Photo-Op

Tuesday, Mom and I drove down to Kona, and stopped to enjoy the view from the K-Mart parking lot.

Yes, that is the ocean.

Shaka!

See the temple?

There it is!

Hawai'i 101

Here is some basic info about Hawaii for you!

First off, I live in Hawaii, the state, on Hawaii, The Big Island. Subtle but distinct difference. There are eight islands.

I live in Waimea. (Northern bit of the island. Right in the middle.) It's chilly, windy and rainy. Typically about 15 degrees colder, more or less, than the coast. Hour drive to Kona (West coast. middle).

Hawaiian Language-

Aloha- Pretty much anything positive. Greetings, love....all that jazz.

Mahalo- Thank you

'ohana- family. Like Lilo & Stitch

keiki- children

honu- sea turtle

Mele Kalikimaka- Merry Christmas!

It is custom to remove your shoes before you enter someone's house.

Adults are more often referred to by children as Auntie or Uncle, rather than Mr. or Mrs.. The receptionist at my school is Auntie Lani, and the custodian, who I love very dearly, is Uncle Hapi.

POG

Passion Orange Guava Juice. It's pretty much everywhere. And it's to die for. Seriously, go buy some right now. Most grocery stores carry it.

Shaka - pretty much an "all good" greeting gesture. You might think you're being insulted, but you're not. You will see it everywhere.

Another traditional greeting/farewell/thanksgiving gesture is a hug and kiss on the cheek.


Flip-flop sandals are called slippers. Or slippahs, if you want to sound authentic and cool.

That's it for now! Any questions?

So. Much. Sugar!

Monday it finally started to feel like Christmas. With the weather here feeling more like spring, it's been weird. But then mom and I had a day of Christmas goodie making mania. After a quick stop at the grocery store, we put in our happy Christmas CD's and baked allllll day!

Grand total-
almond roca toffee
minty chocolate crinkle cookies
orange rolls!
pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting
rosettes
pretzel hugs
wasail
tacos- for lunch
my favorite sausage rice casserole- for dinner

All in our absolutely TINY lil kitchen!

Then we went caroling in Waikoloa with some families from church, and brought a bunch of goodies to share. It was fun.

Write a Friend Month

First off-
I apologize (again) for lack of postage. I think I am just gonna apologize in advance.
Also, this technology thing has been holding a grudge against me or something, because it hasn't let me comment ON MY OWN POSTS! It was angrymaking. So if I didn't reply, it wasn't my fault. I tried. The computer wouldn't let me.

Now! On to new stuff.

According to the calendar in my classroom, December is Write a Friend Month.
I quite enjoy that, as I am missing my friends very very much. Also, it is Christmas! And I think writing and sending letters is especially appropriate during this season. It is what I try to do, instead of spending money on worldly presents. It is more meaningful. But that is a topic for another time. Maybe a talk in church next week actually...

Anyway.
I would like to issue a challenge: Write your friends! Handwritten notes and letters are the best, but if you know you probably won't do that, at least send emails! Or however else you message!

Let people know how much you love and appreciate them. It really means a lot to hear from your friends. You never know who is needing a boost. Why not give it to them?

Happy Birthday Momma

Yesterday was my Mama's Birthday. I love her muchly. She is super awesome. So fun and silly and kind. Impatient with my baking, she always wants to get it done and eaten as fast as possible. Sun-loving. Sings hymns in church even when she knows she isn't on the right pitch. Adventurous biker chick. Makes me lunch. She is just wonderful. One of my heroes.
So Mama, I love you! Happy Birthday! Thanks for all you do.

IMPORTANT: Email Change

Just so you are all aware, I have a new email!

MegyTortuga@gmail.com

Feel free to email me, I love hearing from you all. Any questions, comments, thoughts, just wanna talk... anything, let me know!

Distractions

Sorry for my lack of postage. It's been a stressful, emotional, rather unhappy week. Lots of new things happening.

Also, I have been gladly distracted by a book!

Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini!

It is quite exciting. And an excellent distraction from loneliness, stress, school, etc. Plus, I am right in the middle of the epic battle.

So I will blog later. I am going to go read some more.

