SNOW!! :-D

IT SNOWED OUTSIDE!!! :-D :-D The only bad part is that I'll have to take the pooch out. -_- But, I would have had to do that anyway, so it doesn't make much of a difference. :P I just love the first snowfall. Then, by the end of January I'm like "Ok, snow, time to go bye-bye!" The worst part is having to drive in it. Hopefully dad will take pity on me and drive today. :P

I am quite happy on the fact that not only did it snow, but my sister is leaving to go back to college today. w007! I'll have my bed back to myself, the mirror back to myself, the closet back to myself....just the whole room back to myself! Yay! But then, she comes back in 3 wks. X_X And I have to have some space for her...talk about double X_X X_X. I'm just kidding. I like having my sister around.

Ok, I don't have anything else left for now...I might post again tonight, depending on how many interesting things happen to me today. :P
Laterz!

Renwen

My day today

I woke up around 7, mosied on out of the house around 8ish, and proceeded to shop for the majority of the day! :-D I got some good deals on 2 pairs of jeans and some beads. I also got one gift for one friend. I can luckily get the rest of the gifts here in town. This Christmas will be....interesting to say the least. ;-)
I picked up a new CD at Target today. The "Twilight" soundtrack is one heck of an amazing CD. Ya know how on some movies it is the music that just totally completes the movie? For Twilight, this soundtrack took the movie onto a whole new level of awesomeness. I mean, if the soundtrack stunk, the movie would still most likely rock, but this soundtrack has hardish rock, classical music, pop, a bit of what could be classified as old country, and everything in between 'cept opera. All in all, for those who have already seen the movie(which I highly recommend) and for those who haven't, this CD would definitely be a good addition to any collection.

Laterz!

Renwen

A Day of Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! :-D Stuff yourself and also give thanks for everything that you have in your life at this moment. :-)

Renwen

Classical music

First, I would like to apologize for not posting a while. Life in general got away from me, and I am now just starting to get it back...just in time for Christmas craziness. X_X But, here's a lil thing about something my parents got for me.

I don't believe I ever posted about my favorite bday gift from my parents. For my bday, my parents bought me a 4 disc collection of piano classics. All the greats, from Tchaikovsky to Liszt, Beethoven to Rachmaninoff, right on down to the always popular Chopin. The shortest CD is, I think, 60 min long. And there are 4 of them!! Disc 1 is eight tracks of Beethoven. Disc 2 has Chopin, Grieg, and one track of Liszt. Disc 3 is Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Disc 4 is Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and more Tchaikovsky. Oh, wonderful amazing piece of auditorial gorgeousness!! Each one also fits a mood. Disc 1 is lullaby like, with the notes gently soaring from one to the other. This one is great if your mind is having trouble slowing down for sleep. Disc 2 is still gentle, but has enough of a prominent beat to keep you awake. I use this one to help relax me when I'm high-strung but I can't go to sleep. Discs 3 and 4 are classical music at it's most passionate. These two are my favorites. Each composition just sets a fire in me that I can't explain. Every CD is different, but I absolutely love every single one of them. :-D

So, there's my lil contribution to the wide world of blogging. Laterz!


Renwen

A while ago I heard someone say "The people that we are more prone to hurting are those that we love the most". For some reason, that sentence has been going on and on in my head. A friend of mine has been going through some mental problems, and my friend has told me a little bit of what is going on. My friend hasn't told me everything, mind you, but some things. I guess what I'm trying to say is, why do we always open ourselves up to those that we love, even though we know that when we open ourselves up, we are also possibly hurting those that we love? I'm thinking that this pertains to something that my friend once said to me "You know how to send the messages you want sent and also how to not send the messages that you don't want sent." If this statement is so true, as she adamantly proclaims, then why on earth do I feel like I'm lying to those closest to me? I feel like every day that I spend, I'm wearing a mask. I wake up, put it on, go to bed, and take it off. Whenever it comes off, I feel the depression, anger, fear, all the feelings besides happiness that I refuse to acknowledge during the day. It seems that I just exude happiness, never letting my anger show, never letting my sadness show, also hiding any feeling besides joy. It also seems to be just me. I talk to my friends, and they don't seem to have a problem showing others when they're angry, sad, depressed, etc. This might also be why my friend said that I know how to read people's feelings. The reason must be that I can recognize all the feelings that I refuse to show others inside the other people.


