Three Girls and Three Wishes

I'm just full of weird blog titles right now, aren't I?? ;) Ahem.
Yes, this is another poem. No, you can't sue me for using bad rhythm or rhymes. Close your eyes, grit your teeth, and leave a scathing critique comment after reading it if you want...but no suing. I draw the line there.
Those of you who aren't poetry Nazis can feel free to simply read on and enjoy. ^_^ (But you can still comment of course...I LOVE COMMENTS!!!)

This poem was based off a joke I heard several years ago...so the idea is not original. However, its never been written in verse before, so I can call it at least a little original. ;) It's the first time I've taken prose and changed it into verse. Also, its a lighter subject than I usually use since I really only wrote this one for fun.
Tell me what you think!

I call this poem...you guessed it...

Three Girls and Three Wishes:

Once a long, long time ago...
Or was it yesterday?
Three damsels went far to a place
To change their destiny.

One had hair of darkest brown,
The second, reddest red.
The third had long and yellow curls
Hung from her golden head.

They took a quest to forest black
Where a pool hid.
Long though the journey was,
Take it they all did.

For this pool was magical
And this these girls knew well:
They'd shout and jump in, then the waves
Became what they would yell.

When found at last, around they stood,
Transfixed upon the spot
Beside the pool's dark mystery,
Surprised by what they sought.

The boldest one stepped closer still
With hair of reddest red
She jumped in with a mighty shout,
"MONEY!" the word she said.

And so instead of water soft
To catch her from the air,
Cold, hard coins and paper bills
Broke her neck without a care.

So instead of living well,
Those coins and bills did pay
For all the surgeries she had
To make her neck ok.

The second girl, with dark brown hair
Made note of what took place.
She thought of her word carefully,
Then jumped in with grace.

"LOVE!" she shouted as she fell
And lots of love she got,
Swimming in it, happy, free
Nor did it ever stop.

The last young girl with golden locks
Stood silent and afraid.
She had chosen her own word,
But on the ground she stayed.

Is it right and will it work?
She didn't really know,
But finally, she made her choice
And swallowed back her woe.

With a running start she jumped...
But wait...what do we see?
Her left foot caught right on a root
Momentarily!!

With a grimace full of pain,
She held on to her toe.
"Oh, RATS!" came the angry cry before
She disappeared below.


If you don't get the joke, don't ask me to explain...just enjoy it as a story. Those of you who DO get it...BRAVO!! Hope you enjoyed several laughs and grins from reading it. (But no, I'm not a huge fan of dumb blonde jokes...this is the only one I like. Don't plague me with ANY more. Please.)

#ireadthehobbitthismonth

Yeah, you read that right. I'm finally committing to a monthly book review. AND I'm going to allow you all to help me. :D
But first, before you get all excited, let me tell you how this is going to work (hopefully)...
First, I'm going to try to read more than one book a month. ;)
Then, towards the end (like the second to last week or something like that) I'm going to give you the list of books I've read during that month plus some other things that have nothing to do with this post, so ignore the crossed out words. You heard me...stop reading it right now!
Next is where you all come in. You are going to pick a title from the list of books I read and then I'll write a review of the most popularly voted for book at the end of the month.
Does any of that make sense??

Now, on to the first monthly review. (I already promised to make a review on Tolkien's "The Hobbit", so sorry, no list of books this month. I think you'll live. ;)

The red book is the version of "The Hobbit" that I read this month. Dad has all those books out in his study, and I'm hoping to read "The Silmarillion" soon. It's like the history book of Tolkien's imaginary world.

My Review: (warning: review may and probably does contain spoilers)
Let me begin by stating the obvious: Tolkien's book, "The Hobbit" is awesome. I could end the review right there, but I will continue by telling y'all WHY I think it's an awesome book:

The Characters: Tolkien is a master of creating believable, and sometimes lovable (in the hobbits' case) characters. Each one he brings into a story are unique, original, and just plain fun. Here are some of my favorite characters from "The Hobbit":
Bilbo Baggins: A hobbit who is content with his lot in life...until a wizard shows up on his doorstep and throws him into a chaotic adventure by dubbing him "The Burglar" and the fourteenth person in a mostly dwarf party of treasure/revenge seekers. Eventually Bilbo resigns himself to his new position and helps the dwarves throughout their journey, with the help of a magical ring.
Gandalf: The wizard responsible for dragging Bilbo into the scariest, but best adventure in his lifetime. Though sometimes absent from the party of adventurers, he can usually be found somewhere nearby when they most need his help, just waiting to help them from their tight spot.
Dorie: I wanted to choose just one of the thirteen dwarves, and it was hard to narrow it down, since I like all the dwarves for different reasons. However, I finally chose Dorie, because I always had a soft spot for him in my heart. He's the one who tries to keep an eye on poor Bilbo who always seems to be getting left behind, or not noticed until last minute. Probably the most compassionate dwarf by far, and sticks up for the hobbit when everyone else won't.
The Eagles: Not only are eagles cool as a general rule, but these eagles help get the dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo (who almost got left behind but managed to save himself by grabbing onto poor Dorie's legs) from a very tight spot indeed when even Gandalf was at a loss to save them all. Besides, the eagles are the symbol of the American's in the book. (Though, you can tell Tolkien had a bit of a grudge against them: only swooping in to save the day at the last minute...when they could have come a lot sooner and saved a bunch of lives, and mostly kept to themselves. A bit uppity and full of themselves if you know what I mean.)
Bard: He gets the honor and prestige of killing Smaug. And besides, he's a good ruler and tries his best to use reason...which is more than I can say for Thorin.
I could name some other awesome characters (Elrond ad Beorn come to mind), but for lack of time, I'll skip them this time around. After all, if I ever do a book review of "Lord of the Rings", Elrond will DEFINITELY make it into that one. So.

