Time Travel Won't Happen

This is just a thought I've been exploring all day. I somehow began thinking about time travel, and how unlogical it is and how it likely will never be able to happen. Then, I thought of something- if time travel was invented anytime in the future, and people were to use it... wouldn't there inevidably be people from the future here in the past? I asked my dad this, and he gave me a pretty reasonable theory:

If time travel ever was invented and people DID use it to go back to the past and see themselves... they wouldn't want others to know it. If someone DID find out, then being the people would be able to use time travel they would just use it to go back and erase their mistake. Simple as that. Technically, even if you did have time travel, you wouldn't be able to go back and change time. Anything that you changed would have already happened to you before you even left for time travel, because before you left you would have already came back. All you'd really be able to do is visit memories- and then even upon return not have a clearer image of them because you would have already forgot.

This leads me to believe and conclude that there are many different things that happen to us throughout our lives that we don't even know about... they've just been changed and we've forgotten, or been made to forget, about them. For all I know, I could have another sister or brother and just have forgotten it! The question is... if time travel DOES exist and IS being used in this way... who is controlling it and why are they changing things? This should give my readers things to think about... leave me your opinions in the comments below.

Maddie

Poetry

Sometimes all you need,
to brighten up your day,
is a simple smile or laugh,
sent from far away.
A rainbow forming from the clouds,
the stars that shine at night,
all the tiny things,
that make a day so bright,
a small yet perfect butterfly,
perched on a dainty flower,
jumping into puddles,
 from an afternoon shower,
All these little things,
they make our life so great,
yet are barely acknowledged,
until it is too late.
For little things create the big,
the "big" that we find great,
like going to a party,
or staying up real late.
but these things do not happen,
every single day,
and so we feel unlucky,
sad, and down in every way...
we feel rejected, and feel mad,
because our life's not "perfect",
but now, sit down, lie back,
reflect!
for it truly is the little things...
the little things that make life perfect.

To:

To Dad,
You're my parent, guardian and mentor. But you are so much more while being this. You are also my best friend, someone who I can talk about LITERALLY anything with, and someone who knows my sense of humor better than I know it. You can always make me laugh when it is needed, but keep me in line at the same time. You have my back 24/7, and I never have to worry that you'll abandon me for someone else. You've taken care of me singlehandedly for 6 years now, and I can't thank you more. You've given me a great education and helped me pass 7 college courses- since I was ELEVEN.

While you were doing this, you also brought up my sister, which is a task in and of itself. But you stick through it. I love you Dad, and I look forward to having many more laughs and making more memories with you in the future. Merry Christmas, I love you.

To Ashleigh,
You're my sister. And I love you, even when I get ticked off at you. You know this and I know this, and we still yell at each other and squabble. 2015 is coming soon, and next year, I want to bond with you more. I try to guide you, but no one seems to like me doing that so I really don't know. However, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you. You're going to be 5 soon and I'm quite honestly amazed- I still remember holding you in the hospital when you were first born. I never knew what a little amazing handful you would become. Just kidding, just kidding- I really do love you and I don't know what I'd do without you. Who else would be there to wake me up by screaming in my ear, to have sleepovers with me when the power goes out, to keep me up talking until 5:00? Who else would be able to always be there for me, and come to me for advice and to vent out?

You have a level of weirdness that competes with my own, you have a unique sense of humor, and you are so caring and sweet that it literally kills me. I love you Ashleigh- Merry Christmas.

To Grandma,
I love you more than you realize- and I think you know that. Yes, we get annoyed at each other at times, but I value knowing that we can always make up and pretend it never happened (even if, in some instances, it takes us a few days). You're there for me when I need to talk, to vent, and to complain, and you take it all in without judgement- and I'd easily do the same for you. As 2015 approaches, I'd like to clear up whatever problems we have with each other so we can go into the new year free of... annoyance. Next year, I'd like to focus on becoming more in tune with each other so that we don't scuffle so much. It CAN be done, we've done it before, and we WILL do it again. I think it'll help out everyone, not just us.

You're caring and sweet in general, and you only get annoyed at me because deep down you care about me. I realize this, I really do, but in the blink of an eye I forget it and I need to learn to remember. I'll make an effort to keep things more tidy, and also to help out around the house. Hopefully that will give you your much deserved rest. I love you. Merry Christmas.

Maddie

Ruined by Rap

I got an Ariana Grande album for Christmas, and today I got around to putting it on my computer and listening to it. I'm almost sorry I did now- and not because of Ariana. I think she has a very nice voice and can sing well, and I always have. No, it wasn't her singing that made me feel like tearing my ears off- it was all the rap music she put into the album! Almost every song featured a different rapper, from Big Sean to Iggy Azalea. I don't like rap music to begin with, but when it's on an album, I can usually find ONE I like. All of the rappers in this album, however, were HORRIBLE! Me and Dad sat listening to the album in awe while cringing everytime a rapper began to slur his/her way through whatever tiny bit of singing they had- and even that tiny amount was enough to spoil the song.

I think that today, rap has become a large part of "culture" for many. So much so, that singers who can do perfectly well on their own if they don't mind appealing to a slightly smaller audience are ruining their own music by adding these rappers into their songs. As my dad says: "I think she has a nice voice- I just wish she'd keep those other clowns out of it." I couldn't agree more. What's your opinion? Leave me a comment below.

Maddie

Poetry

All inspiration has run dry,

And everything I try

Nothing ever works,

No nothing ever works

And when you sit around and wait

for people to respond,

you grow tired and bored,

because nothing ever happens anyway

what more am I to say?

I've tried hopelessly to move on

and even to forget

but at times like these you sneak back in

on my mind, an imprint

I know I'm not the only one

who misses you so dearly

but I think that I'm the only one

who envisions you so clearly.

Attack of the Dust Mites

Today, Ashleigh and I decided to go down in the basement. It was mid-afternoon and we wanted to play for a bit, and Ashleigh is going through a Barbie phase right now. I used to have TONS of barbie dolls, and they are all stored in the basement. Now, normally I love going into the basement- but recently, I haven't. The reasoning for this isn't anything to do with lighting or temperature, but the fact that our basement is a complete MESS.

When my grandma moved in with us, she brought a lot of stuff with her. We got busy after the move and we haven't exactly had the time to clean it up... so the basement is pretty much stocked high with toys/boxes of stuff. Now, being it is already messy, we rarely go down there. And since we rarely go down there, we don't bother CLEANING down there. And when you don't clean... dust mites gather. For those of you who don't know, my sister and I both have sensitive skin- to pollen, dust, creams, makeups etc. So when we opened up a big bin of barbie dolls (might I add that they haven't seen the light of day in about 4 years), dust got all over.

Within 5 minutes of playing/ripping through the dolls, Ashleigh and I were covered from about the chest up in itchy red bumps. However, I was pretty persistent and we dug through to the bottom of the bin. I was shocked how many of my dolls I actually remembered... and could still name!

When you were a kid, what was your favorite toy? Leave me a comment below telling me!

Maddie

Poetry

Weird how life works

how God arranges coincidences

like three golden roses

to link us together

after she passed away

consolation, I suppose

though nothing can take the pain away

yeah, it's been a year

but not a moment passes

where you aren't on my mind,

so I peer through rose colored glasses

trying to put on a smile,

I tried to fake it for awhile

but every plaster mask does break

cracks form with time

and now I can no long fake

I don't tell people,

and they don't ask,

it's better, I guess

it makes my life less of a task

though sometimes having someone to talk to

someone who understands...

on one of my bad days,

they act as a helping hand

behind a screen, no one knows

the words you say are said with tears in your eyes

seeming like your laughing

when it's really just a bunch of lies

only two people identify

and know what it is like

two people I can talk to,

who make me feel fine.

