Saturday, December 31, 2011

the year in review

With the tick of a clock, another year passes by. It seems to go by so fast, faster with each year. Here's a recap of my year with some photos and memories from each month.

January: This was so long ago; I hardly remember it. But I found this picture and it reminded me of that berry bush we used to have in our front yard. A year later, thanks to construction, it isn't there any longer. It's these things I might forget if I didn't take pictures.

February: February was volatile. It was full of ups and downs, but one of my favorite moments was the snow day. There is nothing better than waking up and finding the yellow grass covered in white and realizing school has been canceled for the day.


March: I made red velvet cupcakes for the first time, by myself. I need to do that again. March also held spring break, during which some of my cousins came down and traveled with us to San Antonio.

April: Oh, April, hmm. April is always the beginning of the countdown to summer. It's when the weather starts to get warm and the flowers start to bloom and I just get restless wishing for summer. That's the general feeling of the month.


May: I remember going to the farmer's market on a Saturday morning, surveying the fresh fruits and vegetables and surreptitiously taking out my camera to snap a few pictures.

June: I went to Hawaii. More than a few early mornings (everything was different because of the large time difference) were spent at the beach, in company of only the waves and the sky. It rained a lot, but not unpleasantly and not in a way that interrupted anything. It was very much a way of life there, waking up to raindrops on the roof that would be gone by breakfast.

July: July was a big month in terms of beginnings and endings. I had my fifteenth birthday and experienced the very last Harry Potter movie, both of which prompted all sorts of nostalgia.

August: August marked the start of sophomore year, which has proved this far to be harder academically but easier socially, as I know more people. August was also the start of my brief venture into running in order to 'get in shape' for soccer. It was interesting while it lasts and maybe if it stops being so cold outside I'll start that again.

September: One thing that stands out about September is how hot it was. The drought was at its zenith and the temperature was up in the hundreds for days in a row. I remember one day, on the bus home, seeing a fire on the side of the highway. The ground was charred black and smoke was rising into the air. That was a month of wild fires.


October: After a lot of convincing, my dad and I traveled to Boston to visit family during a three day weekend. One day my cousin, her friend, and I walked around the city, browsing in stores and riding the train.


November: Another month of writing and another novel written. I was behind almost the whole month and I think I wrote three thousand words the last day to catch up. That was somewhat excruciating but ultimately rewarding.


December: This last one is from just yesterday, a perfect winter afternoon of ice skating and hot chocolate. Cold wind whipped my face and I had to burrow my gloved hands deep in my pockets. Of course it was all worth it once I had a warm drink in my hands. Tea is home, hot chocolate is vacation.

I think, in some ways, I grew a lot this year. I stopped hiding behind online aliases and opened up a little. I made new friends and I found new things that I love (and some I don't love as much). I traveled a lot this year, visiting a total of seven states, four for the first time. I learned a great many things and made a great many memories.

Also, notably: I stopped using emoticons so frighteningly often, and I am very glad about that. The absence of these atrocities makes re-reading old entries just a bit less embarrassing. :)

Well, I have lots of plans for next year but that's another post.

Happy last day of 2011.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

for your entertainment



Hello, Taz. I feel like this picture could greatly benefit from a witty caption. Anyone? (This is a few weeks old, because I, like previously mentioned, don't have my camera cord with me.)

Okay, full disclosure: I only posted this because I wanted to have an even 10 posts for the month. I know, I'm weird like that. I have one more long-ish post about reflections on the past year and how I've grown and you know, all that *~*~typical stuff~*~* planned for the 31st, probably. In case you were curious, my New Year's Eve plans involve flying home. Woop woop woop.

Monday, December 26, 2011

updates

Hey. I'm here in California where the climate is remarkably similar to that of home: that is, mildly cool with warm spots throughout the day, usually when I am wearing my heaviest coat. Ah, well, we haven't gone to the mountains yet. Right now I'm wearing the comfiest robe which I got for Christmas and listening to West Side Story in the background.

Christmas was nice. It wasn't hugely exciting, like the time my cousin set a napkin on fire at my grandparents' annual Christmas party, and it wasn't like last year where my grandma came home from the hospital on Christmas day. This side of the family is a little more low key. It's just my grandparents and occasionally my uncle or great-grandma, who will be 96 next month. We opened presents, went to church, and had a traditional meal of ham. I got a sketchbook, a 36 pack of Prismacolors, this robe, a scarf my grandparents picked up in Italy, some boots (that I returned today for ones that fit better), Barnes & Noble gift cards and some money, among other smaller things (gum! a compact mirror so I can stare at my reflection no matter where I am!). It seems like a lot more when I list it out like that. What did you get for Christmas?

