Lucy Maud Montgomery Week // The Tag

Today is Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthday!! And to celebrate this amazingly talented author, Eva from Coffee, Classics, and Craziness is doing a fun LMM week! 

You should go check it out! Here's the link: Lucy Maud Montgomery Week: Intro + the Tag!

And before I answer Eva's questions, here are a couple screenshots taken from Google, which/who (?) is also celebrating Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthday! :) 

Different scenes in front of Green Gables. 

Kindred Spirits

Anne makes a cake with Liniment instead of Vanilla

Alrighty now! Here are my answers to Eva's questions:

How did you first discover LMM’s books?

The first time I ever discovered anything LMM, was watching Anne of Green Gables. That is seriously an amazing movie, one of my favourites!! I was only four or five at the time, so all I really remembered of the movie was a girl with fiery red hair that cracked a slate on a boy's head, made her friend drunk, and like puffed sleeves. As I got older, I started to understand it a whole lot more and that made it even more enjoyable. Of course, once I found out the movie was based on a series of books, I had to read it! :) 

What’s your favourite LMM book? 

(changing all the favorites to favourites because my auto-correct spelling underlines anything that isn't spelled "correctly" with a dotted red line that really annoys me sometimes. Too much red underlining reminds me of tests (specifically math ones) that have 90% wrong answers ;) ) 

Favourite LMM books (apologies, can't keep it to one book!) are Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Rilla of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, and Emily of New Moon. 

What’s your least favourite LMM book?
Anne of Windy Poplars. Not much to say about it. :) 

Who is your favourite character in allllll of LMM’s works?
What?? Hooww can you ask such a question?? That's, that's....oh dear! I like Anne, and Gilbert, and Walter, and Leslie, and Captain Jim, and oh! you can't forget Diana. . . . I'm going to finish the rest of the tag first and mull over this. 
Later:
Okay, I choose Anne. There was a big fight between Gilbert, Walter, and Anne, but I'll go with Anne. I've known and loved her the longest, so she has the right to be my favourite character :) 

What couple is your favourite?

Anne and Gilbert! They're my favourite by far! :) 

What is your favourite quote from LMM (either a quote from one of her books, or from her personal life)?
Anne of Green Gables: “Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.” 

How many LMM books have you read?

Oh goodness, I have no idea! Let's just say lots, 'kay? ;) 

Which LMM book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Rilla of Ingleside!!! Of course! It would be so lovely to watch. BUT, if this makes sense, it needs the right people to make it. Nowadays, "they" are making such grotesque movies it's near impossible for me to watch. Actually, my friend and I were just talking about it yesterday at church! It would be such a disappointment if they did make a movie out of Rilla of Ingleside and it ended up being. . . horrible. That would be worse than if they hadn't made a movie at all! 

Have you found a kindred spirit?

Yes, I have! It's fun how we understand each other almost perfectly and share secrets together. Whispering and talking under cover of night when we should be sleeping, giggling over anything under the sun. . . in case you haven't figured it out yet, my kindred spirit is none other than my sister, Tiger Lily! :D  ;) We've done a lot of things together....lots! For example (and I won't go off topic because it's actually Anne of Green Gables related! :) One thing that we both liked to do when we were much younger (oh yes, we're ancient now and would never do such a thing anymore :P) was play Anne and Diana during their little party. And the raspberry cordial. Have you ever heard of Ribena? If you haven't, it's kind of like a blackcurrent concentrate/cordial (you wouldn't believe how excited Tiger Lily and I were when we discovered that the bottle had a little label that read "cordial" on it!)  that you add water to to dilute it some. Anyway, it looked a lot like the raspberry cordial Anne served Diana...so we would take turns pretending we were Anne or Diana. Pouring cup after cup after cup of cordial (I love the word cordial...it just rolls of your tongue :) And of course, we used clear glasses. It would have completely spoiled it if we used a regular mug! :) We drank way too much Ribena by the way ;)  Ohh...those were the golden days ;) 

But yeah! That was a little scene from waaay back when ;) I'd love to tell you all about the time we sprayed Strawberry Shortcake foam all over the bathroom, or the times we had Indian pow-wows at night. . . but I think this answer is long enough. Don't you think? And it would be completely off topic too! ;) Which reminds me, I should go finish that question about my favourite character. . . 

