Hope is the thing with feathers...

Hope.
Is it an elusive thing, there one moment, gone the next?

Or does it remain, steady, constant, a slowly enduring flame in the embers of our hearts?

Read the rest of the post here:
As We Hope In Thee.

Funny Jane Austen Buttons

I made these up for Miss Dashwood's contest over at Yet Another Period Drama Blog. :)

I'll smile if you leave a comment with which JA movie each quote I used comes from! (except for picture #2) :D *Hint* - it's not the same movie as each picture.

And PLEASE do not take these without asking! Thanks. :D (except, of course, for Miss Dashwood)

Which was your favorite?

Little Letters...

Dear Laptop... I am so grateful for you. You are my portal to the outside world, my canvas, my outlet for creative expression... my friend. ;) Also my addiction and time-vacuum. But we won't go there. :D Time certainly flies when you're having fun...

Dear Lounge Chair... I immensely enjoyed our date together on Sunday afternoon when the weather was fine and I was able to soak up some sun. I'm so glad I brought you back from my trip to Florida. I think we're going to have many good times together as the weather grows warmer... ;)

Dear Jewelry Pliers... hang in there with me. The craft shows will come and then they will be done, and then you may return to your happy place in the tin pot with the other tools on my worktable, and the days of overuse will end!

Dear Gym... I am looking forward to seeing you today. And Wednesday. And Friday. I need you, for my energy is shrinking and my .... uh.... I'm not 'shrinked' in areas that need it....

Dear Bath & Body Works... what would I ever do without your body cream, (so wonderful for super-dry winter skin) fragrance mist (a tasty uplifting of the senses, with 0 calories) and shower gel? (bubbles! I love 'em!)

Dear Perry Mason DVD... How in the world did he figure out that case?!? I had no idea that guy that looked like the murderer was actually an F.B.I agent.... Thank you for being a great stress release...

Dear Fuzzy Socks... Bless you.

Dear Crochet Hook & Yarn... I promise, I have not forgotten you! And my cousin liked her afghan, you did your job well. :D I will return to you when my 3-part Quest with a capital Q (otherwise known as Homeschool Conventions) ... is over.

Dear Hair... I'm thinking it's time for a trim. I know you just got down to Mid-Thigh, I'm happy for you, you look great... but it's for your own good. Those split ends won't be ignored for long. And could ya lighten up a little? One of my online blogging friends mistook you for "Dark" and we both know you're a natural blonde. :D

Dear Inspiration... Please, don't go away.

Dear Dirty Dishes... Where in the world did you all come from? You'd think there were fifteen people living in this house, not five...

Dear Adobe Photoshop CS5... I WILL CONQUER YOU. Be warned.

Dear Novel... You darling thing! Wait until we finish editing! It was the most thrilling moment of my life when I wrote your "The End" five minutes before this year began. :D

Dear Baby Chicks... Welcome to the world, you five new, precious babies. I can hardly believe we hatched you with only the aid of a broody hen, and in the middle of freezing January temperatures, too. It's a good life, I know you'll enjoy it. Wait until you find your first grasshopper - yum-yum! :D

Dear Driver's License... I can't wait until you arrive in the mail. I'm making do with your counterpart printed on a folded piece of paper, but it won't seem "final" until I hold the real plastic card in my hand.

Dear Wal-Mart... Yeah! You saw us! Me and my (younger) big bro's paid you a visit all on our lonesomes, without hide nor hair of a parent figure. I drove through your parking lot without even a scratch, nor chance of getting one. I am so proud of me. Were you?

Dear Daffodils... Spring hasn't sprung yet. Don't die! You came up early but if you can just hold in the blooms for a few more days, I think we might get some warmth and you can blossom unhindered. Be patient.

I saw this fun idea over at "A Butcher, A Baker, A Candlestick Maker" and thought it was too cute to pass up! :D Hope you enjoyed it.

Driver's License Test Results:

 The news you've been waiting for... the result of Julia's Driver's License Test! Well... it was a rainy, drizzly, cold, grey day and Daddy and I went down to the DMV and the person took my picture before I was ready (thankfully it didn't look too awful) and then the instructor and I went out to take the test, leaving Daddy waiting inside.