The Importance of Living: A Great Read

This week, I have been reading the book "The Importance of Living". I'm only 3 chapters in, but I love it. Unlike most philosophers, Lin Yutang (the author, duh) is easy to read and puts things in perspective well. He is slow paced so that you don't get confused and raises good questions that you wouldn't think to ask yourself. Chapter 2 was about religion, and Yutang covered 3 different religions: Taoist-Confucianism, Greek paganism and Christianity. He did a great job of explaining each one and actually asked good questions that made me think.

I have found my self looking up the other religions that I otherwise wouldn't have out of curiosity. I'm also writing a set of papers on the chapters of the book, and they will be up on The Book Stack by tonight. I'm only on my third one, and that may be the last one. I'm not sure. I definitely recommend this book though, for anyone 13+. If you like philosophy, that is. If not, you probably won't like it. Pick up a copy from my dad's store Buy-Buy Momma- it links right through to Amazon and if you use his store to link to the site, we get a cut of what you pay! It costs you nothing extra, but part of it goes to us.

If you read the book, leave me comments below and tell me what you thought of it!

Maddie

Poetry

When it helps but it hurts in the long run,

The right choice has not been made,

to have the life you want,

you shouldn't have to be a slave,

have the rug ripped out from under you,

leave the two of them in tears,

I've begun to wonder where your allegiance lies,

throughout these last few years

throw your hand on the bible you refuse to believe in

swear you're for us and not against

and while everyone believes it

you know I'm still in the mode of defense

I've seen this one time too many

to fall into your web of lies

and they all go running back to you,

but I'm out of second tries

I won't let you drag me down with you,

I won't let you pull me apart

My compassion has run low,

there's no more trust left in my heart.

A Hard Wizard101 Quest- completed!

Last night, I got on Wizard101 with my Dad to do some questing. We've been working on a hard dungeon in Marleybone for quite awhile with no hint of sucess. All of my friends have made excuses not to help us, and it's too hard for us alone (level 70 and 57's that we are, doing a level 30 quest) so we have been putting it off. We've tried each night but to no avail- we make it up to the last boss, but by then we are exhausted of health, mana AND healing potions so it is rather pointless. ESPECIALLY when the bosses all heal and get absorb shields if you heal!

Last night went a bit differently. My friend Megan agreed to help us out with the tower and we finished it in about an hour and a half. It took us all our potions, trading off to flee and get health, struggling through 12 levels of traps and cheating bosses, BUT! We made it! We completed the quest and were extremely happy about it- until I went to redeem my experience and found out that we only got 1000! That was like a slap in the face after how hard we had worked to get the dungeon done.

So in the end, Dad was displeased, I was displeased, and the dungeon FINALLY got done. One less quest in my quest tab, I guess. But it was so annoying! If you play Wizard101, tell me what your least favorite dungeon/boss is in Wizard101 in the comments below. My least favorite boss is Estrakir Gloomthorn.

Maddie

Boredom

Me and a lot of my friends have a bad habit of complaining that we are bored. Bored, bored, bored. So, seeing as it is a problem I frequently have, and I need a blog post, here are my ideas on how to stay occupied.

1) Peel the onion! No, not literally. But online, "peeling the onion" is a term used for link surfing. Clicking on one page, then using a link on that page to get to another page, and so on and so forth. You'd be surprised how much you could learn from it! I start on wikipedia and usually go through links on that site. Then, months later when I am able to tell my Dad which band Nikki Sixx is from, I put my knowledge to use!

2) StumbleUpon. I've blogged about it in the past, and it's a great thing to do if you're bored. Just create an account, put in your interests and hit the stumble button! The site generates articles based on what you like and dislike, and you can rate each page so your account gets customized to what YOU like. You can also add links to your own sites and blogs to get more pageviews.

3) Last but not least, the Bored Button. Similar to StumbleUpon, the Bored Button generates random things for you to do while you are bored. Often times you will click the button and get a small, mindless minigame or a card trick. However, it does its job and works well to keep my brain preoccupied when I have nothing else to do. You can check it out here: http://www.boredbutton.com/

Maddie

HTML

Yesterday, I started a new course in computer programming. Being I finished Python, I am now trying my brain at HTML- and I am enjoying it more than Python! Now, maybe it's because I already know some of the coding structure or how coding works, or maybe it's just a preference- but I find the language easier to understand and easier to work with. The tag names are short and simple and I can remember them easily- which is good for me as I hate having to go back to old lessons.

The course is being offered by CodeCademy. It is free, and you can connect to it with your Google+, Twitter or faceBook account. The course has discussion forums where you can connect with other students, share ideas and help each other with different problems. I have taken the Python course so far and it was well structured and easy to learn. Try it out: www.codecademy.com

Anyway, I'm going to end my post here. Check out codecademy and let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below.

Maddie

A day with my sister

Today, I got to spend the day with my little sister! I got my homework done early, and since Grandma was at the doctors, I got to take care of her for most of the day. We had a nice lunch together and then had fun doing each other's hair. Now, she has homework, so I am helping her out with it. She is halfway done with her writing, so I figured that while she is writing, I would write a quick blog post.

I love Ashleigh so much. I really do. She and I have our ups and downs like any sisters- a squabble over something stupid every now and again, but we can always forgive each other and move on. Today as I brushed her hair, we talked. It was nice- just sister to sister, which we seldom get the chance to do. I realized that no matter what, she's always going to be my sister. I will always have her, and she will always have mine- even when we grow up and lead other lives. We're tied by blood, and tied by a special bond that not even the strongest person could break.

I love you Ashleigh <3

Maddie

Another Poem

There comes a time,

In everyone's life

when you have to make a choice

Blood before water

Is what I've been told

but when the blood runs thin,

the heart grows cold

If you don't have the time,

then neither do I

I'd rather talk to the fox,

even if she feeds me lies

At least they have my back

and while I know you do too

they're my preference for now

they're the ones that I choose

and while in the future

the odds will turn 'round

in this moment I find consolation

in knowing how I can be found

to those who think the know,

you never truly will,

to those who think they'll never know,

you've already figured it out. 

Christmas: What it Actually is and What We Make it Out To Be

Each year, Christmas seems to appear earlier and earlier- last year, it popped up at about Thanksgiving time, and the year before a bit after Thanksgiving. THIS year, I actually saw two of my neighbors put up Christmas lights BEFORE HALLOWEEN. Over the years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized, so much so that the true meaning of Christmas has been distorted and forgotten. What is the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Christmas? I really doubt you think of Jesus' birthday. Instead, you probably think more along the lines of gifts, food, and decorations.

Pop culture and many businesses have shoved Christmas at us as a big PRODUCT. Nothing to do with Jesus (unless, of course, they can sell more decorations). On the first Christmas, the only gifts given were to Jesus himself! Since then, it is to my belief that it has been blown out of proportion more, and more, and more. Most tradition has been wiped out of it. Stores stock up around Halloween time to start selling christmas ornaments, trees, gifts, and food- AND WE ALL GO FOR IT! Christmas music started playing a week before Thanksgiving near us (I flipped through stations and heard "Feliz Navidad" playing) and it actually put me off.

