Roman Holiday

Last night and today I watched Roman Holiday. As a short summary its about a princess who sneaks out of her castle to see what the real world is like. As she falls asleep by the side of the street, a newspaper writer comes across her and, not recognizing her, decides to pay for her to take a taxi home. Seeing she is not fit to travel by herself he decides to take her to his apartment for the night. The next day, after he discovers who she is he decides to do a story on her and takes her around Rome to wherever she wants to go. Well, they eventually fall in love and... well I won't write the end. Anyway, here is a cute scene in the movie i'd thought i'd share.

Time to Decorate!

Doesn't everything look nice?

Of course there's these guys but its OK we set it up so that they can't do any major damage ha ha.

A weekly picture

I've decided to share a Norman Rockwell painting with you once a week. I love his paintings and hope you do too!

(oh and why I chose this picture...when I was really little, this picture was hung up on a hallway in my grandparents' house. When I would occasionally walk by it, I would always stop and admire it, wondering what the girl was thinking and liking the fact that though it looked like a real person, there was a loud show of personality that showed on her face. Anyway, thats why I chose this picture.)

The Trip To the Mountains

It was our third day in Mexico. We (my group) had all gathered at the church in Queretaro around seven, and piled onto the bus, bundled in sweatshirts and jackets our host families had given us for the freezing mountains. "Very Cold!" "Mucho Frio!" they said when we protested on their kindness. We smiled and thought, guess they never visited New York in November! We put our jackets and lunches on the cabinets above our seats, cameras in hand, and when we were all settled, started off! Headed down the highway and waited impatiently to get to the mountains we'd been anticipating for. We went bus surfing, slept, and looked out the window (which included seeing a horse on the bed of a truck.... a moving truck.) We got to a small city (or large town), where we stopped to switch buses. The smaller bus we transferred to was not as comfortable as our bus...the light came through dirty windows, and we had to squeeze into the double seats with our jackets and lunches piled on top of us. We drove across the flat terrain seeing a mountain here and there, nothing really, except that blue hue looming ahead of us. That of course was the mountains, dark, blue and beautiful. It seemed to take forever to get there when up we went! The road narrowed and the barriers on the side of the road didn't seem like much help as we looked down the shear drop edge. Higher and higher we drove until we came level with the clouds. The sun seemed to shine brighter and the colors of the sky and terrain seemed to become louder. After about a half and hour of taking in all the beauty we turned onto a narrow, steep and bumpy dirt road... with shear drops and no barriers. After laughing at the comparison of it to my driveway, we reached a little house with a huge view where some residents were setting up a church. The church was four walls of brick, with cutouts for windows and an entryway, with a cement floor and a tarp for the roof. We parked the bus, and feeling the 80 degree air, took off our layers and put them in a dark room, The room looked like a sort of pantry with lopsided shelves and bags of food. We met together out front, and started to hike up the mountains to tell people of the meeting. After about 30 seconds, I started to feel the outcomes of the 10,000 foot elevation and quickly took out my puffer. We walked from house to house, (little thrown together shelters built into the mountains) telling people some Spanish phrases we were taught to say. We admired the view and the independent people who supply for themselves and were glad to meet them. We did, however, stay away from the numerous, greasy, sick looking dogs that approached us. Well, everyone but Cotter, who pet a little puppy that looked cute, but well, like the other dogs. I told Cotter why he probably shouldn't pet the dogs, and he flipped out wiping his hands vigorously on his pants. Anyway, we took a team picture and started to head down the mountain, noticing that while we were exhausted, a little boy (11 or 12) was roding his bike up and down the steep road without even a heavy breath. Boy did we feel like beached whales! We got back to the little church and ate our lunches. Then I met....the bathroom. The bathroom was a dark room with old cement walls, brighter with the light off than with that dull light on. It had no door, just a curtain, in which the whole time I prayed that no one would walk in. Oh the idea! The floor was all wet and there was a big bucket there for the water dripping from the roof. In the bucket I noticed that someone had accidentally thrown their toilet paper in it and I was relieved that I wouldn't be the one to take it out. The toilet was like a toilet without the seat but twice as wide, wet and with no flusher. I'll never complain about an American toilet again! We had the meeting, which was great, then had a dinner with the residents that came, and we gave balloons and candy to the children. Finally, we got our stuff, and after I used the dreaded toilet again we got in the bus and headed back.


Well that's the story for the day. I'll try to write again soon!

A New York Moon

Oh and by the way I thought I'd share more about my trip with you! I'll start tomorrow.

Mexico

There is so much I could say about Mexico, but I don't know where to start. I could talk about how the mountains were beautiful and the garbage was not. I could talk about the old 1960's bugs that are everywhere and how every city has its own color of them (Pachuca..white, Queretaro...red, Mexico City...green and yellow taxi's). I could talk about the beautiful house we stayed in in Queretaro and the...not so nice...house we stayed at for the day in the mountains. I could talk about the famous soccer player (no I mean futbol player) we stayed with and also the family who lives a quiet, simple life. I could talk about the old pyramids and the new(er) Hard Rock Cafe. I could talk about how nice the people were and how ashamed I am of my arrogant nation. I could tell you how excited I was to get on the Delta Airlines flight 481 to Mexico and how sad I was to get on flight 484 to New York (Nueva York actually). I could tell you how beautiful the rich, colorful, warm sunsets were, and how the pure, cool sunrises were. I could tell you how great I felt with no allergies in the high altitudes and how out-of-shape I felt in the high altitudes. I could tell you that the Pachuca Pastes were delicious and that the Inn Sur's (in Mexico City) restaurant's questionable eggs were not so much. I could tell you of all the inside jokes that were created on this trip and also the times that I wished I could get away. I could tell you that I love it down there and thinking of the colleges, and also how much I am glad to be home and that I fell in love with New York again. There is so much to write about Mexico, but I don't know where to start.

