You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul."

Everyone has their opinions, naturally, and everyone feels the need to make them known, but I am of the opinion that this is a brilliant song(: "Jar of Hearts." Christina Perri. Listen to it. ♥

I'm not really sure what this is about. It's more of a distraction than anything.

Um, hi? I'm really jusit distracting myself right now. My mother is out at the grocery store, and I am waiting for some wonderful food to show up with her before I have my breakfast. (Yes, I am aware that it is 11:30 in the morning. It's a Saturday. Cut me some slack.)

Let me attempt to justify my eating at the hour. Last night I was babysitting until about 11:30 (PM), and then my wonderful sister agreed to stay up with me to watch Mulan (I must explain- I have not seen Mulan since I was about 5. I have since youtubed most of the songs, which I can now sing by heart, but for the life of me I couldn't remember the actual story. We decided this needed remedied. ASAP. Thus, yesterday, my sensational mother went scavenging around about five bijillion video rental stores in an attempt to find said movie. At store five-bijillion-and-one, she found it, and triumphantly brought it home with a smile on her face. I think I have the most amazing mother in the world. Just saying.) Oh goodness, so we finished at about 1:30 this morning, and after that... I had school to attend to. I would STILL be in bed if I hadn't had to work today! Bwaaaahh!!

About Mulan.... Ohhhh, goodness. I seriously think Disney Princess movies are about the greatest things in the entirety of the Universe. Walt Disney would WEEP if he saw what Disney Channel had on air now. I mean, do you really want to compare Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly place to Cinderella and Belle? ...........didn't think so. But I was talking about Mulan. The music is incredible! I mean, Reflection! I'll Make a Man Out of You! Uhhhh, masterpieces? I think yes. But, in so many ways, it's so... messed up! There are jokes in there I definitely didn't catch when I was 5! But that's true of pretty much all the classic Disney movies- they had to keep the adults interested somehow. ;) But Mulan..... ha HA, I guess there were just too many easy set-ups (I mean, girl pretending to be a guy? Hello). Some of the..ahem, references were quite hilarious, aaaactually. And some of them I was like, Uhm, I'm blushing. In a Disney movie. Something is wrong with this picture. What's worse.... we get to the CLIMAX, where Mulan is fighting Big Beast of a Bad Guy on the roof, and it looks hopeless, but you know she has to have a plan, because it would be stupid if she just DIED, and-------- the DVD scratched. Not just a minor little five second delay. Oh no. We couldn't watch the REST OF THE MOVIE. Stupid, stupid rental stores! Ridiculous! I'm going to need serious therapy! Bwaaaah!

And all that to say...... I was up late last night. Well actually, more like this morning. But now, now the food has arrived, and I must help put it in it's proper place. So have a lovely day. Or week. Or life. Yeah, all that. :)

Dear Highschool: Get a life. Or at least give me mine back. Please?

Guess who's baaaaaaack? Yep, you couldn't get rid of me that easily. Where have I been, you may ask? It's at moment like this when I seriously wish I had some epic and mind blowing tale to share. But as it is, High School has been my only captor. Pathetic? Yes. But true nonetheless. I seriously think someone should have given a warning before freshman year, or a handout with something like:

Welcome to High School! Read the following, and consider carefully:

[] Decent grades
[] Adequate sleep
[] Social life

Please choose two.

Even something as subtle as that would have been appreciated! But NO, they just thrust you, unsuspectingly, into a battle of monster essays and mind-numbing social politics. (Before someone sarcastically points this out- Yes, I am home schooled. Yes, I deal with both of the things I mentioned- why would I write about them otherwise?? I do, in fact, have a life.) Why is necessary to know geometry?? I have yet to figure out how it will EVER apply to life. Same for diagramming approximately 42789512347890654290872 sentences in the allotted hour devoted to said torture. When will this apply? To see if the label on my peanut butter jar uses proper sentence structure? ...do I care??? The answer, dear friends, is NAY. Despite this reasonable argument, I am told that these "life skills" will somehow prove useful in life.