I remember when I was really little, we'd start listening to Christmas music as soon as we knew it was on the radio. The past couple of years, no one has really wanted to listen to it because by the time Christmas ACTUALLY rolls around, you feel like if you hear ONE MORE FREAKING CHRISTMAS SONG, your brain will explode. I don't know. I think this year we're saving the Christmas music for the week before Christmas, but I'm not sure. Speaking of the week before Christmas: that's the week we always get our Christmas tree! A few of my friends have already had their trees up for a few weeks, and my church even started selling trees a week before Thanksgiving. UGH. By the time Christmas comes, if you got your tree too early, it ends up dead! Not fun or nice at all.

Well, I've ranted enough for today. Leave me comments below on what you think about Christmas!

Maddie

Christmas Shopping

Today, Grandma, Ashleigh and I are going out to do our final Christmas shop. We did part of it last weekend, but we want to finish off. I still have a LOT of mine to do- I have to get gifts for family AND friends. We are about to leave to go to Keene (which is a pretty good shopping area in NH).

We're going to eat lunch on the go at McDonald's and then shop til we drop. I have to go help Grandma right now: she needs me to do some dishes and clean up a bit before we go. So, I will keep this post short and sweet and end here.

HOWEVER! I will write a second post later after I return.

Poem

The Fog Around the Lake

Let all your emotions go

Let it cloud around your beauty

Let no one see inside

God forbid anyone know the truth

Because if anyone knew

What would they think

What lies beneath your crystal clear

shining bright surface really?

Fight yourself,

every morning as you wake,

should you warm up to life today,

or put on your usual fake?

Looking at a pond,

you see only the surface

not the murk that lies within...

everyone has sins and weaknesses,

not everyone will let you in...

so behind a mask of fog they hide,

so the new sun won't rip away all their pride...

A Post

GAH! Apologies once again on not blogging! It was Thanksgiving weekend, so I had a good reason for it at least. My aunt and uncle from NJ came to visit, and it was an awesome time. The internet was out the whole week, which sucked a bit... but I think it helped at the same time. Everyone wasn't busy on their devices or staring at a screen, and we got to have some quality time together as a family over the holiday. That's how things should be more often- not just hours upon hours of screen time. From funny family stories to late night sessions of "the name game", I had one of the best Thanksgivings I have had in awhile.

I've also been busy with a long-due paper on The Art of War. I should be done with it by tomorrow, and it will be posted on The Book Stack. I didn't like the version of the book with commentary, so I opted to look online and see if the REAL book was there. Sure enough, I found a fully translated version with no commentary and am finding it to be a good read so far. I am just beginning the 3rd out of 3 1/2 pages, but as it is late I am going to finish it tomorrow. The book has some good... lessons, if you would call them that in it. The book was written as a strategy for war, but can also be used as a strategy for LIFE. If you'd like to read it, this is the translated version.

http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html

I will try to get some pictures from Thanksgiving up tomorrow. It is currently 11:30... a hot shower and bed for me sounds good. Thanks for reading!

Maddie

The family :) <3

Me and Ashleigh being goofballs :P

Dad and Ashleigh 

Dad after eating too much turkey ;p

What would Thanksgiving be without a stupid selfie between sisters? 

Pictures from Black Belt Test

Second Degree Black Belt Testing

A picture from our last test. I LOOKED LIKE CRAP!

I am so nervous right now because tomorrow... I am testing for my second degree black belt! I know I've worked hard to come as far as I am right now, and I know I wouldn't be testing if my teachers didn't think I could handle it, but my nerves are getting the better of me. I have done this before, and I know that physically I CAN, so it's just a mental barrier. It's also the first test I am doing without my Dad there either watching or testing with me. Dad tests on Sunday- so for ONE DAY I get to be a higher rank than him. Naturally, family and friends are allowed to come and watch you graduate to your next belt, but no one is allowed to watch the black belt test unless they are black belt or above.

I am on a kid test- 18 and under. There are 9 others testing besides myself- and I only know two of them. My dad is on a test with 18 people on Sunday who are all adults. One of my friends is also testing for her first rank on that test. I want to take a moment and say good luck/congratulations to everyone who is testing- whether for their black belt OR their sensei title. Also, thank you Dad for pushing me this far and encouraging me to keep going and strive for great goals. I love you and I know you'll do great on your test, even with your knee the way it is.

Maddie

Melanie Martinez

This past month, I have found an awesome new singer who isn't that new. But I like her a lot. Her name is Melanie Martinez, and she's 19. She got recognition for her music when she auditioned on the TV show "The Voice" and got moved forward 6 rounds before getting disqualified by public vote. She is working on releasing her first album right now. It is likely going to be gothic/pop music and will be title "Dollhouse" (the name of her first single).

My favorite songs by her are:

Crazy (she covered it)
Dear Porcupine
Dollhouse
Carousel

Go check her out, and when you are done doing that, leave me a comment telling me what your favorite song by her was! If you didn't listen to her, then leave me a comment telling me who your favorite singer is and what your favorite song by them is. In other words: LEAVE COMMENTS!

Maddie

How a Dog's Allegiance Changes in the Blink of an Eye

I find my dog to be a prime source of entertainment. The way he behaves is usually funny and keeps me laughing... but he isn't a normal loyal dog. I could have played with him all day, but come dinnertime, if someone offers him a CRUMB of food, he automatically forgets me and goes to whoever is feeding him. I'm convinced that if someone broke into our house to murder my family and I, the only thing they'd have to do to get past Lucky is give him food. And not even anything nice- they could probably pick up a piece of his poop from the yard and he'd accept it.

I think almost every dog would do this too- not just Lucky. You could play with them and give them all manner of attention and they would abandon you for a stranger with a piece of hotdog to give them. We would never abandon our dogs for anything, yet they so willingly get fooled. Really, that's all it is- their brains, which have the capacity of a 2 year old's (or if your dog is anything like mine, probably LESS) don't know the difference between friend or foe if the "foe" is wiser and can outsmart them.

Ah well, those are just my thoughts. Do you have dogs? What are they like? Leave me a comment below and let me know! :)

Maddie

Apologies!

I apologize for not blogging this week! I was banned from all technology and electronics for a week because I misplaced my iPod and couldn't find it. After pretty much DESTROYING my room to no avail, my sister found my iPod buried under clothing in one of my drawers. I originally suspected my sister "borrowing" my iPod when it first went missing, as she has a habit of doing things like that, but it turns out that I just misplaced it early in the morning. At least it's back, and not broken!

I will try to stay on schedule with my blog for the remainder of the week (I know, same old story as usual right?) but I am going to be busy. I have course-work to catch up on, pies to bake and tournament on Sunday. I am also trying to catch up with my writing and math, and PLUS I still have to finish cleaning up the remaining mess that looms in my room from searching for my iPod. Right now I have to leave for karate too, so I will end my post here.

Once again, sorry for not blogging!

Maddie

Food

Today, I went to go grocery shopping with my Grandma. We hadn't gone to our local Market Basket in awhile, so we had to do a pretty big shop. After getting meat, dairy, vegetables and some sanitary needs, we went to checkout- and the bill was over $200! Food prices (especially produce) have been going up lately due to droughts- but $200 is ridiculous. Despite the crazy prices, it was good to get out alone with Grandma and have a good heart-to-heart with her.

