Highlights and Lowlights from the Year of 2013

High Points:

 

1. I Made a New Friend from the Philippines and Made Another One Locally

 

2. Continued Writing one of my Novels

 

3. Gotten My One Novel to 73,000 Words So Far, which makes it # 2 on my List of Longest Manuscripts I’ve written

 

4. Wrote a Short Story

 

5. Continued to Send out Queries to Literary Agents

 

6. District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses was closer to Where we Live this Year

 

7. Got a New Stove after 2 years and 5 Months Without a Stove at All

 

8. Got 18 inches of my hair cut off and donated to Locks of Love

 

9. Had my Sister Lorinda, Brother-in-law Karl, and Nephew Jakob come for the first visit in 6 Years…BTW we had a BLAST!

 

10. Successfully grew 14 Blueberries and ate 7 of them

 

 

 

Low Points:

 

 

1. 2013 wasn’t that Good of a Year for Me but I won’t Stick to the Bad I will Plan for the Future and Await the Good
2. Sick Cat
3. Car Trouble and Home Air Conditioner Troubles
4. Health Concerns, Sickest Year Ever for Me
5. Still Not Published Any Novels nor gotten a Literary Agent

 

 

 

More High Points than Low Points, as it Should Be! :~)

 

 

 

Finishing Quotes for the Year of 2013:

“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.” - Norman Vincent Peale

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.” - Theodore Rubin

Ask yourself this question:
"Will this matter a year from now?" Richard Carlson, writing in Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

 

 

Quotes for 2014:

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” - B. Olatunji

Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour. What will you do with this priceless treasure? - Author Unknown

 

If you can DREAM it, you can DO it. - Walt Disney

 

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Christopher Robin to Pooh - A. A. Milne

 

As long as we have friendship, today is beautiful.
As long as we have memories, yesterday remains.
As long as we have hope, tomorrow awaits.

 

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
- Benjamin Franklin

 

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. – Jawaharlal Nehru

 

“The Best Journeys are not always in Straight Lines.”

 

 

 

See Ya in 2014!!!! :~) :~) :~)

Think About It!

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. - George Washington

You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie, as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. I fear that today... - Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation 

Update on Fear of Public Speaking….I Did Well Last Night!!

The post below ties in with this one. Last night I was an assistant (householder) at my Kingdom Hall. As you will read in the post below I am crazy scared of public speaking. I was a bit nervous and sick feeling before but I managed to calm a bit and when up there I did well and didn’t get sick or faint, thankfully, LOL! I didn’t feel too warm or hot either, which again is thankful.

The sister whose talk it was did really well in working up the talk, so I was glad I didn’t mess it up. :~)

The other Brothers and Sisters told me I did well and the sister I had the talk with told me I did well too. So for now until my next speaking engagement I am fine, I shall see how I am next time, LOL!

The Fear of Public Speaking….*Screams*

I have never liked public speaking. I get terrified. In school years ago when I was forced to do reports in front of the class my legs felt like jelly, my heart beat like a jack rabbit, my face felt hotter than the sun, and my hands sweated like a leaky radiator. It took all I had to force the lump in my throat down and to not get distracted by the pounding in my ears.

Well most know I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As part of the Theocratic Ministry School we often have parts or are the assistant (householder) for the one with the part. I am as nervous now giving parts or helping with parts as ever before.

Recently I have had a problem which as best I know from self diagnosis from the internet is heat intolerance. Lately I have gotten so hot even when it is just remotely warm. I feel like in that situation that I want to escape and get cool. I feel my face getting hotter and some tell me it is red. I get blotchy spots on my arms and I feel often like I am having an anxiety attack or something. I have to run cold water over my face, neck, arms, and hands. The last few months it’s gotten worse. I can’t go to a doctor until I get insurance, unless I co-pay. I am scared about why it has been happening. It gets worse when I have to run around and get ready to go somewhere. It has gotten bad at the Kingdom Hall in winter when it is warm in there. I am so tired of this condition. I think this might have something to do with my hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating of body; I only have mild on hands and feet.) I also fear the over heating may be from an overactive thyroid, which scares me a lot…..ANY one have this or know what it may be? I would be very thankful to know….I intend to go to the doctor very soon anyway.

