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