The Plot:
"The Hobbit" is a classic tale of adventure, plot-wise. A humble hero sent on a long journey who does many wonderful, exciting things until he gets THERE, then faces a great danger, defeats it, and comes BACK. However, this hero has the help of thirteen hefty dwarves and a wizard...which is more than most heroes can say. ;) However, even with all that help, he often strays and gets lost, though one of those times turns out to actually be helpful in a weird, twisted way because he finds a magical ring which has the ability to turn him invisible. He saves the dwarves from a suspicious Elfish king, huge spiders, and even a terrible dragon named Smaug the Magnificent. He is present during the Battle of the Five Armies, and still makes it safely home to his beloved round green door and full pantries.

The Setting(s):
It begins in the rolling green hills of The Shire, then on through forests, Elfish kingdoms, more forests, tunnels in mountains, more forests, another Elfish kingdom, a river, another forest, a town, a forest, and another mountain. (Did I mention forests? Well, there's a lot of them in this book. Just saying.) My favorite setting is The Shire, mostly because I love all things bright and green and sunshiny...which things usually are in the hobbits' country. My second favorite is probably a tie between Elrond's Rivendell, and Beorn's home. (After all, his animals are pretty awesome...)
The worst setting, for me, is Mirkwood...though the tunnels of the goblins are ALMOST as bad. The spiders are simply awful. After all, spiders and me have had a long and terrible history. They bite me, and scare startle me, I kill them and probably paralyze them with all my shrieking. However, I always feel somewhat nervous in underground , dark places, so they're about equal.

Have you ever read "The Hobbit"? If so, what did you think? (If not, READ IT NOW!) Ahem.
Which dwarf was YOUR favorite?
Do you think Elrond or Beorn is more awesome?
Eagles or ravens?
Are the goblins or wargs more evil?

Oh, and before I sign off, here's an amusing take on the "Top Ten Villains" tag that my sister Margaret did. Who would have thought that Baloo (from The Jungle Book), Master Oogway (from Kung Fu Panda), Olaf (from Frozen), Goldilocks (from Goldilocks and the Three Bears), and Pippen (from Lord of the Rings), were all villains? Read her post, and you will be enlightened. ;)

Voices in My Head...

This is what happens when I hold a conversation with myself in my head. Read it and then guess which side is the more optimistic/creative side and which is the more worried/sarcastic side. My brain is a weird mixture of the two...

Ok. Focus. I need to write a blog post...I'm thinking...

Way to go.

Don't be sarcastic.

How do you know I was being sarcastic?

*rolls eyes* I could hear it in your voice.

Whoa! You can hear me??

Um...yes.

What do I sound like?

Like me talking to myself.

Oh...right. 'Cause I AM you talking to yourself. That makes sense.

This just got really weird.

It wasn't weird already?

You have a point.

As always.

No, actually that's pretty rare.

Ouch. Burn. Like you make points all the time! *snorts*

More often then you do.

Wait...how can one side of a brain make points more often than the other side??

(evasively) Oh...it happens.

Whatever. *rolls eyes*

You know, originally I started thinking so I could come up with a blog post...then you interrupted me.

You're welcome. *smirk*

I wasn't thanking you! I actually need to get it figured out!

(sweetly) Do you need my help?

*dark glower* No, I can do it just fine be myself. Just be quiet for once.

Fine. If ye want it that way, I'll shut me trap.

WHY DO YOU HAVE AN IRISH ACCENT????

I dinna ken lass! Noo, I canna stop if ye keep askin' questions. So if ye really want me to stop...ye should stop askin' questions.

GAAAAHHH! NOW YOU'RE TALKING INA SCOTTISH ACCENT!!!.......AND YOU SOUND LIKE A GUY!?!?!?! WHY????

Yer still askin' quaetions.

Gahflambigraldivcasmmmmmmm...

What?

*breathes deeply* Are you back to normal yet?

I'm afraid not old chap. I've got a bit of a British accent now. Have some tea?

ARGHH!! Wait... TEA?? How did you get tea in here??

I...I'm not actually sure how that happened. *shrugs* I guess it came along with the British accent. Huh. Weird.

Hey, you're back to normal!

Whoop-de-doo, so I am!

Maybe I can FINALLY get this blog post done now.

Ye don't have to wait fer me to get back to normal ye know. The blog post can happen whenever ye want it too. I don't think our followers are THAT desperate to hear from you...no offense.

*face-palm* You're talking in an Irish accent again. And yes, I think they ARE desperate to hear from me. Otherwise they'll think I'm dead...or something else equally bad.

Really?

Yes, really.

Hmm...they didn't strike ME as people who would think you were dead if you failed to post at least once a week. Don't you think you're being a LITTLE overly concerned about this whole blog post thing? Why don't you take a deep breath, relax, and write a chapter in your book instead?

To be honest, I just don't feel like writing in my book right now.

Then...a poem! You could write a poem!

Um, no.

A song? What about a song?

That would require a poem.

Oh. Right. Uh......hmm.

Exactly. This is the reason I thought I would try a blog post.

You are so boring.

Thanks.

