"The Man I Love"

I found this adorable song a while ago, when I was looking for Buster Keaton tributes ... it's an old 1940's song sung by Billie Holiday that I think is too sweet for words. It almost perfectly describes the way I think about my future husband. Enjoy.

"The Man I Love"
by George Gershwin

sung by Billie Holiday

Someday he'll come along, the man I love
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
And when he comes my way,
I'll do my best to make him stay 

He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
Then in a little while, he'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd,
I know we both won't say a word

Maybe I shall meet him Sunday,
Maybe Monday, maybe not;
Still, I'm sure to meet him one day -
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day!

He'll build a little home that's meant for two
From which I'll never roam - Who would? Would you?
And so all else above,
I'm dreaming of the man I love!

College 101

Hooray! It's that time of year again - the time when a brand-sparkling-new crop of freshmen and transfer students walks wide-eyed onto college campuses across the country, maps in one hand and water bottles in the other. Some of my blog friends are included in that number - as is my very own little sister, *sniff*. I would like to say welcome, all of you, to the wonderful world of college, and may all of your academic pursuits be successful and enjoyable!

A dear blog friend of mine asked that I would share some of my insights about college with all of you ... so, I've written this post about four times, trying to keep myself serious about it. Because really, the most important thing I've learned about college so far is that you look really cool if you hang out on the floor of an ultramodern lecture building and knit something funky. Seriously.

But there are a few serious things that I've learned about college so far; and so here is Vicki's Not-So-Essential Checklist for Your University Success.

***

Things You Should Have:

- A Tough Backpack. Make sure you don't buy a cheap $20 backpack from Wal-Mart, unless you're fortunate enough to be in classes that don't require textbooks; because if you frequently have to carry textbooks around with you, your lining will be tearing out by the end of the semester. (Yup, learned that from experience.)

From here

- Warm, Comfortable (Snow)boots. If you're attending college north of the Mason-Dixon Line, this is a must. Winter lies smack-dab in the middle of the academic year, and at least half of each semester will be spent in cold weather. If your feet are cold, you'll be miserable on long walks across campus; so make sure that you have a warm, non-blister-rubbing pair of boots, whether for rain or snow or both.

- A Lightweight Laptop. At some point, you'll need to bring a computer with you to class or work; and trust me, carrying a 14-pound clunker around with you is bad news for your posture.

- Camera. Seriously! There is so much about this time in your life that you'll want to hang onto forever - be able to capture it visually!

- Reliable cell phone and decent plan. Always be able to get in touch with people if you need to.

- Mechanical pencils. Don't mess with regular lead pencils - just don't. Mechanical pencils are so much quicker to "sharpen", which you'll be glad for in the middle of a timed exam.

***

Things You Should Do:

From here

- Get involved. Try to get involved in at least one or two student organizations on campus, and I mean really get involved. It's a community of people who are interested in the same thing(s) that you are, rather than just the random people you'll meet in your classes (or meet in your dorms ... I keep forgetting that some people actually are brave enough to go to college away from home).

- Work hard ...  Even if you don't need the money, it's good to get a campus job to build your resume and make connections. Work hard and do your best to overcome the "college student" stereotype of laziness and not caring. Your bosses will value you and you'll be given chances to advance and get good references.

- ... But don't work too much.  Be careful not to take on so many hours that your grades suffer - I've had semesters like that, and it's not good.

From here

- Utilize your academic advisors. Don't be too proud to go to them with your questions. They really are there to help you, and most advisors really do care about their students. Your advisors can be your best friends on campus.

- Keep courage in your hard classes. Attend study sessions, grit your teeth and hang on. It'll be over soon.

- Don't be afraid of people. You'll be surrounded by people who are nothing like you, at least on the surface. They'll all seem more confident, more worldly-wise, prettier or more handsome - or, they'll be tattooed and pumping death metal music through their Skull Candy headphones. But unless you're alone in a dark library at 2 a.m., don't be afraid of them. Be courageous and talk to new people that you normally wouldn't talk to. You'll be surprised to find how much you have in common with them - and you'll be surprised at all the cool friends you'll make!