You should to, instead of being annoyed with me for not posting.

teehee

Meet Milo

This is my fuzzy stuffed turtle, Milo. I hug him when I miss my friends or am sad. He is my friend when I don't have any here to help me. We snuggle. It's nice.

My best friend gave him to me before I left. I love them both very much.

Aren't they so silly? :)



Anybody else have a sentimental attachment to a stuffed animal?

Welcome to Waimea

Tuesday I visited the town I will now be living in. Waimea, Hawai'i.

Fun Fact - Waimea is the original name of the town. But as there is another Waimea on a different island, the Post Office renamed this one to Kamuela. So all the locals still call it Waimea, but the addresses all say Kamuela. Kinda confusing, I know.

Anyway. Waimea is headquarters for the famous Parker Ranch, where my dad now works. So it's home to all the Hawaiian cowboys. Not really a touristy, beachy place like Kona is. It's actually cooler than you would expect, I wore a sweatshirt in the evening. At the base of a mountain, it gets alot of rain. I am glad for that. Here are some snapshots of our visit -

My lil sis's new school -

My new school -

Hurrah! Those Mormon churches are everywhere... -

We visited our school, the library, and our new rental house. In the afternoon it started to rain, but it was just tiny little sprinkling! However the wind blew it sideways everywhere. Unfortunately it was about that time that my camera died.

Day 1

On Monday I moved to Hawai'i. It started like this -

Wake up before 3 AM. Pack everything while trying (and kinda failing) to not argue with your sleep deprived siblings. Load up a shuttle to the airport. Haul everything out.

Total bags - 13
   4 backpacks
   2 instruments
   3 rollaway cases
   3 huge duffels
   1 hard bright yellow suitcase

Get through security. Get food. Have Starbucks mess up my order, causing an annoyed, exhausted, stressed, sad breakdown. Get on a plane. Fly away from the home you love.

Arrive in San Francisco. Get on another plane. Sit, sleep, stare out the window, listen to my iPod, and do sudoku for about 5 hours or so. Land in Kona, Hawai'i.

Open air airport... this is the baggage claim. Pretty cool.

Pick up baggage (as well as possible, the suitcase handle broke) and take a taxi (no rentals cars available for some crazy reason) to the condo. Unload. Again.

Walk to a restaurant. They had cool chips. Walk back. Saw a giant centipede on the way. We don't know if it is poisonous.

Hide in my room from my family. Skype Mr. D. Breakdown again. Finally get to sleep.

Hard, long day.

Watch out Robin Hood

Archery has become one of my favorite hobbies. I have always loved it, but was never really able to practice it except at Girls Camp over the summer.

Until now.
There is an archery range here. I love it. It is open twice a week and I go whenever I can. I am actually pretty good. My parents even got me my own bow for my birthday. She is absolutely gorgeous (I will post a picture if somebody requests it). Beautiful mint green vintage wood recurve. 30 pound draw weight.

I love it so much.

I AM SEVENTEEN!

I was sixteen, going on seventeen...
But today is my birthday!
That's right, the world has dealt with me, rather successfully it seems, for seventeen years.

Personally, I'm quite impressed.

Do The Puyallup!

Last Tuesday I went to the Puyallup Fair for the first time ever. It was quite exciting. My mom, siblings, and bestfriend Mr. D came with me.

We saw all the animals, including the giant draft horses that scared Mr. D. I watched him eat a giant (Seriously, it was HUGE!) Earthquake Burger. We tried on funny hats. Saw interesting people. Watched the funniest magic show EVER. Skipped around. Bought a bakers dozen of AMAZING Fair Scones.

Had an all around great time. Our cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing. Should I upload a few pictures?
Anybody else have some fun stories from the Fair?

One Reason Why I Hate Teenagers

Last week I had to sit in the back of the bus after school. Typically I try to avoid this, for reasons any highschooler knows.
The annoying, rude, crude, and immature boys sit in the back. That day was no exception.

These boys swore about every three words. I'm not even kidding. It was awful. Me being the reserved person I am, I sat there with my friend Miss L and just silently fumed. Until I finally snapped. Turning around, I said sharply, "Please watch your language, I do not want to hear half the things you are saying."

