Margaret is Back! ...Maybe??

  I know what I want to say. I sit here, and thoughts come and fade, and the page stays blank. Not for lack of words, but lack of will. Writing poetry, letters, or funny Instagram captions is easy, non-committal, and can be pretty cathartic. Blogging, however, is not.

  Blogging is hard. Sitting on my bed and pouring out my soul in larger fractions, whether funny or serious, is not so therapeutic. It takes more work. There's a lot less image-control that goes on here, lately. But it is far more rewarding. The blogging community has offered me so much, from love, to support, to simply a fresh insight on something I needed to consider from a new angle. It makes me think about what I'm giving back to it. Right now, the answer is not much. 

  That, however, changes from now on. About a month ago, I promised myself not to shut off any outlet that added something positive to my life, any muscle I could strengthen that both myself and others could reap the benefits from. I put effort into some outlets, but have let others slip, like this one. However, this blogging thing is not a slippery slope. All it takes to blow the dust off and get going again is a few simple clicks and an empty document. The control is there for me to take. 

 But I haven't felt so much like taking control of late. Actually, the past few months have been the craziest series of completely out-of-control events I think I've ever experienced. But it's okay. I'm learning to believe God when He says that things happen for a reason, and understand that while a few of my feelings have been stepped on and a few new realities are now on my horizon, I am not broken. I am quite the opposite of broken. I think maybe I'm dusting myself off along with this website. 

  I have a problem, though. I can't blog the way I used to. I almost didn't sit down to post tonight, because I don't feel like I have anything funny to say, or anything that sounds remotely like something someone would want to hear at all. And I learned something: I am a different person than I was back in June. Or October. Or even last week. I can't go back to where I was, because I don't fit there anymore. As Caitlyn said to me while speaking on a completely-different-but-rather-related subject, as we change, we have to find new holes, new homes. If we try to go back to our old hole, we find that we are differently shaped now, and don't really fit at all. I suppose I'm out looking for my new hole. 

  What this does not mean: That there will never be a funny sentence from the mouth (or pen) ((or keyboard)) of Margaret Carpenter again. Of all the things I do not intend to do, sitting around and moping long past moping's expiration date is at the top of the list. Like I said earlier, I want to get back up and in this race of Life. I'm rediscovering that I'm still a worthy competitor. But getting back up may look a lot like this, a few more muddled, vague, distracted posts from me while I'm trying to find my voice. 

  Guys, I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that I still have a voice. That I still have something to offer. That God has not created me to be faced by one set of formidable struggles and be defeated forever. That the very fact that I am alive adds meaning to the world. How crazy is that? I haven't found everything I'm looking for yet. But I believe with all my heart that that is the very essence of our time here on Earth - the idea of always searching, always reaching, always running for what is almost attainable but barely out of our grasp. It proves that what we're after is something maybe a little bigger than what we see with our eyes. I like the idea of looking beyond the available world, because I believe all true meaning is found in that place outside - of our comfort zones, our biases, our tastes, what we think the world should look like. 

  After all of that, I have one thing to say: Guys, I'm back. And as cheesy as it sounds, (and is, sheesh) it's good to be home. 

~Margaret

Happy Birthday

Today is October 12th, and this blog is officially one year old. I don't have the wherewithal at this point in time to put into words, as I would like to, how grateful I am to all of you who have offered me encouragement and uplifting words over the past twelve months. You guys brighten my days, and I am thankful for each one of you.

~Margaret

On the Brink of Something Bigger

I'm taking a moment from the frantic whirlwind around me - frantic because I'm leaving for the nation of Haiti in less than 13 hours, and though I should have begun packing roughly three days ago, the first time I even considered what I needed to take was.... about six hours ago.

This being my third trip to this tiny Caribbean country, I think I've got the packing list down, but the mental preparation is a bit more daunting. Here I am, little American girl with suitcase in hand, standing right on the edge of something so much greater than I. I recognize the spectrum of emotions I always feel before this journey. Anticipation, concern, excitement, and a dose of apathy as well. These are the polar opposites of the ones I feel coming back, which range from sorrow and joy to absolute, total disgust.