Coming out of the store, we noticed a shoe store next door was having a 50% off sale. However, we had a trunk full of groceries and since we didn't want them to spoil, we decided to go back after we had dropped off our groceries. Probably a good idea, especially since we hadn't had lunch or fed my sister and Dad- me and Grandma can get "iffy" if we don't eat often. We still haven't left to go shoe shopping- but soon. I have some money saved up and I want a new pair of shoes. I'll post a picture if I end up getting any :)

Maddie

Poetry

Planet Earth

Planet Earth,

twirling softly in her skirt of dirt,

struck by a meteor for the first time

No one knew what had happened

No one knew what changed her rotation

it was a riddle in rhymes

Planet Earth,

gone in reverse,

the moon and stars all followed

trying to cheer her up again,

put her back on track again

pull her through

Planet Earth,

heading down,

lost in a gravitational pull,

she comes undone,

falling faster and faster until,

destruction looms

Planet Earth,

here no more,

hit so hard,

she fell to the floor,

Planet Earth,

a sad mistake,

For years and years,

the meteor loomed in her wake,

and it was just a matter of time

before Planet Earth

met her doom

Forgive and Forget

Yesterday in my group we were talking about forgiveness, and how the first step to forgiving someone else is forgiving yourself. This makes a lot of sense to me- if you don't have the self respect to forgive yourself for whatever you have done, then how can you expect anyone else to? I try to be very forgiving in my everyday life- even if people have pushed me to the brink. A good example is me and my grandma occasionally getting annoyed at each other. Yeah, we'll yell at each other a bit, but by the next day if not a few hours later we are back to laughing and talking as if nothing had ever happened. You never know when life will come to a crashing end- and if anyone was to die while I was mad at them it would hang regret over my head as it is harder to forgive someone who you feel is no longer there.

I am glad that I got things sorted with my Mom before she passed. I would have an EXTREMELY hard time forgiving myself if she had died and I had a grudge against her or was still mad at her. People think that just because someone passes away that they are gone. They aren't- they are just not HERE. You can still talk with them and say sorry to them- they just won't answer back. Certainly in heaven it is easy for your friends, family- whoever you were mad at to forgive you. The BIGGEST leap you can take truly is forgiving yourself.

I've forgiven myself- have you forgiven?

Maddie

Getting Ready for Halloween

Today, I put the finishing touches on my cannibal costume- and might I say that it looks pretty good! I made myself a belt made of fake human fingers, cut up a shirt and a pair of jeans and smeared blood (fake of course) on everything and bought some accessories to complete my outfit. I have rubber fangs, a "bone" necklace, white hair spray and also a chopping knife- done up with some makeup, I should look pretty dang creepy! Meanwhile, my sister is going as a vampiress: she has a red dress with lots of black lace, fangs, and I promised to spray her hair black and do her makeup for her. The both of us like the idea of fake blood a lot, so I'm starting early so it gets to dry.

Happy Halloween! I'm finishing this post up today being I didn't finish it last night. Ashleigh and I are in our costumes- and might I say we look GREAT! While my hair dye didn't work because I have red hair, my sister's came out great! In about an hour we are leaving to pick up 2 of my friends and go trick or treating in the neighborhood. Here are some pictures:

Let me know what you are going as in the comments below!

Maddie

Coleridge Poetry Interpretation

Coleridge Poetry (My Interpretation)
By Madison Nef
To start off, I chose a short yet cryptic poem named “Song”. I went through it line by line and this is what I came up with:
Tho’ veiled in spires of myrtle-wreath,
Love is a sword that cuts its sheath,

Okay. I think that this line speaks for itself- metaphorically using love as a sword, and a sheath is supposed to protect a sword when it is not in use. Maybe Coleridge is talking about how when you truly love someone, you will have ups and downs with them where you will fight verbally with them and it will sting- but it is normal. You WILL on occasion “cut your sheath” and hurt the one you love, even if not intentionally.

And thro’ the clefts, itself has made,
We spy the flashes of the Blade!
But thro’ the clefts, itself has made,
We likewise see Love’s flashing blade,

When a couple fight, sometimes it is easy to see. However, if the sword represents LOVE this could also mean that even while you may fight, the hurt that you deal each other in the end show how much you love your significant other if you hold together through the fights. “And through the clefts, itself has made” = and through the words that have been said (hurtfully to the other person) “We spy the flashes of the blade” = we see how even though they fight, their love for each other still shines through in the end.
By rust consumed or snapt in twain:
And only Hilt and Stump remain.
The end can have one of two meanings: By rust consumed (the good ending) or snapt in twain (the bad ending). By rust consumed signifies that through the fighting, you made it to the end of life together and the rust is symbolic for aging. It becomes brittle and finally snaps (death). As for “snapt in twain”, that is pretty much saying that you fought TOO much and the blade of love snapped before it could even rust. This could symbolize divorce or a break up and POSSIBLY death, but either way it is a bad ending.
The poem is titled Song, but I see no relevance to a song at all. Maybe Coleridge was going through a hard time in his life with the one he loved and wrote this to express himself- who knows. That’s the feeling I got from it. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen similar things happen first-hand between my Mom and Dad. Mom was very sick, but even though her and Dad would argue a lot, they stuck through it to the end, love always showing through. Even though not everyone gets a happy ending, everyone USUALLY gets a happy life. Happiness is a choice- you can wake up and choose to smile or you can wake up and frown. Love and Happiness are what you make them.
I hope you like your choices, I know that I like mine.
Maddie

Bartolomeu Dias

Bartolomeu Dias
Dias was a famous Portuguese explorer in the late 13th century and in the early 14th century. Not much is known about him prior to 1487 other than he was a superintendent for the royal warehouses and he likely had more sailing experience than the one recorded trip on a freight ship. King John II of Portugal was fascinated with the legend of Prester John, an apocryphal leader of Christians somewhere in Africa. The king sent out a pair of explorers, Afonso de Paiva and Pero da Covilha to search overland for the Christian kingdom in Ethiopia. He also wanted to find a way around the southern African coastline, so only a few months after hiring the first two explorers, he sponsored Dias’ African expedition.
In August of 1487, Dias led 3 ships out of the port of Lisbon, Portugal. They followed the route of Diogo Cao, a 15th century explorer who had traveled as far up the coast as where Cape Cross, Namibia is today. Dias took padroes with him to help mark his way. Padroes are limestone markers that the Portuguese used to claim land on the continent. Often the padroes would be planted on shorelines and have served as guidestones for older Portuguese explorations.
Dias had taken 6 African men with him who had been along the coast before on older voyages. At different towns, Dias left a man and a supply of gold and silver for trading along with warm words from Portugal to tell the townspeople. At Angro de Salto, Dias left the last two Africans along with the supply ship from the voyage. The ship was left with 9 men to guard it. In early January, 1488, Dias and his remaining two ships got blown off of the coastline by strong winds. It is reported that Dias called for a 28 southward turn. This did re-guide the ship, and while it was an extremely risky move that could have compromised the whole voyage, it proved successful. On February 3rd, 1488, the ships saw land and found Sao Bras, or present-day Mossel Bay and the much warmer waters of the Indian Ocean.
It helped that Dias had had previous experience navigating ships, but in was later found that King John and his predecessors had acquired maps from the 1360’s showing links from the Pacific and Indian oceans across Africa. After going closer to the shore, Dias’ ships were ambushed by the Khoikhoi. They threw stones and rocks at the ships until one of Dias’ men shot down one of the tribe members. Dias went further down the shoreline, but his crew was extremely nervous about the depleting food supplies.
The crew members begged Dias to turn back and were slowly turning towards the option of mutiny. Finally after threats from his crew Dias left the decision on turning back or not to his crew. The crew decided to keep sailing for another three days and then turn back. At Kwaaihoek, the crew planted a padroe on March 12th 1488. On the journey back, Dias named the two rockiest capes the Cape of Needles and the Cape of Storms for the heavy storms that rocked the Atlantic.
Upon return to Angra do Salto, Dias was greeted with a sad sight as only 3 men of the 9 he had left to guard the ship had survived the ever-impeding attacks from the locals. A 7th man died on the journey home. Finally, Dias and his considerably-smaller crew returned to Lisbon after more than 15 months at sea traveling over 16000 miles. They were greeted with open arms as heroes, but in a private meeting with the king Dias was forced to explain his failure to meet with the two explorers. Despite his immense achievements nonetheless, he was never put in charge of expeditions again.
Almost as if to add insult to injury, after taking a job in West Africa, King John’s successor put Dias into the place of shipbuilding consultant for Vasco da Gamma’s trip. Dias stuck with da Gamma’s fleet until the halfway point and then turned back for Guinea. After that, Dias was put in charge of 4 boats on a large fleet going to India. Mid-voyage, a horrific storm struck the boats and in the year 1500, 4 of the 13 ships were wrecked, including Dias’. He was lost at sea, but is today remembered for his discovery of the Cape of Good Hope (even if he wasn’t acknowledged for it in his time).