Ok, my philosophical rant is over. If anyone can make hide or tail of that, congrats! You are one of the few and far between that can actually read my 8-lane mind. :P

Laterz!

Renwen

4-H

My next priority is 4-H.


4-H is something that has been a part of me ever since I moved to Illinois. My sister was involved in it, and because I saw how much fun she was having, I wanted to join. Ever since then, I've been hooked. Last year, I joined both the Jr. Leaders and the Regional Youth Leadership Team.

The Jr. Leaders is a club that plans activities for both Moultrie county and Douglas county. I and the rest of the Leaders have planned and helped with parties, programs, and the county level fair. This has helped me tremendously throughout the past year, teaching me how to respect others and to help those younger than myself to achieve the goals that they set. I also am the vice-president of the Jr. Leaders.

Regional Youth Leadership has done the same, only at a higher level. The RYLT plans activities for the entire region. I learned how GPS works, how to get shy 4-Hers involved in activities, and many other things. I had a lot of fun on it my first year, and I plan to have a lot of fun on my second.

In my own club, I have gained friends and also an amount of respect for myself. I am the secretary for my club for the 3rd or 4th yr. This office has taught me responsibility and how to organize information as it is verbally given to me. Also, the projects that I have done have taught me quite a bit. So, in general, 4-H is something that has helped and will help me in my future, so it will stay around for as long as possible.

Laterz!

Renwen

List of Priorities?

I have just come to the realization that my list of priorities might need some reworking. Right now the list goes as follows:
1. School
2. Future job
3. Music
4. 4-H
5. Co-op

Because of the fact that it needs some tweaks here and there, over the next few days I will devote a bit of time to each priority, giving why it's a priority and why it might need to be moved down, up, or off my list. I will start from the bottom and work my way up.

Co-op...this has been an important, though momentary, priority for me because to me, co-op means friends. I know that I would not have the great group of friends that I have now if I wasn't in co-op. I also wouldn't be playing guitar, nor would I be learning how to write a good SAT essay. I also would never have had the outlet that I need for my natural dramatic tendencies. ;-) Yes, co-op has served an important part in my life, but I am now ready to move on.

When I firsted started co-op, I was looking for friends and people my age who understood all the little annoyances of being homeschooled. I found that and I am praying that I will never lose those people. Now, however, I am seeing that my time in co-op is done. The majority of the classes are for kids, not young adults. I see the end of co-op, and even though I am sad about leaving it, the majority of me is looking forward to it. I am grateful for this experience, but I am ready to move on to the next step in my life: college. I am not thinking "I wonder what I'm gonna do in co-op this Friday." I'm thinking "How on earth will I pay for college?" "When should I start working?" "How much does this college cost?" "What can I get done in hs school to make college easier?" "How much can I take at my community college so that university will be easier?" So, though co-op has been wonderful, I know, understand, and am ready accept that co-op will soon be over for me.

Later!

Renwen

Most Awesomest Weekend Ever!

Yah, I know awesomest isn't a word, but I'm so tired I don't give a darn. :P I am now running on 3.5 hrs of sleep, babay! Oh! YAH! :-D


Warning: The rest of this post may be riddled with unexplained craziness. Because of this, proceed with caution.



Saturday morning...wasn't too bad. I was dead tired from having to stay up late because the dog I was sitting had a sick stomach and I did NOT want to have to clean up a mess in the morning. I rolled outta bed 'round 8:15, managed to give the dog all the meds it needs in the morning, get it fed, and get it outside without hurting myself or the dog. Morning, so far, was good. I walked across the street to home, ate breakfast, and then cleaned my two birds' cages, my room, mom and dad's room, and the living room in little over an hour. Did I mention I was in my pjs still? So, once I got done cleaning up my parts of the house, I went back over to the house I had been living in for the past week, and started to clean that up. And yes, I did clean myself up before I started cleaning up the house. :P So, in 2 hrs, I had cleaned the bathroom, the guest room that I had been using, the living room, the kitchen, and the computer room. That was my Saturday morning...moving onto Saturday afternoon.