Why?

Because every time I go I learn to love new souls. Every time God spreads His light a little further into the darkened box of humanity that is the island of Hispaniola. Every time I see just how much I could do without and just how willing I am to do without it if it means just one day longer with these children, these precious, precious children. Because I know that when I leave them, I will inevitably at some point not cry every night for their poor, starving bellies and their empty eyes. And it breaks my heart that every year I would be so able to underestimate the human's ability to forget. And every time I say, "Not this year."

Today Is the Day

Good morning, friends. Wherever you are in the world today, whether it be 2:00a.m. or 7:00 or 9:00 at night, I wish a good day on you all *waves wand*

This is, to date, my fourth attempt at blogging over the past two months. I think I reached the point where I was getting out of my blog exactly what I put into it, and neither of those levels were where I ever wanted to be.
  So, I stepped back. Tried to learn how to blog again. Over the past weeks I have been voraciously reading my favourite writers on the Internet (some of whom inspired me to create this blog in the first place) and trying to figure out what went wrong. Ultimately, the issue was just what I said above. I was hoping that the little effort I put in would result in a satisfying outcome.

Guys, when does that ever work?

I was watching an interview a couple weeks ago with the lead of the band Switchfoot, and the interviewer asked him if he thought the band would be different without one of the band members. I was gearing myself up for a typical "Of course! We couldn't be the band we are today without ___!", but Jon doesn't really give typical answers, so he responded that yes, the band would look drastically different, because everything in our lives bears significance and everything will impact us in some way and change who we are as people.
  I was grateful for that answer. Because I think so much of the time I am content to let the little things fly past or fall down without giving them a second thought. But really, who would you be if you hadn't lived the life you have up to this point?

The Coffey Grounds

I went to a gorgeous spot of land today with Caitlyn and Claire.

And when I say gorgeous, I mean this veritable Paradise-on-Earth

I mean

Much wow, right?

This random plant thing (photo creds: Claire ;)

And Baby Jack, all grown up now, and quite popular with the ladies;)

~Margaret

Excuses, Excuses

Hello, all two of my readers! This is just a quick apology. I realise that I am ridiculously off-schedule and I also have a few posts backed up in Drafts waiting for finishing touches and whew there's so much time and so little to do- wait. Scratch that. Reverse it. Thank you.

Life has been weird lately. And I know how much like an excuse that sounds and it is. I'm making an excuse. But I feel like I have so much to write about and only so much that my brain can stand to let out sanely. I've been doing some major reconsideration about this blog lately and where I want it to go. I'm sure you guys are sick of my blogger drama by now, but this place is my outlet. I just think that this particular outlet needs some upgrading.

So no, I'm not in any way leaving or going on haitus. Actually, I guess I kind of am. I'm going to North Carolina for a week, to a camp there. So if any of you creepy readers out there are going to the Wilds this week, make sure and say hey;)

My goal for this week is to come back revitalized and reinvigorated. I love you guys. I want to make sure that I'm putting the time and effort into this website to make it worth your time. You have been so encouraging and uplifting to me, and if anything, I want to do the same for you. So au revoir, dear interneters, until we meet again.


~Margaret

The May Roundup

Hello all of you livers of life!!

I have some exciting non-book related news that several of you probably relate to now that school is out for the year... I'm a high school senior! Like a real, breathing, done-with-the-junior-year, hasn't-died-from-school-yet senior!
Other exciting news that probably is more awesome for me than for you: I'm getting a new computer! After my old one went AWOL on me, it severely dampened my creative juices, because though I could still write, all of my research, plotting, everything I had written of both The Peasant and Lorelei was on that computer. Fortunately, it came alive long enough for me to transfer all of that onto another computer, so all is not lost.

Enough unscheduledness. Let's get to the order of the day: monthly reading!!

This month is rather odd in that you will see no Shakespeare on the list. Shocking, right, for a nerd like me? But with end-of-the-school-year cramming, I found that a lot of my normal reading got left behind...