That was not meant as a compliment!!

I know. I was being sarcastic.

Why can't you just write whatever happens to be on your mind?

Like this conversation?

Yeah! Why not?

Who would want to read it?

Everyone. I'm hilarious.

You are NOT!

Am too.

Not.

Ok, so if we're posting this, let's not argue the whole time.

Fine. *rolls eyes*

(gleefully) Then you're going to post it??

*sighs* I guess so. Nothing else comes to mind.

I bet they're going to love it!

Yeah, sure.

You'll see.

Or not. Consider all the possibilities.

They will.

Won't.

WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT ARGUING??!?!?

Whoops. Sorry, I forgot.

Quick, click publish before anything else happens!

Is our conversation over?

It would be if you stopped asking questions. Click "publish".

Stop telling me what to do.

Ok, ok. Just push it...whenever you're ready, of course.

Right, right. I'm clicking it. Sheesh.

Top Ten Villains Tag

My beloved oldest sister, Sarah, tagged me. This is the first time I got this particular tag, and after reading her post I couldn't help doing it. It looked (and was) fun...surprisingly, considering what the tag is about.

Villains.

All of the "good" villains are ugly, (the heroes are the handsome ones, right?) wicked, crafty, conniving, and downright mean.

But in their own way, they are works of art. Crafted by their authors to be real people with real reasons behind their wickedness.

Even Satan, the obvious number one villain (whom I won't put in this post as one of my top ten villains because Sarah posted him in her blog post...grr) had his own reasons for getting himself banished from God's presence. He wanted to be like God. And that was his huge mistake. NO ONE could ever be like God. And so he became the worst villain this world has ever, or will ever see. And he is a real thing. He was a beautiful thing. An angel of light. But he wanted more. And so sin entered our world.

But now I'll go onto the real post and give you MY top ten villains and why I chose them as my top ten villains.

 



1. Post the button. (That one just above the rules)
2. Thank the blogger who tagged you. (Already done :)
3. List your top ten favorite villains and why you chose them(they can be from movies or books). (And please feel free to use any of the ones I used)
4. Tag ten other bloggers. (As many or as few as you like)

#1: Judas Iscariot (from the Bible)

He sold his Savior with the kiss of a betrayer. Because of his lust for gold, he led the Roman soldiers to Jesus, who dragged Jesus to Pilot, who sent Jesus to Golgotha...and there He had a painful death in order to save us from our sins.

Since Satan was already used as a number one villain, I chose Judas Iscariot, a greedy betrayer and one of the most famous villains in the Bible as his substitute.

 

#2: Darth Sidious (from Star Wars):

Not only is this guy super creepy, but a very well done villain. He has his reasons for wanting to control the galaxy, and he has his ways to get it done. Power-hungry and revengeful, this Sith Lord is a classic bad guy in black. Also, I might add, he has the hideous looks that many villains have.

 

#3: Soron (from Lord of the Rings):

 

The inventor of The Ring of Power that single handedly destroyed lives all by itself. The master of thousands upon thousands of evil orcs (and a wizard) who loved nothing more than destroying anything beautiful. The not-quite-all-seeing eye that watched the world around him destroyed...at his orders. Yes, Tolkien created an evil in his villain that would frighten book readers and eventually movie watchers for generations.

 

#4: The White Witch (from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe):



 

I know, I'm putting a FEMALE villain in here. *shock* But I have my reasons...hear me out. (And yes, I think her chain-mail dress is cool. Don't judge.) For one thing, C. S. Lewis did a fantastic job creating her character...and making everyone who reads about/watches her loathe her. That shows a villain(ess?) well made. For another thing, she too shows the characteristics of the typical villain: cruelty, cunning, and power-hungry. Hint to you aspiring authors out there: if you want good villains, learn from these ones.

 

#5: Professor Moriarty (from Sherlock Holmes):

I have to admit to never watching the Sherlock Holmes movies. I've only ever read the books...and that was at least a year and a half ago. Which probably means I should read them again. :) But, I still admired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's genius when he made Holmes' nemesis. A brilliant, but ruthless man who could almost always stay equal, if not ahead, of Holmes and his side-kick.

 



#6: The Monster in the Hollows (from Monster in the Hollows):

Ok, so look though I did, I couldn't find any pictures of The Monster in the Hollows. I also purposely didn't name him because to do so would then give a MAJOR plot spoiler to all of you who haven't read the book. So go read it. And then you'll know why I put him up here as one of my top ten villains. ;) 

 

#7: Metalbeak and his Evil Queen (from Guardians of Ga'hoole):

 

 

These two owls made a lasting impression on me...even though I watched the movie at least three years ago, they still give me the shivers. Metalbeak is the power-hungry, greedy villain, and his mate is his beautiful but deadly helper. Together, as a team, these two wicked owls make a formidable foe. And I sure wouldn't want one of them outside my window at night either.

 

#8: Lord Shen (from Kung Fu Panda 2):



 

Who would have thought that a peacock would make a good villain? Well, like owls, peacocks can be made into excellent bad guys. Start with a naturally wicked bend, toss in some disappointment and frustration, add a pinch of fear, then top it all off with a thirst for power and revenge. And there you have a villain, hot off the press, and waiting for action. Most sequels have made me sorely disappointed after watching the first movie...but Kung Fu Panda 2 was a welcome change. Besides, I have a soft spot in my heart for the panda who shares the same personality as me. ;)

 

 

#9: The Six-fingered Count (from Princess Bride):



 

Again, Sarah stole the one I would have used from this movie (Prince Humperdinck) in her post, so I used Count Rugen instead. After thinking about it a little, I realized that really, the count is almost more of a villain than the prince. After all, except at the end, HE'S the one carrying out the torture, and HE was the one that murdered Inigo's father. And he has six fingers and is a coward, which does help his natural villainousness. (I know that's not a word.)