I won't tell you what they said in response. I got up to sit toward the front of the bus. I was almost shaking, I was so angry and upset. Then I heard them continuing to talk about me. Not nicely. I admit it, I fought tears. Emotion does that to me. I cry - happy, sad, or mad.

I don't understand how people can purposefully be so mean to each other.

Echo, echo...

Hello? Is anyone out there? Do you remember me? I used to update my blog. Then life got crazy...er.
I'm sorry to those few people who actually checked my blog in the last month. Especially my dear Miss L. I was very seriously chastised by her for not updating. Love ya darling ;)

So much has happened recently, I won't ever be able to catch up. So I'm not going to try. I am just going to jump in again. Have fun keeping up.

First and foremost - My family is moving. In November. To Hawai'i. Yeah. I am not kidding. So things have been insane. Hard month for me. But we won't get into all the reasons for that.

Anyway, school has started. It's alright. Have some fun classes, others not so much.

That's Life.

Exploring the iPad!

I am updating my blog on an iPad! I am at my friend's house playing with this cool technology, it is very exciting! I am not very technology literate, so I am very impressed with myself right now. It is quite fun!

Summer Update

So, there is alot I should be doing this summer. And quite alot I haven't done.

Summer homework? Yes I have a ton. Have I started? Of course not. Will I regret that? Of course I will. So will I start it soon? ...Probably not.
But maybe! I try to believe in myself.

Have I been practicing my music? ...No. Don't tell my band teacher.

Have I been swimming to get in shape for season this fall? Definitely not. But at least I have been trying to eat healthy. That has to count for something.

Have I been blogging? Not really. As you can probably tell if you are taking the time to read this.

Have I been lazily reading all day to finish this epic series? You bet.

Food, Music, and Dishes

I have been spending quite a bit of time in my kitchen recently. The baking bug got me, so last weekend I made Chooloate-Chip Strawberry Muffins, and a loaf of amazing Cheese and Herb Pull-Apart Bread. It was stunningly delicious.

All this baking means I have been doing extra dishes. I don't mind. Whenever I am in the kitchen I turn the radio up loud and sing along. If I am in a good mood I dance, too. That is why I volunteer to do dishes, especially alone. It's relaxing and fun with my music. (I'm a big music person, if you haven't noticed).

My parents out of town this weekend, so I get even more kitchen time; cooking so my younger siblings don't starve.

Better Bloggers

Since I have been bad at blogging recently, I wanted to share with you some other blogs I love (that are hopefully better updaters than I am).

The first is I[heart]YouFiveElephants, made by my lovely friends Miss K and Miss T. They so cute it's almost criminal. Curious about the blog name? Ask them about it sometime, it's a sweet story.

The next is The Best of Gluten-Free, by my dear Miss C. I joke that she is basically allergic to the world (it's almost true), including wheat. However, she loves to bake and cook, and has become a gluten-free chef extraordinaire. I love visiting her. The darling always has good food for me, she is going to make me fat!

Finally, we have Dear Bro Jo. It is all about dating and relationship advice. Miss B introduced  me to this blog, and its pretty nifty.

What are some of your other favorite blogs?

How about a Happy List?

Thank you very much to the lovely Miss T, who left me some advice! Honestly, when I saw I had a comment, for the first time in  a very long time, I freaked out a little inside. I love hearing from you guys.

So, part of Miss T's idea was a happy list. I can do that! Today's Happy List will be rather general...and probably random. Oh well. Here we go!
In no particular order, my first...

HAPPY LIST!

1. My Friends
I have some pretty awesome friends. They are amazing, and have some mad skills. Sometimes they surprise me and bring me cookies (how sweet!), or sing to/with me (we do that alot), or randomly start dancing (yeah...that's usually me). They help me, and I do what I can to help them. They make me happy.

1. Love Songs
I am a sucker for love songs. Any cute, sweet song really. Miss B has told me this again, and again. What can I say? They are just so cute! I think I will be posting another song list soon. They make me happy.

1. Books
I am very much a nerdy reader. And I love it! Currently I am reading the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. They are reeeally good. It's fun to get a lost in another world. It makes me happy.

