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...there you will find me. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A fascination for the stars, a friendship with the darkest night; a search for adventure, a longing for the light; a journey to the edge of the universe, a wonder in my eyes... I have strong convictions, I love to sing and dance, I hate sham, lies and guise. I love life, people, oceans, pens, dreams, cats, chocolate, and I'll stand for what is right. You can tell me what I should be, Everything I lack. But at the end of the day just take me back to where the stars still shine at night. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() You're welcome to read, follow, comment, listen, laugh and cry. ![]() ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ® Bragging Rights Reserved |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Many times as a child I fought every kid's battle of truth or lie. My parents made that decision much easier. If we told a lie and they found out about it, we were spanked. If we told the truth, the spanking would be lighter or not at all. The risk of our lies getting caught out far out-balanced the benefit of the lie. So we usually told the truth, or only told a fib or two. ![]() And as the youngest of seven children, I watched my older brothers and sisters reap the consequences of their lies. In a way, their spankings were mine – sure, I didn't feel them, but I felt just as bad and learned just as much. I think I received the least spankings of us all because I was terrified of them and would break down in tears. I was not spoiled. I guess I had a different set of struggles as a kid. Anyway, I'm getting side-tracked. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Nothing came to mind immediately when I first read the prompt, except for little insignificant incidents concerning money, etc. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, but I have never found honesty a problem. I guess lies are...hurting to my self-esteem and beneath my dignity, if that makes sense? I think children's lies are much more innocent than adults. I don't think we grow out of lying, we grow into a more intricate and subtle way of lying. After thinking for a while about the prompt, I think I've nailed the most hurtful truth I ever told. I suppose it was a very hurtful time during my childhood, and that's why it stands out so starkly. Once when I was eleven or twelve years old, I caught my older brother looking at pornographic pictures. I confronted him in tears, ashamed and frightened of what he was looking at, and ran away to my room to cry. Later on he came and apologized and asked if I had told anyone. I said, no, I hadn't. He said he would confess to Dad and never do it again. I didn't hear of anything more until Dad found the pictures. He rounded all of us kids up and asked who did it. Clearly, my brother hadn't confessed. I mumbled something awkward and he said, "Did you do it?" I stumbled out, "No, but I think I know who did." Honestly, I was so frightened and so ashamed that I knew the secret. It has never pained me so much to tell on someone. I told Dad everything, and later he came and thanked me. I knew my brother had been punished and talked to for a long time about it. I thank God he was caught, because I now know pornography is addictive and I have seen what people can become. (My brother is fine now. He's going strong on the straight and narrow. ![]() Yikes, reading back over this, I'm afraid I sound really self-righteous. ![]() Honesty is a valuable quality. It is a pillar of friendship and trust. No relationship or business or any kind of endeavour will be successful without honesty. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Yikes! I've always feared this question, but I can see the point. I don't like try to sum myself up with one or two words, or put myself in some kind of category. I think I'm both, if that's possible. I'm like the moon, there are two sides of me: the side you see, and the side you don't see... I'm introverted inside me, very personal and shy in some ways. I don't make friends easily unless I move in the same circles/see them regularly, and get to know them slowly. I don't feel comfortable in groups of people I don't know, and usually keep to myself. I never liked myself much for being so awkward and stupid. ![]() ![]() ![]() On the other hand, I'm very strong in my opinions and beliefs, and I think this comes across to a lot of people as self-confidence and wit. I've been told that people are drawn to that in me, how I am who I am and they know who to be around me (themselves, I hope). Strangely, I have been called "popular", "smart", "funny", "talented", "philosophical" and "beautiful", words I would never have dreamed of being applied to me. I have also been called "optimistic" and "pessimistic". ![]() In the end, I think I lean more towards the introvert. But I can be who I want to be, and I like to see myself as me. ![]() Thanks to everyone who has sent well-wishes and kept me in their thoughts and prayers. ![]() Oh, and don't forget to check out Wonder Woman's (Gaby ~ Finding my way back ![]() ![]() ![]()