 

#10: Drago (from How to Train Your Dragon 2):



 

This guy is creepy all the way through. Even his dragon is creepy. I mean, seriously, just LOOK at him. And, I might add, he's ugly...just like most villains. Again, Drago, like most villains, is also power-hungry, greedy, and cruel. And, like most villains, he also has his reasons. He is certainly NOT someone I would ever want to come across in a dark alleyway.

 

 

********************************************************************

 

Isn't amazing to look at all these villains, realize how much each of them have in common, and yet each are completely different? This above all things shows what true masters their creators were. And now, it's YOUR turn to try to find and identify your top ten villains! Here's who I tag:

 

>>Lydia S. from C'est La Vie

>>Blessing Counter from Counting Your Blessings One by One

>>Jonathan Trout from Fishing for Ideas

>>Addyson from I Am Addyson

>>Livvie Lisa from Jesus Shine Through My Art

>>Rebekah Ashleigh from Rebekah Ashleigh

>>Rebekah from Rebekah's Reading Room

>>Twenty One Cappuccinos and a Cat from Slightly Deccafinated Ramblings about Stupid People

>>Faith P. from Stories by Firefly!

>>Aiden Bender from The Story Forger

>>Faith from Take Me Deeper

>>Abigayle Ellison from The Left-Handed Typist

>>Sophie Brenton from The Magic in Our Words

>>Jonathan from The Second Brother

>>Sharon Small from The Smallest Small

>>Shai Ireland from Thinking About...

>>Lydia Dyslin from Through the Wardrobe

>>Bethany R. from A Great God and Good Cocoa

>>Margaret Eddy from Preparing for the Ultimate Career

 

Whew! I think that's about all. If you WEREN'T tagged, but still want to do it, go ahead! We live in a free country. ;)

 

 



Shakespearian Pigs?

I know, what sort of a title is that?? Well, when you watch the awesome video below, you'll understand. ;) This treasure was found by my older sister Margaret and when she showed it to me I was like "Oh my goodness! I totally need to post this on my blog!!" and so I did. (Wasn't that sweet of me to think of you?? :P)

Have fun watching!

 



 

See? Now...what did you think?

*Drum Roll* The Liebester Award!

I was tagged for the Liebester Award by Faith P. from Stories by Firefly. The minute I read her post, I was like "Oh, yeah, I'm TOTALLY doing this!!" I mean, who cares how many times the Liebester award makes it around your blogging circle and you end up being tagged again? It's always fun to answer questions.

No, seriously.

I was being serious about that.

Yes, I like answering the questions....

WHY ARE YOU DOUBTING MY WORD?????

Ahem.

 

 

 

Ok. Here's the rules.

 

Link back to the person who tagged you.

Answer their 11 questions.

Tag 11 bloggers.

Ask them 11 questions.

Let them know you've tagged them.

 

Here's her questions she asked me, and my answers:

 

1. What is your personality type? 
ESFP. And proud of it!
Here's a few quotes to prove I'm awesome. ^_^

Yes, I have the same personality as Pippen from "Lord of the Rings". Be jealous. ;)

Except for the fact that he's
warm and cuddly,
we share a lot in common! ^_^

It's true. ;)

My friends know this
part of me only too well.
 

No explanation needed. :P

Yep. *satisfied sigh* There's me in a nut-shell. :)
 

2. What part of writing a blog post takes the longest for you? (Ex. In my case, it takes me longer to find/stick in links and pictures than to actually write the post.) 
Links. Definitely links. And then telling everyone that you tagged them. That takes FOREVER. Ok, not literally...but you get my drift. ;)
 

3. Would you rather smell fresh-cut grass or campfire smoke? 
Can I say both? Oh bother. I'll go with camfire smoke then...that is, until you get smoke in your eyes...which is never fun. Fresh cut grass then? *throws hands up in despair and walks away*

*Comes back with a resigned look on face* Never mind, I have to answer the rest of the questions.
 

4. What's the last song you listened to? (And did you like it?) 
The last song I listened to was the Studio C theme song. And yes, I like it. :) But before that I was listening to movie soundtrack music while writing out Psalms. I can't remember what the name was but I think it was called something like...never mind, it's gone. *shrug*
 

5. What's the last movie you watched? (And did you like it?)
I'm currently watching the audio commentary of "The Lord of the Rings" with my younger brother Max for the first time! Just finished the first two DVDs and looking forward to more!! :)
 

6. What's the last book you finished? (And did you like it?) 
 I just finished reading "Evidence Not Seen", story about a missionary wife in Papua New Guinea right before and during WWII. A fascinating and well written book by the amazing woman who lived through it. I HIGHLY recommend it for everyone!! So yes, I liked it. :)
 

7. Do you have a reading goal for this year? 
Not really. I probably should...but I don't really. I'm kind of trying to read 100 books this year, but who knows if I'll be able to do it or not. You know, graduating and working up a bunch of songs to preform in a senior recital does not help one have enough time to read and write. *sigh* I speak from experience on that one.
 