Upside to school? Uh.........uh...........uh... hold on, I'm sure there's one somewhere..... just kidding, I know it's only twelve years of straight torture! Just kidding. But seriously. Hm.

I DO, however, enjoy the fact that certain activities which, for reasons unexplained, went into hibernation for the summer, have resurfaced to endow me with happiness. For instance; choir, theatreish-related-things, friends coming back from vacation (it seems more like they're coming back from the dead), sports, etc. Not that I actually do sports. It's just that it's THERE. And I can watch as my friends overrun some helpless and clueless opponent. And laugh. Well, maybe not laugh. *cough* I mean, of course I don't laugh. I'm not cruel.... O:) (And I would like to point out, yet again, for clarification's sake, the fact that I do not play sports is due to personal choice- not the fact that I am home schooled. The coordination issues, along with some meager amount of human respect which God has seen fit to give me, prevent me from taking part in these maiming marathons people call "sports." My [home schooled] little brother, however, has been taking part in pretty much every sport imaginable. And WHO is the awesome sister who gets up at excruciating hours of an otherwise perfectly good SATURDAY morning to watch him play? Me. Oh yeah. You're good. But let me say.... whoever decided to schedule a soccer game for seven in the morning ON A SATURDAY should seriously consider a psychologist. I honestly didn't know that hour even existed on Saturdays. )

Anyway... that's all for now. Because I am hungry. But my hunger is depressing. Why? BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE DAIRY. Excuse me, doctor?? Did I hear right? Certainly not, because dairy happens to be my main food group. Surely, you could not expect me to live without my lifeblood?? Ugh. I mean, I guess if I'm allergic, which he thinks I am, it's probably wisest to avoid said goodness... but STILL. Do you know how hard it is to find something decent (specifically, and dearest to my heart: JUNK FOOD) that doesn't contain some form of dairy? I watch in agony as my friends eat a succulent piece of hot, greasy pizza in front of my face. I brought pretzel-m&ms with me to something or other, checked the ingredient list, and realized, hm, these are not lactard proof (Lactard: lactosely-retarded. This is what my family fondly calls those of us who are lactose-intolerant. It is not meant as a term of offense, I PROMISE, so please don't take any offense by the term). Pitiful. I dispersed the m&ms among my friends, who ate them in front of me, yet again. Did I mention painful? BWaaaaaaaaaaah!! OH dear, this might not be easy. But really, it's not so bad... just no cheese.... no ice cream... no chocolate... no happiness. Actually, that is not entirely true. God was merciful, and I can (and DO) still eat peanut butter- by the spoonful. Heck to the yes. Anyway, I'm really going now! More to come... hopefully, I'm back for awhile this time.

....guess who's alive?? Yeah, I decided I DIDN'T like the whole new blog deal after all. I'm just sticking with this one. Pleeeeeeeeease, come back to me, all my readers!! I pinky promise I will try to be more faithful! And pinky promises are about the most solemn promises a person can make. So yeah. Hi. :D

I think maybe it's a girl thing...

...but I enjoy new-ness. There's shopping. Obviously. I like editing pictures. It's different. And I like to re-arrange by room because I get tired of the old way! AAAAND now, I even have a new blog. I'm completely starting from scratch. New name, everything. I'm not going to be keeping this one up anymore. Soo, if you're interested, chech out "whimsy." =)

I am not dead!!

*headdesk* Yep, it's been awhile since I posted: Life. I shall say no more. But, to give you an idea of the goings on...

I would like to call to mind this picture ▼ At the time, I thought it was epic...

But NOW...... pah, not so much.
I would just like to point out that I am now suffering a cold and swollen knee from taking the latter picture. :] Ohh, the things we do for photography. Because of that winter madness, we have been TRAPPED inside for....... awhile. :P Actually, not THAT long, but enough to get to every one's nerves. Thus, we've learned to entertain ourselves. For myself...... I found a couple sharpies *sneaky gleam in eyes.* Is it just me..... or does anyone else get the severe urge to write everywhere when they have a sharpie in their hand?? Haha, no, I've managed to contain myself.... mostly. Here is my main creation:

Yes, I sharpied ALL of that! And even more, but you can't see it all here.

