Hello everyone! Today I have some very important news to share with you. In fact, you've probably already guessed from the title what that news is.
Uh, yeah. Because that was like so obvious, my dear.
(Oh no. Not him again. Did Mr. Smart Aleck have to show up today of all days?)
('Hem. I heard that.) And yes, of course I had to show up! You wouldn't expect me to miss out on something so unutterably dull as this, would you?
Dull? DULL? Did you just say the two-year anniversary of Sunshiny Corner was dull?
Well, isn't it? I mean you don't even know what to say about it.
That's beside the point.
Ha. And that was a most pathetic dodge.
I do know what to say about it. I'm going to talk about what a good year it's been. How many new friends I've made. How thankful I am for all my old friends. How much more at ease I am with blogging. And how I never worry about my posts being bad like I used to.
Fib number one! Fib number one!! Caught you red-handed! You most certainly do still worry about your posts being bad.
Okay, fine. But not so much as I used to.
That I'll grant you. You definitely are getting better at that. Very nice. *pats Miss March on the head*
Well, you needn't be so condescending.
Condescending? ME? My dear little chap, I would never dream of being condescending to you. What an idea!
Forget I mentioned it.
Good as done.
Well! You certainly are obliging today. (Surprising, but not unappreciated.)
And you, have nothing to say. That's clear enough. Do you know what a point is?
Of course I do.
Well, why don't you get to it then?
Wow. Even though that was intended as an insult, I have to hand it to you, you're making a lot of sense today. I really should get to the point, shouldn't I?
That's what I just said.
Right. (But what's the point? I mean, what should I say?)
You really are a mess today, aren't you? Here. I'm officially taking over this post.
You can't do that!
Watch me.
Hello there! To all you poor abused people who have somehow gotten sucked into reading the writings of our sadly deranged authoress, greetings. To those of you who have stuck with her from the beginning I have only one thing to say,
"ARE YOU NUTS?"
To those of you who are new, and perhaps yet unaware of what you've gotten yourself into, I have a more profound word...
"RUUUUUN!!
Now. Quick. Before it's too late!!"
Hey! Wait a second! You can't say that to my readers! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!
It was a joke, Siegfried, a JOKE. Not a very good one. (Humph. Some joke.)
Well let's start again then, shall we? How's this?
Dear readers, what Miss March would really like me to say is THANK YOU! Thank you to all of you for reading these insignificant little ramblings, and for being such all around great friends!! It's the friendships that make blogging really worthwhile. And she wants you all to know that she's really, really grateful for all the kindness and encouragement you've shown to her over the past couple of years. She has friends now, which she couldn't claim to have had before, and you're those friends! So thank you all so much! *lots of hugs*
(Alright. That wasn't too bad.)
(Thank you. *bows*) And now comes the second part. The part where Miss March gives us an illustration of the ups and downs of her blogging career. Basically a behind the scenes look at what too often happens when she publishes a new post.
What? I'm going to do that? Now?
Yes. Roll 'em.
*deep breath* Okay...
Working feverishly to finish a post before dawn. (Slight exaggeration.)
Finally done. Whew. That's a load off my mind.
I do hope I didn't say anything too awfully ridiculous, though.
That's not likely, is it?
Unfortunately, no. Ooooh! What am I trying to do, embarrass myself for life? I'm sure that post was horrible.
My readers are probably all giving me this expression right now...and why shouldn't they?
That was a confusing, embarrassing post. I know it was.
I wrote that? What was I thinking??
I haven't had any comments for days. It's official. Nobody liked my post. I've failed.
I'm so disgusted with myself right now.
I think it's about time I gave myself a talking to...
From now on, I shall be sensible.
I JUST GOT SOME COMMENTS! Eeee! All's right with the world...
Perhaps, after all, the next post may be allowed a little bit of silliness...just a little.
When will she learn? Oh, when will she learn?
I realize that was like, totally random. But I had some good pictures and I wanted to use them. And I had a sudden burst of inspiration so...there you have it. That's that.