- Don't be afraid of professors. They may seem imperious and frightening at first, but don't be afraid of them. They're human, they have their quirks, and most of them will like you if you work hard and stay engaged.

- Ask for directions or advice if you need it. Upperclassmen love to be needed.  :-)

From here

- Keep your heart with all diligence. There will be lots of attractive people of the opposite gender all around you; but use your head, your Bible, and your parents or mentors when you're evaluating them. Have some ideas in mind of what you're looking for in a future spouse, and don't waste time on people that don't measure up. On the other hand, don't be unrealistic - Mr. Darcy doesn't go to college, but lots of nice Christian guys do.  :-)

- Be frugal. College is expensive - don't waste money or spend it recklessly. Of course you can have fun and spend within your means, but don't go crazy.

- Shop around for your textbooks. Depending on your major, your textbooks can cost almost as much as your tuition for a semester, if you buy from the campus bookstore. Sometimes the time you save by buying at the bookstore is worth the extra money, but if you can shop around, do. Try Amazon, eBay, or Barnes and Noble, or use a service like SlugBooks.com.

- Know where to go to get help. Know the phone numbers for your campus police and health centers, and know where both of them are located. Campus can be a dangerous place, and you should be careful and watch out for your safety.

From here

- Find a good church in the community, especially if you're away from home. I haven't found a church yet, and even though I live at home, I sorely miss the spiritual support and encouragement of other men and women my own age.

- Limit your time online during the semester. Do your homework!

- Hang onto your love for learning. Don't let classes turn into a job and a chore, even if they're in a subject you don't particularly like. Remember how privileged you are to be here. Remember that this is an adventure and one of the best times of your life, and cherish every day and every hour you're here.

But most important of all:

Source: Uploaded by user via yulie on Pinterest

- Be yourself! College is the only place in the world where you can be as quiet or flamboyant, mainstream or offbeat, stylish or geeky, conservative or liberal, athletic or musical or fluffy or bookish or whatever you want, as much as you want. Don't feel like you have to change or hide yourself just to fit in. Hold onto your interests, your personality, your favorite clothes, and especially your faith. Remember that college is the place to expand on who you are and learn more about God's plan for you - not the place to take on everyone else's looks and personalities and become molded to society. Don't be afraid to stand out! Don't be afraid to follow your dreams and walk close to God in the midst of apathy and wantonness! You will shine brightly like a star, and the Lord will bring you likeminded friends who support you in your quest.

***

Hopefully some of this tips will be helpful to you ... there will be a short quiz on the material next week.  ;-)  If you have any other questions or if there's anything about college you're just dying to know, leave me a comment and I'll try to be as helpful as I can.

Welcome again, freshmen and transfers! I'm so excited to have you in college!!

Lots of love,
Vicki

My Response: I Stand On the Word

The tag is mine ... the photo I used came from here

***

It's unpopular.

It's not "politically correct."

I might get banned from a city or castigated on international media.

The whole world might point their fingers at me and tell me I'm wrong.

But I don't care. I will stand up anyway ... because my God is right.

***

God's Definition of Marriage Is:

Genesis 2:18-24

One man and one woman

Matthew 19:4-6

For as long as they both shall live

Malachi 2:13-16

To be faithful to one another and raise godly children

 

Proverbs 5:15-23

To satisfy each other's needs and desires

Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

Not two men or two women ...

Romans 1:20-27

... Or they will face the recompense for their sin

Ephesians 5:22-33

To model the loving, sacrificial, and hierarchical relationship of Christ and the Church

1 Timothy 3, Acts 18:26, Romans 16:3

To work as a team and serve the Church together

***

Continue to pray with me, that the Lord would give us (all of us everywhere, the remnant of believers, the true Church) courage to stand up for truth in these times when the world's message is becoming more and more polluted with sin and confusion.

Pray that the Lord would give us as much grace and gentleness as He does courage and strength, that we would win others to Him through His love, not leave a bad taste in others' mouths through harshness or condescension.

Pray that the Lord would give us the ability to withstand persecution, because it is something that we do and will face as we continue to grow closer to Him - and as the world continues to fall down deeper into sin.