Here is the thing that has me scared to death. Tonight I am an assistant (householder) for another Sister at my Kingdom Hall and I am terrified. It doesn’t even matter that I am just an assistant and she works up the talk and I just read my part. I am so scared of being next to the hot seat, so to speak, or being in my very own hot seat, lol. I am especially scared because I am convinced I will get too hot at the Hall and get sick or have an Anxiety Attack or something. Which is the last place you should ever feel that way. I love being at the Hall, I am just scared about my health condition (heat intolerance). Which is made worse because I am scared it’s going to happen, I think I almost make it come on by stressing about it happening. I know I am not the only one who hates public speaking or has this condition but I feel like I am and I feel worse that it often happens at the Kingdom Hall, but not always (It happens at the store a lot too.). Also no body I speak to that I am close to really understands my feeling this way, which makes me feel bad and crazy or something. Which I have only brought this up to three people.

Please pray that I do alright and don’t faint or throw up! LOL! I am quite a mess aren’t I? LOL! :~)

I think in general people are afraid of a lot of things. I use to be more accepting of change and new situations, which is right and what should happen. I am not sure why now I am more nervous. I may have to delve deeper into this and find out WHY.  

 

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Does anyone wish to share a moment where they were scared of public speaking? If so how did you handle it? Any theory’s on why people are afraid of public speaking?

 

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P.S NOTE: It is not the Kingdom Hall that makes it happen. The Kingdom Hall is a wonderful place full of warm and inviting individuals. I do love the Hall and the Brother’s and Sister’s there. I just want it to be noted it is not a location that brings on what ever my condition is, as it happens at a lot of places I frequent.

I don’t want what I say to scare anyone away from a Kingdom Hall. The heat intolerance is my weird condition inside my body and it’s not contagious, lol! :~)

So feel free to check out any local Kingdom Halls, they will welcome you with open arms and help you learn about Jehovah God, his son Jesus Christ, their will for the earth and all of us, if you like.

A Winter Wonderland….nee Nightmare to Some!

I live in Missouri so it is has been snowing buckets full on and off. I am going to try and add a few pics of what it looked like when it started and when it got finished. So far there is 9 inches. It is really pretty though. If you are affected too then bundle up and stay warm until this storm passes. Take in the simple beauty of the harshness of the snow and ice.

 

A Few Winter Quotes worth Adding that May change your outlook on Winter:

 

He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.... In winter the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity. ~John Burroughs, "The Snow-Walkers," 1866

 

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. ~John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

 

 

What a wild winter sound,— wild and weird, up among the ghostly hills.... I get up in the middle of the night to hear it. It is refreshing to the ear, and one delights to know that such wild creatures are among us. At this season Nature makes the most of every throb of life that can withstand her severity. ~John Burroughs, "The Snow-Walkers," 1866

 

The sunbeams are welcome now. They seem like pure electricity—like friendly and recuperating lightning. Are we led to think electricity abounds only in summer, when we see in the storm-clouds as it were, the veins and ore-beds of it? I imagine it is equally abundant in winter, and more equable and better tempered. Who ever breasted a snowstorm without being excited and exhilarated, as if this meteor had come charged with latent auroræ of the North, as doubtless it has? It is like being pelted with sparks from a battery. ~John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

 

We feel cold, but we don't mind it, because we will not come to harm. And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn't feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the Aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It's worth being cold for that. ~Philip Pullman, Northern Lights

 

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

 

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.
For the wind howls loud, and the furies fight;
Spice it with love and stir it with care,
And I'll toast your bright eyes, my sweetheart fair.
~Minna Thomas Antrim, "A Night Cap," A Book of Toasts, 1902

 

Let there be a cottage.... a real cottage... a white cottage, embowered with flowering shrubs, so chosen as to unfold a succession of flowers upon the walls, and clustering round the windows through all the months of spring, summer, and autumn—beginning, in fact, with May roses, and ending with jasmine. Let it, however, not be spring, nor summer, nor autumn—but winter, in his sternest shape. This is a most important point in the science of happiness. And I am surprised to see people overlook it, and think it matter of congratulation that winter is going; or, if coming, is not likely to be a severe one. On the contrary, I put up a petition annually, for as much snow, hail, frost, or storm, of one kind or other, as the skies can possibly afford us. Surely every body is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a winter fire-side: candles at four o'clock, warm hearth-rugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies on the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without... ~Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