And now let's move on. Because we still have one more thing to talk about.
Blogging stats.
I don't think your readers care to hear about that.
Well, maybe not, but I would like to include them for my own sake then. Because it's fun to look back on them later.
True enough. Proceed.
Wow. I'm a little worried. Where are all your insults today?
I have a cough.
Oh. And that makes a difference?
No, but I thought I'd mention it.
O-kaaay. I'm confused.
I don't mind. You can be confused if you want to.
Right. *shakes head to clear brain* What was I talking about? Oh, yes! The stats. Well, here they are...
Pageviews: 24,991 Number of Posts Published: 111 (counting this one)
This post was greatly inspired by Elinor's post here
Warm spring days / Hot dishwater on "not-so-warm spring days" (our weather's been kind of changeable lately) / Lively conversations with family members / Music that stirs something deep inside of me / Candy to soothe perturbed spirits ;) / Parents who continue to love each other through all the ups and downs of life / Brothers and sisters who mean more to me than I can say / Newborn babies / (Newborn baby nephews in particular :)) / A sister-in-law who's the sweetest person ever, and as dear as any sister / A brother-in-law who brings so much life and laughter to the family circle / Friendships / Good books on cozy evenings at home / Warm winter night gowns and extra blankets for those nights when you're feeling cold and a tad sick / Pink eye, because then you get to stay home from work! *happy dance* (yes, I'm that bad...) / A sister who knows when you need that extra little push to do the thing you really wanted to do all along / Energizing walks / Emails from friends / Baking cookies (with my siblings) / Getting lost in a good movie / The enlivening feel which comes with the changing season / Puffy white clouds / Beautiful sunsets / The joy of looking forward to fun summer events / Delicious desserts / Pizza (okay, so I like pizza) / Childhood memories / Crazy siblings / Hilariously pathetic jokes / Sunday afternoon naps / The ability to feel emotion, be it sad or happy / Tears / Laughter / An evening spent in discussing story ideas with a particular brother (who happens to be a writer, too) / FAMILY / Home
GOD'S LOVE
GOD'S PATIENCE
GOD'S OVERWHELMING KINDNESS
So many blessings
This hymn just came to mind. Particularly the last line of the third verse, but I'll include the whole song for you.
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Verse: Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Though changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Chorus: Great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness.
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
Verse: Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
About a month ago (wow! Has it really been that long? That's crazy!) Ahem.As I was saying, about a month ago I published this post which was a general invitation to my readers to ask me any questions about myself that they desired to know the answers to. Obviously this follow up post has been a long time in coming, but I'm finally here with the first batch of answers.
And yes, I've decided (per the advice of several of my blogging friends) to divide this post into sections, and deliver it to you in doses. Quite as one would give a child a bit of medicine, you know? Because such irksome stuff taken in large amounts might very well prove fatal to those who receive it, and we wouldn't want to risk that, now would we?
Without further ado then, let us begin.
Warning: I had a lot of fun with these questions so beware of crazy waters ahead. And if you happen to get hit by a wave of ridiculousness, don't say I didn't warn you. Proceed at your own risk.
1. Why are you so awesome?
I say, old chum! What an appropriate way to begin. I like that. Thank you very much. *bows*
I'm so awesome because...
Sink me! I've forgotten! Well, it was probably too complicated to explain anyway. And besides such awesomeness really would require an entire post to do it justice. And we haven't time for that right now. :P
2. Oh yes, how old are you? I have always wondered.
*GASP* You never ask a woman how old she is! (Especially one so old as I!) Really, Naomi, I'm surprised at you!
(Oh. What? I said you could ask? Dear me, so I did. How silly of me to forget.) *chuckles* Seriously, I was totally kidding about being shocked. I don't mind this question at all and will gladly tell you. :) I am 3 times 3, times 12, divided by 2, minus 4, plus 10, divided by 3, plus 5. Got that? (Boy! I'm so glad I learned math when I was a kid, otherwise I'd never be able to figure out how old I am!) What's that? You'd like me to put that into simpler terms for you? Oh, sure. I can do that. I am in point of fact, one year older than Robert Martin, 5 years older than Lizzy Bennet, two years younger than Anne Elliot...fine. I'm twenty-five. (But I was having such a good time dragging this thing out.)
