Excuses, Updates, and a Pretty Big Announcement

GUYS I HAVE NOT DIED. Left you hanging two months ago with no further word from me for all this time, yes...died, no. Life in general forced me to put my blogging on the back burner for a couple months, much as I disliked doing so. However, I'll hopefully be posting on here more regularly after this surprise hiatus. Did y'all miss me? ;) (Only answer if you did. Otherwise just ignore that question and let me enjoy my innocence.)

Want to know WHY I've been strangely absent the last couple months? By all means, read on. :)



~ Life ~

Basically, the craziness all started the two weeks before Easter. I place full blame of my hectic life during the last two months at that holiday's feet. What with cantata practice, church decorating (and un-decorating), Easter itself, and that holiday being shortly followed by our church's mission's conference, our family was kept on our toes. Throw in some babysitting, housecleaning, college, and housesitting and you might get a little picture of my life during that time.

We had a brief week of rest (where, coincidentally, ALL my writing for Camp NaNo took place...in other words, I did not get to my writing goal for that month) before Margaret and I headed out to Georgia to visit our older sister Sarah and her husband Jesse. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably got pictures and updates at least during that time. For those of you who didn't, here's a brief run-down of the week we spent there:

Day One: ALL THE TRAVELLING (added Colorado and Georgia to my very short list of states I've gone to in my lifetime)

Day Two: Visited some outlet stores and bought some clothes that were more suited to the hotter, more humid weather, and caught up on sleep (that blessed thing we were very short on for most of our trip). Also, went to a jazz concert put on for free by a local college.

Day Three: We went to a cool park that had all sorts of animals in cages along the path like cougars, bald eagles, gophers, and my personal favorite, the lake with turtles in it. We also went to the biggest Western store in the South (sounds contradictory when I say it like that) and had a hilarious time trying on all sorts of hats and boots. The day finished with my first visit to Sarah and Jesse's church where I got to meet the pastor and his lovely wife.

Day Four: We drove to a fair and stood in line to get into the biggest book sale I have ever gone to. I bought a grand total of 27 books for only $34.25! Needless to say, this was probably my favorite day of our stay there. We also toured a historic house and I tried fried pickles for the first time. (They were weird, but not necessarily bad tasting??) That night we went to another free college concert, this one a flute choir, which was super cool to watch.

Day Five: We hiked stone mountain, and walked half-way around it to see the engraving of the three most famous confederate figures (Lee, Jackson, and Davis) in the mountain's side. We walked a total of 6.3 miles that day...and promptly wasted all our efforts by eating dinner at Chick-fil-a (my first time though...so TOTALLY WORTH IT). Fun story, I almost lost my phone there, which gave me a minor heart-attack...but we recovered it after I figured out it was missing half-an-hour down the highway and drove back to the restaurant to collect it.

Day Six: We went to Zoo Atlanta. Highlights of that trip: coming within two feet of a very hungry looking lion and tiger, and seeing live pandas for the first time EVER. After the zoo, we walked around Atlanta for a little bit and bought raspberry geranium popsicles at a snooty "organic" store. They taste better than they sound, believe me.

Day Seven: We went to Sarah and Jesse's church again and got to see what church feels like for normal people. (a.k.a NOT pastor's kids) It was weird. Interesting, but weird. The people there were really sweet and made us feel very welcome, and the pastor was even preaching from the same book Dad does on Sunday morning!

That afternoon while Jesse barbecued some ribs for a very tasty Sunday dinner, us girls cooled off in the pool, pretending we actually knew how to swim. It was very entertaining. :P

Day Eight: For the last day we had to spend together, we drove to some more outlet stores and enjoyed just looking around at the fancy clothes and accessories. We got some coffee at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore and chilled (as much as we could in the heat of the day). That evening when Jesse came home from work we walked around a college campus that had beautiful grounds and enjoyed dodging bugs and talking.

Day Nine: We flew home. Georgia was lovely for the time we got to spend with Sarah and Jesse, as well as the many new experiences I had...but I was awfully glad to get home. I love my state. I love my friends and family I have here. And I wouldn't trade this life for anything else you might offer me. :)

After getting home, I've spent the rest of the time getting back on Washington time, unpacking and handing out souvenirs, and catching up on everything I had to catch up on.