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Dear friends, Yesterday I collapsed and had a kind of seizure. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital, with a soaring fever, shivering, dizzy and tingling all over. I was in quite a bit of pain for about an hour. The pins and needles were in my legs, arms and face. They took blood tests and a urine sample (eeww!), and the pain got worse for a while. The nurse worked with me to control my breathing because I was hyperventilating, and eventually I got it under control. After they pumped me with antibiotics, I soon began to feel better. They x-rayed my chest and we waited for the test results. It turned out my immune system overreacted to an infection, sending me into an almost seizure/fit thing and a fever. After about five hours in hospital, I felt much better and was discharged. Dad and Mum took me home, and I slept really well, only waking up a few times in the night. This morning I felt much better, just a bit dopey. The tingling in my fingertips went away, and the headache has faded. I praise God for bringing me through, and I am thankful that it wasn't worse, such as meningitis, epilepsy or a brain hemorrhage or tumour. Lying in that hospital bed, all I could do was pray. Not knowing what was wrong with me, I realized my body was, in a way, beyond my control. I knew then that life is a breath – quick, quiet and always taken for granted. I chose my life not to be a breath, but a shout, a song, a whisper, a word – anything but a breath. I want my life to be heard and seen. Because breaths are numbered and death is a breath away. One minute I was playing my cello, then I felt dizzy, then it all went black. I could've died right then. Every second of my life I could have died. I know that God has plans for me, and I also know that I am ready for death. I know I could face it, not without fear, but with the courage that God has given me. God protected and comforted me and I felt His presence all around me. I thank Him for the capable nurses and the kind doctor who looked after me. I thank Him for bringing me home safely, and for drawing me closer to Him through this experience. I also thank Him for the family and friends who were there for me, and spent time praying for me. ![]() I hope that the memory of yesterday never fades, because I faced some of my greatest fears and trusted in God as I have never trusted before. Praise Him! Please forgive me for any delay in responding to emails, etc. It has taken me a long time just to type this out! And today's prompt? If I were supreme ruler of planet Earth for one day, I would put a Bible beside every hospital bed. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() I'm new to the blogging world. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I think my writing has improved a bit, too. Blogging requires putting down your thoughts concisely and regularly. And it's great to write something regularly, instead of just waiting for the inspiration. That's an important thing to me, routine. I'm so irregular, it's difficult to set things down in concrete, and that's definitely an upside of blogging. Thanks to Cindy, there's a prompt in my inbox every day. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() After writing a blog, I always feel like turning my imagination on and setting to work on the latest novel or poem. I'm even daring a few short stories! (But I haven't posted them on WdC because they're typical me: pathetic. ![]() ![]() The only disadvantage is spending too much time on Writing.Com. ![]() ![]() There is a time for everything under the sun: a time to write, a time to go on Writing.Com; a time to write, a time to go on Writing.Com; a time to write, a time to go on Writing.Com... ![]() So, in short, the advantages of blogging = circle of friends! I ![]() ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() I have decided to keep writing in this blog, even though the Valentine's Contest is over. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() This weekend I returned from a fantastic holiday by the beach. Weather was gorgeous and it was a lovely place to stay. I am thoroughly sun-baked, sea-salted and refreshed. Watch out, world, here I come. ![]() I returned to an inbox flooded with messages, which I've been sifting through (apologies for any delays in responding to your emails). Among the emails were a few surprises: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks, WdC!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So, speaking of summer, back to the prompt: What is my favourite season? Autumn has always had a special place in my heart for the beautiful colours, the bitter-sweet farewell to summer, the return to reality. And I love the stars in autumn. I love each season for different reasons. I love winter's rain and mud and floods and frosts. I love curling up in bed with a warm cup of hot chocolate, reading a book or watching a movie with a cat curled up on my lap. But I do get tired of the cold, and spring is always welcome with its freshness, blooming roses and timid sunshine. Summer is a time of mingled rest and holiday. Heat and swimming, warm, lingering evenings, life and beauty all around. Summer is always the most fun. Autumn gently closes summer, draws us back into reality, giving us a last splash of colour before settling into winter. I love seasons, and God made them all beautiful. I am thankful for each season, for without them the year would be much duller, I'm sure. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Love's conquest began at the cross and its wave has rippled through the ages. Those who march beneath its banner are brave and blessed. Those who dare to invest everything in the hope of its victory are the most courageous. Fight the battle of love. Put your trust in it. Love conquers through patience, kindness, joy, truth, gentleness, hope, endurance, perseverance, selflessness, faith, courage. Arm yourself with these things. The greatest choice you will ever make is to love. And do not speak the word lightly. Angels speak the word with reverence, and demons with fear. I believe in heaven we will see love in its purest form, for love is heaven. I believe the passage that best speaks of love is 1 Corinthians 13: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." Love is perfect. Love never fails. What more can I say? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() What a subject! I could write pages and pages about my thoughts, beliefs and experiences of true love. But I must do my best to condense it. ![]() Naturally, when we hear "true love", we think of romance, but I think true love is far greater and wider and deeper. It encompasses every kind of love, the love of husband for wife, parents for child and siblings for each other. Love is what holds we as human beings together. Certainly intellect and emotion are vital components, but love extends beyond mere knowledge and feeling. I think love is truly the most powerful that a person can be, do, think, feel, or express. "True" means loyal and faithful, and faithfulness is something that endures to the end. To me, the ultimate love is unconditionally giving of oneself for another, despite all consequences, and often this means giving up something we treasure. When a couple are wed, the wife gives up her name. This is such a small example of a wife's sacrifice, but I think it represents marriage well. It is submitting to each other and giving up anything and everything for the other's sake. Both husband and wife give up their families and previous lifestyles, even for something that isn't as materialistically good, because love matters more, people matter more than anything in the world. The ultimate love is willingness to sacrifice even one's life for a friend. Life is the dearest possession of any person. To give that up takes guts, it takes courage and devotion. And note the word "friend" here. A friend is a special person, but does it necessarily mean the person closest to you? What if this was just a friend? Think of your best friend for a moment – apart from spouse / romantic interest. Could you lay down your own life for that friend? Be totally honest, now. If you got into a sticky situation and there was no choice, could you do it? Could you even risk your life for that friend? And what if it wasn't your best friend? What if it was someone you didn't even know? That's where heroes come in. Someone is a hero when they have this willingness to die for someone, even if it isn't a friend, and to risk everything on the life of that person. That is true courage. That is true love. And of course I can't help reflecting on the love of my dear Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. His love is so deep, so great and true, that I will never even begin to comprehend it. And I know that if only one person believed in Him and His death and resurrection, He still would have done it, even if it had been me. Love is the character of God, and when we love someone, we reflect our Creator and reach the highest we can be. I believe that love is every good virtue, combined with the deepest feelings and the strongest instincts. Love is the highest we can aim. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Who will be my valentine? ![]() ![]() ![]() But I think of all my options, I would choose my pen. I would rather spend a day creating worlds that never were, caught up in the lustre of imagination, than a year of real life. I would rather breathe everything onto paper than into the cold atmosphere of this world. Any shout is nothing compared to the whispers that fill the sails of my ship of dreams. No smile as sweet or sunshine as fair as the night in which I wait and hope. No water as pure as the rain that washes my soul anew. So today I shall cuddle my cats (in fact, one of them is smooching me right now!), adore my cello and devote myself to the piano. But most of all, I shall fall in love all over again with my writing. I will wander among the stars with my poems, and kiss the pages of my novel. I shall form the shape of a heart with darling words, and go out to dinner with my characters. ![]() And until the day when perhaps some man shall find me worthy enough to call me his valentine and raise me to seventh heaven, I shall wait patiently in my little world of words and wonder. I worship no lover, but await his steady tread in the castle of my heart, held hostage by the fell dragon of circumstance, surrounded by the moat of impossibility, locked behind doors of poet's dreams. Brave knight he would be who dared defy these fearful enemies! ![]() ![]() And I refuse to let you feel sorry for me. Love does not matter half so much to those who haven't experienced it. Or at least, not in my case. Meanwhile, I shall dance with my pen because I'm so in love, and I've never loved like this before. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() I think it's a hopeless case. ![]() My idea of a perfect first kiss: save it for the wedding day! ![]() And after that, well, I could list off a whole lot – kissing on the beach, kissing in the rain, kissing in the sunset, kissing on a cliff, kissing in the moonlight... (Or all of the above. ![]() The most beautiful kiss is the groom drawing back the veil to kiss the bride all dressed in white. Full stop. There is nothing more pure and true than a real first kiss on the wedding day. I have watched a lot of my friends experience their first kiss at their wedding, and it's one of the best moments of the day. Love and marriage is sacred, beautiful. Something to be treasured. I believe it is the highest happiness a human being can attain, that of perfect harmony with another. Heaven rejoices at the sound of wedding bells, and also in the rapture of a kiss. I think that is something our society has lost. With the crumble of marriage comes the crumble of families, and with the crumble of families comes the crumble of society. Adultery, fornication, divorce – and yes, dare I say it – homosexuality (I'm sorry if I cause offense, but it can't be helped), the foundation of society is ruined. It happens because we take lightly something that is so utterly serious, from a first kiss given lightly to a marriage without dedication. Say I'm ranting, say I'm conservative, say I'm misguided – say what you will. But I have warned you, I believe strongly about things. Where would this world be without people who actually stood for something, who actually believed in something, and were willing to die for it? These days we have lost our moral fibre. We have no standards, so what can be expected but chaos and ruin? I can't help touching on these subjects. The first kiss is a joyful moment, but the subject carries pain along with pleasure to me. How can we deceive ourselves into thinking that if we stand for nothing we will stand at all? Every moment of a romance is vital. It is building the foundation of your future! How can you not take it seriously? It starts with a crush maybe, – take it lightly, gloss over it. Kisses are given freely, dates are a matter of course... Engagement? It can always be broken off. Marriage, well, there's always the option of divorce. Children? They can be aborted or abused or abandoned... When will it end? Where will it end? So I beg you, I challenge you – take romance seriously. Even that first crush could become your downfall. Maybe after that you'll constantly chase after the opposite sex. Maybe dating will become a game and marriage a battle. Perhaps now you begin to understand why I'm so against crushes and dating... It's taking something lightly that should be so serious! But don't get me wrong – I love first kisses. ![]() And while we're on the subject of kisses, I think the kisses on movies are so disgusting! ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() Perhaps you would have guessed from the last post...I've never been on a date. ![]() If there is a man I'm serious about, of course I'm not going to mind if he asks me out for dinner. But if he knows me well enough, he won't ask. ![]() Dating isn't my scene. Sitting dressed up to the nines in a fancy restaurant talking romantic nothings by candlelight and delicately sipping wine isn't that appealing to me. ![]() Fortunately, no one has found me worth asking out (one look at my face scares them off ![]() ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ![]() I am a girl who never believed in romance. Even as a teenager I was utterly determined to stand invincible against the onslaught of love. I watched my friends all falling for each other, the chaos of crushes coming and going, and I despised love. Yes, you may have guessed, I am a person of passion. If I feel about something, I feel strongly about it. From the first stirrings of youth, I resolved never to "like" a boy unless I would love him, and I would never fall in love with anyone unless my intelligence had first approved him – twice over. Perhaps you would call it feminism or independence. I called it common sense. Understanding before emotion. My belief is that love is too great to be toyed with or taken lightly. Do not awaken love before it so desires. I couldn't really say if I ever experienced a "crush". I admired a young man very much once, but I think I was more in love with the feeling than with him. I hardly knew him, or at least, not as well as I wanted to. But here is the story, if you must have it: The first time I saw him, it was love at first fright. He looked so much like his sister I thought he was a girl. It didn't help that he had long hair and an earring! His family came to our church for the