I've rearranged a little bit, in hopes to make it cute, easy to read and access what you want.  Tell me what you think; I would love to hear your suggestions

Affectionately yours

Quippy

Dancing in the Minefields by Andrew Peterson

rain drops on roses...

My last few posts have been a bit more on the grumpy side, as well as  my general attitude lately. I’m an optimist and this post is part of my journey to return to the daily joy of simply being alive! Here are 17 of my favorite things, one for each year of my life so far and one for looking for the future. They aren’t all my most favorite things, there are things I love better but part of daily joy is finding cheerfulness in things that aren’t your most favorite, so here we go...

 

1. Cigar boxes. I dont smoke or live with anyone who smokes but I think these are wonderful cute little functional things that have a personality all their own.

2.My type writer, there is a simply joy is just sitting down and plucking away at these wonderful little keys, far more satisfying than a computer, because with a type writer there is no rush, you can just sit and type at your own pace and leisure

3.

My sunglasses, they aren’t expensive, or fancy, but they stay on my face (which is hard things for most sunglasses to do) and have traveled everywhere from south Dakota to Disney world to sleep over’s and my best friend’s house to school ect. and never fail at their purpose..

4.

Old sewing things, how can you not just smile at these little darlings?

5.

Hat racks. Elegant and proud, but always there to hold your things

6.

Old stuff in general. I love history and to have something that sat in a living room during both world wars, through births, and deaths, and homecoming dates, and screaming toddlers, well that’s just extraordinary.

7.

Malt Salt

8.

Seasoning in general. Nothing makes a meal more interesting than seasoning, think about it, where would pumpkin pie be without cinnamon or nutmeg? Or chili without chili powder? Or Pasta without garlic? See what I mean.

9. Rimmel of London.

10. Books.

11.

Being homeschooled. See last post.

12.

Quirkiness. No I will not take that bag through an airport, because I value not being arrested.

13. Bird houses.

14.

Reading Classic Books for fun. This is what I’m reading now, and its far better than almost every modern day book.

15. Memories of Childhood. Above is me in a combine with my uncle. Below is me (in front) and my twin and my cousin ridding with another awesome uncle.

16. Collections of things

17. Music
Well thats my joy list for today,  I hope it brings you a little joy.I had so much fun running around my house taking pictures of all these things, maybe it will inspire you to notice lifes little joys today as well.
As always
Quippy 

Confessions of an Autodidact*

*Please note this very controversial post was written late at night by a very sleepy girl.
Some of you lovely people, who are most likely dividing your attention between my thoughts for the day and the show New Girl (which I might add was WAY over hyped for what it turned out to be) might not know that I am a sort of autodidact (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autodidactic) (ya, that’s right, I knew you would need that.) By "sort" I mean this, I have always been homeschooled but as I got older I began to teach a few subjects to myself, such as literature, history, and math. This year I go to school 3 days a week at a special school (for us awesome people who don’t really know what kind of school their doing) for 1 to 3 hours and then come home, swim in homework and teach myself history and math. So I’m not a true autodidact but like I said, there really isn’t a name for what I do. All this is a lead up to the fact that I have had very tiring school week. And (that’s right mom, I just started a sentence with "and") what I mean by tiring is that feeling that your brain is just like a clock, doing what you are supposed to do and say but not really meaning or feeling anything. If someone showed me a 30 second video and asked me what I thought of it, well, I can see three possible answers. 1. I fall asleep, 2.My eyes melted like in Indiana Jones and I flew away with butterfly wings 3. I wouldn’t even know. At this point I’m not really sure which one is more likely than the other. I am now wondering (now this is going to sound silly but don’t be a hater) if this is what public schoollers feel like. I really have no idea what it would be like to sit and listen to teachers talk from 9-4 and then go home and try to recreate what they taught me. Us less traditionally taught people often get annoyed at those in the system because a majority of those people seem in a way, all the same. What I mean by this is girls straighten their hair, put it in a pony tail, wear track shorts and a white v-neck. Or skinny jeans with straight layered hair, and too much eye liner. Of course this isn’t all of them, I know public schooled people who aren’t like that at all, but as a majority they seem very similar. Also to be in this school setting you must play a sport, after every game you must facebook how you love your team mates, and how your team beasted. Show picture of you and your besties in a dressing room playing dress up, with your heads tipped down. This of course is the girls and once again I must stress that this is the impressions I get from allot (not all) public schoollers. This seems like a very long rabbit trail but it has a point. The point being that I wonder if one of the reasons they act a certain way (besides wanting to be being popular) is because they always feel how I feel right now. So mentally "done" that one has no personal feelings or convictions left. Wow this is a long post...I can almost feel my eyes beginning to drip, and some sort of flutter on by back...but I really wonder, because the homeschooled crowd can be exceedingly judgmental as I have learned from personal experience, if this strange conforming habits those kids get into to is because they (as I feel now) just don’t have any mental room left. I could completely be wrong, I probably am, but its an interesting thought none the less.