So, I fed the dog, took her out, made sure she had fresh water, and then went back home. Oh, I also had moved myself out of the house and back into my room in the above mentioned 2 hrs. I then gulped down a lunch(example of a REAL lunch: sandwich, fruit, milk. example of a FAKE lunch: nothin'. Just had to clear that up.) and walked out the door to start building the float for our YG. That was an xp to say the least. Let's just say, paint and I got to know each other well...*caresses poor Old Faithful that got spattered with paint* That took, instead of 3 hrs, 2 and a half. We were proud of ourselves, considering the fact that it was our first float. Oh and I mentioned that I was gonna be an angel in the float...well, since there was no Mary, I got reassigned. Oh well, the guy who plays Joseph ain't too bad....I guess. :P So, we got done with that, I went back home, changed into my church clothes, ran to church(don't ask), and then was left standing in the back for the opening prayers AND the first reading because SOMEBODY got LOST. Oh, to make matters worse, I was asked by my priest(before Mass started) if I was waiting for a young man when he saw me waiting in the back. I swear that my priest is trying to become a matchmaker. -_- So, once my friend(female friend) arrived, she didn't even notice me! I was wavin' at her and she didn't even bat an eye! *mutters dark things* Well, Mass then went on w/out a hitch. We then went back to the neighbors', fed the dog, gave meds, etc., then went back home for dinner and stayed there for the rest of the night. That night was quite enjoyable...though I must say that I don't remember a lick of what was talked about that night. Because of that, dear friend that spent the night, please forgive me if I repeat questions that I have already asked. :P

Now, Sunday....didn't do much 'cept watch a movie, look at the house that my family is working on, and....just veg out. :-D

*looks back over post* Wowza, I got a long one. Well, I haven't posted in a while, so I'm entitled.
Laterz!

Renwen

Musik

I'm listening to a tidbit of Red's new album, and so far I'm lovin' it. I love the combo of orchestra and hard rock that Red gives. Adds a nice touch to both genres of music. And then the screamin' adds another nice touch as well. ;-)

Ok, my day yesterday had started out bad, but then ended on a high note. I got a funny ecard from a friend's sis, an email from one friend, and then two happy birthday IMs. Life was and so far is good. :-D
Ok, that's all for now. Laterz!

Renwen

The 16th birthday party....the year that every teen looks forward to. Being able to finally get their license. Well, that's the majority of teens. For the minority, 16 is dreaded BECAUSE of the license. Everyone asks the question, "Well, are ya gonna get your license?" The majority say, "Yup, this (fill in a day of the week)!" Then, there's me. The question above is the most dreaded question known to me. The embarrassing part isn't in replying with "No, I'm not getting it for a month after my birthday." It's the "why?" that is hard to bear. It is not bad to say "Oh, I started driver's ed late." The questioner accepts this answer and will generally show pity for the poor late license receiver. IF, however, the answer is "I have made 3 mistakes and because of that my mom doesn't want me on the road." then the ground might as well open up and swallow the driver who made the 3 mistakes. Oh, why do I have to make such mistakes??

Ok, moving on...I got some money from my grandparents, and then on Thursday mom is going to go shopping for my gifts. She didn't want to make a 45 min trip 3 times in one week, and since my lil party will be here on Saturday, it's ok.
I've done my ranting, so I shall leave. Cheers!

Renwen

Youth Group!!

I am LOVING my youth group!! We had a meeting this morning and we are planning on doing so much this year! A lock-in, a float for the Christmas parade, work camps, volunteering at a soup kitchen, doing a bowling party, going to the March for Life...this is awesome!!