Thanks for putting together such a fun tag, Eva! and everyone else, you really should go check out her blog! Join in the fun! :) 

The Awesome Food Award // Answer Roundup

Sooo.....I got this really fun and great idea from Naomi during her Jane Austen Week. Basically, she went through all the tags that people had done (in this case, it's going to be all the lovely people I nominated :) and then put up her favourite answers to the questions. So yeah, that's what I'm going to do right now ;)

First of all, here are all the people who did the tag either on their blog or in the comments box*:

Victoria N. *

Faith P. // Realization // The Awesome Food Award

Tiffany C. *

Shai Ireland // The Awesome Food Award

Olivia N. // The Awesome Food Award

Emily McConnell // The Most Excellent Food Award

Tiger Lily*

If you've done the post and you don't see your name up here, just let me know and I'll pop it on ;) But let me just say, thank you to everyone who did do it! I had a lot of fun reading your answers, and lots of laughs involved here! 

1. Chocolate or vanilla?

Okay, so here, it was kinda hard because the answer is either chocolate or vanilla. So I'll just tell you the ratio between chocolate and vanilla. 

Chocolate

Faith P.

Tiffany C.

Tiger Lily (possibly, her answer is somewhat vague... :P)

Vanilla

Olivia N. 

Emily McConnell

Shai Ireland

Victoria N. 

Soooo...the ratio here is 4:3, with the vanilla's one point ahead of the chocolate! (to be honest, I thought the chocolate was going to win! :) 

2. Favourite dessert? 

I had this really amazing cake this year… It was a lemon cake with ice cream(vanilla I think) and raspberry sauce on top. It was sooo delicious. (Olivia N.)

 Cheesecake! Chocolate cheesecake if that's a possibility, but cherry is great too. :) I also believe  boiled cookies are to die for. (That's what we call them. I think there real name is no-bake cookies or something.) (Faith P.)

3. Imagine that it's freezing cold, there's lots of snow, and you just came in from playing outside. Would you prefer to drink hot chocolate or coffee?

This is kind of like the first question, but I'll put the ratio and a couple of answers here :) 

Ratio. . . 1:6!!! Aww...Faith, looks like we're the only coffee lovers here right now! ;) Oh well, actually, Shai did say that she likes coffee too.... :) 

Hot chocolate! Although I do like drinking coffee to wake me up, you just can't beat coco and tons of marshmallows! (Shai Ireland)

Hot chocolate, because coffee makes me sleepy. ;) (Emily McConnell)

4. Favourite pie/cake?

Pecan Pie. Yumm!!! (Victoria N.)

For pie, I would say apple, for cake, I think I would pick chocolate of some kind. (Tiger Lily)

5. What is a dessert that you love making/is the easiest thing you can make?

Cookies are easiest. (Tiffany C.)

Jello! It is sooo easy to make and comes in so many different colors!!!! (Shai Ireland)

6. What is a meal that you love making/is the easiest thing you can make?

My famous Yak Burger Quiche! Sooo good. It’s very simple to make, too. The quiche I make doesn’t take very long. I use several different types of meat- from pork to ham to chicken to bacon- but I like using yak the most. :) (Emily McConnell)

 Spagetti, salad, and garlic toast is the simplest thing I can think of and I love it! :) (Faith P. )

7. Is there a food that you hope that you'll never have to eat in your life time?

I'm going to put all of your answers here because honestly I can not choose which ones are my absolute favourite. They are all soooo funny!! :) 

Raw fish, raw meat or an undercooked egg... I think you all can see a theme here :). (Shai Ireland)

Don’t ever make me eat sushi, please! ;) (Emily McConnell)

Yes It's Lentil Dull. Gross! (Victoria N. )

Last Saturday I had blue cheese crumbles for the first time in my life and found it to be disgusting in my opinion. If anyone likes these, I'm not saying anything against you. But, in my opinion, that stuff is terrible. I want to gag thinking about it... I guess that's more like something I hope I'll never have to eat again, but that's all I can think of. ;) (Faith P.)

Probably bugs, especially spiders. *shudders* (Tiger Lily)

Can't think of anything!! (Tiffany C.)

I’m not sure, probably grasshoppers or something like that. :( (Olivia N. )

8. The strangest dish you've ever eaten?

There's nothing really strange, maybe some thing my sisters made. (Tiffany C.)

Well, I've eaten alligator but I'm not sure you'd call that strange. (Faith P.)

A Swedish dish of squash soup and Swedish hardtack. It was actually really good. That’s the only thing I can think up right now. ;) Oh, wait! My friend and I back when we were very little put cheese and popcorn on chocolate cookies. That was strange but kinda good. ;) (Emily McConnell)

9. Favourite mealtime? Why?
All of them! Because I am a Hobbit at heart :). (Shai Ireland)

Breakfast, maybe? I just love it… plus you can eat really good food for breakfast. (Olivia N.)