Comfort Foods and Favourite Authors

"If one had not experienced it, it would be hard to understand how a dead man out of a book can be almost a member of one's own family circle." -C.S. Lewis, to his brother Warren  

Recently I've been thinking about a particular question, one I've been asked far too often. "Who is your favourite author?"

  Now I suppose this question is not at all unreasonable, you could only expect that someone who loves reading would have at least one author they preferred above the rest. 

  The problem for me is, there just seem to me to be so many types of favourites. For instance, if I said algebra was my favourite education subject of all time, I would probably be lying. Why? Because it's too vague a question. But if I said that algebra was my favourite subject which dealt with improving my logic and helping me to think more analytically, it would be truth. 

  In something of the same way, every author resonates with his audience differently. They leave an indelible impression on their readers, whether it be of a particular character or place, a message, or just an overall feeling. 

With all of the random thoughts that I spend so much time developing, you'd probably get the impression that I have way too much free time on my hands. Wrong. I have no control over this. If my brain decides that it's going to categorize the types of authors and their written works, so help it, it's going to. So please try not to be too fed up by this post. I tried to stop it. *dramatic music*

Liebster Blog Award

So yesterday, I found to my surprise that I had been awarded the Liebster Blog Award by Ashley and Megan over on their blogs. Thank you, guys=)

I have actually done this before on a previous blog (no, it is entirely off the web now, thank you very much) and the memory of it, like most things from my past, is embarrassing. But, it's nothing to be ashamed of, so here I am, ready to change my opinion of it and my blogging skills today!

First, the rules:

-Thank and link back to the person who nominated you (thanks again, Megan and Ashley!;)
-List 11 facts about yourself
-Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
-Nominate 9 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers (you can't nominate the person who nominated you)
-Ask them 11 questions
-Let them know about the nomination

The April Roundup

Hello Bloggers, Readers, and casual Internet-Goers!! I'm back once more to discuss my embarrassingly compulsive hobby, which you obligingly listen to every month. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you just skip these posts. Hmm.

I started the month with The King's Fifth, by Scott O'Dell. I suppose you could call this a sequel of sorts to the novel Zia, which I read last month. It involves a few of the same characters, namely Zia herself, but it is telling the story of a young cartographer by the name of Esteban de Sandoval, who travels with a group of Spaniards searching for mythical treasure of ancient Native Americans. It's compelling in its simplicity, you see the motives of the other men and you know what they will do to get what they want. The interesting part is watching Esteban's character evolve to a point where he begins to make decisions he wouldn't have at the beginning.

Happy Birthday to the Bard

Hello Blogosphere!! Welcome to another instance of I should have posted this yesterday.

To provide a little context to this post, I love writing in iambic pentameter. I'm a terrible poet, (though it doesn't stop me from trying) but I have a fascination with this form of verse. Perhaps it is simply because it was Shakespeare's preferred style, but I believe there's something beyond that. I love the way it reads and the way it sounds when read out loud. How at first glance it would look like normal prose or dialogue, but there's a distinct undercurrent of rhythm beneath the words. I love it.
  So, I write a lot of it. And probably not well at all.
So last night, (being Shakespeare's 450th birthday anniversary) I was thinking about the way I write it and the feeble way in which writers can attempt to emulate Shakespeare, but are always sure to fail quite miserably. It kind of made me laugh, because I think we can get so caught up in imitating an author or a distinct style, that we lose all originality that was ever ours. So this is what came out of it, a humble attempt to make fun of myself. Again.

