✔

 

-Blog. ✔

 

 

 Goals for July:

 

- stay dairy free

- use aforementioned bullet journal

- read 5 books

- take more pictures

-talk to people

 

 

 

I've got some more posts coming your way when I get back from visiting family. Happy July, everyone.

A Post That is Actually About Flutes! (I've Got the Badinerie Blues)

I haven't posted much this week! But good news-- the PSAT test is finally over, so I can start posting on a regular schedule! Yay! I am so sick of studying. And it was all pointless, since what I studied wasn't even on the test. Seriously, the math section was all Greek to me.

Something else, though, has come up and it may interfere with my blogging as much as the PSAT did. It's called all-state band. I got the music yesterday and, well--



(Sorry it's sideways.
My computer is being stubborn today and won't fix it.)

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Help. It's a level five. The highest level of music you can possibly play is a six, I believe. I did a quick Youtube search of the song-- Badinerie, a very famous piece by Bach-- because my head was spinning and I couldn't make sense of it and, well, this is what I found:

After watching that amazing display of talent, I just sat there for about thirty minutes, not moving. How. On. Earth... no. No way. No way! How am I supposed to do that!? In less than a month!? If anyone needs me, I'll be curled up in a fetal position on the floor....

I did eventually snap out of it and start trying to make sense of the sheet music. It's starting to make a little more sense, and I can play the first three measures. I know most of my readers aren't flute players, but do any of you have any advice?

So, in summary, I may be practicing every spare moment for the next few weeks! In fact, that's what I'm off to do right now! Cheerio!

--xoxo Rebecca

New Years': All Good Things...

All good things must come to an end, and 2013 is no exception. Despite the fact that it's unlucky number thirteen, it's been a great year for me. Let's look back at all the positive thing that have happened to me this awesome "unlucky" year, the year my writing came back from the dead.

I finished my first novel through NaNoWriMo. This was probably the biggest milestone I've passed in my writing career this year. NaNo really helped me stop procrastinating and start writing. And I have a novel to show for it!
I finally got an email address. As much as I love letters, there's so much you can do with a gmail account....
I started a blog. My first attempt at blogging was this June, when my friend Seriah got this awesome idea to mail Tsarmina back and forth and blog about it. I experimented with my posts and format over there, (Tsarmina's Travels ) and eventually got up the courage to start one all on my own. I think this one's turned out alright-- what do you think?
I (in some miraculous way) made the public school's Junior Varsity basketball team. I'm not sure how this happened-- some work of divine providence, to be sure-- but I'm on the team! Now if I could just make a foul shot to save my life....
I discovered many awesome writing blogs that have helped encourage and improve me at the trade. Here are just a few:
The Write Practice
The Magic Violinist
Rainbow of Words
StorytellerGirl 
Positive Writer
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program

2013 in one word:

If I believed in luck, I'd say "lucky." But since I don't, I'll say "blessed."

Most played songs:

Love this. Got it from Pinterest.

I'd Lie (Taylor Swift)
Nevermind (Taylor Swift)
There's Your Trouble (Dixie Chicks)
American Honey (Lady Antebellum)
Ain't Easy (Rachel Farley)
Sparks Fly (Taylor Swift)
Permanent Marker (Taylor Swift)
Long Live (Taylor Swift)
Country Girl Shake It For Me (Luke Bryan)
Creepin' (Eric Church)
Little White Church (Little Big Town)
Boondocks (Little Big Town)
Mean (Taylor Swift)
Good Girl (Carrie Underwood)
Mama's Broken Heart (Miranda Lambert)
Honey Bee (Blake Shelton)
Better Than Revenge (Taylor Swift)
Gunpowder and Lead (Miranda Lambert)
Cruise (Florida Georgia Line)
Round Here (Florida Georgia Line)
That's My Kind of Night (Luke Bryan)
International Harvester (Craig Morgan)
Tim McGraw (Taylor Swift)
Enchanted (Taylor Swift)

As you can see, my music taste doesn't vary much. :)

Awesome books read:
Emily of New Moon (L. M. Montgomery)
Emily Climbs (L. M. Montgomery)
Emily's Quest (L. M. Montgomery)
Kilmeny of the Orchard (L. M. Montgomery)
The Blue Castle (L. M. Montgomery)
The Story Girl (L. M. Montgomery)
Rilla of Ingleside (L. M. Montgomery)
The Golden Road (L. M. Montgomery)
Jane of Lantern Hill (L. M. Montgomery)

Okay, so I really like L. M. Montgomery. So what?


Goals for 2014:
Get published.
Work on my blogging skills.
Connect with other writers. I can't do it alone.
Stop using the words "like" "awesome" and"really" so much in my writing. Seriously, it's like really getting on my nerves that I can't stop-- AAARGH I did it again!
Finish edits on As Strange as Snow in September (and work on the title).
Win NaNoWriMo again. This time I'm going to shoot for 60,000 words.
Write. While I'm waiting on getting published and maybe finding an agent, I'll keep improving my writing until it's ready to go out into the world. After all, without the "write" I'd just be an "er."

Have an amazing 2014, everyone!