Dinner! Because everyone’s there! (That seems to be a common answer..) (Tiger Lily)

10. How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? :) 

By putting peanut butter on both sides of the bread and skipping the jelly. ;) I can’t stand jelly and peanut butter touching each other. Yuck. ;) (Emily McConnell)

Haha! I get a piece of bread, put peanut butter  on and then the jelly on top. (Olivia N. )

You take 2 slices of bread, spread jelly on one side, peanut butter on the other, squish them together and eat it:D Unless you’re making it for someone else, because they might be upset if you eat their sandwich:P (Tiger Lily)

Do I need to come to your house and teach you, Blessing? (I'm kidding.) ;) 

You take two pieces of bread and lay them on your plate. Then you spread peanut butter on one and jelly on the other. Smack 'me together and eat! :) Well, I don't because I don't like PB&Js. :) (Faith P.)

spread peanut butter on one piece of bread and spread jelly one the other. then put them together.
actually, I don't think I've made one before, but that's how I would make it. I would rather have bread with butter!:) (Tiffany C.)

Thanks again for doing the tag, girls! :) 

Days #259 - #266

Saturday, November 14: Pretty Tissue Boxes

Sunday, November 15: Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before I go any further. . . I've just got to say, these cookies were amazing!
My whole family loved them! Chewy, chocolatey, and mmmm, SOO delicious!!
And super easy to make. To get the recipe, you can hop over to Olivia N.'s blog Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
and check it out. 

Monday, November 16: Stars. . . I think

Okay, so I was trying to take pictures of the stars, but I guess I was on a wrong setting
and to be totally honest, I've never taken pictures of the stars before, so as the picture above clearly shows,
I need to work on this, and I should probably stop this run-on sentence 'cause it is really running long :P

Tuesday, November 17: The Moon 

Wednesday, November 18: Omelet and Veggies

realizing now that that name doesn't sound very good...oh well. It tasted better than it sounds!

Thursday, November 19: The Moon again!

Friday, November 20: Pirogies, Veg, and Bread, Oh my! 

Saturday, November 21: Wedding Photos

Snow White and I having some fun with paper dolls! 

As you can probably tell by the photos, we had the dolls all leaning against the door. We were
sooo worried that someone would open the door and knock 'em all over. They were very hard to
arrange and put up properly. No wonder, they're made out of paper! :P 

Pray for Paris

The terrorists have struck again. This time either killing, kidnapping, or injuring 100 innocent people. And not only that, but harming the hearts of those that are related or friends to these people. Let's pray, asking God to heal all the broken hearts that are suffering right now.

Taking verses from my previous post God is in Control that I think would be applicable in such a time as this.

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Genesis 50:20  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 

Once again, it's the trust that we need to have in God. Belief that He is in control, even in the darkest hours. 

In the darkest hour, I must face

I'm counting on your grace

To give me all I need

Sunless days and cheerless nights will pass

And work their work at last

To form  your joy in me

For when I am weak

I find that you are strong

And all I really need is your grace

All I need to know is you are near me

All I need is you

All I really need is your grace

All I need to know is you are for me

All I need is you

All I need is you

~ All I Really Need 

Mark and Stephen Altrogge 

I would encourage you to also check out Olivia's post #PrayforParis where she shares her thoughts on the Paris attack as well as some Bible verses too. 

God is in control! 

Day #245 - #258

Alrighty! Here is the Photo-A-Day Challenge post....finally! So sorry for the looong delay in posting this, but it was a little hectic with all my school and all that good stuff...so yeah! 

But, here it is at last! )

Saturday, October 31: Fresh Baked Cookies

Sunday, November 1: Karaoke Time. . . I think! 

I don't think Mom and Dad would particularly like it if I posted this somewhat
crazy photo of them, so I just put a ? on it. But...I did take a picture that day! :) 

Monday, November 2: Ladybug Land

For some reason, there were tons of ladybugs flying all over the place. I couldn't step outside
without getting ladybugs flying into my face and hair. So I snapped a few photos and then rushed back inside
Creeping crawlies creeping down my neck are not a particularly nice sensation

Tuesday, November 3: Cup o'Tea and Toast

Wednesday, November 4: A Foggy Morning

Thursday, November 5: Hairstyles! :) 

Friday, November 6: DNA from a Banana

Saturday, November 7: Volunteering at the PCC Banquet

On coat-check! ;)

Sunday, November 8: Homemade Pizza

Monday, November 9: Dare Devil

Tuesday, November 10: Home Recording Studio 

Wednesday, November 11: Lest We Forget

Thursday, November 12: DNA Model

Question for all the scientists out there: What base does RNA have that DNA doesn't have? 

Friday, November 13: Happy Birthday, Mom! 

Hope you enjoyed the post! 

What was your favourite picture?

Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders Fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

 the Torch! be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep ,though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields. 