Father, help Your people to stand strong on Your Word!

***

Feel free to grab this tag if you'd like to use it on your blog; I don't know if the type will be readable when it's shrunk down to fit, because I haven't tried it yet, but you're welcome to try. Just right-click on the picture and click "Save image as ...", then choose your desktop. That way you can save it to the size you need it.  :-)

Don't give up on the truth, even though the whole world says we're wrong. We can never be wrong when we believe in the Lord and His Word!

Love,

Vicki

Creepy ...

Who is this person?? I'd be thrilled to have an ardent follower from Russia ... if I knew who it was!!  :-O

~ Vicki

Lovers of the Pen

I was inspired by this great post over at Katherine Sophia's blog to introduce you to some of my couples - my movie characters who are in love, courting/dating, married, or otherwise composed of a boy and a girl who like each other very much.

***

Tyler Stevens and Cecily Joy Sands - Various Stories

Tyler Stevens and Cecily Joy "CJ" Sands are a young, newly courting couple who are both at a small Christian college in their hometown, but they actually met at church. They've been through several "half-stories" together - I've never been able to pull together a full book about them - but they have cute personalities and a sweet little relationship.

In this scene that I chose, Tyler asked CJ to accompany him to the wedding of one of his non-Christian cousins, and when CJ finds herself surrounded by his worldly-wise relatives, she feels plain, dowdy, and childish. This is Tyler's response (written several years ago when my stories were mostly composed of choppy dialogue).

       He put his hands on my shoulders and drilled my heart with his blazing black eyes. “CJ, I love you the way you are. I want you to be proud of the way God has made you, and proud of being innocent and modest. Do you hear me?”
       Suddenly I had a helium-filled cavern where I should feel a heartbeat; all I felt was a dizzy floating feeling inside. I wanted to jump up on a pew and scream for everyone to look at me, because Tyler loved me the way I was!
       “Do you hear me?” he demanded, still frowning.
       Suddenly I had tears in my eyes, and I could only nod. He probably thought I was hurt by his being angry, because his scowl melted into a concerned look. “I’m not mad at you, CJ,” he said quickly. “I just want you to know that I’m proud of you! You’re not upset, are you?”
       Yes, so upset that I’m going to bawl and everybody’s going to think I’m a mental case, I thought, but gave him a wobbly smile. “No, I’m not upset, Ty. Do you really feel that way?”
       “Yes!” Tyler offered his arm again and hastily pulled me back into the crowd so we didn’t look weird. “Now smile and be proud of who God made you!”

***

Timothy and Lady Anna of Sherwood - Light of the World

Source: hakubaikou.deviantart.com via Story on Pinterest

Tim and Anna are a remarkable couple. They are Protestant-esque dissenters living in the spiritually dark times of the Middle Ages, and they have a tremendous gift: they are one of only a handful of people in the world who have a copy of the Latin Bible. Anna's family fell from political favor and had to flee for their lives to escape death; Tim and his sister Sarah rescued them, and as they helped smuggle them to France, they also introduced Anna and her family to the true Gospel for the first time. Anna grew up, in years and in faith, in Switzerland; and many years later, Tim traveled from England to come sweep her off her feet and take her home to be his wife and partner in the Gospel work. It's the greatest romance I've ever written.