Already?

Yesterday morning, when I woke up, something was different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something in the air that I hadn't felt in a while.... like a yummy drink which you haven't had in a long time. Then I heard the the excited, shrill squeals coming from around the house. "Snow!" "Its Snowing!" "Mom can I go outside?" "Snow!" Sure enough, as I looked out the window I could already see snowflakes (not just any the real big ones) and the valley was covered in white mist. The sky painted with a winter grey. Already?

What Could Be More Beautiful

What could be more beautiful than castle ruins, on the cliffs of Ireland, on a cloudy day?



http://sound-accord.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/D1-_Minard_Castle_ruins_on_the_shore.29792028_std.jpg

My Fall

I know that some, if not most people hate cloudy, wet days. I on the other hand love them... Especially in Autumn.....here's why

Happy Birthday Bannon

The Start of Autumn

Rainy Days

I love rainy days. A rainy day for me is full of reading, crocheting, drawing, playing (music), hanging out in my room, and watching movies. That was my day today. Rain has been rather a companion for me today. I watched Somewhere in Time, and the sky seemed to be crying with me as the tragedy unfolded. The rain was background music as I cleaned my room (which was actually fun today). The rain has made beautiful pictures with the air as it spread mists over the valley. I hope everyone enjoys these days as I do.

The World Is An Orchestra

The world is an orchestra
Made of all the noise you hear
You can only hear it if you try
You have to strain an ear

Rain thunders against a window
Wind whistles past a tree
Lightning and thunder clash the sky
What a wonderful symphony

Cars honk their horns
Subways thunder past
Conversations everywhere
The music will always last

A dog barks
Children may cry
A vacuum eats
For this music you must really try

A lake grumbles
A loon sighs
A dock creaks
A song for the skies

The world is an orchestra
Made of all the noise you hear
You can only hear it if you try
You have to strain an ear

~ Hannah M.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to a warm, loving, inspiring, and unforgettable woman. Love you Mom!

My Art

This week we have officially started school. I'm excited to start this new year (I'm officially in high school!) One of my favorite subjects is Art and I thought I'd share the picture we had to draw....isn't it pretty?

"The Swing"

Auguste Renoir

I can't help it!

Maybe its from my distant Irish blood or maybe its just because I like it, I LOVE riverdance!




oh and I like Colin Dunne WAY better than Michael Flatley

The Caves

A few days ago we went to the "caves." The caves, for those of you who don't know, are up in the woods about a mile from my house. I had always been curious about them and when Dad said he wanted to go I was thrilled! Anyway so Dad, Uncle Joe, Jake, Bannon, Abby, Sophie and I headed up through the woods and up to the caves. Its nice up there (not including the swamp we had to cross). There are cliffs (not big compare to other cliffs I've seen but still pretty) up there covered with moss with an old rock wall running across the top. There are caves but not real ones, more like holes that a rabbit or a fox could live in. However I still like it up there and can't wait to go up again.

My New Haircut

So what do you think?

My Favorite Olympic commercial

Go U.S!!!!!!

My Space

As some of you know I have been decorating my new room. I have big yellow walls and although they look nice it is hard to find stuff to put on the walls without my room looking too old for me. I want a nice room and I've been looking for paintings that I like. I was in a stump for the longest time, when I realized that I have always liked Norman Rockwell paintings. I told mom and a few days later she surprised me with a big book that had tons of his paintings and sketches! I've been experimenting and I thought I'd share what I did!

We ate Lobster

Land of Nod

This morning I was looking for something to read when I came across A Child's Garden of Verses by Tasha Tudor. I was reading the poems when I came to THE LAND OF NOD. I thought it was very cute and it reminds me of when I dream, and I thought I'd share....

THE LAND OF NOD

From breakfast on through all the day
At home among my friends I stay,
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the Land of Nod.

All by myself I go,
With none to tell me what to do-
All alone beside the streams
And up the mountain-sides of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,
Both things to eat and things to see,
And many frightening sights abroad
Till morning in the Land of Nod

Try as I like ti find the way,
I can never get back by day,
Nor can remember plain and clear
The curious music that I hear.

Light of Salvation

My new favorite worship song is Light of Salvation by Desperation Band. Its a great song and the lyrics really inspire me...enjoy!

One of my favorite Sesame Street songs

For those of you who read my moms blog you may recognize this video, but I love this song and I thought i'd share.

Our trip to Great Escape

Another check off of my list!

Happy 4th of July

I thought this was inspiring...

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and self-preserved way but rather to skid in broadside totally worn out and proclaiming "WOW WHAT A RIDE!"


~Anonymous~

They are so cute!

Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Joe! I hope this year is one of the best for you! I am SO BLESSED to have you as my uncle! Since the time I was little and you always would play, to the time when you were with us at the american idol contest, 'til' now when you take us on fun hikes and long bike rides! You are never too tired to have fun and you don't mind if we just want to hang out. Again, Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!

Yes I have Decided

Yes I have decided to enter in one of those baking contests in the fair. I have always thought it would be fun to do it, like the women in those old country movies and I thought I'd check it out. I looked in the "book of events" for the fair and to my surprise there were contests for baking bread and cakes and cookies! I told mom and she liked the idea so I guess I'm doing it! I also could enter my baby Afghan that I'm crocheting but I don't think I'm ready for that....

We Went Strawberry Picking!