first time and sat where I could conveniently observe them. I didn't think much about him, or at all, until his family began to regularly attend. I was only twelve, and my thirteen-year-old brother made friends with him. I always hung out with my brother – we're best friends – so I got on pretty well with his friends as well. A few years passed and he became one of my brother's best friends. He came on holiday with our family a few times and we were just mates. Our family left that church and for about a year, I only saw him once or twice. My brother saw him more often, as he would go and do movie nights, xbox parties and sleep-overs with his group of friends. (Boy, was I jealous and mad I couldn't be a guy! I never got invited to parties. I guess I was a bit of a loner. Typical writer, huh? ![]() On my fifteenth birthday I had an airsoft war (we often hosted bb wars, our family was basically a casual airsoft club). Such an un-girly thing to do, but no one was surprised. ![]() For another year I only saw him a few times, but my feelings grew. Every time I heard his name, my ears pricked up. Whenever I saw him, I drank in every glance, every word, every smile. He was tall and I suppose you could call him handsome, with dark hair and sharp features. I suppose I fell in love with his kindness and his eyes. His beautiful, sharp blue eyes. They penetrated me every time I looked at him. And I got to know the way he played with his hands and began to anticipate his glances. Sometimes his eyes would rest on me a moment longer, or he would smile for no reason. But I liked his character above all else. Just the little things. He was strong, but gentle. Fun and interesting and serious about life. Particularly, his enthusiasm for life sparked my admiration. Young men with drive and goals and hopes, who have a purpose, inspire me. He was an airforce cadet and aimed to get a job as an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). Also, in the little things he really impressed me. Guys, saving a girl's life may be gallant, but sometimes it's more important to her when you open a door for her, look her in the eye when she's talking to you and just act normal around her. So, there it is. I never told anyone else about how I cared for him, and no one guessed. My brother suspected, but I shrugged it off as I always do. My brothers said multiple times, "He's awesome. You should marry him." They didn't realize I would die for the opportunity. I'm just glad I never betrayed myself. No one ever knew, and perhaps they never will. I learned something, though: the dawn of love is sweet. Very sweet, even if it is just a little crush. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
I'm participating in the Valentines Blogging Contest! Check out my new blog:
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February 8, 2013: List three things you'll never understand. ~ God's love for me. ~ Jesus' death. ~ What the Nazarene scribbled in the sand. Perhaps "comprehend" is a better word than "understand". |
Hmm...lightbulbs? ![]() Of course, I treasure my laptop a lot, because without it I couldn't be on WdC and write as I do, but I think I can manage without it...at a squeeze. To me, technology is not something to totally depend on. It's a tool to make everything better and faster. The first half of my life was lived without a TV and computer, and when they did come along, as inevitably they must, I learned "all things in moderation". I was so proud of myself last year. I was in the process of editing the novel I finished writing, and my laptop broke down. I had it all backed up, fortunately, but I was without a laptop for a few months. I managed perfectly! With pen and paper, I just kept going. I started new projects, like poems and short stories, and left my novel for a while. I even started drawing maps and creating a fantasy world for a book I'm planning on writing in the long-term. I could easily live without the TV, but of course I would miss watching movies, because I enjoy them a lot. I think without technology, we would learn to get by. You know, go back to candles and bows and arrows. ![]() ![]() It's sad that people rely on technology. I mean seriously, if we didn't have TVs, computers, ipods, etc., most of the teens in this country would go into withdrawal, not to mention the adults! What if the world had no electricity? Maybe the third world countries would become the most advanced, because they get by without technology! So, the moral of that story is: "All things in moderation." Use technology, enjoy it, but don't rely on it. ![]() |
I am proud to sponsor my first Rising Star: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Everyone please give a hand of applause to the awesome, funny, talented, cat-crazy, Egypt-nuts Calvin Reddick! ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Is my rhythm improving yet? I think this may just about be the first rhythm-perfect poem I've written! (I only edited one word! How's that for awesome!?) Check it out and tell me what you think:
I'm missing A Poem A Day Contest, and my poetry writing level has dropped back without the challenge. ![]() |
