The Unwanted Wedding Part III

The Queen then came to the suite to look her daughter over and approve of her appearance.
"Oh, Sweety!  You look fabulous.  That dress is amazing." She chattered on.  "My wedding was a blissful day.  As you know, my marriage was arranged, and I hardly knew your father, but he was dreadfully handsome."

The Princess sighed.  As stated earlier, she had had no such luck, and her betrothed was only attractive if you closed your eyes and plugged your ears because even his voice was ugly.

"...nervous, my gown was too tight, and my mother chatted on and on.  Looking back, I think she was just as nervous as I was.  I mean, her only daughter was getting married, and such.  Are you following me, Darling?"

She stopped her chatting long enough for the Princess to nod her head, and then continued her monologue.

"As you know, my dear sister Gardensia had already died of the plague, so I was the only daughter left for my mother to dress up and marry off. Marcus, my bro..."

The Princess noticed a page enter the room, and whisper something to one of her ladies in waiting.  The lady gave a quick nod, and shooed the page out of the room.

"...ther married, but my mother didn't get to dress his wife up because she wasn't her daught..."  The lady in waiting cleared her throat, and the queen turned to look at her.

"Your Highness,"  she said with a sweeping bow, "the ceremony is ready, and the king requests that you and the royal Princess come down so that the ceremony might begin."

"Oh!  Hurry up, Darling, this is one thing you don't want to be late for."

The Unwanted Wedding Part II

The princess had looked forward to this day with dread and hatred.  Her mind had wondered on many tracks trying to discover a way to flee her horrid fate, but, to her dismay, her father seemed to be able to read the inner-workings of her mind, and would not let her out of his sight during the day, and at night placed a guard to watch over her room.

The day after the day before the wedding arrived, and the princess was whisked away to special suite to prepare for her unwanted wedding. 

In the suite she found a ridiculous gown with huge sleeves, a mile long train, and enough bows to tie back the hair of all the little lasses in the kingdom.  The princess's ladies in waiting half helped, half forced her into this cumbersome confection.  They put on layers and layers of under-garments, pantaloons, corsets, slips, hoops, camisoles, etc., and then finally the gown was slipped over her head.

When they were finished with her - they had also piled and powdered her hair - she looked like a huge walking marshmallow with arms.

To be continued
~Anna

The Unwanted Wedding

This story shall begin with a, "Once upon a time," fore, as you know, every good story must.  In this tale that I am about to spin, I shall tell of a princess who undergoes a series of bizarre events.

It all begins with a wedding.  The wedding was to take place on the day after the day before the wedding, and on the day after the day before the wedding, the aforementioned princess was to wed a knight.

Now this knight was not a pleasant knight.  Actually, to be honest, this knight was plain old rotten.  He had a horrible temperament, sagging jowls, and a rather disgusting smile.

For obvious reasons, the princess did not choose to marry the knight, but was forced by her father, the king, to marry the knight for some absurd reason having to do with international relations. 

This story shall be continued in later posts.
~Anna

I Challenge Thee: Part 4

Dear Anna,

For not blogging yesterday, your challenge is to write a story from the writing prompt below. The post must be at least five paragraphs long and include some dialog apart from the paragraphs. Good luck! 

~Lindy

 

Halfway

Dear Anna,

I'm assuming that since you didn't blog yesterday that you still don't have internet. Assuming this, I will suspend your writing challenge for missing a day, but don't expect this kind of treatment again.

One word that I can think of that describes my life right now is halfway. It seems to be coming up a good bit. First, October is halfway done. How did that happen!? Next month is November, then December, then the holidays, and then it is 2015! Time flies when you're having fun. However, I think I'm starting to experience that thing that happens to old people when time just flies no matter what you're doing.

Second, I am halfway through this semester. Again, how did that happen! I feel like I just got here two weeks ago. I got the email today telling me to meet with my adviser to talk about next-semester's classes. I always get a rush of nerd-excitement around this time of year. This is the season of textbook purchases, Rate My Professors, and all sorts of nerdiness.