~ John McCrae

Another One of Those Random Posts

Some more little scenes from life in this crazy household :D

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A couple of days ago, Dad saw Toblerone with his mouth puffed out as if he was eating something. Thinking that Toblerone was eating something he wasn't supposed to, Dad told him to spit it out. Toblerone just stared at him as if trying to say You do not want me to do this. But it didn't communicate very well with Dad, I guess, because he told Toblerone to spit it out again. So Toby obeyed. And sprayed out a mouthful of water into Dad's hand. And Dad had just finished getting ready to go to work.

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So....last Sunday, we were discussing the sermon during lunch. Talking about money, the proper use of money, why we have money, and how money can become bad if you idolize it, etc. Everyone was adding in what they thought to the conversation and then Dare Devil, who had previously been very quiet, piped in "Oh, I know what dirty money is! It's when the money has dirt and mud on it, right?"

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Oh yeah!  I can't forget about this! Dad got a GatorXUV550 for the younger ones, and they've been going nuts with it! In a good way :) 

Tiger Lily says to mention that it is plastic. . . 

But it still moves, and boy is it fun to watch. I think it's more fun to ride, but us two older girls can't cause we're just so slightly too big for it. 

I was actually quite surprised though at how well Dare Devil and Snow White could drive. So far, I haven't seen them crash into anything, and Snow White can do a pretty good 3 point turn. I'm still trying to learn that, and it's not easy for me at all. But she makes it look like she's done it a million times already. 

 Dare Devil is also a very good driver. The only problem is that when I was taking pictures of him while he was in motion, he kept looking at me and smiling so that I could take a nice picture. So yeah, then he wasn't looking where he was going and it was getting a little scary watching him weave in and out and around and about. The fact that there's a four year old driving a two year around in a Gator (mini though it be) is scary enough for me!

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I've been extracting DNA from bananas, jellies, and even Ritz crackers. Okay, so the crackers didn't do anything but become really mushy and soft and yucky looking, but the banana gave a lot of DNA, and the jam was so-so. It made really nice pictures too! :) 

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Last Saturday, Tiger Lily and I helped out at the PCC banquet with lots of friends from our youth group at church. It was lots of fun serving to others with one another! :)

Tiger Lily, two of our best friends, and I were assigned on coat check. That meant we had to take all 643 guests' coats, hang them up, and MOST importantly. . . don't lose them!!! Then after the banquet was over, we had to give the coats back. Duh :P

Anyway, the system for keeping all the coats was confusing at first, but with some tweaking, we all managed to come up with something that would work. And guess what? It did! :)

Some people preferred to keep their coats on, or bring it in with them to the banquet hall, but I'd say we ended up taking around 550+ coats. 

Up with all. those. coats! :) 

At first, it was very stressful running around, trying not to lose both tickets and coats, but thankfully it came together and we all managed to work in a nice, somewhat orderly fashion :) Thanks also to some other friends who came to help us :D

There was a closet on the right of this picture, as well as another rack and closet
on the other side of the hall. 

I wonder what we're looking at? 

Oh, and I just had to add this picture of the chandelier. When we first got into the
hall, we were all like "whoaaa....this place is amazing!!" It was so beautiful
and breathtaking. There was this massive sparkling chandelier in the
very middle of the hall, with two smaller ones on either side. This picture is not
exactly how I wanted to show it, but I didn't have time to circle it and snap thousands of pictures of it
like I usually do. Coat check, remember? ;) 

Hard at work. . . I think. Or else we're playing Hangman ;)

Me and our two fellow coat check-ers :) Thanks to Tiger Lily for taking the photo! :) 

Ahhh yes! And the stairs!! On either side of the hall were these absolutely magnificent stairways. They were so pretty!
So once there was a break in the crowd and no one seemed to be wanting their coats, I got Tiger Lily and these two pretty fellow coat check-ers to run up the stairs and let me take a picture. :)

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Tiger Lily was (actually, she is right this instant while I'm typing :P) looking for a song to do for a Studio Assignment, (that's for the vocal course that she is taking that I may or may not have forced her to take. . . ) and she thought of doing the Dragon Theme song. Where No One Goes. Have you heard it before? It's a really fun and nice song. Anyway, she was looking up the lyrics and she realized that the chorus actually goes:

We go where no one goes

We slow for no one 

Get out of our way!

Once she read that, she was like "WHAATT??? That's so rude!" Then she showed it to me and I heard it and I was wondering how did we not hear that before? It's so weird! But yeah. . . she won't be singing that for her Studio assignment! :) 

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So, what did you think? Would you like me to continue doing these Random posts? :)
What did you find most interesting in this post? Most funny?

Hope you enjoyed the post! :D