Writers Block

Today, I am having an extreme writer's block. For those who don't know, a "writer's block" is something many bloggers and authors get. Basically, you have NO IDEAS and all your inspiration has run out so you end up writing something silly (like I am doing right now). To make things worse, I have TWO blog posts to catch up on instead of my regular one because the internet went out last night while I was working. It didn't come back until today, so I was caught. Up until now I've been doing math homework and avoiding my blogging like the plague, but the time has come...

...to go take a walk down the driveway with my dog. Maybe I will find some inspiration now!

Well, the walk never happened- I got outside and I noticed that Lucky was walking funny. I went over to see if he had maybe been "porcupined" or had a scrape, but as I walked closer he fell over and went into a full-blown seizure. I think that he must have had a muscle spasm that sent him into it. I didn't want to leave him alone, so instead of running into the house to get help and wet rags (you have to keep the temperature of the dog down to avoid brain damage) I stayed on the driveway and used wet leaves in lieu of wet rags. It had the same effect and Lucky was back to his normal self within 2-3 minutes.

How To Care For a Dog Having a Seizure

1) Don't flip out. You don't want the dog to have any more tension than it already has. Remaining calm is key- you can't care for a hurting dog without a clear mind.
2) The dog's legs will likely lock up. Try to move the legs in clockwise motion to loosen up the dog's muscles and relieve the tension. The joints should ease up as you do this.
3) Use cold, wet rags to keep your dog's temp down. Lay them across your dog's forehead and rub the nose with cold water.

The dog should pull out of a seizure within 3 minutes. He will start licking and then moving more and finally get up. I advise letting your dog outside to go to the bathroom at this point just in case he needs to relieve himself.

Well, I went out looking for something to write about and I certainly found it- even though I would rather have written about the gorgeous fall foliage than how to care for a dog when he has a seizure. Let me know if you have any "siezure tips" in the comments below.

Maddie

Why?

If you haven't noticed, lately I've been dabbling into poetry. I have always written it for sheer fun and to express myself but it was always for me, not to be shared with other people. After I wrote one a while ago and got a good response from the public, I decided to continue as my readers seemed to enjoy reading my poetry as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have always liked both writing and reading poetry- something I inherited from my mom. My mom, while she was very sick, was a beautiful writer and wrote many poems in her short time here.

Dad and I are currently gathering all of my mom's poetry together to make a book as a tribute for her- one of her dreams was to publish a poetry book. She got sick so quickly that she didn't get the chance to, but Dad and I figured that after all she had done and been through it was the least we could do. It will also include our thoughts (both joined and separate) on some of the poems PLUS some of my Dad and my own poetry. Our schedule is weird, so we have NO idea when it will be published but we are hoping sometime early in 2016 or late 2015 if possible.

So THAT is why I have been posting more poetry. I try to stick to one a week but I sometimes will end up doing two if my day turns out boring with no inspiration or things to write about. If any of my readers enjoy poetry, please leave some poems that you wrote OR even poems by others that you enjoy in the comments! I am always up for something new to read :)

Maddie

Poetry

The Electronic Age

America,

so dumb and oblivious,

we're being fed garbage from all of the media,

kids shows are pointless,

they teach bad behavior,

and none of us see it...

Then we ask "Why do our kids act like idiots?"

 Meanwhile all we do,

is stare at our phones,

the tiny devices, the hell-sent drones-

we complain about cancer and all manner of illness,

while we don't see the one that's affecting our minds,

addiction to food, addiction to computers,

the brain responds the same way,

so what is the difference?

Yes, one is deadly,

but so is the other,

it stamps out your soul,

your connection to people,

if one day the web crashed,

and you didn't know how to act,

when your mind couldn't function,

you couldn't react,

because you'd spent so much time looking down at that screen,

that you'd forgotten your life,

and all that it used to mean,

the people around you staring in silence,

we all are the same,

in peace and in violence,

stare at the screen,

worry quietly, 

try to forget what's become of society,

and when you read this,

don't you say "That's not me"

because who ever you are, you have stared at a screen,

some like TV, and others their phones,

while MORE like the pc, the iPods and iPads,

reflect on your day- how much time have you spent?

on your screen looking up or down, caught in a dent

now look at the time you have been with your family,

don't they come first? Give me some clarity...

Late Posting (Sorry!)

I apologize for this being such a late post. Monday's are always hectic for me- and I'll tell you why. I get up at 9:00 to get ready by 9:45 (including eating breakfast, doing my hair and makeup and getting dressed) and then Grandma, Ashleigh and I go to our religious meeting. The meeting lasts to about 12:00, and then I go to adoration at the church for roughly 30 minutes. When I come out we ocassionally go for lunch or go shopping, and by the time that THAT is done, we have to go home and get my sister ready for her 4:30 karate class.

Then, I'm at karate until 7:10 on most nights and up to 7:40 on tuesdays. I get back, eat dinner, hang with my sister and THEN finally get around to doing my work. It's a tough day all together so expect my posts a bit later for about another month. My religious class ends at that point until January/February so then it will be easier to blog early. I will likely still be going to adoration, but seeing as it goes all day mondays I can blog before leaving.

It's past 12 now so I will cut my post here and blog later "today".

Maddie

Poetry

Securities

Wake up, roll out bed-

I'm gonna be ready for today

Throw on a top, maybe a skirt

The sun is pretty bright anyway

Now I comb my hair til it shines...

Brighter than the stars at night,

And put on a pound of my face,

After an hour it'll wash away,

But I don't care,

No I don't care,

It's my security

It is to my belief that I'm not perfect

And while I know I never will be,

It's nice to dream and get creative every once in awhile

And when my wings are uneven and my lipstick is all wrong, it makes me smile,

Looking into my mirror, not even trying, and seeing a child, playing dress up once again,

It's fun to pretend,

When you know you can't go back,

To what you were.