8. Would you rather use a pen or a pencil? If you chose pen, what color of ink? 
A pencil. Because I'm KNOWN for my terrible spelling and one can't erase pen. But I like using gel pens for letters. Those of you who are pen pals know that. B-)
 

9. What's your favorite historical time period? 
Probably Medieval...although I find a lot of different time periods amazing to read about.
 

10. Describe yourself in one sentence. (It's almost a question.) 
I'm a random, cheerful extrovert who loves her family and her Savior with all her heart, soul and mind...oh, and her books. ^_^
 

11. Do you enjoy tags? (Or are you only filling this out because you feel obligated? B-)) 
I LOVE TAGS!!! Yes, I really do! It's fun to answer all the questions...truly!

Now, after searching my blogs I follow, I scrounged up some people to tag that haven't already been tagged by certain *cough, cough* guilty parties. *pointed stare* Annnnnd here they are:

 

>>Sharon Small from The Smallest Small

>>Sarah and Margaret Eddy (yes, they're sisters) from Preparing for the Ultimate Career
>>Jonathan from The Second Brother
>>Addyson from I Am Addyson
>>Twenty Cappacionos and a Cat from Slightly Decafinated Ramblings about Stupid People (his blog is better than it sounds...trust me on that one. :)
>>Aiden Bender from The Story Forger

>>Livvie Lisa from Jesus Shine through My Art
>>Indie Raine from A Million Little Blessings
>>Sophie Brenton from The Magic In Our Words
>>Shai Ireland from Thinking About...
>>Lydia Dyslin from Through the Wardrobe
 

And here are the questions they have to answer: (Mwhahahaha... }:)

1: What inspires you most in your writing and/or blogging?
2: What's your biggest pet peeve?
3: Who has had the biggest impact on your life?
4: What's the earliest memory you have?
5: Unicorns or Pegasi?
6: Hamburgers or hot dogs?
7: Do you think eagles, falcons, or hawks are more cool?
8: Scotland or Ireland?
9: Dragons or griffins?
10: Sushi or oatmeal?
11: Are you a Morning Bird or a Night Owl?

Ok, so there you have it. Hope you enjoyed reading my answers...check out the other blogs I tagged to read their honest answers to my completely random questions. :P
(Sorry all you who were tagged by me...I have trouble coming up with good questions on the spot like that...forgive my randomness. If you can.)

Pet Peeve Post

Awesome alliteration, no? That like never happens to me, so I'm going to enjoy the moment...

Ok, moment over. Now onto the reason I wrote this post.

A random thought surfaced in my mind a couple days ago and I decided to put it into action. A rare occurrence indeed since I usually forget my random thoughts a few moments after I have them. And it's a good thing for you that they do! Believe me on that one...
However, this one was so fun, I didn't forget it. I made it into a blog post instead for your enjoyment (hopefully).

I'm going to give you some of my pet peeves. And then you're going to tell me how much you agree with me. Got it?? ;)

Here they are...in no particular order except that this was how they came into my mind and therefore how I wrote them down:

1. Stereo-types. Or, more specifically, people who put other people in stereotypical boxes. God created each of us differently. Each is unique in his/her own way. Even people with the EXACT same personality still don't have everything in common. Trust me on that one. I speak from experience. :)
Like big family stereo-types. As one example.
As another example, you know those people who think PKs should be perfect? Newflash!:  We're not. I will say no more.

 

Legolas from "Lord of the Rings"

2. Characters in movies that never run out of arrows or bullets. This elf had about ten arrows when he began this war...I'm being generous there...and by the end he's killed almost fifty orcs? With more arrows left in his quiver??
Then there's those cowboys with magical guns that never run out of bullets. He's shot twenty-three bullets now...I've been counting...and he's still going strong. Will he EVER run out??
Yeah, there's a reason I prefer swordfights. But even then...

Scene from Disney's "Robin Hood"

3. Sword fights where practically everything is broken...or turned over if it can't get broken. Seriously, it's like they're TRYING to break/cut/knock over all the things in the room they're fighting. There goes the candle...and the table gets knocked over...saw that one coming. Ah, yes...of course. All three vases and the two lamps go crashing to the floor. *rolls eyes*

4. Love triangles. WHY DO AUTHORS HAVE TO SPOIL PERFECTLY GOOD PLOTS WITH LOVE TRIANGLES????? I tell you what...my books are never going to have love triangles in them!!

5. Perfect characters. *cough, cough* theElsieDinsmoorseries *cough, cough* When someone's worst sin is not going to church ONE Sunday...and only because they were being forced against their will to not go...they should not be written about. My personal opinion is that characters should be written about so that we, meaning the readers, can learn from their mistakes. We can't if they don't make any. Character's should be a good representation of real people. And ALL people make mistakes. But they can also learn and apply.

6. When Bible verses are taken out of context. This irritates me to no end. And I'm usually a pretty easy-going person. But when people take God's word out of context and try to make it mean something other than what it was meant to mean...that gets me mad. I could go on and on about this, but I will refrain myself. ;)

7. "White lies". People, there is NO such thing as a "white lie". All lies are bad. There are times, I believe, when being too straight-forward and blunt is not advisable to say the least. The truth should be spoken in love.

8. Women super heroes. Be honest, there are NO good women super heroes. They just can't hold a candle to the guy super heroes. Sorry ladies, but it's true. Besides which, they're usually immodest. Another pet peeve of mine that will not be mentioned in this post because I could go on and on about it...like forever. Women super heroes were really only created to appease feminists. Which brings me to my next pet peeve...

