Oh.... Hi Guys

I think it's this time every year that I get this weird urge to blog, which is kind of funny because it means I could blog for months afterwards, or you won't hear from me again for another year... or three. Who knows. I had 10 comments waiting for moderation, they were all spam. Cool beans. I guess it's been awhile guys.

I think I've changed a lot since the last time I've posted on this blog. A lot of stuff has happened, good and bad.

I miss these kids like you wouldn't believe.

The biggest would have to be my trip Uganda. I think I might have mentioned that I was planning it before I stopped posting, or at least hoping to visit. Well, it happened. How was it? It changed my life, but not in the way that I thought it might.

For some reason before I left I had this big idea that I would go and meet a bunch of new people (which I did) and instantly become an awesome person, and know exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Haha, big surprise, that didn't happen. Aside from the fact that no one is perfect, even the road towards being so is long, not a quick 3 week whirlwind. Uganda did change me though. I went to step (or drastically leap) out of my comfort zone, and it gave me the courage to continually step outside of that comfort zone since I've been back. Job interviews stopped making me nervous. If I can fly half way across the world and live in a completely different culture for 3 weeks all by myself, then I can chat with the owner of a cafe and convince them that they want to hire me.

Apparently I did a pretty good job of it too. I'm working two jobs now. I'm bussing tables at a bakery and cafe. It can be fun. It can make me want to hit someone, but I'm happy there. The customers make me lose hope in humanity by their stupidity, then remind me to keep believing in them when they slip me a five-spot and tell me I gave them outstanding service.

I'm also a Sales Associate at Gymboree. A kids clothing store. I love this job even more. The kids crack me up, my co-workers are awesome, and I've realized it is possible to go clothes shopping without completely ripping a store apart looking for what you want. Really people, it may be my job to refold the stack of shirts, but I can assure you, I have other things to do.

I've lost some people, and I've made new friends. 

My brother is no longer living at home, and I've taken this change harder then I ever thought I would. I haven't exactly "lost" him, but he's not exactly there for me anymore. We haven't always been the best of friends, but I don't feel right not having him around the house when I get home. He made me maddest I've ever been in my life, but he could also make me laugh when nothing else could. His leaving was unexpected, and caused a lot of drama within the family. I'm still trying to forgive him for that, but I miss him more than anything.

I have Uganda to thank for the new friends. I learned to simply relax around people I didn't know, and to be myself. That strangers weren't going to kill me, and that I might actually enjoy hanging out with some of them. It made me realize life is better if you smile and wave to the people who pass you by every day. Your world is brightened, and you just might meet someone who makes a big difference in your life. (I actually haven't made a new friend by just waving at a random person, but it could still happen, right?)

So anyways, I guess I'm done rambling now. I may be back later, maybe not. Either way, glad I stopped in to say hey. Hope ya'll are learning as much as I have been.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. 

Mark Twain was a smart guy. I used to think this quote's only meaning was to drop everything and go travel the world. Maybe that was what he intended for those who heard the words, maybe he simply meant, live the life you have to the fullest. Explore, dream, and discover the life around you. Maybe he meant both.

Either way, I can't really drop everything at the moment, so I've been discovering things at home.

1. Les Miserables is a beautiful book. Victor Hugo is a bit long winded, but it's worth it. 

   2. Expectations can be good, but sometimes they get to high. Then it stings when they fall down again. 

3. Nobody is perfect. Even when you thought they were. 

   4. Books take up a lot of space, the more books you get, the more space you need. (maybe that one was obvious for some peoples) 

5. Forgiveness is good. To give and to receive. 

   6. I'm a bit fonder of Fall then I thought I was. (despite the fact that it means no more summer) 

7. November comes very quickly every year. (NaNoWriMo anyone?) 

   8. Sometimes it's worth fighting for. Sometimes you've just gotta shrug and say "okay." 

9. Marshmallows sooth a sore throat. Happy day. 

10. Change happens. Welcome it with a smile. It makes life easier in the long run. 

What About Now?

I don't remember the last time someone asked me what I was going to do with my life. Aside from myself of course, because if it came down to that, the answer every time would be, five minutes ago.

