On second thought I'd like to not broadcast this to the whole world...

This year it feels like Christmas came so early that thanksgiving got a little forgotten. So I'm going to take a moment to remember all I'm thankful for.

I am grateful for my family. I am. Even with all the nuts I wish I could shake off, I think I would rather have those than, well, nobody.

I have the best friends ever. Hands down. Even when they drive me absolutely bonkers, even when they yell at me to the point I burst into tears. Even when we're fighting and angry. Even when I feel like they left me out, I am still so grateful to have them. These people know how rotten at the core I am. Mental illness, issues #1-3, candyland, broccoliland, splitting, coping mechanisms. And they still love me. And these few have stuck with me, in the hopes that I would want to get better some day. And now that I do, they are here(with one exception). I feel like I can tell them almost anything. Many people apparently don't have friends as good as these.

I am thankful for my mom. She's not the perfect mom I kept dreaming of, but, I do know she does love me.

I am thankful that I have a grandma who bakes me cookies. I feel so bad for all the poor people who don't have grandmas to make them cookies. They are missing out on a valuable part of life.

I am thankful that I own a computer, and even more thankful that I have a new battery. The old one was getting swollen. My dad said that could potentially explode and destroy my computer. So I'm glad that didn't happen.

I am happy for whoever invented tofurkey. Someone could probably tell me who that was, if they felt like it. I really don't care who did it, unless they're still alive for me to send them a christmas card.

I am thankful that I can read. I don't think I could've survived without it.

I am thankful that I am bilingual. I might not speak Spanish as well as I like, but I can speak it almost fluently. Being Bilingual is truly an advantage, and soon I hope to be trilingual.

I'm thankful for my doll collection/hobby. It has opened up so many doors. My grandma doesn't collect the same type of dolls I do, but it still gives us something to talk about: an added blessing to the other knowledge I gain from it.

I'm so thankful to be at eastern. I'm praying I get to continue staying there, but even if I do not, just for one semester, it was worth it. It was so worth it.

I am thankful for CAMPUS. Probably no one on this earth will ever know how much the organization as a whole has helped me, not to mention the individual people who are a part of that. Thank you.

I wasn't going to mention this, but, what the heck, I'm on a roll. I am thankful for this year's missionaries.

I'm thankful that I can knit. And crochet. And soon I will hopefully even learn to sew something decent.

And, oh yeah, I think about this one often so I feel like I should mention it: I am eternally grateful that I live in a country where I have clean water and food. I don't like a lot of the things my country does. In fact, I've been downright ashamed of it a lot in the past few years. But at least America has food and water. Even though at times it has TOO MUCH food, it's my choice how I handle the overabundance. Not well, most times I'm afraid, but still.

And, I know this is generally more of a christmas thing, but, I am so thankful that Jesus came into our world to die for us. I've been reading the bible lately, particularly the gospels and The Desire of Ages. Really trying to learn to love God. I know we all know it, but it would be good to pause and reflect: Jesus came into this world to become like us and to DIE for us, when we were the ones who made that necessary. Even though we (well, most of us, anyway, and at one point we probably all have) live our lives like we don't care.

So, let's take a moment to thank Jesus for what He's done for us.

Because, think about it. Without Him, we wouldn't have a thanksgiving. We wouldn't have anything to be thankful for.

Help Me

Creative Writing --poems

So, I'm finally getting around to typing this one, which is really the only poem I actually did any work on.

It was based on a news story about this boy who shot his parents. The father was known for being strictly religious, and had actually shot someone before but the charges were dropped. Because the father was religious (note I'm saying religious rather than a christian) he believed in "physical discipline" and we are only now hearing how extensive that "discipline" might have been."

In this case, I think the child shouldn't go to jail, but that's beside the point.

So, that's what I've based this off of. Or, I just wanted to write a really disturbing poem. I'll add my teacher's comments at the end.

A Tribute To The Unnamed Minor

Sitting on the bedpsread
life is full of dread
gives himself the go ahead
life hangs by a thread

not sure what to do instead
wouldn't help to call a fed
nothing's wrong, they all said
they had been misled

In the woodhsed
the boy pled
as blood gushed out his head
and angry words were said
all in the name of the godhead

bullets made of led
find the parents abed
crying, they pled
skin is shred
by bullets of led

blood flows from the parents head
the color is red
the boy's parents are dead
and this is so widespread
because no one would listen to what was said


Teacher's comments: wow! all lines rhyme and yet the ubject matter is so dark--nice juxtaposition. nice imagery.

turns out my teacher really likes disturbing poetry, who knew?

Pictures coming soon...

When I think about it. So far I have done:

1. Made a pot scrubbie out of onion bags.

you cut the bag into strips and sew them together, then crochet it into a circle. My mom actually says she likes it better than the store bought ones, and my friend Jacq thinks it's an awesome way to recycle.

2. Wove my first strip of cloth. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but my friends think it's kinda cool. Speaking of which, I need to give one of them links for instructions..

3. entered a giveaway for a free Kanani at http://www.raveandreview.com/2011/07/american-girl-seattle-grand-opening-review-doll-giveaway.html#comment-6a0105362badb1970b0153908d2a0b970b and hoping I win, because I actually really like Kanani's stories. Not sure how I feel about the doll form though.

Toni's birthday present.....

A sympathy doll. Not sure why one arm turned out to be so much LONGER than the other....Toni said, "it's reaching out." So there I guess is me reaching out to Toni for support. Um, happy birthday?

I'm still learning how to do this so it looks nicer....

But this is another old box of chewing tobacco that I've covered with fabric. These containers are actually really handy. I use one of them for earrings, one for safety pins, and I think I'm currently using another one for beads.

Photostory --Easter Egg Hunt

https://picasaweb.google.com/strawberriesgeteaten/EasterSunday2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvTmeub1KfHAw#5599282288889051970

Ruffle skirt

I got the pattern online. I sewed it by myself without any help. I like the way it turned out. Modeling it for us today is Josefina.

I will mention also that the fancy camisa was made by my mother and given to me as a christmas gift.

Mod podge, box of chewing tobacco, fabric.

It didn't occur to me till now that I could've taken a better picture, but I am really lazy and tired at the moment.

It's also the first one I've done, so it looks a little....not perfect.


This one holds my safety pins.

Some doll pics

I Haven't written the photostory yet, but I took some pictures of other things. Note that my skills are still improving.



The Easter Bunny