  



~ Writing ~

The last couple months, as I have just finished explaining, have not been the best for getting any writing done. However, I did do some writing, and I have hopes of getting more done as time goes on. For Camp NaNo, I got a grand total of 5,045 words written. All of that in one week of April between our mission's conference and our trip to Georgia. *face palm*

I started a new book (I know, I know, groan with me) called "The Assassin's Child" and I hope to have it end around 30k words long.

Good news, I got over the writing block that was keeping me from continuing writing in "A New Name" and I'm hoping to have at least another 20k written in it by the end of this month. Wish me luck!

With the impending release of my poetry collection, I put most of my time into polishing that, which included writing a six-page introduction. More on that project later, I promise. 



~ Social Media ~

I currently have been more active on my Instagram than here, and for that, I apologize. It's just so much easier to post a picture and a couple quick sentences during the midst of a crazy busy day, or like a post while scrolling through a feed rather than read an entire blog post and leave a creative comment at the end.

However, I know how much it means to me when someone takes the time to wade through my posts and leave a comment, so I'm going to try very hard to do better at this. If I have to set aside a scheduled time in my day to read blog posts and comment...SO BE IT.

That said, please don't feel left out if I somehow miss your posts in my feed or run out of time to read yours in particular. I only wish there were enough hours in the day to allow for that to never happen, but I'm afraid it's inevitable. I love all the blogs I follow (which is why I follow them :) and just because I'm unable to comment on yours, that doesn't mean I don't care. Quite the contrary, I assure you. <3

~ Music ~

Living Hope (Phil Wickham)

The Power of a Prayer (Matthew West)

Evermore (Josh Groban)

~ Announcement Section ~

Ok, first thing I'm kind of freaking out excited about is the fact that my first poetry collection EVER is releasing THIS UPCOMING SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! Like, WHAAAAAAAAAAT?? Feel free to freak out with me...it'll make me feel better. (maybe)

Yeah, you read that right: "Thoughts in Verse" is releasing in SIX DAYS. Due to the style I'm publishing it in, my book will only be available on Lulu, so any help you can give in spreading the word would be GREATLY appreciated. In fact, if you're interested in publishing the announcement on Sunday anywhere, just drop a comment below or contact me via email if you're willing to commit to sharing about the publication. If you can and do, I will send you these:

1: a "The Princess and I" bookmark (signed if you want)

2: one of the poems in my collection of your choice (I'll send you the list to pick from)

3: a note with me gushing about how nice of you it was to help a poor author out

Sound interesting? Cool. I'll hear from you soon. ;)

Second thing I need to announce...

Turns out I totally missed the first birthday for "The Princess and I"! Which is very sad, because I wanted to have a huge giveaway to celebrate my baby's first year of being published. So, instead of celebrating on the release date, I'm going to celebrate when my blog turns 5 (in a couple weeks) and we'll host a huge party for the both of them on the same day. Sound good? Think, LOTS of books being given away as well as a bunch of extra goodies, questions about the book being answered and even a sneak peek into "The Princess and I"s sequel "The King's Cousin". The best part? I'm going to allow you guys to ask me ANYTHING you want in the comments, and I will write them all down, put them in a hat, and video myself answering them.

To end a VERY long blog post before you are bored out of your mind, here's the ending period.

Well, almost. ;)

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

Three French Hens (Day 3 of the 12DoC link-up): Favorite Christmas Songs and Why I Love Them

Back again with this fabulous link-up on this, the third day of Christmas. ;)
Today, I'm going to sharing some of my favorite Christmas songs with you and why they made it onto this list. Ready? Good. B-)

~ Leaving Heaven ~

(by Matthew West)

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG. It was hard to pick from all of them, but this came out as my absolute favorite. I love this song for the lyrics, the music, and the message. You'll probably be hearing this a lot because this is the main reason I love songs generally, and those three things are the filter every song goes through before making it onto my favorite list. I'm including the music with every title, so you can listen to them too and hyperventilate about them afterward with me so I'm not alone. :)

~ Once a Year ~ 

(ft. Andrew Peterson)

Music: 4 out of 5 stars

The tune is pretty catchy, and it's original, but it CAN get annoying if you listen to it too many times in a row. I know exactly how many times I can have it repeat without getting annoyed. That's how often I listen to it. ;)

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

The words are well written and put the message clearly. Also, fairly easy to memorize so I'm not stuck singing one phrase over and over again, which is a definite plus.

Message: 5 out of 5 stars

One word: convicting.