Today we went to see Hugo which I enjoyed as I am quite enamored with all things French these days. Three out of the four books I got at the library were set in Paris and I don't think I'm done with this.
Oh, and yes, the notable absence of photos in this post is due to (what else?) my forgetful nature. As in, I left my camera cord at home. So I'll have to wait until I get home to upload any pictures. I don't like doing things too long after they happen, but I suppose there's nothing else to do.

Happy Boxing Day, guys...whatever that is.

Friday, December 23, 2011

christmas lights




Today we ate Thai food and looked at all the Christmas lights. It was cold and when we got home I had hot chocolate to warm up.

Yesterday I went to the library for the first time in months. I've just been so swamped with school that I've only been able to read a few books that people have sent me, and at a much slower pace than, say, over the summer. I'm happy to have some new reading material, though, and hopefully I'll be finished and can go again when I get home.

Tomorrow I leave for California for a week, where my maternal grandparents live. We'll be going up to the mountains for part of the time, where we would normally build snowmen and go skiing and snowshoeing and all that fun picturesque stuff. Only guess what? No snow. Yes, it was ONE degree Fahrenheit as of this morning, but there is no chance of snow predicted. ASDFJAKSDFASDFLJADFADSFJ! Freaking global warming and the freaking changing weather patterns. They had a bunch of snow in JUNE and now it's DECEMBER and there's no snow. So that sucks.

Buuut, it's Christmas. Maybe it's not a white Christmas, but hey, the wonder is still there. (Sorry the focus is off...it's hard controlling that sort of stuff when your hands are so cold they're about to fall off.)

I really need to go pack now. Nine a.m. flight...here I come! Have a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas if I don't stop by before.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

winter solstice

Yesterday, my friend Sydney came over and we made cookies. (As if we didn't have enough already.)
They were sugar cookies with a peppermint frosting we made from powdered sugar, milk, and crushed up candy canes. They were very delicious, thankyouverymuch.







This cat thinks he lives here now. I opened the back door this morning and he jumped in and started eating my cat's food.



I am enjoying winter break so far. Happy Solstice!

Monday, December 19, 2011

this is pouring rain


After not raining for about six months it decides to start pouring exactly when I need walk to the bus.

Oh well.

The sound of the rain is worth it.

Friday, December 16, 2011

paper snowflakes on my windowpane.

I made some paper snowflakes last weekend, folding and cutting until all the curves and gaps met together to create the right shape. My sister made some, too, and when we were done we taped them on the glass doors. It makes everything a little more festive. We don't get snow down in Texas, except for maybe one day in February. This doesn't bother me as much as it used to, partly because I'm used to it, partly because I know there'll be snow where I'm going for Christmas. And partly because this means it's not below freezing, which I appreciate. In the forties is cold enough for me, thank you very much. I can wait for California. In the mean time, I'll just be admiring my handiwork.


In other news... THE WEEK IS FINALLY OVER. Commence applause. I'm still alive.

Although I'm happy, I don't want to celebrate too soon. I still have two more days of finals and that involves writing a paper for art, yes art, giving a short presentation for Great Ideas, and *gulp* the Pre-Cal test. After that, I'm home free. I. Can't. Wait.

This week was, no exaggeration, terrible. Like, all of it. I had so much homework/studying to do and I stayed up too late practically every day and it felt like everything was working against me. My internet was being slow and yesterday the bus driver kicked my friend off the bus for not having the right kind of pass so all my plans were ruined and I had to walk home in the cold wet rain alone and then I had to work a lot and got very little sleep. My only consolation was talking to people who were going through the same thing and listening to calming music. But gosh, isn't that, like, the same for every teenager? I lufff my friendsss and music is mah life <3

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

christmas wishlist

-Prismacolors
-sketchbook
-film camera + film (like this one)
-boots
-turquoise/light blue nail polish
-laptop
-iTunes money
-good grades
-idk

no more full days of school left -- just finals. okay, retreating back into my studying lair.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

tangerine dreams and peppermint tea

That's the current state of the union. The tangerine dream refers to my nail polish color. It looks less orange in real life. Also, I feel like I should inform you that I had peppermint tea tonight, but that is not what is in the picture. Otherwise I feel like a fraud.
//
I think my English teacher just Googles 'obscure words' and then gives us a quiz on them. I mean, penumbra? Nadir? That doesn't even sound like English. On the topic of school, I have two tests and a quiz tomorrow as well as another test and a quiz on Friday, plus my project for Drawing that I'm actually somewhat pleased with but nowhere near done with. Not to mention the fact that finals start next week. Eek.

