I would post about something more interesting (I have the actual journal part ready to go), but my computer is being rather constipated today and doesn't like uploading images from just one certain file which happens to have all of the pictures I want to post, SO, I'll just save that for another day.
In the mean time, I snatched this from Robin's site. :)

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Let's see... I was 7, going on 8. I was in 2nd grade.
2. I was getting ready to move from Odessa, TX to Lubbock, TX.
3. I was very excited for my new little sister (Grace) to be born in 4 months.
4. I sang a solo for a school concert.
5. I started my very first journal. And I still have it to this day.

Five things on my to do list
1. get my to-do list more organized
2. homework
3. yoga/excersize
4. memorize/perfect music for my senior recital
5. make money to go to NYC with the music department in March.

Five of my favorite snack foods
1. goldfish
2. pretzels
3. fruit cup stuff
4. nilla wafers :)
5. anything that agrees with both my tastebuds AND my stomach.

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. pay for my college tuition
2. pay for all of my siblings' college tuition
3. pay off whole family get out of any debts
4. donate to several charities
5. travel the world and visit the many people here in the states that I miss.

Semesters

Today I took my last finals for highschool! Seniors don't have to take 2nd semester finals. I feel I did very very well. And that's the first in a long time! I don't have all of my grades, but the ones I did get were all A's. The only one I don't have I'm kind of nervous about, it was a difficult class and everybody hated it. Along with me. I hope I get a C, a B if I'm lucky.
I'm extra excited for this next semester. Partly because I don't have to take finals for it, but also I've heard a lot of really good things about my classes. I'll be taking (in order of class periods):
1. Government. I've heard this class is really really good. I'm looking forward to it.
2. Choir/Gym. I took this last semester as well. Gym on Mon/Wed, Choir on Tue/Thur/Fri.
3. Astronomy. I'll have the same teacher I had for last semester's genetics class I took, which was a lot of fun and very interesting. I'm hoping it turns out to be the same in this class. The teacher really enjoys what he teaches, which really helps make the class more fun. Plus, I've always had a huge interest in astronomy. I really wanted to be on as a kid, until I learned how much math was involved to do it as a career. Haha. So it'll just be a hobby on the side instead. :)
4. Intermediate Art 2d. I kind of wasn't wanting to take this because of the tedious work and senioritis, but I need the credit and it'll be a nice relaxing class for the middle of the day.
5. Orchestra. Love it, as always! I'll still be principle cellist and we'll be going on a trip to New York City this semester!
6. Free hour, I'll probably sit in the orchestra room or band room and do homework or play with a jazz combo of people who are also free that hour.
7. Contemporary Literature. I'm really looking forward to this class. The teacher for this class is my favorite teacher I've had all throughout highschool. So far he places 2nd in my list of favorite teachers ever. I've only had him for 1 semester. My 8th grade science teacher ranks 1st place right now. :P He loves what he does and makes everything a lot more interesting. Not to mention, I love literature, and this class has a lot of non-fiction reading (compared to stuff we did in World Lit last semester, like The Iliad and Antigone and The Inferno and 1984, which would very much be more on the fiction side). We'll be reading stuff written from 1945 through today. Should be very interesting.

Graduation is becoming more and more visible, I can really feel it coming, I'm so excited!!!!!

New Look

I changed the background to this blog... I had been picking backgrounds that the whole family could live with, but I'm discovering I'm the only one who ever uses this, my mom occasionally checking it out, so I figure why not put something that I want up.
Speaking of new looks, it's been about a month, but I cut my hair. It had been way past my shoulders, and now it doesn't even reach my shoulders.


It's much shorter..

I participated in my school's Madrigal Dinner Theater back in December that they do every year. I was in the madrigal strings. I got to wear this dress with huge sleeves and a little cap with an extremely long veil in the back. The 2nd picture was an accident. I was messing with the side of the camera and it took a picture in the mirror! I kept it. :)

It's Cold Here in Iowa!

Last night we went through the coldest temperatures our family has ever faced in our lives. It got down to record matching temperatures of -30 (not including windchill!). It's really blowing my mind. I've spent most of my life in West Texas, and the absolute coldest it EVER got while I was there (8 years) was 15 degrees. That was pretty darn cold for us southerners!
Here are some pictures of the ice pattern left on the windows in the attic.

Music

This post doesn't have a story or really a point behind it. No news... other than the fact that it's a snow day today.
*sigh* am I such a geek for loving to listen to orchestral/quartet/solo music? It's what I do on snow days. Or any free time I have. The occasional song on the radio might be kind of nice to me, maybe its lyrics can relate to me personally at the time being, but the mood of love songs can't last forever. I won't always be feeling like my "heart is bleeding" or whatever silly lyrics they have to describe pain and sorrow. They're suiting at times, but for me, the music with no lyrics can satisfy me all the time at any time, no matter what the mood.
Even the Danse Macabre on my playlist here.. it's supposed to be a creepy piece, kind of about death. But I LOVE it. Haha, it doesn't strike me as a depressing song. When I heard it for the very first time, I thought of excitement and fun, actually. (mind you, fun to me when I was younger involved setting up pranks and being sneaky, so maybe that's why I get fun out of it?) Am I messed up for that? Haha.
I remember when I was about 4 or 5, I had a computer game - Reader Rabbit's Reading Journey. There was a credit's page on the disk, and when it was up, it played the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (just the first part in this recording) and I would dance to it in a room all by myself because I LOVED it. I still love it.

Going back to the first question of this post, am I a geek? Well, if I am one, then so be it, I love being one!
That's all I have to say for now..

As a Christmas Present for my 3 sisters, I drew portraits of them. I love making presents so much more than I do buying (partly because I don't have a job, therefor I don't have any $$$), but when I make something I know they'll enjoy and I also get to use my talents, then it really makes the whole giving and watching them get aso much more enjoyable. Makes the whole holiday a bit more special. So here are some pictures of the caricature portraits I did for Molly, Sally and Grace. I tried shrinking them a little so they might be a little squished and squeezed, but I think they look pretty close to normal. :)

This is Molly on the Piano

Sally with her Viola

And Grace with her Flute.