 

It is a spur that one feels at this season more than at any other. How nimbly you step forth! The woods roar, the waters shine, and the hills look invitingly near. You do not miss the flowers and the songsters, or wish the trees or fields any different, or heavens any nearer. Every object pleases.... the straight light-gray trunks of the trees... how curious they look, and as if surprised in undress. ~John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

 

Winter, then in its early and clear stages, was a purifying engine that ran unhindered over city and country, alerting the stars to sparkle violently and shower their silver light into the arms of bare upreaching trees. It was a mad and beautiful thing that scoured raw the souls of animals and man, driving them before it until they loved to run. And what it did to Northern forests can hardly be described, considering that it iced the branches of the sycamores on Chrystie Street and swept them back and forth until they rang like ranks of bells. ~Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale, 1983

 

 

Male Stalker like Character…Weird or Hot?

Whose thinks writing about an obsessive male character is a good hot idea. I have seen this in a few books and heard of a few like that. There is one being turned into a movie right now and the author is like excited about the scene where the guy follows the main female character across the country and is like obsessive about her, before their relationship gets hot and heavy. This concept was in Twilight as well.

 

 Like who says oh ok this character is getting stalked but you know that’s hot so I’ll have the female character jump in bed with that guy. That would not end well in real life, so why in books.

 

I think if a guy were to follow A.K.A Stalk a person across state lines or even around town that is reaching odd levels and someone should get a restraining order. I am sorry but a dude no matter how good looking shouldn’t be all stalkery *not a word sorry*. I don’t think demanding a woman to do what they *male characters* want or something is right or entertaining.

 

Anyone care to weigh in on this topic?

Got Email from Friend in Philippines Last Week

I have been busy and a bit forgetful but I just now thought I had better send out a post updating all to my Filipino Friend's status. Last Wednesday I got a few emails from my friend Arjhon who as I said in the below email lives in the Philippines. I had been concerned him and his parent's had been affected by Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines November 8th.

Arjhon told me the city he lives in Cagayan De Oro and his parent's city Iligan City they only experienced very heavy rains and strong winds as the Typhoon came in. He is fine and his family too. He did report on some sad news though. 20+ Jehovah's Witness Brothers and Sisters died and some are missing after the storm. I assumed they may be among those that died but I had prayed it wouldn't have been so many. A few days after that my sister told me on the jw.org site that it said 27 Witnesses were dead from Typhoon, 3 dead from Earthquake, and 1 dead from Landslide.

I still pray all those affected soon are aided both physically and spiritually. I hope they do not give up hope and faith.


http://www.jw.org/en/
http://www.jw.org/en/news/by-region/asia/philippines/super-typhoon-haiyan/

After Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines, can’t reach Friends

I am sure most everyone has heard about Typhoon Haiyan that made landfall in the Philippines and then headed toward Vietnam this last Friday. Well I have a friend there named Arjhon and his parents Arlene & Josue. His parents live in Iligan City and he lives in Cagayan de Oro City, both in the Mindanao Province. I have yet to have word from them and I have yet to hear how bad their cities were hit, though communications are still mostly down. I am praying they are fine and I am also praying that the Brother’s and Sister’s at the local Kingdom Halls are fine or soon will be. My prayers and thoughts are also with all in the country who were affected in some way or another by this most powerful storm. The pictures and video do remind me of America’s Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, but Typhoon Haiyan was even more powerful and destructive.

I think if I don’t hear from Arjhon by this Friday I will try and get in touch with his Aunt Gemima and Uncle Keith who live in America, maybe they have been in touch with them over there.  

Again my thoughts and prayers go to all in the Philippines and Vietnam. May they all get the support and help that they need.