       “Tim, look!” Anna pushed away the blanket and jumped excitedly to her knees in the rowboat. “Tim! There’s England!”
       Tim turned to look; and sure enough, the dark English coast loomed along the far horizon. Anna drank in the sight greedily—her first glimpse of her homeland in five years.
       “I didn’t think I’d ever see England again,” she said in an awed whisper. “But here we are, returning after all these years.”
       “Aye.” Tim looked at the dark, rocky coast for a long moment. “Look how dark it is. It’s like that spiritually, too.”
       Anna nodded, thinking of the Saxons and Normans who fought each other over their heritage, the monks with all of their rules, and even her own family who lived in spiritual confusion and darkness.
       “Y’know,” Tim went on, “as far as I know, we’re the only ones who were chased from England that have ever come back.”
       Anna nodded again. None of the other English Dissenters in their Swiss town had ever shown any desire to return to the land where they had suffered so much.
       “And each time another Christian is forced to leave, they take a little more of the light with them.” Tim turned slowly back to the oars. “England grows darker every day.”
       “That’s why we’re bringing the light back to them.” Anna clung to the side of the boat, staring at the distant shore. “Perhaps we’re only a little light right now; but the Bible says that God makes His angels and ministers as flames of fire. We can set other souls on fire through our example. Next year Will and Sarah will come, and we can begin working together. Then will come all of Rob’s teachers, the men from the school, bringing and copying Bibles to start teaching other towns and villages all over England.”
       “Aye, and each one will bring a little more light.” Tim’s eyes sparkled, and he held Anna around the waist. “Anna, darling, this is only the beginning. Someday England will be light again, full of the light of the Gospel.”
       Anna put her hands on Tim’s shoulders and smiled at her husband, her brother in Christ, her best friend. “If you say so, Tim, then it’s true. But anything that any of us can do in England will be because of you and your faith.”

***

Swift Spear and White Birch - Unnamed Story

In 1858, Jessamine Hale gave up her teaching job to travel West with her parents and younger siblings, from Ohio to Wyoming, as they joined their old pastor in opening a mission school for settlers and Indian children - but on the way, they were attacked by a rogue band of Arapaho raiders; and Jessamine was captured and dragged back to the village, not knowing if her family were alive or dead.

Jessamine becomes the village slave, and there she meets the chief's noble and wise son, Swift Spear. He is quietly interested in learning about her faith; he allows her to teach the other women about God, and her gentle ways and true love for the people earn her a special place in the tribe. She is given a new name, White Birch, and many of the people accept Christ - including Swift Spear. When the strong, grave warrior asks her to be his wife, she decides to turn her back on her old life and give him her heart.

Then her brother Thomas appears in the village ... and he wants her to come home.

       Thomas’ mouth fell open. “You could have come home and you didn’t?”
       “Yes, that’s right.”
       Thomas looked hurt and confused. He looked at his hands for a long minute; when he spoke again, his voice trembled with restrained emotion. “Jessamine, Ma and Pa have worried about you all these years. Sarah and me, too – our families, our children – we never gave up looking for you. We asked everyone who came into the mission if they had seen you. Everyone. We probably asked your husband and he said no.”
       Swift Spear shook his head and answered quietly. “No, I was never asked whether I had seen her. I would not have lied if I had been asked.”
       Thomas coldly ignored him and went on. “If Ma and Pa knew you could have come home, and you didn’t want to, it would break their hearts. You can’t … there’s no way for me to tell you how much Ma cried over you. Even Pa cried for months. They kept believing you were alive, and that they’d get you back.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Nothing was the same after you disappeared. I promised Pa I’d do everything I could to help. Bringing you home would’ve been the best help he could get – maybe he would have gotten over this injury faster. He could be dying, Jessamine.”
       Tears began to rise in my throat at the thought of Ma and Pa crying for me. Couldn’t I just go back and see them? Even just for a couple of days – surely a couple of days couldn’t hurt anything. I wouldn't turn my back on the Arapaho during just a few days back at the mission, surely. “I’m sorry, Thomas,” I whispered, and bowed my head in shame.
       But when I looked down, my eyes fell on Grace, who had dozed off in my arms. And the sight of her little brown face flushed with sleep, her soft black hair and her little head no bigger than my hand, brought everything back into its proper place. My daughter and my husband were the most important things in my life now. What was best for my family? Looking at my sleeping baby, I had no doubt.
       I lifted my head and met Thomas’ piercing eyes with my back straight. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help Ma and Pa quit worrying. I wanted to go and see them – I still do. But, Thomas, my life has changed. I’m in love. I’m married. I have a daughter and a life of my own – I help the people study the Bible, I help with the feasts and celebrations, I watch the children of my sisters-in-law so they can do their work. I make clothes and wash them, I cook, I clean the house, I help my neighbors with their chores. I help with the meat after a big hunt. I help my family birth their babies and bury their dead – they’ve helped us with the same things. Would you expect Ma to just pack up and leave her life to go back and see her parents? It’s been far longer since she’s seen them. But she has a life and a family, and so do I. How can you ask me to leave?”
       “Because this isn’t your home!” Thomas cried and clapped a hand on top of mine. “You don’t belong here! You were taken out of your culture and your family – listen, you’re not even speaking your own language!” He switched from Arapaho to English. “There, how long has it been since you heard English? You’re not an Indian, Jessamine, and you belong with your own people!”