Shakespeare

SHAKESPEARE SONNETS
THOUGHTS FROM MADISON NEF

What is your substance, whereof are you made,
That millions of strange shadows on you tend?
Since every one hath, every one, one shade,
And you but one, can every shadow lend.
Describe Adonis, and the counterfeit
Is poorly imitated after you;
On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set,
And you in Grecian tires are painted new:
Speak of the spring, and foison of the year,
The one doth shadow of your beauty show,
The other as your bounty doth appear;
And you in every blessed shape we know.
   In all external grace you have some part,
   But you like none, none you, for constant heart.

My first thought upon reading this sonnet was that Shakespeare was mocking someone who felt they were perfect- “What is your substance, whereof are you made”. I translated into modern text, and that gave me a much clearer view of what I think he was trying to say. I’m not sure how religious Shakespeare was, but it sounded (at least in a modern version) like he was describing Jesus and questioning how he was so sinless and perfect. Here is the modern version:

What is your true essence, what are you made of, that there should be millions of reflections of you? Every person has only one image, but you, though you’re only one person, lend something to everyone else’s image. If an artist tries to depict Adonis, he’ll wind up creating an inferior imitation of you. If he were to paint
Helen as beautifully as possible, he would again wind up with a picture of you, decked out in Greek costume. Praise the spring and the abundant harvest season—but the spring is only a faint shadow of your beauty, and the fall a faint imitation of your abundance. We recognize you in every blessed sight that we see. You are part of every beautiful thing, but you’re not like any of them—you’re incomparable—in the constancy of your heart.

Line 1-5) Millions of reflections- Jesus/God can truly be seen in everything in the world, from the gorgeous landscaping to humans themselves. The seasons were created by him, but as depicted in the bible heaven is greater, therefore making the seasons just a mere shadow in his presence.

Line 5-7) God is in everything and everyone. He truly is part of every beautiful thing, but, as Shakespeare says, is incomparable to them in the constancy of his heart. The love and mercy of God and Jesus is incomparable to any beautiful thing or person here on Earth. I like that Shakespeare realized what so many of us overlook in our everyday lives… God could erase our existence at any minute. He created our world, and at any point could take it away.

You really have to read the modern version to understand the sonnet, which is why I am so thankful for the internet. I thought that Shakespeare was mocking someone who thought they were better than everyone else at first glance at the original. Maybe he was, and I just didn’t see it- or maybe the translation was biased. Either way, that is what I took it as AFTER reading the translation.
This was Sonnet 53, one of Shakespeare’s more serious sonnets.


When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And, darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright—
How would thy shadow’s form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessèd made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay?
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

I think that this is another religious sonnet. I think Shakespeare is trying to say that he doesn’t like the world around him and watching it as it deteriorates as he is happy with his own thoughts and way of thinking. He speaks of closing his eyes and being able to envision one whose shadow can make light out of darkness. I think of this religiously as perhaps Jesus. He could be talking about a girl, but from other sonnets I have read I think he is talking about religion. He says that “days are nights” and “nights are days” in comparison- saying that he prefers night to day because Jesus can illuminate the dark and is much clearer in the dark, alone.
I really think that translations help for the sonnets. Looking at the words in old-fashioned writing can be a bit confusing- and you find yourself second-guessing a lot. Clearly Shakespeare was saying the same message- Jesus shines above all. I think he was trying to express his love and awe for God in this sonnet by saying that if he shines so brightly in the dark and through the sins of the world, then he must truly be glorious and amazing in heaven, in holy light with no sins and darkness clouding around him OR clouding Shakespeare’s vision, for that matter.

My eyes work best when I’m asleep, because all day they look at things I don’t care about. When I sleep, my dreaming eyes alight on you and glitter brightly in the dark, having found your bright image there. Given that your shadowy dream-image brightens even the dark, how bright might you appear in daylight, when your own light is so much clearer? How bright, when your shadow shines so brightly to my eyes blinded by darkness? What good would it do my eyes to see you in the daytime when they already look at your beautiful image in the dead of night, as I sleep? Every day is as dark as night until I get to see you again, and every night is as bright as day when I see you in my dreams.


Above is the translated version. “Every day is as dark as night until I get to see you”. A clear plea for God. Can you imagine how empty and cold a life without God must be? Maybe Shakespeare had a friend who was going through a religious struggle and wrote the sonnet for them to open their eyes. Maybe he himself was struggling and wrote this to remind himself that God is before worldly things. “Every night is as bright as day when I see you in my dreams.” Maybe Shakespeare’s beliefs were not accepted around him- maybe he felt that he had to shelter himself.

Being he was a famous playwright, he had to appeal to many audiences. Maybe he disguised his sonnets to look like love poems, when they were indeed about his deep relationship with God that he didn’t want to show off. That is why he had to go through his days with a mask on, in the dark until at night he was alone and could pray freely without being judged by the public.

What do you think? Do you agree, or do you have your own opinion? Let me know.

Maddie

The Best Things About Owning a Dog

This post is going to be a little different from some of my other postsas it is going to be a list (of sorts).

1) A dog shows UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. He doesn't care what you do to him (as long as it isn't EXTREMELY bad), he doesn't care what your opinions are OR if you call him names. He will still happily curl up with you when the day is at its end.

2) They are your personal vacuums- you drop a piece of brocoli? They're on it. Knock over a glass of milk? They are at your feet lapping it up. Why waste $50 on a hunk of emotionless plastic when you can adopt a dog that will be your trust companion and personal vacuum for life?

3) Dogs are also wonderful pillows and are great for hugs when you are down. They may drool a little, but when the world seems to shut you out and you feel down, no hug compares to that of your dog's. They are warm, AND, if you've trained them from puppy-hood (like I trained Lucky) they will rest their heads on your shoulder.

4) They are also great for a laugh. If you watch them enough, you'll find that there is no better comedian than your four-legged friend. From sticking their heads into holes in the ground to knocking you on your butt, they always amuse (at least in my opinion).

What are your favorite things about dogs? If I forgot to mention something above, comment below and let me know.

Maddie

Poetry

If Only

If only you had been more careful,

Had stayed away from the killer,

Maybe you'd be here...

Hugging me instead of watching from above

If only you had put down the glass,

Had realized your error and hit bottom,

Maybe you'd be here...

Laughing with us instead of watching from above

If only the mirror had reflected you,

Had shown you your true beauty,

Maybe you'd be here...

Raising me instead of watching from above

If only I had tried harder,

Had prayed that extra prayer...

Maybe you'd be next to me right now,

Instead of standing in heaven's glare.

A Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of the best birthdays I have had in awhile- I got to spend it with my family. We had a great lunch, home made by my grandma: Baked mac and cheese, spinach pie, and steak. Icecream cake was for dessert and the whole meal was accompanied by a wonderful family chat. After eating, Dad, Ashleigh and I went to a park for about 2 hours. Next, the whole family went to see Maze Runner (which, by the way, is an AWESOME movie but very scary) and then I finished my night by chatting with my friends and playing Call of Duty with Dad.

In the end, birthdays aren't about the gifts, or the parties, or the cake, or anything else except for having a great time celebrating your birth and spending time with the ones you love. I definitely did that this year... the whole day was spent with my family and talking with my friends. I spent a lot of time outdoors as it was a beautiful day, I played and watched videos with my sister, and the movie, while EXTREMELY scary, was very good. It was my sister's first time at the movie theater, and she really enjoyed herself. She wasn't noisy and she was relatively still, besides burying herself into me when she got scared of the movie.

