Of Mongooses and Insanity

Mongooses. No, not mongeese. Mongooses. Want to know what they are? Well, we're getting one. A baby one, currently named Bree, though we may change that. Babies are the same size as and look like a ferret and a rat, and very cute. They squeak a lot (no exaggeration--they squeak incessantly, but they'll grow out of some of it) and will only go to sleep if you rub their head, ears, or back...

Baby mongoose:

Ours is actually older than this, and thus bigger...

And it has a longer nose than this...

THAT'S more like our mongoose, except maybe a bit younger. Also, the pictures from the internet are coming out blurry, so watch out...

I've been looking at pictures, and found that our mongoose looks a lot like a Cusimanse Mongoose. :) Might be one.

Meerkats are actually a species of Mongoose.

And when grown, they can kill a King Cobra snake. They're fast... can't you tell? Cobras aren't very fast snakes, I think, but still. Every snake is fast. They grow to be maybe the size of a cat, and have claws for digging. There are many different species, and I'm not sure what ours is--probably a mix, (I mentioned above it LOOKS like a Cusimanse) since the guest house owners got it in a village. Since they're leaving to go to America for ten months, we get the mongoose. :)

And... as for insanity... you've found it. ;) I've been doing Doctor Who Awareness Week with my siblings on the Underground, where we use quotes whenever possible, and make our avatar and name that of a character. I almost did River Song, but I ended up doing Donna Noble. Ry did Rose Tyler(though she stopped) and Jake did the Doctor, Tennant. Another Undergrounder did 'Doctor' except as Matt Smith. Also, EaglesWings did River Song for a short while. :)

I drew Matt Smith on Bristol Paper, and it worked surprisingly well! I'll post soon. :)

And I've found some awesome videos to share, but you don't have to watch them. XD

Every single Doctor Who Theme! About one for each Doctor, but the music, though in different versions, stays the same through the whole thing!

This is amazing. Heartbreaking. And awesome at the same time. Its the ultimate trailer, which you've probably already seen posted by Jake. But how could I not post it?

Now for soundtrack!

So stinkin' sad!! The words 'Vale Decem' mean 'Goodbye, Ten.' That's what they're singing.

You Made Me is rather sad, as well... this is from the episode in which Tennant regenerates. The Master saves the Doctor. *sniffs*

Okay, time for supper! Fried ochre... Yum. ^_^

--Vrenith

I'm Alive!

Yes, believe it or not, I am alive!

Didja miss me? And I'm pretty sure that 'didjya isn't even a word. XD Oh, well. The joys of being a... a... well, something. *frowns

Anyways, much oceanic things! We've gone swimming three times--a few days after we arrived, and then the waves were really high and it wasn't that much fun... the second time we only got to for an hour, and was better. Then, we went to Silver Beach (today, but by the time I post this it might be yesterday) for a graduation party for the guesthouse owners' daughter. I drew her a picture of Crush, their mixed breed dog, who stands a bit above my knee and has tulip ears and big brown eyes as well as short, brown fur and a white chest, stripe, and muzzle. :) Very cute.

Silver Beach was AMAZING. They had a lagoon that was maybe knee-deep or a little more, and the littler kids used that. You had to cross that to get to the ocean. Also, the ocean there was beautiful--as far as the eye can see across, and to either side. BEAUTIFUL, not to mention the waves were huge and yet the sea was smoother there. XD It didn't jostle you about so much that you never could rest. It had maybe eight-foot tall waves where we were, about waist-deep. I dove under a wave just before it crashed, and I got a free back rub over my whole body. It was fun.

The ocean pulls you down the beach because of the way the current goes around the coast. The bad thing was that at one point, there was a big hole where neither me nor my dad could touch the bottom even though people right across from us were only waist deep. You had to let it sweep you a little bit further where its gets shallower again.

Riding the waves was fun, too. Jared (the guest house owners' son), his cousin, and Jake tried to play ninja in the water. They failed utterly. Then, they tried to see who could stay standing through the waves the longest. XD One huge one knocked them all down. Jared's cousin lay on the beach where the waves could wash over him, and plugged his nose. A strong wave took him down the beach--and another washed him back up. It was funny to watch.

Today (and yes, my other note that said my other 'today' could be yesterday was correct), I helped out at the library sorting that Jake and Alex have been helping with, and it was a lot of fun. Pretty much, I got to sit on the floor and divide devotional magazines and the like while everyone else went through hymnals. XD The thing was, I was supposed to find all of the Daily Breads in that mess (a huge pile they had just been tossing stuff like that into) and pack them into a box. Guess what? By the end of the day, I filled five full boxes of Daily Bread devotionals alone, and two boxes of other things.

Jared, apparently, thought it was a lot of fun to, when  he found Daily Breads and stuff like that, toss them on my head. That got everybody ELSE started on tossing them on my head, and soon I was surrounded by Daily Breads to sort through... XD It didn't hurt, but even Jake thought it was funny... is there something wrong with them? ;)

At break time we each drank a pop (or two, in Jared's case) or a bag of water. And then... we played ninja. usually it ends up to be Jake and Jared facing each other by the end. Jared is now a black belt in karate, so he's really good, but Jake's pretty good at that sort of thing too. They go on for like three minutes, going so fast that it looks like its been coordinated or something. XD They had to take a break TWICE in one of the rounds, and nobody ever won it because we just started over. I got second once or twice. It was easier, since we played the version where you hit one hand--that person's out.

Jared's cousin (he has two--this one being the younger one), Levi, decided that you're supposed to be an animal and make the sounds as you strike. Jared was a snake, Jared's older cousin was an elephant, I was... well, I THINK I was a bear, though I wish I'd done a cat, I can't remember what Jake was, and Levi... Levi was a cow. XD Then he did it where you had to say something in a different language. Levi said his name in some other language, Jared said 'shield' in the Ancient Language from The Inheritance Cycle, (I can't remember what anyone else said), and I said, of course... ALLONS-Y!!

At one point during the day, Jared disappeared, and his older cousin said, "Where's Jared?" A few minutes later, Jake felt a hand on his head... Apparently, Jared was in the attic, hanging his head through the hole in the ceiling. Nobody noticed him! Jake walked right under him. They figured out it was Jared because Jared had disappeared, and Jake went to go get him, but Jared came downstairs fast through the other way and Jake went up searching for him and calling his name. Jared sits down.

Jake: "Where are you?"

Jared: "Oh, you'll never find me!"

Jake: "Oh, yes I will!"

Me: "Jake, he's down here!"

So funny.

Awesome day. Some of the boys 'sang' Christmas songs or just random songs, Jake started to sing the first four lines of his famous poem, "It Flow'st Upon A Midnight" put to the music of 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.' He found out awhile ago that it fits perfectly...

Levi took a hymnal and opened to a random page and made up a tune for whatever he read... I must say, it didn't really work... XD

Hopefully, I'll be going back tomorrow...

Drawings! So far, I've finished the drawing of Crush, started one of Rubee, a picture graciously provided by Leauphaun, and another off of the internet--a big draft horse with black and white patches, and long feathers on his hooves. I found a whole lot of this same horse, and he's really beautiful. Drawing him is going to be fun. I started one of him. :)

I read the Errant King. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It didn't quite live up to Sword in the Stars. Lochlan was good, as was Maren and Telwyn and all the rest. But unfortunately, I didn't feel that Ariana's character was developed enough near the end--her story started out good, but falling in love in less than a week? You've got to be kidding me.

I found myself in the Prologue. ^_^ Jaavere, my friend, instead of being a quote at the beginning of a chapter from the Canticles and named Jaavere Amberstill, she was put in as a guard that Lochlan spoke to briefly.

However, I did not find anyone else's names other than Millard's (Millard Key), and hopefully they will be put in the next book...?

I also read The Annotated Firebird, a book made up of three books--Firebird, Fusion Fire, and Crown of Fire. All very good! I found myself liking the books very much. Very, very much! Kathy Tyres did well when she wrote them, and now I want to go find that sequel book that Jake saw on Kindle... and read it. I think its about Kiel and Kinnor... >_> The only problem I had was, that, throughout the book, the author had put notes on things, thus interrupting the story flow at parts, but the notes explaining a few things were interesting, and who am I to complain? Jake got it for like four bucks, and its over a thousand pages!

I re-read Starlighter for the sake of going through the series before reading Diviner, and now I'm in the middle of Warrior. I think Starlighter is definitely not Bryan Davis's best work, but Warrior wasn't TOO bad, and I'm hoping Diviner will be good. :)

I read Inheritance, and found it good--but not amazing. The ending, even though a lot of people didn't like it, was a pretty good ending. I mean, it fulfilled a few things said in the other books, and it was the only logical choice--though I do wish they'd put more meaning into the ending, amazing last words or something.

Also, Eragon was all hardened and everything by the end--I wish he had a bit more courage and sacrifice in there. And when Nasuada took the throne--she just said, "I'll take it." And she pushed for it. That seemed very uncharacteristic for her. Nasuada wouldn't argue for something like that. And she acted a bit rude about it, too. She refused to renounce her claim, and while I'd rather have her as queen than King Orrin as king, I didn't like how she handled it all.

So, all in all, my days have been busy. Over two weeks in Africa already!

Farewell, my Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Dragons, Spriggans, Werecats and the like--

--Vrenith Sylversmith

November 2nd

Does anyone know what that means? No, probably not. Not all of it, I mean.

1. It means the second day of NaNoWriMo. I have exactly 3,400 words so far, which I had to get fast since I'd be gone all day today.

2. Our Whoathon (Doctor Who Marathon)

3. Trench-coat day (created by Jake)

 4. My birthday. :)

Yep--from my parents, I got a brand new epic trench-coat! Now Jake, Manny, and I all have trench-coats. Ry borrowed one from my grandma, and so we all wore them to the Whoathon, which was EPIC.

From Ry, I got a waterbottle and a piece of green felt with 'Doctor' in blue cut-out letters. The thing is, twice I was asked to draw something for me own present. ;) Ry had me draw a TARDIS, which she stuck on there too.

Manny used my bulletin board and taped (I think) a yellow felt boot (That I drew the outline for... XD) and blue lettering down the side which spells... VERN. (Haha, gotta love it.) Also, whereas the boot is at the top and the lettering on the sides, in the right top corner there is a horseshoe--not a real one, but the kind you'd use in the game Horseshoe. And, the best part, Manny took my drawing of the Arabian--the last one I did with my teacher, can be viewed here (it is the full-view horse with head outstretched), is situated in the left bottom corner, held in place by the frame of the bulletin board and two tacks... Manny knows I'm prickly about cutting or sticking things through the paper of my drawings, so she did it specially where the point is right beside the paper, but the round top of the tack is what's keeping the drawing on. :)

First, we watched Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead, then The Christmas Invasion, then Partners in Crime, and then The Pandorica Opens and the Big Bang, and finally the Eleventh hour, which we have yet to finish because we had to stop in the middle of it. :P

Tennant was in Silence in the Library/Forest of the dead, The Christmas Invasion, and Partners in Crime. Smith was inThe Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and the Eleventh hour. We did not have any with Eccleston, partially because we didn't want to REALLY see any of his--his episodes didn't have quite as good of plot.

And we got to see five different companions!! ROSE, my first favorite, was in The Christmas Invasion, and Donna Noble (she's my second, tied with Rory) was in Partners in Crime and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Rory (tied with Donna) and Amy (they're husband and wife, now) were in The Pandorica Opens/AThe Big Bang and The Eleventh Hour.

We had every singel (new) Doctor Who companion, save Martha, who is my least favorite. :P It goes Rose, Donna/Rory, Amy, and then Martha.

They were the ones we thought would be best to watch a second time, and most of them hilarious. Silence in the Library is where the Doctor first meets River, and the last time River meets the Doctor. Timestreams, rather complicated. ;)

The Christmas Invasion is the first episode of Season 2, the first one after Eccleston regenerated into Tennant. Hilarious and amazing.

Partners in Crime is where Donna comes back, after meeting the Doctor once before in The Runaway Bride. (Haha, methinks, other than River, she's the onlly companion who has slapped the Doctor) She's investigating on something because she thinks she might find the Doctor where there's trouble.

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang is where... well, to quote it, "This is where it gets complicated." This is with Smith, and Rory comes back as plastic afer falling into a crack in time and being erased completely--never having been born. Whew. Poor Rory, he's died twice, and then he didn't exist, and then he's plastic and has to wait 2,000 years!

Finally, the Eleventh Hour with Smith as the Doctor--the first episode after Tennant regenerated into Smith. In this one, he first meets Amy and Rory and accidentally is twelve years late for something. ;)

All in all, the best one to re-watch was Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. 'Tis funny, brilliant, and still emotional at the same time (which is good, because I'd hate the Doctor if he had no emotion :P)

Ah, and enough talk about Doctor Who! What about Beatrice?

Beatrice has literally taken to chasing cars. *shakes head* She'll kill herself that way. She waits for them and then tears after them, sometimes nearly running in front. O_O Twice, she sat in the middle of the road, making them go AROUND her, and then chased them. One of them turned out to be the mailman. XD

And then, just the other day, she lay in the middle of the road, and a car came up fast, and didn't see her. IT RAN RIGHT OVER HER, and she survived, not even flinching, because she happened to be short enough to go under the car. Gah. If the car had swerved...? Oh, and of course, she chased it. :P

She also likes to chase cows... poor cows.

But a good thing--! She doesn't bark at new people now (well, occasionally she does...) and sniffs their hands. She's still not to sure about them touching her, though. She's turning into a little sweetie... except when she's eating. She'll growl and yap if you try to pull her away from food. But you can pet her easily while she's eating, as well as take away the bowl, but she doesn't like to be picked up.

And drawings? I finished the Rocky Mountain Horse, but I'm not sure what to do next.

Gotta go...

--Vrenith

Goodbyes

I hate 'em. But yet I love them. If I didn't have goodbyes, I would feel horrible when it was time to leave something behind... a goodbye helps, for some people. Like me.

I need goodbyes. And that was what last night was all about. *sniffs*

No, I did not cry. ;) Though I sure felt like it. We had a sort of 'goodbye party' at our house... at our empty house. We're hoping to leave for Africa very soon... we're living at the farm at the moment.

So, we had a party made of singing, praying, and talking. No snacks, and the only furniture in the house (there were some boxes) was a couch, a chaise, and all of the... why can't I remember their name? ...some sort of chair. Not really lawn chairs... but...

Anyways, it was also our last day of co-op... *double sniff* I love co-op, in spite of my hatred of Composition... >_> It was mostly like any other day--except it was rather cold out. Haha, and my only jacket turned out to be too small... so I went in a short-sleeved shirt with 'The Dog Ate my Homework' printed on it. And played football. With no shoes on.

Yep, that's me. No shoes, no sweatshirt or jacket, not a care in the world. XD In 32 degree weather. O_O

After all of the classes, I pretty much went around and hugged the majority of people there... even though I would most likely see them that evening. What can I say? I love hugs. ^_^

One of the 'B' kids, as I will call them--family of twelve, ten of 'em kids. :) And since all of their names, save the parents, start with B, they'll be the B kids. Well, B number one, who will be turning twenty in November, will have her birthday while I'm gone, and I really extremely like her... a lot. Our whole family does. So, I drew out a horse that I would give her--took about half an hour or less--and then put it off. Well, guess what? I pick it up for maybe thirty minutes the night before... or less. I didn't have it ready for co-op the next morning...

And after co-op we had to rake the front yard. And our front yard is rather big. Jake and I raked the front and the side, and then bagged it all... I think we got seven and a half bags full of leaves--just from the front.

So, for thirty more minutes, I worked, and got the foundation shading down. Then, we went to supper with someone, which lasted... oh, and hour to an hour in forty-five minutes? I finished the drawing JUST before we left. And, we were nearly late for our own part. :) We actually drove two cars behind the 'B's' car. Anyways, I gave it to her (signed, of course ;) ), and she really liked it. She stood staring at it... XD I did not get a picture, though, because I gave it to her immediately, along with a frame.

The B family came, and I didn't realize how many people we knew! Our living room was full. :) The fifth B, I think he is, tends to joke around... as well as the 4. XD They're hilarious. The 4 B (I will not use his name, because I don't have permission :) ) likes to make goat and sheep sounds... anyways, its not very easy to explain them when typing... you'd have to meet him to really know them. XD In fact, five of the B kids are older than me, and five of them are younger...

We sang a whole lot of songs... oh my, so many. Maybe up to ten. Maybe around eight. A lot. No, more than that!! We spent two to three hours singing! 'Twas actually a lot of fun, though some people had to leave in the middle. :P

My best friend, Jaavere Emrayel, as you know her (or Lady Amber), could not come because she went on a last-minute trip with her grandmother. I haven't seen her in months, and most likely will not before we leave for Africa... But I'm really really really hoping we go to Iowa, to see some people there, because then I WOULD get to see her--because she lives on the way. Since we've moved to the farm, that's two and a half hours of distance between us. :P

Well, afterwards, we just sort of milled about, me giving hugs to every person I came into contact with... A lot of the people became teary-eyed. I felt like crying, but didn't... that's the way I am. Even though regularly, since my eyes are so sensitive, if I see someone's eyes watering, MY eyes start to water... and now they are just thinking about... XD But anyways, even if I really feel like it, when others are crying, I don't usually... I'm not really a crying person--unless I'm mad. ;) I cry when I'm mad.

Mrs. B gave each of us three girls (Ry, Manny, and I) a bracelet, and mine is large, green glass beads with white raised flowers, followed by one of those tiny plastic, diamond bead, a round wooden one, and another plastic... and so on. I love it. I don't usually wear jewelry, but how can you not wear a green and brown bracelet with both glass and wood? I love wooden beads. Manny's had sort of oval, purplish beads with silver beads in between... really pretty. And Ry had large glass beads like mine, round, and had a touch of green on them, with silver beads in between.

I hugged NEARLY everyone. :) Not everyone, but nearly...

We stayed at a friend's house that night, and now its today. And I'm really sad. But guess what? We get to see the B kids today. ^_^

So much for last goodbyes.

And for you, followers--this is NOT my last goodbye, just my last one in awhile... blogposts will probably be few in between.

GOODBYE!!!!

I could go cry now... ;)

--Vrenith

Hectic

My life is getting increasingly more and more hectic... what with the move and all. I have, however, had lots of time to draw and all that, and I've visited my teacher once!

I have a horse posterbook, and I've been drawing out of that--I'm on my third picture from it. I did a picture of a muscular, tall bay horse that sort of has dapples. Extremely pretty. I gave that one away, but I do have a picture of it... somewhere... I have not finished the drawing of Jones because *berates self* I have not been working on it... but I did finish another horse profile, one of the ones from my posterbook. It's a Palomino, so rather light-colored, and I did a dark-fading-to-light background that my teacher showed me. :)

I also am drawing a picture (from the posterbook) of two horses, one a dark bay, the other a more tan palomino. I added in the blurry trees in the background, but alas, I don't even know how to do trees... >_> How I'll finish that picture, I don't know. O_O

When I went to visit my teacher, I bought from her some fixative, a new kneaded eraser, and three blending stumps. She looked over each of my pictures and gave me tips, showed me how to do things, and I asked her how I could travel or carry around my sketchbook without fraying the edges of the paper and book. Well, she went over to where she had her art paper she sold, and she pulled out two thick pieces of white art-board and taped 'em together. She wrote ****'s Artwork on the front (excluding my name) and gave it to me for free. :) Normally, the paper would have probably cost between fifty to seventy-five cents (or more) each. :D
I've also had two people ask for drawings! The first wanted a drawing of her dog, which had been an abused one. She offered to pay me as well. The other is one of my mom's best friends, and she would like to have her daughter's horse drawn for her--which, of course, would be easy since horses are my best subject!!

Ah, well, I don't have time for any more. Farewell, my fellow bloggers and friends!!

--Vrenith

An Amusement Park and Moving

Hello, everyone! Back, and no pictures, sorry. Last few days were a bit hectic... at least the one before last. Well, day before the day before yesterday (a.k.a., three days ago) we had a friend give us six tickets to World of Fun, which we had been planning on going to for awhile. :) These friends had gotten them from someone else, and then they decided they didn't need them, and they wanted to spend time with their dad, so they gave 'em to us! Anyways, on Labor Day, the tickets expired, so we got to go!

I myself have never been to Worlds of Fun--nor any other large amusement park--before. It was crazy. Manny and Jake had gone with some friends last year, from six to twelve a.m. Manny got it into her head that, since the first rollercoaster that both she and her friend had ever ridden on was the Timberwolf, that Ry and I had to go on that one first of all, our first rollercoaster. Let's just say its positively the worst ride in the park, and the roughest, made of wood and extremely... well, horrible. XD I'll never go on that again.

Then, Ry didn't want to go on any more rollercoasters, because she hated the Timberwolf, and Manny, Jake and I went on the Patriot, which was a hanging rollercoaster, and even went upside down at certain points. I made up my mind I would go on it, even though I had a bad experience with the Timberwolf, but they had to constantly reassure me that it wasn't half as bad as the Timberwolf.

This time, she was right! The Patriot was EPIC. I loved it. Every moment of it. On her last time, Manny went on it EIGHT TIMES. This time, though, we didn't have the chance to go eight times, so I only got to go four. Other things we did--Fury of the Nile, in which I got a little more than soaked, and the Monsoon, pretty much a short water ride that you go up... and down a waterslide in a whichimicallit. Boat... of some sort. You nearly fall out of your seat, but its fun. And then we also went on the one where the floor drops out--at first its a bit dizzying, and then, once the floor drops out (only a foot, though) it doesn't really seem you're spinning at all. We went twice on that. We went on one other spinning ride that I can't think of...

I think that's mostly all we did there. Unfortunately, on the way out, Ry tripped on the uneven ground and sprained her ankle. We had to get a wheelchair to get her out of there, and today, when she was feeling better, she was playing with Beatrice, who rammed into her on accident, and she sprained her OTHER ankle. Prayers are needed. :P

Ah! And moving. What about it? Ah, yes WE are moving. Again? Yes. For those of you who don't know, I've moved multiple times in my life--counting houses, rentals, and apartments, I've moved thirteen times, not counting the STINKING hotels. >_>

But there's something far more different about this move--we're moving far, far away. Jumping continents. Oh, yes.

AFRICA!!! 


No, that's not a mirage, illusion, or some other monstrosity. That is underlined, emboldened, italiced blue ink. XD Africa. We're moving to Africa.

My parents have been there a few times each. :)

I, myself, have never been to Africa, though I've always wanted to. Partly why I've mentioned this on here is that I'll not be able to get on that often anymore. Our internet is going to be cancelled on Friday, but on Friday we're going to my grandpa's farm for good to live there for awhile while the house sells. We won't have internet at the farmhouse, but we'll probably go somewhere, some restuarant or something, to get internet every once in awhile. Then, when we move to Africa, we might have it sometimes. :D Cheers, everybody!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

--Vrenith

Church and Art and a Brand New Species

"Yes," you must be thinking, "Finally, a post without Doctor Who!" I'll mention one thing--we watched the newest episode last night, before it aired here and after it aired in the UK. 'Twas called Night Terrors and was supposed to be really creepy, but it wasn't that creepy, though still pretty good. :)

Okay, done with Doctor Who! Now, for church. We went to a friend's church today to hear them play in the band (one on the drums, and one on the guitar) and 'twas really good. They have a good preacher, too. Since I need to focus on something to listen, and keep my hands busy, I attempted to draw, but all I have right now is a regular HB lead pencil. I finally ran out of my 2B lead, and now I can't work on my drawings without ruining them. 

Unfortunately, my teacher is also out of town, so we'll have to go to a store and try to find some, which is hard. Since its Sunday, few stores will be open... So I'm a bit stuck. But a store called Michael's is open, so that's a choice.

So let's get past my 'woe is me' part! Now, I've also, before I finished off my lead, started a few projects. One is a horse wearing a halter, and has really beautiful contrast, so I've started that, and I've gotten the base shading done, though it needs smoothing. Here's the reference picture, provided by Leauphaun. :)

Also, I've just finished a picture of David Tennant, the tenth Doctor (sorry, when I said no more Doctor Who, I forgot about the drawing) So, just telling you, there will be a picture posted HOPEFULLY later today or tomorrow. :) The coat still needs a little work, though...

I've also made up a new creature/people. There are several, actually. Five. But one is extinct. 

Acravias

The first is an Acravias, Dwellers of the Seas (or waters). They can appear human, but when in Acravias form, they have sort of olive skin and dark hair, sometimes, though rarely, extremely dark blue hair. Most have black or dark brown, though. 

They live in the seas and have certain powers that vary from person to person.

They like to wear clothing made of soft cloth, worn in a long tunic-like dress or airy pants.

When they are in their Acravias form, they have three swirls that spread out onto their cheeks (blue swirls) and three right under their eyes. Their eyes are extremely bright, and vary in color. They have legs, like humans, not tails. But when in Acravias form, they do have some webbing between their toes. 

Sajori

Then there is the second group, the Sajori. They are actually enemies of the Acravias, for they seem to love making trouble for them. They live on the sun, from where they get their fiery powers. They have red hair, sometimes dark and sometimes bright. They can also become humans, and sometimes their hair has to tone down because its so bright. Also, when in Sajori form, they also have the same swirls as the Acravias (I'll try to post an example sketch), which are bright orange and gold and yellow and shine, and their eyes are usually gold or yellow. 

They usually love bright clothing or dramatic clothes set on fire, made of a cloth that burns, but doesn't actually burn away.

They become weaker when they've been sprayed with water or touched by it, but only slightly, unless they're drenched. They do not die from it, only go back to their homeland (the sun) to be dried out and set afire again.

Mystari

Mystari are the Dwellers of the Sky and Air. They have some power over the wind, but when it comes to storms and such, they must let the Creator command their steps, or be overpowered.

They, like the Sajori and the Acravias, do have the swirls. But their eyes are usually bright blue or a stormy gray, depending on their personalities, and they have silver hair.

They're garb is usually simple and in white, while still rather elegant, and a lot of the time wispy like a cloud.

They also have certain powers, other than control of winds. They do have the swirls as well, bright and silver, and nearly glowing.

Eiriad

Eiriad are the Dwellers of the Earth, and usually live underground. They are usually rather quiet, and they usually are short, though not fat or thick at all, like some would think. They have extremely dark skin, ranging from brown to black, and black hair. They're eyes are also dark. 

They usually wear garb made of colorful leaves and soft cloth literally woven from grass. 

They also have certain powers, and the ability to become human, as well as the same swirls under their eyes, these ones dark.

Kalandroel

Kalandroel are now extinct, and had every power that the Acravias, Sajori, Mystari, and Eiriad had, and they were renowned as elders. But some of the Sajori turned, and they killed the elders. The Sajori today had no part in that sin, so they can't be blamed, though they feel forever shamed. 

They could also become human. They had four swirls across their cheeks and four under their eyes instead of three, each colored one of the colors of the other groups' swirls--bright blue for the Acravias, bright, glowing gold for the Sajori, bright silver for the Mystari, and dark, shimmering brown for the Eiriad. 

They had each of those powers that the others had. Winds, waters, earths and lights, they helped the Creator make the world go around, but none of the humans knew of them. 

Their hair was always extreme--black was black as night, red was far more fiery than even the Sajori, brown was glossy, blond was literally either gold or silver. But their chosen color was green, the color of life. Their eyes were always bright, clear green.
* * *

Okay, so I guess I'm done with all that. :) Thanks for listening to my random ramblings! 

--Vrenith

Nothing to Blog About

Except Doctor Who. So, I guess I'll post more soundtrack--and maybe a clip or two. If you don't think you'll like Doctor Who, still, listen to the soundtrack. 'Tis amazing.

First off, we'll start with The Doctor's Theme. Once you've seen certain episodes, this song becomes rather sad...

*sighs* So sad... We've watched all of the seasons, including half of six. The next episode in Season Six will be coming out in two days...

When Tennant (the Doctor with the trench coat, the picture in the theme song video is of him) regenerated (new actor came in, but since the Doctor's body was 'dying' he regenerated into a new body) it was extremely sad... he didn't want to go, for one, but he had to regenerate. I really liked him as the Doctor because he had a lot of emotion (well, not a LOT, but a good amount), and he was extremely thoughtful. One of his favorite phrases was, 'Allons-Y!' Meaning 'let's go' in French. He also liked to call things 'brilliant.' I still miss Tennant as the Doctor a lot.

We're now on Matt Smith, who we've been on for one and a half seasons now... He's funny and all, and good as the Doctor, but not amazing. He doesn't have quite as much emotion, and seems to like to joke about serious situations.

Matt Smith quotes:

"Bow-ties are cool."

"I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool." *is wearing a fez*

A few episodes later, *leans on the hood of a car* "I wear a Stetson now." *tips hat* "Stetsons are cool."

Just a few interesting quotes from Matt Smith. :) In the next video/music I'm going to post, he's the picture in it, though he looks a little weird... not like himself. His cheekbone seems more defined and... well, its hard to explain. I'll post a picture of him...

Okay, yeah, that IS a bit of a silly picture... but I couldn't resist. :) Here's a better one. Hope it looks a bit better...

Matt Smith isn't too bad, though...

Second video/music! This one, like I said, has Smith on it, even though he looks a bit weird... hopefully you see waht I mean. :)

Okay, and one more thing--sonic screwdrivers. I was looking over my shoulder when Manny and Jake were looking at Doctor Who things on Amazon for amusement. Well, apparently, they have a Doctor Who sonic screwdriveder--well, two, actually. One from the ninth and tenth Doctors (Tennant and Eccleston) which is blue, and a green one from Matt Smith. Here ya go, then I'll leave you alone with no more Doctor Who overload. :)

(Tennant's and Eccleston's blue screwdriver)

And here's one with Tennant in the picture. :)

And here's Matt Smith's screwdriver, green.

And another

Okay! I'll leave ya'll alone now. :)

--Vrenith

Doctor Who Theme Song 2005 through 2007, by Murray Gold

This is my favorite of the theme songs--they're all the same tune, but there are differences between the theme songs. This one was used 2005 through 2007, and I think its the best of the three I've heard because its got both techno and orchestra, perfectly balanced. The newer one doesn't have enough orchestra, and the newest one doesn't have barely any. :P  It begins with the first part, until the tune changes a bit, when the techno goes away... after you listen you should know. It stops when that starts. That is what it ends the movie with. :)

So there you have it! I couldn't help but post it. :)

--Vrenith

Doctor Who and Wood Polish/Cleaner

Let's start with the Wood Polish/Cleaner. Yes, I listed that second, but that's just me. Not organized at all. ;)

So, wood cleaner. Well, Jake was standing in front of me, I was on the couch in the dining room, which was there temporarily because of shampooing the carpets. Well, Jake was going to clean/polish the sidetable, and he asked if it was supposed to be oily like that. Well, he was spraying it at his cloth, but it spurted everywhere--and landed in my wide-open eye.

What happened next I hardly remember. I remember a fierce burning and rubbing (bad old me, couldn't help it) and somehow someone took my glasses and I stuck my face right under the stream of water coming from the sink faucet, and literally said, "MOM!! A CLOTH, I NEED A CLOTH, MOM!!!" over and over. Embarrassing, I admit, but really, I couldn't help it. The glob of cleaner had landed on my naked eye. O_o And as I tell it my eyes are watering...

It took fifteen/twenty minutes to get it all out, and then there was an occasional twinge every once in awhile. But I can see just fine, and my eye is no worse that it was before. :)

And Doctor Who? What about it? Ah, yes, EPIC!!!

Doctor who is like a Science Fiction series of a man called the Doctor who travels through time and space, A Time Lord who's whole planet had been destroyed, rescuing planets and attempting to crack ancient secrets, usually with the help of a companion. He's a brilliant, fantastic person who can sometimes talk too fast.

What sometimes throws people off is that its about aliens and such--but some of these aliens are more human than we are--except that they want to destroy or get something. As Jake said, Doctor Who is to Science Fiction as Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. If you're insane and have lost your mind, this movie is for you. ;)

If you ever watch this, START FROM SEASON ONE. There are a lot of things that happen in Season One that are vital for the rest. You MUST start at the beginning.

I am currently on Season Four, and loving it. :) Here are the companions, listed from best to worst.

Rose Tyler. Played by Billie Piper, I really liked her. She was there for... what, three seasons? Maybe just two... but she was my favorite, and I forever miss her. But there have been a few glimpses of her since then: **SPOILER** Donna (a companion) told her to tell someone, "That bin," because she was leaving car keys there. Well, when the girl turned around so we could see her face, it was Rose! Of course Donna didn't know that. Well, Rose watched her walk away, and then walked away herself, and disappeared into thin air. **SPOILER** **SPOILER** and also she was seen briefly on a screen when Donna was trying to get it to work. **SPOILER**

(Rose as well below)

Donna Noble. She's my second favorite, played by Catherine Tate. She is the companion that I'm on right now. Quite a spit-fire, bossy, and a bit loud, she has a hilarious personality. She also was in the Runaway Bride formerly, and came back as a companion later.

(Also Donna below)

Martha Jones. Played by Freema Agyeman, I really didn't like her. I don't know why. She was an African/British. She also sort of liked the Doctor, but she was just a friend to him. She eventually left voluntarily so that she could be with her family. I don't know why, but I really didn't like her.

(Martha below as well)

There's also Amy Pond, but I can't judge her since I haven't seen any episodes with her yet. Here's a picture of her anyways. :)

(Amy below as well)

And now for the Doctors! There are three different actors, but so far I've only seen two of them.

My favorite, Christopher Eccleston! He was the ninth doctor, counting the old doctors from the old versions of the movies.He is the first Doctor in these seasons. He was only there for one season, but he is still my favorite.

(Eccleston below too)

(Because he's my favorite, he gets a third picture. ^_^)

David Tennant. Brilliant, as he would say. :) He's hilarious and I love it when he figures things out and starts talking too fast to understand, like Eccleston did sometimes. :) He's got this way of looking at you, brows low, mouth partially open. And when he smiled, it was a full-toothed smile. XD He sometimes wears glasses, too. Here's a picture of that 'look':

(Tennant below as well)

And Matt Smith. He's the youngest of the actors for the Doctors, but I haven't seen any episodes with him yet, either. So here are a few pictures with him and his bow-tie. :)

(Smith below as well)

(Dunno who's in the background)

So! I have many favorite episodes--Blink, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace, etc. Blink was epically fast and, as the Doctor said, "Don't even blink. Good luck." And then he blinked. 'Twas quite creepy, as if you blinked or turned your back, the weeping angels would go lightning fast. If they touched you, you went back in time and eventually died. :P It was mostly about Sally Sparrow.

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances are truly creepy episodes... they're a two-parter. Manny joined Jake when he was at the Empty Child, and she got so freaked out that they stopped. Even Jake was scared. At this time, I hadn't seen any Doctor Who. Well, when Jake was gone, Manny and I decided to try it. We started it where she left off and watched on through the second part, The Doctor Dances. So I never did see the first half/three quarters of The Empty Child.

The Girl in the Fireplace was just... EPIC. There are far more that I can't remember the names of.

All in all, I love Doctor Who. If you like Science Fiction, there's a pretty big chance that you will like this. Its both grim and serious with hilarious things stuck in there. Not cheesy hilarious, but truly funny.

Notice, each Doctor had they're own coat and style. :) Eccleston with his leather coat, Tennant with his brown trench-coat with the split coat-tails, and Matt Smith with his (is it tweed?) coat and bow-tie.

There are a few inappropriate references, but only mentions, and nothing truly bad, and not very often. That is one thing to watch out for.

And now I feel like drawing them all... >_>

--Vrenith

The Wedding of Josh and Meredith and the Rest of my Lessons

Ah! I shall explain the wedding first. :) So, we did the flowers for the wedding, and that took quite awhile, unfortunately. But this morning, at eleven, we drove to where the wedding was going to be. It turned out to be an extremely beautiful, airy, huge building that looked old. It was EPIC. It was completely air-conditioned, better than our own house. O_o I wandered upstairs and such, helped around, and looked out over the balcony. Ry got ornery and dropped her shoes from the balcony (flip-flops). I wore Manny's purple (my least favorite color O_o) African, one-piece dress. Really nice and comfortable.

So, later the people started arriving.  While they were being wed, in the middle of it my mom disappeared. Well, when I looked, she was behind all of the seats, playing with a little toddler boy  Really cute. Then NEXT time I looked, he was fast asleep and she was carrying him around. XD We ate after a little while, and the food was good.

The cupcakes they had were pretty good. On top was red frosting, the middle was ice-cream, and the bottom cake. YUM.

Then came dancing. *gulp* The bride and groom danced, then the bride with the groom's father, and the groom with the bride's mother, and then the bride with her 'spiritual' father because her father was not living, and the groom with his mother. :) Then, everyone else was forced onto the dance floor. >_> Jake and I escaped up the stairs and watched from the balcony, so that was nice... but the  kids were irresistible. I HATE dancing, and stink at it, but I have to admit, they were having so much fun I could help but dance with them. XD Not that my dancing had anything going for it... >_>

So we danced for a long while. A very long while. Then people began to leave to say goodbye to the bride and groom and send them off, so I handed out bubbles for the people to blow at them as they walked by. Guess where they're going for their honeymoon? New Zealand. :D (it says I didn't spell it right... >_>) TO THE SHIRE!!

Well, after that we cleaned up and Ry and I stuck our hands in a plastic box of water gems, if you know what those are... they come in a small pack and when put in water grow, until they're marble-sized balls of squishy jelly stuff. :)

Picture (not ours, but was the best I could find):

These ones look pink, but ours weren't... ours were plain clear. :)

And art classes? THEY WENT OUT WITH A BANG!! Not really. XD Well, one morning, day before the last, I finished my picture of Moby and it worked out REALLY well. Wanna see it? Of course you do. ;)

DON'T YOU LOVE IT?!!?! It looks like him, too!! So sweet... Lee showed me how to give him a shadow and then blend it out so that it looks like he really is lying on something, not suspended in midair. :) He's adorable... >_>

And you know what else? That day I started TWO more projects!! A full-body horse, and a picture of Beatrice. Well, that night I took them home to work on them some more, and I did all of the shading on the horse (still needed to be fixed, of course) and a lot on Beatrice. I ended up finishing the horse the last day, and I'm still working on Beatrice. :) I really like the horse one... >_> It has a lot of contrast, which Lee really likes. She showed me how to do the grass.

So, Beatrice is still in process. :)

Sadness when I had to say goodbye to all of those wonderful art class students and the teacher. :) I went to a gallery that night with her, and looked at the paintings and art and watch for the five elements of shading and patterns in the art.

The next day (Saturday) she was having a book signing--realistic crayon drawings. :) Amazing. She has a book out, and she does really well. It was at the Crayola store from 12:00 to 5:00, but we had the flowers for the wedding come that day and only got going at 4:30 and it takes thirty minutes to get there... So, we missed her by ten minutes. :P Sadness, but at least I'll probably get to see her again. Here's the book cover:

(taken from Amazon)

An as you can see, its a Kindle edition... >_> XD

So, my art is going pretty well. I miss Lee already... >_> Fare thee all well!!

--Vrenith

Update

Hey, hey, hey, this is my sixtieth post. O_o

Updates! Yes. On art lessons. Well, yesterday, like the day before, I got up at 6:45, 7:00 (I don't know why we got up two hours before we were supposed to be there. O_o) And got ready and everything. Once we got there, the dogs and one of the cats (the 21 year old one that acts like its just older than a kitten) came to greet me warmly. After a long hello to them that consisted of petting their fur and plopping a kiss on each of their heads, I stood and took my Bristol paper sketchbook and opened to my horse.

The others were already there. Okay, so an introduction:

The oldest guy there was a wood-carver and painter, and he was from Iowa and EXTREMELY nice. :) He paints in acrylics on wood, and in my opinion, does very well... >_> His name is Kent.

Then there's Terry, who looks more like a run-down sort of guy, plain button-up shirt, jeans, scraggly beard--that sort of thing. He's pretty talented as well and finished a face today.

Lee Hammond you already know, and she sat beside me.

Tim, a boy of about maybe sixteen or seventeen, older than me, sat beside me on the other side. He'd been there the year before, and had just been in Australia and a motley group of other places. He lives four states over, so it was a long flight because they had to avoid where the floodwaters were...

Then, there was a man who was already an extremely good artist when he came in and only needed some teaching in colored pencil and blending. He did really well... O_O He seemed real distant when I first met him, sort of like he didn't like being around too many people, but later he told Lee that if he seemed that way, he had a mild case of autism. After that, he seemed more open, and learned more and did excellently. But here's the catch--his name. His name was Ry. RY!! XD Spelled that way, too. :)

Then there was--oh, wait, me. :)

So this morning I finished the mane on my horse and touched it up, signed it, and sprayed it. Lee took it outside and sprayed it for me. Now I have a horse that can be framed!! Here it is (and yes, I got a picture--from my dad's iPhone):

It's actually a bit darker on that neck muscle, but the light I used to work with was turned on, so it glared a bit right there. DOESN'T IT LOOK A LOT BETTER THAN USUAL?!

So yeah. There's my horsey! Leauphaun provided the beautiful picture I worked from. We put it on the projector to do it, traced the dark lines and everything (harder than you think) and then took it off to do the shading. I didn't free-hand it because I wanted a new experience, and it made the picture bigger for me, so I used that and it worked pretty well, though its almost like free-handing because it takes some skill, and when you're working the shading from the photo, there's a lot you have to fix and tweak. Its not a perfect process, but it turned out pretty well! :D

The second day I didn't work much on it, because that day was mostly demonstrations. She did more than one colored pencil demonstration, a painting demonstration, and still worked on her own art. LEE HAMMOND IS AMAZING.

The reason why she is so effective is because she doesn't schedule what she'll do during the week of the art lessons before it starts because she wants to do things that everybody wants to do. She works with each of us on whatever project we are doing--she lets us do it, but then helps us fix mistakes and work on things. She is really nice, and talkative.

She likes telling stories... there are all kinds. O_o Yesterday she looked up, on her computer, people who had gotten 'face lifts' and plastic surgery. She was DISGUSTED. People who'd gotten those things now were falling apart and were no longer even good-looking. They messed up their profile. People who used to be pretty and handsome were now ugly... she is very passionate about such things. She hates it when people mess themselves up like that. I mean, she's in her sixties or older, and she looks like she's thirty and only wears make-up!

So, she's an interesting conversationalist. :) Very interesting, and treats everyone like family. We all squeeze into one or two cars and go to lunch together, everyone paying for their own. I love it. She's nice and helps whenever someone calls, and her dogs are always there in the studio to greet you and beg to be stroked.

Third day is now over! Today I finished the horse above, and now I'm working on one of Moby and nearly finished it today. Tomorrow all I have is the neck fur and the shadow--its just a picture of his head when he's sleeping. Sweet dog, and it even looks like him! That's a first. ;) But its coming along real well. :D No demos today.

Tomorrow she's promised crayon demos! We each give our opinion on what we want demonstrated. :) And what's more, she's doing professional pictures with crayola. EPIC! She did a realistic tiger (looks like a painting or pastel from afar) and it is really good. Can't wait for that... that's one medium that isn't expensive at all.

Colored pencils that are good and work correctly for art are going up to a dollar something EACH! Terry had a twenty-four pack that cost him forty dollars, and Tim, who's working on a colored pencil drawing, bought a seventy-five pack thingy. It was EXPENSIVE. He bought it from Lee, so it didn't cost as much as it might've in a store.

I sort of want to try colored pencil, but its so expensive...

Tim is nearly finished with his piece, and its looking really good. Its a butterfly on a flower (top view) with leaves and stems in the background and some sky. Its really quite beautiful, and he's getting close to maybe two thirds done, or three fourths of the way...

So, that's about it! Moby shall be finished by maybe tomorrow, and I hope you like the horse. THANK YOU LEAUPHAUN FOR THE PICTURES!!!

--Vrenith

Art lessons!!

SO HAPPY!!! Art lessons started today--I went there at 9:00 A.M. this morning, and just got back at five. O_o Eight hours! But it didn't feel like it.

We started with the sphere--the sphere that she had in her book that showed all of the shades, where to put them. 'Twas EPIC. Lee didn't have any particular schedule, because she wanted to do what would work for everyone, because we were bound to be different. :) She did a demonstration with a child portrait, but I missed the last half of it because she started me on another project. ^_^

Thanks to Leauphaun, I had plenty of reference photos. She picked out a few for me to pick from. Most were horses. ;) I picked one of the chestnuts... 'twas a beautiful picture.

So, she gave me Bristol paper to use, and we put the photograph in a projector because it needed to be larger. Then, I would trace on all of the lines--wherever there was dark, or lines, or outlines, and such. Then, I began the shading.

I would've done it free-hand, but since it was a new experience to use the projector, I continued with it. :) Then, going back to my desk/thingy, I began. She started me with the eye, and then helped me fix it. Then, I was alone. O_o Completely, utterly alone... ;)

There were... four other people in the class. All were boys... XD The only woman couldn't make it, and so I was the only girl, and the youngest, in the class. Two of the men were more elderly--one was a farmer from Iowa (love that state--used to live there) and the other... well, I don't really know what he was. The farm brought carvings with him--two of them. They were flat carvings, done on a slab of wood. They were actually quite good, and Lee gave him some tips on it, and everyone drew.

Then there was one on the far side of the room, and all I remember of him was that he had black hair, a large nose, and a deep voice.

The one who was closest to my age (older than me)  had actually been there the year before, even though he lives four states over. He was just in Australia and London and such... he travels a bunch.

So! I shaded my horse all alone, today, and then afterwards, I only had the mane to do, and I need to touch up the shading and such, and Lee will help me with that tomorrow. :D

G'bye, all followers!

--Vrenith

Chalk

I like chalk. Do you? Don't answer. ^_^

Chalk art. Don't you love it? You don't have to answer that question either.

Chalk. I like it. But didn't I already mention that? Well, why do I like it? Because I figured out that I was okay at using it. Five or so days ago, on my grandma's driveway, I drew a rose. Okay, not usually my thing, but that's one of the few things that I've drawn in chalk before. Well, anyways, I used blue and purple and some other colors--a bit of yellow and some green--and it turned out really well.

What did I get out of it? A blister. ^_^ On my finger.

But I did rather like it. 'Twas pretty and looked pretty epic. Well, sadly, on that day my grandma's best friend--who she'd known for twenty-six years--had died. :/ From cancer.

A few days later I went to my other grandparents' house, and the heat was roasting. Up to a hundred and eight degrees. OW. So, I went outside. Not the best thing to do in that weather, eh? But I did.

And I took the chalk. And my grandparents' chalk. I was wearing capris. Bad. Idea. Because you know what? I had to sit on the ground. With my legs pressed against the cement that literally could fry and egg.

I endured it for half and hour as I drew a horse with a greenish blue for the dark areas, and yellow for the rest. Worked out amazingly, actually. Unfortunately, the next morning the sprinklers got turned on and it washed away... and my grandpa's camera wasn't working and made it too dim, so it looks as if it was really a blue and white horse.

I went swimming once while I was there, and my two-year old cousin stayed with us one night. :) He's cute. Sometimes silly.

The day before we left, I went back out into the blazing heat and drew a dragon. I used the same colors as the horse, and then took white and drew scales on him, smudging the lines with my fingers. :) Worked really well, but I don't have a picture of that drawing. :P

While at my grandparents', we went to work with them two days. They work at a store--a small second-hand grocery store, and the people there are really nice. There are only three checkout counters, and both times we were there only one was being used. The place is run by Holderman Mennonites--which I must say are extremely nice and hospitable people.

Ry and I--for we were the ones staying with grandparents--worked as well. We bagged people's groceries. 'Twas fun, actually. We carried out for a few people. Well, one man came along, looking rather bedraggled. He was talking to my grandma. Turns out, he'd been working since four A.M. and when he'd gotten to work, the inside of the building had been one hundred and five degrees. Well, before he went out, he handed me a few coins as a tip. :) The only person who gave me a tip.

With it, he said, "Don't spend it all on one thing." I was surprised at how much he'd given me--not a quarter or seventy five cents, but a dollar coin plus a dime. :D That may not seem like much, but for a tip it is.
The second day we worked there we brought gluten-free brownies along and set them in the break room for anyone to take from.

Grandma introduced me to a man who was deaf, and who's wife worked there. He was mute as well because he just didn't speak. His wife spoke to him in sign language, and he spoke back that way. Ry gave him a hug straight off.

I usually hug people after I know them. Well, this seemed like a really nice person. But I didn't have to go over there and hug him--he hugged me! He was a real sweet (not quite old) man. His wife was nice, too. Then we mentioned something about brownies in the back...

and he took his hand from behind his back. He held a brownie. XD He took a big bite out of it. Turns out, it was his second. :)

Well, I was going to eat supper around six--a sandwich in the back room--but I told Ry I had to finish this line of people first. Well, turns out, the line didn't stop. So, I eventually did go back and eat.

After eating, grandma wanted me to pick out things I wanted to buy--she'd pay for a bit of things because we'd worked for her. Well, she gave us a dollar an hour, and since we worked six hours in those two days, we got six dollars. I picked out things that were made by the wife of the deaf man because they were the best things--bagged candies. Smooth melts, or known as melty mints. They're like different colored chocolate chips that taste a bit like peppermint chocolate with some sort of sprinkle on the bottom. MM... those ones were always my favorite. Then, I also got spice drops, which are pretty much like gumdrops, except more on the spice side--one tasted to me like Thanksgiving. ;)

I also got taffy--two kinds. Key lime and orange. Both taste epic. I also got a chocolate bar for my mom, seeing as she loves chocolate as much as I do...

All in all, 'twas a great time. While I was at my grandparents', my dad came home from Africa where he'd been for the last week, and he brought back a necklace for me and my sisters (we each got one) and a lady in Africa had sent my mom a dress--except that it was too small. The waist was pretty much elastic, and its really comfortable--I've tried it on. The only thing is that i don't really like the color--'tis purple. :) But that can be looked over. The waist, does, of course, start at your waist. Then it turns into a really comfortable, airy skirt, which is maneuverable in, and goes down to my ankles. :) 'Tis Manny's dress, for now, since it doesn't fit my mom.

And today we got yet another surprise! In the mail we received, from a Liberian, African we know, another dress. This one is a two-piece and was sent for whoever it could fit. Well, it fits me... :D Normally, I hate wearing dresses and skirts. Jeans are my favorite, and T-shirts are my friends. But African dresses, I don't mind if its not all I ever wear. I mean, they're comfortable. Epic.

Anyways, this one is a brown and dark mustard color design. I'll have to post a picture of the pattern on here sometime. The top piece is really nice--its a shirt until three inches above my belly-button (XD) and then its like a long ruffle and goes down over the skirt. The skirt is a lot wider at the bottom than it is from the knee up. 'Tis comfortable, and that's what counts. :) In fact, I'm wearing it right now.

I am currently reading The Horn of Moran, and after that, Isle of Fire. :) I read Isle of Swords this week.

Six days until my lessons start!! :D

--Vrenith

EDIT: Oh, yes, and I forgot to tell you. At my grandmother's friend's funeral, my parents met a man who lived across the street from my grandparents. He'd seen the rose and wanted me to do something on his driveway--something that was already there in paint, but needed to be re-painted because it was fading. 'Tis a Jayhawk. Not sure if I'll be able to do it or not, but I thought it was interesting. ^_^

The Tag of Characters

The tag of characters... which means...

1. I pick three characters...
2. Make my characters answer these questions. *devious grin*
3. Tag three people.

But... *dramatic sigh* I probably shall bend the rules a bit, like TD... ya know, it tends to happen. With me, at least. :O

The three characters I'm using are first, my two main characters, Myrean and Aneth. Second, Lord Dvinstra. ^_^ Enjoy, even though my humor isn't that great...

Interviewer: Hi, hello, welcome! Do you want a hug?

Aneth: Umm... not sure about that one...

Lord Dvinstra: Hold that thought. Please.

Myrean: Aw, its the thought that counts.

Interviewer: Ah, OK. That question was required, you know?

Lord Dvinstra: *suspicious glance* *mutters something about spies*

Interviewer: Do you have any kids?

Aneth: Uh... no. Lord Dvinstra, could you stop fidgeting?

Lord Dvinstra: I'm not fidgeting. It's all in your head, boy. *turns to Interviewer* Yeah, I have a daughter. Srey. She's an angel.

Myrean: *snorts* Right... *mutters to self* ...she's a brat...

Lord Dvinstra: What was that? *glares*

Interviewer: Wait! Stop! Uh... no fighting, please. Aren't you guys supposed to be friends?

Aneth: Its a bit hard being nice when Lord Dvinstra won't stop moving. And thinking about steak.

Lord Dvinstra: Thieving rascal, keep out of my thoughts!

Aneth: Sorry... no offense, but I can't help it. You're thinking like crazy, and I'm drawn to the pretty 'fireworks' reflecting off of your mind. *grins*

Myrean: Yeah, Lord Dvinstra, its not the Fourth!

Interviewer: You actually only missed it by a week or so... Have you ever killed anyone?

Myrean: Umm... *feels sick* *won't tell*

Aneth: Yes. Not that I wanted to, but... I was trying to escape. I had no choice.

Lord Dvinstra: Let me think... yeah.

Aneth: Is that all--Eddlington? *teases*

Lord Dvinstra: You're not supposed to speak that name aloud!! *is red with embarrassment*

Myrean: Aww, its not that bad! Come on, stop picking on the poor man.

Lord Dvinstra: *nods vigorously*

Myrean: Actually, its a rather nice name!

Lord Dvinstra: *sighs* It also means Betrayer...

Myrean: Oh.

Aneth: Oh is right.

Interviewer: *cuts in* Hey, hey, Aneth, Myrean, Eddlington...

Lord Dvinstra: Don't call me that, or you may find that your head is suddenly gon--

Aneth: *covers Lord Dvinstra's mouth* Uh, he didn't mean to say that, really... *nervous smile*

Lord Dvinstra: *breaks free* Oh, yes, I did! You-- Wait. Do I know you? You feel rather... familiar. And younger than me, so I can't have known you long...

Interviewer: *smug smile* (I couldn't help it) That's because I MADE you.

Myrean: *snickers*

Aneth: What?! Yeah, right. Whatever happened to good old Sharurl? (God)

Lord Dvinstra: Why is Sharurl all you ever talk about?

Aneth: He made everything.

Lord Dvinstra: I'm not so sure. *glares* I've never met him--so there's no proof. Thus, I don't believe. Now PLEASE stop preaching at me.

Myrean: You guys need to cool it...

Lord Dvinstra: *is puzzled* What? Cool what?

Interviewer: GUYS!!! Back to the current conversation? Now, here we go: Love anyone?

Aneth: You are so weird...

Myrean: *turns red* Umm, no, definitely not... I'm sixteen...

Lord Dvinstra: 'Course I do. Lady Eseriah Dvinstra, my wife. *grins*

Myrean: I can understand why you married her. She's... what would be a good word?...epic.

Aneth: Hm. Never met her.

Myrean: She's someone you would like. Oh, yeah, and I found this prophecy while I was ther--

Interviewer: SHH!!! Myrean, don't you realize that that is called a spoiler? We can't have those, not for my novel.

Myrean: Your novel? *puzzled* What do you mean?

Aneth: She still thinks she made us, Myrean.

Myrean: Oh.

Interviewer: What is your job? You know, what you do for a living...?

Aneth: *harsh laugh* Treason. That's all I can say.

Myrean: I don't really have a job... wait--oh, yes, I guess I'm sort of the protector/guardian of the Asto Gem.

Lord Dvinstra: Look at my name. Guess.

Myrean: L.O.R.D... *spells out name* Oh. A lord?

Lord Dvinstra: Uh, yeah, but I thought you already knew that.

Myrean: Yeah... so you could say I cheated. *flashy grin*

Interviewer: *ahem* I think we've established the fact that you're a lord, Dvinstra. Now, what is your favorite season?

Aneth: Definitely not winter. I am currently freezing because of staying in that infernal dungeon... the Demonking isn't much of a host. *grim smile*

Myrean: Wait--where ARE you?! This would help so much to know where you are if I'm going to try and find you and rescue you!

Aneth: *is taken aback* Why didn't I realize this before?!?!? YOU'RE DEAD.

Myrean: *frowns* You just think I'm dead. Really, what happened was--

Interviewer: What did I say about spoilers? *glares*

Lord Dvinstra: *ahem* My favorite season is... fall.

Myrean: Mine too.

Aneth: Not mine. I like Summer. I'm sick of cold right now.

Myrean: Fall isn't cold.

Aneth: That's because you're a ghost.

Lord Dvinstra: *rolls eyes*

Interviewer: Umm... Who's your best friend?

Lord Dvinstra: *shrugs*

Aneth: *scowls* Niwodei. But then again, he's dead.

Myrean: I thought you'd gotten over that.

Aneth: Myrean, death may not be the end of friendship, but its still horrible to think about. *glares*

Myrean: Well, I actually have lots of friends. Well, not *lots* but enough. Aneth, Lord Dvinstra, Eseriah, Ristior from back home--all those.

Lord Dvinstra: Well, since you fools (no offense) admitted, I'll say that my best friend is Eseriah, though you, Aneth, are close, too...

Aneth: *teases* So, a coward? Not willing to admit that your wife is your best friend?

Lord Dvinstra: No! I'm just saying, isn't it a little strange that we're giving all this information to a *stranger?!*

Aneth: *shrugs*

Interviewer: Really, I'm not a stranger at all. I know you all pretty well, actually. Any hobbies?

Aneth: *blinks* That was almost... random. I like swordsmanship.

Myrean: I paint... but I haven't for a long time. Not since Seriand was destroyed.

Lord Dvinstra: Uh... does hunting count?

Interviewer: Yeah, I guess. Um, nobody talk to Myrean about Seriand... we don't want to have a major meltdown.

Myrean: *glares* I definitely would NOT have a meltdown! I would never!

Aneth: *lifts eyebrow* Not to be mean, but when we last talked about it, you did cry.

Myrean: That wasn't about Seriand. That was about... *gulps* My parents being dead because of it.

Aneth: See? You're tearing up now.

Myrean: Whew, why is it that as soon as we arrived here... wait, where is this place, anyways? ...you've been not-so-considerate.

Aneth: *shrugs* Yeah, where *are* we?

Interviewer: I'm not sure you want to know... 

Lord Dvinstra: *pales* I told you she was a stalker!

Myrean: Nonsense, Eddlington!

Lord Dvinstra: Don't bring that up again.

Myrean: Okay, but you have to admit--it is a catchy name.

Aneth: *rolls eyes* So where are we? We can handle it.

Interviewer: Umm... would saying you're in a cave suffice? No, that would be lying. Well, you're in my mind. See those electric lightning bolts over there? *points* That would be Inspiration. He/she/it helped me make you.

Lord Dvinstra: Off you go with that nonsense again!

Aneth: When I said we could handle it... *wide eyes* I was wrong. Umm, excuse me-- *blaghing sounds*

Myrean: OH, that's just great. *frowns* Look what you made him do.

Aneth: We're in someone's consciousness--impossible! No, not impossible... I've been there before, seeing as I'm a MindSeer. BUT MADE BY ONE?! *panics* This can't be happening!

Lord Dvinstra: Get over it.

Aneth: Easy for you to say. She made you a lord. Now me... I'm probably going to be killed! Oh, gah!! I'm in a prison and there's no way out. A little girl is depending on me to keep her alive and--

Interviewer: BE QUIET!! What is with those who don't keep any plot things secret? *glares* What are you going to do when this tag is over?

Myrean: Not that I know what a tag even is, but I guess I'll try to convince Drys to let me stand.

Aneth: I'll rot away in a cell, unable to help a young girl.

Lord Dvinstra: I'll kill a Yahvel. You know, revenge.

Aneth: *rolls eyes* Yeah, right, Dvinstra.

Myrean: *giggles* Lord Dvinstra, revenge isn't very honorable.

Lord Dvinstra: Well, I'm not a knight!

Aneth: But you're a lord.

Lord Dvinstra: Good point. Maybe instead of revenge I'll just sleep in. In a feather bed. With feather pillows. IN A REAL HOUSE. *sighs*

Interviewer: What is your eye color?

Lord Dvinstra: *whispers in Aneth's ear* ...How does that information help a stalker?

Interviewer: Remember, Ed, you are in my head. I can hear everything, no matter how low you speak it.

Myrean: *snickers*

Aneth: My eyes are a brightish blue... I think. I haven't looked in a mirror in a long time.

Myrean: My eyes are green. They darken when I'm angry. At least, that's what my mother told me... *sniffs*

Aneth: No! ...Um, no. *Please* don't speak of your mom. *doesn't want an emotional breakdown because he has no idea how to deal with such things*

Myrean: *glares* I saw those thoughts.

Aneth: *groans* Yeah... why did you have to be a MindSeer? Couldn't Sharurl had made you a healer or something?

Myrean: *jabs an elbow into his gut*

Aneth: OW!!

Lord Dvinstra: Back to the question? My eyes are brown. Dark brown. Weird brown. *shrugs* Or just plain brown. *grins*

Interviewer: *skeptical look* Your eyes aren't *that* complicated, Dvinstra. Couldn't you just say brown? 

Lord Dvinstra: *shrugs* Whatever.

Interviewer: Are you good? Or bad?

Lord Dvinstra: That depends on how you look at it. I was 'employed' by the Demonking as a lord--obviously not a very well thought through choice, because I'm not exactly loyal--so I could be bad. And the peasants that suffer from the Demonking's taxes and hate me because I'm forced to take it from them.
Or others who think I'm a saint--like my wife and daughter. Or a friend, who is trustful. So, pick an angle and decide yourself.

Aneth: Umm... good? I mean, I follow Sharurl. I still do bad things, but I don't think that makes me bad...

Myrean: *laughs* What am I supposed to say? If you were the Demonking, I'd be bad. If you were Had'Shar, I'd be good.

Aneth: Had'Shar?

Myrean: The Promised King.

Aneth: Oh. *stops* Please see me afterwards. I need to talk to you about that.

Interviewer: Uh, well, there's not going to be an afterwards--you guys will forget this whole interview and land back in your story.

Aneth: But--but--I need this information!

Myrean: Yes, so do I! Aneth's going to rot!

Aneth: I am!

Lord Dvinstra: You're starting to really seem like a stalker...

Interviewer: What is your greatest fear?

Lord Dvinstra: *points* YES!! I TOLD YOU!! She's a stalker!!!

Myrean: That's not scientifically proven, Lord Dvinstra. *turns to me* My greatest fear is that my parents truly are dead. *eyes glisten*

Aneth: I'm afraid I'll never get out of this cell... *mutters* OR that I'll never find the King.

Lord Dvinstra: You guys actually told her?! She'll use it against you!

Interviewer: Cross my heart and hope to die, Lord Dvinstra, tell me or I'll make you.

Lord Dvinstra: You can't force me-- *tongue ties* That the Demonking will find out that I helped Aneth--AH! How'd you do that?! Why?!

Interviewer: *shrugs* I'm your maker.

Lord Dvinstra: Mention that one more time, and I'm walking out.

Myrean: Just cool down, Dvinstra.

Lord Dvinstra: Why do people keep calling me 'Dvinstra?'

Myrean: *shrugs*

Interviewer: What do you think of your parents?

Myrean: *bursts into tears*

Aneth: I thought you told us not to mention her parents. *glares* Now look what you've done! *tries to help*

Lord Dvinstra: My parents died a *long* time ago.

Aneth: *sobers* My mother... what did I think of her? I thought she was the best. Until an illness killed her. My father? I loved him, but I mean... he went off and died in the mountains. Not with me.

Myrean: *sympathetic look through her tears*

Lord Dvinstra: *has no idea how to stop Myrean's tears*

Myrean: *cries her heart out.

Interviewer: *gives Myrean a hug* Do you have any siblings?

Aneth: Nope. I'm an only child.

Myrean: My older brother was killed in an accident before I was born.

Lord Dvinstra: Born into a family of eight. Five brothers and two sisters.

Interviewer: Oh, wow, Dvinstra. O_O (I didn't even know that about him...)

Lord Dvinstra: *laughs* If you think that's a lot, you're mistaken. My neighbor had fourteen--ten of their own, and four off of the streets.

Myrean: *wide eyes*

Aneth: Really? That's.... interesting.

Interviewer: Was it fun to answer all these questions?

Myrean: Yeah! It was okay.

Lord Dvinstra: I hated every minute of it. Stalker--

Aneth: *tackles Lord Dvinstra* Uh... *gasps* It was okay...

Interviewer: (Not sure how he'll take this one... *gulps*) Do you have any weaknesses?

Lord Dvinstra: I. AM. LEAVING!!! *makes for the door*

Aneth: Um... Lord Dvinstra? There is no door. I think you're trapped.

Lord Dvinstra: AUGH....

Aneth: *grins* *whispers* His weakness is religion, I think...

Lord Dvinstra: I heard that!

Myrean: My weakness... um... maybe the fact that I don't want to be belittled by men? Oh, now that sounds feminist... actually, I'd just like to be believed in. Most don't and underestimate me, while that may be a weapon, its not very fun. How can people respect me and at the same time I can be a girl? Men shall always lead--I want them to. But I'd like a chance to *follow.*

Aneth: We respect you. Remember, I've been under the attack of your blade before...  *shivers at the memory*

Myrean: You're just trying to make me laugh.

Aneth: Maybe.

Lord Dvinstra: How can you guys give up all this information? This woman/girl could be working for the Demonking.

Aneth: If she worked for the Demonking, she wouldn't be so nice, we wouldn't be in her mind, and--

Lord Dvinstra: How do we know we're actually in her mind?

Aneth: *exasperated sigh*

Interviewer: Your favorite element?

Aneth: Air. Or fire.

Myrean: Fire.

Lord Dvinstra: Earth. Not the insides of your mind. *glares*

Myrean: Keep it down, Eddlington.

Lord Dvinstra: *simmers in silence*

Interviewer: Do you care what others think of you?

Lord Dvinstra: *harsh laugh* What do you think? I disagree with everyone here right now, and I still don't care what they think!

Myrean: Yeah, I have to admit, I actually do care a lot of the time. Your little 'angel' Lord Dvinstra, has some very murderous words. >_>

Lord Dvinstra: Don't you slander my girl.

Myrean: *turns away*

Aneth: Harsh words do affect me, but I do my best to stay true in my opinion--that Sharurl is master of all.

Lord Dvinstra: *rolls eyes*

Interviewer: Your theme song?

Myrean: *puzzled* We're supposed to have a theme song?

Aneth: Me? Well, I guess I could be Avalanche by Manifest? But maybe not...

Lord Dvinstra: You're not that... uh... actionish.

Aneth: *offense* What? Go away, old man.

Lord Dvinstra: I am definitely not an old man. Don't call me that.

Myrean: Stop bickering, you two. My theme song would be... *contemplates* Maybe the dun, dun dun dun dun part of In Dreams... the music in LOTR that played when they were running to find the hobbits (Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli--I think that's how you spell it)

Interviewer: *clears throat* What's your species?

Lord Dvinstra: I am leaving. NOW. *suddenly disappears*

Interviewer: HEY! Get back here! *grabs Dvinstra out of thin air* Stay until I finish!

Myrean: I'm an elf. *grins* No, I'm a human.

Aneth: What species? I would call myself a horse/human... at least, when I'm actually riding Sonia. XD

Interviewer: You guys can leave now.

Lord Dvinstra: Thank heaven!!! *disappears immediately*

Myrean: Nice to meet you! *cheerful* *disappears*

Aneth: I don't really want to go back to prison... *drags feet*

Interviewer: *gives Aneth a push*

Aneth: *flails and drops onto hard stone* NO!! *forgets*


OK, so there you have it! The official tag. I tag... anyone who wants to do it, because I have no idea which people would actually want to take the time. Farewell! I am running low on time. XD

--Vrenith