Up.

Up is the new cool. Cool is not up. Up.

No, I am not talking about a fantastical children's animation. No, I am not referring to a weird song by the second rate country singer Shania Twain. No, I am not mentioning the name of the United Polictics party.

Up is the new positive adjective.

So, Lib, from Random Jotdowns beat me to writing it in a blog post, but I am now announcing the eve of a new term for what used to be "cool." I even have the effrontery to suppose that it could unseat the vague, "awesome. "

WARNING:

"Up" is not for wannabees or for the fainthearted. It must be said with a lazy assurance that conotates absolute conviction. After it is uttered, it may NOT be followed with an explanation. Otherwise, you're trying too hard.

By the way, I am calling down the fury of a thousand evil poodles on whoever wrote the Very Personal Tag that's been going around. Blech. =P

The fateful twelve...

First, list twelve characters from any fandom, then answer the questions below.

1. Curdie, from the Princess and the Goblin He's the shorter miner.

2. Bertie Wooster, from Jeeves and Wooster


3. Elsie Dimsnore from Elsie Dinsmore. (Prepare yourselves for some Elsie-bashing, people.)

4. Henry Huggins, from Beverly Clearly's work.

5. Johnny Tremain

6. D'Artagnan, from the Three Musketeers

7. Faramir. Because I had to have someone from Lord of the Rings

8. Alice, from Alice in Wonderland

9. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

10. Sunny Baudelaire Series of Unfortunate Events

11. Fay, from That Thing You Do. She's the wardrobe management. Oh yeah. Actually, her job is to hold sunglasses for Guy. (She's Liv Tyler in the middle)

12. Ludovic Lavenham ~The Talisman Ring. He's a exicitable smuggler who likes to shoot people. Tragically, I could not find a picture for him, but he's awesome.

1. Who would make a better collage prof, 6 or 11? D'Artagnan is rather lacking in the brains department, so probably Fay. She could teach music I guess.

2. Do you think #2 is hot? Okayyyyyy. Not my preferred adjective. Bertie Wooster? He thinks mustaches are goodlooking. Need I say more?

3. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed? Ludovic sends Alice on a mission. Hmmm. I think he would tell Alice to marry Beau Lavenham so that she could inspect his jewelry collection for a talisman ring. Yeah. Actually, that's scarily realistic.

4. What is or what would be 9's favorite book? Mrs. PiggleWiggle's favorite book would probably be 1001 Recipies for Delicious Cookies. That woman is a gem.

. Would it make more since for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around? Bertie Wooster would swear fealty to any scary-dude with a sword, and then promptly forget about it. D'Artagnan would swear fealty to any pretty girl who chanced his way. As Bertie is not a pretty woman and as D'Artagnan is a scary-looking dude with a sword, I think Bertie would swear fealty. And Jeeves would get him out of it, of course.

.6. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he room with 9 or 10? Johnny Tremain should stay with Mrs. Piggle Wiggle so she can cure him of all his vices. Everyone should stay with Mrs. PW.

.7. 2, 7 and 12 are going out to dinner. Where do they go and what do they discuss? Bertie Wooster, Ludovic Lavenham, and Faramir. Wow. First of all, Bertie only came because his Aunt Agatha made him. He takes everybody to the "Mottled Oyster" a cheap nightclub. Although he tries to tell the party about the prize he won for scripture knowledge in grammar school, Faramir and Ludovic start fighting. (Of course.) Faramir is convinced that a flaming arrow can do as much damage as a pistol. Ludovic disagrees. They start firing projectiles at the candlebra in an attempt to prove their marksmanship.

8. 3 challenges 10 to a duel, who wins?

Sunny easily wins. In the first place, Elsie is such a coward that the only person she can challenge is a baby. But right before Sunny immobilzes Elsie with her razor-teeth, Elsie calls for her daddy. Coward.

9. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would (s)he get it back? Curdie would never, ever, ever steal. It goes against everything in him.