You remember when we graduated highschool and it was the only thing anyone could talk to you about? What comes next? What amazing talents does this generation have to share with the world? We've given you our everything, now what will you give us?

A year and a half later, they've stopped asking. I guess they got tired of hearing the one answer I could consistently give. I really don't know. What a disappointment.

With another one of those awesome birthdays we all looked forward to from the ages of three to eighteen fast approaching, it's been on my mind a lot lately. What now? Actually, not as much that as, why haven't I done it yet?

The world has been sending me mixed messages. One minute I'm being told that I'm young, now is my chance to do the things I've always dreamed of doing. Now is the chance to see the places I've never thought I'd get the chance to see. "Why not?", is the only question they have for me, when I tell them I can't just leave. Oh, you know,

Family.

Friends.

A job.

People. Mostly people. I can't walk out on them.

"Yeah, that's what held me back too. Don't make the same mistake."

Minute number two has other things to say. Most of them directly contradicting with Minute One, yet explaining to me that Minute One is right. Now is my chance. Wait, what?

My chance for what exactly? I still haven't figured that out.

Have I mentioned Minute Two doesn't make a whole lot of sense?

I work at Safeway. I'm a courtesy clerk, which is a nice way of saying, I bag peoples grocery's, and push carts. My co-workers are awesome.

I've lost count of how many of them have told me to find another job. One of them reminds me rather frequently. "Find something you enjoy doing, because if you can go far here, you'll do even better while you're happy."

I was talking to a friend of mine awhile ago about all of this, and she smiled and said, "it's like a real live coming of age story."

Right, only, where's the climax? At what point do I get hit on the head and come to with the knowledge of everything I've always wanted, and how to achieve it? At one point does everything boil down to the one moment that changes it all?

I guess I know my problem. I've been listening to the world to much. Thinking they're the ones I'm meant to please. Forgetting Who really matters, cause in the end, He's the one I'll be spending eternity with... gosh, and I thought, "the rest of my life" sounded like a long time.

Life Doesn't Have a Mute Button

My one rule in blogging. Only do it when I want to, not when I feel I have to. Unfortunately, sometimes this results in extended periods of time where I type not a single word for you to read. Shame.

Actually, one of the very few reasons I'm back, writing this now, is because of my Sam. You've heard me mention her before. It's not that she's told me repeatedly that I should start blogging again *cough, cough* (she has), it's more the posts I've seen on her own blog recently. Please, go read them. They've inspired me, maybe they'll provide you with the same favor.

Today was one of those days where I just wanted to turn and tell whoever was talking to me to shut up. I wish I could say I would have said it in a nicer way, but truth is, if I'd actually done it, that's exactly how I would have said it. Shut up.

Question. Does adding please to the phrase "shut up" make it any less rude? I feel not.

The weird thing about days like this, for me, is that I'm really not in a bad mood. On the contrary, I could easily describe today as a good day, yet I still just wanted the world around me to be silent. No, not silent, I just wanted the words to stop flowing. From everywhere.

I guess maybe sometimes I overwhelm myself with to many words. To many spoken, to many written, to many to read. They're everywhere, and on days like today, I just don't want them anymore because I can't think anymore. My brain is suffocating. Let me breath. 

I can't though.

You don't have the option of turning words off at work.

You don't have the option of turning words off at home.

You don't have the option of turnings words off with friends.

Turning words off is not an option.

So, on days like today, I bite my tongue, and I nod and smile at the appropriate moments. Well... maybe sometimes I don't always smile.

Today was good. Today I envied the deaf man.

Life

Every once in a while, I go through these phases where I'm thinking about life. I'm guessing that's pretty normal of anyone out there, so it's not like that in itself is anything special. Actually, the thoughts that go through my head aren't really anything special either. I'm sure they've gone through many a head before.

When I say life, I mean my life. My future life, the life that's whirling around me at this moment, and the life I've already gone through. Life. 

Once again, it's nothing special that I often wonder where I'll end up in the next five years, or even the next year. I guess every kid my age probably wonders the same thing from  time to time. Some of us have plans, a lot of us don't. Some of us are filled with confidence. Some of us aren't. It's the way God made us. It's the way He wanted us to be.