At the end of the day, I had a really nice birthday. Nothing big, but a lot of time spent with the people I love, and that's what matters most to me.

Maddie

My Last Post as a 12 year old

That's right: this post is my last post as a 12 year old! I am going to be 13 on Sunday! I honestly can't believe it... I still remember when I was 8. This year seemed to fly by so fast- even some of my closest friends who I have known for YEARS can't believe it. Maybe my being only 5 foot 2 has something to do with it. Oh well. I welcome this new chapter of my life with open arms and I feel like I am prepared for anything life wants to throw at me. Okay, not ANYTHING but MOST things.

In New Hampshire, you can get your permit at 15 and a license at 16. That means only 3 more years and I'll be driving ALONE! I can't believe it. My best friend will be in high school next year, ANOTHER close friend of mine will be driving... I am truly lost for words at how time has gone by. When I was little, I used to always dream about being a teenager and adults would always tell me to enjoy being young, because as you got older the years seemed to go by faster. I never really believed it until now- and OHHH HOW TRUE IT IS.

What are YOU doing this weekend? Let me know in the comments below.

Maddie

Bored Button and Peeling the Onion

Today I got bored while doing math homework and decided to peel the onion a bit. Peeling the onion online is just a metaphor for clicking links on different sites until you get tired. I started by typing in "i am bored" into Google and going from the first or second link. I found a site called "Bored Button" (I'll link at the end of the post) that is basically a simplified version of the site StumbleUpon. From an online toilet paper roll that regenerates to a mind-reading card trick, I found the site quite entertaining and I think my readers will too.

While on the bored button, I found a game where you started as a small dot and had to eat littler dots to grow bigger without being eaten yourself. It strongly reminded me of a game called "Big Fish" that Dad and I used to play when I was little. It's pretty much the same, but with a fish. I used to have such a fun time playing that game with Dad and it flooded back good, happy memories so even though you may run across it on the bored button, here is a direct link to the game, may you create your own happy memories with it :)

It's kind of late right now, so I will leave the post here. Here are the links:

Bored Button: http://www.boredbutton.com
Big Fish: http://www.maniacworld.com/big_fish.htm

Maddie

Back to Baking!

Today I finally got around to updating my baking site! I am going to be posting there weekly now, meaning weekly treats! On occasion I will post tips, or a video, and more regularly recipes. My site is JUST for sweetened and baked goods, so if you are on a diet, this is not the site for you! However, just because YOU can't eat goodies doesn't mean someone else can't- so if you know someone who loves to bake like me, it would mean a lot if you would pass my site on to them.

I also have a store set up through amazon through the site- it features a lot of baking goods and items. Even if you click through to amazon by using my link and then buy something, I would get a small profit from it at no extra cost to you. I just posted a new recipe- peanut butter maple drop cookies. My sister helped me with it and they turned out really good- both of us highly recommend the cookies.

So go check out the site and leave me a comment here OR there! Let me and Ashleigh know what you think. Check it out: www.maddiesbakeshop.weebly.com

Thanks!
Maddie

Site Has Been UPDATED!

I FINALLY got around to updating my site today :) I fixed the poll and got everything sorted out. I fixed the background and all that. PLUS I finally decided what I'm going to be for Halloween! A cannibal. I am wearing normal clothes and taking a plastic butcher knife and wearing a belt of (fake) human fingers around my waist.

On top of that, I am smearing blood around my mouth and on my hands and putting in fake fangs to give myself a creepy look. Pictures to come tomorrow (but not with the blood. that's being saved for Halloween). I am also spray dying my hair grey/white for the night using wash out spray that I find GREAT. It washes out with shampoo and hot water, so there is no need to look freaky all month.

I am keeping this post short.

Good night!

Poetry

The Cry of the Trees

One old tree,

in the middle of the woods,

looked down upon the little trees,

and warned them to do good,

to gaze at every shining star,

and don't take life for granted,

for it was out of faith and luck,

that their seeds were planted,

to be so tall and strong,

but never to brag,

lest your roots be upturned,

and your branches may sag,

to live life to its fullest,

while it's in your grasp,

for a day will come soon,

where you'll lose your clasp,

the woodsman will come,

and he'll chop you away,

and you'll be a mere stump for the rest of your days,

cold in the ground,

roots barely alive,

and that,

little trees,

is why you must be kind.

Dad's Back For Good!

I am SO happy today because last night, Dad got back from New Jersey from his job training- and after 6 weeks of missing him, he's finally back! And not just for the weekend either- his job training is complete and he can now work from home! His work hours are much better than his last job and he will now have a lot more time to spend with me, Ashleigh and Grandma. He only works til 5 now so he gets done before karate usually and then has the rest of the night free to spend with us.

Naturally it will take him some time to settle into his new schedule, but I don't care. As long as we all get some more family time, that is all that counts. It's getting late now, so I am going to keep this post short and sweet and leave my readers with a question: Do you like the amount of time you spend with your family? If not, what can you do to INCREASE that family time? No need to comment if you don't want to, just something to think about.

Maddie

Poetry

Behind the Cover

Don't judge me,

By what you see,

I'm not the top model in the magazine,

so please,

don't judge me by my cover-

To know my story,

look inside,

don't just skim over,

read between the lines,

build up your trust and you might find,

everyone has a secret they try to hide...

with some it's obvious,

while others make you feel oblivious,

to what they hide away from the world,

its full of hurt,

some lose their faith,

and while I've had every opportunity,

I stand strong,

don't run from your troubles, because its wrong,

they'll only catch you in the end,

so don't pretend,

know that everyone's facing their own fight,

you're not alone,

so sleep well tonight.

NightCore

I enjoy listening to music while I do my homework as it gives me better focus. I put most of my music on YouTube, and then I surf links after the song I was listening to finishes. As I was browsing today, I found a song that was "nightcored" and automatically fell in love with the genre. Nightcore songs are usually pop songs that have had their tempo increased and are often pitched and mixed with techno music. After listening to the first song, I looked up a few songs I knew to see if they had been nightcored as well, and I actually found an entire playlist of nightcore songs!

Most times, nightcore songs are paired up with anime images and have lyrics with them. I like the change of beat a lot, and nightcore really improved some songs that previously were only mediocre. For example, Katy Perry's "Dark Horse". Yea, good song, but after hearing it on the radio 1000+ times you get tired of it. By nightcoring it, it gave it a different sound that was actually enjoyable. You can listen to that song here. My favorite nightcored song is called "Where the Lonely Ones Roam" and you can listen to THAT song here.

One thing that I'll say about nightcore is that it isn't for everyone. You have to really like faster beats and techno/electronic music to like it- if not then I would pass. Also, some of the songs get VERY fast and if it wasn't nightcored properly (many people can do it and they tend to make it to what THEY think sounds good) then it can sound more like Alvin and the Chipmunks than good nightcore.

So, if you went and listened to some nightcore, what was your favorite song? Leave me a link in the comments below and I'll check it out if I haven't heard it already. If you tried nightcore but didn't like it, tell me why and what your favorite genre is!

Maddie

PS: One more good song to check out! I can't help myself! Shatter Me

Appreciating the Tiny Things

For those who don't know, I have a pet toad that I caught in my yard. To keep him alive, I feed him crickets (bought at the pet store in the winter). To keep the crickets alive and healthy (and with loads of nutrients so that the toad gets good fibers and minerals), I feed them bits of cooked potato, carrot, and meat. This week I had been neglecting the crickets a bit as I am busy with homework. Today I finally got around to feeding them and it actually touched my heart to see them come scrambling out from underneath the egg carton that serves as their home to eat the bits of potato.