1. Rain
I love rain. Some of my friends think is it dreary, but I think it is refreshing! Rain is just so calming. It smells clean and fresh, hearing it all around is rhythmic, and feels rather isolating. It is so beautiful. I like to make a big mug of my signature hot chocolate, curl up on the couch with it and a warm blankie, and just watch the rain over the trees in my backyard. It makes me happy.

1. Warm Clothes Just Out of the Dryer
Maybe it's because I just pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer, but don't you love those clean warm clothes? Sometimes my mom will dump a bunch on my siblings and I. It's so fun! Plus they are great for curling up and watching the rain... ;). It makes me happy.

Well, I think that is all for today! Hope you enjoy my rambling as much as I do!
What sort of things make you happy?

Assistance Please?

Hi. Yes, I am alive. Barely. But that is another story. Remind me to tell it later, okay?

I need some help, guys. I have some things I want to talk about, but my brain is rather scattered recently.
SO - Do you think you all could leave me some ideas on topics I could blog about? Questions, comments, complaints...anything. I would just really appreciate some inspiration and encouragement that I am not absolutely boring (but if I am, please let me know).

Please! Comments or emails would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

SUMMER!

FINALLY! IT'S HERE!!!

Today I woke up to chilly, thick FOG. It was cold! It did not feel like the last day of school AT ALL. But it was. Made it through the halfday at school, then I was FREEEEE!

And it got sunny!! :D
Really sunny! HOT!

My friends decided it would be fun to go to Ben and Jerry's and share a Vermonster. 20 scoops of icecream, brownies, cookies, hot fudge, whipped cream...served in a gallon-sized tub. Crazy. There were about ten of us, more or less, and we demolished it.

I made it home, felt tired. Big surprise. I am always tired. So I took a nap in the sun! Layed out a blanket in my backyard and slept for about an hour. So hot, but wonderful. =]

I love that naps in the sun are possible now. I am so glad it is finally summer! School was killer, but now we can have fun! Anyone have cool plans?

Yeah, I am a nerd. So what?

Can't really post anything deep today, so I thought I would give ya some fun writing for enjoyment.
This is a little snippet of fanfiction I wrote for an english project. It is a small backstory of Hermione Granger. Thats right, Harry Potter. Oh yes. Thank you to my groupmates for some content ideas. Hope you enjoy!

September was slowly turning crisp when George and Helen Granger returned home from the hospital, glowing with joy. Their first child, Hermione, and been born.

The couple sat on their living room couch, their sleeping baby girl wrapped in her mother’s arms.

“Isn’t she just amazing, George?” Helen asked softly.

“That she is,” her husband agreed with a quiet smile, reaching out gently to take his daughter. “She will do great things, our little Hermione! Maybe even become a doctor in a family of dentists!”

Helen laughed.

“No, not a doctor! They are never home, dear!”

Eleven Years Later

Hermione Granger threw herself on her bed, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. The horrible day seemed to replay through her mind, the taunts and jeers of ‘Hermy Hermit’ and ‘Granger Danger’ echoing in her ears. Hermione heard her mother’s steps in the kitchen, and knew that it wouldn’t be long before she came in to check on her.

With a sigh, she wiped her eyes and reached deep to the bottom of her school bag, feeling for the fantasy novel that had caught her eye at the library. She had barely gotten through Chapter 2 when she heard an unusual, soft tapping. It was probably her mother at her bedroom door.

“Come in!” she called, not bothering to look up.

No one entered, but the soft tapping continued.

Confused, Hermione looked up to see an owl, a great, brown spotted bird, pecking at her window. With a squeal of surprise she jumped back, as far from the window as possible, and the book thudded to the floor. The owl did not move.

Slowly, her curiosity overcame her and, step by step, she moved towards the window. As she got closer she noticed the owl was carrying an envelope. This odd sight drew her even closer, and she saw her own name upon the envelope. Gathering her courage, Hermione timidly opened the window. The owl hopped through the sill, dropped the envelope upside down at her feet, and flew off, back into the summer twilight.

Gingerly, she picked up the envelope, noticing the interesting crest on the back. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…What an odd name. Could it possibly be a joke? She wouldn’t put it past the children at school to try something like this….Hermione immediately dismissed the idea. Where could her schoolmates have possibly gotten a trained owl?