Yes, I like sharpies.

In other news. . . hm, there's actually not that much! I got to see my two-month old nephew for the first time last weekend!! ohmycrunchygoodness, he is ADORABLE! I can't even put into words how much I love this child! I dubbed him my little peanut m&m!

Peanut m&ms..... are amazing! Probably my new favorite candy, next to blue Sour Patch Straws and Reese's cups! I had them when I watched Avatar in 3D with a bunch of friends awhile ago. Speaking of which... well, it was an interesting movie; very sci-fi. My friend claims that they stole a LOT from Pocahontas, but I'm not too sure about that. Home much you like it just depends on personal taste, I suppose. As does everything. My favorite part was easily the glasses we got!! 3D glasses have come a looong way since the red and blue lenses of not-so-long-ago! ▼

▼◄◄

▼

Yep, that would be moi in the glasses! I actually wore them in public- with no shame whatsoever!!

I realize now that you can see my very unmade bed in the background-if anyone is looking close enough. In my mind, a clean room is a sign of a wasted life! Some questions come to mind as I ponder this subject-
1) Why do we make our beds, as we are only going to crawl into them in a few hours?
2) Is this a worldwide phenomenon?
3) Who decided this should be a regular habit?
4) what prompted that decision?
As you can see, I spend time deeply pondering these issues :D What was another weird rant I had..... oh, I was chatting with a friend the other day, and the conversation came to a halt. As a pickup, my friend asked, "so..... what's on your mind?" me: "cows." Friend: "Cows?" me: "Yes, they are my heroes. Without cows, we would have no milk. Without milk, there would be no ice cream. With no ice cream, there would be no happiness. Our world would thus be overrun by unhappy and- heaven forbid- HEALTHY people with no joy in their lives and our world would be enshrouded by darkness. Cows are therefore my heroes. :)"

My friend was stunned to silence. Yes, this is what I spend my time pondering ;) Just kidding, just kidding!

Well, I'm rather rambled-out now... not sure if that makes sense, hm.. but but but, I do appreciate your taking the time to read my ramblings and rantings! Have a splendiferous day

"My name is Marian. You can call me a cab." :)

If you look at all my lovely side-bar clutter, you may notice my newest addition- It says "Currently Performing In..." :) Actually, I had it up when I did Peter Pan, but NOW... The picture has changed!!! Your humble host will be playing the part of Marian Thorncraft in an upcoming High School production of "Honeymoon at Graveside Manor!" Jussayin...

Marian Thorncraft is looking forward to her honeymoon with new hubby,
Tyler. She pictures someplace romantic, secluded and cozy. No sooner have her
feet touched the ground after being carried over the threshold than she
discovers her love nest is really a one-time mortuary! Graveside Manor, as the
locals call it, has been abandoned for years, mainly due to the rumors of it
being haunted. Cozy as a bat cave, it's about as secluded as Grand Central
Station. A daffy maid shows up to clean the place and gets lost in the catacombs
behind the walls. This goes unnoticed because Tyler is too busy ducking a female
ghost with a hatchet, three high-school kids trying to set up a Halloween prank
and his wise-cracking female editor. Throw in an
absent-minded cop and the escaped lunatic he's looking for and the stage is set
for a Honeymoon at Graveside Manor. -- Much thanks to dramaticpublishing.com!

So yes, I am really quite excited about this :) As always, prayers for cast and crew are appreciated! Aaanndd... I will give further updates as they are due :) I hope you all have had a fantastical new year thus far!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

[Actually, this was taken in my backyard quite some time ago.]

