What I'm Up To

  Well, I've been quite busy over the break, trying to make headway in my list.  So far I have gotten together with most of my friends, almost finished my sweater (one and a half sleeves to go!), read a few books, and done a lot of Christmas baking.  This is my latest baking production; Peppermint Pinwheels.  It's so good to bake again!  I like it once in a while, baking goodies.  I prefer baking to cooking for some reason.  Maybe it's because I have a sweet tooth or something.

  Then, my siblings and I  have been playing our Settlers game with the new expansion our aunt and uncle gave us for Christmas: Cities and Knights.  It's so much fun!  We've played it three days in a row, and won in order of age.  Well, almost.  My older brother didn't play the first time.  So it started with me and ended with him, as if we went around in a circle.  Highly recommended game!

  I can't believe Christmas is over!  Thank goodness the break isn't and I still have over a week left.  For some odd reason, I have been having dreams about being in university.  This is supposed to be a break!  Can't I have my nice dreams back?

  Anyway, this Christmas was lovely.  I got some really nice things, including some books which I now have to find space for.  (My shelves are so crammed I am beginning to realize it may be time to stop buying more.  A very sad realization, but I think I should probably start reading some of those books I own that I always mean to read, but never get around to reading.)

  The new year is creeping up, and I still haven't decided whether to make a resolution list or not.  I find that when I do, I never manage to keep up with any of my resolutions, so I just get depressed.  I've started a habit of just resolving to do better in everything and then see how that goes, and the vagueness of the resolve saves me from the depths of despair when I fail to meet the mark.  Perhaps I shoot too high...

  I have a few resolves for my writing life, though.  Hehe.  I'll save them for another post.

The Sky

 

  This is the sky behind my house.  Sometimes it is so beautiful, I just have to stop and take a picture.  And no matter how fabulous the picture turns out, in person, it is always more breathtaking. 

  It's at times like these when I stop to wonder how people cannot believe in God.  There is such beauty and purpose everywhere, even in the smallest things.  Take for instance a spider's web, or a bees' hive, which are not much in size, but beyond comprehension in complexity and design.  How can this all together in its wonderfulness, be an accident?

And God is very much like this;
Invisible as air;
I cannot touch or see Him, yet I know that he is there
Because I glimpse His wondrous works
And goodness everywhere.
- God is Like This by Rowena Bennet

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. - C. S. Lewis

God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation. - Sir Francis Bacon

In nature we see where God has been.  In our fellow man, we see where He is still at work. - Robert Brault

God is the perfect poet. - Robert Browning

The world is God’s language to us. - Simone Weil

My Christmas Break List and Musings

So it is nearing Christmas and I feel as if I have raced through my first semester at university. I have learnt so many new things and had to adapt to a new way of life, which (although it is sometimes stressful) I think suites me quite well at present. I have two more exams to go and then I am free! I'm sure I won't know what to do with myself at first, so I made a list of things that I wanted to do during the semester, but didn't have time to. Here it is, in no particular order:

- Read A Tale of Two Cities (with my friend Vesna)

- Sketch (I need to hone my artistic abilities, they have suffered poorly)

- Bake for Christmas (I haven't decided whether or not I should make nanaimo bars...but I am definitely leaning towards them; they're my favourite!)

- Get together with friends (I've missed them all so much!)

- Write my books (I'll probably do this first; I need to write or I'll go crazy)

- Go for walks (apparently I'll have to ditch this idea; there's a dangerous coyote lurking around our area, and he isn't afraid of anybody. Bother him! I need my solitary, thoughtful walks in nature.)

- Learn Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 on the piano (Listen to this on Youtube; it's beautiful. He based it on a poem.)

- Finish the Narnia series (I am on The Horse and His Boy, but I jumped ahead and listened to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader because I want it fresh in my mind before I watch it tomorrow.)

- Read The Fever and the Flame again

- Read another of my antique books (I have a small collection on my desk shelf, but I haven't been able to read all of them yet, so this is my chance!)

- Finish Titania sweater

So there is my list. I can't wait to start!
This Christmas service will be the first in our new location. We used to be in a barn, but now we are in a little heritage church. It looks like a storybook church, and I like it, but it is different.  It'll still take me some time to get used to it.  I dislike change that takes away people/things but I like change that brings new people/things...it's complicated.
I always have to spend longer than other people getting used to new things or new people. I take forever to make good friends, because I don't open up very easily. Even then, sometimes I clam up like an oyster. It frustrates me sometimes.
So I vent my pent up feelings in my journal...well, most of them. I think that's another reason I write. I'm more quiet than most people, so I have to find other ways of expressing myself. So I make music, draw and write.
Not everyone can be outgoing (I still don't see why people view extrovert as good and introvert as bad), although I am to a point. People see me as an extrovert because I don't hide in a corner; I ask them questions to get them talking because I care about what they have to say. But this doesn't make me an extrovert. It's hard to explain. I don't even understand it. Anyway, I'll finish my senseless rant of pent up musings.
I hope it snows! Christmas is always so magical, but especially when there is snow and my grandparents light their fireplace. May all of you have a beautiful, warm Christmas filled with laughter and love.

Tangled

Last week, I went to see the new Disney princess in the theaters after months of waiting excitedly. I was not disappointed. I had one of the most enjoyable nights of my life. Tangled was funny, fun, adventurous, and sweet. The world it's set in is so colourful and warm! It's a treat for the eyes.
I had seen the trailers for it and knew that it was going to be better than The Princess and the Frog. Although I did like our new princess, Tiana, and enjoyed the overall story and humour, I didn't think that the voodoo aspect of the film was appropriate for children. If I had seen that at three years old, I would have jumped out of my skin.
Tangled was more than suitable for children, it was fantastic and fabulous! I revelled in the Alan Menken songs (I'm a huge Alan Menken fan, ever since I got the Beauty and the Beast CD). From the beginning, I felt a connection with Rapunzel, who is following her dream of seeing the floating lights, and with Flynn Rider, who is funny and endearing. Maximus, the horse, is very determined and resolved to do his duty, and Pascal is...well, you'll see.
I have to say, I was disappointed that it wasn't going to be a hand-drawn production, but after seeing it, they won me over. The design of the film was absolutely beautiful. It literally glowed. But my favourite scene had to be the floating lights. They slowly lit up one by one and rose into the dark sky, casting a golden glow over everything. It took my breath away.
I may not have mentioned this, but I get pretty involved in stories, so I did cry at the end. I have now seen it twice, and I highly recommend it for the whole family. You will laugh, guaranteed, and you may cry. But you will want to watch it again.

Pascal, the chameleon (not frog) who is Rapunzel's little friend, playing hide and seek.

Rapunzel: this picture conveys her character perfectly.

And I think we can say the same for Flynn here.

Maximus and Rapunzel.

The floating light scene. My very, very favourite.

I really want to sketch some of these wonderful characters over the holidays. I have been so busy with school, there hasn't been any time for anything. In fact, I am stealing time now! I'd better get back to studying. But this was such a nice break! Please, take my advice and go see Tangled! You'll love it if you love Disney.