There was something about the mysterious letter just seemed so real. Natural, right. Hermione delicately ran her fingers over the thick paper, with the same reverence she reserved for all printed materials. Flipping the envelope over, she gaped at the address, written in green ink.

Miss H. Granger

The Second Bedroom

7712 Mulberry Drive

London

Crossing the room to her desk, Hermione quickly, but carefully, opened the letter and smoothed the papers flat. She began to read:

Dear Miss Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…

           

Thoughts flew through Hermione’s mind, possibilities she contemplated and discarded with record speed. What could this possibly mean? Was it a hoax? No, something told Hermione this was real, there really was a Hogwarts School, and she was selected to attend…

Hermione could not say why she felt that way, it was a feeling she could not explain nor completely understand, try as she might. She continued reading, and slowly her mind began to make sense of the jumbled mass of new information it was receiving.

She, Hermione Granger, was a witch.

She possessed magical capabilities, which she was to learn more about at this school, Hogwarts. Her parents did not have these powers, but she did! She was special!

The jaunts and bullying of her peers came back to her, the mean name calling, jokes about her hair, her teeth, her passion for reading…those children were nothing, nothing, compared to her. They did not receive a letter from Hogwarts, they were not magical!

A broad smile spread across Hermione’s face.

Miscellaneous pieces of her life began to fit together. All those mysterious occurrences of her childhood now had an explanation. The journal that had been thrown into a puddle by her schoolmates and hadn’t been wet when she had picked it up; the boy who had gotten every question wrong on the history exam after Hermione had noticed him cheating off her paper; the book that had caught fire when was struggling to learn to read…it was magic!

Eagerly, she read her letter again, lingering on the list of necessary equipment and books. With titles like Magical Theory and A Beginners’ Guide to Transfiguration, Hermione was especially excited to read them, even more so than she usually was with new books.

Suddenly, a terrible though struck her. She was not born to magical parents! The other students were sure to be ahead of her, they would have been raised in magical families, been taught magic their whole lives! She was behind! Hermione’s brow furrowed as she contemplated this. There was only one thing to do.

She must study! Everything! Learn all she could to catch up before school started on…her eyes scanned the letter, searching for the proper date. September 1. Hermione bit her lip. That wasn’t much time…but she could do it. She had to.

The idea of studying magic returned the smile to her face, and she began to read the letter a third time.

With a gasp, Hermione suddenly leapt up. What was she doing sitting around? She had things to do! Starting with telling her parents about her wonderful letter.

Grinning happily, she whipped open her bedroom door and bounded into the hallway, her bushy brown hair streaming behind her.

“Mum! Dad! I have amazing news!”

Comments? I would love to hear from you!

500 and some MUSIC!

WHOA! Almost 500 page views?! Are you kidding?! I never thought that would ever happen...thanks guys. =]

Lets have a party! Whew! I love excuses to party. Not like I ever need one... ;)

Okay, I know I have been MIA for quite awhile, and I am very sorry. Know that awful thing called school? Yeah. It's killing me. But, IT'S ALMOST OVER!!! :D
Just a few more days, and we are freeee! And then I shall blog more....hopefully. I actually do like blogging...I just never have time! Gah!

Now! I want to party! SO - Since music is huge to me and it is one of the things that has gotten me through school, I want to share some of my current favorite songs with you!

One Week - BareNaked Ladies
You can thank Mister D for this one, he played it for me at our homework party the other day. It is just such a crazy fun feelgood song! =]

Keep Your Head Up - Andy Grammer

This is my current pick-me-up song, thanks to Mister S. It just always makes me feel better!

Rolling in the Deep - Adele

This is sooo fun to sing! haha I get pretty into it...Really, who doesn't love it? =]



I Just Wanna Run - The Downtown Fiction

This is my moody/bad day/grumpy song, I guess. I really like it because it is exactly how I feel sometimes.

Sigh No More - Mumford and Sons

This is another of those moody song, but it so peaceful and beautiful!

(Notice - be careful with Mumford and Sons. Some of their songs, like The Cave or Awake my Soul, are lovely, but others, like Little Lion Man, have some nasty swearing. It is a good idea to stay away from those. I can tell you from experience even one bad word in a song, and that is the line that is stuck in your head alllll day.)