~ Easier: The Song of the Wiseman ~ 

(by Jason Gray)

Music: 4 out of 5 stars

Again, I love the music mostly, but I think it could be better. Not by much, but it could be. (Refrains from saying that phrase in Matt Meese's voice. XD)

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

I love how Jason Gray writes his music. It never fails to be thought-provoking and deep, yet simple enough for a child to understand. And this song was no different. :) And to use the Wiseman's perspective in a Christmas song is an uncommon way to make his point, but a brilliant way.

Message: 5 out of 5 stars

I think the message of this song is something we all need to hear, and it really speaks to me every time I listen to this song. Without fail.



~ I Saw Three Ships ~

(by The Piano Guys)

Music: 5 out of 5 stars

Can we just all agree that a piano controlling Christmas lights is EPIC?? I mean, come on, guys! I would never call this song a favorite, but seeing this video of The Piano Guys preforming it blew me away and now I can't get enough of it. :) Anyone else with me on this?

Lyrics: (N/A)

Message (N/A)

~ How Many Kings ~

(by Downhere)

Music: 5 out of 5 stars

I just love this song. Probably the closest to taking first place alongside "Leaving Heaven", but lost by a hair. The music is beautiful, and the melody is so beautiful I don't think one could ever tire of listening to it. (I mean, I guess with God all things are possible, but I haven't found a way yet to find this song annoying AT ALL.)

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

The words are drop dead gorgeous. I just love them so much. Not only is it easy to learn and memorize so you can sing it at the top of your lungs in the shower and while decorating your house for Christmas, but also they are meaningful and well written.

Message: 5 out of 5 stars

With Christmas being turned into a holiday that focuses on ME and what I GET, this message is such a good reminder on what this season is REALLY about.

~ 12 Days of Christmas ~

(by Straight No Chaser)

Music: 5 out of 5 stars

I have a special place in my heart for this song, because not only does it go really well with the whole theme of this link-up, but it has been one of my personal favorite parody's of all time. The way this group of guys incorporates so many awesome Christmas songs into one never ceases to astound.

Lyrics: 4 out of 5 stars

Take a moment to appreciate the genius that went into incorporating this song into 12,345 tunes, ok?

Message: 0 out of 5 stars

Well, let's face it...there really isn't a message in this song. HOWEVER everything else that it had going for it was enough to help this song make it into my favorite's list.



~ While You Were Sleeping ~

(by Casting Crowns)

Music: 4 out of 5 stars

I love the tune that this song has, and I've been learning the piano part ever since purchasing their music this last month, so the fact that I want to spend some of my hard earned money on the sheet music tells you something about how much I love it. :) I appreciate the fact that the piano part is easy enough that even I (as a very poor piano player tbh) can put some effort in and learn it.

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

"As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children..."

^^ Those were just two of the powerful lines that this song has. I love the entire song, but I think the lyrics are the best part if I had to choose one, and are the main reason the message got such a shiny review.

Message: 5 out of 5 stars

This song is a wake up call to America, and its a message we REALLY need at any time of the year.

~ O Holy Night / Ave Maria ~

(by The Piano Guys) 

Music: 3 out of 5 stars

I wasn't completely thrilled with the whole sound of this song, but I loved how they incorporated the melody of Ave Maria with the words of O Holy Night. Both beautiful songs that become even more so when entwined together in this magical medley.

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

I almost like the way these lyrics are written better than the original, and the way they are worked into Ave Maria is gorgeous.

Message: 4 out of 5 stars

You really cant go wrong with the words of a timeless hymn, right? Even though O Holy Night isn't necessarily my favorite of the "original" Christmas hymn cannon, I still love the way the message still gets across in this stunning performance.  

~ Joseph's Lullaby ~

(by MercyMe)

Music: 4 out of 5 stars
This song definitely has the lullaby feel to it with the simple, yet beautiful melody and the over arching themes of wonderment, peace, and prayerfulness.

Lyrics: 4 out of 5 stars
As a writer, I appreciate songs and poems from an unexpected point of view, and this song caught my interest first because of just that. After I listened to it more though, I fell in love with the way it portrayed Joseph as a caring father who wants his son to have a peaceful night of sleep, despite being the Savior of our world and all the cares of that responsibility on his shoulders.