10. Suggest a story title in which 7 and 12 both attain what they desire. Hmmm. Faramir's desire is Eowyn. Ludovic's desire is a golden ring. How to fit that in a title?

11. What kind of plot device would you have to use if you wanted 1 and 4 to work together? I'd tell Curdie that Henry Huggins was surronded by goblins who were mussing his hair. Then Curdie would appear, full of powerful rhymes to drive 'em away.

12. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would it go? Great! We'd give each other haircuts. And go riding. And I'd make Faramir teach me archery. Plus, we'd get into metaphysical discussions on the proper method for running a nation.

13. If you could command 3 to perform any service or task for you, what would it be? What could Elsie do for me? I don't think she CAN do ANYTHING! I know: I'd get her to knit a purse for me, just so I could keep her occupied and AWAY FROM ME!

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11? Nope. Poor Sunny isn't exactly a romantic figure.

If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, what side would (s)he choose? Bertie would ask Jeeves, and then do whatever he'd say.

16. What might 10 shout out while charging into battle? Sunny can't talk yet.

17. If you had to choose a song to best describe 8, what would it be? I haven't a clue.

18. 1, 6 and 12 are having a dim sum at a Chinese Restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?

Curdie, D'Artagnan, Ludovic. Hmmm. D'Artagnan would challenge Ludovic to a duel over it. While they fought, Curdie would promptly snatch and eat it.

19. What would be a good pickup line for 2 to say to 10? I think Sunny is a little young for Bertie.

20. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?

Well, he WAS arrested for stealing a silver cup, but he was innocent.

21. What is 6's secret? D'Artagnan likes to fancy himself full of secrets. Which one to choose?

22. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first? Definitely Fay. Athletics isn't Mrs. PW's thing.

23. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you feel more comfortable walking with, 7 or 8? Absolutely Faramir. Alice isn't exactly physically powerful.

24. 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4. Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic? Curdie and Mrs. PW, team up against Henry? No. They like children. Fay isn't subtle enought to spy, Henry is incapable of capturing Ludovic, and Elsie couldn't complete anything. Coward.

Whew! That's a long tag. I hope I didn't bore you to tears. I hope you actually know who some of those characters are.

Anywho, I tag:

Phil Wordy,

Bethany

Equus Delirus

Music and Worship

This is the only version of Paul Balouche/Brenton Brown's Glorious I could find on youtube. I love this song! It was really cool to be able to see both writers perform this song separately and see their different takes on the same song.

Last night, we also got to see Newworldson which was crazy awesome. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the performance. Here's one of the songs we got to hear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKGOnAQllP0&feature=channel

Concerts are so amazing, amazing, amazing.

Comment tag (If you read this, you've gotta comment) : Who performed at the last concert you went to?

Stuff.

Will tagged me for the thirty things about me tag. While you are reading this, I am making sandcastles and splashing in the ocean. Which is cold. And salty. And I probably have sand in my hand, and bruises all over from falling off my skim board.





1. My horse's bit is on top of my dresser at the moment. How's that for random?


2. I currently have 5 stories started. Because starting them is so easy!


3. Currently, I am attempting to wean myself of the habit of eating the stickers on my apples, which I am accomplishing by eating our own apples.


4. My chicken's name is Nefertiti. We used to have ten, whose names were





Shifrah


Puah


Ribbon


Ruth


Boaz


Hapshetsut


Cleopatra


Red,


And Red.





5. Ferns are my favorite plants


6. I epic-fail at knitting.


7. At the moment, I am reading Sophie's World, which is about a fourteen year old girl with one month before she turns 15. I thought it was an fitting time to read it.