(I don't really have a good name for this post)

Good Morning!! This has been a pretty great week. I'm still sick and that's no fun, but I've been reading great books, spent a lot of time with friends, and went to training for my new job!! Of course, being sick is not optimal, but it's ruined enough of my weeks this year, and I am stubbornly refusing it any more x)

Being a Christian at Easter-time means a lot of things. This is, to me, the most meaningful celebration of the year, because it represents the time that, not only did Jesus come alive again, but the way was paved for my eventual spiritual birth as well. It's a time to ponder the fact that if Jesus did not die, sacrificing all, nothing about my life would be the same. So it follows that this would be a time of rejoicing in my life, as well as a time of sorrow and realization of the great torture that was borne for me. Kinda puts you in the mood.
  My pastor has been preaching for the last few Sunday evenings on the events leading up to the Cross. On the 6th, his topic was the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus's trial before Pilate, which I have heard and read for myself countless times. But something about the trial really came alive for me that night. I could envision it as I have never been able to before. These were real men, real words spoken. When I got home, I had to write it down before I forgot. This is what I'm presenting before you today. It may not be any good - actually, it's probably not. But it'll give you an idea of what was going on in my head, as far as I could express it with words.

The March Roundup

Hey guys!! Today - errr, tonight rather - I once again put before you my humble reading list from the past month. I'm sorry that it's coming at you late, as usual. I've been (and still am) abominably sick the past week, and haven't been thinking about posting a bit, quite honestly. It's a wonder this post is here at all. But I did have the mental concentration to start NaPoWriMo on the right day.(namely, yesterday) It's the same as NaNoWriMo, for those of you more familiar with that, except it requires you to write one poem every day, rather than a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Now I am probably the worst poet in the world, which means none of those poems will ever make it to this blog. But, I did feel like it was good practice, and writing verse often puts me into the right sort of pensive mood for writing. So I said to myself, "Why not?" Also Caitlyn's doing it, and she's posting her work, so check it out!! She's already a fairly established poet, and much, much, MUCH better at it than I.

Anyways, I read surprisingly fewer books this month than I have the two previous months, so it was by a very small margin that I actually stayed on course for the rest of the year. And the books? Here they are.

I Don't Want Adventure

I don't want adventure. I need it. I love my life of figures and equations, where each number fits into its place with no drama or fuss. It is safe. I am content.

But that is not life. Life is mad and uncertain, where hearts are broken and spirits are enthralled by the pure, intoxicating joy of living. Where you are not a figure or a number, and you may never know for certain if you are the solution or the problem. Where you take risks and mostly fail, but get up again because you can't help yourself. Where you are never in control and don't always like the plot-twists. But you learn. You learn to love deeply and wildly, to be angry briefly and to forgive freely. To find joy in the sunrises and shooting stars, and peace in the gentle rhythms of rain. To emote freely and to speak without reservation or fear. To accept that memories will always last, even the painful ones.

A life of adventure isn't easy. But the alternative isn't living at all, merely existing. And I can't promise to always be okay, but I refuse to look back and see that I only lived in the black and white, when I could have been living in the rainbow.



~Margaret

The Longest Day

I know the thought going through your mind right now. This is either a long and boring critique of a well-known war film, or she's trying to be funny by making a reference to ancient pop culture that applies to something in her own repertoire of experience. I am glad to inform you that this post falls under the latter option, and that whether or not you wish to hear, you are about to learn of my run-in with what I like to call: The Very Long Day. Rather impressive, isn't it?

I'm going to recount my experience with the use of italics, because it's more dramatic.

March 18, 2014. 4:39a.m.
I stumble out of bed, half-awake and bleary-eyed, with my coordination skills still asleep. After some hasty make-up application, I climbed into the car with Faith, Claire, and my parents, who were looking remarkably awake for it not being morning. It was a little after 5:00. 

5:45a.m.
We arrive at the hospital. After an unremarkable elevator ride, we walked down a corridor to stand before double doors, locked. Dad picked up the phone on the wall and said, with all the calm of past experience, "Stephaney Carpenter is here to have a baby." 

The February Roundup

I actually didn't realise until just now that I had promised to do this post on the last day of February instead of the first day of March. Which (1. Makes a lot more sense than the way I thought it was and (2. Makes me two days late with this post, instead of just one. Not that that seems to affect me much.