Goodness, I am on a roll here! Hope you don't mind. If you do, oh well. It's my blog! muahahaha!

I have so many other songs I love! I will have to post them later...would you like that? Yes, no, maybe so?

SO. MUCH. MUSIC!!!! :D

Okay, last one for now -

Who Says - Selena Gomez

I know, I know, but it is such a cute song! With such a great message! =]

There you go! Some wonderful music, ended on a happy note!

Hahaha punny!

Oh goodness...

Yummy, easy (healthy) PASTA!

Okay, I love pasta. Waaaay too much. Which is why I love finding quick, delicious recipes with good healthy ingredients. My families newest health-nut idea - spinach.

Surprisingly, I don't mind spinach all that much. I know, it shocks even me. I am not a veggie person (who is?), but I have found some amazing recipes using spinach.

My newest favorite (which I just made), is a wonderful Spinach and Feta Pasta.
(By the way, explore that site, its awesome! OurBestBites =] )

Tomatoes, garlic, feta, (I omitted the mushrooms, ew) ....oh glory, it's good!

This pasta is delicious. Beyond delicious. Uber-amazingly FABULOUS. And it's simple too! Simple and quick, that's how i cook. ;)

I would post a picture of my own, but I devoured it before I remembered to. So you will just have to look at the pictures on the recipe, link posted above! They look better anyway. =]

"The Divine Gift of Gratitude"

I recently found, and gave a talk about, a wonderful address from President Thomas S. Monson called The Divine Gift of Gratitude.

When many people think of gratitude they think simply of giving thanks. But I have found gratitude has alot more power than that.

President Monson said,
"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."

Who doesn't want to feel God's love? It makes us happy.

When you are grateful you feel happier. I know I do. This is because when you are grateful you are thinking of others and what they do for you, and not about yourself and what you need or lack. You cannot be mean-spirited or negative if you are grateful.

"We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings...[However,] We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude..How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? ...a prayerful life is the key."

Why? i think it is because in our prayers we are taught to give thanks. You can't do that very well if you do not recognize things to be thankful for. So if you are trying to pray sincerely to your Heavenly Father, you are forced to think about your blessings.

"A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that 'feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it'"

Practice being grateful! I takes conscious effort until it becomes a habit. Thank people for anything and everything - no matter how simple.

This is my favorite quote from the entire talk, it is so beautiful -

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

To live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven....how wonderful =]

Kia Kaha

Kia Kaha is Maori, it means "forever strong." Which is (cleverly ;) ) the title of a movie I love.

Forever Strong

So this rugby player, Rick, gets into some trouble and is sent to this juvenile correction facility, where is reluctantly plays for a rival rugby team in order to reduce his sentence. This team, Highland, helps teach him to be a good boy, and become a better man. Add to that all sorts of family strife and team competition, and whew! Loads of both fun and heartache.

This is a great, inspiring, motivational movie. One of those family, feel good type movies. You should watch it, it has something for everyone! =]

Just Another Life or Death Story

This weekend I went with mis amigas to our Girls Camp Youth Leadership Training (Girls Camp is going to be amazing this year, by the way =] ). Anyway, Friday night my girlies and I were sharing stories, scriptures, and such, and my darling Miss K told us of a great spiritual experience she had a few days ago.

Miss K and Miss B were driving, and stopped at a red light. It turned green, but Miss K didn't hit the gas pedal. She said her mind just went blank, she saw the light change, but it didn't process. After a few seconds she slowly eased down the gas and began rolling forward. Just as a truck came roaring through the intersection. Very, very fast. Too fast.

If Miss K had gone as soon as the light changed, they both would have died. Or at least be seriously injured.

I don't know what I would do if I lost those girlies, my sisters. It makes me so glad that they know who they are, and are in tune with the Spirit. Because that is what saved them; the Holy Ghost. Why else would they have stopped? The Lord guided and protected them, and I am so grateful for that.

"No Cussing Club"

In response to my previous rant on swearing, the wonderful Mama D sent me this video. It is about a No Cussing Club. I love it. Go ahead, take a look. Also, you can go to the website mentioned in the video, NoCussing.com, and even take the no cussing challenge and become a member. Pretty cool.