8. I really cannot stand pb&js. Blech.


9. In my book, eating with chopsticks is a delight.


10. Sargeant and Kipper, my two big dogs, have a room bigger than mine. They live in a homestead cabin.


11. I can't remember the last time I brushed my hair. That's kinda sad.


12. In my lifetime, I have ruined about 17 watches.


13. My cat tore the Control "Ctrl" key off of this laptop.


14. I have almost entirely filled my composition notebook!


15. I don't believe in matching socks.


16. I always steal my dad's socks because I never have any that match.


17. My dad's socks don't fit me.


18. My dad is 6'6".


19. The space between my bunk bed and the wall of my bedroom has been called the Depths of Doom for about seven years.

20. I am very good at losing pocket knives. So if you live in WA, and you find a knife lying around, it's probably mine.

21. I love mountain huckleberries.

22. Once, in a fit of extravagence, I paid $3 for a button. *Shakes Head*

23. I have supposedly met the man who invented the thinamajig that connects the pencil to the eraser. His name was Yimmy, and I have no idea if he was telling the truth. =D

24. Last summer, I got to see a Lipizzaner act.

25. Never, ever, ever, will I ever try to make a jelly roll again.

26. I love the rain.

27. If I could go anywhere right now, I'd go to the Library

28. When the Sky is like Lace is one of my favorite picture books.

29. I have discovered that I am much better at typing on a laptop than a regular computer, which is rather sad because regular keyboards have such a nice clacking sound.

30. When I was younger, I set out to look for an arrowhead one day. However, I never found one. Not to be daunted, I found a piece of sedentary rock and used a file to make myself one. I still have it.



I tag... umm... who hasn't done this tag? I tag

Phil Wordy,

Heidi

Ashley

Three Character Tag

I am not adhering to my usual principle of doing all my tags together. =D

Bethany tagged me with the three character tag. But how am I ever to decide which three of my favorite characters to write about? I think that nearly all of mine are from George MacDonald, so I'll start with one of his characters.

I. Curdie, Peter's son. [Sorry about the picture. I can't find a satisfactory one.]

1. He, by obeying the "Lady" and thrusting his hands into her fire, he "will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing to be a beast." Basically, he can know the character of any man or woman.

2. He can sing and invent marvelous rhymes on the spot.

3. He was formally a miner.

II. Polly, of An Old-Fashioned Girl, by Louisa May Alcott.

1. Her real name is Mary. [Isn't Polly an odd nickname for Mary?]

2. She coasts (sleds) splendidly, and is a sport for all kinds of fun.

3. Humilty is very present in her.

III. Horatio Hornblower (of the movies, not the books. I couldn't reccomend any of the books other than the first two)

Peach, I can see you rolling your eyes! =D

1. At the beginning of his naval career, he suffers from seasickness.

2. He joins the navy at seventeen.

3. His strong sense of duty often gets him into trouble.

Sorry!

As you may have noticed, I forgot to tag anyone for that last tag.

This is difficult, for I have no idea who has already completed it! It seems to be going around with alarming rapidity!
I shall tag:
Gabrielle

Bekah

Lizzy


I am on a Veggie Tales craze, and I thought I might as well drag you all along with me. That's one of the great things about having younger siblings: you get to go back and watch all the videos you saw as a Little. Or maybe I'm just weird.
If you can believe it, I am working hard to commit this one to memory.

August Tags:

I believe this is called the Hopeless Romantic tag. I was tagged by Libby, of all people. Please excuse me while I murder her.

What two qualities do you want most in your future husband?

Loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. After that, TALL.

Is there a fictional character you see as a model for your future husband?

I really, really like Libby's answer on this one. Shall I quote it?

"Yeah, but that’s because they are fictional-not real =P" Peter Pan. Yeah, I am going to marry Peter Pan. I don't know!!! Okay, an earnest response would be Malcolm from George MacDonald's Malcolm. But Curdie is awesome. And so is Alec Forbes of Howglen.

Where do you want your wedding?Somewhere---------over the rainbow!

What are your views on courtship?

Well, what is your definition of courtship? If it means doing things in groups, fine.

What are your views on your first kiss?

Let's just say it will be really easy for me to wait for it.