9. Feminists. Yes, I believe women should be feminine...don't get me wrong. Women should act, dress, and look like the ladies God created them to be...which is partially why feminists make no sense to me.
They get jobs instead of staying home with their kids (if they even have any), they push their agenda by forcing movies to make characters for women villains, women super heroes, single moms, women spies, and women soldiers...and then on top of all that, they claim the right to kill their own babies. Why?
Well, the only answer I could come up with was that we live in a fallen world and that people are sinners by nature. That's the sad fact.

I just realized I put feminists into a stereo-typical box. *groans and does a face-palm*
Ok, so there are probably some feminists out there that are great people. Maybe even some Christian ones...though that sounds like an oxymoron.
Ahem.

10. Auto-correct. So sometimes this function is actually helpful. But other times...grrr. Either it fixes words you don't want fixed, or it doesn't fix words you DO want fixed! (Like 'fir' instead of 'for' and 'us' instead of 'is'.)
I'm sure EVERYONE has dealt with this one at some point during their blogging. Especially those of you who post or comment on other's posts with wireless electronic devices. You know who you are... B-)

This is my opinion on all of the above subjects. ;)
Explanation: This picture was taken while dissecting a frog for Biology. My brother, ever the selfie expert, took the picture. (Actually, he doesn't really take selfies. I was joking about that.)

What did you think?
Should I do another Pet Peeve Post?
(I've got LOT'S more pet peeves up my sleeves...hey look, that even kind of rhymed!)
Do you want to make your own Pet Peeve Post? (You know you do...) If you do I'll pay your post a visit and comment. That's a promise!
Which pet peeve(s) do you share in common with me?

Fan Fiction: Part Seven

This is the last part. See? The torture is over. At least, it will be once this part is done. }:) Read on and enjoy as best as you can. ;)

PART SEVEN: SUNDAY IN WHICH MY GUARDIAN GOES TO CHURCH AND THEN RETURNS TO THE FOURTH DIMENSION

 

            I reluctantly got up early on Sunday morning, knowing that there would be little enough time to have breakfast and make myself presentable without having a late start by sleeping in. Once my usual preparations were finished, I walked out with coffee to see how the Mornelly’s were doing.

            I found Bran looking dashing as usual in a suit and a tie trying to get Ciarán and Damhán to dress nicer than they were. Ciarán, in a black hoodie and black jeans was refusing to cooperate, as was Damhán in a tee shirt and blue jeans.

            “I want us to make a good impression in Rebekah’s church, but the way you are both dressed will only bring disgrace on our family name!” Bran was saying with arms crossed, his back to the door.

            “We’re just fine dressed the way we are!” Damhán shot back. “I don’t think the church will care how we’re dressed…and even if they do, I don’t care!”

            “Worry all you want Bran,” Ciarán said sulkily, “I’m not changing.”

            My presence went unnoticed to all but Breandan who walked over and relieved me of some of the coffee mugs. He rolled his eyes at his brothers’ behavior. “They’re hopeless.”

            “How long has this been going on?” I asked curiously.        

            “I gave up trying to stop them about five minutes ago.”

            “Where’s Aichear?” My next question came after a quick survey of the room revealed the absence of the oldest Mornelly.

            “Taking a shower currently. He’s trying his best to be ready to go to church. If he had been here, all this,” my guardian gestured towards the arguing brothers, “would have stopped long ago. Aichear is the only one who can make Damhán and Ciarán stop when it gets this bad.”

            “When will he be done?”

            “Any minute…I hope.”

            “Do you think I could try my hand at stopping them?”

            “I wouldn’t…you’d just get sucked into the argument right along with them then you’d get in trouble with Aichear. That’s why I gave up. I don’t want Aichear’s anger directed in my direction.”

            “What’s he like when he’s angry?” I asked, my curiosity coming to the surface again.

            Breandan shuddered. “Awful.”

            “Like how? Does he yell or something?” I was hard for me to imagine Aichear yelling…the picture was almost amusing.

            “Worse,” my guardian answered soberly. “He doesn’t say anything. He just looks at you.” Breandan closed his eyes as if remembering a time when he had received the worst end of his oldest brother’s wrath. “His look alone is enough to freeze molten lava. Believe me, you don’t want him mad at you. EVER.”

            I raised an eyebrow. “Well, thanks for the advice. I think I’ll wait here with you.” I paused and heard the shower door close from inside the bathroom. “Where’s Aileen?”

            “I sent her inside shortly before you came out to get some breakfast because I thought it best to keep her away from their fight.”

            “Good plan.”

            Another minute or so and Aichear came through the door. He seemed to take in the entire scene with a glance. The arguing brothers were soon speechless as Aichear’s bespectacled gaze silently smoldered over them. I saw a small shudder pass through each boy and then they gave stammered apologies to the other two. Satisfied, Aichear turned away from them and began calmly brushing his hair. The fire died from his eyes and he even sent a small smile, if a twitch in the corner of the mouth could possibly be called a smile, in my direction.

            “Good morning Rebekah,” he said finally. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

            I shrugged. “It happens frequently in our own house Aichear, arguing siblings is part of life.”

            “Still,” the oldest Mornelly continued, “they should have known better.”

            I couldn’t argue with that.

            “Where’s Aileen, Breandan?” Aichear asked.

            “I sent her in to eat breakfast,” Breandan replied.

            “Thank you, that was a wise decision. It is what I would have done in your place.”