Message: 4 out of 5 stars
Really, this song has a sweet message. An earthly father of a heavenly Son who cares about Him and wants Him to have a semi-normal life even though he knows Jesus isn't exactly a normal child. I just love how down-to-earth and caring Joseph is portrayed because it was his character to be caring of the people he was close to, as shown when Mary was pregnant with Jesus and Joseph knew it wasn't his son. 

~ Somewhere In Your Silent Night ~

(by Casting Crowns)

 

Music: 4 out of 5 stars

Maybe not the greatest tune ever written, but I still love it. Though a tad repetitive, it has the potential of becoming a well recognized Christmas tune, and honestly, its not that bad.

Lyrics: 5 out of 5 stars

These words...just <3. I love them so much. Not only are they super relatable sometimes, but also they are levels deep. Not surprising when coming from Casting Crowns, since they're known for their amazing lyrics, and that's partially why two of their Christmas songs made it into my favorite's list.

Message: 5 out of 5 stars
God came down to earth as a man and He knew our pain. Such a comforting thought. Whenever we feel like the world is against us, or feel broken beyond compare, there's that knowledge that God knows. He is there for us. With us. Emmanuel. The biggest Christmas miracle of all times.

Trust me when I say I could have picked a TON more, but these will be all for now since y'all probably don't have hours of time to listen to all my favorite songs. ;)

If you really want to see more favorite's of mine, you can find and follow my Awesome Advent list on Spotify (my username is rebafour). ;)

Welp, that's all for now folks. Be sure to check out all the other blog posts going up across the blogosphere, and enjoy this, the third day of Christmas! :)

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

Vacation, Graduation, and Lessons in Adulting

 

WHY? My favorite season is almost over! Sunshine, flip-flops, vacations, extra time with friends...its all coming to an end in one short month. *distant sobbing* I don't even feel like giving you a decent introduction to this post so HERE have the title picture instead and just keep reading while I go off into a corner and mourn the thought that summer is leaving us soon.

Life:
Oh, where to start. Well, first of all, I was so busy that I never got around to the June monthly recap, so I'm doing a double header today. That in itself tells you all a little about how my life has been. I guess we'll start with June. Ready?
June:

So proud of this dude! :D

Da 456 Gang rides again! ;P

That month started off with my younger brother graduating from high school along with two of his friends. Boy, nothing makes you feel old like having a younger sibling achieve a milestone like that!

 

The very next week our family loaded ourselves into our big white van and headed down to Eastern Washington for our church's summer family camp.



Have I mentioned how GOOD Columbia River Guest Ranch food is?

Our family preformed the play "The Ugly Ducking" by A. A. Milne. If you haven't heard of or read that play...go. and. read. it. NOW.

Scattergories. Poor Grace. XD

Paddle boating, being dumped into the Columbia river WITHOUT any say in the matter by two friends, riding down a slide made out of bumpy black tubing, hide and seek tag in the dark, volleyball, ping pong, swimming, running around buildings and throwing balls over the top, Scattergories and Apples to Apples late into the night, fresh early mornings to read our Bible and escape the heat of the day, foosball, pool...I could go on for a lot longer. But, to keep this post within reason, let me just sum it up: it was SO MUCH FUN. And, I didn't get burnt to a crisp OR eaten alive by the bountiful amount of mosquitos, which means it was a success. ;)

 

The hat store...always a fun photo opp. :D

I think some of us may have had too much sugar. *cough*

On the way back, we stopped at Leavenworth (along with two other families that we're really close too) and went around that town shopping and eating ice cream. Two of my favorite things to do! XD

 

Some of the families from church, including us, also went down and spent the day at Enchanted Village/Wild Waves. Basically the only amusement park we have in Washington. ;) That was a ton of fun. For the first time in my life, I actually did some of the water slides they had there. THAT was...quite the experience. :P

Our weekly summer activities started off with our Field & Fellowship and Volleyball & S'mores happening every Tuesday morning and Sunday night after the evening service respectively.

These two cuties are my job.
If I had a dream job, this would be it! :D

I started doing my new nanny/babysitter job with the two little girls on a regular, weekly basis. This oppretunity has been gallons of fun and excitement since I've also been keeping an eye on the family's three dogs and two horses. Let's just say I'm kept on my toes. ;P

My Eddy grandparents celebrated their 50th anniversary! So privileged to have these two as an example. :)

This is before we painted and pulled carpet.

This is after. (The floor is now painted, fyi)

My two little brothers pulling up staples.