I can't believe what has happened in my life as it is. Where I am at the moment, I never saw coming. Where I'll be in the next year? I can't really see that coming either, but God can. He's got it all planned out. I've just got to follow His voice.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. -Philippians 2:13

Okay, I'll push post now before I delete these rambling thoughts.

Puppy Dog Eyes

What happens when you finally work up the courage to ask your parents for that puppy you've been wanting? What happens if they say yes?

Photo by Fin

You'll spend a lot of money, not only on the puppy, but on everything that comes with it.  

Photo by Fin

You'll try to remember what it's like to sleep all the way through the night. 

Photo by Fin

You'll find yourself saying "no, bad dog," repeatedly and wonder if you actually know how to say anything else anymore. 

Photo by Eyebright

You'll suddenly become popular and people will ignore your stand-offish manner. You will find yourself talking to strangers, and hear their "baby talk," voice before ever knowing how they really speak. 

Photo by Fin

Most of all your heart will melt, and you'll fall madly in love with those perfectly imperfect eyes gazing up at you. 

Hi Guys

It's seven minutes away from midnight and I'm writing this post to say that this blog is not dead. Let's just say NaNoWriMo has sucked practically ever intelligible word out of my system. On that note, I reached 50,000 three days before Thanksgiving. Now I've just got to finish the novel.

For those of you sitting around waiting for something to happen on this blog, sit back and get ready. My Sam, Fin and I are working on some crazy stuff. At least, it sounds crazy when you're this tired.

I've also discovered you will laugh an insane amount at this video when you're tired. If you're anything like me that is.

I also must say a hint of steampunk has started to show up in my novel. I am okay with this. In fact, I find it rather enjoyable.

Weakness

I just finished making the cover for The Way We Love. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, despite the complications I had while making it. You all probably want to see it, but you'll have to wait. It'll be on my updated Current Writing Projects page, after NaNo starts.

I'm sitting on Fins bed at the moment, listening to Celtic Thunder. It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since we went and saw them in concert. It was the kickstart to NaNo last year for me. This year I'll be taking a trip to the best bookstore on the face of this earth. Powell's. Books on my list to look for? Oh, you know, the usual. Charles Dickens, Ted Dekker, John Keats, C.S. Lewis... the list goes on. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find one, or two books to lug home with me.

Someone shared a verse with me lately. I love it when that happens.

And he said unto me, "my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I think the world overrates the wrong kind of strong. Who cares if you've got abs. Until you are weak in Him, you will never be truly strong. I think I need to work on that more. Much more.

Gumbo

You know that moment when you realize your blog posts have been fewer to non-excistant in the last three weeks? You feel like you barely have time to sleep, let alone blog.

I wonder if I'll ever get back into the groove of typing out my thoughts in this little box, or if this blog will slip away and become one of the thousands that have been abandoned. Don't worry though, I've got far to many thoughts banging about in my mind to give it up entirely.

While I have forgotten my blogging, it seems others have not. I was given the same award three times. I'm to thank Katie, Mirriam, and Charity for awarding me the Liebster Blog award. I shan't be passing it on, but I'm very flattered for the appreciation you've bestowed upon this speck of speck in the internet world.

For those of you who haven't seen this months Beautiful People post, be sure to check out the new questions, there are some great ones!

I shall end this strange, mash up of a post with this.

Expect a post on them in the future, probably not in the near future, but possibly sometime beyond that. Kudos to those who know who they are.

The Best Antiques Are Old Friends

Everything has been kind of crazy lately. Fin and I have a friend visiting for a few days. Life has been filled with pictures,

and buying awesome old books from antique stores.

Those books would be Kipling: A Selection of His Stories and Poems Volume I & II, and Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle. I love Kipling. I love Robin Hood. 'Nuff said.

I've also been outlining.

Yes. I've finally gotten into it. It helps when both of your friends are also working on outlines. Coffee Shops with inspiring atmospheres also come in handy.