            That was high praise coming from Aichear. I raised an eyebrow and Breandan looked very pleased.

            “When does your church service start?” Bran asked; it appeared that he had recovered from his disagreement quickly.

            “We should get there in about twenty minutes. Is that enough time?”

            “It should be.”

            “Then I’ll leave you to your preparations and head in to eat my own breakfast.”

            “We’ll come in as soon as we’re ready,” Aichear said with a meaningful glance in the younger two boys’ direction.

*◊*

                “Thank you choir.” My dad stood at the pulpit and smiled out at his congregation after the choir sang their first song to signal the beginning of our service. “What a great way to start out our worship on this beautiful Sunday morning! I’d like to welcome you all and thank you for joining us in praising our Savior. Let’s pray now and dedicate this time spent here to Him.”

            While Dad prayed, I tried to ignore the weird feeling that there were strangers sitting in our family’s row and forget the odd looks I got from different people as they watched the Mornelly’s follow me, right to the front of course, where we always sat.

            I skipped doing choir this morning so I could help the Mornelly’s feel more at home before the service started, but I felt a little guilty after our choir director shot me some quizzical looks. However, I forgot my guilt as soon as our song leader began the first hymn.

            The service passed quickly, and I enjoyed seeing the Mornelly’s enjoy it. I noticed Aileen, Breandan, and Damhán sang their happily even though they were a little off-key, Aichear mouthed the words without singing at all, Bran was too busy looking handsome to sing, and Ciarán sang very quietly, without moving his mouth hardly at all. I was surprised to find that Ciarán was actually the best singer of them all, though I could only hear him because he happened to be sitting next to me.

            Aichear sat on the farthest seat, nearest the aisle, and Aileen sat sandwiched next to him with Bran on the other side of her. Damhán sat next to Bran and on the other side was Ciarán. I sat next to Ciarán with the dim hope that maybe I could keep them from arguing during the sermon. Breandan sat on the other side of me and on the far side of him sat my younger brothers followed by the rest of our family.

            All the Mornelly’s seemed to appreciate the sermon and got a lot of Dad’s jokes he threw into his sermon every-once-in-a-while. It was a little hard to tell that Damhán was paying attention because he was busy drawing gory pictures on the back of the sermon notes and showing them to Ciarán with a smirk, but even he laughed when a joke was made so I had to assume that he actually was hearing what Dad was saying. Pretty soon a whole conversation was going on in pencil on a bulletin.

Quit drawing and pay attention. (Bran started by passing this note to Damhán)

Bran! Passing notes are we? For shame! (This “shocked” reply came with a smirk from Damhán)

You’re still not paying attention…Aichear is not going to be happy if I…

(Here the note was snatched from Bran by Damhán who had been reading over his shoulder and crumpled into a ball before being shoved down his pocket…a new note was started)

Ha! Now he’ll never know! (This was Damhán)

I know all. (These three words were placed in Damhán’s lap by Aichear who had apparently been reading everything from his spot on the other side of Aileen)

You’ve got good eyesight for someone who wears glasses. (I think Damhán was lucky we sat in front, otherwise I think he would have gotten flattened at this moment. Even so, his face went about two shades lighter pink when Aichear caught his eye and he quickly scribbled down an apology) Just kidding… (Yeah, that’s his way of apologizing. One can get used to it. ;)

No more notes. (This order came from Aichear)

May I ask why Your Highness? (Damhán was pushing it here. I was a little scared for him actually. If Aichear could have looked real-life daggers, his youngest brother would be dead.)

(Here Damhán lost his pencil and every sheet of paper within reach. He sulked for the remainder of the sermon.)

            Yeah, life with the Mornelly’s never has a dull moment. Once the service ended with a prayer and final hymn, Bran and Damhán made a bee-line to the cookies; Bran because he was starving, Damhán because I’m assuming he was afraid that Aichear’s wrath would fall on him as soon as the final “amen” left the lips of the song leader.

            The rest followed at a more leisurely pace and I introduced the Mornelly’s to as many of my friends and acquaintances as possible. Damhán made several friends right off, and even Ciarán found some friends who were as reclusive as himself. Bran hit it off with a couple guys and Aichear found some knowledgeable persons to talk with. Aileen had no end of girls around her age to hang out with. Breandan and I soon found ourselves in a mixed group; talking and laughing with several friends of mine who soon became friends with all the Mornelly’s too.

            All too soon it was time to go home. I sadly bid my friends goodbye. Even sadder were the goodbye’s of the Mornelly’s. They knew that no sooner would they leave then most of their friends would forget all about them.

            Lunch came and went and I had Breandan follow me around with a camera to take graduation pictures. Most of them turned out, despite the fact that neither him nor I were professional photographers.

            “How did you keep a straight face with Damhán making all those horrible faces behind me?” my guardian asked in astonishment as the pictures came up on the computer screen for me to check and possibly edit.

            I grinned. “Oh it wasn’t too hard. You know, I do have siblings. Nine of them in fact. If I couldn’t keep a straight face every time one of them made a face at me, I’d never stop grimacing.”

            Suddenly Aichear ran into the house. It was so odd to see him anything but calm, cool, and collected that I immediately knew what was wrong. Breandan and I both jumped to our feet, pictures forgotten.

            “What happened? Is someone hurt? What’s going on?” All three questions were fired at the oldest Mornelly by my guardian and I as he fought to catch his breath.

            “It’s starting!” Aichear gasped out, holding his stomach and straitening his glasses automatically.