To top it all off, us kids had a room remodel. Or, to be more accurate a ROOMS remodel. Like, it started with us girls' room being repainted and having the wallpaper and carpet removed...then morphed into us switching bedrooms with the boys, and them getting our freshly painted room. (Not that I'm bitter about this or anything. ;P) It all worked out though. Us older girls ended up with the bigger room while the older boys and younger boys split the two smaller rooms (which had been what us girls were doing) and everything is sort of getting back to normal. I don't have to do my hair and make-up on my knees in front of a mirror propped up against the wall waiting to be hung, for example. :P

July:

This month started with a wedding. Our family is very good friends with another pastor's family in Bremerton, and their oldest daughter got married and now lives with her new husband in Canada! :) 

The fourth of July happened. That was exciting. I love sparklers. ;) We actually blew some things up. I'm not kidding. Also, just a quick shout out to my adorable cousin who is posing in the picture above. Could we just take a moment to appreciate his cuteness? XD

On a sadder note, the following week we said our goodbyes to a different friend, my brother's best friend, who is going to college in Colorado now at the Air Force Academy. 

Things began going down hill after that...

-- My car broke down and ended up costing a lot more to fix then I had thought it would. 

-- A dear woman who had been fighting cancer for over three years went to meet her Savior.

-- I had no time to write or read anything except school work during Camp NaNo.

HOWEVER. Good news, guys. Don't stop reading now!

-- My car works now! (And it's so awesome having my own wheels again, I tell you!) 

Matilyn's fifth birthday party! :)

-- My oldest young charge had her fifth birthday!

This beautiful beach... <3

Some are born selfie takers,
some achieve selfieness,
some have selfies thrust upon them.

Not sure if this was a giant
hammock or not...but we treated it like one! ;P
 



Found this beautiful stuff at my new
favorite shop in Port Gamble. ;)

YASSSSSSS

Reader, writer, musician. Also a giant teddy bear?
I named him Pancake.

Just the necessities, right? :)

Yes, we had a hot tub. BE JEALOUS.

 

So glad we could all make the trip and spend time with these awesome grandparents! :) We are so blessed!

-- Our family and the Eddy grandparents were able to go down to Quilcene, WA where we stayed in a lodge and had a week to celebrate my youngest brother's eighth birthday. Kayaking, seal-sightings, and enough time for me to actually get some decent progress in books I was in middle of reading AND writing. (More on that later.) Also, I discovered my new favorite shop in Port Gamble. Scottish fudge, guys. SCOTTISH FUDGE. Need I say more? *endless fangirling*

-- Last month ended with another birthday party, a wedding, and me completing my freshman year of college!! *cue confetti and the whole works* 

So yes, the last two months were crazy busy and kind of sad and depressing at points...but God is good. He gave me subtle encouragements either through friends or small accomplishments that kept me going and kept me smiling. :) I can't wait to see what August holds! :D

Writing:

Guys. I actually kind of got something done this month! Not really enough to record in Camp NaNo (for one because I had no time to update my profile so #ifailedsortof) but I got a ton of brainstorming and outlining done for my book "A New Name"! At the last week of July, I had about 12,000 words written...by the end of the month? 20,000, people! Yes, you read that right! "A New Nane" has been by far the most challenging book for me to write, but it has been so much fun, and well worth the effort I've put into it. I can't wait to share some snippets with you all and spread my excitement! :D Coming soon, I promise! ;) 

Reading:

*cough* Well, I'm counting college class books in the mix because otherwise my reading would look a little ridiculous. BUT. I have started some delightful stories that I hope to finish in the short break between college tests. Here's some titles and pictures of the covers I could find. 

Official CLEP Study Guide for College Composition

REA Study Guide for College Composition

The English Handbook

Handbook of Grammar and Composition

Ace the CLEP: Technical Writing

For the two cover pictures, reviews to come on Goodreads and Amazon. ;)

Editing:

It's going pretty well. Some of my wonderful team have finished, and there's a lot of work for me to do, but I'm hoping to have "Ocean Mist" ready for the public by the end of this year! *crosses fingers* Also, be in the lookout for beta-reader sign ups for "Alice & Alyssa"...that is coming up soon as well. ;) 

Music:

Quotes:

These were all found in various shops around Port Gamble.