And so comes winter. It brings a lot of things along with it. First, it's the smell of Christmas trees and apple cider. It brings the feeling of a warm wool scarf around your neck. It's breathing deeply the sharp air of December, yet completely enjoying the adrenaline rush you get from it. It brings the sound of a crackling fire. It's laughing and scooping the pure, crisp snow fort he intent of pelting one's brother with snow balls. [Okay, I just had to put that in there :) ]

But then... it gets old kinda fast. January comes, and sunshinyness goes into hibernation until April. The formerly fresh air becomes stale very quickly. The wind that used to laugh and playfully toss one's scarf about becomes sharp and no longer so innocent. The darkness closes in long before we are ready [for which our parents often say, "Go do your algebra."].

And then... spring comes :) Life comes back into play. It's simply splendid. Everything seems eager to begin again. The trees are bright and bubbling over with new colors, and everything seems fresh and lively again :)

In case I don't get on til then... Have a very merry Christmas :)

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--^ ^ ^

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----l l

In a way, it's someone else's story...

My voice teacher just gave me lovely new song to work on, and I thought I'd share it with you :)

It's called "Someone Else's Story," from Chess (the musical). Really, the context is saddening, but the song sounds pretty. It's very easily sung (I think my teacher gave it to me as a break from all the more extensive songs I'm working on.), but it's fun because I get to show off some of my lower notes :) Anywho, enjoy!

Someone Else's Story

Long ago
In someone else's lifetime
Someone with my name
Who looked a lot like me
Came to know
A man and made a promise
He only had to say
And that's where she would be
Lately
Although the feelings run just as deep
The promise she made has grown impossible to keep
And yet I wish it wasn't so
Will he miss me if I go?

In a way
It's someone else's story
I don't see myself
As taking part at all
Yesterday
A girl that I was fond of
Finally could see
The writing on the wall
Sadly
She realized she'd left him behind
And sadder than that she knew he wouldn't even mind
And though there's nothing left to say
Would he listen if I stay?

It's all very well to say you fool it's now or never
I could be choosing
No choices whatsoever.
I could be
In someone else's story
In someone else's life
And he could be in mine
I don't see
A reason to be lonely
I could take my chances
Further down the line

And if
That girl I knew should ask my advice
Oh I wouldn't hesitate she needn't ask me twice
Go now!
I'd tell her that for free
Trouble is, the girl is me
The story is, the girl is me.

December is.....

• Hi Neighbor Month,


• National Stress Free Family Holiday Month,


• Bingo's Birthday Month, and


• Read A New Book Month,


• Write to a Friend Month,


• Bingo Month,


• National Tie Month,


• Rising Star,

You are You. Now, isn't that pleasant?

Dr. Seuss.
Through this and that, I've discovered that dear old Dr. Seuss has quite a few wonderful quotes that maybe I didn't fully appreciate when I was five. Here are some of my favorites:

"Laugh your heart out,
Dance in the rain.
Cherish the moment;
Ignore the pain.
Live, laugh love.
Forgive and forget.
Life is too short
to be living with regrets."

"You know you're in love
when you can't fall sleep because

reality is finally better than your dreams."

"I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells"

"Today you are You, that is truer than true.

There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

“Be who you are and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind.”

"Don't cry because it's over;

Smile because it happened."

“How did it get so late so soon?

Its night before its afternoon.

December is here before its June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?”

(This feels especially applicable to life just now)

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing's going to get better. It's not."

"Just tell yourself, Duckie,

You're really quite lucky!"

“I have heard there are troubles

of more than one kind.

Some come from ahead

and some come from behind.

But I've bought a big bat.

I'm all ready you see.

Now my troubles are going to

have troubles with me!”

And, of course,

"A person's a person.

No matter how small."

In which the Author learns why it is important NOT to make premature judgements.

Some of you may recall my ranting post quite sometime ago about the Phantom of the Opera sequel quite some time ago. (You can read it here, if you wish)

The story has developed a bit since that time. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess are set to play Phantom and Christine in the London premiere of Phantom: Love Never Dies, contrary to what I formerly posted. From the official website:

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a roller coaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

Wikipedia adds that Madame Giry and Meg Giry accompany Phantom, but I would take that with a grain of salt, considering just about anyone could put something on Wiki.