In honor of the halfway theme, here is a wonderful music video from Bon Jovi: Livin' On A Prayer.

On top of all that, it's fall, and fall is beautiful.
Have a wonderful day, my sweet Anna
~Lindy

I'm Off The Grid!!!

Dear Lindy,

I am writing this from the library because our internet is down at home.  Even the 4G on my phone is weak.  We don't know why.  It has been very windy and rainy here so my theory is that something fell on the power tower (That rhymed.  I'm a poet and I didn't know it.) and is blocking our internet.

Needless to say, I have found how much my school depends on internet.  I can not do Chemistry or American Literature.  It is very frustrating because I am already behind in Chemistry, and I was hoping to get caught up this week.

One upside to this down is that I see how little I need the internet for socialization.  I have been able to  keep in touch with all my close friends through texting, phone calls, and - Heaven forbid! - seeing them in person.  It's been a nice break.

Well, since our internet is down, I do not know if I will be able to blog on Friday.  I really, really, REALLY hope our internet is up by then.  But just in case I do go off the grid, don't worry, I just don't have internet.

                                                                                                              ~Anna

My Weekend

This past weekend, I had my apartment to myself. It was glorious!

Now I'm not saying that I don't like my housemates, in fact they are the people who keep me from becoming an internet-obsessed hermit, but there are certain benefits that come with having a place all to yourself. I have compiled a list:

1. You can play your music and movies however loudly you want.
2. You can leave your stuff laying around and no one will get annoyed. 
3. You get some time to yourself, which is nice when you live in a rather small section of land with at least one thousand other people. (It's scary when you see it in writing, and I go to a small school!)

Another thing that made my weekend so amazing was that we had Monday off and I had virtually no homework. How lucky was that! That meant that I got to spend all day Saturday with my dad, and all day Sunday fund-raising at a fall festival with my friends so we can go to Pittsburgh in February. Having Monday off meant sleeping in until almost noon. It was sublime!

One would think that having such an empty weekend would energize someone, but for me it made me tired. Whenever my sleep schedule is messed with (by, like, sleeping in till noon) I become tired. Needless to day, classes today were a struggle, but one that I was happy to bear for the great weekend I had.

By the way, if you are looking for a good band to listen to, check out Twenty One Pilots. They are a cool mix of rap, alternative rock, scream, folk-ish feels, electronic, and thought-provoking lyrics. 

Time Managing Tips From the Least Qualified Person EVER!

Dear Anna,

I am probably not the best qualified person to give advice about time management skills. I am a terrible procrastinator. I almost always put assignments or studying off till the last possible moment. (But let's be real, the internet is usually more interesting than homework anyways.)

However, right now school is a full-time job for both of us. On many forms I have filled out, they have a "Student" option when they ask for your occupation. It is literally considered a job, and one must get the job done. Here are a few things that I have learned that may help you schedule your time.

1. Planners: A planner just might save your life. In there you can make a sort of to-do list for yourself. Write down everything from homework to hangouts, from tests to social engagements. I've been using a little one that Mom won for me in a bingo game last summer, and it is great! It has gotten so beat up from how much I use it. Planners are often pretty cute, too! Mine has motivating little saying in it.
    
   I am hoping to get an hourly planner for 2015, that way I can block out when I have classes, and then fill in the rest of the time with homework sessions, club meetings, and relaxation times.
   
2. Calenders: We have these really cool things now called Smart Phones. I don't know if you've heard of them. They're pretty sweet. I think every single one of them has a calender built in. I use my phone's calender to mark down when things are due, when I'm going away, and when people are coming to visit. It's a good visual and you can even set up alerts so your phone tells you when something is up! (Note: Do not let this device control your life! No matter how wonderful it seems, use your own brain. There is so much more to life than that!)
   
