Writing and Snowflakes

I love to write. There are times when I'm walking down the hallway at school and my thumb is tracing words, phrases, lyrics, and stories on my palm. During class I often have a little sheet of paper under my notebook for me to write on, just for the sake of writing. I sometimes end up writing the same thing over and over because my hand loves the way it feels to write a certain word. A few weeks ago I covered a whole page in my sketchbook with the word "pumpkin" just because it felt good to write it... I don't know why I'm saying this right now... I guess I just felt the need to tell someone how I felt about writing... how even though I struggle when it comes to writing stories and sometimes poems, I still feel like writing was meant for me. I feel like Heavenly Father created it in advance just for me, so that I could have a little place to escape to...

Anyways, the first day of Autumn was last Tuesday, but yesterday was the first day it felt like fall. Leaving the house on Tuesday morning to go to school it was nippy out. The air was crisp and cool, and I was glad I had on a light jacket. I'm actually surprised it it was so cool so early in the year. Usually it takes forever for it to cool down here in the south. Last November my youth group went carroling and it was warm enough out that some of the boys were wearing shorts. Maybe this cool weather we're having, along with actually getting a lot or rain this summer, is a sigh that we're actually going to get snow this year!!... Ok- I know that's probably not going to happen, but hey; a girl's gotta dream!

How To Celebrate Autumn

1) carve a pumpkin

2) bake a pumpkin pie

3) rake up leaves into a big pile and jump in them

4) go for a walk and admire the colors of the trees

5) dress up and go trick-or-treating

6) paint your nails in red, brown, and orange with gold glitter

7) put cinnamon sticks in your closet so your clothes smell yummy

8) go apple picking

9) bob for apples

10) go on a hayride

11) help organize a fall festival

12) participate in a fall festival

13) make a cornucopia

14) make a basket of goodies like fresh baked bread, pie, and cookies to give as a gift

15) roast pumpkin seeds

16)plant your tulip bulbs for next spring!

Autumn is Creeping Into View

Though it's still pretty hot here in the south, it's starting to cool off a bit, making it perfect weather to jump-rope outside. Too bad I keep tripping on my shoes! It's been so long since I've jumped rope and my feet are a great deal longer than they used to be...
For us here in America, the first day of Autumn (my favorite season) is on September 22, and so in honor of that, on that day I'm making a list of everything I think of when I think of that season. So far the list is one page long, and that's with the help of a few of my family members. I'm going to inverview everyone for their opinion up to that date, to see what the season means to them. What does it mean to you? When the word is mentioned, what do you think of?

Optimism

"An optimist is the human personification of spring." - Susan J. Bissonette



Optimism is the belief that all will turn out well. As Princesses, this is an important thing to maintain, even when it would be so much easier to break down and cry over the unfairness of a situation.
Imagine that you are graduating from high school this week, and your friend is planning a huge party at her house to celebrate. It's going to be the party of the year and you are super excited to go. You get home from school the day of the party, anxious to get ready and leave, only to find your mother too sick to get out of bed, your little brother and sister hungry, and with your father off on a business trip, you realize that you're going to have to stay home and take care of the kids and your mom all by yourself. Do you slap a bowl of mac-n-cheese in front of your siblings before running to your room to fume at the your mother for getting sick today of all days, or do you let your kid siblings help you to make a nutritional dinner before sitting down with them to watch a good movie, all while keeping a happy face and imagining what stores you and your BFF are going to go to at the mall tomorrow?
It may be hard sometimes to keep smiling when it seems the world is falling apart about you, but in the long run it is worth it. People like to hang aroung optimistic people; its like hanging around a warm ray of sunshine on a cold winter day.
Here are a few ways you can stay optimistic:
1) Smile a lot
2) Relish the little things, like your pretty painted nails, or a compliment from someone you admire
3) As Walt Disney once said: "keep moving forward"
4) Past does not equal future
5) Laugh
6) Look for the best in a situation and in people
7) Give hugs
8) Avoid negative situations and media
9) Hang out with other optimistic people
10) Learn forgiveness

These Summer Days

Things have been quite busy here around the house lately. It seems everyday there has been something new going on, from a ride on the lake to a trip to the zoo to my neice's first birthday party. I really can't say I've had a boring summer, but with school starting in a few days, I want to make the most of the time I have left. Sadly, making the most of my time has forced me to wake up earlier than I'm used to, and this has left me yawning constantly. But it's worth it. And anyways, tomorrow is Sunday, so after church I am free to sleep the day away!

Fishies!!

I added a new gadget to my blog a few days ago. It's on the top left of the page, and it's five fishies in a bowl. If you put your mouse in the box, the fishies swim to it in hopes of food, which you can give them by clicking anywhere inside tha box. Isn't it darling?! They're so much fun to play with, and they are always hungry!

More Rain...

Today I was going to sit on my porch with a good book, and blanket to lay on, a tall glass of ice water, and some pink and white iced animal crackers, but as soon as I walked out the door with my stuff, it started sprinkling. The sky was clear, with only a few tiny sploches of gray here and there, but it was coming down.

Dissapointed, I came inside and watched as the clouds rolled in. It just finished pouring. Today's rain storm lasted about ten minutes. We have had a rainstorm every day this week so far. It will randomly start pouring like there's no tomorrow for a maximum of twenty minutes, and then stop. The skies will clear up, the sun will come out, and then everything will be hot and wet. It doesn't rain enough to make any puddles; just enough to soak everything down...

I just looked outside, and though it has indeed stopped pouring, I am pleased to say that it is still raining lightly. Maybe this rain will last all day and cool everything off?