Too often in life we don't stop to enjoy the little things- so today I decided I would try to observe the smaller things in life rather than the big and unnecessary. I enjoyed looking through old FaceBook pictures with my sister, letting her do my hair... I enjoyed having a good hot bowl of soup and the wonderful chat with my grandma and sister... and I look forward to a nice phone call from my Dad later tonight.

I challenge ANYONE WHO READS THIS to spend one day looking for only the small pleasures and treasures in life. If you take time to notice a beautiful sunset, good. If you spend time with your family, awesome! Let me know in the comments what you found in your day, and if it improved your mood in any way. By taking time to notice the tiny things, I found myself a lot happier today.

Maddie

Amish Cinnamon Bread / Friendship Bread

Last week I was given a bag of mix for Amish Cinnamon Bread. Basically it is a bread that you can keep giving out to people as you make it. You start out with a bag that contains regular mix and you have to mush it for 5 days. On the sixth day, you add more ingredients to it and mush it for 5 more days. On the TENTH day, you add more ingredients and then spoon it out into 4 other bags to give away to people. You are left with more batter that you add ingredients to and then bake into two loaves of bread.

You can either keep one of the starting bags or give them away to others. If you keep a bag, you will be making the bread AND giving away at least 3 other bags every ten days. I made them not in the form of loaves but in the form of muffins and then turned out REALLY good. I would leave the recipe but I don't know how to create the starter bag- only the Amish do. Side note: if you give away all you bags then you have to wait to get one back.

I made a basic cream cheese frosting for the muffins and stuffed/decorated them. It was delicious- so if you get one of these bags, don't get rid of them. They may take awhile but the end result is SO worth it.

Maddie

Quotes (Part 3)

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
This quote to me seems more of a life lesson. Do good things for other people with the intention of love and kindness, not expecting to benefit from it at all. If you think about it logically, trees take many, many years to grow, so if you plant one you don’t expect to sit in its shade- in fact, you may already be dead by the time it grows! But plant it with the intention that someone else years later may appreciate it- and sit in its shade.

In life, if you make a large gesture that will not benefit you but others in the future when you are gone, this quote is very relatable. Elizabeth Cady Stanton is a good example of this- she is thought of as a leading activist for women’s rights. She, along with Susan B. Anthony, started the campaign for women to be able to vote. She died 18 years before women were granted the right to legally vote, but she had a HUGE impact on the country- and it is still going on today.

On a smaller scale, your efforts don’t have to be as big to you- even helping out a person who is poor on the side of the street could make a big impact. To you, it may seem small and insignificant to give them a $5 bill, but it could give them food for an extra day. Naturally you don’t expect anything back for your kindness, but your intention was to help the person out.

As children we are taught to be kind to people and to be good and not expect rewards for the good behavior- or at least I was taught that way. Kindness should be a given and all too often it isn’t. I found this short story online (I will leave a footnote) and thought it fit perfectly with the quote.

"Two boys walked down a road that led through a field. The younger of the two noticed a man toiling in the fields of his farm, his good clothes stacked neatly off to the side. The boy looked at his older friend and said, “Let’s hide his shoes so when he comes from the field, he won’t be able to find them. His expression will be priceless!” The boy laughed.

The older of the two boys thought for a moment and said, “The man looks poor. See his clothes? Let’s do this instead: Let’s hide a silver dollar in each shoe and then we’ll hide in these bushes and see how he reacts to that, instead.” The younger companion agreed to the plan and they placed a silver dollar in each shoe and hid behind the bushes. It wasn’t long before the farmer came in from the field, tired and worn. He reached down and pulled on a shoe, immediately feeling the money under his foot.

With the coin now between his fingers, he looked around to see who could have put it in his shoe. But no one was there. He held the dollar in his hand and stared at it in disbelief. Confused, he slid his other foot into his other shoe and felt the second coin. This time, the man was overwhelmed when he removed the second silver dollar from his shoe.

Thinking he was alone, he dropped to his knees and offered a verbal prayer that the boys could easily hear from their hiding place. They heard the poor farmer cry tears of relief and gratitude. He spoke of his sick wife and his boys in need of food. He expressed gratitude for this unexpected bounty from unknown hands. After a time, the boys came out from their hiding place and slowly started their long walk home. They felt good inside, warm, changed somehow knowing the good they had done to a poor farmer in dire straits. A smile crept across their souls.”

Quotes Part 2

“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries and predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” – William Faulkner

I love this quote because I can relate to it. I used to do karate tournaments and I remember being told to go out and look better than my competitors so I could win- and most times I did. However, when I did lose I would always try to replay my form in my head, to look for where I could have gone wrong. The tournaments taught me what this quote says: to not focus on beating others, but to actually work on beating YOURSELF.

Perhaps you have set a goal and you are working hard to reach it, but you keep getting discouraged by people around you who are doing better than you. Don’t set your goal to beat the people in your way, but if you beat them go further. Set your own example so that others have something to work at and so that you have a constant goal trying to beat yourself.

A perfect example of this for me is the game Temple Run. For those of you who don’t know what Temple Run is, it is a game where you are running through a temple and you have to jump, duck, and turn left and right for a long period of time. As the game goes on, your character moves faster. When you die after your first run, you are shown your high score. It is human instinct to want to beat the score and not give up on the game, so I find myself incessantly playing it for almost an hour trying to overcome my score. Sometimes I will compare scores with my friends, but I am more motivated to beat my own score rather than theirs.

I agree with this quote 100%. I think that there is always room for self improvement and that trying to be the best “you” you can be is great. I have a karate test coming up for my 2nd degree black belt- it will test me both mentally and physically and definitely push me to my limits. I know that physically I am ready because my teacher would not put me up for a test if he didn’t think I could complete it, but I am still nervous. I have a lot of mental blocks about it that I need to get rid of- I know that in the test I will be focused completely on myself and being the best I can be.

In the test, it isn’t about beating others. It’s about pushing yourself and being better than you’ve ever been before. It’s about pain and pushing to get what you want- having enough strength to full apply yourself and take what you’ve worked so hard for. And after you’ve gotten your belt? You have the next rank to prepare and strive for. In karate, there are constantly new goals and new challenges- if you look for them.
What are your goals? Do you agree with this quote? Do you think you are currently being the best person you can be, or do you still have challenges to complete?

Maddie

A Girl's Day Out

Sometimes during the week if we aren't too busy, Grandma, Ashleigh and I go out for a "girl's day". These days are a tradition that happen 1-2 times a month and they usually consist of going either to Keene or the mall and shopping in department stores, a lunch out and hysterical and enjoyable conversations between the three of us. Minimal arguing is done unless it is over what skirt looks better on Grandma and it is excellent bonding time for all of us.

Today's trip started out as a trip to the mall to get Grandma a fall jacket and maybe a pair of boots, but after two hours of shopping in Sears, an hour long break for lunch and ANOTHER hour shopping in Macy's, we left with a jacket, shirt and pair of jeans for me and a pair of sneakers and a tree frog toy for my sister. Oh well.... but we had a great time and we tried on SO much stuff. I actually have a mark in between my thumb and forefinger from where I rested the numerous hangers I was carrying.

What's you favorite thing to do with your family? If you're a girl, do you ever have "girl days out" with your friends or family? Let me know in the comments!!!

Maddie