3. How many siblings do you have?
Oh, such tough questions. You're already making my brain work far too much.
*holds up hands and begins counting off on my fingers*
1...2...3...4...5...
6...7...8...
9...10...
*runs out of fingers* *starts over*
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...
*switches to counting on my toes* *can't find my toes for my socks* *gets confused* *sits and stares dumbly at the opposite wall*
Okay, new tactic. I know there were twelve of us before we adopted. And we adopted four kids so...twelve plus four equals...no, no, don't tell me. I know this. Twelve plus four equals...SIXTEEN! (See. I told you I was good at math.)
Oh, but then I have to subtract myself from that because you asked how many siblings I have and I'm not my own sibling so...
*puts on the old math thinking cap again* Sixteen minus 1 is...
...wait, wait. Don't talk! Let me concentrate. Sixteen minus 1 is...
FIFTEEN!! *fist pump* (YES. I got it! I'm so good at this.)
So yeah. All that to say, I have fifteen siblings. (And yes. This was indeed the most ridiculously complicated answer to a simple question EVER. It's my highly intelligent brain, people. The price to pay for being smart. That's all.)
My pitiful attempt at illustrating. Clip art + my poor computer drawing skills = very weird picture.
I'm the fifth little person up there, by the way. I was the baby girl until we adopted my three younger sisters.
('Cause you all really needed to know that, right?)
We have a very strong family resemblance, don't you think so? (That was a joke. You can laugh.)
4. Do you live in the countryside/city?
Well, we're definitely not in the city. But we're not in the country either. We're sort of in a well developed town which is sprinkled here and there with corn fields left over from when it was the country. :)
5. What do you wear more skirts or pants? (Or do you wear pants at all?)
Pants. Though I still hold with the tradition of wearing skirts or dresses to church. Just because. When else does a girl get a chance to dress up a little?
6. What song have you been listening to a lot recently?
Son of David by Andrew Culverwell. I listened to it a while ago and it didn't make much of a an impression on me, but listening to it more recently...ooooh! I love it. It makes my heart sing and my feet tap, and it's just super spunky and fun. (And Andrew Culverwell is one of my absolute favorite singers, so...)
The sound quality isn't the best on this version, but it's the best youtube had to offer so that's what we're getting. It's not a very lengthy song, so go ahead. Listen to it! And then tell me what you think of it. (If you don't like it that's okay. I understand. Not everyone has as refined a taste in music as I have. Mwahaha. :P)
7. Favourite character from Lark Rise to Candleford? (MINNIE AMIRITE.)
Actually, my absolute favorite character is Alf, but Minnie runs a fairly close second, I'd say. And I also really like Twister. 'Cause he's hilarious. (However, this isn't taking into account the fourth season, as I was highly unimpressed by most of the characters in those last six episodes. They all fell a little flat, in my opinion.)
8. What is your favorite book?
Hold on a minute! You can't ask me that! That's not a legitimate question. I mean that's totally and completely outside the bounds of fair play. I CAN'T ANSWER A QUESTION LIKE THAT!! *gasps and falls into a faint*
Okay, fine. I'll just give you oneof my favorite books. And for the sake of being creative and original it's gonna have to be Little Women. (See how original I am? ;))
9. Who or what got you into blogging?
Well, that's kind of a long story. Are you sure you have the time for it?
Very well, if you insist. (Hint: Now's the time to pull out your tape measure, Catherine. 'Cause this is gonna be a big one.)