p.s It is surprisingly difficult to come up with quotes I feel like showing the world, so when I can find none I shall post my favorite song (which changes at least once a day)
Fever by Michael Buble'

Progression

Life is a progression, and once you finally feel settled you must move on. I have always been fascinated by the progressions of things, even when I was a child. Life is always looks greener on the other side of a progression and getting over the fence is always more difficult  and scary than you expect, and the grass that you thought was more green isn’t more green, in fact it whole either color like blue that before you never fully understood, so you learn about that blue and eventually you know the blue so well that you walk around with your head held high showing off your blue, until you run into another fence because your head was in the sky and its awful but you climb it in search of more blue, but instead of more blue on the other side, you find.... Purple

Title	Girl at Mirror

Melting my Body. Growing my Mind

This last weekends ago, my father's work provided their employees with a wonderful opportunity....to die of heat stroke. Ok, that's not really it, but that's sure what it felt like. You see, every August they have a "picnic" which involves varying activities from year to year; this year was going to a Texas Rangers baseball game. My family doesn't go things like this very often, so with the inticement of free food and a Mercy Me concert, we obliged. Let's just say we had some difficulties..... Just to name a few, it was hot -- like 105 at 7:00p.m. hot-- which after a summer of 115 I can deal with but stuck in a crowd with no air flow...the food was hot... our seats were high and in the sun almost the whole game. But not that I'm whining or anything.

Watching the game itself was really cool. It has been a long time since I have been to a game and it was fun just to be in a huge group of people with one purpose (even if that purpose is to have a team win). It reminded me of the influence that mission-minded people can have.

Once the sun went down the real fun began; by that time we had gotten used the flow of the game (this is Texas, people, we like baseball but football...that's our sport) and it was significantly cooler (and by that i mean it was like 95.) It was a smelly car ride home (note to self: deodorant should be for more places than pits) but it was good family bonding experience, all in all.

  Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl
What its about: Lots of girls think that once you get married you will become perfect and your husband will be perfect, and never have any problems. This book shows, in a Godly way, how, in essence, life isn't a bowl of cherries, but that there are some attitudes that can make relationships deadly and how to biblically approach the whole concept of finding a husband, and what it takes to make that work.
@: @@@ Now I'm not out to find a husband, but this book, though written more for a 19ish year old, has some good principles that aren't always explained well to young women, as well as wonderful reminders about how you can't just drop into the wonderful role that you think being a wife is, that it takes hard work, commitment a Godly foundation, ect.
Not so wonderful parts: First of all, I hate the phrase Help Meet/Mate.  A help mate is a golden retriver, a wife is something totally different. This book is written by a fairly legalistic lady who though doesn't make the point of the book 'All women should wear long skirts all the time' but it seeps in. Also in one story told courting is taken to a point where its more like an arranged marrige. Once again its written for the slightly older girls and some parts I feel like were little strange ( do I really need to know how to make yogurt?)
All in all: This a helpful book to use in looking to the future, as well as helpful ways to prepare your heart, but as with so many things, it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Proper Life Skills from Regency England by Margret C. Sullivan
What its about: This is fun little book that has lovely helpful information such as How to Elope to Scotland.
@: This book isn't going to get a rating because its not really a proper book; its written in bullet points and doesn't really have full sentences.
All in all: This book is just a silly little book that I was interested because of ECD, however if I ever need to know how to elope in Scotland or how to get on an off a horse in proper regency garb Im all set! ;) 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
What its about: In the former North America, there are 12 districts. To show their control, the government takes one boy and one girl from each district and puts them in a huge arena to compete to survive, and only one can win.
@: @@@@ @/2 out of five.  although this book has a violent basis, its FAR less violent or descripive than book's like The Iliad. The main character takes her younger sister's place in the games,  and its the hunting and gathering skills she learned while providing for her famly that give her a chance of survival.
Not so great parts: This book is based on teens killing each other, and has a lot of kissing, though its not described any more than 'I kissed him and then...'
All in all: I love this book; it was written at a level slightly younger than the Harry Potter books, but (at least for me) it was written so well that I didn't even notice the writing!

 

I intend to live forever or die trying ~ Groucho Marx

A quick snippet

I haven't written it quite a long time, but a post is coming! However with the fact that I can't find my camera charger and a resent on set of severe allergies I haven't been able to finish the post which I dearly apologies for. However I have had some wonderful little revelations in my life that I am excited to share and one day have a full post on with proper pictures (here charger, here boyyyyy). First my new favorite art style has switched from gel pen on paper to graphite blocks on bristol paper then making the actual design with an eraser, I can't wait to show you!
 Just a little snippet for now

please enjoy another picture of my cat who you are no doubt sick of