Random Bursts of... Random

Hi. Remember me? I'm the author of this blog. This sadly, rejected blog. I'm actually okay with it though, when I decided to start a blog again I told myself it wasn't going to be a priority. I wasn't going to worry about gaining more followers, or posting regularly. I was just going to write. Strangely enough, I've enjoyed authoring this blog more than any others I've ever written.

Summer has been moving rather quickly for me. I just wanted to post a quick update of what's going on for me.

• My family just got back from a spur of the moment camping trip. Spur of the moment as in, my parents woke up Monday morning with the idea, and we left that afternoon.

• I am now an official homeschool graduate. The party was smashing, even for a crazy introvert like me.

• In two days I'm going to see someone awesome. I haven't seen this someone for two years, which is far to vast a time. Fin and I have a mutual best friend who we just happen to think is crazy amazing. She moved awhile back, but she's coming back to visit. For five days. We've got to make up two years, in five days. Life is about to get crazy.

• Beautiful People is coming. It had totally slipped my mind until today, but never fear! We'll hopefully have a new variety of questions posted soon. Speaking of BP, if you have any suggestions for questions, please feel free to comment on either mine, or Sky's blog letting us know what they are!

• If you're looking for a blog to fall in love with, may I suggest Dancing Again... authored by the beautiful Lynette Kraft. I absolutely love reading about her adventures as a mother of nine. She inspires me to embrace the little things in life.

• I've been meaning to really start outlining for draft 2 of Ash Valley for weeks now, but I think I'm finally really getting ready to start for sure. I've had almost the entire summer to break from serious writing, but I'm ready to get back in the groove. I'm thinking 750words and all. Enough casual, I want to get something done.

Life Has a Pattern

I've noticed events in my life tend to take on a pattern. Luckily it's an easy one. Everything seems to happen at once, and then nothing happens at all for a day, or three, and then everything happens at once again. As exhausting as it sounds, I like it.

The play is finished now. The cast party was a mixture of sad and happy. Saying goodbye to some people I knew I wouldn't see for a while, but enjoying getting together to just hang out for once, instead of having to worry about rehearsals. Epic water fights ensued. Future plays were discussed. Awesomeness abounded.

The next day I executed a plan I had been working on for exactly one week. A surprise birthday party for my dear Fin. She turned 18. Aside from showing up ten minutes late, the plan worked flawlessly. You can read about it HERE.

I've finally reached my few days of rest, which means I had time to read Owl City's latest blog post. Strange, I hadn't realized just how much of an introvert I really am. If you ever have trouble understanding me and my ways, please use this post as a guide line. It fits me perfectly.

For those wondering how my writing is going, the amazing, wonderful, unbelievable Sky finished editing The Way We Think the other day. I have not sent it in for my free proof copy from CreateSpace. Just didn't have the time. As for other writings I haven't been doing anything serious. I keep telling myself as soon as things settle down I need to work on the outline for Ash Valley, but maybe I just need to get myself to do it now.

Even now I can see more of life's events piling up in my future. Some are new, some are exciting, I'm praying all of them will be approached with my heart in Christ Jesus.

I leave you with this video. It has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it does have Dick Van Dyke.

They Call Me a Techie

You know that moment when you look at your blog and realize you haven't posted in over a week... or is it two weeks? I don't really want to look right now.

The reason for my absence is due to a little thing that kind of took over my month of June. It's called a play. We're getting close to opening night, way close. It's tomorrow. In preparation we've had rehearsals every night this week.

We're doing The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and before I'm asked, I'm not actually acting in it. No, I'm part of what's called "the tech crew," and don't mind it a bit. In fact, it's where I prefer to be.

Fin and I will be filming the first three performances. Afterwards we'll be working on getting the footage edited and onto DVD so we'll have it ready for the cast party a week later. Let me just say, as awesome as Final Cut Pro is, it would be really nice if I was suddenly enlightened on how to use it to its fullest extent. I suppose that takes time though... maybe by the time the next play rolls around.

For those who are wondering about Beautiful People, Sky and I will try and have it up soon!