Yes, I had a very extreme bias towards this show, and I'm still not happy that this could ruin the perceptions of some of my musical theatre heroes, but just yesterday... I found this. It's a clip of a song from the musical under scrutiny. Ramin Karimloo sang it at the press launch of Phantom: Love Never Dies. I'm trying to figure out how to post videos directly to my post, but til I figure it out (Or someone tells me [hint hint!!]), here is the link to Til I Hear You Sing from Love Never Dies. Grant it, it's kind of creepy that he is still obsessing over this woman (that could be his DAUGHTER [age-wise] if you think about it), but I have to admit... I was swooning by the end of the song.

AH, what's a girl to do?? I don't like the fact that this is associated with one of my favorite musicals in the entirety of the universe (why couldn't they just leave that out of it and make it with totally new characters??), but I loved this song and the man's voice! Have you ever heard anything more phenomenal?!?!

.:.:.:.

This is why we shouldn't judge. Most of the time, we are wrong anyways. And then admitting it is a big mess when we proud people want to hang on to our original bias. *siiiiiigh* (Goes to watch song again)

{Insert Clever Title}

On a cloudy day... when it's cold outside,

I've got the month of May.

Because... weather here is so weird. It was down in the 30s the other day, and just this afternoon-- it was in the 60s-70s. I don't think I'll get used to this; I wear my scarf and fuzzy socks one day, and break out the shorts and t-shirts the next!! Ahhh, ridiculousness!

But I love it :)

Speaking of socks...

We all happened to be wearing bright sock that day...

For the inspirational, novel writing drummers who put peanut butter on their roasted sweet potatoes :)

[[Man, I tried to schedule this post so that it would come out on time, but it didn't work!]]

November :)

• International Drum Month,
• Peanut Butter Lover's Month,
• National Novel Writing Month,
• National Fun with Fondue,
• Family Stories Month,
• Sweet Potato Awareness Month,
• National I am So Thankful Month (Wonder where they got that idea..)
• National Inspirational Role Models month,
• National Roasting Month,
• And several medical-related-things-awareness/appreciation month.

The second to last one... Roasting Month, does this make anyone else think, "THANKSGIVING!?!?!" Ah, I am SO excited! I can't believe the year has gone my so fast! It seems as if the year just started... and then WHAM, it's almost over! It really makes one think about things... appreciating the moment, I guess. Not living superficially, but realizing we can't do anything but learn from the past, and we are incapable of doing anything but pray and prepare for our future. It's a bit like that old cliche, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift- that's why it's called 'the present.'"

Tell me if anyone else sees some irony in this. In sports practice today, I bashed my toe when I collided with another player. I was lucky; I only got a [[very painful, albeit]] bruised and swollen toe. I'm not sure what the other player is going through- we crashed pretty hard. The thing is... we were playing volleyball!!! Isn't that supposed to be a no contact sport?! I mean, that's one of the reasons I picked it- minimal running and little-to-no contact. Just goes to show... something.

As for the rest of life... right now, it's lovely. I love life.

{I have to add this: November 4, 2004 - National Chicken Lady Day.

I'm sorry... what??}

[{( And looking back at my first paragraph (about the time flying?), A Dr. Seuss quote comes to mind: "How did it get late so soon?")}]

For Beautiful Eyes...

I found this Audrey Hepburn quote, and thought you might enjoy it :)

If you're wondering about that amazing graphics job... haha, no, I just have a lot of time one my hands. Well, okay, not really, but I have discovered picnik, and I make time for it!! I've done sooo many pictures... it's addicting [to the point where it's not even funny].

Goodness, Slacking off again! But hey, Fall is here!!

The lovely month of October is:

• Adopt-A-Dog Month,


• Computer Learning Month,


• National Apple Jack Month,


• National Car Care Month,


• National Clock Month,


• National Cosmetology Month,


• National Dessert Month,


• National Pickled Pepper Month,


• National Popcorn Poppin' Month,


• National Pretzel Month,


• National Sarcastic Month,


• National Seafood Month,


• National Kitchen and Bath Month, and


• Vegetarian Awareness Month

In addition... FALL IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![etc.] Words cannot express how happy this makes me! Autumn is by far my favorite season! I mean, you cannot deny the beauty of this:

(Yes, I stole this from flickr. I'm a bad girl. I can't claim to have taken this, but the person who did has amazing artistic ability. And, of course, GOD, who created it in the first place! Isn't he a genius??)