***

Father Jonathan and Krista Miller - Forever Divided

  

Ah ... the tragic romance. Someone told me a true story once about a young priest and a young woman in his church who fell deeply in love; but he had already taken his vows, so they could not get married. I was so fascinated by the tragic story that I had to write a story about them, using my own names and personalities. They are an exception to my usual goofy-romance rule - their love is strong, bright, and terribly sad.

(And yes, Father Jonathan is rather unashamedly based on the rather good-looking Fox News correspondent of the same name. If I ever were serious about publishing this story, I would definitely change his name.)

In one version of the story, Father Jonathan meets Krista in the aftermath of a deadly tornado:

       My heart stopped for an instant. “Hello?” My eyes frantically skimmed the piles of gray, dead rubble for some bit of living color. “Where are you?”
       “In here! Oh please, please help me!”
       The woman’s voice came from behind a closed door I hadn’t seen before, right beside the smashed dishwasher. I stumbled across the debris and shoved at the handle. The door was wedged solidly shut.
       “It’s stuck,” I called through the flimsy wood. “Can you move around? Are you hurt?”
       “No,” the woman sobbed. “Please hurry!”
       “All right. Stand back,” I ordered; and I ducked my head and rammed my shoulder through the wood.
       The room was a tiny bathroom with a toilet and a sink – all four walls and the roof miraculously intact. The woman had ducked under the sink. She lifted her head. Two and a half feet of shiny auburn hair fell away from her face like a veil, and I was staring into the purest blue eyes in the most delicate face I had ever seen. Two spots of rosy pink glowed in her pale, tear-streaked face; she smoothed her long denim skirt self-consciously with one hand as she stumbled to her feet.
       I stood and stared at her for several seconds, and she stared back at me. I don’t know what she was thinking, but I felt like I had entered the presence of an angel. For nearly six hours I had been working alongside rough and desperate people, most of them cursing God, or at least or cursing me, a priest, for being on His side. But this girl had an aura of fragile beauty, a glow of innocence and spirituality, like a fresh summer breeze.
       I realized I should say something. “You’re not hurt,” I stammered.
       She shook her head. “No, I’m not hurt,” she whispered, and rubbed her nose on her wrist. After composing herself, she looked up and smiled a little. “Thank you so much for getting me out. I’ve been so scared – not for myself,” she added quickly; “I’m a Christian, and I know God was with me, watching over me. But I’m afraid for my parents. They were at church, and I don’t know where they are now.”
       I nodded. “Well, they’ve set up a gathering place down at the courthouse, where everyone is going to meet up with their families. I can take you there.”
       “I would appreciate that,” she said gratefully, and reached for my hand to steady herself as she carefully climbed over the debris blocking the door. A funny feeling sped up my heart when I touched her slim hand.

***

Do any of these stories sound promising? Which is your favorite?  :-)

Love,
Vicki

No More Worthy

"Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

~ Deuteronomy 5:16

***

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was just like the heroine of a Christian teen fiction book - confident, intelligent, arrogant, and above all, ready for a change.

She had just graduated from high school, and summer stretched out before her like a huge pool of sunshine to swim in. She had lots of memories of goodbyes and never-see-them-agains to revel in, and plenty of projects to keep her hands and mind busy. She was thrilled to enjoy her summer.

The only problem was that she didn't know where she was going to college that fall.

This girl wasn't worried, though - every romantic knows that great people receive their callings out of the blue, in a flash of inspiration; and she hadn't received her calling yet. She wasn't sure what God wanted her to do with her life. So until her calling came, she was going to take it easy and just wait for Him to reveal her life's mission, instead of rush off and commit to something.