Revised version of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

It’s been a while since I have been on here and I was wishing to add this a month ago when I got the really good news but well time got away from me. Saturday and Sunday October 5^th and 6^th, 2013 the 2013 Annual Meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was held for different groups each day. This was the first year that all were invited to attend and watch via satellite feed to New York. Usually only Bethelites or special pioneers or traveling overseers and a few others attend but it was broadcast live for who ever wanted to see it. Me and my parents carpooled with a fellow Sister and 3 others to go 45 minutes away to a large Kingdom Hall where we watched a screen that had a live feed to Stanley Theatre. It was a 3 ½ hour meeting.

It was so cool hearing from some of the governing body and other brothers. It was so cool when they talked about this museum piece there at the New York Branch that is housing these rare bibles or pages from a bible manuscript from as far back as the 1500’s that had Jehovah God’s name in them. It was also really awesome to hear about what it was like when the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released book by book from 1950 to I think 1961 and then to have it all be one book, but the coolest thing ever happened (I’ll get to the wonderful thing in a moment, LOL)…. They started saying about how people have been writing them because they haven’t been getting their bibles at the Kingdom Hall and indeed we had the same problem. We couldn’t get bibles at our Kingdom Hall for well over a year or two.

(Here is the wonderful thing!!)…Well it was told why. For the past five years they have been working on a revised version with 21^st Century words. There is for now just the new English Revised Version. They swapped certain words to others that people in 21^st Century will understand the meaning of the text better. It didn’t change the bible text it just made it easier to understand, like they changed words like totter to fall and harlot to prostitute. So the words mean the same but are better understood today as words have changed over the years. But there is more, the bible has a new font and foot notes about what words were changed in a verse. The center margin is easier to read too. There are maps in the back and glossary of bible terms. The front has an introduction to God’s word with twenty different questions and the scriptures that answer the questions. It is so AMAZING!!

We saw those in the Stanley Theatre get theirs but we didn’t think we would get ours that Saturday. So after that I went to the restroom during the song but I saw some brothers in the back and I thought something was going on. So a few minutes later my mom burst into the bathroom and told me they released the bible to us all in the Kingdom Hall. Every sister was crying and the brothers and sisters were so excited. A lot of us weren’t there when the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was first released but we were there for the revised version release. It’s so cool that I was there for the new song book and now the revised bible, because I wasn’t even born when the others came out as I am only 25 years old. All this new material and new understandings are quite exciting to receive and delve into. :~)

I am very excited to be posting about this wonderful news. I am sorry though that it took me a month to get around to bloging about it. Here are the pictures of the new English revised version of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Pretty isn't it. :~)

 

Pictures: Fruits of Labor

 

Above is the sad results of the fruits of my labor, LOL. I started growing blueberries for the first time this year. There were 14 berries on the bush but by time I got around to picking another creature beat me to it. Only 7 berries remained. I picked them and ate nearly all of them myself. They may look mini and pathetic but I am proud I was able to grow anything. They did taste fantastic though.

 

 

 

 

 

Above is a picture of one of my dads tomatoes he grew this year. He only got three tomatoes so far on his bush but he is good at growing tomatoes, but this year was a bad grow year for us all.

 

Pictures: District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses - 'God's Word is Truth '

I went to the District Convention July 5th, 6th, & 7th. It was a wonderful convention full of great programs. Here are a few pictures of the convention. They may be a bit fuzzy as I took them with me cell phone as my digital camera wasn't working. Above is the beautiful stage.

Below is a random picture of Brother and Sisters at lunch in the very nice arena we went to this year.

New Haircut

I just got a haircut in May. I hadn't cut my hair in three years. I got 18 inches cut off and I donated it to Locks of Love. It is above my shoulder a few inches. It is the bob style. It feels so nice to have short hair again. I think I will keep it like this for a while.

New Stove

I have felt like I have abandoned this poor Book Worm blog. I have much to update on here.

A few months ago we got a new stove. Our old stove burned out 2 years and 5 months before and we were unable to buy a new one. Then some Brothers from our Kingdom Hall *I am one of Jehovah's Witness* they gave us one *free of charge* that someone donated to them. We now have a stove and  I have been baking so much in there and on there. :~) I want to thank them so much for what they did. It is a beautiful stove. It is white with a black flat top.

Again I thank them so much.