Oh all right! Long story short - I PASSED.

Thank. You. God.

Incidentally, have you ever tried parallel parking an 18-foot F-150 truck in an 18-foot parking space? Me neither. :D I didn't quite pass that part. Which sort of bummed me out - I practiced so much on that parallel parking (using a 21-foot space and caution cones) and I had it down cold, and then to go knock over three (out of maybe 12?) cones on the test... sigh.

 My score was 80, and I only needed 75 to pass. Double *whew*!!! :D

I sort of feel like this little fella:

"One... small... step... for... Mankind, ... one... huge... leap... towards... Julia's... future."

Here I go! :D

My Floridian Adventure

Hey Readers!

I had a great trip down to FL with my dad. We listened to music on the way down, cruising along in the truck. I edited my book all the way down and all the way back, with my little laptop sitting in my lap. (I reached page 190!)

Here is my trip, in photos:

An orchid bloom on the living room coffee table in my grandma's house. The cot where I slept was right next to this pretty blossom.

 A hibiscus flower in the front yard.

Sunny palm trees...

Happy little milkweeds...

 The afghan.

I crocheted this afghan for my cousin Katie for her wedding present. I gave it to her early so that she could snuggle up with it this winter and get some use out of it... the wedding is in March and she won't need a warm blanket very much by then, in Florida.

It features 3-D flowers, a ruffled border, and a color scheme of lavender, warm grape, chocolate brown, peanut-butter brown, creamy ivory, and a light khaki.

Katie and her afghan... She liked it. (YES!) Whew! :)

My shades. There's a funny story behind these cool sunglasses.
I forgot to pack any.
And on the trip down, I squinted the entire day, resulting in a wrinkle between my eyes! Aaaagh! I am way too young for wrinkles.
So the next morning of the trip we took a little jaunt to Wal-Mart and I picked these up. They worked really well on the way back from Florida, and I am happy to say that the wrinkle in my face is no more. At least until I turn 90 or so. ;)

 I decided to model them for you. ;)

 And I am thrilled to say that my grandma finally has a computer. We helped her pick it out. It's a smart little HP laptop, to be precise. I even called to set up her internet and talked with a live Verizon representative. (That was rather nerve-wracking. The representative was a sweet lady but I have a mild phobia of calling complete strangers on the phone...) :)

Today Daddy and I went down to an empty school parking lot and practiced parallel parking. Again and again and again... etc. I think I finally have the hang of it! Before we headed home I parallel-parked five times in a row in a fashion that would have passed the test. I just hope I can do it for the driver's license test!

The test is Tuesday, the 10th, if you wouldn't mind praying for my success. (Please do!) :D

Have a lovely week!

Tally-Ho! I'm Off...

I'm off to Florida to visit my Grandma. Daddy and I are taking the truck down to her city, stopping on the way to go out to dinner with my Uncle Russ and his family. I'm also going to be giving my cousin Katie her wedding present a bit early. :) (Pictures will be coming soon...)

Sadly, the weather will not be conducive to swimming at the beach or basking in the sun. It's going to be a little chilly, just like it has been here in north-ish Georgia. Perhaps this will allow more time for me to take pictures! :D

Uh, speaking of chilly, it was 27 degrees when I woke up this morning. A little COLD. I grew up in Florida, after all, and when it dips below freezing, I begin to feel like a cold-blooded creature that desperately needs some warmth flooding into it's veins!

Anyway - Daddy and I leave tomorrow morning at no later than 8:00 AM, leaving Mama and the boyz to hold down the fort. (hey, that'd be a good band name, Mama & the BoyZ.) ;) Don't worry, we went grocery shopping today and picked up a couple new movies and some special snacks (Oreos, anyone?) to keep them happy while we're gone. :D

I will be internet-less for three days. So if you're expecting an email from me (as several of my friends are at the moment) I'm sorry, it might not happen until Saturday! :(

See you when I get back! Oh, and there will be a post popping up from me on Meditations of His Love on Friday morning that I'd love for you to read! Check back then to see it. :)