A lot has changed in a year!

Hello again readers! So sorry I haven't written a post in a year, it has been too long. But I have a perfectly good reason for not doing so and I hope it will be sufficient. This past year I was in a courtship (I'll explain more in detail), began teaching a sign language class, engaged to the man I courted, and got married on Valentine's Day (yes I am most definitely a romantic it was wonderful!). And that's just a quick summary so much more happened but it's hard to remember what you have done in a whole year when you can hardly remember what you had for dinner a couple days ago lol.

Now courtship is a conservative form of dating in the purpose to know according to God's will if the person with whom you are courting is the one God has planned for you as a future marriage partner. In other words courtship is dating with marriage in mind. There are many different kinds of courtships that vary on how conservative they are and etc but if you are interested in knowing what courtship is or are in one or perhaps you're dating and just curious here are some links that I found especially helpful through our courtship and engagement:
http://iblp.org/questions/how-courtship-different-dating
http://iblp.org/questions/how-does-courtship-work

There are many more articles and books on courtship that I've read but one book that I definitely recommend is "The Art of Choosing you love" by Pastor Jim West. It's a very thin book with probably only 30 pages but he shows according to scripture what love really is and that it's a choice we make every day to choose to love someone, not a fleeting feeling. The Lord showed me and my husband His will for us this past summer and today we have been happily married for two months and daily praise the Lord for all that He has done for us. :)

I'll write more in the future when I have the time and I'll continue to post recipes, movie reviews, book reviews, and stories like I use to do. And to all the Christian women out there who hope to one day to be married, the Lord knows the desires of your heart and in His time He will show you His will for you life. Always keep your trust in Him! :)

Hope y'all have a blessed week and happy birthday to Caitlyn from Caitlyn's Column!
Love in Christ,
Brookie

Spring is in the air

Hello! Still can't believe it is April already! It has been a crazy year so far but it's been a blast. I got to see my friends baby lambs, and they have some pictures up so check it out: Caitlyn's Column. I also babysat a toddler for a week, been making tons of cards, and this past weekend I've been doing some much needed cleaning. My family and I worked all day Saturday cleaning our backyard and trimming overgrown hedges. And somehow, despite the cool weather, I ended up badly sunburned. Of course I ended up the worse since I had no sunscreen on and I'm the fairest in the family. Oh well, maybe I'll get a tan (which is very unlikely).

I wish I had more to post, but I don't. I'm hoping to teach a creative writing class for homeschool kids but I'm not sure how to go about it. And I would like to be selling cards but I don't mind just making them for friends and family. I'm so glad I got a cricut! Never realized how much fun it would be :)

Hope y'all have a blessed week!

Brookie

My New Business :)

Hi everyone! Sunny's Creations is my little business I'm starting. It is the second tab to the left of the Home tab. Please check it out! :)

~Brookie

Updates

Hello again everyone! Today I've been making it easy to go to all my blogs/pages by using the tabs. Snaps by Brookie is my photography page, Bible Verse a Week is a bible verse every week (wow, I really hope y'all didn't need that explanation), and Brookie's Movie Reviews are my own personal reviews on various movies from G ratings to PG-13. Please feel free to check them out and let me know what you think!

Merry Christmas and to all a good night! ;)

~Brookie

Back to the writing pad

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is having a great Christmas like I am! Had a great time with good friends of ours yesterday and now am relaxing today with coffee and old christmas movies. Anywho, this post is going to be mainly about an old story I dug up. I had originally created this for homework when I first started homeschooling but it slowly took a life of its own and I had ended up writing more than I originally intended. However, after a three year hiatus from writing this beloved story, I have revived it and made some revisions. Below are the first two chapters to "Abigail my Darling". Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Abigail My Darling

Chapter 1

The sun slowly rose over the green hills of Viola, Tennessee. Willow trees dripped rich dew onto the grass below and robins began to sing their songs inside their carefully made beds. The joys of spring began to awaken as young Abigail sat on her favorite tree stump watching the horizon. Her rich brown hair was hanging loose on her shoulders, protecting her neck from the chilling breeze. She wrapped herself tightly in her blue robe and dug her toes into the moist earth. After studying the horizon for a few brief moments, she took out her supplies needed to fulfill her mission. She set up a blank canvas and positioned it slightly to the right. She fixed her palette of paints in her left hand and pulled out a hand carved paintbrush made by her. She gracefully handled her paintbrush with ease as she began her portrait of her most treasured sight. Reds, oranges, and hints of purples were flowing under the artist’s care.

She dragged the brush lightly on the paper to give an outline of her beloved star and wiped the artistic tool on a rag to clean off the old paint. She began to shade in where the great willows were to lean over. Big magnificent trees they were, she marveled to herself, and her painting gave them justice of their splendor. 

Depth was shown within each stroke of their true nature. Not a cloud was in sight, she thought to herself in glee as she painted the sky as it truly was without those annoying, white, puff balls. The artist inside of her took control of her thoughts and movements as she painted the scene as if nothing else compared to its importance. A bit of orange here, a trace of yellow there, and a couple of dabs for the leaves were the girl’s only thoughts. A tranquil lake owned a part of the picture, willow trees the other, but what was the main object of the whole tableau was the golden sun that shone its head slowly over the horizon. She gave her all on this subject, adding different shades of yellows and gold to show its true radiance.

Its rays of light shined on the greens hills, the dew covered willows, the singing birds; everything that was displayed in her portrait was drenched in the warm rays of the precious star. The long drapes of leaves that curtained the willows looked so detailed and dainty that an observer would have thought it was a photograph of some kind.

A voice awakened her out of her trance and she realized someone was calling her name in the wind. She quickly stuffed her tools back in her knapsack in earnest and held her canvas protectively under her arms.

 “Coming!” she called back as she ran past the lake, the willow trees, and away from her cherished horizon. A rather large brick house came into view. Ivy vines a plenty ran up its walls and wrapped around the colossal white columns. Abigail’s beloved balcony could be seen above the columns, the best place for an impressive view of her esteemed abode.  A white picket fence surrounded the house and a few acres of plentiful land which the domestic equidaes cantered to and fro. As she approached the house, she saw who had called her name.  A petite woman in a brown floral apron stood on the porch, holding a bowl of oatmeal to the barefoot girl.

 “Goodness child!” she yelled in surprise as she stared at Abigail’s feet, “no young lady should be prancing around in the mud in bare feet!”

 “I’m sorry,” Abigail replied back cordially,” but you know how much I love to feel the grass under my feet.”

“That is true, my dear” she said warmly and gave her a quick embrace,” but when you were off you forgot to eat your breakfast! No one should start their day without a good ol’ bowl of oats.” Abigail nodded in agreement and accepted the bowl of warm cinnamon oatmeal. 

“Thank you, mama,” she said between mouthfuls. Her mother gave her a, “You’re welcome” and went back to taking care of her quaint flower bed. With a picturesque smile, Abigail skipped merrily underneath an old pear tree and sat down. She set all her art supplies at the stump and put her portrait under the tree carefully so it could dry. After she was done with her precious art pieces, she said her grace and began to eat her oatmeal when all of a sudden a pear landed right on her outstretched legs. She looked up to see a young lad with a mischievous grin sitting above her. His thick golden blonde hair was ruffled, almost covering his hazel green eyes. 

“Hi Abbey!” he said with a smile as he jumped down next to her. He leaned his head back on the tree and plopped a handful of blueberries into his mouth.

“How are you, Will?” Abigail asked as he finished munching on his berries.

 “Mighty fine so far, Abbey, just wish Momma Jones would give me a big bowl of her oatmeal," he replied back as he stared hungrily at her food.

 “Sorry, pal, but these were meant for me and only me. Besides, you probably already had three breakfasts so far,” Abbey said with a snicker,” but any who, did you bring the paints?” He gave her a puppy dog, look but as it never worked on her; he gave a sigh and pulled out a small blue sack with a ribbon tied around it. 

"You know, these are mighty hard to come by. I would only get them for someone who was mighty close to my heart.” Abigail did not hear the ending of his sentence, but was excitedly opening up the bag to find all kinds of vibrant colors.  

"Oh Will!” she gasped in surprise, “these are just what I have been needing!” There were about twenty paints in all of blues, whites, purples, reds, and every other color under the sun.

          “Anything for you Abbey,” he said as he scooted closer to her. They then began talking of what to do that day when a young vagabond came walking towards them. His clothes were well worn, covered in red dirt. His toes were sticking out of his shoes and his pants didn't even touch his ankles.

When the man came closer, Will immediately jumped up in front of Abbey; ready to defend her for life or death. The young man looked at him in surprise and gave a bow. He had dark brown hair and his grey eyes appeared friendly to the young Abigail. 

"Will, wait,” she begged as she put her hand on his arm.

"No, Abbey! Haven’t you heard of the stories lately of kidnappings and robberies?! I’m not taking any chances with this hobo!” He then lunged at the man but the vagabond moved swiftly and held Will’s arm behind his back which caused him to cry out in pain. 

"Will!” Abigail gasped as she ran up to them. She looked at the man’s eyes and he looked into hers. 

“I just want to talk, ma’am, that’s all,” he said respectfully. 

She stared at him for a while, not exactly sure what to do. Something about him was different, and she trusted her instincts. 

“Alright, I will talk just please let my friend go,” she replied calmly. 

He then let a frustrated Will go, who was about to lunge again, until Abbey convinced him not to until they knew what he wanted. He then calmed down, but gave the man a look of a mad dog.

 “What do you want?” she asked him. 

He cleared his throat and began,” Well, I have been traveling for an awfully long time and I just want to settle down a bit. The only problem is, I need a job and lately no one has been kind as you have to just listen to my two cents. Is there anything around here that I can help you folks with until I get back on my feet? You don’t have to pay me money or anything, just a roof over my head and some food to eat.” Abigail stood there, pondering.

 “Not a chance! Just look at this guy! He’s bad news, Abigail. I don’t trust him for a second!” Will grumbled.

 “But you do not know anything about the man, and besides, he just wants a job and a place to stay until he can get up on his own, please just watch him so I can go get momma out here,” she said to him in a tender soft voice.  

Her pleading looks and gentle voice calmed Will down as he whispered back, “Fine, but be quick.” With that Abbey ran away from the two men and went to her momma inside of the house. She was actually napping in a rocking chair and Abigail woke her up and dragged her outside. On the way, she explained everything to her momma. 

Exclamations of “Goodness Gracious”, “Mercies Alive”, and the occasional gasp are what Abigail’s momma uttered throughout the whole story. When she finished, her momma looked her in the eye and she said,” You did the right thing for getting me, sugar. You just stand by Will and I will talk to this young man.” When she said this, Abigail just walked up to Will and watched as her momma walked to the young man. She stared him down for a moment, and then all of a sudden she started cheering which made Abigail and Will turn their heads to her.

 “Abigail, this is none other than Peter Bloom!” she said as she gave the man a hug. 

“Do I know him momma?” Abigail asked with confusion. 

“Do you know him, by golly you couldn’t have! You were only two years old when he and his family moved! Speaking of which, how is your ma and pa?” 

The young man was watching her in surprise too, not sure what to do or think. He looked at his feet for a moment with a sad look on his countenance and then glanced up at each one of them. 

He then replied,” They died, five years ago from a fire. How do you know me and my family, ma’am?” Abigail watched her momma as she became very solemn with what he had said,” Oh, you poor child! I will tell you all about it once I get you to sit down and eat a bowl of oatmeal,” she said lovingly as she led him to the house. Abigail walked behind him, not sure what to think or do but watched in silence. 

“I still don’t like him, Abbey. Not at all,” Will said to her in a sharp tone. They continued to walk to the house, with Abbey’s forgotten oatmeal still under the pear tree.

 Chapter 2

As the group entered the house, the sweet smells of banana nut bread reached everyone’s nostrils. The walls were a soft olive green which complimented the beige floral curtains that draped every window. The brick fireplace was centered in the middle of the room, the ashes still warm from being used the night before. The interior decorations were cozy yet had a country flair to every object that resided in the room. A cedar table, a whicker basket full of lavender, and even an antique oak rocking chair by one of the bigger windows gave the room a warm and relaxing impression.  

Momma Jones directed the young man to a whicker chair and the rest of the group sat in identical chairs, except for Will who stood next to Abbey.

 "Now, young man,” Momma began as she leaned back with her arms crossed over her lap,” I remember your family like it was yesterday. Your folks moved in across the lake about, how old are you?”

 “Eighteen, ma’am,” he said as he began to relax a bit. 

“Okay, so that would make it about twenty four years ago! Well, I was good friends with your parents, especially your momma. We were real close, and we would pass recipes between each other and give tips on gardening. Some people even assumed we were sisters!” A light shined in her eyes but she noticed the despair in Peter’s face.

 “Oh, I’m awfully sorry if this is giving you any pain,” she said as she laid her calloused hand on his arm.

 “It’s alright. Hearing you talk about her is bringing good memories back to mind,” he said as he looked the sweet woman in the eyes. As all this was going on, Abigail watched the young man with curiosity. Something about him seemed very intriguing to her, and she felt a desire to learn more about him.

          “Well, your father lost his job here and needed to move to Chicago to find a job, particularly as a reporter. So, you were about four years old when you moved. Do you remember anything about your hometown?” Momma Jones asked him. 

He stared at the floor for a minute, looked around, and then looked back at momma and said, “Now that you mention it, I seem to remember this place. The picket fence, rolling hills, even your fireplace. It all just feels....familiar."

Momma smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Abbey noticed and patted her mother on the arm while Will continued to glower at Peter, not believing his story for one minute.

Momma, after a few moments of silence, cleared her throat.“Now, Abigail here said you needed a job, right?”

 “Yes ma’am,” he replied back as he combed his hair with his fingers. 

Momma Jones then replied, “Just recently, our stable boy quit his job but he wasn’t real good with the horses anyway. Are you?” 

“Yes ma’am. I love horses and know just what they need,” he said a smile slowly growing on his face. 

“Well then, welcome to our farm. How would you like your first payment to be a slice of my fresh banana nut bread?” she said as she walked to the kitchen. 

“That would be really nice of you ma’am,” he said. 

“Peter, you can call me Momma Jones,” she said in a loud cheerful voice from the kitchen. 

“Ok, thank you Momma Jones!” he replied back in the same volume. Everyone that still remained in the living room stood up and began to walk to the kitchen. 

Abigail walked in front, while Will pulled Peter to the side. “Don’t you dare try anything stupid, mister. These kind ladies are too good for you and if you knew what’s best you wouldn’t even try anything funny. Got it?” Will said as he got real close to the man’s face. Peter looked down on him, and said, “I’m not the kind that does funny business.”

          Will was about to punch him in the face until Momma Jones gave them both a plate of warm banana nut bread. “Enjoy!” she sang with a smile. 

Peter went to sit down, but Will went up to Momma to ask where Abigail went. “I don’t know Will, but I have a feeling she went to go paint somewhere. I wish I could send the poor girl to that fancy art school but we just can’t afford it right now with the farm and all.”

 “I understand, momma,” he said as he gave her a hug.

 “Oh, bless you child,” she whispered to him. Will wasn’t sure if he should stay with Momma or go find Abigail, but after he saw how Momma would keep the man in line he left the house to find Abigail.

“Abbey!” he called out through his cupped hands, “where are you?!” 

The sun was beginning to rise over his head, making it almost noon. The Tennessee heat caused Will to begin to sweat as he ran around the farm looking for his friend. 

Abigail, unlike her mother’s predictions of painting somewhere, was actually riding her mare, Jasmine, through the woods. She was thinking of her mother's story as she rode past the pear trees to the lake. She wondered why her mother had never told her about the family who used to live by the lake. Especially since momma was so close to them. Maybe she didn't want to bring up painful memories, Abigail thought.

 The wind felt cool on her face and riding on her beloved Appaloosa made her feel like she was flying. She wished she could be a sparrow, and just fly into the skies. Not having to do any chores. But not that she didn't mind working but over time she wished she could do more than just work. Maybe having Peter as a stable boy could help.  Leaving the woods, Abigail approached the lake and slowed down her horse with a quick tug. Jasmine plunged her head into the lake and began drinking in the fresh water.

          The water looked smooth and as Jasmine took in big swallows, ripples went across. How Abigail wished she could learn to paint the water to be able to do that, and the dreams of art school came back to her. She had a friend, Elizabeth Barnes, who sent her a letter every week about her life at Pembroke Academy of Arts. She told her of the teachers and students and how the school was all about the arts such as literature, drama, dancing, painting, and etc. Elizabeth went to excel in music, since she was a daughter of a rich banker and her mother an heiress she didn’t have the problem of a farm to take care of. How Elizabeth came to know her, Abigail couldn’t recall, but she knew she would never forget a friend like her.  

          A snap behind her made Abigail swirl around to see Peter lean against a willow tree. He looked calm, and relaxed with his back leaning against the tree and his eyes gazing at the lake. In fact, Abigail couldn’t tell if he saw her or not. So, she walked up to him and as she approached he looked at her but didn’t do nothing more. 

“Hello, Mr. Bloom,’ she said and did a curtsy. He looked at her, his eyes like a deep grey ocean.

 “Please, Miss Abigail, but just call me Peter. Mr. Bloom was my father,” he said as he skipped a rock over the lake water. It skipped three times until it sunk under the water. 

“I will, if you can just call me Abigail. Miss Abigail makes me sound like a teacher, which I am not,” she said quickly with an awkward grin on her face. She felt her cheeks warm up and decided to change the topic. 

“What are you looking for, Peter,” she said as she noticed his gaze was focused back on the lake. He walked up next to her, his eyes still looking at the lake.

 “Why are you staring at the lake?” she finally asked, getting slightly impatient that he hadn’t answered her previous question.

          He then turned to her and for the first time Abigail became slightly frightened but his face was composed as he said, “I’m looking to see if my house from long ago is over the waters.” Abigail didn’t have to look past to lake to know if the house was there. 

“If you want, we have canoes in our barn and one day you can venture out into the lake and see for yourself,” Abigail said as she walked to her horse,” until then, we should probably get back. I have a feeling my momma would want you to begin working very soon.” Peter nodded in agreement and began to walk back.

          Abigail untied the reins from a tree branch and jumped onto her horse. With a click of the tongue and her heels digging into Jasmine’s sides, they were off into the woods. Thoughts came to her, disturbing ones, ones she wished to forget. She didn’t know why, but tears began to run down her face. She felt selfish at that moment but she couldn’t help it. She wished she didn’t have to do hard labor and only have a farm life to look forward to. She wished to paint, and paint until her heart’s content.

          Why he had to leave us, she thought. She felt like screaming but tried to think soothing thoughts, and reminded herself God had a special plan for her. All of a sudden, she felt Jasmine stop. 

“Jasmine girl, what is it,” she whispered into her horse’s ear. The horse whinnied in reply and all a sudden Abigail heard a low growl. Abbey looked out in front of them to see a rather large mountain lion standing in the middle of their path. Jasmine suddenly reared up on her high legs and fear shook Abigail from head to toe. The wild cat roared, Abigail screamed, and she knew it was the end. Her eyes were shut tightly as she gave up a silent prayer.

          She heard the puma roar again but Abbey wondered why she was not dead yet. She opened her eyes to see Peter on top of the struggling creature. 

“Peter!” Abigail shrieked as tears ran down her face. Peter held the puma down with his weight and had both his hands on its fore arms. The cat yowled in protest as Peter held it down. He then swiftly grabbed the cat’s neck and squeezed with all his might. 

Adrenaline pumped, the young man seemed the image of a young Davy Crockett. The cat continued to yowl and thrash to get free as sweat dripped from Peter’s face. A rustle in the bushes and Will appeared on the scene. It didn’t take him long to know what to do and he grabbed out his hunting knife. As Abigail closed her eyes she heard the last cries of the cat. Her heart was beating faster than a humming bird’s wings and she felt as she would faint.Something touched her hand and she screamed as loud as she could. 

“Shh, Abbey, it’s me Will,” a voice said to her and rubbed her arms. She opened her eyes to see an exhausted William look into her eyes.

 “Now, let me help you and Jasmine back to the house, okay?” he said as he grabbed her reins. She could only watch as she slowly rode away from where she was. She looked back to see Peter look up at her from where he was above the cat.

 “Thank you,” Abigail mouthed to him. He gave a nod and went back to the dead mountain lion. “You know what, Abbs?” Will said as he directed them through the woods, “I think Peter is good for y’all after all.”     

Fall is here again

I'm so glad fall has started. It's strange how fast the time goes. It felt just like yesterday we were opening our pool and now I'm looking forward to hot cocoa and big sweaters. Yay!

To catch everybody up to speed, we never got a foreign exchange student. It just wasn't in God's will for us to receive one this year. I also have been working at a planetarium, collecting money for admissions and doing the star show. It was a lot of fun working there and I'm glad to have helped out. 

And below are pictures of the new Amigo. He weighs a whooping 12.6 pounds! An amazing difference from when we first got him. 

I guess that is it. I'll write more next time!

Love in Christ,

Brookie

PS: Now I have 2 followers! Yay! :D

Oh, it's just the usual.

Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been meaning to post lately but it seems like something happens and then I completely forget about my blog. I can happily say however that the blog is now over a year old! (Although I only have 1 follower.)

So, what have I been doing lately that causes me to forget about posting? Quite a bit, or at least for me. From an amazing turn of events, I'm now volunteering at a Christian thrift store which is actually quite a bit of fun. The only part I don't like is if a spider is discovered in the back room and then disappears. When that happens, I just do some calming exercises and pray to God that the spider will not crawl up my leg as I sort through boxes. Ugh.

I also just recently came back from traveling. Although the trip was short; it was well worth it and I'm glad to have spent some time with family again. My brother worked with the family business while we were there and he hopes to go work there again. Maybe now he will know what career he should focus on.

And last, but definitely not least, we are to be getting a foreign exchange student from Germany. Cool right? We are all very ecstatic and are making preparation for the new addition. He will be staying almost a year, attending a school in the area and going with us wherever we go. He loves pretty much everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING. Some of the things he likes kind of shocked me but I don't mind. I can tell he's going to be a cool kid and we all will have a great time.

Do you all remember my last post about my cat? If any of you were worried/sorry for him (which I hope you were) he is doing a lot better and has gained an extra pound. He's back to his normal stinky self. Yay.

If any of you are avid pinterest addicts, this is me on the wonderful site: http://pinterest.com/lovebooks23/boards/

Have a blessed summer!
Brookie

Amigo: The Prodigal Son Comes Home

Hey everyone!

For those who don't know, Amigo was rescued by good friends of ours yesterday after being missing for three months. He is doing much better today, especially after his bath from last night (the second bath he's ever had in his lifetime). The vet says he is mildly anemic (because of all the tics and fleas), has some skin cancer on his ears (probably from sleeping too much in the sun. But it isn't too bad so he'll be fine.), has a puncture in his left eardrum (which was caused by infection but the vet says will heal up over time), and is dehydrated.

He has lost a little bit of weight but he'll definitely be gaining it back soon (he had bacon and eggs for breakfast). He is wearing this collar recommended by the vet and it is doing wonders! It's called seresto and lasts for eight months so no yucky, oily medicine every month. The tics are literally falling off, kind of gross but at least they are no longer on amigo. Diego, Amigo's brother, is still missing and we are praying for his quick return. Thank you all for the prayers and have a blessed week! We are praising The Lord that he has come home!

Oh my goodness!

Hello everyone! Sorry it has been a long time since I've last posted on here; it has just been a little crazy around here. To summarize it all up, we are moving. Not sure when or where but I just know that we are. (However, I am hoping to move to this one house, which has a trail for hiking and plum trees.)

I finished my writing class a few weeks back, which I highly recommend, and started another one. I wouldn't have started this one but in order to take the class I want, I have to do this one. But I don't mind! It's great meeting other writers and learning about different websites and books that will help me along in researching, getting more creative, and etc.

Anyways, I'm here to I guess you can say "advertise" for my friends. They have created a cookbook to raise money for missionaries however I don't know all the details so here is their website. Please click on it!
http://caitlynscolumn.blogspot.com/2013/02/cookbook.html

I appreciate all those that read my posts and don't mind my ramblings. I'll end this segment with a verse I read recently:

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Psalm 5:11

I pray you all have a blessed weekend! :)

Brookie

PS: What inspired the title of my post was a Shirley Temple movie I watched last night called "Curly Top". First time I ever saw a Shirley Temple movie and boy was it delightful!

Websites that are worth going to

   Hello again everyone! You might be thinking," Why is she posting again so soon? This isn't normal. She never posts so much in one month!" And yes this is not normal. However, I felt a need to tell you some good websites to go and I know y'all have been waiting to hear what's up in my life. :)
 
   Well, I'll start with the websites. There are so many on the web not worth your time. And then, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, like myself, so many of them are blaspheming Jesus and others display awful words or pictures that totally go against our beliefs and standards. Not only that but also there are some websites which I support fully but I wonder if other Christians know of them? So, listed below are my top nine websites! (Sorry, I couldn't think of another one to make ten, but if I did it would probably be dictionary.com.) The first six are owned by Christians but the rest, that I know of, are not.

1. www.worldviewweekend.com
2. www.pluggedin.com
3. www.christianaction.org
4. www.christianministriesintl.org
5. www.noiseofthunder.com
6. http://www.creationtoday.org/
7. www.shutterfly.com
8. www.allrecipes.com
9. http://www.cremedelacraft.com


   Lately, I've been mailing out some Christmas cards, making buckeyes, watching a lot of Christmas movies, doing writing assignments, finishing up my brother's art class, and cleaning the house top to bottom. If I had to choose one thing I was good at, it would be cleaning. Either cleaning or maybe writing. Just yesterday, I got some advice and very good critiques which I know will help a ton! The person also gave me a lot of encouragement which meant a lot to me because she is currently an English teacher at a college and her daughter is an English major. Getting praise from an expert in writing is different than getting praise from a family member or loved one. I'm just glad someone actually enjoys reading my work!

Hope y'all have a merry Christmas and "God bless us everyone"! :)

Brookie

Giveaway Contest!

Here is the website of the giveaway!
http://emilys-ponderings.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have a great day!

Brookie

Opening up my Imagination...I hope

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." 
    ~Psalm 150: 6

   And that is my greeting this chilly December day! Praise the Lord our God for everything He has done! We are minuscule compared to His awesome power and grace! Only through the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross are we transformed a new creation in Christ! I pray that you all will remember Christ this season. It is because of Him that we even celebrate Christmas at all!
    
   Recently, I enrolled for an "enrichment" course on creative writing which will start on Wednesday. Despite my many years of writing experience, I think it will be best to first start off with a beginner's course and let others criticize my work before I check it off as perfect. Although you may find it perfect, there will always be somebody who thinks otherwise. I hope I'll do well and learn something that could further improve my writing. 

   But y'all don't read my blog to hear about my life. (And if you do, you gotta let me know!) So here is a 20 question Christmas trivia quiz to do! If you want to find the answers, you'll have to google it! But we google everything these days so that's no biggie.

1) What did Pierce Egan add to the basic eggnog recipe when he created a variation of eggnog called "Tom and Jerry."
a. 2 tablespoons of vanilla ice cream
b. 1/2 oz of brandy
c. 1/2 oz of whiskey
d. 3 tablespoons of cream

2) In what year did the US postal System issue its first Christmas stamp?
a. 1942
b. 1952
c. 1962
d. 1972

3) How many times is the name Santa Clause used in "the Night Before Christmas"?
a. 0
b. 2
c. 5
d. 7

4) What two reindeer are mentioned in the song "Here Comes Santa Claus"?
a. Dancer and Prancer
b. Donder and Blixen
c. Vixen and Blixen
d. Comet and Cupid

5) What country started the gift exchange tradition?
a. Italy
b. The Netherlands
c. Greece
d. Israel

6) In "Gift of the Magi", how much did Della get for her hair?
a. $10
b. $17
c. $20
d. $21

7) Who wrote "The Night Before Christmas"?
a. Peter Collington
b. Clement Moore
c. Chris Van Allsburg
d. Raymond Briggs

8) What was the first artificial tree made of?
a. Glass
b. Plastic
c. Feathers
d. Silk

9) What musical instrument was "Silent Night" first played on?
a. Guitar
b. Organ
c. Flute
d. Harp

10) Which of the following names was not considered for Tiny Tim's character in "A Christmas Carol"?
a. Little Larry
b. Puny Pete
c. Small Sam
d. Wee Willie

11) What is Santa's name in Holland?
a. Father Christmas
b. Grandfather Frost
c. St. Nicholas
d. Christkind

12) In what country was the first Christmas card created?
a. France
b. Germany
c. Spain
d. England

13) In what country was the poinsettia first grown and known as "Flower of the Holy Night"?
a. Canada
b. Mexico
c. Greece
d. Egypt

14) In what country did the real St. Nicholas live?
a. Denmark
b. The Netherlands
c. Bulgaria
d. Turkey

15) In what ocean can you find Christmas Island?
a. Indian Ocean
b. Arctic Ocean
c. Atlantic Ocean
d. Pacific Ocean

16) Which US state was the first to recognize Christmas as an offical holiday?
a. New York
b. Alabama
c. Virginia
d. Pennsylvania

17) In "It's a Wonderful Life," what is the angel's first name?
a. Clarence
b. Samuel
c. William
d. Stanley

18) What are hot cockles?
a. A Christmas beverage
b. A Christmas pastry
c. A Christmas game
d. A Christmas decoration

19) If you were to receive all of the gifts in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas," how many gifts would you receive?
a. 144
b. 284
c. 364
d. 424

20) In what European country is "The Nutcracker" set?
a. Germany
b. Russia
c. Poland
d. Denmark 

Have a Merry Christmas!

Brookie

Thanksgiving Post

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever."
   ~1 Chronicles 16:34

     As all of you know, this past Thursday was Thanksgiving. But so many people forget the true meaning of the celebration. Lately, I've heard it be called Turkey day or T-day but both these names leave out what the day should be about. Sure, there's nothing wrong with eating turkey or watching football, as long as we are all giving thanks to God for all He has done and provided for us. I truly hope all of you remembered to be thankful and give God the praise and the glory for the great things He has done! 

     Today, I'll just give a recipe for a great dish we had at our Thanksgiving meal. I recommend it for any kind of celebration and to also fill up those at the table with bottom-less pits. Note: From allrecipes.com

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices of bacon
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of milk
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

Brookie

Moving the Photography

If any of you fellow readers love/enjoy my photography, I will be making a specific blog for them. The website url is www.snapsbybrookie.blogspot.com

Thank you for reading and please be praying for the Sandy victims,
Brookie

Veggie Tales and Remembering a Promise

           This morning, after I finished packing some clothes for my big trip this week, I decided to watch a veggie tales movie before I moved on to other tasks of the day. If some of you do not know, Veggie Tales are delightful cartoons of vegetables created by Focus on the Family to teach children biblical lessons and stories from the bible. The one I watched this morning was Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella. 

          At first, I thought it was rather silly since umbrellas weren't in the bible, let alone invented. But, despite this, the message of the cartoon was that although others may laugh at you for doing things such as saying prayers before you eat or singing a song about the bible is that to not think of what others say or do but to want to please God instead. In Acts 4:19 Peter says,"Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." 
               
           This message is not only for children but also for adults. Many Christians are too ashamed or embarrassed to profess their faith because of what they fear what others would think of them. But who should we want to please more? God or man?

            For the rest of my post, it will be a continuation of a story I had promised to show some more long ago. So with further ado, here is the rest of the first chapter. 
(If you think it is rather silly, I am sorry. I wrote this about three years ago so I might have to change it in a few places. And there is more of this story. I had wrote about 8 or 9 chapters.)

“Goodness child!” she yelled in surprise as she stared at Abigail’s feet, “no young lady should be prancing around in the mud in bare feet!” “I’m sorry,” Abigail replied back cordially,” but you know how much I love to feel the grass under my feet.”

“That is true, my dear” she said warmly and gave her a quick embrace,” but when you were off you forgot to eat your breakfast! No one should start their day without a good ol’ bowl of oats.” Abigail nodded in agreement and accepted the bowl of warm cinnamon oatmeal. “Thank you, mama,” she said between mouthfuls. Her mother gave her a, “You’re welcome” and went back to taking care of her quaint flower bed. With a picturesque smile, Abigail skipped merrily underneath an old pear tree and sat down. 

She set all her art supplies at the stump and put her portrait under the tree carefully so it could dry. After she was done wither precious art pieces, she said her grace and began to eat her oatmeal when all of a sudden a pear landed right on her outstretched legs. She looked up to see a young boy with a mischievous grin sitting above her. His thick golden blonde hair was ruffled, almost covering his hazel green eyes. “Hi’ya Abbey!” he said with a smile as he jumped down next to her. He leaned his head back on the tree and plopped a handful of blueberries into his mouth.

          

          “So how are you, Will?” Abigail asked as he finished munching on his berries. “Mighty fine so far, Abbey, just wish your momma would give me a big bowl of that oatmeal!” he replied back as he stared hungrily at her food. “Sorry, pal, but these were meant for me and only me. Besides, you probably already had three breakfasts so far,” Abbey said with a snicker,” but any who, did you bring the paints?” He gave her a puppy dog, look but as it never worked on her; he gave a sigh and pulled out a small blue sack with a ribbon tied around it. 

            

            “You know, these are mighty hard to come by. I would only get them for someone who was mighty close to my heart.” Abigail did not hear the ending of his sentence, but was excitedly opening up the bag to find all kinds of vibrant colors.  “Oh Will!” she gasped in surprise, “these are just what I have been needing!” There were about twenty paints in all of blues, whites, purples, reds, and every other color under the sun.

         

           “Anything for you Abbey,” he said as he scooted closer to her. Now, Abigail was a young girl and not knowledgeable in the art of love. She always viewed boys as friends, nothing more. So naturally, she took this action as brotherly affection and did not bother to think any more of this spontaneous feat. That day was to be the first of her learning what love is. As she chatted away with her friend under the pear tree, a young vagabond came walking towards them.

Will immediately jumped up in front of Abbey, ready to defend her for life or death. The young man looked at him in surprise and gave a bow. He had dark brown hair and his grey eyes appeared friendly to the young Abigail. “Will, wait,” she said as she stood next to him and put her hand on his arm. ‘No, Abbey! Haven’t you heard of the stories lately of kidnappings and robberies?! I’m not taking any chances with this hobo!” He then lunged at the man but the vagabond moved swiftly and held Will’s arm behind his back which caused him to cry out in pain. “Will!” Abigail gasped as she ran up to them. She looked at the man’s eyes and he looked into hers. 

“I just want to talk, ma’am, that’s all,” he said respectfully. She stared at him for a while, not exactly sure what to do. Something about him was different, and she trusted her instincts. “Alright, I will talk just please let my friend go,” she said calmly. He then let a frustrated Will go, who was about to lunge again, until Abbey convinced him not to until they knew what he wanted. He then calmed down, but gave the man a look of a mad dog.

 “What do you want?” she asked him. He cleared his throat and began,” Well, I have been traveling for an awfully long time and I just want to settle down a bit. The only problem is, I need a job and lately no one has been kind as you have to just listen to my two cents. Is there anything around here that I can help you folks with until I get back on my feet? You don’t have to pay me money or anything, just a roof over my head and food for my tummy.” Abigail stood there, pondering.

“Not a chance! Just look at this guy! He’s bad news, Abigail; I don’t trust him for a second!” Will grumbled. “But you do not know anything about the man, and besides, he just wants a job and a place to stay until he can get up on his own, please just watch him so I can go get momma out here,” she said to him in a tender soft voice.  Her pleading looks and gentle voice calmed Will down as he whispered back, “Fine, but be quick.” With that Abbey ran away from the two men and went to her momma inside of the house. She was actually napping in a rocking chair and Abigail woke her up and dragged her outside. On the way to the where she was, she explained everything to her momma. 

Exclamations of “Goodness Gracious”, “Mercies Alive”, and the occasional gasp are what Abigail’s momma uttered throughout the whole story. When she finished, her momma looked her in the eye and she said,” You did the right thing for getting me, sugar. You just stand by Will and I will talk to this young man.” When she said this, Abigail just walked up to Will and watched as her momma walked to the young man. She stared him down for a moment, and then all of a sudden she started cheering which made Abigail and Will turn their heads to her. “Abigail, this is none other than Peter Bloom!” she said as she gave the man a hug. “Do I know him momma?” Abigail asked with confusion. “Do you know him, by golly you couldn't have! You were only four years old when he and his family moved! Speaking of which, how is your ma and pa?” 

The young man was watching her in surprise too, not sure what to do or think. He looked at his feet for a moment with a sad look on his countenance and then glanced up at each one of them. He then replied,” They died, seven years ago from a fire. How do you know me and my family, ma’am?” Abigail watched her momma as she became very solemn with what he had said,” Oh, you poor child! I will tell you all about it once I get you to sit down and eat a bowl of oatmeal,” she said lovingly as she led him to the house. Abigail walked behind him, not sure what to think or do but watched in silence. “I still don’t like him, Abbey. Not at all,” Will said to her in a sharp tone. They continued to walk to the house, with Abbey’s forgotten oatmeal still under the pear tree.

And that is the end of the first chapter! Stay tuned for my next segment, which I might forget to post soon so I'm going to go ahead and say I'm sorry if that does happen.

Thank you for reading and I hope you all a blessed day! :)
Brookie

Branson here I come!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the slow posts but I just seem to never be able to find times to blog so I apologize to you all. Today, I'll be talking about my favorite city in the U.S.: Branson, MO! Here are some interesting facts about Missouri:

1) Missouri is known as the "Show Me State".
2) The 'Show Me State' expression may have began in 1899 when Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver stated, "I'm from Missouri and you've got to show me."
3) The first successful parachute jump to be made from a moving airplane was made by Captain Berry at St. Louis, in 1912.
4) The most destructive tornado on record occurred in Annapolis. In 3 hours, it tore through the town on March 18, 1925 leaving a 980-foot wide trail of demolished buildings, uprooted trees, and overturned cars. It left 823 people dead and almost 3,000 injured.
5) At the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, Richard Blechyden, served tea with ice and invented iced tea.
6) Also, at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, the ice cream cone was invented. An ice cream vendor ran out of cups and asked a waffle vendor to help by rolling up waffles to hold ice cream.
7) The state animal is the Mule.
8) Laura Elizabeth Ingalls, writer of Little House on the Prairie grew up in Missouri.
9) In 1865 Missouri became the first slave state to free its slaves.
10) During Abraham Lincoln's campaign for the presidency, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat named Valentine Tapley from Pike County, Missouri, swore that he would never shave again if Abe were elected. Tapley kept his word and his chin whiskers went unshorn from November 1860 until he died in 1910, attaining a length of twelve feet six inches.

I just absolutely love Missouri, especially the Ozarks! If you ever want to go on a fun and family friendly vacation, Branson is the place to go! (And is also where I'll be next week!)

Have a blessed day, 
Brookie

Note: the above 10 facts are from http://www.50states.com/facts/mo.htm#.UHSKOk3A9dc

Goodness gracious it has been a long time!

     Hello readers! Sorry it has been so long since I've last wrote but truthfully I've just been really busy. Hanging out with friends, babysitting, and now figuring out how to make some income on eBay. We had a rocky start at first with eBay but now I can say I believe we are getting the hang of it! If you would like to buy something from me, visit http://myworld.ebay.com/foreverwriting2352. 

     However I must warn you we are only selling women's clothes and shoes right now. And also this weekend I get to take care of a Yorkie named Snuggles! Adorable, right? Well I hope she will be well behaved. 
    Anyways, I have been daily reminded of a verse found in Proverbs which reads, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Actually it is two verses but that is beside the point. I know the Lord has really been tugging at my heart with these verses and I'm doing my best to lay my worries and fears in the Lord's hands. I just wish it wasn't so hard.
     Well that's all I have to say, so hope you have a blessed day!
Brookie

A Mash-Up of My Favorite Desserts

For today, I have decided to make my own dessert concoction. I know there are many recipes out there similar to this, but I believe mine is one of the bests! Try it out and see if you agree :)

Chocolate Chip, Nutella, and Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches 

Hands-on: 15 minutes
Total: 1.5 hour (Includes chilling time)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 Chips ahoy chocolate chip cookies
A container of Breyers Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (you do not use the whole container)
A container of Nutella Hazelnut Spread (you do not use the whole container)
Cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
1) Arrange 4 cookies flat side up in a single layer. Spread the Nutella Hazelnut Spread on four of the eight sides. Sprinkle cinnamon on the Nutella sides if desired. Then spread the vanilla ice cream and combine both cookies into a sandwich. (Warning: This part is slightly messy however it is okay if the cookie does not look perfect)
2) Wrap the cookies in plastic and freeze for at least 1 hour.

And that is it! After the hour is up, devour those cookie sandwiches and lick your fingers to finish it off!
Have a blessed day,
Brookie

Growing Nature's Candy in the Backyard

In the last four years, my family has had a garden. However I have to say that this year we have finally perfected a system that suits our area and all of our tastebuds. (Except my brother of course. Hopefully next year he'll start enjoying something from the garden.) On the left column we have one cherry tomato plant, three spinach (the spinach were doing wonderful until the beginning of June. They do not do well under constant sunlight), one bell pepper plant, and three squash plants. On the right column we have about five zucchini plants, maybe one more squash plant, and one cayenne pepper plant. Just recently, about three or four weeks ago, we added a middle column. In that column we have green bean plants and a sweet potato plant. So far the green bean plants are standing five inches tall but are not producing anything yet. I really hope the sweet potato plant comes out great, because here in the south sweet potato yams are a delicacy. :)      

If you live in the states of Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi; I know these plants will grow exceedingly well in your backyards! Ask your local nursery or garden centers what kind of plants grow best in your area.

Hope you all have a blessed week!
Brookie

Crazy Life and Good Food

Hey y'all! Sorry it's been a while since I last posted but I did warn you all about that a while back. Anyways, I just graduated from high school and am now an official adult! Woo Hoo! I also went to my cousin's graduation, celebrated a birthday, and currently watching over a little three year old boy take all my books off the bookshelf. Lovely. His name is Logan and he is an adorable mess. He looks like he'll grow up to be a surfer with his long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He is completely fascinated by airplanes, cars, boats, tractors; anything with an engine. He believes everything he sees is his, including my iPad and keys, and is a giant mess bomb just waiting to happen. And his favorite colors are purple and blue, just like me. But you all aren't here to hear about my humble life, so here is a recipe on delicious zucchini bread!

Zucchini Bread 

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light french vanilla fruit dip instead and it came out very good!)
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (we did not use any since we have none)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Blend this mixture into the flour mixture, alternately with the sour cream; stir just to combine. Fold in the zucchini and nuts; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. And then voila, a masterpiece! :)

PS: I feel it important to tell that you do not drain the zucchini juice! This juice is what helps keep the bread moist so unless you like dry bread, DON'T DO IT!

God Bless and have a great day!

Brookie

Recipe from allrecipes.com