Fly to Jesus

As it is for many people, life has been busy for me. Mostly with wrapping up my high-school education. This year I will go from high-school to my un-school education. Because that's really the only change there will be. I'll still be learning, and in many ways more than I ever did my entire homeschooling experience.

Since I've finished second draft of The Way We Think, I've kind of been taking a break from serious writing. Serious meaning, any of my main works in progress. I've been enjoying the break, but I'm already gearing up to start work on Ash Valley. I've decided, despite my 50k word count, I'm going to completely start from the beginning and re-write the whole thing. I used to think my writer friends were crazy when they did that. Now I totally understand. I may have reached 50,ooo words, but that doesn't mean they're any good.

The biggest problem with Ash Valley has been staying on track, and moving from one plot point to the next promptly. With the re-write I'm going to try a new way of outlining. Who knows if I'll actually use it past the first day, but I would really like to give it a shot in hopes that it'll help me stay on track. Instead of using one of those highfalutin programs with all the fancy features, I'm going to go with a stack of post-it notes and a notebook. It's a bit more simple, and more fitted to my organized chaos kind of style.

I'll end with this. I've been listening to it non-stop lately.

In Which Georgie Feels Bookish

As the weather begins to get warmer, I no longer feel like curling up with a thick book, but sprawling out with one. On my bed, the floor, the freshly mowed lawn. The book nooks of the summer months. I wish I could read all day.

Bookish by GeorgiePenn featuring slim jeans
Sadly, I can't. With graduation looming in the distance, I must keep to my studies. My library pile must remain small for now. Not forever though. No, not forever. Summer is almost here.

Goal Achieved

I finished the second draft of The Way We Think today. My NaNoWriMo novel of 2010. 75,328 words.

I'll be honest and say I'm not as happy with it as I could be. I really don't think I'll ever be 100% satisfied with it. I knew it wouldn't end with draft two when I started draft one, but I'm beginning to understand what people mean when they say the re-writing, and editing never really ends.

That being said, this step is rather exciting for me as it's the furthest I've managed to make it with any of my novels. It's a place I've never been to. A place I'm learning from, as I have from every new step I've made in my writing.

It's a milestone and for the next week I can enjoy this. Then it'll be back to fretting over how I'm going to get this character out of that, phrase those words so they sound just right, and asking Finn "does that sound cliche?"

In Which Georgie Explains Her Absence

If you've been wondering where I've been, let me explain.

My very nice oral surgeon and his cute little cronies caught me off guard and knocked me out the other day. Their reasoning behind this was so that they could brutally rip out my wisdom teeth and fill my mouth with gauze without me ever being the wiser... literally. Unfortunately for them I figured out what happened and sent them a short little note demanding the return of my teeth. As a sick joke they sent me what they called pain pills. Very appropriately named. These white little beauties were just another laugh on their part as they made me rather... uh... nauseated. No doubt if I had continued to take them as they instructed, I would be dead. Thankfully, my dear Fin has experienced the exact same thing and was able to tell me, before it was to late, about the evilness in the pills. Since then I have been slowly recovering which involves a lot of ice cream, pudding, mashed potatoes, and sleep.

So... uh... there you have it. The full... er... story. Eh-hm. Moving on.

I pass on the job of appeasing the thronging fans who have been demanding more from their favorite blogger, to Adam Young. Because old songs, or new, he always makes me want to write music. I give you Owl City.

May his awesome toy room thrill you as much as it does me.

We're Just Us

Given a camera and an entire Saturday with no plans, two best friend's will most likely grab their guitars and shoot some photos.

That is, if those best friends are anything like Fin and I.

Of course, that isn't possible.

Because there is no one like Fin and I.

We're just us.

And that's that.

Just The Facts

Hi. I'm just here to say...

• God is good. Without a doubt.
• The Oregon coast is to beautiful to put into words and inspires like you wouldn't believe.
• Second families can bless you more then you would ever imagine possible.
• Writing song lyrics in giant letters on the beach was added and scratched from my bucket list in one day.
• It is possible to get a book, copyright date 1908, for a dollar.
• Adorable four year old boys on horseback melt my heart.
• Coming home from a trip to find a brand new MacBook Pro on my bed would make my night. Oh wait... it did.