Well to start off, there was this frog, see? That lived in a bog. And being friends the two of us would often go "bogging" together, as we called it, which was basically the two of us slogging through the said bog. One day, however, not being able to see real well because of a heavy fog, I tripped and fell right over a log. Froggy tried to help me up, but it was too late. I was a soggy, boggy mess. Friend Frog hated to see me in this condition and so he took up his new position. "NO MORE BOGGING!" cried he quite firmly. (He did it for my good, on account of that piece of wood.) And so we said good-bye. And boy did we weep and cry. Friendship lost forever. Never to be had again. Never.
*insert choking sobs*
Well but some time later there came a day when I heard by chance a person say a most peculiar word. And that word was "blogging". My heart leapt within me for it reminded me so strongly of the old days of "bogging." I felt deep down that here was something I must do. And so I did it. I created my very own blog, in memory of my good friend Frog, and the fun we used to have in his home-sweet bog, (in spite of the fog and that troublesome log).
That's it. That's the end. (Boy am I a NUT tonight. Sheesh!) (I'm also a horrible poet, and now you know it.)
"Yes, yes. But this is all very vexing. Let's have the real story, Miss March.
Oh of course! The real story. How silly of me. I warn you, it's pretty boring, but perhaps you'll find it rather refreshing after all the above nonsense. Who knows?
Basically, I'd been reading and enjoying blogs for some time and began to wish that I myself could become a part of the blogging community. It seemed possible that I might be able to make some real friendships through blogging, and frankly I wanted friends, so that was one driving force. Also I love to write and it felt like a good opportunity to grow in that area. So yeah. I got my own email, set up my own blog, and the rest is history. (And I was right about the friends part. I truly have made SO many wonderful friends through blogging. And I appreciate you all SO much!)
(Another long answer to a simple question. *sigh*)
(Oh, and if you want more details about how I started blogging, I gave a more detailed account of it in this post here.)
10. Do you write (besides your blog)
Yeah, you might say that. Nothing too spectacular though. I dabble in writing stories, but I'm not as serious about it as I should be. I've also been the editor for our family newspaper for several years, but unfortunately it's starting to take a downturn since I've been neglecting it sadly of late. (Still haven't printed out the September and October issues and the November issue is barely even started. Ahhh! I'm so behind! *runs off and hides in a corner*)
11. How old are you?
Somehow I get the feeling I already answered this question. Well, whatever. I like to hear myself talk, so I'll answer it again. ;) I'm twenty-five. More colorfully put, I'm a quarter of a century. (If that doesn't make a person feel old, I don't know what does. Haha.)
12. What is your favorite movie?
My dear Kate, I like so many movies. I do not have a favorite. But since you asked I shall give you one that I like very much indeed. Pride and Prejudice 1995. (Yes, I knew you'd like that answer. You're welcome. ;))
13. Why do you always stay up so late?
Ooh. What a good question. Wherever did you come up with such a good question? (Hahaha.) Okay, to the point. There are actually a variety of reasons for my keeping such late hours, but the biggest reason in recent weeks has been due to the fact that I've become heavily involved in an underground organization which makes it it's business to conduct sabotage missions during the late hours of the night. We do a number of things such as blowing up enemy bridges or cracking safes in order to retrieve top secret information. It's quite an adventurous life I lead. (In other words, you might say I've had a rather heavy diet of Hogan's Heroes lately.)
Yeah, I'm a little concerned about me, too, Carter.
P.S. The real--deep down--reason for why I stay up so late though, is because I'm writing blog posts like this. Or simply because another member of my family is still up and I can't get myself to go to sleep so long as there is the possibility of something fun going on. I don't like to miss out on things, you see.
14. Why did you turn down that nice boy who asked you out?
First off I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am not a picky person when it comes to going on dates. Not in the least. It's just that with so many eligible young men vying for my attention I do have to be somewhat selective--if only for the sake of time, you know, and my own sanity.
That being said, with regards to this particular young gentleman--despite the fact that he was very nice--there were simply a few objections too great for even my complying nature to overcome. Here's the list for you.