Swearing

Swearing, cussing, cursing, crude or foul language...it's all the same. And it's all nasty. Whatever you want to call it, I hate it. I feel so strongly about this that there will probably be several posts about it. Swearing is just so negative, it only  make me grumpy. I prefer to be around people who are uplifting, not constantly bringing me, and others, down.

There is a LOT of swearing at school. It is impossible for me to get through the day and not hear at least one bad word MINIMUM. And that is being optimistic. Usually I hear much, much more. I can't really express how much I dislike it.

The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet has a great section on language (which has some other great links and resources, by the way) -

"How you speak says much about who you are. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Use language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others. Do not insult others or put them down, even in joking. Speak kindly and positively about others so you can fulfill the Lord’s commandment to love one another. When you use good language, you invite the Spirit to be with you.

Always use the names of God and Jesus Christ with reverence and respect. Misusing their names is a sin. Profane, vulgar, or crude language or gestures, as well as jokes about immoral actions, are offensive to the Lord and to others. Foul language harms your spirit and degrades you. Do not let others influence you to use it."

Isn't that great? "When you use good language, you invite the Spirit to be with you." Who doesn't want that? The Spirit helps guide us and comforts us. Conversely, "Foul language harms your spirit and degrades you." Nobody wants to be degraded. So we shouldn't use foul language.

I have heard the excuse swearing "is just words." No harm, it's just words....

Not true. Not true at all. When someone tells you they love you, is that just words, or does that have meaning? Doesn't being told you are loved inspire a feeling? Happiness, maybe? It works that same in reverse. Crude, degrading language brings you down. Words have power. There is proof of that everywhere.

If you have time, take a look and study James 3:2-13. It's pretty intense.

I know it is hard to stand out, to be that one kid who doesn't swear. But it is completely worth it. You are standing steadfast for what you believe in, and your example truly does influence others. There will always be those who ridicule you, that is inevitable. But it is not their opinion of you that matters. It is your Heavenly Father's opinion that matters.

Ugh, Sorry!

Alright, I know I haven't been posting much and I'm really sorry! I really want to, I've got plenty to rant about, but I have NO TIME. Ugh.

Anyway, Spring Break is next week, I hope to keep this up while my family and I are on vacation, but no promises.

I will slowly, but surely, get these posts typed out for you!

...Eventually.

Sleep Needed

I realize I have not posted for a while, and I apologize for that. It has been difficult to put thoughts into words recently, but I have finally found a topic I am passionate about this week.

Sleep.

I can never get enough of it. Nobody can. Exhaustion is an endless cycle here in highschool. I have taken three 2-hour naps this week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). My mother asked if I was sick.

I'm not. Just tired.

Let me put it into perspective for you. Teenagers, like me, need to get about 9 hours of sleep a night. I get about 6-7, more or less. Most often less. And the pathetic thing is that when I count up my hours of sleep for the night, I consider 7 hours a success.

So, say I get an average of 7 hours of sleep a night. That's 49 hours a week. Add a few extra hours for Friday night (when I can sleep in on Saturday), and it's about 52 hours.

I am supposed to get 63.

63 hours of sleep a week. I am 11 hours under.That's OVER a full night of sleep. Ouch! That's like pulling one all-nighter a week...and then going to school. And taking tests. And giving presentations.

And I know people who actually do.

What causes such a lack of sleep, you may ask? Typically just being so busy. School, homework, friends, maybe a job, homework, sports, extra activities, homework...did I mention that one already?

I am the type of student who, when I am too tired to function, says, "Forget homework, I need sleep." If you know you are exhausted, what is the point of trying?! It will just take you longer to get everything done than it would if you took a nap first and then finished! Plus, then you are even more tired for school the next day, and the cycle continues.

But I know a lot of people for whom getting homework done trumps rest. They get even less sleep than I do. I also know several insomniacs who get about...3-4 hours of sleep? And then go to school, just like everybody else.

Double ouch.

Now, I have to be fair - if I was a bit more proactive in getting my work done, I would probably be able to fit more sleep in. I tell myself all the time, "Megy, you know you are gonna regret this if you don't do it now!" But do I ever just do the work right then? Rarely. I know, I know, how silly of me...but after over 6 hours at school, I am just about dead. Depending on the day. It always seems that I am the most tired through school and the afternoon. When it is actually a decent time to be going to bed, I am finally awake. Not a good system.