Me. In four magnets. XD

#writer :P

Goals Reached:

1: Read 5+ books
IF you count college books, then yes, I completed this goal! *fist pump* Whoohoo! Go me! ;P

2: Write five chapters in "A New Name"
YES I DID IT, I DID IT!!! I was on a roll! Hopefully I can recreate that roll this month. ;)

3: Write five essays
Thanks to my College Composition CLEP, I did that much and MORE. ;) I think I wrote a total of ten or eleven essays for that test.

4: Finish outlining "The King's Cousin" and "Silent Voices"
Nope. But I started outlining...which is sometimes the hardest part for me. ;)

5: Begin editing "Ocean Mist"
Double thumbs up on this one. I certainly BEGAN...I just need to CONTINUE at this point.
6: Finish a short story
Sadly, no. It was a good thought, though, right?
 

Goals for August:
1: Write five chapters in "A New Name"
2: Read 5+ books
3: Visit the Scottish/Irish/English store in Port Gamble again
4: Write a poem/compose a song
5: Finish surviving my eighteenth year! ;) 

So, now it's YOUR turn! (If you haven't already posted your end of the month post. ;) How has your summer been so far? Any family vacations? If so, where'd you go? 

Truthfully now...have you missed me posting on here more often? ;P

Babysitting, Sunburns, and Out of State Siblings

Well, this is it. The farewell post to my favorite month of Spring. *sighs* I think that May wins as the fastest fleeing month of this year so far...which is saying something, since ALL the months have gone by incredibly fast. I'm still catching my breath after April. And Summer isn't going to go by any slower. Our family is already neck-deep in preparing for a pretty significant milestone for a certain younger brother of mine this Saturday AND a church retreat next week. Life just doesn't appear to listen to me when I politely request it to SLOW DOWN. Ugh. But enough introduction. I'm sure you're wondering what on earth has kept me strangely quiet on here...honestly, I'm wondering a bit myself. ;) 

Life:

This month started with my parents deserting my older sister and I to fend for ourselves as the babysitters of younger siblings while they flew to Wisconson and witnessed my one and only older brother graduate from his seminary. He then joined them and returned to Washington were he was going to be ordained by a group of elders and pastors who had been a godly influence to him throughout his growing up years. 

The day before Andrew's ordination ceremony, my older sister Sarah (yes, she's the one who got married recently) came up for a week to see us and watch Andrew ordained. 

The last time we were all together was for Sarah and Jesse's wedding last September, so having all of us together for a whole week was pretty special. :) 

During this crazy time with all ten of us running around (selfishly trying to get in as much time with Sarah and Andrew as possible) I had my first nanny job end after the parents' schedules lined up so that one could watch the baby while the other worked. This wasn't a tragedy for me...it was exactly what the goal had been when I started babysitting Alice. But with the dad on military time we hadn't known if it would work like we hoped it would. 

Here's where I started realizing God had everything figured out for me...a couple days before I found out that my job watching Alice was at an end, a different nanny job was offered to me, this time for two little girls. At first, there was no way I could juggle the two jobs together, but God quietly shut one of the two doors and I landed this new nanny job. (I'm starting in just a couple weeks!) I'm still in awe at how He managed to put that altogether for me. Don't tell me He doesn't care about the little things in my life. He does. Always has, always will. 

May ended with our church's annual Memorial Day Picnic, hosted at our house. This event requires a LOT of yard work (and house work) that kept all of us busy the entire month. However, God blessed us with AMAZING weather and a wonderful turnout of people. It was fun to see new faces in addition to all the awesome regulars. ;) 

You know those sunburns I mentioned in the title? Yeah, I got pretty scorched during the time spent outside. BUT THEY WERE SO WORTH IT. I also got doused in water...our water ballon fight kind of turned into a "lets fill up five gallon pails and drench everyone with those". It was cold. And it made playing volleyball in our sanded court rather painful. BUT THAT WAS ALSO WORTH IT. XD

Writing:

This month was not a very good month of writing. I hate to make excuses for my sad amount of writing...BUT family time IS kind of important. However, next month I'm taking a class on college composition, so I'll be cranking out essays by the bucketload. Thankfully, writing essays is something I actually enjoy. 

I wrote a Mother's Day poem. That ought to count for SOMETHING, right? 

