American Idol...

I don't know how many of you watch American Idol but I thought you might wanna read this...
Tonight on the last audition of the night a young man came in and his story was shown: He proposed to his girlfriend a few years ago and they set the date for two years from then - when they had 2 months to go until the wedding, she got into a bad car accident and had severe brain damage. The doctors didn't think she would wake up, but she did. She is completely disabled and can't do anything for herself. They still haven't gotten married but he said that he was going to stick with her until death do they part. He went on to say: "What kind of a man would I be if I left her when she needs me most?"
That's what love is all about.
When I saw their story I wanted to share it because it is so touching.

It was a sweet note to end on.

Writers Block. Why Oh Why?!

When writers block hits I want to get a bulldozer and ram that block DOWN! And I mean it.
I have tried so hard to actually complete writing a book. But I get stuck. Stupid writers block. And it happens for blogging too! It is so WRONG!

So here is my plan:
I'm going back to my very first book I was writing (beginning date was 9/5/07 - YIKES) and start over but keep everything like I originally planned - with a few minor changes to make it fit better. And I am not going to stop until the last word is written on the last page in the last chapter of my first book! Confused yet? I hope not.

If I get writers block during this project I am going to ram it down. Ram. It. Down. Hard. No mercy.

Don't worry - I will keep you up-to-date on the ramming. It should be fun.
Writers block has been warned...
With love, 

what happens when....

...you know someone as long as riah and i have known each other:

• you say the same thing on the phone at the exact same time at least 3 times a day. give or take one or two times.
• type the same thing on instant messenger at least once a day.
• have your moms be doing the same thing while you are doing the same thing.
• you come to like the exact same music, books, movies, and pretty much everything else.
• you make a pact never to be like you older sisters in the "hopeless romantic" department but then end up being almost like they were...
• and...you both want to go to the same country and be photographers.

and today is the no capitalization day. it's fun - you should try it out.

A Story About a Christmas Past Time (yes I know Christmas is over...)

A long, long time ago on a cold Christmas Eve night, a little girl slept soundly in her bed with dreams of sugar plums dancing in her head.
Ok - so it was me and I wasn't dreaming abour sugar plums because I didn't know what they were. And it wasn't really all that long ago - just 12 years ago or so...
I had been in bed for five hours (maybe more or less) and it was now midnight. My parents came in and woke me up. How RUDE! We all know that Santa doesn't come if little children aren't asleep!
"Lyssa," they said. "Santa is here - He wants to see you."
I groaned in protest and mumbled. "I don't care" I then rolled over to face away from them and tried to sleep.
"But honey, he said he really wants to see you and your sister."
I mumbled again. "Tell him I said hi." I pulled the blanket over my head.
They ended up getting me out of bed. My daddy carried me to the living room where Santa himself was sitting in my mom's rocking chair. He laughed with his normal "HO, HO, HO!" and then said something I don't remember. My sister and I somehow ended up on his lap. The next thing you know is that our next door neighbor comes over with a shot gun in her hand  - threatening to kill Santa. My parents told her not to kill him because he had a lot of children to visit that night. And Santa was protesting as well. He stood up and backed away.
Our neighbor lady told Bee and I to go to our rooms so we wouldn't see what she was gonna do.
I remember she put her gun down and let Santa go. That's all I remember of that night. Let's just say I believed in Santa for a while - I think I was 10 when I stopped believing.
And now I know (at least I think I'm sure) that "Santa" was actually my neighbor's husband...
I have some weird stories.

An interesting post...

I had an idea for a blog post that I sort of stole from the Pioneer Woman. She asked "who is your favorite couple of all time?" (this is slightly paraphrased). I thought I'd write a few of my own down here. In no particular order, mind you.

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy - Pride and Prejudice.

Laura Ingalls and Almonzo Wilder (the real story) - Laura Ingalls Wilder books.

Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester - Jane Eyre.

Marianne Dashwood and Col. Brandon - Sense and Sensibility.

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe - The Anne of Green Gables series.

Adelaide Proctor and Gideon Westcott - Head in the Coulds.

Giselle and Robert Philip - Enchanted.

Lacy Gallatin and Dave Shephard - A Dream to Call My Own.

Christy Hudleston and Neil MacNeill - Christy (yay she didn't marry the preacher - except in real life... "Christy" was actually Lenora Whitaker who ended up marrying Rev. John Wood).

Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennam - Little Dorrit.

Emma and Mr. Kightley - Emma.

Molly Gibson and Roger Hamley - Wives and Daughters.

Sophie Hall and Charlie Wyman - Letters to Juliet.

My Grandma and Gran-David - my actual grandparents ;)

And thats about all I can think of right now... there are plenty more, but the list is already so long. What are some of your favorites?