So basically: I should be studying. Byesss.

Kendall

Saturday, December 03, 2011

oh, december.

Here comes the feeling you thought you'd forgotten.

It's December. That time of the year again. I don't really know what to think about that -- there hasn't been much time to just sit and ponder. School is extremely demanding. NaNo was demanding, but now it's over, thank goodness. And sometimes I pretend like I have a social life, and that's demanding, too. Basically, I haven't gone to sleep before eleven o'clock since, like, I don't even know. Freaking sleep debt. I slept in until 10:15 this morning, though. That felt nice.

The trees look they're caught in between fall and winter, and it's kind of been drizzling all day. The weather is confused, and so am I. About a lot of things. What else is new?

I kind of miss soccer now that the season's over and I kind of miss summer. It's like a constant longing, a constant nostalgia, not just for the past but for the future, too. For something different.

Most of all, though, I feel like everything I say is so insignificant and so I keep trying to rearrange the words into something that will make people want to listen and it's just making me crazy. I mean that in so many different ways: in my writing, in my blog posts, in 'real life'. I just feel so not eloquent and so not interesting. And I just, I don't know. I want people to know that I care, you know? But I've never been good at that.

Anyway, now we've got that out of our system, let's listen to some happy songs and talk about Christmas, because no matter what your mood, you can't not love Christmas! Well, unless, you're Jewish or something, but stop making my argument invalid.

Last night, we decorated the Christmas tree. Magic.


There has never been a truer ornament. (We also have, for the benefit of my younger sisters, ones that say the same thing about the middle child and the youngest. But we all know the truth. ;)

Despite all of my hesitations, I'm still excited for the holidays. Happy December!

Kendall

P.S. I deleted all my pages because I wanted to simplify, but if you click on my profile on the side, you can read more about me and see the blogs I follow. It's pretty much the same thing, just all in one place. :)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

so, this happened.

relevant quote: If you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.--Ray Bradbury

Aw yeah.

Final word count: 30,071

My original goal at the beginning of the month was 38,000, but I decided a little while in that that was too much for everything I had going on, so I switched it to 30,000. That was more manageable while still an improvement from last year.

Next year I am doing the real thing, whole sha-bang, 50K.

Until then? I am going to rest.

(HAHAHAHA JK I go to a magnet school.)

Kendall

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

tea makes everything better.

Today was not a terrific day (it was one of those days when I wished I was home-schooled, if you know what I mean), but I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about things I like instead, like tea.

Right now I'm on my second third cup of Passion tea and it is an exceedingly wondrous shade of pink. See? It's kind of bitter, but very delicious. Mmm...I love it.


My grandmother sent me this tea cup + a matching tea pot as a confirmation gift last week and I have been putting it to good use. Tea is perfect while doing homework or writing or doing more homework, which is most of what I have been doing these past few days. Loads of fun. The 'gag me with a spoon' kind of fun. When do I graduate, again? Never mind, don't remind me. There are good things about school, though. Like today was unofficial "wear comfy jumpers and drink tea and knit" day at school. A bunch of people had their knitting and thermoses full of tea, although I unfortunately didn't have time in the morning to bring any. Next time, though. 


In the meantime, I think I'll go get some more tea. What about you: what's your favorite type of tea? Any suggestions for types I have to try?

Current Word Count: 27,001
Kendall

Sunday, November 27, 2011

thanksgiving break







1. Walking. It felt like winter and it looked like fall in Kansas City. In case you didn't know, that's where I was from Tuesday to Saturday. We go there for Thanksgiving every other year. 
2. Sculpting pie crusts.
3. Peeling apples for the pie.
4. Be thankful.
5. Rolls! Best when fresh out of the oven.
6. Playing Sorry outside with cousins. (It had warmed up.)
7. Thanksgiving meal.
8. Friday, we went and saw the Muppet Movie.
9. And then looked at the lights.
10. Ushering in the Christmas season. I'm perfectly okay with that. More than okay.

Current Word Count: 22,825
Kendall