It's kind of ironic, actually. I ended up reading exactly the same amount of books this month as I did last month. Which I guess is kinda impressive, because February has WAY less days than January. Like, three less days.
  Speaking of which, if someone was borne on the 29th of February in a leap year, what day is their birthday on on all the other years?

  Anyways. This month has been insane, and only partly because I read way too many books and my computer has all but prepared itself for cremation. Fortunately, some of the craziness is genuinely exciting at the same time as being intimidating and scary. (We just started the process to adopt a child from China!! Well, my parents did;) In fact, there's been so much going on that I am surprised I found time to read at all. Which, you know, explains why I ended up reading a ton. #LOGIC

The January Roundup

Hello all fellow Bloggers and Blogreaders alike!! Today is the last day of the month, and as I promised before, the last day of the month post is a roundup of the books I've read during said month;)

I'm pretty sure I already covered the first few in a previous post. (which I will link to when I get on something other than my iDevice ;) 

So!! Taking up where I left off, we'll start with:

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brönte. I love this book. It never gets old. Seriously. Read it. 

Contending For Our All, by John Piper. This is the fourth in a series called the Swans Are Not Silent. I was assigned this series for school, and it was the best thing ever. These books have brought about a sort of personal revival in my own spiritual life. I can't give a higher recommendation;)

Something I Have Not Done That Most People Have

Guyyyyyyyyysssssssssss guess what!!! My computer's fixed!!! I'm using it right now as I type this post!! As you can probably imagine, my exuberance is unbounded. (that just means that I'm really, really happy;) Also, I went to the library (aka Heaven to my friends who know me well xP) AAAAND Taco Bell. It's been a good day.

..Which is what I needed since I finished reading Les Miserables yesterday. Which is what I will need when I finish A Series of Unfortunate Events again. Which is what I needed several years ago when I read the Count of Monte Christo.
  While we're at it, why don't we just change this post to "Things I have done that most people haven't"??
Just kidding. The ratio of things I have done to things other people have done is like 6:3900.

So, let's begin the list.

1. I have never seen Twilight
2. I have never had my own bedroom
3. I have never been to public school
4. I have never been on Facebook
5. I have never petted an alpaca

I think that's the end of my list!! Have a nice day=)


~Margaret

A regret

Today, I am supposed to talk intellectually and concisely about something I regret not doing in the last year. Actually, it never said that. I'm just reading between the proverbial lines. 

I think this is an important topic, because it says a lot about the character of the person who speaks on it. If it's something stupid, that person is either shallow or a comedian. If it is deep and heartfelt, that person may have something to them. Heaven knows what your opinion will be of me by the end of this post.

It's actually a difficult question, because if it were narrowed down to this past day, rather than this past year, it would be a much more limited scope and therefore much easier to answer. Alas, it is a year, not a day. But Rome was not built in a day. (just nod knowingly. That's what I do whenever my brain turns off and I continue to speak)

Aha! My brain is still on. And with all of my wits about me, I am fully fit to answer the question at hand. 

Blogosphere, my greatest regret of the past year is not having eaten more pizza.

~Margaret

My Relationship With Food

Is this seriously something on the list??? I- well.....

Yeah. Food and I are pretty serious. If I could, I would insert a badly-photoshopped picture of me and a hamburger making a heart with our hands. But alas, I am not photo-editing savvy. Here is an accurate picture modelling two other people:

 

Also illustrating my naiveté and Food's inevitable betrayal.

Sometime in the Future:

Food: Mwahahahaha!!!!

Me: Agh!! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!!

~Margaret

Someone I Want to Meet

Hannah, because I haven't seen her since New Year's.

Someone I Miss

Every time a topic such as this is brought up, I can't help but feel a momentary (at least) sense of loss. Who doesn't? It is in our nature to love deeply, and when the people who we have formed these kinds of bonds with are not with us, we inevitably miss them.

But it's also a happy day, for though I'm taking about someone who I miss very much and wish very much to see, I also love her very much, and look forward to the day (less than 8 months!) that I get to see her again.