I can smell the cinnamon and cloves now... well, actually, not really, because our kitchen has been torn apart this last week; we're getting new counter tops! There is dust everywhere!! But, the kitchen looks fantastic!

Does anyone else find Autumn one of those seasons that inspires feelings of nostalgia and warmth? Something about the crisp October air, the vigorous wind whipping the fire-colored trees about, your hair across your face, yet something about it fills your soul, and your very being laughs with sheer joy at being alive. Then stepping across the threshold, greeted by the warm sensations of cloves, vanilla, and crackling fires, with orange-clove tea cozy in our hands, makes some cheesy part of my being well up, and sends a zest for life coursing through my veins... dang, I'm being poetic! I've got to remember this! Ha, but anyway, Fall is indeed my favorite season! What about you?

You never know what it could mean to someone...

**Disclaimer: I didn't write this (Sadly) I wish I did! It was written by a brilliant person named Barbara Hauck (Sadly, I don't know her either).**


Smile

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile made him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
and wrote him a thank you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
for two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.)
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a smile
that hadn't cost a cent.

The Month of Rice and Papayas?

Goodness, how absent minded I am!! A week into September, and I totally zoned out my little monthly feature!! However, I have come through. And I suspect you didn't formerly know September is...

• Self Improvement Month,
• Be Kind To Editors and Writers Month ( Nice comments, please!),
• International Square Dance Month,
• Cable TV Month,
• National Bed Check Month, (What, for bed-bugs or something?)
• National Chicken Month,
• National Courtesy Month,
• National Honey Month,
• National Mind Mapping Month, (Does anyone care to elaborate?)
• National Piano Month,
• National Rice Month,
• National Papaya Month, and
• Classical Music Month

And I just have to add this: September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day. I find it interesting... partly because, well, have you heard the saying, "There is no such thing as a stupid question?" Thus... well, whatever! Cheerios :)

Back in the Day...

Here is an email I received from a friend; I suppose it's been making the rounds (*sighh* forwards... but that's another story.), yet I still found this pleasantly interesting and thought I'd share it with you :)

LIFE IN THE 1500

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying .. It's raining cats and dogs. [[Okay, I find that to be an interesting visual!!]]

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ...dead ringer..

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !


Indeed, quite engaging, is it not?
While I'm on here, I must share my silly pleasure with you for a moment!! I got to use TWO big words on my English assignment!! Ha, I know that sounds odd, but I cannot express how pleased I was to find an assignment where the words "idiosyncratic" and "skulduggery" could be used in context!! Speaking of words- my new favorite website: Merriam Webster Online I was nearly overjoyed to find a website with both a dictionary and thesaurus!! I know, I could be categorized as a geek for this (If I wasn't already!), but hey- What can I say? I love words!

That's all. Thanks for reading :)

Any Suggestions?

I'm such a sentimental girl.... I've been feeling the need to watch a "tear jerker" lately. Often, they're my favorite types of movies- not because I'm depressed or anything, but they're just so touching!!

My sister, mother and I recently watched a taped version of an episode of "Touched By an Angel" (A TV show that is no longer airing; it's about these three angels sent to do work on earth disguised as regular people. It may sound cheesy, but it's so beautiful!!) , called "Petey Comes Home." It deals with a little ten year old boy with a fatal disease, and the angels are sent to help him through it. It was so touching, because the little boy [Petey] was all about others! His list of things to do before he died centered mainly around helping others, and finding someone to help his mom when he is gone! It was so sweet!! I cried my little eyes out to my hearts content, shaking the entire couch.

But anywho, does anyone have a name to recommend of a tear jerker to watch? Truly moving ones are rather hard to come by, I find. So if you could help me out in this area, I would be deeply gratified! Thank you dearies!!