Riah

P.S. I forgot Margaret Hale and John Thornton - North and South (BBC version).  These characters are favorites as well!

Sorry for the mess

Sorry, I'm in the middle of adding Lyssa's blog design... It'll be done soon.

Daybook - Lys style. teehehehe

 So since I can't think of anything better to blog about, I'm gonna do what Ri does. Here goes...

Start time: 4:23pm

What I'm listening to: Hillsong Chapel CD in my room, and my talking on the phone to my Grandma.

Why I am pausing: Because mom hasta print something off of this computer (I'm using hers since my is so slow! brb

BACK!

What book I'm reading: The Lightkeepers Daughter  by Colleen Coble

Where I'm about to go: Lifeway Christian bookstore (I work there) - I'm gonna go get a Willow Tree before the prices go up again...

What I'm wearing: Dark blue jeans with a plaid 3/4 sleeve shirt and white socks.

And now I gotta go - will try to do better next time!


End time: 4:49pm

A “I-Need-Something-to-Post” daybook.

Well, the blog needed to be posted on and I can’t think of anything else... So, I’m going to do a daybook sort of thing, but I’ll make up my own.

Starting time: 2:36pm.

I am wearing: a tan skirt, maroon shirt, tan camisole and socks. Oh, and my ever present glasses.

I am reading: Kiss by Ted Dekker

I am listening to: The washing machine fill with water, the t.v show Big Time Rush, the girls chatting and talking to Lyssa on the phone.

I am looking forward to: Seeing Lys tomorrow and seeing Superman Wednesday.

Outside my window: the sky is soooo grey and I am praying it doesn’t rain on us tomorrow, although it’s calling for it.

I love: sewing, the song You Hold Me Now by Hillsongs United and the Cucumber Melon scent at Bath and Body Works.

I hate: dumb t.v shows like Adventure Time and Spongebob Squarepants. My brain practically melts just seeing the commercials.

The song running through my head: Um, several are. Fireflies by Owl City, You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban and Freak the Freak Out by Victoria Justice (because they keep playing clips of it on this channel).

What I watched last: Bits and pieces of Big Time Rush – sad really.

Mood: Calm.

I am thinking: That it had better not rain tomorrow.

I am hoping: That Kiss ends as well as it started.

Yesterday I: Went to church, hung out with friends, spent the day with Superman and held a sweet baby.

Ending Time: 3:21pm (wow it took a long time to write this).

My Recent Reads…

I am quite an avid reader. I absolutely love to read, books are the best gifts and the best entertainment in the world. I got four for Christmas, as most of you already know.

Here are some of the books I’ve read:

Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, Montana Rose, and The Husband Tree, all by Mary Connealy.

Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake.

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander.

Blink, House, and The Boneman’s Daughters by Ted Dekker.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer.

Embers of Love and Twilight’s Serenade by Tracie Peterson.

An Uncertain Dream by Judith Miller.

What am I reading now? :

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy and Sharpshooter in Petticoats by Mary Connealy.

What am I going to read next?:

Saint, Showdown and Sinner by Ted Dekker and anything else I can smuggle from Lyssa’s ever growing Library. She is ever so lucky to work in a Christian book store!

I woke up to snow...

This morning I woke up with almost 3 inches of snow already on the ground. When I went to bed last night there was no snow - no nothing!!!
Now we have about 5 inches with a layer of sleet over the top. Needless to say that I didn't go to work today and I might miss it again tomorrow. I hope not though...
I was in PJ's all day and had hot chocolate and read in front of the fire. And yes, it was a real fire.



This picture isn't from this snow fall (it's not even at my house) - it's from the one on Christmas...
but I haven't loaded the ones from today yet, so this one will do.



Umm... What?

The weather people are saying that we are getting more snow on Monday. They say we might get a foot of snow.
Umm...this is the south. A foot of snow isn't supposed to happen! WHY?! WHY MUST WE GET SNOW AGAIN?!
I keep praying that it doesn't snow. Not one single flake. Not a flurry. Nada!

Ehem... thank you for sticking with me through that outburst.
Going to go compose myself now,

Biltmore Estate!

We went to the Biltmore Estate yesterday - It's near Asheville, NC.

It had been ten years since I had been so I bet you can imagine my excitement!

This is the front door! And unfortunately where my camera had to be turned off -

no photography allowed inside! *sniff sniff**

This is the view from the back of the house! I miss those mountains!

The view again...

This is a copy of a painting inside of the house - it was at the gift shop.

I absolutely love it!

Ignore the little light reflections on the bottom and the other reflections.

I wanted to save this for last.

See those gargoyles?

When the estate was being built, they had these carved in place!

As in, they weren't made and then put on - they were made already on!

The detail work is amazing! Next time I go I'm taking the behind the scenes tour!