This is Lunevia. She is a beautiful, radiant, funny Haitian girl. I first met her in 2012, on my first trip to Haiti. That was a very interesting trip, and I ended up with a rather odd set of memories, most of which did not include which unusual Haitian name went with each beautiful Haitian child. I do, however, have a thing for faces, and I remembered many more children than I thought I would when I returned to that village one year later. But, I can't remember names worth a flip, which proved rather awkward when they came up to you, grabbed your hand, and asked you their favourite question:

"You remember me? You remember my name?" to which I made the sheepish reply, "Nooooo..." :/ This past trip, I uttered a short fervent prayer that God would somehow grant my unwieldy brain the ability of retention! Lo and behold, He did!

I perceive that I have strayed from my original topic. I could rattle on for hours.

But Lunevia, though I adored all of the children there, is one of the most special to me. She was a hoot! She came with a new hairstyle every day, (though in the picture it is neatly plaited in cornrows) and one day she had six-inch plaits that stuck out from the back of her head!!

Every Haitian child, when they're around you, will cling to you. They hold your hand. They play with your hair. They pull on your clothes, and sometimes try to pull things out of your pockets! Lunevia, with a few of the others, was different. We saw hundreds of children, but these children, only a few of the hundreds, came back with startling regularity. It was truly delightful to see them, not only because we had not seen them in such a long time, but because they had unique, wonderful personalities all their own!!

Lunevia is one of the few privileged children who has the opportunity to access a decent education. The ministry we are guests of during our stays in Haiti runs a school, where generous sponsors can donate small sums to give these children food for the body and the mind. There are so many left. So many who will never have that chance for mental freedom. The percent of illiterate children and adults is very high, and it's truly heartbreaking, none less for me, who is a voracious reader and has been blessed with practically unlimited books to my disposal. There is so much I want to do for these people, and seemingly minuscule resources.

Sorry. Doing it again x) I told you, I can get side-tracked for hours.

But I wholeheartedly do want to help these people. They are delightful people with many delightful customs, though, due to the voodooism that is prevalent in that society, some are not so delightful.

I do always leave the country, while sad, with an indescribably sense of gratefulness. Sure, I miss them, all the people there that I love to pieces. But it's because of that that I feel so blessed. Blessed to have met these beautiful people, who are so worth every moment of longing for them.

They're so worth missing.

~Margaret

5 Things on My Bucketlist

I must apologise for my negligence to post. I could make any number of excuses, i.e. my computer still isn't among the living, school started back on Monday, etc, etc, etc. But I won't. I just did, but I won't.

Today is a rather interesting one, though, because I am directed to list 10 things on my bucketlist. I am using the ever-helpful "bucketlist edits" to list these, as they are mostly self-explanatory, and I'm watch Little Women and am loathe to part from it for any span of time;)

I give you: A Small Assortment of My Hopes, Dreams, and Plans.

Yes. Just yes.

This would be suuuuuper epic.

=D

We would sing "One Day More" from Les Misérables.

I cannot express in words how much I utterly desire this. I can't help but wish that for this sole reason I had been born in 17th century Europe.....x)

That about wraps it up!! Thank you for masking your disdain for my irregular habits. After all, "it's a personality quirk!" xD

~Margaret

Weather Balloons

Day 10: the weather. To quote Gru, the super villain:

Wow. Theese is garbage! You actually like theese?

Probably the most boring topic they could have picked. After all, who wants to hear about the weather?? Anything is more interesting than the weather! Even weather balloons are more interesting than the weather!!  Hey, that's an idea!! It's not like I haven't altered ever other day of this challenge so far!! Lemme just go change the post title... There! Maybe I should start over...... 

Hello!! Today's post was sadly hijacked by another post of superior quality. Therefore, today's actual post will now be on the topic of weather balloons, which are fascinating in the history of meteorology and the science of All. Things. Balloon. 

First, for a short historical lesson.

Balloons were first utilised for tracking and studying weather in 1896 by a French scientist named Léon Teisserenc de Bort. He sent off hundreds of them. It was super cool. Since then, the materials used to create them and the instruments attached to them have only grown more sophisticated. They are primarily used to track atmospheric pressure, wind speed, temperature, and a buncha other stuff. All of which is also super cool.