Fortunately, her parents were very responsible, as parents usually are. Because their daughter was a little ditzy and unrealistic, they were kind enough to do the college research that she was supposed to be doing. They talked, they read, they compared, and they prayed. Finally, they settled on a Christian college that was small and well-protected; its doctrine and standards lined up with what they wanted for their daughter; and several other young people from their church were there, so she wouldn't be alone. It seemed a perfect fit, and they felt that the Lord would bless their choice.

So they sat down with her and gave her the news: They believed that she should be a nurse, a healer; and that she should earn her degree at this college.

The Lord was speaking to this girl through her parents - her calling had finally come at last! The girl immediately began to get her paperwork together, already starting to form her checklist of things to do in the fall. She had her mission - it was time to embark on her life's journey!

Um ...

Yeah.

That is how my story should have gone. The girl in my post is me. And sadly, when the Lord laid it on my parents' hearts that I should go away and study nursing at this little Christian college, I refused to listen to them, and I did not go.

You see, I was afraid. It didn't seem like refusal at the time - it seemed like I pleaded my case with my parents until they finally understood and let me stay where I was happy. But in reality, I said "no, I can't" enough times that they finally gave up and turned me over to the Lord. I didn't know that happened in real life, but it does. And it happened to me.

I've only recently realized the seriousness of my rebellion and how badly I have changed my own life for the worse. If I had gone, I would have graduated last year and be working now as a nurse, probably in a Christian environment, maybe even on the mission field like I always wanted to do. I might be married - I certainly would have found a core group of Christian friends to support me and pray for me, which I don't have now (except for my blog friends). It would have challenged, shaped, and grown my faith so that now I would be a strong, independent young woman ... instead of a timid overgrown girl still living at home.

That is how I find myself still working on a bachelor's degree at 23 years old - a situation that embarrasses and irks me deeply. I hate being "behind" where I'm supposed to be, especially because it's my own fault.

The Lord has spent the last five years chastising me to open my eyes to my sin. Now that I can finally see what I've done, I have prayed for forgiveness, and I think the Lord's chastening is coming to an end - friendships and opportunities are starting to open up for me, and I have felt Him teaching and leading me again.

But I'm trying to take my life and figure out where to go from here - that will be another post in itself, once I figure it out. I feel like I have completely messed up my life and missed out on what the Lord had for me to do. I don't know how to get "back on track," or if it's even possible - I know I can't go back to where I was and try the same opportunity again; I have to build my life from this point, and I don't know how.

That's why I felt it was so important to share this, both as a confession and as a warning: Listen to your parents. Even if you're eighteen; even if you're twenty-one; even if you live halfway across the country - if you know in your heart that you're still under your parents' authority, listen to them. And listen to the Lord when He speaks to you, whether directly or through your parents or husband; because disobeying His instructions will cause you serious regret and misery. Even when you're afraid, listen and obey Him, because He will give you the strength to do His will, no matter what it is.

My parents have begun giving me career advice again, as they've seen me repent and change my heart; and they are very ambitious and have even bigger dreams than I do. Some of their advice frightens me. But this time, I'm not going to let fear keep me from doing what they think I should do. I've learned my lesson, and I'm sharing my story in hopes that you won't have to learn by completely derailing your life, like I did.

***

I know this is kind of different from the happy-go-lucky posts I usually write; but I've wanted to share this for a long time. I'm sorry it was so long ... I hope it will bless you and encourage you to always, always follow the Lord's will, no matter what that will may be. I know that's what I'm going to do from now on!!

Love in Christ,
Vicki

Royal Romance

I found this picture on Pinterest this week and was immediately filled with warm fuzzies:

How sweet and romantic is that???

Love,
Vicki

Calligraphy

I indulged myself in a few hours of Irish calligraphy yesterday ... it was wonderful to get to spend some quality time with my art supplies again!  :-)

Yes, I ran out of room ... yes, it was frustrating ...