            “What’s starting?” I blurted before seeing the look of understanding dawn on Breandan’s face.

            “We’re going to be leaving soon,” my guardian answered in surprising calm.

            I began to frown, then realized with a jolt what they were talking about. “You’re returning to the fourth dimension?”

            Aichear and Breandan both nodded. A wave of sadness came over me. “I’m going to miss you all,” I said simply. My eyes widened. “I need to say goodbye to the rest of the family!” I yelled.

            Aichear nodded shortly. “They’re all outside, waiting for you. The first symptoms came rather unexpectedly.”

            “I noticed,” I answered wryly, somehow managing to keep my wits about me even with everything happening around me. I followed the two brothers outside and found the rest of them standing hopefully in the sunshine. “How much longer do you have?” I asked Aichear quietly.

            “Five minutes at best,” he answered. “Better make it quick.”

            I wrapped Aichear in a hug suddenly, before he had time to react. A startled look came into his eyes, but it was quickly followed by one of his small smiles, so I knew I wasn’t in trouble. “I’m a little jealous of Aileen…you’re a pretty awesome older brother to have around.”

            “Thank you,” he said quietly.

            Aileen came up to me suddenly and wrapped her arms around my waist. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m going to miss you so much!” she wailed. “I wish we never had to leave!”

            “I’ll miss you too,” I assured the weeping girl. “You’ll always be an honorary little sister to me.”

            Damhán gave me an embarrassed side hug and wiped his eyes muttering something about his allergies, but he quickly returned to his old self when I socked him in the shoulder playfully. “Hey!” he exclaimed rubbing his arm. “Watch it! This is my sword fighting arm!”

            “Sorry,” I said, my grin belying my half-hearted apology. “I’ll miss you too,” I added laughingly.

            Bran came up and gave me a hug too. “I hope we can come back here soon.” He cocked his head at me. “You know, you’re not a bad cook really. Breandan’s good, but you almost have him beat.”

            “Thanks,” I grinned. “You’d better all be for my graduation. I’m counting on it.”

            Before Ciarán knew what was happening, I gave him a hug too. “Whoa!” he shouted in surprise. Jumping backwards out of hugging range, he tripped and landed in the dirt. He glowered up at me. “Look what you did to my brand new black pants!”

            I hugged him again, just for good measure…even though hugging Ciarán was like hugging a tree dressed in black.

            At last it was time to say goodbye to my guardian. I knew I couldn’t put it off forever, or the goodbye would never happen…I hated to say it, but wanted to say it at the same time.

            “Well,” I looked up at him after a hug. “You know…”

            “You’ll be seeing us again,” Breandan said. The ever hopeful, the ever optimistic.

            “When though?” I demanded even as he started to fade from my sight.

            “We’ll be at your graduation.” His voice sounded like he was speaking through a tube of metal. “That’s a promise.”

            “I’m going to miss you most of all,” I said finally, sadly watching his features fade into the background.

            “Hey, not cool! What about us!” I heard Damhán’s voice as if from far away.

            I saw a faint grin on my guardian’s face. “I’ll be here. Whenever you need me, I’ll be here.” And then he was gone.

            For a moment I stood in stunned silence, staring at the wall where Breandan had stood five minutes ago. Snapping out of my trance, I took a shaky breath and willed the tears not to fall. There was no doubt about it. I missed them. Already.

            But I had my guardian’s promise. A promise I knew he would keep. I straightened my shoulders with a confident smile. They would be back.

            *◊*

            After finishing my school for the day, I left the house to walk around outside. My mind wandered back to the week I had spent with the Mornelly’s. I hadn’t forgotten, though my family had. Now I was writing it down to share with them. They would see it only as another of my stories. A funny one, maybe a thought provoking one, but only a story nonetheless.

            “Oh well,” I sighed to myself and continued typing.

            Suddenly, from behind me, I heard a chuckle. I spun around and saw the vague outline of a familiar figure. “Breandan??” I squealed, nearly knocking him over with my hug.

            “Yes, it’s me. You’re writing about our visit huh?”

            “Yeah! Are you all back in the third dimension then? Is that why I can see you?”

            “Actually,” my guardian had a hint of surprise in his voice. “I’ve been here ever since our visit. You just didn’t see me.”

            A puzzled frown sat between my eyebrows. “How come I can see you now?” I asked.

            “I…don’t know,” he answered slowly.

            “Can I See now?”

            “I guess so!”

            “But how?”

            My guardian paused for a moment…unsure what to say. “I think,” he began finally, “I think because you believe we exist.”

            “Didn’t I before?” I demanded hotly.

            “Apparently not enough. But since you’ve written about us, told the story of our visit from your perspective, you finally have showed that you believe enough.”

            “So…” I tried to wrap my mind around what he had said. “Because I wrote about you I can See?”

            “That’s the basic idea of the complicated reality, yes.” My guardian’s eyes were twinkling.

            I grinned. “Well, since you’re here, I have something I want you to help me with…”

 

 

                    The End

 You lived through a seven-part fan fiction story. Congratulations! I'd like to shake your hand!
Was it really that bad? Be honest, WAS it?

Which Mornelly sibling was YOUR favorite?
Which part was your favorite?
Have you ever written fan fiction?
If so, who's characters/story was it based off of?
Did you ever secretly think YOU'RE fan fiction was better than their original story? (Mine has never been better than the original. It's hard to get it even good enough to be considered good fan fiction!)
I look forward to hearing what you think! :)