Today is a public holiday as New Zealand celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, our nation's founding document, on the 6th February 1840. The Treaty made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Māori rights to their land and gave Māori the rights of British subjects. However, because of the different translations in English and Māori, the treaty has lead to a lot of debate over what exactly was agreed on Waitangi. It's sad, because peace and equality between Māori and Pakeha (European) was the purpose of the treaty, but now we all fight about it. I wish Māori and Pakeha would stop disputing about who owns the land, and instead work together to help our environment. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. It is a shame that it should be divided between two peoples who are almost one. To read more about Waitangi Day and the Treaty, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitangi_day and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi |
Wow, wow, wow! I am still reeling from shock. Guess what?! I won the North Star Award 2012 with my poem:
Congratulations to embe ![]() ![]()
Wow, what a day. ![]() What have I been working on lately? Well, that's a little surprise... You may find some clues here in my blog – in fact, take a look at the last post and the comment by Gaby ~ Finding my way back ![]() ![]() And in the meantime, check out "Invalid Item" ![]() ![]() Check out those Shining Stars! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
I've entered the Dear Me contest 2013 with my letter "Invalid Item" ![]() For a while now I have wanted to start a novel reviewing group. I think novels don't get enough attention here on Writing.Com, and yet they are a vital element of the writing community. I always enjoy reviewing novels, when I find time, and I think something every novelist dreams of is a good reviewer taking time to critique every chapter of their work. Members would be able to buy packages, for themselves or friends, and reviewers would be rewarded 10 - 30k per novel reviewed. What do you think? Does it sound good? The only thing I'm a bit worried about is how much time would be involved in managing this group. Is anyone interested in co-founding this group? If it started up, would you be interested in joining? Also, within this group we could have novel contests! I've never heard of that before. A group started up a while ago that was going really well, but for personal reasons the founder had to shut it down. I was really sad about this, as the system worked well – you swap reviews. So once you review an item, you get to post a request to have one of your items reviewed. The reviews were private, thorough, line-by-line edits. I really enjoyed participating in this group and was sad to see it shut down. I'm thinking about starting up a signature shop, called "Blaze Designs". Several members have commented on my "talent" for making signatures such as these: "Invalid Item" ![]() ![]() ![]() What I like about the idea of a signature shop is I can control the time spent making signatures. If I want a break, I can just take a break. It won't be difficult. But I'm afraid to commit to it. So if there's anyone who would be interested in helping out, please let me know, or if there are any enthusiasts who want to encourage me, I really need that now. Hey, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on these ideas. ![]() ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ♥♥♥ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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Happy New Year, everyone! Wow! How exciting and fun these holidays have been! Christmas Day was great, with a water fight, swimming and barbeque, and lots of kumara salad. Then on the 28th December we headed north to the Bridge To Nowhere to tramp, camp and hunt. We ushered in the new year with a midnight swim (it was freezing!) and three shots from the guys' guns. Then we feasted on roast marshmellows, pineapple lumps and Raro, and then on a more serious note did some hymn singing and turned our thoughts to our Saviour, who had faithfully seen us through another year. We haven't stopped partying since we got back! My new craze is ice skating – I've been watching the championships on YouTube and watching some fantastic ice skating movies. My favourites were The Cutting Edge: Going For The Gold and The Cutting Edge: Chasing The Dream. Next on the list is Ice Castles, which looks inspiring. The Cutting Edge: Going For The Gold had the best ending, and I watched it over and over again. Also, it was really funny, so I think I enjoyed it more than the sequel. Anyone else seen these movies, or any other ice skating ones? Also, I've been swimming each day in the river – 10 - 20 laps x 50 metres = 0.5 - 1 km. The most I did in one day was 80 laps (4 km). I was pretty proud of myself then! I love swimming because I feel strong and beautiful. I don't get tired with it, and it's great exercise. I'm currently reading All Quiet On The Western Front, a more sober holiday occupation. It's a masterpiece all right. In my writing world, I'm excited to be participating in "Invalid Item" ![]() 2013 is a thrilling number. I am so happy to be here, today, alive. Carpe diem! |