Now for some visual aid:

This is a vintage weather balloon.

This is also a vintage weather balloon.

This is a modern weather balloon.

This is a person who is either attempting to himself be a weather balloon, or is impersonating the house from Up.

This concludes our lecture. On behalf of our whole staff, we heartily thank you for taking a few moments from your day to study the marvels of one of Science's greatest tools: the Weather Balloon.

~Margaret C. and Staff

My Favourite Thing to Do

So I'm mad. I wrote a whole long post yesterday about multiple things that I hope to do in the future, full of resplendent images and witty comments. I was using the Blogger app, (because my computer is not yet fixed) and when I pressed "Publish," I had every inclination to believe that it had done so.

It didn't. that's why I'm mad. I was FaceTiming Caitlyn this afternoon, and our blogs came up in conversation as they often do, and I got on mine to check something. You can imagine my audible and violent despair, and also Caitlyn's questioning but unperturbed confusion when I found that it had not published, as I had originally believed.

So I'm sorry. The post has disappeared. And it seems rather useless to try to replicate it and post it a day late.

Which brings me to the reason for this post: Blogging on time, on the exact day on which I am supposed to. Also my favourite thing to do at the moment, (which is probably griping about missing blog posts) but mostly blogging on the right day. Please just give me a minute to bask in this accomplishment.

Three Things I Like About Myself

Today is Day Five. Caitlyn tried to convince me that I must start at Day One, but alas, she was outvoted. By myself, namely. After all, I hold the authorship of the blog and the copyright. 

Just kidding. No copyright.

But today is a very special day, because I get to brag on myself. Actually, I do that every day, so it's not that unusual. I'm just widening the audience.

  I have to list three things I like about myself. (I'm gonna go ahead and take the opportunity to say that I'm using the Blogger app for the first time, and I really don't know how it will work) Problem here is, I don't know exactly what there is about myself to praise. Give me a moment whilst I confer with my sister.

.............................

.............

........................

According to my sister, I am wry good at being stupid. I'm going to try another one.

(These are entirely from my sisters, and the post would be more aptly named, "Three Things My Sister Likes About Myself")

1. I am, and will in the future be a good counsellor. I must admit that multiple people have told me this, and while I don't technically believe them, it is rather flattering.

2. I could very easily create a line of popular, award-winning shoes. I really don't know what to do with this information. 

3. Faith: Ummm... Do that you are a fabulous writer.

(That one really did flatter me. Behold, the praise of sisters is sweet.)

I could add more of their suggestions, (i.e. I could be a model, I can read, etc.) but for my own time's sake. I shall stop here. Tell me in the comments, what's something you like about yourself? Don't be afraid to brag on yourself a little!!;)

~Margaret

The Book Jar

Recently, a few preteen/teenage girls (my sisters and I) created what has been called the "Book Jar." Actually, I named it, with all the wit and clarity I could muster. I'm sure you've seen this idea before. It is simply writing the title of each book you finish and putting it in a jar. At the end of the year, you have a jar full of your accomplishments! I was super fortunate to have one of those awesome old blue canning jars, and I made my slips of paper out of blue, green, and brown patterned scrapbooking paper. I may end up doing a little more embellishing, it all depends on the mood I'm in x)

30 Day Writing Challenge

Good morning/afternoon/evening/wee hours of the morning to all of my beautiful followers!!! I am fully aware of the dispassionate manner in which I have been ignoring this blog as of late, but with the New Year came a fresh determination to not only write more, but to blog more, and post more material for you readers. I was rather stymied, though, by the uncertainty of what to write. It seems a common practice with me.

  But never fear, for my darling friend Caitlyn over at Isabela informed me recently that she was doing a thirty-day writing challenge, and encouraged me to join her in the effort. (okay, so I begged her to let me copy her x) Here it is, the writing challenge I most certainly intend to accomplish: