Thoughts on Thursday

Kelly over at Fly with me is having a personal challenge to read the bible in 365 day and to stay motivated she is posting about the life lessons she is learning on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. If you have been reading my blog, this semester I have most of Thursdays off so I like to sleep in get some good bible time in, work on my blog and basically relax. Today in Boston we are continuing on with our second snow storm, that started yesterday. It hasn't really accumulated to anything just a mix of rain and snow. So it was a good day to lay around and really do nothing or as my step-day would put it "burning day light."

Personally I am going through the old testament. I started with 1st and 2nd Samuel and now 1st Kings (so I thought it was cool that Kelly is also going through 1st Kings). I have never been good at reading the Old Testament. I have read the "poetry" books and some of the prophets but sadly not much of the history. It didn't really seem applicable. But the more I read it the more I realize I am like the people of Israel. Israel, rejects God by worshiping other gods. I may not worship the idols of golden calves but I put other things before God. Then like the Israelites I call on God when I need help. But once I am settled and good, I put God on the back burner and I fall again. It is a sad cycle. 

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Today I read 1 Kings 17 about Elijah and in the time of famine he is fed first by ravens and then he is taken care of by a widow. She is at first worried that she will run out of food but because she follows God's command she never runs out of food. It is amazing how much God provides for us. While I am not being fed by ravens, God constantly provides for me. Whenever I lose my way I must remember that God will always provide for me. He has provided so much for me. I read out of the Life Application NIV Study Bible and it has insight into the key players of the Bible. In Elijah's little biography states "all that happened in Elijah's life began with the same miracle that is available to us-he responded to the miracle of being able to know God." And in what I call the cliff notes of the Bible it states "Faith is the step between promise and assurance. Miracles see so out of of reach for our feeble faith. But every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience. We not see the solution until we take the first step."

I can look back and see the miracles in my life but sometimes it is hard to see the miracle in the moment.  I don't know if that is normal or if it is because I am not focused enough on God. 

This song was recommended to me through YouTube and I really liked it.  

Hope you had a good day. 

Hello March

Hello lovely readers, 

Lots of people yesterday were writing about how they celebrated this extra day. Sad to say I did not celebrate this day in any special way. I had to work. But mother nature celebrated this extra day by giving us our second snow "storm" of the season. When I wrote my post Snowy Days in Boston I thought we were just beginning the long winters that we have up here but we have had a very mild winter so I can't complain about this second snow storm.

February was good month for me, I started my internship at the American Academy of Arts and Science it is near Harvard, which is about an hour commute for me, I am working on a post about my commuting tips. I am really excited about the internship because it is a fairly new archive even though the Academy was founded in 1780 so there is 200 years plus unprocessed material so I really feel like I am helping them from the ground up. In my Introduction to Archiving class I am seeing that archivist like to see themselves as investigators of the past, that might sound dorky but I think it sounds fun.

As good as February was I am really looking forward to March. Even though the cold weather will last a bit longer the fact that spring begins in March puts a little skip in my step. Soon flowers will be blooming, the weather will be warmer and the sun will stay out longer. 

This is how I imagine spring
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This is usually the reality
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But more than the sun, the thing I am looking forward to the most is going to Denver over my Spring Break. My older sister, her husband and the cutest toddler live there. Yes I am bias towards my niece. I have not seen my niece minus some skype time since June and she is growing like a weed. The other day I got a picture of her having a tea party, I can't wait to have a tea party with her and maybe some dress up. I am also looking forward to seeing my sister who is a few months pregnant and she is a cute preggo.

This is my niece and I last Christmas
I need an updated photo of us two.

I hope you all have a lovely March.

Mental Block

Hello Lovely Readers and writers,

I have gotten to a part in my story where I have hit a mental block. The part below is my post "They all clear out" on my blog Sisters of Pine Haven however I can't figure out where to go from there. I can't think if I should change the text or what? 

If you are a writer, you know the aggravation of having a mental block. Having a mental block is part of the journey of writing, I know that, but if you have any suggestions to help a mental block. Please let me know. 

Thanks,

-Blaire 

After another week Kathryn announced that Mrs. James had written, she had come down with a summer flu and requested Kathryn come and care for her. Kathryn knew immediately that she and Brandon must go to Connecticut to care for her ailing mother. Brandon eventually agreed to attend with her but initially he wanted to stay to see if he could be of help to Emmy but as time went on he realized Emmy hardly recognize any one being in the room. He could that even if he stayed he would be of no use, so he promised to escort Kathryn to her mother's home but he said he could not stay there too long as he had to return to Boston. Kathryn was sweet and understood that he wanted to get right to work. Nicholas however was willing to attend Kathryn Connecticut and to stay with her till Mrs. James was well and Kathryn could return to Boston.

            "Why do they get to leave and I am stuck here?" Julia moaned to Victoria.

            " Kathryn and Nicholas are leaving to care for Mrs. James."

            "Mother, besides Mrs. Taylor's ball and the Melbourne picnic I have attended nothing. At Mrs. Taylor's ball everyone paid attention to Emmy and at Mrs. Melbourne's picnic the only reason I got attention was because Emmy looked two days away from death. And we must admit mother no one here would make a very good match for me. Please mother do not let me miss Mrs. Crane's ball in New Port, it is the best ball of the season and all of society is there, it is a disgrace not to show."

            "All right."

            "Really?" Julia squealed.

            "Yes, I thought this summer away from society would make you enjoy other things besides following society's ways."

            "Oh mother that is my life, that is how you raised me and the Crane's are not just society they are the best of the best and being invited to their ball is the crème de la crème."

            "Yes I know, it s quite thrilling you got an invite."

            "Well I didn't but you know Howard Stuart did and he asked me to attend with him."

            "He wrote you?"

            "Yes. He has been writing me all summer. I guess a summer has made him miss me."

            "Has he made any attentions towards you?"

            "Not yet but I am sure he will once he see me."

            "Is that what you want to do, marry Howard Stuart?"

            "Maybe, I am only eighteen, I haven't decided."

           

            That wasn't true he wanted to Caleb James but since he seemed to care little for her, she the best line of action was to move on.  She knew the Stuart family was from good breeding and they were wealthy enough to be of good standing.

            "All right, I will write to Branson and tell him to get our home down there ready. I doubt father will be able to come so we won't be able to host anything but compared the Crane's home to our home will be no place to host."

            "Thank you mother," Julia gave her a kiss on the cheek.

            "But be careful Julia things you do today, you could regret them tomorrow."

            Julia barely heard her mother, she was too happy to accept an invitation to an Crane ball and happy to finally be leaving Pine Haven. She had not been able to stand watching Emmy and Caleb becoming close but watching Emmy morn him was mind dulling. Emmy should have known Caleb could not have loved her, so why did she attach herself so strongly to him. Julia thought this was a sign of Emmy's complete disadvantage in society at large. 

So in a matter of a week Danford Hall was emptied out. Fiona took a breath as she watched her brother and sister-in-law leave the drive and was happy that with the house being empty so she could focus again on her own children. Laurel had hardly spoken two words to her since the night she revealed her broken heart. Emmy had also hardly spoken but for other reasons; so the only one who spoke to her was Gloria. Mrs. Danford's health was still poor so Fiona could not go to anyone for comfort and she felt incredibly alone. The only thing she could think to do was write her good friend Iris Dumont.

           

            In her letter she laid all that had happened over the last few months and all the heart ache she felt and the loom that hung over Danford hall like a very heavy cloud. She begged Iris to come visit and take Laurel and Emmy back to Boston. She thought if they could get to Boston the new city would distract and perhaps take the pain away. Fiona hoped though she did not mention in it her letter they could perhaps meet other men that would fill the holes that were left the summer. Iris Dumont was fast to respond to her letter with a sincere hope to be in Pine Haven by the end of a fortnight. Fiona was deeply relieved by Iris' quick response and quicker action. 

A night at the Oscars

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Last night I watch the Oscars with some of my friends. I have watched the Oscars almost every year with my mom and step dad, and since moving to Boston I have continued to watch them mostly by myself so it was fun watching them in a group. 


We watched the red carpet and I made my friends laugh at how excited I got to see Colin Firth. Sadly they had not seen Pride and Prejudice so they could not understand my love of the best Mr. Darcy. 

Some Red Carpet Moments...

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As much as I love Emma Stone, 

I was not thrilled with this dress.

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J LO reading Edith Head's quote...

"Your dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman

but loose enough to show you're a lady." 

made me laugh.

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This was probably my favorite of the night...
Michele Williams rocks vintage fashion.

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I actually liked Cameron Diaz's dress.

Through out the night we voted for who we thought was going to win and keep a tally of it. Out of the 5 of us watching only 2 of cared by the end what the score was. It added a little competition to the night. Considering I had only seen "The Help" and "The Artist" of the big nominated films, I really didn't think I was going to do so well in the "competition." My friend was giving me "evil" looks the better I was doing, I couldn't help be happy for every right guess. 

Over all I thought Billy Crystal did a fine job, brought back years of memories when he hosted them when I was a child. The Metro, a free newspaper in Boston, did not like Billy Crystal "opened with familiar formula bu it felt more tired than true...he barely strayed from tradition with a tone deaf sing-along parody of the nine nominate films -- a gag he and others host have done year after year."-Heidi Patalano. I personally want to see Neil Patrick Harris host the Oscars. After watching him host the Emmy's I think he would do a good job.

The opening of the Emmy's

 I am glad that the Academy made fun of its self with having an appearance by Justin Beiber in order to get the 18 to 24 demographic. Billy Crystal joked how good it was to watch millionaires give each other golden statues. Billy Crystal made other jokes, I thought he could get away with. But I thought the bit between Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. in presenting best documentary lasted too long. And I thought the Cirque du soleil performance was the best the best part of the Oscars and like nothing I had seen at the Oscars before. Probably my favourite part of the night besides laughing a lot with my friends at little moments.

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I hope you had a good time watching the Oscars too.