Love,

Vicki

In Memory of Andy Griffith (1926-2012)

Andrew Samuel Griffith

June 1, 1926 - July 3, 2012

 

***

Andy Griffith was a film and TV star, comedian, singer, and musician whom several generations of Americans grew up knowing and loving. A fixture of the American culture for half a century, he will be sorely missed.

Goodbye, Mr. Griffith, and thank you for all of the laughter, tears, fun, and joy that you brought to us all.

***

Kreativ Blogger Award

Alex over at Alex's Corner has sweetly awarded me with another award - the Kreativ Blogger Award! Thank you so much, Alex - someday I'll be sending an award your way!!

The rules are:
1. Answer ten questions about yourself.
2. Post ten random facts about yourself.
3. Tag {some number that I don't actually know, but presumably more than one} person/people.

Here we go!

***

1. What is your favorite song? 

"Untitled Hymn/Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice.

2. What is your favorite dessert?

Cookie Dough Brownies!!

3. What ticks you off?

 Losing a stitch when I'm knitting! I hate that - it frustrates me to no end and freaks me out at the same time!

4. When you're feeling upset what do you do?

If I'm at home, I usually go somewhere and "tune out" with melodramatic music of some sort; if I'm on campus, I go for a walk to a picturesque place and sit quietly by myself for a while.

 5. What's your favorite pet? 

 My sister keeps Robo Dwarf Hamsters, and they are absolutely a-DOR-a-ble!!

6. Do you prefer to wear white or black? 

I prefer white, but I have trouble finding modest white clothing, so I wear much more black. But I prefer white.

7. What's your attitude? 

 Idealistic, romantic, dramatic, moody, nonconformist, self-critical, melancholy, and slightly pessimistic.

 8. What place, object, scenario, etc. would you describe as perfection? 

Wandering alone, down rugged hills and across lonely moors, feeling the rain pelting on my head and the wind twisting my skirts around me as I pull my shawl around my shoulders, searching for some ancient castle ... hearing, ghost-like, the echoes of the bards and peasants who roamed the lands under my feet ... 

9. What is/are your guilty pleasure(s)?

 Tommy Makem, Liam Clancy, Josh Groban, the High Kings, the Muppets, Beauty and the Beast, all Jane Austen books and movies, Star Trek, and Jane Eyre.

10.What is your favorite pastime?

This sounds shameful, but I must admit that my favorite pastime (right now) is watching TV ... but not just movies, either; I also enjoy watching documentaries, science/reality shoes (like "Swamp People" and "River Monsters: Unhooked"), old TV shows (like "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Get Smart"), and Irish and gospel music shows.

***

Ten Random Facts

1. The first time I ever played the guitar and sang in public, it was a solo in front of more than 100 people. I was utterly terrified.

2. Dark brown is my favorite color of eyes. (But mine are gray.)

3. Irene Dunne is my favorite actress.

4. If I ever perform in another talent show, I'm going to perform all five verses of "Rocky Road to Dublin" as fast as I can while accompanying myself on acoustic guitar. If I can find a cheap aran sweater, I'll wear it for authenticity.

5. I saw "101 Dalmatians" in the theater with my dad when I was a little girl.

6. The greatest compliment I ever received was to be told by a musical-voiced foreigner that I had a lovely voice.

7. My most interesting campus job so far involved cooking food for lab insects who were going to be eaten in lab experiments. It was kind of disturbing ...

8. I would love to take part in a 1960's Disney car chase scene.

9. I learned to knit socks while I was recovering from the swine flu and still too weak to be up and around. And being able to say I was "too weak to be up and around" is terribly romantic, even if the disease was horrific.

10. I am terrified of any spider bigger than a pencil eraser.

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And I'm tagging five of my lovely blog friends:

Angel 
because she inspires me to be a gracious, godly lady

Katherine Sophia
because she inspires me to be adventurous and follow the Lord's leading

Frannie
because she inspires me to have a meek and quiet spirit

Jennifer 
because she inspires me to turn my heart toward home and family

Erin 

because she inspires me to laugh and enjoy living

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Thanks again for the award, Alex!!  :-D  :-D  :-D

Your Kreativ Blogging Friend,
Vicki