The most important event(atm) of all those is the Christmas parade. We are planning on doing a live nativity scene. I get to be angel. :-D Yes, this was my own choice. I figured it would be easier to layer clothes on under a plain white sheet than two pieces of fabric. We start working on the float next Saturday and will work on it for three consecutive Saturdays. This will be great! :-D

A lock-in will hopefully be done soon. We'll probably end up at the local middle school and just bring air mattresses, sleeping bags, music, games, and food. Did I mention how much I love my youth group?? Our group leader was also thinking of doing something called Cardboard City. Cardboard City is where one sleeps in a cardboard box to see what it would be like to be homeless. Most of us are interested in doing that. So, this year is gonna be totally sweet! :-D
Laterz!

Renwen

*sighs with contentment*

Serious post time....:P

First few hours alone at my neighbor's house. Not bad. The only problem might be doing the insulin shot later tonight, but I'm sure that it'll go fine. So long as I get the needle under Tiffy's skin. Yesterday I did my last practice with my neighbor there and I didn't get the needle under the skin so all the insulin just got on her fur. X_X Second time around though, I got it.

That's all for now....I might post later tonight...depends on bored I am. :P

Renwen

Blah

I'm not really in the mood for blogging, but because SOMEONE *looks pointedly at that someone* said i needed to update my blog...soooo....here it is.

First order of business......ha, nuthin. This was just to say that....HEY! I UPDATED!! *looks at the certain someone again* Gotcha! ;-)

OK, seriously, tomorrow there will be a serious post. I'm just not feeling mentally that well.

Renwen

School Rant

School....I have absolutely no problem doing assignments, taking the tests, etc., but when it actually comes down to sending stuff in for school, I freak. I don't understand it. I do what the lessons plans tell me, I follow the assignment instructions, I study for the tests, I put in what I feel is the right answer for the tests and yet I can't hit that little button that says either "Upload" or "Send in for grading." Frustrating, people, frustrating!!

I do have some good news to share. I got through last night without taking cold meds. w007! I am feeling better, not coughing as much, and my nose isn't completely stopped up. Life is getting better, folks, a lot better.

Speaking of life getting better, I'll be dogsitting and housesitting next week. :-D The dog I'm watching is an absolutely adorable Maltese who, unfortunately, is blind, deaf, and diabetic. Boy, this'll be fun! But, she's a sweet little dog, and she likes me, so it shouldn't be too bad.

I would also like to mention that I will most likely not be posting much starting Saturday. My piano teacher has a practicing contest every year, and since next week I will have a real piano to practice on whenever I want, I will most likely spend as much time as humanly possible practicing on it. Also, I will be able to fully devote myself to practicing guitar as well. So, if I'm absent the majority of the time, that's why. I will pop in occasionally just to let ya'll know that I'm alive. ;-)
Cheerio!

Renwen

I'm frustrated tonight. I have a poem inside my head, but I can't get the right words for the feeling that I want. Utterly annoying! Hopefully, later tonight I'll be able to get it out.

I am still sick. I've been not feeling well since last Tuesday, finally had the cold break on...Friday night, and have been forcing myself to get through each day ever since. Thank heavens for the person who invented drugs for colds. I can sleep at night, and then deal with the hacking coughs throughout the day. Why me??

Short post, I know, but I need to rest and being in a cold basment isn't gonna help in getting rid of this cold. So, I'll talk to ya'll later!

Renwen

This is a belated response, I'll admit, but a friend of mine asked the question "What makes one person normal and another person not normal?" I have spent the past few days mulling over that question. I mean, what DOES make someone "normal"? Is it how they dress? How they act? The people they talk to? I will attempt to answer this question in this post....attempt.

My personal thought is that whatever the majority agrees on constitutes what is normal. If the majority of people believe that one should date instead of court, then courting is considered "weird". If the majority of people don't write their own book, make a movie out of said book, wrangle their friends into said movie, and then publish said book before they are even an adult, then to do so would be thought of as "not normal". Hopefully my friend who asked the question "What is normal?" will find this (somewhat) thought-provoking. ;-)


Renwen