Do you have or want a purity ring/locket?

Nope. I don't feel as though a medal band increases the strength of my convictions.

Do you have or want a hope chest? I hope to get one, but not necessarily because of the connection with marriage. I do have a box of special memories.

Will you wear a veil at your wedding?

If I get married, I will, and I shall actually wear the veil over my face, like you are supposed to. That's where the tradition lies.

What kind of wedding dress do you want?

A white one.

What flowers do you want in your bouquet?

Calla Lilies.

What do you want to name one of your daughters?

I don't know.

What do you want to name one of your sons?

Ransom.

Do you believe in the 'knight-in-shining-armor' view of courtship?

That's a little vague.

What music do you want to play at your wedding?

Solveig's Song.

Are you a hopeless romantic?

Yes, but at fourteen, I want romance to stay comfortably between the pages of a book.

Here is a video for you, if you didn't want to have to read that tag.


I regret to inform you that I cannot do the Favorite Historical Figure tag, because I cannot pick just one figure to do it with.

GASP!!! A tag?

Everybody knows that tags are stratchy, and they never stay tucked in, and they are hot and uncomfortable.

Yes, this is a blog tag. Yes, Ophie is doing a tag. Yes, she now has a policy on tags. Yes, she will tell it to you.

But first, is it confusing when I talk in third person? Bracie and I do it all the time, usually unintentionally.

Alrighty, my policy on tag is that I am going to do tags, (assuming I ever get tagged,) all at once, once a month. Why? To answer that, you need to know my opinion of tags:

I think tags are neat, but in very moderate moderation. I hope that by doing tags just once a month, then I won't be drowning anybody in them.

I was tagged by Lib and Jare:

KFC, Popeyes, or Church's

Hmmmm... Hmmm... Hmmm... The only one I've ever been to is KFC, but as my dear mother would say, something about the chicken there tastes extra-dead.

Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger?

What? Never tasted either. This quiz seriously must have originated in a different region. But I'll say Chick-fil-a, because it sounds much more ridiculous.

Starbucks of McCafe?

No comment. Ophelia finds she is rather sick of anything with a Mc in front of it. This is a result of the disaster of the last Reluctant Dragon Fan Club.

What's your favorite time of year?

I think we have four wonderful seasons for a reason. How could I ever decide?

Do you ever talk to yourself?

Of course, for occasionally I have a need to talk to someone at my intelligence level: Me! However, I don't think I could tell you if that is a good thing (since I am so superior in brains) or a bad thing (since I am a couple watts short of a lightbulb.)

Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion?

Always remember this: everything in moderation except for ice cream

.Do you believe the Bible is the literal word of God and is infallible?

Yes! Let's start a discussion on the Verbal Plenary Inspiration of Scripture!

What's your favorite sport?
I really don't care for watching any professional sports, but as for playing: football or soccer.

What color is your iPod?

I don't own one. My Mp3 player is one of those ten dollar ones you can buy at drugstores. I really do love music, I simply like listening to it as an activity that draws people together even more than I do just listening to it by myself.

Thank you! Thank you! Ophelia accepts the applause gratefully, glad to know that everyone really wants to know about her ipod.

I tag:

Kei of Looking through the lense

Moriah of Growing in his amazing grace

As for the other tag, I was tagged by Kei, at looking through the lense. In this tag, one must go to their photos and pick the sixth file, and then find the sixth photo. I actually prefer the number seven, so I (ahead of looking) chose to do sevens. Here we have it:

If you'll notice, Ava, Bracie, Gabby, Aubrey and I all have smudges of charcoal on our noses. I can't exactly recall why we do, and I thus conclude that it was one of those ridiculous, fun, spur of the moment impulses. Impusivity is not always a good quality, but it sure makes for fun photos!

Because this is such a fun tag, I shall tag seven people!

Toni

Sarabeth

Ashley

Bekah

Amy

Will

Moonshaw