1. He was too tall. I prefer shorter guys.
2. He drinks coffee. And I'm sorry to say it, but that goes against all my firmly held principles. My husband must not be a coffee drinker. That is final. (Yes, I'm already jumping to matrimony in my mind. I can't help it. As Mr. Darcy says, "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment." How did he know us so well??)
3. Speaking of matrimony leads me to my third point. Before I gave my answer as to whether or not I would go out with him I made sure to ask that most important question, "What are your intentions?" (Meaning, of course, "are you thinking marriage, or are you just wanting to date for the fun of it?") (Because, duh. That's a question that has be asked before you ever go out on a date with a guy. It's essential.) Do you know what he replied though? Why, that poor fellow did nothing but stammer out some paltry excuse about simply wanting to get to know me--or some such rot--and that's where I drew the line. (I mean really, man, I have to know now. Are you thinking marriage, or are you not?)
"I am horrified and affronted by your callousness!"
You see? I had to say no. It would never have worked.
Note: Rest assured this entire answer was a complete fabrication. I have in fact never been asked out on date. Ever. And while I do sort of--at this moment in my life--prefer a shorter man (and one who does not drink coffee...heehee) those are by no means "make it or break" points for me. And as to the whole "what are your intentions?" thing. Ugh! I am adamantly opposed to a girl putting such pressure on a guy right from the start, and have made it my intention that if ever a guy should ask me out I'm going to try and use my brain and see if I can't figure out his intentions for myself. (It might work, you know. I do have a brain. At least, last time I checked I did...though I'm beginning to wonder about it now...)
15. What is your middle name (obviously don't answer this if you don't want to!)?
*thinks about this for moment* (Well, what do you think, Miss March? Do you want to?) Eh, sure. Why not? My middle name is...
Jean. (Wa-la! Smashing bit of news there, what?)
16. Do you have any unusual talents?
A talent in me would certainly be unusual, yes. (Does making a fool of myself count as a talent? I seem to be pretty good at that.)
17. What color is your hair?
Brown.
18. What color are your eyes?
Brown.
19. What is your favorite book?
A favorite book (note the emphasis on "A") is Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
Insert picture of me as a kid. Just because.
20. What is your favorite genre to read from?
Are classics considered a genre? If so, that. More specifically probably romance. (But it's got to be a good romance. Because really, who wants to waste their time on a bad romance?)
21. Three favorite movies
Random Harvest
Amazing Grace
Emma
22. Would you rather time travel in the past as often as you choose or jump to some random time in the future once?
Oh, oh! I LOVE THIS QUESTION! I would definitely travel to the past, because that would be so much fun! Just think of the possibilities! I could watch myself growing up, relive all the good times I had as a kid, and observe myself through the eyes of an adult. (I bet ya my younger self would drive my older self crazy! Ha.) Also I think it would be cool to watch my parents growing up...and even my grandparents! I would just love to see first hand what they were like when they were kids and what sort of things they used to do. Ach. I wish this was possible!!
23. Sunshine or rain?
Hmmm...it probably depends a lot on my mood. Rain can be lovely when I'm in the mood for being thoughtful and cozy, and curling up in a blanket with a good book or something, but it can also be depressing if I'm already feeling slightly down in the dumps. So yeah, I might like sunshine better...but I don't dislike rain. Let's just make this easy and call it a tie. ;)
24. Tell us what your dream 'date' would be... (I'm not really referring to the person but if you have a reference picture that could be nice. Hahaha)
Eek. This is actually a really hard question, because I've never really considered what my dream date would be. Let me think about it a moment. Hmmm...maybe he could take me out to Cici's for lunch or something. That would be yummy. Of course, that's a buffet. He would then see what a pig I'm capable of being, and uh, that would be awkward. Not to mention detrimental to the good impression I would be trying to make. So no. Scratch that idea.