Whoa...Scripture Mastery coming on...drum roll, please!

Doctrine and Covenants 88:124
"...cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

Great counsel. For highschoolers, very seldom followed. At least, the "retire to thy bed early" part. Many, including myself, arise plenty early for seminary.

But that is a blessing in and of itself. If I didn't go to seminary, I would be even more exhausted and unable to focus.

Here is a nifty little article I about how to get more sleep - Six Ways to Get Your ZZZs

What about you? Your average hours of sleep a night?

Orange Rolls

I love to bake, especially delicious treats that make the waistband of my jeans fit a little snugger just by thinking of them.

So, after a monotonous day of school, why not make some ORANGE ROLLS? :D
Homework? ...Naaaw! These take a few hours...

But never has there been a better use of butter, sugar and oranges.

First, I had to set up my work area. A preparatory snack of a warm tortilla and cheddar cheese, then stealing the speakers from the old computer downstairs and struggling to hook up the tangle of wires to my netbook, so I can hear my music better. Yes, I sing while I cook, and yes, it is loud in my kitchen. =]

I give credit to the wonderfully ingenious Mama S for this recipe, I don't know where she got it, but I got it from her. Warning - I don't really have detailed instructions, I usually just go for it and see how it turns out. So, sorry if you are an exact direction-follower kind of person.

Fasten your seatbelts (not too tight, because these rolls will definitely shrink your jeans), and here we go -

Orange Rolls

Dough
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 C milk
2 T yeast
2 eggs
6 C flour - more or less ;)

Orange butter
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
4 T grated orange peel

Orange glaze
(basically enough powered sugar to make a good glaze with the juice from the zested orange)
1 C powdered sugar
2 T orange juice - if you wanna be technical

Alright, starting with the dough -
(Note-unless you have a KitchenAid mixer, use a VERY large pot - you will be putting over 7 cups in it, which will then rise...)
Melt the butter, and combine in the sugar, salt and milk. Let it cool to lukewarm, if it is too hot it will kill the yeast.
At this point, I transfer it to out super-fabulous red KitchenAid, but you can keep it in the pot.
Add the yeast, and let it sit to activate, until it looks rather brainy, kinda like shown below, though I did let mine sit a bit longer than necessary...but no biggie.

Then add the flour, roughly 6 cups. Mix that up, but not too much, let it be stay a bit floury (Is that a word? oh well). Let that rise. I like to cover it with a cloth soaked in hot water and COMPLETELY wrung out, but I have no idea if that actually helps. Could all just be in my head...

Anyway, when that is risen pretty well, time varies, knead it out on a hard, floured surface,
like your counter. I use my handy-dandy pastry mat. Then roll it out into a rectangle, about 1 ft. by 2 ft?

Now make your orange butter! Grate/zest (whichever word you prefer) an orange, and add that to the butter and sugar. Melt it all together, of course! Yum!

While that is still warm, spread it evenly over the dough, to the edges. Use a pizza cutter or such to cut it in half longways, then cut 5 even-ish, long strips from each half. Confused yet? Just wait.
Stack the 5 strips! On the fifth, flip it over, so all the yummy butteryness is kept inside.
Then cut the strips into your little rolls, about an inch? Guesstimate - they just need to fit into your muffin tins and not overflow when they rise. Place them in the muffin tins, it takes 3 pans for me.

Put them in a nice, warm-ish place to rise, I usually set them in the oven with the light on, but NOT HEATED. Don't bake them yet...

When they are risen, nice and fluffy, take them out of the oven (if you put them there), and preheat the oven to 350 F. Then bake them! About 8 minutes for me, until the edges are golden brown. Let them cook on a wire rack, then drizzle the glaze over them.
The Glaze - juice the orange you zested previously, then add powered sugar to that until you reach your preferred glaze consistency. Simple as that.

And there you go! Killer deliciousity =]

They are great to give to friends, or ding-dong ditch your neighbors (nicely) with.

Questions, comments, or clarifications? Let me know! =]