3. Get to know yourself: In all of this, know how you work. You are not going to do yourself any favors by stressing your body and mind out. Learn when you are most alert and motivated and do homework then. Know when you need to take a break. My philosophy is that a well-rested mind with just a little bit of knowledge will do much better than a exhausted mind crammed full with every fact under the sun.

I hope this helped you a little bit. Good luck!

~Lindy

Help!

Hey Lindy,
Sorry I've been such a horrible blogger this week.  I've been pretty busy, and have lacked good time management skills.  Any tips on time management?  I'm having a hard time balancing work, rest, and social time.

We'll Figure It Out Eventually

One of my favorite songs is "Farther Along" by Josh Garrels.

The song talks about how even when we don't know what's going on and we can't understand it, we can take peace in the fact that we'll understand the importance of things latter on. I don't know if that "latter on" is just a few days or years from now. It may even be heaven. 

This song gives me peace. It is comforting and relieving to not need to know everything that is going on. It gives you freedom to say, "I don't know," and to be okay with that. It's a promise that even if we don't figure it out right now, we'll figure it out eventually. ~Lindy

PS. Anna, I think your blog from yesterday was cheating a little bit. I can't do anything about you using one of your papers from school as a blog, but I think it was cheating.

A Healthy Dose of Humility

The large rock stands ominously in front of me.  I put my helmet on, and tie myself into the belay rope.

   “Are you ready?” My belayer, Johanna, asks.

   “Yes,” I respond in a strained voice. I'm really nervous about this climb.

   “Climb on.”  She states.  

    Each year I attend a summer camp.  This summer, the summer of 2013, I am at a local camp's Rock Climbing week.  Right now my group is at a rock called Poles Steeple, and it is the highest climb we have done so far.

    I walk up to the rock wall and inspected it for hand holds and foot holds. I tried climbing this part earlier when no one was watching, and I was not even able to get onto the wall.  Now that everyone is watching, the pressure is even heavier.

    I take a deep breath, and shake my hands out.  I carefully place them on the rock wall and get ready to climb.

    About three feet off the ground there is a substantial foothold, but I cannot stretch far enough to step on it.  I try to position my arms and legs to allow my right foot to reach it.  I can almost get my foot on it.  I try a little a hop, but fall away from the wall.

    My face flushes.  I was afraid this was going to happen.  Everyone else has been able to climb this rock easily, and now I cannot even get off the ground.  

    Focus, Anna, focus  I tell myself.

    I refocus, and try the same move again.  Silly me; if it did not work the first time, why would it work the second time?  Needless to say, It did not work, and I fell away from the wall again.

    “Ugh,” I whisper in frustration.  “What is this?”

    “Why don’t you try leaning off to the side instead of going straight up?”  Zach suggests. I try but leaning off to the side does not help at all.  My frustration is mounting.

    Okay, I thought, I can’t climb here, so I’ll try another spot.

   “I’m going to try over here,” I say.  I walk over to a spot that I know is harder than the first.  I hope I will be able to climb at this spot because it would be confounding to be the only person to not climb this rock.

    I look at the wall in despair.  There are no good footholds or handholds.  I place my hands on the little ledges of rock, and try to put my feet on non-existent footholds.  Once again I slip off.  I back away from the wall, and glare at it.

    Way off the the right of the wall is a section that appears easy to climb.  I turn to Zach and say,

    “I’m going to climb there.”  

    “...Okay,” He says hesitantly.

    I walk over the the spot, and then, without pausing to think, start to climb.  My mind is so flustered with my previous failure that I climb recklessly.  I know I’m safe.  If I fall, the rope will catch me.  Because of this, I do not even worry about falling.

    What I do not realize until later is that I am far to the right of the carabiner at the top of the rock face.  So if I slip - A very likely possibility - I will swing across the face of the rock like a pendulum, possibly scraping my whole body against the rock.

    Thankfully, Zach saw it coming.  While I was climbing, he positioned himself at the foot of the rock so that he could stop me if I fell.  

     In my mindless hurry, I do slip.  