I've got a better one anyhow. First he'll take me out to a cozy little coffee shop in a town nearby to where I live (but we won't order coffee because...we don't drink coffee, remember?) and we'll just sit there and talk and talk and talk (*cue romantic music*), until we're tired of sitting; whereat we'll go outside and walk around the town--which is a sweet old-fashioned little town--and while we're walking we'll talk some more, and yeah, I like that. That sounds like a nice date. (At any rate, it's the best I can come up with at the moment.) What do you think?
25. Phrase/s you find yourself using A LOT...
Well, these wouldn't really be considered phrases (more like words I use a lot), but for what it's worth. Basically, (and I notice this mostly in my writing) I say "seriously" and "honestly" far too much. And probably "oh my word" and "my goodness" (I've got a lot of goodness, folks! Haha). And yeah. I can't really think of anything else at the moment, and I am now going to feel very awkward whenever I use those words. (So thanks a lot, Cordy.)
26. Your hair color
This is like a really complicated question that's too hard to answer twice, so please see my answer to question no. 17. JUST KIDDING. This is actually a very simple question, so don't bother scrolling up. My hair is brown. (At least I think it is...better check that quick. *runs to look at self in mirror* Oh whew. What a relief. It's still brown. I thought maybe with how long this post was taking to write it might have turned gray by now. :P)
27. Dream job
This. Really. I'm not kidding. I want to be the mother in that picture so bad!! To be bustling about in my kitchen, surrounded by my children. Can it get any better than that? (I'm totally serious. This picture warms the cockles of my home-loving old heart.)
28. Do you have any pets/livestock? (Their names and species, if you please :))
Nope. We rent our home and aren't allowed to have pets. My brother has goldfish, though. And we once had a Siamese cat named Princess that our neighbors left us when they moved to a new home, but that was when we lived in another state. (And for the record, Princess was a boy. We found that out after we named him. Go figure.)
29. What is your favorite historical time period?
Well, going off of some of my favorite movies, I'd have to say the Regency era, but then I'm really not that set on any time period in particular, so I guess I don't have any definite answer for you. (Sorry. I realize I am a very decisive person.)
30. What timezone do you live in?
Can you believe it? I actually had to go look it up to make sure. (Goodness gracious, I'm such a smart person.) I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.
31. If you could be a fiction character, whom would you choose to be?
Hmm. I could probably come up with a lot of different answers to this question but for today I'm going to say Jo March. Because, why not? I'd be a published author then, with a house full of kids; and while I would prefer a husband who's closer to my own age, still Professor Bhaer is an awfully nice person. I'd really have nothing to complain of.
32. Which Jane Austen heroine inspires you?
Hmm...they probably all do to some degree, but the one that's coming to mind right now is Anne Elliot. The way she cares for others and cheerfully serves people without looking for personal recognition is admirable. I love how she's so trusted by everyone, too. That's a character quality worth owning.
33. What is your favorite color? (hehe had to ask that)
My favorite color. Man. The questions keep getting harder and harder. Well, if you had asked me this one when I was a kid I would have said brown. (Hey, it's a good color. Besides my sisters took pink, purple, and yellow, and my brothers took blue and green. What was I left with? Haha.) However, my favorite color now (or colors rather) are mint green, sky blue, pale yellow, and light pink.
Something along these lines. Aren't those "delicious" colors though? :)
34. Which person in your life do you look up to the most?
This is actually two, but probably my mom and my dad. Because they're awesome! And they've been such an amazing example to me--all my life--of what it means to walk with God. Surrendered to His will and living for others rather than yourself. (I kind of love them. <3)
*****
Well, looks like we've come to the end of the first installment. (Are you glad or what?) Not sure how much real information you were able to glean through all the jibber-jabber, but I hope this post proved somewhat entertaining and informative. And if you know me a little better than you did before, that's great. For then I can say with confidence that this post "ain't been in vain for nothing." (Movie quote: Singin' in the Rain)
Be prepared, there's more to come. Part 2 and Part 3 will be appearing at some time (hopefully) in the not too distant future, so be on the lookout for them. And I may even try to be more sensible in the next post, and more to the point, and less wordy and...yeah. Are there any other impossibilities I can aim for??