I did write some in "A New Name", and started outlining "The King's Cousin" and "Silent Voices"...so May wasn't a complete loss. ;) 

Reading:

I'm in middle of like...five to ten books right now, but I did actually COMPLETE three books during May around all the insane mess of busyness. And all three were amazing. Reviews to come on Goodreads. :)
 

 

 

Editing:

My wonderful group of beta readers have been wading (pun intended ;) their way through "Ocean Mist" with surprising speed. Two have finished their first read through already, with a couple others not far behind. I'm so grateful for their helpful insights. My poor story needs a lot of help, and help is exactly what they're giving. Without them, I wouldn't feel nearly as confident that my story is going to become something worth reading as I do now. :) 

Music:

Here's a sample of what I've had on my playlist this last month.
 

This song can ONLY be sung in a Scottish accent.

And it will probably be stuck in your head.

You're welcome. ;)

 

Here are the lyrics...in case you couldn't understand what he's saying. :P I included some interpretation of some of the words below (identified by *.)

 

The Midges

Sung by Kenneth McKellar

Chorus
The midges, the midges, I'm no gonnae kid ye's,
The midges is really the limit,
Wi teeth like pirhanas, they drive ye bananas,
If ye let them get under yer simmit*!

The Lord put the Garden of Eden on earth,
And it's north of the Tweed, we believe,
Ay, Scotland's the place, and the whole human race,
Started off with MacAdam and Eve!
In six days or under, he finished this wonder,
Except for the Forth and Tay Bridges,
Then always a bloke for a practical joke,
He made Scotland the home of the midges!

 

Chorus

 Back in 1314, the proud Edward was keen,
To take Scotland into his care,
But he made a U-turn when he reached Bannockburn,
Just a few weeks before Glasgow Fair!
For the midges let loose by King Robert the Bruce,
Straight into the English they tore,
So they ran off in tears, and for six hundred years,
They've been blocking the A74!

 

Chorus

 Now never forget, when the sun's going to set,
And the midges arise on Loch Eck,
Like the vampires you see, played by Christopher Lee,
They will give you a pain in the neck!
You can smack them and whack them; in vain you'll attack them,
For they know every move that you make,
If you manage to kill yin****, another half million,
Are ready tae come tae the wake!

 

Chorus

 Now Torquil the piper's a giant of a man,
With a sporran** as long as your arm,
And in Oban he's known, for the sound of his drone,
And a pibroch*** of real highland charm!
But they're sighing and sobbing, the ladies of Oban,
For Torquil is not what he was,
Since a midge in Glenbranter got hold of his chanter*****,
And carried it off in its jaws!

Chorus

 

*simmit (semmet): a vest (part of traditional, male Scottish dress)

**sporran: a pouch (part of traditional, male Scottish dress)

***pibroch: bagpipes

****yin: one

*****chanter: bagpipe part

 

 

 

 

Quotes:

 

 

 

Goals Reached:

1: Write 10,000 words in "A New Name"

#epicfail I tried guys. I did. Just...life.
2: Read 5(+) books

Better luck next month. *sigh* WHY IS THIS SO HARD? I love reading...I really do!
3: Write a poem

YES. I DID. FINALLY.
4: Complete a short story

*cough* Well, it was a nice thought. 
5: Work on editing "Ocean Mist"

Yes. I did. *thumbs up*
6: Spend less than an hour on the internet each day

Surprisingly, I did best on this one. With family around I didn't have much time to waste on Pinterest. ;) 

Goals for June:

1: Read 5+ books

2: Write five chapters in "A New Name"

3: Write five essays

4: Finish outlining "The King's Cousin" and "Silent Voices"

5: Begin editing "Ocean Mist"
6: Finish a short story

Because I foresee a very busy month ahead of me, I thought I'd warn you all that I might not be able to post much on here. I'll try to reply to your comments, and expect a couple blog posts throughout the Summer (I'm still planning on doing 21 Answers posts and monthly overview posts)...but I'm taking a break from Internet stuff (excepting Camp NaNo) until September. 

You could write me snail mail if you really need to get ahold of me. :P I just have a lot going on in my life right now, and the Internet has been bumped down a few notches in my priorities list. So there you gave it.
Also, I'm going to try to upgrade my blog a little...which will mean a lot of days when you happen upon it during the middle of the construction process. Try not to get a heart attack. Everything will look better (hopefully) by the end of summer. :P Speaking of which, I NEED HELP FOR THIS. If any of you are any good at blog design, please let me know you're interested in helping a poor girl out via a quick email. Otherwise, I'll try to manage on my own. *sniff* *puppy-dog eyes*
 

Other than that, I think I'll stop rambling and let you get on with your life. How was YOUR month of May? ;)