     As I fall, I somehow turn so that my back is facing him.  He puts his hands on my back to slow me down, and my momentum drives us back ten feet.  We end up sitting on the ground, me in front of him.  

    “Oh my word, I’m so sorry.” I mumble as I stand up.  Now not only am I frustrated, I am mortified.  I just swung like a pendulum into my leader.  

    “It’s okay,” He assured me.  “Are you alright?”

    “Yeah,” I mumble as I struggle to detach myself from the rope.  

    “Maybe you should take a break,” he said.  I just nod my head and continue to try to get the rope untied.  I can feel tears stinging around the rims of my eyes.  The knot has gotten very tight.  Finally, I get it untied.  I quickly walk away and take a seat.

    I am upset.  Not only am I upset, I am upset because I am upset.  It bothers me that I got so stressed out about a simple climb.  I should not be fighting away tears simply because I could not climb a rock.

    All of that happened a year ago.  It was hard and stressful, but in retrospect, I learned an important lesson.  I’m not going to be able to do everything.  For the longest time, I thought I was, “The Best”, but I was not.

    Without even knowing it, I was pressuring myself to be better than others, and in my struggle to be better, I started to be prideful.  That pride caused me to look down on others, and to consider myself smarter, stronger, and wiser than I actually was.  That pride did not allow me to learn from my mistakes.  Instead it caused me to look at mistakes as failure.

    After God showed me that pride was getting in the way of greater things, I have been able to work at removing pride from my life.  Do not misunderstand me.  I’m far from being completely humble, but I am now on my way.  God has taken an awful experience, and used it to teach me an important lesson.

    

It's Good to "Struggle"

For some reason humans feel the need to be in control all the time. I don't know why, but we all do it. We want to be on top of what's going on, and it's not okay for anyone to see us struggling. It is viewed as weakness to have a hard time with a situation. 

Now watch this video from Tenth Avenue North; pay special attention to the chorus:

This song tells us that it's okay to have a hard time with something. It's okay to need help. God says, "I got you, and I will never let you go." God will lead us through the hard times, He will give us peace even when the world seems to be falling apart, 

For me, this applies to my walk with God. I grew up in a knowledge-based church. I felt that if I ever had a hard time working something out with God or questioned my faith I was a bad Christian. I felt like I didn't have enough faith for God to accept me. 

That's absolute crap. "[Nothing] can ever separate us from God's love" (Romans 8:38). This song by Tenth Avenue North assures us that struggling is not a bad thing. It is actually a good thing for Christians. Check out Romans 5:3-5:

"3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

For Christians, struggles are what help us to grow, and we should therefore embrace them. We can embrace them because we know that God is with us. He holds, guides, and loves each and every one of us. We just need to accept His grace and forgiveness. When we do that, we can fully experience the freedom that comes with struggle.

Dear Couch

Dear Couch,

You need to take better care of yourself.  You are sagging horribly.  You need to straighten-up.  Your inability to take care of yourself is embarrassing our house.  Sitting there in our living room with your raggedy upholstery and your old fashioned flower print you make the house look sad.

Your center is caving in terribly.  Tall gentlemen and elderly people cannot sit on you because you are so low they can hardly stand up.

In light of all I have said, I suggest that you get a complete makeover; new upholstery, new frame, maybe some plastic surgery.  Until you have found a way to make yourself a respectable part of our living room, you are going to have to leave.

Without Love,

Anna

Dear Anna, II

Dear Anna,

We have both been bad bloggers so far this week. As your punishment, Anna, you must do the challenge that I issued you Saturday, September 27.

It is midterm season for me. That is why this is one of the shortest blogs ever.

For the month of October, I and some of my friends have decided to go vegetarian. It's always been something I was curious in, so I decided to give it a try. So far it hasn't been too hard, but then again I'm only two days in. We'll see how it goes

Sorry for the shortness of the blog, but it is time for me to get back to studying.
Love you bunches!
~Lindy